I own nothing."

Chapter 4

Jafar and Jasmine continued over the next few days to draw the prince into their clutches. The boy was naïve that much was clear from the beginning. For he sat with Jafar discussing matters of kingdom and policy while his eyes never once looked at Jafar himself. He never hid his glances at his wife. As Jasmine sat with them in silence as they spoke, the prince let his gaze wonder up her legs, he let them linger over her breasts, and it was always clear that he was more interested in looking at her then their current conversation. Any other time, Jafar would have throttled him, but he knew it was all to draw him in, so he let it go until a later time.

"You mustn't look at me, so, my husband will not tolerate such insolence. He will take it out on me" Jasmine had taken to warning him during their hours alone among the flowers of her garden adding to her ruse as the abused queen in fear of her husband and the prince fell for it, never suspecting her role. Jafar was not so blind. He noticed as he watched his wife that she was behaving differently compared to their other plans. She seemed almost more determined to bring the prince to his death and sometimes, he saw a glimpse of something in her eyes that was dangerously close to hate. Despite everything they had planned, Jafar didn't think her hatred was appropriate, and soon he began to suspect that there was something his wife wasn't telling him. As Jafar watched her lure the prince into their trap, he saw something in Jasmines eyes.

"You shouldn't worry about the prince, my king, nothing could ever make me want him" Jasmine had assured him many times as he lay with her in the night and as assured as he'd been then, he wondered about their truth now, and soon he began to worry about his wife's true motives concerning the prince. That was why he cornered her in his throne room and when it was just the two of them, he looked at her.

"Jasmine, I am not a fool. I know there is something you are hiding from me, so I am going to ask you only once for the truth. Have you and the prince met before?" said Jafar his voice stern as he looked down on her. As Jasmine remained silent before him, Jafar let the part of him that loved her come through as he sat close to her side surprising her when his hand sought hers. He saw her indecision as it ran off her in droves and as he watched her, he found he just wanted her to look at him. To trust him with the truth no matter what it may be. She didn't though, her eyes remained cast down to the floor, and her hand when he took it was limp. He'd never seen her look so vulnerable before as she sat, shoulders hunched, and shaking as she found the words, she needed to answer him. The truth was she didn't want to lie to him. She had never lied to him since first meeting him years ago and she didn't want to break that tradition now. He was the closest dearest thing to her heart and as the silence between them hung there along with his question, Jasmine felt frozen. Like she couldn't find the words even as she knew what they were.

She didn't know what he would say or how he would feel.

"Jasmine, please…I know there is something going on between Prince Ali and yourself. I demand to know what it is…if you've fallen in love with him…or he's done something you must tell me" Jafar said it suddenly breaking the intolerable silence making chills shiver through her body at his words somehow knowing then that the truth would change them, that it would make him look at her differently. That was what scared Jasmine most, the thought of looking into his eyes only to find he no longer looked at her with such love in his eyes. He was her love and losing him was what she feared most. She didn't want to lose him. To lose his love and his touch and that look in his eyes no one knew was reserved for her. Jasmine could feel all of that slipping away as he spoke feeling as he did as a throb shook her to the core at the very thought. Jafar was her king, her love, her world, she couldn't live without him. She loved him and had since they'd met so long ago. And yet she knew as his words hung in the air that if she didn't reveal all to him that her losing him would become a certainty. She knew that telling him the truth was in fact only the lesser of two evils. Jafar was repeating the question suddenly his voice no longer stern but holding a betrayal that she found she couldn't bear. They finally made Jasmine look at him, her eyes boring into his. They were glasses with emotion and filled with her fears as she looked at him. It was like she thought it would be the last time she did so as her hand quivered within his own.

"Yes, Jafar, the prince and I have met before. Long ago before we knew each other, but I don't love him. I couldn't love him. He is a bad memory from my past that you've brought back into my life. He doesn't remember me as I remember him, and he doesn't know of the grudge I hold against him. I did not wish to burden you with something that you need not be concerned with" said Jasmine her voice far away as she worked to distance herself from the moment at hand. Jafar wouldn't let her though as suddenly, his hand left hers as he distanced himself from her instead. She sought out his eyes then, but he wouldn't look at her as he turned his back on her. Jasmine knew then that she should have told him as soon as she realized who was walking into their trap, for she could feel him slipping away from her in that moment. Jasmine jumped then, working to keep him in her grasp, but he was already walking away.

"Jafar, please, let me tell you the whole truth before you come to any judgements" exclaimed Jasmine then seeking him out only to have him evade her. Somehow, Jasmine knew she was losing him that his trust in her was gone. She knew it as she watched him leave the room his back to her as he walked with purpose down the hall. She knew it when he didn't turn back to look at her or say anything to her in parting. As he did, Jasmine felt every part of her begin to sink, and she couldn't help it as she wondered if she would be his queen much longer.

"Jafar! Please let me explain myself" screamed Jasmine behind him then wanting him to look back at her then, but he still didn't.

Jasmine stood there, right where he left her, and only when she heard a door slam down the hall did, she crumble to the floor. He was gone and she didn't know if he was coming back. She didn't know what she was supposed to do or how to fix what had come to pass. Jasmine made it to her feet again as she entered the throne room again. It was empty and that quiet solitude made her whole being sink. She could feel everything they had built coming to an end and with that thought the tears glided down her face to pool at her cleavage.

"Jafar" Jasmine choked his name in her tears so unsure of the events to come. Would he be able to love her still? Would she be his queen another day? Jasmine knew the prince would die all the same, but suddenly her own fate was so uncertain.