Chapter Twenty-six: Within the Coils of the Serpent
Mozenrath weakly looked on as his brother vanished amid a final swirl of snow. His breathing was finally evening out into a normal cadence, the absence of magic in his system revealing his honestly fragile physical health. The way he learned magic was not kind to the student, especially such talisman as the gauntlet on his hand.
He slowly managed to push himself up onto his knees. Xerxes was out cold, would probably remain that way for a good hour or more. He looked over at Khaleel. The former genie was also unconscious, his face a subtle grimace. A suspected broken arm from his defense of the princess. Dalia appeared torn between standing beside her princess and sultan and turning to her new friend and love.
Jasmine's remaining tigress growled low at Jafar's staff, Jafar's serpent making its appearance by manifesting itself as a magical conduit. The Sultan's aged lion stood before them, still weak from years of manipulation, but eager to defend. Dalia's doe settled behind them, cowering over Khaleel's form as she tried to offer protection.
Mozenrath pulled himself up and stumbled over to Khaleel. He found the pulse point just under the man's jawline. It thrummed strong and steady under his slender fingers. At least Jafar was honest about that.
"I could simply kill you all," Jafar said casually, eyeing them all as Mozenrath turned his attention back to the usurper. "But that would be inadequate repayment for years of humiliation and neglect. 'Remember your place, Jafar.' 'You forget yourself, Jafar.'" Anger boiled just beneath the surface. No, not boiled. This wasn't a hot, raging anger. Jafar's anger was cold and calculating, born from years of toil and planning. And ice cold anger tended to be more dangerous in the long run than the raging fire.
"Jafar," the sultan said calmly.
"No," Jafar said, slightly smiling with evil glee. "What you need, 'Baba,' is to suffer." He brought his staff down sharply. Magic surged, wrapping around the Sultan, strangling as he fell to his knees. "As I have suffered."
Jasmine fell to her father's side, holding him as she frantically searched for a way to ease his pain. "Baba! Baba?"
"Will watching me rule your kingdom be enough?" Jafar taunted.
Jasmine turned to Jafar. "Stop!" she cried.
"Or watching my armies devour your toothless allies?"
"Please, make it stop," she pleaded.
"No, the most suitable punishment would be making you watch while I take what you. Love. Most," Jafar continued. "And marry your daughter."
Mozenrath stared as Jasmine turned fully to the man in horror.
"No!" Dalia gasped.
Jafar captured the handmaid in the same magical vice though not quite as severe.
The Sultan wheezed, his voice straining from the invisible bands. "She will never marry you."
Mozenrath hardly breathed. He may not know Jasmine as well as some, but from what he had seen, she shared too many similarities with Aladdin. So as it became increasingly clear that Jafar had sentenced the Sultan to a slow, agonizing death, Mozenrath had a good idea of what was about to happen.
"I will do as you wish!" Jasmine cried near tears as she shot to her feet. "Make it stop!"
Jafar didn't stop. Was he proving a point? Testing her resolve?
Mozenrath looked between the usurper and the true heir of Agrabah.
"Make. It. Stop," Jasmine repeated, steel infusing her voice.
Jafar crashed his staff on the floor.
The Sultan and Dalia collapsed on the floor. Dalia was back up almost immediately, joining Jasmine in assuring that the true Sultan still lived.
Mozenrath braced himself as Jafar turned his attention to him.
"And just who exactly are you? Head Sorcerer of Ababwa?" the man mocked.
"Tch, hardly," Mozenrath said. "I am Lord of the Black Sands, half-brother to one Prince Ali. A powerful wizard who up until three months ago would have laughed as Ali was sent to the Ends of the Earth." He felt Jasmine's shocked stare on him, but he refused to turn from Jafar. "But my brother is rather persuasive in his own way. While he may stumble about or lack proficient grace in formal settings, he possesses a power in his words when need calls for it. He has a passion for the common people. He is also horribly stubborn and determined. So, I can assure you: if Ali has set his sights on freeing Agrabah from your rule, he will not stop until he has seen it done."
Jafar raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Bold words for a liar, especially one who dares to wear the Gauntlet of Azrael."
Mozenrath's eyes narrowed. "I earned the Gauntlet with my own sweat and blood, and I have paid the high price of it ever since I first put it on."
Stone-faced, Jafar ripped the Gauntlet off.
Mozenrath couldn't fully mask the pain as the large, leather glove tore away. He heard Jasmine and Dalia gasp in horror and concern.
"Mozenrath," Jasmine cried.
