Chapter 1
The tiger awoke slowly to the warmth of sunlight on his fur. The new day carried a fresh scent, traces of a cloudless sky and a cooling breeze.
As usual, he was slow to wake fully, preferring to bask in the warmth until the princess was up or breakfast arrived. Usually the former had to happen first, as the servants customarily waited for her permission before coming in.
He opened his eyes a crack and saw she was still in her bed, delicate lips curved downward in a slight frown. Perhaps she hadn't eaten enough before going to sleep the night before. He closed his eyes again and fell into a light doze.
Some time later, he finally stretched and rose from the floor as the sunlight had grown too hot on his fur. He padded silently toward the bed and nuzzled her hand, and she finally opened her eyes. Instead of turning to smile at him, she stared up at the ceiling, looking more serious than before. Her hand stroked his head absently.
Then she climbed out of bed and hurried about the room, hardly paying him any attention. Slightly miffed, he sat back on his haunches by the door and wondered when the food would arrive. He was hungry.
She dressed surprisingly quickly and left before a servant girl could arrive to wash and comb her hair. Rajah tilted his head curiously as she hurried down the hall, having all but ignored him. With a growl of discontent he lay his head on his paws and stared at the half-open door. It looked like he wouldn't get any playtime after his meal, either.
Still, he was quite used to her temperament. She was more like a tiger than most other humans, which had solidified their bond from the start. She was dignified and poised, sharp and intelligent, fierce and protective. But she also liked to play, and enjoyed the sun and lush grass and open sky. He was still a little resentful that she had taken to flying on a carpet more often than running across the gardens with him, but he supposed if it made her happy, he ought to be happy as well. Today, her sharp impatient side had surfaced, which would probably preclude any form of fun altogether.
She came back before his next meal, her footsteps a brisk tattoo against the polished floor. He looked up half-heartedly from his spot by the balcony, expecting her to snatch up whatever she was looking for and leave again. But she stayed instead, settling down at her desk and drawing out a sheaf of blank parchment. With a determined look on her face, she began to scribble black marks all over it.
He watched her curiously before settling back and closing his eyes again. It was best to leave her alone, as she could be quite territorial when she was in this mood.
She continued through the afternoon and into the night, seemingly unaware of the fact that a plate of perfectly good meat and assorted foods was growing cold beside her. He nudged it toward her pointedly, and she finally turned to him.
"Hungry, aren't you?" she said, the first words she had spoken to him all day. He decided not to let his offense show and eagerly accepted the scraps of food from her hand while she stared at the black marks she had made.
He stayed close by her side when she went to bed soon afterward. The determined look on her face did not fade as she let down her hair and brushed through it once or twice.
"It's a game I'll win," she spoke. He licked her hand in encouragement. If making black marks on parchment was a new game she had started, he was sure she would win with ease.
She lay down and closed her eyes, murmuring softly. "Mozenrath. I'm waiting."
Rajah licked her palm again, curious. But the soft, relaxed exhalation from her lips signaled she was already asleep, her breathing deep and even. The game must have tired her out, as she had been concentrating hard on it all day. He settled beside her and closed his eyes as well, preferring to sleep close to her tonight instead of by the balcony.
The next day the game continued. She stayed at her desk, frowning at the mounting volume of parchment in front of her. He found it boring and pointless, but humans did many things that were boring and pointless. She would probably realize it faster than others, though, and abandon it promptly. He simply gave her space and waited. It took a significant amount of patience, and soon his own mood began to turn sour from the tedium.
He was half-asleep in the afternoon when she asked him a question.
"Are you watching me?"
He raised his head and blinked. Was she expecting him to track her progress? He'd thought she had forgotten his presence altogether.
But he saw that she was not speaking to him. From her spot on the divan, she glanced around the room warily as if searching for someone. His senses shot to full alertness immediately and he sniffed the air for any signs of an intruder, ears straining to pick up the slightest sound.
"Are you?" she said.
Rajah kept still, not letting his guard down. He filtered out the background noise of the breeze and the birds outside and listened carefully for approaching footsteps or human breathing. There was nothing. He looked at her cautiously, wondering who she was talking to. After a moment she relaxed and went back to her work. He lowered his head but did not sleep, staying alert for a while longer in case there was indeed a threat nearby.
