A.N: Once again thanks for your reviews and alerts – they make my day. Here's another update for you. As one of you pointed out there might be some errors in the chapters that I apologize for. Don't think I said it before but English isn't my first language so mistakes do happen. Hope you still like the story. Here you go :

*Nasaf - 15 years ago*

Keyla had been pacing up and down the small unfurnished room - apart from three blankets and a small old wooden chest - for at least an hour. One would have expected that she had to get tired of doing it sooner or later but adrenaline was running high and it was the only thing she could do right now to keep her racing thoughts in check. She had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity and still there was no news.

"Keyla!"

She winced when she heard her name being called but felt relieve the very next second. It was Bis calling out for her. He was back. That was a good thing. She hurried to open the door on him but as soon as she saw the expression on her friend's face, she knew hoping was... hopeless. But still she asked him, she just had to. Even if it was bad news she still needed to hear them with her own ears.

"Anything?"

"No... No, nothing."

"Damn! That just can't be happening... Tell me again!"

"I only saw it from afar, Keyla. Dastan told me to hide and I did. I barely saw..."

Bis had rolled his eyes, trying to explain but the look on Keyla's face stopped him mid sentence and he sighed softy. She wouldn't listen to him. She would make him tell the story again and again and possibly for the rest of his life... at least until Dastan finally showed up here again. She would not be at peace before that had happened and Bis just hoped they would see their friend again - for his and for Dastan's sake because otherwise Keyla would be kicking their butts.

"Fine. All I can tell you is that the guards caught him and they were about to punish him when the king suddenly appeared on the market place. He talked to Dastan but I have no idea what they said and I think the king threw something to him and then the king's brother took Dastan with him and they rode back to the palace. I have no idea what they talked about... It's the last time I saw him."

"But somebody has to know!"

"We're kids, Keyla. Even if they knew, nobody would tell us."

She groaned in anger and frustration and she looked like she was about to throw something across the room but as there was nothing in here, of course she didn't. Bis watched her warily and let himself fall down on the blanket he slept under at night. It had been a rough couple of nights. Usually they shared this room with Dastan... Neither one of them had slept a lot in the past three days since their friend had disappeared.

"We need to get into the palace."

"Keyla! That's impossible."

"It's not impossible. There's always a way in."

Bis was about to say something in return, trying to talk at least a little bit of sense into Keyla when there was a knock on their door yet again. His heart almost stopped when he heard the knock. Apart from him and Keyla only Dastan knew that they were living here... HE shared a quick look with Keyla who seemed worried and wary instead of excited and happy but decided to open the door none the less. There was no way whatsoever that their friend would have ratted them out to the palace guards and that they had come for them now. After all they were only children, not criminals. Before Keyla had a chance to say anything and stop him, Bis had gone and opened the door and just as he had hoped, his friend had finally found his way back to them.

"Dastan! Thank the gods! We were so worried about you, weren't we Keyla?"

"What happened to you? You look so... fancy..."

It was only now that she mentioned it and Bis had let go of his friend that he realized Keyla was right. Dastan seemed almost a bit embarrassed looking at the set of new, clean and - as Keyla had said - fancy clothes he was wearing, smiling a nervous smile at his friends. He looked like he had spent at least half a day in a bath as well.

"King Sharaman did all that for me. He wants me to... stay with him."

"Why? You're just a boy, just a street rat like the rest of us. What would he want with you? Does he really need yet another servant?"

Dastan tried hard to ignore the snappy, almost angry tone in Keyla's voice. He could not understand why his friend was so agitated. He had expected her to be happy for him but now she was angry instead. It didn't make any sense to Dastan. Unlike Bis who was still standing next to him, smiling happily obviously thrilled for his friend, Keyla had crossed her arms and was glaring at him. Dastan told himself to stay calm. He loved Keyla like a sister and he did not want to fight with her even if she obviously couldn't see the good side of what had happened to him and that it would be to her benefit as well.

"He doesn't want me to stay as a servant, he wants me to stay as... his... son. He... adopted me and he is willing to give me a home with his family."

Neither one of his two friends said anything in response and that - for once - was exactly what Dastan had expected. He was still barely able to believe it himself. Just four days ago he had been sleeping under a thin, old blanket in this room, fighting for survival on every last day, hoping and praying for enough food to last them through yet another day and now he had a bed with silk linen, a magnificent room with marble floors all too himself, two older brothers who had actually welcomed him with open arms and not a care in this world...

