Chapter 3: Princesses and Old Creepy Guys

The next morning, Al, Abu and I set off for the Marketplace. Finding our usual awning clear and waiting, we maneuvered over to sit on the awning next to unsuspecting Omar. We always sat one stall away from our target, made it easier to get away if need be.

"Alaric," Al said and I turned to him. "Make sure that Abu's got the all clear." I nodded and leaned over the side, peering underneath the nearby canopy. Omar was humming to himself, wiping off his melons like they were something special. Smirking, I leaned back up and turned to the little monkey.

"All right Abu," I said. "He's all yours. Are you ready?" The small monkey nodded and I looked at Al who grinned at me. I had usually volunteered to get my own food and still did on occasion. I mean it wasn't like we were brothers or anything like that. Although, I kind of already thought of him as my big brother. I wouldn't tell him that though, I wasn't sure how he'd react to it.

"Okay, Abu, go!" Al said and with a salute the little monkey disappeared over the edge of the awning. I heard the merchant shout in alarm and then Al leaned over the other side. Abu reappeared and we waited for Al. He then sat up holding a melon. Abu and I grinned.

"Nice goin' Abu. Breakfast is served." Al split the melon into two and I tried to give Abu a whole one, but he shook his head, preferring to share with Al. I shrugged and took a bite, pretending not to see the approving nod Al gave Abu.

we shared the other. After we finished eating we sat back and observed the people walking to and fro throughout the marketplace.

"Al?" I said after a couple of minutes. "Why do you suppose that everyone is in such a hurry all the time?" I waited for a reply and upon hearing none looked over to see that Al was staring at something in the distance. "Aladdin?"

"Wow." He murmured and I cocked my head to one side in confusion. Then I saw what he was looking at. A girl. Abu, confused too, sat on Al's head and waved a paw back and forth in front of his face and not once did Al move or even blink. I watched the girl to see what was so fascinating. I had never understood how girls managed to keep Al's attention, but I did see why he said wow. She was very beautiful. She had long black hair and big almond shaped brown eyes that sparkled in the sunlight.

"Aw, you must be hungry." She said to a nearby little boy. She had a beautiful voice. "Here you go." I smiled when I saw her pluck an apple off the fruit stall hand it to him. Boy, Al could pick 'em. She was beautiful and kind. Those are two things that are pretty rare around here. I only hoped he would actually talk to her instead of the endless unidentifiable words he spoke to other girls. A thing we had in common. I could not speak to girls no matter who they were.

"You had better be able to pay for that." Farouk the apple vendor snarled, turning around and I swallowed. That never ended well for anyone.

"Pay?" She repeated and I had a moment to wonder where she came from that she didn't think she would have to pay for it?

Farouk grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip and I scowled. "No one steals from my cart!"

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. I don't have any money."

"Thief!"

"Please, if you let me go to the palace I can get some from the Sultan." I arched an eyebrow. Was she a maid? Did the sultan give out money to those under his roof?

"Do you know what the penalty is for stealing!?" The man slammed her arm down on the stall, preparing to chop it off and I felt my stomach flip-flop.

"Al, do something!" I hissed at him as the girl began to plead. Al leapt into action and I followed closed behind, ready to follow whatever he was going to do. Al was good at coming up with things on the spot…sometimes. I just hoped it was one of those times.

Al slid in and caught his wrist before he could strike and I sighed with relief before flicking at Farouk's hand and making him release the girl. "Thank you, kind sir. I'm so glad you found her." Al said smoothly, exchanging the sword for a hand shake and I stifled a laugh at the look of confusion on the man's face. Al handed her the sword from behind and she looked at it in confusion.

Al turned to face the girl, pretending to scold her. "We'll been looking all over for you." he said firmly and took her arm, turning her away from the stall.

"What are you doing?" She whispered and I gently took it from her grip and she spun around and looked at me and then back at Al. I then tossed the sword away and focused back on the scene in front of me.

"Just play along, trust us." I whispered back. She then turned back around as Farouk spoke.

He was giving us confused looks. Probably because he had never seen us with a girl before. "You, uh, know this girl?"

Al sighed dramatically. "Sadly yes, she is our sister. She's a little crazy." He took his hand and spun a finger in a circle around his ear for emphasis. The girl gasped angrily putting her hands on her hips. I had to hide my laughter. Al had a lot of explaining to do for that.

Farouk gripped Al's vest and pulled him into his face. "She said she knew the Sultan!"

I went over and shoved his hands off of him. I made a show of looking around and then leaned close. "She thinks the monkey is the Sultan." I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at said monkey who jumped having got caught red-handed trying to pick someone's bag. He pulled his paws back and grinned sheepishly at us. The girl looked at me briefly and I winked at her. Then she kneeled on the ground before Abu. I stuffed my fist in my mouth to keep from laughing.

