'So what's our plan, then?' Rose asked.

She didn't expect the Doctor to shrug. 'Dunno. Get a feel for the situation. Gather information, while we stay out of those cages.'

'Got it. Reconnaissance.' A simple enough task, she thought, as they passed the tower and the advisor's hut, only to find a third extension of the Sanctuary: built to its side was a broad, flat wooden building in front of which stood four serious-looking Illantis, clad in the same ornate armour Brandomyr had been wearing. Royal guards.

The looks they shot at Rose and the Doctor were bordering on hateful, but when Virgil commanded them to let them pass they obeyed, and two of them followed the group inside, their metal armour clinking as they moved.

As soon as they entered, Rose started to beam. The room was basically a kindergarten for little angels! They ran in circles, they swung from ropes in the ceiling, they made a mess with watercolours.

Two winged supermodel nannies took care of the wild bunch, their pretty faces frozen in deliberate patience hiding their exhaustion. Their expressions held until the moment they noticed the visitors.

They gave Virgil a worried look, and pointed him to another door, through which they could see more kids with wings. These children sat still in a circle, wide eyes focused on a figure in their middle. Flanked by the two guards, the Doctor, Rose and Virgil entered the room.

Rose heard the king before she saw him, and her nerves were taken over by confusion. 'And they butchered and killed the poor angels, and left none alive,' his voice said in the mock-evil voice of an expert storyteller. He was an old man with wide, impressive wings, bushy at the joints with long feathers changing from white to black before finishing with blood-red tips. He wore a simple shirt that was unbuttoned at the front, revealing grey chest hair and a crown on his head, a light golden diadem that looked like branches winding together, holding a single jewel above his forehead.

'Only the crows would see benefit from the merciless slaughter, as the humans left their corpses right where they'd made them,' he finished his story, leaving his young audience gaping in horror.

Then he noticed his wingless visitors, and all the playful warmth vanished from his eyes. Despite his wrinkles and greying black hair, the king had a dangerous intensity about him, and Rose suddenly felt as if she'd just stepped out into the coldest regions of the arctic. All the kids in the circle looked up at her and the Doctor, wide-eyed.

'Don't be afraid of them,' the king said to his young audience. 'They have learned their place.'

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a look that conveyed a lot of words that probably might get them into trouble if uttered aloud.

Confidently, Virgil strode up to him. 'Father, can we speak?'

The king's gaze was firmly locked on Virgil. He didn't answer, just stared at Virgil, his eyes carrying disappointment as well as an unmistakable warning. 'We're done for today,' he then said to the children. 'Go out and play.'

A single kid cheered and whooped and almost ran into Rose's legs as he left, utterly oblivious to the tension that hung in the room. The others followed their enthusiastic comrade quietly, wary eyes glancing back and forth from their king to the wingless visitors.

Rose felt a terrible chill at the way they were looking at her. As if she was one of those very humans, as if she had committed those atrocities herself. She hated the king for making them look at her like that, but she also couldn't help but be ashamed. She knew well enough what humans were capable of.

Without a word, King Miramys turned and left through another door that lead into the Sanctuary. It was a vast, two-tiered hall, the stone floor covered by carpets, the columns adorned with pots holding colourful flowers. The ceiling rose high up above them. The tall stained-glass windows gleamed like jewels. Two of them had been replaced by large, wooden doors that stood wide open, allowing for winged servants to pass through. They brought tablecloths and dishes to the benches and tables that stood aligned in the middle of the hall in preparation for a feast.

Outside, two more royal guards had fallen in line after the king, and the three of them spread their wings and ascended with mighty strokes. Those guards standing behind the Doctor and Rose went back for their comrades. 'Six guards,' Rose muttered. 'Someone's a bit paranoid.'

Virgil stepped before them, looking apologetic. 'I'm afraid there are no steps to his chamber.'

'So how do we get up?' Rose asked.

Virgil called for the servants preparing the feast, and a couple of them volunteered to assist. They grabbed Rose and the Doctor underneath their arms, two strong sets of hands for each of them, and flew them upward. 'Would you look at that,' the Doctor grinned, 'a wing-powered escalator.' They were brought to the balcony of the king's chamber, where his six royal guards had taken up position. Their contemptuous stares were sharper than the halberds in their hands.

Virgil muttered a few cautionary words. 'Don't be insolent, and show him all due deference. But don't be obsequious either. I want him to find respect for you.'

Brandomyr scoffed softly.

'Don't you worry, Virgil,' the Doctor said, nudging Rose and giving them all a dazzling smile. 'We got this, eh?'

Rose gave him a wary smile.

Two halberds crossed in front of Virgil's face. 'Father!' he said with an unexpected strength and pride in his voice.

For a little while, nothing happened except, the Doctor noticed, an awkward air of a difficult father-son-relationship played out in front of him.

