Warnings: Nothing explicit, but conversations ranging into subjects of an adult nature.
It was dark when they made berth at Agrabah's docks, and Merida swiftly arranged for the dock master to be paid off so they could anchor there for the night. Lights twinkled at them from around the city giving the place a magical glow and the heavy scent of spices and oils filled the air.
The night was warm and thick despite the lack of daylight and the crew were grateful for the cool breeze around the docks.
Whilst the others were distracted with preparations for the ship, Jack took the opportunity to have a rare moment of privacy. He snuck to a dark corner at the very front of the ship and reached into his pocket to pull out Pitch's letters. The three envelopes were still as dark as he remembered and he could see a black wax seal on each. He knew he had to get rid of them quickly – he wouldn't be alone for long. Stretching out his hands he held them tentatively over the side of the ship, the wind brushing against them and causing them to rustle. Suddenly, the seals upon them caught his eye. Peering closer he realised they held three distinct symbols on them – symbols he knew very well indeed. There was the dragon symbol of Berk, the bear symbol of Dunbroch and the sun symbol of Corona.
A split second before he released his grip, he hesitated. Why those symbols? Were those letters meant for each of the kingdoms? What sort of mischief was Pitch trying to cause? He began to withdraw his hand but in that same moment the wind picked up and ripped them from his grasp. He lunged after them with a wordless cry but it was too late – they were lost to the wind and darkness.
"Jack?! Jack are you coming to help or are you slacking off as normal?!" Merida's voice reached him. He looked back at the sea helplessly. He couldn't see the letters any more – but it's not like they could have gone anywhere. They would fall into the sea, the paper would dissolve and they would be lost forever.
"They can't harm anyone from the bottom of the ocean..." he murmured, trying to convince himself. He returned to Merida and the rest of the crew, unable to completely squash the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. It was too dark for him to see the letters rise higher and higher on the wind. He never noticed how their shape seemed to shift and morph into three black ravens, each with a message tied to their leg. He couldn't have known that they would fly off in the direction of three separate kingdoms.
He reached Merida as she finished giving the order for a few men to go ashore and start making some subtle enquiries about genies – thanks to Mordu they knew that whoever had the ring had previously owned a genie in a lamp. If the rumour had reached their side of the world, it was sensible enough to presume that it would be well known here at the source.
Whilst they waited they pulled up some crates as temporary chairs and a table to play cards on, choosing to remain up on deck where it was cooler. Jack smiled fondly as Rapunzel enthusiastically pulled up a crate next to him. Hiccup and Merida smiled as well at her obvious excitement to play. They were looking forward to teaching Rapunzel all about the game – unaware that Jack had secretly been schooling her earlier in the day whilst they had been otherwise 'occupied.' The game went relatively smoothly until they reached the end.
"Jack, stop cheating!" Merida said in frustration.
"I'm not!" he said innocently.
"You can't possibly have 3 aces!"
"And why's that?" he protested.
"Because I already have two yer great numpty!" she said, throwing her cards down.
"Oh." He paused, caught red handed. "Well how do I know it's not YOU cheating?"
"Jack..." Hiccup warned.
"Ok fine." He sighed handing over his duplicate set.
"Is it my turn now?" Rapunzel blinked innocently.
"Yeah Punzie, it's yer go." Merida said encouragingly.
"Are these any good?" she said, laying down a set of cards.
Merida and Hiccup looked at them in silent astonishment as they took in her winning hand.
"To answer your question Punz – yes, they are very good. You win." Jack chuckled.
"Yay!" she squealed, punching her fists into the air.
As Hiccup and Merida groaned in defeat, she and Jack exchanged a sly smirk and she secretly tucked a few more cards up her sleeve. He had been teaching her in the art of slight of hand earlier, knowing that Hiccup and Merida would automatically suspect him of cheating (rightly so, to be fair.) But no one would ever expect Rapunzel, with her wide innocent eyes and truth telling magic, to be the one to watch out for. Jack had explained that cheating was practically expected in their games and was very much "the pirate way." You just had to not get caught!
Secretly she got quite a thrill out of using the loophole in her magic - as long as no one asked her directly if she was cheating or not, she could actually get away with it for once in her life!
