Love, War, Time

[wakanda-8.livejournal.com]

Love, War, and Time
Title: Love, War,and Time
Prompt: None
Summary: The Prince's luck is short lived after hearing of a devious plot concerning the fabled Dagger Of Time whilst passing though India. The Prince must battle the evil Zurvan, The Sands of time, The Dark Mysterious Prince within him, and his passion for the princess of India. This is a combination of SOT/WW/TT.
Author: Wakanda_ 8
Rating: T
Chapters:3/18
Character(s):The Prince, The Dark Prince, Princess Farah, Zurvan/Vizier
Pairing(s):Prince/Farah

Chapter 3: Stranger in the dark

Farah finally retired to her bedroom immediately taking a seat on her bed completely drained. She was almost afraid to close her eyes because of the Vizier. With a gentle hand, she reached to her medallion and with a frown stood and began pacing the room, hoping that her pacing would help her thoughts flow freely. It had to be something important, something he could use. She sighed sitting back down now seeing no use in thinking about it whilst fatigued. She stood again, restlessly, and walked to her dresser to change into her nightwear.

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The Prince rose from his bed and immediately headed from the balcony window. He spied the Princess on the balcony . He bravely took this chance and grabbed hold of the tree outside beside his small balcony and jumped to another high up. He ran and jumped to a pole, expertly swing off and onto a small balcony ledge lightly stepping. He ran than quickly across the wall rebounding off the wall and grabbing another pole swinging. He let go and skillfully flipped forward grabbing onto the Princess’s balcony with a light grunt. The curtains were drawn and the candles low in her room. He walked forward looking though the elegant ironwork doors.

Farah was undressing. He looked away for a moment before temptation took over as he slowly glanced back mesmerized as the princess shook out her long flowing dark hair. She then removed her dress, her back to the Prince. The Prince, this time, looked away, though not without a rapid response of his heart. He wanted to look at the beautiful form of the princess, but it would be a invasion of her privacy and a submission to lust when he was supposed to be a protecting eyes. Prince stood breathing in the night air, calming himself. He carefully unsheathed his sword and sat with it across his lap as he sat patiently waiting unknown in the dark with the now fully clothed princess.

He heard her sigh as she laid in her white bed, guarded by the transparent mesh curtain circling around her round bed, and slowly drifting off to sleep. She looked so peaceful when she slept. Non-threatening even.

Who was she really? He thought as he recalled the feeling of his arm around her. He looked to his hand and scoffed at himself:

'I am a warrior, a mighty prince of Persia, why and I acting like a child?' He forced thoughts from him mind and simply watched her the rest of the night.

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When Morning arrived, Farah was surprised, and to her relief, that the Vizier hadn't been in her room. Energetically, she readied herself for the day hurrying out her chambers wearing a full sari, covering her head. Her lips were red as the sari she wore and her eyes dark and smoky. She sat in the dining hall noticing that the Prince hadn’t yet arrived, as he was always early from the first meal of the day.

"Your son doesn't wish to join us in breaking fast?" Farah asked Sharaman. He chuckled good naturedly. "Yesterday I let him explore your kingdom; he must have been out all night exploring. He was always an adventurous boy." He smiled with pride. Farah nodded as she finished her meal before excusing herself for a walk about the palace. She walked up to the Prince's chamber and boldly opened the door just as the Prince was yawning while sheathing his sword.

"I hope you had fun exploring," She said walking up behind startling the Prince. He whipped round putting his hand to his sword, but Farah didn't move knowing he wouldn't use it on her.

She could tell he was surprised honestly by her appearance, but he quickly gathered himself and bowed. "Thank you for inquiring and yes I did," He said sighing. "I hope you don't intend on sneaking about as your Vizier does." He added with sarcasm. Farah chuckled amused before leaving the room.

The Prince followed after her. "I hope you don't find me a complete savage in not joining you in break-fast," He said walking with her, hands behind his back. Farah smirked, "No actually I don't, you may explore my kingdom and compare it to your home." She said. "Your kingdom is much smaller than my own; Babylon is a vast labyrinth of market places and homes to my people and outside of the city is the ocean and it's cool white sands and in the very middle is my real home, my palace standing with the clouds," He said using his hands as if he were crafting the visual out of thin air.

