'I just don't know what has gotten into those boys,' Saira said to a doll in her collection later that night.

She had retreated to her private quarters where her dolls were and where she would go when she needed privacy or felt stressed and overwhelmed.

She had been going there quite frequently in recent weeks like she thought that her dolls would understand what she was going through and listen to her.

Nearly a thousand dolls were in shelves that circled the entire room- porcelain, china, rag dolls, wind-up and wooden and dressed in the finest silk clothes.

Some dolls she had were from when she was a little girl and made in her image.

And many were gifts for her birthday, her wedding, coronation, wedding anniversaries, from her husband and visiting foreign dignitaries, like two dolls of the Sultana and prince consort of Agrabah, a close ally of Alzawaya, that they gave to her when they recently visited.

Saira's favourite dolls, out of the thousand she had, were four life-sized porcelain dolls made in the image of her, her husband, the prince consort and her two sons for her sixteenth wedding anniversary.

And the sultana was talking to her husband's doll, venting out her problems with her sons.

In a way, it felt like he was still there with her, although some would consider that madness.

'If only you were still here with me, then you would talk some sense into our sons, especially Nadir.

He has to realise that he has to marry before his birthday and he's rejected every available princess!

And as for Adil, his rebellious and disobedient behaviour is getting worse each day!

What am I to do?' the sultana wailed.

'Playing with your dollies again, Your Majesty?' a silky voice said from behind.

Saira gave a little jump and turned around to see Jawahir staring back at her, grinning with Tala on her shoulder.

'Oh, Jawahir, I didn't see you come in!' Saira said, 'not that anyone is allowed in my private quarters.'

'Surely, you would make an exception for your most trusted advisor, my lady? Jawahir said.

'Of course, I trust you with everything even though you are very inadequate as a governess and you dress inappropriately for an advisor….' Saira said, looking up and down at Jawahir.

She frowned at her red midriff top with its sheer long sleeves, slightly sheer red skirt with a black ribbon belt and red jewel on it, her very heavy makeup and her big curly black hair in a bob and red feather headdress.

'This is what I feel comfortable in, my lady,' said Jawahir in an almost cutting tone,

'And you should've known that when I took the job of advisor, I drew the line at being the princes' babysitter.

You know how bad I am with children, but you were willing to overlook that; you were so desperate to have me as you do now.'

'I'm aware of that, Jawahir, but you are responsible for keeping Adil amused and out of trouble, yet he keeps acting out!' Saira said.

'It's the lack of discipline and attention that's doing it, my lady.' Jawahir said.

'But you are his governess, and if Adil does something that you know is wrong, you discipline him! But yet, you let him run wild and create chaos with his pranks!'

'You're his mother, my lady, and I'm not responsible for the little br..darling's wellbeing. It would help if you spent more time with him; it's no wonder he's acting out for attention.

And he's bored too, and he's let that out by drawing on the walls in my quarters and my essential documents and drawing crude pictures of Tala and me!' said Jawahir.

'Ark, crude pictures! Crude pictures!' Tala squawked.

'Oh, hello, Tala,' Saira said in a sickly sweet tone as she stroked the parrot under her chin,

'I've got a special treat for you, darling.'

Tala perked up, eagerly anticipating a tasty treat instead of the mouldy crackers that Adil enjoyed feeding her, often very roughly, which she hated only to be disappointed when the sultana pulled yet another cracker from her dress pocket.

'Does Tala want a cracker?' Saira said in an almost condescending tone as Jawahir rolled her eyes.

'Oh, another cracker, as if the parrot hasn't had enough of those today. Adil sure enjoyed shoving them down her throat and plucking her feathers,' she said.

'So that's why she's missing so much of her beautiful feathers. I wish Adil would treat her better,' said Saira as she coaxed the cracker towards the protesting parrot.

Tala screeched and tried to back away, but the sultana gently shoved the cracker into her beak, which Tala ate in disgust and spat out crumbs, some getting on Saira's dress that she calmly brushed off.

'You certainly do have a way with dumb animals, my lady,' Jawahir said, somewhat sarcastically.

'Except with the boys' tigers, they don't listen to me at all.' Saira replied.

'Of course,' Jawahir said wryly, 'but I sense that Adil is not the only problem son at the moment.

It seems that Nadir has been causing you some grey hairs and worry lines with this whole suitor business.

Don't hold back, my lady. You always run to your dollies whenever a princess leaves screaming and humiliated from the palace. Tell me all about it.'

The sultana gave a deep sigh, amazed that her advisor always knew what was wrong. It was one of the reasons she trusted her so much.

'You don't know the half of it, Jawahir. Nadir refuses to choose a wife, and he is just plain stubborn and defiant!

I'm at the end of my rope! At the rate I'm going, I'll be heading towards an early grave! What should I do?'

'Ark, end of my rope! End of my rope!' squawked Tala.