Hiccup and Merida both reached to pick up the cards from the middle to shuffle them, causing their hands to brush against each other. They exchanged glances and shared a secret smile – something Rapunzel and Jack didn't fail to notice.
Rapunzel shot Jack a warning glance, having already threatened him with her frying pan earlier that day (she still had it stored away in her room for 'emergencies') should he tease them about their new found intimacy. The truth was though, she was just as desperate to quiz their friends about the new development and planned to ask Merida as soon as they were alone.
Neither Hiccup or Merida knew that their friends were all too aware they had taken their relationship to the next level, but they weren't going to remain blissfully ignorant for long.
Standing up and stretching, Hiccup announced that he would go and check on the stores below deck to take a quick inventory. "I'll help." Jack said quickly, standing with a smirk.
"Ok..." Hiccup gave him an odd look, knowing that listing the stock was usually the last thing that Jack liked doing – it was a bit of a tedious job.
The second they had left, Rapunzel turned to Merida, grinning widely and looking like she was about to burst with excitement.
"What?" Merida asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You tell me." She beamed.
"Tell you about what?"
"Don't you have something you want to tell me? About a certain freckly dragon trainer perhaps?"
Merida peered at Rapunzel's joyful expression - she was practically bouncing up and down in her seat.
"I don't know what you're - oh my gods , you know!" she gasped mid sentence.
"I know!" Rapunzel squealed.
"But how did you...?!"
"Jack and I walked in on you whilst you are Hiccup were ...busy."
Merida groaned and hid her face in her hands. "Oh gods no... Jack too?!"
"Don't worry he didn't see anything, I shoved him out of the room before he could. You too were obviously too preoccupied if you didn't even notice us though!"
"This isn't happening..." she moaned, whilst Rapunzel giggled in delight.
"So..." a mischievous glint was in the blonde's eye "how was it?"
"Rapunzel!" Merida gasped in shock.
"What?! I've never experienced it before and it looks like you were having fun..."
"La la la I'm not listening." Merida said loudly, shoving her fingers in her ears.
"Oh come on Merida, it's nothing to be ashamed of." Rapunzel laughed, tugging her arms down playfully. "I'm just curious that's all. I've been locked away in a tower practically my entire life and the closest I ever got to kissing a guy resulted in complete and utter rejection. Come on...please?" her large eyes looked at her beseechingly.
"Gah...oh come on not with the puppy dog eyes..." Merida looked at her reluctantly. Rapunzel pouted pathetically and she sighed in defeat.
"It was...nice." she blushed
"Just nice?"
"Ok, better than nice. Amazing."
"And...?"
"Rapunzel I am a fearsome Pirate Captain and I'm not going to sit here and discuss this like some giggly teenager!" she replied, flustered.
Rapunzel dissolved into laughter whilst Merida turned the colour of her hair.
Meanwhile Hiccup and Jack were having a similar conversation.
"Well it's about time I say."
"Jack I swear if you don't let this drop..."
"Honestly if you hadn't got together soon I was going to lock you in a room somewhere anyway. According to Rapunzel you were both pretty into it – didn't even notice us enter the room!"
Hiccup made a growling noise in his throat to convey his annoyance.
"Hey, she said it not me!" he held up his hands to signal his "surrender" but the permanent smirk on his face kind of negated any apology the gesture might otherwise imply.
The two of them re-emerged on deck, Hiccup muttering under his breath.
Jack put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder to stop him before they re-joined the women.
"What?" Hiccup rolled his eyes, obviously expecting further teasing.
"Seriously Hic – I'm happy for you. You and Mer belong together." He said seriously, his smile genuine.
Hiccup returned it with one of his own. "Thanks Jack." He paused. "But I swear if you bring this up again then I won't be responsible when Merida goes after you with her bow.
"Noted." Jack grinned.
They wandered over to the girls who were setting up for another game of cards, when they heard feet stomping up the gang plank onto the ship.
The crew members who had gone off searching for news of genies had returned, and it looked like they had been successful from the triumphant grins on their faces.
"I found out who has it Captain!"
