Over three agonizing months had passed.
Aladdin stood on his balcony, felt the warmth of the late afternoon sun immerse his skin, and despondently watched the flags of Sarutaan forebodingly wave in the soft, placid breeze. Leaning against the same balustrade he had gripped for balance the day he became Sultan, he stood, overlooking the glorious city of Agrabah as a looming army situated itself intimidatingly along the horizon. Just on the outskirts of the city they had set up their camps, arranging their military well within range of the city, allowing the citizens of Agrabah to realize the impending doom of their homes. Still far enough away from Agrabah to only be an irritation, Aladdin sighed as he tried to rattle his mind for more useful ideas for handling this situation. The past few months had been spent with nearly every day trying to manage the problem and reason with King Javeer, however, nothing was working. Every diplomat was sent, every emissary with messages of reconciliation was delivered, every peaceful defense they could concoct was attempted in order to spare the city from imminent war. Still, Javeer pressed on. He and Achmed brought the thunderous Sarutaan army to their gates. The army had arrived only a week before, but it stood, waiting and ready to attack. Their motives clear, Aladdin had no choice but to prepare his army as well.
Razoul approached Aladdin from the entryway to the balcony and brusquely cleared his throat to make his presence known. Without turning, Aladdin heard him pause a few feet away. "Your Highness," Razoul began, "the soldiers have been briefed and are preparing the weaponry now."
With a sigh and his back still to Razoul, Aladdin's gaze continued to rest on the hostile army outside his city. "How many?"
"Around 500, sir." Razoul's voice seemed overwhelmed, stressed with trying to protect everything within Agrabah's walls. He watched Aladdin take a deep breath and hold it momentarily, his shoulders hunched as he leaned against the railing. His personal feelings aside, Razoul was beginning to find mutual ground with Aladdin, to find a way to work cooperatively on the preeminent welfare of the kingdom. While he still had to swallow the urge to use disparaging terms at times, by habit, he was accepting Aladdin as Sultan and the positive influence and natural leadership he possessed.
"Will that be enough?" Aladdin inquired disconsolately as he continued to glare at Sarutaan's mass.
"Permission to speak freely, Sultan?" Razoul asked prudently. Always responsive of Razoul's brutal honesty, Aladdin nodded as he turned, their eyes meeting. "With our current numbers against theirs, we don't stand a chance in hell." Aladdin took another deep breath and groaned, rubbing his eyes exasperatedly, frustrated with the advantage he knew Javeer currently held. Looking back to the army, he searched himself for any possible resolution. Razoul joined Aladdin at the rail, his own examination falling on the ominous gathering of warriors on the dunes beyond their gates. "If anyone can get us through this, it's you. You've gotten Agrabah through worse before."
Somewhat stunned by Razoul's affirmation, Aladdin crooked his head slightly with a snarky grin, "Not bad for a once lowly street rat, huh? And to think, you threw me around quite a bit a few years ago."
With a chuckle, Razoul thought of his words wisely, "I was just doing my job."
"Oh, and I'm sure there were no personal feelings of animosity every time you tried catching me out there," Aladdin laughed as he pointed down to the streets, "I'm sure you chased everyone the same."
With a shrug, Razoul continued to grin, "You definitely made my days more interesting. I knew there was something different about you," cautiously he added, "I hope there's no hard feelings, Sultan."
With a scoff, Aladdin's eyes began to trace the buildings near the marketplace and his old hovel, as he reminisced his time when he was looking up at the palace, instead of down from it. "No Razoul," he began with a smile, "No hard feelings. I've let go of a lot of things since I married Jasmine." Turning back to the guard, he smirked, "I've even forgiven you for locking me in the dungeon, trying to drown me, and almost beheading me."
Razoul's eyes widened and darted guiltily as they drifted downward in disgrace as he recalled how brutally he once treated the man he was now sworn to shield with his own existence, "Your majesty," he nervously winced, "I-"
"You were just doing your job, Razoul," Aladdin confirmed with a slap on Razoul's back, "No hard feelings. Really. As long as you continue to look after Jasmine, my family, and this city, it won't be mentioned again." Appreciative for Aladdin's clemency, Razoul nodded and bowed promptly before departing the balcony.
