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Description
Adam smiled, gratefully, at Razoul, who had thought to open the palace door for him. Carrying the enormous vase full of the flower arrangement that the Sultan had ordered, Adam could barely see where he was going, let alone manage a door by himself.

“Ah! Young Adam!” smiled the Sultan.

“Where would you like these, Your Majesty?” asked Adam. It was taking every fibre of his being not to drop the vase because it was such an awkward shape.

“Here, let me help,” said a familiar voice.

Adam frowned as someone helped him to steady the thing. “Oh, thanks,” he said, wondering why on Earth the street rat Aladdin was...wait! Aladdin? But he had been killed, Belle had said.

“Just put it over there if you’d be so good, Adam,” smiled the Sultan. Together, Adam and the newcomer set the thing down and Adam blinked at the young man. It was Aladdin, alive, but how?

“You’re-?” he began.

“Prince Ali Ababwa,” said Aladdin, holding out his hand, politely to shake Adam’s. “And you are?”

“This is Adam the flower seller from the market,” said the Sultan as Adam, still bewildered, shook Aladdin’s hand. “We often have fresh flowers in the palace, you know.”

“Ah, yes; I think I’ve even seen your stall in the market before now,” said Aladdin, in a grand tone. Adam blinked at him. How was this possible? Maybe Aladdin was planning some kind of con, in which case he ought to warn the Sultan. But just as he was opening his mouth to do so, the Sultan turned to Aladdin. “As I was saying, my boy, just give Jasmine time to cool down; she’s been rather upset as of late.”

Jasmine? Adam smiled. Now it made sense. Aladdin had come wooing her. He cleared his throat. “Yes, Belle said she’d been somewhat unhappy lately, but it shouldn’t last.”

“Precisely,” agreed the Sultan, taking a pouch of gold coins from his belt. “Now, here you are, young Adam; your payment, as agreed.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” stammered Adam, taking the pouch from him. “May I be permitted to talk to Belle before I leave?”

“By all means.” Whilst Belle had not told the Sultan of her own suitor, the Sultan had guessed they were more than friends and smiled at him. “She’s in Jasmine’s room with her. You know the way.”

“Thank you, sire,” Adam replied, with a bow, before turning to Aladdin. “It was good to meet you, Prince Ali, and if you ever need any help or flowers, you can come to me.”

“Thank you, Adam,” grinned Aladdin.

Adam bowed again, turned and left the room. How on Earth, he wondered, had Aladdin managed to pull THAT off? And, even more strangely, how had he managed to avoid the sword? Puzzling over it, Adam went in search of his lover.

“Just who does he think he is?” snapped Jasmine, flinging herself down on her couch.

“Who?” asked Belle, tentatively. “Your father or Prince Ali?”

“Either! Both! I don’t know! Why can’t they all just leave me alone, Belle?” Jasmine sighed and sank deeper into the couch cushions. Rajah, on her bedroom floor, looked up in concern. Belle picked up Jasmine’s hairbrush and began to restyle her hair for her. It was coming out of place. “Belle, you never had this trouble when you wanted to be with Adam, did you?”

“Well,” sighed Belle, “it was different for us. I don’t have a father to force me to get married to someone I don’t love, and I’m not royalty besides.”

“It shouldn’t matter.” That was almost a growl from Jasmine. “That boy in the market place was the least arrogant, most normal man I have ever met and now I can’t ever see him again.”

Belle prayed she wasn’t about to start crying again. To be perfectly honest, she had seen enough tears on behalf of the princess to last a lifetime. Jasmine, however, did not start crying but she looked depressed. Her mood was rubbing off on Rajah, Belle reflected. Trying to add a more positive note to the general depression in the room, she finished Jasmine’s hair with a flourish. “There! You know, in one of my favourite stories, the princess has hair long enough to climb and she’s trapped in a tower with a witch but then a dashing rogue comes and sweeps her off on a wild adventure and by the end, they get married.”

“What happens to the witch?” asked Jasmine, feeling what a good job Belle had done with her hair.

“Oh, she meets her end by aging to death and falling out of a window when the princess’s pet chameleon trips her up.”

Jasmine managed half a smile. “Thanks, Belle. At least you try to cheer me up when I’m down.”

Belle smiled back and swung her legs on the couch. “It’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?”

“Princess Jasmine?”

The three of them looked up to see a silhouette at the curtains. Someone was standing on the balcony.

“Who’s there?” called Jasmine, leaning up on the couch.

“It’s me, Prince Al-Prince Ali Ababwa.”

