Before They Were Ruins
Claire was tempted to offer her hand to Alph, but she saw what happened when the Professor tried it and had no desire to experience it herself. She simply gave a short bow and returned his greeting.
"I must thank you, Professor, for bringing a colorful woman to my temple for the grand unveiling. Will she be joining my harem?"
That was the moment Claire felt true exasperation for the first time in her life. Not only did she find the word "colorful" to be offensive and potentially racist, she couldn't believe even an emperor would be so recklessly and bluntly forward with her so soon after introduction.
"Um, actually," the Professor spoke as he bounded to Claire's side and took her arm in his. "I intend as little offense as you and your armed guards will possibly interpret, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I keep her." He gave a hopeful look that was almost child-like in its appearance.
With a soft chuckle, Alph spoke, "Of course, Professor. I am happy for you to have selected a wife. Now both of you come and witness my grand legacy." To his guards he spoke, "The Professor and I go way back. Treat them as my guests." At his request, the guards abandoned their thoughts of the Professor as a potential threat and sheathed their weapons completely, rejoining their ranks around the emperor and his entourage.
Claire yanked her arm back. "Keep me?"
Defensively, he asked, "What did you want me to say? Remember the era we're in now. Women don't have personal rights. They are all considered to be the property of the men in their lives. He probably assumes you only have any pokémon in order to aid in my protection."
"Oh, really?" she asked sarcastically. "And why would he think you need additional protection?"
The Professor looked past her as if looking straight into the past. "Let's just say I have a history of getting in over my head."
"That, I believe." And she enjoyed hearing it so much that forgave the doctor and walked beside him closely, allowing him to pretend she was his property so long as he didn't overdo it. "Let's go, 'honey.'"
"Right-o, dearie."
The temple was very tall and had two levels. (Claire was amused to hear that Alph wanted only a two-tiered building to avoid being overly extravagant.) The roof was distinctly sloped and created a canopy for the ground within two meters of the base. The roof tiles were navy blue and provided a nice color scheme with the off-yellow walls. The bottom tier occupied almost the entire afternoon mountain shadow, but the second tier looked like a small storage shed placed in the center of the roof capped by a high-reaching spire.
"What's with all the rhydons?" Claire asked upon entering. Filing in the center halls of the temple were obsidian statues of bipedal pokémon with drill-like horns upon their mighty snouts. She knew of the rhydon statues from her studies, but scholars never determined the significance. This was the best chance an archaeologist could ask for to obtain answers.
"It is not the business of a concubine to question the emperor," spoke one of the women in the entourage. At first glance, Claire thought she was a concubine, but her robes were more magnificent than those worn by the other women: silk instead of cotton, and red to make her stand out. Claire decided this woman was a wife instead.
"The rhydon represents the strength of the emperor," spoke one of the teenage boys. He was Claire's height, though adorned in red robes similar to Alph's and wearing a slight scowl upon his face. "It is a pokémon of true strength and vigor, with the power to end battles in a single strike, just as the emperor himself is capable."
The legends of Alph III's strength in war were familiar stories to Claire. Allegedly he ended a war against the Northern Horde within a day. Given the emperor's reputation for establishing pokémon as instruments of war and initiating the idea of the battle, she now concluded that the Northern Horde was likely defeated by an army of rhydon, immortally represented within the walls of this temple.
"That is fascinating," Claire said. She took a small notebook from her shirt pocket and a pen from her pants and began to scribble notes. Everything she learned here, she wanted to take back home with her. "And what about the hidden rooms? Why were they constructed?"
"I can assure you there are no hidden rooms in this temple," spoke another of the young men. This one was taller, older, and wore purple robes. He spoke with wisdom and amusement in his voice, lacking any nuance of offense. Though Claire clearly originated of another culture, this boy was not bothered by her forthrightness nor by her curiosity. Claire sized him up instantly as the emperor's son.
Alph explained, "This is simply a place of worship, to honor my contributions to this region long after I am gone. My legacy does not necessitate anything more complicated than that."
"We've separated the temple into five rooms," the son explained, "divided by specific purpose. But the rooms are not sealed, nor do they even lock. At no time should worship of my venerable father be restricted."
Claire looked confused now. Though she didn't excavate the Ruins of Alph, she did study it and she distinctly remembered hidden rooms. Then again, the temple was bigger than she remembered. Maybe the rooms weren't really hidden but were cordoned off after construction. But why?
"Allow me to introduce the emperor's son," the Professor said. He motioned between Claire and the son for a moment before realizing, "I'm sorry. We haven't met, either."
"I am Jomon," the boy spoke with a nod. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor. My father has spoken highly of you. And it is an even greater pleasure to meet you…"
"Claire. I'm honored to be here."
"It is wonderful to have you here."
"Jomon," Alph called as he turned around. "Do not dishonor the Professor by trying to seduce his wife from him."
Jomon bowed deeply and apologetically. "My deepest apologies, Father."
Confused again, Claire leaned over to the Professor and whispered inquisitively, "How was he trying to seduce me?"
The Professor answered, "It's an incredibly conservative culture."
"So if I made a dirty joke…"
"You'd be sentenced to death."
She cringed. "That's a bit of an overreaction."
"Women's rights are ages away."
At that moment, Emperor Alph turned to face the group. "Penta." The boy in red stood and bowed. "Please escort everyone back to the Violet Palace."
"Yes, Father," Penta replied diligently. He turned and began to usher everyone out the doors.
"Jomon, stay with me," Alph spoke. "We will meditate on the completion of this temple."
"Yes, Father." Giving a big, friendly smile, Jomon said to Claire, "I do hope you and the Professor will stay the night at the Violet Palace. I would like to meet you."
"Of course we will stay," the Professor said excitedly. "The meals prepared with the bellflowers of Violet City are simply delectable. Claire, they may even make you go vegetarian." He raised his eyebrows excitedly, accenting his toothy grin.
"I can't wait."
Jomon gave another nod and returned to his father's side while Claire and the Professor followed the small group heading back toward ancient Violet City.
"That's it?" she asked him. "I was hoping to spend a little more time here learning about the temple's origins. Do you understand how significant it is to be here before the temple fell to ruins?"
"Don't worry. We'll stay the night, hobnob with the locals, and then sneak back here first thing in the morning. You'll have the temple to yourself for a short while, then we'll just hop in the TARDIS and you'll be on your way back home to incorporate your new knowledge with the ruins you just uncovered in Solaceon."
Claire scoffed. The idea of hobnobbing with the locals was something Belle would encourage her to do. She had little practice in social settings with people of her own time period; she worried that being fifteen hundred years in the past would be similar to socializing with people from another planet.
"How am I supposed to hobnob with the locals? Social hour isn't my thing."
"Well, you have lots of questions. What better way to get answers than from the horse's mouth?"
His point was very well received. Claire was in a prime position to answer all the questions about this era that plagued modern paleontologists and anthropologists. Like the Professor said, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. And she'd be able to combine the boring necessity of eating with academic inquiry. Why not take advantage?