"It's fine," Mozenrath brushed it off, clenching his hands.
"But your hand—"
"It has been so for the past four years," Mozenrath said. "It's the price of the Gauntlet. It is a miracle that I managed to find an appropriate talisman that kept it from draining my life source. Or maybe I should say, Ali found it. Even before he knew we were brothers he was bothersomely merciful to even his enemies."
"So, the Gauntlet eats away one's flesh," Jafar observed.
"I have since discovered accounts of wielders who have had even their bones eaten away," Mozenrath replied. "Legends even claim that some become mamluks. I have yet to further investigate that and personally have no desire to do so considering what my army consists of."
"What are mamluks?" Dalia softly asked.
"You don't want to know," Jasmine answered just as softly, her face twisted in disgust.
"Reading comes in useful then," the Sultan noted.
"Almost wishing I didn't know," Jasmine confessed.
"Just pray you never see them," Khaleel added with a groan. "Nasty things."
Mozenrath smirked even as Dalia hurried to Khaleel's side. "I assure you, Jafar," he said, "you don't want to pick a fight with me. My armies have yet to be defeated, not even magic can destroy them."
"What if I were to make them my own?" Jafar returned.
"That is not possible," Mozenrath said. "It is a matter of succession. My mentor was Lord of the Black Sands before me, as was his mentor and the mentor before him for over a hundred generations. There is a blood bond ceremony each mentor and apprentice partakes in, both must be willing participants. Only then can one be a future Lord of the Black Sands."
"Then you shall be my commander," Jafar said.
"You already removed the one bit of leverage you had on me," Mozenrath answered. "And don't think you can use Agrabah's royal family against me. I already know that you need Princess Jasmine too badly to carry out your revenge against the Sultan. You need to keep the Sultan and handmaid alive to control the princess and Khaleel. You need Khaleel and the princess to control the Sultan and the handmaid. Only a fool would remove even one of them from the equation.
"And there's only so much magic one can do. You need to keep the Sultan and Princess alive to appease the people, to ensure they do not revolt within the fortnight. It would be more advantageous to show a united front, that it was by mutual consent. No suitable suitor was found and so it was considered best for the vizier to wed the princess. Then of course, the Sultan wished to enjoy his golden years and look forward to indulging his future grandchildren so he stepped down from the throne, giving you the kingdom. That's how a wise man would play his hand before the people."
Mozenrath leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Are you a wise man? Or a fool?"
"Not a commander then," Jafar said. "It would seem you have knowledge and wisdom in overtaking a kingdom."
Mozenrath gave him a crooked smile. "I once plotted to take over the seven deserts and claim every kingdom with notable magic. I set those plans aside once I realized it would take more than just myself to overtake them without fighting revolts for the rest of my life."
A flick of Jafar's staff and his manacles disintegrated, aside from the collar. "You may prove useful to me. Start by escorting the princess to her chambers so she will prepare herself for our union." He tossed the Gauntlet back to him.
Mozenrath nodded as he tugged the Gauntlet back on, once again hiding the bones of his right hand. He tugged Khaleel to his feet, tapping a short message on his arm before he took Jasmine's arm. "Princess, we must go to your chambers. Your handmaid may accompany us if you wish."
Jasmine nodded, the after-sting of betrayal in her eyes. "Dalia," she said quietly.
No more was said until they were halfway to the princess's chambers. Mozenrath gasped as Jasmine sliced a flat hand into his stomach. Dalia kicked the back of his knees, dropping him to the ground. Jasmine wrenched his arm to his mid-back, holding him in place.
"Jasmine!" Dalia cried.
"No, I'm not leaving until I find out why he would betray us and his own brother," Jasmine answered, half-snarling.
"I'm not," Mozenrath rasped out. "I am making sure that all of you are still alive once Ali makes it back." He took a couple deep breaths, riding out the pain. "You could even call it a touch of karma. Paying back Jafar on what he did. Khaleel knows at least part of what I'm doing. We discussed it while Aladdin was out."
"How do we know this?" Jasmine asked. "How can you be sure Aladdin can make it back?"
"I sensed Genie send Carpet after Aladdin," Mozenrath said. "And, I have no proof, no reason for you to trust me. I know that Aladdin still has that trouble sometimes considering our history. But I have never knowingly betrayed my kin. Aladdin considers Khaleel his kin. I knew that for years. And frankly it's only a matter of time before my love-struck, romantic brother proposes." He half-laughed. "I suspect the only reason he hasn't asked yet is because he's wanted to get rid of Jafar's threat first."
