Yay people are reviewing. It's good to see people reading this story. I don't know why but Wynnie had really grown on me as a character. So hopefully you will all like her as much as I do. In a week or two I may pull this off the sigh briefly to do some maintenance on it.
Three tall men towered over Wynnie as she briefed her team about their mission. Oryna was the shortest with his sandy head standing about eight inches above Wynnie, who was only five feet two inches. It was almost silly to see the shorter women addressing them so dignified, but each one of them respected her as the team leader.
She gave the team twenty minutes before their departure to gather their gear and thoughts before meeting back in front of the gate. Wynnie used this time to find McKay who was grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading into the gateroom. She knew him well and found him quickly. "Rodney…" She called making her way over to where his was sitting. "Hey I just wanted to talk to you before I left."
"I'm here," He replied looking up at her a little. She sat down next to him and scooted closer so her hand was resting right next to his. "How are you?" He asked noticing her hands were shaking slightly.
"Good… I'm good, a little anxious about his mission but I'm sure everything will be alright. How are you?"
"Tired but good"
"Good."
"You said you wanted to talk to me?" Wynnie laughed and nodded.
"I can't get anything past you can I?"
"No, I'm a genius."
"So I've been told. Yes well it wasn't so much talk I wanted to give you this…" She paused briefly and smiled shyly before giving him a quick peck on the lips and blushed. "Thank you for being there for me the other night." She turned to go before McKay grabber her hand and kissed her on the forehead.
"It was nothing really. Good luck you'll be fine. If I can survive gate missions you'll kick some proverbial ass."
"Thank you Rodney."
After talking briefly to Madeline and Beckett, Wynnie made her way back to the gateroom prepared for the mission. She quickly nodded to her team and waved good bye to Dr. Weir, who was watching them depart through the event horizon. When they got through the other side all that was visible was a large expanse of prairie with mountains in the distance, but behind them was a magnificent walled city. "I think we found the right spot." Brickman commented as they all gazed upon the gleaming marble walls.
"I feel like I just step into ancient Rome," Oryna said in awe.
"This place is beautiful." Wynnie agreed. "Common guys I think I see the gate entrance."
"Yes Ma'am," they replied as they made their way into the city. The inside of the city was more magnificent then the outside. Marble fountains rose up from a deserted boulevard and large houses with lush courtyards lined them. Everyone seemed to be in awe of the large city that was seemingly untouched by Wrath destruction. Each person had their own ideas about how it stayed so pristine that no one noticed a woman wearing a flowing gown came forward cautiously.
"Welcome to Rnalyon, our leaders saw you come though the ring of the ancients. My name is Gela please follow me." She lead them though a marketplace to a palace that stood towards the west edge of they city. It was a white and solid like many of the other buildings of the city. She led them past the stone guards at the gate and up to a vast room covered in intricate tapestries and fine woolen rugs. "My brother, King Lero, requests an audience with you." They were brought forward to a group of men.
"Gela you may leave now." The broad shouldered man at the top of the assembly said in low rumbling voice. She curtsied without even looking at him and quickly and hurried out. Wynnie noticed that she didn't look at him once, and when she was addressing her team she wouldn't look at the men either. Then he turned to the team. "Your servant may leave as well." They looked at each other confused. "Your WOMAN." He spat the word out as if it were poison on his tongue.
"Excuse me," Wynnie said looking at him with fierce eyes, "I'm Captain Wynnie Flynn and I am the leader of this expedition. Sir, with all do respect, we come have come here from our planet, negotiate trade with you."
"I'll will be addressed as King Lero, and you woman, a lesser, do not have the right of addressing me at all. If trade is what you wish I shall take it up with these fine gentlemen behind you. Now as guest in my city I have been more than polite to you but I will not tolerate insubordination from a woman."
"Woman or not I should not be treated differently then the rest of my team. I've have worked far too hard not to."
"SILANCE one more out burst from you, guest or not, I will have you punished. I will not tolerate this."
