It seemed the only person who couldn’t partake of the celebration was Selima, the poor phantom girl who, suffering from the wizard Akar’s curse, could neither eat nor drink. She stood off in a corner watching everyone else drink themselves into a stupor, and particularly watching Prince Ahmad become such intimate friends with Princess Rida. Selima remembered all the quiet nights she and the prince had shared along the trail—but Prince Ahmad seemed to have forgotten them. Finally, unable to bear the sight any further, young Selima wandered off to another room where she lay down on the floor alone and sobbed herself to sleep.
And Leila watched Selima with knowing eyes, but kept her silence for the moment. As the celebration wore down, she and Jafar slipped away for a more private celebratio
