A/N: Here you are my lovelies, another delicious episode for you to devour. This is a very important chapter so, for my efforts, I expect a review from each and every one of you. With that said, read, enjoy and then drop me a line. 'Til next time, cheers!
Episode VII: Bound
"What do you think he wants?"
Richard Woolsey sighed and shook his head. He'd never been on a hive before and found that now he was, he didn't like it at all. It was too cold, too misty and just too dark for his tastes. He shivered and turned towards Dr. Weir. "I don't know."
Elizabeth let out a breath of air through her nose and sat back in her chair, taking the time to look around. For some unknown reason, both she and Woolsey had been asked by Todd to come aboard his hive and discuss something. The wraith had been adamant that it was important and had requested that they come alone. So, ignoring John's warning that Todd was up to something, both she and Richard had had Lorne fly them up to his ship where they now awaited his arrival in the room with the table and the chairs and the fruit bowl that always seemed to be mentioned in Sheppard's team's mission reports.
Woolsey looked down at his watch; they'd been here for exactly ten and a half minutes and Todd had yet to appear. "Where do you think –"
Footsteps cut Atlantis' director off in mid-sentence and both he and Dr. Weir looked up just in time to see their wraith ally appear in the doorway. Entering the room, he looked down on them and inclined his head ever so slightly towards them both. "Forgive me, for keeping you waiting but I had an urgent…matter to attend."
Elizabeth, ever the diplomat, waved away his excuse and said, "We understand," she looked up, locking her eyes with the wraith's as he pulled back the chair at the head of the table and proceeded to sit. "But, if you don't mind, we'd like to know why we're here. You said you wanted to talk about something important. Why does the conversation have to be done on your hive? Why not in Atlantis?"
Todd leaned to his left and let his feeding hand fall onto the top of the table. Casually drumming his fingers against the wood he replied, "Because I do not trust Sheppard not to make an attempt to listen in on our conversation were it to take place within the walls of your city."
Both humans frowned. Woolsey sat up just a tad straighter and leaned forwards, a curious expression on his face. "And, why would you assume that Colonel Sheppard would try such a thing?"
The wraith snorted. "Do not take me for a fool, Mr. Woolsey, you know that I am not," he let his eyes slide over the male human once before he continued. "Given what has transpired most recently, do you honestly think that Sheppard trusts me at all? Anything that I would have to say to you in private he would assume has to do with Katherine and he, therefore, would wish to know what I might say. Do you not agree?"
Woolsey felt himself nod. "And does it?" he asked plainly. "Involve Major Sheppard?"
Todd let out a low, long hiss and bowed his head. "It does."
Woolsey and Weir looked at one another before the latter turned back to the wraith. "What about her?"
Here, Todd let loose a sigh that he had been holding in and took to eyeing both humans intently. "I wish to make you aware of the…shift in our relationship."
Woolsey frowned. "What shift?"
Todd looked directly at him. "The nature of our relationship has been changed. It would be best, I believe, to make you aware of exactly how and to make sure that you understand the consequences of what has transpired."
This time, it was Elizabeth that leaned forwards and felt herself frown as she looked at the wraith, trying to work out in her head what he could possibly be trying to say. "What kind of consequences? How has your relationship changed?"
Todd swallowed his trepidation and forced himself to say what he had so far avoided announcing since Katherine's internment on Earth and subsequent return to Atlantis. "We are bound."
While instinctually aware that his announcement was meant to be both profound and of immense importance, it made absolutely no sense to either Richard Woolsey or Dr. Elizabeth Weir. "I'm sorry," the former said, once more leaning forwards and readjusting himself in his chair, "You're what?"
"Bound," Todd repeated himself before attempting to elucidate his statement into one that the humans could more easily understand. "I believe, in your human terms, the proper thing to say is that we are now married."
Whatever they'd been expecting him to say, that was not it. Shaken and stunned senseless, both humans took to staring at that wraith in stupefied shock. It was a full minute before either of them found their voices again and when they did, it was to let out equally loud shouts of surprise and bewilderment.
"You're what!"
Their reaction was comical and Todd felt himself smirk despite the severity of the situation. It was imperative that they understand what had happened to both he and Katherine when Ganos had facilitated his healing of her. "The expressions may be different but the principal is, I assure you, the same," he began to explain, "The emotional components of our binding are no different from those expressed and shared in your human states of matrimony however, there are some differences that must be addressed so that the appropriate accommodations can be made."
At this, Elizabeth was able to push aside her shock first and start asking questions. "What kind of accommodations?" she asked before adding, "And what do you mean by 'there are differences'? How is that possible?"
Todd cocked his head to one side and studied her. "If – I will use for an example both Drs. McKay – if McKay were to die Jennifer, however emotionally pained by the occurrence, would be in no danger of joining her mate in the beyond as a result of his demise. That is not what would happen if either myself or Katherine were to expire. In a literal sense, our lives have been bound each onto the other becoming one in the process. If I were to die then it would be but a matter of time before Katherine would follow just as if her life were to end then so too would mine. Neither of us would survive long past the death of the other."
The wraith paused in his explanation and looked in turn at both Mr. Woolsey and Dr. Weir in order that he might gage how well they had understood him. When he was sure that they did in fact grasp the fullness of what he had defined for them he continued.
"There are other differences between a wraith union and a human one," he went on. "For example, both Katherine and I are now always aware of what the other is doing, how the other is feeling and should one of use experience pain of any kind, then the other would feel it as though the hurt were their own. I am not certain if there would be a physical manifestation but then, I am hardly going to make myself bleed in order to see if Katherine does as well."
Both Woolsey and Weir shook their heads. No, that would be foolish.
Todd began again. "The most pressing difference between a human binding and a wraith one is the need for physical closeness. A prolonged separation of myself from Katherine or of she from me would result in an onset of illness for both of us. The affliction is aptly named separation sickness. It is this condition that needs the most attention. Katherine and I cannot be away from each other for more than seven days, ten at most, before we both would begin to show signs of ailment. There must be precautions put into place to ensure that this does not happen."
Far from fully understanding the total ramifications of what he'd just told them, Elizabeth nonetheless was able to understand at least one thing and, as she thought about it, came to a startling realization. "That's why Kate got so sick," she said, comprehension dawning. "You broke up with her, you walked away – put both physical and emotional distance between you – and it nearly killed her!"
The wraith inclined his head ashamedly. "It was not intentional," he assured her not wanting either she or Mr. Woolsey to think that he had acted has he had while knowing full well what would happen as a result. That seemed to be Sheppard's opinion and he was leery of it being shared by any of the other Atlantians. "I thought that I was protecting her, that she would be better off without the strain that an association with me brought to her. I was wrong."
"As was Colonel Sheppard," Woolsey added, finding his voice through his shock at long last. He fixed the wraith with a look. "It was the colonel, I believe, that told you to walk away if it was ever discovered that Major Sheppard was put into harm's way because of you."
Slowly, Todd nodded. "It was."
Elizabeth let out a breath. "I still don't understand," she said, looking up at Todd before looking back at Mr. Woolsey. "How is any of this even possible? How can your lives be literally tied together like this? It doesn't seem real."
The wraith offered her a look that told her that it was as much a mystery to him and it was to her. "I had not thought that it was," he confessed, beginning to idly trace a pattern on the wood with his fingers. "The teaching I received when I was young taught that one must put forth conscious effort into a binding and that that binding was not yet fully complete until a physical consummation had taken place. It would seem, however, that my education on the subject was severely lacking. I have since learned that there are some bindings, like the one I share with Katherine, that are predetermined. Perfect pairs they are called; two individuals that are fated by the stars to be one with each other. The wraith call the bindings of such pairs to be a natural binding as their connection is formed without conscious thought and does not require a consummation to become complete."
Todd paused and looked up from his pattern making to look steadily at the two humans sitting across from him at the table's foot. "I believe you and yours have a term for such individuals as well. Katherine told me, you call the pairs soul mates."
The revelation was not wholly unexpected given what had been explained to them both thus far in their conversation with the wraith but that didn't mean that it was any less shocking. For the second time in a short while, both Woolsey and Weir found themselves stunned speechless. To think that a human from Earth's soul mate, the person that she was meant for, made for, was a seventy-eight thousand year old, green skinned, white haired albeit no longer life sucking but still capable of it, tattooed, six foot-four inch tall alien from another galaxy just didn't seem possible. And yet, when you looked past what Todd was and instead focused on who he was, it made a startling amount of sense. Maybe, just maybe, the fates knew what they were doing after all.
It was Woolsey that spoke first. "You said that we'd have to make accommodations," he began, folding his hand together on the table top while lifting his eyes to the wraiths. "I assume that you mean that you need an excuse to have almost unlimited access to Major Sheppard. I also assume that you and she would both like to keep your relationship a secret from the colonel."
Pleased that Atlantis' director seemed to be taking the revelation so well, Todd inclined his head. "Your assumptions are correct."
It was now Woolsey's turn to sigh and he did so, heavily. "Very well," he continued, reaching up to take his glasses off and rub his nose before putting them back on again and fixing his gaze back on the wraith. "What do you suggest?"
Knowing that the proceedings would go smoothly from here, Todd let some of the tension that had built up earlier in their conversation slide away. Now much more relaxed and feeling less on guard, he began to speak. "I understand from Teyla that she is, in an official capacity, an emissary of sorts between the peoples of these stars and you and yours of Atlantis. A similar position could be created for Katherine."
Elizabeth had to admit that the idea wasn't a bad one. She glanced towards Richard, "It could work."
Woolsey nodded. "Yes," he looked at Todd. "It could also be outlined in our agreement that any instance where a representative of Atlantis is needed in your affairs, that representative would be Major Sheppard and only Major Sheppard," he shot Todd a sharp look. "I'm going to assume that this is the situation you would want to happen the most?"
Again, Todd inclined his head. "It is," he looked between the two of them before settling his gaze back on Mr. Woolsey. "However, you must understand that it would only be to you and Atlantis that she would hold such a title. I fully intend to create a much different position for her within my alliance then simply that of an ambassador."
Elizabeth felt one eyebrow go up. "Oh?" she questioned. A glance to her right showed that Richard, too, was surprised. Neither of them had thought that Kate would ever become anything more to the wraith as a whole then she was already. Apparently, though, Todd had other ideas.
"It has been explained to me," the wraith began, trying to remember what all Katherine had told him about the history of the humans of Earth. "That certain peoples of your planet have different classes of individuals the higher of which you call nobility and the highest of which you call royalty; your queens and kings."
Woolsey nodded. "Yes," he said. "But I fail to see how –"
"The wraith have, in the past, had similar structures in our culture. In any given city there were those families or lines that were set above the others. Each line is headed by a matriarch and the matriarch of the most prominent line is also the Queen of the city. The succession is based off of bindings and passed down through the females in a line. When a daughter of a current Queen chooses a mate and becomes bound to him then she assumes her motem's role and ascends to the throne. In the case where there are no daughters born to a queen or the daughters have died without having found mates, then a son's chosen would take both the duty and the role upon their union and become matriarch to that line."
The wraith paused and eyed the both of them to make certain that they understood. He could tell by the roundness of their eyes and the dilated state of their pupils that they did. He went on, "The latter circumstance is that which applied to both Katherine and I. My motem was both Queen of Vallan and High Queen of all wraith at one time. I am her eldest son and all my sisters are no longer living and none of them were bound at the times of their passing. As such, because of her binding to me, Katherine is now my matriarch and thus, the head of my bloodline. I would have the wraith in my alliance know her as such and, when the queens have been defeated and the old order restored, I would have her be the one Queen of all the wraith as she will always and forever be mine."
Todd's announcement and plan for Kate was astonishing and for all that they'd thought they'd heard it all, again and for the third time, Richard Woolsey and Elizabeth Weir were good and wholly floored.
