Fic: Away From the Roll of the Sea (1/2)

[melyanna]

Title: Away From the Roll of the Sea
Authors: miera_c and melyanna
Rating: PG13
Summary: A decade after Elizabeth of Atalan took the throne, she and her family and friends visit the new summer palace of Caldora.
Notes: Last fic, guys. The second post will go up later this week.

Thank you so much for reading, for comments of encouragement, and for sticking around as we sometimes struggled through the big stories we were trying to tell. It's been an amazing experience for us as writers, and I hope all of you as readers have enjoyed stargate_ren.


The royal party was extremely late - days late - arriving at the summer palace in Sheppard. Cameron had learned shortly after ascending the throne that a king was never truly late, but he was irritated with the lords in Redwater who had held him and his family back, and irritated with himself for not leaving when it pleased him. It had taken Carolyn laughing at his frustration in the privacy of their bedchamber to get him to leave.

The journey to Sheppard had been more pleasant than Cameron would have imagined, given the ages of his children. Nearly eight years had passed since he had become king, and in that time, he had only come back to Sheppard twice. Carolyn had brought the boys to Cheyenne without him once, but they had never come as a family. Consequently, this was the first time they were seeing the palace, which had been completed at last the previous autumn.

The tall grass that grew in the hills was as green as Cameron remembered, but it was the palace, gleaming in white stone against the afternoon sky, that captured his attention. He and Carolyn had seen the plans for it four years ago, when construction began, but this was somehow grander than what either of them had expected. Even the boys were awed into silence at seeing it. As usual, though, it lasted only a short while, and Henry and Geoffrey were soon chattering excitedly about all their grand plans for the summer away from Redwater. Grace was asleep on his lap, or else she would have been just as animated about it.

Cameron knew that he and Carolyn would have nearly as much work to do here as they would have had in the capital, but he found himself almost as excited as his sons. This wasn't just a holiday for them. His cousin John was coming with his family and some of Queen Elizabeth's attendants.

In fact, when they arrived at the palace, an Atalanian herald was waiting, and had been for some time. The queen would be there before they could be settled. There would be no changing out of their travel clothes before greeting their guests. Fortunately, Sir Nicholas had been placed in charge of the summer palace for the time being, and he was well prepared even if none of the royal occupants were. While the boys were running through the dining hall that opened onto a large verandah, Cameron heard the approach of several carriages.

Carolyn heard it too and called Henry and Geoffrey back. As they walked to the central courtyard together, she said to Cameron, "You spoil her."

Cameron smiled at his sleeping daughter, whom he had been carrying since they got out of their coach. "She may be the only daughter I ever have, and what kind of father would I be if I did not spoil my only daughter?"

Carolyn regarded him shrewdly and brushed her hand over her midsection. "And if this child is another girl?" she asked, her voice lowered, for even the boys did not know yet that she was with child again. That had been part of the reason for coming here for so long. They wanted to keep this pregnancy private longer than they could manage in court.

"I imagine I will spoil her too," Cameron replied, leaning over to kiss his wife's cheek. Carolyn merely sighed affectionately and then scolded Henry for trying to smear dirt on his younger brother's face.

The arrival of the Queen of Atalan and her party was far less an affair of state here than it would have been in Redwater. Several people, among them children, preceded their sovereign into the courtyard. The queen held the hand of a little boy who could not be more than three, while John was carrying one of his own daughters who was obviously big enough to walk on her own. The commotion woke Grace, but Cameron did not set her down until Carolyn had given him several pointed looks.

The number of guests was impressive. Many of them Cameron remembered from John and Elizabeth's wedding, and of course Lady Teyla had accompanied the queen and prince when they came to Caldora for the coronation, seven and a half years ago now. At Lady Teyla's side was a very tall gentleman whom Cameron vaguely remembered, and John introduced as the former Prince of Sateda, now husband of the Countess of Athos. He too carried a sleeping child, a little boy.

The queen's two attendants, Lady Laura and Lady Katherine, were still in her Majesty's service. Their husbands were there, along with a number of children whom Cameron could not keep track of. It was evident that his children would not lack for playmates this summer.

"We've only just arrived ourselves," Cameron explained when the introductions were finally done. "What do you say, John? Shall we go exploring as we used to?"

