Lost Assassins

Dark Night under the Moon Part III

Princess clenched her dagger just as a precaution and stare, trying to place them. Wearing absolute black armour and dress beneath it. Lamps were lighted there also but under the dim glare of flickering flame, they weren't clear enough to recognise. Their long curved swords dangling from their waist, covered in dark black boiled leather sheath rustled along chainmail as their horses halted at front of her.

From a sleek but huge black horse with a white spearhead between his eyes, descended a man. He was not bullish in appearance yet large enough to radiate strength, wearing rock grey mountain steel armour with a coal black cloak settled in most delicate folds and fit she had known. As he stepped closure, she was now able to make out details of his personality, his grey hair slightly slipped from under his dark green turban, his dark eyes through covered face of him, old and wise but still she could feel the chilling fear in those. His chainmail crackling and rippling make sharp metal sound as he closed on her with his thumping steps. When he stands before her, she didn't need to saw his full face to knew who he was.

"Princess Aliayh." He paid his respect and bowed his head a little.

"Captain Abu Hakim." As did she.

He uncovered his face and the princess could saw his face in the dim flame light, she noticed his greyness in beard and his old rugged face with thick wrinkles scaling his face.

"We have come for your escort, Her Royal Highness." he said. "You broke the curfew, surely your caretakers and guards will answer for that disaster. For now you are summoned to Sultan's Camp at this moment. Her Royal Highness may mount her horse now. His Majesty is waiting."

"My Good Lord, I was about to retire to my tent. I just forced my way out of there, Daima did protest a lot. I just wanted to take a stroll and was gazing through the beautiful plains of the country."

Abu Hakim fingered his well-adjusted beard as wanting to adjust, as he usually does without noticing. He treacherously smiled a little though it seems gentle on him as he stepped closer and leaving his formality.

"If she did then you should have listened. You know very well why the curfew was set and why you shouldn't have broken it. Going out alone in dark night in strange lands among wilderness..." he waved at the riders.
You should have had at least some escorts along with you."

He was standing in just her front grinning, looking down at nervous Aliayh with his strong commanding gaze. Her head was up but she was avoiding his dark eyes, in her guilt which she didn't have till now. His dark armour at her face didn't help her tensed mind.

"I was...I mean..n.. I didn't want to leave far... I just.."

"Gazing." he teased her seeing her at loss of words.

"YES." she said without realizing his tease and then just her absent mindness strike as soon she realized that.

"My princess.."

"I know I know... But do I have to face sultan right now? I mean, I will follow the protocols with immense care from now on." she just abruptly spoke.

"My princess, that you will do surely. But fear not, Sultan summoned you before you left. He did not know about your little dare trip or else there would way more riders and the whole Caravan would be in search of you." he said smiling. She hasn't witnessed that smile till now.

"Then why?"

"I didn't question him, you can ask His Majesty yourself. Now I think we should depart. We wouldn't be wanting the news of your rebel escape to reach to him."

They soon were riding back to the camp and Aliayh was at peace now. A minute earlier what felt like a disastrous tragedy to her was now just a fickle. Anyhow, that was a close call, she thought. But numbers of these close calls had happened and they never matter to her much after, they will surely weren't going to stop her next time, as time itself had witnessed.