AN: Well I am back, like I said I had to take a break from this story, that and I had a lot of school work to do. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Please review and let me know what you think. I must warn everyone, I am not good at Persian history, but I do know some of the culture. Since Prince of Persia is fiction, so is my story, so please do not give me a history lesson after reading this. The events in this chapter are purely made up so please keep that in mind. But again, please enjoy and review
Time in its own way is a funny thing. Sometimes it is slow, as if never passing, and other times it flies by at the speed of light. Time is a sometimes a tragic thing as well. For a newlywed couple it can be a number of these many things. For Shraga and Garsiv at times time was their friend, and at other times it was their enemy. Mainly, time was their enemy. Two months had passed since their wedding day, and not much had changed in their relationship. After they had kissed that day in the gardens, they had not been afforded another precious moment like that. To this newlywed couple this was tragic.
A few days after they had kissed they got the terrible news that the Scythians were trying to invade their eastern boarders. So the palace turned to pandemonium and Garsiv and Shraga were torn from getting to know each other. At first Shraga tried not to get in their way. She respected that Garsiv needed space so he could help prepare with the king and his brother Tus.
They were planning military action and that meant most of Garsiv's time was taken away from her almost completely. So she took the time to befriend Azada and her daughters. They needed the comfort of a true friend, not the friends they made in the harem. That and she didn't want to spy on her husband. She actually wanted him to tell her what was going on.
The first few weeks she would wait in his room for him to retire, and end up falling asleep and waking with no knowledge on if he really came to sleep at all. She supposed that if he had come he wouldn't have stayed at seeing her asleep in his bed. His servants would tell her he never came by, but she did not know if she could believe them. After those first few weeks though she gave up trying to see him, she figured when he had the time he would seek her out.
In those whole two months he sought her out only one time, and it was just to tell her that he would be leaving with Tus and his father to the eastern boarders to fight. Shraga already knew he would leave, but he had to make a formal statement of it to her because she was his wife. She just happened to be with Azada and Sanaz when he had come to tell her and they weren't spared any alone time so they could really speak. Shraga took the news with a simple nod while the other women cried. What was Shraga supposed to feel though? She had just married the man and now he was having to leave for war.
So two months later they were nearing the end of the preparations for the army to start to march east. It had been a while since she waited in his room for him to retire, but she really wanted to speak to him. She was not unmindful to the fact that in three days time, Garsiv would be leaving her.
She sat on his bed as she waited, just in case he did not come again and she fell asleep. She laid a hand over her chest, over where her heart resided. Its beat was easy and slightly accelerated. She was sure most women would be overly dramatic at the thought of their husbands going to war. She on the other hand was calm. She believed that Garsiv was a good enough warrior to survive. He was not too hot headed, and he really was aware of most things around him when he battled. In other words, he didn't let his skill go to his head and become cocky during his battles.
She had watched him spar enough over these two months to realize that he could hold his own. She sighed as she played with a loose strand on one of her new tunicas. It was a bright blue, but wasn't see through. She had managed to get some of them not to be transparent material. It was nice that seamstress understood the threat that Shraga posed if she did not get her way.
Garsiv entered, bringing her out of her thoughts and stopped her from playing with that loose strand on her outfit. She thought he would sigh at seeing her, but he didn't, he actually wore a kind smile. "Your serving girl told me you were here." he said as he unstrapped his sword and laid it on a table near the bed. Funny thing was that Shraga did not know she had a serving girl.
Shraga could tell Garsiv was tired. He tried to untie some of his robes and gave up when he realized that he was too exhausted to try to undress. Shraga came to his aid. She untied his outer robes for him and helped shrug them off. She then helped him take off his leather breastplate that he wore under his robes. He sighed happily when she removed the heavy thing. Without that breast plate, he felt lighter.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't think she would continue to help him ready himself for bed, but she did. She bent down and removed his boots. She was still a stranger to him though, so this was odd for him to experience. Shraga was his stranger wife that was showing him a kindness when he needed it the most.
"Thank you." he said when she had finished. She nodded and stood back up in front of him. He watched as she took off a necklace that he had noticed she had been wearing since they had been married. It was just made of twine and had a small pendant on it. She then tied it around his neck.
"It is for protection. My great grandfather made it." she explained as she still fiddled with the knot behind his neck. She was close enough so he could smell her. She did not seem to bother with scented oils like most of the women here, she just smelled clean. He looked down at the pendant and was confused on what it was. If she deigned to bestow protection on him then he was going to welcome it with open arms.
