Chapter 3: An Audience With The Queen
Daniel and Teal'c waited in a small room. Their guards had taken up positions around them and were waiting for a signal to bring them in. Daniel was worrying about his friends. He didn't understand why they had been separated and Teal'c wasn't in a very talkative mood. Then again, when is Teal'c ever in a talkative mood?
After what seemed like an eternity, the door finally opened and the First Prime motioned to the guards and then addressed Daniel and Teal'c, "Queen Aphrodite is ready to speak with you now."
"Where are our friends?" Daniel asked as he stood up awkwardly, hands still tied firmly behind his back.
"The queen has declared that you may see them after your audience. They have not been harmed; however, they will serve in the temple for their crimes against my queen," the First Prime replied calmly.
"What crimes? We haven't done anything?" Daniel complained, exasperated.
"You attacked her Jaffa, my men. For this you should all stand in judgment. But my queen is much more forgiving than I. She has declared that only your leaders will serve penance." The First Prime scowled, "She would meet you as ambassadors of the Tau'ri." He turned to Teal'c, "If you swear on your honor that you will not attack my men or my queen, I will release your hands. My queen has already declared that you are free to return to your home after this audience. Do you swear?"
Teal'c stood and turned an impassive face to the First Prime, "I do not."
H'rak nodded, as if expecting that answer, and turned to Daniel, "And you?"
Daniel sighed, "As long as you have my friends, I cannot make that promise."
"Very well. Escort them to see the queen," H'rak commanded before whirling and marching back through the doorway.
Their guard pushed and prodded them through the door and into the audience hall. Aphrodite was once again sitting on her throne as Daniel and Teal'c were brought to stand before her.
"Doctor Daniel Jackson. Master Teal'c of Chulak. Welcome to my kingdom. You must forgive H'rak for his precautions. Your reputations as warriors have preceded you and he fears for my safety," Aphrodite addressed them with a smile.
Daniel was momentarily taken aback, "Uh, yeah… So, you wanted to speak with us."
Aphrodite's smile grew wider in pleasure, "Yes. I wish to form an alliance with the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra. I grow tired of the evil games my siblings play. I am content to rule my small planet and her people. However, I know that as soon as my offer goes out to the Tok'ra, my siblings will come after me. Much as they did my sister, Egeria. I need to know that my people and my Jaffa will have a safe place when that happens. And that is where the Tau'ri come in. I have come to believe the rumors that you know of worlds untouched by my siblings and I hope that you will allow my people to settle on one such world."
"Um…" Daniel tried to start.
"The Tok'ra will not be fooled so easily. They have worked with goa'uld who swore they wanted to change in the past. Goa'uld who betrayed them. You will have to do much to prove you are worthy of their trust and loyalty," Teal'c stated with clear distaste.
"Surely, Teal'c, while you served at the court of Apophis, you have heard of me?" Aphrodite asked.
Teal'c nodded curtly in response.
"And what did they say about me?" she asked him.
"That you were loyal to no one System Lord. That as a queen you held yourself above the petty battles common among the minor Goa'uld. That you would offer a tithe to whichever System Lord controlled this quadrant of space, but never offered Jaffa or slaves," Teal'c recounted.
"Really?" Daniel asked, amazed that any goa'uld could claim to be neutral.
"Indeed."
"Surely, there is more, Teal'c," Aphrodite coaxed with a smile.
Teal'c frowned but continued, "It was whispered in the dark, that you didn't claim your godhood and that you did not mark your Jaffa as your own."
Aphrodite rewarded him with a laugh, "They were right. I have never claimed to be a god. And my people and Jaffa are not slaves to be branded and traded like cattle. But I was able to secure my autonomy only because I am a queen and there are so few of us left.
"Of course, thanks to the Tau'ri, there are even fewer queens than before. With the loss of Amaunet, Hathor, and Isis, there remain only eight living queens left. Of those, Egeria and Venus have not been heard from in centuries. Hera was last seen with Anubis. Bastet is a System Lord in her own right with little time for breeding. Which leaves only four queens to continue our race."
Aphrodite gave Daniel a pained smile, "This also leaves me in a difficult position. I have long been shunned for my beliefs and for my treatment of my people. The others will be forced bring me into the fold and I will not go willingly."
"Is that why you want to join the Tok'ra?" Daniel asked. The anthropologist in him was screaming to ask more, but he held himself to just that question. She had given him more information about the goa'uld power structure than any other goa'uld before. A precise count of queens and their status.
She smiled as she rose from her throne and stepped slowly down the stairs, "In part. But it is not just myself I worry about. I cannot stand by as the others destroy my people and parcel out my loyal Jaffa."
She stopped in front of Daniel, "I am asking that the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri protect my people and in return I will serve the Tok'ra as queen, under whatever restrictions they deem necessary to ensure my loyalty."
Daniel sucked in a breath. Aphrodite was willing to be a captive breeder to secure her people's safety. The Tok'ra may not like the offer, but with Egeria dead, they would have no other choice.
