Date : 14.10.2011
Title : The Hassansins' Secret
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 4 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Zolm/OC
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Angst, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilers : Possible references to Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time.
Disclaimer : I do not own anything to do with the Prince of Persia franchise. This plot and any O/C's are mine.
Summary : (AU) The Hassansins take on a mission that leads to the discovery of a secret from their past, one that could change their futures forever and Zolm finds out that maintaining emotional detachment isn't always quite that easy.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Zarina struggled furiously against the hold of the man who led her through a maze of dark corridors.
Torchlight flickered on the walls making shadows appear real and Zarina could not stifle one or two gasps as the small figures of children, young boys dressed as warriors, appeared from dark recesses to stare at her as she passed by.
"What are these children doing here? Where are we going?" she asked, trying to pull her arm from the man's grasp, but he did not reply, merely continued on until Zolm stepped out before them and Zarina emitted a short cry of alarm at his sudden presence.
Nodding to the Hassansin who had brought the Queen up from her cell, Zolm regarded Zarina with a cold, calculating stare for a moment until she tipped her chin haughtily to glare at him in return and a shadow of a amusement glanced across his features.
Turning, he began to walk away and Zarina glanced behind her to see that the man who had escorted her had now gone and she looked back toward Zolm.
"I take it you want me to follow you," she said, moving forward and Zolm bowed his head to hide the further amusement that rose from her snapped comment. She was certainly no simpering wallflower of a woman despite the fact she was undeniably nervous, which gave him even more cause to think that she could well have Ashtad's blood in her veins.
As she caught up to him a little he said,
"Tell me Highness, do you ever see visions of the future?"
Zarina looked at him as she came level with him, trying to gauge if he was being serious or not, though she very much doubted that he would joke about anything and she frowned at him as she said,
"What do you think I am…some kind of oracle prophet?"
"Perhaps…" Zolm replied as he opened a door and led the way through out into a courtyard lit only by the huge fire burning in the centre, its perimeter surrounded by a high wall. As they got closer to the fire he caught the scent of hashish and he breathed in deeply through his nose, closing his eyes as his mind began to whirl.
Zarina observed him, wondering where all of this was leading and she was beginning to have her doubts that Azzam had organised for this man and his band of ruthless warriors to kidnap her, for surely if Azzam wanted the throne he would just have had her assassinated.
'Assassinated…' she thought, jumping as Zolm suddenly turned to look at her.
"You are Hassansins," she stated and he angled his head as if pondering upon how she had come up with the comment. "You are not meant to exist…"
"But clearly we do…" he replied, indicated they move closer to the fire and she saw that positioned around the other side were several other Hassansins, all sat cross-legged with their eyes trained upon the flames.
"Sit…" he said and she did so, glad to as the nauseating smell made her legs feel weak. "Let us see if your abilities extend further than charming snakes…"
From seemingly out of nowhere the rhythmic beat of a drum began to sound and Zarina found her eyes were drawn to the fire despite trying her best to look away and the more she stared, the more her mind began to drift. She began to see intermittent flashes, images of people, men…her palace guards; Azzam talking with them, instructing them. She blinked and shifted slightly and Zolm watched her with interest as she narrowed her eyes at the fire.
Zarina wasn't certain, but it appeared that Azzam was rallying her men…a rescue party…she gasped as she suddenly saw the place she sat now swarming with her palace guards. They were coming for her…she would be rescued. Perhaps she had misjudged Azzam all these years…a woman's scream ended the vision and she sat back with another gasp, not even realising that she had leant forward.
Slowly she looked at Zolm.
"What did you see?" he asked and she swallowed, knowing that she could not tell him for it would alert him to the impending attack.
"Nothing…" she tried, flinching tellingly as one of the other Hassansins threw something at the fire and it exploded, sparks flying into the night sky.
"What did you see?" Zolm asked again, the underlying tension in his tone telling her that she would have to say something…but what…?
"It was…it was nothing really…just me in the palace…and how can I be sure it was even a vision of the future and not just some wishful imagining of my mind brought on by that…that disgusting smell…?"
Zolm ignored her.
