Arta jumped and hugged Abtin. He was wearing a gardener's uniform and he looked thinner and older than a few months ago that Arta last saw him.

She was crying and hugging him so hard as if she was hugging her father. All her grief had rushed back to her and she was unable to control her emotions.

"Shshsh.. it's alright now, I know, I know." Abtin was smoothing her head and trying to calm her. He knew if someone saw them there in that situation everything would be ruined.

After a few minutes, Arta became calmer and sat at the bench. She had just recovered from the illness and she did not have much energy to keep standing.

"Please forgive me Shahzadeh for not protecting you when you needed me."

"Don't even mention it. This situation of me is not anybody's fault but these barbaric Arabs who have brought nothing but destruction and sorrow to our country." Arta said looking angry.

"I know. People are suffering all over the empire. Everywhere you go you see piled up bodies, burnt villages, and orphan kids. People have lost their faith and poverty and diseases are killing the ones who had survived Arab's invasion. They are forced to convert to Islam and whoever resists will lose his or her head." Abtin knew he didn't have much time and he was telling all these horrible things to Arta of the people's condition. He stopped talking when he heard Arta's sobbing.

"I'm sorry Shahzadeh. I shouldn't have.."

"No, I needed to know. I heard somethings from Pirbaba before but I never thought it is that horrible. Poor people."

"Pirbaba? What is he doing here? Don't tell me he is the one who opened the treasury for these bastards."

"No no, that poor old man saved my life. They threatened him to kill me if he would not open the treasury. He did not have any options. Don't blame him for that."

Abtin nodded. He was angry with himself for not being able to protect Arta.

"Did you come alone?" Arta Asked.

"Yes, I came alone to the palace. It was too risky to come with more people. But my men are waiting for me outside of the city."

"Can I come with you? I need to leave this place as soon as possible, please help me Abtin."

"I will Shahzadeh, I swear on my life that I will get you out of this place soon. But before that, we need to do something for the people, of course with your help."

"Tell me what should I do?"

"I know it would be difficult but you should gain their trust. We need you to give us information from inside. What they are planning to do and what are their next moves. Any kind of information you can give us is valuable. In this way, we can act quickly and save people's lives."

"But it is impossible. I hate them and they know it. They would never trust me. Besides I need to escape from here sooner because they want to force me to marry their crown prince. I rather die than to marry that monster."

Abtin was silent for a few seconds.

"Maybe that's the opportunity we are looking for. If you marry him you can gain his trust."

"Have you lost your mind?" Arta said looking shocked.

"I'm sorry Shahzadeh but this is the only way to help your people. You are their last hope and you have responsibilities as the last survived member of the royal family. You should put your people first, you know this is the right thing to do." Abtin said with a serious tone and bowed.

Arta wanted to say something but she stopped when they heard someone is approaching them.

"Please Shahzadeh think about it. You can save your people. They need you. I'll come back in a few days."

"Wait!" Arta had questions to ask from him, especially about his father and brother but Abtin disappeared behind the bushes.

"Were you talking to yourself?" Osman asked looking suspicious.

"What? Is that forbidden? Am I not allowed to talk to myself if I wanted to?" Arta asked looking irritated.

"Only if you are crazy." Osman laughed.

Arta hissed and looked away.

"Where is Nahla by the way? I told her not to leave you."

"I needed to be alone so I dismissed her. Now if you don't mind, leave me alone."

"I came here to talk to you." Osman said looking serious.

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." She stood up to leave.

Osman gently grabbed her arm "Please sit down. I will follow you wherever you go. So please sit."

Arta's heart skipped a beat by his gentle touch and soft voice and she sat again.

What was wrong with her. It was just a minute ago that she was telling Abtin about this monster. Now he was so gentle and kind that her heart was melting from the warmth of his touch.

She pulled her arm out of his grip and harshly said "Talk then." She was sure he wanted to talk about marriage.

Osman did not want to talk to her about their marriage when she is not even looking at him so instead, he said "Will you dine with me tonight?"

Arta turned her head and looked Osman in the eyes. She could not understand him.

"What? Why?"

"Do not overthink it Arta, it is just a dinner. We talk, we eat and who knows maybe I could even make you laugh to my not so funny jokes." Osman shrugged. He looked sincere. "Think as much as you want, but I'm waiting for you in my room for dinner." With that, he stood up, looked at Arta, smiled, and left.

***

Osman rushed to the treasury. He wanted to find the perfect jewelry for Arta. The Treasury was almost empty except a few chambers which were still full of gold pieces of jewelry and precious stones.

He was looking at the pieces of jewelry in front of him and occasionally he picked a piece, examined it and placed it back. After spending half an hour of looking for the perfect jewelry he thought to himself "How stupid I am looking for something unique here. She is probably had always had the best and finest ones." But he had to find something. Finally, he chose a delicate gold bracelet decorated with tiny carved shell flowers and tiny pearls. He decided that it would be the backup gift if he couldn't think of anything else.

He walked back to the west palace and informed Khadijeh to prepare dinner for him and Arta and set the table in his room.

He desperately wanted to prepare a gift for Arta. He wanted to make her happy and that was the only way he knew to make a girl happy. He wished he had known her better so he could think of something other than jewelry.

