Rose and her family were halfway down the hall before she was able to slow her breathing, before she was able to look around, and before she was able to start coming to some decisions. First of all, she wasn't going to take off her white outer robe for the ceremony. Angering the man who was about to gain complete control over her life wasn't a smart move, especially since Gal's life would probably end up in his hands too. The second thing she'd decided was she needed to make friends with as many time lords as she could. If she made herself socially indispensable, chances were she'd last longer. And finally...

There's no "finally," she thought, feeling her insides tremble. She'd been trying to reign in her fear, trying to calm her nerves. But there was no escaping this. Either she submitted to the President, and hoped for the best, or Earth would pay the price, and he'd still get her anyway.

The only question was how to give Gal the best life she could, how to give him the best chance of getting away. She knew her father would do his best to hide him. Hide him. The words echoed in her ears. The Doctor's wife swallowed the knot in her throat. Rose understood she was losing her son today. In the best possible scenario, this would be the last time she'd see him. Gal would be hiding, even from her. She swallowed down her grief, and bit her bottom lip.

"How come it's alright for you to wear white," Gal addressed the red-hair Gallifreyan leading their way, interrupting Rose's thoughts, "but it's not alright for my m..."

"Jack," Rose choked out before he could say "mum." "Don't," she tried to clear the emotion from her voice. "Don't bother the nice lady." She honestly didn't care if her son irritated any time lord right now, but she couldn't risk them finding out his lineage.

Gal was following behind his mother with the rest of the group, and holding Jackie's hand like he'd been told. But that didn't mean he wasn't still curious. He eyed the red and white Chancellory Guards stationed at one of the hallway entrances as the procession passed by.

"Oh, he isn't bothering me, Miss Tyler," the redhead glanced back. "And it's so very kind of you to call me Lady. I haven't heard that in a while." She licked her lips. "Never thought I'd miss it. But you're mistaken," she continued. "I'm a slave. White marks my station in the President's House."

Pete bristled. Mickey clenched his fists. The argument over what color Rose should wear suddenly had new meaning to them.

Even Jackie understood. "No one should be able to own another person," she voiced her opinion, and held a little tighter to the boys' hands. The middle-aged woman looked at her daughter's white dress. She frowned.

"Perhaps." The Gallifreyan slave looked away. "It's common enough though. At this point in your Earth's timeline, more than a fourth of your countries keep slaves."

Rose thought of the Ood, realizing how right this woman was. Even centuries into the future, humans would still enslave others. She frowned a little more, realizing humans could be just as evil as time lords, just as evil as Daleks.

Rose understood most of the universe was struggling. And she realized why the Doctor tried so hard to help people. He knew he couldn't solve every problem in the universe, so he solved every problem he could. After growing up on Gallifrey, it had to be the only way he kept himself from becoming like his people. It was the only way to be happy.

The ex-shop girl took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She shifted her focus from everything she was about to lose, from everything she'd lost, to this woman, this slave.

"What's your name?" Rose forced out the question, putting her own worries aside. "If... If you don't mind me asking." Asking her name was something the Doctor would do.

The woman looked back, surprise on her face. A small smile touched her lips. "Romanadvoratrelundar, once of the House of Heartshaven. That's a sub-branch of the House of Lungborrow." She smiled at the memory. "I was Lady President of the Supreme High Council of Gallifrey and all her dominions, Holder of the Wisdom of Rassilon, Preserver of the Matrix, and Guardian of the Legacy of Omega."

Rose's eyes widened. Lungborrow. That was the House the Doctor's hologram had mentioned.

"Wow," Gal was impressed.

"That is quite the title," Pete spoke up, unable to pronounce her complicated name. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Miss Tyler," Graxitel's voice cut into the conversation. The time lord moved to stand in front of the procession, bringing the group to a halt. "My Lady." He bowed.

Romanadvoratrelundar lowered her head, and stepped aside.

"Lord Graxitel," Rose greeted him formally.

"I wanted to convey my congratulations," he told her.

"Yes, congratulations," Pibriiti took over. He moved from behind Graxitel. "And we wanted to bestow a gift sent by the esteemed High Council of Gallifrey for you to use in your wedding." The bald time lord produced a set of stunning satin gloves. They shimmered in the light, making them the most beautiful yellow Rose had ever seen.

Yellow, she thought. Again with the yellow.

"I hope these are to your taste," Pibriiti gave his best smile.

"They're lovely." With all the emotions running through Rose's mind, she was surprised her voice sounded so steady.

"Perhaps," Romanadvoratrelundar interrupted, "Miss Tyler, you would like me to take the gloves to your wardrobe room for you?"

