Chapter Text
100) Challenge
“Good Morning.” The Lady said, entering the kitchen where the men were cooking breakfast.
“Tea my Lady.” The Doctor handed her a mug,
“Just the way you like it.” He added with his familiar grin.
“Morning Mi’Lady, I was just telling these guys some of our adventures, ” The Keeper smiled at her friend, as The Lady sat next to her.
“She was just about to tell us how you became Queen of Europe!” Amy added,
“Oh, That's a good story.” The Lady smiled, as the boys carried over breakfast, Bacon and eggs on toast.
“Mi’Lady tells it the best, after all she was there.” The Keeper smirked.
“Unlike you who hid in the Royal library the whole time.” The Keeper shrugged, mouth full of food.
“Please tell us the story.” The Doctor asked, and the Lady nodded.
“The Keeper and I went back to 1784, the Keeper was looking for a book that had been left behind, and contained the secrets of our people. We’d heard that it’d been left there. So that's where we went.” The Lady began.
“She searched all of Europe, While I became friends with the Dauphine of France. She told me that our book may be in the Royal Libraries. With the king of Europe. The Dauphine got us into the palace, and fell ill shortly after. My regeneration back then looked exactly like her. So she asked if I could take her place at the ball the night. As it was important that she, as the Dauphine of France and the only country not under the reign of the king of Europe, had to attend. I agreed, it was the least I could do for her after all she did for us.”
“So Mi’Lady did while I searched the library, I had no idea what was going on until Mi’Lady ran in, she was yelling that we had to leave.” The Keeper added.
“I’d accidentally caught the eye of the king, just by dancing. Before I could blink we were married, and I’d been crowned Queen of Europe, him believing me to be the Dauphine of France.”
“Anyway, We told the Dauphine, Who was just as shocked as we were, and made a hasty escape. Thankfully K found the book.”
“No thanks to you.” The Keeper teased,
“Why can’t you two have stories like that?”Amy asked The Doctor and The Master.
“I thought I was human for the past little while. I must have come further into the future than I planned, for me its only been 90 odd years.” The Master replied,
“Well, I was too busy.” The Doctor sighed,
“No, the Doctor just doesn’t like telling them because it means talking about his past companions.” The Keeper countered,
“He can’t handle being alone.”
“Yes I can!” He protested,
“Fine then! We’ll go see Mi’Lady’s husband, all of us, and we’ll see how long you can last alone with no companions, of any race or gender, just you and the Tardis.” The Keeper challenged
“I can’t just kick you out like that.”
“Course you can Doctor, and the Dauphine would love to see us again. Darling you’ll help won’t you?” The Lady directed her question to the Tardis.
“Sounds fun Mi’Lady, I’ll count the days till your return.”
“What did she say?” Rory asked, him and Amy still unable to understand the Tardis’ Gallifreyan
“She’ll help.” The Master summarized,
“Traitor. ” The Doctor mumbled, also in Gallifreyan.
“We don’t want to know that one!” Amy said, before the Master could translate it, making everyone laugh.
“So Doc, we all challenge you to go as long as you can without any companions.” The Keeper challenged, once the laughter had stopped,
“Amy, you’re about my size, I think I have a gown that’ll fit you, and we can always get more made. You still got yours K?” The Lady spoke,
“Gowns?” Amy asked,
“We’ll need to Blend in, in 1784, you’ll need a gown. You boys just ditch the jeans, preferably for tunics and such. We can have those made too though.” The Keeper explained, nodding to Amy.
“I can’t wait to see the Dauphine again.” The Lady smiled,
“Lady, I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” The Doctor started,
“You backing out already Doctor?” The Master asked,
“No course not.”
“Good, don’t worry about it. The Lady is the crowned Queen of Europe, she’ll be fine.” The Master reassured his friend.
“But you know, if you’re too worried you can always back out?”
“I Never back down from a challenge.”
~
An hour later the boys were in the control room, waiting, Rory and the Master in tunics they’d found in the Doctors vast wardrobe. The Doctor wore his normal suit and trench coat.
