by Jade
Kaveh woke him at dawn. "Time to move, or you will be roasted alive," he said.
Aladdin managed to make it to the makeshift shelter Kaveh had constructed while he slept. Fallen palm fronds and some coarse sacking made a bower out of the hastily dug hole in the ground, but Aladdin was nevertheless grateful for it. Kaveh produced some nuts – Aladdin didn't dare ask where from – and a filled water skin, then told Aladdin to rest.
Despite spending all night asleep, Aladdin had no trouble obeying the djinn. He'd never walked so far in his life, and as soon as night fell, he had the other half of his journey to finish. If he survived the day.
To Aladdin's surprise, Kaveh woke him at sunset, and he almost felt optimistic about his chances of reaching home.
The oasis was scarcely out of sight by the time Aladdin disabused himself of that notion. The blisters he'd barely noticed on the first day had swelled to carbuncles in his boots, and the sun had found him inside his little shelter while he slept, burning his skin as surely as boiling water would. Yet on he slogged, for Aladdin knew he was headed home.
One foot in front of the other, until he could go no further. Aladdin fell to his knees. "I can't," he wheezed.
"I'm not going to let you die out here, so some corpse robber can pick me up. Get up!" Kaveh slid an arm under Aladdin's shoulders and heaved him to his feet. "If I have to carry you the rest of the way, we're going to reach the city!"
So Aladdin staggered on, while Kaveh helped him, until Aladdin saw what looked like the city gates looming before him, lit with the fierce light of a desert dawn. "I'm home," Aladdin mumbled.
"Not yet you're not. Where do you live?" Kaveh asked grimly, his grip tightening around Aladdin.
Aladdin pointed and mumbled something he hoped made sense. He was moving again, so Kaveh must have understood some of it, at least.
"Do you recognise this place?" Kaveh asked impatiently.
Aladdin peered blearily at the worn door he'd opened and closed a thousand times. "Home."
"Good." Kaveh shoved the door open.
Aladdin staggered inside, then pitched forward into oblivion.
Kaveh cursed. "Hello, lady of the house! Is this your son?" he called.
A woman emerged from the dimness, hastily wrapping a veil around her hair. "I...Aladdin?"
Aladdin was beyond responding.
"I found him outside the city walls," Kaveh said. "He said he lived here."
"He does! Oh, how can I ever thank you? Or repay you?" the woman asked, falling to her knees beside Aladdin. "You have answered a mother's prayer."
Kaveh smiled. "Granting wishes, who'd have thought?" While Aladdin's mother was distracted, Kaveh disappeared. For the moment, his job was done.
THIRTEEN
"Have you heard anything?" Maram asked fretfully.
The guardsman shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I have told the prison guards to send word if they see a man with that name but no one has seen him. Are you sure he exists?"
"Of course he does! And so does his mother!" Maram snapped.
The guard bowed deeply. "My apologies, Princess, if I have offended you."
If this man knew half the things she'd seen and done in foreign courts, he would not worry about offending her. Maram hid her smile. "You are forgiven. I am...frustrated. I do not understand how a man can vanish in this city and not be found."
"Perhaps he is not in the city, Your Highness."
She'd thought the same thing, but Sadaf had insisted Aladdin never left the city. Sadaf...perhaps she should send for the woman again?
Maram considered for a moment, then shook her head. No, Sadaf had promised to send word if her son returned. If she had half the honour of her son, then she would notify the palace the instant Aladdin returned.
Unless he did not want to see her...
Maram swallowed. If Aladdin did not want to see her again, would Sadaf tell her? Or would she worry about offending a princess, too?
"If you have not heard anything by the end of the week, summon Sadaf the spinner to the palace," Maram said.
Another bow. "As you wish, Your Highness."
No, what she wished was to see Aladdin now, at this very moment, but Maram knew as well as anyone that wishes were seldom granted, and when they were, they would rarely be what one wants.
