Here's the next chapter for you guys. Thanks for all your feedback. Sorry for any mistakes – this one's not spell checked :-? Hope you like it :-)

Dastan had put up quite a fight when the physician that had been sent from the palace to tend to his wounds had told him it was best f he stayed where he was for the moment and did not move around too much. He had already been annoyed by the fact that they had send someone to take care of wounds that felt fairly superficial to him but for that same healer to tell him that he was not supposed to leave without his permission even though he had to check on both Keyla and Tamina had been too much. He needed to get back to the palace.

"I cannot stay here, lying around idly while the woman I love and one of my very best friends are in danger. I have to go!"

"You should not! The wound to your shoulder is deep and you lost a fair amount of blood. I'm telling you you will not get back to the palace after all. You will fall unconscious from the blood loss, the pain and sheer exhaustion long before that!"

"I'll ride."

"It'll be just as bad for the health process of those wounds..."

"I do NOT care. I HAVE to go back."

"Fine. But you're doing so against doctor's orders prince Dastan. I cannot allow it in good conscience..."

"Than so be it."

Still Dastan had been reasonable enough to take Bis with him on his way back to the palace. It had been a good decision as Dastan found out halfway there, He felt find and sort of queazy and hadn't it been for his friend's steadying grasp, Dastan was sure he would have falle off the back of his horse. Bis had been a great help on his way back to the palace but as soon as he had seen the frantic behavior of the palace guard at the main gate, coming running to him before he was even at the gate, Dastan had felt a cold, hard knot form in the pit of his stomach and it had caused enough Adrenaline to course through his veins to keep him up and running for at least another couple of hours, no matter how grave or painful his injuries were.

"Prince Dastan! A traitor! A traitor invaded the palace, trying to kill princess Tamina!"

"Where IS the princess?"

"She's in her chambers..."

Dastan didn't waste any time to liste to any more of the useless chatter that left the guard's mouth. The man had already opened his mouth to add something more to his explanations but Dastan - quickly followed by Bis - had already ridden past him and was about to dismount in the yard in front of the palace. He felt dizzy halfway through the motion and once again it needed his friend's steadying grip for him not to fall. Maybe the physician hadn't been that wrong after all... Maybe moving around this much hadn't been such a good idea... But dastan didn't care. He needed to get to Tamina right now and make sure she was fine.

He would have liked to run up the stairs, to hurry to get to Tamina but the injuries he had sustained in battle did not allow such actions. They had started throbbing quite a while ago yet agian as he and Bis still had been on their way up to the palace and the soft stickiness to his side told him that at least one of his two wounds had started bleeding again. He swore under his breath. The physician had been right after all. It would have been better to take this easy. But for Dastan that had not been an option. He strode to the corridors as fast as he could, holding on to his injured side and it only took a couple of minutes before he came to a halt in front of the doorway to Tamina's chamber. Bis was still right behind him and Dastan could tell his friend was about to ask him if he was okay. Dastan however did not want a renewed discussion about his state of health and therefor he took any chance for further discussion away from Bis, ordering him to wait outside.

"Stay here, will you?"

"Of course."

Dastan entered the princess's chamber alone and found Tamina kneeling on the floor, hands in her lap and staring blankly at a spot on the marble floor. Dastan swallowed hard when he saw a small pool of blood on the ground. Panikc rose in him. Was it her blood? Was it the attackers? And where in the world was Keyla? Dastan quickly walked to Tamina, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, obviously detecting his presence only now. There was no fear or pain in her eyes, just a mild surprise and a smile spread on her face when she realized it was him. Releif flodded through him. At a first look it seemed Tamina was fine... And she quickly confirmed it to him as well.

"Tamina..."

"I'm fine..."

"But there's blood on your hands... and your dress..."

"I know. It's not mine..."

Taking in a closer look Dastan had seen the blood on her hands and clothes and the panic had been back with brute force. Tamina's defeated explanation made no sense to him... at least not for a long moment. His eyes widened in shock though as he realized what the Alamutian princess was trying to tell him. Fear and guilt mixed with his panick as he realized why it was that Keyla wasn't here. It was her blood - her blood on Tamina's clothes and hands, her blood on the floor... She had been hurt... and it was his fault for he had sent her here to protect the woman he loved...

"Keyla..."

"She came to tell me about you. We were attacked and she protected me but she couldn't fight him off and she was injured..."

"Is she..."

Dastan barely even dared to ask the question but as painful as it could be, he needed to know. He needed to have certainty, even if it meant hearing that Keyla had died trying to do what he had asked of her. He watched Tamina's every move, every last move of her facial muscles, hoping to be able to tell what she was about to say to him before she did it. He wanted to be prepared... When a small smile appeared on Tamina's face, the relief he felt almost brought him to his knees.

"She's alive, that is all I know right now. She's with one of our finest physicians. They will take good care of her."

"I need to see her!"

He was about ready to just bolt out of the room in search for his injured friend but the Alamutian princess reacted with a grace and quickness Dastan had not expected. She was up on her feet within seconds and held him by his wrist, giving him a half concerned, half frustrated look.

"You need to rest! You're injured yourself and you look like your about to keel over. You can't do anything for her right now anyway. Please, Dastan. Lie down for a little while, try to rest. I will have them tell you as soon as there are any news on Keyla."

