Author's note: I've wanted to play around with the concept of Jafar as a genie (both as a nod to the Disney film and a way to have some fun) for a while. Eventually this idea popped into my head, and I decided to run with it. This will be multichapter, but not a terribly long one as I have other projects to work on as well. I estimate about three or four chapters, depending on which direction I decide to take it.
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My Will Is Thine
Part One
The moral of the story, Anastasia ruminated bitterly, was to actually take heed of the warnings that were spun into legends.
The Queen sighed in frustration and peered up at the seemingly never-ending ceiling of the cavern she was stuck in.
"Well, Ana…you've gotten yourself out of worse scrapes than this, haven't you?" she muttered to the air before standing and dusting herself off.
She gazed at her surroundings, trying to discern even the smallest sliver of light that would offer her a route to freedom, but found nothing.
Full lips formed a pout and she crossed her arms over her chest. "See if I come back to Agrabah after getting out of this mess!"
Huffing, she sat on a nearby boulder and reminisced on the events that had led her to her current misfortune.
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The trip to the desert kingdom had been intended as a simple diplomatic mission, but Anastasia was never much for politics, so while her dignitaries discussed matters with the Sultan, the Queen had ventured out into the city to explore.
It was in the local marketplace that she first heard the rumors: tales of a wondrous cave that held unlimited treasure.
With her interest piqued, she researched into the legends, and before long, she discovered a map that supposedly lead to it.
She was an adventurous spirit at heart, but the last thing she expected was actually being able to find the "cave of wonders."
And yet: find it she did.
The actuality made the stories pale in comparison, but she would have liked it very much if there had been a part in the tale that fully explained the "calamity" that would befall someone if they touched even the smallest jewel in the treasure room.
It would have been nice to know that the cave would literally try to eat you.
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Anastasia rested her chin against her hand and stared blankly at the wall in front of her. The cavern that she had fallen into once the cave started devouring everything in sight was large, but there appeared to be no exit.
Muttering darkly to herself, she kicked at the sand beneath her feet, only to hear a resounding clunk when she struck something with the toe of her boot.
She blinked in surprise, and then knelt down to uncover whatever it was from where it was lodged in the ground.
It was an oil lamp: black in color, which she found to be quite unusual. Most lamps were made of gold or silver. This one appeared to be formed out of a uniquely colored bronze.
She lifted it up, turning it over carefully in her gloved hands. "Well…it's not exactly treasure, but it will help illuminate this place at least."
Anastasia formed a fireball in her palm, and was about to light the lamp when she noticed an inscription on the side.
Curious, she brought the flame close so she could attempt to read it, but there was some sort of smudge across the lettering that made it difficult.
She put out the flame for a moment (it would be easy to form another one), and rubbed at the lamp in an effort to clear off the smudge.
Instantly, red smoke began to pour out of it, prompting Anastasia to shriek and drop the lamp in surprise.
The smoke billowed and coalesced into a tall, dark shape, which made her back up in fear until it dispersed to reveal a man.
He took a moment to brush off the remnants of the smoke before turning to face her, a warm smile spreading over his face right before he bowed in an elegant, sweeping movement.
"Mistress mine: my will is thine. Tell me your wishes three."
Anastasia's jaw dropped. The man before her was utterly gorgeous.
He glanced back up at her when she didn't answer him right away, his dark eyes glittering inquisitively.
His handsome, noble features were framed by soft-looking, ebony colored curls which suited the bronze shade of his skin. His lean frame was draped in expensive looking black and silver brocade, and he held a staff in the shape of a cobra in one hand.
Her heart fluttered in her chest when he stood to his full height, which was a few inches taller than her, and crossed the space between them.
"I take it that this is your first encounter with a genie?"
She struggled to find her voice. "A what?!"
"A genie: a wish-granter," he clarified, his lips quirking in amusement. "Thank you, by the way, for letting me out of that lamp. The curse of phenomenal cosmic powers is a lack of living space, I'm afraid."
Anastasia swayed slightly, overwhelmed by this new information, and the genie reached out quickly, catching her elbow before she fell.
He drew her close, which caused their faces to be only inches apart, and they spent the next few seconds simply staring at each other.
He searched her eyes for a moment before whispering. "My name is Jafar. What is yours?"
"Anastasia," she replied.
