Chapter 10-Adoration

"It is confirmed, the king will be participating in the horse events, including the cross country event."

"This is just the break we needed," Siptis said. "This may be much easier than I thought." He admired an unusual dagger that he held in his hand. "Once the king is dead," he continued, "we will be favored amongst the gods."

oOoOo

"So the festival begins today, John."

Sheppard smiled at Teyla. "It does, Teyla, and it's big."

She watched Sheppard pull at the collar of his robe. It was the third time he had done it in the last minute. "John," she said approaching him and straightening the collar, "surely this uniform is not any less comfortable than others that you have worn."

"What?" he said looking at her, then shook his head. "Oh,sorry. It's just that, well, this is bigger than the ball tonight, bigger than the coronation in terms of people."

"John," Teyla said jokingly. "You are not nervous, are you?"

"Of course I'm not," he said indignantly. Then he looked down and smiled sheepishly. "I guess just a little. You know, before, it was a limited number of people that saw the coronation even from the treetops. This is everybody that can make it here. I can feel the energy coming from out there already and it's kind of hard to take in."

Sometimes she could not understand her friend. Going to war and facing death did not frighten him enough to make him even look worried sometimes, yet he was concerned about facing an adoring crowd--thousands, perhaps, but still adoring. "You won't have to talk much, John, and it will be similar to the parade after the coronation, won't it?"

He looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess it will be. You're right. Just need to say a few words, smile, and wave. Zorthos should keep them back enough."

"Yes I am sure it will go quite well. Then, we will have the ball tonight where you have promised to walk with me again."

"Waltz," he said quietly as he smiled at her. He was looking forward to that.

"Yes, waltz, that is it. Another day of negotiating with the IOA and that dreadful man LaPierre, then the games begin."

"Okay, we can get it done. Thanks, Teyla."

She nodded, then handed him his knife. "Your majesty, your people await." He looked at her for a moment. Thanks for being here, Teyla.

She smiled broadly as the warmth of his mind touched hers and she placed her forehead on his. "You are welcome, John."

oOoOo

Woolsey reflexively covered his ears as the huge crowd roared when Sheppard appeared above on the next level of the mountain that served as a natural podium. Woolsey, the IOA, and most of the other dignitaries were just below him and they could easily see both the throng below them and Sheppard above them on top of Zorthos. The sound was deafening and it did not stop for nearly a minute. Woolsey could not count how many people there might be but he had no doubt they could be numbered in the thousands.

Woolsey clearly heard Sheppard speaking, but realized he did not understand him. Then it dawned on him. He turned to O'Neill and looked incredulous. "Is he speaking Ancient?" O'Neill did not miss a beat although he understood that his answer would reveal or not reveal quite a bit. "They made him start learning months ago. Believe me, I have never heard a man complain so much, but it was one of the requirements they imposed on him. He was complaining last night how he had to memorize this speech. Kind of a touchy subject for him because, smart as he is, language acquisition is not one of his best skills."

Woolsey seemed satisfied and, actually, impressed. "He is doing quite well if the crowd is any indication. Any idea what he is saying?"

"Nope." O'Neill answered truthfully. "But it sure sounds good."

The crowd roared again and Woolsey resisted the urge to put his hands on his ears. He then saw Sheppard and his horse move away from the front of the ledge and make their way down the hill followed by the four Guardians on their own horses. The dignitaries and Guardian families on this level were cheering and clapping as he moved through them. Woolsey looked down as Sheppard rode through the streets of the city and people rushed up to him trying to shake his hand and touch him. The black horse he was on pranced around anxiously but made no attempt to rear or bolt.

Woolsey found Elizabeth Weir nearby. She was smiling as she watched Sheppard leading the small entourage. "What did he say up there?"

