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NaNoWriMo ~ A New Fantastic Point of View

Writer's picture: Aslan's PrincessAslan's Princess


Jasmine stared at Ali as he just stood on the opposite side of the railing, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


Princess Jasmine as portrayed by Naomi Scott

“Sometimes, you just have to take a risk,” he said. Then he jumped – backwards.

“No!” she cried. She froze. All air gone from her lungs. “What just happened?” she whispered. She couldn’t bear to think of what she would find if she dared look over the railing.

Then everything disappeared, her chambers, the view of Agrabah below her windows, even the star strewn and moonlit sky. She refused to scream. She was the Princess of Agrabah, hopeful Sultan. She would not show any fear.

“Okay, one of the weirdest things to ever happen to me.”

She whirled as her heart stopped in fright. Ali stood directly behind her, looking thoroughly confused. “You’re okay,” she said.

“Yeah, I landed on Carpet,” Ali answered. “I just didn’t expect to wind up here.”

“Wherever ‘here’ is,” Khaleel said, walking up to them. “A largely gray room with no ornamentation. Most neutral if somewhat depressing room I’ve ever been in.”


Bella and Ringorn

“Oh, they’re here!” A girl who could have only come a little higher than Jasmine’s waist ran up to them, followed by a young woman with silver beads in her hair.

The girl curtseyed. Or maybe not a girl, but a young woman as well. “Bellarosa Baggins at your service. Everyone calls me Bella.”

The woman curtseyed as well. “Ringorn, daughter of Arathorn, though I prefer Estelle, adopted daughter of Lord Elrond.”

Prince Ali of Ababwa,” Ali returned, bowing. “My friends call me Aladdin.”

Princess Jasmine of Agrabah,” Jasmine said, remembering her manners and curtseying to the ladies.

Khaleel of Ababwa,” Khaleel said with his own bow.

“Aslan’s Princess should be along any minute,” Estelle said. “She told us to make sure you were comfortable while we waited for her.”

“Thank you,” Jasmine said. “And who exactly is this princess?” she asked as she followed the two women over to a set of white couches she hadn’t noticed before.

“She’s the one who wrote all of us, or at least these versions of us into being,” Bella answered, hopping onto a footstool, revealing bare but hairy feet. “There are many, many more of us, but we are special because we started as her NaNoWriMo Projects.”

National Novel Writing Month Project,” Estelle clarified, pouring a warm, honey-colored liquid into little china cups. “Apparently there’s a challenge to write fifty thousand words before the month is out. Cream or sugar?”


“I’ll take both,” Ali said.

“Just cream for me,” Khaleel said.

Jasmine looked between them confused.

Ali smiled reassuringly. “I’ve had this kind of tea recently and it’s delicious. A little bitter without sugar though.”

She slowly nodded. “I’ll take mine with sugar then.”

Estelle nodded, preparing each cup as requested. “Bella?”

“I’ll spoil myself with both,” the short lady answered.

Estelle chuckled as she fixed Bella’s cup before taking her own plain.

“You are from the same place,” Ali said slowly. “You both have similar accents.”

The ladies nodded. “We’re from Middle Earth,” Bella answered. “Aslan’s Princess was inspired by Tolkien’s stories. She created me as a twin sister for Bilbo Baggins, and Estelle is her imagined version of a female Aragorn son of Arathorn.”

“She is still working on our stories,” Estelle said. She silently chuckled. “Princess underestimated just how much story our tales would require.”

Bella nodded. “We have much, much more of our stories to share with her.”

“But rumor has it,” Estelle said, leaning forward as though searching for juicy gossip, “that your story is special.”

“That she may actually be able to finish your stories with just another fifty thousand words at most,” Bella added with delight.

Jasmine turned to Ali. He looked as confused as she felt. Even Khaleel seemed confused.


Aslan's Princess (when not run ragged)

“I’m here! I’m here!” A young woman raced in, huffing as she caught herself against the back of a couch. “I am so sorry. Work has been crazy, Thanksgiving holidays, pre-Christmas preparations.” She flopped forward with a final “oof.” “I just have not been on top of everything like I should have,” she said, her voice half-muffled.

“But hey, you still made it,” Bella said as Estelle fixed a fresh cup of tea. “You also got longer hours from work, of course it will seem a bit more crazy.”

Aslan’s Princess raised her head, arching a brown eyebrow above blue eyes. “‘A bit more’? Try a lot more.”

“You also had a couple weekends where you hung out with friends,” Estelle said as the woman dragged herself around the couch and collapsed back. “There was that Beauty and the Beast Broadway. Personally I’m interested in learning more about that story.”

