Life is a sea shore of shifting sands, endless from one fixed point. The tide falls and rises just as does the sun with each day. The continuum of happiness and melancholia spreads itself not across one life, but many. Humanity blinks once and finds the footsteps have washed away into a sea of memories...until they, too, are lost in the cold depths with the passage of time. Changes in the billions of grains of sand are uncontrollably molded by the merciless waves of life's turning seasons, but yet the sunset is always as beautiful as the sunrise. The rainbow hues lose themselves forever in the waters. Somtimes, it is hard to tell where the sky ends and where the sea begins...where life ends and where life begins, with only a breath.

With one short breath, a tear fell down her cheek. She moved her hand slowly over the cracked stone, the same breaking feeling in her heart.

"Father," she croaked. "Don't leave me...to see...this."

"See what?" asked a voice from behind.

She sat there in silence.

"Jasmine, why are you here?" he asked gently, touching her back softly.

"Aladdin," she moaned, "our child is leaving us. Everything is so different...cold, distant. She never looks at me the same anymore. What's happening here? She's leaving just like Father left."

"Oh, Jasmine," sighed Aladdin, "I understand what you mean, but you've got to stop doing this to yourself. Your father passed away; Anna is just moving away. She's married, ready to have a family of her own. Surely, you understand that."

"I know her desires. Deep down, I understand. I guess I don't want to let go of the way things have been for years. All I could think about at her age was spending the rest of my life with you, the one I love. I can't believe she is of that age now. Seems like yesterday when..."

"When you were singing her lullabies to sleep. I know. I've felt the same way. We have to accept what's happening though. Let's show her how proud of her we are."

"I guess you're right," replied Jasmine. "Come on, let's help them pack. It will be a fairly long trip to Adima."

Aladdin placed his arm around Jasmine, and they walked through the menagerie. It was nearly dusk, and the western sky was red from the setting sun. A few early stars decorated the sky in the east. Aladdin sighed contentedly as he remembered all the night strolls his wife and he had taken in the menagerie among the palms and flowers. The night sky was always an interest of both of them, capturing such beauty and wonder as to what lay out there in space. Their first date had been among the stars when Aladdin showed Jasmine that there was so much more to the world than what she had been told growing up in a palace. It truly had been a magic carpet ride because the magic of those opposite people from two opposite lives coming together and prospering for years to come was truly a wonder, a miracle that Allah had smiled upon. The whole city of Agrabah felt the union of Aladdin and Jasmine had been blessed, for Agrabah prospered with the reign of the two benevolent rulers. Never had there been more happiness among the streets, but a different story lie hidden within the walls of the palace. Loneliness and desparation to cling on to the familiar things of the past lingered within Jasmine's heart. Aladdin could not understand why she was so afraid. What was she fearing? They had faced many problems in the past, and if the future called for it, surely, they would do it again...for the sake of their unconditional love. It bothered Aladdin deeply that he could not completely understand why the one he loved was so sad at times. Wasn't simply loving her enough? As those thoughts drifted through his mind, they came to Anna's room.

"Oh," she said, looking up, "hello, Mom and Dad."

"Good evening, my dear," smiled Aladdin. "How are things going with you?"

"Well, there's not much left to do. Most of my clothes are packed and ready to be loaded onto the carriage. Boy, am I ever tired though."

"You could have asked for help," suggested Aladdin.

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't want to intervene on your time with Mom," teased Anna, smirking.

Jasmine smiled at her daughter's comment and came closer to her.

"Well, Anna, you'll know soon enough what lovers do in their time alone. You'll be living with Jareem come tomorrow."

"It's hard to believe, but I know everything will be fine. By the way, Dad, how are things going with that peace agreement?"

"Oh, fine," replied Aladdin. "With Troy's help in these matters, things are looking good. This will be the first time in recorded history that all the kingdoms across the Seven Deserts will be in alliance. If any outside force attacks any kingdom, armies from all over the Seven Deserts will be at their aid. Surely, an alliance this strong will prevent any chance of conquerors claiming Allah's land. Of course, war is a last resort."

"Wow," Anna said, amazed. "I can't believe you got everyone to come together."

"Well, almost everyone," said Aladdin.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Anna, it's not your concern, especially right now. It's late."

Anna sighed and turned to Jasmine.

"Mom, what is he hiding from me?"

"Nothing," Jasmine muttered. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure everything will be fine. Good night, Anna."

Jasmine kissed her daughter's cheek and left the room with Aladdin by her side. They walked down the hallway until coming to their royal quarters. Jasmine sat on the chair by a mirror and removed her crown, placing it on a nearby table.

"Aladdin, you didn't tell me about this. Is there someone who is refusing to sign the agreement?"

"Well, not exactly," stuttered Aladdin nervously. "He hasn't made his intentions clear. He wants to 'talk them over' with everyone at the peace council next week."

"Who?"

"Sultan Sundrum of Casimir."

"Sundrum? We bearly know him!" she exclaimed. "Why would he have something against us?"

"You're jumping to conclusions," Aladdin said calmly. "I don't know why, I told you."

"Well, I just hope everything works out fine, Aladdin. I love you too much to lose you."

Jasmine hugged her husband tightly and closed her eyes. Aladdin felt her desparation and hugged her back.

"Oh, Jasmine," he said softly. "I love you, too. I assure you though, you have nothing to worry about."

"Good morning, Anna," smiled Clara at the breakfast table. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Yeah," Anna replied. "My things are being loaded onto the carriage as we speak. I'll be leaving shortly after breakfast."

"All packed up and ready to go, huh, Sis?" teased Troy. "Seems like only yesterday when I was chasing you about the halls."

"I'll miss those days," laughed Anna. "But seriously, it's time I settled down. After all, I'm nineteen."

Jareem joined the table, kissing his new wife as he sat down next to her. He greeted everyone around the table and took to a plate of grapes and melon.

"You are hungry today, aren't you?" Troy asked Clara, grinning.

"Oh, stop it!" she exclaimed. "You know I'm eating for two. It's only a matter of a few weeks now before the baby is born, and then, my dear, you'll be a father."

"And your point is?"

"Well, you'll have to put away some of this nonsense. Do you want our children growing up to be like you?"

"Is that such a bad thing?" asked Troy innocently.

Smiles spread across all the faces present, all looking at Troy.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, nothing," giggled Anna. "You're just so funny to torment, that's all."

"I think your brother is already embarrassed enough," said Jareem to Anna. "We want to make sure what we're eating stays down."

Everyone burst out into laughter. The rest of the meal passed with the same silly comments passing from person to person. When it came time for the departure, everyone met out in front of the palace by the gates. Anna and Jareem stood close to the carriage as the others said their goodbyes.

"You take good care of her, Jareem," instructed Troy. "I don't want to receive any letters from her and have to bring her back here. The last thing I need is my little sister following me around the palace again."

"Oh, there will be no problem of the sort," laughed Jareem. "I love her too much to let that happen. Allah forbid she be living with you for the rest of her life."

"No, my friend, it's your turn to have her. And how you could have fallen in love with her is still a mystery and may just become the eighth wonder of the world."

"Oh, Troy!" giggled Anna. "You never stop!"

"Nope, not when I know you're leaving. I had to squeeze a few more cracks in there. Seriously though, Anna, I'll miss you, so you'd better visit."

"I will, don't worry, but I haven't even left yet. Goodbye, Troy."

Brother and sister hugged momentarily. Anna turned to Clara.

"You've been such a good friend," Clara said. "I'll miss you."

"As will I miss you," Anna said, feeling a little sad. "Make sure that bum over there takes good care of you and that baby. When you have the child, please let me know. I want to see my new niece or nephew."

"Of course."

They hugged and Anna turned back to Jareem.

"Well, it's almost time," she said.

"Yeah," he replied, "but here come your parents. You'd better not leave until you say goodbye to them."

Aladdin and Jasmine were now by Anna's side.

"Goodbye, Anna," said Aladdin. "I love you. It's a shame the others aren't here to say goodbye."

"It's okay, Dad. They deserved their trip to, uh, wherever the Americas are that Genie was referring to. No matter, I'll see the guys again soon enough. I love you, too."

"Anna," said Jasmine.

"Yes, Mom?"

Jasmine didn't say anything, but rather she just embraced her daughter tightly. Tears flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Mom, it's okay, really."

"I know, dear," sobbed Jasmine. "I'm just going to miss you so much."

"It's okay, Mom. I love you, and I'll miss you, too, but we'll see each other again soon. I promise."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Goodbye, Anna."

"Goodbye, Mom."

Jasmine finally let go of her daughter before Cassim had the chance to hug her.

"Goodbye, Grandpa."

"Goodbye, my dear. Please visit soon. As you can see, I'm an old man, and I don't know how much longer I'll be here."

"Oh, Grandpa, don't speak so. You'll be around many more years to enjoy the company of your great-grandchildren."

"Oh, please, don't mention it. I don't need to feel any older!" he laughed.

"Well, as long as you feel young at heart, you'll never age, Grandpa."

Cassim smiled and hugged her again, joined by Aladdin. When everyone finally let go of her, Anna climbed on to the carriage with Jareem and rode off toward Adima.

The ride was a long one. Two days wasn't a horribly long time to be travelling in the desert, but the first night dragged on mercilessly. Anna looked out the carriage window at the miles and miles of sand that stretched in all directions. She sighed as the carriage pulled on farther over the reddish sand dunes. The red was from the sun's setting, and Anna knew they would be stopping for the night shortly. Jareem noticed how she seemed detached and addressed her.

"Anna, is something wrong?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, no...nothing's wrong. I'm fine."

"Why are you all the way on the other side of the seat then? Come closer to me. It looks like you need some comfort."

Anna moved closer to Jareem and leaned against him.

"You know," he said dreamingly, "the night is always so beautiful. The stars are so wonderful to watch, aren't they?"

"They're beautiful," replied Anna. "They make me wonder about what's out there, you know. So many civilizations throughout history have believed they were the center of the universe. Why does one society or one person feel like they are of such importance that the sun, the moon, and all the stars would revolve around them? Why not reach out into the world and discover if for yourself? I guess what I'm asking is why are people so afraid, Jareem?"

"You certainly are philosophical tonight, Anna. Well, I think they're afraid of what they might find. It's always more comforting to be surrounded by familiar people and things. People want to feel like their lives have meaning, substance, so they create visions of importance like being at the center of all things. You, Anna, are different then most royalty. You don't feel the obligation to feel above others. Rather, you want to find your place among others, among humanity as a whole. I only wish my father would have been more of the man yours is."

"I guess people are afraid of those who rise up and question things, afraid of those whose ideas are different. Maybe that's why my father wasn't accepted by so many rulers for a while. It took time though for them to see that he could be a great leader, and he proved himself. That's what worries me though. Not everyone has accepted him still. In my room last night, he mentioned something about someone nothing signing the peace agreement. I thought by now that everyone would have come together. Do you know anything about this?"

"Well, I...uh," Jareem stuttered. "I'm not sure this is such a good thing to be discussing, Anna. It's late and you're tired."

"Oh, please!" she exclaimed. "Don't use that as an excuse. My father said the same thing last night. We're married. You're the Sultan of Adima, and I'm the Queen. You cannot keep things from me."

"Well, the council will be held in Adima next week. What I know from my experiences in diplomacy is that there have always been rulers who are stubborn. I don't know who could be refusing to sign the peace agreement, but that's what the counsil is for. Any last minute questions or concerns will be addressed. I assure you, Anna. If something comes up, I will tell you."

"Very well. Let's end this now. I'm tired. Perhaps you should ask the driver to stop for the night."

"As you wish, my darling. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"What a beautiful garden!" exclaimed Anna. "Jareem, you never told me you had such a wonderful home."

"It was a well-kept secret then," he smiled. "I had this area of the menagerie planted especially for you. When I saw how beautiful the gardens in Agrabah were, I knew I had to give you something of an equal quality."

"You didn't have to do that," she replied.

"I know, but I wanted to. It's not every day that a lovely woman comes into my life to live with me."

"Well, I would hope I'm the only woman in your life," she giggled playfully.

"Well, the one maid is pretty nice-looking," he teased.

"Very funny," Anna said sarcastically.

They held each other and kissed silently. They had just arrived in Adima, and Jareem was giving his wife the grand tour of the palace. She had never been to Adima before, despite seeing Jareem for nearly a year before they were married. The palace was quite grand and impressive and very colorful on the outside as well as the inside. The halls were decorated with vases and paintings, and tall, long windows lined the halls. In a place so bright and full of sunlight, it was hard to imagine that Jareem had grown up in a place of solitude. She had to admit that his family did have good taste, despite the coldness that had been portrayed by Jareem's father. The servants were polite to Anna, but she felt it only to be for the sake of being proper. She didn't feel at home.

"I want you to feel like you're at home," said Jareem. "After all, this is your home now."

