Hmm, that was fast xD I had a day off and thought of writing another chapter so that you can understand the real plot of the story, if it is confusing (which I hope it's not.)
I know I only posted this story yesterday but only one review? (bellathedisenchanted thank you so much by the way(: this definitely is a Dastamina story just slightly different as you have noticed ;p ) and thanks everyone who put this story to their Story Alerts :) you make me want to write more!

Hope you like it, kate :)


Chapter 2

A garden.

That's where she was, in a garden. And a very beautiful one. There were all kinds of exotic flowers in there and she didn't even know their names, she only recognized them by their appearance. But whose garden was it? Where was the garden itself located? And how did she get there? She remembered riding on a horse with some Prince, riding to a city called Avrat. So how did she end up in that garden? She heard someone calling her name. "Tamina…" it was distant but she could hear a woman calling her. Wait, her name is Katherine not Tamina… isn't it…?

"Tami where are you?"

This time she turned around and searched amongst the flowers and plants the owner of the voice. For some reason, the voice was awfully familiar to her and very warm and welcoming, as if from a dream… She spotted a veil, white and slightly transparent, behind some roses but it disappeared almost immediately. She was so confused. She had gotten in another place, Persia to be exact, and in a whole another time, judging from the clothes both she and the Prince wore. And then she had those even more confusing flashbacks whenever her fingers even brushed upon that dagger. And now she was in an unknown garden playing hide and seek with some woman! Without realizing what she was doing, she moved behind some dense bushes or more like crept behind them, scanning the area for that woman again.

"Tamina you know I will find you so stop hiding and come here!" the voice was more commanding than welcoming now and she felt her heart skip a bit. She was suddenly afraid of the woman, of her…mother?

She walked timidly out of the bushes, with her head lowered slightly as she gazed at the ground. She heard the light footsteps of her mother and fought back the urge to run away.

"Here you are. How many times do I have to tell you not to hide in my garden? Especially when we have something so important to do!" she said and grabbed her hand pulling her out of the gardens and towards the stables nearby. The girl let out a sob and a quiet cry as she was being dragged by her small hand. Small?

"But mom I don't want to go!"

The woman heaved deeply and stopped walking. After tilting her head back and breathing deeply the hot air she turned to the little girl. "It isn't something that you want to do; it's something you must do! Do you think I enjoyed it when I was your age? No! Not one bit! But I always listened to my mother and never protested!"

Tamina calmed down a bit and looked her mother in the eyes. "Why? Why must-?"

"Because!" she was cut off by her mother. "Because protecting the Dagger of Time is our sacred calling, our destiny! You already know its power and how dangerous it can be for all mankind! It is up to us to prevent someone of using it for his own greedy purposes." She said more slowly now. She was crouching so that she could be at the same eye level with her daughter. Her eyes were softer and full of understanding and compassion. "I have been told since birth that I must protect the Dagger even with my own life and so do you. Don't cry, Tami! When you grow up you will understand but for now all you have to do is let us teach you."

"Teach me what?" the girl said between her sobs.

"How to protect the Dagger –well, obviously!-," she tried to joke "and to show you the path to the Temple as many times as possible for you to memorize it. Alright?"

The girl nodded lightly and put a faint smile on her small, sweet face before receiving a kiss on her forehead.

"Princess? Princess Tamina? Hello!"

The man's voice snapped her out of her flashback. She shook her head lightly, clearing it from her thoughts and the weird images. She glanced down at her hand only to see her fingers upon the hilt of the Dagger of Time, as her mother had called it. Her mother? That was not her mother! That was some stranger! Then why did she call her her mother? She replayed the scene in her mind but her thoughts were interrupted by the Prince yet again.

"Hello! Anybody home?" he said before turning his head to look at her behind his shoulder. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you! Can't a woman think without being interrupted by a brutal Prince of Persia?" she snapped at him rolling her eyes. This man was trying to get on her nerves on purpose but she wouldn't let that happen. What annoyed her most was that he knew her while she did not. She had to find out or remember, if she did know but couldn't remember, who he was and what had happened to him and her. She heard him chuckle –as usual- and huffed deciding not to ask what he thought so funny, knowing his answer would surely frustrate her and she really needed to be calm and unnerved in order to think properly and figure out what was going on. Unfortunately, he wanted to share his thoughts with her.