“And then you went to see Frozen II,” Bella added. “Even managed to resist the temptation to start playing with a song crossover.”

“And you already have plans to possibly make things easier next year,” Estelle said, handing over the tea.

Genie has actually shared some of that with me,” Khaleel said.

Genie who was voiced by Robin Williams

Before Jasmine could react, Aslan’s Princess retorted, “And why did the two of you break the fourth wall? Yes, that helped but why?”

“Genie knows your personal stand on alcoholic beverages and wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be violating it,” Khaleel answered casually. “I’ve actually been resisting the urge for a couple martinis for your sake.”

Aslan’s Princess shook her head as she took a slow sip of tea. “Okay. Have the readers been updated?”

“Not yet,” Estelle said. “We were waiting for you to get here first.”

“Update away then,” Princess said.

“Well,” Bella said, “Thorin’s Company and I haven’t gotten much farther, although we are standing before Mirkwood and almost ready to enter.”

“I’m still largely in the midst of the Mellon Chronicles timeline,” Estelle said. “But as you pointed out to someone a couple days ago, you won’t reach the Fellowship of the Ring until I’m in my late eighties.”

“And hopefully with an actual romance by that time,” Bella said with a smirk.

Jasmine furrowed her brow. “Wouldn’t you be doting on potential grandchildren by that time?”

Estelle chuckled. “I am of the Dunadain, descended in part from the immortal elves. I’ll still be in the prime of my life even as I turn one hundred.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened in shock.

“Unfortunately hobbits don’t live quite that long,” Bella said. “Though, I suspect you are still working on how your ‘One system’ works.”

“I am,” Aslan’s Princess said. “Though admittedly it is the least of my concerns at the moment.”

“So,” Estelle said, turning to Jasmine and her companions, “where are you in your story?”


“I was hoping to take Jasmine on a ride on Carpet,” Ali answered.

“For readers, translated as just before ‘A Whole New World’ sequence,” Aslan’s Princess said, leaning back with her eyes closed. She looked tired, and actually looked almost asleep. “Over halfway through the usual plot. Mozenrath and Dhandi were not supposed to join in, but they insisted.”

“What is the final winning word count?” Bella asked.

50,286 words,” Aslan’s Princess answered. She peeled her eyes open, glaring at Estelle. “You snuck me some of Elrond’s special tea, didn’t you?” she accused.

“I might have,” Estelle said, looking unrepentantly mischievous.

Aslan’s Princess sighed. “Fine. Make sure to wake me before I’m needing to go to work again.”

“We will,” Bella promised. She then turned to Jasmine. “I hope that everything hasn’t been too confusing for you.”

“I didn’t really notice that we were in a story before this,” Jasmine admitted.

“But, now that we know,” Ali said, “I think I can feel where I am different from other versions of myself. If that makes sense.”

“Perfectly,” Estelle said. “I’m impressed. It took me at least half a year to get that weird sense my other versions.”


Genie as portrayed by Will Smith

“Khaleel,” Bella said, “I am a little familiar with the tale of Aladdin, but who are you?”

Khaleel smiled. “I am a freed genie, based on the portrayal by Will Smith. Princess actually looked up my name special so to ensure it meant friend or confidant.”

“So the current Genie is . . .”

“Based upon the legendary performance of Robin Williams himself,” Khaleel answered.

“All this comes from being a former genie, doesn’t it?” Jasmine asked.

Ali shrugged. “I’ve learned to just let it be and not question it,” he said.

“Alright,” Estelle said, taking the teacup from the sleeping Princess’s hands. “We best see that you three return home safely.”

“And who knows,” Bella said, hopping down, “maybe we’ll see you again next year.”

“If so, hopefully we’ll have a better grasp of what’s happening,” Jasmine said.

“You will,” Estelle said. “Believe me, I was in your shoes just last year.” She then turned as though speaking to an audience. “Well, readers, I know this was a different format than usual, but everyone can use something a little different from time to time, right?”

“If any of you are interested in Aslan’s Princess sharing more about her latest NaNo project/victory, be sure to leave a comment,” Bella said. “I believe I’ve heard rumors that she’ll be trying to revive her Santa Claus series over the course of December.”

“Hope you’ve all had wonderful Thanksgivings,” Estelle said. “Goodbye.”

“Safe journeys,” Bella called.

For the briefest moment, Jasmine thought she saw something. She smiled and waved. “Stay strong.”

“Live life like an adventure,” Ali said.

“And join Aslan’s Princess for another adventure, next time,” Khaleel said.

A moment later, Jasmine found herself on her balcony again, the events of the past ten to fifteen minutes already fading from her mind.

“Sometimes, Princess, you just have to take a risk.”



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