Chapter Text
“So there are doors to 18th century France.” Mickey clarified.
“Yup,” Rose tugged him towards the wardrobe room.”Time for dress up.”
“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Mickey asked.
Rose rolled her eyes. Men the world over would live in the same clothes so long as they didn’t smell. The Doctor was exhibit A.
“Wouldn’t you rather play a Lord than a mechanic?” She challenged, remembering their youth dressing up as if they could ever hope to live a life as a doctor or an office worker let alone posh. She had worn a top hat and pretended to have a pension and a guest house for her mom to get elderly in.
“My French isn’t good enough to pretend-”
“The TARDIS translates and makes you sound posh and fluent. What, you think I just picked up every alien language we encountered or hid behind the Doctor?” Rose scoffed as she grabbed the dark red and gold dress the TARDIS picked out from her. Trick of an all knowing time ship is that she knew what she would have chosen given the time.
She shoved a period appropriate Morrocan outfit at Mickey. It was made of velvet breeches and a highly embroidered tunic.
Soon they found themselves in the Versailles Gardens. Tons of white marble Roman statues. Bet the lot of them didn’t know they were originally painted to look human like she did.
A couple of French women passed them in their ridiculously wide dresses and white wigs. The Doctor had rambled once about how they used them because everyone had lice and syphilis.
Mickey eyed the women appreciatively.
“They’re wearing wigs and shave their heads to hide the hair loss of syphilis.” She bumped into him.
“You’re having me on.” His nose wrinkled and he straightened his probably very uncomfortable clothes. “You’re just jealous that this free Lord has got options now.”
“Nope. It’s true.”
The architecture was overdone as far as she was concerned. Every single inch had to be covered in a detailed design. She had enjoyed the Kyoto gardens with their giant goldfish and simplicity.
She sat beside a fountain enjoying it’s cool as Mickey wandered to talk to one of the Madams with their breasts nearly popping out.
That wasn’t to say Rose’s dress was modest. It was scarlet with gold lace overlay with bunched red roses lifting the top layer of the dress but she didn’t have the silly sleeves that would have gotten in the way. Instead it was simple over the shoulder red sleeves. It probably wasn’t period but she wouldn’t get accused of wearing men’s clothes or being naked. She had gold flat shoes good for running. Her short hair was up in a chignon and she wore a ruby necklace. She had never felt more like a princess from a book. She needed to get Mickey to take a photo of her while she was here.
Someone blocked the sun from her eyes. “Bonjoir Fair Maiden It is a pleasure to find your blooming in my gardens.”
The man would give Jack a run for his money in the well built department except from his nervous expression he didn’t seem to know he was a bit of alright. There was also a deep sadness and loneliness she had seen in others that he was trying to hide.
“Bonjour,” Time for the TARDIS to do some fancy translating. “Your garden? So, you’re the gardener then?” She asked.
He blinked at her and frowned.
“I’m Rose Marion Helen of...” What was the name of that small french town she had been to on Holiday? “Tournon. But of late I’ve been traveling.”
“Ah, Rose Marie Helene,” He nodded. “I’m Louis of Versailles.”
“Get out! I thought everyone here had super long names. Just Louis? Bet you get confused with all the other Louis’ working here.” She touched his arm.
He smirked. “I am not the first with my name, nor the second or even twelfth.”
“See? Bet that is proper annoying.” She teased.
He laughed. “Where have you traveled to? I’m afraid my family business has kept me from such things.”
“Oh, Everywhere! Was in Kyoto, Japan for their Sakura festival. It was gorgeous with these pink petals everywhere and everyone was so nice! We saw the Pyramids in Egypt which is closer to Cairo than you’d think and proper scorching hot.” Realizing such travel would be unusual for a commoner in this time period she added “ Dad was an inventor and merchant. Mum took over when he passed.”
“I don’t remember my parents.” Louis murmured.
