All right, so a slightly longer chapter than the last one and I think this is the one most of you have been waiting for…ahem. Hope you like, happy reading and, as always, don't forget to send your reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters from the movie and/or video game.
Chapter 11:
"Excuse me, Your Highness," Siriah said as she cleared her throat upon walking in on the young royals. "There is a messenger for Prince Dastan waiting outside. He says the war council has been summoned."
"I will be right there," Dastan answered pulling away from Tamina. He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. She touched his cheek gently and smiled.
"Duty calls," she said.
"I've never been one for following orders," he chuckled back.
"Well whether you are or not, I am."
She kissed him quickly and rose from her spot next to him. Dastan groaned and followed her through the door.
The man bowed as the young couple emerged from the temple. He was wearing his full body armor, which Tamina thought was odd, but Dastan seemed not to notice.
"Your Highnesses, Prince Tus requests your presence in the war council. He is waiting in his chambers."
"Thank you," Tamina said.
Tamina and Dastan arrived in Tus' chambers to find him and a few other men bent over maps of Alamut and the surrounding areas. Tamina recognized the Alamutian generals at once, but the others she did not. They were whispering and pointing to different areas as the Prince and Princess of Alamut approached.
"Your Highness, this is General Aramin, he has served my father faithfully for many years," Tus explained to Tamina as the man with graying hair to his left bowed to her. "We have just been going over the final plans for the defense of the city."
"Final plans? I must have been out longer than I thought," Dastan muttered under his breath.
"Yes, you were sleeping on the job again, little brother," Garsiv chimed in. Dastan glared at him.
"We are only guessing, but from the direction that you two arrived, we think Kosh's army will arrive here," Tus said redirecting everyone's attention to the task at hand. "If that is so, Garsiv and the main army will defend the Northern wall. The Alamutians and I will defend the other walls."
Dastan noticed Tus glance at him for a second. He knew that look meant Tus wanted to speak with him privately and nodded his head ever so slightly.
"I will also assign a troop of skilled guards to help protect the dagger should the Hassansins try to come after it during the battle."
"Do you expect the damage to the Northern wall to be a problem?" Tamina asked.
"No, not if we station the main army there. They should have numbers enough to hold it."
"It seems to be a strong plan," Tamina agreed.
"Tus is a very skilled strategist," Dastan added. "He—"
Dastan was interrupted as a man dressed in dusty looking clothing rushed into the room. Dastan recognized him as a soldier, one that was probably on watch.
"Your Highness, I apologize for interrupting, but a messenger from the Eastern patrol has just returned. He says he has news for you that cannot wait," he rushed out in a single breath.
"Bring him here," Tus ordered.
The soldier bowed and turned quickly, heading out of the chambers.
"This new information may be what we have been waiting for," Garsiv said more to Tus than anyone else.
The man was brought in looking as if the desert had thrown its worst elements at him. He kneeled on one knee until Tus bade him to rise.
"What news?" Tus asked authoritatively.
"We spotted an army about a day and a half ride away from the city," the man started. "They were too far to identify, so we moved in closer. As soon as my captain recognized the Koshkahn banner, he sent me back to deliver the message."
Dastan, Tus and Garsiv looked at each other as if confirming all of their suspicions at once.
"Traveling through the desert is going to be his best bet," Dastan said. "I don't think he could get here in a day and half traveling over the mountains."
"How big was this army?" Garsiv asked the man.
"Between five and ten thousand by my captain's estimation," the man answered quickly.
"See that this man is fed and taken care of," Tus said to one of the attendants. They escorted him out of the chamber and closed the doors behind them.
"We will start making ready today," Tus decided. "If they are still that far off, we should have about two days before the full force of that army arrives."
The generals nodded in unison and walked out of the room.
"I will need to meet with the High Council and inform them of what is happening," Tamina said to the princes. They nodded in understanding and Tamina left as well. She held Dastan's gaze for a moment before she left and he smiled at her reassuringly.
When they were alone, Dastan turned to Tus who was anxiously playing with his beads.
"How are you feeling, brother?" he asked Dastan without looking at him.
"Stronger each day," Dastan answered wondering what that had to do with anything.
"I'm glad to hear it," Tus said distractedly. He began pacing behind the table that contained the maps they had all been looking over earlier. Dastan watched him, but remained quiet. He was becoming uneasy and didn't like the silence.
