Ariel lay awake that night, wondering what to do. She wanted to help Jasmine so badly, but how? How? If only she knew someone who knew something about magic.
Then it hit her. She sat up, pondering for a few seconds and then, excitedly, she nudged her husband. Ramses stirred. “What is it?” Opening his eyes properly, he sat up, worried. “Is something wrong? Is it the baby?”
“No, no,” she smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, thank Ra!” Ramses sighed. “You had me worried there for a moment.”
“Sorry. Oh, don’t go back to sleep,” she added as he lay back down again. “I’ve had a thought.”
“About what?” asked Ramses, stifling a yawn.
“About Jasmine.”
“Oh, yes?”
“The medicine man.”
Ramses frowned. “Do you mean Dr Imhotep or the man in the market?”
“The man in the market. I think he said his name was...Facilier? He knows a lot about magic and potions. Maybe he’d know something.”
“It’s possible,” agreed Ramses.
“Let’s go!” Ariel said, swinging her legs out of bed but Ramses caught her elbow. “Ariel, it’s the middle of the night,” he said, firmly. “It can wait until morning.”
“Oh!” Ariel groaned but she clambered back into bed beside him even so.
“No, no,” he insisted as she gave him the pleading look she used to give him when they were children. The “puppy-dog-eyes” he called it. “You’re not getting around me this time. You’re not going anywhere this time of night.”
“Oh, you worry too much,” she told him, rearranging herself comfortably in his arms, but then she reached up and kissed him. “I know you only do so because you love me.”
“Exactly,” he murmured into her hair, already half-asleep again.
So it was that the next day, Ariel made her way to market alone. Ramses would have liked to have gone with her, but his father wanted him with him and his brother to arrange some kind of formal leaving festivities for Lady Maleficent. “Be careful,” he told her, “no wearing yourself out.”
“I’m not that heavily pregnant yet,” she reminded him, kissing his cheek. “But I will be careful.”
Dr Facilier was a strange looking man; suave and yet somehow creepy, and he always wore a purple outfit with a funny top hat and shoes that he called “spats.” Nevertheless, Ariel hadn’t known him to sell anything dangerous to anyone before and he had always treated her rather cordially.
“Ah, your highness!” he crooned, bowing low to her. “And what can I do for you this fine, fine day?”
“I wanted to ask you about a magic spell,” she replied.
“A magic spell? For what, now? Beauty? Good crops? Cleaning? I know you don’t need one for love, being married to Prince Ramses and all, my lady.”
Ariel blushed. “No, that I do not, sir. No, I wanted to ask about a spell to turn someone into a frog.”
“Oh?” He winked. “And, um, who might you be turning into a frog, darlin’?”
“No, no, it’s not for me,” she said. “It’s happened to a friend of a friend of mine.”
“Oh, I see. Are you sure?”
“Quite sure; at least that was what my friend said. It’s her lover.”
“Well, ma’am, True Love’s Kiss can break any spell, you tell your friend that.”
“It’s not quite that simple,” Ariel explained. “They’ve been separated and she doesn’t know where he is.”
“Ah! Well, there, I think I can help you!” Facilier rummaged amongst his merchandise and finally dug out a large wooden box. He opened it and a jet of fire shot upwards. Ariel jumped but Facilier grinned and closed the casket. “Yeah, this is the one. Stand back when you open it.”
“What will it do?” asked Ariel as he handed it to her.
“It contains a finding spell. All your friend needs to do is put something belonging to her lover in it, like a piece of his hair or clothing or whatever and the box does the rest. The spell will seek him out and then, well, then she can do as she likes with him.”
“Will it work?” Ariel asked.
“Do you doubt me?” he asked, innocently.
Ariel smiled. “Just checking.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you today? Maybe a tonic to calm you when it comes to the birth?”
“How do you know I’m pregnant?”
“Ah, word gets around. I can recommend a good diet and myrtle leaves for any pain you may get during it.”
“Thank you, sir, but the casket will be plenty,” Ariel replied, paying him.
“Good luck to you,” he called as she set off back to the palace. She couldn’t wait to tell Ramses.
“That box?” Ramses repeated, doubtfully eying the box, when she had finished. “That will find Jasmine’s lover?”
“If she puts in it something that once belonged to Naveen, yes, apparently.”
“What if it doesn’t, though?”
“Well,” Ariel sighed, deflated, “if it doesn’t, we’re really no worse off, are we?”
“True,” Ramses agreed.
“Ramses?”
“Yes?”
“If something like this,” Ariel began, twisting her hands together, “like what’s happened to Naveen and Jasmine...”
“I’d hop to the ends of the Earth to find you,” Ramses reassured her.
“Oh, Ramses!” she smiled, hugging him.
