III
"That's it, that's it, that is it!"
Rolling his brown eyes, the dark haired Junior Time Lord, picked up his pace to keep up with his fuming, fair-haired counterpart.
Quickly jogging after the slightly taller young man with a sigh, Koschei's watched on as his best friend stalked down the vacant, glass encased, semi-transparent crystal walkway, that bridged between the designated examination rooms and the hallowed, Dolomite Hall of the Time Lord Academy.
"Thete, you've been complying with almost all of Borusa's orders for decades now," Koschei mentioned pointedly. "All of a sudden, for the past two decades, you've been pushing his buttons more and more. Why now?"
Halting in mid-step, Theta turned on his booted heel and sighed heavily, pushing back his wavy, dark-blond, below ear-length hair from his forehead in frustration. "Because he refuses to even give me an inch, Koschei." The ninety-five year old Junior Time Lord mentioned with a huff.
"He never lets me go anywhere unescorted by one of the guards. I swear he's also been paying other members of the staff to watch me every waking moment." Theta folded his arms over his chest. "The most escape I get is vortisaur riding…even then he has a guard waiting back at the stable to escort me back here!"
Koschei mimicked his friend's stance, tapping his upper arms with a shake of his head. "The thing is, you don't give Borusa an inch either, Thete. What about what you did five years ago?" He pointed out grimly.
"Stealing a time capsule with Rallon and Millennia, when neither of you could barely pilot one. And then what happened to Millennia and Rallon as a consequence—"
"I know." Theta interrupted with a snap, pain flooding his light blue eyes. "I was there. And I don't want to talk about, Koschei." He rested his hand over his mouth. "I'm just so frustrated. I feel so trapped."
Resting a tanned hand on Theta's shoulder, Koschei looked sympathetically at his lifelong friend.
A little broader than he'd been twenty years ago, Koschei had reached his adult height of five-foot-seven, while Theta, still slender, (despite becoming broader across his chest and shoulders,) had shot up to just under five-foot-nine, taller than his best friend for the first time in their lives.
Both dressed in the crimson, university issue robes of the Prydonian academy, Koschei's hair was short -cut and impeccably groomed, and his overall appearance neat.
While Theta's, as was usually the case, robes were creased and carelessly worn. He had rebelliously grown out his dark-blond hair, allowing it to graze just slightly below his jaw. Theta sometimes tied his hair back, but often wore it loose. The Junior Time Lord would stare out succinctly, whenever a mentor Time Lord would tut at him for his appearance, or laughing whenever Borusa demanded he cut his hair to a more respectable length.
Theta was starting a trend amongst the male Junior Time Lords and Time Youths, who also started neglecting the shorter hairstyles in favour of longer lengths, much to the mentor Time Lords chagrin, who were wont to bemoan to Borusa. Who, in turn, snapped that he could barely get his grandson to pay attention in class, let alone hold Theta's attention long enough to ask him to cut his hair.
While Koschei couldn't say he wasn't amused by the change in his best friend over the past few decades, but he was still slightly wary that it borderlined on madness, because of the events that happened to Theta in the Cloisters…the dark haired Junior Time Lord shivered.
Koschei almost daily wondered how Theta had survived the events. But his best friend responded several times, when Koschei had questioned him how it happened, that he had no clue about the matter, and Theta would firmly request Koschei didn't ask him any more questions on the subject.
There was a clearing of the throat, and both young men turned to see a Time Youth standing about a foot away, the teenage girl had her dark hair in a pixie-cut, and she tilted her head slightly.
"Theta Sigma?"
Holding up his hand, Theta stepped forward, "That's me." He responded, the Time Youth held out her hand, a folded piece of paper in her grasp, Theta took the folded paper and the girl inclined her head quickly, jogging quickly away from the Junior Time Lords.
Sparing a quick glance after the teenage girl, Theta and Koschei both looked down at the note, as Theta unfolded the piece of paper and quickly scanned the note, written in Sol-3 English, with an ever growing smirk of amusement, turning his head to Koschei.
