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Chapter Text

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“You're such a hypocrite!” 

Rose was following the Doctor down a steep hill, several layers of petticoats hiked up to her knees, revealing white trainers and practical leggings underneath. The Doctor looked back at her, affronted. 

“How's that?”

“It's all, ‘we must never interfere,’ and, ‘it's a different morality, get used to it or go home,’” Rose replied, “until you decide you don't like something, and you're willing to change a world's whole social structure!”

“Yep, sounds about right.”

“You are so full of it.”

“Yep, sounds about right.” The Doctor beamed smugly at her, the hill evening out as she caught up to him. 

“So why does this not make the list of places that deserve interference? I know I remember something about the feudal system being rubbish for everyone but the rich.”

They were not on earth. A human colony had sprung up at the edge of the Cassom cluster several centuries ago, and the planet was uncannily Earth-like. Specifically, Earth somewhere between the 5th and 6th century England. The pair were currently on their way to a large, walled city in the distance, nestled in the valley between two hills with an honest to god castle at the center. 

“This colony has obviously been heavily influenced by actual Earth history. It's very rare to see a civilization following the same course as its predecessors, but it's a good thing, means it's on track for natural human progress. Even nudging them an inch off the current course could mean massive repercussions in the future. Best to leave em be.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “we can be casual observers! Keep our heads down. Have a little vacation.”

“Yeah? And this isn't gonna nudge anyone off track?” Rose tugged at the leather jacket the Doctor refused to trade for something more era appropriate. He smoothed out his lapels and raised a dignified chin. 

“Every society sees people dressed differently. It's not like I'm wearing a rubber body suit.” Rose had to stop in her tracks, squeezing her eyes shut to scrub that image from her brain. She trotted to catch up again a second later. 

“So why did I have to get dressed up, then?”

“I thought you liked doing costumes?”

“It's sort of lost its novelty. This hike would be a lot less annoying in jeans.” 

The Doctor glanced at her outfit, then quickly away again. “You should have said! We can go back if you wanna change.”

“I'm not going up that hill twice!” Rose said, nearly tripping over the hem of her dress, “I don't get why you had to park so far away.”

“Because it's good for you! Oh hello, what's this?”

As they turned onto a tree lined dirt road, they met a scene straight out of a fairy tale. A horse drawn carriage lay on its side in the ditch, the horse itself having abandoned it. Two large, feather winged creatures were using dinner platter sized taloned feet to scratch at the doors of the coach to get at what must be the humans inside. 

“Oi!” 

“Rose!” Rose had instinctively charged forward, unarmed, screaming wordlessly at the enormous birds. She stopped a few yards away to pick up a large rock, which she immediately hurled at the nearest one. The creature gave a squawk and turned on her, flapping wings the length of two cars from tip to tip, creating a massive gust of air that knocked Rose flat on her back. She rolled on her side, winded, but even struggling to breathe she grabbed another rock and tossed it as hard as she could. 

A buzzing sound behind her told Rose the sonic was out. The pitch wobbled for a moment, until it hit a much higher frequency and the two birds recoiled. With a pained shriek they each took to the sky and disappeared over the hill. The Doctor ran to Rose, pulling her up by the elbows. 

“You alright?”

“Fine,” she croaked, brushing herself off with a wince. “Suddenly grateful for the extra cushioning.”

“Is someone there?! Please help!” A posh sounding female voice came from the coach, and they both dashed forward. The wooden door had been badly damaged, and it took some work to pull it open, but together they tugged at the edges, spotting two young women huddled in the carriage depths. The door finally pulled open. 

“Please, help Moragh, she has sustained an injury!”

The Doctor reached in and clumsily helped a pale woman about Rose's age climb out. She winced and avoided putting weight on her right leg. 

“I've got you,” Rose said, hurrying to help support the injured woman, walking her to a soft patch of grass and easing her to the ground. 

The Doctor knelt on the edge of the carriage, reaching his hand into the dark interior. “Take my hand, that's it.”

Rose looked up just in time to see a fetchingly disheveled woman rising out of the door, her hand held delicately by the Doctor's. This second woman was the most gorgeous human Rose had ever seen. A little older than Rose, dressed in deep blue silky fabric, she had long, sleek raven hair with a perfect curl, and flawless golden skin. She was gazing at the Doctor as if he was God's gift to women sent specifically to be her savior. Rose's hackles rose just a little. 

“Thank you, oh, thank you, sir!” The goddess fell into the Doctor's arms and he stumbled backwards, helping her out of the wreckage. 

“Not a problem! Here, take a seat, let me check if there's been any damage.” He helped her to the grassy slope across the road from where Rose sat with Moragh. 

“I am alright. Please, do not think of me, my handmaiden needs more assistance.” Ignoring her protests, the Doctor ran his sonic quickly through the air over the Lady's legs and torso. He checked the readings and gave a satisfied nod. 

“Right you are. Now, what can we do for you, miss?” He crossed the road and knelt at the younger woman's feet. Rose saw the Lady follow his movements with wide eyes and slightly parted lips. The Doctor noticed none of this, now busy running his sonic down the handmaiden's legs. 

“It is my ankle, Magus,” Moragh said in a small voice, “I believe I have broken it.” Rose frowned, trying to place the unfamiliar title.

“Not broken! A bad sprain though. Hang on a tick, I'm sure I've got…” After searching through his pockets for a moment the Doctor pulled out a rolled tensor bandage and went to grab the girl's foot. Moragh pulled her feet away with a yelp, pulling her skirt down to cover them. 

“Doctor!” Rose admonished, snatching the bandage from his hand, “remember what era you're in, you can't go touching strange women's ankles!” He looked suitably cowed as Rose turned to Moragh. “Here, it'll hurt a lot less once you've got this on it, trust me. I had to do this for myself more than once back when I did gymnastics.”

Grumbling to himself, the Doctor stood and went back to the coach while Rose wrapped the ankle, pulling out several bags from the cab and unloading a large trunk that had been secured to the back. 

“I do not know how we will ever thank you enough,” Rose heard from across the lane. She finished her wrapping and glanced back to see the fine Lady had approached the Doctor and was gazing moon-eyed at him again. “If you hadn't come when you did…” 

“Don't thank me, thank Rose! She was much faster on her feet.”

“You both deserve our gratitude,” the Lady went on in a lilting coo, but Rose noticed she didn't even glance her way. “May I know the name of our saviour?” 

“Well, like I said, that's Rose, and I'm the Doctor. Pleased to meet you.” He held a hand out to shake and the Lady took it as if she expected her hand to be kissed. 

“Lady Guinevere,” she said, and both time travelers eyebrows shot up. “Sir Doctor, we are indebted to you. I will see to it that you receive a proper reward.” Lady Guinevere finally turned her attention to Rose, picking up her flowing skirts and floating over to her, sinking to her knees. “My Lady, thank you.” She took Rose's hand and kissed her cheek. “Will you accept the honour of being my lady in waiting until dear Moragh has recovered? Oh, say you will.”

“Uh…” Rose was stuck trying to figure out how being asked to be a servant was supposed to be a reward, but the Lady didn't give her a chance to turn it down. 

“Oh, we will become the best of friends! The King is expecting my arrival, and he has been so kind and generous, you will want for nothing with my patronage!” 

“I guess… okay?” Rose said, not entirely sure what she was agreeing to. 

“Who is the king of this land?” the Doctor asked. He had that calculating look on his face that always seemed to say something was amiss. 

“Are you foreigners, then? Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot, the land you are on now! I… am to be his son's intended, God willing.” 

“I'm sorry, what?!” Rose stared gobsmacked at the Lady. 

“I can hardly believe it as well! I am of such humble nobility, from such a remote climb. I never had such dreams for myself!” Rose looked past Guinevere’s perfectly blushing face to see the Doctor's curiosity had turned to a foreboding scowl. “But they will be expecting us… and we have lost our horse!”

“Let us help you and your, uh, Moragh,” the Doctor said in a slightly too cheerful voice. Rose's alarm bells were already ringing, and his manner made her even more wary. “We may have to hide some of the luggage and have someone retrieve it once we've arrived at the city gates. I can do a pretty good job of camouflage if I do say so myself.” 

“Oh, Magus, it is so kind of you!” There was that title again. 

“What are you calling him?” Rose asked. 

“Magus?” Lady Guinevere looked back and forth between them, “is this not the correct term? I am sorry, we have no Sorcerers in my village, but we hear the stories. It is such an honour to meet you!” She turned to Rose with those wide eyes, “are you a Sorceress, as well?” 

“Uh, no. Just a regular old… Traveler.”

“And heroine,” Guinevere replied, batting her eyelashes, before turning her rapt attention to the Doctor. “Thank you for your offer, we humbly accept.”

“Right. Uh, Rose, mind helping with these bags for a mo?”

Rose left the Lady sitting with Moragh and approached the Doctor, who turned his back to the strangers, muttering in a low voice. 

“Forget everything I said before. This world is way off track.”

“How can she be Guinevere, though? Is there really a Prince Arthur waiting for her in… Camelot?!” 

“Something must have influenced the development of this world and fed Arthurian myth into the collective psyche. I've seen hypnotic influence affect some portion of the population on terraformed planets before, but never on such a scale.”

“Is that bad?”

“... Well, it's not good. This world isn't correct. This isn't even authentic Medieval England, either real or mythical. It's some imaginative person's romanticized dream of Medieval England…” He kicked the coach, “This thing? This is fourteenth century craftsmanship. And they travel alone? And their dresses - don't look now! Her’s is almost right for the era. But her maid is at least a century out of date with her mistress.”

“Well what if they just picked up a bunch of things from different eras and put them to use in their own way? It's not really the Middle Ages.”

“Something is influencing this entire world. What the people do. Who the people are. In some respect, it means they're operating without free will.” He raised his eyebrows meaningfully at Rose, who sighed. 

“So much for a little vacation.”

—

Chapter Text

—

After stashing the large trunk deep in the bushes and giving it a thorough, leafy camouflage, the four unlikely companions made a slow and halting journey to the gates of Camelot. The ankle bandage helped a lot, but Moragh still needed a human crutch and so Rose supported her over the half hour walk. To her credit, and to Rose's surprise, Guinevere carried two of her own bags, but the Doctor picked up the slack, laden with several cumbersome pieces of luggage. 

As they drew nearer to the city gates they passed villagers and farmers going about their daily life. Now that the Doctor had pointed it out, Rose was on the lookout for inconsistencies in the era, but what she noticed first was too much… consistency. Many of the people they passed were wearing the exact same outfits as their neighbours, as if they'd all gone to the same generic costume shop. The rotating wardrobe of maybe four or five outfits became so obvious it was hard to see how the villagers didn't notice. 

At the gates they announced themselves to a pair of guards, stirring up a flurry of activity. One jogged ahead to prepare the royal family for their arrival, while the other enlisted a shop owner to retrieve the abandoned trunk, with very specific directions. A servant and physician soon arrived to escort the injured maid to the infirmary, leaving the other three to make a grand entrance surrounded by a small company of city guards. 

Taking some of the bags from the Doctor, Rose took the opportunity to mutter, “tell you what, though. I'm kinda looking forward to meeting Merlin.”

“He's not really Merlin, Rose.”

“I know that, but obviously he's doing something that looks magical to everyone else.”

“That's a good point. I wonder if he's discovered some of the technology that terraformed this planet. Anything remotely advanced would look like magic to these people.”

At last they were ascending the castle steps, and a few servants unburdened them of their bags before ushering them to the throne room. Rose glimpsed a milling crowd inside before a ringing voice called:, 

“The Lady Guinevere and her entourage, Lady Rose and Sir Doctor.” 

The crowd made way, bowing politely to them on their way through the room. These courtiers had much greater variety of clothing than the villagers, and the throne room was filled with colour. They all felt similar though, as if the same person had designed every outfit. Rose saw many outfits in different shapes obviously made of the same materials, and in other cases different materials made into identical designs. It was like a video game where much more attention was paid to the outfits of the playable characters than the townsfolk, but they still cut some corners to save time. 

“Lady Guinevere!” The King was everything Rose hoped for: a tall, stately silver fox full of charm and not a hint of smarm. “We are so pleased you've made it safely. I trust the journey was uneventful.”

“Almost, Sire,” the Lady said, executing a flawless curtsy, “alas, we were detained… Our carriage was beset by dragons.”

There was an instant reaction from the assembly, but Rose frowned and glanced at the Doctor. “Dragons? Those were birds, weren't they?” He didn't respond, preoccupied in assessing the mystery. 

“How ever did you make it here unscathed?”

“We did not entirely, I'm afraid. My lady was injured, but she will be well. She is being taken care of by your surgeon already. It was all thanks to Sir Doctor here that we made it out with our lives.” Guinevere turned to gaze with soppy admiration at the Doctor, and Rose cringed. 

“What am I, chopped mutton?” Rose muttered, just loud enough for the Doctor to hear. He stepped forward, smiling. 

“We were very happy to be passing at the right moment, Sire. But it's, uh, Lady Rose who deserves the credit. If she hadn't acted when she did they'd both be roast chicken by now.”

“A girl?” The King laughed jovially, as though it was a fine joke. 

“Problem?” Rose asked, stepping up next to the Doctor and crossing her arms. 

Guinevere smiled at the two of them, “I have already shown my gratitude to the Lady Rose. She is to be my lady’s maid for the duration of my stay. Please be so kind as to show her every courtesy.”

“Ah,” the King smiled indulgently, “whatever you wish, of course. You have our gratitude.” He still sounded like a parent speaking to a child playacting. Rose's opinion of the King soured immediately. “And Sir Doctor,” he went on, “you shall be our guest as well. Please, join us for supper, we would like to know all about you.”

“Sire,” the Lady Guinevere cut in, “will the Prince be joining us?”

“Tonight, my dear,” the King said, taking her hand and blowing over it, “he is out with a small company on a matter of some urgency for the kingdom. The very creatures that attacked you have been wreaking havoc on our city for some time.”

“A recent development?” The Doctor asked. 

“... Relatively. Until recently they were only a minor pest, content with carrying off smaller livestock. We do not know why they are no longer satisfied and must seek larger prey… though we have suspicions.”

“Like what?” The Doctor was in probing mode, but the King smiled affably.

“A discussion for later, I think! You all must be tired, we shall see you escorted to your chambers and provided with whatever you require. Tonight we shall all become better acquainted, when Arthur has rejoined us.”

With a gesture the entire assembly began to move, and before she knew it, Rose was being swept out of the room alongside Guinevere. She looked back to see the Doctor offering an amused grin, and she barely contained the urge to flip him off.

Guinevere laced an arm through Rose's on their way to their chambers.

“Oh, it will be a relief to rest a while.” to Rose's surprise, Guinevere’s voice had suddenly dropped by half an octave, and she held herself with much less forced poise, none of the saccharine fawning she'd displayed earlier.

