The Price of Magic

Chapter VIII

“Clara, wake up!” Donna called. “It’s coronation day!”

            Clara sprung out of bed and hurriedly got dressed, excited for the big day. Prince David X and Dame Rose were getting married, and assuming the throne as the new King and Queen of Arcadia.

            Running down the stairs of the old pottery shop, Clara found that Donna already had breakfast prepared. They’d been getting along well enough since the ordeal with Prince Simeon; Prince David had given them a significant sum of money to help them out, and since then their business had been thriving. Clara grabbed a slice of bread and hurried out the door.

            “Oi, where are you off to so fast?” Donna asked, smiling.

            “To the forest!” Clara replied. “Where else would I go?” With that, she ran the rest of the way through the village and into her favorite spot in the forest. Sitting under the trees, Clara was alone with her thoughts, and she enjoyed the solitude. The past month had been hard for her; she was still shaken up from her experience with Sir Matthew. Spending time alone in the forest gave her the opportunity to sort out her thoughts and try to forget about all that pain.

            As the toll of the bell tower in the village struck eleven in the morning, Clara made her way back to the village square to attend the coronation. She found Donna toward the front of the crowd and stood next to her.

            After a few moments, Rose and David appeared on the balcony of the castle overlooking the square. They said their vows, then kissed, sealing the marriage. The villagers cheered, then were silent again as David and Rose were sworn in as King and Queen.

            “Welcome King David and Queen Rose, the new rulers of Arcadia!”

            The villagers erupted in cheers again, and both Clara and Donna joined in.

            “I thank the kingdom of Arcadia for accepting us to the throne,” Rose said once the cheers had died down once again. “But there is one person in particular I would like to especially thank.” She paused, and the villagers looked up at her expectantly. “Clara Oswald,” Rose said. “Without her, David and I wouldn’t be here, and who knows what would have been of the kingdom. And so, King David and I are honored to appoint Clara as the next heir to the throne when her time comes.”

            Clara gaped at Rose, who had begun leading the crowd in cheering once again. Donna gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Well done, Clara. You saved the kingdom.”

            Clara looked at Donna and smiled. After she’d been escorted home by David and Rose following the battle in the castle dungeon, Clara had no choice but to tell Donna everything that had happened. Clara hoped that was the last time she’d have to relive the story again. She’d been struggling to put it out of her head.

            “Clara, will you join us up on the balcony?” Rose called down to her.

            Clara grinned and nodded, then made her way through the crowd and into the castle. She ran up the stairs and walked out onto the balcony, feeling as though she were glowing. She hadn’t felt this happy in weeks. Looking out on a cheering crowd of villagers and standing beside the King and Queen was a situation she never thought she’d experience.

            When Clara reached Rose’s side, the new Queen gave her a reassuring smile, then presented Clara to the village. They welcomed her with excited cheers and friendly smiles.

***

            The next day, after the celebrations had somewhat died down, Clara decided to spend the day in the forest, just walking and thinking. She was just passing the clearing where she’d met Amelia when she heard a strange sound. Clara walked around behind the stones that made up the cave. Standing there was a wooden blue box.

            Clara slowly approached the strange object. She circled it, gently running her hand along the side. “It’s just a…box,” she whispered. When she had come back to what she assumed was the front of the box, she was shocked to see a man standing there.

            He smiled when he saw her. “Oh, hello! Who are you, then? Where am I? What year is it?”

            Clara stared at the strange man. He was dressed in a purple tweed jacket and matching bow tie. His hair flopped over his forehead and his chin stuck out a bit. “Um…my name’s Clara. You’re in the kingdom of Arcadia and it’s the year 1150. Who did you say you were?”

            “Nice to meet you, Clara,” the man said, smiling again. “I’m the Doctor.”