((French Proposals: Part I))
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
Clave purred contently from where he was sprawled out on my bed. His length nearly took up half of the bed, less then what I did when I was sleeping, but he was huge nonetheless, when full stretched out. And when he wasn't, I supposed he still was. I placed my hands on my red covered hips. "Clave, you're lazy." He blinked back at me.
Rolling my eyes, I turned away to examine myself in the floor length mirror the TARDIS had supplied. Why I wasn't wearing a dress appropriate for the time period, I didn't know. And why I was the only one changing into nice clothes? The Doctor wasn't exactly changing out of his suit...then again. It's the Doctor we're talking about. The dress I wore was floor length and flared out near my feet, which had been clad in black and ankle-high heeled boots. The neckline was edged in a black sash that continued down the length of my arms. Another sash that was the same color was wrapped around my waist.
There was a knock and I glanced to the door. "C'mon in, Doc'or," I called before setting to work on piling my massive amount of hair on my hair in a carefully pinned style that let my bangs remain how they were. The Doctor opened the door and stepped inside, dropping beside Clave onto my bed. I glanced at him with bobby pins between my teeth. "What ya doin' here?" I got out past them.
He grinned, watching me silently struggle to pin my hair up. "Making sure you're ready to go. The TARDIS has already been spotted. King Gerald's men have already found us, and they're currently trying to break in." He sighed. "Every time I come here..."
I found myself laughing under my breath as I pinned a long piece of hair where it belonged. "Jus' 'ow many 'imes have you been here?"
"A few," he mused, tilting his head. "A good four or five at least. I made sure that we're in a time that he knows me, so we'll be safe and not imprisoned. Don't worry." I rolled my eyes and he immediately protested, "I made sure this time! Well," a pause, "I checked and the TARDIS seemed right. May have done it quickly."
I rolled my eyes. "Do not fret, my Girl," the TARDIS purred, amused, "We are in the correct time and place."
I grinned. Thank you, TARDIS, for your wonderful silent help! "Alright, done," I said, giving myself one more lookover. "Clave, come here, buddy." The alien slid from the bed, affectionately nipping at the Doctor's hand before climbing up and curling up around my shoulders. "Good boy," I cooed to him before grabbing my bag. I grinned, patting the sonic keychain I had clipped to it. "Let's get going."
"Right!" The Doctor hopped to his feet, ducking out of my room, and I stepped after him. When we reached the doors of the TARDIS, he smiled at me, eyes twinkling as he offered his arm in a playful way. "Shall we?"
I rolled my eyes, taking his arm. "Of course. Why aren't you- nope, no asking, alright. I got it. Just open the doors." He'd shot me a pointed look, to which I blinked innocently at in understanding. No asking questions about why he wasn't dressing up the same way I was: in fancy clothing.
"Step back," he ordered, and I did so. He quickly opened the doors, then threw his hands up when swords were pointed at him. I did the same, and Clave quickly slid from my shoulders, somehow wedging himself into my bag, making sure he wouldn't be seen. "No worries," the Doctor told the people, and I snorted in exasperation. "I'm a friend of your king's, here with my traveling companion, Alissa Levine. I'd be extremely grateful if you told him we were here? I'm the Doctor, by the way. Just the Doctor. He'll know who I am-"
"No way," a guard hissed. I was unsurprised when his voice came out in regular old English. You got used to it after a while, I supposed. "You-"
"What's going on here?" The guards hurried to sheathe their blades, stepping aside to reveal a cold looking man. His dark eyes sparkled with his thoughts as he studied the Doctor and I, and he frowned. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
I studied him. Whoever he was had on some strange looking clothes- then again, it was for his time period I suppose. I was the one in the strange looking clothes. His dark hair could use some styling, it was semi-boring with the way it lay limply on his head. His eyes, however, were what contained most of his emotion and expressions. "Huh," I huffed under my breath.
"I'm the Doctor!" Jeez, did he have no sense of self preservation!? "I've come to visit with my friend, King Gerald. I'd be very grateful if you took us to see him?"
"...you know my father?" the man said warily. Then he furrowed his brow. "Doctor, eh? He told me a story or two when I was a child about a strange man named the Doctor...fine. Come, I'll take you to him. If you're not really a friend, however..."
"I am aware of the consequences." The Doctor glanced at me and rolled his eyes. I found myself letting my lips curving into a smile that showed off my teeth. "Anyhow...I assume you're Prince Claude, then, yes? King Gerald's son?"