Those words echoed through her mind as a few days passed. The days grew tiresome and long after the first. The first had been exciting, a discovery of a new place, but despite its outward beauty, she was beginning to feel the same loneliness Jareem had described to her. He was always busy with something it seemed, and with the counsil meeting approaching, rulers from throughout the Seven Deserts were arriving. They all greeted her briefly, taking little interest that she was indeed the Queen of Adima.

Why don't they take me seriously? Anna thought. Is it because I am young? Is it because of my family history? I thought the monarchs had come to accept my father. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions...

On one miserably hot day, Anna sat looking out the front of the palace. She watched with boredom for another carriage to pull in through the palace gates and to have to once again report to the throneroom to greet the strangers. As her thoughts mingled, a carriage came through the gates and down the front walkway toward the palace. Here we go again, she thought.

Anna walked slowly toward the throneroom, dreading the guests. Jareem joined her side as the doors opened. To her great surprise, Aladdin came walking into the palace.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, running toward him. "You're here!"

Before Aladdin could even say anything, she hugged him tightly.

"It's great to see you, too, Anna," smiled Aladdin. "But can you release me a little. I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry," she said dumbly. "I just missed you so much."

"I missed you, too, my dear. Jareem, it's good to see you, too."

"Welcome to my kingdom, Sultan Aladdin," said Jareem politely. "It's my honor to have you."

"Oh, don't be so formal," laughed Aladdin, patting Jareem on the back. "My daughter is married to you. You are family."

"Sorry, Aladdin," replied Jareem. "I guess it's just because there have been so many rulers coming through these doors the past few days that I have been in the habit of greeting them a certain way."

"I understand," said Aladdin. "Being a young Sultan is quite a rough experience at first."

"Tell me about it!" Jareem exclaimed. "I've been so busy this past week. Why did Adima have to be the place for this council meeting anyway?"

"Because Adima is located in the center of the Seven Deserts. It's most convenient for most kingdoms for travelling."

"Oh, well, I thought maybe you more experienced sultans were trying to make my job more difficult. I mean, having to be the host and all."

"That, too," laughed Aladdin.

"Funny," said Jareem with an amused tone. "Well, let the servants show you to your room."

"I'll do it," said Anna quickly.

"What?" asked Jareem. "But my dear, the servants are paid to do those kind of things..."

"He's my father, Jareem. I think you can make this one exception."

"Very well."

Anna showed Aladdin to his room down the west hall. Once he was settled in, Aladdin sat on the bed in relief.

"What a day," he said. "I'm tired."

"You're telling me," replied Anna. "Every day around here is a circus for Jareem. I, on the other hand, have been quite bored."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes. I've felt so ignored and lonely, Dad. I miss home."

"Oh, Anna, it's normal to feel a little homesick the first couple of days. Jareem is having it pretty rough though. He's under a lot of pressure right now, and I can understand what he is going through. Being a young and new sultan is not easy. I'm sure he still thinks about you."

"I know you're right, Dad. I guess I'm just being selfish, but what am I supposed to do with all this free time?"

"You're a queen now, Anna. You should be there right by his side in these matters. You're just going to have to get used to that level of responsibility at a young age. Why don't you attend the council meeting tomorrow and see what diplomacy is all about?"

"Dad, I'll be bored out of my mind!"

"You don't know until you try. I've always gone easy on you when it came to these things. Troy was pushed more growing up because he would be the heir to the throne, but you, Anna, are a queen now. Please give it a try. Besides, you wanted to know who was refusing to sign the agreement. Why don't you come and find out?"

"I guess you're right, Dad. I wish you would just tell me though who this man is. I'm concerned."

"There's nothing to be concerned about. I'm sure we'll find out at the meeting what his intentions are."

"Well, see you at the meeting tomorrow, Dad."

"Yes, Anna, see you there."

Anna returned to her room with anticipation growing inside her. For the first time, she was expected to find out something about these matters for herself. For some reason, she didn't feel the protection her father used to ensure her. It was like he had let go of a part of her and forgotten about it.

Aladdin lay in his bed late that night.

"Oh, Anna," he sighed, "I've lost part of you. You've grown up and married and given yourself to Jareem. Please don't leave me entirely."

The day Anna had been fearing arrived, and she grew nervous as the afternoon hour drew near. She felt nervous for numerous reasons: this being her first time involved in these matters, the sultan who refused to sign the agreement, and her own father's letting go of her. Despite the anticipation though, she knew her presence was expected, so she walked down to the meeting room that day, in hopes that everything would turn out for the best. When she arrived, she noticed Jareem was sitting at the head of a rather long table. He looked nervous as well, and she imagined he was under a lot of pressure among the older and more experienced sultans in the room. She joined his side without saying anything. Noticing her silence and uneasiness, Jareem turned to her and whispered in her ear.

"You're not the only one who is nervous," he said. "Thank you for joining me though. It may be easier to face them if you stay by my side."

"How could I not be here?" she asked. "I am the Queen, aren't I? Isn't it my duty to stand by your side in these matters?"

She swallowed slowly over her own hypocrisy, remembering that it was her father who had told her to do this, to be by her loved one's side.

"Funny thing is though, Anna, you haven't been by my side this past week. Is something wrong? I didn't want to say anything, but..."

"No, nothing's wrong," she lied. "I'm just nervous about this whole thing...about the sultan who won't sign the agreement."

At least I was half-truthful in that last part, she thought.

"So am I," Jareem muttered. "Trust me, so am I."

A few more people joined the table that moment, among which was Aladdin, who had to take a seat down at the other end of the table due to all the others being filled. Once the room became silent, Jareem figured it was time to begin.

"Welcome to the Peace Agreement Council," he began. "As you all know, this council is being held to discuss the last minute terms, questions, and concerns of the peace agreement. This agreement was proposed by Sultan Aladdin of Agrabah nearly six months ago, and it would be of benefit to every leader here to sign it. Sultan Aladdin knows more of the details, so without further ado, I give you Sultan Aladdin."

"Thank you, Sultan Jareem," replied Aladdin. "The peace agreement would ensure that an alliance would be formed between all the kingdoms of the Seven Deserts. Even smaller towns that are under the rule of larger cities will be protected. It is in the best interest of everyone present here to sign because the only downfall I forsee is if someone doesn't sign it. That ruler will be leaving his kingdom subject to attacks from foreign invaders, especially those kingdoms which lie on the edges of Allah's lands. I realize that many, if not all, the kingdoms trade with foreign countries, and this by no means should stop or be threatened by the peace agreement. It would be our hopes that in the future, perhaps other nations can join the agreement if they wish to. I will now take the time to address any concerns or questions you may have on these issues."

"Yes, Sultan Aladdin," began one of the sultans, "I have a concern. I agree with you that this is a wonderful achievement for the Seven Deserts, but I was wondering...How will it be ensured that forces from all kingdoms will arrive at my city, per se, to protect it? What of places farther away?"

"That is an excellent question, Sultan Ajwah. There will be armies posted at camps throughout the Seven Deserts. These camps will be located on the outskirts of the major cities and will consist of representatives from each army of each city. In the case of an emergency, someone will be sent out from each respective kingdom's army and give news to their kingdom as to the threat and where it is. So, you see, even your city will have armies from all over the Seven Deserts posted there at all times. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, Sultan. Thank you."

"Very well," continued Aladdin. "Are there any other questions?"

A man in his mid-sixties cleared his throat and stared right at Aladdin. He was the man who was seated right next to Anna. She turned quickly and looked at him the moment he made the noise.

"Yes?" asked Aladdin.

"To everyone at this table," the sultan began, "let it be known that I am one of the oldest and wisest sultans among those here. For those of you who don't know me, I am Sultan Sundrum of Casimir. I do not see how this peace agreement will ensure anything. How can you all be sure that what Sultan Aladdin says is going to actually be carried out?"

"Well," Aladdin began, "I cannot be sure of anything, but I do believe in faith. No one can be one hundred percent sure of anything in life, in general, but if we all form one strong unit now, our chances of fighting off any foreign invadors are much stronger than they would be otherwise. There is strength in numbers."

"Strength in numbers, you say. Well, you are but one man. How can we all trust you? How will you back up your claim?"

"You ask very difficult questions. I can only hope that you put your trust in Allah. I am but a man, but I assure each and every one of you, my intentions are not evil. I don't come here in hopes of gaining your attention to think of me as a great and wonderful leader. My mission in my reign has always been to help others in any way possible, and I've found that the best way to help yourself is to help others."

"So you are saying that we should not put our trust in you after all?" asked Sundrum.

"No," Aladdin stated. "That's not what I'm saying."

"But you just said that you are but a man. Man cannot be trusted."

"No man is worthy of the trust we put in Allah, but if you don't at least have faith in my efforts, how can anything be accomplished? If no one had faith in another, how would anything be accomplished?"

"You are straying from the matter at hand, Aladdin. I think you need to get your matters straight. Of course, what can I expect from a man from the streets?"

At that last sentence, Anna stood up in fury.

"How dare you insult my father!" she yelled. "You insult a man who is kind and fair and just to his people, when you, sir, are not worthy of your title! What kind of ruler endangers the lives of his people for his own causes? You think not of your people when you speak and only of your own selfish will to put my father to shame because of his past. He may not have been born into royal blood, but I assure you, he was born of noble blood. Nobility is earned more so on the backs of slaves who work mercilessly under the blazing sun than by hypocrites who sit on the throne, adorn in their own gold that makes their hearts hard."

"How dare you speak thus!" exclaimed Sundrum. "Who are you to speak to me!"

"I am the Queen of Adima!" Anna fought back.

"Queen or not, you are a woman, and I'll have no woman tell me what to do. Sultan Aladdin, if you knew what was best for your daughter and for your kingdom, you will silence her."

Aladdin glared at the sultan.

"Is that a threat on my life or on my kingdom? Or is it a threat on innocent humans who try to uphold Allah's law?"

"It is a threat on your kind, Aladdin! I'll have no more of this! You can forget my signature on that agreement because you will not see it!"

"All the better," said Aladdin with clenched teeth. "I'll have no one sign the agreement who does not believe in peace."

"You are just like your father," Sundrum spat. "You are barbaric, and if you are a king, it's a king of thieves."

With that, Sundrum stormed out of the room, leaving the others in silence.

"What just happened here?" asked one of the men.

"Whatever it was, it doesn't look like peace to me," said another.

Everyone suddenly began talking among themselves. The tension rose more as some people began to yell and scream out cries in their defense. All Aladdin could do was look on in shame.

"What happened?" Jareem asked Aladdin. "Is there still an agreement?"

"I don't know," Aladdin said in agony, shaking his head. "I just don't know."

"Well, someone has to say something."

"I don't know what to say anymore," Aladdin said, feeling defeated. "I have completely ruined any chance of peace among the Seven Deserts."

"Don't say that, Aladdin," replied Jareem. "You can't let him do this to you. I still believe in your cause. You are a fighter, not a loser who gives up."

Jareem returned to his seat and yelled, "Everyone! Please! I need your attention!"

The talking gradually stopped, and Jareemed continued.

"I know things have not happened the way we had hoped, but we still have a council here. We met to sign a peace agreement, and are we going to let one man decide for us?"

The talk continued again, and it was obvious that there would be no peace. The rulers of the Seven Deserts left the council that day divided over the decision.

What have I done? Anna asked herself. I have completely ruined my father's intentions and brought shame to him. I am not worthy of being a queen. I should have never been there.

She buried her face in the pillow and cried for a long time over what had happened that afternoon. Anna felt like she could never again face her father or her husband. She felt worthless and abandonned by all sense of hope or love. As she lay there, her face still buried in shame, she felt a gentle touch on her back.

"Anna," said a voice quietly.

She jumped and turned around to find her father there.

"Dad," she said in tears. "What are you doing here? Why are you trying to comfort the one who ruined your plans and brought shame to your name?"

"Anna, come here."

Aladdin brought his arms around his daughter and brought her close to him. He stroked the hair on her head and spoke calmly.

"I know you're hurting, but you have to understand something. I still love you. I am not going to let one little setback ruin what we have. What you did today was very brave and very admirable. Not everyone would have stood up for me there, but you, Anna, you were willing to defend my cause, and I deeply respect you for that. You are my daughter, and there is nothing you can ever do that would make me stop loving you."

"But Dad, I ruined it all. Now there will be no peace among the Seven Deserts...all because of me."

"Maybe not, but there will be peace among us. Those who really love each other can never stay angry or hurt forever. If they really love each other, they are willing to forgive. You are still learning about the difficulties of being in charge of a whole society of people. The fair ruler knows that it is better to serve under the goodness than to rule over the evil."

"You are so understanding and so wise, Dad. I love you."

"I love you, too, my darling. Now, get yourself some rest. Tomorrow I must head back to Agrabah."

"Already?"

Aladdin nodded slowly, kissed the top of her head, and left the room.

Anna was nearly asleep that night when Jareem came into the room. He yawned and lay down next to her, bringing his arms around her. He smiled a small smile and cuddled closely to his dear wife, feeling sorry for her about what had happened earlier that day. Anna felt his presence and opened her eyes, turning her head to see him.

