u-shaped mountain range. Like a silent guardian, the mountains wrapped their massive arms around three sides of the kingdom. This offered both protection from enemy forces and also from the sandstorms that raged every fall season. On one side of the kingdom, Paden's father had chartered expansive lands for both farming and livestock. The rich soil produced wonderful crops that were protected from wind by the mountains. On the other side, a dense forest butted up against those same mountains and protected the flank. No one ventured into this forest (except for Aladdin) because it was so thick with trees, brush and swampland that it was not considered safe or smart to travel there. This meant that the king could afford to be more magnanimous than most because his kingdom was protected so well by natural means. From a security perspective, it meant that he only needed to guard the front of his kingdom with soldiers. There was very little desire to expand the kingdom, as the villagers and the government were content to maintain the status quo in their cozy paradise. The natural boundaries were quite obvious.
The Sultan's wife had died recently, so he had thrown most of his energy into raising his teen-aged daughter, Enna. It was rumored that Enna was the most beautiful girl in all the land, though few had actually laid eyes on her. The Sultan was very protective of her and tasked his special advisor, Katar with her protection. Like any father, the Sultan worried that his daughter would eventually develop an interest in boys, choose poorly and fall victim to a fast-talking charmer. As she had no other siblings, the law of the land dictated that her betrothed would inherit all that the kingdom had to offer upon the Sultan's death.
For her part, Enna, like any other young woman at the precipice of adulthood, did not appreciate her father's interference and over-protective nature. She was ready for independence at just about the time her father essentially imprisoned her in the palace. She projected the brunt of her anger on Katar because she resented her father’s decision to provide a babysitter at this point in her life. She had begun to sneak out of her home through a secret door that her mother had commissioned while still in good health. This door was located behind a cabinet of fine china in the hallway of their private family chambers. The cabinet slid quietly to the side to reveal a private staircase that lead outside from the rear of the palace and into the forest. On the forest side, the stone was altered in such a way as to totally conceal the doorway. On beautiful spring days at sunset, while Paden dealt with matters of state in his nightly meetings, mother and daughter would sneak into the forest and to a special clearing where they would picnic, discuss life and laugh at their own private jokes.
Her mother Dina had grown up in a wealthy, but fairly normal family. She had attracted Paden with her unusual golden-blonde hair and blue eyes, which was exotic in these parts of the world. Enna had inherited that striking beauty and strength from her mother. While Dina truly loved her family, she did not have much patience for life as a royal. She had done her best to eliminate most of the formalities associated with an aristocratic life. Even with one of the most prestigious titles in government, there were still times when Dina just needed to get away for awhile. This cozy little secret hiding place was the perfect spot. She’d paid handsomely to have the door put in place while her husband and his entourage were away on business and paid even more lavishly to maintain the mason’s silence after the door was completed. She was always tickled with her own ingenuity and thrilled with the completed project. One could stare at that spot on the wall and still never see the doorway that was hidden there.
“A girl needs a few secrets,” her mother would say. “If your father knew the whole truth, he'd likely have us both
The Sultan's wife had died recently, so he had thrown most of his energy into raising his teen-aged daughter, Enna. It was rumored that Enna was the most beautiful girl in all the land, though few had actually laid eyes on her. The Sultan was very protective of her and tasked his special advisor, Katar with her protection. Like any father, the Sultan worried that his daughter would eventually develop an interest in boys, choose poorly and fall victim to a fast-talking charmer. As she had no other siblings, the law of the land dictated that her betrothed would inherit all that the kingdom had to offer upon the Sultan's death.
For her part, Enna, like any other young woman at the precipice of adulthood, did not appreciate her father's interference and over-protective nature. She was ready for independence at just about the time her father essentially imprisoned her in the palace. She projected the brunt of her anger on Katar because she resented her father’s decision to provide a babysitter at this point in her life. She had begun to sneak out of her home through a secret door that her mother had commissioned while still in good health. This door was located behind a cabinet of fine china in the hallway of their private family chambers. The cabinet slid quietly to the side to reveal a private staircase that lead outside from the rear of the palace and into the forest. On the forest side, the stone was altered in such a way as to totally conceal the doorway. On beautiful spring days at sunset, while Paden dealt with matters of state in his nightly meetings, mother and daughter would sneak into the forest and to a special clearing where they would picnic, discuss life and laugh at their own private jokes.
Her mother Dina had grown up in a wealthy, but fairly normal family. She had attracted Paden with her unusual golden-blonde hair and blue eyes, which was exotic in these parts of the world. Enna had inherited that striking beauty and strength from her mother. While Dina truly loved her family, she did not have much patience for life as a royal. She had done her best to eliminate most of the formalities associated with an aristocratic life. Even with one of the most prestigious titles in government, there were still times when Dina just needed to get away for awhile. This cozy little secret hiding place was the perfect spot. She’d paid handsomely to have the door put in place while her husband and his entourage were away on business and paid even more lavishly to maintain the mason’s silence after the door was completed. She was always tickled with her own ingenuity and thrilled with the completed project. One could stare at that spot on the wall and still never see the doorway that was hidden there.
“A girl needs a few secrets,” her mother would say. “If your father knew the whole truth, he'd likely have us both
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