Chapter 14
His fingers balled into tight fist around the gold charm in his hand. Ali cursed through gritted teeth and fought back the urge to physically haul Rose back to him. He knew enough about her will, however, to predict exactly what would happen if he did that. She would put up a mental and physical fight that would never cease and if he wanted to salvage his relationship with her, he would have to give her space for a moment. That realization, though, did not help his temper and it flared to degrees he'd never before experienced.
Unfortunately, Yasmeen and Devraj happened upon him at that moment, and his anger locked on to a new target.
"Ali, what happened?" Yasmeen began to ask. "Where's Rose?"
Turning quickly, he glared down at the woman and snapped, "She has left, refused to speak to me and it is all because of you!"
"Me?" Yasmeen questioned, placing a hand upon her chest and staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Yes, you," he spat out. "If you had brought Rose to me like I had told you to do, I could have explained everything to her in private instead of having to present myself to her this way!"
Her eyes quickly turning from disbelieving to offensive, Yasmeen pulled the hand from her chest and pointed a finger at Ali.
"And if you had told Rose about the Medjai before tonight instead of procrastinating like a coward, this fiasco would not have happened!" she returned.
Ali was about to retort again, his face shadowed with rage, when Devraj stepped between the two and ordered in a calm, commanding voice, "Enough! Both of you!"
The two backed down and Devraj continued, "Yasmeen, do not taunt Ali. And Ali, you know very well that you should have told Rose sooner. There is no use in arguing about it now. We must fix this."
"Yes, I will fix it," Ali insisted, beginning to move off in the direction of his mother's house, certain that is where Rose went. "I will make her understand."
"You can't make Rose understand anything, Ali," Yasmeen called after him. When he didn't stop at her words, she ran after him. Devraj was close behind.
Tugging on the sleeve of his robe, Yasmeen tried to halt Ali. He pushed her hands away as though she was a mere fly upon his garment.
"Ali, listen to me," she pleaded. "If you find Rose now and try to make her do anything, she will never forgive you. You cannot make a woman understand anything she does not want to understand--certainly not a woman as strong-willed as Rose."
"I am the Medjai chief," he said, "she will have to understand."
"And that means what to Rose?" Yasmeen asked him, finally saying something that caused him to halt his steps and listen just outside the door to his mother's home. "I'll tell you what it means to her.it means nothing! She is American, she has no use for our traditions and way of life. You need to beg and plead with her. You need to tell her you are sorry. If you go in there and try to command her like one of your warriors, she will hate you forever."
"She will not," Ali insisted, though his resolve was beginning to crumble along with the hot temper that had been driving him on moments before.
"She will. And if she leaves here, you will be more or less forced to marry me," Yasmeen explained, her voice wavering in her declaration. "And I, for one, do not want that." Her eyes left Ali and focused on the quiet man at her side. Devraj smiled down at her with a rare moment of emotion and Ali shook his head and sighed.
"All right, woman," he announced. "Tell me what I should do."
"Let me talk to her first," Yasmeen said. "I will explain everything to her. She will listen to another woman before she will listen to you."
Hating the fact that he had to hand over the control to Yasmeen, but knowing that he had little options left, Ali nodded and watched as Yasmeen quickly bolted into the house.
Ali turned to Devraj then and said, "This had better work."
"Yes, it had better," Devraj returned with that quite command he could sometimes display when the need arose. "Because you are not going to marry my Yasmeen."
Ali slapped a hand to Devraj's shoulder, feeling back in control of his emotions. "You're right, I'm not," he agreed. "I'm going to marry my Rose- whatever it takes."
****
Rose was not going to cry. She had cried enough this past week and crying now would not change the fact that the man she loved had lied to her about something as profound as him being chief of a historic desert tribe.
What made her feel worse than the fact that he had lied to her, was the realization that she had been duped. Ali had been able to fool her so easily. Hadn't she learned her lesson after Victor? He'd been a man who had appeared like someone else for so long, until she had agreed to marry him, then he'd transformed into the true monster he was. And Ali, he'd hidden his identity from her with a simple disguise. A black robe and a veil and Rose had truly thought he was someone else.
She shook her head, disgusted with herself and pulled off the skirt Yasmeen had given her and yanked on her denim jeans. As long as she was miserable, she may as well be comfortable and she'd already decided that returning to the party was not going to happen. Why celebrate a marriage that was never going to take place?
Yasmeen entered the room not long after Rose had changed. There was an apologetic look upon her face, and Rose realized if Ali's face had mirrored half of that expression, she wouldn't be so incredibly angry right now. But he hadn't been apologetic. He'd been arrogant and demanding just like he'd acted in that cave he'd kept her in. Something inside him changed when he donned his black garb and strapped on his swords, and Rose wasn't sure she liked that side of him.
"Rose.I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Yasmeen began.
"Why didn't you tell me, Yasmeen?" Rose asked, her voice curt and clipped when she spoke.
"I could not tell you because Ali did not wish it."
"And you do everything Ali tells you to do?" Rose inquried.
Yasmeen nodded her head. "Yes. He is our chief. To defy him would mean great dishonor."
Rose couldn't help but conjure up the image of Ali in his business attire, working behind a computer and she almost giggled. Ali as a chief? It was still so strange. Then she sobered as she thought about another man, her father, who's people obeyed him completely and she shuddered at the thought of Ali being anything like her father.
"And what type of dishonor would this bring upon you?" Rose inquired. "Does the Medjai kill those who defy them?"
"That is a loaded question, Rose. The Medjai kill when they must, but they do not kill their own. In the past, there have been tribesmen exiled for defiance. But rarely is there defiance because we respect the power of our chiefs and of our Council. It is our way of life and has been since the time of the pharaohs."
