Again Tajarez nodded, and he watched as the medicine man departed. He then turned to Mara, who seemed to think she should say something.
"This is a very grand bedroom. It is yours, is it not?" she said, voicing the first thing that popped into her head.
Tajarez sat down beside her and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips. He kissed it softly. "This is the room you and I have shared since the day my father made us husband and wife."
Mara bit her trembling lip. "Tajarez am I truly your wife, and the queen? Am I the woman that I have heard so many kind words spoken about?"
"You and she are one and the same, beloved. Are you pleased that you are my wife?" he asked shifting his position so he was lying down beside her.
"I think so. I am in such a state of confusion. Do you realize I almost grew to hate the woman who was your queen, and all the time she was I, or I was she."
He pulled her into his arms and rested his face against hers. "Were you perhaps jealous."
Mara looked up at him. "Extremely so. I cannot yet think of the queen as myself."
"Try not to think about it. I want you to rest. It has been a great shock to you finding out who you are." He traced the outline of her lovely face and gave her a smile that melted her heart.
"You were so adorable earlier, when you were concerned that I would come to harm for loving you. I could not resist teasing you. Am I forgiven?"
"Yes," she whispered, willing to forgive him anything. He whom she loved above her own life was her husband. Now she could understand why he had said he loved her, but he also loved his queen.
Mara sat up suddenly. "Tajarez, Hamez and Tamera are my babies. You said so, did you not?"
"Yes, they are of your body, just as Andrew is."
She covered her face, trying to hide her tears, "Andrew is not ... he would not be branded a . . . he has a legal father!"
"Yes, he has a father who loves him very much."
She turned tear-bright eyes to him. "Tajarez, I want to see all three of my babies. I want to hold them in my arms and tell them how much I love them," she said excitedly.
"I want you to rest for now," Tajarez said standing up. "Perhaps later in the day I will have the children brought to you."
"I am not really tired."
"Close your eyes and rest. I must leave you for a time."
"Why?" she asked, not wanting him to leave her.
"It seems Palomas and Sasha are making noises, demanding that I tell you your true identity," he said, bending over and kissing her on the forehead.
When he was gone Mara closed her eyes trying to rest, but her head ached, and she had so many things to think about. It was as if the sky had opened up and she had been handed her fondest wish. She was the wife of the tall, dark Indian she loved so desperately, and he loved her! How was it possible that she was the woman of whom everyone had spoken as being so unselfish and beautiful? She searched the dark recesses of her mind trying to remember the past, but it would not yield its secrets to her.
Mara could not suppress a giggle as she remembered the unkind things she had said to her brother when he would not defend her from her own husband. Oh poor Jeffery, what a trial she must have been for him.
Mara opened her eyes. She had not thought she would be able to sleep with so many things to think about, but apparently she had been wrong. Sitting up and stretching her arms over her head she found she felt very refreshed.
Suddenly the door opened and Tajarez entered the room carrying Hamez, while Sasha carried Tamera, and Vista held Andrew.
Tajarez plumped Hamez on the bed beside Mara. "Hamez, this is your mother," he said to his son.
Hamez fixed his mother with a green gaze and crawled over to her, climbing onto her lap.
Mara gasped as she looked into his eyes. Yes, he did have her eyes! An avalanche of feeling washed over her as she held Hamez's slight body in her arms. She cuddled him closely, not aware that she was crying.
"My son, my beautiful little boy," she said, planting many kisses on his tiny cheek.
Hamez patted her cheek lovingly, "Mother, pretty mother," he said in a clear voice.
Sasha and Vista were crying at the sight of the tears in their queen's eyes.
"My queen," Vista spoke up. "I have not allowed the children to forget their mother. I have spoken to them of you every day."
"Thank you, Vista," Mara said kindly.
Hamez picked up a lock of his mother's golden hair and stared at it in wonder. "Pretty," he said, so seriously that Mara laughed and hugged him tightly.
