Agrabah

~Aida~

The sand stung at her eyes, but it was nothing compared to the barbs of her father and her older brother. Their envoy was long, a caravan swaying and slithering as it snaked its way through the dunes under the moonlight. Every now and then a jostle would rouse her from her half-slumber, or a fresh cool breeze was drive more granules of the desert against her cheeks. Suddenly, everything halted. She winced as she was thrown against the side of the palanquin, and shaking the daze from her head she would glance outside.

Agrabah. Her entire life, her entire existence, had led up to coming to Agrabah. If she failed in the task she set out to do, no doubt she'd be the embarrassment of her family in the very least… but also the death of them at the worst. She had studied embroidery, poetry, dance, and even the oud. Her writing was as elegant as the famed princess of Agrabah, and she had been told she was as beautiful. However, her sources had been her father and brother, both of whom were putting pressure on her for their own reasons.

Her brother's mission was to capture the hand of the princess. Her own mission was to capture the hand of the prince. For their father, it would guarantee that one of his heirs would eventually inherit the throne of Agrabah if either of them succeeded. He was hoping for the position of Grand Vizier as well, which would effectively make him second in command. As their family was high-ranking nobility, and their military resources strong enough to single-handedly keep the enemies of Agrabah away, they seemed the logical choice for the royal family to marry into.

Or so, that's what her father hoped.

She had her own doubts, but at the sight of the glimmering city soaring above the dunes, she forgot it all. She'd never seen the city, and she'd never seen out of her own family manse. This was something new, something splendid, and it took her breath away. Not even the stinging of the sands could avert her gaze, and in that moment not even the moon could outshine the light of promise and excitement in her eyes.

"Remember, Aida. All you have to do is marry the prince. Father's practically got it all arranged. Don't mess it up." Came the gruff voice from behind her. Her brother stood there at the side of her convoy, forlorn as ever as he eyed the city. "We haven't been back since you were born… since mother. You'll have to grovel a bit. If the prince slights you, you're going to take it. But no matter what, don't forget: you're here to marry him."

She did wince, then. Her mind tried fled from the moment and the pain, her eyes set on the city and dreaming of the doors between her and her brother, her father. She dreamed of a prince that would find her as beautiful as her family claimed she was, a prince that would be her escape. "Don't mess this up for me, either." He released her then, stalked off.

His warning sung to her even as she went back to sleep. The caravan roused once more, they journeyed into the city.

She felt a flutter of apprehension flicker deep in her stomach. The entire day she had heard the voices of those in the palace spreading rumors about her. They were rather clear, and it didn't help matters. Two near-silent women had helped her dress in a swath of scarlet fabric lain with mother-of-pearl and glass beads. If they had noticed her pensive state, they said nothing. They only commanded her to turn once, then a second time as they prepared her hair and applied a bit of rouge to her lips. They set a few curls about her face, then covered her plait with cloth-of-gold. She was able to see herself briefly in the mirror, and that did give her a bit of encouragement. As she turned to thank the women, she noticed that they had already left.

"It is time. But first, let me see you." She knew that older, ragged voice. Her father. As she turned to meet his gaze she could see him looking over her as if he were scouring her. He then sighed, his hands moving to clench together behind his back. "Good as can be. You are beautiful enough, but some of the other girls here are prettier." He turned around to head out of the room, a silent cue for her to follow, so she did. "You are the richest girl here, though. Make sure he knows that."

"Yes, father." Was her reply.

He seemed unsatisfied as he walked past an open courtyard. "And charm him. Smile to him. Compliment him. Find something you both like to discuss. But above all, remember he is a prince. You may be rich, but that is not enough. There are others with their eyes set on him. They lie, they steal, they have many tricks and a lot of experience here already. You've been taught well, but now it's time to show what you can do. You. Cannot. Fail."

"I understand." She said.

A flank of guardsmen were rotating out of their shift, with six of them passing by. Behind them were a line of servants carrying a heavy supply of food for the kitchens. They stopped as her father yelled at them for blocking their path, which gave her a quick moment to look within the palace courtyard. A pleasant fountain was there, with a few women looking to her curiously before furiously whispering. Two men seemed to be debating something rather heatedly, one of which wore robes of emerald and the other of garnet. Whatever they argued about, the man in red did not let go of his position, though his tone never rose to shouting level like the other man's.

With the disturbance her father made, the man in the red robes turned to see the commotion. So startled was she to be looked at by another other than her family, she cast her eyes downward. For some reason, she felt embarrassed. Even as her father grabbed her arm and nudged her along, she kept her head down and followed behind him.

"Raise that chin. You're not a kitchen slut, are you?" Her father scowled.

She raised her chin and took in a deep breath. They had arrived now, with him stepping inside to begin introductions. Then the doors opened to let her in. Her eyes looked ahead, but she didn't see. She had dreamed so long of this moment, and now that it was here she felt herself concentrating so hard not to mess up, that she barely lived within it. The whisper of her dress against the smooth floor was far from her ears, and the sight of those gathered in the room were secondary as she looked to the royal family.

There stood the sultan with a graying beard, her father, and her brother. Next to them all was a man she did not recognize, and then there was another row of who she supposed were dignitaries. A blur of crimson moved past her peripheral vision and she heard a whisper in the background among that line. She disregarded it, and instead kept her eyes locked on her father.

"Sultan. This is my only daughter - Aida." Her father began the introductions. The sultan and him exchanged a look of warmth, a look she had rarely seen on her father. "Aida, I introduce you to the crown prince of Agrabah… Hakim."

She bowed to the sultan first, and having given her obeisance she would then turn to the prince himself. Before gazing upon him, she bowed once more. "Your highness… it warms my heart to meet you at last. I have long-awaited such a day to be worthy to finally look upon you. I am blessed to be in the presence of Agrabah's good and noble prince." She then righted herself to begin looking at him then, a smile at her lips and a blush at her cheek. Mentally she checked her posture, her footing, her pose. "I do hope we may get to know each other, if it please your highness." And then, she garnered her courage to look at the handsome prince of the kingdom.

He was handsome, indeed, but he was not smiling. Not even a little bit. Silently he looked at her, then looked to his father and spoke curtly. "I won't marry her. I am displeased." He then brusquely left their presence.

Her father tried to patch up the awkwardness by claiming her inept, unschooled, and she could practically feel her brother fuming. Her heart sank. "I am so sorry sultan, father, it is my fault…" She tried to cover. "I must have caused offense…"

It was the sultan who interrupted them both. "Hakim has been out of sorts lately. I would not be too hard on yourself. He only received the news he must marry fairly recently, and since then he has not been himself. Besides, we still have another introduction to make later this evening as court resumes. We will be having a gathering then, and a feast. Do come then, and do not worry."

Her family was ushered from the room, and the large doors shut behind them. The kindly intonation of her father disappeared as he commanded her brother to return her to the room. She winced once more as his hand gripped her arm forcibly. They passed by the same beautiful courtyard once more, and it was only when she had been locked away into her room that she remembered that the man in the red robes was gone.