Over the palace walls and out into the marketplace, she had made it as far as the nearest shipyard, before the palace guards came rushing to her "rescue." Razoul and the other guards couldn't babysit the princess 24/7; it led Jasmine's father to a conclusion that made the princess absolutely sick. A bodyguard.
Overall, he would be a babysitter. Someone assigned to her, permanently, to ensure she didn't misbehave. To ensure she minded the rules, and couldn't run away, no matter how hard she tried.
A bodyguard was certainly better than a new, princely suitor.
A gilded cage was still a cage. A guard to keep her locked inside, by any other name...
She had been cleaned from head-to-toe and dressed that morning, with orders to assemble downstairs immediately. The fully grown Bengal tiger followed close behind.
He stood out against the pristine marble floors; the shade of his hair was one she had never seen before, in their area of the world. And while she had expected him to be strong, she underestimated the lengths her father had gone to. From far away, she assumed they were near the same age. The closer she got, the more it appeared his features were carved and chiseled by the gods, themselves.
They say he's the son of a god, she'd heard Razoul murmur to the other guards a few days prior, and they had muttered and scoffed in response. Jealousy, she surmised.
Jasmine was inclined to believe the rumors, upon actually seeing him.
"Jasmine, this is Hercules. He's been assigned to protect you. He's a kind, trustworthy young man--- he'll be an excellent addition to our staff, here," her father smiled, as clueless and as good-natured as ever. It was so hard for princess to be frustrated with him, when her father was so sweet.
The sultan excused himself, with his own duties to attend to--- leaving Jasmine to show her new bodyguard around.
Rajah greeted the help with a growl, prowling forward to assess the demigod.
β Rajah has been my protector, until now, β the princess lifted her head, lips pursing. β I don't think he'll care all that much to share the duty. I apologize for him. β An empty apology with an air of sass.
She regarded him once more, before leading him down the grand corridor, into the courtyard.
β I'd show you more of Agrabah, but I'm afraid I can't go far... Hercules, was it? β // @multimatium