Wynnie looked at her team helpless, she was supposed to set up negotiations but he wanted nothing to do with her. In a split decision she looked right at Sergeant Oryna.
"Oryna, you have the most off world experience, you're my second. Please speak to him, we need goods. I refuse to return empty handed, but I fear I may compromise this mission if I talk to him again. If anything I can make myself useful finding more out about this remarkable city." He nodded his sandy head and looked up at the king.
"King Lero, with all do respect, our planet is very different then yours, our captain here speaks the truth, she is the leader of our team and in order to successfully complete our mission she is willing to stand down. However my other team members and I will not let this disrespect of our team to continue there are many other planets we can trade with. We just thought your city could profit most from the goods we are willing to offer. As we would benefit greatly from your goods"
"Your going to let your self be controlled by a lesser? I pity your planet, it will probably be destroyed soon. Very well I shall think about this, I will meet with you and the other two men in the morning. Now you will all attend my feast tonight and the lesser can come as well, however I will not allow her to wear men's clothing. A proper outfit shall be delivered to your quarters. Gela will show you to your rooms. She will be your servant while you're here." He spoke directly to the men and proceeded to ignore Wynnie. Gela hurried in and spoke to the group with down cast eyes.
"Please gentlemen… follow me," the she turned to Wynnie, "I must put you in the lady's quarters. I am sorry." They hurried through the palace before reaching a large door. Gela quickly presented the men to their lavish room filed with goose down quilts and feather beds, and let them in. In haste she had the bowls filled with odd looking fruits and sheet on the beds turned down. "If it pleases you, I will show your woman to her quarters."
"There's room here she can stay with us," The team said but Gela fearfully shook her head.
"No she can't. Women are not permitted to stay in gentlemen's quarters unless directly called for or sent by their owner."
"Owner?" Brickman questioned, "it sounds like your slaves." She looked helpless at him.
"Yes… If this pleases you, may I show your woman to her room?"
"Yes please." She curtsied quickly and hurried out. Gela took Wynnie to a back part of the palace and showed her into a tiny room with a straw mattress and thin blanket.
"I guess this isn't the Hilton," Wynnie said sarcastically. Gela looked confused.
"My room is right next door. These are the best woman's quarters in the city." The Gela looked up at Wynnie. "I'm sorry if this is not what you're used to but the punishment for a woman to live above this could be death, depending on what her owner decided to do. You must understand we are slaves to the men and have no rights. This is the life we are born in to. When we are fourteen our fathers put us up for auction in the market place, then our owners may then do as the please with us. We are no better then the beasts that are used to pull the plows. Many of us have accepted this as our fate."
"What about you, have you accepted this fate?" Gela hesitated.
"I am very lucky to have been kept by my brother. I get treated far better than the other women and even get time to myself and access to books. Despite how he comes off my brother is actually quite kind unlike most of the other men he allows us to learn to read, though he would never admit it. However, I have been failing in my duty. My brother wants a son and he shares me with many of the men in his court in hopes that I will conceive for him a strong heir but I have only given him a daughter. I was lucky to keep her, many times giving birth to a daughter to an owner is grounds for punishment. Often the mother of child is sent away or killed, but my brother allows me to visit her once a week.
"You only get to see her once a week?"
"It is most kind. As I said my brother is just but even he must stick to the ancient code. Even if he wanted to give us more rights he is honor bond to up hold the traditions. If he doesn't the rocks will lose their protection and out city would be lost to the Wraith. Please do not compromise our safety." Wynnie nodded slowly. "Then I will leave you to your thoughts. My brother requests your presents at the feast tonight a gown will be brought to you with in the hour."
The gown was emerald green and much to Wynnie surprised it looked quite pretty on her. Gela came in told her that her gentlemen requested her presents so Wynnie hurried over to meet with her team.
"Woo woo," Oryna called as jokingly as Wynnie walked in, "You look lovely Captain." The last part he was he said quite seriously. Wynnie shook her head and hid her smile.