"No, my queen, I cannot allow this," H'rak moved to stand before his queen.
She turned a maternal smile on him, "H'rak, I must do this. I need to you be strong and lead the others in my name. I will return to you one day. The Tok'ra are a fair if cautious people, as are the Tau'ri. I will not be harmed."
Daniel had finally regained his composure, "What EXACTLY do you want from Teal'c and I?"
Aphrodite turned back to Daniel, "To carry my message to the Tok'ra, nothing more. I do not want your endorsement. After all, that would be a bit much under the circumstances."
Aphrodite turned back to her throne and once again mounted the steps. "I do not have the ability contact the Tok'ra or I would have already done so. Regardless of your decision, you are free to leave at any time. I simply ask that you refrain from harming any more of my people. Our laws are clear and not open to exceptions." She took her seat once again, "My Jaffa give their loyalty freely and it pains me to see them hurt. Luckily, I was able to save all those that your team injured or your leaders would be serving a harsher sentence then merely temple service."
"And what of Major Carter and O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Yeah, our people are not going to negotiate until they are released," Daniel added.
"They will be freed once they have completed their service." Her eyes narrowed and flashed at the two men, "I usually give a sentence 10 days of penance in service of the Temple for the crime of grievous injury to another. Your group injured five of my Jaffa."
"But…" Daniel started.
Aphrodite held up a hand, silencing him, "But… I took into consideration that you have only encountered my siblings before and reduced the sentence to two days per injury. But be warned that such leniency will not be displayed in the future. They will be released in 10 days. Return for them then and no sooner. After they are released the Tau'ri will be welcome on this world, but you will be expected to follow my laws. Here no one is above the law and everyone is held accountable for their actions. Do we understand each other?"
"We do," Teal'c stated.
"Good." Aphrodite turned to H'rak, "Release them. Escort them back to the chappa'ai and return their belongings to them."
"Yes, my queen," H'rak gave a deep bow and motioned to the guards.
Aphrodite turned back to Daniel and Teal'c, "I will see you again in 10 days." She dismissed them and regally exited the hall.
Once Aphrodite left the hall, the guards cut the ropes binding their hands. Daniel winced as he felt the blood rush back into his arms.
Teal'c continued to regard H'rak waiting.
H'rak nodded, "This way. I will take you to your leaders before escorting you to the chappa'ai."
Teal'c narrowed his eyes before returning the nod.
Before long they were standing on a set of rings alone. H'rak had instructed them that the rings only lead to the tower cell and he would await their return here.
Daniel was about to add something, but Teal'c silenced him and gestured for H'rak to activate the rings. They found themselves in a small room with only one door. There was no visible way to open the door. But the door did contain a small window.
"Jack? Sam? Are you in there?" Daniel shouted and called through the window.
Immediately, Jack's face appeared in the small window, "Daniel?"
"Oh, thank God. Is Sam with you?" Daniel continued.
"Right here, Daniel," Sam said peeking through from the other side. "Are you guys alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine. What about you?" Daniel asked.
Daniel watched as they exchanged a look and turned back to him with blatantly false smiles, "Just peachy, Daniel. Now, GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Jack shouted.
"I would, Jack. I just can't. I don't know how to open the door… Look, they said you only have to serve a 10-day sentence. Temple duty. Penance. Nothing big. It'll be over before you know it," Daniel tried to cheer him up.
"She's a goa'uld, Daniel. You can't trust a damn word they say… And before you start, the Tok'ra aren't much better," Jack was grabbing one of bars in the small window.
Teal'c stepped up, "Do you wish for me to return with a small strike force, O'Neill?" Daniel glanced at the big Jaffa and noticed the gleam of anticipation in his eye. Yikes! Jaffa revenge was not a pretty sight.
Jack paused in consideration and then gave a resigned sigh, "No, Teal'c. Not yet. Let's give her the 10 days first. If she lied, take her out. If she makes good on letting you guys go, then she may be telling the truth about the whole sentence thing. In the meantime, Carter and I can handle 10 days of scrubbing floors and what not. Who knows, maybe we'll escape and make the whole issue moot."
"As you wish, O'Neill," Teal'c gave Jack a slight bow before stepping back.
"Okay, Jack," Daniel added.
"Now, get the hell out of here. I expect to see your asses get through that gate in the next 10 minutes. Comprende?" Jack demanded.
"Sure, Jack," Daniel said sadly, "We'll see you in 10 days."
"Until we will return, O'Neill," Teal'c added gravely.
Daniel and Teal'c watched the door as the rings activated watching their friends for as long as possible. H'rak, good as his word, was waiting for them at the rings. He escorted them under guard through the village to the Stargate. Once there, he returned their belongings and ordered his guard away from the Stargate. The guard fell back to the edge of the clearing and waited for them to leave. Daniel was under the impression that the guard would be in place the full 10 days. Seeing no other option, Daniel dialed Earth and sent in his iris code. With one final look towards the tower, Daniel and Teal'c stepped through the wormhole.
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