Ok folks - here we go again. Aside from chapter one, all of the other chapters have been removed for continuity purposes. I will be replacing them throughout the day with the updated chapters that I currently have done. I hope to have all six posted by tonight. Enjoy and thank you again for all of your reviews. :)

Author Note: Written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, the song in the previous chapter is an extended version of "Arabian Nights" from the movies. What appears is the original lyrics, that apparently were intended to have been woven throughout the first film, as they help to tell the story. I thought I would borrow it to help set the mood for the first chapter. You can find the demo versions on YouTube.

Chapter Two - Jade's Bargain

Mozenrath snapped out of his reverie. He did not want to think about the rest. He switched to sitting cross-legged on his throne.

"Maybe we should do something, Xerxes," he said. "Any ideas?"

The eel looked up. "Destroy Agrabah?" he suggested with a grin.

Mozenrath smirked. "Heck… why not…"

He stood. Xerxes took his place around his master's shoulders. Mozenrath whirled his cloak around them and the two disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Jade, Jasmine, and Aladdin rode their horses through the streets of Agrabah. Jade had wanted to go riding through the city because it had been so long since she had seen it. So Aladdin and Jasmine offered her their company.

As they rode around the city, Jade could not help but notice the tender looks passing between her two companions. She felt a pang of jealousy at her friend's good fortune in finding such a husband. Aladdin may not have been a prince, but he was very handsome, kind, funny, and seemed to care about Jasmine a great deal. Jade hoped that she could find someone like that someday.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard someone scream. People were running as fast as they could down the street. Through the corner of her eye, she saw her ring glowing. It was bright - very bright. There was an incredibly strong power nearby.

"Mamluks!" they heard a woman shout.

Aladdin and Jasmine looked at each other. "Mozenrath…"

The three riders galloped up the street. The undead guards were attacking and destroying everything in sight. Aladdin grabbed a post from one of the merchant stands and, using it like a jousting lance, he rode through the group of mamluks that were advancing towards him.

Being on horseback gave the three an advantage over the mamluks and soon the undead body parts were scrambling all over the place, trying to put themselves back together.

"Now, where's Mozenrath?" Jasmine said.

"Right above you, Princess."

They looked up.

Sitting atop one of the buildings was Mozenrath. His gauntlet-covered hand rested on his right knee as his left leg dangled over the side of the roof. Xerxes swam around him, chuckling.

"What do you want now, Mozenrath?" Aladdin said.

Mozenrath laughed. "I was rather bored today, Aladdin. So, I decided to amuse myself by destroying Agrabah!" He noticed Jade and raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well, Xerxes," he said quietly to his familiar. "What have we here?"

He disappeared and the others looked around for him, expecting a surprise attack.

Jade gasped as the necromancer reappeared, sitting on the merchant stand beside her, holding her horse's reins. The look he was giving her was unnerving.

"And who might you be?" he asked in a voice dripping with false charm.

"Does it matter?" Jade answered, boldly, though she was thoroughly frightened by this man.

Mozenrath continued to stare at her, not saying a word.

He pulled on the reins in his hand, bringing her horse forward. The princess and the sorcerer were now mere inches apart. He grinned slyly at her. Reaching out with his free hand, he stroked her cheek. His hand found its way to the back of her neck and he pulled her closer to him. Jade was too scared to move away. When Mozenrath's lips brushed against hers, she regained her senses and struggled against him. Mozenrath kissed her savagely, the pressure on the back of her neck increasing as she tried to get away from him.

The horse was getting anxious as she felt Jade struggling.

Mozenrath suddenly released both Jade and the horse's reins. The frightened animal darted away from the necromancer as fast as it could. The sudden action, combined with Jade's shock of what just happened, caused the princess to lose her balance and fall from her mount. She landed with a sickening thud on a pile of crates stacked up on the side of the street.

Jasmine and Aladdin ran to her.

As Mozenrath watched them, he nearly fell from his perch from laughing so hard.

"Are you alright?" Jasmine asked her friend as they helped Jade sit up.

"I think so…" Jade said. "Just a little shaken up." She looked at the sorcerer and his familiar, who were still laughing over what had happened. "So, that's Mozenrath? Is he always so charming or is this my lucky day?"

Aladdin and Jasmine helped her up. Over Mozenrath and Xerxes's laughter, they heard rushing footsteps. Rasoul and the palace guards had arrived, followed by Genie, Abu, Carpet, and Iago.

"What has that warped wizard done this time?" Genie asked Aladdin, seeing Mozenrath holding his sides.

