Okay... Here it is – the final chapter of the story. Thanks to everyone who read and a special thanks to all of you who left a review and told me how much they liked the story. As I am currently occupied with other fanfiction stuff (different topic, different language :-P) I'm not sure if there will be a new story... If you want one you can tell me and I'll see what I can do. Thanks again and here's the last part for you :-):

*Two weeks later*

Keyla's recovery had been going very well but it was only a week since she had been allowed to leave the bed. The physician had been very strict on that and for once in her life Keyla had been patient and had done as she had been told. She did not plan on prolonging the forced rest any longer than necessary and as unnerving as it had been to spend an entire week in bed, it had been strangely comfortable as well. She had visitors to keep her company and people to bring her food and whatever else she needed. It had been a nice change to her normal routine...

When she had told both Dastan and Bis about her decision to stay, her friends had been thrilled. They seemed overjoyed and excited at the prospect of having her around all the time and they had managed to get on her nerves with that kind of boyish attitude a whole lot. But she was happy to see them so joyful over her decision. She knew it had been what they had wanted all along - ever since they had been children. Now she had finally done what was the right thing in their opinion. Keyla just hoped it would turn out to be just that for her as well.

A lot had been going on in those past two weeks. King Sharaman had arrived the very same evening of the day both she and Dastan had been injured and he had agreed to the union of Dastan and Tamina. He had met the princess and wedding preparations had started. The traitors - the merchants and all those they had hired to be a part in their scheming - had been sentenced and punished in all secrecy. Most of the citizens of Alamut weren't even aware what treachery had transpired against the Persian prince and their royal leader and Tamina wanted it to stay that way. It still grieved her that her own people had been willing to kill Dastan and her but now those men had gotten what they deserved and she truly hoped no such thing would ever happen again.

By the time Keyla had been able to finally get out of bed the traitors had been dead already - executed for their crime - and the wedding preparations were in full flow. Now they were done... Right at the moment she was anything but sure about her decision to stay though. Her injury had fully healed and so had Dastan's but right now both of them wished to be anywhere but in the situation they were in. Even another fight or a sickbed would have been preferable. Keyla stared at her reflection in the polished silver mirror and sighed for the utmost time before groaning in frustration.

"I feel like an idiot..."

"You agreed to be a palace guard. This is a palace guard's uniform. What exactly is it you are complaining about?"

Keyla gave Dastan, who had appeared behind her, a dirty stare. She hated it when she teased him like that especially about something that was angering her as much as this. She had told Tamina she wasn't one for luxury and fickle displays of nobility of any kind. She was sure the alamutian princess had done this on purpose... Actually she believed both Dastan and Bis hadn't been completely innocent when it had come to the decision about her uniform in her new job... But seeing the miserable expression on her friend's face as he had a quick look at his own reflection now, made her refrain from starting a discussion about it. She couldn't help the slightly reproachful tone in her voice though.

"It has beads on it! And embroidery!"

"Well I guess Tamina made sure one could tell you are a woman and made sure the uniform looked a little more... girly..."

"Just great... I look like a stuffed peacock!"

Dastan gave her a look that was somewhere between reproach and amusement and looked down at the clothes he was supposed to wear today. Keyla had to grin before he even said anything. She never would have said it out loud because this was a very special day for him and he was probably nervous but he looked ridiculous. But this was his wedding day and it seemed a little bit of glamour was a part of any royal wedding.

Still she wasn't sure if the several layers of rather brightly colored and heavily embroided silk were truly necessary. She had never seen him wear anything like this - not in 15 years of being an adopted son to a king and a prince of the Persian empire. Dastan had always been comfortable with a rather simple choice in clothes - of course he was, it was what he had grown up with. She could tell how uncomfortable he felt just by looking at him and even though she knew it wasn't nice of her, she couldn't help but tease a little.

"Are you truly going to argue with me who of the two of us is looking more ridiculous today?"

"Alright, you win."

Saying he was unhappy with her response would have been the understatement of the year. Keyla did not even try to hide back her chuckle but stepped out of the way, giving Dastan a chance to have a closer look. He sighed again staring at his reflection in the mirror that looked completely unlike him... He reminded himself that it was just one day. But still he didn't like it.

"I feel so much better now."

"Oh stop worrying! It's your wedding day! You should be happy..."

"I am happy... and nervous... and I hate these clothes."

"Just try to concentrate on the happy part."

He gave her a look that clearly told Keyla it was better for her to keep her comments to herself if she wanted to live through this day. Dastan abandoned the mirror muttering under his breath and even though she couldn't understand a single word, Keyla was sure he was cursing. She watched him roam around the room with a soft smile on her face. Her voice was soft as she tried her best to distract him. Actually there was something very important she had to tell him...

"Dastan..."

"What is it?"

Dastan winced at his own tone of voice. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh. But he was nervous and he was anything but good company to anyone today. He just hoped the nervousness would subside once the wedding ceremony would start. Keyla however didn't seem to mind or she was just very understanding of him and his situation today. She was still smiling and Dastan's mind actually slipped away from the nervousness when he concentrated on her. He had no idea why he hadn't realized it before but he had never seen Keyla so... at peace with herself than she seemed to be right now.

"I'm glad I decided to stay."

"So am I. I... we - Tamina, Bis AND I - didn't want you to go. It would have felt like losing you..."

It wasn't the first time he told her this - actually it had been the very first thing he had told her after having found out she would stay and had accepted Tamina's offer - but she could hear him tell her this over and over again. She felt flattered that it meant so much to him. It made her smile.

"I know. That's what I thought. I would barely ever have seen you again had I gone back to Nasaf and you would have stayed here. It wouldn't have been worth it - not even over my precious pride."

"I'm glad we agree on that."

"Idiot..."

"Obviously. Why else would I allow the woman I'm about to marry to make a fool out of me by having me stuffed into this ridiculous outfit."

Keyla chuckled, looking back at her own robe. She still felt like she was wearing a costume instead of a uniform. The cream white color of the dress, the gold embroidery, the stupid beads... She looked like a wrapped up wedding present... But Dastan certainly was worse off and therefor she decided not to go on and about with complains yet again. Instead she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"She did the same with me, you know..."

"Well at least I'm not suffering on my own."

He was grinning at her but Keyla didn't fall for his teasing. Not this time. She didn't do this very often but - after having made such a big, potentially life changing decision and with this being one of the most important days of Dastan's life - she felt it was the right moment to be both heartfelt and a little philosophical. She smiled at him, her voice full of warmth and sincerity.

"You won't ever be alone - not with anything you do. I will be there. Always."

"I know I don't tell you this very often but... you're the best friend one could wish for."

"Right back at you."

They just looked at each other for a long moment neither one of them knowing what to say next. They were friends and they could trust each other blindly but they knew this and saying it out loud wasn't something they did very often. Keyla had to grin as Dastan watched the clothes he had been forced to wear once again - sighing. She patted him on the shoulder and gently pushed him towards the doorway of his chamber.

"Come on now, you wouldn't want to be late for your own wedding."

He shook his head no with a soft grin appearing on his face as well now. He rested his hand on hers for a quick moment before going ahead with Keyla following after him. As they left the chamber. She felt... at home... Through all her years of denying it, Keyla had come up with a routine of... lying to herself. But now that she had finally excepted what was offered to her, she had to realize she had been wrong all those time. Royalty or not, her best friends - Bis and Dastan - where the ones she belonged to and that was where she was right now. She was, where she rightfully belonged...

THE END