'They may enter,' the king's airy voice finally reached them from inside the chamber. The halberds lifted, and two guards opened the door.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary study: rows of shelves lined the walls, filled with old but precious-looking tomes. A big, silver chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling. A large desk made from rich, brown wood took over a good portion of the room, though not much occupied its surface, save for a tiny pot of ink and a selection of quills. The king sat in a large chair behind it, wings folded and flaring upright, giving the impression of two additional body guards waiting at his ready. His gaze was calm and enigmatic, reminding both Rose and the Doctor of the Mona Lisa – Rose of the picture, the Doctor of the babbling woman herself.

When they went closer though, something caught the Doctor's eye: in a corner stood a small podium with a metal fixture, holding a staff. It was a sort of crown jewel, the Doctor realised, just before his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the blue crystal that was fitted into the staff's tip. It emanated a softly pulsing glow that made the shadows in the room shift slowly, giving everything a slight air of surrealism. The Doctor guessed the king liked his staff with his weirdly glowing crystal. Shiny things were always tokens of power to primitives.

The Doctor's discovery went unnoticed by the others. Rose looked gloomy, and Virgil inhaled and exhaled audibly, building courage before he stepped forward to address the king. 'Father, I want to introduce you to these remarkable humans. This is Lord Doctor of TARDIS, and this is Lady Rose of the Powell Estate.'

They both bowed as Virgil had shown them. The king's face was like stone, bare of any emotion. The animated storyteller they'd met just a couple minutes ago seemed like a statue now, cold and lifeless, his gaze a mask of contempt. An uncomfortable silence crept long, until the enigmatic figure finally turned to Virgil, giving a slight wave with his hand and speaking in an airy way, like a bored CEO.

'Explain this to me.'

Virgil turned an angle and gestured at his guests. 'My king. These brave humans saved my life.'

The king's eyebrows moved only slightly.

Bravely, Virgil continued, 'I was away on a stroll through the countryside, together with Ethori, when we saw the punisher attack a village. By virtue of my heart, I moved to help, but Felgorn's gaze soon fastened on me...'

It was just a squeak in his voice at first, but it told everyone in the room that Virgil's throat was dry as a desert. From then on, they could all hear uncertainty clearly swaying his tone.

'...impossible to shake. Truly these would have been my final hours. But my life was gifted back to me by the courage of these noble souls. These two, under immense threat to their own safety, decided to help me. By hiding me. I would have perished if it wasn't for them.' Virgil gathered himself again, taking a step toward his father in what the Doctor knew was a trick to mask his insecurity.

'My king, these two are an example of utter bravery. They prove my point. The humans aren't all violent cowards, there is true valour among them.'

'You were on a stroll?' The king asked, his dark voice and slightly raised eyebrow conveying volumes of disapproval.

'Yes,' Virgil said, stuttering now as he lost all his bravado in an instant. 'One of my fancies. You know your imbecile son.'

The king smirked. 'Oh, I know him well indeed. And I wonder if his stupidity is limited to hindering Felgorn's sacred purpose, or if there is perhaps something else,' his eyes narrowed knowingly at his son, 'that might have swayed his mind in the moment?'

Virgil swallowed, audibly, and the Doctor and Rose suddenly realised that it had been them all along who had been putting their eggs into the wrong basket. Rose glanced at the Doctor, hoping he was already working on a plan B, or possibly even a couple letters further down the alphabet. The Doctor simply seemed irritated by the way the king was treating his son, however. Virgil was stammering some weak response when the Doctor stepped forward, speaking loudly. 'Your Highness.'

The king raised a surprised eyebrow at the interrupter, before he glanced at his horrified son. 'Sorry about the breach in etiquette,' the Doctor continued, clacking his teeth, 'but this human would like to offer a suggestion, if he were permitted to do so.'

The king huffed. 'A rare trait, courage.' He then glanced back at his son. 'Scarce, these days. Well, human. You may speak, but do make your words count.'

'In a moment. But first: Aren't you being a little harsh on your son? He was practically dancing with death, defending the defenceless, doing all that chivalry business, and in quite a heroic manner, too.'

The king's face was yet again a picture of boredom and thinly veiled contempt. 'You wanted to offer a suggestion?'

The Doctor nodded, slightly disappointed. 'Right. Not my nest to clean. Well, technically Felgorn isn't either, but I'd still like to offer my help in the matter.'

The king blinked. 'The matter of Felgorn?'

'That's the one,' the Doctor said. 'And this is my suggestion unto you, straight from the certified dracologist's mouth: I think,' he raised a finger with a flourish, 'you should try to get rid of him.'

The king stared unblinkingly at the Doctor, and Rose forced herself to look more confident so as not to give the king any reason to doubt the Doctor. Secretly, however, she hoped that he knew what he was doing.

'You never tried. Did you?' the Doctor asked into the silence.

The king sighed. He seemed annoyed, but it was difficult to tell why. Maybe the Doctor was onto something, or maybe he was just boring him?

'And do you also have a plan for how to go about this deed, Doctor?'

'Not yet,' he admitted. 'Knowing me, it'll take a couple days. Miracles don't come quickly. Sometimes I can do one in about five minutes, but only when I'm under really, really great pressure. I'm not giving you ideas, am I?'

