Savage Splendor (Savage Lagonda 2) (24 page)

He felt pain in his heart that he had doubted her. She moved slightly, and he knelt down beside her and took her hand. "Mara," he whispered. "Awaken."

Mara opened her eyes slowly, and they collided with soft brown ones. She sat up quickly. This was the beautiful Indian she had dreamed of. "Am I dreaming?" she asked.

Dark eyes that seemed to go to the very depth of her soul drew her gaze with such an intensity she could not look away. If she was dreaming, this time he could also see her.

"Mara, if you dream, I share the dream with you." His hand slipped up her arm to frame her lovely face.

"Who are you?"

His hand froze, and his eyes narrowed. She did not know him. Jeffery spoke the truth. There was no recognition in her eyes, only uncertainty and fear. He had seen that look before. The first day he had ever seen her she had worn that expression.

"You do not remember me?" he said, and the words came out as a painful question.

"My brother told me we would be meeting up with a tribe of Lagonda warriors. Are you of that tribe?"

Tajarez swallowed convulsively as his hand dropped away from her face, and he stood up. "I have come to take you across the river."

"But where is my brother? Is my son with him?"

He reached for her and lifted her into his arms. He then picked up a fur robe and wrapped it about her to keep her warm. "I will take you to your son."

As he carried her out of the tent he set her on her feet for a moment and took Palomas off to the side so he could speak to him without Mara's overhearing. "Ride ahead of us and tell Jeffery to order all the warriors not to treat Mara as their queen. No one is to let her know I am her husband."

"I am glad you have seen the wisdom of this, my king. Jeffery told me the medical man advised against revealing too much to her at once."

"Go, I will bring her shortly."

Tajarez walked back to Mara and pulled the fur that had slipped off her shoulder tightly about her throat. He noticed she flinched at his touch, so he withdrew his hand. It tore at his heart that she was frightened of him, even though she tried to hide her fear. He knew her so well. It would not be wise for her to learn that the man she feared was her husband.

"Mara, I saw your son. He is a beautiful child."

She smiled nervously. "I thank you for saying so. As his mother, I welcome all compliments on his behalf." She saw Palomas ride away and enter the frozen river water. Over the weeks she had grown accustomed to having him around, and she felt like calling after him not to leave her alone with this man whom she feared, for some unknown reason. Tajarez, seeing her fear, took a step backward. "Mara," he said, thinking to draw her thoughts away from her fear, "By what name do you call your son?"

"I named him Andrew," she said, avoiding his magnetic eyes. She suppressed a shudder. The man she had dreamed of was real flesh and blood! She hoped he could not see her confusion.

"Andrew, I like the sound of that, but it is not an Indian name."

"I know my son is an Indian. You need not remind me. I have been wondering all afternoon if I might meet the man who is his father and not recognize him as such."

Tajarez swallowed hard. "What makes you think Andrew's father is among the Lagonda tribe?"

"I hope it is not so. I do not think I am ready to meet the man. I do not think it is proper that we are having this conversation. I do not even know your name."

"I am called Tajarez," he said, watching her face for some sign of recognition.

"I know you, you are Jeffery's wife's cousin!" Her face whitened. "Oh, I am sorry, you are the . . . you are the king. I am so embarrassed! I do not know how to address you."

"You may call me Tajarez," he said in a dull voice.

She smiled impishly. "It seems only fair, since you call me Mara."

He wanted to tell her he had often called her another name ... he had called her "beloved." He wanted to reach out and take her slight body in his arms. He wanted to carry her into the tent and strip all her clothing off and make love to her. He wanted to tell her how proud he was of his son, who was dark like himself, and looked more like his son than the prince royal did. Oh, he wanted so many things as he stood there looking into her eyes.

