A/N: Ok here we go… long expected sequel to Finding Destiny is finally on the docket. Updates will probably be at irregular intervals because of RL, but whole plot is outlines. Thank you to those who didn't give up on this and pestered me into picking it up again, you know who you are. I hope this lives up to your expectations...

Early morning,

Tamina awoke with a start, her eyes almost frantically searching the room. In her sleep she had felt a presence beside her… but now she couldn't see anyone… to calm her fast beating heart she decided to step out onto the balcony, even as her feet touched the cold marble tiles, her eye caught a silvery flash of movement on her pillows followed almost immediately by a metallic ring as the object hit the floor rolling a few feet away before tumbling to the side. Intrigued she rose and grabbed it. There resting on her palm was an intricately worked silver ring. Where did it come from? It was too wide to fit her delicate fingers… It seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place it… Where had she seen it before?

It was that inopportune moment her servant chose to come into her chambers to wake her, like she did every day. If she was surprised to find her already up and dressed, she didn't show it…

Instinctively Tamina's fingers had closed around the small objet and she clutched her discovery close to her chest to hide it. How would she, the High Priestess of Alamut, unmarried as she was, explain a gift coming from a man? Wait, where was that coming from? Her thoughts rushed a million miles a minute. She knew this ring, had seen it before… the Persian prince, Dastan… he wore it on his left hand… but what was it doing here? He must have gotten into her chambers during the night… again… but why leave it here? To show her his ability to get wherever he wanted? That no one was able to stop him? Anger seeped into her mind... No, the man might be unnerving and brazen, but even he wouldn't dare to behave in such a way. But why then?

Her confusion must have shown, because all of a sudden the concerned voice of her servant reached her ears, calling her back to reality.

"Princess, is everything all right?" The elderly woman looked at her with worried eyes.

"Yes it is."

"You must hurry mistress, the Council is already waiting for you …" the old woman said.

Hurriedly she skipped out of the door and once she crossed the threshold she broke into a run leaving her servant shaking her head at her strange behaviour. The princess had been very serious and disciplined since childhood so to see her storm out of a room like this then something very important must have happened.

Out of breath Tamina slid to a stop in front of the heavy wooden doors hosting the reunions of the Council. She took a deep breath trying to steady her erratic breathing and taking the minute it took to signal her arrival to the members of the reunion to compose her features. At a nod of her head the panels of the door opened slowly granting her access.

The guards expression had remained stoic, but once they had heard the clank indicating the door was closed they both looked at each other with a look of wonder, shrugging.

Inside the large chamber, every voice had stopped and every head had turned towards the High Priestess. Chin held high she stared at every single member of it before walking to her throne. As she moved toward it she could hear the murmurs resume behind her back. Her hands fisted tight to keep her composure when all she wanted was to confront the old men, the round metal band boring into her palm. Strangely the feel of it provided comfort…

Once seated; she faced the Council who turned silent again as her gaze wandered from face to face. A slight cough drew her attention to the oldest member.

"Princess, we convened today to discuss an alliance between Persia and Alamut. We think it best to bring the subject up now as long as the Persian delegation is still within our walls…"

Unsure as to how he should continue he fell silent. Usually at this point the princess would have interrupted him. Alliances were not her favourite subject of discussion. In fact whenever a member of the council broached the theme Tamina would rapidly beat them at their own game, because to them alliance meant marriage and she was nothing if not fiercely opposed to it.

Today seemed different though; no objection had come from the High Priestess. Encouraged by the lack of response he suggested the members bring forth their opinion on the subject. None of them noticed the far away look in the princess's eyes.

She'd very effectively blocked out the sound of the counsellor's voices to a buzzing in her ears. Her thoughts were twisted around the Persian's actions as her fingers were wrapped around the silver ring. Why had he left it in her chambers? What were his intentions? Did he want to show her he wanted an alliance like the one she was sure the Council was going to suggest? She highly doubted it. From what she'd seen the Persian wasn't keen on politics unlike his older brother or the King. He seemed more like an act-first-talk-later kind of man, more like the middle brother… Tired by the churning in her head she decided, she needed an answer; now! Jumping from her throne suddenly she made the men rise too, some of them looking rather shaken, as if they'd just woken. They looked around in astonishment trying to assess the situation, but before they could voice any protest the princess was gone.

It didn't take her long to get to the princes' chambers. Taking no time to knock she breezed in hoping to find him there. The room seemed unoccupied except for some weaponry and a bedroll carefully wrapped up. To make sure he wasn't there she even stepped out on the balcony. No sign here either.

A cry made her attention shift to the sky. An eagle was drawing circles high above the palace, using the rising heat streaming up along the walls to fly almost effortlessly to its hunting height. Her gaze followed it for a moment before settling on a balcony high above her head. It took her a moment to realize it was her apartments. She stepped closer to the stony vertical wall. She couldn't make out any asperities that would allow a person to get up there from here, but somehow the Persian did… her mind quipped. Intrigued she carefully moved nearer to the railing. Immediately the wind played with the strand of hair around her face. The drop was breath taking and made her anxiously grip the balustrade tighter.

How could a person willingly put themselves at risk by free climbing over such a precipice, not to mention getting still higher up… Crazy Persian…

With a huff she turned to enter the deserted apartments. Where else could the prince hide from her?