Gaia: Daughter of Aladdin

by Armitage, J. A.

  “We’ve put these things on most weekends for years!” I cried in frustration.

  “I never said anyone was acting rationally. I’ve asked your mother to go to her rooms and gathered the guards together to put a stop to it.”

  “You really are amazing, you know that, right? What can I do to help?”

  His cheeks colored, and he gave me a quick bow.

  Before he could answer, Freya caught up with us. "Agreed. He’s the best, but you don’t have time to deal with all this. You need to decide how you're getting to Urbis."

  “You are going to Urbis?” Jamal asked, narrowing his eyes.

  “I think so.”

  He looked like he wanted to ask why, but one of the guards was calling for his attention.

  He reluctantly left Freya and me and headed outside.

  “He’d make a great leader,” I remarked.

  “Hmm,” Freya agreed. “He’ll also miss you when you are gone.”

  "I don't know, Gaia,” Genie said later when I approached him with my plan. “I didn’t show you your birth for you to go gallivanting off on your own to another kingdom.”

  “It’s not technically a kingdom,” I pointed out. “It’s a governmental district belonging to and overseeing all the twelve kingdoms.”

  “Don’t be facetious, Gaia. I know full well what it is, and you know full well what I meant.”

  “You don’t want me to go?”

  Hope rose in my chest that he’d fall to his knees and beg me to stay.

  “No, I don’t. I don’t think it’s safe to travel alone in these trying times. I cannot go with you. These cuffs bind me. I don’t know where the lamp is, but I can only assume it is near because I feel its pull.”

  “I have to go,” I said, trying to sound defiant while every fiber in my being wanted Genie to stop me. To tell me he couldn’t live without me.

  He sighed. “Then, so be it. How will you get there? Carriage?”

  “I was thinking of taking the Urbis Express. It’s much quicker. I’ll be there within a day if I travel that way.”

  He nodded. “There is one leaving for Urbis today. In a few hours, in fact. I can arrange for you to get a seat. For your own safety, I think you should change your clothes.”

  I looked down at the dress Freya had picked out for me earlier. It was one of my favorites, yellow with pink and orange silk.

  “You’ll stand out a mile in Urbis. They don’t dress like us. If you want to find out about your mother, go incognito. Your beauty will be your downfall.”

  He thought I was beautiful. It was a bittersweet admission. What was the point of my beauty if he didn’t want me?

  I left him and went back to my room to change. I chose to wear pants and a wrap in earthen tones. I tightened the suede laces around my distressed long, brown, leather boots and picked up a backpack with enough clothes for a couple of days.

  Freya handed me a poncho-like shawl with a head cover. I took it, knowing that regardless of what I thought, Genie was right; I needed to conceal my identity. And the hood was large enough to allow me to see while remaining covert.

  "You look ready," Freya said, examining me from all angles. "Are you?"

  "I am," I responded.

  A knock on the door told me Genie was back. He’d promised to come to the station with me.

  The three of us walked through the palace to the staff entrance.

  As far as I was aware, there were still problems by the main entrance, and I didn’t need to get caught up in them. I also didn’t want Jamal to know where I was going. He’d only try and stop me. Freya could tell him when she got back from the station.

  No one paid us any attention as we walked through the streets to the Urbis Express station. The huge airship was already docked and accepting passengers. I watched as they bustled aboard and handed their tickets to a conductor at the door.

  “I’ll get your ticket,” Genie said, leaving Freya and me to watch as he strode over to the ticket booth. I noticed he kept his cuffs hidden under long sleeves. He came back a minute later with a ticket.

  “I could have bought you a royal ticket to get you your own compartment, but I figured you’d prefer to travel in the main compartment with everyone else.” He handed me the ticket. "Keep it safe.”

  Freya cleared her throat, "We really don't have time for chit chat. They are boarding. Be safe, please," she said, giving me a hug.

