Savage Desire (Savage Lagonda 1) (35 page)

'Then you do not withdraw your consent?"

Hamez could not stop laughing. "If I did, you would only find some other way to get around me. Go and tell your brother that he has my permission and my blessing."

Mara startled him when she bent over and kissed him soundly on the cheek. "That is for being so kind and understanding," she told him.

"My son, you are going to have your hands full with this one. She just outfoxed the fox. I am going to love having you around, Mara. You make me laugh, and you keep me on my guard."

"Heaven protect me, father, Mara has consented to be my bride. You can see what I am faced with," Tajarez said, feeling delighted that Mara had outwitted his father, and in doing so had won his father's respect.

Hamez's face brightened. "This is good news. I shall have a daughter to comfort me in my old age, and grandchildren; I want many grandchildren."

"The sooner you can perform the wedding ceremony, the sooner I can give you grandchildren," Tajarez told him.

Mara blushed and lowered her head. "If you will excuse me, I will find my brother." She left the room, flanked by Palomas.

"She is wonderful, my son. I would hate it if you had chosen a woman who was frightened by me. Did you see the way she handled me? I was a babe in arms compared to her."

Tajarez laughed. "I did not even know Jeffery and Sasha loved one another. She will have us both at her mercy, I have no doubt. How soon can you make her
mine? I am very impatient, and have waited too long
already."

"Tomorrow I shall have the midwife confirm that she is a maiden still. The next day I shall perform the
ceremony to make her a princess. There is no reason you
cannot take her to the marriage bed in three days' time."

IN THE COUNTRY THERE WERE SILVERSMITHS,
BLACKSMITHS, SLAUGHTER HOUSES, BATHS,
SHEEP AND PARTRIDGES.

—
Friar Marcos

20

Jeffery and Mara sat in the walled garden beside the marble pool. Mara pulled the petals from a white flower and watched as they floated on the water. Then she turned her eyes to the snow-capped mountain. The cloud that had previously hidden the highest peak had moved away, allowing her to view the majestic mountain in all of its glory. The mountain dominated the land. It not only held out all intruders; Mara had the feeling it also held her prisoner.

"How did you get Hamez's consent so I could marry Sasha? I am told he can be very formidable, yet in the space of one afternoon, you seemed to have charmed him."

Mara smiled. "He is a wily old fox, but very dear. I believe I love him already."

"Whatever means you used on him, little sister, you have succeeded in making me a happy man."

"Jeffery, you are quite sure you will be content living out the rest of your life here? You have always craved excitement. Suppose you become dissatisfied and wish to return to St. Louis?"

"Mara, had you asked me a year ago if I would find the one woman I could love, I would have laughed at you.

But I love Sasha, and want no more than to spend the rest of my life being with her. As for excitement, nowhere in the world could be more exciting than this hidden valley. I went to the city this afternoon with Sagas. It is truly an amazing place. There are marketplaces bustling with activity. There is a goldsmith, a tanner of leather; you can purchase fish and meat. They have vegetable stalls where they have corn, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, as well as a few vegetables I have never seen before. I stirred up a lot of excitement by going among the people. They stared at me and were plainly impressed by the fact that I am your brother. The word is out that you are marrying Tajarez, and the people are preparing for a great celebration. I am still in a state of shock over the existence of the Seven Cities. How a culture like this can exist in this wilderness, as it obviously has for perhaps thousands of years, is a mystery to me. Sagas took me to see some truly amazing sights. There is a temple, Mara, where they worship their God, and when Sagas explained about their God, I believe they worship the same God we do. He told me about a great flood that once destroyed the earth, and I was reminded of Noah. This place is truly a paradise. Sagas tells me there is virtually no crime, and there is no such thing as hunger. This year the crops in the field are the best they have ever had, and never have they had so many new calves, and the foals of the horses are double what they have ever been. Sagas says that it is because of you that they are having such bounty."

Mara leaned forward and rested her head on her hands. "All this talk of my being the 'Golden One' is very unsettling to me, Jeffery."

"Do you not find it odd, Mara? I know of no one but yourself who could transcribe the hieroglyphics. I almost believe that you are the 'Golden One' myself."

Mara shivered. "Let us talk of something else. Tell me more about the city."