So she sighed and forced herself to find some distraction to keep her mind busy until she received the word she wanted, or the week ended. Whatever came first.
FOURTEEN
Aladdin was certain he had to be dreaming, for he distinctly heard his mother's voice, and his mother never left the city. Even if Berk had told her where her son had gone, there was no way she would venture out alone to search for him, and she did not have the money to hire men to help her.
So he took his time opening his eyes, for surely he had collapsed in the desert, and the sun above would be drinking the last drops of water from his body before it killed him. At least the last thing he heard would be his mother's voice and not Gwandoya's mad laughter. And dying of thirst was faster, kinder than a slow death by starvation. He almost felt like he was lying on a bed, instead of in the unforgiving sand. Still, the sand at the oasis had been soft...
But someone would find his body, and the ring, and Kaveh would be angry that some corpse robber had him. So Aladdin had to get up, and struggle on, or Kaveh would roll a boulder across him...
Aladdin forced his eyes open and sat up. His head hurt like he'd drunk too much wine again, but he'd grown used to that in Tasnim. He blinked away the blurriness, waiting to see either the desert or the rock walls of Tasnim. What he did not expect to see were the whitewashed walls of his mother's house.
"Maman?" he croaked. If this truly was her house, she must be here, for he'd heard her voice.
He heard something crash to the floor. "Aladdin?" A moment later, she emerged from the gloom.
"How did I get here?" he asked. "And do you have any water?"
"Of course!" She reached down and only now did Aladdin see the jug and cup on the floor beside him. She filled the cup and handed it to him.
Aladdin drained it, then refilled it himself and drank a second cup before his parched throat felt moistened enough to speak. "How did I get here?"
Maman shot a dark glance over her shoulder. "Your friend, Kaveh, carried you in here, half dead from exposure and thirst. He comes every day, bringing food and other things, but he refuses to take any money or thanks for it. And he disappears, like he has done again. It is as though he does not wish to be seen here."
Something tightened around Aladdin's finger, before the pressure eased as quickly as it had come. Kaveh's ring. He was not gone, the pressure reminded him.
"I will settle everything with him, Maman," Aladdin promised. "You don't need to worry about it."
"I do not trust him. Yes, he saved your life, but he has secrets that he does not say." His mother frowned.
"Let the man keep his secrets. He is allowed to them."
"We still must pay him. Did you bring any money back from whatever you were doing? I searched your clothes, but all I found was this thing." She held up the blackened lamp. "Perhaps we can get a coin or two for it. It is heavy brass. If I can polish it well, perhaps enough to pay him back a small amount..."
Before Aladdin could stop her, she spat on the lamp and began to rub at it furiously with a handful of her skirt.
Blue smoke erupted from the spout of the lamp, pouring out until it filled the room from floor to ceiling. Just like with the ring, the smoke took the form of a man, a man so enormous he had to bend double to fit in the room.
"I am the servant of the lamp," the smoky man boomed. "What do you wish of me?"
Maman's eyes widened in terror, and she whimpered as she tried to back away from the djinn, for surely this was another of Kaveh's kind. Then she overbalanced, falling backward and striking her head against the wall.
"Maman! Are you all right?" Aladdin asked, rushing to check. The back of her hea
d was bleeding from where it had hit the wall, but she still drew breath. He carried her to the bed, not sure what else to do.
"I said: what do you wish of me?"
Aladdin whirled to face the djinn. The lamp had fallen to the floor, so he picked it up. "You frightened my mother and now she is hurt. I wish you would fix the mess you have made."
"I cannot undo what has been done, but I can heal her," the djinn said.
Aladdin blinked in surprise. It took him a moment before he had the presence of mind to say, "Then do it."
He watched in fascination as the djinn bent over his mother, holding out his hands. Blue light arced from his hands to her, until her head was enveloped in a blue cloud. Then he waved his hand and the light died. "It is done," the djinn said. "When she wakes, it will be as though she was never injured. What else do you wish of me?"
