A/N: Sorry for the wait, work has been more crazy when two mangers from our sister store had quit and I'm going from store to store! Plus I keep forgetting to update this story! So, sorry! Please review!

"Words in Bold" = another language

Italics = flashbacks

Italics/Bold = letters, dreams

Trapped in Time

Chapter 11

The next day, Estrella woke up at the point of dawn. She dressed in a white tunic and brown pants, knowing that it was going to be a hot day. Strapping only her daggers (which were hidden thanks to her shirt as she placed them between her belt and her pants), and a few throwing knives within in her boots, the woman begun to walk around the house.

She smiled and nodded to those who were awake as herself and were going about their business to get things ready for the day. Upon entering the courtyard, Estrella walked towards the stables and smiled as Elligero popped his head out of his now new home. Estrella brushed her hand over the stallion's snout, smiling softly.

"Want to go for a ride?" she asked softly.

Elligero nodded his head, his tail swishing excitedly. Chuckling, Estrella opened the door and began to saddle him. Closing the door to the stall, Estrella strapped the sword (which someone left inside the stall of Elligero for some reason), and mounted him. She clicked her tongue and hit her heels to his side, making him go on an easy gallop.

Estrella rode around the whole land that belonged to Balian, making sure that nothing was out of the ordinary. By ten or so, the woman rode back to the court yard, everyone now fully awake and doing some kind of chore. Estrella dismounts and took off her sword from the saddle. A man, which Estrella presumed to be the stable master, jogged up to her, taking the reins.

"Excuse me; do you know who unsaddle Elligero yesterday?" Estrella asked before he walked away.

"Aye, was there something wrong?" the man asked almost in a panic.

"Yes, they left my sword in his stall. Don't punish them," Estrella said quickly. "Just make sure they don't do it again."

And she walked towards the small arch way that led to the lands behind the house, seeing as both Balian and Peter walked through it before she entered the courtyard. Taifa walked up to her from the side, bowing his head respectfully.

"My lady, Balian was asking for you this morning. He was worried as to where you have gone." Taifa told her in very good English.

Estrella nodded, motioning the man to follow her. "I wanted to check the lands, making sure nothing was out of the ordinary." she told him.

They both walked at an easy pace behind the two men before them. The men's conversation drifted back towards them, not yet taking notice of Estrella or Taifa's presence.

"My lord, you have a thousand acres, a hundred families. You have Christians, Jews, Muslims. You have fifty pair of oxen." Peter tells him, wondering why Balian wanted to know this.

Balian stops and turns to Peter, who was leaning on his left arm on the palm tree, nodding. But before he could even say a word, both men turned around to someone familiar speaking up.

"But we do not have water." Estrella says out loud, stopping just a few feet before them.

She smiles at the surprise looks on their faces and looks down, kicking the dirt to explain her observation further. Looking back up to them, Peter nods in understanding. He knew that Balian was going to be different from Godfrey, but knew that they were both good men deep down. Like father like son.

Turning from them, Estrella bows her head to Taifa. "You may be excuse, Taifa; and please take this to my room." she handed him her sheathe sword. "I will seek you and your family out to see how you are all doing later on."

Bowing to her, Taifa turns and walks back towards the house. Turing, Estrella found herself being hugged and spun around. She squeaked, wondering what was going on with Balian. When he put her down, he took her face in his hands. His eyes showed concerned and joy, as he smiled at the woman.

"I thought you might have left me."

Estrella scoffed, shaking her own head. "Do you think I am that low as to leave without saying a word?" she asked him. "I only went about the lands to check for anything unusual." she explained.

Letting her go, Balian smiles and chuckles in embarrassment, "Well, let us get started looking for water, shall we?"

Estrella merely smirked back, a glint in her eyes.

D5D5D5D5D5

It was about lunch and Balian was walking around the land, watching those who took an earlier lunch continue working to find some source of water. He was eating some kind of fruit, one that he liked very much. He walks over to a boy no older than six shoveling wrong and stops him.

"No, no, no. Like this." he places the fruit in his mouth and shows the boy.

