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..."
The Tie That Binds by StoryWriter92
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!