Mozenrath was not half as surprised as he acted when Jasmine stormed into his rooms the next morning. He wasn't surprised, but he was afraid. He fell back wards off the bed and nearly crab walked away from her, not knowing what to expect. Her face looked ready to remove his head and spit down his neck. The problem was more that if she had the power to see it done.

But what happened first was not the order for his execution. "How dare you!" Jasmine snapped at him, her eyes practically glowing.

"How…how dare I what?"

"How dare you!" Jasmine rose her hands to her hair and squeezed as though she simply could not cope with the facts. "After I…I…treated your cuts and bandaged you! I helped drag you down from that damn room and hid you in my carrier!" she made a noise like an injured horse in the back of her throat and glared at him.

The rant continued for some time, and Mozenrath hardly dared speak to defend himself. After all this was his masters wife. She had authority over him and if he offended her Aladdin was bound to be displeased.

"And the worst part!" Jasmine said finally, after about fifteen minuets and two broken vases. "I can't…even…blame…you!" Mozenrath looked up at her, still cringing away from her presence, but startled by this! "What you think I'm stupid?" Jasmine said at his stunned silence. "Aladdin told me everything. I know he kissed you." She said finally.

"It wasn't exactly a loving embrace." Mozenrath finally dared. "It was more like having my face bitten off."

Jasmine rolled her eyes and suddenly sunk to the couch, making little sobbing noises. "Damn I am such a fool!" she moaned and brought the sheets to her face to wipe her eyes. "I could see this coming a mile away!"

"Then…" Mozenrath crept closer, hesitating. He didn't know what to do with this type of situation. Never in his life had he been required to comfort another being and yet here he was, alone in a room with a crying, angry woman who clearly was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to do?

She would have you killed if she thought she could get away with it. His mind spat out at him automatically.

IF! She's the damn Sultana! If she wanted my head on a platter I doubt anyone would question her reasons! Mozenrath looked around and poured a cup of wine, tapping Jasmine on the back with it. She took the cup with a murmured thanks and drained it in one gulp.

"If you knew." He tried again after she had hiccupped. "Then why didn't you stop it?" he asked. "Surely you could have. You could have sold me to a trader. Or given me to a noble as an exotic gift." Mozenrath suggested and took a bit of wine for himself. "You still could if my presence disturbs you so much." He asked.

"Do you really think I'm that much of a frigid bitch?" Jasmine said and saw Mozenrath blush a bright red. Jasmine felt a spurt of anger, but it died out quickly. "Besides it's not within my rights. Aladdin could if he wished, but he won't." she promised. She turned to look at the pale flesh. He really was a lovely little thing if she admitted it truthfully. If this had been a woman, Jasmine would say he was gorgeous. She remembered very suddenly the way he had flinched and shaken when she'd tended to his injuries.

That spoke to her innate nature.

"If Aladdin ever threatens to give you to someone else I won't let him." She said with sudden sureness. Mozenrath's eyes went wide and Jasmine turned away with a scoff of disgust. "Just don't ask me why right now all right? I…" she stood up and drained her second glass. "I have more to do before Diriel comes back in a day. No doubt he's going to be pissed when he doesn't see you waiting outside the gates for him."

"Jasmine…" he started and saw her giving him an unmistakable look. "Sultana…" he started again. "Don't underestimate Diriel." He said quickly. "He can be very charming when he wants to be, but under all that silk he's as hard as iron."

"Those armies he had…" Jasmine said. "Why didn't you warn us about them?" she said remembering.

"I didn't know he had them till you did." Mozenrath admitted. "I…I wasn't…I mean I didn't see much…beyond Diriel's bedroom." He shook but continued. "But if I had to speculate. I'd say he got the army around the same time he saw I was gone." Mozenrath pressed a finger to the side of his chin. "If I didn't know better…"

"What?" Jasmine said hurriedly.

"All those people…I'm sure you saw them all coming in to the city." He said and Jasmine nodded. "They weren't there the day before." He said quickly. "I woke up and all of the sudden it was like a city had grown over night."

"Are you saying those people aren't people at all?" Jasmine turned back to him.

"It's a distinct possibility." Mozenrath said.

"And I'm guessing they all don't have the same problem with locks that Diriel does." She surmised. "But the border, all those crystal spells we asked Sadira to put up?"

"They should help. But I don't know. How powerful is the witch girl?" Mozenrath asked quickly. "If she can't give a steady enough steam to get the amethysts charged then they might not hold up against a full onslaught."

"Can't you do anything to help?" Mozenrath held up his skeletal digits and Jasmine nodded briefly, trying not to make a face.

