"Yes, indeed princess," the man said. "You don't know me yet."
Nefertari tilted her head in confusion at the riddle that the man was talking, and honestly, she was in no mood to try to solve them. "Are you going to introduce yourself or should I be on my way," Nefertari said making sure she points out that she is getting impatient.
"Oh, how rude of me. Forgive me, princess," He said placing a hand on his chest. "I'm Armin, first officer of Squad 1 in the Persian military." He bowed his head.
'One of Ashkan's men?' she questioned inside her mind. Did Ashkan want something from her? She wondered.
"What does a Persian Soldier want from me?" she asked.
"I am here to ask you something, princess," he said with a faint smirk on his lips. "Do you know the origins of your knight Azar?"
"Huh?" she frowned. This wasn't the kind of question that she was expecting, but thinking about it, she knew nothing about Azar other than his name. She doesn��t know where he came from, who he served before joining the Royal guards. Nothing at all.
"Identities of the Royal guard are confidential. If you've any issues feel free to request it from Jaffar the captain." She said not liking where this conversation was heading.
Before she could turn to continue on her way, he stopped her. "I don't think there is a need for that, because I already know everything about Azar. It's you who have no idea about him, princess," he stated.
She turned to glare at him, not liking his tone of speech. "Get to the point, Sir. Armin," she spat out.
Armin chuckled coldly. "Alright, I will do that," he said. "Did you know that Azar is originally from Persia – an ex-private to be exact?"
For a moment she could feel her mind lag. "What none sense are you babbling about?" She scoffed.
"I understand that you don't get what is going on, but that doesn't mean that it's not the truth, Princess," he said, not bothering to hide the smirk anymore. He paused enjoying the look of confusion on her face.
"Azar has been recruited by the pharaoh after he was cast out of the Persian military the last you were here," he explained. "After that he started to work for Persia as one of its birds in Kemet."
"You do know that what you are saying could make you lose your head and unleash war, right?" Nefertari questioned trying to hide the doubt that was starting to creep inside her.
His story fills in many gaps about Azar, the man was always a mystery to her.
"Of course!" Armin exclaimed.
"Then why are you here revealing your countries secrets?" Nefertari said. She had no idea in the slightest as to what can be going on inside this man's head. It made no sense that he would just come clean and tell her that.
"Believe me, I hate Azar way before he met you, I want nothing more than to see the look on his face when he knows that you have stumbled upon his biggest secrets." Armin said laughing hysterically as if he had lost his mind.
"What about your king? Don't you care what he will do to you once he knows what you've done?" Nefertari scoffed. "More importantly, don't you care what the pharaoh will do when he knows that Persia is sending spies to infiltrate his palace?" Tari didn't know why she stopped to talk with lunatic but something deep inside her – her greedy curiosity, got the hold of her.
Armin smirked. "Believe I would love nothing than to have that old fool of a king die either followed by his little pawns, that's all I can tell you – actually this the only reason I am doing this, so there isn't anything else to say, really." He said switching his weight to one leg while he rubbed his chin in an attempt to remember something that isn't even there.
He raised his hands in defeat and turned on his heels to disappear as quickly as he appeared. "I'm sure that your father would like nothing more than to wipe that little hellhole called Persia off the map." He stated over his shoulder without looking at Nefertari, he knew what kind of confused face she would've on at this moment, and he had no plans to be the first to tell her about her father's issues with his former friends, Javid to be exact.
But he knew that if it weren't for Javid, whatever remains of Persia right now, would've been gone a very long time ago. Armin walked with his hand on the hilt of his sword as he walked cursing under his breath.
"Damn you Farzad. To hell with you and your family, you will pay for what you've done." Armin cursed into nothingness swearing that the vow he made in the past will be fulfilled.
~~~~
"Oh!" Azar exclaimed getting up. "I was getting bored here in this cell, though I've to thank you, if it weren't for your request to treat me well I wouldn't have gotten this king's chamber- like cell." He pointed to the cell, and he was right – though not king's chamber-like, but still if felt luxurious compared to the other cells.
It had a bed under a window that was barred with iron, and a desk on one side of its wall. "Though I've no idea what I can possibly do with a desk, but thanks anyway!" he smiled at her.
He bent down, taking a closer look at the princess who would normally laugh whenever he threw sarcasm during crisis. "Is something a matter, Princess?" he asked worriedly.
"How can you just joke in a situation like this, Azar!" she partially yelled, making him take a step back.
"You always laughed when I joke around like this, princess. What has changed?" he scoffed.
"What has changed is that it's your life on the line here, Azar. Don't you know that you can be executed right now for treason!?" she said raising her voice, but Azar can easily tell that it was because she was worried.
He grinned. "It's because I know that you won't let that happen, princess,"
"Then tell me," she said taking a deep breath holding a hand up to steady herself. "Did you really do it? Are you really a traitor and plotted to kill me?"