John grinned, and most of the party followed the cousins as they walked the pristine corridors and told stories of their childhood, before the Ori, before the Goa'uld, before marriage and children and everything else that had changed their lives forever, whether for good or ill.

Even in another country, Laura's eldest assumed command over the other children. Among the adults, there were jokes that Moira was Elizabeth's heir in spirit. Princess Isabelle, Elizabeth's actual heir, was more likely to watch from the fringes while her friends got into all sorts of trouble.

Elizabeth watched in amusement while Princes Henry and Geoffrey and Princess Grace joined in the antics of their Atalanian guests as though they had known each other forever. Marcus and Kate's twins were probably the happiest about meeting Cameron and Carolyn's children, though. For years they had suffered in a playroom in which they were the only boys, and even now, Prince Andrew and Teyla and Ronon's son Torren were not quite old enough to play with David and Evan. When the palace's caretaker appeared with his two sons, Owen and Cameron, the twins were even more pleased.

After exploring a good part of the exquisitely appointed palace, the whole party retired to their chambers for a brief time. By mutual agreement of the royal families, they had brought as few servants as possible. The maids were all currently employed in setting the children's rooms to rights, which meant that John was now brushing Margaret's hair while Elizabeth and Isabelle changed out of their dusty travel clothes. Isabelle could not manage all the laces yet, so she stood on her toes at the window admiring the view while she waited for Elizabeth's help. Andrew, meanwhile, was singing to himself in one of the room's chairs.

John smiled over his shoulder at Elizabeth. The song Andrew was singing was one John had learned in these very hills.

"Papa," Isabelle said, "is this where you were a little boy?"

"I grew up in a city called Cheyenne, which is two days' ride south of here," John told her. "Remember, King Cameron only just built this palace."

"Oh." Isabelle turned away from the window and back to her father. "Were there sheep in the city?"

Elizabeth suppressed a laugh as she tightened the laces at the front of her gown. "I'm sure there were sheep inside the city sometimes," she said to her daughter.

John made a face. "We tried to keep the sheep outside in the fields, Isabelle. Everyone was happier that way, including the sheep."

Margaret's hair was done, so John set her down and got to work changing Andrew's clothes, wrestling playfully with his son as he did so. As Elizabeth was now dressed, she helped Isabelle and Margaret change their clothes as well. This was not something she did very often, mostly because by the time the children got up in the morning, she was usually well into her second meeting of the day. She imagined a good portion of the court would be appalled to know that Elizabeth even wanted to help her children dress.

She knew the court had a dim view of her and her friends for some of their choices about their children, but Elizabeth would not change a thing. She loved her children too much to think they were not worth her notice.

Once everyone was all cleaned and dressed, it was time for a late lunch out on the verandah, which looked out onto the Talas. Crossing the mountain range had been a simple affair, for two years earlier Elizabeth and Cameron had finally completed the passageways between their countries, something they had first spoken of before Cameron was even a prince. Elizabeth hated to think of it, but Cameron's sudden ascension to the throne had probably expedited the process. They were known to have spoken face to face, after all, while Elizabeth's meeting with the late King Henry was to this day a secret.

The meal was noisy and happy, though Elizabeth mostly observed the others. John had Teyla and Ronon's son on his lap most of the time, for he was very fond of John. But Torren was a little boy now, no longer a baby, and Elizabeth missed seeing John with a baby in his arms.

All three of her pregnancies had been somewhat fraught. With her mother's history, that was no surprise. When the first two years of her marriage passed by without an announcement that she was with child, some of the less tactful in the court had suggested out loud that perhaps Elizabeth's marriage to John needed to be set aside, for failure to produce an heir. She was actually glad that John was away from court so much in that period, but that was the only reason she was glad of his absence.

When Elizabeth's party was returning to Atalan from Cameron and Carolyn's coronation, they were set upon by highwaymen in uniforms. The marauders were beaten back, but John had been badly shaken by the assault. It had been planned with some care, for they were almost a hundred miles from the nearest city with forces significant enough to help them. Elizabeth drafted letters to Redwater and Atlantis before the coaches moved again, warning both palaces that something had to be done about this, but John was not satisfied with that. Even before they had reached Atlantis, he was plotting his revenge against those who had attacked them.

