Dear Reader,

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I can't believe it has taken me so long to update this story. I haven't had much time but a lot of writer's block. Thanks to all of you who updated in my absence and who've hung on through it. I have not abandoned this story and hope to update again soon.

And thanks goes to Worker72, who has brought many mistakes to my attention. I have changed Aladdin's name to Ali al din. Ali, by the way, means sublime, or upholding of morals. I never planned to use the actual name Aladdin for the story, but when in a hurry to update, I posted without doing the research that was necessary. Thank you so much for your help! I have also found out that Ja'far is a real Arabic name, so I've decided to use it for the story.

Please enjoy this update. The next one should be better, though.

-LunarLitLover

P.S. I am going to begin putting the preview for the next chapter up before the chapter so that the chapter ends with finality. Please tell me if you like this better.

Preview (for next time): Yasmine wakes up in an entirely foreign place, being tended by an entirely foreign man.

Recap: Yasmine ran away with the help of her handmaiden, Nazihah, and was severely beat up by a palace guard.

Chapter 4-Ja'far

Patience and Planning

Today was a – for a lack of a more sinister word – nice day. Don't get me wrong: I'm not a naturally sinister man. I'm just a man who knows what I want. I want to be Sultan. And if I have to be sinister to get it, then so be it.

However, for me being Sultan isn't simply a desire; it's a goal that I will achieve. I've been working to achieve this goal for over a decade. Yes, a decade. What can I say? I'm a determined man. But I'm also a patient one.

And today my patience paid off.

I woke this morning in my usual bed in my chambers. The girl from last night wasn't bad, but she'd already left to attend to her morning cleaning of the palace.

I was planning on lying in bed for a little longer. I wanted to enjoy the feeling of the warm, morning sun on me. But my plans were disrupted when Sultan Zaim came charging into my rooms in a panic. He was bellowing, "Yasmine's gone! Yasmine's gone!"

I quickly rolled out of bed, the sheet wrapped around me. I ground my teeth together but bowed low. Treat others as you would expect to be treated.

However, I asked calmly, "How may I be of service, My Great Sultan?"

"Yasmine's gone, Ja'far!" he roared, his hands flying during his rant. "I think she ran off! Find her!"

And this was when my day turned from ordinary to extraordinary. You see, Yasmine's leaving gives me a perfect opportunity.

Well, maybe you don't see. Here, let me explain it:

To rule in a monarchy, you must be part of a royal blood line. If you're not royalty, then you must resort to one of the following measures to gain control:

1) Marry a royal who is in line for the throne – a highly improbable option. Although this is an ideal option because it's perfectly legal, it is highly rare to find a Sultan with only one child and heir. For it to be a female is something else. But it is quite another thing for an only daughter to be permitted to wed someone who is not a prince. It's almost impossibly unlikely. Therefore, I ruled this option out.

2) Hostile takeover – This could be managed very easily, but it is a very unstable way to take over a country. Once you take it, compliance is limited and security precautions great. Not to mention the fact that you've probably left the country in a state of reconstruction at best, civil war at worst. An old friend once told me, "Once you steal something, you spend you whole life fighting to keep it."

3) Put yourself in a position of power, and then slowly dispose of all of those in front of you in the line for the throne – This option is the most likely, in my case. I've already earned the position of Grand Vizier, the closest position to the throne. And, I automatically become Sultan if no other royal can fill the station. The only two royals ate Zaim and Yasmine. If they are disposed of, I will rule.

So then I had to decide how exactly to get rid of them. Accidental deaths for the both of them are too risky. They could survive the attempts, or I could get caught or be suspected. See how this is difficult? I've spend the last ten years trying to decide how to get rid of them.

I know Zaim and Yasmine will have to be killed eventually. I have often asked myself if I feel guilt over that, and, to tell you the truth, I don't. I mean, I don't hate them or even dislike them; as people, they're ok. But to me they're only vassals that I can manipulate and use. I know that sounds harsh, but when you've been in politics as long as I have, you have already sold all of your morals.

But now Yasmine has left. She's gone. And I'm almost positive she won't return, at least not by her own free will. So now I only have one more person to dispose of: Sultan Zaim. One death shouldn't be too difficult to plan. However, if it is, I can always wait until he dies of old age. I'm a patient man.

So I bowed and smiled and responded to the Sultan's requests. I sent the guards out into the city to find the princess. I sent the search party out, as I was expected to do.

But in my heart, I hoped she was never found.