The Highest Bidder
The Doctor groaned and rubbed his hands down his face. He paced back and forth by the console. "This is taking forever. Melody could be anywhere by now."
Rose rolled her eyes. "Give the man a break. He went almost four adventures without sleep. I think Jack's entitled to a little shut eye." She bent over the jump seat and stuffed her fingers into the back.
"Yes, but 12 hours?" He looked at Rose confused. "Rose? What are you doing?" Rose sat down on the glass floor and huffed. A piece of blonde hair fell forward into her face. She blew at it then looked over at the Doctor.
"Somethin' was poking me when I was sittin' on the seat. I'm trying to find out wha' it was."
The Doctor frowned. "Is that really so important?" He asked her as she continued to stuff her fingers into every nook and cranny of the jump seat.
"'Bout as important as you're whining." She grumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" The Doctor asked, offended.
Rose looked up from the seat and smiled as she called over her shoulder, "Nothing dear!" The Doctor glared. "Oh!" Rose cried triumphantly. She sat back on her heels and looked at the long silver tube. "'S a credit stick!"
The Doctor walked over and crouched down beside her to look at it. He laughed. "I think that's from Satellite Five!"
Rose's nose crinkled. "What? The first time? With Adam?"
The Doctor huffed at the mention of her pretty boy. He refrained from commenting though, well aware that he had been one too, and could probably be considered it again. "You should hang on to that, if I remember correctly, it's infinite."
Rose's brows shot up and she smiled. "Don't mind if I do." She stuffed it into her bigger on the inside pockets. The Doctor walked towards the console and pushed a few buttons. Rose followed and leaned on it happily. "We should go shoppin'."
The Doctor looked sidelong at her. "Why? Because now you've got money? What would you buy?"
Rose shrugged. "Dunno, just want to buy somethin'. Got a bit of cash burnin' a hole in my pocket." She winked at the Doctor and he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.
"Humans." The Doctor grumbled. "You're all the same. Got money, go and spend it. Don't care much what it's on."
Rose smiled lovingly, he sounded so much like his ninth self. She stepped towards him. "I'm not human." She crossed her arms and stared at the Doctor in what she could only hope was flirtatious, at least to him. "Not anymore." She whispered. To anyone else those words wouldn't imply anything. The Doctor however, would instantly be reminded that Rose was here for good. He had nothing to worry about anymore, save her getting lost in another universe. As if that had stopped her before.
The Doctor saw the look in her eye. Oh… Oh! He stepped closer to her. His hands moved about until they rested awkwardly at his sides. He could feel the heat radiating off of her. "No, you're not." He responded lowly. Rose smirked at the Doctor as his eyes fixed on her lips. "You are so much more, aren't you?" Rose hummed in response. She leaned forward a bit more as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes.
"Am I interrupting something?" Jack asked from the other side of the console.
The Doctor turned to him, eyes wide. He pointed at the Captain. "Jack! Finally!" Rose let out a breath and stepped away from the Doctor.
Jack smiled chummily. "Well it certainly wouldn't be the first time I was greeted happily after interrupting something." He winked. Rose smiled at him.
The Doctor frowned and shook his finger at him. "No. Bad. Stop it. We need to find River."
Jack sighed and shrugged, he walked around the console to Rose. "So close, yet so far." Rose laughed. The Doctor glared at them then began to pilot the TARDIS. "So where are we headed today, Doc?"
The Doctor flipped a few switches and raced to the other side of the console to pull a lever. "I caught some transmissions in the 75th sector that sound like the Silence. They've never been spotted out there before, might be Kovarian."
The TARDIS groaned and shook. Rose grabbed hold of the console. "Bit bumpy, yeah?" She rubbed the console soothingly. "'S alright sexy, you can do it." The TARDIS hummed and shook a bit more before the grinding started up and the Doctor landed her. She continued to stroke the TARDIS. "That was a bit odd." Rose commented. The Doctor checked the TARDIS calibrations on the scanner.
Jack shrugged. "Not really, the TARDIS rarely has a smooth ride."
"No." The Doctor said. "Rose is right. Something was off." He typed into the keyboard and smacked the scanner. He shook his head. "I don't know."
Rose pursed her lips and looked up at the top of the console, where the centre met the vaulted roof. "She isn't in any danger, just had a tough time landing." Rose's head cocked to the side. "I wonder." She headed to the door. Jack and the Doctor followed after her.
They exited the TARDIS to find themselves in what appeared to be the slums of a city in the past. The Doctor looked around and frowned. "That's what it was, the TARDIS is off." He pouted.
Rose shook her head. "The TARDIS is never off," she scolded.