"Why, you lousy, no-good scoundrel!" Rasoul shouted at Mozenrath on learning what he had just done to Jade. The sorcerer vanished as Rasoul brought his sword down on him.

"Is that the best you can do, Captain?" Mozenrath said as he reappeared on an awning above an apple stand on the other side of the street.

"How dare you insult a princess in such a manner!" the captain shouted at the boy.

"Oh, come now," Mozenrath chuckled. "It was all in good fun."

Xerxes swam up behind his master and snickered, "Good fun! Good fun! Hehehehe…"

"Well, now that the fun is over - back to destroying Agrabah!"

Mozenrath sent a powerful blast at the group before him. Everyone jumped out of the way. Genie, decked out in a full cavalry uniform, charged at the sorcerer. He did not get very far, as Mozenrath trapped him in a magic-proof bottle. As Genie struggled to get free, Aladdin, on Carpet, flew in behind Mozenrath. Mozenrath sensed him coming and turned just as Aladdin was three feet away from him and blasted him off of the rug.

Jade surveyed the scene around her. Xerxes was fighting with Abu, Jasmine was tending to Aladdin, and Genie was still trapped in the bottle. The mamluks had managed to pull themselves back together and were fighting - and beating - Rasoul and the guards and Iago was hiding behind her. She looked up and saw Mozenrath, who was watching the scene as well. He began to laugh again.

"Agrabah is mine!" he shouted. "Good bye, Aladdin!"

He raised the gauntlet-covered hand over his head as it began to glow a furious shade of red. Aladdin and the others froze. This was it… Mozenrath was going to win…

"NO!" Jade shouted.

She sent a blast of her own magic at Mozenrath. It hit the necromancer and sent him into the wall. Mozenrath stood and glared at Jade, shocked. How could he have not sensed her power?

He raised his gauntlet once more and pointed it at Jade.

"Impressive, your Highness!" he chuckled.

He sent a blast in her direction. She dodged to the side. This continued until she was very close to him. He sent one final blast at her and she ducked. The shot went over her and hit one of the stands.

She shook her head free of the dizzying effect this was having on her. She pushed herself up onto her knees and found herself at Mozenrath's feet. The wizard knelt down in front of her and gripped her hand as she raised it to strike.

"Well, this was an unexpected surprise," he said. "How I couldn't have detected your power is quite the mystery." He grinned slyly. "But no matter. You're still no match for me." He raised the gauntlet and it began to glow red.

"Wait!" She gripped the hem of his cloak in her hands. Mozenrath starred down at her. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading.

"You collect magic don't you?" Jade asked. Mozenrath said nothing. "Jasmine and Aladdin told me you collect anything magical. Right?"

Mozenrath nodded. "So?"

"Add me to your collection."

Everything around them stopped. Everyone stared at Jade, unable to believe what they just heard. Even Mozenrath was surprised.

"What?"

"Leave Agrabah in peace and you can do whatever you want with my magic."

"Jade, no!" Jasmine said.

"I'm not going to lose what's left of my family, Jasmine!" Jade said. "I can't let it happen again… not when I can try to prevent it." She turned back to Mozenrath. "So is it a deal - My freedom and my magic for Agrabah?"

Mozenrath looked thoughtful. "Hmmm…" he thought. "Interesting proposition…" He thought for one moment longer. "Very well, then," he said. "It's a deal."

He held out his right hand to shake on it. Jade took his hand hesitantly. The glove covered hand closed around her hand tightly. She and the gauntlet began to glow a shade of blue. She felt her magic being drained from her body. She looked the sorcerer in the eye, determined not to show him any fear. Soon, the light around her began to die away. Mozenrath released her hand and she fell against him. She could not believe how weak she felt. She could barely lift her head to look at him.

Mozenrath scooped her up into his arms. She hissed in pain as he jumped to his feet. Their eyes met and Jade was scared once again. He smirked at her. The look he gave her distinctly said 'You're mine, now, princess.'

"Xerxes!" he called over his shoulder. "Come. We're leaving!" Xerxes swam over to his master and wrapped himself around his shoulders. He too grinned evilly at Jade, chuckling through his teeth. Mozenrath held Jade tightly against him. He turned one last sly grin at Aladdin and the others, and then the three disappeared.

Aladdin and the others were frozen with shock and disbelief. Jasmine began crying and Aladdin put his arms around her and held her tightly as everyone else gathered around and tried to console the princess.

Mozenrath, Xerxes, and Jade reappeared in the Citadel. Mozenrath released his prisoner and she fell to the floor. She looked up at the necromancer. Her eyes followed him as he made his way to his throne and sat down, one leg swung over the arm of the ornate chair. He stared at the princess, as if deciding what to do with her. Xerxes floated at his master's side, looking from the sorcerer to the princess, and back, again.

