Chapter 9 – You Belong to Me
"Sit down if you like," Ardeth said, releasing her arm. He reached up and pulled off his head coverings, tossing them aside, then ran his fingers though his hair. He then sat down on a low chair in front of an unlit charcoal brazier. Tia lowered herself cautiously to sit on a stool near the brazier. The tent was considerably smaller than Lord Asim's and not as lavishly furnished. Even so, the ground was covered with gorgeous rugs and the chair and stools were beautifully carved wood. A curtain was looped back to show a sleeping area in the back, with a bed platform heaped with blankets and sheepskins.
Tia looked at Ardeth, who had begun to remove his boots. "Did Lord Asim tell you what is to become of me?"
"Yes," Ardeth replied, not looking up. He pulled off the second boot. "He gave you to me."
"I beg your pardon?" Tia asked. "What do you mean by that?"
Ardeth sighed. "We cannot release you, Tia. And since you must stay here, you must live in the household of a man who can look after you. My grandfather gave you to me. You are my responsibility from this time onward."
Tia looked at him, her anxiety growing. "What exactly does that mean?"
He shrugged. "It means that I protect and provide for you. In return, you are expected to fulfill all the duties a man might expect from a wife."
"A what?"
He shrugged again. "Since we are not married, the term my people use is 'concubine'."
"Concubine," she whispered disbelievingly. She raised her head to stare at him defiantly. "So this is my fate? To become your whore?"
"You confuse the terms," he said coldly. "A concubine is second only to a wife, and is honored as such. As I have no wife, you will be treated with honor and respect. A whore," he went on even more coldly, "is available to any man, any time."
"So you expect me to submit to you without the slightest protest?"
The Medjai suddenly leaned forward and grasped her chin in his hand. Holding her head steady he looked steadily at her. "It would be in your best interests to do what you can to please me," he said coldly. "What do you think will happen to you if you do not?"
"You'll kill me?" Tia said defiantly, jerking her head from his grasp.
"No." Ardeth stated. "You'll be given to another man, one who doesn't know your language. One who already thinks you a whore. Would you prefer that?"
"What do you mean, already thinks me a whore?"
The Medjai warrior looked at her for a moment without speaking. "What were you doing alone in the desert with six men?"
Tia blinked. "I was working with a group of archeologists, of course. What has that got to do with it?"
"And none were your husband, brother or any other kinsman?"
"No, why?" Tia looked confused.
"A woman alone with other men with no guardian is considered a whore, Tia. Did not you know that?"
"But, but," Tia sputtered. "I would never, I mean, none of those men..."
"I know," Ardeth said calmly, his voice no longer so cold. Tia looked at him, speechless. He continued. "I watched you. None of those men treated you possessively at all. Your sleeping place was apart from theirs. And when one tried to flirt with you," he said dryly, "you put him in his place." He shrugged. "So I know that none were your lover."
Tia's face was flaming. "I don't..., I mean I have a boyfriend in Cairo, but we've never....it's just casual, I mean...." She swallowed hard. "I've never been with a man."
"I'm pleased to hear that," Ardeth said reaching out to her again. He cupped her face with his hand, rubbing this thumb over her cheek. "Do not lie to me about this. I will know if you speak the truth."
Tia stared up at him. His hand was hard and calloused, but his touch was gentle. His hand curled around the back of her neck and pulled her a step closer to him. Alarm bells rang in Tia's mind. Oh my God, she thought frantically, he meant to have her now.
Ardeth saw the sudden flash of panic in her eyes, and his own narrowed. The woman was terrified. He allowed his hand to slip away.
A voice from just outside the tent called out something in Arabic. Without taking his eyes from Tia's he answered. With a last long look, he rose and turned toward the woman entering the tent. Taking from her the platter she carried, he set it on a low table then, to Tia's surprise, he embraced her. Speaking in Arabic, he turned the woman toward Tia. Switching to English he said, "Tia, this is my mother, Lady A'isha."
As Tia blinked in surprise, A'isha reached up and unfastened one side of her veil so that it fell from her face. She looked surprisingly youthful, her face unlined. Tia rose uncertainly and said, "I'm pleased to meet you." Immediately she felt foolish. Would Ardeth's mother understand English?
"Good evening," A'isha replied. Her accent was heavier than Ardeth's, but it was perfectly understandable. Her shrewd eyes looked Tia up and down.
"My mother knows some English." Ardeth explained. "She will help you to learn our ways, as I must travel to Cairo tomorrow."
"I will teach," agreed A'isha. "In the morning." She spoke again to Ardeth in Arabic, and then smiled at Tia before refastening her veil and pulling aside the tent flap. "Goodnight."
The interruption had diffused some of the tension that had been in the tent. Ardeth reached out and took Tia's wrist in his hand and pulled her closer to him. "My mother will show you what will be expected of you as far as women's duties. As for your duties to me...I am not one who takes pleasure in a woman's pain or fear, Tia. I ask you not to make me force you."
The color rose in Tia's cheeks again and she dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid."
"Of me?' Ardeth shrugged. It was hardly surprising that she would be. "And of course," he went on, "of intimacy with a man you know nothing of."
Tia met his eyes, surprised at his understanding. "I beg that you give me some time," she raised her hands and dropped them helplessly, "to get used to the idea if nothing else."
"I understand your fear," Ardeth replied, "and I don't desire to hurt you or make you unhappy. I will not wait for long, however." He paused briefly. "I go to Cairo in the morning. I doubt I will return in less than ten days. Is that time enough, do you think?"
Tia smiled a bit nervously. "Ten days?" She bit her lip. It was as much of a concession as she was likely to get. "All right."
"Good," Ardeth said. "You will not, I hope, deny me a taste." He pulled her closer, sliding one hand down her back and the other through her hair. Lowering his head, he kissed her – first gently, and then with increasing heat, pressing her against him. Tia felt helpless. Damn the man was strong! She couldn't have broken free had she tried. And she was not sure she wanted to try.
At last Ardeth pulled back and looked down at her. Tia could clearly see the desire in his face. She could also see the strength of his self-control. He stepped back and released her. "Take the bed," he said with a quick jerk of his head toward the sleeping area. "I will sleep out here." When she didn't move immediately, he smiled wryly. "Go, before I forget myself."
When Tia woke in the morning, she was alone. Groggily she sat up and stared stupidly at a small pile of garments near the bed. Had they been there the night before? She thought not. To begin with, they weren't black. Everything Ardeth owned appeared to be black. Shaking cobwebs from her brain she reached out and picked up the top garment. It appears to be some sort of long shirt, the color of undyed cotton. She looked down distastefully at the once white shirt and tan trousers she'd donned three days ago. She'd slept in the outfit twice, and it certainly looked it. She picked up the next garment, a pair of baggy pants.
The tent flap rustled, and A'isha poked her head in. Seeing Tia awake, she entered the tent and unfastened her veil. "Good morning." She glanced at the rug in front of the brazier, which had been cleared of furniture. A blanket was neatly folded on one of the stools. Her lips twisted in amusement. Her son certainly was gallant.
Tia smiled and returned the greeting. "Good morning, Lady A'isha." She held up the clothing. "Did you leave this for me?"
A'isha nodded. "You must dress like us," she said, picking up a large rectangle of cream-colored fabric. "I show."