THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION

by Trish Williams

Copyright © 2002

 

Book One -- The Offer

 

 

PROLOGUE

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

            He was tired of choosing.  

            Teal'c stood at the entry of the harem, his imposing frame and presence filling the room before him.  Two eunuchs, shorter in stature, but strong in build stood behind him, ready to carry out the command he would issue.  Once again he had to choose who would be next to appear before a lustful false god, and a fickle queen in search of the perfect host.

The one they had brought back from a world, which had been inaccessible for countless generations, had met an untimely end.  Apophis' new queen did not like the host with hair spun from the suns' rays, and Apophis wasted no time killing her as if she were nothing, and demanding that Teal'c send another.  His god's patience was wearing thin, and after the last few he had chosen were rejected, Apophis threatened to kill Teal'c himself if he didn't come up with a host his queen found satisfactory.

His eyes roved over the selection before him.  The women he'd handpicked from other worlds as potential hosts of Apophis' future queen looked up at him with a mixture of anticipation and fear.  Their faces ranged from fair to dark skinned, light hair to dark hair, the selection mirroring his skill at choosing hosts, which he had honed over the years. They had all been cleaned up, fed and dressed in order to be aesthetically pleasing to the one who held the power to kill them and sap away their souls.

He noticed one woman sitting on a couch, her back to him.  His mind quickly recalled that he had captured her from the world known as Abydos.  Her dark, curly hair hung down to the top of her bare back, just above the gold band that held the top portion of her garment together.  It was as if she were telling him through body language that he was of no consequence to her.  Taking a closer look from afar, Teal'c's memory was jogged by the garment she had on.  There was a time not so long ago that another woman had worn it.  She had defied him too.

"Who are you to command me?  Only my god can command me," she said.  "You are nothing to me now."

Anger boiled within him at the memory.  At that time, there wasn't any situation she wouldn't use to vex him.   She had done it repeatedly, never hesitating to embarrass, frustrate or goad him when the fancy suited her.  At one time he could control her, but it was his fault for losing that control. 

It was his fault for losing her.

Slowly, he raised his hand in the woman's direction, the eunuchs following it. "You," he commanded, pointing a finger at her.  The eunuchs dispatched themselves in haste to heed their master's command.

"No!" the Abydonian woman screamed as she struggled against her captors.  "No!"

            Teal'c ignored her pleas as the eunuchs dragged her out of the harem and towards Apophis' chambers.  To listen to her entreaties would make her a person, not a specimen he'd picked off another world to be a potential vessel of the future queen of the god he served.  To empathize with her anger, her frustration, her fear about the uncertainty of her fate would make him look deeper into his own soul, questioning his position, his own fate.

            It hadn't been personal when he had chosen her.  Physically, she looked appealing—the one thing the Goa'uld valued in potential hosts.  He had also selected her brother from this world as well.  Teal'c had to admit he admired the boy for trying to defend his sister when the eunuchs had taken her away from the dungeon to the harem, but he also had told him that his death could not help her.  Whether he was alive or dead, he could not prevent her fate.  It would have been a waste of his life to try.

            "Why do you do this to me?" she pleaded.  "Let me go, please!"

"The cost of your heinous deed will be repaid with your blood.  The price of your redemption will be costly beyond measure."

            Teal'c tried to push the words from his mind as he turned the corner behind the eunuchs and their unruly charge.  When he'd first heard them, he had thought upon it no further nor upon the person who had delivered the prophecy.  The first part of the prophecy had come to pass, and he had been rendered helpless to stop it.  It had almost killed him, making him wonder what could possibly be the price of redemption.  And even if he knew the price, could he even pay it?  Did he even want to?

The First Prime of Apophis steered his mind back to the task at hand.  Many times he had done this—escorting concubines to Apophis for him to take his pleasure.  Usually Apophis would dispatch him and two eunuchs to bring him one for the evening, and left the final selection to him.  In this case, the selection was up to him, but the acceptance was up to yet another false god. 

"Let me go!" she screamed again, purposely throwing herself to the floor.  The eunuchs just dragged her on her knees, barely slowing their pace.

"Let me go, Teal'c!" she demanded, protesting as he carried her away.  "Apophis will have you punished severely for this!"

The Jaffa guarding the entrance to the chamber stepped aside as they approached, temporarily pulling their staff weapons to their sides, crossing them again after they'd passed through.  Flames lit the ornate chamber, giving it an eerie aura.

The Abydonian woman fought relentlessly against her captors in a futile effort to get them to let her go.  Her struggling did not faze them—they had seen and subdued far worse than she.  They pulled her into the chamber, with Teal'c bringing up the rear.  He stayed at the back of the room, behind the long table, which would serve as the woman's deathbed.

            Apophis emerged from the rear door of his chambers, dressed in a long gold robe with a matching kilt.  His head was covered in a gold skullcap, his eyes heavily lined in black.  His vestment was most formal because, should his queen find a desirable host, he wanted to look most fetching on their first night together.  He looked at her and immediately Teal'c saw the approval in his eyes.  Approval mixed with lustful anticipation.  Teal'c knew what kind of memories the clothes she had on were evoking in them both.  For Apophis, they were fond memories, but for Teal'c, it was pure torture.

"Come," Apophis commanded with the tenderness of a lover, but the edge of a god.

            "No! No!" she yelled as she fought against her captors, biting one of them on the arm in desperation.

            Apophis laughed wickedly, his Goa'uld voice reverberating eerily through the room.  "This one has spirit!" he remarked before activating the hand device.  He focused the energy at the woman's forehead, rendering her in a temporary vegetative state. She swayed a bit like a palm tree in a light breeze, her eyes open but unfocused.  The eunuchs snatched off her clothes with a few strategic pulls, causing the top portion and long skirt to flow to the floor.

            She removed her garments slowly, as if unwrapping a precious gift, her eyes focused upon her king's pleased expression.  With each removed garment, Teal'c felt his heart sink lower and lower.  "Does this please you, my Pharaoh?" she asked coyly, though her expression was anything but.

            "It does indeed," Apophis rasped.

Apophis came closer to the woman; as if he had to inspect up close what his eyes had seen from afar.  He appraised the woman's naked form, his eyes briefly cutting at Teal'c and telling him he'd made a most superior choice.

The eunuchs picked up her stunned body and laid her on the table in the middle of the chamber.  She gasped several times but couldn't move.  The glow through the transparent sections of the table's pattern enveloped her, making her skin look brighter.  She was laid out on display.

Apophis motioned for the Jaffa priestess, Yametha, to approach the table.  She did so, as she had numerous times over the course of the last few hours.  Giving the Abydonian woman a cursory look, she spread her dark, bejeweled robes to expose the pouch where Apophis' queen resided.  With a little coaxing from Yametha, the Goa'uld stuck a third of its body out of the pouch to appraise the Abydonian woman to make the decision whether to buy the merchandise, or leave it on the shelf.

            "Does she please you, my love?" Apophis asked hopefully. 

The Goa'uld turned her head and screeched at him in a language only he understood.  She slid out of Yametha's pouch onto the potential host's body, gurgling as she went.  She moved over and up the body, looking the host in the eye as she felt her potential purchase.  After a few more moments, she made her purchasing decision.

Sold.

Teal'c knew the Goa'uld wouldn't take the Abydonian woman as a host this way.  The Goa'uld did not like to see the horror on their victim's faces as they invaded their bodies.  To Teal'c, this was plain cowardice and yet another reason why Bra'tac labeled them as false gods.  True to form, Apophis motioned to the eunuchs to turn the woman over onto her belly.  He sent Yametha back to her chambers to be given a new Goa'uld larva to replace the queen, who was preparing to take up residence in her newly found permanent home.

She gasped in fright as the cold, slippery being slithered up her spine.  Teal'c did not want to watch, but looked on despite his discomfort.   This was a scene he had witnessed many times before, but never had one Goa'uld killed so many just to obtain the perfect host.  This time, however, it wasn't the perfect host they were seeking. It was the perfect replacement.

            "The bargain will be paid in full," he heard Apophis say to the man.  "Consider it an honor to serve your god in this manner."

            Teal'c steeled himself, willing his mind not to recall the bargain, how it was paid and his part in it.  His expression was strained, his warrior training kicking in and not allowing him to show too much emotion.  He knew the fear the Abydonian woman felt for he'd seen that in the eyes of many just before the Goa'uld invaded their bodies.  All those times before he had felt nothing when he witnessed it happen, but now he was doing all he could to fight the conflicting emotions he felt threatening to break the dam his warrior's training had built.

            The Goa'uld hissed and made its eyes glow as it drew back.  It remained poised for several seconds, as if pondering whether her purchase was a good one.  But in a sudden move, she pierced the skin at the back of the young woman's neck and staked her claim.  The blood-curdling scream bounced off the walls of the chamber as Apophis' queen burrowed her entire body into her new host.

Apophis drew in his breath, obviously pleased that his queen had a new body in which he would shortly take pleasure.  The thought caused him to look on in unholy lust as his demon queen took over the host's body, preparing it to submit to her every command.

            The woman's screams pierced Teal'c's consciousness.  She was someone's daughter, someone's wife, and possibly someone's mother.  Surely she had family, as witnessed by the brother who was willing to risk his life to save hers.  How long could he keep doing this?  How long could he commit heinous deeds to serve the whims of a merciless false god just to remove an old stain of blood against his family?  What price was he willing to pay in the name of vengeance?  How long would he keep paying for a cowardly mistake?

            Over the past few years much had happened.  He had lost so much.  All because of what he had done.  And now an innocent woman was being taken over by a goa'uld as a result of his selfish desires.  Would his soul ever stop paying for it?  He did not deserve sympathy.  He most certainly did not deserve mercy.  And he did not deserve forgiveness.

            He did not deserve to live.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

            He absolutely loathed the cold.

            Teal'c looked around warily after the transport rings materialized him and his group of guards and soldiers on the planet's surface.  The sun hung low on the horizon, serving as a warning that the day was drawing to an end and that they would have to provide their own light soon.  The temperature was much colder than Teal'c would have liked.  Even with all of the armor that he wore and the garments layered underneath, the cold air still stabbed his skin through every open crevice.  He pulled his chain mail cape around him for warmth, but it provided none.

He watched the soldiers milling around as his second in command informed him the area was secure. They were in small groups of four to six foot soldiers, each led by one from the ranks of Apophis' personal guard.  The foot soldiers, who were quite young and had not yet proven themselves in the Games, bore the mark of Apophis upon their foreheads in black.  They had yet to successfully compete in the Games and the brutal Final Challenge to become members of Apophis' personal guard.  If they survived, and joined the ranks of those responsible for the safety of their god, perhaps one of them would achieve the ultimate honor of bearing the golden tattoo signifying them as Apophis' First Prime.

Teal'c smiled inwardly as he remembered just how the golden tattoo on his forehead had come into existence.  These tattoos were made by an oreck knife cut deeply into the skin then molten gold poured into it.  He had endured the ceremony without any indication of pain, for it was only a small price to pay to get that much closer to becoming the First Prime of Apophis; that much closer to avenging his father's needless death.

Becoming First Prime had been a long, arduous journey but one he had been determined to make.  The high station he held was worth everything he had sacrificed and fought for. To Teal'c, this was more than just a position; it was his birthright, his heritage and his destiny.  The power he wielded was second only to Apophis himself.  With a word, he had he resources to kill and take anything he wanted.

And more often than not, he did just that.

He surveyed his troops for a few moments.  Only about a quarter of the troops in the service of Apophis were present, but that was all that he required.  This mission was of the utmost importance for they were on the trail of one of the most hunted enemies of the system lords.  One whose actions were such a threat, the Goa'uld wanted to desperately retain his knowledge.  That enemy was known as Ma'chello.

            Since before Teal'c was born, Ma'chello had been marked as a target.  His penchant for creating devices to use against the Goa'uld had branded him an enemy.  For years he was running as a fugitive from the system lords.  His luck had run out once and he had been captured by the system lords, who planned to use him as a host.  But during the implantation ceremony, Ma'chello had escaped, killing several Jaffa.

It was Teal'c's sworn duty to find him. It was actually more of an assignment.  Apophis, always one to try to make himself look more important than he was among the system lords, had charged him with this task along with several others when he became First Prime.  There were always the standing orders to find hosts, slaves, and those strong enough to serve as Jaffa, the manifest destiny of conquering new worlds for Apophis to claim as his domain, finding new technologies to increase the importance of Apophis' standing among the system lords.  They were the usual things a First Prime was charged with.

            His second in command approached him.  He dropped to one knee, bowed his head and crossed his right arm over the left side of his chest.

            "Kree shak," said Teal'c.  "What is your report."

            Shak'l drew himself up and snapped to attention.  "The advance troops have scouted the area.  We have already begun interrogating several inhabitants of a village nearby."

            "What have you discovered?"

            "The one known as Ma'chello has been seen, but that was several weeks ago."

            Teal'c frowned.  Surely Shak'l must know more.  Before he could say anything about it, Shak'l snapped his fingers and barked out an order.  Two foot soldiers dragged a battered and beaten man over.  Two more soldiers dragged another man out, but Shak'l didn't seem all that interested in him.  He turned his attention back to the first one.  "This one knows much about Ma'chello.  I am certain he knows where he fled."

            "I know nothing!" he spat, coughing and wheezing.

            "You mean you will tell nothing.  Will you continue to know nothing until we have killed you?"

            "We have told you all that we know," he pleaded.  "I implore you to release us."

            "Tell the First Prime what it is he seeks and we will decide if you are worth releasing."

            Teal'c sighed heavily.  There was an old Jaffa saying: if you desired something to be accomplished correctly, you must take it upon yourself.  Both of them were obviously lying, and knowing that Shak'l was a subordinate under him, they were purposely being arrogant.  Teal'c stepped forward and closed his hand around the recalcitrant man's neck, pulling him up so his feet dangled inches from the ground.

            "I grow tired of your insolence!" he barked.  "You are aware of Ma'chello's whereabouts.  He is not of your world. Why do you protect him?"

            The man tried to say something, but all that came out was a sputtered wheeze.  His eyes pressed shut in pain, his feet swinging in a futile effort to free himself.

            "I would suggest that your next words consist of a time and a location," Shak'l added.

            Teal'c loosened his grip a little so the man could speak.  "He…he was here three weeks ago."

            "Who did he see?"

            "No one!  He resided in an abandoned house.  Barely spoke to anyone."

            "Surely he was not here for relaxation."  Teal'c squeezed a little harder.

            The man's accomplice finally decided to add something of substance to the interrogation.  "He told us that he would prevent us from ever becoming slaves of the Goa'uld."

            "You know where he resided?'

            The minion nodded.

            Teal'c threw the man to the ground, not even giving him a second look as he gasped for breath.  "Kree, Jaffa!" he commanded to the small group next to him.  He ordered the guards to drag the two men along as well.           

            Shak'l led them on the short march to the village.  When they got there, Teal'c noticed how deserted it appeared to be.  It was obvious advance warning of the arrival of Jaffa had gotten to the inhabitants.  People stayed within their dwellings as the squad of Jaffa and their prisoners marched through the streets, peeking around cracks in the window shutters and through filmy curtains to see where they were headed.

            "Where is the dwelling where Ma'chello resided?" Teal'c pressed.

            "That last one on the end," the light-haired man indicated with a pointed finger.

            "Shak'l, you and the ones guarding his accomplice will remain here until we return."

            Shak'l nodded his head in acknowledgement.

            The blond haired man refused to move forward when Teal'c strode off.  One of the guards prodded him with the business end of a staff weapon and he stumbled forward, giving the guard a look that said he was not going along with this willingly.  Teal'c couldn't have cared less.  He would have loved to kill the man immediately and be rid of him, but since he was this close to capturing Ma'chello and bringing glory to his god, he had to let the ingrate live.

            They entered the dwelling, first the prisoner then Teal'c with the two guards pulling up the rear. "Search the room!" he commanded his soldiers.

The place had obviously been abandoned for some time, cobwebs spun around as a testimony that spiders had claimed squatter's rights to Ma'chello's property.  There were some Goa'uld recording tablets on a table, some books and papers strewn about, but nothing that stood out to Teal'c as being of value.

            Teal'c turned his attention to the prisoner.  "When did he depart?"

            "I do not know."

            Teal'c activated his zat gun and pointed it at him.  The device whined, signaling that it was ready for action.  "You continue to try my patience!" he snarled.

            "I told you, I do not know!  I would assume it was within the past few days."

            Teal'c pressed the zat to the man's back and began looking through the contents of the desk.  He pushed aside papers and tablets when he realized the language it was written in made absolutely no sense.  It was as if it was written in half-Goa'uld, half some other language he didn't know.  Teal'c was versed in many languages, as was required of someone of his station, and it unsettled him greatly that he could not understand it.  Perhaps if he brought one of the tablets back, one of the scholars of Apophis could translate it properly.

            With one eye on the prisoner, Teal'c picked up one of the tablets and removed the cobwebs on it.  When his fingers grazed over the raised lettering, he heard a faint hum.  He turned it over repeatedly, trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

            "Kree, Jaffa," he called to one of his soldiers.  Teal'c held up the device when he approached.  "What is your analysis?"

            The young Jaffa looked the device over, not quite sure what to make of it either.  He was about to shrug his shoulders and admit his ignorance when some of the symbols began to scramble across the surface of the tablet.  Slowly, they began to disappear and, as they did so, the humming noise got louder and louder.

            "My lord!" the young Jaffa exclaimed.  "We must make a hasty retreat!"

            "Explain!" Teal'c demanded.  He thought perhaps it was damaged and the Jaffa was overreacting.

            But the young soldier didn't have a chance to explain.  Risking death by firing squad, he grabbed the tablet out of Teal'c's hand and threw it towards the back of the room.  He hurriedly pushed Teal'c outside into the street, the other soldier barely able to keep up with them.  Within mere seconds a large explosion ripped through the dwelling, taking their prisoner with it.

            Teal'c pulled himself together.  His first reaction, to break the neck of the soldier who had knocked him to the ground, was quelled when he saw the rather large hole in the side of the building they'd just fled.  Upon further inspection, he saw body parts splattered about the room, and realized he had again come within a whisper of joining his father in the afterlife.  He inspected the damage, and concluded that it was not a sophisticated weapon Ma'chello had used, but a crude explosive device implanted into the tablet, which was most likely triggered by touch.

            He cursed to himself, wondering how he could have been so stupid.  A still wet-behind-the-ears Jaffa had seen the danger, but he had not.  Apophis had truly spared him this day.

            "What is your name," Teal'c demanded sharply.

            The young Jaffa snapped to attention.  "Ah'mose," he said, his voice trembling a bit.  "Son of Und'ro"

            "How did you know that tablet was an explosive device?"

            "I did not," he said simply.  "My instincts said it was dangerous.  I simply acted upon them."

            Teal'c gave the young Jaffa a smile of approval.  Clasping him about the shoulders, he said, "Ah'mose, son of Und'ro, you have truly brought honor upon your house this day."

            The Jaffa kept his head bowed.  Teal'c couldn't tell if Ah'mose was more startled by barely escaping death by the explosion, or death by Teal'c himself for acting the way he did.

            "You shall be richly rewarded."

            That statement got the Jaffa's attention, but he remained humble.  "The preservation of your life is its own reward."

            "Perhaps," Teal'c agreed with a knowing look.  "But you deserve to be rewarded nonetheless."

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

The evening's revelries were a result of the rewarding of young Ah'mose.

Those fortunate enough to be members of Apophis' personal guard were presently enjoying the company of the local womenfolk.  Those unfortunate enough to be foot soldiers were outside, cursing their lot while trying to keep warm.  Their job was to make sure the outside of this dwelling of ill repute was secure so their superiors could indulge in one of the perks afforded to them.  The local inhabitants stayed indoors, some still watching the Jaffa, but most of them going on about their business as if nothing had happened.

            The locals didn't care a whit about Ma'chello or what he was doing on their world.  The two men who had protected him had only done so because Ma'chello had promised them vast riches, but he had never delivered.  They had hoped to lure in the Jaffa so they could turn a profit.  Teal'c had given Ah'mose the honor of killing the remaining ingrate. An honor he had thoroughly enjoyed.  But now that business had been taken care of, they could all relax a bit before preparing to follow Ma'chello's trail.

            Teal'c settled back in one of the plush chairs, watching as Apophis' finest soldiers engaged in the ageless art of wenching.  Beautiful women offered their services in exchange for currency, and his men got to work off their sexual tension.  They seemed to enjoy making the women wait with anticipation as to who would be chosen, and took pride in that they were not ordinary foot soldiers whose ears would have to be subjected to their sexual enjoyment.

            "My lord," Ah'mose implored. "If it is agreeable with you, I wish my reward to be sponsorship in the Games."

            Teal'c looked around to see Ah'mose looking about the room with an expression somewhere between anxiety and desire.  "Is it not early for you?" he said.

            "I wish to prove myself."

            "I am certain that you will.  I will contemplate your request.  But in the meantime, you should indulge in the spoils of battle. It is best to enjoy such pleasures now before you are paired with a wife."

            "That is not something I intend to do in the near future," Shak'l said, dropping himself into a chair next to Teal'c and Ah'mose.  "I enjoy this simple pleasure too much to deal with the naggings of a wife."

            Teal'c ignored him and went back to his conversation with the young Jaffa.  "Since you are the one who has shown honor this day, Ah'mose, surely you should have first choice."

            Ah'mose shook his head.  "I am not certain…"

            "Perhaps I should explain to you the arts of securing comfort on a world where the common people do not speak our language," Shak'l began. 

            "I am well aware of the custom!" Ah'mose snapped.

            Shak'l was undaunted in his taunting.  "Then perhaps I should refresh your memory," he said.  He pulled out a few coins from a concealed pocket in his uniform and spread them out into the palm of his large hand.  "There are times when a Serpent Guard such as yourself finds himself on a world where he does not speak the language, but has quite an urgent passionate need.  Our god, Apophis, has foreseen such matters and composed a method to assure his personal guards are serviced exactly the way they desire."

            Teal'c tried his best not to laugh at Shak'l's lecture.  Thankfully one of his men knew the language of this world, and it was he who arranged for the soldiers to be serviced by the women of this house.  He gave his best student a knowing grin and tried to paste a neutral expression on his face.  He knew he was failing miserably.

            "I do not believe I would call it that," Teal'c said.

            Shak'l respectfully ignored Teal'c's words.  He sidled up to Ah'mose in a friendly manner, though his expression stayed devilish.  "And if the female in question is not quite comely to look at, I prefer this one," he said, showing Ah'mose the coin of a male figure behind a female figure.

            "Or if it is the case of the female not caring for the likes of you," Teal'c added.  Ah'mose laughed at Shak'l's annoyed expression.  "Did not that exact situation occur on…"

            "I would respectfully request that the First Prime refrain from making comments during my instruction."

            Teal'c choked off a laugh.  "As you wish," he said.

            "Now, where was I?" Shak'l asked rhetorically.  "Oh yes, the fine art of wenching."

            "What situation occurred?  I am curious?" Ah'mose asked Teal'c.

            "It was approximately three years ago.  We visited a world where all the females were very short in stature, but quite favorable to look upon.  The one Shak'l had chosen refused him, saying the only way she would engage in intimate relations was if she was not forced to look upon his face."

            "She did not say that!" he disputed.  "She was intimidated by my stature."

            "She was intimidated, but not by your… stature."

"We did not even speak their language!"

            "Someone translated for me," Teal'c corrected.

            "You never planned to inform me of this?"

            "Only if the occasion called for it."

            Shak'l realized that was all Teal'c would say on the subject, so he pulled out another coin and showed it to Ah'mose.  "Personally, I prefer this one.  It is especially wonderful when the woman has wonderful hips, a small waist and generous breasts.  Definitely wonderful to look upon it all when taking your pleasure."

            "I thought such a thing was forbidden," Ah'mose shockingly said, his conservative country beliefs coming to the surface.

            "Forbidden only if she is your wife, not your wench," Shak'l corrected.  "Yet another reason to remain unmarried for quite a long time."

            "My intended wishes us to marry," Ah'mose muttered.  "She looks like exactly that which you have described."

            Shak'l and Teal'c both looked at each other.  Teal'c gave his second in command a look that said not to press Ah'mose any further, but Shak'l's eyes said he was going there.  "So you have taken her then?" he asked pointedly.

            "No, I have not," Ah'mose replied, almost seeming embarrassed.  "I have tried, but she tells me such a thing will not happen unless we are married."

            "You obviously did not try hard enough.  Of course you were when you tried so I should correct myself and say—you were not persuasive enough."

            "Perhaps," he said dejectedly.  "If she looked ordinary like many women of my village do, it would not bother me so.  But she is quite beautiful, and I worry of her fidelity when I am gone."

            Now Teal'c was intrigued.  "Describe this woman," he said.  It came out as more of a command than he intended.  Nevertheless, Ah'mose answered him right away.

            "The face of Isis.  The breasts of Hathor.  The hips of Nephthys."

            "And yet you have the luck of Set in seducing her," Shak'l said, breaking out into raucous laughter.

            "She is not ordinary," Ah'mose said sharply as if trying to drive home the point that it wasn't bad luck preventing him from seducing her.  "Not giddy as your typical young woman.  Not prone to falling for sweet words and pleadings."

            Shak'l raised an eyebrow at him.  "Are you sure she does not desire the company of women?"

            "That is blasphemy!"

            "Perhaps you should find her a woman," Shak'l goaded.  "Then you could watch the two of them pleasure each other."

            Ah'mose got up, obviously miffed.  Teal'c stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and said, "Shak'l has a tendency to take his jesting too far.  Look upon these women.  Choose whichever one you like and enjoy the pleasure you desire, and deserve."

            "But what of…"

            He squeezed the young soldier's shoulder to reassure him.  "She is only your intended.  Not your wife."  His expression then turned devilish.  "Surely you are not unknown to women?"

            "I am not," he admitted proudly.

            "Then go.  Enjoy yourself."

            Ah'mose nodded.  He still held one of the coins, rubbing it with his thumb as he chose the one whose arms he would seek pleasure in.  Teal'c knew the type Ah'mose was: not ready to take a wife, yet found a woman he felt a deep loyalty to.  He would learn the difference soon enough for he was still young, and there would be many myths he held dear that would be shattered.  Taking pleasure with women was something soldiers did regularly—even the wives knew this, but it was not their place to protest.  Ah'mose was only a young man of thirty and, like Teal'c was at that age, still had much to learn. 

            Teal'c turned around to face Shak'l, his expression somewhere between amusement and consternation.  "It was not necessary to embarrass him so badly," he said.

            "You were much worse when you explained the custom to me," Shak'l joked.

            "That is true," Teal'c admitted.  "But I utilized tact in my choice of words."

            "I prefer to cut to the quick of the matter.  It leaves far less room for misinterpretation."

            "And obviously much room for offense."

            "I take my amusement whenever and wherever I can."  Shak'l gave Teal'c a sheepish look, then his eyes tracked over to the remaining women milling around the receiving area.  Some were making merry with the remaining Serpent Guards—those who had not yet decided which they would take.

            "Considering I am not First Prime, I must partake in the pleasures of the flesh whenever I can.  Some of us do not have the privilege of access to the king's harem."

