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 mountain s 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 . . . ? Plot . 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 . Clara sneaks into the ambassador ' s chambers , where she attempts to open negotiations between Conrad ' s country and Varuz . However , the ambassador seems much more interested in her new pendant , to Clara ' s confusion , and barely even mentions the crisis . Afterwards , Clara discusses this with the Doctor , who scans the jewel within the pendant with his sonic screwdriver . He detects some sort of energy emission coming from the pendant ; Clara tries to take it off , but the Doctor insists she keeps wearing it until he can figure out what purpose it serves . The next day begins with the palace guard summoning everybody before the Duke . Once they are gathered , Aurelian accuses Mikhail of conspiring against him , having seen the young Lord leaving the ambassador ' s chambers . Mikhail protests , but Aurelian strips him of his titles and banishes him from Varuz . When Clara objects , Aurelian turns on her , noting that she was also seen visiting the ambassador ' s chambers in secret . Just as the situation is about to turn ugly , Guena reveals herself as the " architect of the conspiracy " , stating that if Aurelian punishes anybody , it should be her . She then gives the ambassador a direct message for Conrad , asking for peace . Stunned with shock , Aurelian sends the ambassador back to his master with the message , ordering him to take Clara away with him . Clara resists initially until the Doctor persuades her to go along with it , noting the opportunity to learn more about Conrad . With Mikhail , Clara and the ambassador banished , an enraged Aurelian turns to Bernhardt . As Bernhardt is confessing to his crimes , however , a company of thirty knights materialises out of nowhere inside the chamber . Everybody in the court is taken aback ; the captain of the knights removes his helmet and introduces himself to Aurelian , stating , " My name is Lancelot , and I come here from a city named Ravenna . Sir , in the name of Arthur the King , the Duke of Britain , I seek the Holy Grail . " Chapter 5 . The Doctor is immediately suspicious of Lancelot and his knights , assuming them to be conmen of some sort ; he explains to Bernhardt that the story of the Holy Grail is a work of fiction from Clara ' s world . Aurelian , on the other hand , is enraptured by the mystery and glamour of the knights . When Lancelot tells him of the Grail , " a symbol of perfection and of life beyond death " , Aurelian announces his own knights will assist Lancelot in his quest , much to the consternation of his court . With Mikhail having travelled ahead without them , Clara and the ambassador are left alone to walk back to Conrad ' s country . The path is long and meandering , and the ambassador repeatedly delays the journey so he can stop and observe some aspect of the wildlife or geography of Varuz . Furthermore , he seems reluctant to allow Clara to accompany him all the way back to Conrad , or even to tell her the way to the border . Eventually night falls and they make camp . At some point , Clara awakens to find her pendant stolen and the ambassador gone . She hurries along the path and soon catches up with him , demanding he explain his behaviour . Back at the court , Aurelian is angered by his knights ' reluctance to join the quest for the Grail . Realising that the unity and hope of the quest is exactly what the people of Varuz need right now , Bernhardt pledges himself to the cause , despite Guena ' s protests ; after a stirring speech , he persuades many of the other knights of Varuz to join him . Chapter 6 . Out in the countryside , the ambassador admits to Clara that he , in truth , is not an envoy from Conrad ' s country at all — he is a space - traveller like herself , a collector by the name of Emfil . He explains that he came to Varuz to examine their technology , which he finds fascinating ; Varuz is littered with extremely advanced equipment , but all of it seems to have been built hundreds of years ago , before some sort of mysterious collapse . He also returns Clara ' s necklace , apologising for the theft . When pushed by Clara , he admits that his true purpose in visiting Varuz is a treasure hunt of sorts – he is after an ancient and mythical artefact known as the Glamour . In Varuz , Bernhardt retires to his chambers in preparation for the quest . The Doctor accosts him there , arguing that he should abandon the quest and instead focus on unveiling the true nature of Lancelot and his knights . Bernhardt explains his reasoning ; with the knights of Varuz out chasing a mirage , Aurelian will be unable to mount a war . Satisfied , the Doctor instead decides to join the quest , so that he can keep an eye on Lancelot . As they travel , Emfil tells Clara what little he actually knows about the Glamour — it is an object of great power , yet the specifics of its existence are vague at best . Emfil tracked the Glamour to the area around Varuz , and posed as Conrad ' s ambassador to gain entrance to the Duke ' s halls so that he could investigate . Eventually the two of them reach a narrow pass in the mountains , and speculate that they are nearing the border . In