The Tie That Binds by StoryWriter92
Summary: Aladdin and Jasmine have been married for about a year, and everything in their lives is changing -- sooner than they think, they may be ruling Agrabah together. How will they face the new threats to their power that arise, and will their city survive?
Rating: PG-13
Categories: Aladdin
Characters: None
Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 11/26/09
Updated: 05/15/10
Index
Chapter 1: An End and a Beginning
Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 3: The Coronation: Part I
Chapter 4: The Coronation: Part II
Chapter 1: An End and a Beginning
Author's Notes: Hi, everyone. It's been a very, very long time since I posted anything on this site, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the people reading it don't even remember me. But if fans of my old stories are reading this, I want you to know that I've always been around, just unable to think of any new material. As for my unfinished story, If I Never Knew You, it's on hiatus for now, possibly never to be updated. As much as I love it, part of me feels like it's run its course, and I just don't know if I'll be able to finish it. I want to try new things, and explore the fact that I've grown as a writer since then.
This story has always been in the back of my mind, but it was only recently that all my ideas about it came together to form a story that I liked, and that I felt readers would enjoy as well. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for reading, and please, please review!!! :)
Chapter 1: An End and a Beginning
Morning broke cold and stark on the city of Agrabah. It was early, and a chill still hung in the air, unscathed by the hot desert sun that was soon to rise. Every citizen stood anxiously at the gates of the palace, staring at the front balcony. Many held candles, and those who could not afford them simply sat in silence. The vigil had gone on all night, and the mounting tension in the air was now a living, breathing entity that surrounded everyone there. Each person wondered what was going on within the palace walls, and what fate had in store for the royal family that resided there.
Jasmine sat on the edge of the large bed she shared with her husband, her toes lightly brushing against the marble floor. She wore a silky nightgown in her signature shade of blue, with a sheer, long sleeved robe over it to keep her warm. To those who knew her as a stunning, regal princess, she appeared, in contrast, to be a shadow of her former self. Her long dark hair fell in waves around her face, tangled and neglected. Her petite frame had become still thinner, as she ate next to nothing these days. One look at her large almond shaped eyes would quickly reveal that she had been crying. The cause of her discontent, and that of her people, was simple -- her father, the Sultan, was dying.
No one ever said it, but everyone knew it was true. In his old age, he had grown ill, and now he was rapidly declining. Confined to his bed, the joy and laughter with which he filled the palace dissipated. Each person handled their pain as best they could, united by the feeling that they no longer really lived, but only existed. Whatever strength Jasmine had been able to muster during this difficult time came mostly from Aladdin, who never left her side. He alone understood the pain of losing a parent -- he had watched his mother die when he was a child. In the absence of his father, the sultan had become like a second father to him, making his own grief nearly match that of his wife.
Aladdin lay in bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling. He had tried countless times to rest, but sleep never came. Of all the thoughts that ran through his mind, one in particular troubled him most. If the Sultan did indeed die, he and Jasmine were next in line to the throne. He was not worried about her -- she had been trained to rule her entire life. But he was not raised in the palace, and he was certainly not born a prince -- he was a streetrat, who survived only on wits and cunning for the first 17 years of his life. And by some miracle, the woman he loved turned out to be a princess. Before he knew it, they were married, making him her prince. At the time, the idea of him someday becoming Sultan seemed so far away. Now, a little over a year after the wedding, it was a very real possibility.
Lethargic, he slowly turned his head to look at Jasmine. From his angle, he could only see her back, as she sat facing away from him. He watched as her body gently heaved up and down to match her breathing. He had been concerned about her for days, weeks -- the concept of time seemed so irrelevant lately. He rolled over and crawled towards her, suprised at the effort it took to do so. he reached out his hand and stroked her long, ebony hair, combing out some of the tangles with his fingers. She jumped slightly at his touch, then relaxed when she realised who it was.
"Come back to bed," he said, his voice low and husky from lack of sleep. "We don't have to be up for a few more hours."
