CHAPTER 12

The day of the uniting ceremony finally arrived with everyone in the camp busy helping in some way. Jalila, Evie and Atiya were helping Layla, she was so nervous that she kept dropping her brush as she tried to do her hair. Atiya finally took it from her.

"We are to get you ready, Layla. Just relax, we will make you look even more beautiful for Ardeth," Atiya said with a smile.

"I cannot relax I'm shaking all over," Layla said, shifting in her seat.

"You're not the only one who is nervous. I spoke to Rick a few minutes ago, he told me Ardeth was just as nervous," Evie told her.

"I just want this day to hurry. I want to hold him and be held by him," Layla said, hugging herself.

"We just have to keep you busy so you feel the time racing by," Evie said.

*****

"My brother you are wearing your boots out pacing," Fahim said as he Rick and Harith sat watching him.

"Ardeth, please sit down," Harith requested.

"I cannot sit down I want the ceremony to begin and end so I may hold my wife in my arms," Ardeth said, peeking outside the tent.

"Get your nose back in here," Rick said, pulling him back from the front of the tent. "You have two hours before the ceremony. Take a nap or something to keep your mind off her."

"Sleeping will not take my mind off her I would most likely dream of her," Ardeth replied as his mother and Raza came in.

"My child you are very handsome in you're ceremonial robes," Zia said, kissing him on the cheek.

Ardeth was wearing black robe with silver trimming along the seams and hem of the sleeves and soon he would put on a white cape with the Medjai symbols emblazed on it. "Mother, have you seen Layla?"

"Yes, my child, she is getting ready as we speak. She will be ready on time, she does not want to make you wait a second longer than you have to."

"Why does this ceremony have to be at midday? I want to see her now," Ardeth said, walking back over to the front of the tent. Both Rick and Raza stood in front of the tent flap.

"You are not going to go anywhere, my friend. You will have to wait until the ceremony begins," Raza told him.

"I am beginning to think we need all the warriors in here to keep you from her," Fahim said jokingly.

Ardeth just stared at him with his dark penetrating eyes and then started laughing. "A very good idea, brother. You may want to do that.

*****

As the time neared, Faris went to Layla's tent to see her. She had sent for him while she was getting ready. "It is Faris. May I come in, ladies?" he asked.

"Please do," Layla said. He came in and stood in awe seeing her in her gown. It was white with a pale pink silk sash tied around her waistline with some beading on the high neck and bodice. It was customary for the intended to be fully covered from her soon to be husband. "Thank you for coming."

 "It is my pleasure. You look very beautiful," he said, bowing and kissing her hand.

"Thank you," she said, blushing. "I asked you here for a favor. I was wondering if you would escort me to the ceremony?"

"Are you sure? You know some of those here do not like my family being here. To escort you could cause trouble, for this reason I am saying no."

"But you are like family to me. Please, Faris I want you to represent my family today," Layla insisted.

"I wish not to cause you to be upset but I think it best you have someone else do the honors," he told her.

"Then I will call off the ceremony."

"What?" Atiya and Evie said together.

"Layla, you cannot do that to Ardeth," Atiya said.

"I am sure he will understand when I explain it to him. If I cannot have a representative of my family I will not go through with it."

"Layla Amin, you are stubborn just as your father was. I believe it will cause more trouble if I do not escort you than if I do. Do not call off the ceremony I will gladly represent your family," Faris said giving in to her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said hugging him.

"Layla, it's time," Raza said from outside the tent. When Layla stepped out, covering her face with the veil, she saw a white horse waiting for her. She was hesitant to get on it after having been thrown almost a month ago. "Don't worry, Layla. I will not let the horse hurt you," he said, seeing her staring at the horse.

"It is customary, Layla. I will walk beside you and hold on to you," Faris said.

"I trust you both. It is the horse I do not trust but I will do it for Ardeth," Layla said as Raza and Faris helped her up onto the horse.

Atiya and Evie walked with along with them as they approached the open sided tent where the ceremony was to take place. Ardeth arrived on his black stallion, Yarden, with his mother and father walking beside him. Layla was in awe at how wonderful he looked in his outfit. When he saw her he smiled and nodded and winked at her. He couldn't see her face but he knew she was smiling at him.

Ardeth dismounted first and went into the tent to stand with Jeroen, the holy man for the tribe. He watched as Layla was helped down from the horse and then escorted into the tent by Faris. Ardeth watched Layla's every move towards him. He ached inside wanting to touch her but he couldn't right now. The holy man started the ceremony with a blessing to God to watch over the couple in their new life together. After the prayer the groom would normally give his bride a ring but Layla and Ardeth said they would be married for life and eternity, so they had a tattooed placed on their ring fingers.

After their fingers were tattooed there was another prayer, afterwards Ardeth was allowed to remove the veil to see Layla as his wife for the first time. He could see her eyes were filled with happy tears. He gave her a long passionate kiss as the camp roared in approval.

Ardeth refused to let her stray far from him the rest of the day during the final celebration. They danced, ate, and talked among the well wishers never parting for more than a few minutes. As the festivities calmed down by early evening Ardeth went to Rick to have him drive them to their honeymoon hideout.