The tension in her countenance was clear, and the frown on her face had not gone away for more than a day. He had thought she was winning the game, but perhaps she had run into an obstacle and was stuck. His concern turned to disappointment, since this inevitably meant she would spend even more time indoors instead of outside with him.
No danger reared its head for the rest of the day, and he settled beside her bed as soon as night fell. The lamp on her desk did not go out for a long time.
The next several days were increasingly troubling as the game dragged on seemingly without end. He began to think it was not a game at all. She was eating and sleeping less, and she continued to shut herself in her room, hardly talking to anyone. When she did speak, it was at night as she lay back in bed. She would close her eyes, whisper to herself, and fall asleep instantly. One night he nuzzled her hand after she had shut her eyes, and found her completely unresponsive. It was strange that she could fall into such a deep sleep so quickly, even if she were tired.
Rajah found his own mood deteriorating alongside hers. He naturally wanted to protect her from whatever was bothering her, but he did not know what it was, and she would not tell him. He became more alert to their surroundings, the innocuous room they had always shared now riddled with invisible threats. It had become her cage, and there was nothing that tigers hated more than cages. The fact she was willingly subjecting herself to such torment left Rajah at a loss. Humans were indeed a mystery, even the ones that exhibited traits of his species. It confused and saddened him that he no longer understood her as well as he used to.
...
"My daughter's orders were to open them for one day?" the sultan said, slightly perplexed. "Did she provide a reason?"
"No, Your Majesty," the councilor answered, head still bowed.
He dismissed the man and went back to rearranging the rows of model animals beside his throne. But he had lost interest in them for the moment, intrigued by his daughter's recent flurry of activity. He supposed Jasmine did not need to explain herself to the servants any more than he did, but he would have preferred it if she had consulted him first before issuing any decrees. Of course, the news that she was acting independently for the welfare of the kingdom made him proud of her as any father would be. She had grown so much in the past few years, from a restless, rebellious girl to a strong and self-assured young woman. It was hard to believe her wedding was so close, when she would truly leave his side as his only child and begin a new life at the side of the kingdom's hero. Though the sultan looked forward to giving up most of his official duties and playing with grandchildren, there was a certain poignant sadness to all of the change in the air. He was old, and Jasmine was still so young and full of life and ambition. He couldn't help but feel she was beginning to leave him behind, as all children were wont to do.
He had the servants prepare a pavilion in the gardens for their lunch together. He missed dining with her alone, since she was often away with Aladdin and their friends or exploring the city he had barred her from entering for most of her life. It had been a great error to shelter her to such a degree after her mother's passing. Only after he had granted her near complete freedom had he realized just how much potential she had, and how much happier she was when she could see and experience firsthand the world beyond the palace.
He had always found it striking how much she resembled her mother in appearance, but now the similarities in personality were evident as well, though Jasmine had no recollection of Asima. His late wife had not been quite as headstrong and outspoken as their daughter, but she had had the same inner strength and stubbornness when it came to her convictions, including her curiosity about the world and her commitment to bettering the lives of the common people. Likewise, Jasmine had developed an immutable sense of duty toward the kingdom, and he was confident she would make a fair and wise sultana alongside her future husband.
But she seemed troubled as she arrived late to the gardens for their meal, and picked at her food throughout their conversation. He wondered if all her recent decisions were making her nervous already. He recalled his own anxiety when he had first taken the throne and begun shouldering the weight of a thousand responsibilities, constantly second-guessing his choices and worrying that any mistake could spell disaster for the kingdom. It was different for her, as Aladdin would bear the brunt of the burden, but he knew she would do as much as she could to help, especially considering the young man's common upbringing and inexperience with governance. For now, he merely found it endearing to see his daughter caught up in this harrowing stage of royal life.
"Jasmine, I was told you ordered the city granaries to be opened for a day," he said. "A reasonable albeit unexpected move. But I am curious as to what brought on this decision. Such an action is usually not warranted unless there are food shortages."
The question seemed to refocus her distracted state of mind. "It's not about food shortages, father. It's about showing we care for the people."
"I see. A show of compassion from the already beloved princess?"
"Well, there's never a guarantee they'll love me forever."
