Fic: Adjustments (1/3)
Title: Adjustments
Authors: miera_c and melyanna
Rating: PG
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with the Wraith, the queen and her court pick up the pieces.
Laura had grown accustomed in recent weeks to being woken because of the baby. As soon as she could feel the baby moving within her, the slightest motion seemed to rouse her. On the morning after the battle, however, she woke because the baby was shrieking. She forced her eyes open despite the sunlight in the room, and she saw Carson lifting Moira out of the cradle that had been brought in the night before. She didn't recall him coming to bed, but his hair was tousled as it always was when he rose. It was not particularly surprising that she would have slept through his lying down with her.
Moira quieted a little as Carson held her to his chest, but did not subside entirely. Laura waited a moment before she said, "She's probably hungry."
Carson smiled at her sheepishly. "I was hoping not to wake you."
"Our daughter did a thorough job of it," Laura replied, pushing herself up. Carson laid the baby in her arms and then helped settle pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably. "Is that the trouble, Moira?" she asked. "Are you hungry?"
While Laura settled the baby to her breast, Carson sat down beside her, just watching. "I know you were not planning to nurse her," he said lowly, touching Moira's hand, "but it is something remarkable to see."
"I know," Laura replied. "I am not convinced that I will be able to continue for long, but I am glad that I had to do this for myself, even for a little while."
On the other side of the room, the door creaked open slightly. "Oh, good," Kate said from the other side.
Laura's eyes widened in alarm. "Did Moira wake you too?" she asked.
Kate smiled wryly. "I'm afraid so."
"And Elizabeth?" Laura added.
Kate shook her head. "No, but it is no matter. We must be up soon anyway. Should I send for Mistress Perna?"
Laura glanced down at Moira, who had wrapped her tiny fist around Carson's finger as best she could. Looking back at Kate, Laura replied, "Please do."
Kate smiled again before she left them. Carson, however, frowned a little. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
Laura shook her head. "Not that I know of. But I think Perna will give a more definitive answer to that."
Perna was indeed pleased with both Laura and Moira and said that she was optimistic that Laura could remove herself to her own chambers by the end of the day. Carson soon had to leave, having patients of his own to tend, but he left with a kiss for both wife and daughter and a promise to be back for luncheon.
A few minutes after his departure, Kate came back to the door, this time with Elizabeth at her side. The queen settled into a chair near the door, but Kate came and sat with Laura on the bed. Moira's hunger was by then satisfied and Laura had burped her. The baby remained awake, her tiny body squirming restlessly against the blankets. "Is there any news?" she asked, abruptly aware that she had been asleep for some time, and a great number of things could have happened.
Elizabeth blew out a long breath before she launched into an explanation of what she knew of the battle. Laura had not heard much, having been otherwise occupied, but she was surprised by how much detail Elizabeth knew of it. It was obvious that Kate had not heard much of it either, for all that she had been the only one of the three not incapacitated for some part of the previous day and a half. But Laura should have expected that Elizabeth would glean all the information she could from one source or another.
"Teyla has gone to Athos," Elizabeth said, coming to the end of her narrative. "She will be back when the Athosians have buried their dead. I hope they have more luck than we will."
Kate frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It was very cold last night," Elizabeth pointed out. "I fear the ground may have frozen. It will make for difficult digging."
Laura nodded. The dead Wraith had been easier to deal with, according to Elizabeth. The corpses had been set on one of their own damaged ships, which was then towed out to sea and burned.
She decided to change the subject somewhat. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Elizabeth shrugged slightly. "My knee is improved," she replied. "Carson was pleased by my progress. But I will be conducting all my business from these chambers for the time being. I cannot attempt the stairs yet."
"Well, I am certain Lord John will have no objection to carrying you about should the need arise," Kate said. "He has had some practice at it."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "We should let him sleep today. He may be the only person in the palace who will be able to rest."
The sun was already up when Marcus woke, and he immediately tried to jump out of bed, thinking he was severely late. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, especially his shoulder, and he remembered his injury. It took him a moment to accept that he did not need to be out of bed already, but the pain was proof enough.
He was too cynical to believe that the Wraith were no longer a threat to Atalan, but the worst, perhaps, was over. They had prevented a full-scale siege of Atlantis, and had broken the might of the pirates who threatened the coast year after year. It was surreal to Marcus that they had survived, and even prevailed.
That they had prevailed and he had reconciled with Kate was hardly believable.
The thought of Kate finally roused him from his bed. Someone, probably one of his men, had brought a pitcher of water and a basin into his chambers. Marcus was grateful for the opportunity to clean up. He needed to get a physician to look at his injury, as he could not deal with all the bandages by himself, but that could wait. There was someone he needed to speak to, and now would be the best time to do it, before the day's work was fully underway.
After donning clean clothes and setting his arm in the sling he'd been given yesterday, he first went by the queen's chambers. When he had ensured that all was well, he made his way to Lord David Heightmeyer's chambers. He steeled himself and knocked on the door.
Shortly he heard Lord David bid him enter. The earl seemed surprised to see him there. "Am I needed somewhere, Captain?" he asked.
"No, my lord," Marcus replied, resisting the urge to fidget. "I wish to speak with you."
"On what subject?"
Marcus licked his lips before plowing ahead. "Your daughter."
There was a moment of silence, and then Lord David smiled. "I was wondering when you would come and talk to me."
Nothing else could have been more shocking, Marcus was sure. "My lord - I - you -" he stammered.
"Have a seat, young man," Lord David said, gesturing to a chair near the one where he sat. "I've had my suspicions about you and Kate for some time." After studying Marcus' face for a moment as he sat, Heightmeyer added, "You look surprised."
"I am," Marcus replied. "Surprised you never threatened to kill me for looking at her."
"If I thought the rumors of your relationship with her were true, I might have been tempted," David allowed. "Something like this was inevitable, I think. I was expecting Kate or Laura to develop some sort of feelings for one of the young men constantly in their presence. Forgive me, but when they were younger, I did not expect such a thing to last very long."
Marcus was not insulted. He likely would have assumed the same, had he been in Lord David's position. "You had your suspicions, yet you did not believe the rumors?" That seemed contradictory to him.
"Most rumors have a little truth to them," Lord David replied. "I believed the bulk of them to be inconsistent with Kate's character, but I could see with my own eyes that there was something happening between you." He frowned, as Kate often did when she was considering something. "I had thought you and Kate argued, perhaps. Does this explain your coming to me now?"
Marcus nodded. "We did fight, and I thought we were finished, but this past week..." He paused, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I want to court your daughter, my lord, and I want to do it properly. When I acknowledged my feelings to her before, I was... I am ashamed to say it, but I was afraid of what people would think if I tried to court her in public. I am not afraid of that now. I know that some people will think she is lowering herself even to look at me, and some will think I am stepping far beyond my place, but I love her."
He stopped there, worried about what else he might say. Lord David was sober in his reply. "I know this is not comfortable for you to hear, for neither is this comfortable for me to ask," he said. "But you say that you went to her in secret. Have you touched her, in that kind?"
Marcus took his time in answering. He knew what David was asking, but for some reason he was compelled to answer more than was strictly necessary. "I cannot deny that the opportunity has arisen," he said carefully, "but I could not give in to such temptation, not when it would dishonor us both. She is a virgin. I give you my word."
Lord David held his gaze for several moments before nodded. "Good. I give you my blessing, Captain, on one condition. It will not be onerous. If you are to court my daughter, it must be in public. I want it to be known that you have my permission. I will not have her reputation suffer, or yours."
Marcus let out a sigh of relief, which made Lord David laugh. "I do have one other request," David added. "When you see Kate, would you tell her I wish to speak with her? I am certain you and she have much to talk of, but there are some things I need to say to her myself."
"Of course." Marcus rose then, David following suit. "And thank you, my lord. It is an honor to have your blessing."
The words sounded awkward and trite once they were out of his mouth, but it was too late to call them back. Besides, Lord David clapped his good shoulder and smiled. "I wish you the best of luck, Captain."
As he left, Marcus tried not to feel too alarmed at the thought that he might need such luck.
Elizabeth held the baby while Kate and Perna helped Laura dress, then Kate and Elizabeth left to do the same. They had barely finished when there was a knock on the bedchamber door. Kate opened it and frowned when she saw Marcus on the other side. "Marcus, what's wrong?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Your father wishes to speak with you."
