Chapter Fourteen: The Problems Keep Coming
Sahbmad looked terrified as he recalled something Ahbmad had done and he said in a shaky voice, "Ahbmad decided to transform Balbadd into a slave-exporting country!"
Tettia and Tora looked at Sahbmad with disgust and horror (for the people of Balbadd) in their widened eyes. "Transform Balbadd into a slave-exporting country!?" they yelled in absolute shock in unison. "The fuck is that fat pig thinking?!" yelled Tora, clenching her fists tightly.
The look in Sinbad's deep golden gaze held an almost crushing amount of disgust and disbelief. His voice was stern and almost judging as he spoke, "So, in other words, Ahbmad, he has betrayed the citizens?"
Sahbmad weakly nodded at what Sinbad had said. "Yes, that's right… Big brother said it himself… 'The citizens do not matter to us at all, right? As long as I, the king, am here, the country is here. Also, humans can reproduce as many children as they want when there is a need to. If it's like that, we can borrow Juan forever!' No one… rejected that idea…" he spoke, almost quietly.
"That's terrible! We must take action against that fucking pig!" exclaimed Tora, punching the air angrily.
Sahbmad nodded as he continued, "After that, the Kou Empire has decided to take the citizens of Balbadd and sell them off as slaves to other countries…"
The oldest Nando said something of little importance. Being unheard, Sinbad questioned the deputy king, "Sahbmad, just what in the world is happening? Has Ahbmad rotted to that bad of an extent?"
Casting his gaze down at the ground, Sahbmad replied, "I don't understand either. But Ahbmad, as well as the other royalty and officials, have been spending money like it's nothing. Nothing else will be able to catch their eyes. The royalty and officials, to secure their own lifestyles, follow Ahbmad without question…"
The half-Fanalis's jaw dropped at the utter stupidity of the so-called king of Balbadd, and she squeezed herself against Sinbad's arm even tighter. She felt terrible that these great people were forced to accept that greedy bastard as their king. After this revelation, Tettia's hatred for Alibaba's half-brother grew exponentially; the urge to kill the pig was almost too great. "That… that's despicable. How can that greedy asshole even call himself a king after that?! That's not what being king is about! It's not about how much money you can keep in your pocket in order to keep yourself and those corrupt nobles around you happy! Being king, or queen, is about keeping your citizens happy! As a royal, you have a responsibility to keep your citizens feed and healthy, not to ensure you yourself get fat off of food and wine," hissed Tettia, glaring at the sky.
Tora clapped slowly in agreement as she said, "Well put, Tet. Very well put."
Alibaba and Tettia looked both at Morgiana, who had a serious look in her crimson eyes. She walked towards the deputy king, saying in an almost stern voice, "Deputy king! Are you asking for us to stop them? Is that the reason why you're here?"
"Yes… that's right," replied Sahbmad.
Morgiana whipped her head around to look at Alibaba, and she went to reach for Alibaba. Before the purebred Fanalis could touch the blond, Tettia had jumped in front of Morgiana and placed her hands on the blond's shoulders. "Let's do this, Ali! Let's stop that fucking ridiculous plan," exclaimed Tettia, her crimson eyes holding a serious and determined gleam.
Alibaba's golden eyes were widened, not only by the fact that Tettia had said that, but by the fact that she had detached herself from Sinbad's arm and jumped in front of Morgiana in a few split seconds. It seemed that even though Tettia was not jealous of Morgiana, she did not want the purebred to touch the blond. Perhaps it infuriated the half-Fanalis that Morgiana acted all buddy-buddy with Alibaba despite having tried to kill them (Alibaba, Aladdin and herself) during their dungeon diving experience? Or maybe it was the way the purebred acted like Tettia had nothing to do with her being freed from being a slave, and gave the credit solely to the blond?
The Nando brothers said something and that directed Morgiana's anger towards them. They questioned if she remembered them, to which she promptly replied, "I do remember." She turned her glaring crimson gaze from the back of Tettia's head (as Morgiana was angry that Tettia had stolen her thunder) to the brothers. "At that time, you were planning on selling slaves, too, weren't you?" she angrily questioned, stomping towards the brothers. "Why are you with the Fog Troupe!"
Tora rolled her eyes, this young purebred Fanalis sure did let her anger control her actions quite a bit. "Wait a damn second, Morgiana," commanded the purplenette. The purebred Fanalis looked over her shoulder, glaring harshly at the purplenette. The look in those crimson eyes set Tora off, "Oh, look here, missy! You ain't got shit on me, got it? Wanna fight me, then come on! I'll beat the shit out of you in no time flat. Come at me!"
Sinbad raised his hand. "Tora. Calm down. We don't need to start a fight here. Now, Morgiana — although I don't know what conflict you have with those three — they are currently members of the Fog Troupe, so you will not be allowed to deal with your own problems with them now, but at a later date. We should allow Sahbmad to continue first," he said in a commanding tone.
Tora gripped Sinbad's shoulder in a tight hold, her face held a dangerous expression. "Look, King Moron, I don't care if your wife is here or not… stop me again and I will beat you in front of Tet," she threatened.
