His Desert Flower

by Aurora84

Ardeth's entire life was built with one purpose, to keep the world safe from the Creature, but with his defeat he knew not what his life would entail & unknown to him, his father made plans for him. Dalia found herself wondering if this arrangement her papa made would lead to her happiness, but if she did not make this work there was a fate far worse than a marriage to a stranger.

3. Chapter 3

A/N: Arabic in Italic

His Desert Flower Ch. 3

TIME JUMP 3 MONTHS

Dalia found herself sitting on the edge of the river, enjoying how the cool water tickled her toes it was becoming one of her favorite places to go off and hide. Loving the fact that it got her far enough away from the camp but still close enough so that she wasn't tempted to just run off. Not that it didn't cross her mind to run away, but it was her parents that kept her from doing such a cowardly thing, while she was certain that she would be able to survive and even get to a big city, the shame it would bring her family would be astronomical. So, this was what she did, go as far away as she could so that it wouldn't raise any alarms with her husband or in-laws.

Snorting at the term, her life was a big cosmic joke, and she was the punch line. Her father-in-law was a kind man, smart, and he seemed to have a great heart, her sister-in-law was friendly, outgoing, and quite funny, but it was her nieces that made all this bearable. Beautiful twin girls, Jamila and Halima, both had their mother's spirit as well as their father's way of thinking, careful and calculated. Both girls were beautiful, dark eyes, dark hair, and a spitting image of their mother, but it was Jamila that had her father's nose, while Halima had her mother's.

Every morning after breakfast, Dalia would leave Ardeth's tent in search of them, because she knew that her husband did not want to be with her outside of his basic obligations, and she knew that they would never have children of their own. Just the thought of that broke her heart, but she could not force him into such things, nor would she want to, just the thought of raising a child with a man that would rather cut off his own arm than love her made her sick to her stomach. Closing her eyes, her mind couldn't help but go back to when she was about 10 years old and asking her mama why she was the only child.

FLASHBACK

Watching her mama stir the stew, Dalia continued to squeeze the fat out of the goat milk, determined to make her first batch of cheese all by herself. It was a slow process, but she was determined to show her parents that she was going to be a good wife, someday. Placing down the cloth, she stretched out her fingers, "Mama, how do I keep my fingers from hurting so much?" she asked her. Even though it was starting to hurt there was no way she was going to give up, if anything she needed to push herself harder.

Looking over her shoulder Zahra couldn't help but smile at the sight of her little flower, stepping away from her stew, she made her way over towards her daughter. Rubbing her shoulder, "Dali, open your fingers like this," showing her how to hold her hands, "and then you use your palm with your fingers, it keeps your fingers from getting tired."

Nodding, Dalia concentrated on doing what her mama told her, while it was a little more work it was helping keep her fingers from being so sore. It didn't take her long to finish it up, clean up her mess, and get everything stored away. Turning towards her mama, watching as she prepared a bowl for her aunt, normally she would be able to cook her own food, but she was heavily pregnant with her third child and her little cousins were just too young to cook.

"Dali, my love, would you please bring this to your Aunt Saffina?" she asked, knowing that Dali wouldn't even have to think about it.

"Yes mama." Carefully wrapping the bowl up, Dalia slowly made her way across the camp to her aunt's tent. It took a little longer than normal to reach their tent, but Dalia didn't want to drop the food, pushing her way into the tent, she found her little cousins playing in the corner, and her aunt lying on the bed looking very uncomfortable.

Clearing her throat, Dalia placed the food down on the table, "Auntie, are you alright?" she asked her, worried that she was hurt.

Clenching her teeth together, Saffina was scared, her husband was out in the desert for he was with Ishaq and Ardeth watching over the tomb, and she was about to give birth alone. "Dalia, please, run to go get your mama, the baby is coming. Take your cousins with you, please."

Without missing a beat, Dalia picked up the baby, and grabbed Karim's hand, "I will look out for them." Pulling them out of their tent, she quickly made her way towards her home, hoping that whatever was happening with her aunt, that she would be OK. Pushing her way into the tent, she found both her papa and mama waiting for her, they were looking at her with concern on their faces. "Aunt Saffina said to get mama, the baby is coming, and she told me to bring them." Indicating to the kids in her arm.