"It's from The Corsair. He's on planet, and says that he'll meet me, and whomever else I wish to bring along, outside of the University walls, tonight." Theta revealed holding up the note triumphantly. "Finally. A chance to alleviate our tedious boredom. You're coming with me, right, Koschei?"
Blinking his blue eyes, Koschei looked wary. "Perhaps…but where are we going?"
Theta lent his arm on his best friend's shoulder, "Somewhere fun. Drinking, dancing," he leaned closer to Koschei. "Women."
Koschei frowned, "There are plenty of female Junior Time Lords to flirt with right here, Thete." He mentioned.
Waving his hand, Theta shrugged, "Yes, yes. All abiding to the rules, Koschei." He leaned forward. "Think about it. Women free of rules, restrictions and regulations. A night when we could be just as free."
Shaking his head, Koschei looked aside, "The rules are there for a reason, Thete. I don't know if it's because of what happened to you in the cloisters, but your blood runs so hot for things that normal Time Lords usually wait until they're full Time Lords to experience."
Theta tilted his head to the side, "Perhaps. But, I promise not to get too carried away," he vowed, poking Koschei's upper arm. "C'mon, a little drinking, a little bit of hearing stories from The Corsair about his travels, you can't say you're not a little curious."
Sighing heavily, Koschei waved his hand, "All right. I concede that I wouldn't mind hearing some stories, and maybe visiting the Drylander pubs," he admitted, Theta grinned and put his arm around Koschei's shoulders.
"That's the spirit, now," Theta leaned closer to Koschei and lowered his voice, as the two of them walked slowly back down the hallway, towards their shared quarters. "I've written to The Corsair about how Borusa always makes sure if I leave the University building, I'm followed by a guard. He's bribed the guards into taking the place of the one who is usually put in charge of me.
"So," Theta continued, with a wide smirk on his high-cheekboned features. "I'll tell Borusa that Perseus is still feeling under the weather, and I'm going to go check on him and give him his medicine, and you've volunteered to help me administer it, and help watch him for a few hours afterwards."
Koschei couldn't help but let a small smile grace his own lips, "Very cunning, Theta Sigma. I'm impressed. So we don't even have to shimmy down the drainpipe, or knot the sheets together, we just walk straight out of the front door." He nodded.
"You've become quite the conspirator, and I thought I was the jackanape around here."
Theta laughed and pushed back his longish hair from his eyes with his free hand, "Well, after over ninety years, I think your sneakiness has finally rubbed off on me," he playfully punched Koschei's shoulder.
His smile widening, Koschei cuffed his best friend and gave him a noogie.
"Hey!"
"You need a haircut!"
-:-:-:-
Borusa's narrowed, blue-eyed gaze gazed down at his grandson succinctly.
The Junior Time Lord was dressed in a dark scarlet vortisaur riding jumpsuit and knee-high, light brown riding boots, his hair (I wish he would cut that mop…) tied back away from his face with a leather band in a low ponytail.
He looks dressed for the stable, Borusa thought mildly, looking across at where his grandson's long-time best friend, had borrowed one of Theta's riding jumpsuits and set of boots. Koschei's dark blue gaze was unreadable as always.
Koschei's going with him…that's slightly odd, given that he doesn't like vortisaurs one bit. But, if Theta asked for his help…these two are so close, they're more like brothers. It makes sense.
"Yes, that's fine, Theta." Borusa finally gave his answer. "I'm pleased you take such good care of your animals. And Koschei, I'm pleased Theta has such a reliable companion."
Theta inclined his head, "Thank you, Grandfather." He motioned to Koschei. "We'll return when the Vet-Medic gives Perseus the all clear."
Koschei also inclined his head to their tutor, and both young men quickly departed Borusa's office. The Academy tutor waiting until his office door was firmly shut, before pressing a communication panel on his desk.
"Guards Office? The usual order regarding Theta Sigma."
"Yes sir. The officer will be dispatched immediately."
Borusa pulled his finger away and sat back down on his chair, furrowing his brow. Not quite being able to shake the feeling his rebellious grandson was, yet again, up to something.
