The Prince's Bride
By
Denise
"Tell us a story," Draygon requested, her eyes glittering with anticipation.
"Yes," Machon chimed in. "I want to hear an adventure."
"I don't like adventures," Serti whined.
"You like silly romances," her elder brother Athon chided.
"Tell us something from the Tau'ri," Celan said, her voice cutting through the chatter.
"Children, you should leave Teal'c be," Kar'yn said, bringing her father in law a cup of beer. "Let him enjoy the peace and quiet of the night."
Teal'c looked out at the sea of faces, illuminated by the flickering fire light. "I am not aggrieved," Teal'c said, smiling at her.. "In fact, I believe that I know of a tale that the children might enjoy." He looked at them, sitting on the ground by the fire. "It is a tale of intrigue, betrayal, honor, and even love."
The children's faces lit up and frowned in turn as each heard a part they would like, along with a part that they might not. Teal'c took a deep draft of his beer, savoring the sour flavor, before he began.
Once upon a time, and all truly great Tau'ri tales begin such, a beautiful woman, Samantha, lived in the kingdom of Florin. She possessed great strength and beauty as well as great intelligence.
She chose to apply her skills to the betterment of her kingdom, exploring and striving to make it better. She was aided in this task by her assistant, Jonathan, a great warrior in his own right, yet one whose own intelligence paled in comparison to Samantha's.
However, he possessed superior tactical knowledge and he would use his skills to defend Samantha, allowing her to complete her own tasks. Over the years, a fondness developed between the two warriors, a fondness that, unbeknownst to them, was the palest manifestations of a deep and abiding love. The kind of love that the Tau'ri tales hold up to be the very goal of every relationship.
However, their feelings ran contrary to the ways of their land, and the rules that dictated that duty should come before self, and feelings were unimportant. Because of this, Jonathan decided to leave, to go and find his fortune,to find a way to remove himself and Samantha from the rules, to find a way to allow their love to burst forth.
"I don't want you to go," Samantha pleaded, tightening her arms around Jonathan.
"If we are ever to be together, I must," he said. "I cannot live another day knowing that these simple rules keep us apart. If I make my fortune, we won't be subject to them and we can live as we wish."
"I'm afraid that you'll never return," she moaned, staring into his eyes as if she could hold him there forever.
"I will always return."
Samantha tearfully let him go and she busied herself with her duties, applying her vast knowledge to understanding the secrets of her kingdom's enemies. It was there, as she toiled long hours, that she received word of her beloved's fate.
While on his quest he fell foul to the machinations of the Dread Pirate Roberts, leader of the Lucian Alliance.
"Pirate?" Celan asked. "What is a pirate?"
"Yeah, Teal'c, what's a pirate?" Jack asked, joining his friend at the fire.
Teal'c looked up, frowning at the sight of the rest of his team joining him. Colonel Carter, Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran, and Cameron Mitchell all took seats around the fire. "I was not aware that you were visiting the Jaffa," Teal'c said.
O'Neill shrugged. "We were bored."
"He was bored," Colonel Carter corrected, smiling her thanks at Kar'yn as the woman passed around mugs of beer to all the new arrivals. "We got shanghaied."
"Ah, I dunno," Cameron said. "How often do we get to use the gate just for fun?"
"You people have a strange definition of fun," Vala said, frowning as she brushed imaginary dirt off her leg. "While I do find the sitting around a fire to be quaint and…earthy. Don't you think it would be far more comfortable with chairs and people to bring you food and drink and—"
"Vala," Colonel Carter interrupted, glaring at her indulgently.
"Fine, fine," Vala shrugged. "I'm just saying that there's nothing wrong with a few creature comforts."
"Finish the story," Draygon pleaded, clearly impatient with having her entertainment interrupted.
"Yeah, T, finish the story," O'Neill said. "I think you left off with pirates."
"Dread Pirate Roberts," Colonel Carter corrected.
"Indeed." Teal'c stared down his teammates, silently telling them that he was the storyteller, not them, before he turned his attention back to the children.
The Dread Pirate Roberts was a brigand with a most fearful reputation. It was said that he never allowed a captive to live. Aware that her beloved was most likely dead, Samantha fell into a deep depression. She took refuge in her laboratory for many weeks, refusing to speak to any other.
"She did what?" Colonel Carter asked, leaning forward.
"Stop interrupting," Celan whined.
"Yeah, Carter, stop interrupting the man," O'Neill instructed, taking a drink. "Have another beer." Colonel Carter obliged and Teal'c continued with his tale.
The Kingdom of Florin was ruled by a king and queen, who had but a single child. Their son, Peter, knew that it was time for him to marry. Since he did not feel the need to make a political alliance, he chose his mate based not upon position or titles but appearance. This was why, instead of marrying a princess from a foreign land as was the practice, he chose his future bride from the commoners of his kingdom.
"Petey?" Jack asked. "You had to bring Petey into this?"
"He chose Samantha, didn't he?" Serti asked, ignoring Jack's outburst.
"Indeed he did," Teal'c answered. "However, the prince did not realize, nor did he care, that Samantha did not love him. She agreed to marry him simply because she lacked the will to continue to deny his advances."
Samantha's only joy came from her daily ride in the vast wildernesses in Prince Peter's kingdom. And it was upon one of those rides that she encountered three men, Daniel Jackson, Cameron Mitchell and Fezzik.
"Fezzik?" Daniel asked. Teal'c ignored him.
Fezzik was a giant, a man with incalculable strength and cunning. His companion, Daniel Jackson, was a Sicilian by birth and was the brains, as the Tau'ri say, of the operation. Cameron Mitchell was the last member of the group and was a swordsman by trade.
"Forgive me, my lady," Daniel Jackson said, stepping forward to address Samantha. "We are but three poor circus performers who have lost our way. Is there perhaps an inn nearby?"
"No," Samantha answered, staring at the odd trio. "There nothing around for miles."
At her words, Fezzik stepped forward. "Then there will be no one to hear you scream," Daniel Jackson said. Before she could react, Fezzik reached for Samantha, quickly subduing her. Samantha was plucked from her horse as Daniel Jackson pulled out the scarlet livery of a soldier of Gilder.
"What's Gilder?" Celan asked.
"Gilder is the sworn enemy of Florin," Teal'c answered. "The three men were mercenaries, hired to kidnap the prince's bride and begin a war between Florin and Gilder."
"My father says that tactic often works," Ry'kan said, piping up for the first time.
"Indeed, it often does," Teal'c agreed. "Which is why Daniel Jackson chose it."
"What are you doing with that?" Cameron Mitchell asked as Daniel Jackson ripped off a piece of the livery and tucked it into the saddle of Samantha's horse.
"The horse will return to its stable and those that find it will believe that Samantha has been taken by soldiers of Gilder." He shrugged. "We were hired to start a war, this is the easiest, unless you happen to have a better idea."
"No, I was just curious is all," Cameron answered.
The three men took their captive a short distance away and boarded a small boat. "If the wind cooperates, we will have Samantha in Gilder by morning, collect our fee and be on our way."
As the boat sailed across the sea, Samantha awoke and found herself bound. She glared a terrible glare at her captors, showering them with utter contempt.
"He's got that part right," O'Neill muttered. Colonel Carter reached over and slapped him on the arm.
"Stop. You'll set a bad example for the children," Vala scolded. Teal'c nodded his thanks.
"Prince Peter will come for me," Samantha said. "He is the greatest hunter in the kingdom. He will find you and when he does, he will kill you."
