Vast Fields Of Light

Chapter 2

   The knock at the Princess' bedchamber door came sooner than she had expected. She had only had time for her maid to help her remove her jewels, brush her long dark hair and change into her wedding nightgown; then the maid had left, and Tamina had gone out to stand on her small private balcony. She thought about the dagger; she had already asked Dastan how he came into possession of it, and he had given a vague answer suggesting he knew nothing of its power. She was not sure whether to trust him, but at least the dagger was back where it should be again. The rest could wait.

"Come in," she said while turning, and Prince Dastan entered the room and approached her slowly. He had changed out of his ceremonial wedding outfit into a simple white tunic and trousers. He stopped a few feet away from her, his eyes taking her in with the intensity she'd come to expect from him.

"I hope I am not too early, Princess."

She smiled knowingly. She had been pondering his earlier hesitation, and was sure she had found the reason. "Not at all, although perhaps it is too early for you," she said pointedly.

Dastan merely furrowed his brow.

"You have drunk too much, haven't you?" she accused. "That's why you hesitated to come to my chamber tonight. You were worried the alcohol would make the Lion of Persia soft." Tamina flicked her eyes down and upwards over his body to emphasise her point, resisting the distraction presented by his figure. She shook her head and laid scorn into her voice. "It's a pitiful way for a Prince to act on his own wedding day, but I suppose I should not be surprised at such behaviour from a Persian warrior."

But his only response was a half-smile, and his eyes seemed almost delighted. "I have not been drinking, Princess," he told her simply.

She furrowed her brow. "Of course you have. I saw you with your brothers, I saw all the wine being poured."

Dastan smirked. "Then you are not as observant as you think you are. Yes, there was wine being poured, but not for me. I only had one glass of wine, at the very beginning of the banquet."

She narrowed her eyes silently; after a pause, he stepped forward, closing the gap between them and dipping his face towards hers. He kissed her once, softly, on each cheek, then on the forehead and finally the tip of her nose. Her heartbeat quickened and she was sure that finally he would touch his lips to hers; but he simply stopped, his face inches from hers, and looked into her eyes.

"Is there alcohol on my breath?" he asked in a low voice.

She exhaled, but didn't drop her eyes. "No."

His lips quirked a fraction and he stepped back away from her with satisfied eyes. Tamina kept her chin proudly raised.

"Even if you were not drunk, your carousing was still foolish. I saw Priest Baraz staring."

He shrugged. "Well, I certainly apologise for wanting to share my good mood with my family on my wedding day," he told her, grinning.

Tamina puffed out an irritated breath; her jaw clenched, and she stepped away from him and moved around the room quickly blowing out candles. Finally she reached the side of the bed and nearly leaned down to blow out the final lit candle which stood on a bedside table, before changing her mind and turning to face the Prince instead.

She was surprised to see that, rather than advancing towards her as she had expected, he remained exactly where she had left him; he had only turned to watch her, and now stood with his eyes fixed on her.