Rajah's Curse

Chapter 8: Ali's Smile

Over the next week, Jafar confirmed that Ababwa was a real place and everything the prince claimed including the unicorns and the prestige of Ababwa was true...supposedly. I say Jafar because the sultan believed Prince Ali implicitly and Jasmine... well, she was still in mourning.

She barely noticed Prince Ali. Each day the prince tried to engage her in conversation during meals. He invited her to all sorts of outings and parties. And he bought her gift after gift. None of it meant a thing to her.

Any other time, I think Prince Ali might have had some luck since he was apparently the best person ever...

However, Jasmine was disinterested in her latest suitor. That is until one day when he caught her in the garden. Jasmine was sitting on the fountain. I was lying beside her when Prince Ali approached us.

"Princess Jasmine, I see that you are in the gardens again," he said as he came closer.

Jasmine rose. "Prince Ali."

"No, sit back down. I need to talk to you."

The princess sat.

I watched the prince cautiously.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked.

Jasmine focused on him and said in an even voice, "No, Prince Ali, I am not mad at you. You may have heard that I am unwell."

The prince continued to stare at her until we both grew uncomfortable. Finally, he said, "I don't believe you. You've been so out of it, recently. It's almost as if... you were in mourning."

I looked at him sharply. What had he heard?

Jasmine too looked surprised, "Yes," she said slowly, "I am in mourning for a dear friend."

"What was his name?" the prince asked sitting down next to her.

I growled softly, in warning. I did not like how close he sat next to her or the hungry look in his eyes.

"Aladdin," she said looking at the fountain. "He was one of my only friends and now...he's gone."

The prince put a hand on her knee. "I'm sorry about that."

It should have been a sincere statement but there was a wide smile on the prince's face as he said it. He looked like he'd just won his weight in gold.

I felt rage rise within me. How dare he! I got up and snapped at the prince.

The prince shot up. "Hey!" he said, "Watch it."

I snapped at the prince again almost catching a part of his pant leg. I wasn't going to have this fool mock Jasmine.

Jasmine put a hand on my head trying to calm me, "Rajah, down."

I moved away from her hand towards the worthless sack of meat. What sort of person mocked a girl in mourning?

The prince backed away.

"Jasmine?" he asked in alarm.

How dare he say her name!

I roared.

"Rajah!" Jasmine cried out, grabbing the scruff of my neck. "Stop."

I turned to her then.

Jasmine was confused and she looked...she looked scared of me. There was fear in her eyes. That look drained all the fight out of me.

"Sit!" she commanded.

I sat with my teeth silently bared.

She turned to the prince. "I apologize for that."

"It's alright," the prince said loftily. "I have many beasts myself. They can be moody sometimes. My elephant is especially a handful."

"Your elephant?" she asked.

The prince nodded, but he kept his eyes on me. "You met him on Tuesday remember?"

There was a pause before she answered, "Yes. You said his name was Albert?"

"His name is Albus, actually. You really have been distracted."

Jasmine looked away in embarrassment so she didn't see him smile again as he said, "You must have really loved this Aladdin."

I growled and tried to take a step forward.

Jasmine tightened her grip and said, "Hush!"

Then she looked up at the prince who now wore an expression of mock concern. "Aladdin was well-loved by many," she said.

"But you loved him more than most? Was he a suitor of yours?" the prince asked taking a step forward.

The question cut through my anger. I looked up at the princess.

"I..." She shook her head. "I don't know about that. I always hoped to marry someone...someone else."

"I see," the prince said flatly. He'd become oddly serious. "Then maybe that someone will be me."

I broke from Jasmine's grip and swiped at the prince with one of my paws.

He leapt back.

I thought it the first night and I knew it now. Prince Ali was not the one for Jasmine. He'd marry her over my dead body.