She kept looking at Sheppard in the crowd. "Something about being grateful for being allowed to be their king and the anticipation about the games and celebrations to follow; and something else about their courage as they prepare to battle the Wraith and any enemies against their kingdom. Also, he spoke of thankfulness to the Protector for the stars that guide them and join their worlds as that really is what the celebration is about--their four little worlds joined together under one kingdom. Then how he hopes the people of Earth and of this kingdom will join together to help each other as only stars separate them. I missed part of it because of the crowd."

"He spoke quite nicely," Woolsey said casually. "I did not know he could speak Ancient."

Elizabeth had been ready for this; they all had. "He is such a whiner when it comes to learning Ancient. You wouldn't believe how much work it has been, but he has done his duty and has come quite far."

Woolsey nodded, content that the stories matched. "Yes, I would say so. What next?" He asked as Sheppard disappeared around a corner.

"Well, I think the ball begins in about three hours, so I am going to go take a nap then get dressed. I suggest you do the same. They sure do know how to put on a party," she said.

Woolsey said nothing more as he looked at his colleagues from the IOA. They looked star-struck on the one hand but also concerned. Woolsey understood the suspicious minds of the IOA, as he himself was one. The crowd here easily confirmed their concerns. Sheppard was under their thumb as a lieutenant colonel, but they had no control over him in his role as king of these planets. This was not a backwoods kingship and staying on his good side was going to be essential; yet they and he were not quite sure how to go about that. He imagined it was how the British commanders might feel having the king of England under their command, but this was different. This was like a British commander having the king of Spain under their command. Diplomatically, this could become a nightmare. Woolsey sighed. He had hoped that coming here would show that the IOA and Earth governments need not worry but, indeed, they did. Sheppard had become his own superpower. In a sense, his own system lord, although Woolsey would never put it that way. He trusted Sheppard, semi-maverick that he was. He was a good man with the best interests of Earth at heart, but in his effort to help Earth and even the people of this galaxy, Sheppard had acquired more than perhaps even he had bargained for. Yes, this was going to be interesting. The IOA was going to have to back off for now and play ball but, although he saw that, he doubted that all the "powers that be" would see it.

oOoOo

Sheppard felt them touching him and Zorthos who, frankly, was a bit on edge. Sheppard was not sure why this crowd was stronger and more enthusiastic. Maybe they really finally believed he was Evander's heir, maybe it was the battle with Vanitis that had forged their bond, or maybe they were all drunk with pre-Festival celebrations. He felt their adoration and it took his breath away.

Rule them and let them worship you, they would gladly make you a god! Sheppard squinted as pain spiked in his head. He had not heard that voice for weeks and it surprised him. His defenses lowered and the intrusion of the crowd on his mind overwhelmed him. He felt suddenly dizzy. Yes, let them adore you. Let them kneel before you. He raised his hand to his temple. No! No! I don't want that…never did.

He felt suddenly nauseous as the crowd intruded again on his mind beside the dark voice. He must have conveyed something because suddenly he felt his uncles beside him as well as in front and back providing a protection from the hands reaching out. He felt an arm steady him and sensed that the pace had quickened. The crowd thinned as they had made their way through the streets and back toward the courtyard where it was quiet. He could not remember getting off Zorthos, but he saw the horse being lead away to cool down. He looked to his left and saw Sauriko looking at him, concerned, as he was guided down the corridor to his room.

"Nephew," he said, "How are you?" the older man asked.

Sheppard did not feel as dizzy and the oppressive voice was fading. The crowd seemed far off as well. "I'm good," he managed to say. He was better, but he actually felt tired. He found himself in his chambers and was vaguely aware that Sarik and Shalen were removing his robes and the cuirass underneath until all that was left was his tunic, pants, and boots. Saphides had removed his crown somewhere in between the courtyard and his room. The shadow had left his mind.

"Nephew," Sarik said gently as he guided Sheppard toward the bed. "What happened? We felt you touch our minds in urgency, and sensed a great…evil."

Sheppard accepted water from Shalen and allowed the Guardian to settle him back against the pillows. He was touched by this outward concern of his uncles. They were family--more here than he had on Earth in a long time.