"It won't matter anyway," she replied, standing up. "I know I won't sleep."
She walked over to the balcony and looked down at her people. Hundreds of them stood outside, with sad, yet hopeful faces. Their devotion was a deep comfort to her, and touched her more than she had expected it to.
"I haven't seen anything like this since my mother..." She stopped herself, refusing to utter any word associated with death or dying. In many ways, she never really dealt with her mother's passing -- she simply buried it within herself, and rarely, if ever, spoke of it.
Aladdin stood up and walked over to her, embracing her from behind. "We don't know that your father is going to to die," he said, hoping she would be more optimistic than he was.
"I know that..." she replied hesitantly. "But I'm still afraid...I can feel something coming."
"What do you mean 'something'?" he asked.
"I don't know...I just feel it," was all she could say.
The bright rays of the sun at last appeared over the desert sand, bright and shining. Its light creeped past the bedroom balcony and onto the faces of the half asleep couple, each squinting as they waited for their eyes to adjust. A new day had officially begun. Jasmine gently pulled away from Aladdin and stretched her tired limbs.
"I think I'll go check on Father," she said as she turned to face him.
"He's probably still asleep," he replied, wanting her to stay with him for awhile longer before the reality of everything they were going through sunk in once again.
"I know...I just want to see him," she said. A strange feeling had hit the pit of her stomach, telling her that she was needed. It could not be explained, and so she didn't try. She turned to leave, but before she could, the doors to their room swung open and a servant girl ran in, her face covered with tears. Jasmine could feel the fear and panic swelling within her.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice breaking with the strain of speaking above a whisper. She knew what the girl would say before the words were spoken, but still she had to hear them.
"Your Highness, it's the Sultan...he is dead."
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A/N: Yes, I know it ends a little abruptly, and I know the direction of the story still seems a bit unclear. But I promise, everything will start to make sense later, and that it will get much more interesting. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think, and if enough people like it, I'll try to update in the next few days. :)
Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm
Author's Notes: Sorry I've taken so long to post this chapter. It was written a long time ago, but no one on here seemed interested in the story, so I never got around to posting it. :( Which is why I want to give a HUGE thank you to MysticMeg, the only person who reviewed the story. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter, and please, please review this time!
Jasmine stood for a moment, frozen in shock. Then, slowly, she sank to the floor, silent tears already falling from her face. Aladdin knelt beside her, his arms enclosing her protectively. The servant girl attempted to compose herself -- she had only delivered half of her message, and she had to get through the rest before she could dismiss herself and leave the princess alone.
"Your Majesty..." she began hesitantly. "No one in the palace knows yet...when they do, they will all wish to see you."
Jasmine looked up, her eyes red and unfocused. "Very well," she said, her voice barely audible. "Go now, and tell the others. I'll be out in a minute." The girl nodded and left, resuming her crying only when she was out of earshot.
When the door shut, Jasmine exhaled deeply, releasing the breath she had been holding for the past five minutes. She wanted to crawl into a corner and stay there for days, weeks, months...perhaps forever. And yet somehow she had to face everyone -- the servants who waited on her, the guards who protected her, and the friends that loved her. Worse she had to somehow convince all of them that she was alright, that she could lead them in their grief with some semblance of grace and dignity, both of which seemed to be in limited supply.
Somewhere in the confusion that clouded her thoughts, she remembered that Aladdin was still next to her, and that he was staring at her as if he'd never been more worried about her in his life. She looked up at him, but did not make eye contact.
"I'm fine," was all she could manage to say as she pulled herself up off the floor. "We should get ready..."
Before she could walk away from him, Aladdin grabbed her hand and spun her around, close enough that she had no choice but to truly look at him. He held her close, afraid that if he let her go, she would crumble into a million pieces.
"Jasmine, I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "He was my father, too."