"You know it's the second time you called me 'brutal Prince of Persia'."

"Oh really? That's maybe because you really are brutal! Not to mention annoying and irritating."

The Prince faked a hurt voice. "Ouch, that really hurt, Princess!"

She remained silent for a little, deciding it was best not to argue with him but she remembered that he had wanted to tell her something. "What did you want to tell me anyway?"

"What? Oh, right. I thought we should continue the rest of the way on foot. Poor Aksh must be tired." She could sense the pity and compassion he held towards the animal and she couldn't help but think that maybe he wasn't so brutal after all.

"Agreed. After all, I can't feel my own legs after sitting for hours on this bloody saddle!" she said and shifted uncomfortably, trying to sit in a way that didn't make her waist and legs go numb and sore at the same time.

"Yes I guessed so. You haven't stopped moving since the moment we started!" he said expressing his annoyance and amusement. How was it possible for a man to feel two completely different emotions at the same time towards the same person, she had yet to understand.

"I am not used to riding horses like you Persians, always ready to attack innocent cities!" she didn't know why she had said so but it just seemed the right thing to say and he actually understood what she meant. What was happening to her? It was as if the information was hidden somewhere in her mind but she just couldn't locate it and so were her memories. Or actually Tamina's. Her subconscious was playing with her and she felt the irresistible urge to bang her head on a wall.

"Shut up and get off the horse."

She huffed again. "You know you really look like a Prince but you certainly don't behave like one! A true gentleman would get off the horse first and then assist the Princess down as well!"

"Let's just say that you do not inspire me to treat you like a gentleman!" he snapped back in a mocking manner and hopped off the horse. Sighing deeply he stood next to the horse and looked up at her offering his hand. She, however, shook it away and slid graciously off it. And it's my very first time I'm doing this! she thought amused but kept her cold face, not wanting to show any trace of other emotion that would help him take advantage of her in any way. He rolled his eyes at her behavior and after unfastening the ribbons of the cloak he wore, he tossed it to her.

"Wear this. The sun is too hot for your spoiled, princess skin." She was surprised by his action and she did not bother hiding it from him.

"Oh, how Noble! The Prince cares for my well-being! I think I'm going to cry!"

"Please don't!" he said in a pleading voice, taking her off guard. "If you start crying Garsiv will be able to hear you from miles away!"

She narrowed her eyes annoyed but didn't say a word. She watched him wrapping some clothes around his head and neck, probably to prevent getting sun burnt. To her he was being sarcastic and rude but for some reason she knew this wasn't what he really was. Anyone could see there was more to him than the eye meets. She didn't understand his behavior, not one bit. Being charged with murdering your own father must be really hard but he hid his feelings on the matter quite well. She hadn't spotted any sign that betrayed his misery and sorrow he must have been feeling and she felt pity towards the man. It must be a great burden for one man to carry. As she tried to lace the ribbons of the cloak around her neck, she saw a chain hanging around it; a golden chain with a small vial filled with sand. It had the same jewel on its top with the Dagger's jewel button.

You've used up all the sand...

So that's the sand that makes the Dagger work… She took it gently in her fingers and examined it. How could she have not notice before? This Dagger was the solution to everything. Mother had talked of a temple. It's funny how she did remember the path to that Temple even though she, Katherine, had never been there before. Maybe, in the Temple, they would be able to give her some explanations. But she had to take the Dagger to prove she was the one protecting it. That's exactly what she would do.

Dastan walked a few yards away from her and patted the ground, checking the quality of the sand. He caught the Princess stealing glances at him and he didn't know what to think; should he be extra careful in case she had been planning new ways to take the Dagger or was she really looking at him with sympathy? The Princess of Alamut was certainly one of the strangest women he had ever met. Last night, she almost killed me for the damned thing but today she's behaving so confusing, as if she has lost her memory. His head screamed at him not to trust her, that this was another trick of hers to take the Dagger but his heart told him that she really was confused for some reason, that she meant what she said and it was no joke or trick. He shook those thoughts away and opened the jewel button, letting the sand he held in his palm slide into the glass-made hilt of the Dagger.

