“I love you too, Raif,” I whispered to his chest just before I fell asleep.
We left about an hour after the sun had completely set. I laughed quietly to myself because I still couldn’t fathom how we could see the sunset when we were miles below the ocean and covered in water. I was dressed in one of Raif’s old tunics and a pair of pants as he’d completely destroyed the dress that he’d had made for me. Pants were more practical for what we had planned anyway. I’d put my hair up in a bun under a really dorky looking hat at his insistence.
Raif was adamant that I attempt to look like an apprentice farm hand while we walked the main roads. I tried to point out that he was supposed to be at his house, guarding me, so it seemed rather pointless to hide who I was. Anyone we ran into on the way would know who I was because I was with him. He grunted a response under his breath that I pretended not to hear regarding women and their need to be correct all the time. I’d forgotten the fun parts of being in a very comfortable relationship, the teasing, the back and forth. I smiled. He swept me into his arms and kissed me.
“What was that for?” I said a little breathlessly.
“When a beautiful woman smiles at you, sometimes you just have to kiss her, especially when that beautiful woman is yours.” He plopped me back down and I pretended to readjust my pack to hide my silly grin.
It seemed like he’d packed enough crap for us to camp for a week, not one night. His pack contained supplies; while mine held food and things we might need for the mating ritual. He wasn’t all that certain of what we’d need and we were both hoping that Cleito would be better prepared.
He laced his fingers with mine as we walked in companionable silence. We were following the same path that we’d taken that led to the palace. He’d explained that we’d take this path to Melic, where we’d veer off onto a different, less traversed path to tromp through the woods and into the mountains. There was a hidden bridge there that we’d be crossing in order to reach the mainland of Atlantis. If all went well, we’d make camp in a cave tucked into the mountains on the mainland, just as the sun was rising.
After we’d been walking for a little while, I felt Raif tense next to me. The next moment I was being thrown into the forest, and he covered my body with his own. Three Atlanteans walked by us talking in a language I couldn’t understand. They were obviously drunk and gesturing quite boldly. Raif’s anger seemed to be increasing as they talked so I assumed they were talking about me.
“Hey,” I whispered into his ear as loudly as I dared after they passed. “What are they saying, and why can I understand you, but not them?”
I put my hand on his cheek, gently forcing him to notice me and ignore the jerks walking toward his home. Even though I didn’t understand them, I had a very good idea what they were planning on doing tonight. Why is it that in every culture, men’s first response to a female threat was abuse? I suppressed my sudden anger and shivered. It was a good thing we’d left the house when we did. I didn’t want Raif to feel it necessary to defend me against his people.
“They are saying things no woman should ever have to hear. Things I am appalled to have heard. Even if you were not my amada, I would still be taking you away from here happily. We must hurry. Once they realize we’ve left, they’ll alert others. It’s only a matter of time until someone realizes where we’ve gone.” He tightened his grip on my hand, propelling me out of the forest. I thought he was ignoring the other part of my question, but after we’d put some distance between us and them, he glanced down at me.
“There is a natural translation that occurs when people visit Atlantis. It is part of the magic of the island. It happened when we were on the surface as well. When we had visitors, they would speak and hear things in their native tongue that would be automatically translated into ours for us and vice versa. It was very helpful for trading purposes to not have to learn all the foreign tongues. You do not understand certain things because I block the translation. I block it so you do not have to hear the things that those scumbags just said, but also so that you can understand some of my endearments in my native tongue.”
“You don’t have to protect me from what people say. I’ve probably heard worse said directly to me. Things aren’t the same where I come from as they are here. Where I come from, women aren’t treated delicately. We’re treated just like men, sometimes worse. The era of gentlemanly behavior is long gone, requiring us to learn to defend ourselves. I’ve been alone for so long, I know how to defend my honor, if necessary. I know you may not believe me, as I gave in so willingly to you, but by now you should know our relationship is different and I wouldn’t give of myself if I didn’t want to. I’m flattered by your gallantry, but it’s unnecessary.” He frowned.
“That is one of the many things that I have concerns about with your culture. Women need to be protected and cherished. You are the giver of life and should never have to take life away. Men should do the things that are necessary to protect your delicate sensibilities.