Dastan watched Tamina - the determined expression on her face, the display of her will in the soft sparkling of her eyes and he sighed. She was right - he did feel like he was about to just fall down to the ground from sheer exhaustion... He hadn't allowed himself to feel any of it until now but there was barely a spot on his body that did not ache, hurt or throb. And the surprisingly hard grip Tamina had on his wrist told him he had no choice anyway. A small grin appeared on his face.

"You won't let me out of here anyway, will you?"

"No. Now rest."

She pulled on his wrist again and he followed her not even thinking about it. When she led him to bed - her bed - Dastan's eyes widened in surprise. Under any other circumstances it would have been outrageous and completely inappropriate to offer him to stay in her chamber and in her bed on top of that. Even with worry nagging at his very heart, Dastan couldn't help but grin when he sat down on the princess's bed, slipped out of his shoes and carefully lowered himself down.

"Your wish shall be my command, my princess."

"Don't mock!"

"I'm not! I'm sorry... I'm worried..."

"I know you are. But she will be alright. She's strong... and too stubborn to just die."

Dastan smiled as Tamina sat down next to him now. HE had not expected her to stay but it seemed she did not want to leave before she had been able to reassure him that Keyla would be fine and that he would rest with his mind at ease. He felt her eyes on him as she was scanning his body, takin in the injuries he had sustained in battle earlier today. His smile widened at Tamina's words. "I told her that once..."

He settled down into a more comfortable position, shifting on the bed, hissing as the movement put a strain on his injured shoulder and caused it to hurt. He could see Tamina wince. She was truly worried about him and it was a strangely satisfying thing to see. It left him with a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. But he had to do what was right even if it meant sending Tamina away which caused his heart to ache just as the thought of it. But still he had to.

"Could you do me a favor? Let Bis know. He's waiting outside and I know for a fact that he is just as worried about Keyla. He needs to know. And maybe you will let him stay with her."

"Of course I will."

Tamina got up from the bed again. The grace and sheer beauty with which she did such simple things still amazed Dastan everytime he was lucky enough to see it. He watched the princess as she was walking over to the door and he knew he just couldn't let her leave like this, not knowing if she would come back to him or not... He called out to her - a slight tone of desparation actually audible in his voice - causing her to turn to him once more.

"Tamina? Would you... like to stay?"

"I will come back as soon as I talked to your friend."

"Thank you."

He watched her leave the room and now - reassured she would return - Dastan allowed himself to close his eyes. As soon as he did he realized how truly exhausted he was. He had fought for his life just about an hour ago, he had been injured, bleeding, had needed the assitance of his friends to even get back to the palace... Tamina was right. HE needed to rest... But as tired as he was he still felt uncomfortable and restless.

He couldn't stop thinking about Keyla - Kelya who had risked her life first for him and then for a woman she barely even know because he had told her so and she had realized how much it meant to him. She had fought to protect Tamina and had been injured in the process... He could just hope he would get a chance to make it up to her in some way... She had to be alright... He knew he wouldn't forgive himself if she wasn't... He needed Keyla in his life just as he needed Tamina. With Keyla it was for different reasons but still he needed her - it was as simple as that...

He didn't even hear Tamina return from outside the chamber, he was lost that deeply in his thoughts. Had he looked up at her he would have seen how the princess carefully tried to hide back the turmoil of emotion raging inside of her. Telling Dastan's closest friend and second in command about Keyla had been a... daunting experience. He had paled instantly upon hearing about their injured friend and had not even giving her a chance to finish her explanations, hurrying off to see her and stay with her. But Tamina had seen the unspoken reproach in his eyes and he was right. Hadn't it been for Dastan's command and simply for her existence... Keyla never would have been hurt...

But it was useless to think about it that way. It had happened and nothing would change it any more. All they could do right now was worry about the situation at hand and for Tamina her first worry right now was the man she had agreed to marry... She entered her chamber again quietly and went back to the bed. Dastan had his eyes closed but from his still slightly irregular breathing she could tell he was still awake. She sat down next to him again, watching him for a moment.

"Dastan..."

"Mmhhh?"

"I am... glad you are alright. When I heard what those traitors planned, when I realized you were in danger, I..."

Dastan opened his eyes actually surprised at the honesty and open heartedness with which Tamina treated him. She had still been suspicious and very guarded with her reactions just a couple of days ago but after everything that had happened today it seemed she was willing to fully trust him now... He had heard that tone in her voice before and just like then he could not help but tease her just a little bit. Unfortunatelly she reacted anything but positive to it and Dastan regretted his words instantly. He had not meant to make her angry - not this time - and he hurried to calm her, a soft, caring tone in his voice then.

"Is that concern I hear in your voice, princess?"

"As a matter of fact I WAS worried about you!"

"So was I. It's why I asked Keyla to return, why she risked her life for you... Because I demanded she'd go back and make sure you weren't in any danger. I couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to you. I wouldn't know how to live with myself had any harm come to you..."

"Now that does sound a lot more like concern, prince."

"It is."

They looked at each other in silence for a long moment and Tamina was the first to chuckle. A warm smile spread on her face, a smile that made her look even more beautiful than she already was. Dastan could have looked at that expression on her face forever but it was quickly replaced with concern once more when her eyes fell onto him again. He could understand though. If he looked only half as bad as he felt, concern was the right thing for Tamina to feel. She rested a gentle hand on his uninjured shoulder.

"Rest now. I will stay with you and I will wake you when there are news on Keyla."