With a smile and soft huff, Aladdin shook his head at the memories of Razoul and was content with moving forward, working with the guards to help protect those he cherished. Plans were being formulated to move Jasmine to a secure place, possibly Getizstan, to keep her safe from any precarious situation the Sarutaan soldiers could create. Carpet was instructed and prepared to take her at a moment's notice and only he, Aladdin, and Jasmine would know her ultimate whereabouts. With the heir to the Agrabanian throne steadily growing within her, no chances could be made where her welfare was concerned. As she approached Aladdin to join him on the balcony, he felt her tense beside him as her eyes fell on the armed forces just a few miles away. Caressing her extending abdomen in an involuntary motion, she wrapped her other arm around Aladdin's waist. Her apparel had changed over the previous months as she now donned a modest, yet stylish lavender dress, covering her bump and extending to her ankles. With light fabric lined with simple lilac gems along the bodice and off-the-shoulder sleeves, she found it very comfortable given her progressing circumstance. "Any changes today?" She murmured anxiously.
He shook his head, his scrutiny continuing to stretch past the barriers of their city. Below, citizens were fortifying their homes, closing their shops and preparing for the worst. Locking their stores, merchants were gathering their goods to store in secret locations to protect against looters. Royal guards had been sent to help keep the peace and reassure the people of Agrabah they were being protected, yet, very few were believing of such fallacy. As Jasmine gasped slightly beside him, Aladdin turned his attention to her, watching as a wisp of a smile crossed her lips. Without a word, Jasmine took one of Aladdin's hands and placed it on her abdomen and watched as he felt their baby kick. His own smile growing, his attention left the army outside his city for a fleeting moment and he immersed himself in the bliss of his unborn child. Jasmine had been showing for quite a while, yet every time Aladdin saw her, he became lost in a wistful, loving daze.
The pregnancy had been such a blessing to the people of Agrabah. They had rejoiced hysterically to the news of the heir Aladdin and Jasmine were expecting. However, it wasn't long after their announcement whispers started to travel throughout the city of an approaching war with Sarutaan as word leaked and citizens began to panic. Now, with the city nearly completely surrounded by an ominous army, there was little reassurance they could give to their people. The only hope they had was resolving the issue before a drop of blood could be spilled. Genie was currently meeting with Prince Achmed, as he had refused to see neither Aladdin nor Jasmine, to try and sort out a peaceful agreement to this misunderstanding.
Jasmine, still confused with Sarutaan's declaration of war, thought callously of the heartless prince and sighed. "When do you think Genie will return?" She asked Aladdin as his concentration glided back towards the ostensible army.
"I don't know, he's been gone since morning. Carpet left earlier today too. He took some messengers to some of our allied cities nearby in hopes of rallying support. I only hope Genie can talk some sense into Achmed. He and his father are acting completely crazy with all of this. Agrabah didn't do anything to warrant even the threat of war."
"Agrabah didn't, but in the eyes of Javeer and Achmed, maybe we did." She offered morosely, recalling both their initial meetings with Achmed years before. "If it was enough to offend them and disgrace their honor, they may believe they're fully justified in bringing their army to Agrabah's doors."
"I don't get what they're waiting for though, they've been here over a week already. Why set up outside the city for us to have time to prepare? Why let us know they're here?" His fists tightening on the railing, his eyes narrowed at the congregation.
"I don't know, but I'm sure they have a reason, and I'm sure I don't want to know what it is." With a shudder at the thought, she gave Aladdin a hug and returned inside.
Sitting upon her divan inside their room, she opened the journal she had been diligently filling for months. Sharing every kick, every moment of splendor, she wrote and meticulously inscribed every detail of her pregnancy, the changes she felt and the growth she was experiencing. Smiling as she began to write, she thought absently of how wonderful it would finally feel to hold her son or daughter, to hear their laughter, to feel their skin against her own.
She wrote; 'With each passing day I am more eager to meet you, little one. I feel you kicking within me, hopefully as a sign you are excited to join the world as well. It is unfortunate we live in such dire times when men from other lands threaten the city we love – the city you will one day rule as wonderfully as your father, or help to rule as I do. I know deep within me your father will end this terrible threat before you arrive and will make our city peaceful and safe once again for you. Genie inspects me occasionally and always reassures me you are growing to be a perfect, wonderful baby and I know it must be true. I can feel it, I can feel you. Your nursery is almost complete – we are putting the finishing touches on it soon, even though you are not coming for another three months or so, we want to be completely prepared.