"Come, Mara. I will take you across the river now." He lifted her into his arms and mounted his horse. The horse balked at the river crossing and reared up on its hind legs. Tajarez easily controlled the animal, but the movement sent Mara crashing against his hard, lean body. As he reached around her to get a tighter rein on the horse, his lips brushed against her cheek, and she drew in her breath. With his knees he urged the horse forward and it entered the icy stream. He smiled down at her and her heart fluttered. She wondered why she was having such a strong reaction to this man of whom she had dreamed so often. Her face reddened as she remembered how intimate they had been in one of her dreams. He misread her reaction as one of fright. "Have no fear, I will not let you fall into the icy water," he assured her. He shifted her weight so her head was resting against his shoulder and she could observe his face better. His face was so beautiful and noble, yet it was a male face, one that could cause many a young maiden to lose her heart. Mara thought of his queen and wondered what she would be like. "Why are you being so kind to me?" she could not help asking.

He looked down at her with a warm gaze. "You were lost to us. There will be many who will welcome your return, Mara."

She wanted to reach up and touch his ebony hair to see if it was as soft as she remembered in her dreams. Her eyes widened. What was the matter with her? She was beginning to covet another woman's husband. They had reached the other side of the river, and Tajarez handed Mara into Jeffery's arms.

The look Jeffery gave him plainly told him how grateful he was that Tajarez had not revealed to Mara that he was her husband.

"It is good to have your sister back with us, Jeffery. It is cold. I think you should take her into the tent with her child."

"Which tent do you wish her to occupy?" Jeffery asked, hoping Tajarez would not want her to share his tent.

"Put her in my tent. I will seek shelter elsewhere tonight," Tajarez said, as he nudged his mount forward and rode away;

Mara noticed the other Indians as Jeffery set her on her feet and steered her toward the big white tent. The men seemed to be ignoring her; it seemed to make little difference to them that Jeffery had found his sister. Upon entering the tent, she took in the luxury in one glance. The white skins that covered the floor could only be ermine. There were white deerskin cushions to sit on. Golden plates and goblets stood on a low table.

"This   is   magnificent!   I could not be more surprised. I am beginning to see that some of the things you told me about the Lagonda tribe are true. I expected to find a camp with the usual Indian teepees," she said, bending over Andrew and discovering he was sleeping soundly.

"You will find they differ in many ways from what you would expect of Indians. I think you should rest now. The trip from here on out will be a grueling one. Tajarez covers many miles in a day. Should you need anything, you have only to call out."

Tajarez was standing near the river's edge, looking across to the opposite shore. A light snow had begun to fall, and the dying light from the sun was shrouded behind dark clouds. He heard footsteps and recognized them as Jeffery's. He did not turn around, but spoke softly: "I feel like the lowest creature for ever doubting Mara. It pains me to think I had so little faith in her. I pray she never learns how I doubted her."

"She will not hear of it from me."

"She does not remember the times we laughed, talked, and loved," Tajarez said, as if speaking to himself. "I did not think you spoke the truth when you told me of her condition, but when I looked into her eyes, I saw that I was a stranger to her. She does not know of the times she came willingly into my arms and I held her. She cannot guess how I wanted to die when I thought she was dead. I had to hide the joy in my heart at seeing her again. Nor can I tell her Andrew is my son. I want to go to her and tell her of this great love I have for her, to feel her body close to mine. But I must play the part of a polite stranger, instead of an ardent husband."

"Perhaps when we reach the Cities, the medicine man can cure her. Or Sagas may know what must be done," Jeffery told him.

Tajarez turned to face him. "It is a long way to the Seven Cities, Jeffery. It will take many weeks to get there, as you know."

"You will be called upon to exercise patience and understanding. Knowing you and how impatient you can be, I wonder if you can remain a polite stranger."

"Jeffery, I wish to apologize to you for the way I spoke to you earlier. It seems I have had much to apologize for lately, Palomas has felt the sting of my tongue and he, too, did not deserve it."

"As for myself, I accept your apology, and I know Palomas thinks he deserves all you said to him," Jeffery said, knowing how hard it was for Tajarez to admit he was wrong. There had been a time when he would never have admitted erring, but that was before Mara had mellowed him.