It took her a moment before she understood his implication. "You spoke to him?"
"Yes," Marcus said, reaching for her hand even though they were not strictly alone. "But I believe you should talk with him before we discuss it further."
Not sure what she should say, Kate turned to Elizabeth. "Go ahead," Elizabeth told her. "I am sure it will not take long."
Marcus went to help Elizabeth into the antechamber, and Kate left for her father's door, nervous about what was to transpire. Marcus had not seemed particularly agitated, which suggested that his conversation with her father had gone well, but her father's request to speak with her did not put her at ease.
"Kate," David said when she slipped into his room. "I was just writing to your mother to assure her that all is well."
Kate narrowed her eyes. "In what respect?"
Her father smiled and guided her to a chair. "I will tell her nothing of your young captain yet," he assured her. "Are you worried about her?"
She nodded. "I have been worried about you as well."
"Kate, it cannot have escaped your notice that your parents are not living in a fairy tale," he said, sitting beside her. "I do not regret marrying your mother, and I love you and your brother and sister dearly. But you are lucky. Your position with the queen means you do not need to marry for your own security. If your happiness lies with Captain Lorne, I will support your choice."
For a long while Kate did not know what to say. Fortunately, her father did not press her for a response. "I shall tell you what I told him. This courtship will be public. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father," she replied immediately. "It is in his best interests, and mine and yours."
David nodded. "There will be rumors no matter how open you are about your courtship. Someone will insinuate that you are carrying his child. I should probably speak to the captain about what to do when the accusation arises."
"I know," Kate said, fighting the urge to bite her lip. "But what I hate most is that Elizabeth's judgment could be dragged into this." She and Marcus both served at the queen's pleasure, after all. There were already rumors enough that the captain of the queen's guard had seduced one of her ladies.
"Well, perhaps we can forestall some of the unpleasantness if the time comes," he replied, and then he paused. "We may be getting ahead of ourselves."
She blushed a little and he chuckled, setting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. "He loves you, Kate. He is not nearly good enough for you, of course, but no man is."
"Father." The joke came a little too close to the reasons she and Marcus had fought almost a year ago. Her father held her a little closer, as though apologizing.
She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Despite the fact that she had slept soundly the night before, she still could have drifted off again, had it not been for an urgent knock on the door.
David nudged her to sit upright before going to the door. "Forgive me the intrusion, my lord," said the servant on the other side, "but the queen is asking for you and Lady Katherine."
"We will be there as soon as possible," David replied. Kate rose and took his arm, and they headed to the queen's chambers.
They met Jack on the way. "Do you know what's going on?" David asked of him.
"I've no idea," Jack replied.
They were at their destination then, leaving no time for more conversation. One of the guards opened the door and they found Elizabeth standing near the fireplace, a letter in her hand. "Elizabeth, should you be up?" Kate asked, leaving her father's side for the queen.
Elizabeth waved her off. Daniel entered the room then, and when the door closed, Elizabeth said, "I have had a message from Gilbert Hurst."
"Lord Benjamin's son?" Daniel asked.
"He writes that Lord Benjamin is dead," Elizabeth replied, sounding shocked more than anything else.
"How?" Kate asked. Lord Benjamin had been presiding over the college only four days earlier. "Was he ill?"
"He decided to go home rather than wait near the coast," Elizabeth said, glancing at the letter again. Kate remembered after a moment that Hurst's estate was a very short journey from Atlantis. Only Teyla's home was closer among the nobles. "Gilbert writes that they received word of the island's survival, and his father passed away a few hours later."
She sat down somewhat abruptly, wincing. Kate stepped into the next room while Jack and Daniel asked Elizabeth if her knee was bothering her. She returned with the linen strips that had been wrapped around Elizabeth's knee as a sort of brace the previous day, but taken off when they went to bed.
While Elizabeth tried to dismiss the concerns of her noblemen, Kate dropped to her knees beside the queen and tugged a footstool into place. "If you wish for some privacy, my lady, I would ask them to turn away now," she said quietly.
Kate waited for Elizabeth to ask the men to turn around before she began to tend to the queen. It only took a few minutes, but Elizabeth did not waste the time. "When do we expect the college to return?"
"It will probably be another two days before everyone has returned," Kate's father said. "I waited in Athos, but nearly all the other lords went further south."
"That gives me a little time," Elizabeth said.
"Time?" Daniel repeated.
"I hate to be thinking of this already, but I must have a chancellor in the college," she replied. "If I have a few days before I must call the college to assemble, that will give me time to make a measured decision. It will also give some of the lords time to suggest themselves as Lord Benjamin's replacement, but we cannot have everything our way."
Having finished with Elizabeth's knee, Kate fixed her garments and stood. The movement caught the men's attention and they faced the queen once more. "Have you any preference now?" Jack asked.
"Not you, Jack. You need not worry," she replied with a hint of a smile.
"Thank you, my lady," he said with visible relief.
Elizabeth laughed quietly. "When Lady Teyla returns, I will have to speak to her."
That took Daniel aback. "Cousin, surely you do not intend to..."
"She is a friend and trusted advisor," Elizabeth said. "I intend to consult her on the matter."
Daniel asked no more, but Kate wondered if Elizabeth was considering what Daniel suggested. It would be a bold move, to say the least.
"Well, I am certain you all have much work to do," she went on. "I would not keep you from it much longer."
The men all bowed to her and made for the door, but Elizabeth had one more thing on her mind, it seemed. "Daniel," she called as they were leaving.
He paused behind the others. "Yes?"
"Will you see to it that I am kept informed of Master Grodin's condition?" she asked, her voice low.
"Of course," he replied.
With the men gone, Kate sent down to the kitchens for breakfast. Once the door was closed, she looked at Elizabeth critically. "Are you thinking of appointing Teyla as chancellor?" she asked.
Elizabeth returned an amused look. "She would never accept it."
Kate had to grin. "That is exactly what I thought."
John was surprised at how bright the sun was shining when he woke, until he realized it was mid-morning. Somehow he had slept for far longer than usual. He strongly suspected Elizabeth was responsible.
He dressed himself and found his way down to the kitchens. More people were there than had been for the last two days. The servants were apparently trickling back onto the island. John managed to find something to eat even though it was late, and learned from one of the older men that most of the soldiers and many of the other men were on the mainland, digging a grave to bury the dead from the battle.
The absence of a summons from the queen suggested his presence was not needed in the palace at the moment. John found one of the guardsmen and sent a message to Elizabeth that he was going to help with the digging and headed for the stables. He was pleased to see someone had thought to feed and water the horses. He had Silvanus saddled quickly and rode across the isthmus toward the shore, carefully passing the line of people returning home.
John found the burial site easily. It was not all that far from the circle of stones that marked the fire pit used at Solstice. Most of the soldiers were assembled along with many of the men and some of the royal guard. They were struggling with their labor; despite the thaw, the ground was still frozen. A group of the strongest men were using pickaxes to break the cold ground up enough to be dug.
Prince Ronon was with them. Even with his long hair tied back, he was easily spotted. He nodded briefly to John and then went back to using his considerable strength to strike the ground. The memory of Ronon killing the three Wraith within the palace came back to John and he shivered. He did not like to dwell on what might have befallen Elizabeth and Kate if Ronon had not spotted those pirates slipping into the palace.
John headed for the other part of the line. Some of the men looked at him askance, no doubt thinking that a future prince had no business with such labors. The guardsmen seemed less surprised.
He let the memories of the previous days fall from his mind, concentrating on shifting the earth before him, one shovel at a time. The ground was muddy and cold, but despite that and the chill in the air, John was soon sweating heavily. Eventually he stood and stretched his back, which was aching. He glanced up and noted it was after midday by now.
He climbed from the trench. The worst of the effort was over. The men were now deepening the hole and squaring it off.
Riders approached with baskets and the army captain overseeing the job called a halt so the men could eat. John accepted his portion of the rather skimpy meal without comment, even though the captain looked at him curiously.
Though part of him longed to sit, John suspected his presence might be off-putting. This was not an aspect of his rank that had ever appealed to him, and now it was frustrating since he had been fighting alongside most of these men a few hours ago. He wandered away instead, exploring the area. While he had been here during Solstice and seen parts of the coast before, he had never seen this place.