"I fear you have been here to long Sergeant," She replied back. "We should leave quickly. I don't want to be around when you all turn back in to apes." She laughed slightly as the other smiled. "Anyway, this is our plan. Tonight engage the king in conversations and just mention some of the things we can exchange, like medicines and clothing, for some of the fruits and grains here. They have some beasts that they slaughter for meat, we need to try and get in on some of that too. Also, this is my own curiosity, Gela had mentioned that the stones of the city protect it from the Wraith, maybe you can find out about that. If they have technology to keep them away we need to know about it."
"Yes Ma'am."
"I will do my best to not anger anyone and try to as Gela said, hold my place. I'm sorry I can't help you guys more, but keep in contact. I'll have my radio with me at all times. If anything happens I'll be right there."
"Captain," Bestin started, "Don't worry I'm sure everything will be fine."
The team was escorted to the where they had met with the king earlier. Only now the room was filled with large tables piled with different food, many of which the team did not recognize. Large men surrounded each table and they were all laughing hartily until they walked in. Everything got silent before the king stood up.
"Honored guests and members of my court, please welcome the gentlemen from the rings of our ancients. They come to us with offers of trade please honor them well." The men were quickly seated at the high table with the king while Gela took Wynnie to small table in the corner where all the women of the king sat.
Gela often got up to make sure her brother was comfortable and that his drink glass was always full in doing this she over head the team talking to the king. "King Lero we can offer you very powerful medicines for you people." Oryna spoke while taking a drink.
"Really, that would be useful. We are a very clean city however, many fevers do come along. I shall have to have my physician look at your medicines. What else can you offer me? It would put a great strain on our cities resources to give you some of our meat. The fruits and grains are very plentiful, but our meat is precious." He thought for a moment. "I am captivated by your woman; she is very strong and would produce a hearty son. I would be willing to trade you a months supply of my meat for her.
"She is not for sale," Brickman answered quickly.
"Oh pish, she's only a woman you could easily get another. Oh well it was worth a shot. What about some of your weapons, they are very remarkable. I shall like to have one for my collection. I do not have any likes those."
"Our weapons are not for trade either. Like your meat they are very precious, we only make enough for trained fighters to have them. They are strictly for protection."
"Against the Wraith," Bestin added. The Kings face grew cold.
"Yes the Wraith."
"Your majesty with all do respect," Bestin asked, "how do you protect your city from the Wraith?"
"Our walls and rocks protect us. Since this city has been built no on in it's walls have been touched. Legend says that the Wraith came soon after our first Queen took the thrown. She was cruel and ruthless so the gods created the wraith to destroy her. But she had already corrupted our fair city so all the citizens had to go as well. It is because of the women that the Wraith come. So we must keep them contained. However we are also prepared to protect our selves. When the marble was dug for this city it created a series of tunnels underneath it so we can hide and the Wraith's beams cannot penetrate the rocks. We have someone watching the ring at all times, we know that it is six minutes from the time the ring opens to when they reach the city, that is just enough time to find an entrance to the caves. As long as we keep our city dominated by men, who do not anger the gods as the women do, our caverns will always be safe."
"That is fascinating."
"Yes we are blessed by our gods, our people are pleased." The men continued to disscuess trade while Wynnie sat with the women who ate almost silently, before being sent away. As soon as Wynnie reached her quarters Gela hurried in.
"We need your help, I head that you people have medicines and one of our ladies is very ill. She was down in caves today but when she came up she fainted and is now spiking a high fever. Women can't go to the hospital so we must take care of our own. Please help." Gela led her to a small barn where a girl was laying shivering on the ground with a blanket. Wynnie had no medical experience and looked down helpless. The girls fever was very high, and she could see a rash forming on her skin.
"Gela I'm sorry I don't know what to do," she paused and thought quickly while taking note of all the symptoms, "but I know someone who does. I'll be back by morning."