Thanks for your reviews. You guys are awesome! Here's the next update for you. Back with Dastan and Tamina again :-). Hope you like it.

Dastan had left shortly after but Tamina had not been able to get to sleep after the Persian prince had returned to his own chamber. It had been late but she had not been the least bit tired anymore after Dastan had left. She had been walking up and down her room restlessly and had allowed her turmoil of thoughts and emotions to win her over - at least for a little while.

He had been right. Tamina had agreed to this union because she had known deep down in her heart that it was right. She had felt that strange bond between them that had an almost spiritual quality to it, a feeling like she knew him even though they had just met and a feeling that told him he knew her and her sacred duty better than he should have. Fate, a destiny that had brought them together and she was sure Dastan was very well aware of it. There was something he knew - about her, about Alamut and about the dagger - that he was not telling her and she had decided she would make him talk.

Of course it needed to people for that - her who would be trying and him who would actually be willing - but Tamina had a plan. She had asked him to trust her and even though they only knew each other for a couple of days and they were still very reserved around each other, she was sure that dropping a few well meant hints - especially towards the fact that she had realized he knew about the dagger and it's powers - would help her achieve what she wanted : the truth.

She had fallen asleep easily after making her decision, feeling at peace with herself all of a sudden. Even though he was teasing her a lot, Tamina trusted Dastan to tell her the truth if only she applied a little bit of pressure. She could tell he wanted to. Little hints and careless words had already slipped at times when he wasn't paying too much attention to what he was saying or believed she wasn't listening. She knew there was more to the whole scene of him giving her back the dagger of time than he was willing to admit...

Dastan woke to the sound of something that sounded very much like at least a dozen of little bells ringing. He could not place the sound to anything he had ever heard before and he had to smile when he opened his eyes and found his princess - Tamina - sitting beside him on the edge of his bed yet again. She was wearing a beautiful cream colored dress, heavily embroided and with little beads, pearls and tiny bells on it that had made the sound as she had been moving, shifting into a different position. He looked up at her his smile widening into a grin before he sat up.

"Did you come to watch over me again?"

"No. I came to invite you."

"Invite me to what?"

"It's a surprise, prince."

Tamina got up - her dress making that beautiful sound again when she moved - and reached out a hand to dastan. He couldn't help but grin again. This was the way he had gotten to know the princess once the initial feeling of distrust had subsided. Adventurous and mischievous without ever letting all seriousness fall off of her... Maybe it didn't mean anything at all but Dastan felt like he was slowly getting closer to Tamina yet again. But as much as he would have liked to just go with her and let her surprise him, there were more pressing things for him to attend to today. He bit his lip, looking at her with an apologizing expression on his face.

"But the preparations..."

"Will be completed in time. Stop worrying. Your father will be happy with you I'm sure. Now follow me."

Her tone of voice did not allow any kind of protest or discussion and Dastan nodded in agreement, a chuckle escaping his lips. It seemed Tamina was slowly letting her guard down. The way she acted around him now was a lot more like her - at least the person he had gotten to know better and better throughout their journey - strong, independent and too stubborn to bear at times. Dastan chuckled and looked down his body. He was wearing a pair of worn out, dark cotton pants and no shirt. Tamina followed his gaze and he was forced to hide back yet another grin when she was blushing softly, obviously realizing only now that he was half naked and it wasn't really prudent for her to be here. He grinned at her.

"Can I at least get dressed first?"

"But hurry. I'll wait outside."

She didn't give him a chance to even tease her, she was out of his room that fast, her dress making that soft jingly sound again when she walked out of his chamber. Dastan chuckled and then sighed softly. Actually he had wanted to use this morning to take that bath he had already planned on last night but yet again Tamina didn't give him a chance to do so. He cleaned himself up thoroughly though and slipped into his clothes, following Tamina outside where she was waiting for him.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me where we're going."

"Yes. Come on now, prince."

Tamina was being her usual self-assured, stubborn self and Dastan knew from experience that it was of no use to argue with her. He would just follow her - as he had done before in another time that now no longer existed - and let her lead the way wherever it would take them. They left the palace through the east entrance where the stables were and Dastan was actually surprised to find to horses saddled and waiting for them. A mild suspicion grew in him for just a moment but he quickly let it pass. Tamina would not try to deceive or hurt him - he just knew that.

Tamina climbed onto the horse's back first and Dastan just followed her. They left the inner yard of the palace and rode out into the city. It was early in the morning and a lot of people where on their way, greeting them - the princess with joy, him with a mixture of fear and respect. They took the main rode and Dastan was a little surprised when Tamina took the Eastern gate - the very same gate he had breached to give the Persian troupes entrance to the sacred city - to leave Alamut. They didn't ride on for long though. A couple of minutes after they had left alamut, Tamina veered right to a small path and after about 10 more minutes they reached a crystal blue spring coming up from a crack in between the rocks. Tamina dismounted from her horse and Dastan did the same following her. She turned around to him, smiling.

