There's A Fine Line Between Coincidence & Fate ✓

Chapter 20

I woke up the next morning, not feeling the hard ground beneath my head but something firm. It was rising and falling. I slowly opened my eyes, thankful that it was still dark, the first rays of the sunrise barely visible over the dunes. I looked to my right and saw what exactly my pillow for the night had been, Ardeth's chest. I blushed. Oh goodness. So much for taking these feelings slow. I was already head-over-heels for this guy. Probably since that last night in Hamunaptra when he saved me and Berny from Imhotep. My sudden movement caused him to jump awake, and after seeing how close we had gotten in our sleep, he had a blush that matched mine.

"Good morning ya amar." He whispered, his voice deep and gruff from sleep.

"Good morning. Thank you for staying." I said softly.

"You're welcome," he says with a smile. "We need to start packing up. The sun will be up soon, and it doesn't take long for the desert to get hot." With that being said, he got up and rolled his blanket before turning to do the same to mine. I put out the remains of the fire from the last night. Together, we tried our best to remove all signs that anyone had stopped here, then Ardeth helped me onto the camel before getting on in front of me. I wasn't the most comfortable on a camel, so I put my arms around his waist, giving myself an extra sense of security.

We rode like this for hours, the sun slowly coming up to beat on us. By the time we started seeing his village in the distance, I was ready for this journey to be done. Riding a camel was nothing like riding a horse, the gait wasn't right, and I was ready to be on non-moving terrain. We came to a stop right inside the village and Ardeth dismounted first, turning to help me. Some men in robes like Ardeth's, carrying as much fire power as he usually does, came up to greet him. "Who is this?" the one closest to me asked. I suspected that I wouldn't be too highly received, whether because I'm an archaeologist who helped start the mess that we just got out of or because I wasn't part of the tribe was a toss-up. But regardless, I knew that my usual brand of smart ass-ness wasn't going to be appreciated here.

"This is Margaret Henderson. She was part of the group that helped stopped Imhotep. There's more to it than that but I must speak with the elders first. Have you gathered them Nasir?" Ardeth responded. Both of the men regarded me for a moment, and I looked back, trying very hard to keep my face neutral.

"Yes, they are waiting for you in the meeting tent." Nasir informed him. Ardeth nodded at this and then turned to the other man.

"Aman, take Margaret to our parents' tent and let Mother know Father and I will be back once the meeting is over." Aman, who I now knew to be Ardeth's brother, nodded before motioning me to follow him. I took one last look at Ardeth, who nodded encouragingly, before turning back around and following Aman through the village. I kept my eyes down. We arrived outside one of the larger tents and Aman pulled back the flap keeping the sunlight from seeping in and heating up the living space. I walked inside, surprised to see just how big it was compared to how it looked outside.

"Umi, Ardeth has returned. And he's brought a guest." Aman said to the woman who stood in the kitchen area, preparing what looked like tea, although his tone implied that he thought I was anything but. "This is Margaret Henderson. She was part of the group that helped defeat the creature." He switched to English.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Margaret. My name's Rahima." She said, smiling at me.

I took them both by surprise when I responded to her in Arabic. "The pleasure is mine Rahima. I'm sorry for the intrusion."

"You speak Arabic?" Aman asked.

"Fluently. If one wishes to be an Egyptologist, it's probably for the best that they also know the language spoken in the country." I responded with a smile.

"Well, if only everyone coming here was as considerate as you, I think this world would be a far better place indeed." Rahima said. I blush at her observation. At this point I could hear footsteps approaching the tent.

"Are you sure of your choice Ardeth? You just met this girl. I understand that she was the promised one from Sekhmet, but she didn't grow up in our customs. Will she still want this after things have settled and she no longer needs to cling to you?" I was standing far enough away from Rahima and Aman that they probably couldn't overhear what I did but that didn't stop the tears from pricking the corner of my eyes.

"Baba, this decision is for Margaret and me to make. The council is not concerned, you shouldn't be either." I heard Ardeth respond. That made me feel slightly better. At this point they had entered the tent and Ardeth was walking over to me. "I see you have already met my mother. This is my father, Asim. Baba, this is Margaret Henderson." I looked over at him, I couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between him and Ardeth. In all honesty, the only difference I saw was the salt-and-peppering of his hair as a true indication that it wasn't Ardeth.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I said softly, respectfully. He looked at me wide-eyed. Apparently, this was going to be a running gag that no one expects me to be able to speak the language. Ardeth looked like he wanted to start laughing at his father's state of shock but chose to keep it to himself.

"Margaret, would you like to take a walk with me? It's getting a little crowded in here." Ardeth asked me.

"Oh, sure." I said, shocked. Being the chieftain, I would've expected that he had plenty to do now that we were back in his village. He offered me his arm, and I took it, allowing him to lead me from the tent. "Is everything ok?" I asked once we were out of earshot of his parents' tent.

"Of course. The council has granted you temporary sanctuary. You can remain here for the time being." He informed me.

"Thank you. That is more than I can ask for. I don't want to take advantage of you and your people's good will."

"We owe you much. It's the least we can do." He said with a smile. I smiled back.