Aladdin wet his lips. "Answers. What are you?"
"I am the servant of the lamp, and my master is whoever holds it in his hands."
"So you are a djinn?"
"Yes."
"You can perform magic? What sort of magic can you do?"
The djinn swelled to fill half the room. "I can make you the richest man alive. Transport you to the farthest reaches of the Earth and back again in the blink of an eye. Build you a palace so magnificent even the Sultan will beg to see inside."
Aladdin sucked in a breath. He wanted all of those things, but he knew nothing came without a cost. Before he wished for anything, he needed to talk to Kaveh. He knew Kaveh, whereas this djinn was a stranger.
"What would you wish me to do first, master?" the genie rumbled.
Aladdin thought for a moment. His belly rumbled, reminding him that it had been a long time since he'd eaten. Kaveh had provided him with food, and there had been no ill consequences from that. Finally, he said, "I am hungry. Bring me something to eat."
The djinn bowed low, then vanished.
"Show off," Kaveh muttered, emerging like a wraith from the ring. "Mister high and mighty, all powerful master of everything."
"Do you know him?"
Kaveh glared at the lamp. "I have seen him before, yes. Prince Philemon was master of the lamp for a time, before he disappeared, and he had no need for me when he had him. He handed me to one of his servants, who sold me to buy bread after he left the city. To the madman I'd rather not return to."
"Would you rather I'd asked you to fetch my food?"
Kaveh looked affronted. "You had no need to ask him for anything. I gave you the contents of the royal larder! I still have some of it, too. If I can remember where I hid it. Must be here somewhere, the house isn't that big..." He wandered about the room, waving his arms as though he expected to touch something unseen. "Ah, here! You liked the prince's almonds, so I brought two barrels."
"I liked them because they were the only thing that didn't require cooking, or taste so sweet they made me terribly thirsty," Aladdin replied. He'd eaten so many almonds in the last week, he'd happily live the rest of his life without eating another.
"Oh," Kaveh seemed crestfallen, but not for long. "I brought the prince's garden, too. That will impress your princess, you'll see."
"The entire garden?" Aladdin had briefly wandered through what Kaveh had called the harem gardens, a large, high-ceilinged cavern filled with artificial trees made of metal and gemstones. Every jewelled leaf, flower and fruit had been lovingly crafted so each was unique, but under all the dust Aladdin had found it hard to be impressed. It had looked so forlorn, a world that had once glittered with magic but was now brown and dull with dust.
"Just the trees. Most of the shrubs. And all the flowers."
The entire garden, then.
"Where did you put it all?"
Kaveh opened his mouth. "Ah – "
A cloud of blue smoke exploded into the room, then parted to reveal a host of golden dishes bearing a banquet of more food than Aladdin had ever seen in his life. Things that could only have come from the palace kitchen, or one like it.
"Your meal, master," the huge djinn boomed.
Maman screwed up her face, moving restlessly in the bed as though she were about to wake. She would not be happy to see the giant djinn in the house still.
"Now, go hide in the lamp, or wherever it is you go, until I summon you again," Aladdin said.
The djinn set the dishes down and disappeared.
Just in time, for Maman sat up. "What was that thing?"
"Nothing, Maman. I have food for us. What would you like to eat?"
Maman looked around in bewilderment. "Where did you get the money for so much food, or such dishes?"
Kaveh had disappeared again, leaving Aladdin to explain on his own. "I fear you would not believe me, Maman. It is a story for another time. But I did not steal them, and they belong to us now. Of that I am certain. Now, let us eat, and when we are done, perhaps we can sell the dishes to a goldsmith so we can buy you some new clothes."
Maman nodded. "Very well. We can talk after we have eaten."
For the first time in longer than he could remember, Aladdin sat down to a meal with his mother, where they both ate their fill. For once, he'd done something right.
