Royal Blood (novel)

Royal Blood is one of three Twelfth Doctor novels in the series The Glamour Chronicles published in September 2015.

Publisher's summary
“The Grail is a story, a myth! It didn’t exist on your world! It can’t exist here!”

The city-state of Varuz is failing. Duke Aurelian is the last of his line, his capital is crumbling, and the armies of his enemy, Duke Conrad, are poised beyond the mountains to invade. Aurelian is preparing to gamble everything on one last battle. So when a holy man, the Doctor, comes to Varuz from beyond the mountains, Aurelian asks for his blessing in the war.

But all is not what it seems in Varuz. The city-guard have lasers for swords, and the halls are lit by electric candlelight. Aurelian’s beloved wife, Guena, and his most trusted knight, Bernhardt, seem to be plotting to overthrow their Duke, and Clara finds herself drawn into their intrigue...

Will the Doctor stop Aurelian from going to war? Will Clara’s involvement in the plot against the Duke be discovered? Why is Conrad’s ambassador so nervous? And who are the ancient and weary knights who arrive in Varuz claiming to be on a quest for the Holy Grail…?

Chapter 1
Far in the future, an elderly Bernhardt reminisces about the final days of Varuz...

Back in the present, the Twelfth Doctor and Clara Oswald are trekking down a mountain range, in search of a "quasi-medieval city" as requested by Clara. Eventually they catch sight of the capital city of Varuz, and watch the sunset over the city from afar. Shortly afterwards a power cut hits the city, leading the Doctor to speculate that Varuz is experiencing some 'local difficulty'. They proceed to travel down into the city, where they are accosted by a group of guards led by Mikhail; mistakenly identifying the Doctor as a foreign ambassador of some sort, the guards escort him to the halls of Duke Aurelian.

Chapter 2
The Doctor and Clara are brought before Duke Aurelian, Duchess Guena, and a younger Lord Bernhardt, to whom the Doctor admits he is not the ambassador they were expecting. He instead introduces himself as a traveller; Aurelian interprets that to mean the Doctor is a holy man, and begs his assistance in resolving a crisis affecting Varuz.

The Doctor, Aurelian and Bernhardt retire to an antechamber, where the two noblemen fill the Doctor in; Conrad, the Duke of a neighbouring state, has taken control of much of the land surrounding Varuz, and Aurelian suspects he will attempt an invasion in the near future. Aurelian wishes to go to war with Conrad, but the Doctor vehemently opposes this idea, stating that “when the buildings are burning and the soldiers are dying and the children are ripped from their parents’ arms – you’ll regret the day you ever went to war.” Bernhardt sides with the Doctor, frustrating Aurelian.

Meanwhile, Clara and Guena move to a sitting room, where they drink together and discuss the predicament. Guena notes that Varuz has been in a state of decline for hundreds of years, and that it was once the political and technological capital of the world. She also reveals that she has several spies working for her in Conrad’s territory, who had informed her that an ambassador would be coming to Varuz. Clara asks after Mikhail, whose relationship with Aurelian seems tense; Guena explains that he is her nephew, and technically the legal heir to the Dukedom. Finally, Guena makes a surprising request: she asks Clara to speak with Conrad’s ambassador when they arrive, on her behalf, in secret. Clara begins to suspect that Guena is scheming against Aurelian.

Chapter 3
The Doctor and Clara reunite in the guest quarters of the Duke’s halls, and discuss everything they have learned. Initially, the Doctor is distracted by the ostentatious jewellery which decorates the chambers, finding it oddly out of place; however, he starts to pay attention when Clara mentions running messages from Guena to Conrad’s ambassador. Clara worries about the possibility of committing treason, but the Doctor persuades her to go along with it, noting that negotiating with the ambassador might be their best chance of avoiding war.

The next morning, the ambassador arrives in Varuz. He meets with the Duke’s court, and although he seems averse to the idea of war, the Doctor finds his behaviour suspicious. Aurelian hosts a feast in honour of the ambassador’s arrival, during which the two men discuss the history and politics of Varuz at length. During the feast, Guena and Clara slip away, and are joined soon after by Bernhardt; the Duchess reveals that she and Bernhardt are romantically involved, and working together to ensure the safety of Varuz and its people. Bernhardt asks Clara to preach peace to the ambassador, in secret, against Aurelian’s wishes; Guena gives Clara a small jewelled pendant as a token of her gratitude.

Chapter 4
To be added

Characters

 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Clara Oswald
 * Bernhardt
 * Aurelian
 * Guena
 * Mikhail
 * Emfil
 * Conrad
 * Lancelot
 * Lucinda

legends from the real world

 * The Glamour Knights, led by Lancelot, claim to be sent by King Arthur on a quest for the "Holy Grail".
 * The Doctor tells Bernhardt the tale of Sir Galahad.

Continuity

 * The Doctor has previously encountered Glamour technology in PROSE: Ghosts of India and The Glamour Chase.
 * The TARDIS "has a knack for finding places" where help is needed. (TV: The Doctor's Wife)
 * Guena mistakes the Doctor to be Clara's father. (TV: The Caretaker)
 * Clara drinks hot chocolate with Guena; later, the Doctor jokes that she might have "accidentally sworn an oath" by accepting the drink. (TV: The Aztecs)

Audio release
to be added