Tajarez sighed. "Since I would most probably say it all wrong, I would like you to tell Matio about Mara. I still feel very angry with him, and if I spoke to him, he would also feel the sting of my tongue. He was very steadfast in his search for Mara and should be rewarded for his devotion, while I would want to point out his faults."

"I will talk to him for you," Jeffery laughed, "but he may also feel the sting of
my
tongue. I myself am not well pleased with his assessment of Mara's situation, although I suspect by this time he knows of his misconception, and nothing I could say would make him feel any worse."

"In the morning I want every man to be shown my son, so there will be no doubt in their minds that he is my son."

"I agree."

Tajarez raised a dark eyebrow. "At least, something we agree on. Get some sleep, Jeffery. Tomorrow we start for home, and
you
can see
your
son!"

18

I am seeking, I am searching for that which is lost

to me.

If I find him will I know it? If I love him should I

show it?

Mara slept peacefully, awakening only once to feed a hungry Andrew. When she rose the next morning she fed her son, and Jeffery brought her some corncakes and roasted rabbit. He held little Andrew while she ate.

"Mara, Tajarez wants you to ride without your side-saddle. He thinks it will be too dangerous with the rough terrain we will be traveling through."

Mara popped the last bit of corncake into her mouth and stood up. "Am I subject to this Tajarez's orders? I am a good rider and it is not likely that I will be unseated. Besides, I do not think it proper to ride without a saddle."

"I would not advise you to go against him. It was not a request, but more of an order." Jeffery could not tell her she had once fallen from her horse while riding side-saddle, and Tajarez did not want to risk its happening a second time. Looking into his sister's face and seeing the stubborn set of her chin, he knew she was preparing to do battle.

"Jeffery, either you saddle my horse or I will! I will not allow this man to tell me what to do. I am not one of his subjects who must obey his orders. I am a good rider, and I would be more likely to take a spill from my horse riding like an Indian than I would riding side-saddle."

A smile spread over Jeffery's face. This was Mara as she used to be. There would be trouble, because she was willful and set on having her own way. She and Tajarez would clash many times before they reached their journey's end, but he welcomed it. It did the mighty king of the Lagondas' good to come up against the one person who did not always blindly obey him. He saw no need to tell Mara that she had often ridden bareback in the past.

"I will saddle your horse. Be sure to dress warmly. It is bitterly cold," he said. "I will take Andrew outside with me while you dress."

Many Lagonda warriors came forward to see the new prince. Matio looked down at the dark-skinned baby and felt shame that he had wronged his queen.

When Mara came out of the tent the warriors went back to breaking camp.

They had ridden hard all morning, and Mara had no trouble keeping pace. Palomas rode to her left holding Andrew, and Jeffery was at her right. Six other Lagonda warriors surrounded her.

The snow clouds had moved away, revealing a bright sun that began melting the snow, causing it to turn to slush. But Mara preferred that to the slick icy ground she had ridden on yesterday. She had not seen Tajarez so far today, and she thought it was just as well, because if he said anything about her sidesaddle, she would give him a piece of her mind. No lady would ride like a man! It was unheard of. She had made up her mind that even though she was among the Indians she would act like a lady. Looking about her, she assessed the way the warriors were dressed. They all had leather headbands interwoven with silver and turquoise. They were a strange band of Indians. None of them spoke to her, but every so often she would catch them watching her with a strange expression on their faces.

She recognized the young man who had come to the cabin that day and asked her to go away with him, but he, more than the others, seemed to avoid eye contact with her.

When they stopped around noon Mara took little Andrew from Palomas and walked away from the group so she could have privacy while she fed him. He was wrapped in a warm cocoon of fur, with only his little face visible. Touching his soft cheek, she smiled lovingly down at him while she unfastened her gown to nurse him. He was such a good baby, and once his hunger had been satisfied and she changed him, he fell asleep once more.

