"I hope you had a good time," Nasir told Aeon and Nadia with a knowing look. Nadia immediately blushed as her father was all too knowing sometimes.
"We did have a good time," Aeon answered for both of them and Nadia nodded in complete agreement. "Sometime soon, I would like to take Nadia into Cairo, but I know our relationship has just begun, so that's not gonna be possible for awhile. Still, there are many more things to do in the city than there is out here in this small village.
"I don't see why that shouldn't be possible," Nasir said calmly. "You should take at least one Medjai guard with you just in case there's trouble."
"It's probably wise," Aeon said before Nadia could object. "The cities can be rough in a lot of ways, just different from here in the desert. There are plenty of rough men in the city too, just a different type. This is something you should know since you lived in Alexandria with your husband until he was murdered."
"It probably is, but that means we won't get any alone time until we're back here and it's not like we're really alone here either, as there's really no place we can go for a little privacy within the border of the village," Nadia said in mild protest.
She knew very well that her father and Aeon were right, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel as if she was being smothered, but she also knew they were just trying to keep her safe.
"They can leave you alone in a room together, just so long as they're there if needed," Nasir said. "I won't order them to spy on you I promise."
"You had better not father or you'll be in big trouble," Nadia told him her tone rather upset at that statement. "I don't have enough privacy as it is, but I realize that privacy is a myth in such a small place unless you're in your own home. Technically, I'm a widow and I can go anywhere I please, but I came back here, because I didn't know what else to do. You really don't have any control over my actions anymore, but I do try not to cause problems for you, so don't abuse my patience. I only came back to try to get my life together after my husband died, but since he left me all his financial assets, it's not like I need to stay here unless I want to."
Widows had certain privileges, even in such a primitive society as the Medjai, so Nadia was absolutely correct in what she said. Nadia never had to get married again if she didn't care to, as she'd been married once and lost him.
Nasir didn't say a word, and didn't seem upset at his daughter's, mini lecture. Finally, he spoke his tone gentle yet firm, "I will protect you to the best of my ability and until you decide to leave, Nadia, whether you get married again or just get tired of having no privacy so go elsewhere, because you're right, I can't really stop you from leaving if you want to, as you're free to go where you like. I trust Aeon to look after your safety, but it never hurts to have somebody else to guard your back just in case. This is a dangerous country and you know that daughter."
"Anywhere can be dangerous, but here in the Middle East, that is more true than most other places," Aeon added.
Nasir and Aeon shared a look that basically said they thought Nadia was being naïve.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Nasir," Aeon said. "I'll escort Nadia home and then I'm going home myself."
"You're welcome to use the guest cottage for as long as you want," Nasir said sincerely. "I can't thank you enough for all you did for Amira."
"Your healer was doing a good job. All I basically did, was give her immune system a boost, helping her fight off the desert fever more efficiently," Aeon said. "I simply imparted some of my own energy into a Amira in order to boost her own body's defenses."
"Still, I'm grateful for what you did and my son will be as well as soon as he gets back in a few days from patrolling in the desert," Nasir said.
"If I may inquire what happened to Amira's mother," Aeon asked.
"I'm afraid she died giving birth to Amira," Nasir answered. "There was nothing that could be done, and the healer did try his best. Unfortunately, we're too far from a modern hospital out here in our village and sometimes such tragedies just can't be prevented. Her brothers are staying with my other sons for the moment as they didn't need to stay with me and possibly get the desert sickness."
"That is so tragic," Nadia said who hadn't known that, but then, she hadn't been here when Amira was born as Azim was still alive then, so they'd been living in Alexandria.
"It is," Aeon agreed. "They still might not have been able to do anything in a modern hospital, but it's very likely, that they could've performed an operation and saved both mother and child if that had been an option.
"There's no point of speculation at this late date, as there's nothing to be done that will change the past," Nasir said.
"Could you have done something if you had been asked?" Nadia asked.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I likely couldn't of done anymore than your regular healer, as birth and babies is not my specialty and it's not the way my talent works," Aeon said, shaking his head. "Even I can't perform miracles Nadia, so I more than likely would've been useless if I had been called for such a task. I would've tried my best, of course, but I haven't had the training to be a midwife and that's usually a woman's job anyway. My point is, they're likely wouldn't have been anything I could do in order to save the mother."
