A/N: I took creative license to insert a tiny bit of background information about Sateda in my previous fic, TROTH. I only mention it now because I come back to it again in the later part of this fic. I won't say any more for fear of ruining the story. Enjoy the good times in this chapter because the story is going to take a step up very soon.

chesi66 – thank you so much for your lovely in depth review of my last chapter. If not for you I would not have continued with this fic.

Ronon POV

After much discussion Sara and I finally agreed to take Natara with us to Isobel's home world of Heree. I reasoned that if her brother deemed it safe enough to take his children there – as he apparently had on a number of occasions - then it was likely to be a low risk venture. All the same, I took my gun as a precaution, and as we boarded the Apec to leave I noticed that Erik was also carrying. I buckled Natara into the seat beside me and Sara moved to the front of the ship to take the controls next to her brother. It was to be a longer journey than usual due to there being no gate on Isobel's home world. Instead, we had to travel to the gate on nearby Otonane and then fly a short distance through space to get to Heree. Natara kept up a constant chatter as we passed through the gate and left Tarus. This was a new experience for her and I enjoyed her enthusiasm – even if it came at the price of the endless questions she seemed determined to ask. We eventually approached Heree, and I leaned forward in my seat and looked out the side window. From what I could see, the surface of the world was completely covered in thick forest with no place to land an aircraft. Just as I came to this conclusion I felt the Aepc suddenly begin to descend.

"What the..!" I gripped the armrests on my seat as I saw the tree tops outside come dangerously close.

"It's okay," Sara called over her shoulder. "Sorry… I should have warned you about the entry."

Before I could reply, we dropped lower again. To my surprise the tree tops outside suddenly disappeared and I found myself looking out over a large, open clearing. I glanced across at Natara who seemed blissfully unaware that anything was amiss.

"Anyone gonna tell me what the hell just happened?" I asked, miffed by the casual attitude of everyone else aboard.

Isobel turned in her seat. "Heree does not have a defense force," she explained. "Instead of fighting the wraith, we hide ourselves from them."

"Some hiding place," I countered. "What was that we just flew through?"

She leaned over and began to unbuckle Max from the seat beside her. "The easiest way to understand what you saw is to think of a giant hologram. Heree is almost completely covered with forestry as it is, so the hologram simply reflects this image and disguises our landing space. If we appear to be nothing but think bush land with no place to land or cultivate, then anyone flying overhead will assume the world to be devoid of human inhabitants."

Erik walked past and slapped me on the back. "Pretty cool, huh?" he grinned.

I gave a long exhale as I realized the joke was on me. "Funny," I told him. "Anything else I should know?"

"Guess you'll have to wait and see," he smiled as he picked up Summer from her seat and disembarked behind Isobel and Max.

"You okay?" Sara smiled as she approached. "Honestly, it didn't occur to me to warn you until a moment ago, and then it was too late."

"I'm fine," I assured her as I stood up. "Remind me think twice before I fly with you and your brother again though."

She grinned and reached out to guide Natara down from her seat. "Come on, Sweetheart. Let's go and explore."

I followed the two of them off the Apec towards a man and a woman who were waiting in the clearing outside. The man was tall and elderly with long grey hair, and I was surprised when Isobel introduced him to me as her father, Lord Adeen Cevelt. Beside him, holding Summer in her arms while Max pulled at her skirts was a statuesque woman who I guessed to be Isobel's mother. Although she was advanced in years, she showed signs of having once been very beautiful.

"Welcome, Ronon," she smiled as she caught me staring. "I am Lady Jessika. My daughter and son-in-law have told me a lot about you and Natara. It is wonderful to finally meet you both."

I dipped my head towards her in acknowledgement and then let my eyes roam around the unfamiliar world. The clearing in which we stood was surrounded by trees and mountains, and almost directly in front of us a large waterfall fell down the side of an imposing rock cliff face. "This is some place you have here," I said to her.

