Here's the next chapter for you guys. Second to last chapter – one more to come :-) Thanks for all your feedback. Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Hope you like it :-)

After Tamina had left her bedside, Keyla had been awake for another 2 hours debating what to do and how to decide on the princess's proposal. It was her dream though that made it easy for her to decide. She couldn't leave. If that dream - that memory of a few years back - had showed her one thing, it was that she had the very best friends anyone could wish for and she couldn't leave them behind. While Dastan had still resided in the royal palace in Nasaf, she had seen her friends on a regular basis. But now - with Dastan marrying Tamina and most definitely staying here in Alamut, chances to see either him or Bis would be slim. Keyla didn't want that. She wanted to stay in contact with her friends even if that meant going against one of her most basic believes. Her friends meant more to her than that.

She had never given it much thought before as she had always declined that choice but now that she would actually be a part of a royal palace's life, she wondered what it would be like. She hated luxury - to the extent that she couldn't stand the unnecissity of surrounding oneself with fickle, shiny things that had no purpose at al other than to look pretty. She had always been a very practical woman herself - had to be given the life she lived.

Somehow she felt Tamina knew that, had maybe even seen it as a quality in her. Certainly she wouldn't get a fancy chamber at the palace and a gold trimmed armor to wear and parade around every day. She was sure it would be much... simpler, much more suiting for her character... Or at least that was what she hoped for. As much as she wanted to stay close to her friends, if this life didn't suite her and made her feel like she was giving up the very essence of her being, she would abandon it without a second thought. Maybe the life she had didn't look like much to the outside world but it was HER life and she liked it...

She had never been good at following anyone's advice and she had never - not once before - needed to follow orders. Thinking about it now though that was exactly what she had done when Dastan had wanted her to go back to the palace to protect Tamina. He had done as he had told and it hadn't hurt... Maybe - with time and a little routine to it - she woudl be able to do so on a daily basis... The idea actually seemed sort of... appealing to her. One thing was for sure with this job Tamina had offered her. Her life would be a lot more... stable here... she was interrupted all of a sudden when a servant assiged to the physician's quarters all dressed in white appeared next to her bed.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Hungry."

"I will get you some breakfast..."

Keyla had said the first thing coming to her mind, being caught off guard as she had been ripped out of her thoughts like that. She was surprised by the genuine friendliness and helpfulness the female servant displayed and she thought it was a good chance to ask her for help. After all she wasn't allowed to get up yet and even if she would have been, she was sure she wouldn't have gotten very far. She needed to talk to Tamina though. She needed to tell her her decision.

"Breakfast sounds good... Could you please ask for the princess to visit me. She expects an answer to a question she asked me. She will know what it is about."

"But..."

"I know I probably don't make much of any sense to you, but..."

"Oh no, you do. You did save the princess's life and I'm sure she wants to talk to you. But the physician said you need to rest..."

Keyla frowned. She had not expected the servants to be so nice to her. After all wanting to talk to the royal leader of this land was not something one just asked for - or did granted for that matter. But it seemed the whole palace knew she had been the one to at least try and keep Tamina out of harms way and - apart from those who had dissolved in treachery against her and Dastan - the Alamutians were very glad and happy she had done so. She was treated with... respect and that was something Keyla had almost never before experienced in her life. An almost shy smile spread on her face as she tried to convince the servant to meet her wish.

"Well I am. I'm lying down. I'm not moving, I'm not running. I just need to talk to her."

"I will send someone to tell her."

"Thanks."

A friendly smile and a short nod from the servant were the response Keyla got and then the young woman hurried to leave. She turned her head and could see her talk to a guard at the door. They were out of earshot but when the guard nodded and left, Keyla was sure he was going to get Tamina - or at least find somebody close to her to get the message to her. Either way she was sure the princess would be here soon.

Keyla - indeed - didn't have to wait for long. She had just finished her breakfast the servant had brought to her - helping her sit up in bed so that she could eat properly - when the princess arrived. Keyla placed the tray on the ground next to her bed when she saw Tamina enter the chamber, leaving a little bit of space for the princess to sit down. It seemed she had hurried, obviously eager to find out what Keyla had decided, and was now swiftly walking over to her. A soft smile lay on her face but she couldn't hide the sparkle of slight nervousness in her eyes.

"Keyla? I was told you had asked for me..."

"Yeah."

"What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"We both know what I wanted to talk to you about."

Keyla hadn't meant to sound harsh or rude but she felt there was no need to beat around the bush here. She was sure Tamina was very well aware of why she had been summoned here. After all she had told Keyla last night she would be back in the morning, expecting her decision. Tamina gave her a soft nod, cutting the curtesies down to a minimum and coming straight to the point instead. It seemed the princess was just as eager to hear Keyla's decision as she was telling her.

"Did you decide?"

"Yes."

"And..."

"I will stay."

A smile appeared on the princess's lips as soon as Keyla uttered the words. She had managed to make Tamina happy and somehow that seemed odd to Keyla... But she knew it wasn't just because she had agreed to be a guardian. Tamina now had somebody who could help her understand her husband better... and Keyla was sure Tamina was also happy for Dastan After all she had managed to convince one of her future husbands oldest friends to stay close to him. Tamina rested a soft hand on Keyla's lower arm, squeezing it gently.

"Thank you, Keyla. I know this sounds like a promise I should not make but... you will not regret this."

"We will see about that. I told you I'm not cut out for palaces and fancy stuff and royalty..."

Tamina did not let her finish, shaking her head with a vehemence Keyla had not expected. It seemed Dastan's believe that a life at the palace was indeed what would have been rightfully hers to take had seeped right through and managed to infect Tamina. Why else would she be fighting her on this matter after only knowing her for a couple of days? To Keyla's own surprise what Tamina did have to say to her actually made sense...

"Stop acting like you do not belong here. You saved my life, Dastan's life. You're one of the oldest and best friends he has. You DO belong here."

"I sure hope so..."

"Trust me."

Tamina was smiling now and Keyla couldn't help but to smile back at her. She was anything but convinced but she was willing to put high hopes to the fact that maybe the Alamutian princess was right. Her decision had been made now and - as her two best friends liked to tease her so often - now that her decision was set, she would not change it. She was willing to give this a try. A little faith could not hurt in the process... Keyla leaned back down on the pillows supporting her back.

"I will try, princess. I will try."