Chapter 13
Ali returned to his mother's house as quickly as he could. He wanted to be there when Rose awoke, knowing she'd be irritated by his desertion, but having had little choice in the matter. As chief, he had to be kept up-to- date on all the happenings and discoveries of events involving the Fortress of Aten. The new information that had been found on Oscar Mann was such news he had to know and leaving Rose to hear about the latest discoveries was something that had been unavoidable.
As he entered the dwelling, he found his mother on her way out. Before she left, however, she had a few choice words to share with her son.
"Ali, if you don't tell that poor girl about the Medjai tonight, I will tell her myself," Iman warned.
Ali nodded. "Yes, mother. I will tell her."
"It is not fair to have her marry you and not know what she is entering into. Have you even considered that she may not want to be the wife of a desert chief?"
"I should have considered that," Ali answered, "but I did not. I will work it out."
Iman nodded. "I hope you do. Rose has asked me so many questions about you and our way of life that I feel I am lying each time I speak to her. Tell her, Ali, and soon."
"She will know who and what I am tonight," Ali assured her, knowing that he could no longer keep the news from Rose.
"Good," Iman said with a warm smile for her son. "Shall I tell Rose you are here before I leave? She is in the shower."
Ali shook his head and grinned deviously at his mother. "I will tell her myself," he insisted.
When his mother frowned at him with a chastising scowl, for her ways were much more traditional, Ali chuckled and shooed her out the door.
"She will be my wife tomorrow, mother," he called after her and watched as she threw up her hands in defeat and exited out the door.
He moved across the room to the bathroom door and decided it best to knock first. Rose had suffered enough surprises lately and still had more to come. He didn't need to torment her further by sneaking up on her now. Instead, he knocked loud enough on the door to be heard over the running water and said, "Rose. It's me."
"Go away," came her reply, her tone filled with only mild anger. "I'm angry with you, Ali Bay."
"As you should be," Ali agreed. "I stole away while you were asleep. It was a dastardly thing to do."
He heard Rose laugh at his words and ask, "Who talks that way any more?"
"Only your future husband who is completely insane for leaving his beautiful fiancé alone in bed this evening when he should have been there right next to her until she awoke," Ali returned.
"In that case," Rose said, "you can come in. I forgive you."
Ali's hand was on the doorknob when a female voice halted his motion.
"Not so fast, Ali," Yasmeen insisted from behind. "I need Rose. You be on your way."
Ali released the doorknob and glowered at Yasmeen. The woman barely acknowledged the reprimand and merely pushed him away from the door with little ceremony.
"She needs to get ready for tonight's party. I brought her clothes. I will take care of her and bring her to you when she is ready," Yasmeen explained as she stood guard in front of the bathroom door, making it impossible for Ali to enter.
Yasmeen was already dressed in a black shirt and skirt that was actually conservative yet looked anything but that upon her voluptuous body. Her long black hair hung to the middle of her back in waves and Ali knew Devraj would be pleased with her beauty tonight.
Towering over her and hoping to strike some fear in her for her untimely interruption, Ali said lowly, "I hear you have a date tonight. I wonder if your Dev knows how devious your ways are, Yasmeen."
"Quit pouting because I am keeping you from your betrothed. Your threats will not sway me, Ali. Now go," she said, literally placing her hands upon his chest and shoving him back.
He frowned, knowing it was an unfair fight when she had her mind set, yet happy that Rose and she were getting on much better, and reluctantly left. He would postpone telling Rose about the Medjai until later. He only hoped it wasn't too late when he finally had the chance. ****
Rose was disappointed to hear that Yasmeen had shooed Ali away. She had much she wanted to ask him and a thank you to dole out for the ring. Yet she was positive that after the village festivities tonight, she'd have Ali all to herself to thank him as much as she wanted.
Yasmeen took an extra amount of time getting Rose ready for the celebration. She dried and curled the ends of Rose's chin-length hair, then brushed it until it shined. Lightly, she applied a hint of make-up to her eyes, cheeks and lips and then dabbed on the most intriguing smelling perfume Rose had ever sampled. As for the clothes Yasmeen had brought, they were more Western in influence than Middle Eastern conservative, yet Rose loved the color of the red patterned skirt, and the white cotton knit top with the v-neck and three-quarter length sleeves fit her perfectly.