But suddenly he remembered. The necklace that he had found in her room, that was the most elegant piece of jewelry he had seen in his life. Maybe that was not the wisest thing to do. She already owned that necklace and he took it from her room and now gift that back to her wouldn't look good. So, he dismissed the thought and decided to stick with his backup.

It was getting dark and he was impatiently waiting for her. what if she doesn't come? A knock on the door made him jump. "Come in!" a maid came in to light the lanterns and candles.

A few more minutes passed, maids came and went and the dinner table was set, but Arta did not show up. The enthusiasm of seeing Arta and having dinner with her was replacing with anger every second.

He was losing his patience and was walking angrily in the room. How stupid he was to think that she would come to have dinner with him. He was pressing his teeth together. How stupid she was to think that she can disobey him. "I know how to tame you!" he said under his breath and opened the door harshly. He wanted to teach her a lesson, a lesson that she remembers for the rest of her life not to disappoint him again.

Opening the door he saw Arta ready to knock. "Oh, I didn't know you were impatiently waiting for me. You didn't even wait for my knock." And she giggled.

She realized that he was looking angry but she was enjoying mocking him. She knew that he probably wanted to rush to her room and take her by force for dinner. She was so satisfied with herself that she could make him angry. That was her plan after all.

Osman still standing at the door looking at her with those usual ice-cold eyes of him.

"Are we going to have dinner or what?" Arta asked.

Osman shut his eyes and tried to calm himself, then he slowly moved away and let Arta in.

"I must say you have a very bad sense of art and decoration." Arta said while looking around the room.

"Yes, that's because I'm a warrior, not a spoiled prince." He replied harshly.

"Yes, a warrior who destroys people's life and home." Arta replied with disgust.

They stood face to face looking at each other with anger. As if they were inviting each other to a quarrel.

Osman averted his gaze from hers and pointed at the table "Shall we?"

Arta walked to the table and sat behind it, Osman sat on the opposite side of the table and they started to eat in silence.

Osman was watching her every now and then and was cursing himself for losing his control and becoming angry. This was not the night that he had planned in his mind.

He cleared his throat "Do you like the food?"

"I'm getting used to the spices." She replied without looking at him.

"Do you prefer to have a Persian cook?"

"Nah it's alright. The foods and the tastes are not that different after all."

He was thinking of something to ask her. He wanted to know more about her but he didn't know how to ask.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" he asked. "Where did that question come from idiot?!" he cursed himself for not knowing how to converse with a woman. He had absolutely no idea what to say to her.

"I know how to ride a horse and I know how to fight."

"It's good that you know but not good for a woman."

"yeah maybe in your suppressing culture. In my culture women do whatever men do, they ride hose, they fight, they farm, they work side by side their men." Arta said with pride.

"Ok ok, it's just a cultural difference. Let's forget about that." He paused them continued "Maybe we can go riding sometime."

"No problem with me."

"Did you live here all your life?"

"Yes, this is my home, remember?"

"I barely have a home. My home had always been a military tent."

"No wonder!" Arta said

"No wonder what??"

"Nothing!"

"Look Arta, you know that we are going to marry soon, either you like it or not. It is an order from the Sultan, which none of us can disobey. So please stop this childish behavior and the useless quarrels."

"I have not agreed to it yet!" Arta shouted.

"I'm trying to give you time to accept it. It does not matter whether you agree or not. This marriage gonna happen soon."

"How do you expect me to marry someone who had destroyed my country and killed my family."

"I did not kill your family."

"But you would if you had the chance."

"Look Arta, I'm trying to show you I'm not that monster you have built from me in your mind. I care for you and I will never do anything to harm you."

"Then don't agree to marry me. Ask your father to leave me alone."

Osman sighed. "What if I don't want to?"

Arta looked shocked "What do you mean?"

"I like you Arta and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Arta was speechless. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt butterflies in her stomach. What was this feeling? "Oh my God" she was screaming in her head.

Osman stood up from behind the table and walked toward Arta. She was holding her breath; she didn't know how to react. Deep down she was also getting to like him but she couldn't admit it even to herself.

Osman held Arta's hand and took her to the balcony. It was dark outside but the moonlight had illuminated the balcony. Osman took a deep breath and looked at the stars.

"I like you Arta. I never thought that I'm even capable of liking a woman. I want you by my side. Let's not let our past destroy our future. We can rule the Persia together. Give me a chance to prove myself to you."

Arta was still silent. There was a fight inside her. Her heart was falling for him but her mind was against it.

"Say something."

"Um... I don't know!"

"Just tell me you will think about us and our futur, Persia's future. That will be good enough for me."

"Um.. well.." after a few long seconds she said "I will think about it." But her mind was screaming "This is not right!"

Osman put his hand in his pocket and took out the bracelet.

"May I?" and without waiting for Arta's approval he took her hand and locked the bracelet around it.

Arta touched the bracelet. There was still a fight between her heart and her mind going on inside her.

"Do you like it?"

"it's alright." She was trying so hard to look indifferent.

"You know what? This is the best day of my life so far." Osman said and then hugged Arta and placed a light kiss on her cheek.