“Straight back, look forward, smile, but not too wide, show as little teeth as possible, Curtsy like this-.” They heard the Lady lecture Amy.
“What about us?” Rory asked nervously,
“Oh, you can act normal, speak a little more formally, especially since we’ll be at court. You’ll have to kiss a few ladies hands, and you bring your head to her hand, not the other way around. Bow with a straight back, legs straight, kneel with one knee bent. Follow the Lady’s lead where you can, court life is her forte, you’ll pick it up quickly.” The Doctor summarized,
“Ready? The Lady’s just making sure Amy won’t stand out too much.” The Keeper approached wearing an emerald green gown, and looking rather uncomfortable.
“Ready when you are.” The Master smiled,
“And you look beautiful.” He added, moving to the bottom of the stairs, meeting her there, and offering her his arm, which she accepted with a smile.
“Amy, Mi’Lady, lets go!” The Keeper called, and footsteps could be heard moving closer.
“I can’t breathe!” Amy complained,
“You must be able to, look at all the complaining you’re doing!” The Lady snapped, losing her temper.
“I’ll go.” The Doctor moved up the stairs and towards the two girls, moments later Amy appeared in a tightly corseted Ruby red gown.
“Amy you look stunning.” Rory stepped closer to his wife.
“Good because I can’t breathe!” Amy snapped, trying to take a deep breath, and the Keeper took pity on the girl.
“Take small light breaths, and if you value your life, stop complaining. Court Life, gowns and all is Mi’Lady’s forte and love, not even I would dare complain, nor would the Doctor, you watch her, she’ll fit right in as though she belongs.”
“Ready when you are Lady!” The Master called,
“Patience my Lord.” The Lady replied, walking downstairs in a Royal purple gown, and on the Doctor’s arm.
“We’ll see you soon Doc.” The Lady kissed his cheek, before walking right out the door, straight into a circle of armed guards.
“Oh Thank goodness, my companions and I were strolling through the gardens when it suddenly got dark, and we got lost.” She said quickly,
“Who are you?!” They demanded,
“How Dare you not recognize me?! I am the Best Friend of her highness the Queen!”
“I apologize my lady, it is dark, and we are hard of sight, may we escort you to the palace?” The head guard spoke, shushing his fellow guards.
“Much better, of course.” The other four stepped out of the Tardis.
“This is 1785 right?” The Keeper checked,
“Indeed my lady, the first month. Her highness will be overjoyed when she hears of your return.”
“Is this everyone Mi’Lady?” Another guard spoke.
“Indeed, Duchess Amy, and her Husband Duke Rory, then surely you remember my friend Dame K, and her husband, and myself.” They walked up a well lit path to the large main wooden doors.
“Their royal highness's are eating supper, do you wish for further accompaniment?” The Lady shook her head,
“Thank you, but I remember the way.”
“Of course my lady.” The guards melted into the surroundings, as the Lady led the group through a series of corridors.
“Married?” The Keeper hissed,
“You’ll thank me later.” The Lady stopped outside doors that were heavily guarded.
“Their highnesses are enjoying a private supper, they wish to be left alone.” Two guards barred their way.
“I’m the exception.” The Lady pushed past, slipping easily into the room, despite the large gown she wore.
“Miss Me Dauphine?” The Queen squealed, rushing to embrace her friend.
“Yes! How were your travels?! Is K here also!?” The Woman questioned excitedly.
“She’s stuck outside with some friends of ours.”
“Guards! Let them in!” The Queen called, moving to embrace the Keeper in much the same way.
“Your highness.” The Lady curtsied to the King, Amy, Rory and the Master followed her lead, curtsying and bowing to the king respectively.
“Do I know you?” The King asked,
“I’d hope so, you married her.” The Queen spoke up.
“Oh.” The King was at a loss for words, as The Lady turned to face the Queen,
“You told him?”
“He noticed you and I were not the same person Mi’Lady, I told him that you took my place as I was ill on the night of the ball. He has accepted that.”