"I don't understand all this talk of history," Rose snapped as she sat on the bed and pulled on white socks and her tennis shoes.
"Of course you do not. Few in this world do. But just know that our tribe is history bound. We believe in the past.it guides us. Traditions are important to us. Our chief is part of that tradition and therefore we respect him," Yasmeen explained.
Yasmeen's words were reminiscent of what Ali had told her when they'd been in the cave together. He'd tried to explain a little of the history that drove his people and at the time, Rose had just thought them ramblings of an unstable man. Now to hear Yasmeen repeat those statements made Rose realize just how serious the Medjai were in their duty to the desert.
"So Ali leads you all into battle and you follow? You obey?"
Yasmeen nodded. "If we did not, the world could be in danger."
Rose sighed. "I've heard that before, but I just can't believe it."
"Perhaps that is why you are angry with Ali now," Yasmeen postulated. "You are angry because you do not believe in what we do."
"How can anyone believe in what you do? It makes no sense? And how on earth can a small village financially support itself by having a band of roving warriors keep watch over the desert?" Rose threw her hands up and paced across the small room.
Yasmeen allowed a long, weary sigh to escape her mouth and she sat in the wooden chair that lined the far wall.
"I will explain as much as I can in the hope that you will begin to understand, Rose," Yasmeen said. "I will tell you about our past and when I am done, perhaps you will understand Ali that much better."
For the next twenty minutes, Yasmeen told Rose about the duty of the Medjai and how they had sworn thousands of years ago to protect the ancient sites and secrets of Egypt. That duty had been passed down, generation after generation and the Medjai had often struggled against great odds to keep their tribe and culture in tact, as well as, all the secrets of Egypt safe. It was the Bay family, Yasmeen explained, that emerged as the strongest of the Medjai in a dark period in history when the tribe had almost disbanded and pulled the Medjai back together. Since then, Ali's family had ruled the tribe along with the Council of elders and there had been much peace in the tribe for centuries. It was also Ali's grandfather, Ardeth Bay, who had catapulted the Medjai into the modern era.
"Before Ardeth's rule," Yasmeen said, "the Medjai lived a very nomadic existence, wandering the desert from ancient site to ancient site. Ardeth, however, realized that in order to keep the tribe together in this changing world and in order for the Medjai to be effective, they would have to abandon some of their traditional ways in order to adapt. So they built this village, stopped the tradition of tattooing the faces of their warriors for better secrecy and started sending the next generation out into the world to gain knowledge and build precious contacts. We have hundreds of people who work at various jobs in Cairo and Alexandria. We have tribesmen in Europe and some even in America. Not all of us are warriors in the traditional sense. Some do not even train in the traditions of fighting and weaponry. Many learn technology and assist us with our computer network. Others, learn medicine to help should our warriors suffer attacks. We have people in banks that watch for unusual money flow to Egypt. The museum in Cairo is under our command and we are warned should anyone seek information there that might involve ancient sites. The university is also staffed with some Medjai. They have access to research satellites that help us track movements of groups across the Sahara. We have."
Rose interrupted Yasmeen's speech to say, "It sounds as if Ali's grandfather prepared your tribe for just about everything. But really, are the Medjai even necessary? Doesn't the government of Egypt keep track of the ancient sites and take care of terrorist activities?"
"You would think they would, but they are not equipped to handle the threats we are equipped to handle," Yasmeen answered.
"Oh, so their military isn't as capable as a band of warriors on horseback?" Rose quipped.
"The government does not know of all the secret sites this desert contains. For instance, they know nothing about the Fortress of Aten, but as you know from what happened in the Cave of Prophecies, there are men who would kill for it."
Rose replayed the events that transpired there in her mind. Ali had fought so gallantly and she had decided to protect him instead of going with the European man and it had been the right decision. But would marrying Ali now be the right decision too? Could she understand this strange, history bound life he lived, and could she adapt to it? There was much she still didn't believe, and much she had to digest before she could make a decision.
"Yes, there are," Rose finally drawled. "And there has been entirely too much killing lately."
"There has been. But there will be more. If what we think has happened has indeed happened, then you could be in great danger," Yasmeen announced.
Rose narrowed her eyes on Yasmeen. "Just what has happened?"
"The group seeking the Fortress of Aten has apparently teamed up with your Victor."
"He's not my Victor," Rose snapped. "And I already know about that. The Medjai.I mean, Ali told me this morning. But how could that put me in danger and just what would Victor be doing with this group searching for the fortress?"
"I do not know. But I am sure Ali would like to ask you," Yasmeen said. "In fact, Ali is just outside. Why don't you talk to him?"
"No," Rose refused. "I won't." She couldn't finish her words before Yasmeen yanked the door open and began calling for Ali.
Rose could see two men standing outside the open front door to the house. One was Ali, the other his friend, Devraj. They began striding their way, when Rose yanked on Yasmeen's arm and said, "No, Yasmeen. Not now."
"Yes, now," Yasmeen insisted, grasping Rose by the shoulders and practically shaking her as she spoke with much force. "You do not understand. If you deny Ali out of anger and refuse to marry him tomorrow, I will be forced by my father to marry Ali. Do you want that? I do not. Ali does not. And Dev certainly does not. All of our fates lie with you, Rose."
The men were at the bedroom door and Yasmeen released Rose and stepped aside. Rose retreated to the far side of the room, grabbing her navy blue Nike sweatshirt and hugging it to her as she went.
"Rose," Ali began, "are you willing to listen to me?"
Though his voice was calm and soft, a far cry from his tone earlier, Rose still snapped back, "Do I have a choice? You all have me barricaded in here like an animal! Go ahead, say what you're going to say."
"It would be a waste of time if you are not open to listening," Ali returned, his tone regaining its force from earlier.
