Three Wishes: Cairo (10 page)

The Plan was on course.

Though he had failed ever so slightly at the wedding, Alchemy told himself that he had actually achieved the outcome he had sought. He had removed Khayri, Ameerah, and their two foolish friends without shedding one drop of blood. And though his plan would have likely ended the lives of all of the participants in this little human drama that he was swept up in, to say he had done it all without bloodshed made him feel better. After all, only a monster would wish death on an innocent. Even with all that had occurred he still saw himself as the hero in this story.

Step one of The Plan was complete. Any possible challengers to the crown were now gone. The council had asked if the wise and honorable Alchemy would temporarily assume the throne until order could be restored and answers could be found.

As The Plan dictated, he begrudgingly accepted on the condition it was understood that he was
sure
that the Prince and future Queen would soon return. Of course, at that point, he would humbly surrender power to the rightful owner. He said the right things and did the right things and soon; the talk of choosing a new king faded quickly. The townsfolk were already referring to Ameerah and Khayri in the past tense, though in reality they had only been gone for several months. They were beloved and would not be forgotten, but life goes on and those that remain had to mourn quietly and move on.

Alchemy even altered The Plan to announce the deaths of the four heroes. There was really no reason to after a few weeks. He was amazed at how quickly the mortals forgot important events as they continued about their very limited and uneventful lives. Ameerah and Khayri were thought of with great love and admiration, but Alchemy was the king now. He could focus the full breadth of his attention on setting up the new government and the process of leading this kingdom forward.

He had always planned to assume power and then remove those remaining Khayri loyalists and replace them with his own drones. But then a master stroke of genius came to him one night while he sat thinking. Anyone that he deemed a threat would be sent out in a second wave of search parties to look for survivors. He knew very well that he had helped the original search party vanish and could easily apply the same spell to the new searchers. So he killed two birds with one spell. Sometimes he simply couldn’t believe just how smart he actually was.

It was important that in the early going, Alchemy kept a semblance of compassion and false modesty. He had seen years of evidence that a beloved leader can get things done. A leader who imposes himself on his people will have followers, but will also create enemies, and those who can slow the process of governing. He openly grieved the loss of Khayri and Ameerah and gave bold speeches about the loyalty displayed by Rorgue and Atiene as well as others who joined in the search.

It was important that he showed some vulnerability and understanding early on so that in the weeks that followed, he could show strength and resolve. They would get through this tragedy together and he would rule this kingdom the way he knew the young king would have wanted him to.

His speeches fooled the masses and, like all good masses, they soon forgot why they were mourning. It was a surprisingly short time until Alchemy no longer had to mention the names of his predecessors during speeches.

It was time to begin expanding their kingdom, as Khayri had always wished.

This too, would be laughingly simple. In a few short days, he would simply announce that the search parties had been attacked, and the masses would demand blood for blood. A little magic here and a little army there and one kingdom would soon become three.

Oh, The Plan.

He had overheard the older men in town talk about their complete loss of mind when they’d met their brides. He had laughed at their stories but taken a distant approach with his own life. From what he could tell, women just slowed you down, made you fat and robbed you of your ambition. He’d seen his share of pretty girls and he was aware that they watched his graceful movements out of the corner of their eyes when he sauntered past. His new home had indeed started contemplation on subjects he never thought would interest him. But he’d never really been an active participant in the whole romance thing until today.

He replayed their brief conversation over and over in his mind. This was a princess, a blonde beautiful princess and he had just carried on a meaningful conversation with her. She hadn’t looked down on him for being poor like he’d always assumed royalty would. She hadn’t immediately called the guards to have him arrested when he’d scared her (or actually she’d scared him) in the forest. He didn’t have much experience, but she had even invited him back tomorrow for a second meeting. She even liked Darius, so how bad could she be?

