I don't own Aladdin

Hello there everyone! First off, I want to say thank you to anyone who decided to check out this story. I have recently been watching "Aladdin" and it is becoming one of my favorite Disney movies at the moment. I have decided to give it a try with a fanfic and maybe others to come. If any of you feel that the characters are a bit OOC, please let me know, and any constructive criticism, please don't be shy...I don't bite XD So without any further ado, enjoy!

The strong blistering sun shined brightly through the marketplace of Agrabah as the citizens of the country went about their daily businesses. Every single bazaar was up and running for business. A man selling jewelry to a group of young women, a man selling an assortment of nuts next to the other, and another selling beautiful rugs.

Through the marketplace, a young woman walked about, admiring the new faces that she saw and the new items sold to each bazaar. She had been in the marketplace a good amount of times, but always in a peasant outfit that was made for her. She knew well enough that she couldn't walk out to the marketplace exposing herself as the Sultana of Agrabah to others. No matter how much she adores her people, she wouldn't want to create a swarm of them around her. Sometimes a sultana needed alone time to herself as well.

She approached a little bazaar that displayed an amount of crisp red apples. She found it truly amazing how the apples of Agrabah tasted delicious each time she bit into it.

She had to admit, these apples were more better than the ones she had back home when she was a little girl before being betrothed to the prince of Agrabah, who is now Sultan and especially the love of her life. The sultana always enjoyed his company, bringing a smile to her face whenever they were together and she was happy to have him. However, she was dismayed because no matter how much they tried, she was not able to bare a child. He was very patient with her but she was not patient with herself. She wished to have a child, a boy or even a girl for that matter, but she did not why she couldn't. At the thought of this, she believed that she was running out of time. Time that she could not take back! Time to produce an heir to the throne for Agrabah!

She let out a sigh as she walked away the bazaar and walked to another one. This particular bazaar beheld the beautiful carpets that bought a smile to her face. "Fine beautiful rugs imported from Persia!" the seller enthusiastically squawked as he looked at the woman before him. Her red plump lips tilted into a small smile at the mention of Persia. Her birthplace. How she missed it but she always made recent visits with her husband, leaving Agrabah temporarily under the hands of their trusted vizier. The sultana was quite impressed how he was able to keep Agrabah in peace whilst they were gone and she trusted him just as much as her husband did.

Moving away from the rugs, she decided to explore further from the marketplace. However, the further she went, the more dismayed she became. She came in the presence of the poor and the hungry. It made her feel upset as well as selfish. If she was not from royalty, would she be suffering the same way as these people were. Taking out some money from her pocket, she handed a couple of coins to a poor man out in the street.

"Oh how generous of you dear!" his dismayed face brightened up with joy at seeing the golden, well polished coins.

The sultana gave him a soft smile in returned and continued on. If only she and her husband had the power to give all of their wealth to these people but what about them? They were people too and they also needed that sort of wealth to survive. Not to mention that with that money, they also paid the guards, the servants, the clothes makers, and just about anyone that worked within the walls of the palace. Journeying more through Agrabah, her thoughts were cut short by a high pitched yell as she turned her head behind her to look.

Before her she noticed a little girl. From afar, the sultana squinted, seeing the tattered clothing that the child wore, barefoot as she ran through the scorching ground, and her eyes wide as if she was running away from something. And indeed she was! The sultana looked as a large man appeared before the girl, roughly grabbing her by the arm and pulled her back as she crashed against him. "Where do you think you're going?!" he roughly yelled at the small girl.

The sultana furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden treatment that she saw. What had gotten him so angry as to treat a child like that? Was he even her father?

"What have I told you about stealing from my bazaar?!" the large man bellowed, breathing deeply like an elephant.

Oh so she stole the sultana nodded her head. But look at her, she is almost starving to death. She wanted to step in, but her body couldn't move. Her arms and legs were all tense as she looked at the encounter between the man and the small girl. It wasn't until the man raised the back of his hand and the child immediately flinched as the sultana ran up to them.

"Stop!" she commanded, holding an arm out as protection in front of the small child.

The man raised an eyebrow at the woman before him, was this her mother? He did not care, the child had stolen something and had to be punished because of it. "Do you know the penalty is for stealing?!" he yelled at her.

The sultana took a step back away from the man but kept her ground and her chin up high. "Yes, I am aware but as you can see, this child does not have any money with her."

"That is not my concern," he eyed the woman, "money or not, she still stole from my bazaar!"

The sultana sighed at how stubborn this man was. "She did not know any better," she looks at him whilst reaching into the pocket of her garment, "here," she sets a couple of golden coins in the palm of his big hand. "I am sure that is enough to cover whatever this poor child stole."

"Hmph!" the man grunted as he turned his back and walked away from them.

After the man disappeared, the sultana turned around and looked at the little girl, who stared back at her with wide, shining black eyes. What she saw in them was mostly fear but within them, there was spirit. "Are you alright, darling?" her voice was gentle as she looked at the girl.

The girl did not reply but only nodded her head in return, not knowing whether she should trust this stranger or not. She immediately took a step back as the sultana approached her, curling into a little ball against the corner of the wall to get away from her as much as she could.

"Do not worry dear, I won't hurt you," the sultana held out her hand to her. She hated seeing how much the man had frightened this girl. She was almost skin and bones and he did not have the decency to allow her to get away with it. How selfish some people were! "What is your name, dear?" she smiled gently to her.

The little girl looked at her up and down, then at the smile that lingered on her lips. It made her feel a little bit comfortable but she was still cautious. "Amira..." she answered in a soft, meek voice.

The sultana smiled. "What a beautiful name...my name is Esther." She used her actual name towards this little girl.

The little girl's eyes brightened. "Esther...like the star," she smiled, reveling her small yellow-colored teeth.

Esther at the moment thought that the girl recognized her as the sultana but she was glad that she did not. She tried not to grimace at the sight of Amira's teeth, but with the conditions outside from the castle, she could not blame the child. "Where are your parents?"

The bright look in the little girl dimmed at the moment Esther said it. Amira lowered her head to the object she had in her hands, a crisp red apple, and tried her best not to cry. Esther assumed that either her parents abandoned her or were more likely dead. She reached out and put a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling the slight shudder from the little girl. "How about I take you to a place that I think you will very much adore?" she smiles to her.

Curious, the little girl raised her eyes to the sultana, that same brightness coming within her eyes. "Yes please," she smiled.

"Come along then," she helped the child to her feet and escorted her through the marketplace to the one place that she promised her.