Chapter Text
A week. It had been a week since his mysterious rescuer disappeared. Seven days since her song and distorted image burned itself into his mind. One hundred and sixty eight hours since he began his relentless search for her. For all that time, he was no closer to finding her or convincing anyone she even existed than he had been the moment her hand slipped from his on the shore the morning after the shipwreck. The girl remained elusive and Prince Eric was a mess.
The steady rhythm of the waves lapping the shore added fitting ambiance to the song Eric played on his flute while he walked the same beach where he last saw his rescuer. The notes he played matched the song she sang to him, an aria that seemed to meld with the sea itself.
This had become routine: Wake up early, finish royal duties as quickly as possible, and head out with Max to play his flute and wander the shores outside the palace. It was the seventh day since Eric's eighteenth birthday disaster at sea and hope of finding the girl of his dreams dwindled as he watched the sun begin to dip below the horizon.
"That voice," Eric muttered to Max, scratching the dog's fluffy ears and sighing. "I can't get it out of my head. I've looked everywhere, Max. Where could she be?"
Eric ran a hand through his dark hair, twirling his flute with the other as his thoughts replayed his brief moment with the beauty that saved him. Sweeping his gaze out over the ocean, an act that never ceased to calm his mind, he resumed walking. The sun colored the waves and darkening sky in beautiful hues of orange and pink.
If he never found her, would he be cursed to forever have her voice regale him every moment, even in dreams? At this point, he was sure of it.
The sands before him were a path well trodden for the young prince. At the end of the long stretch of beach was a small secluded lagoon, hidden from prying eyes by willow trees and large rocks. Eric discovered it when he was boy and it was there that he spent many an evening by himself to get away from the busy goings on of palace life. He found himself there once again, but this time his thoughts were anything but calm as he climbed through the underbrush into the hidden cove.
Hoisting himself onto a large rock, he overlooked the lagoon, his feet dangling just high enough above the water that his boots wouldn't get wet. Max wandered off to sniff trees and shrubs and Eric raised his flute to his lips, once more playing the beautiful and mysterious song that haunted him.
Ariel's grotto was in shambles. Two days after she rescued Eric, Sebastian blurted out what she'd done and the Sea King's anger could not be quelled.
With little remorse, her father, King Triton, had obliterated her collection, years of her life reduced to rubble, in some kind of attempt to force her to understand him. But how could she understand him when he refused to even try understand her? He wouldn't listen to her. Even her sisters didn't try to see her side of things. Sure they loved her and she loved them, they listened to her, but Ariel knew they only offered skeptical ears when she spoke of humans and the world out of the sea. So the grotto had been her secret solace for years, a place to retreat to when life in the palace was unbearable; When her thoughts and interests fell on deaf ears.
Now it was gone.
The little mermaid was under constant supervision by not only Sebastian, but palace guards as well. For almost a week she was confined to the palace in Atlantica and Ariel was miserable. She sat in her room fiddling with a dinglehopper, the only thing relatively unscathed she had left from her grotto.
"There has to be some way we can sneak out of here," Ariel said to Flounder. Her best friend gave her a skeptical look.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," the fish responded, glancing around nervously in the hopes that no one was listening.
"You never think anything fun is a good idea, you guppy." The mermaid rolled her eyes at her friend. Before Flounder could argue, she continued, "I need to get out of here, Flounder. It's so stuffy and boring and Daddy still won't listen to a word I say! And I need to see him again…"
Her last words were barely audible and Flounder sighed knowing exactly the 'him' she was referring to. It really was a little excessive that Ariel be watched at all hours, unable to do anything other than what her father wanted. He hated seeing his friend so sad.
"I-I guess I could distract the guards? Maybe?"
Ariel smiled for the first time in days and hugged her best friend.
"Really? You'd do that for me? You're the best, Flounder!"
The two quietly discussed a battle plan. With Flounder being so nervous of everything, Ariel knew it wouldn't be easy, but she believed in her friend and knew he was more brave than he gave himself credit for.