"Dastan, I am in an impossible position. I need your skills and the skills of your men to defeat Kosh, but you are still recovering from poison. I am afraid to charge you with such a task as important as this before your strength has fully returned."
"If it is to protect my family, my strength will not be an issue," Dastan assured him.
"Yes, but your wife would never forgive me if I sent you on this mission and her respect and allegiance are things that I truly value." Dastan looked at him questioningly. "I've seen the way she looks at you and you at her, Dastan. Her face may not convey much, but her eyes certainly do."
"What is the task?" Dastan asked.
Tus continued pacing for a minute before he stopped and looked at Dastan.
"I was going to send you and your men out of the city and around to the back of the Koshkahn army. Kosh will be so preoccupied with the battle happening in front of him, his defenses at his back will be weak," Tus finally said.
"You want me to ambush him from behind and kill him," Dastan finished for him.
"Yes. I believe that if you can kill him quickly, his army will fall apart and there will be no need for more bloodshed. But, as I said, your physical health worries me. I will leave the decision to you and will not think the less of you for declining."
"I am in," Dastan stated boldly without a moment's thought.
"Do you not wish to speak with the healers before making your decision?" Tus asked. Dastan looked at his brother and saw the concern in his eyes though his face showed no emotion. Clearly Tamina wasn't the only one who revealed her emotions in her eyes.
"No, they will only tell me to rest and sleep. My strength is recovered enough for this."
"Well, we should plan for both situations just in case something changes between now and the time Kosh attacks," Garsiv suggested. Tus nodded in agreement.
"Now that we have all that settled," Tus started, "We can tell you of the banquet we are holding tonight."
"What is the occasion?"
"Just celebrating the safe return of Alamut's Princess and new Prince," he smiled. "The healers have already cleared you to participate; you just have to watch how often you fill your wine cup."
"Have you talked to Tamina about this?" Dastan asked skeptically,
"Yes, she thinks it's a great idea." Dastan highly doubted that, but kept the thought to himself.
"Then I shall see you later," Dastan said with a smile. Tus clapped him on the back as Dastan turned to leave.
Tamina returned to her chambers after meeting with the High Council. The session had gone much better than the first few she had with them since her return from the prisons of Kosh. They were more supportive than they were the first time she had mentioned combining forces with the Persians.
Dastan still wasn't back yet and she wondered if he was out exploring the palace on his own. She took off the ceremonial robes she was wearing from the rituals in the High Temple that morning and dropped them on the floor by the bed. She walked out onto her balcony to stand in the sun for a while.
The door to her chamber opened and she heard a few men walking in and Dastan's voice following them. She walked back into the room only to be stopped in her tracks by her confusion.
Dastan was showing the two men that were carrying what looked like armor and weapons into the room where to set down their loads. After they left, Dastan turned around to see Tamina looking at him.
"You're back so soon? I take it the meeting must have gone pretty well then," he said with a smile.
"Yes, very well. What is all this?" she asked him.
"My armor," he said avoiding her eye.
"I can see that," she replied sarcastically. "You wear Chinese silk under your armor? I didn't take you for a man of refinery," she said with a small laugh.
"It's an extra layer of protection," he explained with a smile of his own. "It doesn't tear easily. Even if I get wounded in the chest or back, the silk should hold and keep whatever poisons there could be on the blade out of my system. It makes it easier to remove the weapon as well. I never used to wear it, but recent events have changed my mind."
"Why are you keeping it here?" Tamina asked the teasing in her voice gone.
"I can get ready for battle quicker if my armor is close at hand," he explained.
"I assume you mean future battles, not the one your brothers are preparing for at the moment."
"That is exactly the one I'm speaking of," he said walking over to his armor. "Tus has asked me personally to end this war and I intend to do it."
"Dastan, walking to the temple within this palace was pushing the instructions the healers gave you. You cannot seriously be thinking of going into battle in a few days."
"The healers do not control what I can and cannot do," he stated loudly as he turned to face her.
"They are only trying to help you recover your strength. You are not completely well yet."
"I am recovered enough to protect my family. I am determined to perform this task, Tamina, and nothing will stop me from ensuring your safety."
Tamina took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest.
"And how am I supposed to ensure your safety if you are dead?" she asked him. "You are not the only person in this marriage with someone to lose, Dastan."
"I thought you said you could handle bad news," Dastan countered as he turned back to his armor and began looking it over.
