Chapter 1: The Princess Jehan
Once upon a time, in a land of scorching desert suns and dancing gypsy girls, there was a grand kingdom in the heart of Arabia. All the people who lived there were happy and prosperous, and they owed it all to their king, Karim, sultan of Arabia. He was a fair ruler, and everyone adored him. He was a good-looking man, of about 37 years of age, with short, wavy dark brown hair and gentle light brown eyes. His wife, the sultana Rana, was a beautiful woman, with dark, reddish-brown hair and eyes the color of honey. She was gentle and caring, but was fierce when she had to be. The Sultan and Sultana were blessed 18 years ago with a beautiful baby girl, named Jehan, and she was now a stunning young woman like her mother. She had a complexion of cinnamon, and her mother's honey colored eyes, and also her mother's red-brown hair. She was loved by everyone in the kingdom, and pursued by all the young, eligible princes in neighboring kingdoms.
Karim was currently pacing the throne room, thinking. Then, a shadow fell over him, making him start. He turned and said, "Oh, Abdel. It's only you" and his advisor inclined his head, saying, "Yes, sire." The sultan looked at him and he said, "Maybe you can help me with a problem I'm having. It's about Jehan."
Abdel groaned inwardly, and he said, "Yes, of course, sire. What seems to be the problem?" Karim sighed and said, "Well, she rejects every prince who comes to ask for her hand. I don't know what to do with her. She's a handful, just like her mother." Abdel just sighed and he said, "Well, sire, perhaps she just hasn't found the right person yet. You have to give her time." Karim said, "Yes, maybe you're right. Ah, well." Abdel bowed again and said, "If you'll excuse me, sire." He left, and when he turned the corner, he sneered and muttered, "Insufferable old fool!"
Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, an older woman was holding a sitar, and another woman had her back turned to the older woman. She turned, and was revealed to be the young princess. Jehan was wearing a belly top with straps that sat off of her shoulders, and it was a turquoise color. She had on a matching pair of harem-like pants, and over it, a sheer cover-up like a dress, only the corners met at her stomach and were held in place by a gold brooch. She was standing in a position as if she was about to dance, and she wore the trademark of her royal status, a golden band around her head with a turquoise tear-shaped gem dangling from the middle, sitting directly on her forehead.
The older woman started to play the sitar, and Jehan started to move in time to the music. She stuck her left leg out in front of her, her foot pointed and knee bent slightly, and she started to twist her hips lightly. As the music picked up in volume, she switched legs and twisted her hips again, and she brought her left arm up and touched her forehead lightly with her fingers, and she held her right arm out in front of her, her hand up and her palm facing out.
Jehan then brought her hands down behind her back, and when she brought them out again, two pieces of turquoise cloth were attached to her middle fingers, and she swirled her arms up and brought them back down. She then started to move around more, switching feet and swaying her hips in beat to the music. She then swayed her hips from side to side in a fluid movement, belly dancing gracefully. She twisted her hands above her head, and she turned in a graceful circle.
The other servants in the palace had started to stop and watch her, and she grinned at them as she continued her dance. She then pushed her chest out and brought it back in, and she did this a few more times, and she finally finished, coming to rest on her knees with her arms crossed and her thumb and middle finger of both her hands touching gently, facing upwards.
The old woman clapped joyously and cried out, "That was excellent, your Highness. Very well done!" and Jehan stood up and said, "Please, Adiva, call me Jehan. I've told you many times before to call me that!" Adiva stood as well and said, "Yes your……I mean, Princess Jehan." A servant ran up and said, "Princess, your mother is looking for you. She's in the menagerie." Jehan said, "Thank you, Amin." He bowed low and left, and Jehan made her way to her favorite spot in the palace. She saw her mother standing there, petting one of Jehan's many pets, an Arabian leopard cub named Nadira, which meant "precious" in Arabic. Jehan walked over to her mother, and she said, "Hello, mother, and hello to you, Nadira!" and she picked the cub up in her arms, and she started to squeal and tried to lick Jehan. Jehan laughed, put Nadira down and said playfully, "Oh, I love my Nadira! You're such a good girl." Nadira squealed again and scampered off to play.
Jehan then said, " Amin said that you were looking for me, mother?" Rana smiled and said, "Yes, Jehan. I wanted to talk to you about finding a husband." Jehan rolled her eyes and said, "Mother, please, not again" but Rana said, "Jehan, you have to find someone by your birthday, which is in a month." Jehan said, "I know, mother. All those poor excuses for princes didn't appeal to me at all. I haven't found the right guy for me yet, that's all." Rana hugged her daughter and said, "My little princess. You will find the right man for you, I am sure of it." All of a sudden, the sky darkened, and lightening flashed menacingly. Jehan jumped up and said, "What's going on?" and Amin ran in, out of breath and looking positively terrified. He ran over to Rana and Jehan and gasped out, "Your Highnesses, we are under attack, from Abdel!"