"Well… let me see…" Mozenrath said, breaking the eerie silence. "What should I have you do first?" He looked at Xerxes. "Do you have any suggestions, Xerxes?"

"Scrub floors?" Xerxes hissed. "Laundry? Clean store rooms?"

Mozenrath laughed as Xerxes rambled off all kinds of chores for Jade to do. Jade felt her face turn red, completely humiliated.

"Well, there's plenty of time for all of that, Xerxes," Mozenrath chuckled. "But, the first thing the princess can do," he turned his gaze toward Jade as he spoke, "is make me some dinner." He smirked. He snapped his fingers and a mamluk appeared. "He will show you where the kitchen is," Mozenrath said. "Dinner is to be ready by seven o'clock. You have two hours. That should be enough time to come up with something. Now go."

Jade stood and only nodded. She followed the mamluk out of the throne room. It let her down several corridors and two flights of stairs and into the kitchen. As soon as she was in the room, the mamluk stepped out and stood guard outside the door.

Jade sighed. At least her first job was something she was comfortable with. She had been cooking her own meals for several years now, surely she could make something that brute would enjoy. She looked around the kitchen looking for some ideas.

As Xerxes came into the kitchen, he smelled something good cooking. It was almost seven o' clock. Mozenrath would be expecting his meal right on time. He saw Jade place a wine glass on the tray with the plate of food and wine bottle. Xerxes floated over to her, startling her.

"Food ready?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Master eat in bedchamber," Xerxes said. He swam over to the door. "Follow."

Jade followed the familiar to Mozenrath's bedchamber, which lay in one of the towers. Xerxes opened the door for her and Jade carried the food tray into the chamber. She looked around. It was a large room and was decorated much like the rest of the citadel: dark blue curtains hung from the rods above the bed, most of the furniture was black, black and blue curtains hung around the doorway to the balcony. Blue and black rugs with gold lining covered the floor, there were spell books everywhere. The room was lit by ebony candelabras that sat on the tables and hung on the walls, giving the room an eerie glow.

Mozenrath was lounging on the large bed, reading through one of his many spell books. For a moment he did not say anything, making Jade more uncomfortable than she already was. Then he looked up at her.

"Place it on the desk," he said, turning his attention back to his book.

Jade did as she was told and place the tray on the black desk in the far corner of the room. Mozenrath's eyes followed her. He stood and walked over to the desk. Instead of sitting down, he just stood there. Jade realized that he was waiting for her to pull the chair out for him. So she did. He smirked at her and sat down, whirling his cape over the back of the chair.

"Thank you," he mocked.

'Arrogant bastard,' Jade thought. She turned and was about to leave the room…

"I don't recall telling you that you could leave, princess," Mozenrath said, not turning to look at her. "Did I say she could leave, Xerxes?"

"Mozenrath not say," the eel replied.

They were all silent after that. Mozenrath continued eating his dinner, occasionally throwing a piece of food to Xerxes.

"I must admit, princess," Mozenrath said, "you are an excellent cook."

"T-thank you," Jade said softly. She had not expected a compliment from him.

Mozenrath soon finished, leaving nothing on the plate. He finished his glass of wine as well. Then he fixed his gaze on Jade, who was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. The look he gave her was very similar to the one he gave her earlier that day - right before he kissed her in the market place. Jade shuddered.

"I know what you can do for me now," he grinned.

"W-what?" Jade asked, apprehensively.

Not taking his eyes from her, he spoke to Xerxes. "Xerxes… find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

Xerxes chuckled, knowing what his master had in mind. He slithered out of the room, closing the door with his tail.

Jade looked back at Mozenrath, fear clearly showing in her eyes.

He stood and went over to her. Gripping her by the arm, he pulled her to her feet. Holding her tightly against him, he kissed her again, but gently this time. She resisted the urge to fight him off, fearing what he might do. He broke the kiss and nuzzled her cheek and the side of her neck.

"I'm not so bad, once you get to know me," he said softly in her ear.

She let him lead her to the bed and closed her eyes against the tears as he pushed her clothes down her body. He then laid her down on the bed and proceeded to discard his robes. The gauntlet remained though, and she faintly wondered why as he crawled onto the mattress beside her.

She shivered under his gaze and looked away. She felt the touch of leather on her cheek, urging her to turn her head back to him. She did so, but kept her eyes closed.

"Look at me," he said, his voice still soft.

She hesitated, but slowly opened her eyes to find him hovering over her. His eyes softened when he saw hers. She looked on, curiously, as his mind seemed to be taken out of the present. He briefly shook his head, clearing away his memories. When he looked at her again, he seemed to be having second thoughts.