*****

Ardeth had placed a blindfold on Layla as they drove out to the oasis. He wanted her to be totally surprised by the site. When they reached their destination Rick helped Ardeth get Layla carefully from the car. "You two kids have fun but don't do anything I wouldn't do," Rick joked as he got back in the car.

"How are we getting back if he leaves us out here in the middle of nowhere?" Layla asked.

"Fahim and Raza will bring Yarden for us tomorrow. I wanted to get here before night fall so I asked Rick to bring us here."

"Where is here my darling husband?" Layla asked, wanting to remove the blindfold.

They walked to the front of the tent and he removed the blindfold. "I hope you approve of our hide away."

"Oh, Ardeth it is beautiful." It was a rather large oasis with a waterfall over to the right of the tent and a small stream winding in front of the tent. There were colorful flowers here and there, making the air sweet with their scent.

Ardeth stood behind her as she looked over her surroundings. He gently moved her long hair away from her neck to kiss and nip at her ears. She sighed and leaned into him, she loved the feel of his strong arms around her waist as he held her close to him.

"Shall we go inside and start our private celebration?" he whispered in her ear.

"I thought you had already started my love," she said with a giggle turning to face him. She placed each of her hands on his face and looked deeply into his eyes. She could see the love in them and a twinkle she had never noticed before. She was about to mention it when he pulled her to his lips. She opened her lips to let him deepen the kiss. He plunged his tongue in her mouth exploring as much as he could. He wanted to know every part of her and soon he would explore her body the same way.

He broke the kiss and picked her up carrying her into the tent. There was a huge pallet on the ground over to one side. He dropped to his knees on the pallet easing her down to it all the while she was kissing his neck. He removed his cape and threw it over to the side. Layla sat up curling her legs under her. "I want to undress you, my love," she said, taking hold of the belt that held his robe closed. She opened his robe exposing his muscular chest. She rubbed her hands over it as she moved to slowly push the robe off his shoulders. After the robe was off she made Ardeth sit with his feet out so she could remove his boots. She quickly removed them and then slid up next to him. "Now for your pants."

"When do I get to undress you?" he asked, running his hands through her hair, bringing her to his lips once again.

"Soon my love, very soon." She pushed him on his back and unfastened the ties on his pants; she pulled then down slowly, revealing his manhood. She pulled his pants completely off before kneeling at his side. She took his her and slowly moved her hand up his arm and across his shoulders. She used her fingertips to trace his jaw line. She then straddled him and kissed him across his chest and down his stomach inching her body down over his erection. Ardeth was in turmoil with her manipulations. He wanted to rip her clothes off and feel her the way she was feeling him.

"Enough! I want to undress you now," he said as he felt her hand on his inner thigh.

"Yes, my love." She turned her back to him so he could unbutton her gown. He hated all those buttons; he got half of them undone when he realized she had reached back and was helping him with them. He pushed the gown off her shoulders kissing them as they became bare. He was very surprised to learn she had no undergarments on under the gown. She stood up to let the gown fall to the ground. Ardeth looked up at her nude body. It was more beautiful than he imagined. He sat there drinking in her beauty; she was so intoxicating to look at.

He watched her move to lie with him. He noticed how her breasts jiggled slightly as she knelt down to him. He reached out to cup them as she lay next to him. As he kneaded them he lavished her face and neck with tender kisses, working his way to her nipples. He teased them with his tongue and nipping at them gently. She moaned in the pleasure he was bringing to her. She had never been with a man as gentle as he was. He enveloped one of her breasts, making her arch her back as he suckled her. She ran her hands into his thick curly hair and he alternated between the two breasts giving them equal time.  "Explore me my husband. Touch me more."

Ardeth ran his hands down the curve of her side to her hip. As his hand moved to her inner thigh she moved her hand to cover his; removing her hand as he reached her delicate folds. He caressed her, causing her to squirm and moan under him. He moved between her legs, wanting to taste her sweet nectar. He plunged his tongue deep inside of her, making her scream out in passion, unable to control herself. She wanted him, she needed him, to join with her.

He knew she was losing control and he moved over her, placing his erection inside of her slowly. She moved her legs around him to take him as deeply as she could. He started moving inside of her slowly at first but then his own passion and lust took over and he thrust faster and harder into her. They were but moaning and calling out to each other as the heat inside each of them built to a wonderful explosion of their love for each other poured out.

Ardeth didn't want to lie on top of her but he was too spent to move from her. She wrapped her arms around him and clung to him as they both recovered. As they lay there together they whispered sweet, loving words to each other.

*****

They both had fallen into a deep peaceful sleep after making love. Layla was the first to wake, shivering from the cold desert air coming in the tent. She went over to secure the tent flap then ran back over and pulled another blanket over herself and Ardeth.

"Are you cold, my queen?"

"I thought you were asleep, did I wake you?"

"No, the cool air did. I am sorry. In my haste to be with my lovely wife, I didn't secure the flap. Do you forgive me?"

"I believe you should be punished for it," she said coyly.

"Really? And what punishment befits the crime?"

"Well, I think I shall have to torture you."

"How will you do that?"

"You are not to touch me no matter what I do to you," she said with a serious look on her face.

"My queen, that will be very inhumane. Is there not a different punishment for me?"

"No, I believe the punishment fits."

"Very well. When does it start?"

"Now," she said with a giggle as she started to make love to him.

The End