Swordchick: It's a really short chapter but that's because my next idea for a chapter needs to be separate.

Matthew: coughnoitsbecauseyourlazycough

Jaffar felt someone gaze upon him. In an instant he was awake, looking around alertly. It was morning, and he was still inside Princess Ive's tent. Jaffar felt a chill crawl up his spine. His gaze slowly moved towards the tent entrance.

There was Kent, staring at him with a look of pure terror on his face. Matthew and Legault were behind him, peeking around the alarmed knight with amused and startled looks on their faces.

Jaffar's gaze went from the three men to the princess and back up to them again. Princess Ive had her head resting on his bare chest and she lay very close beside him, Jaffar's arm wrapped around her shoulder comfortingly. Princess Ive had woken in the night, crying again, and Jaffar and awkwardly tried to soothe her. He hadn't ever had much practice being reassuring.

Jaffar's heart almost stopped beating. Leaping to his feet, Jaffar sprang to the far corner of the tent, as far as he could get from everyone else. Princess Ive's head hit the ground as he leapt away and she woke, sitting up and looking around curiously.

Kent stared at Jaffar with his mouth agape. "What…? What just…?" he stammered, not taking his eyes off of the assassin.

Jaffar was doing his best to hide all emotion, although it was getting harder and harder by the second. Oh shit, oh shit, he was thinking over and over again. How could he have let this happen? From the three men's eyes it must look like he had…. Jaffar shuddered slightly. Okay…don't think about that anymore….

It wasn't until then that Sain appeared, rubbing his eyes groggily. "What's going on?" he asked, unaware of Kent and the two thieves' startled gazes.

Then he arrived at the tent entrance and stopped short. His eyes went from Princess Ive to Jaffar. Then he looked down at his bare chest.

Jaffar looked down as well and saw that his shirt was still undone from when he had showed Princess Ive his tattoo. He swiftly wrapped his still damp cloak around his body hiding his chest. He was strongly tempted to wrap it around his whole body and hide inside of it, away from Kent, Sain, Matthew and Legault. But as if his reputation wasn't injured enough already.

Princess Ive looked at the slowly forming crowd, then to Jaffar, and her eyes widened, finally understanding what was going on. "Oh…" she said in a quiet voice, growing pale. "You don't think that…we…" she trailed off.

Finally Kent's shock disappeared, and turned to anger. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Princess Ive started to answer when she saw that the knight's gaze was on Jaffar. Jaffar didn't look him in the eye. He couldn't. He had to keep from flinching at Kent's voice.

"Jaffar, what were you thinking?" Kent demanded again. He wasn't going to allow Jaffar's quiet behavior this time.

"…I…" Jaffar started, but trailed off. He couldn't find the words to explain. No matter what he said he would either be accused of lying or give away Princess Ive's secret. He wanted neither.

Kent's gaze hardened.

"Sir Kent, I can explain," Princess Ive started, but Kent cut her off.

"I want Jaffar to explain first," he said, not once taking his withering gaze off of Jaffar. He was obveouly blaming Jaffar for all of this.

"…"

Even though Jaffar didn't respond, Kent still did not take his gaze off of him. They stood there for a full minute, waiting, but Jaffar never once spoke. Finally Kent reluctantly turned to Princess Ive.

"What is your explanation?"

Princess Ive winced slightly, but didn't hesitate to speak. "Jaffar came in here to make sure I was safe, and I asked him to stay. I asked for him to stay a moment. That is all. I swear. Nothing happened."

Kent nodded, but Jaffar could tell by the look in his eyes that he was just trying to make her feel better. He still didn't believe them. Princess Ive saw it, too.

"Sir Kent, you have to believe-!" she started, but once again Kent interrupted her.

"Get ready to go," he said to Jaffar. The cold anger had returned to his eyes. "We're leaving soon."

Jaffar nodded, staring at the ground, and pushed past his companions to his tent, ignoring Princess Ive's protests.

"Jaffar!" she shouted after him. "Please! You need to help me! Nothing happened, and you know it!"

Jaffar wanted to go back and help her, but he couldn't. He was unable explain why, but he just couldn't.

Swordchick: smirk

Jaffar: glare

Swordchick: smirk

Jaffar: glare

Matthew: Okay enough now we're getting bored

Legault: still laughing from last chapter

Chick: R&R

Jaffar: glare