"Inconceivable," Daniel Jackson said. "We are on a boat, Samantha. There is no way for your prince to track you."
"I don't know about that," Cameron Mitchell said. "What if someone is following us?"
"Inconceivable. Who could be following us? No one in Gilder knows what we have done and no one in Florin could have gotten here so soon." He used a knife blade to dig at some dirt beneath his nails. "Just out of curiosity, why do you ask?
"Because there is a ship following us," Cameron Mitchell said.
"Inconceivable," Daniel Jackson sputtered, moving towards the back of the ship. In the distance, he could see the sails of a black ship, just visible through the mist. "Maybe it's just a fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise…in eel infested waters."
"I do not think that is likely," Fezzik said.
"I agree with Fezzik."
Daniel Jackson's protest was cut off by a splash and they turned to see their prisoner gone. They hurried to the rail to see Samantha swimming away, her bound hands doing little to hamper her efforts. "Turn the boat!" Daniel Jackson ordered. He leaned over the rail. "Swim back now, Samantha, and I promise you, you will reach Gilder alive."
She turned, struggling to tread water. "You'll kill me no matter what I do."
A bone chilling squeal pierced the night and Samantha turned, alarmed at the sound. "I won't have to," Daniel Jackson said. "Do you hear that sound, Samantha? Those are the shrieking eels. They always squeal louder when they are about to feast on human flesh!"
"Spooky," O'Neill muttered, shivering in an exaggerated manner.
"I dunno," Cameron said. "Aren't they kinda like those things we ran into last month? The ones that—"
"Let Muscles tell his story."
As Samantha floated in the water, the eels began to circle her, testing their prey. They swam, their shrieks growing louder and louder as they got closer and closer. She could see their sharp pointed teeth ready to tear her flesh to shreds as they bumped into her, pushing her in the chilled water. One of the eels charged Samantha, its toothy jaws open wide in anticipation of a meal. Samantha stared at it, unable to do more than to raise her hands in impotent defense. Just as she knew she was about to die…
Teal'c stopped, the crackling of the fire the only sound to be heard. A dozen children and adults were staring at him, the tenseness of the children's muscles a testament to their interest. "Perhaps this is too frightening of a tale for ones so young," he said.
"No, no, no," the children cried.
"What happens?" Ry'kan asked.
"I bet the eel eats her," Celan said.
"Eww."
"I shall continue."
As Samantha floated in the water, the eels began to circle her, testing their prey.
"You said that part," Jack said, finishing his beer.
"I did?"
"You did," Sam confirmed.
"My apologies."
"She was about to be eel bait," Cameron reminded.
One of the eels charged Samantha, its toothy jaws open wide in anticipation of a meal. Samantha stared at it, unable to do more than to raise her hands in impotent defense. Just as she knew she was about to die…a great hand slammed down onto the head of the eel, knocking it under water as the hand pulled Samantha to safety.
"Told you it'd be fine," Vala teased Daniel.
Samantha collapsed onto the deck of the boat, gasping for breath. "I would not do that again," Daniel Jackson said. "Fezzik may not feel like saving you next time."
"I think the ship has gained on us," Cameron Mitchell said from his place at the stern of the small ship.
"Inconceivable!" Daniel Jackson exclaimed.
"You know, I don't think that word means what you think it means," Cameron Mitchell said.
Daniel Jackson glared at him. "It doesn't matter. We will soon be at the Cliffs of Insanity. He won't be able to follow us beyond that."
:::::
Samantha sat on the deck, watching the sun rise as their ship approached the Cliffs of Insanity. Daniel Jackson slept in one corner of their ship and, as she watched, she saw Cameron Mitchell and Fezzik trade places, Fezzik taking a turn at the rudder.
Cameron Mitchell slipped down into the galley and returned with a cup of water, which he offered to Samantha.
"Why are you with them?" she asked, taking the cup and taking a drink.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not the same as them. You're different." She had been observing him as he steered the ship, his black attire, from boots to shirt to gloves, sometimes rendering him little more than a pale face in the darkness.
"I am no different." He stepped away.
"Tell me, please." She reached out towards him. "What have you got to lose? They're going to kill me anyway. Why are you with them?"
Cameron Mitchell sat beside her on the deck. "When I was a boy, my father, he was the greatest sword maker in the land. He was commissioned to make a sword, a fine, fine blade. And he did. He made the greatest sword in the land." Cameron pulled the sword from the scabbard at his waist and held it up. The gold and silver blade glittered in the rays of the rising sun. "A very special sword for a very special man. A man with six fingers. But when the client came, he refused to pay. He demanded the sword for free. My father refused and the client took it from him, and ran him through."
"I'm sorry."
"I tried to stop him and…" He gestured to two small scars on his cheeks, ridged lines by his ears. "He did this. And from that day, I swore revenge." He studied the sword. "I learned everything I could learn about the sword. I mastered it. I mastered everything about it."
"And?" Samantha prompted.
"It was not enough. Even as a master, the one thing I wanted eluded me."
"Which was?"
"It did not help me find the six fingered man. Because that is all I have wanted since the day my father died in my arms. To find the six fingered man, and to tell him, hello, my name is Cameron Mitchell, you killed my father, prepare to die."
Samantha did not know what to say, how to respond to the man's thirst for vengeance.
"Stop dawdling!" Daniel Jackson said, awakening as Fezzik maneuvered the ship to the base of the cliffs.
"That man is still following us," Fezzik said.
"It doesn't matter, he'll never be able to follow us up the cliffs." They moored the boat next to a long rope and Daniel Jackson dragged Samantha behind him while Cameron Mitchell helped Fezzik hook himself into a harness.
With the other three hanging onto him, Fezzik began to climb up the rope, his indomitable strength allowing him to not only climb the rope, but to pull three others up with him.
"He is still following us," Cameron Mitchell said, looking down.
"Inconceivable," Daniel Jackson exclaimed.
"Will you stop!" Samantha said, opening her clenched eyes. Daniel Jackson glared at her. "Pick another word, any word."
"Climb faster," Daniel Jackson bit out, momentarily regretting that he could not kill her yet.
Fezzik obliged and the quartet reached the top of the cliffs and they gratefully climbed onto the flat surface of the top. Daniel Jackson had barely regained his balance before he drew a knife out of his belt, using it to cut the rope. He and Cameron Mitchell peered over the edge of the cliff, astonished to see the black clad man still following them.
"We need to deal with that guy," Daniel Jackson said. "Fezzik and I will take Samantha, you need to handle him," he ordered Cameron Mitchell.
"I will have to do him left handed," Cameron Mitchell said.
"We're in a hurry," Daniel Jackson protested.
"It is the only way I can get satisfaction."
"You can only get satisfaction with your left hand?" O'Neill quipped.
"Go ahead, hit him, we won't tell," Daniel said.
"Cameron Mitchell's skill was so great, as was his sense of honor and dignity," Teal'c said loudly, reclaiming the attentions of his listeners. "That the only way he could fight one that surely possessed such a lesser level of skill was to handicap himself, by fighting with his less proficient hand."
Cameron Mitchell waited at the top of the cliff while the man in black continued his arduous climb. "Do you think you can hurry up?" he called out.
The man in black glanced up, a disdainful glare visible even behind the mask he wore. "Gimme a good reason."
"I hate to wait," Cameron Mitchell shrugged.
"Tough." The man in black returned to his painfully slow climb and Cameron Mitchell paced some more, drawing his sword out and taking swipes at the air. After a few more minutes, he returned to the edge of the cliff, frowning when he saw that the man in black had only climbed a few more feet.
