"Have you seen Tamina?" I asked breathlessly.

"Ha! It seems as if Dastan has lost his bride," Garsiv guffawed to Tus.

I took his answer as a no and continued running.

"Tamina," I yelled when I spotted her cloaked head. She turned and I smiled with relief. Suddenly a soft, nimble hand covered my mouth and another pulled me into a secluded three wall hole behind a stall. Only a little light streamed through the dark, gauzy curtains. My back was against a smooth wall covered in something wet. Tamina, I think, had a hand against my mouth and the other pressing my sword to my throat.

"Princess," I whispered in a muffled voice slightly alarmed, "are you aiming to kill me with my own sword in a cold, dark corner?"

"You should not have yelled my name, Persian."

"Where have you been all day? I thought I told you to wait for me at the Palace garden?"

"You did," Tamina smirked, "but I had more important things to do."

Tamina withdrew the sword from my neck, removed her hand from my mouth, and wiped her hand on my face. Then she turned to go.

"So you don't care what I have to say?" I asked crestfallen.

Tamina sighed before replying, "If it's so important, hurry up and tell me."

"I can't tell you here. It's not the right… atmosphere," I mumbled thinking of the wet walls and various animal noises around us.

Tamina rolled her eyes before donning her hood and fixing her cloak.

"Tamina," I croaked hoarsely.

"Yes?"

"Be careful," I admonished before kissing her forehead and leaving.

PoP_PoP

One…two…three…sink.

I looked for another flat stone to skip. Before I could take aim, a jagged rock hit my right shoulder. I could feel blood trickling down my arm and a cut forming. I turned to fight my attacker, but only Tamina stood laughing giddily.

"Oops."

I calmed down before declaring, "You threw a rock at me. Hard."

"Well you destroyed my city. Senselessly."

Anger flashed across my face, but I quickly regained my composure. I sat by the lake and stuck my feet in. The cool water calmed my temper. After awhile, Tamina sat by me and began to finger-comb her long brown hair. I stared at her from the corner of my right eye. She was humming, and I had an urge to tell her that she was forgiven.

"You know, it's no fun teasing you if you don't poke fun back."

I remained quiet as Tamina moved closer.

"It's nice just sitting here with you," Tamina crooned.

"Why did you throw the rock at me?" I demanded grumpily.

"I was hoping that you'd get angry so that we could argue. We have really interesting arguments."

"It still hurts," I replied moodily.

Tamina's cool fingers felt like an oasis to my dry, hot skin as she removed the part of my shirt covering the cut. She lightly wiped away the blood with a wet piece of cloth.

"Much better, but not perfect," she grinned.

I closed my eyes against the sun as her lips made contact with my skin. She gave kiss after glorious kiss as I slipped into dream world.

"Dastan…"

"Hm."

"Tell me what you were going to tell me earlier."

Hurt and anger welled up inside me as I remembered Tamina's earlier diss. I opened my eyes and watched her kiss various parts of my arm, back, and neck.

"Please tell me," she whispered," I really want to know. It's really important that I know."

"Your trip to the marketplace seemed more important," I said bitterly unwilling to let it go.

Tamina ceased kissing my back and pushed me back with one hadn, sandwiched my legs between hers, and put both hands on my chest.

Slowly she leaned down and pressed her mouth to my ear and said, "Tell me… please."

My heartbeat became irregular as I struggled to maintain control. Tamina's soft hair framed my face and tickled my nose. I wanted to tell her, but it wouldn't mean the same if she seduced it out of me.

"I wanted to tell you – that you're beautiful."

"You tell me that everyday."

"So?"

"Persians," Tamina pronounced as she got off of me and walked back towards the palace.

I watched her go before I myself got up and left.

PoP_PoP

"Dastan, my son, how are things with Tamina?"

"Fine."

Father raised his eyes at me as Garsiv laughed.

"She was the one who bruised Dastan's leg and probably the same one who cut his arm," Garsiv chuckled.

"Dastan, you must make your first wife submit to you if you wish to marry another."

I turned away from my father before mumbling, "I don't wish to take another wife."

"She is a princess, so you won't have to entertain her often. You responsibilities will be few."

"That's not the reason," I mumbled again.

After awhile, father declared, "Ah, I see. You're in love with her."

I couldn't look anyone in the eye. I wanted to deny it, but that would be so opposite from the truth that I couldn't.

"I'm not hungry. May I go?"

"Of course."

I rushed to my room as quickly as possible. My father's words rang over and over in my head as I unbuttoned my shirt. You're in love with her. Unbutton. You're in love with her. Unbutton. You're in love with her. Unbutton. You're in love with her. Unbutton. She doesn't love you back. Unbutton. Unbutton. Unbutton.

"Who is the she who doesn't love you back?" Tamina asked furiously as she stepped from out of the shadows.

"Nobody. Were you standing there the whole time?"

