Aladdin: Chapter Twenty-Four
Jasmine: Chapter Twenty-Five
From Legendary Leaders Across the Ages—“Sultana Amina, or: The Measure of Love”
Aladdin: Chapter Twenty-Six
Jasmine: Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue: The Legend of Abbas
About the Author
ONCE UPON a moonlit night in the sprawling kingdom of Sulamandra, two men squared off in a dimly lit palace room. But for their hair—the sultan’s was a warm honey brown and the other’s a shining silver—the two could have been mistaken for brothers. And indeed, Sultan Waleed had believed the man standing before him wearing a long green robe was a brother to him. Until now.
“Tell me it’s not true,” said the sultan. He held up a cream-colored scroll. “If you tell me it’s not true, I will believe you.”
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re going on about,” the man replied.
“Abbas, this is no time for jokes. I went against my advisor’s recommendation by meeting you in private. I’ve even kept the guards outside to keep them from gossiping. I want to protect you, but I need your honesty. Did you send this missive to our ally? Did you ask the prince of Doran for his help in overthrowing me?”
Abbas crossed his arms and looked away. His gaze settled upon a gold-framed painting of the vast and sprawling mountains on the eastern border of Sulamandra. It hung on the wall next to an oak table, where a glass-encased lantern burned low.
“How long ago was that landscape painted?” Abbas scratched his chin. “I’d say Hasan bin Yasin was commissioned for it, based on the swirls and the color pattern. That puts it at four centuries old, doesn’t it?”
“We aren’t here to discuss paintings, Abbas.”
“Four centuries old, that painting is,” Abbas continued. “And those mountains look the same now as they ever did.”
“I’m warning you…” the sultan said in a low voice.
“Why so flustered?” Abbas smiled. “I’m only making an observation. All that gold and silver buried and untouchable. It’s a shame. A tragedy, really. And then of course there is the matter of my maps.” Abbas’s eyes narrowed. He glared at the oak table. “They’re in that drawer, aren’t they? The ones I drew up all those years ago with the precise location of every precious mineral and gem within our mountain ranges. I entrusted you with my only copy, and you’ve let it gather dust for over a decade.”
“As I’ve told you before, we don’t need the map, and we don’t need to destroy our mountains.”
“We don’t require it to survive as a kingdom, but were we to extract even a tiny fraction, we would have the gold to buy enough fleets and weapons and train enough soldiers to become the most powerful kingdom on earth.”
“We are powerful and respected among all kingdoms as it is—we do not need to destroy the most fragile parts of our land for the sake of greed.”
“And that is why you are a fool.”
“What did you say?” The sultan’s eyes widened.
“Oh, did you not hear me?” Abbas said with mock surprise. “I said that is what makes you a fool.”
“Careful how you speak to me,” the sultan warned. “We have played together since we were children. I accept your familiarity with me. But do not forget who I am.”
“How can I forget?” Abbas scoffed. “You have that ridiculous emerald crown on your head, don’t you?”
“Abbas.” The sultan exhaled. “Our families have known each other for generations.”
“They have.”
“I know we have never seen eye to eye on how to develop and grow this kingdom.”
“We have not.”
“But despite all this, you have always been my dearest friend.”
“We are not friends.”
“Fine. It’s true. You are more than a friend. You are like a brother to me.”
“Had I been your brother, I would have been king. I’m smarter than you. I am certainly cleverer. Sulamandra could rule the entire world if you weren’t so soft that you wouldn’t dare harm a flower. It’s time for the Akbar family name to get its full due. I deserve to be king.”
“So then.” The sultan’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You did send the missive to Doran.”
“Oh, yes. Not just to him, though. I sent one to every kingdom near and far. I offered a cut of Sulamandra’s wealth for assistance in overthrowing you. Then I’ll finally be able to use my map to make Sulamandra the wealthiest and most powerful kingdom on earth. It is a shame the prince of Doran betrayed my trust, but I’m not worried—there will be others who will send their armies to assist me. Surely some are on their way this minute.”
“Abbas…why?”
“Because gold has a power you cannot begin to grasp.”
The king stared at Abbas silently for a few moments.
“I suppose you were right, then. I was a fool, wasn’t I?” the sultan finally said. “I was willing to make a million excuses for you because I loved you. I loved you so much I didn’t take the veil off my eyes until now. To hear you talk this way about money and power…You have been given every privilege in life. Your estate rivals my own palace in size. You want for absolutely nothing and yet you are still not satisfied. I see now that your soul is hardened beyond repair; whatever good was once inside—it is long gone.”