"You know, at the pace you are climbing, you might not be up here until nightfall."
"Yeah, so? You got a date?" the man in black asked, clearing unimpressed by Cameron Mitchell's predicament.
"No, I just…" He looked down at his feet and the useless rope lying there. "I bet if I tossed down the rope you wouldn't even trust me not to cut it."
"Would you trust you?" the man in black shot back.
Cameron Mitchell thought for a moment. "No, I would not." He turned away and then turned back. "I swear to you, upon my father's memory, that you shall reach the top alive," he called out.
"Give me the rope," the man in black instructed.
Cameron Mitchell unwound the rope and tossed it over the cliff enabling the man in black to climb to the top. The second that his feet were on solid ground, he reached for his sword, ready to do battle. "No, wait, catch your breath," Cameron Mitchell said.
"That's very sporting of you," the man in black said, sitting down upon a rock.
Cameron Mitchell nodded and turned away for a second, pulling the rope up over the edge of the cliff. So he did not see the man in black reach into his pocket and pull out a small weapon. The tranquilizer dart pierced him in the upper leg and he fell to the ground, unconscious. "It was also damned stupid," the man in black said, ascertaining that he had not killed the swordsman. "If I was bored, I'd kill a little time sparring with you, but I have a princess to catch and not a lot of time to do it in."
"See, see, THAT is why I always told you guys never to trust anyone!" O'Neill said.
"Why is it always me?" Cameron asked.
"At least you kept your pants on this time," Sam quipped, drinking her beer.
"I think if the man in black had removed them, this would not be a story to be telling children," Vala said.
Teal'c raised his voice, cutting through the chitchat. "His first adversary defeated, the man in black quickly discerned the trail left behind by Daniel Jackson and the giant Fezzik and hurried after them.
::::::::::::
Fezzik stopped for a few moments to allow Samantha to catch her breath. "You shouldn't have left him behind," she said, leaning on a rock.
"He had a job to do," Daniel Jackson interjected. "And so do you," he said to Fezzik.
"What?"
Daniel Jackson pointed off to the distance and the dark figure jogging through the grass. "You need to stop him."
"But I do not—"
"I don't care what you do or don't want to do," Daniel Jackson interrupted. "He is coming, you will stop him
Fezzik stared, his hands clenching at his side as if he was contemplating stopping someone – anyone – other than the man in black. After a few seconds, he sighed and nodded. "I will stay here while you take Samantha," he said.
"I knew you'd see things my way," Daniel Jackson said, grabbing Samantha's arm and pulling her down the trail.
Fezzik turned, watching as the man in black jogged across the grass, easily picking his was in and around the small bushes and rocks that dotted the terrain. He did not want to do this. He was tired of this. Tired of being ordered, tired of having to follow those orders. Tired of weak little men using him, using his strength to do horrible things.
The man in black jogged so freely across the landscape.
Freedom.
Fezzik longed for that. Longed to be free. Longed to make his own choices. To do what he wished, when he wished to do it. He looked down at his unfettered hands, aware that they might as well be wrapped in chains and steel.
"I'm guessing you're gonna try to stop me," a voice drawled.
Fezzik looked up, surprised to see the man in black standing before him. "You move fast," he muttered.
The man quirked his head. "You kinda have to if you don't want to get dead." He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "We gonna do this, or what?"
"Or what," Fezzik said, making his decision in an instant. HIS decision. "I will not tell you where they are going or why Daniel Jackson kidnapped Samantha, but I will not stop you." He moved to the side and stood out of the man in black's way.
"Why? I'm sure your orders are to beat the crap out of me and keep me from following your partners."
"They are," Fezzik said. "But I tire of obeying the orders of others. Follow, do not follow, I do not care." He took a moment to study the man, noting his athletic build, the cunning in the eyes visible behind the mask, the broken in but not worn state of his clothing. This was a man of action. And he must possess some level of skill, or he would not have survived this long. "Although I am certain that you will continue to follow Samantha."
"Yeah, didn't see that coming," Cameron quipped. "Ow," he exclaimed when Sam smacked his arm.
"Shut up and listen to the story," she said.
The man in black quickly left the giant behind and continued in his quest to find Samantha. It did not take him long to close the distance between him and his quarry. In fact, he encountered the two of them ready to confront him at the crest of a tall hill. Just feet away from the pair, the hillside fell away into a near vertical slope, leading down to the darkness of the Fire Swamp. Samantha's hands were bound in front of her and she wore a blindfold while Daniel Jackson held a dagger to her throat.
"If you want her dead, you just keep coming closer," he threatened.
"You do realize that as soon as you kill her, there's nothing stopping me from killing you," the man in black said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Presuming that I can't kill both her and you before you can kill me."
'You think you can kill me?" the man in black asked.
"I know I can kill you," Daniel Jackson said. "It's not the act that's in question, it's the timing."
"Timing?"
"How fast can I slit her throat before I use the knife to kill you. Maybe I just toss her to the side and kill you, then finish her off." He gestured with his knife. "She's all tied up, she wouldn't be too much of a--"
Two fists flew up and smashed into the front of Daniel Jackson's face, silencing him immediately. He fell to the ground, the knife skittering out of his slack hands. "God, I thought he'd never shut up," Samantha said, tugging her blindfold down. She bent over and picked up the discarded knife, struggling to cut her bonds.
"Go Samantha," Vala crowed, rolling her eyes at Daniel's glare.
"At least I didn't die," he sighed.
"You want me to help you with that?" the man in black offered.
"Sure." Samantha held out the knife and he cut the ropes. She looked at the knife and him pointedly and he handed it back, hilt first, for her to reclaim.
"Good, now go away," she said, holding the knife in her hand.
"That's the thanks I get after I rescued you?"
"I was doing just fine," she said.
"Really? Is that why you're halfway to Gilder, stranded and with no transportation back to your precious prince?"
"I have no need of transportation. I will just wait and Peter will find me."
Jack snorted and winced in an exaggerated manner when Draygon slapped at his leg.
"You're sure about that?"
"I am the Prince's bride. He'll come and get me."
"And does the prince know what a disloyal and feckless woman he is marrying?" the man in black asked.
"Strange words, coming from a man who hides his face," Samantha said, her eyes narrowing.
"Do not question me, woman," he said, his anger building for a moment, beforehe reined it under control. "And do not let me stop you from waiting for your precious love," he snarled out the words with heavy contempt.
"I never said Peter was my love," she said, sitting down on a rock. "I said he was my betrothed."
"Why do you marry someone you do not love?"
She shrugged. "I marry him, he's happy. He's benevolent to the people. He'll allow me to continue my work and..."
"And?" he prodded.
She looked at him, her eyes scanning him from foot to head. "You're the Dread Pirate Roberts, aren't you?"
He grinned, his expression between pride and puzzlement. "What was your first clue?"
"No one else could have bested those two other men. She shot to her feet. "You are nothing but a murdering bastard!" She raised her knife. "I should kill you where you stand."
"Why the venom?" he asked. "Can't stand the truth? Can't stand what you've become?"
"I can't stand that you're still breathing while my dear Jonathan lies dead at the bottom of the sea."
"Jonathan?" Jack asked, frowning at Teal'c.
"Stop interrupting the man, sir," Sam said. "Have another beer."
"You will have to be more explicit," the man in black said. "I've killed so many. I don't remember a Prince John but--"
"My Jonathan was not a prince of the world but a prince of my heart. You killed him, just like you kill all your prisoners."