"Jareem," she whispered. "It's late, isn't it?"

"Yes," he whispered back. "It's nearly midnight. I finally finished up all the work for today."

"You've been busy for so long. I miss spending time with you..."

"I know the feeling. I sometimes wish my father were still alive to...oh, forget it. I don't miss him."

"Not at all?"

"Well, sometimes I miss him, I guess. At least he knew what he was doing. He may not have been loving, but he did know how to run a kingdom. I don't know if I'm even doing things right half the time."

"You're being too hard on yourself," said Anna. "I think you are doing a great job. It's me who is to blame. Instead of helping you out, I've been sitting alone this past week, wallowing in self-pity because I miss my home."

"But Anna," he said, feeling hurt. "This is your home, remember? We're married now. Aren't you happy?"

"I do love you, Jareem. You've never given me a reason to think otherwise, but I've felt so lonely here. It's not your fault that you're busy. I guess I'm just being selfish. I've ruined my own life here, and it's my fault, just like I ruined the peace agreement. My father was very understanding about the whole thing, but I think he is upset. He just won't admit it."

"Oh, Anna," Jareem sighed. "I only wish you were happy. I hate to see you like this. Please, tell me, is something deeper bothering you?"

"No, nothing. I've told you...I've been selfish, and that's all. I know I should be by your side more, and I will...I promise."

"Thank you," he said and then kissed her on the cheek. "Just remember that I'm always here if you need to talk, okay? Just because I look busy doesn't mean I won't listen. I love you, Anna."

"Good night, my dear. You'll be in my dreams. I love you."

They both fell asleep that night in hopes that the future they would have together would be brighter than it had been the past few days. Anna slept in dread of something terrifying though, something she couldn't tell Jareem or Aladdin. She was deeply troubled by that day for some reason, and she knew no matter how hard she tried to push it out of her mind, it would never go away. She didn't even know what exactly was causing her such discomfort, but she knew that discomfort would return when she least expected it...years down the road perhaps.

When the morning hours arrived, Jareem awakened first and stretched. He stood up from the bed and looked at Anna, who was still fast asleep. He smiled at how peaceful and beautiful she looked, her chested moving up and down in a placid motion and her curly hair laid out of the pillow in a mass of interweaving locks, almost artistically. He dressed and combed his hair to the side. Looking in the mirror, he noticed that his hair how grown some in the past few months. It had never been accepted in his youth for his hair to be very long, but he didn't care now that his father was gone. His reasoning was, why did things have to be a certain way and not another? If he chose to dress less elegantly and wear his hair longer, that was his decision. Anna had even told him that he reminded her of her own father, and he smiled proudly at that. Aladdin was more of a father to him than his ever had been, and now that he was married, he was part of the family. Clearing his mind of those thoughts, he exited the chambers and proceeded down the hall until coming to the dining room. He awaited the cook to notice his presence, and when the cook finally came, he asked politely for a cup of coffee and some pastries. As he was eating, Aladdin came into the room and smiled.

"May I sit down?" he asked.

"Of course," Jareem replied. "You don't have to ask my permission."

"Thanks. You're up early."

"Yeah, well, I guess it's been custom growing up to always rise early. Anna is never awake when I get up."

"Oh, Anna never wakes up early!" laughed Aladdin. "She's been known to sleep into the early hours of the afternoon."

"Really?" Jareem was shocked. "Doesn't she miss breakfast?"

"Sometimes, yes, but that was always her decision. I've always encouraged my kids to think for themselves, especially when they got older. If they wanted to go into the marketplace, they could, as long as they dressed down some so they wouldn't be taken for royalty."

"Anna and Troy are really lucky to have you as their father. I always wished my father was more liberal like you."

"Well, I guess it's all a matter of perspective," Aladdin smiled. "Growing up as a commoner taught me a lot of things that could never be taught in the palace. Experiencing life-threatening situations when I was younger than you even made me realize how dangerous it is out there, but we can't run and hide from it because it's real and it's there."

"You're so brave. Now I see where Anna gets her spunk from."

"Well, her mother has always been the spunky one," Aladdin said. "She's got a flame in her that burns, and they are both strong women. I think I'm just an adventurer."

"That must be great," observed Jareem, "to have all those adventures."

"Yeah," reflected Aladdin, "it is, but loving someone by far surpasses any adventure I've ever lived. It's not always easy, Jareem."

"I am finding that out. I feel so bad for Anna. I mean, she's been lonely, and I feel like there's something bothering her that she just won't tell me. It hurts me to know that she's hiding something from me."

"The heart is a deep place, Jareem. Not only can it hold a lot of love, but also a lot of secrets and fear. Love should come easily, and it does even when we don't believe it is. Sometimes we don't even realize it's there. Even when the one we love is hiding someone from us though, we are concerned only because we love and care for them. You see?"

"Yes. Well, in time I hope things fall into place."

"They will," said Aladdin, smiling. "Trust me, they will."

They finished eating breakfast and talked a little longer until Jareem figured he had to begin yet another day of work. Aladdin knew he had to be returning fairly soon, but he didn't want to leave his daughter while she was still asleep. The morning dragged on and eventually turned into afternoon, and she still had not awakened. Becoming a bit concerned, Aladdin entered Jareem's study.

"Jareem, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I really must be on my way, and Anna hasn't awakened yet."

"Oh," he said, a little puzzled. "I would have thought she'd be up by now. I'll see what's keeping her."

He walked to their room and opened the door quietly. Jareem noticed that Anna was still asleep, so he came right next to her and shook her gently.

"Anna, it's time to wake up. It's almost time for your father to leave."

"No!" she yelled, still coming out of her dream. "My father can't leave me! Leave him alone!"

"Anna, it's me, Jareem. Wake up! You're having a bad dream."

Her eyes opened quickly, and she looked around in fear. Seeing her husband there, she grabbed him and embraced him tightly.

"Oh, Jareem," she moaned. "I just had the most horrible dream that someone was trying to kill my father."

"It's okay," he said comfortingly. "It was just a dream, but you must get up now. Your father is returning home soon."

"What time is it?"

"It's almost one o'clock."

"One!" she exclaimed. "How did I sleep so late? Why didn't you wake me up sooner? I've kept my father waiting."

"It doesn't matter. Look, let's just go see him off. Maybe you were just tired from yesterday."

"Maybe," she whispered.

Anna followed Jareem down to the front entrance, where Aladdin patiently waited. He smiled when she came closer to him.

"Miss Sleepy-Head finally decided to get up, huh?" he teased.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Sorry, Dad. I guess I was just trying to keep you here longer."

She laughed nervously at her joke, but she thought about the nightmare and knew she was making references to it.

"Well, goodbye, Dad. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Anna."

They hugged and Aladdin turned and shook Jareem's hand.

"Thanks for having me here. You're always welcome in Agrabah."

"Thanks. Take care of yourself."

"You, too."

With that, Aladdin walked out the doorway and down the stairs to the carriage. Anna watched as the carriage pulled away through the palace gates and down the main street. It gradually disappeared into the city, and she felt alone again. Just as she felt so though, she felt two arms around her waist.

"Let's make today a better day," said Jareem. "Let's show ourselves how strong we are."

"Okay," Anna smiled. "I'll be strong for you."

"And I'll be strong for you."

"How much longer do you think it will be, Dad?" asked Troy, pacing in the hallway.

"I don't know, Troy," said Aladdin with a smile. "But calm down. You'll drive yourself crazy pacing like that."

"It's just that...well, this kind of thing doesn't happen every day. I mean, having a baby is so, uh...overwhelming?"

"You're acting so silly. You have nothing to get so worried about."

"I'm not worried, just really excited I guess. Clara and I are having our first child! Oh, Dad! You're going to be a grandfather!"

"Oh, please," laughed Aladdin ligtly. "Don't remind me. I know I'm not as young as I used to be, but I don't feel that old."

"You're only forty-one."

"Yeah, well, I guess that's what we get for having kids so young, huh?"

"I guess so," smiled Troy.

Inside the bedroom, Clara lay on the bed, covered in sweat. She had been in labor for the past twelve hours, and she was being to wonder if the baby would ever come out.

"Are you sure it's supposed to take this long?" she asked.

"Don't worry, Clara," said her mother, Sadira. "The baby will be just fine. Isn't that right, Jasmine?"

"Of course, dear," added Jasmine. "Your mother and I have both been through it, and look, we survived and had wonderful children who married each other."

"But why is it taking so long?" insisted Clara. "I don't know how much longer I can go on with this."

"You need to breathe, young lady," said the midwife. "You cannot allow yourself to become so worked up like this. It isn't good for you."

"But--"

The widwife raised her finger to her mouth and shushed Clara. Clara pushed some more and squealed in pain. The sweat continued to pour down her brow. She pushed again, and suddenly, a tiny whimper was heard.

"The head!" exclaimed the midwife. "I see the head! Come on, dear...just a little more. Push...push..."

Clara pushed like she had never pushed before, and again, and again. Before they knew it, another person was in the room. The midwife took the child, cleaned it quickly and snipped the umbelical cord and wrapped the child, giving it to Clara.

"It's a girl," said the midwife with a smile. "You have a healthy, beautiful baby girl."

"Do you know what this means, Jasmine?" asked Sadira. "We're grandmas!"

"Oh, she's beautiful, Clara," said Jasmine fondly. "She looks like you."

"She is a miracle," said Clara, fighting back tears. "She's a miracle that was created from our two families coming together. Can the men come in now?"

"Of course," the midwife smiled.

The midwife went to the door and opened it just enough to poke her head out.

"You may come in," she told the men. "The child is here."

Troy looked at his father and grandfather in anticipation and quickly ran into the room to his wife's side. A feeling he had never felt before was growing inside. He was now a father!

"Look at her," Clara whispered. "Isn't she something?"

"She is our little girl," Troy proclaimed. "She is really ours. Oh, Dad! You never told me it felt so wonderful to be a father!"

"Congratulations, Troy," Aladdin said, hugging his son. "You two should be very proud of what you have brought into the world."

"We are very proud," replied Troy. "Very."

"Troy," began Clara, "what shall we name her?"

"Oh, the name?" Troy laughed. "I guess she does need one, huh?"

There was quiet laughter in the room at Troy's excitedness.

"Um, let's see...Katrina. Katrina. Yes, is that good?"

"It's the most beautiful name!" exclaimed Clara. "Katrina it is. Welcome to the world, my little Katrina."

Katrina was sleeping now with her tiny eyes completely shut. Clara smiled in wonder at the child. The midwife was very proud of the family's new blessing, but she knew both the mother and the baby needed their rest.

"I think we should let them rest," she told the others. "This has been one busy day for them."

Everyone nodded and walked out of the room. Troy was the last one to leave his darling wife and child, and as he was leaving, Clara spoke.

"Troy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Anna wanted to be notified as soon as possible about our child's birth. Can you please send her a letter? She'll want to be here to see her."

"Of course," Troy replied.

Troy walked down the hall in amazement at what had just happened. He was so excited to tell the wonderful news to his sister, so he ran as fast as he could to the study and wrote the note.

Anna sat in the throneroom with Jareem that day when the mail carrier arrived. He handed the bundle of papers to Jareem and bowed. Jareem examined the bundle. The same old things...formal letters over diplomatic matters, but then he came to one from Agrabah.

"Look, Anna," he said. "You have a letter here from Agrabah."

"Really?!" Her eyes lit up.

She took the envelope and studied the handwriting.

"It's from Troy. I wonder what he has to say..."

She opened the seal and read the letter of the great news.

"Jareem!" she exclaimed. "I'm...I'm an aunt! The baby was born!"

"Really?" he exclaimed back, just as excited. "That's great! Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl...Katrina."

"Katrina, huh? Your family doesn't use too many Arabic names, does it?" he teased.

"Oh, Jareem!" she giggled. "We must go to Agrabah as soon as possible. Oh, I can't wait to see the child!"

"We can leave tomorrow."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful!"

Anna was so happy that she was literally jumping up and down. She couldn't wait to see her niece.

"Where is she?!" asked Anna with excitement growing inside her as she entered the throneroom through the main doors.

"Anna!" exclaimed Aladdin and Jasmine in unison.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" she smiled. "I got the letter from Troy! Where is the baby?"

"She's in Troy and Clara's room with Clara," explained Jasmine. "I think Clara is putting her down for her nap."

"Okay," she replied. "Well, it's great to be back for a while, but I've got to see my new niece."

Anna rushed down the hall to the room, followed by Jareem. She came to the door and knocked softly on it.

"Who is it?" asked Clara's voice.

"Guess who?"

"Anna? Is that you?"

Clara opened the door and smiled instantly.

"It is you!" she exclaimed. "Oh, it's so wonderful to see you again! I've missed you this past month!"

"I've missed you, too. I heard the news. Oh, Clara...I'm so happy for you!"

"Congratulations, Clara," added Jareem with a shy smile. "You must be very proud."

"Oh, we are very proud," claimed Clara. "Come here, both of you...give me a hug."