"Well, Anastasia…" his rich, deep voice washed over her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She made no move to pull away, transfixed by him, and then he smiled again which only made her heart melt further.
"So, if I'm to believe what you say, I now have three wishes? As in: anything?"
"Well there are a couple of rules," he confessed.
"What kind of rules?" she finally found the will to move back, and self-consciously began to adjust the sleeves of her tunic, wishing that she was dressed more like royalty.
Instead of her normally lavish gowns, the Queen was clad in a simple tunic and pants, and her long blond hair was pulled back into a neat pony-tail. The shirt draped loosely over her torso, so she had gathered it around the middle with a beaded belt. The pants were form-fitting and clung to her shapely legs, and the outfit was completed by her favorite dark brown riding boots.
Jafar raked his eyes appreciatively over her for a moment before clearing his throat and explaining further: "I can't kill anyone, I can't make anyone fall in love, and I can't bring back the dead. Oh and you can't wish for more wishes. Once all three are granted, I go back into that lamp," he gestured at the bauble that she had dropped on the ground.
Anastasia knelt down briefly to pick up the lamp, holding it with more reverence than before. "And then…what? You wait for another master to come along?"
"That's the lot of the genie's life," he shrugged.
She pursed her lips. "Doesn't sound like much of a life at all. You're released only to grant the wishes of others and then you have to go back and do it all over again. Can you not be freed?"
He blinked, surprised by the question. "No one's actually asked me that before. I'm not sure, to be honest. I suppose…I could be wished free."
"Well then: I'll use my first two wishes on whatever I want, and then my third shall be to free you," Anastasia announced.
Jafar tilted his head, studying the woman before him. She seemed sincere, but he knew all-too-well how tempting wishes could be. "I appreciate the thought, but if you decide otherwise, I will understand."
"I won't decide otherwise," she insisted, shaking her head.
A sad smile graced the genie's attractive face. "We'll see."
Her heart clenched at the doubt in his voice, and she grasped at his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Jafar placed his hand over hers, and the two reveled in a tender moment of understanding before he spoke again. "In reward for releasing me…I'll help you out of this cave without a wish."
A puzzled expression crossing her lovely features." How did you know what my first wish was?"
"A genie is able to see into the hearts of others," he stated, and then snapped his fingers.
Immediately, a carpet flew into the cavern, which caused Anastasia's eyes to widen in shock.
Jafar stepped onto the rug as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "Come on."
She hesitated. "Are you sure this thing is safe?"
He just smiled enigmatically. "Trust me."
Wordlessly, she placed her hand in his, and allowed him to pull her up onto the carpet.
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"Where would you like to go?" he asked as she sat carefully in the center of the rug.
"My palace in Wonderland," she informed. "I've had enough of Agrabah to last a lifetime, I'm afraid. I'll send word to my aides that I've returned when I get there."
The genie nodded. "I see. Well…I've always wanted to visit Wonderland." Smiling, he waved his hand and the carpet lifted into the air.
Momentarily set off-balance, Anastasia gripped at the carpet's soft fabric, but in the next second, Jafar had settled behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Don't let go," she mumbled, unable to resist leaning back into his embrace.
He was silent, but she was fairly certain that he was smiling, especially when his hold on her tightened.
A blast of magic took care of the ceiling, and then the next thing she knew: they were soaring through the air, on the way to her home.
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If there was one thing that Anastasia learned on the journey back to Wonderland, it was that travel by magic carpet was definitely the way to go.
Once her initial trepidation passed, the Queen began to enjoy herself, taking in the sights below as they flew out of Agrabah and headed west towards her own kingdom.
True to his word, Jafar kept his hold on her the entire trip, which kept her nerves from unravelling.
As soon as she felt comfortable enough, she reclined in his arms. "Since we're going to be here for a while, why don't you tell me more about yourself?"
He chuckled. "You're certainly not like any master that I've had previously, Anastasia. It was always about the wishes. None of them took an interest in me."
"Call me Ana," she smiled and twisted a little to look at him. "And you're right. I'm not like your other masters. I'd like to know more about you."
He stared at her for a moment before smiling back. "All right…well, I guess I should start with the fact that I'm royalty. At least: technically. I was the illegitimate son of the sultan who ruled around 200 years ago…and he's the reason I'm a genie."
"Your own father is the reason you're trapped in that lamp?"
