Chapter 10

Epilogue

Eight months later Aeon and Nadia were married in a ceremony with over 200 people there, though a lot of them were family. The Medjai who had protested Nadia marrying him had been told that the decision had been made, and that Nasir had no problem with his daughter's and Aeon upcoming union and if they didn't like that, then they could leave the tribe or they could face death.

Nasir had made it clear that they would be stripped of their rank as Medjai and be left out in the desert tied to stakes for the buzzards to bite into their flesh until they were dead.

Aeon knew those Medjai that had caused the trouble had been told of their fates if they caused any trouble and protested about him and Nadia getting married. Aeon knew those Medjai fates wouldn't be pleasant if harm came to him or Nadia and they weren't meant to be. A painful death would be an example to other Medjai of what would be their fates if they tried similar tactics. Those Medjai would likely take many days to die, as they would be spreadeagled slightly above the ground with each limb tied to four wooden stakes that had been pounded down into the earth. They would be left out in the heat in the daytime buck naked with no protection. At night however, it tended to be very cold where they would freeze until the sun rose. Such a punishment would take them many days to die at least a couple of weeks, depending on their constitutions. The buzzards would be picking at their skin and plucking out their eyes every minute making their torture more painful, not to mention the bugs and things like poisonous scorpions, scarabs beetles and snakes. They could even be buried in sand, if there was a bad sandstorm while they were still alive and be smothered in a ton of dirt. A very unpleasant way to die, but then having your eyeballs plucked out and your skin bitten or clawed by the desert life wouldn't be very pleasant either. At least being buried in sand would be a faster way to die.

The Medjai in question, had to quit protesting after that, but that didn't mean they didn't send Aeon hateful glares when they thought he wasn't paying attention. The glares, however, did not bother Aeon in the slightest, though he was always on the lookout for trouble, just in case the troublemakers decided to act despite Nasir's threats.

The temple of Karnak was the venue for the wedding, as people often got married there.

It was a beautiful ceremony and now they were at the reception that had been arranged for after the ceremony. Nasir, of course, gave his daughter away just like he had the first time to Azim. He stood tall and proud, every inch the warrior with the scimitar and knife at his side, dressed in his finest. The etchings on his face were very startling for someone who had never seen a person with so many visible, tattoos on their skin.

All four of Nadia's brothers were there along with their wives and children as well. Aeon's family, his parents, godparents, the siblings who'd been born at the same time he was, as well as Marcus and Emily and their children. There was also plenty of Aeon's other family there, both the Rossis, who he was actually related to, and the Hotchners who were considered family whether they were related or not.

"So I heard there was some trouble," Aaron commented once the ceremony was over and they had had their first dance. All of them were sitting at one of the tables that had been set up outside of Karnak on the sand, so that people could eat when they wanted to and then dance. There was no particular seating arrangement.

"If you were referring to the nearly half a dozen Medjai who thought it would be a good idea to protest me marrying someone they considered an outsider then you would be correct," Nadia said her tone contemptuous. "It didn't seem to matter to those five Medjai that Aeon had gone out of his way to be available when he was needed, and was usually there to help the tribe through some kind of illness, and also there to heal any physical injuries. I know I had been there for only for three years after my first husband was murdered and didn't know Aeon at all until I met him after he helped Amira, but still my father has told me a lot about how he's helped the tribe. He said that while Aeon wasn't technically part of the tribe, he had enough honor and loyalty to be considered an honorary Medjai."

"Considering that Nasir said that out in public in front of the five Medjai that had tried to cause trouble for Nadia and me, well, they were shamed," Aeon said, even as he flushed in embarrassment, remembering the honor Nasir paid him.

"I bet you, that made them furious," Shonda, who had wandered up with a plate of food noted.

"It did, but considering what my father threatened to do to them if they caused any trouble, it was just a minor incident," Nadia said.

"What exactly did your father threaten to do?" Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He told them very boldly that he wouldn't bother to slit their throats, as that would be too gentle a punishment for them," Aeon revealed. "He told them he'd stake them naked spreadeagled out in the desert so that the scorpions, snakes and buzzards not to mention the heat and the cold could kill them off over a few weeks. I mean the heat in the daytime can be quite fierce and since their mortal they would've been badly sunburned with no protection. That doesn't even count for the desert critters and what they would do to those Medjai."

"That sounds rather drastic and also gross," Shonda said wincing at her nephew's description.

"The Medjai are a warrior culture and that punishment isn't even the worst my father could've threatened, though I won't say it isn't bad. He could've threatened to bury them in the sand up to their chins and let them die that way. The buzzards still would've gotten to them and some of the desert animals as well and believe me, as I have already said, the sun can be really hot, making the sand scorching and considering they would be naked... They would have been burned severely except for their heads, though the sun would've taken care of that as well and the buzzards probably would've picked out their eyes and yanked the hair off their heads to make nests. They would've been severely dehydrated by the time they finally died," Aeon continued.