"I can lend a little. If master will allow it." He said softly and Jasmine connected eyes with him as though she suddenly understood something. "What?"

"He's told you not to call him that. You don't half to." She reminded him.

"Do you want me to call you Jasmine?" He asked. "Of course not. It's better if I just stick to Sultan, Sultana, master mistress…" he sighed. "It's less suspicious that way."

Her next question was caught on her lips as the door burst open, the great burly guard bursting in. "You highness!" he looked from Jasmine's red rimmed eyes to Mozenrath's face. "What were you doing to the Sultana?"

"Rasoul!" Jasmine snapped at him. "It's alright. Why did you come for me?"

The guard looked confused for a moment, frowning angrily at Mozenrath, but turned back to his queen. "Ah…Sultan Aladdin needs you in the throne room. There may be some trouble with the wards set up."

"Very well." She said and hurried out the door.

Mozenrath stood up and moved away towards the balcony, wanting to feel sunlight against his skin. He didn't hear Rasoul come up behind him. The bigger man grasped his wrist and yanked him up. "Listen here you filthy sorcerer. If you think you can shimmy your way into the royal line through the Sultana you can forget it."

"Shimmy my…" Mozenrath nearly laughed. "Oh dear Gods you think I'm after the prince…Sultana?" He coughed, wincing as Rasoul used his normal methods to feel secure when he was out of his element. "I can promise you right now I have no intention of doing anything to the Sultana. Though what she's going to do with me after all of this is debatable. Assuming I survive it of course."

"And the Sultan?" Rasoul said suspiciously. He had not been particularly fond of the street rat from the beginning. But they had come to something of an understanding over the years.

Mozenrath fought for words. His face became bright red in the struggle. "What the Sultan chooses to do with me is his own prerogative." He said slyly. Rasoul was not his master. He did not have to answer to this man.

Rasoul shoved his face in close and grit his teeth threateningly. "One wrong move…" he said and snapped his fingers. "And that daemon is going to get just what he wants."

"What's happened?" Jasmine said as she entered the throne room. To her surprise, Sadira was there as well, wringing her hands.

Aladdin chewed on his lower lip. "Sadira tried to give the wards enough juice to keep them powered. She managed about half them but…"

"I'm not a powerful sorceress." She said shortly. "I mean I can hold my own but next to something like Genie I really can't compare." She pointed to the wall. "The south and west are finished up…and part of the east, but the rest of that and the north amethysts won't respond if I don't have enough power to give them and activate the spell."

"And half the guards gone are as bad as the whole damn thing." Aladdin gave a noise and turned to Sadira. "If you have a days rest or two?"

"We don't have that long. Diriel will be here tomorrow." Jasmine said. "Sadira take one of the guest rooms and give yourself a chance to relax. I'll have a servant bring you up food and whatever else you need to replenish yourself. The moment you feel you have the strength…"

"I'll start again." She nodded eagerly and headed off for a quick nap. Her shoulders were slumped and dark circles cast under her pretty brown eyes. Obviously she'd been at it all night.

"We're lucky Diriel gave us three days." Aladdin said quietly. "We'd never have been prepared if he'd have started in right then and there." He waited till everyone was out of sight and looked at Jasmine. "I'm sorry." He said.

She looked at him, contemplating. "He made you angry Aladdin. You don't show it often but you do have a temper on you."

"No! Not about that. I…I shouldn't have kissed him." Aladdin hoped she understood. He had been trying to scare Mozenrath at the time, make him subdue, but half way through the sudden, violent display, he'd felt a surge of something. A feeling that only Jasmine's touch had brought…till last night.

The Sultana sudden felt her spine stiffen. "You…Aladdin I can't stop you from doing what you want. Technically…even if it's only technically…stealing Mozenrath makes him our slave…your slave. You keep him in lavish rooms, you feed and clothe him exquisitely." She could feel hurt brimming up on the inside. "He may as well be a harem man."

"A harem? All ready?" A friendly loud voice echoed from the balcony. "Wow little buddy you must really be popular with the ladies!"

"Genie!" Aladdin and Jasmine burst out to see their big blue friend returned at last. They gave him a big hug as Eden landed beside him. Jasmine smiled and shook hands with the attractive green djinn. The two had met only a few times, but it was a lasting impression of one another.

"Your back from honeymoon already?" Jasmine asked. Her honeymoon had felt like years.

"Well there was some tsunami trouble in Japan and that's really only worth the trip if the cherry blossom trees are in bloom." Eden said. "So we figured we'd stop by and see how things are going."

