Greetings! You guys have no idea how happy your reviews made me. Really just made my day : D. Keep them coming, please; reviews love for the story.
And to answer your questions, Cathy, Jasmine does indeed love Jafar… Or… she think's she does and Jafar is not having delusions… though I wouldn't be surprised if they kind of crop up later on in the story.

A Warning for everyone reading out there; this story does not have a happy ending I will be sticking to the Disney storyline so... you know, just to clue you in.
This is a short chapter, sorry, but when I ended it, I felt that to put anymore on would be ruining the voice.

So! Enjoy, review and tell me what you think, please!
Narev

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The silence of the night was broken by the heavy clopping of hooves against the palace courtyard stone. Servants rushed forward to take the horse from his master but stopped and shied away as if from a monster when they recognized the fiery eyes of the grand Vizier.

Jafar, tired and disappointed in the nights lack of results, snarled at them to stop being such fools and take his stallion to the stables. Once again the boys rushed forward, one holding the mounts head steady and stroking his muzzle to keep him quiet and calm, though there was no need, and three more ran to Jafar to help him dismount.

The dark man waved them off impatiently and alighted from his horses back with a liquid, feline grace. He watched with narrowed, sharp eyes as the boys took his horse away, shooting terrified glances over their shoulders at him.

Princess Jasmine stood in the courtyard, hidden in the shadow of a sining fountain with a great tiger curled around at her feet, though his great, golden eyes were open and watching Jafar with intense, protective scrutiny.

She stood there, dressed in flowing linen robes of the purest white and watched Jafar as he watched his horse being led away. Her hair was undressed and fell down her back to her hips like a river of pure darkness and beneath the pale moon her honey colored skin contrasted beautifully with the shining fabric that embraced her curvaceous form.

Jasmine had been waiting for Jafar to return from his errand since he had left when the palace had slumbered… so she had taken care to make sure the moon hit her just right and the perfumed lamps that dangled from the walls cast golden light over her form.

As Jasmine expected, Jafar scanned the courtyard and startled when he caught sight of her, standing in wait for him where her father, had he looked out his window, would not see her.

When he looked up at her, Jafars eyes filled with a burning desire that made Jasmine's heart summersault in her chest and her breathing quicken. He didn't even need to touch her to make her feel naked and vulnerable.

To combat the burning heat rising in her face, Jasmine dropped her eyes as in diffidence, but it was just so she could catch her breath before he came over to speak to her, as she knew he would.

And as she expected, Jafar moved towards her, his stride sibilant and oh-so-graceful. When he loomed above her, Jasmine looked up and was warily hypnotized by the rising passion in his eyes.

"Grand Vizier," she acknowledged in her soft, melodic, voice, and was aware for the first time that day how beautiful she was, how gentle her voice, and how her body was no longer that of a child. Only Jafar could make her feel so… desired. Jasmine quickly dropped her eyes again.

"Princess," Jafar murmured. His voice sent a delightful shiver running up and down Jasmines spine. "It's very late. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I had to wait for you," she replied.

"That's very dangerous" Jafar whispered.

Jasmine raised her eyes to his and felt her knees shiver beneath the cool linen, after swallowing back the lump in her throat, she said, "I don't care."

Jafar gazed down into her face and curled his hands into fists at his sides, desperately fighting against the urge to take her in his arms.

"Why were you gone so long?" Jasmine whispered, stepping closer to Jafar and resting her cheek against his chest. Jafar breathed deeply and inhaled her perfume; not of her namesake flower but of something dusky, spicy and exotic. He clenched his teeth and exhaled slowly.

"I was searching for a way for us to be together," he told her.

Jasmine sighed and chuckled; not out of mockery but out of the joy the thought brought her. She leaned back and looked up at Jafar's face hopefully.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

"I know where it is, but I can't get it yet," he said, sliding his hands up her arms and reveling in the warmth of her skin beneath the linen robes.

Jasmine sighed again and leaned into Jafar again as he curled his arms around her small frame.

"I promise you," he breathed to her, "I will find a way for us to be together… if it takes me eternity."

"I know you will," Jasmine said with soft joy in her voice.

Jafar slid his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up. Jasmine's wyes were glazed and her lips parted slightly. The grand vizier leaned down, intending to place a delicate, hungry kiss on her full, delicious lips when Iago screeched a warning.

Moving with a hunters instincts Jafar whirled, his black cape flapping around him like great, demon wings, and with his burning eyes and his teeth bared in animalistic hatred he looked a good deal like some devil from the pit.

The guard who had come to greet Jafar stopped in his tracks and dropped to his knees, throwing himself forward and his palms slapping against the cold stone as he babbled his apologies.

"Go, princess, before the fool see's you," Jafar whispered out of the side of his mouth. Jasmine heeded him and quickly took off into the shadows, her tiger at her side and both moving in perfect, silent grace.

As she slipped into the shadows, Jasmine heard Jafar's voice drop into the bored cadence that he used when speaking to anyone and everyone beside her and couldn't help but smile; her fathers grand vizier was a wonderful actor but his facades were amusing to someone who knew the deep well of emotions that lay behind those masks.