Loneliness had become an unwelcome companion in thefrigid winter nights of Agrabah. The days were stillwarm, but the desert cold swept through the palace witha viciousness that reminded Jasmine of vizier Jafar'ssmile.

Ex-vizier, she reminded herself. He was a genienow, powerless and buried hundreds of feet under thedesert sand in his own cave of wonders, where she hopedhe would stay for the next ten thousand years.

She sighed and wrapped her woolen cloak tighterabout her, looking out over the town where she had firstventured to find the man of her dreams, her belovedAladdin. With the passing of her father, however, hehad been named Sultan of Agrabah, and one of the conse-quences of his coronation was the slew of invitations tovisit other Sultanates and confirm his position amongthem.

Not that there was any chance of war. Agrabah wasa comfortable city that served its people well. Once,it had been an incredibly busy trading city along theprofitable Myrrh Road, but the valley to the north hadnot seen rain in many years and the city there had van-ished into the encroaching desert, taking the Myrrh Roadwith it. Agrabah's charm along the Myrrh Road had beenits powerful spring that fed their agriculture and keptthem alive. Smaller now, poorer in riches but richer inspirit, Agrabah had become one of the most beautiful andself-sufficient sultanates in all of Allah's lands, butit possessed little that would lead another warlordagainst it.

Her hands were freezing as she leaned against thepainted stone railing. She decided to go inside, clos-ing the ornate door behind her and crossing the coldtiles to the brazier, stoking it up to great warmth.Behind her she heard a soft shuffle as someone pushedaside one of the heavy winter tapestries that heldwarmth in her room from fleeing to the rest of the chil-ly palace. A low rumble told her who her companion was,especially when he pressed his cold nose against theback of her neck. She turned around and grabbed thelarge tiger's head in a soft and friendly hug. "Oh,Rajah," she sighed softly. "He's been gone so long."

"Mrrrowl," Rajah agreed. He walked around to sitnext to her before the warm brazier, curling up aroundher. A magnificently muscled tiger, Jasmine oftenwondered if Rajah was entirely tiger since his stomachand rump looked more like that of a Cheetah or otherrunning animal. "Murrrumm?"

"I know, he'll be back soon," she smiled. "He tookCarpet and Abu with him, too. With father gone, it'sjust me and you here now. None of the servants reallyunderstand. He means the world to me, Rajah, you knowthat. I wish I had more people who really knew how Ifelt. It almost makes me wish Iago was around."

"Hrrrumph," Rajah snorted at the mention of the ac-cursed parrot's name.

"I know, he was as evil as his master Jafar, but atleast when I talked to him he understood what I wastalking about." She sighed. "I'm talking nonsense. Ofcourse I don't wish either of them back. I'm gladthey're gone for as long as we shall all live."

She crossed the high-ceilinged room and crawled in-to her bed, too much bed for just one person alone.Rajah walked over to where his sheepskin rug lay andpulled it in front of the fire with his teeth, deter-mined to stay warm while he got some sleep.

Jasmine lay in bed, trying to remember the feel ofher beloved Ali's body next to her own, his warmingbreath and his smooth skin sliding against hers. In herimagination he was just out of her reach. She couldbarely reach out and touch the ends of his silken hair.She had been so glad when he had given up wearing thatstupid white headpiece with the feather; his hair wasone of his most beauteous features.

Her hands slid under the heavy linen bedding totouch her belly, and she could remember the way hishands felt there, touching her, caressing her softness.It wasn't at all like his. His skin always felt smoothand dry, but underneath his stomach had been tight,strong. As were his limbs. She remembered their wed-ding night, when she had been so frightened. He hadn'tbeen much better. But after the initial pain, when hehad entered her, she had looked up into his worried faceand held his powerful arms with her hands and told himshe would be okay, he had smiled and they had made loveas man and wife should. The happiness she had felt attheir joining had caused her to cry afterwards for along time. And he had been so worried!

Her fingers stroked up along her ribcage and overher breasts. She gasped softly as her own hands madesmall tremors of pleasure run up her spine. When hetouched her breasts, he was always so gentle. And hiseyes, they were always so full of mischief and happi-ness. Sometimes he was just like a child exploring anewly beloved toy.

As her fingers caressed the dark skin along hercollarbone and slid back down the sides of her body.She knew that seeing him naked for the first time hadshocked her. She hadn't been prepared for the size ofhis sex, completely convinced that it would never fitwithin her own. Yet it had. Her hands passed over herhips and felt the soft whisp of hair between her thighs.The sensation of him within her had told her everythingshe needed to know about being a woman. And being Alad-din's. That boyish grin of his made her melt with need.