Jack grinned at them. "You two are so cute." He closed the door behind him and looked around. It looked almost Victorian, but with dashes of the Renaissance. The walls of the buildings weren't smooth, but they weren't bricks. It looked like stucco, but that was modern. Windows had little flower beds, and the streets were cobble stoned. Jack raised his eyebrows, it was pretty high end for the slums. What gave it away as poor were the people, all dressed shabbily in either rags or old dresses. Women appeared to be wearing bustles and corsets and little hats. The women stared at them oddly, and sped by quickly.
The Doctor turned around in a circle. "Looks old, sort of. But it's too clean, and the buildings are wrong and the air." He sniffed. "It's different."
Rose bounced up and down. "Gravity is off." She added. She looked around. "Let's have a look then." She began to walk down the street.
The Doctor groaned. "We need to find River."
Rose glanced back at him disapprovingly. "The TARDIS brought us here Doctor. That itself means it's worth a check." She nodded down the street. "Come on then." Jack clapped the Doctor on the back and jogged to catch up with Rose. The Doctor waited a moment longer before rolling his eyes and following.
The planet was nice and peaceful, at least the city they were in was. It was quiet, and as Rose looked up at the night sky, she wondered if it was because it was so late. Usually every city had a night life, this one seemed against it. The moon lit their path as they headed deeper into the city, and the closer they got to the heart, the more torches they found along the walls. People became less of a surprise as well. More and more seemed to seep into the streets.
Rose glanced around, loving all the period dresses The people were clearly humanoid, but…
"Doctor?" He glanced at her and hummed in response. "Where are all the men?" At that moment, the Doctor and Jack noticed just how odd the looks were that they were getting. The women around them looked at them with horror, even disgust.
They'd reached a little shop centre and the Doctor looked around at the women coming and going. They kept a large distance from them. "Rose?" She looked to him worriedly. "Step away from us slowly. And look very, very frightened."
Rose didn't need to pretend to look scared. She stepped away from the Doctor and Jack, who were moving closer together as the stares increased. Down one of the streets suddenly came what appeared to be two officers. The women were dressed almost like Romans, with breastplates and shin guards. They carried spears and wore helmets and were magnificently strong. Without a word, they handcuffed the Doctor and Jack. Rose was about to stop them, but with one look from the Doctor, she stayed where she was. The Doctor and Jack didn't struggle, wherever they were, it seemed the Doctor had figured it out. The boys didn't question their arrest, or speak at all. They went with the authorities peacefully.
Rose bit her thumbnail worriedly. What was she supposed to do now? She glanced at an older woman beside her. She was grey and hunched, wearing all black. "'Scuse me?" The woman scowled up at Rose. "But where did they take those two…?" Rose trailed off.
The old woman raised and eyebrow and cackled. "Take your lovers did they? Didn't put up much of a fight. I would have if I had those men shackled to me." The woman cackled again.
Rose tired not to look too disturbed, and nodded. "Yeah, but where'd they take them?"
"To the palace I'd imagine." The woman coughed and chocked for a moment. "There'll be an auction in a day or two. Those two a too good of stock to pass up at the Royals."
Rose's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Auction?"
The woman looked incredulously at Rose. "Well what else are we to do with them? Can't have them on the streets can we?"
Rose shook her head slowly. "No… 'course not." Where in the hell had they ended up? "But you see, I need to get in there now. They're… my stock? I can't let them be… auctioned?" Were men cattle? Was that it? What kind of world treated men like cattle? Then again, Rose thought, women used to be considered chattel, and that really isn't far off.
The woman cackled again and spit on the ground. Rose took a step back. "Well ya can't, they'll be auctioned at the palace."
"Yes." Rose said, barely containing her temper now. "I understand. Auction, Royals, Palace. But how can I get in there now?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Only guests can get in. They're havin' a ball for the Golden Three."
Rose nodded like she understood. "Right." She didn't. "And who are they when they're at home?" The old woman gave Rose a weird look. "I'm foreign." Rose explained. "Been living in the… hills. Not really accustomed to all this…" Rose looked around as she searched for a word. "Grandeur…"
The woman snorted. "Well you ain't findin' it in this piss poor market tha's for sure, dearie. The Golden Three are the three female goddesses that Mavilek worships." Rose nodded. Mavilek must have been the planet they were on. She'd never heard of it. "The goddesses are, Lady Godiva, Joan of Arc, and the Bad Wolf."
Rose laughed. "Oh that's just perfect." The woman gave her another look. Rose smiled. "Thank you so much." She turned and quickly headed off further into the nicer part of the city. The further into the nicer part of the city Rose got, the more shops she found that were closed. She looked up at the sky and the rising sun. It was almost be morning, and the shops would be open then.
The auction was in a day or two. Rose really hoped that it was two. She had to get into the ball, and she could go easily enough. As herself. Bad Wolf. But she had to dress the part if she wanted to do that, and that meant clothing. Rose could have easily gone back to the TARDIS, but that would have entailed either moving it, or walking through the slums in a regal outfit. Both would have caused too much attention. Instead, Rose decided to buy a couple dresses. She felt for the credit stick in her pocket, hopefully they were advanced enough for that. Or else she would have to risk the TARDIS.
