Desert Prince

by Constance O'Banyon

  With blackness closing in, Julian went to his knees and knew nothing more.

  Before Heikki or any of Julian’s Badari could react, Eanez jumped to his feet, grabbed up the arrow Julian had dropped, and slammed it into his own father’s heart. With tears in his eyes, he addressed his father’s Badari. “Since I am the only one of my father’s sons living, it is my place to command you. My father brought dishonor to us all. If the prince dies, it will only be right that I forfeit my life. If the prince lives, and I pray to the gods he does, I shall await his judgment, as shall you all.”

  Julian’s Badari moved closer to the others while Heikki lifted his fallen prince in his arms and carried him toward his horse. He spoke to his warriors. “Seal off this encampment, and let no man leave. If … when the prince regains consciousness, he will decide what is to be done.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  A strong gust of wind tore through Moussimi’s encampment, the whirling sand stinging faces and blurring vision. Men tightened their grip on the horses’ reins to calm the rearing animals while their women secured the tents to keep them from collapsing.

  Julian’s Badari made their way slowly toward their own encampment. When they arrived, Heikki handed the wounded prince into Apollodorus’s uplifted arms, speaking rapidly to one of his men. “He won, but at what cost we do not yet know.”

  “Does he still live?” many asked, clustering around the Sicilian.

  “Aye,” Apollodorus said, feeling the pulse in Julian’s neck.

  The Sicilian quickly carried Julian toward the small tent that had been set up for Sabinah’s comfort. His gaze fell on a group of huddled Badari who were, no doubt, planning to storm the enemy camp and wipe out every man, woman, and child to avenge their prince. “You must restrain those men,” he told Heikki. “Julian would expect it of you.”

  Heikki nodded. His first concern was for the prince. “He has lost a lot of blood.”

  “I fear for his life,” Apollodorus muttered.

  Sabinah had heard the riders return. She resisted the instinct to run outside to meet Julian, but instead took in a calming breath, knowing he would expect her to wait there for him.

  When Apollodorus entered the tent carrying Julian’s limp body, she froze in fear.

  “Julian will need you to remain calm,” the Sicilian cautioned.

  She clamped a hand over her mouth. “What has happened?” she asked.

  Apollodorus laid Julian on the tiger skin rug and stood. “He has been severely wounded and is unconscious.”

  Sand struck against the tent, making it ripple—the howling wind sounded ominous. Sabinah was frantic as she glanced at Julian’s pale face, dropping down beside him just as the wind struck hard through the tent opening, extinguishing the lantern.

  Apollodorus tapped Sabinah’s shoulder. “You must move so I can stop the bleeding.”

  Sabinah reached out frantically, her cry muffled by the sound of the wind. “Allow me to remain beside him.”

  “Then move to the other side,” Apollodorus told her. “Heikki, relight the lantern.”

  Sabinah felt the warmth of Julian’s hand—lifeblood still flowed through his body, but he was strangely still.

  “The wind seems to have died down a bit. Have someone build a campfire,” Apollodorus told Heikki. “I will need boiling water.”

  Sabinah kept her hold on Julian’s hand. “You will be all right,” she said soothingly. “You have come through many hardships—you are strong. Hold on, Julian—hold on to life.”

  “Take her away,” Apollodorus told Heikki.

  Sabinah glared at both men. “Nay! I shall not leave him. Do you think me some weak maiden who cringes at the sight of blood? I remain here!”

  Both men exchanged glances, but said nothing further on the matter. Apollodorus worked frantically on Julian, at last stopping the flow of blood. When he was ready to apply the bandages, Sabinah helped him.

  Calm settled over the land as the sandstorm that had struck so suddenly died down just as quickly. Outside the tent fierce-looking warriors waited anxiously for word of their fallen prince.

  Sabinah fearfully watched the rise and fall of Julian’s chest. Each struggling breath he took caused her to struggle with her own breathing. “This wound is serious, Apollodorus, but he should have regained consciousness by now.”