He was often gone in the ensuing months, chasing at shadows and rumors. He was not there when Kate gave birth to the twins, nor for Moira's first birthday. He nearly missed their first wedding anniversary, and was home so late on Elizabeth's birthday that she was already fast asleep before he arrived. She knew that Teyla had tried to speak with him about the matter, but John was blinded by his anger and his feeling that he had failed Elizabeth by not preventing the attack in the first place.

In the second winter of their marriage, he was present in Atlantis more often, but the double strain of his focus on the Genii and their continued trouble in producing an heir meant that John left the city as soon as spring approached. He was gone nearly a month, and in that time Elizabeth realized she was finally with child. She wrote him a letter, requesting his attendance in court, and he came back irritated with her for distracting him from his quest. She had placed him in charge of her military after Jack left the court, after all, and was the Genii threat not worth his personal attention?

What had followed was the worst fight they had had, before or since. After a great deal of shouting, John finally demanded to know what was so important that she had ordered him home, and she told him in anger what she should have told him in joy. It ended the argument, however, as the news sank in with John and he endeavored to set aside his thirst for vengeance in favor of relief, along with concern for her well-being.

They did eventually talk about his absence with clearer heads, and together they decided that John was needed in Atlantis more than he was needed abroad. So he was by her side for the rest of her pregnancy, worrying and fussing even more than her friends did. Isabelle was born the following autumn, healthy and beautiful. Those were the days Elizabeth preferred to think about, especially now. She had never loved John more than when he first held their child, face full of awe as he looked down at their tiny daughter.

After a while, the noise at the table died down. The children were growing tired, Elizabeth imagined. Torren was asleep on John's shoulder, and Margaret looked like she was about to doze off on Cameron's lap while he talked with Marcus. But at the far end of the table, Elizabeth noticed that the two eldest, Moira and Henry, were rapidly whispering to each other. They were up to something. Knowing that Moira had a penchant for trouble and that Henry was descended from one of the lords of Sheppard, Elizabeth had no doubt that mischief was afoot.

A few minutes later, Moira and Henry got up from their seats and stood near Laura and Carson, until Laura acknowledged them. "Mama, could we have some paper?" Moira asked.

Laura turned a puzzled smile to the children. "Why?"

"It's a secret, my lady," said Henry.

"Ask the queen," Laura told them. "She may have some to spare."

Moira walked straight to Elizabeth, but Henry turned first toward his mother and had to hurry to catch up when he realized his mistake. Elizabeth turned slightly to speak to them. "If I am to give you paper, I must know why."

"But it's a secret," Henry repeated.

"And I, young prince, am very good at keeping secrets."

The pair glanced at each other, then Moira rose up on her toes and whispered in Elizabeth's ear. She grinned at first, then composed herself and told them where they could find the paper they wanted.

As the children scampered out, John asked, "Why do they want paper?"

Elizabeth nudged him with her elbow. "It's a secret, my lord," she told him, and everyone laughed.

If he had learned only one thing in his life, John had learned how to make a home. After being cast out of the land of his birth, he had made a home for himself in Atlantis - with Elizabeth, if he was honest, even before either of them had the courage to say such a thing aloud. Now that he had been married to a queen for eight years and they had three children of their own, he was hard-pressed to say that he was ever homesick in Atlantis, but sometimes he felt a longing.

Being in Caldora again, he understood how much this place was still in his blood. He and Cameron (and their guards, an unending irritation) went for a ride nearly every morning when the weather was fine, and the two reminisced about their childhoods in the hills. Cameron was eager to have his children experience a little of life out here, away from court, and John could confess that he felt the same.

For now, however, he was focused on other things. The girls were old enough, particularly Isabelle, to understand how different this place was from their home. A few nights after their arrival at the summer palace, John had gone to tuck the girls into their beds, and Isabelle had sighed. "Papa, I can hear the creek," she said.

"Why does that make you sigh, Isabelle?" he asked.

Her smile had been sad. "Because it makes me miss the ocean."

But there was one thing Isabelle did like about Sheppard. She liked that she could see forever from the top of the palace or the crest of any hill. It was the one thing that the prairie had in common with the sea.