Anna hugged her sister-in-law for a moment, and Jareem approached her slowly like a little boy.

"Oh, Jareem!" laughed Clara. "You have no need to be shy around me! Come here!"

Jareem hugged Clara, and Anna giggled at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked, embarrassed.

"Why are you so red?" Anna giggled. "You are something else, you know that?"

He just shrugged his shoulders and proceeded into the room after the two women. A tiny baby lay sleeping in a cradle, and Anna looked on in complete awe at the child. Katrina was sound asleep, and there was a hint of a tiny smile spread across her lips.

"She looks like you," said Anna. "But she's definitely got my brother's hair."

"Yeah," smiled Clara. "She's so precious. She's so young, and yet, she's already smiling."

"Look, Jareem," whispered Anna, "isn't she wonderful?"

"Yeah...amazing..."

Jareem was rather quiet as he looked at the child that was asleep in the cradle. He was this child's uncle, but something strange bothered him. He realized that this child had more commoner blood in her than royal blood. She was only a quarter of royal blood. It was the same reason he felt strange hugging Clara. She had been a commoner. He felt horrible for feeling this way, for he knew his own wife was only half royal blood. He didn't seem to think of Aladdin as a commoner though. He was different from most sultans because of his past, but that didn't really bother him. So why was this bothering him? Was it because if he had a child with Anna that unroyal blood would be entering into his family as well?

What's wrong with me? he thought. I know better than this. Don't let Father's beliefs cloud my thinking this way. I love her, and that's what matters.

"Jareem?" asked Anna. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" he replied, being brought out of his daze. "Oh, no...everything's fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? If something were bothering me, I'd tell you."

"Okay..."

They were both equally guilty of hiding secrets now. Out of fear, they were keeping things from one another, and this was not good for their relationship. When it came time for them to head back to Adima, Anna fell back into the same slump again. She wanted to help Jareem in any way possible, but she felt an uncomfortable presence whenever she was in his company. Two people who were supposed to be in love were letting their fear lead their marriage and not their love.

Anna became restless in the palace all alone. She wanted out. She needed out. Whether or not Jareem approved, she decided to go out into the city that day and see things on a commoner's level, something she hadn't done since living in Agrabah. She changed her clothing and covered her head. Before she knew it, she was out in the marketplace. Anna walked about in curiousity as to what Adima's marketplace had to offer. She would live a small adventure that day and discover for herself this new world around her. It was not nearly as large as Agrabah's marketplace, but it was full of people nonetheless. Merchants cried out from all directions, and she smiled at the familiarity she attached with that. She tasted the foods and sampled the cloth, and she even approached a jewelry stand.

"Good afternoon, dear lady," said the merchant politely. "May I interest you in anything?"

"I'm just looking," she replied. "But thanks."

Anna examined the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. Her eyes came across a locket that was gold and inlaid with semiprecious stones on the heart pendant. She picked it up and smiled.

"This is gorgeous," she proclaimed.

"It suits you well," the merchant said. "Do you have a wealthy husband who might buy that for you?"

"You might say that," she said mischieviously.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it!"

"Try it on. You will look like the queen herself."

Anna smiled at that last comment. She slipped the necklace on and looked in a mirror. It was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen.

"It's amazing..."

"Would you like it?"

"How much?"

"Well, it's normally quite expensive...1000 dinari, but for you, my dear, I will only charge 500."

"I'll take it."

She pulled out a pouch of coins and handed them to the merchant.

"I do believe this will cover it."

All he could do was look on in shock at the pouch filled with gold coins. Anna walked away with a smile and turned down a side street. It just so happened that the side street she had turned down was not a side street, but an alley. She noticed a woman sitting alone in the corner, covered in rags for clothing and deathly thin. The lady stared at the ground with a desparate look on her face.

Anna looked down at the locket and felt ashamed all of a sudden. Here she had indulged herself in useless goodies when this poor soul had nothing. She felt like such an evil person and realized something. Lately, she had felt very lonely, even if she lived in the palace. And here was this woman, around her age and lonely as well, only living on the streets. She's just like me, Anna thought.

She approached the woman slowly and gently touched the top of her head. The lady jumped in fright when she felt the touch.

"Wha--What?!" she exclaimed. "What's going on? Who are you?"

"It's okay," said Anna. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to talk to you."

"But you don't even know me."

"I may not know your name, but I know how you're feeling...lonely and sad. I feel the same way. I have come here to help you."

"I don't understand. How can you help me? And why would you want to?"

"Because I should take care of my people."

"What?"

"I am the queen. I am Queen Anna."

"You? But what are you doing on the streets? You live in the palace."

"I was sad and lonely there. I needed an escape, so I came out here."

"Why would you want to be out here in the povetry when you have it all in there?" she asked.

"I don't have it all," Anna frowned. "If you come with me, we will have something though. We will have each other's company. I have noticed you are with child, too. You cannot afford to stay here."

"You want me to..."

"Come to the palace, please. Let me help you."

"I can't..."

"Yes, you can. Here, stand up..."

Anna helped the lady to her feet and walked her down the streets until they came to the palace. Anna took the lady inside and gave her a room.

"You've got to stay here until I tell my husband what's going on," Anna explained. "I'll tell the servants to bring you some food and clean clothing."

"This is all so sudden," replied the lady. "But thank you, Queen Anna."

"Call me Anna. There is one more thing I need to know though. What is your name?"

"Milona."

"It's lovely to meet you, Milona."

Anna scurried from the room, not sure what was going on. She realized that she had just brought a homeless person into the palace to live, and she hoped that Jareem would understand.

"Jareem!" Anna exclaimed. "I need to talk to you!"

Jareem turned around, shocked at first at why Anna could be yelling.

"What is it?"

"I have to tell you something," she said out of breath. "I left the palace today, and well, I kind of met someone and brought her to the palace."

"You left without telling me? Anna, you could have been hurt. Who did you bring back?"

"Her name is Milona. I saw her sitting alone out in the streets, and Jareem, my heart ached for her. She is with child, and I couldn't stand to let her suffer like that. In a few months, she will have a child, and there is no way she could support that child on the streets like that."

"So you're telling me that you brought a homeless lady to live in the palace? Anna, not to sound mean, but why? Why did you suddenly go on this act of...of insanity?"

"Insanity!" she yelled. "I am not insane, just lonely! She was lonely, too, and if you would have seen her out there, you would have realized that she is just like me!"

"But she's not like you," he protested. "She's from the streets. You live in the palace."

"Jareem!" Anna was completely taken aback. "How can you say that?! You know very well that my father was from the streets, but you respect him, don't you?"

"Well, yeah...but...Anna, I don't know what to think anymore! I've been so overworked, and you haven't been here for me!"

"You're just being selfish!"

"If anyone is being selfish around here, it's you! You've been wallowing alone in self-pity ever since you arrived here! The only time you were happy was when your father was here and when you returned to Agrabah! Maybe you should just go back!"

"Maybe I should!" she bellowed. "Jareem, you are hardly the man I thought you were! I don't even know if I love you anymore or if I ever loved you!"

Anna ran out of the room in tears, leaving Jareem alone on the throne.

"I...I love you, Anna," he choked. "It's just that I hate to see you hurting so..."

Jareem closed his eyes tightly and cried. He cursed himself for being like his father. He cursed himself for hurting the one he loved. Jareem broke down that night in tears for hours as he buried his fears and secrets deeper inside.

Jareem opened his eyes to find it morning. He was still sitting on the throne and realize that he had fallen asleep there last night. For a moment, he couldn't remember why he was there, and then he remembered the fight he had the night before with Anna. He knew he was a mess, inside and out, and he knew there were duties waiting to be tackled that day, but he didn't care. He only knew he had to remedy the important things first. By the looks of the sun's position in the sky, it was about nine o'clock. He knew Anna would still be sleeping, so he went to their chambers. Like he had expected, there she lay on the bed, stretched out and sleeping. He smiled sadly at her beautiful image and asked himself how he could have gotten angry with someone like this. He knelt down by the side of the bed and brought his hand to her cheek, stroking it softly.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have never said those things to you last night. I only wish I could tell you that..."

"Tell me what?" she asked quietly.

"You're awake?"

"Yes, I heard you come in."

"Anna..."

"What is it? You look horrible, Jareem. What's the matter?"

"Oh, Anna!" he cried, embracing her tightly. "I love you! I didn't mean what I said yesterday...It's just so hard sometimes..."

"Honey," she sighed, "it's not your fault. I'm to blame. I've been hiding secrets from you out of fear, but they're not about you."

"I am of equal blame," he began. "I vowed I would never become like my father, but it happened last night, and that scared me deeply. I was never given the freedom like you when I was growing up, and well, I guess I couldn't help but the still carry some of those lessons with me. I should have never looked down upon any part of your family because of where they came from, and it was never intentional. I knew that when I fell in love with you that your family was different, but I didn't want that to ruin the love. I love you for who you are, Anna, and I don't ever want to pass the kind of judgment over your family that my father would have. People are people, and that's all there is to it. There is something deeper though...It's this constant guilt I feel because I can truthfully say that I don't miss my father. What kind of horrible person would be able to say that? I hate admitting it, but...oh, I don't know how to explain it. It's just so hard..."

"I want so badly to understand," said Anna. "When something hurts you, it hurts me, too. You speak of how your past affects your future. Well, for me, it's just the opposite. It's the future I'm worried about. I can never forget that day when I spoke up at the peace council. I was driven away from ever helping you with anything again, so I hid in fear. But that's not all. That sultan who refused to sign the agreement...well, there's something about him that really bothers me. He mentioned that he knew of my father's father, and then he threatened my father's life by saying it was a threat on his kind. I don't know, Jareem, but that really scared me. You know when you came to wake me up the next day? Well, that nightmare...it was because of my fears. I feel like that sultan is going to strike back on my father or my family because of something terrible that happened in the past. But what could have happened to make him so bitter?"

"Oh, Anna, why didn't you tell me? I would have understood, but I don't think you should worry about this. I mean, your father is famous, and a lot of people know things about him. Unfortunately, they know the bad things, too, but you can't let words like that speak for your family's future. I'm sure nothing happened in the past that would make this man hold something personal against your father or your family. Our problems have come down to the same conclusion though. We were letting fear lead our marriage and not our love. Do you remember what we talked about our first night together in the carriage?"

"Yes, we said that people want to feel important, like their lives have meaning, so they create visions of being the center of the universe."

"That's right, and then you asked me why you think they would do that. My answer was because they are afraid of what's out there, of what they might find if they leave their home and venture out into the world. Anna, we are those people. It's not enough that Adima has to be geographically located at the center of the Seven Deserts, we have to be living in constant fear of things beyond our control. We are those people, too. Do you realize that?"

"Oh, no...I never intended to live in fear. I didn't want this."

"Neither did I, but look, we have realized it. We are communicating again like people who care about each other, and you know what?"

"What's that?"

"It proves we are strong. We possess a real love."

"You're right!" she smiled. "I love you, Jareem! I really do! Oh, I'm so sorry about putting you through all this."

"I love you, too, my darling. We are going to have to find a balance in our lives between enjoyment and work though. I do need your help, but we also need to spend some quiet time together each night. I've missed walking outside with you in the gardens."

"That would make me happy. If you ever feel sad, please tell me next time, okay?"

"I promise..."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Anna. I feel better after telling you all this, but there's one more thing I have to tell you."

"What's that?"

"The truth is, I envy you. You and your family love each other. You're always hugging and kissing every time I see you all together. I wish I would have had that kind of contact when my family was still alive."

"Jareem, you've told me that your father never showed you any love. Surely, there must be a time when he did..."

"Well," he choked, "when we knew my brother was dying, he locked himself up for hours in his study. I was fourteen at the time, and I was beginning to wonder why he had been in there for so long. Before going to bed that night, I entered the study and saw him sitting at his desk. I noticed a blank piece of paper, a bottle of ink, and a quill pen on the desk, but he was not writing. He just stared down at the blank paper and didn't move. He didn't say anything when I entered, and when I addressed him, he still didn't respond. When spoke again, and he turned and looked at me with the emptiest eyes ever and told me to go to bed. I returned to my room, but I couldn't sleep. I kept wondering about what was on that paper. After midnight, I snuck in his study and looked at the paper. I read it and realized that my father had been writing the funeral plans. I gasped at that when I realized that this was his way of giving up. I picked up the paper and noticed that some of the writing was smudged. I touched the paper and felt a wetness in a few spots, and I realized what they had been...They were...tears."

"Oh, Jareem...."

Anna brought his head to her chest and cradled him like a helpless child. He closed his eyes and tears slowly flowed down his cheeks.

"And then," he stuttered, "my brother died, and at the funeral...I was standing alone, watching the casket being carried out. I looked up in blurred vision at my father as he walked by me, and as he did, he said, 'At least I still have one son. I don't want to lose you, too.' I never thought much about it...I mean, he never told me that any other time, and I thought maybe he was just sad or maybe he just needed someone to carry on the task of ruling Adima. I don't know...did he love me? His last words to me before he died were, 'I couldn't control you.' What did he mean? Had he finally given up on me or had he finally learned to let go? You see, Anna? I never knew what he was thinking."

