"Mozenrath?"
The young sorcerer looked up at Aladdin from the doorway to his room. The hero looked…tired, more than anything else. He had just washed, the sheen of fresh water still clung to his body. Aladdin looked very confused at Mozenrath's presence and the man debated weather or not coming had been the right thing. "I'm sorry to have bothered you." He paused nervously. "I'll…I'll go now."
"Wait!" Aladdin called as he began to shuffle away. "Wait Moze come inside." He beckoned gently. "Please…it's alright." He opened the door wide and attempted a calming smile.
Mozenrath looked over his shoulder, fumbling with his bone wrist for a moment before entering. "Close the door please." He asked firmly, not wanting any prying eyes.
"Are you sure Moze? I don't want you to be uncomfortable." Aladdin asked hesitantly. He was quickly weighing the controversy inside his head. As long as the door was open, there was a danger others might see. That though alone could keep him from doing anything stupid. He did not want to sorcerer to see him as a threat. And the hard pounding in his chest warned him against making any movements he might later regret. On the other hand, had anyone seen the sorcerer enter? Closing the door would be a confirmation that something…unsavory was going on behind the walls of the Sultan's room.
The gesture was out of true concern for his well being and Mozenrath felt his reserve crumble within. "I'm alright Aladdin. Really." He insisted and Aladdin shut the doors, leaving them unlocked.
"I'm glad you came." Aladdin said firmly and took hold of Mozenrath's hands. "I can't thank you enough for what you did today." Mozenrath felt a fierce blush crawl over his cheeks as Aladdin's hands touched his. They were warm and calloused, the kind of earthy hands one would expect from a man of the streets.
"It was nothing special. Just the right spell at the right time." He insisted and Aladdin shook his head.
"No. I mean that you took action at all." He smiled brilliantly and stroked a long lock of hair away from Mozenrath's face. "When everyone else was loosing their head you stayed calm and decisive." Aladdin pushed the hair behind Mozenrath's ear. "That's an admirable trait."
Mozenrath felt his lip twitch a little at the corner.
"For a moment it was like you were your old self again."
The smile curled away and Mozenrath tried to hide the hurt in his eyes. Aladdin was more perceptive than people gave him credit form and frowned, holding Mozenrath's chin so that the man could not turn away from him. "Moze…" he said apologetically. "Moze I'm sorry I didn't mean…"
"No it's fine." He insisted and tried to smile again.
"No it's not. I didn't mean to be offensive just…" he stroked Mozenrath's shoulder.
"I know." Mozenrath said and put his hand on Aladdin's. "I know what you meant." He closed his eyes. "But I'm not that person any more Aladdin. I never will be again."
"I know Mozenrath." Aladdin assured him and suddenly seemed to realize how close they were to one another. He could feel Mozenrath's breath on his neck. Their hands were clasped in one another's and only an inch separated their bodies. Mustering all the control he could Aladdin pulled away gracefully. Mozenrath made no noise but took a deep breath, reeling from a contact high.
"Here, I had some coffee brought up." He gestured to the pot and Mozenrath nodded. He poured them both a full cup and sat down across from one another on the couch.
Mozenrath opened his mouth a little, then snapped it shut, afraid to speak. Shy glances were cast across the table for a few minuets, both caught of what to say now. Both desperate to find some way of having this private moment. There was a heaviness in the air between them, hung with unspoken questions and thoughts neither man was ready to express verbally.
Mozenrath finally found the strength to break the silence. "How is Jasmine?" he asked quietly, almost hoping his voice couldn't be heard. Aladdin didn't respond or look up from the dark brown liquid in his glass for so long Mozenrath though he was being ignored.
"The doctor said she's stable for now." Aladdin said in a voice that tried to hid his emotions. "Her injuries aren't extensive, at least physically. But there was some… tearing…" He winced. 'They aren't sure if she'll ever bare children."