"Yasmeen, there is nothing conservative about this outfit. I will be shunned by your Council," Rose insisted as she looked at herself in the mirror. The top showed off her curves and the skirt was long, to mid-calf, but was obviously patterned after the more modern European and American styles and clung seductively to her hips.
"I know it's not exactly conservative, but you have already been accepted by the Council. You can dress more American tonight. In fact, I bought this outfit in New York this summer when I was visiting a friend. It looks much better on you than it does on me," Yasmeen insisted.
Rose smiled back at Yasmeen in the mirror, then dropped her eyes to the Medjai necklace she still wore upon her neck. Reaching back, Rose began to unclasp the leather strand that held the charm. After all, she had no business wearing the charm. She doubted she'd see too much more of the Medjai chief now that she was marrying Ali and it didn't feel right to be wearing the necklace another man had given her. Yasmeen, however, immediately halted her efforts and gently pushed her hands away.
"You mustn't take this off, Rose," Yasmeen warned, fixing the necklace and straitening it upon her neck. "The Medjai chief will take it as a great insult."
"Like I didn't insult the man enough when he had me in his custody," Rose drawled. "It's not right for me to wear this now."
"It is right," she said back. "And when you insulted the man in private, it was of little consequence to him. But if you were to take this off, it would be a public insult and that the Medjai chief will not and cannot stand for."
Frowning at her friend, Rose argued, "But I'm marrying Ali. Its wrong for me to wear this."
"Its right for you to wear it," Yasmeen insisted. "And Ali should know this better than anyone else."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Yasmeen said upon a sigh. Then her eyes landed on the golden ring Rose wore and she lifted Rose's hand to study it. "What did Ali tell you when he gave this to you?"
"I was asleep. I woke up with it on. I haven't talked to him since.well, since the two sentences we shared through the bathroom door before you showed up."
Yasmeen sighed again, dropped Rose's hand and moved away. "I am sorry I interrupted. I am sure Ali was planning on telling you about.I mean, I'll bet he would have explained about that ring and what the symbols on it represent."
Rose studied Yasmeen's face with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean, Yasmeen? What do the symbols on this ring stand for? And they match the symbols on Ali's chest, don't they?"
"So you've seen the tattoos he has."
"Yes, he conveniently kept those from me for two years," Rose said, shaking her head. "The man certainly has an incorrigible side to him, I'm finding."
"You might find that he has more than an incorrigible side to him," Yasmeen quipped.
When Rose again looked at Yasmeen with confusion, the woman stepped forward, placed a firm hand upon Rose's shoulder and said, "Rose, please do not fear anything about Ali. He is a good man. And I am afraid he has had much on his mind lately. Surely you have seen that too."
Slowly, Rose nodded. Yes, something had been different about Ali lately.
Touching the ring on Rose's hand, Yasmeen continued, "Now that you wear this, you are important to the people in this village. You are one of us." Yasmeen's hand moved to touch the Medjai charm on her neck. "And because you wear this, you are important to the Medjai. You will forever be protected in this desert land and have nothing to fear about your future. Remember my words, Rose, and listen to your heart before you decide anything."
Rose would have insisted Yasmeen explain further what she meant by her cryptic words, yet the woman immediately looped her arm through Rose's and pulled her out of the house. When Rose inquired if they would be stopping to get Ali along the way, Yasmeen explained there was no time. In the near distance, Rose could hear the voices of celebration echoing through the new night and there was no time for detours or explanations. ****
Yasmeen and Rose never showed at his dwelling and Ali paced furiously through the living area of the small house he was sharing with Devraj. His second in command was staring at him strangely, and Ali finally explained his agitation.
"We need to be at the festivities soon, Dev," Ali said. "But I cannot go because I have not yet explained my role to Rose."
"I thought you went to talk to her when you left the headquarters building earlier this evening?" Dev inquired.
"I planned on telling her, yes. But Yasmeen kicked me out of the house and said she'd bring Rose by later. And as you can see, they are not here," Ali explained.
Devraj shrugged. "I do not know what to tell you, Ali. We do need to arrive at the celebration soon. And you know it is customary for us to wear our."
Cutting Devraj off, Ali said roughly, "I know."
"And the other warriors will be expecting you there any moment now. In fact, I am surprised they have not sent someone to find you yet," Devraj added.
"They will, I am sure. That leaves me with little option." Taking a deep breath, Ali decided, "I suppose I forgo telling Rose about my position and merely show her. After all, it was my own lack of courage that has led me into this dilemma. I am only to blame if she is angry with me in public. In fact, I would deserve it."