"Hmm. I find it highly unlikely that you will ever receive anything but adulation from our people. Of course, I may be a bit biased."
He smiled fondly as she laughed.
"As I see it, daughter, you may be getting a little ahead of yourself. There is no need for overt displays of benevolence when you already enjoy such popularity."
"But it couldn't hurt. Right now the people know me primarily for helping Aladdin save the kingdom from outside attack. I need to show that I'm capable of good governance as well."
The sultan considered this. "A sound idea, but I still think you are placing undue burdens on yourself. You will undoubtedly make a fine sultana. No need to exercise such authority before you are even married."
She frowned, signaling that she still disagreed. But he did not argue with her further, knowing she would not be swayed when she wore such an expression.
He did not think more of it until the next morning when the weekly meeting with his ministers revealed the exact extent of her disagreement. The changes she had set into motion were more than cosmetic. A doubling in size of the border patrol; stringent new training in the detection of dangerous substances; an exorbitant project to expand the city's underground shelters that had thrown the royal treasurer into a nervous fit. Upon hearing of the last initiative, he decided to close the meeting early and find out exactly what had driven her to do all this, as none of the councilors had dared ask her.
She did not come to the throne room when he sent for her. With a resigned sigh he set off to find her himself. It was unbecoming of a sultan to have to wait on his own daughter and to wander the halls with his guards looking for her, but he supposed it couldn't hurt to dote on her any more than he already had. The servants were long accustomed to his unconventional behavior toward his only child.
He found her at last in one of the meeting rooms, dictating orders to several civil servants. Their attention was immediately diverted from her speech upon his entrance, and he could see the frown in her eyes even as she kept her face expressionless. She inclined her head in a cursory manner a second after the men bowed low to him. He dismissed them and noticed that they glanced at her for permission before proceeding out the door.
"Jasmine, I believe we need to continue yesterday's conversation," he said, sitting down beside her.
With the servants gone, she no longer hid her frown. "Before we do, father, I'd like to ask that you don't interrupt me like that. I don't hold meetings unless they're necessary."
"That's just what I wanted to speak with you about, dear." He kept his voice stern, drawing the line of his authority. He did not mind if she disagreed with him, but disrespect was another matter, especially in the presence of others.
"What's the matter, father?"
He chose to begin positively. She always responded best when offered praise before criticism. "Jasmine, I am pleased that you are assuming many responsibilities and proving yourself capable of ruling, but…why? I don't understand the urgency for such changes. I was informed this morning by my ministers just how much you have been doing. The border patrols are in a frenzy trying to implement the demands you have set. The royal treasurer asked me for permission today to draw from the kingdom's reserves to fund a massive construction project of underground shelters. Do you realize how much of a drain on our resources those two changes alone will be?"
"We will have the resources. I will make sure of it," she asserted.
He refrained from shaking his head, as he was quite sure she knew little about the kingdom's finances.
"I'm afraid you still have much to learn about effective governance. There are only so many changes a ruler can make in a short span of time, especially if there is little need for change. Agrabah has not been under threat for a good while, nor are we in a state of hostility toward any other sovereign kingdom."
"There are always threats," she said defensively. "They're just not always detectible. The most dangerous ones are the least detectible, in fact."
"This is not an adventure tale from your childhood storybooks, Jasmine," he said in a more direct tone. "Secret conspiracies and underground enemies—there are none great enough to seriously threaten the kingdom, and even if there are, our defenses are more than strong enough to deal with them."
She did not take the correction well, as usual. "Adventure tales? Father, I'm not a child anymore. I'm not naïve or stupid. I'd say I've actually done more to protect the kingdom in the last few days than you've done in years."
The blunt accusation was followed by a brief stunned silence on his part, during which he thought she might apologize. But she said nothing, merely sitting up straighter and meeting his gaze with defiance. He did not allow himself to feel any anger, only regret that he was going to have to rebuke her. This conversation was not going to end well, but he had to set limits and remind her of her position.
