Chapter 1: A Faint Meeting
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Like his mother, Prince Ali loved escaping the palace and roaming the vivid streets of the marketplace.
Since he was charged with keeping peace in Agrabah, a duty he shared equally with his father’s royal viziers, he frequently used this as an excuse to duck out of his other royal tasks… Tasks which Prince Ali found to be nothing more than a royal pain in the butt.
Most recently, this included planning to visit distant kingdoms in hopes of securing a princess as his bride.
Of course, his mother and father had put an end to that silly law forbidding a commoner to marry royalty… But that did not stop them from suggesting he meet all available princesses first, before jumping into Agrabah’s dating scene. His father was, after all, a diamond in the rough.
It wasn’t that Ali disliked the opposite sex. Although he did hate when the occasional harem dancer flirted with him, desperately hoping to marry rich.
No, it wasn’t that Ali did not desire love. For he often wished he’d find someone that loved him as unconditionally as his parents loved each other. Their love was one that stood the test of evil sorcerers and twisted viziers. And it certainly was not that Prince Ali lacked charm… His father had provided him enough of that.
It was simply the matter of his hair.
All throughout this kingdom and the next, Ali had yet to find someone with hair the same color as his.
Naturally, it was expected he would be born with hair as dark as his parents. But when a malicious curse was cast on pregnant Jasmine by none other than Mozenrath himself, an interesting side-effect left unborn Ali with a hair color that no other possessed.
So what kept Ali from anxiously awaiting his journeys as a suitor was fear — fear that a princess could not love someone who looked so different. It was this same reason that caused him to spend most of his days about the streets and marketplace, for the people of Agrabah loved him no matter what his hair color… It was royalty that looked down on his bizarre golden locks.
And today being such a lovely and wonderful day, the streets of Agrabah was precisely where Prince Ali found himself.
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“Razoul, how is the perimeter looking?” asked Ali in the most professional, prince-like voice he could muster.
“Very funny your highness,” responded Razoul. They both knew that being stationed at Agrabah’s gates this time of the year meant the whole day was spent playing cards or watching the fire-eaters and sword swallowers perform their routines.
Although his father and Razoul did not get along (Aladdin had spent most of his life dodging the enormous guard), Razoul took a liking to young Prince Ali right from the start, just as everyone else had.
Growing up looking completely different than the other children, Prince Ali preferred spending his time with adults. Children would make fun of his hair or call him names like sandy-head, while adults treated him respectfully. You would think it was because little Ali was Al and Jas’s kid, but truthfully Prince Ali was the sweetest, most openhearted boy I’d ever known. And it takes a lot to melt the heart of Chief Guard.
Razoul snapped back to reality as Prince Ali swiped Razoul’s sword out of his belt and started slicing it through the air skillfully.
No doubt the result of long hours spent with his no good grandfather, the King of Thieves.
“Come on Razoul! Are you afraid to fight me yourself, you cowardly snake?” Ali laughed as he quoted his father and continued to playfully stab the air with Razoul’s sword.
Razoul smiled remembering how young Ali loved to play pretend with wooden swords, reenacting his father’s famous battle with Jafar.
“No, just afraid to fight you without a sword,” replied Razoul. “Come on, let’s get out of the heat and play that poker game Genie taught us yesterday. He can keep watch out here,” jabbing his thumb at another guard fast asleep in the shade.
Ali agreed and gave one last playful toss of the sword, sending it twirling high in the air only to catch it and place it back in Razoul’s belt. Show off thought Razoul as they headed inside the guard’s quarters.
Before they made it inside, an old merchant returning from a water well visit started to yell frenetically.
“What is that? There on the sand dunes!” The merchant was clutching his clay kudam under one arm and pointing to a cloaked figure in the distance slowly walking towards them.
Ali raised a hand to his brow to block the blinding sun just in time to see the figure collapse in the dry desert sand. Instantly he took off running towards the unfortunate traveler.
As he got closer Ali realized that the cloaked wanderer was a young woman no older than he. Dropping to his knees he lifted her head off the blistering sand and onto his lap.
“Water! Quick, bring some water!” He yelled to the guards and the small group of merchants headed towards him. Of course they were already carrying an oversized kudam, no doubt full of the stuff, but still he worried that they would not make it in time. Death by heat stroke in the desert was swift and unforgiving.
Ali looked back down at the unconscious girl. What was she doing crossing the desert alone? How could she have even made it this far without a horse? He brushed a patch of white sand from her cheek. She does have a beautiful face though.
With that soft touch the girl let out a moan and stirred, causing Ali to freeze.