The first store Rose came across was quaint, and had a nice French feel to it. Which was off, considering she wasn't on earth. Maybe Mavilek was a colony of earth? She strode into the store to find it practically empty, not surprising considering how early it was.
A woman came out from the back of the shop and greeted Rose. She was tall and elegant, with wavy brown hair and a slender form. She smiled at Rose and took her hand in both of her own. Rose quickly put her other hand on top of both of theirs, figuring this was this planets form of a handshake. "I'm Julanne. And you?"
Rose smiled kindly and let her eyes glow gold for a moment as she said. "I'm the Bad Wolf." Julanne gasped and stepped back. "Hey, hey… 'S alright. I'm not going to hurt you."
Julanne blinked and shook her head. "But… what are you doing here?"
"I came for the ball." Rose laughed at the incredulous look on Julanne's face. "I heard this planet worships me, and that there was going to be a party. I couldn't pass it up." Rose looked around the store. It was covered in drapes of silky fabrics, with seating chairs of a victorian style. Everything was cream and gold, and perfect for what she needed. Dresses stood on sewing mannequins displaying beautiful styles of the renaissance era. "But I need some new dresses." She looked back to Julanne, who seemed less out of her depths now that dresses had been brought into the conversation. "I'm not from around here, but I'd like to make a good impression if I could."
Julanne nodded. "Of course." Julanne turned to one of dresses then turned back. "You do have… money, of course?" She raised an eyebrow.
Rose pulled out the silver tube from her pocket. "Do you take credit?" Julanne smiled.
Rose strode up the palace steps in her regal gold dress. It was shimmering, practically glowing in the afternoon light. Julanne had given her all the works. Dresses straight off the rack, and had even gone to other shops to get more when she didn't have what Rose was looking for. Of course, Rose was paying her whatever amount she wanted, but regardless. Rose was very thankful.
The renaissance style dress Rose was wearing then had a tight fitted corset that flattened her chest and pinched at her waist. It was beyond uncomfortable, but it was only for a bit. The neck was low and square, lined with a different shade of gold embroidery. The sleeves were fitted and belled out at her elbows. The skirt was heavy and layer and beautifully detailed with matching golden embroidery, same to that on the neck. Over it, Rose had donned a long gold cloak. She'd pulled the hood up, liking the feel of looking like a Little Gold Riding Hood. When really, she was the Wolf.
A man reached her at the door and took the suitcase from her hand. She had gone back to the TARDIS for it. It was black trimmed with an old fashioned print along the side. The TARDIS had picked it out and no one had looked at it funny, so she assumed the TARDIS had done right. It also happened to be bigger on the inside, and that was the most important part about it. Inside were dozens of dresses. Rose doubted she needed them all, but she couldn't help but humour Julanne.
The giant gold double door opened inwards on the huge white palace. Rose entered, the man with her suitcase just behind her. She wait in the foyer, looking at all the paintings in the great hall as she did. They were all of the goddesses. The Golden Three. Rose was surprised and oddly pleased to find herself in the ranks of historical figures like Joan of Arc and Lady Godiva. Was she taught about in history classes? Like Rose learned about the others?
One, beautifully done painting depicted Bad Wolf glowing in gold in the sky…naked. Rose raised her eyebrows. She looked good, even if it wasn't really her.
"Excuse me?" Rose turned at the sound of someone's voice. "Are you begging an audience with the Queen, m'lady?" Rose smiled at the young pretty red head, curtsying before her. She nodded. "This way, please." She rose elegantly and led Rose out the side of the great hall and down a finely furnished hall. More paintings lined the walls, these presumably of the royal family. Gold curtains billowed down from the high windows. Tables covered in roses and other flowers filled the space. They continued down halls like this until they found themselves outside another pair of gold doors. These ones weren't nearly as big as the first ones that led into the palace. However, they were just as ornate.
A female guard, dressed exactly like the police that took Jack and the Doctor, stood outside the door. She glanced at Rose. "Who shall I introduce?"
Rose grinned wolfishly. She really was enjoying this far too much. "Oh I don't know… How about, Bad Wolf?" Her eyes glowed gold again. She was going to have to do that every time she introduced herself, wasn't she?
The guard's eyes widened and when the doors opened, she simply stood there for a moment. Rose grinned at her and entered the throne room. Women were chatting on either side of the room. Dressed elegantly and richly, but not as nicely as Rose. Actually, no one was dressed as finely as she was, except the Queen.
The Queen was young and beautiful. She had pale skin and blonde hair, very similar to Rose's now honey coloured hair. It was long and braided, hanging down the side. Her dress was pure white, with soft gold trimmings and heavy layers. Her blue eyes stared Rose down as the time traveller strode confidently down the carpeted aisle to the throne.
