This was inspired by the Big Finish drama "Death and the Queen" (so there are spoilers) and is set a few years after The End of Time where Donna is happily married to Shaun (I have to imagine she's happy.)

Lost Queen (Donna Temple-Noble)

"So, what's this project you have to do?"

Shaun watched as his eldest daughter dumped a collection of library books on the kitchen table - five in all, and none of them very large.

"Something creative with the country we got assigned to," Susan Temple-Noble responded with the weight and severity all eight-year-olds have when something looming and impossible is tasked to them.

From the counter, Donna smiled to herself as she washed the tomatoes before slicing them.

"Which country did you get?" Shaun prodded, glancing over at his wife in bemusement.

"Some country in the middle of Europe, Susan answered. "Gorra…Gorra-something."

"GORRA!" a smaller voice shouted, making Donna jump. With a laugh, she turned as four-year-old Pamela ran into the room.

"You're a gore, all right," she told the child who laughed with satisfaction.

"Goritania!" Susan revealed, waving her assignment paper in the air.

"Never heard of it," Donna said but then froze.

Not noticing, Shaun gathered Pamela into his arms, flipping through the book closest to him. 'Oh it's not far from Monaco," he mused.

"Yeah, and it's really small and there's nothing on it," Susan groaned. "It's so boring! Why couldn't I have Spain or Italy? They have all sorts of stuff on them!"

Shaun squinted at the fine print. "Oh, I'm sure you'll have enough -"

"It was a tucked-away monarchy for hundreds of years before the people revolted and overthrew King Rudolph and the Queen Mother in the 1780s. Led by Generalissimo Hortense, the Republic of Goritania became a progressive democracy centuries ahead of its time, with practices that still remain to this day. Although, they kept the same standard with words from a completely unknown language inscribed. Legends of the language's origins have ranged from the divine to aliens, but no one has been able to translate it."

Shaun, Susan, and Pamela all stared as Donna drew in a large breath, her mannerisms oddly skittish and random. She flicked a towel over her shoulder and grinned with a distracted sort of confidence.

"Legend also has it the king was so easily overthrown because he was heartbroken by his queen leaving him at the altar. No one knows what became of her. Not even her name."

Donna smiled, but not to anyone in the room. It was a secret smile, and for a moment, she looked as if she was going to continue and say she knew exactly what had happened to the mysterious runaway queen.

But she blinked and shook her head, confusion falling over her.

"Mum?" Susan asked, completely baffled.

Shaun gently placed Pamela to the ground and stood close to Donna. "Love?" he asked quietly.

Donna turned to him. "What?" she asked.

"You just gave the history of Goritania," he explained.

Donna arched an incredulous eyebrow at him. "I did?" She looked at her daughters. "Huh…I guess I have heard of it."

Shaun smiled slowly. "Must have," he said, happy to see she was fine.

Donna shrugged. "Maybe it was in a film…" A revelation came to her. 'Wasn't it one of those rags to riches films that we watched the other night on Netflix…That must be it." She laughed. "Who knew I was actually paying attention!"

Shaun shook his head and kissed her cheek, ready to go back to normal. He gathered Pamela back into his arms and sat across from Susan. "So, maybe you can make that standard as your project…" he suggested.

Once again, the Temple-Noble home was filled with happy chatter, and Donna blithely resumed slicing the tomatoes.