Standing up with the intention of returning to the others, she felt her eyes drawn to a hillside a short distance across the valley. She saw a rider and immediately identified him as Tajarez. He and the black horse he rode seemed as one. The horse's hooves kicked up the snow and sent it swirling into the air.

The man's dark ebony shoulder-length hair was tousled by the wind. From the speed he was traveling, she knew he would soon reach the point where she was standing, though she doubted he had seen her. He was so magnificent, like some young god out of an ancient Greek tale.

She felt a tightening in her throat, wishing she could continue watching the beautiful Indian. What kind of man was he? Surely like no other she had ever known.

Gathering Andrew tightly against her, Mara made her way back to camp, hoping the Indian Tajarez would not discover she had been watching him.

Jeffery offered her a piece of dried meat, but she refused, not feeling hungry. Moments later Tajarez entered the camp and halted his horse beside Mara. The animal tried to rear up on its hind legs, but the pure strength of the man prevented it.

"How is the child, Mara?" When he spoke her name it was almost like a caress.

Before she could reply, Tajarez's face darkened in anger, and Mara followed his eyes to the object of his fury. She gasped when she saw he was staring at her mount with the side-saddle, and felt a prickle of fear run down her spine when he turned his dark eyes on her.

"Did your brother not tell you that I ordered your side-saddle removed?" he said in an angry voice.

Mara tried twice to speak before she finally succeeded. "Yes, but I cannot ride without it."

He dismounted and walked over to her horse, many dark eyes watching him as he took his knife and cut the strap that secured the saddle to the horse.

He then lifted the offensive object and threw it to the ground. Then he turned back to Mara. "Now you will have to ride bareback, will you not?"

Hot anger shot through Mara's veins like wildfire. How dare he try to assert his authority over her! He shamed her in front of the others. She would not stand idly by and take such treatment!

"You have destroyed my saddle and you had no right," Mara said angrily, in English.

The other Indians seemed to fade into the distance, out of earshot, as Tajarez gave her a smile with no humor in it.

"You always did lapse into English when you became angry, Mara. Perhaps it is just as well. I would not like my warriors to know how you speak to their king."

"What right do you have dictating to me how I should ride? I am a lady, and I will not ride like some man, or like an Indian!"

"It seems you have no choice. Your saddle cannot be repaired. Had you obeyed my order in the first place, you would not know my anger."

Her hands went to her hips, and she stamped her foot.

"You have no right to speak to me in this manner. I do not care what an illustrious person you are, you have no say in what I do." She turned to Jeffery. "Are you going to allow him to treat me in this fashion?"

Jeffery merely shrugged his shoulders. "He is my king; I am bound by his orders."

Tajarez raised his eyebrow. "You, like your sister, obey me when it is what you want to do."

"I will never submit to your orders. You have destroyed a saddle that must have cost my brother a great deal of money."

"It was not your brother's gold that bought the saddle, but mine. Now, I do not intend to stand here conversing with a woman who acts like a child."

He took Andrew from her and handed him to Jeffery, picked her up, and, before she could protest, plopped her onto the horse. "I will carry the baby," he said as he took the baby from Jeffery. "And Mara, you might try to pull your gown down. I do not like for my warriors to see your legs." With that he nudged his horse in the flanks and rode away, leaving her to stew in her own anger.

When she looked at Jeffery for some sympathy, she found him smiling, his eyes glued to Tajarez's back. Mara yanked at the skirt of her gown to cover her legs and kicked her horse in the flanks harder than was necessary. As the animal started off in a lope, she discovered that she could indeed ride very well astride, and remembered that she had done so when she first met Jake and Zeke, but the knowledge did not serve to cool her heated temper.

Tajarez's temper, however, cooled almost immediately as he remembered Mara's flashing green eyes and the creamy white leg he had glimpsed when he put her on the horse. He looked down at the baby and saw that he was awake. His heart swelled with love and pride in his tiny son. He looked to his right and saw Matio riding beside him. "Have you seen my son, Matio?" he said meaningfully.

"Only from a distance, until Jeffery showed him to me this morning," Matio said, shamefaced.

