Author's notes: I don't even know if anyone is reading this any more. But I'm determined to finish it, even if it's just for some personal closure. If you're still out there, thank you so much for sticking with me. Really, it means the world to me. There won't be too many chapters left but I don't know when they'll get written considering how long this one took.

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy.

Woffles92

Chapter 15 – One Night

As they picked their way along the mountain trail, Tamina tried desperately to recognise the path to the temple. That was their destination, she had decided. It had been imprinted on her mind that when there was nowhere else, the mountain temple was to be her refuge. Dastan hadn't told her much about their time together before he had altered the timeline, and she was afraid that he might know the reason she was bringing them, and the dagger, to the temple. But it was necessary; the dagger had to be returned to the Gods, that way Nizam couldn't throw the world into any more chaos. An immoral was bad enough but one who could control time was an abomination she couldn't allow.

There was also Dastan's safety to consider. Once the dagger had been returned, he would be free from his burden, and they would no longer hunt him. The simple thought that he would not be harmed was worth paying any price. A shiver ran across her skin, and she remembered how cold the mountains could be, even though they had barely begun to climb.

Just then, a heavy travelling cloak was wrapped around her shoulders. Dastan smiled and all the determination that she had been building up around her purpose crumbled to dust. How could she possibly leave him after all they had been through together? She could feel the hot pin pricks of tears as they threatened the corners of her eyes and she busied herself with tying the cloak in place.

Although she was managing to hide it well, Dastan knew rightly where she was taking them. They had travelled this road before. He remembered it vividly, they were about to come upon the place where they had been ambushed by Amar, before making their way to the hidden sanctuary. There they had met with the Hassansins, and Dastan balled his hands into fists as he recalled watching Garsiv die there. If he didn't know better than to question her judgements, he would have. She would just have to be watched, to make sure that she didn't try to do anything stupidly heroic.

Tamina stopped and gave an elated sigh.

"Our journey is blessed. We'll stop for water and push for the mountain pass by nightfall."

She glanced quickly at Dastan to gauge his reaction.

"We're sure to be safe there from any of Nizam's patrols."

She was trying to deceive him, he realised, as he fought back the feeling of uneasiness as they approached the familiar oasis.

"I don't think so Princess," Amar panted as he brought his horse alongside theirs, "We'll make camp here tonight. I'm not making my men travel any further today."

Tamina sucked on her lips, and for a moment she looked like a spoiled child who had been denied dessert.

"Fine," she relented, and it gave Dastan a brief moment of comedic relief as he realised that not even trying to save the world could change the princess' mannerisms completely.

It had taken him the most of two days to catch up to them, but as he crested the hill Zolm could see the faint orange glow of their camp fire. The dagger was within his grasp, and so too was the sweet revenge he would exact on Nizam once it was in his possession.

Dusk was falling fast. In a few hours they would all huddle together around the dying embers and sleep. Then, he would release the serpents to dispose of them with their quick venom. The element of surprise was his, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

Dastan was teetering on the verge of sleep when he heard the faint sounds of rustling. He took a deep breath and tried to push the unsettling noises to the back of his mind. They were in an oasis, so there would probably be numerous animals, attracted by the fire no doubt.

Then, the memories of the last time he lay by this fire, in the shelter of this same oasis hit him with a jolt and he sat up immediately. Just as he had feared, several huge black asps were emerging from the sand and making their way through the sleeping bodies. Out of the corner of his eye he could see one as it slithered across Tamina's body. She was awake now, but paralyzed with fear as it advanced slowly towards her. There was no time to help anyone, he realised with a sickening feeling, for any sudden movements on his part would surely only serve to provoke the creatures.

With a slow calculated movement, he reached for the dagger at his belt, only to discover that she had been the one to carry it last. He looked quickly over and saw the ruby hilt wink at him in the light from the fire. He made a grab for it, and as he did the snake lunged forward, striking its long venom filled fangs into the soft flesh of her neck.

For a moment, he couldn't move, stunned by what he had just witnessed, then, as the serpent rounded on him, he made a dive for the dagger. His thumb pressed down on the ruby just as the creature sprang towards him, mouth wide and fangs exposed. Much to his relief, the scene slowed and then stopped, and he felt himself being pulled backwards by invisible hands.

In a way which was almost morbidly comical, everything began to move in reverse. He watched as the snake withdrew its fangs from Tamina's neck leaving soft and unmarked skin there. They began slithering backwards, disappearing under the sands again tails first. Desperately, Dastan tried to take it all in, and remember where each of them had come from so as to make his attack swift.

