"Oh Marie! –My dear sweet Marie(!) – how hard you've worked all day – that delicious food there – did you cook it? Of course you did my clever little wife! Oh I love you so much(!) I won't die on a mission I promise you mysweet! Until the amazing Altair kills me with his awesome power!" Altair said suddenly in a simpering voice, his eyes now resembling pools of honey. "I cook dinners for you and you threaten me every night but oh that's alright! At least you haven't murdered me yet!"

With his hands clasped together beside his head he gave Maness a look of utmost adoration as the Assassin remained motionless, his face a dark red. "If you think for one blind second that I – the great Master Assassin, that I behave like that – then you will suffer dearly." Maness seethed, his fists shaking with rage and humiliation. His eyes narrowed dangerously at Altair who gave up his simpering act and flexed his shoulders in a satisfied fashion.

"I need to assume anything – I've seen and heard you before Maness," Altair said with him a smirk, "We ALL know how much you love your "Sweetest Marie"" he repeated in a girly voice,

"You spied?" Maness snarled staring venom at him, he looked ready to leap from the floor and pummel Altair to the bitter end.

"Pfft, it wasn't my desired choice of hobby, I intended to poison your food, and then was revolted by your sugary weakness and so desisted."

"Weakness? She is of no weakness to me, she is expendable, a tool if anything! You speak of weakness yet you go and ferret around after that stupid wench- which does bring to my attention..." The Assassin grew a crude smile, which gave Altair an uneasy feeling, "Hmm this is not good news for sure..."

"Say already." He sighed impatiently, as Maness stalled for a few seconds keeping the suspense high,

"Judging from the time it is now, she's about to become... Mrs...Ammar...Prince of the Bandits." Maness said with deliberate slow emphasis on each word and surveys the sun's position in the sky, "Or was it King of bandits? I never remember such trivial titles..."

"You're lying." Altair spat instantly catching on, "She would never agree to marry a person like him." He said in a firm tone, but it weighed on his mind, what if it were true...

"Don't have to agree to marry..." Maness said loftily as he eyed Altair's agitation, "She could have been forced...bribed even...I heard she likes watermelons. Not to mention if she'll run around with you then she'll certainly marry him."

"I've heard enough." Altair snapped suddenly and began to storm off moodily.

"Where are you going?" Maness asked slyly,

"To rip that big headed Prince of nothing's face off!" He growled back,

"I'll tell Al Mualim." Maness stated smugly with childish behaviour,

"You go ahead and do that! Tell him about the Assassin we killed too because he was following you!"

"We killed no assassin - we couldn't find him!" Maness retorted in defence,

"True – but I did it anyway!" He said with a sick grin,

"You fucking lying rat!" The Assassin seethed seeing red, "It's not possible you could have!"

"He's up on the cliff you waste of space of an Assassin!" Altair roared at him, before making a hasty run towards bandit territory. And sure enough as Maness looked up, on the cliff were streams of crimson trickling delicately down the side. He arrived at the cliff side to find the source of it was slumped messily if slightly precariously over the side, Altair's knife embedded to the hilt in his body. Maness drew closer and saw that clutched within the dead man's hand, were marked throwing knives, no doubt ready to eliminate targets.

"So Altair...You murdered dear Cajul here, to save your enemies life...just what are you thinking?" Maness murmured as he turned the dead man's head with his foot. His mind furrowed with suspicions, as he began to pull the young man's body into the shrubbery where it would lay, undiscovered for a long time.

"Maness, my dear boy what news do you bring me?" Al Mualim asked in a slightly jovial manner as he looked up from a roll of parchment,

"I must say Master that Altair has become increasingly difficult to manage...if you would just allow me-" Maness began to plead with a displeased expression,

"No child...he is our brother, we do not murder family under any circumstances, we have enemies to fight against, not amongst ourselves." Al Mualim stated drearily his cheery mood evaporating,

"You intend to keep Altair's life for now?"

"I intend to keep it for as long as necessary the boy has his uses, just observe him when he returns from the castle." Al Mualim said and waved at Maness for his dismissal. "Oh and Maness – if he does brings back that wretched woman...dispose of her with any weaponry you have at your disposal." He added as a side note. "I cannot have him distracted."

"Yes Master." Maness replied confidently, his tone flat, his mind weighing the options labouriously.

