Date : 30.03.2012
Title : The Hassansins' Secret
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 13 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.
Dasmine's wrist hurt where the General gripped it tightly as he pulled her behind him along the dimly lit stone corridor, but still she dragged her heels and tugged, trying in vain to get away from him.
"Stop struggling woman," he hissed, yanking on her wrist to bring her closer to his side and Dasmine stumbled against him.
"Where are we going?" she asked, righting herself only to collide with him again as he came abruptly to a halt. "What…?" she began, but was silenced as he shushed her and she narrowed her eyes, watching him warily as he looked around them suspiciously.
"Show yourself," the General suddenly commanded to the darkness around them. Releasing her wrist, he drew his sword and passed it from one hand to the other as though it weighed no more than a feather, readying himself for battle with some unseen enemy.
Dasmine saw a flicker of movement to her right, but remained silent, knowing instinctively that it was Zolm.
He had come for her.
She began to inch away from the General cautiously, slowly, trying not to make him aware of what she was doing as he concentrated on spotting the unknown enemy.
When Dasmine had put a suitable distance between herself and Azzam's man, Zolm leapt from the shadows placing himself between the two, his scimitar slashing out, catching the General in the back and the man cried out, turning, the clash of his weapon against Zolm's making Dasmine cringe and she moved further back, taking refuge behind a stone pillar and peeking out to watch as, without even breaking a sweat, Zolm finished the General with a vicious slash to the throat.
Before the other man even hit the ground, Zolm was turning away, his eyes assessing Dasmine as she stepped out from behind the pillar. He enfolded her in his arms as she moved against him, burying her face against his chest.
"Did he touch you?" he demanded, relief flitting through him as she shook her head, but knowing that they could not afford to linger, he moved her gently but firmly away from him, his eyes narrowing at the clothing she wore, which it had to be said, left little to the imagination. Removing his cloak, he all but threw it around her shoulders.
"You will remove that garment as soon as it is appropriate and cover yourself…" he told her and Dasmine looked up at him, unable to stop the small smile that came to her lips, until he glowered at her that was and then she bit her bottom lip.
"No-one sees you, but I…" he said and she nodded, her heart beating faster at this almost admission of jealousy from him.
"I wish only for you to see me…" she told him and she saw something flicker in his eyes before he moved the General's body into a dark alcove and then caught her hand to lead her away.
OoOoOoOo
Setam and the other Hassansins had followed Azzam in the cover of the shadows as he had assembled his men, smiling amongst themselves as he had called over and over for his precious General only to be told that the man could not be found and they knew that their leader would have disposed of the man by now.
With Zarina safely secreted away in her bedchamber, Setam was confident that they could deal with the would-be-king and his men in a relatively short space of time, taking the palace under their control in the process. He glanced toward Ghazab whose fingers were grasped tightly around the staff that was his weapon of choice and he knew that the men would not wait much longer; eager as they were for battle and so he gave the nod and he, Ghazab and the others broke free from the dark recesses where they had been hiding like demons from some ghoulish nightmare, catching Azzam's men off guard.
OoOoOoOo
Zarina looked up from her pacing as the double doors to her bedchamber were opened and she frowned as Zolm entered, Dasmine by his side. His piercing blue eyes met hers briefly before he turned to look at the servant girl.
"Remain here until I return for you," he said and Dasmine nodded, refusing to let go of his hand for a moment and Zarina looked away as the other woman went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to the Hassansins'. When she looked back, Zolm had gone and they were alone.
"I see he found you safe and well…" Zarina said, running her eyes over Dasmine's curvaceous form in the harem attire that she had on beneath Zolm's cloak.
"You sound so disappointed…" Dasmine couldn't help but comment with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Zarina smiled though it didn't reach her eyes and she turned to face the other woman more fully, folding her arms as she regarded her.
"I hear you are going to become his wife," she said and Dasmine nodded, a frisson of uneasiness dancing along her spine.
