**Disclaimer** Anything recognizable belongs to Stephen Sommers and Universal Studios.
"So where exactly are we going?" I asked him, once we were out of earshot of the others.
"My people are going to want to meet the one chosen by Sekhmet. After all this time, I'm sure they will want to know that the prophecy has been fulfilled." The sun was going down and Ardeth was looking for a place to stop for a couple of hours to rest. Everything looked the same, the desert just stretched on for miles and miles. But I guess if you grew up here, you just knew where to find things like shade and water. And that's just what Ardeth did.
Between two sand dunes lay an oasis. Beautiful, lush green trees and vegetation, a bubbling pond, it looked so inviting. Ardeth dismounted the camel and then held out his arms to catch me as I dismounted. I wasn't nearly as graceful as he was, and I would have fallen had he not been there to catch me. He removed the packs from the camel, finding blankets for us to roll out and sleep on. I went ahead just a bit, to the edge of the green and found small sticks and dried leaves that could be used to start a fire. Remembering everything that my dad and Jack had taught me about just how to start a campfire, I rubbed two of the sticks together, gently blowing on them when they started to smoke up. Within no time at all, I had managed to get a small fire going, perfect for just the two of us.
As I sat there, staring into the flames much like I did at the beginning of this journey, I finally let the emotions of the last couple of days catch up with me. Losing Bernard and Jack, I hadn't had time to let myself grieve for them, even a little. I started crying, and quickly became overwhelmed to the point I was hyperventilating. Ardeth sat down next to me, worry etched on his face. He grabbed my hands, and just as he had done at the museum, rubbed calming circles into the tops of them, muttering soothing words in Arabic that I couldn't make out. We sat there like this for a while, until the night had fully taken us, and the stars and moon were up high and bright in the sky.
"I don't know how I can go back." I whispered. "I don't think I can go back. I can't face my parents. They couldn't possibly understand this. Maybe it would be better for them if we just disappeared. No bodies, no confirmations. They can just live with the hope that we're alive somewhere, together." I was rambling at this point, but honestly, it was all just too much. There was no way I could tell my family what had happened here. Even though Hamunaptra returned to the sands, treasure hunters would still come for it. I didn't need to be the reason anyone else lost loved ones. My guilt was eating me alive, and I didn't need to see my families' faces to know that they would blame me too.
"Let us get through this night. Clarity tends to come with morning's light." Ardeth said.
"Let's talk about something else. I need something to distract me from myself." I pleaded with him, desperation evident in my voice. "What is it like being Chieftain? Are you in charge of everyone or just your tribe?" I asked, curious about what I was walking into.
"There are twelve tribes, each with a commander in charge, that lives there. They oversee the day-to-day things. And from those twelve commanders, is the Chieftain, who oversees the Medjai as a whole. My father was the Chieftain before me, and his father before him, and so on and so forth, all the way back to the beginning of the Medjai." My eyes grew wide at this.
"So, what you're saying is that, basically, you're royalty?" I squeaked out, almost afraid of the answer.
"In a western way of looking at it, I guess you could say that." He said sheepishly. Well that certainly put things into perspective for me. What did I have to compete with whatever was waiting for him back home? Woah, slow down there. For starters, I didn't know that he even has anyone waiting for him at home. Plus, he didn't seem like the kind to kiss someone while having someone else. And also, I didn't even know if there is anything there on his side. Just because he kissed me, twice didn't mean that he was into me. "What are you thinking about?" he asked me, bringing my attention back to the real world and not on my imaginary problems.
"I'm fine. Just thinking about things. Are we going to talk about what happened in the sewer and then again at Hamunaptra?" I asked, my mouth more ballsy than my head or my heart.
"I would've thought that my actions spoke louder than my words could." He said, turning to look at me head on. I got lost in his soft brown eyes, still amazed by the depth to them.
"Well let's just assume that I'm piss poor at reading actions. Spell it out for those of us in the cheap seats?" I asked him. He blinked at me, confused by my analogy. "Please just tell me so I'm not here, making an ass out of myself." I rephrased.
"I am attracted to you Margaret. I would like to get to know you better." He whispered in confession, moving closer to me, once more taking my hand in his. I sighed in contentment. "It's getting late, and we'll want to leave at first light to make it to my village before it gets too hot to travel. Get some sleep Margaret." He said before moving to lay down on his blanket. I pulled mine closer to the fire to stay warm and laid down, sleep coming to me quickly.
