The Charmingly Clever Cousin (2 page)

S
EVERAL DAYS LATER THE PRINCESSES ARRIVED.
Fatima was watching for them and raced from her room to the front of the palace when their carriages rolled up.

“Wow! This place is beautiful!” exclaimed Tansy, giving Fatima a hug. At nine, Tansy was the youngest of Fatima's friends. She had lots of freckles and ginger-colored hair.

“Yes, I suppose it is.” Fatima tried to see
things as Tansy must see them—the smooth, polished marble of the palace walls, the ornate columns, the high, arched doorways. It
was
a nice place, especially when you could leave it from time to time.

“Hi, Fatima. Long time, no see!” Lysandra's wavy blond hair sparkled as the sunlight
streamed through the windows. She was ten, two years younger than Fatima. Fatima would always feel grateful to her for hosting the talent show auditions that had brought the four princesses together.

Fatima hugged Elena next. She was eleven, with soft, hazel eyes and frizzy brown
hair. Together the four girls entered the Grand Hall, where Ahmed, Selime, and Hassim were waiting to meet them.

Fatima introduced her friends. Standing tall and looking graceful, Selime smiled at the princesses. “It's good to meet you,” she said. “Fatima has told me a lot about you. I hope you'll have a lovely time while you're here.”

“Yes,” Prince Ahmed said stiffly. “But I hope you'll try not to make too much noise while Hassim is napping.”

Fatima rolled her eyes, but the others didn't seem offended.

Elena bent over baby Hassim. “He's adorable.” Gurgling, Hassim reached out and grabbed a handful of Elena's frizzy hair. She gently untangled the strands from his fist, not seeming to mind at all.

Lysandra let Hassim curl his tiny hand around one of her fingers. “What a cutie!” she exclaimed. “Maybe Gabriella will have a baby soon, and I'll be an auntie too.” Gabriella was Lysandra's older sister. She'd gotten married not long ago to Prince Jerome, the frog prince the girls had rescued from the marketplace. All four princesses had attended the wedding.

Adorable? thought Fatima. A cutie? Hadn't they noticed Hassim's bald, squashed-pumpkin head? Maybe Lysandra and Elena were just being nice; Tansy hadn't paid much attention to him. But then Fatima remembered that Tansy had six brothers. She was probably tired of boys.

After lunch the girls went for a flying carpet ride. Fatima steered the carpet over the palace's gleaming towers and lush gardens,
and past a small lake. They skimmed above the striped tents of the bazaar, then circled the vast and windswept desert that lay beyond the boundaries of town.

“Traveling by carpet is the
only
way to go,” gushed Lysandra. “What a fantastic view!”

On their return, Fatima spied a splendid black stallion standing just outside the palace gates. As the carpet drew closer, she could see that the stallion's saddle was covered in velvet and embroidered with gold thread. “I recognize that horse!” she cried. “Yusuf must've just arrived!”

“Who's Yusuf?” asked Tansy.

“My brother-in-law's cousin,” Fatima explained. “Only he's not a bit like Ahmed. Yusuf's charming and clever, and…well, I just know you'll like him.”

Fatima guided the flying carpet over the palace gates and landed close to the front entrance. The princesses climbed off. Then Fatima hurriedly rolled up the carpet and led her friends into the palace.

She had expected to find Yusuf in the Grand Hall, sipping tea and telling stories, but he wasn't there. Fatima frowned. “I wonder where he could be?”

“I bet your sister would know,” Elena suggested.

“Good idea,” said Fatima. “Let's go find her.”

The girls started through the wing of the palace that led to Ahmed and Selime's room. Tansy gaped at the silk tapestries that hung from the marble walls. “Ahmed and your sister must be very rich,” she said.

Fatima snorted. “All of Ahmed's money
comes from his father, King Murad. The king
gave
Ahmed this palace as a wedding present. Ahmed's an only child. When King Murad dies, Ahmed will become king and inherit everything. Then he and Selime will be
very
wealthy.”

As the princesses neared Ahmed's library, they heard voices. “Yusuf's in here!” Fatima said excitedly. “Come on!”

Without bothering to knock, she pushed open the door. Yusuf, handsome as ever, looked up from the sofa where he sat beside Selime. His flashing, dark eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile beneath an elegant mustache. “Fatima!” he exclaimed. “My favorite cousin-in-law! How's the princess biz? Kiss any frogs yet?”

Fatima blushed. “Not yet.”

The other girls giggled. Yusuf winked at them. “And who might these beauties be?”

Fatima introduced her friends. Then she noticed how worried Ahmed and Selime looked. “Is something the matter?” she asked.

Staring into his lap, Ahmed said nothing.

But Selime sniffled into a lace handkerchief. “King Murad is ill. He may even be dying!”

F
ATIMA HUGGED HER SISTER.
S
HE KNEW
Selime was very fond of her father-in-law. He shared her love of music, and they often sang duets together during visits.

Yusuf stopped smiling, and the joking tone left his voice. “That's right,” he said gravely. “And I'm afraid I'm the bearer of the bad news.”

Looking up, Ahmed said, “Perhaps he's not as ill as he thinks.”

Yusuf sighed. “How I wish that were true.”