“I have a confession, uh, my Lady,” Rose began, “as you guessed, I'm not from around here. I'm not sure what… My duties are? As a lady's maid.”

“Oh… To tell the truth, nor do I.” Rose looked at her in surprise, and Guinevere gave her a sheepish smile. “I only know what is expected of a Lady in my position… but I've never had use for such things at home. We have the titles, but really, Cameliard is a farming village. Moragh is my cousin, it seemed a perfect opportunity to allow her the opportunity to come to Camelot as well.”

“Then what… Sorry, if this sounds rude, but what do you need me for?”

“Company?” Guinevere looked more human than Rose had yet seen her, chewing on the skin of her lower lip. “I know no one here, I am… promised to marry someone I have never met… It is no more than was asked of my own mother, and I am well aware of my good fortune… but I know myself well enough… I expect to be homesick very soon. I fear what I might feel - or not feel - for the Prince.”

Rose felt her annoyance at Guinevere softening again. She could empathize. She put a hand over Guinevere’s and smiled. “I can be company for you. I'm not sure how long we'll be staying… but as long as I'm here, I'm happy to help.”

“Yourself and Sir Doctor?” Guinevere avoided Rose's eye, and a fetching pink flush rose on her cheeks. “Are you… Siblings?”

Rose nearly snorted, “God, no!”

“Married, then?”

“... No…”

“You travel alone with him… pardon me, I do not wish to suggest anything…”

“Nothing like that no,” Rose thought quickly, “actually, the Doctor is, uh… celibate.” It wasn't exactly a lie.

“... Celibate?”

“Yep! Part of his… um, order thing.”

“A vow of celibacy…” Guinevere had a touch of that airiness to her voice again, “how romantic.”

This was not the reaction Rose had expected, or wanted from this impromptu revelation, and she quickly changed the subject. 

“So. What's up with the Dragons? I mean the… Do you have any idea what the King thinks is going on?”

“There are stories… rumors. It is dangerous to believe these things entirely. But it is said that the King's own niece turned to sorcery… and was corrupted by it. They say she has been at the route of many of the Kingdom's woes. I cannot say whether they know what she wants from them.”

“Is that Morgana le Fae?”

“... Morgaine. But I have not heard her referred to as one of the fae before! I have not believed in such things since childhood. Not that I mean to tease you! But these stories shift so much in the retelling… The tales have spread to your home, then?”

“Um… yeah.” Rose filed this information away to share with the Doctor next time she saw him. 

Before they could continue this conversation, their escorts stopped at a set of double doors and ushered them inside. Rose could see Guinevere relax the moment they strode inside. She sank onto the bed with obvious relief, but Rose hesitated before following. 

“My Lady—”

“—Gwen, please.”

“.... Gwen. Am I supposed to… I dunno, help you change, or something?”

“What?” Gwen laughed, “why would I need help with such a thing?”

“Sorry, I just… heard it's what lady's maids do.”

The Lady was looking at her as if Rose were trying to tell a bad joke. 

“I dress as everyone else does. You may do the same.” She gestured to the corner of the room where a large wardrobe stood. 

“I… didn't bring a change of clothing, actually.”

“Bring? What are you talking of?” Guinevere stood and took Rose by the wrist, pulling her over to the wardrobe. “Perhaps your country has a different custom. Here, allow me to help you…”

She pulled the door of the wardrobe open. Where Rose expected to see clothing hanging, or at least the wooden back of an empty closet, there was instead a large computer screen and a kind of keyboard. Before Rose could register her shock, Guinevere had ushered her inside, pressed a few buttons, and stepped back. She was grinning as she shut the doors on Rose. 

A bright blue light filtered down from above her, then from the left and right, in front and behind her. It was too bright to see whatever was on the computer screen. Physically there was no sensation whatsoever, but after a few moments the lights faded, and Guinevere opened the doors again. 

“Ah! Perfect. This is much better… oh, come and see!”

Guinevere pulled Rose out of the wardrobe and made her stand in front of the full length mirror standing to the side. Instead of the blue homespun dress she'd found in the TARDIS wardrobe, she was now dressed in something less practical, something fit for a princess. She wore a deep maroon velvet gown with bell sleeves long enough to trail on the ground, and a train that followed her every move, yet felt like it was made of nothing at all. She supposed it was. 

“Well? Do you like it?”

Rose stared at herself, the cogs turning in her mind, reevaluating everything she thought she understood about this world. 

“Yeah… great.”

—

Chapter Text

—

Once escorted to his chambers, the Doctor was left blessedly alone. He couldn't very well get any sleuthing done with a host of wannabe Arthurian cosplayers watching over him. Someone with only the barest grasp on Earth history and Britannian myth had dreamed up this fantasy. It was practically fanfiction, bad fanfiction at that, and he knew how quickly something like that could have these people tying him to a stake for practicing ‘dark magic.’

A cursory examination of the comfortable room was enough to raise his antennae. Once again, he found evidence of conflicting time periods, methods of woodworking and industrial appliances that made no sense in this era. When he discovered the loo with a flushing toilet and running water, he audibly scoffed. It was like they wanted all the trappings of the time period but none of the inconvenience. At the very least they could commit to the bit. 

He looked under the bed, but nothing stood out as particularly unusual until he sat, discovering a well sprung mattress with… Was that memory foam ?! The wardrobe was also calling to him, a beautiful, well made mahogany piece with doors that fit into their places with a precision that could only be machine cut. As he went for the handle, there was a knock at his door. 

The Doctor allowed himself a moment to grind his teeth at his solitude being so quickly interrupted, before considering it might be Rose coming to find him, perhaps to have a confab about her own discoveries. This thought cheered considerably, and he was grinning when he pulled open the door to… not Rose. 

A middle aged man with a greying goatee and dark brows stood before him, brandishing a tool that looked every bit like a magic wand - though the Doctor suspected otherwise. Something about his appearance put the Doctor immediately on edge. 

“Sir Doctor, is it?” The man had a softer voice than the Doctor had expected from his stern expression, almost wispy. 

“That's me!” The Doctor replied, keeping his grin plastered in place, though he couldn't imagine anyone seeing it as anything other than false. Humans were so terrible at reading true expressions. “What can I do ya for?”

The man in the doorway was watching him with a sort of awe that unnerved him, and his smile faltered. 

“I am Merlin Ambrosius, first and last of my name, Sorcerer to the crown of Camelot. It has been… far too long since I have met anyone with the gift. That is… Anyone with whom I could share in the marvels of the power.”

“How did you hear about my… erm, powers?” 

“The court physician is a good friend. His new charge Moragh told all about how you assisted them after the dragons’ attack.” 

The Doctor groaned inwardly. He knew it had been foolish of him to make use of his screwdriver earlier that day, but the instinct to help had been stronger than his common sense, and caution had entirely slipped his mind. He could be a bit of a numbskull lately… it wasn't the first time this body had ignored his better judgment in the face of a pretty woman in distress. He'd have to watch out for that. He had made a point of avoiding the subject of his sonic device when being introduced to the king, but evidently the damage was done. 

“Oh, that was nothing, really, barely a… cantrip.”

“You see into the very hearts of men,” Merlin said in reverent tones, “the very inner workings of our frail human bodies. There is only one other I know of with such an ability.”

“And who is that?” 

“Lady Morgaine… the only cousin of the crown prince. She has designs on the throne… and what a tyrant she would make.”

“She sees into the hearts of men?” The Doctor asked darkly. 

“It should not even be spoken of,” Merlin whispered, “they say the very walls hold her spies.”

Recording devices? The Doctor's interest was piqued. He made a note to examine the room more thoroughly, but he wasn't ready to dismiss this man. He certainly wasn't living up to the expectations the name Merlin inspired, but it could be a careful ruse to throw off nosey off-worlders like himself.

“Can I have a look at your wand?” The Doctor pointed to the long, thin instrument held delicately in the man's fingers, and Merlin held it out, cradled on his fingertips, with a little bow. The Doctor took it with an answering bow. 

“And I… might I ask the same of yours?”

The Doctor hesitated only a second - really, if this man was the big bad of this story, there still wasn't much harm he could do with a screwdriver, even one as advanced as his. 

“Oh, why not.” He pulled it out of his inner coat pocket and tossed it in the air, flipping it so the handle was facing Merlin. “Go nuts.”

Merlin’s wand was just what the Doctor had expected. This inferior sonic device emitted the softest undulating call when turned on, and a bright white beam shone a pinprick of light on the opposite wall like a laser pointer. It had no settings, no way to glean readings. A cursory examination told him it was barely more than a remote control. He expected directing the light at different places in the castle would activate specific, pre-programmed reactions. 

A delighted chuckle came from the other man as he toggled through the settings of the Doctor's screwdriver, which emitted a higher pitch than the sonic wand. 

“Ah, I'd be careful with that one if you wanna keep your tear ducts,” the Doctor gently pulled the screwdriver away from Merlin, who was shining the light into his own eye on a setting specifically calibrated to evaporate water. This man either really was a buffoon, or playing the role very well. Why would anyone give him the role of the great Merlin? Unless it was a calculated move to avoid giving someone more intelligent too much power… 

“I can see there will be much to learn from you, if you'll permit me to ask further questions during your stay with us,” Merlin said hopefully, taking back his wand. 

“Anything for a fellow magician! But right now…” The Doctor gave a huge fake yawn, and Merlin took the hint as though it was scripted. 

“Of course! You've been on such a journey, been through such an ordeal! You're well deserving of a rest before we sup. Thank you for your indulgence, Magus, I look forward to further discussion.”

“Oh yeah, me too,” the Doctor said jovially as Merlin backed out of the room, and he shut the door behind him. 

The Doctor's scowl was back. None of this sat well with him. He could see the way this world was built. He could even see how such a setup would make for a popular and expensive theme park. But why would anyone go to the trouble of building such an elaborate world where the subjects were clearly brainwashed? 

A careful scan of the nooks and crannies didn't immediately reveal any hidden recording equipment, but he was far from finished his search when another knock came at the door. Grumbling to himself, he opened the door to… Oh. 

The Rose standing in front of him was not the one he'd seen an hour ago. The slightly ill fitting dress she'd found in the wardrobe had been replaced with one in maroon velvet so plush he immediately wanted to touch her. 

It. The fabric. 

The dress hugged her curves as though painted on, and the neckline was a tad more revealing than the other dress had been. He found he wasn't sure where to look. She'd obviously been seen by some maid or other as well, because her hair was done in an elaborate updo that, as far as he knew, was beyond her capabilities. 

“Well. That's something else.”

“Right?!” Rose pushed past him, trailing impractical sleeves and a two foot long train, marching to the wardrobe with a stride that didn't remotely match the elegant gown. “Have you seen it yet?” 

“Not yet. I didn't bring a change of clothes.”

“Oho. Doctor.” She pulled open the wardrobe and the Doctor's eyes widened. 

“Well this changes things.”

“It creates a perception filter! Am I right? I'm right, right?”

The Doctor nodded, examining the lenses situated on each wall and the ceiling, then glanced at her. “You're… still wearing your other dress under that, right?”

“Of course I am! What if this thing fails in the middle of dinner and I'm sat there in my knickers at the table!”

The Doctor tried not to picture this predicament and failed spectacularly. Granted, he didn't try very hard. 

“It would be a conversation starter at least.”

“Doctor!” Rose smacked his arm playfully, then pushed him to stand inside the wardrobe. “You should give it a try. Show me what you look like in period appropriate clothing for once.” She was grinning evilly, and the Doctor only put up a moderate protest. He liked it when she got that gleam in her eye. 

“Fine,” he gave an exaggerated sigh, “but you owe me one, Miss Tyler.”

Rose was beaming at him as she shut the doors and he was engulfed in blackness. The screen on the back wall lit up, and he toggled through a few selections until he found something that wouldn't feel too ridiculous, then waited for the machine to work its… science. Lights came on from each of the lenses, scanning his body, measuring him and preparing the appropriate image to project on him. 

All of a sudden everything went dark. A voice was in his head, his vision impaired, blinded by the voice, blinded by the…

Contact. 

Contact. 

Two hearts. Who are you? It's been an age since… have we not all died out? The time war should have wiped out the pitiful relics of our home world, how did you escape? Unless you were already off-world when it occurred. The Master? No, the psychic energy is not nearly strong enough. Oh… It's you. 

The voice retreated, leaving behind a taste of panic. The Doctor couldn't be certain if the panic belonged to the voice or to himself. 

“Doctor!” Rose was hovering over him. He seemed to have fallen to the floor of the wardrobe, something like unconsciousness slipping over him while he was contacted. “What the hell happened?!”

He pushed himself into a sitting position, noticing that the machine had failed to complete its function, as he was still in his leather. He must have fallen to the floor before it could finish the job. He tried to piece together the last few moments, slightly distracted by Rose's hands on his chest, checking his heartbeats. This was not strictly necessary when he was fully conscious, but her touch was calming so he didn't protest. He'd been scanned, and whoever controlled this thing had seen those two hearts. He went immediately cold and put a hand over one of Rose's, pressing it to his chest. 

“I had a Time Lord in my head,” he said, noticing the chill terror in his voice and finding it impossible to banish. “There is a Time Lord on this planet.”

—

Chapter Text

—

“... But… didn't you say your people… you're all that's left?” 

Rose was watching the Doctor apprehensively, letting him hold her hand to his chest like a lifeline. He was scaring her; she'd only seen him like this once before, with those hollow, haunted eyes that weren't really seeing anything when they'd met that Dalek. Worse was his silence. His brain was whirring, she could practically hear it, but he was impossible to reach. 

She indulged him for a few moments, then sucking a breath in between her teeth, she stood and heaved on the Doctor's arm. “Okay, Doctor, work to do!” He stood lamely at her urging, still deep in thought. “So, what do we know? Brainwashed people, or super dedicated reenactors? Tech that doesn't match the decor, and a Time Lord. Do you know who it is? I'm guessing by your face that it's not a welcome surprise…”

“... No, not as such,” he finally broke out of his reverie. “There weren't many of us who ventured off world in the last few centuries, and we were all a little infamous, so I have a guess… None of them are people I'm particularly keen on meeting again.”

After a moment Rose said, “listen, let's go down to supper. We can do a little more digging. I wanna meet the rest of the cast!” She looped her arm through the Doctor's and they made their way to the door. 

“Don't get your hopes up… I met Merlin.”

“You did?!”

“Absolute buffoon. I don't think he knows he's not really doing magic.”

“Well that's lame. But I still wanna meet them all. I bet Arthur is gorgeous. Oh!” She pulled open the door and paused, leaning on it in a feigned swoon. “Forget Arthur, I wanna meet Lancelot!” She grinned at the Doctor and pulled him down the hall. 

—

They ran into Guinevere on their way to the dining hall, who smiled sheepishly at the Doctor before wrapping her arm tightly around Rose's, radiating nervous energy. 

“I shall faint, Rose, I know I shall! What if he's…” Her worried words died out as they entered the hall and caught sight of the prince himself for the first time. Rose was starting to wonder if there was something in the water, because this man was a swimsuit model with impeccable hair. 

