Chapter 6- Aladdin and Jasmine

"Aladdin?"

The stern voice came closer down the corridor, and Genie and Carpet glanced at each other over their game of poker, bracing themselves for the storm that was to come.

The door slammed open to reveal a rather angry looking princess.

"Something the matter, Princess?" Genie asked.

"Where is Aladdin?"

"You called?"

The person in question climbed in from the open window, followed by his monkey best friend.

"Aladdin, where were you?" Jasmine demanded furiously. "It's days before our wedding, you can't keep going off like that! We need to make preparations!"

Aladdin exhaled. "It's not like I do anything anyway."

"That's why I'm saying you should get involved more!" She sat down on a chair, frustrated, and added more quietly, "I'm just worried you're going to go missing on our wedding day."

The boy knelt before her and took her hands gently. "Of course I'll be there."

"Do you promise?"

He smiled at her. "I promise."

It was early in the morning when Aladdin crept out from his room, with Abu on his shoulders.

Genie materialized before him with a poof! and a puff of smoke. "Al, what are you doing? You know you're not supposed to go off before the wedding."

"Shh, quiet, Genie," Aladdin looked around anxiously, making sure that Jasmine hadn't heard them. When no noise came from her room, he relaxed and continued, "I know, but there's somethingI have to do first. Don't tell Jasmine. Please."

His blue friend sighed deeply. "Fine, but you better have a good reason for this."

Aladdin smiled. "Thanks, Genie."

…

Princess Jasmine stood behind her door, listening in to the unaware duo. She was dressed in her usual disguise- a dark cloak that covered her whole body as well as a good deal of her head.

Rajah purred worriedly when she opened the door to trail after her husband-to-be.

"I know," she sighed. "But this is just something I have to do. It's not that I don't trust him… Stay here and wait for me, okay?"

The tiger purred again, but seemed to understand.

Jasmine smiled at him and put on the hood before leaving her room.

…

Aladdin remained oblivious to the fact that he was being followed as he travelled swiftly through town. Jasmine was behind him every step of the way, doing her best to keep up with his obstacle-like shortcuts. Abu seemed to sense her, always turning back after every turn and muttering to himself as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the empty space he swore someone was just standing in.

"Come on, Abu," Aladdin would say. "There's no way someone would be following me so early in the morning."

The monkey would squeak off at a fast pace and cross his arms. He didn't like to have his pride wounded.

Aladdin looked around once before disappearing into a place Jasmine recognized at once. He had brought her here when they first met. It was his old home.

Suddenly she felt like she understood. He wasn't running away, he was reminiscing about all the freedom he used to have. Maybe he was having second thoughts about marrying her because he would lose this freedom. She could understand, because all she yearned for sixteen years was to be free. It wasn't right to take this away from him; to trap him within the castle.

She sat down on the roof of the building facing it, not daring to cross over into his world. This is why every other generation of princesses before her were required to marry a prince. So that things like this don't happen. It wasn't because they didn't love each other anymore, it was because they loved each other that they couldn't bear to take away from the other what they valued.

…

Aladdin rummaged through his old belongings, which wasn't much, looking for a very specific thing that he lost in the mess.

The sun had risen high into the sky when he finally found it.

"What am I going to do, Abu?" he asked, holding the item tightly in his fist.

He received more squeaks, but they were not as irritated and rapid as before.

"I can't marry the princess, I'm not a prince. I'm in way over my head," he muttered dejectedly. "Prince Ali never should've happened. Jasmine deserves more than a street rat like me."

There was a moment of silence.

"It's time for us to go back, Abu. Jasmine's going to be looking for me again and Genie's going to have a hard time distracting her."

He got up to go when he noticed a figure sitting right outside his door. Curious, he went closer.

"Jasmine?" he shouted in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

His thoughts flickered to Genie for a second before noticing that the princess looked troubled. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Jasmine stood up. "You want to call off the wedding, don't you?"

"What? N-No, of course not." But he couldn't sound as convincing because he really was considering it.

Rather than hurt, Jasmine appeared to look more angry about him lying to her and took a step forward, forcing him back into his house.

"Look, if you don't want to lose your freedom, just say it. I know what it's like to lose your freedom, okay? I've been there before, and it's not easy being a Prince or a Princess, and it's not like you have any obligation to marry me or anything because-"

"Woah, Jasmine, calm down, what are you talking about?"

She looked into his eyes furiously. "I'm talking about you not wanting to marry me!"

"What? Of course I want to marry you!"

"Then why are you here, and not at the palace with me?"

"It's because I was looking for this." He took her hand and enclosed something small in it.

She opened her palm to reveal a pair of round silver earrings.

"It belonged to my mother," he explained. "It's not much, but… it's the only thing of value we have around here, and I wanted to give it to you."

"Oh Aladdin, why didn't you just tell me?"

He sighed. "It's not completely false that I wasn't having cold feet though. I mean, I know that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, but," he looked into her eyes sincerely. "But I didn't know if I was right for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, because- you're a princess, and I'm- well, I'm just a street rat."

She ran into him, swelling with relief. "You were worried about that? I don't care what you are, I love you." She smiled into his chest, feeling his strong arms tighten around her, and felt the tremors of his laugh.

"You know what?" he asked.

"What?"

"I love you too."

And she knew he meant it.

Sorry I took so long to update! I try, but I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. Um, thanks for reading, as usual, and I don't know when you'll hear from me again, but thanks for waiting.