"I know," she replied, resting her head on his chest for a moment before gently pulling away. She headed over to the closet and pulled out a simple black dress, one of many she would have to wear in this time of mourning. It was sheer and light, a neccessity when one chose to wear black in one of the hottest parts of the world. She was thin enough now that it did not hug her curves the same way it did when she first had it made. It was long and off the shoulder, with a gold belt that hung at the waist and gold trim along the hem. The sleeves were long, sleek, and elegant. Once the dress was on, she moved to her vanity, and attempted to brush out her scraggly hair. She pulled it back into a long ponytail to get it out of the way, then placed a gold headband over her bangs.
Like most men, Aladdin was done changing into his long black vest and black pants long before Jasmine had finished getting ready. He sat at the foot of the bed and waited, watching her reflection through the mirror into which she stared. She seemed different -- the pain was still there, but something more important was taking its place. Duty always came first, and even something as powerful as one's emotions often had to take a back seat. Though they grew up in totally opposite worlds, the lesson they learned was the same: take care of everyone else first, and deal with your feelings later. That selflessness could often be their undoing, but it was all they knew.
When Jasmine was finished, she turned around in her chair to face Aladdin. "Are you ready?" she asked, her voice finally returning to her.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied as the two stood up and joined hands. They left the room together, nervous as their resolve seemed to weaken with every step.
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Mozenrath lived a rather solitary life at the Citadel. If his court were to be compared to the royal court in Agrabah, they would appear to be polar opposites. He was surrounded by death, with only mamluks, the walking dead, for companions, while Agrabah was surrounded by life and prosperity. He lived in the darkness, while they lived in the light. And he liked it that way. He hated that Aladdin, a mere streetrat and his arch enemy, always acted as if he was a good man who had just taken the wrong path -- someone who needed to be "saved". He was evil and knew it, proud of his own heartlessness, and determined to prove that it could destroy the goodness and love that had become a nauseating trait of Aladdin and his friends.
The Citadel had virtually no visitors, but if Mozenrath needed information, he always had his sources. His familiar, Xerxes, was his only gateway into the outside world. It was from this strange creature that he learned of the Sultan's death. The streetrat made prince was now going to rule Agrabah. From the moment he had married the princess, Mozenrath knew that this moment would come, yet it still felt strange. Always they had been adversaries, but now they would be something more -- equals. And that was something he refused to accept.
He had planned to make a move for years, but every plot he created seemed somehow...predictable. Too much like the fights they had when they were both younger and more hot headed. He didn't want to fight just for fun, or for the thrill of watching Aladdin and his friends get hurt or possibly die -- he wanted, now more than ever, to have Aladdin's power... and perhaps even the woman he'd fought so hard for and eventually managed to marry. With these new developments, that dream now seemed within his reach.
His plans were slowly coming together when, not very long after news of the Sultan's death had reached him, the Citadel had the first visitor it had encountered in many years. As she entered, he knew she was someone important -- the Mamluks would have killed her on sight if she were anything else. It felt as if she was taking ages to move out of the shadows and into the light of his throne room. Her walk was strange -- catlike, almost. And when she emerged, he understood why.
It was Mirage.
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The hallways of the palace were quiet now. Everyone had gathered in the throne room once they heard the news. Aladdin and Jasmine's footsteps clicked against the marble floors and echoed across the walls. As they neared the Sultan's bedroom, the room where he had died, Jasmine instinctively squeezed Aladdin's hand. The door was open, and neither one of them wanted to see the corpse they knew was still lying within. They kept their eyes to the floor until it was completely out of view.
Through the windows, they could hear the people outside screaming and crying -- apparently, someone had informed them of the Sultan's death as well. Some left and returned home, but many stayed where they were, perhaps expecting the prince and princess to come out and make a speech. But they could not face the people now. It was difficult enough to have to face the people they lived with and saw each day.
Upon reaching the throne room, Genie, Abu, and Carpet all gathered around the young couple and embraced them. No one needed to say a word -- their emotions were already laid bare through their actions. When their brief reunion was over, the two stepped forward to face the large group that stood before them. Many were still crying, and all of them had a look of deep pity in their eyes. Already, they were touched by the devotion they were being shown, but it was nothing compared to what happened next.