"Ali," Yasmeen chastised under her breath.
He gritted his teeth then asked, "May we have some privacy?"
Slowly Devraj and Yasmeen left the room, and Ali closed the door behind them. Rose refused to near him and her eyes regarded him with suspicion and anger. It was going to take some true and thoughtful words to regain her trust and Ali was uncertain if he possessed the poise to say what had to be said on this night.
He paced for a few moments, all the while watching Rose as she watched him. Her mouth was set in a solid frown and her arms remained crossed over her chest. Ali's mind worked and worked, trying to find the right words to begin with, but failing him miserably.
"So? Say something," Rose demanded.
Ali was pacing like an angry tiger, and Rose watched him carefully, studying the look of him in his warrior garb. How different he looked. How dangerous he seemed! She again shook her head in disbelief as she realized just what exactly Ali was.
"Say what?" he returned. "You tell me what to say. You tell me what will make you forgive me."
"I'm not sure forgive is the proper term," Rose replied. "Perhaps trust is what you need to be working toward here."
Ali's paces stopped and he stared at her with his dark, direct eyes.
"Yes, trust is important," he agreed.
"I'm glad you think that, because its obvious you never trusted me enough to tell me about yourself. And after all this, I'm not sure I could ever trust you."
Ali felt his world shattering with her revelation. Her tone was cool and distant, just like her body language. She would never forgive him or trust him again. It was so obvious to him and he had no idea how to remedy it. The only thing he could think to do was respond with anger. But anger, he knew, would send Rose into a run like it had earlier when she'd first discovered his identity. He had to be savvy and cool, otherwise he would lose her forever.
"I never told you about the Medjai, Rose," he began slowly, "because it would have sounded ridiculous to you. Imagine if I had explained to you in California that I was to inherit the throne in a tribe of ancient warriors what you would have thought of me. Just imagine!"
Humbly, Rose answered, "I would have thought you were either joking or insane."
"Exactly," Ali declared.
"Then why not tell me once we got to Egypt? Instead, you hid your identity behind a veil and lied," Rose countered.
"At first, I did so to find out why Victor and those men were after you. I was caught off guard by Victor's appearance and had no idea about your family history. And the fact that he had teamed up with Jeffreys had me wondering if your problems and my problems were somehow related. I hid my identity to discover about your past."
"All right, I'll give you that. But what about in the cave, Ali? You had so many opportunities to tell me. Instead, you taunted me and held me captive. And when I tried to escape.you actually shot at me." Rose felt her bottom lip tremble with her words. Thinking that Ali had gone to such extremes to hide himself from her saddened her to the core. If she didn't know him as well as she thought, then she didn't know anything about the world. All her assumptions about life and people were wrong, for she had misread Ali for two years.
Quickly and expertly, Ali drew one of his swords. The sound of metal scrapping against metal as the blade left the sheath echoed in the small room and Rose immediately jumped back, hitting the wall behind her.
"Do you realize what one of these blades would have done to me if you had used it on me? It was the only way to safely disarm you. I never would have harmed you, my darling. Never." Ali's words were spoken with much determination and Rose almost believed him.
"Still, part of me fears you, Ali," Rose admitted.
His sword was returned to its sheath and he strode across the room swiftly, stopping in front of her.
"If you had feared me so when you were with me in the Cave of Prophecies, why then did you kiss me?" he inquired in a deep whisper.
Shaking from his nearness and instinctively wanting to fall into his arms and travel back to the time before tonight's revelations, Rose feigned a shrug of indifference and said, "Maybe I was just playing you."
"Maybe," Ali said, sounding unconvinced.
"Or perhaps I was attracted because all along it truly was you. Perhaps my subconscious recognized you."
"Could be," he commented and reached out, toying with the ends of her hair.
Rose was frustrated that he was trying to diffuse her very correct and honest anger with his charm and closeness. She had a right to be angry with him! She had a right to hate him if she so chose! He had no right to attempt to win her back so easily.
With new determination, Rose placed her hands on his chest and shoved him back a few feet, retorting, "But what you forgot, Ali, was that I chose you to marry and not the Medjai. I may have kissed the 'warrior' you in that damned cave, but we had nearly been killed. I wasn't thinking clearly. And when I was able to reassess everything, what I realized was I loved you- the regular man. I didn't love some warrior chief. I loved you!"
"Loved?" Ali asked, hurt by her newfound anger and actions. "You say it in the past tense."
"Yeah, I do. Because right now, I don't know how I feel about you anymore," she admitted. And when she said those words, Ali's face filled with pain and regret. His expression certainly mirrored that on her own face, for she felt the same emotions.
"You saw the picture on that wall, Rose," Ali answered after a moment of hurtful contemplation. "You are to be my wife."
"And that's the only reason you want to marry me, isn't it? Because my picture is on some ancient wall, you think we should be together. Well, sorry, Ali, I don't believe in fairy tales and I don't marry men who want me only for convenience. Victor wanted to marry me because it would secure his place in my father's business and you want to marry me because it secures your destiny. Sorry, it's not going to happen."
Ali felt the floor tilt beneath him while Rose's words bounced around in his brain, confirming to him that he had lost her. If she truly felt the way her words had just implied, then she would never forgive him and she would never trust him.
Taking a deep breath and trying to find some way to convince Rose that he loved her and would never marry her for simple convenience as she proposed, he stepped next to the bed and removed his swords. Gently, he laid them on the bed, then stripped off his turban and over-robe. Next, he threw his handgun on the bed, then his knife, then his hand-held radio.