“Lady Guinevere,” Arthur said, bowing  over her hand, “I am so pleased to meet you at last. Lady Rose, Sir Doctor,” he nodded politely to the other two before guiding Gwen into the room on his arm. “Please, sit by me.”

Rose and the Doctor were left to find their own places. The Prince had a practiced, careful way about him, and Rose strongly suspected this performance had been prepared long in advance. Maybe he was just as nervous as Lady Guinevere. 

They sat with a small, select company of courtiers, with the King presiding over everything at the head of the table. It occurred to Rose that she hadn't seen a round table yet, but maybe it was in another part of the castle. Then again, it was King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, not King Uther. It might not exist yet. 

The supper proceeded without much excitement. It seemed that now the Doctor had more information about what was going on, he didn't trust the players to give much more useful information. Rose's attention was split between the Doctor, who was keeping up friendly appearances, but Rose knew him well enough to see his mind was on other things, and Gwen and Arthur, eager to see if this romance would unfold as it was supposed to. Of course, there was still Lancelot to consider. There were a hundred versions of the myth, but according to every one, there should soon be a love triangle in development. One that did not involve Rose's Doctor, thank you very much. 

“Your Majesty!” 

The innocuous chatter and gossip was interrupted as a wiry, middle aged man burst in through a side door. 

“Merlin! What is so important that you must interrupt us?”

Rose perked up immediately, still eager to meet everyone in this little play. Merlin was nothing like she pictured, though. No flowing white beard, no pointed hat, no star spangled blue robes. This man was disappointingly normal. He approached the King, and the company watched as the two continued a whispered conversation. Suddenly Uther stood, and what voices were still chatting died out at once. 

“This is wonderful news. Perhaps the fates are turning in our favor at last!”

“Father?” Arthur spoke up, brow furrowed, “what news?”

“The sword, my boy. We may have a concrete location. After all this time!”

A flurry of excited whispers broke out among the guests at the mention of a sword. Arthur stood, practically whooping with jubilation and clapping his father on the back. Rose raised her eyebrows pointedly at the Doctor, who leaned forward to speak down the table, frowning. 

“Sorry to be a dunce, but could someone fill us in?”

“Forgive us, Sir,” Arthur said, “you've joined us on an auspicious day. There is a tale, a myth really, one familiar to all the children of Camelot. It speaks of a sword of such purity and might that no foe may stand against it. But not just any man is worthy of wielding such a weapon, so it has been embedded in stone, and it is said only the most pure of heart may remove it. That man is prophesied to be the greatest king in history.” 

“And… You suddenly know where it is?” Rose asked, frowning. 

“The gift is unpredictable,” Merlin said, addressing the whole assembly. “I have been able, at times, to gain insight into important matters through meditation. Today was such a day. As I sat in quiet contemplation, a vision came to me.” 

Merlin suddenly raised his wand and waved it in a precise circle above their heads. Rose heard a familiar buzzing, much like the Doctor's screwdriver, and thought she could see something on the ceiling far above their heads, possibly a sensor of some kind, but it was hard to tell from the distance. A bluish light lit the area above their heads, resolving into the image of what might be the side of a mountain. 

“The entrance to an ancient ruin, some quarter of a day’s ride East,” he continued, beginning a slow stride around the perimeter of the room. “Some believe these caves hold secrets of our heritage, that we come from another world and the truth has been hidden from us, lost to time. It will not be easy to enter the caves, or to pass tests of courage and fortitude within. If you are able to pass through the trials that await there, however, the caves should lead us to the sword’s resting place.”

Arthur shot to his feet. “Father, this quest is mine. Allow me to take my finest knights with me at sunrise, we will find these caves, and we will pass these trials. Let us put an end to Lady Morgaine’s reign of terror!”

A cheer rose up from the guests at the conclusion of this speech, and suddenly the quiet supper became a raucous celebration, with many standing to clap the Prince on the back, to toast his and his father's health, to celebrate possible victory ahead. 

The Doctor eyed Rose darkly from across the table. They finished eating quickly and slipped out of the hall together without anyone stopping them. The Doctor led them down a hallway without speaking before pulling Rose into a recessed doorway and whispering urgently. 

“We've got to convince them to take us with them tomorrow.”

“What are you thinking?” Rose kept her voice low as well, her mind going to recording devices and spy equipment. 

“A mysterious vision coming to him while he meditates? That screams mind link. This man has been given access to other Time Lord tech, he's likely being closely monitored by the architect of the whole project.”

“That wand thing, right?”

“A sonic wand. I should say, it's not just Gallifreyan, but we were the first to explore sonic technology. And we already know there's a Time Lord here.”

“Is it like your screwdriver? Or can it, you know… hurt anyone? Like a weapon?”

“It's nowhere near as advanced as mine. It operates on one frequency, likely triggering various effects in the castle to create the illusion of magic.”

“Like that hologram.”

“Exactly. Pitiful excuse for a hologram, didn't even move. But it's obvious this ‘vision’ of the cave was fed to him by the architect. Even if they don't mean these people harm, we have to know what they want, why they are luring them to this location.”

“Getting them to take you along won't be a hard sell,” Rose said bitterly, “but I don't think they really believe I can handle myself.” 

“Leave them to me. I'll convince them I can't work without you.”

“Thanks.” Her face twisted suddenly, “he said sunrise, didn't he?”

“He did,” the Doctor smirked at her, “you'd better get to bed.”

—

It was surprisingly easy to fall asleep after such an intense day, but it was still agony to get up when Rose's watch alarm went off half an hour before sunrise. She considered her real dress at first, but ultimately decided the leggings and trainers would be a lot more convenient under whatever illusion she chose today. Everyone else relied on the perception filters alone, even when it came to armor, so she had to assume it would be safe for her to do the same. It was remarkable that something made of light and illusion could provide protection and warmth. She wouldn't have believed it possible, but for the feeling of soft wool on her skin when she emerged from the wardrobe in a many layered riding outfit, the skirt split up the front and back to allow her to straddle the horse. 

The Doctor was waiting outside her door when Rose emerged, shutting the door softly to avoid waking Lady Guinevere. He smirked at her. 

“I see you're fully embracing the costume thing after all.”

“I figured, it works fine for everyone else,” she said, shrugging, “and we're literally inside this role play, not just watching from the outside. So, might as well.”

“To each their own!” The Doctor said, straightening his leather and gesturing with his head. “C’mon, I convinced them I need you, but not sure I convinced them they need me. I wouldn't put it past them to leave without us if we're late.”

They hurried down the steps that led to the front doors and saw a gaggle of men in matching armor leading horses into the castle courtyard. 

“Sir Doctor,” Arthur came striding up to meet them, two knights flanking him. “And Lady Rose. Thank you for offering your aid on our expedition. After hearing Lady Guinevere’s account of yesterday's events, I know you'll be a valuable asset. Come!” He turned and gestured to a pair of horses that had been saddled for them. “Hurry, we leave at once.”

Rose silently thanked the after school program that gave her a week of riding lessons in tenth grade, because that was the first and last time she'd ever been on a horse. At least it was something. The lovely chestnut creature eyed her as if it was perfectly aware of her shortcomings and planned to take advantage of them. Beside her, the Doctor mounted his Black Beauty doppelganger as though he'd been doing it for a lifetime. For all Rose knew, he had. 

She let the creature sniff her fingers, then gave it a tentative nose rub, and it bucked its head, searching her hand for snacks. 

“My Lady?” A soft masculine voice came from behind her. One of Arthur's knights crouched by the horse's stirrup and laced his hands together as a step stool.

“Thank you! I'm, uh… not used to riding.” She managed to pull herself into the saddle without embarrassing herself, suddenly grateful for the amount of exercise she was used to getting traveling with the Doctor. 

“We'll travel at a moderate pace, to save the horses’ energy for the journey home. But I promise to stay nearby in case you have any difficulty, my Lady.”

Chuffed, Rose smiled at the - yes, once again gorgeous - knight. “I'm grateful for your help! Uh, what do I call you?”

“Sir Lancelot. Your servant, my Lady.”

Lancelot turned and mounted his own steed, and Rose took the opportunity to pump her fist in celebration. She sent a playful grin over to the Doctor, only to discover he was scowling at the Knight. Immediately catching Rose looking at him, he schooled his expression into a placid smile for her benefit. Interesting . 

They made their way across the countryside as the sun rose, and privately Rose thought this really did feel like they were on a fancy, expensive holiday trip. If only there was a catered brunch awaiting them at the end. After an hour of riding, Rose had finally accustomed herself to the horse, but also knew she was going to have the world's sorest arse tomorrow. After two hours, she was sure that sore arse would last her a month. 

The party was passing through a narrow crevasse between two rock forms when a harrowing screech sounded overhead. Three massive birds had found them and were sending the knights scattering in different directions. One attacked the head of the group, blocking their path, while a second circled overhead as if waiting to clean up the crumbs. With a horrified gasp, Rose had a split second to realize the third was coming right for her and she had nowhere to go. 

A pair of arms tightened around her waist, and Rose was pulled unceremoniously from the saddle just as the enormous talons closed on the air where she'd been a moment before. She went tumbling to the ground, hitting her forehead painfully on a rock. She suspected there was a nasty cut, but didn't feel too dizzy, so immediately crawled on her hands and knees to a small out cropping in the rock wall. She could hear the scuffling of her rescuer right behind her, and once she was far enough inside the hole to look back, she saw Lancelot following her. 

“Look out!!” Rose screamed as a great, sharp stiletto of a claw scraped into the entrance to their hideaway, tearing a hole in the knight's livery and forcing him to retreat further into the cave. “Get lost!” Rose found a large stone - why mess with a classic - and scrambled forward, bringing it down on the bird's foot again and again. Finally the creature deemed the two humans to be a prize unworthy of this abuse and it retreated, squawking. 

The telltale sounds of the sonic finally filled the air, and the voices of the three alien birds slowly faded as they fled noise. A slightly shellshocked Lancelot turned to her. 

“You saved us… Oh, my Lady!” He lunged forward just as Rose toppled sideways. Right. There was the dizziness. The head wound might be worse than she thought. 

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur. Rose was bundled out of the crack in the rock and her head bandaged with clean rags. She heard bits of conversation around her but didn't follow it. A gentle hand on her shoulder gave her a moment’s warning before the Doctor knelt in front of her. 

“You alright?” His expression was almost blank, but Rose could sense sincere panic barely hidden behind that look. 

“Think so,” she said honestly, “like, I'm not fantastic… but I havent passed out or anything.”

The Doctor looked around at the knights who were taking stock of their situation, some bandaging wounds of their own. 

“So… we're one horse down, carried off by one of the creatures… but Arthur wants to push on.” He met Rose's eye and she knew what he was thinking. 

“Don't send me back without you,” she could hear the panic in her voice, “what if they attack you again? What if something happens and…” What if she was left here all alone? 

“I'll be alright. Whatever is controlling this story wants Arthur to make it to the caves, for whatever reason. Once we're there we will be safe.” He glanced behind Rose. “Lancelot has volunteered to see you safely back to the castle… Careful with that one,” the Doctor forced a smile, “I think you've got a new admirer. We're gonna need a register to keep track of your boyfriends.” 

Rose didn't smile, she was too busy trying to bore into the Doctor's mind and force him to stay with her. 

“I don't like being separated. Please?”

The Doctor didn't answer for a moment. He raised a hand to her head, checking her bandage, and it occurred to her that her condition might be worse than he was letting on. 

“I really think you need to rest.” He cupped her cheek briefly before dropping his hand and clearing his throat. “I'll see you tonight, I promise.”

—

Chapter Text

—

Rose was sore and miserable. Even having a pretty man transporting her back to the castle with his muscular arms wrapped around her couldn't lift her spirits. How was that fair? Flirting was one of her favorite past times and the Doctor had taken all the fun out of the prospect by sending her away. She didn't need to think hard to realize that the whole point of flirting was to make him jealous. 

She grumbled to herself and sank deeper into the saddle. This was supposed to be a stupid low stakes vacation and now she was worried for the Doctor's life. And she wouldn't be there to help him. 

“Stay awake, my Lady,” Lancelot said, giving her a little squeeze around the stomach. “We're nearing the castle.” 

Rose sat up a little straighter. “Good. I need to lie down.”

“I will need to take you to the surgeon first, Lady Rose. I worry about the severity of that wound.” 

“I think it's stopped bleeding…” She raised a hand to the bandage, wincing. 

“You have lost a great deal of blood nonetheless. Let him see to you, and I will ensure you have a good meal before you rest. I have seen stronger men decline under less severe injuries.”

Rose rolled her eyes, but didn't object. She probably had more true medical knowledge than any surgeon on this planet, and she was afraid they'd try to give her medieval stitches or stick a leech on her or something. If the Doctor didn't say she needed anything more than a rest, she trusted his judgment. But… alright, it didn't hurt to let the guy have a look. If he tried to come at her with a needle, she'd knee him in the balls. 

As they approached the castle, Rose spotted Gwen socializing with other courtiers on the front steps. Her face went blank when she caught sight of them. She screamed, and came sprinting down the steps to meet them. 

“Rose!! Oh great God, what has happened?”

Oh. Right, she was probably covered in blood. 

“Looks worse than it is,” Rose groaned as she was helped from the saddle. 

“We must take you to the surgeon at once.” Gwen took Rose's arm and draped it over her shoulders. 

“Just what I recommended,” Lancelot said, draping her other arm around his neck. Really, this was overkill. “Forgive me, Lady Guinevere? We've yet to be introduced. Sir Lancelot, your servant.”

Rose immediately cut off the protest she was about to make about being perfectly capable of walking on her own. Witnessing the first meeting of Guinevere and Lancelot? This was far too juicy an opportunity to miss. 

“Oh! Of course,” Guinevere blushed perfectly again and Rose hated that she didn't hate the woman anymore. “You came all the way back without your party, for a lady's maid you hardly know. That is gallantry.”

“The Lady saved my life! It is no more than I am bound by my honour to do.”

“Did she really?”

“Still here,” Rose muttered, frustrated by being spoken about as if she wasn't there, but also becoming too exhausted to put much effort into her protest. 

“Oh, Rose, you are not at all well, are you? Sir Lancelot, perhaps we could send for the surgeon to see her in our chambers so she need not be moved.”

He must have nodded, because they changed direction a moment later and headed in the direction of the rooms she and Gwen shared. Rose was tucked into the smaller bed she'd used last night, in a side room off the main bedroom, and soon the surgeon was summoned to her bedside. Rose was pleased to find she was right about the head wound. It had stopped bleeding, and she was left with an inch long cut just below her hairline. She wouldn't be threatened with stitches, but would be looking forward to a nasty bruise. She was fed and given the all clear to sleep, and finally left alone by her two attentive caretakers. She listened carefully as Gwen and Lancelot left the room though, curious to see the story unfold. 

