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They had landed on yet another planet looking like Canada as if every solar system had one Vancouver-looking landscape at least. The stargate was well-maintained and occupied a place of honour at the center of a spiral of rocks. It was a sunny day, light piercing through the treetops, so it wasn't long before they met locals.
"Halt!" a rather young man yelled at them, directing the pointy end of his spear toward them. He and his partner, who appeared to be twice older than him, were wearing medieval robes made of rich cloth, they looked well-fed. All seemed to indicate that they had encountered a prosperous yet primitive civilization. This gave Daniel a smile too big for his face. Sam, Tea'lc, and Jack pointed their gun back at them while the archaeologist raised his hands in surrender.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he exclaimed. “We won’t hurt you!” Daniel gave a meaningful look to Jack who sighed and lowered his gun, soon followed by the rest of the team. “See?” the archeologist gestured excitedly with his hands and gave the aliens a friendly smile. They exchanged a frown.
“Who are you? What is your purpose here?” demanded to know the young man. His hair had the colour of rust. His face displayed no sign of fear. He steadied his grip on his spear and pointed it menacingly toward the SG team.
“Explorers… Exploration…” articulated Jack, successively answering the questions with a great load of annoyance. The older alien put a hand on the younger’s shoulder who immediately relaxed his posture and looked at him in questioning. The older breathed in.
“Forgive Ian for his manners he still has a lot to learn, I am Gawait, you are welcome to meet with our leader,” he said, lowering his own spear. Sam quickly glanced at him. He had this father-like aura of a wise man who had seen a lot, but instead of becoming bitter, it had made him kind. The younger, Ian, seemed to respect his judgment as if it were law.
“We would like that,” said Daniel, nodding. He had slowly lowered his hands.
“Please follow us and do not attempt any harmful move. The gods would punish you for hurting us,” invited the older alien. The SG team exchanged a look. “The gods?” mouthed Jack. Daniel shrugged, this was a question for later. They all followed a path through the forest for about 3 miles. Ian and Gawait, though not harmful, kept sending severe and somewhat judgemental looks to Sam. She tried to ignore them, blaming it on the universal misogyny.
The fresh air of the forest and the scattered sunbeams piercing through the treetops were soon replaced by a dryer and warmer ambiance with blinding midday sunlight as they got closer to the city.
The city in itself was more of a congregation of gray-stone dwellings all piled up and stuck together around a castle with apparently no logic. Around it were agricultural fields, a market, and an arena. From the size of the cluster of buildings, Daniel deduced that about two thousand people lived there.
More guards joined Ian and Gawait to escort them into the city. Most streets were narrow and covered by a roof. They curled up successively around the different layers of building added through the ages and many secret hallways and stairs were hidden behind curtains and tapestries. Jack noted well in his mind the way they took in the event they would have to escape.
“It’s like Hogwarts!” Sam excitedly whispered to the colonel.
“You read Harry Potter ?” he raised an eyebrow in mild disbelief. She rolled her eyes. Of course, she had. He smiled for himself.
“What is Hog-Warts?” asked Teal’c, confused as ever.
“A fictional magical castle,” provided Sam. “I’ll lend you the books if you want,” she offered.
“I would appreciate that,” replied the jaffa with a solemn nod.
“Take off your hats and be prepared to meet King Malcolm, son of Alster the Great,” instructed Ian with a rightfully severe tone. Large wooden doors were opened and the SG team was led through the court directly facing the King.
Courtiers oohed at the sight of the strangers. They were wearing rich colourful clothes of various elaborate cuts, designed to impress. The king himself was sitting on a grandiose throne of wood laced with silver, of all, he was wearing the richest garments: cardinal red robes striated with gold and crystals. His crowned head was standing still, he did not move his neck but his gaze to let it fall upon them. His disdain shifted to curiosity and suspicion.
"Kneel before King Malcolm!" ordered Ian. Daniel immediately did so, not wanting to face the punishment for disrespect. Jack followed with a grunt, intimating others to do the same. "They say they are explorers," Ian introduced them.