"She will Aladdin. It takes time but the flesh does heal. I can give the doctor recipes for some lotions and salves that can aid the process…" Mozenrath paused and blushed bright red. In his eagerness to comfort Aladdin he had put his hand on the younger man's thigh. His bone fingers gripped against the fabric gently, almost inquisitive about the muscles beneath to silk. With a shy gasp he began to draw away.
Aladdin placed his hand on top of Mozenrath's, giving him the lightest touch of encouragement. "Moze…" he stopped and felt the bone hand shaking. Mozenrath wasn't looking at him but at their entwined fingers. "Moze…your trembling." He said, concerned.
"It's all my fault." Mozenrath whispered and pulled his hand away with a yank. "I'm so sorry for all of this Aladdin. If it wasn't for me your family never would have been put in danger. I'm so sorry Aladdin." He felt his voice crack at the end and tears streak down his body. He pulled himself up from the chair and began to run towards the door.
Aladdin was right on his heels. Mozenrath pulled the door open a crack and Aladdin slammed it shut again, his chest pressed firm to Mozenrath's back, his hand resting on Mozenrath's against the door knob. The grip was firm and unrelenting, but not angry. Aladdin's breath was hot on his neck and Mozenrath could feel energy snap between their bodies.
"It was not your fault Mozenrath. How can you even think that?" Aladdin whispered, a note of frustration on his lips.
"Because it's true Aladdin. You can't deny it." Mozenrath answered back, anger now mixing with the sadness. It felt good to be angry again, in a very strange way. The emotion was freeing. "One could even argue I deserved it."
"What?" Aladdin spun him around, slamming him back against the door. "No one could possibly deserve…"
"Didn't I?" Mozenrath yelled back, his voice raising for the first time in months. "Think of everything I've done Aladdin! It shouldn't be hard to remember it all." Bitterness crept in, mingling into the deadly self hate. "Think of what I've done to people! The lives I've destroyed, the terrible things I've forced you to go through!" The air around him snapped with loose magic, popping around his head. "I deserved it Aladdin! I deserved it every time Diriel forced himself inside of me! I know that now…" he whispered, a coldness creeping over his body. "I know…"
But does that make it right? Does deserving punishment make it acceptable to see it dealt out in so cruel a fashion? And what gives a person the right to dole out that castigation? Could Aladdin say he had that right? Could any human being?
Aladdin stood tall in front of him. They could look one another directly in the eye now. He still was not used to the height. Aladdin wasn't really shocked by the sudden use of magic, or by the outburst. He'd had some dealings with this situation on the streets. And Mozenrath, even in his angst had kept his card close to his chest. All of that rage and resentment was bound to explode sooner or later.
But he would have expected it to go towards an external source. Mozenrath confused him by casting the blame inward, showing an amount of self revulsion and loathing that he never would have thought capable of the arrogant and cock sure wizard he had been so acquainted with.
But a thick armor can only take so much of a beating. After a while it gets so banged up and bruised there is nothing left to protect yourself with. Aladdin had a feeling that this had been building long before Diriel. Those kind of emotions didn't just come out of the blue. Probably since at least Destain.
"Mozenrath." Aladdin said in a soft but unyielding tone. It was the kind one might expect from a superior, with just an edge of steel to it.
Mozenrath winced and shook. Had he pushed it too far? Aladdin could beat him within an inch of his life, kill him even. No one would blame him, especially after what had happened to Jasmine. He felt Aladdin's hand come down on his shoulders. The next movement happened so suddenly he had no time to question it.
Aladdin's arms were around his body, holding him close, forbidding him to move away to struggle. It was not an angry, vicious hold, but a comforting grasp. And while Aladdin's arms hugged him, Aladdin's mouth found his.
The two lips moved against one another, passionate and wanting. A brilliant flush spread through both men in an instant, the kind that leaves you hot from deep within your soul. They found their way into one another's mouths, tongues spreading between firm flesh and eagerly inviting a more intense exploration.