“You have my deepest thanks for all your assistance, Sir. That's two of my lady's maids injured in as many days. I hope I've not brought misfortune with me.”

“Lady Rose is hale and strong, I believe she will be well enough in a few hours. Certainly by tomorrow. A few days of rest will set her right.”

“I certainly hope so. Would you like to accompany me to the dining hall? I believe supper is prepared.”

“... If you have no objection, I should like to remain within reach in case she sickens. Please, feel free to leave her in my care.”

“You are too good… I'm sure she will appreciate your attentive care.” This last sentence was the first time Rose heard the slightest hint of a flirtatious tone between them… was Gwen flirting on her behalf?!

“I… have no presumptions, my Lady. I simply owe her a debt.”

“Of course.” There was a brief pause before Guinevere went on in a whisper, “I won't say a word.” She continued in a normal voice again. “I shall have supper sent up to you. Thank you, Sir Lancelot.”

Gwen left the room, and Rose heard the scraping of a chair as Lancelot settled in to keep an ear out for her. Had… had Rose just gotten in the way of one of the most legendary romances in history? Meanwhile, it looked like Gwen was falling for the wrong knight - one who is spoken for, thank you very much. Well… not really. 

What was certain was that this story was not playing out as planned, and it looked like Rose and the Doctor were the center of all the trouble. 

—

It turned out that the small company of explorers was very near their destination at the time of the ‘dragon’ attack. Within half an hour, they drew near a rugged cliff face where the Doctor could easily imagine a cave entrance being hidden among the rubble and large boulders. They tied the horses and continued on foot, spreading out along the base of the cliff to search for an entrance. 

It was Sir Percival that found a way in at last, and with Arthur leading the way and the Doctor right behind him, the party descended into a wide, dark tunnel. The sonic screwdriver soon came to their rescue, lit like a torch and illuminating the path ahead. There wasn't much to see beyond rocks, rocks, and more rocks. 

“Tell me more about this legend, Prince Arthur. It's part of the kingdom’s history?”

“From as long ago as the founding of Camelot.”

“You said that whoever is able to free the sword is prophesied to be the greatest King Camelot has seen. Does that mean it has to be royalty who does the deed or can anyone have a go?”

“Well… part of the mythology suggests that anyone may attempt it, and that he will be granted a place in line for the throne… were that the case it would be behind myself. But it gives other men something to aspire to. My father encourages the idea for a sense of hope.”

“Just men?”

Arthur looked at the Doctor in surprise, as though the thought had never crossed his mind. “... The prophecy speaks of a King, not a Queen.”

“What about the original text? Before translation?”

“... I'm not certain there are any original texts on this. ‘Tis too old.”

“These things morph and change their meaning over the centuries,” the Doctor said smugly, “always best to keep your mind open.”

“Pray we need not think of it at all. We will find the sword and I shall be the one to retrieve it.”

The Doctor let the subject die. He noticed the path becoming clearer the deeper they descended into the cave. 

“Hang on…” was that a light ahead? Around the next bend? He held up his hand and began to creep forward. 

“Sir Doctor, it is I who will lead the way—” Arthur began, but the Doctor cut him off abruptly. 

“I sense magic, Highness. I'd best scout ahead.”

The mention of magic instantly made the rest of the knights nervous. Arthur finally nodded. 

As he reached the bend in the tunnel, the Doctor let the sonic-torch go dark. It was immediately obvious there was indeed a light, and based off of its unwavering, slightly blue tinted nature, he hazarded a guess it was electric. This would be interesting. Either the knights would take it in stride as “unknown magic”, or lose their minds. He cautiously turned the corner and was greeted by the most unexpected sight. 

Instead of another wall of rock, the wall ahead was flat metal. The rough, dented surface was clearly ancient, but remnants of paint still existed in places. The light came from a high sconce above what the Doctor strongly suspected was a door. In short, he was fairly certain these were the remains of the ship that once carried the human ancestors of this planet's people. 

“Perpetual self regenerating power source,” he murmured to himself, “now that's fantastic. Rose, see how…” He trailed off as he looked around, recalling late that he had sent Rose back to the castle. With an unexpected spike of anxiety, he suddenly wondered if he should have kept her at his side after all. This planet had secrets, and the more he learned about them the more nervous he became. 

“Great God almighty!” Arthur had come around the corner and his face was lit both by the bluish light and by wonder. “What is this gate? The first of our trials?”

The Doctor stepped to the side of the door, gesturing to it. “So it appears, Highness! An ancient test of skill. It will take all our efforts to open it.” Arthur and his Knights swarmed forward, fascinated by the metal wall and flameless lamp. The Doctor knelt in front of the control panel recessed beside the door, examining its structure and taking readings. He pressed an experimental button and the entire thing popped like a car hood, revealing a flat touch screen the size of his hand. 

“What have you found, Doctor?” Arthur crouched beside him. 

“Some sort of locking mechanism…” he spoke more to himself than to the prince, “fingerprint sensor maybe?” He stood and placed his hand on the screen. A dull double beep came from the door. “That would track. Or… Hang on…” he examined the screen more carefully, checking the readings from his screwdriver. “Never…” He turned to Arthur who now hovered behind him looking curious. “Highness, could I have your hand?”

Without waiting for a response, the Doctor guided Arthur's hand to the panel beside the door. Half a second after his hand made contact with the screen there was a higher pitched beep, followed by a hiss that sounded like a pressure seal being released. The door slid open - with more than a few rusty clanks - revealing a large ship interior lit very dimly by that same blue light. The knights drew back in fear, except Arthur whose eyes were wide and shining. 

“Biometrics. Huh. Well, looks like I guessed right about the ancestors.” The Doctor clapped a hand on the back of a dazed looking Arthur. “Looks like you're the chosen one after all.”

—

Chapter Text

—

The dim blue safety lights that lined the interior walls of the ship really only provided enough light to prevent the party members from bumping into one another. Arthur led the way, determined to reclaim some control of a situation far, far beyond his comfort zone. The Doctor didn't argue, now fairly confident that they weren't about to run into anything living and hostile inside the long abandoned ship. 

He recognized the technology and style trends of post-terran, late 43rd century human design. By that time, the human race had picked up enough technology from other races and cultures that their craftsmanship was such a conglomeration of styles there was almost nothing human about it. It was a phenomenon that made it immediately recognizable as human. No other culture stole ideas quite so indiscriminately. 

As they made their way deeper into the ship, they discovered a few living areas, a galley, and a large room packed with stasis pods which felt a little too much like a morgue. Blessedly, a quick look around showed the room was purposefully deserted, not a corpse to be found. Some rooms were locked, requiring Arthur's bio id to enter. Likely, the ship’s captain and ranking crew had access to places like the bridge and storage units. Arthur had to be a descendant of someone with the highest clearance level. Each of the knights tried to open the doors as well, but evidently the manufacturer of this fantasy had wanted to preserve the illusion that Arthur was the only one capable of passing the ‘trials’. So far though, there was no sign of any ‘sword in the stone’. 

Finally finding their way to the rear of the vessel, a locked door opened into what the Doctor immediately recognized as a science lab. Even to the Doctor's high standards, it was decently advanced for human kind, a precursor to some of the more competent developments in human history. He was examining a series of equipment dedicated to terraforming and biological advancement when he opened what appeared to be a large cupboard, and his stomach dropped. 

“We're leaving.” The Doctor searched his pockets, fishing out a long forgotten tracking device. He connected the signal to his sonic before magnetically attaching it to the equipment inside the cupboard, and closed the door again. 

“Sir Doctor? We have yet to discover the sword’s resting place, we cannot leave now.”

“We won't find it. There's nothing for you here.” He strode out of the room ahead of the knights with such an air of authority that not even Prince Arthur thought to question him. “Leave it all unlocked,” he said over his shoulder, making a beeline back through the ship to the entrance. Someone had led them here, someone who wanted into this ship, and he thought he had an inkling as to why. He wanted them to succeed - at least, at first. 

“Doctor, I think there is more of this cavern to explore…” Prince Arthur protested, following the Doctor on his heels. 

“Do you want to die today?” The Doctor snapped, turning on him. “Evil magic approaches, Arthur. You're not prepared to handle this type of danger.” 

Arthur went pale. “Morgaine?” 

“Yes,” the Doctor raised his eyebrows, exaggeratedly playing up the mystery in the hope that the knights would fall in line. “We've… alerted her to our presence here. I'll need time to prepare a proper defense strategy with Merlin, but we're close to seeing an end to the tyranny, Highness.”

“That is one blessing at least,” Arthur said, gesturing to the others to follow. “It was, at least, not a fruitless endeavor. What do you suppose this place was built for?”

“An ancient form of transport. From the days when your people used… uh, magic… as a part of daily life.”

“What are you saying, Doctor? This is not a part of the history we are taught.”

“No. There's a lot you have wrong, Arthur, but now isn't the time to explain. I want to get back to the castle as soon as possible.”

He refused to answer any more questions and led the knights back out of the ship, leaving the door unlocked. They all had accepted his authority as the de facto leader here, even Arthur, and followed him back out the way they had come without another word of complaint. 

—

It was long past sunset when the party had finally filed in through the city gates and stabled their horses. The Doctor didn't waste time on pleasantries, leaving the others without a goodbye. He sprinted up the stairs and made his way to Rose and Guinevere’s quarters like a bloodhound on the scent. It didn't occur to him to consider the time when he rapped loudly on the door and waited impatiently for an answer. 

He heard someone moving inside, and a muffled ‘just a moment’, but it was a few minutes before anyone came to the door. It opened a crack to show a slightly disheveled Guinevere wrapped in a nightgown. 

“Sir Doctor!” Gwen's face went pink, and she opened the door a little wider. “You have returned! Was the quest a success? Have they discovered the sword at last?” 

“Unfortunately not, my Lady. I'm afraid the sword of myth may be just that. Not an uninteresting excursion, though, I'm sure your betrothed will be eager to fill you in tomorrow.” Gwen's face tightened at the mention of Arthur. 

“Yes. Of course. Is there… something else I can do for you?” She gave him a coy look up through her lashes that raised the Doctor's alarm bells. 

“Just here to check on my, uh, companion. Is she asleep?” 

“She is… I must say it is somewhat… unconventional for a man to visit a lady so late. But, I daresay you knew I'd be here to chaperone?” The Doctor wasn't an expert on subtext, but even he was picking up that there was something this woman was trying to imply. Rather unsubtly, in his opinion. 

“That's right!” He said with a tight smile, “didn't realize the hour was so late, sorry about that. But now that you're up, mind if I check on her myself?”

“Of course not, Sir, please, come inside.” Guinevere stood back, opening the door for the Doctor with a sort of deferential obedience that made the Doctor cringe. He began to make his way to the door to the side chamber but was stopped by a hand on his arm. 

“Sir Lancelot told me of your timely action to ensure Lady Rose's safety. She is so fortunate to have a friend with such devotion.” 

“Ah… yes, I suppose so.”

“But I would suspect any companion of yours could expect the same. Even I have witnessed your heroism and attentive care in our short acquaintance.”

“Just, ya know, doing what needs to be done.” He smiled again, hoping this one was a little less friendly, and tried to make for Rose's bedroom again, but Gwen headed him off, putting herself between him and the door. Her cheeks were particularly flushed, and when she spoke again it was in a kind of stage whisper. 

“I have never met a man like you, Sir Doctor.” She took a step closer, so she had to tilt her head up to keep eye contact with him, making him feel much taller by comparison. Another calculated act. “A man of action, a learned man, and with such a caring heart…” To the Doctor's alarm, Guinevere put a tentative hand to his chest and spoke very low. “Lady Rose told me of your vow.”

“My… vow?”

“... Abstinence is such a… noble path. I pray you chose it for the right reasons.”

“Abstinence. Right… for the right reasons?” The Doctor was struggling to keep up, but didn't want to blow Rose's cover. If she'd made up a backstory for them he'd have to keep up the pretense. 

“There are men who enter the priesthood, or other vows of celibacy, with noble intent. And still others who make the choice because they believe no woman will love them.” Gwen put her other hand on his chest. It crossed his mind there must be some cultural bleed through from her true origins, or perhaps her interest was stronger than the hypnosis. A woman of Lady Guinevere’s standing and era would never be so forward. A woman of the 46th century, however, very likely wouldn't have any issue with it. 

“I hope you know,” she went on in a purr, “there are women who would have you. Well…” She went up on tiptoe, “one woman, at the very least.”

The Doctor pulled back, avoiding the incoming kiss. Grabbing Guinevere’s hands and pulling them off his chest, he held her gaze for a moment. 

“I am not this man you're imagining.” He let her go suddenly, stepping back and straightening his jacket, leaving her looking surprised and rejected. Well, good. “Excuse me, I need to check on my friend.” 

Without a second glance, the Doctor strode past her and entered Rose's room without knocking. 

—

Rose heard footsteps and scrambled back into bed just as the Doctor entered her room. She didn't bother pretending to be asleep, but she didn't want to be caught eavesdropping. She sat up against the headboard, feeling a headache coming on. 

“You're back,” she said with very real relief. “How'd it go?” 

“No further incidents.” The Doctor lit the candle beside her bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. “There's a lot to tell you, though. But how are you feeling? Hope the surgeon didn't try anything too barbaric.”

“No, it wasn't that bad. Not feeling fantastic, though.”

“It was a lot of blood. Here,” the Doctor fished in his pocket and pulled out a pill bottle. “Forgot I had these or I'd have given you one earlier. They'll speed up blood cell reproduction, you should feel a lot better in the morning.” He got up and poured her a glass of water. 

“Thanks.” She thought there might be some painkiller in the pill as well, she started feeling better moments after she swallowed it. 

“So… vow of celibacy, huh?”

“Well… I needed some way to explain our relationship without it being inappropriate that we travel together!”

The Doctor smirked and crossed his legs underneath him. He looked a little more amused than she expected him to be. 

“So… what happened?”

The Doctor sighed leaning forward and pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Rose reached out and put a hand on his knee, nervous to hear what he might be about to say. His shoulders relaxed, and he took her hand with his opposite one, tapping out a rhythm on her thumb with his own. 

“Well. It wasn't the resting place of the sword on the stone.”

“... Sorta figured as much.”

“It was a ship. The one that first brought them here. Pretty impressive tech.”

“That's a change,” Rose said, chuckling. 

“Yes and no. I knew they must have come from somewhere very technologically advanced, since hypnosis on this scale would need some impressive infrastructure in place, no matter how brilliant the woman in charge.”

Rose raised her eyebrows. “Woman? Did you figure out who's behind it, then? It's whoever is playing the role of Morgaine, isn't it?” The Doctor nodded. 

“Probably. She's called the Rani. It's only a strong suspicion. I had a feeling before, but now I'm almost certain… this sort of thing has her name written all over it.” He sighed and squeezed her hand. “It seems impossible anyone could still be out there, not when I can't hear them. But with this mass hypnosis it wouldn't surprise me if she also found a way to block the link. She was a genius, even by Time Lord standards.”