“From where?” asked the king with a surprisingly profound voice. His physiology didn’t match his voice. His eyes were filled with a malicious spark and the extra pounds in his midsection indicated someone who enjoyed pleasures. When he faced them, however, his expression was severe. He considered them all with an equal measure of distrust.
“Earth,” was Jack’s only reply.
“They came through the stargate, your highness,” precised Ian, his unruly curly hair falling upon his face in his excitement.
“Interesting. I would love to hear more about your planet, travelers.”
“Sure,” immediately accepted the archeologist. Jack looked at him with a warning. Daniel knew what it meant. Calm your ardors, Danny, don’t give the aliens what they want. “The authorities on our planet, Earth, are looking for peaceful relationships with other worlds. We can offer economic, scientifical, cultural, and military partnerships. Our two planets are very much alike…” Daniel began reciting his well-prepared advertisement.
Jack zoned out as their anthropologist exchanged with the king and his counselors, with a few interventions from Sam. He could see that Daniel had convinced the king that they weren’t a threat as the guards had slowly backed off. Malcolm’s posture had relaxed and he even laughed at a joke Daniel had made.
“What is your job again, Daniel?” asked the king, casually. The people he ruled had not reached the level yet in their society where they could afford to have people whose role was to study other people.
“I’m an archeologist and anthropologist. Since we travel a lot, I am the most fit to interact with other societies. I know 20 different languages,” he explained.
“And what about you, Samantha? What is a woman doing in a team of explorers? Which one is your husband?” King Malcolm asked, lightly, his gaze successively passing on Teal’c, Jack, and Daniel. Sam’s smile froze. Jack’s mind was suddenly dragged back to the conversation. An awkward silence followed the question. The nobles began exchanging looks.
“I… uh… I am not married,” replied Sam. A few scandalized gasps could be heard among the nobles of the court. The king remained silent. Sam steadied her position under his judgemental stare and clenched her fists.
“Are you infertile or religiously engaged?” the king demanded precisions.
“No.” Sam really did not like where this conversation was heading. A growing whisper among the nobles forced the king to speak louder.
“Then you are to be married. Guards, arrest her!”
“What?!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise as three guards appeared around her and gripped her arms. "No, stop, leave me!"
"Hey! Hey! You heard her now get off her!" Jack jumped on his feet to try to free her from the guards. More guards arrived and stopped him. They restrained him and Teal'c, while Daniel was still trying to bargain with the king.
"Your majesty, you must understand, in our culture women do not have to be married to a man. They are free of their choices," tried to explain the anthropologist.
"Let her go! Let her go!"
"Here on Neam, all women must be married," replied the king severely, not willing to discuss. "Major Carter is a woman, therefore she is to get married." Nobles shouted their agreement.
“Listen, if you don’t let her go, I am going to consider this a hostile act of imprisonment and I am gonna start shooting people!” Jack’s voice was heard above the uproar.
“Jack! I am sure this situation can be treated diplomatically!” Daniel answered him, shouting as loud as the colonel. It’s funny how fast a situation can get out of hand. Well, not really.
“Let me go!” Sam’s screams didn’t stop. It made Jack sick to be that powerless. The guards were too many and the room too small and the king too stubborn. The guards took her away and immobilized the rest of the team. They made them stand in line in front of the king who looked down at them with self-righteousness. The room was silent again. Malcolm sighed and adjusted his crown on his head.
“Given that you are not from our world, breaking our laws is forgivable, understandable. You won’t be executed,” announced the king solemnly.
“Wow. How generous,” ironized Jack. A guard hit him in the back.
“Silence! Our king is granting you a chance! You should be begging for his mercy!” the guard shouted, right in his ear. Jack winced at the sonic assault.
“Major Carter will be married to a competent man who deserves a woman of skill, the chief of my personal guard, Lord Campbell,” continued the monarch. A man with fiery red hair streamed with pepper who was probably just a little younger than Jack stood out from behind the king. He had the face of a man who was granted a great favour.
"Over my dead body!" shouted Jack. He dodged before the guard could hit him again.
"Are you contesting the wedding?" exclaimed Lord Campbell with a voice that resonated between the walls. Exclamations of disbelief exploded in the crowd. Excited glances to downright disapproving glares were exchanged among the nobles.
