Street Rat

Chapter 18

Enjoy!

“Is Jafar’s meal ready yet?”

Aladdin entered the kitchen, spying two servants in particular as they sat together, their eyes trailing him. For a brief second their gazes met and a cruel smirk spread across one of their faces. But Aladdin ignored him, he had more important things to do than listen to their crap.

“Well look at what we have here. Jafar’s pet playing fetch for his master, trailing after him like that monkey of his. Does he make you beg for food as well? Or does he have you beg for something else?” The young man called out, his partner laughing at his side.

“Ignore them” Aladdin smiled as Hakim whispered in his ear. “I bet you they’re jealous you got him first. Or maybe they’re jealous Jafar got you”. Aladdin began to grin, only for his face to drop in disgust at the thought.

“Hey! Look at me when I’m talking to you!” It seemed the young man didn’t respond well to being ignored. Especially when he’d noticed Aladdin’s face changing from pleased to disgust. Whatever Hakim had said to him, he wanted to know.

Rather stupidly, the young man grabbed Aladdin’s shoulder, intent on teaching him a lesson. But despite what many believed, Aladdin was no weakling. Living on the streets for as long as he had, meant Aladdin had to have learned to fight. If for no other reason than pure survival. A punch here or a kick there could very well be the difference between life and death, in fact it had been more than once.

Hakim had been prepared to intervene, although he knew a little of Aladdin’s past, about as much as anyone else, he too believed he was too weak to defend himself. At least against a man clearly twice his size. But that soon changed, it changed the moment Aladdin swiped the man’s legs out from under him in fact. Right before Aladdin knelt on his chest, pinning him to the ground and whispering something in the fool’s ear. While he couldn’t be sure what it was, judging from the man’s expression Hakim decided he’d rather not know.

Despite Aladdin’s innocent appearance, there was a bit of a dark side hidden beneath the surface. Whether it had always been there, carefully hidden by layers of charm and smiles, Hakim couldn’t be sure. But he had to wonder f Jafar knew about it and if it was what attracted him to Aladdin in the first place. It seemed like something he’d do.

“Aladdin! Let him go right now young man!”

Of course Aladdin did just that. Looking down at his feet, showing a good amount of shame, it was hard for Aminah to even consider punishing him. After all, that other young man was well known for being a bit of a scoundrel. She was quite sure he’d said something to the poor boy, something to make him snap like he did. But still she had to say something. They could hardly be allowed to roughhouse like that, especially within the kitchens.

“Sorry, I just came down to get Jafar’s meal and he-” Aladdin fell silent as Aminah raised a hand. Although logically he knew she wasn’t about to hit him, he failed to supress a flinch. Muscle memory and all that.

“Jafar’s meal?” Aminah asked, as though to confirm.

Aladdin nodded.

“Here ma’am” one of the servant girls came forward. She handed Aladdin the tray, bowed once and scurried back into the kitchen.

“There you are dear. Now I don’t want to see you doing anything like this again. Not under my roof, understood? Now I think you’d better go and deliver that, don’t you?”