Suddenly, every person in the room dropped to their knees and bowed.
For the first time, the magnitude of the situation dawned on them. Aladdin was now Sultan, and Jasmine was his queen. They were in charge of the palace staff, the guards, and the entire city. The threat of going to war, being overthrown by rival factions, or having their own people turn against them was very real. But for now, they felt safe, secure. The people closest to them, who they loved most, had fully submitted to their rule without them even having to request it. Even Razoul, who had hated Aladdin for years, reluctantly bowed with the rest of the guards. Now it was up to them to convince everyone else that a princess fresh out of adolescence and a prince who started out as a beggar had the right to control the city.
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"Mozenrath...we meet at last," Mirage said with a graceful, if not slightly sarcastic, curtsy.
"Our reputations precede us," he replied, standing up and decending the steps that led to his throne. "I know who you are, and that you are an enemy of Aladdin. For that reason, you are welcome here."
He moved closer, until they were only a few feet from one another. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" he asked.
"I presume that neither of us want the streetrat on the throne of Agrabah," she answered.
"You presume correctly."
"Then why not stop it, and rid ourselves of him and his meddlesome friends? Neither of us accomplised that individually, but together..."
Mozenrath put his hand to his chin, a sure sign that he was thinking. "Yes, together we have twice the chance of destroying them. But what is your price? You would not volunteer to help me if you did not want something in return."
She had wanted to toy with him, drag out the negotiations a little bit more. Now he had forced her to cut to the chase. "I ask only to be queen, to share power with you after we usurp the throne. And I ask for the satisfaction of helping you kill those sentimental fools that have no right to rule."
"Done," he replied. Each thought the same thing -- join forces for now, destroy one another and keep all the power for themselves later. Neither truly wanted to share, but pretending to was convenient at the time. All the gory details could certainly be worked out later, when this, the fight of their lives, was over.
"Come with me," he said, linking his arm with hers as they walked to another more private room in the Citadel to discuss their plans. "If we work quickly, we can attack in just a few days..."
Chapter 3: The Coronation: Part I
Author's Notes: This chapter skips ahead a bit -- I'd say roughly one month after the events of the last chapter. I didn't want to put too much focus on the Sultan's death, though it was extremely important -- so much has to happen in the story that I could not focus on it for too long. I'm probably my own worst critic, and it's not often that I actually like what I've written, but I do like how this chapter turned out. :) I hope you all like it too, and as always, please review! It's helped my writing improve more than you know.
It seemed strange to Aladdin that the royal court could go from mourning the death of one sultan to celebrating the coronation of another so quickly. It would be wrong to say that everyone had moved past it -- all of them, especially Jasmine, were still healing. But royalty simply had a different view of death than most people. It was certainly painful, but duty always came first. The heavy burden of power far outweighed one's own personal sufferings. They had to go on, because what they were moving toward was much more important than what was being left behind.
Aladdin was also not used to the pomp and circumstance that came with preparing for public events. In the old days his idea of getting ready was rolling out of bed, raking his fingers through his hair, and heading out the door. Now servants swarmed around him like flies, and each was designated to perform a different task. Hair, clothes, even nails were all being attended to at once. This was not what he had fought for all those years ago when he first fell in love with Jasmine. He never wanted money or power -- he only wanted her. The rest he would have given up in a heartbeat, if he was only given the chance.
Despite his moral scruples over everything that was happening, he could not help but find some of it amusing. He had to laugh at the hair dresser's attempts to tame his jet black hair. It was thick, relatively long, and completely unmanageable. There was a messy-on-purpose feel to it that made it impossible to control. Truthfully, he could have cared less -- Jasmine seemed to like it, and that was enough. Bathing also turned into a disaster -- he simply refused to have any of the servants help. The idea of a bunch of strangers seeing him naked in a tub was hardly appealing. They were only allowed to set it up for him, and even that he didn't like -- the water had been scented with perfume and smelled far too feminine for his tastes. He washed quickly and threw on a blue robe embroidered with gold, hoping the smell wouldn't stick.