"I'm not sure if that's worse or not," Shonda winced again, "but still I understand. It's a different culture than what I'm used to."

"It is, and troublemakers are severely dealt with if they cause too much trouble where someone is injured, especially severely and considering, Nadia is the daughter of the chief, well, their fate would likely have been worse if they dared cause trouble. The kindest fate for them is to be thrown out of the Medjai, but then, surviving out in the desert with no water or supplies isn't much better and Cairo is a day's drive away in my jeep and about that on desert horses going at a run," Aeon said.

"At least it's possible to survive if they're just thrown out of the tribe, even without water or supplies because it's possible to get water if you can find an oasis," Nadia added, feeling very comfortable talking to her husband's godparents as they were such nice people.

It was clear why Aeon loved them so much along with his own parents.

"There are succulent plants where you can get water, but you also have to know what they are and know about such things in the first place before you can find anything," Aeon added. "Also, there are many poisonous plants as well as animal in the Sahara, snakes and beetles are just two of them."

"Well, every area of the world has its own dangers, so it's not like you can expect there not to be any dangerous animals or plants in the Sahara," Aaron said, squeezing Shonda's hand.

"True," Shonda agreed, "and it's not like we can die from being poisoned or from dehydration, but still, I know that ordinary people can. Personally, I'm glad those troublemakers were taken care of, as I wouldn't want you to have further trouble with them considering you just got married."

"Nasir is very protective," Aeon said. "If anything had actually happened to Nadia, like if she had been injured, because of something they did their punishment would've been far worse. They would've likely suffered the Hom-Dai and trust me, you don't want to know what that is."

"That's a punishment that hasn't been used since the time of Imhotep in ancient Egypt," Nadia winced. "It hasn't been performed on anybody in thousands of years."

"He was a priest that went very bad and betrayed his pharaoh. I'll have to tell you the legend sometime," Aeon said.

"I remember you mentioning that when you came to introduce Nadia to us, but still, I don't know if I want to know because the punishments you describe sound horrible enough," Shonda said.

"You're such a gentle soul and that's one reason, I love you so much," Aaron told Shonda kissing her cheek. "She doesn't even like to take someone's memory when necessary to protect our secrets."

"Yes I remember you mentioning that you can do that," Nadia said still amazed that was possible.

"We can, but Jazz and I have to be very careful because we can cause memory problems for that person if we're not," Shonda explained. "Unlike your culture, we don't kill unless we have no other choice."

"It's just a different cultures and different views on what's right," Aeon said, kissing Nadia's cheek. "Really, the Medjai try not to kill unless they have to, but making sure that Hamunaptra remains buried is a sacred duty when they have never shirked, even after thousands of years."

"So if I can ask, why did these Medjai you told me about protest about the two of you marrying," Shonda asked curiously.

"Because marrying me would've brought them enormous status," because I am the only daughter of the chief of the Medjai. They have no chance of ever being chief, because I have four brothers who all have sons, but still, they wanted that status," Nadia explained.

"I suppose Medjai are no different than those we've met over the centuries that all they care about is status, not caring how they acquire it or who they have to step on the get it," Aaron said.

"You should've heard my father curse and trust me he can be quite creative," Nadia said.

"That's true and he insulted those Medjai right in front of them and in front of the rest of the village too," Aeon chuckling, as he remembered. "I believe he called them, motherless sons of camels and a lot of other insults that I won't bother to repeat."

"And what was the point of insulting them in what was basically public?" Shonda asked.

"Because it shamed them, and now the rest of the Medjai, know that they protested my marriage to Aeon," Nadia said. "Most of my tribe likes and respects Aeon for all he does for them, but these five considered him an outsider no matter how much he helps out so those villagers were on our side."

"That they aren't married by now, and all of them are in their 40s ought to tell you that no woman of the Medjai would have them," Aeon added. "And while they can marry someone from Cairo or Alexandria or some other city, they haven't done that either, but then, that would be marrying outside the tribe."

"Medjai women tend to marry relatively young at least in their late 20s, if not early 20s," Nadia added. "That they protested me marrying Aeon, just proves why they've never married."

"I know marrying young has to do with having as many children as possible," Shonda said. "The younger you are usually for that kind of thing, the easier it is for a woman to give birth."

"Particularly when there's no modern hospital nearby, as it's a day away by car. You can't exactly take a pregnant woman who's in labor on the back of a horse," Aeon said.

"I understand what you mean, as you're not always available to help, as you're only one person," Aaron said.