            He watched as Shak'l picked out a blond haired woman with gray eyes, snapping her right up from a guard whose protests did nothing to stop him.  Shak'l gave a stern rebuke to the soldier and sweetly implored his chosen to lead the way to her bedchambers.  He tossed Teal'c an anticipatory grin as he disappeared from sight. 

Teal'c's eyes roved over the remaining women, and he tried to decide if he should take his pleasure as the others were, or wait until they returned to Chulak to indulge in a privilege that at times was a double-edged sword.  Since he'd barely managed to survive thanks to Ah'mose's quick thinking, Teal'c figured tomorrow wasn't promised so he'd best indulge at the moment. 

            He paced among the remaining women in the room, trying to decide what would tickle his fancy.  Immediately the ones with red hair were crossed out, for in Jaffa culture those with red hair were regarded as cursed.  Teal'c thought the association of red haired people with Set was ridiculous, but decided not to temp fate this night.  All of them had breasts not quite large enough for his liking, but enough to be pleasing.  The ones he considered too petite and slim-hipped were also discarded.  Tonight was not a time for him to focus on restraining his passion. 

            He finally settled on a dark haired woman with green eyes and generous hips.  Signaling to the matron that he'd made his selection, he couldn't help but notice the woman was beside herself with glee that she'd been chosen.  She said something in a language he did not quite understand, but he nodded anyway and followed her to one of the bedchambers in the rear of the building.

            As they stood facing each other in the light of the planet's trio of moons, Teal'c realized his mind wasn't truly on the female in front of him.  His mind was on a series of questions that kept running through his mind and refused to go away.  Was it possible for a woman to want him for who he was rather than what he was?  Did any of them care to know what drove, inspired or even frightened him?  Did they even want to know why he became First Prime in the first place?  As soft hands touched his chest and hinted about the pleasures to come, he decided it was a waste of time to dwell upon it any further.

            The answers could wait until tomorrow.

 

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

She hated this place.

            May'at swore softly as she violently slapped a mosquito on her arm, which had been busily sucking what had become its last meal.  Mosquitoes were always a problem this time of year when the days were stiflingly hot, went by without rain and the water stagnated in the river Khalidan.  Upon further inspection of her skin, she saw that the mosquito hadn't gotten too far, but unfortunately her skin still itched.  She went to the river's edge and bent over to wash the kill from her hands, ever on the futile lookout for more bloodthirsty mosquitoes.  She grabbed a garment out of the clean laundry in a basket nearby, dipped it into the water and pressed it to her itching skin.  She smiled at how cool and refreshing it felt.  It was a mixed blessing since the clean garment was now soiled again with droplets of her blood.  The young woman sighed and sank to her knees, pondering her life, which seemed to be literally going nowhere.

May'at felt that if anything was more stagnant than the water, it was the village known as Cord'ai Plains.  At least the river was only stagnant for a few days before the rains came.  She couldn't say the same for this place.  Life here moved at a pace slower than a snail carrying five times its weight up a sticky hill.  There was nothing but flat farmland and an occasional tree as far as the eye could see; green grass everywhere, with patches of seasonal crops growing towards the sun, welcoming blue skies and the persistent smell of animal dung.  That smell was consistent given Cord'ai Plains was a farming village.  Farmers and field hands worked in the fields, tending the various crops that grew during the summer.  In the fall, when the air began to grow colder, those crops would be harvested and finally May'at would get some small entertainment by recording crop yields for those who were ignorant and could not write.  By the gods, she knew she would rather record crop yields and write letters for the illiterate, than do the myriad of mundane daily chores assigned to her.

The entire village was practically illiterate—something May'at was not used to.  Even as a child, she remembered her people taking pride in their writing.  It had been so ordered by the god who ruled their world, Thoth, that all of his subjects be well-versed in the divine art of recording.  Unfortunately, by doing so he had become a target of the ever-fighting, ever-bloodthirsty and ever-ignorant system lords.  And because of that, she and her family had been deposited in this accursed place on a world that she knew was not her own.  But in this place, hardly anyone except the scholars of the court, officials of Apophis, priests and Jaffa warriors knew how to write.  No one in her village knew how to write, and they were perfectly happy with that.  It frustrated May'at to no end that they could give in to such ignorance.

More often than not, the only entertainment was what passed by their village on the river, the occasional lost farm animal, the birth of a child or the village gossip.  Were it not for her writing lessons in Chulak, or the entertaining stories told to her by Mah'ti, the village midwife, she would have surely gone insane.  It seemed the only thing people did here on a regular basis was work in the fields, gossip, get drunk on corn beer, have sex and spew forth children.  May'at suspected there was more to life than this, for if there was not… May'at stopped her train of thought.  She reinforced within herself that there had to be more to life than this.  She had seen it in Chulak.

It seemed all the young women her age, ever since they were children, were all centered on landing a husband.  Every day their mothers drilled it into them.  Do this so you can get a husband, do that so you can get a husband, speak this way so you can get a husband, act this way so you can get a husband.  The daily drills were slowly driving her mad.  What did the men have to do to prepare for a wife?  From the looks of her father and the other males of the village, the men got to work, then come home and be lazy.  It was the women who worked from sun up to sundown and for what?  To keep his house?  To wait on him like an anxious servant when he finally decided to return home?  To produce baby after baby?  To plead like a beggar for money to spend?  Shaking her head, May'at knew she would never be like that. 

Her refusal to follow blindly made the village girls despise her.  Not that she really cared.  She couldn't lie to herself and say that it did not hurt when they teased her, especially in those first few years when she and her family settled in Cord'ai Plains.  Many days she'd run home in tears because of what they had said about her.  But the years went by and her wisdom increased and she could see plainly how jealous they were of her.  Whether they were jealous of the fact that she could read and write, or that she had a womanly shape that never failed to get male attention, she did not know and did not care.  These days, she was perfectly happy to be alone and do the things she wanted, sit by Mah'ti's feet and hear an amusing story, or implore her mother to tell her stories of the world where they lived before Apophis' Jaffa had captured and brought them to Chulak.

May'at stood and stretched her arms up and forward towards the hazy horizon.  On a clear day, one could see all the way to the north where the Gomai Foothills began, but today was not one of those days.  Today the haze was obscuring anything from view that was further than fifteen leagues.  How she loved the days when she did see the Gomai Mountains that towered above the foothills.  It assured her that there was life outside this little hamlet she'd been forced to live in.  When she would ask Mah'ti about what was outside their village, she just snorted, put her hands on her hips and said, "Why would I want to go out there?  All I need and want to do is right here?  I am too far along in years to start exploring.  And why would you want to leave?"  When May'at countered with the comment that even the birds flew upside down over Cord'ai Plains because the place wasn't worth excreting upon, Mah'ti tried to give her a stern rebuke but couldn't help but laugh. 

She had told May'at not to be fooled by the airs and currying favor going on in the court at Chulak.  When she was a young girl, it was not a worry.  But now that she was young woman, she could be lured in by the loose morals of the court.  It would behoove her to refrain from being so selective, and choose a suitable husband.   But how could she even choose a husband when hardly anyone courted her?  She knew several men had approached her father, but they had left without so much as a word to her and she wondered why.  When she asked her father, all he would say is that she was destined to serve a higher purpose, and a husband would thwart that purpose.  She remembered that the matchmaking festival was only a few months away.  If Ah'mose did not hurry to ask her father for her hand, she may just try her luck at the festival.  To Sokar with what her father's intentions for her were.

Yawning briefly more from the fatigue of the heat than from lack of rest, she peeked in on the soaking laundry, making sure the contraption she had built to capture the strength of the river's currents to help wash away any final remnants of soil would stay in place.  After being satisfied with what she saw, she prayed to the gods yet again for her intended to make haste and ask her father to take her as a wife.  Ah'mose was dragging his feet and it irked her.  Though she'd much rather be the wife of a soldier than stuck in this god forsaken place, it made her angry to know he was off on some strange world enjoying the pleasure between some woman's thighs.  How could he do that and expect her to remain chaste until he made up his mind.  And then he had the audacity to want to check to see if she was still unknown to man every time he returned home.

"Men," she muttered.  "Oh Isis, why is it that we need them?"

Why her father insisted on them living here, she did not know.  Her mother and father argued constantly that he was a scholar, and that they were of noble birth. Why should they be forced to live among the rekkit—the common people?  Her father would only say that he wished for her to have a holistic life. Whatever the hell that meant.  After all, her father got to travel all over the empire as one of the scholars of Apophis and did not have to live in this forsaken place every day with its foul stench and backwards-thinking people.  May'at backed up her tirade, mentally excluded Mah'ti from what she'd just thought and briefly prayed to the gods for including her in such a group of people.  That was thoughtless of her.

Thankfully, since she was seven years old, she'd been allowed to study the arts of the scribe at the temple a few days each month.  She had become so good, that she began to study under Master Fro'tak at the imperial palace in Chulak.  How she looked forward to those few days every month to study under him; to find out things about the state of the empire hardly anyone else knew; to see the life lived by her Pharaoh and those who served him lived each day.

Chulak was much more sophisticated than Cord'ai Plains.  Even the marketplace had things from all over the empire for purchase, rather than the simple, local wares they could only purchase once a month at the farmer's market in Xhiana Fields.  There were sparkling items of jewelry, brilliant fabrics and incense that tantalized the nostrils.  Even the food in Chulak was different.  Flavors she had never tasted before with a variety of foods that made the fare of her village seem plain and ordinary.

            The sun was directly ahead in the sky, telling May'at to hurry quickly with the wash.  If she did not return home soon to hang it, it would not dry by nightfall.  The last thing she needed was another lecture from her mother, telling her she needed to spend more time on the chores that would make her a suitable wife.

Her mother sought to pass her off as an educated woman, perhaps hoping she could marry well.  "It is your duty to marry higher than I did," she would remind her at the most inopportune times.  When and if Ah'mose inquired of her father for her hand, they would not be pleased to find out he was a soldier.  Though he was many years older, May'at honestly believed they'd rather consent to her marrying Master Fro'tak than a soldier.  And with Ah'mose taking so long, she just might do that.

May'at removed the piece of laundry soothing her insect bite and dipped it into the water again.  She tied the garment around her right upper forearm where the bite was, careful to avoid the silver arm bracelet Ah'mose had given her as a gift last spring.  Smiling fondly at the memory of when she had received the bracelet, she squeezed enough water out of the fabric before she did so that it would be damp enough to relieve the itching, but not so wet as to drip on the work she was about to resume.  She stepped back a few feet from the river's edge and sat down cross-legged where her satchel of writing instruments and completed work lay under one of the few shade trees whose great expanse provided protection from the blazing sun.

With a professional air to her movements, she picked up a scroll of blank writing material, selected a brush and ink that was to her liking.  She smoothed out her linen sheath across her lap, producing a flat surface to write upon.  After retrieving and opening a scroll filled with hieratic script in her teacher's handwriting, she began the slow process of transcribing his notes into the elegant glyphs read by those of high station within the empire.  No one would presume a woman did this kind of work. 

Correction, no man would presume this.

It had taken her years to reach this level.  Her work was such that even Master Fro'tak had said hers rivaled that of scribes with years more experience than she.  Of course, he had also said it was a pity she was a woman, for as a man, she could make a handsome living as a scribe of Apophis.  May'at made up her mind long ago that she would become a true scribe, and would remain one no matter what it took or whatever higher purpose her father had in mind for her.   

            "Should you not be washing?" a voice called from over her shoulder.

May'at didn't look up.  She knew who it was, and didn't care to speak to her.  "Drey'auc, I am quite busy.  Is there not someone else for you to bother?" 

The young woman, who was the same age as she, came around into her field of vision.  She dropped a large basket of laundry onto the ground.  May'at cut her eyes at her when she heard the sound the dropped basket made.  She was not in the mood for whatever idle talk Drey'auc had come to make.  They were not friends, and definitely not acquaintances.

"I have completed my washing for the day," Drey'auc proudly proclaimed, her eyes on May'at as she worked.  "You have not started."

"Aye, but you are wrong my dear Drey'auc.  I rose early this morning with Ra, and have completed the washing early."

"Then where is it?"

May'at pointed over towards the river with the stylus.  Giving Drey'auc an eat-dung-and-expire look, she said, "I am letting the river's currents assist me in cleansing it while I concentrate on other things."

Drey'auc let out a sigh that said she was not impressed.  "Nothing of any importance I see."

"As usual, Drey'auc, you know not of what you speak."  May'at dismissed her with a look and went back to her writing.  "I have much work to do, and I have given Master Fro'tak my word that it will be finished upon my next visit."

"You know it is forbidden for women to write," she snapped.  "Perhaps I should inform someone of your disobedience."

            "Do you see this here?" she asked, picking up a small scroll and waving it in front of her face.  "It clearly states that per my father's order, I am permitted to write when and where I wish without threat of punishment.  And it is made official with the seal of our Pharaoh."

            Drey'auc sneered at her.  "You think you are so much better than we are."

            "Those are your words," May'at countered. "Not mine.  And if I remember correctly, you are most anxious to leave this place as well.  Why have you not done so?  Surely enough suitors have inquired of your father for your hand."

            "None of them were suitable."

            "You mean none of them were rich or powerful enough for you."

            "Is there something wrong with marrying a rich man?"

            "What about love?"

            "Love does not fill an empty stomach, wrap you in rich fabrics or drape you in jewels."

            "Then you do not know much about love, do you?"

            "I take it you know more than I about the subject?"

            May'at sighed heavily.  She'd had this same conversation with Drey'auc several times, and it seemed each time her words went in one ear and out of the other.  "I know that if you do not love a man for who he is, you should not marry him.  Out of love I will keep his house and bear his children."

            "Those things are done out of duty," Drey'auc replied.

            "Duty is a chore.  Love is an honor."

            "Duty is love," she countered.

            May'at shook her head.  "Foolish talk."

            "And yours is even more foolish."

            "Amuse me, Drey'auc.  What rich and powerful man do you seek?"

            "The First Prime of Apophis."

            May'at looked at her in disbelief for a few moments.  Laughter erupted from her like lava from a volcano.  She laughed so hard that she snorted.

            "And what about that do you find amusing?" Drey'auc demanded.  She did not like being the butt of whatever joke May'at was playing on her this time.

            What May'at found amusing was how someone such as Drey'auc, from a place like Cord'ai Plains could ever seek to wed the First Prime of Apophis.  All she knew about him was from transmitted field reports, and the whisperings of the women in the harem.  She had only seen him once; spying from behind a pillar as he talked briefly with Master Fro'tak.  He was a tall, muscular and imposing man, making May'at wonder if what she'd heard about him was true.  Given his high station, the women he would consort with would be of noble blood, not simple women from the country like Drey'auc and herself.  Someone like him would seek to marry up in the social structure, not down.

            "Do you know how many women have thrown themselves at him?" May'at asked pointedly, her hazel eyes chastising her rival.  She didn't know exactly how many but could figure it out based on the stories she'd heard in Chulak.  "Women much more sophisticated than you or I have been with him, and scholars and nobles with much more money have offered their daughters to him in marriage.  What is it that makes you think he would choose you?"

            "All he has to do is meet me."

            "We all have our delusions," May'at said with a grin.  She reveled in the annoyed expression Drey'auc shot her.  "I have heard repeatedly that he is not seeking a wife."

            "I have heard that he is."

            "And who is your source?"

            "It is my source, and none of your concern.  But I have it on good authority that soon he will choose a wife.  It does not look good for a First Prime to remain unmarried.  Surely he has a large home with many servants and slaves."

            May'at shook her head.  "You are as much a slave as I am Drey'auc.  Why would you want to be with a man who owns his own kind?"

            "That is the difference between you and me," she said simply, staring May'at down as she resumed her work.  She grabbed one of the scrolls by her feet before she could react.  "What does this say?" she asked, pulling the material partly from the scroll and scrutinizing it with her dark eyes.

            May'at cursed herself twice; once for forgetting Drey'auc's perpetual sneakiness, and again for forgetting the completed scroll.  "It is none of your concern," she snapped.  Quickly but carefully she moved her work to the side so she could rescue her abducted scroll.

            Drey'auc feigned not knowing the reason for her alarm.  "I do not see why you cannot tell me."

"I have no time for your games," May'at said in a tone that informed Drey'auc she meant business.  "That is delicate work that Master Fro'tak is depending upon."  May'at had specifically worked on this part earlier, leaving the rest to finish so she could lay it out in the sun to dry along with the laundry as Ra made his journey across the sky.  But each time she reached for it, Drey'auc held it out of her reach.

            "Is he?  Then he won't mind if I take a look…"

May'at watched in horror as Drey'auc stepped backward, tripped over the laundry basket she'd forgotten about, sending the scroll airborne.  It landed with a watery splash in the river and traveled downstream.  Her anger began to heat up within, threatening to consume her.  It didn't help that painful memories decided to come forth and replay themselves in her mind with vivid detail.

            "Stop this now!" Mah'ti yelled at the two girls.  "The both of you are much too old for this!  You are young ladies!  Behave as such!"

            Drey'auc had May'at by the hair while May'at had her hands around Drey'auc's neck.  The adolescent girls were wrestling in the muddy riverbank, screaming, cursing and clawing at each other.  Clothing was torn and damp soil clung in the most unladylike places.  The fights that broke out between them were of such frequency, the women who frequented the river for drawing water or laundry thought it was a most amusing sight. History was repeating itself as far as they were concerned.  In Cord'ai Plains, no woman liked another woman who seemed too proud or too free.

            Mah'ti knew that better than anyone.

            "Drey'auc, May'at, kree!" Mah'ti yelled, causing both girls to stop their fighting immediately.  However, May'at did not loosen her grip on Drey'auc's neck.  The village midwife held May'at fast, for she was the more dangerous of the two girls.  She pried the fingers from around Drey'auc's neck, leaving the girl to stagger backwards and pray for her ka, her life's breath that May'at was hell bent on choking out of her, to come back into her body.

"Then tell her to stop behaving like a selfish wench!" May'at accused.

            "And tell her to stop behaving like a conceited bitch!" Drey'auc shot back, wheezing as she did so.

            "I apologize," Drey'auc said sheepishly, pushing the spilled laundry items back into her basket.

Her look turned to one of satisfied arrogance as she put the basket on her hip and sauntered away. It took everything within May'at's being not to beat her senseless.  Just like that day so many years ago when they were children. May'at wanted to kill Drey'auc yet again, to take a rock and just split her brains out.  But then she remembered the silly girl didn't have any and relaxed a little. Why should she waste her time?

            That last thought didn't make her feel any better.

            Her work was ruined, floating down the river to become an indigestible meal for some unfortunate denizen of the river.  Within that scroll had been the most difficult portion of the work she had to present to Master Fro'tak.  In two days, the boat to take her to Chulak would leave at dawn.  How she would make up her work in time to meet the boat, she didn't know.

Tonight, sleep would be just a concept.  Tonight, she would work by the light of the lamp as Apophis conquered Ra to rule the night and when Ra chased Apophis away to reclaim the light of day.

Tonight she would realize yet again how much she despised Drey'auc.

 

 

CHAPTER TWO

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

Teal'c paused outside his quarters, noticing the cool breeze of the coming evening swirling across his skin. Apophis preferred his First Prime to be within close proximity, so he had his own chambers within the rear section of the palace. This was the main reason why he had yet to purchase a home. And even if he did, he would have to hire servants and procure slaves and that was too much of a headache for him to deal with. A house meant having a wife, both of which consumed both time and money. And with his rarely being at home, he could return from battle only to find himself penniless.

He had some time to waste before his audience with Apophis, and was trying to determine the best way to spend it. The cool, humid air of a summer's afternoon swirled around him, beckoning him to take a leisurely walk to the northern end of the palace where the throne room was. It had been awhile since he'd taken this route, and decided he would enjoy the scenery of the journey.

            Setting his sandaled feet along the paved pathway, he passed the servants' quarters, watching as they began the arduous task of preparing the evening meal. He would partake of it with the god he served, as well as the various people who made up his advisory panel. Teal'c would have preferred to be somewhere else than at these dinners every night when he was not on the battlefield, but he couldn't think of where he would go. So he would remain there, listening to himself and others give boring reports or stroke their god's ego.

The only report worth listening to and that provided the most amusement was that of the delegate for the harem. He would pass on complaint after complaint from the governor of the harem that the scribe for the harem was getting much too old to write straight. He had joked that perhaps the visual entertainment was keeping him from doing his job properly. The thought of dismissing the old scribe had occurred to Apophis, but he reasoned that he could trust no one else. Apophis was particular about anyone being around his adorned ones. The old scribe would remain in his station until he was no longer able to carry a prim'ta.

As fate would have it, he found himself at the quarters of the adorned ones; the politically correct term for those who provided entertainment and sexual favors for Apophis upon his request. Some of the women were from well-to-do families of Chulak, seeking to learn the arts of the concubine in the hopes that they would be better able to please their future husbands. The majority of them were slaves from other worlds, some of which Teal'c had personally chosen. Those who weren't earmarked to be hosts were brought here. Teal'c reasoned that perpetual servitude in the harem was by far more preferable to becoming a host. Some of the women did not see it that way, but their opinion of him did not matter. Apophis loved how he had such an eye for women and Teal'c was determined to keep living up to his reputation for being choosy.

"When you service our king, you are to focus upon him and him only," a familiar female voice lectured. "He will be focused upon the attractiveness of your bodies, and the adornments upon it."

Teal'c recognized the voice as that belonging to the harem matron, Rai'sah. She was somewhat elderly, around sixty, but in her prime she had been the primary concubine Apophis had called on. To reward her for her service, Apophis gave her charge of the harem, and of the instruction to those who followed her. To be trained by Rai'sah was an assurance of becoming skilled in a way men wished their wives could be. The joke among the guards and the eunuchs, known as the doorkeepers of the harem, was that the entire palace knew when Rai'sah was servicing the king. Apophis' vocal expression of his enjoyment of Rai'sah's skills was always loud enough for the entire palace to hear. Standing guard outside of the Pharaoh's bedchamber was not the ideal post for a sexually frustrated Jaffa. He should know, for he'd been suckered into it once.

He could tell Rai'sah knew he was around, but chose instead to continue her avenue of instruction. "To be pleasing to the eye of our king is your sole duty, and your only desire. To please him is to bring honor to yourself and to me." She tossed a knowing look in his direction and said, "And if you are lucky, perhaps his First Prime will test your skills himself."

A chorus of nervous giggles erupted from the group. Some looked at Teal'c, others looked at Rai'sah, while others just turned their eyes down to the grass to avoid his amused smile. The ones who looked at Rai'sah were ones he had broken in for Apophis. Some took Rai'sah's teaching seriously, some did not, but he had definitely enjoyed finding out. The ones who looked down into the grass he hadn't touched. And the ones who looked directly at him did not have a clue about what Rai'sah was talking about. These were the ones still angry at him for dragging them to this world as slaves against their will.

"Teal'c, you honor us with your presence," Rai'sah said, bowing her head slightly in his direction. "Have you come to select one of my students for your enjoyment?"

His brain said he shouldn't tease them this way, but he couldn't help but look the group over as if he was choosing. All of them were beautiful, all of them dressed in the light linen sheath dresses of summer that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Some preened in order to make him notice them, some looked at him with indifference, while others looked and then looked away in shyness.

            "Not at this time, Rai'sah."

            "Perhaps later?" she pressed. Teal'c decided she must have a new student she wanted to test out on him before letting Apophis have her. Rai'sah drove a hard bargain when she wanted him to test a student.

            Teal'c gave one last sweep of the group. "Perhaps," he hinted with lascivious intent. Several in the group rewarded him with smiles and sighs.

            So easily pleased, he thought. Maybe after he digested his evening meal he would be up for testing the skills of a young concubine. They weren't usually any real challenge to him. His only regret was that he could not bring pleasure to them. It wasn't because he couldn't or did not want to, but because to do so was forbidden.

Thus was the curse of the concubine. While she was in the business of providing pleasure, receiving pleasure was never the aim of the coupling.  Sexual satisfaction of the king was. If they were pleased during the course of love-play it was just a fringe benefit. It was never the main payoff. Receiving pleasure was fine, but sometimes he wished he could give it as well. That was one of those things about harem access that he wasn't told about when he became First Prime.

            Teal'c inclined his head slightly in Rai'sah's direction before walking off towards the Hall of Recording, which was located in the west wing of the palace. As he made his way there, Teal'c recalled fondly the times when he could provide pleasure to one of Rai'sah's students. This was usually to concubines who were unknown to men when the entered into the service of the harem. Those who had never engaged in love-play needed the kind of attention and pleasure Apophis did not have the patience to provide, so he left that job to his First Prime. It was time intensive as Teal'c took great pride in the lengths he went through to make sure the first mating with a virgin was pleasurable and memorable.

            And more often than not, the work left him physically drained.

            Teal'c made a sharp left, bringing him in front of two Serpent Guards. They immediately saluted him by crossing their right arm over their chest, sounding with a light thud. A part of him remembered fondly when he was the one giving the salutes, not the one whose mere presence demanded it. He nodded at them as he strode into the Hall of Recording. The guards resumed their defensive stance.

            Fro'tak stood in front of a window, reading a scroll he had stretched out between his two large hands. His brow was furrowed as if what he read was either confounding, or not very good news. The expression he turned Teal'c's way was initially one of irritation until he realized the intruder was his friend.

            "Teal'c!" Fro'tak greeted warmly. He set the scroll onto a nearby table and approached his oldest and dearest friend. "It is good to see you."

            "As it is you," he said.

            They went to clasp the lower forearm as was the formal Jaffa greeting, but for these two friends, the greeting was a bit different. Instead, they flexed their forearms upward, gripped each others hand as if to arm wrestle. The pressure exerted was enough to render naqadah into dust; at least that's how they imagined it. It was a ritual they had engaged in upon meeting in private ever since they were wards in the bashaak training under Jaffa Master Bra'tac. As adolescents it was always a draw, but as adults, Teal'c won more often than not.

            "I see the inscription of words has not made you entirely soft," Teal'c joked.

            Fro'tak laughed softly. "I work my strength whenever I can. Lifting writing implements is strenuous exercise. What brings you to me, old friend?"

            "Do I need a reason to visit?"

            "Of course not. But if I remember correctly, coming to the Hall of Recording to dictate reports is not high on your list of favorite activities."

            "It still is not," Teal'c confirmed with a weary sigh. "I have some time before the evening meal."

            Fro'tak groaned. "I am thankful each day that it is not mandatory I attend such things. However, I do feel a bit regretful if Apophis has his harem dancers perform for him."

            "If that were happening this evening, I would not tarry."

            "Perhaps Apophis will surprise you," he teased.          

            "Although the idea appeals to me, I do not think he will." Teal'c looked around the large room, taking in all of the various scrolls and recording devices on tables and cataloged on shelves. He wondered again why he had let so much time pass without seeing Fro'tak. Teal'c told himself perhaps his way of landing here subconsciously was to right that particular wrong. "Would it be bothersome for you to transcribe my report at this time?"

            "Not at all," Fro'tak said simply. "If it were anyone else I would just have one of my apprentices do it. The one scheduled to be here has not yet arrived and I require much work to be done."

            "I take it you will have him severely punished?"

"If I wish to do so, the punishment will be to listen to you go on and on about battles and victories and such. It would be a challenge not to fall asleep upon listening to your speeches."