Standing before her, all his weaponry gone, Ali said, "I loved you before I ever realized it was you depicted in the Cave of Prophecies. I sometimes believe I loved you the moment I saw you. I have been your friend, your rescuer and as of today, your lover. I was hoping to add husband to that list. And I do not want to marry you because of some picture. I want to marry you for who you are. I stand before you as a man.not a warrior.telling you I am sorry. It was my own cowardice that brought us to this impasse. I am solely at fault and if you leave me, I will only have myself to blame."
Rose's resolve to remain angry began to break. Ali's words, his expression, his gestures, all had the appearance of truth and regret. And as he stood next to the bed they had made such passionate love in earlier that day, how could Rose refuse him? She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to rid her mind of all images and her heart of all feelings before they overwhelmed her. But it was no use. Everything began to collapse around her and she felt claustrophobic in the small room. She had to leave and be alone to think before she could forgive Ali.
Shaking her head, Rose muttered, "No, Ali, it can't all be fixed that easily," and then she dashed out of the room before Ali could react.
****
"Where is Rose going?" Yasmeen asked, standing in the doorway of the room that now held only Ali.
"I do not know," Ali answered, his voice weak, his emotions raw.
"What did you say to her, Ali?" Yasmeen then accused.
Normally, Ali would have met Yasmeen's words with a sharp reprimand, but now, he was too drained from the altercation with Rose to say anything other than, "I said nothing harsh."
"Then why did she run out of the house?" Yasmeen inquired, looking at Ali now with concerned eyes.
Ali sat on the bed, his golden charm clutched in his hand, and answered, "I suppose she needed some air. She does not trust me any longer, Yasmeen. All those times you warned me about how Rose would react.you were correct. She will hate me forever."
Trying to find some humor to lighten the heavy mood that was still hanging in the room, Yasmeen gave a small smile and said, "I told you she'd hate you for a month, not forever, Ali. You will win her back. I know you will."
"I am no longer as certain," he answered. He glanced down at the charm Rose had returned to him. He'd squeezed it so tightly in his hand the symbols were imprinted on his palm.
"Well, I do know that if you sit there all night pouting, you won't win anyone back. Get out there and find Rose," Yasmeen demanded.
Ali looked at her. Yasmeen's brown eyes were urging him on.
"Dare I try further tonight?" he inquired of her.
"Yes. Try, Ali. Beg if you have to. Get Rose back," she demanded.
Slowly, Ali stood, clasped the necklace around his neck and exited the room, leaving his equipment behind.
"I will try. I will beg. I will do whatever it takes.even if it kills me," he said as he passed by Yasmeen.
She reached out and touched his shoulder in a show of support and he offered a half smile. He would find Rose and do what he had to do.
****
Rose stood at the edge of the riverbank, watching the water rush by in the growing darkness. The cool evening-much cooler than any other evening in the desert thus far-helped to relieve her stress, and she attempted to lose herself in the sounds of nature and forget all about what had happened only a half hour ago by the bonfire.
She was only allotted ten minutes of serenity, before her peace was shattered by another presence. Ali stood behind her, and she knew it without even having to turn around. Just the sound of his footsteps in the dirt was enough to signal his presence to her. She'd heard his footsteps everyday for two years when they'd walked to and from work together and she didn't need to see his face to determine it was him.
"Go away," she said weakly, her will to fight him further disappearing quickly.
"Rose, please listen to me," Ali said to her, his voice soft in the night air.
"No. I can't listen to you any longer tonight. Just go," she pleaded, her voice ready to break, her eyes about to shed tears. She kept her back to Ali, refusing to look at him, but that didn't keep him at bay. Rose felt his presence near her, then his hands landed upon her shoulders. She shook from his touch and almost gave in. Almost.
"Fine, I will say no more to you," he told her, his mouth next to her ear, causing her to shiver from the warm touch. "Instead, I will show you how sorry I am."
Right after he spoke those words, his hands forced her around and she stood facing him.
"Ali, please," she began to beg him to leave her alone, when his mouth covered hers, effectively cutting off her words.
He kissed her with tenderness, his lips quivering with such real emotion that Rose ached to return the kiss. Her stubbornness, however, forced her to remain unmoving, and when she failed to kiss him back, Ali whispered, "Rose, I love you. Please believe me," against her mouth.
Torn over how to respond, over what to believe about this man who was touching her like none had ever before, Rose trembled in his arms, unable to say anything. Suddenly, Ali exhaled a sharp breath, as though he had just been punched and slumped in Rose's arms.
"Ali?" Rose asked.
He said nothing, his eyes fluttering shut and as his legs buckled beneath him, Rose was unable to hold his body weight. She sunk to her knees with him, her arms still around him.
"Ali!" she cried out. "Ali, what's wrong?"
She laid him on the ground and moved a hand to his face to check for consciousness when she saw it. Blood covered her hand. Ali's blood! Then footsteps nearby caused Rose to look up and there, not ten feet away, were her brother and one of the men from Victor's group. They were both armed, Tony with a silenced handgun, the other man with an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. After assessing the situation, it was obvious to Rose what had transpired. Tony had shot Ali in the back and neither had heard the shot because Tony's gun was equipped with a silencer.
"Tony?" Rose asked upon a gasp.
"Hey, Rosa," he returned, his voice cool and very unlike his affable personality. "Its time to come home."
Suddenly the man with Tony moved forward and grabbed Rose by the arm. He yanked her away from Ali and for a man who appeared to be on the skinny side, he possessed quite a bit of strength and easily handled her.
"Finish the bloke off, Tony," the man ordered, his voice holding a British dialect and his head nodding in the direction of Ali.