"Jasmine, you speak out of turn. Must we have this talk again? You must know your place as princess. You will be sultana, but not sultan. Your role is to serve, not to lead. I understand you may feel resentful against me because I hold the power you cannot wield—"
"You have to be kidding me, father," she interrupted angrily. "What I said doesn't have to do with any resentment against your authority. And I disagree with your view of my future role. Sultan or sultana, whoever rules fairly and effectively should have the power. You said yourself over a year ago that the law was the problem. No archaic law is going to prevent me from assuming the level of authority I need in order to keep the kingdom safe."
He sighed at her incorrigible stubbornness. He had long since given up on expecting obedience and submission from her, but it was frustrating and disappointing to deal with her at times. Had anyone else given her the same advice and criticism, she would likely have been more receptive, but because he was her father, she naturally had to challenge him at every turn.
"I won't argue with you any further, it never gets us anywhere. Let me ask you a question, then. Have you spoken with Aladdin at all about any of the things you have done in the past week?"
That made her pause, as he had known it would. "No, I haven't."
He took the opening with a measure of relief. "You may continue to disagree with me, but I am telling you that your role is to serve. Not only serve our people, but serve your husband. Aladdin will be sultan, and whether you like it or not he will be the head of the kingdom. The question of his own competence aside, you must devote yourself to supporting him in his duties as ruler. It concerns me that you have not spoken to him at all about the actions you have taken. I have already bent over backwards in order to allow him to succeed me, Jasmine. I have scrapped age-old laws and fought half the court tooth-and-nail to uphold my choice…your choice. You chose to marry him, daughter, and you must take responsibility for that decision. All will not go smoothly when he ascends the throne. You must help prepare him to rule and prepare our people to accept him instead of building yourself up. The only thing that will unsettle the kingdom more than a street rat sultan is a woman on the throne."
Though the indignation had not faded from her eyes, she looked slightly chastised and seemed to think over his words.
"Do you believe he is ready to rule?" he asked more gently.
"No."
They had found some common ground at last. "Neither do I, dear. Neither do I. And that worries me greatly."
"If it worries you, why haven't you talked to him about it?" she said, her frown deepening. "If you think I should just play a supportive role and not hold any real power, then I shouldn't be the one to teach him anything about how to rule. That responsibility is yours, isn't it?"
It surprised him how quickly she had become defensive again. "He is required to attend weekly meetings with my advisors. They prepared lessons for him soon after the law was changed."
"Meetings with your advisors, but not with you?"
The sultan silently admitted his oversight and found he had lost the ground he had just managed to gain.
She looked at him in exasperation. "This is exactly what bothers me about you, father. It's bothered me for years, in fact. You say a lot but don't actually do anything. It's as if you assume there will always be servants to do everything for you, people who can somehow read your mind and will happily carry out all your wishes to perfection. A few years ago you had Jafar basically running the kingdom. Look where that got us. I thought that after that disaster you would change and start effectively using the authority you claim I'll never have. But you haven't."
He was taken aback by the sharp outburst. She had called him unfair countless times, complained about all the constraints he had placed on her as a child—all the typical grievances children had against their parents. But she had never challenged his position as sultan or his ability to rule the kingdom.
"Jasmine…" he began with anger, but stopped before the reprimand could leave his mouth. What she had said was true. Painfully true. She was now mature enough to notice his flaws as a ruler, and there was no hiding from them.
He lowered his eyes, humbled. "I am old, daughter. I look back on my mistakes and feel regret, but I can do nothing to change the past or myself now. I look forward to the day I may pass on the throne to more youthful hands, and I trust that you will do better than I."
Her gaze softened minutely at his sincere words. He took the chance to caution her once more, hoping she would accept his advice this time.
"And I believe Aladdin will learn. But you must talk to him; without trust, you can accomplish nothing together."
She nodded, concern mixing with contemplation. "I'll talk to him."
"Good. It will take work and patience to learn your roles, but I have faith in the two of you."
"Thank you," she said simply. The worry had not faded from her eyes, but his conciliatory words seemed to have lightened her mood somewhat.
"Now, no more of this dull talk. Tell me, dear, how are the wedding plans coming along?" he asked with a smile.
"They're about half-finished," she replied with less enthusiasm than expected. "I've been too busy to really think about it."
"You need to start preparing the guest list," he reminded her. "The invitations must be sent out to the farthest kingdoms soon."
"I just need to sign them. The official planners are taking care of the rest."