"I'm better," he admitted. "I just…just suddenly felt the presence of that dark voice I first heard on Kildar. It surprised me and mentally stunned me, I guess, then the…the …I don't know, all the good feelings of the crowd just overwhelmed me and I couldn't block them out. I felt dizzy and had to try to push that voice away."

Saphides took the glass from Sheppard. "What did the voice say, John." Sheppard smiled slightly. Saphides, in particular, rarely called him "nephew" and never called him by his given name; but they were his family right now, not his subjects, and he was grateful. "It told me to accept their worship, that they would accept me as a god if I let them. It told me to let them…kneel before me."

The four older men looked at each other worriedly. He looked out the window. "I…I would never want that," he whispered almost to himself. Never.

Shalen looked at him warmly. We know this, sire.

The others nodded in agreement. "Samsus has been investigating the archives for this Erebus you spoke of, and he continues to do so in earnest. We will help you through this, nephew. We alerted Samsus to what happened, as well as the royal physician and, yes, your Dr. Beckett. Samsus insists that you sleep, now."

"I'm fine, really," Sheppard said truthfully. "The ball starts in a couple of hours."

"It will not start without you, which gives you plenty of time to rest," Sauriko said sternly.

Sheppard looked at them through squinted eyes. "I am a grown man," he began, but he said it jokingly and a nap sounded great.

"And we are your Guardians," Sarik said. "There will be no arguments."

Sheppard closed his eyes and pictured Ferris wheels.

oOoOo

"These people are enamored with him, Richard, and this kingdom of his does not seem simple by any means. It appears to have very good resources and technology that would, at minimum, equal ours. My guess is that there is much more that he is not speaking of," La Pierre said as he sat in a chair in Woolsey's quarters. Across from him was Ms. Shen.

Woolsey had been hoping for a nap, but La Pierre and Shen had other plans. Yes, the demonstration by the crowd had made them skittish.

"Who knows if they are enamored with him or just to have a king, and yes, perhaps there may be more technology, but we need to be patient," Woolsey finally said.

"He could have weapons," Shen said, "And may pose a threat."

Woolsey shook his head. "My god. How did it get from 'crowds adore him' to 'he may pose a threat'? He has not resigned his commission and there is an exchange of personnel and technology. The man is not evil, for goodness sakes."

"Power can do things to people," La Pierre said.

Yes, you should know, thought Woolsey.

"Do not underestimate duty," Woolsey said to him. "Sheppard has a strong sense of that."

"He is unpredictable."

Yes. So that is what concerns you. "He is not totally unpredictable. He has been effective as chief military officer despite our concerns. He could have had power many times on this expedition but has not sought it for himself."

"He has not shared all of the technology," Shen said.

"As I said," Woolsey began, "he has a sense of duty and that now appears to include these people as well. If we push him to make a choice, we may lose not only a good opportunity to improve Earth's defenses but also an ally against the Wraith."

"This balance will be difficult for him…," Shen added.

"As it will be for us," Woolsey acknowledged. "Frankly, though, we have no choice but to rely on him to determine what is the best course. I don't think he will forget Earth or do anything to harm it."

"No, but I have the suspicion that if he wanted to, he could control vital aspects of this galaxy and he has so many people on these four worlds that seem to be willing to do what he asks of them," L aPierre said.

"Yes," Woolsey said suddenly tired of the conversation. "He can do that, and he has asked them to join him in the fight against the Wraith and bring our worlds and galaxies together. When and if we get indication of anything different, then we will address it."

"Leaders on Earth that know of our Stargate program will not like this. It will be troubling to them that an American Air Force pilot now finds himself ruler of four planets."

Woolsey shrugged. "They will just have to get over it, then." He stood. "Now if you will excuse me, I would like to rest a bit before the ball tonight. They left without further comment and Woolsey lay down to rest--but found that he could not. He was worried about this reaction of power-hungry leaders or suspicious leaders and what this would mean for Sheppard's safety.

oOoOo

Sheppard opened his eyes and saw Sauriko asleep in one of the chairs next to him. He caught motion at the foot of the bed and smiled as he saw Carson Beckett. Of course.