Jeffery picked up a stone and tossed it into the pond. "Well, they have a very sophisticated irrigation system that cannot be rivaled anywhere in the world. The river feeds the crops. There are farms and places where they raise cattle, sheep, and horses. I saw a shop where they had fine cotton cloth. You saw the pyramid-shaped structure? Sagas told me that is where the kings and members of the royal family are buried."

"You are thinking what I am, are you not, Jeffery?"

"You mean that some time in the distant past, a group of Egyptians found this continent and made it their home?"

"The evidence is overwhelming. I am most anxious to start work on the hieroglyphics."

"I wish I had paid more attention to father when he was teaching you all about Egypt. Then I would be able to help you."

"You will be able to help me, Jeffery. You can take notes for me and keep the accounts," she smiled. "Who knows, you might even learn something. Jeffery, why do you suppose the people here dress so differently from all other Indians?"

"I think you have already stated the reason. They dress a lot like they did in ancient Egypt, with a few changes undoubtedly a result of the Indian influence. It would seem that over the centuries they adopted the best of both worlds and combined them. Most probably over the years they began to marry among the Indian tribes, and today the Indian factor is the dominant one."

"I think you are right, Jeffery. It will be an exciting mystery to unravel."

"Yes," he paused and looked at her. "Do you think you will be happy here, Mara?"

"I cannot imagine living anywhere else. I feel as if I have come home after a long absence."

Jeffery frowned. "In what way?"

"I do not know; it is hard to explain. I just feel this is where I belong. It is like somewhere inside I knew that I did not belong to the other world, and I was just waiting for Tajarez to find me and bring me home."

"You scare me when you talk like that, Mara."

She gave him a slight smile. "It scares me a bit also."

"Sagas told me that in two days Hamez will perform a ceremony that will proclaim you a princess. Did you ever in all your childhood dreams imagine you would grow up to be a real live princess?"

Mara laughed. "No, I cannot say I did. I hope you will show me the proper respect when I am raised to such an exalted station in life," she teased.

"Oh, for sure, little sister. I promise never to put frogs in your boots or ants in your pocket like I did when we were children."

Mara laughed. "Palomas would never allow you to do such a thing, anyway. Look at him; he is always there. I have the feeling that when I am old and gray, hobbling along on my cane, he will be hobbling right behind me."

Jeffery smiled as he noted Palomas standing not twenty paces away, alert as always, standing as tall and straight as a statue.

"Jeffery, one thing has always puzzled me. Why does Tajarez never seem to worry about my being alone with Palomas? No man is allowed to touch me with the exception of you, Hamez, or Sagas. Tajarez is not even allowed to be alone with me, yet he trusts Palomas completely. Why is that?"

Jeffery shifted his weight and looked uncomfortable. "Tajarez told me why. He wanted me to know you would be safe with Palomas."

"What did he tell you?"

Jeffery avoided her eyes. "Palomas cannot perform as a male."

"I do not understand, Jeffery."

"When Palomas was chosen for your personal guard, a small operation was performed on him that rendered him . . . ah . . ."

Mara's eyes widened in horror as she realized what Jeffery was trying to tell her. "That is horrible! Oh, poor Palomas."

"Exactly my reaction when Tajarez told me, but it seems that Palomas felt honored at being chosen, and did not mind giving up his manhood."

"Jeffery, I think it is truly barbaric, and it makes me angry. He will never be able to have a wife and family. He is a loving man; it is such a waste."

"To you and me it seems barbaric, but to Palomas it meant pledging his life to you. You are the center of his world. As Tajarez explained it to me, Palomas's whole reason for being is to protect you."

"Well, I do not like it. I would like to tell Tajarez how displeased I really am."

"Mara, you are going to have to accept many things that may go against what you believe. It is what you took on when you agreed to marry Tajarez."

"But Jeffery, I feel such pity for Palomas."

"I believe Palomas does not regret what has been done to him. He did not have to accept being your bodyguard. He knew what it entailed, yet he gave his consent."

Mara looked at Palomas with new respect. He had given up much on her account, and she would never take him for granted, she vowed.

Later that afternoon in her bedroom, Mara listened as Sasha instructed her on the ceremony that would take place in two days. The ceremony would consist of Hamez's taking Mara as his daughter, thus making her of royal blood so she would be worthy of the prince.