He looked at her, puzzled. "You have been so excited about it until now. Are you alright? Has something happened with Aladdin?"
"No, nothing's happened," she assured him. "It just seems there are more important things to think about now."
"There are few days in life that are more important than one's wedding. And one as special as yours will be recorded in the histories of the Seven Deserts," he said seriously. "I do hope the bride feels it is important enough to contribute to the planning herself."
"Don't worry about it, father," she said, sounding a little guilty. "Of course I'm still involved in the planning. I'll make sure it's a perfect day for everyone who attends."
He patted her hand as he stood to leave the room. "I trust it will be, especially for you and Aladdin. And the sooner you are married, the sooner you will be able to exercise all that you have been learning through the duties you have taken on. I will be able to rest assured that Agrabah is in good hands, cared for by my daughter's pure heart."
She finally smiled back, and as always, the sight of her contentment and gratitude eased his own worries. It had been a difficult conversation, but had ended better than he had initially thought it would.
Asima, if only you could see her now. How she has grown, how she has become so much like you.
Despite the twinge of sadness he felt whenever he thought of his late wife, he still smiled as he walked back toward the throne room, joined silently by his guards once again. Bringing up their daughter alone had been a challenge more difficult and frustrating than any complex matter of the state, but today had proved yet again that the former was infinitely more worth it.
...**
Aladdin almost hesitated when he stepped onto her balcony. It was near midnight, dark and peacefully quiet. He'd be disturbing her from her sleep, and from what he'd heard around the palace for the past few days, she was in dire need of it. What had spurred this sudden heightened interest in governance and the kingdom's defenses was a mystery to him. Only last week she had been dragging him around the marketplace, looking for the finest cloths for their wedding banquet decorations. Now she had canceled a meeting with the wedding planners and holed herself up in meeting rooms and her own chambers to pore over administrative decrees, even issuing some of her own. It was puzzling, but he took it in stride. As he had come to learn, sometimes painfully, unexplained mood swings were not uncommon for her. At least this time she had thrown herself into a good cause.
He found the balcony doors locked. She usually kept them open for the breeze to come in, but perhaps it was too cold tonight. Carpet carried him toward the windows, and he slipped inside easily.
Rajah awoke at the sound of his footsteps and raised his head to glare at him. As amiable as he was toward him during the day, he was never happy when he visited Jasmine at night. Aladdin mouthed an apology and communicated through a few quick gestures that he would only be here for a short while. The tiger watched him dubiously for another minute before lowering his head.
He came to her bedside and looked down at her sleeping form, feeling a bloom of warmth in his chest. The sight of her was endearing, curled up with her blanket drawn tightly around herself, hair spread haphazardly over the pillows. He debated for a moment whether to wake her before tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Jasmine?" he said softly. He ran his fingers through her hair, avoiding the tangles, and smiled apologetically when she opened her eyes a crack. "Sorry to wake you up. I haven't seen you in a week, so I thought I'd drop by."
"What time is it?" she croaked.
He continued to stroke her hair, twirling one strand around his finger playfully. "It's dark outside, and everyone's asleep. Now it's time for just us."
She responded by pulling the blanket over her shoulders and turning away from him. "We'll talk in the morning," she said, voice muffled.
He frowned slightly at the cold gesture, but it was understandable. He should have dropped by earlier when she was awake.
"I hear you've been busy lately," he started, not quite ready to let her go. "The wedding planners actually came to talk to me because they couldn't get a hold of you. What's been going on?"
"Nothing. Some things just came up, and I had to take care of them," she answered shortly. Her words slowed, as if she were considering whether or not to continue. "I have to take a trip out of Agrabah soon. I'll let you know more about it tomorrow."
The vague statement piqued his curiosity. Where could she have arranged to go without him? They always journeyed outside Agrabah together, whether on short vacations or diplomatic missions. But he reined in his questions; she needed rest and clearly didn't want to be bothered at this hour. "Okay, we'll talk later. Sleep in today, alright?"
He leaned down and kissed the side of her forehead, brushing her hair back from her face. She seemed to relax under his touch, and only then did he notice how tense she had been since he had woken her up. It seemed her heightened involvement in the kingdom's affairs had taken a significant toll on her already, yet she was shutting him out instead of asking him for help as she usually did.
