Chapter 8
Pocahontas sighed slowly as she glanced up towards Cocoum's impassive and uninterested face. He looked so different now than he did in the woods, he seemed...enlightened somehow.
"You mean, I have to." she stopped; her lips could not say the horrible words.
"Marry?" Cocoum finished for her his face twisting as though he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
"The Dream Giver wishes you both rule as equals, that you both lead the people," Nakoma said hiding her emotions, knowing that she was basically telling the man she loved to marry another woman, in his mind anyway. Would Pocahontas and Cocoum figure out this test the Dream Giver gave them? For the sake of her and Cocoum's budding love, Nakoma hoped so, with all her might.
"Pocahontas, please don't let this ruin us, I've been to hell and back, I lost you once in Virginia, again in London to Rolfe but please," he said taking her into his arms, "I don't want to lose you in again in Virginia, I never want to loose you again." John's speech finally brought the tears down Pocahontas's face, "it's my..."
"No!"
John shouted, clinging onto her like his last lifeline, "we are each other's destiny." She pulled away from her beloved smiling desperately as a wild thought came to her head, "just because I'm married to Cocoum, doesn't mean that I have to share his bed. We could..."
"Daughter, that is not our way and you know that!" Powhatan sharply cut off his daughter and her dreams for the future.
"I would rather marry Nakoma," Cocoum said staring honestly at Pocahontas who glared at him wishing the ground would open up and swallow him and Cocoum smiled evilly at her, "but I don't see why that won't be a problem; after all chief Powhatan, you have many wives."
The Indian princess sighed, Cocoum was right he could have as many wives and mistresses he wanted but if Pocahontas were to be unfaithful Cocoum could kill Her. It wasn't fair, nothing was anymore.
"I will not become a mistress to you Cocoum," Nakoma interrupted the staring contest flushing red as she advanced on Cocoum, "nor will I be one of twenty wives, I will be a one and only wife to the man I marry."
Cocoum rolled his eyes thinking Nakoma was being childish.
"Then how can I marry you if I must marry Pocahontas? You confuse me Nakoma, you tell me I must rule the people, then you tell me I cannot have you because I have to rule the people," Cocoum shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment and Nakoma sighed.
"That is for you and Pocahontas to discover, John and I can only sit on the side and watch you either make the biggest mistake of your life, or the best choice," Nakoma advised shakily wishing she could tell them all she knew, but if she told then this test would have been in vain.
"Nakoma, I am not going to sit around and wait..." John butted in but a glance from Nakoma silenced his protests.
"Silence John, it is not our choice," she said harshly and then her voice became soft as a birds, "Come, they have much to discuss and I have something I must explain to you."
Nakoma led a defeated John to the door but was stopped when she heard Cocoum's proud voice.
"Nakoma, I love you."
Nakoma turned and saw that Pocahontas was staring open mouthed at Cocoum, obviously not believing Cocoum to be capable of such emotions.
"Tell me what to do so that I can be with you," Cocoum begged and Nakoma wanted to give in but she closed her heart.
"I cannot tell you what to do, I can only advise," she informed them both regretfully and Pocahontas sat down feeling annoyed.
"Well what do you advise?" she asked Nakoma sharply and Nakoma smiled.
"I advise you both to get used to each others company and find an alternative means of solving this dilemma," Nakoma said bowing her head and Cocoum turned from her, annoyed that she wasn't helping them more. He was beginning to doubt her feelings for him. As though sensing his doubt she walked over to touch his shoulder lightly.
"Do not doubt," she said and on her tiptoes she pressed her lips to his cheek lightly. Nakoma then led a confused John from the longhouse and shaking his head Powhatan followed knowing that he too could do nothing.
Cocoum and Pocahontas regarded each other suspiciously, neither saying a word.
"I do not want to marry you," Cocoum stated bluntly and Pocahontas felt her anger and humiliation rise.
"You have a strange way of showing it, what happened in the forest Cocoum?" she questioned and saw a flash of pain sow on Cocoum's face as he turned from her.
"I was not myself...I apologize," he bowed his head humbly and Pocahontas was taken aback as she crawled to sit opposite him.
"So what are we going to do," Pocahontas valued his opinion. Cocoum was a warrior; he would know what to do.
"What Nakoma said, we are going to solve this dilemma, and then you will marry John Smith and I shall marry Nakoma," Cocoum said surely then he drifted off into deep thought and Pocahontas did the same.
After a few minutes Pocahontas spoke, "maybe, we can marry but, we do not have to share a bed or live like a married couple. It would be like a public marriage..." Cocoum stopped her with a hard slap bringing her to her senses, "Pocahontas, are you stupid? You already said that! Now, I do not want to marry you, nor you want to marry me; but it looks to be the only way." "I will not!" Pocahontas screamed, "I.I, hate you! Why did you have to come back? Why did you have to pretend? Cocoum, why are you here?!" Pocahontas was hysterical, staring at Cocoum's stoned-faced expression, her anger getting the better of her. "I hate you," she said through clenched teeth. She stood as if to leave but Cocoum pulled her back down. His dark eyes poured into her own, "you think I like this?" "No," Pocahontas said, than burst into tears. The anger and frustration of the day getting to her at last. She expected Cocoum to push her away, expected him to tell her to stop crying but, she didn't expect him to slowly put his arms around her and hold her against him. "Forgive me Pocahontas, for any pain I have caused you, it's clear we do not want this, that we both love two different people. But, think of our village." He let go of her then, and walked out of Powhatan's hut.
