Aida found that she indeed did like Dzonot. She had never really lived anywhere for long. She had spent most of her life traveling from one place to another, and none of them were really to her liking. Here, she was the mistress. She could choose to change whatever she liked, and Francisco backed her up on everything. She was delighted with the new paint job, and it was finished sooner that expected thanks to Genie. Now that the walls were in different shades of purple, she wanted all the decorations to be in gold or silver. The Palace was all right, but it was mostly white marble, and she always though it looked a little dull, and needed some color.

"You don't think this is going to get a little…depressing, after a while?"asked Aladdin "Don't tell me after you tire of this color, you're going to repaint everything again?"

"We're going to become color blind, I think."said Ignacio. "We won't be able to see any other colors!"

But Aida didn't care what other people said. She was delighted with the new colors.

"Of course we won't have to repaint anything."she said. "And of course we're not going to go color blind. That's ridiculous."

And, of course, being married to Francisco wasn't too bad, either. Just as he had told her before, he would do anything to make her happy. He was always full of new surprises, and he had the untiring energy for riding, and swimming she loved. Not to mention the neighbors. While in Agrabah, to see another monarch, you had to travel at least a day, or so, here, you could see them as often as you liked. When they got back, they attended several parties given in their honor. And they were much, much more fun than any she had gone to with her aunt. While those, you usually sat, eating exquisite meals, and kept your manners, here, they gave what Francisco said were called charreadas. They had great food, Aida said, and not to mention watching the men ride the wild stallions. Francisco took this on several times, and even jumped off one horse to another, while the horses were galloping.

"My, my, these people certainly are wild."said her father, when they first attended a charreada.

But Aida didn't care. She liked that other women envied her because her husband was so bold, daring, and fearless.

"I know you aren't Catholic, and well, neither am I now, but, just wait until December. Then they give the posadas. We don't have to go to church, and go with them from door to door if you don't want to, however, we absolutely must go to the parties, because I know you will love them."Francisco told her once

"Are they like these charreadas?"she asked.

"No, not really, for one thing, no horses, for another, they serve different food. Mostly champurrado and buñuelos."

"What are those?"

"Champurrado is like, well, a little like atole and hot chocolate, only thicker, and it has more cinnamon added to it. And buñuelos are, kind of like, the sopaipias, they served for dessert at the Curriels', only bigger, and with more sugar and cinnamon."

"That sounds very good."

"Oh, it is. And just wait until September 16, Independence Day!"

Most of Francisco's friends were what they and other people called them, hacendados. They all had money, fine carriages, fine horses, big houses, and they seemed to like to play a lot. They were always giving parties, they liked to bet, and they liked to gamble. Aida liked these hacendados a lot. They may not be of royal or 'blue' blood as her aunt put it, like her, and her family, but that had never been important to her, as it hadn't been to Jasmine. They were much, much more fun than any of her aunt's friends, and she didn't feel so much a stranger with them. The only thing that separated her from them was that she didn't drink tequila like they did, but she quickly learned. Besides, here, closer to the ocean, she could have the seafood she liked more often. She also liked the way the women here dressed, in sedas, and mantas, as they referred to the materials their dresses were made of. She could wear a simple manta, which would usually be white, with designs embroidered on it, or for a more formal occasion, a dress with hoops, boots, gloves, and a bonnet. And she loved the braids the women wore their hair in.

"You just don't do it right, Haifa."she often told her.

"This is too complicated for me, Princess."

"We'll have to get someone else to teach you. I don't want to have to replace you, because you've been with me for so long."she said, and she had Lupe attend her while Haifa learned to braid her hair, and lace her properly.

"We've only been here, I think, about a week,"said Aladdin. "And I already feel weary. Don't these neighbors of yours ever run out of energy?"he asked Francisco.

"It depends, sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't."

"Oh, great, and I suppose that now is one of the times they don't."

"Yes. Well, they will, probably in a few days. They've only been celebrating my being married. We do this for just about anyone."

"Anyone?"

"Yes."

"Oh, boy."

"Much better than any of our dear, monarch friends."said Jasmine.

"That's true."answered Aida, as the ladies retired for their siestas. That was the custom here, to take mid-afternoon naps.

"But you don't suppose, that some of those parties they give could be a little dangerous? A little risky?"asked their father, a little timidly.