a small hollow , they stumble across four corpses dressed in the uniforms of Conrad ' s armies — the real ambassador and his entourage . Shocked , they move to leave , but hear footsteps approaching the hollow from outside . . . Chapter 7 . Mikhail enters the hollow , finding Clara and Emfil with the corpses . Clara accuses him of being the murderer , but he denies the charge , and notes that Aurelian would never have ordered such a murder either . He asks Emfil how he escaped from the massacre ; Emfil explains that he was never one of Conrad ' s ambassadors , but is actually a travelling collector . Mikhail laughs , and tells them he has heard stories of another group of treasure hunters arriving in Varuz – led by a captain named Lancelot . Clara , shocked , suggests that the " Holy Grail " of her world and the Glamour could be the same artefact under a different name . The three agree to travel on together towards Conrad ' s country , in search of answers and safety . Back in Varuz , Bernhardt communicates with Guena using a " magic mirror " , a device which projects images using some sort of mysterious energy emission . They talk about the immanent quest for the Grail , and whether or not they truly trust Lancelot . Midway through their conversation , the Doctor arrives at Bernhardt ' s side ; he scans the mirror with the sonic screwdriver , concluding that it uses the same power source and form of energy as the jewels , but is still uncertain as to what exactly that power source is . Guena and Bernhardt are no wiser — this is technology handed down from generations ago , and its workings are barely understood by the people of modern Varuz . Back in the mountains , Clara , Mikhail and Emfil are apprehended by a group of guards wearing Conrad ' s colours , and taken to a camp hidden further down the road . Mikhail notes that they have not yet reached the border ; the invasion has already begun . The group are presented before Conrad , and Mikhail introduces them by saying , " Lord Conrad , I come to you in the hope of peace . " Chapter 8 . Conrad laughs at the idea of peace , and instead asks what news the trio can bring him . Mikhail explains the deaths of Conrad ' s ambassadors , and argues that Aurelian is unlikely to be the culprit ; he also , with Emfil ' s help , tells the story of Lancelot ' s Knights ' arrival and of the Grail for which they search . Clara attempts to broker peace , but Conrad is defiant , noting that spies from Varuz have been setting off explosives in his towns — he is unwilling to be the side which withdraws from the conflict . Eventually , Mikhail pledges his service to Conrad , announcing he will help track down the Grail if it will mean peace between the nations . Conrad , however , has other plans for Mikhail . At the gates of Varuz , Aurelian gives an inspiring speech to his departing knights . Led by Lancelot and Bernhardt , the party travels off on horseback . As they ride , the Doctor tells Bernhardt the tale of Sir Galahad , and notes that in Arthurian legend , " the Grail could only be seen if a person was pure at heart . " Back at the camp , Conrad explains his plan . He wants Mikhail to ride with his vanguard to Varuz whilst the knights are out on their quest for the Grail , and help him take the city before the knights return . Clara objects , but Mikhail agrees to the plan , arguing that taking the city without a real battle will mean less bloodshed and death on both sides . Clara warns that Conrad will betray Mikhail after the invasion , but Conrad laughs again and announces that — though he may not have royal blood – he is still every bit as honourable as a Duke or a king . Chapter 9 . The party of knights in search of the Grail ride on , traversing the vast valleys and mountains of Varuz . Along the way they note that much of the landscape is barren and lifeless ; Bernhardt explains to the Doctor that the country has been like this for at least two generations . Eventually they arrive at a ruined hall , where they rest for the evening . Whilst there , the Doctor interrogates one of Lancelot ' s company ; the knight admits he cannot remember who he is , or why he is following Lancelot on the quest . The Doctor realises that it is not the Grail they are hunting for — it ' s the Glamour . Back in the city , Aurelian and Guena receive news that Conrad is marching further into Varuz . They argue over whether or not they should recall their knights — Aurelian wants to keep the quest going , but Guena persuades him to allow her to speak with Bernhardt using her mirror , and bring the knights home . In the hall , the Doctor describes the Glamour to Bernhardt . He explains that it can change shape , appearing in different forms to different people , and that it exudes a powerful aura that makes people desire it above anything else . It also , as he explains , drains the life - force of people in its vicinity , turning them into semi - conscious husks like Lancelot ' s knights . Just as Bernhardt and the Doctor decide to abandon the quest , and Lancelot , Bernhardt ' s brooch starts to burn hot , indicating that Guena is trying to communicate with him . Chapter 10 . Guena speaks to Bernhardt using her mirror , requesting he return to Varuz . Despite his earlier conversation with the Doctor , Bernhardt