"Damn it all," Borusa whispered under his breath. "Why did those Cloister Wraiths call him to The Matrix? What do those phantoms know? What did they tell him?"
-:-:-:-
Waiting patiently outside of the high, stone wall of the Prydonian Chapter of the Time Lord Academy, both Theta and Koschei had donned rough woven, dark brown capes on their way out of the University.
The artificial light from the huge lanterns on either side of the sculpted iron gate, bathed down upon the two Junior Time Lords in the otherwise semi-darkness, as they waited for their older companion.
After a few minutes, there was a loud whisper from behind them.
"Theta Sigma?"
Spinning around, Theta faced the grinning, bearded face of The Corsair. Dressed in a guard's uniform at least a size too small, and a similar hooded cloak to the Junior Time Lords, but in a fine, black velvet, the looming Time Lord placed a friendly hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Corsair. It's good to see you." Theta greeted, placing his own hand on The Corsair's opposing shoulder.
"Aye, lad. You've grown some since we last met." The Corsair mentioned. "And I am liking the long hair, I bet your teachers are up in arms about you starting a trend."
Theta shrugged and motioned to Koschei, "You remember my friend, Koschei." He reintroduced.
The Corsair offered his hand and Koschei took it firmly, "Of course. You've grown some too, lad." He motioned ahead. "This is good. It's about time the two of you had some more grown-up fun, after nearly ninety years of nothing but being shuffled from one classroom to another."
Once they were a fair distance from the University grounds, The Corsair suggested they pull up their hoods, and all three continued to chat about more recent events, The Corsair grimly nodding when Theta brought up the stealing of the Time Capsule and the loss of his two friends.
"Oh aye. Being a Time Lord is dangerous, it is something you will both have to learn to live with the knowledge that our lives are not like anyone else's in the entire galaxy, barring the possibility of The Eternals and, of course, The Guardians." The Corsair mused as they walked through an open, grassy field.
"There are not many of us, and, yet, you will likely lose many more acquaintances than any common Gallifreyan ever would." The Corsair shook his head. "The Prydonian Chapter has practically written the book on at least one perfectly healthy Time Lord per a decade either being exiled or killed."
Koschei looked grim, "One of the mentor's was bemoaning that our generation seemed poise to triple that, as we may have doubled it all ready." He mentioned conversely.
The Corsair shook his head, "There's no need to discuss such a dark issue further, lad. We're going to an Drylander pub, so best keep such talk to yourselves. You won't be judged, I'm friends with them, and I believe you spent a time with them as well, Thete?"
Theta nodded quickly, "Yes." He murmured, The Corsair placed his hand on the shoulder of the taller of the two Junior Time Lords.
"Nothing to be ashamed about, Thete. You had no say in the matter. The Drylander people are kindly, but do have a chip on their shoulder about Time Lords who lord it up, so to speak." The Corsair glanced quickly over at Koschei.
"Speak plainly, talk none of Time Lord issues, and ask them how their lives are. Don't start fights and don't act above them."
Koschei frowned under his hood, "Understood." He muttered.
"What was that, Koschei?" Theta questioned quickly, turning his hooded gaze to his friend.
"I said I understood, and I will try, Thete," Koschei said a little louder.
Although, I'm not making any promises. I resent the fact they automatically are going to judge me for being a Time Lord, why shouldn't it be any different for me regarding them?
-:-:-:-
The Corsair pushed back his black velvet hood as he nudged his two shorter companions into the rough built, bustling Drylander pub, "Welcome to the Gaudy Flubble, lads."
"Apt name," Koschei responded dryly, as he and Theta looked around at the rough and tumble patrons dotted about the crowded establishment. Drinking, playing hologram past-time games, and chatting up serving women. There was also a sizeable crowd around a make-shift bandstand, where a motley crew of Drylanders were playing various instruments, including drums, flutes and perigosto sticks.
Koschei nudged Theta's shoulder as he pulled down his hood, "Hey, the band kinda blows. We should go show them how to really play." He suggested.
Theta grinned, "Sounds like a plan for a later, though, best see what sort of crowd we're dealing with," he mentioned. "Don't want to be thrown out for being 'upstart Time Lords'."