"You ready?" Ariel whispered to Flounder. The little fish didn't look very confident, but nodded. "Okay, good luck."
Flounder was sure he would need it as he swam out the little window in Ariel's room and made his way to a far hall. He muttered nervously to himself the entire way.
"It's okay, it's gonna be okay, this is for Ariel, you can do it."
Flounder found what he was looking for and took a deep breath through his gills before hurtling forward with all his might and knocking over a small statue, which in turn fell onto something made of glass that Flounder hadn't actually noticed. Well, the more noise the better he supposed.
"H-help! Shark!" the little fish cried as he swam back down the hall toward Ariel's room and the two guards that floated near her door.
The armored guards looked at each other. Their orders were to remain in front of the youngest princess's room to ensure she didn't leave, but a shark near the palace? That was an immediate threat that could endanger many merpeople. Spears in hand, the guards quickly swam toward the sound of the noise and Flounder's shouting.
Waiting a few moments after hearing Flounder's diversion, Ariel peeked out around the seaweed curtains covering the entrance to her room. For once, her father and sisters and even Sebastian were nowhere in sight. She found that a little odd, but it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Ariel slipped out of her room and swam out of the palace as fast as her fins could carry her. She wasn't sure where to go, she only knew that the last place her father would look for her would be the surface, so she sped toward the shore without looking back.
Ariel wasn't sure how long she swam, but it seemed like she reached the surface in record time. She was close to the place where she'd managed to drag Eric and herself onto the shore days ago, she could see the rock she hid behind in the distance. Swimming closer she decided to veer to the north and followed the coastline until she spotted a cove, one she almost missed because it was hidden behind rocks and beautiful trees. It seemed like the perfect place to hide. Her father wouldn't find her and it appeared to be a secluded area where she would be hidden from humans. It was perfect.
The water became darker and cooler as Ariel cautiously swam into the lagoon. The shade of the trees blocked most of the warm rays of the sun, but a change in water temperature was not something merfolk were affected by. Slowly she raised her head out of the water and looked around her. It was peaceful and mostly quiet save for the quiet chirping of birds as they returned to their nests for the night and the harmony of crickets waking up in the twilight of the day.
With no humans in sight, the little mermaid lifted herself onto a rock facing the direction she knew Eric's castle was, curling her tail to her side. She wanted so desperately to see the young prince again, but now that she'd had time to think about it, she wasn't sure how he would feel about or react to the fact that she was a mermaid. If he was disgusted or scared it would break her heart. Eric didn't seem to be that kind of person considering how selfless he had been during the chaos of the shipwreck on his birthday, but she did have to admit she knew nothing about him personally.
As her thoughts drifted back to the morning on the beach after she rescued him, she took a deep breath, a small smile touching her lips, and she began to sing. She sang the same verse of the melody from that fateful moment when Eric opened his eyes and smiled at her. She didn't know how, but she knew someday she would find a way to be with him. She could feel it in her bones, in the waves, in the breeze that ruffled her drying hair as her voice rang like a bell on the wind.
So caught up in her song and thoughts of the boy she'd fallen in love with, she didn't notice the dark haired prince in question behind a rock on the opposite side of the lagoon behind her, his canine companion's tail wagging furiously as the sheepdog sniffed the air, recognizing Ariel's scent.
Eric was climbing down from the rock he'd been sitting on, his boots landing in the sand with a thud, when he heard a familiar voice fill the lagoon. He froze and whipped his head around trying to discern the source of the singing, wondering if he was hearing things. Maybe the song was finally driving him mad. When he noticed Max sniffing the air and growing excited about something, he realized maybe he was actually hearing the voice of the girl that had saved him. Eric glanced at Max, following where the dog's gaze had landed.
