Some of the tribes had tried to mask the girls of average appearance by embellishing their outfits with bangles of gold or silver. Pearls were braided into their hair as a further distraction. Bethany knew she hadn't needed that sort of help. Her tribe had left her hair unbound so it would speak for itself and she wore no jewelry except the mithrail pendant that hung between her breasts. Two of the girls had been found to be unacceptable, and those tribes would have to add more gold and silver to their tribute to the caliph. Three had been of such worth the caliph had added them to his harem, while the next four were chosen as slaves within the palace. It was finally her turn.
Ilara removed the concealing robe and a hush fell over the room. She knew every man in the chamber could see her almost as clearly as if she had been naked, and she felt a moment of shame. She also realized she was perhaps the most beautiful and exotic of all the gifts and that made her proud. She held herself straight with her shoulders back yet she looked to the floor until she was centered in front of the caliph.
"Look at me, child."
Bethany raised her face to see the old man in gold who sat before her and, for a moment, she felt a glimmer of hope because in some way, he reminded her of the Duke of Westfell. There was something in his eyes that spoke of kindness and decency.
"Which tribe presents this gift? Let the naib come forth,” the caliph said.
The leader of the tribe came to stand beside Bethany. “This is indeed a princely gift you have brought, for in presenting us with this woman you have done great things for the People of the Desert. You have rid our land of the Duke of Solange and his vile sorcerer. You have created an opportunity for us to align with the mighty djinn of the Great Forest and given us a voice among the councils of the King of Aluria. I accept this gift and reward your tribe as follows. You may keep all the silver and gold, precious spices, and other goods you would normally pay as tribute for this year."
The naib was speechless in his gratitude and knelt before the caliph and bowed until his head rested at his ruler's feet. He then rose to his feet and walked proudly back to his place in the front ranks of the room.
The caliph spoke to Bethany. “The djinn has spoken truly. To the one who loves you, you are well worth fighting a war to keep. It is my will, therefore, that you will be given to the djinn as a token of our good will and everlasting friendship.” The caliph nodded and someone moved up to Bethany's side. Confused and scared of what this might mean, she turned her head to find herself staring into Rory's eyes.
Rory had conjured up a silk cloak of Westfell green and silver and wrapped it around Bethany. He took her into his arms and kissed her deeply, then said, “You're safe now, Bethany. No one will ever keep us apart again.” He swept her up into his arms and carried her from the chamber as the nomad naibs and their subchiefs erupted in cheers of approval.
* * * *
Rory kept his word. For the three nights they stayed as guests of the caliph in his palace, they were never apart. They were truly man and wife now; a wedding would be a formality to be completed once they returned to Westfell. The caliph had presented Bethany with a vast wardrobe of silk dresses and her own servants, although Rory had secretly saved the gossamer outfit she had worn at the presentation. He would never forget how beautiful she had looked wearing it, or how enticing.
On the morning of their third day, Bethany said, “My husband, I would ask a boon of you."
"If it is mine to grant, you shall have it, my love."
"I would like Ilara to come with us back to Westfell, Rory. Although she has lived most of her life here among the desert people, she is nothing more than a slave to them. I would bring her home with us."
"You have a good heart. I know she is the one who beat you."
"She is the one who taught me how to survive here, Rory. My own stubbornness caused the beating and even then she was careful to administer only what was required. Had she failed, she would have been killed."
Rory thought for a moment. “If she has lived her life here among these people and borne two sons who still live among the tribe, perhaps she will not wish to leave, Bethany. I shall summon her and you may ask whether she wishes to come with us. If she does, I shall seek out her naib and see what can be done."
Bethany kissed him and then said, “Thank you, husband."
* * * *
Ilara was filled with trepidation as she was led to the rooms of the djinn. No one had explained why the mighty spirits had summoned her, and her mind worried the question as she approached the door. As she entered the room, she realized only an honored mother waited within. Eyes downcast, she knelt before the woman and said, “I am the slave Ilara summoned to this place."
"Oh, Ilara, have I changed so much you cannot recognize me?"
Ilara glanced up in astonishment. It was the Gift herself!
"Ilara, I have a question for you. In a few days, we shall leave the palace of the caliph and the Oasis of the Moon to travel across the desert and return to our home in the north. Would you like to come with us?"
"A slave has no wishes, honored mother of the mighty djinn."
"If you come with us, Ilara, you will no longer be a slave. I would like you to live with me in the land of Westfell as my friend to help me become the best wife I can be and to care for me and my husband."
Ilara sat there, stunned at her good fortune. To no longer be a slave. To return to the land of her birth and away from this land of heat and sand. “I would like that very much, honored mother."
"Then you must stop calling me that immediately. You may call me Lady Bethany and my husband is Lord Rorrick.” Bethany laughed. “And that other one is Lord Swiftstalker. Now, we need to get you some better clothes. No one wears the black robe of slavery around me."
Part Five
ALURIA, WESTFELL, THE GREAT FOREST, AND SOLANGE
Chapter 26
The King and Queen of Aluria were dining in their chambers with Earl Sudcliffe, the king's chancellor, when a page knocked at the door.