“I don’t remember my dad. It’s hard. Always a part of you missing.” She patted his arm in sympathy.
“You are very easy to talk to Miss Rose.” Louis observed.
“Thanks.”
“Allow me to escort you Miss Rose. I would be remiss as a host if I didn’t offer you refreshments as well.” He took her hand and kissed it.
Well then. “I think I shall Louis.” Being escorted by an insider at a famous posh palace? Way better than the smelly spaceship. Maybe they could nip something from the kitchens.
*
“Every lonely boy must learn to dance.” Reinette teased the Doctor.
This was the night the King was to fall for Reinette but the timelines felt off like someone was messing with them. Damn Robots.
He was hoping Reinette’s smiling face could distract him from recent events. If the Uncrowned Queen of France took notice of him, well, he must be worth something surely.
He scanned the ball room for robots.
Reinette cursed under her breath.
“She is here already.”
“Who?” He asked as he fiddled with the sonic.
“Rose Marie Helene de Tourne, or Rose Blanche to those in court. It is expected that she shall be the King’s next mistress.” Reinette pulled her hand from his. “She has become invaluable translating Arabic, Russian, German and every other language she has encountered and charmed them all.” She sounded quite bitter.
The name was familiar to him as one of King Louis XV’s mistresses of which little was known. Rose of the shining stars. An important but illusive figure of history but she was supposed to meet the King after Reinette not before.
He followed Reinette as she glided towards the general area of the King for a closer look and gasped.
Dancing with the King was Rose. His Rose, dressed as Red Riding Hood with an embroidered mask. The King was rather pretty he thought with a scowl. It was clear it was him despite his Wolf costume. The Doctor paled at the thought that Rose was destined to be the King’s mistress. A causal loop that forced her from him. Rose had such a short life as a human but the pain at the thought of losing a day of it was immense. Despite Flirting with Reinette it hadn’t lessened. A timeline showed him Rose as the uncrowned queen of France instead of Reinette. It would kill him to lose her. Not just emotionally but literally.
He should have expected it of course. Despite taking her, or trying to take her to impressive concerts to keep her attention, Rose had asked Sarah Jane if she should just leave him.
How long had she been planning to leave him? Was there something wrong with this face? He was rather thin but surely not unmanly. He was covered in scruffy manly hair after all.
Sarah who had wasted her brilliant mind and life waiting for him to return. At the time he had been worried that he was setting Rose up for the same. These young years were important for humans to gain an education and find a mate if they wanted to pass on their genetics. They had such a small window for such things. Sarah had inherited money from a rich aunt so it hadn’t mattered those missing years, but Rose had no such fail safe. Rose, stuck with the leftover men other women had not wanted or become homeless! In the next few years retail workers would be phased out. She would be hard pressed to find employment as retail workers were replaced by self checkout and online shopping. She had an employment gap from traveling that would require him to put in a good word at UNIT but she would still start out far lower in pay than she deserved or Jackie needed for retirement.
Here he was selfishly keeping Rose for himself instead of letting her influence her planet and getting the proper human life. Traveling with him had weakened her local friendships. What would she be left with when she left like they all did? Of course she wanted to leave. She had her own life to look out for and just because it would devastate him didn’t mean he had any right to stand in her way.
When Sarah who had lost so much due to his abandonment told him to bring Mickey along, how could he have denied her such a simple request.
It was only afterwards that he saw himself become the third wheel on his own ship! Worse than Adam and Jack. Mickey and Rose had History. Mickey didn’t deserve her any more than he did. She deserved the wealth of an empire and the devoted love of a human who could continue her family line. Louis was married already. Rose deserved devotion he was unable to give.
A firm hand pressed into his shoulder startling the Doctor from his brooding.
“Prince Mikeel of Morroco.” Reinette greeted politely. It was a masked ball but there were few with his coloring. He was dressed as a huntsman.
“Is that Jeanne, dressed as Diana?” He asked, amused.
