Chapter Two
Tis short, but hopefully enjoyable. Once again, this is for the AU fanfic challenge.
Chapter Two
Hours later Rose took to pacing in the opulent room that she and the Doctor had been given. Living on the TARDIS wrecked havoc on one’s sense of time and normal sleep schedules were the first things to go. So, although it had been quite late when they arrived and the sun was now peaking over the horizon, Rose didn’t feel even slightly tired. She continued her conversation with the Doctor as she paced.
“I’ll admit the room is quite nice, but you’re avoiding my question.” She took a deep breath and emphasized her words. “Why. Are. We. Locked. In?”
The Doctor sat up on the bed and shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish grin. “Eugenides was always known for his exceptionally sharp mind. Well, eventually anyway. It’s possible the psychic paper just didn’t work on him. Either way, he’s probably just figuring out what to do with us, wants to see if we’re any good or not.”
Rose pursed her lips. “I don’t like it though. Normally when we get locked up it’s a sign that things are going downhill. Why won’t you just use your sonic on the door and get us back to the TARDIS? Why are you so keen on meeting this Eugenides bloke?”
“Because,” the Doctor said with a wicked grin, “I think he’ll be a LOT of fun.”
Just then Captain Fun-Time himself emerged from what Rose could have sworn was a previously unoccupied corner. The Doctor jumped visibly then laughed out loud.
“See, what did I tell you, Rose? He’s a bloody brilliant half-ninja!”
Eugenides had been planning on an expression of intimidating aloofness, but once again the Doctor was too absurd for him to deal with. As a result the king quirked an eyebrow. This man was like an overgrown child.
“You’re not gods,” the kings spoke simply.
The Doctor waited to see if Eugenides was going to add anything to that little insight. Silence reigned, so the Doctor nodded and smiled with a cheeky grin. “I’ll give you that. We are most definitely not gods.”
Eugenides continued to stare at them as though hoping to pierce through them with his eyes. Finally he let out a most un-royal snort.
“Alright, I give up. What are you?”
The Doctor turned and smiled at Rose. “I always love this bit.” He looked back at Eugenides and held his arms akimbo. “Hello, King of Attolia! I’m the Lord of Time!”
Silence filled the room again and the king quirked an eyebrow once more. He turned to Rose.
“And who are you? The wife of the doctor-lord from a box? I love your earrings, by the way.”
Rose smiled at the opulently dressed king and wondered briefly if he was someone whom Jack would like to meet. “Thank you. No, I’m just his companion. An assistant, if you like.”
Eugenides stared at them for a while longer, searching for the right words that would get him the information he wanted, but still keep his secrets close to his chest. Finally though he could take it no longer and his thoughts simply burst from him. “Why do you have a box that’s bigger on the inside?! What is that? How does it even…Gah!” He threw up his arms in frustration.
“Oh, so you went into it,” said the Doctor. “I thought you might. I hope you didn’t touch anything though…”
“No,” said the king matter-of-factly, “it was tacky inside. I couldn’t see anything I would want.” He cast another look at Rose’s ears and made a mental note to find her jewelry box at some point. Then his face turned deadly serious. “Now answer the question.”
The Doctor smiled again. “We’ve only just met, but I’ve got to say I love that intimidating glare thing you do. I can see why you scared off so many enemies…” The Doctor cleared his throat as Eugenides demonstrated his intimidating glare thing. “Right, well that’s the TARDIS you’re talking about and it’s…a gift from the gods?”
“No it’s not. I checked.”
Rose broke in then. “What’s that supposed to mean? Did you look for its bloody ‘gods certification’ tag?” She huffed in exasperation and turned to the Doctor. “Can we please just go? This is going downhill fast and it feels like we’re about two steps from getting thrown in a dungeon. I think…”
Her words suddenly died off as she looked back at Eugenides and for the first time found herself on the receiving end of his angry glare. Rose had met kings before and she had looked into the eyes of the devil itself, but she had never had a simple look make her feel so helpless and small inside. She had never felt a normal human being exude such raw, undeniable power.
She began to tremble where she stood, but the voice that spoke next belonged to neither king nor Doctor. “Two steps away, you think? No, I would say at this point you are far closer to pain than that.”
