Aladdin threw the sceptre gently toward Cassim.
Despite being chained, Cassim caught it with his leg, then kicked it into his hand.
Grasping it firmly in his hands, Cassim's thoughts reeled as he stared at Aladdin. He didn't know how Aladdin had gotten this information, but he was certain of one thing - the Prince before him was not an ordinary man.
Cassim sighed, his voice tinged with fatigue and apprehension. But soon, he nodded, "Is that all?" His question was tinged with resignation.
"Yes," Aladdin responded.
"Okay," Cassim nodded. He closed his eyes and thought about summoning the being trapped within this artefact.
Instantly, the gem on the staff radiated an intense, bright light.
The remaining Forty Thieves, who had been observing the entire conversation in confusion, could only stare in wonder at the staff the moment they realised that this was the item they had come to Agrabah to steal.
Greed surfaced in their gazes, especially Sa'Luk's. But unfortunately, they were still imprisoned, unable to take the item for themselves anymore.
As the light grew, desperation swelled in Cassim. Feeling that he had been tricked, he flung the sceptre in a frantic motion across the room.
The sceptre landed on the floor and halted, floating in the air.
Aladdin had caught it using his magical capabilities.
Smoke-like magical energy shot upwards from the staff in spirals, and a figure gradually materialised from the light and mist.
It was a floating ghost-like woman with an elegant and stern expression. She had a pair of glowing white eyes and shades of pale blue glowing skin. She wore a flowing, veil-like headdress with a long, mystical robe, jewellery, and ornaments resembling those of ancient Egypt and several parts of the Middle East. Her lower body faded into the magical mist, making her resemble more of a spirit than a human.
The moment she appeared, the entire atmosphere around her became quiet, as though sound had been muted.
Her gaze focused on Cassim.
"I see all that has been, and all that will be," she said, her voice slow and calm, near emotionless, yet mystical as it echoed across the silent environment.
"I am bound by the Rule of One: One question, one answer."
"Ask, and I shall answer."
"The all-seeing Oracle... is real," Sa'Luk muttered to himself. He leaned in, attempting to get a clearer view from his position. Alas, his chains pulled him back, forcing him to fall back against the wall.
"Tchh!" He hissed in anger, realising that he could only sit back and observe the unfolding scene helplessly.
The other Forty Thieves were also overwhelmed by the scene, but they could only observe in silence.
Cassim gulped. He wanted to ask, 'Where is the Hand of Midas?' before he quickly swallowed back his words, realising how foolish it was in his current situation.
He glanced at Aladdin, who still wore a fierce expression, then at the Oracle hovering over the floating sceptre, staring at him as though patiently waiting for his question.
Cassim cleared his throat and asked, "Who is Prince Aladdin Ababwa, and how does that relate to me?"
Although it seemed like two different questions, it was one question with two related ideas phrased together to make a single inquiry. However, all that mattered was whether the Oracle would choose to answer or reject it.
Fortunately, she answered.
"Prince Aladdin Ababwa is the reigning Emperor of the Empire of Ababwa and Sultan of Agrabah. Husband of Sultana Jasmine, Empress of Ababwa. Son-in-law of the former Sultan Hamed Bobolonius II of Agrabah. Through destiny and choice, you and your wife, Zena, gave birth to him," the Oracle spoke. Her voice resonated across the atmosphere. Her shining pale eyes flickered with each word.
To Cassim and the Forty Thieves, these words were like thunderclaps resonating in their ears. They paid no attention to the titles, despite how shocking they were as well. Instead, their thoughts lingered on the Oracle's final words.
"My son," Cassim repeated, raising his head to stare at Aladdin with profound melancholy. He could finally understand why the young man before him looked so familiar. It was primarily because he was looking at his own face and that of his wife.
"You are my son?" Cassim asked, waiting for an answer from Aladdin.
"Yes," Aladdin removed his headpiece and said, "It is I, father."