Ahmed tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. He seemed to be thinking. “I know my father well,” he said finally. “If he gets even a small scratch on his hand, he thinks he's at death's door.”

Tansy nodded. “One of my brothers is like that. Every time Ethan coughs, he's sure he's coming down with the plague.”

Yusuf frowned at her. “I'm afraid it's different this time,” he said to Ahmed. “The doctors say there's nothing they can do for him.”

“Doctors can be wrong,” Elena said softly.

Ahmed nodded, but his face fell. “I must go to him. I hope there's been a mistake, though. My father worries a lot, but he's always been as healthy and strong as an ogre.”

Yusuf gave him a pitying look. “We can
only pray that you're right.”

“Amen,” murmured Lysandra.

Ahmed rose to his feet. “I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

“And I'll go with you!” Yusuf declared.

“Thank you,” Ahmed said gratefully. “I'd welcome your company.”

Poor Ahmed, thought Fatima. She'd feel awful if her own father were dreadfully ill. She glanced at Selime, who was twisting her handkerchief nervously. Poor Ahmed
and
Selime.

 

For dinner that night there was peacock in raisin sauce, peas, creamed potatoes, apple tarts, and stuffed figs. Everything tasted delicious, as always. But in spite of the Royal Chef's efforts, the only one who seemed to have much of an appetite was Yusuf. Fatima supposed he must not have had much to eat
during his long ride to the palace. She watched as he tore off a huge hunk of bread, then swished it around his plate to soak up the raisin sauce.

“I wish you were staying longer,” she said.

Yusuf grinned at her. “Who knows? You might just get your wish.” Popping the bread into his mouth, he chewed vigorously.

“Really? You mean you aren't going to travel with Ahmed after all?”

Yusuf patted her shoulder. “Sorry, Princess. I have to go. But I'll try to come back as soon as I can. Then I just might stay so long you'll
want
to get rid of me.”

Fatima smiled. “You could never stay that long.”

Yusuf wiped the raisin sauce from his mustache and glanced at the other princesses. “I wonder if your friends would agree,” he said playfully.

The three princesses giggled. “Can't say yet,” answered Tansy. “But if I can live with six brothers, I guess I could stand being around you for a while.”

Yusuf roared with laughter.

“He's certainly cheerful, isn't he?” Lysandra whispered to Elena.

Elena shrugged. “Maybe he's just trying to make up for the bad news.”

 

After dinner Selime and Ahmed excused themselves from the table. Selime wanted to bathe Hassim and put him to bed, and Ahmed needed to make preparations for the next day's journey.

Yusuf entertained the princesses with stories about dragons, fairies, and ogres. Then he showed them some tricks he claimed to have learned from a traveling magician. The girls burst into laughter when
he drew a hard-boiled egg from Tansy's ear and made strands of Lysandra's blond hair dance in the air like a snake. When he waved his hand in front of Elena's eyes and turned them from hazel to blue to hazel again, the princesses were amazed.

“How did you do that?” Fatima asked.

Yusuf smoothed his mustache. “A magician never reveals his secrets,” he said mysteriously. Then, out of thin air, he produced a huge bouquet of red roses. “For my four beauties,” he said, handing a rose to each princess.

Fatima sniffed her flower. “It smells wonderful.”

“It sure does,” said Lysandra, burying her nose in the petals. “Thank you.”

Yusuf bowed again. “You're welcome, my dears. And now I must say good night, since tomorrow will be a long day.” And with that,
he vanished in a puff of smoke.

“Wow!” said Tansy. “Is he really gone?”

“He can't be,” said Lysandra. “Let's look for him.”

The princesses searched under the table and behind the curtains, but finally they gave up. Yawning, they left the hall and went to bed.

When Fatima awoke the next morning, she heard noises outside her window. Yusuf's and Ahmed's horses stood in front of the palace. They pawed the ground and tossed their heads, impatient to be off.

Fatima woke the others. The four princesses dressed quickly and ran down the hall to say good-bye to the two men. They were just in time to hear Ahmed say to Selime, “Don't worry. I'm sure it can't be as bad as the doctors say. I'll probably be back tomorrow night.” Ahmed lifted Hassim from Selime's arms and hugged him. “Take good care of your mommy, my little sonny wunny.”

Fatima made a face. She guessed it was too much to hope that her friends hadn't heard.

Yusuf appeared from the opposite hallway.
He smiled when he saw the girls. “How nice of you to see us off.”

Prince Ahmed frowned. “I wish I wasn't going to be gone while you and your friends are here,” he said to Fatima. “You be sure to mind your sister.”

Bats and bullfrogs! Fatima's face grew warm. Ahmed treated her as if she were an infant. And in front of everyone, too!

“The princesses will be great company for Selime and Hassim while we're gone,” said Yusuf. “And I'm sure Fatima will be a big help.”

Fatima flashed him a smile. Yusuf was so much nicer than Ahmed! If only her brother-in-law could be more like him. It was hard to believe the two men were related. Yet Fatima knew that Yusuf's father, who had died in battle many years ago, had
been King Murad's brother.

Everyone followed Ahmed and Yusuf to the palace gates. Shouting “Good-bye” and “See you again soon,” the men swung themselves onto their horses and galloped away.