"Someone get him away from the Prince!"

"Get a doctor!"

"Is he going to be alright?"

Distant calls, voices he didn't recognise, sound of a sword. His memories from the night before were so blurry. He remembers that they had just made peace with the kingdom, how he had forgotten to catch a breath and how he somehow had been able to hear the silent breaths of relief behind him. The next thing he knew, the sword had been on him. He was too slow to fully escape the cold metal, it had left a pretty deep, long cut to the left side of his stomach. He remembers trying to fight back the Babawa soldier as he had attacked on him again. How he had made a sudden move backwards and fell over because of the pain on his stomach. How he had rolled away from the next stabbing attempt. When they had finally gotten the soldier – whose name Aladdin still didn't know – away from him, been able to tear his sword from him he had taken a look at his wound – and how he had gotten scared how much it had bled to his white robes. Suddenly he had started to feel dizzy, but he never lost consciousness. The room had started to spin, and his breathing had started to slow down. He remembers how Hakim and a couple of more people had dragged him away from the throne room. It had hurt. He remembers mourning in pain as much as he wanted to keep it inside him.

That's pretty much all he remembers. The images in his head are blurry.

He remembers clearly, he had been close to death. At least what he had experienced had felt like it.

No one had told him much more about the event. Some of the doctors that tried to make the bleeding stop - and had succeeded - had told him last night how he's cut wasn't that deep and his reflexes had saved him when he took the little step back right before the sword had hit him.

His mind travelled to Jasmine every time he thought about last evening. She had been right. She was always right. It was not safe of him to go to Babauta under such circumstances. It made him feel so sorry for her. At least he would go home with good news as well, not only bad news.

When he would be able to go home. He was late. Knowing Jasmine, Aladdin knew that she must be so worried. He had promised to come back in two weeks, he wasn't.

After a long night and a few hours of sleep at noon, he was resting at a bed, not his own. He was in some hospital kind of a room. He couldn't move, he's cut would kill him. It burned and was red, Babauta's people had tried to take care of it, but they didn't want to spend expensive tools on a foreign Prince's wound. Aladdin knew it was the truth. It seemed so stupid to him – it was their soldier who had injured him. But Aladdin didn't want to fight over it. Now that the King and the Queen had decided to cancel the declaration of war, he had too much to risk. He hoped he'll be able to sail home early this evening, when in Agrabah he would really be taken care of.

Slowly he reached his hand to lift first the sheet and then his shirt, just to see how the cut is – it had stopped bleeding, as there was no fabric pressed on it anymore. Regardless, it didn't look much better. The reddish, long wound had dried and looked a lot rawer than it had before. The skin around it had started to pale. Aladdin knew that if someone touched it with anything wet it would sting so badly.

For a short moment he thought about going back to sleep, just so he could forget the burning feeling at his lower stomach even only for a moment.

But in no more than a couple of minutes, a knock stopped his attempt.

Who else then Hakim stepped in, not bothering to wait for a permission.

"Prince? How are you feeling?"

"I'll be okay." was all he could say right now.

Hakim walked closer to Aladdin's bed. Aladdin tried sitting a bit more straight up. He managed, but it was definitely not the best possible posture for the wound. Even if he didn't know much about medicine, he knew that if he could get stitches to his wound, it would help. But Babauta wasn't interested on spending their medical materials on him.

"We'll be able to sail back to Agrabah this evening, but if you don't feel well enough to travel..."

"No, no. We'll go. I'm well enough."

He couldn't delay their homecoming even a day more.

In Agrabah

Where the warm sun never stopped burning, in Agrabah, people had started their days. The ocean was busy with its many boats, bringing the finest elements from all over the world to the royals, but also the people of Agrabah and sailing Agrabah's riches away, wherever every ship had their own destination. Regardless of the haste of Agrabah's harbour, the streets were even more hectic. Every shop at the marketplace was open, and the area was filled with people; women, men, children. Loud noises came around everywhere, from the sellers, from the animals and the people going about their days. Children run around the city, laughing so loud their echoes repeated themselves all the way to the palace.

Jasmine could hear them too, as she was catching air on her balcony. Or she should, if she could just concentrate her thoughts away from the one thing she had been thinking about all day and night long. She looked at the sunny sky and the spot where the city's buildings beautifully hit the horizon while letting her thoughts run wildly in her mind. Like the warm wind run wildly around her hair. From the look of her face, anyone could tell what or whom she was thinking.