Grimacing, his companion nodded, "Right." Koschei agreed, both Junior Time Lords looking up ahead, at where The Corsair had found an empty table and was motioning to them.
Making their way through the crowd, who only passingly spared them a glance, before going back to their own business, Theta sat down on a stool at the small, round table on The Corsair's left, and Koschei sat down opposite him on The Corsair's right.
"There now. Three Aurelian Ales?" The Corsair glanced at his two younger companions, who nodded, and he stood up, holding up three fingers in the direction of the bar, the bartender nodding in acknowledgement, and began pulling the tankards.
Koschei tapped his fingers idly on the table in front of him, while Theta turned to The Corsair.
"Have you been to see my Aunt Flavia, Corsair?" Theta brought up curiously, now well aware there was more than just friendship between his aunt and the dashing rogue Time Lord.
The Corsair nodded with a smile, "Aye, Thete. She's lovely as ever, I might add, if you don't mind me saying," he shrugged. "But you are old enough now to know our relationship. I would be your uncle, lad, if not for the fact we're both to stubborn to ever make that much of a commitment."
Theta smiled, "Aunt Flavia says the same thing about you, Corsair," he replied cheekily, The Corsair laughing and slapping the younger man on the back.
"Of course she would. Flavia wouldn't be of Lungbarrow if she wasn't stubborn." The Corsair mentioned, as an aged, male server came around with a tray loaded with the three tankards and a bowl of thripten nuts. "Ah, Algern, still on duty, my good man?"
The thin, Drylander nodded his wiry, balding grey head, "Oh aye, Mister Corsair. It's been a good while since you've been on planet, if I might say," he motioned to the two young men. "Who are your two companions?"
The Corsair reached over to take the tankards off the serving tray and place them on the table, "The one on my right is Koschei of Oakdown," he motioned to his left. "The young man on my left is Theta Sigma of Lungbarrow."
Algern glanced over at Theta, "Mertha and Yostin had a young foster Time Tot for a year by that name, I remember the skinny little slip of a boy. Are you by any chance him?"
Theta nodded slowly, "Yes, I would be." He responded simply, and Algern offered a small smile.
"Well now, Mertha talks about you sometimes. I should bring her over to see how you've turned out," Algern lent forward. "You're not a soldier, are you?"
Shaking his head, Theta wrapped his hands around his tankard, "No…no, I'm a Junior Time Lord." He admitted, and Algern smirked.
"There you are, and everyone else thinking you would be lucky to end up a soldier. Determination." Algern mentioned as he tucked the tray under his arm. "This one always had pluck, I remembering him learning how to ride vortisaurs bareback, no fear of even the wild, unbroken ones. I'm going to go fetch Mertha, she's going to burst her bodice strings with pride over you."
Theta and his companions watched Algern depart, and Koschei looked over at his best friend, who was taking a sip of his ale.
"You certainly seem to have a reputation amongst these Drylanders, Thete. Burst her bodice strings… what strange colloquialisms these people have—"
"Oh!" A loud exclaim interrupted Koschei's mutterings and Thete nearly choked on his ale as a faded haired, commonly dressed, buxom middle-aged Drylander woman caught sight of the fair haired Junior Time Lord, and pushed her way through the tables to reach them.
"Oh by Rassilon, it is you, isn't it?"
Theta gave a small smile of greeting and got to his feet. Mertha had always been kind to him, and stood up for him, even when everyone else said he'd only ever amount to be being a soldier if he was lucky, never a Time Lord. It made him proud to be able to show her that her faith hadn't been in vain.
"Hello, Mertha." Theta greeted as Mertha stopped a foot in front of him, looking up at him cautiously, wringing her apron in her hands.
"Oh my…can I give you a hug…? I suppose I can't, though, in your position and—?"
Theta opened up his arms, "I insist," he interrupted, and Mertha threw her arms around the slender Junior Time Lord she had fostered for a year.
"Oh. Oh I knew I would see you again," Mertha pulled him back. "You're still so skinny. But you are handsome. A Junior Time Lord, oh," she dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her apron hem. "I'm so proud. You know you will always have a home while I'm alive, Theta, you remember that?"