  “That is what I think as well,” Heikki remarked.

  At that moment Julian opened his eyes. He looked bewildered. When he made an attempt to move, he groaned in pain.

  “Remain still,” Apollodorus cautioned him.

  Julian licked his dry lips, his gaze on Sabinah, who still held his hand. “What happened?”

  “I am told,” the Sicilian remarked, “you vanquished your enemies.” He quickly explained to Julian what Moussimi had done, and how the younger son had slain his own father.

  Struggling, Julian tried to sit up.

  “You should rest,” Sabinah told him.

  “Nay. Help me rise. The matter is not settled. Moussimi’s Badari must see that I still live—they are leaderless and must understand I bear them no ill will. They need to know I will bring them back into the fold.”

  “You must lie still!” Sabinah said in disbelief. “If you move about, you will surely break open your wound and start bleeding again.”

  Apollodorus caught Sabinah’s glance and shook his head. “Julian knows what he must do.”

  “But—”

  “Leave us,” Julian told her, calling on his last bit of strength.

  Sabinah rose, moving reluctantly out of the tent. With a heavy heart, she kept walking until she was a distance from the camp. Just beginning to understand the sacrifices a leader must make to control these fierce warriors, she shivered. Their prince was every bit as important to the Badari as Queen Cleopatra had been to her subjects. Julian would do what he must, even if it cost him his life.

  Julian was weak, and the world seemed to spin around him, causing him to stumble. When Heikki reached for him, Julian waved him away. “I must do this on my own.”

  Heikki watched Julian struggle to climb onto his horse, wanting to help him, but knowing his aid would not be welcome. “You are bleeding again,” he said, nodding at the back of Julian’s robe.

  “Then get me more padding and a clean robe.”

  Sabinah heard the sound of riders leaving camp, and without looking, she knew one of them was Julian. She did not need to look up to know it was Apollodorus who appeared at her side. “He is gone,” she said dully.

  “Aye.”

  “Does Julian expect trouble?”

  “He is attempting to prevent it.”

  She turned a troubled gaze to Apollodorus. “Will he be safe?”

  “You ask me that which I cannot answer. In the desert, among this wild tribe, there is always the chance of danger.”

  Sabinah lowered her head, needing to ask him a question that had nagged at her mind. “I had heard Julian might have to marry one of Moussimi’s daughters to bring peace between the tribes.”

  “So you said before.”

  “Apollodorus,” she asked, now avoiding his eyes, “does … Julian … if he were married, will he also take unto himself concubines?”

  Apollodorus waited for her to look at him before he answered. “Sabinah, the princes of the Badari do not take concubines. There must never be any question about the line of succession.” He smiled slightly. “I cannot imagine Julian’s mother allowing another woman to lie with Ramtat.”

  Her eyes swam with tears. “Then there is no hope for me.”

  “There is always hope, Sabinah. Always.”

  Heikki rode beside Julian, watching him slump over his horse. But when they reached the top of the dune, Julian’s shoulders straightened, and he rode down the other side as if he felt no pain.

  He was stubborn and proud, this son of Lord Ramtat, Heikki thought. Julian was very like his father—the weakness of his flesh would not keep him from his duty.

  �
��You must remain here, Heikki. What I do must be done alone.”

  The general nodded. “I shall wait here for you.”

  Julian rode down the sand dune, hoping he could mask his pain. Sweat peppered his brow as he dismounted, but he wiped it on the sleeve of his robe, walking toward Eanez and his Badari.

  Eanez went to his knees before Julian, bowing his head. “Take my life,” he said with sincerity.

  Julian glanced at Moussimi’s Badari, who carefully watched him, awaiting his judgment. He saw acceptance in their eyes, and knew they would abide by whatever was decided here today. He had averted war.

  “Rise, Eanez. I have not come to harm you, but to discover where your allegiance lies.”

  “My allegiance is with your family, Great Prince. I do not ask you to believe me, but my loyalty has always been to your family. My father and brother shamed me by their actions. I stand ready to pay for their crimes.”

