Ch. 14~ Unhappy Campers
"This is so cool!" Alex ran around his parents, his curious little eyes taking in everything. He squealed when his aunt came out of nowhere and picked him up, turning upside down. "Aunt Jeweli! You're alright!" he wiggled until he was upright again and threw his arms around her neck.
"You betcha, kiddo. It'll take a lot more than a bunch of scary monsters to take down an O'Connell." She walked back to her family to hug them. "Rick, I see you're still alive and kickin'."
"Like you said, it'll take a lot more then that. So, he let you fight?" her cousin nodded towards Ardeth.
"Oh, honey, if it was up to him, I wouldn't have done diddly-squat. He wasn't even there until we were already at the battlefield. But, he knows better than to argue with me."
"Indeed, I do." Ardeth slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her hair. "As do all of the Commanders, from what I've heard."
Jeweli's cheeks turned pink under the slightly smudged paint. "You heard about that?"
The Madji laughed. "Heard about it? My uncle has spoken of nothing but the ferocity you showed when Ali questioned your loyalties."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rick pulled away from Evie and pointed at the two of them. "When the hell did this happen?"
Jeweli rolled her eyes. "Really, Rick? This," she motioned between her and Ardeth, "Kinda been happening since…since Cairo."
"So, why didn't I know about it?" he crossed his arms.
"Because you're fucking blind, man. That, and you were busy looking for Alex. But, seriously though."
"Alright now, watch your language." Evie intervened. "There are children present."
"Oh, c'mon, Eves. Alex is too busy messing with my face, and Jon's kinda spacey right now."
"Huh, someone say my name?"
Jeweli made a face. "See?"
"Well, if you will excuse me, I must speak with the Elders…and my uncle." Ardeth kissed the small woman's hand and left.
She was smiling as she watched him walk away, until she heard Rick clear his throat. "What?"
"You should've at least told me. Dropped a hint or something."
"Oh, yeah, that would've gone over so well, cuz. 'Hey, guess what, your buddy the desert man's been showing interest and I'm kinda interested too.' Admit it, you woulda totally kicked his ass."
He raised his finger and opened his mouth to protest, then stopped to think about it. Instead, he shrugged. "I mighta shown him a little of what would have happened if he hurt you."
She just sighed. "Hey, Aunt Jeweli?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"When's the wedding?"
Everyone stopped and looked at him funny. "Uh, what are you talking about?" Alex touched her forehead and drew a line across it.
Evie moved forward to look, reading the hieroglyphics to herself. "Jeweli, do you know what's written here?"
"Warrior of Sekmet, member of the tribe of the tribe of Ardeth Bay."
"Well, yes. But…it also says you're betrothed to him." She read it in Egyptian, then translated. "Betrothed of Ardeth Bay."
Jeweli's eyes widened. "That's why he…"
"What? Why who what, Jewels?"
"When Ardeth saw the marks, he got kinda confused for a sec, then he looked a little mad. When I asked him what was wrong, he said it was nothing. That explains whey he needs to talk to Hessan." Oh, crap. That's what Hessan had meant when he said he was happy Ardeth had chosen her. He hadn't meant for coming to the camp. He meant to become Ardeth's wife.
Ardeth
"Did it ever occur to you to ask one of us before you went and marked her as my betrothed?" Ardeth was fuming.
"You gave her your amulet, nephew." Somehow, Hessan was not at all fazed by Ardeth's ranting. "I know you. You would not have given it to just anyone, especially a woman. That amulet has been around your neck since you were a mere infant in the cradle."
"Uncle, I have only known her for a week. We barely had time to realize our feelings before she left to warn you. I have not had time to even broach the subject of marriage to myself, let alone to speak with her about it."
"It makes no difference." One of the Elders stood up. "We will not allow an outsider into our world. She would never be able to grow accustomed to it."
"What?" Ardeth turned to the men who practically ruled the tribes. "How could you possibly know that she could not? Has she not proven herself on the field of battle this very day? Jeweliandra took the sacred oath, she fought alongside us to defend everything we hold dear. Do you realize who she is?"
"We understand that you think her to be the Warrior of Sekmet, the first female to join our ranks. However, we have had no evidence to lead us to believe this. We saw no signs, no mark besides the ones Hessan painted."
"She bears a mark," he outlined his side, "Right here. That is why you did not see it. Do not all the stories of the first Warrior speak of her having a lioness on her side?"
The Elders muttered between themselves, then the speaker asked, "You have seen this mark?"
"Yes, I have."
"As have I," Hessan chipped in."
"Under what circumstances is a woman baring her body to, not one, but two men who are not her husband considered lawful?"
"Things are different where she is from. But, she was reluctant to show me."
"If I may," his uncle put a hand on his shoulder, "When she showed me her mark, she told me that she hoped she was not disrespecting our ways by showing it. Her robe is just as modest as any woman within our people, and she did take the oath to fight with us. Most outside would not care what our marks mean, but she does. This woman is more than willing to learn our ways, to become one of us." He took a deep breath. "She also confided in me that she had no training with the sword, yet, if you could have seen her in battle…she fights as if she did it every day."
"And she is humble. Anyone else would have jumped for joy when told they are part of an ancient prophecy, it would go to their head. Jeweliandra fought me every step of the way until I forced her to realize she was the warrior. Anyone else would have asked for the best horse, even when there were none to spare. Instead she was perfectly content with a camel."
"So, she fights, so what? She is still a woman. How long do you expect her to last in our world before she either wastes away, or gets frustrated with this life and leaves? I know her kind, those foreign women who come here with servants to do everything."
"You are wrong," Ardeth was truly pissed now. "First off, she lived on a farm doing manual labor until she was nineteen years old and her mother died. After that, she went to live with the O'Connells and has worked for them for the last five years. She cooks, she cleans, she hand-washes clothes, she works outside. If you can find a woman better than she, then I will applaud you. But, she is the one I love and I will not stand here and let you disrespect her."
The Elders sat in silence, surprise at their Chieftain's sudden rage. The man acting as speaker righted himself. "The decision stands. This woman will not be allowed to stay. She will not become a Madji. Now, this discussion is over." He sat down.
Ardeth stood there staring at them in disbelief, then turned on his heel and left the tent, Hessan following behind. Once outside, he took a breath, then hit a wooden post holding the horses. It tilted under the force of the blow.
"Calm down, nephew, or you will hurt yourself. Don't worry, we will find a solution. For now, why don't you go get cleaned up, then go speak to your woman."
The younger man didn't say anything, just nodded, then left.