The prince known as Claude gave a wary nod. "Yes. I'm the heir to the throne of France. How do you know of me?"
"King Gerald mentioned you last time I was here," he replied, waving off the man's words. He offered his arm to me again and I silently took it, noting that more than one man was eyeing me curiously. Hm...I wonder how much trouble I would get in for slapping each and every look off of their faces...especially the prince's...
Nonetheless, despite my light scowl and both of our strange appearance, the prince waved the guards away and for us to follow him. I kept close to the Doctor, taking comfort in the soft purr that the hidden Clave gave from my bag as we followed the prince. "This way," the prince muttered.
Hm...I didn't like this guy. Perhaps it was because we had intruded on his home's lands...? And without permission, too... Alright. I couldn't blame him for not liking the two of us.
Eventually, he led us inside the massive castle that had me sighing quietly at. It was, despite the cloudy day, beautiful. It couldn't have built too many years ago, either, from the freshness of the stones that it was made of... We made our way past servants and guards, striding through halls until finally, we reached a massive pair of doors. "Wait here," the prince told us before sliding through them. The doors clicked shut after a moment.
"Ah, nice place, isn't it?" the Doctor said with a grin, folding his hands behind his head.
"As nice as it could be with a prince glaring at us," I replied, rolling my eyes at his happy expression. "When was the last time you were here, anyway? He didn't seem to recognize you..."
The Doctor paused. "Um...err, may have been a few years ago..."
I slapped a hand to my face. "How long is a few years ago?"
"I believe the prince was a few days old or something...?"
I moaned. "Wow, the guy's gotta be at least my age. That's a long time from when you last saw him!"
He smiled brightly, innocent as ever. "Not for me, it's not!" He jumped when the doors were suddenly thrown open and a beaming servant bowed, her eyes sparkling as she cried, "King Gerald welcomes you, sir! Come inside, quickly, and bring your companion, as well! He is looking forward to meeting her!"
"Of course he is," the Doctor said with eyes that gleamed in amusement. "Allons-y, Ali!" I wanted to shake my head and silently cry inside at his poor timing with the words, but simply followed him into the massive throne room. Near the back, a man sat in a throne, much like the ones I'd seen on televisions back home. Beside him, on a smaller throne, a petite and hesitantly smiling woman was there as well. And, standing off to the king's right, was his son.
"Doctor!" King Gerald cried cheerfully, "Welcome! It has been many, many years since you last showed your face! You remember my son, Claude, and my lovely bride, the lovely Chanelle?"
"Of course," the Doctor said with a warm eyes. He paused to run a hand through his hair, then turned to wave at me. "Gerald, this is my companion, Alissa Levine."
King Gerald studied me curiously and I flushed under his gaze, bowing my head respectfully, uncertain of how else to respond. What else did you do to show respect to a king and queen? Yeah, England had a queen, but I'd never exactly met her in person... "She's a pretty one," King Gerald said thoughtfully. He glanced at his wife, who was eyeing me just as curiously, but with a suspicious glance in her eye. I automatically stepped closer to the Doctor, who reassuringly smiled at me.
"Thank you for the compliment, King Gerald," I said smoothly in response, smiling hesitantly. My gray eyes flashed as I lowered my gaze to the ground. I'd been excited when the Doctor told me where I was going...but now...
Something didn't seem right. It didn't seem right at all.
Beside his father, Prince Claude watched silently, and the lovely Queen Chanelle glanced curiously at her son, then waved him over to her. Speaking in an undertone, she whispered something to him. His dark eyes flickered to me for a brief moment, and I stiffened as she smiled brightly before sending him off to do something.
Nope. I didn't like this one bit.
"Doctor," I murmured, "I think I'm going to head back to the-"
"We shall have a party in your honor, Doctor, Lady Levine!" the king interrupted without meaning to. I frowned at this, huffing to myself quietly as the Doctor chuckled quietly. "A ball! The cooks will prepare a fine feast for us all, and I shall go to invite a few lords and their wives! The servants can see to the rest of the needs..."
I wanted to cry. I couldn't dance to save my life and they were making us attend a nineteenth century ball?! But the Doctor merely smiled in a good natured way. "Thanks, but I won't dance, as you know very well." He smirked at me and I moaned at the look on his face. "Ali will be honored to dance, however."