"I helped! "
"You found out nuffin, you just stood there making faces at the camel!"
"Gentlemen!" Merida interrupted firmly before it descended into a fist fight. "Who has the ring?"
"It's the Royal family – Prince Aladdin and Princess Jasmine Captain."
Merida groaned. "Royalty? Well that's just great. Because their security won't be high at all." She added sarcastically. She thanked the men and dismissed them with a nod.
"We can try staking out the place...do a bit of research and try and find some blueprints of the palace perhaps..." Hiccup mused. "If we could find where their treasury is..."
"That'll take forever." Merida stressed.
"How about I just go in through a window? I'm sure I could sneak around and find it." Jack said confidently.
"This is a kingdom known fer flying carpets and genies Jack – we have no idea what you might end up facing in there. Going in alone is a stupid idea." Merida said firmly.
"Why don't we just visit?" Rapunzel piped up.
The three of them turned to look at her.
"What? I was just thinking that they must have visitors to the palace from time to time and it will be a lot easier to find the ring if we're actually invited in the first place. I don't know about you but I'm guessing that people as pale as us are going to stand out in a place as sunny as this...blending in is probably going to be difficult so we might as well be up front about our presence."
"I'm not exactly sure we can just pop in fer tea Punz..." Merida said doubtfully.
"Actually...she might be onto something." Hiccup said thoughtfully.
"What?"
He grinned. "It will require a little planning but...I have an idea."
It had taken a couple of days to arrange but the plan was finally in place. Rapunzel squinted up at the sunshine, loving the feel of the rays against her skin. She was grateful for the feather fan Merida was currently wafting her with however and the local garb she was dressed in felt a lot cooler than her usual clothing.
Her new silk slippers felt soft against her feet and she was currently dressed in purple harem pants with a matching top that showed off her midriff (as was the fashion of the upper class local women). Golden stitching decorated both her upper and lower garments and locally picked Jasmine flowers were woven into her hair. All in all, she looked exactly like the Princess she was supposed to be. The veil across the lower part of her face was a bit irritating but she couldn't really complain – not when the others had to stand out in the blazing sunshine carrying her hair.
Jack and five of the less grisly looking crew members had been picked to walk behind her in servant garb, holding her hair off the ground as a statement of her importance. They had all helped her brush and prepare her hair that morning so it shone like a golden ray of sunshine behind her. The heavy strands were draped over their shoulders and she could see them sweating underneath the heat of both the sunshine and the extra warmth provided by her hair.
As they made their way through the market the local people stared in amazement, some coming to a dead stop in the middle of the street. Children pointed and gasped in amazement, whilst parents tugged them out of the way of the incoming procession.
"Are you sure about this Mer?" she whispered to her friend.
Merida was dressed in a similar outfit to her own, but less fancy and in a pale blue. She walked next to Rapunzel posing as her ladies maid, and moved to hold the large feather fan they had "acquired" over her head as she leaned in to speak to Rapunzel in hushed tones.
"Hiccup's plans have never gone wrong yet. The easiest way to be invited into the palace is to be of royal or noble blood ourselves – and with your hair you will be the best to convince them of that. As he said: long hair is a well known symbol of status all over the world – and no one has longer hair than you!"
"I don't get why we have to be the servants whilst Hiccup gets to play nobility too though." Jack grumbled from behind them. He was first in Rapunzel's line of "assistants" and was doing noticeably less well in the high temperature than everyone else. As he had pointed out (many times) since leaving the ship, he didn't "do" heat.
He was dressed in cream harem pants and a dark blue open vest like the rest of the "servants" but his bare chest only served to make him more uncomfortable – it looked even whiter than normal in comparison to the dark skin of the locals and he was positive he was going to get burnt if he didn't get into the shade sometime soon. "Why can't I be the one under the fan?!"
"Because you're a servant and servants don't get fans." Merida scolded. "As for why Hiccup gets to be a Prince, you know why. We need Hiccup to "rescue" Jasmine from Toothless and further gain her trust – being royalty isn't enough of a guarantee they will take a shine to us. But being noble andenacting a daring rescue – there's no way they won't invite us to the palace." She paused thoughtfully. "Not to mention that Punz can't lie – she needs someone of equal status to answer questions on her behalf if they ask something she can't respond to without giving everything away. It will look weird if a servant keeps interrupting her all the time."