Pocahontas sighed slowly as she glanced up towards Cocoum's impassive and uninterested face. He looked so different now than he did in the woods, he seemed...enlightened somehow.
"You mean, I have to." she stopped; her lips could not say the horrible words.
"Marry?" Cocoum finished for her his face twisting as though he had a bitter taste in his mouth.
"The Dream Giver wishes you both rule as equals, that you both lead the people," Nakoma said hiding her emotions, knowing that she was basically telling the man she loved to marry another woman, in his mind anyway. Would Pocahontas and Cocoum figure out this test the Dream Giver gave them? For the sake of her and Cocoum's budding love, Nakoma hoped so, with all her might.
"Pocahontas, please don't let this ruin us, I've been to hell and back, I lost you once in Virginia, again in London to Rolfe but please," he said taking her into his arms, "I don't want to lose you in again in Virginia, I never want to loose you again." John's speech finally brought the tears down Pocahontas's face, "it's my..."
"No!"
John shouted, clinging onto her like his last lifeline, "we are each other's destiny." She pulled away from her beloved smiling desperately as a wild thought came to her head, "just because I'm married to Cocoum, doesn't mean that I have to share his bed. We could..."
"Daughter, that is not our way and you know that!" Powhatan sharply cut off his daughter and her dreams for the future.
"I would rather marry Nakoma," Cocoum said staring honestly at Pocahontas who glared at him wishing the ground would open up and swallow him and Cocoum smiled evilly at her, "but I don't see why that won't be a problem; after all chief Powhatan, you have many wives."
The Indian princess sighed, Cocoum was right he could have as many wives and mistresses he wanted but if Pocahontas were to be unfaithful Cocoum could kill Her. It wasn't fair, nothing was anymore.
"I will not become a mistress to you Cocoum," Nakoma interrupted the staring contest flushing red as she advanced on Cocoum, "nor will I be one of twenty wives, I will be a one and only wife to the man I marry."
Cocoum rolled his eyes thinking Nakoma was being childish.
"Then how can I marry you if I must marry Pocahontas? You confuse me Nakoma, you tell me I must rule the people, then you tell me I cannot have you because I have to rule the people," Cocoum shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment and Nakoma sighed.
"That is for you and Pocahontas to discover, John and I can only sit on the side and watch you either make the biggest mistake of your life, or the best choice," Nakoma advised shakily wishing she could tell them all she knew, but if she told then this test would have been in vain.
"Nakoma, I am not going to sit around and wait..." John butted in but a glance from Nakoma silenced his protests.
"Silence John, it is not our choice," she said harshly and then her voice became soft as a birds, "Come, they have much to discuss and I have something I must explain to you."
Nakoma led a defeated John to the door but was stopped when she heard Cocoum's proud voice.
"Nakoma, I love you."
Nakoma turned and saw that Pocahontas was staring open mouthed at Cocoum, obviously not believing Cocoum to be capable of such emotions.
"Tell me what to do so that I can be with you," Cocoum begged and Nakoma wanted to give in but she closed her heart.
"I cannot tell you what to do, I can only advise," she informed them both regretfully and Pocahontas sat down feeling annoyed.
"Well what do you advise?" she asked Nakoma sharply and Nakoma smiled.
"I advise you both to get used to each others company and find an alternative means of solving this dilemma," Nakoma said bowing her head and Cocoum turned from her, annoyed that she wasn't helping them more. He was beginning to doubt her feelings for him. As though sensing his doubt she walked over to touch his shoulder lightly.
"Do not doubt," she said and on her tiptoes she pressed her lips to his cheek lightly. Nakoma then led a confused John from the longhouse and shaking his head Powhatan followed knowing that he too could do nothing.
Cocoum and Pocahontas regarded each other suspiciously, neither saying a word.
"I do not want to marry you," Cocoum stated bluntly and Pocahontas felt her anger and humiliation rise.
"You have a strange way of showing it, what happened in the forest Cocoum?" she questioned and saw a flash of pain sow on Cocoum's face as he turned from her.
"I was not myself...I apologize," he bowed his head humbly and Pocahontas was taken aback as she crawled to sit opposite him.
"So what are we going to do," Pocahontas valued his opinion. Cocoum was a warrior; he would know what to do.
"What Nakoma said, we are going to solve this dilemma, and then you will marry John Smith and I shall marry Nakoma," Cocoum said surely then he drifted off into deep thought and Pocahontas did the same.
After a few minutes Pocahontas spoke, "maybe, we can marry but, we do not have to share a bed or live like a married couple. It would be like a public marriage..." Cocoum stopped her with a hard slap bringing her to her senses, "Pocahontas, are you stupid? You already said that! Now, I do not want to marry you, nor you want to marry me; but it looks to be the only way." "I will not!" Pocahontas screamed, "I.I, hate you! Why did you have to come back? Why did you have to pretend? Cocoum, why are you here?!" Pocahontas was hysterical, staring at Cocoum's stoned-faced expression, her anger getting the better of her. "I hate you," she said through clenched teeth. She stood as if to leave but Cocoum pulled her back down. His dark eyes poured into her own, "you think I like this?" "No," Pocahontas said, than burst into tears. The anger and frustration of the day getting to her at last. She expected Cocoum to push her away, expected him to tell her to stop crying but, she didn't expect him to slowly put his arms around her and hold her against him. "Forgive me Pocahontas, for any pain I have caused you, it's clear we do not want this, that we both love two different people. But, think of our village." He let go of her then, and walked out of Powhatan's hut.