"Yes, only because I needed to talk to you. You seemed angry, so I was going to wait until you calmed down but then you started talking about another woman."

I unbuttoned the last button and looked for my nightshirt to stall for time. Tamina walked uyp to me and poked me in the stomach and then knocked on my abs.

"Your stomach feels like rock."

I turned from her without a word and pulled on a blue shirt. With trembling fingers, I tried to button my shirt.

"Here," Tamina whispered turning me around to face her, "I'll do it."

"I didn't want your help."

"Well, you needed it," she muttered as she finished off the last button.

I twirled my finger in a circular motion.

"What?" Tamina asked.

"I need to put on my pants."

Tamina huffed as she made a full 180° turn. After a minute I told her that she could turn back around.

"What did you want anyway?"

Suddenly Tamina looked nervous. "You know how I'm not seen after nine here. Well, that's because I sneak out the window and go back to my palace room filled with comforting smells and the sounds of water, but it's too late to go now."

"So? Your room here is perfectly adequate," I replied slightly infuriated by her ingratitude.

Tamina began to fidget nervously when she looked down at the floor and said, "I don't like that room. My palace room is filled with familiar sounds and smells. That room smells Persian. Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"I'm Persian," I chuckled after a slight pause.

"I find you comforting."

"Oh."

I thought before replying, "Fine, but only for this night."

Tamina smiled with relief and said, "Can you bring me some food. Preferably chicken and bread. Hot, freshly baked bread with butter, and hurry; I'm starving."

I trudged down the stairs reluctantly and baked a loaf of bread myself. I grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine as I waited for the bread to finish.

PoP_PoP

"You took forever. I told you that I was starving."

"Just shut-up and eat," I replied tiredly.

She would have replied if she wasn't stuffing her face. I began moving pillows and sheets to the floor. Tamina slapped my hand from the pillow.

"You can't comfort me if you're on the floor."

"I don't think it's proper for you – "

"Oh please," Tamina said rolling her eyes, "We'll be married in less than two weeks. You should get used to sharing a bed."

Tamina placed the plate on the table and went in to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Already having brushed mine, I tuned over on the bed to sleep. I wasn't sure how much I liked the idea of sharing my bed with Tamina.

As I drifted into sleep, a cool hand enclosed me, and a soft body was pressed against me.

"Could you hold me? This is uncomfortable."

"That wasn't part of the deal," I said indignantly.

"If you don't, I'll tell everyone that yesterday you left the city to go after that man that your father wanted you to stay away from."

"You wouldn't," I said in outrage.

"You wanna bet," she hissed.

Carefully I turned and pulled Tamina towards me and enveloped her in my arms. She cuddled into me and I felt like throwing up. I hated how easily I gave into her every desire and demand. She's the reason my brain was fuzzy and family dinners uncomfortable.

"Tamina, you don't have to marry me. If you marry Tus, you'd be free to do what you please with no interference from him."

"Why can't it be the same with you?"

"I only plan to marry once, and I want my wife's face to be the first and last thing I see each day. I would love her too much to let her roam anywhere she pleases without my consent, and she would care too much to leave without telling me. I want a wife who I can love feely."

"So, are you saying you don't love me?"

"No, not at all."

"So you're saying you do love me?"

"I didn't say that either."

"Do you love me?"

"Go to bed, my princess."

Tamina turned to face me before placing one of her hands on either side of my face. She leaned down until our mouths were a mere inch apart.

"What are you – "

"Shhh, my prince. Tell me you love me."

"I love you," I said frustrated.

Deathly silence ensued.

"Dastan, are you still awake?" Tamina asked.

"Yeah."

"I have to tell you something important."

"What?"

"I sleep in my room in this palace every night."

"Why did you lie?"

"Because I wanted to… be near you. You make me feel – safe."

I hugged her closer to me and listened to the rhythmic beating of her heart.

"The dagger is empty."

"Yeah, about that, I – "

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I already know.

"How?"

"The dagger – showed me that we traveled together."

"Oh," I replied slowly, "What else did it show you?"

"This…" Tamina said turning to face me. She put both of her hands on either side of my face, and pressed her lips softly onto mine. She began to pull away before my mouth was satisfied. When she opened her mouth to protest, my tongue slid into her mouth. I expected her to push me away or become unresponsive, but she responded to my force equally. She let me control the kiss, and I was grateful that she did.

"Dastan, I love you."

This is what I've been waiting to hear forever.

"I love you too, Tamina," I said kissing her nose.

"I love you more," she said kissing my chin.

"No, I love you more," I said kissing her ear.

"No, I love you more," she said kissing my cheek.

"I love you more than that," I said kissing the corner of her mouth.

A/N: Hey people, this story is for all those people like me who fell in love with the Prince of Persia movie. This took two days to write but forever for me to post so Review please. I proudly accept flames. I also wanna say thanks for either skipping to the end or reading to the end.

Peace and Blessings,

BlackLove