I must confess, I worry. I worry about what it will be like to deliver you, to bring you into this world. I worry about your father and his confidence in becoming a father (although he is beyond ecstatic for your approaching arrival). I have never seen or learned much about bringing a child to life, about labor and all that entails. I know it will be painful, but it is only a small price to pay for the joy of having you and being able to simply hold you in my arms."
Jasmine paused, twirled her quill, and attentively pictured what childbirth would be like. Understanding the difficulties women faced while bearing a child, she understood the risks and possible consequences if everything didn't go as successfully as one would hope. The royal physician was already beginning to prepare her, walking her through what to expect, how to tell if something was wrong beforehand, and how to tell when the baby would finally be on its way. She had shared some of her own concerns with Aladdin already, discussing what he should do if something happened to her. She made sure he understood her wishes in the event she was unable to make the decisions herself. Exhaling thoughtfully, she continued to write.
'If something were to happen to me during your labor, I do not want you to carry the burden of guilt, for it would be my own willing sacrifice to leave this world if it meant your survival. I can think of no greater gift to give your father than your life, and I would happily forfeit my own in the process. My ultimate wish is to grow with you, watch you age, celebrate every milestone, and see the person you will become. I eagerly look forward to watching you turn into an adult, marry, and have children of your own. I understand, having watched both my own parents pass, that Allah does not always provide us with what we want, but what must be. As long as you become part of this world, I will accept being any part of it.'
At dinner that night, Aladdin's thoughts were constantly torn from his friends and family as he continued to peer out of the expansive balcony towards Sarutaan's army. Genie had returned with less than encouraging news and a warning from Achmed that they were running low on time. Vague on details, Achmed had been less than helpful and was incredibly unwilling to work with Genie on reaching a sensible agreement to avoid a costly battle. As Jasmine had suspected, Genie confirmed her suspicions that their drive for war stemmed from the indignities Achmed was treated to, and Javeer believed Aladdin and Jasmine had purposefully insulted their lineage. When Achmed learned of Jasmine ultimately marrying the very same street rat who had insulted him upon his entrance to Agrabah all those years ago, it was only a matter of time before they gathered their army and waited for Aladdin to take the throne, fully implementing the commoner as a ruler and, in their justification, giving reason to declare war. With a scoff, Aladdin rolled his eyes at the thought, 'how pathetic, to sit around and wait for some nobody like me to become a ruler before exacting revenge…'
The thought of war striking Agrabah sickened Aladdin to the depths of his being. Watching Jasmine and thinking of their unborn child so recklessly endangered by the madness of two men was driving him insane. Genie and Carpet had helped Aladdin finalize the plan to send Jasmine away to safety, although it pained him bitterly to contemplate her being away with diminutive security and only a few stray months until giving birth. As the servants brought forth their soup and dinner meal, Aladdin tried to relax and enjoy the peaceful moments he still had with the ones he cared for. Trying to smile at Genie's usual antics, he focused on his friend reenacting Achmed's stuffy conversation.
Abu snickered raucously as Genie dressed in an overelaborate ensemble with gold trim covering his every inch as he talked in a pompous, pretentious tone to the monkey as he held Abu's banana, "I do not believe this is a real banana, sir. You are a rapscallion bandit and I believe you are trying to swindle me!" Genie stuck the banana in his gargantuan nose before turning himself into one large banana. Realizing he was overacting in the hopes of calming his comrade, Aladdin forced a chuckle, trying his best to relieve everyone at the table.
"Oh, Genie," Jasmine began with a giggle as she sipped her soup, "Where do you come up with these things?"
"Well, there was the time I spent with the Russian Circus … those guys really know how to party!" Flashing into a lion tamer outfit, Abu was morphed into a very hairy and disheveled lion. Attempting to roar, he managed a chittered, high-pitched growl before falling over in a faint.