Sinbad really had a knack for angering Tora lately. Ja'far sighed heavily, "Please don't kill Lord Sin, Tora. He still is our king."
Reluctantly, Tora let go of Sinbad's shoulder, hissing, "You're a real lucky man, King Moron… I'm gonna go punch a wall…" Then she walked off for a brief moment to punch a hole in yet another wall. Once she had done that, the purplenette returned, breathing out a relieved sigh. "Okay, I'm back," she said in a calmer tone. "Please, continue, Sahbmad," urged Tora.
"Okay…" said Sahbmad as he continued.
"CONTRACT SIGNING CEREMONY!?" exclaimed Tettia, who was standing next to Alibaba instead of her husband.
"Yes, that's right. It's actually for the engagement between Ahbmad and one of the Kou Empire's princesses. In… in five days, they will be holding the wedding ceremony. At the same time, they will be going through the contract signing ceremony with the citizens as the collateral… but if it's me, I can't stop them. That is why I'm here today… I'm begging you, Alibaba! Please, with your power, stop Ahbmad!" exclaimed the blond's half-brother, grabbing the blond's shoulders. "If it's me, I won't be able to do anything!"
Alibaba looked over at Tettia, an unknowing gleam in his golden gaze. What was he to do? Agree to this or disagree? Not knowing what to do, Tettia looked back at her husband. Gazing into Tettia's unknowing crimson gaze, Sinbad sighed and spoke, "…I have understood everything you have said, Sahbmad. Just leave it to me. I will contact my allied countries and we will come together to oppose the Balbadd government. Although I'm not certain that we would be able to make it in five days for the ceremony, I will absolutely stop this idiotic plan that will export the citizens as slaves!"
The purple-haired king's wife smiled widely. "Aye," she agreed.
Sahbmad hummed to himself in thought. "But…" he muttered, looking over at Alibaba.
That was when Barkak spoke, "Deputy king, it's about time we return." Sabhmad nodded. Barkak looked at Alibaba and spoke once again, "Young master, we're counting on you!" With that, they left.
Alibaba stood there, not able to accept that. After causing quite the commotion for the Fog Troupe, Sahbmad returned to the palace. After that, the long night finally ended and brought in daybreak.
Alibaba and Tettia sat in Aladdin's room, the blond gripping his knees tightly as he looked at the sleeping bluenette. "Hey Aladdin…" the blond began, "You still haven't woken up. After you collapsed, Sahbmad came. He said—" he was interrupted.
"He said that he wanted Alibaba to save this country, can you believe it?! Our little Ali has been picked to save this country," said Tettia, placing a hand on the blond's right shoulder, smiling at him.
A small smile flashed across Alibaba's features, before it transformed into a half-smile full of sadness and self-doubt. "Yeah. I can't even believe it myself. Although it's true that this country is facing a huge problem and that someone must do something about it… is that really something for me to do?" questioned the blond.
"Of course it is, Ali," Tettia spoke, trying to comfort the blond.
"I have worked hard before, haven't I…? Going to the Fog Troupe and becoming their leader so as to change this country. But… no matter what I do, nothing comes out right. Even though you and Tet expected something great from me, that isn't right, you two picked the wrong person. In this world, there are real heroes. That's right, for example… people like Sinbad."
Tettia smiled and said, "That type of person is simply amazing. B-but, that doesn't mean you aren't that type either, Alibaba!"
"I'm not that type, Tet. He has great spirit, great strength and great prestige. People like me wouldn't even be able to compare to him. Bringing everyone in the Fog Troupe together in an instant. Really, I can't compare to him at all…"
Being saddened by his words, Tettia laid her head on his shoulder, tangling her fingers with his. "That isn't true, Ali. You can't compare yourself to a man who has had much more experience at being a leader than you. It's an unfair comparison. I believe you have the makings of a wonderful leader within you… you just have to hone that skill. Though leadership does come easy for you, you and I are only children compared to those like Sin, Jaffy, Massy and even Tora. Though, I think Tora is our age, she's… probably been through a lot with Sin and them. Therefore, don't expect so much from yourself yet, Alibaba. Give it some time before you start comparing yourself to the likes of Sin and his companions," she spoke gently and with a genuine feeling of love and comfort. Tettia truly hated when Alibaba compared his leadership skills to that of the king of Sindria; it truly was an unfair comparison.
Alibaba looked at Tettia and squeezed her hand, leaning his head on hers. "Thanks for that… I doubt you're words will fully change my mind but, that really means a lot to me," he thanked the half-Fanalis.
"You're welcome, Ali. I can't keep letting you put yourself down like this. You can't hold yourself up to those high standards that Sin is held to… it's just not possible for you to be suddenly as good at being a leader as Sin is. Don't do that to yourself, build yourself up to those standards… don't assume that you'll be amazing in an instant," she said, lifting her head up. Alibaba lifted his head and then Tettia kissed his cheek.
He blushed. "I'll try not to, Tet…" he muttered.
She smiled at the blond. "That's all you can do. After all, you'll have me here to punch you if you continue to put yourself down," she spoke with a huge grin.
"King Moron, what the fuck are you planning on doing from now on?" asked Tora, from her snake-form on Masrur's shoulder.
