Jasmine walked into hers and Aladdin's bedroom. Her loyal pet tiger, her bodyguard and best friend Rajah followed her in. She had had a long day as she had tried her everything to stay away from the war Agrabah probably was going to face. She was very tired off all the trying and she didn't feel herself as strong as was when years ago she had faced Jafar, told him she was not going to be silenced. She and everyone knew she was able be strong if she wanted to but now, she just had no power. Rajah walked over to the edge of the bed and laid down on the floor. The tiger was feeling blue just like his owner. After Jasmine had closed the heavy door of the bedroom, she stayed still. She looked at the floor and felt like her legs couldn't take any more steps. She wanted to cry so badly but she could not. She was the Sultan of Agrabah. She had to be strong for her kingdom. She was the one who felt the weakest, but she was the one who couldn't show it. She fought back the tears as she finally walked to sit on the large bed of hers and her husband's. She sat down, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she looked to her hands, to the ring her father had gave her when she had proved him that she was the right person to lead Agrabah. She played with her ring while she thought about her Baba. She heard the bedroom door open. She breathed heavily. Jasmine's back was facing the door, but she didn't even need to question who the entrance was. She put the ring back to her finger and straightened her back.
"Hello Jasmine." Aladdin said.
Jasmine did not answer him. She needed to pull herself together so her voice wouldn't give away her weakness. She waited him to walk over so she could see his face. In the meanwhile, Aladdin had been little surprised Jasmine had not answered him. On his way to Jasmine he kneeled down to pet tiger Rajah. The tiger was calm and almost asleep but its big sad eyes were still open. After a while, Aladdin reached Jasmine's side of the bed. Jasmine turned her head to face Aladdin.
"Hi." she said with a light voice. She tried to smile, but her eyebrows gave her away. She played with the fabric of her suit. It was also too bad Aladdin read her well. He gave his wife questionable look and smiled a little bit.
"What's wrong?" Aladdin stood in front of her leaning to the wall.
Jasmine could not keep it together anymore. Her lip started to treble as she looked back to her hands and again to her husband. She shook her head.
"Nothing I'm fine." Her answer was quick and did not convince Aladdin since her voice sounded tearful and her eyes were watery. Aladdin now looked sad and walked to sit next to Jasmine. He took her hand on his own.
"Tell me what's wrong."
One silent tear had fallen from Jasmine's left eye when she started to sob harder. She looked at her hand locked with Aladdin's and squeezed it hard enough. She placed her other hand on the top of Aladdin's. The hand was free to move in any way possible. Aladdin made a follow-up question with a simple "please". She did not bother to look at her husband when another tear fell from her face. She whipped them away as she started to tell.
"I just... I wanted to be Sultan for so long and now I can't even keep my kingdom away from a war." She was now crying as she looked at the wall across her. "I feel like such a failure." She turned her vision to her hands.
Aladdin felt bad for his wife. They had had a long and stressful couple of weeks ever since they found out Agrabah might need to go into a war with a neighbour country. The couple had been stressed and not open at all. They hadn't shared their worries with each other since they both felt kind of weak. They knew that they could share everything with each other but this one was a test.
"You are not a failure." Aladdin told her. He tried to make an eye contact with her eyes. Jasmine closed her eyes as she allowed a couple of more tears to escape from her eyes. She rubbed her husband's hand and looked at her fingers playing on the soft skin of his.
"Jasmine, look at me." Jasmine couldn't. Aladdin found it hard to see her like this. His wife was the strongest person he knew but everyone had their moments – in the light and the dark. With his free hand he made Jasmine's chin rose up so he could see her red eyes. She was sobbing but tried to keep eye contact with Aladdin. She knew that it was important to him.
"Listen, you are not a failure." Aladdin started.
Jasmine was not able to pull herself together so she looked down again. Aladdin noticed the sudden change and quickly used his free hand to rise her chin back up. "Hey, hey... Keep an eye contact."
Jasmine let out a little sad laugh and a shy smile appeared on her face, but only for a second as her vision turned back to sadness. She did keep an eye contact with her husband the entire time. Even when Aladdin whipped some of the tears away from her cheek with his soft finger. Jasmine calmed down a little and her vision started to seem water free. Aladdin saw it and felt like continuing.
"Don't let these kinds of thoughts mess with you, okay? I know you are a lot stronger than this. Every leader has enemies. Every. Even the greater ones of them." Jasmine's eyes started to get watery again, but she managed to look into Aladdin's eyes to make sure he was telling the truth. Still she felt all the pressure through the words. "We are being tested. But we will get through this together. You have the people's trust."
Jasmine sobbed and a little cry aloud left from her lips before she could answer to him. She nodded a little as her vision started to fade away from Aladdin's eyes once again. She tried to look straight but ended up just dodging the eyes.
"I know your right in some level. But I can't help feeling like I left everyone down." she cried out. She hadn't talked about her feelings in a while. All the feelings burst into this moment. But she didn't mind. She had been silent for too long. "My people, Baba... And you." She whipped new tears away with her free hand, placed it back on his hand and looked back to the wall.
"You have not let down anyone." He made sure the sentence came as slow as possible so she would not question his words again. "You're a loved leader."
Jasmine laughed, "How do you know?" Aladdin took a little break and run his fingers through Jasmine's hair.
"Do you remember the day we went to see the people and you stayed with that young woman who owned that jewellery shop?" Jasmine nodded her head.
"The woman had a daughter. Mila was her name. Mila was five years old..."