He lay down beside her and pulled her against him. He kissed her, gently, trailing his lips over her face and shoulders.

His gentle prodding had the desired effect as she raised her hand to run it through his hair. A soft moan escaped her lips, causing him to smile against her skin.

When his lips touched hers again, she welcomed him. She did not know why – her mind was screaming at her to stop and yet she was filled with a desire for him. He was a wizard – perhaps he bewitched her.

Regardless – her hunger for him overpowered her rational thought and they were soon locked in each other's embrace.

Jade could not fall asleep. She was extremely tired, but the pain in her body was too much. Silent tears continued to stream down her face as she thought about what had just happened. This incident with Mozenrath was far from what she had wanted. She had always dreamed that her first experience would be a beautiful and tender one with the man she loved. But instead, a man she knew almost nothing about had taken her innocence from her forcefully. There was another dream gone… if she ever got away from Mozenrath, what man would ever want to marry her?

She heard the pattern of his breathing become less rough and shallower. She looked at his face. He looked so peaceful now, not at all like the brutal man who had just raped her only moments ago. The frown lines were gone, his eyes were lightly closed, his lips softly parted in slumber. His long ebony curls fell around his pale face. He looked so handsome now…

She snapped out of these thoughts immediately as she remembered that this was the man who had raped her. She feared that this was possibly not the last time that he would either.

The pain was starting to dull now. Carefully, so as not to wake the sorcerer, she slid out of Mozenrath's embrace and moved over to the other side of the bed. Now at a safe distance from him, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Jade awoke the next morning to Mozenrath raining soft kisses over the back of her shoulder and the side of her neck. She tried to shrug him off, but he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her onto her chest, pinning her to the mattress. He leaned over her and brushed her hair back from her ear.

"Good morning, princess," he drawled. "Did you sleep well? I did."

"I'm sure…" Jade muttered. She felt his gloved hand running up her right side and around to her front… "Get off of me!"

She managed to throw him off of her. She turned around swiftly and slapped him across the face. Her hand had left a furious red mark on his cheek.

"Oo-hoo – fiery. I like that," Mozenrath said, rubbing his face. Damn! That girl can hit hard!

"I'm usually a grouch in the mornings," Jade replied.

"I'll have to do something about that," Mozenrath thought, aloud.

He got up from the bed, throwing his robe on. As he tied the sash, he looked back at Jade and smiled devilishly. She sat up in the bed, using the sheets to cover her front.

"Pitiful attempt at modesty, princess," he said. "Come with me." Jade did not move. "Well? Oh, fine…" He pointed a gloved finger at her and she was instantly back in her clothes. "Now, follow me."

Jade stood and followed him into the adjoining room. When she saw that they were in the bathroom, she got an idea of what her next chore would be…

As Mozenrath discarded his robe, Jade averted her eyes from him. He saw this and laughed. He stepped into the large octagon-shaped tub in the center of the room and sank into the warm water. He sighed and looked back at Jade, who was turning redder by the minute.

"Well… get over here."

Jade came to side of the tub and knelt down beside it. Mozenrath pointed to the cake of soap on the edge of the tub, a silent indication for her to pick it up. Jade picked up the soap. Mozenrath closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall of the tub. Jade dipped the soap into the water and rubbed it awkwardly across his surprisingly muscular chest. After working up a good lather, she put the soap down, and then began massaging it into his skin. Mozenrath looked at her as she began washing his hair.

"That feels wonderful, princess," he said as he relaxed into the feel of her fingers softly massaging his scalp.

Jade ignored him and rinsed his hair. "There… you're clean," she said gruffly.

"Thank you," he grinned at her.

Jade watched as Mozenrath sank under the water before heaving himself out of the tub in a rush of flesh and water. He stood before her, naked and dripping. She grabbed a towel and handed it to him, but he did not take it. Instead, he stepped out of the tub and stood there, his arms folded over his chest, looking at her.

"Arrogant bastard…" Jade muttered, as she unfolded the towel. The necromancer smirked as the princess made quick, hard swipes down his body, drying him off. Once he was completely dry, she looked at him. "Do you want me to dress you next?"

"No… I can take care of that myself." With a snap of his fingers, he was fully dressed in his usual deep blue robes. He stepped towards her. Taking her shoulders in his hands, he pressed his lips to hers. "Thank you very much, my dear."

"You're not welcome," Jade replied.

The two of them disappeared from the bathroom and reappeared in the throne room. Jade looked around and when her eyes came to rest on the throne, she smiled slightly. Mozenrath, who had his back to the throne, turned to see what she was smiling at.

