Prologue
Aladdin and Jasmine had been enjoying being pampered by nobles all around the world, for they had been married for a month now. And the gifts never stopped coming. Abu, going in to “check on” the gifts, may have been the one really enjoying them. He would swim in the piles of gold and silver and amulets and jewelry every time he got bored. It was almost as if he was replacing Iago’s position.
When things seemed to have been settling down a bit, the happy couple was a bit surprised by a mere beggar knocking on the door of the palace offering his gift. This, my friends, is where our story begins.
Like many stories I am nearly positive you have read, someone lacking nobility and social status gives a gift to someone noble. Often times, it is a test to see if the noble would heed a mere peasant. And if not, a consequence would befall them.
But, as we all know, our Aladdin and Jasmine are not too dignified to be hospitable to less fortunate people. Hence, they invited the beggar in.
Aladdin noted that he was an old man for sure. He never revealed his face, making some of the royal guests suspicious. He had a husky whisper for a voice, and a tattered brown robe with a hood and rope tied around his waste like a friar. But as far as Aladdin and Jasmine were concerned, he was a considerate man who was doing a great deed to be giving a sultan and his queen a gift.
The beggar refused the feast and simply offered his gift to the newlyweds. It was a plain diadem made of rich gold with a single ruby crested in the center. He bowed down before Jasmine humbly, “Accept this gift from me please, and it will be yours.”
Jasmine did not want to accept this offer, for the diadem was most likely earned from the only money he could muster. But he was persistent (as was Abu), so Jasmine accepted the diadem and thanked the beggar greatly.
The beggar seemed to have turned around and disappeared.
Diadem by Meesh