Todd watched them, his eyes sliding over one and then the other. "I trust you have no objection to my intentions?"
All either human could do was shake their head, they were still too stunned to speak and it would take longer for them to recover from the proverbial bomb that Todd had dropped on them this time than it had the two previous times before. Compared to this, the fact that he and Kate were now husband and wife and were actually soul mates meant to be together were cherry bombs. The fact that marrying Todd had made Kate into a wraith queen was a damned nuke.
The wraith hissed and sat up in his chair. "I also trust that you will have no objection to my taking leave at present with Katherine to accompany me?"
Woolsey shook his head and whispered a very small, very quiet, "No."
Todd grinned in satisfaction and stood, the humans looked up at him as he looked down. "Then might I escort you back to your city so that I may collect my chosen and depart?"
Again, Woolsey and Weir mutely nodded, stood and allowed the wraith to lead them from the room.
~xXx~
Colonel Jonathan Patrick Sheppard was absolutely, totally and without a doubt maddeningly furious.
"You wanna what!" he stretched, glaring hotly at, alternatingly, Woolsey, Weir and Todd the wraith. A vein in his forehead began to pulse. "Care to run that past me again?"
Woolsey, who had to admit that telling the colonel about the decision that had been reached while aboard Todd's hive gave him a sadistic sort of pleasure, sighed and repeated himself. "It has come to our attention that based on the frequency with which we find ourselves doing business with Todd and his alliance, it would be of benefit to us if an official ambassadorial position were to be created; someone to act as a go-between," he paused and nodded towards Major Sheppard. "Based on her past encounters with the wraith and her willingness to accept them and their culture, we have chosen Major Sheppard for the position. She will be leaving presently with Todd so that he might make the introductions of her to his alli –"
"Like hell she's going anywhere with him alone!" John protested loudly so that, Woolsey was sure, the whole city could hear him. "I don't trust –"
"The decision has already been made and agreed upon by both myself and Dr. Weir and Todd. There is nothing you can do to prevent her leaving, Colonel."
John sputtered angrily. "Well of course he agreed to it! It was probably his damned idea!" he shouted, waving wildly in Todd's general direction before he rounded on him. "Don't think that I don't know what you're really up to! I'm on to you and you are not –"
"As Mr. Woolsey has said, the decision has already been made and you, John Sheppard, have no say in it," Todd interrupted him, controlling his facial expression so that it did not display the triumph he was currently feeling. Sheppard had told him that he would go out of his way to make it difficult for him to spend time with Katherine and he had found a way to circumvent that. At this particular moment in time, the wraith was very much contemplating dancing in victory; he refrained however.
The colonel glared at him darkly. "I'm going to get you for this," he vowed, malice dripping from his every word. "Mark my words; I'm going to get you!"
Todd hissed, wholly unconcerned with the human's threat. "That is nice," he said blandly, turning from the irate John Sheppard back to both Woolsey and Weir. "I trust that both Katherine and I may now depart?"
Woolsey nodded. "You may," he told the wraith before turning to look at the major. "Unless you have any objections," he eyed her. Not once in all of this had they thought to ask her what she thought about the subject. They'd all just assumed she'd be fine with it.
Kate grinned; she was deliriously happy and not afraid to show it. "Nope. Not a one," she looked up at Todd and smiled at him. "Shall we?"
The wraith grinned down at his chosen and courteously held out an arm, his hand fisted and palm down, for her to take. She did so much to Sheppard's continued dismay as the human let out an angry snarl that mimicked many of the ones he himself had made before. He was ignored however as Todd began to walk back towards the transport that stood waiting in the control tower's gateship bay. Helping Katherine to board, he took her to her seat before taking the pilot's chair and beginning the engine start up. As the back hatch closed up and Sheppard's screams of protest and fury were drowned out, he took up the controls and then lifted off angling his flight path upwards towards his awaiting hive.
"You're a genius and I love you for it."
Todd felt the corners of his mouth quirk upwards and he spared a glance sideways at his beloved. "Oh you do, do you?" he teased her, setting his craft to autopilot so that he might look at her directly. "And for what reason have I won such an avowal?"
Kate gestured between the two of them and then at the transport and finally, to the looming hive ahead of them. "For this," she said. "For coming up with this. John's right, this whole thing was probably your idea."
He cocked his head to one side. "And, if it was?"
Kate smiled and leaned forwards in her chair. Looking deeply into Todd's eyes she replied, "Then, like I said, you're a genius and I love you."
A smirk appeared on the wraith's face as his eyelids lowered, his eyes becoming hooded. "I do so enjoy hearing you say that," he almost purred and it was true. While the sentiment was generally thought of by the wraith to contain little substance or worth as a human's love was easy to give and equally easy to lose, coming from his chosen the words meant everything to him. Her love and affection had been most difficult to earn and would be impossible to rid himself of. Her affections would be for him and only him, romantically speaking of course, until the day she creased to breath and probably, knowing Katherine, far beyond that.
A playful glint began to dance in her eyes as Kate got up and stepped towards the wraith, stopping just before him. "Do you now?" she asked huskily, her voice coming out in an almost seductive purr.
In response, Todd the he-wasn't-her-lover-yet-but-would-be-soon-if-he-got-his-way wraith reached out grasped her hips with both of his hands. Pulling her forwards, he brought her into his lap and held her there, letting out a contented sigh as he felt one of her arms wind its way around his neck and come to rest across his shoulders. "I do," he whispered, the timbre in his voice matching the tone in hers. He hissed as the female whom he held began to idly play with his beard. "You know that I do."
Kate smiled and stopped her fiddling with the small little tuft of white hair on Todd's chin. Lifting up her hand, she began to lacily trail her fingers down his face. The wraith took a gulp of air inwards and closed his eyes, tilting his head back just slightly. Her smile widened and she leaned forwards so that she could press her lips to his forehead.
"I love you," she whispered into his skin.
Todd's reaction was strong and immediate. Reaching up with his feeding hand he wrapped it around her neck and pulled down, bringing her mouth crashing down onto his. He was waiting for her and, as soon as her lips touched his, he began to devour her hungrily. She was his – finally – and there was not now nor would there ever be a force strong enough to make him again let her go. He felt her respond to him, felt her mouth move and her lips part as she opened herself to him but it was not enough. Filling her this way, his tongue buried deep inside of her mouth, was no longer sufficient. He needed more and he could feel that she, in turn required more as well.
Before these thoughts could fully mature into another course of action, they were jerked apart as the transport docked itself inside of his dart bay. Cursing silently, Todd pulled himself back from his beloved and took to breathing heavily. He stood and took Katherine with him, closing his eyes as she leaned forwards and rested her forehead against his chest.
Todd's arms closed in around her as Kate frantically tried to rein in her want for him but, failure was imminent. She couldn't, she just couldn't. It hurt to stop. "Valloran."
Her call was almost a plea and the desperate need that rang true in her voice pushed Todd past the limits of his self-control. "Come," he beseeched her, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her with him as he exited the transport.
Kenny was there to meet them but all it took was one look at his commander and at the female with him for the young wraith to hastily make his retreat back towards the bridge. He would set the course for the alliance's meeting place on his own and then, he would make certain that the commander was not interrupted for anything less than the ship's impending destruction.
His second's presence and then departure went unnoticed by Todd whose mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. His steps hastened as he entered the corridors of his hive and quickened into an almost run as he set his course for his command quarters. Upon achieving them, he had enough time to wave open the door, enter, and then to turn, before Katherine, in her eagerness, was upon him. Her fervor was not lost upon the wraith who had never been wanted by nor found himself desiring a female so zealously before in all his life. Her passion consumed him, alighting every particle of his being until his whole body burned with a fire that bordered on anguish. He needed her now, had to have her now or else he would be burned alive until not but ashes remained.
She felt him move; begin to backpedal across his room towards his bedchamber and the bed that lay waiting there. She let him lead as she matched every step he took with one of her own so that no space opened up between them. Her whole body was pressed into his so that you could not fit a finger between their two bodies and her hands were, likewise, all over him. Todd did not seem to mind that she was exploring him so freely and with a fervor that she had never employed before. But then, this was different. In all the times that had come before, they had either been stopped or had stopped.
Kate wasn't about to stop now unless her life depended on it.
Todd's retreat came to an abrupt end when he felt the backs of his knees hit the foot of his bed. The momentum gathered, however, did not cease and he felt himself fall backwards into his many coverings and blankets whilst Katherine landed on top of him. The pressure of her body pressing down on his was exquisite and tantalizing, sending the wraith spiraling further into his desire to have her, to make her his in this last, final way. Letting his hands slip down to her waist, he held onto her tight as he flipped them both so as to reverse their positions. Now above her, Todd abandoned her mouth and began to play hungry, possessive kisses down her neck, over her shoulder and then down farther still to her chest and breast.
He growled in protest when he found that her clothing was blocking any further decent. A moan came up from Katherine's throat as he ripped the offending material away exposing her flushed and fevered skin to the chilled air of his quarters. In response to the temperature change, her nipples hardened and became tight. This pulled a lustful, throaty snarl from deep within his chest which soon changed into another growl as he felt her skilled hands remove his own clothing and expose his skin to the surrounding air. Another noise, this one an utterance that he and never made before, escaped him as he felt her fingers begin to stroke up and down the ridges of his spine. In an instant, he felt his body harden to the point of pain and yet, he would not for his life have her stop.
From beneath the wraith, Kate squirmed and wriggled as he went on attempting to rid her soon to be lover of all of the rest of his clothes. Her fingers left his back and trailed down his sides to rest on the laces of his pants. Fumbling slightly, she undid them, pulling the fly apart to loosen them all of the way as she felt Todd's teeth begin to scrape over the taught, smooth skin of her belly. She needed help getting his boots off of him and so the wraith helped her with one hand while he used his other to pull rather than unzip her own pants apart. The sound of tearing fabric went ignored as, at long last, they were both naked. Kate felt the wraith travel back up her body, coming over her and positioning himself at her entrance which ached for him. God, she needed him; she needed him now.
"Valloran!"
His name was all the encouragement he needed and hearing her say it, her grey eyes unfocused and darkened with passion, filled him with such overwhelming affection for her that he found he could not breathe. With one powerful thrust, he felt himself enter her as he buried himself up to his hilt in her ready body. The feeling was not one Todd would ever forget. Katherine let out a cry that soon turned into a moan while he heard a roar issue itself up from his own throat the likes of which echoed violently around his chambers. He did not care. Katherine's walls were enclosed around him and all his world narrowed until there was only her. She was his everything and now their bodies were one with one another just as their lives and souls already were.
Stars but she felt exquisite and all too easily Todd could feel himself becoming lost in her.
Kate felt herself fighting to breath, her breathes coming in and out in strangled sounding gasps as Todd moved above her. He was powerful and his thrusts carried enough momentum to bruise her pelvic bone but, at the moment she couldn't quite bring herself to care. She'd be sore afterwards of this she was sure but it'd be worth it. He felt so good and she'd never had anyone do to her what he was doing to her now. Liquid fire began to pool in her lower belly and spread outwards as Kate finally managed to clear her mind enough so that she could instruct her body to lift upwards to meet with her lover's thrusts. The result was almost blinding and Kate let out a groan and threw her head back, digging it into the mattress as she dug her fingernails into Todd's forearms and wrapped her legs around his hips.
The reaction from the wraith, too, was powerful. Todd felt his whole body shiver with what could almost be described as a miniature wash of pleasure. It made him need her more which, until that exact moment, he did not think was possible. With a snarl he lowered the full of his weight down onto her, crushing his mouth to hers as he let his hands come up from their places beside Katherine's shoulders on the mattress and lower down to wrap tightly around the tops of her thighs. Using his strength he pulled her downwards with all of his might to meet each and every one of his movements. The result was an increase in depth so much so that he could feel himself hitting the every deepest part of her sheath. Another new noise bubbled up from his chest and exploded outwards thunderously as Todd felt his end coming.