  "I will. I promise. And please, take care of my mom," I said, waving back at them as I boarded the airship, making sure my hood was covering as much of my face as possible.

  There didn't seem to be assigned seating, so I found one next to a window.

  A woman and her young child sat across from me. She looked sad, as did the young child. I tried to offer a warm smile, but she turned away.

  The airship filled quickly, and before long, we lifted off with a lurch. I watched my beloved city of Kisbu fall beneath me as we climbed higher in the sky. I waved at Genie and Freya, watching them until they turned to head back to the palace. The palace itself dominated the skyline, it’s white and gold domes glinting in the evening sun.

  Leaving Genie was harder than I could ever have imagined. I’d spent the last year or more roaming the streets of Kisbu after darkness fell, but going to Urbis without my parents, without the posse of guards, was something else entirely.

  This was the craziest thing I’d ever done. I wasn’t one for rebellion. I’d never had reason to run away from home, but the world was crazy, and I was heading away from everything I loved to find a way to bring it back to normal.

  4

  27th June

  My eyes flew open as the airship began to lower in the sky. Quickly, I sat up and glanced out of the window. The morning sky was filled with a myriad of pink and orange hues. The city of Urbis loomed up ahead. Surrounded by stone walls, the massive city was quite the spectacle. A few inner-city parks dotted the landscape, and trees lined the streets of the more affluent parts, but the majority of the giant metropolis was grey stone. In the inner parts where the government buildings were located and where the most affluent members of society lived, the houses and buildings were white. Coming in from above, it reminded me of a giant target. We drifted down slowly, and I took the time to straighten my clothes and pull up my hood. No one in Urbis knew I was coming, and I didn’t know anyone who lived there save for a number of dignitaries who had visited the Badalah palace. But I wasn’t close to any of them, and I didn’t know where in Urbis they lived. I was happy to keep my trip as private as possible. I had work to do.

  The conductor came around with a bag for us to put our garbage in as we began our final descent into Urbis. I tossed the sandwich wrapper from the tuna sub I’d bought from him the night before. On the other side of the aisle, the woman with the child threw a whole heap of wrappers in the bag. The child slept, his head on her knee and chocolate from last night’s chocolate fest around his mouth.

  I smiled, this time to myself, and turned my attention back to Urbis. Now that we were closer, I could see the city more clearly, the details, the people. A huge area was empty, reserved for the airship to land. We docked with a thump, and the little boy finally woke up.

  My first job was to find the steeple I’d seen in the vision, but now that the whole city was laid out before me, I found that there were many steeples. Hundreds of spires, steeples, and chimneys were dotted around the vast city.

  The doors opened, and I let the mother and child get out before me. The little boy stuck his tongue out as he passed, so I gave him a grin and stuck my tongue out back. It lifted my spirits, the simple act of communicating with another person, even if that person was three years old and covered in chocolate.

  Pulling myself together and pulling my hood further over my face, I walked the few steps to the door and then down the steps to the cobbled streets of Urbis.

  The immediate area around the massive airship was quiet except for the Urbis Express workers and those like me, who were
getting off. I walked quickly away, not wanting to get caught up in the throng of people meeting their loved ones. At the far end of the square where it was quiet, I stopped and took a deep breath, trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. I’d up and left Badalah in such a hurry that I’d forgotten to bring a map with me. I’d brought enough money to see me through a couple of days and to buy a ticket back to Badalah, but not much more. Money wasn’t something I ever had to worry about. One of the perks of being a princess was I didn’t have to know the cost of anything, but the downside to that was that I didn’t actually know the cost of anything. If someone were to ask me the price of a cup of coffee in Urbis, I wouldn’t even be able to guess.

  It didn’t help that all the money I’d brought with me was in Rubees and not Urbis dollars. I needed to find a currency exchange quickly so I could buy myself a map and one of those coffees I didn’t know the cost of.