“The Prince is correct.” Reinette bowed her head in acknowledgement.
“What are you dressed as, mate?” Mickey asked. “Old man dressed in Sheep's Clothing.”
“Yes, I’m wearing wool.” He bit out.
Reinette gave him a disapproving look for his tone.
He couldn’t be bothered to care. “Aren’t you worried about your girlfriend leaving you for the King?”
“She hasn’t been my girlfriend since Cardiff.” Mickey countered.
“What? That long?” The Doctor was startled.
“Yeah, she was a bit upset. I started dating someone else while she was gone.” Mickey said with a wince.
“How could you possibly think you’d find better than Rose!”
Mickey was right out.
“A year where people thought I’d killed her and I didn’t know if she’d ever return! I got lonely alright!” Mickey argued.
Any proper man would wait his entire life, or thousands of years in devoted waiting for a perfect Rose. It was the least she deserved. No, Mickey didn’t deserve her time.
“But you’re all... familiar.” He gestured with his hands and warded off a server who offered drinks, but grabbed nibbles from another.
“She’s been my friend since we were little. You don’t just ditch your friends when you find someone shinier. Oh wait. Yes YOU do.” Mickey took a self important sip of wine.
Mickey was different. More self assured. Changes like that shouldn’t happen in a matter of hours.
“Sorry, who?” Reinette asked, then coughed into her handkerchief.
“Don’t you recognize her from the fireplace, Jeanne? Rose?” Mickey was amused and probably a bit drunk.
Jeanne coughed some more then gasped and backed away. “You have brought my rival, Doctor?”
“Not on purpose!” He protested.
When the King whispered in Rose’s ear and she grinned The Doctor made a decision. Maybe Rose was meant to be here in the timelines but to hell with the Timelines. She wasn’t staying here.
Reinette would go flatter the King to political positions and power but Rose was needed elsewhere. Her mother would never forgive him if Rose never returned. Yes. RIght. For Jackie. He had a duty of care.
He took a long drought of wine for courage before storming into the crowd.
Turns out, it isn’t easy to get to a King in his palace when you look like you were ready to kill him.
“Look, “ He held up his arms. “I’m just trying to talk to my friend, Rose.”
“You are an associate of her Lady Rose Blanche?” A guard questioned suspiciously looking him up and down. He certainly wasn’t as fancily dressed as everyone else.
“Associate?” It seemed as bad as coworker. “Just tell her The Doctor is here.” And hope she still cared for him at all.
From over the guard’s heads he could see that the King had taken Rose to a private balcony.
He distracted the guards and found the room adjacent to the balcony so he could climb out the window and onto the balcony itself.
The King’s dulcet tones were reciting “The Roman de la Rose, “ or ‘The Romance of Rose.’ The French claimed the whole art of love was contained in that poem. It was one of the most widely read literary works of the Middle Ages. A bit on the nose though, wasn’t it? To recite it to a woman named Rose?
“From here to Jerusalem no woman has a more beautiful neck;”
He could see the King’s hand was on the back of Rose’s now bare neck as his private musicians played seductive music.
“it was smooth and soft to the touch as is your own. ‘Rose had a bosom as white as the snow upon a branch, when it has just fallen’.”
He really hoped the King’s hands hadn’t wandered there. Kings were known to be excessively forward with women in their realm.
“Her body as well made and svelte; you would not have had to seek anywhere on earth to find a woman with a more beautiful body. There was never a girl more elegant or better arrayed;
nor would I have described her right.”
He couldn’t tell if Rose was falling for this from his place half out the window. He was typically in his French way making it sound like the seduction poem it was. Were they lovers already in his absence? Had he lost his opportunity? He’d lost many a less dear companion to royalty.
“That is your favorite poem?” Rose’s voice seemed affected. Well, the Doctor refused to lose her to a man who couldn’t give her all that she deserved.