Damn him to Hell and back! Jerk! Bastard! More obscenities flashed through my mind as I shot him the darkest look I could muster. Sensing my anger, Clave hissed from within my bag. "Clave," I said calmly, voice simple. Without hesitation, he slid from my bag, hitting the floor with a hiss. As he scrambled up to curl around my shoulders, he grumbled and nipped sharply at the Doctor's hand. The Doctor yelped when he drew blood, glaring at the small alien.
I smirked. I loved my little pet, I thought as I gently stroked his head and scratched his chin, ignoring the cry of surprise that came from Queen Chanelle when he licked my cheek. Okay, kinda gross. Even I would admit it. Yuck. But he was like an extension of me that I adored, so he was forgiven for that immediately. Blinking innocently and batting my eyelashes, I said, "Can Clave come as well? He likes to stay with me so he doesn't get lost."
The Doctor groaned rolled his eyes. "Ali, you're not supposed to let him out unless I say it's okay-"
"She is quite alright," King Gerald interrupted, waving the Doctor's scolding away. I smirked at the Doctor. Ha! Payback sucks, doesn't it? "Of course you may bring your...pet, Lady Levine. He is welcome. Just keep him with you while you're staying in my castle, it is safer for him. I would not put it past my guards to attack."
"Of course," I replied, bowing my head again. Then I rapped thoughtfully against the heavy plating along Clave's spine. I honestly doubt that very many would be able to break through my pet's touch shell...but I wasn't complaining! Now that I had permission to keep the Doctor's annoyance with me wherever I went... "Thank you, King Gerald," I said cheerfully. I turned away, touching the Doctor's arm. "Doctor, I'm going back to the TARDIS now. Come get me when I'm needed."
He frowned unhappily, looking just a hint disappointed. "Alright-"
King Gerald interrupted once again. "Nonsense!" he huffed, "Claude will give you a grand tour of our home! Won't you, boy?" Prince Claude looked mildly amused, yet hid it with a calm annoyance as he nodded.
"Th-there's no need," I insisted. No way was I going anywhere without the Doctor with me. I didn't exactly trust this prince...perhaps if Queen Chanelle accompanied us, or even the king himself, I wouldn't feel as reluctant to go on this sudden development, but... "I don't need a tour, King Gerald. If you'll excuse me-"
The Doctor took his turn to interrupt. "I apologize, Gerald, she doesn't understand very much about the rules here. If it's alright with you, I'll take her around. Don't worry yourself, Claude."
King Gerald frowned but nodded. "Very well, do as you wish. Now off with you! Escort the young lady around, show off our treasury especially..."
"Of course." The Doctor gently grasped my elbow, guiding me away from the trio of royalty. "Come on, Ali, let's go look around..." As soon as we were out of earshot, he muttered, "You can't refuse things like that. He is the king here, what he says goes, alright? If he offers a tour of his home, you accept."
I narrowed my eyes. "I will not go around alone with that...that prince. Something's not right about him," I grumbled back. I reached up to scratch Clave's chin, then let him climb onto the Doctor's despite the Doctor's muttered protests. "Didn't you notice, Doctor...?"
The Doctor gave a small huff. "Of course I did. Claude wasn't at all happy to see me. Or Chanelle for that matter."
I found myself hitting the back of his head. "Idiot."
How didn't he noticed!?
Obviously unknowing of my thoughts, the Doctor looped his arm through mine, shooting Clave a wary look. Clave stared at him for a moment before blinking his sharp amber eyes in a calm way. "Come on, might as well show you around. How often do you get to see places like this?"
I grinned. "Everyday for us," I replied, my mood vanishing and letting me smile again. Now that I was away from that prince, I wasn't as nervous and could easily enjoy this place's beauty. And its beauty was absolutely amazing; it would be so much fun to see it later, decorated and lit up for that damn ball I now had to go to. The reminder made me gently smack the Doctor's arm. "Why'd you offer me up for dancing? I can't dance."
"Neither can I," he replied cheekily, "And you'll be forgiven. Gerald likes you."
"Everyone likes you. Except a few hundred or so species that want to kill you." I flashed an innocent smile and he snorted, flicking me in response. I loved those moments when I could hit hm and get away with it. So much fun. Compared to being yelled at, which happened quite often now... "I really do need to go to the TARDIS, though. I forgot something..."
"Which is?"
"A pencil." I rolled my eyes at his strange look and stuck my tongue out at him. "You don't understand. It's one of the most important things to carry everywhere. Without it, I can't draw. And I need to be able to draw, Doctor."