            Teal'c opened his mouth to give a snappy retort, but a flurry of activity in his peripheral vision stopped him. When he focused his eyes upon it more clearly, he saw a figure come running into the room with harried footsteps. At first he didn't think of paying any attention, thinking it was probably some adolescent apprentice who had forgotten the time. But when he saw wide hips and a narrow waist clad in damp linen, he snapped to attention in more ways than one.

            The woman was young, probably two or three years short of turning twenty. A countless mass of long, braided strands of curly dark brown hair hung down to the middle of her back, settling against warm dark brown skin. Eyes the color of grass and earth blended together were pleading with Fro'tak for understanding. As the words fell from her full lips, Teal'c could not help but marvel at how striking those eyes looked to him when set against such dark skin.

Her voice was soft, apologetic, and trying to explain what had happened. Teal'c couldn't focus on the words. He wasn't the least bit interested in the words she spoke, but in what her body was displaying for him. She seemed too busy apologizing to Fro'tak to notice her appearance, but he did. He could smell the lilting fragrance of a bath, and noticed the moisture from it had made her linen sheath so transparent, he could see everything.

Absolutely everything.

            "It will not happen again, Master Fro'tak," May'at apologized again. Her head was bowed in reverence. "I am sorry to have embarrassed you in front of the general of our Pharaoh's army."

            Teal'c let an impressed smile cross his face. The young woman had acknowledged him in a way that said she knew not only who he was, but how powerful he was. She used the more formal, more scribe-like title for the high station he held, and it made Teal'c wonder what else she knew about him.

            It made him wonder why a woman was being taught how to be a scribe.

            "I suppose I should be lenient with you," Fro'tak said gently, but firmly. "This has not happened before."

            "It has not. I will finish this transcription immediately." May'at bowed respectfully before her teacher. Then she gave Teal'c a short inclination of the head before scurrying away to her tasks.

            "Fro'tak," he said, watching as May'at went to put down the work she had accomplished. She had a little area of her own in the back of the room, hidden out of plain view of anyone entering the anteroom or passing outside the windows. No one would have known a woman worked here. A stream of unladylike curses flew out of her mouth when one of the scrolls slipped out of her wet grip and went sailing into an opposite corner. She went over and bent down to retrieve it, giving Teal'c an all too good view of her ample cleavage and fetching rear end. It was not done purposefully, to blatantly advertise what she had. She'd done the motion as naturally as breathing.

There was something about this woman that Teal'c could not shake. Something about her that made him want to know more about her. The stirring he felt in his loins as he watched her take a writing instrument and use it to pin up her hair made him even more anxious to know who this woman was, and why he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. His warrior's instinct said danger was in the wind, but the romantic in him smelled the thrill of the chase in the air and he would not ignore it. He felt that surge of testosterone that made him feel like a lion on the watch for an unwitting gazelle to pursue as prey.

Fro'tak was amused by his friend's speechlessness. "You are wondering who she is?" he asked jokingly. He knew the answer before the question left his mouth.

            "Yes," Teal'c breathed.

            "I hear she is soon to become Ah'mose's wife."

            Teal'c's mind snapped to attention at the mention of Ah'mose's name.

            The face of Isis, the breasts of Hathor and the hips of Nephthys… Teal'c let his eyes drift up and down May'at's body, mentally checking off each part Ah'mose had likened to a goddess. By the gods Ah'mose, you did not exaggerate in the least. He forced his eyes away from her body when she looked up briefly at him. "Soon to be did you say?" he asked his friend.

            "Yes. At least, that is what she is hoping will happen."

Soon to be, he repeated in his mind. To him, the only thing May'at and Ah'mose had now was a verbal agreement. That's all a betrothal was really, just a verbal promise to marry. There was no formal ceremony of marriage on Chulak, only a simple registering of the marriage in the temple records. It made Teal'c wonder why Ah'mose had not gone to the temple with May'at and done so.

A grave error in thinking on his part, thought Teal'c.

Fro'tak continued. "When she was in Chulak during the previous cycle of the moon, I heard her speak of her hope that upon the completion of the upcoming battle, he would send word to her father for her hand."

            "Surely he is too young to take a wife," Teal'c said in a tone that insinuated Fro'tak must agree with his statement.

            "If it was this woman you were interested in, would you wait?"

            "I would not," he answered. "And I do not understand why he continues to wait."

Fro'tak snapped his fingers to get May'at's attention. He motioned for her to come over. "How long has he been in the guard?" he asked hurriedly while May'at was still out of earshot.

            "Not long. He has yet to participate in the Games."

            May'at stood before the two men, a scroll balanced within one of her delicate hands. She looked at Teal'c with a mixture of reverence and awe. After briefly dropping her gaze she turned it back to her teacher.

            "Teal'c, this is May'at, daughter of Le’to," Fro'tak said, answering the question he knew Teal'c was most anxious to ask. "Though I have taught her the arts of the scribe over the past years, her eventual occupation will be that of wife, not scribe."

            May'at had a slightly annoyed look on her face.

            "Is that so?" he asked her.

            She avoided his gaze. "It is how my father wishes it to be."

            "But is it what you wish it to be?"

            May'at's eyes looked at him strangely, as if trying to peer through his words for some ulterior motive. There was no nervous giggle erupting from her mouth, no blank stare in response to his question. She was literally pondering what answer to give him and giving it quite an amount of thought from the way her brow was furrowed.

            The gazelle had started running.

            "Of course it is," Fro'tak declared, laughter coming from deep within his belly. His laughter made him miss the intense look Teal'c gave May'at that said she had evoked the chase instinct in him, and the look May'at gave that said she would not be an easy prey to capture. "Perhaps all is not lost, May'at. Assist the First Prime in whatever recording he needs."

            "I will not disappoint you, Master Fro'tak."

            "It did not cross my mind that you would," he replied, obviously proud of his student despite her tardiness. "There are some things I need to get back to. Teal'c, I leave you in very capable hands."

            Teal'c smiled at his friend before turning his attention back to May'at. He kept that smile when he turned around just in time to see May'at hurriedly drop her gaze to an opposing wall.

            "It…it will take me a few moments to prepare myself," she told him as she scurried away in a flutter of damp linen and mildly scented skin.

He watched intently as she gathered the things she needed. She kept her attention on what she was doing, though Teal'c had to know she knew how intently he was watching her. No matter how much he wanted to take his eyes away, to look somewhere else, he could not. Seeing May'at was awakening something within him, something that said she had what he wanted, what he needed, and that it was as necessary to him as air was for breathing.

"Now that you have made a name for yourself, it is time you started a family."

            "I am in no hurry, Master Bra'tac."

            "You should be. It does not look good for you to remain alone. You should have married years ago. If you had…"

            "I have heard this argument many times, Bra'tac."

            "And you will continue to hear it until you are married. If I am forced I will find a wife for you."

            "You whine like an old woman," he teased. "By all means, find me a wife so I will no longer be subjected to your badgering."

            "Is it so bad," he began after she sat down on the white marbled floor. "To be a wife?"

            May'at crossed her legs and smoothed her linen sheath across her lap. She tested it by pressing a finger against the fabric to assure it was taut enough to use as a writing surface. "I would rather not answer that question, my lord," she muttered, searching through a nearby tray for the appropriate writing instrument.

            For a moment, Teal'c wondered if he was doing something wrong. He could blame it on her age, but then he remembered there were women younger than her who sought him out either directly or by way of their fathers. No, this was a challenge. He would just have to work a little harder. Women always had their weaknesses. He just had to find hers and use it to his advantage.

            It would only be a matter of time.

            "And why not? You are obviously well past the age to be eligible for betrothal."

            May'at scoffed. "You make it sound as if I am an old woman."

            Teal'c smiled apologetically. "I apologize, for that was not my intent." He lowered his large frame into a richly upholstered chair opposite where she sat. Making a steeple with his thick fingers, he leaned forward onto his thighs, locking his eyes on hers. "But you still have not answered my question."

            "Shall we begin, my lord?" May'at asked, poising her stylus just over the clay tablet. She looked up at him reverently, ready to immortalize whatever it was he had to say. It was becoming obvious he wouldn't get an answer to his question, at least not today anyway.

            "Immediately," he rumbled approvingly, his eyes locked on hers.

            And this time, she did not avert her gaze.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

            "Drey'auc!" a voice yelled. "Make haste with that flour!"

            "I am, mother!" Drey'auc yelled back over her shoulder.

            "At the rate you are going it will be next week before we are able to make any bread!"

            Drey'auc snorted, biting back her urge yet again to tell her mother she was going as fast as she could.

            "How do you expect to be an adequate wife if you cannot grind grain into flour in a timely manner?"

            "When I marry a First Prime, I will have servants to do this for me."

            "You need to marry quickly instead of engaging in that wishful thinking."

            Drey'auc bit back another comeback, deciding that she'd gone far enough. Scooping up the batch of meal she had just finished grinding into flour, she dumped it unceremoniously into a waiting clay pot. It wasn't ground as finely as she would have liked, but disinterest in the task and her mother's impatience made her decide that this batch would have to do.

What she needed was to get away from this backward, country life. She wanted to live a life where she did not have to do household chores from the time Ra came across the sky with the sunrise, until the time Apophis overtook him and brought forth the night. She wanted to have servants that would obey her every command, and groom her in a manner that would leave her skin rivaling that of the goddesses themselves. And by the gods, she wanted to live in a place that did not carry the eternal stench of the backsides of sheep.

She needed a husband who not only held a high station, but had enough power and money to keep her in that kind of lifestyle. Surely such a man would not be found in Cord'ai Plains, or in any of the other nearby villages. No, such a man would only be found in Chulak, and only the First Prime would do. She would settle for nothing less.

Drey'auc picked up a container of water and poured it along the grinding surface to clean it. If she left the corn remnants there, it would be riddled with bugs and other filth in the morning. The last thing she needed was one more thing for her mother to chide her about.

May'at would call her crazy for thinking she could marry someone like the First Prime. As far as Drey'auc was concerned he was a man and she was a woman, quite an attractive woman as she'd been told by numerous men of her village. Why not her? May'at was simply jealous, that's all.

            Drey'auc never did understand why May'at's family lived among them. They were obviously of a higher means than anyone else in Cord'ai Plains. The whole village was aflutter with gossip when the court scholar, his wife and two children moved into the home which took several months to build. The wife, though friendly, acted as if Cord'ai Plains was beneath her. The husband stayed at court or away on other worlds for weeks on end. The son spent his days learning the arts of the scribe at a nearby temple. And as for May'at, she and Drey'auc had been at odds ever since she blew into town.

            She picked up the container of freshly-ground flour and headed toward her family's home, all the while reliving the rivalry between her and May'at. It wasn't that Drey'auc hated May'at. She just didn't care for her attitude towards her. She always acted as if the things she did every day to prepare as a wife were nothing compared to the work she did as a scribe. No matter how many times Drey'auc told her no man would allow her to do such a thing, May'at always came up with some annoying way to tell her she was wrong. She was glad she had tossed that scroll into the river as it had wiped that haughty expression right off of May'at's face.

            Drey'auc was sure that the time would come when she would be vindicated. And how she looked forward to that day; the day when she could throw all of May'at's self-righteousness in her face when she flaunted her husband, the First Prime, directly in her face. Then, and only then, there be would irrefutable proof that she had always been right, and her rival had always been wrong.

            "Mother," she said, sticking her head in the doorway. "Here is the flour."

            "It took you long enough," her mother replied with a chuckle. "Now you only have to prepare the bread."

            "Mother!" she protested. "I have been grinding grain all day. Now I have to make the bread as well?"

            "When you are a wife, such complaining will not be tolerated."

            "When I marry the First Prime, I will have servants to do this."

            Her mother sighed. It was an old excuse Drey'auc often gave. "Servants or no servants, I doubt he will withstand your whining."

            "When there is whining, surely Drey'auc is to be found nearby," a male voice commented behind her.

            Drey'auc turned around to see a handsome man the color of dark honey standing just outside of her doorstep. He was still clad in his battle armor, his helmet tucked under his right arm. His free hand smoothed over a head full of tight, curly hair that was the texture of lamb's wool, making her remember how much she had missed him.

            "Ah'mose!" she exclaimed excitedly. "You have returned!"

            "Drey'auc," he said, amused at her reaction to seeing him. "It is good to see you."

            "And good to see you."

            He looked at her mother then back at her. "Is now a good time to speak with you?" he asked.

            "It is always a good time," her mother said knowingly. She took the flour from Drey'auc and motioned for her to go outside with Ah'mose. "Will you stay for the evening meal, Ah'mose? I know it is a long journey from Chulak to our village."

            "I thank you for the invitation, but I have already eaten at the home of my mother and father. They were most anxious to feed me when I arrived."

            Drey'auc's mother smiled at him, before turning an expression on her daughter that said not to take too long chatting. There was still work to be done.

            "Was the battle victorious?" Drey'auc asked as she and Ah'mose stepped outside into the night air.

            "It was indeed," he said proudly. "I managed to save the life of someone rather important."

            Drey'auc's curiosity was piqued. "Who?"

            Ah'mose lowered himself down to sit at the base of a tree stump. Drey'auc sat next to him. "Guess," he said.

            "Ah'mose, do not tease me this way," she pleaded. "You always did this when we were children. Tell me."

            "No, I implore you to guess. It is much more amusing this way."

            "Our King?"

            "If only," he said. "But you are very close."

            "A high priest?"

            Ah'mose looked at her like she'd just said something stupid. "They do not venture out onto the battlefield, Drey'auc."

            "You implored me to guess. I guessed."

            "Guess again."

            She slapped his shoulder playfully. "I do not wish to guess any longer."

            "You were close when you said our king. I saved the life of the First Prime of Apophis."

            Drey'auc squealed in delight. "You lie," she said.

            "If I am lying may the gods strike me down now." Ah'mose looked around in mock anticipation of some impending doom. "I am still here, so I must have spoken the truth."

            "What did you do?" Drey'auc moved a little closer to him. "How did you do it?"

            "I was simply observant. I ventured a guess, which was indeed correct."

            "How did he reward you?"

            "A reward for saving the life of the First Prime is not necessary."

            Even with her limited knowledge, Drey'auc knew this was a load of animal droppings. "I see," she muttered.

            "But he rewarded me anyway."

            "In shesh'ta?"

            "In another way. Something as gratifying as shesh'ta."

            Drey'auc thought of asking what could be more gratifying, but she did not care. She had only one thing on her mind, and she was determined to make Ah'mose help her. "Is it true that he is seeking a wife?" she asked hopefully.

            "The First Prime?"

            Drey'auc nodded.

            Ah'mose sighed and looked up into the starry night. "I do not know. He does not seem anxious to do so."

            "That is because he has not met me yet," she said a little more proudly than she had intended, but she didn't care.

            "He has hundreds of women on this world and even more on other worlds. And yet he has not chosen a wife," he spat. "What is it that you think will make you so different?"

            Drey'auc looked hurt. "You sound like May'at." She started to get up to go, but Ah'mose's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I apologize," he said. "I have had so much on my mind that I do not mind my tongue."

            She sat back down and put a comforting hand on his back. "Do you wish to speak about it?"

            "I do," he said softly. "Why is May'at not here?"

            "She is in Chulak for her monthly trip."

            "How long has she been there?"

            "She left seven days ago. So I would think she has been in Chulak for at least five of those days."

            "That is two days too long," he muttered. "She should be here to welcome me."

            "You are not her husband," she said. "Tell me, what is it that makes you tarry so long?"

            "I wish I knew," he said with a sigh.

            "I believe you do know, but you will not face it."

            "I have been told over and over again that I am too young to take a wife. I have not even participated in the Games for the chance to become one of the elite." Ah'mose looked at her, making sure he had her full attention before continuing. "To be a member of Apophis' personal guard is only eclipsed by becoming First Prime," he explained. "By saving Teal'c's life, participation in the Games is not far away. Surely he will recommend me himself."

            "I am sure he will," Drey'auc assured him. Then she changed the subject back to what she knew was really bothering him. "Perhaps you do not need a wife. Just someone for… comfort."

            Ah'mose shot her an annoyed look. "I do not take this lightly, Drey'auc. May'at is… she is the most beautiful woman I have ever known."

            "Have you?" she hinted with a raised eyebrow.

            "No.  She has refused my advances to be with her in that way."

            "Pity," she said. "I cannot see how she would refuse a man as handsome as you."

            Ah'mose saw no consolation in her statement. "She should not be in Chulak," he complained. "Anyone could approach her there."

            "Then you should marry quickly," she advised, her tone calm and even. "When May'at returns, you should ask her father for her hand, and then go with haste to the temple.  This way, when you go into battle again, you will know and all of Chulak will know that she is your wife."

            "If she has not become the wife of another while in that place." Ah'mose placed his elbows on his long legs and let his head hang down.  "Chulak is full of thieves and opportunists disguising themselves as scholars and advisors. May'at is susceptible to their deceit."

            "If she is the scribe she thinks she is, surely she is smarter than that."

            "She is young and trusting."

            "Then waste no more time," Drey'auc pleaded.  "Marry her. You do have love for her, do you not?"

            "I do," he said.

            "Then it is settled," Drey'auc proclaimed with an air of finality. "Now, on to more pleasing things. Will you get me an audience with the First Prime?"

            Ah'mose scoffed as he looked at her. "Why do you not ask for something easier, like the moon and stars?" He gestured upwards to the very celestial bodies he had named.

            Drey'auc laughed heartily into the air of late evening, her head tossed back and her eyes shut for a few moments. "The moon and stars would not keep me warm at night." Her gaze was intense, so intense that it almost made Ah'mose blush.

            "I am only a low-ranking Jaffa warrior. It would be nearly impossible for me to get you an audience with him."

            "Nothing is impossible, just more challenging. I think you do not want to do this for me. Do you not wish to see me happy?"

            "Drey'auc, it is not that simple," he groaned.

            "Introduce me to him," she pressed. "Or I shall let May'at in on our little… secret."

            Ah'mose's eyes turned stormy. "You will mind your tongue!"

            "And you will do what I ask!" She lowered her voice and put on a sweet expression. "Please, Ah'mose. It is very important to me."

            Her heart seemed to stop beating as Ah'mose made up his mind. Those dark eyes, the same color as hers, reflected so many shared moments between the two of them. Moments May'at would never know about and that each would take to their grave before revealing.

The Jaffa warrior rose up to his full height, looked down on Drey'auc and said, "I cannot make any promises, but I will try."

            Drey'auc jumped up and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! I am in your debt for this!"

            "Drey'auc!" her mother's voice rang out. "Take your leave of Ah'mose and come back into the house. You still have bread to make!"

            "When I am the wife of a First Prime, you will dine at my home. And I will have servants to cater to your every need."

            "I will hold you to that promise," he said warmly.

            She left Ah'mose and went into the house, well aware that his eyes were still on her. Everyone had secrets in Cord'ai Plains; it was just a matter of keeping them hidden. And the one she and Ah'mose were hiding would remain buried forever.

            She would see to that.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

            May'at wondered what this man wanted with her.

            She focused her attention back on the scroll in front of her, finishing up Teal'c's dictated words in hieratic. Later the next day she would translate the script into glyphs for posterity. Her right hand made swift yet accurate brushstrokes, making sure she got it right the first time. She had been in Chulak several days longer than normal because of a direct request through Fro'tak to remain past her normal duration to transcribe for him. Although she wondered why the First Prime requested that she remain, it was not her place to question her teacher, only to do what was asked of her.

After a few moments of not writing anything, she noticed Teal'c had stopped speaking. May'at lifted her gaze to see if he was waiting on her. She hoped to the gods that he had not become impatient that she was not writing fast enough. May'at could not handle the embarrassment of missing his words because she was daydreaming.

            He was staring at her in a way that made her cheeks flush.

            This was not the first time over the past few days that Teal'c had stopped speaking only to look at her with a mixture of intrigue and something else she was too scared to name. He was powerful, second only to that of Apophis himself, and yet he chose to sit with a scribe's apprentice to dictate a report he could have easily done on a recording device and delivered to the Hall of Recording by messenger. This man wielded such power that he could kill her with only a word and no one would have claimed to have witnessed anything.

            May'at knew there must be some other reason why he had been keeping her in Chulak for so long, but decided to concentrate on her work instead. She was trying to ignore the looks he gave her; looks that stirred something within that excited and scared her at the same time. The work was the most important, and if she did not want to be severely punished for mangling his words, it would be best to keep her mind on her writing instead of the tingling feeling she felt surge through her body each time he looked at her.

            "It is late, my lord," she said. May'at figured maybe he would get the hint and leave her to finish her work. Perhaps he had finally said all he needed to and she could begin the translation into glyphs without him around as a distraction.

            Teal'c feigned embarrassment. "I was not aware of the passage of time," he told her apologetically, his eyes locking on hers.

            May'at avoided the look he gave her. She dropped her eyes to her scroll and said, "Do you require me to transcribe anything further for you, my lord? If so I can remain later, after I have taken my evening meal." While she wanted to be alone with her work, it would reflect badly upon her teacher and herself if she did not make sure Teal'c was finished with her.

            "That will be all… for now."

            What is it that he still wants from me, she thought. And why am I afraid of the answer?

            May'at felt the eyes on her as she bowed her head in acknowledgement. She made a few entries into an archival device while she let the scroll dry that she'd been working on. In her peripheral vision, she saw Teal'c approach one of the windows, presumably to have nature confirm the lateness of the hour. He stood with his feet slightly apart, his hands folded behind his bare back.

With embarrassment, she noted just how well muscled he was, given he was only wearing a short imperial kilt of summer that covered his body from the waist to the knees. The linen it was made out of was much finer than the homespun sheath she wore. Of even finer construction was the collar of fine gold fastened around his neck and the luxurious sandals upon his feet. His body smelled of the finest essential oils, the residual sheen of the oil only highlighting his musculature even more. Considering his high station, May'at deduced he could have the best of everything. And it was obvious that he enjoyed it to the full extent someone in his position was entitled to.

So what did he want with a simple country girl like her?

            "Where are you from?" he asked. His eyes were still trained on the starry night outside.

            May'at was afraid to answer. For the previous few days it had all been business. Now he was getting personal. She cleared her throat a bit. "Do you mean where I was born or where I have lived most of my life?"   

            "The latter," he said with an intrigued smile. He kept his gaze outside, as if he knew looking at her would make her completely forget how to answer.

            "I live in Cord'ai Plains," she said, a little more disdainfully than she meant.

            She saw Teal'c go through the mental map in his head. "Cord'ai Plains is surely some distance away," he told her, turning his body around to look at her. "At least a two days journey."

            "I come to the palace every full cycle of the moon. I stay for three days and reside in the harem while I am here."

            Teal'c raised an eyebrow at her, his expression bordering on devilish. "The harem? Surely it is too lascivious of a place for a maiden to stay," he joked.

            May'at felt the room getting a little smaller, but fought not to trip over her words nor lapse into speaking with a country accent. She pulled from deep within herself to meet Teal'c's gaze with her determined one. "I… I may be a maiden, but I am not as innocent as I seem. I listen to the talk of the harem. And they say much about you."

            "What is it they have said?" he asked, his voice hinting he knew the answer already.

            She blushed slightly. "It would be ill mannered of me to repeat hearsay, my lord."

            "I supposed that it would." Teal'c moved a little closer to her, stopping within a few feet of where she sat. "It is acceptable for you to call me by my given name."

            "And what would that be?"

            "Teal'c," he told her. The look she gave him said that would not be wise. "You will not be punished for addressing me as such. You have my word."

            May'at bowed her head again. "Thank you my lor…I mean, Teal'c."

            "How is it that you travel all the way from Cord'ai Plains to Chulak alone?"

            "My mother wishes for me to be an educated woman. She feels it would allow me to obtain a husband of a higher station than my father."

            "I see."

            "My father does not of my being here. He has given the eunuchs standing orders to keep a wary eye on me. I am only allowed here, in the Hall of Recording and the harem." May'at almost added that she sometimes went to the marketplace, but decided not to let him know that. "And I am escorted at all times as you can see."

            Teal'c gave a cursory glance to a eunuch who stood in the far corner. She wondered why he had not noticed him before. Eunuchs were trained to be silent, stealthy observers, ready to rat out an intruder in the harem at a moment's notice. He watched Teal'c without showing any alarm. But why should he? After all, eunuchs had to obey the orders of any Jaffa warrior, especially those of the First Prime.

            "So you are betrothed to Ah'mose?" Teal'c asked with a declarative exhale.

            May'at hesitated a bit. She knew the question was not as straightforward as it seemed, but she was in no position to say so. "Yes," she replied. "Do you know of him?"

            "Indeed. He had the foresight to avoid a lethal trap. He saved the lives of several Serpent Guards, myself included."

            "All of his life he wanted to serve as a soldier. He hopes to become one of Apophis' personal guard one day."

"You obviously have love for him."

            "Yes," she said, smiling widely. "I do, very much."

            "But something still troubles you."

            How does he know? Why does he want to know? May'at stopped her train of thought and answered. "He is… he is not anxious to formalize our betrothal by asking my father for my hand. Neither is he to legalize our betrothal into marriage by going to the temple. Though his words say he is eager, his actions dictate to the contrary."

            "If it were I, I would not waste time."

            May'at felt the color rising to her cheeks. She dropped her gaze to the scroll on her lap and asked, "What would you have done?"

            "I would have taken you to the temple the very day I saw you."

            She wanted to tell him that it was obvious he was toying with her. After all, how many other women had he said the same thing to? "You would not inquire of my father?" she asked. Her eyes tracked him as he sat down opposite her and looked her over.

            "Only after we had gone to the temple," he said.

            Though his statement was bold, Teal'c spoke the truth. Inquiring of the intended wife's father was merely a formality, a social courtesy. Marriage was strictly between a man and a woman, and a family member could not prevent it from happening—at least not in the legal sense. There were plenty of cases about a suitor who sought to meet his intended at the temple in secret, but never arrived.

            May'at let her posture slump a bit. "If only Ah'mose had your initiative," she said.

            "He is young," Teal'c excused, his body leaning forward towards her. "Those of us who have lived much longer know better than to let something so beautiful escape our grasp."

            His hands did not touch her, for they did not need to. His eyes were making all the contact, looking her up and down and side to side. She did not know what to make of this, except that it made her heat up inside. Her mind said this was not wise, that being so close to this Jaffa was far too dangerous, but her body said he had something she needed, something she wanted.

            "I must go now," she said hurriedly, noticing the eunuch had come closer. It was time for the evening meal to be served in the harem, and if she did not hurry she would miss it. Her stomach had already growled embarrassingly loudly a few minutes ago, and she could not bear the embarrassment of hearing it again and having Teal'c notice it too.

            "As must I," Teal'c said. "I apologize for keeping you here for so long. Be assured I will inform Fro'tak of your excellent work."

            May'at inclined her head respectfully and began to put her instruments away. "I am most thankful for your praise."

"I am sure you are anxious to return home."

            "Not exactly," she said. "Cord'ai Plains is not the most exciting place. I wish I could stay longer."

            "Do you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Though his expression was amused, his words were laced with anticipation.

            "Yes, I do." Though she missed Ah'mose, and wanted to see him and be held by him, something even more powerful was telling her to stay. There was something about Teal'c's company that did something for her Ah'mose could not. And of course, Drey'auc would absolutely fall dead from envy if she found out how long she had spent in the company of the man she wanted as her husband.

            "Perhaps," he said slowly, a knowing smile on his face. "It can be arranged."