“How’d you recognize mi’lady anyway? She has changed.” The Keeper asked,
“She is still the only person ever to refer to me as Dauphine, or stand up to Royal Guards. How long are you here for?”
“Only Until the Doctor realises he can not be alone, and returns for us.”
“So we have much to catch up on, and little time.”
~
The Doctor was pacing, he had been ever since the others had stepped out of the Tardis.
“Just go back and get them!” The Tardis sighed, sick of the constant movement.
“We are not having this conversation again!” The Doctor snapped, before opening the door of the Tardis, revealing the fact that it was suspended over the castle. It was sunset currently, but all he noticed was his friends eating a picnic dinner, laughing, and the Lady’s obvious absence. He stood silently and watched them, until the Lady joined them an hour later, walking alone, without the ever present guards the Doctor had noticed were with her whenever he saw her.
“What is wrong Mi’Lady?” The Keeper asked, and the Doctor was, yet again, thankful that their voices travelled.
“The Queen’s in labour, it is not pleasant, and our lord king, and my lord husband, is most impatient as to the time it is taking, so much so that he has ordered the castle be scrubbed and polished for the arrival of his heir. I could not stand to have to clean.” The Lady sat with them, but declined the food the Master offered her.
“Any sight of the Doctor?”
“No, nothing as yet, but if he promised you he’d return within a year, he’ll return within a year, he would dare not to disappoint you my Lady.” The Keeper replied, with a soft smile.
“Yet there is still naught a sign of our childhood companion, and the man you all call my lover.”
“Mi’Lady, you would agree with us if you could see the way he looks at you when he does not think you are looking.” The Doctor turned back towards the center.
“How many days has it been?”
“365, you’ve paced the floor for 300, passed out on the floor for 35, and spent an average of 30 watching them.”
“It’s felt like a week.” The Doctor raised his hand to his head.
“Well, i thought It’d be easier.” The Tardis replied,
“Right, Imma go shower, and change, and go to My Lady.” He headed for his room.
~
“Mi’Lady, come, it is Dark, and he has not returned, perhaps he is busy.” The Keeper spoke,
“He promised K.” The Lady whispered,
“Alright Mi’Lady, the guards will stay here with you. We shall be inside okay?” The Keeper accepted the Master’s arm, walking away, and knowing that the Lady would follow shortly, she always did.
“Hello there beautiful.” A voice made The Lady spin around.
“You’re late.” She accused the man.
“Oh no, course not, just making a fashionable entrance.” The Doctor moved away from where he was leaning on the Tardis.
“I heard there was a ball on tomorrow night, to celebrate the successful birth of the heir to the realm, a Baby boy.” He smiled, before glancing up at the castle, a slave was running full speed for the pair.
“Mi’Lady, Mi’Lady! A Baby boy! Named Ronaldo, their royal highness’s wish to name you godmother. Come quick.” The Slave mustered a hasty bow, before turning back for the castle.
“Would you care to accompany me? Or are you to again slip off into the starry skies?” The Lady asked the Doctor,
“I love it when you talk like that, and I think I shall stick around, if that’s alright with you Mi’Lady.” The Doctor bowed,
“Only if you will be my escort to the ball.” She bargained,
“It’d be my honour.” He replied, kissing her hand softly, before straightening.
“Guards, could you escort this box to my chambers.”
“Right away Ma’am.” The Doctor offered the Lady his arm, and she accepted, allowing him to lead her up to the castle.
~
“So how long did he last?” The Master asked, slipping into the Tardis with the Keeper and the Lady.
“Full 365 days, but to him it seemed merely a week, we’ve been resting overhead the whole time, he was watching, we never even left.” The Tardis replied,
“Did he get any rest?” The Lady asked, concerned,
“Indeed Mi’Lady, he passed out once or twice, for a total of 35 days. He spent 300 pacing, and the rest watching you all when you left the castle.”
“So would you say he passed or failed the challenge?”
There was uproar in the Tardis, when no one could agree.