Theta rested his hand on her shoulder, "I shall always remember, Mertha. And if I ever I am in need, you don't know how grateful I will always be to take you up on that," he hugged her again, and Mertha pulled back, sniffling.
"I need to return back to the farm. I have other children now who need their supper," Mertha gazed back up at him proudly. "I know now that I was right about you, Theta Sigma, you are going to be someone very special one day. I am glad I got to be part of even such a small moment in your life."
Theta squeezed Mertha's shoulder, "Thank you." He said simply, Mertha smiled up at him, before inclining her head to The Corsair and Koschei, before departing, wiping at her eyes on her apron again.
Koschei took a sip of his ale, watching on as his best friend sat back down with a sigh, "Never a dull moment with you lately, Thete. It's like watching a hologram entertainment drama." He mentioned in his usual, dry tone.
The Corsair shrugged, "That Mertha just sees in Thete what we who really know him see, Koschei, and that is someone special." He took a swig from his tankard. "Which is why your grandfather, Thete, watches you every waking minute, if he can. He knows something."
Koschei sighed, "What is it they say? Marked for greatness?" He ran his finger around the rim of his metal tankard. "Borusa probably has intentions of making Thete President of Gallifrey someday."
Thete paled as he lowered his tankard from his lips, "Don't say things like that, Koschei."
Leaning forward, the dark haired Junior Time Lord raised his eyebrows, "Why not? He's still pushing you into politics, and you still haven't declared any other major. Borusa wants the job himself, that is obvious to everyone, but he's also grooming you to assist him, and likely take his place afterwards."
The Corsair frowned into his beard, "Yes…Flavia has said she suspects as much," he admitted to Theta, who leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, looking petrified at the very suggestion. "Flavia also said you wanted to go into politics, Thete. Have you changed your mind?"
Theta rubbed his eyes, "I…I'm not sure. Over the past twenty years I've…ever since…" he took in a deep breath. "Someone once asked me what it was that I wanted. And I asked if it mattered and they looked so sorry for me. And so they should have been. My Grandfather had all but signed and sealed my entire life, and I was willing to go right along with it, without making my own choices.
"I didn't know back as a Time Tot what I wanted, and I still don't know." Theta picked up a thripten nut and studied the cream coloured kernel, before closing his eyes. "But I do know what I don't want, and that's to be a politician."
The Corsair smiled, "Well, that's the first part of the battle, you've figured out what you don't want. Now it's all down to figuring out what it is you do want." He mentioned lightly.
Theta nodded, "Well, what I do want right now is to put a stop to that awful caterwauling going on on that stage over there," he downed the last of his ale. "C'mon, Koschei, let's go show them what real music is."
-:-:-:-
After some negotiation with the reluctant band, Koschei found himself behind a set of drums, and Theta had bequeathed a perigosto stick player of his well worn instrument.
Immediately breaking into Firebrand Tower's Light-Speed Lovin' Man, the Junior Time Lords had the younger patrons of the pub on their feet and crowding around the stage.
All was going well for the two former members of the Gallifrey Academy Hot Five, until one young Drylander woman jumped up on the stage and planted a lingering kiss on Theta's lips, triggering an outraged yell from the crowd.
"Delpha! You bloody bastard, that's my fiancée you're kissing!"
Pulling quickly away from the laughing, red haired young woman, Theta scrambled to untangle her arms from around his neck and managed to push her away, just in time to duck a fisted blow from the hulking Drylander, who was presumably Delpha's fiancé.
But then the shaggy-haired Drylander man flung himself at Theta, knocking the Junior Time Lord and his borrowed perigosto stick off the stage and into the crowd.
Koschei tossed aside his drumsticks with a furious yell and dove off the stage, flinging himself on the back of the disgruntled fiancé and forcing him back from Theta, who'd scrambled to his feet, gasping for air, observing the rest of the surrounding patrons also getting into brawls around him.
"Bori!" The red haired Drylander woman called out from the stage, and leapt onto Koschei's back, trying to pull him off of her fiancé, pounding at his shoulders. "You let go of him, you brute!"