  “My family does not ask that you be loyal to us, rather be loyal to the whole of the Badari tribe. We have all been given a sacred trust, and if any of us break it, future generations will suffer.”

  Eanez stood. “What would you have me do?”

  Julian fought against dizziness, hoping no one noticed. “I would have you do what you were born to do. Take up the sheikdom of your tribe and see to your people’s welfare.”

  Eanez was visibly shaken. “What my father and brother did was an abomination to me. I will always strive to be worthy of your trust.”

  Julian turned his gaze to the warriors who surrounded him, recognizing the hope in their eyes. “Do you accept Eanez as your sheik?”

  A unanimous shout rippled through the crowd of men.

  “It is done. Sheik Eanez, guide your people well. If there are still dissenters in their numbers, punish them.”

  Without another word, Julian mounted his horse and rode away. When he reached the other side of the sand dune, he slumped forward, and Heikki was there to assist him as he slid off his horse into unconsciousness.

  “You did well, my prince.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Julian swam in and out of consciousness, sometimes burning up, then racked with chills that made his teeth chatter.

  “There is something more here than the knife wound,” Apollodorus said, touching Julian’s forehead. “The wound on his arm is not serious. The one on his shoulder is more troubling, but should not be causing such fever.” Suddenly the big man’s eyes darkened as understanding came to him. He took his knife and sliced through the shoulder bandages. The wound was black and had red streaks. “By the gods, Heikki, Moussimi’s dagger was dipped in poison!”

  The Badari general dropped to his knees beside Julian. “Have you the knowledge to help him?”

  “Not I.” His brow creased in thoughtfulness. “It is possible I know who might. Sabinah’s stepmother dabbled in potions,” he said, remembering how the woman had given Sabinah the drug that rendered her helpless. “I was told the woman passed some of her knowledge to Sabinah. Bring her to me at once.”

  Each time Sabinah had approached the tent where Julian lay, his guards had denied her entrance. She was frantic to know his condition. When Heikki heard her voice, he opened the tent flap and motioned her inside.

  She paused for only a moment to allow her gaze to become accustomed to the darkened interior. She hurried to Julian and went to her knees beside him. Her heart lurched when she saw his pallor. Lifting the bandage, she stared at the inflamed wound. “He has been poisoned,” she said, her frantic gaze going to Apollodorus.

  “Can you help him?”

  She closed her eyes, trying to remember her stepmother’s teachings on poisons. “I will need to know what kind of poison was used. Can you find out for me?”

  Heikki turned toward the tent opening. “Eanez may know what his father used.”

  While she waited for Heikki to return, she sprang into action. “Apollodorus, I will need several ingredients—although I do not know if they are available here in the desert.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Venom of an asp.”

  His eyes widened. “Cure poison with poison? How do we know it is not what Sheik Moussimi used on his dagger?”

  “It is doubtful. When diluted and mixed with other ingredients, it can work to draw poison from a wound. Have someone get me a pot in which I can boil the elixir—instruct them to keep the fire hot.”

  “What else will you need?” he asked.

  “Blight from an acacia tree.” She closed her eyes, trying to think. “Milk from a female goat that is about to give birth. It would be prudent to ask at the encampment if they have a woman practiced in herbs. If so, she might have some of the ingredients I need.” She touched Julian’s face. “If only we had known about the poison sooner. Let us hope it has not had time to enter his blood.”

  Without questioning her instructions, Apollodorus left the tent.

  Sabinah took Julian’s limp hand in hers. “You shall not die—do you heed me?” She brushed his long hair out of his face, aching inside. It was difficult to see such a strong man so helpless. No doubt the poison had been hastened through his body when he’d insisted on leaving the encampment.

  “Hold on to me,” she said, touching her mouth to his. “I will be your mainstay.”