The boy nods in understanding and takes back the shovel and begins to do it right. Taking the fruit from his mouth, Balian smiles and continues walking. He smiles as he sees Estrella helping a few men in their twenties, including Taifa and Lukman.

Estrella stops digging and turns as she felt eyes upon her. She smiles at Balian yet frowned in confusion as to why he was just standing around. Before Balian knew it, Estrella threw him her shovel, which he caught, but dropped his fruit in the process. He glared at her but Estrella only smirked and took another shovel and began to dig once more. Shaking his head, Balian walked over to them and started to dig as well.

In the middle of the first week, many holes were dug deep, but none had yet to find water. A boy of twelve years old runs over to a hole which Balian was digging in. He hands him a water skin that Estrella told him to give. Balian takes it as he brings down the cloth covering his nose and mouth. He gets out of the hole, the boy immediately taking his place.

This was their daily routine until the end of the second week, were the same boy of twelve years runs over to Balain in the section of the vegetables with Peter standing by. He was speaking Arabic, which Balian now understands somewhat from the other knights, and thrusts his shovel into the ground. He runs after the boy, a few others watching this with curiosity and some following after them.

Balian pushes through the children and stops at a deep hole and looked down to see Estrella, Taifa, and another Muslim man standing in a foot or so of water. They were smiling, looking up at Balian and the crowd that had gathered and at the water.

"Right," Balian finally starts. "Stone the walls." he tells them before shouting it in Arabic.

He kneels and holds out his hand to Estrella, who takes it. Placing her foot on a hole that was made for her to get out Estrella pushes up at the same time as Balian pulls her up. She laughs softly, placing her left arm around his waist as Balian places his right arm over her shoulders. They finally found water, and in good time too. The heat was getting worse and the people were getting tired walking to and from the river only miles away.

It wasn't until another four days pass when a well was finally built; along with many palm trees cut in half and curved inward to let the water flow to other parts of the land. Balian pushes the wheel for the well to function and turns to the men waiting by. He shouts in Arabic at them, the men lifting up boards to let the water flow. Everyone cries out joyously, the children the loudest.

One of the children runs over to the flow and drops a small boat which he had built and let the rushing water take it away. The men working by the water watch the boat and smile before continuing working. It was a sign of hope within the land; something that the people lost when their old master died.

Estrella smiled, walking next to Balian. "You've given them hope, Balian." she whispered.

Balian looked to the woman, wondering what she meant. Estrella continued to look at the children then to the land that the water now flowed through.

"You've given them hope of living a good life once again." she told him.

Then she walked away, Balian watching after her. He considered her words, looking to the people and their families about. Although he could see that it was true, he felt that he could do more than this. Give the people more than what they're getting now.

D5D5D5D5D5

Balian and Estrella continued to build other wells on other spots that water has been discovered. This way water can reach further into the land without carrying heavy barrels of it. That day, Estrella was helping Liela and Anisa with the laundry when Latif came running up to her.

"Lady Estrella! Lady Estrella! The Princess Sibylla has come!" he told her frantically.

Her jaw set, Estrella put down the basket of clothes on the small brick wall.

'Right on time,' she thought before walking to the front of the courtyard.

She saw Sibylla, her guards, and her ladies in waiting come to a halt, Balian slowly walking towards the princess. Estrella nods to Balian, who nods in return, and falls in step aside him.

"I'm on my way to Cana." Sibylla tells Balian, taking the cloth covering her mouth and nose off.

Balian smiles in recognition, though it slightly falters as he feels the annoyance radiating off the woman next to him.

"Where Jesus changed water to wine." Sibylla continued.

"Except it's not in the way of Ibelin," Estrella says in Spanish.

Balian clears his throat, smiling at the young woman. Estrella has been teaching him little things in Spanish, and could understand little–especially when the woman tends to speak to herself in the exotic language. The said woman only shrugs at Balian, not really caring if she insults the princess or not. Sibylla, however, glares at Estrella momentarily before continuing her 'speech.'

"But a better trick would be to change you to a nobleman." she says with a smile.

"That should be easy. In France a few yards of silk can make a nobleman." Balian responds with a strain smile.

Sibylla giggles, "I expect your hospitality."

Balian slightly bows his head at her. "It is given."

