Close To The Sun In Lonely Hands
By: Lynn Osburn
(DISCLAMER: Okay, I've had a few requests from people who enjoyed my Nymph of Man story. They wish for me to use my writing "abilities" to put Aladdin and Mozenrath together in a sophisticated way. I wish I didn't have to disappoint you, but if things go as planned, the rating on this will not get about PG-13. Sorry but there were only one of two ways this was going to happen. And I used the slightly more tasteful one. The title of this comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Eagle. )
Aladdin placed his hand on the coffin lid, struggling to hold back the tears waiting behind his dark brown iris. He turned to the populace of Agrabah, seeing the same sorrow and grief in their eyes that he had seen in his own as he looked in the mirror last night. But there were things in his own heart that could not be mimicked by the crowd. The feeling of having been cheated hung in his cheast like a heavy tapestry. He had been cheated. Years of happiness had been ripped from his hands like poker chips at a Getzistan casino. But he had to put that out of his mind for now. He had to speak to the people.
"People of Agrabah. Two days ago, an angel of beauty and generosity passed from this world. She left behind only one thing in her passing A child. A child born not only of privilege and royalty, but born of the people of Agrabah. Though my heart has been torn from my body with the passing of my wife, it has been restored again with the knowledge that our daughter, the princess Ajia!"
As he held their beautiful child over his head, the people of Agrabah roared in unison at the sight of their future Queen. Aladdin looked up at the unfrightened girl, her bright almond eyes so much like her mothers staring down at the crowd. Thick curls wrapped around her brow as she squirmed and burbled excitedly. Aladdin felt a strong surge of pride at the sight of their daughter.
~ I would give the world to have you see your child Jasmine. You held her for only a few moments, gave her a name, and then left.~ Aladdin bit his lip as he recalled it in his mind.
"Oh Aladdin." Jasmine whispered as the nurse handed her the baby, pink faced and bawling. "Aladdin isn't she beautiful."
Tears came to Aladdin's eyes. The doctors had stopped him before coming in, warned him of the mothers time left in this world. "Yes. Yes she is, so much like her mother."
Jasmine smiled. Her eyes looked sunken in and her face lean. Sweat dotted her head from the stress of birth. Desperate to have the last moments with his love, he had not waited for the nurses to clean up around her. He sat on blood soaked cloth. The birth had very nearly gone wrong, he came within inches of losing both child and wife. But no, Allah had decreed it. He would keep this precious little bundle of suckling infancy, but he would lose true love.
"Aladdin. Name her Ajia. Name her after my mother." Jasmine held Ajia close, kissing the curly black hair on her head.
Aladdin nodded and stroked Jasmine's head. "Of course." He croaked out in a weak voice. He couldn't help it. "Jasmine...Jasmine I."
"I love you Aladdin." Jasmine said quietly. "I love you and I want you to watch over our child as I will."
"Jasmine. It's my fault. Jasmine I'm so sorry." He began crying, clasping Jasmine's hand.
Jasmine laughed in beautiful, silvery tones. "Your fault Aladdin? How could it possible be your fault? You gave me a beautiful gift Aladdin. You made me a mother."
Aladdin couldn't speak as he felt Jasmine's hand grow limp and lifeless in his. Little Ajia burbled and cooed, touching her mother's face and expecting a response. When she received none, she turned to her father, and struggled in her mothers grip. Aladdin gently removed his beloveds arms from around her child, and carried Ajia from the room.
Feelings were mixed as the funeral/birthing feast commenced later that evening. The monument to be built to the late Sultana Jasmine was being discussed as well as gifts to be presented to little Ajia. Many of the nobility went to Aladdin, giving both hasty consolation and congratulation to him, then vanished into the crowd.
Aladdin had accepted their comments with a forced smile and little else. But even as they told him to put on a brave face, he could tell what they were really wondering about. The conversations were easy enough to overhear.
"What is he going to do without the Sultana?" Asked on arrogant duke. "I mean, he was born a street rat, he has no official training in matters of state and diplomacy."
"Yes. Though Sultan Aladdin is a great hero, he now has a country to care for, a child to raise." A woman shook her head sadly. "That poor boy."
"Not to mention the enemies he has made over the years! They'll be outright giddy to take advantage of his current state." Another commented.
They didn't know it, but they were only confirming Aladdin's fears. He'd allowed one to many...no dozens too many villains escape justice because he hadn't the heart to sentence them to execution. By now, word of Agrabah's loss must have spread.
