Chapter 5: What Hope Remains

A tug at Jasmine's arm reminded the princess to obey her parent's wishes. The young child glanced up at her father to meet his knowing smile.

"Having fun, my dearest?" he chuckled.

"Of course she is," her mother moved beside them. Jasmine smiled at the queen's gentle stroke along her cheek. "She has her mother's sense of adventure."

"That she does," the sultan beamed at his family. The queen held his face, pulling him closer before placing a kiss at his cheek.

Jasmine smiled at her parents. Beneath her chest her heart leapt with glee for the love that her parents shared. However, their distraction nearly caused the princess to forget her task. Quickly scanning the boundaries of the marketplace, she searched for any sign of a familiar set of brown eyes.

"Searching for your friend?" Her mother asked. The princess' face reddened as she nodded.

"I just want to make sure he's safe." She spoke quietly.

"I know dear. But, you mustn't blame yourself for his condition, he choose to leave before I could aid him." Her gentle fingers grazed Jasmine's cheek in reassurance. "Continue your search. But don't go too far, little one."

"I won't, mama," the princess promised. Jasmine's legs carried her through the allowed boundaries, searching high and low through the busy crowds.

"Ah, Princess!" A familiar voice shouted. Jasmine turned towards the man and smiled when she recognized the vendor who had offered a cookie only days ago. "Out and about again, eh?"

"Yes sir," she smiled. Her belly ached at the scent of freshly baked pastries.

"And how did you like your gift?"

"Actually, sir, I gave it to a friend." Her cheeks reddened before explaining. "He was sick and needed it more than me."

"Our princess has a heart just as large as her mind," the man gazed upon her proudly. He stepped around the cart before crouching to her level. In his hand was yet another kind offering. "Here, let this one be for you."

"Thank you, sir," she smiled before gratefully grasping the cookie.

"Step away from the princess." A cold voice warned from behind. Jasmine shivered as her eyes fell upon a man in a dark cloak. Only once before had the princess seen such a frightening gaze. It had been the same hatred found on the man who had brought harm upon her nameless friend not even a week ago. Jasmine scooted closer to the cart, thankful that she did not stand alone this time.

"I was only offering her a cookie," the vendor defended.

"Do you always carry a knife when serving a member of the royal family?"

"Well I… I suppose I forgot that it was on me," the man became nervous.

"Careless imbecile. You ought to be careful, one might misread your intentions."

"Well mister, I assure I had no ill will towards the princess," the vendor reached for the knife. Pulling it from his belt, he moved to place it out of harm's reach. The action was innocent, even young Jasmine could see as much. Yet neither were prepared for the terrifying shout that followed.

"Protect the Princess!" The cold voice rang. Within a moment Jasmine felt herself being pulled into a stranger's arms while shouts erupted all around them.

"On your knees!" Razoul sneered.

"What is going on?! Where is my daughter?!"

"Baba!" Jasmine shouted in fright while wriggling free from the man's arm. Her eyes took in the terrible sight of the kind man being thrown to the ground.

"Jasmine! Are you hurt?" The sultan crouched to inspect her body.

"No baba! He was just giving me a treat," she attempted to defend the elder friend.

"Your highness," the cold man bowed. "I bore witness to the whole event, I can offer my insight."

"And who are you, young man?" Her father stood before pulling her tightly against his body. Jasmine graciously grasped her father's arms, looking in terror at the man before them.

"I am Jafar, your majesty. I am no more than a humble statesman in search of work." He continued to bow before rising to meet the sultan's gaze.

"You may speak."

"The man lured the princess to his cart. I attempted to confront him before he wielded this blade against her."

"That's not true, baba!" Jasmine urged him to listen. Her father's head tilted as he focused on the child, until their captain approached.

"Jafar speaks truly, your majesty. I too stand as a witness to the crime."

"I called for the guard's aid immediately," Jafar stated. The sultan met Razoul's confident stare before demanding without patience.

"Send this man to the dungeon."

"Baba, no! It's not true, it's not true!" Her arms reached for the man being dragged away, but the grasp around her tightened. "Don't hurt him!"

"Hush, Jasmine," the sultan assured her with a pat. "There are some things that you are too young to understand. Jafar, I thank you for your diligence."

"It is my pleasure to serve you, my sultan." Jafar spoke confidently before glancing at the princess. "After all, the safety of the princess should be the entire kingdom's priority."