"Shraga, we are leaving early. Our spies say that the enemy wouldn't be expecting us to leave so early, so we march tomorrow at dawn." he said as he looked up into her lime green eyes. She hissed. She felt like she too had been fooled. She could have sworn that they would be leaving in three days, not tomorrow. It was a great plan, those three days would award them more of a surprise to their enemy. If it surprised her it surely would surprise the Scythians.
"Well I suppose it is lucky that I give you protection tonight." she said as she brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. He nodded that he was glad she did come tonight instead of waiting. He had gone to her room and was thankful when her servant told him that she was not there. He knew then that she would be here. It was a blessing that he was learning those sorts of things about his wife.
"I am sorry Shraga, I really thought we would have more time to get to know each other before something like this happened." he said as he patted the space next to him on the bed. She sat down like he wanted her to.
"We will have plenty of time for that when you come home. Right now you have bigger things to think about." she said as she nudged her shoulder with his. "I suppose you are right. I just really think I would like to leave with more knowledge of my wife than what I am." he explained to her.
They both sat there for a moment before he turned to hug her. She tensed against him, unsure on how to react. He was leaving tomorrow, and he may not return. So she loosened against him and wrapped her own arms around him too. She could be a widow before she actually learned what marriage really was.
She could also tell that he needed this slight comfort, and in a way she needed it too. Their body heat mingled together as well as their scents. It was pleasant, and so was the hug. She found herself enjoying it more than she thought she would have. She squeezed her arms, tightening the hug as she laid her head on his chest. He nuzzled his face into her hair and closed his eyes.
"Sleep here tonight…" he suggested into her hair without opening her eyes. "Alright…" she whispered into his chest. The panic didn't set in at all after she agreed to sleep at his side. On the contrary she felt a sense of excitement.
He lifted her chin with a finger so he could look at her. She was strong. She was Shraga, no one else would understand that, but he was hoping one day he would understand that. He still did not know enough about her, but he suddenly knew he was proud to call her his wife. A smile graced his lips before he leaned in and kissed her. It was the second time they had kissed, and he wanted this time to really stand out in her mind as well as his.
Their lips molded together like the perfect yin yang. There was more passion behind this kiss than there had been in the first. He really wanted it to burn into her memory. His mouth moved against hers slow at first, and she tried her best to match him. She was a very inexperienced kisser, and he could tell this. He wasn't the best either, but he was going to try his best now.
Something stirred within him, whispered to him to really take control of her mouth. Like a fire raging through the forest, he really kissed her. She gasped suddenly and opened her mouth in the process. He took the opportunity to let his tongue slide past her lips and teeth inside the dark crevices of her mouth. His tongue slithered against hers, and she froze against him, not sure what to do. It was okay though, he was melting away the ice as he explored her mouth with a tender care. The tip of his tongue flicked against the roof of her mouth and she moaned a little bit and loosened up.
He could feel her trembling and he took it as excitement instead of fear. He grabbed the hair at the nape of her neck, revealing in its thick curly locks and pulled her head back into an angle so he could yet deepen the kiss. Then she surprised him. She started kissing back, mimicking what he was doing to her. Her tongue slid against his in a sweet tender dance. She then took the tip of her tongue and ever so slowly ran it from the roof of his mouth to the back of his teeth. She had done this to him slower than she had done it to him and it made his head swim.
He groaned in delight against her mouth which only made her explore his mouth more. Both were forgetting that they needed to breath and before she broke the kiss so she could get a taste of sweet air again she drew his bottom lip between her teeth.
He breathed in a deep sigh and couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. That was how their first kiss should have been, he thought to himself. She too smiled and her lips were flush and slightly swollen from their kiss. He licked his lips and stared at her lips in the process. He wanted more from her, and he was afraid to kiss her again from the danger that might ensue if he could not stop himself.
"Come, I need my rest. Let us go to bed." he said as he stood up, to put some distance between them for a moment so he could calm himself. He took off his tunic and then walked around to the other side of the bed. He had missed the look on her face when he took of his tunic. She looked very pleased and confused. She was feeling weird in her stomach. She had never been told a whole lot about these sorts of things, so this feeling in her stomach was unnerving.
She then stood up and fiddled with her dress. She did not bring anything but her dress, and she could sleep in it but now she was overly hot. She was not sure if she wanted to deal with being hot and sleeping, or actually sleeping by his side naked. She chose to sleep with the dress without a second thought and lay down next to him.