His hand caught onto the bottom of the pillar that rose from their balcony. If he were a human he would have dropped several stories, but he was stronger than that and pulled himself onto the ledge. Not as gracefully as one of the three musketeers but it got the job done.
The musicians screeched to a stop.
“Oh, Don’t stop on my account.” The Doctor said despite really hoping it did stop.
The King looked startled then mad and about to call for those guards.
“Louis, this is the Captain of the ship I travel on, John Smith.” Rose said smoothly like he hadn’t come in through a balcony. “Don’t you ever knock?” Rose gestured towards the door as she hissed out the last words.
“You know me, love a grand entrance.” He breezed.
Rose shook her head.
“Guards!” Louis called to the Doctor’s annoyance.
“It is the height of English rudeness to invade the privacy of a King’s, or any man who is in the act of wooing.” KIng Louis XV was known for his politeness to all so this was practically screaming for him.
“I’m not, I’m not British.” The Doctor was disdainful and purposefully added a spanish accent to his French since Spain was enough of a military power that the King might not have him immediately beheaded. He was rather fond of his head. It’s where he did all his thinking. “It is inappropriate to woo a maiden without a chaperone. I take my duty of care on her behalf very seriously.”
“Indeed. Is that why she has spent weeks in my palace with just a Prince of Morocco as her companion?”
“Weeks?” He rubbed the back of his head and glanced at Rose for confirmation. She nodded.
Of course. This day was getting better and better.
“Well, obviously I didn’t leave her anywhere near here. She should have been safe at her Aunt’s in Paris.” He amended sternly.
“ I wanted to show Mikaeel the Palace and then I met Louis...” Rose shrugged.
“I was warned you had a habit of wandering off, and here I find you alone with a married man.” He crossed his arms and made himself seem taller by channeling his last body.
“And you were busy chasing French tail. Surprised you ever noticed I left.” Rose sounded cross.
He cleared his throat. “This is hardly the place for such conversations.”
The Guards didn’t seem surprised to see the drama and the King seemed reluctant to kill him at present.
He needed this whole affair to stop. History be damned. No married man, King or no was taking his Rose as his mistress. She deserved far better than France’s playboy King.
“I regret to inform you that Lady Rose and I are betrothed. It was arranged by our parents-”
“I’m sure they would make an exception for the superior opportunity of a connection with the French crown as they are my subjects.” The King was smug.
“She would never be Queen.” The Doctor argued.
“She can inherit titles and land for her whole family.” Louis said.
“Oh, Jacqueline would looove that.” The Doctor bemoaned. Reinette was meant to acquire such things from the King.
“Love how you’re both talking about me like I’m not here.” Rose spoke up with her mother’s fire. “And a thing to be owned.”
“Sorry, my love.” Louis took her hand.
My Love? It had only been a few weeks! Hardly enough time to claim actual love even among humans and their mayfly lives. Surely the King wasn’t in love with Rose, not that he could fault anyone for such an affliction, no this must be just another power conquest for his wandering lusts.
“Louis. You have been a perfect gentleman and treated me with more romance than any man in my life! The dresses, the flowers and poems! A proper Prince Charming.” She gave him her full bright smiled that lit up rooms.
Louis smiled. Rose had been properly wined and dined for the first time in her life and while she deserved such consideration it saddened him that she hadn’t been treated better before but not enough to let her go. His hearts fell to his stomach.
“But I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not made for a Palace. I don’t have the stomach for court politics-”
“You saved me from a foolish invasion of England and brought peace to this land with your negotiations in foreign tongues! My advisors adore you. You may not have been born to it but you are made to rule monami.” Louis brushed his hands against her jaw. “You are the queen of my heart.”
The Doctor’s eyes widened. Rose was going to keep reminding him of her exploits... if she stayed. The King was a real charmer, AND a pretty boy. If she really wanted this life could he really deny her anything even if it broke his hearts and changed history completely.
The universe would be safer if his love for her were not already so complete and all consuming.