Fabula
S9E25 · The Time Monster Part 5

Jo fails to gain audience with Queen Galleia

Jo

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

4

Jo and Lakis discuss Jo's desire to meet Queen Galleia, while Jo admires her new Minoan dress.

curiosity to obstruction ['palace guest room']

Lakis informs Jo that Queen Galleia is unavailable because she is with the Lord Master, discussing sacred mysteries.

obstruction to curiosity

Jo persists in her desire to see Queen Galleia, and Lakis firmly denies access.

determination to frustration

Jo takes an action to sneak into the room, as evidenced by her opening the connecting door.


Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2

Initially playful and self-assured, shifting to determined defiance as Lakis blocks her path

Jo wears an elaborate Minoan-style dress and synthetic wig, scrutinizing her reflection in a cheval mirror with growing confidence. She then pivots to a bold plan, attempting to charm or sneak past Lakis to reach Queen Galleia, employing playful humor and mimicry to mask her true intent under the guise of Atlantean etiquette

Goals in this moment
  • Gain access to Queen Galleia using her disguise
  • Assess the political climate within the palace before the Doctor acts
Active beliefs
  • Her disguise will be sufficient to pass initial inspection
  • Appearing as an Atlantean will grant her better access than her true identity
Character traits
Playfully attempts to role-play as Atlantean Uses humor to disarm authority Persistent despite rebuffs Tested by skepticism of authority
Follow Jo Grant's journey
Lakis
primary

Cautious and increasingly uneasy, torn between duty and unease at the Master’s involvement

Lakis stands watchful and composed near the connecting door to the queen’s chambers, initially humoring Jo’s playful attempts to liken her to her mother before sharply pivoting to stern refusal. Her demeanor shifts from mild bewilderment to firm obstruction as she cites the presence of the forbidden Master and forbidden rites, acting as gatekeeper to royal sanctum

Goals in this moment
  • Prevent unauthorized access to Queen Galleia’s chambers
  • Protect Galleia from perceived threats, including the Master
Active beliefs
  • The royal chambers are sacrosanct during audience with the Master
  • Exceeding protocol risks grave consequences
Character traits
Firm and authoritative once intent is clear Reluctant gatekeeper with divided loyalties Responsive to supernatural threats Unmoved by Jo’s mimicry of Atlantean custom
Follow Lakis's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

3
Jo’s Minoan Disguise Dress

The Minoan dress serves as Jo’s primary disguise, allowing her to pass as an Atlantean noblewoman in the palace. She uses it to project an air of authenticity while testing its visual impact in the cheval mirror, hoping its cultural resonance will earn her access to the queen—or at least prevent immediate suspicion

Before: Worn and adjusted by Jo in the guest …
After: Unchanged but proven insufficient under Lakis’s scrutiny, with …
Before: Worn and adjusted by Jo in the guest room, mirroring a noble Atlantean or Minoan style, freshly fitted and scrutinized for flaws
After: Unchanged but proven insufficient under Lakis’s scrutiny, with Jo still wearing it as she attempts to force her way toward the door
Queen Galleia's Chambers Connecting Door

The connecting door to the queen’s chambers is the literal and symbolic obstacle between Jo’s goals and Queen Galleia. She tests its latch and attempts to lever it open, only to meet resistance from Lakis, whose watchfulness transforms the door from a transitional feature into a barrier reinforced by protocol and fear

Before: Securely closed and locked from within or guarded …
After: Partially opened by Jo’s forceful attempt, though Lakis …
Before: Securely closed and locked from within or guarded by protocol, its iron studs and brass latch cold and resistant to unauthorized use
After: Partially opened by Jo’s forceful attempt, though Lakis physically or verbally prevents full access, leaving the threshold in contest
Wig used in Jo’s Atlantean disguise

The synthetic wig, coarse and visually jarring, becomes part of Jo’s disguise ensemble. She does not manipulate it directly in this moment but relies on its deceptive appearance as she models the full outfit before attempting to use it to breach the palace’s inner sanctum by stealth or impersonation

Before: Attached unevenly to Jo’s head, its artificial texture …
After: Still affixed, though its flaws are subtly undermining …
Before: Attached unevenly to Jo’s head, its artificial texture contrasting sharply with true Atlantean coiffure as observed in Lakis’s style
After: Still affixed, though its flaws are subtly undermining her pretense as she grows more desperate

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Palace Guest Room

The guest room serves as Jo’s temporary stage for preparation and first challenge: she crafts her disguise, rehearses her idiolect, and then confronts Lakis in an intimate but formal space just outside the sanctum. The room’s opulence and isolation amplify her isolation and the stakes of her mission, while its decorative symbols of sovereignty remind all present of the kingdom’s hidden dangers

Atmosphere Formal but tense, charged with the pressure of protocol and the proximity of forbidden power
Function Private reflective chamber and staging ground for infiltration
Symbolism Represents the liminal space between secrecy and exposure, where identity can be repurposed but authority …
Access Restricted to authorized personnel and dignitaries; not open to the public or to those without …
Flickering brass sconce light casting long shadows on rich brocade drapes Subtle scent of sandalwood incense mixed with polished beeswax

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph


Part of Larger Arcs