He rolled his eyes.

Xerxes was curled up in a little ball, fast asleep on the ornate chair. Mozenrath smiled in spite of himself and walked over to the throne. He noticed that Xerxes was shivering. He picked up the sleeping eel and held him in his arms, as one would an infant. Xerxes awoke and went into a coughing fit. Mozenrath sat down on the throne and held Xerxes tightly to his chest. He had to admit, he always did have a soft spot for the creature.

"Did you catch a cold, Xerxes?" he chuckled, once the coughing had ceased. The little eel looked up at his master and nodded weakly.

Mozenrath turned serious. It wasn't good for Xerxes to get any type of illness. The sand eel had hardly any strength to tough it out. That had been Destane's doing. Every experiment he used Xerxes in resulted in the eel growing weaker and more vulnerable to catching a disease of some kind. The last time Xerxes got sick he almost died.

The necromancer stroked the eel's fins, concern furrowing his brow. He looked up. Jade was looking at him, surprised by the tender scene before her. He had forgotten that she was in the room. He sneered at her and snapped his fingers. A mamluk appeared beside Jade.

"Find some chores for her to do," he ordered. "I believe the east wing needs cleaning."

Jade watched as Mozenrath, still holding Xerxes, disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She followed the mamluk to the east wing. Other mamluks were in the corridor, mopping the floors and scrubbing down the walls. They saw her, dropped what they were doing and left, leaving the mops and brushes for her.

"Even undead, men are jerks…" she sighed.

She picked up one of the mops and finished what the mamluks had started.

Mozenrath laid Xerxes down on his bed, pulling a blanket up over him. He stroked the little eel's head gently. Xerxes shuddered under the covers. He looked up at his master and gave a weak little smile. Mozenrath tried to smile back, but he was too worried.

He was hard on Xerxes, but it hadn't always been that way. There was a time, when they were younger, that Mozenrath would never have thought of hurting his familiar the way he did now…

The baby eel was being used in Destane's experiments. One day, after Destane had left the laboratory, Mozenrath was cleaning up the place when he saw how badly ill the eel was. He stole the infant from its cage and hurried him up to his bedroom. For months, he was able to hide him without his master knowing.

The baby eel quickly became attached to his rescuer. When Mozenrath was going to release him, he refused to go. After much arguing, Mozenrath decided to keep him around. He would need someone to talk to around here. Looking through some of the books in his room, he found a name for his little friend. Xerxes. It was the name of the great Persian king. Mozenrath told his friend of how Destane had stolen him from his family and used him in his experiments before finding Xerxes. After Xerxes disappearance from the lab, Destane began using Mozenrath in his experiments again.

"It's not as bad as it used to be," Mozenrath told Xerxes, seeing the concerned look on the eel's face. "I've kinda gotten use to it over the past couple years."

The strength of their friendship was proven the night Mozenrath overthrew Destane.

The sorcerer had Mozenrath beaten and thrown into the dungeon for helping a girl to escape. His cries of pain reached Xerxes ears. He flew down to the dungeons, careful to avoid the mamluks that were looking for him. He found Mozenrath sitting in a cell, half dead and chained to a wall. He slithered over to his young master.

"Mozey - rath?" he croaked, nudging the boy's face.

Mozenrath groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. His bruised eyes fluttered open and saw the tiny sand eel floating in front of him.

"Xerxes!" Mozenrath said, surprised. "You have to get out of here. If Destane finds you -"

"No leave Mozey - rath," Xerxes said. He could not pronounce his master's name just right, yet. The misspeak made the young wizard smile a bit.

"Xerxes, don't worry about me," the boy said. "Get yourself out of here."

Xerxes shook his head, defiantly.

"Mozey - rath come, too," the baby eel said.

"I can't," Mozenrath said. "I can't get these chains off."

"Xerxes help." He flew out of the cell and looked about. Just down the corridor, he saw a ring of keys hanging on the wall. Grabbing them in his teeth, he flew them back to Mozenrath and dropped them into the boy's waiting hands.

Mozenrath quickly unchained himself and, unsteadily got to his feet.

He stroked the little eel's fins. "Thank you, my friend. Now, let's get out of here."

They left the cell and made their way quietly out of the dungeons. They made it up to the entrance hall of the Citadel and almost to the doors.

"Going somewhere?"

They jumped as a flash of red appeared before them. Mozenrath stumbled and fell back, landing upon the marble floor on his torn back.

"You didn't think you were going to get away that easily did you?"

Xerxes hid behind Mozenrath. This was the first time the infant had seen Destane since Mozenrath rescued him from the laboratory.