With that decision made and the arrival of a warrior saying the Council was waiting, Ali had little choice but to dress in his attire of black combat boots, black military cargo-pants, long-sleeved black shirt, dark over- robe, turban, veil and scimitars. As he looked in the mirror at his warrior reflection, the briefest glimpse of fear traversed his face. The expression, however, quickly vanished as Ali conjured up his warrior armor and turned to leave with his men. ****
They appeared from out of nowhere. One moment, Rose was standing with a group of women answering their questions about herself, when suddenly the black-clad warriors made their presence known. Cheers rang up from the crowd when the Medjai arrived and Rose halted her words as she stared in both awe and fear at the group.
A bon-fire burned in the night and Rose met the eyes of the Medjai chief over the rise and fall of the dancing flames. Though his face was covered as always, Rose still knew it was him by the bold stance and piercing stare. Just a look from his dark eyes caused fear to traverse her spine as she imagined him interrupting the celebration to try and steal her away again. After all, he had professed just that morning that he loved her. Of course, to Rose, it was a silly declaration for no one could fall in love in a matter of days. Yet this man believed he harbored some feelings for her and though he had told her he accepted her decision to be with Ali, she wondered if he was now changing his mind.
"Rose, what is wrong?" Iman who was standing nearby inquired.
"The Medjai.wh.what are they doing here?" Rose asked, stammering on her words.
"You have nothing to fear from the Medjai," Iman said soothingly, touching Rose's arm.
"I'm afraid I just might," Rose argued.
Rose again glanced at the man across the fire. People were pleased to see the Medjai and the warriors were now blending in with the villagers as though they were members of this community themselves. The Medjai chief, however, spoke to no one and as he stood boldly on the other side of the fire, his eyes sizing up his prey, Rose had a horrible sinking feeling that this celebration would turn out to be anything but a celebration.
Rose continued, "You see, their chief thinks my picture is on this cave wall that tells his tribe's history and future. He insists I am to be his wife."
The chief slowly began to circle the fire, his eyes never leaving Rose. Panic began to overtake her senses, and she tried to tell herself that the Medjai chief was a man of his word and would leave her be. Iman's words, however, overrode any calm Rose had managed to talk herself into.
"You are, Rose," Iman said. "You are destined to be his wife."
Had she fallen asleep and was merely dreaming a nightmare, or had a really bad episode of the "Twilight Zone" just begun? For if Rose had heard Iman correctly, the woman was telling her that the Medjai warrior's crazy predictions were going to come true.
That, however, was impossible, for Rose was to marry Ali, not the warrior.
"What are you saying, Iman? I'm marrying Ali, your son, tomorrow," Rose insisted.
Iman smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, you are."
It took a long moment for Iman's words to sink in and when they finally registered in her brain, Rose spun around and quickly bolted out of the village square and down a small cobblestone alley-way. She didn't get far, before a strong arm caught her around the waist and halted her escape.
Flashbacks to earlier in the week when the Medjai chief had forcibly stopped her escapes entered her mind and she felt that familiar strength he possessed-that Ali possessed--hold her from her flight and all she could do was continue to tell herself this was all a bad dream. For if the man she loved was truly the Medjai chief and had lied about it for so long, she could trust nothing about the world around her.
"Don't touch me!" Rose spat out, ready to resort to all the tactics she'd used in the desert to escape him, but hoping he'd release her voluntarily.
"Do not run," Ali warned lowly against her ear. "I will release you only upon that condition."
Her heart hammering in her chest, her mind reeling out of control, Rose somehow found the composure to nod and then support her own weight upon trembling legs as she was released.
She turned to stare at the man clad in black, the man she loved. His face was still covered and now that she knew it was Ali, she wondered how she could have been so blind to his identity while he'd been in this disguise. His mannerisms, his voice.they were all so distinctive. Yet the thought of Ali as a warrior chief had never entered her mind. Ali was a simple, conservative man whom she'd been friends with for two years. How did someone hide something as huge as the fact that they were a desert warrior from their best friend for so long? It just wasn't possible!
But Ali had done just that. He'd never told her he was a warrior, a protector of the desert. And until this very moment, she never would have guessed it herself.
Slowly, Ali moved his hand to his veil and tugged it down. Images of the bold attacks and fights he'd staged against Victor and those men in the cave flooded her mind and she was stunned to realize such a heroic side existed to Ali.