Ja'far looked at Sinbad and said, "To think that the Kou Empire is at the center of all this. Even if we managed to discuss this with our allies, it may be of no use at all."
"Yes, I know that. Even if we found a way, it is still impossible to solve this problem entirely," replied Sinbad.
Tora nodded and said, "That issssssss becaussssse the country'sssss sssssyssssstem hassss already been broken quite badly."
Closing his eyes, Sinbad said, "Yes. That is why, to rebuild this country into an utterly different form, we need to rely on those people that serve this country wholeheartedly."
The white-haired advisor looked sternly at Sinbad as he said/questioned, "Are you planning on destroying the current king's rule? For example, by pushing Alibaba as a candidate for the king's position."
"Alibaba, huh… right now, we can't expect much from him. I have considered him before, but his strength as well as his confidence aren't enough," spoke Sinbad, bringing a cup of wine to his lips. "Aladdin… why did Aladdin choose him in the first place…?"
Tora and Ja'far shook their heads. "Hey Sin, it's early in the morning and you're already drinking so much," said Ja'far.
Taking a large gulp of wine, Sinbad retorted, "I can't help it… ever since arriving in this country, I haven't gotten a single moment of rest…" As soon as the king finished his utterance, the door was kicked open violently. The four whipped their heads back and saw an angry Tettia in the doorway. "Did something happen, Tet?" asked the king.
"Don't talk about Ali that way. I just got done telling him that he can't expect himself to have half of the confidence, strength and leadership skills as all of you have because of how inexperienced he is. However, just because he is inexperienced, that doesn't mean that you get to just denounce his abilities to be king! If the need and situation calls for him to do what's considered impossible for him, I know he's up to the task," said an irritated Tettia.
Sinbad looked at his wife with his mouth agape. "Tet, I know how much he means to you and Aladdin, but we can talk about it later. The night was rough on you because of what happened to Aladdin, maybe you should rest a bit."
"Yeah! You really should go get some damn rest, Tet!" exclaimed Tora, jumping off of Masrur's shoulder and transforming back into her human form.
Tettia shook her head, "No! What makes you think that he has no confidence?! Is it just because he does not know how to deal with things suddenly being thrusted upon him or something? Because, honestly, I would be the same way. ALSO! I want to know how you know Judar and those people who were with him, Sin."
Sinbad stood up and walked over to Tettia. "I promise to explain everything in full detail later, Tet," he said.
That was when Morgiana walked up, having heard what the king said about Alibaba as well. "Sinbad, about Alibaba… he does look like he doesn't have any confidence, but he saved me when I was a slave. It wasn't just anyone. It was him. Hence, this is how I feel… the one to is able to save this country is him," exclaimed the purebred Fanalis, her eyes twinkling as she remembered what the blond had done for her.
Morgiana and Tettia left after that. Once the door was closed, the king sat down, rubbing the back of his head. "…Ja'far, about what we were talking about, the thing about Alibaba… it seems that it is still too early to determine whether he's a good candidate of not," said the purple-haired king.
"That is because you're fucking drunk again, King Moron," retorted Tora. "Now the question is: are you gonna get more stuff stolen?" Ja'far shook his head at the purplenette's statement, pinching the bridge of his nose. That had Tora laughing even more than she already was.
In the room where Sinbad had been drinking a day earlier, Tettia and Alibaba now sat opposite of Ja'far and Sinbad; Morgiana, Masrur and Tora standing close by. "The Kou Empire. It's a country that has been displaying quite a bit of power recently. A militaristic country that reigns over the center plains. Although it was just a small country in the east not too long ago, it only took them a small amount of time to take control of the entire central plains. Although we can't just turn a blind eye to such ruthlessness, I now know one of the reasons for the ruthlessness like we saw yesterday," spoke Sinbad.
Tettia leaned forward on the table, supporting her head with her hands as she asked, "What is it, my love?"
Sinbad chuckled at her term of affection. "The Kou Empire's Magi — Judar…"
"Judar…" muttered Alibaba, Tettia and Morgiana. "Umm… I'm sorry, but may I ask what actually is a Magi?" asked Morgiana. "I want to know that too…" said Alibaba.
"Another name for Magi is the Magician that Shapes the World. By using Magoi, they are able to control the world's Rukhs. But, the power of a Magi that we are most familiar with is the power to summon dungeons and lead people in there. There are many powers that can be found in dungeons. Magic incantations, magical items, as well as metal vessels. The Magi will bestow these items to the people he lead. Those who have been given the power by the dungeons, as well as the people around them, will rise to fame and glory with the aid of the Magi," explained the purple-haired king.
Alibaba asked, "So, it is the same for you, too, Sinbad?"
Smiling, Sinbad replied, "No, I'm different. I used my own strength to conquer the dungeons summoned by Judar and I have clashed with that troublesome guy a couple of times. In any case, even with the exceptions such as myself, the reason why the Kou Empire has risen to such glory and power is no doubt because of their Magi. Judar said it before that he's using his strength as a Magi to help the Kou Empire. Judar has sent various people into dungeons that he summoned… making the Kou Empire a rarely seen large and powerful Empire in this era. Also, they seem to have no intentions on stopping their powerful invasion."