If only it was a peaceful sleep. I was plagued with dreams of Jack, forced to watch him get the life sucked out of him by Imhotep. Or worse yet, seeing him as I last did, yelling at me for not saving him, accusing me of loving Ardeth more than him since I was able to save him. I started crying, begging him to forgive me, apologizing over and over for not being able to do anything for him. Then, he just kept saying my name over and over. I was startled awake by Ardeth shaking my shoulder, calling my name, imploring me to wake up. I jumped, realization coming to me. It was just a dream. I started crying again. "It was only a dream Peggy." Ardeth said, sitting down beside me, pulling me into his arms. I clung to him like he was my lifeline, my tears staining his outer robes.
"But that's just it. It's not a dream. Everything that happened is real. Just without Jack's reanimated body telling me it's all my fault. I already know that." I said, once I got myself under control.
"Jack made his decisions, just like you did. I'm sorry that you now have to live with this. No one deserves it." He said softly, before making to get up to go back to his blanket. I grabbed his hand to stop him.
"Please stay. Just for tonight. Nothing inappropriate, I just need someone to tether me to reality." I pleaded with him. I must have looked pretty pathetic because Ardeth went and grabbed his blanket, bringing it over next to mine and settled down for the night. I rolled over to face him and slowly, sleep came back to me. Except this time there was just darkness. No dreams, no Jack shoving hot guilt down my throat. Just peace.
I woke up the next morning, not feeling the hard ground beneath my head but something firm. It was rising and falling. I slowly opened my eyes, thankful that it was still dark, the first rays of the sunrise barely visible over the dunes. I looked to my right and saw what exactly my pillow for the night had been, Ardeth's chest. I blushed. Oh goodness. So much for taking these feelings slow. I was already head-over-heels for this guy. Probably since that last night in Hamunaptra when he saved me and Berny from Imhotep. My sudden movement caused him to jump awake, and after seeing how close we had gotten in our sleep, he had a blush that matched mine.
"Good morning ya amar." He whispered, his voice deep and gruff from sleep.
"Good morning. Thank you for staying." I said softly.
"You're welcome," he says with a smile. "We need to start packing up. The sun will be up soon, and it doesn't take long for the desert to get hot." With that being said, he got up and rolled his blanket before turning to do the same to mine. I put out the remains of the fire from the last night. Together, we tried our best to remove all signs that anyone had stopped here, then Ardeth helped me onto the camel before getting on in front of me. I wasn't the most comfortable on a camel, so I put my arms around his waist, giving myself an extra sense of security.
We rode like this for hours, the sun slowly coming up to beat on us. By the time we started seeing his village in the distance, I was ready for this journey to be done. Riding a camel was nothing like riding a horse, the gait wasn't right, and I was ready to be on non-moving terrain. We came to a stop right inside the village and Ardeth dismounted first, turning to help me. Some men in robes like Ardeth's, carrying as much fire power as he usually does, came up to greet him. "Who is this?" the one closest to me asked. I suspected that I wouldn't be too highly received, whether because I'm an archaeologist who helped start the mess that we just got out of or because I wasn't part of the tribe was a toss-up. But regardless, I knew that my usual brand of smart ass-ness wasn't going to be appreciated here.
"This is Margaret Henderson. She was part of the group that helped stopped Imhotep. There's more to it than that but I must speak with the elders first. Have you gathered them Nasir?" Ardeth responded. Both of the men regarded me for a moment, and I looked back, trying very hard to keep my face neutral.
"Yes, they are waiting for you in the meeting tent." Nasir informed him. Ardeth nodded at this and then turned to the other man.
"Aman, take Margaret to our parents' tent and let Mother know Father and I will be back once the meeting is over." Aman, who I now knew to be Ardeth's brother, nodded before motioning me to follow him. I took one last look at Ardeth, who nodded encouragingly, before turning back around and following Aman through the village. I kept my eyes down. We arrived outside one of the larger tents and Aman pulled back the flap keeping the sunlight from seeping in and heating up the living space. I walked inside, surprised to see just how big it was compared to how it looked outside.
"Umi, Ardeth has returned. And he's brought a guest." Aman said to the woman who stood in the kitchen area, preparing what looked like tea, although his tone implied that he thought I was anything but. "This is Margaret Henderson. She was part of the group that helped defeat the creature." He switched to English.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Margaret. My name's Rahima." She said, smiling at me.
I took them both by surprise when I responded to her in Arabic. "The pleasure is mine Rahima. I'm sorry for the intrusion."
"You speak Arabic?" Aman asked.
