by Liz Braswell
“Yes, but you’re up to the task. You’re going to be a great sultana. You understand better than anyone now that there are two cities in Agrabah. You’ve really seen poverty and understand it. You’ve experienced unlimited power and now know how to avoid its traps. And you have us…you have the Street Rats for when you forget.”
“I’ll make Agrabah the greatest city in the world,” Jasmine said softly. “And the Street Rats and the guilds and the other community leaders will be as much a part of my council as the old ministers and viziers. Who it’s time to replace anyway.”
“Yeah, especially the grand vizier,” Aladdin said, trying not to shiver. He shook himself. “All right. Agrabah day one. Let’s start. So are all the Street Rats going to be on your council? Even Maruf?”
Jasmine laughed. “He might get an honorary, advisory role in thanks for his support in the rebellion. But I already told Morgiana I’m making her my grand vizier. She is one smart lady.…I think she’ll be able to handle it very well.”
Aladdin wondered if his old friend would mature into the role of someone who could resist the urge to stab anyone who disagreed with her.
“What about me?” He pouted. “I’m smart. I’m tough. And I’ve been with you from the beginning!”
“You’re going to be too busy, darling,” she said, patting his hand distractedly. “As prince you’ll have other responsibilities and duties. But believe me, they will be just as important.”
Aladdin opened his mouth to argue and then stopped.
“Wait…what did you say?”
Jasmine just kissed him.
Aladdin grinned and wrapped her in his arms. Prince, he could, at this point, take or leave.
The rest of his life with Jasmine, however…that was worth everything.
AFTER THE SORT OF INTROVERTED childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz Braswell earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally, she caved in to fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish, and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected] or tweet @LizBraswell.