"That's right," she said, "…in two days' time…"
Zarina nodded and stepped closer.
"Tell me…you really think that you are the correct…woman…for a man like him?" she asked and Dasmine felt her back stiffen.
"It's not what I think that matters," she replied. "It is Zolm's decision whom he takes to wife and he has made his choice."
"For now…" Zarina replied and Dasmine frowned.
"What do you mean?" she asked, knowing that she had been right all along to have her suspicions about the devious woman before her.
"I mean, you stupid girl, that you should enjoy what time you have with him for he will not be yours forever…"
Dasmine shook her head, "You're wrong…he…we…" she trailed off as Zarina laughed and strode past her, heading for the doors.
"I cannot wait in here any longer…I am going to see what is taking so long…" and she put her hand on the door knob, beginning to pull it open as Dasmine said,
"Zolm said to stay here and wait…"
"Well, you can do that if you so wish, but I am going to see what I can do to…help…" Zarina replied, pulling the door open and disappearing out into the hallway beyond.
Dasmine clenched her fists at her sides, staring at the space where Zarina had stood, warring with herself for a few moments before finally taking off at a run to catch the other woman up.
OoOoOoOoO
Zolm joined the battle not long after it had begun, nodding to Setam to show he approved of his Seconds' decision to start the proceedings and he soon found himself face to face with the coward that was Azzam.
Zolm sniggered as the man made arcs with his scimitar as if he was some kind of match for him and he angled his head to one side as he regarded the man with barely concealed pity in his eyes.
"Come…meet your death…" Zolm said, watching with satisfaction as Azzam paled and without further ado he thrust forward, forcing Azzam to attempt to block his attack.
OoOoOoOoO
"Zarina wait!" Dasmine called out as she jogged to keep up with the other woman, "This really isn't a good idea…"
"As I said, you could have stayed behind…" Zarina replied, pausing to listen to the sounds of battle to establish just where they were coming from, "Hmmm, this way I believe…" she said, knowing the palace layout well.
Dasmine growled in frustration as Zarina began to stride away again and she glanced around warily before moving to follow again.
Eventually they reached the place where the Hassansins were clearly winning the battle with Azzam's soldiers, their numbers dwindling to almost the same and Dasmine hid behind an ornate statue, her eyes finding Zolm as he fought with Azzam himself.
Zarina on the other hand, instead of hiding, strode straight out into the middle of the fray, holding one arm out toward where Zolm and Azzam were battling.
"Zarina!" Dasmine hissed urgently, "What are you doing?"
"Helping…" Zarina hissed back as a viper slid from the sleeve of her dress and down onto the stone floor and Dasmine's eyes widened as Zarina began to attempt to control the reptile.
Suddenly though, the snake turned its attention back upon Zarina and she gasped and tried to back away, starting as it jutted its head forward.
She cried out and both Zolm and Azzam turned at the sound.
Dasmine looked around for something to attack the snake with, but Zolm swung around and deftly cut the reptile in two. Unfortunately, the untimely distraction gave Azzam all the opportunity he needed and with a quick thrust forward he slid the blade of his scimitar into Zolm's side.
As Zolm staggered backwards, his eyes wide with disbelief, Dasmine scrambled out from her hiding place, screaming his name and she dropped to her knees at his side as he fell backwards onto the cold stone floor.
At the sound of Dasmine's scream, Setam turned, horror and rage filling him at the scene before him and holding out his right arm he fired off three successive arrows which caught Azzam in the chest and he cried out, stumbling backwards as blood began to seep from the wounds, staining his tunic.
As the rest of the Hassansins made light work of the remaining soldiers, Setam moved to crouch by Zolm's other side, grimacing when he saw how Dasmine's hands were soaked in their leader's blood as she pressed them to the wound in his side.
Observing from behind one of the stone pillars where she had fled to, Zarina gave a small smile…happy now that her plan was in motion.
End of Chapter 13