It was a tense few moments before Jasmine released him and both ladies allowed him to stand up. "I warn you," Jasmine said, fire in her eyes and diamond shards in her voice, "if you betray our trust, you'll wish Dalia and I had finished you here."
Mozenrath hated the fact that this woman sent ice cold water down his spine, shot fear into his heart, things that Aladdin had failed to do. But there were few things that a woman should ever be crossed about. And Mozenrath prided himself in never crossing a woman on anything. "I completely understand," he said. "Now, I would suggest that we continue to your chambers, and that you prepare for this political 'wedding.' I'm sure that so long as we delay about two hours or so, that will provide enough time for our ragtag hero to appear."
"Any suggestions on how to prepare?" Jasmine asked. "Since you are apparently the resident advisor on overturning rulers."
"Something that will at least somewhat please him, something formal enough for such an occasion," Mozenrath said as they continued on their way. "Yet, it should also be functional, unless you wish to remain on the sidelines for the upcoming showdown."
Jasmine and Dalia both shot him incredulous looks. Dalia's seemed to say, "Are you forgetting what princess you are talking to?" While Jasmine's could be interpreted, "You really think I'll remain on the sidelines?"
"Specifics?" Dalia asked, all business. "We have at least two entire closets at our disposal."
"If there is a possibility of a dress and pants combination, I would highly suggest that," Mozenrath said. "Nothing that will trip you up. If we weren't needing to play up the formal, political aspect, I would recommend skirts no longer than the ankle. But no need to play loose about things. If you have shoes that are fitting but sturdier, wear those. Think evading guards in the marketplace."
Jasmine nodded, understanding and ideas dancing through her eyes. "Dalia, I need you to collect Mother's jewelry box from the treasury."
Dalia's eyes widened. "You are sure?"
"I am," Jasmine said. "Jafar isn't the only one who possesses fangs."
Mozenrath only raised a single brow in interest as the handmaid hurried off. "Should I expect something dangerous?"
"Mother loved our people, but she was no fool," Jasmine said simply.
Mozenrath glanced down at the quietly growling tiger trailing them. He was realizing more and more that this princess was the perfect match for his brother. Even when it appeared she was down, give her an opening and she was as fierce as her feline pets.
A half-hour later, they were in Jasmine's chambers. The princess pulled out various clothes, several that could be concealed and others that could be worn over her battle-ready garb. When Dalia opened the jewel case at Mozenrath's request, the wizard nodded in approval. These would prove excellent accessories.
They may be currently trapped in a serpent's tightening coils, but that didn't mean that they were helpless prey. Jasmine was right. This princess had fangs and she wasn't afraid to bare them for her people. Mozenrath looked forward to welcoming her to the family.
Author's Note: Welp, Jafar isn't the only one who knows how to overthrow a kingdom.
Now, tell me honestly. Did you start to think that Mozenrath had switched sides? Or did you see through him?
Please, no protests concerning how Jasmine and Dalia managed to effectively take Mozenrath out. I'd like to imagine that they had at least some self-defense training, not necessarily enough to take on multiple guards, but potentially three or less. My bit of headcanon.
And Mozenrath's signature gauntlet. Now, I tried to find information on it on the wikipedia sites dedicated to the Aladdin tv show, but I didn't find anything incredibly interesting. Certainly no titles or lore about how Mozenrath came to have it or anything like that. So, I made some up. Usually only referred to as The Gauntlet, the proper name is the Gauntlet of Azrael. A fitting name seeing as Azrael is traditionally known as the Angel of Death. While the Gauntlet grants its wearer incredible power, as the Dark One from Once Upon a Time likes to remind us: All magic comes with a price. For Mozenrath, that price was his hand. All that remains of his right hand (that he always wears the glove on) are the bones of his hand, wrist, and lower arm. (Definitely a shock and weird look in animated, but potentially unnerving and grisly if portrayed in real life.) But one does not know this until the Gauntlet is actually removed. I also took the liberty of giving the Gauntlet a makeover, creating what I would like to think would be very similar to what could have been if Mozenrath was to come into the live action scene. I'll be uploading my drawing on Deviantart if you would like to see it. Same username as here.
So, there's the little update for Mozenrath's gauntlet. Hoped you enjoyed that little rabbit trail. And please, give me your thoughts on this chapter. Any theories as to what will happen next in Agrabah? Or theories as to what will happen with Aladdin when we next see him? I look forward to hearing from you.