Each night, I worked on Princess Jasmine's most pressing correspondence and left recommendations for some of Agrabah's current issues. When I wasn't doing that, I began to read up on everything I missed over the last half-decade. I looked up new laws, old regulations, and even Jasmine's calculations which she never read out to me. It was just so good to be able to select reading material for myself instead of depending on Jasmine. I almost felt content.
Jasmine was in a better mood too. Each morning, the princess came into the study with a spring in her step. She eagerly went over each new thing I had worked on. We examined my handiwork together. She continued to check to make sure that there was nothing amiss with her new helper's work, but of course, there was not. So, she and I approved most of the letters and paperwork her secret advisor sent her.
By the end of two weeks, we'd established a pattern. Then one night, when I sat down to begin working, I found a letter addressed to me.
Dear Secret Advisor,
I cannot thank you enough for your aid in these past weeks. I don't
know who you are but you are literally helping me save Agrabah and
I am thankful.
I smiled. I had already heard her praise from when I was Rajah, but there was something nice about getting a handwritten letter. A letter from Jasmine. It was more than nice. It was...
I decided to read on:
But I didn't write this letter just to praise you. I have some questions
about your new government structure plan.
Ah. I should have known.
Over the last couple of weeks, I started thinking about a long-term solution to our current issues. A power vacuum was created when Jafar left but that had just been a symptom of a larger issue. The kingdom had never really recovered from the death of Jasmine's mother.
Now that Jafar was gone and I had the ability to write, I figured it was finally the perfect time to create a new government structure. Nothing too drastic. I just wanted to fill positions with competent people and restructure the government to reflect how the kingdom actually functioned now. I had started a list. After many revisions, I had left the list for Jasmine to look over.
As Rajah, I had debated the merits of my ideas with Jasmine. It had been hard to get my point across. It was more nuanced than my usual advice to her and, in the end, I had thought that we would have to continue the argument tomorrow.
Instead, I had this letter in my hands. I kept reading:
Now Rajah, my tiger, loves it and I assure you that is a grand
compliment, but I need more convincing. Please explain the
following:
After that, there was a long list of questions. My smile turned wry. That was my princess alright.
I dug into the list. It took a long time. Not because I didn't know my arguments. No, it was more because I was addressing this letter directly to Jasmine. It felt different from my usual work. My recommendation reports, the closest I'd come to talking to her, were succinct, formal, and impersonal. The letters I wrote for her could be friendly. Sometimes they bordered on sycophantic, but that was because those letters were addressed to other people who responded to that sort of thing. I never addressed her that way. I never addressed her at all and that was on purpose.
I had considered and rejected the idea of writing directly to the princess before, many times. In fact, it was a nightly question. Each time I had remembered that the kingdom was in crisis and Jasmine had enough on her plate. Plus, there had been the question of what to say to her. I couldn't mention the curse and it seemed wrong to just start up a random conversation with a young betrothed princess who viewed you as a work associate at best.
Even though I agreed with my assessment, I would be lying if I said I was not thrilled to write to her now. I tried to bite down on my eagerness. I reminded myself she had no idea who I was and that this was a simple work request for more information. I did not want to scare her away or cause some sort of fuss by being overly familiar.
I went through several drafts to try to strike the right balance between cordial and professional. The latest version ended with:
That concludes my reasoning. I am sure you still might have
questions. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify anything
else. It has been a pleasure working with you princess.
Yours Truly,
SA
There.
I read through my letter again. It was fine, I told myself. I did not usually have this much trouble with writing replies. I was supposed to be good at this. I needed to stop doubting myself. This was the 8th draft, after all. It needed to be fine.
The coming of dawn was better at convincing me to stop than any of my arguments were. I was forced to call this the final draft and leave it on her desk.
Jasmine read my letter to me the next morning, but I did not get to see her full response until that night. It read:
Dear SA,
Thank you for providing further clarification. With it in mind, I have
attached my revisions. On the whole, your arguments seem fairly
sound. However, I think some job roles need to be reworked. As for
personnel, I'll say that I am still unsure about promoting Vizier Gagan.
He is quite old for such a stressful position. I worry for his health.
I rolled my eyes. Not every man was as weak as Qaabil. Gagan was only 50. His shrewd eyes spoke of someone who enjoyed a challenge. I was going to have to press my case more aggressively.
The letter continued:
And Itriyah is a slimy human being whatever his usefulness. I
cannot in good faith include him in this plan. Please suggest a
substitute.
I smiled. Itriyah was not a pleasant man. It was true, but he was clever and would have made a good Agrabah ambassador to the corrupt Getzistan government. I did not think anyone else at the court was qualified to handle that toxic environment.