"Katherine," he managed to grasp, his mouth lifting away from hers for but a moment as he rested his head in the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Pressing his mouth into the side of her neck as one of her hands came up to entangle itself into his hair, he bit down, hard, on her tender flesh as he increased his pace to an almost erratic tempo.
Kate knew that it was coming, could feel the end nearing as Todd's movements and her own became frantic; fueled by a shared need to experience climax. As the dams holding back her pleasure began to buckle, she clutched hard at Todd's arm and the back of his head in preparation. When the wave finally crowned and then came crashing down on her, Kate was sure she screamed.
Hearing Katherine give into her pleasure, knowing that it was he that had brought her it and feeling her own, hot walls clench around him, pulling him still farther into her folds, finished Todd. With one last deep, powerful thrust he felt himself empty into her as his release swam through him, capturing him in a feeling of rapture such as he had never before known. It was her, he decided as he collapsed forwards, the tension that had held some of his weight off of her bleeding from his now relaxes muscles.
For a few moments neither of them could do more than gasp hungrily for breath. When at last their breathing evened out, Todd rolled off of her and sat up letting his vision focus as he looked down on his mate. A smile broke his face as he took in the sated, fulfilled look on her face as her own eyes, restored to their usual hue of storm-cloud grey, locked onto his.
"You are satisfied?" he asked her, needing to hear her say it, to know that he had brought her to pleasure.
Kate looked up at him and then sat up, reaching out a hand to gently cup his face. "Silly wraith," she cooed, running her thumb over his bottom lip and giggling quietly when he nipped at her finger. She leaned forwards and gave him a soft, gentle kiss. Pulling back, she breathed against his mouth and said, "Yes."
Todd tilted his head to one side and reached out with his feeding hand, using it to grasp her chin and lift her eyes to his. "As am I."
Kate smiled and turned her head so that she could kiss his feeding slit. Todd hissed and closed his eyes, "Good," she said, kissing the palm of his hand one more time before she drew back and sighed; her eyes travelling around the room.
They landed on her ruined clothing. "Huh," she said, crawling to the edge of the bed and reaching down to lift up what was left of her tee shirt and bra. Lying down on her side and turning to look backwards, she held up both garments for Todd to see. "Look what you did."
Todd smirked. "You must forgive me," he said to her, lying back so that he too lay on his side. "I was rather in a hurry and they were in my way."
She shot him a look and lifted one eyebrow. "A-huh, sure," she sighed and dropped her torn clothes back on the ground. Twisting onto her stomach she low-crawled her way over to her lover and crossed her arms, leaning forwards on her arms as she looked at him. "Well then, what the hell am I supposed to wear?
Todd's eyes slid down her body. "What you have one now is sufficient."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, sitting up and crossing her arms. "You're terrible!" she screeched, glaring at him in mock anger.
The wraith felt himself grin. "I do now know if you have noticed or not, my Katherine," he began, his tone both suggestive and teasing. "But I am male. Therefore, you will find that my preference as far as your wardrobe is concerned, is that you wear nothing at all," he sat up and braced himself with one arm. "The less there is to obstruct my view of you the better," he cocked his head to one side and moved forwards, angling his head downwards as if to kiss her. "Any issue you have with that I suggest you relinquish now."
Kate smirked and jerked backwards so that when Todd went to kiss her, he missed. Giggling at the look on his face, she lay back on the bed and propped herself up on her elbows. "Oh, I have no problem with it but you might," and before he could answer, she continued. "We're currently on our way to go meet a whole bunch of your wraith so, unless you want all of them to see all of me then I ask you again, what the hell am I supposed to wear?"
The thought of any other male, wraith or otherwise, seeing Katherine in her natural state as he was doing so now, made him inexplicitly angry. He growled. "I concede to your point."
Kate smiled. "So glad you see things my way," she lay all the way back and crossed her hands over her stomach. "So what's the plan?"
Todd hissed and moved forwards, bracing himself with one hand which lay beside her whilst the other began to lazily trace patterns over the skin of her belly and breast. "Believe it or not I have planned for this situation. Not for the destruction of your usual garments but for your presentation to my wraith as my chosen," he looked up from her stomach and caught her eyes. "I…took the liberty of creating a wardrobe for you."
Kate sat up. "You made wraith clothes for me? Really?"
Todd nodded. "Appearance means much to my kind and by appearance I mean presence. If you continue to look like a human then that is what you will forever be seen as but, if you were to dress as we do, command yourself and govern yourself as do we, then it is more likely that you will be accepted."
Kate nodded and dropped her eyes, suddenly nervous. "And if I'm not?" she asked. "Accepted," she began to play with the bed sheets. "What will you do?"
Todd tilted his head to the left and regarded her, understanding her fear. Reaching out he caught hold of her chin and forced her to look at him. "You are asking if I will denounce you if you are not readily accepted by my wraith," he hissed and stoked her cheek with his thumb. "Katherine, even if they refuse to see you as anything but a human, to me you will always be my chosen, my mate, and my life. Will that be enough for you?"
She nodded. "Yes."
Todd inclined his head and let go of her chin. "That is good. Now," coming off of the bed he stood and held out a hand towards her. "I would suggest we bathe and then I will see you are given clothing to wear for your presentation. We should be arriving shortly."
Kate let him help her up and then followed as he led the way into the bathroom.
~xXx~
"Is the Eldest planning some other sort of deception again?"
Maliaka looked up and eyed her son whom was standing in the doorway to her throne room, his arms crossed whilst he leaned against the doorframe. She sighed. "Why do you ask?"
Varkan hissed and sauntered forwards stopping before his motem and queen when he was still several paces away. His arms stayed crossed. "What other reason would he have for summoning us to a conclave on this…world that we are currently heading towards?"
Again, Maliaka sighed. Her son's mood had been dark as of late, ever since their departure from the Matron's council and, of course, she was not so obtuse that she could not guess why. Her commander was worried; concerned for the fate of the Lady Katherine of whom he was rather fond. Her leave taking had been executed under the direst of circumstances and while word had filtered to them through the alliance that she was now well and out of danger, Varkan was not likely to believe it until he saw her and could judge her condition for himself. Her son's inner conflict tore at her and Maliaka would give anything to make it go away and to ease his conscience.
"I heard that she is doing well," she said softly knowing that there would be no need to specify the 'she' she spoke of.
Varkan felt himself twitch involuntarily at the mention of the female around whom his thoughts had frequently revolved since their last meeting. He scowled. "And your source?" he inquired, lifting his eyes up to those of his queen's. "How can you be certain that it can be trusted?"
"Commander Caavin is in a unique position to know more of the Eldest's mind than most and I trust his word explicitly as should you," Maliaka admonished, shooting her only living child a dark look. "As to the reason for which we have been summoned, that I do not know. I do know that it is not only us that have received a call. All commanders and queens under the Eldest's command have been called forth, so I much doubt that another deception is the Eldest's current game."
To this bit of news, Varkan frowned. "All commanders and queens?" he echoed, surprised. To his knowledge, there had not yet been an instance in the present or in the past in which the entire alliance had congregated all in the same place. To see it would be both fascinating and bizarre.
Maliaka nodded. "Yes," she paused and then added. "I have also heard that there will be others there, others who, while not active, have pledged their loyalty to the Eldest and his cause."
Now Varkan was intrigued. "Such as?"
"I believe that I heard Queen Illyria state that the Sentinel would be present."
Both of the young commander's eye ridges rose up as a look of surprise crossed over his face. "I was not aware that the Sentinel's allegiance is bound to the Eldest," he cocked his head to one side and regarded his motem. "I had thought that his loyalty was to the queens – by force of course. But still…I would not have thought him one to go against them."
To this Maliaka could only offer a slight roll of her shoulders. "The Sentinel is an old being much as is the Eldest himself. Perhaps an alliance was struck between them so long ago that it has been forgotten by all but themselves."
Varkan snorted. "That is a possibility," he glanced at his motem. "Who else?"
"Queen Illyria will be there – I believe that she is most eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see Commander Caavin, she has mentioned it often since first she received the summons. Commander Caavin of course, the Elder that we met at the Matron's own conclave, Queen Seera and all of her daughters," at this, she saw her son give a small smile. She continued, "As well as others. You must forgive me but I do not know all of the names of the commanders under the Eldest's control."
"An impressive number," Varkan commented, his mind reeling still from the thought that so many powerful wraith would be, in a short time, all gathered together in one place. He caught his motem's eyes. "When will we arrive?"
Maliaka let loose a heavy breath and stood. "We near the planet as we speak. Once we establish an orbit then you and I will take a transport down to the facility that I am told is located on the world's surface."
"Only you and I?" the commander questions, one eye ridge lifting elegantly upwards. "What of my second?"
His motem shook her head. "He will remain with our hive and take it back to our feeding grounds where it will stay. The Eldest did call for as much discretion as could be afforded and it would look most odd to have so many ships locked into orbit around just one world."
Since this was true and it would not do to call attention to themselves when the queens would gladly use the opportunity to wipe them all out at once, Varkan bowed his head and gestured for his motem and queen to lead the way to the dart bay. She swept from from her dais and moved past him, her pace purposeful and set. He followed and together they bade farewell to their second before boarding the transport and making their ways down to the planet below. As their hive jumped into hyperspace, they themselves arrived in the hanger bay of the facility which turned out to be a huge stone fortress dug directly out of an imposing cliff face. Landing the craft, the both of them disembarked and were met by Commander Caavin.
"Commander," Maliaka greeted, inclining her head towards the Eldest's first born. "It is good to see you once again."
Caavin smiled and similarly inclined his head. Maliaka was one of few young queens whom he both respected and had amity for. He was actually quite fond of her much in the way that he was fond of his multitude of younger sisters both by his sire and by his motem. All told, he had about thirty of them. "As it is also good to see you once more Maliaka."
The queen smiled and stepped aside so that her son could greet the elder commander. Varkan came readily forwards and both he and the elder companionably grasped on another's forearms. It was a greeting of friendship and not completely within the bounds of propriety but, Commander Caavin had been greeting Varkan in this manner since before the younger wraith had even became his hive's commander. Releasing one another and stepping back, Maliaka quietly retreated and went in search of the other queens whilst the males took to their own conversation.
"It has been a while, yes, since last we have seen one another," Caavin commented as he and Varkan began to walk towards the great hall where all the summoned wraith were now gathering. "Tell me, what all has happened in your sector of the stars?"
Varkan smirked. "I have had the pleasure of meeting with your Katherine again."
Caavin glanced towards him. "Have you?" he inquired, secretly drawing pleasure from hearing another refer to her as his Katherine and not his sire's Katherine. It had still not quite ceased to sting that he had missed his opportunity to have her. If he thought she would accept him, he would without hesitation repeat his offer of courtship. But, alas, it was more complex than that. Even if Katherine were to say yes to him, Caavin would still have to face his sire who, more likely than not, would stop speaking to him and perhaps even punch another hole through a wall of his hive. Caavin therefore held his tongue. "And how did you find her?"
Varkan sighed and looked down whilst clasping his hands behind his back. "Sad."
Caavin frowned. "Sad?" he echoed. "How so and why? I know that she has been ill as of late but I heard that to be the extent of it. Is it not?"
The younger wraith shook his head. "No," they rounded a corner and entered the very back of the grand hall. Varkan stopped and faced the elder commander. "The false queen, Teyla, accused your sire of being the reason behind both her illness and her malcontent. I do not see how either could be possible but she seemed adamant."
Caavin snorted. "You would be surprised," he said shrewdly.
Varkan frowned. "How do you mean?"
