BIG thanks to Mak8907 for helpin' me with the general direction of this dialogue…and to Sir Leep (not his real name) for cheerin' me on….enjoy this super-long chapter, both of you. And all of you wondersplendiferrificous readers.

"So…."

"Prince of…where exactly? Somewhere boring and stuffy just like every other palace under the sun?"

"We call it Palace Yat-um, Yasheet."

"And predisposed to making up words, too. This is going to be fun." Samantha rolled her eyes and sighed. "I see you're nervous."

"Uh-"

"Very obviously nervous. Am I the first princess to whom you went trapaising, looking for someone rich enough to keep you in good keeping while you spend your time hunting or some other meaningless sport?"

"Ah, yes, yes you are! And keep in mind that this wasn't my idea!"

"It wasn't?"

"Careful, kid." Danerik heard a voice whisper in his ear, and felt the familiar presence of Desiree. "Don't get yourself in too deep."

"I know what I'm doing!" he hissed in reply, then quickly covered it with a smile as Samantha turned to look at him fully for the first time.

"Your family is making you do this?" Samantha was truly interested, and drew closer. "Have you ever escaped their…oppressive thumb, and truly lived? Out there, in the city?" Then, shaking her head, she turned away again. "Oh, of course. You're a man. You can do whatever you want, while I get to stay here in the palace. With no one but boring servants for company!" she said pointedly, as a faint "I heard that!" echoed from deeper within her chambers.

"But…ah, if you do want to stay with me, you could come with me! I mean, we could go everywhere, anywhere you wanted-"

"And be the pretty figurehead at your side? No! Most definitely not! Tuck!" With a scurry and a shuffle of feet, Tuck arrived breathless.

"Yes, mistress?"

"Get rid of him. Now."

00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"And?"

"I took the hint. What else was I supposed to do, Val? Admit to being a street rat?"

"Um, yeah? I have the feeling she would admire a street rat."

"Are you crazy? She wouldn't look twice at me! And if she knew it was me-"

"That saved her from execution at the hands of the guards and actually bothered to get to know her, I think she might be interested."

"That wasn't me." Danerik sighed and turned away. "She would have been fine. She's a princess, for Ra's sake!"

"Watch your tongue, boy." Desiree reverted to more corporeal form, appearing out of thin air. "My people tended to like Ra. Even if you don't worship him, you could appreciate the feelings of those who do."

"Oh, great, so now you hate me now too?"

"Danny, calm down-"

"I can't! I'm just sitting here, while she's sitting there…hating me, and now you two have to start in! I just-I need to think." Storming off, he reverted to ghost form out of Valerie's sight and headed up to a higher walkway of the palace.

Valerie sighed and looked after him with a regretful look.

"Valerie…you don't have to pity him. It's his own fault-"

"No, Desiree, he's just a very sweet boy like that. He puts all of himself into something and it doesn't work…he gets emotional. And from what I saw between the two of them, he definitely was starting to fall for her."

"Oh. Well. What do you think he'll do?"

"Nothing drastic. He usually doesn't…I mean, it's not like he could wipe out the city or something with his mixed-up hormones."

"Oh no."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"How can Desiree even presume – And Valerie? I thought she would have at least-I am such an idiot!"

Clenching his fists, he rose through several rooms, invisible and intangible, until he plopped down on the roof. "Sam probably hates me now, and I just had to walk in and-"

"How can they even presume? And it's not like this is the first time, either!" Another voice joined his ranting on the roof, but neither noticed the other.

"Make a total fool of myself, and Valerie thinks I should have boosted the fop impression…"

"But if he can't even keep up with me intellectually, how will we be able to talk to each other? His head is empty, brainless…what was he-"

"Thinking? Was I thinking? But she…she was so alive, so smart, so beautiful…I can't even approach that! Look at me-"

"Dressed up in these pretty clothes-"

"Pretending I know what I'm doing-"

"Looking for something without looking like I'm looking-"

"Waiting for someone to take me away…"

With a gasp, Samantha tripped over Danerik's outstretched foot and turned to look at him with an indignant glare. "How did you get up here? There is only one way up-the way I took!"