Katherine chuckled. "Without the right sand it's just another knife." She informed amused and kept lacing the ribbons. "Not even very sharp."

He lifted his head and mentally cursed her and her Dagger. Why did everything have to be so tricky and complex?

"Clever Prince!" she exclaimed in a low, sarcastic voice and succeeded in her goal; irritating him. He stood up frustrated and walked next to her, so close that she had to take a step back. She gazed into his eyes only to see pure frustration and nuisance and he was probably accusing her for all his troubles.

"This sand…" he said holding up the Dagger "is there more of it?" he expected her to deny it and lie to him so he was not surprised when she did so. She looked almost truthfully in his eyes as she answered "Of course not." as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. For a moment, he was almost convinced but remembering how good she was at lying he insisted, hoping to get an answer out of her.

"How can I get some?"

She looked surprised that he didn't give up so easily. Well, she should know better by now he thought. "Try standing on your head and holding your breath." She mocked and after taking a deep breath she kept lacing the cloak around her neck. Dastan's eyes followed her hands as she tied in a knot the ribbons quite graciously but abruptly at the same time. What a peculiar Princess. But as he observed her movements his eyes fell on something that glittered on her chest. Between her breasts, a small jewel that looked similar to the Dagger's jewel button caught his attention. He tried to take a closer look, forgetting for a moment where he was actually looking at and forgetting the Princess as well. But unfortunately for him, she saw him, and well, he should have seen it coming...

"See what you are looking for, Prince?" she said sarcastically again and he mentally slapped his head for staring so intensely and promiscuously at her breasts. He hated being embarrassed by her. But if this jewel was what he thought it was, then she'd surely be more cautious from that point on.

"Start walking." was all he could say and he walked to the horse, took the reins and led the way.

He heard her huff in frustration for the hundredth time that day before hearing her light footsteps on the warm, soft sand. For a while none of them spoke and they both enjoyed the silence between them. Katherine/Tamina shut gently her eyes and enjoyed the hot air against her cheeks and chest. It made her feel more relaxed, more carefree. She used to enjoy the warmth of the sun on her tanned skin ever since she was a child. She would sneak in the balcony of her parents, the highest one in the whole palace, and lie comfortably on pillows, enjoying the burning of the sun against her skin. Opening her eyes again, she saw she had fell a little behind and the Prince had sped up his pace. Why in such a hurry anyway? Without the sand of the Dagger, he had nothing.

"If you can't prove to your uncle how the Dagger works, why in the world would he believe you?" she broke the silence as she tried to keep up with him.

"Not your problem, Princess!" he exclaimed in nuisance, without even turning to look at her. He wanted to get rid of her and obviously was not in a chatty mood but she wouldn't let him be.

"You know you really walk like one!" she said as she observed his form. "Head held high, chest out, long stomping strides!"

He could hear her footsteps became more violent and hard against the sand and he guessed she was demonstrating the way he walked. She really enjoyed mocking him, didn't she? And of course she did all that just to annoy him and get on his nerves. Well, he was not willing to give her the pleasure of admitting to her that she was succeeding her goal. Not now, not ever. He decided not to say anything hoping she would get the message and shut up. Well…

"The walk of a self-satisfied Persian Prince. It probably comes from being told since birth the world is yours and actually believing it!" she exclaimed amused but she had no idea how these words pierced through his heart. He couldn't stand being insulted so many times and especially on the delicate matter of his origins. Everyone knew he was not a Prince by birth but no one ever mentioned it, firstly because his father, King Sharaman, had ordered them not to ever do it and to consider him as his son by blood and secondly because they all knew how the youngest Prince hurt every time he was reminded of his past and low origins. Apparently, the Princess was not aware of that but he still felt hurt, insulted and more than just angry at her. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around so suddenly that the girl almost bumped into him.