"Nonsense," Pibriiti answered before Rose could. He gave the slave a glare. "I'm sure Miss Tyler wouldn't want to insult the High Counsel by refusing to wear the gift."

"But, my lord..." Romanadvoratrelundar began.

"Keep trying to undermine me, Trelundar," Pibriiti spoke in Gallifreyan. He kept his voice light, moving closer to the woman as he spoke. "And you'll wish the Lord President stripped you of your life along with your titles and presidency." He stepped closer. Gently, he let his fingers slide down the slave's arm. He took her hand, gracefully bringing her fingers close to his lips. "How long did it take for him to destroy you?" Pribriiti's eyes locked with hers. He sounded comforting, full of sympathy and compassion. "An hour?" His smile never slipped. "Pray for your sake you haven't ruined this, Trelunder. Lord Graxitel and I both heard what you were telling the humans just now." He released his hold on her. "Bringing a slave before the High Counsel for attempting to gain alien support for a coup during a wedding would be unfortunate," Pibriiti commented his threat. "There would be no one available to defend you."

Romanadvoratrelundar clenched her jaw. She stood a little taller. How dare he speak to her like this! She was Highborn, once ruler of all of Gallifrey. How dare he threaten her with... I'm not President anymore, she remembered. A flash of fear forced her eyes to the floor. She was only a low ranking slave. Lord Pibriiti could easily carry out his threat. And he was right. There would be no one to defend her, not even the Doctor could be found in time.

Rose's mouth dropped open, understanding everything. Gal looked puzzled. But Graxitel smiled. He was enjoying this. The Doctor's wife snapped her jaw shut. She was truly grateful she could speak their language, but it was getting harder to keep her secret.

The High Counsellor's minion turned back to the humans. "Do you accept this most honorable gift?" Pibriiti asked Rose in perfect English.

Rose hesitated. Part of her wanted to let Pribriiti know exactly what she thought of his gift. She wanted to let him know she knew every word he'd just threatened the slave with. She wanted to let him know what she really thought about these two condescending dictators. But she knew she needed to make friends with the time lords. And she knew turning down the gift might offend the High Counsel.

But wearing yellow to her wedding could put Earth's women in danger. On top of that Rose knew Sigma didn't want her wearing the color. What would the Doctor do? She needed to think of something. She needed to figure out a way to...

"'Course she does," Jackie spoke up, interrupting Rose's thoughts. Jackie was grateful the gift wasn't white, and frustrated with the President for insisting Rose wear a color meant for slaves back at the apartment. At least one of these time lords seems like he's on our side, she thought.

Rose pursed her lips. She knew she couldn't refuse the gloves now. Ugh! Sometimes her mother drove her 'round the bend.

"It's most kind of you," Pete added when Rose didn't say anything. He didn't know what yellow meant to the aliens.

But Gal wasn't fooled. The four year old clenched his jaw. He pressed his lips together, and gave the time lords the dirtiest look he could muster. The Doctor's son had been reading the books left in the enormous parlor when his mum had gone down the hallway with his grandfather and Mickey. He'd read the marriage laws and customs. He'd read about colors, and Houses, and jewelry and all sorts of alien traditions. He might not be an expert, but Gal had read enough to know yellow wasn't a marriage color.

He didn't understand what a loom was, or why time lords wanted looms. He'd have to ask his mum about it later. But he knew yellow was bad. And, thanks to Romanadvoratrelundar, he knew why white was bad too. The more the Doctor's son learned, the more he knew he didn't like this wedding. What would his dad think?

"Thank you, Lord Pribriiti, Lord Graxitel," Rose accepted the gift.

"Mum?" Gal piped up, "I don't think yellow is..."

"Hush, Jack," his grandmother shushed him, making everyone think he'd been talking to her and not Rose. "Your sister knows what she's doing."

Rose took a deep breath, grateful her mother had stopped Gal from speaking. She pulled the gloves on, surprised to see how different they were from something she'd find on Earth. The tips of her fingers were covered in yellow satin, and long fine white intricately woven ribbons connected the finger tips to the rest of the glove, but her palms were bare. Rose stared at the gift. The white ribbons almost looked like satin lace. She hadn't noticed the white before.

The Doctor's wife turned her attention back to the time lords, and forced a smile. "There lovely," she repeated.

"You are most welcome, my lady." Pribriiti nodded toward her, and turned to leave. Graxitel followed.

"Lady Romana-vora-lundar," Rose tried, understanding she'd messed up her long name. "Would you continue to lead the..."

"She's no Lady," Graxitel corrected. He'd stopped in his tracks the moment Rose had made the error.