violently refuses to return ; Guena is confused by his manner , until the Doctor steps in and realises Bernhardt is starting to come under the effects of the Glamour . He jolts some sense into Bernhardt , who agrees to try and persuade the knights of Varuz to give up on the quest . Meanwhile , Guena offers to try and use her mirror to help the Doctor communicate with Clara . In the camps of Conrad ' s advancing army , Clara feels her pendant grow hot , and is able to use it to communicate with the Doctor , Bernhardt and Guena . She explains that Mikhail has turned traitor whilst the Doctor fills her in on his discoveries concerning Lancelot and the Glamour . The group worry that the knights of Varuz , enamoured as they are with the quest , will refuse to follow the Doctor and Bernhardt back to the city ; Clara announces that she has a plan to deal with that , and cuts the connection . Finding Emfil , she announces her intention to escape the camp . Back at the hall , the Doctor and Bernhardt ask Lancelot to return with them to Varuz . He refuses , but grants them leave to return without him . Bernhardt asks around his own knights , confirming his worst fears ; only one fifth of his knights wish to return with him , the rest already enamoured with the quest for the Glamour . With a heavy heart , Bernhardt and his reduced company set off for Varuz . The Doctor stays behind , still determined to solve the mystery of Lancelot ' s origins . Chapter 11 . Clara and Emfil attempt to escape Conrad ' s camp by stealing two horse s . They are caught by Mikhail , but he allows them to leave , trusting them both enough to do the right thing . The two travel together for a time , eventually happening across Lancelot ' s company of knights . Clara speaks with a figure she recognises , a guard from Mikhail ' s old group , but he seems dazed and distracted ; he has come under the effects of the Glamour . They then go to meet with Lancelot . At first he is unresponsive , but Emfil shows him some data he has collected which suggests that the Glamour might actually be back in Varuz . Lancelot takes this to heart , ordering his men to turn back for the city . As the journey begins , Clara notes that she has yet to find the Doctor . Back at the city , Bernhardt , Aurelian and Guena prepare for war . They work for long days and nights , planning strategies and preparing their depleted troops . Then , one morning , Conrad ' s army arrives at their gate . Determined to protect Varuz to the end , Aurelian leads his knights out of the city and into battle . Just as the combat is about to begin , Lancelot and his company arrive on the scene . From afar , Clara and Emfil watch the fighting begin . Mikhail meets Lancelot in battle , and wounds him ; Lancelot ' s wound glows with a brilliant white light , and the old knight disappears in a flash . Everyone is confused for a moment , until Emfil realises the truth — Lancelot was the Glamour all along , disguised as a man , leading his followers on an endless and inescapable quest . Excited by this glimpse of the treasure he is hunting for , Emfil teleports away to his own ship to try and track down the Glamour , leaving Clara alone . Chapter 12 . Guena watches the battlefield from the castle , as Conrad ' s men defeat the knights of Varuz . Eventually , Aurelian is killed by Mikhail , and the invading army enter the city . Bernhardt , realising all is lost , runs back into the heart of the city , hoping to reach Guena and escape before Conrad ' s men find her . He is intercepted en route by the Doctor – who , it is revealed , left Lancelot ' s company so that he could retrieve the TARDIS , and has already rescued Guena . The Doctor explains he has realised a vital truth about Varuz — the technology developed by the people of the past drains power from the very earth itself , explaining the barren state of much of the nation . Together , the three enter the ship and leave the city . At the battlefield , the TARDIS materialises near to Clara , who joins the Doctor . Just after they arrive Guena is contacted by Mikhail via her mirror ; he apologises for what he has done , thankful that she is alive , and hopes to one day earn her forgiveness by rebuilding Varuz into a great and prosperous nation . The Doctor relays his warning about the technology of Varuz to Mikhail , who promises to pass the information to Conrad . After the communication ends , the Doctor offers to take Guena and Bernhardt far away from Varuz , to a place where they can live in peace . Sometime into the future , the Doctor and Clara return to Varuz , to discover that Mikhail and Conrad have scrapped the ancient technology and are hoping to return the nation to its former glory , without any of the dangerous excesses that troubled its ancient people . The townsfolk have built a bonfire to burn old technology , and Clara throws her pendant into the blaze . Satisfied that " the future ' s safe — or as safe as it can ever be " , the Doctor and Clara leave in the TARDIS . There , the Doctor ponders what became of the Glamour . Back in the far future , an elderly Bernhardt wonders if any of the many alien travellers who visited in the city ' s final days still remember Varuz . References . legends from the real world . " to be added " External links . " to be added "