Author's Note: As always, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. A quick note: writing for this story concluded today. There are fifteen chapters, total. :) Enjoy! ~lg
~oOo~
Jovannah stood in a corner of Daniel's room and watched as Damek deposited the unconscious man on the bed. Her eyes flashed with anger, something she was unable to avoid as she considered his actions. He had, once again, tried to escape.
Damek straightened and left the room without a backward glance. Jovannah ignored him. Damek was loyal, a man from a good family on Evonnia who would be more than honored to become Malik but who also possessed a cruel streak. She had no doubt that she could mold Damek into the Malik she wanted. So why was she so fixated on Daniel? Beyond the obvious physical attraction, there was something else about him that drew her. He possessed a wisdom that showed when he spoke, something that Damek could not hope to attain. Jovannah had hoped that she would win Daniel's heart by now. No other man had resisted her charms for more than a week. Daniel had been in the palace for almost two weeks, and he had yet to fully surrender.
He began to stir, and Jovannah remained in place. She made an impressive figure, she knew, with her blue gown that barely stirred in the breeze from the Gorane Sea. She wanted Daniel to see her disapproval as soon as he opened his eyes.
She was not prepared for how he awoke. He groaned deeply, a sign that he'd been injured in his bid for freedom. Then, in a movement that was quick and desperate, he rolled onto his side and promptly vomited onto the carpet. Jovannah's stomach turned slightly but she remained impassive. Daniel fell back onto the pillows of his bed, cursing about a concussion.
Concern for his welfare overrode Jovannah's anger. She rounded the bed, avoiding the mess while signaling for Donat to summon a maid to clean it. Settling on the edge of the bed, Jovannah ran her hand gently over Daniel's brow.
He frowned and pulled away, another groan of pain escaping as he swallowed convulsively. "Don't." The whispered warning told her that he would not welcome gentleness. A smile tipped up the corners of her lips. Perhaps kindness should be her weapon in this case. The vindictive thought faded quickly, though the anger remained. Ignoring his fussing, she lifted his shirt to examine the bruising on his torso. The bruises from his previous escape attempt had barely faded, but these new ones were different. They were deliberate.
"You should not have run."
Daniel lifted a hand and covered his eyes. "What did you expect me to do?"
"Purchase clothing that is suited to you and enjoy your chance to explore the city."
He would have nodded, but he settled for blinking at her. His eyes squeezed shut quickly, though. "No offense, but I'm not feeling very well right now."
"Would you like me to call for a physician?"
"I'd like to see my doctor."
"That is not possible."
"Yeah, you keep telling me that." He dropped his hand, keeping his body quite still. "I don't think Damek did any permanent damage, just some bruising and a concussion. If you don't mind, I'll stay right here for now." In other words, he wanted her to leave him alone.
Jovannah rose gracefully. "I will return for the evening meal. We will dine here, so that you may recover." She strode from the room, waiting until she'd gained her own quarters to vent her anger and frustration.
When she had decided to take him to the market, she had sincerely believed he would not try something so foolish as to escape. She'd placed guards everywhere, and one of them had spotted Daniel rushing through the streets. She had not, however, expected Damek's cruelty. Figuring she should deal with that new problem, Jovannah left her quarters and found her Chief Guardsman speaking with several of his minions in the dining hall.
Waiting until he'd sent the men on their way, Jovannah glared. "What were you thinking?" Her voice echoed through the room, bouncing from the high ceilings in a menacing and quite satisfying way.
Damek's eyes widened. "Forgive me, Malikah. But you ordered me to prevent Daniel Jackson from leaving the palace by whatever means necessary."
"And that included beating him severely?" She waited for Damek to meet her eyes. "I would tread carefully if I were you, Guardsman," she said, emphasizing the lower rank. "Should another incident like this happen, you may find yourself in a cell below this palace."
Damek blinked and dropped his gaze to the tiled floor. "Forgive me, Malikah," he said again, this time with a tinge of worry in his tone. "Dr. Jackson is a formidable warrior in spite of what others believe of him, and I only did what I felt was necessary."
"I examined those wounds, Damek. Those are not the wounds of a man who fought back."
Damek said nothing.