Stone markers poked up from the mud and snow at intervals. This area of the shore had been used as a grave before, he realized. The first tombstone he came across marked the resting place of men who had died in a battle several centuries earlier, according to the faded dates chiseled into the stone. As he walked around the field, he saw the history of Atalan unfolding. Wars with the Goa'uld, battles fought against old enemies on land and sea, the names of empires that had long disappeared and some he had never even heard of graced the stones. He caught the name "Weir" on one of the stones and realized it was from over a hundred years ago. Elizabeth was the last of that line and from now on the house of Weir would no longer rule Atalan, as their children would bear the name Sheppard. It was humbling to realize his father's name would now supplant the one that held the throne of Atalan for centuries.
John knew not every battle was recorded here, but every threat to Atlantis was present. He passed a monument to soldiers killed putting down some kind of rebellion - from the date, it was during Elizabeth's father's lifetime but John did not know the particulars - and then he faced a massive stone monument, the largest on the field. He swallowed as he approached, noting that Ronon was wandering toward him as well.
The gray stone had rough edges, but the face had been smoothed. On it was inscribed a date, seventeen years previous, and a simple dedication to the men who sacrificed themselves to save Atlantis at the Battle of the Bridge.
Ronon stood beside him, frowning at the monument. John caught his expression and nodded his head. "The Ori," he said simply, by way of explanation. Elizabeth had been but a small child at the time. John knew her father had been injured in the battle, and that it had been one of the worst in the country's history, but little else. It struck him hard, looking across the centuries of Atalan's past, how little he knew of his adopted home's history. It was something he would need to rectify in the coming weeks.
The thought brought his mind back to the present, and Elizabeth. While he was happier laboring here than dealing with administrative matters, he could not abandon her for the entire day. He turned, looking out over the water at Atlantis, then looked up at Ronon.
"I did not get the chance to say this earlier, but I am in your debt."
The taller man shifted uncomfortably. John sympathized but it had to be said. "But for you, I don't know what might have befallen the queen or her companion. You saved Elizabeth's life, and mine."
Ronon shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a slight smile. "She seemed to be holding her own with that knife, actually."
John smiled a little, remembering Elizabeth stabbing viciously at the Wraith who had been chasing her. She had certainly not just given up without a fight, but he still shuddered to remember how close she had been to harm. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and put his hand on Ronon's shoulder.
"Elizabeth honors her debts, as do I. If there is anything you need, from either of us, it is yours for the asking."
Ronon met his eyes and John knew his message was understood. He let go and turned toward the men who were gathering themselves to go back to digging. He found young Aiden Ford and instructed him to see that Prince Ronon was shown where to go to wash and change when they returned to the city.
He nodded to the men and mounted Silvanus. His progress back to the city was slowed by the traffic across the narrow passage, but once there he had clean clothes brought and went to the rooms set aside for the soldiers and guards. As he hoped, there were buckets of water waiting and he was able to wash the mud and sweat off himself.
Once clean and dressed, he headed for Elizabeth's rooms. Only one guard stood at her door, which didn't surprise him given the number of guards he'd seen at the burial site, but it was not Captain Lorne. John would have expected him to be back to work long before he was actually ready. This was something else Elizabeth must have seen to.
John was allowed into the queen's chambers after a brief inquiry, and he was somewhat surprised to find her alone. She was sitting near the fire, and she offered him a tired smile. "Where is Kate?" he asked, after kissing her hand.
"We seem to have run out of things to do for the moment," she replied, gesturing for him to join her. "She is with Marcus."
While he sat down beside her, he realized that this was where he had come so close to taking her to bed a few days ago. They were alone now, and he mused that it was probably a good thing that he was so tired and she was injured. Immediately he thought that both obstacles could be overcome with sufficient will power, but he beat that thought back stubbornly.
Abruptly he realized what Elizabeth had said. After a moment he remembered what he'd seen while carrying Elizabeth out of the stairwell - Kate had been kneeling beside Marcus, and the captain had been touching her face in a rather intimate way. "Kate is with Lorne?" he repeated. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
She frowned at him for a moment, but then her expression brightened. "I suppose you might not have heard. They have reconciled."
That made John grin. He liked and respected Lorne a great deal, and Kate he loved like a sister. He was happy to hear that they were trying again, and he wished them every happiness. Not that it would stop him from teasing Kate when he got a chance.
John clasped Elizabeth's hand. "That is excellent news."
She nodded in agreement. "They are serious about it, too. He asked her father for permission to court her."
"I'm sure that was terrifying."
"Was it for you, when you asked Lord George?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head slightly. "After that kiss when you came back, it could not have been a surprise."
"You may agree, my lady, that seeking permission can be easier than begging forgiveness," John replied. "After that kiss, I was worried that Lord George would bar me as a suitor because of my obvious lack of propriety."
She smiled in amusement. "And what did you say to convince him?"
His answer was more serious than her question. "That I am willing to do a great deal to prove myself worthy of the queen I love." He lifted her hand to kiss it, and her merriment was replaced by a flushed look. "It is actually for that cause that I have come to you now."
"What do you mean?"
"While I was on the mainland, I looked around at the other burial sites," he explained. "It occurred to me that there is a great deal of Atalan's history that I do not know. I do not think I could learn even a quarter of it before we are married, but I should start now anyway."
Elizabeth nodded, and then she turned mischievous. "Perhaps I could be persuaded to tutor you, my lord."
"A more enticing tutor I could not find," he replied, "but perhaps we should not often place ourselves in such close proximity, at least before midsummer."
Chagrined, she looked away. "You're probably right," she said ruefully.
John ran his thumb across her knuckles, noting how her breath caught as he did so. "I must say, Elizabeth, I was surprised by you the other day." When she looked at him in confusion, he felt compelled to elaborate, even though he focused his attention on the hearth. "I never thought you would be so eager, especially before... I've had more fantasies about you than I can count, but I always thought I would have to work much harder to seduce you."
Though she was also looking away by the time he stopped speaking, after a quick glance he could see that her cheeks were bright pink. "I always thought you would too," she admitted. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we should not often be alone."
"At least when I am not so tired as I am now," he replied, which got a laugh from her. Reluctantly he released her hand and stood. "I am going to sleep for a few hours, but I will come back later this afternoon. I believe I can be of some service to you, and perhaps give Kate some time to herself as well."
"I thought we just agreed that we ought not spend so much time alone," she countered.
John leaned down to kiss her cheek. In her ear, he said, "I can control myself, Elizabeth."
She gave him a shrewd look. "That, my lord, remains to be seen."
The sun was low, and the air had the peculiar wet chill of a spring evening, something Ronon had not had the time to notice for seven years. He stood at the edge of the mass grave he had spent the day helping to dig into the frozen earth. He still needed to wash, but it would keep. At least today he was not covered in blood.
Other people began to gather, some talking quietly but most silent and watchful. It unnerved him, having so many bodies around him. He was not being stared at anymore, not after fighting alongside most of these people, but his discomfort was not much less.
It was late afternoon when the queen appeared. She leaned heavily on Lord John's arm as she approached the end of the trench, but once there she let him go and stood upright and unsupported. One of her ladies in waiting was with her. Ronon scanned the other nobles quietly but he did not see Lady Teyla anywhere. He repressed the flicker of irritation. He had no idea what he would say when he saw her again anyway. The memory of what had passed between them near the well just after the battle still left him confused and anxious.
A tiny priest began to recite prayers and benedictions. People standing around him bowed their heads. Ronon didn't bother. The ancestors had done little to protect him in his life. Dead was dead, and he'd learned in the last seven years that death could be a mercy.
The previous night he'd watched as the captured Wraith ship had burned to ashes out on the sea. Long after everyone else had retreated from the cold night air, Ronon had stood on the rocks and stared until the last flickering ember had vanished into the black waters. He'd gone back to the small room given to him and been unable to do more than toss and turn fitfully in the bed all night. His body ached and his mind refused to be silent.
Part of the reason he'd labored in digging the graves today was that he hoped it would tire him enough to sleep.
The prayers concluded. The names of the dead were read by the commander of the army. Then the queen stepped forward and bent low, picking up a handful of earth. She paused for a moment, staring hard at the dead soldiers lying at the bottom of the trench, before she cast the dirt into the grave. The rest of the queen's party followed suit, except her guards, then the families and other witnesses did the same.