There was some distance between them at first and she laid there like a statue. She was not sure what she should do. She instantly cursed all her Hassansin brethren. They had all prepared her to kill a man, but never prepared her for sleeping next to one. She chewed her bottom lip slightly as she wondered if she should just try to sleep or… Or what?
She decided to just try and sleep as if she were there alone. Only problem with that was now he rolled over and closed the space between them. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in closer to him. Within moments he was asleep and she was left lying there awake.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
He woke up and looked over to find himself alone in bed. He sat up and he then spotted her sitting at his desk, looking over some of his battle plans that were scattered across it. She seemed to be in deep thought, and did not even notice that he was awake, staring at her. He was actually going to miss her while he was away. It mattered not that he did not know her, he was going to miss what could be if he got to stay.
He cleared his throat and brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to him and told him good morning. She must make it a habit to wake before the sun rose because here she was again in his room before day break. He sat up and stretched under her ever watchful gaze. After he finished loosening his muscles he pulled himself out of his bed and walked to the desk where she sat. He leaned down and let himself wrap his arms around her shoulders.
It was not clear to him why he had done this, but he just mimicked what he had seen his father do to Azada when he thought no one was looking.
"How did you sleep?" he asked as he played with a tendril of her hair. He was not sure how she felt about him doing this to her, but he had not felt her tense so he took it as she did not mind it. In fact he found himself surprised that she leaned into his touch.
"I slept well," she said, "it was pretty warm all night because of you." She looked up over her shoulder at him, and wore a pretty smile. He wished they had more time together, he really did. Yet time was not their friend at the moment. They would have this chance later after he dealt with the Scythians. He brushed his lips over her cheek and then let go of her.
He needed to start preparing himself for the march today. She stood up and followed him to his closet. He could tell she was going to make it a point to help him dress for the day. As he opened the closet doors he reached up and fingered the pendant that she had given him the night before. Just touching it made him feel a connection to her. He wondered if she knew that the necklace was a link to her. She probably did not, and it was probably him just thinking overly much.
With her help he picked out what he was going to wear on the first day of the march. It was desert garb of course, but its fine fabric was definitely fit for a prince of Persia. She helped into his clothes and he knew that with this contact, even though it was brief, had brought them closer. He was glad that he had asked her to spend the night with him. The night might not have resulted in love making, but he was honest when he thought that it was better that way.
With time, they would learn to know each other, and love each other. And when that day came, and love making ensued, it would actually be worth it. He did not want the woman he married to just be another woman he has sex with. He wanted it to be special for the both of them since they were forced into this marriage.
After she was done tying all his robes over his leather armor, he turned to look at himself in the looking glass. He looked like his father had those years ago when they had a war. It made him proud that he looked like his father. He met her eyes through the looking glass and they both smiled at one another.
He let his eyes drift to the balcony at his room, and saw the sun was rising. It was time to leave. He lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. He turned to look at her and she stepped forward and stopped a foot away from him. She pricked her finger with the tip of the dagger he had given him. She mumbled something underneath her breath, in a language he did not understand. She reached out and wiped the blood on the back of both of his hands. This confused him, but he allowed her to do it.
Once she was done she stepped away from him. "What did you do?" he asked.
"It is to help guide your hand that grasps your blade to the enemy's heart." she explained.
He wanted to know more, but he didn't have the time to sit here and learn more about it. It would have to be something he asked when he came back. So instead of asking about her odd ways, he dragged her against him so he could kiss her. Their kiss was like last night, slow and passionate. Except it was better than last night's because she knew a little more of what she wanted from a kiss. They also knew that this would be their last kiss for a long time. So the intensity was fierce for the both of them. And then that fleeting moment was over.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He mounted the horse that his father had given him a few years ago. He loved this horse, and he was sure that the horse loved him as well. He could tell that Gnosis was ready to be on his way. Gnosis was an eager horse which matched his own eagerness. Gnosis stomped the ground and snorted loudly. Most men would soothe their horses, trying to calm them down, but not Garsiv.
It made him proud that the horse stomped and pranced and snorted impatiently. It meant he was ready to fight. Garsiv saw no point to calm that spirit down. Garsiv looked to Tus, and saw that he too allowed his horse to act out. They were ready to leave, now all they did were wait for their father.
Garsiv looked back and saw Dastan standing next to Azada, sulking. He was not allowed to go on this trip, his father thought him still too young yet, so he had to stay behind. He remembered when he felt that way a few years ago. It was not a good feeling, but he got over it and so would Dastan.
His eyes then caught Shraga who stood on the other side of his mother. She stood there with her head held high and her shoulder's square. It was as if she had nothing to worry about. Which actually made his chest swell with pride, if she had the confidence to not cry on his departure, then that must mean she had the confidence in him.