That's when he saw her, sitting upon a rock across from where he stood. Long red hair, ivory skin, her entrancing voice carrying across the water to his ears. As he looked closer, he realized what he initially thought might be a skirt was, in fact, not clothing at all. The emerald scales of her tail gleamed ethereal in the last of the sun's light that managed to reach her through the trees. Eric gasped quietly, taking in a sharp breath and holding it. A mermaid. It suddenly all made sense. His rescuer was a mermaid.
Wide eyed, he stared. He was mesmerized, slowly letting out his held breath, mind racing with the confirmation that mermaids were real, that he found his rescuer, that she was a mermaid. His eyes were transfixed on the fantastical beauty before him. Until Max bolted toward the girl, barking excitedly and splashing into the shallow water, snapping Eric out of his momentary stupor.
Ariel saw the dog running at her and dove behind the rock she'd been sitting on.
"Max!" Eric shouted, running after the dog, mentally chastising his furry friend. It seemed like Max scared the mermaid and Eric felt awful about it. She probably had no idea what a dog even was.
The rock Ariel had been perched on was a bit off the shore and Eric slowed down to a walk as he waded out up to his ankles. He stopped when he reached the rock, the water hitting him just below his knees. The sloshing of soggy boots was nothing new to him, but he still momentarily regretted not taking them off before chasing after Max.
Ariel was peeking out around the side of the rock, giggling a little as Max licked her face.
"I'm sorry if this knucklehead scared you," Eric said, gently grabbing the dog and moving him away from the mermaid. "He's harmless, really."
That's when Ariel realized where she'd seen Max before. The ship! And there was Prince Eric, as handsome as she remembered, smiling at her. He was looking at her! The little mermaid couldn't believe her luck. Eric was there and real and talking to her. She smiled up at him, suddenly shy. Fiddling with her hair, she pulled it over her shoulder, ocean blue eyes never leaving Eric's.
"That was you singing, wasn't it, Miss?" Eric asked.
Ariel nodded. "Yes."
"Your voice is beautiful," Eric said, his grin growing to reveal his dimples. "You're the one that rescued me. The one I've been looking for."
Ariel nodded again eagerly. "Yes, it was me!"
"I knew it!" Eric moved closer to her and crouched in the water, extending his hand toward her. "I'm Eric. What's your name?"
Ariel looked at his hand tentatively. She wanted to take it, but hesitated. She smiled at him instead.
"I know your name. I'm Ariel."
Her hesitation was not lost on Eric. He could tell she was happy to see him, maybe almost as happy as he was to finally have found her, but he caught the almost imperceptible worry in her tone. She shifted as if she was trying to hide her fins further behind the rock and the young prince mentally frowned. Of course she would be wary of him. Sailors told stories of mermaids, but few had actually claimed to have seen one let alone interacted with one. The thought occurred to him that perhaps mermaids were elusive because they feared humans. Not sure how to reassure her, his hand drifted back to his side.
"Ariel? That's really pretty. I-I've been looking everywhere for you, Ariel. I'm glad I finally found you," Eric's smile waned, but never faltered as he spoke, mentally trying to figure out how to approach any fears she had about him. "Thank you for saving me. Though I don't know why you did, I'm very grateful." He slowly reached his hand out to her again. "Won't you come out from behind the rock? I'd love to talk to you more."
"You would have died, I couldn't let that happen."
Ariel glanced at his hand, frowning and biting her lip. After a few moments of deliberation, her eyes refocused on Eric's and she placed her hand in his. He gently closed his fingers around hers, his dimpled smile appearing again. Dusk settled around them and Eric found himself growing a bit chilled in the water. Ariel's hand was warm in his, but he still worried if she was feeling cold too. Though her hand was warm, her smile still hadn't returned.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Ariel shook her head at the question, but still hadn't fully come out from behind the rock. Eric then realized what the problem was. She was still hesitating because of her tail. He had no idea how to tell her he'd already seen her tail and knew what she was. Before he could come up with anything, she spoke again.