'Well…' Jawahir said, with an evil smirk while staring at the sultana's gold necklace that had a fabulous blue diamond in the middle, shining brightly in the light.

'Maybe I could help you with your little problem since you are so desperate. I might have the solution that you're looking for, and I won't have to ask for too much.'

'You do?' Saira said, looking hopefully at her advisor, who smiled sweetly at her.

'Of course, but I do require the use of your necklace, in particular, the blue diamond on it,' Jawahir said.

'My necklace?' Saira said, horrified as she put her hand protectively over it,

'But it's been in my family for generations, and it's passed down to the eldest daughter! I'm hoping to give it to Nadir's potential bride on their wedding day!

It's a precious, irreplaceable heirloom, and I don't want to part with it!'

'But you have plenty of diamonds to replace it!' said Jawahir,

'I want the blue diamond, that's all! Don't fight me on this, my lady; it's the only way to solve the Nadir problem, and you do want to see him married, do you?'

'Yes, but…'

'Don't try to resist, my lady,' Jawahir said as she pulled out her golden staff that had red rubies on top of a base that matched her gold choker.

It looked rather ordinary, but to Jawahir, it had the power to control and manipulate the sultana and get her to do whatever she wanted from her by putting the unfortunate woman in a trance no matter how hard she tried to fight it.

Jawahir then pointed it at the sultana in which the rubies lit up, trying to get her in a trance.

'Oh, no, Jawahir, you're not going to hypnotise me again!' said Saira, defiantly, 'I won't be manipulated and controlled by you so that you can get what you want! It's wrong and,'

'Don't resist, my lady,' Jawahir said as she held the staff closer to the sultana, who tried to fight it as best as she could but soon became powerless as her eyes clouded over and stood still as a statue.

'Everything will be fine, my lady,' she then said.

'Everything will be fine,' Saira repeated monotonously.

'Hand me the blue diamond,' Jawahir said.

Still in her trance, Saira reached for her necklace, took it off and struggled to get the blue diamond out while Jawahir tapped her foot impatiently.

'Come on, woman, we haven't got all night!' she snapped.

Eventually, the sultana managed to get the diamond out and handed it in to the waiting palm of Jawahir, who grinned in triumph as Saira came out of her trance.

'Thank you very much, Your Majesty, you won't regret this,' Jawahir said, 'now go back and play with your dollies while I get back to my…business.'

'Of course, Jawahir, that sounds like a great idea. But what do you plan to do with my diamond?' Saira asked.

'That's for me to know and you never to find out my lady,' said Jawahir, and with a simple sweep of her black cape and skirt, she and Tala made their way out of the room.

'Of all the humiliating things I have to put up with here, this is the worst ever!' Tala shouted as she and Jawahir entered their chambers, and they were messy and disorganized, with the walls covered with Adil's doodles of boredom.

'If I have to choke down one more of those disgusting, bland and mouldy crackers and have that little brat pull any more of my beautiful feathers, I'll peck them both until they beg for mercy!

Don't they realise that I'm an extremely rare, one-of-kind parrot that deserves to have respect?

No, that brat treats me like one of his playthings, and as for that pretty moron, she's so condescending it makes me want to throw up those crackers on her expensive dresses!

I can't take it anymore!' she said, panting heavily from her rant.

'Do calm yourself, Tala, for you see, this is just the beginning of my grand plan, one that will not fail this time,' Jawahir said, holding up the blue diamond.

'Oh, yeah, like you've said already, but what does the sultana's blue diamond have to do with it?' Tala said.

'With this, we will find the street diamond, and soon I'll be sultana instead of that flaky living doll who has her simpering head buried in the sand.' Jawahir said, chuckling evilly.

'And I can finally get my revenge by shoving crackers down hers and the brat's throats and plucking at their hair! 'That'll teach them for tormenting me!'' Tala said, gleefully,

'Indeed it will, Tala; our day of triumph will soon be here, and I will no longer be second best again!' Jawahir said, laughing evilly.

Back in her hovel, Leila was sitting in her spot near the hole with her blanket wrapped around her as Inaam and Dalia slept soundly on the floor, tired out from the day they had.

She did this on the nights when she couldn't sleep and looked out at the starry sky that twinkled like diamonds and the enormous white moon that shone brightly and illuminated the palace, which Leila was looking at wistfully while thinking about the events of that day.

No matter how hard she tried, the cruel words of the princess, the guards and some of the people still buzzed in her head, but she considered herself lucky as she still had both her hands and hadn't met a terrible fate.

Yet, she still wished for a better life for herself and Inaam, as she looked at her sister and Dalia, who were still sleeping and then looked at the sky, as she began to sing softly,

Being a street rat is all I've ever known

But it's not always easy

I constantly have to be on my feet

Stealing food so Inaam and I can eat

Keeping one jump ahead of the guards and vendors

Hearing nothing more than

'Riffraff! Street rat! Scoundrel!