"Fluently. If one wishes to be an Egyptologist, it's probably for the best that they also know the language spoken in the country." I responded with a smile.
"Well, if only everyone coming here was as considerate as you, I think this world would be a far better place indeed." Rahima said. I blush at her observation. At this point I could hear footsteps approaching the tent.
"Are you sure of your choice Ardeth? You just met this girl. I understand that she was the promised one from Sekhmet, but she didn't grow up in our customs. Will she still want this after things have settled and she no longer needs to cling to you?" I was standing far enough away from Rahima and Aman that they probably couldn't overhear what I did but that didn't stop the tears from pricking the corner of my eyes.
"Baba, this decision is for Margaret and me to make. The council is not concerned, you shouldn't be either." I heard Ardeth respond. That made me feel slightly better. At this point they had entered the tent and Ardeth was walking over to me. "I see you have already met my mother. This is my father, Asim. Baba, this is Margaret Henderson." I looked over at him, I couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between him and Ardeth. In all honesty, the only difference I saw was the salt-and-peppering of his hair as a true indication that it wasn't Ardeth.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." I said softly, respectfully. He looked at me wide-eyed. Apparently, this was going to be a running gag that no one expects me to be able to speak Arabic. Ardeth looked like he wanted to start laughing at his father's state of shock but chose to keep it to himself.
"Margaret, would you like to take a walk with me? It's getting a little crowded in here." Ardeth asked me.
"Oh, sure." I said, shocked. Being the chieftain, I would've expected that he had plenty to do now that we were back in his village. He offered me his arm, and I took it, allowing him to lead me from the tent. "Is everything ok?" I asked once we were out of earshot of his parents' tent.
"Of course. The council has granted you temporary sanctuary. You can remain here for the time being." He informed me.
"Thank you. That is more than I can ask for. I don't want to take advantage of you and your people's good will."
"We owe you much. It's the least we can do." He said with a smile. I smiled back.
The weeks passed into months. The status of my residency among the Medjai hadn't been brought up since that first day. In fact, I had been given a tent just down from Ardeth's and right next to his parents to use while I was with them. Each day, at sundown, Ardeth would take me on a walk, and we'd talk about anything. I told him what it was like growing up in America, what living on a ranch was like, and growing up with many, many siblings and he'd tell me what it was like growing up in his tribe, training both with a sword and his father from a young age, a battle with a group of locals that left his father with a permanent limp from catching a stray bullet in his thigh that thankfully had been able to be removed which then caused his father to step down and Ardeth taking his place . We'd talk about the future, and what we would want from it, if given the choice. We talked about children and if either of us wanted children. Coming from a large family, I only wanted a few. He didn't have a particular number in mind. It was expected of him to have a son, to pass on the chiefdom to, but aside from that, he wasn't sure. Every now and then we'd sneak behind the outer most tents and share a kiss or two, but we hadn't gone much further than that. I was completely in love with him. I was certain he felt the same, but neither of us had braved saying the words out loud yet.
During the days, I spent time with Rahima, learning all I could about the Medjai and their way of life. Many aspects about their society were patriarchal but I could tell even after only a couple of days, that Ardeth's father practically worshipped the ground his wife walked on and she looked at him like he hung the moon and the stars. It was refreshing. My parents had lost that along the way. Somewhere in the thirty years and nine kids, they had grown too used to the other person, no longer having that glow of young love. Not that they didn't love each other, it just didn't manifest in that honeymoon phase like Asim and Rahima still had. She also taught me how to make some of her family's favorite meals. My mother used to tell me that I was a horrible cook, but under Rahima's teaching, I had to say that I was getting pretty good at it.
That's where I was currently, with Rahima in her tent, learning how to make another dish. "What is your family like? Do you have any siblings?" Rahima asked me, while we were sitting at her table, drinking tea while we waited for the evening meal to be done cooking.
"My family is…" I struggled to think of a way to describe them, "loud. There are nine of us kids, and anything we did as a family was utter chaos."
"Nine children? That does seem like chaos." She agreed with me.
"Well before we left there was only five of us at home still. I just got done with university before we left so I wasn't living there anymore." It still stung to think of my family, who I hadn't seen in months. They didn't know about Jack, and Jack still hurt way too much to think about.
"Your parents allowed you to live alone?" She seemed genuinely confused and I realized that it was just as unheard of in her society as it was in mine.
"My mother was very much against it. She was convinced that by continuing my education I was turning off potential spouses. My father was less concerned about it, and therefore I was able to attend university and even come on this trip with my brother and friends."
