So Different Yet So Alike

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

“Why thank you.” I told him giving a mock curtsey before dancing out of the door and straight into the arms of the waiting alien.

             It was a short squishy blue creature and it caught me when I smacked straight into it.  “Well hello,” I said straightening myself out.  “Who are you?”

            The creature blinked its three eyes before gesturing to a field of at least one thousand identical creatures behind it and saying, “We are the Shloog.  Who are you to have come out of the Great Mighty One’s transport?”

            “Rose…” I answered as the Doctor happily walked out asking who I was speaking to.

            The Shloog all gasped and fell touching their square heads to the ground in what looked to be a sign of respect. The leader spoke first with the others repeating after it, “Oh Great Mighty One you have returned.”

            The Doctor turned to glare at the TARDIS with venom and hissed quietly, “Why here? I’d rather be anywhere but here.” Facing to look at me the Time Lord added, “Come on lets go.”

            Before we could move the leader popped to his feet exclaiming, “No, mighty one! You must stay we began preparations for a feast as soon as we heard your transport don’t let it go to waste.”

            Upon hearing the pleading in the alien’s tone I tilted my head up to see the Doctor, “Come on, let’s stay for dinner at least.”

            “Yes please listen Mighty One; your queen is very wise.”  A Shloog from the middle of the pack said.

            Grinning I told the Doctor, “Hear that they think I’m a queen! We’re definitely staying now.”

            “They only called you that because they think you’re my wife,” The Doctor whispered to me his lips almost touching my ear.

            “Why do they think that?” I asked wondering if maybe they could sense how I felt for the older man.

            The Doctor had the decency to look embarrassed as he told me, “The only way I could think of to get away last time was by telling them I was going to search for a wife and that I’d return when I found her.”

            As a Shloog grabbed my arm and began to lead me away I called out, “Why’d you have to escape, why couldn’t you just leave?”

The Doctor took a step towards me as he answered quietly, “You’ll see,” but I quickly lost sight of him as his own Shloog escort pulled him away.

As my escort dragged me to my room I asked, “So what’s your name?”

“Camilla, your majesty.” The Shloog answered me her cheeks flushing a darker shade of blue.

“Oh please none of that.” I insisted feeling embarrassed that they thought I was married to the Doctor even though he didn’t return my feelings, “call me Rose.”

Camilla opened a door and led me through it saying, “Very well Rose.  This is where we shall prep you for the feast tonight.”

“Prep me?” I sputtered looking down at my pink jumper, “What’s wrong with how I look right now?”

“Nothing, Milady Rose. However you must shine as bright as the Great and Mighty One, after all it is your union we are celebrating today.” Camilla smiled showing her blunt little teeth.

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond and settled on smiling at her and saying, “Okay that makes sense.”

Camilla clapped her hands and three other Shloog came out from behind the dressing screen.  Two went straight to a wardrobe while the last one went over to a makeup table that had already been set up.

As all of this was happening I took the time to observe my surroundings. The ceilings were high and vaulted but the walls looked like the interior of a cave.

Before I could see anything else though Camilla spoke again, “I shall leave you to bathe now.”

The little alien turned to leave but I stopped her, “Sorry but where am I supposed to do that?”

The alien look slightly embarrassed by the fact that she forgot to show me so I put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  I suppose she didn’t understand what it meant because she brushed it off without an acknowledgement and led me to a giant tub.

“Wow,” I gasped, “You could fit like ten people in here.”

The Shloog looked at me as if I’d grown a third eye and said, “No Milady Rose only for you. No others are allowed to enter it.”

“I wasn’t saying they should, I was saying they could.” I explained laughingly.

Camilla squinted at me and decided to ignore my stamen instead opting to make her announcement and leave, “If you will bathe now Letchen and Gretchen will bring you garments once you are done.”