"You do more than enough, Aeon and I appreciate everything you can do," Nasir told his friend.
"No thanks necessary my friend, as healing is my calling, and my life's work," Aeon said. "I'm always happy to help out where and when I can, but I can't prevent every tragedy either, as much as I might like to. I've had to learn to accept that I'm not going be able to save everyone no matter what I want. Every ability that can show up due to a person having magic has limitations, and that is one of mine."
Nasir and Aeon shared a look that Nadia couldn't decipher.
"You sound like you've been doing this for at least 50 years and you don't look any older then I do. In fact, you actually look a few years younger then I am," Nadia said looking at Aeon speculatively.
That was so true, that both men nearly laughed, but managed to contain their mirth, as they couldn't explain to Nadia exactly what Aeon was and that he'd been around much longer then a mere five decades at least not right now.
"I might look younger than you do, but I'm not, I promise," Aeon told her. "I simply consider it clean living and also doing a job I love keeping me young."
Nadia puzzled over that mysterious statement for a few minutes, and then finally gave up, as she knew that neither her father or Aeon would say anything else about the subject. What the big secret was Nadia didn't know, but she knew her father at least would and could carry a secret to his grave unless given permission to release it.
"See you tomorrow, my friend," Aeon told Nasir, who nodded and watched as Aeon escorted Nadia out of his home.
Nasir was very thoughtful once the pair was gone and thought that Aeon was doing a good job of winning his daughter's heart, and he doubted Nadia, even realized at present that she was falling for the gentle healer.
He'd happily welcome Aeon into his family and also his tribe if he happened to get Nadia to agree to marry him, but he'd wait and see.
He wouldn't want to mess things up, for either one of them by interfering.
~~~Aeon and Nadia~~~
Cairo
Aeon's house
Two weeks later
"Make yourself comfortable," Aeon said. "I'll wash the sheets and they'll be ready to put on the bed before you go to sleep tonight."
Aeon and Nadia were in Cairo at Aeon's house and were staying overnight in order to see some of the sites before they headed back. Aeon had a date planned, that included a nice meal at one of the finest restaurants before they headed back to the Medjai village. He'd already made a reservation and luckily, he'd been able to get one.
"It seems like such a bother to wash the sheets, just so I have a place to sleep tonight. We are only staying for three days," Nadia commented.
"It'll be both our sheets as I haven't been back in awhile, and I do try to maintain at least the minimum cleanliness," Aeon told Nadia. "My mother is rather ashamed of my housekeeping skills, but since I'm living alone, I do the bare minimum."
"Typical man," Nadia said, shaking her head, smiling.
"I'm just usually so busy that it just doesn't get done," Aeon shrugged. "Still, I can do laundry when I absolutely have to, and change the sheets of a bed and all those other household chores. Most of my siblings are much better housekeepers than I am. Well, either that or they pay someone to clean for them, just because they don't have time."
"You could do the same you know, hire a housekeeper," Nadia said.
"I could, but since most people don't know about my magic, I would need to get someone that knew how to keep a secret and didn't hate the fact that I had such an ability in the first place," Aeon said.
"Surely, most people know about your unusual ability," Nadia said "not just the Medjai."
"There are rumors about me, but those rumors might not be true so there's no proof that I do have magic," Aeon said. "The people who want my help know how to find me. I'll put those sheets into the washing unit and then I'm taking you out for a nice dinner since we're actually in civilization I made reservations at this restaurant."
"I hope it doesn't require a fancy dress as I don't own anything that fancy," Nadia said.
"No fancy duds required, as that's not me either," Aeon smiling. "I would never take you somewhere that required you to dress up without at least a few days warning."
"Your house is really nice Aeon," Nadia said, as the healer had already given her a tour.
"What no comment about how dusty everything is," Aeon said smiling.
"Considering how long you've been gone and you don't seem to have a housekeeper that's a given," Nadia shot back.