"You can talk to me about anything, you know that," he said gently. "I'm always here for you."
She was half-asleep before he finished his words, and he drew back with an inaudible sigh, brushing off the slight bit of annoyance he felt at her obstinate mood. Carpet was waiting at the window. He slid outside as easily as he had come in and flew down toward the city, feeling the tug of sleep on his own body before he arrived home.
...
He groaned when he awoke and realized the sun was already high in the sky. He blamed the eye mask that Genie had given him, claiming it'd help him sleep better. It helped a little too much at times.
He snatched a few pieces of fruit from Abu's stash and whistled for Carpet. By the time he arrived at the palace he'd half-finished his meager breakfast, and he stepped onto Jasmine's balcony with the hope that she was in her room and not in some far corner of the palace. A quick peek in the window confirmed her absence. He sighed and settled back on the balustrade, eating the last piece of fruit he had brought. Carpet floated leisurely around him, waiting as well.
"I should have asked you to wake me up or something," he said to his friend conversationally. "You're always up at the crack of dawn, aren't you? I've never really figured out why you need to sleep in the first place."
The slam of a door interrupted the one-sided conversation, and he looked up to see Jasmine walk briskly toward one of her closets. From her determined frown, it was apparent she was in a worse mood than yesterday.
"Jasmine," he called, catching her attention. "You have time to talk?"
She turned back to the closet. "Yeah, just let me get something." She kicked off her slippers and put on a pair of leather sandals. He couldn't help grinning at the clash of color.
"First time I've seen you wear shoes that don't match your outfit. You sure you're okay?"
"Ha. I'm okay. Let's talk."
He extended his hand. "Let's fly."
As they left the balcony, he noticed that the tension was still there. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, allowing him to comb his fingers through her hair. Her shoulders gradually relaxed after a few minutes of silence.
"What's on your mind?" he asked curiously.
She didn't open her eyes. "My father's been bothering me. A lot. I used to always be angry with him for not understanding me or listening to me. It got better in the past few years but yesterday and today were just…" An unhappy sigh escaped her lips. "He treats me like a child and doesn't take me seriously. It's so frustrating, Aladdin."
So that was the problem. He'd tried to give Jasmine advice about her father before, but it was always a risky subject. It wasn't the best idea to openly agree with all her complaints against the ruler of the kingdom, even if the kind old man would soon be his father-in-law.
"Yeah, I got that sense when I first met you. What happened yesterday and today?"
"In general he's just frivolous. He wastes the kingdom's money on stupid things like a new menagerie when there are a lot more important things to spend our resources on. And when I tell him he should do things differently, he doesn't listen. Even if he agrees with me on some points, he doesn't do anything to change his ways."
He hid a smile at the pout on her face. "Hmm. He is pretty old, Jasmine. It's hard for someone his age to change. Some people just aren't made the way you are, always taking initiative to get what you want."
"But he does take initiative to get what he wants," she argued. "The problem is that's the only thing he ever takes initiative for. Whatever greater problems may be facing the kingdom, they all seem to take second place to his little whims."
He backed off appropriately, agreeing just enough to placate her. "I understand. I'd be frustrated too."
It worked. Her shoulders relaxed further and her voice lost its critical edge. "I guess I'll just have to deal with it for now. If my father isn't going to change then I'll just have to do more to make up for it."
"What exactly have you been doing? Half the palace seems to be running under your orders at the moment."
She hesitated only slightly before explaining. "I realized there's a lot to be done to improve the defenses and strength of Agrabah. So I'm implementing plans to make this kingdom a better place on all fronts."
"Uh…care to be more specific?"
"The border patrols are training their dogs to recognize more types of dangerous substances that could be brought into the city. This morning I just got done talking to the chief engineer about expanding the underground shelters in case of a desert storm. I've got the historian looking into legends of jinnis in other lands; don't want any enemies using that kind of magic against us."
"That's a lot already," he said in surprise. "You thought of all this in just a week?"
"I've thought of more than that."
He shook his head slowly. She was being defensive, and he realized that her father was not the real source of her stress after all. There was something else, and he was starting to feel annoyed that she wasn't telling him anything beyond cold facts. It didn't feel right to be on the outside of the wall she'd built.