Jovannah lifted her chin. "If you value your position in my court, Damek, you will ensure that nothing like this happens again. Daniel Jackson is to become the Malik. How will you feel when, after he is crowned, he decides to take issue with your shameful actions? It is already within his rights to demand recompense for what you have done."
Damek's face changed and hardened. A sneer turned his lips upward, but Jovannah ignored it. She knew how Damek's mind worked. He was cruel, but he kept it hidden well. He knew that Daniel could demand him beaten for what he had done, but Jovannah doubted Daniel would take that step. It was Daniel's compassion, among other things, that cemented her choice as the right one.
Still, Damek knew something that Jovannah did not. She stepped forward. "What have you done?" she asked softly, her voice no longer carrying as it had moments ago.
Damek raised his head and stared into her eyes. "I have made certain that, when his people return, they will not look for him here again."
"The only way that will happen is if. . . ." Jovannah stared at her Chief Guardsman, seeing the satisfied way he nodded. "Thank you, Damek. Heed my warning, however. Daniel is not to be harmed."
Damek bowed one more time, and Jovannah left him alone. She wandered past Daniel's quarters, seeing Donat outside and learning that her future husband now slept off his injuries. She was worried that he would suffer unreasonably and spent the next few moments ordering Navenka, her maid, to prepare their evening meal. When Daniel awoke, Jovannah intended to reassure him that he was still welcome and that he would eventually have the chance to regain her trust.
~oOo~
The gateroom was a place of chaos. Hammond watched from the control room as SG-10, SG-3, and SG-1 hurried back through the gate. SG-10 looked relatively unscathed, but SG-3 showed signs of having been in a firefight. SG-1, however, was shattered.
Teal'c carried Major Carter through the gate, his face impassive save for the anger that made his jaw twitch. Jack followed behind him, the panic on his face a very telling sign. Carter was loaded onto a stretcher, where Dr. Frasier took over her care and began barking orders. A quick glance at Teal'c and Jack had her ordering them to the infirmary, as well. Rather than harassing them right at this moment, Hammond sought out Colonel Reynolds while SG-1 followed their downed teammate.
"Colonel Reynolds, report!"
"It was an ambush, Sir." Reynolds let out a deep breath. He was covered in dirt, bits of tree branches, and other signs of a firefight but appeared otherwise uninjured. "We were caught in the crossfire between two Jaffa battalions. Major Carter went down pretty quick, and Colonel O'Neill stabilized her while we covered them."
"Any other injuries I should know about?"
"No, Sir." Reynolds glared. "Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Granted."
"This wasn't just an ambush. These Jaffa knew we would be there, and knew our tactics. We almost didn't make it out alive. That tells me, Sir, that we have a problem. The Tok'ra gave us this lead. If we can't trust them. . . ."
Hammond nodded and motioned over his shoulder. "Go get yourself checked out. I'll be down to talk to Colonel O'Neill shortly."
As SG-3 filed out of the room, Hammond sighed. If the Tok'ra had been fed misinformation, then they had a serious problem. To date, Hammond knew only one member of the Tok'ra he trusted completely. Walking into the control room, he nodded to Walter Harriman. "Dial the Tok'ra base, Sergeant. I need to talk to Jacob."
~oOo~
Carter was going to be fine. Jack stood next to her bed, feeling every bruise and cut he'd gained over the course of this mission. She was still unconscious, her face as pale as the sheets. But Frasier assured him that her wound would heal. It would take time unless one of the Tok'ra decided to help her, and Jack couldn't figure out which option he preferred. The Tok'ra could use that hand device, heal her, and get them back out there and looking for Daniel within a day. Of course, that supposed that the Tok'ra hadn't betrayed them.
Running a hand down his face, Jack glanced to where Teal'c hovered in the shadows. The Jaffa appeared impassive, but Jack knew better. He nodded once, knowing he needed to leave the infirmary and debrief General Hammond on what had happened. Teal'c gave him a nod in reply, the unspoken conversation between the two men something the infirmary was accustomed to seeing. Jack left a moment later, finding Hammond and telling him everything that happened.