Tony nodded and moved toward Ali. Rose could barely make out what Tony was doing, because his body was shielding her view. Her mind disbelieving of what had happened, she was unable to do much of anything besides stand there and watch as Tony kneeled down beside Ali, pointed his handgun and then pulled the trigger. ****
His fingers balled into tight fist around the gold charm in his hand. Ali cursed through gritted teeth and fought back the urge to physically haul Rose back to him. He knew enough about her will, however, to predict exactly what would happen if he did that. She would put up a mental and physical fight that would never cease and if he wanted to salvage his relationship with her, he would have to give her space for a moment. That realization, though, did not help his temper and it flared to degrees he'd never before experienced.
Unfortunately, Yasmeen and Devraj happened upon him at that moment, and his anger locked on to a new target.
"Ali, what happened?" Yasmeen began to ask. "Where's Rose?"
Turning quickly, he glared down at the woman and snapped, "She has left, refused to speak to me and it is all because of you!"
"Me?" Yasmeen questioned, placing a hand upon her chest and staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Yes, you," he spat out. "If you had brought Rose to me like I had told you to do, I could have explained everything to her in private instead of having to present myself to her this way!"
Her eyes quickly turning from disbelieving to offensive, Yasmeen pulled the hand from her chest and pointed a finger at Ali.
"And if you had told Rose about the Medjai before tonight instead of procrastinating like a coward, this fiasco would not have happened!" she returned.
Ali was about to retort again, his face shadowed with rage, when Devraj stepped between the two and ordered in a calm, commanding voice, "Enough! Both of you!"
The two backed down and Devraj continued, "Yasmeen, do not taunt Ali. And Ali, you know very well that you should have told Rose sooner. There is no use in arguing about it now. We must fix this."
"Yes, I will fix it," Ali insisted, beginning to move off in the direction of his mother's house, certain that is where Rose went. "I will make her understand."
"You can't make Rose understand anything, Ali," Yasmeen called after him. When he didn't stop at her words, she ran after him. Devraj was close behind.
Tugging on the sleeve of his robe, Yasmeen tried to halt Ali. He pushed her hands away as though she was a mere fly upon his garment.
"Ali, listen to me," she pleaded. "If you find Rose now and try to make her do anything, she will never forgive you. You cannot make a woman understand anything she does not want to understand--certainly not a woman as strong-willed as Rose."
"I am the Medjai chief," he said, "she will have to understand."
"And that means what to Rose?" Yasmeen asked him, finally saying something that caused him to halt his steps and listen just outside the door to his mother's home. "I'll tell you what it means to her.it means nothing! She is American, she has no use for our traditions and way of life. You need to beg and plead with her. You need to tell her you are sorry. If you go in there and try to command her like one of your warriors, she will hate you forever."
"She will not," Ali insisted, though his resolve was beginning to crumble along with the hot temper that had been driving him on moments before.
"She will. And if she leaves here, you will be more or less forced to marry me," Yasmeen explained, her voice wavering in her declaration. "And I, for one, do not want that." Her eyes left Ali and focused on the quiet man at her side. Devraj smiled down at her with a rare moment of emotion and Ali shook his head and sighed.
"All right, woman," he announced. "Tell me what I should do."
"Let me talk to her first," Yasmeen said. "I will explain everything to her. She will listen to another woman before she will listen to you."
Hating the fact that he had to hand over the control to Yasmeen, but knowing that he had little options left, Ali nodded and watched as Yasmeen quickly bolted into the house.
Ali turned to Devraj then and said, "This had better work."
"Yes, it had better," Devraj returned with that quite command he could sometimes display when the need arose. "Because you are not going to marry my Yasmeen."
Ali slapped a hand to Devraj's shoulder, feeling back in control of his emotions. "You're right, I'm not," he agreed. "I'm going to marry my Rose- whatever it takes."
****
Rose was not going to cry. She had cried enough this past week and crying now would not change the fact that the man she loved had lied to her about something as profound as him being chief of a historic desert tribe.
What made her feel worse than the fact that he had lied to her, was the realization that she had been duped. Ali had been able to fool her so easily. Hadn't she learned her lesson after Victor? He'd been a man who had appeared like someone else for so long, until she had agreed to marry him, then he'd transformed into the true monster he was. And Ali, he'd hidden his identity from her with a simple disguise. A black robe and a veil and Rose had truly thought he was someone else.
She shook her head, disgusted with herself and pulled off the skirt Yasmeen had given her and yanked on her denim jeans. As long as she was miserable, she may as well be comfortable and she'd already decided that returning to the party was not going to happen. Why celebrate a marriage that was never going to take place?
Yasmeen entered the room not long after Rose had changed. There was an apologetic look upon her face, and Rose realized if Ali's face had mirrored half of that expression, she wouldn't be so incredibly angry right now. But he hadn't been apologetic. He'd been arrogant and demanding just like he'd acted in that cave he'd kept her in. Something inside him changed when he donned his black garb and strapped on his swords, and Rose wasn't sure she liked that side of him.
"Rose.I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Yasmeen began.
"Why didn't you tell me, Yasmeen?" Rose asked, her voice curt and clipped when she spoke.
"I could not tell you because Ali did not wish it."
"And you do everything Ali tells you to do?" Rose inquried.
Yasmeen nodded her head. "Yes. He is our chief. To defy him would mean great dishonor."
Rose couldn't help but conjure up the image of Ali in his business attire, working behind a computer and she almost giggled. Ali as a chief? It was still so strange. Then she sobered as she thought about another man, her father, who's people obeyed him completely and she shuddered at the thought of Ali being anything like her father.
"And what type of dishonor would this bring upon you?" Rose inquired. "Does the Medjai kill those who defy them?"
"That is a loaded question, Rose. The Medjai kill when they must, but they do not kill their own. In the past, there have been tribesmen exiled for defiance. But rarely is there defiance because we respect the power of our chiefs and of our Council. It is our way of life and has been since the time of the pharaohs."