"I want more flowers!" Leah squealed with indignation and pouted, a furious look cemented upon her face. She stamped her foot on the ground repeatedly reciting her demand in a higher tone each time, Ammar's shoulders drooped with effort, his turban askew, his face shrouded in sweat as she carried on.

"Right more flowers." He croaked aloud with a weak wave of his hand, and the bandits each laden heavily with accessories all gave a long, heavy sigh as they heard the order.

"Oh don't moan! – I WANT MY WEDDING TO BE SPECTACULAR!" Leah demanded fiercely with a slightly smug smile, her hands now on her hips as all the nearby bandits muttered tiredly.

"Excellent," Leah said with relish, "I love this power! Haha oh this is glorious...what I need now is a bottle of drink and I could do this forever!" She thought, herself feeling so secure, as long as she kept this up, she could buy time for Altair to rescue her...

"My dear...sweet, sweet, precious Leah...is this really what you want?...I mean you never did seem the type for floras...And so much of it…" Ammar said meekly, as he wiped his sweating forehead while tottering over slowly,

"You shouldn't judge me like that! How dare you!" Leah exclaimed in mock horror, "Go find me some flowers to apologise to me now!" She said shrilly taking an incredulous look at him, Ammar practically deflated as she shrugged him off again. He trudged away tiredly, "So Altair...where are you..." She thought nervously, as she glanced at the retreating back of the bandit, how long would his patience hold?

"If this is what she decorates her house like, she's getting personally thrown out from the brotherhood by me." Altair thought with intense disgust as he carted a huge heap of lavender over to two man who was almost crying seeing the amount of flowers he had to stuff inside cushions and then sew. The assassin looked at the man's heavily bandaged hands and shook his head disapprovingly, the man stifled a sneeze quickly and muttered "Stupid bitch." As he roughly stuffed lavender into a cushion.

"I hear ye brother." The other bandit coughed out in agreement, wiping his watering eyes on his ragged sleeve, Altair gave a typical grunt in response and slouched away. Across the cavern comfortably, Leah lay on her front on a bed of cushions, she was violently pulling the petals off a particularly large rose, letting them fall messily everywhere,

"Any other orders Mistress?" Altair asked sarcastically, giving her a low bow to hide his face under the hood.

"Sure, entertain me, I'm bored out of my tree." Leah said loftily and dropped the rose to the floor as she sat upright and crossed legged, and began to watch Altair.

"Entertain you? All you'd need to do is take a good look at your face." He replied curtly, feeling a stab of annoyance at her attitude,

"Hey – hang on just a minute there – You can't speak to-" Altair raised his head at her sharply and she gave a small nervous giggle, "Aheh...you can speak to me like that," she said with a small smile instantly recognising the face.

"Good. Power certainly has gone to your head and you're not using enough force when you speak." He said curtly pulling his hood higher,

"Oh can it - they work for me don't they? But really," Leah began to ask eagerly, "What's the-"

"I have no plan!" Altair hissed hurriedly "Before you ask," he added as his eyes flitted around for danger or any eavesdropping bandits, "I was hoping you'd have one!"

"You don't have a plan? You expected me to have one!" She gasped in horror before rounding on him, "I can't keep this fucking wedding off my back for any longer that's all I've planned! – And you turn up telling me you have no plan!" she seethed quietly,

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing!" Altair sniped, "At least I'm here!"

"Yeah, well until you have a plan – you can get back to preparing my wedding!" Leah barked at the quite disgruntled hero who had appeared with nothing more than himself.

"Fuck off! And as if!" Altair snapped back, "I'm sick of carting your flowers around already!" He ranted loudly.

"Do as she says..." Ammar groaned tiredly and patted his back, Altair quickly bowed his head low his heart racing from surprise, and muttered in a deep voice, "Yes.""How? How did he approach he's not light footed in the slightest, how did I miss his approach...must have been myself arguing too much, my lack of concentration is disconcerting..."

"When did you walk up to us?" Leah questioned shrewdly, as she beadily watched Altair pace away and out of sight,

"Well my dear, not too long ago, long enough to hear you snarling at my poor brethren," Ammar said lightly, his turban askew, and his face sweaty. His face now looked serious and his mouth had formed a grim line,

"Yes well...can't be helped," Leah said sheepishly and ran a hand through her hair as she looked around at the exhausted men, many of who were looking wasted,

"Which brings me to this conclusion...speaking on behalf of my brothers, they say to you, "shut the fuck up and get married you silly bitch," may I add that it followed numerous curses and ill wishes. So Leah as a devoted leader-"

"This can't be good news...he sounds well pissed." Leah thought fearfully as his expression became grimmer, he inhaled deeply and looked straight at her suspicious expression, "I know it – I know what he's going to say – a tenner if I'm right!" She had a horrible lurching feeling inside her as he spoke.

