Persian Princess

Persian Princess

The dirt backed market was crawling with potential buyers. Or for the little girls perched precariously on the edge of a family’s roof, a potential cavern of gold coins.

Turning identical grins of mischief on each other, the girls leapt from building to building until they could safely reach the ground. Blending in with the crowds of merchants trying to sell items from distant cities and sultans searched for their next bride to be.

They weren’t the only thieves out today. Many of the other orphaned children were edging through the closely packed people. Slipping nimble fingers into un-suspecting purses and pockets then drifting away to search through their finds.

Walking close together the girls weaved a path towards the tent holding a bounty of fresh fruit that tempted any passersby.

The girls drifted apart as they got closer to the tent. Being twins gave the girls an advantage over other thieves, because there really was someone else who looked actually identical to one of the girls. This is only really necessary if one of the sisters is court but that hasn’t happened since the girl’s parents died and they had to steal to survive.

Aara, the eldest twin, walked straight towards the tent with a coin in her palm then every so often she would run through her fingers to help calm herself. While the younger and small sister, Deeba, would hide by the corner of the tent and slyly take fruit from the merchant as he attended to her sister.

The plan worked for them very well and this time was the same as always. Aara distracted as Deeba stole. And together they both got away with their prize giggling as only sisters could.

They left the booming market to find their favourite hiding place.

A walled garden. A fountain in the middle made a beautiful background noise to the main chorus from the rainbow collection of birds that dwelled in the trees that shaded the four corners of the garden. Stone paths led from the four different walls-hidden gates kept un-wanted people out. Unless you were Aara or Deeba, who both learnt of the hidden oasis by accidently falling in.

 Sitting in the shade of the largest tree the sisters shared their fruit and relaxed in the comfort of nature.

 Becoming tired from the burning sun the sisters fell into a light sleep leaning against each other and the tree at their backs.

They awoke with a start when the wall furthest from them opened to show one of the hidden gates and a small group walked through. Hiding behind the tree and using the shade to help the sisters both watched as five large men all with turbans on their heads and gleaming swords at their hips walked through. They had arranged themselves into a circle with a position in the middle that was held by a girl dressed in fine robes with a crown of flowers on top of her head. The girl could be no older than Aara and Deeba, but in the way she held herself she looked like a much older girl or even a Queen.

There was only one person she could be. The Princess of Persia, Ishtar.

The twins had found their way into the Princesses private garden.

Sharing a look the sisters crawled away, or at least tried because it was at that exact moment that the wall to the left of the Princesses party blew open with a bang and clouds of dust as men with evil looks in their eyes stormed into the garden scaring away all the birds and putting the Princesses guard on the alert.

The group that came running through the hole attacked the guard with a vengeance. The guard’s swords gleamed and cut through the intruders weapons and themselves with little hassle but there were far more intruders than guards and soon they all fell leaving the Princess to stand alone surrounded by large grisly men, splattered with blood.

As the men advanced the twins turned shocked faces on each other and to this day will never know why they did this.

The sisters stood from their hiding place, taking a deep breath together walked around the tree that hid them and faced the gathering group around the small Princess.

Eyes all turned to look over the girls and then a roar of male laughter fell in the garden.

“Little girls have no place in this. Leave and we promise not to hurt you.” A gruff man with a scar travelling below his vest bellowed at the girls.

Sharing yet another look that only a sister would understand, Deeba turned back to the men who surrounded the Princess still and spoke out loudly in a sweet voice. “Then why are you after a little girl.” Then pointed at the Princess for emphasis.

  The men not happy with the girls talking back got mad and mad fast, they came running towards the two with a clear intent to kill in their eyes.

But Aara and Deeba surprised them all. Pulling concealed weapons from their persons they attacked the oncoming men with all the force and strength they had.

Deeba was skilled with aim and chose throwing knives while Aara had a fondness for whips.

The sisters soon had all the men on their backs either dead or wishing for death.

It was as they finished, heaving breaths to fill their tired lungs that endless streams of guards came though the hidden gate, took one look at the girls with blood and weapons in their hands and swarmed around them.

The sisters did nothing just stood still searching for a way out, which came in the form of a Princess. “Wait. Don’t harm them. They saved my life.” Looking into the distorted face of one of the intruders she shivered and continued. “I want them to become my personal guard to protect me and only me.”

Weapons lowered as these twins became legends.     

Author's Note

If enough people like this I may continue the story.