1590 A.D.

The colonists soon learned that Morrigan was not one to make empty threats. After she had returned to the hovering pyramid, they had done everything they could to protect the rest of the women. Audrey Tappan was quarantined from the other female colonists immediately, but it did little good. Soon, one by one, the disease was passed on until each of the 17 women of the Roanoke colony was ill.

The colony was in a panic. They'd come to the New World in hopes of starting over, building families, and teaching future generations how to fend for themselves. Now everything seemed to be crashing down around them. Despite the fact that, overall, relatively few were infected with Croa'tan, the survival of the colony depended greatly on the very ones who were ill.

In all his years, Ambrose had never seen such an illness. It started out innocently enough, manifesting itself in headache and muscle pain. From there it got much worse. Cold sweats, burning fever, hallucinations, boils, and lesions followed a mere three days after the first symptoms began. And who knew how much worse it could get?

Watching his daughter succumb to such a disease was one of the most horrible experiences of Ambrose's life. She had so much to give, and he just could not bear to stand by and watch her die. Not like this. Not after swearing to his wife on her death bed that he would protect their children.

Ambrose gazed over at his sleeping daughter. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, and soon it would be too late to help her. Considering what was at stake, he knew there was only one thing they could do.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Elizabeth, Ambrose slipped out of his house. Once outside, he couldn't help but look at marking on the tree trunk that Morrigan had left behind. It was a reminder indeed. A reminder that they would all either be forced to serve Morrigan, or they would all die by her hand.

Ambrose continued on his way until he reached the home of Roger Baily. When Governor White had set sail for England close to three years ago, he had left Baily in charge of things until he returned. A colony meeting had been called to discuss what they needed to do about the situation.

Upon arriving at the Baily home, Ambrose was ushered in to a large sitting room where he found a large crowd of colonists assembled.

"What needs to be done?" Roger Baily was saying as Ambrose entered the room.

Everyone began talking at once, until finally Baily held up his hands to silence them. "One at time, we're not getting anywhere this way."

Michael Bishop spoke up first. "Obvious Morrigan has great power. How else could she have sent a disease only to women…one that she herself does not get?"

"But she claims to be a Goddess! Is that not sacrilegious?" Said Brian Wyles.

"Can you prove she is lying?" Bishop countered.

"Please, let me speak." Ambrose implored the crowd.

"Go ahead, Ambrose." Roger Baily said, putting an end to the bickering.

"Brothers, with each passing moment our wives, mothers, daughters…they are being taken from us. If we do not do something soon, they will all die. After that happens, who's to say Morrigan won't come after us next? Or perhaps watch us die out one at a time, until the colony is deserted?"

Ambrose sighed as unshed tears pricked his eyes. He took a deep breath, and continued to speak. "For three days I have watched my daughter's health go from bad to worse. If we do not take action, she will die. As will the other women. As will we. But Morrigan has given us a way to stop that from happening. I, for one, am willing to give up my freedom, if it will save them. It is the only way they will survive. It is the only way we will survive."

The room grew silent, as the men listened to Ambrose's plea and pondered over the things he had said.

Finally, Arnold Archard broke the silence. "My wife, Joyce, fell ill two days ago. In her delusions…she thought I was trying to kill her…she doesn't even recognize our own son!" Arnold raised his eyes from the floor, and looked around the room. "Ambrose is correct. We must give ourselves over to Morrigan. I'd rather be a slave with my wife by my side, than a free man who allowed her to die."

Slowly, the others began to nod in their agreement.

"My Queen, the leader of the settlement has requested an audience with you."

A smirk played across Morrigan's features. It had taken them a bit longer to respond than she would have guessed, but the results were the same. They always were.

"Bring him before me."

"Yes, my Queen."

Ambrose waited with bated breath for Roger Baily to return from the pyramid. Moments ago he had been taken to see her by two of her armored men. As Ambrose looked around at the others who had assembled, he fleetingly wondered what their assignment under Morrigan's rule would be. Pushing that thought from his mind, he hoped it wouldn't take long for her to hear of their surrender and go about curing the illness she had created.

Daniel was lost in his reading when Jack and Robert returned to the kitchen table. When Jack sat down, Daniel looked up, "How are they?" He asked, anxiously.

"Well, the med team is trying to keep their temperatures down, but there's really not much more they can do without knowing what it is that's making them sick. I'm gonna have SG-3 contact Hammond and see if we can't get Dr. Carmichael to set up shop here. Hopefully he'll be able to figure this thing out."