"Damn right I am," confirmed the colonel, asserting confidence in his voice.
"To cancel her wedding with Lord Campbell, you will have to beat him in combat!” warned the king. “Then she will be released to you and you will take her to your home.” Upon the looks the king gave him, Jack could say that the combat was a very serious matter. A fight to the death, possibly. It was an event that didn’t occur very often on Neam, and there was probably a reason why, but the words “cancel her wedding” were sufficient to bring the colonel to do anything to free his Major from this situation.
“Jack…” said Daniel, using his pleading blue eyes to try to stop him from doing something stupid.
“If I win, you’ll let Carter go?” he asked.
“I give you my word, if you win this fight Samantha will go with you,” promised the king. Daniel frowned, feeling that he wasn’t able to see the whole picture, that something was left out, or that they weren't able to understand everything in the bargain. This made the archeologist feel uneasy.
“Alright, I’ll fight,” accepted Jack. “Can I talk to Carter?”
“The women are preparing her for the ceremony, she must not be seen by any man before the combat,” explained king Malcolm. Although initially irritated, he seemed to be enjoying this turn of events. Lord Campbell was silently standing by him, eager to prove his value in the fight. He was broad and built, his strength would be his major asset and Jack would have to count on his own agility and speed to win the combat. “The confrontation will take place in the arena tomorrow morning by dawn. You are invited to stay dine with us and beds will be prepared for you,” announced the king, settling the argument. The guards, sensing the change in the tone of the discussion, slowly let go of the explorers.
“We are grateful for your invitation but we must express our concerns about Major Carter,” said Daniel, putting on his best diplomatic expression.
“I can assure you that she is well treated and protected,” promised the king, “but enough worries about Samantha, she is a very lucky woman, let us rejoice about the friendships between our worlds!”
~~~
The guards put Sam into a luxurious bedroom of the castle-city. She knocked at the door, yelling at them to let her go but they locked the door behind them. She sighed as the situation she had gotten herself into was about to catch up on her. Next time, she would say she was married to the colonel. It would have just been the most logical thing to do in the first place. Teal’c was outside consideration as his wife was out there with his son and she didn't want to have him be unfaithful and Daniel was like a brother to her, which would make it uncomfortable for the both of them. The only one she could imagine herself faking a marriage with would be the colonel. It wouldn’t have been the first time they lied about these sorts of things after all, no, her honesty had proven to be a tactical disadvantage and she hoped she hadn’t endangered her team or the mission by that.
She tried to kick the door out but only succeeded in hurting her shoulder, finally, she gave up and sat on the bed to observe the room.
The bedroom in itself had to be one of the best cells she had been imprisoned in, it was vast, clean, smelled of flowers and the air wasn’t damp despite the lack of windows. Aeration shafts? Unlikely, but the air had to be refreshed one way or another in the castle-city. There was a closet and a dresser with a shiny mirror, and of course, a bed. The hangings on the walls were embroidered with threads of gold, silver, and copper, the carpets placed on the stone floors had been richly woven, if she had been free to go, Sam might have considered herself the lady of the castle.
She heard the key being inserted in the lock and jumped on her feet ready to punch anyone that came across that door. Four women came in, quickly sliding inside the room. All had different shades of ginger hair and green eyes, two were older than her, and two were younger. They stood in front of Sam, observing her with widened eyes and slightly scared features. Sam sighed and put down her fists.
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” she assured them. “If you could please just let me go, this has been a major misunderstanding…” she tried to resonate with them but they continued to stare at her in bewilderment. It was when she realized the people of Neam probably had never seen a person with blond hair and blue eyes before. “My name is Sam, and I really don’t want to get married,” she introduced herself. The other women frowned.
“Why wouldn’t you?” asked one of them. “Our husbands protect us and provide us the stability to raise our children. Being bound to a man is a right for women and it is a great honor to be bound with Lord Campbell.” Sam sighed.
“I am an explorer! I come from a planet on which women are free and do not have to be married if they don’t want to, I don’t have to bear children or raise them and I can work to sustain myself without needing to be bound to a man!” protested Sam. She met with uncomfortable looks.
