The Queen and the Rose

Chapter 4

Rose would be lying if she said she didn't feel uneasy when they walked with the guards towards the dining hall.  Something about the Queen made her nervous, and whatever that was, she wasn't sure, but she knew something was wrong.  With the guards so close, however, she couldn't mention that to the Doctor.  

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it in reassurance as they walked.  She took it for what it was and took the opportunity to get a little bit closer to him.  

The guard was silent and Rose watched him, trying to look at his clothing.  He was incredibly muscular, his back the only thing in view besides his headdress.  He was wearing nothing by a decorative white skirt that the Doctor would certainly call a loincloth, and sandals.  She recognized that that meant he was part of a high level of staff.

They reached what was a lavish dining hall, a coffee table in the middle of what appeared to be a square of very plush couches.  The Queen was already reclining there, her servants behind her, standing at the ready. 

"Come, my guests, sit.  Did you hear anything?" She asked the guard as the Doctor and Rose approached, speaking as if they weren't even there.  

"Nothing of suspicion, my Queen.  However, they were very interested in your hieroglyphs."

"They are travelers, that would explain it," she waved the guard away.  "You are dismissed."

The guard put his right fist over his heart and nodded before leaving the room.  

"And how did you find my hieroglyphs?" the Queen asked, "Interesting?  Informative?  Because, somehow, you can read them."

"Like you said, we're travelers," The Doctor replied coolly, "We have to learn about the cultures and writings that surround us to survive."

The Queen nodded in approval.  "And since you understood the writings-?"

"Understanding the writings and understanding exactly what they mean are two different things," Rose replied quickly, "Magician?  What sort of magic do you practice, my Queen?" 

"Oh, you will find that out soon enough," Surbia replied, her gaze drifting to the Doctor as she spoke.  Rose wasn't sure why, but when she said that, she felt her stomach roll and a sense of dread fill her entirely.  The Doctor seemed to pick up on this as well, his brows furrowing at her tone and expression.  

"I intend to discover quite a bit about all of this," the Doctor replied, "I've studied the Kings and Queens before you, none quite so...  Mysterious as you.  It's a bit odd, you understand"

The Queen nodded.  "Of course.  And you will find out all you wish about me, in good time.  But for now, eat."

Rose let her gaze drift down to the table for the first time.  It was filled with traditional Egyptian foods, vegetables and fruits (Dates a prevelant choice, Rose noticed) and various breads.  The only meat on the table was fish, already cut into small pieces on the platter.  

She watched the Queen for social cues, saw that she ate with one hand, using the other to hold herself in her reclining position against the pillows.  Rose followed the motions, knowing they didn't flow nearly as well.   The Doctor watched her and nodded when she did something right, and Rose breathed out a sigh of relief.  At least she wasn't doing something terribly wrong. 

They ate in silence, which Rose found horribly awkward, but the Queen didn't seem to mind it and she gathered that she wasn't supposed to speak first, so she kept her silence and focused on just how fresh the food tasted, because of course, it was.  

"Will you have separate or joined quarters?" Queen Surbia asked, leveling her gaze at the both of them, as if scrutinizing their response. 

"Joined," The Doctor replied.  "We travel together, we stay together, and if there's trouble, we take care of it together."