Ronon watched the dirt fall from his hands. His fingers were shaking slightly. Whether from fatigue or something else, he couldn't honestly say.
Some of the families of the fallen lingered, but the queen's party and the others began to make their way back to Atlantis. Ronon trudged along with the rest of the men to the wagons. As they rumbled across the land bridge to the palace, he caught a glimpse of the moon, hanging just above the horizon.
He wiped the mud from his hands absently. John's words from earlier in the day rang through his head. The Queen of Atalan and the man who would be prince before long owed him a debt.
Yesterday the old navy captain had said the smallest Wraith ship was undamaged. It could not be of much use to Atalan's navy. Surely that would not be too great a price to ask. Ronon was not sure where exactly he wanted to go, but the open sea was all he had known for years. He had half a notion to return to Sateda. He knew nothing was left, but some part of him would never be satisfied until he saw it with his own eyes.
And he couldn't stay here. There was no point pretending otherwise. He couldn't breathe in this place, with all these people. He didn't know how to be part of something like this anymore.
He thought of Teyla and paused. Even after so short a time, he did not like the idea of leaving her, but thinking of her brought back memories and feelings he couldn't cope with. In a matter of hours, everything had changed. He had been prepared for death, not freedom. He needed time, and finally time was no longer an impossible luxury.
Daniel left the funeral even more subdued than when he arrived there. All week he had been constantly reminded of events seventeen years ago, and seeing the monument to the men lost in the Battle of the Bridge had brought those memories back with even more force. That was the point of the monument, he supposed, but for him it was a reminder of a terrifying night he had often tried to forget.
While the queen's party gathered near the mouth of the grave, Daniel noticed how often Lord John's eyes went to that stone, and he remembered that they were not all that far apart in age. John had been put through much worse at the hands of the Ori, but fundamentally they had had the same experience. They had both been far too young.
The other unsettling aspect of this evening was that he knew these would not be the last bodies covered with earth after this battle. A second war was being waged in the sickrooms, and there Daniel went after returning to Atlantis. That morning, when he had come to check on Peter's progress, Beckett had not been optimistic. It was a relief to see as he approached that Peter was still breathing, but then Daniel was at his side and realized the young man's eyes were open.
"Peter?" he said, remembering when he woke from the fever and Peter was at his side.
Peter did not turn his head, only darted his eyes in Daniel's direction. "My lord," he replied, his voice raspy.
Daniel could not help a smile. "Let me fetch the doctor, Peter. I will be right back."
Quickly Daniel made his way through the room and called for Carson. The doctor was there in a moment and pleased to see his patient conscious. "Easy, lad," Carson said. "You took quite a nasty blow."
"I remember," Peter breathed. "It hurts."
"It will, possibly for a long time," Carson told him bluntly. He began to check under Peter's bandages, and Daniel fetched him a cup of water. "Let's get you sitting up a little."
Between them, Daniel and Carson managed to get him up enough to drink some water. Peter was gritting his teeth much of the time, trying to keep sounds of pain at bay. Finally Carson was satisfied, and said he would send for broth. Peter needed to eat.
As they waited, Daniel said, "The queen will be relieved to hear that you have awakened."
Peter got a puzzled look on his face. "How long was I asleep?"
"A day and a half," Daniel replied. "I brought you in yesterday morning. It's almost full night now."
He seemed a little upset to have lost more than a day. "What have I missed?"
"The battle is over, and we have buried our dead." Daniel said nothing of his relief that Peter was not among them. "Oh, and Lady Laura delivered her child. A daughter. They have named her Moira."
Peter smiled a little. "And the queen?"
Daniel hesitated, but he was going to find out eventually. "A handful of the pirates got inside. She took a fall down some stairs while Kate was trying to escort her to safety. Her injuries are nothing that time will not mend, however."
"And with Lady Laura indisposed, she must be in need of help more than ever," Peter said.
"Peter, do not trouble yourself over this," Daniel replied. "The queen has enough help for now. Your duty first and foremost must be healing and regaining your strength, so that you can rejoin her service."
That mollified the younger man a little, and Daniel patted his uninjured shoulder. "Rest, my friend," he said as he rose to leave. "You have earned it."
Cheered by Peter's turn for the better, Carson climbed the stairs to his chambers swiftly, eager to return to Laura and the baby. Earlier in the afternoon, his wife had sent word that Perna was moving her and the baby out of the queen's suite of rooms and back to their own. Tending to the injured had kept him away for most of the day, but it was early enough that Laura would probably still be awake.
He got a surprise outside the door, though, in the form of Rodney McKay, approaching from another direction. He suppressed a sigh, hoping Rodney was not seeking another round of reassurances about the bruises on his legs.
"Carson, how are you?"
"I'm well enough, Rodney. Is there something I can do for you?"
The other man actually turned slightly pink in the face. "Actually, I brought this for you and your wife." He held up a rather large box that was tied with a ribbon.
Carson grinned and tapped lightly on the door to his and Laura's chambers. "Laura? Are you awake, love?" She answered and he slipped into the room to find her wrapped in a thick dressing gown and holding Moira, who was apparently just dozing off. "We have a visitor, if you're up for it."
She raised her eyebrows and then grinned herself when Carson stepped back to reveal Rodney. His friend looked abashed. "Lady Beckett."
"Master McKay, do come in."
Rodney stared at the baby. "This is Moira? Of course it is, never mind," he corrected himself before either Laura or Carson could reply. "She's so... small."
Laura laughed wickedly. "Would you like to hold her?"
"No! No, no, that's not necessary," Rodney babbled hastily. Carson smothered another smile before Rodney held out the box to him. "I just... it's probably early for this but I made it before the news about the Wraith arrived."
"It's not going to explode, is it?" Laura asked irreverently.
Rodney merely rolled his eyes as Carson opened the box. Inside was a small wagon with four wheels and a handle, just the right size for a young child to hold. He lifted it out to show Laura. "It's lovely, Rodney, thank you."
Even though Moira was sound asleep Laura spoke to her in a high, quiet voice. "You see, Moira? Your first birthday gift."
"Technically her birthday was two days ago," Rodney pointed out, almost reflexively.
"Yes, well, we were all otherwise occupied at the time to think of gifts," Carson said before Laura could retort. She and Rodney had shared a number of verbal sparring matches and he had no desire to witness another.
Laura appeared to read his thoughts for she merely shook her head and thanked Rodney for the gift. For his part, Rodney shot another somewhat awed look at the baby before he left. Carson approached his wife, resting his fingertips gently on his daughter's back, the feeling of her warm little body sending a thrill through him.
Laura stretched up and kissed him briefly before leaning into his embrace. "I nursed her a short while ago, so hopefully she may sleep for a stretch."
He chuckled. "I have it on good authority some day we'll be having trouble getting her to stay awake."
Even without seeing her directly, Carson knew his wife was making a face. "I would trade that for not sleeping more than an hour or so at a time."
He rubbed her back absently. "That will ease once we find a wet nurse, I expect." Laura tensed a little under his hand and he frowned. "Laura?"
She shook her head and stepped away to set Moira down in her cradle. "I spoke to Perna about that," Laura told him, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Carson settled himself beside her. "She said that women generally do not become pregnant while they are nursing."
"I did not know that," Carson said, surprised. Though as he thought about it, it made a certain amount of sense. "I suppose it is nature's way of ensuring each child gets the attention it needs."
Laura nodded, covering his hand with hers. "I know it is not at all the proper or customary practice for noblewomen, but I confess, I do not like the idea of turning Moira over to a stranger for such a thing, not after nursing her myself."
Carson kissed her cheek. "It is not as though you are the paragon of propriety, love."
Laura swatted his arm for that, then leaned against him. "I suspect Elizabeth will do whatever she can to accommodate us now. I want to keep nursing her myself, at least for a while."
"So long as Perna agrees, I'll go along with whatever you think is best, Laura." He wrapped an arm around her as her eyes fluttered closed. He thought he heard a murmured "thank you" but his wife was asleep within moments. Gently he maneuvered her into the bed and tucked the blankets over her. He checked on Moira and then slid into bed alongside Laura, careful not to wake her, even though it was rather early. As she had said, it would not be long before the baby woke them. They both should take the opportunity to sleep while they could get it.