“Listen… I am sorry that you don’t see the good in your situation, I am sure you will come to love your condition as a married woman,” said the woman. Sam shook her head in disbelief and allowed herself to be led by the women in the preparation for her wedding.
~~~
Teal’c, Daniel, and Jack only saw Sam the next morning, when she was brought to the main tribune as the honor prize. Jack hated to think of Carter as a prize, she was so much more than that, and he hated that Daniel had insisted on bowing to the planet’s absurd laws. These laws provided that the fighters could be accompanied by a friend or a mentor until the beginning of the combat, therefore Teal’c stayed with Jack, and Daniel sat next to Sam on the tribune, herself seated next to the king like a goddamn princess in white dress.
Not really sure to understand why, Jack felt a jolt of jealousy that Daniel got to sit next to Sam when she was dressed like that, got to speak with her, reassure her that he would fight until his last breath so that she wouldn’t have to marry a stranger. She nodded along with Daniel but kept her eyes focused on Jack, trembling with both trepidation and terror. He looked up at her, fifty meters doing them part but their eyes met.
“Colonel Jack O’Neill of Earth contested the wedding between Lord Arthur Campbell and Major Samantha Carter of Earth.Therefore, Colonel O’Neill and Lord Campbell will fight over the Lady. Here are the rules of the Combat: once your opponent cannot get up the fight is won. Sparing your opponent’s life will be at your mercy,” said the king with a loud voice that immediately hushed the others. While the king was speaking, the Neamians would listen quietly and respectfully to what he had to say. “Now may the combat begin!” he exclaimed and the crowd composed of both nobles and peasants that had filled all the seats of the arena cheered with him.
Jack looked at Sam one last time before turning to face Lord Campbell. The lord had abandoned his ceremonial robes for a more practical outfit. No armor and no weapons were allowed, Jack would have to fight with his fists. How inelegant. At least, thanks to his military training and Teal’c’s own teachings, he could make his smaller weight an advantage to defeat the colossal man facing him.
Lord Campbell arbored a predatory smile, purely to intimidate him, but seemed clever enough not to underestimate his alien opponent. As Jack dodged the first blow, the whole world seemed to reduce to the combat he was engaged in, a single thought managed to go through the tightening net of concentration in his mind: For Sam.
~~~
“He will do what now?” Sam exclaimed as the four women that prepared her took her to the arena. The guards that were standing before her door accompanied them to discourage her from running away. She hated to admit it, but, they were four, and she was in a wedding dress, she was compelled to go where they took her, willingly or not.
“Colonel Jack O’Neill will fight for you this morning,” repeated a woman. Sam was happy that her team had not abandoned her, she had expected them to release her at any moment of the night, but she was also baffled by how ridiculous their plan was.
They brought her to the main tribune in the arena, the highest one, the one that overlooked the whole building. When she finally arrived, everyone was already there, except for the two fighters. She was offered a seat between King Malcolm and Daniel, and not without sparing a menacing gaze to the King who only seemed amused by her reluctance, she sat.
“Wow Sam you look…” exclaimed Daniel upon seeing her, unable to find the right word in all 20 languages he mastered to describe her. She was wearing a pure white dress that ran down to her ankles but did not touch the ground, the layers of silk matched her curves perfectly. The fabric of the corset was embroidered with pale yellow electrum. She had a veil in her hair and fresh blue flowers.
“Don’t tell me about it,” she grunted, annoyed. She had refused to look at herself in the mirror in an act of useless rebellion. “What did I miss?”
“We uh… discussed trade and established a partnership to mine their naquadah… talked about their culture and our own..."
Sam tried to focus on what Daniel was saying. She honestly did. But soon she was just nodding along, wondering if all of this was really worth getting married to a stranger or having Colonel O'Neill risk his life for her freedom. She never considered herself relationship material, and certainly never imagined herself married and forced to stay at home to raise children. She knew she had more potential than just that. In a distant fantasy where she would ever be married, she was always able to continue her career, unaffected by her personal life. She was afraid the Neamians wouldn't let her go if Jack lost the combat. She knew that Daniel and Teal'c would never give up on her and that there would be blood if needed, but this wouldn't be good for anyone.
