These rulings had sent a shock through every highborn court on the planet, but the reaction to them was weak compared to Erony's final demand on those who attended the ceremony. No weapons of any kind were allowed inside the hangar. Every knife, sword and pistol, every poisoned hatpin and derringer, push-dagger and dart, all of them were left behind.
"She may as well have asked us to attend naked!" said one noblewoman, a dowdy baroness whose stage whisper easily reached the ears of Dr. Weir.
To her right, spit-shined and handsome in his Air Force dress blues, Sheppard heard the comment and spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Let's be thankful that she didn't."
"Eyes front, Colonel," said Caldwell, also in full uniform. "You've got us into enough trouble on this planet as it is. Don't start making fun of the rich kids now."
As the official invite had stated, Doctors McKay and Beckett, Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan also joined the three of them. Ronon shifted uncomfortably under his greatcoat. He had promised Weir that he was unarmed, but she had her doubts that the big Satedan would ever put himself in a situation that he couldn't fight his way out of. For her part, Teyla was resplendent in a gossamer gown that her people had sent through the Gate for the occasion; she very much looked the part of an elegant leader, the dignity of the Athosian tribes strong in her eyes. Only someone who knew her as well as Elizabeth did could have seen the slight tensing in her jaw, the haunted glint in her eyes. Weir had only spoken briefly to Teyla in the aftermath of the Daedalus's rescue, but it was clear to her that she had faced a traumatic experience while on Halcyon. Beckett caught her eye and threw Elizabeth a brief smile; it was only Rodney who seemed distracted by all the pomp and circumstance. McKay couldn't keep his eyes off the ceremonial dais and the figure that now approached it, clad in a wide robe trimmed with dark green fur.
In her youth, on vacation in England, Weir had watched the Trooping of the Colour outside Buckingham Palace, and she had half-expected something of similar ritual and display to go on here; but Halcyon was a militaristic people at heart, and their culture mimicked a wartime mentality of blunt, direct action.
Erony climbed the dais and shrugged off the green robe, revealing an ornamental sword at her hip. A gasp rolled around the assembled crowd as she touched a belt buckle and let the weapon, scabbard and all, go clattering to the floor.
"I'm guessing that's not a part of the ceremony," murmured Sheppard.
When she spoke, Erony's voice was clear and strong. "The Magnate is Halcyon. Halcyon is the Magnate. So it is written in the codes of ascension, so it has been said time after time when one took this role. But in hundreds of years, those words have become meaningless. They are spoken and they have no weight. Today, this changes. Today, I become Lady Magnate of Halcyon and I declare it to be so." She stepped forward, advancing toward the ranks of assembled nobles. "From this dawn, there will be no more wars over petty words and trivial deeds." Erony crossed by the parties of Barons Palfrun and Noryn, sparing them an even look. "We will no longer support battles without honor or humanity. From this dawn, Halcyon will take up arms only in defense of herself, in defiance of the true enemy… The Wraith."
Weir caught her eye and offered her a supportive nod. Erony continued. "Many among us feel as I do, that for too long our people have been set upon a course of self-destruction, of violence for the sake of violence. Many of you have yearned for peace, but lacked the fortitude or influence to bring it to be. But now you have a voice. Now our people, noble and common, have a voice, in me." She looked away for a moment. "A learned man, an outworlder and my friend, told me of a truism from his home planet."
McKay shifted uncomfortably and looked at his shoes.
"Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. I say here and now that this will not be the fate of Halcyon! The currency of death no longer carries any coin in this realm." She walked back to the dais, to where a second, more ornate set of robes of office was waiting. "I take my father's mantle now, and I take from his memory his love for this world… But I leave behind his appetite for warfare and the callous brutality that it spawned." She carefully donned the robes of the Magnate. "Our society changes as this dawn rises. It will not be easy, but it will be for the better, and our new friends from Atlantis will help us find the way." The woman drew herself up to her full height, and she was the very picture of regal nobility. "I am the Lady Magnate Erony Daus, I stand without Dynast and for my people, as Mag- istrex of the Sovereign World of Halcyon and her dominions… And to any baron who might plan to use force of arms to usurp my place, know that my army is not of soldiers, of riflemen or accursed Hounds. My army are the commoners, and without them, our world will not turn."
Silence fell as the first rays of the sun drew honey colors over the landscape, the assembled barony reeling from the import of the speech. Elizabeth drew her hands together and applauded, quickly joined by each member of the Atlantis contingent; and soon the whole chamber resonated with an ovation as Lady Erony turned away and bowed before the new day.
The airship's course took it over the jubilant streets of the city, the rolling countryside and back to the Terminal, slowing to a droning hover over the massive hangar that housed the Halcyon Stargate.
Down on the deck, the Atlantis team were gathering themselves together next to Jumper Three, ready to take the ship back through the wormhole to their city. Caldwell was already up on board Daedalus, after finding a discreet corner from where to beam back to the starship. Quite rightly, Dr. Weir figured that the locals were edgy enough without seeing a man vanish to add to their misgivings. Knots of chattering nobles drifted around in their own little cliques, some perturbed by their new ruler's edicts, but many alight with the possibility they represented.
Sheppard fiddled with his collar and loosened his tie a little. "Ah. These formal gigs are just not my thing. Dress blues always make me feel like I'm going to the prom."
Weir eyed him. "And I was just going to say how well you scrub up." There was a hint of reproach in her voice.
He shrugged. "Plain and simple suits me better, y'know? I guess I fit better when it comes to seeing things in a more, uh, uncomplicated way."
She caught the inference. "Maybe I'll handle the diplomatic stuff from now," she smiled. "I'm not sure if inciting a radical restructure of a planetary monarchy was really what I had in mind when I gave you the green light."
"You have no idea how happy it makes me feel to hear that, Elizabeth. From now on, I'll just do all the point-and-shoot hero stuff." He shrugged. "Your job's too damn tough for a grunt like me."
Weir followed him into the Jumper. "Well, don't sell yourself short, John. You helped these people find a better way. That's something to be proud of."
"Yeah, I guess it is." He sighed and paused to think for a moment. "Hey, you think I'll get a statue or something?"
"Just don't expect a pay rise."
Ronon found Teyla at one of the portals along the side of the launch bay, the chill wind whipping at the folds of her dress. He coughed self-consciously and she turned, offering him a wan smile. "Ronon. Is it time for us to depart?"
"Sheppard's warming up the ship now. We should get aboard."
"Yes." She looked back out at the landscape. "It seems so peaceful down there. The countryside reminds me of Athos. It is hard for me to look out there and think of the horrors we saw. The fighting…" Her hand strayed to the faint line of bruising on her neck. "The Wraith."