Aladdin: Dearest Jewel

Chapter 1: The Boy From The Marketplace

1st person P.O.V.

I'm sitting on the fountain, with Rajah's head on my lap slowly petting him and staring at my reflection, I'm so frustrated. Every day it's been suitor after suitor seeking my hand, and my answer is always no. I'm going to marry for love, nothing else.

I hear footsteps, and I glance over to see a snooty looking prince with a curly moustache wearing a lot of pink kneel before me, I look back over at the fountain and say "can I help you?" "Sorry I could not meet you yesterday, I ran into a worthless street rat and I didn't want to take my anger out on a beautiful creature, like yourself." I roll my eyes and look at Rajah, we exchange glances before I say "a street rat?" "Yes" he says calmly."worthless, you say?" "Yes, just like the rest of them" "I see... Leave."

He looks at me in shock and says "what? You can't-" "Rajah" I say, at the mention of his name he pounces on princey boy, and in the next second he's running up the stairs back to the palace.

I feel Rajah bump my side and I look down to see him holding a piece of that jerks underwear in his mouth. I smile and say "good boy Rajah" and rub his head.

"Jewel! Jewel!" I look up and see father rushing towards me, "Jewel!" Before he can reach me Rajah gets in his face with the underwear, "ohh! Confound it Rajah!" He tries ripping the cloth from Rajah's mouth, but Rajah's stronger and yanks it back, causing the cloth to rip.

Father looks at the cloth and says "so, this is why prince Achmed stormed out!" "Oh father, Rajah was just playing with him" I grab the cloth and throw it to the side, "weren't you Rajah? You were just playing with that overdressed, self-absorbed Prince Achmed weren't you?" He lets out a tiger laugh and I hug his head. Then I look up only to be greeted by my father's stern face.

I clear my throat and look away, feeling uncomfortable suddenly. "Dearest! You've got to stop rejecting every suitor who comes to call, the law says you-" "must be married to a prince" I say with him as I walk over to the dove cage, "by your next birthday!"

I put my hands on the handles, "the law is wrong!" I open the cage, "you've only got three more days!" I get a dove out and it rests on my hand. "Father, I hate being forced into this... If I do marry, I want it to be for love" I nuzzle the bird on my cheek.

"Jewel, *sigh* it's not only this law... I-I'm not going to be around forever and well- I just want to make sure you're taken care of, provided for." He takes the dove out of my hand and puts it back in the cage "Please, try to understand, I've never done a thing on my own, I've never had any real friends" I sit back on the fountain and pet a fish that swirls around my finger. Rajah, who looked like he was asleep, shoots his head up and looks at me as if I've offended him. I laugh lightly and say "except you Rajah" he smiles in satisfaction and lays his head back down.

I look back at father and say "I've never even been outside the palace walls" I gesture to the wall closest to me. He walks over to me and says "but Jewel, you're a princess!" I sigh and say "then maybe I don't wanna be a princess anymore!" I splash my reflection in the water in frustration.

He gets mad and says "ohhh!!! Allah forbid you from having any daughters!" He says that to Rajah as he walks angrily back into the palace. Rajah just looks confused.

I look off to the side, not wanting to look at father right now. I look up at the bird cage, and quickly walk over there and throw the doors open, releasing the birds and watching them fly into the sky, they're free, I envy them a little.

I look down, time for me to be free too. I clench my fists and run to my room to get changed. When I get to my room, I look through my closet for the plainest outfit I can find. I get out a long brown dress and a light brown hood (?), change into them, and wait for nightfall.