Somewhere within the crowd, Rakim smiled warmly as he observed Aladdin and Jasmine from afar. However, his shoulders slumped as he sighed in defeat, remembering that the power to restore the imperial bloodline lay in Jasmine's grasp.
If she didn't allow Aladdin to expand his bloodline, then if their Empire encountered another opponent like the Witches of the Sand, who would do anything to destroy them, the imperial bloodline might truly end.
Realising that this responsibility lay on his shoulders, Rakim slumped once more as he sighed tiredly.
"Hello, would you like to dance?" a middle-aged woman beside him asked with a warm smile, waving her hand at him as she stepped forward.
Rakim straightened his back, cleared his throat firmly, and shook his head.
"Oh, come on! It will be fun," the woman said, not waiting for him to speak before grabbing him by the hand and pulling him into the crowd for a dance.
Seeing that it was obvious she wasn't going to take no for an answer, Rakim nodded and joined in the dance. He decided to use it to relieve some stress before returning to work.
[If love can live through days like these…
Then maybe there's hope for all of us.
And after every darkest day…
The day begins again]
**
Meanwhile,
Genie sat atop one of the buildings close to the venue, watching the wedding unfold without a problem.
"What a beautiful day! Don't you agree, Lago?" he asked, looking at the parrot with a tiny junior ranger hat perched on the roof beside him.
"A beautiful day!! A beautiful dayl!!" Lago repeated loudly while flapping his wings.
Genie laughed, pleased with the wedding's success. He had travelled to Egypt, then Mali, where he met a certain king who embraced some of his ideas and impressed Genie with his extravagant lifestyle.
On his journey, Genie searched for Iago and brought him back to Agrabah, arriving just in time to watch the celebration.
Fortunately, there wasn't any dark sorceress attempting to crash their party. Or else, he would've acted this time around and forcefully sent that person to another dimension, even though it would undoubtedly alert the Genie Union due to the scale of the event that had transpired here previously.
He would be willing to take the risk despite wanting to remain a free genie.
Suddenly, Genie leaned in and whispered behind the back of his hand, "And if anyone asks, you're Lago, Iago's long-lost brother whom I picked up somewhere while on vacation."
"Lago, Iago's long-lost brother!! Lago, Iago's long-lost brother!!" Lago repeated loudly in his shrill bird voice.
He couldn't bring himself to get rid of a bird with this much personality; it just wasn't in his nature to do so. If anything, he was saddened that such a bird had been influenced by Jafar and ended up the way it did.
Now that he had taken it under his wing, he hoped to slowly change its vile nature, reforming him into a better former self. However, due to the promise he had made with Aladdin, he didn't restore his memories.
"Since everything is going smoothly, let's head out!! I heard the beaches in the East are amazing this time of year. You coming, Lago?" Genie transformed into a tropical tourist wearing beach shorts, a beach hat, and carrying a cooler in his hand.
"Beaches in the East!! Beaches in the East!!" Lago repeated in his shrill bird voice.
"What are we waiting for? Let's ggooo!!" Genie said, grabbing Lago and placing him on his back. While holding the cooler in one hand and his beach hat with the other to keep it from falling off due to the rough wind, his lower half transformed into a rocket and launched into the sky.
"HHOOOHOOO!!!"
Genie and Lago vanished into the distance.
**
Later, as the wedding ceremony drew to a close, the people set up tables and chairs, preparing to dine and drink until the sun set.
Meanwhile, Aladdin and Jasmine, the royal family, and several carefully selected nobles and dignitaries made their way toward the Empire of Ababwa, where another important event was about to take place.
It was the coronation of Aladdin and Jasmine.
As they stepped through the blue portal one by one and arrived on the other side, they were instantly awestruck by the majestic grandeur of the imperial palace. It was ancient and intricately designed, unlike anything they had ever seen before. This was especially true for dignitaries from nations that were only a few decades old.
Aladdin ensured that they were transported directly within the castle and not outside in the city, or else they would've been overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and scale of the Empire of Ababwa.
