Agrabah was the oasis of heaven. The sun smiled on the city, and on its streets paved with gold. Alabaster towers spiraled into the jewel-colored sky, their shining minarets piercing the clouds. Latticework windows provided glimpses of the woven carpets and tiled mosaics inside, and painted, silk-clad men and women looked out of them with kohl-lined eyes.
The city was splendid to behold, and no sense was left out. Visitors could feel the golden sun gently warming their skin, and the soft heat of the sand contrasted with the cool stone paths of the city. Scents manmade and natural mingled in the air, the ripe citrus on the trees combining with the heady, tantalizing spices of the marketplace. There was a jingle of coins and a swish of cloth as a veiled dancer passed by, and in the distance, a pungi sang liltingly.
All this and more greeted Queen Elsa as she peeked out the curtains in her caravan. Until she reached the city, she had remained in a more familiar carriage, but this was Agrabah, and things were different here. Everything was different here. The city was as warm and open as Arendelle was cold and austere. She wondered if Sultana Jasmine was the same, and the thought made her nervous, as nervous as the burning sun on her pale skin.
Jasmine had not been the ruler of Agrabah for long. She was a young sultana, barely eighteen years old, and had taken the role when her father died peacefully in his sleep. Elsa's ambassadors had brought back stories of a beautiful, kittenish woman who was content to let her advisors carry on with politics while she enjoyed the delights of her country. So, too, would Elsa leave much of the diplomacy to the men and women trained in the culture of their hosts. She was here on a friendly visit, to congratulate Jasmine on her position and to extend an offer of alliance and trade opportunities between the kingdoms.
Elsa would have preferred a subtle entrance, but that was impossible both for a queen and in Agrabah. Turbaned officials with curved shoes and swords lined the streets as she passed, and glistening shirtless serving men unrolled a carpet ahead of her. Common people stared at the spectacle from market stalls and recessed entryways.
As they approached the massive palace that formed the center of the city, more and more details came into view. First the golden domes, more than Elsa could count. Then inlaid marble, interlocking and twining into naturalistic, spiraling forms. An open courtyard in front of a gate decorated with lions and gryphons of turquoise. Elephants the color of ivory standing on either side of the gate, holding date branches in their trunks. White flowers were strewn all about, filling the air with sweet perfume. As plucked and blown instruments played a wailing fanfare, the drawbridge opened toward Elsa, revealing that every inch of the wood and the walls behind it were carved, both in relief and illumination, with symbols and icons.
This is really a great deal of fuss, Elsa fretted. She was keenly aware that all eyes were on her. She wished she had worn a fuller dress, though the royal gown she'd chosen was still uncomfortably warm in the desert sun. She waited impatiently for the guards to open the door and let her in already. And close it behind us.
The inside of the palace was even more detailed than the exterior, though that was scarcely imaginable. Alternating black-and-white designs met each other and melded into something that might have given Elsa a headache if she'd known where to look. Sand-colored arches began checkered hallways that converged in a way that defied geometry. Reds, oranges, teals, gold, ivory and ochre covered the walls and floor. the courtiers and guards that greeted Elsa and her party were so colorfully clad that even in the setting, they stood out. They clustered around the caravan, escorting it down a series of halls to the royal chamber.
After all the pomp and circumstance, the throne room was almost subdued. The walls weren't so much walls as partitions, since they were made of gilded material in a mesh-like pattern, artfully dividing the space while allowing air and light to circulate. The floors were a simple pattern of alabaster and black quartz. Serving men fanned the air with palm fronds, stirring up a cool breeze and the scent of cinnamon and sandalwood. Where Elsa expected a grand throne, there was a pile of tasseled pillows. Atop the pillows lounged Sultana Jasmine Bint-Hamid.