"Thank you," she replied and beckoned for me to follow as she and the others began to walk towards the base of the rock cliff. I stooped and picked up Natara so that she would not lag behind and then fell into step between the elderly woman and Sara. As we neared the wall I began to notice that the rock was checkered with windows and pathways and that instead of being a solid structure, it actually appeared to house a number of dwellings inside. A heavy wooden door at the base allowed us entry and I stepped inside with Natara to find myself confronted by a brightly lit elevator. This place was getting more elaborate by the moment, and I raised my eyebrows at Sara as the door closed shut behind us and we began to ascend upwards through the rock. "You can walk up," Sara whispered to me. "But really, it's much easier to do it this way." Prepared to take her word for it, I lowered Natara to stand on the floor beside me. She appeared to be as puzzled by the situation as I was, and was unusually quiet as she held onto my hand. The next hour or so quickly disappeared in a tour of the living arrangements of Hareen and a brief rundown of the general comings and goings of the small settlement. It seemed that the wealth we were surrounded by was due to the healing properties of a rare plant that grew wild in the forestry and bush land around us. Extracts from these plants were taken to nearby worlds and either sold or traded by an underground network so as to hide their origin. The result was medicine for outsiders and a nice profit for the Hereen people. Our tour came to an end in an open courtyard that was carved deep into the rock wall and overlooked the clearing far below. I could hear the distant sound of running water and I guessed we were somewhere near the waterfall I had noticed earlier from below. A thick glass barrier ran around the perimeter of the courtyard and I felt comfortable enough to let Natara run around and play with her cousins without fearing that she might fall over the edge. The rest of us took seats at the solid wood bench that sat in the middle of the yard. When we were settled, a young girl approached the table and placed bottles of wine and goblets in front of us. Isobel's father thanked her and gave instructions to begin serving dinner as she filled each goblet and passed them around. My initial impression of a wealthy settlement was reinforced throughout the evening as dish after dish of fine food was served to our table. For all of their opulence however, Isobel's parents were engaging hosts and I found myself enjoying the conversation at the table as torches were lit and our meal continued by firelight in the open air. Eventually, Isobel left the table to put the children to bed and I said goodnight to Natara as Sara led her away after them. All three children had run themselves ragged for most of the afternoon and I guessed they would sleep well that night, a fact that was confirmed when Sara settled back into her seat beside me just a short time later.

"She's sound asleep," she smiled. "I'll check her again later, but it wouldn't surprise me if she sleeps right through."

I reached out and placed my hand over hers beneath the table. "I like the sound of that," I told her. She smiled and took a sip of wine and for some reason I was reminded of the banquet we had attended together at Tarus, right back when Sara had first returned home. At the time our feelings for each other were newly revealed and I had found it difficult to keep my eyes – and my hands, for that matter – off her. The feeling tonight was no different, and it suddenly occurred to me that this might be the opportunity to finally share with her the secret I had been keeping for so long. I glanced down the table where Erik and Isobel were talking with her family. Surely they wouldn't notice if Sara and I slipped away together for a while? I squeezed Sara's hand beneath the table. "Wanna take a walk?" I gestured towards the door that led from the courtyard.

She looked at me in surprise. "Okay," she replied after a moment. "But not too far… That was a huge meal we just had."

I nodded, and unfamiliar with the Area, I looked to her again. "Got a place in mind?"

She thought for a moment. "I think I have an idea," she said as she leaned forward and raised her voice towards the others at the table. "Ronon and I are going to take a walk," she said. "I was thinking we might take a look up top."

Isobel's parents nodded their heads in unison and Erik glanced down the table towards us. Due to necessity, he knew the secret I was keeping from Sara and his steady gaze indicated he guessed now the reason for me taking her away. For fear I might confirm his suspicions, I avoided his eyes as I picked up our goblets and the bottle of wine we had been drinking from and followed Sara towards the nearby door. My heart was beating loud in my chest and my hands felt unusually clammy as I joined her in the hallway beyond. Oblivious to my discomfort, she turned to look at me and her eyes dropped to the bottle of wine I was carrying.