"You couldn't have picked a better time." Aladdin interjected and began to explain the troubles. Genie and Eden listened with grave features and when the story was over seemed to think for a minuet.

"We can finish off the borders no problem." Genie said quickly. "But a daemon…"

"We don't have to destroy him." Aladdin said. "Just hold him off for a month."

"What did you say him name was?" Eden asked.

"Diriel."

Diriel…Diriel…" she tapped a finger on her pretty chin. "Does he look something like this?" Her features began to quickly change, the green pulsing to gold, her curves becoming hardened muscle. Horns sprouted from her head and within a few seconds there stood a perfect daemon. Even her grin was his.

"That's him alright." Aladdin scoffed and looked the creature up and down. Even knowing full well it was his friend underneath the image, the creature was terrifying. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so, for a muffled scream came out from the column behind them all. "Who…?" Aladdin's eyes went wide.

Mozenrath stood there, back pressed against the marbled pillar. His face was contorted in terror and he stumbled away, chest heaving up and down as though hypervenalating. "No…please no…" he whimpered.

The Eden/Diriel turned around to see what Aladdin was looking at and growled. "You." She/he pointed at Mozenrath, unfortunately sounding as much like the real Diriel. Eden and Mozenrath had bad blood between them. The anger was real even if Mozenrath didn't know who it really came from. She advanced on him, hurriedly, though what he intentions were the group never discovered. Instead of running, Mozenrath fell to the floor and covered his head, a soft sob coming from his mouth.

"Eden wait!" But Aladdin needen't have yelled. The moment the sorcerer had dropped in submission she had stopped, like wolf recognizing a frightened pup and was now swiftly changing back to her djinn features.

"Aladdin what's going on?" she asked softly as the hero and others approached.

Aladdin grimaced. He hadn't been ready to bring this up yet. "I'll tell you later ok." He said. Looking at Genie's hurt face at being left out. "I promise." He put a hand gingerly on Mozenrath's shoulder. "Moze…Moze it's ok. Look!"

Mozenrath very slowly seemed to peek out from under his robe. He could see Eden just as the thick black horns and red eyes disappeared and seemed very bewildered for a moment. He shook his head, turning to Aladdin with the most betrayed expression on his face. "You mean to mock me?" he whispered in question.

Aladdin's jaw dropped and he fumbled over the words. "No…Mozenrath we weren't…"

The resulting slap echoed across the grounds and Mozenrath looked caught between anger and tears. "Bad enough I'm your whore! Now you'll make me a court jester to amuse you?" he ran from the room, holding his burning shoulders to try and comfort himself.

He'll beat you for this little whore! A voice laughed gleefully inside him.

"I'm sorry." Mozenrath said the moment Aladdin entered the rooms. "I'll never leave these rooms again! I'll obey and stay out of your way and do what you want at night!" Mozenrath promised. "Please…just please don't beat me."

"Beat you?" Aladdin said, more than a little shocked. "By Allah Mozenrath is that what you expect me to come in here and do?"

"Why else? I hit you…I struck at my master." Mozenrath crawled away, backing up against the ledge of the balcony. "I deserve to be beaten."

"Mozenrath! How many times do I have to tell you I'm not your master?" Aladdin threw off his turban. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because…you keep me here." Mozenrath said reluctantly. "I'm just a slave Aladdin…that's all I am anymore."

"But that's not what you have to be." Aladdin reminded him. "Mozenrath…would a slave…someone born and bred to follow orders…have slapped me out there." Mozenrath made a mewling sound. "No matter how frightened he was…" Aladdin continued. "Would a slave have slapped me?"

Mozenrath said 'no' in a very small voice.

"Then there you have it." Aladdin smiled in what he hopped was a friendly, comforting way. "You know to be honest I was more comfortable with you as a sorcerer than like this." He chuckled and moved closer, sitting down beside Mozenrath on the divan couch. "I mean…at least that way we kind of understood each other."

"It was easier then." Mozenrath interpreted and gave a gesture of non committal. "I was the antagonist, you were the hero. The roles were clearly defined and earned a direct and sure response. Now…"

"Now it's like you've become human." Aladdin joked and saw Mozenrath give a hint of a smile. "Listen to me Mozenrath. I'm going to ask you something. And I want you to be honest with me." Mozenrath hesitated but nodded. "Why do you keep calling yourself…a whore?"

"Because it's true." Mozenrath answered, forcing himself to go dead inside. "When I was younger…"

"Destain took you." Aladdin said, making it so Mozenrath didn't have to. "I figured that out a while ago Mozenrath. Iago told me that he and Jafar had dealings once or twice and the man didn't hide his preferences for young boys."