Of course this new life that had been given to him meant a lot of responsibility as well. There were a thousand things the son to the king of the Persian Empire had to know that he had not even the slightest idea about and there were so many things he would have to learn now - from reading and writing up to weapon training but he embraced all this as a good thing. This whole new life ahead of him was a chance and it was a chance he wanted to share.

"I want you to come with me."

"Why."

"I asked the king if I was allowed to take a couple of friends to the palace and he said yes. That's why I couldn't come back here earlier, I had to ask permission first. He said yes though and that's why I'm here. I came to get you. Two guards and a carriage are waiting for us outside."

"Didn't want his precious new son to get lost in the slums, did he?"

Keyla was pretty much snarling at him now, her disgust clearly audible in her voice. Dastan could not understand what was going on. He had expected Keyla would be thrilled with the prospect of being able to live in the palace. Instead it seemed like she hated the idea completely and hated him for offering that chance to her. But maybe there was still a chance for him to fix this... He just had to offer.

"Something like that. The king is just being careful... Will you come?"

"Of course!"

"No."

Both Dastan and Bis stared at Keyla in disbelieve. She had not just declined the offer of a lifetime. Bis took a step into her direction but she backed away. They all stayed silent for a long moment until Bis finally found his speech again.

"But why not?"

"We are living HERE, we are hiding from the guards, the very same guards Dastan wants us to live in one place with! I won't leave from here!"

"But this life is a dead end."

"I can see why YOU say that, now that you have the king and the palace and somebody to shove a golden stick up your butt."

"It is the chance of your life, Keyla. You won't get it again. Please..."

"YOU got the chance of your life. And you want us to play little servants to your new life. No thank you, prince Dastan. Take your carriage and your guards and your damn offer and leave me alone! I will not be servant to a king who tried almost got the both of you killed just three days ago. Go if you must but I will stay here!"

She meant what she was saying. It was hard to believe that all that ridiculous nonsense she was throwing into their direction was actually her real opinion but she was deathly serious, one could tell by the angry sparkle in her eyes. Dastan shared a look with his best friend and shrugged his shoulders. If he had learned one thing ever since he had first met Keyla it was that there was no way on this earth to change her mind if she had made it up.

"Fine!"

Dastan couldn't help but snap at her now too. She had done nothing but insult him and the king who had taken him in and had offered him a place in his home and with his family and now Dastan was unable to keep quiet and be patient any longer. He hated her stubbornness and her inability to take upon a chance just because she was too proud and he hated the fact that there was nothing he could do to make her change her mind. He glared at her for a moment and shrugged hsi shoulders, turning to leave without another word.

He made it as far as the door when he stopped again, stopping Bis who was right next to him as well. He knew he couldn't just leave her behind like this. He could not leave this much hatred and bad blood between them. Keyla had been like a sister to him and he trusted her with his life. He could not fight, could not leave her and say farewell when the last thing they had done was fight and curse at each other... Dastan turned around again, a pleading and more soft expression on his face now.

"Keyla please... Even if you want to stay, please don't give up on us. We're friends... We're like siblings. Please don't hate us..."

"I don't hate you. But I can't do this."

"But you won't shut us out. You will take us in if we come here? You will let us visit."

"Of course I will."

Keyla had calmed down a little as well now and she was now longer glaring at them. Her features were softer again and Dastan knew she meant what she had said. She would not shut them out, they would always be a part of her life and vice versa. Dastan stepped back to her again and this time Keyla did not back away but she rose both hands in defense, looking him up and down but grinning at him this time when she had another snappy comment for him.

"Don't. Wouldn't want to ruin your precious fancy clothes."

"Oh shut up stupid, proud, stubborn little girl."

"Idiotic, self-assured, impulsive twit."

He pulled her into a tight hug before Keyla had a chance to insult him any further and when he let go after holding onto her for a long moment, Bis did the same. This was farewell and they all knew it. Dastan'S voice was low and it was hard to look Keyla in the eyes when he actually had to say goodbye to his friend now. He had wanted her to come and it was hard to leave her behind like this...

"We will miss you."

"I will miss you, too."

They looked at each other for a long moment until Dastan gently grabbed Bis by the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him to the door. The two boys stopped again at the door. And said goodbye to their friend in unison. Keyla just nodded and it was not until the boys had left and the door had closed behind them that she allowed a choked whisper to escape her lips alongside with a single tear that found it's way on her cheek and ran down her face.

"Goodbye Keyla..."

"Goodbye boys."