By this point, he was more than ready to sneak away and take a break, and being alone had afforded him the perfect opportunity. The palace was massive, and filled with hundreds of passages and a corridors. Having lived there for several years now, Aladdin had figured out most of them. This knowledge, combined with his experience as a thief, made it easy to get out without being detected. The bathroom he was in, one of many in the palace, had a second door, one that would lead away from the servants and to temporary freedom. He left and closed the door quietly behind him. From there, he entered a small hallway that, thankfully, was unoccupied. At the end, he barely caught a glimpse of his wife walking by.
With lightning speed and complete silence, he ran to the end of the hall, concealed in shadow, and grabbed her hand, pulling her away before anyone could notice she was gone. She was startled at first, but relieved when she saw who her kidnapper was. He led her back down the hallway, pulling her along as she ran to keep up.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"Just play along," he whispered back as he looked over his shoulder at her with a sly smile. Their minds immediately went back to the day they first met, and the memory of the first tiem the said those words.
He opened the first door he saw, not remembering where it led, and found a storage room that was a little too big to be called a closet. They ran in and shut the door behind them. By then, they were laughing hysterically, reveling in the feeling of it -- neither could remember the last time they just laughed, for no reason at all.
"Do you think they'll find us in here?" Jasmine asked as she gasped for air. Between the running and the laughter, both had lost their breath.
"I doubt it," Aladdin replied as he slid to the floor. She slid down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. She too had been in the middle of getting ready -- she wore a robe that matched his, but was a lighter shade of blue. Like Aladdin, her hair was still damp from the bath she had taken. As their breathing slowed, Aladdin wrapped his arm around her, and she moved closer, putting her head on his chest. When the silence became deafening, she asked the question that had been burning on her tongue all morning.
"Are you scared?" she asked, still whispering to keep from being heard by anyone outside.
"Terrified," he replied. With her, he didn't have to pretend that he was okay, or that the responsibility that would soon be put on his shoulders didn't scare him.
"Me too. Not so much of ruling, but of how everything's changing...how we could change."
He looked down at her. "Nothing is going to change me..." he said, lifting her chin until their eyes met. "...Or this." He leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, but with a growing intensity. It was intoxicating, dizzying, a high they hadn't experienced in months. Aladdin's fingers weaved themselves into Jasmine's hair, as if he needed something to hold onto to stay stable. He tasted and explored with a persistence that bordered on animal aggression. Jasmine didn't seem to mind -- if anything, the soft whimpering noises she was making only urged him to keep going. She too was exploring old territory, reclaiming what had always been hers. Drowning in each other, the rude voice that interrupted them couldn't have been more unwelcome.
"Hey, you two lovebirds get out here! You're gonna be late for your own coronation!" Iago squawked. His voice was impossible to ignore, and they jumped apart immediately. He sounded close to the door, and they prayed he and the others didn't know they were inside. Panting and flushed, Jasmine smiled and whispered, "That's one thing you have to get used to when you're royalty -- no privacy." She took his hand and stood up, pulling him to his feet along with her.
"Do you think they're gone?" he asked as they straightened their robes.
"I think so...we'd better get dressed. I'll leave first, in case they suspect anything." She cracked the door open ever so slightly, checking to make sure the coast was clear. "I'll see you later," she whispered, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as she slid out the door. As she left, she couldn't help but peek back in to look at him. They both were grinning from ear to ear. "I missed seeing you smile," she said.
"Same here," he replied. He stared for a few seconds, trying to burn the image into his memory. He snapped out of it, however, when he thought of them being caught. "Go on -- I'll catch up with you later," he whispered. When she left, he leaned his head against the door, sighing as he tried to compose himself. After some time passed and he thought it was safe, he slowly opened the door, and walked out to begin his new life as sultan.
