CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After a while, Jean joined him.

Ardeth greeted her with a, "You do not eat enough food. Your future husband will think I mistreated you if you do not eat." She didn't notice him wince a bit at the mention of her fiancé.

"Brian will think you mistreated me just the same. He is so overbearing," she replied softly.

"He lives with you?"

This time, Jean didn't miss his tone and hurried to answer, "No, no…"

"Well, I believe he won't like to see you go back looking like a sack of bones."

"The women of my country are viewed differently than the women here. It is stylish to have a narrow waist, to fit into all the latest fashions. I have to lose at least 5 kilograms," she stated.

Ardeth's voice dropped to a low rumble. "If you do that, there won't be enough flesh on your body for a man to hold. How can that be pleasing to the men of your country?"

She looked at him, her mouth hanging open, for she had no response to his question. She looked back to the fire in confusion, and then quickly chose not to answer it.

"You are incredible, your grandfather was telling me exactly the same! I mean, that I should eat more."

"He likes you," he said.

"He is a very nice man. But he keeps calling me 'Aiwa Sayadi' and I don't seem to understand what that means."

Ardeth smiled. "It means Desert Rose, and I believe I couldn't have come up with a better name for you myself."

"I see… I like it."

"As I said, it suits you wonderfully." This time, he grinned at her.

"Thank you. But I had never before heard about roses blooming in the desert."

"Oh, but they do. Not roses like the ones you know, but there's this special flower that only blooms when it rains. Of course, that rarely happens and that's why seeing a 'desert rose' is so cherished," Ardeth explained.

Jean moved closer to him, sensing that a legend was coming. "How lovely! Tell me more," she urged.

Ardeth enjoyed her interest and adopted the position of a father about to tell his daughter a story. Or that of a lover about to recite a love poem to his beloved. You choose.

"As you wish, Jean. It is believed that they possess magical powers. If you take one and there is purity in your spirit, you can communicate with the virginal life-force that inhabits her heart. Then she will grant you one wish, only asking to be buried next to the other roses in return."

"Why?" Breathed out an utterly fascinated Jean.

"So she can, once again, become part of her adored desert next to her sisters."

She sighed. "Woa. Now I like the name even more. Your grandfather is very kind."

"He took care of us when my parents died, but it was very hard for him…and then, after Oded's death, he turned to me and we became really close. I needed him and he needed me."

The woman sensed it was time for another story. A real, sad one. "How old was Oded when he was killed?" She asked in a whisper.

Ardeth looked at her for a while before answering, "21."

"God…"

The concern in her eyes made him decide to tell her everything. Strangely, he felt the need to talk about it, to bare his soul to her. It was as if she were now a part of him. "It all happened so fast…" he started. "We were trying to stop some thieves from breaking into Saidt-al-Masheer City and one of them took him as a hostage. We were ready to negotiate, but he tried to escape and that bastard ran him through with a sword. He was just a kid, Jean," he said in a slight protest.

He believed in fate, but sometimes he couldn't help but to rebel against it.

Reaching out, she gently caressed his cheek with her palm as tears began to well up in his eyes and running down his cheeks. Tenderly, Jean wiped them from his face with a thumb, her hand laid along the underside of his jaw.

Tentatively, slowly, she took Ardeth's face between her hands and, drawing him closer to her, softly kissed his closed eyelids, her own eyes closing in empathy with an expression equal parts love and anguish.

"What about the man who killed him?" She asked.

"I killed the bastard," he said, with his eyes still closed. "They were running away, but Quicksand did a good job and we reached them in a short while." His eyes snapped open. "I know it is wrong, but I will never forget the pleasure I felt went I ripped his throat."

"It's not wrong. I understand it, Ardeth. I mean, I know I would do the same," she said earnestly.

"It didn't bring Oded back, but my brother died fighting, with honor. The bastard died begging for his life. I took revenge. I had to."

"I know. We are constantly told that we must not seek revenge, but sometimes the settling of scores is all we have."

That was exactly what he needed, someone to listen to him without being judgmental. How did she always know what he needed? It was a mystery to him, but one that he was beginning to like.

"Exactly. Thank you for listening and not questioning me, Jean."

"Why would I question you? We are more alike than you may even imagine."

"Not many people understand."

"Well I do." She yawned. "We should be getting to bed."

"Yes." He stood up and Jean followed him to the tent.