She spread her legs a little wider as her fingersslid down over her nether lips to caress between herthighs. She gasped to think of him, of the exploringthey had done. He had always been so... naive. Yes,that had been on her initiative, to make love in placesother than just the palace bedroom and in positionsother than the obvious. But always for her the bestwas just to watch his face as he thrust himself withinher, to feel his body atop hers and his sex within hers.

As she felt her fingers touching within her ownwetness, she dreamed of his kisses on her lips, herthroat, her breasts. Oh, she missed him. Her bodymissed him. Her fingers went deeper inside herself asshe tried to find the little clues that would bring himback to her completely. "Oh, Aladdin!" she gasped as awave of pleasure broke over her.

She settled back onto the bed. The needs of herbody were a little quieter now, but she knew she couldnever be fully satisfied until her Prince Aladdin wasin her arms again. She felt desire still, desire todream of him again, to caress herself again. "He hadbetter return soon."

"Mrrrow?" Rajah's voice asked from across the room.

"I'm just talking to myself, Rajah. Missing myPrince."

Jasmine heard Rajah shift his massive bulk as hestood up. The tiger's body was silhouetted perfectlyin the fireplace, and Jasmine found herself again ad-miring the giant tiger's beauty. Her first and stillbest friend, Rajah had always been there for her whenshe needed someone to cry with or to play with.

He crossed the room and hopped up onto the bed."Rajah!" she gasped. "You know this bed isn't strongenough to hold you!"

"Rrrrowl," Rajah replied softly, nuzzling her neckwith his nose.

She stroked his neck softly. "You're so good tome, Rajah. You're right. I don't care if the bedbreaks."

Rajah curled up next to her, separated by thecovers. "Oh, you silly tiger. Come down here insideand join me. You'll freeze out there away from thefire."

"Nnnrrow?"

"Come on," Jasmine insisted, holding the covers up.Rajah shifted as she directed and she tossed the coversover him. She shifted next to him, taking advantage ofhis warmth. As always, she was immediately impressedwith his strength, but in some ways she was also atten-tive to his strength, not at all unlike Aladdin's. WithAladdin gone, her desire often rose to uncontrollableheights, and Rajah's presence drove so many memorieswithin her that, despite her earlier dreaming she knewshe wanted such caresses once again, even her own.

Practical to a fault, Jasmine slid away from Rajah,trying to keep her desires suppressed. She was not as-hamed of her needs; to her they were signs of her lovefor Aladdin. She had not had them before she met thePrince her dreams had waited on. But she had no desireto disturb her life-long tiger friend. She knew thatoften her caresses encouraged her to shift in bed andto make soft noises.

But her body would not be denied. Her hands foundtheir way along the soft curves of her body, and as shehad known they would, small whimpers escaped from herlips no matter how hard she tried to keep quiet. Herpassion arose within her again, and her body trembledgently.

Rajah shifted in his sleep; one of his rear pawspressed against her ankle, and to her surprise a smallthrill of mischievousness, much like the one that hadoriginally led her to meeting Aladdin, rang within hersoul. She turned her head to look at her tiger friend,and was shocked to find him looking at her, his headcocked slightly to the left and a gentle and friendlysmile on his face.

Rajah lowered his head and pressed his cool noseagainst her neck, lowering slowly down until his roughtongue was pressing against her hardening nipple."Rajah!" she gasped.

"Hrrru?" the tiger replied softly, looking up withone eye open.

"What... Oh..." She sat up suddenly in bed, givinghim another hug, wrapping her arms around his thickneck. "You're just being a good friend while Aladdin isgone, is that it?"

"Mmurr-hmmm," Rajah replied, his head bouncingslightly.

"Well, I guess it's all right," she replied."You've always been my best friend." She lay back inbed and continued to stroke her body. Rajah softlynursed at one nipple, and she caressed the other beforesliding her hands down between her parted thighs andplaying with her warm sex. "Oh, Rajah, I miss him so,"she gasped as her slender fingers caressed that oneplace that gave her such pleasure.

Her hands worked faster, but Rajah had a differentidea. The scent of her sex attracted his nose, and henudged her fingers out of the way as she caressed her-self. "Rajah? What are you doing?"

As an answer, Rajah's tongue struck out and slidalong the length of her sex. Jasmine gasped softly."Rajah!"