"You're saying…" Alibaba, Tettia and Morgiana said in unison.
"That's right. The country they are eyeing right now is here, the kingdom of Balbadd. Actually since a long time ago, the Kou Empire has always been using their military influence to suppress Balbadd's economy. After that, they waited for the kingdom's power to diminish so as to ensure Balbadd uses Juan for their finances. What they can use isn't only their military's strength… but also the guy that has been completely manipulated by them… is Ahbmad Saluja. That guy has been deceived by the flowery lies of the Kou Empire and has been pushing the country into its poor state. Losing its land, losing its rights… and now he is even planning to sell the citizens as slaves; this is what we currently have to think about as we devise a plan to love this quickly approaching major problem," further explained Sinbad.
Tettia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "…Then our enemies are the Kou Empire and Ahbmad Saluja, aye?" questioned the semi-wavy haired red-head.
Sinbad smiled briefly at her wording, then replied, "You… can put it like that, yes."
Alibaba got up and made his way to the door, Tettia still sat unmoving from her seat at the table, Morgiana stood near Alibaba at the door and bowed to the king as she spoke, "I understand, thank you very much."
"I'm taking my leave," the blond spoke in a flat tone.
Sinbad held up a hand as he called out to the young blond, "Wait, Alibaba. I still have something to talk to you about. I would say let's talk about this, just the two of us, but I know that Tet will do what she want: which will mean staying."
Tettia snickered from behind her hand, then said cheerfully, "You got that right, my handsome husband!"
The young prince looked at Tettia and smiled as he sat back down. Sinbad signaled for his trio to exit the room, which they did (Tora had not griped as she left, which was unusual for her). Soon it was just the three in the room, still sitting at the table: the purple-haired king, the red-headed who self-proclaimed herself the king's wife, and the blond prince. This time, however, the red-head was sitting beside Sinbad, her head sleepily leaned against his shoulder and upper-arm. Smiling at the young blond, who was staring at the him in an almost glare, Sinbad said, "Talking to you alone like this — for the most part — is our first time, isn't it? Your father had always been telling me about you. He said he still had another son; saying that you were outstanding and that he was proud of you. And now, you even stand before me as a dungeon capturer. This must be another example of the Rukhs' guidance."
"You think us meeting is an example of the Rukhs' guidance, Sin?" asked Tettia as she looked up at him.
Ruffling her hair, Sinbad quickly added, "But of course, my lovely Tettia."
The red-head smiled happily, whispering a quiet, "Yay."
Having heard that, Alibaba's gaze turned quickly from an almost glare to a distant and far-off look in his honey gaze. "Please stop. I'm not like that," he said in the same flat tone from a few brief moments ago.
Snapping her crimson gaze towards Alibaba, Tettia's eyebrows furrowed in an almost distressed manner. "Ali… you okay? I don't much like that look in your eyes," she said, clearly worried about him.
Sinbad shared his wife's worried look as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I'm just… someone that used both Aladdin's and Tet's strength to conquer the dungeon… I didn't do anything at all. Also, the Djinn's powers did not even harm you or your friends, Sinbad! If it's about how we're similar, please stop talking about it," spoke Alibaba, his voiced grew slightly angry, but it was quelled quickly.
Tettia gazed at the young blond with such a sad look in her eyes. He was still putting himself down, she thought that she had gotten through that thick skull of his awhile ago. "Ali…" she trailed off, reaching her hand over the table, touching one of the blond's hands. Alibaba smiled sadly at the table, enjoying her slight comforting gesture.
"Alibaba," started Sinbad, giving the blond an understanding look, "I understand that you have lost your confidence because your attempt at negotiating with Ahbmad failed, but if you continue to look down, you will cause nothing but trouble for others. Look at the effect your constant disheartenment is having on Tet; she is usually charming and lively, yet here she is, having the most dismal quality in her crimson gaze."
Alibaba tore his eyes from the table, a questioning look swirled in his eyes, and it was then that his eyes met Tettia's. Sinbad was beyond being correct; crimson eyes that usually sparkled with excitement and life were then lackluster. A heart-wrenching and prominent anguish swirling in Tettia's eyes. The blond was taken back a bit, he had not expected his very own sorrowfulness to have such a profound impact on another individual. Her piercing crimson gaze silently pleaded with Alibaba to be cheerful again, to stop putting himself down, to end his incessant comparing himself to Sinbad.
After a few moments of silence between the three, as the blond and red-head shared both a heartwarming and heartbreaking moment, Sinbad broke said silence when he continued, "Now do you see how much of an impact something as small as your mood can effect those around you? Moving on, though, this country needs to be reborn, Alibaba. A rebirth like this must be done by changing Ahbmad's current government into an entirely different state. Do you understand what I'm getting at? Alibaba, you have to become Balbadd's king."
The clashing honey and crimson gazes were torn from the other at Sinbad's proclamation. Alibaba's eyes widened as he looked unbelievingly at Sindria's king, quickly shuffling to his feet. Tettia's lackluster gaze sparked to life as she turned her eyes towards her husband.
