"Being Aida's friend, you should come more often. We would be very pleased if you stayed here, in the Palace."Aladdin told Francisco.

Francisco smiled, and answered, "You know, I might just consider it."

"Oh, but it's not often that we get such pleasant people to come call on us, you know."Jasmine said.

"Oh, really, you flatter me. I don't believe I'm that pleasant. I do have a very unpleasant side, you know."

"Well, you hide it very well."

"I also show it very well."

"Not to us, I hope."

"Maybe, maybe not."

Francisco especially enjoyed the tour of the stables, and impressed everyone with his knowledge of horses.

"Wow, now I know how to appreciate such fine horses more. I don't know much about horses."said Aladdin.

"Well, Your Highness, see, I grew up around horses. And cattle. That's what we do back home. And better animals you won't find anywhere else. Crops, either. The fruit that grows back home, is simply spectacular."

"I should imagine so. It's quite a pity you didn't bring any with you, for us to sample."

"Yes, it is. But, Your Highness, if you don't mind my saying so, it seems kind of odd that you should have no knowledge of horse. I know your father wasn't a sultan, but certainly, he would've known at least how to tell a thoroughbred?"

"Oh, well…um, you know."

Francisco looked at Cazeem. He had known, the first second he had set eyes on him, that he certainly wasn't a person of royal, or any kind of blood. Noble, fine, anything. He could tell he had no culture.

"Well, I never found myself too interested."said Aladdin.

"Ah. It would be a great privilege to ride them. If you don't mind. It's been quite a while since I've been on a horse. At home, I go riding every day. Here, well, I just haven't had the chance to, lately."

"Whenever you like."said Aladdin.

"Thank you."

Later that afternoon, after Francisco was back at his hotel room, he sat, thinking.

The Sultan seemed a very fine man, he thought to himself. Very fine, it's his father I don't like. He seemed…too…something. I just didn't like the way Aida drew the conversation away from his past. The way she looked at him. No, she didn't look at him in a special way, he argued with himself.

Francisco had noticed this the first time. Aida did indeed, show a slight interest in her sister's father-in-law. He tried to ignore this, after all, he was much older than she was. They couldn't possibly have anything in common.

"Well, Dearest. You should have tried to convince him to stay."

"Oh, Father."Aida answered him.

"Well, I think it was very rude of you. We do, after all, have a lot of room, and it's so rare, that we get guests."

"I think there are more than enough people in here. Besides, you don't want Genie to put him to work, too."

"Oh, we should get more people to help."

"Don't tell me you're with him."said Jasmine.

"But, of course, Dearest."

Jasmine just rolled her eyes.

"How are we coming along, Genie?"

"Just fine. Almost done. However, then we have to move on."

"Yes, yes, of course, Genie. Anything."

"I think they are both going crazy."Aida whispered to Jasmine.

"I think so, too."

"Don't you think so, Mr.Cazeem?"Aida asked him.

"Well, I think they are both just excited and nervous. As I'm sure we all are."

"I think they are going to the extreme."

"Well, they're just doing what they think needs to be done."

Aida smiled.

The next morning, Francisco himself went to the Palace, to call on Aida. He saw Aladdin first.

"Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning, Francisco."

"Just out of curiosity, would you tell me, what did your father used to do, you know, before you became sultan?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I hope I'm not being impertinent, but I am just under the impression that Aida must know him from, well, some time ago."

"What gives you that idea? They haven't known each other for long."

"Hmm, well, forgive me if I've made uncomfortable, Your Highness."

"That's all right."said Aladdin.

Francisco thought he must have sounded like an idiot. But what he saw next, almost confirmed him to be in the right. He saw Aida strolling with Cazeem. They seemed to be talking about Francisco did not know what, but he made a mental note to himself to find out what it was.

"Good morning, Aida."

"Francisco. I didn't think you would come here today."

"Oh, well, it's not every day one gets such an honor, as to pay a call on a princess, is it?"

"I think the same thing."said Cazeem.

You would, Francisco thought angrily to himself, but he just smiled and looked at Aida.

"And may I have such the bad manners to ask what you were discussing?"

"Oh, nothing. We were just…talking."Aida told him.

"Oh, well, then, may I join in?"he asked.

"You may."

Aida didn't know why she felt annoyed that Francisco had chosen to come at precisely this time of day. However, she was also happy that he did. Francisco only spoke directly to Aida, and did his best to ignore Cazeem. He would have asked him if he had something better to do if Aida wasn't there. Aida noticed none of this. None of them seemed to have a pleasant time that morning. Cazeem, because Francisco had arrived, Francisco, because he had found Cazeem with Aida, and Aida because she didn't know whether she wanted Cazeem or Francisco to leave. That evening, she told Haifa, her maid about this.

"Now, isn't that odd, Haifa?"she asked. "It seemed like…like, I don't know."

"It seems to me, Princess, that you like both of those men."said Haifa.

"No! Of course, not."

"I see no other explanation for it, Princess."

"But, well, look, I can't like them, and I can't be in love with either of them."

"I believe in love at first sight."

"Well, if that were the case, then which one of the two do I love? One, I met in the marketplace, he's a foreigner, and he's not Muslim, the other, I met here, in the Palace, he was a thief, he's my sister's father-in-law, and he's much older than I am."

"I don't know, Princess."

"But, even if I am in love with one of them, then which one is it?"

"I don't know, Princess."

"Oh, don't say that."

"I must go to and remember to prepare things for Razouk, who will be waiting for the food to bring to the prisoners soon."

"That's not your job!"

"I forgot, Princess."she said.

"Well, tell me. You were the one who came up with that brilliant explanation that I love both of them, so then tell me which of the two."

"I don't know which one, Princess."

"And what's worse is that I don't know, either. And I can't ask them. Or maybe neither of them like me. You don't suppose I should ask them if they do?"

"I don't think so, Princess."

"I didn't think so, either. What am I going to do?"