Destane raised his gauntlet-covered hand, a familiar blue and black flame-like light surrounded it. Mozenrath recognized the warning signs and jumped out of the way as Destane sent a wave of magic at him and Xerxes. However, he did not get out of the way fast enough and was hit in the arm. He lay on the cold floor, struggling to get up. Destane stood over him, gloating. "Such a pity, really. You had so much potential."

He raised his hand again and Mozenrath was surrounded by a pinkish light. He felt himself being raised off of the ground and looked down. He was now floating far above Destane and the pain in his body was becoming even greater. "You would have made a fine sorcerer one day. Oh well… AHHHHH!" The light around him vanished and Mozenrath fell to marble floor with a sickening thud. "You damn fish!"

Mozenrath looked up. Xerxes had bitten Destane's arm and was now struggling to get the gauntlet off of him. The boy managed to swing his arm out, sending a weak blast of magic that managed to knock Destane off his feet. As Destane fell, the gauntlet came off in Xerxes teeth.

"Xerxes – here!" Mozenrath called.

The eel flew the gauntlet over to Mozenrath and dropped it into his hand. The boy looked at the glove in his hand.

"I wouldn't try putting that on if I were you," Destane warned.

Mozenrath wasn't listening, though. His mind was racing; he finally had the power to overthrow the old man once and for all. Taking the gauntlet in his left hand, he thrust his right hand into it. Almost immediately, a sharp pain shot through his body as the gauntlet glowed an odd green color. He clenched his teeth and gripped at his hand.

"What's happening?" he said, his jaw clenched, fighting against the pain.

"Just a little curse I placed on the gauntlet in case anyone ever stole it," Destane explained as he stood, malice in his voice. "In order for you to gain its power, you must make a small sacrifice. If I'm not mistaken, it's presently eating away the flesh on your hand. It will continue to do so, however slowly, until it's nothing but bone." He sighed mockingly. "It's the price one must pay for power. Especially power that was never yours to begin with."

"You would know a lot about that, wouldn't you? AAAHHHH!"

Mozenrath fell to his knees. The pain was becoming too much for him to take. Gathering what strength he could he raised the gauntlet and aimed it at Destane. He gathered his power, as he had been taught, and sent a powerful blast of magic at his master. Destane was thrown back several feet.

Mozenrath fell on all fours, panting loudly. Xerxes zipped over to him.

"Master? Master okay?" he asked frantically.

"I'm fine, Xerxes," Mozenrath said.

Xerxes grabbed the back of Mozenrath's shirt in his teeth and helped get him to his feet. Mozenrath looked at Destane, who was struggling to get up. Mozenrath still unsteady, hobbled over to him.

"How does it feel, Master?" Mozenrath said, spitting out the last word.

"Impudent brat…" Destane growled at his apprentice. "Go on, boy. Kill me."

"Tempting," Mozenrath said. "But I have a better idea."

He reached down and grabbed the front of Destane's now tattered robes. The boy grinned devilishly as the gauntlet began to glow an eerie green color.

Destane slowly started to feel his power slipping away. He soon realized what his former apprentice was up to. The old man began to deteriorate, his skin becoming a pale green color and what muscle he had disappearing. Finally, the former sorcerer was just as his own guards.

Mozenrath had turned the most powerful sorcerer in the seven deserts into a shambling, half-dead mamluk.

The new Lord of the Black Sand tossed the shell of his former master away with ease and sent him to stand guard outside the Citadel.

Mozenrath looked down at the gauntlet. Taking a chance, he pulled it slowly off of his hand. As soon as he took it off, he gasped with pain and looked away. The flesh was, as Destane had said, being slowly eaten away. The top layers of skin were already gone and the hand and arm were now bleeding profusely. Mozenrath quickly replaced the glove and the bleeding stopped. He felt dizzy and fell to the floor.

Xerxes swam over to him. "Master?" No answer. "Master?"

The boy did not move. Xerxes nudged him with his snout. Mozenrath had passed out. He grabbed the back of the boy's shirt in his teeth and tugged. He managed to pull Mozenrath across the floor, but not very far. Unsure of what else to do, Xerxes went to find some of the mamluks. He had them carry Mozenrath up to his bedchamber and lay him on the bed. Xerxes stayed by Mozenrath's side until the young sorcerer awoke...

Mozenrath regretted all the times he treated Xerxes horribly over the years. He blamed it on all the things that happened to him in his past. All those terrible years as Destane's slave - the beatings, the torture, the starvation. That's what turned him into what he was now. All Xerxes had done was try to show him some affection.

