I disclaim all characters used in this story except for my own creations. I would just like to point out here that it was Kathryn Kelly who did the research for me, she found out where Farah's palace was. Thanks Kathryn. 8)

Chapter Three: Empty lands

I hadn't counted how long it had been in days, so I wasn't fully sure of the time, but I knew Shirin and I had been together so long that our personalities were proving irritable to each other. We trekked across an empty land that would eventually lead to our destination, Amber Fort, the centre of India. Yet that would still take a while, and we were running out of food and water, we were becoming intolerably thirsty as the heat from the sun continued to beat down on the crown of our heads. I could never live as a nomad; I was too indulged in a life of comfort to live a desolate life in these lands. We had originally set out with plenty of food and two horses, however, something in the night scared off Shirin's horse, so we now only had half the supplies and one horse. Shirin was annoyed and knocked her head against my back so I got annoyed too, but I held back my tongue so I didn't say something harsh and venomous back to her.

"How many more weeks are we going to be stuck out here?" she cried out, I removed a map from a leather holder that I had tucked away carefully in a wicker basket, on top of all its contents so I did not lose it. Shirin pushed me aside so she was able to see the map. "Amber Fort eh? Do you think they have any nice shiny things there?" the thief asked. Her thoughts were probably racing and it was more than likely she was now wishing she had bought a piece of clothing with more pockets. I placed the map back into its holder.

"Well, even if they do have shiny things you cannot take anything, you will probably get us removed from the palace before we even see the Maharajah," I said peering over my shoulder, she was sat with folded arms.

"What? You mean to say we're actually going to go up to the Maharajah and ask him if his daughter will come with us? What have you been inhaling?" she exclaimed. She leaned forward to talk to me.

"Why? What is wrong with that plan? It is not like I'm asking for her hand in marriage," I asked confused. I heard her sigh, this must have been accompanied with a shake of the head and the rolling of her eyes. She cleared her throat and put on a deeper sounding voice, my voice, or at least an incredibly horrendous and mocking version of my voice.

"Your Majesty, would it be okay if we just took your daughter to a place that could very well be mythical? Uh, yes she could very well get killed oh and yes you noticed I am a Persian," mocked Shirin. I understood what she meant, it wasn't particularly the best plan. I obviously hadn't thought the whole plan through. "I have an idea, we wait to Farah's dad's candle of life is blown out, she'll be a Maharini and then we'll ask her," suggested Shirin.

"Well I cannot say I am very good at understanding the system of Indian royalty, but I am sure a Maharajah is just a Indian prince, so in all it cannot be that difficult to talk to him as I too I'm royalty. But like you said, the whole plan of just asking him would be too far-fetched, but we cannot just wait, do you have any more suggestions?" I asked.

"Well let's just do what I do," suggested Shirin. What did she mean? She was always saying things that never meant anything unless they were explained.

"Explain," I ordered.

"Well I'm a thief, so what do thieves do?" she asked.

"You steal things," I said, but then it dawned on me, I suddenly understood what she was implying, I darted round to face her and pulled the horse to a stop. "I am NOT kidnapping Farah," I cried. Shirin's face was blank and for some odd reason she looked like she was looking through me.

"Um, Your Majesty," she started but I interrupted her, I wasn't going to let her suggest any more ideas.

"What type of impression would that give, Shirin? If I did that then India and Persia could be serious enemies, that would lead to wars, and although the Persian army is powerful I do not want lives to be lost over my own actions, not again," I said. She rolled her eyes through the middle of my next sentence, "You honestly don't think of the-!" I started but she suddenly grabbed me.

"Shut up and turn round!" she cried and spun me round. I saw now why she was looking so blank before. A group of twenty dark cloaked nomads, thieves, low-lives, bandits had arranged themselves in front of us. All clutching sharpened scimitars, the sun glinted off them, almost making them glow with slight redness. Similarly on what must have been the leader of the group, his face was covered with a black linen, but his eyes were a brown that turned a tertiary red in the sun's rays. They had emerged from over a dune. I knew I couldn't fight them all...not even if Shirin was about to reveal a weapon would I be strong enough to take all twenty on. We were being robbed.

All we could do was stand by and watch them go through our things, they seemed to make away with everything we had, our map, our food, even the horse though it was on its last legs after having to carry our things and our bodies. I thought at times my father could be ruthless when he sentenced criminals but they had those things coming to them, what had Shirin and I ever done to deserve this bad luck? Well...Shirin was a thief and I had destroyed a whole palace load of people through foolish actions. We stood idly with our hands in the air.

"This isn't right," muttered Shirin from the corner of her mouth to me, "I'm a thief yet my things are being stolen." It obviously annoyed her, it was probably getting to her more than it was getting to me. The leader mounted onto his horse, a black creature that lacked the grace of my own brown horse that now was in their possession. He knew that I was the Prince, my face was well known, I was my father's most cherished son and usually joined him when he promenaded through the streets of Persepolis. The leader, that was a large broad-shouldered dark man, decided to mock the royal fact about me and was more than likely proud of himself for being able to have such a person in his list of victims.

"Heh, Prince of Persia, whatever. Just a pathetic coward," he spat and his horse along with the others' turned to face away from Shirin and I and they rode away. We couldn't catch up with them, like I had said before, there was no away of defeating them all, Shirin hadn't a weapon so they could easily just use her as a Human shield.

We just stood, it probably had been at least three minutes yet we just remained still. They had probably started galloping in case we did consider the foolish act of following them.

"So what now?" Shirin asked, it was a good question, but one I hadn't yet had an answer to. I began walking, she didn't copy at first but soon caught up. "Well?" she asked wanting an answer.

"Maybe we will meet someone, hopefully we'll find a travelling merchant or something and then we can get a ride," I said.

"Uh yes but you really should realise that we are well and truly-"she started but I gave her a glare that stopped her from saying the next word.

How could any creature live in the conditions that Shirin and I wandered through, moving like the dead, spirits that were neither seen or heard? I watched the sun toy with us, and tease us with its sheer heat, it was now midday and the sun was at its hottest. My mouth was dry but my body was moist from sweat. Shirin gave up first and collapsed and then I felt something calling me as I knelt down to tend to her, I hoped it wasn't death but I felt the need to just fall and give up as well. I knew in desert conditions it was always hotter near the ground and that you should try and avoid being near it. I saw the ground ripple in front of me, I wished it was water but I knew my mind was just playing tricks on me...or was it? Was there some refreshing water in the distance. I couldn't hold onto consciousness anymore as the heat overwhelmed me. I collapsed beside Shirin's body. I was now in the hands of fate. Fate would decide whether I was destined to die here and if my body was meant to be left to the scavengers that were flying around above or if someone would eventually come and help us. That is...if we held onto life long enough.