She distractedly noticed that Daniel had stopped speaking and realized that Colonel O'Neill and Lord Campbell had entered the arena. She let out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding seeing that her commanding officer and Teal'c were unharmed — yet. Looking down on them, her gaze caught Colonel O'Neill's. She forced herself to breathe. He broke eye contact and she observed him assess the situation. Discretely, he scratched the floor with his shoe and estimated the surface of the fighting area. Lord Campbell openly cast glances at the Colonel, evaluating him, gauging him and his abilities. She felt her body shiver at the predatory smile he displayed.
The king announced the beginning of the combat and the two opponents took their fighting positions. A bell rang and the combat had begun. As far as she could see, the Colonel was following a very defensive strategy. He dodged blows with agility, circling around his adversary but never taking major risks. He was needed at home and he knew it well. Lord Campbell was a good match for Colonel O'Neill, and while his strategy was mostly offensive, it seemed to work because the Colonel was too busy dodging to be delivering blows. After five minutes, the two breathless adversaries separed on a common agreement. The status quo couldn't be maintained any longer or neither of them would win.
Sam watched as the colonel launched himself toward the giant, gripping him by the pelvis and tackling him like an American Football player. It merely destabilized Lord Campbell who took a few steps back and with a shocked expression moved his arm automatically to regain his equilibrium. Then, before the Colonel had the chance to extract himself from him, Lord Campbell struck a violent punch on the other man's head. Sam winced, clenching her fists.
The colonel jumped — or most likely fell — out of reach and rolled away. He got up quickly. She heard him yell something to his opponent but the words were too confused among the cheering of the crowd. Lord Campbell wasn't done yet. He kept on trying to hit him, and succeeded several times, but so did the colonel. He seemed animated by some external power, feral, he did not even seem to be slowed by the punches.
Lord Campbell cut him in his footplay and he fell, hitting the ground under the cheers of the crowd and the laughter of King Malcolm. Daniel, at her right, hissed in sympathy. But Sam smiled.
"The colonel is winning," she announced to the archeologist. Baffled eyes met her.
"It doesn't look like it..." he replied, eyes darting between her and his team leader.
"The colonel is faster, and although he is taking a few blows... well... he is responding now." She shrugged, smiling in relief. She turned to face Daniel with the most serious look on her face. "Colonel O'Neill is one of the most skilled soldiers I have ever met. He knows where to hit and certainly has the strength to do so. Lord Campbell's attacks have become more erratic and he has lost his focus. His movements are driven by emotion. He is losing."
Daniel nodded, he appeared relieved by her assessment of the fight. Now the colonel had Lord Campbell's neck stuck between his arms. The lord was so tall that the colonel's feet were swinging in the air. He fought against the tight grip and finally managed to eject the colonel. Sam winced again, even though she was confident in her commanding officer's abilities and chances to win the combat, she was also very well aware that only one hit in the head and it could be over. Forever.
The giant roared in rage and even from up there, she could see how red his face was. Colonel O'Neill got up again and immediately started delivering blow after blow, focused on hitting the temples and the sternum. Lord Campbell tried to choke him in retaliation. It took one last blow to get him down. Sand lifted when his massive body hit the ground. There was a shocked silence. Lord Campbell was defeated. Then the crowd exploded.
Jack's eyes met hers and he addressed her a small salute as she clapped her hands, smile bright like a sun.
"Colonel Jack O'Neill of Earth is victorious!" announced the king and Jack was happy they intended to keep their end of the bargain because his body hurt and he did not want Carter to marry a stranger, not because the law of some unimportant planet on some insignificant solar system compelled her. Brushing his hair with a hand he realised he had blood on his knuckles. The king talked to Carter and she nodded in response. They got down their royal lodge and Jack couldn't help but be reminded of those books about chivalry he read as a boy. He distractedly noticed as druids or doctors or whatevers came to check Campbell's pulse and took him to a tent. Carter was walking toward him, in her plain white dress, a shy smile on her face, and nothing else mattered. King Malcolm walked beside her and Daniel was a few steps behind, along with the personal guard of the king, a big grin on his face.
"O'Neill, you have won. Congratulations," came Teal'c, proudly. Jack smiled at the Jaffa and thanked him before returning to the other members of his team and the king.