"I fear what might have happened without you here," her father stated in fright.

"Perhaps I could be of use to you, your majesty. I have experience ensuring a secure environment. Before my travels to Agrabah, I have made many," the man paused in a moment's thought. Jasmine could not help but shiver at his wicked sneer. "beneficial changes to my homeland."

"The offer is appreciated, but Agrabah prides itself upon its safety."

"If your majesty allows, I would remind you that the princess was nearly harmed only moments ago," Jafar insisted. "Perhaps your streets are not as safe as you believe."

"I must not act brashly upon a single fallen subject, young Jafar."

"Of course," he bowed, though Jasmine could see the irritation festering beneath his glare. "If you are to change your mind, I will be here waiting."

"You have my gratitude," the sultan nodded before guiding the princess away. Before they left, she could see the man speaking quietly to their captain. She trembled once more when Razoul shared a wicked chuckle with the man. As they entered the marketplace once more, Jasmine tugged while pouting against the sultan's harsh judgement, but the man remained unchanged. "Behave, young one. Let us find your mother."

New shouts erupted in the distance. The pair stared ahead in curiosity, but when the screams of terror only grew the sultan hastened his pace.

"The queen!" Someone shouted.

"It's the queen!" Screeched another.

"Out of my way!" The sultan demanded the crowd. Jasmine's arm began to hurt from his fierce pull, but nothing compared to the pain of seeing the queen on the ground. For a short innocent moment, Jasmine wondered why her mother chose to lay in the sand. The confusion only festered when her father fell to his knees beside the sleeping woman. "No… No!"

"Mama?" Jasmine became unnerved. Her stomach churned as her mother refused to react to the sultan's cries. As she took another step forward, the stained sand surrounding her became more clear. Blood seeped through her father's fingers where he held her chest and only then did she begin to understand. Jasmine's hands fell upon the queen and she began fervently shaking her mother's arm. "Mama! Wake up, mama!"

"Take Jasmine to the palace." She could hear baba's sob.

"No! I want to stay with mama!" She shrieked as a pair of arms ripped her from the queen. Through tear filled eyes she could see her father sobbing over her mother. She could faintly recall seeing Jafar standing stiffly on the sidelines. Her cries echoed off the buildings as the guard carried her away. By the time they reached the gates, her throat hurt from shouting. However, it did not stop her from calling for her mother. Not even as the doors closed; as they shut her out from her mother's reach. Forever.


Jasmine's sobs remained as she woke from the nightmare. However, a hand on her shoulder brought a new wave of terror. Her own frantically gripped at the hidden knife and even she was impressed by the speed at which she wielded the weapon. The blade halted at the invader's throat, while her eyes adjusted to the low light.

Ali's hands flew to the air in surrender, while his chin lifted to avoid being sliced. Jasmine's body heaved from an array of emotions, but when her eyes fell to the man's knees upon the bed a streak of fury consumed her.

"Breaking our deal, are we?" Her chest continued to heave. "It's only been a week."

"You were having a nightmare," he swallowed uncomfortably around the blade. "I was just trying to wake you."

"You couldn't manage that from the ground?" She challenged.

"I tried." His eyes pointed towards the foot of her bed. "Rajah can vouch for me."

Turning her gaze, she found the tiger seated beside his make-shift bed. His great head tilted at the scene before him, while his gentle eyes captured her gaze. If the cat could speak, she would have sworn he'd be laughing at her overreaction. The weight of the nightmare lifted. Though her body relaxed, her heart continued to pound against her chest while her cheeks flooded with embarrassment.

"Um, princess," Ali winced. "The knife?"

Jasmine flinched before hastily retreating. When his throat was freed, he took a deep breath before his fingers grazed the mark at his neck.

"I'll um," she swallowed deeply. "I will get you a rag."

She slid around him before quickly racing to the adjacent room. Grabbing a small cloth, she rinsed it in her bath before returning to the prince. He had moved to sit on the couch and to her amazement she was greeted with laughter.

"What?" Her brow lifted.

"You continue to surprise me, princess." He smirked while shaking his head. The edges of his fingers had begun to stain with blood. "If only we could train your guards to be that quick."

"My father had me trained after my mother was killed," she explained while pulling his hand from the wound. To her relief it appeared that she had only nicked the skin, yet it bled angrily regardless. The princess moved quickly to cover the scratch with the cloth. "I was allowed to work with Hakim until my father fixated upon his obsession for finding me a husband."

