"Remember what we talked about?"
Aladdin nodded eagerly, practically bouncing on the spot as his Father beamed at him.
"And you remember the plan?"
Another eager little nod.
"Alright… go on!"
Aladdin nodded, rushing over to the watermelon vendor as he called out to the passing crowds, lifting one off of the stall as the man turned to him.
"Hey!" The man rushed over and snatched the watermelon back, swatting Aladdin away even as Cassim casually stole another one as he walked past the stall, "Go on, get away from her you little- "
Before he could finish the sentence, Aladdin braced away, blending into the crowd.
"That's what i… huh?" The vendor frowned as he turned back to the stall.
He was sure he had more watermelons.
Meanwhile, as the vendor wondered, Cassim and Aladdin were sat on top of another nearby stall.
"Excellent work son…" Cassim congratulated proudly, as he split the melon in two, "… breakfast is served."
As Aladdin tucked eagerly into the succulent fruit, Cassim glanced around the marketplace, taking in the familiar sights and smells… and then he spotted something very unfamiliar.
A gorgeous young lady.
Her hair was neat, clearly washed and neatly tied back, a beautiful blue head-band on top, keeping it all together. Large golden earrings hung from her ears, indicating that she clearly came from money. Warm brown eyes twinkled in the early morning light.
But it was her smile.
Her smile was one of the greatest things he'd ever seen. It was almost like having the moon smile at you.
He used to feel that way about Aladdin's Mother all those years ago.
"Wow…" he whispered, before trying to turn his attention somewhere else.
She was very young… far too young for him.
"Daddy? Daddy?"
Startled out of his thoughts, Cassim glanced over to his son, who was glancing between him and the woman.
"Aladdin…" he whispered, noticing the apple stall, "… fancy an apple?"
…..
Jasmine noticed the little boy almost instantly, watching as he desperately reached up to try and grab an apple.
"Awww…." She couldn't help but coo at how cute the little boy was, especially as he turned to look at her, an unsure look on his face, "… You poor thing! You must be hungry! Do you want an apple?"
The boy nodded slowly, watching as Jasmine plucked an apple off the top of the pile and handed it to him, just as the vendor turned around.
"I hope you're able to pay for that?"
Nervously, Jasmine turned around, "Pay?"
Why didn't she think of that! If she wanted to blend in, she had to pay for things… not everything would be given to her on a silver platter.
She was broken out of her thoughts as the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, "No-one steals from my stall!"
"I-I'm sorry Sir, but I don't have any money!"
"THIEF!"
He yanked her over to a wooden block, placing her hand on the block and pulling out his sword.
"Please!" She begged, "If you let me go back to the palace, I can get some from the Sultan and- "
"- Do you know what the penalty is for stealing?!" The vendor rose his sword into the air, his intention very clear.
"No! No, please!"
Just as the sword came back down, a hand stopped it in its tracks.
….
Cassim honestly didn't mean for it to go that far.
He thought the woman would fell a maternal instinct and pay for an apple… this was never supposed to happen. With Aladdin happily munching on the apple, he rushed forwards and grabbed the hand before the sword could cut off the woman's hand.
"Thank you kind Sir!" he exclaimed, deftly removing the sword from the man's grip, "I'm so glad you found her!" He then turned to the woman and frowned, "I've been looking all over for you!"
"What are you doing?" the woman hissed, as he tried to pull her away.
"Just play along my dear."
Before they could make a quick getaway, the vendors hand dropped down on Cassim's shoulder. "You… know this girl?"
"Sadly yes…" Casim sighed wearily, "… She's my… niece. She's a little touched in the head."
Before the woman could say anything, the vendor spoke up again. "She said she knew the Sultan!"
"… She thinks my little boy is the Sultan." Cassim gestured to Aladdin.
Thankfully, the woman caught on quickly, her eyes darting to a startled Aladdin. "Oh, wise and powerful sultan! How may I serve you!" She fell to her knees, bowing as Aladdin stared down at her in amazement.
"Tragic." Cassim muttered, one hand covering his mouth as he tried not to laugh, moving over to help the woman to her feet, "Come on dear niece, time to go to the Doctor."
As he led her away, the woman (still lost in her role) walked over to the nearest camel. "Why hello Doctor. How are you?"
"No, no, no…" Cassim really had to fight not to laugh, "… not that Doctor." He then glanced back to his son and smirked, "Come on Your Highness."
Aladdin moved to follow… only for gold coins to fall out of the hole in his pocket.
"Okay, time to go!" Cassim grabbed Aladdin's hand and the womans' and quickly pulled them away, diving into side after side alley in his attempt to get away.
Unaware that he was being watched.
…
"Alright, almost there…" he slowly helped the woman up onto the roof of the building, chuckling when she stumbled into him, her arms wrapping around him in order to steady herself. They had been running for about five or ten minutes, before Cassim decided they were probably in the clear.