Estrella turns to Latif, Lukman, and Taifa. "Latif," she said, a bit agitated.

Latif bows quickly and claps his hands together. He shouts to the two men, all quickly rushing up to the house. Both Balian and Estrella move out of the way, the group galloping away. Both adults watch on, the children of Ibelin running and shouting after them.

"Come on, Romeo; let's get back to work." Estrella said, walking towards the laundry once more.

"Um, my name is Balian, Trella; not Romeo." Balian says confused.

Estrella laughs and shakes her head, looking back at Balian. "No, I know, it's—you know what, never mind." the young woman said, still laughing.

"What?" Balian asked confused. Estrella only laughs harder, shaking her head. "Tell me!" Balian cried almost desperately.

The two walked towards the well that Balian was working on, Estrella nodding towards Liela and Anisa. The aunt and niece nodded in return, all the while Balian trying to find out what was so funny to the woman.

The two continued to work, Estrella secretly fuming at the thought of Sibylla staying at the house for who knows how long. She felt eyes upon her and for a split second Estrella thought it was the princess. But as she looked up to hand Balian the rope she was holding, she was startled to see the said man staring at her intently. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, Estrella calls out Balian's name, snapping him out of it.

"You okay?"

Balian nods, "Yes," he answers, taking the rope from her with a small smile.

Shaking her head, Estrella goes back to tying knots around the poles; all the while feeling the glare from the direction of the house.

At dusk, everyone starts heading to their home, wanting a bath, a hot meal, and some time with the family. Entering the main house, Balian and Estrella go their separate ways to get cleaned up for dinner. However, Estrella had other plans in mind. There was no way she was going to eat with a person she detests the most in the movie. Opening her door, the woman saw a ready, inviting, tub full of hot water and whatever oil the women poured.

Liela called out her name, running quickly towards at the kind woman who saved her family, bowing slightly.

"Lord Balian wishes for you to meet him and Princess Sibylla out in the courtyard for dinner."

Estrella smiled at the little girl. "Well, tell Balian that I cannot meet him for dinner."

Nodding, Liela watched Estrella enter her room and closed the door behind her. Smiling to herself, Liela raced down the hall towards the kitchens where Balian was helping the cooks before he went up to his room to clean up.

D5D5D5D5D5

Estrella soaked into the tub of hot water, feeling her muscles relaxing and the dirt and sweat washing off her body. After some scrubbing her skin and hair, Estrella got out and just wrapped a cloth around her body when Balian entered her room unannounced.

"Balian!" Estrella squeaked, holding the cloth tightly to her body.

She was blushing but hoped the bath she took had already made her skin flushed. Balian quickly scanned over Estrella's body, swallowing quietly. Although he vowed not to touch another woman after the death of his wife, the older man couldn't help but want the woman before him.

"Why do you not want to eat dinner?"

Estrella rolled her eyes, turning around and walking over to her trunk to quickly change. "Because I have to go out and scout for a while," she lied.

She was actually planning on eating dinner in her room or in the kitchen with the cooks. However, as Balian came to confront her, Estrella now had to change her plans to scout the fairly large land. Balian rolled his eyes, walking towards the woman he has come to appreciate and be great friends.

"You have to work on your lies, Trella."

Holding a blue tunic and black pants, Estrella turned to Balian a bit annoyed. How she hated that this man who became a fast friend can tell her lies so quickly.

"Fine! I just don't want to dine with that woman! I never liked her!"

Balian frowned in confusion. "Wait, you have met Sibylla before?"

Estrella cursed herself in her mind. "Yes, but she does not remember. It was a terrible time for everyone."

The woman begun to get nervous, knowing Balian could see through her lies. However, he gave no indication that he bought it or not. He merely stared at Estrella, as though trying to look into her soul for an answer.

"Fine, but I would need you in my room an hour after night fall. We have to discuss over the land–and the paperwork."

Estrella bowed her head. "As you wish, my lord"

Balian was startled, Estrella never having mentioned his status over her before, but nodded nonetheless. He walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. Estrella sighed, sitting down on the comfortable seat at the end of her bed.

"Better get something for the long night." she mumbled, getting dressed to now scout the land.