“Come on,” he murmured to her, “Let’s find Jasmine and see if this box of yours does the job.”
Then it hit her. She sat up, pondering for a few seconds and then, excitedly, she nudged her husband. Ramses stirred. “What is it?” Opening his eyes properly, he sat up, worried. “Is something wrong? Is it the baby?”
“No, no,” she smiled. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, thank Ra!” Ramses sighed. “You had me worried there for a moment.”
“Sorry. Oh, don’t go back to sleep,” she added as he lay back down again. “I’ve had a thought.”
“About what?” asked Ramses, stifling a yawn.
“About Jasmine.”
“Oh, yes?”
“The medicine man.”
Ramses frowned. “Do you mean Dr Imhotep or the man in the market?”
“The man in the market. I think he said his name was...Facilier? He knows a lot about magic and potions. Maybe he’d know something.”
“It’s possible,” agreed Ramses.
“Let’s go!” Ariel said, swinging her legs out of bed but Ramses caught her elbow. “Ariel, it’s the middle of the night,” he said, firmly. “It can wait until morning.”
“Oh!” Ariel groaned but she clambered back into bed beside him even so.
“No, no,” he insisted as she gave him the pleading look she used to give him when they were children. The “puppy-dog-eyes” he called it. “You’re not getting around me this time. You’re not going anywhere this time of night.”
“Oh, you worry too much,” she told him, rearranging herself comfortably in his arms, but then she reached up and kissed him. “I know you only do so because you love me.”
“Exactly,” he murmured into her hair, already half-asleep again.
So it was that the next day, Ariel made her way to market alone. Ramses would have liked to have gone with her, but his father wanted him with him and his brother to arrange some kind of formal leaving festivities for Lady Maleficent. “Be careful,” he told her, “no wearing yourself out.”
“I’m not that heavily pregnant yet,” she reminded him, kissing his cheek. “But I will be careful.”
Dr Facilier was a strange looking man; suave and yet somehow creepy, and he always wore a purple outfit with a funny top hat and shoes that he called “spats.” Nevertheless, Ariel hadn’t known him to sell anything dangerous to anyone before and he had always treated her rather cordially.
“Ah, your highness!” he crooned, bowing low to her. “And what can I do for you this fine, fine day?”
“I wanted to ask you about a magic spell,” she replied.
“A magic spell? For what, now? Beauty? Good crops? Cleaning? I know you don’t need one for love, being married to Prince Ramses and all, my lady.”
Ariel blushed. “No, that I do not, sir. No, I wanted to ask about a spell to turn someone into a frog.”
“Oh?” He winked. “And, um, who might you be turning into a frog, darlin’?”
“No, no, it’s not for me,” she said. “It’s happened to a friend of a friend of mine.”
“Oh, I see. Are you sure?”
“Quite sure; at least that was what my friend said. It’s her lover.”
“Well, ma’am, True Love’s Kiss can break any spell, you tell your friend that.”
“It’s not quite that simple,” Ariel explained. “They’ve been separated and she doesn’t know where he is.”
“Ah! Well, there, I think I can help you!” Facilier rummaged amongst his merchandise and finally dug out a large wooden box. He opened it and a jet of fire shot upwards. Ariel jumped but Facilier grinned and closed the casket. “Yeah, this is the one. Stand back when you open it.”
“What will it do?” asked Ariel as he handed it to her.
“It contains a finding spell. All your friend needs to do is put something belonging to her lover in it, like a piece of his hair or clothing or whatever and the box does the rest. The spell will seek him out and then, well, then she can do as she likes with him.”
“Will it work?” Ariel asked.
“Do you doubt me?” he asked, innocently.
Ariel smiled. “Just checking.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you today? Maybe a tonic to calm you when it comes to the birth?”
“How do you know I’m pregnant?”
“Ah, word gets around. I can recommend a good diet and myrtle leaves for any pain you may get during it.”
“Thank you, sir, but the casket will be plenty,” Ariel replied, paying him.
“Good luck to you,” he called as she set off back to the palace. She couldn’t wait to tell Ramses.
“That box?” Ramses repeated, doubtfully eying the box, when she had finished. “That will find Jasmine’s lover?”
“If she puts in it something that once belonged to Naveen, yes, apparently.”
“What if it doesn’t, though?”
“Well,” Ariel sighed, deflated, “if it doesn’t, we’re really no worse off, are we?”
“True,” Ramses agreed.
“Ramses?”
“Yes?”
“If something like this,” Ariel began, twisting her hands together, “like what’s happened to Naveen and Jasmine...”
“I’d hop to the ends of the Earth to find you,” Ramses reassured her.
“Oh, Ramses!” she smiled, hugging him.
“Come on,” he murmured to her, “Let’s find Jasmine and see if this box of yours does the job.”