"I still think I could have done it" he muttered.
"You've been a pirate or a servant longer than you were a prince Jack – I think any "graces" you might have had were lost long ago." Merida teased. "Hiccup had a better grasp of how to act and besides, we all know he's a natural born leader."
"You're only saying that because you're sleeping with h-"
They didn't get to hear the end of Jack's sentence as Merida "accidentally" hit him over the head with the fan.
Luckily an argument was prevented by the timely appearance of Hiccup himself. He was dressed in noble robes of black and gold – another outfit they had "acquired" the previous day. It was amazing how few things they had actually had to buy; too many men were easily distracted by the beautiful woman with strange coloured hair and skin to be paying attention to what the men behind her were sneaking off with.
"Toothless is in position and the Princess is on her way for her morning walk." He said in an undertone. "Minimal guards around her as normal, and luckily her pet tiger seems to have stayed behind at the palace this time. Toothless shouldn't have too much trouble getting away."
"I guess this is it." Merida said. "Everyone remember your back story and to help Punzie out if she get's asked any difficult questions."
"Shall we my dear?" Hiccup said, adopting his role and offering Rapunzel his arm.
"Why thank you kind sir." She grinned, looping her arm in his enthusiastically. "I apologise in advance though because I probably stink of sweat in this heat." She added, looking down at herself a little self consciously. "I don't know how you're handling it wearing all that black."
"It's ok, I don't mind the heat. And as for you, don't worry about it - princesses don't sweat, they glow." He teased, causing her to giggle.
They continued to make their way down the main street, pretending to look at the stalls and study their wares. They didn't have long to wait before The Princess emerged around the corner, her entourage behind her. She was smiling and talking to the people, taking the time to listen and interact with them. She wore an outfit similar to Rapunzel's but in teal, and her long black hair was tied in a ponytail with ribbons. A matching teal headband adorned her head, a bright blue stone glinting from it.
Out of the corner of his eye Hiccup saw a black shadow lurking on one of the flat roofs above her and he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
With a ferocious roar Toothless leaped from the building and soared down at the Royal procession. The people in the street screamed and dived out of the way, whilst the guards who were brave enough to stand their ground were still no match for Toothless' speed. He artfully dodged their swinging blades and with a swipe of his tail sent them flying. He looped back around, The Princess in his sights.
She gasped and began to run down the street, trying to get away – but of course she didn't get far. Flying up behind her, the dragon grasped her shoulders carefully with his feet and lifted her off the ground. He wasn't large enough to carry her very far but he was able to grasp her just long enough to drop her in front of Hiccup.
He rushed forward to help her to her feet whilst Toothless performed a tight turn and came to land in front of them.
"Get behind me my lady." Hiccup said, drawing his sword.
"Don't be crazy, you can't take that thing on your own!" she gasped, her eyes wide. "We have to find cover."
"Don't worry – I know how to deal with these beasts. Please – wait with Rapunzel."
Rapunzel hurried forward, giving Jasmine an encouraging smile as she gently pulled her back by the arm.
Striding into the middle of the street, Hiccup struck an imposing figure in his noble robes. His sword was drawn and he faced down the snarling dragon, face set in determination. He pushed away the flashbacks of the many times they had enacted this sort of thing for the slavers – this was different. This time it was a ruse of their own choosing and neither were going to be forced to hurt the other.
Toothless gave a convincing snarl and his tail whipped around in excitement.
"Back you beast!" Hiccup cried dramatically, feinting forward with his sword.
Merida couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Toothless hissed and dodged the sword, swinging his tail round at Hiccup's feet. As planned, Hiccup artfully leapt over it and dodged out of the way of a small burst of fire by rolling to the side.
Jasmine covered her mouth in horror. "H's going to get himself killed!"
"Don't worry about him – he's done this many times before." Rapunzel reassured her.
"You have these...monsters where you're from?"
"It's called a Dragon." Rapunzel supplied, wincing as Hiccup narrowly avoided one of Toothless' claws.
