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:

splendid_roman

He squeezed her fingers. "I'm sure it won't come down to that." The biggest trouble with escaping at the moment was him being locked in here. "Henry VIII's fourth wife was Anne of Cleves, not Barbara of Tardis. So you can't marry him."

From:

first_in_time

"I hope that you're right. The Doctor tells us that we can't rewrite history but sometimes it's difficult to believe him." Barbara"a fingers stroked Ian's again. "I should get back before I'm missed."

From:

splendid_roman

"All right." He let her fingers go. "Be careful. We don't want the king locking anyone else up in here."

From:

first_in_time

"I will, I promise. Try and get some rest, if you can," she told him and with a final look of worry, Barbara disappeared from the dungeons.

The next two weeks went by relatively quickly. Barbara was fitted for a dress, presented with dozens of different flowers to choose from. She met with different important people and practiced her role in the ceremony. She was lectured by the king about being a good wife and the different things she should do each day to ensure that any babies she was going to have, would be boys.

And every evening she visited Ian.

The Doctor and Susan made sure they visited him, too but it appeared that nothing was going to convince the king to release Ian. At least not yet.

"Most women go to the chapel to pray before marriage," an elderly advisor said to Barbara as she visited the dungeons an hour before the ceremony was meant to start. She had made certain that she was ready in enough time that she could see Ian before everything happened.

Unlike the other times Barbara had visited her pretend brother, it was daylight.

"I brought you some things from the breakfast feast," she told him and a guard unlocked the cell door so that the basket of food would fit in. "I managed to convince the kitchen hands that you, too deserved something special to eat."

From:

splendid_roman

Sitting around in the dark with not very nourishing food had made Ian pale and thin. With his beard having grown he looked quite different. He'd had a lot of time to think, sitting in his cell. Between that and his chats with the Doctor, Susan and Barbara, he had a plan to get him out of this cell and them all away from here. It did require Barbara to convince the king to release him, which was risky.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at Barbara. He took the basket and reminded himself not to wolf it down. "Are you ready to become a queen?" he asked her, grinning between bites.

From:

first_in_time

It made Barbara sad to see Ian like that but at least she got to see him. That was something.

"I'd far rather return to the TARDIS and go home," she replied and unconsciously placed a hand over her stomach to quell the butterflies. "I asked if you could be there for the ceremony but the king declined. He's such a brute!"

From:

splendid_roman

"He is the king, he can do what he likes." He put the food down for the moment, to save for later. "Listen to the Doctor and he'll help you." He reached out for her hand. "If the king won't release me don't push him so far he'll put you or anyone else down here. That won't help."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara gave him her hand and nodded. "He should release you once we're married but I don't know if that will be straight after the ceremony or what," she shuddered to think that he might want to keep Ian here until she gave birth to a son, "but I'll listen to the Doctor, I promise."

From:

splendid_roman

He frowned, not liking the idea of Barbara going to bed with Henry, but if it came down to it, that was her choice to make. "I trust you'll be able to come up with a suitable sob story to get me out in exchange for what he wants." He squeezed her hand.

From:

first_in_time

"I'm so full of jitters at the moment that it's hard to think. I thought that my wedding day would be more pleasant than this, and with someone who had table manners." Barbara broke into a smile and chuckled despite herself and Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian chuckled too. It was nicer to laugh than worry. "I bet you never thought you'd marry a king."

From:

first_in_time

"Not at all. Can't say that I thought much about my wedding but whatever I did think was nothing like what's going to be happening." Her smile slowly faded and she leaned in closer to Ian so that she might whisper. "If the king wishes to....make the marriage official before he releases you, would you be able to get out on your own? The thought of him touching me like that makes me ill and I'm not sure I could go through with it."

From:

splendid_roman

"Don't worry," he whispered back. "We have a plan." Or at least they hoped everyone would be celebrating the wedding - or at least amenable to being brought wine with which to celebrate it. "We've escaped from worse prisons."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara nodded.

"My lady, you are required," a formal sounding man said from the top of the dungeon steps Barbara looked back but couldn't see him from her angle. She gave Ian a hug before being let out by the guard and walking back up the stairs to commence a wedding she wasn't particularly keen on particulating in.

