She watched the sand slowly trickle from the hourglass, its unremitting pour captivating her attention as she allowed her thoughts to wander. It had been so long since she last reveled in a moment of silence; since she was granted that luxury. Her gaze drifted down, following the individual grains as they were pulled through the spout and tumbled below on to the growing mound. Time was gradually and steadily escaping her.
Pulling herself away from the table, she restlessly paced her old chamber, her mind stumbling as she fought to grasp a steady beat of reality. She had been given three days to decide, and she had but a few minutes remaining. His terms, his black hearted terms, consistently shrouded her thoughts and obstructed her from sleep. Her hands clenched, then relaxed, then clenched again as her nails bit into her skin. "Damn him," she murmured under her breath as her eyes ambled back to the hourglass.
Rarely before had she felt as though her back was against a wall, as though her options were no longer hers, as though her life had already been decided. For nearly three days she had agonized what to do, but as Jasmine suddenly came to realize, the choice had already been made for her. There was never another way. The terms of the contract had always been tilted from her favor. Despite her incessant drive to find a loophole or create an escape, she knew it had all been in vain.
In the room adjacent to her, she thought with heartbreaking clarity, was the reason she needed to do what had to be done. In the back of her mind, she always knew this was the only route to returning things the way they once were, no matter how bleak and dismal the outlook currently seemed to be for them both. Breaking away from the hourglass before her, Jasmine left the chamber and entered the room where he slept. Quietly, she closed the door behind her, although she knew it did not matter how loud she was, for he would never wake.
Gently sitting beside him on the bed, Jasmine began stroking his hair and watched the subtle rise and fall of his chest. Taking his hand in hers, she delicately traced each of his fingers and prayed for them to return the embrace. Nearly lifeless before her, Aladdin slumbered, and was lost in an everlasting dream. She had spent much of the last few days at his side, silently wishing for a miracle, for a sudden end to her waking nightmare. Jasmine knew, however, that his salvation was her.
"Aladdin," she finally whispered, tightly grasping his hand, "I have to do it. I have to go. I can't be the reason you stay like this. Agrabah needs you, just as I have needed you, and our people will need you now more than ever." As she continued and said the words aloud, her heart began to break, "I love you, and I'll always love you, you know that. This won't be forever, I'll be home again." The words were said to reassure herself; to remind herself of the terms. Her eyes welling and voice cracking, she felt her hand begin to tremble as she acknowledged what her desolate future held. "I'm coming home to you and we can return to our wonderful life together," she paused as she brushed a tear away, "I love you."
Leaning forward, Jasmine's lips met his for one final kiss before she tore herself from him. Pausing as she opened the door, she turned back once more and allowed her gaze to trace his form and prayed for his forgiveness, "Please," she added, her voice hitching in her throat, "don't hate me." Incapable of being in the room any longer, she returned to her old chamber as her heart pounded ceaselessly, and nearly painfully, in her chest. This was it. She needed to let go of the fear, of the doubt, of the uncertainty, and remind herself who she was doing this for. Quickly attempting to compose herself, Jasmine steadily wiped her cheeks, took a deep breath, returned to the tableside of the hourglass and watched the remaining onyx grains of sand fall through the neck.
Silence followed.
As the curtains ruffled and candlelight flickered, she realized he was already there. He had come to finalize their deal. He had come for her.