Disclaimer: Aladdin (2019) belongs to our corporate overlord, Walt Disney. Don't sue me.

Summary: Jasmine's thoughts and feelings after she left the courtyard during the Harvest Festival scene and about a certain Prince Ali. Set after the Harvest Dance scene in the live action Aladdin universe.

Author's Note: I wrote this fic because (1) I absolutely love the Harvest Dance scene! and (2) I kept wondering to myself what if Jasmine began to recognize Prince Ali as Aladdin (a.k.a. the boy from the market) during that scene. I mean, the look on her face when Ali spoke to her tells me otherwise. Anyway, I've jumped into this crazed bandwagon too. I've been thinking about it since I first watched the movie, and guys, the movie was SO EFFING good! Everything about the movie was amazing! I just felt inspired to write my own stories of the characters we all know and love! So without further ado, please enjoy this short story!

She left the crowded courtyard in a hurry, not wanting to stay there for a moment longer. The sound of the Sultan's advisers and guests still applauding for the young prince dressed in white and gold in the middle of the courtyard made her blood boil.

And honestly, she really should have known.

"He's just like all the others…" Jasmine thought angrily to herself, as she rushed to her chambers, a silent Dalia trailing behind her.

As her dance partner, Prince Ali was being his awkward self, embarrassing the princess a little when the music began and she started her part of their shared dance. A thought quickly circulated in her head that maybe asking him to dance with her might have been a bad idea. But he managed to surprise her when the music heightened. He kept his pace with her, knowing the choreography of his part, and that kind of caught her eye.

After all, none of the princes she has met before would even know of this dance as this dance is originally from Sherabad, her mother's kingdom.

But Ali did. Clearly, he must have done his research about her heritage.

Just as the Harvest Dance between them was going to continue, he just suddenly had to command all the attention with these dance moves she nor everyone else in the courtyard have never seen before.

And his moves left her quite taken by him. Even as he continued, a part of her wanted to join him; to do something completely different and unexpected and un-princess-like.

But he had other intentions, and Jasmine suddenly felt like a fool for even wanting to join him in the first place.

She should have known. Really.

She's the princess, daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah. Nothing Prince Ali could or would do will ever impress her completely because he's too busy impressing everyone else.

"And embarrassing me while he's at it." Jasmine angrily thought to herself.

What made her want to ask him to dance with her anyway?

Dalia had encouraged her before and during the festival to give Prince Ali another chance despite the awkward introduction earlier in the day.

"He was nervous, Princess," Dalia had spoke to her while dressing her prior to the festival starting, "He didn't mean to offend you. Prince Ali was just… very nervous to meet you."

Later, at the Harvest Festival, when Dalia slipped away for some punch for the two of them, Jasmine briefly spotted the prince walking towards her, but Prince Anders startled her with his sudden arrival, breaking her line of sight she had on her new suitor.

It took all her effort to get him and his guards to leave her be, and Prince Ali ended up not approaching her at all.

When both the princess and her handmaiden saw a solemn Prince Ali and his tall adviser walking around the courtyard, a glass of punch in Ali's hand, Dalia gave her a thoughtful look and said, "He's trying hard."

Jasmine knew what she really meant. Give him a chance.

So when he did finally approach her to apologize for his earlier actions and words, though he was just as awkward as he was before, stumbling through his apology, Jasmine had to give him credit where credit is due. Maybe he wasn't so bad if he had the courage to apologize to her in her face.

As they stood close to each other for the first time, something felt awfully familiar about him as she gazed at him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something about him that made her heart race a little.

He almost… He does kind of look like…

"No," Jasmine shook her head at the thought just as quickly as she dismissed it earlier before she curtly asked him to dance with her. "He's a prince, coming to court me, and that makes him no different from the rest."

Entering her bedchambers, Jasmine ignored Rajah lying on the floor near her bed as she headed straight towards her maps on her desk. Now that she's done with the festival and dealing with Prince Ali for the moment, she can properly put attention to something else that has been bugging her all day.

"Dalia," she called out to her handmaiden, who gazed at her with confusion from behind her, "Make sure that I am not to be disturbed by anyone for a while."

Dalia bowed. "Of course. I'll make sure of it, princess."

Unfurling the paper maps, Jasmine began her search.

So if you did not know, Jasmine is half-South Asian in this movie, so to me, it kind of makes sense that the Harvest Dance, having some South Asian influences in its choreography, would most likely originated from her mother's homeland. Sherabad, according to the director and producers, represents South Asia, which is home to India and Pakistan. Fun fact: Jasmine's outfits throughout the movie heavily emphasizes that type of culture plus as an added bonus, Naomi Scott is half-Indian.

Also, if you didn't get the reference at the end, spoiler alert: she's searching for Prince Ali's country of Ababwa.

Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed this story! I have other ideas of "between scenes" moments that I want to write. So hopefully, you'll be there when I upload them for all to enjoy!

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