Belle groaned, inwardly. What was he playing at? This was no way to win Jasmine over when he clearly didn’t want to see her.

“I do NOT want to see you!” Jasmine snapped, poking her head out of the curtains.

“Wait, Princess, please give me a chance-!”

The young prince was cut off as Rajah advanced on him, growling. “Just leave me alone!” snapped Jasmine.

“Dow, kitty,” muttered the young prince. Jasmine glanced at him and then, to Belle’s surprise, she called Rajah off. “Wait! Do I know you?”

“Er, no,” stammered Prince Ali. “No.”

“You remind me of someone I...met in the market place,” Jasmine said, suspiciously. Belle got to her feet. That wasn’t possible, surely?

“The market place?” Prince Ali laughed shooing away a fly. “I have servants who go to the market place for me. Why, I even have servants who go to the market place for my servants, so it couldn’t have been me you met.”

“No,” sighed Jasmine, leaning against Rajah. “I guess not.”

“Um, Princess Jasmine, you’re very...punctual.”

“Punctual?”

“Punctual?” Belle muttered, with a frown.

“Er, beautiful!” Prince Ali grinned as he recovered.

Jasmine smiled, teasingly, pretending to flirt with him. “I’m rich too, ya know.”

“Yeah.”

“The daughter of a Sultan.”

“I know.”

“A fine prize for any prince to marry,” Jasmine teased, slinking up to him.

“Er, right.” Prince Ali looked a little hot under the collar as she stepped closer to him. “A prince like me.”

“Right,” she agreed, “a prince like you. And every other stuffed shirt swaggering peacock I’ve met!”

“Ah, but-!”

“Oh, go jump off a balcony!” Jasmine snapped.

“Yeah, right!” muttered Prince Ali for some reason.

“What?” Jasmine snapped.

Belle was beginning to feel awkward where she was, casually eavesdropping on her mistress. She really ought to leave, she decided, but then Jasmine might still need her.

“Er, you’re right,” said Prince Ali. Jasmine was halfway back through her curtains but she turned and stared at him in surprise. Prince Ali sighed. “You aren’t just some prize to be won. You should be free to make your own choice. I’ll go now.”

“No!” cried Jasmine.

Belle, alarmed, ran out in time to see Prince Ali step off the balcony. Seconds later, his head popped up as if from nowhere. “What? What?”

“How...?” Jasmine leaned over the balcony. “How are you doing that?”

Belle smiled as Ali and the magic carpet flew up to the balcony. “It’s a magic carpet,” she explained. “Your father’s already had a go on it.”

“It’s lovely,” Jasmine said as the carpet pretended to kiss her hand.

“Um, you, er, you don’t want to go for a ride on it, do you?” Prince Ali asked. “We could get out of the palace?”

“Is it safe?”

“Sure, do you trust me?”

Jasmine looked up, recognition filling her. “What?”

“Do you trust me?” Ali repeated, offering his hand.

Jasmine smiled. “Yes.”

As she placed her hand in his, she glanced at Belle. Belle bowed her head with a smile. “If your father asks, I’ll tell him you’re in safe hands, Jasmine.” She looked at Prince Ali. “You look after her now, Prince Ali.”

“She’s in safe hands,” he reassured her, and then, with a lurch, the carpet took off, leaving Belle and Rajah staring up at the sky as they soared past the stars.

“Wow!” Belle breathed, leaning on the balcony and watching them until they were out of sight. She looked at Rajah and fondled his fur. “Can you imagine being able to fly, Rajah?”

Rajah made a growl in the negative and shook his head. Belle laughed. “Like to keep your feet on solid ground, hey?”

“Belle?”

Rajah gave a questioning growl and looked around, but Belle patted his head. “It’s ok, Rajah.” She went back into the room and grinned at Adam. “Hey!”

“Belle, have you seen-whoa!” Adam stumbled backwards as she threw herself at him for a hug. “Hey! What is it?”

Belle laughed and kissed him before explaining. “I think Jasmine’s in love!”

“With Prince Ali?”

“You’ve seen him?”

“Seen him? Belle, that was what I came to tell you, and her. Where is she?”

“They went for a ride on his magic carpet.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. “Is that another name for a horse?”

“No, it’s a real magic carpet,” she insisted. “It flies and everything.”

Adam looked at her in surprise. “Wonder where Aladdin got that from?”

“Aladdin? The boy from the market place?”

“It’s him, Belle. Prince Ali. Aladdin. They’re the same man.”