Abasi stood quickly, taking baby Suleiman from his little girl's arms, lifting him higher, he took Karim from her, "Dali, my girl, go with your mama, she may need your help." While she was only 10 years old, he knew that like his wife, Dalia would need to learn about being a midwife.

Zahra grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the tent, scared for her youngest sister. Glancing down, she could see the look of concern on Dalia's face, "Dali, you do not need to worry, this is a natural thing that women go through to have their children." She didn't want to scare her, but it was important that she knew what was going to happen, giving her a quick explanation of what she was about to see. Zahra could see several different emotions rolling off her, but the one that stuck out was determination, her baby girl was constantly surprising her with how brave she was.

Fear coursed through her as she listened to what her mama said about birth, but as scared as she was to hear about it, her aunt Saffina was probably terrified to experience it. Straightening her spine, Dalia could only nod, and as she entered the tent with her mama, no matter what she was going to be helpful.

It was well into the next day before they got back to their tent, stepping through Dalia followed her mama towards the washing bowl, standing quietly as she cleaned herself up. While she witnessed the animals around the camp have their babies, watching a person was so different.

Even with all the screaming, crying, and anguish that was on her aunt's face, the moment her mama placed that baby in her arms, all of that seemed to fade from her memory. Closing her eyes, Dalia couldn't get the image of her aunt kissing her baby girl out of her mind, it was as though she loved her instantly, and she knew that one day she would want to experience that.

As she looked up towards her mama, she couldn't help but blurt out what she was thinking. "Mama, were you afraid of the pain of birth, is that why I do not have any siblings?"

Freezing at her question, Zahra had to blink away a few tears. Drying off her hands, she turned towards her baby girl, while sad she wasn't upset with her question, after what she just saw it was only natural for her to want to know everything.

Taking her by the hand, she led her towards her little bed, laying down next to her, Zahra wrapped her arms around her, "No, Dalia, it wasn't the pain that kept me from having babies." Sighing, "Something inside me doesn't take the seed of your papa and create a baby. The Shaman confirmed long ago that I would never give birth to my own children."

Dalia watched as a tear rolled down her mama's face, using her thumb to wipe it away, upset that she made her mama cry. "I'm sorry mama, I didn't mean to make you sad." Hanging her head, Dalia didn't want to bring up a bad memory for her mama.

Placing a small kiss on her forehead, "No my baby, you didn't make me sad. The day that I found you, was the day I became a mama, and even though I didn't give you life, I love you with all my heart." It was important for her to know that she loved Dalia with every fiber of her being.

Wrapping herself around her, Dalia never doubted that for a second, while she still missed her mama, she still remembered hearing her ask her to be a good girl and listen. "I am lucky, I have two mama's, one that is in heaven watching from above, and you. I love you too." Yawning, not realizing how tired she was.

Zahra could only feel love in her soul, but hearing her yawn, she knew that they would need to rest, for the boys would be up soon enough and they were going to be a handful. Gently patting her head, "Get some rest sweetheart, you've earned it."

Closing her eyes, Dalia held onto her mama tightly, knowing that they truly needed each other.

END FLASHBACK

Blinking away a few tears, Dalia could feel her heart breaking at the thought of never knowing if she was able to have her own children, but perhaps in time, Ardeth would allow her to adopt a child. Just like her own mama, showing her that just because she didn't give her life that she still loved her deeply. But that was something she would pursue later down the road, now her goal was to keep the peace between them, not that he was an adversary per say, but all the same.

Seeing the sun starting to set, Dalia knew that it was time for her to get back, not that she thought he even cared about where she was, but she didn't want him to come out looking for her. Moving to stand, using her hands to wipe the sand that accumulated on her dress, Dalia gave one final look towards the river wishing that she could just follow it and see where in the world she would end up.