From:

splendid_roman

"Don't worry, my dear," the Doctor said to Barbara at the start of the ceremony. "Wait until he's in a good mood and then ask to have your brother join the celebrations."

With that, he had to leave her to Henry, who didn't notice his bride's reticence. But it did mean he was in a good mood afterwards when they feasted, with Barbara sitting beside Henry on the top table.

The Doctor even provided a few conjuring tricks to soften him up a bit.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara waited until the king had drunk a few glasses of wine before asking. She hoped that he would have lost a few of his wits.

"My lord, -"

"We're married now my love! You don't need to be so formal!" Henry told her and have her another hearty kiss which he seemed so very fond of doing. Unfortunately.

"Um, darling, since we're so happily married now, might my brother come and join us for this feast?"

From:

splendid_roman

"Of course." Henry seemed surprised that Ian was still locked up. "Have the queen's brother brought here," he said to one of the guards, who went off to get him. "Everyone should celebrate with us." He drained his glass. As soon as he put it back on the table, one of the waiters refilled it.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara smiled genuinely for the first time in the king's presence and leaned back against the chair.

"Have some wine," he told her, his mouth full of roasted potato, "you'll need your strength for later."

The smile disappeared but Henry didn't seem to notice.

What felt like far too long a time, Ian was brought in by guards. On lookers gasped in disgust and covered their mouths at the sight of Sir Ian, the champion knight.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian ignored them and bowed to Henry. "Your grace." He smiled at Barbara. "My lady."

Henry frowned. "This isn't my champion knight. He's an imposter."

The crowd seemed to like that idea and started chanting "Imposter".

From:

first_in_time

"No he isn't," Barbara told Henry but the voices were too loud. She put her hands on the king's arm to get his attention. "That is my brother: Sir Ian! He has been down in your dungeon for two weeks without water to wash in or fresh clothes. Of course he's going to look different."

From:

splendid_roman

Henry huffed. "Do you think I don't know my champion knight? This isn't him. You've tricked me." He looked angry at Barbara.

Ian worried - this wasn't in the plan.

But the Doctor came forward, all smiles. "Your grace, I commend you on your powers of deduction. This is one of my tricks. I was certain you'd be clever enough to see it."

Edited (Missing question mark) Date: 2014-04-24 07:16 am (UTC)

From:

first_in_time

Barbara quickly halted in her protests. She didn't want to lose her head over something so silly. But a sigh of relief came as the Doctor jumped to her defense.

"Ah-ahHA!" the king laughed, "very clever magician! I should have known but you're a tricky fellow!" Henry wiggled his finger at the Doctor then grabbed Barbara quite suddenly on the leg, making her jump. "Isn't he so very clever, my queen?"

"Yes, he is."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian relaxed, glad the Doctor had got them out of that.

"Thank you, your grace." The Doctor gave the king a small bow. "For my next trick, I will turn this man into Sir Ian. But..." he paused for dramatic effect, "he will return when you least expect it!" He grabbed Ian's arm and hustled him out, then told him to go to the Ship, where Susan was waiting. Now there was just Barbara to extricate from the king's grasp, which would be tricky.

From:

first_in_time

The king laughed loudly. "I look forward to that!" His court agreed and Barbara nodded when he looked to her.

"And now, we shall retire to our chambers." Henry clapped his hands together and servants appeared from seemingly nowhere. Some came to clean the plates away, others to relieve the king of his crown and cape. A servant even came to relieve Barbara of her own crown and cape. She tried her very best to not let her face show fear.

"Come, Barbara and I shall relieve you of your maiden hood in the very best fashion; the wedding bed!"

Barbara's eyes darted about the room, looking for a way to delay the experience, or escape but none came before she was hoisted onto Henry's shoulder, much to the delight of his court. They whistled, cheered and clapped as the newlyweds made their way out of the hall.

From:

splendid_roman

Fortunately, the Doctor had a plan for that. There was a bribed lady-in-waiting waiting outside the king's chambers. She curtsied when the king arrived. "Your grace. I'm here to prepare the queen for the wedding night."