Xerxes looked up at Mozenrath, who was deep in thought. "Master?"

"What is it, Xerxes?" Mozenrath asked gently.

"Master stay with Xerxes?" the little eel asked weakly. Mozenrath nodded.

And so Mozenrath stayed with his familiar until they both ended up falling asleep. After a few hours, Xerxes woke up and looked to see if Mozenrath was still in the room. Mozenrath sat on the floor with his arms folded on the edge of the bed, his head lying on his arms. He was still fast asleep. Xerxes watched his master for a while. He thought back to all the way things use to be. Mozenrath was very much like a parent or older sibling to Xerxes. The man had raised him from infancy. He was always watching out for him and always took care of him. He was the only family Xerxes ever knew. Mozenrath had made the little eel feel wanted and loved. He knew Mozenrath would never completely change.

The little eel eventually fell back asleep, not noticing the princess standing in the doorway.

Jade stood in the doorway. She watched as Xerxes fell asleep, not seeming to notice her. The princess was still unable to believe that Mozenrath was actually being gentle and concerned for his familiar, when the necromancer had raped her and done all the things that Aladdin and Jasmine had said he had done. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice the sorcerer had woken up.

Mozenrath opened his eyes and looked at Xerxes, who was fast asleep on the pillows. Sensing someone behind him, he turned. His eyes narrowed as they fell upon the princess. Mozenrath leapt to his feet and stormed over to her.

Jade backed away in fright. The sorcerer grabbed her arms and shoved her back against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Jade only hissed in reply from the pressure he was applying to her already bruised arms. "I was just coming to see if you had anything else for me to do." Mozenrath sneered at her reply, not believing it. He tightened his grip on her arms, causing her to cry out. "Mozenrath, let go!"

He shoved her against the wall again. "Let's get something straight here and now, princess - You never tell me what to do! Understood?" Jade nodded. "Also, being as you are my slave, you are never to address me by my name. You either call me 'Lord Mozenrath', 'Lord', 'Sire', or 'Master'. I'm sure you know all other appropriate royal titles to call me by. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"'Yes,' what?"

"Yes, my lord."

"That's better," the necromancer said.

He loosened his grip a little. He brought his right hand up to her face. Jade flinched, afraid he would strike her. Mozenrath smirked. He brushed her hair back behind her ear, and stroked her cheek gently. Jade was surprised by the tender act. Seeing the look in his eyes, she knew he did not mean it.

His gloved hand found its way to the back of her neck. Gripping it firmly, he brought his mouth crashing down onto hers. For once she did not resist. She knew it was pointless to try. She allowed him to kiss her. She tried to imagine it was someone else; a handsome young prince who had fallen in love with her. She allowed these thoughts to take over her mind.

Mozenrath was not surprised to find that Jade was returning his kiss. He forced her to after all, just like the night before. He felt something press against his sides, then run up his back, around to his chest, and came to rest at the back of his neck. He pulled away and looked at the princess.

Jade was horrified to find that she had wrapped her arms around the necromancer. She dropped her arms to her sides and looked away from him. Mozenrath began laughing. The princess blushed furiously, tears welling up in her eyes from humiliation.

"That was pleasant, wasn't it, princess?" Mozenrath chuckled. He turned her head to look back at him. Tears were streaming down her red face. "Oohh… Did we embarrass ourselves, Princess?" he teased.

Jade jerked her head away and looked down the corridor. Mozenrath planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "You know you enjoyed that as much as I did," he whispered in her ear. Jade closed her eyes, trying to hold back more tears.

Mozenrath took a step back from her. "Go on now. I'll call for you if I need you."

"You heartless monster," she sobbed.

Mozenrath raised his gloved hand to strike her. She threw up her hands in defense, shielding her face. She waited for the blow, but it never came.

Taking a chance, she lowered her arms and looked at him.

He had frozen, mid-strike, and his eyes were wide with shock as they rested on her ring. The emerald's glow was so fierce that it was almost white.

"Where did you get that?" he asked. When she did not answer, he slammed her back against the wall, her arms in a bruising grip. "I said – where did you get that ring?!"

"It – it was given to me," she stammered.

"By who?!"

"A boy – a long time ago. He saved me when I was a child and he gave it to me for protection."

His eyes seemed to soften and he released her. He looked confused. He cast the black orbs down to his right, as though he was searching his mind for a memory long forgotten. When he looked back up at her, there seemed to be a spark of recognition in his eyes.

"Go. And don't come up here again unless I order you to." His voice had lost its hard edge.

She nodded, still shaking with fright. He gave her one last, long look before turning and walking away.

Jade watched him as he turned and returned to his bedchamber. "How is Xerxes doing?" she asked.

