To Bathe

...you, thank you."

“Enough,” Aladdin said to cut her off. He fanned his hand in front of his nose and sniffed the air. "You smell filthy. Like sweat and sex. Go take a bath and return in an hour."

Jasmine tried to stand on shaking legs, failed twice. She was so exhausted. Every muscle in her body ached like she had run the entirety of the desert without rest. Her knees were bruised and stiff from the stone floor. Her voice hoarse from screaming.

But it was lack of sleep and food that weakened her most. She'd had little of both in the days after Aladdin's disappearance. And none at all last night. She wanted nothing more than to feast on fruit and meat, then jump into her bed and sleep for days.

Thankfully, her private bath was located next to her bed chamber. With it so close and unable to stand, she crawled.

The bath was larger than most commoners' homes. She nearly sobbed when she reached the edge. Slowly, she eased herself into its warm embrace.

“Mmm,” she sighed, leaning her back against the wall, water up to her neck. After a moment of rest, she unbound her long, black hair and dipped her head beneath the water, soaking it through.

She scrubbed the sweat from her skin with a cake of soap and remembered a time not so long ago, before Aladdin had become this monster. He used to worship her. He even washed her feet, kissing each small toe after he had finished. She remembers his fingers running through her hair. All along her skin.

Jasmine closed her eyes. After last night, she allowed herself to live in the fantasy for a time.

But Aladdin had only given her an hour. Pulling herself out of the bath took nearly all of the relaxed energy she had just regained. She dried and examined her body. She needed to wax her sex, but there wasn’t enough time, so she skipped the step and rubbed gently scented oils into her skin instead.

Her belly rumbled with the need to eat. Still weak and sore, but at least now able to stand, she stumbled back into her room and nearly cried when she saw what was waiting.