“Oh,” Rose heard the Doctor speak behind her with a note of apprehension in his voice, “I was hoping to avoid meeting you…”
Chapter Two
Hours later Rose took to pacing in the opulent room that she and the Doctor had been given. Living on the TARDIS wrecked havoc on one’s sense of time and normal sleep schedules were the first things to go. So, although it had been quite late when they arrived and the sun was now peaking over the horizon, Rose didn’t feel even slightly tired. She continued her conversation with the Doctor as she paced.
“I’ll admit the room is quite nice, but you’re avoiding my question.” She took a deep breath and emphasized her words. “Why. Are. We. Locked. In?”
The Doctor sat up on the bed and shrugged his shoulders with a sheepish grin. “Eugenides was always known for his exceptionally sharp mind. Well, eventually anyway. It’s possible the psychic paper just didn’t work on him. Either way, he’s probably just figuring out what to do with us, wants to see if we’re any good or not.”
Rose pursed her lips. “I don’t like it though. Normally when we get locked up it’s a sign that things are going downhill. Why won’t you just use your sonic on the door and get us back to the TARDIS? Why are you so keen on meeting this Eugenides bloke?”
“Because,” the Doctor said with a wicked grin, “I think he’ll be a LOT of fun.”
Just then Captain Fun-Time himself emerged from what Rose could have sworn was a previously unoccupied corner. The Doctor jumped visibly then laughed out loud.
“See, what did I tell you, Rose? He’s a bloody brilliant half-ninja!”
Eugenides had been planning on an expression of intimidating aloofness, but once again the Doctor was too absurd for him to deal with. As a result the king quirked an eyebrow. This man was like an overgrown child.
“You’re not gods,” the kings spoke simply.
The Doctor waited to see if Eugenides was going to add anything to that little insight. Silence reigned, so the Doctor nodded and smiled with a cheeky grin. “I’ll give you that. We are most definitely not gods.”
Eugenides continued to stare at them as though hoping to pierce through them with his eyes. Finally he let out a most un-royal snort.
“Alright, I give up. What are you?”
The Doctor turned and smiled at Rose. “I always love this bit.” He looked back at Eugenides and held his arms akimbo. “Hello, King of Attolia! I’m the Lord of Time!”
Silence filled the room again and the king quirked an eyebrow once more. He turned to Rose.
“And who are you? The wife of the doctor-lord from a box? I love your earrings, by the way.”
Rose smiled at the opulently dressed king and wondered briefly if he was someone whom Jack would like to meet. “Thank you. No, I’m just his companion. An assistant, if you like.”
Eugenides stared at them for a while longer, searching for the right words that would get him the information he wanted, but still keep his secrets close to his chest. Finally though he could take it no longer and his thoughts simply burst from him. “Why do you have a box that’s bigger on the inside?! What is that? How does it even…Gah!” He threw up his arms in frustration.
“Oh, so you went into it,” said the Doctor. “I thought you might. I hope you didn’t touch anything though…”
“No,” said the king matter-of-factly, “it was tacky inside. I couldn’t see anything I would want.” He cast another look at Rose’s ears and made a mental note to find her jewelry box at some point. Then his face turned deadly serious. “Now answer the question.”
The Doctor smiled again. “We’ve only just met, but I’ve got to say I love that intimidating glare thing you do. I can see why you scared off so many enemies…” The Doctor cleared his throat as Eugenides demonstrated his intimidating glare thing. “Right, well that’s the TARDIS you’re talking about and it’s…a gift from the gods?”
“No it’s not. I checked.”
Rose broke in then. “What’s that supposed to mean? Did you look for its bloody ‘gods certification’ tag?” She huffed in exasperation and turned to the Doctor. “Can we please just go? This is going downhill fast and it feels like we’re about two steps from getting thrown in a dungeon. I think…”
Her words suddenly died off as she looked back at Eugenides and for the first time found herself on the receiving end of his angry glare. Rose had met kings before and she had looked into the eyes of the devil itself, but she had never had a simple look make her feel so helpless and small inside. She had never felt a normal human being exude such raw, undeniable power.
She began to tremble where she stood, but the voice that spoke next belonged to neither king nor Doctor. “Two steps away, you think? No, I would say at this point you are far closer to pain than that.”
“Oh,” Rose heard the Doctor speak behind her with a note of apprehension in his voice, “I was hoping to avoid meeting you…”