Rose didn't understand what he meant by a link, or not being able to hear anyone, but didn't ask now. “What did you find?”

He stared at her hand, silent for a moment. Then he finally took a deep breath. 

“Looms.”

“Looms?” Rose figured he couldn't be talking about those big wooden contraptions used for making fabric. That wasn't exactly advanced technology. 

“It's a Time Lord invention.”

“Wait, does that mean these people are—?”

“No, no. They're as human as they come. But humans are good at adapting foreign tech to their use. I'm surprised any of our science got out there, it was a closely guarded secret. But it could have been worse.”

“What are they for? Wadda they do?”

The Doctor gave her hand another squeeze then let it go, leaning back and propping himself on his hands. 

“They make people.”

Rose just stared at him for a moment, waiting for more. “... I'm sorry… they what?”

“They make people. Gallifreyan culture is… was… less driven by the biological instinct to mate. Very few marriages were those of passion, and very rarely were there unplanned pregnancies. Fewer and fewer people chose to conceive… At a certain point, the question arose of why we still allowed a painful and unreliable method of childbearing to be our only option. So the looms were invented.”

Rose was staring at him, trying not to let him see her squirming internally. She so rarely actually thought of the Doctor as alien, but this technology sounded like a cautionary tale from some horror movie. 

“The thing is, they're very complicated. And the components needed… The… Well, for a lack of a better word, the material that made up the amniotic fluid… I don't believe it can be manufactured. It was native to Gallifrey.”

“But if they have looms… do you think they found a way to make this stuff after all?”

“That, or someone sold them the real thing. But it's there. Everything one needs to start a brand new colony.”

They sat in silence for a minute while Rose thought through this. 

“But… I mean, isn't that a good thing? If this woman is a Time Lord and she wants the looms… you could get your people back.”

“There's no bringing back the dead, Rose.” He said it softly, but it felt like a slap. They sat in silence for another moment before he went on. “It's not that simple. You can't make a person from one set of genetic material. And even with two, you certainly can't start an entire race. Inbreeding works the same way no matter how you go about it.”

“She must know that. You don't think she'd try anyway, do you?”

“The Rani was a talented biochemist with very little respect for other species. She didn't have much for her own either, come to that. The few times I had run-ins with her, she was attempting experiments on the local population, and without much care for how many she killed or tortured in her experimentation. If she wants to use the looms to start a new race of Time Lords, she will be doing so with these people, with or without their consent. And it will not go well. She's ruthless.”

“And now that she knows you're here… She's probably gonna be after you, too.”

The Doctor gave Rose a dark look from under hooded brows. 

“I'm not the same man as the one she's met before… I'm not the one who should be frightened.”

—

Chapter Text

—

A bright beam of sunlight streaming through the window woke Rose up the next morning. She felt remarkably well rested, and immediately attributed it to the Doctor's magical pill, whatever it was. She crawled out of bed and ventured into the main room to see it was vacant. Evidently Lady Guinevere had wanted to let Rose sleep. Rose observed with some amusement that she was doing a terrible job at being a Lady in Waiting, but thankfully Gwen was proving to be a remarkably kind noble woman. 

With a pang of empathy, she remembered the train wreck of Gwen's attempt to seduce the Doctor last night. Well, maybe not seduce, but she sure wanted something. As much as Rose was glad she hadn't been successful, she still felt awful for the woman. She understood the pull the Doctor had, and she could guess how much it would hurt to be rejected by him. Why couldn't Gwen have been horrible? It would have been so much easier if she'd deserved the bruised ego. 

Rose washed, and examined her head wound - it had healed far more than it should have overnight, and only a slight discoloration surrounded the cut. Thank you, Doctor. She perused the holographic outfits in the wardrobe and found another riding dress, figuring she'd be grateful for the freedom of movement no matter what they got up to today. 

The castle was relatively quiet, and Rose only ran into a few servants going about their chores on her way to the banquet hall in search of breakfast. 

“My Lady!” Rose was accosted at the bottom of the stairs by a bouncing puppy of a knight. Lancelot bowed deeply to her and held out his hand to escort her. “I trust you slept well? Lady Guinevere insisted you were not to be disturbed this morning.”

“Fine, thanks,” she said, trying for a friendly but platonic smile, “Is it past noon already? I'm hoping there's still something to eat…”

“Our kitchens can always provide. But your friends are all eager to ensure you do not go without, in any event. I believe Sir Doctor put aside a platter that should be to your taste.”

He led Rose into the banquet hall, where a dozen or so courtiers mingled around tables laid out cafeteria style, and a modest buffet sat on a long side table. Lunch appeared to be a more casual event than supper. She scanned the room and soon found the Doctor slouched at a table near the back, staring at his sonic with a grouchy expression. 

Rose thanked Lancelot, unable to miss the look of disappointment as she left him to join the Doctor. The latter didn't look up as she joined him, only glared more fiercely at his sonic. 

“Penny for your thoughts?”

The Doctor sighed and tapped the screwdriver on his palm a few times. 

“Don't waste your money, they're not worth that much.” He absently reached over and slid a full plate in front of her, but his eyes never left the tool in his hand. 

“Rubbish.” She took a small meat tart from the platter and leaned back in her chair, watching him curiously. After a moment the Doctor sighed again. 

“I'm debating the wisdom of something I said yesterday. I told Arthur I would need to work with Merlin to put together a magical defense against Morgaine. It was a stall, I wanted to get him out of that ship quickly. But I believe he's taken it as a plan in earnest. Saw him talking with Merlin and Uther this morning. I can't have them involved in all this. Merlin would do something stupid thinking he has power. And I don't want a fleet of knights bursting in there without a plan. This is a job for tweezers, not a jackhammer.” He tapped the sonic on the table a few times. 

“Could we just go now? Sneak out without them noticing?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Suppose we could wait in the TARDIS.”

“What are we waiting for?” Rose asked, eyeing the sonic, as it seemed to have all of the Doctor's attention. He held it out to her and she observed a set of numbers on the display that meant nothing to her. 

“I placed a tracker on the equipment from the ship, that's their current coordinates. When she takes them, I'll know where to go.” He laid the sonic on the table in front of him and crossed his arms, seeming to sink even lower in his chair. “Just wish she'd get a move on.”

Rose reached out and scratched his arm affectionately and she saw his shoulders relax a little. A door across the hall opened and Arthur emerged, followed by Gwen, who was paying more attention to him than she had the previous day. To Rose's eye the two were still behaving with dutiful politeness, but it was still early days. 

Then again, maybe it wouldn't go anywhere. After all, they weren't really Guinevere and Arthur, were they? For the first time it occurred to Rose to wonder who these people were outside of the narrative they were being forced to follow. How long had this charade been going on? How would they all react when their true memories returned? 

It might not be long before they found out. The Doctor's focus might currently be on the Looms and his old enemy, but the ultimate goal, in her opinion, was still to release these people from the hypnosis the Rani had cast over them. Hell, they might have answers by the end of the day. 

“Lady Rose, how do you fair?” Guinevere had approached, arm in arm with Arthur. She maintained remarkable self possession, but Rose could tell she was avoiding the Doctor's eye. 

“Much better today. Thanks for letting me sleep in.”

“We wouldn't dream of waking you early. If I'd attempted it, I believe your guardian would have fought me to the death.”

Rose frowned in confusion. “My guardian? You mean…” She glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged, looking baffled. 

“Sir Lancelot,” Guinevere said, twinkling conspiratorially at Rose, “he has been asking after you all morning.”

Rose's insides shriveled with embarrassment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the Doctor shifting to glance at her, and she kept her face studiously blank. 

“Oh… that's nice of him.”

“I think you've made a conquest, my friend.” Rose could sense the deflection; Gwen was making more of this just to put the focus off of her own love life. 

“Um. No, I'm sure he's just being nice. Anyway,” she went on quickly, “we won't be staying long.” 

“You aren't planning on leaving before we've faced the witch, Sir Doctor?” Arthur asked, “Just this morning I brought word of our discovery to my father, and he has approved our plan to mount a magical defense against Morgaine!”

“Your Highness, we don't have a plan yet.”

“I have every faith in your abilities, Sir Doctor. You will find a way.” 

“A way to what, exactly?” The Doctor suddenly snapped, his tone icy. “You want to just load up your two magic users and aim them at the problem without knowing squat about what you're up against. What are you expecting? Want us to infiltrate her lair? Find out how she's controlling the dragons? Or is it simpler than that? You just want me to kill her? Send me in there to do your dirty work and expect me not to ask questions? Well I don't work for you, Sire, and I don't plan on killing anyone.” He stood abruptly and left the table. “You coming?” He shot at Rose, who took a large chunk of cheese from her plate and followed, mouthing a quick apology to the others as she passed. 

The Doctor was already outside and making his way down the palace steps by the time Rose caught up with him. 

“Hey,” she said, tapping his shoulder, “are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“Arthur didn't say anything about killing anybody. Did he give you that impression yesterday?”

“It's what they always want. Humans always want to solve their problems with a gun, or a bomb. Obliterate the obstacle so you don't have to do hard work. I'm not their weapon.”

“Alright… I get that. I think maybe Arthur hasn't thought it all through, though. He might just want to feel like he knows what he's doing. Like he's got some amount of control over things. I think they basically think you're their miracle.”

“And I'm not, Rose. I can't pretend to be.” He finally stopped walking and ran his hands over his face. “... I don't know what we're walking into, Rose. The Rani… She's brilliant. Powerful… Dangerous. I've tangled with her before and… haven't always come out on top.” For a moment the Doctor's gaze was unfocused as he waded through memories. Then he took a deep breath. “But we're out of time,” he said, holding up the sonic. Rose could see the numbers on the display rapidly changing. “She's on the move. We need to get to the TARDIS, fast.”

“Well, you're not going into this alone.” The Doctor focused his eyes on her, and she watched his jaw tighten.

“... I'll be honest… I don't like the idea of you being in her sights.” Rose opened her mouth to protest, but the Doctor continued, “but I need you with me. If you're willing. I already don't like going in blind, but going in blind and alone would be a death wish.”

Rose let her prepared argument fizzle out. Instead she reached out and laced her fingers together with his. “Just try an’ stop me.”

After a long moment the Doctor gave her the smallest smile, looking slightly more at ease. It was short lived. 

“Sir Doctor! Lady Rose!” 

Rose cringed as she recognized Lancelot’s voice. She saw the Doctor's face turning sour again as he glanced up at the approaching knight. He was running down the stairs to catch up with them. 

“I would like to offer you both my assistance today. Whatever you may require, I am at your disposal.”

“That's… not necessary…” The Doctor began, but Lancelot cut him off. 

“Sir Doctor, I have been a poor excuse for a Knight of Camelot. I could not protect either of you from the dragons, and indeed I owe the Lady my life. Please, allow me to repay some of my debt?”

Rose glanced at the Doctor, and to her surprise he looked like he was considering it. 

“How would you feel about a little outing?”

“Serious, Doctor? We're gonna take him on the TARDIS?” 

The Doctor tilted his head, “sure, why not. I've had stranger passengers. We could probably use someone who's battle savvy.”

“I thought you wanted tweezers, not a hammer.”

“One knight is very different from an army… As long as you listen, and follow directions.” The Doctor pointed a stern finger at Lancelot, who looked ready to walk on lava for them. 

“I shall be both your sword and your shield,” Lancelot said, eyeing Rose meaningfully and bowing deeply. She squirmed inwardly. The Doctor caught her eye and raised his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes pointedly. 

“We need to get to our… transportation,” the Doctor said to Lancelot, “we had to leave it some miles away. Think they'll let us borrow some horses?”

“Without question! Allow me to alert the stables!” Lancelot ran ahead of them like an eager child, and the Doctor smirked. 

“Don't start,” Rose said, pinching his side. 

“I think I have to take back my former opinion of your many boyfriends. Once in a while they come in handy!”

—

Chapter Text

—

The long trudge up the hill to where they'd left the TARDIS was much easier on horseback. The Doctor and Rose pulled up out front and dismounted, but Lancelot hesitated. 

“... A tomb? Catacombs?”

“What's your question?” The Doctor asked, approaching to take Lancelot’s horse by the bridal. 

“I thought I knew these hills, but I've never seen this entrance here before.”

“That's my ship, mate!”

“I do not understand. How is this a vessel?”

“My friend, there's a lot you're not going to understand in the next few hours. May I suggest you hold your questions until the end of the tour?”

“Doctor,” Rose admonished, “we could at least warn him about the inside.”

“Why? I didn't warn you!”

“Yeah, and it freaked me out!”

“And you got over it. C’mon, we haven't got time for this.” The Doctor waited for Lancelot to dismount before leading two of the horses to the door and unlocking it. 

“We’re bringing the horses?” Rose asked. 

“TARDIS isn't as stealthy as we need to be. The Rani might recognize the engines. We'll park by the cave and take the horses the rest of the way once we know where she's going.” He pushed the doors open and led the horses inside, and Rose followed with her own. 

“Lance? You coming?”

After a few seconds the awe struck knight poked his head inside the door. 

“Welcome to the TARDIS!” Rose took his arm and led him up the ramp. The Doctor was busy setting new coordinates. “Time and relative dimension in space. I know it's a little… strange the first time.”

“Magic?” To Rose's surprise, Lancelot’s shock had already subsided. Apparently ‘magic’ was all the explanation he needed. 

“Oh yeah,” said the Doctor, “a very special type of magic called science. Now, hold tight.”

Rose braced herself on the railing and Lancelot followed suit. Thankfully they weren't entering the Time Vortex, so the quick trip was a lot less bumpy than usual. The Doctor led the way back outside, leaving the other two to coax the nervous horses back into the sunshine. They'd landed at the top of a bluff overhanging the entrance to the caves below, giving them a good view of the surrounding countryside. Far to the south, a huge bird was hauling a small carriage ungracefully over the bumpy terrain, headed towards a dense and wide reaching forest. A tarp covered massive bulky forms which must be the biological tech, lying in the flat bed. 

The Doctor stood without a word and, gesturing to his companions to follow, smoothly mounted his horse and started out in the direction of the forest at a brisk trot. Rose was embarrassed to need Lancelot’s assistance once again to mount her horse, but before long they had set out on the Doctor's heels. 

A somber mood had settled over the group, even Lancelot picking up on the importance of the mission despite knowing none of the details. As they reached the edge of the forest the Doctor slowed and stopped, dismounting and tethering his steed to a tree branch. 

“Keep quiet,” he said, making his way along the obvious path left by the wagon and its heavy contents. “Rose?” the Doctor beckoned her forwards, and the knight was perceptive enough to hang back, giving them the space to speak privately. “Once we know where she's set up operations, I want you to take Lancelot somewhere where the two of you can stay hidden—”

“—I'm not leav—”

“—I'm not asking you to hang back or stay out of it. But you are an easy target, she'll know you're important to me and she will threaten you by way of leverage if she sees you. Without hesitation. It's tactically wiser to keep you hidden. Maybe you'll see something I don't. Catch her off guard, somehow.”