As they see only a poor girl

But I'm more than that

Every night, I look to the stars

And wonder what it would be like

To live on the other side

At that exact moment, Nadir looked at the stars as he sat on a velvet couch on the balcony of his room, and he sang,

Being a crown prince is all I've ever known

Pampered, sheltered, shut away from the outside

Burdened with responsibilities

Forced to marry for the sake of the law

I've never done a thing for myself, never had a friend

Well, except for Adil and Jumara

I'm a gilded bird trapped in a cage

Yearning for freedom, a chance to be me

Why must I stay here if they won't let me be the prince that I am?

Why can't I marry for love?

Every night, I look at the stars

And wonder what it would be like

To live on the other side.

Side-by-side, unbeknownst to each other, Leila and Nadir sang,

I wish my life were different

Better than it was before

I want freedom, to explore

See things from a different point of view

I wish that my life was different

I've got nothing to lose

I want to pursue my dreams

I wish my life were different

Leila then sang

I want riches

Nadir sang,

I want wishes

Leila sang,

I want a better life for Inaam and me

Nadir sang,

I want Adil to have attention and love

Leila sang,

I want to meet someone who understands me

Nadir sang,

I want to have a friend who cares

Leila sang,

Will I ever escape the streets?

Nadir sang,

Will I ever be able to be free?

Both sang,

Will our wishes ever come true?

I wish my life were different

Better than it was before

I want freedom, to explore

See things from another point of view

I wish my life were different

I've got nothing to lose

I want to pursue my dreams

I wish my life were different

Just imagine how wonderful it'll be

If all my wishes came true

And my life was different.

Leila took one last look at the sky before her fatigue got the better of her as she yawned and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Nadir had decided to make good on his plan of escaping the palace as he put a long brown cloak over his clothes and covered his crown with the hood and took a deep breath, composing himself.

Looking around the corridors to ensure no one was around, he discreetly and silently slipped outside and walked through the garden in the still darkness.

He looked over his shoulder to ensure that nobody was following him as he faced the one hurdle that stood between him and his path to freedom.

The high palace walls.

But Nadir wasn't to be deterred as he found a climbable tree and attempted to climb, which he did pretty clumsily, his feet slipping on the branches, and he swore quietly as his cloak got caught on a branch which he tugged until it came free, leaving a small rip.

However, his escape did not go unnoticed as a familiar furry head nuzzled against him on the legs as Jumara looked confusedly at her dear owner, wondering what on earth he was doing climbing trees at this time of night.

'I'm sorry, Jumara,' he said as the tiger looked at him, 'but I can't stay here if I have to be trapped and soulless and obedient. I have to leave and experience freedom.'

Jumara growled in sadness as Nadir leapt down and hugged her with tears falling down his face. Of course, he felt sad that he was leaving her and Adil too, but he had to do this.

'I'll miss you, Jumara; thank you for everything. Take care of Adil for me,' he said as Jumara nuzzled against him and purred sadly before helping him up the tree.

But unbeknownst to Nadir, Adil had followed him out, determined not to be left out, and Nadir gave a yelp when he had heard footsteps approaching and turned around to find his brother, also wearing a long brown cloak with a hood.

'Adil, what are you doing here?' Nadir whispered.

'I'm coming with you!' shouted Adil, earning him a harried shush from Nadir, 'I want to explore the city with you and leave this boring place!'

'No, you can't, Adil, it's too dangerous! You'll blow our cover, and we'll both be in trouble! Go back inside, now!'

'No, I want to come! I never get to do anything!' whined Adil.

'Adil, please, go back inside. I want to do this on my own, and you don't have to do everything I do. Please, don't blow this for me.' Nadir said.

'Just let me go with you, please.' Adil begged, but Nadir shook his head no, and the younger boy sadly headed back inside.

'Good luck, Nadir; I hope you'll be happy in your new life. Don't worry about me; I'll be okay, but no matter what, I'm glad you're my big brother.'

'Thank you, Adil; I'll miss you too. I know we haven't been close, but I couldn't have asked for a better little brother than you. You're a good kid; you need to prove to Mother that you are.'

'Thanks, Nadir,' Adil said as the brothers hugged their goodbyes and Nadir, with the help of Jumara, managed to climb up the tree and swung himself halfway between the wall, taking a deep breath as he looked down at the ground below him.

He then swung his other leg over, took another deep breath, hoping that he wouldn't be regretting it later and gently slid down the wall before taking a massive leap while bending his legs and made a flat but safe landing on the grass.

Smiling to himself, Nadir quietly walked through the night towards the city, feeling liberated for the first time in eighteen years as he relished his newfound freedom, unaware that Adil had also escaped undetected as he followed his brother, hidden in the darkness.

Thanks to all of those who have read and reviewed the new story so far! The song is one I wrote (I'm not naturally a songwriter, but it turned out OK!