Arabian Nights - Yami Yugi x OC

Chapter 1 - Another Arabian Night

edited 9/4/2020

I don't want to get married! Why can't Baba understand that?

But nope. Instead, he has suitor after suitor coming in to court me. Each one has been a bigger monkey than his predecessor. So far, one has tried to touch me, one degraded my most trusted handmaiden and only human friend, one puked all over my sari when he saw my pet leopard Rami, and another stared blatantly at my chest the entire time he was talking to me.

When will Baba just give up on the whole marriage thing and let me choose for myself the life that I want? He doesn't put nearly as much pressure on my brother, Askari. That kid runs around looking for a battle. Even though he's only ten, seven years younger than me, he acts more like he's five.

I know I only have thirty-two days to willingly marry before Baba does something. I just wish that one of these princes was actually worth it.

My handmaiden/best friend Nahla must sense that I've had a stressful day because as soon as I gracefully stagger back to my room, she begins drawing a warm bath, dropping lavender in it. Just the way I like it.

"What would I do without you, Nahla?" I ask as I step out of the bath. "By Allah, hanging out with you every evening is the only time when I can be just Zariah, not Princess Zariah, or Your Highness."

Nahla laughs, handing me my nightclothes. "Zariah, the way you complain, I might as well be a princess with you," she jokes.

"I don't complain that much. Besides, you're the drama queen in our friendship," I reply.

"ZARIAH!" someone else shouts. Oh, Allah. It's Askari. I dress quickly and open my bedroom door to greet him.

"To what do I owe the honor of this humble visit?" I ask, putting air quotes around "humble."

Askari flops down on my bed. "Ri, you have got to choose one of these guys!" he groans. "What was wrong with Prince Ka-what's-his-face?"

"Khalid," I correct him, lying on the bed next to him. "I don't know, he just seemed vain. Like he only wanted me to boost his status."

"Come on, sis. You need to choose someone," Askari whines.

"And I will! Just not yet. I don't want to be tied down, Kari. I am trapped enough as I am. I don't want to have a man telling me what to do, what not to do, making me into his doll."

"Well, now's a good a time as any to tell you this," Askari says.

"What, to hold still while I administer tickle torture?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his torso and tickling him.

"Stop it, Ri, stop it! That tickles!" he says in his laughter.

"Never!" I shout teasingly.

Askari and I roll around on my bed for a couple minutes tickling each other until we hear someone clear his throat. Oh, no.

"Baba, we were only messing around," I start, ending the tickle fight.

"That is not what I am here for, Zariah," Baba replies, a warm smile on his face. "It warms my heart, seeing you two play together like that. You're always so serious now."

"You raised me to be that way, Baba," I say. "If I'm to choose one of these suitors, I need to be serious about who I want to rule Riyawah with."

I notice Baba shed a single tear. "You are just like your mother." The three of us sit on my bed in silence, remembering my mother, Sultana Storai. She died of the famine that passed through Riyawah when I was thirteen. I remember that she would always insist that Askari and I go to bed with full bellies, even if it meant she went to bed hungry. Umi was loved by all of Riyawah, but loved most dearly by me. I'd always thought that when the day comes that I marry, my mother would be beside me.

"Baba? You had something to tell me?" I ask.

"Ah, yes, my darling," Baba says, smiling down on me. "It can wait until the morning. I don't think you will react well to hearing it now."

"I understand." I give Baba a hug and kiss his forehead. "Tusbih ealaa khayr, Baba."

Baba kisses my forehead. "Tusbih ealaa khayr, Zariah. 'Ahbak."

"Love you too. Night, Kari."

Askari throws his arms around me. "Layla Ri." I ruffle his curls. Oh, Allah. He's grown so much. Baba takes Askari's hand and leads him out of my room as I sandwich myself between my sheets. I hear Nahla whisper a good night into my ear, and I fall asleep so quickly, I don't even hear the door close.

•••

I wake up the next morning to the dry heat of the sun pouring into my room. Oh, no. Another day of loser princes coming to court me. This should be fun.

I dress in a royal purple sari (above) and Nahla accompanies me to breakfast. Baba and Askari are already digging into their meals.

"Sabah alkhyr Zariah," Baba greets me. I take my place next to him at the table.

"Sabah alkhyr, Baba," I reply. "Good morning to you too, Askari."

"Sabah alkhyr, Zariah," Askari says. His voice is muffled by the extent of food in his mouth.

"By Allah, I will never understand you, Askari," I grumble, starting in on my breakfast. "Baba, what were you going to tell me last night?"

"Oh, yes! I nearly forgot," Baba says. "There is a high priest in Egypt who wishes to court you. However, he cannot leave the palace, and I wish to foster a trade deal with King Aknamkanon."

"What are you proposing, Baba? That we travel to Egypt?" I ask.

"Nem. You have always said that you wanted to see Egypt, have you not?" Baba replies.

"Well, yes, but not from the inside of a palace." It's tough for me to keep my voice low as a princess never raises her voice. At least, Umi never did as Sultana.

"Good. The caravan leaves tomorrow at first light."

I finally get to see somewhere outside the palace I've grown up in, and it's only to see the inside of another palace and to be courted. Figures.

A/N: Welcome everybody to our new Yami Yugi story! In case you didn't notice, this fic will be set in Ancient Egypt rather than in modern day.

You also may have caught the Aladdin and Arabian Nights references. If you did, GOOD FOR YOU!!!! Here's a gold star: ⭐️ This story will have roots in those stories, particularly Arabian Nights. If you did not catch those references, the song at the top is literally from Aladdin. It's Will Smith's version of Arabian Nights.

You may have also noticed the italicized words. Since the fictional city-state of Riyawah is set in modern-day Iraq, Zariah's first language is Arabic. To pay tribute to that, there will be some Arabic words sprinkled in throughout the book. The translations can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. Her family is also Muslim, so I also included the mentioned Islamic holidays/terms in the glossary as well. The foreign terms will only be italicized the first time they are mentioned; after that, they will be in the normal font like everything else.

This story will also have slow updates, sadly. As I write for something I am not too familiar with, I will be stopping along the way to do my research and calculations to depict the characters and settings as accurately as I can. Even though these characters and Riyawah are fictional, I want to create a realistic picture because I am not uncultured swine.

— Kal 💙