"Are any of your siblings married?" she asked.
"Three of my older brothers are. James, he's twenty-nine and the oldest, has three kids, two girls and a baby boy. Joseph is twenty-eight and has four kids, three boys and a girl. Jacob is twenty-seven and has been married for a little under two years. He has one baby and the last I heard from home, had one on the way."
"And there are still six more of you after those three?" she inquired.
"Oh yeah. There's Edward next, He's twenty-five and, to quote my mother, 'currently taking advantage of our parents' good will by staying home and not looking for a wife'. Then there was Jack and me, we're twenty-four," I had to stop there and compose myself. I was on the verge of tears again. Jack would never see our next niece or nephew be born, never get married, never see me or any of our other siblings married with kids. He was gone way too soon. I was never prepared to have to get through this life without him. Even when we were fighting, which was a lot, he was always there, doing something stupid to get back in my good graces. Rahima could see I was retreating within myself and gently covered her hand with my own.
"The ones we lose never truly leave us. Jack is just as much of a part of you now as he was while he was alive. He lives in you." She gave me a smile and I did my best to return one.
Trying my best to move on with the conversation, I shook my head, focusing on the present. "After me and Jack there's Rose. She's twenty-one and just as bad as our mother when it comes to her opinions on what I should be doing with my life. Then there's Timothy. He's eleven and the most rebellious child. And lastly there's Susan who's nine. I would say she's the most like me. Always outside with the boys and animals. It drives my mother crazy that just as I grew up and became my own problem, she has another one who won't listen to her instructions on what a young lady is supposed to be." I laughed at this. So did Rahima.
By this point, the sun was going down and Ardeth, Asim and Aman had come back to the tent for dinner. We gathered around the table, each of us on a cushion. Asim sat at the head of the table, Ardeth at the other end. Rahima sat to Asim's right and I sat next to her, on Ardeth's left. Aman had the other side of the table to himself. Asim prayed a blessing over the food and him, Ardeth and Aman took the first servings. After they had had their fill, Rahima and I helped ourselves.
After the meal and Rahima and I had cleared and washed the dishes, Ardeth extended his arm to me, ready for our evening walk. We took our normal route, coming to the edge of the village in no time, taking a seat in the sand to enjoy how the sunset was painting the sky in brilliant pinks, purples and soft oranges. "As long as I live, I'll never see anything more beautiful than a desert sunset." I tell him. Out of the corner of my eye I see his smile grow at that. Once again there was a silence surrounding us and I couldn't help but notice that he was shifting kind of nervously. "Ardeth, what is it? I've never seen you like this before." I asked, worried.
"Nothing is wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. I had a meeting with the council today and certain aspects of the future were discussed."
"Am I being asked to leave? I know that I was only supposed to stay for a little while and it has been months now since your people were kind enough to take me in." I was rambling at this point, but I was getting nervous.
"No, it is not like that. I came before the council of elders to ask them for their blessing in asking for someone's hand in marriage. As chieftain, it is how things are done." He explained.
"Oh." I said, turning away. If I was going to cry because he was going to marry someone else, I didn't want him to see me. He placed a hand on my cheek, turning me back to face him.
"I think you misunderstood me." He whispered before turning me to face him completely.
"Oh, oh," I said, finally picking up on what was going on.
"Margaret, I knew when I first saw you in that room in Hamunaptra that you were going to be someone important to me. I just didn't know in what capacity. You put others before yourself, even if it means sacrificing yourself. You know, without having been raised in it, what it truly means to be a member of the Medjai. I know I couldn't ask your father for his blessing so I hope the council's will be enough. Will you marry me and be my wife?" he asked. I was in tears at this point. Some might say that this was moving too fast, but after experiencing the end of the world, almost, I didn't want to have any regrets. Through my tears, I nodded, and he stood us up and took me in his arms, twirling me around. He kissed me like he never had before. There was a passion there that I've never experienced before.
We walked back to his parents' tent and were met with congratulations. It seemed that everyone knew what Ardeth had had planned besides me. Rahima came up and hugged me, while Asim stood beside her with a proud smile on his face. Aman gave Ardeth a hug before giving me a nod and a smile. I was getting married!
2 Months Later
It took two months to put everything together. Messengers were sent out to the eleven other tribes as soon as I said yes, informing them of the chief's impending nuptials. Rahima got to work right away working on my dress for the ceremony. She was doing an amazing job at blending our two cultures together into the most perfect dress.