"Jasmine, you are pretty amazing. Whenever you say you're going to do something, I know you're going to do it to perfection. Is there anything I can do to help?"
She paused again, and he resisted the urge to ask what was wrong and where she was planning to go on her solo trip out of Agrabah. Fortunately, she answered that question in her next breath.
"I'm going to Desrial soon to negotiate for increased trade and access to its port." She sounded more hopeful, though still tentative. "Maybe you could take care of things here while I'm gone?"
"Wow, you're taking a trip out there so quickly? I'll watch the kingdom while you're gone, no problem. But you're doing so much; why the rush?"
"I guess I've grown up. There's been a lull in the past month, no one's invaded Agrabah or threatened our lives in any way. I just started wondering when the next day of trouble would come, and I realized that it's better to prevent it from coming than to wait for it."
"That's a good perspective to have. But why are you so worried?" he pressed. "You've done more than enough to help the kingdom in the past several days. Knowing you, everything you've set out to do will be finished sooner than anyone expects. If some enemy does come calling before your projects are completed, that's still okay; we'll find a way to deal with it, just like we have every time in the past."
"I'm worried because that's what preparing for the throne does to you. Aren't you worried? You're going to be sultan soon. You'll have responsibility over the entire kingdom."
He was quiet for a moment, casting his gaze over the streets below where he had grown up, where any place could be considered home for the night and any discarded belonging a treasure to someone who was born with nothing. The entire kingdom indeed. He had been to nearly every corner of the city before he had hit adolescence; he knew where the homeless had the best chance of begging an extra coin or two, the exact times the guards switched shifts, and the locations of the most careless merchants' carts. Nothing had really changed about the city since he had left it for a better, soon-to-be permanent home.
"I used to worry. I told you about that time when you still thought I was Prince Ali, and your father presented me to the city as your betrothed; I was deathly afraid, enough to deny Genie my promise of wishing him free. I thought I'd need him to help me fulfill a role I wasn't ready to take on."
"What changed your mind? Well, besides defeating Jafar and saving the kingdom and all that," she quipped. He welcomed the light shot of humor. She was loosening up.
"Well, defeating Jafar and every other enemy that's come our way definitely helped. We've always won and preserved the kingdom, though there have been some close calls. I think we can deal with any threat now without too much worry. And we have Genie, of course. Have you thought about asking him for help in these projects you're undertaking?"
As quickly as it had come, the humor vanished from her face. "No, I haven't. Having Genie is not the point. All our victories against enemies have been about strategy and battle tactics, not about being a real ruler. Any smart soldier with magic and a bit of luck could succeed as we have. What I'm talking about is governance. Taking care of the kingdom in its day-to-day affairs."
She'd switched from the defensive to the offensive, and he felt the sting of her disapproval. It suddenly seemed that she was scrutinizing him by the same standards she accorded her father.
"I've lived on the streets for enough of my life to know what the kingdom's day-to-day affairs are," he returned. "I know the poor, the needy, the orphans, the beggars. I know how the common people think and what they want. Heck, I'm still one of them, regardless of the fact I'm engaged to you. I'd say I'm the best bet for the palace's relationship with the populace. They see me as one of them and they trust me for it."
"That's true. I didn't think of that." She turned away for a moment as if gathering her thoughts. "What have you done for the city outside of fighting off its enemies?"
"I think most of the time we've been so busy fighting off enemies that neither of us have thought much about governance," he said. It was strange that she was testing him so bluntly. "But I really think that fending for the kingdom like we have is the most important thing. Agrabah has held up for centuries through good and bad governors. The bigger danger is outside threats, and you know I'm good at dealing with those."
"Of course they're important, but I don't think they're the most important. A kingdom has to be strong from within—the entire kingdom, not just a band of loyal defenders like our group. And when there are no threats, like now, the people will be looking at how effective and fair we are in governing their everyday lives. After all, the power of a kingdom lies in its populace, not its rulers."
Her lecturing tone was getting on his nerves, but he reminded himself that he was having this conversation in order to help her. "Jasmine, I think you're worrying too much. The city likes us both just fine. We're heroes for crying out loud. And with all these improvements you're making now, they'll trust us even more in the future."