The elder sighed. "There is an…affinity between my sire and Katherine that I do not wholly understand but it is there."
The frown on Varkan's face deepened. "What kind of affinity?" he demanded, not liking what he was being told. If it was true then, depending on how deeply their connection ran, it was possible that the Eldest could be held accountable for Katherine's sickness. The thought was disconcerting to say the least.
A scowl twisted at the corners of Caavin's mouth as he thought back over what Romulus had told him concerning his sire's attraction towards Katherine. It was still sometimes hard to believe that the human female had managed to capture not only his sire's desires but also his affections, given his disinclination towards singular devotion. But she had. Caavin had seen it. That did not mean, however, that he was obligated to be happy about it.
"My sire cares for her, obsessively so, and is inclined towards jealousy if another male – wraith or human – should show interest in her," he hissed and felt his scowl turn into a sneer. "He has even –"
"I would consider very carefully what next you are about to say."
Caavin closed his mouth and turned, his eyes landing on an unhappy looking Romulus. "Why should I?" he questioned glaring at his sire's oldest companion. "My sire –"
"Needs answer to only one and you are not she so I would very much suggest you keep your tongue behind your teeth," Romulus interrupted Valloran's eldest son whom, he was almost certain, still harbored at least a small amount of affection for his sire's mate.
To this, Caavin snorted. "My sire has never answered to anyone least at all our matriarch. She is a detestable female to say the least and it a blessing from the stars that she is deceased."
Romulus snorted in wiry amusement. "That is not a kind way to speak of your grandmotem."
"You will forgive me if I simply do not care," Caavin responded, crossing his arms in disdain for the female that had bore his sire. "Nuaura is undeserving of any kind words whether they be from her descendants or otherwise. A most despicable female. I hope most sincerely that her demise was a painful one."
Chuckling softly to himself, Romulus opened his mouth to speak but was spared the opportunity by a very confused and curious looking Varkan.
"Nuaura?" he questioned, his face contorted into a manifestation of deepest confusion. "I have read of the name on the walls of the Sentinel's Knowledge Temple and in several antique texts. I had thought she was a myth; a tyrant queen who ruled one of the lost cities."
Intrigued, both Romulus and Caavin turned to regard the young wraith. "Is that what you think?" said the elder of the two. "Let me assure you that she was real and, as Caavin has said, it is a blessing that she is no longer living. She was Queen of Vallan and, for a short while, High Queen of all the wraith," he nodded towards Caavin. "She is the Eldest's motem."
Varkan stared. If this was true then that would mean that the Eldest was much older than he or any other wraith believed him to be. It would mean that he was ancient, having lived in a time long before their own when the wraith had still been planet bound. Given this new insight, Varkan's mind threatened to overwhelm itself.
The expression on the younger wraith's face made Caavin snicker and served to remind him just how much of an age difference there was between himself and his young friend. Varkan might be as mature as he himself was but he was but a fraction of his age. Maliaka herself was barely ten thousand and had been born during the final year of the Lantean War. Her son was not yet eight thousand and by all accounts should not yet be in his majority. That he was, was a mystery. Both he and his motem had aged much more quickly than the majority of wraith and Caavin could not for the life of him think of a reason why this would be.
Before another comment could be made however, all noise ceased as a harried looking Kenny entered the hall and announced that the Eldest's transport was inbound. Muttering their goodbyes, Varkan parted from the elders and went to locate his motem while Caavin and Romulus began to organize the gathered wraith into their proper ranks. When all was put to order and the assembled wraith had been sorted by importance, they all turned inwards towards the aisle and waited patiently for their Lord and Commander to arrive and for the reason they had all been summoned to be made clear to them.
~xXx~
"Do not be nervous."
Kate snorted and fidgeted in her seat, idly playing with the hem of her sleeve. "That's easy for you to say," she retorted hotly. "They're your wraith. The first thing they think of when they see you isn't 'ohh, yummy'."
Her description brought a bark of laughter up from Todd's throat. "You need have no concern, my Katherine," he reassured her through his chuckles. "There are those among my commanders who are already fond of you. Romulus for one has affection for you as does Caavin."
Kate started to nod absentmindedly but then stopped and frowned. "Who?"
Too late, Todd realized his mistake but he could not take it back now. "Caavin," he repeated reluctantly before clarifying, "My eldest."
"You mean your son," Kate looked sideways at her husband – it was still a novelty to think of him as such . "And how pissed would he be if he knew that you just told me his name?"
Todd hissed. "As his custodial parent it was my obligation to name him in the first place and therefore I also retain the right to reveal it to whomever I so choose."
Kate was unconvinced. "Ah-huh," she turned towards the wraith and gave him a look so as to let him know that she wasn't fooled. "How much trouble would you be in if he found out you've told me?"
Under Katherine's pointed gaze, Todd felt himself deflate. "He would, more likely than not, stop speaking to me for several days."
Satisfied now that she had the truth, Kate turned back to gazing out of the front glass. "Don't worry," she said. "I won't tell him you told."
Her mate let out a sigh of mock relief for he had known that she would not have informed his son of his mistake even without her reassurance. "That is good to know," he said and then, glancing sideways at his chosen, asked, "How do you find your dress?"
Kate made a face. "I'd hardly call it a dress," she said defensibly.
He frowned. "Oh? And why not?"
Kate sat up straight and folded her hands proper-like in her lap. "A dress denotes something easy to get into that takes about two minutes to get on. This," she gesture over herself and her current state of garb, "Took thirty minutes!"
"Yesssss," the wraith hissed, his eyelids lowers slightly as he glances over her from the corner of his eye. "But the end result is well worth it I believe. You are most attractive, my Katherine, gowned such as you are."
The compliment made her blush. "Thanks," she muttered meekly.
Todd inclined his head in satisfaction of her response and looked forwards once more. They had come to within sight of the hanger bay on the planet which had held Romulus trapped for ten thousand years. As he steered the craft downwards, he thought back on how this place had come to be such a haven for both he and his alliance. The highest contributing factor was that the queens did not know that this planet was even there and so it provided a perfect anonymity that was sorely needed. The other was that the fortress was extensive and could well hold several thousand wraith so, if there were ever a need to ground all of his hives for safe keeping then they and their crews could all be comfortably housed here. He stifled a smirk; Romulus had been most unhappy at the thought of returning to this particular planet and its fortress until Todd had pointed out that at least now he knew that he was capable of leaving whenever he so chose. Then he had not been so displeased.
"Are you ready my Katherine?" he asked, landing the transport and standing from his pilot's chair, holding out a hand to help his chosen to rise. She took his hand and let him pull her upwards and he took a moment to truly look at her.
She was impressive to say the least; he had seen to every detail of her appearance. The type of gown he had chosen for her was reminisce of the era in which he had spent his youth rather than the revealing gowns that the present queens now wore. He had however, incorporated a fair amount of leather into the design as he had wanted Katherine to be seen not only as a queen but as a female capable of doing battle if she was called upon to do so. The end result was a mixture of majestic, graceful femininity and hard, deadly, dangerous allure; a perfect fit for his lady of war.
Kate took a deep breath to steady herself and then bowed her head. "Yeah," she said, her voice coming out just slightly strained. "I'm ready."
Todd nodded and turned, holding out his arm for her to take. She did so and together they left the transport, walking side by side through the corridor that connected the hanger bay to the great hall. The echoing of their footsteps announced their approach and both of them could hear the soft mutterings of the gathered wraith quiet and then stop all together. Within moments, he and she both were standing at the very forefront of every single ranking wraith under his command. Bringing the two of them to a halt, Todd and Katherine stood there for a full minute taking in the reactions of their arrival.
There were many.
Nearest to the entrance Todd was able to see clearly the faces of Romulus, Caavin, Thayne and Illyria all of whom, with the exception of Romulus, wore expressions of shock, bewilderment and surprise. He could also see Maliaka through a parting in the crowd and had to fight back a smile at the utter astonishment that was sketched across her facial features. The rest of his commanders wore a collective mask of confusion and, at the very back of the assembled wraith; Todd could just make out Vasseera who, when his brother looked towards him, bowed his head in acceptance of his choice.
Todd was thankful for that and, feeling as though they had lingered long enough in the doorway, began to walk. Katherine came with him, her head held elegantly upwards, her eyes facing front and with not a note of her inner anxiety outwardly visible. He was most proud of her in that regard for, in that moment, she appeared to be every inch a true queen of wraith.
Kate was nervous as hell but didn't show it, couldn't show it. She hid it behind a mask of purposefulness as she walked steadily down the aisle of wraith all standing at attention clutching tightly to Todd's fist with her left hand. As they walked, she saw confusion and surprise on the faces of many, as well as anger and aggression. She ignored it all, just like Todd had told her to, and concentrated on reaching the end of the long walkway. When at least it was achieved, Kate swallowed hard while her back was still turned to the room full of wraith and then made certain that her face was blank again when Todd turned them around and then stepped away from her, gesturing to her while still holding onto her hand.
"Behold," Todd announced, making certain that every single wraith had a good view of his perfect Katherine whose fears were, at present, known only to him. His eyes swept the hall as he took a breath and prepared to give the proclamation that he had called them all here to hear him say, "The Lady Katherine of Atlantis, my chosen."
As soon as the proclamation had left his mouth a collective gasp rippled through the gathered wraith as whispers began anew and fresh waves of surprise, bafflement, bewilderment, awe and various others emotions appeared on all of their faces. Todd hardly cared about most of them save for the few that were displaying anger or hostility, those individuals he would deal with later but for now, his eyes searched out one wraith in particular and, once he was found, his gaze held.
Varkan looked much like he had taken a blow to the stomach or perhaps, even a more sensitive part of his anatomy. Todd allowed himself a sadistic grin of pleasure at the sight before he turned and once more held out his arm for Katherine to take. When she did, he began to take her up the stairs that they now stood at the base of. As they faded from sight, he heard the whispers begin again and smiled as some of them reached his ears.
"Did you see?"
"What is he thinking, she is human!"
"She is capable."
"I heard that she was a runner and survived."
"Once can hardly think of her as being human when presented in such a way. Did you not sense the power in her presence?"
"Did you see her eyes? The expression in them was cold as glass."
"There is much to envy the Eldest now."
As this last reached their ears, Todd felt Katherine jerk to a stop beside him and then burst into laughter. Letting go of her hand and turning back to her, the wraith let himself grin. "I told you that you need have nothing to fear," he informed her, his eyes dancing as they took in her joyful face.
Kate sobered and looked upwards into her husband's face. "Yes, well, not all of them were happy. Some of them looked downright pissed."
Todd frowned. "Yes, I noticed that," he looked to her. "Have no fear. They will be dealt with."
Her eyebrows knitted together. "Oh yeah, how? What are you gonna do, beat them all senseless until they accept me?"
The wraith shrugged. "Something to that effect."
Kate snorted and shook her head at him. "You're horrible."
He smirked. "You have said as much to me already," he took a step towards her and reached out his feeding hand to capture her chin. "I do not think you truly think so."
A shiver ran through her as he spoke making the hair on her arms and at the back of her neck stand on end. "Oh you don't do you?" she whispered back, her body moving forwards towards him of its own violation. "And what makes you think that?"
Todd let out a soft hiss and moved forwards to meet her, his head already angling downwards. "Because," he began, his mouth but inches away from her own He felt his eyes close. "You lo-"
"Sire."
Todd's eyes flew open and his head turned so that he could glare hotly at his intruding offspring. He growled. "You are worse than Sheppard," he asserted, annoyed.
Caavin was unmoved. "So sorry," he said his tone betraying that he was not, in fact, contrite at all. He took a step forwards. "I have simply come to pay my respects," he turned his gaze onto Katherine and inclined his head towards her. "You are now my Matriarch and I am yours to do with as you will," he bowed low, bending at his waist as he crossed his feeding arm, hand fisted, across his chest. "I bow to your every wish and command."
