Ali ran out to the garden. He didn't want the nurse to catch him. He could hide there until dinner time. Then he wouldn't have to have his lesson. Father and Mother would probably be mad at him, but he didn't care. It would only be for a little while. Then he would laugh at his sisters, for having stayed through their lesson.

"Your Highness?"he heard one of the servants called.

Ali smiled to himself, knowing that if he kept perfectly quiet, she wouldn't find him. She gave up after shouting herself hoarse. He came out of his hiding place when he was sure she had gone back inside. She would probably say that he wouldn't come out.

"Ali, where have you been?"his mother asked when he showed up for dinner. "Why didn't you show up for your lesson?"

"I didn't know I was supposed to have my lesson today, Mother."

"Didn't Sadia tell you this morning?"

"No, she didn't."

"She was looking for you this afternoon. Where were you?"

"I thought today I could go outside."

"Well, no you couldn't. You should have come at once, when you were called."

"I was only outside, Mother."

"Why don't I believe you?"she asked with a smile on her face.

"I am telling the truth."

"Only hiding from your instructor? It's important that you take your lessons and you do well."

"I don't like them much."he said.

"I didn't like mine, either."said Mother, remembering how she had always put up a fight when she was supposed to be listening to her lessons. "But their necessary."

Ali crossed his arms.

"Saifullah probably doesn't have to do so many lessons."

"Saifulla does his lesson just like you. Probably not as many, because he is younger, but just the same. He and his brothers and sisters all do their lessons. Now you will not join your sisters, Genie, Carpet, Abu, and Grandfather Cassim tomorrow while they go and look for the magic rings, though I doubt they'll find any thing, but Aida just had to put those ideas into their heads."said Mother, rolling her eyes.

"They will find them. Aunt Aida said that if you really believe and you know where to look, if you find them, they will bring you good luck for the rest of your life!"

"I think that any time you spend with your aunt is going to start turning you as wild as she is. I'm surprised that sister of mine has any common sense at all."

"When can we visit her? She said if we were there during the full moon, we could look for mermaids. We just have to be careful about the werewolves, but they can't swim. Will you come with us? Can we go?"

"We'll see. Now, you don't want to miss dinner as well, do you? Go on and wash up for dinner. Scat."

Jasmine rolled her eyes. It was just like her sister to put ideas like that into childrens' heads. After all her own children were the wildest, most imaginative she had ever seen, just like their mother.

"I didn't know Aida wanted to take the children to hunt for mermaids this time."she said to Aladdin.

"She takes them to look for something all the time. I'm surprised you're surprised. That's the only thing."

"You'd have thought she learned a bit by now, wouldn't you, Father?"

"Well, you know your sister, Dearest."

"I don't think I will see why Francisco married her, or how he puts up with that nonsense."

"Because he's just the same."

Aladdin was right about that. At the same time that in the Palace in Agrabah, everyone was settling down to dinner, at Dzonot in Yucatan, Mexico, Francisco was sitting on the balcony, playing the guitar, and singing to Aida, something which she always enjoyed.

"Oh, it is so romantic."she said.

"I'd sing it into the night if you asked me to."

Aida hit him playfully with her fan.

"Now, El Reloj."he said, as he began to play another song.

"No, I'd like to dance a waltz."

Francisco put his guitar down, got up, turned the music on, and took her in his arms.

"Just one, or several?"

"I'd say at least ten."

They did look odd, waltzing around and around the balcony, but it didn't make any difference, for all they cared. That was just one thing Aida loved about her husband. That he always obeyed her, and saw that she was given her own way in everything. During most of her life, she had followed her aunt's orders and had to put up with her tantrums, which Aida always thought was rather odd in a grown woman. However, here, she had Francisco completely dominated. He never asked questions, he just obeyed.

"I could really do this forever."she said.

"And why don't we do it forever?"he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. We'd have to stop sometime, wouldn't we?"

"Maybe."

"Or we could be the two people who've lasted longest just dancing the waltz."

"Well, my grandfather danced pretty long once. When he was showing one of my cousins for her party. He spend hours and hours, just going over the steps with her."

"How long?"

"I don't know, it took him the best part of a whole day just to show her."

"Did she finally get it right?"

"I don't know. At the party, she was wearing a dress, obviously, so you wouldn't know. She did move in the right directions and everything, though, but that could have been because she was being led by uncle."

"That's sad."

"She didn't learn to dance, either. She just isn't the social type. She spent most of her party just sitting, drinking refreshments, and watching the dancers, and listening to the music. I'm surprised she lasted through the whole party. I was so sure she wouldn't make it. She's never been one to stay late in crowded, noisy environments, except maybe the fair."

Aida giggled.

"Hopefully this year, Jasmine and Aladdin will be able to come with us to the fair again. It was so much fun when they did."

"I don't think they'd be in their right minds if they missed it. By the way, I have something for you."he said, as he let go of her and walked out of the room.

When he came back, he was holding a sachet tied with a lilac velvet ribbon. Aida immediately began to open it. She loved surprises. Inside was a complete set of silver jewelry, set with amethysts and another with onyx.

"Oh!"she exclaimed. "And what's the occasion?"

"The occasion? That's a good question. What is the occasion? Just that I wanted to give you a special gift."

He took off the necklace and earrings she was wearing, and put on one of the new sets.

"Now, does this mean I'd have to have a new dress to go with it? I don't wear black."she said, eyeing the onyx. "But they're beautiful. Because of the silver. I love silver!"

"I know, which is why I specifically had those made."

"And these?"she asked, holding up two pieces that came with the set. "They look like hairpins. I'm supposed to wear them in my hair?"

"Where else?"

She took off the ordinary hairpins, and put in the new ones.

"They're overwhelming."

"No less than Don Francisco Andrade's wife deserves."