"Rose," Ali began slowly, "let me explain."
"Oh, you need to explain all right! You need to do more than explain!" she nearly shouted back at him, her shock being replaced by anger.
He took a step forward and she took a step back. Ali frowned at her retreat and held up a hand to reach for her instead. She dodged his effort, determined to allow him no contact, and she saw the irritation flood his face.
"Don't think you can just spring something like this on me and then assume I'll cave like a weakling with some affection," Rose warned, her voice conveying her anger as much as her body language was. "I am beyond angry, Ali. How could you have not told me this? How could you have strung me along and played this game with me? How could you have held me hostage for nearly two days and never confessed it was you hiding behind that veil?"
Her questions were legitimate and if Ali were in her shoes, he'd be asking the same things. Yet his shame over his actions prompted him to act more defensive than apologetic as he returned, "And how could you have professed to being such good friends with me and never told me about your father or Victor? I killed to save you from your past, I combed the desert for you brother. I risked the lives of my warriors for you and the secrets you had kept from me. So don't stand there and question my actions, Rose."
"I confessed my secrets to you, Ali, as soon as I got here," Rose answered. "But you, you continued to play some sick game with me. And to think, I was going to marry you!"
"You are still going to marry me," Ali insisted.
"You shot at me in that cave. Do you actually think I would marry you now? In fact, I want to leave. I don't want to have anything to do with this place. I'll take my chances back in America."
Stepping forward and clutching the charm around her neck, Ali said lowly, "You will go nowhere. You are mine, Rose. You agreed to that when you accepted this charm. And you have already pledged yourself to this marriage. That ring on your finger is proof."
Suddenly, Rose feared Ali. She had never feared him before, except of course when he was the warrior. But she had never feared anything about him when he was himself. Now that she had discovered all that he was, she was afraid of him. It sent chills down her spine to think of how different this warrior side of him was. He was no longer the man she'd known in California, no longer the man she'd fallen in love with. He was a man she feared and because of that, she could no longer be with him.
"I belong to no one, Ali," Rose returned. "Least of all, to you."
Reaching back she unclasped the necklace and left it dangling in Ali's fingers. She turned and walked away, surprised that Ali allowed her to leave, but thankful he put up no fight.
Ali returned to his mother's house as quickly as he could. He wanted to be there when Rose awoke, knowing she'd be irritated by his desertion, but having had little choice in the matter. As chief, he had to be kept up-to- date on all the happenings and discoveries of events involving the Fortress of Aten. The new information that had been found on Oscar Mann was such news he had to know and leaving Rose to hear about the latest discoveries was something that had been unavoidable.
As he entered the dwelling, he found his mother on her way out. Before she left, however, she had a few choice words to share with her son.
"Ali, if you don't tell that poor girl about the Medjai tonight, I will tell her myself," Iman warned.
Ali nodded. "Yes, mother. I will tell her."
"It is not fair to have her marry you and not know what she is entering into. Have you even considered that she may not want to be the wife of a desert chief?"
"I should have considered that," Ali answered, "but I did not. I will work it out."
Iman nodded. "I hope you do. Rose has asked me so many questions about you and our way of life that I feel I am lying each time I speak to her. Tell her, Ali, and soon."
"She will know who and what I am tonight," Ali assured her, knowing that he could no longer keep the news from Rose.
"Good," Iman said with a warm smile for her son. "Shall I tell Rose you are here before I leave? She is in the shower."
Ali shook his head and grinned deviously at his mother. "I will tell her myself," he insisted.
When his mother frowned at him with a chastising scowl, for her ways were much more traditional, Ali chuckled and shooed her out the door.
"She will be my wife tomorrow, mother," he called after her and watched as she threw up her hands in defeat and exited out the door.
He moved across the room to the bathroom door and decided it best to knock first. Rose had suffered enough surprises lately and still had more to come. He didn't need to torment her further by sneaking up on her now. Instead, he knocked loud enough on the door to be heard over the running water and said, "Rose. It's me."
"Go away," came her reply, her tone filled with only mild anger. "I'm angry with you, Ali Bay."
"As you should be," Ali agreed. "I stole away while you were asleep. It was a dastardly thing to do."
He heard Rose laugh at his words and ask, "Who talks that way any more?"
"Only your future husband who is completely insane for leaving his beautiful fiancé alone in bed this evening when he should have been there right next to her until she awoke," Ali returned.
"In that case," Rose said, "you can come in. I forgive you."