Theta's moment of freedom was short lived, as the scuffling crowd pulled him back into the fray, he saw over his shoulder the looming figure of The Corsair getting right into the fights, three men trying to pull him down, and the bearded Time Lord laughing at their attempts.
Oh well, Theta thought idly, as he ducked a blow from an Drylander and landed his own defensive punch to his antagonist's swarthy face. The worst they can do is stick us in an Drylander prison, right?
-:-:-:-
Peering out of the front perspex wall of the clear, cubic prison cell that surrounded them, Koschei's expression would have been one of an even heavier frown, if the effort wouldn't have irritated his bruised face further.
"Why did we get carted off to a Citadel holding cell, if we committed a crime in Drylander territory?"
The Corsair shifted the cooling gel pack in his hand from his black eye to the bruise on his right cheek bone, "New laws have just been implemented. Time Lords are only to be held in custody in the Citadel." He explained.
Theta pulled the damp cloth away from his split lip, he also had quite the shiner on his right eye that had knocked him out cold on the Gaudy Flubble floor. "Wonderful, isn't it? I'm so looking forward to my Grandfather's expression about this one." He half-chuckled, his bruised ribs only allowing so much mirth.
Koschei rolled his eyes, but also joined in his friend's chuckling, "Oh by Rassilon's beard," he walked over and sat down in the corner of the perspex cell next to Theta. "At least you got a kiss out of the whole experience, all that girl gave me was bruised shoulders…"
There was a beeping sound and the occupants of the holding cell looked over to see the metal door of the exit to the cell block slide across, and two guards step aside to reveal a frazzled, furious looking Borusa, who marched over to their holding cell and pointed his finger directly at his grandson.
"That a Grandson of mine! Not even your father, boy! Not ever your father with all his disreputable antics ever ended up in jail! A Grandson of mine…you…" Borusa's flaming blue gaze suddenly turned on The Corsair. "You! I should have known…thank Rassilon Flavia's never made you part of my family, Corsair!"
"And good evening to you too, Jurist Borusa." The Corsair sardonically responded.
Theta waved benignly at Borusa, "Hello Grandfather. Perseus is fine."
Borusa's features became so reddened, everyone else in the location were convinced that his head was going to explode. "Theta Sigma, I will find someone else to mind your vortisaur after hours, as you are now confined for the next year to the University grounds, unless you are under escort! As are you also, Koschei of Oakdown! And as for you, Corsair," Jurist Borusa's voiced lowered dangerously.
"Don't ever let me catch you around my Grandson, or any of my students, ever again."
Motioning to the guards, Borusa turned his back on the cell occupants and motioned to the guards, "I am responsible for Theta Sigma of Lungbarrow and Koschei of Oakdown. They will be released into my custody."
The Corsair got up and flopped down next to Theta, nudging him playfully, "How was all of this for a first grown-up adventure, lad? Same time next year?" He joked, and both Junior Time Lords joined in with his laughter, ignoring the glare through the perspex from their furious tutor.
-:-:-:-
Running his nimble right fingers along the riff board of his perigosto stick, Theta boredly strummed with his left hand along the strings. The young man's eyes were half-lidded as he sat beneath one of the ancient candonwood trees in the Time Lord Academy gardens, his outer robe carelessly tossed to the side, leaving him clad in his white under-shirt, untied at the neck, and dark scarlet pants, tucked into his favourite, well-worn, brown leather knee-high boots.
The silver leaves were slowly fluttering to the ground, as they did at certain times of the year, twirling and breezing around the humming Junior Time Lord. Theta had a break from classes and decided to take the few hours he had spare to think over things, while his perigosto stick was a thoughtful way to help pass the time.
Almost six months into his grounding after the Drylander Pub adventure, Theta had grudgingly –very grudgingly— obliged his grandfather by more or less applying himself to his studies. Although, with very little gusto, particularly in the more sociopolitical areas, in which Theta had been so pushed by Borusa, nearly all of his life.
