Outside of Alamut,
A horse stood on a hillock not far from the city gates. It was chomping its bit as the rider kept a tight rein on it. From his vantage point he could see the slopes of the city with its white pinnacles gleaming in the rising sun.
The day promised to be a good one. His daily early morning patrol hadn't revealed any immediate danger to the city. The various outposts that had been set up after Khoshkhan's attack still were in place and well manned. They would remain that way to prevent any future menace to the Holy Temple.
His horse moved restlessly on the spot, stomping its hooves, rising billows of sand. A slight pressure of his calves made it jump forward first into a canter and then into a much faster gallop. The powerful muscles moving regularly under the saddle made his heart soar. This was one of the very rare moments he could enjoy without having to respect protocol or rituals, so he'd rapidly made a habit out of these morning rides always combining them with his duties as Head of the Temple Guard. He urged his mount to an even faster pace, the hooves barely touching the sand any more.
It was almost time to meet the king at the training pen to inspect the young horses that would soon join the ranks of the guard.
As the horse sped over the stone bridge leading toward the main gate, the guards gripped their spears before recognizing horse and rider. Rapidly they jumped to attention as the horse brushed past them without slowing down leaving them covered in dust.
Every year around the same period breeders from the region brought their best young horses to the city in hopes to get them accepted as future mounts for the guard. It was both a great honour and a blessing for the owners. As leader of the guard, Asoka had to decide which would be retained. He was assisted by the equerry of the Royal Stables of Alamut, a wise old man well aware of the requirements for such a mount.
As Asoka reined in his horse near the pen, he could see the disapproving look in the older man's eyes. The coat of his horse was gleaming with sweat and foam had gathered under the heavy ornate saddle pad. Usually he took great care to deliver his horse in a more decent shape, but today he'd been running late having pushed too far outside of the city and there simply was no disappointing the King, who'd graciously agreed to attend. In fact he could see the dignified man step out of the stables closely followed by his footman.
Asoka lost no time to dismount; he jumped out of the saddle handing the reins to a waiting groom. He bowed low in front of the King as a sign of respect that Sharaman acknowledged with a nod.
"It is an honour to have you partake, Your Highness."
"So tell me… Following which criteria do you choose your cavalry here in Alamut? I'm curious…"
Before Asoka could answer the question the equerry had stepped up and launched himself into a lengthy explanation that made the head of the guard sigh. The King smirked seeing his reaction even as he kept on listening.
The selection had made good progress and the King and Asoka were about to leave the pen, letting the equerry handle the breeders of the selected horses. They intended to inspect the progress made on the repairs to the outer wall and as it wasn't far from there they went on foot enjoying the freshness of the shadowed streets. A cloaked figure, barrelling into the King before Asoka or the footman could even react, rudely interrupted their discussion. A colourful string of expletives came from the figure now sitting at the King's feet. The three men stared speechless as they recognized the owner of the voice.
"Your Highness?" Asoka was baffled.
The figure instantly froze and a hand flew up to the hood pushing it back so she could see who had addressed her. As her gaze wandered from toe to tip she felt embarrassment colour her cheeks even as she tried to hide behind a stoic mask what was left of her dignity. Of all the men … What was it with that family that kept destabilizing her?
An amused smirk brushed the King's face as Asoka tried to help the unfortunate princess out of her predicament.
"King Sharaman. Might I have a word with you?" She asked while hastily dusting off her garments.
Sharaman kept his silence simply nodding at her and gesturing for her to lead the way. Being older he normally would have led the group, but as a sign of respect for the young princess he stepped back. Tamina walked briskly past the elder man. She was still trying to compose herself. She waited for the king to walk up to her side so they could talk more easily. Asoka kept his distance allowing the two leaders to talk more privately.
For quite some time Tamina and Sharaman walked alongside quietly. She was searching for an adequate way to ask about Dastan and the king was following his own train of thoughts.
He hadn't seen his youngest son since the day before and he was quite worried about his whereabouts. The discussion they had had about the Hassansin threat kept nagging him. Knowing his youngest was a man of action; he was convinced Dastan wouldn't let go. He would find a way to protect his family or die trying and that was what worried him most.
Years ago, when he'd decided to get rid of the Hassansin menace, he had done so to prevent the terror they spread in the whole Empire. It had cost numerous valuable lives, something that still weighed heavily on his conscience. His yearly retreat was partly a way of honouring their sacrifice.
How could a man face them all by himself and survive? The princess pulled him out of his musings. She'd stopped and turned towards him. He could see she too was preoccupied by something even if she hid it well.
"So…" Her voice trailed of and he raised an eyebrow waiting for her to continue.
"Strategically it would make perfect sense to renew the alliance between our two kingdoms and cement it with a more concrete event such as a marriage. It would be an important support to a city state like Alamut, but what does Persia get out of this?"
The king nodded his assent, but kept silent so she pushed on. "What are your plans for my city sire? Have you planned for the prince to marry me so you could control its hallowed secrets? Have you instructed your son to pursue me?"
The king was taken aback by the boldness of her questions. Normally one wouldn't ask so directly about a potential ally's plan, but this princess had already shown him she wasn't common leader material. She was something else: fierce and feisty but above all very protective of her city and bound to her duty to a fault. He admired her for her personality; she would make a wonderful queen one day. Had he been a few years younger and not tied to a harem full of spouses, he would have pursued her for himself. The thought made him smirk, because he wasn't the only one in his family with similar thought if he had judged his son's reaction correctly.
"I must confess your bluntness is very refreshing." Was that a slight blush that heated her cheeks? Delightful! "You're a very astute person, well versed in strategy and diplomacy. And indeed I've thought about a more intimate alliance between Alamut and Persia. As you may have noticed prince Dastan isn't very concerned about his own well being and marriage might calm him down somewhat giving him a new purpose, but having had the honor to meet the high priestess I think she wouldn't be easily convinced of such an alliance. As for the secrets hidden in the entrails of this city, rest assured I have no eye on them, neither has any of my sons." He smiled at Tamina's expression. She clearly wasn't accustomed to such direct speech even if she didn't hesitate to use it.
Resuming their walk silence spread once again between them while Tamina processed the king's words. He clearly hadn't sent the prince on a mission to pursue her. So why had Dastan left this token to her? Did he feel something for her? Impossible in such a short time! How brazen of him! Why had he left the city? Somehow the ring had found its way into her palm again. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that its owner was in grave danger, so she simply stopped, turned toward Sharaman and opened her palm to reveal the offensive object to the king. She carefully observed his reaction upon seeing it. The man had stopped in his tracks looking at it intently.
"How are you in possession of this?"
"It somehow ended up in my chambers… on my pillow," she hesitantly added. She bowed her head not wanting to see the disapproving look of the older man. A deep sigh made her look up hastily. The older man had turned to the outer wall of the battlement both hands now firmly resting on it. His look dwelled in the distance as emotions raged in his eyes. His voice was barely above a whisper.
"So he's left … despite my orders. Young fool!"
Anger now marred the regal features.
"What are his plans?"
"Can't you imagine it, Tamina?" He turned towards her and she could see worry deeply etched in his eyes. "He's set out to fight a menace that has been haunting these lands for years bringing death and despair …"
"The Hassansins?"
"Yes."
"But he's alone?"
"It was his choice..."
"We need to follow him. Keep him from doing something stupid."
Sustaining her gaze he continued. "I'm afraid it's too late… I need to see my sons to prepare our journey back to Nasaf. War's ahead. Don't worry we'll leave sufficient troops here to protect this city."
He turned leaving her standing there still trying to process the words. She observed his retreating form. By the way his shoulders sagged he seemed to have aged instantly.