He had not met his parents in his past life. And the parent who was the only one alive in this life, he did not know how to react when confronted with the truth finally exposed to him. He was no less confident than a toddler waiting for their parent's attention.
Cassim opened his hands and attempted to rush forward to hug Aladdin before he was held back against the wall by the chains.
"FREE ME!" He shouted, before quickly regaining his composure and lowering his head to the side, as though ashamed of his loss of control, "Please."
Aladdin hesitated before nodding. He had the power to imprison the Forty Thieves in this room at the same time, so handling Cassim wasn't really a problem for him.
The chains around Cassim opened and fell to the floor.
Cassim swiftly shot up to his feet, ignoring his cramping bones from hours of being held bound to the floor, and rushed towards Aladdin.
"My son," he hugged him. Several seconds passed before Cassim pulled back and cupped the side of his face with his hand. "I'm sorry. We aren't supposed to meet like this… Back then, after your birth, I decided that we couldn't continue living in poverty. So I left in search of a better life for us."
"But I was gone for too long. When I returned, I couldn't find either you or Zena. I thought you were dead. If I knew that you weren't, trust me, I would've spent my entire life turning the entire Kingdom upside down to find you."
"What was the work that you went in search of to give us a better life?" Aladdin asked.
"A thief?"
Cassim withdrew his head and turned to look away. He let out a short laugh. "Zena would've said the same thing." He shifted his focus to the side. "I'm sorry. It was the only path I knew. If I had other choices, I would not have chosen to become a thief… Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs'."
He shook his head with a weak smile.
An awkward silence stretched between them.
After briefly summoning his courage, Cassim asked, "So, how have you been doing? It seems that you're making quite a name for yourself… Emperor, Sultan Aladdin Ababwa, and slayer of the dark sorceress Nasira. I know that you inherited neither from me."
He leaned in and whispered, "I saw a genie here the other time… Don't tell me that you—?" His eyes widened, coming to the realisation himself.
"You are right. I inherited it from my mother," Aladdin nodded.
"As for the rest, we'll talk more later. But not in this area." He glanced at the surrounding members of the Forty Thieves who were paying close attention to their conversation.
Remembering where they were, Cassim looked around and nodded.
"Does that mean that I would be free?" Cassim asked.
"Yes. But not fully free, because I don't trust you enough," Aladdin replied.
"That makes sense. I did raid your wedding and was almost successful… almost," Cassim responded with a small smile when he remembered how he had been taken down by Aladdin.
Cassim pointed at his group, "What about them?"
"I trust them even less. So they will remain here. Besides, due to the damage that emerged from your direct coalition with Sorceress Nasira, someone needs to be punished to appease the masses," Aladdin responded, slowly regaining his composure.
He did not forget the execution needed to take place to soothe the people. Nor did he forget how he had almost lost his life while fighting Nasira.
"I'm sorry for all that happened," Cassim apologised. "But if you can give them another chance, I'm sure that they can..." He stopped, observing as Aladdin shook his head.
Cassim fell to his knees, or at least attempted to, before Aladdin swiftly caught and forced him to stand.
"I don't want my reunion with my father to end in this manner," Aladdin said.
Cassim stopped trying to break free from his hands and sighed, standing up straight.
"We need to freshen you up and have you properly rested before we can have a proper conversation. I also have a lot to handle in the meantime," Aladdin said.
Cassim nodded, unable to utter a word.
The Oracle bowed slightly and vanished into magical smoke that dissipated back into the gem, seeing that her purpose was complete. The sceptre returned to Aladdin's grasp, and he stored it away in his spatial storage space to Cassim's surprise.
Just as they were about to turn around and exit the cell, a snarky loud voice sounded from behind.
////////
The name of this fanfic has been changed to "Aladdin: Emperor Of The Seven Deserts."
Want to read ahead? Unlock 15 early chapters for $10 and follow the story before public release. /patreon.com/Stormwill
Join the family on: discord. gg/ EUmdp2EUVX.