"Colonel! Are you alright?" asked Sam prior to anybody else.
"I'm fine, just a few bruises, a few cuts, I'll survive," he shrugged it off. She was now so close to him, looking for injuries or cuts that needed immediate medical care. He just kept smiling to show her that he was alright and hoped she would buy it.
"I don't know sir, you took pretty bad blows..." she said biting her lips. He shrugged and turned to the king.
"Can we go home now?" he asked emphasizing the now because, after this, he thinks he's earned the right to have Carter safe.
"Won't you stay for the celebration?" asked the king and Jack's alertness was back again.
"What celebration?" he asked, aggressively. An arm reached out to protect Carter as he evaluated the number of guards and their position to determine their chances of running away. The king cracked a smile, his eyes sparkled as he exclaimed:
"Colonel Jack O'Neill! Congratulations, Major Samantha Carter is now your wife as you have fought for her! Major Samantha Carter, Colonel Jack O'Neill is now your husband, as he has fought for you, in the sweet times as in the rough ones, may you always come out together, and may your marriage be blessed with many children!"
Correction: maybe he wasn't that fine. Maybe he was hit in the head harder than he thought.
"What?!" he and Carter exclaimed in one single voice. Shock, confusion, and horror on both faces.
"By fighting for her, you have now claimed Major Carter as your wife," explained the king, patiently. He seemed a little confused that Jack had not understood it by himself. "The celebration is just a tradition on Neam. If you both prefer celebrating according to Earth's customs, consider yourselves free to go."
"Yes we would prefer to celebrate according to our customs," intervened Daniel, seeing that both Jack and Carter were lost for words, only exchanging a very long glance.
"Alright, I will organize an escort to make sure you get to the stargate safely, we are looking forward to exchanging with you more. Now Goodbye," said the king.
"That won't be necessary," assured Daniel. The king shrugged, and as easily as he invaded their lives and twisted them upside down, turned his back and left. "Well guys, I think congratulations are in order, right?" said Daniel with a shy smile. Jack looked at Carter and saw that all horror had faded from her face and that she was smiling at him too now. Maybe this meant they'll be able to get it out of the room. He wasn't sure if that even meant anything to her, but even though he wouldn't bother her with it, the thought that they are married on some unimportant planet on some insignificant solar system would keep him warm at night. Married to Carter, what a dream.
He smiled back at her.
"How are we even going to explain this to my dad?" she chuckled. His heart jumped in his chest. She wanted others to know.
"I don't know... Jacob, I accidentally married your daughter and you'll have to kill me because there's no way in Hell I'll ever divorce her..." he proposed and she smiled again.
~~~
Marriage with Colonel O'Neill did not feel like she was compelled to have a life with a complete stranger. She knows he respects her as an equal, and she did not feel tied up in any way. When he decided to fight for her, it was to free her from being married, and none of them had realized, not even Daniel, that to do so she would have to marry someone else. But someone she knew, someone she trusted, someone she cared about, a lot more than she was supposed to. And that made all the difference.
She asked how they'll explain it to her father because she wants this. She wants to be married to him. Even if they are not in an active relationship because it is forbidden by regulations, there'll always be his reminder that their lives are intertwined together. Hearing his reply, she smiled because she knows he feels the same way.
~~~
On her way back to the stargate she realized she was still in her wedding dress. Daniel and Teal’c did not say a word about the wedding. They knew the way their friends feel for each other and they gave them time to process the events before reality slaps them in the face and they have to write it in their mission report. They pretended they did not see them holding hands, and if they did it was only because Sam’s dress is very unpractical in the woods and she might have fallen. They didn't kiss because it’s against regulations and they cannot cross that line just yet, they had to be irreproachable to present their case to the general.
Teal’c dialed home and the team walked through the gate. General Hammon and Doctor Fraiser were waiting for them like concerned parents in the Gateroom.
“Welcome back SG1,” said the old general.
“It’s good to be home, sir,” Sam said, casting one last glance at Jack. Neither the general nor Janet mentioned the wedding dress, it was not the thing an SG team brings back from a mission, they would have plenty of time to talk about it later in the briefing room.