Disclaimer: This will be the disclaimer for the subsequent chapters as well. I do not own Magi or its characters. For now rated T, but may be raised to M.
A/N: Well, I know I shouldn't start another story. I was going to wait, but I couldn't help myself after binge watching both the Labyrinth of Magic and Kingdom of Magic. I tried to chill out before watching the Adventures of Sinbad, but I finished that too :'( Then I went and spoiled myself with the manga, and I didn't even read the whole thing, I literally just skipped around to everything having to deal with Sinbad in the last like 10 chapters. Honestly…I want to strangle the life out of him.
Compared to more popular anime like Naruto, Bleach, Inuyasha, etc. there aren't that many Magi fics out there, so I thought "Why not contribute". I know Sinbad and Kouen are popular when it comes to these things, but I simply couldn't help myself. I haven't decided what the final pairing will be, if there even will be one. Though they are both very attractive characters, they probably wouldn't make ideal husbands.
I'd also like to give a shout out to pemberleys for the encouragement and xLilim because her fic Empress is what made me watch Magi in the first place!
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy. Please do leave a review and tell me what you think afterwards. ^_^
Things were never supposed to be so complicated. When had their lives become so intertwined? When had she become so reliant? When had she become someone she never wanted to be? There are some things one can change; others are immutable, one of them being destiny.
PART I—The Kingdom of Sumeryia
Chapter One
The Kingdom of Sumeryia lay situated in the center of the Southern Continent. The country was an oddity due to its landscape. The Hassan River—a body of water immense in both length and width allowed the middle and western end of the country to flourish with lush greenery and tropical fauna and flora. The river started in the north at the mighty Sumer Jungle, flowing down through the Capital—Hassan— before dumping out into the sea. The nation took advantage of the river's flow and set up irrigation systems for their crops.
On the other side lay the reason for the country's oddity. On the eastern end of the country was the Assyrian Desert. A barren, sandy land, that provided a natural border between Sumeryia and the country lying to the west. In the desert, the mild Sumeryian climate increased drastically in temperature. The desert ran for miles to the east before becoming a plateau and acting as a border. Few lived there; only the poorest of the poor. Less than half of the desert that was livable—only the eastern edge where water from the Hassan River could be irrigated in. The land was still dry, but water, as little as it was, was available for its residents.
The poor and impoverished weren't they only ones living in the desert. During the first few years of training, those in the army were required to live and train in the desert as a way of increasing their endurance to the highest levels. It was the reason why the kingdom, though not as large as some prominent empires, had one of the strongest armies in the world. It was also the reason why Sumeryia rarely had to worry about invasion. There had been a few times in the past where warring nations had tried, but each invasion failed due to the inability to cross the Assyrian Desert. Only with the help of a Sumeryian soldier would one be capable of passing through the vast wasteland.
To the west of Sumeryia was Asuria, a smaller country separated from Sumeryia by the Asur River. The Asur River branched off from the Hassan River. Asuria and Sumeryia were allies due to their proximity and were each other's top importer and exporter. The two had an open border policy, allowing merchants of each country to pass to and fro with ease.
To the east was the country of Hanan. Hanan and Sumeryia had no formal alliance. Hanan was a homogenous country that preferred to keep to themselves. Unlike with Asuria, Hanan and Sumeryia had no open border policy so travel between the two was more difficult, not to mention the desert plateau separating the two countries made it even tougher. Few made the trek from Sumeryia to Hanan and vice versa, only approved merchants and diplomats.
At the center of Sumeryia was the capital, Hassan. Hassan was its largest and most populated city. No matter the time of day, the capital was always busy. From snake charmers and fortune tellers on the street to plays and circus acts in the theatre, Hassan also served as the center for culture and entertainment.
At the very heart of the capital was the royal palace—the largest and most extravagant building in entire country. It was white with gold detailing along the walls and intricate windows. The dome at the very center—which also served as the palace's highest point—was a rich gold color, while the two smaller domes on either side were a lighter gold. The whole grounds itself was surrounded by large walls that shielded it from the prying eyes of anyone who was not authorized to be inside.