"O, wise Sultan, how may I serve you?"

I snorted into my fist as a look of disbelief crossed the Farouk's face. Abu then patted her upon the head and chattered something unintelligible.

"Tragic, isn't?" I told the vendor, giving Al time to swipe an apple. He tossed it the surprised man.

"But, no harm done." He stared at us curiously and I made a poor pitiful face at him. Al decided it was time for us to exit. We each linked arms with the girl and began to walk off.

"Come along sis, it's time to see the doctor." Al said and I grinned. The girl stopped walking suddenly and faced towards a camel.

"Oh, hello doctor, how are you?" I snorted and Al pulled her away and acted like he was scolding her.

"No, no, no, sis. Not that one." I could barely control my laughter.

"C'mon, Sultan." I told Abu and he bowed at the ground. Unfortunately his vest had been full of pick-pocketed things and they spilled onto the ground. It took Farouk only a few seconds to figure out he had been duped and growled angrily at us as I scooped up Abu and the pilfered things.

"Come back here you little thieves!" He shouted as we took off after the girl and Al.

"Maybe later when we get hungry again!" I called over my shoulder, smirking at the laughing specters.

Al arched an eyebrow at me when Abu and I caught up to him and the girl. "When we get hungry again?"

I shrugged. "What? It's not like we won't be going back there ever." The girl looked at us curiously.


Al led the way back to our place as the sun began to set and I gladly stayed back. I was really hoping that this was the girl for him. If anyone deserved true happiness it was Al. He was one of the most kind-hearted people I had ever met and though it kind of scared me to think of being on my own, if this was Al's girl he could move on from just being a street rat to being something better.

Abu ran from me to Al, either unsure of whom to sit on or just trying to run out of energy. I finally held my arm out and he accepted, climbing up to keep an eye on the girl in front of us. Ah, that was it. He was jealous. Abu had been a bit jealous of the attention Al gave me those first few weeks I had been with them, but I had grown on him and I knew that the girl would too.

Al climbed to the top of the ladder and turned, offering his hand to her. She took it and upon being pulled up tripped into his arms. I watched them gaze at each other, obviously in love and I grinned.

But somewhere in my mind I felt a hint of jealously. But I quickly felt ashamed. It wasn't every day that Al met a nice girl and after all, he deserved to be with someone like her. Then the couple suddenly blushed realizing what they were doing. I pulled myself up to the top and over the wall. Al was too far gone in lovey-dovey world to see if I had fallen behind, which wouldn't matter since I could find my home in the dark.

The girl spoke then, "I want to thank you for stopping that man." She smiled at him. I went over to where Al and I usually catapulted ourselves over the street. I grabbed a pole and vaulted over to the next building without waiting for them.

"Uh, forget it." Al said then he grabbed another pole. "So, uh, this is your first time in the marketplace, huh?" He asked then he vaulted himself over and almost landed on me in the process. He was really head over heels for this girl. I rolled my eyes and went over to lean against the far wall.

"Is it that obvious?" The girl asked and I watched Al lean on his pole.

"Well, you do kinda stand out." He said his eyes locked on hers and she blushed, smiling.

I cleared my throat. "Al."

He snapped out of it then. "I mean, uh, you don't understand how dangerous Agrabah can be." He then held laid out a plank for her to walk on. Instead, to his amazement and mine she vaulted herself over to us.

"Wow." I grinned at her. She was definitely made for Al. "That was amazing!"

"Thank you, I'm a fast learner." She said walking past, me and a jaw-dropped Al. Abu didn't like being ignored and glared when Al handed him the pole.

"Hey." Al said and followed after her. "Come on this way." I walked slowly behind them, hoping to not distract them.

"Watch your head." I warned her, pointing out the fallen beam and Al shot me a grateful look.

"Is this where you live?"

"Yep, just us and Abu." I told her and went to sit on the steps.

"Come and go as we please."

"That sounds fabulous."

Al smiled and drew back the curtain. "Well, it's not much, but it's got a great view." He gazed out at the palace. "The palace looks pretty amazing doesn't it?"

"Oh. Its wonderful." The girl said and sat down with her back to the window. I gazed at her curiously and then began to connect the dots. She didn't know she had to pay for things, she said she knew the Sultan, and she doesn't want to look at the palace… She definitely had to be some maid or something.

"I wonder what it would be like to live there." Al continued, having not noticed the girl's noninterest. "Have servants and valets."

"Oh, sure. People who tell you where to go and how to dress."