"I've seen genies, flying carpets and talking parrots – but never a dragon. Oh I wish Aladdin was here, he would be able to help." Jasmine said, watching the fight anxiously. In truth though, she found the strange blonde haired woman's presence very calming – she didn't seem too concerned about the fight so she must be very confident in the brunette man's skills.
"What about your guards?" Rapunzel asked, peering back up the deserted street and finding there was no sign of them.
Jasmine gave a snort of derision. "To be honest I'd be surprised if they haven't wet themselves by now. They're brave when chasing after thieves and small children sure – but a fire breathing monster? Not so much."
"Dragons can be terrifying when angered, even for those who are used to them – don't blame your guards too much." Rapunzel said softly.
"None of your people have run away though I note." Jasmine turned to look at Rapunzel's "servants." For the first time she took in the length of Rapunzel's hair and her eyes widened.
"We're used to it mi'lady." Merida piped up. "Dragons are quite common where the Prince hails from. It's how he lost his leg."
"Prince?" Jasmine said, surprise evident in her voice.
"Yeah, he fights off at least ten before breakfast every day." Jack grinned.
"Don't exaggerate Jack." Rapunzel scolded him, turning to smack his arm lightly.
Jasmine raised an eyebrow at their casual interaction (since he was obviously her servant) but a sudden howl drew their attention back to the fight and they saw Toothless faking a limp before he took off into the air.
"Let that be a lesson to you! Be gone and never darken these skies again!" Hiccup yelled theatrically.
He could have sworn Toothless twisted his head round and stuck out his tongue as he sped off, but Hiccup was unable to retaliate since he knew Jasmine was watching him. His part in the ruse now over, Hiccup knew that Toothless would go hide out somewhere before sneaking back onto the ship under the cover of night. The rest was now up to him and the others.
"Are you ok my lady?" he said, hurrying back to them.
"Yes, thanks to you. That...dragon was it?...came out of nowhere!"
"It would have been after your jewel." Hiccup said, gesturing to the large blue sapphire decorating her hair. "Dragons go crazy after treasure, but I don't think you will have to worry about it anymore. It shouldn't survive long with the wounds I gave it. " he added, lying through his teeth.
"If I'd known if was just after treasure I'd have thrown my headband at it. Still though, without you there who knows what would have happened. My name is Princess Jasmine, daughter of the Sultan. Might I know the name of my rescuers?"
"I am Prince Hiccup and this is my fiancé the Princess Rapunzel. We have journeyed here after much hardship with a few of our loyal servants."
"I am indebted to you both." Jasmine nodded her head.
A rush of air and a shout suddenly interrupted them. "Jasmine!"
The group turned, and Jasmine broke into a smile whilst the others looked on in amazement. Descending into the street was an embroidered purple carpet – and it was flying.
Floating horizontally as if supported by an invisible floor, the carpet quickly came to land next to them, revealing a dark skinned man upon it. He was handsome and dressed in regal cream robes, his expression a mixture of confusion and relief.
Rushing over to Jasmine he took her hands in his. "I came as soon as I could – the guards said you had been taken by a fire breathing monster! What happened?"
"I was attacked by a dragon but Prince Hiccup here saved me. He and his fiancé Princess Rapunzel are recent visitors to our city."
Satisfied that Jasmine wasn't hurt, the Prince turned to acknowledge his guests. He reached over to clasp Hiccup on the shoulder and looked into his eyes seriously. "You have my thanks friend. Princess Jasmine means the world to me and I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to her." He turned and gently lifted Rapunzel's hand to his lips, kissing it chastely. "It sounds like you both have quite a story to tell! You must all come and stay at the Palace, it's the least we could do."
"I was just going to say the same thing." Jasmine beamed at them.
"Well in that case how can we refuse?" Hiccup nodded his acceptance graciously whilst Rapunzel smiled back at the Royals.
Merida and Jack exchanged triumphant grins behind them.
They were settled in a beautiful marbled room, the ceilings high with tall arched windows looking out over exquisitely manicured gardens. Exotic birds wandered the grounds, of colours and shapes the four had never seen before.
