"It's a long story," Aladdin sighed.
"I'm here. I've all night, so why don't we start at the beginning?" Cassim replied, his expression turned serious.
"It all started like this," Aladdin narrated his story.
He didn't reveal the fact that he had made a wish to become the Emperor of Ababwa to Cassim, because he had already made a promise to himself to keep that information between himself, Genie, and Jasmine. Telling anybody else was dangerous, especially a man like Cassim, whose greed knew no bounds.
He simply gave him detailed information that Genie had created to remove any doubts or suspicions anyone might have about his Empire. From the moment he was a street rat roaming the streets of Agrabah up till he mistakenly found a guard who had identified him as a descendant of the Imperial Bloodline of Ababwa, to his engagement with Jasmine.
After he completed his explanation, Aladdin kept silent.
Cassim chuckled bitterly. "Hahahaha… This is fate! She's cruel. Even if the love between your mother and me couldn't break the curse, if that guard had found us first, would I have left my family, chased empty promises of wealth, and lost everything I cherished? No! I wouldn't!! I wouldn't!!"
He slammed his fist on the table.
A firm grasp held down his hand.
Cassim regained his composure and withdrew his hand.
"I'm sorry that you had to witness such a sight from your father. I'm glad that you're okay and now have a place that you can call home," Cassim said.
"But I don't think that this place is for me. I want to travel the world. To see hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. I will no longer be a thief. Please, can you release my men, son?" He asked, pleading.
Aladdin shook his head. "I never planned on releasing them. If it wasn't for the fact that you were my father, you would've been suffering the same fate as them. They have shed innocent blood. So every single one of them will pay for their crimes."
"It might not be sufficient, but I promise that we'll compensate the families that suffered losses."
"Money is not a problem for us. Didn't I tell you already that I possess the Hand of Midas? I can create sufficient wealth and do whatever I want with it whenever I desire," Aladdin replied.
"Is there no other way?"
"There is not."
Cassim's shoulders slumped.
"Fine," he said. "Can I at least see the Hand of Midas?"
Aladdin summoned the Hand of Midas from his storage ring.
The space warped around his hand as he gripped the Hand of Midas.
Cassim gulped, staring wide-eyed at the item.
A golden left hand attached to a bronze handle.
It was truly as the legends had described.
Cassim looked at him and asked, "How did you manage to get your hands on it?"
"I heard legends about various magical artefacts across the Seven Deserts and sent my soldiers to fetch them for me," Aladdin responded.
"That easily?" Cassim was dumbfounded.
This was a magical artefact that Sultans and Kings searched for. It was an item that he had spent his entire life searching for. If a street rat had managed to grasp relevant information about the Hand of Midas, didn't that mean that they had been searching in the wrong places?
"You would be surprised about the kind of information you manage to get while being at the bottom of the barrel. No one thinks you're worth anything. And those who think you are will ensure that you're used till they dry up the entirety of your worth," Aladdin responded.
"So, it's like that," Cassim sighed. He could sense the nostalgia in Aladdin's tone and understand that he was speaking from experience. And to have gone from that to an Emperor all within several weeks… it truly sounded like a fairy tale.
Unfortunately, he was a thief. And fairy tales were something beyond his grasp.
"Can I hold it?" Cassim asked.
Aladdin nodded. "Don't touch the golden hand by mistake. I don't know if I might be able to turn you back to normal." He carefully handed the Hand of Midas to Cassim.
Cassim carefully received the magical artefact. He studied it with an excited gaze.
"Can I try it out?" He asked, looking at Aladdin with a pleading gaze.
Already knowing that it would come to this from Cassim's previous questions, Aladdin nodded in approval.
Cassim pointed the golden hand at the table before them and touched it.
A golden glow radiated from the Hand of Midas, and the area it touched turned to gold, spreading across the entire table until it transformed into a golden table.
Cassim pulled back his hand and looked at the table with earnest excitement. However, his emotions quickly subsided upon sensing Aladdin's gaze.
"Thank you," he said, reluctantly handing the Hand of Midas back to Aladdin. "Keep it safe. It will be a disaster for everyone if this item lands in the hands of the wrong person."
"I already plan on doing that," Aladdin replied, storing the magical artefact back in his storage ring.
After a brief silence, Cassim stood up from the chair and walked to the balcony.
Aladdin followed behind him.
They stood at the edge of the balcony, the bright night sky filled with countless stars overhead, and below were the great rivers and dazzling lights emanating from the cities in the distance.
"Were you disappointed when you discovered that I was your father?" Cassim asked.
"Yes," Aladdin nodded.
Cassim chuckled lightly. "It makes sense. Why should an Emperor like yourself admire a thief?"
"What do you think about me?" He asked.
"A thief trapped by his own greed," Aladdin responded without filtering his words.
"That's true. You truly understand what kind of man I am," Cassim smiled faintly.
"What would you do if I chose to return to being a thief?" He asked.
Aladdin frowned. He didn't understand why Cassim was asking such a question when he had made it clear that he didn't see his profession or that of the Forty Thieves in a good light.
Although he didn't expect an instant transformation, it should at least be enough for him to show the willingness to repent.
Cassim looked at him with a smile still lingering on his face.
"I am sorry that I haven't been a good role model for you," Cassim added, his eyes brimming with tears. "If I could turn back the sands of time, trust me, I would. How beautiful it would be to tell Zena what her son would grow to become. She would've probably berated me for returning home this late after all these years."
He could no longer hold back his tears as they burst forth and flowed down his cheeks like a river. "I know that I am a greedy man… I am the King of Thieves. But if you have it anywhere in your heart, please forgive me for my shortcomings… And grant my one selfish wish."
Aladdin felt troubled in his heart, yet he steeled his resolve and responded, "What is your wish?"
"The Forty Thieves have been like a family to me. I know that they aren't perfect. They are runaways, street rats, and those like me looking for a way to make a living. Although they, too, have been consumed by their greed, I believe that they've not gone past redemption. If you give me the chance, I promise that I can reform them to become better…"
Before Cassim could complete his words, Aladdin cut him off, "What is your wish?" He asked, his voice colder than before.
"I want you to free the Forty Thieves and give them a chance at redemption," Cassim said, lowering his head. But he didn't bow because he wasn't facing the Emperor of Ababwa, but instead his son.
"Is that it?" Aladdin turned to focus on the shining city far on the horizon.
"Yes. I swear it. The Forty Thieves will steal no more. We've spent our lives taking from others, so perhaps it's time we start giving something back instead. We'll roam the Seven Deserts, help those in need, drag thieves, and badits like ourselves out of their lairs, before they lose themselves completely. Besides.." Cassim let out a faint chuckle and shook his head
"A wanted thief like me hanging around in this Palace is bound to bring trouble sooner or later.
"Is.. that.. it?" Aladdin asked once more, his voice emphasising each syllable.
"Yes," Cassim slowly nodded.
"I'll consider your wish," Aladdin replied.
He disappeared from the balcony.
Cassim looked around. Realising that Aladdin had vanished, he walked back to his bed and lay down on it. He didn't go to sleep, but instead let his thoughts wander over the conversation that had just transpired.
"Zena, I don't think our son likes me?" Cassim muttered. He turned around on the bed, hoping to get some rest after a long day.
/////
You guys should help me wish my sis happy birthday.
She won't see it, but it doesn't change the fact that I look like a good brother.