"Take two men and scout ahead, Matio. I am not ready to forgive what you charged against your queen," Tajarez said in a deadly calm voice.

For the first time in his life, Matio wished he could cry. He had done the queen a great injustice, and he doubted that the king would ever forgive him. In fact, he waited to hear at any time that he was no longer a member of the royal guard. He made no reply as he dropped back to select two men to accompany him.

It was early March. Weeks passed, with the same pattern repeated each day. The cold weather continued and the snow fell intermittently, piling up in a thick, heavy blanket, making forward progress difficult; but still they pushed on, ever westward. Mara was beginning to think the mysterious Seven Cities were a myth and they would never reach them.

One morning they awoke to see that there had been a fierce blizzard with strong winds that had whipped the down-falling snow into a world of whiteness, making it impossible for them to travel. Everyone remained in their tents, and the wind howled and pushed against the shelters. Inside the tent Mara occupied it was warm and cozy, with all the white robes she needed to cover herself with. Jeffery had told Mara the tent had been treated with some kind of oil that repelled cold and moisture. She hummed softly as she nursed Andrew. He was a greedy eater, as his chubby little body attested.

A sudden gust of wind engulfed Mara as the tent flap was pushed aside, and she looked up to see Tajarez enter. The fur wrap he wore was covered with snow, and he removed it and dropped it to the fur rug. He stood silently watching her, his dark eyes resting on the gentle swell of her creamy white breast.

Mara would have covered herself against his intense stare, but her heart was pounding against her ribs, and she seemed unable to move even when he dropped down beside her and touched the dark hair of her son.

He spoke no words as he looked into her eyes, and she could not speak for the way her throat had suddenly closed off, making it hard for her to breathe.

She watched as he lowered his head and kissed Andrew on his chubby little cheek, and then she gasped as she felt his warm breath against her sensitive breast. She closed her eyes as she felt his mouth move from her son's cheek to lightly touch her exposed skin.

When he raised his head, his hand slid around the back of her neck, and she could see the passion reflected in his dark, haunting eyes.

It struck a chord in her heart. Raising her head with gentle pressure, his lips descended slowly. Mara waited in torment for the touch of his mouth on hers, and when his lips did touch hers, a small groan escaped her, only to be smothered by his kiss.

Her body and her mind worked against each other. Her mind cried out that it was wrong, but her body denied that.

His lips were at first soft and searching, but they soon became hungry and devouring. When he raised his head, her eyes were full of wonder at the beautiful thing that had just happened between them. She did not protest when he took the child from her and laid him on the fur rug. Nor did she object when he pulled her into his arms and drew her body down beside him. Drawing the fur rug over them both he sought and found her lips. This time as he kissed her, he skillfully undressed her.

Mara saw it all in a haze of raging passion. She did not know how it had been accomplished, but soon neither of them had anything on, and instead of feeling shame and embarrassment as she knew she should, her body sought to touch his. Tentatively at first, her hand slid to his broad chest, feeling the mighty strength beneath her fingertips.

She raised her face to him and parted her lips.

"Mara, beloved," he whispered, glorying in the feel of her soft, silky body pressed against his hard, muscled one. He lowered his head for a taste of her soft honeyed lips while his hands roamed seductively over her body. He had the advantage. He knew all her likes, and what points to touch her on to make her almost mindless. He kissed her closed eyelids, the lobes of her delicate ears, her throat, murmuring her name over and over.

Mara's hand slid up his back to entwine in his ebony hair. Ebony hair mingled with golden hair, as the hard, bronzed body covered the soft white one. The weight of his body caused her momentary fear, but not fear of him, never of him.

"Someone may come in," she whispered.

"No one will enter, Mara, trust me," he said in a deep, husky voice, knowing she was at the point of

surrender. His hand gently spread her legs apart as he sought and found the entrance to her body. He saw her eyes widen and flame into green fire.

"I have needed this for so long, Mara. Feel how my body trembles with wanting you."