"You don't have to worry. Even if you don't have confidence right now, I will give my all to support you from the back. I'm sure my wife agrees with me and will give her all to back you, as well. The strength and confidence that you need — you just have to accumulate them with time. I will also teach you how to use your Djinn," said Sinbad as he stood up.
"That's what I told him, Sin! He just needs time! But, this goofball expects himself to have all of that at the drop of a coin," exclaimed Tettia, standing up as well.
Alibaba could not deal with all of that. "Please stop! The thing about making me king… something like that is impossible," exclaimed a sweat-dropping Alibaba.
Sinbad now was curious. "But aren't you the leader of this strong and active Fog Troupe? Didn't you become the leader because you wanted to be the one to lead this country someday?"
"I don't believe that's why he did it, Sin," said Tettia, looking up at Sinbad and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Alibaba nodded slightly in agreement. "Tet's right. It's not like that… the reason why I'm the leader is because I happen to have royal blood. It's because Cassim thought that, if I become the leader, it would not make the Fog Troupe look like an army of thieves…" he trailed off, looking away from the duo before him.
Looking sternly at Alibaba, Sinbad began, "Alibaba, don't you think that everyone is bestowed with various duties the moment they are born? It's a coincidence that you happen to have royal blood. The world's kings also thought that is was a coincidence for them to be given birth into royalty and to live to become a king. I, for instance, didn't actually think of becoming king either; I went down that path because I felt that it was the duty that was bestowed upon me. Whoever it is will live because of the duty given to them. There are no coincidences at all."
Remaining quiet, Alibaba stared at the floor. Having enough of the blond's childish ignoring of the truth Sinbad was saying, Tettia spoke, her voice crisp and blatant, "Yesterday, after what happened in Laddin's room, I came to see Sin. I told him that he shouldn't dismiss you as being Ahbmad's replacement because of your lack of confidence caused by you comparing yourself to him all the time. Morgiana came by, too, and she proclaimed that the one to save this country is gonna be you. I wholeheartedly believe her. It's not just us that hope and believe this to be true! Sahbmad. The Fog Troupe. Hell, even the citizens. Everyone is hoping that you will save them."
"Yes, exactly. Can't you see that it's because everyone felt it, Alibaba? What your duty is?" questioned Sinbad. Alibaba stood there, unable to absorb what the two were saying. Seeing that the blond needed time to soak in what he had said, Sinbad sighed with a slight smile. "Anyways, I'm done. You two can go, if you want to," he said. Without hesitation, Alibaba turned on his heels and left the room. Surprisingly, Tettia had not followed after him like she usually would have. Sighing heavily, Tettia leaned against the taller man who she had self-proclaimed as her husband. With an eyebrow raised in unmeasurable curiosity, Sinbad asked, "You aren't going to follow him, Tet?"
Tilting her head back, to cast her gaze up at his face, Tettia smiled almost dismally. "Nah… I think I wanna spend some quality time with my husband. Can I have a jug of wine? I need to lose up a bit," she said with a smirk.
"Are you sure you can handle a jug of wine?" asked an amused Sinbad.
Giggling in an low, borderline sultry way, the red-head replied, "I think the question should be: can you handle your wife being drunk? I can't promise I won't be the least bit innocent — as I get pretty bold when I'm drunk; however, I doubt any of the women you've been with have ever truly been innocent around you, aye? Lady Killer of the Seven Seas?"
Just the way Tettia said that had Sinbad laughing nervously. "I can't quite remember…" he muttered.
"Of course you can't." Tettia laughed, "Just get me a drink, my love."
Sinbad nodded and asked Ja'far to bring them some alcohol. The white-haired advisor entered the room with a jug of wine and two cups, Masrur and his purplenette wife following after. Setting down the jug and the cups, Ja'far looked at the two.
Quickly snatching the jug, uncorking it and taking a large swig of wine, Tettia said, "Thank you, Jaffy!"
Casting his obsidian gaze at the red-head, the white-haired man spoke, "Aren't you going to share with Sin, Tettia?"
"Jaffy… please call me Tet. Also, the fuck I am! That idiot blond has been dragging my mood down with his and basically shitting on my attempts to boost his confidence, so I need this. Warning, if I get umm… suggestive, more than I already am, I might try to do something with Sin. Just… someone stop me if I try to go too far," she laughed.
Tora exclaimed, "Stop you and King Moron from fucking! Got it!"
"I knew you had my back, Tora," laughed Tettia, taking another swig of wine.
Tettia made quick work of about two-and-a-half jugs of wine, becoming heavily drunk. Thankfully, she had not done anything too bad with Sinbad. All she had done was cuddle up next to him as they sat, asking for him to play with her hair, which he did. "Hey~~ Sin~~" she slurred happily.
"Yes? What is it, Tet?"
Tettia nuzzled her face into his arm, slurring, "When can we consummate the marriage~~?"
The red-head's drunken statement had Tora rolling on the floor, dying of laughter. Ja'far did not know whether to be slightly entertained or fully against what the half-Fanalis was saying. Masrur looked down at his wife, rolling around laughing on the floor. Sinbad, possibly for the first time in his life, did not know what to say. "Uhh…" he muttered.