"I don't understand all this talk of history," Rose snapped as she sat on the bed and pulled on white socks and her tennis shoes.
"Of course you do not. Few in this world do. But just know that our tribe is history bound. We believe in the past.it guides us. Traditions are important to us. Our chief is part of that tradition and therefore we respect him," Yasmeen explained.
Yasmeen's words were reminiscent of what Ali had told her when they'd been in the cave together. He'd tried to explain a little of the history that drove his people and at the time, Rose had just thought them ramblings of an unstable man. Now to hear Yasmeen repeat those statements made Rose realize just how serious the Medjai were in their duty to the desert.
"So Ali leads you all into battle and you follow? You obey?"
Yasmeen nodded. "If we did not, the world could be in danger."
Rose sighed. "I've heard that before, but I just can't believe it."
"Perhaps that is why you are angry with Ali now," Yasmeen postulated. "You are angry because you do not believe in what we do."
"How can anyone believe in what you do? It makes no sense? And how on earth can a small village financially support itself by having a band of roving warriors keep watch over the desert?" Rose threw her hands up and paced across the small room.
Yasmeen allowed a long, weary sigh to escape her mouth and she sat in the wooden chair that lined the far wall.
"I will explain as much as I can in the hope that you will begin to understand, Rose," Yasmeen said. "I will tell you about our past and when I am done, perhaps you will understand Ali that much better."
For the next twenty minutes, Yasmeen told Rose about the duty of the Medjai and how they had sworn thousands of years ago to protect the ancient sites and secrets of Egypt. That duty had been passed down, generation after generation and the Medjai had often struggled against great odds to keep their tribe and culture in tact, as well as, all the secrets of Egypt safe. It was the Bay family, Yasmeen explained, that emerged as the strongest of the Medjai in a dark period in history when the tribe had almost disbanded and pulled the Medjai back together. Since then, Ali's family had ruled the tribe along with the Council of elders and there had been much peace in the tribe for centuries. It was also Ali's grandfather, Ardeth Bay, who had catapulted the Medjai into the modern era.
"Before Ardeth's rule," Yasmeen said, "the Medjai lived a very nomadic existence, wandering the desert from ancient site to ancient site. Ardeth, however, realized that in order to keep the tribe together in this changing world and in order for the Medjai to be effective, they would have to abandon some of their traditional ways in order to adapt. So they built this village, stopped the tradition of tattooing the faces of their warriors for better secrecy and started sending the next generation out into the world to gain knowledge and build precious contacts. We have hundreds of people who work at various jobs in Cairo and Alexandria. We have tribesmen in Europe and some even in America. Not all of us are warriors in the traditional sense. Some do not even train in the traditions of fighting and weaponry. Many learn technology and assist us with our computer network. Others, learn medicine to help should our warriors suffer attacks. We have people in banks that watch for unusual money flow to Egypt. The museum in Cairo is under our command and we are warned should anyone seek information there that might involve ancient sites. The university is also staffed with some Medjai. They have access to research satellites that help us track movements of groups across the Sahara. We have."
Rose interrupted Yasmeen's speech to say, "It sounds as if Ali's grandfather prepared your tribe for just about everything. But really, are the Medjai even necessary? Doesn't the government of Egypt keep track of the ancient sites and take care of terrorist activities?"
"You would think they would, but they are not equipped to handle the threats we are equipped to handle," Yasmeen answered.
"Oh, so their military isn't as capable as a band of warriors on horseback?" Rose quipped.
"The government does not know of all the secret sites this desert contains. For instance, they know nothing about the Fortress of Aten, but as you know from what happened in the Cave of Prophecies, there are men who would kill for it."
Rose replayed the events that transpired there in her mind. Ali had fought so gallantly and she had decided to protect him instead of going with the European man and it had been the right decision. But would marrying Ali now be the right decision too? Could she understand this strange, history bound life he lived, and could she adapt to it? There was much she still didn't believe, and much she had to digest before she could make a decision.
"Yes, there are," Rose finally drawled. "And there has been entirely too much killing lately."
"There has been. But there will be more. If what we think has happened has indeed happened, then you could be in great danger," Yasmeen announced.
Rose narrowed her eyes on Yasmeen. "Just what has happened?"
"The group seeking the Fortress of Aten has apparently teamed up with your Victor."
"He's not my Victor," Rose snapped. "And I already know about that. The Medjai.I mean, Ali told me this morning. But how could that put me in danger and just what would Victor be doing with this group searching for the fortress?"
"I do not know. But I am sure Ali would like to ask you," Yasmeen said. "In fact, Ali is just outside. Why don't you talk to him?"
"No," Rose refused. "I won't." She couldn't finish her words before Yasmeen yanked the door open and began calling for Ali.
Rose could see two men standing outside the open front door to the house. One was Ali, the other his friend, Devraj. They began striding their way, when Rose yanked on Yasmeen's arm and said, "No, Yasmeen. Not now."
"Yes, now," Yasmeen insisted, grasping Rose by the shoulders and practically shaking her as she spoke with much force. "You do not understand. If you deny Ali out of anger and refuse to marry him tomorrow, I will be forced by my father to marry Ali. Do you want that? I do not. Ali does not. And Dev certainly does not. All of our fates lie with you, Rose."
The men were at the bedroom door and Yasmeen released Rose and stepped aside. Rose retreated to the far side of the room, grabbing her navy blue Nike sweatshirt and hugging it to her as she went.
"Rose," Ali began, "are you willing to listen to me?"
Though his voice was calm and soft, a far cry from his tone earlier, Rose still snapped back, "Do I have a choice? You all have me barricaded in here like an animal! Go ahead, say what you're going to say."
"It would be a waste of time if you are not open to listening," Ali returned, his tone regaining its force from earlier.