The guard, or announcer, Rose really wasn't sure anymore, cleared her throat. "Your highness and her court, the Goddess Bad Wolf."
The court gasped and quickly fell into a deep curtsy. The Queen's eyes widened.
Rose lowered her hood, revealing soft curls that fell from her up-do down to her neck. Julanne had done it, as well as the soft golds of her makeup and black winged eyeliner. Rose hadn't put so much effort into her appearance for centuries. She found her eyes were already burning from the makeup.
She smiled up at the Queen. "Your Highness." She greeted. Rose didn't bow, didn't curtsey. She was a goddess after all. Goddesses didn't bow.
The Queen on the other hand, bowed her head respectfully. "Your Majesty." She greeted breathlessly. Oh yeah, Rose thought, she could definitely get used to this. The Queen rose from her chair and walked down the few steps from the raised dais that her throne was situated on. She took Rose's hands in her own, the way Julanne had in the dress shop. Rose smiled softly at the awed look on the woman's face. She bowed her head again and gave a small curtsey. "I am Queen Ralaen. Welcome to the Palace of Dorsh."
Rose looked around at the flowing fabrics and detailed corinthians. The entire palace shimmered and glowed in golds and whites. It seemed not a single room was left bare. "'S beautiful." Rose commented.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Rose turned at the sound of a new voice. It was a tall brunette. Her hair piled high on her neck. Her clothing was more victorian than renaissance, like the rest of court. She wore a high neck and dark colours, her skirts were not nearly as flamboyant as Rose's or Queen Ralaen's.
Rose's soft smile turned into a wolfish grin, which she flashed at the new comer and then the Queen. "I heard there was a party, and I just couldn't resist."
Queen Ralaen laughed, and it sounded like tinkling bells. "Oh that's just wonderful!" She turned to the brunette. "Gresta, is that not wonderful?" Ralaen looked back to Rose. "This is my Royal Advisor, Gresta. She will see to it that you are given a room. You shall stay here in the palace." Gresta nodded and bowed deeply, she left quickly. Ralaen laughed and clapped her hands. "Oh this is too wonderful! We shall have a dinner tonight! To celebrate your coming."
Rose only inclined her head in agreement. She didn't want to put them out, but she was supposed to be a Goddess. She should be used to this luxury. Ralaen headed back up the steps to her throne. She paused and spun back around. "You must be exhausted from your travels. And famished." She gestured with her hand to a servant. "As soon as Gresta has set up a room, have food sent there." Then she turned to one of her court. "Mirial, show the Goddess around the castle gardens while her room is prepared." A young blonde with curly ringlets and a bright pink dress curtsied and bowed her head. She headed towards the door and Rose quickly followed her out.
She didn't mind the walk about the gardens. She wasn't tired at all. Barely slept since the whole Bad Wolf thing, anyways. Of course, she had been on four adventures in a row with no rest. She could use a bit of shut eye, she supposed. Rose squinted as she stepped into the sunlight. Of course, she needed to find Jack and the Doctor first. And the palace grounds were huge. She looked out across the green expanse of flowers, fields and trees. They could be anywhere out there, or anywhere beneath there in some underground prison. Would they kill them? Rose didn't know, but she knew she had to figure it out soon.
Rose turned to Mirial walking silently beside her. The woman was shaking, absolutely petrified. Rose stopped and touched her arm gently. Mirial jumped. "Hey, it's okay. 'M not gonna hurt you, okay?" She smiled kindly and after a moment, Mirial smiled in return. "Does the palace have a library?" Rose asked. Books, she thought with a smile, best weapons in the world.
A look of mild confusion crossed Mirial's face for a moment, but quickly disappeared. "Yes, several actually. Their considered some of the largest libraries in the solar system." She smiled proudly.
"Tha's wonderful! Could you show one to me?"
Mirial frowned. "You don't wish to see the grounds?"
Rose shook her head. "'S all just grass an' trees innit? Books are where it's at." Mirial smiled and nodded. They turned back around and headed back into the palace. Rose kept her eyes open wherever they went. She was searching for little doors, hidden latches, even a stairwell labeled DUNGEONS. Really though, when was it ever that easy?
Mirial stopped at the door to the library. "This is our largest one. You should find everything you might need here, your Majesty." She curtsied. Rose thanked her and headed into the library. "You're nothing like the stories."
Rose turned around and raised her eyebrows. "And what do the stories say?"
Mirial's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't…"
Rose shook her head. "'S fine. Every planets got their own story though, what's this ones?"
Mirial frowned and played with her fingers nervously. "They say… Well all the Goddesses we worship are powerful women who did great things." Rose nodded, yeah she'd gotten that. "They hadn't needed… Men." Mirial's voice filled with such disdain in that one word, it shocked Rose. "They weren't bound by the rules or succumbed to their nefarious ways."