"Good idea," she smiled. "We can give Isobel some time with her family, and not have to worry about going thirsty in the process." She relocated the elevator we had come up the cliff in earlier that morning, and selected the topmost option as we entered. I leaned against the railing as we ascended, doing my best to appear calm when inside I felt anything but. As the elevator came to a smooth stop, the doors opened and I found myself looking out into a neatly tended garden. I followed Sara out onto a wide stone path that was edged by brightly colored flower beds. She turned back and caught my free hand and I realized I could hear the sound of running water. In the courtyard below, the sound had been muted, but up here it was much louder and I guessed we were somewhere near the top of the waterfall.

"Come on," Sara led the way down the stone path. Our movement must have triggered a switch somewhere because low set sensor lights came on at our feet and lit the way as we walked. The path led us to a large, deep pool of water, the edge of which tumbled over the sheer cliff face to become the waterfall we had seen earlier. Too nervous to fully appreciate the scene, I let go of Sara's hand and wandered over to put the wine and goblets down upon the top of a nearby garden table. When I was finished, I turned back and joined her at the iron railing that ran along the top of the cliff. For a moment I forgot my preoccupation as I looked down upon the moonlit clearing far below. Our Apec, a tiny dot in the distance, gave scale to the great height at which we stood.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Sara turned to me. Although the night was calm, there was an uplift of air as she leaned against the railing and it caught her hair and sent is swirling around her face.

"Uh huh," I agreed, although my eyes were no longer on the view. "Let's take a seat," I said as I picked up the bottle of wine and filled our cups. She joined me a moment later, sitting upon the top of the table and resting her feet on the stone bench seat beneath. I leaned against the edge of the table and took a mouthful of wine. The moment was perfect, but my nerves got the better of me and I let it pass. "Isobel's parents are royalty?" I hedged.

Sara nodded. "Lord and Lady," she confirmed. "Isobel is their only child."

"How'd she meet your brother?" I prompted.

"It's a long story," she smiled. "Because her father had no male heir, he promised Isobel to the son of his best friend. On the day she met Erik, she and her mother had taken a rare trip to Otonane to choose the fabric for her wedding dress. It was sheer fluke Erik happened to be there at the same time."

I smiled. "Sounds complicated."

"It was love at first sight for both of them. Erik trailed her around the market all day until he managed to get her alone. That night, Isobel told her parents she no longer wished to marry the man they had chosen for her and insisted that they meet Erik instead. Her parents were horrified, and even more so when they met Erik." She laughed as she turned to me. "My brother had a bit of a… uh, reputation."

I raised my eyebrows. This was news to me. "What do you mean?"

"Well, before he met Isobel, Erik had a number of girlfriends. A very large number of girlfriends…" she emphasized. "He treated them all well enough I guess, but he never stayed with any of them for more than a couple of months at most. The trail of broken hearts he left in his wake would stretch from here right back to Tarus - and that's not taking the short route through the gate either."

"Really?" I laughed. It was difficult to imagine Erik as anything other than devoted to his wife.

Sara nodded. "Lucky for him, Isobel can be quite stubborn when she sets her mind on something, so her father reluctantly agreed to let him visit her. He told them that if they still felt the same way about each other after a year then he would allow them to marry…I don't think he believed that Erik would stick it out. I don't think anyone did."

I felt my heart rise in my mouth. "She was special," I said, my voice low.

Sara shrugged, caught up in her story. "Over that year he and Isobel fell more in love, and I don't know how he did it, but somehow Erik actually won her father over as well."

"Impressive," I smiled as I placed my empty cup aside and we lapsed into silence. I turned to her and waited until she caught my stare. "Do you still want to know about the delivery that came to Atlantis the other day?" I asked. Despite the cool evening air, I suddenly felt uncomfortably warm.

