Making Friends
Alibaba couldn't remember the last time he'd been so afraid.
Yet he also couldn't remember the last time he'd been so excited.
Two days before the dance, the women from the country were all standing in the ballroom. Lady Myers insisted the women needed to practice their manners before the actual ball. So she'd gathered them all to the dancefloor. For the last three hours the women had been practicing dancing, how to speak to royalty and polite table manners. Jafar had insisted that the women be protected, especially since the last attack was still shown with rubble covering where their gym used to be. While he gathered a large group of soldiers, he'd taken Alibaba to the side and asked if he could go to. 'You are the only one other than Sinbad I trust who had a djinn of your own,' he explained. Alibaba had agreed, saying it was because he wanted to be kind to his friend.
In reality he was ecstatic to see the pretty women.
Unfortunately for him it didn't turn out to be what his daydreams had told him it would. While the women were indeed beautiful, the part where he'd gotten to talk to them had been a bit of an overstatement. They were all too busy staring at the grand hall and or giggling to each other to even notice him. That hurt. He thought the masks would make him more noticeable but NOOO. After so long most of the girls had gotten used to the sight of men with masks. Most of them had decided not to talk to any in case it ended up being Sinbad.
Lucky jerk. Next time, Alibaba would volunteer for the wedding.
He was extremely thankful for the mask that covered his red face when the women twirled in their dresses. He noted that none of them were wearing the same dress. The tailors had really outdone themselves. As the women practiced walking to the throne where Sinbad would be to present themselves, Alibaba found himself sitting at a table that had been set up and sneaking a glass of wine. He could see groups of them yawning in disinterest while in line. Really, why did they all have to be presented to the king one at a time? Knowing Sinbad he'd find a way to get to know them all on his own anyway. It was just a waste of time.
As he gulped down a glass of water, he spotted a bright shade of blue out of the corner of his eye. Glancing over he noticed the statue of one of the past kings of Kina, holding his sword high in the air and his mask shone brightly in the sun while…
While Aladdin was perched on the other arm watching the women as he bit down on an apple.
His eyes bugged out of his head. "You!"
"Hi Alibaba!" The boy jumped down from the statue directly in front of Alibaba. His wide grin made Alibaba wonder if he knew exactly how much trouble he'd get in if anyone else had caught him up there. "I missed you!"
Alibaba was less than enthusiastic. "What are you doing kid? How did you get in here? How-Where did you disappear to last time?" The kid shrugged nonchalantly. Alibaba felt his skin crawl. No one knows the boy. No one would find the body if I…"What are you doing here?"
"I told you last time," he blinked like it was obvious. "I will make you a king." Panic shot through him. Alibaba glanced around to make sure no one had heard the boy. Luckily the women were all too busy following their instructions, and the servants too busy with decorating.
"You can't say that," Alibaba shushed him. "That's treason!"
"Is it treason to try and put a better man on the throne?" Aladdin replied just as quickly. "You would be better for Balbaad. Do you even know your brother's plans for soldiers if the war with the Dark Continent becomes a reality?" Automatically Alibaba opened his mouth to argue with him again. But in the next second, his mouth closed just as quickly. He hadn't even been aware his brother had any plans for the war. It seemed like all he wanted to do was fight and win. If he hadn't heard his brother specifically mention a plan for gaining more soldiers, he would have said the boy was crazy. But just a few nights ago in a meeting, his brother had been saying that the whole wedding was pointless.
We'll have our soldiers without a king having to marry some civilian, he'd spat in disgust. I'll make sure we have enough.
"…What do you mean?" Alibaba questioned. "What plan?"
Aladdin had to bite his lip so he didn't answer. He wanted to answer, anyone could see that. But for whatever reason, he decided it was wise to keep his opinions to himself. "I'll tell you about that later. Right now I need to make you into a king."
"I've already told you, I'm not a-"
"And to do that," He continued ignoring Alibaba. "You need to make some important allies." Before Alibaba could argue, Aladdin jumped past him to get a better look at the girls crowded at the front. Alibaba wished he could see his expression behind the mask. There was a thoughtful, serious set of his jaw, but his tone was upbeat and happy like he really was just a kid who wanted to play a game. "How about those two?" He glanced over at a pair of girls whispering to each other in the back. The two of them seemed to be pointedly ignoring everything Myers was trying to tell them. One girl had a brown, almost armour like dress, while the other was wearing a very light, almost silk one. "You should go talk to them!"
"What?" Alibaba's mouth dropped open in shock. "No, that's not-Aladdin!" Before he could stop him Aladdin had jumped to his feet and sprinted over to the girls. Neither of them noticed until the boy was right on them.
They both instantly straightened when they saw his mask. "Can we help you?" The girl with darker hair asked.
Aladdin nodded earnestly just as Alibaba caught up to him. "Hi! This is my friend and he's looking for a girlfriend!" The girl's eyes widened. Oh no.