Rose tried not to look alarmed. It was certainly obvious who was nefarious, and that only worried Rose more. What on earth were they going to do with her boys? She took a deep breath. Auction them, they were going to auction them, she reminded herself. They were fine.
Mirial smiled at her, awed. "But you. You are the greatest of them all." She stepped towards Rose, caught up in her own excitement. "You didn't just win wars or change laws. You made him bow to you. You tamed the Storm. To bend a man to your will is one accomplishment. But the Oncoming Storm?" Mirial's eyes were bright, a small smile on her lips as she thought of it. "You are incredible."
Rose didn't know what to say. Really what was she supposed to say? So she smiled and nodded once. Mirial blushed at her outburst and curtsied before quickly leaving.
Rose turned around and looked at all the books. She needed to figure out this planet, and she needed to do it quickly. Because if they figured out who the Doctor was, she highly doubted they'd be giving him back.
What Mirial had said hadn't been far off. The planet worshipped her because they thought she controlled the Doctor — not a Time Lord, but a man. They hated men. The entire society had been constructed around the idea that men were vile and needed to be controlled. Rose had searched through countless books, but the reason for this thinking had remained aloof. For all she knew, a Queen once upon a time ago could have simply had her heart broken. Rose had no clue. Whatever had happened though, had changed the entire society. Men weren't allowed in public. They were like dirty secrets, kept in the dark and hidden in basements. It seemed that the only time it was acceptable for men to be out socially was during an Auction, but even then the men weren't social. Beyond Auctions, men were simply used to reproduce… and for fun.
Rose rubbed her forehead and frowned. For fun? That sort of contradicted itself. They were vile, but a source of entertainment. Granted, people used to torture animals because it was seen as amusing, and justified since at the time animals were seen to have no self awareness. Rose slammed the old, dusty book she was reading closed. Philosophy aside, the world was very strict on its rules. And though Rose hated to say it, she didn't think there was much she could do. What she did need to do, was get a hold of the Doctor, and from what she'd read there was really only one way to go about that.
Rose blew at a piece of hair that dangled in front of her eyes. It jumped a bit and then fell back down. A piece of parchment caught her eye and Rose leaned across the table to draw it towards her. She moved the piece of hair behind her ear as she glanced over what seemed to be the Royal Family Tree. Rose trailed her finger up the long parchment until she reached the top, she checked the date. A little over two hundred years. Rose's eyes widened at that. The men of the planet had endured this treatment for over two hundred years? She pursed her lips, her sympathy waning a bit when she thought of the centuries of crap women endured on earth.
Rose glanced at the top of the page and saw the family name. Wait — this was just one family tree, this could have been going on so much longer. Rose looked around for anymore loose parchments like that, but she didn't seem to have picked anymore up. Upon a closer investigation of the library, she began to realize that there were no other family trees. There was nothing beyond the coronation of the first Queen. History did not exist beyond that point. Which Rose wouldn't have questioned if she had been able to find records of their terra-forming on the planet and any other records of their first establishments. But there wasn't any. The Queen had been coronated on her new planet, which already had homes built, currency, and even work opportunities. It was a bit more than unusual. Clearly there was something wrong on Mavilek.
And that was just the start of interesting happenstances. As Rose searched through the records in search of any event before the first Queen's coronation, she found records of past Auctions. Apparently they were regular events. Men were usually traded, either through Trading Centres or underground. Auctions were set up when something special was happening, like a new Queen taking place, or something special was about to happen. Rose pulled the out the Royal Family Tree which clearly labeled Queen Ralaen's date of coronation. Five years ago. So if the Queen wasn't excited about her coronation, what was she excited about?
The doors to the library opened. Rose looked up to see Gresta, the Royal Advisor, enter the room. Her hands were clasped behind her straight back, her mouth pinched into a line. "Your Majesty," she bowed her head, but didn't curtsy. Rose raised an eyebrow and stood up from her seat, "your rooms have been prepared. Your luggage has been moved there, would you like to approve of the accommodations?"
Rose glanced at the books she'd been looking through. She had everything she needed from there. Rose nodded at Gresta and followed the stiff backed woman out of the library. She was silent and didn't even glance at Rose. They walked down a few hallways and up a stone staircase to the second floor. After a few more twists and turns down richly furnished hallways, they reached an engraved golden painted door. It was similar to almost all the other doors, all of which lead to chambers for guests. This door, however, seemed to be engraved with roses. Rose smiled at it and turned to Gresta. The older woman was eyeing Rose with a cold look, bordering on disdain.
"'S perfect."
Gresta raised a thin dark brow, her mouth pinched as ever. "You haven't even looked past the door." She paused then added, "Your Majesty."
Rose smiled thinly and her eyes glowed gold. The curtains down the hall billowed as a rough wind tunnelled down the corridor. Gresta's eyes widened and she stepped back, though in fear or because of the forceful winds she didn't know. The winds disappeared just as quickly as they had formed and Gresta was left breathless standing before the Bad Wolf. Her god-like power emanated from around her in a golden hue. "It's fine." Rose restated, her voice as kindhearted as it always was. Gresta nodded, bowed deeply and practically raced down the corridor. Rose smirked and opened the door.
