The Queen and the Rose

Chapter 23

The three crept along silently into the eerily quiet palace.  The Doctor had a sinking feeling, knowing that there was no way that the Queen was still knocked out.  There was not a power on Earth that could make him let go of her hand.  He had to have a connection to her, for him to feel safe. 

Rose squeezed his hand in reassurance, and of course she would be confident, she was the one that had Bad Wolf power that she could now control rolling through her veins.  She was, at the moment, quite literally golden.  She had nothing to fear.  He, on the other hand, could definitely regenerate from this experience. 

Isi led the way, keeping only a step in front of them, probably wanting to be able to sense them behind her.  

The palace was empty, the sound of their shoes the only thing audible around the whole place.  It echoed off the bare walls, making it hard to hear for anything else around them.  Rose knew her senses weren't as in tune as the Doctor's, making her anxiety mount as they continued into the main room in which they had eaten with the Queen their first day there.  Seeing it now, quietly, and without servants or anyone at all bustling about.  Rose swallowed heavily and tried to stop her hands from sweating so heavily.

Two steps into the main dining area, there was a loud crash.  The Queen entered, seemingly from nowhere.  She was holding her side, but her hand was not big enough to cover the blood that was seeping through her white dress. 

"I've been waiting for you," she said, her voice strained.  "I've never been injured like this before."

Isi took a step back in line with the Doctor and Rose, and she tried to hide her shaking.  She somehow felt braver next to the two travelers who stood next to her.  They seemed proud and unafraid, and Isi found that she very much wanted to be like them.  She tilted her chin up, feeling strength pour through her, and slipped the pouch with the magic into Rose's hand.

Rose didn't understand why she felt the little bag being pushed into her palm, but, not wanting to blow anyone's cover, wrapped her fingers around it, hiding it from view.  The Queen didn't need to know they had it just yet, and so Rose did not draw attention to it.

"You've never been questioned," the Doctor replied.  "Your people follow you blindly, not knowing what an evil ruler they are following."

"I am not evil!" The Queen spat.  "You are evil.  You have killed Horus Ba, haven't you?"

"He was already dead!" Rose shouted.  "And people aren't supposed to be brought back to life, I know that better than anyone."

The Doctor stiffened at the memory but didn't allow himself to dwell on it.  That wouldn't do just now, they all needed to focus.

"You," Surbia turned her attention to Rose.  "You have power that surpasses my own, don't you?  Something about you that keeps power within... But you hide it."

Rose had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything.  This would be a time she needed to be silent.  Surbia didn't need to know that she didn't know she could control her powers until today.  She didn't need to know anything.  

The Queen let out a humorless laugh and then coughed.  It was clear she was weakened.  "You're not a quiet soul, Rose, go on.  Say what you are thinking.  The Doctor can't hold your tongue for you."

"I'm being quiet because you don't have to know everything.  You're not my Queen."  Rose desperately wanted to spill her guts, to say exactly what she was thinking, but she couldn't.  Any taunt directed towards the Queen would probably not help her in any way.  

"If you are so strong," The Queen said primly, trying to draw herself back up to her full height.  "Then fight me.  Battle me, and we will see who is stronger."

"Rose, don't," the Doctor murmured quietly next to her. 

"You do not control her!" Surbia shrieked, and Rose wondered if she might not be all the way there.  She seemed to be going completely mental.  "You, Doctor, you pretended that Rose did not belong to you, and now that you know she has power, you order her about."

The Doctor furrowed his brows.  "Rose doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do, and I don't force her to do anything."

"You contradict yourself.  You tell her not to use her powers.  How could you."  She let out another laugh, and Rose was shocked at how sinister it sounded.  "And you, Isi.  Poor, sweet Isi, turning on your QUeen.  I've fed you and clothed you your whole life."

"I wanted to be with my family," Isi said quietly, "And you forced me to be here."

"You were happy," Surbia said dismissively.  "You cannot live in a palace and be unhappy."

"You can," Isi said, "I'm unhappy every day, I know what you've done to me."

Surbia smirked, an evil expression that transformed her beautiful face into something contorted and ugly.  She turned her attention back to Rose.  "If your friend faces me and wins, you will go free," she said decidedly.  "And if I win, you die."

Rose kept her jaw set, honestly afraid to say anything that she would regret later.  Her temper was about to get the better of her, she could feel it.  If she wasn't careful, she'd end up fighting Surbia, the Doctor's opinions be damned.  

"Answer me, you fools!" The Queen shrieked, and it really was becoming obvious that she was going insane.  She leaned forward and coughed, her hand still clutching her stomach. "You're afraid of your own power, aren't you?"

The Doctor was having his own struggle next to Rose.  He couldn't stand to think of Rose fighting and possibly losing because she didn't know what to do, but Isi was now on the line as well.  He knew Rose wouldn't fight if he didn't want her to, and that made him both love her trust in him and regret how much influence he had on her.  She was too good for him and he knew that. 

"Okay," Rose said softly, letting go of the Doctor's hand and stepping forwards.  "Okay, I'll fight you, if that's what you really want."

"Bring your power," the Queen fumbled at her side for a pouch of her magic powder.  "I have mine."  She removed her bloody hand from her dress to use both hands on her pouch.  "Come on!"  She shouted when Rose hesitated. 

Clutching the pouch Isi had given to her, she took a step forward and felt the need to protect the Doctor and Isi go to her head, rushing through her with the TARDIS's help.  She was afraid.  She didn't know how to control the Bad Wolf, once it came out, she knew she would forget almost all of what she'd done.

"I bring life," she whispered, "And I can take it away from you."

Surbia suddenly looked beyond frightened, her eyes widening.  "Oh no," she whispered.  "You're of the gods of death!  You're evil."

Rose lifted a hand.  "You will not harm them."

"I will!" Surbia screamed.  Without a warning, she threw powder at Isi, who dropped to the ground with a cry.  Rose's eyes flashed and a wind started to blow around them.  The Doctor dropped to his knees to try to revive Isi, but Rose didn't hear or see his efforts.  

She raised her hand, much as she had when she'd faced the Daleks, and shot Surbia down without a merciful thought in her head.  The Bad Wolf now could not be stopped.