Aladdin pulled back for a moment, breathing heavily. He waited, his body arching towards Mozenrath as the paler man slowly opened his eyes, as if from a dream.
"Listen to me carefully Mozenrath. And do not speak until I am finished." Aladdin warned, brooking no resistance. Mozenrath gulped but nodded. "What has happened to you, as far as Diriel is concerned…" he had to be very careful how he phrased this. He couldn't sugar coat it, Mozenrath would know he was trying to spare him reality and that could be even more harmful than the truth. "What happened to you was more than anyone deserved, no matter how terrible their crimes. No." he said forcefully as the young wizard opened his mouth to argue. "Whatever you have done, no sentence could have been more brutal than the one already dealt to you Mozenrath. None." He pushed hair away from the man's face, kissing a line from his crown to his chin. "And in that you have paid for your deeds a thousand times over."
Aladdin took Mozenrath's cheeks in his hands and kissed him again, opening their mouths and pulling Mozenrath's tongue into his. He felt a rush of joy when Mozenrath arched towards him, begging for closer contact. But he forced control on himself. Mozenrath had to get the point of this. "I could forgive you Moze. Both officially and personally. But …it's more important that you forgive yourself."
Mozenrath bit his lip and felt tear push out from his eyes again. "I know that doesn't happen over night. I know it's going to be hard. However hear me out." He nudged Mozenrath up, looking at him in the eyes and begging him to understand the feeling behind his iris.
"I will help you Mozenrath, in whatever way I can. I want to be here for you…if you want me to be." Aladdin touched their cheeks to one another and held him tight, unwilling to provoke it any further. Again there was silence. He could almost feel Mozenrath mulling it around in his system.
"Aladdin…oh gods Aladdin…" Mozenrath felt his skin tighten to the point of pain. He…he wanted Aladdin. Like he'd never wanted anything before in his life. But again he was silenced with the firm press of Aladdin's finger.
"I want to know you. And I realize I have no right to ask for it…no!" he chuckled softly. Mozenrath's personality was so forceful he was still trying to argue. "I have no right to ask to know you Mozenrath. No matter what you think. You owe me nothing. But I would like to know you, in whatever capacity you are willing to be known. In short…I would like to be your friend."
A friend? Perhaps to some, the notion of friendship with a man who sets your blood aflame would be revolting. The insult it might imply, the idea of a spurned romantic advance would have sent one with too much pride into a fit of rage. But for Mozenrath, to whom the concept of friend was so foreign an idea. Perhaps…
"Aladdin…I…" he felt tears welling up again. There were no words he had to describe the warmth in his body. Yet the urge to respond was to great to do nothing. He opened his mouth and slipped it onto Aladdin's allowing himself to speak through action. The kiss was hot, but not desperate. There was great tenderness in the way their tongues grazed across their teeth and swirled in one another's mouths.
Aladdin could feel a wonderful sensation creeping along his body. Fear mixed with the bliss of adrenalin. How far was okay…how far was too far. The wrong move… pushing him more than an inch would only send Mozenrath further away from him, promise of friendship or not. But just a nudge, a little here or there to show intent, warn him, so to speak of how Aladdin wanted the rest of the evening to go. It gave him the opportunity to refuse if Mozenrath simply could not bare the thought. There would be several of those nudges through the night. Just to be sure, just to be careful.
Mozenrath's heart skipped a beat as Aladdin's fingers moved from his hair to the neck line of his shirt. Not opening it, just tracing the line, testing to see if it was alright. Mozenrath turned red, but kissed the finger, wordlessly showing that it was alright. Aladdin drew the side of his shirt open, letting it fall away inch by inch to expose bare, beautiful male flesh. Mozenrath hiccupped and Aladdin chuckled softly, amused at the thought of him being so nervous. The red in his face turned scarlet and for a brief instant he looked ashamed.
