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.
Chapter 2
Notes:
I'm back already with chapter 2! Enjoy! And please don't forget to leave comments and/or kudos if you're liking this. It really does make my day and help motivate me to keep going.
Chapter Text
Light filtered into the dark bedroom through a space in the deep blue and gold elaborate curtains. Eric groaned and scrunched his face as he slowly began to wake. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes he glanced at the window. Memories of the night before came rushing back and he threw off the pale blue comforter and bolted out of bed upon seeing that it was morning. It had been a night of fitful sleep for the young prince, but the excitement in his chest kept him from feeling tired. Meeting Ariel had his mind swirling with emotions and too many thoughts to calm down and sleep peacefully. His dreams were of the ocean, of almost drowning and being rescued by the beautiful red haired mermaid, of spending hours relaxing in her arms while she sang to him. He'd dreamt of his savior countless times since the shipwreck, but now he had a face to put with the voice and his dreams of her were no longer full of melancholy and longing.
Evening couldn't come soon enough for Eric. He'd just woken up and all he wanted to do was rush to the lagoon to see Ariel.
Grimsby would kill him if he slacked off on his daily duties though, so he would just have to get through everything on his schedule as quickly as possible. He was dressed and at the door in minutes, flinging it open to find a surprised Carlotta frozen with her hand raised as if she'd been ready to knock.
"Oh goodness!" the middle aged, plump maid exclaimed with a laugh, "Eric, you startled me. I didn't think you would be awake already." She pat his arm. "Breakfast will be ready soon, dear. I'll see you in the dining hall. Grimsby is already there I suspect."
"Thanks, Lottie," Eric replied. "Of course Grim is already there. I don't think he ever sleeps."
Carlotta laughed and scurried off the way she'd come. Eric hurried in the opposite direction. He had to admit, he was pretty hungry.
Ariel rested her arms on the sandbar between the lagoon and the cove that lead out to sea. Her family probably knew she was missing by now. As she suspected though, no merfolk had come looking for her this close to the surface. She'd made it one night without being found, hopefully she could continue to stay in the lagoon without being dragged back home. Her thoughts drifted to Eric.
Yes, she really hoped no one would find her for a very long time. At least not until she was ready to confront her father about Eric again.
"Woah, Ariel?" Ariel looked up at the familiar voice to find Scuttle overhead. She smiled and waved as he swooped down to land on the sandbar next to her. "It's been a while, kid. Whatcha doin' here?"
Ariel contemplated on telling the seagull about how she ran away, but thought better of it. Scuttle was forgetful, but he was also a blabbermouth. She couldn't risk being found out because of her bird brained friend. "I'm just exploring," she said, deciding a simple answer was best.
Something occurred to her as they chatted about random things. She'd been worried about Flounder and missed her best friend. Maybe Scuttle could help her by relaying a message to the little fish. Flounder knew her plan to hide on the surface so he would likely seek out Scuttle if he were searching for her.
"Hey, Scuttle? Do you think you could help me with something?"
"Sure kiddo, anything for you."
The day felt like it was dragging for Eric. Even insisting on skipping lunch did nothing to make things feel any less drawn out. It didn't help that Grimsby brought up the subject of finding a wife not just once, but three times. He understood that the old man brought it up so often as of late because of Eric's near death birthday experience, but that didn't make it any less annoying.
Eric found it even more annoying now that he'd found Ariel. Of course he couldn't tell Grimsby he'd found the woman who saved him and was already thinking of marrying her someday. No matter how much he wanted Grim to stop pestering him about finding a wife, he couldn't break his promise and divulge the secret of Ariel and her people's existence. There was no way the old man would believe him anyway.
The last item on Eric's schedule for the day was a meeting with the council to discuss the return of his father, King Willem, from his diplomatic visit to Glauerhaven in a week's time. A month ago, Eric had visited the neighboring kingdom under the command of his father. Without discussing it with his son, King Willem had arranged a marriage with the King of Glauerhaven's daughter, Princess Penelope, to ensure peace between the two kingdoms.
Eric knew he would have to agree to the engagement whether he liked it or not, but when he finally met the princess, the two of them couldn't have been more different. He'd daydreamed about sailing the ocean while he had to sit through the princess' dull piano recital. Thankfully, he managed to get out of the engagement when the recital was attacked by pirates and Eric saved Princess Penelope after she was thrown into the ocean from the pirate's ship. As thanks for saving his beloved daughter, the King of Glauerhaven assured Eric that their kingdoms would always get along and he wouldn't have to wed Penelope if he didn't love her. King Willem left for Glauerhaven shortly after his son returned, saying he needed to make sure the peace treaty and engagement cancellation were agreed to in writing.
When the meeting was adjourned, Eric sped through the double doors of the meeting room and hurried toward his bedroom.
"Eric!"
The young prince sighed upon hearing his name and stopped walking, turning to see Grimsby attempting to catch up.
"Yes, Grim?"
"It seems like you've been in quite a hurry today," the white haired majordomo sniffed as he finally reached Eric. "Is there something wrong?" Eric waved away Grimsby's concern.
"Not at all Grim. Just wanting to get some fresh air."
Grimsby looked skeptical, but let it slide. "Very well. Please tell me if there's something troubling you. I mean besides the whole mystery woman thing."
Eric rolled his eyes at the latter bit, but appreciated the sentiment. "I will. Thanks, Grim."
With that, Eric turn on his heel and hurried to his bedroom. He needed to change out of his stuffy royal attire as soon as possible and put on something much more comfortable. Something that made him feel more like himself.
Eric, finally getting around to what he'd been wanting to do all day, spent the rest of the late afternoon searching his study for something he thought Ariel might like to see and learn about. The familiar scent of bound leather, mahogany, and old books enveloped him as he entered the study. Striding to the far end of the room he opened the curtains, flooding the study with light. The walls were lined with dark wood bookshelves full of trinkets and knick knacks, most of which were related to the sea in some way, and, of course, books of every size and shape. A large desk sat in front of the window and a huge table strewn with maps, star charts, and navigation equipment took up the center of the room.
Finding just one or two things to show Ariel proved difficult. He wanted to show her everything; Maps, spyglasses, compasses, books, art, globes. If only he could bring her there to see it all. Max barking and bolting into the study dragged him out of his excited thoughts and he grinned, patting the dog affectionately. Perhaps he should have ensured the door was closed better. At least it was Max that decided to bother him. Anyone else would have delayed his plans further by engaging in idle chatter or more work related nonsense. He'd had enough of that for one day.
"What do you think she'd like, Max?" Eric asked absently, more to himself than the sheepdog at his heels. He thought about how her face might light up with that beautiful smile of hers when he snuck out of the palace to meet her later with human things for her to see. Reality hit him suddenly and he frowned, realizing he would need to find things he could actually carry without drawing attention to himself. "Guess that limits things…" he muttered, putting a large piece of art and a globe back in their places.
Eric's grin returned when he looked out the picture window and noticed sunset was fast approaching. He grabbed a compass and pocketed it, deciding to bring a spyglass too, before exiting the study with Max, the door closing with a creak and a thud behind him.
The salty sea air hit Eric as soon as he stepped out onto the staircase leading to the beach and he took a deep breath. The breeze was slowly cooling as the day waned and he hurried down the steps with Max close behind. The compass rattled in his pocket every time his boots hit the stone steps. When he reached the sand he looked down with a grin at Max and bonked him lightly on the head with the spyglass.