Her right hand quickly went to her forehead and as she propped herself up on her left elbow the hood of her cloak slipped, releasing an enormous amount of thick golden blonde hair that cascaded down the back of her cloak and into Ali’s lap.
What in the world?
Ali thought for a moment that the desert heat had gotten to him too, that or Allah was playing tricks on his eyes, so he reached for her hair as if touching it would prove the color true. I’ve never seen another with hair like mine. Who is this girl?
“Water, your highness, give the lady some water.” Razoul and the others had finally reached them. A skinny man held out a wooden spoon which Ali handled carefully, as not to spill a single drop. “Thank you,” he told the merchant.
The girl was still rubbing her forehead but turned around to face Ali. As soon as she looked up at him the intense pain showing on her face immediately lightened and her hand dropped as she managed a weak smile.
“Here have some water, you must be thirsty.” The girl nodded in a quick and childlike manner that made Ali smile inside. He brought the spoon close to her lips. She sipped only half of the water before thanking him and rising to her feet.
Surprised, Ali frantically questioned the girl, “Are you sure you’re okay? Don’t you want some more water?” His quick reflects allowed him to catch her by the arm after she begun to topple over again.
“We all saw you collapse just a moment ago” said Razoul. “I must insist you come inside the city gates and lay down in the shade while I go fetch a doctor.”
“I’m fine” said the girl bringing her hand back to her forehead after a quick jolt of pain tore through her head. “I just have this awfully terrible headache.”
“What is your name?” asked Ali.
“My name?” The girl seemed confused by the question.
“Yeah, you know… that thing everyone calls you,” playfully responded Ali, giving her his father’s sideways boyish grin.
Unfortunately his charm was lost on her as confusion continued to cloud her eyes. “I… I don’t know what my name is.” It was apparent this answer scared her and her dark brown eyes darted from person to person hoping that they knew what her name might be.
She must have been out there in the sun longer than I thought. But how is it that she’s not thirsty? After a long journey even the most humble of souls drink Agrabah’s water greedily.
“Here, come with me my lady and I’ll let you rest in the guard’s chambers.” Razoul bowed respectfully and engulfed her hand in his gigantic grip.
“No, I’m fine really,” she slipped her small hand from his grasp, “You nice people can go about your business. I mean it. Don’t worry about me…” Her words were cut off by another sharp head pain that caused her to stubble backwards into Ali. He caught her just in time as she fell lifeless once more to the desert sand causing the crowd around the pair to gasp.
“That’s it! I’m taking her to the palace where the royal physician can have a look at her,” Ali sternly announced as he swooped the girl into his strong arms and begun to head through the crowd towards the palace gates.
The last thing Ali wanted was for the girl’s care to fall in the hands of the guards, or anyone else for that matter. He was too intrigued, and wanted to find out everything about her.
I hope she will be alright. I wish carpet were here with me so we could make it back to the palace faster.
Ali looked down at the girl as he carried her through Agrabah’s streets. Her long golden hair swaying with each step he took. Maybe father or mother will have some ideas about this hair of hers.
Behind him the merchants gossiped. Everyone knew Prince Ali was much like his father in that he always jumped at the chance to help the common folk, but the on-lookers could not help but notice the stranger’s light hair and discuss how its uncanny resemblance to Prince Ali’s probably sparked his interest in her.
“She has hair just like the Prince,” Razoul whispered to his second-in-command, “I’ve never seen a woman with hair as light as that. Beautiful though she is, I wouldn’t trust her if I was Ali. She is probably working for Mozenrath… or worse.”
Razoul and the crowd followed the determined Prince back into the city, returning to their fruit stands overflowing with sugar dates and pistachios to be sold.
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A Love of a Different Color by AlJasLover
Author's Notes:
My first Aladdin fanfic! I want to do bunches about Aladdin and Jasmine (cause they're my favorite couple!!) but I decided to start out with OC's since they're easier to write about and this is just my test story =)
I picked a story about blonde hair because I realized Aladdin is the only guy with dark hair that I've had a crush on! Then I thought how everyone in Agrabah has black hair (or gray) and what it would be like to sort of stand out...
Oh and I thought it would be cute to name Al and Jas's son Ali =)
Disclaimer: The original Aladdin characters and plot are the property of Disney. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of Disney's Aladdin. No copyright infringement is intended. I just wanna have some fun!
I picked a story about blonde hair because I realized Aladdin is the only guy with dark hair that I've had a crush on! Then I thought how everyone in Agrabah has black hair (or gray) and what it would be like to sort of stand out...
Oh and I thought it would be cute to name Al and Jas's son Ali =)
Disclaimer: The original Aladdin characters and plot are the property of Disney. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of Disney's Aladdin. No copyright infringement is intended. I just wanna have some fun!