"I wasn't born in a palace like you!" he said enraged and he was a little surprised at her look of fear and surprise. "I was born in the slums of Nasaf where I lived and fought and clawed for everything that I got!"

"Then how did you become a Prince?" Katherine was taken aback by his sudden outburst. She took in his words and her eyes went back and forth as she proceeded them in her mind. This was not what she had expected to hear. He always talked of his family so highly and with such adoration, as if it was what gave him life and made him happy. With the exception of his eldest brother,(Tus, was it?) who was the one that murdered their father. The moment he turned to face her, she feared he would hurt her in some way but as he kept talking, her fear turned into puzzlement and regret. She had hurt him deeply without even realizing it. She wasn't very fond of the Prince, whose name she did not even know, but she hated hurting people.

The Prince saw regret and sorrow written all over her face and he relaxed a bit. He shouldn't act like that. It's not like it was her fault she didn't know. "I don't know…the King… he marched in the market one day when I was 7 years old and he…I don't know, he...found me…he took me in, he gave a home and a family." He turned to start walking again but remembering her words he looked at her behind his shoulder. "What you're looking at is the walk of a man who just lost everything."

Damn your stupid tongue, Kat! She thought scornfully and kept silent for a while. He obviously did not wish to talk or anything and she understood him absolutely. She had experienced family problems herself. Her father and mother argued very often and one day they decided to stay apart for a while. But then, war between Alamut and Koshkan broke out and her father, as King, led the Alamutian army to the battlefield. But he got killed, she was only 8 years old and the trauma was still fresh and deep in her heart. Her mother died of her sorrow a year later and the little Princess was being taken care of priests and priestesses until the age of 15. As she remembered everything, she stopped dead in her tracks. What the hell was she thinking about? Her parents were divorced not dead! All those memories and flashbacks made absolutely no sense at all! But remembering the day's events, she was shocked to realize she was being connected, identified with Princess Tamina. All those memories she had and all those she had yet to see had been there all the time but she was too blind to notice.

Looking around she saw they had walked a great deal lot and were now heading to something that looked like a wall made of mud and stones and in front of its entrance, there were skeletons and skulls hanging on poles. Katherine/Tamina felt a shiver running down her spine and she gulped, biting her tongue so not to scream out loud what she thought of the place. She wanted to either go back the way they came or stay there and wait for him to return for her but she had to take that Dagger and to do that she had to stick with the Prince and not run away like a coward. She didn't want to give the Prince the pleasure of seeing her as a coward anyway.

"Welcome to the Valley of the Slaves, Your Highness." He spoke after what seemed like an eon. His voice was neither sarcastic nor mocking but tired. Tired of walking under the burning sun, stuck with a Princess that never shut her lips and tired of thinking how to persuade his uncle of his innocence. His hand moved subconsciously to the Dagger that rested on his belt and looking at it the thought that there were more secrets in that thing that the Princess was hiding crossed his mind. The way she tried to protect it was so desperate, as if the whole world depended on it, definitely was a confirmation to his suspicions. Remembering Tamina, he turned around to check up on her. She looked miserable. She was looking around her with a terrified look on her face; she seemed tired and exhausted and she was practically dragging her feet.

"I'm desperate for a drop of water!" she said in a pleading and exhausted voice. Taking a second look at her, he had to chuckle. She was holding their canteen, which was apparently empty.

"Well that's more than we have since you emptied our canteen hours ago."

"I wasn't born of this desert like you Persians, all shriveled and angry. My constitution is much more... delicate." She said and he was amazed by the quickness of her mind and the sharpness of her wit, she always had an answer for everything, even if it was an insult or just a sarcastic joke. She really was one of the cleverest women he had met. No woman dared to speak so freely of her opinion to anyone especially to a man and absolutely not to royalty. But she was different. She always voiced her opinions, not caring who she might hurt, as long as she spoke what she thought to be the truth. He had to admit he was slightly impressed.

He laughed at the last part of her response, shaking these thoughts away. "I think you mean spoiled!"

The girl forgot all the pity she felt towards him and the fear that the place caused her and recalled the annoyance and anger he caused her. "The wells of Alamut are famed for their clean, cold water."