Daniel sighed, his eyes dropping back down to the writing before him. "I've still got a little ways left to go in this. I'm hoping something Elizabeth Viccars wrote down will help us figure out what to do for them."

1590 A.D.

Elizabeth woke with a start, shook awake by the terrible nightmares she had been having. Her head was pounding, and she found herself gasping for air. She looked down with tired eyes and caught a glimpse of the ring her father had given her. 'The ring was given as a gift to protect the family.' He had told her.

It had failed. Part of her wanted to rip the ring from her finger and throw it as far as she could, but she lacked the strength to do so.

Tears stung in her eyes as the rest of her body reeled in pain cause by the terrible disease. And for the first time ever, Elizabeth wished only for death.

OoOoOo

At last a beam of light appeared from the pyramid, suddenly standing before the assembled colony were two soldiers, Roger Baily, and Morrigan. Anger and hatred flashed in Ambrose's mind at the sight of the one who had put them in this position. Without her, Elizabeth would be happy and healthy, instead of dying helplessly in her bed.

Morrigan walked calmly towards the assembled men, and began to speak.

OoOoOo

'Humming?' Elizabeth turned her head towards the familiar gentle tune she was hearing.

"Mother?" Elizabeth gasped, clearing seeing Emme Viccars standing in her doorway.

"Rest, my child." Emme said, crossing the room and softly sitting on the corner of Elizabeth's bed. "You need rest if you are to get better."

Elizabeth's mind spun; everything was so confusing. Elizabeth remembered that her mother had died…but yet here she was, looking just the same as she always had.

"I see you're wearing my old ring."

Elizabeth nodded. "Father gave it to me…at least, I think he did..."

'What's going on? Why is it so hard to remember what had happened?' Her mind struggled to make sense of what she was seeing…on one hand she knew with certainty that her mother had died long ago. So how could she be sitting here, talking as if her death had never occurred?

"The ring will protect you from harm." Emme said, softly. "It's trying to protect you even now."

Elizabeth's eyebrows sank in confusion. "I don't understand."

"You have to let it help you, dear."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember what the ring stands for?"

Elizabeth was feeling more than a little light-headed. She concentrated hard, trying to push past the haze that had enveloped her mind. Slowly, the memory began to surface. "I think so."

"Tell me." Emme said,

Gazing once again at the ring that encompassed her finger, she was reminded of the hope that the ring symbolized.

"Let Love and Friendship Reign Forever," Elizabeth said aloud.

OoOoOo

"I have been informed that you have chosen to serve your Goddess," she said as she paced before the colonists. "A wise decision."

Pausing before Ambrose, Morrigan sneered. "Is it true that you vow to serve me?"

He drew a breath before answering. "It is. As long as you are able to remove the sickness from among us."

"You question my power?"

"Proof should be given, so that our faith in you is not in vain."

Morrigan turned away from Ambrose and raised her voice to address the others. "Do you all feel as he does?"

"It would be a great display of your power, my Queen." Morrigan's First Prime offered.

"Jaffa! Kree!" Morrigan spoke sharply, holding out her hand and gesturing for the warrior to give her something.

He immediately handed her a device that she slipped onto her right hand. It looked like it was made out of some kind of metal. The center of the device was orange in color, and it fit perfectly into her palm.

Ambrose couldn't imagine what the device was for, but he would soon find out.

"Bring one of the women before me."

OoOoOo

Elizabeth had barely finished muttering the sentiment that was inscribed in the ring, when she felt an incredible warmth flow through her body.

Emme stood up and kissed her daughter's head. "Be brave, my dear. And remember that I love you."

With that, Elizabeth watched as her mother's figure was swept away from before her eyes, as if her body had been made of mere smoke. Feeling the telltale sting of teardrops, she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she caught the glimpse of a soft glow. Startled, she looked down and saw that her whole body shone with brilliant light.

She was on the verge of a panic attack, when suddenly the glow of her skin subsided, and once again she looked as she always had.

There was one difference.

The malady that had affected her body was completely gone. Confused, Elizabeth sat up in her bed and began to examine herself.

First, she noted the splitting headache, that she had feared would drive her mad, was complete gone. As were her fever and chills. As was the vision of her mother.

Extracting herself from the blankets that were covering her, she pulled the skirt of her dress up above her knees and inspected the skin on her legs. The boils and lesions that had once marred her skin were gone. In fact, not so much as a scar from them remained.

What was going on?

OoOoOo

Ambrose watched as Margaret Lawrence was carefully brought before Morrigan. Though she was not the first to contract the disease, she was easily the worst off. Gently, Margaret was placed on the ground before the self-professed Goddess. Morrigan's expression was quite disturbing to the colonist. She was smiling – as though she enjoyed looking upon the suffering she had caused.

