Nine years have passed since the night of Jafar's birth. He was raised by his father. Jafar was content with his life in the palace except for two things:
One: His father was a good person, but after a talk with the Sultan, he would return angrily to his chambers, muttering things like "rotund nincompoop" and "little twit".
Two: He was alone most of the time. Whenever his father wasn't with the Sultan, he was in his room (which no one was allowed to enter). The Sultan was recently married to a beautiful princess named Cassandra, and they had no children yet.
After the royal wedding, Ahib got around to thinking about his son. What if something happened to him before his plans could be carried out? His son was the only one who could continue them, but he would have to take time to get Jafar to trust him. Then he remembered his birthaday was coming up...
Jafar had a small birthday party, but received many gifts. The Sultan gave him a funny little merry-go-round from his toy collection. Jafar wondered why a grownup would collect children's playthings, but he knew better than to ask. Cassandra gave him a book of fables.
Yet Jafar believed his father had given him the best gift. A bag of 20 gold coins, just for him.
That night, Jafar asked his father what he should get at the marketplace tomorrow. Ahib gave him the first piece of advice he could use:
"Get an animal, Jafar. Keep it and treat it well. You can talk to it and it will keep all of your secrets. Now sleep well, for tomorrow is a busy day."
Origin of Darkness: Jafar's Story by TigGirl92