"But there is a difference between rape and prostitution Aladdin. When I got older, when I recognized what Destain wanted from me…" He felt a squeezing in his chest. Why was he even admitting this? Because your master asked you a question. "I started to give it…in return for hurrying my lessons along and teaching me what I wanted to know." She twisted his lip. "It wasn't pleasant but I learned what I needed quicker." He sighed. "And it didn't stop there." he held up his hand. "Flesh for power Aladdin. Flesh by sex or flesh by blood I gave what I had to get what I wanted." Mozenrath wrung his skeletal hand in a wistful way. "How else would you define a whore?"

Aladdin couldn't think of what to say. He opened his mouth once or twice, as though something lay on the tip of his tongue. But he stopped himself, unsure of how to continue and sound well advised.

"You see?" A smooth chuckle from the plush lips. "You can't even deny it can you?" Mozenrath closed his eyes, and very carefully put his flesh and blood hand across Aladdin's. "It's…easier this way. I have learned to accept it." Mozenrath tried to convince a staring Aladdin. Mozenrath leaned forward and began almost seductively slipping from his robe. The fabric was pushed aside, revealing such perfectly white skin, soft, but like a whip under silk. His hair shone in the evening light, giving it red and gold highlights. "I've been told…that I am skilled in bed play… Diriel said I was excellent. I won't disappoint you Aladdin." He swore and leaned forward. "Give me time…I'll learn to please you how you want." Mozenrath lay his head in Aladdin's lap, rubbing his cheek in a cat like way against the hero's thighs. He heard a groan, muffled, as though Aladdin was trying very hard to hide it, but still filled with a familiar emotion.

Desire.

"No!" Aladdin said and stood straight up, gasping for air. He took a few steps back, struggling to get steady. Did Mozenrath have any idea how that small touch had inflamed his senses? "Mozenrath…I won't treat you that way." He said finally. "And I won't allow you to treat yourself that way either."

"W...I don't understand." Mozenrath said softly.

Allah how could he explain what he was feeling right now? It was an aching need, pulsing through his blood. Why did Mozenrath have to be so vulnerable right now? He had felt a spark of it that night when he first rescued the sorcerer. Seeing him, weak, defenseless, it spoke to the core of himself not just as a hero, but a man who needed to protect. He loved Jasmine dearly but she was strong in her own right. She'd proved time and time again she needed no knight in shining armor. Hell that was part of why he loved her.

But this man, this man he had worked so hard to defeat, this man who had once threatened his family and friends, now needed him more than anything.

And Aladdin wanted it more than he knew.

But still, he could not allow himself to abuse that need. It wasn't in his nature to take advantage of an emotionally and physically distraught person and he wouldn't start now. "Mozenrath…I'm sorry if I've ever treated you like a prostitute. It stops now." He took the man's hands and pressed his lips to the knuckles. "This palace is your palace Mozenrath…as my guest." He stressed. "Come and go as you please, but I must ask you not to go outside the city limits."

"But if I do Diriel will take me back." Mozenrath shivered at the thought. "Your problems will be gone."

Aladdin thought for a moment, then took Mozenrath very gently by the back of his neck. "Listen to me Mozenrath." He began. "I know…I mean…I can't even pretend to know what you've been through. But you know a bit about me I think. You're completely right. I am an awful cliché of a hero." He admitted. "Maybe that makes me too simple to define. But as a hero…do you honestly think I'd leave you to suffer at the hands of Diriel just because you don't please me?"

Mozenrath paused for a second as though afraid to answer. "But…I just don't understand." He whispered. "If you did not…want me in that way…why did you rescue me?" He said and was surprised to see Aladdin's cheeks turn deep scarlet. A sudden realization hit him. "You…you do want me…don't you." It was not a question.

Aladdin coughed very loud and moved away from the young necromancer. "I…I…Mozenrath I don't…"

A loud trumpet blast resounded in the air, the low, angry call of a war horn. "Sunset." Aladdin said, looking out the window. He rose, heading for the door. He paused, looking back at a questioning Mozenrath. "Do you want to come?"

"Do you want me there?"

"I think you have a right to face him down Moze." Aladdin said. "I won't make you come, but if you want to, I won't stop you."

Mozenrath hesitated, looking towards the blood red sky. "I'm coming." He said, surprising himself with the strength of his own voice. He stood and straightened his robes, sharpening them as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Whore…

Strutting…gilded…whore…

He could feel the constriction in his chest. The degradation of his body under Diriel's hands was still fresh. Even bathing was still painful from all the marks that daemon had left on his skin. Would that touch, that pain he had left behind ever go away? Would the shame?