"No wait~! Where's Ali~~? I want him to be the first~" slurred Tettia.
"Wait?! You're still a maiden!?" exclaimed Tora, popping her head up from the other side of the table.
Tettia nodded, slurred, "Ayeeee~!"
Tora looked confused. "Damn it, with how close you and Babwa are, I was sure you two had… ya know… by now," she said, shaking her head.
"Noooope~" laughed Tettia drunkenly.
"Okay, I think you need to sleep off the alcohol, Tet," said Sinbad, smiling down at Tettia.
Tettia looked up at Sinbad, not truly wanting to be sent away, but she understood despite being heavily drunk. "If you think it's best~! Then~~ okay," she spoke with a loving smile.
"I do." Sinbad kissed the half-Fanalis's forehead before he looked at Tora, saying, "Tora, take her back to her room."
Tora nodded, grabbing the red-head by her shoulders. "Got'cha, Sin. C'mon Tet, let's get you to fucking sleep," she said.
"Yeah~" slurred Tettia as she was lead by to her room by the purplenette. "Thanks, Tora~!"
Smiling at the drunken half-Fanalis, Tora replied, "You're welcome, you damn drunk." They reached Alibaba and Tettia's shared room and the purplenette lead Tettia to her bed. Laying her on the bed, Tora quickly and quietly left the room. As soon as Tettia's head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
Tettia had slept through the large majority of the day, when she woke up, the sun was setting. "What the fuck ha— oooooohhhh… never mind, I remember clearly. I'm glad I never have headaches after I sober up," she said to herself as she drudged herself out of bed. Opening the door, the red-head made her way outside, where there was a gathering. "Hey, Sin! What's going on?" Tettia asked as she walked over to the purple-haired king.
Smiling at the red-head, Sinbad replied, "Oh you know, just gathering the troops to rally them."
"Ah, yes. Because they need all the rallying you can offer, honey," Tettia said, coming to stand beside him.
Once Sinbad's wife stood beside him, Ja'far asked from behind his sleeve, "Sin, Tet. How's the progress of making Alibaba the king of this country?"
"Dunno! Ali doesn't seem to want to believe in himself that he can do it. Hopefully he does after this! In the past two fucking days I have tried to give that boy a pep-talk. I gave him one yesterday, when we were in Laddin's room… we had a touching moment. Then, I just gave him one saying how many people believe in him: in what he's doing, believing that he is the one that will save this country a while ago," replied Tettia with a huff.
Sinbad looked over at Ja'far and sighed, "Ah… he has already lost his confidence. He didn't give us the reply that we wished to hear."
Tettia was about to speak with Alibaba exclaimed, "Sinbad! Please teach me how to use a Djinn! I need power, the power needed to protect this country!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about, Ali!" exclaimed Tettia, running over to and hugging the blond.
Sinbad promptly agreed to teach Alibaba how to properly use his Djinn, Amon.
The next day, Tettia watched intensely — from the side — as Sinbad instructed Alibaba on how to use his Djinn properly. It was intriguing to watch Alibaba push himself as he tried to master his Djinn. She noted how determined the blond seemed.
When Alibaba's Magoi finally had enough, he fell. "Your Magoi has finally run out. You should have probably realized this. When the Magoi that you have been storing up in your Djinn's metal vessel runs out, you can't unleash anymore of its power. So you must take note of your Magoi capacity," explained Sinbad.
"Now, that, I didn't know. Thanks for also teaching me on the side, Sinny my love~!" exclaimed Tettia, who was sitting on the ground not too far away.
Sinbad looked down at Tettia and smiled lovingly, just like his wife, he was also really getting into the prank (Tettia let him in on the ploy to make Alibaba jealous). What made it better was that Tettia was not unattractive by any means, and was somewhat more mature than most people her age. In fact, dare-say the king was slowly becoming more and more attracted to her each and every day. "You're welcome, Tet."
The glare that Alibaba had directed towards Sinbad a few days earlier was back. The blond saw that look in Sinbad's eyes, even if he did look briefly down at Tettia. Biting back a spiteful tone, he asked, "Yes… what must I do to restore my Magoi again?"
"Once you have recovered your own physical strength, place your metal vessel on you for a few hours and then it will be fully restored again," the king instructed.
Alibaba looked at Sinbad and asked, "What happens if your Magoi runs out during a battle…!?"
"I can only assume that'd be a dangerous situation, right, Sinny?"
Sinbad looked at Tettia, then ruffled her hair. "That's correct, Tet. It will be a dangerous situation. However, it's not like there aren't any other methods to restore your Magoi. Another method is…"
"Also… I don't get what you mean by compressing the Djinn's power within my own body," Alibaba interrupted.
Sinbad crossed his arms and replied, "Ah. You have seen Aladdin's Djinn, right? He's very strong. By supplying a large amount of Magoi into the metal vessel, it will allow the Djinns to materialize its body. For people like us, who have smaller Magoi capacities, we are unable to materialize Djinns. However, by possessing yourself with your Djinn's powers and assimilating with those powers, you will be able to obtain the same power as the materialized Djinn. And that is what you call enveloping yourself with the Djinn's powers… or simply put, Djinn Equip! After succeeding in Djinn Equip, you will possess the same outward appearance as your Djinn. That princess's Djinn is probably something close to that of a fish. What does your Djinn look like?"