"I ask your forgiveness at this intrusion, Your Majesties, but you have visitors who beg leave to speak with you. It is Lord Rorrick and Lady Bethany of Westfell."
"Send them in! Tell the kitchen to send up more food,” King William ordered. “By the All-Father, he found her!"
When the door opened again, Rory and Bethany stepped in. Queen Beatrice rushed to her former lady-in-waiting and held Bethany tightly in her arms, tears of joy running unabashedly down her face. “Oh, child, I never thought to see you again!"
"I am fine, Your Majesty. My husband saw to that."
"Husband! Your marriage is still some months away yet, young woman,” said Earl Sudcliffe.
"Please, sir, I ask you to withhold your judgment and comments until you have heard the facts. Bethany is indeed my legal wife and has been so for several weeks now. This will be clear once I have explained all that has happened,” Rory said, trying to calm the situation.
Earl Sudcliffe looked angry but agreed to bide his time. The king and queen were bursting with their curiosity but the arrival of the kitchen staff with additional place settings and food forestalled any more discussion until they were alone once again.
The king asked, “Where is Lord Swiftstalker? We thought nothing could keep him from your side."
"He has gone to the Great Forest, sire, to advise my father of my success."
Once the staff had withdrawn and the food served, the king said, “We received the report from the captain of the guard you sent back after you escaped from the Duke of Solange. We commend you on your actions there, by the way, and are still considering whether to invade Solange and bring them to heel."
"That will not be necessary as you will see when I finish our tale.” Rory then explained how he and Swiftstalker had arrived at the Oasis of the Moon, gained access to the caliph, and then regained Lady Bethany.
Earl Sudcliffe said, “So how do you consider yourselves married? That I do not understand."
"Sir, when the caliph presented Bethany to me, he did so as my first wife rather than as a possession or slave. He explained that by their laws, we became married at that moment in front of the entire host of tribes of the Desert Peoples. We were then given a wedding feast hosted by the caliph and his naibs, and again by their customs, taken to the bridal chamber. The next day, the bloodstained bed sheets were displayed for all to see that Bethany had gone to the marriage bed a pure and chaste bride, confirming for all time her position as First Wife to Lord Rorrick of the Forest. We will, of course, have a ceremony in Westfell to confirm the wedding for all to see.” Rory was quite firm as he said, “But understand me well, sir. We are married and no one, not you and not even the king himself, will ever separate us again."
The earl had been watching his daughter during the time Rory had been talking. He had seen the pride and happiness in her face as she watched this young man at her side, and knew that in his daughter's mind, they were indeed man and wife. To offer any further objections would risk losing any connection he had with her. “Fear not, son. I recognize the validity of this marriage as you have explained the circumstances. I would like to suggest that we all travel to Westfell and hold this confirming ceremony quickly to still any wagging tongues."
Queen Beatrice said, “Of course we will travel to Westfell immediately! The duke must know his heir has returned with his new wife."
The king shook his head. “No matter how much we may wish to leave immediately, we will require some time to prepare for the journey. It will take us four days to get everything ready and three days to travel to Westfell. We will dispatch a message to Westfell immediately informing Duke Richard of the happy news and of our arrival in seven days."
The queen was too busy hugging Bethany to raise any objections. “Beatrice, why don't you and Bethany withdraw for now while we discuss the fate of Solange. We sense Rory has more to say that you will probably find boring. We are likewise sure you wish to hear about Lady Bethany's ordeal from her own lips."
After the women had withdrawn from the room, King William poured each of them a brandy. “First, a toast to Lord Rorrick for his amazing rescue of Lady Bethany."
The king and Earl Sudcliffe raised their glasses in a salute to Rory and then Rory said, “Thank you, sire, but I had help. Swiftstalker was with me every step of the way."
King William said, “You said earlier that invading Solange would not be necessary. Please, explain what you meant."
"Sire, I carry a message to you from the Caliph of the Desert Peoples. Before I give it to you, I must place the message in perspective. The Desert Peoples have never recognized the so-called Duke of Solange, nor do they recognize the right of anyone to control what they do. When the duke joined the Realm of Aluria, he did so without the support of the Desert Peoples. The duke's nomad warriors everyone talked about were outcasts among their own kind, who had chosen to abandon their tribes to live the easier life in the city along the Solange River. Compared to the true desert warriors, those troops were a joke. With twenty-eight King's Own, Swiftstalker and I slaughtered all the duke's warriors we came into conflict with. The caliph's warriors would not have been so easy. You must also understand that the areas around the Solange River have a population of around one hundred thousand people, including women, children, and the elderly. The caliph can field an army of over one million warriors, and their total population exceeds ten million."
"We never realized how large the Great Desert was,” King William said. “To support that vast a population with a nomadic lifestyle, the territory must be enormous."