“No!” Belle stared at him. “But how did her survive his death?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask him.”

Belle frowned. “But...is he a prince pretending to be a peasant...or a peasant pretending to be a prince?”

“I’m inclined to say the latter,” Adam replied, “although how he got hold of a magic carpet is beyond me. If he is a peasant pretending to be a prince, what on Earth is the Sultan going to say when he finds out? But then, maybe he’ll just be happy she’s chosen someone. Maybe his birthright will come out later after they’re married.”

“Oh!” Belle groaned, rubbing her forehead.”It’s making my head hurt!”

Adam guided her down onto the couch and pulled her into a hug. “It’ll be alright, Belle,” he murmured.

She snuggled up to him, happily. “Do you think they will get married?”

“If she’s really in love, like you say.”

“I know love when I see it, Adam.” She smiled up at him. “I see it in your eyes every day.”

Adam chuckled. “If we ever get married, you might be sick of seeing it after the first week!”

Belle suddenly decided that she didn’t like that word “if.” No, she didn’t like this concept of not being married to Adam. She took a deep breath. “Adam, I want to marry you...”

“When you find another maid for Jasmine, I know.”

“No! If she marries, she won’t need me anymore! She can get a new maid anytime, even if he isn’t a prince! Adam!” She gripped the front of his shirt. “I want to marry you! Soon! Right now if we could!”

Adam stared at her. “Belle...are you sure?”

“Yes!”

Adam breathed out. “Right, well...good.” It was all he could think of to say. Feeling tears of happiness, Belle kissed him, breathlessly. “But,” Adam added, breaking the kiss, “we need to find somewhere else to live. I won’t have you living at Elishma’s with me. We’ll get our own place, just the two of us. Now business is picking up, we should be able to afford something; even if it is only small.”

“I don’t care how small, as long as I’m with you.”

“Belle, I love you, but you are hurting me now.”

She released her grip, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

He grinned. “It’s alright.”

Rajah, lying down on the floor, made a point of covering his eyes with his paw as they shared yet another passionate kiss. Belle was sure it was all going to work out fine now. Jasmine was in love. She would get married. Belle would get married to Adam. They would get a house of their own. Yes, everything finally seemed to be falling into place.

Description
Adam smiled, gratefully, at Razoul, who had thought to open the palace door for him. Carrying the enormous vase full of the flower arrangement that the Sultan had ordered, Adam could barely see where he was going, let alone manage a door by himself.

“Ah! Young Adam!” smiled the Sultan.

“Where would you like these, Your Majesty?” asked Adam. It was taking every fibre of his being not to drop the vase because it was such an awkward shape.

“Here, let me help,” said a familiar voice.

Adam frowned as someone helped him to steady the thing. “Oh, thanks,” he said, wondering why on Earth the street rat Aladdin was...wait! Aladdin? But he had been killed, Belle had said.

“Just put it over there if you’d be so good, Adam,” smiled the Sultan. Together, Adam and the newcomer set the thing down and Adam blinked at the young man. It was Aladdin, alive, but how?

“You’re-?” he began.

“Prince Ali Ababwa,” said Aladdin, holding out his hand, politely to shake Adam’s. “And you are?”

“This is Adam the flower seller from the market,” said the Sultan as Adam, still bewildered, shook Aladdin’s hand. “We often have fresh flowers in the palace, you know.”

“Ah, yes; I think I’ve even seen your stall in the market before now,” said Aladdin, in a grand tone. Adam blinked at him. How was this possible? Maybe Aladdin was planning some kind of con, in which case he ought to warn the Sultan. But just as he was opening his mouth to do so, the Sultan turned to Aladdin. “As I was saying, my boy, just give Jasmine time to cool down; she’s been rather upset as of late.”

Jasmine? Adam smiled. Now it made sense. Aladdin had come wooing her. He cleared his throat. “Yes, Belle said she’d been somewhat unhappy lately, but it shouldn’t last.”

“Precisely,” agreed the Sultan, taking a pouch of gold coins from his belt. “Now, here you are, young Adam; your payment, as agreed.”

“Thank you, your Majesty,” stammered Adam, taking the pouch from him. “May I be permitted to talk to Belle before I leave?”

“By all means.” Whilst Belle had not told the Sultan of her own suitor, the Sultan had guessed they were more than friends and smiled at him. “She’s in Jasmine’s room with her. You know the way.”

“Thank you, sire,” Adam replied, with a bow, before turning to Aladdin. “It was good to meet you, Prince Ali, and if you ever need any help or flowers, you can come to me.”

