The Forbidden Wish(35)
“Your arrival has caused a stir among my people,” Caspida says at last. Her gown, cut from glittering teal silk, drags behind her, and the light of the lanterns hung from the portico’s arches glints off the elaborate jeweled necklace resting on her collarbone. She is every bit the princess, and beside her Aladdin is . . . every bit the prince. Taller than Caspida by several inches, he walks with his head tilted, so he can look in her eyes while she speaks. “It has been some time since anyone of importance has visited Parthenia. We are not quite the great influence we once were in this world, and I’m afraid many of the larger southern cities find us odd and backward. You might find yourself something of a curiosity to my court.”
“Like a trained monkey,” says Aladdin.
Her lips curl at the corners in amusement. “Once, we received princes and kings and queens from all across the world. Parthenia was a center of learning and art, renowned for its open doors and tolerant court. But our feud with the jinn has weakened us, and it is all we can do to maintain our own borders. Being shut off for so long has made my people suspicious and prejudiced. We fear those we once welcomed, and see jinn lurking in every shadow.”
She pauses and leans over the railing, staring out at the horizon. “I don’t mean to sound pessimistic. I just want you to understand the mood in my court.”
Aladdin, his back to the view, watches Caspida instead. “Why are you telling me this?”
She smiles humorlessly. “So you don’t think us all backward and prejudiced. There are some in this court who would have us reach out, to rekindle our old alliances and rally support against Ambadya. If we all stood against the jinn together, we might succeed. Too long have the nations of our world cowered before these monsters and their whims.”
“Some . . . meaning you?”
Caspida looks down at her hands, idly fingering the bangles around her wrist. “The eastern kingdoms don’t think women are fit to rule, did you know that? There are even those in Parthenia who think I should be set aside in favor of my uncle or my cousin Darian. They think our enemies will not take us seriously if a woman is on the throne.”
“Let them. And while they’re busy laughing, you’ll be busy ruling. Being underestimated isn’t flattering—but it’s an advantage.” He shrugs. “I’ve been underestimated all my life and have found it a cloak as useful as invisibility.”
Caspida turns her face toward him, her eyes probing his. “You are cunning, Rahzad rai Asnam. Are you a student of war?”
Aladdin laughs. “I take it you didn’t get a look at my ship, or you wouldn’t ask.”
“So what are you then?” She takes a step toward him, lifting her face to study him closely. “A scholar? An artist?”
“More like a dreamer.”
“It must be nice, to afford dreams.”
“Don’t you dream?”
“Dreams won’t protect the city from jinn. Dreams won’t feed my people. Dreams won’t . . .” She presses her lips together.
Aladdin, in a gentler voice, asks, “Princess, if you could wish for anything in the world, what would you wish for?”
She studies him for a long moment, as if unsure whether he is teasing or serious. Then she gives a little sigh and says, “You shouldn’t picks fights with Darian. He’s more dangerous than he looks.”
“Do you love him?”
She draws back, startled at the frank question and the directness of Aladdin’s gaze. For a moment, she only stares at him in evaluation, her cheeks flushing. Then she turns away, her chin lifting. “Good evening, Prince Rahzad. I hope you find your stay here most comfortable.”
With that, she disappears inside, leaving him to beat his head against a stone pillar.
“Smoky,” he groans, “this isn’t going to be easy, is it?”
Amusement tugs at my lips. “Not a chance, thief.”
Chapter Eleven
AS SOON AS ALADDIN IS ASLEEP, I slip out the door and shift into a cat, then run through the halls, ears perked and whiskers twitching. The palace is quiet at night, the corridors dark except for the moonlight that pours through the tall arched windows. Crickets chirp in the many courtyards, and I pass the peacocks roosting in a small grove of lemon trees. I listen at every door, and move on when I don’t find what I’m looking for.
I’m almost at the edge of the lamp’s magical perimeter when I finally hear Darian’s voice.
The door to his room is shut, but that doesn’t deter me. I shift into a spider and crawl beneath it, then scurry up the wall, staying in the shadows. Taking the form of a spider is difficult—so many legs to manage, and staring through all those eyes makes me dizzy. So when I reach the ceiling, I transform into a bat and hang upside down, my toes clinging to a groove in the wall.