"Race you, boy!" he said with a laugh and tore off across the sand with large strides. Max caught on quickly, barked, and chased after him.
When he could finally see the lagoon ahead, Eric's heart began to race. Somehow he was certain it wasn't just because he'd been running. He slowed down to a walk to catch his breath. Max noticed and trotted back to Eric's side. They approached the familiar line of willow trees and Max immediately scurried through the underbrush. Suddenly, the young prince felt nervous as intrusive thoughts crept in. What if he really had just dreamt that he met Ariel? What if the lovely mermaid with the beautiful voice wasn't actually real? If he stepped into the lagoon to find no one there, no evidence that she had ever even been there, he knew his heart would shatter. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself for the possibility and pushed through the shrubs.
He heard Ariel before he saw her and once again Eric found himself holding his breath when his eyes landed on her. Ariel hummed, sitting beneath one of the willow trees, the end of her tail dipped in the water, swishing back and forth. She was there. She was real. He let out the breath he'd been holding, relief washing over him. Of course she was there. How could he let doubt cloud his mind? Hadn't he felt her in his arms yesterday? He felt foolish. Grimsby's constant skepticism about the "mystery girl" must have been getting to him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and moved to where Ariel sat. Max was already licking the poor girl's face and he called to the dog to leave her alone. The sheepdog complied and moved on to trotting around the shoreline, sniffing everything he found remotely interesting.
Eric removed his boots and set them and the spyglass next to the trunk of the tree before sitting next to Ariel, dipping his feet into the cool water alongside her fins.
"I'm glad you're still here," Eric said, moving his hand to gently cover hers on the sand.
"I'm glad you came to see me again," Ariel replied, smiling, her heart beating faster at Eric's touch.
They both gazed out at the gorgeous sunset before them, neither speaking, just enjoying each other's company. Though he hated to break the moment, Eric was too excited to show her the things he brought. He reached into his pocket after a few minutes and brought out the compass. The gold casing caught the light of the sun and flashed, drawing Ariel's attention. The mermaid's eyes grew wide and she gasped, leaning closer to inspect the object Eric held.
"Oh my gosh!" Ariel exclaimed while running her fingers over the engraved gold. "What is it?"
Eric grinned, relishing the look of joy and wonder on Ariel's face, and dove into an explanation of what a compass was used for and how it worked. The little mermaid hung on his every word, unconsciously moving closer to him as he spoke. The spinning mechanism was enthralling to Ariel and she leaned in close for a good look when Eric pointed at the hand that always showed North. Smiling, Ariel looked up suddenly to ask a question and found her face to be much closer to Eric's than she anticipated.
They froze, mesmerized at the soft touch of each other's breaths. Slowly, tentatively, as if she might dart away at any moment, Eric brought his hand up to the side of Ariel's face, stroking his thumb lightly over her cheekbone. Her eyes were the deepest oceans, pulling him into their depths as if he were in a trance. She too felt the almost magnetic pull into his eyes, the color of the clearest blue sky. Inching closer, their breaths became shallow, each forgetting how to breathe as their noses brushed together, eyelashes fluttering closed.
Finally their lips met and lightning struck.
Chapter 3
Notes:
Welcome to chapter 3! Thanks for reading! As always, kudos and comments are appreciated. Let me know what you think!
Chapter Text
The twilight of the day wrapped the young lovers in soft shadows, the rising moon peeking through the trees in a deep orange streaked sky. Fireflies began their evening dance, like little fireworks flashing across the lagoon.
Without any prior experience for either of them, Eric and Ariel's first kiss was cautious and soft, a gentle brush of lips. The feeling was still electrifying despite the minor awkwardness. Mingling breaths, the pounding of hearts, giggles against each other's lips when their noses bumped together. It was a connecting of two souls that had been yearning for each other all along.
With a loud bark, Max leapt between them, knocking them apart and licking each of their faces. Eric scrambled to catch the compass before it fell into the lagoon and Ariel laughed at Max's relentless wagging tail and doggy kisses.
When their eyes met again, their faces flushed deep red and they laughed, both suddenly shy and highly conscious of the other. Eric cleared his throat and Ariel averted her eyes, focusing on petting Max. Neither were sure how to breathe normally again.
Remembering the spyglass leaning against the tree, Eric quickly reached for it, thankful for something to distract from the suddenly awkward mood.
"So um, this is a spyglass or telescope," Eric said, lengthening the scope and presenting it for Ariel to observe.
Any embarrassment evaporated as Ariel's attention once again focused on an interesting human object. She smiled and reached for the spyglass, touching where the copper was worn in certain places. "Scuttle has one of these!" she said, eyes brightening in recognition. "I don't know what it is, but I've seen him use it." She held the large end up to her eyes like she'd seen Scuttle do before and Eric chuckled.
"Close, but not quite how it works," he said, gently taking the spyglass and flipping it around so the small end was facing her. "It goes this way and we look through it to see further into the distance." Eric smiled when Ariel looked through the spyglass again and her mouth opened in a surprised "oh" shape. "Who's Scuttle?"
"He's my friend," Ariel replied, lowering the spyglass so she could look at Eric. "A seagull that knows all about human things and tells me about them."
"A seagull?" Eric's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You can talk to animals?"
"Yes! Well, only sea animals. I can't hear Max." Ariel giggled and scratched the dog behind his ears when he perked up at his name. "My best friend is a fish named Flounder."
"That's amazing! I would love to be able to talk to Max. Sometimes I feel like he's the only one that really understands me…"
Ariel nodded as Eric trailed off, the sentiment resonating with her all too well.
"Yeah…it can be really…" Ariel paused, looking into the calm water of the lagoon as she attempted to think of the best way to convey her feelings on the matter. "Lonely," she finally said, "when no one understands me, or even tries to. I love my father and sisters, but sometimes, I-I just wish they'd listen to me. You know, actually listen."
Eric nodded in agreement and silence enveloped them, each thinking about their own circumstances with their family.
"I'll always be here to talk if you need to," Eric finally spoke again.
"Me too," Ariel replied, looking up at Eric. "I'll always be here to listen."
They smiled at each other and Eric took Ariel's hands in his, a light blush creeping back over the sun kissed skin of his cheeks. He wasn't sure what luck brought Ariel to him, what he'd done to deserve someone so wonderful suddenly appearing in his life, but he thanked the stars she'd found his ship that day.
"Would you tell me about your family?" Eric asked, his thumbs absently rubbing over the knuckles on Ariel's petite hands.
"Well," Ariel began, squeezing Eric's hands a bit tighter for a brief moment. "I have six sisters. I'm the youngest and they've all apparently decided I need to be protected." Ariel huffed and frowned. "They baby me, just like Daddy, and it can be annoying. I know it's because they care about me, but I wish they would take me seriously more often."
"Does your mother treat you the same?"
"Oh, um, sh-she um passed away when I was really little." The question caught Ariel off guard and she didn't want to get into specifics with Eric just yet about how her mother died. "I-I don't even remember her."
"Oh, I-I'm sorry, I-"
"No, no, it's okay! You didn't know."
Eric smiled sadly. "My mother passed away from an illness about eight years ago." It seemed like it was yet another way in which they were kindred spirits. He understood the loss of a mother, the frustrations that came when his father became overbearing and overprotective because of it. "Thankfully, my father is always busy running the kingdom and only babied me for a couple of years after she died. I can't imagine dealing with so many siblings and a father whose focus could be directed at me all the time."