"He always did have a fascination with your hair, Mara, as his father does," Tajarez said as he scooped his son up, and motioned for Sasha to hand Tamera to her mother.
Tamera went readily into Mara's outstretched arms and nestled close to her. "I love you," the tiny girl said, kissing Mara on the cheek.
"Oh, she is so lovely," Mara said, smoothing the dark, silky hair from Tamera's angelic little face. Mara held the tiny girl, loving her with all of her heart.
"You are going to be a heartbreaker when you grow up," Mara said, kissing her smooth cheek.
She looked up at Vista. "Are they healthy, Vista?"
"Yes, they have never known a sick day, my queen."
Tajarez placed Hamez on the floor and took Andrew from Vista and then sat down on the bed beside Mara. "Everyone says Andrew looks like me," he said with pride, holding the newest member of his family against his cheek. "Andrew and I have been getting acquainted lately."
Mara watched as Tajarez kissed Andrew on his chubby little cheek, and her heart swelled with love. Tajarez seemed such a loving, caring, father. Looking over Tajarez's head Mara caught Sasha's eye.
"Sasha, I am glad that I am the queen, and the woman you spoke of as your best friend. I only wish I could remember our friendship."
Sasha smiled sweetly. "I look forward to the day you will know who you really are."
Tajarez exchanged Andrew for his sister. Andrew had fallen asleep and was totally unaware that he was in his mother's arms.
"Hamez and Tamera are delighted to find that they have a baby brother," Tajarez said. 'Tamera wants to mother him, while Hamez wants him to get up and play with him. I told him it would be awhile before Andrew would be able to run and play as he does." The Princess Tamera had curled up in her father's arms, and he looked down at her adoringly.
"Oh no, my prince! You must not do that," Vista cried out in distress. All eyes went to the prince royal who had climbed up on a stool and had put his father's crown, with the double cobra, over his head. The crown was so large it had slipped past his head and rested on his shoulders.
"Father's," he said, with a gleam in his green eyes.
Tajarez laughed and rose from the bed. He picked Hamez up and removed the crown from his head. "You must be content with the crown of the single cobra for a time, my son. It is not yet time for you to replace your father."
There was a rap on the door and Sasha opened it, allowing her husband to enter.
"May I join this happy group?" he asked crossing the room to plant a kiss on his sister's cheek.
Mara hugged him tightly and when he stood up she gave him a bright smile and said in English, "I suppose you are expecting me to say I am sorry for all the cruel things I said to you?"
He gave her a lopsided grin. "You were very hard on me, Mara. I will not soon forget your analysis of my character."
"But you will understand and forgive?" she said uncertainly.
His good humor was apparent when he threw his head back and laughed deeply. "Oh, my sister, you have a sharp tongue, and you did wound me sorely. But not without provocation, I might add. I took a good look at myself as I must have appeared in your eyes."
"Did I make you squirm?" she said with an impish smile.
"Extremely so."
"I truly am sorry, Jeffery."
"Do not let it trouble your lovely head. I knew if you would remember who you were you would forgive me all."
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"It is now time to leave," Tajarez said in the voice of authority. "Mara needs her rest."
There were sounds of protest from Hamez and his sister, but Tajarez stood firm and ushered everyone out of the room. After they had gone it seemed strangely quiet.
"Andrew seems to be thriving with the wet nurse, but I do miss feeding him," Mara said.
Tajarez sat down beside her and took her hand. "You have been through so much lately, I want you to rest and regain your strength. You are much too thin."
"I feel fine. If it were not for these headaches, I would be well," she corrected him.
"Tabo told me about your headaches. He seems to think they will pass when you have recovered your memory."
"Yes, he has told me this also."
"Mara, what do you think of Hamez and Tamera?"
"They are so wonderful. I wish I could remember about the past. I am missing the best part of my life."