Authors: miera_c and melyanna
Rating: PG
Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with the Wraith, the queen and her court pick up the pieces.
Laura had grown accustomed in recent weeks to being woken because of the baby. As soon as she could feel the baby moving within her, the slightest motion seemed to rouse her. On the morning after the battle, however, she woke because the baby was shrieking. She forced her eyes open despite the sunlight in the room, and she saw Carson lifting Moira out of the cradle that had been brought in the night before. She didn't recall him coming to bed, but his hair was tousled as it always was when he rose. It was not particularly surprising that she would have slept through his lying down with her.
Moira quieted a little as Carson held her to his chest, but did not subside entirely. Laura waited a moment before she said, "She's probably hungry."
Carson smiled at her sheepishly. "I was hoping not to wake you."
"Our daughter did a thorough job of it," Laura replied, pushing herself up. Carson laid the baby in her arms and then helped settle pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably. "Is that the trouble, Moira?" she asked. "Are you hungry?"
While Laura settled the baby to her breast, Carson sat down beside her, just watching. "I know you were not planning to nurse her," he said lowly, touching Moira's hand, "but it is something remarkable to see."
"I know," Laura replied. "I am not convinced that I will be able to continue for long, but I am glad that I had to do this for myself, even for a little while."
On the other side of the room, the door creaked open slightly. "Oh, good," Kate said from the other side.
Laura's eyes widened in alarm. "Did Moira wake you too?" she asked.
Kate smiled wryly. "I'm afraid so."
"And Elizabeth?" Laura added.
Kate shook her head. "No, but it is no matter. We must be up soon anyway. Should I send for Mistress Perna?"
Laura glanced down at Moira, who had wrapped her tiny fist around Carson's finger as best she could. Looking back at Kate, Laura replied, "Please do."
Kate smiled again before she left them. Carson, however, frowned a little. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
Laura shook her head. "Not that I know of. But I think Perna will give a more definitive answer to that."
Perna was indeed pleased with both Laura and Moira and said that she was optimistic that Laura could remove herself to her own chambers by the end of the day. Carson soon had to leave, having patients of his own to tend, but he left with a kiss for both wife and daughter and a promise to be back for luncheon.
A few minutes after his departure, Kate came back to the door, this time with Elizabeth at her side. The queen settled into a chair near the door, but Kate came and sat with Laura on the bed. Moira's hunger was by then satisfied and Laura had burped her. The baby remained awake, her tiny body squirming restlessly against the blankets. "Is there any news?" she asked, abruptly aware that she had been asleep for some time, and a great number of things could have happened.
Elizabeth blew out a long breath before she launched into an explanation of what she knew of the battle. Laura had not heard much, having been otherwise occupied, but she was surprised by how much detail Elizabeth knew of it. It was obvious that Kate had not heard much of it either, for all that she had been the only one of the three not incapacitated for some part of the previous day and a half. But Laura should have expected that Elizabeth would glean all the information she could from one source or another.
"Teyla has gone to Athos," Elizabeth said, coming to the end of her narrative. "She will be back when the Athosians have buried their dead. I hope they have more luck than we will."
Kate frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It was very cold last night," Elizabeth pointed out. "I fear the ground may have frozen. It will make for difficult digging."
Laura nodded. The dead Wraith had been easier to deal with, according to Elizabeth. The corpses had been set on one of their own damaged ships, which was then towed out to sea and burned.
She decided to change the subject somewhat. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
Elizabeth shrugged slightly. "My knee is improved," she replied. "Carson was pleased by my progress. But I will be conducting all my business from these chambers for the time being. I cannot attempt the stairs yet."
"Well, I am certain Lord John will have no objection to carrying you about should the need arise," Kate said. "He has had some practice at it."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "We should let him sleep today. He may be the only person in the palace who will be able to rest."
The sun was already up when Marcus woke, and he immediately tried to jump out of bed, thinking he was severely late. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest, especially his shoulder, and he remembered his injury. It took him a moment to accept that he did not need to be out of bed already, but the pain was proof enough.
He was too cynical to believe that the Wraith were no longer a threat to Atalan, but the worst, perhaps, was over. They had prevented a full-scale siege of Atlantis, and had broken the might of the pirates who threatened the coast year after year. It was surreal to Marcus that they had survived, and even prevailed.
That they had prevailed and he had reconciled with Kate was hardly believable.
The thought of Kate finally roused him from his bed. Someone, probably one of his men, had brought a pitcher of water and a basin into his chambers. Marcus was grateful for the opportunity to clean up. He needed to get a physician to look at his injury, as he could not deal with all the bandages by himself, but that could wait. There was someone he needed to speak to, and now would be the best time to do it, before the day's work was fully underway.
After donning clean clothes and setting his arm in the sling he'd been given yesterday, he first went by the queen's chambers. When he had ensured that all was well, he made his way to Lord David Heightmeyer's chambers. He steeled himself and knocked on the door.
Shortly he heard Lord David bid him enter. The earl seemed surprised to see him there. "Am I needed somewhere, Captain?" he asked.
"No, my lord," Marcus replied, resisting the urge to fidget. "I wish to speak with you."
"On what subject?"
Marcus licked his lips before plowing ahead. "Your daughter."
There was a moment of silence, and then Lord David smiled. "I was wondering when you would come and talk to me."
Nothing else could have been more shocking, Marcus was sure. "My lord - I - you -" he stammered.
"Have a seat, young man," Lord David said, gesturing to a chair near the one where he sat. "I've had my suspicions about you and Kate for some time." After studying Marcus' face for a moment as he sat, Heightmeyer added, "You look surprised."
"I am," Marcus replied. "Surprised you never threatened to kill me for looking at her."
"If I thought the rumors of your relationship with her were true, I might have been tempted," David allowed. "Something like this was inevitable, I think. I was expecting Kate or Laura to develop some sort of feelings for one of the young men constantly in their presence. Forgive me, but when they were younger, I did not expect such a thing to last very long."
Marcus was not insulted. He likely would have assumed the same, had he been in Lord David's position. "You had your suspicions, yet you did not believe the rumors?" That seemed contradictory to him.
"Most rumors have a little truth to them," Lord David replied. "I believed the bulk of them to be inconsistent with Kate's character, but I could see with my own eyes that there was something happening between you." He frowned, as Kate often did when she was considering something. "I had thought you and Kate argued, perhaps. Does this explain your coming to me now?"
Marcus nodded. "We did fight, and I thought we were finished, but this past week..." He paused, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "I want to court your daughter, my lord, and I want to do it properly. When I acknowledged my feelings to her before, I was... I am ashamed to say it, but I was afraid of what people would think if I tried to court her in public. I am not afraid of that now. I know that some people will think she is lowering herself even to look at me, and some will think I am stepping far beyond my place, but I love her."
He stopped there, worried about what else he might say. Lord David was sober in his reply. "I know this is not comfortable for you to hear, for neither is this comfortable for me to ask," he said. "But you say that you went to her in secret. Have you touched her, in that kind?"
Marcus took his time in answering. He knew what David was asking, but for some reason he was compelled to answer more than was strictly necessary. "I cannot deny that the opportunity has arisen," he said carefully, "but I could not give in to such temptation, not when it would dishonor us both. She is a virgin. I give you my word."
Lord David held his gaze for several moments before nodded. "Good. I give you my blessing, Captain, on one condition. It will not be onerous. If you are to court my daughter, it must be in public. I want it to be known that you have my permission. I will not have her reputation suffer, or yours."
Marcus let out a sigh of relief, which made Lord David laugh. "I do have one other request," David added. "When you see Kate, would you tell her I wish to speak with her? I am certain you and she have much to talk of, but there are some things I need to say to her myself."
"Of course." Marcus rose then, David following suit. "And thank you, my lord. It is an honor to have your blessing."
The words sounded awkward and trite once they were out of his mouth, but it was too late to call them back. Besides, Lord David clapped his good shoulder and smiled. "I wish you the best of luck, Captain."
As he left, Marcus tried not to feel too alarmed at the thought that he might need such luck.
Elizabeth held the baby while Kate and Perna helped Laura dress, then Kate and Elizabeth left to do the same. They had barely finished when there was a knock on the bedchamber door. Kate opened it and frowned when she saw Marcus on the other side. "Marcus, what's wrong?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Your father wishes to speak with you."