When the jolt that thrust him back into time occurred, he leapt to his feet and unsheathed his scimitar with unparalleled speed, slicing a snake in two as it emerged from the sand. With his boot, he picked up another and hurled it into the fire where it hissed and thrashed as its scaly flesh burned to cinders. One made a beeline for Tamina and he stabbed at it with the point of his sword, only to miss the main bulk of the body in favour of its tail. Angry now, it rounded on him and tried to strike but found that it was firmly held in place. Dastan brought his heel down on the creatures head with a sickening crunch.

With a flourish, he flung the dagger at Amar, cutting off the head of another as it reared its head to strike him. The Sheik looked at him incredulously.

"Persian, how did you know how to do that?" he spluttered.

"Instinct," the Prince replied, as he retrieved the blade from where it had embedded into the trunk of a tree. He and Tamina exchanged a knowing glance.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Dastan surveyed the carnage that lay around the encampment. The coloured servant had also taken up arms in the attack, but even that combined with Dastan's foresight, there had still been casualties. Several of the men who had fled the outlaw camp with them lay writhing in agony, crying out as the fiery venom pulsated through their veins. Heartbroken, Seso set about the grim task of making sure that their suffering was short lived.

The princes' heart sank as he caught sight of the sand dervish disappearing into the distance, and knowing what that meant.

"We have to get out of here."

Fury did not begin to describe how Zolm felt, as he retreated to a safe distance. The fact that he had been thwarted was unthinkable. What would his brothers say if they could see him now? The Prince must have been using the dagger to give him the advantage. If there was something to be salvaged from his defeat, it was that they were now fewer in number, and he knew now how to better them. The dagger was the key. It must first be in his possession, and then eliminating them would be a relatively simple task.

In the distance, a thin blue line on the horizon told him that dawn was approaching. The party was moving off now, and he knew exactly where their ultimate destination lay.

All the stories about the dagger and its origins, the temple, and where the original pact had been made between the princess and the gods came to the front of his mind. That's where she was taking them. For a brief moment Zolm wondered how the Persian prince could possibly stand by and watch his betrothed sacrifice herself. It mattered not. All he knew was that he had to make sure that she did not succeed. If the dagger was returned to the gods, it was all over. He would never get vengeance for Nasreen, and for the rest of his days on this god forsaken earth, he would be haunted by the image of her glazed eyes and limp body as she rotted alive in an Alamution cell.

The next night they camped in tents made from their travelling cloaks and the rugs they had brought. Not too high above their heads, the mountain peaks were covered with snow. It was far too cold to sleep beneath the starts tonight.

As she gazed into the flickering flames, Tamina could only think of one thing, and that was the dagger. They had all nearly died the previous night, and there was something inside her that told her it was her fault. For all of her life, she had been engrained with the purpose of returning the dagger and now she was putting everyone at risk by its remaining in her possession. But as the true reality of her destiny became apparent, she could feel emotions beginning to well up within her.

She wanted nothing more than to run away from it all with Dastan but she knew deep in her heart that she would forever feel remorse. And they would always be hunted for the dagger, they could never move on. What kind of future would she be shackling him to if she was so selfish as to ask him to flee with her?

So, this was how it was to be. Tomorrow she would return the dagger to the temple and give herself over to the gods. A single tear made a track down her face, a mark of sorrow for all the things that she would never experience.

Without a word, she stood up and retreated to the little tent that had been set up for her. Her sudden departure confused Dastan who went to rise and follow her, but remembered he had said he would keep watch for some of the night in case of another attack.

"You should go see what troubles her," Seso said gently.

"I'm on watch," the Prince answered in a way that he meant to sound responsible, but sounded more like he was pronouncing a death sentence.

The Sheik's manservant chuckled deeply.

"I will take your watch instead. Go and see what the matter is."

Dastan stood beside the flap of Tamina's tent and cleared his throat tentatively.

"Tamina, are you okay?"

He heard her sniff from inside, a sign that she was or had been crying. Not waiting for an answer he pushed his way into the small canvas room. Even in the almost non-existent light he could see the glimmer of fresh tears on her cheeks. Without a word he went to her and pulled her gently into an embrace.

"I'm just so exhausted," she lied, pressing her damp face into his shoulder.

"We all are," he reassured. And hungry and scared, he added mentally. After some moments of silence, Tamina raised her head from his shoulder. She had one night left with him. Was there any way to reconcile a life lost in just one night? In the darkness, she found his lips and kissed them softly.