The palace was broken up into sections. The west wing served as the center of administration, it was where meetings and formal audiences were held. The east wing was where the military was assembled and served as a training grounds, on the second floor was the large library. On the second floor of the south wing were the quarters for the staff—maids, gardeners, cooks—on the first floor was the kitchen and dining area. The throne room sat at the very top of the north wing and led out to a balcony that gave a view of the whole city. Below the throne room were the quarters of the royal guard and those closest to the royal family, such as retainers. Lastly, the very center of the palace housed the royal family. On the third floor was the king and queen's quarters, the second were the princes' and princess's quarters, and on the first floor were a few rooms for honored guests.
The royal family currently consisted of six members. The 16th ruler of Sumeryia, King Arman Al'Jassan, his wife Queen Nuria, their three sons: First Prince Armin, Second Prince Ali, and Third Prince Ahmed; and last, but not least their niece: Princess Nazanin.
"Princess, please! That's dangerous."
Nazanin glanced over her shoulder at the man standing a few feet behind her at the balcony doors. He was worried about her falling over, but it was a common thing for her to sit on the balcony's concrete railing. He should have been used to it by now. Besides, she would never fall—she had impeccable balance and her reflexes were just as good.
"You worry too much, Jalal," was her short answer before returning her attention to the men below. She had been reading a book on the balcony of the library when the daily training of the Sumeryian army commenced. It wasn't the whole army, as the whole country's army wouldn't be able to fit in such a spot; different sections trained at different times and on different days, and even then, it was select. She had stopped reading and began to watch when she saw someone different was leading the day's instruction.
Usually it was led by the first prince, Armin Al'Jassan. He was the general commander of the army and led them fiercely. He fit the role of commander well, having short dark hair reaching just below his ears and thick brows that were always furrowed due to his face being set intense. Today, however, instruction was being led by the second in command and second prince, Ali.
Prince Ali was a much more personable man than his elder brother. Unlike the first prince, Ali always had a pleasant look on his face, and rarely did he ever look anything but. Rarely didn't mean never—at times Prince Ali could be scary, but a lot would have to go down for that to happen.
"Ah, I see Prince Ali is leading today," Jalal said as he moved closer to join the princess in watching. "It's nice to see him giving them instruction on swordplay, he is the best swordsman after all."
"Second best," Nazanin corrected.
"Huh?"
"He is the second best. I took the best swordsman for my own use." Her nonchalant answer surprised the man, earning a bashful look. He closed his eyes and bowed his head in an act of modesty.
"You flatter me, Princess."
Jalal was what would be considered her assistant or attendant and acted dually as her personal guard. She had handpicked him from the royal guard when she first became princess. Jalal was a broad shouldered, tall and lean man, standing at six-foot-two. He had long black hair that he usually tied in a low ponytail and feathery bangs that covered his brows, stopping just above his hazel eyes. Nazanin thought his light, hazel eyes went nicely with his brown skin. He had a small mole just below his right eye, a sharp nose, and average sized lips.
He wore a long, white, sleeveless tunic that showed off his muscular arms, and black slim fitting pants, opposed to the baggy harem trousers worn by most, with his sword at his side. The look was finished off with black boots. His attire was slightly different from the rest of the Sumeryian royal guard; however, she liked that it was fashionable. To many women, including the palace maids, Jalal was quite the catch.
Nazanin got down from the railing and stood to her feet. She smoothed out her long plum purple skirt that's ends were decorated with gold embroidery. The skirt stopped at the top of her feet, allowing her sandaled feet to be shown only when she took a step. It was loose at the bottom and as it went up hugged her thighs and hips in a mermaid manner. The top of the skirt stopped at the top of her hips, showing off her pierced navel.