Aladdin backed away a little, giving Mozenrath room to breath. Not too much. Not too much. He reminded himself. "Mozenrath…" he looked towards the bed and looked back, asking with his eyes if that was what he wanted.
You could have caught fire from the flames burning on Mozenrath's body. He nodded quickly, breath coming from his mouth in short gasps. But Aladdin wasn't rushing him. He slowly took him by the hands and lead him to the side of the bed. But it was there that Mozenrath paused.
"Moze…" Aladdin said and suddenly shook his head, his eyes shifting in and out of focus. He looked up at the sorcerer. "Moze…"
"I would have loved to have this night with you Aladdin." Mozenrath said softly. He touched the hero's cheek tenderly and kissed him again. "But then I realized…it would only make it harder for me to leave."
Aladdin felt his blood slow in his veins and his breath become gentle to the air. Reason came slowly to him now and it took Aladdin a moment to comprehend. "No…" he whispered. "Mozenrath I won't…" he rose and clutched Mozenrath's shoulder. "I won't allow it!"
Mozenrath's face wrenched painfully and he pushed the staggering Aladdin back to the bed. "I'm not leaving you a choice." He said, his heart felt as though it might tear. "When you had the coffee brought up, I slipped a drug into it Aladdin. It will make you sleep for 24 hours. By the time you wake up…I will be long gone from Agrabah. Do not try to find me Aladdin. Diriel has already promised to take me far away from you." He had to push the resisting Aladdin down on the sheets. "Please…lay down. The potion doesn't take long."
"Mozenrath…" Aladdin felt his body grow a great weight on it, a horrible heavy sleepiness was taking over. "Mozenrath why? I would have protected you…I would have kept you safe…" Aladdin's eyes closed and he slumped to the pillows.
Finally, Mozenrath let himself cry. He cradled himself into Aladdin's body and kissed his cheeks a thousand times over. "I know you would have. And that's why I can't let you." He kissed Aladdin's lips and his resolve was strengthened as they were kissed back. He rose from the bed and closed his shirt tighter about himself. There was still one more thing to tend to.
Jasmine's room was kept dim, with only a few candles lit beside her bed. The Sultana slept with a grimace on her face, her eyes squeezed shut, her body tightened into itself. She clutched her sheets like a frightened child, almost hiding beneath them. No matter how old we get, the idea that if we hide beneath the covers, stay quiet, stay still, nothing can harm us. We are safe in our beds. We are safe in our homes.
We are never in more danger than when we are sure of our security.
A shadow fell across the young woman as she slept. The door clicked shut with a solid sound and the figure moved closed, silently, not wanting to awaken the troubled woman.
Mozenrath crossed at the end of the bed and walked up to Jasmine's side table, looking over the woman who had been his awkward defender. If for no other sake than sticking by her husband. He owed her just as much.
The sorcerer looked into the vanity mirror, gazing at his image for a brief moment. It didn't take long to see the red eyes glare back at him from a familiar figure in the darkness.
Diriel growled, tapping his fingers on some unseen surface. "I'm growing impatient Mozenrath…my love my whore. Why do you keep me waiting?"
Mozenrath summoned his last bit of bravery. "Free her now." He said and pointed to Jasmine.
The daemon snorted. "You jest? Do you really presume to order me about?"
"You already said you would release Aladdin's child from your curse." Mozenrath reasoned. "All I'm asking is for you to do it a little earlier."
"You do not trust me Mozenrath." Diriel said, smiling from his half face. "I am hurt by this. I have done many things to you my whore…but have I ever lied?"
"No. You are not capable of lying to me. I summoned you." Mozenrath said firmly.
"True. So why do you doubt my words now? All I want is your Mozenrath. I care nothing for these humans and their politics. I regret now ever trying to reach out my hand to them. Come outside the walls. Give yourself back to me, and I will release this Sultana's child from my touch."