"Oh, I'm sorry about your mother," Ariel gripped Eric's hands tighter again. "I wish Daddy would focus on running the kingdom, but somehow he always has time to notice when his 'little girl' has done something he doesn't approve of."
"Wait, wait, your father is a king?"
Ariel's eyes widened. She hadn't meant to give that away quite yet. "Um, yes. He's King Triton, ruler of the Seven Seas."
Eric's jaw dropped. "King Triton?" he choked out. "The legends are true about him too?"
"Humans have legends about him?" Ariel laughed. "I wonder how he'd feel about that."
"S-so, you're a…a princess then."
Ariel nodded and Eric grinned. He knew his father and Grimsby didn't care who he married at this point, whether a commoner or royalty, but still, it would probably be much easier to convince them she was the one if she was a princess.
"You know, I-I was thinking that Princess Ariel had a very nice ring to it."
Ariel's eyes widened for a moment before she smiled broadly, her face practically glowing in the darkness. Realizing it was probably a little early to even allude at something like marriage no matter how serious he was about her, Eric held his hand up to cover his blush and cleared his throat.
In the back of his mind he also knew that her being a mermaid brought a potential complication to things. He had no problem with her tail, but that didn't mean others in his kingdom would be as understanding. It had only been two days since they reunited after the shipwreck and he'd already thought about different ways they could accommodate her; How they could build waterways into the palace for her, how to include her in official duties, if she would join him on the boat on voyages across the sea or if she would swim alongside. Admitting how deeply he'd thought of their future was a little embarrassing to voice just yet though, so he pushed all those thoughts back and focused on the present.
Eric quickly changed the subject. They talked more about their families and friends. Ariel inspected the compass and spyglass closer. Max got bored so they played fetch with him while they talked. Spending time with one another was so comfortable and enjoyable that neither one noticed how long they'd been conversing. The fact that it was so dark they could barely see more than a few feet into the lagoon clued them in that a few hours had definitely passed.
Eric leapt to his feet and put his boots on quickly. He was not looking forward to all the questions Grimsby would rattle off at him or the earful Carlotta would give him for staying out so late without telling anyone where he'd be. Pocketing the compass, he smiled apologetically at Ariel for having to leave so abruptly, but he left the spyglass behind for her to use while he was gone. She smiled in understanding and waved as he began to leave, slipping back into the lagoon.
Eric paused mid stride and Ariel cocked her head slightly, wondering what stopped him. He suddenly turned and jogged back to her. She leaned out of the water onto the banks of the lagoon and Eric knelt beside her. Brushing her hair behind her ear, he kissed her cheek and grinned at her before standing once again to hurry back to his castle, leaving his love struck mermaid to stare longingly after him.
As Eric suspected, Grimsby and Carlotta were waiting for him in the foyer by the backdoor leading to the ocean side staircase. Max trotted passed them happily, unaware of any problems, just wanting to get to his bed and sleep. Eric wished he could be as nonchalant as his dog was in that moment.
He sighed as Carlotta scolded him and insisted he take a bath and get to bed. Eric suspected that no matter how old he got, his nanny would always think of him as the little boy she'd helped raise. He waved her off, saying she didn't need to worry so much, and Carlotta huffed before turning to leave. Eric chuckled when he thought he heard her grumbling things like "what am I going to do with you" and such as she stormed off.
As for Grimsby, well, Eric simply braced himself for the torrent of questions he knew was coming.
"Eric, what on earth do you think you're doing staying out this late without notifying anyone?" Grimsby sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. "What if something happened to you? And with your father out of the palace it is imperative that you-"
"Pick up his responsibilities as if they were my own," Eric interrupted. "I need to be here in case something comes up. I know, I know, Grims."
Grimsby scowled. "Unless you were out there looking for a wife, I-"
"And what if I was, Grims, would that somehow have been better?"
Grimsby blinked at the second interruption. "Perhaps…" he said, looking at Eric as if the boy had grown another head. "You don't seriously expect me to believe you really were?"
"I do expect you to, because I was." Eric wasn't planning on telling anyone about Ariel just yet, but the wife thing was getting tiresome and he was done with it. Grimsby just wouldn't leave it alone, as if the old man knew Eric hated the subject when it was brought up and did it out of spite. "Grim, I met her."
Grimsby narrowed his eyes in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned on him.
"You mean, her? The girl you claimed rescued you? Why that's…Eric I truly thought you were hallucinating that day. I-I can't believe she's real. When were you planning to bring her here?"
"I-" Eric began, trying to come up with something plausible to explain why Ariel couldn't come to the palace, at least not yet. "She's shy," he finally said stupidly and inwardly cursed himself.
"She's…shy?" Grimsby repeated, clearly skeptical.
Eric sighed. "Look Grim, I'll bring her here when she's ready and comfortable and not a moment sooner. I love this girl and I'm not forcing her to do anything she doesn't want to. She'll meet you all when the time is right."
"Fine, Eric, fine. I'll believe in your mystery girl, but when your father returns I hope you come up with some better excuses." With that, Grimsby bade Eric good night, leaving the young prince alone in the dimly lit foyer.
Ariel woke with the dawn. It was a strange thing, waking to the light of the sun. She'd spent all her life surrounded by the darkness of the sea floor with the only light being the natural bioluminescence utilized to brighten Atlantica. Though it did its job and brought plenty of light to the world under the sea, it was nothing compared to the beautiful, warm rays of sun that soaked the surface world in its life-giving golden glow.
The little mermaid yawned and swam to the sand bar separating the lagoon and the cove that lead out to sea. At high tide, the cove and lagoon were connected and Ariel had to sleep on the opposite end of the lagoon, just in case merfolk actually came looking for her on the surface.
She held the spyglass Eric left for her and looked through it out to the ocean. Nothing but birds and waves met her gaze. Scuttle must not have met Flounder yet. It was a little disappointing, but not surprising. She was a bit lonely and missed her friend, eager to tell him everything that had happened and how happy she was.
As if reading her mind, a splash caught her attention and she looked over the sandbar again. There, splashing and waving at her was Flounder. Ariel leapt over the sandbar and scooped up the little fish, diving back into the lagoon and hugging him.
"Flounder! I'm so happy you came! I can't believe Scuttle actually remembered to tell you where I was."
"Of course I did," Scuttle said, landing ungracefully on the sandbar.
"Thank you, Scuttle!" Ariel smiled, pulling the seagull into a hug as well.
"You seem really happy, Ariel," Flounder laughed. "Did something good happen? Did you find lots of human stuff?"
"Even better," Ariel said with a wide smile. "I found Eric! And he feels the same way about me. He accepted me as a mermaid and everything. And he's been showing me human things and teaching me all about them. I don't remember the last time I was this happy or had this much fun. I'm so glad you're here so I can introduce you to him. Oh Flounder, he's wonderful!"
"I'm sure he is," came a voice from behind them. The three friends whipped around to find Sebastian on the sandbar, claws crossed.
"Sebastian!" Ariel yelped. "I-what-what are you doing here? How did you-?"
"I followed Flounder when he went ta see dis idiot," the crab gestured to Scuttle. "What in da seven seas do you think you're doing, young lady? Do you have any idea how dangerous dis is? You need ta come back to Atlantica right this minute, do ya hear me? If your father finds out where you've been-"
"Please Sebastian," Ariel cut in, "Please don't tell him again. I-I can't leave. I've finally found somewhere I feel like I belong."
