SETTLING THE SCORE
BY: Meesh and MysticMeg
Chapter 2
OPERATION AGRABAH PRINCESS
“Sadira’s probably being let in to the gates right now, and you’re just coming home!” Jasmine sighed frantically.
“I’m sorry,” Aladdin said innocently, “It’s just that… I got a little sidetracked when I found this!” Aladdin pulled from behind his back a locket. It was badly dented and was made of copper in the shape of a heart. Jasmine took it from his grasps and opened it up, perusing its features.
“Or maybe I should say I made it,” Aladdin corrected himself. “One of the shops was a locket shop, and I thought maybe you would like one?”
Jasmine laughed as if she hadn’t just been scolding him.
“Why the laughter? I know I’m not much of a craftsman, but every time you see one of those things in the marketplace, you-“
Aladdin was interrupted by Jasmine grabbing swinging her arm around his neck for a friendly kiss. Jasmine smiled, “I think it’s sweet. Help me put it on!”
Aladdin took the locket from Jasmine and brushed her hair out of the way to fasten the locket around her neck. When finished Jasmine asked, “How does it look?”
“Turn around so I can see.”
Jasmine did so.
Aladdin put his hand to his chin like a critic. He then made a square with his fingers and put around Jasmine’s face like a frame. When he was done, he put his hands down, “It doesn’t look too bad.”
Jasmine laughed.
“No, you know I think it looks beautiful on you. As does anything else you could put on.”
“Thank you,” Jasmine smiled girlishly then made a worried face again, “Speaking of ‘putting on,’ what are you going to wear to dinner tonight? And you’re all smudgy! How are we going to have you bathed and dressed by the time Sadira gets here?”
“Jas! You’re acting like it’s some important kind from a foreign land visiting us!”
Jasmine looked Aladdin in the eye wisely, “Sadira is as important as any foreign king that may come visit. She is our friend. Which means that she deserves the respect and punctuality we would give to any other visitor that comes to the palace.”
“You’re right,” Aladdin sighed, “Again…”
“When am I not?” Jasmine smirked as she grabbed Aladdin’s shoulders and shoved him to where the bathing tub was. “Now hurry up.”
“As you wish, your highness,” Aladdin bowed and closed the curtains. Jasmine smiled and thanked the stars for her Aladdin.
Under the same stars were two comrades making their way out of the hovel they had been staying in.
“Here comes the dusk,” Dre stopped once under the lavender sky. Stars were starting to peep their heads from under the blanket of the sky.
“Are you coming?” Corey turned back for his partner, who stood looking up. “I’m sorry if I missed the part of our plan that said, ‘ Stop and look dumbfoundedly at the stars.’”
Dre gave him a disdainful look, but brushed his comment off of her mind. “Where’s your outfit?”
“I haven’t stolen it yet,” Corey answered.
“Steal?!! I told you no stealing! Did you steal my dress?!” Dre yelled in a whisper.
“How else was I to get you a fine dress such as that?”
“With money! We HAVE money now!”
“Not that much, we don’t!” Corey shook his head.
“Well then,” Dre picked up her dress and headed towards the edge of the roof with an obvious hint of paranoia, “let’s just hope nobody recognizes this.”
Corey sighed and removed the cloak he had on and handed it to Dre. Without a word, she willingly took it and put it over the dress she was wearing.
“Now, come on!” Corey swung across the gap between the two roofs. Dre followed with the difficulty of wearing a dress. Once on the quieting streets, Corey scanned the area and whispered to his partner, “If we are to find ANYTHING for me, it’s going to be hard. All the shop owners are closing up.”
“It’s not my fault you’re such a procrastinator!” Dre humphed.
“Hey, did you want help with the dress or not?”
“Yes, I did. Hush and look.”
It was only a matter of seconds before Corey spotted and pointed out a vulnerable shop selling what he needed. He turned to Dre and told her to stay. She reluctantly obeyed. In a minute, Corey returned to her with what he had needed — blue harem pants, a matching shirt, and a red sash. He snuck behind a stall and changed as quickly as he could, leaving his old garments behind.
He spread his arms out before Dre when he was finished, “Do I look like an Agrabanian royal servant?”
“The resemblance is striking!” Dre answered, “Come now! How are we to get to the palace in time?”
