Reflections of a Friendship

By Jedi Blu

Disclaimer in 1st Chapter

Note: Almost there, my favorite chapter and the last is coming up fast.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Welcome Home & Invitations

**************************************

Adira was off her crutches at last, she had proved to be a remarkable healer, and now no one could keep her out of the training rooms. She was determined to be at the level she had been before breaking her leg. Many thought she had surpassed that already.

"My dear girl," Ibrahim said from his place on a bench after she had sparred with knives, nearly knocking the poor warrior who had been her opponent out of his senses. "You push yourself too hard. Relax. Word has it that Ardeth is on his way home."

"I know, I know. I cannot help but worry." She put herself down on the bench beside him, she was drenched in sweat. "What if he has decided that he made a mistake?"

"Have you so little faith in him?" Ibrahim asked, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

The woman laughed bitterly and shook her head. "I have so little faith in myself." She sheathed her knives, then gathered her other things. "Come, Ibrahim, and I will cook for you and Lord Hamdun tonight."

Ibrahim shook his head, looking up at her in amazement. "You cook for pleasure now?"

"Not at all. Our usual cook is at home having a child, you should know that. And...well, she taught me a few things while my leg was broken. There wasn't much to do hobbling around on crutches." Adira glared at him, daring the man to make fun of her. She could tell he was doing his best not to laugh. "I didn't learn for Ardeth, if that is what you're thinking."

"Of course not," Ibrahim denied beautifully, putting his hands up in a peace-making motion. "Sick people have been known to take up odd habits and occupations of time."

She snorted, then stormed out of the training room with the physician close on her heels.

********

Adira was now wearing nothing but her black warrior garb; she had stormed around the palace until she had found it, once she could walk without the aid of crutches. Everything had been carefully hidden in a basket in the food pantry, and she had been as mad as any had ever seen her when she found her clothing covered in flour. Adira had spent days scrubbing everything herself, muttering curses as she did so.

None could sense much of a change in her from before, and they thought she had proven the saying that love changed a person quite false. Of course, they did not see her in her room at night, carefully brushing through her thick curls or trying new arrangements for her hair. Nor did they see the balm she had snuck from Ibrahim to soften the calluses on her hands. She knew Ardeth loved her, of that she had no doubt, but she wanted to give him as much pleasure and pride in her as she could.

Adira lay curled up in bed, half-asleep, one night when she heard the sound of several horses entering the courtyard. She sat up, listened for a moment to be sure of what she had heard. Then she leapt up, not even bothering to put anything on over the white shift she wore to sleep in, and rushed out of her room and down the halls. The few guards she passed only blinked, then smiled, when they realized what the white blur running past them was.

She burst through the gates to the courtyard, to see the men coming from the stables after seeing to their horses, and stood breathless for a moment. She watched until one familiar figure came out, talking and laughing with one of his men. Her heart fluttered once, and then she was racing to him. "Ardeth!"

He noticed her then and opened his arms just in time for her to leap into them. The men all stopped to watch, there were perhaps two dozen of them. "Adira! Now this is a welcome---" He was cut off by her lips covering his. His surprise only lasted for a moment before he responded to her.

The men began to cheer, applauding as well, as the oblivious couple enjoyed greeting each other. At last the two separated as the cheering turned to laughter and a few teasing cat-calls. Ardeth made an exaggerated wave at them, then put his arm around Adira's waist and led her inside.

"All went well?" she asked softly, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"It did. I am happy to be home again, though." He lifted one of her hands and kissed it. "The people were very pleased to learn I had chosen a bride at last."

"Good," she murmured. "I have missed you. The compound is rather boring without you."

They stopped in the middle of the hall that separated their bed chambers, shared one last kiss, before wishing each other a good night. Adira slept better than she had in weeks, but Ardeth lay awake through most of the night, wishing that they had already been married, and the homecoming could have been slightly different....

*******

Evelyn O'Connell was very happy to be home, it had been three months since they had returned, and the place was at last clean once more. Alex was back in school, the museum was almost completely repaired, and Jonathan was currently dating a very nice young woman he had met at Church, of all places. The gambler in him had died at last, and he was attempting to find some happiness in life.

Rick, of course, was ever himself and ready to stand by her in everything. Learning that he was a Med-jai had, however, stirred up a curiosity in him to learn more about the group. He had begun to study all he could about ancient Egyptian warfare and the mysterious bodyguard of the pharaoh.

There was one other thing that made her incredibly happy, a secret she had only just shared with Rick and her son. Evelyn O'Connell was expecting a child, a second child! She was thrilled, excited, and anxious. Of course, her son and husband were close to the same, and her brother was insanely happy to be an uncle two times over.

It was a rather beautiful fall day that Evelyn sifted through the mail in the gardens, sipping a glass of lemonade. Bill, museum business, Alex's grades, bill, museum, house, letter from a colleague, letter from one of Rick's investors, newsletter, junk, catalog from some French designer, invitation written in Arabic, letter from....

The English woman stopped, opened the invitation, and looked at it in complete surprise. "RICK!!!!!!" she shouted, standing so quickly all the other envelopes fell into the grass. "RICK!" She took off running towards the house, knowing he would probably be in his study.

Rick had heard his wife's cries, and was actually at the door when she threw it open and thrust the paper under his nose, excited. "Look! Look!"

He raised his eyebrows at her and took the paper she was waving about, and stared at it for a moment. He was actually quite good with Arabic now, his wife having taught him a great deal about the language.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To Mister, Mrs. O'Connell, and Alexander O'Connell,

I realize that the proper English way of inviting someone to a special event is done through letter, so I have taken the liberty of having one specially made in your 'proper' way. I would like to invite you to my wedding, on the twenty-second day of October, at the Med-jai compound in the Hidden City. My bride, Adira Manara Haddad, is most anxious to meet my English friends and brother. Someone will meet you one week prior in Cairo, at the museum, to escort you to my city. Have a safe journey. Sincerely,

Lord Ardeth Bay

Commander of the Med-jai.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The American man re-read the paper, then shook his head. "Well, I never even thought to wonder if Ardeth was single or not. I guess this answers that question. Right, we'll have to have Alex read it when he gets home, then we'll start packing."

"We can go? Really? Even after just barely getting home?" Evelyn asked, delighted.

"I am, as he says, his brother. I couldn't miss his wedding." Rick kissed Evelyn, then looked a little concerned. "He didn't mention Jonathan. Do you think--"

At that moment the man in question threw the door open, not bothering to knock of course, and bellowed as much as he could, "ARDETH IS GETTING MARRIED!" He waved a similar invitation through the air with a grin. "Do you think I could bring Bess?"

_____________________________________________________________________

:-) Last chapter coming up fast. It's entitled, "Wedding & Epilogue." Aren't we all just thrilled??? Thank you, my loyal reviewers, for making me feel appreciated. I myself love a good Ardeth romance, and there aren't many out there. If I have, in some way, contributed to that small stock of romance I've accomplished my purpose and am very self-satisfied.

See you in a day or two with the next chapter.

-JB-