Farah was genuinely interested, but soon remembered her dislike for Persian's and said nothing as they walked down into the garden. "Well this has to be the second conversation we've had without insults," She said stopping at the entrance of the garden. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were warming up to me." He said with a smug look. Farah scoffed bitterly at the thought before walking away.

She was beginning to let her guard down, she didn't want to completely. But there was something so relaxing about being around him.


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The Prince watched the beautiful Farah walk away from him with a small endearing smile on his face. He glanced to her once more before leaving to see his father. He couldn't possible tell his Father about what the Vizier was planning, but he was too tired to. He was up all night watching Farah turn in her sleep. He couldn't help feeling that the Vizier might have known he was lying, but he ignored the feeling and continued with walking about the kingdom with his Father.

"I was beginning to think that you were up too late exploring, my Son," His Father said as they walked through the small market. "It's never too late to explore Father, but I suppose I'm still tried from the journey," He said feeling suddenly odd in lying to his Father. "Ah, don't worry we'll be leaving in a few days; soon we'll be back home with a hero's welcome," He smiled. Prince forced a convening smile but felt torn in leaving Farah. He couldn't leave just yet. He had to find a way to stop the Vizier without starting a war. But how?

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Farah headed toward her room after studying in the library and she went to the balcony. She noticed at once there was something different about it. She looked around for something, anything that might be noticeably out of place. She walked to the far side of the balcony where there was less light and looked down to small pebbles of stone picked from the base that were placed in a neat purposeful circle. She gasped looking around and over the balcony, but there was nothing. Someone was watching her last night. Could it be the Vizier? She thought feeling suddenly an uncomfortable chill.

Farah hurried out of her room to the garden retrieving her bow and arrow before heading back to her room where she concealed the weapon under her pillows. She would strike the mysterious interloper whom she hoped to be the Vizier.

Farah went back to her usual routine; accompanying her Father as he took care of the business about the kingdom. She watched the Vizier closely to see if he was taking any notice to someone or something they were tending to, but he seemed as advising and as quiet as usual.

By night fall she was getting ready to retire. The cool breeze against her bare shoulders were welcoming as she dressed for bed, but then she heard what she was waiting for; something softly grind in the distant, possible on the balcony. She walked casually over to her bed and fluffed her pillows and with a swift movement drew two arrows and her bow, positioned to attack.

"Show yourself, who ever you are!" She commanded firmly walking cautiously toward the balcony. She heard a foot step. "You needn't be alarmed." Said a strong young soft voice. She stopped turning her arrows to the direction of the voice. "Who are you?" said she, her tone dark and unforgiving as well as her grip firm and ready for a release. "A friend." It answered.

"Friends don't hide in the shadows; if you are here to kill me why haven't you done so?"

It was silent.

She released her arrows hearing a breaking of wood and a tinging sound. "You bear a weapon," She said quickly aiming another arrow.

"With good reason; if I wanted to kill you I would have just last night whilst you were sleeping,"

"Obviously you are trained, so why are you here?" She repeated still holding firm to her bow and arrow. "I am protecting you, I feel something evil a foot and you might be involved," The Voice answered sincerely. Farah slowly lowered her bow. "Are you some pervert?" She said then holding up her weapon again. "I looked away as you disrobed, believe me when I say I an a friend,"

Farah and the voice fell silent, she knew it wasn't the Vizier, this was someone else. The Voice was almost familiar but hard to recognize without a form. "What is your name stranger?" She inquired. The voice didn't answer. "Oh, you know who I am but I am not to know who you are?" She said offended. "If I were to reveal myself you wouldn't understand," It replied. Farah frowned placing her bow and arrow to the floor as she walked toward the gate closer to the voice.