He was having feelings he never even considered when he realized that this just might be love. As he and Darius returned back through the woods to their meager hut, he could think of little else than his new neighbor. How could a morning start out with charting a new path through the woods and end with thoughts of charting the rest of his life? In a split second, everything had changed. If this was really love, he would have to be smarter and faster than other men. He didn’t relish the idea of being slow and fat just to have a woman by his side. He could not let his cat-like reflexes suffer merely because some beautiful princess was now in his sights. He had a reputation to think about. During this whole train of thought, he basically just ignored the whole 'princess marrying a commoner’ thing because quite frankly, he was too naïve to even understand the implications. When he walked face first into a low hanging branch that he had dodged literally hundreds of times before, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh no Darius, I’m slowing down already,” he said while spitting some tree out of his mouth.

Darius sensed Aladdin's light-hearted mood, prancing happily by his master's side, then running ahead, stopping, sprinting back and barking all the way. It was a magical day.

“Why are you so excited?” he asked his best friend in the world.

Of course, Darius neither understood nor answered, but dogs make the best companions for that very reason. They sense the mood and enhance it without ever saying a word.

“Hanif?” he said.

There was really no change to the tail-wagging, happy as a clam response he always received from the dog.

“That's just embarrassing. I hope you ran away because you heard that awful name.”

Another bark, a tail wagging that exhibited no ill will or deep thought, and then the two companions reached their home.

Tomorrow was going to be a great day.

It was the worst dinner ever.

Enna walked into the main dining room to find that both her father and Katar were already seated. They both put down their silver utensils, and picked up their napkins to dab at their mouths in almost perfect synchronization. Enna simply rolled her eyes.

“Why is it that I see more whites than eyes on a daily basis?” her father joked.

Normally, Enna liked their banter. Her father had a good sense of very dry humor and it was the one real link that they had always shared.

“I didn't know you had trained it to mimic your every move,” she said sarcastically in the direction of Katar. “How does it eat when you're not around?”

“I am sorry, my Princess. Your father feared that you would again be dreadfully late or miss yet another meal, and he didn't want to eat alone… again. I joined him to combat the silence.” Katar hissed.

“The gods know that if there is one thing you are perfectly constructed for, it is to be a warrior in the battle versus silence,” smiled Enna.

Katar started to launch salvo number two, but Paden interrupted.

“Please you two; enough! I don't ask for much from either one of you, but I will ask for some semblance of etiquette to my face. We have important things to discuss and I won't tolerate a cat fight to boot!” With that simple request, the Sultan had the attention of the room. He took a few deep breaths and then turned his attention to his daughter.

“I am sorry, my dear. Without your mother, I really only have two remaining friends in the world and they are both seated at this table. When you bicker, I feel her loss compounded. I realize that fate has forced you together… I just ask that you fight in private and respect my wishes.”

“I will try, sir. You said we had business? That sounds intriguing.” Enna's eyes brightened and she forced a smile for her father's benefit.

“Yes,” he paused. Though he had requested the floor and now had it, he was hesitating because he already knew what sort of reception to expect. Finally, when the silence became overly long and awkward, he blurted out his intentions as fast as he could. “Katar and I feel that it is time to begin fielding suitors for your hand in marriage.” When he saw the ice begin to cover her eyes, he quickly added. “I’ve reached an age where I have to begin thinking about succession. I’m no more eager to lose you to another man than you are to begin this process, but it has to be done.”

Enna simply stared straight ahead. Her eyes spoke volumes, yet her mouth remained taut.

Katar then tried his hand at ending the chilling silence by adding, “You’re such a lovely young woman; we’ll likely have the pick of the surrounding kingdoms. I would imagine that you’d be quite pleased with the applicants who are brought before us.”

A small bead of sweat appeared on the Sultan’s brow and dropped harmlessly into his soup causing expanding rings of disturbance like those on a pond during a rainstorm. The two most powerful men in the land sat in complete silence; just waiting for the storm they knew to be coming.

Enna made them wait for it. Her bright blue eyes glowed with anger as she contemplated her response. Her mother told her long ago to think before speaking. She had learned all too well that statements made in anger usually sow the seeds of regret.

