Here's a new chapter ready for you guys. Thanks to those who left (a qualified) feedback :-). Sorry – it took a while. Will try to update sooner the next time. Hope you like it :-)

Keyla had done the one thing she could to protect the princess from the servant that had so suddenly turned out to be a traitor and an attacker and had placed herself right in front of her, holding out a shielding arm. She could feel that the princess wanted to do something to protect herself but she was unarmed and at that completely helpless. Keyla drew the sword she had already used once today to fend of the attackers that had tried to kill Dastan and glared at the servant. She hoped there was a chance to just reason with the young man and make him see that there was no need for any of this. Their little rebellion was over.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You heard us talk I'm sure. Prince Dastan is fine, your masters will be arrested. This rebellion is over. Put down your weapon."

She had tried to use a combination of softness and authority in her voice but it didn't work. Instead of doing what she said and having at least a little chance to still save his life that was otherwise forgone because of his treachery, the servant grabbed the sword he held even tighter. Determination shown in his eyes. He would not give up and judging from the look on his face he would not stop until his task was completed or Keyla would have managed to either knock him out or kill him. Just as Dastan had predicted, the princess's life was in danger and it was up to her to save her.

Keyla had a good look at the servant and forced herself not to show any kind of emotion. He was about her age, but taller than her and obviously stronger. She had fought against stronger opponents before, had actually done that already twice today but that was exactly where the problem was. After running back and forth between the palace and the main gate and helping Dastan defend himself against the four men attacking him, she felt exhausted and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to win yet another fight. But she knew she had to - the princess's life depended on it and she had to protect her. She had promised Dastan she would...

She knew that if anything happened to the princess, Dastan would forfeit himself all right for happiness. He would forgive her, being sure she had done all in her power to save the woman he loved, but Keyla was certain he would never forgive himself. There was no other way for her but to win this fight - for her own, for Tamina's and for Dastan's sake. Just as her opponent had done, Keyla grabbed her sword tighter. She could only hope the princess would not be stupid enough and try to help her in any way even though she was unarmed. Keyla never let her eyes off her opponent but tried to get Tamina to listen to her.

"Please, princess, stay back. Don't interfer. And if he hurts me... or kills me - run."

Keyla didn't need to turn to feel the tension radiating off the princess and she was sure she would have protested if she had a chance. But Keyla didn't give her one. Without any warning she lunged forward, attacking the servant with all her force. The man was taken by surprise for a moment and Keyla already had her hopes up that she would be able to use the advantage and break through his defenses. But when she attacked him again he was easily able to fend her off, a satisfied smirk appearing on his face.

Keyla realized with a sudden horrifying clarity that she would not be able to win. She would only be able to hold up the inevitable for so long. Running through the sun through half the city of Alamut, helping Dastan in his fight against the traitors that had attacked him and getting him help had taken a toll on her and her strength had solwly been fading. This man was strong, quite a bit taler than her and - unlike her - very well rested. He was not as skilled as the men that had attacked Dastan but what he lacked in skill he compensated through brute force.

Keyla had to hold on to her father's blade with both hands when the servant - the traitor - lunged at her a battle cry escaping from his lips. Hadn't she done it she was sure he would have been able to smack the blade right out of her hand. Her fingers tingled painfully as she felt the vibration of the blade she held because of the force her attacker had used on his blow. Keyla tried to fight back the panic that threatened to settle in and concentrated. There had to be a weak spot on her attacker - there always was one. She just had to find it. Until then she needed to hold on. She could not let this man get passed her for if he did it meant the princess would die... She had promised Dastan that this wouldn't happen and Keyla intended to keep her promise.

She could only hope for Tamina to do as she had told her, keep back, not interfer and run if need be. She could not look out for her as well, she had to fully concentrate on the battle raging on, a battle Keyla was very well bound to lose. She gritted her teeth, glaring at her opponent and grabbed her sword tighter with both hands, mustering up what little strength she still had and attacked again. If she had to go out, she would go out fighting. Defense was no longer an option.

To her own surprise - but never questioning what happened at that very moment - Keyla was able to fight the servant back. With every attack on her end he took a step backwards, slowly closing in on the wall at the far end of the princess's chamber. Keyla allowed herself a tiny second of triumph. All she needed now was just one little flaw in the attacker's defense and then it would all be over.

Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, not letting her realize how exhausted she truly was. Her arms burned with the strain of fighting but Keyla willed herself to go on, keep on fighting. She could not fail, she could not falter - if she did the princess would be unprotected. Keyla glared at the attacker, gritting her teeth and attacked again. This time however he was easily able to block her move as if he had been able to foresee.