The sound of a gentle trickling fountain drifted over to where they sat; resting on an abundance of colourful silken cushions on the floor. Following the leads of their hosts, Rapunzel and Hiccup had lounged upon them whilst they were brought deliciously cool fruit drinks in golden cups.
Rapunzel's "servants" (after carefully laying her hair on the pillows around her) followed the palace servants back to the kitchens to get something to eat – all except for Jack and Merida who hovered next to their friends under the pretence of waiting to serve them.
Jasmine's pet tiger Raja had soon joined them, becoming fast friends with Rapunzel.
"Oh he's so cute!" she said scratching him under the chin. He paused his purring to give her a disgruntled look. "But cute in a regal, imposing way of course." She added with a giggle. He settled down again, suitably placated.
"Toothless would have loved to meet you." Hiccup added, petting Raja's head.
"Who's Toothless?" Aladdin asked.
"Oh, he's um...my cat. Back home." Hiccup grinned sheepishly, inwardly kicking himself for his slip up.
"And where's that?" Aladdin enquired friendlily, taking a sip of his drink "I don't mean any offense but you don't exactly look like you come from any of our neighbouring countries, and I'm sure we would have heard of any royal visitors being escorted via the desert path."
"Our Kingdoms lie across your ocean – past the Realm of Shadows." Rapunzel said grimly.
"The Realm of Shadows..." Jasmine gasped. "But surely you didn't...?"
Hiccup nodded, answering her unspoken question. "It was not by choice I assure you. We were on our way back to my kingdom when a storm drove us into the darkness. It was...horrible." He did not have to fake the shudder that ran up his spine.
"We have heard of very few who actually made it through the Realm of Shadows , and none of them came through unscathed. Each experienced unspeakable horrors there and every one told the same tale – of a man. A man of darkness and fear who demanded a price for passage." Jasmine said grimly. "I hope you did not suffer too greatly at his hands or have to part with anything too precious?"
The pirates exchanged a look, hesitating for a moment. They could tell them the truth of course – that he had only asked for some hair and a necklace – but would they believe them? Even to their own ears it sounded odd, and it might look like they were trying to hide something. They were of course, just not necessarily that! Not to mention it might evoke further questions and the last thing they wanted was for the Prince and Princess to scrutinise them too closely.
"Well you see..." Rapunzel began hesitantly. "We...we had to give him...er..." she looked at Hiccup for help who looked back at her helplessly as he tried to wrack his brain for something.
"The worst thing imaginable." Jack suddenly piped up from behind Rapunzel, causing the other three to look at him in alarm. This was Jack after all – who knows what sort of story he was about to come up with.
"They had to swear to give him their first born child." He said, adopting a tragic air. He placed his hand comfortingly on Rapunzel's shoulder, whilst pressing his other hand against his heart in an overly dramatic pose. "Not even married yet and their life as husband and wife is cursed. It's not something they like to talk about as I'm sure you can understand your Highness."
Rapunzel touched Jack's hand lightly and gave him a grateful smile, which he returned before bowing and retreating back a couple of steps. She turned back to their hosts, making sure to adopt a saddened expression. Hiccup restrained rolling his eyes at Jack's over-dramatic version of events but had to admit it certainly discouraged any further enquiries.
"Oh Allah, of course we understand. I'm so sorry." Aladdin said sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry to have brought up something so painful." Jasmine said apologetically.
"It's ok." Hiccup said. "We're just glad we were able to get out with everyone ok. Aren't we dear?"
There was a pause before Rapunzel registered he was aiming his endearment at her and not Merida. "Oh! Oh yes, the most important thing was that we got the men to safety. Merida, Jack...everyone. I'd never have forgiven myself if they had got hurt and there had been something I could have done to prevent it."
"You are obviously very close to your staff." Aladdin said with an approving smile. "It's refreshing to see. Other...nobles I have come into contact with in the past seem to live their life thinking they are above anyone who wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth." The distaste on his face was obvious.
"Well that's just silly." Rapunzel protested. "I don't see why anyone should be treated differently just because of the circumstances of their birth – we're all the same underneath after all!"