Isabelle was his shy one. He remembered feeling overwhelmed by his brothers when he was her age, and he wondered sometimes if that was what Isabelle felt. The playroom and the schoolroom in Atlantis were occupied by the likes of Moira Beckett and David and Evan Lorne, three children who would never be accused of excessive introversion. Daniel had joked that one of the reasons he intended to stay behind in Atlantis during this trip was to enjoy some peace and quiet without the young ones underfoot.

Isabelle was more quick-witted than all of the children, but right now she tended to let the older children lead. When John had observed as much to his wife, Elizabeth had pointed out with wry amusement that watchfulness and caution were hardly bad qualities for a future monarch to possess.

Isabelle's little sister Margaret had no such reticence. She was the adventurer of the two, though she was only four years old. Though half Moira's age, the little princess was already challenging the older girl for preeminence among the children, although they were also good friends. Watching their battles, John often laughed. It seemed that the politics of the palace would extend even to the nursery.

It was a great contrast to what he learned of his cousin's children. Cameron's reign had brought peace to Caldora, and with it increasing prosperity. No longer did the nobles feel the need to keep their families in the stronghold of Redwater so much of the time, so Henry, Geoffrey, and Grace often had no one to play with but each other. Cameron was clearly not happy with that state of affairs, but there were few options for him.

One night after the children had been put to bed, the adults were sitting atop one of the towers, watching the night sky. Stars were falling to earth with magnificent streaks of fire. The Asgard had told Elizabeth before they left Atlantis that they ought to try to watch the sky on this night. They had been correct.

After a long period of silence from all of them, Elizabeth finally turned her eyes away from the stars. "Do you remember the eclipse?" she asked.

John folded his hand over hers. "It was the night we drove the Goa'uld out," he replied. He had not spoken of that to Elizabeth or anyone for a long time. He did not like to dwell on memories of war and sacrifice, and although Elizabeth knew much more than anyone else, she never pressed him to talk about such things.

"I have few memories of anything after that," Cameron observed. "I've always relied on the reports of others when talking of that battle."

John had no such trouble, and long-ignored memories bubbled up to the surface now. The panic he'd felt when he believed Cameron to be dead was surprisingly fresh in his mind all these years later. He glanced at his cousin and saw some of his own emotions reflected in Cameron's face.

Some of the Atalanians did not know the story of Cameron's disappearance in the midst of battle, but none of the Caldorans were inclined to tell the tale now. Elizabeth did not inquire further. Instead she leaned against him, squeezing his hand tightly and said, "I watched the eclipse that night with Jack. Being the lovesick girl I was at the time, I wondered if you saw it."

John chuckled at that, as did several of the others.

"Elizabeth," Cameron said, "I met you not long after that night. I must admit, I find it difficult to think of you as a girl, at that time or any other."

That sent Kate and Laura into fits of giggles. "Oh, if only you knew her as well as we do, my lord," Kate said.

"I believe the two of you were sworn to secrecy," Teyla said dryly. "I have been trying for years to pry those stories out of you."

Elizabeth merely smiled. "Being queen has its privileges."

Carolyn looked at Elizabeth curiously. "How old were you when your ladies were chosen, then?"

"Eight," Elizabeth replied. "So they have been with me twenty years now." Kate and Laura both blinked as they realized she was correct. Thankfully any jokes about old age were cut off by Carolyn speaking again.

"We have been thinking about choosing companions for our children," Carolyn said. "They need to be around other children, and not many of the nobles bring their families to Redwater anymore."

Elizabeth nodded, understanding. "It was that way in Atlantis after the Ori. In time, the families returned."

"At least the boys have each other," Cameron pointed out.

"But in a few years' time, Grace may need a companion," Carolyn said.

"We will know for sure in six months, so there is no point in-"

"Cameron! That was supposed to be a secret!"

Everyone laughed as the meaning of the king's statement was understood. John smiled at Cameron. "Congratulations, cousin."

"Thank you, John," Cameron replied, though he looked somewhat annoyed. "I imagine you and the queen will follow suit before long? That has been your pattern thus far."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It has been two years since Juliet and Torren were born. I think the men in my inner circle have enjoyed the reprieve from pregnant wives."