The king's face remained a stony glare, as if he hadn't heard a single word the Doctor had said.

'Anyhow, this is my suggestion,' the Doctor continued, pointing two fingers at Rose and himself. 'We will get rid of Felgorn. And we'll do it for free.'

'Father, I had no idea–'

'Oh, be quiet!' the king barked at his son. Then he leaned forward, intrigue colouring his features. 'Who are you?'

The Doctor grinned his brightest grin. 'I'm the Doctor. This is Rose.'

She gave a forced smile and a second, way more awkward bow.

'And,' the Doctor continued in a cheery tone, 'as you might be able to tell from our clothes, we're not from round here. Came to look for the dragon, check if it's really all that, and we weren't disappointed. We almost got burnt to death. Twice, actually. Almost, courtesy of your son.' He stopped to take a quick breather. 'Still, Rose and I are confident we can do it.'

The king's slight smile gave nothing away. 'And what do you ask in return?'

The Doctor shrugged. 'Nothing, as I said. Although I might need some help to send Flappy away. Knowledge, to be exact. A history lesson would be a good start.'

The king's eyes narrowed, and the Doctor realised he was beginning to tread in dangerous waters. Miramys had somehow built his own dictator's paradise, and the Doctor would do well not to threaten or attack him in any way. He sighed internally; nothing would please him more than to tear it all down and teach this old fool some common sense, but as long as there was a dragon on the loose threatening to kill people, he didn't have much choice.

'And I suppose you want to know about the Dragon's Bane as well?' the king asked, laying the trap out for the Doctor.

'Nah,' he replied, flapping his hand at the king. 'All I need is a good old boring, mindnumbing history lesson. And not the kind you were giving those little rascals earlier.'

The king leaned back, observing his odd visitors with scrutiny. 'I must admit, you captured my interest. For a while. I'm afraid I must decline your suggestion.'

'Quel surprise,' the Doctor muttered to himself. Then, blinking, he asked, 'Wait, our suggestion? Not our offer?'

'The fact of the matter is that we do not need to deal with Felgorn,' King Miramys said, smiling.

'Five people died today,' the Doctor argued.

'And my heart goes out to their families,' said King Miramys, matter of factly, without the slightest hint of actual regret. It made something dark stir inside the Doctor, made his human heart beat angrily. The king went on, 'However, Felgorn is a divine advocate of justice, doing the bidding of the gods. Who am I, or indeed anyone, to even think about interfering with the will of the gods?'

'Listen,' the Doctor said, forcing himself to stay calm. 'Felgorn is a lost animal that has been torn away from its own plane of existence. Now it is confused and alone, lashing out at innocent bystanders, and with your help I might just have the means to send it back home.'

'Innocent?' the King asked, slightly surprised.

'You are not innocent,' Virgil interjected from the side, parroting his father's lectures. 'Father, I have taught them about the sins of their past.'

'Oh, Virgil,' the Doctor sighed.

But King Miramys was silencing them both with a gesture. 'Maybe you do need a history lesson, Doctor. Maybe then you learn to value the privilege you currently enjoy. The Dale is at peace.'

'Looked like a warzone to me,' said Rose.

'Then you haven't seen war,' the king bellowed at her. Rose was shocked for a moment, cognizant that angering a king was never a good strategy. 'Believe your king,' he ranted, 'when he tells you that a couple dead in a month is nothing compared to the horrors you are being spared.'

The Doctor began to saunter around the place, hands in his pockets. 'True,' he said, nodding crookedly. 'Plus, there's all these other benefits: the people are constantly afraid, which makes them so grateful to their helpers and saviours, and oh, so very generous.'

There it was again, that flippancy about him that told her for certain he knew something, and he was in control, and everything would be fine.

But this wasn't like the other times. This wasn't her Doctor, so Rose didn't relax in the least.

'But that only lasts for a short time, doesn't it?' the Doctor said. 'Very forgetful, human beings. You do 'em a favour today, and tomorrow they've already forgotten it. No more donations. They turn ungrateful so very, very fast...'

The Doctor stopped strolling. He fixated the king with a cold stare. 'Unless of course they get a reminder every now and then.'

The king's gaze was frozen on the Doctor. He seemed to think something over, and Rose suddenly had a very uncomfortable feeling.

'That's a shame,' the king said, breaking into a slight smile again. 'I think I could have liked you, Doctor.'

'Well, that's good isn't it?' the Doctor said, innocently. 'Why's that a shame?' He smiled, but he knew he was only delaying the inevitable. He had let himself get carried away by the king's downright monstrous disregard for life, and had accidentally crossed a line.

'Guards!'

'No!' the Doctor called out. 'Leave her out of this! She's done nothing wrong!'

'Father...' Virgil tried, uselessly.

'Imprison these two,' the king ordered with an imperious tone. The corner of his lips curled slightly, as if he had just waited for a reason to lock them up. 'These two are guilty of blasphemy, and of trying to cause havoc in the Dale.'

'Blasphemy?' protested Rose, 'You're kidding, yeah?'

'Lock them into the sky cages. They're awaiting execution.'