Mozenrath grit his teeth and shook his head. "Do you have the time to bargain with me master?" he said and looked at the daemon's image. "I see your face. That arrow I cast into your eye burned you didn't it? I can see your flesh bare to the world." Diriel growled, his eyes boring holes into the mirror so hard it cracked. Little shards of glass fell to the floor. "How long do you have left?"
"Don't lie Mozenrath. I know you count the days with as much desperation as I do." Diriel's voice had lowered. When the creature became truly angry, he did not yell or rage, he became quiet. A silent, seething rage that waiting to consume all in his path.
Mozenrath nodded. "You want me back. You need me back. And I…" he choked for a moment. "I have realized what the cost of me remaining in Agrabah would mean… both to myself…and Aladdin." It was true. He had undergone much contemplation in the past few days. If he stayed…even if he became Aladdin's lover…there would always be that doubt. The doubt of the councilors that Aladdin was allowing his emotions to be under the sorcerers influence. The doubt that Jasmine could keep from being undermined by the sorcerers presence. If his own people doubted him, support would fall out from under the young and inexperienced Sultan. It was already damaged by the extend to which Aladdin had gone to protect Mozenrath.
He's young. He's not been raised to be a Sultan. One day, this might be forgotten, wars are fought over more ridiculas causes than this. And in time they are passed over as the younger days. But as long as I remain, I am a threat to Aladdin's position. And I want him to have that opportunity. He deserves that opportunity. Oh Jasmine… he thought as he looked down at the sleeping woman. Not so long ago I thought you to be a fool for marrying that street rat. I though your city would crumble from beneath you if you let Aladdin sit on the throne. But now I know better. Now I know why you chose him.
Diriel chose to speak. "So…you want to come back to me."
Mozenrath felt his soul shatter within. "Yes master. I do."
Diriel shifted positions. "You'll be punished. You know that."
Mozenrath bowed his head, and nodded.
Diriel tilted his head towards Jasmine. The reaction was instantaneous. The Sultana bent her head over the side of the bed and vomited. It was not food product but mass amounts of thick black fluid that poured from her unconscious mouth. It made a positively sickening sound as it splattered against the floor, bubbling and frothing at the sides as Jasmine continued to retch.
"There!" the daemon said and pointed into the pile of charcoal fluid. A bubble was beginning to congeal and move of it's own will, sloshing from side to side in irritation. "Burn the infection or it will travel back into her."
Mozenrath didn't hesitate. He grabbed a candle and conjured the flame brighter, burning the little thing like a tick. It fizzed and gave a high pitched scream, burbling until the smell of sulfur flooded the room. It was so nauseating Mozenrath ran to the windows and flung them open, letting a wonderfully healthy breeze into the room. Mozenrath turned around and saw the dark brackish stains around Jasmine's lips and the floor begin to dissipate. Jasmine's appearance changed almost instantly. Her face relaxed it's muscles, her eyes no longer screwed tight to block out the terror. Her natural, healthy glow returned and her hair no longer seemed to hang limply from her skull.
And…with a clarity he hadn't realized, Mozenrath felt a second heartbeat join the Sultana's.
He turned to the mirror. Diriel was already gone, no doubt waiting for him outside the walls. He touched Jasmine's cheek gingerly and…in an impromptu moment, kissed her forehead gently. "I want you two to be happy together." He said in a whisper. "I really do. And I can only hope you don't blame me too much for what I might have cost you."
"I don't."
The voice was so weak at first Mozenrath was unsure if he'd heard it. He looked down to see Jasmine's deep brown eyes looking up at him, awake, but very very tired.
"You…can't…leave…" She was struggling to speak. Her ordeal had obviously taken much energy out of her.
"You can't stop me." Mozenrath said firmly. "You can't even move and you shouldn't try." He said honestly. Mozenrath settled her back into the bed and began to head for the door. As the click opened, he heard a deep breath and Jasmine spoke quickly…
"He...loves…you…" she said and fainted into the pillows, completely out of stamina.
Mozenrath closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I know."