~And who knows who's going to come knocking.~ Aladdin smiled vaguely as another dignitary gave hollow platitudes on Jasmine's death. ~What's worse, those nobles are right. I've had Jasmine's help so often in court affairs and policies I don't know if I can do this on my own.~
There were advisors. And advisors advisors. And advisors advisors advisor. They disgusted him. His loves body was cold not even a week, and they had begun to push him in the direction of marriage. ~An alliance marriage, exactly what Jasmine dreaded as a princess. Do they have that little respect for her memory?~
To be completely honest, Aladdin didn't even want to be here right now. All he wanted to do was close himself off in a room and sob. Hang royal pride and political correctness! He was suffocating around all these people! He wanted them to stop telling him tales of their lost ones, stop pestering him with these stupid clichés of 'Time heals all wounds' and 'Better to have lost love then never to have loved at all.' It was driving him insane.
Aladdin found a moment when no one was looking and quietly slipped into one of the secret throne room passageways. The party would go one for hours, and he had already greeted the important officials. The rest could kiss each others ass for the rest of the night.
He found his way through the passages to Jasmine's old room. The ivory balcony where they had first kissed shone in the moonlight. The green drapes swayed from side to side in the night breeze. Aladdin ran his hand over his beloved's old vanity where she kept a hand painted portrait of him.
"I had to sit still for three hours while you painted this." Aladdin spoke aloud. "I remember you shoved me into the best silks and satins you could find and threatened to never kiss me again if I moved." A smile of memory crossed his face as he recalled the day. "I miss you Jasmine. Allah how I miss you."
"Um Al."
Aladdin dropped the picture in shock, shattering the glass frame. "Genie!" He spouted at his blue friend only half angry. He dropped to his knees, scooping up the cloth with his likeness on it.
"Sorry." Genie took the frame and in a flash of magic, it was prepared. "How ya holdin up buddy?"
"As well as can be expected." Aladdin set the frame delicately back in it's place. "At least that's what everyone else keep saying."
Genie wrapped his arms around Aladdin. "It's okay buddy."
"Genie, I know you said you can't bring people back from the dead.....but..... please." Aladdin looked up at his friend. "Please."
"No." As much as he hated to do it, as much as it broke his heart. Genie had no choice. "No Al. I can't."
Aladdin didn't know what snapped inside him, but something that had been pent up just exploded. "How dare you! How dare you say no to me!" He wanted to thrown something. He wanted to hit his friend until he hurt as much as he did. "I am the Sultan of Agrabah, and so help me.....I'll.....I'll...." As suddenly as the rage happened, it closed itself off again. Aladdin sat down on Jasmine's bed as though a heavy load was on his back. "Genie. Genie I'm so sorry."
"So am I Al. So am I."
By: Lynn Osburn
(DISCLAMER: Okay, I've had a few requests from people who enjoyed my Nymph of Man story. They wish for me to use my writing "abilities" to put Aladdin and Mozenrath together in a sophisticated way. I wish I didn't have to disappoint you, but if things go as planned, the rating on this will not get about PG-13. Sorry but there were only one of two ways this was going to happen. And I used the slightly more tasteful one. The title of this comes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's The Eagle. )
Aladdin placed his hand on the coffin lid, struggling to hold back the tears waiting behind his dark brown iris. He turned to the populace of Agrabah, seeing the same sorrow and grief in their eyes that he had seen in his own as he looked in the mirror last night. But there were things in his own heart that could not be mimicked by the crowd. The feeling of having been cheated hung in his cheast like a heavy tapestry. He had been cheated. Years of happiness had been ripped from his hands like poker chips at a Getzistan casino. But he had to put that out of his mind for now. He had to speak to the people.
"People of Agrabah. Two days ago, an angel of beauty and generosity passed from this world. She left behind only one thing in her passing A child. A child born not only of privilege and royalty, but born of the people of Agrabah. Though my heart has been torn from my body with the passing of my wife, it has been restored again with the knowledge that our daughter, the princess Ajia!"
As he held their beautiful child over his head, the people of Agrabah roared in unison at the sight of their future Queen. Aladdin looked up at the unfrightened girl, her bright almond eyes so much like her mothers staring down at the crowd. Thick curls wrapped around her brow as she squirmed and burbled excitedly. Aladdin felt a strong surge of pride at the sight of their daughter.
~ I would give the world to have you see your child Jasmine. You held her for only a few moments, gave her a name, and then left.~ Aladdin bit his lip as he recalled it in his mind.
"Oh Aladdin." Jasmine whispered as the nurse handed her the baby, pink faced and bawling. "Aladdin isn't she beautiful."
Tears came to Aladdin's eyes. The doctors had stopped him before coming in, warned him of the mothers time left in this world. "Yes. Yes she is, so much like her mother."
Jasmine smiled. Her eyes looked sunken in and her face lean. Sweat dotted her head from the stress of birth. Desperate to have the last moments with his love, he had not waited for the nurses to clean up around her. He sat on blood soaked cloth. The birth had very nearly gone wrong, he came within inches of losing both child and wife. But no, Allah had decreed it. He would keep this precious little bundle of suckling infancy, but he would lose true love.