She looked at me in surprise. "Of course," she replied and I saw her expression quickly change to concern.

"It's okay," I hastened to assure her. "It's nothing bad. I just wanted to tell you in my own time."

She arched her eyebrows, still wary.

The blood rushed between my ears as I reached into my pocket and closed my fingers around the small velvet box I had been carrying with me ever since its arrival on Atlantis. My hand shook as I withdrew it and opened my fist so I could lift the box lid and turn it around on my palm to display the contents inside. I took my first look at Sara and saw she had raised her hand to cover her open mouth. I resisted the urge to clear my throat as I found the words I needed. "Marry me?"

She looked from me to the ring and then back again. "Oh…" she whispered wide eyed. "I had no idea…" She reached out and touched her fingertips to the ring inside its satin surround. The low garden lights reflected off the twisted gold band to be absorbed by the high set, dark green solitaire stone that was mounted in its center. "The stone…" She looked up at me. "It's…?" I watched her struggle to remember the name I had once given to her.

"Merthas," I supplied. "From Sateda."

"Merthas…" she echoed the word back to me as, with infinite care, she lifted the ring from its box. "I've never seen anything like it before…" she whispered. "It's beautiful."

I watched her slip the ring onto her finger, and when she turned to me her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you. "Absolutely, definitely…yes."

I exhaled with a rush and snapped the empty box closed in my hand as I reached to embrace her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close. "I love you," she told me.

"Not as much as I love you," I countered. Confident now, I turned my head so that I could capture her mouth with my own. We exchanged a heated kiss and I felt my heart begin to race all over again. When we broke apart, she looked up at me with a puzzled expression.

"I don't get it," she said. "Why send the stone all the way to Earth to be made into a ring? We have a jeweler on Tarus who is just as talented."

"Uh huh," I agreed. "And you have a best friend who works right next door to him."

"Good point," she grinned, and then she giggled as another thought occurred to her. "I wasn't supposed to get the message from Troy about the delivery, was I?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders as she continued to piece things together. "So, you already told me that Erik knew what you were doing… I guess John and the others at Atlantis do too?"

"Only Sheppard and Weir," I relied. "I had to tell your brother so I could get time off to search the trading markets for merthas. Sheppard helped to cover for me, and I told Weir so I could get clearance to send the stone back to Earth." I left out that Sheppard had inadvertently discovered the value of the stone I had chosen. It was because of this he had insisted I send it secure priority to Earth rather than trust it to a complete stranger on an unknown world to design into a ring. "Your ring was a matter of international security," I laughed as I told her.

She narrowed her eyes. "How long have you been planning this for?" she asked.

I looked at her. This was a time for truth, and so I gave it to her. "Since the day Natara was born," I admitted. "I've been searching for that stone for just over two years."

Her mouth fell open for the second time that evening. "That long…" she whispered. "I wish I had known. I always hoped we might… but then when it never happened, I thought marriage might not be your thing."

I reached out and brushed my thumb against her cheek. "You're my thing," I told her simply. "You and Natara. Don't ever forget it."

"I won't," she whispered, and she pressed her lips gently to mine again. When she drew back, she held her hand out in front of her and wriggled her fingers to admire her ring again. "And with a stone this size, I doubt anyone else will forget it either. Can we go inside now so I can show it off?"

I smiled. "If you want."

She jumped down from the table and I reached out to take her hand. "What did Erik say," she suddenly asked. "When he found out you were going to ask me to marry you?"

I rolled my eyes and squeezed her hand. "He told me to hurry the hell up about it," I admitted.

She laughed, and together we retraced our steps back along the stone pathway. As we reached the door she turned to me one last time.

"Tonight I want to make love to you wearing nothing but my ring," she said.

She stepped inside before I could formulate a response and I was left to realize that I yet again I had discovered one more reason why I loved her.