A/N: Well, here it is! Your chapter! :-) I have placed in some good stuff you may like, hopefully love! Please do keep on with the reviews, they encourage me to go on with writing! I love you guys for your opinions!
"You do realize there shall be nothing between us once we are wedded? No feelings whatsoever will be felt."
They had been walking around the Palace for several minutes as Dastan showed her around the area. The young man kept his gaze straight forward, not daring to look at her. "If I may be bold to say but you cannot exactly control my feelings. Only yours. Take pity on me as you wish, but I think I have found his somewhat as friends."
"Pity indeed," she murmured. "because I don't exactly feel that way."
Dastan paused them from their walking, hand on her shoulder. When feeling the burning gaze of hers boring into his, he instantly pulled his hand away. "I know how you feel about this forced wedding," he said softly. "and personally, I'd rather propose to you - anyone - under my own will and decision rather than forced to step up by my brother. But bickering about this will not solve anything."
"It surely distracts you, I can say,"
Dastan looked at her, feeling his heart clenching. So she noticed. Yes, it distracted him. Yes, it made him think of the other times when they were bickering. Yes, he had often smile in front of her leaving the Princess herself confounded, but Dastan never said a word. He knew in his heart that he couldn't let this linger too long, or it would just become harder to tell her as it is now.
"It does," he admitted, softly. "but I find our bickering a bit amusing, if you ask me."
"And why is it so amusing, Prince?"
There it was. The smirk. It was odd, but for some particular reason it made her heart beat faster. The smirk in his eyes always made her heart beat faster, and she knew an witty remark was coming. Why did she felt this way? She hated him…right?
"We are adults," Dastan began, leaning himself against the wall of the corridor. "A Prince and Princess bickering, is just so very amusing to me. I can tell you that we are very different people, and I can agree to that from my own words. Do you not think we should act like adults?"
"What you seek you do not contain. How could you possibly contain maturity, for a man such yourself who behaves on actions before words? A prince that does not even know control and to step back on certain occasions. I cannot admire a man that is to be my husband that is too carefree to deem."
Perhaps how her tone was filled with such bitterness that threw him off. Perhaps it was her words that stung his heart. "I am a changed man, Princess."
"I do not see it. I see a child."
For the slightest moment, fierce entered the young man's eyes. "What you see," he said firmly. "is a man who was not born blooded into a royal family, but adopted into a royal family. Who you stand before, is a man who does and will enjoy every minute he spends with his family. The eyes you are looking to, Princess," Dastan closed his eyes with a deep sigh, not seeing the stunned expression on Tamina's face. "you are looking at a man who lost everything once before and is not willing to lose it again. I shall not take my father and brothers for granted, nor shall I take Bis for granted." Dastan reopened his eyes and stared at her, slowly raising his hand to her cheek. "and nor, shall I lose you again, Princess Tamina."
It was silent for a while. Not only did Dastan realized what he said by "again", but the Princess looked to be touched, but so lost and confused by his last sentence. It was not precisely how he wished to tell her, but he suppose now was a good time than any other time. After all, if he waited any longer it would be more difficult to tell her. Too difficult for his hear to renew the story…every single part as he looked into those eyes that remembered nothing. It was tragic in his heart, and he wanted nothing more for her to remember.
But she couldn't.
"I…" Tamina paused, eyes lowered with a frown formed her lips and eyebrows furrowed together. She raised her eyes to his. "I do not understand."
Dastan took in a breath, and let it out as a sigh. "There is much you do not know of. And you may find me as an insane man. No one knows of this."
"Dastan, you are not making sense."
"Walk with me, Princess, and forgive me if I become too bold with words. But you need to know. It, after all, concerns you."
Tamina was hesitant but slowly, her footsteps followed his own as they made their way along the corridor. Dastan offered his arm politely to her, and she slowly took it, allowing the young prince to lead her outside of the Palace, and past the city and out of the walls where the open field was available to them. She was confounded to where they were headed for, but soon found a rather large perch of rocks mixed with a hill. At the very top was a semi-long tower. It was not tall, but it looked to have some sort of space. But she soon found out as they slipped inside and took the rather long stoned stairs, that it lead to a roofing. A flat roofing, to be correct, and it gave a wonderful view of the fields and the river just mere several feet away from them.
Unlike towers, they had dark rooms. But this tower did not have a room, but just an upper area of a view. It was wide enough to sleep on like a chambers. Tamina glanced around as Dastan went off to the side, and leaned against the stoning of the tower edges, and gazed over the fields, Tamina joining him seconds later.