Carter remained unconscious for the remainder of the day. Jack split his time between his office actually writing his report and hovering over yet another teammate. First, Daniel went missing. Now, Carter had been injured. She started stirring late that night, in obvious pain but grateful to be alive. Teal'c and Jack sat with her, feeding her ice chips and telling her that they would continue the hunt for Daniel as she recovered. She wasn't happy about being pulled off the case, but Jack refused to allow her to even work until Frasier said it was okay. She unhappily settled into her pillows and drifted to sleep.
It took two days for Jacob Carter to arrive. In that time, Jack and Teal'c had accompanied SG-3 on two more missions, checking out what few leads they had. The Tok'ra had not given them any more information, and Jack suspected they'd need to return to Evonnia before too much longer. That planet seemed to be the epicenter of all of this.
Jack's anger at the Tok'ra stirred when he saw Jacob come through the wormhole. He trusted the man, but he didn't like what the man's snakey relatives had done to his teammate. He stomped into the gateroom and opened his mouth to fuss at Jacob when the older man beat him to the punch.
"How is she?"
Jack snapped his mouth closed at that question. Of course Jacob would be concerned about his daughter. "She'll be fine. She took a staff blast to the ribs, and Frasier had to do some minor surgery to repair some of the damage. But she's recovering well and fussing at Janet for not letting her work."
Jacob grinned in an "I knew it" manner as he headed for the infirmary. Hammond was on hand to greet him, but none of the really important stuff would be discussed until after Jacob had seen Carter.
In the infirmary, Jack watched as Jacob and Carter talked about her wound. Jacob offered to use the healing device on her, something Carter said she'd think about, and in general reassured himself that his daughter would be okay. Jack knew what getting that call must have done to Jacob. He'd never been in the position to get a call like that about Charlie, but he would never be able to forget the panic he'd felt when that gunshot rang out.
Shaking the memories away, Jack waved to Carter as he left the infirmary with Hammond and Jacob. Out in the hallway, the trio of men stopped walking as soon as they were out of earshot. Jacob met Jack's eyes. "You have to believe me when I say I had no knowledge of your trip to P4X-987. If I had, I would have warned you against it. That place is one of Anubis's strongholds."
"Yeah, we figured that out," Jack said facetiously. "So, why would one of your operatives send us there?"
"Like you were told, we had intelligence that Anubis had captured an important enemy." Jacob's voice was patient. "I've already verified this, and I know now that it was a rival Goa'uld, one that we believe was an adversary of Anubis before he was exiled by the System Lords."
"So, it wasn't Daniel?"
"No, though I wouldn't be surprised if Anubis is behind this." Jacob shrugged. "Since Daniel did challenge him at Abydos, then it stands to reason that Anubis would want his revenge. Not to mention the knowledge that Daniel might still possess from the time he was ascended."
"Yeah, we figured as much." Jack shook his head. "Look, as much as we appreciate the Tok'ra's help on this, I have this sneaking suspicion our path is going to lead right back to Evonnia."
Jacob's head came up sharply. "Did you say 'Evonnia?'"
"Yes."
Hammond finally spoke. "Jacob, do you know something of Evonnia?"
Rather than answering, Jacob bowed his head. Jack recognized the action immediately and was not surprised when Selmak answered. "No, but I know of Evonnia. And I have not heard that name in several hundred years."
~oOo~
By that evening, Daniel was able to sit up and tolerate low light and low sounds. He'd spent most of the day curled into a ball on the bed, protecting his bruised torso as well as trying to stop the pounding in his skull. He'd had concussions before, so he knew how to handle the pain. When Donat softly broke the news that Jovannah intended to dine with him that night, Daniel had simply waved a hand to indicate that he understood.
Now, however, he wondered if he should have begged for a reprieve. Jovannah's servants had arrived, softly delivering several different types of soup that both enticed Daniel's appetite and made his stomach turn at the same time. He didn't know if he'd be able to hold anything down, and he sure didn't have the strength to go running to the bathroom should he be unable to eat more than a few bites. This concussion was a doozy, something he hadn't experienced yet since returning to human form.
Jovannah slipped into the room, followed by Donat. Tonight, she wore a simple gown that didn't reflect the light from the few braziers that Daniel had lit. He was grateful for that, and for how she spoke softly. Donat took up a position next to the door, his gaze watchful and respectful.