Mozenrath stopped in the doorway. For a moment he did nothing. Then he turned and faced her.

"He's fine." Then he turned away and closed the door behind him.

The princess looked at the door a moment. Still embarrassed by what had happened, she glanced down at the floor. It was then she noticed that her royal clothing had been torn and tarnished, no doubt through the wizard's magic. She looked back up at the door to Mozenrath's bedchamber. Her hand flew to her head and her neck. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found that the gifts from her beloved father, the golden head piece and matching choker, were still in their rightful places. Before anything else happened, Jade hurried off down the corridor.

Mozenrath leaned back against the door to his chamber. He shook his head free of thoughts of the princess and returned to his ailing familiar. As he knelt down beside the bed, Xerxes opened his eyes and looked tiredly at his master.

"What Master yell for?" he asked.

"Sorry, Xerxes," Mozenrath said, stroking the eel gently. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Why Mozenrath yell?" the eel asked again.

"That nosy little princess was spying on us…" Mozenrath grumbled. Xerxes squirmed under the blanket. "What's the matter?"

"Xerxes cold…" he coughed.

Mozenrath wrapped the blankets tighter around the eel, and then climbed into the bed beside him. He brought the familiar to his chest and held him gently in his arms. "I'll keep you warm Xerxes. Just stay close to me."

Xerxes snuggled up against his master. He was feeling warmer already. He drifted off to sleep as Mozenrath stroked his fins.

Mozenrath watched his sleeping familiar for a while longer. He stood up from the bed and removed his cloak and turban. The wizard draped the cloak over the little eel and laid his turban beside him.

"I'll be back, Xerxes," he whispered, stroking the eel's head gently. "I promise."

He disappeared from the room. Mozenrath entered his laboratory and immediately began searching the shelves for a certain book. Finding the one he was looking for, he opened it to the page with the ingredients for his planned potion. He had made it once before when Xerxes fell ill and it ultimately saved his little friend's life. Finding the page he set the book down on the book stand next to the cauldron and gathered the ingredients from around the lab. Having everything he needed, he began mixing the potion. His work ceased only briefly when a mamluk entered the lab. Annoyed, he blasted it to pieces and went back to work.

Hours later, Mozenrath took a small vile of the completed potion back to his room. When he arrived, he received a surprise.

Jade was sitting on the bed with Xerxes on her lap. Xerxes purred contentedly as she stroked his head and back. The two looked up when they heard Mozenrath enter.

"Master!" Xerxes said happily, as though he were a young child welcoming his father home from work. Jade looked slightly frightened at having Mozenrath find her in his bedchamber without his permission.

"What's going on here?" Mozenrath asked.

"He woke up and started calling for you, so I came in to see what was wrong," Jade said. "I sent one of the mamluks to find you, while I stayed here with him."

"Really…" Mozenrath said, skeptically.

"Lady care for Xerxes," the little eel chipped in. "Princess nice." The two humans smiled at the eel. "Where Mozenrath go?"

"I went to make a potion to help you feel better," Mozenrath said, approaching the bed as he uncapped the vile. The little eel recognized the smell and turned his head away, a disgusted look on his face. He shook his head as Mozenrath attempted again to give it to him. "Xerxes, I know it doesn't taste good," the sorcerer said. "But you have to take it if you want to feel better."

Mozenrath gave him the potion again. Xerxes closed his eyes tightly and allowed the bluish liquid to wash down his throat. Once it was gone, he made a disgusted sound, sticking his tongue out.

Mozenrath laughed. "You should be alright now," he said, stroking his familiar.

Jade watched the two for a moment, and then removed Xerxes from her lap, laying him in the bed. Xerxes gave her hand a small lick as she got up. Jade smiled and Mozenrath just gave a look of disgust. The little eel snuggled up against the pillows, curling his long tail around him like a cat.

Mozenrath looked to the princess. "Xerxes seems to have taken a liking to you." Jade looked at him. "Usually, I am the only one that he trusts."

Jade smiled slightly. She bowed to him and walked to the door. "Princess."

She turned. "Yes, my lord?"

Mozenrath hesitated. "…Uh… err - thank you… for watching him…"

Jade noticed that he was turning slightly red, but did not say anything. "You're welcome." She bowed again and left the room.

Mozenrath watched as she closed the door behind her. He mentally kicked himself for what had just happened.

Never show embarrassment, especially to someone lower than you, he had heard Destane say time and again. It shows that you are weak.

"And if there's one thing I'm not - it's weak."

He walked over to his desk and sat down. Picking up the spell book he was reading the night before, he opened it to where he left off.