"Was that all you saw?" he asked instead of replying and she nodded, but Zolm wasn't convinced. He had seen more in her face as she had been lost to the vision and he knew that she was hiding something. Anger bit into him at her deception and he stood, dragging her to her feet with him.
Signalling for one of his men, he thrust Zarina toward him and said,
"Take her back to her cell…" and the man nodded and grasping Zarina's wrist, led her away.
As Zolm turned back to the fire, Setam walked around from the other side and joined him and together they watched the dancing flames.
"She was lying," Zolm said after a few minutes and Setam nodded.
"So you are further convinced of her true bloodline?" he asked and Zolm sighed.
"Perhaps…"
OoOoOoOoO
The next day Zolm was observing his men as they carried out some new practice moves in the courtyard and he had just moved into the shade when the large gates were opened by the young apprentice, Yousef, as he returned from the market with Dasmine, ever her faithful pup and he watched as Dasmine guided the horse and cart through, Yousef closing the gates behind them.
The cart was loaded with supplies and Zolm's eyes flicked to two of his men, Hassad and Nefrat as they ambled over to see what Dasmine had brought. His eyes narrowed as Dasmine laughed at something Hassad said and he felt a sliver of something cold and dark slice into his heart. His men knew that though he had never staked a claim upon her, it was an unspoken rule that Dasmine was out of bounds and though none of them would try to pursue her, it did not stop them conversing with her…an innocent enough pastime yet it left Zolm feeling like he could tear someone apart with his bare hands.
Just then, as Dasmine was preparing to get down from the cart, she looked over and spotting him, smiled and lingered, tucking a stray curl behind one ear and Zolm's anger dissipated. He headed over, barely noticing that Hassad and Nefrat took their leave, taking young Yousef with them and as he reached the side of the cart he looked up at Dasmine.
"Did you get everything you needed?" he inquired, holding his arms out to help her down and she moved forward, but instead of resting her hands on his shoulders to support herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and fell bodily into him, forcing Zolm to wrap his arms around her more fully to stop her from falling.
"Dasmine…" he growled as she grinned at him, her face level with his, her slippered feet dangling in mid-air such was the difference in their heights.
"Zolm…" she replied facetiously, grumbling when he released his hold on her and she was forced to unclamp her arms from around his neck, dropping to her feet unceremoniously.
She turned away, trying not to be hurt by his obvious rejection and as she moved to the rear of the cart, Zolm closed his eyes momentarily, willing his mind to forget how it felt to hold her against him. As she dropped the back of the cart down to begin unloading the items she had purchased from the market, he moved to join her.
"I need you to give our prisoner something to wear," he said.
"I doubt I have anything remotely suitable for someone like her," Dasmine snapped and Zolm looked at her, her uncharacteristic comment warning him that a question would follow…and it did.
"Do you…do you think she's pretty?" Dasmine asked, turning to face him, leaning one shapely hip against the cart and Zolm sighed.
"I have not thought on the matter…" he replied and Dasmine, clearly taking his reply to mean that he did think the Queen was pretty, threw him a disgusted look before turning back to the task of unloading. She only succeeded in moving a bag of grain toward the edge though before she turned on him again.
"Am I so unappealing?" she asked and he frowned at her, not wanting to have this conversation now though he had sensed it had been coming for some time. He glanced over to where his men were still practising, none of them taking any notice of their leader and Dasmine.
"Your appeal is not in question Dasmine…" he replied and she stepped closer.
"Then what is the problem? What are you scared of?" she asked, going to place a hand on his chest, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist, forcing her arm behind her back as he pulled her against him.
"It is you that should be scared Dasmine," he told her, his mouth inches from hers as he bent her backwards a little over his arm, forcing her lower body closer to his. "You tease too much and you might not like the outcome if you push too far…"
Dasmine's breath caught as a shiver of nervous excitement went up her spine and she closed her eyes, moving her lips closer to his as she whispered,
"And what if I do…?"
For a moment Zolm remained still, indecision warring inside of him before he abruptly released her, setting her back against the cart whilst he stepped away a few paces, his eyes spitting ice at her before he turned, his cloak flaring out behind him as he stormed away and Dasmine stared after him, sucking in deep breaths of much needed air.
OoOoO End of Chapter Four OoOoO