"Well, if they weren't, were would the fun be?"asked Francisco.

"Oh, dear!"

"I think you've got a point."said Aladdin. "You don't suppose I could learn?"

"Oh, that would take some time. There are a lot of risks involved, you know. You could not only be injured, but killed. Me, because I've learned ever since I was a kid."

"Oh, great! Never mind, maybe I'm not willing to take that big a risk."

"You could learn to play cards, or domino."said Iganacio.

Francisco turned at his father angrily.

"No! Besides, remember, you don't have anything to bet. At least, not after the way you nearly lost everything, the last time you played cards."

"That doesn't mean Aladdin can't bet anything. I'm sure you have plenty, don't you?"

"Bet?"

"Never mind."said Francisco. "Don't listen to him. Besides, I wouldn't suggest betting anything, unless you're a really, really good player. A professional. But then, you have some people, who haven't the slightest idea what they're doing, and bet everything. It's not exactly a smart thing to do."

"Why would they do that?"

"For fun."

"It doesn't sound like much fun to lose everything."

"No, it isn't."

Nahil was one of the people who had come with the Sultan and his family from Agrabah, after his sister-in-law's marriage. Thanks to his friendship with Haifa, the Princess's personal maid. If only he could arrange to be the Sultan's father body servant, now that would make things so much easier, but things didn't look like they would happen that way. He made up his mind, that he would have to find another way. One afternoon, when the men were alone in the parlor, and the ladies and younger children had retired for their naps, he went up the back stairway. He knew who slept in what rooms. That was one of the advantages here. In the kitchen, all the maids were always gossiping, and even though, he only knew a little Spanish, he knew enough to get the general idea from them. He walked as quickly and quietly as possible. If anyone were to come out of their rooms, or if he would accidentally make a mistake, and walk into the wrong room, especially if someone was in there, that would be disastrous. He opened the door. Just as he had expected, this was the room where the Sultan's father slept. He closed the door quietly behind him, and began to look through his belongings. He hoped he would find something that would help him. He prayed. There was nothing there, though. Just his clothes. Didn't this man take anything with him? Surely there must be something. He kept opening drawers and looking in them, when he came across something familiar. He picked it up. It was like a gold coin, which had a hand carved on it. He gasped. He'd seen it before. Yes, he had. He dug a little further. And this was the same blue cloak! Yes, it was the same one that he had seen when…

"What are you doing in here?"he heard a voice ask.

Nahil almost fainted from the surprise. He turned around immediately. There, he saw, to his relief, he saw Haifa standing there. He sighed. Thank heavens he hadn't been seen by someone else. That would have been disastrous. Just disastrous.

"I was simply looking for something Mr.Cassim sent me to find for him."

"Oh? Did you find it?"

"Yes."he said, looking confused. "Yes, um, I have to take it back to him. Would you mind?"

He straightened the clothes, in the drawer, and walked out of the room as fast as he could. He had almost been caught! He hoped Haifa didn't ask questions, because if the Sultan, or his father, or anyone found out that he had been going through his personal belongings, he knew he would be in very serious trouble. He didn't realize he was going the wrong way, until he met Francisco, coming up the stairs.

"Where are you going?"he asked.

"To the kitchen."

"I think that's the other way. And you're supposed to use the servants' passage."

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking where I was going."

"You know where my Nana is?"he asked.

"No, in the kitchen, I think, but if you'd like, I'll go find her."

"Yes, you do that. Tell her I need to see Aurelio."

"Yes, sir."

Francisco nodded. What did this boy have on his mind? Probably nothing good. He looked scared out of his wits. Francisco shrugged and kept going. He had always though that boy was strange. Too quiet, but then again, Josefina was also very quiet. Oh, well, what did he care?

"You know much about that new boy? Haifa's friend?"Francisco asked Aida later.

"No. I just know he's her friend, and that she met him in the marketplace. Why?"

"I don't know. He's a little strange, don't you think?"

"I guess a little."

"I met him this afternoon saying that he had lost his way."

"Well, that's quite possible, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't just that. He looked…well, scared."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm. Well, I don't know."

She shrugged.

"All I know is that I think he would make an excellent match for Haifa."she giggled.

"Do you?"

"Why not?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

Francisco decided not to think about Nahil anymore.