“Thank you, Adam,” grinned Aladdin.

Adam bowed again, turned and left the room. How on Earth, he wondered, had Aladdin managed to pull THAT off? And, even more strangely, how had he managed to avoid the sword? Puzzling over it, Adam went in search of his lover.

“Just who does he think he is?” snapped Jasmine, flinging herself down on her couch.

“Who?” asked Belle, tentatively. “Your father or Prince Ali?”

“Either! Both! I don’t know! Why can’t they all just leave me alone, Belle?” Jasmine sighed and sank deeper into the couch cushions. Rajah, on her bedroom floor, looked up in concern. Belle picked up Jasmine’s hairbrush and began to restyle her hair for her. It was coming out of place. “Belle, you never had this trouble when you wanted to be with Adam, did you?”

“Well,” sighed Belle, “it was different for us. I don’t have a father to force me to get married to someone I don’t love, and I’m not royalty besides.”

“It shouldn’t matter.” That was almost a growl from Jasmine. “That boy in the market place was the least arrogant, most normal man I have ever met and now I can’t ever see him again.”

Belle prayed she wasn’t about to start crying again. To be perfectly honest, she had seen enough tears on behalf of the princess to last a lifetime. Jasmine, however, did not start crying but she looked depressed. Her mood was rubbing off on Rajah, Belle reflected. Trying to add a more positive note to the general depression in the room, she finished Jasmine’s hair with a flourish. “There! You know, in one of my favourite stories, the princess has hair long enough to climb and she’s trapped in a tower with a witch but then a dashing rogue comes and sweeps her off on a wild adventure and by the end, they get married.”

“What happens to the witch?” asked Jasmine, feeling what a good job Belle had done with her hair.

“Oh, she meets her end by aging to death and falling out of a window when the princess’s pet chameleon trips her up.”

Jasmine managed half a smile. “Thanks, Belle. At least you try to cheer me up when I’m down.”

Belle smiled back and swung her legs on the couch. “It’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?”

“Princess Jasmine?”

The three of them looked up to see a silhouette at the curtains. Someone was standing on the balcony.

“Who’s there?” called Jasmine, leaning up on the couch.

“It’s me, Prince Al-Prince Ali Ababwa.”

Belle groaned, inwardly. What was he playing at? This was no way to win Jasmine over when he clearly didn’t want to see her.

“I do NOT want to see you!” Jasmine snapped, poking her head out of the curtains.

“Wait, Princess, please give me a chance-!”

The young prince was cut off as Rajah advanced on him, growling. “Just leave me alone!” snapped Jasmine.

“Dow, kitty,” muttered the young prince. Jasmine glanced at him and then, to Belle’s surprise, she called Rajah off. “Wait! Do I know you?”

“Er, no,” stammered Prince Ali. “No.”

“You remind me of someone I...met in the market place,” Jasmine said, suspiciously. Belle got to her feet. That wasn’t possible, surely?

“The market place?” Prince Ali laughed shooing away a fly. “I have servants who go to the market place for me. Why, I even have servants who go to the market place for my servants, so it couldn’t have been me you met.”

“No,” sighed Jasmine, leaning against Rajah. “I guess not.”

“Um, Princess Jasmine, you’re very...punctual.”

“Punctual?”

“Punctual?” Belle muttered, with a frown.

“Er, beautiful!” Prince Ali grinned as he recovered.

Jasmine smiled, teasingly, pretending to flirt with him. “I’m rich too, ya know.”

“Yeah.”

“The daughter of a Sultan.”

“I know.”

“A fine prize for any prince to marry,” Jasmine teased, slinking up to him.

“Er, right.” Prince Ali looked a little hot under the collar as she stepped closer to him. “A prince like me.”

“Right,” she agreed, “a prince like you. And every other stuffed shirt swaggering peacock I’ve met!”

“Ah, but-!”

“Oh, go jump off a balcony!” Jasmine snapped.

“Yeah, right!” muttered Prince Ali for some reason.

“What?” Jasmine snapped.

Belle was beginning to feel awkward where she was, casually eavesdropping on her mistress. She really ought to leave, she decided, but then Jasmine might still need her.

“Er, you’re right,” said Prince Ali. Jasmine was halfway back through her curtains but she turned and stared at him in surprise. Prince Ali sighed. “You aren’t just some prize to be won. You should be free to make your own choice. I’ll go now.”

“No!” cried Jasmine.