"Luckily for me Jasmine felt the same way." Aladdin said softly, reaching out to hold Jasmine's hand. Grinning at their questioning looks, he continued: "I wasn't always a Prince. In truth I was nothing more than a peasant living on the streets. A 'street rat' to put it less delicately."
"One night I grew tired of my jewelled cage and snuck out of the palace." Jasmine continued, picking up the story. "We met when the owner of a market stall tried to have my hand cut off for stealing - Aladdin helped me to escape by convincing him I was insane." She laughed, reminiscing. "He showed me the kingdom through his eyes, the secret pathways and the views from the rooftops. I think I fell in love with him then and there actually." She added looking at him lovingly.
Aladdin smiled at her. "There were some bumps in the road, but luckily it all turned out well in the end." He turned back to their guests. "Once she convinced the Sultan to overturn the law about Princess' only marrying royalty, he declared she could marry whoever she wished."
"I chose Aladdin of course. It was no contest, especially compared to the arrogant jerks my father had previously tried to pair me up with – you should have seen them!" Jasmine rolled her eyes. Merida couldn't help but nod in approval, able to relate to Jasmine's previous situation all too well. "As reckless and stubborn as he can be sometimes, life wouldn't Aladdin just wouldn't be the same." Jasmine smiled fondly.
"I know that feeling." Rapunzel smiled, her eyes unwillingly flickering to Jack.
Jasmine caught the look and her eyes flicked between the two of them curiously.
"So how about you two? How did you meet?" Aladdin said, happily accepting a bowl of grapes from a servant. He figured it would be a much happier subject than any horrors they might have faced in the depths of the Shadow Realm.
"Us? Oh, me and Hiccup? It was...er...a moonlit night. On a beach." Rapunzel grasped for truthful answers that sounded suitable.
"Sounds romantic." Jasmine smiled, remembering the moonlit flights she had taken with Aladdin on his magic carpet.
"Ha ha...yeah..." Rapunzel laughed nervously. Sure it sounded romantic - if you didn't count being hunted down by a group of guards and sneaking away in the dead of night onto a pirate ship.
"Our um...parents arranged it. The engagement between Rapunzel and I, I mean, in order to seal a treaty between our people. Myself and my man servant Jack here had travelled to her kingdom for the official introductions." Hiccup began explaining, trying to keep to the back story they had agreed on. "We had arrived later than expected so instead of intruding on her family at such a late time, I chose to remain on the ship until the morning. Being wide awake though, I went for a walk down the beach."
"I was there too – trying to avoid my guards." Rapunzel admitted carefully. "They could be a bit...overbearing. My parents are pretty over protective. "
"I know exactly how you feel." Jasmine said, leaning over to pat her comfortingly on the arm. "My father was the same, but we managed to change his view over time. It might have taken nearly being killed by a power hungry madman, but we got there."
"In your situation it looks like the arranged marriage thing worked in your favour though." Aladdin added kindly. "It was obviously fate for you to have both been there at the same time – you must be meant for each other!"
Merida fidgeted behind them, and Jack gave her a sympathetic look.
Hiccup coughed in embarrassment. "Um yes. We're er...very happy." He paused for a second then reached over to awkwardly take Rapunzel's hand, trying to mimic the relaxed way Aladdin and Jasmine were around each other.
"I remember the first time I saw Jasmine – her eyes, her hair...oh and her smile - just wow! I didn't know what had hit me, but I knew she was the one for me. Was it was the same for you two?" Aladdin said enthusiastically.
Rapunzel and Hiccup exchanged awkward glances.
"Well I can't say that Hiccup didn't alarm me at first...strange man lurking in the shadows and all that." Rapuzel laughed nervously. "But I soon realised he wasn't as bad as I'd imagined." she grinned.
Aladdin and Jasmine laughed, before looking at Hiccup expectantly. Realising he was supposed to provide his own declaration of love of some kind, Hiccup turned a bit red. "Oh yeah. Well, as she says it was a bit sudden. But sure. I mean, like you said! Her eyes are pretty stunning. And...her hair. Well, you can see her hair obviously." He chuckled nervously. "But I mean...just look at her. She's beautiful."
Rapunzel gave him a shy smile and squeezed his hand in thanks.