A month ago
Aladdin watched as her wife and the Sultan of the land made a connection with her people. Jasmine stayed and talked with a woman who owned the jewellery shop nearby. She was a sweet woman. She had told Jasmine to take something from the shop but Jasmine wanted to pay. Since she was royalty people treated her better than the others. It was a taboo, which Jasmine wanted to break. Aladdin stayed a little bit farther away with Abu so she could make a conversation with her people. Suddenly he heard someone call his name from down below.
It was a sweet voice. A girl's voice. She was barely above from five years old.
"Are you Aladdin?"
Aladdin finally turned her attention to the ground. The girl had brown hair and brown eyes and looked like most of Agrabah's children – tanned, thin, beautiful. Aladdin kneeled so he could hear the girl better. Abu jumped of Aladdin's shoulder. Now that Aladdin was able to see her, she looked sad.
"Yes I am. Is something wrong?"
Aladdin was known in Agrabah since he was the first ever female Sultan's husband, a hero and a sign of hope to Agrabah's people. If a street rat could get so far, anyone could. Everyone knew his face.
"I heard that you are a good guy and I lost my mama. Can you help me?"
Aladdin's heart melted for that. He was a good guy?
"Of course, I can. What does your mama look like?" Aladdin asked the girl.
"Beautiful."
Aladdin had to smile on that.
"What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Mila."
"Mila. How pretty, and how old are you, Mila?"
"Five."
Aladdin nodded.
"Okay, Mila. I have an idea. How about you come on sit on my shoulders and you can look for your mama from up there."
Mila's mom couldn't be far away. Women in Agrabah noticed instantly if their child was missing. Mila could surely find her mom if the streets just weren't this busy.
"Okay."
Aladdin helped Mila to climb up to his shoulders and they started to walk through the street. It didn't take long until Mila recognised a familiar face from among the people of Agrabah.
"I see my mama."
Aladdin of course didn't know how she looked like.
"Can you portray her for me, Mila?"
"She has a black short hair and wears a lot of jewels. She has a pink robe."
Aladdin tried to find a woman who could fit Mila's depiction. He managed to compound all the qualities with the woman her wife was still talking with – the owner of the jewellery shop.
"Is your mama talking with the tanned lady with the long black hair?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Aladdin put the little girl down.
"Do you know the girl?"
Aladdin smiled and looked Mila into the eyes as he still held her even though she already was on the ground.
"She is my wife. And she's also the Sultan."
Mila's face lighted up as she released to whom her mom was talking with.
"My friends at school told me how good it felt to have her as a ruler. Mama also seemed happier than ever when she was crowned."
Mila's words made Aladdin's heart glow. He was so happy for Jasmine. Everyone knew that she was the best leader Agrabah could have. Jasmine had managed to return the city of Agrabah to that kingdom it had been when her mother was still alive. She had bought the lost kingdom back alive. Aladdin smiled warmly to Mila before asking her one last question.
"Mila, your mama's not too far away. Can you manage to walk to her alone or do I walk with you."
"I can walk alone. I'm a big girl."
Aladdin laughed.
"Sure you can. Now go. If you go straight here," Aladdin pointed the way with his hand. "you will come to your mama. Don't take any turns, okay."
"Okay."
Mila smiled one last time at Aladdin and thanked him. She started to walk to her mama and managed to avoid the donkey carts. Aladdin walked few steps back to the shadows of the street's buildings and watched that Mila made to her mama safely. Abu made his way back to his shoulder as Aladdin continued watching his wife charm her people.
"And that is why I know you are a loved leader."
Jasmine was no longer crying. She seemed happy and a little smile was found from her lips. She looked at her hands collapsed with Aladdin's. Aladdin was also smiling. He was happy to see that Jasmine was no longer that sad about everything that had been going on. He was happy to know that he had managed to make her feel better. Jasmine bought her eyes back to look at Aladdin's. This time with no trouble.
"She really said that?" She asked smiling.
"She really did." Aladdin managed to smile up. "And you know kids can't lie."
Jasmine seemed to have tears on her eyes again but she never let them fall. She seemed moved by everything Aladdin had told her.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I knew that we were going to go through hard times. I wanted to save the story up for moments like these. Because we all want you to know that you're a loved leader and we are so proud of you."
Jasmine nodded before pulling Aladdin to a hug. She wrapped her arms tight around the man of her life and let her head rest on his perfectly build chest. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sight.
"Thank you." she mumbled against him.
Even though Aladdin didn't have to respond he managed to whisper "you're welcome" to her. He rested his cheek on her soft hair and drew circles on her lower back with his other hand as the other rested somewhere around her hair.
After a long minute or two Jasmine was the one who pulled away first. She moved her hands from his back to his cheeks and drew their faces closer. The few inches faded away as their lips met one another on a soft long kiss. When they finally pulled away Jasmine let her forehead rest on his as she kept her eyes closed. Aladdin had opened his eyes and was busy staring at Jasmine's flawless face.
"I love you." Jasmine whispered.
"I love you too." He responded.
Every word was true.
And they did not need anyone to prove it. They had each other. Each other's love.
As the night continued, the couple shared one or a couple more kisses in the light of the moonlight that shined through the balcony to their bedroom.
Hope you enjoyed my first ever published fanfiction! Please leave a comment if you did, would help me a lot and encourage me to keep posting fanfictions in the future.
By the way, my mother tongue is not English so I'm sorry for possible mistakes! I tried my best.
And please use your imagination to figure out what made Jasmine so upset. You can also have an opinion on if her father is still alive or not. I personally - while writing - taught that he was still alive.