Ali's hand was on the doorknob when a female voice halted his motion.
"Not so fast, Ali," Yasmeen insisted from behind. "I need Rose. You be on your way."
Ali released the doorknob and glowered at Yasmeen. The woman barely acknowledged the reprimand and merely pushed him away from the door with little ceremony.
"She needs to get ready for tonight's party. I brought her clothes. I will take care of her and bring her to you when she is ready," Yasmeen explained as she stood guard in front of the bathroom door, making it impossible for Ali to enter.
Yasmeen was already dressed in a black shirt and skirt that was actually conservative yet looked anything but that upon her voluptuous body. Her long black hair hung to the middle of her back in waves and Ali knew Devraj would be pleased with her beauty tonight.
Towering over her and hoping to strike some fear in her for her untimely interruption, Ali said lowly, "I hear you have a date tonight. I wonder if your Dev knows how devious your ways are, Yasmeen."
"Quit pouting because I am keeping you from your betrothed. Your threats will not sway me, Ali. Now go," she said, literally placing her hands upon his chest and shoving him back.
He frowned, knowing it was an unfair fight when she had her mind set, yet happy that Rose and she were getting on much better, and reluctantly left. He would postpone telling Rose about the Medjai until later. He only hoped it wasn't too late when he finally had the chance. ****
Rose was disappointed to hear that Yasmeen had shooed Ali away. She had much she wanted to ask him and a thank you to dole out for the ring. Yet she was positive that after the village festivities tonight, she'd have Ali all to herself to thank him as much as she wanted.
Yasmeen took an extra amount of time getting Rose ready for the celebration. She dried and curled the ends of Rose's chin-length hair, then brushed it until it shined. Lightly, she applied a hint of make-up to her eyes, cheeks and lips and then dabbed on the most intriguing smelling perfume Rose had ever sampled. As for the clothes Yasmeen had brought, they were more Western in influence than Middle Eastern conservative, yet Rose loved the color of the red patterned skirt, and the white cotton knit top with the v-neck and three-quarter length sleeves fit her perfectly.
"Yasmeen, there is nothing conservative about this outfit. I will be shunned by your Council," Rose insisted as she looked at herself in the mirror. The top showed off her curves and the skirt was long, to mid-calf, but was obviously patterned after the more modern European and American styles and clung seductively to her hips.
"I know it's not exactly conservative, but you have already been accepted by the Council. You can dress more American tonight. In fact, I bought this outfit in New York this summer when I was visiting a friend. It looks much better on you than it does on me," Yasmeen insisted.
Rose smiled back at Yasmeen in the mirror, then dropped her eyes to the Medjai necklace she still wore upon her neck. Reaching back, Rose began to unclasp the leather strand that held the charm. After all, she had no business wearing the charm. She doubted she'd see too much more of the Medjai chief now that she was marrying Ali and it didn't feel right to be wearing the necklace another man had given her. Yasmeen, however, immediately halted her efforts and gently pushed her hands away.
"You mustn't take this off, Rose," Yasmeen warned, fixing the necklace and straitening it upon her neck. "The Medjai chief will take it as a great insult."
"Like I didn't insult the man enough when he had me in his custody," Rose drawled. "It's not right for me to wear this now."
"It is right," she said back. "And when you insulted the man in private, it was of little consequence to him. But if you were to take this off, it would be a public insult and that the Medjai chief will not and cannot stand for."
Frowning at her friend, Rose argued, "But I'm marrying Ali. Its wrong for me to wear this."
"Its right for you to wear it," Yasmeen insisted. "And Ali should know this better than anyone else."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing," Yasmeen said upon a sigh. Then her eyes landed on the golden ring Rose wore and she lifted Rose's hand to study it. "What did Ali tell you when he gave this to you?"
"I was asleep. I woke up with it on. I haven't talked to him since.well, since the two sentences we shared through the bathroom door before you showed up."
Yasmeen sighed again, dropped Rose's hand and moved away. "I am sorry I interrupted. I am sure Ali was planning on telling you about.I mean, I'll bet he would have explained about that ring and what the symbols on it represent."
Rose studied Yasmeen's face with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean, Yasmeen? What do the symbols on this ring stand for? And they match the symbols on Ali's chest, don't they?"
"So you've seen the tattoos he has."
"Yes, he conveniently kept those from me for two years," Rose said, shaking her head. "The man certainly has an incorrigible side to him, I'm finding."