"I think you should not try to make it happen. Just go with each day as it comes. I will see that your life is filled with beautiful memories starting now," he said, giving her the special smile that Mara was learning he reserved for her alone.
"Tell me about the past. I want to learn how we met and how I came to the hidden valley."
"I will tell you later tonight, but for now Falon is waiting with something for you to eat."
"I am not hungry."
"Nevertheless, you will eat," he said, walking to the door and returning with a tray. He sat down beside her and removed the white napkin from the tray. Lifting the golden goblet to her lips, he urged her to drink. The broth was not very good, and Mara wrinkled her nose in distaste.
Tajarez raised an inquiring eyebrow and took a sip from the golden goblet. "I see what you mean, it is not very good—however," he said, lifting the tasteless brew to her lips once more, "you must drink it all. Tomorrow you can have something more substantial to eat."
Mara was moved by his loving care of her. So she obeyed him and drained the goblet. Thinking back she could see that he had been very patient with her. Today she had seen a very human side of him. Not the arrogant king, but a man who was sensitive and caring.
Tajarez, seeing that she had finished the broth, picked up the corncake and spread it with honey and offered it to her.
"Your reward for being a good girl," he said smiling.
Mara took the corncake and bit into it, finding it more to her liking, and soon had eaten it all. "Have you eaten?" she wanted to know.
"Yes I ate with Jeffery, while you were asleep." His eyes went to her lips. "You have honey on your mouth," he whispered. When Mara would have wiped her mouth with the napkin, Tajarez stayed her hand.
"Allow me," he said in a deep voice.
Mara was shaken to the very depth of her body as his tongue traced the outline of her mouth. Tajarez did not stop when the honey had been removed, but covered her lips in a kiss that was so sweet it brought tears to her eyes. She was disappointed when he broke off the kiss.
"I have something to attend to. I will be back later," he said, standing up and taking the tray.
Mara was deeply frustrated as she watched him disappear out the door. Her body was awakened at his touch, and she tried to dismiss her strong craving for him.
Mara found she felt much better after having eaten. Her headache was gone and she felt rested. She removed her gray gown, and dressed only in her undergarments, slipped under the covers. In spite of all the sleep she had gotten earlier, Mara felt herself getting drowsy and soon drifted off to sleep again.
30
My heart is now soaring, I care not for the past.
Happily I surrender: I have come home at last.
Tajarez entered the room. Seeing Mara slept, he took care not to make any noise as he undressed and slipped into bed beside her.
It was dark in the room when Mara awoke. She felt the bed shift as Tajarez lay down and pulled her into his arms.
"I did not mean to awaken you, beloved."
Mara snuggled closely to him, loving the feel of his strong body against her soft curves. "You must be very tired yourself, my love. You got little sleep last night."
"I am a man who does not require a lot of sleep, Mara," he said nuzzling her ear.
"I love you, Tajarez."
"You are quite sure?"
"I have never been more sure of anything in my whole life. Through all the dark days I have been through, my love for you was the only stable thing in my life."
"I would like to hear you tell me what you mean."
"I am not sure if I can," she said, lifting her head to rest it on his shoulder. "I am not sure if you will believe me. Sometimes I do not believe it myself."
"What, Mara?"
"I had these dreams about you when I was with Jake and Zeke. One time you and I were swimming in some kind of pond. I was frightened, and you told me that you would not let anything harm me. Later when the dream was gone I was actually wet, as if it had really happened to me." She tried to see his face, but it was too dark in the room.
"Mara, I think I was in that dream with you. Did I beg you not to leave me?"
"Yes."
"Did you have any other dreams about me?"
"Yes. Once I walked through the snow barefoot, to a tent where you were. I knelt beside you and saw that you had such sadness in your eyes. I wanted to comfort you, but you could not see me. I do not blame you if you do not believe any of what I am telling you."
"I do believe you, Mara. I remember one night while I was searching for you. I had begun to think I would never find you. I was alone in my tent, and I cried out for death to release me from my torment."