He shrugged, careful to keep out of range of her knife. "You know how it is when you lose your credibility. Everyone challenges you, its constant struggle. It's so much easier when they just cower and beg for their lives."
Samantha's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. With a scream of rage, she tossed the knife into the air and caught it by the blade tip. In one smooth movement she threw the knife at him, the blade burying itself into his shoulder.
Startled, the man in black fell backwards, his momentum carrying him down the hill towards the ravine below. She watched him fall, pleased to be rid of the tiresome man.
"Always....come....back...."
The words drifted up to Samantha and her heart stopped. "Jonathan," she whispered. "No!" Frantic, she threw herself down the hill after him.
Jack looked at Sam who shrugged. "Teal'c's telling the story, not me," she said, setting down her cup.
"You stabbed me," he protested.
"Better than shooting you," she replied.
"Better than--"
"Oh hush, its just getting interesting," Vala said. She turned to Teal'c. "So, do we get to hear the good stuff, or must you keep it clean for the kiddies?"
"The tale is not yet over, Vala Mal Doran," he said.
As they lay at the bottom of the ravine, both recovering from their tumble down the steep but grassy slope, both the man in black and Samantha wondered if their dreams had finally come true, if they were indeed in each others company.
"You didn't break your neck, did you?" the man in black...Jonathan asked.
"No, but I'd like to break yours," Samantha said, slowly sitting up. "What game are you playing?"
"Game?" Jonathan too sat up, moving his extremities slightly to feel for injuries. He remembered the blade in his shoulder and looked down, astonished to see the weapon still piercing his flesh. "You stabbed me!" he exclaimed, ripping off his mask.
"You lied to me!" she accused back. "You let me think you were dead!"
"A few more minutes in your company and I might as well be dead!" he yelled, gasping as he explored the wound "You stabbed me!"
Samantha got to her feet, brushing off her skirt. "I heard you the first time," she said, moving to kneel at his side. He flinched slightly. "Don't tell me that the Dread Pirate Roberts is afraid of a girl?"
"You're not a girl. You're a one woman--OW!"
Samantha held up the knife, its blade stained red. She pulled the blindfold from around her neck and pressed it into the wound. "You'll live," she said, looking at him.
"You sure about that?" he asked, his anger fading as he looked her in the eyes.
"You better," she said softly, her hand reaching for his face. "Because I don't think I can stand to lose you again." She lowered her face to his and he closed his eyes, anticipating kissing his love for the first time in years.
"I thought this was an adventure story," Ry'kon protested, making a face. "Romantic stories are for girls."
"They are not," Serti said, turning to face her friend. "Athon likes them."
"I do not!"
"He does too."
"Enough!" Teal'c said loudly.
"Umm, Teal'c," Sam said cautiously. "This umm, this is the Disney version right? I mean, there's no umm, I mean, umm..."
"What, Sam, you never read a Harlequin romance?" Cameron asked.
"Not to kids," she said.
"Your concerns are for naught," Teal'c said. "For Samantha and Jonathan's moment of joy would be all too short."
As he embraced his love, a rising cloud of dust caught his eye. A half dozen horses, led by a rider on a large white stallion, were galloping along the ridge, following the path that Jonathan himself had taken just moments before. "I suppose your Prince Peter has a white stallion."
"What?" Samantha pulled away and turned. "Told you he'd find me," she said with a sigh.
Jonathan shrugged. "This might be a bit awkward but--"
"We can't ask him for help," she interrupted.
"We can't?"
She shook her head. "He gets a bit...jealous."
"Lovely. You know, we wouldn't be in this fix if you'd have just waited," he said.
"You were dead," she said slowly.
Jonathan shrugged. "There is that. What are we going to do?"
"If I go back to him, he'll never let me go. Where's your ship?"
"My ship?"
"You're the Dread Pirate Roberts, right?" He nodded. "Then where's your ship?"
Jonathan grinned. "That way," he said, motioning towards the Fire Swamp. "It's anchored in the estuary on the other side."
"Then through the Fire Swamp we go. We get on your ship and we leave Florin, never to come back," she planned.
::::::
The pair quickly made their way into the dank darkness of the Fire Swamp, Jonathan well aware that Prince Peter had to have seen them. "This place isn't so bad," he said as he and Samantha picked their way through gnarled trees and thorny bushes. Thick vines looped down from the trees, they themselves covered with dangling moss, creating ghostly figures that seemed to float in mid air.
"It's a death trap," Samantha said. "Peter claimed that his father's father created it as a line of defense."
"Granddad created a swamp?"
"I think it was more like he found some nasty weeds and dumped them here and the swamp just kinda…grew," she said.
They trekked on for a bit, finally taking each other's hand to insure that they did not get separated. "Why?" he finally asked.
"Why what?"
"Why did you agree to marry him? Why didn't you wait for me? I said I'd be back."
"You were dead," she said, stopping and pulling at his hand until he stopped to face her. "Jonathan, you were dead," she repeated.
"You only thought I was dead," he said.
"The Dread Pirate Roberts is known far and wide for being a murdering bastard that never leaves a prisoner alive. Your ship was captured by him. What else was I supposed to think?"
He stared at her for a few seconds and sighed. "Exactly what you did," he said, tightening his hold on her hand. "But Petey?"
"He asked," she shrugged. "And…he is also the only person in the kingdom that has the money to put a bounty on pirates…one specific pirate."
"Ooh, marrying for revenge, interesting." He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I missed you."
She smiled, reached up and moved his hand to her mouth, kissing his palm. "How did you survive?"
"I'll tell you everything, later," he said. "I don't think we want to be in here after dark."
"We don't," she said. "The Fire Swamp has three main obstacles. Flame bursts, lightening sand and SOUS's."
"I thought it was a ROUS," Sam said.
"What is a ROUS?" Athon asked.
"Rodents of Unusual Size," Daniel explained.
"Big honkin rats," Jack said.
"It is a SOUS," Teal'c said. "Serpents of Unusual Size."
"What? Like a megasnake?" Cameron asked.
Teal'c merely cleared his throat and continued.
"What do you know about these obstacles?" Jonathan asked.
Samantha shook her head. "Only their existence. No one that has entered the Fire Swamp has lived, to tell the tale."
"Well, then we'll just have to…" His words were cut off by a popping sound and he spun, releasing her hand and pulling his sword from his scabbard in one smooth movement.
Abruptly a burst of flame exploded from the ground, shooting about six feet into the air before dissipating. He turned back to Samantha. "I'm gonna guess that's the flame burst."
"Did you pick up your keen sense of observation in pirate school?" she shot back, reaching out to retake his hand.
The two of them continued on their way. "I never knew why Roberts didn't kill me," Jonathan said. "At least not at first."
"What happened?"
"He captured my ship. And…just as he was about to kill me, he asked me why. Why I was on the ship, what I was doing. And I told him. That I was searching for a way to be with my love. And…I don't know, it must have intrigued him. Instead of making me walk the plank, he took me to his quarters, told me that he'd always wanted a steward and made me part of the crew."
"Just like that?"
"Kind of. Every night he would tell me 'great job, I won't kill you today, but I might tomorrow'."
"That's rude."
"He's a pirate. He's entitled," Jonathan said. "Anyway, it continued like that for a couple of years. Every night he'd thank me for my work and promise that he just might kill me in the morning. After a while, it didn't bother me any longer and I started to work with the crew, learning anything I could about the ship. About two years ago, Roberts called me into his cabin and told me his secret. He wasn't the Dread Pirate Roberts after all. His name was Woolsey. And he'd inherited the ship from a man that wasn't the Dread Pirate Robert either. As it turns out, the real Dread Pirate Roberts is very wealthy and has been retired for years."