"I'm afraid any more preparations will be cancelled, and now – we will wed!" Ammar shouted, seizing her hand and raising it in the air, almost simultaneously. Which was greeted by an eruption of cheers, and calls. "You have the hand eye co-ordination and speed of a hawk." Was all Leah could think of as she let her body dangle limply as her hand and arm swung round the air guided by Ammar.

"Tenner to me then...Altair I knew it was your fault!" She thought with an edge of annoyance and continued to fantasise about ways Altair would rescue her, maybe dropping through the cave wall...fighting a horde of bandits... She barely noticed that she was led into a sweet smelling chamber filled with heady perfumes of incense. Inside were frightened women of all ages, they cowered in a corner as Ammar entered with Leah.

She was placed in front of a glassy mirror, finally gaining some sense as he bent his head low next to her and whispered in her ear, "These women will prepare you my darling. You shall look beautiful", he brushed a strand of hair away from her sullen face and left the room swiftly.

Leah made a noise of discontent and looked at the huddle of women left alone with her, "Well aren't you all afraid..." she murmured feeling stabs of pity for them. The women were dressed in rags of linen that were dirty and smudged with all sorts of dirt, they were bedraggled, their hair in messy locks. Leah felt a wave of shame, she herself adorned with jewels and soft fabric and her skin smelling of soft blossoms.

"My-my lady...we m-m-must help you, we will do y-your hair..." An elderly women wheezed out , her voice incredibly weak as Leah stared straight at her,

"No, it's okay, you's look like you need a square meal, I'll send for some food..." Leah began kindly but the women all gave a sharp intake of breath,

"We c-cannot." A young girl said, she clung her small frame to an older girl as she spoke,

"Well I'm going to get myself ready for this "wedding" and then I'll turn my dress into something practical for escaping." Leah said firmly, she turned her gaze to a folded dress that lay on the bed.

Running her hands through her hair she gave it an incredibly loose shake in a rough attempt to clear it of anything stuck in it. Grimacing at the slight waves and curls of it, she stood up and went towards the dress. Picking it up, it looked simply gorgeous. Unable to resist it, she tried it on after asking the women to turn their backs.

A rich red skirt reached down to her ankles, it assimilated with the top which was a soft red and cream forming most of the centre in a shape of smooth swirls. A white lace layering accompanied the cream base, it fell just past her shoulders. A band of red smooth material attached to the back of the dress snaked around her arms, which then attached to short lace sleeves hiding her forearm. Along the lines of the lace were rich embroidery of minute pearly coloured, white beads and gold seam lines laced it.

It's a shame to ruin this...but I gotta do it." She murmured and reached for a pair of scissors lying on the table, stepping to the large coppery mirror she began to judge apprehensively where she should cut.

"Mistress, you are not ready..."

"Huh?" Leah stopped half admiring herself in the mirror and turned to the crowd, "Whaddya mean?" she enquired.

"Your hair cannot be down. It must be up and clean, the mark of a bride..." A woman said shyly, and gently procured the scissors from her hand.

"I have no hair bobble..." Leah began feebly as the women surged forwards in a rush of energy, alarming Leah as their hands forced her to sit rigidly on a seat.

"Mistress, let us..."

Leah didn't think she ever saw such an elegant hair style done in record speed straight after a lotion was ran through her hair cleaning it. Her face was now rosied up, there was no eye liner or lipstick, there was a red piece of paper that they made her purse her lips on and some powdered silvery material they wetted and pasted onto her lids.

"Ancient makeup...it'll never come off." She sighed to herself looking in the coppery mirror she sat before.

"Somehow I imagined my wedding to be more musical..." Leah thought with a sad expression as she walked uncertainly between two rows of bandits clanking parts of metal together without rhythm and a few broken trumpets squawked a few unmusical tunes, the rest waving swords and axes above their head.

"Seriously though, the noise is giving me a head ache..." She said nervously, looking left to right at the bandit's dirty leering faces. As she took deliberate slow and small steps towards a beaming Ammar dressed in robes of a light cream and red, he stood at the end of a makeshift red carpet leading to him. His turban had been changed to one of rich cream and red, emboldened with jewels of all sorts, his expression eager as he watched her slow ascend.