Laura laughed heartily. "I believe my husband still wants a son, so I don't think we are finished yet."

Carson held up his hands. "I am happy with my daughters. In fact, I can barely keep up with them and their mother," he added, grinning at Laura, who rolled her eyes.

As the night drew on, they shared more stories about their children, along with speculation about what the children had been up to during this visit. Moira and Prince Henry had dreamed up something, and they were leading all of the others, from the twins to Torren and little Juliet, Laura and Carson's daughter who was the youngest of the children, in some grand conspiracy. Elizabeth knew, of course, but she was not telling.

Eventually, the stars above them resumed their normal path across the sky. When everyone finally retired for the night, John was not particularly tired. It was soon evident that Elizabeth was not either. She indulged him and let him undress her as slowly as he could stand, lavishing his attention over the body he knew so well.

She looked very different now than she had on their wedding night. Eight years and three children had left her heavier than she had been then. She already had some grey hair, and she had a few wrinkles around her eyes. Her life was not an easy one, no matter how much John helped her.

But the changes brought by time did not mean he wanted her less now than he had eight years ago. It seemed that familiarity had made her more desirable. Occasionally he told Elizabeth as much, and it never failed to make her blush.

On this night, as they lay in bed together, John laced his fingers with hers and kissed her hand. "How do you feel about having another child?" he asked, feeling strangely nervous.

Elizabeth took a long time in answering. "Were I merely your wife, I would have little hesitation," she said. "I cannot say I have enjoyed every aspect of being pregnant, but I know our children have been a great joy to both of us."

"But?" John prompted.

"It has been difficult," she murmured, and for a while they said nothing else.

Their little Isabelle had not come into the world easily, some of which was the fault of his own foolishness. Two years of trying and failing to produce an heir had put immense strain on their marriage, and John had spent the months of that pregnancy in silent terror, trading his hunt for the Genii to watch over his wife as much as he could. Elizabeth was young and strong, but her mother had once been young and strong too, and John feared losing her more than anything else.

But Isabelle was healthy and perfect, and Elizabeth recovered, and before Isabelle's first birthday, Elizabeth was with child again. Margaret had not been planned, exactly, but neither mother nor father were overly surprised by her. John's fear was not as consuming at that point, but he still worried until Margaret was safely delivered and Lorne was teasing him about being the only one of the lot of them able to produce sons.

After the birth of her second daughter, Elizabeth went to the college to petition for a change in Atalan's laws of succession. It was not an easy battle, and she was carrying Andrew before it was done, but now, the children of the sovereign were treated as equals. Isabelle, as firstborn, was Elizabeth's heir, not Andrew. John had no regrets on that score, but he had been thrilled when Carson informed him his third child was a boy.

Their son was three years old now, though, and John had always wanted a large family.

He met his wife's eyes; her ability to tell him what she wanted without a word had not waned in all these years. He smiled wickedly as he leaned down to kiss the hollow of her throat. Her head tipped back and her body arched toward him.

John met no resistance as he gently pushed her to her back. He settled over her and waited a moment, meeting her gaze before he kissed her. Perhaps it was the remembrances of their wedding night that he'd been entertaining earlier, but he was in the mood to take this slowly. He kissed her patiently, savoring each brush of her lips against his. Normally Elizabeth had little tolerance for such things, but tonight she indulged him.

His hands wandered over her body, and he ignored what he knew in favor of renewed exploration. The tactic proved more satisfying than he anticipated, for she gasped and shifted and cried out his name when he least expected it. Soon she gripped his head with both hands and dragged him up for a frantic, urgent kiss, wrapping her legs around his waist, leaving him in no doubt of what she wanted of him.

It was, of course, when they were thus embraced that the door swung open and one of their daughters burst in.

Margaret was nearly in hysterics from a bad dream. John pitied her but felt a rush of relief that she was far too distracted to take any note of what she had interrupted. As surreptitiously as he could, he moved to the far side of the bed and pulled his dressing gown on while Elizabeth attempted to console Margaret while keeping her body covered by the bedsheet. Then he hurried around the bed and scooped Margaret up into his arms. While he comforted the sobbing child and took her back to her room, it occurred to him that these things never happened at home, where there was a governess to intercept such interruptions.