"You belong under da sea."
"Sebastian, please try to understand. Humans aren't all bad. They make such wonderful things. And we have a lot in common. Humans love music too."
Sebastian was about to argue, but curiosity got the best of him. "Humans play music?"
"Yes! As soon as Eric gets here I'll ask him to play his snarf-his flute for you. Please let me stay here a little longer."
Sebastian sighed. He was always a soft shell when Ariel gave him that sad, pleading look.
"All right, all right. But I'll be staying here ta keep an eye on you, got dat?"
"Thank you, Sebastian!" Ariel swept up the crab and kissed him. "Eric won't be able to come here until sunset, but I'll tell you all about the things he's shown me so far!"
Ariel picked up the spyglass from the sandbar and began telling her friends about it. Even Sebastian was intrigued, though he quickly tried to deny it when Ariel pointed it out. The crab was nervous about meeting a human, but if the boy hadn't hurt Ariel yet, maybe he wasn't so bad. For a human, anyway.
Chapter 4
Notes:
Here's chapter 4, a little sooner than expected! This chapter did not go the way I intended at all. The characters kind of took over and it ended up going in a direction I hadn't even thought of before. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Text
When Eric arrived after what seemed like the longest day ever, he scanned the lagoon and grew worried that he didn't immediately see Ariel. He furrowed his brow, wondering if she'd gone home, if he'd done something to upset her, until he saw a shock of red standing out under the water in the middle of the lagoon. Sighing in relief, he waved in her direction hoping she'd see him. Unfortunately she didn't move to greet him. She must have been distracted by something. The center of the lagoon was the deepest part and he didn't feel like going for a swim. Going home soaked to the bone would raise more questions from the castle staff that he did not want to have to explain.
Hoisting the bag of things he'd brought to show Ariel over his shoulder, he walked down the embankment until he reached the opposite side of the lagoon. Pushing back some overgrowth revealed an old rowboat. Eric pulled the boat into the water after placing his bag inside. He glanced back to make sure Ariel was still there and, after confirming she was, stepped into the boat, grabbed the oars, and rowed his way to the middle of the lagoon.
The boat was nearly over her before Ariel saw it. She smiled at Flounder, who she'd been talking to, and motioned for him to follow her to the surface. Flounder gulped and eyed the boat nervously, but Ariel had already reached the surface and was leaning on the side of the rowboat. The little fish followed her and she pat his head when he reached her side.
"Eric! I'm sorry I didn't see you. My friend Flounder here came to see me and we were talking."
Eric chuckled. "That's okay. I brought this old thing," he gestured to the boat, "here when I was a kid. I used to row out here and read in my spare time. Came in handy today." Eric grinned and reached into the bag he'd brought. "Would your friend like to see some of the things I brought with me?" Suddenly remembering that she mentioned her friend Flounder was a fish, he stopped what he was doing and leaned over the boat near Ariel. "Oh, oh right, Flounder was your, uh, your fish friend wasn't he?" He and Flounder made eye contact and he nodded in acknowledgement. "Hi, um, nice to…meet you? Ca-can he understand me?"
"Sure he can," Ariel replied, "He's just nervous." The mermaid nudged Flounder and giggled. "He said it was nice to meet you too, but he'd rather go back home before it gets too dark. He's such a guppy." Eric swore the fish glared at Ariel.
It certainly was odd talking to a fish, but he supposed that if mermaids and King Triton and his magic trident were real, then anything was possible.
"Oh, all right then. Well, uh, I hope I see you again," Eric waved at Flounder as Ariel scooped up the fish and swam to the sandbar, gently helping him over.
Ariel returned to the boat and Eric reached out his hand.
"Would you like to sit up here with me?"
Ariel giggled. "I would love to."
Eric firmly but gently gripped her waist and lifted her into the boat. Her eyes immediately went to the bag at his feet and he chuckled at her enthusiasm.
On the banks of the lagoon nearest to the ocean, a disgruntled red crab scurried back to the water to find Ariel. Sebastian just finished seeing Scuttle off, attempting to drill into the seagull that Ariel's location must not be disclosed to anyone, even if they were looking for her.
"If King Triton finds out what's going on he'll kill himself a crab!" Sebastian held his head in his claws at the thought.
Spotting Ariel laughing with the human boy on a boat in the lagoon only made his growing headache much worse. He shook his head and sighed. The things he did for that reckless girl.
The teenagers were sitting far too close for Sebastian's liking. With a grumble, he jumped into the lagoon and swam over to the boat, climbing up the side and onto Ariel's shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the boy Ariel had apparently fallen in love with.
"Sebastian!" Ariel said when she felt the crab on her shoulder. "I was wondering where you went." In truth, she was so happy to see Eric that she'd forgotten he was there. "Eric, this is Sebastian." Ariel nodded at the crab with her head. "He's, um, he's kind of like my father's right hand crab. He's also Atlantica's court composer and he's amazing at creating music!"
Flattery always brightened Sebastian's mood. Sure enough, the crab's countenance took on a smug air. Ariel could almost feel the tension and grumpiness leave him.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you," Eric said, once again feeling a little strange at speaking to an animal he couldn't understand. If he was someone important in Triton's court then Eric definitely wanted to make a good impression though. "A composer? I would love to play some of his music sometime. I-if he'd be okay with that I mean."
"Well I-" Sebastian began, clearing his throat, flattered but also unwilling to admit that Eric was turning out to be nicer than he'd expected. "I don't write music for humans, but I suppose-"
"I think that would be wonderful!" Ariel cut him off. Even though Eric couldn't understand him, Sebastian was being a little too rude for her liking. "I was just telling him earlier how well you played your snarfblatt."
Eric looked confused for a moment before he remembered that was what she called his flute during their long talk the previous day.
"We call it a flute," Eric gently reminded her as he pulled the instrument from his pocket. "I could play something if you'd like."
Having never seen an instrument like it, Sebastian's curiosity won him over and he scurried to take a closer look at the flute. He poked it with his claw, crawling around to take in all its features closely. After Sebastian was finished inspecting the flute, Eric raised it and began to play. Of course he played the song Ariel sang to him on the beach after the shipwreck. It was special to him because it was their song. Ariel smiled and began singing.
Glancing at Sebastian as she sang, Ariel noticed he seemed to actually be somewhat enjoying their impromptu musical. That was fantastic. If they could convince Sebastian that Eric was trustworthy and relatable, it meant they could maybe convince her father that humans weren't all bad.
When the song was over, Sebastian nodded, then seemed to realize he was basically admitting that the young prince was a good musician and cleared his throat.
"Dat was…not bad."
"See, I told you!" Ariel beamed. "We have a lot more in common with humans than you and Daddy seem to think."
"What did he say?" Eric asked, looking from Ariel to Sebastian.
"He said you were very good at playing," Ariel replied with a giggle.
"I said no such ting!" Sebastian crossed his claws. "He's a decent musician and he seems…nice. But, well-fine! You can keep seeing your prince, but if anyting suspicious happens I am taking you home immediately. Do you understand, young lady?"
"Yes, yes, I do. Thank you, Sebastian!"
Ariel picked up the crab and hugged him to her cheek. He shook his head at her as she set him back on the bench next to her.