When she finally spoke, it was with the kind of contemptuous hiss that only a teenager can muster, “Well, it certainly seems as if you two have been quite busy on those nights you spent together at dinner. It might have been prudent had I attended. That, I regret”. She then sat even straighter in her chair. “As to the topic of my betrothed, have you discussed who will do the kissing?”

Her father looked perplexed. “I’m sorry dear; I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, as you seem to have decided that my husband will be chosen by some sort of committee, I was just wondering which of you would test his kissing ability. You seem intent on making the most important decision of my life for me, so I just assumed you’d have that covered as well.”

Of course, the two men had expected an outburst, followed by a likely loud exit. Neither had prepared for this quietly spoken response. Katar found his voice first, “We never intended to do anything more than present applicants. Of course the choice would almost certainly be yours.” He then checked her eyes directly to take the temperature on the information he’d just provided. The older man was already slightly wincing as if preparing for the explosion.

“
Almost
certainly?” she said. “Well, that
almost
certainly puts my mind at ease. I am the second highest-ranking royal official in the kingdom and
almost
certainly
I will have the ability that any of the citizens of the kingdom
always
have.”

“Enna, you are not a commoner. You have responsibilities to the crown that others do not share,” explained the Sultan.

“No, not really” she answered. “By forcing me to marry, you have removed any responsibilities I might have. If in fact, you’re going to just force me to be a second class leader, I might just as well abdicate the title now and marry whomever I choose, whenever I choose to marry!”

Katar re-entered the conversation. “My dear, you are a woman and therefore, royal law dictates…”

“Royal law? You mean laws made by men and voted on by other men? At least you did get the woman part correct; though, with all of this talk of
applicants
, I thought that perhaps you thought I was part of the royal herd of cattle and you were accepting bids to breed me!”

“My dear daughter, I am just preparing for an eventuality we all must face. I’m getting older and…”

“Certainly not wiser! Why was I schooled? Why did I study leadership, battle strategy, finance and all of the other training you put me through? If I was to be just to be a wife and attach myself to someone who might not have our kingdom’s best interests first and foremost, I should have just studied cooking. I am not prepared to simply step back and watch someone from outside our kingdom become its leader overnight because you two
choose
him for me! I would think you would have more love for our kingdom than that.”

“Enna, I'm simply trying to do what's best for everyone,” said the Sultan. “Katar did propose an alternate suggestion, but I was sure you'd never go for it. It would provide a means for you to begin actually leading our kingdom, but also satisfy royal law. As your husband, Katar would appear as a figurehead, but you would be the supreme ruler?” The Sultan looked sheepishly at his daughter in anticipation of the next wave of protest.

Enna’s face had grown to a deep crimson as if a volcano were about to erupt. Both men could not look away from her right hand, which was gripping a meat knife and holding on for dear life. Without warning, her hand let loose and the knife split the back of the unoccupied chair causing both sides to separate and fall to the ground. Both men reflexively leapt to their feet.

Enna just smiled as she rose to leave. “Oh, don’t get up on my account. I have but one comment on your, shall we say,
novel
presentation Katar. I think I speak on behalf of practically every woman in this kingdom; perhaps the world, when I say that I'd prefer to be bred with the cattle than marry you!”

Now it was Katar's turn: “I am simply trying to get my hands around a very tough situation my dear. A marriage of convenience is a tradition with royal families and this way you get the leadership you crave and I would continue as the family's most trusted advisor.”

“My dear Katar, I am quite aware exactly
what
you're trying to get your hands around. I can assure you, that unless I'm embalmed, mummified and six months dead; that will never, ever happen.” With that, she was out the door. Though she didn’t yell or scream or slam doors, her opinion was quite clear and noted by everyone in the room.

“She'll come to her senses, my king. It might just take some convincing.” Katar's smile was dark and foreboding.

“You do remember her mother don’t you? Look at that chair,” smiled the King. There was a flicker of pride in his eyes.