Ardeth watched as his wife made her way back into the camp, her face full of smiles at the people that welcomed her back, but it was his nieces that came running up screaming for her that had her face lighting up. Chuckling as they practically tackled her to the ground, but instead of her telling them to calm down, she picked them up and started to swing them around. While they weren't big kids, they were almost 8 years old, so to him it was surprising that she was able to hold them both.

His eyes followed her as she made her way towards the fire, as it was expected of her to sit next to him during their meals, but as their eyes locked, he watched as her smiles vanished and, in its place, a cool look of indifference. It was something that he was learning about his wife, for the world she would smile, laugh, but in the privacy of their tent, she barely spoke to him.

Taking a moment to look around the fire, he could see the smile on his father's face as she sat next to him, even his sister couldn't keep the goofy look off her face, but as his eyes looked at his wife, he could see that she wanted to be anywhere but next to him.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, frowning as she stiffened at his touch, "How was the river?" he asked, wondering about her day. He learned quickly that even though they moved around a lot, if they were near it, she was always there. In the beginning it was a little strange for him, he always thought women preferred to stay in the heart of the camp, but after their morning routine, she would go for hours.

Dalia slowly ate her stew, hoping that dinner would be over soon, as much as she had grown to care about her in-laws, she hated how they all looked when she was near Ardeth. She knew that in their minds, they were a newly married couple, possibly falling in love, and spending their nights intimately. A part of her wanted them to know that none of that was happening, but as the woman she would take the blame, for it would be her fault that her husband didn't want her, and it would bring shame to her parents. Her only hope was for him to get tired of this charade and divorce her, while it wasn't great, she'd be able to go home to her family, and while she never wanted to marry Mostafa, she knew that he would want to have many children with her.

Hearing his question, Dalia turned her eyes to him, giving him a small smile. "It was fine, thank you." Quickly turning her eyes back towards the rest of the people around his fire, not knowing what else to say to him.

Menes watched as Ardeth kept pushing her further away, he knew that if this continued, she would be lost to him forever.

Ardeth slid his hand into hers, "We will be heading to Cairo within the month, have you ever been?" Hoping that he could open a line of communication with her. But to his surprise and disappointment she gracefully took her hands out of his.

Tilting her head, "A long time ago." Images of her mama lying in the street flashed in her mind, not wanting to cry, Dalia turned her attention towards the fire hoping that focusing on that would help her keep calm. However, the longer she stared, the more her heart started to break. Standing in a smooth motion, not wanting to bring attention to her wave of emotions, she politely excused herself and made her way back to his tent, needing to be alone with her thoughts.

His eyes following her as she made her way through the camp not leaving her until she disappeared behind the cloth, but as he turned his head back towards the fire, he found his family watching, all with smiles on their face, but it was Menes who looked furious with him. Shaking his head, Ardeth focused on the rest of his family, doing his best to avoid answering questions about his wife, and when they expected to have their first child.

Sighing, that was something he had been thinking about the last few weeks, because it was painfully clear to him, she was not what he first thought she was. Any other woman would have been at her husband's feet, begging, pleading with them, but not Dalia.

No, his wife just shrugged her shoulders and kept her nose in a book when they were in their tent together. It was strange, she would clean, cook, do everything a wife was expected to do, but unless there was someone with them at the fire or inside their tent, she never spoke to him. Outside of his sister, he never met a woman that was so strong-willed, even when the Tribe was on the move, instead of riding in the wagons with the other women, she rode proudly on a horse, looking at ease on the beast.

Rubbing his face, Ardeth really didn't know what he could do to change the course that they were on, for she came here under the assumption that she was getting a husband, but instead of giving her that his pride took over and now he was living with a woman that had no interest in being anything more than what they were. Not that he could blame her, for if the roles were reversed, he was sure that he would be doing the same thing, shame filled him, if his family knew what he was doing to her, he was certain that his father would beat him, Chief or not.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Ardeth found his father standing before him, "Is everything OK?" he asked him.

Ishaq could only nod, "Yes, would you walk an old man back to his tent." It was strange for him, once he was in the Chief's tent, but now he took over Ardeth's.