"True," Aeon said smiling before he went to his room and stripped the sheets off the bed and then th the guest room and headed for the laundry room in order to throw them in the washing unit.
~~~Aeon and Nadia~~~
"This is really good," Nadia said as she ate the lunch that Aeon had prepared. She had offered to help, but Aeon had waved away her assistance. "I had no idea you knew how to cook."
"Oh yes, Hamza and I spent the night when we first came to fetch him and he was fixing dinner when we got here," Malik said. "Hamza and I didn't want to take his dinner, but there was enough for all of us and as he pointed out, he just would've had to throw it away, since he didn't know how long he'd be gone if we didn't share it with him and he was right."
Malik had offered to escort the pair of them into Cairo to Aeon's house where they would stay while Aeon and Nadia went on their date and then did other couple activities before they headed back to the Medjai village.
Malik had stayed out of the way and was only there as a guard for Nadia and Aeon just in case there was trouble that healer couldn't handle by himself, but he followed them wherever they went a silent, comforting presence.
"And it would indeed have had to go to waste since they caught me while I was just finishing cooking and since we didn't need to leave until morning, there was no point of letting good food spoil," Aeon said smiling.
"So where did you learn to cook so well. It's an unusual talent for a man or at least here in Egypt it is," Nadia said.
"My mother is a great cook and she taught me a lot of it," Aeon answered. "She taught all her children how to cook though some are better than others of course. Also, my Aunt Shonda is also an excellent cook and so is my father and they taught me a lot as well. Dad taught all his children how to cook as well as the Hotchner children. I learned how to take care of myself a long time ago and I can do laundry and everything else I need to do, even if I don't particularly enjoy washing clothes and sheets."
"Well, you certainly learned well then," Nadia said, and Malik nodded in complete agreement, even as he took a bite of the food Aeon had prepared.
"Yes, he did," Malik agreed.
"I'll be glad to do the cooking whenever we're here," Aeon said. "It doesn't take that long with all the modern devices that have been invented to make preparing a meal easier."
"Maybe I'll just have to keep you around then," Nadia shot back, even as she took another bite of her food.
There was laughter in her eyes Aeon saw, and so he responded in kind, knowing that Nadia wasn't really serious with her statement.
"I suppose you will, though I know you can cook as well and I'm looking forward to trying some of what you make. We could do that some other time, though, as we have plans for the rest of the day after lunch, as you said, you wanted to see a movie while we were here, so I'll be happy to accommodate your request," Aeon said. "I haven't been to a vid in ages so I'll enjoy it just as much as you will."
"So why don't you tell me about your family while we finish our food," Nadia suggested. "How many siblings do you have for instance?"
"I have three siblings," Aeon replied easily. Aeon begin to tell Nadia and Malik a little about each of them.
Malik said nothing, but simply listened to the conversation as Aeon and Nadia talked and enjoyed very much the food that the healer had prepared.
If Aeon and Nadia married, that would mean that Aeon would become part of the tribe, not that he wasn't anyway, but this would be more legal than just honorarily.
Malik could see there being some objections to that from Medjai who would want to marry Nadia in order to get closer to being chieftain, even if they had no chance of ever getting the position. Nadia was the youngest of the chieftain's children and she had four older brothers before her, ones who had sons of their own so unless some kind of massive catastrophe happened where all those men were killed, there was absolutely no chance of those Medjai becoming chief.
That didn't mean that they couldn't bring those complaints to Nadia's father however, but Malik had a feeling that Nasir, as the chief, would just dismiss them and threaten them with a serious punishment if any harm came to his daughter and her intended if Nadia accepted Aeon's upcoming proposal that is.
Malik had no doubt that Aeon would propose to Nadia probably soon, but as to whether or not Nadia would accept was the question. Nadia never had to marry again since she was a widow, and she didn't care to and no one could force her into it.
Those Medjai that protested Nadia getting married to yet another outsider might try to force her hand, but they were unlikely to succeed, and Malik would do his best to protect the pair at the table, enjoying their lunch, and he knew that most Medjai would do the same.
Every tribe after all, had a small rebellious element, and the same was true for the Medjai, as it was for any other tribe out in the desert.
~~~Aeon and Nadia~~~