"He must have loved you," said Anna in a comforting tone. "Maybe it was just really difficult for him to show it. Think about it. You know how you were raised. He was probably raised the same way, to keep feelings locked up inside and deal with the diplomatic matters. No one deserves to suffer by keeping all those feelings locked up like that though. He didn't know any different or how to deal with things."

"Do you think so?" he asked, wiping the tears away.

"I believe so, yes. I've known just a few people in my life who have struggled in some way or another."

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for listening and for loving me, even if you don't understand me all the time. I guess sometimes I find it hard to love because I don't love myself."

"I know that feeling all too well. Loving yourself is hard to do when you feel so miserable for hurting others, like you're not keeping up your duty as a true friend. I don't think it's easy for anyone."

"You are right as usual," Jareem replied with a small smile. "Well, I guess it's time we begin another day, huh?"

"Yes...Jareem?"

"About yesterday, I felt that you should know about Milona being here, but you never said whether or not you approved."

"Anna," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You don't need my permission. You have your own free will to do as you please. If it makes you feel any better, she is welcome to stay here as long as she needs. There are so many empty rooms in the palace, and they might as well be used, right?"

Anna smiled and took him by the hand.

"Before you get too busy, I want you to meet her," she said. "Come with me."

Anna led Jareem down the hall until coming to one of the guest rooms. She noticed the door was open and saw Milona sitting on her bed, staring out the window.

"Good morning, Milona," Anna said cheerfully.

"Oh, hello, my queen," she replied. "Did you have a good rest?"

"I did, thank you, but don't be so formal. It's just Anna, and this is my husband, Jareem."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jareem smiled. "You're welcome here."

Milona just stared at him with her mouth wide open. She couldn't believe the sultan and the queen were talking to her like a friend. She smiled and nodded and stared back out the window.

"It was nice meeting you," began Jareem, "but I've got to get to the study. I've got work to do."

He left the room, leaving Anna standing alone by the doorway. Anna felt the awkwardness of the situation as she looked at Milona. She was concerned about this stranger, and Milona was still a bit apprehensive about the whole idea of living in the palace.

"You are a very kind person," she told Anna, "but this all seems like too much. You bearly know me."

"I know it must be weird," said Anna, "but I must tell you something."

"Yes?"

"My father, Sultan Aladdin, came from the streets just like you. His parents came to Agrabah years ago in hopes of having a better life there than they had in Hiyahmah, but things did not work out for them. My grandfather left my father as an infant and left his poor wife alone. She died when my father was only four, and he was left to defend and provide for himself. I don't want that to happen to you. If you are to have a child, you should be there to enjoy it. My brother and his wife just had a baby girl not that long ago, and when I saw how beautiful she was, I was touched in a way I had never been before. I realized how precious a life in, how when we're babies, our parents must be there for us or else we'd never survive."

"You are very wise. I didn't know you were the daughter of Aladdin. I have heard of him though, and many people admire him across the Seven Deserts. You are a very lucky girl to have him as your father. Your generosity toward the less fortunate must have come from your father and his good heart. I cannot express in words what this means to me."

"You don't have to tell me," Anna replied. "I feel the gratitude in my heart from doing the right thing. You are welcome here."

"Again, thank you."

Anna smiled at Milona, and from that day on, they became very good friends. Each day was a blessing now to Anna as she awoke and smiled at the rising sun. She now woke up first thing in the morning to enjoy the sunrise and the morning hours. She wanted to live each day to the fullest, and she did. She talked to Milona, helped Jareem with the royal duties, and left the evening hours free to spend the quality time with her husband that they had wanted so badly. Ever since she felt the joy of new life, she wanted to have a child and experience for herself the magic of being a mother. Of course they had tried the past few months to have a child, but with no avail. She didn't let that ruin her hopes though of one day having a child to love and to hold. When the ninth month of Milona's pregnancy rolled around, Anna was so happy and so excited for her. She almost felt like the mother herself, but Milona wasn't so thrilled. She constantly complained of pains in her stomach area, but the doctors just told her it was because the baby was preparing to come any day now. When that day did arrived, Milona looked sickly and was quite pale. Despite the nourishment she had been receiving the past five months, she was still thin. Anna looked on in anticipation as to what would happen.

"It hurts so much," Milona told the doctor.

"That is completely normal," he assured her.

"But it doesn't feel right for some reason? Doctor, I'm worried..."

"Have you ever had a child before?"

"No, but..."

"Well, then you can't possibly know what it feels like."

Milona winced in agony and looked at Anna.

"He thinks there's nothing wrong with me, but look at my skin, my eyes. I look sick."

"You're right, you do, but maybe it's just going to be a tough delivery."

"The last thing I told her was it was just a tough delivery," Anna cried. "Well, it was so tough that it..it..."

"Shhh," Jareem said, hugging her. "It's okay. There was nothing more we could do for her. She was weak and sick. You did all you could by just being there for her."

"But it's not fair!" yelled Anna. "It's just not fair! She was supposed to live to see her baby grow up! I tried so hard to prevent that, and look what happened! She slipped away to the evil of death just like so many other poor souls! Why?!"

"At least the baby is still alive," he comforted.

"Who knows if he'll live..."

"Maybe," he suggested, "maybe he would not have lived had it not been for you. You did save a human life, Anna. If she would have had that child on the streets, he would have died, too."

"Maybe you're right, but I just don't understand why innocent lives must be lost. Who decides to take those lives?"

"We are just people. We can't expect to know or understand why Allah does what He does. We just have to believe that it was for the greater good."

"The greater good...the child's life, you mean?"

"Yes, the child was spared. Come with me and look at him. You'll see that he will be fine."

Anna followed her husband to the room where the midwives were caring for the baby. The child was sleeping and looked pink and healthy to them. Anna smiled and felt tears once again coming to her eyes.

"How is he doing?" she asked the midwives.

"He is a fighter," observed the one. "We didn't know if he would survive the first night, but he did, and he looks one hundred percent better than yesterday."

"What will happen to him?" asked Anna.

"He will probably be taken to an orphanage once he gets stronger and bigger, but for the next few weeks anyway, he'll have to stay here under our care."

"An orphanage?!" exclaimed Anna. "But he had a mother! He can't be taken away!"

"I'm sorry, my dear, but unless someone adopts him, he will have to be taken there."

"I'll adopt him!" she blurted.

"What?" asked Jareem. "Anna, do you realize what you're saying?"

"I know what I'm saying, Jareem," she said quickly. "Oh, please, let me keep him. You know how much I've wanted a child, but we haven't been successful in doing so yet. Here is a child right here just waiting to be loved."

"I don't know, Anna. Don't you want to have a child of your own flesh and blood?"

"If I can't, this is the next best thing. Now I know why I came into Milona's life. I was to be the mother of this child."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I feel it. Come on, Jareem, we were just talking about fate and unexplainable events. I can't explain this, but I just know it's right."

"I don't know, Anna," he repeated. "I'll have to think about this. You can keep him, but I don't know if I can be the father."

He was doubting his ability to raise a child whose mother was from the streets. He felt this was the ultimate test to see if he would indeed be able to leave his father's ways behind and be his own person.

A month had passed, and Anna cared for the child as if he were her own. She named him Milone, in remembrance of his mother. She didn't bother Jareem about the question of keeping him as their own because she knew it was difficult for him. She understood where he was coming from because not everyone feels that adopting a child is the same as having one of your own flesh and blood, but this mattered less and less to her as she held Milone. She loved and nurtured him just like any mother would, and she even felt like he resembled Jareem a little bit. Jareem, on the other hand, had not held the baby once, and he avoided coming near the child. One day though, when he was walking past the baby's room, he heard a faint cry. He didn't know what made him enter the room that day, but he did and he looked down at the baby. Milone stopped crying when he saw that someone was there. A little shocked by the effect he had on Milone, Jareem looked at the baby with large eyes. The baby started to cry again when he realized that he wasn't getting picked up. Something inside Jareem told him that he had to do something though, so he brought the baby out of the cradle and held him. At that moment, he was infected with fatherhood. He smiled at the infant and rocked him gently.

"Hello, my son," he whispered.

Anna was by the door and had seen the whole thing. She wiped a small tear from under her eye and came to her husband's side.

"He's our child," Jareem told her. "I want to be his father."

"And you are," she replied. "You really are."

Milone fell asleep in Jareem's arms for the first time, and for the first time, Jareem knew what it meant to be a real father, one who loved. He vowed he would hold that child like he was never going to let go. He loved Milone. He was so overcome with an excitement that he even changed his physical appearance a little bit and lost the goutee. To Anna's surprise, she saw him the next morning and giggled a little.

"Jareem!" she laughed. "Are you trying to look like my father when he was your age? Because you know, you're doing a pretty good job of it."

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"You look so handsome, my love. You are so young still, and you shouldn't hide your face. I love you!"

"And oh, my darling, I love you."

They both smiled and looked down at their sleeping son.

It wasn't long before the whole family in Agrabah knew about Milone. Aladdin was proud to see that his daughter had the courage to look out into the surrounding world and help a suffering soul, and the child was her reward. It was more than that though. It was a feeling that had wolven itself deep down inside all their hearts and connected them like a true and loving family was meant to be. There was nothing in the world that could make anyone more proud than to see that their children had learned the morals of being loving and caring parents themselves. It wasn't until nearly a year after Milone's birth that anyone had the chance to visit though. There were always letters being passed between the two kingdoms, but the time to travel for enjoyment was severely limited due to the constant pushing for peace. There had been a few small conflicts between various kingdoms throughout the Seven Deserts, and whenever Aladdin heard of this, he rushed to their aid and tried to straighten the matters out before war broke out. War was to be avoided at any cost if they were to ever in the future work for peace.

It was Troy and Clara who finally had the time to visit Adima though, and it was their first time there. They told Anna that they had a wonderful surprise for them, but they, too, were equally excited to see their nephew. Clara came bursting through the doors, followed shortly by a little girl who was prancing along on two little legs.

"Anna!" she exclaimed in glee. "It's been forever! It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"Oh, Clara! It's great you could come! I've been so excited for this day!"

Clara felt a small tug on her dress and looked down to see two large eyes and a tiny smile looking up at her.

"Momma, uppy!"

"Okay, Darling," giggled Clara. "Here you go."

She picked up the little girl and held her for Anna to see.

"Is this--" Anna began.

"Yes," Clara smiled. "This is our first child, our little Katrina."

"She's gotten so big! Look at you, Katrina! You've become a little lady over night!"

Anna tickled the child under her chin, and Katrina giggled.

"How old is she now?"

"She's almost eighteen months."

"Well, you are a very pretty little lady," Anna told Katrina. "Yes, you are."

Katrina continued smiling and then exclaimed, "Kyli!"

"What's that?" Anna asked.

"Oh," giggled Clara. "I'm afraid she's given away our little secret."

Just as she said that, Troy came walking through the doors with a baby in his arms.

"Hi, Sis!" he addressed Anna. "Well, we told you we had a surprise for you, and look! Here she is!"

Anna looked down at the little baby in wonder. She couldn't believe it.

"You mean--you had another!? Oh, how wonderful! When was this?"

"Three months ago," Troy replied. "It was murder trying to keep her a secret from you, but we wanted it to be a surprise when we came to visit. Her name is Kylina, but Katrina calls her Kyli for short. She's already talking, you know."

"Yes, I've heard her," Anna said with a smile. "She's a big sister now, so she's got something to talk about."

"Well," began Clara, "now that you've seen our kids, when are we going to see yours?"

"I think Jareem should be bringing him out any minute now. He's almost a year old now."

"Just think," said Clara, "when they get older, Milone is going to have to deal with two little girls chasing him all over the place."

"Oh, don't even think about it!" Anna laughed. "They're so sweet at this age, but when they get older, well, they get to be...kids. If any of them are anything like my brother here, we'll be breaking up a lot of fighting."

"Hey!" exclaimed Troy. "I never fought with you!"

"Yeah, right!"

Jareem walked into the throneroom with Milone at that moment. Clara and Troy went over to the little boy and smiled at him. He was fully alert and looked at them with large eyes. When they talked baby-talk to him, he looked at them like they were strange, and everyone laughed.

"This is your cousin, Katrina," Clara said, holding her daughter up to see him. "Say hi."

"Hi," Katrina whispered.

The little girl looked at her cousin and smiled and touched his nose. He backed away when she tried to do it again.

"It looks like they're already getting along wonderfully," laughed Anna. "If this is any indication of what they'll like when they're older, I don't want to even think about it!"

"Uh, Mom, do we have to go there?" moaned Milone as the carriage pulled through the main street of Agrabah.

"Yes, young man," instructed Anna. "You've known for the whole trip here where we were going."

"I know, but I hate coming here. Everytime we visit, my cousins all hang all over me! I can't stand it! Why couldn't Aunt Clara and Uncle Troy have a boy?"