Todd watched his son and saw the reluctance in his actions. Caavin did not want to do this and his sire readily suspected that his disinclination had more to do with his own affection for Katherine than it did anything else. Acknowledging her as his matriarch and promising himself to her in service meant surrendering any aspirations for her he might have still retained. That he was doing so willingly made a swell of pride fill Todd's chest and banished his annoyance at having been intruded upon. He looked towards Katherine to see how she would react to his son's proclamation.
Kate looked down on Caavin's bowed head and took a step forwards, leaving Todd's side as she came to stand in front of the younger wraith. Reaching out a hand she touched her fingers to his chin and indicated that she wanted him to look up at her. He did and once her eyes had locked to his she smiled and dropped her hand. "I accept your service," she announced, letting her hand drop back to her side, "And promise to honor your interests, keep close your concerns, and to protect you as much as I'm able to for as long as I can still call you mine."
Caavin blinked and stared at her. He had not expected her to make a promise to him. When he had been old enough to pledge his service to his grandmotem, she had not felt the need to repay his offer of undiluted loyalty and fidelity with any promises or vows of her own. That Katherine did feel that there was such a need, that there should be an exchange made instead of a partisan tithe, made Caavin's esteem for her grow and compound even more. Standing before him was a female worth dying for and, quite suddenly, the vow he had taken was no longer full of empty words that he had felt he had been obligated to say.
They were now wholly and indisputably true.
Caavin could think of only one irrefutable way in which to convey the surge of loyalty he felt for his sire's chosen in that movement. And so, with every bit of presence he commanded, Caavin again fisted his feeding hand, crossed it over his heart and then dropped down to one knee at Katherine's feet, his head bowed.
Todd stared, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open just slightly.
From an early age, he had instilled in his son his own willfulness and had instructed Caavin to never submit himself to the will of another. When his son had come forwards to make his vows to Katherine, Todd knew that they were only words and that while Caavin would hold himself true to them, they did not have the weight that was supposed to be meant when they were repeated to a matriarch for the first time. That had changed when Katherine had delivered her own vows in exchange for Caavin's. How she had known to do so was beyond him; he had not honestly thought that she would make any promises of her own or, really, do anything at all for that matter. But as she had and by doing so, she had brought sustenance to his son's words and earned his complete and total submission all at once. The realization stole his breath away.
Footsteps called Todd from his thoughts and he and Katherine both turned in time to see Romulus, Illyria and Vasseera approaching them all three of whom stopped dead in their tracks when their eyes landed on the still kneeling Caavin.
"CAAVIN!" Illyria screeched at her son, her eyes wide. "WHAT BY THE STARS DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!"
Caavin stood up and held his head up high, leveling his gaze on this motem; annoyed that she had deemed it fit to shriek his given name out so loudly so that all in the proximity could hear. "Paying the due that is owed my Matriarch," he said crisply and then glared at her as if daring her to reproach him for it.
Illyria's mouth dropped open. Romulus smirked and looked at Valloran who seemed almost as surprised if not so shocked as his son's motem. "What said she to him to make him bow?"
Todd opened and closed his mouth twice before he was able to attempt an answer. "She…" he turned and looked at Katherine who seemed amused by what was happening around her. He looked back at Romulus. "She exchanged vows."
Illyria's head snapped towards the humans. "She what?" disbelief colored her tone. "What did she say?"
Todd opened his mouth.
"She is right here," Kate cut in before her husband could answer. Turning dark eyes onto the queen she had met only once before she crossed her arms and glared. "And she doesn't like being talked about as if she were invisible. If you want to know what I said, then ask me or, if you don't want to then kindly shut up and refrain from yelling. My ears are still ringing thank you very much."
Silence greeted her speech and for a few minutes, nobody breathed much less moved. Then, after what seemed like forever, Romulus began to laugh loudly. "Valloran," he said, unable to contain his mirth, "I do not think you need worry about her ability to command. Katherine is most able."
Todd felt the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. "Indeed," he turned towards his mate and looked down on her, his gaze softening. "It would appear all my concerns were for naught."
Kate looked up at him and shot him a look before returning her gaze onto Caavin's mother. "So?" she pressed, lifting one perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What's it gonna be? Are you going to ask me directly or are you going to shut up and go away?"
Far from being offended or appalled by the human's gall, Illyria was quite impressed. She had known that Katherine had a wraith's spirit but she had not known that it was so strong or so domineering. A slight smile came to her face and she let her lips turn upwards. "Forgive me, Katherine, my shock at seeing my son kneeling before you when he has never before done so to any queen or matriarch before you simply caught me off guard," she inclined her head towards Caavin and then dipped down low in a show of courtly elegance that she had not employed in a long, long while. "I did not mean any offense and would wish to offer my regrets if I have inadvertently done so."
Kate jerked her head downwards. "I forgive you," she told the queen who came out of her curtsey as gracefully as she had entered it. She repressed a shiver; the bowing and the curtseying would definitely take some getting used to. She turned to Todd who was staring at Caavin's mother as though she'd grown a second head. "Valloran," his eyes snapped up to hers. She quirked an eyebrow, "What now?"
Todd had to employ a great deal of effort into remembering how to speak. There had been no malice in Illyria's tone as she had bowed to Katherine and requested that she be granted pardon for her tactlessness as he would have expected. Instead there had been a deep respect and reverence in her voice and her actions. He would have thought that out of all those under his command, the female that had failed to entice him to bind with her would have been the least accepting of the female who had managed to succeed where she had not.
Apparently, this was not the case and, since there was one yet that had not said a word since arriving here, Todd turned his gaze towards his brother. "You must make your vows," he said hoping fervently that Vasseera would follow Caavin's example and do so willingly; he did not want to have to fight him on this.
With a nod of his head, Vasseera gave up his chance to rebel against Valloran's choice and took a step forwards. He was stopped however, when the Lady Katherine held up a hand.
"Matriarch?" he asked, unsure as to what she meant by halting him.
Kate shook her head. "No," she lowered her hand and took a step of her own. "And it's Kate or Katherine. I have a name and I give you all leave to use it. I won't answer to 'matriarch' and I swear that if any of you take to calling me 'my queen' I'll shoot you," she darted her eyes back and forth between Caavin, his mother and Todd's brother. "Now. I wasn't prepared for any sort of vows so I didn't have any time to stop him," she nodded towards Caavin, "before he said anything but I am stopping you."
Vasseera looked at his brother for direction but found none; Valloran looked just as confused as he was. "I do not understand," he said, returning his gaze to the female human. "Why do you not wish to hear me say –"
"Because I know that it's part of some sort of obligatory custom and I don't want it," she said in a rush, interrupting him mid-sentence. "If you wanna make vows then do it because you want to or because you think I deserve them but don't do it just because you think that you have to. I've got no use for empty words and unless you really believe in what you're saying to me that's all your vows will be, empty, meaningless, hollow words."
Her voice died off and, again, the silence resonated. It was almost deafening in its strength and, in that moment, Vasseera reacted in the only way he felt would honor the declaration that Katherine had made.
He bowed.
Repeating the gestures that Caavin had made before him, the Sentinel and keeper of the history of the wraith, fisted his feeding hand, crossed it over his heart and sank down to one knee before the female that he felt he truly would be ready and willing to die for. "I hereby pledge my fidelity, my loyalty and all else that I possess to you and to your service. I am yours to command."
Kate let out a breath through her nose. There was no doubt in her mind that he meant what he was saying and, after waiting for him to rise, she came towards him and repeated the promise that she had made to Caavin. "I accept your service and promise to honor your interests, keep close your concerns, and to protect you as much as I'm able to and for as long as I can still call you mine."
It was over quickly and Vasseera, who would have never thought that he would have such a vow made to him, suddenly understood why Caavin had bowed. He turned to look at Valloran who was gazing at his mate in awe and wonder. "You chose well, certainly better than our sire."
Todd looked at his sibling. "Yes, I rather think I did. If only our dear motem were here to see this; I should much like to see the look on her face."
Vasseera snorted. "Yes, that would be a sight to see. However, I think that it would be more rewarding if it was you on the ground at Katherine's feet rather than myself or any other. If she were to behold that I rather think she might die of shock."
"Or jealousy," Illyria quipped, her voice betraying her contempt for the former queen of Vallan. She looked towards her once and former mate. "Your motem ever was unnaturally fond of you."
Todd made a face. "Do not remind me."
Kate turned to him. "Do I even want to know?" she asked.
He shook his head. "You do not; the revelation would churn your stomach I am sure. It is best if we not speak of it."
Kate shrugged. "Okie dokie," she looked around at all the wraith. "So, what now?"
Romulus responded first. "Now you may do whatever you like," he informed her. "There will be an evening meal at sunset since both yourself and your mate require the need to consume food. It is also to celebrate your union and I suspect that there will be some dancing involved if it should please you," he trailed off and looked at Valloran, "Although, you might have to resort to certain methods of persuasion in order to entice him to join you on the dance floor."
Todd let out a snort of derision for the fun Romulus was poking at him. "I have danced with her before and needed no special prodding," he retorted, darkly. "Why do you assume –"
"That's not true," Kate interrupted him, throwing a look his way. "I know for a fact that you would've just continued to watch if Cadman hadn't kicked your ass out on the dance floor," she snickered at the incredulous look Todd aimed back at her and turned to look at Romulus. "I'm sure I could think of a way to make him participate."
Romulus smirked. "You could always entice Varkan to keep company with you if Valloran is not –"
"NO!" Todd yelled heatedly, not at all amused by Romulus' jest. Glowering, he rounded on the irritatingly smirking wraith. "That is not amusing in the slightest and I will kill him before he is allowed access to –"
"You will not!" Kate called over Todd's protests to the contrary. Crossing her arms and shaking her head she said, "You really need to do something out your jealousy issues. If this is how you react every time someone I have a history with comes near me then you and I are going to have problems."
Todd quieted but was by no means placated. "But he –"
The look Kate shot at him shut him up in record timing. "I seem to recall you sleeping with his mother before I slept with him so don't even try and argue against that," she let out a hot breath and looked at Romulus. "He really is an idiot isn't he?"
Romulus opened his mouth.
"I am not an idiot and I blame you for instilling the belief that I am into so many individuals!"
Romulus smirked. "On the contrary, Valloran I think that you will find that your behavior speaks to quite the opposite conclude-"
"Be quiet or I will shoot you!
"Resulting to human threats now are we? A pity. You used to be much better at-"
It was at this point that everyone else decided that it was time to go. Leaving Todd and Romulus arguing with each other in the corridor, Vasseera and Caavin took off in one direction while Kate and Illyria meandered down another. It was once they were a short distance away, one or two corridors over from the bickering males, that the queen turned towards the human.
"I presume that Valloran has provided you with a wardrobe more suited to keeping company in our circles?"
Kate nodded. "Yeah. Funny how the topic of conversation came up though."
Illyria quirked a brow ridge. "Oh?"
Kate nodded. "Well, Todd – I mean Valloran, kind of destroyed my clothes so I was in dire need of new ones."
She did not go into detail but the wraith could well guess how her garments had come to be ruined. "Yes, Valloran always was vigorous," she looked askew at the human walking along by her side. "I trust he left nothing in you to be desired?"
"Ah," Kate stammered, not sure how she felt discussing sex with Todd with his son's mother.
Illyria chuckled and shook her head. "You do not have to answer," she assured the uncomfortable looking Katherine. "I know that Valloran is private and does not like for us females to talk of his…abilities over much. Still, I am curious. I suppose that I shall have to remain so."
To this Kate had nothing to say and simply kept walking. After a few minutes, she asked. "Where are we going?"