"Good, den. I'm going to look around and make sure noting strange is going on around here." With that, the crab jumped back into the water and swam to shore, crawling off to inspect what would be his home until he could convince Ariel to go back to Atlantica.
"I'm guessing he's not interested in the things I brought to show you?" Eric chuckled as he watched the crab hurry off.
"He's, um, well he doesn't trust humans." Ariel sighed. "He's just like my father. But I bet we can change his mind with music!"
"With music? Do you think we could change your father's mind with music too?"
Ariel shook her head sadly. "No. He going to be a lot harder to convince."
Eric frowned. "Oh. I see. That bad, huh?"
"You have no idea. If he finds out I'm here…I don't think he'd ever let me leave Atlantica again. I guess I did run away but-"
"Wait, you ran away?" Eric asked, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "So you-have you been staying here all this time?" Ariel nodded. "Ariel, that's…" Eric took her hands in his. "This place might seem secluded, and I guess I've never really seen anyone else here before, but I don't really know how well hidden it actually is."
He was suddenly worried for her. If someone else found her he couldn't guarantee they would be friendly. King Triton was definitely right to be wary of some humans. His thought about building an extension of the sea into the palace was suddenly something he felt actually needed to happen, and soon. She needed someplace better to hide when she was visiting. Somewhere more comfortable. Then he realized he was probably being too overprotective and sighed. He would still build a place in the castle just for her, but only because he wanted to be close to her more often. Having her in the palace would make that easier. The absolute last thing he wanted was to make her feel trapped and uncomfortable.
Ariel mulled over Eric's words. He did have a point. She didn't want other humans to find out about her yet. And if the Atlantican guards started to search for her on the surface, she would be caught eventually.
"I don't know where else I'd go," Ariel said. "I'm not as familiar with the surface."
"Well, maybe I can help with that."
Eric began explaining his idea to her. The kind of indoor lagoon connected to the sea he envisioned. How he'd keep it confidential and only he would have the key to get in. The entrance for her would be underwater, maybe using metal bars to keep anyone or anything out unless they knew which bar could come loose. Maybe a door only she had the key to. They'd figure that out as it was being built. Ariel seemed fascinated by the idea. It would bring her closer to the human world than she'd ever been. And she'd be closer to Eric.
"I think I like the sound of that," Ariel said, finally looking back up into Eric's eyes.
Eric grinned, his dimples on full display. Then he thought of something and reached into his bag. "Oh! Let me show you where I was thinking I'd build it." Rifling through a few different rolled up parchments, he pulled one out and unrolled it. It looked like the layout of a building and Ariel moved to sit next to him to see better. "This is the layout of the palace. And this," he pointed at a place where the base of the castle touched the ocean, "is where I thought we could build the extension into the water for you."
The location was a corner partially blocked by the large dome shaped tower that overlooked the ocean with the large staircase leading to the beach attached to its side, opposite of where Eric had indicated. The inlet was used to dock the Royal Ship that his father was currently sailing. Eric said the lower area of the castle there was rarely used so opening it to the sea or building an extension wouldn't be a problem.
"Where's your room?" Ariel asked suddenly, taking in the entirety of the castle map in awe.
Eric seemed caught off guard by the question, but was quickly overcome with affection at the thought of her wanting to know more about him and his home. He scanned the map and pointed to a room on the top most level.
"Right here, facing the ocean. It's the best view in the castle besides the dining room."
"Wow. That sounds wonderful." Ariel thought of her room back home, how the tiny windows overlooked a kelp forest. Her sisters got the better rooms with views of coral reefs full of life and color. "I'd love to see it."
"I could show you! We could go see it tonight." Eric was so excited that he was forgetting an important detail that would make things a little difficult.
"Um, I wish, but," Ariel flipped her tail to remind him.
"Oh, right," he said, visibly deflated. He'd completely forgotten in his excitement to show her the palace. "Well maybe…maybe Carlotta could find me a dress that would be long enough to cover your tail, or I could cover you with a blanket, then I could say you were injured and I was carrying you because you had trouble walking. Or we could sneak in. Or-or something."
Ariel found his rambling adorable. The thought of going on a short adventure like that with Eric definitely appealed to her. If only she had legs, they could go on so many adventures together. Maybe they could get away with this one though, if he hid her fins and secreted her into the palace. It was an exciting thought.
"If you think we could…" she said, trailing off.
"I think we could."
They both smiled, mischief twinkling in their eyes.
Chapter 5
Notes:
This chapter just kept going. So much happened that I was not planning on. Enjoy this extra long chapter! Don't forget to comment and kudos if you're liking the story so far. =)
Chapter Text
The dimly lit castle held a sleepy air about it. At such a late hour, most of the workers had already gone home and the residents were tucked away in their beds. It was quiet on the beach outside, the waves gently lapping over the sand in a rhythmic lull.
Ariel arrived at the shores of the castle first. She found the inlet Eric was talking about and swam around it, inspecting the tower base. When she heard footsteps in the sand, she sank lower into the water and peeked out around the tower, in case it was someone other than Eric. As Eric came into view, Ariel let out a relieved breath and swam to where he knelt at the water's edge.
"What do you think of the location?" Eric whispered.
Ariel nodded in approval. "You were right, it's perfect," she whispered back.
Eric grinned. "I need to go find something to cover your tail. Hide until I get back."
Ariel nodded again and disappeared below the waves.
Eric quietly jogged up the steps and carefully opened the heavy wooden door. He was sure the creaks of the wood and hinges would alert someone, but as Eric stilled, waiting and listening, no one appeared. He left the door open enough for him to squeeze in and out without needing to move it again and hurried toward another door on the far side of the foyer leading to the laundry area. The smaller door was not as creaky and he was able to get in, grab a freshly laundered blanket off of the drying line, and get out without anyone noticing him.
As he stepped back out onto the landing of the stairway to the beach, he thought about how crazy it was that they were actually going through with his spur of the moment idea. He could barely believe it. They were really doing it. He was really going to show Ariel his home. Eric couldn't stop smiling.
Bolting down the steps back to the shore, Eric scanned the dark water for Ariel.
"Ariel?" he called as loudly as he could with a hushed voice.
"I'm here," she whispered as she breached the surface, moving herself out of the water and onto the beach next to Eric.
The young prince knelt down and held the blanket up for Ariel to see.
"I'm going to use this to wrap around your tail. Is that okay?"
Ariel reached out and touched the blanket, a look of delight flashing across her face.
"It's so soft! I've never felt anything like it. I love it!"
Eric laughed. "I'm glad it meets your approval, my lady."
Ariel giggled and moved closer to him, lifting her tail into the air as he reached toward her with the blanket. He gently enveloped her tail in the plush white fabric, being as careful as he could to not get too much sand on it. Sand against her scales would probably be as uncomfortable as it was against skin, he imagined. When he was finished, he lifted her into his arms and stood. Her arms immediately went up to wrap around his neck. As he held her close, his heart beat faster and he blushed, knowing she probably heard as it sped up from her touch.
Nestled against Eric's chest, Ariel felt warm and safe. She could feel his heartbeat and smiled when she felt the beats quicken in time with her own. They were closer than they'd ever been and the little mermaid felt like she could really get used to the feeling of being in his strong, sun tanned arms. She snuggled a little bit closer.
"Comfortable?" Eric asked.
"Very," Ariel replied.
Eric blushed deeper and cleared his throat. "All right then, let's go."