"Well, why don't you ask them?" suggested Jareem.

"Maybe I will," replied Milone with a smirk. "Three girls is enough to make me wanna--"

"This stops now," said Anna, eyeing her son. "We're almost there. Now, I want you to be on your best behavior. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mom."

The carriage pulled up to the palace gates, and they got off and walked up the steps to the throneroom. The first person to spot their arrival was Katrina, and she came barreling toward them.

"Oh, Aunt Anna! Uncle Jareem!" she exclaimed. "You're finally here!"

She hugged Anna tightly around the waist with a big smile spread across her face. She then turned to Milone and smirked.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little cousin."

"I am not little!" yelled Milone. "You're bearly older than me!"

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna be eight in only one more month! So, ha!"

"Katrina!" yelled a voice. "Be polite to your cousin."

Clara came into the room, followed by two little girls, Kylina, who was six, and Atrina, who was four. The two other girls ran over to Milone and started bugging him just as their older sister had done.

"Girls!" exclaimed Clara. "You all settle down! If you're going to be running around like that, then take all this energy outside in the gardens. But first, be polite and say hello to your aunt and uncle."

"Hi!" they cried in unison and then ran out to the menagerie.

"Sorry about that," Clara managed a smile. "They've been so excited about your visit. And they really love seeing their cousin."

"It's okay," replied Anna. "Milone doesn't mind, do you, young man?"

"Sure," he muttered.

Katrina, who was still standing there, smirked at Milone and said, "I bet you really mean that."

"Katrina," said Clara, "why don't you show Milone your flower bed? You did a really good job on it."

"Okay!" she jumped up and down.

"Mom," began Milone, "do I have to?"

"Yes, we need a little quiet time. Go on."

The children ran off, leaving the adults with some well-deserved peace.

"How do you survive with all this excitement?" Jareem asked.

"Well, three girls all very close in age does that, but we manage. I don't know if this is a good thing or not," she teased, "but Katrina is just like her father...always joking around."

"I told you that would happen," giggled Anna. "You are very lucky though to have all these blessings...three children...wow."

"You still haven't had another child, have you?"

"No, we've tried for eight years now. It's okay though. We have Milone, and we are very fortunate for that."

Anna looked at her husband and smiled, and he smiled back.

"I guess we should sit down," began Clara. "Troy is with Aladdin at a meeting right now, but it is almost lunchtime. I think we'll enjoy a little quiet time for a while and call the kids in when it's time to eat lunch."

They followed Clara to the dining room and sat down and talked about many things. Clara told them about how hard Aladdin and Troy had been working on keeping peace in the Seven Deserts. Anna tried to take interest in that, but she couldn't help but to remember the day of the council. Among other news though, Clara said that Jasmine had been feeling sick lately, and this only worried Anna more. Her mother had been skipping a lot of meals lately, but she figured Jasmine was probably just nervous because of her husband's constant moving around the deserts, trying to keep peace at any cost.

When it came time to eat lunch, everyone who was not there joined them, even Jasmine. Anna looked at her with a bit of concern as she ate. Jasmine looked blankly at the food and picked at it, only eating a few bites here and there. The kids were crazy at the table, but luckily, they ran back outside after only ten minutes.

In the garden that afternoon, they played Hide and Seek. Katrina was the counter, and when she reached one hundred she began looking through the bushes for her sisters and her cousin. The first one she found was Milone, and he looked at her like he was angry to be the first one found.

"I found you!" Katrina exclaimed. "You're not a very good hider!"

"Whatever," he muttered. "What's the big deal? You found me...so what?

"Well, I bet I know something you don't know!" she mocked.

"And what could that be? Could it be that you know nothing? That's it, isn't it?"

"No! I know that your mom and dad aren't your real mom and dad!"

"What?" he asked, confused. "That's not true! You liar! Where did you hear that?"

"My daddy told me."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, it's the truth. Why don't you ask your so-called parents? You'll see that I'm right and you're wrong...like always!"

"You...you meanie!" Milone yelled. "Leave me alone!"

"It's the truth!" she sang in a mock tone. "You can't deny it, Milone! You're not really part of this family!"

"Stop it!" he screamed. "Stop it!"

He ran out of the garden and into the palace, tears streaming down his cheeks. He came into his parents' room, and when they saw he was crying, they tried to comfort him.

"Milone," Anna said, "what's wrong?"

"Katrina..." he tried to say.

"What about her?"

"She...she said you aren't my real mom and dad. She's making that up, right?"

Anna looked at Jareem with concern and said, "Should we tell him?"

"Yes," he replied, "we have no choice. We had to tell him sooner or later."

"Tell me what?" the little boy asked with concern.

"Honey," said Anna. "You are our little boy. You are our son, and we love you, but there's something we need to tell you. You're mom died when you were born."

"What?" he asked, tears streaming down his face. "But I thought you were my mom. I don't understand..."

"I wish I could say this so you would understand. Your mother was very sick and weak. She was from the streets, and I took her in because I knew she was going to have a baby. We were good friends, and your mom was a very kind person, but she didn't live to see you grow up. I took you as my own because I knew you needed a mother. Do you understand?"

"So, I killed my mom!" he cried. "Because I was born, she died, and you only pretended all this time to be my mom! How come you never told me? Who is my dad?"

"We should have told you," Jareem told him. "We're sorry about that, but we knew it wouldn't be easy. We never knew who your father was, but let me tell you something, you are very special to us. You are our son."

"No, I'm not!" he cried in tears. "My real parents are dead, and I killed my mom! You should have just left my mom on the streets to have me, and then I would have died with her! It's not fair to me! I don't even know who I am!"

"You are the blessing that came from that tragedy," said Anna, crying desparately by now. "Don't you see? Allah meant for this. You were chosen by the All Mighty to be our son and to be the future sultan of Adima. We haven't been able to have kids of our own flesh and blood, so we were meant to be together. You are special."

"But I killed my mom..."

"No, Honey...she was very sick. It wasn't your fault..."

"Milone," said Jareem, "you are our son. We are your parents. We've loved you and raised you, and you are very lucky to be here. Don't let your whole life be ruined because of what your cousin said. She didn't mean to hurt you like this, and we're sorry you had to find out this way."

"Mom, Dad...I love you..."

"And we love you," Anna smiled, wiping the tears away. "This is your place in the world, right here, right now."

"I'll try to understand," he said.

"One more thing, Milone," began Jareem. "How did Katrina know this?"

"She said her father told her."

"Well, I'm going to have a talk with him."

"Jareem?" asked Anna. "Don't do anything you'll regret."

"I won't," he whispered in her ear. "I just need to talk to him."

"Okay, good luck."

"Thank you...and Milone, my son, I love you."

Jareem left the room feeling sad for his son and a bit upset about Katrina's attitude. He felt the need for something to be said, so her went to the room where Troy and Aladdin were reviewing plans for a future peace agreement.

"Troy," he said, standing by the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I please have a word with you?"

Troy looked at his father, who shrugged his shoulders, and turned to Jareem.

"Uh, of course."

Troy left the room and followed Jareem to the hallway. Jareem was pacing rather quickly, and Troy took noticed that he looked upset.

"Is everything okay?" he asked his brother-in-law.

"Troy, that's what I have to talk to you about."

"Is something bothering you?"

"Unfortunately, yes...Troy, I don't know how to say this, but something happened today between our children. Katrina and Milone had a fight out in the garden, and I'm afraid that your daughter is to blame."

"What? What could she have done to make it her fault? My daughter would never..."

"Look," Jareem interruped. "I know you think very highly of your oldest daughter, and don't get me wrong, she's a great kid, but she said something to my son that really upset him. She told him that Anna and I weren't his real parents. Do you know what his reaction was? He came running into our room in tears, and we had to painfully tell him that he was adopted."

"And that is her fault?" questioned Troy. "It isn't my responsibility to tell your son the truth. You should have told him before. I figured that since Katrina was getting older that she should know the truth. I've always taught my kids to be honest."

"There's one thing about being honest, but there's also a thing about being kind and knowing how to tell someone the truth. This was of great concern to both my wife and myself that your daughter could have made our son cry. She's too obnoxious sometimes, and it's because of how she was raised."

"Are you saying that I don't know how to raise my kids?" inquired Troy, losing his temper. "Who are you to come into this family and into this palace and tell me how to raise my kids!?"

Aladdin couldn't help but to overhear the argument in the next room. He came running out in the hall and came in between the two young men.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Jareem's trying to tell me how to raise my kids!" yelled Troy.

"He's denying that his daughter has anything wrong with her!" yelled Jareem at the same time.

"Now, wait a minute here," said Aladdin. "First of all, you should both know better. You are grown men, and you've always gotten along. There are enough problems out there between the kingdoms in the Seven Deserts, and we do not need this kind of miscommunication among our family in the palace. Now, tell me, what's going on? How did this all start?"

They began to explain to Aladdin what had happened, and Aladdin nodded in understanding.

"See?" he asked. "Was that so hard? When you finally stopped accusing the other and started realizing your own mistakes, you fixed the problem. Focusing on the problem too much forces people to ignore the solutions. I think you both know without my saying that this was a misunderstanding. Now, tell me, do you have anything else to say?"

"I do," began Troy. "I'm sorry, Jareem, about what my daughter did. I know I am sometimes a bit too playful and not serious enough around them, and I'm sorry about that. Milone didn't deserve to find out in such a harsh way. I'll talk to Katrina later about it."

"I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was trying to tell you how to raise your kids. You are doing a good job, and you are their father after all. Are we still friends?"

"Friends," agreed Troy.

"Katrina?" asked Troy as he came into her bedroom that evening.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I have to talk to you."

She noticed the serious look on his face and asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so. Today you really hurt Milone's feelings. His father told me what happened while you kids were playing out in the garden."

"I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I was just telling him the truth."

"Well, you must have said it in a way that really hurt him because he was crying. Did you say it to him in a mean way?"

"I guess I was a little mean," he hesitated. "We were playing, and I just thought I was teasing him. I thought he knew. I mean, if I knew, he should have known, too."

"Well, he didn't know. I know there was no way you could have known that, but we have to be careful when we say things like that. You must take other people's feelings into consideration."

"Why didn't his parents tell him?"

"I don't know. I know they would have eventually, but it must have been very hard for them. Think about how you would feel if you found out that your mother and I had adopted you. Wouldn't you rather find out from us than from someone yelling in your face about it?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm not adopted..."

"No, but you need to put yourself in someone else's place sometimes. It's called empathy. It means that you try to understand how the other person is feeling and why, and instead of yelling at them, you try to talk it out. Even I have made that mistake before. I did today with your uncle when he came to talk to me about the fight. You see? Grown ups do it, too."

"I'll try harder next time, Dad. I'm sorry. But why don't grown ups always remember to do that? If their parents told them to, why don't they?"

"That's a very good question and not easy to answer. Too many times adults focus too much on their work and not enough on feelings. They can hurt a lot of people, and that's why wars break out. A lot of kingdoms don't see eye to eye all on matters, and rather than talking about it, they fight and many people die because of what started between two leaders."

"Is that why you and Grandpa are working so hard for peace?"

"That is exactly why. War is a very scary thing to experience first hand. You are lucky to be living in a place where there is peace. Not everyone is so lucky."

"Well, I hope there will be peace," Katrina said. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt."

"Neither do I," replied Troy, hugging his daughter.

Peace should have been easy. People should by nature look out for others and always look for the best interest of everyone, but there are always those who are in it only for themselves. How far can a person be pushed before it has gone too far and he has been pushed beyond his limits? Which limits were they anyway? Does a man build his own limits by surrounding himself in a wall on all sides, forcing himself into his own prison to suffer all because of his selfishness? That was not the kind of family Aladdin had. He had been successful in raising his offspring to think for themselves, but they thought in the best interest of others, too. Knowing exactly where to find the balance between self-satisfaction and gratuity toward others is seldom clear-cut, but they tried their best in all situations, and they were prided by many because of it. Because of their kind philosophy on the fellow human race, the peace agreement was finally taking shape. It took years of effort since the failure at Adima...It took twelve years to be exact, but it was truly worth every struggle and every second for it.

In Agrabah, an heir to the throne had been born three years prior to the extensive peace. He was named Ahari and was the last born of Troy and Clara. Their girls were growing up to be blossoming young buds with the potential to be strong ladies with a flare to face life. It was Katrina though who was most admired. In her twelfth year upon the earth, she was an object of beauty. Her exterior physique was unavoidable to any prince. There were already young men who tried to court the princess, but she was still too young to know what to look for in a future husband. She was so beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, she was still fighting to find out who she was to become.

"Look, Dad," she smiled one day while looking at herself in a full length mirror. "Isn't this outfit gorgeous?"

"You are beautiful as always," he replied with a smile.

"Do I look like a young lady?"

"You are a young lady."

"If I am a young lady now, can I court yet?"

