Desert Dreams ✓

Welcome!

This is a "1001 Arabian Nights" (Sheherazade) x "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" (Badroulbadour/Jasmin) crossover story in modern times.

Happy reading, and let me know what you think!

Yours,
norafelane

*** 🌜***

A young, elegantly dressed woman sat on the window frame of an extensive library - a book in her hands. But it was the view of the sunset over the desert that captured her attention.

Another day had passed, trapped in the confinements of the mansion's grounds.

She wanted to travel the world, make friends and figure out what she was passionate about. But being the daughter of one of the wealthiest business owners in the Middle East, her parents had different ambitions. Protect her at all costs from the regular threats they received, and make sure she would be prepared to take over the family business with a suitable partner in a not-so-distant future.

Scheherazade "Schazi" Badroul sighed and closed "1001 Arabian Nights." Her parents had named her after two fascinating women from this Middle Eastern folkloric collection:

Scheherazade, a courageous woman who had cunningly evaded her execution by telling a femicidal king each night compelling never-ending stories. On the dawn of the 1001st day, he pardoned her - maybe out of love, or having taken the stories' lessons to heart. And Badroulbadour, a princess as enticing as the moon.

She left the library and followed ornamented corridors to her room. Resting on her bed, her thoughts trailed back to him. She grabbed her phone, opened Instagram and clicked on Aladdin's profile.

She had met him in the city a few weeks ago, having snuck out from a large banquet. He was a recent business graduate of the city's university, and she had enjoyed the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about his dreams and family. Especially his uncle Genie who had managed to fulfill Aladdin's biggest wishes even though they had had little.

Schazi had made sure, it was her private Instagram account she shared with him, where she did not have half a million followers for her background and modeling.

"Schazi!" her mother called. "Where are you? The guests are arriving at any moment!"

She sprung up, hastily slipped into her banquet gown and refreshed her make-up. "I'll be right there!" she called back as she walked down the stairs to the dinner hall.

As she arrived, the guests were already seated - and one of them was Aladdin. He smiled flusteredly. She was shocked.

Turns out, his convincing sustainable business strategy had secured him a high position in her father's business. Happy for him, but also disappointed in her silly hopes, she excused herself.

He followed her and told her shyly: "I'm going to London next week, my first business trip. Do you want to join me?" He looked her in the eyes, adding: "I want to get to know you better and maybe this trip can also be an opportunity to discover if this business is something you could be passionate about."

She briefly thought about it, then agreed. A few days later, they left - with her parents' blessing.

*** 🌜***