Chapter 4: The Coronation: Part II
Author's Notes: I hadn't originally planned to end the chapter where it does, but it's already much longer than my chapters usually are, and I've put in a LOT of info that will be important later, so I figured there was no need to overdo it. The next chapter will have all the extra stuff I couldn't fit into this one plus anything else I can think of. :)I hope you like it, and as always, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'd really appreciate it.
After the incident in the storage room, Aladdin didn't see Jasmine for another hour, as their servants swarmed them once again to finish getting them ready. At last it all began to feel real as the jewels and trappings of royalty were slowly placed upon them.
When the royal couple finally met again in the throne room, neither could believe the transformation that had taken place in the other. Aladdin looked more handsome than Jasmine had ever remembered. He wore a long sleeved white vest that went down to his ankles, and was bordered in gold. The large shoulder blades added to his natural masculinity, and his chiseled torso was bare. Around his waist was a white belt with gold slanted stripes. It held white harem pants that were neatly tucked into gold boots. He still wore his signature fez, only this time it was white with gold stripes, to match the rest of his clothing. Jasmine too was a vision in white -- her hair was down, and she wore a sheer white veil lined with gold and speckled with gold stars. The top of the veil was attached to a gold head piece that wrapped around her forehead and met to reveal a tear-shaped pearl that rested between her eyebrows. She also wore a white midriff and flowy, slightly see-through skirt, both of which were covered in the same gold stars as the veil. Around her neck was a gold choker necklace, and gold bracelets were around her wrists.
They stood facing each other for what seemed like forever, until at last Jasmine stepped forward. "Well...this is it," she said.
"Yeah...I guess it is," Aladdin replied. "You look beautiful." It sounded shy, almost like something he would've said when he was still courting her.
"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, sounding more relaxed than she felt. The symbolism of the color choice was clear -- this was to be a second wedding. Not to each other, but to Agrabah itself. All three would become one entity, to be separated only in death.
She took his hand as they walked together out of the palace and toward the parade that would start off the festivities. Though they had been up for hours, it was still early in the morning. A cool breeze blew just often enough to keep the heat from rising to sweltering levels. Just outside lay a massive elephant, with a covered area on top for the new Sultan and Sultana to sit on. Aladdin laughed to himself when he thought of how relieved Abu had been about not having to be transformed into one like he had when Aladdin first paraded through the streets as Prince Ali.
Surrounding the elephant were all the trappings one could expect in a royal parade and then some. Thanks to a little of Genie's magic, everything had come together relatively quickly, and without the servants having to do much work. From the moment they stepped out of the palace doors, their noses were assaulted by a vast array of smells. The strongest were the herbs and spices, which were being displayed along with other riches to show the wealth of the city. The most gentle were the thousands of flowers that had been placed on everything -- as an added touch, many of them were jasmine flowers, in honor of the new sultana.
The elephant was so incredibly tall that Carpet had to help the couple reach their seats at the top -- using a ladder or any other non-magical device would have been suicide. Once inside, they tried to make themselves comfortable on the soft pillow seats provided for them, but no luxury could have eased their nervousness. Encased in their silk cage, they were at last hidden from view. The curtains on either side were closed, effectively cutting them off from the outside world. Jasmine exhaled deeply, trying to relieve the tension that had left her body feeling rigid.
The silence between them was not broken until the elephant stood up and began to move, an action which made everything shake and, for a moment, gave the feeling they were going to fall. Aladdin jumped and instantly grabbed Jasmine's hand, before male pride or a false show of bravado had a chance to prevail. When they were steady again, he slid his hand away, embarrassed that he had been afraid when Jasmine had barely flinched. She laughed softly, in that quiet way she did when she knew something he did not, and took his hand again, threading her fingers through his.
"Don't worry...it used to scare me too," she said, smiling at him. He smiled back, still embarrassed, but relieved that she had not teased him.
