"I want you to get rid of that girl."said Jasmine to Aladdin.

"Which girl?"

"The iqbal."

"Why?"

"You once said that you would do anything to please me. I hate the fact that she is here."

"Does she trouble you? From what I know, she hardly speaks to anyone. She spends her time by herself."

"She troubles me just by existing."

"But why?"

"You spend your time with her. You used to always only send for me. I miss you."

"I can't get rid of Shula. I mean, she…well, what can I possibly do with her? She's one of my concubines!"

"You can find her a husband!"

"I don't think so. If perhaps she were one of the other girls, perhaps I could. But not anymore."

"You could have her thrown in the ocean for all I care!"

Aladdin asked Genie what he should do about Shula.

"…and I can't do that, either. She wouldn't deserve it. But then Jasmine would…what am I going to do!"

Genie sat playing a game of chess with Carpet.

"Hmm…probably…descend the girl?"

"That would be to humiliate her, and I really don't want that. She doesn't deserve it."

"Just don't see her again."

"I guess we could try that, but Jasmine said she didn't want her to stay here anymore."

"Hide her."

"Where? Maybe if I just talk to her. Perhaps she will understand."

Aladdin sat opposite of Leonarda, sipping hot chocolate, which she had asked him to send for, since she loved it so much. It was one of the only things she had ever asked him for. That and a cat.

"It was always my favorite drink. I used to look forward to sipping it every evening. Not that we did often at the convent, but…while I was young."she had said.

"Listen, Shula."he said. "Um, I…I want to talk to you about something."

"Did I do something wrong?"she asked.

Of course she had done something wrong. She had done so many things that she should be ashamed of.

"Um, no."he answered. "The thing is that…well…how would you like to go back to Venice?"he asked, suddenly, as the idea came to him.

"Back to La Serenissima! Oh, no!"she exclaimed. "I could never go back again! Ever! Not after…I could never go back! And even if I could…I don't want to!"

It wasn't until she said it that she realized just how true it was.

"I really don't want to."she said, slowly. "It would be wrong if I went back to the convent when I don't have any real desire to become a nun. I never should have entered in the first place! And if I could reenter the society of La Serenissima…it…I just don't want to! I don't want to go back to…no, I don't want to! Please don't make me."she cried.

Aladdin looked at her. He was so sure she would say yes, that she would be delighted at him suggesting to arrange a way for her to return to her people.

"I…I thought you would be delighted."

"No. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here."she said.

I could never go back after being a concubine! They would know. They would sent me to the convent again, and it isn't right that I be there, as I don't have a true calling. And if I were to go, I would never see you again,she thought.

"Well, I just thought that it would make you happy."

"It wouldn't."she said.

"It…well, it just turns out, that there is a slight…problem."he said. "Jasmine doesn't want you here anymore. Your presence seems to aggravate her."

"I do nothing to bother her."

"I know, but she just doesn't want you here. She told me so. And…and if I…"