"I see," his own hands moved to take over the hold. His bravery faded with a wince as he depended the pressure; leaving her with a sting of guilt.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Still better than feeding me to the tiger," he argued lightly. Rajah groaned from being pulled into the conversation, but was quick to return to his slumber.

"I doubt he would ever hurt you. Even if I ordered him." She smirked at the large cat. "He trusts you."

"But you don't," he pointed. His expression remained light, though his eyes were filled with the same emotion that she was all too familiar with.

"You're disappointed," she voiced her findings aloud. A look of surprise at her boldness covered his features, but Ali did not hide his gaze.

"Where I come from trust is everything. My people trust me to care for them and in turn I trust them to obey our laws," he explained. "Any sign of distrust is a great offense in my country."

"This isn't Ababwa, prince." She reminded. "Trust must be earned."

"And what must one do to earn it?" He pulled the rag to observe at the stained cloth.

"You could start by telling me why Ababwa hides itself," she challenged. "If the tales are correct, all who venture to find the kingdom either return delirious or fail to return at all."

"If they aren't swallowed by the quicksand, they likely fall to the mountains. The path is dangerous for those who don't know the way."

"You do nothing as people parish within your own borders?" Her irritation returned.

"Am I to be responsible for prying eyes?" he returned her stare. "The land is well marked, yet our warnings are constantly ignored."

"Why not send guards to guide them to safety?" She proposed.

"Would you hold guards miles out to sea for a few fools that refuse to acknowledge the consequences of drowning?" He was quick to retort. Her jaw clenched at the argument, failing to refute his logic.

"What do you have to hide?" She pressed.

"I already told you. I have nothing to hide." He spoke confidently, though for the briefest moment she could spot the hesitation in his tone. Ali's free fingers played with a cord at his neck absentmindedly. All that, mixed with the way he hid his stare into the towel, filled the princess with an unsatisfied victory.

"You're lying," she pointed.

"No," he shook his head weakly.

"You ask me to trust you, yet you can't even trust in me?"

"It's not like that…"

"Then explain," her brow raised in a final challenge.

Ali finally met her gaze, but instead of cowering or attempting to refute her, he sighed deeply.

"I… can't."

"Then my loyalty remains unchanged," she stated harshly.

"No, that's not what I meant." He stood from the couch, tossing the rag aside before turning away from her. Ali gazed up, as if searching for guidance from the heavens. Allowing him a moment of silence, she waited for his mind to settle. For a moment, she believed that he would cave to her wishes; that he would indulge in her curiosity. His hand toyed with something out of her sight. The silence grew uncomfortable before he tucked the hidden item away. Turning back to meet her gaze, she was met with a defeated stare. "We should get some sleep."

With one final check that his wound had clotted, he began walking to the couch. A terrible sickness sprouted within the princess. Jasmine wasn't sure why her heart sunk so deeply, nor why her eyes swelled in disappointment.

"This is never going to change, is it?" She breathed quietly. Ali turned to meet her sullen gaze. "We're going to be miserable for the rest of our lives."

"At least you get a bed." His attempted joke tackled her emotions. Ali's gaze fell as he quickly realized his error. Her own face tightened, but before she could respond he whispered an apology. "What would make you happy, princess?"

Her face relaxed before contemplating his question. She nearly stated the obvious; a life without him. A life without being trapped in a loveless marriage. Her search lasted for a few silent moments before she finally answered. "My people. I want to be with my people."

"Hmm," he appeared confused but nodded regardless. "Well, then there's hope for you yet, princess."

"It doesn't feel that way," she admitted. He waited a moment before replying.

"Well princess, I guess I will help you find it."


Review Replies:

Guests – Thank you to both guests for your lovely comments! Please make sure to leave some sort of username if you would like me to respond to you individually

KorrieChan – Haha It's always nice to be able to relate to the characters. I definitely think she'd have turned her "attitude" up a bit than what we saw in the film had she gone through this experience. We'll slowly start to see her soften into her primary characterization. Thanks so much for reading and leaving your thoughts!

Lauren – Oh my goodness you are very kind! That is such an honor to hear. I am so glad that you are enjoying the story and I hope that the rest of the story is just as good for you! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Malila Rose – Thank you so much! You are very kind! That is a huge compliment to hear that you love the portrayal. Thanks for reading and reviewing!