Chapter Two: The Queen of Luna
"The moon?" Clara watched as the rings above the console turned in time to the TARDIS's familiar engine noises. "Well," the Doctor said, "Technically it's called Luna now. The current ruler there has asked me to help her convert their current form of government to a democracy. I thought you could help!" The TARDIS landed with a thump and the Doctor held the door open for Clara. They seemed to have landed in a massive silver throne room, with a large balcony that overlooked a silver lake that seemed to go on forever. Outside the glass dome, Clara could see the Earth hanging in the sky and several other domes scattered across the vast silvery wasteland of the moon.
"Wow, Doctor! This... This is amazing!" she turned to the Doctor, but for some reason his arms were crossed and his bushy grey eyebrows were drawn, like he was confused. "What is it?" Suddenly, about ten guards filed in, followed by a man clad in red and black robes. My instinct was to run back to the TARDIS, but I found myself unable to move. The Doctor had already gotten to the safety of his blue box, but when he saw that I hadn't moved, he ran back out to grab my arm. Instead, I grabbed his arm and started to handcuff him with cuffs provided by a nearby guard. "I swear, I'm not doing it!" Clara said, trying to force her hands to stop. The guy in red smiled, but not pleasantly. "I know it's not you, Clara," said the Doctor, allowing me to cuff him. "That man over there, he's a second tier Thaumaturge. He can easily manipulate your bioelectricity to make you do what he wants." The handcuffs clicked shut and another guard handcuffed Clara while she stood still. "So, like mind control?" the Doctor nodded. "Yes, but he CAN'T manipulate me," he said, raising his voice. The Thaumaturge frowned. "Oh yes, because the bioelectricity of a Time Lord is too much for him, and I can see right through your so-called glamour, Aimery Park." Aimery scowled. "You might not be able to be manipulated," he said with a scowl, "But our queen might. We will have our answers."
"I thought you were friends with the Queen?" Clara whispered to the Doctor as they walked down endless corridors. "I am, but that's in the future. The TARDIS must have taken us to the wrong time period, but we're not that far off. Right now, the ruler is Queen Levana Blackburn. When we get to the throne room, I'll need you to activate this device." He secretly passed Clara a ring, which she slipped on her right ring finger. "It's called a bioelectric blocker. It prevents you from being glamoured, or mind-controlled, as you called it..." "Quiet, Earthens," growled Aimery. The Doctor briefly looked offended, but said nothing. We finally arrived in what looked like a solar, with an open-domed ceiling displaying the beautiful galaxy above. Sitting on a throne was what looked like the Queen. She had an almost surreal appearance, with lush auburn hair, puffy red lips, and eyes that spoke of a hidden cruelty. She looked like the type of Queen who would gladly encourage the torturing of an unloyal subject. Clara activated the ring, and for a moment the Queen's glamour flickered and Clara gasped.
"Relax," the Doctor said out of the corner of his mouth "The ring will sustain the image around her, without allowing you to be controlled." "My Queen," the Thaumaturge bowed, his red and black sleeves brushing the ground. The guards followed suit. The Doctor and Clara did not. "Who are these trespassers?" asked Queen Levana in a silky-smooth voice. "Somehow, I think that you are not average Earthens." "You are absolutely right," said the Doctor, "We are not. In fact, we were just leaving!" he turned to go, but was easily blocked by the guards. "Guess not then. If you'll allow me, I'll show my credentials, and then perhaps you'll let us go." "No need for that, Trespasser, I'll just have your companion tell me!" the Queen smiled as she turned her attention to Clara, and Clara kept her mouth shut. 'What is she supposed to be doing?' Clara thought as the Queen stared at her. Levana frowned. She wasn't used to Earthens being able to withstand her glamour. In fact, this girl didn't seem to be a shell, either. "Your majesty?" Clara's attention was drawn to a girl sitting next to the Queen. Unlike Levana's unnatural beauty, hers looked way more stunning and natural. Clara was sure that this girl wasn't manipulating her, or else she would have hidden the three long scars tracing their way down her face.
"Yes, Winter?" The Queen didn't look happy to be interrupted. The girl, Winter, shook her dark hair out of her face. "Maybe you should let me question them. Alone? It would be a good learning experience." Even with Clara's growing distrust of these... Lunars, Winter seemed to be trying to help them out. The Queen huffed. "I suppose you could practice your gift while you're at it." Clara didn't need a bioelectric blocker to see that the Queen despised Winter. She wondered if Levana herself had caused the scars that only enhanced the princesses' beauty. "Thaumaturge Park," the Queen stood to attention at the queen's command. "See to it that the Princess and the prisoners are put in an interrogation room, with the box they arrived in." "Well we couldn't expect them not to know how we arrived," said Clara, trying to keep a straight face. "I mean, we did park a giant blue box in the middle of their throne room."