Thanks for all your reviews guys! As always - sorry for and spelling and grammar mistakes in that chapter. I checked but as always I'm sure I missed a few. It's finally time for Keyla and Tamina to meet! On with the story :-). Hope you like it.

Keyla had taken the same way into the palace as she had done the last time. It had been a little more difficult for her this time because she carried a small package with her. It was later than the first time as well but she did not want to risk to be seen by anyone. The city streets had been deserted when she had left the merchant's home and she had not seen a single guard anywhere on the palace walls, not even guarding the watchtowers. Just like last time she managed to enter the palace unseen and unharmed.

Finding the princess chamber would be a little more difficult though. She had stumbled into Dastan's chamber by pure chance after all. She was sure about two things - the princess private quarters would not be on the lower floor and they certainly wouldn't be on the same floor Dastan was residing on right now. It wouldn't have been prudent, at least not until they were married.

Keyla carefully slipped past Dastan's chamber. She felt a soft sting in her heart, remembering how she had left him just a day ago, bidding him farewell. She would have to apologize to him. It didn't happen too often but she had been wrong, she had judged too quickly and too harshly and she owed him an apology. But first she wanted to visit the princess and then she would apologize to her friend.

Keyla followed her instinct and climbed up the staircase at the end of the corridor. The strong sent of oranges and something else that she couldn't quite determine filled her nose when she reached the upper staircase. It smelled like a scented bath and it was definitely a scent a woman would use. It seemed like she had been able to find the princess's chamber without much of any trouble.

She took a deep breath, held on tighter to the package she was carrying and stepped through the doorway leading into the princess chamber. A few little candles on a low table in the middle of the room were all the light there was and Keyla kept to the shadows. She didn't want to startle the princess but neither did she want her to alert anyone of her presence. She needed to address her without scaring her and she needed to hurry to explain who she was. Keyla neared the bed but there was nobody in it. She squinted and believed to see a silhouette out on the balcony. Carefully she stepped closer and as she realized she had been right, she addressed the other woman in a low voice.

"Princess Tamina?"

The younger woman spun around abruptly and for the first time Keyla ha da chance to fully take n her features, the delicate frame of her body, the thick, dark hair, the beauty of her face. Keyla had to smile involuntarily - his brothers choice or not - Dastan was lucky to have a wife like this. Keyla realized there was fear and anger both visible in the princess's eyes and her voice was just a hiss when she reacted to her intruder.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I'm sorry princess for intruding like this but I needed to talk to you. I'm a friend of prince Dastan."

Her features softened almost immediately, which told Keyla that the princess of Alamut had heard about her before. She was pretty sure Dastan had told her, had probably told her about last night as well. Keyla felt bad all of a sudden... She had wanted a chance to talk to princess Tamina unbiased. But one didn't always get what one wished for... She smiled a nervous smile at the princess and took a step back, allowing her a way back into her chamber from the balcony. Just as Keyla had expected, the princess confirmed what she had already believed to be true.

"You are the old friend he talked about? The one he did not invite, the one he was sure he had lost as a friend?"

"I suppose so..."

"He never mentioned you were that beautiful... or female for that matter."

Keyla found herself blushing. Nobody in her entire life had ever called her beautiful... Well that wasn't true - Garsiv had once called her a beautiful woman but even remembering that Keyla shuddered. No - nobody had ever truly called her beautiful and hearing it from a woman as marvelous as the princess, Keyla felt flattered. She needed a moment to find her speech again, nervousness and slight embarrassment sounding from her words.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to keep it from you. We are friends, princess, nothing more. There's no need to hide."

"But he told me you had left, had ended the friendship."

"I was very harsh on him. And very quick with my judgement. I made a mistake, a mistake I came to rectify."

Keyla wasn't sure why she felt the urge to explain her actions to the princess. She had never even met this woman before but still it felt important to have her know that Keyla hadn't meant any harm to Dastan and that she had realized she had made a mistake. The princess seemed to be very patient and forgiving with her though. If she wasn't Keyla had no idea how to explain the soft smile on her lips.

"But why did you come to me then?"

"I will speak with Dastan but I wanted to meet you first. See, he's my friend since we were children and I just wanted to make sure..."

"I was good enough for him?"

"Sort of. But I already had a chance to see for myself. I watched you two on the market today."

The princess had spoken her first words with slight amusement but was now raising her eyebrows in utter surprise as Keyla told her that she had seen her and Dastan at the market. Keyla hid back a grin. Had those two truly believed they hadn't been detected? Their masquerade hadn't been that good... The princess however seemed to truly believe their little act had gone unnoticed.

"But we were in disguise!"

"Not very much. Apart from that I would be able to tell if it was Dastan or not even if he was in a crowded place. I know him very well... Anyway I had a chance to watch you and him, the way you act around each other, the way he looks at you and... I am sure you're good enough for him. Actually I'm sure you're perfect for him."

Tamina just smiled but didn't say anything. Her smile was enough to tell Keyla that the princess was thankful for her... approval. Both women know that the match Dastan had been able to make, the woman he would be married to, was the right one for him. Keyla couldn't quite tell why but she felt strange approving of the princess like this. She wasn't Dastan's mother or related or responsible for him in any other way. She had no right to intervene... But it wasn't the main reason she had come here for anyway. Keyla smiled and finally did what she had wanted to do ever since she saw the princess. She reached out her little wrapped up package to her.

"But that's not all. I know it's not much and you probably have a lot more of them but I wanted to give you a wedding gift."

Tamina took the package from Keyla's hands, placed it on the nearest empty table and started to unwrap it. Keyla watched her nervously, hoping the princess would actually like her little gift. She had seen it at a small stand on the market and had actually taken the time and the money to buy it from the foreign merchant who had it on display. She watched the princess unwrap the package and heard her draw in a sharp intake of air.

"By the gods... This is exquisite. Thank you so much..."

"Keyla, my name is Keyla."

"Thank you, Keyla. This is beautiful."

The princess had looked at her questioningly for a moment to get her to tell her her name and had now refocused her attention on the content of the package. It was a piece of cloth, made from very exquisite cream colored silk, with beads and pearls and heavy embroidery on it. Keyla had felt it was a worthy present for a princess and the future wife of a Persian prince and it seemed the princess felt about this the same way.

"I'm glad you like it."

The two women watched each other, both of them wearing a friendly smile on their faces. Keyla was the first to feel awkward in the situation. She had done and said everything she had wanted to the princess. It was time for her to leave. She pointed to the doorway with an almost wary gesture, her smile turning nervous again.

"I guess I should get going now..."

The princess of Alamut nodded her approval and Keyla turned to leave. She walked up to the door but stopped right before she left the room, turning around to the princess again who was still occupied with her present. Keyla addressed her in a gentle tone once more.

"Princess?"

"Yes."

"I know it's kind of a bold favor to ask but may I?"

"What is it?"

Keyla took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She was a simple woman... or maybe even less than that. She lived in the slums of a Persian city and she had no right to tell this royal woman anything but still she did because she felt she needed to. She looked the princess straight in the eyes, her voice heavy with importance, showing clearly how much the favor, the wish she would ask of the princess meant to her.

"Be good to him, will you. He deserves it."

"I can't promise I will always be. We're both too stubborn and he enjoys teasing me too much... But I promise I will always try."

"That's good enough for me."

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