Rose's insides twisted. She knew he was right, but it still felt wrong to let him walk into the lion's den alone. 

“Maybe Lance should go with you. Be your protection.”

The Doctor was silent for a moment. 

“How can I put this… the Rani… she is more than that boy can handle. Not only that, she has zero regard for human life. Lancelot wouldn't last long enough to even provide his body as a shield. He would be cannon fodder.” He took Rose's hand with a hard squeeze. “With you, he can help protect against other threats. Like if those birds get in your way.” He glanced over with a smirk, “or, from your track record, it may be you protecting him. But either way, I need you both out of the Rani’s sights. For all our sakes.”

It made sense. 

“I don't like you going in unprotected.”

“Nor do I, much!” The Doctor smiled ruefully, “but if you're put in danger…” He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I won't make rational decisions. Will you do this for me?”

“... Okay. But I'm sticking close by. We'll be ready to fly in, the second we think she's gonna do something. Got it?”

He squeezed her hand again, smiling. “Got it. Oi, pretty boy!” Raising his voice a little, the Doctor nodded back to Lancelot, who strode forward to join them. “Sir Lancelot, I'm charging you with the protection of Lady Rose. I will need to approach the - uh, Morgaine, on my own. Her magic is more than either of you can handle, but with a hidden force in reserve, we may catch her unawares.”

“You have my word. Nothing will happen to Lady Rose under my care, and I will be prepared to charge at your signal.”

“Good man,” the Doctor said, clapping Lance on the shoulder. “And I think we've found her hideout.”

—

The three explorers followed the deep drag marks through the dirt down into a narrow gully surrounded by a dense thicket of trees. The maze-like channels were surrounded by high walls of dirt, and soon led them under the earth itself. Roots of the trees above brushed their heads at first, but the deeper they went, the more room there was to maneuver. Using the sonic as a torch, the Doctor could guess at the layout of this little secret cavern, and expected to find the Rani’s hideout at any moment. He finally deemed it too dangerous to go any further with the two humans in tow, and sent them to climb an ascending path to the right while he went on ahead. Rose still looked reluctant to be separated, but made no further objections. 

The Doctor clicked off the light of his sonic and was only slightly surprised to discover he was not immediately plunged into darkness. It seemed he'd taken precautions at just the right time. A flickering golden light was coming from around the next bend, along with the occasional soft shuffling and bangs of someone doing manual labour. 

He'd been thinking hard for the past few hours to decide how he wanted to approach the Rani. It didn't seem to be any benefit in sneaking up on her unless he wanted to attack her, and knowing their history, he wasn't confident he'd come out on top. Not unless he was willing to kill. 

He was not. 

At the last moment, the Doctor opted for the direct approach. With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and marched around the corner. A fairly wide space had been set up as a temporary lab, and the three tall glass looms stood side by side against one wall, swirling with eerie greenish liquid. Simple fire torches lined the walls, and one of the enormous alien birds sat in a far corner, chained by its ankle to the rock wall. The Rani had her back to the Doctor, still fiddling with wires, presumably to feed the looms a power source. 

“Cozy setup you've got going here!”

The Rani stood abruptly, whirling to face him. It was no surprise that she'd regenerated since he'd last encountered her, appearing now as what a human might call early middle age, with darker skin and a thick, silky black braid coiling over one shoulder. She always had been striking. Once the surprise had passed, her face settled into an almost bored sneer. 

“Doctor, isn't it? I assume this is yours?” She underhand tossed a small metal object at him, and he caught the tiny tracking device one handed. “I hope you didn't expect me to be surprised by that little trick.”

“Not at all. Consider it a calling card. Always rude to show up at someone's door unannounced.”

The Rani smirked, and returned to work setting up the looms. 

“You've regenerated I see,” he said, cautiously meandering around the side of the room, keeping his distance.

“So have you.” She glanced up at him and gave him a once over. “I have to admit, not a bad face. But no pets this time? What happened to that fidgety little redhead who used to follow you around?”

“Been just me for a while,” he lied, “haven't felt much like company.”

“Oooh yes. The war.” The Rani turned on a control panel and began examining the settings. She spoke lazily, as though the Doctor barely deserved a fraction of her attention. “Our lord and savior the Doctor must have been at the head of the charge, rallying the troops, saving every last innocent critter he could, am I right? Good lord,” she glanced at him again, “in that getup you look like you're in mourning. Always so sentimental.” She clearly wasn't looking for any answers; her tone dripped with derision. 

“How did you manage to avoid the fight?” He asked, ignoring her questions. The Rani moved to a table laid with tools and equipment, picking up a wrench and continuing her work.

“Oh, I paid my dues. The little toy soldiers needed some help in the science department at the beginning. Once they had a handle on things I took my leave. I prefer to do my fighting in the laboratory. But what about you, mister dutiful? How exactly did you make it out unscathed?”

The Doctor had made his way to the corner where the large bird cowered. Now that it wasn't on the offense, he could admire the great creature’s beauty. The deep green feathers were tipped with the subtlest dusting of iridescent gold, creating a reflective effect that must serve some evolutionary purpose. He wondered if they had any natural predators. 

It was a moment before he realized the sound of work from behind him had ceased. 

“Doctor? How did you survive?” Her tone wasn't curious. It was accusational. The Doctor's whole body went hot, curling in on itself as though it wanted to phase into another dimension. He redoubled his attention on the bird, managing to give it a gentle stroke on the beak without losing his fingers. “I haven't met a single other survivor of the war. There's no way you abandoned the cause, I know you too well.” 

The Doctor could feel her approaching behind him, and his every instinct told him to run, to escape this woman who had come close to killing him so many times, who had even succeeded once. But he held his ground. As he'd told Rose, he was not the same man the Rani had once known. He hoped he could convince himself of that. 

“It was you, wasn't it?” Despite the pretense that she didn't care about their people, the Doctor could hear venom in her voice now. She was barely containing her fury. Steeling himself, the Doctor turned to her and was met by a face contorted with rage and disgust. He raised his chin, looking down his nose with as much dignity as he could muster. 

“... There was no other way to end it.”

He had no warning before the Rani struck him hard across the jaw with the back of her hand. He stumbled back a step in surprise but did nothing to defend himself. Her anger was well founded. He was only surprised to learn that she cared. By the time he recovered from his shock, she had retreated from his side, returning to her lab table with her back turned. Her posture was rigid, hands balled into fists at her sides. 

There was a long moment of silence before she finally spoke again, her voice a cracked whisper. 

“Well. You've been knocked off your pedestal, I'm glad of that at least. Perhaps now you'll try to understand my work a little better.”

“And what exactly are you trying to achieve this time?” The Doctor managed to keep his voice steady, but he had to fight against the emotion she'd provoked. The Rani shot him a glare. 

“You can't be that obtuse. You know exactly what I mean to do here.”

“A new race of Time Lords? Who's sentimental now?”

“They won't be entirely the same. I have to rely on human genetics. They'll be inferior, but this population is at least six generations further along in their evolution to the last colony I met. With my own genetic code enhancing them, we may be able to take things a little farther.”

“And I'm sure you're planning on waiting for volunteers for this little experiment,” the Doctor sneered, glad to be reminded of the Rani’s skewed moral compass, helping him feel just a little better about his own. She rolled her eyes at him. 

“It is a very narrow worldview that presumes your morality is the only right one, Doctor. Think of the good our race has done for this universe. Think of the progress we have achieved! What are a few enforced volunteers in the face of all that our people could do?”

“Is that what the birds are for? Muscle? Is that how you plan to get these ‘enforced volunteers’?”

“That was the theory,” she sighed, “in the past I've had a lot more manpower to help me out. I am normally perfectly happy to be more brains than brawn. Unfortunately, there is no native bipedal species on this planet intelligent enough to be coerced into my service. I've been trying to train the birds to capture humans…” She punched a frustrated fist into the table, “at this point they have yet to learn the subtle difference between hunting and fetching. I've only succeeded in teaching them they can afford to aim for larger prey.”

“How are you controlling them?”

Without glancing his way, she pulled a device from her pocket. A recognizable warbling pitch came from the sonic device, and the bird beside him reared, expanding its wings and snapping its beak at the Doctor, who managed to duck out of the bird's reach just in time to avoid it taking his head off. A moment later, the sound lowered to a low purr, and the bird settled again, resting on the dirt floor as though nothing had disturbed it. 

“Rani…” For once he felt that speaking to her rationally might do some good. “You know I can't let you do this. Even if you manage to convince the people here to help you, you have only one set of Time Lord genetics, it won't work!”

“Would you rather be alone forever?!” The Rani spun on him, snapping like a provoked viper. “You are the one who ended us! Don't you think the universe deserves to have things set right? Return us to our natural place! Restore balance!” 

The Rani’s face cleared suddenly, an expression of hope dawning on her that he'd never seen before. “You could help me, Doctor. You don't understand the complexities of this process. Our regenerations provide an entirely new set of genetic material, every time… I don't have just one, Doctor. I already have three from my own bodies alone.”

The Doctor stepped back, horrified realization dawning, “you… you've actually wasted your own regenerations on this? You've done it on purpose?!”  

“I was only on my second, last we met. I have plenty to spare.”

“You don't know that!” He took her by the shoulders, “you don't know what might happen in your future, how much life you may need! What if this doesn't work? You've got a brilliant mind, if you only used it for the right purposes! The universe needs you to stay alive as long as you can!” He left out the fact that he needed her to stay alive. Don't let it end with me. 

“Then help me!!” The Rani had her claws in his jumper, pulling him closer. He saw desperation in her face he never dreamed she was capable of feeling. She lowered her voice again, pleading and surprisingly convincing. “How would you do it, Doctor? You want willing volunteers? Fine. Help me convince these people to join my cause! I have more Time Lord DNA than you know. I have a sample from the Master from decades ago. I even have some of your own from a past meeting. It is possible.”

The Doctor was shaken to realize she was making sense to him. He pushed her hands off of him, striding away and clenching his fists reflexively. A return of his people… Redemption. He could never undo what he'd done, there was no question of that. But could he put something back into the universe to help balance the scales? Creation, rather than destruction? Could he do just one thing that might let him give himself just a tiny bit of forgiveness?

“... If I agreed… and I'm not saying I do… You would need to find a way to do it ethically. Or I will shut you down. Is that clear?”

The Rani huffed a laugh. It was obvious that she didn't think he could stop her even if he tried. “Whatever you say, Doctor.”

He studied her warily for a few moments. Distrust and desire were fighting a vicious battle inside his chest. Finally, he took a shaky breath. 

“What do you need from me?”

The Rani smiled. 

—

Chapter Text

-

Without the sonic torchlight guiding their path, Rose and Lancelot were left to follow their other senses up the rocky slope that branched off away from the Doctor's path. With luck, this would follow the same trajectory, only at a higher level. 

Lance insisted on leading the way, and Rose conceded when he made the argument that he could use his sword to locate tripping hazards in their way. They each kept a hand on the cave wall as they climbed, ensuring they would be able to follow the same wall back out again. 

“Wait.” Rose stopped, putting a hand out and catching Lancelot's shoulder. The wall had begun to curve sharply to the right, away from the direction they knew the Doctor had gone. “We need to find out if there's a path that goes the other way,” she said in a low voice. “There's no point wandering off in the wrong direction.” She could sense Lancelot’s hesitation. 

“I cannot guarantee our safety if we leave the wall,” he said at last, “we mustn't get turned around in the darkness. There may even be a cliff edge we cannot see.” 

“I'll risk it.” Without waiting for a response, Rose turned away from the wall and began shuffling out into the unknown space to her left. She heard the beginning of a protest that fizzled out as Lance realized she wasn't about to wait for him. Rose shuffled slowly over the ground without lifting her feet, holding her arms out to feel for walls. She was soon blocked by uneven ground that grew into a rocky mound that would be impossible to safely climb in the dark. 

A little more searching though, and Rose's hands met a new wall, and she decided to take the chance of following it. 

“Lancelot! This way, follow my voice.”

“I'm here, my lady.” His voice came from a foot behind her, making Rose jump in surprise. 

“Follow this wall, I want to see where it leads.” 

“Right behind you,” Lance said, without any more complaint. He really was just like a helpful puppy. Rose was too anxious now to wait for the knight to lead the way, and she moved recklessly forward, hoping they'd find a path that would lead to wherever the Doctor had gone. The farther they went though, the more doubtful she became. There was no reason to believe these tunnels followed any rhyme or reason. Even if animals had created them over the centuries, there was no guarantee that the tunnels would flow into each other. 

“I believe we should consider turning back,” Lancelot said, apparently following the same train of thought, “perhaps we can follow Sir Doctor and merely… hide around the corner, in case he is in need of assistance.”

Rose knew the Doctor wouldn't like them getting so close, but Lancelot might be right. She was considering following him back out of the tunnel, until a soft glow caught her eye. 

“Wait… can you see that?” She rubbed her eyes, in case it was an eye floater, but when she looked again she definitely saw the barest hint of light hitting a jagged rock up ahead. 

“Light,” Lancelot agreed, “there must be a way through.”

Rose was too eager to get back to the Doctor. She rushed forward, catching her foot on a boulder and sprawling face first onto the ground. Again. 

“My Lady! Are you injured?”

“Oi, watch the hands!” She reached back and smacked his arm. He'd reached out to help her and had, quite innocently, gotten a handful of her backside. “I'm alright, nothing’s broken.” Rose's knee was thrumming from the hard landing, but she was once again surprised and grateful for the many layers of skirts that provided a cushy landing. “Can you scout ahead and see where the light is coming from?”

“Of course,” he said eagerly, and after a moment Rose heard the soft taps of his sword on rock.

Just as she was standing again and preparing to follow, Lancelot’s voice came back to her, sounding regretful. 

“I fear we have reached an impasse, my lady. The light comes from beyond this wall.” Rose carefully navigated the path and joined the knight, whose face was now just visible by the light coming from a high crevice in the cave wall, about the height of his chin. Her heart sank. “Let us return. Perhaps we may still be of some aid from the ground level.”

They had been walking for almost ten minutes already, and Rose doubted the Rani was going to politely wait around for them to be in position to make a move. The Doctor certainly wouldn't. She put her hands out to the wall, willing it to disappear, and found a different texture under her hands. Instead of the smooth rock of the other walls, this was hard packed earth. 

“Lancelot! We can dig through to the other side!” Rose crouched, feeling around the ground for any loose rocks, and managed to find one a little larger than her fist with a sharp edge to it.

“I'm not certain that's wise, my lady, these walls may be weight bearing…”

“Not the whole wall,” she said, already digging at the damp earth with her makeshift tool, “I only need something wide enough to squeeze through.”