            The smile he gave her made May'at remember an old Jaffa curse: May you receive what your heart wishes for. She never really understood the reasoning for that curse, or why it had popped into her mind just now.

            She hoped to never find out.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

At times like this, he hated being Teal'c's right hand man.

As he rode in the back of his chariot, with two Jaffa soldiers urging the horses across the Mak'kar Flatlands at a fast gallop, Shak'l cursed the fact that he had been chosen for this particular task. Early this morning he had been summoned by Teal'c, and told that he was to go with haste to the location indicated on the inscribed scroll he had been given. When he had read it, Shak'l had asked for clarification of Teal'c's request. The only thing he had gotten was a stiff rebuke and a quick dismissal from his presence. Shak'l absolutely loathed being the errand boy of the First Prime of Apophis, even if being his second in command afforded him certain perks.

Cord'ai Plains was a two day journey by the great river Rekah from the port at Chulak. It took one day's travel to the northeast to reach the midpoint station at Iyan'dli Cataract, and another day to take another boat southeast from there down a tributary of the great river: the little river Khali'dan. The river ran southwest past Cord'ai Plains to terminate at Lake Wadi—home of the Kin'sha'sa Hot Springs. The hot springs were sacred, and one's pilgrimage there holy. The festival of renewal, unofficially known as the Matchmaking Festival was held there each year at the southeastern temple.

The shorter and most direct way to the southeastern temple was across the Mak'kar Flatlands by horse or chariot. It took only one day by land instead of two days by river. It was also more dangerous because bandits, vultures and other dangerous creatures frequented the area. Only those brave enough or foolish enough to risk the journey did so. Shak'l considered it a joke of the gods that the most direct way to replenish ones kalach could take one to meet the gods much faster than one intended.

Reaching the edge of the farming village of Cord'ai Plains, Shak'l couldn't wait for the chariot to come to a full stop. He dismounted and ordered one soldier to take care of the horses, and ordered the other to follow him. The solder he had left behind didn't seem to want to stay with the horses, but Shak'l couldn't care less what he wanted. If he could stoop so low to serve as Teal'c's messenger, this Jaffa could handle the even more mundane mission of tending the horses.

He and the other Jaffa trudged through the fields towards a cluster of small dwellings on the other side. Shak'l prayed that he wouldn't slip up and step in a steaming pile of animal dung on his way there. The crops were quite high, ready to be harvested within the next month with the coming of the fall. He didn't have time to figure out what kind of crops they were. All he knew was eventually a quarter of the crop would go to the main temple of Apophis, another quarter to the Pharaoh's storehouse, and another quarter would be sold either by the farmers themselves or middlemen in the marketplace in Chulak. The other quarter the family kept to live off of.

He knocked forcefully on the door of one of the dwellings and cleared his throat before speaking. "I demand that the Jaffa called Ah'mose, in the service of our lord Apophis, come forth out of this dwelling!"

There was a slight commotion in the house. A lantern was lit in the forward room and the echo of footfalls approached. The door creaked open, revealing a mature husband and wife. They were in their sleeping robes, the outer robes hastily thrown on and held together with their hands.

The man squinted at Shak'l and asked, "What does my lord Apophis desire of my son?"

"Is Ah'mose here or not?" Shak'l pressed.

"I am," a deep voice rang out. Ah'mose, still a bit groggy, crossed his right hand to his left shoulder in salute to Shak'l. "Kel shak, Shak'l," he greeted. "What brings you to such a remote area as this?"

            "These are your orders." Shak'l handed the young Jaffa a small scroll.

Ah'mose opened the scroll, his eyes remaining on Shak'l for a few moments. He read it once, looked at Shak'l and read the scroll again. A long, drawn out sigh of exasperation came from his throat, and he looked at Teal'c's second in command with a disappointed expression.

            "But I just returned to Chulak," Ah'mose protested, rolling up the scroll as he did so. He saw his mother give him the same look. His father couldn't see what the problem was. "How is it that I should be sent into battle again when I have not spent adequate time with my family? I have not even seen my betrothed?"

            Shak'l also thought it was strange to have a Jaffa recalled to battle so quickly. It wasn't as if Ah'mose was a seasoned member of the guard with a specific set of skills. He was an ordinary Jaffa warrior who happened to get lucky and save Teal'c's life. To Shak'l, Ah'mose was so inexperienced as a soldier he could still smell his mother's milk on his breath. But rather than tell him this, he decided to just state the obvious about just whose order it was.

            "It is done by order of the First Prime himself," Shak'l declared.

            That was all Shak'l had to say. Ah'mose knew to refuse a direct order from Teal'c would be to risk death. He wasn't so new a Jaffa warrior not to remember something like that. "It is my honor to serve," he said. It was all he could say.

            "Do not look so downtrodden," Shak'l reassured him. "The First Prime has also decreed that should you complete this mission successfully, he will personally sponsor your participation in the upcoming Games."

            Shak'l was almost blinded by the look of joy that came across Ah'mose's face.

            "Then I shall depart at once."

"Ah'mose, what about May'at?" his mother protested. "She is still in Chulak. Surely you must see her before you go?"

            "There is no time," Shak'l snapped.

            "You will tell her," Ah'mose's father told her. The nod he got from his son confirmed it.

"I am sure she will understand," Ah'mose assured her. "Tell her that our day at the temple is not far away. Promise me."

            His mother nodded, but her eyes still held caution. "I do not think you should go, my son. The Tal Pat Ryn appeared early this night," she warned, referring to the shooting star that appeared before they took their evening meal. "That is not a good omen. You know this."

            "It is superstition," his father chided his mother. "Go immediately and with haste, my son. Your chance at the Games awaits."

            Ah'mose smiled at his father and mother before turning to address Shak'l. "I must take my leave for a few moments to dress in my armor."

            "Then go," Shak'l dismissed with a wave. "I will wait here."

            Shak'l watched as Ah'mose's family shut the door, leaving him outside with his attending Jaffa. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why Teal'c had made him ride this far out just to tell a common Jaffa warrior he was being recalled into battle. And it wasn't just any battle either. An elite team of Serpent Guards were going to infiltrate one of Heru'ur's strongholds. If Teal'c sought to test Ah'mose's skills before endorsing his participation in the Games, this was definitely the way to do it.

A very dangerous way to do it.

            May the great god Apophis protect you, Ah'mose, he thought. For you will definitely require it.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

           

Teal'c looked out to see the twin suns begin to dip below the horizon. The encroaching night announced the time his god was reputed to rule the earth until his rival, Ra, chased him out of the sky with his rays of sunlight. Tonight, a heavy sadness was over this small village. One of their own had fallen in service to his Pharaoh, and for that he would be given a funeral equal to the sacrifice he had made.

Funerals for Jaffa warriors were always held at night. This was done to honor Apophis and to let all of the villages of this world know that a warrior had fallen. While civilians buried their dead, warriors hastened their journey to the afterlife by having their bodies burned and their ashes carried up upon the winds to take their place among the gods. Since Ah'mose was a soldier, and by custom, Jaffa warriors were entitled to slightly more lavish funeral ceremonies than the common people, Teal'c had taken it upon himself to make sure May'at's betrothed was sent to the gods with much fanfare.

It would be a funeral the likes of which Cord'ai Plains had never seen.

The First Prime of Apophis looked on as the priests put the final touches on Ah'mose's prone body, which lay upon the funeral pyre made of crisscrossed wooden sticks of varying lengths. The deceased lay dressed in the formal dark green robes Jaffa soldiers wore when attending religious functions of their world—the same kind of robe Teal'c was wearing now. He could not help but think of the times he came close to being the one laid out like Ah'mose.

Unlike with other soldiers who may have died on the battlefield, he had ordered that should Ah'mose die, which he most likely would on that mission, his body was to be brought back. His men thought it was a most unusual request, and may have hampered the success of the mission, but Teal'c's word had been final on this matter. Ah'mose's body had been brought back, and it turned out the mission had only been successful because Ah'mose had sacrificed himself to save the others.

Folding his hands behind him, he looked on as the priests went about their final duties in preparing the body. Teal'c knew that it was rare to have a Kher-heb, a high priest, and a Setem priest present at a funeral. Add to that paid mourners who were actual priestesses to emulate the lamentations of Isis and Nephthys, and it made the laypersons of this village wonder just who it was who died to warrant such a lavish funeral. Teal'c considered it money well spent considering what he was about to get in return.

Or, more correctly, who he would get in return.

Ah'mose's family had thanked him repeatedly for taking the cost of the funeral upon himself. Though he was touched, the real person he wanted to impress was May'at. She did not take the news of Ah'mose's death very well, especially since Teal'c gave her the news in person. She had not said much during the journey back to Cord'ai Plains. She had sat next to Ah'mose's laid out body and sobbed. Several times she had cried on his shoulder, making him repeatedly confirm that Ah'mose died as a warrior.

"He will be given the funeral of a warrior?" she asked through bloodshot eyes.

"I will see to it personally," he told her. "And I will absorb the entire cost. It is the least I can do for one who saved my life once."

"Thank you," she rasped.

One last tear was wiped away by his hand. He thought even when mourning, she was still beautiful. For May'at, her appearance didn't seem to matter now, only her grief. But there was something else underlying her grief.

"If only…" her voice trailed off into the warm afternoon wind.

"What is it that still troubles you?"

She sniffled a few times. "No. I cannot ask this of you. You are doing enough and for that I am grateful."

"You have only to ask. Whatever it is, I will do my best to provide it."

"Ah'mose did not have as much experience as a warrior in the guard. He is the eldest child and only son of his parents. I know it would give them much solace if he were…"

"Then it will be done," he said with finality. He knew she wanted him to have a funeral worthy of a Jaffa who was a member of Apophis' personal guard. In other words, a more lavish funeral than his rank warranted. Teal'c felt Ah'mose had sacrificed enough to warrant it. "I will have words with the high priest at the temple. And I will see to it personally that your request is fulfilled."

Since it was important to her, it was important to him. She would always look back on this day and remember not only her betrothed, but the one who made sure he had a funeral to remember. And that was how he wanted it to be.  

In his mind, Ah'mose was much too young to marry. And if taking May'at as a wife was foremost in his mind, what was the reason for his hesitation? Teal'c knew the answer to that more than anyone. The young soldier had not yet made a true name for himself. Becoming one of Apophis personal guard was indeed a great accomplishment, but he had not proved himself in battle on that level yet. Teal'c also thought, that if he truly loved May'at, he would have survived the situation he'd put him in. Perhaps he did not love her as much as he thought he did.

May'at needed a mate who had proven himself repeatedly in battle, and could provide for her consistently. After all, isn't that what all women wanted? To be provided for? The way her father was making them live beneath their means in this backwards place disgusted him. Her father was a scholar and could provide much more for his family than he had been. Monthly trips to the palace only teased May'at about her situation. She deserved better, much better, and he vowed he would provide that for her—now and forever.

            "Is everything to your satisfaction, my lord?" the Kher-heb priest asked.

            Teal'c looked over the pyre, noticing again how much attention to detail the Setem priest was paying. "It is indeed," he affirmed.

            "I must ask... this is quite a lavish affair for such a backward area of Chulak. Are you certain this is what you want?"

            "It is what the betrothed of the deceased wants," Teal'c said forcefully. "And if you do not perform to her satisfaction, payment will not be rendered. Is that understood?"

            The high priest nodded in agreement. "I will send the priestesses to bring out the family." He clapped his hands sharply, signaling to the two priestesses that it was time.

      Teal'c turned his attention to the gathered crowd, noticing their anticipation as the Setem priest prepared the elements necessary for the funeral ceremony. Some carried torches to provide light as evening broke, while others brought libations and incense to be put upon the body before it was burned. The Setem priest took the offerings and put them upon Ah'mose's body.

            A young woman in the crowd looked at him with intrigue before turning her attention back to the body on the pyre. Something told him that this woman knew Ah'mose, but did not have that much of an emotional bond to him. Perhaps she had been a neighbor, or merely an acquaintance. Teal'c noticed that though she was favorable to look upon, her hips were much smaller than what he personally preferred. The face was always what attracted him first; the hips were second. A beautiful face was nice to have, but it was generous, womanly hips that would deliver strong sons. His mother had taught him that.

            The woman turned her gaze to him again, this time appraising him as if he were a fine statue. He knew the look well. It was the look he received when women were deciding whether to approach or make themselves approachable to spend time with. Given this function was a funeral, and not the matchmaking festival held every year in the summer, Teal'c kept his expression neutral. This was not the place to welcome such advances. He decided it would be safer to look in the direction of the house of Ah'mose's parents to see if they were ready. He saw figures moving within the house, but nothing hinted to their readiness.

            "Who was Ah'mose that his funeral would warrant attendance by Apophis' First Prime?" a feminine voice asked.

            Teal'c turned to his right to see the same woman who had been admiring him from the crowd. Though he hoped she wouldn't try coming on to him now, he knew that would have been asking too much. He kept his voice official and said, "And who was he to you that you do not weep for him?"

            "He was a childhood friend to me," she said, tossing a look at the pyre. "And I have done all the weeping I plan to do." She looked at him, noticing his attention wasn't focused on her. "I have answered your question, will you now answer mine?"

            "He gave his life in the service of his god," Teal'c said. "It would behoove me to attend in his place."

            "I am Drey'auc, my lord," she offered without being asked. It went without saying that she knew his name. All of Chulak knew his name and his face. "His betrothed, May'at, is most distraught at his death. Word being whispered around is that she wills the gods that she can no longer draw breath. I do not understand why a woman would want to do such a thing because of a man."

            Teal'c gave her a look that said she definitely didn't get it. "She had much love for him," he said softly, his eyes drifting back to the house. He saw the silhouette of May'at's body through the light colored curtains. Her head was in her hands and the priestesses were imploring her to exit the house.

            "But if he had so much for her, he would not have hesitated to send word to her father that he wished to take her as a wife."

            "Perhaps he had his reasons."

            "Perhaps," she said, her tone saying while her voice was in agreement, her opinion was not. Her expression turned more intrigued. "Something tells me you would not court a woman for so long without taking her as a wife."

            Teal'c wasn't falling for the trap she'd obviously laid. Instead, he turned it back on finding out what he wanted to know. "And I take it you are privy to this information?"

            "Only from what May'at is reputed to have said," she offered, letting her statement hang in the air to tease him. "She waited for him for three years and refused other suitors. She waited for him while other women of our village married and moved away from this accursed place. Several of the women of our village say that she would be too old once Ah'mose did decide to marry her."

            "Then why are you otherwise unattached?"

            "I am… selective."

            Teal'c wanted to ask her what that meant, but he could see it in her eyes. It was the same look most women of marrying age gave him. They saw his rank, they knew his name, and knew it would only be a matter of time before he would be courting a wife if he wasn't already. Women like this only saw him and wanted him for what he was, not who he was. It seemed that even at a funeral, he could not avoid that type of woman.

            Thankfully, Ah'mose's family and May'at walked out of the house, giving Teal'c the graceful exit he desperately needed.

            "If you will excuse me, the family approaches. I must take my place among them."

            "Of course," Drey'auc said with a graceful nod of the head. "Remember me. I shall surely remember you."

            The family walked solemnly out of their modest home behind the two priestesses. According to Jaffa custom, the immediately family wore robes of light blue—the color of mourning. May'at also wore blue, her robe a deeper color. She walked between Ah'mose's mother and father, a display to show all who came that, while she had not become his wife, his family held her with such high regard that she would function in the place of a wife for the ceremony.

            "Are you ready to begin the ceremony?" Teal'c asked them.

            Ah'mose's father nodded and said, "We are. Our thanks to you for providing for our son." His wife tried to say something, but couldn't. She nodded in thanks at Teal'c.

            "He sacrificed his life so others could live. It is the least that can be done."

            The mother, father and two sisters bowed slightly at him. May'at stood there silently, tears rolling down her face. She tried to say something to Teal'c, but it caught in her throat. As the family went to take their place in the gathering near the funeral pyre, May'at gave him a pained look. The grief in her face had magnified to a point that unsettled Teal'c somewhat. Would she even be able to endure the funeral? Perhaps it was too much for her.

            The priestesses began to wail loudly, each shaking their sistrum to signify the funeral had officially begun. The high priest bowed his head reverently, his outstretched hands palms up towards the heavens. The smoke of the incense lit by the Setem priest wafted around him, making him seem mystical and alive with power. Wails died down and the high priest began the funeral rites.

             "O Osiris," he began. "All that is hateful in this world has been brought unto thee, and all the evil words which have been spoken in his name. Come, O Thoth, and take them unto Osiris, bring all the evil words which have been spoken and place them in the hollow of thy hand. Thou shall not escape therefrom, thou shall not escape therefrom."

            The priestess dressed in the robes and headdress of the goddess, Isis, raised her hands to the encroaching night and began her part in the ceremony. "Oh good youth, come to your house! It is long, long ago and I have not seen you! My heart mourns for you. My eyes search for you. I am seeking you in order to see you! Come to your beloved, come to your beloved! Wennofer, justified, come to your sister! Come to your wife, come to your wife. Weary at heart, come to the lady of your house. I am your sister by your mother. You shall not depart from me! Gods and men, their faces are toward you, weeping for you together!"

            She stepped back, allowing the priestess dressed as Nephthys to approach the body and speak to it instead of the heavens. "O good Sovereign, come to your house! Make glad your heart. All your enemies are nonexistent! Your Two Sisters are beside you as protection for your bier, summoning you in tears! I am Nephthys, your sister, your beloved! Your rebel is fallen, he shall not exist! I will be with you, as protection for your body. Forever and ever!"

            "Your sacred image," the Isis priestess continued. "Orion in heaven, rises and sets. I am Sothis following him. I will not depart from him! Oh my lord, there is no god like you! The sky has your ba, the earth has your image, the Netherworld is equipped with your secrets, your wife is your protection, your son Horus is ruler of the lands!"

            The Setem priest finished pouring the unguents he had brought, plus those the mourners of Cord'ai Plains had given him, upon Ah'mose's body as the high priest continued. "The libations which are poured out by thy son, which are poured out by Horus, are for thee, O Osiris. I have come, and I have brought unto thee the Eye of Horus that thou may refresh thy heart therewith. I have placed it beneath thy feet, and I give unto thee whatsoever hath come forth from thy body that thy heart may not cease to beat. Thy voice shall never depart from thee. Thy voice shall never depart from thee."

            The high priest gave the flame to the father. He looked at it forlornly for a brief moment before setting the pyre ablaze. It lit quickly, the flames roaring up towards the heavens, hastening Ah'mose's kalach to the gods. A sweet, heady smell enveloped the crowd, letting everyone know how peaceful and restful Ah'mose's journey to the next world would be.

 "O, clothe thyself in peace. Put on thy apparel in peace. Lo, go forth into the heavens, and receive thy white apparel. Dwell among the gods. Open forth a path for him, known by his people as Ah'mose, among the shining ones, and establish him amongst them."

            Ah'mose's mother wailed loudly, so much so that she almost drowned out the paid mourners. "What have I done to offend the gods that my son would die without leaving me any grandchildren? Why have you left his betrothed to mourn the children she will not have!?!" She collapsed upon the ground, her husband rushing to her side to comfort her.

            May'at still stood there, the tears rolling down her face.

            "Why do you weep, Mother? And why did we have to leave our home? I hate this place."

            "Your father… your father is dead."

            Teal'c shook his head profusely. "No, he is not!"

            "Listen, my son. He is dead. Killed by the god he swore to serve simply for failing him."

            "I do not believe you!"

            "I could not even give your father a proper burial!" his mother said. "That hataka, Cronus, denied me even that simple act of dignity…" her words trailed off into sobs, making him feel helpless to do anything to soothe her.

            The same tears he'd seen his mother shed were those that flowed down May'at's face. Was it possible to love someone that much? If he died, who would mourn him? Who would see to it that he had a proper burial? That his kalach, his soul, would be ushered urgently into the next world? As things stood now, only his soldiers would mourn him, and possibly Apophis. There would be no family clad in blue gathered around his burning funeral pyre, no woman sobbing because her husband was dead. No sons to carry on his name and inherit his property and legacy, nor daughters to bear him grandsons.

            He saw the life he wanted to have reflected in May'at's weeping hazel eyes.

            He saw May'at look intently at the fire, as if trying to see the body within. Her eyes panned the gathered crowd of mourners. She looked at Ah'mose's family gathered around her and stared again into the fire. The longer she looked, the more sorrowful her eyes became. It disturbed Teal'c to the core of his being. As soon as she took the first step forward, he realized with horror what she intended.

            No! You will not be taken from me this way!

            Teal'c grabbed her just inches from the fire, catching her around the waist. She fought his grip frantically, kicking and wailing as he pulled her back to safety.

            "Release me!" she screamed.

            "I will not."

            "Let me die!"

            "This will not honor him!" he said harshly. "Ah'mose would not want you to destroy yourself over his death!"

            "He has destroyed my life by dying!" May'at wailed loudly, her body heaving with wracked sobs.

            "I'll take her home, my lord," Mah'ti said, putting her arms protectively around May'at's heaving shoulders. "I will give her something to calm her and help her sleep."

            Teal'c handed her over to Mah'ti, making sure his sheer mass blocked her from making another suicide attempt. May'at walked away slowly, holding on to Mah'ti's sturdy frame as she made her way towards the house. She looked back briefly at the burning fire, then hung her head down as Mah'ti helped her into the dwelling.

            He watched the fire burn hotter, the lifeless body within turning to ashes and floating up towards the heavens. As it did so, he told himself that he'd done the right thing. Ah'mose was much too young to marry, and as a soldier he probably wouldn't have lasted another year on the battlefield. The young soldier from Cord'ai Plains had all ready gone above and beyond the call of duty by bringing May'at into his life. And for that he would always be thankful.

He'd done what he needed to do to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was May'at. He had known that the first time he had seen her in the temple. Thanks to him, May'at's betrothed had died an honorable death—he'd died on his feet as a warrior and provided the intelligence information about Heru'ur his god needed. Teal'c would keep the promise he had made to Ah'mose before that mission—to make sure May'at was taken care of if he should die. To him, taking care of May'at meant that when the time of her mourning for her late betrothed was over she would become the wife of a First Prime. And he would do anything to assure that was what came to pass.

Anything.

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

            "You are trying to rob me blind!" the man exclaimed.

May'at looked at him in amusement, not at all swayed by his negotiation tactics. Chulakan merchants were always this way about their wares. And, in the early morning when the marketplace had not been open long, they were even worse. She pulled her outer cloak closer to her body to keep out the chilly air of the early morning, her eyes taking in the awakening activity of this arena of bartering and legalized thievery located just mere steps outside the palace gates. Most merchants were already set up and bargaining for the day, while others were hurriedly trying to get themselves together. Both goods and services were offered in this place and almost any kind of good or service could be obtained for the right price.

Early morning was the best time to frequent the marketplace, since most merchants were eager to sell away their wares in the interest of not having leftovers at the end of the bargaining day. Most of the merchandise had not been picked over yet, so she was assured the best available selection from which to choose. She'd be damned if she would let this underhanded son of a jackal cheat her out of her second acquisition of the morning. The merchant was an olive-skinned balding man in tan robes. He wiped the sweat from his forehead repeatedly even though Ra had only begun his daily journey.

"If anyone is trying to rob someone, it is you," she accused. "This linen, as fine as it is, is not worth the exorbitant price you are asking for it."

"Hah!" he spat as if insulted. "Your words may be eloquent, but I hear that country dialect in your voice. Goods are of a much higher quality in Chulak than in the fields of whatever rekkit area you are visiting from."

Though May'at took great offense at being lumped in with the common people, what she detested most was how her speech had given her away. She needed to spend more time in Chulak for it to go away permanently, but she wasn't sure it would happen anytime soon. Rather than ruminate further upon something only the gods and her father had control over, she decided to use her country accent to her advantage.

She scoffed at the merchant and put her hands on her hips. "The vendor behind me has linen of slightly lower quality than yours, but it is priced well. You have colored linen and I was especially interested in this lovely shade the color of the sky at sunset." May'at gave her eyes permission to rove over the deep purple fabric. Dyed linen was a rare find as it was more costly to produce. The only linen more costly was pure white linen. Linen in its pure state needed to have its natural color stripped away in several tedious and costly steps in order to produce the filmy white worn by nobles and the gods themselves. As long as she was the daughter of a scholar, she would have to settle on having only one piece of dyed linen. Pure white linen was absolutely out of the question… for now.

Slender fingers, stained red at the tips with henna, stroked the purple linen bundle on one of the merchant's display tables. She was not sure where she would wear it, only that she had to have it. And if she could just negotiate the right price, she'd have enough shesh'ta to pay for it and more to spare for another purchase, perhaps get a fortune told for her. It had been a long time since she'd had one.

"It does bring out the lovely shade of your eyes, and compliments your countenance," the merchant said. He gave her a knowing smile and looked her over as if she were a dish of ice cream on a hot sunny day. May'at wasn't swayed. She knew how striking her eyes looked against her dark skin. She had known it ever since childhood for her mother never let her forget it. Her eyes came from her mother's side of the family.

"Flattery will not get me to pay the price you are asking for," she said coyly. Her voice then turned sharp and demanding. "Fifty shesh'ta!"

"Seventy!" the merchant countered.

"Fifty-five!"

"Sixty-five!"

May'at turned around briefly and made eye contact with the vendor she had mentioned earlier. "I will give you fifty-five shesh'ta, and not one unit more," she declared. "If you do not take it, I will ask that merchant over there to show me his colored linen. I did not buy from him because he claimed his shipment would not arrive in Chulak until this afternoon. I need to leave for Cord'ai plains when the sun has reached its zenith."

The vendor muttered a few curses under his breath. May'at smiled knowingly as her hands grazed over the fabric once more. Her eyes held his for a few moments, and she smelled victory in the air.

"Sixty shesh'ta," he bargained. "But only because of your pretty face."

"Fifty-five shesh'ta," she reiterated. "Who else will pay for this linen? It is a rare color, much too rare in my opinion. Women in Chulak are fashionable, but I believe this shade is even too extreme for them."

"The young woman is indeed correct," a deep voice rumbled behind her. "Not many can wear this color. The color seems to wear them instead."

May'at felt a surge of something go through her at the sound of that voice. It was as if every nerve ending in her body was on fire simply from the sound of a voice. The pace of her heart quickened and for a time her throat became dry.  She swallowed hard as she turned around to see what she knew would be the formidable stature of the First Prime of her god by conquest.

"Kel sha, May'at," Teal'c said to her. He was dressed in the summer uniform of a Serpent Guard, but did not have his helmet with him.

She watched as he bowed his head slightly to accompany his morning greeting. This was definitely a departure from convention for he had addressed her as if she were of noble birth. The merchant observed them quizzically, making it obvious his confusion that someone of Teal'c's station would address her in such a respectful fashion. May'at took pleasure in the merchant's confusion. Perhaps she could use it to her advantage.

"Kel sha, my lor…" she began to reply, but corrected herself mid-sentence.  "I mean, kel sha, Teal'c."

"By all means, continue your haggling," he implored, waving a hand in the merchant's direction.

May'at shook herself back to reality, remembering that she would not leave without this linen. "Fifty-five is my final offer," she told the merchant.

"I suggest that you take it," Teal'c pressed. "It is not much trouble for me to wait until the other vendor's shipment has arrived. I can have it sent to the lady personally for well under the price she has offered to you."