"That was the night I came to you, Tajarez. I heard you say you did not want to live. What could it all mean?"
"I remember that night I felt a presence. It was as if I could smell the fragrance you always wore in your hair, and after that night I did not feel quite so desperate."
Mara ran her hand across Tajarez's chest, "Do you suppose this happened to us because we love so deeply, or was it . . . because of the old man who came to me in a vision?"
Tajarez turned her over and tried to see her face. "What old man, Mara?"
"I do not know if he really existed or if he was a figment of my imagination. But whenever I put the golden medallion on I would see this old man, and it terrified me at first. Later, I would feel comforted by him."
"That would be Sagas the wise, Mara."
"Sagas. That is the man Jeffery said gave me the medallion."
"Yes. Sagas has the power to do many things, Mara. I believe he was trying to comfort you and me, while striving to bring us together again."
"How is that possible. No man could have that kind of power."
"Sagas does, Mara. You once knew about his powers and believed in them. I think Sagas located you through the medallion and sent Matio to find you. Matio said while he was searching for you, many times he wanted to give up, for he had no clue where to look for you. He said some force kept driving him on. That force would have been Sagas."
Mara shivered. "It is all so unreal. Why have I not met this Sagas?"
"He is in the mountains. I myself have searched for him, but if Sagas does not want to be found, no one can find him."
Mara searched her mind to remember what Sagas had looked like. He had been a shadowy figure when he had come to her, and she found she did not know what his face was like.
"Tajarez, tell me about when we first met."
His hand rested against her stomach and he could smell the sweet, clean scent of her hair. "Mara, the first time I saw you was in a dream. I was a young man then, only sixteen summers. When I had that first dream you could have been no more than six summers, but in my dreams you were a woman. When I would awake from dreaming of you, I could never remember what you looked like, although I would try very hard. You see, I hated the white race. I had only seen one white man, his name was O'Malley, and he had been the cause of my mother's and sister's deat
hs."
"What did he do?"
"My father had found O'Malley half frozen and had brought him to the hidden valley. O'Malley remained with us for six years. I was very small when O'Malley first came to us. He taught me to speak English. He would sit for hours telling me about the wonderful things in the white world, and next to my father, I loved him best. One day O'Malley found my father away from the City. He slew my mother and forced my sister to leave with him. He had laden four pack horses with gold and furs and used my sister Terza as a shield to get past the guard. My father hunted O'Malley down and he died a long and agonizing death. As a result of O'Malley's treachery, I began to hate the white race, and I swore to my father I would never allow any white man to enter the hidden valley."
"How sad. I am grieved about your mother and sister."
"Mara, I have come to know that O'Malley served a purpose. He taught me to speak English, so when I met you we could speak to each other."
"You said you first saw me in a dream?"
"Yes, many times. I grew to love the beautiful woman in my dreams."
"Tell me about the dreams?"
"The dreams were always the same. I would pick you up in my arms and lay you on the bed beside me. When I would hold you close you would begin to fade, and I would beg you not to leave me."
"Tajarez, how is it possible to see someone in a dream before you have met them?"
"I do not know, Mara. Perhaps I saw you in the same way you dreamed of me."
"Do you think Sagas caused your dreams?"
"Yes, I am sure he did."
"Tell me more. When did we meet?"
"Mara, it is the law of the Lagonda that the prince royal must go on a quest to the outside world, living off the land and not speaking until he returns to the Seven Cities. Hamez will one day have to make that quest, just as I and my father did and his father before him and as far back as the history of the Lagonda is recorded. Before I left on my quest my father had been urging me to take a bride from one of the maidens of the tribe, but I could not find one whom I could love. My heart was filled with love for the woman in my dreams."
"Even though you could not remember what I looked like when you were awake?" Mara asked in amazement.
Savage Splendor (Savage Lagonda 2) Page 33