AN: Okay, okay, I have NO excuse. I know it was Christmas break and I should have written more but I didn't get inspiration until last night and THEN my mom told me to go to bed and I really didn't want to argue and bed felt so good I just didn't feel like moving to write any more... BUT, I am back and hopefully back on schedule. I should have time to write this week but I'm not sure... Busy teenager excuses (that may or may not include reading nerdy school things that aren't required for me to do yet...) Yep. I'm a nerd. A major nerd. It's okay though... Anyway, back to the story...
The Doctor was still blushing watching his Ponds leave before he turned on River.
"You didn't have to do that," he hissed.
"Sweetie, we're married," River said, rolling her eyes. "Calm down."
The Doctor ran his hands down his face, attempting to give her a glare but failing miserably.
"Why is it that I find you so irresistibly attractive?" he asked, groaning.
River winked at him.
"Because we are total opposites," she stated simply.
"You're a bad influence, you know that?" the Doctor told her.
"Oh, you have no idea," River scoffed. "But that's what you like."
The Doctor stood up so he was more at her height.
"You're impossible," the Doctor muttered, looking her in the eye.
"I know," she whispered slyly, fiddling with his bowtie.
"But," River continued, "Now that you have a job to do, it is my time to leave."
She leaned in, whispering some coordinates in his ear, and disappeared with a zap.
The Doctor sighed, staring sadly at the place she had been.
His shoulders slumped slightly.
Yes, he was about to go see her again.
But every time she left was another day wasted.
And he hated it.
Sighing and straightening his shoulders, readjusting the face smile on his face, the Doctor went to find his Ponds in the kitchen.
"So," the Doctor said as he entered, giddy excitement filling his face, "I have a quick stop to make so that I DON'T die later, and very painfully at that, from the paradox of River NOT saving me when she HAD saved me, and then we can go HOPEFULLY some place where I won't have another near death experience."
"Doctor?" Amy asked.
"Yes?" he questioned, turning towards her.
"Where's River?"
The Doctor faltered for a moment before answering slowly, "Wellllll, long story short, she left."
He gave a bitter smile, looking down before looking back up and saying, "But that's not the point, Pond. You two get breakfast, get ready, and whatever you do in the mornings, while I go take care of- stuff."
The Doctor charged out the door, stopping only to call back, "Oh, and don't even think about trying to wander outside. The doors will be locked and there is no way for them to be unlocked from the inside."
Once in the console room, the TARDIS sent a worried hum through the Doctor's mind that clearly said Are you sure you're ready?
The Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair as the ship's wheezing noise came to a close.
As ready as I'll ever be, Old Girl he answered.
And with that he threw open the TARDIS doors to be met with a warm salty ocean wind.
A large ornate stone castle came into view.
He strode up to the doors, where guards blocked his way.
"Hello," he said, pulling out the psychic paper. "John Smith, here to meet her majesty. You'll find a written note complete with signature there."
The guard nodded, bowing and leading him through.
"This way, sire," he said.
He led the Doctor all the way to the throne room, where he opened the door and said, "Here I leave you. And uh, sir, even if you are here on written notice from the empress, good luck."
The Doctor nodded briskly, walking through the door.
He broke out into a wide grin upon seeing the woman on the throne.
"Empress Renee Anne Felicity, how lovely to see you again," he announced with a proud bow.
"Doctor?" she stuttered. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah," he answered, looking down. "Now that is a story to tell."
"Well," she composed herself briskly, standing up. "I believe I have time for that. Follow me."
The Doctor was led into a side parlor with lush furniture and paintings lining the walls.
"Have a seat," she answered.
"Now, Doctor," the empress addressed him, "When I last saw you at the dawn of our civilization, you were just coming out of the Time War, mourning the loss of your race and looking to do some good in the world."
The Doctor laughed bitterly. "Yeah, seen a bit more since then, regenerated twice actually. And your civilization has matured a bit. I remember the wars at the start of this, your father's death, and how reluctant you were to carry on. But look at this now," he said, gesticulating at the room. "Quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself."
The Empress smiled. "Yes, I'm still getting used to the ruling factor. I don't quite approve of the enslavement part, but the people are set in their ways and the last remnants of that great civilization so ruined by the Time War are, nonetheless, useful to us."
The Doctor smiled sadly.
"But Doctor, you must have a story to tell, or you would not be here. So please, tell me your purpose, for I am short on time."
"Of course, your highness," the Doctor answered. "Have you heard of Stormcage?"
The Empress frowned, pursing her lips.
"Is it far into our future?"
The Doctor smiled. "Yes. But I had hoped you would have heard of it by now, for it seems there are certain activities going on within your kingdom related to a certain women there by the name of River Song."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"The rumors are true then? That the headless monks have been sighted?"
The Doctor nodded grimly. "I'm afraid so. But there is as of yet nothing you can do about it until later, for unless I wish to mess with my own timeline I cannot tell you much," he paused. "But I can tell you this: I need you to chose one of your slaves to go with me to Stormcage and give a certain River Song there this. I cannot see her this time."