The balding merchant pulled at his robe, his actions hinting that she was two steps away from causing his death. For a time, May'at wished that Teal'c had not appeared when he did. She wanted to acquire this purchase on her own, not have the First Prime of Apophis throw his station around just to sweeten the deal. While a part of her felt resentful for his interference, a part of her felt excited and appreciative. She only hoped that it would work.

"So it is," he muttered with an air of defeat. "Fifty-five is the agreed upon price."

May'at clapped her hands together in victory.  A huge smile lit up her face. She held her arms out and the merchant laid the dyed linen across them. The fabric was absolutely beautiful and she could not wait to show it to Mah'ti when she returned home.

"I thank you for your influence," she told Teal'c as she put her purchase into her satchel.

"It was your skill of negotiation that closed the transaction," he said. "I merely added tactical information."

"And so you did. Nevertheless, I am still grateful." May'at bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement before she turned and walked away. She did not leave abruptly, but slowly enough to give Teal'c the message that should he wish to join her, the invitation was open. Teal'c accepted, and followed alongside of her.

As they walked past the food vendors, fortunetellers, beggars, pimps, street performers and the occasional Jaffa security patrol, her mind was on the next acquisition before going back to her life in the backwater. Teal'c followed next to her, seemingly not in any hurry to be anywhere anytime soon. It made May'at nervous how intent he was on keeping up with her. People kept looking at them, and May'at could see their questioning gazes. They would not dare approach Teal'c about it, so all they did was look, and look again. She was not used to so much attention being put upon her, but she assured herself that attention is exactly what she would draw if she were to spend time with Teal'c in public.

"Are you here to see how the country people spend their time in Chulak?" May'at asked. She stopped to inspect some fruit artfully displayed on a vendor's cart.

"I am here to see how you spend your time in Chulak."

"It is nothing out of the ordinary. I do this every time I visit. There are things here I cannot get in Cord'ai Plains."

"And there are things in Cord'ai Plains that I cannot acquire here," he said suggestively.

May'at gave him a sideways look, not certain what he said, but how he said it hinted there was more to his words. She plucked a piece of fruit from the top of the display and looked it over. "Surely the First Prime is busy with other duties besides following a simple country woman?"

"Though you hail from the country, simple you are not." He moved a wayward strand of braided hair that the morning wind whipped across her face, using a kind, delicate touch that stirred her from within. "And you are most definitely a woman," he added with an arched eyebrow.

She did not want to smile at his flattery, but she could not help herself. "You have a talent for seeing the obvious, my lord." May'at decided the fruit could suffice for later, so she fished out the appropriate number of coins from one of the pockets of her robe and handed it to the vendor.

Teal'c sighed playfully. "I had hoped to break you of that habit of addressing me so formally, May'at."

"I apologize," she said. "It is difficult to call you by your given name. It does not seem… proper."

"It may not seem so, but it is what I wish for you to call me."

May'at inclined her head in acknowledgement and began walking again with her pursuer in tow. "Very well, Teal'c. What is it that brings you to follow me in the marketplace?"

"I had hoped to see you before leaving this evening. I will take the forces of Apophis into battle against Ra."

"May our god protect you. And may you win the battle and bring honor to his name.

"As always, that is my primary goal."

"As it should be."

"When I have won the battle, I will come to you to immortalize my report for all time."

"Will it be a report, or a speech?"

Teal'c was not amused. "Fro'tak should use better discretion in speaking of me," he muttered. "He talks too much."

"He does," she giggled. "But I will not tell him as such."

Another vendor's display caught May'at's eye. She hurried over to it and looked over the various gold and silver items of jewelry on display. The craftsmanship of each item in her immediate field of vision was impeccable, rendering her incapable of speech for a few moments. When she turned her head to see what other items were available, an arm bracelet caught her eye. It was worked in gold, sculpted to resemble a snake. The eyes were set with dark red stones. Wearing a replica of the animal form her god would surely bring her good fortune.

Teal'c admired the piece of jewelry as well, but went a step further. While she was hesitant to touch it, he picked it up from its velvet display pillow as if he already owned it. May'at marveled yet again at just how much power Teal'c had. Had she tried to pick up the item as he just did, the merchant would have cursed her. Instead, the merchant just gave Teal'c a look that said he hoped the First Prime would find the item to his satisfaction.

"This would match perfectly with my linen," she remarked breathlessly. The stones in the eyes of the snake sparkled in the light of the morning sun as Teal'c turned it from side to side.

He smiled that smile that never failed to warm her and said, "That it would. The craftsmanship on this item is impeccable. The artisan must have spent many weeks crafting it." Teal'c's expression and tone turned more demanding, more businesslike.
"Merchant!" he barked. "How much do you seek for this item?"

May'at almost fell over when she heard the amount quoted. That amount made the bracelet too expensive for her. It would take her almost six months of saving the shesh'ta her father gave her as a monthly allowance to pay.

"If only I were a scribe," she lamented. "I could make the shesh'ta to pay for this item in only a month."

Teal'c weighed the item in his large palm. "The gold is solid," he said, then held the portion fashioned like a serpent toward him. "And the stones are of prime quality."

"The stones were taken from one of the king's private mines," the merchant remarked. "I have sold several to the priestesses of the temple."

"Priestesses are quite wealthy," she muttered. "Perhaps another day I can purchase this, but not today."

May'at turned and left dejectedly. Tomorrow would be her eighteenth birthday, and that bracelet would have been a splendid way to commemorate it. On Chulak, the day of one's birth was not celebrated—it passed just like any other ordinary day. That bothered her, because on her world, each year that passed of one's birth was celebrated with much joy and merriment.

The thought occurred to May'at that perhaps she could save the money but by that time the item will have been sold. By the gods, she hated having to ask her father for money. She did not want to wait to ask him for the money, nor did she want to ask Teal'c to use his influence to make the merchant lower his price. Just by the way he admired the item and gave the merchant a look of agreement, she knew the price was justified. She would not embarrass herself or even worse, the First Prime, by asking the merchant to undersell himself.

She needed a purse of her own.  Either that or a husband with deep coffers.

"You are upset," Teal'c observed after he had caught up to her.

May'at was beyond upset at the moment, but did not let it show. The concern Teal'c showed for her feelings made her feel better. "I am," she said softly. "I truly desire that piece of jewelry, but I do not have enough money for it. I may never have enough."

"You father is of independent means. Why does he not give you enough to purchase what you desire in Chulak?"

"I do not know," she answered. That was a partial truth for she knew full well her father controlled the family's finances with a tight fist. It was a complaint her mother lodged against her father on a regular basis. "Perhaps when I become a scribe I will make enough of a living to purchase what my heart desires. I do transcribe letters and crop yields for those in my village who cannot write. My payment is usually in trade—whatever the farmers can spare from the harvest."

"Tell me, May'at, do you intend to make your living by writing for the ignorant? You could simply marry someone of higher station."

May'at stopped walking and shot him an annoyed look. "Are you suggesting I marry a common soldier to better my position?"

"I am anything but common," he replied sharply. "I have won more battles than any First Prime before me. The greatest First Prime Apophis ever had, Master Bra'tac, is the greatest Jaffa who ever lived. It was an honor to be his apprentice. And I…"

"I am sorry if I offended you, Teal'c," she interrupted, her voice now softer and more apologetic.

"Never did I think offense was your intent," he said. His voice was also soft as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Pausing for a few moments he put the other hand on her opposing shoulder and looked into her hazel eyes. "Should I fall in battle, will you mourn me?"

May'at's expression froze as tears started to well in her eyes. It was an improvement upon the days and nights that she cried almost non-stop. Those were dark days for her. And now when she thought she was over it just the mere mention of falling in battle brought it all back for her.

"Now it is I who has offended you, I apologize," he said earnestly. "I did not mean to…"

"I know," she said. "He died as a warrior."

Teal'c nodded in agreement.

"It has been almost two months since he fell in battle. It seems as if time has passed by slower than that."

He wiped the tears from her eyes the same way he had two months ago when they took Ah'mose's body back to Cord'ai Plains. The touch was gentle yet strong, comforting and empathetic. With a pang of guilt, May'at remembered that had it not been for Teal'c's quick thinking at the funeral, she just may have succeeded in killing herself out of grief. She owed him her life.

"He died honorably," he said, lifting her chin a bit. That helped her regain her composure.

"Thank you again for the funeral. People in Cord'ai Plains still speak of it, and of you."

"It was my honor to do so."

"My mother hopes to find me a husband at the matchmaking festival at the holy springs during the harvest season."

"That is not far away."

May'at nodded. "Only two months. It is by coincidence that my time of mourning Ah'mose's death will be over. But my father says my finding a husband is futile."

"Why does he say such a thing?" Teal'c asked with a furrowed brow.

"He says I am to serve a greater purpose."

"Has he told you what that is?"

"No, he has not."

"Perhaps he desires to keep his daughter at home? Or perpetually guarded by eunuchs in the harem?"

She smiled guiltily and shook her head. "I wish I knew. He never tells me why, only that my destiny does not lie with a husband, and especially not a soldier."

"Scribes and soldiers do not get along."

"No, they do not," she replied. The age-old rivalry between the scribe and the warrior castes was still alive and well. "I believe that was the reason Ah'mose waited so long to approach my father for my hand." May'at watched as another Jaffa patrol went by. The barracks where the soldiers and their families resided was not far from the marketplace. For some reason, she wondered why Teal'c did not live in his own home instead of within the palace. Surely with all his years of service he would have earned it.

"Will you participate in the matchmaking festival?" he asked, breaking her train of thought.

"I am not certain," she said. "Since it is not far from my home and the only excitement that comes near Cord'ai Plains each year I may go."

"Perhaps I should attend. I may yet find a wife there."

"Drey'auc will be excited to see you then," she muttered with much more antagonism than she had planned.

"Is she an enemy of yours?"

"In a manner of speaking. And I do not wish to speak of her any more."

"I understand," he said. "I will attend the festival with Bra'tac. He plans to visit his cousin in Cord'ai Plains on the way to the holy springs."

May'at was a little disappointed Teal'c didn't say anything about hoping to see her at the festival, but she brushed it off for now. At least he had said he would be there—that was enough. She looked up quickly into the sky and realized that if she did not get to Chulak's port soon, she would be dead last to get on the boat and would not find a good seat.

"I must make haste to meet my boat," she told him. "If I miss it, I will have to wait two more days."

"Then I will go with you to the landing," Teal'c said it as if it were a done deal. He motioned for her to give him the satchel she held so he could carry it for her.

"Is not Apophis expecting you?"

"He is, but I have time. As I have said earlier, I wished to spend time with you before I go into battle."

May'at gave him an offended look. She knew what spending time meant to a soldier. "I am not a…"

"That was a poor choice of words," he said apologetically. "I wish to be in your presence for a time, to enjoy more of your pleasant conversation."

She relaxed a little. "I am glad you enjoy my conversation."

A metal rattling sound went off behind her. "I have a prophecy for you, my child," a voice strained with age called out.

May'at turned to see a man, or what she presumed was a man, dressed in black robes. Two eyes, one brown and one clouded over in gray stared out at her. He shook a tin cup in her direction, the loud sound hinting there weren't many coins within and that she should give him a few.

"For me?" May'at asked with surprise. "What kind of prophecy?" She went to pull a few coins from her robe, but Teal'c stopped her.

"Something dear to you has been taken away because of avarice," the man said to her. "There are plans within plans to cause you much heartache and pain."

This both intrigued and confused May'at even further. She tried to break Teal'c's grip to give the beggar a donation, but to no avail. Before she could protest his action, she felt Teal'c move her gently but firmly past the beggar and on towards her final destination. May'at looked back at the man, trying to see his face, but he had already been swallowed up by the bustling marketplace crowd.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded sharply.

Teal'c did not say anything. It was not until they were crossing through Champka Groves that he decided to answer her. "You have no need to entertain his delusions."

"I was hoping to get my fortune told while in the marketplace. I would have been able to do so if you had not stopped me."

"What could that beggar have told you that you could not ascertain on your own?" he asked her.

May'at glanced around at the grand trees that lined the groves, noticing the gatherings of families, friends and acquaintances that were around. "I am not sure since I was not given the chance."

She knew he could feel how upset she was, but chose not to acknowledge it. Warriors often did this with their women when they did not want to deal with a woman's ire. May'at had heard quite often that Jaffa warriors treated their fellow warriors as equals, and their women like children. The last thing she would be treated like was a child.

As if sensing her ire, Teal'c finally decided to respond. "There are better things to waste your shesh'ta on, my lotus," he told her with a grin.

The term of endearment he had tacked on to his response had its intended effect. May'at was positively beaming all the way down to the port of Chulak. She did not even mind the intermittent stares, intriguing looks and whispers that hung in the air around them. As infuriating as he had been in not answering, and then answering in a way that calmed her instantly, May'at found Teal'c's effect on her most intriguing. It made her want to be with him for a longer period of time and in a more private setting.

A few more minutes of walking put them at the embarkation point of the port of Chulak. The port, which was nothing more than a paved ramp that sloped down towards several docks, which spread out like spokes on a wheel, was bustling with activity. Merchants were loading and unloading cargo, fishing vessels were either returning to unload their catches or preparing to sail in search of a bountiful catch. There were private boats for hire, which usually took the nobility places they wished to go without having to journey with the great unwashed—their politically correct term for the common people. May'at did not like being lumped in that category of travelers, but in her current financial state she had no choice.

They stood next to each other, waiting for the vessel to arrive that would carry her home. Over the next hour Teal'c made polite conversation about the weather, the state of the empire, and his desire to improve his handwriting. May'at was not so sure how she could assist him with the latter.

"Are you saying you are not willing to help me?" His eyes gave her a look that said refusing him was not an acceptable option. Normally this would have scared her, but the smirk on his face made her realize there was nothing to fear.

"It is not that I am unwilling to help you. The question is whether you are willing to perform the work required. And do it with diligence."

"As long as you are my teacher, I will be most diligent." His eyes bored into her as they took in her body from her sandaled feet to her braided head.

May'at felt a hotness warn her cheeks as he looked her over. The way he did it evoked a response in her that even Ah'mose had never done. With Ah'mose, she could keep him at arms length with words of restraint and chastity. Though his kisses were sweet, she was always in control of her body. But in the case of Teal'c, she had to fight urges she never had to before. The Jaffa warrior could simply look at her a certain way, speak to her a certain way, and the carnal nature she hardly ever took seriously would come rising to the surface with a vengeance. She was not sure how much longer she could continue to fight it.

Teal'c stepped closer to her and said, "Will you give me something to remember you by while I am engaged in battle against Ra's forces?"

May'at's eyes went immediately to the ground. She couldn't figure out what he could want that was proper to give in public. Even with his high station, having sex in public was not considered proper by Jaffa cultural standards. Her mind repeated the mantra of asking for clarification rather than making an assumption based on ignorance. Her throat contracted for a hard swallow.

"What is it you desire?" she whispered.

He pressed yet closer to her, his body only a few hairs away from hers. She could feel his breath on her forehead, and she looked up to see the desire in his eyes. That desire both scared and intrigued her. She hated the feeling of being too scared to stay, but too curious to flee. Her mind finally put forth a scenario she felt would be acceptable enough to do in public yet convey something more at a later time.

May'at rose to the tips of her toes and planted a longing kiss on his cheek. He seemed a little disappointed but still grateful for the bodily contact.

"That will give you incentive to be victorious," she insinuated, her mind smiling at the thought. "And live to return to me."

"And then?" he prompted impatiently.

"And then… I will give you more to remember me by."

"How much more?"

May'at knew he would do this. He was a warrior and would press on until he knew the battle was won. He would never rest, and he would never stop, until he got what he wanted. The best May'at could do was slow him down in the process.

She pressed her lips together, touched her fingers to them and then pressed them to Teal'c's full lips. "First win the battle. Then partake of the spoils of war."

"How do I know someone else will not partake of my spoil?"

"Your spoil?" she scoffed. "You are not my husband, or my betrothed. You do not own me."

Teal'c ran a finger along her jaw. "Not yet," he declared. He said it as if his word were indeed final.

May'at playfully pushed his shoulder. "Do you wish to inspect the integrity of my maidenhead upon your return?" she quipped.

She wasn't really serious about that last statement. Once she realized he was, something caught in her throat. Dangerous ground was being trod upon, and she could not help but be fascinated by the danger of it.

Teal'c seemingly picked up on her thoughts. "I would do so now if we were not in public." His expression was dead serious. "Do you not expect to affect me with such lascivious talk?" he inquired in a husky voice.

            "And how are you affected?" she prompted.

The boat to take her home chose this precise moment to pull into one of the docks.

The crowd waiting for the boat swirled about them to board at the ramp, pressing them against each other and leaving no room for them to move away. May'at knew Teal'c would take advantage of this situation. He proved her right when she felt his hands press against her bottom, pulling her against his body. A small gasp escaped her lips as his fingers gently kneaded her southern region through her robes. No one could see what he was doing for people were too busy trying to jockey for position at the boarding ramp to care.

A large powerful hand gently grasped one of hers and pulled it towards his lower body. When her hand was pressed against a long hardness, May'at gasped at her body's response to her discovery. She tried to jerk her hand back but he held it fast against him.

"This is how you affect me," he whispered into her ear.

The adorned ones had told her stories of the very thing her hand was pressed against. Stories of how skillful he was at using it and the pleasures it brought to a woman. When May'at felt a strange wetness between her thighs and a tingle of pleasure course through her, she dared to picture just how much more pleasure she would feel if and when he actually used the very thing her hand was pressed against.

            May'at's higher brain reminded her that if she did not stop the carnal indulgence, there might not be any room on the boat for her to return home today.

            "Please," she said into his shoulder. "I must go."

With gentle insistence she pulled her hand from his grasp. But true to his stubborn nature as a warrior, his other hand was still planted on her rear end. She looked at him with impatience. Teal'c let out a sigh, let her go and turned her around towards the docks.

May'at let out a gasp of surprise when she felt the hard smack on her backside.

"Let that be a lesson to you," he said as he walked away. "You will only leave my presence when I give you permission to do so."

            She stood there for a few moments, her mouth open and closing and her mind failing to put what she felt into words. Finally she decided it would be in her best interest to catch up to Teal'c since he was not slowing down. After all, he had her satchel with her linen in it slung across his shoulder.

            "We are too far back," she observed when she caught up to him. They were standing in back of a large mass of men, women, children and various animals. "I will never get a seat on this boat," she wailed.

            "You forget who I am, my lotus."

            He grabbed her hand and pushed through the crowd and down the ramp. Using his sheer size to its full intimidating potential, he cleared the path before him by barking out his name and his title. Those who either heard the announcement or saw the gold tattoo on his forehead got out of the way immediately. The penalty for not removing yourself from the path of the First Prime was definitely not desirable.

            Teal'c assisted her onto the boat, handed her the satchel, and stepped back onto the dock. People were looking at her with strange expressions, nonetheless annoyed a common woman had first pick of where to sit because the First Prime had asserted his position. May'at couldn't care less what these people thought. After all, it wasn't her idea to barge to the front of the line. And it definitely was not her idea for him to make arrangements for her to have any seat on the boat that she wanted.

            "When I return successful from battle, I will come for you," he told her. It was not a statement of hope, but one of pure fact.

            "Only to collect your spoil?" May'at gave him a duplicitous expression.

            He simply smiled at her, turned and disappeared into the crowd of people on the dock. May'at's eyes tracked him as far as she could before he went out of sight.

            She promptly ran up to the top level of the boat and took a seat under a heavy overhang that would protect her from the elements. From this level, one could see all the way out across the landscape. It was the most beautiful and desired view, one that made the journey on the great river something to take great pleasure in instead of something merely to endure. May'at settled herself in to enjoy the best trip back to Cord'ai Plains than she had ever had. She would thank Teal'c by helping him correct his wayward hieratic when she came to Chulak during the next phase of the moon.

            Halfway through the journey, May'at decided to take a peek again at the beautiful purple linen she had bought earlier that day.  As her hand searched through the satchel, her fingers brushed up against an unfamiliar object. She grasped the object with her fingers and felt the heavy weight of it. Even in doing so, she could not figure out what it could be. May'at pulled it out into the light for further inspection.  When she did, her breath sucked in so hard she almost inhaled the scenery.

            It was the arm bracelet she had admired in the marketplace.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

Drey'auc sat in a chair outside her family's home, her mind trying to ignore the wails that came from a house right next to hers.  The woman inside was in the last stage of labor, and Drey'auc wished she would bring the child forth quickly so she would no longer have to listen to the awful noise.  The woman's husband and children were outside the home, waiting patiently. If the child was a son, the men would celebrate heartily with many containers of corn beer for several days.  If it was a daughter, they would still celebrate, but only for one day. It was obvious to her that the birth of a son was much more preferable to that of a daughter.  She often wondered why, and even asked as such, but no one ever gave her a satisfactory answer.  Perhaps she had been asking the wrong person.

A half-finished basket sat in her lap, teasing her to finish it.  The handle was completed, as were about half of the bindings around the upper rim.  She had been working on this basket in spurts for the past two phases of the moon because it was difficult to find the type of wooden branches it was made of.

Drey'auc prided herself on having such talent to create the things that made a house a home.  Many women from the village sought out the crafts she made.  The basket she was working on now was for one of the elderly women of the village. She liked to collect and display flowers and wanted a fancy basket for just that purpose.  Drey'auc chided herself to hurry and finish it soon, especially since the woman had already given her several items in trade in advance.

The door to the home next to hers opened and a familiar voice floated through.  "Su'hen, your wife has brought you forth a son," Mah'ti proclaimed, moving a few locks of her short, curly hair out of her caramel brown face. "May he grow strong and bring you great honor."

The new father accepted the congratulations of his friends before disappearing into the house to see his newborn son.  Drey'auc couldn't really care less. Although she did not look forward to having her nights of sleep interrupted by the wailing infant next door, there was something about it that made her wish she had been the one to give birth. Once, she had been so close, but her hopes had been dashed.  Would it have come to fruition she would have been married, but she would not have had the husband she ultimately wanted and desired.

Drey'auc pushed the hidden memory back into her mental closet when she heard heavy footsteps approach her.  She knew who it was and did not look up. The relationship they had did not require such a formal acknowledgement.

"Why do you look so downtrodden?" Mah'ti asked her.  The midwife took a well-deserved rest by easing into a chair beside Drey'auc.

"It is nothing," she dismissed as she resumed work on her basket.  Drey'auc turned it over on its side and began to reinforce the bindings holding the hexagonal pattern of sticks together.

"Drey'auc," Mah'ti began, her tone telling Drey'auc she knew all was not what it seemed.  "I assisted your birth into this world, and have known you even before you were born.  Do not tell me something does not vex you when it does."

She smiled like a comforted child. Most days talking to Mah'ti was easier than talking to her own mother.  "I wish to have children," she said softly. "Soon."

"Then you must find a husband. You must not be so selective."

"Is love important?" Drey'auc asked.  By the gods, she hoped she was right and May'at was wrong about this subject.

Mah'ti looked up into the afternoon sky and drew in a deep breath. "Do you desire an answer you want to hear or the truth?"

"The truth."

"It is dependent on what is important to you."

"May'at says that it is. I told her duty was more important."

"Duty is as important to you as love is to her."

"I told her duty is love."

Mah'ti neither confirmed nor denied what she had said, leaving it up to Drey'auc to make her own decision. Times like this she wished Mah'ti would tell her what to do, but she was an adult now and needed to make her own decisions. Mah'ti looked at her patiently, her hands hidden in the folds of the apron that covered her dress. Drey'auc tried not to flinch at the random splatters of blood on the apron from the birth Mah'ti had just assisted.

"I told her that I wish to marry the First Prime," she continued. "She thinks it is not possible. She says he has too many women to even consider me."

"He has many women for which to partake in pleasure, but none to bear his legitimate children." She gave Drey'auc a knowing smile. "That is what a wife is for."

"I hear he is not seeking a wife."

"I have it on good authority that he is. And he should be in the holy springs for the matchmaking festival."

Drey'auc's tone rose in pitch and hopefulness. "Is this true?" she asked.

"Would I speak an untruth to you?"

When Mah'ti gave her a chastising look for doubting her, she felt foolish. "There is much I need to do to prepare," she said.

"You need not prepare anything. Tell me, why is it that you are interested solely in the First Prime of Apophis?"

"He is powerful and most handsome."

"And quite… wealthy," Mah'ti added. She gave Drey'auc a look that said she smelled duplicity, but wanted her to admit it.

"Yes."

"If you are interested in wealth, then marry a merchant."

"I wish to marry him."

"Why?" Mah'ti pressed.

"It is what I desire," Drey'auc answer with respectful exasperation.  "Is that not enough?"

The midwife's answer was flat.  "I suppose that it is."

Drey'auc put her basket aside and sat at the midwife's feet. "Mah'ti," she began, her voice asking for empathy. "Have you laid eyes on a man only to realize he is the one you were destined to marry?"

The midwife's eyes grew fond with remembrance. "Yes, I do indeed."

"Why did you not marry?"

"It is complicated," she sharply declared. "And I will say no more about it."

"I just know if I can speak with him for a longer period of time…"

"Longer?" Mah'ti's brow furrowed and her face became disapproving. "When did you speak with him at all?"

"At Ah'mose's funeral."

Mah'ti clutched at her heart as if Drey'auc's words caused it to stop. "Drey'auc! That was extremely inappropriate!" she snapped. Her voice did not become louder, just more firm. "Your mind should have been on mourning your childhood friend, not seeking the attentions of a man."

"It was an opportunity I could not afford to let slip away," she excused. "Besides, I could not let him simply think May'at was the only beautiful woman from Cord'ai Plains." Drey'auc frowned as she remembered how Teal'c acted more like May'at's personal protector than a representative of their god.

Mah'ti sighed deeply. Though her expression said she was frustrated with Drey'auc, the way she stroked the young woman's dark curly hair said she still loved her no matter what. "Will you two never refrain from fighting?" she asked. The question was rhetorical, but Drey'auc laid her head in Mah'ti's soft lap and answered anyway.

"Probably never. She thinks she is just… that I am… that our village is…"

"May'at is not of this world, but that does not mean her views are not as valid as yours."

"She says a woman should bear a man's children and keep his house out of love. I told her it is a wife's duty to do such a thing."

"You are both right. But love is fleeting and not guaranteed. You should marry based on if he can provide consistently for you, not if he has love for you."

"I know Teal'c can provide for me. I just need to make him see I would make an excellent choice as a wife for him."

"Be sure you know what you are getting into, my daughter."

Drey'auc lifted her head up and looked at Mah'ti, confusion brewing in her dark brown eyes. "Explain."

"To be the wife of a soldier is a lonely existence," Mah'ti explained, her words coming forth as if she had lived the situation, not from hearsay. "He will be gone far longer than he will be at home. You have always been one to require much attention, Drey'auc, and a soldier, especially a First Prime, will not be able to give you that attention you need consistently. Be sure you desire and appreciate the man, not the position he is in."

"Is it not possible to do both?"

"It is, but I know you." The midwife gently cupped Drey'auc's face in her hands. "And I know if Teal'c was not First Prime, you would not be interested."

Whether that was true or not, Drey'auc was not about to admit it. Ever.

"May'at is not interested in him," she snorted. "The only reason she has been tossing her visits to Chulak in my face of late is because she spends time in his presence."