Moving to stand, Ardeth placed his hand on his father's shoulder, walking him through the camp, nodding to the people that bowed at him as he passed through. His father was a beloved Chief, and still highly respected in their tribe. "You never have to ask, father." It didn't matter to him, Chief or not, he was his father, and he would always show him the respect that he was due.

Patting his shoulders, he couldn't be prouder of his son, he was a great leader and it seemed as though he was coming into his role as a husband, not that he had any doubts. "Tell me my son, are you still upset with me about your marriage?" he asked him. Knowing full well that for a while, it was clear that Ardeth was furious with him about taking away his choice, but it seemed the last few weeks he has been better.

Cringing a bit as his father spoke, Ardeth couldn't help but wonder how different his answer would be if he didn't put such a hard line between him and Dalia. "No father, I was childish to even be upset. She is a fine woman." Which was the truth, but as the words left his mouth regret filled him deeply.

Ishaq could see that something was bothering his son, "You know, it wasn't perfect with your mother, it took a long time for us to really love each other. Don't be discouraged." He said, patting his cheek.

Ardeth resisted the urge to snort, the thought of Dalia feeling anything for him at this point was laughable. Looking down into his eyes, he just nodded, "Perhaps, only time will tell, yes?" Hoping to be at the end of this conversation.

"Yes, time is a good healer." With a last look, Ishaq made his way into his tent, knowing that tomorrow the camp would be waking up early to start their migration towards the outskirts of Cairo.

Finding his way towards his own tent, his mind wondering if there was anything that could be done to fix what he had broken in his arrogance. Pushing through the curtain, his eyes immediately found his wife sitting in her makeshift bed, her arms wrapped around her pillow sound asleep. Hanging his head, the fact that she was so comfortable not to be in their marriage bed but on the side in her little bed was starting to break his heart. Making his way towards the washing bowl, Ardeth quickly cleansed himself and readied himself for bed. As he closed his eyes, he knew that he needed by the morning they would need to have a conversation on how to get back on track.

Ardeth sat quietly as he ate the porridge that she prepared for them, pleased that she added some cane sugar as well as some berries, it reminded him of how his mother made it for their family. Reaching over, he placed his hand on her wrist, hissing as she yanked her hand away. "Dalia. Please."

Snapping her eyes towards him, Dalia let her eyes stare into his, "I tolerate you touching me in front of your tribe, your family, but in here, you do not get to touch me." Standing quickly, Dalia grabbed their empty bowls and quickly rinsed them off. As she turned around, she found him uncomfortably close, stepping back into the more open space, Dalia found him following her, "What is this?" she snapped.

Holding his hands up, Ardeth took a tentative step forward, his eyes watching hers, instead of stepping back he could see that if he touched her again, she was willing to fight him off. Not wanting to put her in a fight response, he held himself steady, "You are my wife, are you not?"

Rolling her eyes, Dalia could feel herself staring at him like he had grown a second head, "Not really. You made your position about our marriage perfectly clear." Moving to step around him, she found Ardeth blocking her path, "I would appreciate it if you moved." She said, doing what she could to keep her voice calm.

Ardeth could see that she wanted to be anywhere but near him, stepping aside he watched as she slowly moved past him to leave, "Dalia, I am sorry for hurting you."

"Don't be, for you were just being honest." Letting her eyes travel up to his, she could see sadness in his, "All I want now, is to be left alone in private, and perhaps in time, you would consider allowing me to adopt a child." That was all she really hoped that he would concede on, if he could give her that, then anything else she could muscle through and perhaps even find a semblance of happiness. Without another word, she made her way out of his tent and towards Naeema, for today she was going to ride with her and the girls.

Looking towards the sky, Ardeth knew that in that moment, this was all she was going to give him and while he didn't love her, but one thing was for certain, if he didn't put this wall around him that first night, he was certain he could have loved her deeply. Running his hand through his hair, anger filled him and all of it was directed at himself. Shaking his head clear, he was the Chief of this Tribe, and it was his duty to help people break down their camp and get the caravan moving.

Menes found the young Chief sitting alone by the edge of their camp, it wasn't uncommon for the Chief to take up century duty, but a newly married one, well that was going to raise a few questions. Clearing his throat, so not to find himself on the wrong end of his sword, Menes couldn't help but smirk as the man jumped a bit at his presence. "For one so young, you should not be so tense."

