Introductions and Interruptions

"Are you sure you can trust these two strangers, Princess?" Gethin asked, glancing over at the Doctor and Sadie. He had pulled the Princess away from the small group to talk to her privately. The Doctor and his companion were standing a short distance away, watching the exchange.

"He says he can help, Gethin," Princess Ilona replied. "We're quickly running out of options. I say we take this chance. I don't see how things could possibly get any worse for us. Besides, I'm a good judge of people, you know that. I believe we can trust these people." Gethin sighed. He knew she was right, but he also knew how much danger could come as a result of this action. He looked down at the Princess, who was watching him anxiously. She had never been wrong before, but there was always a first time.

"I swore to protect you at all costs, Princess. That's the only reason I'm questioning this. I just want to be sure you know the implications of your decisions." The Princess looked away, but his next words brought her gaze back to him. "But - ultimately, it's your decision, and whatever you decide, I'll stand by you." The Princess smiled, her glow growing even brighter. She wrapped her arms around Gethin's waist, which was the only thing she could easily reach, and hugged him tightly.

"I knew I could count on you, Gethin." The two made their way back to the others. The Doctor stepped forward.

"Well?"

"Well," The Princess began. "This is going to take some time, so I suggest we sit down, and perhaps something to eat. We have been travelling a long time, and I think everyone could use a bit of rest. Does this sound agreeable to you, Doctor?"

"No complaints from me."
"Good. Shyam, Keaira, see what you can do about finding some food for everyone, please?" The Princess looked around, hoping to find something to sit on, but found nothing. "Well, I guess the ground is as good as anything, even though it's a bit cold!" she said, carefully arranging her cloak and settling herself on the path. The Doctor and Sadie followed suit, as did Gethin and the others who were not busy rummaging for food. Princess Ilona waited until everyone had been given something to eat before addressing the Doctor. "Now, Doctor. You wanted to know more about me and why I'm in danger, correct?"

"Correct," replied the Doctor, who was sitting cross-legged between the Princess and Sadie. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eager to hear the story. The Princess was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully before she began.

"My people, the Lumiere, came to this planet many years ago. It was a dark place, much like it is now. We made friends with the people who lived here already, and because we brought them light, they made us into royalty. We lived here peacefully up until my parents' time. My father, King Zohar, made what he thought would be a beneficial deal with some foreign ambassadors. But he didn't realize that they had other plans. They wanted to turn Mortuum into a breeding location. When the true intent was discovered, it was too late. Our planet was invaded and overrun. If anyone resisted, they were killed." Princess Ilona paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "My father led the first resistance attack. Shortly after his body was found, my mother…she died as well…" The Princess trailed off, the green light surrounding her dimming slightly. Sadie sniffled a little, scrubbing at the tears that had welled up in her eyes.

"There were more attempts to resist," Gethin spoke up. "All lead by members of the Royal family. And one by one..."

"All were killed. Which would explain why the planet is so dark. No Royals to provide light. All except for you, Princess," The Doctor finished, nodding slightly as he began to understand the situation. "But who, or what, exactly were they breeding?"

"Wait," The Princess said, sitting extremely still. Everyone fell silent, all watching her carefully. She shivered, and then spoke again. "They've found us."

"We're moving now!" Gethin declared, leaping to his feet. Before anyone could figure out exactly what was going on, Princess Ilona had covered herself with her cloak, and everything was once again dark. Sadie grabbed hold of the Doctor's hand, terrified that she might end up left behind in the dark. Within a minute of the Princess' warning, everyone was on the move.

"So much for finding out the rest of the story, eh?" Sadie whispered to the Doctor.

"Maybe. I have my suspicions of what's going on. Best not to say just now, though," he replied.

"Quiet, you two," Gethin hissed.

--
Notes: I was discussing Doctor Who with my little brother recently (I'm THAT desperate to talk about it, ha!)…he refers to it as "that demon show". He mentioned that he had seen an episode once. When I asked him what happened in the episode, he replied "it was something to do with aliens." No kidding, genius!