With sudden clarity Keyla realized what the man had been doing. He had given her a chance to attack in order to study her every move and find a weakness in her attack and defense while all the while she had believed she had the upper hand on him. Panic settled in as she was pushed further and further back without any chance to get in a blow of her own. He was pushing her back and he would triumph over her. It was only a matter of time...

A vicious blow broke through her defense almost knocking the blade out of her hand and hadn't she moved backwards quickly, the attacker's blade would have sliced right into her chest. She could hear the princess gasp from somewhere behind her but did not let it get to her. She concentrated on her attacker and horror shook her as she realized he had produced a second weapon, a dagger, from somewhere inside his robes. She never had a chance to do anything against his attack and the very next second a red hot pain shot through her leg taking all reason away and leaving her unable to even scream.

Keyla stumbled backwards staring in disbelieve at the daggers hilt that stuck out of her left thigh. The blade had been plunged deep into her flesh and every move hurt like her whole leg was on fire. She swore under her breath and winced when a blow with his sword finally send her own weapon flying across the room, scattering to the ground out of her reach. She took another step backwards, her injured leg giving way underneath her and fell to the floor now looking up at her opponent who had risen his sword and was smiling in satisfaction. Keyla did the one thing she still could for the princess now.

"Run princess!"

"No!"

Neither Keyla nor the servant who had turned out to be a traitor, expected the next move the princess made. Instead of doing as she was told and saving her life by running away, she ran over to where Keyla's sword had fallen to the ground. Seeing her pick it up Keyla felt horrified and her attacker let out a chuckle, obviously amused by the princess reaction. He turned to face her, momentarily distracted from Keyla and not yet delivering the killing blow. Keyla squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't bear to watch...

She abruptly opened her eyes again when the next things she heard was how the servant stopped chuckling than a thud, a gasp and a louder thud as something fell to the floor. When she opened her eyes again, the attacker lay on the floor right at her feet, eyes wide and unseeing, the blade of her father that the princess had picked up sticking out from his chest. Keyla couldn't believe what she was seeing. Instead of attacking the man, the princess had thrown the blade at him with all her force and the traitor - unprepared for the attack - had not been able to defend himself and had died...

"Guards!"

Keyla could hear the princess scream for help. For a quick moment she wondered why the princess hadn't thought of this earlier but her thoughts were quickly consumed by the pain she felt in her leg. Blindly she reached for the blade still stuck in her leg and without thinking she pulled it free. She moaned in pain when the medal left her flesh. It hurt even worse than it had when the blade had still been stuck in there. She stared at her leg and swallowed hard when she saw the blood flowing freely from it, staining the pants she was wearing. Maybe pulling the blade free hadn't been such a good idea...

She registered the arrival of two guards, running into the room breathlessly only at the back of her mind. She was far too occupied with the pain radiating from her leg and rendering her breathless She could feel a soft hand on her upper arm and when she looke dto the side she found herself looking right into princess Tamina's worried face.

"Keyla?"

"Didn't I say not to intefer... You're just as stubborn as your husband to be..."

She tried tosound angry with the princess - ash she was - but her voice was to weak to carry her anger. When she tried to getback up on her feet now, Kelya failed, the edges of her vision slowly turning grey and blury. She swallowed hard. Maybe the injury hadn't been as minor as she had first believed. When she looked down to her throbbing leg, she could see blood staining her pants... a lot of blood. She hissed when she felt pressure being put on her thigh. It hurt. She realized it were the princess's soft hand pressing down hard on the bleeding wound. Keyla closed her eyes for just a moment. She felt so exhausted, so unbelievably tired.
Tamina watched in horror as the young woman she barely knew and who had vowed to protect her life because Dastan had asked her to do so, closed her eyes. She knew she could not let her fall unconscious. She was in bad shape, the pool of blood forming underneath her injured leg a clear indication for that. Tamina pressed down harder on the bleeding wound. She could not let Keyla die. Dastan would never forgive her if she did...

"Hold on! Stay with me..."

"I'm fine..."

"Keyla!"

The princess's voice sounded muffled and Keyla wanted to tell her to speak up so that she could hear her better but her tongue felt like it had been glued down in her mouth. She couldn't form the words. She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't rise a hand to let the other woman know she had heard her. She just felt so tired... Vaguely she realized that something or somebody was tugging on her shoulder but she didn't care. She allowed herself to fall into the blissful abyss and then she heard and saw nothing anymore. There was just darkness... and silence.