"You might find that he has more than an incorrigible side to him," Yasmeen quipped.
When Rose again looked at Yasmeen with confusion, the woman stepped forward, placed a firm hand upon Rose's shoulder and said, "Rose, please do not fear anything about Ali. He is a good man. And I am afraid he has had much on his mind lately. Surely you have seen that too."
Slowly, Rose nodded. Yes, something had been different about Ali lately.
Touching the ring on Rose's hand, Yasmeen continued, "Now that you wear this, you are important to the people in this village. You are one of us." Yasmeen's hand moved to touch the Medjai charm on her neck. "And because you wear this, you are important to the Medjai. You will forever be protected in this desert land and have nothing to fear about your future. Remember my words, Rose, and listen to your heart before you decide anything."
Rose would have insisted Yasmeen explain further what she meant by her cryptic words, yet the woman immediately looped her arm through Rose's and pulled her out of the house. When Rose inquired if they would be stopping to get Ali along the way, Yasmeen explained there was no time. In the near distance, Rose could hear the voices of celebration echoing through the new night and there was no time for detours or explanations. ****
Yasmeen and Rose never showed at his dwelling and Ali paced furiously through the living area of the small house he was sharing with Devraj. His second in command was staring at him strangely, and Ali finally explained his agitation.
"We need to be at the festivities soon, Dev," Ali said. "But I cannot go because I have not yet explained my role to Rose."
"I thought you went to talk to her when you left the headquarters building earlier this evening?" Dev inquired.
"I planned on telling her, yes. But Yasmeen kicked me out of the house and said she'd bring Rose by later. And as you can see, they are not here," Ali explained.
Devraj shrugged. "I do not know what to tell you, Ali. We do need to arrive at the celebration soon. And you know it is customary for us to wear our."
Cutting Devraj off, Ali said roughly, "I know."
"And the other warriors will be expecting you there any moment now. In fact, I am surprised they have not sent someone to find you yet," Devraj added.
"They will, I am sure. That leaves me with little option." Taking a deep breath, Ali decided, "I suppose I forgo telling Rose about my position and merely show her. After all, it was my own lack of courage that has led me into this dilemma. I am only to blame if she is angry with me in public. In fact, I would deserve it."
With that decision made and the arrival of a warrior saying the Council was waiting, Ali had little choice but to dress in his attire of black combat boots, black military cargo-pants, long-sleeved black shirt, dark over- robe, turban, veil and scimitars. As he looked in the mirror at his warrior reflection, the briefest glimpse of fear traversed his face. The expression, however, quickly vanished as Ali conjured up his warrior armor and turned to leave with his men. ****
They appeared from out of nowhere. One moment, Rose was standing with a group of women answering their questions about herself, when suddenly the black-clad warriors made their presence known. Cheers rang up from the crowd when the Medjai arrived and Rose halted her words as she stared in both awe and fear at the group.
A bon-fire burned in the night and Rose met the eyes of the Medjai chief over the rise and fall of the dancing flames. Though his face was covered as always, Rose still knew it was him by the bold stance and piercing stare. Just a look from his dark eyes caused fear to traverse her spine as she imagined him interrupting the celebration to try and steal her away again. After all, he had professed just that morning that he loved her. Of course, to Rose, it was a silly declaration for no one could fall in love in a matter of days. Yet this man believed he harbored some feelings for her and though he had told her he accepted her decision to be with Ali, she wondered if he was now changing his mind.
"Rose, what is wrong?" Iman who was standing nearby inquired.
"The Medjai.wh.what are they doing here?" Rose asked, stammering on her words.
"You have nothing to fear from the Medjai," Iman said soothingly, touching Rose's arm.
"I'm afraid I just might," Rose argued.
Rose again glanced at the man across the fire. People were pleased to see the Medjai and the warriors were now blending in with the villagers as though they were members of this community themselves. The Medjai chief, however, spoke to no one and as he stood boldly on the other side of the fire, his eyes sizing up his prey, Rose had a horrible sinking feeling that this celebration would turn out to be anything but a celebration.
Rose continued, "You see, their chief thinks my picture is on this cave wall that tells his tribe's history and future. He insists I am to be his wife."
The chief slowly began to circle the fire, his eyes never leaving Rose. Panic began to overtake her senses, and she tried to tell herself that the Medjai chief was a man of his word and would leave her be. Iman's words, however, overrode any calm Rose had managed to talk herself into.
