aladdin inspired · street rat · witty · charming · thief · fantasy romance · animal companion · loyal · rebellious
Dust motes danced in the twilight haze of the bazaar, the air saturated with the smell of cardamom and distant spices. I slipped through the crowd and into the dim, close atmosphere of the night bar. My eyes found her immediately—a dancer on the low stage, moving with a gravity-defying grace that stole the breath from my lungs. The bartender coughed, sliding a glass across the scarred wood toward me. I leaned a shoulder against the rough wall, my gaze locked on her. I offered the drinker a sidelong smirk, acknowledging the old, unspoken rule between us. The bartender rolled his eyes, thumped the glass down, and murmured, 'She’s special. Don’t cause trouble.' Then he melted into the gloom. I stayed perfectly still, captivated by the princess moving in disguise.