Despite any other objections he might have had, the obedient knight followed her guidance again, joining her at the wall and making better progress with the help of his sword and gauntlet. It occurred to Rose for the first time that most of the people they'd met here were easily persuaded. It wouldn't surprise her at all if this was an intentional part of the mind control they'd been forced under. Her anger at the Rani flared hotter than before, and she redoubled her efforts to break through the wall. More of the dim light shone through, and they could now see a flat stretch of floor ahead. 

The hole was less than two feet wide when the stone around it presented an obstacle again. Rose was able to make a little more progress on her side, but it became clear that this was as much space as they'd be able to work with. 

“I will not be able to fit through there,” Lancelot said dubiously, “even without my armor.”

“It's going to be tight for me, too…” Rose looked down, and immediately thanked herself for having the foresight to wear her tank top and leggings underneath today's outfit. She turned and presented her back to Lancelot. “Undo my laces for me!”

“My lady!” The chivalrous knight backed up a step in horror. Rose would have been charmed if she wasn't in such a hurry. 

“Don't get excited, I have clothes on under here. But these skirts will never fit through that opening. Help me!”

A moment later Rose felt hesitant hands plucking at the back of her dress. She helped to loosen the back as quickly as she could, and let the dress fall to the cavern floor. Lancelot was already averting his eyes when she turned back to climb through the hole. The ledge was about chest height, and she tried to hoist herself up, but the wall was smooth and without any footholds she couldn't manage to get enough leverage. 

“I need a boost,” Rose said, thinking of the way Lancelot had helped her onto her horse, “can you do that thing with your hands?” He'd already crouched down before she finished her sentence. “Thanks.” 

With his help, she managed to get halfway through the opening in one go. It took a little bit of wiggling to get her hips through, but soon she was tumbling awkwardly down the other side of the wall, covering herself in dirt in the process. 

“If I'm not back in half an hour, head back to the entrance!” Rose whispered, already setting out in the direction of the light. 

“Lady Rose, wait! Take this!” Rose turned back to see the knight reaching his arm through the hole, holding out his sword hilt first.

“I don't know how to use it!” She said, but still took the blade from him. 

“Any protection is better than none. Please, allow me one small way to protect you, if I cannot be there for you in person.” Lancelot looked so sincere, so sad, it almost broke her heart. She took his hand and squeezed it in thanks, and he pulled hers back through the opening. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, before letting her go again. “For luck.”

“Thank you,” she said, giving him an understanding smile. Then she was off again. 

Now Rose was able to follow the light without worrying about the rocky terrain. Her heart was thumping so loudly in her ears that she worried it would interfere with her hearing, but as the light grew brighter, a murmur of voices reached her. She slowed, trying unsuccessfully to pick up the conversation, scared she might be detected. A pile of loose rubble sat directly in her path, though this time she would easily be able climb over it. She began to do just that, then faltered. 

On the other side of the pile was a ledge that dropped abruptly into a large open space. Now the voices from below were clearer, though their owners spoke softly. 

“How would you do it, Doctor? You want willing volunteers? Fine.” A female voice Rose had to assume belonged to the Rani. “Help me convince these people to join my cause! I have more Time Lord DNA than you know. I have a sample from the Master from decades ago. I even have some of your own from a past meeting. It is possible.” 

Alarm bells immediately went off in Rose's head. Carefully climbing to the very top of the rock pile, she looked down on the scene below. A rudimentary laboratory had been set up in the space. Looking straight down over the ledge made her dizzy, but directly below her she caught sight of three identical devices made of glass, almost like giant test tubes. Thinking of sci fi movies, of clones being grown in tanks, Rose guessed these were the looms. 

The Doctor was standing at the back of the room, beside one of the large alien birds that had been chained to the wall, speaking with a striking, dark haired woman who looked like she might be middle-aged if she were human. 

The Doctor was facing away from them both, head bowed in a way Rose had seen before. The voice she heard from him next was calm, calculated. 

“... If I agreed… and I'm not saying I do… You would need to find a way to do it ethically. Or I will shut you down. Is that clear?”

Rose's blood went cold. If he agreed? To what? Agreed to help manipulate the human population into giving their DNA to this lunatic? 

The people of this world had become pliable, so easily manipulated that they saw no inconsistencies in the piecemeal world they lived in. They fawned over strangers for showing the smallest hint of intelligence, and backed down at the slightest disagreement. 

They were puppets already. And the Doctor was willing to consider helping Rani coerce them? Rose's stomach twisted. 

Even if they lifted the mind control before making this attempt… What chance did any of these humans stand against two ageless, genius Time Lords? 

“Whatever you say, Doctor.”

Rose waited for the Doctor's answer, breath held. He wouldn't even consider trusting the Rani, would he? Hadn't he made his position clear? He'd explained to Rose that there was no way to do this ethically. Then again… 

He'd lost his entire species, an experience Rose couldn't fathom. Who could say how that would affect his judgment? And though it hurt to admit it… this wouldn't be the first time he showed that his moral code was not exactly in line with her own. 

Why did it automatically follow that his  morality should be the correct one? 

“What do you need from me?”

Rose's new found anger flared in a way she barely recognized, and she acted on instinct. 

These might not be her people, but they were human. Between herself and the Doctor, she had the greater right to speak for them. 

Ducking back behind the pile of rocks, she began pushing on them with all her might. Only the top stones budged at first, but she thought she could manage to shift the heavier ones with a little leverage. Lancelot’s sword fit snugly into a wide crack under a heavy rock near the top, and placing the hilt on her shoulder, Rose pushed upwards with her whole body, trying to dislodge the boulder above. 

It started with an unpleasant scraping noise that grew louder, and the stone finally came free of its place, tumbling down the rockside. As though in slow motion, one by one more of the rocks joined their companions, until half of the rock pile was falling in an unstoppable cascade onto the equipment below. 

Rose scrambled backwards to avoid being swept up in the rock slide, pressing herself against the wall behind her. A deafening cacophony filled the cavern, the splintering sound of shattering glass joining the sound of falling rubble, echoing off the walls. 

The ringing silence that followed felt like a held breath. The entire event must have only taken seconds, but it felt much longer. Rose slowly stepped forward to look down at the heap of detritus that had once been the looms. Glass lay everywhere beneath the boulders, liquid spreading out in a dark circle across the floor. 

Finally, she looked up to see the Doctor staring at her. His shocked expression slowly transformed, chin lowering so all she could pay attention to were those dark eyes, that brooding brow. She took a steadying breath and squared her shoulders, jaw clenched tight. She wasn't afraid of his anger. She could match it any day. 

It only lasted a moment, before the room was split by a fearsome scream of rage. 

—

Chapter Text

—

With a soul shattering shriek, the Rani sprinted towards the pile of rubble that now stood where the looms had been a moment before. The Doctor watched her crumble to her knees, grabbing smaller stones from the pile and tossing them aside. She took hold of a boulder that proved too heavy to shift, and gave it up, turning instead to the puddle spreading across the packed dirt ground. Her hands came down in the liquid, illogically trying to keep it from spreading further as though trying to staunch a wound. 

It wasn't until the Doctor saw the glistening liquid on her hands turning red that he broke out of his shock and darted towards her. He pulled her by the shoulders, dragging her back from the broken glass that had already lacerated her palms. She was still screaming her wordless rage, but didn't resist him until he took hold of her hands, instinctively preparing to channel a bit of regenerative energy into them. 

“Get off me!” The Rani spat, pulling her hands free and taking a swing at the Doctor. This time he dodged her attack, ducking out of the way and landing on his arse in the dirt. She took advantage of her freedom at once, stumbling a little when she got to her feet and whirling on the spot, looking around her as if searching for an undo button. 

“You duplicitous snake!” She growled in his direction, “you coward! So that was your plan? Distract me so you could have one of your faithful little lapdogs ruin everything? I suppose I should admire you, I never knew you had such skills in deception.” There was contempt dripping from every word. “I actually believed you wanted this as much as I did.” She gave a humourless laugh, “here I thought you'd take the opportunity to create something rather than destroy it, Doctor. But I had you all wrong… You're cold, aren't you. Colder than I am.”

The Rani held his eyes while she gave the Doctor a tiny, sarcastic bow. She was shaking with the effort of containing her anger. He didn't try to stop her as she went for her work table, pocketing a handful of tools that looked to be of her own design. Then she turned and fled to the far corner, and for the first time, the Doctor recognized the telltale edges of her TARDIS, blending almost perfectly against the rock wall. She pushed the door open, then turned back to the Doctor and pointed to the top of the rock wall. 

“If I ever lay eyes on that meddling carbuncle again,” she snarled, “I swear to you Doctor, she will never see another morning. But not you. You, I'll leave to enjoy your solitude.”

The Rani disappeared into her TARDIS, slamming the door shut behind her. A moment later the sound of engines filled the cavern, and the ship disappeared. 

The Doctor finally dragged his eyes back up to where Rose had been standing before. The ledge was deserted. 

—

“We need to go back the way we came.”

“My lady?” 

Rose passed the sword through the gap in the wall before hoisting herself through after it, and Lancelot scrambled from his place seated in the dark to help pull her safely to the other side. She stooped to gather her discarded gown before marching back the way they'd come. 

“Careful my lady, you'll trip!” Lancelot was trying to get ahead of her, but it proved difficult in the deepening darkness. 

“Then I'll trip. God, why did we think this was a good idea…”

Rose followed the wall with one hand, moving as quickly as she dared. 

“Is Sir Doctor alright?”

“Right now I don't give a rats arse how he is,” Rose muttered, but followed in a louder voice, “he's fine. I think. He found her, the Ra— uh, Lady Morgaine.”

“He found her! And he lives?”

“For now,” Rose said darkly. The knight seemed to take this as enough information and followed Rose the rest of the way in silence. 

The journey back through the cavern took no time at all. They found the fork where they'd left the Doctor behind, and Rose turned to Lancelot, taking him by the arm. 

“Listen, there's something… the Lady Morgaine did something to your world. Changed it.”

“The dragons,” he said, nodding gravely. 

“No, not… I mean, yes, but this is something else. More. Something you don't remember.”

“Alright…”

“It's hard to explain. The Doctor and I are gonna fix it, don't worry. I just wanted you to… Be prepared, I guess. It might be alarming.”

Lancelot gave her a skeptical frown. It was the first time she'd seen anything besides doting admiration on his face, and she found it a refreshing sight. 

“I will be ready.” 

Rose grimaced, nodded, and turned to follow the Doctor's path. 

She listened carefully for voices as the light ahead grew brighter, but heard nothing. They approached a bend in the path and slowed, tucking in close to the wall to peer around the corner. 

The Doctor was alone in the large, torchlit space. He crouched in a far corner, surrounded by wires and various pieces of unrecognizable equipment, apparently trying to identify which lead to which. Rose's extremities were going cold with nervous energy, but couldn't tell if the greater part was from the anticipation of his anger or her own. 

“Doctor.” 

The Doctor didn't pause to acknowledge her presence, only stood to pull a length of wire out of the rats nest at his feet. Rose squared her shoulders and approached him from behind. 

“Did you find the brainwashing device?”

“Think so,” he said, still not looking at her, “but it will need to be disconnected in a very specific order or risk a short, and that would endanger the entire population. Excuse me.” He pushed past her to access a generator on the other end of the wires, lowered the power, and passed her again, unerringly focused on his task. Rose ground her teeth, but forced herself to take a calming breath. She didn't have to behave like a child just because he was. 

“Are you sure we should turn it off now? We don't know how everyone's gonna react, wouldn't it be better to wait until we can be there to explain everything?”

“Think you can haul this back to the TARDIS?” The Doctor stood aside and thumped the top of the large metal machine that Rose hadn't taken a proper look at before. “No? Me neither.” He immediately returned to examining the many wires plugged into the side, taking readings with his sonic. Finally choosing one to unplug, he pulled out one long metal prong and took more readings. Rose shuffled her feet awkwardly. 

“Where's the Rani?”

“Gone.”

"Oh. Okay.” She wanted to know more, but now seemed like the wrong moment to ask. “What d’you think will happen to everyone when you turn off the–” 

“Rose, I need to concentrate right now.” 

Stung, Rose turned and left him to finish alone. Lancelot had stopped to stare wide-eyed at the chained bird that sat contentedly ignoring them all. He held his hands behind his back as if to avoid the temptation of reaching out and petting it. 

“Morgaine is gone. The Doctor sorted it.” Rose thought she saw a touch of disappointment in the knight's posture. 

“That is… I'm glad of it.” He finally looked away from the sedate creature and smiled tightly at Rose. “It is a strange thing for me to join such an expedition and… fail so completely to fulfill my duty.”

“Oh, don't say that Lance, you were a huge help—“

“I provided no service a servant could not have done with as much success. It is vanity only. I could not reciprocate the service you provided me, with such a generous heart, strangers as we were at the time. And to continue on alone this day, without my promised protection…” He ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, messing it perfectly. “You have humbled me, my lady. You and your Lord, both.”

“My Lord?” Rose wrinkled her nose and continued warmly, “the Doctor is not my Lord. He's my friend, my travel companion. I don’t, like, follow his commands or anything like that.”

“Ah… accept my apologies.” He glanced over Rose's shoulder, then lowered his voice a little. “If… Lady Rose.” Rose's hands were gathered between his leather gloves. “I hoped that in providing my assistance I might earn the right to court you. I vowed not to do so until I could prove myself worthy. Yet here I stand, a failure and liar even to myself, unworthy yet still willing to prostrate myself before you.” Rose squirmed internally and began to pull her hands away and reply, but he stopped her. “Please, give no response now. If you accept my attentions now I shall know it is out of pity, only. And if you say no I will be duty bound to honour your refusal. Please, only say that you will not refuse me outright until I've had an opportunity to win you?”

The idea of being ‘won’ made Rose want to slap him, but the feeling quickly passed. He couldn't be blamed for having some… medieval beliefs. All things considered, he was fairly forward thinking for a fictional, Arthurian knight. She smiled kindly, extracting one hand and laying it on his forearm. 

“How ‘bout this… I won't say no now, but you won't go making any promises either. I can't explain, but honest, things are gonna change for you soon. I don't want you feeling like you've painted yourself into a corner, alright?”

The unfamiliar idiom put a furrow in the knight's brow, but as Rose had seen over and over again, he accepted her word without question, nodding resignedly. 

“I cannot imagine anything that would cause my affections for you to waver, my lady… but I shall do as you ask.”

Rose gave him a worried smile, and he slowly leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. Even if the attention wasn't something she wanted to encourage, well, she was only human, and he was undeniably a gorgeous, kind, charming man who clearly liked a woman with a strong backbone. She couldn't help but be a little flutterpated. 

Lancelot’s voice was low and sweet when he pulled away again. 

“I would turn the world over for a woman like you. Move mountains to become the man you deserve… it is the least a man could do.”