"Ali," Yasmeen chastised under her breath.
He gritted his teeth then asked, "May we have some privacy?"
Slowly Devraj and Yasmeen left the room, and Ali closed the door behind them. Rose refused to near him and her eyes regarded him with suspicion and anger. It was going to take some true and thoughtful words to regain her trust and Ali was uncertain if he possessed the poise to say what had to be said on this night.
He paced for a few moments, all the while watching Rose as she watched him. Her mouth was set in a solid frown and her arms remained crossed over her chest. Ali's mind worked and worked, trying to find the right words to begin with, but failing him miserably.
"So? Say something," Rose demanded.
Ali was pacing like an angry tiger, and Rose watched him carefully, studying the look of him in his warrior garb. How different he looked. How dangerous he seemed! She again shook her head in disbelief as she realized just what exactly Ali was.
"Say what?" he returned. "You tell me what to say. You tell me what will make you forgive me."
"I'm not sure forgive is the proper term," Rose replied. "Perhaps trust is what you need to be working toward here."
Ali's paces stopped and he stared at her with his dark, direct eyes.
"Yes, trust is important," he agreed.
"I'm glad you think that, because its obvious you never trusted me enough to tell me about yourself. And after all this, I'm not sure I could ever trust you."
Ali felt his world shattering with her revelation. Her tone was cool and distant, just like her body language. She would never forgive him or trust him again. It was so obvious to him and he had no idea how to remedy it. The only thing he could think to do was respond with anger. But anger, he knew, would send Rose into a run like it had earlier when she'd first discovered his identity. He had to be savvy and cool, otherwise he would lose her forever.
"I never told you about the Medjai, Rose," he began slowly, "because it would have sounded ridiculous to you. Imagine if I had explained to you in California that I was to inherit the throne in a tribe of ancient warriors what you would have thought of me. Just imagine!"
Humbly, Rose answered, "I would have thought you were either joking or insane."
"Exactly," Ali declared.
"Then why not tell me once we got to Egypt? Instead, you hid your identity behind a veil and lied," Rose countered.
"At first, I did so to find out why Victor and those men were after you. I was caught off guard by Victor's appearance and had no idea about your family history. And the fact that he had teamed up with Jeffreys had me wondering if your problems and my problems were somehow related. I hid my identity to discover about your past."
"All right, I'll give you that. But what about in the cave, Ali? You had so many opportunities to tell me. Instead, you taunted me and held me captive. And when I tried to escape.you actually shot at me." Rose felt her bottom lip tremble with her words. Thinking that Ali had gone to such extremes to hide himself from her saddened her to the core. If she didn't know him as well as she thought, then she didn't know anything about the world. All her assumptions about life and people were wrong, for she had misread Ali for two years.
Quickly and expertly, Ali drew one of his swords. The sound of metal scrapping against metal as the blade left the sheath echoed in the small room and Rose immediately jumped back, hitting the wall behind her.
"Do you realize what one of these blades would have done to me if you had used it on me? It was the only way to safely disarm you. I never would have harmed you, my darling. Never." Ali's words were spoken with much determination and Rose almost believed him.
"Still, part of me fears you, Ali," Rose admitted.
His sword was returned to its sheath and he strode across the room swiftly, stopping in front of her.
"If you had feared me so when you were with me in the Cave of Prophecies, why then did you kiss me?" he inquired in a deep whisper.
Shaking from his nearness and instinctively wanting to fall into his arms and travel back to the time before tonight's revelations, Rose feigned a shrug of indifference and said, "Maybe I was just playing you."
"Maybe," Ali said, sounding unconvinced.
"Or perhaps I was attracted because all along it truly was you. Perhaps my subconscious recognized you."
"Could be," he commented and reached out, toying with the ends of her hair.
Rose was frustrated that he was trying to diffuse her very correct and honest anger with his charm and closeness. She had a right to be angry with him! She had a right to hate him if she so chose! He had no right to attempt to win her back so easily.
With new determination, Rose placed her hands on his chest and shoved him back a few feet, retorting, "But what you forgot, Ali, was that I chose you to marry and not the Medjai. I may have kissed the 'warrior' you in that damned cave, but we had nearly been killed. I wasn't thinking clearly. And when I was able to reassess everything, what I realized was I loved you- the regular man. I didn't love some warrior chief. I loved you!"
"Loved?" Ali asked, hurt by her newfound anger and actions. "You say it in the past tense."
"Yeah, I do. Because right now, I don't know how I feel about you anymore," she admitted. And when she said those words, Ali's face filled with pain and regret. His expression certainly mirrored that on her own face, for she felt the same emotions.
"You saw the picture on that wall, Rose," Ali answered after a moment of hurtful contemplation. "You are to be my wife."
"And that's the only reason you want to marry me, isn't it? Because my picture is on some ancient wall, you think we should be together. Well, sorry, Ali, I don't believe in fairy tales and I don't marry men who want me only for convenience. Victor wanted to marry me because it would secure his place in my father's business and you want to marry me because it secures your destiny. Sorry, it's not going to happen."
Ali felt the floor tilt beneath him while Rose's words bounced around in his brain, confirming to him that he had lost her. If she truly felt the way her words had just implied, then she would never forgive him and she would never trust him.
Taking a deep breath and trying to find some way to convince Rose that he loved her and would never marry her for simple convenience as she proposed, he stepped next to the bed and removed his swords. Gently, he laid them on the bed, then stripped off his turban and over-robe. Next, he threw his handgun on the bed, then his knife, then his hand-held radio.