He couldn't help himself from smiling. It meant a lot to him that she didn't stand over there with tears in her eyes. It was nice that she set an example of strength to everyone else. Or maybe it was because she really didn't care if he survived this war or not. For a moment his pride faltered, but he corrected himself instantly. There was no way that she didn't care. She had marked him with her blood, and had given him this necklace.
He touched the pendant and instantly felt a connection to her. It was a slight pulsating feeling that traveled up his hand, into his arm, and into his heart. It made him feel at peace and he felt her peace as well. It was much harder for him to comprehend, this connection, but he felt that it only mattered that he could feel her, and did have a connection to her. He fingered the pendant and let the feeling wash over him.
He removed his hand, letting go to her, as he heard his father approach. He looked over, and found his father, sitting high upon his war horse. Even for an older man his father looked glorious. He dipped his head to his father and so did Tus. It was time, they all knew this.
"You ready my boys?" asked Sharaman as he looked both of his son's in the eye.
"I am ready, father." answered Tus quickly.
"I am ready as well." said Garsiv with a tilt of his head.
Sharaman smiled and raised his hand for his sons to kiss his hand. They both did, Tus going first, then Garsiv second. With that, their father took head of the army, and started out. Horns sounded, cheering started, people threw flowers at their feet to symbolize their love and hope for their safe return.
With one last glance back he took in Shraga. She wore a simple smile on her face and she lifted a hand in goodbye. He did not know it then, but it would be a long while until he saw her again.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They had made it further than Garsiv had thought they would have made it. He was tired and elated all at the same time. By the time he helped strike his own tent, he was ready for bed, but he knew that it was not time to do so yet. This was his second time to war and he made it a point to help other men strike their tents. With Tus by his side, they both helped seven other men with their tents before the camp was ready to start with their dinner.
All over the camp fires were being set, and after a few minutes the smell of food filled the air. Garsiv felt his stomach rumble and his mouth water. He didn't realized how hungry he really was until he smelled the food cooking over his own fire with his brother and a few other men.
Tonight would be a merry night, filled with laughter, strong wine, and old war stories. He never knew how wise his father and his advisor's really were until they told their stories. Across the fire his father started telling his favorite story about how his uncle had saved him from a mountain lion. It was always a grand story, and Garsiv always saw the look of love on the brother's face as he told it. It would be a story he would hear a hundred more times, but every time he did hear it he knew that he had to stay close to his brothers.
He glanced to Tus who beamed as his father got to the punch line of the story. Garsiv knew that he would lay down his life for either Tus or Dastan. He loved them both so dearly. Without thinking he reached up and grasped his pendant that Shraga had given him. Instantly that connection took over and he felt her, as if she were sitting next to him. He swore for a moment he could almost smell her.
Garsiv had not noticed, but he had been doing this all day. He did not know when, but he suddenly felt dependent on that connection to her. He closed his eyes and let that feeling wash over him. It was a good feeling, one that left him wanting more. It was not the first time today that he cursed that he didn't know her more than he did. He wanted to know his Shraga more than he could in the two months he had known her.
Time was too cruel in moments like this when he wished he could be talking to her, or kissing her. He had only kissed her twice now, but he knew that he wanted more. When he returned from this war he was actually scared that he may not be able to keep himself at arm's length from her like he had been doing. He had been trying to get to know her, but their time had been cut too short. And now he wanted her. He had tasted what was his, and now he wanted the rest of her.
He let go of the pendant like it had burned him. He had other things to be thinking about. He would have plenty of time on the way home to think of the things he was going to do to her. He turned his attention back to his father who was now telling another story about the time Tus thought to become a great warrior sorcerer. Tus laughed merrily about the story, it was childish antics, and it did not embarrass him to let anyone know that story.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She felt him; he was holding the pendant again. He had done this more times today than she had thought he would do. She knew by now that he would know that it was a link to her. She felt humbled by the fact that he kept seeking out that link. She leaned against that door to her room and waited for the union to end. It did after a few minutes, and in those few minutes, they made her feel special.
She picked herself off of the door and walked deeper into her room. She had wanted to sleep in Garsiv's room, but she decided against it. She didn't want to get too accustomed of being around his things just in case something did happen to him. It was a way to protect herself, which she had the right to do.
He might have been upset that they hadn't the time to get to know each other before he had to leave, but to be honest with herself, she was glad things happened the way they did. It would be much worse for her if they had became the best of friends and then for him to die at war. He might not understand her logic if she explained it to him, but she knew it was the best way this could have happened.