I blinked there was another dot to connect. My jaw dropped. She was the princess! She had to be! I had always heard she was beautiful and a bit of a rebel. At least she was nice and didn't act spoiled. That would have ruined it.

"That's better than here." Al said, turning from the view and snatching an apple from Abu. "You're always scraping for food and ducking the guards."

"You're not free to make your own choices." She said softly.

"Sometimes you feel so…"

"You're just…"

"Trapped." They said at the same time and I smirked a bit.

I coughed, bringing them back to themselves. "So, where are you from?" I asked her curiously, though I already knew. I just wondered if she'd say it. I was usually super shy around girls, but with this one…it was different. Al tossed her an apple and Abu was not happy to have yet another apple taken from him.

"What does it matter? I ran away and I am not going back."

Al took a bite from the apple in his hand. "Really? How come?" He handed the half eaten fruit to Abu who seethed angrily.

"My father's forcing me to get married."

I frowned sadly. "That doesn't sound fair."

She looked at me with a smile. "It really isn't." I flushed at the smile she gave me and had to look elsewhere.

"Abu!" Al yelled and I turned back around to see the monkey, making wild gestures at Princess Jasmine. It was obvious that he wanted her uneaten apple.

"What?" jasmine asked, curious and Al shifted.

"Abu says, uh…that's not fair." Abu scowled and ran over to me. I handed him my apple and he thanked me.

"Oh, did he?" She remarked and I turned my back on them. I had a feeling of where this was going. I didn't want to stick around to see the end result of the conversation and went outside. Just as I rounded the corner I bumped into something. That something was a guard! Abu shrieked and ran back inside.

Before I could react another guard grabbed me from behind and slapped a hand over my mouth. I started trying to fight back, but all I got was a shake for my trouble and then I was lifted off the ground.

"Quiet, street rat!" The guard carried me down the steps and there we waited for the other guards. Great, the jinx strikes again. Well, I hadn't struck yesterday, might as well be today.

A little while later I heard the Al yell 'jump!' and watched as he and Jasmine leapt from the high window. They were soon caught as well as Abu, who had gotten thrown into a pot. I was dragged over and Al looked up at me. I gave him an apologetic look, letting him know that it was my fault that we had been caught. He frowned at me and then we both turned to look at the girl, who was beating upon Razoul's arm.

"Let go of them!" She commanded.

Razoul chuckled. "Look what we have here men, a street mouse!" He then tossed the girl back and she hit the ground. Suddenly she stood up.

"Unhand them!" She shouted and then threw her hood back, revealing a jeweled band around her head. "By order of the princess." I looked to see Al's jaw drop and the guard's had too.

"Princess Jasmine." Razoul said bowing low.

"The princess?" Al and Abu repeated at the same time.

"What are you doing outside the palace and with these street rats?"

"That's none of your concern." She said angrily her demanding nature kicking in. "Now do as I say release them!"

"I would princess, but my orders come from Jafar. You'll have to take it up with him." Razoul bowed again and the guards dragged us off. I looked at the princess one last time and winced at her dark expression.

"Believe me I will." I heard her mutter.


Razoul took lots of pleasure of parading us down into the dungeons and all I could do was look at the ground. My stupid curse got us caught. I could feel Al's eyes on me but I ignored them, not wanting to start talking now.

We were tossed into a cell immediately and were soon chained to a wall. I was across from Al, so we faced each other. The guard that had held me gave me a swift kick and I winced. Al glared a hole through the back of the man's head as he went up the stairs and left.

As soon as the doors slammed shut I heard Al sigh sadly.

"I'm sorry, Al." I said and his head whipped up to look at me.

"Alaric." I winced at Al's tone and I looked over at him rather reluctantly. He frowned at me disapprovingly. "Don't start blaming yourself. It was not your fault. I hate it when you do that."

"Well, whose fault is it then?" I retorted solemnly. "It certainly wasn't anyone else's."

"Alaric, the guards found us. We always knew they would one day. Stop blaming yourself!" I looked away unable to meet his gaze. "Look at me. Rick, look at me." I finally did and I saw the look in his eyes. "Listen to me, none of it is your fault, okay? You are not to blame."

"Okay, Al." I said rather quietly, not really believing it.

"No. Not okay!"

I glanced at him and he was glaring at me.

"Alaric, I thought we were past this already. You are not a jinx. You are a ten-year old little boy with a kind heart. Nothing about you is even close to being bad luck. And the fact that you think that is-is…not right. It's not right Alaric and I want you to stop it."

"It's what I am." I said sharply and he shook his head.

"I know, you can't help but think it sometimes. I don't expect you to forget it completely." He said quietly. "But you shouldn't do that." He sighed then, knowing that I wasn't going to say anything else about it. I knew what I was. I was the worst kind of monster.