Amused, Aladdin shook his head as he watched Genie's playfulness continue, trying his best to let go of the dread sneaking in and icing his blood. The army hadn't moved at all that day, yet he had the threatening sensation something terrible was approaching. As Aladdin sipped his soup and took a bite of his dinner he willed his tense body to unwind. It wasn't healthy to be constantly on edge, nor was it good for Jasmine to constantly be worrying about Aladdin's anxiety. He knew she was watching him, praying he would find absolution and peace with everything, hoping things would be resolved before the birth of their baby, so he put on a brave front in hopes of convincing her he was optimistic. The men on his council were working day and night to try and resolve the issue and his guards were posted throughout the city to alarm them of any changes. For the time being he had to relax. He had to keep his mind clear and ready in the event something actually did transpire.
Watching Genie chase Abu the lion around as they ate dinner, he laughed, enjoying the scene unfold as Carpet joined in and tried to help Abu manage his unruly mane. "Abu, I still think I liked you better as an elephant," he commented. Genie nodded with a grin, and with a quick snap of his fingers, Abu reappeared as his elephant self, trunk trumpeting in resentment.
With a laugh, Aladdin mirthfully stood and gave Abu's trunk a pat. Genie floated over and under Abu, examining his work, "Definitely one of my better ideas!" he declared, snapping Aladdin into his full 'Prince Ali' ensemble. "Tell me, Jas, what was it? The elephant, the fifty-three peacocks, or the giant gorilla balloon? What sold you on this big lug?" He asked as he snapped his fingers and Aladdin transferred to the basket atop Abu's elephant back.
With a giggle, she looked adoringly at the scene, replaying the original parade in her memory, "Oh it was all of it," she confessed, "But what really sold me was the heart under all that." As Aladdin descended from Abu on Carpet, he beamed. "He didn't need all of that to win me over, he already had my heart by just being himself."
Nudging Carpet, Genie winked, "She's just being modest. It was the giant gorilla balloon." Carpet nodded in agreement.
"Mmm," Jasmine expressed, setting down her spoon on the table. "I feel a little funny." Placing her hands across her belly intuitively, she groaned slightly.
"Jasmine, are you all right?" Aladdin inquired, rushing to her side. Genie appeared next to them suddenly, his comedic shtick flipped off. Abu flashed back into his normal, monkey self as the last remnants of the 'Prince Ali' spectacle faded away.
"It was the jokes, wasn't it? Not my best night. Be honest, the banana thing was too much?" Genie asked with a blush.
"Genie, not now," Aladdin sighed, taking Jasmine's hand in his own, attempting to lead her from the table. "Let's get you to bed, maybe you need to lie down for a little while," he suggested optimistically.
"Ahh!" She cried out in sudden surprise, clutching her side as she stood. "Something's wrong!"
"Genie!" Aladdin cried out desperately, unsure of how to help her. "What's going on?"
Metamorphosing into a doctor and altering the room into an emergency terminal, he placed Jasmine on a gurney hooked up to several blinking and beeping machines. With Abu next to him in a nurse's outfit and Carpet as an orderly, he examined her, having Abu occasionally hand him miscellaneous tools. Writhing from pain, Jasmine continued to cry out as bursts of distress shot within her stomach and throughout her extremities. As she began to pale, Aladdin's worry intensified.
"Jasmine, you're going to be okay," he tried to soothe as he stood beside her, "everything is going to be okay!"
"Aladdin," she gasped in pain, clutching her lower abdomen where the fetus was positioned, "Aladdin, the baby …"
"Genie, what's going on!?" Aladdin helplessly pressed, watching Jasmine cling weakly to consciousness as continuous shards of anguish threatened to send her into an obscure oblivion.
"I don't know, Al … but it's not good," he said sullenly as he read over papers being spit out by an EKG machine. Nearby a computer chirped and snapped as more papers were being produced, readouts of instant tests he was using on her to determine what was happening. "Oh Al, it's really not good," Genie gasped quietly in dismay as he looked over the last document, "She's losing the baby."
Jasmine clutched Aladdin's arm tightly, digging her nails into his hand. Torment ripped through her, slashing away at her cognizance as she fought to hold on, to stay awake through the assault of tremors shredding through her abdomen. "No!" She cried out frailly as bright, crimson blood began to emerge and immerse her dress.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin wailed, grasping her hand within his own, watching in pure terror as the blood began to spread, indicating the grave endangerment their unborn child was enduring.
"Aladdin, don't let anything happen to our baby…" As her voice trailed off, Jasmine slipped into a murky blackness that intensely consumed her.