Eventually though she had to reach the "altar" which consisted of a large wooden box with a man perched upon it. As the music stopped, the man on the box said, "May the dearly due to be wed kneel." Ammar happily complied and Leah was pushed and kept down by a few burly women.

"Shall I begin Prince?" The bandit grunted in front of them holding a scruffy wad of parchment that was bound.

"Yes." Ammar said with a content sigh, and he gave Leah a dashing smile that she returned weakly, the parchment was unbound, the bottom of it scraping the floor just about.

"Right, will you please ledge your ali-ge-ence." The man read out in difficulty, his eyes screwed up against the unfamiliar words.

"I Ammar, will marry this woman called Leah." The Prince said out with an air of having rehearsed it, he cast a beaming smile at the crowd, sweeping a few strands of hair free from his face.

"Well done! You're married Prince Ammar and welcome Mrs Prince Ammar!" The bandit beamed spreading his arms wide, dumping the parchment on the floor and the bandits cheered gleefully starting their "music" back up. For a few moments Leah was just speechless at the entire situation, she soon found her voice.

"WHAT?" She raged leaping to her feet, the women forced her back down, with their body weight, to her knees brutally she knew they were going to be bruised horribly.

"I don't believe this!" She stated loudly in horror, but her voice was smothered by ungainly noises, and it was ignored by the women and Ammar who was occupied receiving well wishes from the men. "I didn't even get a say - HEY I WAS TALKING TO YOU!" Leah shouted highly in vain, her chest heaving with rage and annoyance, she started to struggle and attempted to twist herself free of the grips that held her.

"Mistress if you keep moving you'll only hurt yourself." One of the elder women told her sternly, as she grappled the teenager's arm fiercely.

"Fuck off! I'm not being forced into this!" Leah snapped back angrily with the attitude of a wild animal. She rose off one knee. After a brief moment of success and a strength contest she was pinned to the floor messily. "This is RIDICULOUS! IT'S A FREE COUNTRY AND I WANT MY SAY!" Leah screamed out in agony,

"Mistress if you behave we will let you up." The women chorused, almost in unison. Their eyes showing pity and regret.

"Yeah well since you're my servants and all – I DEMAND you let me up now! – DIRECT ORDER!" she threw in for safe measure. The women looked at each other uncertainly and replied stubbornly,

"Our orders are from Ammar to restrain you. We cannot disobey the Prince." At this Leah gave a dejected sigh as she watched the Prince down a gallon of mead, "Well fucking be like that then..." she muttered cattily ignoring their murmurs of kindness. After a few more seconds she kicked up another fuss,

"Oh and he's not a Prince! He's just some scatty bandit who stole a bunch of jewels – glued them to his hat – and jabbed it on his fat head!" screamed Leah defiantly as she glared daggers at Ammar who was in the flock dancing wildly. It was to no avail. She must have been forced to lay on the dusty floor for a good half hour as the bandits joked joyously and partied...

"AMMAR!" Leah shouted hoarsely as she caught a glimpse of the prince amongst the crowd.

"Hey boss! Your girl is crying for a bit of attention!" One of the men hollered into his ear,

"Oh really?" Ammar chuckled raising his eyebrows. He broke off from the raving crowd of pungent men and swaggered across to Leah who narrowed her eyes at him, he made a small wave at the women poised upon Leah and they scattered away quickly.

Leah got to her feet, shaking her wedding dress free of sand with a most disgruntled expression on her face, "Is that any way to treat your bride?" she thundered in tone that surprised herself. It crackled with rage and a growl, her eyes burning anger at him,

"Now – now...You would have ran off!" He said defensively averting his eyes from her gaze.

"Oh REALLY - I WONDER WHY!" she snarled at him, folding her arms moodily, tapping the floor with her feet.

"Calm down Leah...don't be angry. I only wanted to keep you safe-" he began feebly, his arms reaching out to hold her.

"-From what!" she snapped back acidly, Ammar giving a small flinch.

"Well..." he began, withdrawing his arms, he began to brush himself down before continuing, "From those irresponsible Assassins perhaps."

"There's nothing wrong with them! Sure their gruff- horrible- smelly but at least they don't force me into marriage!" Leah spat at him, she suddenly realised she'd hit a nerve, feeling slightly uncomfortable as she stared at him evenly. Ammar's placid expression bristled with annoyance, his self grooming had paused as he drew long, deep breaths.