It took her a moment before she understood his implication. "You spoke to him?"
"Yes," Marcus said, reaching for her hand even though they were not strictly alone. "But I believe you should talk with him before we discuss it further."
Not sure what she should say, Kate turned to Elizabeth. "Go ahead," Elizabeth told her. "I am sure it will not take long."
Marcus went to help Elizabeth into the antechamber, and Kate left for her father's door, nervous about what was to transpire. Marcus had not seemed particularly agitated, which suggested that his conversation with her father had gone well, but her father's request to speak with her did not put her at ease.
"Kate," David said when she slipped into his room. "I was just writing to your mother to assure her that all is well."
Kate narrowed her eyes. "In what respect?"
Her father smiled and guided her to a chair. "I will tell her nothing of your young captain yet," he assured her. "Are you worried about her?"
She nodded. "I have been worried about you as well."
"Kate, it cannot have escaped your notice that your parents are not living in a fairy tale," he said, sitting beside her. "I do not regret marrying your mother, and I love you and your brother and sister dearly. But you are lucky. Your position with the queen means you do not need to marry for your own security. If your happiness lies with Captain Lorne, I will support your choice."
For a long while Kate did not know what to say. Fortunately, her father did not press her for a response. "I shall tell you what I told him. This courtship will be public. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father," she replied immediately. "It is in his best interests, and mine and yours."
David nodded. "There will be rumors no matter how open you are about your courtship. Someone will insinuate that you are carrying his child. I should probably speak to the captain about what to do when the accusation arises."
"I know," Kate said, fighting the urge to bite her lip. "But what I hate most is that Elizabeth's judgment could be dragged into this." She and Marcus both served at the queen's pleasure, after all. There were already rumors enough that the captain of the queen's guard had seduced one of her ladies.
"Well, perhaps we can forestall some of the unpleasantness if the time comes," he replied, and then he paused. "We may be getting ahead of ourselves."
She blushed a little and he chuckled, setting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. "He loves you, Kate. He is not nearly good enough for you, of course, but no man is."
"Father." The joke came a little too close to the reasons she and Marcus had fought almost a year ago. Her father held her a little closer, as though apologizing.
She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Despite the fact that she had slept soundly the night before, she still could have drifted off again, had it not been for an urgent knock on the door.
David nudged her to sit upright before going to the door. "Forgive me the intrusion, my lord," said the servant on the other side, "but the queen is asking for you and Lady Katherine."
"We will be there as soon as possible," David replied. Kate rose and took his arm, and they headed to the queen's chambers.
They met Jack on the way. "Do you know what's going on?" David asked of him.
"I've no idea," Jack replied.
They were at their destination then, leaving no time for more conversation. One of the guards opened the door and they found Elizabeth standing near the fireplace, a letter in her hand. "Elizabeth, should you be up?" Kate asked, leaving her father's side for the queen.
Elizabeth waved her off. Daniel entered the room then, and when the door closed, Elizabeth said, "I have had a message from Gilbert Hurst."
"Lord Benjamin's son?" Daniel asked.
"He writes that Lord Benjamin is dead," Elizabeth replied, sounding shocked more than anything else.
"How?" Kate asked. Lord Benjamin had been presiding over the college only four days earlier. "Was he ill?"
"He decided to go home rather than wait near the coast," Elizabeth said, glancing at the letter again. Kate remembered after a moment that Hurst's estate was a very short journey from Atlantis. Only Teyla's home was closer among the nobles. "Gilbert writes that they received word of the island's survival, and his father passed away a few hours later."
She sat down somewhat abruptly, wincing. Kate stepped into the next room while Jack and Daniel asked Elizabeth if her knee was bothering her. She returned with the linen strips that had been wrapped around Elizabeth's knee as a sort of brace the previous day, but taken off when they went to bed.
While Elizabeth tried to dismiss the concerns of her noblemen, Kate dropped to her knees beside the queen and tugged a footstool into place. "If you wish for some privacy, my lady, I would ask them to turn away now," she said quietly.
Kate waited for Elizabeth to ask the men to turn around before she began to tend to the queen. It only took a few minutes, but Elizabeth did not waste the time. "When do we expect the college to return?"
"It will probably be another two days before everyone has returned," Kate's father said. "I waited in Athos, but nearly all the other lords went further south."
"That gives me a little time," Elizabeth said.
"Time?" Daniel repeated.
"I hate to be thinking of this already, but I must have a chancellor in the college," she replied. "If I have a few days before I must call the college to assemble, that will give me time to make a measured decision. It will also give some of the lords time to suggest themselves as Lord Benjamin's replacement, but we cannot have everything our way."
Having finished with Elizabeth's knee, Kate fixed her garments and stood. The movement caught the men's attention and they faced the queen once more. "Have you any preference now?" Jack asked.
"Not you, Jack. You need not worry," she replied with a hint of a smile.
"Thank you, my lady," he said with visible relief.
Elizabeth laughed quietly. "When Lady Teyla returns, I will have to speak to her."
That took Daniel aback. "Cousin, surely you do not intend to..."
"She is a friend and trusted advisor," Elizabeth said. "I intend to consult her on the matter."
Daniel asked no more, but Kate wondered if Elizabeth was considering what Daniel suggested. It would be a bold move, to say the least.
"Well, I am certain you all have much work to do," she went on. "I would not keep you from it much longer."
The men all bowed to her and made for the door, but Elizabeth had one more thing on her mind, it seemed. "Daniel," she called as they were leaving.
He paused behind the others. "Yes?"
"Will you see to it that I am kept informed of Master Grodin's condition?" she asked, her voice low.
"Of course," he replied.
With the men gone, Kate sent down to the kitchens for breakfast. Once the door was closed, she looked at Elizabeth critically. "Are you thinking of appointing Teyla as chancellor?" she asked.
Elizabeth returned an amused look. "She would never accept it."
Kate had to grin. "That is exactly what I thought."
John was surprised at how bright the sun was shining when he woke, until he realized it was mid-morning. Somehow he had slept for far longer than usual. He strongly suspected Elizabeth was responsible.
He dressed himself and found his way down to the kitchens. More people were there than had been for the last two days. The servants were apparently trickling back onto the island. John managed to find something to eat even though it was late, and learned from one of the older men that most of the soldiers and many of the other men were on the mainland, digging a grave to bury the dead from the battle.
The absence of a summons from the queen suggested his presence was not needed in the palace at the moment. John found one of the guardsmen and sent a message to Elizabeth that he was going to help with the digging and headed for the stables. He was pleased to see someone had thought to feed and water the horses. He had Silvanus saddled quickly and rode across the isthmus toward the shore, carefully passing the line of people returning home.
John found the burial site easily. It was not all that far from the circle of stones that marked the fire pit used at Solstice. Most of the soldiers were assembled along with many of the men and some of the royal guard. They were struggling with their labor; despite the thaw, the ground was still frozen. A group of the strongest men were using pickaxes to break the cold ground up enough to be dug.
Prince Ronon was with them. Even with his long hair tied back, he was easily spotted. He nodded briefly to John and then went back to using his considerable strength to strike the ground. The memory of Ronon killing the three Wraith within the palace came back to John and he shivered. He did not like to dwell on what might have befallen Elizabeth and Kate if Ronon had not spotted those pirates slipping into the palace.
John headed for the other part of the line. Some of the men looked at him askance, no doubt thinking that a future prince had no business with such labors. The guardsmen seemed less surprised.
He let the memories of the previous days fall from his mind, concentrating on shifting the earth before him, one shovel at a time. The ground was muddy and cold, but despite that and the chill in the air, John was soon sweating heavily. Eventually he stood and stretched his back, which was aching. He glanced up and noted it was after midday by now.
He climbed from the trench. The worst of the effort was over. The men were now deepening the hole and squaring it off.
Riders approached with baskets and the army captain overseeing the job called a halt so the men could eat. John accepted his portion of the rather skimpy meal without comment, even though the captain looked at him curiously.
Though part of him longed to sit, John suspected his presence might be off-putting. This was not an aspect of his rank that had ever appealed to him, and now it was frustrating since he had been fighting alongside most of these men a few hours ago. He wandered away instead, exploring the area. While he had been here during Solstice and seen parts of the coast before, he had never seen this place.