"Public opinion is a fickle mistress," she said, as if quoting a political text. "They may like us both now, but we can't take our popularity for granted. And the nobility…"
She trailed off, but the insinuation had a sharper edge than direct words. He said nothing, letting her continue to imply things that they both knew plainly. Most of the nobles frankly hated him, and the sultan was currently at an impasse with a sizable faction, unable to convince them that he had made a sound choice for a successor.
"I've been hearing whispers around the palace. They've been talking about how I shouldn't be doing so much as a woman. That I'm breaking convention and propriety with the projects I've been undertaking," she said instead.
He raised an eyebrow. Now she was choosing to step delicately? "To hell with what they think. You've never cared about how snobby nobles view you, Jasmine. Why start now?"
"Old ways of thinking are hard to change; it's just like what you said about my father. They're not going to stop me from what I'm doing for the sake of the kingdom. But the other thing they're saying is that a woman shouldn't overpower her husband. The sultan is the head of the kingdom, and the sultana is his first support."
"I never thought I'd hear you say something like that. You really sure you're okay?"
"Aladdin, I'm fine. I want to know what you think of that."
"What I think of what? The idea that a woman should be subservient to her husband? Jasmine, is this a trick question or something?" he laughed. "Of course I don't expect you to be subservient. We're equals; that was established from the beginning. You should do what you need to do to rule effectively."
"That's not my point," she said, still elusive. She looked more annoyed that he wasn't catching on. "Regardless of what we think about each other, what matters is what the people think of us, especially of your role. They expect that you will be the leader. I trust that you can be. But you first need to show evidence of leadership, not just heroism."
He finally got it. She was telling him to man up and be more responsible.
"So what you're saying is, I need to start doing what you've been doing," he said slowly.
"Yes. Think of ways to defend the kingdom, and start implementing them," she affirmed, sounding relieved.
He couldn't help but voice a bit of his frustration, though he kept the accusation out of his tone. "Why didn't you just say that in the beginning? It could have saved us a lot of time."
"Because I wanted you to realize it on your own," she said with a frown. "I didn't want to have to tell you something you should already be thinking about. I don't want to have to tell you to lead, Aladdin. If you were ready to lead then you wouldn't need me to say anything."
That kicked his annoyance level up to a point where he had to give up on diplomacy. He couldn't placate her by agreeing with what she said or get her to speak plainly without making her mad. There was simply nothing he could do to please her today.
"I'm not sure I understand you, Jasmine. You've always enjoyed having authority and making all the decisions, so I've let you. You're the one who was always going around breaking convention on what women should or shouldn't do. But now you've suddenly changed your mind and want me to take charge? And you expect me to just read your thoughts and know what you want from me? I'm confused. Maybe you can explain more."
She seemed to physically draw back at his retort, and he finally saw an apology in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you like that," she conceded. "I've grown up a lot in the past week, and I've realized that I can't do everything on my own, nor do I want to. I want you to be a part of this with me."
Her softened tone tugged at him and he felt a little sorry for speaking his piece so harshly.
"I already look up to you because you're a good person and you love me more than I could have ever expected," she said. "But I also want to look up to you as a leader of this kingdom. I want to see you able to run the kingdom if I'm not here, and have the respect of everyone who's ever doubted you. So it's my hope that you'll take initiative to learn what you haven't learned yet about ruling. Maybe you can begin during my trip to Desrial."
That was more like the Jasmine he knew and loved. She was warm and encouraging, lifting him up instead of tearing him down by his flaws.
"Okay, I understand what you mean. I'll start when you go to Desrial," he said easily, glad that the tension had dissipated. She returned his smile and he realized how much he had missed seeing it in the past week, even in the past few minutes. He took her hand. "Thanks for letting me know what's on your mind. If anything's bothering you in the future, please tell me sooner. You shouldn't have to bear such burdens alone."
She leaned back against him as they flew back to the palace. He held her elbow as she stepped back onto the balcony even though she no longer needed such help. The gratitude in her eyes as she kissed him was enough. She might not have needed his help, but she wanted him there beside her as an equal partner in bearing responsibility over the kingdom. He wouldn't disappoint her.