“Cart hopping,” Corey smiled, “Like the old days!”
Dre couldn’t help but smile in remembrance, “Just like the old days.”
“Do you remember where palace cart traffic is busiest?”
Dre nodded, “Where the apple shops meet the melon shops.”
Corey complemented her on her excellent memory and immediately started towards the area to find a cart to hop onto. Dre followed, her heart beating with excitement and worry.
Sadira lifted her fork. There were five forks before her! Which one was she supposed to use?! Her mind started worrying that she was eating wrong. Upon noticing this, Jasmine, who sat beside her, gently placed her manicured fingers over Sadira’s rough hand. “With your friends.” Jasmine smiled, “there is no wrong way to eat.”
Sadira looked at Jasmine, who was smiling the most genuine smile she had ever seen. One of the traits Sadira had wanted for so long.
“Here,” Jasmine, noticing Sadira’s still-remaining unease, took away the remaining forks and shoved them under the table secretively. Sadira giggled and looked up. She found herself staring into the face of Aladdin, who had just walked in.
“It’s about time!” Jasmine noted. “I was beginning to worry you had drowned in the tub!”
Aladdin smiled and noticed that Sadira was staring at him. Trying to hide the discomfort this caused, he greeted her and thanked her for coming.
Shaking herself from her trance, Sadira regained her composure, “Pleasure to be here! Thank you for inviting me.”
Aladdin shrugged smugly, “Any time!”
“Why don’t you sit down?” Jasmine and Sadira asked the same time. Both patted the seat beside them. Aladdin, not wanting to disappoint either of them, instead took the seat in front of the both of them. Jasmine smiled at his decision.
“So,” Sadira tried to start a conversation, “How has the palace life been?”
“Well it’s been,” Aladdin tried to answer, “in the palace for sure!”
“It’s been lovely,” Jasmine answered for her inarticulate husband. “I have nothing to complain about.”
“Nor do I,” Aladdin agreed. “And you?”
“The normal I guess,” she answered unemotionally. “It’s kind of lonely in the city I guess.”
“But there are so many people!” Jasmine exclaimed.
“Which makes for many hostile people,” Sadira answered.
“Surely there are suitable friends there!”
“It’s hard,” Aladdin answered with Sadira. Sadira looked at Aladdin with a blush and a thankful expression.
“Maybe we’ll help you out sometime,” Jasmine offered.
Sadira nodded, not so sure she liked the idea. She knew as well as Aladdin did that friends were hard to make of strangers in the marketplace. She muttered a rogue-Agrabanian saying, “It’s hard to keep finding friends…”
“...And it’s hard to find keeping friends,” Dre murmured to herself.
Corey turned to his partner and whispered as the fruit cart carried them along the bumpy and dark streets of Agrabah, “It would be a lot easier to smuggle ourselves into the palace if we were in one of these crates.”
“How would there be room? They are fill with fruit!”
“Let’s be generous,” Corey reached back and opened one large crate and pulled out a watermelon. Watermelon, in hand, he hopped off of the cart and placed it at the threshold of a random house on the way and hurried back to the conveniently slow-moving cart. “Hand me another watermelon.”
Dre, catching on quickly, swiftly handed Corey a watermelon.
“Give me more than one.”
Dre handed him another one.
“No, give me four! Four at a time!”
Dre obediently placed two more watermelons in Corey’s strong arms, and he placed one on each of the first doorsteps he saw.
“Four more!” Corey took four watermelons from Dre and repeated what he had done before.
“Four more!”
“There are only two left in the crate!”
“Good, then hand me those two and open a new one!”
Dre did just that. She had four watermelons ready for him when he got back. He unloaded the four and came back and unloaded the next four. When there were only two left, he ordered that Dre get inside of the first crate and close the lid. After unloading the two remaining watermelons, Corey returned to the cart, made sure Dre was safe inside her cart, and placed himself tightly inside the cart.
“See you in the royal kitchen,” Corey whispered. The driver looked back, thinking he heard something. But he convinced himself it was a locust and reverted his attention back on the road before him and the guards that met him at the palace gate.