"I'll have you know something." He said, a note of authority creeping in and flexed his neck. "Those "friends" of yours – and don't dare deny it. They have a lot shadier missions and events to take care of. Their very livelihood is a bundle of lies. We as bandits hide nothing, they in the Assassin's part of that scummy brotherhood are no good. They lie, murder, poison, they betray each other to find out someone else has double crossed them. There are no true friendships or alliances. You're a fool if you ever imagined you could trust them. Trust me they have a plan for you."

Leah had let him speak without interrupting mainly because she was astounded at the news, the facts simply sunk deep down into her. Never...it had never occurred to her that Assassins could have pretended to be her friend for their own purposes...

"Not to mention, they'd willingly sacrifice their own kin to further themselves. Did you know how children are chosen to become Assassins?" He queried Leah with a dark glance.

She shook her head, the colour on her face was gradually draining away. Her mouth was dry, unable to think of a reply in their defence, as she subconsciously knew Assassin's were no good for her.

"Well, when they reach a certain age, so I've heard. They are taken away from their mothers, their fathers would naturally be Assassins, but his identity is unknown, they place the child with another child in a locked concrete room that has no light, no windows, a single door, with a single knife for a minimum of three weeks."

"But won't they get hungry?" Leah asked with a daunting feeling.

"That's exactly the idea." He said grimly, beckoning her closer. She leaned in slightly, cocking her head to the side expectantly. "They let them wait in there, on the borderline of insanity and starvation, no food, no water nothing but each other. Then they get made one promise, they get freedom from the room if one remains. When one dares to reach for the knife...then...one child will murder the other. Two become one." He said lowly.

Leah's skin prickled uncomfortably as Ammar finished his chilling tale, the heat and atmosphere of the celebration did not warm up her insides that were icily cold. "Assassins may be one of the most ruthless beings on this world, and you hang around with them casually as if they wouldn't harm a hair on your head - but I tell you now, they can turn. They can turn and murder you within a flash... do you still think they are your friends?" He looked at her but her eyes hastily looked away,

"Erm...I-I ... they saved me. I was poisoned by one, but the healer stopped it from spreading." She stammered awkwardly, thinking back to that strong emotion of gratefulness towards them during her first meeting. But it was shadowed by Al Mualim's request for her to leave and Maness' blood thirsty behaviour. Giving a small shiver she remembered the cold eyes he had.

"Perfect example my sweet!" Ammar exclaimed widening his eyes, "Just think for a moment – did you really think the Brotherhood let you be saved without a reason to keep you alive? Allowed you to carry on living? There were under currents at work my dear."

"I thought they did what any decent person does!" Leah argued defensively with a stubborn expression but Ammar waved her words away irritated.

"Gah – Why are you so attached to them? You're quick to defend them without accepting or seeing their actions!" He snapped at her, "They are scum- they murder babies, steal women, massacre villages for treasured items! I've seen more than enough for a judgement."

"But don't you do the same thing as them?" The young woman asked quietly, Ammar looked dumbstruck for a few minutes before finding his voice again, spluttering indignantly,

"We are NOTHING like them! I can see it's impossible to –"

"Oh cool your beans!" Leah exclaimed tiredly sighing loudly as she cutt off his defense, "I was only saying some of them may be good, like Altair, let's say, he's a nice guy all in all." Soon as she finished , Ammar stared at her as if she had magically sprung mushrooms and fungus on her nose, his expression in total disbelief.

"Can I just confirm...are you actually trying to tell me, that Altair is a good person?" He asked her slowly and carefully, looking with wide eyes at her.

"Yeah, I am." She replied confidently, "Why? Problem with that?" she continued curiously.

"One moment my queen." The Prince said shortly, and turned to the crowd, "SILENCE!" The music ceased instantly, attentive half drunk faces stared round to them. "Which one of you my brothers think Altair is a good person? One with a kind heart who assisted in saving my once poisoned queen's life, helps little children in need, offers help to the poor, and murders those evil?"

Leah ran her eyes through the crowd thoroughly, she was sure Altair's face would be red with rage and unable to control his temper a beacon in the sea of tanned faces. Her expression creased in worry as her mind fretted with imaginary scenes. "I just know it...he's going to come running over the shoulder's of the crowd with a fat knife, and then he's going to murder every single one of us – me included!" she thought with a cold chill running down her back. It was broken by raucous laughter that brought a hot blush to her face.