I was getting married tomorrow. That didn't seem real. It didn't seem real that six months ago, the world almost ended. It had been six months since I lost Jack. The absence of him, and the rest of my family, left me in tears whenever I thought about it for too long. Thankfully the council allowed Rick and Evy to attend so I had some friendly faces for my side. The tribe had been very accepting of me. I still got some heated looks from some of the women my age who had yet to get married for taking the most eligible bachelor of the tribe off the market. Or at least that was the reason Rahima had given me. We both had laughed at that.
Aman, Nasir, Rick, and the rest of Ardeth's friends were doing their best to keep Ardeth busy and us apart for the remaining twenty-four hours until sunset tomorrow when the ceremony was taking place. I had Evy and Rahima to keep me busy with last minute details and tonight they were doing some kind of bachelorette party. Evy had insisted upon it and seeing it was an American tradition, Rahima got on board as a way to bring some of my traditions to this whole affair. Really all it was going to consist of was us sitting around with tea or coffee and talking for a couple of hours, which was what we had been doing for the past three days since Rick and Evy had arrived in the village.
Once the sun had been down for a couple of hours, Evy and I left for my tent, where she would be staying for the night. "Are you nervous for tomorrow?" Evy asked on the walk back.
"Honestly, no. I know that Ardeth is who I want to be with forever. I'm a little sad. I wish my family could be here but I'm really not ready to face them yet, so I guess I can't be too upset. I mostly just wish Jack was here, telling me that I'm going to be ok and that our parents' inevitable disapproval is shit." I was trying my best not to cry. Puffy eyes were hard to mask, and I didn't want Ardeth to be scared when he saw me tomorrow.
The next morning dawned bright and early and even though the ceremony and following reception weren't set to start until sundown that didn't stop Evy, Rahim and several of the other ladies in the village from waking me up and fussing over me. They started by forcing me into the tub that had been prepared with scalding water and the most wonderful smelling soaps and salts I've ever used. After ensuring that every inch of me was clean, they helped me out and started toweling me off. I wasn't used to having people pamper me so I kept trying to steal the towels back to do it myself, but they would have nothing of it. "It is your wedding day. You should not be lifting a finger, not even to take care of yourself. After all, you are marrying the Chieftain." One of the village women, whose name was Aisha, told me before forcing me to stand still as they started working my hair into loose curls that cascaded down my back. Rahima added a hair comb, a beautiful piece with the brightest blue gemstones set in gold, pulling some of the curls behind my ear.
"Asir gave this to me the night before our wedding. I had saved it in hopes of having a daughter to wear it on her wedding day. It would make me very happy if you would wear it today as you become my daughter." I was doing my best not to cry, and I couldn't make words form, so I just nodded to her. I was starving, having not eaten anything since dinner the night before so before I got into my dress2. Once I had managed to finish the fruit that they had offered me, they got to work wrapping my wedding robes around me, clipping them in place. Instead of a traditional dark blue color, Rahima had made mine in white, to pay homage to the American customs I grew up with. It was adorned with gold embroidery and flowed around me like waves. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn.
The sun was beginning to set, and I was getting anxious. Rahima had gone to check on Ardeth and that left me with Evy. I had started pacing about five minutes before and I'd already worn a decent size trench in the floor of my tent. I looked around, trying to distract myself from the growing feeling of worry in my stomach. This would be the last time I would be in this tent. After tonight, I would move into Ardeth's tent. As such, most of my things had already been moved over there.
"Are you ready? It's time." Evy asked. I looked over at her, and nodded, not quite trusting my voice. Between Ardeth and Rahima, they had done their best to explain exactly how a marriage ceremony went in the Medjai culture. Typically, a bride is presented to her husband by her father. As my father would not be here, Rick would be standing in, presenting me to Ardeth, who would then lead me to the center of the circle where an elder would be waiting to recite the ancient marriage ritual, which basically meant that he would recite commands that both Ardeth and I were to follow in our marriage, and we would respond with "I will". Then Ardeth would present me with a ring, a way to bring one of my culture's traditions into it, and we would officially be married. Two of the Medjai would then sign a document as witnesses and the festivities would begin.
Evy had led me through the maze of tents to where we were meeting up with Rick for him to walk to me the center of the village where the ceremony would take place. The setting sun was casting the whole village in an ethereal glow. We met up with Rick and with a nod, we started walking towards the middle of the village, where everyone was standing in a circle, ready to witness the wedding of their chieftain. Rick led me to the edge of the circle, where Ardeth was waiting for us. My breath caught in my throat.
