Chapter 4

Of all the ridiculous things Dastan has ever seen in his life, he has never seen anything as absurd as the attention Lord Bahadur has been showered with. Crowds of women followed him to tend to his every need. Every single skill was incredible, every single joke said to him was hilarious and when they rode in the hunting party, Dastan noted that Lord Bahadur seems to hate wearing tunics!

He sat at lunch as Nadia, Nadia, his sweet kind quiet sister-in-law gently laughed at a jest he was subjecting Tamina to. She looked more than willing to be that subject. He casually strode to them and overheard Tamina inviting him to a private audience at her parlor that evening.

"And what is sending my dear Sister to a laughing fit?" he looked at Nadia. However, the joyful reception he expected was replaced by quiet nods and a change in topic. After a few polite exchanges, Dastan turned to Tamina to remind her of the sword dancing lessons which is to start tomorrow.

Tamina was eager to receive Lord Bahadur at the privacy of her parlor. He was complimentary to her, and she had enjoyed the past few days of his company. He was narrating his childhood accident which earned him a scar when Tamina saw a shadow move on her balcony. Bahadur had his back to the balcony, and as she peered around him, the sight made her tea splutter, and an involuntary cry escaped her lips. There he was, Dastan, dangling upside down from the roof.

"What is wrong Your Highness?" he asked concerned and almost turned towards the balcony.

"No," Tamina screamed and held Lord Bahadur's hands drawing his attention back to her. "I mean nothing… er… nothing is wrong … I…em… my heart cannot take to listen to you attaining harm," she made up as she said each word.

He held her hands in his, "it was not my intention…"

"You must leave," she said suddenly, "as I cannot control myself?"

The sentence against her will turned out to be a question. However, before he could offer any feedback or ask for any clarifications, Tamina bid him a pleasant night and all but pushed him outside her apartments and closed the door. She leaned against her door to catch her breath and then hurried to her balcony. Dastan had finally managed to lower himself to the safety of the balcony and was untying the rope which caused the accident in the first place, from his ankle.

"Heaven's sake Dastan, what is the matter with you?" she screamed at him.

He looked her with disbelief as he stood up. "Me? What is wrong with you? You are entertaining a man in your chamber!"

"In my parlor," she corrected and walked inside.

"Fine," he too joined in her anger, "but still alone Tamina, think of your reputation."

"My reputation," she mocked, "do I have one after Nasaf?"

Suddenly both of them started to shout at each other, neither listening, about why he was hanging outside the balcony, the past, proposals, duty, and Dastan listed all his grievances on the potential spouses.

"I had a chance to find someone this week. But you have mocked them, insulted them, ridiculed them, and you set Ebrahim's court on fire!"

"I am sure he has plenty of coats," Dastan offered as an excuse.

Tamina turned to him in rage and spat out with clenched teeth, "yes, but he was wearing this one!"

They both stopped and stood quietly

"This has to stop Dastan… we are not children… this is not a game for me, this is my life," she almost pleaded. "For a week you have made it all so difficult for me to… just leave," she finally said.

He reached the door and with his back to her, he commented on how if she could not find anything wrong with them, why she had not chosen anyone. As he closed the door, Tamina whispered to herself, "because they are not you."

The week of festivities ended days ago and, to Tamina's relief, peaceful quiet fell over the palace. She did not miss entertaining men who looked at her as a very rich dowry and broodmare rather than an actual human being. To be fair, they were also someone she sought to play the part of her husband, a means to an end. More disappointment was brought in when the Council found out that Lord Bahadur is in fact engaged and unknown to his intended, decided to aim at a better marriage. She had pleaded with Garsiv not to mention the incident to Dastan. Speaking of him, the anger and frustration with Dastan had also mellowed down as time blamed the anger she held within. She knew she was never angry at him; she could never be mad at that man. Neither could she have him in her life.

They were into the fourth lesson now in sword dancing, and Tamina was barely concentrating on the actions. It was that painful realisation that her life had ended as it had barely begun. Her sword hit the marble floor of the palace weapons room for the fifth time, and Dastan sighed in frustration. "Tamina, concentrate before you seriously hurt yourself and look, it is simple."

He showed the steps again as she watched but did not make any move to pick up the sword. Dastan seized her shoulders and backed her into the corner. Tamina leaned against the cool marble, her eyes closed, and the prescribed of her life manifesting as the frustration in her inability to understand his instructions. She could hear him lecturing on why she was occupied. "Stop thinking so much, that is all you do," she heard him say.

When she did open her eyes, she found him looking at her intensely, his eyes burning into her. She shifted uncomfortably in their proximity not out of repulse but out of the fear of her urge to be close to him. It was not a possibility. She shook her head and looked at him with annoyance.

"Teach me, like you would teach anyone else," Tamina demanded.

Suddenly, she felt him move towards her. Dastan placed his hands on her jaw gently, the first time he touched her soft face in his hands, and his lips lowered to hers.

"Dastan," she gasped and lowered her head as her body tried to burrow into the corner, her hands pressed against the marble. Her heart raced and her disbelief barely a whisper. This cannot be happening to her, not now

"Shhh, just relax," he crooned.

He slowly angled her lips to his and lowered his own. Tamina felt her eyes close, her heart racing at the thought that Dastan would kiss her. Dastan, the man she could never have in her life, would kiss her.

And then his lips touched hers.

Her mind raced with all the reasons why this was wrong, but as his lips teased and caressed hers, there was only utter peace. She grappled with the thought that this may just be a farce, a cruel play by the gods. She hesitated. As much as she leaned into him, she retreated, her mind in a grapple looking for the right way to react. After a lifetime of knowing that this could never be in her life, she was here, kissing him.

Dastan sensed her mind turning, and smiling against her lips; he whispered, "do not think… just relax."

He repeated those words as a chant dragging her into the cocoon of his arms as he continued to kiss her. At that moment, she let go, wanting to experience what she could never have. Her hands finally left the wall to rest on his forearms. It was a quiet night and the barbat music from the palace flooded into the courtyard. The wind teased her skirts with the torches lighting the surrounding amber. All as Tamina gave into the trace of her prince.

She whimpered as he broke their kiss. "Shhh," he comforted her and lingered close to her lips. His thumb brushed over her lower lip, plump after his ministrations.

She held his forearm, and a sob escaped her. Dastan tilted his head to see her better, worry written on his face, "what is wrong? I am sorry…"

"No," she shook her head, her eyes still closed, "no… it is just never happened to me before."

Her confession made him smile, and he whispered at her lips, "tell me to stop," and once again kissed her, coaxing her to open to him.

He took her arms and held them above her with his left hand as his right curved around her waist to pull closer to him.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered in between kisses. However, no protest was made by Tamina.

As the kiss ended, she looked into his blue eyes, her heart enflamed. "I am betrothed," she professed.