"Perhaps less time admiring your wells and more time guarding your walls, and you wouldn't be here." He said laughing at how brilliant his reply was. He wanted badly to give her a reply at the same speed as her and leave her speechless for once. Just to see how it feels to be the winner in a battle of wits. No words can describe how content he felt when he received no reply. "Ah, a miracle! I've silenced the Princess!"

"Tamina? Tamina!" she heard him calling out her name with concern. She knew he had noticed her when she heard him jogging towards her. She felt bad for tricking him so but unless he was unconscious she couldn't take the Dagger. She was amused but flattered and confused by how concerned he was and how quickly he got and knelt beside her, shaking her gently expecting her to wake up. She thought he disliked her if not despised her and he couldn't care less if she was unconscious or something. But she was proven wrong. "Tamina can you hear me?"

She gripped tightly a bone nearby and hit him hard on the head with it. With a soft gasp, he fell unconscious next to her. She supported herself on one elbow and grabbed the Dagger with her free one.

"Do you understand now, my Princess, how dangerous the Dagger can be?" an old man, a priest apparently, asked a sixteen-year-old Tamina.

"Yes, sir. I am able to understand now. Looks like my mother had to die so that I finally-." Her voice broke down and she sobbed at the memory of her dead mother. She gathered herself again and promised mentally to stay strong, for the sake of her people and the whole world as well.


"Please, Princess, do not blame yourself."


"I am not; I just wish I had listened to her when she was still alive. I wish she were here to see how I changed, to be proud of me…" she said and lowered her head trying to hide her tears. "I promise you, High Priest, I will protect the Dagger with my life if I can in order to prevent anyone stealing or using it for his own profit."


"I know you shall keep your promise, my Princess, but I must warn you of what could happen should the Dagger fall into the wrong hands-."


"I will take care of the Dagger, sir!" the girl said slightly annoyed by him repeating his every word. They had discussed of what could happen millions of times that hour. She had learnt by heart everything by now.


"I have no doubts. But come here, let me show you something."


She followed him intrigued out of the palace, into her mother's gardens. She was about to ask what they were doing there when he opened a secret passage, a door hidden among some trees, that led into another part of the garden she had never been before. The flowers that decorated the room where completely different than the ones she had seen in the garden. But what captured her interest was the fountain in the middle of the room. She had no time to admire the small statue that decorated it because the high priest pulled her next to him above the fountain and told her to look in the water. She bent over it and looked in the cold, crystal-clear water of the fountain.


"See what?" she asked, not noticing anything bizarre at first.

But before he could answer, images appeared on the water. It was the Sand Glass, the Sands of Time. The Dagger blade is the only thing that can pierce the Sand Glass and remove the Sands of Time, was what she had been told since a very young age. A man, not too old but neither young was there. He held the Dagger. Tamina knew instantly he wanted to turn back time and alter events, change history. She could see his intentions were not at all noble. The moment he was about to stab the Sand Glass with it, a female voice, a shriek distracted him. She called out the name 'Dastan' in agony as her voice seemed more and more distant till after seconds it was completely gone . A man screamed after her but apparently she was dead. Tamina could not see them only the first man who took advantage of the moment and pierced the Sand Glass. Instantly, another image appeared next to the first one, a sand storm destroying the Holy City as the Sand Glass cracked and shattered. Tamina gasped at the sight. She knew this would happen should the wrath of the gods be unleashed once more.

"You are the only one who can prevent this from happening, Princess."


Tamina looked at him determined. "And I will, sir. Even if it costs me my own life."

