A Court of Queens

A Family Reunion

'I'm getting the feeling that this isn't her doing, at least not entirely. I think the rat is the one running the show.'

'Follow the rat then.' Snow insisted.

Issac quietly walked down the hallway and then paced quickly to catch up with the rat. The sound of whistling climbed and the light from a swaying lantern crept down the corridor. The guard came into sight. He stopped walking, covered his mouth, and started dry heaving. The guard rushed away to find a place to be sick. The rat turned around and stood on its hind legs waiting for Jazlyn to catch up.

Jazlyn caught up with the rodent panting as she walked. The rat continued walking, looking back occasionally to confirm that Jazlyn was still following it.

'This is definitely not her doing. It's the rat. It's a magic rat!' Should I kill it?'

'Not yet I want to see where they're going first.'

Issac followed Jazlyn down into the lowest part of the palace. They reached a dead end with a massive iron seal.

'I've never even been down here where the hell are they going?'

The bolts on the lock shifted into place with a loud clink, and the entrance opened revealing a large empty abyss and a downward staircase. Jazlyn and the rat plunged into the abyss.

'There's no way I'm going down there. I don't even know what this place is.' Isaac said.

'There's no way I'M letting the Queen of Agrabah know something about my home that I don't! Go down there.' Snow ordered

---. Isaac said

'I'm actually very curious as well, if I could be down there with you I would.' Theodore said.

'Well, that's very easy for you to say from up there isn't it!' Isaac took a deep breath and stepped down on the iron plate

At the bottom of the cavity were two long iron chains suspending a man in the air. He was emaciated and filthy. His tangled blonde hair stretched beyond his body, pooling on the ground beneath him.

'HOLY SHIT! THAT'S RAPH!'

'What the hell are you talking about Isaac!?' Snow demanded.

'Yeah, what the hell is that supposed to mean!?' Theodore said.

'It's Raphael!'

'How do you know that!?'

'HIS HAIR! HIS HAIR IS A FUCKING MILE LONG! It's Raph!'

The siblings shared a bitter cocktail of emotions; anger, betrayal, disbelief, and mourning.

"Are you real?" Raphael asked.

"Yes of course I'm real. My name's Jazlyn, I'm from Agrabah. What's your name?"

"I'm Raphael. Do you wanna be my friend?"

'I can't believe. I can't believe they just locked him up and threw away the key.'

'What state is he in?'

'It's barbaric. They have him chained up like a dog, he's hanging from his wrist.'

The mental image made Snow wince.

'But it's Raph, how has his hair not ripped him out of there by now.' Theodore said.

'I think it's the iron. The door is iron, the steps are iron, his shackles are iron. This cavern was dug from iron ore. I think Mom and Dad finally found a way to contain him.'

'Is he mad at us, at mom and dad?' Snow asked apprehensively, afraid of the answer.

"How many siblings do you have? I'm an only child." Jazlyn said.

"I have this many brothers." Raphael extended six fingers."But one of my brothers I've never met. I've only seen him in paintings, and I have a sister too. She's my twin but she's a girl and I'm a boy." Raphael said

"خمسة إخوة وأخت. واعتقدت أن عائلتي كانت سيئة" Jazlyn muttered to herself.

'No, he's not, I don't think he understands that mom and dad did this to him.'

"I really miss them. I hope they find me soon."Raphael said.

'He thinks we've been looking for him all this time.'

"I'll tell them you're here."

"You met them!?" Raphael said excitedly, with true hope in his voice.

"Uh y-yeah." Jazlyn stammered.

"Oh really! You mean it?"

"Yes, I do. I'll tell them where you are and you'll see your family again real soon."

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" he cried. "I can't wait to see them all again-" Raphael rambled, reminisced, and possibly chatted with someone who wasn't there.

"يجب أن يكون هذا ما تشعر به أن تكون أنت." Jazlyn said to herself. She stared into space for a moment and seemed to be lost in thought.

"I just wish I could eat food again, drink water, or maybe milk. I really miss milk." Raphael sighed.

'They weren't even fucking feeding him! I can't listen to this anymore!' Issac covered his ears, his nose leaked profusely but he couldn't even clear it or else he'd make his presence known, the silent tears rolled off his face and dripped onto the cave floor.

"I'll find you some mil-" Jazly said. A bright light flashed and the iron restraints turned to silver. The smell of sulfur filled the air. "؟ماذا بحق الجحيم حدث للتو" Jazlyn said.

'Something just happened!' Isaac said.

'What, what's going on?' Snow said.

Raphael easily pulled his hand out of the silver shackle, then snapped the other chain easily with a tug of his arm, sending him into free fall. "No way! No way?" he giggled happily.

'He's free! He got out somehow!'

'How!?'

"I don't know!'

"Thank you," Raphael said to Jazlyn.

Raphael's hair dug into the wall and ascended his body up the iron steps and out of the corridor. "ماذا اللعنة فعلت للتو؟" Jazlyn muttered to herself.

Issac reached for Jazlyn's shoulder as he deactivated the blessing. "AH!" Jazlyn shrieked.

"Relax it's me, Isaac," he said.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Jazlyn ripped away from Issac. "You people are monsters! How could you do this to your own family!?"

"We didn't know, I swear we didn't know. I swear." Isaac said urging her to keep her voice down.

"Then why were you following me" she said.

"Why were you snooping around?"

"I-i- wasn't snoop-" Jazlyn stammered and then gave up, realizing she didn't have a leg to stand on.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now we need to get ou-"

"AHH! WHAT THE HELL IS THA-" a guard screamed. The sounds of metal clashing and a blunt heavy thud followed.

'Oh no, he's attacking people!' Isaac said.

'Find somewhere safe and stay there. I'm gonna sound the alarm.'

'I got it.'

"We need to find somewhere safe to hide." Isaac's body faded slowly, he extended his hand to Jazlyn. "Take my hand, he won't be able to see you."

Jazlyn apprehensively grasped his hand, she didn't feel the need to hide and she didn't fear for herself but she could see the fear in Issac's eyes. Jazlyn took his hand and stared at her arm as it slowly vanished, creating a wave of invisibility that engulfed her entire body.

"Okay stay close," Isaac whispered.