Chapter 2 The Princess

Princess Jasmine, who, at sixteen, was no longer a child, no matter what her father thought, danced around her large room happily.

Her loose light pink silk pants and shirt sparkled in the sun's light shining in through the large, open windows that led out onto her balcony. Her waist length soft black hair swayed with the movement of her lithe and flexible body as she spun in circles and hummed to herself quietly.

"Oh, Aladdin," she cooed, batting her lashes flirtatiously at an invisible man. "Shall we dance away the night in each other's arms?"

"Who is Aladdin?"

Jasmine spun around with a gasp, her eyes wide with surprise. "Papa! You startled me."

"Who is Aladdin?" he repeated in a low voice.

"Oh, no one, really. Just a boy that I met in the market place. He was rather sweet and he offered to show me around."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Never mind. These visits to the market place have to stop, Jasmine. It's not safe for you outside these walls."

"But, papa... It's so boring here. There's no other girls to talk to, I can't shop, and there's no cute boys to stare and giggle at."

"I'll make you a deal. If you promise me that you won't leave the palace, then I'll arrange for some other princesses to come visit. And for some merchants to come into the palace so that you may shop here."

"And Aladdin?"

Jafar grimaced.

That request was harder for him to grant her.

"If the boy comes to see you, I will allow it."

"Okay," Jasmine agreed, bouncing forward with a bright, sunny smile and stretching up to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, papa!"