Two Nights and A Day
This is a three chapter story. Beware this be a piece of fluff and it's Disney. I felt like I needed some fluff, this came out. I actually have read the Arabian/1001 Nights version of Aladdin as well. Not that that is going to have any importance in this story. Most of Disney's Aladdin gets ignored as well (the title character is not present, nor is Genie and much more).
The characters are, as can't be avoided, my own version of their Disney performance.
Princess Jasmine is as in the film the headstrong girl who wants something more out of life. Who is next to that also capable of being completely happy and would save everyone's skin by distracting the villain most bravely. What I wanted to explore in this story is a Jasmine who has a cause, a true interest in something.
This Jafar won't say things that imply that a woman should be quiet. Because in my world such a sentence in unforgivable. Someone who says stuff like this does not get the girl. I like to think of the Jafar in this fanfic as ambitious but not altogether evil.
The First Night
"Jafar, you have to stop trying to make me fall in love with you."
"Princess!" he spat. Gone was the usual sliminess to his voice. This was the pure shock of a man suddenly awakened.
"I have no such objective." He struggled over his words. He rearranged the covers on his bed with a sleepy smoothness, trying to collect his thoughts and separate reality from his dreams. "By Allah, what are you doing here." A poor question. The princess could go anywhere she likes. Every place in the palace was accessible to her, whenever she wishes.
She had made frequent use of this ever since she was a child. Confronting the Grand Vizier was her favourite pastime after petting Rajah. She often hoped to catch him doing something, no idea what.
To appear in his chambers in the middle of the night and disrupt his sleep with absurd accusations was a first. A peculiar choice for amusement. Most likely a display of her power?
"You were agreeing too eagerly with me on the suitors."
"I spoke my opinion. They were poor choices."
"You were doing it on purpose." He was positively befuddled by how decisive she sounded. Jafar prized himself on his self-knowledge. He knew he was not the greatest wizard, he knew he was not one 'pure of heart', he knew a young princess would never truly desire his company.
He was aware of his own talents and boundaries and often found ways of using all at his disposal to his advantage. Everything beyond his power was a sweet dream.
Making her like him was a mission too hopeless to undertake. He had long ag written that idea off, he deemed it impossible. Making her love him was something else altogether.
"I was making the best of an aggravating situation." You were smiling at me, her eyes said accusingly piercing into the covers where he lay.
"I know you want the throne."
Yes, he almost blurted out, baffled by her keen insight. But I was thinking of a coup.
"I heard you. You plan to take the kingdom. That parrot and you aren't exactly quiet in your schemings."
"What do you propose?" The smoothness was in his voice now, the part of him that was not quite asleep was smelling an opportunity.
"I am not proposing anything, I want you to stop."
"To stop what I am not doing. Fine."
He saw her standing in his doorway in the dim light cast from his window. Arabian nights. The warm sands reflected the moon into the palace. How the sky would sometimes darken or pale from this light coming from the soil underfoot.
Such nights are more lustrously presented than they really are. Their poetic look, the promise of romance and adventure when really all they contained was a dusty warmth and a deep need for sleep. The bright magical look of these nights most often made one forget to go to bed.
Jasmine stood in the night's glow.
His vision faded for blissful sleep. He could hear her hissy fit building for how he dared talk to her. He did not care, he wanted to sleep.
All of her outbursts and obstinate behaviour, they will pass. They are but creations of her teenage years. The brat princess. Her striding around every day accusing her father and him of everything and nothing. He tells himself to calm down, it will pass.
"Petulant princess." He mutters to himself, as he often calls her in Iago's presence.
"Jafar!"
"Fine, fine." He turned over, pulling the covers up high to block the sun-moon-sand- light from the window. "I will marry you. Talk to me about it again in the morning."
Of course by now his eyes would not close. Sleep had eluded him.
He sat up in the bed. For the first time he took an effort to really see her standing at the entrance of his perfumed room. Her hair disheveled not from sleep but from lack there of. She had been up all night. She was still in her daytime attire. She drew carefully closer.
"I assure you seducing you is," He rubbed his sleepy temples in an attempt to wake his brain. "utter nonsense, only a fool would hazard.
Whatever is upsetting you, you are imagining it. For the reason to this problem you should look entirely to yourself, princess. Goodnight."
She was not leaving. She stood immovable in the doorway, not keen on coming in maybe. She did look concerned, like she had been worrying all night.
He shifted his bedcovers, clearing a place next to him. He invited the princess beside him on the bed. "Tell me what is the matter."
At once Jasmine strode out of the room. Leaving the door impertinently open behind her.
He saw her tiger join her outside, she stroked his back. They were running away together. Let her hug her tiger to feel better.
He thought it a good thing that Jasmine had at least kept her pet tiger out of this. He could do without being woken by a tiger on his bed growling in his sleepy face.
Jafar wished he hadn't taken the effort of trying to sit up and get up. He returned to his embroidered pillows. Jafar drew the covers back up over his face. No one was to interrupt him here. He was entitled to all of the sleep he granted himself. His scraping and groveling ended at that door. Palace business has no place in his room.
A grin spread across his face. Marry the princess, a marvelous idea and it had come from her own lips. He would have the proper scrolls prepared. His grin lasted in sleep.
The End of the First Night