Drey'auc remembered May'at's elated news that she had been recording for none other than the First Prime of Apophis. The more information about Teal'c she tried to pull out of May'at, the less she told her. It infuriated Drey'auc to no end, and the only reason she put up with it was to find out more about how Teal'c spent his time. She'd asked May'at about the expensive arm bracelet she'd been wearing these past two weeks since she had returned from Chulak, but all May'at would say was that she had saved up the money to purchase it. She figured that was a bald-faced lie, but did not wish to call May'at a liar in public. The last time she'd done that it had not gone well for her.

"Just because she spends time in his presence, does not mean she is not interested," Mah'ti said, patting her on the head. "But I would not worry about it."

"Why?"

"Men like Teal'c do not choose women like May'at for a wife."

Drey'auc looked at the midwife as if she'd just made her day.

Mah'ti continued. "They prefer a woman who is content to keep the home and raise the children. And even more, they prefer a woman who does not have a sharp tongue and is not more knowledgeable than they are. It is threatening to them. This I know."

"May'at has often spoken how she desires to be a scribe."

"She cannot be a scribe and be a wife," she declared sharply. "That is the order of things on this world. No matter how often she speaks of the world where she was born, she is here now."

Drey'auc couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Could it be true? No matter how much May'at tried Teal'c would never take her as a wife? "So you believe that I have a chance to become Teal'c's wife?" she asked hopefully. Mah'ti smiled and patted her cheek.

"I will make you a bargain. If I answer this question, you will never ask it of me again or confront May'at with this information."

"Agreed."

"You have as much a chance as anyone at the festival."

"Mah'ti!" Drey'auc exasperated. "That is not an answer!"

The midwife chuckled, her body rippling with amusement. "That is all I will tell you for now," she said. "Ultimately, Teal'c must decide whom he wants as a wife. All you can do is be at your best during the festival. You have much to repair from approaching him at the funeral."

"I know."

"But at least he will never forget you for that. That is in your favor."

Drey'auc prayed Mah'ti was right.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

Once again, Teal'c had obtained victory for his god.

The hum of the transport rings waned as he and several others materialized onto Apophis' ha'tak vessel. When the rings disappeared into the storage area below the polished black floor, he stepped over the temporary chasm and watched as the floor became solid again. Grasping his staff weapon possessively, Teal'c pointed it at the two soldiers and directed them to other areas of the ship, indicating for Shak'l to follow him and drag their prisoner along as well. In a strange cadence of boots and tinkling robes they headed through a maze of gilded corridors marked with glyphs more for decoration than words towards the peltac where his god waited to hear his report.

For a few moments, Teal'c pondered the robe clad Pharaoh. On the planet, a hot battle between his soldiers and those of Horus raged to abduct a high priestess from one of Heru'ur's sacred temples. Teal'c could not help but wonder yet again why Apophis wanted this priestess saved when his soldiers had burned the village and the temple to ashes. They had been ordered to leave no survivors save this priestess—an order which puzzled Teal'c. As a result, the planet below was now riddled with an obscene number of bodies of Horus guards. Heru'ur would surely try to obtain retribution, but not today.

Teal'c strode into the peltac, his chain mail cape flapping in his wake. Both he and Shak'l got down reverently on one knee in front of their god, crossing their right arms across their left shoulders and bowing their heads in acknowledgement and worship. Shak'l did not have to force the Jaffa priestess to her knees for she did so on her own. That did not stop Shak'l from giving her an insistent push forward on general principle.

The jeweled headdress dipped in front of her forehead as she bowed, causing it to mask the tattoo indicating whose slave she was. Whether the priestess wanted to admit it or not, Apophis was her god now. If she did not accept that, death would be her punishment. Apophis would waste no time in dispensing a quick death by means of his hand device. From the way she had voluntarily knelt before him as he and Shak'l had, Teal'c knew she had made the only choice she could. She was a slave, as was he, and it did not matter which god held ownership.

"I have victorious news, my lord," Teal'c announced, his head still bowed to the floor. He could feel Apophis' malevolent smile.

"Then by all means," Apophis said. "Deliver it."

Teal'c raised his head. "You have won the day. Your soldiers have driven Heru'ur's forces from the planet."

"Because of you, I had the pleasure of seeing him flee in his ship like a dog with its tail between its legs." Apophis looked out one of the ha'tak's windows towards the greenish-brown planet hanging in space. The destruction caused by Teal'c carrying out his orders couldn't be seen from this great altitude, but one could tell he was clearly imagining it in his mind. "And the other objective?" he asked expectantly.

Teal'c snapped his fingers sharply and within the space of a fraction of a second, Shak'l jerked the priestess to her feet. Teal'c's apprentice held a tight grip on her as he brought her closer to Apophis, almost daring her to try to escape. The priestess simply kept her eyes lowered to the floor, not daring to look into the eyes of her new god.

"Shak'l was most adept in capturing her, my lord."

Apophis cocked his head to the side as he looked at the priestess, then at Shak'l. "Once again, you have not failed me, Teal'c," he praised. "And once again your apprentice has not failed you as well. It pleases me to know when the time comes he will succeed you as my First Prime."

Shak'l kept his expression neutral though Teal'c knew he wanted to shout for joy. He was many years away from stepping down as Apophis' First Prime, and Shak'l still had much to learn. His apprentice was eager, cunning and extremely skilled, but still had that blind faith that Apophis was an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful god. Teal'c couldn't fault Shak'l for he had been the same when he was Bra'tac's apprentice. The years as an apprentice under a Jaffa master, one who was First Prime nonetheless, had the effect of cutting a rough diamond into a sparkling jewel.

"Speak priestess!" Apophis commanded sharply. "Tell me your name and what god you formerly served."

"I am Yametha," she said, her head still bowed. "A high priestess of Heru'ur. I pledge my allegiance and my symbiote to you, my lord."

Apophis lifted her chin, forcing her to look upon him. "A most wise decision," he said as if talking to a child. He motioned to her midsection. "Tell me, who is the queen that is mother to the child you carry?"

Yametha looked nervous. She bit her lip and let her eyes drift towards the sight of the planet from which she'd been abducted. Teal'c also wondered which Goa'uld queen had spawned the larva Yametha carried, since Heru'ur did not have a queen of record.

"Do you not know the queen you serve?" Apophis' tone was more demanding this time.

"I do," she said softly. "I carry the offspring of Nut, granddaughter of Ra."

A malevolent smile spread across Apophis' lips. Yametha's revelation was obviously something he wanted to hear. What it meant exactly was unknown to Teal'c. Why would Apophis want the symbiote of one of his enemies? Surely when it took a host it would not be completely loyal to him.

"Teal'c, see to it that she is given comfortable quarters. Have a slave attend her needs."

"Yes, my lord." Teal'c gave Shak'l the order to follow Apophis' instructions to the letter. He watched as they left, wondering why so many of Apophis' Jaffa had to die just to abduct one priestess. Who exactly was she? Was her symbiote that valuable?

Apophis seemed to pick up on Teal'c's mood. "You wonder why I have waged war upon Heru'ur in this manner; why I have sacrificed Jaffa only to abduct a priestess."

"It is not my place to question the wisdom of a god," Teal'c placated.

"She holds the key to my plan to gain a higher place among the system lords."

Teal'c decided to go out on a limb. He needed to know why he had been ordered to act as he had. Normally he would not question Apophis' commands but this time he just had to know. He did not know exactly why, only that it had been required.

"I am curious why you desire a symbiote from the lineage of Ra," Teal'c said, keeping his voice humble and non-threatening. "He is one of your greatest enemies."

"I desire the symbiote because of the lineage of the queen who bore it," Apophis replied. The Goa'uld's voice was laced with insinuation, making Teal'c realize there was more to it, but that it would not be explained to him now. "When the symbiote Yametha carries comes to maturity, my plan will move forward. And then all the system lords will bow down before me."

Teal'c just smiled in shallow agreement, his mind searching to find a reason why Apophis would make such a bold move. The system lords were constantly fighting amongst themselves. No single one of them held the majority of power. Ra had the most power, but even he had to fight to keep that slight edge of control through fear, intimidation and outright annihilation. The symbiote Yametha carried would not mature to take a host for seven years, possibly eight if she could tolerate it that long.

He told himself that he had time to uncover Apophis' plan.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

May'at thought the feel of warm water was most welcome upon her skin. She stood waist deep in the murky water along with the other women worshipping the gods and imploring them to do everything from healing aching joints to curing a barren womb.  The late afternoon sun dipped low on the horizon, the blazing trail of orange light against the water looking almost magical to May'at.  It was this magic that made her spend the late afternoon this same way she had since arriving at the holy springs: bathing in the warm brackish water heated from volcanic eruptions deep within the bottom of the lake. Where the eruptions originated, the water surely would have been hot enough to scald the flesh off of a person's body. But this far inland the water was warm, soothing and soft, almost reminiscent of being in the womb.

Everyone bathed naked in these waters for the priesthood required no clothing be worn. It was also for this reason that men and women were separated. There was nothing prudish about this, just that the sexes were most comfortable discussing common issues amongst each other, not in mixed company. May'at let her body slip underneath the surface for a few moments before slowly rising back up. Water rained down off her carpet of braided hair, causing it to stick to her body and cool in the humid winds of the approaching evening.

It was quite warm for a day during the harvest season, but she would not complain. She hated Chulakan winters for they were cold and harsh. On her home world it was always warm, always lush with vibrant vegetation and the smell of exotic flowers and fruits. The waters were always warm and blue. Some of the waters were so clear you could see all the way to the bottom no matter how far you swam out. As she gently squeezed the sacred water from her hair, May'at thought she would take her home world's two seasons over the wretched four of Chulak any time.

Reaching back into a small urn on a nearby rock where her satchel laid open, May'at scooped out two handfuls of flower petals and ground incense. She scattered the fragrant mixture into the water and offered up prayers to several gods. First, she paid homage to her fallen god, the god of her home world known as Thoth. She prayed that he would allow her to continue to find favor with Master Fro'tak, and that through him she would be named as a true scribe of Apophis. Next, she prayed to her current god of residence, Apophis, that he would find her work impeccable enough to add her to his court of scholars. Dipping her hands down into the water, she raised them up towards the sky where Ra was making his descent. She decided that she should have paid homage to Ra first but she was not living on his world and had not. May'at made another offering to assure Ra she had not forgotten him.

What she had not forgotten was the battle Teal'c had gone off to engage in weeks ago. Had he survived? Had he thought of her? At times she wondered if the words he spoke upon their last meeting were just sweet words or sincere thoughts. Then again, he had purchased that rather expensive gold arm bracelet for her simply because she desired it. May'at smiled when she remembered all of the compliments she had gotten about the piece of jewelry, and how vexed people became when she refused to reveal who had given it to her. As far as she was concerned, no one need know the top general of the god she served was pursuing her. The thrill of the chase excited her beyond anything she had ever known, and May'at was both excited and a little frightened of what would happen when he finally caught her. So far he had only touched her. Just his touch had been enough to light a small fire of need that burned within her as each day passed, fueled by her mind's memory of those erotic moments of in Chulak.

May'at quickly performed the water offering again to appease the gods for letting her thoughts slip to someone other than them. The gods tended to be jealous. May'at did not want anything against her more than necessary when her heart was to be weighed against the feather of truth in the afterlife by Anubis and witnessed by Osiris. Of course, Osiris would understand about a woman's thoughts drifting to that of a man she had feelings for. The story of Osiris and that of his consort, Isis, was the greatest love story in Jaffa legend.

Since when did I concern myself with his return? She wondered.

There had been a time when she didn't care what happened to Teal'c in battle. It wasn't that she had not cared before, but before being in his presence on a regular basis, she hadn't had a reason to be concerned about his safety. Over the past few months, she found herself growing excited about his returns and could not wait to see him, hear where he had been and transcribe his report. May'at reached back again onto the rock and took a fragrant bloom of an orange flower from her satchel. She set it afloat upon the water, praying to Isis that she would keep him safe and bring him back to her.

"Are you appealing to Isis for a mate?" a woman asked. She was about the same age as Mah'ti, but had long red hair and alabaster skin. Two other women were bathing along with her who appeared to be about the same age. One had olive-toned skin with black hair, and the other had skin a shade lighter than May'at's dark skin and had dark brown curly hair.

"Or perhaps Nephthys for fertility?" the black-haired woman piped up as she scooped up some water in a tin cup and poured it over herself.

"Or Hathor for attractiveness?" the dark-skinned woman added.

The redhead scoffed at her. "Is it not obvious that she does not need Hathor for such a thing."

May'at smiled as she got out of the water, stepping along the rock outcroppings that led out like stair steps. "I am flattered by your words," she said, smiling at the group of women. She knew the words were not idle and they were up to something. It showed in their eyes as they looked at her wet, naked body. But rather than dwell upon it, May'at continued with what she was doing.

She pulled a rectangular piece of wool from her satchel and dried the sacred water off of her body. After slathering herself down with some essential fragrant oil, she went to the task of wrapping herself in the purple linen she'd purchased in Chulak a few weeks ago. Normally one would have servants to assist in pleating the linen before wrapping it around her body, but thanks to a few tips from the women in the harem, plus knowing that sometimes she might not have a servant to help her, May'at had figured out a way to do it. Grasping the ends of the long linen piece, she pulled it around her body, up across her shoulders then brought the ends to meet under her right breast. She tied the ends into a small knot then adjusted it. The linen wasn't pleated the way she would have liked it, but it still looked beautiful by accentuating the red hue of her reddish-brown skin and draped itself seductively around her full breasts, small waist and wide hips.

 "It is obvious Nephthys has blessed you with those hips," the dark-skinned woman remarked. "You will definitely bring forth strong sons."

May'at didn't bite. She'd heard that one more times than she cared to think.

"Indeed," the redhead agreed. "And I know of exactly the husband for you. He is the son of my cousin."

"Nay," the black haired one disagreed. "I have someone better. My son."

"The one with the face of a jackal?"

The redhead was not amused. "As if you are one to talk. Is that not the viper calling the cobra a slithering creature?" The other two women just laughed and resumed washing themselves.

"Choose quickly," the redheaded woman said to her. "You will not have that glorious shape forever. Heed my words well."

May'at had heard that before. "You sound like my mother," she said.

"She is very wise."

"Surely some of the men at the festival have interested you?"

"Some have, yes. My mother has inquired of a few."

"What of your father?"

"He is on business for our lord, Apophis. He travels frequently. Any man that I choose must be presented to him upon his return during the next phase of the moon." 

May'at took out the bracelet Teal'c had given her and slid it up her right arm. She didn't even get it halfway up before the woman sucked in their breath at the sight of it.

"By the gods, that is a beautiful piece of jewelry." The redheaded woman made sure her bathing companions saw it as well. "It looks like something worthy of our king. Pray tell, who gave you such an expensive gift?"

"Someone who wishes not to be revealed," May'at said knowingly. She quickly pushed all her belongings into her satchel and closed it securely.

"A potential suitor?" the black-haired woman prompted.

She tried not to laugh at them. "Perhaps."

May'at left the women with those words as she picked up her satchel and turned to go. She gave them a word of blessing before leaving the hot springs to journey to her family's tent.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Fires for cooking, warmth and light dotted the landscape where those who had journeyed for the matchmaking festival were staying. The colony of tents sported different colors and sizes according to the wealth of the family staying within. Various groups of men and women haggled over the good and bad points of those they wished to marry off, while others sealed their impeding unions with much feasting, merriment and dancing.

Today was the third evening of the five day festival, and May'at was growing more and more disappointed that Teal'c had not shown up as of yet. Perhaps he was teasing her, just telling her things to get her hopes up. She didn't think he would purchase that bracelet for her, simply to never see her again. May'at was about to start feeling sorry for herself until she saw her mother, Hes'aret looking at her impatiently with the very hazel eyes she had inherited. Mah'ti was with her. She gave May'at a more understanding look.

 "You should not have tarried so long at the springs," her mother admonished. "There are people I need to present you to in person."

"I apologize, my mother," May'at said softly. She removed the lamb's wool she'd dried herself off with earlier from her satchel and laid it upon a tree stump to dry. "There were many prayers and offerings I needed make."

Hes'aret looked at her daughter, not at all convinced by her story. "I have found another husband for you. He is a scholar no less. Not like that soldier you almost married, may he live forever in Duat."

May'at sighed. "I am not up for any further introductions mother," she declared.

"You are not getting any younger, May'at." Hes'aret's tone said she was not amused. "Wait any longer and your father and I will never be able to marry you off."

"Is that everything to you? That I marry well? Does it not matter what I want?" May'at was angry, but out of respect for her mother she kept her tone respectful. It was literally curling her toes to do so. A look from Mah'ti said the pain would not last for long.

"Your father and I have entertained your training as a scribe simply to fetch you a better grade of husband. Your brother is the one who will become the scribe in the family."

May'at wanted to remind her mother that her father had told her repeatedly that she was destined for something else. It would have been futile. As far as Hes'aret was concerned, if this higher purpose was so important, it would have been done years ago. Arguing with Hes'aret was not a desirable undertaking, which was why May'at assumed her father stayed away for such long periods of time. His non-attendance at the festival was proof of his protest.

"Perhaps she does not want to marry," Mah'ti added tactfully. "It is not such a shameful thing not to do so."

Hes'aret looked at Mah'ti as if she'd said something absurd. "Perhaps not for a midwife, but for a woman of true stature it is."

These were the times May'at wished Mah'ti was her mother instead of just the village midwife. Mah'ti seemed to understand what she truly wanted out of life, while her mother seemed to want to sell her off like a harvested crop.

"Then you will find this information quite interesting, Hes'aret," Mah'ti said, her eyebrows knitting together as she emphasized her mother's name. "I have heard that the First Prime of Apophis is quite interested in her."

May'at's jaw dropped. She wanted to know just how Mah'ti had found out about such a thing. Surely no one in Cord'ai Plains had visited Chulak except for her. Had her father been told by the eunuchs of the palace what she had been doing? She had nothing to be ashamed of. All of her dealings with Teal'c were above board. The only time she had been alone with him without anyone else observing was in the marketplace. And even then there had been too many people around to see what they had done.

"How did you know?" May'at asked, dumbfounded.

"Mah'ti knows much," the midwife stated as if it were a fact etched in stone. "Just because I am a midwife does not mean I do not have access to the hearsay in the palace."

"Sweet Isis, not another soldier!" Hes'aret wailed. She turned her piercing hazel gaze on May'at. "Has he corrupted you?" She looked her daughter over as if she could tell simply by visual inspection.

"I am not corrupted, mother. I swear it."

Hes'aret narrowed her eyes at May'at. "I should hope so. The last thing I need is to be known as a mother who passed off used wares."

"If anyone has wares that are used, it is Drey'auc," she muttered.

"May'at," Mah'ti warned softly.

"I will say this," Hes'aret began. "Without question Drey'auc will make a suitable wife. I regret I cannot say the same about my own daughter."

May'at's sharp tongue got the better of her. "Perhaps I should become a concubine of Apophis," she proposed, purposely folding her arms under her full breasts so they appeared more prominent than they were. "That way I am assured a constant audience with our god. Surely that should make you happy."

Hes'aret looked shocked beyond belief. Mah'ti just chuckled, her freckled cheeks puffing up as she did so.

"Do not say such a thing! Do you wish to see me dead from shame?" Hes'aret made a hand gesture upwards toward the sky then turned her attention back on her wayward daughter. "I am sure the spirit of Set inspired you to say such a thing to me."

May'at was about to say something else but the sound of music and drums caught her ear. The music was intoxicating, alive with the drums beating in the same rhythm as her heart. She knew she would have heard it earlier had her mother not begun to interrogate her. But now, now that she could hear the melody, she could not stop her feet from moving as if they had a mind of their own. She saw the musicians playing in an open area near one of the bonfires and that is where she wandered.

The music just seemed to move her. She frequently danced with the members of Apophis' harem, occasionally taking part in the dancing classes offered. The adorned ones were instructed regularly in the arts of music and dance as it pleased their Pharaoh to have them perform for him. Secretly, May'at would daydream of the day when one of the adorned ones either broke an ankle or had fallen ill and she was called upon to take their place. Dancing for the pleasure of Apophis was a duty the adorned ones took seriously, and Apophis saw to it that they were dressed in the most elegant of attire to do so.

"May'at!" Hes'aret called after her. "Do not disgrace yourself by dancing so… publicly!"

May'at let her mother's words fade out of her consciousness. She knew Hes'aret wanted to add that she was behaving like the rekkit, but considering common people surrounded them, she did not want to make a social faux pas. The women of the noble and middle classes did not dance in public. It was considered lowborn to do so. The one thing May'at admired about the common folk she lived with was how free they expressed their joy, especially through the dance.

Several women were dancing around the bonfire, all of them doing freestyle dancing. There was no rhyme or reason to it. May'at enjoyed being free like that, but she preferred the choreographed dancing style of the banquet and harem dances. She knew the harem dances were much more suggestive and not very tasteful for this type of crowd, so she began improvising on a banquet dance known as the Taking of the Gold.

May'at went through several parts of the banquet dance, letting her body relax during when it should have been tense. She felt her mother's disapproving gaze, but ignored it and went on with the dance. The fires in the area turned into the fires that lit the chamber of the adorned ones. Her feet were sliding across a polished marble floor instead of grass, touching toe first then the heel. The groups of people observing her along with the women she danced near turned into gods, nobles and courtiers. Her mind full with her fantasy, May'at executed several sharp turns, her body spinning around the women in the crowd.

When her body came to a stop, her eyes lit directly upon the man she thought would never make an appearance.

How long has he been watching me? she wondered.

Teal'c was dressed in informal white robes, his staff weapon lying at the ready at his side. Sitting next to him was another man who wore the same robes, but was more advanced in years. Upon further inspection she saw the gold tattoo on his forehead, indicating that this Jaffa had been First Prime at one time. May'at could have sworn she'd seen him before, though she could not recall where or when. There was something about his eyes that seemed so familiar to her, but she could not place it.

May'at decided that thinking upon it further would be futile so she returned her attention to Teal'c. He looked intrigued by her dancing, and made a gesture for her to continue. Surely an improvisation of a banquet dance wasn't the best exhibition of her dancing abilities. No, she would have to risk attempting a suggestive, but technically complicated harem dance in order to impress him. Performing The Fair Capture of The Beauty dance, otherwise known as the Dance of Enticement by the adorned ones, was best suited to accomplish her goal. May'at looked at Teal'c suggestively, sucked in her breath and turned away slightly to prepare herself.

She turned just in time to avoid a blur of white linen cross her path.

"Do you see him?" Drey'auc asked excitedly. "There he sits along with Apophis' former First Prime!"

"I can see that, Drey'auc," she said, annoyed at her intrusion. "Now kindly stay out of my way."

At first she thought his eyes would go towards Drey'auc. She was dancing exuberantly enough to get his attention, but that wasn't where they went. They stayed locked on her as she went through several complicated, yet enticing movements. May'at had never done this dance in public for anyone, so her mind quickly recalled the lessons she had been taught about the dance.

"When you do the dance of enticement for a man," Rai'sah said pointedly. "You dance as if he is the only man in the room." She waved her hands in front of her face as if casting a spell, her eyes still focused upon an imaginary presence across the room. She did not look at the other adorned ones as she danced, but remained focused on her imaginary paramour. All throughout the dance her eyes rarely wavered and when they did, they returned immediately to the one she pretended to dance for.

Her eyes stayed locked on his, only turning away for a few fleeting moments to tease him. It was obvious he liked it. He rested his chin on his hands, as if settling himself in for a long and pleasing performance. May'at smiled knowingly, still keeping her eyes on him. Her feet moved as if programmed and her body swayed in time to the lively music. This was a part of her he had not seen, and May'at was determined to make it memorable. May'at poised herself to execute the next sequence of dance steps.

With her gaze still on Teal'c she backed up a little, moved forward in a series of seductive dance steps, then promptly tripped right over Drey'auc's outstretched foot.

May'at landed face first in the grass. She was barely able to break her fall with her arms, preventing a nasty bruise to her face. The major bruise was to her pride right now, which would not allow her to look up and see Teal'c's reaction to her error in judgment.

Gods, I should have seen that coming!

"It seems you are not as coordinated as you think, May'at," she joked.

Her cheeks burned with shame and anger.

May'at did the only thing she could do. She gathered up her wounded pride and ran away like the wind, gasps and muffled laugher chasing her as she made her escape. Drey'auc had gotten what she wanted: to humiliate her and make herself look good in front of Teal'c. She had definitely succeeded in making her look like a fool.

She would never underestimate Drey'auc ever again.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

 

This was her moment.

Drey'auc sauntered over to Teal'c, making sure she kept eye contact as she approached. He did not look offended at her boldness. In fact, he welcomed it with a warm smile and she could hope that smile would remain. The elder man accompanying him excused himself and left. Where he went was not any of her concern.

"It does my heart glad to see you here, my lord," she said earnestly.

Teal'c's smile did not change. He looked at her with intrigue and said, "Your dancing was quite interesting."

"I hope you found it most enjoyable. They say only the rekkit dance in public. I can only be what I am."

"There is no shame in dancing in front of others."

She let a small laugh escape her lips. "Tell that to May'at's mother."

Drey'auc knew something about that last statement piqued Teal'c's interest; which part she could not tell. The only thing she wanted was for this conversation not to end. "Would you like to walk with me?" she asked. "This way our conversation can remain away from idle ears."

"Of course." Teal'c stood up slowly, stretching his body as he did so. His left hand held his staff weapon while his right hand indicated for her to lead the way.

Mentally, Drey'auc rejoiced at his gesture. Nothing had really prepared her for the thrill she felt while walking right next to someone so imposing and handsome. The full extent of his musculature was not apparent under the eggshell-colored robes he wore, but his tall and broad stature hinted that there was more than met the eye. He was truly a textbook example of what all male Jaffa aspired to be, and she would bear him strong sons if that was the last thing she ever did.

The night air swirled around them as they walked through the tall grass. She took a few surreptitious glances in his direction as they went. A few times she caught him looking at her as well—much to her delight. Drey'auc stopped them at a cluster of fruit trees. She smiled fondly when she recognized the fruit as one of her favorites. The fruit was not quite ripe yet, but the heady citrus-like smell perfumed the space they occupied.

She leaned up against one of the trees and folded her hands in her lap. There was one order of business she needed to get out of the way first. Best to admit her social faux pas than suffer the embarrassment of having Teal'c rightfully accuse her of it first.

"I must apologize for approaching you at Ah'mose's funeral. That was not appropriate and I let my excitement over meeting you overrule my sense of decorum. I assure you, my family did not teach me to behave in such a manner."

"I am sure they did not," Teal'c replied, the deep bass of his voice rich and soothing. "You were simply taking advantage of an opportunity. For that I cannot fault you."

Drey'auc let a cautious wave of relief wash over her. At least he was not offended. "Thank you," she breathed.

"I have heard much of you from your rival," Teal'c said.

Drey'auc didn't look impressed. "If it was May'at, I can assure you it was all the worst of me," she snorted. "She hates me. We have fought constantly since we were children."

"And why is that?"

"She thinks too highly of herself. She and her entire family are foreigners to this world. The blood of Apophis does not flow in their veins."

Teal'c raised an intrigued eyebrow in her direction. "Is that so?"