"Bad news is one thing, bad decisions are another."
She walked up behind him and gently placed both of her palms on his back. Dastan's muscles tensed at the unexpected intimacy and his heart lurched in his chest.
"You are a warrior, a great fighter. I am not asking you to change that. I am just asking that you allow yourself time to heal before you go rushing into another fight."
She kissed his still healing shoulder sweetly, dropped her hands and left the chamber. Dastan clenched the wrist guard he held in his hand and threw it against the wall.
Dastan had not seen Tamina since their argument. She knew the palace better than he did and he knew searching for her would have been a frivolous action. He got ready for the banquet by himself and walked the long corridors down to the banquet hall alone. At least he was able to do that without losing his breath this time. He took it as confirmation that he would be fine fighting Kosh in a few days. As it was, he was lost in his thoughts as he approached the door to the hall. There were more pressing matters at hand, even if they were not nearly as dangerous.
If Garsiv found out that his little brother was showing up to a banquet that was supposed to honor him and his wife, and his wife was missing, Dastan would never live it down. Dastan was trying to come up with good excuses to explain Tamina's absence, but every excuse seemed more absurd than the last.
"Your Highness," the doorman said as he bowed and reached for the door. Dastan put his hand up to stop him. He took a few deep breaths, rolled out his shoulders and prepared himself for the onslaught of insults his older brother was sure to unleash on him. He nodded his head to the man, squeezed his eyes shut quickly and took a step forward.
"Open your eyes before you lose your balance," Tamina scolded him quietly.
Dastan's eyes popped open instantly. He couldn't believe that Tamina was standing right next to him wearing a beautiful white silk dress that tied behind her neck and left her left shoulder completely bare. Her hair was braided intricately around the top of her head with crystals throughout, while the rest of her hair was allowed to fall gracefully around her shoulders and down her back.
"Just because we're not speaking doesn't mean I want to watch the healers cart you off with a broken leg. The Gods know how clumsy you can be."
"Things usually work out in my favor," Dastan countered as he fell into step with her. "Besides, I wouldn't be nearly so clumsy if my wife would not surprise me quite so often."
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
The young couple took their seats at the high table between Tus and Garsiv. As soon as they were seated, Tus and Tamina struck up an easy conversation while Garsiv and Dastan started eating.
By the time the dinner portion of the celebration was over, more than half of the guests were drunk and Tamina and Dastan still hadn't spoken to each other. Dastan was engaged in a conversation with his friend Bis who was sitting in Garsiv's seat. Garsiv had managed to leave the head table on his own two feet, but whether he would remain on his own two feet was another issue altogether.
Tamina was trying to ignore some of the more lewd men in the crowd who had the nerve to stare pointedly at her. She turned her attention back to Tus who had more than his fair share of drinks as well.
"I don't know if Dastan told you this, but he has quite the talent for getting himself into mischief," he bragged.
"You don't say," Tamina muttered under her breath.
"I remember one day he snuck out of lessons by climbing out the window and down onto one of the terraces. He walked into the room only to find the room belonged to a foreign dignitary," Tus said laughing at his own story. Tamina could tell there was more to it, but in the state he was in, Tus was lucky to have made a coherent ending.
The young princess took a sip of her wine to keep herself from replying with sarcasm.
"Yes, Dastan can be quite a handful, but he is a good man. He and Garsiv are the best advisors I could ever have hoped for, not to mention the best two fighters in my army." He leaned in closer to Tamina. "But between you and me, I think Dastan could take Garsiv fairly easily."
Tamina smiled at him indulgently and took another, larger drink.
"That is why I chose him for the job," he said with his cup half way to his mouth.
"Dastan was telling me about this important task you have charged him with. Pray, what is the task?"
"Oh, Dastan is going to end the battle. He's going to sneak up on Kosh and kill him before Kosh realizes what hit him."
Tamina clenched her jaw shut.
"He's the only one that can do it, but I told him that if he wasn't up to it I would not ask him to do it," Tus continued after a long drink from his cup.
Tamina's anger was clearly visible on her face now. She downed the rest of her cup in one gulp and slammed it down next to her.
"Something wrong Princess?" Tus asked.
"No Prince Tus. Nothing at all," she said dangerously. Tus smiled at her awkwardly and excused himself. He walked over to where Garsiv was standing with a few other men; all were drinking.