"As I lay strumming in the shade," Theta sang, his eyes lifting to see up ahead a lone, feminine figure, dressed in Prydonian scarlet Junior medic robes, walking along the path a few feet in front of him, wearing a satchel slung across her shoulders.
Theta's eyes crinkled in the corners as he raised his voice."As I lay strumming in the shade, there I spied a winsome maid…"
The Junior Time Lady turned her dark-haired head to the side, her brown eyes regarding the smirking, fair-haired Junior Time Lord, carelessly plucking at a perigosto stick, with an amused expression, as the young man continued to sing in her direction.
"…Eyes of brown and hair a darkened crown, aye, there I saw her, Melialeirionmoria." Theta finished with a flourish and got to his feet with a bow, as the Junior Time Lady laughed at Theta's antics and applauded accordingly.
"Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all afternoon, avoiding any suggestion of furthering my education."
Melialeirionmoria sighed and shook her head, "Theta Sigma. I should have known." She cocked her head to the side, her hair pulled back in a simple, long, dark braid that fell down her back. "I've heard about your recent capers, young Junior Time Lord."
Theta raised his right eyebrow teasingly, "Oh?" He put down his perigosto stick and strolled over to meet Melialeirionmoria. The last time they'd been face-to-face, he'd only been a few inches taller than her, now he stood almost a head taller. Able to peer more keenly into those dark eyes, that were just as enthralling to Theta as when they'd met again over twenty years prior.
Melialeirionmoria wouldn't be intimated and straightened her stance, folding her arms across her chest and staring firmly up at the Junior Time Lord, "Yes I have. Brawling in an Drylander Pub with the notorious Corsair." She raised her own eyebrow. "My, how your grandfather must have been thrilled."
Humming in response, Theta folded his own arms. "I discovered not so long ago, my dear Melialeirionmoria, that someone gave me good advice around twenty years ago, that I should start to follow." He offered out a hand and Melialeirionmoria cautiously held out her own, the Junior Time Lord grasping it gently, looking down at the lightly tanned hand in his own with a soft smile.
"She said I needed to figure out what it was that I wanted, not what my Grandfather, or anyone else, wanted of me." Theta raised his clear blue gaze back up to regard Melialeirionmoria, who was gazing back at him with a matching soft smile.
"I see. Shesounds like a very wise person." Melialeirionmoria's eyes danced merrily. "Would I happen to know this person?"
Theta chuckled, "Intimately," he grasped Melialeirionmoria's offered hand in both of his and raised her hand to his lips. "As I hope to do so myself, very soon." He placed a gentle kiss on the back of Melialeirionmoria's hand.
Melialeirionmoria let out a soft sigh and shook her head, "How very brazen of you, Theta Sigma," she murmured, as Theta stepped a little closer to the Junior Time Lady and bowed his head to her level.
"Thete. Just, Thete."
"Then you are just Thete," Melialeirionmoria smiled, lowering her gaze to look down at her right hand, still clasped in both of Theta's. "And I am just Melia."
Theta lifted the young woman's chin to match his gaze, "Then we can justify a stroll through the gardens, just the two of us." He dropped her hand from his grasp and offered out his arm.
Melia laughed, "Very witty, my dear Junior Lord," she linked her arm through his, and Thete grinned widely, as he lead the dark haired young woman down the path.
"Only the best for you, my dear Junior Lady."
Strolling along the red-stone paved path, winding through the glass domed gardens, Melia glanced up at Theta with a playful frown, "Don't think this means I'm allowing any form of courting from you, Thete," she mildly commented.
With a raised brow, Theta looked down at the narrowed brown gaze of his female companion, "I think you made your feelings on that rather clear, the last time we saw outside of the Panopticon, Melia, twenty-one years ago." He responded just as matter-of-factually.
Melia brown eyes turned down to look at her dark scarlet boots, "Outside the Panopticon wasn't the last time I saw you that year, Thete," she cleared her throat. "I went to see you after you were hospitalised, following your accident in the Matrix."
Thete turned his head away from the Junior Time Lady on his arm, "Oh." He paused a moment, before turning his gaze back to Melia, who was regarding him with a solemn expression. "When did you see me? I mean…after I woke up, or when I was…?"