"If you step closer I will have to kill you." It said the dark glimmer of a blade catching Farah’s eye in the moon light. She squinted to see the face but it was took dark, he was much tall then she, that was for sure from his shadow behind the curtain. "Fine, have it your way stranger." She said backing away hearing the sword sheathed. "How am I to rest easy with my knowing your there?" She asked. "You may speak if you like, I will listen; it is said that the Princess is a wonderful person to converse with,"

"And what else have you heard of me?" Farah asked sitting at her bed a moment before pulling back the smooth blankets and laying under it. "I heard that you were kind, brave, and. . . . beautiful."

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The Prince stood watching every movement she made. He had made a mistake by leaving behind a clue for her, but he was bored and leisurely reading a book in the dark was out of the question.

"Oh, really? It seems to me like everyone enjoys flattering me, even that bastard of a Prince staying in my palace," She sighed. The Prince frowned at her crude words. "He must be no more of a bastard than you are a bitch . . . at times." He said back sitting down. "Ha, that'll be the day. I dislike Persian's, all they do is fight; there was never a time when they didn't fight. I read it all in there history." She said. "But is that not what it is, history?" He said back softly wanting to seem a calm character. "Yes, but they seem to repeat it." She answered back pulling the blankets closer to her, it was a colder night.

"You are very judgmental, Farah." He said. "Farah? Did I say you could call me by my name?" She said coldly. "I don't think you have a say in the matter, I'm the one protecting you." He said smirking to himself.

"From what, pray tell?"

"I can't reveal that yet until I have a better plan of preventing it."

Farah groaned. "Stranger, you have many secrets, and I don't like it,"

"Does it make you feel weak and helpless?" Prince asked. "Do I seemed weak?" She said turning to her side. "No, but you do seem helpless."

"Your a very funny shadow man, but now I wish to rest so don't make a sound." And the Prince was silent and for the remainder of the night he hoped that the Vizier would actually show up but he didn't. He must know he’s here or he's planning something else? So, he just simply sat and waited thinking of other ways to stop the Vizier's plan.

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Farah awoke with a start the next morning, she had a nightmare of the Vizier. He was glowing and looked un-human. Farah looked round her before rushing out of her to the balcony hoping to see the night stranger, but there was no sign of him. Not ever the pebbles. Farah breathed walking back into her room disappointed. Who was this strange person? Surely he meant no harm?

Farah cleaned and dressed in a light green long skirt that sparkled with hand sewn beads and a short white shirt with a U-neck line and a small green and white shawl. She let her hair down and headed to the royal dining room seeing the Prince slowly eating. He had dark circles around his green eyes she noticed. Farah bowed to her Father and sat down eat. Prince's eyes slowly closed and his head drifted down. The Persian King looked to his son surprised that he was falling asleep during a meal and he put his fatherly hand on the Prince’s shoulder. Prince inhaled deeply trying to wake himself. Farah watched his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

"More midnight walks, Prince?" She asked averting her eyes to her goblet drinking it's contents. "Yes, Princess; so much to see in so little time." The Prince smiled sleepily. "I could show you a better why to see the city, maybe you won't be so tired." She said. "I am quiet obliged to accept your offer, Princess. It is a great honor that this has to be the third or fourth time you haven't insulted me in a conversation." He said. Farah's cheek warm as she scoffed. "You have mistake me, I insult you politely."

The Prince gave a confident smirk. "And what was the insult?" Prince said raising an eyebrow. "That you don't know you why around," She answered. The Prince frowned as his Father and The Indian king laughed.

"She’s got her wit from her mother." Her father laughed.

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Breakfast was over and the Prince wandered around the market place with his eyes at half-mass. He was extremely exhausted and was very annoyed with Farah's impertinent tongue. 'But she is quiet the beauty.' He chuckled to himself.

"Aren't markets such an adventurous place?"

The Prince turned seeing Farah walking beside them with a proud look on her face. "Yes, your market place is a lot simpler than mine at home," He said. Farah raised an eyebrow in interest. "How so?" She said as their paced slowed. "Well, in Babylon the market places is like a labyrinth, large and only known to the people." He explained briefly. "Well, then since we are both out let me show you how to see the city's sites." She said with a smile. Prince paused catching the feeling that she wanted to say more. "But you have to keep up." She said dashing off. The Prince followed after her she weaved through the crowd expertly.