As the servant refilled Tamina's cup, she quickly drank it down. Not caring that she was already feeling a little light headed from the wine.
"Uh, Dastan, I believe your wife is trying to get your attention," Bis said as Dastan took a sip from his own cup.
"What do you mean?"
"She's been glaring at the back of your head for a good ten minutes," his friend explained. "I will excuse myself before she discovers there are other people in the room and turns her wrath on me." Bis walked away quickly.
Dastan turned in his seat to face Tamina. She was sitting back against her chair, both hands around her newly filled wine cup. Her head was down and she was staring into her drink.
"You volunteered," she whispered not looking at him.
Dastan remained quiet as he looked at her.
"Not to mention that the task requires you to find a way to the heart of the Koshkahn army to kill their general, but I shouldn't worry because you've been conscious for a full two days."
Tamina took a drink of wine before rising to her feet. She swayed a little as she felt the full effects of her drink, but did not allow herself to succumb to it. Dastan reached out to steady her, but she pulled away from him. Gathering her balance, she walked swiftly down from the table and weaved her way through the crowds.
Dastan took a long drink from his cup. The wine tasted bitter but he didn't care. As he watched Tamina disappear through the heavy doors, he finished off his cup and went after her. He walked into the empty corridor and caught sight of the ends of Tamina's dress as she rounded the corner. He followed her wanting to get closer before he alerted her to his presence. He did not catch her until she was standing outside their room.
"Tamina," he called firmly to her.
She ignored him and pushed the door open. She tried closing it behind her, but Dastan was too quick. He was out of breath from the quick pace of his walk, but he refused to lean or sit on anything. Tamina crossed over to the entrance to the balcony and stood there with her back to Dastan.
"Do you understand that if I can finish this job, a war can be avoided and the people of this city saved from another attack?" he asked her angrily.
"Do not speak to me as if I were a child, Dastan," Tamina spat back as she spun around. "Just because I don't fight in battle doesn't mean I don't understand strategy."
"Then you should understand that risk is part of every victory," Dastan said as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"It is an unnecessary risk for you to take. Especially when we have a plan set in place to ensure the safety of everyone. What you and your brother are suggesting is a suicide mission, Dastan," she countered.
"Suicide? Your own sacred calling is a suicide mission," he scoffed. "Tamina, if that damn dagger is threatened enough you are expected to sacrifice yourself for the world. Why not allow someone to do the same for you?"
"That is not even the same thing," she argued.
"How is it different?" he yelled back.
"One life is not more precious than the entire world."
"It depends on whose world you're speaking of."
"I have prepared myself to make that sacrifice—if that should be my destiny—my entire life. That is the burden the Guardian of the Sands of Time is meant to carry."
"What makes you think that being a guardian is the only destiny you are meant to fulfill? What if your destiny and my destiny are one in the same?"
Tamina opened her mouth to retort a few times, but was unable to come up with a response. She had never considered that her destiny could be anything other than the fate of the dagger.
"Your Gods would not have given us a second chance to be together if we were never meant to find each other," Dastan said quietly as he approached her.
Tamina wasn't sure if it was his words or the wine, but she didn't care. She threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Her hands were in his hair but she couldn't remember moving them.
Dastan was shocked at first, but came to his senses rather quickly. He responded with as much passion as Tamina was giving and pulled her closer, locking her in his arms. He managed to maneuver them over to the bed without breaking their kiss.
The clothes they had been wearing lay discarded at the foot of the bed in a rather unruly pile. Neither one was sure how or when they had undressed, but the thought was of little matter.
Tamina loved the feel of his hands on her skin and the intense heat they left in their wake. His lips ventured down her neck under her jaw and she shuttered at the feeling. He seemed to already know her body.
Their bodies were acting on instinct. Every caress, every gasp, every kiss became more desperate, more intimate and more loving with each second.
When they finally came together, it was the most intense passion and pleasure they had ever felt.
Dastan lay down next to Tamina as she curled up against his side. He kissed her palm and held it close to his chest as they both began to fall asleep. He turned on his side to face her and wrapped his other arm around her back.
"Do not think that what we just did has changed my mind," he whispered to her lightly with a small smile. "If anything, it has just made me more determined. I love you, Tamina."
"I love you too, Dastan," she said under hooded eyes as she snuggled closer to him. "Just please, come back safe."
"I will," he whispered back and pulled her closer. He kissed her cheek and rested his head on top of hers.