Margaret refused to relinquish her hold around his neck until she was asleep once more. Careful not to wake the other children, John laid her down in her bed again and hoped he and Elizabeth would not face another such disturbance.

However, there was another problem when he got back. Elizabeth had fallen asleep.

In fairness, he had been gone for some time, but John was annoyed. He shook her shoulder, not too gently, until she let out a squeal of surprise and glared at him. "You fell asleep," he said, hands planted on his hips as he stared down at her.

But Elizabeth could always get the best of him. She pushed herself up, letting the covers fall away, and stood in front of him. She had dozed off, but she hadn't bothered to dress herself. Without a glance away from his face, she unfastened his dressing gown and pushed it off. "And what, my lord," she said, "do you propose to do about that?"

John held her gaze for a time, but then he laughed. Swift as he could, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down to the bed with him. "I could think of a great many things," he replied, murmuring in her ear. "But perhaps her Majesty has a suggestion?"

Late one afternoon, Teyla wandered up the tallest tower of the palace and took in the view. Even after two weeks here she was still unaccustomed to the sight of the mountains and the plains far below, with no water anywhere in sight. She had traveled a good deal and seen many exotic places, but she had rarely spent so long in one location, and most of those trips had been on the queen's business, so she was more occupied. She had seen the Talas Mountains before as well, on the journey to Redwater for Cameron and Carolyn's coronation all those years ago, but the queen's party had not dawdled, especially after the Genii attack had taken them all by surprise.

The ambush had been well-planned and brutal; though none of the men were killed, several were injured, a few so badly they had to resign from service. Aiden Ford still occasionally joked that the scar on his face was the only reason people had ceased referring to him as "Young Lieutenant Ford." And of course John's fury at the Genii had cost him and Elizabeth much in the following months. Teyla had finally lost her temper with John and told him harshly that he needed to choose between being Elizabeth's husband or her commander, because he was in danger of being neither. John had been furious at the time but a few months later, after it was announced that Elizabeth was at long last with child and things between the queen and the prince had settled down, he admitted sheepishly that Teyla had been correct.

Teyla and Ronon had joined the effort to locate the Genii more after that point, at least when Ronon was in Atalan. But the leaders of the rebels were cunning, having stayed hidden since their original attempt at rebellion had been put down by Elizabeth's father. Despite their searching, the Genii camp had not been located.

In the end, Elizabeth had been the key to resolving the conflict, rather than her husband. It had been Elizabeth who convinced Ladon Radim to turn spy for her. She had promised full pardons and land to farm to any of the descendants of the rebels who would swear loyalty to Atalan and lay down their arms. Radim had led Atalan's forces to the Genii encampment, and the Genii leaders had been dispatched as a warning to any who thought to follow their lead.

The former Genii, having been granted clemency by the queen and vowed their loyalty to her, were now by all accounts happily settled on land near the border between Berwynn and Hammond, where Jack's men kept discreet watch and he forwarded regular reports on activity in the small village. That had been Lord George's suggestion, one of the last services he had rendered his country before his passing, just over two years ago.

Atalan was at peace within, but the Goa'uld were fighting with the Tok'ra and Jaffa again. One of the reasons Elizabeth had wanted to make this journey now was out of concern that the conflict would spread further and prevent it. No one knew when, or even if, such a holiday could be arranged again.

Teyla had enjoyed coming here, but she was eager to return home. The demise of the Wraith had led to increased prosperity in Athos, which had enabled her to rebuild the manor house outside of the village. It was not a replica of the home she remembered from her childhood, the need for a fortress no longer being her primary concern. Having seen a number of estates belonging to nobility both in Atalan and outside of it, Teyla had felt a desire to build a home suitable for being the seat of a territory, something to pass down to Torren and any other descendants.

She heard footsteps drawing closer but she did not bother to turn, for she recognized the sound. She was unsurprised when Ronon slipped his arms about her waist and drew her back to lean against him. He bent down and pressed a kiss to a sensitive spot on her neck and she shivered despite the heat.