Belle, alarmed, ran out in time to see Prince Ali step off the balcony. Seconds later, his head popped up as if from nowhere. “What? What?”

“How...?” Jasmine leaned over the balcony. “How are you doing that?”

Belle smiled as Ali and the magic carpet flew up to the balcony. “It’s a magic carpet,” she explained. “Your father’s already had a go on it.”

“It’s lovely,” Jasmine said as the carpet pretended to kiss her hand.

“Um, you, er, you don’t want to go for a ride on it, do you?” Prince Ali asked. “We could get out of the palace?”

“Is it safe?”

“Sure, do you trust me?”

Jasmine looked up, recognition filling her. “What?”

“Do you trust me?” Ali repeated, offering his hand.

Jasmine smiled. “Yes.”

As she placed her hand in his, she glanced at Belle. Belle bowed her head with a smile. “If your father asks, I’ll tell him you’re in safe hands, Jasmine.” She looked at Prince Ali. “You look after her now, Prince Ali.”

“She’s in safe hands,” he reassured her, and then, with a lurch, the carpet took off, leaving Belle and Rajah staring up at the sky as they soared past the stars.

“Wow!” Belle breathed, leaning on the balcony and watching them until they were out of sight. She looked at Rajah and fondled his fur. “Can you imagine being able to fly, Rajah?”

Rajah made a growl in the negative and shook his head. Belle laughed. “Like to keep your feet on solid ground, hey?”

“Belle?”

Rajah gave a questioning growl and looked around, but Belle patted his head. “It’s ok, Rajah.” She went back into the room and grinned at Adam. “Hey!”

“Belle, have you seen-whoa!” Adam stumbled backwards as she threw herself at him for a hug. “Hey! What is it?”

Belle laughed and kissed him before explaining. “I think Jasmine’s in love!”

“With Prince Ali?”

“You’ve seen him?”

“Seen him? Belle, that was what I came to tell you, and her. Where is she?”

“They went for a ride on his magic carpet.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. “Is that another name for a horse?”

“No, it’s a real magic carpet,” she insisted. “It flies and everything.”

Adam looked at her in surprise. “Wonder where Aladdin got that from?”

“Aladdin? The boy from the market place?”

“It’s him, Belle. Prince Ali. Aladdin. They’re the same man.”

“No!” Belle stared at him. “But how did her survive his death?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance to ask him.”

Belle frowned. “But...is he a prince pretending to be a peasant...or a peasant pretending to be a prince?”

“I’m inclined to say the latter,” Adam replied, “although how he got hold of a magic carpet is beyond me. If he is a peasant pretending to be a prince, what on Earth is the Sultan going to say when he finds out? But then, maybe he’ll just be happy she’s chosen someone. Maybe his birthright will come out later after they’re married.”

“Oh!” Belle groaned, rubbing her forehead.”It’s making my head hurt!”

Adam guided her down onto the couch and pulled her into a hug. “It’ll be alright, Belle,” he murmured.

She snuggled up to him, happily. “Do you think they will get married?”

“If she’s really in love, like you say.”

“I know love when I see it, Adam.” She smiled up at him. “I see it in your eyes every day.”

Adam chuckled. “If we ever get married, you might be sick of seeing it after the first week!”

Belle suddenly decided that she didn’t like that word “if.” No, she didn’t like this concept of not being married to Adam. She took a deep breath. “Adam, I want to marry you...”

“When you find another maid for Jasmine, I know.”

“No! If she marries, she won’t need me anymore! She can get a new maid anytime, even if he isn’t a prince! Adam!” She gripped the front of his shirt. “I want to marry you! Soon! Right now if we could!”

Adam stared at her. “Belle...are you sure?”

“Yes!”

Adam breathed out. “Right, well...good.” It was all he could think of to say. Feeling tears of happiness, Belle kissed him, breathlessly. “But,” Adam added, breaking the kiss, “we need to find somewhere else to live. I won’t have you living at Elishma’s with me. We’ll get our own place, just the two of us. Now business is picking up, we should be able to afford something; even if it is only small.”

“I don’t care how small, as long as I’m with you.”

“Belle, I love you, but you are hurting me now.”

She released her grip, embarrassed. “Sorry.”

He grinned. “It’s alright.”

Rajah, lying down on the floor, made a point of covering his eyes with his paw as they shared yet another passionate kiss. Belle was sure it was all going to work out fine now. Jasmine was in love. She would get married. Belle would get married to Adam. They would get a house of their own. Yes, everything finally seemed to be falling into place.