He pulled out the vortex manipulator he had stolen from River last time he had gone to Stormcage to avoid her getting into more trouble with it and also just because he enjoyed triumphing over her in some things at least.
The Empress nodded, ringing a bell for a slave.
"Yes, your highness?" the slave girl questioned, hurrying up.
"I need you to write a letter with these words exactly," the empress said.
After the letter was written, the slave girl gave it to the Doctor.
"Amber," the empress addressed the girl, "I need you to go with the Doctor to deliver this."
She then turned to the Doctor.
"And you WILL come back with my slave in one piece, if you don't mind. Also, find something fit in those wardrobes of yours to meet royalty," she looked him up and down resentfully. "But you never did care about that did you?"
The Doctor smiled mischievously, doing a small bow. "Of course I will find something, madam. After all, I'm not alone," he said, looking down at Amber.
And they walked out the door.
As soon as they entered the TARDIS, the Doctor was met with Amy and Rory's confused faces.
"What are you doing Doctor and who is she?" Amy asked.
"Um," the Doctor answered, "Delivering a message to River Song. And this is Amber, a-" he gulped, "Slave from the Empress' courts. And if you wouldn't mind taking her to the wardrobe, she should be able to find something fit to meet royalty."
Amy gave him a tight lipped smile, as if to say, "We're talking about this later," and then turned to lead the young teen to the wardrobe.
"And Rory?" he asked, turning. "If you go upstairs to your right, in the third door on the left you should find a mail room of large envelopes. Find one- just make sure it's not one that's bigger on the inside then she'll know it's me."
After a time, Amy came back with a dress- the right dress too, if the Doctor remembered correctly, and Rory came back even later with an envelope, muttering something about, "Why is everything bigger on the inside?"
The Doctor nodded his thanks to both of them before sending the girl outside to deliver the message.
"So…." Amy asked. "Why do you need to get River again?"
"So she knows to save me and I don't die," the Doctor mumbled. "Long story, as I told you before."
Amy nodded, opening her mouth to say more but being cut off by Amber running back inside, bewildered.
The Doctor smiled down at her. "A lot to take in, huh?" he asked.
She nodded mutely.
Amy mouthed at the Doctor, "I'll deal with this later," as he began to fly the TARDIS back to the other planet.
Soon the empress heard the Doctor and Amber returning.
The slave girl was in silent awe as she walked in, and the empress gave the Doctor a disapproving smile.
He shrugged a little.
The empress turned to Amber, saying, "You are dismissed."
"Now, Doctor, why are you really here?" she said as soon as the girl had left.
"Well," he answered, scratching his neck, "That's a long story."
He recounted the whole story of River's meeting and rescue, leaving out the more embarrassing bits and being quite vague as to his injuries, summing it all up to "They poisoned and captured me."
He was just finishing when River Song herself walked in.
River froze, a look of surprise overcoming her face.
"Well hello Sweetie," she said, "Never expected to see you here."
"Ah, River Song, I presume?" the Empress greeted cordially.
"Yes, your majesty," River said, doing a small curtsy.
"Well, it looks like you two have quite a lot to catch up, I will just take my leave then," the Empress said, looking between the two before backing out.
As soon as she was out of the room, River turned on the Doctor.
"What, no note and you expect me to turn up here for no reason?" she demanded.
The Doctor looked pleadingly into her eyes.
"Please- I can explain. Just sit, will you?" he sighed.
River conceded, plopping down in a chair.
"I will, this once, but you'd better have a good explanation for not telling me anything."
The Doctor grimaced, saying darkly, "Oh, I do. Trust me."
Okay, a few notes of clarification.
1) The empress met the Doctor's ninth incarnation. She was a young princess at the time. Basically, that planet was affected and the race diminished by the Time War and the corruption mentioned in a previous chapter. The now-Empress' father comes in and takes over the race. The Doctor comes in and is obviously trying to fix the damage from the Time War and finds them in a state of war. He leaves after a bitter row with her father about the issues of slavery. The princess comes to the throne after her father's death, remembering the words of the Doctor to her father about the slaves. She finds the practice distasteful but has basically no way to prevent it because the court and people are against her.
2) The Empress recognized the Doctor immediately because he went by the name John Smith last time, even though her father knew his real name from the stories of the Time War, and she knew about his regenerative abilities, and obviously there are stories from the galaxies abroad because a time traveler leaves his mark. So she knows enough to piece everything together quickly enough to greet him immediately as "Doctor" instead of "Who are you and what are you doing in my court room?"
3) If anyone noticed, the guard told the Doctor good luck before he entered the Empress' chamber. This is because the royalty are seen as "untouchable" and anyone who enters the presence of royalty may or may not be welcomed warmly, and they could be executed. And of course any ruler has their bad days and the guard may not know much about her so if all he has heard are negative things he will assume she is a strict and cruel ruler who kills anyone in her sight...
But yeah, if you have any other questions just let me know. I strive to answer as many as possible here because I know I HATE not having the backstory explained especially if you are doing what I am doing right now and making up your own.
I don't own anything except my plot lines and planets. And of course, who'd want to own Kovarian and the Headless Monks only? I mean, that's totally rubbish. The Doctor on the other hand... ;)