"Anyone would think you were only marrying her for her looks Hic – my lord." Jack added, unable to resist teasing him. Hiccup shot him a look.
"Yes my Prince – it doesn't do a woman's self esteem much good if you focus too much on her appearance." Merida's spoke from behind him, her voice dangerous as she tried to convince herself that the way he held Rapunzel's hand wasn't bothering her (and failing).
Hiccup gulped and glanced at Merida guiltily, dropping Rapunzel's hand. "Well...Rapunzel is very kind and sweet and...um...full of surprises!" he added brightly.
"I think we're embarrassing our guest." Jasmine said, a mischievous grin lighting up her face.
"Me? Oh no, I'm fine!" Hiccup said, throwing his arms up in a gesture of denial. Unfortunately Merida chose this exact moment to lean over to try and refill Rapunzel's cup and he knocked the jug flying.
Rapunzel let out a shriek as the cold juice went over her, whilst Raja let out a surprised growl and leapt to his feet. He shook himself before padding outside, looking very disgruntled.
Jack was instantly by Rapunzel's side, trying his best to help her mop it up.
"I'm ok Jack – it's only juice." She tried to halt his frantic movements by taking hold of both his wrists gently. He paused and they looked at each other for a moment, smiling.
"Well on the plus side, you now smell of fruit. That's much better than sweat." He grinned.
She gasped in mock outrage and swatted his arm. "Hey! Hiccup said that I glow remember."
"I'm really sorry Punz!"Hiccup cringed.
"And so you should be – what were you doing flinging your arms all over the place?!" Merida scolded him.
"It's really ok Mer, a little liquid never hurt anyone." Rapunzel tried to interject as Jack helped her to her feet.
"Well how was I supposed to know you were going to lean over at that exact moment?!" Hiccup protested.
"Perhaps because it's my job, your Highness." She replied scathingly. "I'm not just here to look pretty you know!"
A burst of laughter suddenly grabbed their attention and, with horror, they all realised at the exact same moment that Aladdin and Jasmine had just witnessed the entire exchange.
"Your Highness' – I apologise...I..." Jack panicked.
"Oh don't worry about it." Aladdin grinned. "We don't stand on ceremony here."
"You are obviously all very close." Jasmine added. "It's lovely to see that they feel comfortable enough to speak to you like that."
"Our apologies all the same your Highness." Merida said, conducting an awkward curtsey and forcing Jack to follow suit with a bow by nudging him in the ribs. "We should not have spoken out of turn in public."
"Honestly it's fine." Jasmine dismissed her concerns with a wave. "Rapunzel and Hiccup obviously see you both as friends more than servants, and any friend of the people who saved my life are friends of mine. Now, how about we go and get you cleaned up?" she directed her last statement to Rapunzel who nodded to her gratefully. Merida helped her to her feet, whispering apologies for spilling the drink, and the three women made their way out of the room.
"While they're getting sorted, how about I show you both the city?" Aladdin asked Hiccup and Jack. "I think there should be enough room for all three of us."
"Enough room in what?" Hiccup asked.
"More like, 'on' what." Aladdin grinned. "How do you feel about flying carpets?"
Author's Note –
I feel I lost a bit of inspiration with this Chapter but hopefully it came across ok. (sorry it look longer than normal to get it to you all!) I was going to split it into two, but figured what the hell – I'll give them both to you now since they're finished! I always try and write one chapter ahead, just because sometimes things come up in the story which means I have to go back and change things – if I haven't released the previous chapter yet, then it's much easier to make any necessary changes.
I am aware that Agrabah isn't actually next to the sea, but for the purposes of this story it is! (I couldn't factor in a long land trek as I can't see them leaving the ship too far behind.) The desert surrounds it on all three sides though.
IMPORTANT NOTE! An added note to the end of the previous chapter – The wonderful Antermaris has kindly written her version of the adult scene between Hiccup and Merida. It's a lovely story especially considering English isn't even her first language! (though the past events mentioned in it aren't necessarily canon to this fanfic). If you wish to read it (nsfw!) please follow the link here:
s/10539569/1/My-captain
Thank you sweetie for writing this, I loved reading your version of events!