The room was lavishly decorated. Silky creams mixed together with gold embroidery and flared against the pink accents of the soft fabrics. The foyer was circular with a small fireplace to the right and stuffed seating before it. Through the double doors was the main chambers. This held the luxurious shear covered canopy bed set in the very centre of the room. Surrounding it were tables piled with flowers and crystal. Rose was amused to note more roses and rose themed patterns throughout the room. She stepped towards a table by another door, presumably leading into the attached bathroom. On the table sat a small glass figurine, one among many in the room. This one, however, was a wolf. Rose stroked her finger along the spine as she watched it frozen, howling at the moon.
She wanted to say the flowers and wolf were a coincidence, but really, when was it ever?
Rose bit her thumbnail as she paced in front of the bed. Now she had to get word to the Doctor and Jack. They were to be sold in the Auction, she reminded herself for the hundredth time, they would be kept safe. But the more Rose thought about it, and after all her studying, she was beginning to think there would be really only one way for her to get to her boys. Rose's face flushed at the very thought, but it couldn't be helped. There was no other way.
Some time later another servant came to Rose's door, telling her the Queen had invited her for tea in the gardens. Rose quickly followed the girl out of her chambers. She had fully expected be taken back down to the main level and out into the courtyard. Instead, Rose was lead to a balcony above the gardens. It was a large rounded shape with stone railing and something that looked like wrought iron furnishing. The high walls of the palace were coated in ivy and other climbing flowers along the doors leading to the bright seating area.
Rose smiled warmly at Queen Ralaen as she greeted the woman by the black metal seating. "I trust everything is to your liking?" Ralaen inquired as they took their seats across from one another.
Rose eyed the pot of tea and tea cups waiting for them. A servant poured her a small cup and Rose smiled kindly as she took a curious sip. A fruity flavour bloomed on her tongue, making her mouth water. Something akin to soft honey melted into the taste and mixed with the softness of the white tea. Rose almost moaned in delight, it was beautiful. She blushed when she noticed Queen Ralaen smiling delightedly at her. "Ummm…" Rose set her tea down and tried to stay focused, whilst she also tried to remember to grab a bag of tea leaves from the palace before she made off with the Doctor and Jack. "The room is perfect, yeah. Thank you for your hospitality."
Ralaen took another sip of her tea. She shook her head and shrugged delicately. "It was nothing. We have plenty of space here." Rose nodded and picked her tea back up. It wasn't hot, more so just below room temperature, but it was perfect. Anything else would have ruined the tea. "Are you enjoying your stay on Mavilek?"
Rose nodded eagerly. "'S a beautiful planet you have. I'm glad I travelled here."
Ralaen nodded. "Yes, you came on your own did you not?"
Rose bit her lip as she looked out onto the gardens below. This was it, this was her moment. She just needed to ease into it with the ease of a… Time Goddess. Rose turned back to the Queen and smiled. "Unfortunately I tend to travel alone. Gets a bit lonely, yeah? Which is why I was so happy when I heard about your… Auction." Rose fought the wince that wanted to come with her hesitation. Smooth Rose, she thought.
Ralaen's eyes sparkled. "Oh yes! Our Auction's are the best across the planet, the finest selection. You won't be disappointed, your Majesty." Rose raised her eyebrows and nodded in agreement as she took another sip of tea. Alright, now what? She had to move the conversation further in the right direction. Alright Rose, she thought, don't be an idiot and just do it. Go. Now… And go.
"Is there any way…" Rose tried desperately to keep her poker face on. "I could possibly… sample…?" She trailed off, face hot, slightly mortified.
Queen Ralaen's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "You mean Rent a Companion?" Rose coughed into her hand. Companion. Oh that was rich. She nodded. "Of course you can. We'll put together our most prized and pleasing mates." The Queen winked at her, her smirk still in place.
Rose's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Nah, you don't have to do tha'… I — I prefer my men less…" Rose paused, mouth slightly open. What was a word that wouldn't sound completely vulgar and crass?
"Used?" Ralaen supplied.
"Yes!" Rose exclaimed. Ralaen jumped and Rose settled and smiled. "Yes." She said more delicately. "That's the word. I'll see your newest…selection." Rose moved her hand to her ear and was disappointed to remember she had taken her hoops out. She dropped her hand back into her lap, useless now that it couldn't fiddle with the earring usually in place.
"They'll understandably need a longer time to be prepped. Is tomorrow too late?"