"So it was all a game?"
Jonathan shook his head. "It's not the face that matters, but the name, the reputation. I imagine that the day will come when I will pick a successor and retire from the pirate business."
Samantha laughed quietly. "Retire and do what?" she asked.
"What about what we used to do before?" he asked. "You solving problems and--"
"Do you really think, after being the Dread Pirate Roberts for a few years you could go back to following the orders of others and all the mundane stuff you used to complain about?"
Jonathan released her hand and moved back, raising his sword in a gallant gesture. "I can assure you, my lady, I've developed a new appreciation for the mundane and boring." He took a step back and abruptly vanished from sight, dropping through what had looked to be solid ground.
Realizing that he'd fallen victim to the lightening sand, Samantha frantically looked for a way to save him. Spying a low hanging vine, she pulled it down, turning it into a makeshift rope. She grabbed the rope with one hand and jumped into the quicksand, hoping that her own weight would lead her to her love. Fighting the urge to open her eyes and to breathe, she frantically stretched out her free hand, feeling for anything warm and alive. Her fingertips brushed across the cold hardness of bones and she fought a shudder, desperate that neither of them would meet the same fate.
Something grabbed her arm and she flinched for a second, her fear leading her to think the worst. Then she recognized the grasp and she pulled him close. The second she felt him grasp the vine, she released it, wrapping her arms around him while he used his strength to pull them both from the deadly grip of the lightening sand.
Finally, she felt the gentle brush of air on her face and the comforting solidness of the ground beneath them.
She lay there for several seconds, gasping for breath as she heard him do the same. "What kind of sadist planned this place?" he asked, still breathing harshly.
"Are you okay?" she asked, ignoring his words.
He nodded. "You?"
She nodded. "So, lightening sand."
"See, told you we'd figure it out," he quipped. "So, all we have left are--"
A crackling and hissing sound cut through the air and the two lovers stilled, staring at each other for a second before they sprung apart, instinctively setting themselves back to back.
Just off to his left, Jonathan saw a large shape slithering through the undergrowth. He and Samantha jumped to their feet, Jonathan drawing his sword in defense. "That has to be a SOUS," he said.
Samantha nodded. "Their bite is deadly poison."
"Of course it is," he said as the snake caught sight of them. It reared up, its massive bulk defying the laws of gravity. "I don't suppose you have any idea how to kill it?"
"No one who has ever entered the Fire Swamp--"
"Has survived to tell the tale," he finished. He looked around, searching for some better weapon or advantage. An idea hit him and he pushed Samantha away.
"Jonathan?"
"Use the sand," he said.
"What?"
"Walk around the sand."
"Got it," she said, sidling away to the left while he did the same to the right. They eased their way around the pool of lightening sand, rejoining on the back side of it.
Once they were together again, Jonathan raised his hand, capturing the creature's attention. The SOUSs hissed angrily, moving closer and closer. Samantha tried to step back and Jonathan held her hand. "Wait for it." He yelled and shouted, taunting the snake as it swayed back and forth. "Wait for it, wait for it." He watched the snake, his body swaying in time with it. Finally he saw what he was looking for. "NOW!" he shouted, pushing Samantha to the side.
The snake lunged, leaping through the air at it tried to kill them. The snake landed square in the pit of lightening sand and Jonathan lay on the ground, staring in amazement as the serpent vanished, its tail flicking as it fell to its death.
"Good job," Samantha said, picking herself up.
Jonathan shrugged, also getting to his feet. "This place isn't so scary," he said, retaking her hand. "In fact, I might consider making a summer home here."
::::::
A short time later, Samantha and Jonathan emerged from the Fire Swamp, intent upon navigating the estuary and attaining the safety of his ship before dark.
"Surrender!" a voice shattered the stillness of the evening. Much to Samantha's astonishment, the prince was before them, sitting atop his white stallion, his chancellor at his side and half a dozen men beside them.
"You're gonna surrender to me? Sweet," Jonathan said, drawing his own sword, seemingly nonplussed by the development. "I accept."
"I may not look like a man that possesses wisdom, but I am not stupid. Even someone of your skill cannot defeat all of my men," Prince Peter said, motioning for his men to spread out a bit.
"Why do I need to defeat them? I thought you surrendered?"
"Peter, let us go," Samantha said, stepping forward. He stared at her. "You can tell everyone that I died in the swamp, you'll be the grieving almost widower, you'll have the women of the village fawning all over you. It will be a win/win."
"If I kill him, I'll get you and that will be a win/win for me," Peter said. He motioned towards his men to close ranks on the duo. Samantha looked at the six men, and then at her Jonathan, exhausted from the Fire Swamp and injured by her own hand. He would never survive a battle, not with so many.
"I'll go with you," she said quickly.
"What?"
"What?" Jonathan echoed Peter.
Samantha looked at him. "I thought you dead once, I cannot do that again." She turned to Peter. "You will let him go and I will willingly go with you," she said. "He is a crewman on the ship Revenge. As soon as I receive word from him, safely on his ship, I will agree to marry you."
"Highness," Peter's chancellor Rugan said, a warning tone in his voice.
Peter held up his hand. "I cannot fault my bride for holding fondness for her rescuer." He looked at Samantha. "It will be done," he promised.
Samantha turned to Jonathan. "Always," she muttered, anything else she was wanting to say was lost as Peter rode his stallion behind her, pulling her off her feet and up behind him on his horse.
He galloped away and Jonathan watched, disbelieving what had just happened. The love of his life. After five years of struggle and strife, he had finally returned to her, and she left him for another man. The betrayal burned deep in his gut and he felt his heart harden and grow cold.
"Come," Rugan said. "We need to get you to your ship."
Jonathan turned and looked at the man with calm eyes. "You're not taking me to the ship," Jonathan said, his hand tightening on his sword. "You're going to take me somewhere, have me write a nice letter, and then you're going to kill me."
"Why would you think that?" Rugan asked.
"You and I both know that Petey doesn't like competitors." Jonathan studied the man, his eyes settling on the man's right hand. The appendage was covered with a black leather glove, one that had to be specially made since nowhere, in all his travels, had Jonathan seen a glove with six fingers. "Six fingered man, huh?" Jonathan said. "I know someone who's looking for you."
Rugan's face hardened and flooded with color. "Kill him!" he ordered.
The soldiers moved forward, their swords at the ready. Jonathan held his sword tight, his eyes flitting from threat to threat. He could not win. But he could at least take as many of them with him as possible.
A roar pierced the twilight and the soldiers faltered. They stared past Jonathan, into the edges of the Fire Swamp. He turned, sharing their amazement as three figures ran out of the darkness of the swamp.
Fezzik, Daniel Jackson and Cameron Mitchell ran towards the group. Not sure who was on whose side, Jonathan sidled away, allowing Fezzik and Cameron Mitchell to engage the soldiers. Realizing that they seemed to be on his side, Jonathan joined in and the soldiers were quickly dispatched, their solidarity disappearing as quickly as the chancellor.
"Coward!" Daniel Jackson yelled after the figure galloping off on his horse.
"Why didn't you stop him!" Jonathan asked.
"With what?" Daniel Jackson retorted. "And don't get uppity with us, we didn't have to help you."
"Why did you?" Jonathan asked.
"Cameron Mitchell's honor demands it," Fezzik said.
"Seeing as how you didn't kill me and all," Cameron said, wiping his sword in the grass to clean it. "The chancellor isn't that big of a worry anyway. It'll take him hours to get back to the castle, and even longer to bring troops back here, presuming that he even tells the prince that we're not dead."
