I keep walking around the gardens, hoping to see Flora. For now, there is no wedding; with the burnt gardens and the missing bride, no one knows what the future holds. Three days have gone by, and Flora still hasn't been found. Some royals have decided to go back home. Flavia returned to tend to her children and husband. Faraha is about to leave today.
I've hidden in my room for the past three days, avoiding my father's attempts to talk to me. He fears the worst and is ready to declare Flora dead, putting Flavia next in line for the southern kingdom. However, Flavia has already abdicated, feeling she isn't the best candidate. She specifically married a man with no title to live a quiet life. Faraha can't take the throne either because she is already in line to be queen consort of the kingdom she married into. My brother and I can't abdicate due to the trouble in the bloodline. It's a sad day for our kingdom. Perhaps Dad will have to look for a new wife and father legitimate heirs.
The handmaiden comes in and says my father has summoned me again, but I decline. My father is ready to give up the Far South Kingdom to the Cai Kingdom. He is ready to be dissolved, leaving us with only titles and nothing to back them up.
"Prince Malo calls for an audience," says the handmaiden.
"Tell him I'm not feeling well," I say, "I don't wish to see anyone." She looks down at me and hesitates. I wave my hand and tell her to leave.
"I wish to be alone," I say to the maid as I look through the window and see the sun setting. That is the end of day three with no sign of Flora.
After a long hour, another call comes for me. "Who is it now?" I say with an irritated voice, "A woman can't mourn in peace in this country."
"You can," says Alibaba, standing in front of me. I get up immediately and meet his gaze. He looks rather tired and weak.
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"I am... fine," he says, leaning on the wall for support. "I think Flora ran away... I went back in time to look for her."
"How many times did you reverse time?" I ask, trying to give him support but feeling weak myself from the hunger strike.
"Just enough to see she left the castle grounds, but I couldn't follow," he says as I try placing him on the seat. "But I couldn't convince her to stay, that's why everything is still the same."
"Did she give you a reason why she was running away?" I ask. He looks at me and thinks for a minute.
"I promised I wouldn't tell you," he says, "but she will be fine, she just said you will find her at the most beautiful dock ever." He looks at me with a worried expression, and I simply smile and look at him. I lean in and give him a hug.
"She will indeed be fine," I say with a smile that information alone was enough to warm my heart. "As long as you didn't tell anyone."
"Not a soul," he says, grabbing my hands. The third day ends on a good note, but still, I have to act sad so Prince Maxim doesn't keep thinking I had something to do with Flora's disappearance.
I look at Alibaba and can't help but think how someone could be this caring and selfless. "Stay here," I say as I head outside. "Please bring us dinner," I yell out to one of the maidens. The senior maiden seems so happy that I am finally eating. "Bring some bananas and melons with it."
I return to find Alibaba lounging comfortably on the chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, if you keep yelling like that, they'll think you've finally gone mad," he teases.
I roll my eyes and sit across from him. "Oh please, they've thought that for years. Besides, you're one to talk, Mr. 'I can time travel but still can't get a decent haircut.'"
Alibaba laughs, leaning back. "Touché, Princess. Speaking of haircuts, when are you going to admit that you secretly wish you had my luscious locks?"
"Only in your dreams," I scoff. "Your hair looks like it's been styled by a tornado. Ever considered hiring a stylist?"
"Why hire one when I can scare one into giving me a free haircut with just a look?" he retorts, winking.
We both laugh, and the maid brings in the dinner, setting it down with a bow. "Here you go, Your Highness. And some bananas, as requested."
"Ah, perfect," I say, grabbing a banana and peeling it. "Just what I needed. Comfort food."
Alibaba raises an eyebrow. "Bananas are your comfort food? That's a new one. Are you planning to start a banana cult or something?"
I chuck a piece of banana peel at him. "Shut up! It's healthy and it's delicious. Besides, you're one to judge. You practically live on melons."
"Hey, don't knock the melons! They've saved my life on more than one occasion," he says with a grin, taking a bite of his dinner.
"Speaking of saving lives, do you ever worry about messing up the timeline with your time traveling?" I ask, taking a bite myself.
He shrugs. "Nah, if I do, I'll just go back and fix it. It's like making a mess in the kitchen; you just clean it up before anyone notices."
I laugh. "If only fixing a kingdom was as easy as cleaning up a kitchen."
