I want to apologize for not updating for so long! My parents were out of town so I couldn't upload T^T I was back and forth between family members and was computerless. I really hope you enjoy! Again, sorry for the wait
A slap to a cheek echoed throughout the house, but no word was said. A woman no older than 28 was silently fuming to the man before her as to not wake their child. In a low hiss, the woman spat in a low voice, "How dare you! You not only betrayed me and your child, but you betrayed your honor and our country. If our daughter wasn't in the house right now, you'd feel my full wrath upon you." The woman then turned away from him briskly and went straight to the kitchen.
The man who was slapped was none other than Nagib, the archer. His face was blank as he followed his wife into the kitchen. She was pretty, no, beautiful in the man's eyes. She had mid-back length dark brown hair that shined a tint of gold in the sun. Her skin was tanned from the sun that matched her expressive chestnut-colored eyes on her round face.
He already could tell that their daughter took the looks of her mother, while she had his eyes. He knew that she would be upset with him, if only she would take a moment to put down her stubbornness in order to let him explain why.
"Please Basima; let me at least explain myself." He said with a pleading voice. She turned to him and was quite shocked to find tears streaming down her face. Only once had he seen her cry and that was with the birth of their daughter. Did he really hurt her that bad?
"You have no right to explain yourself because you already have. You put not only yourself in danger from being discovered by the people and your former comrades, but us as well. You have nothing you can say to make me forgive you." She turned back around again as she went towards the basin and started scrubbing the dishes that were in there.
He continued to walk to her until he was right beside her. "I was trying to think what would be best for you and Isra! If I were to die, what do you think will happen? I didn't want to even imagine you and our daughter on the streets like the beggars or even worse, if you were on your way to your parents and you were captured and sold into slavery. This was my only way to ensure you would be safe even if I died." He said his voice getting a little loud.
Basima threw the rag she was using to wash back into the sink and stood her full height and looked at him dead on in the eye's. "You already killed yourself, Nagib. You betrayed your friends and your family. Why should I ever forgive you?"
The defeated expression on Nagib's face grew and weariness spread across his face as well. "I did it with the best intentions Basima. Please, please, find it in your heart to forgive?" His voice said pleadingly as he took a gentle hold of his wife's hand.
Basima looked down slightly at the contact before looking back up. Her anger slowly dissipated as she let out a small sigh. "I really hate your eyes. I can't say no to them. I forgive you Nagib, but what are we going to do? I don't want to live in fear that someone's going to find out."
Nagib brought his wife's hand up to kiss it before saying. "The Templar's want to send me to Acre for a short while to get me acquainted with other Templars. I'll tell my leader that I'm taking a short vacation to visit relatives there. They want me to keep my position so they'll know Saladin's next move. I'll make sure that no one figures it out, I promise."
Basima leaned into Nagib and rested her head under the nook of his chin as he wrapped his arms around her. She spoke in a soft whisper, "How can you be so sure?"
His grip tightened slightly as he looked forward into space. "Because, I would never let harm come to you, or Isra." He said equally soft. He slowly loosened his grip and looked down at his wife while she looked up. "Let's head to bed. We don't want to wake Isra while she wonders while we're up so late."
Little did they know, Isra was up. She had been eavesdropping ever since she heard that slap. She hustled up the stairs quietly as to not get caught and quickly got back into bed. She was terrified. She knew that if anyone found out, they were dead. She had such a bad feeling something was going to happen.
She held her breath as her parents past her room before she heard their door open and close, signaling they were going to sleep. She let her breath out and scrunched into a ball. A feeling in her gut told her something bad was going to happen. Something really bad was going to happen to all of them. But she couldn't tell her parents because then they would find out she was eavesdropping on them. All she could do was hope that whatever this feeling was, was just her worry over her father going to Acre.
Sweat was rolling down his face and he was panting so hard he thought his lungs would burst. He couldn't believe what he witnessed. Those, those disgusting pigs! 'I can't believe I joined the likes of these people. I'm quitting this minute. I guess . . . Basima was right. I should have never joined the likes of them.' He thought bitterly to himself.
Nagib was currently in one of the secret strong holds of the Templars, just recently returning from one of their "missions". He covered his face with his hand and rubbed it, trying to get rid of the weariness from his face.
He was going to have a little talk with Sir Laurence; the one who convinced him this was for the better. He never mentioned anything like this was going to be involved in being with the Templars.
Walking down the stairs of the long hall way, he headed for Sir Laurence's office. The hallway was dimly lit with candles as they flickered, making various, distorting shadows along the way. Upon reaching the door, he knocked briskly on the door a few times before entering and shutting the door behind him. He stood at attention, even though his mind wanted to rush up and yell at the man.
He was currently sitting behind his desk, a feather pen in his hand as he looked up at Nagib from doing paper work he guessed. "Ah, Nagib; I was wondering how you were fairing. Tell me, how do you like your new post?" He asked with a smile.
He kept a straight face, but his eye's narrowed slightly at the smile. "Not at all what I was expecting it to be actually. Could you answer a question actually?" Sir Laurence gave a nod for him to continue. "Could you tell me why you never told me that part to of being in the Templars was kidnapping people in the dead of night? Or why we ship the off like cattle when no one looks our way?" his voice rising in volume with each question.
The Templar set down the feather pen and folded his hands while setting them on the table. "Why, this must be confusing for you. Did any of the others take the time to explain?" He said with false concern.
"No, they didn't. They were too busy laughing at the people's fear their screaming to take the time to answer me." Nagib said taking a few steps forward.
"Well, allow me to explain. We need the people in order to show them our way. They may be scared now, but once we convert them to our ways, they will see our way is better."
"And what way is that?"
"The way to have complete order in this world. The people are just too free and they abuse that freedom to do despicable deeds. We need to give them control in order for the world to become perfect; with us in control."
By the time he finished his sentence, Nagib had narrowed his eyes into a deadly glare. "You think these people will just bend to your will? What kind of mad-man are you? And a perfect world? There's no such thing! I really shouldn't have joined the Templar's, especially seeing your true colors." He took the Red Cross that dignified him as a Templar that was on his shoulder and ripped it off and threw it on the ground. "And those people are my people. And it's my job to protect them, I quit." And turned around to walk out. "Go ahead and keep whatever money I was going to receive. I don't want to know where it came from."
Right when his hand was on the door knob, he heard him speak up. "You can never quit the Templars Nagib. If you leave now, know that you will always be in danger. You and your family."
Nagib clenched the knob tightly to where his knuckles turned white. He turned his head slightly to look back at the Templar to see that he had stood and was looking to see his reaction. The glare and anger on his face set forever into the man's face. "And know this, Templar, if I see you or any of your associates near my family, I won't hesitate to kill you." And with that, he opened the door and slammed it, the sound echoing in the room and throughout the halls.