There, after wishing Ahmad a pleasant night of sleep, they entered and Ardeth took of his robe, to sleep only with his pants on. It surprised her when she saw him without all his robes and she noticed that he had little body hair and none on his chest, and she liked that. He was tall being several inches over six feet and his body was lean with very well defined muscles and his hands were beautiful as they were large with long elegant fingers. His skin was olive which contrasted the black of his hair and beard and the depth of his brown eyes…he was so very opposite from her.

She went on staring at him as he stood in the middle of the tent, facing Jean, making the light provided by the oil lamp show her every line of muscle on his naked torso. His hair fell free across his broad shoulders. Muscles corded his arms and ridged his flat belly like a washboard. The left half of his face was in shadow, making the tattoo on his right cheek stand out in the light. More of the strange protective designs marked his forearms. Another pair had been inked in on his chest, with one more above his navel. Jean couldn't catch her breath. Ardeth Bay looked like some djinn, some sheytan, some dark and powerful spirit of the night.

Oblivious to her stare, Ardeth got in bed as she turned to take off her jewels. She then turned again to see he was lying on the bed watching her.

"Would you please close your eyes while I change?"

"I have seen the female form before," he stated flatly. But there was a mischievous glimpse in his eyes.

"Not this female's form! Close your eyes!" Jean's voice had a touch of amusement.

He laughed and closed his eyes. "Very well."

"Thank you." She quickly changed her clothing and got in bed next to him. His arms claimed possession of her body and embraced it, keeping her close to him.

"Good night Jean."

"Good night Ardeth."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Long after that, Ardeth was still awake. He knew it was late in the night, and he knew that he wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon. That used to happen to him a lot. Mostly, his insomnia had to do with worrying over his duties. But it was worse when he was younger, he used to worry a lot for a man who was 23 years old. He didn't as much anymore, but now he knew that the next day they would have to enter Hamunaptra again and probably face something related to Imhotep. It was one of those nights.

He remembered how his mother always seemed to think that a piece of dried fruit could fix anything.

"Mother, Tarek took one of my toys."

"Have a piece of pear, dear."

"Mother, I miss my father."

"Honey, have a date."

"Mother, I don't know how to deal with all my responsibilities as a Med-jai leader."

"Here, dear, have some dried apple."

"Mother, the Earth is being sucked into a black hole."

"Here's a piece of proom, sweetie. Want some coffee?" You get the picture.

Only that this was the first night that he was glad to have insomnia. That was because Jean was between his arms and he could watch her sleep. One of his hands slid towards her waist and there found the perfect place to rest; it was like her body and his were made to be together. He looked at her soft full lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss her; she surely tasted very fresh and sweet.

"Please, Allah, help me get rid of these thoughts," he prayed.

Then Jean stirred a bit and smiled in her sleep and he became conscious of how much she had to trust him as to sleep with him, as to let him hold her during the night. She opened her eyes.

"Why can't you sleep?" She asked.

"I was thinking about tomorrow."

"Worried, huh?"

"Yes…"

Her eyes met his. "We can make it through anything, Ardeth," she reassured him.

"You can be harmed. And I care about you."

"Shhhh…" She began stroking his hair. "Forget about it now, we will face whatever we have to face tomorrow."

She went on stroking his hair. Ardeth's silent pleasure reminded her of the way a cat might enjoy being petted. That thought made her smile. He was no mere pet, this lord of the Med-Jai. Then she looked into his eyes and saw so many things that made her pull him even closer to her.

Slowly she leaned forward until their lips touched, gently and sweetly, unsure of his reaction. For a few seconds, he honestly expected it to be a dream, but to his surprise, it wasn't and she was holding him as close as he was holding her. The sensation of actually doing what he had imagined just a few minutes ago was overwhelming: her touch, her scent, her warmth all surrounded him.

And then it was over. Jean gently broke the kiss, and looked into his eyes again.

"Sleep now, Ardeth. Good night."

He was astounded, but managed to wish her sweet dreams and watched her fall asleep again. He could still feel her lips on his and her taste as he cuddled her and got ready to sleep.

"You have won my heart, Jean Marquet." He whispered and then waited for Morpheus to take him into his realm.

***

So, the first kiss!!!!!!!!! AWWWW... how sweet!!!! Bet you want more. LOL. More action in the next chappie!!!!

To my faithful reviewers Lula, Ruth, soul, Dead-Girls-Watch, Cindy, Deana: thanks infinitely for your support throughout this fic. I can't believe I've got more than 50 reviews!!!!!! And I owe it all to you.