Illyria inhaled. "I thought that you might like to rest a bit before the banquet. Those of us who require food of a different sort will see to our needs before the start of the meal and you should not have to see it. Therefore, I am taking you to your quarters so that you may do as you please until either Valloran and Romulus stop arguing and he comes to fetch you, or a worshiper is sent to bring you down for dinner."
Kate grimaced at the reminder that the wraith she was now surrounded with still required the need to feed. Todd had finished the gene therapy successfully about a month ago and in fact, it had been while Jennifer was administering his final treatment that he had first broached the subject of needing Teyla to play queen again. She'd gotten so used to watching Todd eat solid food – all while watching the kitchen staff play their favorite game: 'Here Todd, eat this' – that it'd been easy to forget that he was the only one of his kind that didn't need to take the life of a human in order to survive.
"Okay," she replied meekly.
Illyria said nothing else until they reached the chambers that had been prepared for Valloran's use upon his arrival. "You need only to call out with your mind should you require anything and a drone will answer you. If one does not then simply call out mentally to me and I will came and give you the aid that you require."
Kate nodded and then frowned. "I don't mean to be rude," she started, causing the queen to stop and turn back towards her. "But what do I call you so that I can indicate to all the other wraith listening that it's you I wanna talk with?"
Her nervousness endeared the girl to the wraith and so she answered in a way that indicated the respect and trust that Katherine had earned from her. "You may call me Illyria."
Kate felt her eyes widen fractionally before she simply nodded. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
Illyria looked at her. "You have won Valloran's heart; that alone makes you worthy of a great many things, my name being the least of them," she began to back away. "Rest well, Lady Katherine and I shall see you at the banquet."
The queen retreated and Kate let out a sigh before she disappeared into her room and shut the door.
~xXx~
"You have bedded Katherine."
His hand stilling over the game board, Varkan looked up at Commander Caavin. The elder wraith did not appear to be pleased; Varkan felt a small measure of trepidation begin to well up within his inactive stomach. "I have," he answered honestly knowing that it was pointless to lie. He leaned back in his chair and glanced across the table at the Sentinel with whom he had been playing before returning his gaze onto the elder commander. "Of what matter is it to you?"
Caavin snarled. "How can you ask me that?" he demanded, his fists clenching into fists at his sides. His sire's brother's presence went completely ignored as the whole of his attention began focused on the younger wraith. "I told you of my reluctance to release her and of my offer to court her upon our second encounter. I had to relinquish my designs on her because of my sire's desire for her. How is it possible then that you managed what I did not!"
While aware that the elder commander's pride had been wounded during the course of this revelation, Varkan was also fairly sure that – just as was his sire – Caavin was jealous. At least in this situation the elder commander was not attacking him as his sire had done. Varkan rather thought that the Eldest could stand to learn a thing or two about self-control from his son.
"It is simple," he began to explain, noticing that as he did so Caavin's fists alternated between clenching and unclenching. Varkan focused on keeping his tone natural and not boastful. "From what very little of the situation I was able to grasp, your sire had her, released her and then mated briefly with my motem in order to erase her from his thoughts. I am left with the belief that the tactic failed to work but that is not exactly relevant. How I managed to succeed in an area where you failed is that Katherine saw and understood what action your sire meant to take with my motem and needed to be comforted. Your sire's second, the elder – I do not know his name – suggested to me that I provide it to her given our past history and my already established regard for her."
In the wake of Varkan's explanation, Vasseera snorted. "I would hardly classify that chain of events as having been 'simple'," he eyed the two individual wraith, "In fact, I rather think it to be absurdly complicated." Shaking his head, he turned to the younger of the two commanders, "Now, pray, what is your history with the female?"
Varkan opened his mouth.
"Yes," Caavin agreed, his eyes narrowing. "What is your history with Katherine?"
The young wraith frowned. "Why do I feel as though I am being interrogated?" he questioned before he let out a sigh and proceeded to outline his introduction to the human female who had now become a permanent fixture in all of their lives. When he was done, he leaned back into his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. Looking upwards at Commander Caavin, he quirked a brow ridge and inquired, "Does that placate your curiosity?"
Caavin hissed. "For now," he looked down. "There is something that you are not telling me about your first encounter."
Varkan snarled. "Nor am I obligated to you to do so."
Since the statement was true, Caavin let it slide and instead of insisting upon a more detailed account of Varkan and Katherine's past meetings, let out a heavy sigh while sinking into a nearby chair. Leaning back into his seat, he let his head fall down onto his feeding hand wearily. Silence fell between the three of them before the approaching footfalls of another roused them and bade them look up.
It was Illyria. "Caavin," she said, her eyes roving the dejected appearance of her first born. She frowned. "What troubles you?"
The commander looked up at his motem. "You are concerned for my state of mind motem?" he queried, a touch of reproach to his voice. "Is it not rather late for you to begin to care about my well being?"
Illyria was stricken by her son's words which served as a reminder to her that when he was unguarded as he was now, he was more prone to adapt his Sire's view of her as his own. Caavin's resentment was as a dagger to her heart. "You are correct, my eldest," she remedied, careful to conceal the anguish she felt from her voice. "Forgive me."
Caavin said nothing and Vasseera took the opportunity to gesture towards Varkan indicating that they should remove themselves from their present company. Upon their departure, Illyria sank into the chair that Valloran's brother had vacated and took the opportunity to regard her son. For all of his life she had kept the truth of his birth and her apparent abandonment of him from him. Now she wondered if it were not the proper time to tell him the truth.
"I did not want to relinquish you to your sire."
Caavin's head snapped towards his motem's, his eyes narrowing and becoming suspicious. "What?"
Illyria sighed and locked her gaze with his, her eyes pleading with him to believe her. "I am not what your sire would have you think me to be. I did not wish to surrender you to him upon your birth and I did not conceive you simply to try and force him to bind me. You were a gift, you always have been and I have always had you in my heart even when I was forced to pretend otherwise."
The weight of her confession astounded him and Caavin did not honestly know how to respond. His only truly coherent thought was that if he had been so precious to her then why had she given him up and then proceeded to make him believe, for all of his life, that she did not care for him. She had said that she had had to pretend; his troubled mind latched onto that.
"Pretend?" he queried, "What mean you by that?"
The queen reached out with her feeding hand to touch her son's face only to have him pull away from her. She let her hand fall, her eyes dropping sadly down to her lap. "Nuaura," she whispered, hoping that he would need no more of an explanation than that.
Caavin knew of his grandmotem depravity and of the lengths she had sometimes gone to in order to preserve her power and control. It was no small leap for him to understand that she had made some sort of threat to his motem that had resulted in her decision to surrender her right to him and to walk away, leaving him in his Sire's care. "What did she do?"
Illyria lifted her head and looked her son in his eyes. "She threatened your life. You who were still growing inside of my womb; you had not yet been birthed and already there was a threat against your life. She decreed that I was to give you up and that I was to tell your sire all that she told me to say so as to break his affection for me. I did so, gladly, for it meant that you would be safe. All I have ever done to you was to preserve your life and keep you from harm."
Caavin was floored. He had been wanted, by both his parents, but because of his grandmotem, he had not known any of that until now – several millennia's later. The reach of her cruelty made him hate her ever more.
His motem was looking down once more, her eyes closed. Reaching out, Caavin touched his fingers to her chin and lifted her face up towards his. "I forgive you," he said earnestly, noting as he did the joy that filtered across her face.
Illyria smiled at her first born. "I am glad," she reached up and took hold of his hand, holding it firmly in her own. "Caavin, you must know that I have forever been proud of all that you have-"
"Illyria?"
Caavin frowned when his motem's voice trailed off and she suddenly averted her eyes, her gaze turning toward the front of the chamber. "Motem?" he questioned, looking up as she stood. "What –"
"Katherine is calling for me," Illyria explained as she turned back to look down on Caavin. "We will discuss more of this at a later date. For now, I must go and see to her needs."
Caavin stood and gave his motem a polite bow. "I shall look forward to it."
Illyria smiled and, after one last look at her eldest, she turned and made her way up through the fortress' corridors to Katherine's rooms. Upon arriving, she knocked on the door and waited for the human to answer. When she did, the queen found herself being eagerly granted egress into the room as the door was shut behind her. Turning to regard the female, Illyria waited for Katherine to speak.
"I need your help."
"With what might I ask?"
Kate made a face and gestured down at the gown she'd picked out to wear for the party. It was the least complicated looking one out of her entire wardrobe but still, how to get it to stay up and on baffled her. "I have no idea how this thing works," she confessed, looking back at the queen sheepishly.
The wraith felt herself become amused. "You are not supposed to," she explained to the human, coming forwards and turning Katherine about so that she could begin to work on the bindings on the gowns back. Lacing them together tightly she continued, "I'm sure that Valloran had your gowns made for you with the thought that you would have a worshipper appointed to you in order to serve your needs."
Kate frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. "I thought only queens and commanders had their own worshippers?"
Upon seeing the look that came over Katherine's face, Illyria stilled her hands and straightened. Turning, she looked at Katherine directly. "Valloran has not explained to you what you now are in the eyes of the wraith has he?" she asked, the expression on her face betraying her surprise over the Eldest's oversight.
Kate opened her mouth to reply but was silenced by Todd who, upon entering the room, took one look at who was in it – Illyria – and growled. "What are you doing here?" he demanded hotly, crossing his arms.
The queen glared at him. "Katherine called for my assistance and I responded to her," she said tartly, her voice clipped. Facing him, she matched his gaze fiercely with her own. "You have been negligent."
Todd's eyes narrowed to slits. "Have I?" he snarled heatedly, his glare intensifying. "Pray tell me," he hissed, "In what way have I been, as you say, neglectful?"
Illyria raised her head up and refused to back down. "You have not told her what you have planned for her to become. She knows nothing of the position you have oh so carefully crafted for her and assume that she will be willing to take."
To this proclamation, Todd was about to open his mouth to retort that Illyria learn to keep her tongue behind her teeth, but was stopped by his mate. "What position?" she asked, looking at the infuriating wraith queen instead of at him as she spoke.
Having now been forced into the background, Todd snarled.
Illyria turned her head and gazed upon the human to whom Valloran had given his heart. "He means for you to be not only his queen, but queen of all the wraith."
For about sixty seconds, Kate couldn't speak, couldn't think and temporarily forgot how to breathe. Once the minute was up however, she took a great gulp of air and then exploded. "WHAT!"
Illyria smirked and turned to Valloran, a wicked grin on her face. "I told you that you had been remiss."
Todd growled at her. "Get out," he commanded, pointing in emphasis at the door. "Go, now!"
With a mocking bow in the Eldest's direction, the queen swept from the room, latching the door behind her. With Illyria gone, Todd turned back to face his mate only to immediately realize that Katherine was anything but pleased.
She looked livid.
"Katherine," he began, uncrossing his arms and holding out his hands to her in what he hoped was a pleading sort of way. "You must understand –"
"No!" Kate yelled, interrupting him and fixing him with a look at the same time that dared him to keep talking. "I don't have to understand anything. I want to know what part of your clearly delusional mind thinks that I want to be a wraith queen!"
Todd blinked. This was not how he had anticipated her to respond to her change in status. "You are already a queen of wraith," he explained, confused as to why she would not wish this to be so. "By binding with me you have -"
"In all of the talks we had about our future, never once did you tell me that by marrying you I'd become a queen!"