"Katrina," Troy laughed. "You're bearly twelve years old. Enjoy your youth while you have the freedom. The moment you marry, your life will change. You will be faced with challenges you never dreamed of."

"Oh, Daddy!" she exclaimed, feeling a bit agitated. "When am I going to be ready? I look ready, don't I?"

"Looks are just the beginning. It's what's inside that matters, my dear. What if something changed your life at this very moment? Would you be ready to handle it?"

"It depends if it's a good change or a bad change. If it's a good change, then I would welcome it. If it was bad, I would make it go away and pretend it never happened."

"See?" he asked. "You don't understand how these kinds of things work. Unfortunately, you really don't have a choice like that. You can't ignore a problem and hope it will disappear, and you can only make it go away if you face it."

"Well, nothing is going to happen," she said in a determined tone. "I know it, and I know what I want out of my life. You can't decide for me, Dad."

"Maybe I can't make your decisions in your mind about how you're feeling," Troy began, "but I am your father, and what I say can greatly influence your actions."

"Uh-huh," she said, looking out the window.

"Believe that if you don't believe anything else. I know I am usually the type to joke around, but Katrina, I've seen too many people get hurt out there. I've been right by my father's side all these years when we pushed for peace, and even when we got an overwhelming agreement, there were still those people who refused."

Katrina was no longer paying attention to her father's words. He sighed and walked away, hoping that she would one day realize that the struggle for life is not an easy battle. She had been protected her whole life. Troy knew that one day she would have to be opened up to the world. He just hoped it would be in a safe and humane way.

"So, my son, what did you think of your first travel experience?" asked Jareem as they rode through the desert of their horses.

"It was something!" exclaimed Milone, smiling. "I never thought there could be so much to be learned about how everything works. I mean, the connections between the kingdoms are so complex."

"Well," laughed Jareem, "this was just a small matter. It was just a trade agreement between two kingdoms. The most important thing you should remember is that every decision you will make as the future sultan will somehow affect the whole city. You are in a way serving your people."

"I never thought of it that way...You're right though. I guess it works both ways, huh? I mean, the people do services for us, and we do services for them."

"That is a very wise obversation. You are going to make a fine sultan one day."

They rode on until it became dark and decided to stop for the night. The guards who they were travelling with set up the tents, and they made a fire. It was beginning to become cool and windy out there, and the fire didn't last too long. They were tired anyway and decided to call it a night and continue their homeward travelling tomorrow.

Just as Milone was almost asleep, he heard horses neighing off in the distance. He listened carefully and knew they couldn't be their own horses. He shook his father, trying to awaken him.

"Milone?" asked Jareem in a sleepy tone. "What are you doing?"

"Dad, I heard horses. Listen..."

Jareem listened and heard voices, too.

"Do you hear it?" questioned Milone.

"Yes...there's someone out there. Follow me..."

They left the tent and moved to some nearby sand dunes. With only the moonlight to guide their vision, they noticed a whole group of men settling down for the night a hundred feet away. It looked like an army.

"What are they doing out here?" asked Milone.

"I don't know...It's an army. I don't know why troops would be out like this. I haven't heard anything about this. There should be no reason for any kingdom to have forces out like this...I thought that peace agreement finally went through..."

"But wasn't there one kingdom that refused to sign?"

"You're right...Casimir...stay here, Milone. I'm going to move in closer and see if I can figure out what's going on."

Jareem cautiously moved closer to the camp. He saw two soldiers sitting around a fire and talking to each other and laughing at what the other had to say.

"It's about time Sundrum finally made his move," said the one.

"Tell me about it...All it's been the past twelve years was this talk of how he would get his revenge. Ever since that girl spoke out against him at the peace council."

"Wasn't she Sultan Aladdin's daughter?"

"Yeah, that was her. Sundrum said he's got it in for Aladdin. Ever since that incident years ago that involved his father..."

They laughed in unison at that, and Jareem swallowed in fright. He ran back to the dunes where Milone waited.

"This is bad," he gulped. "Milone, help me wake up the guards. We've got to get moving."

"What's going on, Dad?"

"I'll explain later. Just do as I say, and keep quiet."

The guards were awakened within the following moments, and Jareem looked at everyone with great concern on his face.

"Milone, you've got to go with the guards back to Adima. Tell your mother that I've gone to Agrabah to warn her father. Casimir's army is planning an attack on his kingdom."

"Yes, Dad."

Wasting no time, they separated and left for their respective places. It was deathly hard for Jareem to find his way at night. He was worried out of his mind and dizzy, too. He felt completely disoriented, and no matter how hard he tried to focus on the situation, he felt lost. All he had to guide him was hope.

Katrina was sleeping peacefully in her bed that night when she heard a sound outside her window. She stirred and sat up in bed and looked toward the balcony. Nothing. She lay back down and closed her eyes, but a second later, she heard a noise again. She stood up and walked toward the balcony. She went outside and looked over the edge to see two strange men climbing ropes up toward her. She screamed and ran back toward her room, but upon hearing her, they attacked. She tried to fight back, but there was no luck.

"Move out of our way, you little brat!" they yelled.

"What do you want?!" she cried. "Who are you?!"

"We've come for the sultan!" yelled one man. "Tell us where he is, and we'll go easy on you!"

"I--I can't tell you!" she screamed. "I won't let you--"

They grabbed the girl around the waist and threw her toward the wall. She was knocked out, and as they were about to make their move toward the door, they heard someone coming. Out of fear that it might be the guards, they fled from the palace.

"What's going on in here?" asked Troy as he opened the doors.

He stood there with Clara by his side, looking on in horror at the sight before his eyes. Aladdin and Jasmine shortly followed. Troy looked down at the floor to see his daughter's helpless body laying there.

"Katrina!" he gasped as he ran to her side.

He shook the girl, and she opened her eyes.

"Daddy..." she moaned. "I can't feel my legs."

"Who did this to you?" he asked in fright. "Who hurt my little girl?!"

"They didn't want me...They were after Grandpa..."

"Me?" asked Aladdin. "But who would..."

"Casimir," said a voice from the door.

Everyone turned around to see Troy at the door. He ran to them in great concern when he saw Katrina.

"I'm too late," he whispered.

"Do you know something about this?" asked Aladdin.

"I was out in the desert when...when I overheard the soldiers in Casimir's army talking about doing you in, Aladdin. They said something about an incident long ago that Sundrum had with your father. I don't know anything else, and I tried to get here before...before this happened..."

"I don't know what this could be about," replied Aladdin, worried. "I've got to talk to my father, but first, we've got to take care of Katrina."

"Dad," said Troy with clenched teeth. "They must pay for what they did to her. She was an innocent victim of their hatred on this family. If Sundrum has something against your father, why doesn't he deal with him? Three generations have passed, and a child had to pay for something she didn't commit. It's not fair. Sundrum will pay, I swear, if it's the last thing I do. He will pay. No one hurts my daughter..."

"Troy," interrupted Aladdin, "I know you are deeply troubled by this, but you cannot declare war on a whole kingdom. We've got to get Katrina under care right away."

"What will we do then, Dad? How many more innocent people must suffer? When is it enough?"

"I have to find out what this is about before we can decide anything. Until then, let's deal with the most important thing right now...helping Katrina."

"She suffered a harsh blow to her spine," explained the doctor. "She is paralyzed from the hips down. I'm afraid there is nothing we can do for her."

"Nothing?" asked Troy. "But Doctor, this wasn't supposed to happen..."

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing more than can be done."

Troy felt anger rising within him. He went into Katrina's room and found her laying in the bed with her gaze out the window.

"Katrina," he began. "I heard."

"I'm never going to get better, am I?" she asked. "I'm stuck like this, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid so," he said, holding her hands. "But at least you are still alive. We didn't lose you."

"I would rather be dead than to live the rest of my life like this," she started to cry. "I am a freak. I can't walk. I can't just get up and get something for myself anymore. It's like half of me is just...gone. I can't feel anything in my legs."

"Half of you is not gone," assured Troy. "Look at me, Darling. You still have your beautiful spirit inside you, and that's what matters. I swear on my love for you that whoever did this to you will pay. I won't let it happen again."

"No prince will love a princess who is a freak...My life will never be the same again, Daddy. No matter how many people suffer for this, I will still feel the pain."

"I know...I know," he whispered. "But something must be done. You get some rest, okay? I have to meet my father."

Troy kissed her cheek and left for the throneroom, where Aladdin and Cassim stood. The truth was about to be revealed.

"What do you know about this?" asked Aladdin. "How does Sultan Sundrum know you?"

Cassim shuddered at the name. "It was a long time ago...I can't tell you. I'm too ashamed."

"You've got to tell us," Troy insisted. "My daughter paid because of what you did!"

"Troy, calm down," Aladdin instructed. "You can't make any accusations without knowing what happened. Look, Dad, I know you did not lead an easy life, but you've got to tell us. We can't afford anymore people to get hurt."

"It was over thirty-five years ago," Cassim began. "It has been something I haven't told anyone until today. I was still the King of Thieves back then, and the thieves made their living by raiding caravans. We knew all the routes and just waited for someone to come along. It was night when we were moving through the desert, and we came upon a camp. A caravan had stopped for the night, and we figured this would be the perfect time to raid them...while they were asleep. I stood off to the side as the men went about their work. As I stood there though, I felt a sudden pain in my left shoulder. A dagger went through me, and I still have the scar. I turned around to find a young man of about fifteen years of age. He cursed me and said I would no longer raid innocent caravans. I didn't want to fight the boy, so I tried to flee, but he came after me. I pulled out my dagger in defense and turned around. The moment I turned though, he was right upon me, and he stopped there, right in front of me, and fell at my hands. My dagger had penetrated his stomach. His father had seen the whole thing. In fear, I mounted my horse, but as I ran off, I heard him yell, 'You killed my son! I'll have it be known that you, King of Thieves, killed the heir to the throne of Casimir! I am Sultan Sundrum of Casimir, and you have killed my son! I swear you will pay! If not you, then your son!' I didn't think much of his threat. I didn't know you were alive, Aladdin, so I figured I was the only one in danger. It was all the better for me, too, because I was a miserable excuse for a man."

Aladdin was at loss for words. Now it was clear why Sundrum had such contempt against Aladdin and his family. Troy, on the other hand, was more determined than ever to serve his justice. This adversity left them in a state of confusion, loss, and anger. The cluttered thoughts that roamed through their minds came to only one conclusion: What was to be done?

"How are you feeling?" Clara asked as she sat on her daughter's bed.

"I'm feeling better. My headache is gone, but I still can't feel anything below my hips. I guess I never will though, huh?" Katrina asked softly.

"Oh, Katrina..."

"Mom, I need to talk to Dad. Can you please get him?"

"Now? But can't you talk to me?"

"Well, it's about something we talked about before. I would get him myself, but seeing that I can't walk..."

The girl looked down, her eyes becoming glassy. Seeing this, Clara quickly reacted.

"It's okay, Honey...I'll get him. You just wait here."

"Like I have anywhere else to go."

Clara left Katrina to herself for a few moments until Troy came into the bedroom. He tried his best to be happy and look at her like she was still the same person she was a couple days ago. Seeing her like this and knowing he was helpless made him feel worthless and sad though.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Dad...Do you remember the conversation we had not long ago about me growing up?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well," she sighed, "I've been doing a lot of thinking this past day or so...After all, there's not much else I can do here...all alone. I realize now how much of a fool I was. I never thought anything bad could happen to me. I thought I knew how I would live out my life...in happiness. I was so wrong...so terribly wrong. All I cared about was how I looked to people on the outside, and on the inside, I was a horrible, mean person. I hurt my own cousin deeply four years ago because of my heartlessness. 'Now what?' I asked myself. I don't have my looks anymore. I never had anything beautiful on the inside, and now, there's nothing left of me. This was my punishment, wasn't it, Daddy, for being so selfish? I deserved this."

Troy blinked back the onset of tears. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It only made his heart ache more, to see her like this, to hear her like this. It was becoming too much to bear.

"No, my darling," he whispered, hugging her. "You didn't deserve to be hurt like this. It was the contempt that evil sultan had that caused an innocent child to suffer. I cannot begin to tell you how much it pains me to see you like this. I swear that he will suffer because of what he has done to you."

"But Daddy," she replied in fear, "what will you do? Go off to war? I don't want to lose you."

"I don't know what will happen. My father wants to try to talk to Sundrum, but that's him. He's always tried to talk his way out of things, and for some reason, I doubt this will be that easy. We have no choice though. That is the sad reality of things, Katrina. We have no choice."

"What about the peace?"

"Peace is not an option. It's gone too far now."

"I got here as fast as I could," gasped Anna as she entered the palace. "Tell me, how is she doing?"

"She's resting," Aladdin replied. "We are lucky to still have her."

"How is Troy taking it?"

"Unfortunately, not too well...He's driven with anger to see Sundrum dead. I know he is suffering greatly inside, but he won't admit it."

"Oh...I wish there was something I could do to help. When I heard what happened, I was struck with a fear I've never felt before. Oh, Dad..."