Rose shook her head. "Sounds perfect." She forced another smile onto her face and took a sip of her now cold tea. Rose wasn't sure if the temperature had changed the taste, or the situation, but it tasted like cement on her tongue. She swallowed it down with little care. Alright Rose, keep going, she thought. You need to keep digging. Past the awkward part, on to safer waters now. "So wha's the special occasion?" Ralaen's eyes widened. Rose smiled in what she hoped was a coy manner. "Wha'? You expect me to think you jus' decided to have a party?" She leaned forward and smiled invitingly, feeling a bit back to herself already. "So come on then, what's the news?"
Queen Ralaen glanced around the empty balcony and shifted her chair closer to the table as she leaned in to Rose. Rose smiled amusingly at the inelegance that was the Queen basically scooting her chair towards the table like a child gravitating towards a birthday present. Rose winced as she suddenly saw her daughter sitting before her, smiling over her birthday cake. The candles melting down to the stubs as she refused to blow them out before she finally made a wish. Blonde hair shinning off the flickering of dying candles, big brown eyes wide with excitement. Rose blinked and her daughter was gone.
"We've finally figured it out." Ralaen whispered to Rose. Rose frowned and leaned closer across the table as she pushed herself to focus. Digging, she reminded herself, she was digging for information. "A way to reproduce without the need of men, at all."
Rose forced her eyes to widen in surprise. Shouldn't they already know how to do that? She closed her eyes for a moment as Bad Wolf searched for the answer. Yes, the universe already knew how to do that. "Tha's amazing." Rose breathed. Of course Malivek didn't know how though, they'd erased all their previous history and probably cut many ties to the outside world. They had to develop on their own now.
Ralaen smiled proudly. "Yes. We are very excited. We've decided to announce it at the Auction, and our attempts in further research."
Rose's ears perked up at that. "What kind of research?"
"Well now that we've discovered how to reproduce without men, we need to find a way to never reproduce a man." Rose lips pursed at she thought. Now she definitely knew the universe had that knowledge. Where and when did this research get lost? They should know this already.
Rose nodded. "An' how is that goin'? The research that is." Ralaen lifted a shoulder delicately and drank more of her tea. Rose nodded slowly again as she let the information sink in. They obviously weren't close to figuring out the second part, but Rose was certain they eventually would.
The next morning, Rose was lead down to the lower parts of the castle. She wrapped her golden cloak around her tightly as the chill of the dungeons tried to infect her. It was dark, with barely a torch to light the way. She was led through what appeared to be where majority of the men were kept. Cells lined one side of the long hall, dark and dirty. Rose heard nothing from the cells, but she could see tired and shivering male forms crouching together for warmth. Anger flared up inside of her as she saw the conditions they were being kept in. No wonder they needed a day to be prepped. This was inhumane.
The two female guards in front of her led her through an archway that lead to a larger room. This one was much brighter, with golden bowls hanging from the ceiling that encased little fires that lit the room. Rose bit her tongue when she saw Jack and the Doctor. They were standing in a line up with a few dozen other men. They were washed and clean, and didn't looked harmed in any way. The fist around Rose's heart eased a bit at that realization. They were okay. And then their appearance really sunk in. Oh my god, she thought, desperately fighting the blush that threatened to take over her entire body. They're completely starkers.
The guards stood where they were and waited. Rose glanced at them and then stepped towards the first man in the line. She kept her eyes up, front and centre. The last thing she needed was Jack making fun of her for checking out the eye candy. She walked down the line of men that she was supposed to choose from, pretending that she was actually considering. When Rose paused in front of Jack, the man's eyes glittered at her and a small smirk graced his lips. Rose glared at him. Of course he was enjoying himself. No doubt about that. This was a bloody vacation for Jack. She kept walking.
Rose paused again, this time when she reached the Doctor. He had his head bowed and wouldn't look up. She didn't think he'd looked up since she had entered the room. She waited for a moment, but he refused to move. Rose noticed how tense his shoulders were and realized, belatedly, that it was because he didn't want to be picked. Rose almost rolled her eyes at herself. Of course he didn't. Then he'd be expected to sleep with some woman, and like hell was going to do that.
"This one." Rose informed the guards. The Doctor's head shot up at the sound of her voice. His green eyes were bright in the flickering light of the fires around the room. Rose tried to convey as much as she could in that one stare, but she wasn't sure if he understood. It was fine though, he just had to sit tight until nightfall, then she and he could finally talk and figure a way out of this ridiculous situation. Maybe they'd leave Jack behind. He certainly wouldn't mind it.
The guards nodded at Rose's decision and began to lead the men through a back door that probably led to more cells. Rose was led out and back up onto the main floors of the castle. She sighed. Now all she had to do was wait it out until the evening and talk to the Doctor. She bit her finger nail as she worried. Hopefully they wouldn't get into any trouble before then, hopefully her own jeopardy friendly tendencies won't act up before then either.