FIFTEEN
"You wished to see me, Father?" Maram asked as she stepped into the Sultan's lavish apartments. She did not want to go on another diplomatic mission until she knew what had happened to Aladdin, but she could hardly refuse. "Which part of the world would you like me to conquer next?"
He laughed, for he knew as well as Maram did that she spoke only partly in jest. "No, I am happy to have you home, daughter, at least for now. It is your future I am thinking of, and all the conquests you have already made. You deserve a reward."
Maram clapped her hands. "Then you will build a bigger bathhouse on the palace grounds? I know just the place..."
Father shook his head. "No, we have all the bathhouses we need. And you will not be here to use it when it is built, so where would the point be in that?"
Maram's heart turned cold. "Where will I be, Father?" This news did not bode well.
He waved for her to sit down. Maram selected a fat cushion and took her seat.
"You know that my Vizier, Ali, has been a good and faithful adviser to me since I ascended to my father's throne. As deserving of reward as you, in fact," the Sultan began.
Maram nodded slowly. Yes, Ali was a good adviser to her father. He had an astute mind and while she did not always agree with him on international relations, she still respected his experience in matters of local politics. "He has had several wives, and many children by them. A new, young wife would be a burden to him, I am sure."
"Indeed, and so he has told me. In fact, when I asked him what reward he would want from me in return for his loyal service, his thoughts were for his children."
Maram waited, her dread building. She had no intention of training some poor girl to be a courtesan. She might have chosen this path for herself, but she would not recommend it for anyone, and she would fight her father if he tried to force one of the Vizier's daughters to become her replacement.
"His oldest son, Hasan, who he hopes will succeed him as Vizier one day, has never married. Ali says it is because he wishes to have only one wife, the most perfect of all. It seems he has been madly in love with you since your first diplomatic mission together." Father smiled indulgently.
"Hasan can go fuck a camel, for I'll never let him touch me," Maram wanted to say, but those were not the right words to say to the Sultan. They weren't entirely true, either. She'd prefer the camel to do the fucking, forcing itself on Hasan as the man had tried to do to her.
"Hasan is not the husband I would have chosen," Maram said instead. It would be a good match for him, and also a politically astute one for her, as she and her children would never have a strong claim on the throne, so Hasan could not usurp the place of her father or, upon his death, one of her brothers.
"I had not thought to ask you to choose a husband yet, but Anahita tells me it i
s time," Father continued.
Maram's blood boiled. Why, that little sneak. Avenging herself on Maram for suggesting Anahita marry again. If Anahita hadn't already left the palace to seek her new husband, Maram would slap her silly. She still would, when she saw Anahita again, for the girl never stayed married for long.
Maram forced herself to swallow down her ire. She was a politician, she knew how to negotiate better than anyone. "Perhaps it is time for me to marry, before I am too old for motherhood. But I would not want to marry a man who is unworthy, or who could not provide for me and my children. I am comfortable here in the palace, Father, and I would not wish to live anywhere less comfortable. Before I consent to marry this man, I would like to see him build me a palace fit for a princess." With a bathhouse, she thought but did not say. Because when he failed to include a bathhouse that pleased her, she could delay further by insisting that it be built.
Father nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you are right. He must have a house deserving of his bride. So we will announce your engagement tomorrow, as I had planned, but the wedding must wait until Hasan has provided a suitable place for you to live."
Maram allowed herself to breathe again. Construction was slow, so she would have time to locate Aladdin in that time. Perhaps even persuade him to change his mind about becoming her lover.
In the meantime, she had to find a way to stop this marriage to horrible Hasan. She should have shoved a knife in his guts when she'd had the chance, all those years ago, instead of holding it to his manhood and threatening to amputate his crown jewels if he did not leave her alone. Now...if all else failed, she would find an assassin to do the job for her.
SIXTEEN
"And so, that is where I have been. Exploring an underground city, getting left behind, and having to trek through the desert to get home," Aladdin finished. He'd managed to tell his mother the truth without mentioning djinn once.