A few inches above her navel, the matching shirt began. It was the same purple color with the same gold embroidery on the bottom, neckline, and the end of the short sleeves. The neckline wasn't too low, as it covered her bosom and showed the skin above. Completing the outfit was a sheer plum fabric that had even more gold embroidery. It wrapped around her waist, covering her otherwise exposed torso—though it could still be seen since the fabric was see through—and across her chest before being draped over her left shoulder.
"Come, Jalal. Let's go see Ali."
"But, Princess, he's working."
"I'm sure the officers won't mind ending a bit early today." Nazanin waved him off, passing by him and reentering the library in order to go downstairs. With a sigh, Jalal straightened up and followed his lady out. The library was rather large, and filled to the brim with books about the lineage royal family, Sumeryian history, and the history of the other countries on the Southern Continent. It even contained some information on Heliohapt and Parthevia, which were on different continents.
The library entrance was conveniently across from the winding stairs, so it didn't take them too long to make it downstairs and outside the palace walls. As she and Jalal made their way to the second prince, whose back was tuned to her, the officers noticed Nazanin and began stopping and bowing in respect.
"Princess, good afternoon!" the men greeted in unison.
"Good afternoon. Please stand up," Nazanin spoke, beckoning them up with the palm of her right hand.
Prince Ali sheathed his sword and turned around to meet his first cousin. "Naz, Jalal."
Jalal bowed his head in respect, "Prince Ali."
"What are you doing out here?"
"I came to steal you away from your men." Nazanin answered, tugging on his sleeve. "Eat lunch with me, I'm feeling a bit hungry."
"Naz, I'm in the middle of instruction." He motioned with the incline of his head to the six dozen men standing behind him. They were all standing still with their hands to their sides as they waited for their commander to give further instruction.
"Please, Prince Ali. I really wanted to spend some time with you today." Nazanin's lips twisted upwards, revealing her pearly white teeth, in a smile. And her eyes. Ali's mouth twitched as he faltered under her gaze. Those damn eyes were the devil's work, and whenever she gave that dazzling smile and used that sweet voice of hers, he was putty in her hands.
He sighed, "Fine." He turned to his men and dismissed them lazily. "Training's over. Go back to doing whatever you do."
Jalal gave his lady a disapproving look. "You mustn't do that, Princess."
"What do you mean, Jalal?" she asked, innocently.
The man sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind."
Ali turned back to Nazanin, holding his arm out to her. "Let's go, shall we? I'm feeling rather peckish myself."
[ . . . ]
Nazanin and Ali sat across from each other at a small table within the palace gardens. The table was situated under a large tree, which shaded them from the hot Sumeryian sun. On the table were refreshments and food made by the palace chefs. Jalal and Hakim, Prince Ali's assistant, stood off to the side having their own conversation as their masters chatted.
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking, Ali?"
Ali, who was taking a sip of wine, shrugged. "It's passed noon, so it's fine." He then set the glass down, placing his arm on the table and propping his head up with his palm. "Now, it's not often you eat lunch with me. What is it that you want, Naz?"
Nazanin hit his elbow with her hand, soliciting a loud "Ow!" from the man. She just rolled her eyes, "I know you were taught to not put your elbows on the table."
"We're alone, who cares?" Ali rubbed at his elbow, "Sheesh, you didn't have to hit me so hard. You don't know your own strength." He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest. "Now, what is it that you wanted?"
"Why is it that you think I want something?" Nazanin asked as she cut into the piece of stewed chicken on her plate. "I was simply curious as to why you were leading military instruction today and not Armin, that's all."
"Is it really so strange? I am the second in command, you know."
She shook her head as she took some rice and chicken into her mouth. She actually was hungry, as she had skipped breakfast that morning. Once she swallowed her food, she spoke. "Not really, just usually it's Armin who does it, that's all."
Ali sighed, stirring his food with his fork. "Father has returned from Balbadd, so Armin went to greet him."
"I see."