Aladdin, her husband Aladdin.

Having so many royal tasks to fill up the lonely days didn't help her anymore. Jasmine was worried. It was so noticeable. She couldn't draw her thoughts away from her husband who she hadn't seen in over two weeks now, not even if she tried drowning them between all the papers, letters and scrolls which she didn't even have much to do anymore. During these two weeks, Jasmine had been able to do so many different tasks. She would do her work at noon and spent the early evening with her family. Or rather her father, and best friends, Dalia and the Genie and her animal friends, Abu and Rajah. She couldn't call it a family without Aladdin. He was half of it, after all. She was indeed glad that she'd been able to do much, but the whole two weeks had felt like at least half of her life was missing when Aladdin wasn't around.

It was strange to go to sleep alone. It was strange to wake up alone. It was strange to not have someone to hold onto whenever you felt like it.

And the worst thing was, now Jasmine couldn't think any other options for her husband's delay home then the absolutely worst ones.

She sighted to her own thoughts letting her eyes rest on the city under her gaze.

"Jasmine?"

A voice so close to her interrupted her thoughts. She rose her gaze a little bit, taking a deep sight, trying to look and feel strong for the outside world. And when she felt like it, she turned around seeing Dalia watching her from stairs that led to her balcony.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Dalia had always made sure Jasmine was all right ever since she was a handmaid to the little princess. It was her job, her responsibility. Dalia couldn't let go of the habit, even is Jasmine was a grown up now, married herself and the Sultana of the land as well.

But to be honest, making sure one another was fine was not a responsibility of only a handmaiden, it was above all a responsibility of a friend. Dalia was Jasmine's best friend more than she had ever been her maid.

"I'm fine, Dalia."

And for being by Jasmine's side for so many years, during sleepless nights and cheerful days as well, Dalia knew that was a lie. She gave Jasmine a look,

"Answer me honestly."

Jasmine's face changed from neutral to worried, in just a heartbeat. It was almost terrifying how this woman could hide her real feelings from everyone but those who knew her well. It made her maybe a strong leader, but a stubborn friend – and a partner.

But honestly, if worrying could cause you to faint, Jasmine would be unconscious right now. That's how she really felt, like she could faint just now and lose the balance causing her to fall from her balcony.

Jasmine knew that she didn't have to keep lying. She knew that Dalia knew her better than that.

"I'm not okay. Where is he? Why is he not home yet?"

Dalia walked closer to her and took Jasmine's both hands on hers. She didn't quite know what else to do. Talking might work, but she'd need time. Jasmine squeezed her friend's hands and looked down at them - avoiding the eye contact. Dalia did look at her face but didn't force Jasmine on to it.

"He'll be home. You have to have faith in him."

Jasmine rose her gaze, but to Dalia's surprise, she didn't look at her. She looked just past her eyes and stared blackly towards something with a serious tone at her gaze, seeming like she was thinking about something.

Just about when Dalia felt the need to say something, Jasmine's voice was heard,

"I'm going after him."

Saying that, she freed her hands from Dalia's and coldly passed her, going back inside her room.

Dalia turned around, now back facing the balcony but didn't bother to run after her.

"Jasmine, no."

"You can't stop me." Jasmine turned around now facing Dalia again and stopped close to the entrance of her balcony but was already inside her room.

"Jasmine, think clearly. They do not want you there. You can make things worse."

"But Dalia, I know my husband. He would be back by now if he was alright." Jasmine said, with a voice a bit raw, like she was on the edge of tears.

"Wouldn't you think?" she asked her a sudden follow-up question knowing that Dalia would have the answer to it, since she, too, knew Aladdin. She had seen him fixing his own mistakes when he had come back from the ends of the earth and keeping the promise of freeing his new best friend, the Genie.

Dalia knew that the boy was loyal and genuine. Why would he keep Jasmine waiting?

And that is why Dalia didn't answer anything. Not a single word came out from her mouth. Jasmine kept staring at her, waiting for an answer, which she already suspended she wouldn't get. The silence told Jasmine the answer - Dalia knew that something could have gone wrong in Babauta.

Trying to hold back the anxiety rising in Jasmine's lungs, heart and through her whole body, she broke the silence,

"I'm taking carpet, and I'm leaving. As soon as I tell Baba to look after the kingdom for a while."