Katherine/Tamina gasped at what she had just seen. Her heart was beating faster than ever before and she breathed heavily. She looked around desperately, taking in her surroundings, making sure she was back in the real world. She was slowly understanding the real meaning of the Dagger and she remembered somehow its story and how well instructed and trained she was for its protection. She had spent just one day in the unknown land of Persia and Katherine was no longer herself. She became more and more Tamina but she wanted badly to deny it. She decided to at least try and protect the Dagger but not turn into its real guardian. She wasn't neither prepared nor willing to give her life for a knife but protect it as best as she could was something she could do. Looking down at the young Prince, she guessed that he was Dastan, the man that screamed after the dying girl. For some reason she just knew it. She found no connection, however, between him and her vision and she was too tired to even give it a second thought. She gave one last regretful but determined look at him and ran to the horse. He may be a good man and a gallant one but it was up to her to protect the Dagger and trusting anyone at all was not on her list with things to do. Getting to the High Temple, however…


Dastan woke up with a terrible headache. He felt like hitting his head on a wall. He had never woken up feeling so sore and in pain. He tried to remember how he had gotten in that state. Oh, right, Tamina… She's so going to pay for this! He thought venomously and was about to scream out her name followed by insults and curses when he felt a shadow brushing his sunburnt face. A voice in his head screamed at him that whoever that was, was not friendly so he opened his eyes and moved carefully as he was being circled by a group of armed men, riding their horses. As he sat up, one of the men threw a dagger right between his legs and he took it for a warning not to try to escape.

"You know where you are Persian? And yet you enter still?" an amused voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He had now forgotten all about his headache and sore neck and he was focusing on how to escape the situation he had gotten into because of that damn princess! I will find her and she should be really concerned for her wellbeing when I do!

"In the heart of Sudan, there is a tribe of warriors known as the Ngbaka. They strike fear into the hearts of all they cross." The same voice spoke again and he looked up to see a man around his forties looking at him amused and serious at the same time. He was unarmed which could only mean he was the leader of the group. Seeing his puzzled look, the man continued his little speech. "The Ngbaka are masters of the throwing knife, wielding blades said to have been blessed by the Creator himself. Their aim is so murderously accurate, they can decapitate three men... with one strike."

Dastan grew more and more wary and cautious. This man, even though unarmed, seemed more dangerous than the others. With just one order of his, all the others could attack him and...well...kill him. So he decided to be polite and choose carefully his words. The man climbed off the horse and knelt next to him. Dastan would usually have grabbed the dagger that was between his legs and ran it through the man or threatened to kill him but this time his reflexes were not very helpful. He moved his hand to the dagger but the man stopped him immediately.

"Oh I wouldn't even bother doing that if I were you, d'you know why? This is Seso. He's an Ngbaka. I had the good fortune of saving his life which means that he is now enduringly indebted to me. So tell me Persian: is there any good reason why I shouldn't tell Seso to put his next throw... just a little higher?" Dastan saw the man was pointing at his manhood. He shook lightly his head, making the leader smile mischievously. "That's what I thought. Tie him up!" he ordered Seso but another idea crossed the Prince's mind. Maybe he wasn't the one to make the Princess feel sorry.

"Wait. I have an idea. How about a deal?"


Katherine/Tamina was not far away from where she'd left the Prince unconscious. She still felt guilty for what she had done but life's not fair so why should she be? To get what you want you must fight for it no matter the consequences and the costs and Princess Tamina knew that best of all. She stopped for a moment and took out the Dagger and the small vial with the sand. But she had no time to fill the glass-hilt for a group of armed men surrounded her. She mounted off her horse and got ready to fight them off with her scimitar and the Dagger itself. You can't say she was shocked by seeing Prince Dastan right before her with his usual mischievous smirk on his face but she was certain he wouldn't find her so quickly. Well, I guess I was wrong…

He extended his hand and she knew he wanted the Dagger but instead she gave him her sword. He took it eagerly but insisted on having the Dagger which she couldn't protest or something since twelve men pointed their swords at her.

"That's the one? You were right! She's quite good looking!" a man rode behind her and examined her up and down. So Prince Dastan had told him she's good looking huh? I'll keep that in mind!

"She could smell a bit better than that but still, we have a deal!" the man exclaimed in genuine happiness and snapped his fingers to his men who grabbed her by the elbows and tied her up before throwing her on a horse.

"Deal? What deal?" the girl spoke in a high pitched voice causing the men around her to chuckle.

Dastan only looked at her and smirked once more. "Clever Princess!"


Comments please? I am not very happy with this chapter but still, I care more of your opinion!