"This is the sacred tower of Darian," Dastan began, sounding calm. "believe it or not, this was her home after she was banished by the King of Nasaf years and years ago. No one knows much of her, but she kept herself in this tower, watching the lands of Persia."
"May I inquire why you brought me here?"
Dastan tilted his head to the side to look at her. "I have a story to tell. A rather long story. You need to know this."
"I believe I have time," she truly smiled.
"Before I came to you in an apology for attacking your city…" Dastan paused. "It was my brother's idea. Tus. Our father, as you might as well know, had been departed from our city. I was suppose to ride with him to Alamut to view your great city, but I had stayed behind in..certain things to clear with a few gentlemen. Tus made the decision to attack Alamut for a belief of you containing powerful weapons and selling them off to our enemies." Tamina seemed a bit taken off, and Dastan offered her a smile. "I went before him with my own plan with the best fighters in Nasaf, and my friend, Bis."
"I see," she murmured, eyes narrowed. "do go on."
"Well…"
"I told my brother that I would kill you if he couldn't have you," Dastan's voice was soft, a murmur as they stood close, nearly chest to chest contact. Their lips were very close.
"Well, the solution would be to kiss me," she turned them, pressing Dastan's back into the saddle of his steed. Her voice was seductive, and it brought shivers to Dastan's spine. Who could say that she had no beauty? "then to kill me. But I have a better solution." Her hand grasped the handle of the crystal dagger that was tugged in his breeches. He glanced down, his face knotted up in confusion and partly taken alarm. Dastan looked at her and turned her, shoving her against the horse.
"I kill you!" she then said, her voice fierce as she swiftly pulled out a sword from it's scabbard that was packed onto the back of the saddle. She swiped at his head, but the young man skillfully ducked and backed a few steps. Tamina jumped over the small fire that they had set, and swiped +at him once more, aiming at his chest this time. Dastan leaned his body backward, only to have his necklace become cut off. He looked up, surprised, and whistled for his horse with his fingers.
The horse came trotting over and "kludged" Tamina in the shoulder and she fell against his chest. Dastan grabbed her arm and hit on the hilt of her sword, it knocking to the ground. She then grabbed the dagger right out and raised it up in the air to strike, but he knocked it out of her hands, the blade flying and digging into the sand. Dastan ran over and slid onto the ground over to it, his thumb pressing the tiny button on it, and then swiftly as the young Princess gave a yell, sword raised above her head, running over to him, Dastan got up and ran to her to use the dagger to halt her…
His arm became stoned. Dust flew around, as his whole arm became stoned with orange streaks. And then…time transferred back to before she grabbed the sword.
"The solution would be to kiss me, then to kill me." The same thing happened, but this time Dastan was not so alert. His attention was to his hand that was once stoned and this time, the Princess was sharp and sliced the tip of the sword across his chest.
"…Give back what you stole, Persian!"
Dastan looked up and pulled out the dagger, eying the same tiny button. His moved his finger forward, faintly hearing the Princess' yell of protest and once more, time went back to where they were nearly chest to chest.
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Those luxurious eyes of hers caught him for a moment but broke out of his the thoughts when she whirled over to grab that same sword, but this time Dastan grabbed her wrist.
"Go for that sword again and I swear I'll break your arm."
"Tamina!"
"I wish we could have been together, Dastan."
"No!"
"Dastan!"
By the time that Dastan had finished the story, the young man was knelling on the floor of the tower roof, his face buried in his hands as the silent tears escaped. For so long he has had the tears kept at bay, for so long he has pushed away his emotions of the weary battles and the journey. The images of losing everyone he has loved. But worst of all…remembering when he had lost Tamina. Why did he have these emotions…these feelings for her? Why was he so distressed, so pained to even look at her. The even slightest thought of her not remembering broke his heart. Why did he felt like this, towards her?
It was simple. He was in love with her.
Dastan felt soft hands pulling his own from his face, and his eyes lifted. Tamina knelled with an expression that clearly said she was stunned and moved. Her eyes were soft and yet, there was question in her eyes. "You are a brave man, Prince Dastan," she said. "I wish I could remember, but only the wielder of the dagger knows of the traced time."
"It has been a heavy burden on my heart," Dastan replied, almost a whisper. "but even now…I know you still do not truly know me."
"Perhaps that can be fixed," she offered him a smile, slowly standing; Dastan following the suite. "It is getting late. Why don't we head back to the city?"
"As you wish, my Princess."
A/N: What do you think? Please review! I like to hear your opinion and suggestions about the story and chapter!
Your humble Authoress,
Avaraian McLee