"You and I both know it's not the right thing of you to do. I-" Dalia wasn't able to finish her sentence when a loud noise towards the balcony interrupted them. Trying to find the cause of that noise with her gaze, Jasmine walked closer to the balcony where Dalia had already turned around to look. When she reached Dalia's side, the girls changed looks.

The only thing new they could find from Jasmine's balcony was a bird, who now sat quietly on the balcony railing.

"Did that bird make that noise?" Dalia asked, knowing the bird was maybe not the smallest but not so big either that it wouldn't easily make a noise so loud.

But there was nothing else, it had to be the bird.

Jasmine passed Dalia and walked even closer to the bird. Slowly not harassing the visitor away. It didn't seem to mind about the two women's company. Walking closer and closer, she looked the bird very carefully, squinting her eyes. Her eyes first travelled to its feathers on its wings, then to its feet. Finally, she realized what it was.

"It's a... pigeon. A messenger pigeon. It has a letter in its foot!"

"From who?"

Jasmine reached her fingers to the bird's legs. She carefully grabbed the white letter from its foot. When the letter was away from the bird's foot, it flew away. Jasmine stopped for a moment to see where the bird was going – it headed towards the ocean.

She focused her mind back to the letter and opened it.

Dalia kept looking at her. She didn't want to rush her but was curious to know what the letter said and who had sent the messenger pigeon.

All she knew was that birds with papers were not a practical tradition of passing messages in Agrabah. It had to be from abroad.

Looking between Jasmine's fingers, Dalia noticed that she had two pieces of paper in her hands. The first being the letter Jasmine was reading. Was the other one... a map?

"Dalia, you got to hear this."

"What?"

"Your Highness, your husband is with us. Don't worry. We are taking care of him. He has a high fever and can't travel. Your guard group is with us too. You can visit him, if you want to. Enclosed herewith a map, which you can use to find a way to our home. We are trustworthy people." Jasmine read the letter aloud.

They both were speechless for a while. They didn't know what to say, or how to feel. Jasmine opened the map in her hands.

"It looks like they are still in Babauta."

There was a small circle drawn near the harbour of Babauta and more accurate address written besides it. There they must be staying.

"I knew that he was hurt."

"It just says he has a fever, he could easily have gotten sick at home, too."

"A high fever. It can be because of anything. A poison?" without letting Dalia to answer, she continued, "I'm going to see him."

"Wait, Jasmine, what if it's a trap. What if he's not there? They could be lying. What do you know about these people who tell to have Aladdin at their home recovering?" she said, raising her voice between every word.

"I have to take the risk." she snapped, "I've got to see him Dalia, I haven't seen him in days."

Calming down, she tried to find something to say which would make Dalia see the situation from her point of view.

"He's my husband."

Dalia fell silent. She couldn't stop her.

"Go then." she told her. A flame of hope lighted in Jasmine's eyes. "But you're not going alone." She rose her eyebrows to her. "I'm coming with you."

It was clearer than ever that she wouldn't go alone, to the land where she was not wanted. No one would let her go alone. Not to mention the fact that she'd needed to step into some unknown person's house.

"But Dalia, you're... pregnant." Jasmine said, thinking if it was safe of Dalia to leave with her.

"So? That doesn't mean I can't do anything."

Jasmine gave her a doubtful look. She didn't want anything to happen to the baby nor Dalia. She couldn't let her obsess to go and see if her husband was safe to cause any harm to anyone but possibly herself.

Knowing Jasmine, Dalia knew what she was thinking about. "I'll be alright. He's important to me, too."

When Dalia mentioned Aladdin, Jasmine couldn't squeeze the little smile escaping to her lips for a short moment. Looking to Dalia, she saw a smile on her face too.

They could do this together, bring Aladdin back home.

"Thank you." she told her quietly.

She didn't manage to come up with anything else to say. She was purely thankful that she'll be by her side.

"Of course." Dalia nodded her head for the young Sultana.

"Now, we'll go tell Baba and your husband that we're leaving. With carpet, we'll be there before the sunset."

"Sound good."

Here you go, chapter 14. I hope you enjoyed it. :)

Also happy new year! I hope 2020 will be a blessed one to every one of you. And I also hope that everyone who celebrated Christmas enjoyed their time!

Finally we get to see Jasmine again, she seems to be doing all right. But where is Aladdin? Why does he have a high fever? They did left the palace... I promise that all the answers will be out in the next chapter, if I'm leaving you all a bit confused right now. Just hang on please!

Thank you for reading, once again!