"Alright, alright," he sighed, waving off my concerns. "We'll stop by the TARDIS and get your pencil then..."
Good. Then I could speak with the old girl and see if she knew anything while pretending to hunt down one of the fifty pencils that were currently nestled into my bag. "So we can't do every single thing King Gerald says, like...we're not sleeping in the castle, right? I can't do that, I need to be with the TARDIS."
He affectionately grinned. "Never have I had a companion who relied so heavily on the TARDIS before..."
I smirked in response. "That's 'cause none of them were me."
And none of them had limited time that was shrinking, forcing me towards the expiration date the TARDIS had shoved onto me.
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
While the Doctor waited for me a few hours later, I hurried around, pretending to search for my pencils while murmuring, "Alright, old girl, was I right? Something's not right about this place?"
The TARDIS sounded exhausted as she murmured back, "No, you were correct, my Girl. Something's not right within this castle. The prince, Claude, is affected in someway. You'll have to forgive me, I cannot go into any research, I am too tired to do so."
I bit my lip softly at this. "I'm sorry, old girl," I whispered to her, and she hummed quietly in my head. She didn't blame me for this, though I wasn't exactly sure why she didn't. I was asking a lot of her lately. Do this for me? Do that for me? Could you help me by moving my room? I don't feel like dealing with the Doctor today...
Never making you do so much useless nonsense again, I vowed silently, to which the time machine hummed in amusement. Curiosity suddenly struck me and I tilted my head, nervous. "...what do you see...when you're...the TARDIS...?"
Silence. Then-
"That is not for you to know just yet, my Girl. You will see soon enough. Don't think too badly, it's not so bad."
Oh, that wasn't reassuring. Great...
"Ali!" the Doctor knocked on my door. "Come on, if we're late for that dinner that Gerald's having in our honor, he won't be very happy!"
"Right," I muttered, stuffing an extra pencil into my bag before darting out the door. I was shocked when I slammed straight into the Doctor's chest. A gasp escaped me and I grunted in surprise, nearly falling over. Clave hissed from his spot around the Doctor's shoulders, and I winced with a worried look. "Sorry, sorry," I groaned.
He grinned. "My fault, I was in the way. Now, shall we go without swords pointed at us this time?" he said with a bright look.
I shook my head. Just how cheerful could one person get when the entire world was constantly making you its savior...?
Huh. Guess I'd find out soon. I smiled in return, amused. "Yeah," I said eagerly. I pouted. "I'm still not going to dance though-"
"I'll dance if you dance," the Doctor offered.
I studied his expression. "Fine, but the only one I'm dancing with is you, got it? There is no way possible that I'm going to be dancing with strangers...though I suppose that if King Gerald wants to dance, I'll have to...?"
"Yes," he replied with a hint of amusement. "And you'll have to dance with Claude should he ask you to do so, as well. For whatever reason you don't like him, you'll be getting over it. I can't afford to make an enemy out of a powerful French king, alright?"
I sighed. "Fine, but only if he asks. I'm not going to go and ask him if he wants to dance. Besides, it's not right to do that...not in this time anyway..."
"Deal," the Doctor agreed, grinning. "Now, let's go..." I grinned as we stepped out of the TARDIS. I gave the blue wood an affectionate pat as he locked the doors, then walked after him as we headed inside, fully intent on going to the banquet that the king had prepared in honor of the Doctor. I frowned. I'd have to ask for more of the story of how they became friends later...
Let me just say this. I thought a few of the different dinners I'd had in other places were huge. But a dinner from a king? I don't know how I managed to stuff so much food in my mouth. And it all tasted fairly decent and yummy. I found myself enjoying food, grinning when Clave purred and helped himself to a biscuit.
Chanelle merely gave an unhappy look, shooting me an annoyed look.
I batted my eyelashes.
How fun bothering kings and queens was... I hoped it would continue during the ball...
Of course, that is, if I could figure out how to dance while staying away from the strange Prince Claude, who even now continued to watch me when he thought I wasn't looking.
~~OO~~II~~OO~~
A/N: :D And so...begins this tale. |D This will be a longer event, of course. Hope you enjoyed and thanks to you reviewers! Sorry 'bout the shorter chapter by the way...
Maren the fangirl: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Can't stop smiling at your review... XD
MaybeALittleBroken: We shall find him. We will hunt him down. And we shall claim him as our pet for all eternity.
BrainStormer: Hm...didn't even intentionally make her like that. lol XD