Daniel sighed as he waited for the Report to begin.
It had been a week since Vala had confessed to him and since then they'd gotten into no less than five different arguments over that one thing.
The latest one happened to be about what Daniel was going to say tonight. He was cutting it down to the Elite. Vala had voiced her concern that he was moving too quickly, what if someone found out about her secret? But he told her it wouldn't matter.
The girls had filed in and sat down in their seats ten minutes ago and Daniel couldn't stop looking at Vala.
He felt a twinge of regret that he had to send some of the girls home, they were all nice and intelligent and kind, he hated to see them go, but Vala was the one, he was sure.
"Your Highness?" Caesarman said.
Daniel looked up. "Oh, right. Are we, are we on yet?"
"Five minutes, Highness." Caesarman replied.
"Thank you."
Daniel sat up straighter, repositioned his tie for the third time and tried to relax.
His mother and father sat next to him, they smiled encouragingly.
"You did well to bring it down to the Elite, some of the people are complaining that's it's been dragged on too long." Lionel said, placing a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.
"I think you've made a wise decision. For that I'm very proud of you." Fiona added.
Daniel nodded, still nervous. "Thanks."
Caesarman looked up and smiled at the camera, Daniel sighed inwardly, this was it.
"Good evening Illea!" He said. "Tonight on the Report we have some very interesting news, but first... the dull stuff. Just kidding, here is the king with an update on the war in Swendway."
The Report dragged on for what seemed like forever, but was really only a half hour. Finally it was his turn to speak.
"Here's His Highness, Prince Daniel, with that super secret news. Your Highness." Caesarman turned to him.
Daniel took a deep breath and smiled at the camera. "I feel this is a happy and a somewhat sad occasion. After going through this whole Selection I have had the chance to meet some very nice ladies and possibly my wife, that is why it's so difficult to do this, but I feel it needs to be done. I'm narrowing the Selection down to the following Elite: Miss Vala Mal Doran, Miss Samantha Carter, Miss Janet Fraiser, Miss Sarah ?, Miss Dawn Sullivan, Miss Derby Derling, Miss Alyssa Coolidge, Miss Bianca Lewis, and Miss Zenna Berkeley." He swallowed. "I hope the next time I speak with you it's to tell you of my engagement."
Caesarman smiled solemnly. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Daniel nodded and relaxed some. When he turned to look at the girls Vala caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up. He calmed down more, thanks to Vala's reassuring smile.
Sam waited at her window for Jack, hoping he'd show up.
He did.
"Hey you." Sam grinned when he crawled through her window.
"Hi." He kissed her. "Rough day?"
She grinned back. "Not really. How about you?"
He sighed. "This is killing me, Sam. I wish... I wish we could truly be together. I wish that someday we'd get married and..."
Sam interrupted him. "Why can't we? What's stopping us?"
He looked her straight in the eye. "Duty."
Sam lowered her head. "You're right. I just wish..."
Jack cupped her face. "We have now."
Sam smiled. "You're right. Tomorrow's tomorrow."
"I'm an Elite!" Vala whispered to her reflection. "I'm in love with the prince! Love!"
She thought she'd never get over Tomin, the man who'd betrayed her too many times to count, turning his back on her and caring more about his cult than about them.
"You love me?" Daniel's voice came from the doorway.
Vala whirled around and threw her arms around his neck. "Yes! I love you."
Daniel grinned. "I'm going to make this go as fast as possible, but my parents think it's a good idea to keep things going for awhile. There's been some protests."
"About us? Do they... could they know?" Vala's voice faltered.
"That you're the one I want to marry? I doubt it." Daniel reassured her.
Vala shook her head. "No, about... you know, me."
Daniel's smile softened. "I don't care about you being a thief. I mean I don't necessarily like it, but I understand it."
Vala heard a creaking noise from down the hallway and wondered who'd be up so late, then realized it must've been a guard.
"I can't tell you how much that means to me." Vala said.
"You don't need to." Daniel replied.
The next morning Bianca had to see the king. She told the guard that delivered the message that it was urgent.
The king agreed to see her and Bianca felt proud, knowing she was turning in a common thief and getting one step closer to the prince. She would never let a lowly, criminal Seven steal the crown from a deserving, law abiding subject of Illea. Never.
She curtsied low to the king and smiled solemnly when she entered his state room. The queen was there too.
"Your Majesties, I believe we have a problem." She said.
When Daniel's father called him into his office, he got a bad feeling about it, but he ignored it.
"Dad." Daniel said uncertainly, noticing his father's unusually downcast face. "Is there something wrong?"
His father sighed heavily. "Daniel, this isn't easy. But I received some information earlier that incriminates one of the Elite. This information seems credible."
Daniel drew in a deep breath. He knew exactly who the information was about, but he didn't understand how anyone could've known about Vala's past.
"Who is it?" He asked, resigned.
"Vala Mal Doran. The person who brought the information forward is certain she heard it from Vala's own mouth."
"Vala?" Daniel whispered, he'd half hoped it was someone else.
"Daniel, if this is true, Vala Mal Doran must be sent home immediately."
"Who told you this?" He asked.
"I can't say, she promised me not to." His father said evasively.
"Dad!" Daniel was indignant. "Was it one of the Elite?"
But Daniel didn't need his father to tell him, he could see it in his eyes. He promised himself he'd find the girl who who'd found out and he'd send her home.
"I'll talk to Vala, maybe she'll tell me something." Daniel turned to leave.
"She's the one you love? Isn't she?" His father asked.
Daniel didn't turn around, he just nodded.
"I'm sorry, son."