"That it is, sire. The Great Desert is, therefore, a separate nation just as the Great Forest is within Westfell, yet is apart from the realm. The caliph rules this separate realm with absolute authority. In many ways, sire, he is a great deal like yourself and has similar aims for his realm: peace and security, a better standard of living for its inhabitants, and the freedom from outside interference.” As the king nodded at each point, Rory knew it was time for the caliph's message. “The Great Caliph of the Desert People has told me to give William, King of Aluria, the following message. He offers a mutual alliance between the Desert People and the Realm of Aluria. Should you need military support in defense of the realm, he pledges his warriors and as many of the tribe warriors as you may require. In exchange, he asks that you cede control of the area formerly known as the duchy of Solange to him."
"Lord Rorrick, the realm is in your debt. You have done something that neither we nor our father, King Roland, before us could accomplish and that is to secure our southern border. You have created the opportunity for an alliance with a major power that will assist in protecting this realm from the threat we all know is looming from the east. Somehow, we will find some way to adequately reward you for what you have done,” King William said.
Rory went to one knee. “Sire, what I did was what any loyal subject would have done, and most of it was pure happenstance as opposed to any conscious act on my part. My goal was to find Bethany and bring her home. She is all the reward I could ever desire."
Earl Sudcliffe cleared his throat. “Lord Rorrick, please accept the grateful thanks of a father and his blessing upon your marriage. I am proud to call you son."
* * * *
The queen sat in rapt attention as Bethany described her experiences with the desert people. As she described the final outfit she wore to be presented to the caliph, the queen was scandalized. “You mean, you had to wear this in front of hundreds of men! And they could see through it!"
Bethany laughed. “Yes, Your Majesty. At first I was both humiliated and mortified, but I soon realized I was so much more attractive than all the others that my pride took charge. I straightened my spine, squared my shoulders to thrust out my chest, and thought, ‘Look all you want and dream about what you can never have.’ I knew I would be acceptable to the caliph and I would never be a slave. Once I saw him, I knew my virtue would never be in danger as he was older than any man I had ever seen. His eyes were kind and made me think of Rory's grandfather, the Duke of Westfell. Then he announced he was giving me to some djinn, some magical being, and my heart fell to my feet. I slowly turned and realized the djinn was my very own love."
"That is so romantic. And you found yourself married."
"Yes, Your Majesty, and that is more than I had ever dreamed it would be,” Bethany replied with such a look of complete satisfaction that the queen momentarily envied her.
There was a knock at the door to the queen's chamber and Earl Sudcliffe stuck his head in. “Your pardon, Your Majesty, but I would like to spend a moment with my daughter before I retire."
"By all means, Chancellor! We shall go hug that rascal Rory and leave you two alone.” Queen Beatrice walked toward the door to the outer chamber.
Once the queen left, Earl Sudcliffe held out his arms and Bethany rushed into his embrace. “My child, it is so wonderful to have you safe once more. Are you truly as happy as you seem?"
Bethany looked up at her father and said, “There are no words to tell you just how happy I am, Father. I was to be either a concubine or a slave, and was rescued by the man I love. He has proven his love in ways most men never can or need to, by facing incredible danger while rescuing me. I never had any doubt that he would find me, and I know he will always be there whenever I need him."
The earl hugged her tighter. “I know he will. I have told him and I will say it to you now. You both have my blessings. Your husband is everything your mother and I wanted for you and more. I am proud of you both.” He kissed the top of her head and then said, “Now go to him while I head for my bed, a happier man than I have been since the morning we realized you were missing."
Chapter 27
The Duke of Westfell stood atop the curtain wall at Westfell Keep, staring at the approaching throng. They were still more than an hour away, and they would slow once they reached the village of Westfell itself to permit the people to see the heir and his new wife riding at th
e side of the king and queen.
Duke Richard had been beside himself with joy when the king's messenger had arrived with the news that Rory had returned with Bethany at his side as his wife. The king has also said they would be arriving at Westfell this day to join Westfell and Sudcliffe in celebrating the marriage of their two heirs. The news had spread throughout Westfell like a wildfire before the wind, and everyone in the duchy began their own preparations to welcome their heroes home. The village was immaculate with everything tidied up; General Gustav had said it appeared they had even groomed the chickens!
They were just starting to enter the village now. He could see Rory riding beside the king and Bethany next to the queen. The people were cheering them loudly, waving flowers and calling out blessings on Lady Bethany. Duke Richard realized he had better get moving if he was going to be in the courtyard to greet his monarch.
* * * *
"They do seem to love you, Rory,” King William said as they rode past the cheering people.
"The people love anyone who they know cares for their well-being. The Dukes of Westfell have a long history of working beside their subjects to bring in the harvest, setting the stones for a new building, or even thatching a roof. They know the dukes believe in service to the people, rather than service from the people like so many others."
They continued to wave at the people while maintaining their conversation. “Your Majesty, I must tell you that I am concerned for the queen. She has not been well these past few days."
"Now is not the time to have this discussion, Lord Rorrick,” the king admonished. “We are aware of the queen's condition and she will be fine."
The Heir Of Westfall [The Alurian Chronicles Book 1] Page 25