Princess of Balbadd (Magi x Reader)

Wedding of Wishes

"I'm so lucky to have found someone like you."

~*~

All is quiet outside the dungeon. Masrur is asleep with a pile of cards in front of him along with his spoils from winning all the rounds of cards he played with the others. Ja'far looks worriedly at the dungeon entrance as another hour passes. Sinbad hums to himself as he scrawls on parchment, recording recent events for the next installment of his Adventures of Sinbad series. Ja'far paces back over to him. He's about to ask the same question for the hundredth time, but knows the answer will be the same so he closes his mouth and treads back to the entrance.

"Keep going back and forth like that, and we won't even need to plow the fields," Sinbad jokes without looking up from his work.

"We won't need to plow them if this dungeon remains on top of them, Sin!" snaps Ja'far. "I'd hate to say it, but she has been in there for a very long time. For her it has been more days than what she had packed for. We should start exploring our alternatives."

"It's only been a week or two for her." Sinbad lifts up the parchment to cover his face and hide his worried frown. "A person can survive a month without food; a week without water. Sure it's hard, but it is not impossible."

"Survive, maybe. But not in any condition to fight monsters or solve djinn puzzles. Maybe I should go back and see if I could still be allowed in."

"NO!" Sinbad cuts him off, "I can't lose you too!"

Ja'far turns aghast, his worst fear vocalized. "Too?!?! So you really think she's gone for good?!"

Sinbad's pale expression could no longer be hidden. "No...eh...let's give it one more day. The longer she's in there, the more important it will be for her to have someone help her when she returns. Give her food, carry her to shelter..."

Ja'far can see just how thin Sinbad's veil of confidence is. How he is not ready to tell King Rashid that they lost his daughter. That their practically completed principality would no longer be a dowry. All that would be admitting this woman he shared a bond with was forever beyond his reach. He is not ready to cope with the death of someone he loved.

"I...I'm sorry, Sin." He scratches his arm then up behind his neck. "I shouldn't doubt you. It's just that waiting is so nerve-wracking. If I could distract myself with something to work on...could you spare me some of that paper? Running some numbers for our recent gains should help calm me..."

"I need the different papers so I can work on scenes as inspiration hits and then organize them later. If you need to work on something, how about you read over what I've written so far? Let me know if it's exciting enough."

Ja'far takes the stack of finished scenes and looks over them. It proves to be a good distraction since Sinbad had never let him look at the stories prior to publication before.

After a few pages, his eyes grow big and his jaw drops.

Out loud, he reads, "With the speed of lightning Masrur sprinted across the desert, stalking his prey. Reaching the filthy slave traders, he attacked; ripping their clothes off with his claws. His fangs sank into their feet so they could not escape divine justice. The sun's rays kissed his red mane in honor of his triumph over evil. His victorious roar shook the heavens...??? SIN! You made Masrur a lion in this!"

"The readers will love it, right?"

"WRONG! You're making your fortune off of lies!"

"Fantasy," Sinbad points out, "It's meant to inspire their hearts; a learned reader knows not to take these things literally."