Tettia laughed. "All right, one, we don't mention that whore of a princess. And two, Ali's Djinn looks like an old man, no offense Amon, you're amazing!"
Alibaba laughed at Tettia's laughter. "Then, what technique was that when you dispelled my flames with a slight touch the other day?" asked the blond prince.
The king smiled as he explained, "Ah, that. I just simply controlled the Magoi within my body to counteract your Magoi. However, this Magoi Control technique that I mastered is from training with a special tribe in the mountains for about a year. You can't learn that in a day or two."
Tettia jumped off of the ground and attacked her husband with a hug. The hug caught Sinbad off guard, so the two fell to the ground. "You're sooooo amazing, Sinny! Can you teach me that someday~? Please," gushed Tettia, nuzzling her face into Sinbad's chest.
Patting her head, Sinbad replied, "Of course. Someday, I will teach you that. Now, up we go." Then he stood up, bringing Tettia with him. The half-Fanalis was latched on to Sinbad's torso, similar to a koala (much like what Tora does with Masrur). Chuckling at her actions, the king said, "Could you unlatch yourself from me now?"
Looking up at him, Tettia smiled stupidly, shaking her head. "Nope~! You have to deal with me~!" Tettia exclaimed, nuzzling her face into his chest again.
"Tet, you can latch onto me later, but not right now. I'm trying to help Alibaba, don't you want that?" said Sinbad, trying to get Tettia to let him go.
Lifting her head from Sinbad's chest, she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "I do want you to help him, buuut~ I'm a needy bitch and I want love~" she said.
Rolling his eyes at her words, he replied, "You know how much I love you already, Tet."
As the king and his queen went back and forth, the blond glared at them. That should have been him who Tettia was latched on to, not Sinbad. The longer he looked at the two, at Sinbad trying to get Tettia off of him, the more Alibaba got irritated. His grip on his knife tightened as he continued to glare at the two, mainly at Sinbad.
"Alright, look. If you get off of me for a little while longer, I will play with your hair for as long as you want tonight," suggested Sinbad.
Her crimson eyes sparkled as she looked into the dark golden eyes belonging to her husband. "R-really?!" she questioned.
Sinbad nodded, combing a hand through her hair. "Yes. You have my word, Tet," he said.
"O-okay," quickly stammered the half-Fanalis as she unlatched herself from his torso.
"Alright, your Magoi should be restored by now. I apologize for that. Now, by remembering what I just said, try activating your Djinn Equip," said the king.
Once again, Alibaba pushed down his growing jealous and acted as normal as possible when he said, "Okay."
"However, a full body Djinn Equip is probably impossible for you, Alibaba. That isn't something that you can master in a short amount of time… therefore, you can probably manage part of your Djinn Equip. In other words, only Djinn Weapon Equip," spoke Sinbad.
Alibaba looked at his weapon then asked, "Djinn Weapon Equip?"
"Yes. You have seen the princess's transformation right? From her metal vessel to her arms, the transformed into a huge sword. That is because the place which is nearest to the Djinn is the easiest to equip. Also, the huge sword has the appearance of the weapon that her Djinn has… now, try bringing out Amon's weapon too!"
Tettia cheered, punching the air. "You got this, Ali!" she exclaimed.
Alibaba smiled at the red-head and he said, gripping his knife, "Okay!"
Sinbad and his red-head wife smiled as he pumped Magoi into his knife, trying to summon his Djinn Equip.
"Sin. How is Alibaba's Djinn training coming along? Also, good to see you, Tet. Can you tell me why you're sitting in Sin's lap? It looks incredibly inappropriate," said the white-haired man.
Tora pat Ja'far's back. "Don't fecking worry about it, Ja'far. They aren't doing anything. Tet just wants attention," said the purplenette.
Sinbad was combing his hands through Tettia's hair. "Ah, yes. His progress isn't bad. It's not possible for him to grasp the technique within a day, so I will still continue to train him tomorrow. Also, my wife is sitting on my lap so I can play with her hair. I promised I'd do it for as long as she wanted today during my training of Alibaba," he said.
Tettia sighed happily as her hair was played with. Ja'far looked at them, rolled his eyes and smiled softly. "Okay, I suppose then it's not inappropriate. However, Sin, just what are you trying to make Alibaba do?"
"Jaffy~ isn't it obvious~? It's to make Ali this country's king," Tettia sighed out like she was on cloud nine.
Tora's pinkish-red eyes twinkled as she looked at her king and queen. "Awwww~ they're fucking sickeningly adorable. Ya know, if this wasn't a huge plot to make him jealous, you two would actually make a decent fucking married couple," she said.
"You think so?" asked a euphoric Tettia as she looked at the purplenette.
Tora laughed, "Fuck yeah I think so. Some how, this idiot," she pointed to Sinbad, "seems to be a bit happier as your husband."
Masrur broke his seemingly stoic facade and chuckled quietly. "Tora does have a point, Sinbad, you do seem happier," he agreed.
