"O poor woman, and what are you carrying in this scarf that you hold by the four corners..."
The suspense that I got by reading this last line; it felt like I wanna jump into the 18th night part already :D
Now, to the early paragraphs of this part. I was cringing as I learn that Aladdin's mother was finally noticed by the Sultan and she was asked about her intentions for coming to the Diwan. Imagine the terror that she has been subjected to the scrutiny of the Grand-Vizier who's judging her by who she is without asking any questions. The negative assumptions towards her are disheartening. Despite that, Aladdin's mother tells the story in full detail to the Sultan; I'm amazed by her tenacity. Even though it took her long enough to gather enough courage to do so; she still managed to get the opportunity to get the attention of the Sultan to hear what she has to say.
To be honest, I didn't expect the Sultan to be this kind at this point. I guess his generosity to give his time, attention, and a promise of safety to Aladdin's mother has motivated her to give her best shot at speaking to the Sultan. I'm impressed by the personality of the Sultan.
Of course, at this point, I'm highly doubtful that the Sultan will accept the proposal from Aladdin to marry the Princess (her daughter). The precious gems as gifts may be alluring; I don't think the Sultan will be convinced by it. Considering the fact that the Princess is the daughter of the Sultan who is the King of their country; there's "zero" chance for Aladdin to be with the Princess and I hate to be pessimistic about it. It's just rational that the Sultan will deny the proposal. Probably, he gave Aladdin's mother attention and time because he pities the old woman who has been coming to the Diwan for several days now. And maybe he's just curious about the gifts that she brought for the Sultan.
But I don't want to get ahead of the story... I'm already excited to read the next part to learn Sultan's reaction as he sees the gifts brought by Aladdin's mother. Now, I have something to look forward to by tomorrow :)