Chapter 8
"Maya!" Aisha welcomed her warmly, throwing her arms around her friends frame tightly and releasing her only to look her over. "Come in, come in" she ushered him in, away from the streets that even she still didn't feel comfortable on. Maya came in, taking her veil off of her head in the process relieved to feel the coolness on her scalp. "What is the matter?" Maya asked quickly turning around towards her friend ignoring the house and probably the lack of furniture, looking her friend over worriedly. Aisha didn't look injured or worried instead a large smile grew on her lips one that irritated Maya endlessly as she had just hurried herself over to her and gotten herself in danger. "I am getting married!" Aisha squealed suddenly and for a moment Maya contemplated getting angry, explaining to her in how much danger she had just put her. But instead a smile grew on her lips and she tried her hardest to be happy for her. "That's great Aisha, with who?" perhaps it was Aisha's age, she was 2 years younger and still in the prime of her life, as they called it. Or maybe it was Aisha's looks; because beautiful she was. Nonetheless Maya felt shocked, or perhaps slightly disappointed when Aisha's lips formed the name she knew so well. "Badir"
Maya wondered about the man and why he had been so romantic with her before. Had he been wanting her to believe that he wanted her? To get back at her for denying his feelings, perhaps. She should be happy; two of her best friends got married together, Aisha could probably move back into the middle district, and her parents would as well. Automatically a smile formed on Maya's lips, a mask that she knew to portray so well. "Congratulations, Aisha! I had no idea there were feelings like that?" Maya asked as she sat down across from Aisha, who gave her tea and poured some for herself. "Neither did we, really, it just happened a few weeks ago." A few weeks ago… Which meant it was either before or after he had confessed his feelings for Maya. Maybe he wanted to give her a chance, if she would have answered his feelings had he then chosen for Maya. Was he even aware of the things he had done now? But Maya would keep her lips sealed; she would not ruin Aisha's happiness.
They converted the whole time about her wedding, about what she needed to take care of, of what it would be like. Meanwhile Maya sometimes felt lost in thought. She was a bit jealous, probably. She wanted to get married and start a family as well. But she remembered her mother's words; a marriage without love is empty and she would be unhappy either way.

By the time she finally left Aisha's house it had already been evening. She stepped out of the house an saw how sunset had already started and for a minute she was frightened to walk home in the dark. She wanted to ask Aisha for a place to stay; but she knew they wouldn't enjoy that; another mouth to feed, even if it was only for one day. So she took a brave step, holding her face down and her veil covering her face.
Suddenly, after Aisha had closed her door, a man in white stepped out of an alley, even though he looked similar to Altaïr, he looked just slightly different. "I was send my Altaïr to return you home safely" he said, his voice heavy and dark, she could only see his eyes, as everything else was covered up. She wondered who he was and she really didn't feel safe around him as his dark, angry looking eyes looked her over as if he was disapproving of her. She smiled friendly and only nodded her head in response, holding her veil up a little bit to cover her mouth just slightly; perhaps he was that religious and believed woman should be covered up completely?
She followed him in silence as his broad back walked in front of her, easily walking passed the guards without any fear or hesitation, like she had every time again. Her eyes would linger on them fear probably evident on her face. She wished she could be as brave as Altaïr, walking around as if no one could touch him. She wondered where he was taught that or why he felt that way. Why was he so powerful to make this man do whatever Altaïr ordered.
She nearly bumped into him as he took a sharp turn, the guards that guarded the middle district stood there, their arms folded. Before she had not been afraid to pass them; but no she eyed them supsciously. "We will separate here. Altaïr said you would find your way from here" Maya nodded her head sadly, she was not as secure as Altaïr was about that fact. She watched as a man stood on their right, screaming strangely and throwing his arms around. He must've lost his mind, Maya thought bitterly, feeling even more uncomfortable now than she had done before. She quickly stepped forward and watched as the man that had brought her here sat down on a bench; he was going to make sure she passed them safely, somehow this made her feel slightly more comfortable.
But as expected, the guards made no effort to stop them; they recognized her from earlier that day and she had told them she would be back from visiting a friend. Normally the guards were harder to convince when it came to people leaving the poor district.
She turned around once more and watched as the man left in the crowd and Maya sighed desperately and enjoyed for a moment the luxury and the reasonable safety she was guaranteed by living here. It only made her more aware of how these poor people must feel daily and it made her wish that she could help them.

Her mother and father hadn't been angry with her, worried perhaps, but they were glad she was home. They had spoken to Altaïr and they had enjoyed that; he was doing well, they said.
Maya had than excused herself, wanting to be alone for a few moments as she stepped up the stairs. Had she been in love with Badir? No, she had not. Had she longed for his touch? Not at all. But somehow the security of knowing that he was there in case she did feel the sudden need to get married quickly gave her peace, yet he was actually after Aisha as well and this on the other hand made her feel sick.
She opened the door to her bedroom and for some reason wasn't at all surprised by Altaïr's presence. Perhaps she knew he would visit her, or maybe she just really wanted it badly. But he was there, standing in front of the open balcony doors, almost looking like something of a higher power. He had just arrived, she could see it as his chest rose quicker than usual; he had been running to. "You should close your doors as you're leaving his house, they could've taken everything in here" he scolded her and she nodded her head, feeling suddenly very tired. He bended down to his knees and a familiar red sash appeared in her vision; of course he came to collect the weapons he had left behind to see her parents. He frowned lightly at her expression and as he put the sash around her waist carefully he asked her what was wrong. "Aisha is getting married to Badir" she snapped angrily suddenly following his fingers around as he so neatly tight it. She wondered how many times he had done this before. Probably a million. "And you wanted to be married to Badir?" he asked carefully, picking up the belt and placed it over the sash, tightening it and pulling it straighter. "No. That's not the point. I just… I am not sure. He always has been affectionate with me. But I never wanted to be with him, but why would he touch me when he already knew he wanted to marry Aisha. I don't know, perhaps I'm worried about how faithful he truly is. And maybe, just maybe, I am a little jealous. I'm 20 now, in a few years no one wants to marry me anymore" she said the last part sadly as she sat down on the bed next to his weapons, fingering with the decorations on the hidden blade casket. She liked the design. And she probably was unaware that she was the first one who ever touched it next to Altaïr; he disliked it when others would. Yet he didn't mind as he watched her run her fingers along the circles.