Dinner progressed about how Daniel suspected it would. Jovannah spoke with him, keeping her voice down but also making certain she was heard. Daniel's monosyllabic answers went ignored for a time, though he wondered just how long he'd be able to retain this level of animosity. Right now, he just wanted to curl up somewhere and sleep off the pain.
Then, Jovannah offered him a cup of wine. She smiled sweetly, saying it would help with the nausea. Eager to have at least one of his major complaints handled, Daniel lifted the cup to his lips. A shift in Donat's position drew his attention, and he frowned at the guard's quick shake of the head. Donat had a warning written across his face, so Daniel only pretended to drink, licking the overly-sweet wine from his lips and hoping such a small amount wouldn't affect him. He picked up his spoon and carefully ate the broth of what must pass for chicken soup on this world.
By the time the evening meal ended, Daniel did feel better. The nausea was still present, but the broth and a piece of bread seemed to calm it a bit. His head still pounded, his ribs ached, and he could feel the bruises and cuts more now than he had earlier. A long, hot bath would help, but he wasn't certain he had the energy he needed. Sitting upright had felt good at first. Now, he simply wanted to ignore the world.
Jovannah left him alone after running her hand through his hair and apologizing for Damek's actions. Daniel watched her go. He remembered the trip to the market, trying to escape, and being clotheslined by Damek. After that, everything was a blur. He still wasn't certain of anything he'd said to Jovannah after he'd awakened. That, alone, concerned him. He hoped she hadn't taken advantage of his muddled thinking by getting him to agree to something he would most assuredly regret.
Donat slipped back into the room, reminding Daniel of a question that flitted in the back of his mind. The Guardsman quietly approached the couch where Daniel sat. "Do you require anything, Dr. Jackson?" he asked in a whisper.
"Yeah." Daniel motioned to a chair. He quite liked Donat, though whether or not he could trust the man was still not clear. "Why'd you warn me against the wine?"
Donat sighed. "Because the Malikah laced it with oldjin juice."
"Oldjin juice?"
"Yes." Donat met his eyes. "When dried, the oldjin fruit is tasty and often given to children for sweet treats. However, the juice causes waking dreams, disorientation, and. . . ."
"It's a hallucinogen."
"I am not certain what that means."
"Hallucinogen. It's. . .uh. . .it's a drug or substance that causes changes in how a person perceives and feels about his world." Daniel waved a hand. "These waking dreams, as you call them, are what my people call hallucinations."
"Then, yes, the oldjin juice is a. . .hallucinogen." Donat shifted in his chair. "It is believed that low doses of oldjin juice can also help with pain and illness."
"Thanks for warning me," Daniel said softly. While he wanted to be free from the agony he was going through right now, he also refused to submit himself to another substance that might or might not prove addictive.
Donat met his eyes. "All is not as it seems, Dr. Jackson. You are not without allies in this situation."
"Really?" Daniel had closed his eyes, but he now opened one of them to eye Donat. "Sorry if this sounds angry or offensive, but it doesn't seem that way to me."
Donat smiled and pushed to his feet. "Is there anything else I can do for you before you retire?"
Daniel sighed. He hated asking for help from any of these people, but he desperately wanted to wash away the sweat and residual aches of the day. That meant a bath, something that would help the deeper pain of the bruises as well. "Yeah. I need to. . . ." He motioned to the bathroom and tried to find the words to explain.
Donat understood. He put a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Stay here, Dr. Jackson. I will find someone to help you, someone I trust. Anything you say to him will go no further."
Daniel watched Donat leave the room, wondering at that last statement. He was grateful that Donat worried that his confused ramblings might be used to harm him, but he could not understand why Donat chose now to be open about it. Figuring it didn't matter at the moment, he waited patiently until a young man, no older than twenty-five, slipped into the room. He introduced himself as Tomo, a good friend of Donat's, and drew a warm bath for Daniel. Feeling more self-conscious than he normally did when trapped in the infirmary, Daniel allowed Tomo to help him into the bathroom. He slid into the water and sighed deeply.
This day would go down in his personal history as one of the more frustrating moments of his life. At least, of his life he could remember. As he lay there in the water, letting it soothe some of the aches from his body, he made up his mind that he would escape. And, when he did, he would make certain that Jovannah never did this to another man ever again.
~TBC