Jack moved across the small cell to sit beside the Doctor. There were no seats, bedding, nothing but cold stone and metal bars as a door. The size of the space was quite small too, about five feet both ways, though the prison did have unusually tall ceilings. About eight men were crammed into the space. Most of them were new, like himself and the Doctor, and they whispered quietly. It seemed like the ones who'd been there awhile were less inclined to talk. They sat and stared off into the distance, eyes dark and cold.
Jack's eye caught that of another man's in the prison and he smiled charmingly. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Jack." He growled.
Jack bit back his laugh. "What?" He asked, amused. "Can you blame me?" Honestly, how could the Doctor expect anything else? They were locked in a small room with six other men, all of them naked. He should just be happy the Captain hadn't hit on him, yet. The Doctor glared at Jack. There was a long silence until Jack said, "So… Rose."
The Doctor leaned towards the metal bars and peered down the darkened hallway. "I know. I didn't expect to see her down here… Like that."
Jack was in firm agreement, but he couldn't resist teasing the Doctor a bit first. "What? You mean dressed like a queen and ordering you like you're Chinese take-out?" The Doctor glared at him for that. Jack chuckled. "Alright, fine. But you have to give it to her, it's a good plan. Now you guys can have some… private time."
The Doctor completely missed Jack's meaning. "Yes but how did she manage that? I mean Rose is brilliant, but how did she get into the castle? Let alone be put into the position of power to be able to order a… well…" He coughed. Jack watched him, smiling, not offering any help as the man began to stutter incessantly. The Doctor glared at him again. "Oh, shut up."
Jack shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. "I don't know, Doc. But that wasn't what I meant." The Doctor continued to stare down the hall, refusing to speak. "I don't understand you two. I mean, she's back Doctor. You got her back, again. And what are you doing? Dancing around each other like no time has passed."
The Doctor turned to the Captain. "And what you rather us do, jump into it and shag it out?"
Jack gestured with his hands in a manner that made it quite obvious that was exactly what he was thinking. "Uhhh, yeah!" He stared at the Time Lord like he was an idiot.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Well you're wrong." He stared down the hallway again, silent as he gathered his thoughts. He paused for so long, Jack thought that that was the end of the discussion. "We aren't treating this like no time has passed." He finally whispered. "We're treating it as it is. Lot's of time has passed, Jack. I'm a different man, and Rose has grown considerably in our time apart."
Jack frowned at that. Unanswered questions popped into his head, and suddenly he realized there was much of this story that he was missing. "Doctor? How much time passed for Rose?" The Doctor finally turned his gaze from the hall and looked at Jack uneasily. "How did she even get back again?"
The Doctor rubbed his brow. "She never told you?" That didn't sound like Rose.
Jack shrugged. "We haven't really had the time to talk… Now we do."
The Doctor shook his head slightly. "It's not really my story to tell."
"Doctor."
The Doctor covered the bottom half of his face with his hand as he stared at Jack. He considered how much of the story was his to tell. He nodded his head from side to side, then finally said. "I got a message that I thought was from another Time Lord. It led me outside the universe. Things were happening and the TARDIS went walk about." The Doctor waved a hand at Jack's confused look. "Then at the end of it, we were in the TARDIS, back in the universe and there she was. On my ship."
Jack shook his head, not following. "How?"
"She had created a vortex manipulator, you've seen it obviously. Then she figured out she couldn't cross dimensions, but she could leave them. She hopped outside the universe around the same time that we did, then she was stuck on the TARDIS with Amy and Rory for a bit. I didn't see her until after all the chaos had dissipated."
"But… But how did she make the vortex manipulator? When did she suddenly become not human? What about the human you? What happened?"
The Doctor stared at Jack, his face so very tired all of a sudden. "Bad Wolf." He ran a hand through his hair. "I should have known. Really, I mean… She made you immortal, of course she would have done something to herself as well. I should have seen it."
Jack watched the flustered Time Lord for a moment. Whatever Rose was, it couldn't be like him. The Doctor had said that there was something wrong with him, and he'd felt it since Rose had brought Jack back. If the Doctor hadn't noticed that with Rose, then they weren't the same. "So what is she?" He asked. He'd noticed the little differences. He'd be blind not to. Her eyes were older, but was the same. And those eyes, the way they would sometimes glow gold. Jack had ignored it so far, knowing that more important things were happening. If it had been life threatening to Rose, then the Doctor would have moved heaven and earth to fix it before even thinking of doing anything else.
The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know. Everyone keeps saying that she's Bad Wolf. She's the Time Goddess. I don't really think she is a specific species anymore."
Jack nodded. "Well. She can join the club. I'm thinking of getting t-shirts." The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Jack and snorted. It worked though, and soon enough the two men were holding in their laughter as best they could.
(I almost didn't write this chapter, what with the nude parts and everything, I was going to do something different. However, the Doctor was nude with 27 planets with that one scene, and again in the newest Christmas Special, and he treated it like nothing. So yeah... I decided it would be fine.)
I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!
What was your favourite part?