  Tall buildings surrounded the massive square that housed the airship station. Cafes took up most of the ground floors with seating set out outside where people sat and drank their coffee and ate cake. My stomach grumbled as I took it all in. I needed to find a currency exchange and fast.

  A sudden gust of coldness hit me, making me turn on the spot to find the source of the breeze, but as I looked around, no one else had noticed the creeping coldness that had come in from nowhere. It reminded me of the time it had happened last week in Badalah when I was with my father.

  I shrugged it off and glanced around at the number of side streets that radiated out from the square.

  I took the one that looked most promising. The wide street was one of the few that allowed vehicles. Most of Urbis was reserved for pedestrians, but some of the major roads allowed carriages and the steam vehicles from The Forge. The first time I’d come to Urbis, I’d been fascinated with the steam bikes that filled the streets, but now, I found them noisy and distracting, not to mention, dirty. The street was filled with people going about their business and flanked on either side by shops selling mostly clothing.

  I could tell by the clothes displayed that this was neither the slums of Urbis on the outskirts, nor was it the exclusive boutiques that could be found nearer the center. The fashions of Urbis were so different from those of Kisbu and presented an eclectic range from the twelve kingdoms.

  Ignoring the clothing stores, I hurried down the street, keeping my head down, only looking up long enough to find what I was looking for. Soon enough, I came upon a currency exchange where I swapped my Rubees for Urbis Dollars. After finding a place that sold maps, I headed to a cafe to grab myself breakfast and that coffee I’d been thinking about.

  As I waited for my breakfast sandwich, I sipped on my coffee and spread the map out in front of me. It filled the table and hung over all four sides. I picked up the coffee cup and held it in my hand to allow the map to lie flat. I’d known, in a vague way, that Urbis was huge, but I’d not counted on just how massive it was. Nor had I counted on the sheer number of steeples that were marked on the map. I was on a fool’s errand.

  Downing the coffee, I rubbed my temples, wondering if I’d made a mistake. Small details were coming back to me about the night of my birth. The style of houses out of the window was not like the ones in this part of the city. I also remembered the run-down street and a partial street sign. The word I’d seen on the sign hit me when the waitress brought my sandwich and another coffee, which she put right on the map.

  “Maple!” I said out loud as I remembered the word on the sign I’d seen.

  “You want maple syrup?” the waitress asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Oh, no, thank you. I was talking to myself. Do you know any streets in Urbis that begin with Maple? Maple Street? Maple Lane?”

  The waitress shrugged. “I don’t know of any personally, but I reckon there will be quite a few what with all the maple trees we have.”

  She gestured to the cafe window and to the line of trees outside. They were maple trees. I’d not recognized them, but now that I looked closely, it was unmistakable what they were.

  “Do maple trees only grow in this part of town?”

  The waitress shook her head. “No, they are all over Urbis.”

  My heart dropped.

  “Thanks,” I said with a sigh, rubbing my finger on the handle of the coffee cup she’d brought out. The coldness I’d felt earlier had not left me despite the blazing June sun.

  The waitress shrugged again and left me to get the order of a couple at the next table.

  I looked back at the map, noting all the tiny streets, each with their name in minute writing. Finding the right Maple Street or Maple Lane or whatever it was would take me ages. I chewed on my sandwich as I perused the map, hoping the right name would jump out at me. With my eyes closed, I tried to picture the sign I’d seen in the memory. It hadn’t been the full sign. Only the word Maple could be seen within the foggy confines of Genie’s magic. The dilapidated houses opposite the house I’d been born were tatty, with peeling paint and broken windows, some of which had been boarded up. The white steeple in the background didn’t make sense. It wasn’t in keeping with the grey stone buildings in the foreground. I massaged my temples and sipped at my coffee, trying to rid myself of the cloying coldness that seemed to be following me.