Sasha had brought many robes in delicate, soft material for Mara to choose from, and she told her she would be required to wear one of them at the ceremony.

Sasha helped Mara into a blue one. It felt soft against her skin. It draped over one shoulder, leaving the other one bare, and it clung to her like a second skin. Her face turned red as she saw her reflection in the polished silver sheet that served as a full-length mirror. "I cannot wear this, Sasha. I wear more than this when I go to bed."

Sasha giggled. "I know that you do. I was startled when I first saw that you dress up to go to bed, while I myself undress to retire for the night."

"Nevertheless, Sasha, I will not wear this." Mara slipped out of the thin robe and threw it onto the bed.

"You must, Mara. It is part of the ceremony that you accept our laws, our way of life, as well as our manner of dress."

Mara sighed as she looked through the different-colored robes. Picking up a light green one, she tossed it to Sasha grudgingly. "I will wear that one, but I will feel naked."

"You will look lovely in it, Mara. After tomorrow, you will be a royal princess and be allowed to wear the gold."

"What do you mean, Sasha?"

"Only the king and his direct family are allowed to wear the gold. Have you not noticed that only the king and prince wear the yellow metal?"

"Yes, I suppose I did, but I did not understand the significance."

"If you will notice the different headbands and armbands it will tell you much about the person wearing them. The silver and turquoise Palomas wears means he is in service to the king. You will notice all of the king's guards wear silver and turquoise, while Tajarez's servants and guards wear only silver. My father, who is the king's brother, wears the bronze, which is what I, too, wore until I became servant to the prince. When you go into the city, you will notice many colors of headbands. Most of them are made of cloth, and the color proclaims the wearer's trade. The silversmith wears a black one, while the farmer wears brown. See how easy it is?"

"It does not seem easy to me, but in time I suppose I will get it all straight."

Sasha knelt down in front of Mara and took her hand. "Mara, I am glad that I will be your sister. I love you very much."

"I, too, love you, Sasha, and I wish you and Jeffery every happiness."

"I cannot yet believe that the king, my uncle, is allowing us to be married. Jeffery told me how you got my uncle to consent, and I am very happy."

Mara hugged Sasha. "It would seem that you and I are both fortunate, Sasha. Now sit beside me and tell me more about the ceremony that will make me Tajarez's sister."

Mara brought one of her father's books downstairs with her. After dining with Hamez, Sagas, and her brother, she sat on a sofa with Sagas, showing him some of the sketches her father had made in Egypt. Tajarez had not been present; Mara wondered where he was. She was a little hurt that he did not want to be with her.

She watched as Sagas thumbed through the pages of her father's book, his old eyes bright with excitement. She showed him pages of hieroglyphics and told him what the writings said.

"How soon will you be able to read the writing on the wall?" he asked.

Standing up, Mara walked over to the wall and studied it for a moment. "It will take some time. I will have to compare the hieroglyphics with the ones in my father's journals, searching for similarities. Some of it I may never be able to translate. These drawings are interesting; I believe I have them figured out already."

"Tell me what you think they mean," Sagas said, his eyes flashing excitedly.

"This picture, the first, with the people in the boat, indicates a sea voyage. See the size of the waves and the size of the fish? I am sure that indicates the ocean."

"You mean the great water?" Sagas asked.

"Yes, it is called the Atlantic Ocean."

Sagas watched her, waiting for her to continue. "That is obviously the king and queen and the royal family." Mara moved on to the next carving. "Here the boat was smashed on the rocks. I believe it to be this continent. See the Indian concealed behind this rock? And in the next one," she said, moving further down, "the royal family is being welcomed by the Indian chief. And this one shows a journey, most probably it took many years. See how the king and queen have aged, and the children have grown to adulthood? And here they have arrived at this valley. There is the mountain. It is a wonderful story; if only we knew more."

Sagas rubbed his hands together. "Do you know what you just did? You have given me the story so that the Lagonda will know their heritage. For many years the drawings have been a mystery. Wise men over the ages, myself included, have tried to read the drawings, and you, who have seen only seventeen summers, reveal the long lost past in one day."

"There is much more to discover, Sagas. This part was easy; the rest will be more difficult."