"I would have thought that you would have understood what was to be expected of you!" Todd responded, his own temper flaring. "I am the leader of my alliance of wraith and it is my goal to be the leader of them all. As my mate it is your duty to –"
"You're not asking me to help you lead them you're asking me to be their queen which is something that I cannot and will not do! A wraith queen is –"
"It is the same, Katherine, in whatever way you wish to put it," Todd growled, coming towards her until there was but a minute space between them. He glared down at her as she, in turn glared defiantly upwards at him. "You know my eventual goal is to rid the stars of the corrupt queens and when I do there will be none left save for you and I fully intend to have you take up the role that is your right by –"
"I AM NOT A WRAITH!" Kate screamed, her eyes flashing red in their furry. Todd's mouth froze open halfway through a retort and he stared at her. She took a deep breath and continued. "I'm human, I'll always be human and nothing you do or say is going to change that. It's not my right to be anything just because I'm your wife!"
Todd hissed. "I am not attempting to change you. I simply wish for you to take the position that is owed you. As my queen you will have the power to command me and all those who follow –"
"See!" Kate yelled, pointing at him wildly. "See that, right there! That's exactly what I don't want. I don't want to have the power to make you or anyone else do what I say just because it's me that ordered it. That's tyranny and this galaxy's had enough of that already. The queens rule by fear, intimidation, violence and hate and I will not become what they are just to make you happy. I won't! I swear Valloran; I will die and take you with me before I ever became that!"
The conviction in her tone startled him as did her proclamation that she would welcome death before accepting the role he had wished for her to take. But, then, as he thought about it, he realized that he did not want her to become a queen in the sense of what the queens were now. No, what he wished her to be was a queen of old, a queen the likes of which the wraith had not seen in all of his lifetime.
But of course, Katherine did not know what that was. She knew only the current, corrupt wraith queens. She did not know that she was, already, in every way, an equal to the queens that had ruled over the wraith in times before his own birth. His grandmotem had been such a queen – wise and compassionate. From the tales of her he had heard as a youngling he knew that Katherine was equal to if not greater than her in a great many ways.
Then, also, there was the matter of the issue that she had raised.
She had accused him of trying to change her and, although he had protested against it, he realized that the accusation was not entirely false. Todd had gotten so used to her willingness to learn of and accept his culture and traditions that it had long been lost to him that there might be some aspects of wraith society that she would find issue with. She was correct in stating that she would never be a wraith and Todd would not wish her to be, for it was in part her humanity that endeared her to him. He would never wish for her to lose that part of herself completely and he knew that it was unfair of him to expect her to always conform to the customs of his world when he was not also as willing to adopt aspects of hers. With this in mind, Todd thought to show to her his willingness to also bend towards her as she was forever bending towards him by offering the one expression that he knew would mean the most to her above anything else.
"I love you."
Kate had waited patiently for Todd to come up with a comeback to her threat and when he finally said something, the three words that came out of his mouth were so not the ones that she's been expecting. They weren't even in the same spectrum.
She stared at him. "What?"
Todd took a step towards her and reached out so that he could grasp her shoulders and make her look up at him. "I love you," he repeated, inwardly laughing at the expression of shock that stole over his mate's face as he uttered the human declaration of affection for a second time. "You are right. It was presumptuous of me to think that you would readily accept my design for you as you know it now," his eyes swept over her face as he looked down on her, "Just as it was equally presumptuous of me to fall into the belief that no matter the issue, you would assimilate yourself into the ways and thinking of my culture. Your expression for the declaration of devotion and affection means next to nothing to the wraith but, I know, the words hold value and meaning to you. I say them because you are not the only one that must make the effort to integrate yourself into another way of life. You are my mate and it is only fair that I make such efforts as well."
Kate wanted to kiss him; she did kiss him. Leaning forwards and lifting herself up onto her tip toes, she brought her lips to his and softly and chastely met Todd the surprised wraith's mouth with hers. Dropping back down, she smiled up at him in adoration. "You are my life, Valloran, and always will be. Until the stars fade from the sky."
Todd could not help it but drew her closer as she returned his human declaration with the wraith equivalent of the same sentiment. Stars but he did not deserve her. How he had managed to become so lucky as to have Katherine as his chosen he did not know but he was willing to thank whoever had had a hand in it on bended knee every day for the rest of his life if it meant that he got to keep her.
"There is another matter that we must settle, my Katherine," the wraith whispered after a few moments in which he simply stood there and reveled in the simply joy of being so near to her. Looking down on her, he tilted her head upwards towards his with his feeding hand and said, "I would explain to you what it is I wish for you to become, so that you understand," her eyes darkened and he hurriedly continued, "It is not the role you think it. There was a time when being a queen of wraith meant something very different than what it means now."
Warily, ready to brandish out another argument if he said something she didn't like, Kate let herself nod, indicating that he should continue.
Hissing softly as he brushed the thumb of his feeding hand over the curve of Katherine's chin, Todd began his explanation. "There was a time when the queens were true leaders such as are you and not the dictatorial tyrants that exist now. The queen of a city was the highest ranked female in the most prominent line. She was a matriarch not only to those in her clan but to all wraith who sheltered inside of her walls. She was a protector, together with her Lord Consort; it was her duty to see to the wellbeing and livelihood of those that pledged their allegiance and fidelity to her. She would have lead by example, never asking of others what she was not willing to do herself. She was the first one at the head of a battle and she would gladly give her life to defend her people. Not so unlike you are willing to do now with the other humans of Atlantis."
Todd paused and sought to measure how much of what he was saying to her was being understood. It was clear to him within moments that she was explicitly comprehensive of all that he was saying to her and, in her eyes, he could see acceptance lurking in their silver depths.
She would accept this; she would be his queen and he would bow to her.
"The wraith that bowed to those queens did so not out of obligation but out of respect, reverence and of devotion. There was a code that was followed, a pledge made by each queen to those who gave their wills and their bodies into her service: For your obedience I give you my protection, for your loyalty I give you reverence and for your devotion I give you retribution should any harm come to you," he stopped and greedily drank in the look on Katherine's face with his own golden eyes. "I have fought all my life against those that would seek to command me. I follow no orders save my own and I have never bowed, not in all my life. Not even to my motem. And yet…"
Kate felt her breath catch in her throat. "You'd be willing to bow to me," she finished for him, the gravity of what he was saying to finally sinking in as she looked upwards into his face.
Todd nodded. "Yessssss."
Kate gulped. The way Todd had explained it, bowing to her was like the ultimate sign of love as far as he was concerned and she wasn't really sure that she could deny him that. He had told her that he loved her, said the words and everything. That was a huge step for Todd, for while he could generally be convinced to go along with some of her culture's traditions and such – like Christmas – he'd never been exactly what you'd call willing and he'd never actually been a participant. He'd just been there, on the outskirts, an observer who never got involved. Suddenly agreeing to be his queen – at least the type of queen that he'd described – wasn't such a horrible thing. If she were honest, helping him lead the wraith would've made her his kind of queen anyway.
In an instant her decision was made.
Looking up at Todd who was looking down on her with a hungry expression on his face, she inclined her head once. The wraith let out a heated breath and moved forwards but she stopped him before he could close the distance between them. Todd made a face.
"Katherine?"
Laying her hand flat over his chest, she caught his eyes with hers and made sure he knew that what she was about to say was serious and not something that she'd be willing to move on. "Never bow to me," she instructed him and, when she saw him frown, she went on, "I'll never order you, or command you or expect you to blindly obey me. I'll ask you and it'll be your decision if you do it or not. I'll never make you bow and I'll never expect anyone else to either. I'll be your queen and I'll help you lead the wraith, help you rule them, but I will not, not now, not ever, be greater then you. You're my equal Valloran, you always will be. Any power I have over you will be power you give me, not power I expect and the same goes for all the other wraith. I won't make them follow me and I won't make them call me their queen. If they do then it's their choice, but then and only then will I answer to it."
A low, soft growl escaped from the back of Todd's throat in response to her declaration. Bowing his head towards hers, he titled his head to one side and brought his face to within inches of hers. "And that is why they will. Because it is a choice just as you are my choice," his breath fanned her face and he leaned closer still.
"My queen."
Of their own accord, Kate's eyes fluttered closed and in the next instant she felt Todd's mouth cover hers. He pushed her backwards and together they tripped and stumbled and then fell to the floor without ever making it to the bed. All of Illyria's hard work on her laces was undone as Todd ripped the dress away from her. Kate smiled against his mouth as she thought about the wraith down below who were waiting for them to show up.
She had this odd feeling that they were both going to be very, very late.
~xXx~
And they were.
Kate knew this because when she and Todd finally did make it down to the banquet hall, every single wraith in the whole room turned and affixed the both of them with looks that told her that they were all annoyed by the delay. Todd ignored them and, because he was doing it, so did Kate. Her husband led her to a seat at the very head of the hall and then sat down next to her as around them, whispers broke out no doubt speculating about what had kept them for so long.
At the thought, Kate smiled and turned a light shade of pink.
Illyria leaned towards her. "Do you wish to know what I find most amusing?" the queen asked and, when Kate indicated that she did indeed want to know, she continued, "The Eldest has – save for his last indiscretion – been celibate for the better part of the past eight thousand years."
Kate made a face and took a drink from her wine goblet. Todd and Romulus were deep in some sort of conversation on her other side and weren't paying any attention to what she and Illyria were talking about for which she was glad. She got the feeling that Todd was one of those people who didn't like his love life to be a hot topic of conversation. Still, she was curious. "And why's that so funny?" she asked the wraith.
Illyria smirked and shot the human a pointed look. "Because with you he cannot seem to remain so for any length of time greater than a few hours," for emphasis she inclined her head towards Valloran's right hand which was currently resting on Katherine's leg under the table, his fingers drawing circles on her thigh. "Indeed, it seems he cannot even go any length of time without touching you. Forgive me but I find great amusement in that, given his predisposition to abhor outward displays of affection when in the line of so many eyes."
At this, Kate snickered. "You should've seen him the last time we were here," she muttered to the queen who cocked her head to one side in question. Kate explained, "My brother, Lorne, Ronon and I all got trapped here trying to rescue him and I got taken to Romulus for being defiant. Anyway, his second thought it'd be a good idea to make me a companion and Valloran took me to keep me safe — only we had to make it look like we were sleeping together," she trailed off as the memories of that memorable couple of months flitted through her head. "I'll say this; we had everybody convinced that we were doing it even though we weren't."
Not for the first time that day, Illyria found herself greatly amused. "Interesting," she said just as Valloran seemed to realize that she and Katherine were actually engaged in a conversation. Peering around his mate in order to gaze at her, the Elder wraith shot her a glare.
"What is interesting and why do I perceive the feeling that your topic of conversation is me?"
Kate flashed the wraith an impish smile and answered before Illyria could. "Because it is and don't' worry, I haven't been telling any horrible, dark secrets. We were just talking about the last time we were here."
Todd did not look convinced that Illyria did not now know something that he wished she did not. He quirked a brow ridge, "Oh?" he inquired, "And what memories were you relaying I wonder?"
His chosen shook her head and turned up her nose. "None of your business," she waved at him indicating that he should move away, "Go back to talking about galactic domination and glory."
Todd snorted. "If you are discussing me then it is my business and I have a right to know –"
"It's girl talk, you know, talk amongst girls," Kate admonished him. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught Romulus grinning at her, his head bobbing up and down in approval of the way she was handling her husband. She looked back at Todd, "Remember, we talked about this."
Todd opened his mouth to reply that yes they had and that he had asked her not to discuss such matters such as any intimacies involving he and she, when Illyria belayed him with a loud peel of laughter. The noise caught several wraith off guard and bade them look up at the high table at which they sat. Todd's eyes narrowed and he glared at his former mate.
"And what, pray you, is so humorous?" he demanded now sure that he was feeling the sensation that Sheppard had described for him as being irked.
Her laughter subsiding, Illyria shook her head. "It is nothing," she replied before amending, "It is just that it is a sight to me to see you handled so easily and with such complacency. I would almost think that you do not mind your Katherine telling you what to do."
