Jayde walked across the dance floor to see Mozenrath happily chatting to the Sultan. Jasmine and Aladdin were not at this dance that Jayde organised but nobles from several nearby towns were and they were apparently a good influence on Mozenrath. Jayde was under the impression that Aladdin and Jasmine had had a fight, because they have not been talking and Aladdin left three weeks ago, just after the wedding, with Genie, Abu and the Carpet. He claimed he had business with someone across the desert. Iago was still here though, he would never miss a chance to 'mingle with money' as he said. The way Jayde saw it, mingling was the best thing both Mozenrath and Iago could do, to keep them out of trouble. Especially Mozenrath. Jayde suspected the other nobles had taken a liking to him as a young entrepreneur and she even saw Xerxes talking to a shadowy man earlier which was strange since she had not seen him since they left the citadel. Xerxes seemed to have taken offence to Jayde's marriage to Mozenrath and he may have been jealous. Jayde was glad he had gotten over it though, if that was Xerxes she saw before.
"Hello stranger." Jayde said to Mozenrath, not having not talked to him in hours because him and her had been very busy making a good impression on the neighbouring cities.
"Do I know you?" He asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
"I do not think so." Jayde replied. "But I see you are talking to my father."
"This is your father?" He asked, incredulously.
"Yes, I am Princess Jayde. Nice to meet you... What did you say your name was?" Jayde questioned.
"I am Mozenrath, Lord of the Land of the Black Sands." He replied. "And this is your father?"
"Yes, This is my father. The sultan of Agrabah you know." Jayde informed him.
"Well that is very strange." Mozenrath says. "He told me he was a palace stablehand who snuck in for the drinks."
"No doubt about it, sir. He is the Sultan and my father. I would know him anywhere."
"Did you lie to me, My good man?" Mozenrath queried, addressing the Sultan.
"Oh ho ho ho, hee hee hee," The sultan chuckled. "You two lovebirds and your funny games."
"Pardon? I do not understand Papa?" Jayde said. "I do not know this man who stands before me."
"And neither I know you, or this gracious stablehand." Mozenrath said to Jayde.
"Silly? Have you been apart long enough that you two do not recognise each other." Said the Sultan.
"Come to think of it, his face does look familiar..." Jayde mutters.
"Yes, I believe I may have seen you before somewhere..." Said Mozenrath.
"Now I remember!" Jayde exclaimed. "You served me in a bar yesterday!"
"No, I do not work in a bar." He answered. "Maybe I saw you yesterday when I was walking at the markets."
"That might be it... Wait I have it!" Jayde cried. " I married you three weeks ago, I am sure."
"Yes, Thats it!" He said and cocked an eyebrow. "Were you drunk?"
"Not as drunk as you." Jayde replied.
"Well then, Now that we are introduced I would like to ask you to dance" He stated.
"Oh, I do not know." Jayde answered. "I do not normally dance with strangers."
Jayde laughed as he led her back onto the dance floor.
"Did you see the look on the sultan's face?" He said, as the next song started.
"Yeah, It was utterly hilarious " Jayde said.
"You look very beautiful tonight Jayde." Mozenrath commented.
Jayde glanced down at the clingy blue dress she chose while brushing her hair, teeth and not too gently prodding Mozenrath to wake him up. "Well, If I had the time I would have dug out something better" She said.
"No, no really it is great." He assured Jayde.
"You would think it was great of I wore a hessian sack."
"True, true, but from the opinion of a nobleman and not a husband, it is nice." "Really?"
"Do not ask me. Ask those men over there who are staring at you. I would say the drooling gives it away."
"Hmmmm, I see." Jayde said. "And look, one of them is approaching us."
The man walking towards them was enveloped in shadow. Even without the darkness you would not be abled to see his face for the hood.
"Ahhh... Lord Mozenrath and the Lady Jayde." He greeted them.
"That is PRINCESS to you buster." Jayde snapped at him as he interrupted their dance. She did not like people interrupting her.
"Sorry your majesty." He replied. "I am Galeb, the traveller."
"So what is your business?" Asked Mozenrath.
"I have a proposition for you" Replied Galeb.
"And that is?" Jayde asked, hinting that she was not to be left out of the conversation just because of her gender.
"I know of a powerful artifact to be found to the north, far to the north, I ask that you find it for me" He said.
"Wait a minute." Jayde stopped him. "Why can you not fetch it for yourself?"
"It is heavily guarded." He replied. "Only powerful sorcerors", he indicated to Mozenrath, " Could get near it."
"Why should we do this then?" Jayde asked, skeptically.
"You will be greatly rewarded." Galeb replied.
"Do you mind if we talk privately for a moment?" Asked Mozenrath.
"By all means, do." Galeb said. "If you need to consult your... wife."
Mozenrath and Jayde made their way to an empty corner of the ballroom, the same one they had their wedding in.
"No WAY!" Jayde hissed. "That man is SLIMY, I can TELL."
"You can not judge someone like that." Said Mozenrath.
"He reminds me of a snake!" Jayde retorted.
"So is it a yes or a no?" Mozenrath asked. "I will not do this without you or your approval. I could not."
"Well charming as that is, I do not like this... but if the reward is great..."
"So that is a yes?" Questioned Mozenrath.
"Okay, After all there is not a magical artifact nor that guarding it that I can not handle."
They walked back towards Galeb and Jayde squirmed. Her brain tells her she does not want to be anywhere near this man.
"We have decided to take up your offer." Mozenrath said.
"But we require more information." Jayde added.
"Why of course, I should think you would want to know what you are looking for, where you are looking for it and what is guarding it." Galeb answered.
"What is the name of the artifact we are looking for, what can it do and what does it look like? For starters." Jayde asked.
"All good questions." Galeb chuckled and Jayde internally retched. The man was sickening with his leering manner. "And the answer to those is; The magical artifact is called the Brue crystal. It is the size of your fist and it changes colours depending on the soul of the person who holds it. When you find it it will likely be a dull grey. This gem has the power of shapeshifting, and through this, healing."
"Got that, Brue crystal, dull grey, shapeshift." Jayde replied. "The guards?"
"Quite the business person are we not?" Said Galeb. "It is hidden inside a mountain. At the heart of a labyrinth guarded by monsters, traps and riddles. Once you enter the labyrinth there can be no light for covering the ceiling are thousands of sleeping bats. I assume you are able to see without light? There are sections to the labyrinth with puzzles you must solve to get from one to the other. Be careful, for littering the halls are pits filled with spears pointed skywards. At the end of the labyrinth is a room. On a pedestal in the room are two gems. One is enchanted and would kill you if you touched it, the other is the Brue crystal."
"We can handle it. Where is this mountain you speak of?" Mozenrath asked.
"Ten days travel to the north there is a string of mountains. Clouds cover the tops of all these mountains but one. That is the Brue mountain." Answered Galeb.
"Anything else?" Jayde asked.
"That is all." Answered Galeb and he started to walk away.
Jayde cried out. "Wait! How do we get into the mountain?" but he was already gone.
"Mozenrath?" Jayde said.
"Yes?" Mozenrath asked.
"I do not know why... but I am scared."
"You said yourself you can handle anything."
"Yes, but that man makes me uneasy."
"Aww poor widdle Princess. Do not fear, Mozenrath is here."
"Why does that not reassure me? Anyway, something bad is going to happen."
"When does something bad not happen?" Mozenrath asked, and he put his arm around Jayde and they finished their dance.