"You'll have to be a little faster than that, Prince!" Farah called slipping into an alleyway. The Prince followed suit, but to cut time he ran across the wall just Farah gracefully leaped to a roof top. Prince ran up the wall and grabbed the ledge pulling himself up seeing Farah standing on the roof looking down to him. "And I heard you were fast." She teased before running out of sight. The Prince growled accepting the offhanded challenge. "Okay, I can be fast." He said out loud jumping to the roof spotting her heading to a tall temple in the distant. Prince looked to his left spotting a ledge. He quickly back up and did a running jump grabbing the ledge and pulling himself up once more.

He jumped up and grabbed another roof ledge and climbed to the roof, he then began running across the walls and jumping spotting Farah as he drew closer. He paused seeing that she stopped and looked his way. The Prince jumped to a pole and acrobatically swing around three times picking up speed before letting go and landing on the roof where Farah waited.

"This way." She said and they walked off the roof, jumping to on the temple and climbed to the top for the view.

"Wow." Prince said breathlessly as Farah sat down looking out at the perfect view that showed all of the little city and the sand dunes beyond it and the small forest before that. "It's so quiet here; peaceful," She said. The Prince turned and took a seat beside her taking in everything around him.

"It's beautiful," He said looking to Farah. Farah rolled her eyes. "Now I bet you'd love to take over this land." She said frowning. Prince stood up completely offended. "I wish you'd get that 'all Persians are fowl' notion out of your head." He said trying to control his temper. "It is not true, from what I hear I'd agree with everything I've read on Persian." She said standing up herself facing the Prince. "You shouldn't believe everything from silly books." He said storming away. 'I can't believe her.' He thought as he jumped to the nearest roof heading back down to the ground below. 'She really is a prejudice . . . snake.' He thought heading back to the palace.

'Maybe I should let the Vizier kill her, maybe that way her mouth well be forever shut.' He thought and stopped with a sigh taking a seat near a pottery shop. 'I couldn't could I, I don't want this place to be a war front.' He ran his fingers through his hair his temper vanishing. 'I'll just have to be the responsible one, I won't be beaten down by some girl, even if she if a princess.' He said standing back up lifting his head proudly.

"Prince! My Prince!"

The Persian prince turned his head looking to one of his soldiers sweating and panting. "What happened?" Prince asked walking forward. "Someone has sabotaged our provisions, " The Solider panted. Prince frowned thoughtfully before both quickly heading to the palace.

When they got there his Father was frowning with his arms crossed looking to there mashed boxes of food and burned ciders of meats and bottles of dripping water. "Damn." Sharaman cursed. The Vizier and the Indian king rushed in the small storage room they were borrowed looking confused and upset. "I can't believe this." The King said. Sharaman sighed, "I hope you don't mind us staying a little longer." He said with his polite smile. The Prince look to the Vizier who didn't look so vexed at the situation. "My friends, you may stay as long as you like, please. Tonight we are having some wonderful entertainment with dinner." He said with a smile.

Sharaman thanked him and the servants went about cleaning the mess. Prince followed behind his Father and when he past the Vizier he watched him. Closely. The Vizier had a pleased look on his face that made the Prince uneasy. 'Is this apart of his plan too?' He thought looking away from the Vizier and to his Father who was talking cheerfully to the King.

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Farah came back to the palace just in time for dinner and changed into her black sari that sparked lightly in some places with small gold stars, she tied her hair back into a pony tail and hurried to the grand ball room seeing all the soldiers talking at once and laughing, enjoying the general splendor. She grimaced at their manners. She walked ahead sitting at the long table. The Prince was sitting next to his Father as usual and was silent. She didn't look at him as dinner was served. The Soldiers got tipsy and ate their food hurriedly. Farah was slowly loosing her patients with the Soldiers and their noise. When dinner ended the soldiers crowded into the great hall for their entertainment.

It was a another large round room with small pillars all around with hanging red curtains. The Female dancer were dressed in reds and pinks dancing with their silk clothes and showing off their flexibility and teasing the men with their flirtatious looks. Farah glanced to the Prince noticing his un-amused countenance unlike his men who were jeering and cheering at the performance.