Stone markers poked up from the mud and snow at intervals. This area of the shore had been used as a grave before, he realized. The first tombstone he came across marked the resting place of men who had died in a battle several centuries earlier, according to the faded dates chiseled into the stone. As he walked around the field, he saw the history of Atalan unfolding. Wars with the Goa'uld, battles fought against old enemies on land and sea, the names of empires that had long disappeared and some he had never even heard of graced the stones. He caught the name "Weir" on one of the stones and realized it was from over a hundred years ago. Elizabeth was the last of that line and from now on the house of Weir would no longer rule Atalan, as their children would bear the name Sheppard. It was humbling to realize his father's name would now supplant the one that held the throne of Atalan for centuries.
John knew not every battle was recorded here, but every threat to Atlantis was present. He passed a monument to soldiers killed putting down some kind of rebellion - from the date, it was during Elizabeth's father's lifetime but John did not know the particulars - and then he faced a massive stone monument, the largest on the field. He swallowed as he approached, noting that Ronon was wandering toward him as well.
The gray stone had rough edges, but the face had been smoothed. On it was inscribed a date, seventeen years previous, and a simple dedication to the men who sacrificed themselves to save Atlantis at the Battle of the Bridge.
Ronon stood beside him, frowning at the monument. John caught his expression and nodded his head. "The Ori," he said simply, by way of explanation. Elizabeth had been but a small child at the time. John knew her father had been injured in the battle, and that it had been one of the worst in the country's history, but little else. It struck him hard, looking across the centuries of Atalan's past, how little he knew of his adopted home's history. It was something he would need to rectify in the coming weeks.
The thought brought his mind back to the present, and Elizabeth. While he was happier laboring here than dealing with administrative matters, he could not abandon her for the entire day. He turned, looking out over the water at Atlantis, then looked up at Ronon.
"I did not get the chance to say this earlier, but I am in your debt."
The taller man shifted uncomfortably. John sympathized but it had to be said. "But for you, I don't know what might have befallen the queen or her companion. You saved Elizabeth's life, and mine."
Ronon shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a slight smile. "She seemed to be holding her own with that knife, actually."
John smiled a little, remembering Elizabeth stabbing viciously at the Wraith who had been chasing her. She had certainly not just given up without a fight, but he still shuddered to remember how close she had been to harm. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and put his hand on Ronon's shoulder.
"Elizabeth honors her debts, as do I. If there is anything you need, from either of us, it is yours for the asking."
Ronon met his eyes and John knew his message was understood. He let go and turned toward the men who were gathering themselves to go back to digging. He found young Aiden Ford and instructed him to see that Prince Ronon was shown where to go to wash and change when they returned to the city.
He nodded to the men and mounted Silvanus. His progress back to the city was slowed by the traffic across the narrow passage, but once there he had clean clothes brought and went to the rooms set aside for the soldiers and guards. As he hoped, there were buckets of water waiting and he was able to wash the mud and sweat off himself.
Once clean and dressed, he headed for Elizabeth's rooms. Only one guard stood at her door, which didn't surprise him given the number of guards he'd seen at the burial site, but it was not Captain Lorne. John would have expected him to be back to work long before he was actually ready. This was something else Elizabeth must have seen to.
John was allowed into the queen's chambers after a brief inquiry, and he was somewhat surprised to find her alone. She was sitting near the fire, and she offered him a tired smile. "Where is Kate?" he asked, after kissing her hand.
"We seem to have run out of things to do for the moment," she replied, gesturing for him to join her. "She is with Marcus."
While he sat down beside her, he realized that this was where he had come so close to taking her to bed a few days ago. They were alone now, and he mused that it was probably a good thing that he was so tired and she was injured. Immediately he thought that both obstacles could be overcome with sufficient will power, but he beat that thought back stubbornly.
Abruptly he realized what Elizabeth had said. After a moment he remembered what he'd seen while carrying Elizabeth out of the stairwell - Kate had been kneeling beside Marcus, and the captain had been touching her face in a rather intimate way. "Kate is with Lorne?" he repeated. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
She frowned at him for a moment, but then her expression brightened. "I suppose you might not have heard. They have reconciled."
That made John grin. He liked and respected Lorne a great deal, and Kate he loved like a sister. He was happy to hear that they were trying again, and he wished them every happiness. Not that it would stop him from teasing Kate when he got a chance.
John clasped Elizabeth's hand. "That is excellent news."
She nodded in agreement. "They are serious about it, too. He asked her father for permission to court her."
"I'm sure that was terrifying."
"Was it for you, when you asked Lord George?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head slightly. "After that kiss when you came back, it could not have been a surprise."
"You may agree, my lady, that seeking permission can be easier than begging forgiveness," John replied. "After that kiss, I was worried that Lord George would bar me as a suitor because of my obvious lack of propriety."
She smiled in amusement. "And what did you say to convince him?"
His answer was more serious than her question. "That I am willing to do a great deal to prove myself worthy of the queen I love." He lifted her hand to kiss it, and her merriment was replaced by a flushed look. "It is actually for that cause that I have come to you now."
"What do you mean?"
"While I was on the mainland, I looked around at the other burial sites," he explained. "It occurred to me that there is a great deal of Atalan's history that I do not know. I do not think I could learn even a quarter of it before we are married, but I should start now anyway."
Elizabeth nodded, and then she turned mischievous. "Perhaps I could be persuaded to tutor you, my lord."
"A more enticing tutor I could not find," he replied, "but perhaps we should not often place ourselves in such close proximity, at least before midsummer."
Chagrined, she looked away. "You're probably right," she said ruefully.
John ran his thumb across her knuckles, noting how her breath caught as he did so. "I must say, Elizabeth, I was surprised by you the other day." When she looked at him in confusion, he felt compelled to elaborate, even though he focused his attention on the hearth. "I never thought you would be so eager, especially before... I've had more fantasies about you than I can count, but I always thought I would have to work much harder to seduce you."
Though she was also looking away by the time he stopped speaking, after a quick glance he could see that her cheeks were bright pink. "I always thought you would too," she admitted. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps we should not often be alone."
"At least when I am not so tired as I am now," he replied, which got a laugh from her. Reluctantly he released her hand and stood. "I am going to sleep for a few hours, but I will come back later this afternoon. I believe I can be of some service to you, and perhaps give Kate some time to herself as well."
"I thought we just agreed that we ought not spend so much time alone," she countered.
John leaned down to kiss her cheek. In her ear, he said, "I can control myself, Elizabeth."
She gave him a shrewd look. "That, my lord, remains to be seen."
The sun was low, and the air had the peculiar wet chill of a spring evening, something Ronon had not had the time to notice for seven years. He stood at the edge of the mass grave he had spent the day helping to dig into the frozen earth. He still needed to wash, but it would keep. At least today he was not covered in blood.
Other people began to gather, some talking quietly but most silent and watchful. It unnerved him, having so many bodies around him. He was not being stared at anymore, not after fighting alongside most of these people, but his discomfort was not much less.
It was late afternoon when the queen appeared. She leaned heavily on Lord John's arm as she approached the end of the trench, but once there she let him go and stood upright and unsupported. One of her ladies in waiting was with her. Ronon scanned the other nobles quietly but he did not see Lady Teyla anywhere. He repressed the flicker of irritation. He had no idea what he would say when he saw her again anyway. The memory of what had passed between them near the well just after the battle still left him confused and anxious.
A tiny priest began to recite prayers and benedictions. People standing around him bowed their heads. Ronon didn't bother. The ancestors had done little to protect him in his life. Dead was dead, and he'd learned in the last seven years that death could be a mercy.
The previous night he'd watched as the captured Wraith ship had burned to ashes out on the sea. Long after everyone else had retreated from the cold night air, Ronon had stood on the rocks and stared until the last flickering ember had vanished into the black waters. He'd gone back to the small room given to him and been unable to do more than toss and turn fitfully in the bed all night. His body ached and his mind refused to be silent.
Part of the reason he'd labored in digging the graves today was that he hoped it would tire him enough to sleep.
The prayers concluded. The names of the dead were read by the commander of the army. Then the queen stepped forward and bent low, picking up a handful of earth. She paused for a moment, staring hard at the dead soldiers lying at the bottom of the trench, before she cast the dirt into the grave. The rest of the queen's party followed suit, except her guards, then the families and other witnesses did the same.
