XxX

"Would you like to know how I was convinced you hide no secret forges?"

Tamina turned around startled to see the smiling cheekily face of the youngest Prince who was supporting himself on the window's pillar of her chambers with pride and glory. She heaved a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes. She was used to seeing him so frequently invading her chambers, even at such an early hour in the morning.

Sometimes she kept on wondering how he remembered to answer questions she had never even asked at such impossible times and she laughed at the thought. But that's how her future husband was and that's the reason she loved him, even though she hadn't admitted it to him…yet. "As you wish to tell me, I doubt I have any choice in the matter, Prince."

"When I was fighting in the corridor with Nizam and he managed to break my spear –which I had removed from the corridor's wall- with just one strike!"

"But, Prince, didn't you expect it would break? These weapons have only ornamental purposes. Any man to his senses would have suspected that!"

At her words, he jumped into her room and approached her cheekily before throwing himself in a chair and taking a bite from the apple he stole of the Princess's breakfast tray. "Are you telling me I am insane, Princess?"

"It would not be the first time!" she laughed remembering moments with Dastan from the alternate time and he seemed to realize when he stared intently at her, both amused and intrigued.

"You know, Princess, you have told me everything but one thing."

"And what might that be?"

"What kind of relationship did we have at that time?"

It was the question she least expected and had always hoped not to hear. She had been searching her head for the last week since the moment they got rid of Nizam for an answer to that question but always found herself speechless in front of her mirror. She did not want him to know that they had fallen for each other but she did not know the reason. Perhaps she should just tell him. She would soon become his wife anyway. "You really want to know?"

"I do, Princess. So if you be so kind…" he said with his mouthful making her snort to suppress her chuckle.

"Very well. At first, I hated you, you hated me. Things were quite clear."

"Ah, 'at first' so there's a scale. Begun with hatred and let me guess! Ended with…love?" he made sure he had taken a fake lovesick smile and was blinking idiotically his lashes. Seeing his face, the Princess threw a silken pillow of the sofa fiercely at his face, surprising him but also making him laugh amused but not in irony or mockery and she was surprised but glad for that. She already felt
uncomfortable and uneasy.

"If you don't want me to tell you then fine. I don't really care!"

"All right, all right. Please, do tell!" he pressed biting soundly his apple once more, earning a glare from the Princess. But he only put on an angelic face, smiling innocently and gestured her to continue.

"Why do you care, anyway?" but he only shrugged smiling making her groan in nuisance but she continued.

"In time, we both learned to at least like each other, even a little."

And as she spoke, he stood up, still with the apple in his hand and slowly closing the distance between them, making her eye him in question.

"The day I told you all about the Dagger and the Sand Glass you fully trusted me."

"But you didn't trust me?" he asked and sat himself right before her on the window's ledge.

She eyed him curiously and somewhat suspiciously before answering. "I had learned in time to trust you."

Dastan could see she was wondering why he was asking her. She seemed most puzzled and confused. But she had never told him about their relationship and he was really curious in finding out. Even though he had made suppositions himself and it looked like they were all correct. After all, he would marry her, he had the right to know. Not to mention the he enjoyed seeing her struggle to find the proper words and blush. He figured she had not realized she was blushing since she tried to look relaxed. And he had to admit that the pink colour on her cheeks only made her more beautiful.

"Anyway, as the days passed, we… grew closer." She continued saying reluctantly and by now she felt the heat on her cheeks raising as every word left her lips.

"Closer? Like this?" he stood up and placed himself only inches away from her, making her heart beat like a tambourine and her palms sweat. What is he trying to succeed? she wondered and she knew that as hard as she tried she couldn't hide the embarrassment she felt.

"Please don't mock me, Prince. You know what I mean." But she kept to herself that there were moments when they had actually been that close.

"All right. Carry on." He pressed once more but remained that close to her.

"Anyway! We grew closer, as I said, and… fine you were right! We… well, we…" she was stammering and stuttering like a lovesick puppy, why was she? She hated she was but she couldn't help it. At that moment, all she could think of was the proximity between them and how his scent was filling her head, intoxicating her.

"Fell in love?" he completed the phrase for her and she felt as if he was even closer, or at least his face. She heard herself mumbling a 'yes' but she felt as if she had not spoken at all as he gazed intently in her chocolate eyes, and she was unable to read his blue ones. She did not realize him letting go of the apple, before he placed a hand on her cheek. "Like this?"

Before she even had time to react he pressed his mouth against hers and was kissing her gently. She instantly gave into the kiss and placed her hands on his exposed by the half-open shirt chest and felt his hand pulling her closer, hugging her waist. And as the kiss deepened and became more passionate and demanding, she felt for the first time completely relaxed and free, free to do whatever she wanted to, free of worries, free of duties, free to finally express her feelings and live a happy life.

Dastan smiled faintly into the kiss when she pressed herself against him. It looked like he was right after all about their previous relationship. And he truly loved that relationship. But as their lips danced together and their bodies collided against one another, he felt complete, as if he had found something he had never even realized he was looking for.

He was sure, the Princess of Alamut could drive him crazy and in the last two weeks they had spent time together, he had been embarrassed by her a couple of times when they exchanged witty retorts or playful insults. But those two weeks made him confident that she was his match and that no other woman could ever suit him the way she did. Maybe he was beginning to fall for her again, if he hadn't already, and he liked the feeling. It was new, it was strange, it was beautiful.

And maybe he was wrong about one thing. Maybe he should believe more strongly in the matter of destiny. Because to him it seemed like it was his destiny to be with her. They had already lived a time together and fell in love and it was happening all over again and that was enough proof for him. But he would still insist that man makes his own destiny and that's what he would do. Only from that point on he would have his Princess by his side and together they would build their destiny together.