Turning his head slightly, Ardeth found Menes taking a seat next to him, which was strange. "What brings you out here so late?" A little curious, the man was almost 70 years old, it had been a long time since he watched over the camp.

"I can say the same thing about you, but I'm sure your wife prefers her solitude." It wasn't something he would normally say to his Chief, but Menes knew that if something didn't change soon a darkness would settle over their tribe.

Ardeth could feel his jaw twitching, "Careful with how you speak to me or about my wife."

Keeping his face neutral, Menes kept his smile to himself, while this wasn't going to be easy at least now he only needed to convince Dalia that the man in front of him was worth it. "All this postering, it's strange I think, for the moment she got here, you've made it your mission to not give in to your father's wishes." Leaning back a bit, "I know that you and she have not sealed your marital bonds with each other, and every day her heart gets further and further away from you. I'm here to tell you that you need to fix this before it's too late, because she is the key to your happiness."

Standing abruptly, Ardeth could feel his hand twitching, "WHY WOULD YOU STAY SILENT FOR SO LONG?" he yelled out.

"Because it was not my job to tell you to be a good husband, this failure falls in your lap, not mine." Crossing his leg, Menes locked eyes with his Chief, "Do you even know anything about her? Why do you seem upset about it now?" As grateful as he was that Ardeth was finally seeing the error of his ways, he was curious what changed.

Gripping the handle of his sword, he knew that the Priest was right, the failure of his marriage was his alone, inhaling deeply Ardeth found himself sitting back down. "I know nothing about her other than what I've been told." Kicking a rock that was at his feet, "It matters, because as a husband I've failed her. It was only by watching her that I've realized some of who she is and what little I know is humbling." Turning his eyes towards his Priest, seeing his all-knowing eyes watch him, he needed to confide in someone of his failings perhaps then he would have a chance at fixing what he broke.

Menes leaned forward on his knees, he could deep into his Chiefs heart, he didn't love her, at least not yet, but he knew that if he could get Dalia to see the man he really was, it would bring peace to his Chief and prosperity to the Tribe. Placing his hand on Ardeth's shoulder, using it to help him stand, looking into his eyes, "It will not be easy, but I will do what I can to help you." Seeing the relief on his face, "It won't be easy, and you need to have patience. Understand?" Knowing that it wouldn't be easy, especially when he saw her every night before bed and every morning when he woke up.

Sighing, Ardeth knew that it took only minutes to break their marriage, but it would take months if not longer to fix. "Whatever is needed I will do." Seeing Mene's polite nod and head back into the camp, Ardeth turned his attention back towards the desert, thankful for the full moon. Exhaling slowly, he could hear the animals of the night calling to each other, as a child he enjoyed hearing them but after Ahm Shere the sound of jackals barking sent a chill down his spine.

Shaking it off, Ardeth already had something to worry about, he didn't need to relieve the moment he truly thought that he almost failed the world. Leaning back against the wall, doing what he could to think about anything else, and he found himself thinking about his wife and the moment he realized that he was completely wrong about her and that he made a terrible mistake for not getting to know her.

FLASHBACK (1 MONTH AFTER MARRIAGE)

Standing outside their tent, Ardeth waited patiently for his wife to come out and scurry off to who knows where. It was the same thing every morning, they would wake for their day, she would make them breakfast, clean up, do any cleaning that was needed, and then head off. In the beginning he didn't care what she did with her day, their morning chores were done, and he had other things to attend to as Chief, but curiosity was getting to him and perhaps a bit of jealousy. It was clear that the younger men of their tribe watched her, some a little more than the others, and he could see the lust in their eyes as she walked through the camp.

He had no right to feel that way, but the thought of men looking at his wife in such a manner angered him, and if he was being honest with himself, he didn't know her well enough to trust that she didn't have a lover. As the thought passed through his mind, Ardeth could feel his anger rising, hating himself for being so weak to succumb to such emotions but he was not God, he was but a man. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eyes, he watched as Dalia stepped out of their tent and with a quick glance around and start to head out towards her unknown destination.