"Alamut is famous and well known for it's cold and clear waters and it's beautiful fountains... This supposedly is the place where our gods first blessed this city with water by splitting the rock open and allowing the water to pour out, allowing life to grow and flourish. Every couple that wishes to be married, asks for the god's blessing at this sacred place. I know they are not your gods but I still wanted to come here and ask for a blessing."

"What do we have to do."

Dastan had smiled hearing her say that it weren't his gods and that Alamut was famous for it's fountains, He had heard her say that before... even though she had no idea it had happened. He watched her as Tamina kneeled done next to the spring and cupped her hands, forming a crude goblet with them and reaching the cupped water in her hands up to Dastan's face. She smiled at him

"Drink."

He rose his eyebrows and frowned at her but she was still smiling. She meant what she had said, it was no trick. He bowed his head and drank the water from her cupped hands, feeling a little stupid. He half expected something miraculous to happen but after he had finished, Tamina let her hands sink, the rest of the water still in her hands splashing to the ground. Dastan gave her a curious look.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

They stood soundlessly for a moment and then Tamina first started to smile and then she chuckled. Dastan couldn't help but actually laugh himself. They had both been a little tense about this sort of strange situation but now relieve washed over them. He could tell this had been important to Tamina and he had been worried about making a fool out of himself. All in all however, they had managed the situation quite well... He watched Tamina stare at the spring for a moment but then she motioned for him to follow her.

They rode back to the city in silence but it was a comfortable kind of silence. Dastan expected Tamina to return to the palace and hopefully they would have a chance to have breakfast together now and talk a little but instead of turning to the palace, she veered left, taking another gate and he was half suspicious, half surprised when she directed her horse to a different yard and dismounted again, looking at Dastan, pointing to the large building in her back with a nod of her head.

"This is the high temple."

"I know..."

"How?"

He had only been mumbling the words to himself but Tamina had caught them and now he was - once again - in need to explain. He quickly came up with a response but he could tell from her reaction that she didn't believe him. He realized with a sudden clarity that it was why she had taken him here - because she knew there was something he wasn't telling her...

"I... heard about it."

She nodded in response to his rather lame lie and didn't say anything. Instead she turned around and entered the temple through the wide gate. Dastan hurried to follow her. She climbed up the spiraling staircase that lead to the upper part of the temple and Dastan followed her, feeling a little... caught at this very moment. Tamina was leading him to the sacred room where the dagger of time had it's resting place and he knew exactly why she did so. There was something she wanted to ask him... He entered the sacred room where the dagger was placed in a golden shrine and watched as Tamina stood beside the artefact, looking at it for a moment before she addressed him in a soft voice.

"Will you ever tell me the story... how the dagger came to be in your possession."

"Maybe... One day."

"Why did you give it back to me?"

"Because a present was mandatory?"

He was grinning at her but it was only half heartedly and Tamina's expression stayed serious, her voice still soft but almost having a grave tone to it. This was a very important moment for her, a moment for him to prove that he could trust her and she could trust him as well. It was important to find the right words and even though his joke had seemed to be suitable to relieve some of the tension Dastan felt right now, Tamina was not willing to let go of the matter. Dastan realized that he had to tell her something, give her something that would make her see he wanted to tell her the full truth but couldn't right now. It was to fantastic for her to believe him, especially after only knowing him for such a little while. He gave her an almost apologizing smile.

"Please prince, you agreed not to mock."

"I... knew it was important to you."

"Why?"

"It is difficult to explain."

"Try."

Dastan debated actually doing what Tamina asked of him for a quick second but quickly dropped the thought again. It was too dangerous and too early to let her in on his secret. Maybe when they had spent more time together and had been married for a while and Tamina had learned to trust him again. But not today. As much as he wished for her to be happy he could not soothe her curiosity just yet. Instead of telling her the truth, he gave her a weak smile and tried a different approach.

"Do you believe in fairytales, princess?"

"Fairytales?"

"Yes. Stories full of fantasy and magic and unbelievable events. Do you?"

She frowned at him, obviously taken by surprise by his question and waited to give him an answer. Tamina felt there was more to this question than the actual words. Dastan was reaching out, offering her a way in on the truth, a truth that obviously would sound more like a fairytale than anything else. But when it came to the dagger Tamina expected a fantastic story... She realized the Persian prince was trying to find out if he could trust her to believe him. Gently and slowly Tamina nodded her head, carefully voicing her words.

"I do."

"Then I will have a fairytale for you to listen to someday. But not today."

You know the drill (:-D) : The one thing that truly fuels my inspiration are reviews. I'm glad for the alerts but if you want the chapters to keep coming regularly you guys need to help me out a little and review.

No reviews mean no updates. Decided I will continue at an average of about 5 reviews per chapter.

So help me keep the story going and please press the little button and leave some feedback. :-)

Thanks.