Anna put her arms around Aladdin and cried.

"I felt it coming," she admitted. "Years ago I had a bad feeling about Sundrum, but I never thought it would happen. I guess no one could have known, but thank Allah you are still with us."

"I'm right here, Anna. We need to be strong though. I've got to try to set things right."

"How?"

"Tomorrow Troy and I are leaving for Casimir to talk to Sundrum."

"What? But--"

"What other choice do we have?"

Anna just looked at her father in complete despair. She knew the truth. This was unavoidable.

Later that day when Aladdin had settled down for the night, he lay by Jasmine with worry on his face.

"Jasmine," he whispered, "is something wrong?"

"Oh, Aladdin...I just don't know about this whole thing. Your life is in danger. I just don't know what I would do without you...You've tried with all your heart these past few years for peace among all the kingdoms, and now, this happens. I have spent those years worrying about you, worrying that I might lose you somehow when you were away. Aladdin, you've given so much to everyone. You've truly given your heart up many times for peace, and I'm so scared that this might be the last time..."

"Jasmine, I know he is after my life, but I can't let that fear lead my intentions. My intentions have always been driven by love. This isn't easy for me either. I know we're not as young and full of energy as we used to be, but we don't have to let that ruin our love for each other. We will never lose the other, no matter what, and you've got to be strong. How else can we keep going?"

"I'll try, Aladdin. I'll try so hard because you are my life. I love you so much."

"And I will always, always love you, my flower."

The day that was dreaded by so many had arrived. Aladdin led a small army of guards toward Casimir with only hope to guide them. Troy was by his side the whole time, and as their destination drew nearer, the fear engulfed them more and more. Casimir could be seen off in the distance. The palace was nearly identical to the one in Agrabah, and when they finally passed the city gates, they realized how much the whole city looked like Agrabah. It was almost scary how much two cities that were ruled by two very different people could look so much alike. When they arrived at the palace gates, a guard approached Aladdin.

"Who should I tell the sultan is here?" he questioned.

"Tell him Sultan Aladdin of Agrabah is here to talk to him. Tell him I am not here to declare war and only to try to discuss the matters that drive his revenge."

The guard eyed him suspiciously and said, "As you wish."

The guard left the post and returned momentarily with the sultan himself right behind him. Sundrum had a glare on him face that could kill a thousand warriors. He looked at Aladdin in such contempt.

"There is nothing to say," the old man said rigidly. "You've wasted your time coming here."

"Wait," Aladdin replied quickly, "I do have something to say, and you can't decide for me whether I will speak or not."

"Oh, really? Are you trying to make the rules for my kingdom? Are you trying to win the adoration of more people who would believe your every word? You don't fool me for a second. You try to tell people that you fight with your heart in the matters. I believe rather you spend your days in the palace with a big grin on your face because you have conquered the hearts of everyone. You have risen up from street rat to royalty only to benefit your own selfish will."

"You don't know anything about me," Aladdin said, trying not to lose him temper. "I know something of you though. I know that my father killed your son years ago. You have tried now to take my life in hopes that it will satisfy the emptiness. You have allowed yourself to become so bent on your rage."

"I didn't kill him!" Sundrum yelled. "I didn't ask that my son lose his life, especially to a thief! What do you know of that kind of pain?"

"I truthfully don't know. I can tell you though that you are responsible in part for the way you feel today. You have lived for over thirty-five years with that pain locked up in your heart. You live in fear and let it lead your life, and because of that, all the love in your heart has been devoured. Your heart is bitter because the hate fermented more and more over the years and led you to believe that revenge will serve justice."

"You speak nothing but nonsense! Just like this whole peace agreement garbage! You now have every last city but Casimir under your spell. You have weakened everyone by forcing them to believe that your causes are right and theirs are wrong. You do not fool me for one second though. You cannot talk your way out of this one."

"What other choice is there?" Aladdin asked in fear.

"If you will not die at my sword, then your people will suffer for your pride. I will declare war on your whole city, Aladdin."

"Then it is war."

With nothing left to hope for, Aladdin returned home to warn the people of the forthcoming attack. Casimir's army rode into Agrabah, but Agrabah was prepared to defend its people. They had the back up of troops for all over the Seven Deserts as well because of the alliance. Men fought each other to the death for causes they weren't even sure of. The armies didn't know why they were fighting, but they poured into the grasp of the other because of the power of those in authority. They were driven to madness, and some soldiers committed suicide because they couldn't face having to kill anymore people for a cause they knew nothing of. Innocent victims were open targets to the soldiers, and they fell to death. Everyday the amount of those lost increased, and everyday the madness only grew worse. Aladdin's family was horrified that he had left himself be driven into battle like this. Even a man whose heart is the biggest has his limits. The only one who ever gave it thought to understand why they were fighting was Anna. She saw how her own father was infected with the same bitter revenge that her brother had been. It seemed impossible that a sane, loving father and wise, benevolent ruler could have fallen to this barbarism. It was the truth though. This was undeniably real.

It was Aladdin who made the attack on Sundrum when they finally faced off one to one. They fought with the looks of rage and hatred on their faces and with bitterness in their hearts. The battle was a struggle to see who would win. Both were equally determined to put the other's life to an end, and just as Aladdin raised his sword over Sundrum's head, Anna rushed in between them.

"Stop!" she cried. "Stop this at once!"

"Anna!" exclaimed Aladdin. "Move out of the way! He's at my mercy now!"

"No, Father!" she defended. "I'm begging you, put down your sword!"

"Anna...what are you doing? This...this is crazy."

"No, Father, this is crazy. Look around you. Look around you and tell me what you see. I'll tell you what I see. I see fear in their eyes. I see it in their hearts. I see death everywhere I look, and why? For what causes are these people dying for?"

Aladdin lowered his sword, and for the first time in days, he saw people...just people, not enemies. His heart dropped inside of himself when he realized what he had done.

"I call an end to this!" he yelled.

Upon hearing this, the fighting stopped. Everyone turned to look at the two rulers. Both of them were equally in shame with their heads facing down. By this time, Troy had joined his father's side.

"You both hang your heads in shame," Anna began, "because the battle you are fighting is not between these armies on these grounds but in your hearts. You, Father, were a man who everyone admired. Like every man though, you had your weakness. Don't you see where this has led? You have become just like this man in front of you that you hate. You let fear and pain lead your causes. How many more people must die because of your hate for one another? I remember a man who told two friends, my brother and my husband, to not let their anger destroy what they have, but rather they should talk it out and look for a solution. What started as a battle between just two men led to all this bloodshed. People were fighting for reasons they didn't even know of. If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it's that the battle first begins within oneself. It happens in all of you around me. You blame others for your pain, and you want someone to pay for what has happened. Revenge is not the answer. Don't become what you are fighting against. Vengeance causes nothing but a vicious cycle of further vengeance, and generations later, people may still be fighting for a cause long dead. Sundrum has lost his son, and a loss can never be completely forgotten. The heart may ache in the days that follow, but a whole lifetime cannot afford to be led in that pain. It will overtake the mind and heart until there is nothing left but the pain. There is a very thin line between love and hate, and a fragile will can cross that line. If a person allows himself to be locked away for so long, he is a lonesome and pitiful creature. Father, you cannot, allow yourself to become like Sundrum. Swallow your contempt and focus on the important thing: love. Love is the first step toward peace, and I'm afraid that you've been so consumed lately that you've forgotten to be by the side of the one who first showed you love."

All eyes continued to stare at the young woman who had just delivered that heart-filled speech. Aladdin looked up at Sundrum and spoke.

"Jasmine," he whispered, "I see what you knew all along. This was no way to ever find peace."

He was silent for a moment longer and almost felt sorry for the man who he called his enemy.

"There will be no more fighting from me," he spoke louder. "I am so very sorry for what I have put you all through. My daughter is right. I should have never involved a whole city of people in this matter. I let a personal argument with one other man turn into my worse nightmare. I have become my own worse nightmare these past few days, and I can never tell you how much I regret this. Sundrum, I cannot afford to hold on to this contempt any longer, and neither can you."

"You're right," whispered the old man. "It took all this to finally open my eyes after all these years. What has happened is in the past. I cannot change that, so all we have now is the future. Aladdin, the war is over. I will sign the peace agreement."

With that, the armies withdrew and returned home. The aftermath of the war had kept the people silent for days to follow. Of any person though, Aladdin was the most silent. He looked on as Jasmine lived out her last days upon this planet. He was feeling so mixed with emotions and not able to grasp the depth of the contempt or the love that humanity possessed. No man could.

What did it mean to be the center of all things? What does it mean now? It seems humanity has tried so hard to find that which lies in the center of the universe, since the universe is, afterall, everything. People find it extremely difficult to understand life: We are put here and suffer enormous amounts of pain...For what? Why must a moral person who is going to die anyway live a life so full of pain? With the pain though, there is love. It is always there. We just don't allow ourselves to believe it's there. The most difficult challenge anyone faces in life is to understand the complexity of love and understand that loving someone with all your heart means that you take the whole entity, the good and the bad. You take on that person's pain and suffering because you know that what hurts the one you love also hurts you. Fear can sometimes overwhelm the heart and lead to disasterous consequences, but all it takes is one person to rise up and over the hearts of everyone. This was the life of Aladdin. He had lived it, but it was not finished yet...at least not entirely.

It had become known to the whole kingdom that Jasmine was dying. No one knew why exactly. Maybe it was just her time, but physically anyway, she was winding down. In her mind and heart, she was giving up, not on love, but on life. Love would always be there...forever, but this life, anyway, would not.

She lay in bed with Aladdin by her side. He didn't know what to say, what to think, what to feel. He wanted to tell her she would be alright, but his heart knew the truth. She was leaving him on this earth and going somewhere else...somewhere to join all those who had passed before her. Her face looked straight up at the ceiling, and her eyes stared at nothing. With his hands on hers, Aladdin, half-believing himself, tried to assure her that everything would be fine.

"You will get over this, my forever dear flower. You will live on..."

"No, Aladdin. I am through fighting. Look, it's Father. And Mother, too. See how they beckon me to join them. Oh, look how beautiful...the white light...so pure...see how it beckons me...come...come..."

For a moment, he just stared at her, feeling completely drained. Then it struck him. She was gone.

"I can't believe she's really gone," Aladdin said to his son later that day. "She was right there, and then...then..."

"Dad, I know how you feel. She was my mom, your wife...I miss her so much..."

Aladdin just stared out the window at the stars. He looked like he was about to burst into tears, but something held them back. He turned to Troy. The devastation and defeat was written all over his face. Never had he looked this way. An emptiness that couldn't be seen was felt on the inside, and it penetrated right to his heart.

"Troy," whispered Aladdin.

"Yes, Dad?"

"I...I can't go on anymore. This is it."

"What do you mean?" There was concern in his voice.

"Is this what it took? Is this what it took to finally make me realize how precious life is? Just when there is finally peace among the Seven Deserts, I lose her...just like that. I had no control over it, and yet, I tried so hard to make everyone happy. I went on that rage of war, and because of me, many of my people have died. Is this what death feels like? This emptiness, this defeat?"

"There was nothing that you could do, Dad," comforted Troy. "It was her time..."

"I am giving the throne to you, Troy."

"What? But Dad, you can't...You have done so many great things for the people. You can't give up now. You've got peace...the greatest accomplishment ever."

"The greatest accomplishment? No...the greatest accomplishment in life is trying to find peace within oneself, not between everyone out there. Anna made me realize that. The battle was within myself, and I fought the pain...and forgot the love..."

The unbelievable happened just then. Aladdin cried, and not only did he cry, he broke down completely into a flood of tears. He cried for all the mistakes, all the unfairness life had thrown in his face, totally forgetting all the joy he had experienced.

"Listen to me..." his voice shook. "You've got to be strong for me...I had my time to reign...That is no more."

"Dad," Troy started to cry, "no, no...You can't allow this to ruin your love for her. You loved her more that anything, but death doesn't end a relationship between two people. Don't forget who you are...the greatest leader this city has ever seen."

"Love...does it even continue now? I just don't know anymore..."

Aladdin walked to the window and looked at the star-filled night sky. He closed his eyes and felt the wind dance softly around his face. There was a magic out there in the unknown, and even though he couldn't explain it, he felt it right in the heart. It was love.

"Have you ever wondered what is at the center of the universe?" he asked.

"Yes, many times, but I guess we'll never know."

"I know," said Aladdin, turning around to face his son. "Love is."

"But how do you know where the center is?"

"It's right here for me," said Aladdin with a small smile, placing his hand over his heart. "The universe nevers ends, so there truly is no center at one fixed point. Love is everywhere."

Love is everywhere. The tide had now left the shifting shore of sands, and the sun had set. It was still beautiful...all of it: the sky, the sea, the heart. For all who truly believe, let it be known that love has the power to do anything for the sake of all that is pure and good. The soul of every true believer lives on forever in the love. One man can never know just what the depth it reaches, so mysterious and interweaving itself through all hearts, connecting all souls. And life goes on...