"I don't think that's a good idea."said Genie, as Khalil reached for the flowers he had someone bring him.
"Why not?"
"The princess is allergic to just about every type of flower I can think of. That was why one of the other suitors was refused. He made the exact same mistake you're about to make."said Genie.
Khalil looked confused, and was just about to decide to give the flowers back, when the door opened. Jasmine looked around, confused. Genie was smiling, and pretending to mind his own business. Khalil was about to hand a bouquet of flowers to one of the pages. Khalil straightened, and seeing as how he had to choice, he gave the flowers to Fahriha.
"For you, Princess."he said, once they were introduced, almost certain he was ruining his chances right there.
Fahriha was about to reach for the bouquet, when Aladdin stepped up, took the flowers and gave them to Fahriha himself. Khalil wore a turban, just as her father and brothers, and of course, some of the pages wore them also, and he was dressed in the way she had seen her father dress when he had an important meeting to attend or something of that sort. She supposed he must have wear some kind of scent, but it was nothing like the type of scents the women in the harem wore such as orange or jasmine. She thought she liked what he wore better.
"Um, thank you."she said.
Aladdin glared at Genie. Genie shrugged and mouthed the words, I tried to stop him.
"We'll let you get to know each other better."said Jasmine.
"Uh, yeah, we should get to know you better."said Aladdin.
"You promised to walk with me around the garden."said Jasmine.
"When did I say that? Uh, I mean, yeah, you're right, I forgot. Uh, Genie, you..."
"The Genie has a tennis match against the Rug right now."Iago cut in.
Abu nodded. Carpet came holding a tennis racket in one hand, and gestured to Genie that the tennis court was ready.
"I guess they're waiting, Genie."said Jasmine.
"Then I'll go get-"Aladdin began.
"You'll go with me."Jasmine interrupted him, and pulled him away.
As soon as everyone was gone, Khalil began to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea you were allergic to flowers. Please forgive me. If I had known, I wouldn't have brought presented you with them. Here, let me take them, before they cause you to have any kind of a reaction to them."
He reached out for them. Fahriha looked at him, confused.
"I'm not allergic to flowers."she said.
"Oh?"
"I like them a lot. There are a lot of them in the gardens in the haremlik. I think here, too. I'm not sure. I don't get out of the haremlik very much."
"You're not allergic?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Oh, well. They told me you were. That you were very ill the last time someone presented you with flowers, and that was why he was refused."
"No one has ever presented me with flowers. Just my father sometimes on my birthdays or any special day."she told him.
"Oh, well..."he didn't know what to say.
She stood, shyly, wondering what to do next.
"Um...well...we could go to the courtyard just outside here. I don't get to see it very often."she said.
"Well, I haven't seen it, either."he said, and offered her his arm.
Fahriha had seen her father do the same to her mother, and she took his arm just as she had seen her mother do. She was almost thankful that her father insisted that she cover her face with a veil, since it hid the fact that she was blushing from Khalil.
"Then if you weren't allergic to the flowers, and if no one gave you flowers, why did the genie say they did? Does he enjoy making stuff up?"he asked.
"Um, well, yes, I think. He's silly, but everyone likes him a lot. He's pretty funny. And creative."
Khalil nodded.
"He'd have to be."he said, thinking of the test Genie made him go through, and smiling. "You don't get out much?"he asked her.
"Um, no, not out of the haremlik, I don't. Mom does, a bit, but I don't. Only maybe..."she stopped, thinking. "Five times."she said. "But I didn't get to see much. That was just because Mom asked Dad, and she had a hard time convincing him. Then, I had to go out with guards and everything, and I had to go in a covered sedan. I didn't get to see much. My brother do, though. They get out more than I do. At least they get to see the rest of the Palace. I don't get to see it."
"Princess."one of the eunuchs came. "You must return the haremlik now."he said.
"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Princess Fahriha."said Khalil.
"You too, Prince Khalil."
"We'll see each other again, soon, I hope."he said.
She nodded, and walked back to the haremlik.
