The early morning sun slanted in through the window to rest on Queen Jasmine's face. She woke slowly, stretching the bad night's sleep out of her joints. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes and only then did she notice that Aladdin wasn't there. Thinking he had just gotten up before her, she called out, "Aladdin?" She twisted around to look out onto the balcony and her hand fell on a piece of paper, Aladdin's letter from the night before. Jasmine picked it up and read it. The trust she felt for him the night before quickly dissipated. "Meet her there?…His forever?…" She angrily crumpled the letter and threw it across the room; it didn't take much to figure out why he had left and where he was. A whirlwind of emotions swept through her, from jealous anger to sad confusion. She stomped to her vanity, sat down, and began brushing her hair with one angry stroke after the next.
I thought he loved me, Jasmine thought angrily. We're married and have a kingdom and a two-year-old son to look after, and he runs off in a heartbeat because of some…some mysterious letter from a woman he hasn't seen in ages!! And HE owes HER?? What could she possibly have done for him that she can take him away from me after so long? Jasmine threw her brush onto the vanity and tied her hair back. She paced angrily for a while, trying to regain her calm composure before she went to see Jebu and her father. After kicking a few things and throwing some priceless art across the room, Jasmine took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She felt acutely the sudden loss of her husband; he did more than leave her to care for their son and her dying father, he also left the entire responsibility of running a kingdom. They both knew how much work that was; the question was would she be able to handle it on her own?
But what was she thinking? She didn't have to run the kingdom all on her own. That's what she had advisors for, advisors a lot more trustworthy than Jafar had been. They were capable of taking care of all the petitioners; she didn't have to do that. She just had to deal with the visiting royalty that was coming…At that thought, her eyes sprung open and she threw another priceless vase across her room, finally calling the attention of a passing servant.
"Clean this mess up!" Jasmine yelled angrily as she stormed out towards the throne room. The servant yelped in surprise and meekly began sweeping up the broken pieces of pottery.
As Jasmine walked into the throne room she saw the large figure of Akumra; his darkly tanned skin contrasted greatly with the white, billowy desert clothing and turban. He turned and smiled in greeting, but frowned as he saw how irritated she looked.
"My Queen, what is the matter?" he asked sincerely in his deep sonorous voice as she approached him. Then he remembered the note Aladdin had given him to give to her so early that morning. "Oh, could it have something to do with this?" he asked her as he gave her the note.
"Quite possibly, if it has anything to do with my husband disappearing without a word!" she practically screamed at him. Akumra furrowed his brow as he watched Jasmine read the letter. She growled out a half-scream before crushing it and throwing it at him. "Take care of the petitioners today! Don't bother me until the caravan from Mennosite gets here. I'll be in my room!" Akumra cringed as Jasmine yelled the orders at him then stormed off back down the hall.
"Oh dear," he muttered, picking up the crumpled paper. His frown only increased as he read it through:
"Jasmine, try not to be angry. This isn't something I can explain very well without it sounding completely stupid and unnecessary. Trust me, like you've always trusted me. I promise I'll come back and tell you everything, because you know I love you, and I always keep my promises. ~Aladdin."
"This is going to be a very long day," Akumra commented to himself as he readied himself to start dealing with the first petitioners.
Jasmine had resumed pacing in her room, dreading the arrival of the party from Mennosite. Queen Shiara and King Araden would surely ask questions about Aladdin's absence. She couldn't tell them the truth of the matter, for she had trouble believing it herself, and what kind of lie could she make up that they would believe? Araden wasn't stupid; she had to keep her cool if she wanted him to believe whatever story she came up with. Shiara, on the other hand, was, to put it nicely, a little slow on the uptake. Jasmine figured, if she wanted to, she could easily convince Shiara that camel dung was a delicacy in some foreign land, and then get her to eat some.
Jasmine finally sat down and took a breath. She had to get herself together. She didn't want to admit to the thought that Aladdin might not come back, but it was there, in the back of her mind. Getting up suddenly, Jasmine made her way into Jebu's room where he was playing with one of the nurses.
"Mem Sahib, good morning," the nurse said politely, giving a quick little bow of the head.
"Good morning, Raena," Jasmine replied as she sat on a nearby chair.
"Sir Aladdin will be back soon?" Raena asked as she pulled on the blanket her and Jebu were tug-o-warring with.
"I certainly hope so," the queen said, settling back to watch her son as she waited for King Araden and Queen Shiara to arrive.