He was wearing a new set of robes as well. His were in a shade of dark shade of royal blue that made his eyes pop. They were adorned with silver embroidery that made it look like the stars in the night sky. He reached for my hand, to lead me to the elder. Leaning down to bring his mouth close to my ear, he whispered, "You look beautiful ya amar." I blushed but didn't have time to respond as we had reached the makeshift altar before the elder. The next hour of my life passed by so quickly I couldn't focus on any one thing. One moment I was promising Ardeth to bare him sons and uphold what it meant to be the wife of a chieftain. The next he was placing a ring on my finger, a testament to my culture, and we were presented to our gathered people as man and wife. There were many shouts of happiness and clapping.
The reception started right away, and I was not prepared for it. A couple of the men moved the altar out of the way and a huge bonfire was lit. Cushions were laid out in a circle around it, far enough back that there was plenty of room for dancing but still close enough that no one would get cold. The women of the tribe went above and beyond with the food that had been prepared. After the meal, the low tables had been moved away and the music began. Rahima and Aisha had been teaching me the dances of the tribe for the past two months and I was just confidant enough that I wouldn't make a total fool out of myself. Ardeth took my hand and led me out into the circle. The dance wasn't that complicated, it mostly consisted of us moving around each other while each of us holding onto the end of a scarf. But I'm not known for my gracefulness so for most of it, I was looking down at my feet, ensuring they were in the correct places.
The reception lasted well into the night but before it got too late, Ardeth made our excuses and we left. I was expecting us to head to our tent, but he led me to the stables where his horse was already saddled up for us. "Where are we going?"
"I thought, for tonight, that we would want to get away from the village, just be by ourselves." He said as he helped me onto his horse. He got on in front of me and clicked his tongue. The horse took off in a steady walk and soon the lights of the village were bleeding into the horizon. We didn't go too far though. After maybe an hour, we came to a stop at this little oasis. It wasn't very big, but it had a little pond and enough trees that the morning sun wouldn't wake us too early. There was already one of our big tents set up with torches lit around it, just far enough away that there wasn't a risk of anything catching on fire, but close enough that the entire campsite was bathed in warm light.
Ardeth helped me down and went to secure his horse. I made my way into our tent, pleased to find that there were the traditional bed cushions as well as blankets already set up. I heard Ardeth enter. "When did you have time to set all this up?" I asked, turning and looking up at him. He smiled at me.
"I can't give away all of my secrets, now can I?" he winked. I didn't think it was possible to be happier than I already was, my cheeks hurt from all the smiling and laughing I had done today. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. He was directly in front of me by this point and leaning down. I met him halfway, our lips barely touching at first. He pulled me closer to him, until I was flush up against his body and I could feel his muscles under his robes. The kiss turned desperate at this point, needy. He licked my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth, granting him entrance.
His hands moved down my body, unclipping my robe when he came in contact with the fasteners. Soon I was standing before him completely naked. My initial instinct was to cover myself but Ardeth would have none of it. He held my hands to my sides. "Do not be afraid of showing yourself to me. I'm not going to hurt you." He whispered. He led me over to the bed cushion and gently laid me down. He removed his clothes and laid down over me. "Just close your eyes. I promise the pain will pass soon." He said before swiftly entering me. Tears started forming in the corner of my eyes as I got used to the foreign feeling in between my legs. He stayed still, kissing away the tears until the pain had subsided.
I nodded at him and he started to move, slowly at first. The pain was quickly turning to pleasure. I had never felt like this in my life. Ardeth was beyond gentle, allowing me to dictate our pace. Soon however the feeling got to be too much, and he could tell that, so he took matters into his own hands, thrusting into me so fast I couldn't keep the noises coming from me in any longer. I felt this pressure build inside of me, coiling tighter and tighter until I felt it snap. Something broke and I saw stars. There was nothing, just me and Ardeth and this feeling. I could feel myself clamping down on him, causing his thrusts to be more erratic. He stilled, and I was worried something was wrong, until he let out a low moan and I felt him twitch inside me as he came. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the bed cushion beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me close. Grabbing a blanket to protect us from the night air and pulling it over us, I laid my head on his chest falling into the most peaceful sleep I had in months.
AN: This chapter took me all week to write. I kept getting stuck because I knew where I wanted this chapter to go and end but I had no idea how to get there. I have a clearer outline of how the years in between the movies are going to go, so hopefully its smoother sailing from here on out. I hope you enjoyed it!