"No!No! Art thou lying to me? My cousin, Mary will spare my life!"
"So you think..." the Doctor said Coldly.
"Why? Why me? I never asked for this, I never wanted to be queen!My parents, my father-in-law, my husband, they all put the crown on my head even after I refused it!"
"It seems that Mary haven't seen this situation the way you do. She saw you as a threat so he got rid of you."
"Why art thou speaking of my death as of something that had already happened?" Jane had a tear running down her cheek.
She was feeling lost. During her imprisonment she was generally treated well:enough food and water, clean clothes, a bath once a week, and even some of her close friends as company for most of the time. All this made her believe that there was still hope, that she'll be free again to go home (wherever that could be considered), that Mary will pardon her, let her live a decent life away from the court and royal affairs. Only at night she got lonely and started crying in the dark, when nobody could see her sorrow, because she had to look strong. She always had to look strong to fill the role she was playing in the grand masterplan of her father-in-law, the man she hated, the man who manipulated her entire life so that he could become more powerful and more influential.
Becoming the queen has never been her desire, but once she was crowned, being a good queen and earning her people's trust was her new goal. However, it wasn't supposed to last to long.
"Why do I have to die?"
"Because this is your destiny, and nobody can trick fate"
"So why did thou took me at all from my cell and invite me into thy blue box? Isn't that changing a prison with another?"
"No, my dear, because today I feel incredibly generous and I wish to offer you an opportunity... a trip, whenever and wherever you want, except this century and this country, of course."
Jane was surprised and bewildered about his contradictorily statements.
"But I gathered from thy explanation that I'm not to escape my fate."
"Yes, I did say that and you will be executed on the same day as you're supposed to, but..."
The Doctor leaned closer.
"...between now and the next few seconds for everyone here, I can help you runaway for months, anywhere else."
Jane was starting to get a little bit scared, and an even bigger bit confused. Even if she was a smart girl by any standards there was some huge amount of uncanny information and umbelievable choices that had to sink in and which had to be taken into consideration.
"I...do not understand."
"Which part?"
"Well, firstly let me get this straight: I am going to die, but I can delay my death, from my perspective only, by going somewhere..."
"...traveling" The Doctor corrected.
"...Traveling somewhere."
"It's not just somewhere, is anywhere!"
"That means that I am to age differently than those of my time. Won't they notice?"
"That's why I only said months."
"A few months...and then nothing changes..."
"You should not worry about your death. Everyone dies, sooner or later, it doesn't matter. Death is a part of life, it's conclusion, the final destination of an epic journey. You people, you are so afraid of death that you forget to live, you forget to look around you and as you grow up you lose your curiosity and your desire to unfold mysteries. I am giving you the last chance you'll ever get to live not as a means to an end in somebody else's plan but as a human being. You only have to say yes!"
As the Doctor spoke, he kept pulling levers and buttons, and when he finished talking the doors opened. Jane moved carefully towards them and peeked outside. The scenery was simply breathtaking. The Tardis was suspended somewhere above some huge mountains covered in snow. There were two suns above and amazing shades of blue and white below. The whole view was surreal. Jane was even paler when she turned to face the Doctor. She was shaking violently and that single preview from outside the doors terrified her.
"Is this thy greatest cruelty? Showing me how beautiful is life before I die? I have made my peace, mostly, before thou appeared. Why does bother thee anyway how I spend my last few says? I asked god for forgiveness and for my soul to be saved. Is this my penitence before I ascend into his kingdom?"
"Now I'm confused...First you say that you don't want to die, and now you;re at peace with the idea? Humans should have a bloody manual! just make up your mind!"
Jane wiped away her tears and straighted her posture. Suddenly, she wasn't looking as a lost 17 year old teenager, but older, aged before her time because of the burden of her heritage.
"Just tell me this: who exactly art thou?"
I hope you enjoyed this chapter :) I'm sorry, but I can't update on a regular basis...I write only when inspiration strikes me :)) Btw, If you have any ideas for this story, I'm open to suggestions :D