Arabian Nights

Chapter 4

"Logan tells me you rejected another suitor."

Virgil sighed and closed his book. "He wasn't right, father."

"No one is ever 'right' for you, Virgil," his father replied. He sat down next to Virgil, his concerned face turned towards his son. "If you could give me an example - I don't mean divulge everything, don't give me that look. If I knew what... characteristics you look for or admire-"

"I would tell you if I knew," Virgil interrupted. "But how do I know what I like if I've never met anyone outside the palace before." He hugged his knees close to his chest and rested his chin on a knee. "If I was allowed outside-"

"I cannot risk that, my child, you know that." The Sultan sighed heavily and looked away. Virgil felt anger spark under a deep blanket somewhere inside him. He stood up and stormed out onto his balcony.

Out in the evening sun, he bent his head and glared at his feet. It was stupid to be angry, his father was only trying to protect him. And yet...

And yet he gripped the balcony railing so hard that his knuckles turned white and felt the overwhelming urge to kick something.

He knew his father was behind him. "I know I'm not allowed out on the streets," Virgil said slowly, biting his anger back. "But I don't understand how I'm meant to fall in love if the only people I meet are opportunistic, power-hungry halfwits who very clearly only want one thing from me and the rest from my country." He hadn't meant for the bitter anger to filter through into his words but he couldn't help it.

"In royal alliances, marriage often comes before love," his father said gently.

"It didn't for you and mother!" Virgil whipped round. He hadn't meant to snap and already he felt guilt curl around his heart. "You always used to tell me how you saw her across the court, in between the dancers, and that was it. You wouldn't make an alliance with anyone else. You told me it was like magic! I... I want to feel that magic too."

The Sultan came forward to stand beside Virgil. He laid a hand on the marble railing, his rings catching in the slowly fading light.

"I believe there was magic at play that night," the Sultan said softly. "And I hope you will find the same feeling but, as a country, Agrabah is at an impasse." He glanced at Virgil and Virgil saw the real worry in his eyes. "We are being pushed on all fronts to join with the technological advancements. New inventions are popping up every day, we cannot keep up with it all. We are barely keeping our own people alive, we cannot afford to fund anyone else's dreams more than we can fund our own."

"How does my marriage to an unknown prince help that?" Virgil asked bitterly. "Let me go to the negotiations, father! I've looked over our finances, read up on our law, I've done everything! We are not a poor country but we have no money. Something - someone - somewhere is going wrong, taking our money away."

The Sultan shook his head. "You are too young, my child," he said. "I cannot risk you out amongst those political piranahs. They would eat you alive."

"Better that letting me fester away here," Virgil said, his posture slumping. "I have to start somewhere. I've read all I can, I can't learn anything else from books. I want to see the world and I've never even been outside the palace walls."

The Sultan patted Virgil on the shoulder as a type of reassurance. "The time will come, rest assured," he promised. "In the meantime, I do believe your studies can progress." He pulled a gold and obsidian ring off his finger and placed it in Virgil's hand. "I will have Logan begin your teachings on royal duties tomorrow."

Virgil stared at the ring in his hand with an open mouth. "Father..." For once, he was speechless. He laughed in delight and threw his arms around his father, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered. His hand closed around the Ruling Ring his father had given him - a sign to all that you were in the process of becoming a ruler.

The Sultan smiled and hugged Virgil. "It is the least I can give you, my child." He stepped back from the hug and held Virgil and arm's length, looking at him with a reminiscent smile. "You grow more every time I look at you."

Virgil smiled, a laugh catching behind his teeth, and slid the ring onto his middle finger. It was a little too big for him but jarred at his knuckle. He wouldn't lose it if he was careful.

"Now," the Sultan patted his son on the shoulder and let his arms fall, "I will leave you. The fireworks should be starting soon, I'll have someone send Janus up. And some food, you weren't at dinner."

"I was," Virgil hesitated slightly, "busy. I'm sorry."

The Sultan shook his head. "It's no matter. I will send a platter up and you will eat it."

Virgil laughed. "Yes, father," he said with an eye roll. The Sultan smiled and left.

Virgil's smile slid to a slightly guiltier one. He pulled the curtains across the exit to his balcony and grabbed the small bundle from under his bed. Pulling his purple tunic off, he replaced it with a black, much plainer one.

The gold ring on his finger caught his eye. He sighed, smiled at it, and resumed dressing. He wouldn't see the fireworks from his balcony this year. No, he'd see them from the streets of Agrabah!

Thought this chapter would be difficult. Nope, it's nearly 1,000 words!
Bye,
Blaize