Rana scowled and she said, "Abdel? What in the name of Allah………" but her sentence was never finished. Karim came running in and, spotting his wife and daughter, ran over to them and said, "Oh, Jehan, thank Allah I've found you!" Jehan frowned slightly and said, "Father, why were you looking for me?" and Karim said, "Abdel is searching for you. He is demanding his henchmen to bring you to him. I fear that this was his plan from the beginning." Jehan asked, "What-what plan? Father, what are you talking about?" and Karim grabbed her shoulders and said frantically, "He is planning to overthrow me and your mother and marry you to take over the kingdom!"
Jehan blanched, and she said, "What?? That's absurd!" Rana then said, "We have to get you to safety, Jehan. Let's go!" and she grabbed her daughter's hand and ran into the palace. Karim went ahead, securing the area and making sure that none of Abdel's henchmen were around. Once they made it into the throne room, Rana looked to Karim and said, "Oh Karim, what are we going to do?" and he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, saying, "I don't know, my love." Then, Jehan had an idea, and she suddenly blurted out, "The Priestess Akilah!" Her parents looked up and said, "What?" and Jehan said, "Priestess Akilah! She can help us!" Jehan then took off in the direction of the East Wing of the palace, Karim and Rana following her. Once she got to a certain stretch of wall a little along the corridor, Jehan reached up and wrapped on the center of the wall, in a rhythmic pattern. The wall then opened up, and revealed a long, winding staircase.
Jehan then descended the staircase and, once she got to the bottom, she called out softly, "Aki? Aki, it's me, Jehan. My parents and I need your help." Karim then leant over to Jehan and whispered, "Jehan, how is Priestess Akilah going to help us?" and a voice said from the shadows, "You will find that I can be of great assistance, your Highness." The royal family started and turned in the direction of the voice, and a woman came out of the shadows. She was in her early forties, but she still looked as she had in her twenties. She had an air of mystery and wisdom about her, and she carried herself with pride and a grace that defied her age. She had long, sleek black hair that came down to the end of her back, and mysterious bluish-grey eyes. She had on a burgundy belly top with short sleeves, and a matching ankle-length skirt, a beaded belt that Jehan had made for her woven around her waist. A burgundy shawl was placed over her head, and there was a jewel at the outer corners of her eyes.
Jehan then stepped forward and said, "Aki! My family and I need you. There is………" but Akilah cut her off and said, "A plot to take over the kingdom, involving you. I know, Princess." She then turned to Karim and Rana, and she said, "I have a solution to hide Jehan, but it's drastic." Rana said, "We don't care. We'll do anything to protect Jehan." Akilah just smiled, nodded her head once and said, "So be it, then," and she walked over to a book of spells that sat on a pedestal off to the right. She flipped the book open and turned to a spell, and she looked up, said the spell in Arabic, and suddenly, a portal opened in the middle of the floor.
Akilah and the royal family crowded around the portal, and Karim, looking amazed, said, "Priestess, where does this lead?" Akilah then said, "Somewhere……..safe, your Highness." Then, a shout erupted from behind them. They turned and Abdel's men were coming down the stairs, so Akilah ran and got a small hand-held mirror and gave it to Jehan, saying, "This will allow you to communicate with your parents, Princess, and vice versa." Then, Abdel appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and he spotted Jehan and his mouth curved into a evil smirk. He then said, "Hand over your daughter, Karim!!" and the Sultan said, "Never!" He turned to Jehan and said, "Go, my dear. Your mother and I will be all right," but Jehan said, "No, father. I don't want to abandon you and mother." Rana then said, "My Jehan, you won't be abandoning us. We will be fine."
Jehan's eyes started to water, and she said, "Mother….." and she hugged Rana fiercely, making the Sultana start to cry as she hugged her only daughter back. Then, she said, "Now, go!!" She and her husband turned to face Abdel, and before Jehan could say anything else, Akilah accidentally-on-purpose pushed Jehan into the portal. As Jehan was flung into the doorway to another place, she heard Akilah say, "May Allah be with you, Jehan."
A/N: I decided to put the meanings of all the names at the end of this chapter. So, here you go.
Karim – noble and generous
Rana – beautiful to gaze upon
Jehan – beautiful flower
Abdel – servant
Adiva – pleasant, gentle
Amin – honest and trustworthy
Nadira – precious
Akilah – wise
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