"They have Samantha," Jonathan said.
"So?" Daniel Jackson asked. "Who do you think hired us?"
"Really?" Fezzik asked. "You did not say that we were working for the prince."
"You didn't ask."
"We need to go after him," Jonathan said.
"No, we don't," Daniel Jackson said. "Our job is done."
"Besides, with no horse, you'll never catch up with him. By the time you get to the castle, it'll be locked up tight. You'll never get in," Cameron said.
"I will if you help me," Jonathan said. Cameron shook his head. "You didn't get a good look at the chancellor's hand did you?"
"What?"
Jonathan held up his right hand, waving the fingers. "Six."
Cameron's eyes widened and he stared at Jonathan for a moment before he spun on his heel and dashed off, following the chancellor.
"You're both fools," Daniel Jackson said. "The castle security is absolute. You'll be dead before you reach the walls."
"It would indeed take a miracle to breach the castle walls," Fezzik said.
"A miracle?" Jonathan asked. He sighed. "Miracles are not easy to find."
"But they can be bought," Daniel Jackson said.
"They can?" Fezzik asked.
"Take me there," Jonathan ordered.
Daniel Jackson stared at him for a few seconds. He waved his hand meaningfully. "I left my purse in my other pants," Jonathan said. "You'll have to take an IOU."
Daniel Jackson sighed. "Only because you didn't kill me when you could have," he said. "Come."
The three of them started off, Daniel Jackson leading the way. "What about Cameron Mitchell?" Jonathan asked.
"I'm not getting between a man and his revenge," Daniel Jackson answered. "Besides, we'll probably find him lurking outside the castle walls."
"But will he still have his pants?" Sam quipped, earning her a glare from Cam.
"Twice," he complained. "Twice and you won't let it go."
"I thought it was more," Vala said. "I mean, there was the hotel room and—"
"That was YOUR fault," Cam said.
"Well, yes, but still—"
"Is this what they do?" Jack asked Teal'c.
"All…the…time."
Jack shook his head and reached for another cup of beer.
The group traveled all night, finally making their way to a small dwelling on the very outskirts of Prince Peter's kingdom. It more resembled a hovel than a home, worn and battered shutters hung beside cloudy windows while old leaves gathered in the corners and twigs lay on the path up to the door.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Jonathan asked.
"He doesn't exactly advertise," Daniel Jackson said. He stepped forward and pounded on the door."
"Go away!" Daniel Jackson looked at Jonathan and shrugged then knocked again. A small panel inside the door opened. "What?"
Jonathan craned his neck, trying to see around Daniel Jackson. "Are you Miracle Thor? The one who was the king's magician for years."
"I was not aware that my name was so common," the voice said sarcastically. "The king's son terminated my employment. I do thank you for reminding me of my humiliation." He slammed the little door shut.
"I tire of this," Fezzik said. He pushed past them and 'knocked' on the door. Knocking it so that it fell flat on the floor inside the dwelling.
"Please, come in," he said ironically.
Jonathan stepped into the hovel, watching with bemusement as the miracle man stepped down off a stool, revealing that he was only three feet tall. "And what is so important that you have to violate my home?" he asked, blinking massive black eyes.
The wizened creature was wearing a stained and battered purple robe, but even with most of his body hidden by the draping cloth, his bald head looked massively out of proportion for the rest of him.
"Perhaps if you weren't such a grouch, they wouldn't have broken down our door," a woman's voice said as a taller figure joined them from a back room.
"Your presence is not required, witch," Thor grumped.
"I'm not a witch, I'm your wife. Forgive my husband, sometimes his manners are as short as his stature," she said, smiling broadly. "I'm Vala."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Vala interrupted. "I'm married to the midget?"
"Technically, the Asgard aren't midgets," Sam said. "Just because they're small compared to us, doesn't mean that--"
"I'm married to a tiny man with a big head and no--"
"Careful," Cameron said. He jerked his thumb at the children. "There are kids present."
"Personality," she finished, glaring at him.
"And anyway, it's not necessarily the size of the personality but how you handle it," Cameron said.
"Remember, it's just a story," Sam said, openly enjoying someone else's discomfort.
"A story that I would like to finish before dawn," Teal'c said.
"He's forgiven," Jonathan said, not wanting to anger those he needed to do him a favor. "We hear that you're the purveyor of miracles."
"The king himself gave Thor his title," Vala bragged.
"And his son took it away," Thor groused.
"We need your help," Jonathan said, frustrated at the delays.
"I don't help people anymore," Thor replied.
"Look," Daniel Jackson stepped forward, sighing before he knelt down to look Thor in the eyes. "This guy over there, Prince Peter kidnapped his fiancée. He wants to go and rescue her, but we'll never make it through the castle walls. All we want from you is a way to breach those walls."
"Why did he kidnap your fiancée?" Thor asked Jonathan.
"Because--" Daniel Jackson motioned with his hand and Jonathan sighed, kneeling beside Daniel Jackson. "Because he wants her for his own," Jonathan said.
"I don't--"
"It will humiliate him," Fezzik said.
"What?"
"Us, three thieves, breaching the proud security of Peter's own castle and taking from him his wife to be."
"Do you really think the prince will be honest about what happened?" Thor asked.
"He'll have to be," Vala said. "If the whole kingdom knows already." She sat in a chair and lifted her husband up, sitting him on her knee. The two visitors rose to their feet. "Can you imaging it Thor? You help these three take back his bride and, in exchange, they promise to tell anyone and everyone that will listen, just how Prince Peter lost his bride."
"You will?" Thor asked.
"Oh yeah," Daniel Jackson said quickly.
"Sure," Jonathan agreed.
"I promise to tell any that will listen," Fezzik said.
"Well, then, that is different." Thor hopped off Vala's lap and hurried around the room, muttering to himself as he explored cupboard after cupboard.
"What do you think he's looking for?" Jonathan asked.
Daniel Jackson shook his head. "It could be anything. I remember hearing tales of him vanishing stallions or making people appear out of thin air. There was once a story that said he had a pet dragon and that he used the creature's natural magic as his own."
"I once heard that he could swim without breathing. That he walked across the whole of the lake, first on the bottom, then upon the water," Fezzik said.
"What about the eels?" Jonathan asked.
"He merely waved his hand and they let him be."
Jonathan listened to the tales, knowing that some had to be an exaggeration, but that there had to be SOME element of truth in them. The man was known as Miracle Thor after all.
Maybe a spell to allow them to walk through walls, or an invisibility cloak or a--
"Here it is!" Thor crowed triumphantly, wiggling his way out of a cupboard he'd crawled into. He stood up and dusted off his robe, then held up...
Teal'c looked at the children. "A marvelous weapon," Ry'kan said.
"A personal shield," Draygon guessed.
"It was a key," Teal'c said.
"A key?" Jonathan asked. "Your miracle is a key?"
"This is not just any key," Thor said, shaking it. "This is the master key to the palace. Any door, anywhere, it will open it. Including the palace gate."
"Sweet," Jonathan said, taking it from the man.
"What good is that?" Daniel Jackson asked. "I'm sure the prince has a few dozen men guarding the gate."
"I am sure he does," Thor said, stepping up on a chair to look Daniel Jackson in the eyes. "Your lack of imagination will always be your limitation," Thor said.
"Every man that's on the front gate won't be on the other gates," Fezzik said.
Thor turned to him. "You possess a wisdom that belays your size."