Her thoughts turned to their courtship, which had been woven in and about the conflict with the Genii and her frequent trips on the queen's behalf, to Dakara, Iolan and other places that Elizabeth herself could not travel to. A few times Ronon had gone with her, to countries reachable by sea. He spent most of the warm months on the water during those first few years after being freed from the Wraith, staying in Athos during the winters. She understood his reasons, but time passed, testing her determination not to issue any demands regarding their relationship. He needed to choose freely, and she knew it would only hurt them both to push the issue. But she had been upset when he left again after they had become lovers. Only Elizabeth knew how deeply that had hurt her. Teyla had gone to Dakara that spring and in her confusion almost made a rash and disastrous decision while she was there. Fortunately, Master Bra'tac had persuaded her to change her mind before anything became irrevocable.

Even Teyla's patience had limits and the year after, as the winter was ending, she had concluded she would have to say something, get some firm idea of Ronon's intentions before he departed again. They had been walking near the shore at sunset, listening to the ice beginning to break, when Ronon had stopped. He had been quiet that day, even for him, and he turned to her with a look on his face that she knew she would never forget. He had reached for her hand and said lowly, "Teyla, I do not want to leave."

His timing had been excellent, for Teyla realized as they prepared for the wedding that she was with child.

As if reading her thought, he skimmed a hand over her stomach. She covered his hand with her own. She hoped for more children. She had grown up without any brothers or sisters, and she did not want that for her son. She was not certain yet that she carried another child, but her husband had not been wasting opportunities to try, she thought with a smile. It could be overwhelming at times, having all the passion of his nature focused on her, but they were as equally matched in this as they were in everything else. Her husband had been a novice when he first came to her bed, but he was an extremely fast learner.

She turned away from the sunset, stretching up to kiss him gently. Ronon chased her lips, apparently wanting more, but she stepped away. "Torren will be up from his nap soon, if not already."

She heard the small sigh Ronon attempted to hide and grinned to herself as they went back down the stairs. All the children were awake, judging from the noise coming out of the nursery. Teyla paused in the doorway, laughing at the sight of the King of Caldora and the Prince of Atalan playing scald with the older children in the middle of the room, including the two sons of Sir Nicholas and his wife Cassandra, Cameron and Owen. John was still teasing his cousin over his young namesake. The younger children were paired off occupying themselves with various toys.

Torren caught sight of his parents and jumped up to run unsteadily toward them, his small arms reaching up. Ronon caught the boy easily and tossed him in the air while Torren shrieked in delight. His laughter was undercut by a wail of complaint from the other side of the room where little Lucy, Kate and Marcus' daughter, was upset that her playmate had run off. Her brothers looked over in concern but it was Rebecca who trotted over to console the little girl. Rebecca was the image of Laura but she had her father's disposition. She was the "little mother hen," according to Carson, always concerned with the younger children, including her own two little sisters, Mary and Juliet.

Seeing Kate's children reminded Teyla of why she was nervous about giving birth again. The twins' birth had been difficult and Perna had been grave even after Kate recovered. It seemed the concern was well-founded as four years went by without any signs of another pregnancy. It had not been easy for Kate, particularly as her friends were all having more children during that time. Kate had begun to resign herself to the situation when they discovered she was with child once more. Marcus had confessed to Teyla at one point that he would rather dote upon his sons and never have to fear for Kate's safety again, but he was already in danger of spoiling Lucy thoroughly. Although all was well, Teyla knew there were no guarantees for any of them.

Torren cuddled onto his father's shoulder, smiling down at her and Teyla could not help but smile back. He had Ronon's eyes, although the little boy was free of the shadows that still lurked in his father's face at times. Teyla thought this was how Ronon must have looked at that age, before the Wraith and the loss of Sateda. Torren would not face such tragedies, not if Teyla had any say in the matter.

The older children were clamoring for another round of the game but John raised a hand. "It is getting late and supper will soon be ready. You all need to go clean yourselves up first."

"Uncle John, that won't take long. We have time for one more game!" Prince Henry protested.

Cameron shot a stern look at his son but his cousin answered before he could speak. John hefted the ball and said, "Well, young prince, how about this? We play another round, but if you lose, you and Moira must tell us what your big secret is."

Teyla smothered a smile as the room exploded in shrieking protests.