"Princess Jasmine, get down from there! You're going to injure yourself!"
"I won't fall, father." replied Jasmine confidently from her perch far above the ground.
She was sitting atop the broadcloth sheet that covered their caravan, her slipper-clad feet just barely visible from the Sultan's line of view. Then again, there was nothing remarkable in that: he was a short, jovial man that couldn't see much.
"But, dear!" he sputtered, knowing nothing he said could sway his headstrong daughter. "You can't risk injury just before your first day of school! And you know perfectly well how important it is, with you representing the entire nation of Agrabah-"
"I don't want to be on display like a trophy, father." Jasmine grumbled, pressing her cheek against the cool metal of the caravan through the thin sheet that covered it. "They're going to treat me like an outsider there, I'm sure. All of the private school kids, with their fancy 'teas' and 'dances.' And I've never even seen a public school before!"
"Now Jasmine," the Sultan soothed," we all know how flexible you are, and how good at adapting. I'm sure that you'll adjust marvelously!"
"That is-" She paused, her small red lips curling up in a smile. "- If I want to adjust."
"What on Earth are you talking about?" There was a concerned twinge to the Sultan's voice as he spoke.
"Maybe I'll decide I don't like it there," she said, a bit coyly. "And then what?"
"Jasmine." The Sultan's face was full of exasperation. "It's only for a year, you know."
"I know, I know," the princess muttered, slumping. "It's just that- well, things there are so different from Agrabah. It could be my chance at freedom, or-" she gulped "- or everyone might recognize me as a princess behind a fancy glass screen, instead of a real person."
"Don't worry," the Sultan replied, his voice hushed and calming. He leaned out the window so that she could hear. "They'll like you there. Everyone likes you."
Because they're ordered to, Jasmine thought mirthlessly. Her eyes were stormy, yet her voice was soft. "You're right. Thank you, father. I hope that they will like me there, I really do."
A few hours later, a sharp voice rang in the princess's ear.
"We're here, Jasmine."
"Hmm?" she sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her stunning emerald eyes.
After a moment of glancing around, her mind hazy with sleep, Jasmine realized that she must have dozed off on top of the caravan. She sat up stiffly, rubbing her back and trying to look wide awake. If the Sultan found out, then he would have a heart attack!
Jasmine walked to the edge of the caravan and lithely leapt from the broadcloth, twisting in the air to land on both feet with catlike poise.
Oh, that reminded her! She shoved open a small compartment of the caravan that had been made especially to fit one small, brindle kitty.
"Wakey wakey, Rajah."
The cat emitted a soft "prrow" noise, unhinging his tiny jaws to let out a yawn. After a moment of waking up and grooming his matted tawny coat, Rajah prowled up her sleeve. He gathered handfuls of her shirt in his tiny claws to pick his way up to her shoulders, and wrapped himself around her neck like a furry boa.
"Oh Rajah, get down from there!" Jasmine swatted the cat playfully, and he answered with a plaintive purr.
"Jasmine, are you ready?" The Sultan stepped carefully down from the dingy metal stairway, his broad feet leaving indentations in the marshy ground. "We're really lucky to just get here, you know," he prattled on. "I've heard that there was just a huge storm here- a hurricane, or tsunami, or something, and-"
But Jasmine had stopped listening long ago. "Father, look," she breathed, pointing skywards.
Towering over them was a massive castle-like structure, it's white stone terraces topped with a rich, navy blue filigree. There were a few delicate latticework fences, interspersed with large pink roses that smelled of perfume. Their dew-dotted petals seemed as silky as the pillows that Jasmine slept on back in Agrabah, and she found herself missing home.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" the Sultan muttered in admiration. "This is your new school, Jasmine- Disney Dust academy!"
Jasmine's breath had caught in her throat at the lovely sight, and now it rapidly spewed out of her mouth in an avalanche of questions.
"Do I stay in a dorm off-campus? Is this one of those fancy private schools? Who's the headmaster? Wait, so no one ever sees him? Is this place for real? Have the school inspectors already been here? Has-"
"Slow down there, Jasmine," chuckled the Sultan good-naturedly. "I know it's quite a lot to take in, and it should be. But I have the feeling you'll really enjoy the experience!"
"You know," Jasmine said with a small smile," I think I will."
"WELCOME!" a voice boomed from behind them.
Jasmine quickly spun around. As her eyes landed on the person who had just spoken, she let out a little gasp of surprise.
"Are you a Genie?"
"Indeed I am!" he confirmed with a flourish.
The Genie's skin was a bright blue, the color of the sparkling lakes of Agrabah, and his eyes were the color of many things- mist, hot cocoa, the sunrise. Though his wrists were bound by two massive shackles embedded with tiny rubies and carved with flowers, they seemed purely decorative.
"The shackles," Jasmine asked," do they hurt?"
"Well, they used to," the Genie said thoughtfully. "But the headmaster freed me with his first wish, and now I just keep them as a reminder of his goodwill!" He glanced down at the shackles reverently. "Also, they're pretty cool-lookin'. Am I right?"
"Yes, you're right," Jasmine laughed.
The sound of his daughter's joy was enough to snap the Sultan, who had been paralyzed with shock, out of his trance. He came to life again and waddled up to the Genie, greeting him warmly and shaking his large hand.
"Now Jasmine," the Genie addressed the girl," since you're here, do you have any questions?"
"Will I be staying in a dorm?" she asked promptly, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Yep!" the Genie responded gleefully. "We're going to have you fill out a survey, and the dorm'll be custom designed to fit your taste!"
"Who else is enrolled here?"
"Well, no one else from Agrabah that I know of," the Genie admitted, twiddling his thumbs together as he spoke. "Wait a second, I'll go get the Archives."
He disappeared in a poof of blue smoke, and a moment later he was back before it had even settled. A crisp manila envelope was tucked protectively under his arm.
"You have to hang onto things carefully when you warp," he explained, handing the envelope to Jasmine. "This has the class list, and where everyone comes from.
Her eyes scanned the names.
Alice Liddell. Wonderland Boulevard.
Wendy Darling. Main Street.
Peter Pan. Neverland Way.
Ariel Triton. Under Da Sea.
Aladdin. Agrabah.
No surname, just 'Aladdin.' Jasmine blinked, trying to remember if she had ever heard of him before, but decided she hadn't.
"Ooh, I see ya found Al's name!" the Genie exclaimed. "He's a great guy- he came a bit early, a week ago, to put his stuff here and settle in. He's already taken the room survey, and the fairies are just finishing up making it."
"He lives in Agrabah?" Jasmine arched her eyebrows in curiosity.
"Well, yeah, but he's staying at the Boy's Orphanage for a bit before school. He made the trip early, for some reason. Seemed really eager to leave Agrabah."
What's possibly not to like? Jasmine thought indignantly, picturing the lotus gardens and beautiful, winding rivers of Agrabah. Who is he, so eager to leave such a beautiful place?
"Well then," the Genie exclaimed exuberantly, putting a hand on Jasmine's shoulder and steering her towards the building. "Are you ready to take the survey?"
She nodded nodded, raising her head decisively. She would fit in and apprehend Aladdin for scorning her home. And she must let no one know the truth…
… that Jasmine was a princess.