"What was that for?" he chuckled quietly, wiping away the dampness from her cheeks.

"Is that a complaint?" Tamina teased.

"Certainly not."

He kissed her again, longer and deeper, enjoying the feeling of being alone with her, even if it was only for a stolen moment.

"Do you love me?" she asked suddenly when they paused to catch their breath. Surprised by the abruptness of her question, it took him a moment to form a coherent answer.

"I find it offensive that you have to ask."

"Stop being clever," she chided, "Do you or do you not?"

"Of course I do."

She paused, sucking a long breath into her lungs. One night.

"Then marry me."

His immediate reaction was to laugh.

"In case you've forgotten princess, I was just about to do that when we were interrupted by my uncle!"

"No," she whispered, trying not to sound exasperated, "I mean now."

Dastan's heart missed a beat and it seemed that all the moisture drained out of his mouth. When he didn't reply, Tamina spoke again.

"You asked me why I could not be an officiator at my own marriage, and I have failed to think of any reason why I cannot."

"What's with this sudden change in heart?" Dastan managed though his head was reeling.

"If anything happened to you…"

"Don't talk like that," he interrupted harshly, "You sound as though you don't have any belief in me!"

"No, it's not like that," she hushed, her voice thickly laden with emotion. "Only the gods know what tomorrow will bring. But tonight we can make our own choices, and for me, that's you."

There was something very ominous about the whole thing, Dastan decided, as though she knew that some tragedy was about to befall him. He didn't like it one bit. On the other hand the though, finally being able to call her wife was a tantalising thought. Also, the hope that this sudden decision meant that she was willing to be his wife in every sense of the word was almost too much to bear. His mental deliberation went on for so long that Tamina was afraid he had fallen asleep.

"Dastan?"

"What do I have to do?" he asked quietly.

Even in the gloom, he could see her smile light up her face.

"We hold hands, like this."

They sat on their knees facing each other. She began to recite the ceremony from memory.

"I call upon the gods, so that they may come and be present to the joining of these two people. Marriage is the rite which is given to a man and woman who wish that their lives be paired with one another, so that they may stand as one for as long as the gods see fit that they remain in this world. According to the laws of the land, does anyone among the company know of any reason why this man and woman may not be joined?"

She paused for silence, and then giggled. He laughed too and the tension that he had been carrying melted away.

"Do you, Dastan, promise to love and care for this woman until the day that you pass into the next life?"

"I do."

It was the response that everyone knew. Even still, he was surprised that he hadn't somehow managed to mess it up.

"Do you, Tamina, promise to love and honour this man, until the day that you pass into the next life?"

She paused before answering, "I do."

"Now by the power of the gods, I decree that these two people are married. No longer are they two but one, and may every blessing from the gods rain down upon their heads."

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

"Is that it?" Dastan asked sheepishly, feeling slightly detached from everything, as though he was dreaming.

"No," she replied, and he could hear the smirk in her voice, "You have to kiss me first."

So he did. It started chaste, but as the kiss went on, Tamina's lips began to quicken, almost with a sense of urgency.

Too afraid to presume the next course of action, Dastan cleared his throat and as they broke the kiss.

"What now?" he asked, his heart hammering against his chest in anticipation.

Tamina gave a throaty chuckle that sent a shiver running through his body.

"I find it offensive that you have to ask," came her playful reply.

For the briefest of moments, the ominous feeling returned. But as she pulled him down onto the floor with her, his reservations were lost under the rush of desire.

As Dastan slept, Tamina felt the warmth of what they had done spread through her body like strong liquor. She breathed in his scent deeply, running her hands over his bare arms, feeling the shape of them and the scars of wounds past. In that moment, she was so blissfully happy that she felt she might burst. Yet she could not escape from the thoughts of tomorrow. She had it settled in her mind that she would leave under the cover of darkness. There would be no long and painful goodbyes, just the sweet memory of the night that they had shared together.

Dastan slept deeply, sedated by his earlier exertions, and so didn't notice the movements Tamina made as she exited the tent. Outside, Seso had fallen asleep at the fire, probably waiting on Dastan to relieve his watch, she realised. The heat of embarrassment crept into her face. Did he know what they had done? Was it obvious? She shook her head, trying to rid herself of her own stupidity. What did it matter now that she wouldn't see them again.

Noiselessly, she untied one of the horses and climbed into the saddle. Tears streaked down her face as she made her way up the mountain path, and it took all her strength not to look back.