Holding his mermaid tightly against him, the young prince strode across the sand and bound up the stone steps. Ariel was light and he could easily maneuver with her in his arms, even with his bag of maps and things still over his shoulder. Reaching the steps, he nudged the door open a little further with his shoulder and stepped into the foyer, closing the door as gently as he could behind him.
The humor of sneaking into his own home was not lost on him and he chuckled. It was both ridiculous and thrilling. He couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun.
They made it through the back foyer and halfway through the hall that lead to the dining area when the clack of claws on the stone floor drew their attention. Max barked and ran at them, jumping up onto Eric's side to lick Ariel.
"Shh, no boy, down," Eric tried to reprimand his dog, but he was too quiet and Max was not listening.
"Max?" Grimsby's voice echoed from around the corner at the end of the hall and Eric panicked.
Thinking fast, Eric told Ariel to hold on tight around his neck and let go of her with one of his arms. He fished around in the bag over his shoulder until he found one of the sweet rolls he'd packed to share with Ariel at the lagoon. Ripping off a chunk, he threw it down the hall and Max bound after it. Eric left Max behind that day so the dog wouldn't eat the sweet rolls and he found it ironic that Max got to eat one anyway. Though they would have run into Grimsby in the dining hall if Max hadn't stopped them, so a sweet roll was a fitting reward for the dog's inadvertent help he supposed.
Eric held Ariel tight again and slid through an archway that lead to the main grand foyer of the castle, his boot barely through the threshold as Grimsby entered the hall, asking Max what he had in his mouth. If they had been a second later, the old majordomo would have spotted Eric's boot as he ran into the next room.
That was a close call. Too close. Eric was going to need to be even more cautious than he'd originally thought.
Reaching the grand staircase, Eric hid in the shadows behind the stairs and both he and Ariel let out breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding. Then they looked at each other and laughed.
"That was a close one," Eric breathed.
"I'm actually having a lot of fun," Ariel whispered, still giggling.
Eric grinned. "Me too."
Continuing on toward the upper levels, Eric crept up the stairs and down the darkened halls, having to pause at nearly every painting on the walls so Ariel could admire the artwork. They only needed to dart into rooms a couple of times to avoid live-in maids heading to their quarters and Eric considered their late-night stealth mission a success as they reached the door to his bedroom.
Until a familiar voice called out to him from down the hall, tinged once again in annoyance at his being absent from the palace for so long without a word to anyone. Carlotta was almost a bigger worrier than his father had been after his mother's passing.
Eric and Ariel exchanged a wide eyed look. Thankfully Eric had his back turned toward the head maid and he frantically moved to cover Ariel up entirely with the blanket before Carlotta reached them.
"Why do you keep disappearing for so long without telling anyone, Eric dear? You're driving me mad with worry these days!"
"I-I was, um, a little cold last night so, uh, I went to get a blanket!"
Carlotta eyed the bundle in Eric's arms and sighed. "You should have just asked me to get you one. But you didn't even tell us you were back home!"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry Lottie. I'll try to be more diligent in notifying someone before I leave the grounds next time."
Carlotta shot him a skeptical look and shook her head. "See that you do, dear. Have a good night."
The plump maid turned on her heel and marched off the way she'd come. Eric threw open the door to his room, shutting it with his foot as soon as they were inside. He helped Ariel uncover her head and they both heaved heavy sighs of relief. When he set her gently on his bed, Ariel wasn't expecting it to be so soft and she fell backward onto it.
"Woah!" Ariel gasped and her face lit up with a huge smile as she rolled around as best she could with half of her still wrapped in the blanket. "Your bed is so soft! Do all humans sleep in beds like this?"
Eric laughed, filled with affection at seeing the absolute joy on Ariel's face. "Yeah, well, I mean, not everyone sleeps in a bed this big, but they're all almost as soft I'd imagine."
"It's amazing!" Ariel then sat up as best she could to take in the rest of the room.
"Do merpeople not have beds like this?"
"Not really. We use giant clams or shells and sand stuffed into woven kelp for pillows."
"That doesn't sound very comfortable."
Ariel shrugged. "It's not uncomfortable. You get used to it." Eric went to light some candles so they could see better and Ariel gasped again, eyes wide. "Is that a fire?" She remembered the last fire she saw in person. Eric almost died in that one and she was horrified at how destructive it could be. How was he using fire inside and not worried about it?
"Yeah, but it's okay!" Eric said quickly when he saw her expression. He lifted the candle and brought it over to her. She leaned back from it a bit when he sat on the bed. "This is a candle. We use it for light to see in the dark. It's not dangerous unless you touch the fire itself or drop the candle."
Ariel leaned closer to it after Eric's assurance that it was safe. The flame danced from a small draft in the room, flickering orange and yellow and blue at the center. She'd seen a candle in a painting she'd had in her grotto, but seeing it in person was completely different. It was beautiful. She slowly reached toward the flame and stopped when she felt heat on her fingertips.
"It's hot…is that, um, what does it mean when a fire, oh what's the word…um, burns?"
"Uh, well, if you touch the fire, it will hurt. That's what we call a burn on your skin. Also when a fire, um, covers something, like what happened with my ship the day you rescued me. The ship burned because of the fire. It's the action of what happens when fire touches something." Eric set the candle onto the bedside table after his explanation.
Now that the room was brighter thanks to the candles, Ariel became distracted by the paintings of ships hanging on the walls and stared in admiration. She took in the rest of the room as best she could from her seat on the bed, twisting and turning to try to see everything. The blue and gold curtains held back from the window with gold rope, the high backed beige chairs in front of the unlit fireplace, the books, papers, and quills strewn about on the small mahogany round table near the chairs. It all fascinated her. The room was large, but cozy and she thought it suited Eric well.
Eric stood and held his hands out to her. "Would you like to see things up close?"
Ariel beamed. "Yes!"
Picking her up again, he carried her over to everything she wanted to see, answering questions and explaining things as best he could. He ended the tour at the picture window. Though it was dark, Ariel could still see the shore below thanks to the firelight flickering from the torches on the outer castle walls. She knew it would be a beautiful view, if only she could be there in the daytime to see it.
As if he could read her thoughts, Eric said "I wish you could see it during the day."
"Maybe someday…" Ariel muttered. Would she be able to reveal herself to humans without repercussions? Would they be disgusted by her or afraid of her? Could merfolk and humans ever get along? It was a future Ariel would love to witness. Land and sea united. It could be beneficial for everyone. If only her father could be convinced that hiding their people from humans wasn't the only way to survive. "I really want to. To meet your family and friends and the people of your kingdom. But I-I don't know how others would react to…"
"I don't know either," Eric confessed. "I wish I could tell you that everyone would accept you, but I can't. No matter what though, I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you." Ariel didn't respond. She continued to stare out the window into the dark. Her sudden melancholy broke Eric's heart and he tried to think of something to cheer her up. His study! He could take her to his study and show her all sorts of things he knew she would love. It would require another stealthy trip through the halls, but it would be worth it just to see her smile. "I want to show you something else. Could I put the blanket around you again?"
Ariel looked up at him and nodded. He bundled her back up in the blanket and stuck his head out of his room to make sure no one was in the hall. It was much later and he was sure everyone was asleep, but he had no desire to be caught by someone again. He'd almost had a heart attack when Carlotta saw him earlier and he wanted to avoid a repeat of that scenario.