Sharaman laughed and applauded when needed and spoke with her Father. A dancer with a red silk cloth dancer of to the Prince moving seductively moving her fluid hips. She smiled her red lips at the Prince and he did nothing as she smoothed the silk cloth over his face and moving closer to him.

The men's cheers grew louder as the dancer kissed the Prince. Farah noticed that he didn’t react as the dancer danced away to the other excited men reaching out to the sultry dancer. The Prince looked to his Father said something that Farah couldn't hear and left the room. Where was he going?

Farah slipped out of the room seeing the Prince walking down the hall to stairs, his foot steps echoing through walls. Farah hurried after him seeing him wipe his lips on his sleeve. "Retiring already?" Farah said from the bottom of the stairs. The Prince turned around and suddenly Farah was nervously. "No, actually I was going to go to the library and poison myself, thank you." He said in a cold sarcastic tone. "One less Persian to worry about, huh?" He added and continued walking up the stairs. Farah just stood not knowing what to say or if what she was thinking about saying was the right thing.

Farah slowly turned away and headed back to the party knowing that her Father would by now notice that she left. Was she being prejudice toward the prince of Persia?

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The Prince, later that very night, went about the same pattern and stood in the shadows of the balcony of Farah’s room waiting for her to come to her chambers. When Farah entered the room she was angry and sad, he could tell by they way she walked, she was obviously conflicted.

"Are you still there stranger?" She asked looking to the balcony. Prince took a breath. "Yes." He answered calmly. Farah rushed back over to her door and locked it. "You seem upset." He said. "Upset? Upset doesn't even describe how I'm feeling, someone burned and smashed the Persian's provisions just when they were to leave, that seems strange because I saw everything in place, I think the Vizier did it." She said.

"I agree, he had a strange look in his eyes."

"You were there?" Farah said. 'Damn it.' the Prince cursed his slip up. "No, not really." He said quickly. Farah squinted her eyes as she sat patiently on her bed. "Who are you? Do you expect me to continue to believe you?" Farah said and the door knocked lightly. Farah quickly got up and opened the door with the Vizier snaking in. "Princess, I heard a voice as I was walking past, is everything alright?" The Vizier asked looking around the room.

"Yes, I was simply . . . acting out a scene from my favorite play." She said with a small smile. The Vizier looked to the balcony and walked over. The Prince reacted and jumped over the edge of the balcony hanging on for dear life as he listened to the approaching Vizier. The Prince reached over and his feet touched a small ledge. He was still wearing his armor and clothes so he reached on the side of his head wrap and pulled the cloth over his mouth and nose. He usually used it as protection during sand storms out in the dunes, but now it was to shield his face.

Vizier looked around the balcony and turned around to Farah with a smile. "Well, then I must retired, I have to get the provisions back for the Persians." He said and bowed. Farah followed him to the door and when he left he locked the door. She hurried back to the balcony and Prince heaved a sigh of relief as he climbed back up the ledge facing Farah, but he was still covered by the darkness and the mask. "Thank you." He said. Farah just stood and looked to him examining his height and this dark eyes that was slightly covered by his visible black hair.

"Now are you going to reveal yourself to me?" Farah asked. The Prince's hand was on his sword. "Are you really going to kill me with that?" She asked stepping forward. Prince quickly drew his sword and held it out toward Farah's chest. They were silent. Farah looked down to sword and back to the dark eyes. "You wouldn't understand." He said in a low voice. Farah stepped away from the sword and touched his hand. The Prince kept a firm stance but her warm hand over his was so intoxicating. He expertly flipped back surprising Farah, sheathing his sword.

"My mother use to tell me stories of dark knights protecting damsels in distress from the evil villains. But you seem like your hiding not only your true identity from me but something else too. I don't know what yet." She said and walked away. Prince stood stock still feeling the warmth from her hand. Farah quickly changed into her sleep wear and silently went to sleep. The Prince carefully approached the gate as a breeze went by and he sat watching her slow even breathing.