"Hi, Carson," he whispered. The doctor looked up, surprised, then smiled.

"Hi, colonel, how are you feeling? Saphides told me what happened."

"I feel fine, now," Sheppard said, rising.

"Tell me what you felt," Carson said as he looked in Sheppard's eyes with a light.

Sheppard looked at the doctor, annoyed. "Just had a headache…you know, the evil voice of the Emperor tempting me to the dark side, then the crowd overwhelming me a bit with all their thoughts. I was too busy fighting off the voice to push the crowd out and I got a little dizzy, but I feel good now."

"Lots more people tonight, colonel." Carson finished his exam.

"We will watch over him, Dr. Beckett," Sauriko said. "Our minds link more easily together."

Sheppard nodded. "Yeah, I can have them monitor a bit of what is going on."

Carson smiled. "Okay. I will let Healer Scaldur know. I am sure he will find this acceptable."

Beckett left and Sheppard looked at Sauriko. "You stayed there the whole time?"

"Yes, sire. I already had my attire for tonight and did not want to travel back to Quidari just to rest."

Sheppard looked out the window and noticed a number of people arriving. "Where's Sam?" Sheppard was surprised that he had not seen the old man now.

"He came by an hour ago to check on you and make sure that your mind was clear again. He has been in the archives looking earnestly for more information on this Erebus. He will be at the ball tonight, of course."

Sheppard stretched. "Well, I promised Teyla a waltz, so I guess I better get ready--as should you."

Sauriko smiled. "Yes. My dear wife would not want me to be late today. We have had the pleasure of having her kin staying with us this time and they are anxious to meet you."

"Her parents, huh?"

Sauriko smiled as he nodded but Sheppard understood the look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I can make it so that I need you here and you can stay in one of our guest rooms."

Sauriko laughed as he moved toward the door. "Thank you, your majesty. I just may do that. I will see you soon."

oOoOo

Teyla watched Sheppard enter the room and start to greet the dignitaries. She had heard what had happened, but noticed that he seemed healthy and relaxed. It was decided that there would be no formal dinner this time but food would be available throughout the evening. Pleasant background music was playing and she found herself curiously nervous. Sheppard, who was talking to Mr. Woolsey, made eye contact with her. His eyes were bright and intense as she saw them move up and down her body. He had the smaller crown on and the brown and green jewels sparkled. He looked beautiful. She smiled, embarrassed at herself for thinking this and also for the look in his eyes. He was talking to the dignitaries and laughing but she saw one corner of his mouth rise in a smile. You look beautiful, he told her. She blushed, despite herself. Why was she feeling this way? He turned to answer a question and she looked away for a moment until she found his eyes burning through her again. Come save me, Teyla. She was not sure what to do at first, then grinned. She went to the band and spoke to the bandleader, who nodded. She then walked to where Sheppard was. She noticed the eyes of the dignitaries watching her as she approached but she kept her eyes on Sheppard. He watched her curiously and the grin never left his face.

"Excuse me, your majesty," she said, "I believe you promised me a dance."

Samsus smiled at Sheppard. "Yes, your highness. If you remember, the people will not dance unless you begin the ball."

Sheppard nodded. "Thank you, Samsus. I had forgotten. I did promise the lady Teyla a dance." He excused himself from the group and took her hand.

"Thanks, Teyla," he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath on her skin and breathed in the smell of him. "How about that waltz?" he asked.

She looked into his eyes. "I would like that, John." The music started and she found herself floating across the floor again and still wondering why it surprised her that he was so light on his feet. She was not thinking about the dancing part and allowed herself to simply enjoy the moment. Finally, the music stopped, but a new melody started. She was going to move to let go but he held her firmly. "How about another. This one is slower." Others had gotten on the dance floor and she looked around at them.

"What will others think?" She asked him as a few eyes glanced toward her.

"Teyla," he said with humor in his voice. "When have I cared about that?"