  Something flashed, causing me to look up and away from the map. My heart sank as a man with a camera took another photo. I pulled my hood back up, but it was too late. I’d been in Urbis only a couple of hours, and already, I’d been spotted. There was no doubt in my mind that the man was a member of the Urbis paparazzi. He had the look of one. I’d certainly seen enough in my time. He wore jeans and a wrinkled jacket over a t-shirt with some graphic I didn’t recognize on the front, and his stubble told me he hadn’t shaved for a couple of days. On his head, he wore a blue cap. Thousand dollar camera, five-dollar outfit. Yep, he was definitely planning to sell my photo to the press.

  The waitress and the lady at the currency exchange hadn’t recognized me, but once word got out that there was a princess in town, I’d be mobbed. I folded the map, drank the coffee back quickly, and grabbed my half-eaten sandwich. My hope was that I could reason with the man with the camera, but when I got outside, he’d already disappeared into the throng of shoppers.

  Pulling my hood further up, I hurried down the street. My priority now was finding somewhere to stay. Looking for a steeple near a street called Maple would have to wait.

  I ran down the street, feeling lost in the scores of people, not knowing which way to go. I looked desperately for a hotel, but it was apparent that this was a street for fashion, not lodging.

  I stopped to catch my breath. On the other side of the street, I saw someone pointing at me. It was the man with the camera from earlier, but now, he was with another man. When they saw me, they ran across the road in my direction. I turned and fled, taking one of the small pedestrian side streets. The buildings were much closer together here, with narrow cobbled pavements. Because the buildings were so high, they blocked the sun, leaving the street much colder and darker than the main street I’d just left. There were still shops here, but fewer and far between. I ran aimlessly, turning left and right, losing myself in the maze of back alleys.

  Behind me, I could hear the footsteps of the men following. I’d fled because I didn’t want my photo in the paper, not out of fear for my safety, but now that I was away from the hustle and bustle of the main street, I felt real fear. The weird coldness that I’d felt since landing in Urbis was still with me, but now, without the sun on my skin, I realized it was different from a normal cold. I could feel both. The normal temperature of the day on my skin and the creeping cold inside me, a force like nothing I’d encountered before. My street smarts, acquired on the streets of Badalah, had left me. I didn’t know this place. I was quite literally lost. I turned a corner, only to find myself trapped. Fear gripped me until I pulled myself together. Only a couple of weeks ago, I’d stopped a thief in Badalah. I could handle a couple of report
ers. I took a deep breath and felt for my knife.

  My throat constricted as I realized that in my hurry to get packed, I’d forgotten to bring it.

  I had nothing except... the heat of magic swirled within me, fueled by my fear, burning through the bitter cold. I wasn’t completely unarmed. I was my own weapon. I twirled around on the spot and pulled myself up to my full height as they rounded the corner.

  “Yes, gentlemen,” I said, pulling my hood down. “Can I help you? You seem to be following me.”

  The one without a camera, a short, pudgy man with ruddy cheeks and a balding head with tufts of straw-colored hair elbowed the taller one.

  “You’re right. It’s ‘er.” He had a thick Urbis accent, drawling and skipping letters. “You’re ‘er, right?”

  I sighed. These idiots weren’t going to hurt me. At least, not now. Putting my picture in the paper would hurt my plans, though.

  “Who do you think I am?” I asked, hoping they’d mistaken me for someone else.

  “You’re that princess, Gala something.”

  They couldn’t even get my name right.

  “What is it you want?”

  The shorter of the two whipped out a notebook and pen. “Are you here on official duty?”

  “I’m here for some peace and quiet. I’d like it if it could remain that way.”

  Behind them, I noticed a sign saying Hotel. I walked past them pointedly, trying not to freak out. They followed me into the hotel reception, taking photographs.

  “Hi,” I said to the young clerk behind the reception desk. “I’m Princess Gaia of Badalah. I’d like a room for the night, but before you give me a key, could you kindly show these gentlemen out. They are following me and taking photos. I’d like to not be disturbed.”

  Once the clerk had gotten over his shock at having a princess come into his establishment, he did exactly as I asked him.