All was quiet again for a time, until their procession at last reached the view of the people. At that moment, the cheers of the crowd could be heard, a persistent hum in the distance. As they drew closer and gradually merged into the growing parade, the sound became deafening. It was easy to forget how large Agrabah was, and just how many men, women and children inhabited it. But when they all gathered together, their sheer size could be seen much more clearly. It was much bigger than the turnout Aladdin had expected.
Everything felt so unreal -- they were out here to see him...they were cheering, screaming, for him. And this time, he was not entering the city as a fake prince trying to impress the girl of his dreams. This time, he was a real, legitimate ruler, preparing to take his throne.
The true frenzy, however, began when Aladdin pulled back his curtain to get a better look at the crowd. The moment they saw him, they exploded, waving their arms and reaching out as if they desperately wanted to touch him. Though he was flattered, he also didn't know what to make of it. When he had lived among them, he was a streetrat, a nobody. Unnoticed and uncared for, he only drew their attention when he was caught stealing food. Now they were all cheering for him, staring at him in awe, as if he were a god.
"What did I ever do to deserve all this?" he asked, more to himself than to Jasmine. He knew the answer, but couldn't bring himself to say it. He was one of them, a man who had come from nothing and risen to be the most powerful person in Agrabah. They looked up to him, saw him as the solution to all of their problems. It meant the world to him, but it also added immense pressure that he wasn't sure he would be able to handle.
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When they returned to the palace, the coronation ceremony finally got under way. For sultans of Agrabah, there was no formal crowning, only the official moment when the royal couple sat on their thrones. The throne room was filled with hundreds of people, from nobles who neither of them knew to old friends like Sadira, King Mamoud, and Prince Uncouthma, whom they hadn't seen since the wedding.
As they walked slowly down the aisle to the throne, Jasmine's throat began to tighten. For most of her life, there had only been one throne sitting before her, the one belonging to her father. But now there was a second throne next to the first -- the one that belonged to her mother, the Sultana. In her fading memories of early childhood, she could just barely recall the years when the two ruled side by side. Then fever and sickness took her mother away when she was three, and the Sultan, haunted by his wife's memory, had her empty throne removed. She had not seen it again until today. A single tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly brushed it away before anyone could notice it. Now was not the time to get emotional or be swept away by cheap sentiment. Her heart already carried more pain and worry than she thought it could take.
The two stood in front of their respective thrones, facing a portion of the people over whom they would soon officially be ruling. Aladdin and Jasmine looked at one another one last time. Neither spoke, but the question in their eyes was clear -- who would sit down first? Who would be the first to accept their shared destiny, to make this strange dream that had clouded over them all this time real? In the end, it was only fitting that they complete this part of their journey in the same way that they had accomplished everything else -- together. They sat at the same time, and from the moment they sank into their seats, the room shook with thunderous applause, louder and more intense than anything they had felt at the parade. It reverberated off the palace walls, amplifying in their ears and hitting them with a strength and intensity they had never expected.
The moment they had anxiously awaited and feared had at last passed, but the day was not over. A banquet complete with food, wine, music, and dancing had all been planned in their honor. Neither had been to a coronation celebration before, but if what they had heard about them was true, they wouldn't be getting any sleep until the next morning.
As prince and princess, Aladdin and Jasmine had become accustomed to dining with the nobility. Aladdin was never comfortable with it, but he had learned to accept it as a necessary evil. As sultan, court protocol would now eliminate some of the awkwardness. The royal couple were to remain in their thrones for the entire banquet, while the guests were to sit at the many long tables that lined the sides of the room. The center was left empty for dancing and entertainment. Towering over all he surveyed, Aladdin felt a dominance now that the nobles had never allowed him to feel when he dined with them. There had always been subtle yet cruel snubbing -- whispered comments about his low birth, deliberate exclusion from conversations. In his ascending to the throne, it felt for a moment as if he had literally risen above the criticism that had filled his life since his marriage to Jasmine. But he knew it was still there, and most likely harsher now that they knew he could not hear them.