"That it is," she haughtily declared. "My family has lived here and worshipped Apophis as our one and true god for over fifteen generations. My loyalty is rooted in this land. As I am sure yours is as well."

"Chulak is not my original home."

Drey'auc instinctively clapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe she'd made such a faulty assumption. "I am sorry. I assumed…"

Teal'c waved off her apology with a smile. "On my home world, my father was First Prime of Cronus."

The blood of my god's enemy runs in his veins, she thought. But he wore the gold-inlaid tattoo of her god, so his loyalty to Apophis was true. She listened intently as Teal'c pulled off a piece of fruit from one of the trees and continued his story.

"My mother and I were banished when the god he served killed him for not winning a battle that was not possible to win."

"Should he not have died in the effort?" she asked.

Teal'c shot her a look that scared her to the core. "The battle was not winnable," he growled. After a few moments he relaxed and said, "I apologize for my outburst. This is a deeply personal wound for me." He handed her the piece of fruit he had picked and smiled at her. She returned the smile and accepted the peace offering. "What kind of fruit is this?" he inquired, picking another piece for himself. Drey'auc watched as he inspected the red and white marbled fruit.

"It is called clen'tai," she replied fondly. "It is used for making breads and sweets. Most notably it is dried, ground and used as an ingredient in satta cakes."

"You know how to make such things?"

"I do, along with many others. I am a most formidable keeper of home," she bragged. "Were you to choose me as a wife, your home would never be neglected."

She watched as Teal'c took a bite of the fruit and pondered her words as he chewed. His dark eyes held hers intently, looking her over while enjoying the fruit on his palate. Drey'auc closed her eyes briefly for a moment as if to enjoy the breeze. In reality, she closed her eyes in response to the sharp chill of pleasure that shot through her when he looked her over. Her eyes opened again to see him still looking at her, still watching her as he ate.

He has had hundreds of women, she recalled May'at saying. The adorned ones say he can give pleasure to a woman numerous times over without exhausting himself, and that he is endowed like the gods themselves.

Teal'c tossed the fruit core aside into the grass. "So tell me, why is it you despise May'at so deeply?"

The mention of her rival promptly doused the romantic mood. "She does not know her place as a woman," she muttered.

"And you do?"

Her eyes became steely. "Indeed. And without question."

"And tell me," he said, moving closer to her. "What is a woman's… place?"

Drey'auc cued herself up as if she'd been waiting to give the answer all of her life. "To keep her husband's home. To bear and teach his children. To be ever obedient and bring honor to his name in all things."

"And May'at does not know this?"

"She does. She chooses to ignore it. Her mind is focused upon becoming a scribe, as if any man would tolerate his wife engaging in such a profession."

"Perhaps among the rekkit a man would not tolerate such a thing," he informed her. "But among those of the higher classes it is."

Drey'auc suddenly felt out of her league with this man. But true to her nature she wasn't about to sell herself short now. Not when she was so close to getting what she wanted. "I realize I am a commoner--"

"My mother was a commoner," Teal'c interrupted with a fond look. "That did not stop her from becoming the wife of a First Prime. You remind me of her in many respects."

Drey'auc rewarded him with a wide smile. "That is good to know. Is your mother still alive?"

"She is not."

"Then you have no family on this world?" Her words were laced with sympathy.

"I do indeed," he answered. "My station as First Prime keeps me away from them for long periods of time."

"I am aware that being your wife would require getting used to such long separations while you do battle."

"And you must remain faithful to me."

"Always. And without question."

His hand grazed her cheek, his eyes holding hers for a moment that seemed to halt time in its tracks. With the moon up above in full phase, the wind whispering through the trees, the heady smell of clen'tai fruit and the presence of the First Prime of Apophis, Drey'auc thought she had died and gone into the afterlife. Her eyes fixed on his full lips, and she wondered what it would be like to feel them upon her own. Perhaps he would even kiss her tonight. Such a thing was not completely out of the question.

"I have enjoyed our conversation, Drey'auc," he said softly, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it briefly. The touch made her senses explode. "Perhaps we shall speak again in the near future."

"If the gods mean for it to be," she whispered softly, her soft brown eyes still trained on him. "Then we shall meet again."

She added that last line so she wouldn't look desperate. As badly as she wanted to be his wife, she had to let some element of the chase remain. Drey'auc felt her breath leave her body as Teal'c interlaced his fingers with hers.

"Very well," he grinned. "Then I shall accompany you back to the encampment."

As they walked away and disappeared into the night, the only thing Drey'auc could think of was that she had finally found a way to prove May'at wrong. This man would be her husband, of that she had no doubt.

No doubt at all.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

The moonlight overhead lit the path in front of Teal'c, making it easy for him to see where he was going. When he left Drey'auc earlier in the company of her parents, he did not have a set destination. Instead, he took pleasure in the simple act of walking around the bucolic setting, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the night. The evening was still young, but most of the festival revelers had taken their activities into tents or homes located nearby. Ideally he should be making a decision about which one of the beautiful women he had seen over the course of the day to take as a wife. His mind had originally been on one woman, but now he found a part of his mind thinking of another.

Originally he had been quite annoyed with Drey'auc for approaching him at Ah'mose's funeral, but after speaking with her earlier, he found he admired that quality in her. Like himself, she was driven to go after what she wanted and would let no circumstance stand in her way. She was beautiful, driven, and let him know in no uncertain terms that she had all the qualifications to be the wife of a First Prime. Teal'c could not argue with any of them for they did make her an excellent candidate for a wife. The only thing missing was the intense passion when he looked at her. It was this passion that never failed to infuse him whenever he thought of or saw a certain young woman who stirred his loins.

He needed to find her quickly.

Teal'c scanned the ground below and found a set of footprints. Some were larger and wider, others closer together. Many people had come by this way over the past few days, but it was the more recent tracks he was looking for. He stooped down to the ground and pressed a hand into one of the smaller prints. All of his experience said these tracks were fresh, and the light imprint in the soil indicated it was a woman's footprint—a footprint made with an open toed sandal worn by Jaffa women.

The wind shifted, bringing a smell to his nostrils that he knew all too well. It was the smell of precious oil only used by the adorned ones of Apophis; the same smell the young woman he sought wore frequently. Memories of hedonistic pleasure coursed through his mind as amorous desire set his nerve endings ablaze. Letting out a groan of satisfaction, he let the smell lead him along with the set of female footprints.

The prints did not lead very far from where he had first seen them. Within the space of a few minutes, he came upon a place where the prints ended. He looked out towards a shaded area and saw a young woman sitting by a small pond. She stirred the water with an index finger, her posture hinting she did not want to be bothered or spoken to. Teal'c figured that was unfortunate for he fully planned to bother and speak with her.

He would have it no other way.

"If you did not wish for me to discover you, you should have concealed your footprints," he teased.

Teal'c strolled over to her and lowered himself down to sit beside her. For a few moments she neither said anything to him nor looked at him. She kept stirring the water in the pond with her fingers, her eyes looking at the currents she generated. Near the center of the pond he could see small frogs jumping off a branch onto small rocks that jutted out into the moonlit water.

"I did not think you would come looking for me," she said, still not looking at him.

"Why did you think I would not?"

She looked at him like he had just asked a stupid question. "Did you not see me fall during the dance?"

"Yes, and I saw that it was Drey'auc who caused you to fall."

"Clumsy wench," she spat.

"Her lack of dexterity had nothing to do with it. She did so intentionally."

May'at snorted. "I know," she muttered.

"Then why would you punish yourself by taking the blame unnecessarily?"

"You do not understand," she said, her tone defensive. "I knew she would try something. She always does. And I would have seen it had I not been… distracted." May'at looked him dead in the eye. Teal'c did not look away. After all, he was guilty as charged.

"I enjoyed seeing you dance," he told her with a grin. He lay back onto the grass and looked up at the stars peeking out through the leaves of trees clustered around them. "It is obvious you are the better dancer. Drey'auc took advantage of the situation in order to impress herself upon me."

"Was it successful?" she snapped.

"I am here with you, am I not?" His answer was soft, his eyes sincere—at least he hoped that was how they looked. "If I did not wish to be with you, I would not have gone through the trouble to track you."

May'at managed a little smile, which grew wider when he looked at her.

"I have much to report to you," he said, letting out a fake yawn and stretched so one of his large hands landed a whisper away from her backside. "But it can wait until after the festival."

"Your handwriting has gotten worse," she remarked. Her eyes darted behind her then at him, letting him know his that she knew that the accidental placement of his hand was no accident. "It makes me wonder if it is a ploy on your part."

Teal'c laughed heartily. May'at always seemed to look for the plans within plans when it came to him. "I do not need a ploy to enjoy your company," he said, tracing an imaginary line down her thigh. "I seek out your company because it pleases me."

May'at gave him a look that said she did not completely believe his story. She promptly removed his hand from her thigh to drive home her point.

"I will admit that my writing has gotten worse," he sighed. "You have correctly seen through my deception."

She smiled at his acknowledgement of wrongdoing. True, he had been purposely misspelling words and using ambiguous ones simply to force May'at to get further clarification of his words. It was not done on purpose in the beginning, but rather a subconscious act on his part. When the subconscious became conscious, Teal'c saw no need to put an end to it. In his mind it was not deception, it was merely a tactical maneuver.

"The way in which you transcribe my words is most exquisite," he told her, fondly recalling some of her writings he had read. Teal'c propped himself up on one muscular arm and looked into her eyes. In the night, her eyes looked almost as dark as his. He waited until he had her undivided attention before continuing. "It is as if you write in the tongue of the gods themselves. You words sound sweet on the tongue, like satta cakes drenched in honey." He looked over at her and noticed she looked a bit taken aback by what he had said. "You seem surprised at my words."

May'at struggled to speak. "They are…most poetic for…"

"A common soldier?" He raised his eyebrow sharply as if to mock her.

"I thought you were First Prime, not a common foot soldier."

"Because I am, does not mean that I do not have a creative part of me, or a heart for that matter."

May'at inclined her head, indicating she conceded that point to him. "You see so much carnage, death and suffering," she said. Her eyes closed briefly as she shook her head. "How can you stand it all?"

This wasn't the first time he'd been asked this question, nor was it one he'd ever answered. But having the question come from May'at's lips, knowing how much she was interested in whom he was more than what he was, he felt honored to answer—at least that's what he told himself. He had only returned to Chulak two days ago, the surge of adrenaline from battle still raging through him. It was this surge that had his libido in full swing, and it was making him say anything short of a bald-face lie to touch May'at more intimately.

"I take pleasure in things of great beauty," he said, the words sounding melodious as they rolled off of his tongue. He ran his free hand along her outer thigh, reveling in the way she sucked in her breath as he touched her.

"There is talk in the palace of us," she said guardedly. Her eyes darted around as if she suspected someone was watching them. There was no one. "Your visits to me have become predictable."

"And what do they say about my visitation?"

"That there is something else you seek," she replied with concern. "And once you have obtained it you will seek me out no further."

Teal'c knew exactly what she spoke of and her concern was very real. He was a soldier, First Prime, and if there was something he wanted he had only to take it if he so desired. With May'at he wanted it to be different, which is why he wanted to indulge her in any way possible. He wanted her to trust him, and her continued suspicion made the chase of her even more exciting than he'd dared to imagine.

He sat up and moved closer to her, almost daring her to move away from him. She did not. "I have not taken you," he told her. "That should be proof of my intentions."

"With your access to the Pharaoh's harem, and women on other worlds, there is no real need to take me."

Teal'c wondered how long he could stand being blindsided like this. The warrior within him was beginning to get impatient, but the lover in him said that patience was needed in this situation. As long as he was patient, he would get that which he sought.

He gave her a playfully hurt expression and said, "Such a thing is most one-sided."

"How?" May'at asked, her tone hinting she knew full well how his access to the harem worked. "Truly you take pleasure in such a thing as any man would."

Teal'c sighed and looked up at the sky. A small group of fireflies appeared overhead, then spirited away as quickly as they had appeared. "Do you see the stars above us?" he asked.

May'at looked up, not quite sure what his point was. "I do."

"On other worlds they look much different."

"I am quite aware of that," she told him.

"Of course." He smiled, reminding himself that she was just as much a foreigner to Chulak as he was. "Most think of them purely to serve as a means of direction in the night. But there is more to them than that." When her eyes focused back on him, he looked at her with intensity. "So much more."

"Pray tell, how is this akin to intimate relations?"

Teal'c knew she was not asking in general terms, she was asking in terms of how this would relate to her. May'at tended to ask questions as a means of acquiring pertinent information, not for idle conversation. "Engaging in pleasure with a concubine is simply for a man's pleasure," he said. "I am not required to please her. She is required to please me. But as I have told you, I take pleasure in things of great beauty, and I take much pleasure in providing such for a thing of great beauty."

He watched her shift nervously, not sure what to say to him. "I meant no offense by my question."

"None was taken," he replied softly as he slowly sat up. He reached out slowly, letting one of his large hands press against her cheek for a few moments. "There are things you can only know from experience. If I were to take you, it would be a most pleasurable experience. This I promise you."

"Then you will be gone?" she asked, her voice hopeful yet skeptical.

"Then you will be my wife."

May'at smiled for a few moments before a look of concern took over. "My father will not be welcoming of this."

He did not want to ponder the inevitable verbal confrontation with her father at this moment. It would have interfered with a mood he did not want squashed by any means. "There is a palace event that will occur during the next phase of the moon," he said, taking her hands into his. "Apophis will be entertaining several lesser gods and courtiers. As First Prime I am required to attend. I wish for you to attend with me."

She was hesitant. Teal'c knew why before she even spoke. "My father will not approve of this. He will be in the court as well for this function."

"That is possible," he concurred. "But it is most fortuitous that this event will happen when you are regularly scheduled to be in Chulak. You father need not know until absolutely necessary."

"I do not like hiding this from him, but perhaps it is best given his feelings about soldiers."

"Perhaps he will change his mind when he finds out the First Prime of Apophis is interested in having you as his wife."

"Perhaps." May'at still did not look convinced.

"Are you not pleased by my intentions?"

"Ah'mose did not marry me when he said he would," she said, her hazel eyes regarding him with hesitation. "I am skeptical."

"That is wise, but I will follow through on my intentions." Teal'c reached inside his robes and removed something from a pouch he knew would become useful in a situation such as this. He saw May'at look at him with apprehension and curiosity in her eyes. Before he withdrew what he was looking for, he told himself that he was about to truly bond this woman to him. He took the item out and held it out in his large palm.

May'at sucked in her breath at the sight of the bejeweled necklace. It was delicately carved in gold and studded with clear jewels Teal'c knew she had never seen before. Naqadah in crystalline form was extremely rare, almost more valuable than the raw naqadah mineral itself. He knew none of the priestesses of Heru'ur would miss it.

"Gods!" May'at exclaimed. She looked like she was about to faint. "This must have cost a small fortune!"

"Cost is not an issue," he said, fastening it around her neck. The gold of the necklace glowed against her dark skin, and the crystalline naqadah jewels sparkled in the moonlight. "Is it pleasing to you?"

"It is," she breathed. Her hands touched the necklace as if to assure her that it was still there in reality. "I have never had anything so beautiful."

"Neither have I," he rasped.

He leveled his gaze so she looked directly at him. "Do you realize how difficult it was to put my desire aside to be with you in order to effectively subdue Apophis' enemies in battle? I was determined to win the day so I would return to you." Teal'c knew what he said wasn't true in fact, but it was the sentiment he was going for.

"So you could collect the spoils of war?" May'at countered playfully.

Teal'c was undaunted. He leaned his body closer to hers and said, "I have missed you, May'at. I have missed you greatly. Time passed by slower than it ever has when I knew I could see you again. Did you not miss me?"

"I did," she affirmed. She gazed into his eyes, down to her hands and back again. "This is most embarrassing to admit, but I missed you more than I missed Ah'mose when he left to do battle."

He took her face into his hands, taking in her sweet essence. "I believe you owe me a more meaningful kiss than the one you gave me in the marketplace in Chulak last month,"

"Yes, I do" she admitted, her eyes still looking into his.

Her lips pressed against his tentatively. It was chaste in his opinion, but he was grateful that at least she had made contact this way. As she continued kissing him, Teal'c realized that though she was not very experienced, the gesture was not without feeling or sincerity. He was thoroughly enjoying it, but he wanted more.

One of his hands slipped around to the small of her back and pressed her in closer to him, while his tongue parted her lips so he could kiss her the way he had always wanted. May'at rewarded his assertiveness by moaning softly and slipping her arms around his thick neck. The kiss deepened in intensity, making him revel in how sweet she tasted and wonder where else she tasted like this.  Though he could tell she had not done this often, she was a quick study. It was not long before she was kissing him back with the same intensity, showing him the very thing he was teaching her.

"Were you faithful to me in my absence?" he asked her after breaking the kiss. Her breath came out in ragged spurts as he planted delicate kisses below her left ear.

"Yes," she panted. "Do you wish to inspect me yourself?"

"Absolutely," he groaned.

Gently, he lowered her body to the carpet of lush grass. She looked at him through half-lidded eyes, her chest still rising and falling with heavy, anticipatory breaths. His large hands sought their way between her legs. The course was altered and his hands began to search for the thing holding the top of her garment together.

"Are you not going to inspect me?" she panted.

"I will," he assured her between kisses. "All in time. Be patient."

One of his hands finally found the knot of fabric that kept the linen in place. Nimble fingers untied the knot below her right breast, causing the linen to loosen. May'at let out a loud cry of surprise as her breasts were freed, exposing them to her lover's attention.

 It wasn't a rehearsed show being played out in front of him. It was not the pat performance of an army whore, nor the ingrained training of a concubine. May'at's reaction was purely in response to what he was doing to her. Her back arched reflexively, moans and cries sounding as sweet as honey to his ears. Her dusky-tipped breasts rose and fell with each breath she took. Her nipples began to harden in the night air, and became even more so as he teased each one by rolling it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Please," she pleaded. "Do it now."

"You are most eager for my inspection, my lotus."

"I am," she panted. "And I will bloom only for you."

Teal'c gently pried her legs apart, his hand slowly searching for her womanhood. The insides of her thighs were slick with her essence, the musky smell of it filling his nostrils and causing his manhood to stiffen even more between his legs. His hands stroked the triangle of coarse hair he instinctively knew was the same color as that on her head. He tangled his fingers in it and gently tugged at it, his ears taking in the loud moans that erupted from her throat. The moans increased in pitch when one of his thick fingers stroked the inner folds of her sex. She arched her body again, this time pressing her lower body downward as if to force his finger inside of her. He unconsciously licked his lips, readying himself to see just how faithful she had been in his absence.

The so-called inspection ritual was an age-old custom Jaffa warriors would talk about, but rarely performed. Over the years the custom had evolved into a cunning way for a Jaffa to engage in sexual play on demand. No one took it seriously and any Jaffa who did certainly was not smart enough to take his bride immediately.

The scene played out in his mind for a few moments. He would slowly insert a thick finger into her wet channel. It would not take long to locate her maidenhead. The blockage would there—proving that she was still unknown to men. If a woman was not prepared well before this inspection, she would consider it to be most painful and would not look forward to it. But with May'at he wanted her to look forward to it; wanted her to desire it so much that she would beg him to take her—to make her into the woman only he could.

There was something powerful lurking underneath May'at's sexual inexperience. Something he wanted, that he knew he could unleash. The way she reacted to him, the way her pleasure was voiced without forethought, how she eagerly wanted him to invade her, made him want to know and experience the full fury of her in the throes of passion. He smiled eagerly as he poised himself to begin his inspection of her.

As he began, a slight movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He split his attention, turning his head to see what it was without alarming May'at. A lone figure, dressed in a robe of sackcloth watched him in the distance. Teal'c thought he had seen this person a few weeks earlier in the marketplace when he had implored May'at not to give him any money. His warrior instinct kicked in and he abruptly stopped what he was doing, rising up higher to get a better look.

But by the time he had, the figure was gone.

He panned the area with his eyes, the warrior in him trying to discern if there was any threat of imminent danger. But there was none. The only thing he could hear were the sounds of the insects of the night, and May'at's ragged breathing.

"I do not please you," she said in a hurt voice. "Is that why you have ceased touching me?"

Teal'c let out a slow breath, relieved that there was no immediate danger, but annoyed that he had broken the mood. May'at looked disappointed, as if she had done something wrong.

"You please me greatly," he assured her as he lowered himself back down beside her. "At times a warrior's instinct cannot be completely subdued to enjoy other pleasures."

"I understand," she said.

"The question that remains is whether I please you." He muffled the response she gave by kissing her deeply. Her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer.

He had wanted to wait; wanted to wait until she had become his wife, but he was not certain he could. Everything within him was screaming for him to take her, and the sounds and movements she made with her body only fueled the fire. He mounted her, looked into her eyes and carefully prepared the next words he wanted to say to her.

"May'at," he began. "There is something you should know…"

"May'at!" a sharp voice called. "Are you here?"

"That is Mah'ti!" May'at said, struggling to push Teal'c off of her. "I cannot let her see me like this!"

"And why not?" he teased. He did not budge for he was most amused at her desire not to get caught in such a compromising position.

"Because it…"

"I know you are here, Teal'c," a male voice called out.

Teal'c let a string of curses erupt in his mind. If the voice had belonged to anyone else, he would have caused the owner severe harm. The curses became vocal when May'at pushed him aside and hurriedly tried to cover up what he had uncovered. She moved quickly, her hastiness making the task harder than it normally would have been.

As he rose to his feet, Teal'c saw two figures come into view. The one he knew and who had called out for him was Bra'tac. The female he assumed was Mah'ti. She looked at May'at with a look of consternation and amusement. It was obvious she knew what he and May'at had been doing.

"I have been looking for you, my child," Mah'ti said to May'at. "Were it not for Bra'tac's tracking skills I might not have found you."

"You were wise to keep your prints hidden," Bra'tac told him. "But if you wish to conceal your position while engaging in love-play, may I suggest you choose someone who does not voice her passion so… loudly?"

May'at looked like she wanted to die on the spot. Her face became even more flushed. When she looked at Bra'tac, Teal'c noticed a spark of recognition in his eyes. It was very slight, but still there. He was about to ask May'at if she knew Bra'tac, but she had gathered up her sandals in one hand and was walking over to Mah'ti's side.

Teal'c knew there was nothing he could say to rebut Master Bra'tac's statement. He had been Bra'tac's apprentice for many years and knew him better than he knew himself. It was not a far stretch to figure out that he knew exactly where to find Teal'c when he dropped Drey'auc off earlier then excused himself to go and take another walk.

"Teal'c, this is my cousin, Mah'ti," Bra'tac introduced, raising a hand in his cousin's direction.

Teal'c inclined his head respectfully. "It is an honor to meet you. In all the years I have known Bra'tac he has not mentioned you often."

"I do not get to see my cousin very often. Though it is fitting he only seeks me out when he desires something. He is most adamant in finding a wife for you."

"Yes he is," Teal'c said, lighting his eyes on May'at.  She looked at him and smiled as she reached up to the necklace he had given her. He noticed Mah'ti's intrigued expression when her eyes also lighted upon the necklace.

Mah'ti gave Teal'c a look that said she was on to him, then turned to her cousin and said, "I wonder if he tried to use pointing out star constellations as a segue into seduction, Bra'tac."

Bra'tac was obviously miffed. "Woman, I do not know of what you speak," he muttered.

Teal'c almost laughed out loud at Bra'tac's obvious discomfort. It seemed his cousin knew quite a few secrets about him.

Mah'ti chuckled. "Of course not, cousin. Of course not. I will take May'at back to her family's tent. Thanks to the gods and to my cousin, it seems we got to her before her virtue was compromised. May I suggest you speak with her father should you wish to take her as a wife."

"I will take your suggestion under advisement," he said, watching as the two women took their leave. May'at looked back at him as she left, her eyes saying she did not want to go. Teal'c rationalized that there would be another time. And when that time came, nothing would stand in his way.

"Tell me, Teal'c," Bra'tac implored. "This woman, May'at, what are your intentions towards her?"

"I intend to take her as a wife."

"If Mah'ti and I had not appeared, it seems you were just willing to take her."

"I was indeed." Teal'c was smiling.

Bra'tac was not.

"Teal'c, what I am about to tell you is for your own good. You must listen to me and accept what it is."

"What is it, Master Bra'tac?"

The former First Prime of Apophis regarded him with expression so stern that it went beyond unnerving. He did not know what Bra'tac was about to say, but something told Teal'c he would not like it.

"May'at is not for you. She can never be your wife."

"I do not underst--"

Bra'tac cut him off. "There is nothing to understand! And I will not elaborate further."

 With that, Bra'tac turned and strode off in the direction Mah'ti and May'at had gone, leaving a sexually-frustrated and confused former apprentice in his wake.

 

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Teal'c waited patiently for his apprentice, all the while thinking to himself how many times in the past Bra'tac had waited for him. True to an apprentice's nature, Shak'l was slightly late. Normally he would be quite annoyed by his tardiness, but there was something about being in the Wasan Highlands that made him forget the passage of time. Leaves bursting with vibrant shades of red, gold and brown were scattered through the trees. Within a few months these leaves would be gone, leaving barren branches in their wake. Only the tall, eternally green trees would remain to give color to the snow covered Highlands.

The Wasan Highlands were nestled above the capital city of Chulak. Ever since he and his mother had fled to this world in exile, this place had always been a place of solace to him. Primarily the area was used for Jaffa masters to train their apprentices, and Teal'c had come here many times as a young boy to watch them. Time and time again he had prayed to the gods that the great Jaffa master, Bra'tac, would select him to be his apprentice. His mother had told him it would take many years in battle proving himself before someone of Bra'tac's caliber would even consider taking him as an apprentice.

"I will prove myself in battle, Mother," Teal'c said to her. "And I will become the First Prime of the god whose mortal enemy is the one who slew my father in cold blood."

"I have no doubt that you will avenge him, Teal'c," she said with quiet confidence. "It will take much work and preparation. You must be diligent."

"Always."

The cool breeze of early fall swirled across his skin, reminding him that summer would be leaving as quickly as it had come. Though it was warm enough to still wear his summer uniform, it wouldn't be long before he would be bundled in the heavy uniform of winter, cursing how the cold wind seemed to find every chink in his armor. Winters in Chulak were miserable. Many times as a child he had thought he would freeze to death if it weren't for the heavy blankets his mother had spent long evenings making from brilliantly colored fabric.

Teal'c put one foot on a nearby rock and looked down at the landscape below. From this high above the city, he could see the farmers from the outlying villages bringing their harvested crops to sell in the marketplace and to give as tribute to their Pharaoh. He could also see the Gomai Mountains to the north, and the High Cliffs to the northwest, which towered over the eastern shore of the Kitarian Sea. It was in the High Cliffs where he and his mother had eventually settled after coming to Chulak. At first had not wanted to go there, especially under the circumstances, but anywhere was better than the indignity of the outcast camps. He had fond memories of growing up in the High Cliffs along with his best friend and confidant, Fro'tak.

His thoughts turned to the fond memories he held of the Red Hills for that was home to the woman who had been his first love. Unfortunately for him, her first love was to serve in the temple as a priestess of Apophis and carry the infant gods to maturity rather than his own. The years had eventually dulled the pain.

