"Why didn't you tell me?" she said as she sat down beside him.
"I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"I was afraid that you wouldn't accept me. I was terrified that you would hate me."
Carina turned Cassim's head so he was looking at her.
"Cassim, I would never hate you, ever. I love you. Nothing can or will ever change that. You're my one true love."
That night Aladdin and Genie helped Cassim escape.
At Cassim's request, Genie put him back in his old clothes.
Cassim pulled the hood and veil up and took off running. The guards spotted him and chased him.
At age forty-one Cassim was faster than he had been at age twenty-one!
He turned right, knowing the guards would never think he would go that way. He went into Carina's room. Instantly, she knew it was him.
"Cassim, what are you doing?"
"Aladdin and Genie set me free. I have to leave Agrabah,... forever."
Carina went out onto her balcony and leaned against the railing.
A moment later she felt the strong, firm hands of her one true love touch her shoulders.
"I wanted to see you one last time. I also knew that if I didn't say 'good-bye' I'd never be able to live with myself."
Carina turned around and flung her arms around him.
They held each other in one last embrace. Then they broke apart.
Carina pulled the veil down and covered Cassim's mouth with her own. Tears trickled down both their faces as they shared their last kiss.
After a few moments they pulled back. Cassim put the veil back up, climbed onto the railing, jumped down into a tree, and disappeared from sight.
A few moments later Carina saw him jump onto the palace wall facing the marketplace. He looked back at her.
"I love you, Carina." he called.
Carina couldn't raise her voice above a whisper, but, in his heart, Cassim knew her answer.