Not wanting to give her any indication that she was being followed, Ardeth kept a good distance between them, his eyes constantly checking the surrounding looking for anything out of the ordinary, but nothing seemed to stand out or scream danger. Never taking his eyes off her shoulders, he could see them stiffen almost as if she knew that she was being followed, stepping behind a boulder, he watched as she looked over her shoulder and watched her eyes scan the area for any movement. Smirking a bit, Ardeth was impressed that she was able to sense that something was off, even Naeema didn't have such instincts no matter how much she tried but his wife seemed to.

Dalia swore she could feel someone trailing her, but as she looked behind her, the only movement she could detect was the small animals scurrying about. Gripping her staff a little tighter, Dalia waited another moment before she turned and headed towards the river. Letting out a sigh, the last thing she wanted or needed was someone to go tell her husband what she was up to, and while a part of her wished that she would have been able to share this part of herself with her husband, that was not how her life was playing out.

Tucking some of her loose hair behind her ear, Dalia smiled as the sounds of the river started to hit her ears, even as a child she always found the water so comforting. Glancing around the banks, she was pleased to see that there was no one here, which was a strange feeling, in her old sect she enjoyed being around people but now she found peace in her solitude. Closing her eyes, Dalia could feel a tear threatening to fall down her cheek, quickly wiping it away, she kicked off her sandals smiling as she felt the sand in between her toes.

Exhaling slowly, Dalia could swear that there was someone watching, but unless they were invisible, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Lifting her staff, Dalia slowly turned it around in her hand a few times, wanting to give herself a moment to get used to the weight. Once she felt comfortable with how it was balanced, Dalia closed her eyes and let all the training her papa instilled in her flow through her, if anything to help release the pent-up frustrations that she was feeling.

Ardeth found himself crouching on top of a few boulders, his eyes watching as she masterfully maneuvered the staff through the advanced Medjai forms, never in his 30 years had he known a woman to know such things. Even though he was a skilled fighter, that staff was the one weapon that he could use, he wasn't as proficient as his wife seemed to be. Unable to take his eyes off her, Ardeth watched as she moved through each of the fighting forms that all Medjai were taught, she was flawless, powerful, and beautiful.

He watched in rapt attention as she flipped her body around while using the staff to protect her back, it was a move that he had never seen in any of his training. Rubbing his beard, Ardeth watched as she completed her final set of movements, and it was in that moment he knew that he grossly misjudged her. While it was true that she was soft, as a woman should be, but she was also fierce as the kind of woman that he truly wanted in his life.

Taking a few moments to let his brain catch up with all the information that he had just learned, he could hear her crying, turning his eyes only to find her falling to her knees, repeating over and over for Allah to send her home to her family. Hearing those words leave her mouth, Ardeth felt like a knife just pierced his soul, this isn't what he wanted for her, while he didn't want to be forced into a marriage, seeing her now, knowing that her anguish was his fault. Closing his eyes, he placed his hands over his face hating the man that he became towards a woman that came here with the trust that she was marrying an honorable man, but instead she found a man punishing her because he was upset with his father.

END FLASHBACK

Feeling a tear sliding down his face, Ardeth quickly wiped it away, he had no rights to have such an emotion, this was his cross to bear and he would do so for the rest of his days. Seeing the sun starting to rise over the dunes, he knew that it was time to head back towards his tent, because they still had a long way to go before they were on the outskirts of Cairo. Moving to stand, Ardeth turned his eyes towards the sky, praying that Menes was able to help him with Dalia, if anything to heal some of the wounds that he inflicted on her.

Pushing his way into his tent, his eyes finding her sleeping form wrapped in her blanket and pillow, smiling at how she held it to her body. Taking a last moment to look at her, Ardeth found himself hoping for one thing, while he wasn't naïve enough to think that she could ever love him after all of this, but maybe if he showed her that he was truly sorry and was willing to fix this, she might feel some sort of friendliness to him. Turning on his heels, desperate to wash himself before she woke, and ready them for another long day of travel.