Teal'c's eyes drifted due west, across the Mak'ar flatlands to a small village two days journey by waterway known as Cord'ai Plains. It was the village that had provided the woman he was meant to take as a wife. He was not sure whether he had love for her—it was not required for her to be his wife. There was something inside of her that drew Teal'c to her presence, and he knew it had nothing to do with her curvy hips and full breasts.

Though he was no longer a young man completely ruled by the desires of his loins, he still had carnal needs. It was May'at he wanted, and May'at he would have—to Duat with any higher purpose she was supposed to serve. If there was any higher purpose for her, it was for him to spend endless nights between her thighs in the throes of passion, and for her to give him strong sons and keep his home.

His brow furrowed when he remembered Bra'tac's stern words. What did he mean that May'at was not for him? He was First Prime, which basically meant he could have any woman he wanted. Bra'tac's abject refusal to explain how he knew of May'at was most disconcerting to him. As vexing as it was, Teal'c knew that when Bra'tac said he would not discuss the matter further he meant it. Without question Bra'tac knew something about May'at—something he was adamant in not revealing to Teal'c under any circumstances.

May'at had arrived in Chulak late in the morning, accompanied by her mother. Of course she had no idea Teal'c was spying on her. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, even in robes made of homespun fabric. Teal'c smiled at the thought of her surprised expression when she would discover what gifts awaited her upon her arrival at the harem. Tonight would definitely be special, and even Shak'l's lateness couldn't spoil his mood.

As if hearing his name, Shak'l finally appeared. He came over the rise and entered the training circle. To Teal'c's sharp ears it was obvious that his apprentice had been running for quite some time.

"I apologize, Master Teal'c," Shak'l rasped, trying to catch his breath. "But I was not aware the hour was so late."

"Perhaps you should be more aware of the passage of time," Teal'c reprimanded. "It is fortunate for you that I have not been waiting long."

Master and apprentice went through several rounds, practicing various combat moves over the past hour. Teal'c was increasingly impressed with Shak'l's skills for they were becoming much sharper. He was no longer a green apprentice, but he was far from being a master student. Shak'l was at that precarious juncture where he knew enough not to behave as a neophyte, but was still foolishly cocky at times. It was a stage Teal'c had spent quite a bit of time in as Bra'tac's apprentice. Bra'tac had a name for students in this stage. He called them the Sikira So'mohre: knowledgeable fools. Teal'c had definitely been one of those and he often wondered how Bra'tac could have had so much patience while he had been in that trying stage. He wondered if he had enough patience for Shak'l to get through it.

Teal'c ended the exercise and spiked his staff weapon into the yielding ground. Shak'l did the same.

            "Are we not to engage the Jaffa of Cronus in battle soon?" Shak'l asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

            "Not in the immediate future," Teal'c replied, removing a small container of water from a secured place within his armor. "There is another matter which is more pressing."

            "And that would be?"

            Teal'c took a drink of water before answering. "Apophis has decreed we capture a certain being; a being whose power the system lords are most determined to possess."

            "What is this creature?"

            "It is called a Fenri. It possesses the powers of invisibility. None of the gods have managed to capture one. Apophis is determined to become the first."

            "Then we shall capture several," Shak'l haughtily declared. "And bring honor to his name."

            "Indeed."

            Shak'l took the container of water Teal'c offered him and indulged in a long drink from it. When he was done, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "There is another matter that still makes me curious," Shak'l asked.

            Something about Shak'l's tone bothered him, but Teal'c chalked it up to paranoia and decided it was best to answer his question directly. "Speak you mind," he said.

            Shak'l nodded then spoke. "I have heard you spend most of your time with a woman when you return from battle."

            Teal'c's first reaction was to laugh. It was common for any Jaffa warrior to seek out female attention upon returning from battle. It was so common, in fact, that harlots often knew when Jaffa soldiers were returning from battle before any of the wives did. He cast an indulgent smirk at his apprentice, telling him that his observation was nothing new.

"I have spent time with many women upon my return from battle," Teal'c said knowingly.

            "This is quite different. I hear it is one particular woman you have spent time with in these last few months," Shak'l told him. "There is word spreading about of a woman who spends time during each phase of the moon in the harem, yet she is not one of our god's adorned ones. I hear that you shower her with gifts, yet you have not taken her to your bed."

            It is not for any lack of trying, he thought. His inclination was to tell Shak'l that his personal life was none of his concern, but since he had been seen publicly with May'at, it was best to confront idle talk with a version of the truth he could control.      

"It is the woman I intend to take as wife," he announced.

            "We shall see," Shak'l said, his voice hinting he knew something Teal'c did not. Teal'c chose to ignore it.

"You doubt I will marry her? Surely an apprentice does not question the wisdom of his master."

            "I have also heard she is the wife of a Jaffa who saved your life once. I believe his name was Ah'mose?"

            Teal'c kept his expression neutral. "That was indeed his name. But she was not his wife. Only his… intended."

            "I am curious. Why was such an inexperienced Jaffa sent on such a perilous mission?" Shak'l looked at Teal'c strangely, almost as if he knew the answer to the question. "Was it your aim to test him?"

            Teal'c weighed his next words carefully. Shak'l had not brought up Ah'mose's name ever since he had delivered his orders to him in person three months ago. He wanted to ask Shak'l where he was getting his information, but this moment did not seem to be the right time. Right now he needed to reinforce that his motives were completely legitimate.

"If Ah'mose was to participate in the Games under my sponsorship," he began, his words heavy with conviction, "I needed to be sure he would not fail me. His death on that mission proved he would have been too weak to survive. Do you believe he would have survived the Final Challenge?"

            Shak'l shook his head. "No, I do not."

            "As First Prime I must be selective in sponsorship. Bra'tac only took me on formally as his apprentice after I had survived the Final Challenge."

            "Perhaps it is good his death provided the means for our Jaffa to escape and obtain valuable knowledge pertaining to Heru'ur," Shak'l pondered aloud.

            "Perhaps today you can defeat me," Teal'c challenged. "Prepare yourself." He pulled up Shak'l's staff weapon from the ground and tossed it at him.

            "I am more than prepared," Shak'l replied confidently as he caught his staff weapon. He took a defensive stance, his naqadah-fueled weapon at the ready. "Today I shall show you how much I have learned."

            Teal'c smiled knowingly. He had heard this many times before. Pulling up his own weapon, he said, "You are ready to challenge me?"

            Shak'l spread his arms wide. "I am the younger," he declared "And stronger."

            "We shall see."

            Shak'l wasn't prepared for Teal'c to hit him square on the forehead with his staff weapon. His apprentice yelped loudly and dropped his weapon, his hands immediately going to his head. Teal'c fought the urge to laugh, instead wondering if he had looked this pitiful when Bra'tac had done the same to him. His teacher had told him some poignant words, which he still carried with him to this day.

            "There are many surprises in battle," Teal'c admonished, slowly walking around his stunned apprentice. "You must be prepared for all of them. Need I remind you how the high priestess of Heru'ur almost succeeded in slicing your throat?"

            Teal'c had left out that piece of information when they had reported their success over Heru'ur's forces and the abduction of Yametha to their god. He had felt it was more important to present a united front of strength than explain that his apprentice had nearly lost his life because he had underestimated an enemy, who had appeared weak but had proven to be extremely cunning.

            "Apophis would have protected me," he protested. "Our god protects all of us in battle."

            Teal'c took an even sharper tone. "Blind faith in the god we serve will not save you," he growled. "You will survive on your wits and your own strength. Or else you are of no use to me."

            "I do not understand." Shak'l shook his head as if to unscramble his brains.

            Teal'c took in his apprentice's befuddled appearance, realizing this must be as hard for him to accept as it had been when he had first heard it from Bra'tac. "You will," he assured.

            Shak'l picked up his staff weapon and held it defensively once more. "Then let me challenge you again. I have learned from the experience."

            Teal'c looked up at the position of the suns. They were halfway between the top of the blue sky and the horizon, meaning that if he wished to be ready for this evening's festivities, he needed to leave soon to begin preparations. Tonight he would publicly debut his relationship with May'at, effectively letting Apophis and his inner court know of the selection of his intended wife.

            "No more will I teach you today," Teal'c proclaimed. "There are court festivities this evening for which I must prepare."

            Shak'l got an amused look on his face. "Will you be attending alone?" he asked, his voice laced with insinuation. "Or will you bring the intended wife of Ah'mose?"

            Teal'c swiftly brought the lower end of his staff weapon against the back of Shak'l's knees, forcefully knocking him to the ground. Teal'c had not liked his tone. Whether it was out of humiliation, frustration or shame, he did not know or care. The apprentice groaned as he landed flat on his back, his ka temporarily knocked out of him.

            Teal'c's voice was sharp. "Always be diligent in your attention, Shak'l. For you never know when an attack may come."

            Shak'l nodded, but there was a smirk on his face that unsettled Teal'c. He chalked it up to youthful insolence and jealousy and thought upon it no further. His concentration needed to be focused upon the evening's events. Tonight, May'at would be at his side, where she was destined to be.

            He would have it no other way.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

            May'at marveled at the gathering in Apophis' court. The room where the banquet was being held seemed alive with the last flowers of the summer and the turning leaves of fall sitting in arrangements or twisted around the white sculpted pillars that held up the ornate ceiling. The finest musicians in Chulak sat in a corner, playing tunes of merriment to celebrate the harvest festival in honor of Apophis. Delicious entrees, fruits and desserts, completely and partially eaten sat upon golden chargers, their metallic color reflected in the varnish of the long, redwood banquet table.

Court scholars and their wives, along with demigods in the service of Apophis and their queens sat cross-legged at the great banquet table. Apophis had made his grand entrance an hour earlier after keeping everyone waiting an hour past the appointed time. All present had bowed their heads in supplication when his presence had been announced, and their heads had stayed bowed as he took his place in the ornate chair sitting at the head of the table.

May'at knew she should not have looked, that doing so could possibly risk death. But she had not been able to resist raising her head a bit to see her god. She had never been in his presence before and longed to see the eyes of her god. When he had cast his glowing eyes in her direction, she had quickly dropped her gaze to the floor, all the while praying he would not punish her for her insolent behavior. At Apophis' gesture his gathered subjects had raised their heads. Fortunately he had not seemed angered by her actions. If anything, May'at had felt a bit unsettled as her god had looked in her direction, his gaze locking on her for several seconds before finally turning away. He had commanded the musicians to resume playing and the food to be served. She told herself that Apophis had been appraising his First Prime. After all, what would a god like Apophis want with a lowly servant such as herself?

The female would-be scribe looked down at the garments she was wearing. They were the finest she had ever worn in her life, thanks to Teal'c. She had been surprised when she and her mother had arrived at the harem to find a package of the finest cream-colored linen and finely embroidered robes waiting on her. Cream was usually worn in the fall while white was worn in the summer. The adorned ones had fussed over her while getting her dressed, all the while commenting on how fortunate she was to have the First Prime laud her with such gifts. May'at had tempered her enthusiasm, smiling despite her mother's constant frown. But even with her mother's disapproval May'at could not help but feel almost regal in her robes, jewelry and ornately styled hair. She felt like a queen, even if she was simply a dressed-up country girl.

She turned to her left and looked at Teal'c, her eyes appraising his body in admiration. He was clad in heavy robes, the rich, creamy fabric a stark contrast against his dark brown skin. A single gold earring adorned his left ear—a fine compliment to his shaven head, which shone with expensive pomade. He sat next to her, his eyes trained on his god, ready to answer when spoken to. When Apophis recounted several of his victories in battle, Teal'c was there to back up his story. Not that he had any particular choice in the matter. His station as First Prime meant he had to back up anything Apophis said, even if it was a lie conjured to save face in front of his demigods.

The sheer strength of his presence made May'at feel safer than any time in her life. Before being announced into the banquet hall earlier, Teal'c had given her strict instructions to remain by his side at all times. When May'at asked why, he told her that while court scholars knew their place, the demigods of Apophis would not be above making sexual overtures to her in his presence. He did not want to embarrass his god by killing them where they stood. With the looks some of them gave her, especially the one called Zipacna, May'at realized Teal'c's warning had truly come from true concern for her safety. Killing was not unknown to a Jaffa warrior, especially a First Prime, but doing so at the dinner table was considered to be in poor taste and a major social faux pas.

She knew she was safe from physical danger, but was not safe from a different kind of danger; the kind of danger she knew was coming and would be helpless to fight. She'd been struggling against it for months now. Her resolve was eroding fast and all of the wine she had been drinking over the course of the night was not helping matters. When Teal'c turned his attention to her, discreetly placing a hand on her upper thigh and giving her a look that turned up the heat on her simmering libido, she swallowed hard and quickly thought of a way to distract him.

            She discreetly pointed to a couple seated to their far right. "Those are my parents," she told Teal'c. "My father, Le'to, and my mother, Hes'aret." Her eyes watched him as he observed her parents.

The dark-skinned Le'to was chatting with another court scholar sitting nearby, while Hes'aret traded harsh words with a servant who was not attending to her needs as quickly as she would have liked. Her father was effectively ignoring her mother's tirade, something he did more often than not. His excuse was that the ancestors on her mother's paternal side were partial to short tempers. In order to coexist as husband and wife he needed to remain an island of calm in the storm of Hes'aret's mood swings. May'at wondered what could have happened to her mother to make her behave in such a manner. She dared not ask, not wanting to risk the wrath of a stern reprimand.

            "You have your mother's eyes, and your father's countenance," Teal'c remarked as he turned his attention back to her. "It is a most striking combination."

            "Yes," she said, giving him a humble smile. "My father said when he saw my mother's eyes that they were so enticing he had to have her."

            "I can surely see why he would feel that way."

As if on cue, her father looked in her direction. His eyes went from her to Teal'c and a frown came over his face. May'at knew why.

            "My father does not like soldiers," she said softly, her voice apologetic.

            "He is a scholar. Scholars do not care for soldiers unless they are attacked or are in need of protection." He looked at Le'to briefly. "It is an old rivalry."  

            May'at wanted to ask why, but instead decided to state what was obvious to her. "He will not give his blessing for you to take me as a wife," she told him.

            "As I have told you previously, his blessing is not necessary. It is merely a formality. I will provide most sufficiently for you, May'at. The things I have given you are only a small indicator of my resources."

            May'at tried to ignore her father's glare and her mother's look of disgust. She knew even now that becoming his wife would estrange her from her family for a long time. Teal'c seemed to be well worth the risk. His station was even higher than that of her father. Considering her mother was so concerned with her marrying better than she did, she should be pleased her daughter would become the wife of Apophis' First Prime.

            Several members of Apophis' harem entered the banquet hall. They were elegantly and enticingly clad, especially since none of them wore anything that covered their bodies from the waist up. As the musicians struck up a lively tune, the troupe of adorned ones went through their performance of one of Apophis' favorite banquet dances. May'at knew that the adorned ones took pleasure in knowing just which dances Apophis preferred in public, and in private. She also noted with amusement that these courtesans were not the most beautiful or talented of his harem. Apophis preferred to have his most prized courtesans perform for him in private. The ones who performed in public would be offered to his demigods for a night of pleasure in exchange for their loyalty.

            "They are not nearly as talented as you," Teal'c told her in earnest, leaning closer to her as he did so.

            May'at knew when she was being flattered. "You are patronizing me," she jokingly chastised. Teal'c tried to look hurt, but she was not convinced.

            "I have no need to do such a thing. I speak the truth. It is obvious you have studied with the adorned ones."

            "I have," she admitted. "But only out of curiosity. Never out of desire to perform for our god." May'at felt a shiver when he gave her an intrigued look accompanied by an eyebrow raise. Something was about to spill from his lips—a wager that she might not be able to pay.

            "Then perhaps you will perform for me."

            May'at laughed nervously. "Pray tell, what dance would you have me perform for you?" As she took another drink of wine she felt his hand creep further up between her thighs. The action caused her to immediately contract a temporary case of the hiccups. Out of social grace she covered her mouth, the action hiding the sigh of pleasure from his touch.

            "I only saw a portion of the dance of enticement at the festival last month," he recounted fondly. "I wish to see you perform it to completion for me."

            She leveled her gaze at him, her voice becoming as suggestive as his. "I assume you desire a private performance."

            Teal'c nodded slowly. "Indeed."

            "That would not be proper," she quipped.

            "Are you refusing the wishes of the First Prime?" His tone jokingly hinted that she should know better.

            "No, simply advising you of the order… of… things." May'at's words came to a slow halt as she looked up in Apophis' direction.

            Her god was staring at her.

            May'at gasped and Teal'c looked up to see what had startled her. Apophis was looking at her with a mixture of intrigue and lust—the same look she had seen men give her. Apophis, however, was not a man, but a god.

            "Say nothing unless he inquires of you," Teal'c sharply commanded. May'at nodded and lowered her gaze. She did not need to be told twice.

            Apophis held up his hand, signifying for the musicians to stop playing and dancers to stop dancing. He leaned forward on his chair, his fingers interlacing into a steeple. "Who is this vision of beauty beside you, Teal'c?" Apophis asked as if expecting Teal'c to give him all the information he required or else.

All the idle conversations going on in the room came to an abrupt halt.

"This is May'at, my lord," he answered.

            Apophis let her name roll off of his tongue, his eyes moving up and down her body. "Bring her before me so I may look more… closely."

            May'at felt rooted to her seat. Her god was demanding to look at her up close and personal, and his First Prime would see to it that his command was carried out to the letter.

            "It is all right," he whispered reassuringly into her ear before gently pulling her to her feet. "I will be beside you. Come before the god we serve."

            May'at felt the weight of everyone's stares at her back as Teal'c escorted her to stand before their god. Apophis' eyes seemed to grow wider with each step she took towards him. When she was finally before him, he cocked his head to the side and traced her upper arm with his left hand. The right one held the light device May'at heard could kill with a thought. She certainly hoped he would not kill her for being more scared of him than reverent.      

His hand skimmed across her abdomen before taking a leisurely cruise down her right hip, his eyes briefly glowing as he did so. Though she was wearing heavy robes, Apophis made her feel completely naked. She felt awe, suddenly vulnerable, and then afraid. It was this fear that made her grip Teal'c's hand with a force that surprised even her. If she was causing him any pain, which she doubted, he did not make it known. Teal'c's face was expressionless, and May'at wondered if he always looked this way when carrying out his god's wishes.

            "You surely must have been a beautiful child," Apophis remarked as he brushed the line of her jaw with his fingertips. "Do you not think so, Bra'tac?"

            May'at looked up to see Bra'tac in a far corner of the banquet hall. She had not seen him during dinner. Surely if he had been there earlier Teal'c would have said so.

            Bra'tac paused for a beat. "Indeed, my lord," he remarked. The Jaffa master took long strides until he reached her father. He bent down and whispered something to him. Whatever it was caused them to exchange heated whispers before Le'to's face registered a look of resignation.

            "My lord," he said, rising up from his seated position. "I am Le'to. And the woman before you is my daughter."

            Apophis leaned back in his chair and gave May'at a sinister smile. She wanted to ask what it was that made him smile that way, but he was a god—who was she to question his motives?

            "Le'to, you should have brought your daughter to Court sooner," Apophis chided as he clicked his tongue. "It pleases me greatly to look upon her."

            Le'to ignored the icy stare his wife gave him. Inclining his head in Apophis' direction, he said, "I apologize for my oversight, my lord."

            "It appears my First Prime has corrected that for you," Apophis proclaimed, his voice full of pride as he looked briefly at Teal'c. "I believe you owe him a debt of gratitude. I know I shall have to reward him heartily for bringing such beauty before me."

            May'at watched her father sneer at Teal'c, exchange a strange glance with Bra'tac and change his expression again before looking at Apophis. Something was afoot, but May'at could not pinpoint what it was. The tension level was rising, and all she knew was it had something to do with her. Again, the feeling she had met Bra'tac before crept over her, but again she could not determine why.

            "Your God will have a favored place for you," Apophis told her, yanking her from her thoughts of Bra'tac. May'at wasn't sure what Apophis meant by his words. While Teal'c's expression was still unreadable, her father looked almost pleased.

            "Another dance!" Apophis barked, clapping his hands together loudly. "I feel most exuberant." He smiled at Teal'c as he slid his arm around May'at's waist and brought her closer to him. Apophis seemed almost pleased by her nervousness and fear. Before he spoke to her, his voice became soft, like that of a lover. "And you, my dear, will watch at my side," he said.

            A servant slid out one of the heavy chairs gilded in gold and motioned for May'at to sit in it. She did so nervously, trying to avoid the gaze of her god, which seemed to permeate her soul. Settling herself in the chair to watch the upcoming performance, May'at noticed she was now seated between her would-be lover who stood beside her and the god he served.

Something told her this would not be the first time.

 

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            Teal’c relished the feel of May’at’s arm around his as they wandered through flame-lit halls of the imperial palace.  They had no set destination; only the desire to remain in each other’s company for as long as Apophis ruled the night.  May’at looked up at him as they walked, her hazel eyes shimmering with admiration and a dose of chastity tossed in for good measure.  Though those eyes looked calm now, they had not looked so an hour earlier in court.  His mind swelling with questions as he recalled why that was so. 

As he expected, this public acknowledgement that May’at was his intended had gone over quite well, and he received numerous comments about her beauty and how suited she was to be the wife of a First Prime.  When Apophis made it clear he wished May’at to be near him, Teal’c could not help but wonder if her beauty was too striking.  She had garnered the attention of his God, and he was not sure if it was a good or a bad thing.  He just knew that he did not like it.  

And the way Bra’tac and Le’to looked at each other—it was as if they both knew something about May’at that neither one wanted exposed to the general public.  Something about that greatly disturbed May’at, and Teal’c was not pleased to see her look so unsettled.  Deception was definitely going on, and Teal’c was determined to get to the bottom of it, with or without Bra’tac giving full disclosure of what he knew.

“Where are we going?” May’at asked.  The question elicited a knowing smile from him as he stopped them from walking.

His tone was more than suggestive.  “Where is it you would like to go?” He hinted, stifling a laugh as she blushed and dropped her eyes to the polished black floor.

“Are you mocking me by answering my inquiry with an inquiry?”

Teal’c clasped her upper arms and lost himself in her hazel eyes for a few moments.  “The hour is late,” he told her, “and the evening grows cold.  If you retired to my chambers perhaps we could keep each other warm?”

“I doubt we could keep warm simply by conversing,” she countered. 

Again Teal’c was most taken with how she could speak with the innocence of a maiden but use the lascivious tone of a courtesan.  May’at knew much more than her innocent countenance let on, but it was all theory.  She had not put any of it into practice.  He was determined to find out just how much of that theory she could put into practice with him.

“Words possess the potential to generate warmth,” he told her, his finger lightly tracing the outline of her full lips.  A large hand slipped under her chin and tipped her face upwards.  He could not help but relish the feeling of her soft skin against his.  “As a scribe’s apprentice surely you know this.”

Her expression said that she did indeed know this.  She looked like a child who had been told something they already knew to be true.  She also looked like a woman who knew the hunt was almost over—that he was merely a few moves away from capturing his prey.  He wanted to lose himself in those lips, to taste the remnants of the Pharaoh’s wine and sweetmeats on her tongue, to experience again how quick of a study she was in the art of kissing. 

His free hand slid down to the dip just above her rear and he pressed her body close so she could feel the strength of his desire.  The other hand held her chin steady as he lowered his lips to hers.  He smiled as his eyes began to close, his thoughts filled with the look of desire in May'at's eyes and the anticipation of her soft, full lips touching his own.

May’at slowly began to speak in a futile effort to stop him.  “I…”

“There she is!” a male voice cried out.

Teal’c turned his head to see May’at’s father striding down the hallway with two Jaffa in tow.  He could see her father was not pleased to see his hands touching his daughter, nor the passionate kiss he was about to give her.

“May’at,” Le’to said, “return immediately to the harem.”

May’at immediately shifted from intended lover to embarrassed daughter.  “Father, I—”

“Do as I have said!” he barked, his stern words causing her to leave Teal’c’s side immediately and stand behind the eunuchs.  “She is to remain in the harem.  And no one, especially him,” he jabbed a finger in Teal’c’s direction, “is to come for her.  Is that understood?”

Both of the eunuchs nodded.  One of them grasped May’at by the arm.  She immediately jerked away.  “Father, I have done nothing!” she cried.  Her pleas fell on deaf ears. 

“I am not concerned with what you may or may not have done.”  His eyes were squarely on Teal’c.  “We shall speak in the morning when your head has been cleared of our Pharoah’s wine.”

May’at opened her mouth to protest but Teal’c shook his head.  As he watched her being led away by the eunuchs, all of his instincts said to interfere in her presence was not the best course of action.  As long as he appeared to be the victim of an overbearing father’s wrath, it would all work in his favor.  This he knew from experience. 

Teal’c waited until May’at and her emasculated bodyguards were out of earshot.  “The more you persist in keeping May’at away from me,” he told Le’to in a knowing voice, “the harder she will seek me out.  Surely you know this.”

“You would do well to leave her be,” Le’to snapped.  “You have access to hundreds of women.  Therefore, I do not understand your persistence in seeking out my daughter.”

Teal’c had to give the man credit.  Though he was a few inches shorter than Teal’c and lean in stature he did not have second thoughts about standing up to him in defense of his daughter’s virtue.  Ultimately, what her father was defending would soon be his for the taking.  This he was most sure of.

“I find her pleasing in many ways,” he told the court scholar.

“Do you?” Le’to’s tone was no-nonsense.  Teal’c got the message and let out a hearty laugh.

“I have not taken her,” he assured.  “She is as untouched as the day she was brought forth into this world.”

“Then why parade her in front of our Pharoah as if she were your wife?”

Le’to’s question elicited a serious look from the First Prime.  “Because that is what I intend her to be.” 

A hopeful part of Teal’c thought this would be enough to assure Le’to his intent was honorable.  The skeptical part of him was not surprised to see Le’to regard him with a disdainful look.  Scholars loathed soldiers.  Scholars thought soldiers were oversexed and dim-witted and soldiers thought scholars were overfed and lazy.  Scholars begged like women when they wanted something, while soldiers merely took whatever it was they desired.  It was an old story and the primary reason why each caste sought a wife within their own social circles and rarely stepped out of them.

“May’at is young and impressionable,” Le’to said as he gave one of the flaming torches a cursory look.  “I have seen the impressive gifts you have given her in order to curry favor.  It does not matter how many gifts you give, or how you flaunt your station, my daughter will never become your wife.”

“It is not for you to say,” Teal’c countered, his confidence unshaken.  “Should I ask her and she accepts, that is all that is required.  Your consent is merely a formality.  Considering who I am, you should be honored.”

Le’to scoffed.  “May’at can do much better than to marry a common soldier, even if he is the First Prime of Apophis.”

Teal’c glared at him.  It would have been well within his rights to strike the scholar for insulting him in such a manner but he did not want to do anything that would anger May’at.

“Ultimately my daughter will serve a higher purpose,” Le’to haughtily declared.

“A purpose you continue to keep hidden from May’at.”

“It is for her own good.  And it would behoove you to keep your distance from her.”

Teal’c folded his large arms in front of him and let out an exasperated sigh.  “Since I am neither young nor impressionable, perhaps you care to share that purpose with me?”

Le’to smirked at him walked away.  “All in due time,” he called out as he stepped behind a passing patrol of Jaffa.  “All in due time.”

 

 

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[Book One]           [Book Two]         [Book Three]

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