A soft growl grew in his throat, a soft purringsound as he pressed his head between her legs, lickingat her sex. "Yes," she moaned softly. "Oh, Rajah,please!" she begged as the familiar rise in pleasureswept through her like a summer sandstorm. "Yes," shesighed once more, reaching down to stroke Rajah's headand push him away. "That's enough, Rajah. Oh, youwonderful tiger, you!" She reached up and pushed himover. More accurately, he fell over and let her hughim tightly.

"Thank you, Rajah," she sighed, kissing her friendunder the muzzle and scratching at his ears. She feltsomething bat against her leg and looked down. Rajah'ssex was extended to full length, and she realized thathe must have been excited by her writhing and herclimax. "Rajah, have you ever mated?" she asked sudden-ly.

"Mmm-rrrr." The tiger looked back sadly.

"Would you like me to find someone for you?"

"Yrrr?" The tiger looked at her, confused for asecond. "Mmurr-urr," he replied after a moment, pressinghis nose to hers.

"Yes, I know you have me, Rajah. That's not what Imeant. I'm not your mate. I'm not a tiger."

"Mrr?"

"So what?" she repeated, angrily. "You've been mybest friend for so very long, Rajah. I am the Princess.You deserve everything a princess can do for you."

"Mrrrhurr?"

"Of course I'd do that for you!" she replied,smiling. "I love you, you silly tiger." She slid over,and again her leg pressed against his hardness. "In themeantime, let me give you what you did for me," she con-tinued, sliding down his body.

She was pleased to see that Rajah's sex wasn't inproportion to the rest of his body; in fact, it wassmaller than her precious Aladdin's. She slowly wrappedher slim fingers around it and began stroking himslowly. A loud purr rumbled through Rajah as her handbegan stroking him firmly.

She smiled looking at him pawing the air absently,his head and shoulders pressed back against the bed."Rajah?" she asked softly. "You used your mouth, didn'tyou?" She slowly lowered her head to his sex and kissedthe tip of it gently. It tasted odd, a little strongbut also pleasant, like wrapped fig leaves dipped inpeppers. She opened her mouth and took it in, tastingit for the first time. Rajah growled loudly in appreci-ation.

Jasmine slowly suckled Rajah's maleness, feelinghis body grow tense. She tried to continue, but herjaw tired quickly and she returned to using her hands,stroking his sex and playing with his testicles gently,squeezing and coaxing.

Rajah erupted with a roar, a thick white stream offluid almost spraying out across his stomach. "Rajah!"she gasped, recognizing the explosion for what it was.

"Mrrrrrii," he replied softly.

"That's all right," she said stroking his chestwith her hand. "I hope you feel better now."

Rajah just purred. *

After they were cleaned up, Jasmine again lay inbed and Rajah retired back to his bedding by the fire.She curled up and went back to sleep. *

Dawn was creeping back into her windows, the airstill cold with the nights chill when she felt a handupon her shoulder. "Jasmine? Jasmine?"

She turned over. "Aladdin!" she cried, pullinghim down to the bed with her. Despite all of thepleasures of the night before, nothing fulfilled heras much as his presence. "I missed you so much!"

"And I missed you, my princess," he replied. Shecould feel his hardness growing between his legs, pres-sing against her. Her sex became wet almost instantly;she felt her need become strong again. She needed to befilled with him, with her Aladdin.

"Please," she moaned, looking up at him, "Aladdin,take me."

"My pleasure, my princess," he replied, tearing histunic off and tossing it aside. They tumbled down ontothe sheets again, covering themselves up against thecool morning. His body lighted her passions, and hisneed after having been away so long was powerful andimmense. She parted her thighs; he drove his sex intoher, filling her and making her his.

She looked up into his eyes, his handsome brownface with those glorious pools of blue liquid eyes. Hesmiled down at her. "I missed you, Jasmine."

"And I missed you, Aladdin. Oh, yes!" she gaspedas he pressed down fully. Their intimacies grew morepassionate, his body thrusting against hers, her legswrapped around his hips and holding him within her."Never let me go, Aladdin."

"I won't, Jasmine, I promise."

"I trust you, beloved," she whimpered as he thrusturgently against her.

"I... I know!" he gasped, his body shuddering inecstasy as he climaxed within her, and her body res-ponded with waves of pleasure of her own. "Oh, Jasmine."

After a while, as they lay together under thesheets, Jasmine whispered, "Ali?"

"Yes, beloved?"

"Don't be angry with me, beloved, but I pleasuredmyself while dreaming of you while you were gone."

Aladdin smiled. "Why should I be angry, Jasmine?I know you love me. If you wanted pleasure while dream-ing of me, that only shows how you love me."

She hugged him tightly. "Thank you, my prince."

He sighed and held his wife closely. "You're wecome, my princess.