To avoid any unexpected events interfering with his coronation, they would not be attending his coronation. Instead, they were all kept within a grand hall and properly attended to.
Millions of people gathered before the palace gates to witness the coronation of the new Emperor and his bride.
Aladdin and Jasmine stood upon the magnificent imperial balcony, reserved for the imperial family's most important public addresses, overlooking a sea of people gathered below. Rows of Imperial Guards flanked the stage, while the royal family of Agrabah and distinguished nobles stood in attendance to the side.
"…With the power invested in me, Imperial Grand General Rakim A.Zahir, I hereby crown you, Emperor of Ababwa!" Rakim announced as he took up an ornate crown and placed it upon Aladdin's head.
"And you, Sultana of Agrabah, as Empress of Ababwa!" He took up another ornate crown, slightly less grand than the former, and placed it upon Jasmine's head.
He then proceeded to present both of them with staffs crafted from gold, ornaments, and rubies.
"You may rise, your majesties," Rakim said, his tone and expression filled with respect.
Aladdin and Jasmine rose and turned to face the crowd, raising their staffs in the air toward them.
"ALL HAIL EMPEROR ALADDIN AND EMPRESS JASMINE!!"
"ALL HAIL EMPEROR ALADDIN AND EMPRESS JASMINE!!"
The crowd below observed the procession and roared out in excitement as they chanted Aladdin and Jasmine's names.
Unlike the people of Agrabah, the people of Ababwa lived with the scars of having lost many loved ones during the attacks of the Witches of the Sand. They had also been lost within the sands of time for over a thousand years, meaning that everyone and everything they had once known outside the Empire was long gone or forgotten.
Nothing could truly heal that grief except the return of the last remaining imperial bloodline with his bride and their coronation.
"I heard the new Emperor is proficient in magic and will soon become the new leader of the Imperial Magic Court as well!"
"Doesn't that make him the first Emperor to ever achieve both titles?"
"That's not all. I heard that Emperor Aladdin has also published several revolutionary magic theories and spells. He's even planning to open a new magic academy in the Empress's Kingdom, Agrabah. I've also heard that many of the Imperial Court Magicians are planning on creating another branch dedicated to studying the Emperor's ideas."
"Agrabah? Where's that? I've never heard of such a kingdom in my life."
"Of course you haven't! We've been asleep for over a thousand years. Even a tortoise would've had one foot in the grave by then!"
"Sheesh! I get it. But it's still disappointing that there haven't been any major improvements. I was hoping there would be something better than camels and carriages!!"
Those around him laughed loudly and immediately spurred into discussion once more.
Up above the high walls, Aladdin and Jasmine waved at the crowds.
The crowds only screamed louder, and their chants became even more passionate.
After several minutes, Aladdin and Jasmine turned and entered the palace.
The others followed suit behind them.
The people were left to celebrate and dine by themselves, forgetting the pain and sorrow they had carried upon awakening. Aladdin had set things this way, hoping to slowly heal their grief.
So, it was all at the expense of the Imperial Household treasury. Considering how wealthy he was, Aladdin believed that he could sponsor the people's lives for many years to come. Knowing the consequences of doing that, Aladdin only planned on implementing temporary social aids until they healed.
Up until sunset, the entire Empire was bathed in celebration.
Aladdin and Jasmine were escorted to their room by several rows of servants surrounding them.
The servants at the forefront pushed the door open and bowed respectfully as Aladdin and Jasmine walked in.
The door closed behind them.
Aladdin and Jasmine walked toward the bed and sat down upon it.
Several seconds passed.
They subtly glanced at each other, but neither of them uttered a word.
An odd silence stretched between them.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Jasmine stared fiercely at Aladdin and said, "Are you just going to remain silent?"
"Ahem! It's my first time. I haven't encountered such a situation before," Aladdin responded with a light cough. He stretched out his hand and slowly grabbed hers.
Upon hearing his response, Jasmine turned her head to the side with a smile, blushing furiously. "It's my first time too," she said as she brushed aside a strand of hair with her hand and gathered the courage to look at Aladdin once more.
///////
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