Aida stood on the top of the steps, confused. She had never been kissed before, and certainly not in the way Francisco had just done it. She shook her head and went up to her room. At least know she knew that Francisco really liked her. That was something, but she thought that she could have figured that out anyway, without the kiss. She probably shouldn't tell anybody. She didn't know how her father would react, and she didn't want to stop seeing Francisco. She was still confused about who she liked better. Francisco, or Cazeem. She thought she had liked Francisco's kiss. She thought perhaps this way, she could resolve everything. She would have to see which of the two she like to kiss better. But for that, she would have to kiss Cazeem.

"Why, these are very pretty!"Jasmine exclaimed the next morning, as Aida showed her the dresses she had bought for her the day before.

"I think so, too. That's why I bought precisely these for you."

"How on earth am I supposed to sit down with all these skirts?"she asked. "And they are so heavy."

"Well, you have to give a little. If you want to be beautiful, I guess you have to put up with the weight of these things. Mind you, they are very heavy. The other ones don't weigh as much, though. But they don't have at least half of the designs on these."

"They are too…exaggerated."

"I think that's just what I like about them. Besides, you don't have to wear them every day. And these hats can keep you cool, even in the hottest noons."

"I'll have to agree with you there. And with the ribbons, they won't fly off."

"And you don't have to be carrying them all over the place. Just tie then, and they hang around your neck. You know, like Francisco's does."

"I always did wonder why he always wore his hat on his back rather than on his head when he was indoors."

"Well, there's your answer."

"However, I'm not sure that Genie will allow me to wear them. You know that now he's playing nurse maid. He seems to be like my shadow now. I can't go anywhere or do anything without Genie approving it. According to him I should be in bed."

"Genie, Genie,"said Aida, shaking her head. "I think he's paranoid."

"Oh, he is. He most definitely is. The problem is that I think Aladdin agrees with him playing nurse maid. I think he must have been the one who gave him the idea, because I don't think he could have thought of it all by himself."

"Well, you never know. He could have. You see he thought of every thing else all by himself."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"By the way, what colors will the nursery be?"

"I'm not sure."

"Francisco said that not yellow, because it makes babies cry too much. He knows quite a bit about color psychology."

"Oh, and what colors would he suggest?"

"I don't know. He just suggested that you shouldn't paint it in yellows, you know."

"By the way, do you know when he's leaving?"

"I don't think he'll leave any time soon. He hasn't said anything about it. Why?"

"Well, I was just asking."

"Well, I don't think he'll leave soon."

Francisco had just finished eating his breakfast, when an employee came to tell him that he had a visit. Francisco looked surprised. A visit at this hour? He certainly didn't know anyone who would come and visit him this early, but he told him to tell whomever it was to come up. That he would receive them. While he drank more coffee, he really liked Arabic coffee and tea, Aurelio came into the room.

"Aurelio, so Mother got my letter this fast?"

"Yes. And she sends you this."

He handed him the cigars and tequila he had asked his mother for, and another letter.

"What does she have to say? Do you know?"

"No. You know I can't read. That I know nothing about letters."

"Yeah, none of you do."said Francisco, grinning, and then he opened the letter to see what his mother had written to him.

He was right about his mother wanting to know everything about Aida. She asked to meet her before Francisco married her. That under no circumstances was he to marry her before she met her and knew what kind of person she was. She said that she was surprised that he had found a girl worthy of him, among the Arabs, and that she was disappointed that he wouldn't be marring Beatriz de Echague, as she so wanted him to. Francisco didn't want to have to go through that before he married Aida. He meant what he had written in his last letter. That the next time he went to Dzonot, Aida would come as his bride. He knew that his mother would not agree with that, and that she would probably do everything she could to stop him from marrying her if she were ever to find out that Aida was Muslim. She didn't think that people should marry outside of their religions, and especially not her son.

"She'll just have to figure out a way to deal with it."he said to himself, then he turned to Aurelio. "I'm glad Mother send you, Aurlio, you are just what I need right now. You see, I need you to do some investigating, here, about a man who goes by the name Cazeem. He's the sultan's father."

"I don't remember Miss Esther mentioning any sultan by that name ever."

"Don't be stupid, of course that man was never sultan. He's…well, I'm not sure what he was. However, I'm still interested in whatever you can find about him."

"Very well."

"I need to find out anything that I could possibly use to make him stay away from Aida."

"Is that the lady you wish to marry?"

"Yes. And I will marry her. I'm simply waiting to propose at the right time, which I am sure will be tonight."

Francisco walked to his suitcase, and pulled out a small box , and opened it. Anyone could see that the ring was worth over a fortune.

"You see, I hope that it's worthy of a princess. Literally. She is a princess. She is one of the Sultan's daughters, or rather, the former Sultan. Her older sister is married, and now her husband is the new Sultan. And I need to keep her sister's father-in-law, this Cazeem, away from her. He seems to be showing some interest in her, you see."

Aurelio looked at the ring.

"Well, I am sure that she will be very pleased with the ring. It does look worthy of a princess."

"I most certainly hope so. Now I need you to get going as soon as possible. Find out anything you can. I don't know much about this man, except that his son is the Sultan. I guess you can start from there. I don't know if anyone in this city knows or knew the Sultan when he was a young boy. Perhaps that ought to help. You should start by asking around. I know you can do your job very well. You need to start right away. Right now."

"Yes."

Aurelio put on his hat and left.

"There's got to be something. Perhaps, I don't know, if I could only find something to make his own son, the Sultan, to disillusion him about his father, why the man would leave the Palace in no time. And then, nothing to worry about."

Aurelio did just what Mister Francisco told him to. Almost everyone did know about the Sultan. Some, personally, saying he had been an orphan, who stole food to survive. Others had just heard of him, and knew about him, because of what he had done for them, that thanks to him, there was less poverty in Agrabah. Francisco was getting ready to see Aida, and as he was planning to propose that very evening, he wanted to look his best. He had told Aurelio to come back before he left, and tell him what he had found out.

"Well?"he asked.

"There were a few people who remember him as a child. They say he was an orphan."

"Orphan? But I've seen his father. Where was he all these years?"

"I haven't the slightest idea."

"What about his mother."

"No one can say anything about his mother."

"No one at all? That will be your task tomorrow."

"There was one lady."

"One lady?"

"A very old woman."

"And what did she say?"

"I didn't speak to her."

"You fool! What do you mean that you didn't speak to her!"

"You see, a girl told me that her grandmother had known the Sultan's late mother. God rest her."

Both of them crossed themselves.

"Why didn't you speak to her, then?"

"You asked me to be back at this hour."

"Right, well, that's what you will do first thing in the morning, do you hear?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to see Aida now. Princess Aida. She just simply cannot refuse me. At least I hope not. What shall I ever do if she does? I will never be able to find another girl like her. Fine, then. Wish me luck."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Francisco arrived at the Palace, and even though he dined with everyone, he did not say anything, until he was almost ready to leave, and Aida was saying good night to him.

"Well, good night."

"Before we say good night, Aida. I want to ask you something. Or rather propose something."

"Oh. Well, speak up."

Francisco reached into his pocket, pulled out the box, opened it, and said, "Will you marry me, Aida?"