“You know they say that after someone who has eaten little for a long time gets sick after one full meal,” Sadira commented, alone with Jasmine in her bedroom. “Now I know they were right.” She held her stomach. Jasmine, upon realizing that Sadira was only joking, let out a friendly laugh with her.
“Really, you don’t have to let me stay the night. My hov-“
“Sadira,” Jasmine interrupted, “You are an honored guest. A friend. It is a pleasure and an honor to give you the finest hospitality we can. Plus, face it,” Jasmine turned to face Sadira and smiled persuasively, “you know you’ve been dying to know what it’s like to have a royal sleepover.”
Sadira smiled at her friend, overly thankful that she and Aladdin had finally learned to trust her. “I have always wondered that.”
“Wonder no more!” a familiar voice boomed as Genie burst into the room. He was dressed as a little girl in a lacey, pink nightgown with a bow ornately tied in brown locks. He had a teddy bear snuggly clamped in his clutches. “We can stay up all night painting our nails, playing truth-or-dare, making prank phone calls, talking about boys-“
“Genie?” Aladdin, who had just come in behind Genie, interrupted from the doorway.
Genie stopped and turned around.
“You know how I feel when you barge into the bedroom like this…”
Genie whined, “I’m sorry…”
Sadira shook her head, “It’s okay, Genie. And I think I’ll pass on all of those things you just said.”
Genie poofed back to normal, “Good! Because talking about boys is a bit out of my comfort zone!”
“But,” Sadira added, “I’m sure you could think of something else?”
Genie paused and lit up, “Of course! That’s what Genies do! I’ll get right on that!” With that, he zipped out of the room.
“I’ll be right back,” Aladdin followed Genie.
Sadira giggled, “Your life must be colorful.”
“Never a dull moment,” Jasmine answered with a happy sigh. “And you have no idea how literally I mean that.”
Jasmine went to her wardrobe and pulled out a purple and teal, long-sleeved harem outfit and laid it out on her bed beside Sadira. “Here,” Jasmine sat down on the other side of it, “I found this outfit. It doesn’t fit me anymore but there’s a great chance it will fit you! It used to be one of my favorites!”
“Are you giving this to me?”
Jasmine nodded, “Why don’t you try it on? I think I’ll get us some drinks or something. Does that sound good?”
Sadira nodded excitedly.
“Oh, and,” Jasmine took off her crown and placed it with the attire, “Just for now. Just don’t boss any servants around because you have the crown. They’ll think you attacked me or something.”
Sadira giggled and agreed. With this, Jasmine left the room and closed the door firmly behind her. Sadira was left to eye and admire the wonderful outfit that was laid out before her excitedly.
“Remind me never to do this again,” Corey complained as he cracked his back and stepped out of the cramped crate.
“Corey.”
“Yes?”
“Never do this again.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Corey answered sarcastically.
“Now what?”
“We’re in, so let’s go!”
“Do you know where to go?” Dre asked.
“No, but I’ll find out a way. And you?”
“I’m a street rat, remember? I’ll improvise.”
Corey smirked at their old motto, and they parted.
The atmosphere was notably flawless inside the palace. The clamor-bereft halls struck a sense of peace, and the perfect temperature was a comforting change from the always either too dry or too humid heat of the city. Dre found herself staring into a long mirror placed on a wall. She admired how regal she looked in her dress. It was an off-white, sleeveless dress with teal outline and laces. He hair was delicately placed in a bun. Her makeup left something to be desired, but her face was clean. Dre smiled, but frowned in seeing her yellowish teeth. She disappointedly turned from the mirror and continued making her way down the hall.
On the way, she passed an almost-familiar woman of great beauty. This woman was dressed regally and beautifully, her long black hair tied back in three color-coordinated bands. If it weren’t for the lack of a crown on her head, Dre would have mistaken her for the princess.
“Excuse me,” Dre summoned the woman’s attention.
The woman politely stopped, “Yes?”
“Could you direct me to the horse keep? I am a visitor here, and it is time for me to saddle my horse and depart.”
“A visitor? Why have I not seen you?”
“You were probably busy. I was visiting one of the servants. He is my cousin.”
“What servant?”
“The wine bearer,” Dre lied.
“Nor the sultan nor his daughter or son-in-law drink wine. There is no need for a wine bearer in the palace!”
“Perhaps I have been mistaken then.”
