first_in_time | Knights in Shining Armour [for Splendid

In the TARDIS wardrobe Barbara was squeezing herself into appropriate clothing with the help of Susan. The whirling of the engines had stopped a short while ago and one quick glance at the scanners determined that they were in an era which required suitable clothing. Barbara had bustled everyone into the wardrobe room and assisted in their outfit decisions.

"I still don't understand why I have to be a boy," Susan commented once Barbara was laced up and covered with yet another layer of cloth. "I'd quite like to wear a pretty dress and a corset."

"Trust me, Susan, I'd be a boy too if I could get away with it." Barbara placed a cloth over her head and secured it down with a band of twined, neutral colours. Susan admired her in the mirror.

"But with Ian and Grandfather around, we'd be alright."

Barbara tried not to look doubtful and managed well enough. "Yes, I know. Come on, they're waiting for us."

Arm in arm, the female companions of the TARDIS team walked elegantly from the wardrobe and into the control room where the Doctor and Ian were meant to be waiting for them. The doors were wide open, however, indicating that they'd already left.

"We'd best go and find them," Barbara sighed and stepped out into a pleasant, English summer day in the early fifteenth century.

Colourful tents and crests spread out before them, and a wide array of people went about their business. Some in armour, some in finery and others dressed in every day clothes. There were squires, ladies, rich looking old men, knights and some questionable women. Barbara, however, was keeping her eyes out for more familiar faces, namely those of the Doctor and Ian.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

There was a small hesitation before Barbara went back to her searching. It was true that the idea of the tournament was to simply knock the other knight off their horse but sometimes the other knight might choose to fight if they're both knocked off, or if they didn't like the look of the other knight or a range of other reasons. Barbara hated the idea of it, particularly now that Ian was involved.

"Are you decent?" she asked after a long moment, having collected everything she thought she needed.

From:

splendid_roman

He hastily pulled his trousers on, then said, "Yes," and came out from behind the screen. "Do I look like a knight?"

From:

first_in_time

"Not quite." Barbara chuckled despite her worry. Ian looked more like he was wearing old fashioned underwear for cold climates rather than a knight. "Let's start from the bottom and work our way up, shall we? Here, step into these," she said and placed a pair of steel shoes by his feet.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian stepped into them and winced. "They're certainly more comfortable to ride in than walk in." Maybe that was the point.

From:

first_in_time

"As soon as we find you a horse, you won't have to worry," she told him with a small smile and clipped plates around his calves. "Tell me if I'm doing them too tight."

From:

splendid_roman

"That's fine." He looked down as she clipped them on. "Maybe I should make you my squire." He grinned down at her.

From:

first_in_time

"Ladies can't be squires," she reminded him with an almost hidden, ghost of a smile as she knelt down to attach plating over Ian's knee and thigh, "I should probably go and get Susan to do this so she learns how."

From:

splendid_roman

"Maybe," he said as he watched her work. "Or I could just leave it all on. Where did you learn to do this?"

From:

first_in_time

"I didn't but it isn't difficult to figure out. It's going to be heavy once it's on... You may not want to keep it on." Barbara finished the other leg and pulled out the torso pieces. "Can you hold the plate against your chest there, please?"

From:

splendid_roman

He did as she said, but also tried lifting his legs experimentally. "It is heavy," he agreed. "However did they fight while wearing all this lot?"

From:

first_in_time

"Years and years of practice. Still wanting to joust?" she asked from over Ian's shoulder as she adjusted the straps, bring ping the font and back parts of the armour together across his shoulders.

From:

splendid_roman

"Definitely." He kept still to make her job easier, although it was odd to be dressed by someone else. "It'll be fun."

From:

first_in_time

Behind Ian, Barbara sighed and pursed her lips, finishing the chest plate in silence. Why couldn't Ian see the danger he was putting himself in? They should all quickly leave before Ian had to fight. But that was the way of stupid men, she supposed.

With more effort than what was probably necessary, Barbara pushed the shoulder plates over Ian's head and tugged them about until they seemed to sit properly. Then she started clipping those up, too.

From:

splendid_roman

"Are you sure I'll be able to move wearing all this?" he asked doubtfully. As much as it was going to stop him from getting any serious injuries, it was making it hard to move. Surely adding to his weight would make it harder for the horse too.

From:

first_in_time

"I don't know but any less and you'll be in danger of losing a limb," she told him and slipped on his arms just as the Doctor came in to find them.

"What is all this nonsense about jousting, ey?" he spluttered at the both. "Why didn't you talk young Chesterfield out of it?"

From:

splendid_roman

"It's not nonsense, Doctor. I decided to do it and I'll do it." He raised his chin, daring the Doctor to disagree.

"I'll be his squire," Susan said, from behind the Doctor.

The Doctor turned to her. "You will not participate in this folly."

From:

first_in_time

"Ian his already signed up for the tournament, so he can hardly pull out. Particularly if you want to stay for a while, and he'll need a squire or he'll be laughed out of the competition." Not that Barbara sounded impressed by it at all.

The Doctor huffed at the three of them.

From:

splendid_roman

"What have you been up to, Doctor?" Ian asked, changing the subject, since he clearly wasn't going to be happy.

"I've been speaking to the King," he replied grandly.

From:

first_in_time

"The King?" Susan cried. The child was forever excited over everything, Barbara thought to herself, a little envious.

"The eighth Henry to take the throne it would seem."

Barbara clipped the last arm in place. "Henry the Eighth? I wonder when we are exactly," she said almost to herself.

From:

splendid_roman

"Yes, which wife is he on?" Ian asked.

"I don't know," the Doctor said fussily. "I don't go around asking personal questions."

"It is the only thing I really know about Henry VIII: He had six wives. Oh, and he closed down all the monasteries." Ian took a few experimental steps and found he wasn't going to be doing much running in all this armour. As long as there weren't any aliens trying to invade, he'd be fine.

From:

first_in_time

"If the king and queen are at the tournament, we can find out," Susan told Ian once she'd rapt her knuckle on his armour.

From:

splendid_roman

"Now, you should shine it until you can see your reflection in it," he said to her, grinning.

Edited Date: 2014-04-20 12:02 pm (UTC)

From:

first_in_time

Susan looked back at her grandfather, shocked.

"That is the role of a squire, is it not, Miss Wright?" was all the Doctor said. Barbara nodded in return, a proper smile upon her lips.

From:

splendid_roman

"I think we could not bother with it this time," Ian said, smiling. "I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to get it off."

From:

first_in_time

"You won't on your own but we'll help," Barbara said and wiped at some imaginary grime on his arm plate.

"So what did the king have to say, Grandfather?" Susan curiously asked the Doctor.