"I must've sounded so stupid to her!" He finally said after a few minutes and I looked back at him.

"Of course not." I said giving him a smile. "I could tell she liked you and it shouldn't matter where that she's a princess." He fell silent considering what I said.

After a moment neither of us speaking I heard a little voice call from above us. 'Yoo-hoo! Aladdin? Rick?' We looked up to see Abu sitting in the window.

"Abu! Down here! Get me out of these!" Abu scampered down and then ran over to Al. I watched him pull his vest over his head and then strut around batting his eyelashes and swinging his tail in imitation of the princess. I laughed loudly and Al rolled his eyes.

"Hey, she was in trouble. Ah, but she was worth it." Abu huffed and said, 'yeah, yeah, yeah.' He unlocked Al and then he scampered over to me.

"Al, it really shouldn't matter." I told him. Abu got me unlocked and I stood up stretching.

"Alaric, you just don't get it. All my life I've been kicked and scorned at for what I am. A street rat. I've been pushed around for that and she's royalty. I wouldn't expect you to get how I feel just now." Al yelled and I looked at the ground mad now.

"Yeah, I guess I wouldn't." I snapped. "Oh, how sad to just be a street rat. What about what I am? Huh, Al? I'm a jinx. I'm the jinx. Were you ever blamed for something that was beyond your control? Because I was. Were people ever afraid of you? Because they were afraid of me. So I guess I don't know what it's like. Excuse me for trying to make you see yourself better."

"Well, anyway I'm a street rat, you know? And there's a law. She's gotta marry a prince. She deserves a prince." Al sighed. "I'm a fool."

I turned around to tell Al something when I saw a shadow move across from us.

"You're only a fool if you give up, boy."

My eyes widened as an old man hobbled out the shadows and Al stepped in front of me protectively.

"Who are you? He asked suspiciously. The old man came forwards a little more and I fought a strong urge to flee. Instead I moved closer to Al. Abu leapt unto my shoulder and hid.

"How long have you been down here? You walk like a crab." I questioned and Al elbowed me. I rubbed my side and scowled. "What? Look at him! He looks worse than we do!"

"Knock it off." Al hissed at me.

"Just a lowly prisoner like yourselves. But perhaps we could be more." The creepy old man rubbed to fingers together, indicating money.

Al looked down at me and then he replied. "We're listening." I watched as the old man hobbled closer.

"There is a cave, boys. A cave of wonders. Filled with treasures beyond your wildest dreams. Treasures enough to impress even your princess, I'd wager." He then showed us a handful of bright red rubies.

"Uh, pardon me, but where exactly did you pull those from?" I asked, giving him and his weird moving hump a once over, and Al shot me a dirty look. Abu, who was still on my shoulder leaned far out and attempted to touch it. The old man closed his hand quickly and hobbled back a little.

Al mulled over what he said. "But the law says that only a prince can marry-"

The man whirled around faster than I thought he could move and he moved over to us, getting in our faces. "Haven't you ever heard of the golden rule? Whoever has the gold makes the rules." The old man gave us a wide grin, showing us a set of nasty, yellow teeth as he wheezed a laugh at us.

"What a lovely smile." I muttered and Abu jumped onto Al's shoulders.

"Why would you share all this wonderful treasure with us?" Al asked suddenly suspicious. I looked at the old man interestedly.

"Yeah, why?"

The creepy old man gave me another one of his wide grins and I shuffled backwards. "I need a young pair of legs and a strong back to go in after it." He patted my leg with his walking stick and then patted Al on the back. Okay, I guess he needed muscle for the job. But there was still one tiny problem.

"Ah, there's one problem it's out there. We're in here." Al said and we both looked at the old guy like he was crazy.

"Ah, ah, ah. Things aren't always what they seem." The old creeper said as he pushed the wall with his walking stick. Suddenly the wall opened up. I felt my jaw drop and then I recovered.

"Can I ask few quick questions?" I asked. "If you knew that was there…how come you haven't left before? Do you just come and go in here every night? Picking up random people?"

"Rick, shut up." Al hissed.

I frowned at him. "These are legitimate questions, Al! How do we know we can trust this old guy? And how long was he here before we came along?"

I jumped as the old man appeared between us. "Do we have a deal?" The old man asked sticking a very bony hand out towards Al and me. Al glanced at Abu who shrugged and then they looked at me.

"I don't like it, but I'll go."

"There's a brave, lad." The old man stated, patting him with his cane.

"Brave or paranoid?" Al muttered and I kicked him in the back of the knee as I walked by. He fell into the sand and sat up, eyeing me angrily. I only shrugged and followed the old man out of the dungeon and into something that I just had a feeling would get us killed.


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