“Perhaps so.”
“The horse keep?”
“Yes,” the woman answered suspiciously, “It is right at the end of this hall.”
“Thank you greatly.”
“My pleasure.”
“Have a good night.”
“And the same to you,” the woman walked on. Dre wiped the sweat from her brow, telling herself that that was too close, and proceeded to the horse keep.
Finding the royal bedchamber was a breeze for Corey, who had conveniently overheard a few servants talking about the inconvenient location of it. In a matter of minutes, Corey found himself knocking on the hard mahogany door to the chambers.
Sadira couldn’t stop admiring herself in the mirror, not conceitedly, but excitedly. Sadira had never worn any of the princess’s garments before — with her permission, that is. The crown made her especially excited. It made her feel regal, and she felt like she never wanted to leave!
Her admirations were interrupted by a firm knock on the door. “Who is it?”
“A message for the princess!” the voice called.
Corey stood at the door, awaiting an answer. Before anything more was said, the door opened, and a young girl dressed in royal garments opened the door. She had coffee-colored skin and wood-colored hair. She looked to be no older than eighteen, which is younger than the princess would have been. But she was wearing a crown and was in the royal bedchamber; who else would she be?
“The message?” the girl asked.
“The sultan wishes that the princess come to the audience chamber with all guests — to celebrate Agrabah’s health and all of its fine visitors!”
“I fall under that category!” the girl answered happily.
“Yes, you do,” Corey answered at the girl’s awkward reply.
“Then I suppose I should go!”
“Of course!” Corey answered awkwardly once more. Would a princess really question her own position? “Shall I escort you?”
“Of course,” the girl answered smugly. “You shall escort me.” The girl took off her crown and set it on the dresser.
“Wouldn’t you prefer to wear that?”
The shook her head, “Let’s go!”
“Perfect!” Corey answered the girl, hoping that things were going as well with Dre.
They were indeed! Dre was surprised at how quickly the stable tenders fetched her two horses! Dre insisted that she escort herself outside and that the second rider was waiting for her outside. The tenders nodded and let her leave the stable alone with the two horses. Upon leaving the stable, she laughed at how oblivious servants in the palace of Agrabah were!
She made her way silently back to the importation port where the melon merchant had dropped her and Dre off with the watermelons. It was there that she would wait for Corey. He sure was taking a long time! Was something wrong?
There was something wrong! The guard from the city’s entrance was following Corey! Corey knew that the guard wouldn’t just let him walk off with the princess! He had to lose him! But, if he just took off running with the princess, he would raise even more suspicions! Thinking fast, he turned to the girl beside him and smiled charmingly, “I’ll beat you there!” With this, he took off running and dashed down the hall.
“No you won’t!” she replied boyishly as she took off running after him. The guard realized something was wrong and immediately started chasing them. But he was at a loss in that his legs were too short to run as swiftly as either of them could. But, he had no time or idea to do anything else.
“Halt!” he yelled. “Halt, I say!”
Sadira looked back at the guard pathetically trying to keep up with her and the charming young servant she had met. She called up to the servant, “Shouldn’t we stop?!”
The boy didn’t answer, so she kept running. Upon turning a very sharp turn, she ran right out an open door and straight off of a drop-off! The servant caught her in his arms and placed her on a horse. That’s when she realized that she was outside by the importation entrance! And she wasn’t being escorted at all! She was being kidnapped!
“I got her! And we need to hurry! I am being chased!”
“Chased?” a girl on the horse beside asked worriedly while covering Sadira’s mouth, muffling her screams greatly with a scolding, “Hush, princess!”
“Couldn’t you have gotten a cart or something?” the servant boy called to the girl on the horse, who replied: “You never mentioned getting a cart!”
“Well-“ the boy stopped short and grabbed a nearby cart that had been recently unloaded and tied it unbelievably quickly to one of the two horses’ bridle. “Now give me the cloak I gave you!”
The girl frantically handed him the cloak with her one free hand. The boy grabbed Sadira and wrapped her in the cloak, putting a gag in her mouth to keep her quiet. He placed her non-gently on the cart and mounted the second horse.
“Go! Hurry!” he yelled.
With that, Corey and Dre were off with their captive; the guards were too late.
Settling the Score by CascadeofOnyx