Laughing at the Fanalis's sudden break in character, Tora punched Masrur in the arm playfully. "There's my Massy! You finally break the character," she exclaimed happily.
"I apologize for laughing, but," said Masrur, slowly returning to his stoic demeanor.
Sinbad took a sip of his wine, eyeing the male Fanalis and his purplenette wife. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up while you can, children," he said, his other hand still playing with semi-wavy hair. "However, Ja'far, shaping him into this country's king isn't a simple task. Making Ahbmad step down and making Alibaba the next king requires more effort in the political areas. I will be discussing this matter with my allied countries."
"I see," replied Ja'far, "But, if it goes like that, then there isn't a need for Alibaba to become stronger, is there?"
"That isn't necessarily true," commented Tettia, still sounding like she was in heaven as her hair was still played with.
Ja'far smiled and said, "And, if I may say so, I do find myself agreeing with them. You have been a bit livelier since Tet claimed to be your wife, Sin. Opposed to it a first, I believe you warmed up to the idea."
Sinbad chuckled at his companions statements. "Maybe I have? Who knows. Anyways, Tet is right. That isn't necessarily true; having the added strength will boost his confidence. And there wouldn't be a need for him to worry of being assassinated after becoming king. Although I say it that way, I'm not planning on having him do all the work by himself. Starting tomorrow, I will also start to move. With Tettia, if she so desires," said Sinbad.
"So, what are you planning to do?" asked Tora and Ja'far.
Continuing to play with the red-head's hair, which seemed to keep her quite calm, Sinbad said, "I am going to have a talk with that Kou Empire princess because she is probably Ahbmad's fiancée. I feel that it would be better for me to talk to her about this country's situation instead of Ahbmad."
Ja'far sighed at the thought. "But, it's not going to be easy to convince her, right?"
"It's alright," said Sinbad, "I feel that she would listen to me."
Tora, Ja'far and Masrur looked at Sinbad as they replayed the first time the princess met Sinbad and his queen in their heads. "You might be right," said Ja'far to himself, Tora and Masrur.
"As if Tet's gonna let that fucking happen, though," muttered Tora to themselves.
"What's wrong, Ja'far? Tora?" questioned the oblivious king.
"Lady Killer of the Seven Seas," muttered Masrur, which had Tora snickering.
"Eh? What are you talking about, Masrur?"
Tora shook her head. "You know she's not gonna let you go alone, right, King Moron?"
Tettia narrowed her eyes in distain at the mention of that cursed princess brat. "Tora's right, Sinny. I'm not letting you go alone. I bet she'd try and flirt hardcore with you and if she so much as makes the slightest move on you, I'm going to string her corpse up by her hair," hissed a now annoyed Tettia.
Sinbad looked down at the annoyed half-Fanalis and continued to play with her hair. "Don't worry, Tet. I won't let her flirt with me, why would I? When I have such a cute little wife?" he asked, smiling.
Tettia blushed embarrassedly. "I still don't like the idea of you going to talk with that brat alone, Sinny," she muttered.
"Want me to create a little bug for you? I am a magician, after all. I can create a little bug to you in your place on Sin's shoulder and if that brat gets to flirty with King Moron and he doesn't notice, the bug will scream at her. Of course, the voice would be yours yelling at her to back off. If the bug even senses that she is thinking that she has a chance with Sinbad, it'll scream. It is one of my best fucking magic spells. However, it won't scream at the brat if Sin's working his magic on her, but it will shock him if he gets too carried away," offered Tora with a wicked grin.
"Oh dear… that spell, really?" asked Sinbad.
Tora flipped a lock of her purple hair over her shoulder. "Yes. That spell, Sinbad. I can't have you hurting my best friend because you get too carried away in trying to get that bitch to see things our way. Plus, if you were to hurt Tet, I'd have to hurt you back," she said in a dangerous tone.
Ja'far reluctantly nodded. "Tora, for once, as a point. You do get carried away sometimes, and now that you have a wife, you have to be reeled in somehow. Tettia's a very nice young half-Fanalis, I would be angry if you hurt her, too," agreed Ja'far.
Masrur nodded as well. "Agreed."
Sinbad was shocked. "Really? You guys don't trust that I won't flirt with that princess? Someone tell me why would I when Tettia is my wife? There is no reason I would want to hurt her," he said.
Tora pinched the bridge of her nose before she stared blankly at the king. "Of course we don't trust you, Sinbad! You're a notorious flirt! And while we were fine with it before, until this thing is over, and Tet and Blondie get together, you can't flirt with other women. Because you'd have five people wanting to beat the absolute shit outta you," she explained.
Ja'far, Masrur and Tettia nodded in agreement. The fifth person was Alibaba, but he was neither there in the room nor was he clued in on the whole jealousy ploy. But, if he caught Sinbad flirting with another girl, he would probably get really angry. As they talked, the five of them were unaware that Alibaba had done something relatively stupid. The blond had left the hideout and went to face Ahbmad at the palace.
A/N: Okay, I really enjoyed typing the scenes between Tettia and Sinbad… maybe a bit too much? Making Alibaba jealous is so much fun! Also, I apparently love to not only make AliTia couple-y moments, but I apparently make them kinda mushy.