"N-No I'm not!" Alibaba protested, grabbing Aladdin by his arm and pulling him backwards. To the girls he hoped he didn't look as flustered as he felt. "S-sorry about him. H-he's really…ah, he likes teasing Me." the two girls glanced at each other skeptically. Apparently Aladdin had decided to pick two of the only ones who were more cautious than excited to speak to people wearing masks. Perfect. Just perfect.
While still watching him cautiously she replied, "That's…Alright. What's your name? That is-if I may ask?"
Alibaba put on a small smile. He could tell she was struggling to remain calm. Other than the soldiers, he doubted she spoke to anyone wearing a mask. He decided not to make it worse by mentioning that he was a prince. "My name is Alibaba. I'm from Balbaad."
The women's eyes widened slightly. "Alibaba? I have a friend who has that name. I wonder if he's from Balbaad as well…Anyway, my name is Hakuei. It's nice to meet you." Gesturing to her friend she added, "This is Toto."
"Toto doesn't want to be here," The girl replied bluntly. Her dark blue eyes glared daggers into him. "And I don't want to talk to you."
Alibaba tried to ignore the chill in the air. "I…okay…sorry about that…um…" Flustered, he glanced around for some answer to his prayers. Either a good reason to leave or something interesting to talk about that would make him look cool. Aladdin was staring up at him as if to say, come on Alibaba. You know what to do! But he didn't know what to do. The little jerk was the reason he was in that mess and he wasn't doing anything to help him get out of it! "What...What were you talking about?" The two girls glanced at each other while Alibaba mentally begged for lightening to come and strike him dead. Why was he still talking? Abort, Abort!
"The paintings," Toto replied. At Alibaba's blank expression, she tilted her head to the wall behind them. On the wall was a painting of a man surrounded by light. He held a long staff in one hand, and a book in the other with a long blue braid flying behind him. What caught the interest of anyone passing by was the eyes and the book. The eyes were bright red, almost glowing and impossible to look straight at. Out of the book flew different lines, trails of prophecies from long ago that had yet to be answered. The titles led on to different portraits, images of what people believed would come of the prophecies or ones that had come to pass. No one had been able to prove any of them had really happened. No one could prove they hadn't. "Who is that?"
"That? Oh…that's Solomon?"
"Who is Solomon?" Hakuei asked.
"A magician from the past," Alibaba told her. "Legend says his father had the ability to use the rukh around him to see into the future. Solomon stole the eyes from his father so he could see what would happen in the future in order to lead the new generation to a better way of life. Not everyone believes it though, since seeing the future is impossible. But some people believe that the kind of magic he had was beyond something we can understand." Hakuei glanced at the painting, watching the separate prophecies that went onto different interpretations. Alibaba held his breath, hoping they didn't notice the one with Sindria's king. Aladdin on the other hand was watching her carefully. Looking for something that just…wasn't there yet.
"I…Am not sure I believe that."
None of them noticed Aladdin sigh in the background as Alibaba shrugged indifferently. "Personally, I'd like to believe it is true. But not many people do. That's why they decided to make King Sinbad get married, because they wanted to prove the prophecies wrong." At their blank expression he explained that there was a prophecy involving him. "They said that the lines of Sindria and Kou would align and it would start a great age…or something like that. So they decided to make the king marry a citizen of Kina instead of a women from Kou." The members of the twelve had decided to rule that none of the citizens would be told they wanted to align themselves better with the citizens. If they learned that was their reason, they may not agree to it so easily.
Hakuei's eyes roamed over the painting. She did not look terribly interested in the painting itself as much as the story behind it. "Did he-Solomon-guarantee it would happen? That all he said would come to pass?"
"As far as I know the way they've interpreted them now is the only explanation." He raised an eyebrow and glanced at them cautiously. "Um…Do you know if any of the women are from Kou's royal line? Or-No that's crazy-anyone descended from Kou?"
Both girls shook their heads. "No. I've been in Kina for as long as I can remember. I know Sahsa and Leila travel a lot, but I don't know where their parents are from," Hakuei replied. "Unfortunately, I don't know many of the women here. I only met Toto while we were trying to find a quiet room so we could actually get some sleep in the first week."
"I was raised in Parthevia when I was younger, but then Toto's parents moved us to a farm in Kina. I've taken an apprenticeship as a soldier out on the edge of the city," She admitted.
There! An opening! "Oh, you are training as a soldier? You're, ah, probably used to all these masks then." The scowl she sent back at him said she wasn't as willing to start a pleasant conversation as he was. Why am I even talking to these two girls again?
"…I've seen a few," She admitted, turning so she was facing Hakuei more than Alibaba. Yeesh, no respect for a prince…maybe I should have told them I am a prince. "But only the head soldiers and generals wear masks. The rest of us who do not wear masks are not permitted to come to the palace." Ah. He should have guessed that. Every single soldier who had been placed to guard the palace had to have been trained there from a young age and given a mask immediately after their arrival. Any soldier who didn't have one could only report to the higher soldiers but never stay there.