Daniel left his father's office. He had a plan to find the girl who'd found out Vala's secret, he just needed to talk to a few friends first.
Sam was sitting in the Women's Room staring out the window at the gardens, when a maid came and told her the prince wanted to see her.
Sam felt like a lead weight had just settled in the pit of her stomach, she hoped Daniel wasn't going to send her home.
The maid led her into a deserted hallway where Vala, Janet, Daniel and Jack were standing. Sam's heart skipped a beat when she saw Jack, she wanted to reach out to him, but she didn't. However a small smile slipped through her defenses.
Daniel had his hand wrapped around Vala and Sam could see that they really did love each other.
Daniel smiled tightly. "You're probably wondering why you're here, I'll explain. Someone has found out a very damaging secret about Vala and I intend to find the girl who did this. All I know is that it's one of the Elite. I trust all of you and that's why I'm asking for your help."
The group looked at one another. Sam wondered what Vala's secret was, she'd ask her later if Vala let her.
"Well I'm in." Vala said.
"Me, too." Sam agreed.
"I'll do it." Janet added.
Everyone turned to Jack. He rolled his eyes.
"Duh, where do we begin, kids?" He smirked.
"We ask questions, we watch and listen, we wait. I'm going to stall my father for as long as I can, but we don't have much time." Daniel said.
They nodded.
"One last question. Did any of you tell on Vala?" He asked.
Everyone shook their heads. And Daniel must've believed them because he continued.
"Great, let's get going."
Before Sam and Jack left, Daniel pulled them aside.
"I know that you guys want to be together, so I will keep Sam here as long as possible, but if you truly love each other I don't think you should have to give that up." Daniel said.
Sam and Jack exchanged a glance. They had jokingly talked about running away, but neither of them was sure it was right.
"We might have a plan." Jack replied mysteriously. "But we'll help you out first."
Daniel smiled. "Thanks."
Jack quickly gave Sam's hand a quick squeeze before disappearing down the corner.
"He loves you very much, he's just afraid to show it sometimes." Daniel said, walking back with her.
"I know." She smiled. "I'm afraid too. What if we get caught?"
Daniel stopped and looked at her. "Jack's been my closest friend for years, I will try my best to keep you two out of trouble."
Sam nodded. "And I'll help you find whoever told on Vala, she's been my friend since the beginning of this and I think you two deserve a chance."
"Thank you."
They arrived at the Women's Room.
"Good day, Your Highness." Sam curtsied best she could in the knee length, pink dress she was wearing.
"Good day, Miss Samantha." He replied.
She slipped back into the room, determined to find who'd tattled on her friend.
Later that evening Vala was sitting on her bed, mulling over what Daniel had told her when there was a knock on her door. She rushed over assuming it was Daniel, but when she opened it she found it was Sam.
"Hey, how are you?" Vala asked, letting her in.
"Dying to tell you a secret." Sam replied, dropping onto Vala's bed.
Vala grinned. "I love secrets."
Sam looked her in the eye. "You can't tell anyone. Promise?"
"Oh, all right." Vala muttered.
Sam glared at her.
"I promise I won't tell a single soul." She revised.
"I'm in love." Sam exclaimed.
"To who? It better not be Daniel." She threatened playfully.
Sam shook her head. "No, I'm in love with Jack O'Neill."
Vala cocked her head. "The palace guard? Daniel's friend? You know that's against the rules, right?"
Sam nodded. Vala could now understand why her friend had been acting so strange the past few weeks.
"Does anyone else know about you two? Besides me of course." Vala whispered.
"Just Daniel."
"Daniel! My Daniel?" Vala whisper screamed.
Sam rolled her eyes. "Yes, and you don't have to whisper no one is going to hear us."
"Sure, but when you get caught I won't say I told you so." Vala said.
"When? Thanks for the vote of confidence." Sam mumbled.
Just then Vala swore she heard the swishing of skirts outside her door.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"Nothing, I just thought I'd heard something." Vala replied.
Sam tilted her head in a way that suggested Vala wasn't telling her something, but Vala didn't say anything further.
"So..." Sam started.
"You didn't just drop by to say 'hello', did you?" Vala asked.
"I was kind of curious what all this fuss is about," Sam said. "but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She quickly added.
"That's okay, the big secret is really, really incriminating. See, I'm a Seven." Vala paused, she hadn't thought about her caste since she'd met Daniel, he didn't care what she was, he loved her nonetheless. "And I mostly grew up on my own, my mother died when I was young, my stepmother was not a very nice woman, my father was off doing something, and when money would be tight I'd borrow items from the local grocery store. But then I realized that I could steal larger things, sell them for more and have quite a bit of income."
"So you're a thief? And you've never been caught, otherwise you wouldn't be here. And someone found out your secret, somehow."
"Yes." Vala nodded.
"Hmm. Well, this doesn't change anything." Sam assured Vala. "Just maybe, I'll keep a closer eye on my jewelry."
Vala whacked Sam with her pillow. "I'm a changed person!"
Sam grinned. "Old habits die hard!" She countered.
Vala giggled. "Not this time, I'm going cold chicken!"
"I think it's turkey, not chicken." Sam said.
"It is?" Vala asked, puzzled.
Sam laughed. "Yes!"
Over the next few weeks the group tried their hardest to find out who told on Vala, but with no luck.
It wasn't until Sam was thinking of a way that they could flush the person out when it came to her. The perfect way to catch their culprit.
Immediately she found a maid and gave her a note to give to Daniel. Fifteen minutes later the group had assembled in the usual hallway.
"I have an idea." Sam started.