"I-I wanted to thank you…" she cleared her throat, turning her face away, "… for stopping that man."
Cassim waved his hand in dismissal, moving over the other side of the building, picking up the staff. "Think nothing of it… it was my pleasure. So, it was your first time in the marketplace, correct?" He bent down to allow Aladdin to climb onto his back, before using the staff as leverage and jumping to another rooftop.
"Was it that obvious?" she asked sheepishly, as Cassim grabbed the plank of wood he'd used for Aladdin when the child couldn't really cling on tightly enough.
"Well, you do stand out." Her cleared his throat and forced a stern tone into his voice, "And by that, I mean, you don't seem to know just how dangerous Agrabah can be young lady."
As he moved the plank, so that it worked as a small bridge, he heard Aladdin gasp in amazement. When he next looked up, the woman was gone.
"I'm a quick learner."
He spun around, only just managing the pole that she threw at him, a sly smirk on her face, as she turned and ruffled Aladdin's hair. Cassim sat there stunned for a few moments, before a smirk appeared on his face.
"Alright… consider me taught. Just follow me, we're almost there."
With Aladdin running on ahead, Cassim gently took the woman's hand and led her up some stone steps, warning her of low-hanging beams and tatty blankets.
"Is this where you both live?"
"Yes…" Cassim shrugged, "… just me and little Aladdin. Cheap, open space and unseen by almost everyone. We can just come and go as we please."
"That sounds amazing."
The woman sounded genuine, as Cassim pulled her over towards the large opening in the wall, that was covered over with a tatty shroud.
"Well, it's not much…" he moved the shroud to one side, revealing the gorgeous view of Agrabah, "… but it does have the best view in the city."
The woman gasped in amazement at what she saw, moving to one side as Aladdin gently pushed past her in order to sit in front of his Dad.
"Aladdin could spend hours sitting here, staring at the palace." Cassim whispered, gently removing Aladdin's hat and ruffling his hair, "It is a stunning sight."
"Yeah… it's wonderful I guess." The woman didn't seem convinced.
"I wonder what it's like to live there?" Aladdin whispered, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them, "To have servants and people who cook for you."
The woman scoffed, "Sure, people who tell you where to go and how to dress."
"Trust me…" Cassim sighed, "… It's better than here. Always scraping for food, running away from the guards- "
"- You're not free to make your own choices."
"You just feel so-
"- you're just- "
"Trapped." "Trapped."
Having said this at the same time, the pair turned to one another, with the woman flushing slightly, smiling as Cassim carefully handed her an apple. "So…" he began, "… where are you from?"
"What does it matter? I ran away, and I am never going back!"
Handing another apple to his son, Cassim took a seat next to the woman and frowned, "May I ask why not?"
"… My Father's forcing me to get married."
"Ah." Cassim winced in sympathy. His poor wife had been very lucky… her Father just wanted her to be married off and out of his house, so when she agreed to marry him at the age of eighteen, her Father was thrilled.
No arguments.
Just 'here you go.'
Aladdin shuffled closer, whispering in his ear as the woman watched in in curiosity.
"What did he say?" she asked, not seeming to mind that his son wasn't speaking to her directly on account of his shyness.
"He said, that that's not fair." Cassim reported back, pulling Aladdin into a one-armed hug, "Maybe there's something we can do to help?"
"That's… very sweet of you." She leaned in close to him, smiling shyly when he did the same for her.
Seconds before their lips could touch, someone bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Aladdin yelped in alarm, clinging onto his Dad as Cassim and the woman both leapt to their feet.
"THEY'RE AFTER ME!" "THEY'RE AFTER ME!"
They both turned to one another and frowned, "They're after you?" "They're after you?"
As the guards raced up the stairs towards them, the woman started to panic. "My father must have sent them!"
"Do you trust me?"
She frowned in confusion as he and Aladdin moved closer to the window and held out his hand. "… What?"
"Do you trust me?"
Slowly she took his hand. "Yes?"
"Then JUMP!"
Together, they all jumped, their fall slowed by awnings before they landed on the soft sand.
"Come on!" Cassim attempted to run, only to run into Raoul… the Head Guard, who grabbed him by the collar.
"We just keep running into each other, don't we street ra-UGH!"
After Aladdin kicked the guard hard in the shin, the trio attempted to run again, only for their exit to be blocked by more guards. Suddenly, Aladdin was grabbed and thrown against the wall, his head impacting with the brick heavily as he was knocked out.
"ALADDIN!" Cassim tried to get to his son, cursing furiously as his arms were grabbed and he was restrained by several guards, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!"
"Let them go!" the woman begged Raoul grabbing onto his arm as he sneered at her.
"Look what we have here men! A street mouse!"
Cassim continued to struggle as Raoul knocked the woman to the ground… only to go limp as the woman got to her feet and removed her head-scarf.
"Unhand him, by order of the Princess!"