Reflections of a Friendship

By Jedi Blu

Disclaimer in 1st Chapter

Note: Shorter chapter than most. :-) The two upcoming chapters, however, are my favorite out of all of them. Hope you enjoy!

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Approval and Separation

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"What a strange situation," groaned an old, blind man as his son finished explaining things to him. "Ardeth, I have been urging you to marry since your seventeenth birthday, why do you only now, at thirty one years, decide to do so?" Hamdun Bay was an old man now, and had been stricken blind during an attack on Hamunaptra the same year Ardeth turned twenty. While still alive, he would be treated with respect and dignity, but his son would carry the title of Commander over the people.

Ardeth laughed a little, walking alongside his father in the gardens. Strangely, while the gardens had never interested Hamdun before, now they were the place he spent almost all his time unless he was sitting with the Council. "Amazing, is it not? Father, I finally realized that the person I was in love with was with me all along."

"I should speak to Adira," Hamdun added as if he had not heard his son. "To make sure she knows my son has been touched in the head. Why she would want to marry you, after you have kept her waiting so long, is beyond my comprehension."

"That is something I agree with you on," Ardeth commented with a smile. "But I am very thankful she has waited for me to come to my senses."

"There is but one difficulty here, Ardeth." The older Med-jai frowned as he bent to touch the soft rose petals. "How will Adira choose between the duty of a wife and the duty of a Med-jai?"

The younger man relaxed and smiled, glad that was the only problem his father could find with the match. "She will remain in battle at my side until she becomes with child, and then she will remain home until the child is born and she is well enough to continue into duty as a warrior."

"And if she is killed before there is an heir?" Hamdun asked quietly, plucking the rose he had fingered.

A sigh preceded his son's words. "If she is killed, rest assured I will be as well, none could harm her before going through me. In that event, I have an heir chosen, remember?"

Hamdun shook his head. "You still have not told me who that heir is."

"It has changed since we last spoke of it, Father," Ardeth told him with a wry smile. "Do not worry, the person is worthy, and could lead well."

The men continued on in silence, both lost in thought, when they heard a woman's voice from around the corner, cursing rapidly in Egyptian and Arabic. Hamdun listened intently for a moment, then smiled. "It is your betrothed. What could be causing her such irritation?"

Before Ardeth could answer, Adira came around the garden wall, on crutches, still spitting out a storm of words. She was wearing the clothing of a woman, an almost see-through shift covering, close to transparent, breeches and a top that only covered what was most necessary. A scarf also hung around her face, she was struggling to remove it as she hobbled along.

The Commander stood staring at her in wonderment, his eyes appreciating what he saw, but his head knew it wouldn't last long. "Adira," he breathed as she came closer, still muttering curses. "What is wrong?"

"THIS!" she stopped and ripped the cloth away. "Intisar stole all of my clothing and only left this THING. Then she came back this morning and forced me to wear it. Look at it! I may as well be wandering around with a palm leaf for covering! And it's PURPLE!" She thrust the scarf at him, he caught it and grinned at her.

Taking another glance at her from head to toe, he only broadened his grin. "You look...even more breath-taking, Adira. I have never seen you dressed...like that."

She opened her mouth to give a hot response, her cheeks flaming red, but stopped when she realized he was being sincere. Now the red in her cheeks was from blushing, not anger, and she looked down at herself. "Really? You like it?"

"I do," he murmured, looking her in the eye. "It suits you." And it did, with her compact body, and her training making all her curves full and smooth.

Adira was flattered beyond belief, and began to think that it wasn't so bad after all. "Don't get used to it," she mumbled. Then she took in the man standing behind Ardeth, who was suppressing his laughter. "Lord Hamdun! I am sorry, I didn't see you there."

"People in a blind rage rarely see much," Hamdun commented with a smile. He stepped forward, twirling the white rose in his fingers. "Adira, my son has just informed me that the two of you wish to marry."

The woman suddenly felt like a fool; what sort of impression had she just made that could sway Hamdun one way or the other? "Yes, that is true, my lord. And...and what would you say to such a match?"

A very inept blind man, Hamdun took her hand and placed the rose gently in it. "I would be thrilled to have you as a daughter, Adira, and I am most relieved my son has at last chosen a woman he will marry. I am surprised," he added with a smile, "that you will have him after he has waited so long to ask for your hand."

"He was worth the wait, my lord," Adira answered sincerely, smiling over his shoulder at Ardeth, who bowed humbly. "Thank you for approving."

Hamdun clucked his tongue, shook his head, and began to wander down the path by himself. "Young people," he murmured.

Ardeth came forward, took the rose from her hand, and tucked it into her hair. He leaned down and kissed her gently, then walked with her behind Hamdun back into the palace. She had become quite an expert with the crutches all ready, but Ardeth found himself wishing she were still helpless enough for him to carry in his arms.

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"Must you go without me?" Adira asked again, for the tenth time. "I could ride! My leg isn't that terrible, you know."

Ardeth sighed. For the third time since he had known her, he was asking Adira to stay behind. "I will be gone for weeks, and I wish you would stay here so that Ibrahim can see to your leg. This will also make the period before the wedding easier to bare, Adira, if we are apart. I do not know how much longer I could trust myself around you, broken leg or not."

Her smile was slightly brighter than it had been before. "Oh, really? That is good to know. But, Ardeth, whenever you leave me behind something awful always happens!" She was wearing another of Intisar's ideas of clothing, a light blue thing made of silk. Having learned that the sight of her trim shape in soft colors pleased Ardeth, she had begun to enjoy wearing them...but only until her leg healed.

They were sitting in the library, where scrolls, books, and ancient texts lined the walls in shelves and drawers. Ardeth was sitting on a large floor cushion, Adira sat with him, leaning into his side as she read over his shoulder.

"Adira, my love," he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "I am doing nothing dangerous this time. Only going to visit each tribe, it is my duty, as commander to see to them after they have lost so many loved ones. I will also be announcing our betrothal." He kissed her once more for good measure, then put the book down to take her shoulders in both arms. Looking her square in the eye, Ardeth sighed and shook his head. "I would like nothing more than for you to be at my side, but Ibrahim has already warned me about taking you on this tour of the villages. He may be an old man, but when he makes a threat he is prepared to carry it through."

The woman looked slightly surprised. "Ibrahim threatened you?"

Chuckling, Ardeth nodded, kissing her on the forehead. "Now, you are proving to be a horrible distraction. I am attempting to study here," he motioned to the disregarded book. "And with you so nearby, I cannot concentrate at all."

"You think too much," she whispered, leaning forward to kiss him, hard, on the lips. She pulled away before the kiss could deepen any further, lifted her crutches, and swung herself up to her feet. "See you at dinner." And she hobbled out with a wicked little smile.

Ardeth shook his head, then picked up his book. "If she thinks I'll get any work done after that...."

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Thanks again to all my kind reviewers, the only newbies I've noticed are Nicky and namarie2legolas. For those curious minds wondering, my Beta didn't like how "little mush" I had in there…she wanted something "hott-n-steamy." :-) I told her I didn't know how to write that, she whined, etc. Besides, do you know how many cultural issues Arabs and Egyptians have with that sort of thing? It would've been just a tinsy bit dishonorable of Ardeth, in my humble opinion.