  “Thanks to the gods we have all the ingredients,” Sabinah said, adding more wood to the campfire. She stirred the liquid and then asked Heikki to scoop up sand so she could make a paste. When it was done to her satisfaction, she nodded to him to carry it into the tent.

  Heikki did as Sabinah instructed. “It was good that Eanez knew what his father had used on his dagger, but difficult to understand how such a delicate flower as the desert rose could be used to poison a man.”

  “Let us hurry,” she said.

  Kneeling beside Julian, Sabinah met Heikki’s inquiring glance. “The mixture must be applied while still hot. It will not only draw out the poison but also cauterize the wound.” Sabinah worked quickly, causing Julian to moan. She met Apollodorus’s gaze. “Let us hope I used the right amount of each ingredient. I know of nothing else I can do.”

  Julian’s Badari had been joined by Sheik Eanez’s warriors, and they waited in silence for word of Julian’s condition. The fierce desert dwellers paid homage to a brave man who had fallen for the good of the tribe. They would talk of this time for generations to come and sing of Julian’s bravery.

  Daylight slipped into night, and still Julian did not stir. In the late hours of the next morning Sabinah gently washed the packed mud away from the wound, fearing she would find it still blackened and swollen.

  With a joyful smile, she lifted her face to Apollodorus. “The worst is over, although he will feel weak for some time.” Tears swam in her eyes. “He will live.”

  Sabinah felt all the strength leave her body, and she sank down on the fur mat beside Julian, her head hitting hard against a stool.

  Apollodorus scooped her up in his arms and, against her protest, carried her to another tent, where he gently laid her down on a fur rug. “You will rest now.”

  Sabinah felt her body relax. Her eyes closed, and she fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Apollodorus stood over Sabinah for a long moment, thinking what an extraordinary young woman she was, and he realized she had won his heart.

  Julian awoke, tried to move, and pain swamped him. “What is happening?” he asked Heikki, who had been keeping watch on him.

  “You have survived the poison from Moussimi’s dagger.” Heikki quickly explained what had happened and how Sabinah had saved him.

  “There is much I must do. Help me rise,” Julian said, ashamed to admit how weak he felt.

  The Badari general grinned. “You have not eaten in three days. It is no wonder you are weak. I shall go to Sabinah to find out what food you are allowed.”

  Julian arched his brow. “Am I bound by her orders?”

  Heikki paused at the tent opening. “She saved your life and stood ov
er you like a dog guarding a bone. I would not want to be the one to go against her orders.”

  Julian smiled, relaxing. His shoulder ached but not as it had before. He had always known his Little Sunshine would do him good. Julian heard Sabinah enter and saw the concern in her eyes.

  She went down on her knees and touched his forehead. “You have no fever.” She peeled back the bandage and smiled at him. “That scar will always be a reminder of how near you came to death.”

  His lips curled into a smile. “A lesson well learned.” He reached out to her, but she did not give him her hand. “I understand I have you to thank for my life.”

  She frowned, becoming serious. “I had the knowledge because my stepmother instructed me on poisons. I never thought I would be called on to use that knowledge.”

  Julian’s gaze crept from her lips to her eyes. “Come hold my hand, Little Sunshine.”

  His use of the pet name warmed her, and she felt a blush work its way across her face. “I am told you are hungry.”

  His gaze settled back on her mouth. “Ravished.”

  “Today you may have goat milk and a bit of mutton broth.”

  “That will not do,” he said, trying to rise, but she pushed him back. “I crave roasted meat and wine.”

  Sabinah was thoughtful for a moment. “Very well, you may have one glass of wine, but no meat.”

  “You order me about?” he accused, smiling.

  “Grumbler,” she countered, frowning.

  He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “I will do as you say, but only until tomorrow.”

  Sabinah withdrew her hand. “Perhaps tomorrow you will allow me to leave.”

  Julian looked taken aback. “Leave? Where would you go? Nay, you will not leave.”

  Sabinah stood. “You must rest. When you are feeling stronger, we will discuss my departure. I cannot remain with your Badari for the rest of my life.”