Flustered, Rose could barely meet his eyes. She sputtered, looking for something to say, but before anything came to her Lancelot’s eyes went wide and unfocused. His hands went slack in hers, and he collapsed, unconscious on the ground. She stared at his lifeless form in shock for a moment, then turned back to the Doctor just as he was tossing a bundle of wires aside, giving Rose an exaggerated grin. 

“Sorry, did I interrupt?”

—

Chapter Text

—

The ride back to the TARDIS was ominously silent. Lancelot was draped over his horse's back, snoring lightly. The armor had disappeared, making the task of getting him up there a lot easier. Aside from a few short, gruff instructions from the Doctor in order to work together and get the man up there, neither of the conscious travelers had spoken a word to each other. 

Rose could feel the Doctor storing up his anger to let loose on her when they were alone. She'd seen it before. For once though, she was going to have enough of her own to meet him half way. 

They led the horses back inside the ship, and Rose noticed the Doctor taking no pains to avoid bonking Lancelot’s head on the railings as he led the horse up the ramp, so she rushed forward and guided the beast just a little to the side. The poor guy had been brainwashed for who knew how long, a concussion on top of things wouldn't help. 

Still pretending Rose didn't exist, the Doctor started the engines. The noise must have been just what was needed to rouse the former knight; he stirred and groaned, shifting on the horse's back. 

“He's waking up,” Rose said, hurrying over to steady him. 

“Good for him.”

“He's gonna fall off!” She snapped, “You're mad at me, don't take it out on him. He's done nothing wrong.” 

Like a moody preteen, the Doctor rolled his eyes and joined her to help Lancelot to the ground. Once the man was safely seated on the steps, the Doctor returned to the console to move them back to the castle. 

“Take it easy,” Rose said to the man formerly known as Lancelot, making sure he didn't fall over, “do you know where you are?”

The man looked around him, then at Rose, and his eyes were wide and shell shocked. 

“It's okay,” she went on, rubbing his back, “take your time.”

“I was… this is the… the ship…”

“Yeah, you remember, from before?”

“I remember… what the hell?!” He started taking fast, shallow breaths, grabbing at his hair.

“It's alright! Head between your knees!” Rose gave him a little nudge and he did as she suggested. “Doctor, help him!”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“I dunno, explain?”

“You explain. You're perfectly capable of taking matters into your own hands.”

Rose shot a glare in the Doctor's direction. 

“Well,” she said, “you know what they say about getting a job done right.”

“Is that what we're calling it?”

“I didn't see anyone else following the plan.”

“That was not the plan!” He spat, “that equipment belonged to Gallifrey, that decision was not yours to—”

“She was gonna force these people to breed!” Rose stood to face him, glowering. “She was psychotic, Doctor!”

“I had the situation under control!”

“Oh please,” Rose scoffed, crossing her arms, “she'd manipulated you! She found your weakness and exploited it in a second!”

“Did you never stop to think that we could have found a compromise? That was an opportunity that will never come for me again, Rose! You had no right—”

“I had every right, Doctor! These are my people, not yours—”

“These are not your people—”

“Close enough!! And they've been brainwashed to be obedient, gullible idiots! They couldn't consent, no matter what you did! So yeah, I made the choice for them, I saved them from the bad guy, because in the end, Doctor, you chose your people, people who don't even exist, over mine!”

Silence fell between them, the Doctor glaring at her with his nostrils flaring. Rose wondered if that last point had been a little too harsh. 

“Um, sorry to interrupt,” Lancelot piped up from the stairs, “just… could you take me back to the University?”

Rose turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. 

“University?”

“Uh, yeah. I'd like to see if everyone's alright.”

—

Lancelot’s real name, it turned out, was Jace. And Jace was surprisingly talkative. Once he'd adjusted to his surroundings, the pieces began to fall rapidly into place, and he couldn't help exclaiming over every new connection. He started rattling off the names of his mates at school who had become fellow knights, and was thoroughly affronted by the ‘casting’ of Prince Arthur. 

“Ardro Phe’more? Like that guy needs a bigger ego.”

“I don't think it was based on personal qualities,” Rose said a little wearily, “she needed him to be Arthur ‘cause of who his ancestors were, that's all.”

“Still, never gonna hear the end of it.”

As it happened, Jace was a nursing student in his second year at Tridect University. He knew there was an equestrian program at the school, but had never ridden a horse before this little adventure began. Now that he was no longer able to rely on his false training, his nerves couldn't be overcome. Thankfully they weren't parked too far off this time, and it wouldn't be a terrible hike to Camelot. Or, rather, to the University. 

It didn't take long for the Doctor to become irritated with the chatter, and he took his horse to walk on, a few yards ahead. Jace lowered his voice; apparently he'd been waiting for a chance to talk to Rose alone. 

“Listen, uh, Rose.” She dimly noticed how odd it felt to hear him say her name without ‘lady’ before it. “About what I said earlier, in the cave…”

“Please, don't even worry about it,” she said quickly, “I told you, don't get in over your head before you know all the facts. I'm not gonna hold you to anything you said. Besides, I'm not from here, I won't be staying.”

“Right… I appreciate that. Not that I'm not… I mean, you're very… but I have a, well, not a girlfriend, not yet. A sort of maybe almost. I think. At least, she was before all this.”

“Oo, tell me!”

“Her name's Triss. She's a year ahead of me in the same program. You know her as Guinevere.”

“Oh!” Rose laughed, surprised and delighted, “well, I guess that fits.”

“We had been seeing each other for a few weeks, but nothing was official. I have no idea how she feels about me now. We've both gotten… sidetracked, over the past few months. We've barely said two words to each other. And who knows how she feels about Arthur. Uh, Ardro.”

Rose chose not to mention that Ardro was not the man Jace needed to worry about catching Triss’s eye. 

“Hey. Don't worry. Your crush on me wasn't real, right? You haven't totally forgotten about her. Trust that it's the same for her.”

“... Right. Yeah. Thank you.” Jace cleared his throat and avoided her eye. Oh, sweet boy, he couldn't hide his thoughts from her to save his life. She gave him a friendly pat on the arm, just as they reached the turn in the road they'd been following, opening up the view of the Once and Past Camelot. 

The main building of the University was much the same shape as the castle had been, but instead of the flat grey stonework, it was built in brick and wood, with rows and rows of tall windows on every floor. The wall surrounding the center of the city had disappeared, and the little houses and stalls had been replaced by apartment buildings, parks, what might have been a mall, all the type of infrastructure Rose was more accustomed to. As they entered the city core, Rose noticed automated foot passenger trams running down every street. 

The biggest change, of course, was the people. It looked like the whole city was outside, gathered in chattering groups, exclaiming and speculating about the mass hallucination they'd all experienced. Their clothing now had such a myriad of styles, Rose no longer felt completely out of place in the tank top and leggings she wore - her discarded gown had disappeared along with Lancelot’s armor - it was only the fabrics that were obviously of another time. 

They reached the courtyard, where a relieved looking woman took the three horses off their hands with a glower that made Rose feel like a thief, and they started up the staircase to the main entrance. The Doctor hadn't said a word since leaving the ship, but now paused in the doorway. 

“Who is Uther, here at the University?” He directed the question to Jace. 

“Asht. Fitz.”

“Bless you.”

“Pardon?”

“Is Asht a name or a title?”

Jace frowned, “a title. His level of authority? He is the head of the School. Do you not use this education system where you're from?”

“No, but I get the gist. Right, he should be able to explain the situation to everyone. Let's get him up to speed, then we can go.”

He started toward the hall that had once been the throne room, but Rose stayed where she was, crossing her arms. 

“I want to find Gwen. Triss.”

The Doctor sighed, glancing back at her, and she could tell he was weighing whether it was worth picking a fight. Apparently he wasn't quite that petty. 

“Fine. Meet me here in twenty.”

“I'll meet you here when I'm done,” she said pointedly. 

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

The Doctor walked away, and Rose marched up the stairs, heading for Guinevere’s old bedroom. Jace was following right behind her. 

“Are you two going to be alright?”

“I dunno,” Rose said brusquely, not particularly interested in getting into it. 

“You seem so close. I hope this isn't a significant rift.”

“Yeah,” Rose sighed, “neither do I, I guess.”

“You aren't a couple, though.”

“No.”

“No, or not yet?”

She shot a look at Jace, who was wearing a smug smirk. 

“I spent a fair bit of time paying very close attention to you two over the last couple of days… At the time I was hoping for proof that you two were just friends. I wasn't able to come to a definite conclusion.”

Rose huffed and continued down the hall. She was perfectly aware of how other people saw them. It didn't change what they were. 

“I just mean… he obviously cares a great deal for you, Rose. I'm sure this fight will be short lived.”

She hoped he was right, but she didn't want to think about it right now. She sped up, made it to the room she'd shared with Gwen, and knocked. Ten seconds later the door swung open. 

“Rose! Thank God!” Triss pulled her into a quick hug. “Wait, is it Rose?” She held Rose's shoulders and laughed, “it's all so confusing! The place is in total chaos, everyone has a different theory about what's going on.” She turned and led Rose into the room. It still had a bed and wardrobe, but all the furniture felt a little out of place now, mismatched in a way Rose hadn't noticed before. The length of windows along the wall certainly hadn't been there when she'd last seen the place. She wondered if this had once been a classroom. 

“My name is actually Triss, but the way! Triss Whendam. I'm guessing you know by now this is actually a school?” Triss was going through the room checking drawers, the wardrobe, under the bed. “I'm just seeing if anything here is actually mine before I go home. Found your dress, by the way!” She said, pointing to the blue gown laid across the bed. 

“Thank you! And yes, I'm still Rose,” Rose said, smiling, feeling her anxiety over the fight with the Doctor fade into the background. Triss was still beautiful, but that uncanny level of flawlessness must have been part of the glamor. She seemed much more human now, much more relatable, and Rose found there was something about her cheerful, laid back manner that put her at ease. “I wasn't part of this whole thing.”

“That's some relief! One less name to get mixed up!” Triss turned back to the door and her face went blank, looking over Rose's shoulder. 

Jace was hovering in the doorway looking nervous. Rose felt immediately in the way, and shuffled to the side, trying to disappear. 

“Hey, Triss.”

A second later Triss had given a shriek that must have been Jace’s name, and launched herself across the room, throwing her arms around his neck. Rose turned away to roll up her gown, giving them a modicum of privacy while they had a very thorough reunion snog. It crossed her mind belatedly that she got to see the legendary romance unfold after all, it just hadn't been quite as dramatic as the Arthurian one. Thankfully, it probably wouldn't be as tragic, either. 

After a minute or two, Rose finally cleared her throat, and the pair separated. 

“Rose, so sorry!” Triss was blushing, and Jace was beaming, his arm wrapped around her waist. “It's been a while since we…” She trailed off in an embarrassed but gleeful sort of way. Jace came to her rescue. 

“The Doctor is explaining the situation to Fitz, do we want to go downstairs and get the whole story?”

“Good idea,” Rose said, smirking. 

“Sure!” 

Jace led the way out, his arm still around Triss’s waist. She glanced over her shoulder. 

“The Doctor is actually his name?”

Rose laughed. 

—

The Doctor was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, as promised. Triss was far less awkward with the Doctor than Rose had last seen her, apparently completely over her crush now that she and her Lancelot were finally reunited. They said their goodbyes and followed the steady crowd of people heading to the hall. Apparently news had been spreading that there would be a meeting to discuss the events of the past few months, and to rectify any ongoing problems. Rose and the Doctor slipped out without being stopped. 

—

It was another ten minutes on their way back to the TARDIS before either of them spoke. Rose kept building arguments in her head, prepared for whatever he threw at her, so that by the time he did speak, she was ready to explode. 

“I've thought about what you said,” the Doctor said without preamble, “about these people being… obedient.”

Rose's anger was temporarily kept at bay by her curiosity. 

“Oh?”

“... You might have had a point.”

This knocked the thoughts temporarily out of her head. 

“Oh.”

They walked in silence for a few more minutes. It was the Doctor who broke it again. 

“The Rani is… as you said, a psychopath. A brilliant psychopath. She's smarter than I am.” Rose glanced sideways at him, but he was apparently being completely sincere. “This was a new challenge for me… I've never found myself in agreement with her goals. I can't say I enjoyed the feeling. But she's always been persuasive… and I found it much more difficult to resist when I wanted it as much as she did. Maybe moreso.”

Rose nodded. She wanted to be very careful with her wording. 

“I can imagine how difficult it must have been.”

“I'm not sure you can. Not sure anyone can.” He sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. “The looms… I never expected to see Time Lord technology again, beyond the TARDIS. I saw a possibility that I'd thought was gone. They gave me…”

“... Hope.”

He nodded. 

“And so you see me as the person who… crushed your last hope.”

The Doctor stopped walking, staring at his feet for a second. 

“I understand why you did what you did,” he said, “and under the circumstances, without any opportunity to discuss… it made sense.” He looked her in the eye for the first time in over an hour. “But I can't pretend I'm happy it was all destroyed. I wish I could have said something to you before you'd done it. Told you not to.”

“I still would have done it.”

The Doctor stiffened, and they sized each other up for a moment. 

“You told me,” Rose said carefully, “there's almost no way to successfully build a new race with so little Time Lord DNA. Right?”

“... I did say that, yes.”

“You also told me there's no bringing back the dead.”

The Doctor sighed, dropping his head. He looked infinitely exhausted. She didn't want to beat him over the head with the point. That he couldn't turn back time. That he couldn't erase the past by trying to make a whole race of new people. By trying to replace the ones that had been lost. Rose took pity on him, stepping forward to put a comforting hand on his arm. 

“I'm sorry I hurt you, Doctor.” The Doctor's hand covered hers on his arm. “But I'm not sorry the looms are gone.” They watched each other carefully, and Rose had the sense that he was reading in her face much more than he'd noticed before. She took a bracing breath and went on. 

“Thing is… I am not always gonna agree with you. And I'm not always going to follow your orders. If you want someone who's not got any opinions then go hire an employee, or a servant, ‘cause I'm not having that, alright? I don't want that.”

“No. That's not what I want from you, Rose.” At last the final layer of ice between them melted, and the Doctor pulled Rose into a tight hug. She held him twice as tightly, digging her fingers into his leather jacket. “I like that you know your own mind, Rose… I would be a hypocrite if I went cherry picking the parts of your brain that agree with mine.”

Rose chuckled, “it wouldn't be nearly as interesting, anyway.”

The Doctor laughed as well, and pulled back to look down at her, holding her by the shoulders. 

“I want the full package. The whole Rose experience. Even if I need the occasional reminder.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Rose's heart swelled. 

“Hey, you knew I liked an argument before you invited me,” Rose grinned, sticking her tongue out through her teeth, “I swear to make sure you never forget it.”

The Doctor gave an exaggerated sigh and wrapped an arm around Rose's neck, leading her back towards the TARDIS. 

“What would I do without you?”

She gave his waist a squeeze. 

“Good thing you never have to find out.”

—

Fin.