She confident that he would survive, but anyone could die, even him. As she sat at the vanity in her room, and stared at herself in the looking glass, one of her vipers slithered up her leg. When she looked down at the snake though, she knew this one was not hers.
She let it travel up her body and wrap itself around her shoulders. It flicked its tongue out and tickled against the pulse point on her neck. It could strike at any moment, and kill her.
"You grow weak." said a deep voice from the shadows in her room. She huffed.
"How so?" she asked.
"You should have heard me by now." he answered, not bothering to show himself as of yet. She laughed loudly, which startled the viper that was poised around her shoulders. It refrained from striking though; its master had not commanded it yet.
"Zolm, I thought I might let you enjoy yourself a while longer before I ruined it for you." she said as she turned to look at the corner of the room that he stood at. She had heard him, she was not growing soft, she just enjoyed taunting him.
He exited the shadows and glared at her with such vehemence behind his eyes. "What is that supposed to mean Shraga?" he asked in a near growl.
"I am not oblivious, Zolm. And that stupid look on your face is not attractive in the least." she said as she let her green eyes wonder over his body. She turned her eyes back to his and noticed he was staring at her scar. The scar that he had given her. Her father had taken blame for it, but she knew as well as her father and Zolm, that he was the one who had done it. And he had done it out of anger.
She saw the vehemence behind his eyes soften, and the guilt creep onto his face. It was not a long story about why he had hurt her. Zolm is ambitious, wants to lead that tribe one day. So the best way to insure himself the right to lead, he wanted to marry her. She turned him down, and he took a sword to her. In a normal society, among normal people, he would have been punished, but her father liked his ambition and took blame himself. And in the process she had been sworn to secrecy.
"You are taunting me aren't you?" he asked as if he had figured out her game.
"I do have the right to taunt you now for the rest of your life, for every time I see my reflection I am reminded on you." she said with a smile. He sighed knowing she spoke nothing but the truth to him.
"So what do you want Zolm?" she asked as she looked back at herself into the looking glass. She hoped she made her point to him that he was not welcome in her room, or her life.
"Your father sent me to get information about the war. Word just got to us." he explained as he made himself comfortable in her room. He sat on her bed after he removed his cloak. She sighed as she watched him through the glass. It always bothered her when he acted like they were closer than they were. He always had a way about him that he always seemed so close to her, when he wasn't. Zolm was her least favorite person. He was too shifty for her. He would go against someone he was supposed to be in alliance with to benefit himself.
"Seems like my father is getting rusty if the news just reached him." she whispered as she started to brush her hair, never taking her eyes off of him.
"Well word would have reached him now if his dear sweet daughter would do her job." he said as he stared at her with his unusually pale blue eyes.
"And what job are we speaking of?" she asked as she drew the tortoise shell comb through her thick curly hair. She fussed with a knot, taking her eyes off of him in the process. When she finally managed to pull the comb though the knot and looked back up he was standing right behind her. A smile graced his lips, and it made her stomach turn. She was not oblivious to the fact that Zolm was a handsome man, but he was shifty. She didn't like that about him.
"You are getting soft. And you know what job I am talking about. You haven't been sending correspondent letters to let us know what is going on in the palace." he said as he reached out and took the comb from her hand. He sat down the comb on the vanity and then brushed her hair aside from the back of her neck so he could put a firm hand there.
She instantly stiffened, unsure what he was doing. "I don't know what is going on here, in the palace. I am a wife, and that is it. If father wanted me to be his little spy he should have made that clear." she spat. His grip tightened, and she knew that it was going to bruise the sensitive skin on her neck.
"You know damn well what your father wanted you to do, Shraga." he hissed at her ear, as well as his viper that was still around her shoulders, waiting to strike.
"Well how about you tell my father that I am a wife and that is my job. If he wanted me to be his spy, then he shouldn't have made me marry into the family. The king has a whole network of spies who watch the palace. He isn't daft, you know. He knows that is what father wants me to do, and he has been good to guard against me doing such things. It would be easier to sneak around if I wasn't the princess, but I am now, so father should get someone else to do his dirty work." she said with a growl.
He smirked at her with a laugh. "You really are something. I still believe that we would have made a better match." he said as he removed his hand. Fighting her will would be futile, he figured she was stronger than she let on. Stronger than the last time they had fought, when he had marked her for life.
"I suppose I will relay the message to your father." he said as he pulled off the viper around her shoulders. And with that, Zolm left.