"Aladdin. Name her Ajia. Name her after my mother." Jasmine held Ajia close, kissing the curly black hair on her head.
Aladdin nodded and stroked Jasmine's head. "Of course." He croaked out in a weak voice. He couldn't help it. "Jasmine...Jasmine I."
"I love you Aladdin." Jasmine said quietly. "I love you and I want you to watch over our child as I will."
"Jasmine. It's my fault. Jasmine I'm so sorry." He began crying, clasping Jasmine's hand.
Jasmine laughed in beautiful, silvery tones. "Your fault Aladdin? How could it possible be your fault? You gave me a beautiful gift Aladdin. You made me a mother."
Aladdin couldn't speak as he felt Jasmine's hand grow limp and lifeless in his. Little Ajia burbled and cooed, touching her mother's face and expecting a response. When she received none, she turned to her father, and struggled in her mothers grip. Aladdin gently removed his beloveds arms from around her child, and carried Ajia from the room.
Feelings were mixed as the funeral/birthing feast commenced later that evening. The monument to be built to the late Sultana Jasmine was being discussed as well as gifts to be presented to little Ajia. Many of the nobility went to Aladdin, giving both hasty consolation and congratulation to him, then vanished into the crowd.
Aladdin had accepted their comments with a forced smile and little else. But even as they told him to put on a brave face, he could tell what they were really wondering about. The conversations were easy enough to overhear.
"What is he going to do without the Sultana?" Asked on arrogant duke. "I mean, he was born a street rat, he has no official training in matters of state and diplomacy."
"Yes. Though Sultan Aladdin is a great hero, he now has a country to care for, a child to raise." A woman shook her head sadly. "That poor boy."
"Not to mention the enemies he has made over the years! They'll be outright giddy to take advantage of his current state." Another commented.
They didn't know it, but they were only confirming Aladdin's fears. He'd allowed one to many...no dozens too many villains escape justice because he hadn't the heart to sentence them to execution. By now, word of Agrabah's loss must have spread.
~And who knows who's going to come knocking.~ Aladdin smiled vaguely as another dignitary gave hollow platitudes on Jasmine's death. ~What's worse, those nobles are right. I've had Jasmine's help so often in court affairs and policies I don't know if I can do this on my own.~
There were advisors. And advisors advisors. And advisors advisors advisor. They disgusted him. His loves body was cold not even a week, and they had begun to push him in the direction of marriage. ~An alliance marriage, exactly what Jasmine dreaded as a princess. Do they have that little respect for her memory?~
To be completely honest, Aladdin didn't even want to be here right now. All he wanted to do was close himself off in a room and sob. Hang royal pride and political correctness! He was suffocating around all these people! He wanted them to stop telling him tales of their lost ones, stop pestering him with these stupid clichés of 'Time heals all wounds' and 'Better to have lost love then never to have loved at all.' It was driving him insane.
Aladdin found a moment when no one was looking and quietly slipped into one of the secret throne room passageways. The party would go one for hours, and he had already greeted the important officials. The rest could kiss each others ass for the rest of the night.
He found his way through the passages to Jasmine's old room. The ivory balcony where they had first kissed shone in the moonlight. The green drapes swayed from side to side in the night breeze. Aladdin ran his hand over his beloved's old vanity where she kept a hand painted portrait of him.
"I had to sit still for three hours while you painted this." Aladdin spoke aloud. "I remember you shoved me into the best silks and satins you could find and threatened to never kiss me again if I moved." A smile of memory crossed his face as he recalled the day. "I miss you Jasmine. Allah how I miss you."
"Um Al."
Aladdin dropped the picture in shock, shattering the glass frame. "Genie!" He spouted at his blue friend only half angry. He dropped to his knees, scooping up the cloth with his likeness on it.
"Sorry." Genie took the frame and in a flash of magic, it was prepared. "How ya holdin up buddy?"
"As well as can be expected." Aladdin set the frame delicately back in it's place. "At least that's what everyone else keep saying."
Genie wrapped his arms around Aladdin. "It's okay buddy."
"Genie, I know you said you can't bring people back from the dead.....but..... please." Aladdin looked up at his friend. "Please."
"No." As much as he hated to do it, as much as it broke his heart. Genie had no choice. "No Al. I can't."
Aladdin didn't know what snapped inside him, but something that had been pent up just exploded. "How dare you! How dare you say no to me!" He wanted to thrown something. He wanted to hit his friend until he hurt as much as he did. "I am the Sultan of Agrabah, and so help me.....I'll.....I'll...." As suddenly as the rage happened, it closed itself off again. Aladdin sat down on Jasmine's bed as though a heavy load was on his back. "Genie. Genie I'm so sorry."
"So am I Al. So am I."