"Even if I am, there's only so much I can do when it comes to a woman giving birth, as I'm not trained as a midwife, as that's not within my skill set. Even my power to heal, couldn't possibly help in that type of situation, though I can heal a woman if she's bleeding internally after giving birth, but that's all I can do," Aeon said. "My power does have limits, as anybody with the same type of magic can tell you."

"This is why the woman of my tribe tend to marry young, though not always of course, just on average," Nadia added.

"I was 33 when I met Aaron and 34 when I married him," Shonda said, "and that was still young where I come from, but then, most people only had two or three kids."

"In that way, the Medjai are different, though some women are not capable of having more than one or two and the healer can recommend they try not to have anymore, as it can kill them," Aeon said.

"We need as many warriors as we can get in order to defend Hamunaptra and so many leave for Cairo or Alexandria or elsewhere, once they are grown that sometimes we struggle with having enough men," Nadia said. "The lure of civilization with all it contains is strong."

"Yes, civilization can be a rather strong lure," Shonda suggested.

"That's very true," Aeon agreed with his godmother. "I've gotten used to having no electricity or being able to use my electronics so far out in the desert at least when the power dies, but I also respect the Medjai for not progressing like the rest of the world and managing to survive without all the modern conveniences."

"Most Egyptians believe that the Medjai no longer exist," Nadia added, "while not true most don't know that and we don't go around telling people who we are."

"I think it's time we head out to the dance floor," Aeon told Nadia, smiling. The expression totally lit up, his face showing how happy he was when he looked at his mate.

"Sounds good to me," Nadia agreed, as she had finished her plate of food, and also her cup of mint tea.

"You know I've never had mint tea before, but I'd rather like it," Shonda said she took another sip of the refreshing brew.

"It is an Arab specialty, so I'm not surprised you haven't had it before. I'm not even sure they serve it anywhere, but in this part of the world," Aeon said.

"That's too bad," Shonda said, "as I could easily get addicted to it."

"I rather like it too," Aaron admitted finishing his glass.

"I'll send you some and also dad and mom," Aeon promised.

"That would be good, but I would make it a regular thing, as I will definitely be drinking it," Shonda said, "I'm gonna try to source it from somewhere in the states. I mean, I get shipments for different antiques all the time and they shouldn't be any different, even if it's a drink instead of antiques."

"Let us know if you manage to do that, as I'll certainly miss it when Aeon and I are settled in someplace that isn't here in the Middle East," Nadia said.

"I'll look into it," Shonda promised.

"And so will I," Aeon added, "as I like it quite a bit too, so I would like to continue to drink it when we're living in the states or Europe."

Aeon pulled Nadia to her feet and led her out to the dance floor.

"So who do you think will be next to find their mate?" Shonda asked Aaron quietly.

"I have no idea, but it sure is happening far more often than I ever expected it to," Aaron said softly. "I couldn't even venture a guess. I think it's likely to be one of our children, as it tends to go to one of our godchildren finding their mate, then one of ours will, and so forth."

"That's true," Shonda agreed, "but you're right there's no way of guessing who it will be. Our family keeps getting bigger and that couldn't make me any happier.

"Me too, and I know that Dave and Jazz would say the same if they knew what we were discussing," Aaron agreed. "Now that we're fed and watered why don't we go dance along with the bride and groom?"

"Sounds good," Shonda agreed, smiling taking Aaron's offered hand, and he immediately led his mate out to the dance floor.

Shonda fit very comfortably into Aaron's arms as the two of them danced closely together as the music from the live band played.

"I've been so happy since we met," Aaron told her softly, his expression filled with love.

"I can say the same," Shonda agreed, as she very comfortably put her head on Aaron's shoulder as the two danced talking softly, and nobody interrupted their intimacy until finally they left the dance floor hand-in-hand over an hour later.

The two wandered over in Dave's and Jazz's direction, and the four old friends talked softly together being very comfortable in each other's presences. There was no right or wrong just understanding of the others point of view.

The four turned to watch the dance floor where Aeon and Nadia were still holding each other dancing to the music of the band, and all of them simply smiled at the couple's obvious happiness at being together.

Dave snagged a waiter who was passing out mint tea and champagne and got four glasses of champagne from the tray, passing them out to the others.

The tea was for the Arabs and the champagne for the other guests, who didn't have anything against drinking. The other guests that were not Arabs were of course, welcome to drink to mint tea as well, but had the option to drink either one.

"I'd like to make a toast to the happy couple. To Aeon and Nadia and may they have many happy years together," Dave toasted.

"To the bride and groom! May they be very happy together for a very long time!" the other three said as they clicked glasses before downing their drinks.

There was of course, a double meaning in the second part of the toast, but nobody who wasn't immortal, would know it, and that was the way all of them liked it.

The four of them went back to the party enjoying themselves immensely as they danced and ate until the reception finally ended several hours later.