"So, we go to the castle, find the least likely gate--"
"The kitchen is always a good one," Vala said.
"Use this key to get in, get Samantha and get out, hopefully without the prince even knowing what we've done until it's too late," Jonathan planned.
"It's not going to be that easy," Jack said. Everyone looked at him. "Hey, when does plan A ever work?"
Sam shrugged, silently agreeing.
"Yeah, there is that," Cameron said.
Samantha sat by the window, her view overlooking the harbor of Florin city. Off in the distance, just barely visible, she could see the mast of the Revenge, the ship clearly still waiting for its owner.
So Peter had lied to her. She couldn't say that she was surprised, more disappointed. She'd thought her prince, her future husband, to be a man of honor and integrity, not a lying coward. She sighed. She needed to fix this. She needed to stop Peter, get out of the castle and try to find Jonathan.
She heard voices outside her door and she turned, one hand nervously smoothing her skirts. Peter walked in and Samantha smiled, determined to present a welcoming face. His trust in her was her greatest weapon.
"You are rested?" he asked, moving to take her hand.
"Yes," she answered, fighting the urge to pull her hands from his. "Thank you."
"Are you sure that you do not need to see the physician?"
"No, Peter, I am well."
"It must have been so horrible," he said. "Such a traumatic experience."
"It was…memorable," she said, gently pulling her hands from his and sat down on the bed. "The extra guards are not necessary," she said, referring to the palace guards that now stood outside her door and, she was sure, were at every entrance as well.
"You must be protected," Peter insisted, moving to sit beside her. "I could not live with it if anything happened to you."
"Jonathan is no threat to me."
"He kidnapped you and was going to kill you."
"He saved me from the kidnappers."
"He was taking you from me," Peter said, getting to his feet. "Unless you are telling me that you were willingly going to go with him to his ship. That you were going to abandon me," he accused.
Samantha got to her feet. "No, no, of course not." She walked over to Peter and took his hands. "Jonathan saved me from the kidnappers but there was no way for me to make it back to you myself. I was merely using him to get back to you." She cupped Peter's cheek. "Peter, he was merely a tool."
Peter looked her in the eyes. "I think I underestimated you," he said, relaxing a bit.
"I think you underestimated how desperate I was to come back to you," she said, leaning in to kiss him.
"Not more romance!" Ry'kon complained.
"Just wait a few years, kid," Vala said. She leaned forward and patted the boy on the head. "You'll feel differently then."
"While Samantha…conversed with Prince Peter, Jonathan and his companions approached the palace walls."
The trio crept through the quiet village lying outside the palace walls, careful to keep to the shadows and to remain quiet. "The kitchens are that way," Daniel Jackson whispered as the three of them came to a stop in the doorway of an abandoned house.
"Is there a river gate?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes."
"We'll use that one."
"But Vala said—"
"I know, but there will be witnesses at the kitchen, less, if any, at the river."
"Isn't the river gate further away from the castle? Wouldn't the kitchen gate put us right inside?" Fezzik asked.
"A kitchen is occupied all day, every day, the river gate and gardens are often empty," Jonathan answered.
"Then the river gate it is," Daniel Jackson said.
The trio approached the castle, the walk around the walls seeming to take forever. Night had fallen and the city was beginning to go to sleep. It was a mixed blessing. Fewer witnesses, to be sure, however it also provided a quieter atmosphere for them to move in. And a greater chance that they would be thought suspicious if observed.
They approached the river, the smell of fish and rotting vegetation grew with each step. Waves slapped against the bank and the ground grew softer as they got closer. A shadow caught Jonathan's eyes and he stopped, indicating for the others to do so as well.
He crept forward, his hand going to his sword. He drew it, then stopped when he recognized the figure. "Cameron?"
"The man in black?" Cameron Mitchell stepped out of the shadows. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you we'd find him," Daniel Jackson said.
"Do not try to stop me," Cameron Mitchell said. "The chancellor—"
"Is behind those walls," Fezzik said.
"There has to be a way in," Cameron Mitchell said. "I just have to find it."
Jonathan pulled the key out of his pocket.
"You found it." Cameron Mitchell grinned.
"We're going to storm the castle," Fezzik said.
"Quietly," Jonathan stipulated. "Would you like to join us?"
"And my revenge?"
"Don't get in the way of me rescuing Samantha and I don't care what you do."
"I agree to your terms," Cameron Mitchell said.
The four of them navigated the last short distance to the river gate and Jonathan inserted the key into the lock, smiling as the lock clicked and released. They slipped through the gate and gardens, meeting no resistance as they entered the castle. Most of the staff had retired for the evening and only a few torches illuminated the corridors.
"Samantha should be upstairs," Daniel Jackson said. "Presuming, of course, that Petey boy didn't lock her in the dungeons."
"He wouldn't do that. It would look bad," Jonathan said.
"This way," Daniel Jackson said.
They crept through the halls, searching for the corridor that led them to the stairs to the upper levels. They turned a corner and stopped, staring in surprise and horror as the chancellor stood there.
The man also stared at them, not quite believingthe sight before him.. Cameron Mitchell stepped forward. "Hello, my name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father." He drew his sword. "Prepare to die."
The chancellor drew his own sword…then turned on his heels and ran full tilt away from the invading quartet.
"NO!" Cameron Mitchell shouted as he took off after the fleeing man. Daniel Jackson ran after them, leaving Jonathan and Fezzik alone.
"Never get between a man and his revenge," Jonathan said.
"Find your princess," Fezzik said. "I shall wait for you outside."
He left and Jonathan hurried down the corridor, aware that it was possibly only minutes before the chancellor would raise the alarm. He found the stairs and ran up them, emerging in a carpeted hall. Two guards stood outside a heavy wooden door and they drew their swords as soon as they saw him.
Jonathan did the same and engaged the two men. He thrust and parried, disarming one and then the other, leaving them both unconscious upon the floor. He tried to open the door but found it locked. Instead of searching the guards for a key, he pulled Thor's magic key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock. He could only hope that this was Samantha's room.
Jonathan burst into the room, his sword at the ready. Much to his horror he saw two figures on the bed, one kneeling over the other. "Finally!" Samantha said, climbing off the bed. "I was wondering how long it'd take the guards to get suspicious."
Jonathan walked further into the room, intrigued by the muffled and muttered voice he was hearing. He approached the bed and stared in bemusement at the sight of Prince Peter lying spread eagled on the bed, his hands and feet tied securely to the bed posts and a gag across his mouth.
"Ooh, kinky," Jack said, raising his cup towards Sam.
She glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"If you think that is kinky, you really must get out more often," Vala said. "As a matter of fact, I think the strangest thing—"
"Vala," Daniel said, swatting her arm.
"Petey, hi," Jonathan said, distracted as Samantha moved into his arms, hugging him tight. She kissed him soundly on the lips, and for a few seconds, Jonathan forgot where they were and the danger they were in. "So," he said, gently pushing her away. "Am I interrupting?"
"Only me giving him a taste of his own medicine," she said, holding up a knife. "He, of course, will deny it, but I think this was meant for me."
She looked at Jonathan. "My love, surely you did not think I went with him because I wanted to," she said. Peter growled behind his gag, causing her to turn her head to glare at him. She rolled her eyes. "I had to save your life, nothing more," she said. She pulled away from him and moved towards the bed, kneeling down to pull something out from under it.
She held up a home made rope made from what looked like strips of cloth. "I hoped to use this to climb out the window and make my way to your ship."
Jonathan grinned, impressed by her ingenuity. "A marvelous idea," he said. "But I think the stairs might be faster." He held out his hand. "Shall we?"