Judging it to be safe to venture out once more into the castle, he turned to Ariel, who was perched on the bed, and plucked her up into his arms again. It was very dark and he had to be extra careful with his footing, but Eric knew these halls like the back of his hand and it wasn't too difficult for him to navigate without light.
He suddenly felt like he was ten years old again, sneaking out of his room to play on the beach at night with Max. On his tenth birthday his parents gifted him a puppy and he'd been so excited he couldn't sleep and just wanted to stay up all night playing with his new friend. Eric named him Max and the two were inseparable ever since.
His mother passed away from illness a few months later. Max was the last gift he'd received from both of his parents and it made the dog even more special to the young prince. He wasn't just his best friend, Max was family and a reminder of a time when Eric's family had been whole.
Eric held Ariel a little tighter and tried to focus on the girl he loved in his arms instead of painful memories of the past.
Even in the dark Ariel could tell something had shifted in Eric's demeanor. She rested her head on his shoulder and curled in closer to his chest.
"You know," she whispered, "I could get used to this."
Hearing Ariel's voice pulled Eric fully from his memories.
"Used to what?"
"You holding me like this. I like it."
Eric almost stumbled. He had to pause walking, lest he fall over, and after the shock of her honesty wore off he resumed his pace.
"I like it too." If she could be brutally honest about her feelings without embarrassment then so could he. He felt her smile against the fabric of his shirt and he grinned.
Silence enveloped them again and before long they arrived at their destination. Eric stopped at the door to his study and, after fumbling with the door handle, made his way inside, bolting the door behind them. No one would enter his bedroom without permission while he was in there, but his study was another matter. The last thing he needed was someone waltzing in to find him alone with a girl. And not just any girl. A mermaid. The rumors would be out of control by the morning and Ariel would possibly be in danger. That was something Eric wanted to avoid at all costs, his reputation be damned.
Setting Ariel down on one of the chairs at the large table in the center of the room, Eric went and lit candles and sconces in various locations until the center table and some of the bookshelves were easily visible. Just as Eric had hoped, Ariel's eyes grew wide in wonder and her smile was infectious as she tried to take everything in at once.
"Oh my gosh! I've never seen anything so wonderful! There's even more here than what I had in my grotto!"
"Your grotto?" Eric asked as he sat down in the chair next to hers.
"Oh, I used to collect human things. When I went to explore shipwrecks with Flounder, I would always bring back interesting and beautiful things and ask Scuttle what they were! I kept my collection in a grotto that I thought was well hidden, but…" Ariel paused when she thought of what her father had done to her collection. "A-anyway, show me everything! What's all this?" She gestured to the pile of maps and navigation equipment littered on the table in front of her, hoping to change the subject.
Eric was more than happy to answer all her questions. Sailing was his favorite thing and he was overjoyed to finally share his passion with someone who was so interested and eager to learn about it.
Ariel's favorite things he showed her were the maps and globe. She hung on Eric's every word as he pointed out and named the different continents and countries. In turn, she showed him a few places in the ocean that humans had yet to explore and told him of the different mer-cities in those areas. How she'd gone on adventures with Flounder to a couple of them.
"I'd love to hear more about your exploring with Flounder," Eric said and then remembered she used to collect things from his world just like he collected things from hers. "Oh! First, tell me more about your grotto."
"Well um, I used to hide in my grotto when I was bored or if my sisters were being annoying or when I was frustrated that no one would listen to me about human things. It was a special place. It was peaceful. Daddy found out about it though and wasn't very happy, especially about the, um, uh, the statue you were given on the ship that night…"
"Wait wait wait. You saw that? Oh no." Eric put his head in his hands. "That statue was the most ridiculous thing. I'm kind of glad it sunk."
Ariel laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I thought it displayed your handsome features very well."
Eric groaned. "I'm flattered."
"It's in tiny pieces now anyway so there's no way it would ever get back to you. Good news, right?"
Eric brightened a bit. "Yeah actually," he said with a laugh, "How did it end up like that?"
Ariel winced. "Um-I-uh may have been…flirting with it when Daddy found my grotto?"
Eric raised a brow. "Flirting with a statue? Of me?"
"I-it was all I thought I'd ever get to remind me of you," Ariel stammered quickly. "So I-I mean…"
"Why did you want something to remind you of me?" Eric pressed, suddenly really enjoying where this conversation was going.
Ariel flushed and fiddled with her hair. "I fell in love with you that night," she finally responded in barely a whisper, "And I thought I'd never see you again."
Once again her honestly nearly sent Eric falling off his chair to the floor. So much for teasing her a little more. How was he supposed to respond to that? He was rendered speechless for a few moments before he took a deep breath and spoke.
"You selflessly rescued a complete stranger and asked for nothing in return," he began slowly, trying to find the right words to explain his feelings as he woke up that day on the beach. "You sang to me and I-even though I couldn't see your face very well, your voice took my breath away. I knew right then that you were beautiful. Inside and out. I wanted to meet you again to thank you. No, I-I needed to meet you again because I just knew you were the one. And when we did meet again and I got to know you it just confirmed everything." Eric's voice grew quiet as he finished his last thought. "And then when we kissed I was sure…"
"Did it hit you like lightning?" Ariel teased.
Eric choked and rubbed the back of his neck. "You heard that too, huh?" His mermaid princess just smiled at him, waiting for his answer. "Well, uh, yeah," he sighed locking eyes with her. "Yeah, it did."
The firelight reflected in Ariel's deep blue eyes. Eric once again found himself lost in her beauty. The way her hair flowed around her face and over her shoulders, a fire all its own. How the blanket sagged loose around her arms and torso revealing her flawless skin and seashell top. The emerald scales of her tail peeking out from beneath the blanket glistened, beautiful and iridescent in the light of the flickering candles. The small smile tugging at her perfect lips. Oh how he wanted to capture those lips with his again.
Ariel too was struck again by Eric's beauty, her memory flashing back to the morning on the beach after she'd saved him, when she saw him up close for the first time and couldn't take her eyes off him. She'd thought he was beautiful then, disheveled, bruised, full of cuts and scratches, hair a mess and tangled with debris. Now, with his pale blue eyes gazing at her with such adoration and affection, his handsome features were mesmerizing in the soft glow of the candlelight. The way his dark hair curled gently over his neck, some falling over his face as he leaned toward her. How the first few buttons on his white shirt were unfastened, revealing just a hint of his muscled chest. The way his lips parted ever so slightly. She wanted to press a million kisses to those soft lips.
In unison they closed the gap between their chairs. Ariel's hands tangled into his hair as Eric's arms encircled her waist, pulling themselves as close together as possible as their lips met. Unlike their first kiss, they were more sure of themselves this time. Their lips pressed firmly together, each relishing the feeling of softness and warmth.
The wooden chairs were uncomfortable and they broke apart when Ariel almost slipped off of hers. Without missing a beat, Eric lifted her, the blanket dropping to the floor as he carried her to the loveseat in the corner of the study by the empty fireplace. He fell back onto the plush seat and held Ariel in his lap, arms moving around her waist again, her tail extending across the cushions next to him. As soon as they were settled, Eric dipped his head to capture Ariel's lips and she wasted no time in returning his kiss, arms flying up around his neck again.