Even worse was the strangeness of sitting in a throne he had never imagined would belong to him. In his mind, it was still the Sultan's chair, a sacred space that he was invading. He had spent years bowing before it, and serving the man it belonged to, but somehow he had shoved the idea that it would be his far into the back of his mind, where it remained unnoticed and unthought of until now. It was these thoughts, along with the insecurity that shadowed his every move, that hung over him as dinner was served, and kept him somewhat melancholy during the festivities.
The meals had been large and elaborate, and while both Aladdin and Jasmine ate more than their normal share, neither, if questioned, could have named half of what had been placed in front of them. They were barely conscious of the fact that they wereeating -- it seemed so unimportant compared to everything on their minds. Soon after dinner, the sun began to set, casting a red-orange light onto the room, a strange offset to the light blue decor. The weight of exhaustion was setting in. They wanted to be alone now, to think, to talk, and most of all to sleep. Jasmine found herself politely stifling yawns every five minutes, while Aladdin was two minutes away from dozing off completely. Only Jasmine's occasional pokes and nudges were able to keep him awake.
"It won't be much longer now," she said after yet another strong elbow to the ribs awakened her husband. It was a lie, and he knew it, but she had said it with the hopes of offering encouragement.
"I can tell I won't enjoy nights like this," he said, pushing himself up in his seat to avoid falling asleep again.
"They're not so terrible once you get used to it."
"I'd be more interested if you let me juggle a few fruits for our guests..."
"Don't even think about it," she replied before he could finish. A playful smirk reached his lips, the first she had seen all day.
"Oh come on, maybe it'll get them to warm up to -- "
He stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of the two massive front doors. Underneath them, black sand was slowly creeping onto the palace floor and toward the unsuspecting guests. The fire breather entertaining them at the center was the first to notice. Horrified, he dropped the flaming torch he was carrying, and backed away as the fire extinguished on the floor. Soon, the other guests noticed and began to panic; some even rose from their seats in an effort to escape it. As the guards cautiously unsheathed their swords, the sand shifted into two shapes. Each materialized into people at the same time, and soon Mozenrath and Mirage were standing before the royal couple.
Shock, then anger, then confusion seemed to run through them in the course of a few short seconds. Aladdin stood up, glaring at them with all the malice he could muster. "What...the hell...is this?" he said. The words came out slowly, fighting their way through the anger that coursed through him.
Mozenrath smiled and sucked his teeth a few times in mock disappointment. "Aladdin, is this any way to treat a guest?" he asked, boldly striding forward with Mirage in toe.
Genie floated to Aladdin's side, all the while glaring at the uninvited couple. "So, Evil Incarnate has a partner in crime?" he said, transforming into a tuxedo and changing his face so that he resembled the Godfather. "He made you an offer you can't refuse?" he asked in a raspy Marlon Brando-style voice.
"You could say that," Mirage replied, stepping forward so that she stood next to Mozenrath.
"We came to propose a challenge, and your genie will probably give you an unfair advantage..." He lifted the skeletal hand that held his gauntlet, and a pair of handcuffs floated from the pocket of his tunic. At his direction, they flew across the room and attached themselves to Genie's wrists. The force of it was strong enough to push him to the back wall. He tried to break free, and discovered his magic no longer worked.
"Magic proof, of course," Mozenrath shrugged, as if it was something they should've already known.
"Now for the rest of the guests..." Mirage said. From her hands came a burst of orange light that formed into two of her fire cats. Aladdin had fought them before, and knew that they were the product of nightmares -- they fed on fear, and without it would easily disappear. The guests, however, couldn't have known that, and were easily chased out of the palace by the strange creatures.
By this time, Jasmine had left her throne and was standing at Aladdin's side. Her eyes shifted from Mozenrath to Mirage, then back again, angry that this had to happen now, and still angrier that they had to deal with not just one enemy, but two. Couldn't they take a break from saving the world for one day?