Perhaps, I would need to look to one of the merchant guilds instead. It was unorthodox, but I had already recommended a few courtiers who came from lower nobility and upper-class merchant families, so I doubted Jasmine would have an issue with hiring an actual merchant, assuming I could find one. I'd have to think about it. Maybe I'd even have to make a list...
For now, I kept reading. I had to see what else she put in this cover letter.
Finally, I must ask. You have been very humble and undemanding so
far, but I was wondering what position, you want in this new
government assuming you're not in here already, though I don't think
you are. Surely, after all this work, you expect some kind of reward. Even
I know that much.
My smile dimmed.
I know you must have your reasons for working at night, but I would
be honored to have you officially on my staff. SA, you are so brilliant.
I would like to meet you and begin working with you face to face.
I stared at the letter and blinked very hard. I really was over-emotional these days. It was hardly worthy of a prince of Mujulaain. I took a moment to collect myself before I went on to look at the princess's other revisions.
That, I could easily manage. The princess had a bias towards the foreign policy division and it showed. I left comments on her revised plan to point out she was showing favoritism. However, I did agree with some of the changes she had made. Before the end of the night, I even found a good candidate to be the Agrabah ambassador for Getzistan, a bureaucrat from the textile guild.
After that, there was only one thing left to do. I had to respond to Jasmine's offer. I wished I could write something like:
We've actually met before and you already know me quite well.
We were even betrothed once. My name is Prince Dhiren, but you
know me better as Rajah, your tiger. It is a long story, but by the
end of this letter, you will know it in full.
Of course, I couldn't move my pen to write those words or anything like them. So, instead, I wrote:
I am truly flattered by your offer Princess Jasmine but you guessed
correctly. I have my reasons for secrecy. Though I would love to meet
you in person, it is not exactly possible. You must content yourself
with my words. I hope that is enough.
Yours truly,
SA
Jasmine didn't speak about my rejection the next morning, but I saw her face fall as she read it.
I empathized with her more than she could know, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had learned a long time ago that the curse would not be interfered with.
No letter came that night and my heart sank. I considered writing to her but I decided against it. This was already getting painful as it was.
Later, right before I left the study, I transformed into a tiger again. I opened the door and looked around. It was easy to see the cause. Princess Jasmine was peeping out from a pillar.
"Rajah?" she hissed.
I stared at her.
"Did you see the secret advisor?"
I blinked.
She went up to me to look inside the study.
"They're gone," she said. She looked sad. "I thought that maybe I could catch them," she admitted. "I...well they deserve more than a mere thank you. They've been invaluable."
She sighed. "I really thought they were in there."
She looked at me hard and for a wild moment, I thought she was making the connection, but then she said, "I suppose you've been helping them."
I shrugged.
She glared at me. "You know who they are, don't you?"
I shrugged again.
"Not you too," she said angrily. "There's finally someone I can talk to and-"
I huffed at her.
"I know I have you, but..." she sighed again. "I just wanted to meet them."
I nudged her down the hall to her rooms.
"I'm going. I'm going," she said.
The next night, I was forced to write a short missive.
I know you were looking for me princess. Please don't.
SA
Jasmine sighed when she read it in the morning.
The following night, I got her response. It was more light-hearted than either of us felt. She said:
I just wanted to get to know you. I've been beyond curious. I
keep thinking:
What sort of person spends their night doing someone else's work?
I didn't even bother to get a fresh sheet. I wrote my response underneath her question:
Ah, but princess, don't you see? I have a similar query. Consider:
What sort of person spends their day doing someone else's work?
It was an impulsive reply. Far more informal than anything else I had written to her. It was practically insolent, but I didn't dispose of it. I couldn't. Things were already broken. I could take a small risk, especially since she had been lighthearted with me first. Surely, this would be alright. Anyway, I wanted to see what she would say.
I nervously read her response the next night:
SA, you surprise me. That almost sounded disrespectful. I did
not know you had it in you. And point made. Though I am
curious, I will try to respect your privacy from now on. Day or
night, the work must be done by someone, right? Speaking of
which, what do you make of Al Dente's response to your first
letter?
I smiled.
Point made. That's what she said. Point made.
Jasmine was great at understanding my body language when I was a tiger, but all the growls, chastising looks, and head nods in the world couldn't compare with human language. How I missed human language.
Point made.
I was still smiling when I pulled out a fresh sheet and began to write my response to Jasmine's question. This time, I didn't stress as much on the wording and level of formality. I simply wrote Jasmine a letter.