"I shouldn't be here," Ariel finally said, looking away from Eric. "I shouldn't be talking to you. But…oh tides! I want to be here! Oh Eric, there's something you should know about me. I-" Eric placed his other hand on top of hers, her delicate hand now cradled between both his large, calloused hands, and spoke before she could finish.
"I know," Eric started, glancing to where her tail would be, still hidden behind the rock. "I saw you from over there," his gestured with his head down the stretch of shore behind him. "You're a, a mermaid." Ariel opened her mouth to speak, but words were suddenly lost on her. He was speaking to her with such kindness and warmth and he'd already seen her tail? "A-and that doesn't matter to me!" the young prince quickly added when he saw the surprise in her expression. "I don't care who or what you are, the moment I saw you I knew you were the one! I knew it back on the shore when you sang to me. I promise I won't tell anyone about you."
Somehow Ariel thought she'd heard someone say that last bit to her before, perhaps a long time ago, but the thought was fleeting. To hear such declarations from Eric's lips brought joy to her heart, her face lighting up with a smile that rivaled even the most beautiful sunsets. Eric's heart pounded in his chest upon seeing her smile and finally move closer to him, revealing her tail beneath the shallow water. His sky blue eyes focused on her tail, a look of awe and adoration crossing his features.
"Beautiful…" he breathed, the tone in which he spoke bringing a blush to Ariel's fair cheeks.
"Oh Eric, you…you really think so?"
"Of course! May I, um, may I touch your tail?"
As soon as the words left his mouth he realized how inappropriate the question was and quickly apologized, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Ariel giggled and brought his hand to her fins, to the place where her knees would be if she were human.
"You can, I don't mind. If it's you."
A light blush colored his cheeks as Eric's fingers gently moved over her scales. He marveled at the feeling. The texture was nothing like what he imagined. Ariel's tail was not slimy or rough, but smooth and soft, like a dolphin or maybe a shark. As he traced his way down to the fins on the end of her tail, the fact that she was a mermaid really sunk in. Ariel was real and warm. He was with her, touching her, and he thought it truly miraculous.
Dusk soon gave way to night and fireflies danced in the air around them, drawing Ariel's attention. She looked on in wonder and it made Eric chuckle. She was adorable.
"Have you never seen a firefly before?" Eric asked. Ariel turned to him and shook her head.
"No! They're amazing. What are they?"
"Well, they're," he started to explain, but paused, wondering if she knew what bugs were at all. He decided she probably didn't and changed his explanation accordingly. "They're like tiny animals and their bodies light up at night."
"Oh!" Ariel exclaimed excitedly. "There are animals that can glow under the sea too!"
"Really? Well then, yeah, I bet it's kind of like that."
"Your world is so interesting, Eric! I wish I could see more."
Eric thought for a moment, bringing his hand up to scratch his chin.
"Maybe that can be arranged. I'll see what I can do."
"Really? Oh, thank you!"
Without thinking, Ariel leapt up and wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, hugging him tightly. He only hesitated for a moment before returning her hug, wrapping his arms around her, the strap of the purple seashells she wore felt leathery against his skin, and he breathed in the scent of the sea in her hair. It was euphoric.
Max barked suddenly, startling the pair and making Eric come back down to reality. He sighed, separating himself from her in a reluctant but firm manner.
"It's late, I need to go before the entire palace guard is sent out to search for me. But I-I want to see you again! Please tell me you'll come back?"
Ariel smiled and nodded.
"I'll be here. I want to see you again too."
"Tomorrow at sunset, then!"
A huge grin was once again plastered on Eric's face and he stood, water from his drenched pants splashing back into the lagoon. Though his legs felt cool, the warmth in his chest made up for it. He backed up out of the water, not wanting to look away from Ariel, almost tripping when the back of his boot hit the shore. Ariel giggled and the warmth from his chest spread like a wildfire through his body at the sound. Finally he turned and stepped out of the lagoon, Max on his heels, and made for edge of the treeline. Before leaving, he cast one final look at Ariel and waved, clambering through the underbrush and disappearing from the little mermaid's sight.