"Why are you up here? Why don't you just go back to your fancy rooms where your boring servants can bring you whatever you want?"

"They can't!"

"What?" Danerik's question was so quiet, it was nearly a whisper.

"They can't get me out of here."

"Here? The city, the palace? You haven't even been outside here?"

"There was one time…one person…but no. This is the only way I can even look outside the walls…"

"Would you…like to go outside?"

"Yes…I mean, how? With you? Alone?" With a smirk, she observed his clothing and hair. "I see you changed. Didn't like the stench of the peacock guano, pretty boy? And what's with the hair?"

"I, um, I don't know. But do you want to go? I can take you…if you want."

"Well..if you're sure…but my father will reciprocate any harm done to me or my person-"

"Oh, come off it, Princess. Do you want to go or not? Outside the walls, outside your father's realm…I will personally hold myself responsible for any harm you come to. Princess…Samantha…please?"

Sighing, she looked out into the sunset, then into his muted eyes. She didn't notice the glow about him, attributing it to the sunset, but she did feel…trust. She trusted him. "Yes, Prince Danerik. I will go with you."

"Okay, so now what you have to do is look into the sunset."

"Into? Ow."

"Then…run. Now."

With a surprised yell, she felt herself pulled along by his cold hand as he dragged her toward the edge of the roof. "D-D-Danerik, w-what a-are you-"

In a smooth pull, he leapt up and off the building, pulling her up into his strong arms in a bridal pose, nimbly catching her legs with his other arm. "Doing?" With a small gasp, she realized how close they were, and how the cold of his skin drew away the heat of the day.

"Is this alright? I-I don't mean to-"

"No…no, this is fine." Adjusting herself, she looked over her shoulder to find the pair of them floating above the garden; very far above the garden.

"You're…flying? How-"

"Djinn magic. Well-"

"Are you a sorcerer? A djinni in human form?" Panic gripped her as she contemplated the possibilities, and he felt her go rigid.

"No, no, nothing like that, just a…just a boy caught up in events bigger than himself."

"Well, Prince Danerik…you're turning out to be more interesting than I bargained for."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Your turn."

"Check."

"That's not 'Check', see? My bishop's there."

"Well, sorry."

"Where is Danerik?"

"I couldn't find him anywhere on palace grounds…your turn, Val."

"I hate this game."

0o0o0o00o0o0o0o

As Danerik held Samantha far above the gleaming tapestry of lights and lanterns of the caravans below them, he smiled at her and asked, "So…Sam…do you find it strange that I am…like this?"

"No, Danerik. I really don't."

"Please…call me Danny."

"Danny?" Sam thought hard, studying Danerik's face to see if she recognized it…from another place, another time…

"Yeah…you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Danny, I like you just the way you are. And I think…I think it would be alright if we spent more time together."

0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

As Danerik approached the flickering glow of Samantha's terrace, he began floating downwards to end at the very edge of her platform. Letting her down, he held onto her hand as they gazed into each other's eyes, afraid to break the connection, afraid that this night would end all too soon.

"Samantha…Sam…thank you. For everything."

"No, no, Danny, thank you. That was…the best thing you could have ever given me. And I mean that."

"Mistress! Mistress Samantha!" Tuck's voice yet again echoed from inside.

"I should go. Goodbye, Danny." She smiled gently, then dashed off to prepare for bed.

"Goodbye…Septima."

Is he channeling Han Solo there? Woo.

Yes, I know chess wasn't invented yet, but, um, Desiree can time-travel. JUST DEAL WITH IT. IT IS FUNNY. (P.S. She taught Valerie just then.)

And pardon all the "dot dot dot"s, I just really love them and they add proper suspense to dialogue. Ooh, fancy words.

Hey guys, I could use some help with integrating Vlad back into the story, just to throw that out there...like I told Mak, this is where I really start to deviate from the official Aladdin story, and it also happens to be the end of my paper version. From here on out, everything goes straight from my head to the computer. Hopefully that will help it go faster, 'cuz I hate typing stuff from paper like you wouldn't believe. I...I think I'll shut up now. Adios!