Thirteen

 

"Have you heard anything?" Maram asked fretfully.

The guardsman shook his head. "No, Your Highness. I have told the prison guards to send word if they see a man with that name but no one has seen him. Are you sure he exists?"

"Of course he does! And so does his mother!" Maram snapped.

The guard bowed deeply. "My apologies, Princess, if I have offended you."

If this man knew half the things she'd seen and done in foreign courts, he would not worry about offending her. Maram hid her smile. "You are forgiven. I am...frustrated. I do not understand how a man can vanish in this city and not be found."

"Perhaps he is not in the city, Your Highness."

She'd thought the same thing, but Sadaf had insisted Aladdin never left the city. Sadaf...perhaps she should send for the woman again?

Maram considered for a moment, then shook her head. No, Sadaf had promised to send word if her son returned. If she had half the honour of her son, then she would notify the palace the instant Aladdin returned.

Unless he did not want to see her...

Maram swallowed. If Aladdin did not want to see her again, would Sadaf tell her? Or would she worry about offending a princess, too?

"If you have not heard anything by the end of the week, summon Sadaf the spinner to the palace," Maram said.

Another bow. "As you wish, Your Highness."

No, what she wished was to see Aladdin now, at this very moment, but Maram knew as well as anyone that wishes were seldom granted, and when they were, they would rarely be what one wants.

So she sighed and forced herself to find some distraction to keep her mind busy until she received the word she wanted, or the week ended. Whatever came first.