The next morning Arta woke up to the sound of birds singing outside. The morning sun was filling the cave and heating it up gradually. Sitting up she felt hunger pangs. Looking around the cave she looked for the bag that Abtin had given her yesterday. She was hoping to find something to eat inside the bag. Opening the bag, she could only find some clothes, shoes, and a sack of coins. Tossing the bag aside she felt helpless.

She went to the edge of the tunnel to examine the way down the mountain. The path to the base looked rocky with a steep slope. But it wasn't something that she couldn't manage, she thought to herself.

Still filling hungry she decided to change her war attire with the clothes inside the bag. She quickly changed, hid her armor between a rock and the cave's wall and headed to descend the mountain.

She decided to go to the city to get some news from her father and brother and then buy some food and a horse for her journey toward Bokhara.

Descending the mountain was not as easy as she thought in her long silky dress and not really comfortable shoes. "Stupid maid," She thought feeling annoyed.

Only a few meters were left to the base when she lost her balance on a loose rock, a weak scream left her mouth. She slipped and rolled down the mountain. Her fragile body was rolling over the rocky slope of the mountain and the thorn bushes were scratching her body. Finally, her unconscious body lied on the ground.

***

Osman and Samir left the palace to go to the camp. He ordered Ahmad to stay and try to open that suspicious door.

Although they have defeated the Persian army, there could still be some rebels here and there. They needed to prepare and secure the way from their camp to the palace for the entry of Sultan Faisal. They should be cautious for a while.

They were few kilometers away from the city toward the camp that a sudden movement in the mountain caught Osman's attention. Slowing down he pointed toward the mountain so that Samir could see what he was seeing.

It was obvious that a person was rolling down the mountain, but it was also suspicious. Why someone should be in this deserted mountain. There was nothing there, just rocks and thorn bushes.

Osman and Samir approached the location where they saw the person was falling. As they got closer, they saw the body of a young girl on the ground. It was as if a wounded angel had fallen down the sky. She looked so innocent and graceful compared to the harsh and colorless surroundings. Her silk dress was thorn apart in several places and stains of blood were visible on her dress. A thin thread of blood was running from her forehead and her arms and legs were full of scratches.

"She is a woman," Samir said surprised after a few seconds.

"I can see that" Osman replied coldly.

Osman went closer to check if she breaths.

"Is she alive?" Samir asked with wide eyes and a bit of concern in his voice.

"Yes, she is breathing," Osman replied after he put a dagger under her nose and saw it had dampened.

"What was she doing here? This mountain looks deserted." Samir asked.

"I don't know. But her silk dress looks expensive. She is not a peasant for sure. She could even be from a noble family." Examining her clothes and her beautiful face with narrow eyes.

"We cannot leave her here to die," Samir said looking worried. He was the kind-hearted one of the three. He was like a kind big bear when he was not on the battlefield.

Knowing his heartless friend, Samir was almost sure that Osman would probably leave that girl there to die. But to his surprise, Osman nodded and placed his arms around Arta and lifted her easily from the ground. She was looking so innocent and fragile when he lifted her in his arms.

Even Osman was not sure why he wanted to take her with them.

"The smell" He whispered. "This smell is so familiar," he said to himself. It was as if he had smelled this scent before in his dreams. Hesitating for a moment Samir saw the change in Osman's expression.

"Do you want me to take her?" Samir thought that maybe his friend had lost his self-control. Osman had never had a woman in his life and the war had imposed too much pressure on him.

He shook his head "No, It's alright. I can manage. Can you just help me to get on my horse?"

Osman got on the horse while still holding Arta in his arms. Riding toward the camp Samir could see that Osman was deep in his thoughts.

"Is everything alright Osman?" Samir asked. "you look lost in your thoughts."

"It's nothing." He replied coldly without looking at him.

Samir shrugged.

They finally reached the camp. Osman slowly put Arta in Samir's arms and asked him to find a doctor to attend to her wounds.

It was already noon when Osman reached his father's tent. He entered the big tent.

"Osman" Sultan shouted cheerfully and walked toward him as his son entered the tent.

"Father" he bent and kissed his father's hand.

"you made me proud, my son" Sultan said with a soft voice patting his shoulder. "So tell me how is the situation in the capital? When can we move there?"

"I have placed soldiers everywhere. Everything is under control and there is nothing to be worried about. We have completely destroyed their army. Unfortunately, king Darian fled with few nights but that's nothing to be worried about."

"Yes, I heard about that. We can catch him in no time. I have already sent a few men to find him." Said sultan.

"We should also send messengers to the governers all over Persia and demand to swear allegiance to us" Osman suggested.

"you take care of this matter too."

Osman nodded.

Clapping his hands together sultan said, "Now it's time to celebrate this victory."

"Inform everyone that tonight we gonna have a big feast and prepare for it" Sultan said to his servant.

"Let's leave for the capital tomorrow. I cannot wait any longer." Sultan said to Osman.

"I'll make the arrangements to leave tomorrow." Osman bowed his head.

***

Arta opened her eyes. Her head was wrapped in a cloth. She had a terrible headache. She shut her eyes again out of pain. Every part of her body hurts. What has happened? It was as if she was beaten to death. She suddenly remembered. She fell down.