Morrigan took a step forward and reached her right arm over the woman lying before her. As her eyes flashed a golden light, the metal device she had just put on began to glow. Before the frightened colonist could protest, the orange light of the device struck Margaret's body.

Margaret turned over in pain as the light played across her body. She moaned pitiably and then was silent.

"What have you done to her?" Roger Baily challenged, clearly upset by this turn of events.

Morrigan seemed to barely acknowledge his words before she suddenly she turned towards him, capturing his head in a light coming from the armband device that was wound around her left arm and hand.

The light was obviously causing the man great pain. He struggled against her, but refused to let him go. "Do you continue to defy your Goddess?"

Baily was struggling against her hold and the obvious pain she was inflicting. After a few long seconds, Morrigan tossed him aside. He was still alive. Barely.

As soon as Morrigan had turned away from the crumpled man, a few colonists rushed to his side to help him. Others ran to Margaret's side.

"He will be fine. As will the woman." Morrigan declared.

"What of the others?" Ambrose asked.

But she felt no need to explain any further. Turning from the crowd of settlers, she gestured to her soldiers and pushed a button that was centered on her golden armband. Immediately the shaft of light reappeared, and in as instant, they were gone.

Seeing that Margaret Lawrence and Roger Baily would be all right, Ambrose felt he should go check on Elizabeth. Perhaps Morrigan was spreading the cure in the same way she spread the disease – through one woman.

He had no more opened the door of his home when he heard Elizabeth's voice calling to him. He hurried to her small room, and was shocked to see her standing beside the window.

"Elizabeth! What are you doing? You should be resting."

"Father, I've been cured."

"Cured?

"Yes. Mother came to me, she helped me. She said…"

Ambrose looked hurt by the mention of his wife; he quickly cut Elizabeth off mid-sentence. "No, my dear. It was the sickness causing you to see things that were not there. It was Morrigan who cured you."

"Morrigan?" Elizabeth repeated, her voice full of doubt. "Why would she have done that?"

Ambrose's eye shifted to the floor. "Today we surrendered to her wishes."

"What?" She gasped.

"We had no choice, my dear. It was the right decision." Ambrose paused. "A few minutes ago Morrigan asked that one of the afflicted women be brought before her. Margaret Lawrence was near death, so she was chosen. Morrigan used some kind of device on her. It must've cured her."

"Did anything…strange happen to Margaret while she was being cured?" Elizabeth asked.

"No. She moaned a little, and turned over. At first we thought Morrigan had killed her. Why?"

Elizabeth just shook her head and looked down at the ring on her left hand. Elizabeth was still confused about the glow of her body, and the vision of her mother that she had seen. Her mother had said that the ring was trying to protect her.

Was it really all just in her mind?

Elizabeth frowned, lost in thought. She still wasn't exactly sure what had happened to her…but she knew in her heart that it had not been Morrigan who had cured her.

Daniel lowered the book as he processed this new information. Glancing over at Jack, Daniel saw him rubbing at a spot on the table in boredom. In all the years Daniel had known him, he'd never seen Jack O'Neill sit still for very long.

Noticing he was being watched, Jack looked up from the table. "So, did the butler do it?"

"I haven't finished yet, but this is fascinating. About three days after Morrigan released the disease, she returned. The colonist agreed to serve her, and she cured them with what sounds like a Gould healing device."

"And…"

"Well, in the journal, Elizabeth wrote that she was cured before Morrigan gave the cure to the others. She thinks the claddagh ring cured her. Something about quoting the ring's inscription while wearing it..."

"Her ring?" O'Neill said, arching his eyebrow in doubt.

"Well, in an earlier entry, her father told her the ring was an Irish heirloom given to the family by a man who was from 'beyond the stars'. Apparently the ring was to supposed to protect them."

"Good luck charm?"

"Maybe…or it could've been a personal shield of some kind…or maybe something even more advanced."

"Like…"

"Like…I don't know. She claimed it healed her of Morrigan's sickness. That sounds like more than just a simple shield."

"So, what happened to the Lady of the Ring?"

Daniel gave Jack a small frown in reply, checked his watch, and sighed. "When's Carmichael supposed to be here again?"

"Hammond said he'd be coming through within the hour. Don't worry, SG-3'll have him back here soon."

"How many were affected by the disease?"

Jack shrugged. "Teal'c's still out in the village doing a head count…the last I checked it was about 35 women and girls."

Daniel nodded, sucked in a deep breath, and went back to his reading.