Street Rat

Chapter 20

“What are you hiding from me?”

Aladdin froze. “Nothing, I don’t-”

“Do not lie to me”. Jafar approached him slowly.

“I-”

“Aladdin”. Jafar said nothing more, only his name. It was all he needed to say.

“I-I don’t know where to start”. Aladdin sighed heavily, his shoulders tensing under Jafar’s gaze.

“This is about your father isn’t it? He’s not who he claims to be”. Jafar tilted Aladdin’s head up, forcing him to look at him.

“No! I mean, no he-” Aladdin stuttered before frowning. “What do you know? How much have you heard from your spies?”

Jafar’s eyed widened, he frowned at Aladdin’s sudden outburst. “I know your father claims to be a king, yet in my research I have yet to find a king matching his description. I know that brother of yours is no real prince. That his mother was a whore who died soon after his birth”.

“Were you spying on us? On me?” Aladdin asked, his voice dangerously low.

“Yes”.

The blunt reply shocked Aladdin into silence. “How could you?” he asked after a long moment.

“You lied to me” Jafar stated. There was no question in his voice, it was merely fact.

“No! I-” Aladdin fell silent. Unable to meet the man’s gaze, Aladdin finally nodded. “I never wanted to. I just-he’s still my father. I just, I mean I can’t-” Aladdin startled as Jafar gently tilted his chin upwards.

“He may be a liar but he is still your father. He wasn’t lying about that at least. While I can’t condone your actions, I can at least understand why you felt you had to keep this from me. He is your family, he and that lying son of his. You haven’t had a family in a very long time, it’s only natural you’d cling to it”.

As strange as it sounded, Aladdin found himself relaxing at those words. So Jafar did understand. He hadn’t intended to betray his master, but finding he still had a family, one that actually wanted him in their lives, well it was still something he was struggling to come to terms with. And while he couldn’t deny his loyalty to his master, there was something about having his family return for him that demanded he remain loyal to them. Even if were just in the form of keeping their secret. Although it had to be said, it was no mere scandal they were trying to keep hidden, but rather something that had the potential to incite war. Whoever claimed family reunions to be dramatic affairs didn’t know the half of it.   

“I just-I didn’t want to be alone” Aladdin finally admitted.

Jafar smiled. Some might think it a rather cruel smile, the way his eyes narrowed so, but Aladdin knew he had no reason to be afraid. “You have me” Jafar purred, pulling Aladdin against him. “You’’ll always have me boy”.

It was strange for Aladdin to hear that little pet name once more. Original it was not, but the memories it stirred filled him with a strange sense of comfort. Jafar hadn’t called him that in quite a while, but the feeling of being owned by him, of being at his master’s beck and call made Aladdin smile in remembrance. Back then he’d been safe, safe in the knowledge that Jafar was taking care of him. Keeping him fed, keeping him clothed and most of all keeping him busy.

It may not have sounded beneficial for Aladdin for Jafar to keep him busy, at least to those not accustomed to living after only surviving. But for Aladdin it was a blessing. Had he been left to wallow alone in his room, with nothing to do and no master to serve, then there was no doubt his memories would have returned to haunt him. It was those memories that haunted his sleep. Memories of the sights he’d seen, of the guards’ brutal acts of cruelty and even crueller acts of mercy. He’d witnessed mere children selling themselves out of desperation to survive. He’d almost resorted to such a life himself; with his looks he’d have surely been popular.  No, it was a blessing that Jafar had kept him busy, allowed him to make friend even. There were some memories Aladdin didn’t dare face, not now and hopefully not ever.