"You are, Rose," Iman said. "You are destined to be his wife."
Had she fallen asleep and was merely dreaming a nightmare, or had a really bad episode of the "Twilight Zone" just begun? For if Rose had heard Iman correctly, the woman was telling her that the Medjai warrior's crazy predictions were going to come true.
That, however, was impossible, for Rose was to marry Ali, not the warrior.
"What are you saying, Iman? I'm marrying Ali, your son, tomorrow," Rose insisted.
Iman smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, you are."
It took a long moment for Iman's words to sink in and when they finally registered in her brain, Rose spun around and quickly bolted out of the village square and down a small cobblestone alley-way. She didn't get far, before a strong arm caught her around the waist and halted her escape.
Flashbacks to earlier in the week when the Medjai chief had forcibly stopped her escapes entered her mind and she felt that familiar strength he possessed-that Ali possessed--hold her from her flight and all she could do was continue to tell herself this was all a bad dream. For if the man she loved was truly the Medjai chief and had lied about it for so long, she could trust nothing about the world around her.
"Don't touch me!" Rose spat out, ready to resort to all the tactics she'd used in the desert to escape him, but hoping he'd release her voluntarily.
"Do not run," Ali warned lowly against her ear. "I will release you only upon that condition."
Her heart hammering in her chest, her mind reeling out of control, Rose somehow found the composure to nod and then support her own weight upon trembling legs as she was released.
She turned to stare at the man clad in black, the man she loved. His face was still covered and now that she knew it was Ali, she wondered how she could have been so blind to his identity while he'd been in this disguise. His mannerisms, his voice.they were all so distinctive. Yet the thought of Ali as a warrior chief had never entered her mind. Ali was a simple, conservative man whom she'd been friends with for two years. How did someone hide something as huge as the fact that they were a desert warrior from their best friend for so long? It just wasn't possible!
But Ali had done just that. He'd never told her he was a warrior, a protector of the desert. And until this very moment, she never would have guessed it herself.
Slowly, Ali moved his hand to his veil and tugged it down. Images of the bold attacks and fights he'd staged against Victor and those men in the cave flooded her mind and she was stunned to realize such a heroic side existed to Ali.
"Rose," Ali began slowly, "let me explain."
"Oh, you need to explain all right! You need to do more than explain!" she nearly shouted back at him, her shock being replaced by anger.
He took a step forward and she took a step back. Ali frowned at her retreat and held up a hand to reach for her instead. She dodged his effort, determined to allow him no contact, and she saw the irritation flood his face.
"Don't think you can just spring something like this on me and then assume I'll cave like a weakling with some affection," Rose warned, her voice conveying her anger as much as her body language was. "I am beyond angry, Ali. How could you have not told me this? How could you have strung me along and played this game with me? How could you have held me hostage for nearly two days and never confessed it was you hiding behind that veil?"
Her questions were legitimate and if Ali were in her shoes, he'd be asking the same things. Yet his shame over his actions prompted him to act more defensive than apologetic as he returned, "And how could you have professed to being such good friends with me and never told me about your father or Victor? I killed to save you from your past, I combed the desert for you brother. I risked the lives of my warriors for you and the secrets you had kept from me. So don't stand there and question my actions, Rose."
"I confessed my secrets to you, Ali, as soon as I got here," Rose answered. "But you, you continued to play some sick game with me. And to think, I was going to marry you!"
"You are still going to marry me," Ali insisted.
"You shot at me in that cave. Do you actually think I would marry you now? In fact, I want to leave. I don't want to have anything to do with this place. I'll take my chances back in America."
Stepping forward and clutching the charm around her neck, Ali said lowly, "You will go nowhere. You are mine, Rose. You agreed to that when you accepted this charm. And you have already pledged yourself to this marriage. That ring on your finger is proof."
Suddenly, Rose feared Ali. She had never feared him before, except of course when he was the warrior. But she had never feared anything about him when he was himself. Now that she had discovered all that he was, she was afraid of him. It sent chills down her spine to think of how different this warrior side of him was. He was no longer the man she'd known in California, no longer the man she'd fallen in love with. He was a man she feared and because of that, she could no longer be with him.
"I belong to no one, Ali," Rose returned. "Least of all, to you."
Reaching back she unclasped the necklace and left it dangling in Ali's fingers. She turned and walked away, surprised that Ali allowed her to leave, but thankful he put up no fight.