A/N: This was written for the Disney in Thedas Challenge on DAFW Group. The challenge was: "Take a Disney movie/scene/characters and replace them with those from DA. See what you come up with! You can also take non-disney animated films, like Anastasia and Quest for Camelot." I chose the marketplace scene from Aladdin where he first meets Jasmine and gave it an Orzammar twist! If you are interested in seeing more of these, both EilonwyCousland QueenofTragedy (The Little Mermaid) and Artzielady94 (Beauty and the Beast) have written their own pieces. Thank you for reading!
The merchant was selling his wares to the dwarves and humans who passed by the stall that was in the middle of Orzammar Commons. Ademaro always had the best armor and swords from the surface to sell and if Aladdin Brosca had his way this morning, he'd have one of those fancy longswords for himself. His best pal, and the only person he trusted, was kneeling in the shadows beside him. Leske, for what it was worth, was a terrible thief, usually getting caught red handed, but he was a loyal man and Aladdin wouldn't have had anyone else beside him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ali? Stealing swords could get us the executioner's blade." Leske whispered, his dark eyes glancing out from a pale face making the black ink of his brand stand out that much more. "Or life in a cell at the very least."
"I only steal what I can't buy." Aladdin said back, making sure to keep his voice low. He didn't need the Orzammar guards to catch him before he even committed a crime. Although, now that he thought of it, many of the guards were useless in catching thieves anyway.
Leske snorted. "That's everything, you nug humper."
A smirk crossed Aladdin's dusky complexion. It was full of mischief and Leske knew what to expect from his friend when that smile appeared. The casteless dwarf was going to steal one of those shiny metal weapons without a thought to what could happen, to himself or to the rest of Dust Town. With a sigh, Leske nodded and took a step back farther into the shadows. He wasn't needed and resigned to let Ali do his work.
Aladdin Brosca slinked through the shadows of Orzammar, heading for the merchant's stall. Pausing his steps a moment later, his black eyes swept the corridor looking for any sign of the King Endrin Aeducan's guards. The old man had doubled the guard as of late due to the increase in thefts (thanks to Leske and himself) and wasn't taking any chances. With a chuckle, Aladdin couldn't help his swirling thoughts as the space in front of the stall cleared of shoppers. I'd like to see guards try to stop me.
Tying his shaggy ebony hair back with a leather strap, Aladdin crept forward, keeping as low as he could while keeping himself covered in shadows. It was a simple grab, one he'd done many times, but there was the unfortunate fact that Leske knew Ademaro personally. The two men had bartered occasionally and though Aladdin felt a little guilty for taking advantage of the man, there was no choice in the matter. Aladdin needed to survive the dark, violent life of a duster. What better way than to have a well made sword at his hip?
As his hand was closing around the hilt of the longsword he'd chosen, a feminine squeal erupted from the opposite merchant stall. Quickly retreating back to where Leske waited, Aladdin watched as a guard grabbed a young woman by the arm and hauled her away from the stall she'd been standing at. The hood that she'd been wearing fell down as the guard manhandled her.
"Thief!" The guard shouted, drawing the attention of the shoppers who were walking by. The young woman seemed appropriately nervous and glanced around quickly, perhaps looking for an escape.
That was when Aladdin saw her face. Her eyes were like bright sapphires, a blue so deep that he doubted he'd see another pair of eyes so beautiful. Her complexion was lighter than his, but of the same color. Her hair was the color of the night. Ebony with just a hint of blue in the way the torches lining the Commons reflected off of her tresses. She had a cute nose, much smaller than Aladdin was used to seeing on Dwarven women. It suited her, however, giving her a magical countenance never seen on one of the stout folk before.
When she spoke, Aladdin was mesmerized by the flow of her voice. It was like honeyed mead to his ears and he drank it up despite the words she spoke. "Please, sir. I can go to the palace and get some money from… from the King."
The guard, unmoved by her plea, snarled at her instead. "Do you know what the penalty is for stealing, duster?" His grip on her arm tightened and he pulled a blade from his sheath.
Aladdin couldn't allow this to happen. He'd seen too many of his friends cut down by Orzammar's finest for simply just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Leske protested as he stepped from the shadows, but ignoring his friend, Aladdin crossed the space that separated him from the guard in less time than he expected.
The blade was about to descend when Aladdin gripped the guard's wrist firmly in his hand and with a disarming smile aimed at the infuriated man, began to speak. "Thank ya, kind sir, for findin' my sister for me."
The guard loosened his grip on the sword and stared at Aladdin with suspicion. Removing the offending object from the man's hand, the thief placed it on the stall beside them.
Turning to glance at the dumbfounded woman, Aladdin looked at her with a stern expression, laughter still apparent in his dark eyes. "I have been lookin' all over for ya."
Her eyebrows came together in confusion. Aladdin had to admit it made her even more beautiful, not that he needed reminding of that fact. "What are you doing?" She whispered quickly, obviously worried about what this meant for her.
Play along, he mouthed, putting his arm around her as if to leave the marketplace.
The guard, however, wasn't going to let them leave so easily. Putting his hand on Aladdin's shoulder, he turned the thief back around to face him. He could see Leske come out of the shadows and join their party, slowly. "Do you… know this girl?"
Aladdin sighed, trying to look the part of a distressed older brother. "Sadly, yes. This woman is my sister. She is a lil crazy. Can't help it, though. Poor girl was born barely breathin'. Lack of oxygen killin' a lot of brain cells."
He could hear the huff of annoyance from the woman and had to stop himself from smiling. At least she wasn't afraid any longer.
The guard frowned, still uncertain. "She said she knew King Endrin."
Aladdin chuckled. Leske was now close enough to hear what could be said, so going with his gut, he nodded towards his friend. "She thinks that duster is the King."
The guard glanced behind him and at the sight of Leske, raised a thoughtful eyebrow. On cue, as if they had planned this all along, the young woman began to bow to Leske, mumbling about how she was there to serve him and do his bidding. Aladdin almost laughed again, but managed to keep it locked tight underneath a sad exterior. Leske shot him an uncomfortable look, but thankfully, said nothing.
"Tragic, eh?" Aladdin asked the guard, who was still frowning, but had put the sword back into its sheath despite his misgivings. "But- no harmin' done, I'd say." Taking the woman's hand and helping her stand once more, she'd been practically groveling at Leske's feet, Aladdin began to lead her away. "Let's go, sis. Time to go see the doc."
The guard watched as they walked away. Once they were clear of any prying ears and eyes, the woman turned around to face him. She wore a bright smile on her face and was clearly relieved at having been saved from the executioner's sword. Blue eyes sparkling, she said, "Thank you for your timely aid, sir. May I know your name?"
"Aladdin, fair lady." He said with a smirk. "And you's? I'm sure I ain't seen you here in the Commons before."
"My name is Jaslyn and is it that obvious?" She asked, looking sweet.
Aladdin noticed she had the most kissable lips he'd ever seen. With a goofy grin, he said, "Ya do stand out."
He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he could have sworn he saw her blush. She averted her eyes and with a chuckle, said, "I learn fast. I won't be so obvious next time." They stood in silence for a moment before she lifted her blue eyes to gaze at him. "Thank you for everything, Aladdin. I won't forget this."
"Maybe I'll be seein' ya 'round?" He asked, hoping she would be in the Commons more often.
With a flirtatious smile, she said, "Perhaps."