"Oh?" Rose felt a shimmer of fear mixed with exhilaration as she played innocent. Perhaps she was playing with fire. Perhaps it would be better to keep her mouth shut. But after the time lords had won the battle over the gloves, and after Pribriiti had threatened Romana-vora-vora, whatever her name was, for trying to help her, Rose couldn't help wanting to poke the snakes with a stick.

"I'm so sorry," Rose continued. "I thought Lady Romana-vora-lundar was female." The Doctor's wife looked at Graxitel like she was studying a rare specimen. "Are you female?" she asked the High Chancellor. "It's so hard to tell with some species, you know."

Romanadvoratrelundar choked in surprise, biting back a laugh.

Lord Graxitel gave the slave a look, took a breath, and prepared to respond.

"Or is it that I used the wrong title?" Rose spoke before he could. "Like... Like the presidents of America. Even after they're no longer president, everyone still calls them Mr. President, yeah. Is that it?" She didn't stop for breath. Rose didn't give the time lords a chance to correct her. "I'm so sorry," she said to the slave. "I should have called you Mr. Lord President," she told Romana. "Or is it Miss? Miss Lady President? Madam Lady President? Your Highness?"

Romana's mouth dropped open. If she didn't know better, she'd think she was listening to the Doctor on one of his rambles.

"No!" Graxitel managed to get a word out.

"Well, at least tell me if she's female. Is she female?"

"Yes, she's female. It's just..."

"Ha! Then she is a lady. Excellent. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me. I would have hated using the wrong title." Rose looked Graxitel in the eyes, and remembered how Sigma had left off Lord Baracus's title back in his private office suite when the man had angered him. "Miss Graxitel. Miss Pribriiti." Rose deliberately called each time lord "miss," instead of Lord, in an attempt to mimic Sigma's insult, and still appear innocent. "I'll be sure to relay how helpful you've been to the Lord President." She nodded her goodbye. "Lady Romana," Rose didn't even try to finish her name, "please lead the way."

Gal watched his mother with the kind of awe saved only for the greatest of heroes. She was magnificent. She was so smart. And she knew everything, everything in the whole wide universe. The Doctor's son was filled with a sense of safety. His mother had just done the impossible. She'd put those nasty mean bullies in their place. And she'd done it with nothing more than her words. Somehow, Gal knew everything was going to be ok.

Before anyone had a chance to react, and before the High Chancellor had the chance to correct her once more, Rose slid her arm around Romana's and began walking.

Several long seconds later, Lord Pribriiti's mouth was still hanging open. But Lord Graxitel's was clamped shut. His eyes were wide, and his fists clenched. Both time lords stared after the woman.

Pribriiti's mouth finally closed with a snap. "I had no idea," he started, "human women were so easily confused." He let his eyes drop to the floor.

"Hmph," Graxitel made a noise. "I think, my friend, you'll find she's smarter than you realize." The High Chancellor inhaled, searching for the scent of time he knew Rose Tyler carried.

Graxitel slid his hand in his pocket, keeping his eyes locked on the blond. He held the hair pin he'd found a few minutes ago in the President's office suite bedroom. He could feel the single strand of blond hair wrapped around the human device, reveling in the idea that the Lord President had made a mistake.

"Are you sure this will work?" Pribriiti questioned.

"Dress it like a loom," the manipulator responded, "and all anyone will see is a loom. Yellow is not a color of alien tradition. There will be no mistake as to her status."

"And this will somehow weaken The House of Lungborrow."

"My dear, dear friend," Graxitel explained, "It will not only weaken the simpering fools, it will all but cripple them." The High Chancellor imagined the look on Sigma's face when his bonded spouse would be reclassified as a loom. He imagined the madness that would consume the ancient fool when he was forced to break the bond, utterly devastating him, or even better, when he was forced to share the unhoused loom he was bonded to. No doubt the fool would use his House to fight the ruling. And no doubt the battle to come would rip Lungborrow apart. No single House could stand against the other twelve.

Graxitel let his eyes drop away from Rose Tyler's group. He brought the single strand of hair to his nose, inhaling the woman he was about to possess. No. Rose Tyler was definitely smarter than she appeared. And after this little display, the Chancellor would stop at nothing to claim her for himself. He would house her before the President had time to react. Oh, the children she would loom for him!

xxx

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Author's Notes:

1. I don't own "Doctor Who."

2. I do not, nor will I ever buy into the idea that the Doctor can regenerate into a girl. Of all the mistakes the writers have made, the idea of gender swapping has got to be the worst. And NONE of my fanfiction will allow their idiocy to continue.

3. Thank you for all the likes, follows, and reviews. It's really flattering to hear so many people are enjoying this. Thank you.