A/N: Welcome to my newest story, A Whole New World! This is the sequel to Everything She Ever Wanted, and we will see many familiar faces in this story. This is the prologue, and takes place a couple of years after the first epilogue in Everything She Ever Wanted. The rating is for safety, as there are some touchy subjects in here later on.
Disclaimer: This all belongs to Tamora Pierce. I also don't own the Aladdin song "A Whole New World."
Summary: Yasmin Brandon is a thief under the Rogue of Corus, and her parents are thieves too. Stealing things and sneaking around seems to be her lot in life. When she assigned to infiltrate the palace as a court lady, Yasmin jumps at the chance. Accompanied by her half-Elemental friend, Amadahy, Yasmin begins to discover the world her mother left behind. Making friends and enemies, Yasmin has to learn a whole new set of rules for this new world in which she lives. When she is betrayed, her true identity is revealed, and it is a race against time to see if Yasmin will make it out of the court's deadly intrigues with her life.
A Whole New World: Prologue
A glittering structure crowned the capital city of Tortall: the royal palace. While its occupants went about their daily lives, a young girl in the upper room of a small stone house on the Street of Willows watched the sunlight dance off the towers and sighed. She was small and slender for her six years of age, but her green eyes were sharp and took in everything. Her straight black hair was wrapped into a tight braid, with whiteorchids adorning the top and bottom, giving her midnight-black hair splashes of color.
Propping her elbows up onto the windowsill, the girl looked out at the fairy-tale like structure and sighed once more. A woman came up behind her, hearing her daughter's sigh, and laid her hand on the girl's slender shoulder. The girl spun around, and smiled as she saw her mother.
"Yasmin," the woman asked softly, smoothing out her daughter's hair, "what are you thinking about?"
The girl—Yasmin—sighed. "Ma, do you ever wonder what it would be like to live in the palace?" She had turned back to look at the glittering palace, so she missed the surprised look on the woman's face, only to be quickly covered up by neutrality.
"I suppose we all do," Nara murmured, perching on the windowsill next to her daughter. "I suppose we all dream of being royalty at least once."
Yasmin turned, her green eyes suddenly shrewd, her fascination with the castle suddenly gone. "Did you ever want to be a lady?"
Nara nodded absently, occupied with rebraiding Yasmin's hair, which had begun to fall out. "I always wanted to be a lady," she murmured softly, then thought wryly, More than you'll ever know.
"Now stop twisting around like that," she scolded her daughter, effectively changing the subject. "Just hold still." Yasmin turned obediently, but she fidgeted, trying to get one more glimpse of the sun bouncing off the glittering castle before night threw its shadowy cloak over the city.
The door to the bedroom opened, and both Nara and Yasmin looked up with interest as a man stepped through the door, holding a three year old boy in his arms.
"I see you found the welcoming committee," Nara grinned, and Yasmin dashed across the room with a cry of "Da! You're home!" She yanked her hair out of Nara hold, the half-braided hair fluttering in every direction. Nara held up her hands in surrender, knowing that trying to braid her daughter's hair now would be hopeless.
Getting up, she greeted her husband, kissing him deeply before taking her son from him. The little boy looked up at her, his messy black hair in disarray, his blue-black eyes, so like hers, alive with life. His tan round face beamed up at her, and she kissed him on the forehead before setting him down.
Nalin padded off, and upon spotting Kele, his baby face light up. "Kele!" He cried joyfully, and the chase was on. While their son was busy tumbling after the miniature kudarung, and Yasmin was once again staring out the window, Shadow drew Nara aside.
"So," he asked, "what did you do today?" Nara looked at him, smiling.
"Oh, not much," she answered causually, "Yasmin and I were just talking about being nobles." She was not disappointed her husband's reaction, and she had to laugh.
Shadow's face was white, and his green eyes were huge in his face. "What did you tell her?" He asked hoarsely, sounding panicked. Nara's laughter quickly died at the panic in his voice.
"I merely told her that we all want to be nobility some days." Nara soothed him, pulling him into her arms. Shadow relaxed at these words, and Nara rested against him gratefully.
Meanwhile, Yasmin was busy watching the shadowy darkness of night cover the distant palace. "One day," she whispered to herself. "I'm going to be a lady. I just know I will!"
A/N: Well, that was the prologue. Good, bad, should I delete it? Tell me what you think by reviewing! If I get four reviews I'll have Chapter 1 up in a few days. Please review, and no flames!