Samantha took his hand and the two of them hurried from the room, leaving the crown prince of Florin helplessly tied to the bed of the woman he'd hoped to be his bride.
"What about Cameron?" Machon asked.
"Yeah, what am I up to?" Cam asked.
"You're chasing Chancellor Rugan," Daniel said.
"Indeed, Cameron Mitchell was chasing the chancellor. The man who had killed his father. The man who was the object of the revenge that had ruled his life for decades. He was within inches of attaining his quest."
The chancellor fled through the halls and corridors of the castle. Cameron Mitchell chased after him. He had no idea where he was going, or where the chase would lead. All he knew was that the chancellor must not escape.
He rounded a corner and caught a glimpse of the man ducking into a room. Cameron followed him and stopped dead when he realized that they were in the kitchen. Rugan stood there, his sword drawn and his back to the large table. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father. Prepare to die," Cameron said, taking up a fighting stance.
Rugan frowned at him, clearly trying to remember who Cameron even was. "You'll need to refresh my memory," he said. Cameron held up his sword. "Ah, him," the chancellor said, smiling. "I remember him." His smile faded. "And I remember you."
He stepped forward, studying Cameron's face. "You're that little brat that tried to stop me all those years ago."
"I'm the 'little brat' that's going to end your life," Cameron said, stepping closer, his sword at the ready. The chancellor raised his own sword, then reached behind him and picked up a bowl of fruit, throwing it at Cameron. Cameron dodged the missiles and lunged forward, engaging the chancellor.
Their swords met with a resounding clang, two lengths of forged metal warring for supremacy. Cameron and Rugan fought their way around the room, their blades locked in mortal combat. Benches fell, food was spilled, hangings were slashed. The two warriors were almost evenly matched, the chancellor was larger than Cameron Mitchell, yet Cameron Mitchell possessed the power of revenge and the speed of youth.
They battled before the great fire place, the chancellor using his bulk to push Cameron Mitchell towards the flames. He felt them, felt the pain of heat searing his flesh as he struggled to gain an advantage.
The memory of his father washed over him, the horror as his hot blood soaked his clothing as he held his dying father in his arms, the blood from his own facial injuries falling like tears upon his father's cooling flesh.
Strength poured into him and he pushed Rugan away, the man stumbling as he staggered backwards. "My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father! Prepare to die!" Cameron charged the man, forcing Rugan into the defensive. He kept staggering backwards as Cameron stalked forwards, his strength growing with each step.
"My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father! Prepare to die!" He swung and Rugan frantically parried the stroke. "My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father! Prepare to die!" He swung again, the tip of his sword slicing through Rugan's tunic, scratching his flesh.
"My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father! Prepare to die!" He swung again, this time striking Rugan's sword arm. The man cried out in pain and his sword fell to the floor with a clatter. "My name is Cameron Mitchell. You killed my father! Prepare to die!" Cameron held his sword high, ready to strike.
"What do you want?" Rugan asked frantically. "Money? Power? I can give you anything you want."
Cameron stayed his blow. "Anything?"
"Anything. Do you want to rule the kingdom? I can kill the prince for you and the king and you can—"
Cameron stepped back, switching his sword from his right to left hand. Using his teeth he ripped off the black glove he wore, holding his hand up to reveal the scar of an amputated sixth finger. "You took my mother and left her pregnant, then you abandoned her, abandoned me, and left only my uncle to raise me. And then you came, and you took him from me as well. You took everything from me, and I want it back!" Cameron said, his eyes glittering with purpose before he thrust the sword one last time, finally fulfilling his life's goal.
"Go Jaffa revenge," Vala crowed. "What?" she asked when everyone looked at her.
"So, are you done?" Daniel Jackson asked, leaning against the door jam. He bent over and picked up an apple from where it had been tossed during the fight. "Or is there someone else here that you need to kill?" He took a bite out of the apple.
"I'm done," Cameron Mitchell gasped, finding a rag to wipe off his blade. He started to put his glove back on and then stopped, realizing that he no longer had the need to hide his identity.
"Let's go see if the man in black has found his true love or if we have to help him out."
The pair made their way back towards the great hall. "I think he was looking in the sleeping chambers," Daniel Jackson said.
"A logical place I guess," Cameron Mitchell said.
The two of them found the stairs, just as Jonathan and Samantha hurried down them, her skirts flying behind her. "Very logical," Daniel agreed.
"We need to go before—"
A scream echoed down the corridor followed quickly by calls for the guards.
"Someone raises the alarm," Jonathan finished.
"Come on!" Daniel Jackson said, turning to lead the way out of the castle.
"We'll never be able to outrun the palace guard," Samantha said as they got outside and into the courtyard.
"Who said anything about running?" Fezzik asked, leading five white horses from the palace stables.
"Fezzik, you did something right," Daniel Jackson said, claiming one of the horses.
"It happens," Fezzik replied as the rest mounted their horses.
They galloped right back through the gardens and out the river gate, intent upon reaching the safety of Jonathan's ship. In the deserted, darkened streets, few paid heed to the clatter of hooves and they reached the docks unmolested. Fezzik and Cameron Mitchell readied the dinghy that would carry them to the Revenge. "You're quiet," Jonathan said as Daniel Jackson stood at his side.
"Trying to figure out what to do," the man replied. "We're outlaws now, and most of my contacts were in Florin."
"Have you ever considered piracy?" he asked, patting the man on the shoulder before they boarded the dinghy. They rowed out to the Revenge and the ship set sail, carrying them safely from Florin's shore.
As the sun rose, Samantha and Jonathan stood upon the bow, their arms wrapped around each other as they were bathed in a shower of warmth and light. They kissed a kiss that had no parallel in all of time the kiss of true love and utter devotion. A kiss so magical that the sun itself paused and the stars rejoiced.
Teal'c paused and looked at his audience. "It was a kiss that spoke of the culmination of a lifetime's quest and the promise of a future yet to come."
"It's a kiss that signals that children need to sleep," Kar'yn said, smiling indulgently.
The children groaned and moaned, apparently a behavior that was not exclusive to human children. "You are all, of course, welcome to stay," Kar'yn invited the members of SG-1. "We have plenty of tents for all."
Jack looked at his team – former team – aware that they'd do whatever the general ordered. "I don't have any reason to hurry back," he said, giving the others the option to speak up.
"I don't mind," Sam said.
"Me neither," Daniel said.
Cameron shrugged. "My Tivo is set."
"Then I guess we're staying," Jack said to Kar'yn
"Hey," Vala protested. "Don't I get a vote?"
"No," her companions answered in unison, their grins removing any rancor from their voices.
They retired to their tents and Jack sank down on the deep pillows. "Remind me to write a memo," he said as Sam took off her jacket. "We need to replace those damned cots with pillows like this."
"Yeah, I'm sure they're much more portable," she said.
"Portable, schmortable." He reached up and pulled her down to sit beside him. "Tell me that these aren't more comfortable."
"They're more comfortable," she agreed, settling in beside him. They sat together in companionable silence for a few moments.
"So, the stars rejoiced?" he asked, teasing her.
"Apparently," she chuckled. She shrugged. "I guess it could have been worse. He could have chosen Star Wars." She looked at him. "Of course you might have liked being Han Solo."
"If it means that I get to imagine you in a bikini," he said with a gleam in his eye.
She slapped his arm. "Keep it up, flyboy, and your dreams will all you'll have to keep you warm tonight."
"I think I have something better," he said, wrapping his arm around her.
"Always."
~Fin~