She laughed. "Yes, I suppose that is true."

They danced and talked some more until she confessed that she was hungry. They grabbed some food and walked over to the Atlantis contingent. "Where is Major Lorne?" Sheppard asked.

"Twinkle toes might give you a run for the money," O'Neill said glancing behind Sheppard. Sheppard turned and saw Lorne dancing with one of the daughters of Shalen.

"And Elizabeth?" he asked, looking around.

"She and Caldwell are tearing up the other side of the floor."

"Well, I guess I better go say hello some more. Where are our honored guests?"

"Oh, the Guardians are keeping them busy with small talk and strategic placement with guests. They thought it best to keep them out of your hair or…crown or…whatever."

Sheppard nodded. "I'll be back, Teyla, General," he said and moved away to talk to a small group. He was soon surrounded by more people trying to get his attention. Teyla smiled as she watched him standing at least a head above most of them.

"He is a rather striking figure as a king," O'Neill said, watching Sheppard as well.

"He is striking even as just a colonel, General," Teyla heard herself say.

O'Neill's eyebrows raised and he looked at her curiously. She turned quickly to him, perhaps realizing how that sounded. "I mean his personality is hard to ignore. He is very charismatic."

O'Neill smiled at her. "He is that, Teyla, but it's good to see his talents being used to their fullest. I am so glad I basically forced him to come to this galaxy."

Teyla had heard the story from Sheppard. "As am I, General."

Sheppard danced with his very distant female cousins and with daughters of their friends. Every time he was going to go back to talk to O'Neill and Teyla, another friend, or daughter of a friend was thrust in front of him. He smiled nicely, but could feel his temper rising. "Thank you, your majesty," he heard his most recent dance partner say. He nodded as he escorted her back to her family. He did not make eye contact with anyone else and turned quickly to see Samsus talking to Mr. Woolsey. Woolsey was nodding and smiling, which was a good sign. He saw Shen dancing with General Terendale while La Pierre was conversing with Sarik and his wife. Sheppard felt the presence of another group of older women approaching no doubt with daughters in tow. He turned to them and looked at them intently. Enough! he thought to himself. By the looks in their eyes, he must not have kept the thought totally to himself. He smiled sheepishly but they did not smile back at first. He bowed to them sweetly and they smiled then but still did not move forward. He turned away and saw Samsus looking at him. He was fine. No dark evil master trying to get to him, just mothers trying to get their daughters noticed. He wasn't interested; and he was tired. He really could not worry about whether anyone else was happy right now. He found his way back to O'Neill and Teyla. Lorne, he saw, was still dancing as was Caldwell, now with the widow of a prominent scientist from Palladin. He had never seen the colonel more relaxed. O'Neill and Weir were talking to La Pierre near the huge buffet table. He found Teyla standing alone where he had left her.

"I was afraid you would never come back, John."

He accepted a glass from her. "I didn't think so either, Teyla. Everyone wants me to meet their daughters."

"You are…," Teyla began, "how did that movie put it?…a good catch."

He laughed. "But I'm not looking to be anyone's catch."

She raised her eyebrows at him while she took a sip of her drink. "Oh, why is that?"

He looked down at her and she shifted at the look that he gave her. He studied her hair that had been swept up except for a strand which had come loose next to her left ear. His eyes fell to her neck, then to her shoulders, then back up to her hair. He lifted his hand and touched the loose hair, then grinned as he placed it back behind her ear. "Just not interested," he said quietly.

She said nothing but her face felt hot and she was glad that it was fairly dark in the ballroom. "How about a last dance for tonight? Looks like people are leaving. I asked the bandleader for a waltz."

She smiled broadly. "I am very interested in that."

I am truly sorry for not responding to reviews. I have have finally figured out how to do this and it will take me a bit to get back to you. Please forgive me. Your comments have truly been encouraging and I want to say thank you individually. I also realized as I had done some renumbering that Chapter 12 is where all you know what breaks loose again. Thank you very much again.