Standing before her, all his weaponry gone, Ali said, "I loved you before I ever realized it was you depicted in the Cave of Prophecies. I sometimes believe I loved you the moment I saw you. I have been your friend, your rescuer and as of today, your lover. I was hoping to add husband to that list. And I do not want to marry you because of some picture. I want to marry you for who you are. I stand before you as a man.not a warrior.telling you I am sorry. It was my own cowardice that brought us to this impasse. I am solely at fault and if you leave me, I will only have myself to blame."
Rose's resolve to remain angry began to break. Ali's words, his expression, his gestures, all had the appearance of truth and regret. And as he stood next to the bed they had made such passionate love in earlier that day, how could Rose refuse him? She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to rid her mind of all images and her heart of all feelings before they overwhelmed her. But it was no use. Everything began to collapse around her and she felt claustrophobic in the small room. She had to leave and be alone to think before she could forgive Ali.
Shaking her head, Rose muttered, "No, Ali, it can't all be fixed that easily," and then she dashed out of the room before Ali could react.
****
"Where is Rose going?" Yasmeen asked, standing in the doorway of the room that now held only Ali.
"I do not know," Ali answered, his voice weak, his emotions raw.
"What did you say to her, Ali?" Yasmeen then accused.
Normally, Ali would have met Yasmeen's words with a sharp reprimand, but now, he was too drained from the altercation with Rose to say anything other than, "I said nothing harsh."
"Then why did she run out of the house?" Yasmeen inquired, looking at Ali now with concerned eyes.
Ali sat on the bed, his golden charm clutched in his hand, and answered, "I suppose she needed some air. She does not trust me any longer, Yasmeen. All those times you warned me about how Rose would react.you were correct. She will hate me forever."
Trying to find some humor to lighten the heavy mood that was still hanging in the room, Yasmeen gave a small smile and said, "I told you she'd hate you for a month, not forever, Ali. You will win her back. I know you will."
"I am no longer as certain," he answered. He glanced down at the charm Rose had returned to him. He'd squeezed it so tightly in his hand the symbols were imprinted on his palm.
"Well, I do know that if you sit there all night pouting, you won't win anyone back. Get out there and find Rose," Yasmeen demanded.
Ali looked at her. Yasmeen's brown eyes were urging him on.
"Dare I try further tonight?" he inquired of her.
"Yes. Try, Ali. Beg if you have to. Get Rose back," she demanded.
Slowly, Ali stood, clasped the necklace around his neck and exited the room, leaving his equipment behind.
"I will try. I will beg. I will do whatever it takes.even if it kills me," he said as he passed by Yasmeen.
She reached out and touched his shoulder in a show of support and he offered a half smile. He would find Rose and do what he had to do.
****
Rose stood at the edge of the riverbank, watching the water rush by in the growing darkness. The cool evening-much cooler than any other evening in the desert thus far-helped to relieve her stress, and she attempted to lose herself in the sounds of nature and forget all about what had happened only a half hour ago by the bonfire.
She was only allotted ten minutes of serenity, before her peace was shattered by another presence. Ali stood behind her, and she knew it without even having to turn around. Just the sound of his footsteps in the dirt was enough to signal his presence to her. She'd heard his footsteps everyday for two years when they'd walked to and from work together and she didn't need to see his face to determine it was him.
"Go away," she said weakly, her will to fight him further disappearing quickly.
"Rose, please listen to me," Ali said to her, his voice soft in the night air.
"No. I can't listen to you any longer tonight. Just go," she pleaded, her voice ready to break, her eyes about to shed tears. She kept her back to Ali, refusing to look at him, but that didn't keep him at bay. Rose felt his presence near her, then his hands landed upon her shoulders. She shook from his touch and almost gave in. Almost.
"Fine, I will say no more to you," he told her, his mouth next to her ear, causing her to shiver from the warm touch. "Instead, I will show you how sorry I am."
Right after he spoke those words, his hands forced her around and she stood facing him.
"Ali, please," she began to beg him to leave her alone, when his mouth covered hers, effectively cutting off her words.
He kissed her with tenderness, his lips quivering with such real emotion that Rose ached to return the kiss. Her stubbornness, however, forced her to remain unmoving, and when she failed to kiss him back, Ali whispered, "Rose, I love you. Please believe me," against her mouth.
Torn over how to respond, over what to believe about this man who was touching her like none had ever before, Rose trembled in his arms, unable to say anything. Suddenly, Ali exhaled a sharp breath, as though he had just been punched and slumped in Rose's arms.
"Ali?" Rose asked.
He said nothing, his eyes fluttering shut and as his legs buckled beneath him, Rose was unable to hold his body weight. She sunk to her knees with him, her arms still around him.
"Ali!" she cried out. "Ali, what's wrong?"
She laid him on the ground and moved a hand to his face to check for consciousness when she saw it. Blood covered her hand. Ali's blood! Then footsteps nearby caused Rose to look up and there, not ten feet away, were her brother and one of the men from Victor's group. They were both armed, Tony with a silenced handgun, the other man with an automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. After assessing the situation, it was obvious to Rose what had transpired. Tony had shot Ali in the back and neither had heard the shot because Tony's gun was equipped with a silencer.
"Tony?" Rose asked upon a gasp.
"Hey, Rosa," he returned, his voice cool and very unlike his affable personality. "Its time to come home."
Suddenly the man with Tony moved forward and grabbed Rose by the arm. He yanked her away from Ali and for a man who appeared to be on the skinny side, he possessed quite a bit of strength and easily handled her.
"Finish the bloke off, Tony," the man ordered, his voice holding a British dialect and his head nodding in the direction of Ali.
Tony nodded and moved toward Ali. Rose could barely make out what Tony was doing, because his body was shielding her view. Her mind disbelieving of what had happened, she was unable to do much of anything besides stand there and watch as Tony kneeled down beside Ali, pointed his handgun and then pulled the trigger. ****