"It was the day after your accident," Melia replied softly, lowering her eyes again. "I felt so guilty. I could only watch you through the window, thrashing back and forth…screaming…" she tightened her grip on the Junior Time Lord's sinewy arm.
"I just couldn't bring myself to come and see you in the hospital after that, even after I'd heard you'd recovered. And I haven't been able to bring myself to find you at the Academy and apologise," Melia lent her head against Theta's arm.
"I never should have left you alone. Maybe I could have shaken you from whatever trance the Cloister Wraiths cast upon you."
Theta halted Melia and pulled her into a tight hug, startling the young woman, "Don't blame yourself any further, Melia. You could not have stood in their way, they wanted me down there, nothing would have stopped them," he lent his head atop Melia's, letting out a shuddering sigh.
"I couldn't bear the thought if I had hurt you in any way during my trance," Theta felt the Junior Time Lady relax in his embrace and lean against him, their binary heart beats combining in a rhythm of four. "I know you've said you won't let me court you, Melia, but," he pulled back and looked down at Melia's curious expression.
"I need you to know that what I said is true. I heard what you said back then, and I don't want to be a politician, and I don't know what it yet I really want to do with my life, but," Thete reached out and grabbed both of Melia's soft hands in his own, his blue gaze ardent.
"I do know who I want most in my life, to be a part of it, and you need to know that will always be you, Melia. I've known and lived with that knowledge for twenty-one years."
Melia tilted her head, "Thete…why didn't you try and find me after all this time, then, if you knew that you wanted to court me?" She questioned.
Thete smiled ruefully, "I've been worried, after what happened in The Matrix, that you wouldn't want to be courted by someone some claim to have been irreparably damaged mentally," he murmured, reaching over and tucking a stray strand of Melia's dark hair back behind her ear. "I'm almost certain your father may not be amused by myself as a potential son-in-law."
Melia sighed heavily and shook her head, "Oh Thete. You didn't listen to me all that well outside the Panopticon, did you? I couldn't care less what my father thinks," she reached up to brush back Thete's longish hair from his eyes. "Hmm, you wouldn't be responsible for this new trend of long hair some males are sporting around the Academy, are you?"
Thete put his arms around Melia's slender waist, "That depends," he bowed his head to the Junior Time Lady's level. "Do you like it?"
Melia smirked, "Very much. Now, kiss me, Theta Sigma, before I change my mind and decide future politicians with well-kept hair are my type," she grabbed his shirt-front and pressed Theta's lips against her own.
Smiling around the soft press of Melia's lips, Theta deepened the kiss and Melia wrapped her arms about his neck.
The two were suddenly startled out of their moment by a series of giggles, and the young couple pulled out of their amorous embrace, to turn their heads to see a group of Time Tots watching them from the grassy lawn to their left. Standing behind the children was the Time Tot's fair haired Time Lady Mentor, who was eyeing Thete and Melia with half-amusement, and half-disapproval.
Glancing at one another, both Thete and Melia laughed loudly, and Melia grabbed Thete's hand, the two of them running off along the path, Thete calling back over his shoulder:
"Sorry to disturb your class, Mentor Thalia!"
Melia laughed even harder at Theta's antics as they ran through the gardens in search of somewhere more private, "Don't you have any shame, Theta Sigma?"
Grinning back down at the young woman, Theta shrugged, "It depends, you could find out if you tell me I can court you, Melialeirionmoria," he brought up, slowing his pace before they both came to a halt.
Looking up at Theta with consideration, Melia mock-sighed dramatically, and reached up to tap the tip of Theta's nose with her finger. "Then you leave me with no choice," she rolled her eyes.
"What ever is my mother going to think of her only daughter, being courted by The Prydonian Academy's court jester?"
Thete put his arms around Melia's waist, "Well, for one, you can tell her you'll never be lacking for laughter," he leaned down and kissed Melia's lips quickly. "I will find what I'm meant to with my life, Melia. I can promise you, what ever it is, I'm going to do something worthwhile."
Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be up soon.