Hakuei scoffed. The others turned to her in surprise as she tried to cover it up. "What?" She shook her head, cheeks turning a light shade of red.
"I-It's nothing," She hesitated, casting a nervous glance at Alibaba.
He knew that look. "It's alright. You won't get in trouble for talking to me." Both of the girls froze at the suggestion. He'd lived with people who didn't wear masks, so he knew what they were going through. They had no idea what the twelve could do. The rumors that said they were powerful enough to do anything and would do anything. He was surprised they were even talking to him at all. When he'd arrived he hadn't been able to look the soldiers in the eye. He tried for a weak smile. "What's so funny?"
Hakuei hesitated. But when he asked directly, she must have decided that it was safer to do as she was told than avoid him. "It's just…the masks. If you don't wear a mask, you're not even allowed to serve in the palace?" She crossed her arms, trying to avoid eye contact with Alibaba. "T-they just seem ridiculous to me."
"It does get old," Alibaba tried to ease the mood with a laugh. "They can be kind of itchy." In truth they felt the same as his own skin would, but humanizing himself was able to help them relax a bit more.
It was enough encouragement for Hakuei to ask her own question. "I…d-do you know if we…I mean, we won't have to wear those masks, will we?" Though she tried to hide it, he could see her skin crawl every time she took another glance at his mask. "They…don't look comfortable." He doubted she would go into any more detail.
"It's not really up to me but Jafar-Ah, he's the man who's organizing most of this," he pointed to Jafar walking with two of the chefs in the corner. "He mentioned to me that they are already working on making a mask for the bride. But they are only making one, so I'm assuming that it's just for the women he picks." He pretended not to notice Hakuei sigh in relief.
"I see. At least that's not an issue." Hakuei glanced at the group of girls, one girl at the front twirling in her dress. "I've got a one out of…what, one out of a hundred chance of being that person? I think I'll be okay." So that was one person who wouldn't be trying very hard to be the next Mrs. Sinbad. Judging from the other girls, he doubted that would be a problem in terms of numbers.
Out of curiosity he turned to Toto. "What about you? Are you excited to be wearing that mask?" While he expected a scowl, he actually got a guilty frown. She couldn't meet his gaze as she started fiddling with her dress as if they were it most interesting material she'd ever seen.
"That…will not be happening." She paused, as if the seconds that passed would change something drastic. As it turned out it was her decision to confide in them that changed. "Toto's actually…in a relationship."
Alibaba blinked. "R-really?" darn it! "But…then why are you here? I thought the guards made sure that all the women were single…"
"Toto lied," She told him bluntly. "I knew I wouldn't be chosen, so I didn't worry. But…I wanted to see the palace. They talk about it all the time at the training grounds…There are rumors about what the members of the 12 are like…I knew it wasn't a good idea but I got curious. In the end I just wanted to see what was true and what wasn't." Hakuei pursed her lips at the idea, but she kept her mouth shut.
Alibaba laughed lightly. "Well, I can say that most rumors aren't true." For a second Toto looked at him like she was going to rip his throat out. Then, slowly, one corner of her mouth tipped up.
"You seem nice," Toto begrudgingly admitted. "Perhaps when Toto goes home, I'll introduce you to Olba. I get the feeling you two would get along."
Alibaba tried to hide his surprise at the offer. "I…yeah. That sounds nice. I'll be looking forward to that."
"Great!" All three of them jumped. They'd forgotten that Aladdin was even there. "It was nice to meet you two ladies, but Alibaba and I need to go and destroy a mountain or two." The girl's both stared at him while Alibaba prayed for the sweet release of death. "I'm just kidding! It was nice to meet you Toto," he nodded to her. "Hakuei." She smiled politely, but Aladdin kept his eyes on her. "I'm sure we'll meet again."
"Um…yeah, sure." Aladdin nodded, then grabbed Alibaba by the arm and physically dragged him away.
Both girls watched as Alibaba struggled not to fall from the smaller boy's grasp. For such a young kid, he certainly had a strong grip. "What did you think of them?" he questioned as they walked.
"T-they seemed nice I guess," Alibaba admitted. "But why did you have to introduce me to them? What was the point?"
"They may not seem important now," Aladdin stated. "But they will be important in the future. To you, and to the safety of the countries. All of them." Alibaba frowned skeptically. He considered arguing how two girls couldn't have been that important to millions of people. But the more important thing that he wanted to ask was why he was so sure about it. How could he have known what would happen to the two of them in the future? Or any of them? Saying you did was the same as saying you could interpret all the prophecies of Solomon. Some countries considered that blasphemy, while others just thought it was impossible. What made him so sure he knew Alibaba would be a good king anyway? He hardly knew him. They were strangers.
"What about me is going to be so special?"
"Because," Aladdin stated. "You're going to be the king that my father couldn't be himself."