Alibaba looks at me seriously for a moment. "You know, Daniella, if things get really bad, I could always take you back in time to when things were simpler."
I shake my head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I've seen enough of my past. It's the future I'm worried about."
"Wait, can your clock travel to the future?" I ask enthusiastically. "If it could, I wouldn't be so anxious all the time."
Alibaba smirks, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, it can't. Otherwise, I'd be spending my days lounging around, knowing exactly how everything turns out."
I laugh. "Right, you'd be insufferable. Imagine you walking around, dropping spoilers about everyone's future. 'Oh, don't worry about that test, you'll pass. You will be a great king, don't stress."
He chuckles, taking a sip of his drink. "Hey, I'd be doing everyone a favour. Saving them from bad decisions. Kind of like a fortune teller, but with actual knowledge."
"Yeah, and then you'd probably charge a fortune for your services," I tease, nudging him with my elbow.
Alibaba pretends to be offended. "Excuse me, I'd offer my services for free. Well, maybe a small fee. Gotta make a living, you know."
I roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. And what would you do if you saw something terrible in the future? Like, really bad?"
He pauses, looking thoughtful. "I guess I'd do everything I could to prevent it. Maybe even break a few rules along the way."
"You? Breaking rules? Never," I say sarcastically.
He laughs. "I know, right? It's so out of character for me."
We both laugh, and I feel a sense of warmth and comfort in the moment. Despite the chaos outside and the uncertainty of the future, having Alibaba by my side makes it all seem more manageable.
"So, what's the first thing you'd do if you could see the future?" he asks, leaning in with a curious look.
I think for a moment, then grin. "I'd find out who wins the next big tournament and place a huge bet. Then I'd be rich and wouldn't have to worry about any of this kingdom nonsense."
Alibaba laughs. "That's actually a pretty good idea. Maybe we should invent a future-seeing clock just for that."
"Yeah, and then retire on a tropical island somewhere. No responsibilities, just sun and sand," I say dreamily.
"And a never-ending supply of bananas, of course," he adds with a smirk.
"Of course," I agree, laughing. "What about you? What would you do first?"
He looks thoughtful. "I'd probably check on my friends and family. Make sure they're all okay. Maybe try to fix a few mistakes I made."
I nod. "That's actually really sweet, Alibaba. You're a good guy, even if you do live on bad jokes."
He grins. "And you're not too bad yourself, Princess.''
We laugh together, the worries of the world outside fading away, at least for a little while.
I laugh through the night with Alibaba. I had never known I could be so talkative; I just needed someone who isn't all that serious about life. I wish I were as free-spirited as Alibaba. He's a sultan-to-be, yet he casually lives his life without a care in the world.
"I can't believe you're going to be a sultan one day," I say, shaking my head in disbelief. "You're way too laid-back for that."
He shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "It's all about balance. You've gotta know when to be serious and when to relax. Plus, the stress will give me wrinkles, and I can't have that."
I laugh. "Oh, of course. Wrinkles are the real enemy here."
"Exactly," he says with a mock-serious expression. "You can't lead a kingdom with a wrinkled face. No one would take me seriously."
I grin. "Maybe I should adopt your approach. Just chill out and let things happen."
"See? Now you're getting it," he says, giving me an encouraging nod. "Life's too short to be serious all the time."
I look at him thoughtfully. "I envy that about you. You seem so... free."
He gives me a warm smile. "You can be free too, Daniella. It's all about perspective. Find joy in the little things and don't sweat the big stuff too much."
"Easy for you to say," I reply, rolling my eyes. "You don't have a kingdom on the brink of dissolution."
Alibaba laughs. "True. But I do have a clock that can mess with time, and that's its own kind of headache."
I smirk. "Fair point. So, any regrets about not using your clock to become an all-knowing, all-powerful ruler?"
He shakes his head. "Nah. Life's more fun when you don't know what's coming next. It keeps things interesting."
"Interesting is one way to put it," I say, chuckling. "Terrifying is another."
"That too," he admits with a grin. "But hey, at least we have each other to navigate the chaos, right?"
"Right," I agree, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "Who needs a crystal ball when you've got a friend like you?"
"Exactly," he says, raising an imaginary glass. "To unpredictability and good friends."
I raise my imaginary glass as well. "To unpredictability and good friends."
As the night goes on, I find myself more relaxed and at ease than I have been in a long time. Alibaba's carefree attitude is infectious, and for the first time in days, I feel like everything might just be okay.