She slowly opened her eyes. she was in a tent. Listening carefully she could hear Arabic conversation outside the tent. She panicked.

Suddenly the tenet's entrance flipped open and a tall figure appeared in front of her. Arta's heart sank to the pit of her stomach out of fear. She tried so hard not letting her tears to come down. She couldn't see the man's face yet.

As Osman sat beside Arta's mattress she suddenly stood up. She felt dizzy from her sudden movement and was about to faint, but she managed to steady herself.

Osman stood up as well and looked her in the eyes. She looked like a wounded dove to him.

"What's your name?" Osman asked in Arabic.

Although Arta was able to converse in Arabic, she didn't reply. She looked into his eyes with her big amber eyes that were looking back at him coldly.

Osman asked again this time in Persian" What is your name?" His Arabic accent was recognizable by Arta.

Arta's eyes widened as he spoke in Persian. She never counted Arabs as smart enough that they could learn her language. To her arrogant mind, they were just some illiterate barbaric people who live in their tents in the middle of nowhere. Osman saw the change in her face.

"So, you are a Persian." He said coldly looking straight into her eyes.

"Who are you? What were you doing in the mountains?" He asked this time with a harsher tone.

A wave of anger came over Arta. She was visibly shaking from anger and all the stress that she had experienced in the past couple of days. She was staring boldly into those emotionless and dark cold eyes with anger and disgust.

"How dare he question me in my own lands? This lowly man that has destroyed my country." She thought to herself.

The sound of heavy breathing was the only thing that he could hear in reply. He grabbed Arta's arm harshly and repeated his question. "It's better for your own sake to answer my questions now"

A small whine came out of her throat as he tightened his grip on her arm. "Let go of my hand."

"Ah you are not a mute after all" he said his gaze never left Arta's eyes.

Leaning a bit forward, his face was a breath away from hers "This scent, it's so familiar" he thought to himself for the second time that day.

At that moment Arta was bursting with anger and hatred. Losing control, she suddenly raised her free hand and slapped Osman on his face.

Osman didn't move at all only his eyes got shut from the slap. Standing in front of Arta while her arm was still in his hand, he opened his eyes again.

A shiver ran down Arta's spine as she saw the extreme rage in his dark eyes. Her arm was about to break at any moment.

He was silent for a few seconds.

"Guards" he roared.

Two soldiers rushed into the tent. "Put her in the cage with the other slaves"

Taking her outside the tent, Osman followed them to the big cage in the middle of their camp for the prisoners and slaves.

Getting closer to the slaves' cage someone shouted from inside the cage "It's Shahzadeh!"

"Oh thank God, your highness is here to help us." That caused everyone to come closer to the edge of the cage and mumble about Shahzadeh being there.

Arta's eyes widened while trying to play cool and not pay any attention to the voices calling her.

"Yes, that's her. That's Shahzadeh Arta." said another prisoner with a grin.

"Stop!" Osman ordered the guards as they were about to throw her inside the cage.

He walked closer until he was face to face with Arta. She wasn't looking at him.

"Take him out" he ordered the guards to take one of the men who had recognized Arta out.

They threw the man in front of Osman, next to Arta.

While sitting on the ground the prisoner looked up at the princess hesitating to answer. Osman's sword met his neck. Osman asked again "Did you say she is a Shahzadeh?" the man was shaking and pleading for his life but did not say anything as he got aware of the terrible blunder he had made.

"Answer me or I will end your miserable life right here right now" waves of anger was visible in Osman's voice. He raised his sword intending to cut the man's throat.

"Stop!" Arta shouted.

Osman slightly turned his head to Arta's direction while his sword was still high above his head ready to strike.

Arta's heart was beating so fast, she was frightened but at the same time, she couldn't see this monster kill one of her people in front of her and do nothing. "I am Shahzadeh Arta. The only daughter of King Darian." Arta confessed. Her voice was louder than normal and a bit shaky.

Osman chuckled coldly. A devilish smile appeared on his face.

In the blink of an eye, he cut the man's throat. Blood spreading everywhere. The man's body was on the floor shaking and making strange noises until the last drop of his blood left his body. Everyone was silent only a faint hysteric cry of a woman from the cage could be heard. Arta's body was numb, and she couldn't move a muscle. She was just gazing at the man's lifeless body with teary eyes even breathing seemed painful to her.

Osman cleaned the blood on his sword with the prisoner's clothes he moved toward Arta still standing before him and lowered his head whispering into her ear, "you are just a slave now".

"Take her back to the tent" Osman ordered as he straightened his back.

Still freezing on her spot, two guards grabbed Arta's arm violently and took her to the tent and threw her inside.

Falling on the ground with her both palm on the rigid floor, tears escaped her beautiful eyes. The lifeless figure of that man and the devilish face of Osman were the only things in her mind. She never thought that she could feel so much hatred toward someone like this.

Looking around the dark empty tent panic washed over her. Dragging her painful body to the corner of the tent she hugged her knees and cried silently. She still did not know what has happened to her father and brother and what will happen to her now that they know who she is. She was scared.

********