Todd sneered. "Of course I do not. She is my queen, I am honor bound to –"
A mischievous look crossed into Illyria's eyes. "Then, as she is your queen, I rather think that you should make it your duty to see that she is not bored with the proceedings," spreading wide her hands she gestured down the length of the table. "Perhaps some activity to please your chosen?"
The wraith lifted a brow ridge. "Such as?"
"There is music playing," Romulus reminded his companion who rounded on him and shot him a glare dark enough to terrorize a youngling into having night terrors for several months. The elder wraith was undaunted and continued on with his train of thought regardless, "Perhaps you could offer to –"
"You know that I detest the activity so why would you suggest it?" Todd snapped, cutting Romulus off before he could finish. "I will not subject myself to –"
"Well if you won't dance with me then I guess I'll just go find someone else that will," Kate interjected, standing. Looking down at Illyria and ignoring the growl of protest that Todd gave to her suggestion, Kate asked, "Come help me find Caavin."
In a vain attempt to keep Katherine at his side, Todd began to retort, "I do not think my eldest finds anymore favor in the activity than do I."
With a shrug, Kate pushed in her chair and began to walk away with Illyria at her side. "Well then if he won't dance with me either, I know someone who will."
Todd frowned and opened his mouth to ask who only to remember the last instance in which he had seen Katherine dance and who, at the time, had been her partner. His reaction was swift and immediate. Coming out of his chair he caught her hand with his and spun her around to face him. "If it would please you so greatly then I will honor you your request of me."
Kate smiled and took the hand that Todd had offered her. It was his feeding hand and, unlike most of the times he held it out to her, this time his palm was facing upwards. She slid her hand into his and felt a series of tiny prickles as her fingers slid over his feeding slit. "Thank you, Valloran."
Despite the fact that they were about embark upon what had to be his least favorite activity, hearing her expression of gratitude followed by his name and that gentle way in which he smiled at him made him immediately think that his discomfort was well worth it just to have her look at him in that way. When at last they came to a stop in a clear area of the floor, Todd nodded to Romulus who inclined his head towards the band of worshippers who were providing the music for the evening. At once a melody began to play to which Todd was thankful he still remembered the steps. As soon as he and Katherine began to move about the rest of the world fell away and then there was only her. Her laughter and her joy made all of his dislike of what they were doing disappear and he realized that if she enjoyed dancing so very much then he would forever agree to be her partner so that it might be he and only he that brought her such innocent pleasure.
Behind in the places that Katherine and Valloran's departure had left them, Romulus and Illyria observed the pair both with looks of satisfaction on their faces. On the other side of the hall, however, there were at least two wraith not so happy with the display.
Varkan and Caavin had been having a rather weighty conversation with the Sentinel about wraith history that had lasted the duration of the meal when the youngest of the three wraith had caught what the Eldest was now currently doing out of the corner of his eye. The sight had stopped him and stolen his breath from him as he could not remember – ever in his lifetime – seeing the Eldest look so relaxed, at ease, nor so happy. He could not help it. He stared.
Caavin took immediate note. "What is it?" he asked and, upon turning his head in the direction that Varkan was looking, he felt his mouth fall open. "What is he doing?"
Vasseera, who thought the expressions on his young companions' faces to be quite comical, twisted about in his chair so that he could also see what it was that they were so captivated by. Upon meeting it, he felt himself smile. "Your sire looks happy," he remarked to Caavin who, having gotten over the shock of seeing Valloran dance, was now glaring at his sire darkly and with no small degree of malice. Vasseera frowned. "You would begrudge him that?"
Valloran's son hissed. "I do not begrudge him his pleasure," he answered tersely. "I simply begrudge him his pleasure with her."
Vasseera's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Ah yes, that is right, you had your own designs for her," he peered at Varkan who was also watching the Eldest and his chosen but who did not seem nearly as angry as Caavin did concerning their interaction. "As did you."
Coming out of his reverie, Varkan turned to the Sentinel and shook his head. "I have never wanted from her anything other than what she freely gave to me," he affixed the elder wraith with a pointed look. "I have respect and reverence for her but nothing else beyond that."
The sentinel was appeased by the answer and turned to gaze once more at his brother's son. "Unlike some."
Caavin hissed at him. "Mind your tongue," he snarled hotly before adding, "She was mine before ever she was his."
Vasseera shook his head. "She was designed for him and only for him. Can you not see that?" he asked with a sigh. "A bond such as theirs I have never seen nor am I ever likely to see again. My brother would move the stars for her just as Katherine would do so for h-"
"Brother?" Varkan interrupted, a startled look settling across his face as he turned to regard the Sentinel. "What mean you by th-"
Any of the rest of what he might have said was cut off as the whole of the fortress they were in suddenly shook, the florescent lights that offered luminescence to their surroundings suddenly dimming unexplainably. Immediately on their feet, all three wraith looked about for the casue of the disturbance as, upon the floor, Valloran and Katherine ceased their spinning as the music that they had been moving to was silenced. Looking about at each other, no one had a chance to utter a sound before they were all plunged into blackness.
Unable to see, Todd held Katherine tightly to reassure himself that she was safe. He felt her press herself into him and he was about to offer her a reassurance that all would be well when, just as suddenly as they had turned out, the lights flickered back into existence and Todd was left blinking bright white blots out of his eyes while trying to focus so that he could see.
"Hello Valloran."
A collective hiss went up about the room as Todd – as well as all of the others in the entirety of the room – turned towards the chamber's entrance. There, framed in the doorway, stood three queens, their commanders and a battalion of drones. Todd felt his eyes widen, his breath stilling in his throat.
The triad.
"What do you here?" He demanded, turning fully towards the three queens who were all that was left of the original alliance of traitorous females that had betrayed the old order and razed the five cities to the ground. His lips curled back and he snarled. "You will answer me!"
The lead queen, a female with white hair that had streaks of black in it, took a step forwards and growled at him. "I will do nothing my Lord High Commander. The days when you ruled the wraith are dead and gone, turned to dust and rotted away. It is you that must now bow to us!"
Todd's fists clenched. "I bow to no one."
The queen smiled a cruel smile and moved her head to one side as she gazed at the ever defiant male that just would not lay down and die. "Now Valloran," she hissed maliciously, "We both know that that is not true," she turned her head again and sought out with her gaze the human that she knew was there. Finding her, she smiled in triumph and said, "You would bow to her."
Within the space of a heartbeat, Todd became fully aware of the threat that these queens posed, for not only could they wipe out his entire alliance if they so wished, but they could swiftly and without much precedence, end Katherine's life. He was suddenly very afraid and fought hard not to allow it to show. "She is worthy," he said instead, trying to mask his fear with defiance. He could not let them see what she was to him; he would sooner trade the life of every wraith in the chamber including his own if it meant that he could spare Katherine the death that would be met at their hands.
Another of the queens, this one with hair that was a combination of blood-red and black, stepped up to take her place with her sister. "More worthy than your motem?" she inquired as she folded her hands in front of her. "Nuaura was not only queen of Vallan but she was once high Queen of all the wraith. You never once, not in all your life, bowed to her and yet you say that your precious Katherine is worthy. Tell me, would you have your human whore take her place and become such a queen? Would you have all the wraith bow to her as you seem so willing to do yourself?"
Anger blinded him and threatened to make him act without thinking. Only Katherine's calming presence at his back stopped him from taking a course of action that they would both later regret. "She is not my whore," he snarled, the nails of his fingers digging into the flesh of his palms.
The last queen, the only one to have not yet spoken, joined her sisters in the chamber proper and faced off against the greatest warrior to have ever been born in their stars. "Is she not?" the queen questioned, enjoying the myriad emotions that could be seen flickering in and out of Valloran's eyes. "It is what she is known to us as, to the wraith who are loyal. We call her Valloran's whore," she looked at him then and was certain that his golden eyes had turned red. "Fitting do you not think?"
Hearing of Katherine spoken of in such a way was his undoing and, without conscious thought, Todd let out a growl and took a step forwards. He had taken but one step when suddenly his way was blocked and, as he looked down through the anger that blinded him, he saw his mate's eyes looking up at him in pleading worry.
"Don't," Kate begged him knowing instinctively that if he attacked the queens then he'd die. She couldn't loose him, not so soon after having finally got him. Putting up both her hands, she lay them flat on his chest and continued to hold his gaze. "Stand down."
Todd let loose another growl and continued to move forwards, forcing Katherine's arms to bend as she fought to keep her hands up between them. "Is that an order, my Queen?"
Something in the way he said it let her know that it was a challenge and, aware that every eye in the room was on her, Kate kept her gaze locked with Todd's and said, "No, but it's a request," Todd tried to push past her but she held firm and pushed back at him, the panic rising in her voice as she tried again. "No, don't! Valloran please, stand down!"
The defiance left him and Todd felt himself succumbing to the plea in his Katherine's eyes. She was worried for him and, knowing that that was the source of her want for him to give up his attack, he did as she asked and stood down.
The sound of laughter dark, cruel, cold laughter rang out and Todd flickered his eyes upwards to once more lock them on the queens.
"How terrible and sad," the first queen to have spoken hissed manically, an evil smirk a-fixed onto her otherwise beautiful face. "The great, mighty, legendary Valloran who is matched only to the stars in his might; brought to heel by a human female."
This time, rather than try and stop Todd from doing something foolish, Kate turned around and planted herself between her husband and the three queens who still hadn't explained what they were doing here or how they'd even gotten there in the first place. "If you have something to say to me, then say it," she growled out through clenched teeth, "Otherwise, stop berating Valloran and explain how the hell you got here and what the fuck you want!"
Pride for Katherine's strength welled up inside of Todd as he watched his chosen challenge the triad without any trace of fear. He was sure that she was terrified but she was not showing it and for that, he found he adored her ever more.
Turning to the aggressive human who – although they would never admit it – was not the whore they claimed her to be but an actual, real threat, the white haired queen sneered down her nose at her and proceeded to humor her with an answer. "Not all of Valloran's commanders seem able to accept his choice in you. Hearing his declaration that you are his chosen made several of them reevaluate their loyalties and, as a result, we are here."
Kate's teeth clenched and she stood up straight until she'd reached her fullest height. "And what do you want?"
The queen smirked. "You," she said darkly, before nodding at the male that stood behind her glowering at them with just as much malice as his mate, "And Valloran of course," her smirk festered. "You both will come with us, willingly, or I will give the order to have this planet and everyone on it incinerated within moments," she eyed the human carefully. "Tell me human, do you weigh your life to be more weighty than theirs?"
For emphasis, the queen spread out her hand and waved it over the assembled gathering of wraith. Kate turned and looked out about the chamber and locked eyes with several wraith before she turned back to look at the three queens. "No," she said evenly, "I don't."
Behind her, Todd was once more filled with pride even if it was that pride that was to be the reason that they were captured. She had spoken like a true queen – not like the hollow, vain ones that now stood before her. They were nothing. She was everything.
The red-haired queen let out a breathy sounding hiss and gestured for the drones to move forwards and surround both the human and Valloran. "A wise decision, Lady Katherine."
Without pretense, Kate and Todd were then marched out of the hall and forcefully thrown into an awaiting transport that had been set down within the courtyard of the fortress. As the doors were shut behind them, a blast of energy hit them both and soon their worlds were plunged into blackness.
Still in the hall, the queens looked out at the assembled wraith in disdain before taking their leave. Without Valloran, the alliance would crumble and fade into nothing. If it had been different, the queens would have slaughtered them all simply for agreeing to follow a rogue male but, as they were still at war with the humans of Atlantis and had designs set on the planet Earth, there might come a day when they needed the disbanded alliance.
It was the only reason that the queens let them live.
A/N: As I've said many times, reviews are the only way that fanfiction authors get paid so, put a penny in my cup and make my day. I do so love hearing from all of you. Cheers!