Jafar sighed and rested his chin against her head. "He was not a very kind man. He was looking for a way to keep me from inheriting the throne, which, by the way: was not what I wanted. I simply wanted to be accepted as his child. But he was fearful that I would eventually stake a claim on his kingdom- so he went to a sorcerer. The sorcerer gave him a curse, and that curse was used to trap me in the lamp: and into a life of servitude."
"That's horrifying!" Anastasia exclaimed.
There was another chuckle, though it was dry and devoid of humor. "For the longest time, I asked myself what I had done to displease him…and then I realized that the answer was my very existence."
"I'm so sorry to hear that, Jafar," carefully, she turned to face him and gently cupped his chin. "You don't deserve to be treated this way."
He turned his face enough to place a light kiss to her palm in thanks, which made her a pleasant shiver ease up her spine.
A short silence lapsed between them as Anastasia pondered what to say next, only for Jafar to let her off the hook by stating: "Well enough about me…it's your turn."
She arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
He laughed: a genuine, bright sound that caused her heart to skip rapidly. "Since we're getting to know each other, it's only fair."
"All right, if you insist. I warn you: my tale is not much better than yours." She twisted back around, so her back was against his chest, and looked out over the horizon.
"Tell me anyway."
Anastasia relaxed in his arms, and then launched into her tale: "My mother was a bit like your father, though not quite as cruel. She just…pressured. She pressured me and my sister, but Drizella dealt with the stress a bit better than I did."
"Wait, wait, wait…before you go on: your sister's name is Drizella?"
"Oh like Jafar is such a common name," she retorted, slapping at the hand that was beginning to wander over her hip. "You wanted to hear this so be quiet!"
"All right, all right," his response was muffled by her hair, and she could feel him chuckling behind her, but she simply rolled her eyes and continued.
"As I was saying: my sister handled the stress better than I did. My mother was obsessed with appearance and class. She wanted only the best for us: and in her eyes, that was royalty. She wanted one of us to marry the prince of our kingdom, but on the night of the royal ball, his attention was stolen by a woman that I didn't realize was my step-sister: Ella. I…regret how my family treated her. She was nothing but a servant to my mother and sister, but I tried to be kind to her when I could.
When she ended up marrying the prince, I was happy for her, and I hoped that it would mean that I could go off and live my own life for once. Unfortunately my mother had other plans: she dragged me and Drizella around from kingdom to kingdom, hoping to secure a fortune. My sister and I grew tired of her schemes, and we learned of this portal…a mirror that would take us to another land. Eventually we found it, and it brought us to Wonderland.
At first, it was a strange, frightening place to be, but it was freedom. We ended up catching the eye of the two brothers that joint-ruled here. My sister married the White King and she rules over one half of the land. I married the Red King…sadly, he died a few years ago."
"I'm so sorry…I had no idea you were a widow."
She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. I'm not: he was kind and gentle and treated me well. I was happy with him. And his aides are wonderful when it comes to helping me rule…but sometimes it gets a little lonely now that I'm by myself."
"You don't have any children?"
Again, she shook her head. "My husband was unable to have any."
"That's unfortunate."
"Perhaps it's for the best. After all I didn't exactly have the best female role-model in my life."
Tenderly, Jafar pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sure you would make a fantastic mother."
The compliment was unexpected, but appreciated, and Anastasia closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth that his presence caused.
She was content to bask for a while when her companion spoke quietly. "Out of curiosity…does your palace happen to resemble chess pieces?"
"Why yes, why do you…" she opened her eyes, and saw that they were nearing her palace. "Oh. That was faster than I expected."
He laughed once more: a sound Anastasia was growing more and more accustomed to, and then guided the carpet towards her balcony when she explained where it was.
Jafar brought the carpet to a halt, and she stared in disbelief when the rug magically formed a set of steps so they could climb down.
The genie assisted her, and then she gestured for him to follow her into her chambers.
"It's quite a large place for one person to live," he remarked.
"It's not just me. There are the servants and my aides…and now you."
Jafar whirled around to face her, his eyes wide. "Wait, you want me to stay in the palace?"
"I'm not about to make you live in this," she plucked up his lamp, which was hanging from the sash that was tied around his robes, and held it up.
His expression softened. "Thank you. You truly aren't like the other masters I've had."
Anastasia grinned. "Come on. I'll give you a tour."
He smiled back and happily allowed her to drag him by the hand as she showed him her home.