Ronon watched the dirt fall from his hands. His fingers were shaking slightly. Whether from fatigue or something else, he couldn't honestly say.
Some of the families of the fallen lingered, but the queen's party and the others began to make their way back to Atlantis. Ronon trudged along with the rest of the men to the wagons. As they rumbled across the land bridge to the palace, he caught a glimpse of the moon, hanging just above the horizon.
He wiped the mud from his hands absently. John's words from earlier in the day rang through his head. The Queen of Atalan and the man who would be prince before long owed him a debt.
Yesterday the old navy captain had said the smallest Wraith ship was undamaged. It could not be of much use to Atalan's navy. Surely that would not be too great a price to ask. Ronon was not sure where exactly he wanted to go, but the open sea was all he had known for years. He had half a notion to return to Sateda. He knew nothing was left, but some part of him would never be satisfied until he saw it with his own eyes.
And he couldn't stay here. There was no point pretending otherwise. He couldn't breathe in this place, with all these people. He didn't know how to be part of something like this anymore.
He thought of Teyla and paused. Even after so short a time, he did not like the idea of leaving her, but thinking of her brought back memories and feelings he couldn't cope with. In a matter of hours, everything had changed. He had been prepared for death, not freedom. He needed time, and finally time was no longer an impossible luxury.
Daniel left the funeral even more subdued than when he arrived there. All week he had been constantly reminded of events seventeen years ago, and seeing the monument to the men lost in the Battle of the Bridge had brought those memories back with even more force. That was the point of the monument, he supposed, but for him it was a reminder of a terrifying night he had often tried to forget.
While the queen's party gathered near the mouth of the grave, Daniel noticed how often Lord John's eyes went to that stone, and he remembered that they were not all that far apart in age. John had been put through much worse at the hands of the Ori, but fundamentally they had had the same experience. They had both been far too young.
The other unsettling aspect of this evening was that he knew these would not be the last bodies covered with earth after this battle. A second war was being waged in the sickrooms, and there Daniel went after returning to Atlantis. That morning, when he had come to check on Peter's progress, Beckett had not been optimistic. It was a relief to see as he approached that Peter was still breathing, but then Daniel was at his side and realized the young man's eyes were open.
"Peter?" he said, remembering when he woke from the fever and Peter was at his side.
Peter did not turn his head, only darted his eyes in Daniel's direction. "My lord," he replied, his voice raspy.
Daniel could not help a smile. "Let me fetch the doctor, Peter. I will be right back."
Quickly Daniel made his way through the room and called for Carson. The doctor was there in a moment and pleased to see his patient conscious. "Easy, lad," Carson said. "You took quite a nasty blow."
"I remember," Peter breathed. "It hurts."
"It will, possibly for a long time," Carson told him bluntly. He began to check under Peter's bandages, and Daniel fetched him a cup of water. "Let's get you sitting up a little."
Between them, Daniel and Carson managed to get him up enough to drink some water. Peter was gritting his teeth much of the time, trying to keep sounds of pain at bay. Finally Carson was satisfied, and said he would send for broth. Peter needed to eat.
As they waited, Daniel said, "The queen will be relieved to hear that you have awakened."
Peter got a puzzled look on his face. "How long was I asleep?"
"A day and a half," Daniel replied. "I brought you in yesterday morning. It's almost full night now."
He seemed a little upset to have lost more than a day. "What have I missed?"
"The battle is over, and we have buried our dead." Daniel said nothing of his relief that Peter was not among them. "Oh, and Lady Laura delivered her child. A daughter. They have named her Moira."
Peter smiled a little. "And the queen?"
Daniel hesitated, but he was going to find out eventually. "A handful of the pirates got inside. She took a fall down some stairs while Kate was trying to escort her to safety. Her injuries are nothing that time will not mend, however."
"And with Lady Laura indisposed, she must be in need of help more than ever," Peter said.
"Peter, do not trouble yourself over this," Daniel replied. "The queen has enough help for now. Your duty first and foremost must be healing and regaining your strength, so that you can rejoin her service."
That mollified the younger man a little, and Daniel patted his uninjured shoulder. "Rest, my friend," he said as he rose to leave. "You have earned it."
Cheered by Peter's turn for the better, Carson climbed the stairs to his chambers swiftly, eager to return to Laura and the baby. Earlier in the afternoon, his wife had sent word that Perna was moving her and the baby out of the queen's suite of rooms and back to their own. Tending to the injured had kept him away for most of the day, but it was early enough that Laura would probably still be awake.
He got a surprise outside the door, though, in the form of Rodney McKay, approaching from another direction. He suppressed a sigh, hoping Rodney was not seeking another round of reassurances about the bruises on his legs.
"Carson, how are you?"
"I'm well enough, Rodney. Is there something I can do for you?"
The other man actually turned slightly pink in the face. "Actually, I brought this for you and your wife." He held up a rather large box that was tied with a ribbon.
Carson grinned and tapped lightly on the door to his and Laura's chambers. "Laura? Are you awake, love?" She answered and he slipped into the room to find her wrapped in a thick dressing gown and holding Moira, who was apparently just dozing off. "We have a visitor, if you're up for it."
She raised her eyebrows and then grinned herself when Carson stepped back to reveal Rodney. His friend looked abashed. "Lady Beckett."
"Master McKay, do come in."
Rodney stared at the baby. "This is Moira? Of course it is, never mind," he corrected himself before either Laura or Carson could reply. "She's so... small."
Laura laughed wickedly. "Would you like to hold her?"
"No! No, no, that's not necessary," Rodney babbled hastily. Carson smothered another smile before Rodney held out the box to him. "I just... it's probably early for this but I made it before the news about the Wraith arrived."
"It's not going to explode, is it?" Laura asked irreverently.
Rodney merely rolled his eyes as Carson opened the box. Inside was a small wagon with four wheels and a handle, just the right size for a young child to hold. He lifted it out to show Laura. "It's lovely, Rodney, thank you."
Even though Moira was sound asleep Laura spoke to her in a high, quiet voice. "You see, Moira? Your first birthday gift."
"Technically her birthday was two days ago," Rodney pointed out, almost reflexively.
"Yes, well, we were all otherwise occupied at the time to think of gifts," Carson said before Laura could retort. She and Rodney had shared a number of verbal sparring matches and he had no desire to witness another.
Laura appeared to read his thoughts for she merely shook her head and thanked Rodney for the gift. For his part, Rodney shot another somewhat awed look at the baby before he left. Carson approached his wife, resting his fingertips gently on his daughter's back, the feeling of her warm little body sending a thrill through him.
Laura stretched up and kissed him briefly before leaning into his embrace. "I nursed her a short while ago, so hopefully she may sleep for a stretch."
He chuckled. "I have it on good authority some day we'll be having trouble getting her to stay awake."
Even without seeing her directly, Carson knew his wife was making a face. "I would trade that for not sleeping more than an hour or so at a time."
He rubbed her back absently. "That will ease once we find a wet nurse, I expect." Laura tensed a little under his hand and he frowned. "Laura?"
She shook her head and stepped away to set Moira down in her cradle. "I spoke to Perna about that," Laura told him, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Carson settled himself beside her. "She said that women generally do not become pregnant while they are nursing."
"I did not know that," Carson said, surprised. Though as he thought about it, it made a certain amount of sense. "I suppose it is nature's way of ensuring each child gets the attention it needs."
Laura nodded, covering his hand with hers. "I know it is not at all the proper or customary practice for noblewomen, but I confess, I do not like the idea of turning Moira over to a stranger for such a thing, not after nursing her myself."
Carson kissed her cheek. "It is not as though you are the paragon of propriety, love."
Laura swatted his arm for that, then leaned against him. "I suspect Elizabeth will do whatever she can to accommodate us now. I want to keep nursing her myself, at least for a while."
"So long as Perna agrees, I'll go along with whatever you think is best, Laura." He wrapped an arm around her as her eyes fluttered closed. He thought he heard a murmured "thank you" but his wife was asleep within moments. Gently he maneuvered her into the bed and tucked the blankets over her. He checked on Moira and then slid into bed alongside Laura, careful not to wake her, even though it was rather early. As she had said, it would not be long before the baby woke them. They both should take the opportunity to sleep while they could get it.