Nazanin wasn't too informed when it came to politics. She was out of the loop, mostly by choice. However, she did know that the king had gone to Balbadd a little over a week ago to discuss their trade agreement. Balbadd and Sumeryia were on friendly terms—it had been like so for as long as she could remember—so she assumed that everything went well. No doubt they would hear about it during dinner.
And during dinner, they did indeed hear about the king's trip to Balbadd. The family sat at a long oval shaped table. The king sat at the head of the table with the queen sitting in the seat beside him. On the right side of the table sat First Prince Armin and Second Prince Ali, and across from them on the left sat Third Prince Ahmed and Princess Nazanin.
Nazanin didn't pay much attention to the conversation, choosing instead to focus on her food. Ahmed seemed to be doing the same thing, however he was always the quieter and more secluded of the bunch. While his two older brothers vied for the king's attention, he preferred to sit on the sidelines and observe.
"I suspect the King of Balbadd won't last too much longer." Nazanin heard the king say.
"What?" came the shocked gasp of his wife, Nuria. "King Rashid is sick?"
"It would seem so. I fear for the future of Balbadd with him gone."
Nazanin tuned out of the conversation as dessert was brought out by the servants. She was a fan of sweets—well, she was a fan of any type of food save for anything with a gelatinous type of consistency. Her attention remained focused on the sweet treat until she heard the king mention something about a visitor. At this, she once again perked up, wiping away any crumbs on her mouth with a napkin.
"A visitor?" she repeated, her first contribution to the conversation all evening. The queen cast her a short narrowed eyed look before looking back towards the king. Nazanin ignored the woman, intent on listening to what the king had to say. It wasn't often the Sumeryian Palace had guests, so her interest was piqued.
"Yes," the king answered. "While in Balbadd, I met a rather interesting man. He's an ally of King Rashid. He's interested in starting trade with us," King Arman explained.
"Interested in trading with us?" Ali murmured, rubbing his chin with his hand.
"Yes, that's the primary reason for his visit."
"And just who exactly is it?" Prince Armin asked, a question everyone wanted to know.
The king smirked as he stated, "The King of Sindria, King Sinbad."
A/N: I want to explain some things:
Ages: Nazanin (19), Sinbad (25), Kouen (24), Prince Armin (25), Prince Ali (23), Prince Ahmed (20), Jalal (23)
This first part of the fic starts roughly 3-4 years before start of the series. Enough time after whatever happened between Sindria and Parthevia (I hope, since I haven't tried to read the AoS manga) and enough time to establish relationships and events before actually getting into the events of Magi. I'm sure you can figure out the rest of the Magi cast's ages given this, not that it's too important at the moment. I also want to add that I'm not sure if there has been any mention of a Southern Continent, hopefully not so I don't have to change things around.
Sumeryia is a combination of the names Sumer and Assyria. I looked up ancient civilizations and decided to put the two names together. It was kind of hard for me to choose between creating a country that was loosely Arabian/Persian based like many others in Magi or one loosely Latin based (since we have Arabian and Persian ones already, plus Reim obviously based on Ancient Rome, and Heliohapt which is obviously inspired by Egypt), but in the end I chose the former. Sumeryia isn't based off a particular nation or culture, but it's a bit inspired by the Indian sub continent, mainly the style of dress (Nazanin's outfit described was basically a Saree). It is NOT meant to be an accurate representation, just minor inspiration like in Magi.
Since a lot of the major character in Magi are from Arabian Nights (Sinbad, Alibaba, Aladdin, etc.) I decided to look at some of the stories to see what I could work with. The story I came across was "The Three Princes and Princess Nourounnihar". I named the princes after the princes in the story, save for Armin (The 1st prince in that story was named Houssein, but I didn't like that name and to keep with the trend of "A", chose Armin). Nazanin isn't really based on the princess in the story. The story mainly provided a bit a inspiration for this one.
Side note: I modeled Jalal's appearance after one of my anime hubbies lol. Anyone want to take a stab at guessing who? Here's a (easy)hint: Noah ;)
Sorry for the long author's note. Thanks for reading!