The princess, the commoner and the sorcerer

[the sorcerer]

It was a windy night. On top of a sandy dune was a figure. He was waiting. Exactly what was not clear until up next to him scurried a smaller figure, nothing more than a common thief, filthy and immoral. "My lord," said he, bowing down to the figure, who was called Balveer. Balveer frowned.
"You are late." stated he and nothing more. For this man Balveer was an advisor to the Sultan, though he hoped someday to ruled the kingdom.
"My apologies. But the killings took longer than I had originally thought." sneered the thief.
"Have you the objects?" asked Balveer, boredom evident in his voice. "As an advisor, I have many places to be than hear the silly excuses of a filthy thief such as yourself." Without a seconds hesitation, the thief extracted from within his scarf two glittering jewels, and in the dim light they shone a rainbow of colors. Yet as soon as the thief had extended it out towards the sorcerer, they lit up, spinning delicately before puncturing the sand dune next to them. From within rose a great sand beast. The glittering jewels formed it's terrifying eyes and in its mouth was an entrance to a cave beyond. The creature looked not unlike a tiger. "Fear entrance to me," roared the beast, "For only those who take with pure of heart, who take naught but by heed, then those that are may part, with eyes filled with no greed." And it said no more. The thief looked back at Balveer, terrified and questioning. Blaveer only glared and motioned for him to enter. And the thief moved slowly forward. "Who dares enter me?" growled the beast, glaring down upon the stooped figure. The thief prostrated at the edge of the cave's entrance.
"It is I, your humble servant Darsh." said he.
But the tiger only shouted in rage. "I sense greed in your eyes! Entrance shall you be denied!", and the cave collapsed, the jewels sliding gently downwards. Incensed, the sorcerer snatched the jewels up.
The thief timidly ventured forward and stammered, "My lord, I don't mean to pry, but I was wondering about...about the payment?"
"You will receive no payment!" snarled the sorcerer, whirling around. "The job was not completed!" And with that, he climbed onto the camel he had ridden there and galloped away, leaving the thief stranded behind. And as he rode back towards the palace, his anger gave to thoughtful silence. For though he was an advisor to the Sultan, he was far from influential to the man, and he was often dismissed. No, he was getting nowhere with the Sultan, nor his daughter, who hated him beyond belief. He needed someone to control, to make his puppet. And he needed someone to enter the cave.... So the hatching of a plan began. The next morn, he left the castle, disguised as a haggard peasant, knowing none would miss him. He spent the rest of the day prowling the streets, searching for one with a pure heart. And though the market square was vibrant and colorful, the villages were not safe places. Many a time, he came close to being robbed, though this was quickly remedied by the knife he pulled out of his cloak. He watched as a thief deftly snuck three apples into his pocket, and something about the boy struck him. He threw his hood over his head and followed the boy. The boy lithely jumped over the wall of an alleyway, and the sorcerer crept around. From just behind another wall, he watched as the boy gave a small family his food. Leaning heavily against the wall, the sorcerer knew he had found the one, pure of heart. But he looked back and the boy had gone. The family was happily munching on the apples. He went back to the market square, knowing the boy needed food. Yet, when he returned, something else caught his eye. Surely not...the Princess Ananya? She was being led by a girl. Near him was a palace guard, standing sternly. He came up to the guard and whispered, "Pardon me for interrupting you, sir. But I thought I had seen the princess slip down that alleyway on the hand of another." The palace guard turned to him, but he only pulled his hood tighter.
"Thank you, sir." said the guard, and strode off, gathering two more. Balveer turned back towards the market square and scanned the area carefully. There he was! He saw the boy carefully creep up on a bread seller. And he made his move. He nudged several other palace guards, and soon the boy was running for his life. And he waited. And observed. He observed how the jeweler nearest trusted only himself to touch his precious jewels. And how the fishmonger seemed to be oblivious to the wretched smell. He watched the peach seller and what an angry man he seemed. He saw the kindness of the fabric woman. How she seemed to care for each of her customers. By the time the guards had returned, breathless and infuriated, the sorcerer felt he knew every merchant there, though he had spoken to none. As the sun dipped below the horizon, he began to think, rooted to his pot. Yet, fate, it seemed was on his side and it arrived in the form of a child. "Pardon me, sir," asked the little wench, "but have you anything to eat?" The sorcerer looked down upon the child with disgust at first, until he saw the opportunity he had been given.
"My child," said he, "I have no food but the peach seller there is a kind man. If you were to claim a few of those peaches, I am sure no trouble would arise." Within minutes, the child was upon the ground, being cruelly beaten. And the sorcerer cast a spell so the only ones who had to suffer the child's screams were the peach seller, the child, himself, and the commoner. And suddenly, from the shadows came bursting the boy. The sorcerer smiled wickedly and shrank back into the shadows, making quick work of his disguise. It wasn't long before the boy had the child in his arms and he had taken off. But the child's weight slowed him and as the sorcerer watched, a pair of palace guards caught him quickly, for they had heard his voice and silently hid, awaiting his arrival. "You are under arrest!" cried the pair, binding his wrists behind his back.
"For what?" spat the boy, struggling.
"Why, for kidnapping a child." said Balveer, stepping out from his position under a building and letting the moonlight shine on his smiling face.