It was lightning, and fire, and the crashing of tidal waves as their kisses deepened. A mantra of 'I love you I love you I love you' woven unspoken into their mingling breaths and sighs. Ariel wrapped her tail around one of Eric's legs and one of his hands moved to the fins at her waist, fingers ghosting over the scales at her hip and down the side where her thigh would be.
Though they were lost in each other, Eric still had enough sense left to realize her tail was not as soft as it had been the first time he touched it. Her scales felt dry. Too dry. He pulled away from her rather reluctantly, concern etched onto his face.
"Your tail," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Why does it feel like your scales might flake off? Are you okay?"
"I don't know," she breathed, just as out of breath as he was. "I've never been out of the water this long before." Ariel wanted to just keep kissing Eric, but he was right. Her tail felt odd and was starting to itch.
"I think we better get you back into the water." Eric said, lifting her as he stood. He too just wanted to keep kissing Ariel, but his concern for her safety overpowered any other feelings.
Eric hurried to the door, unbolted the lock, and entered the dim halls again.
"So just how long were you watching me that night?" Eric asked, trying to take his mind off of how much he was worrying about Ariel.
"When the, um, the loud lights in the sky started?"
"Loud lights? Oh, we call those fireworks."
"Fireworks…" Ariel repeated, "They were so pretty lighting up the sky."
"You were there for a bit then," Eric mused. Then a thought occurred to him, "Wait, you were what Max was distracted by, weren't you?"
Ariel nodded. "I was so nervous when I saw him coming toward me, I thought I'd be caught."
"So that's why he was so excited to see you when we met in the lagoon. He remembered you!"
"He's a good friend."
"That he is," Eric agreed with a grin. "I wish I'd seen you. Would have saved me a lot of heartache looking for you."
Ariel shook her head and sighed. "I couldn't have come back to see you anyway. Daddy wouldn't let me leave Atlantica after Sebastian blabbed to him that I'd saved you. Then he found my grotto and…I've never seen him so angry."
Eric mulled over her words. "Well, at least I would have known not to search for you on land." He thought again for a bit and suddenly he was able to connect the things she'd been saying about her grotto and her father. His statue was reduced to rubble. She kept mentioning how angry her father was when he found her collection of human things. He realized her father must have destroyed the statue, and possibly more, after she was caught flirting with him, or, well, his likeness, however ridiculous it was. "Gee, your father must really hate humans."
Ariel slowly nodded. "He has his reasons, but…even if he's just trying to protect our people I think he's going too far. I just wish he would listen and try to understand."
Eric was quiet for a moment before speaking, "My father always says one of the most important qualities in a ruler is listening to your people, all of your people, regardless of who they are or what their status is."
"He sounds like a good king."
"He is. But I don't know how he'd feel about merpeople being real. I feel like maybe even he would react poorly or make incorrect assumptions or-or I don't know…but I do know that if I was in my father's position, I would do everything I could to earn the trust of your people."
"It sounds like you would make a good king too," Ariel grinned, nudging her elbow into his chest.
Eric chuckled. "I'm glad you think so. I don't know if I'm quite ready yet. It's a lot of responsibility."
Ariel hummed in agreement. As the seventh princess, she always knew she would never be queen of Atlantica. She was thankful for that. It gave her a lot more freedom.
They reached the shore in front of the castle without incident. The moon hung high in the sky, reflecting in silver ripples in the waves as Eric stepped across the sand to the water's edge. Wading in up to his ankles, he knelt and gently set Ariel down into the sea. The cool seawater soothed her scales and within minutes her tail returned to its usual healthy, beautiful sheen. Eric was relieved that there didn't appear to be any permanent damage or injury.
"Next time," Eric said, "we'll have to keep our trip short, or at least stop partway to soak your tail in seawater in the tub. If there is a next time."
"Why wouldn't there be?" Ariel replied with a playful grin. She'd had a lot of fun, so much so that she hadn't even realized her tail was becoming dry and uncomfortable until Eric pointed it out.
Eric laughed and shook his head in disbelief. Her sense of adventure and taking to a challenge head on was lovable and refreshing. Ariel was nothing like all the stuck up or sheltered princesses his father and Grimsby tried to match him with. While there was nothing wrong with those princesses, none of them had anything in common with him and he found all those meetings boring and pretentious. They adhered to the rules of society too strictly. Conversations fell flat and veered more toward duty and propriety rather than being genuine. No one had even attempted to form a bond through common ground and ideals. Ariel did not hold herself back. She stayed true to herself and her personality shined through in everything she did. How could he not love her endless curiosity and lust for life?
"Let's actually make a plan for next time then," Eric said, reaching out to brush Ariel's hair out of her face, letting his fingers linger on her cheek.
"I guess that would be better than just diving into it," Ariel agreed, leaning into the warmth of his touch.
"You should probably get back to the lagoon."
"Yeah, I bet Sebastian is wondering where I went."
Having said that, neither of them moved.
"Really," he breathed, his words contradicting his actions as he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.
"I should," she whispered, closing her eyes.
They kissed again, slow and deliberate, trying to make the moment last, neither wanting to part. Bathed in moonlight, the ever rolling tides rushing around them, her slender fingers gripping his shirt, his calloused hand caressing her cheek. When they finally parted ways for the night, it was with great reluctance.
No amount of stolen time together was enough. Their longing increased with every moment apart. But come what may, whatever distance between them, their hearts were one and that was enough.
Chapter Text
Eric went through his morning routine in a daze. All he could think about was Ariel.
While eating breakfast with Grimsby he would look out at the ocean every few minutes and sigh, grinning like an idiot. After the sixth time, Grim had enough.
"Eric, are you quite all right?"
Eric was jolted from his daydream and turned to Grimsby. "I'm sorry Grim, what was that?"
Grimsby set his fork down a little harsher than intended. "Is there something wrong? You seem distracted this morning."
"There's nothing wrong at all," Eric said with a smile, "In fact, I've never been better."
"I see. Well perhaps you'd like to share what's got you in such a good mood?"
"Well…" Eric thought for a moment. Maybe it was a good time to bring up the indoor cove he wanted to build for Ariel. He would need to come up with some kind of excuse about why he wanted to build it though. Blurting out that he wanted it for his mermaid girlfriend wasn't exactly an option. "I've been thinking about something. The beach around the castle is already private land, but really anyone could wander by or look out and see what's going on." Grimsby stared at him, wondering where he was going with this. "I'd, uh, like to have a place where I could relax alone, maybe with Max."
"Is that why you've been disappearing lately?"
"Sure. Well, partially." Grimsby eyed him and he continued quickly. "I mean, taking on all of Father's duties as well as my own has been, um, somewhat taxing as of late." That was a bit of an embellishment. The extra work was annoying, but manageable. "A-and…I'd like a place to recuperate. Like-like maybe we could add a piece of the shore inside the castle walls. I was thinking that we could build an extension out of the West tower. Or maybe even use some of the tower itself. Or something."
Grimsby heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "And why does the ocean have to be a part of it?"
"Because I love it, Grim! You know that. Having a cove inside the palace walls would really help me relax. And then I wouldn't feel like I needed to go off to some hidden part of the beach just to wind down after a long day. C'mon Grim, when have I ever asked for, well, much of anything?"
It was true. Even when he was young, Eric never asked for much for himself. Grimsby supposed this 'indoor cove' would make a good late birthday gift since the statue he commissioned was lost to the sea. He would speak to the king about it when he returned from his voyage.
"Very well, Eric. I'll speak to your father about it upon his return."
Eric grinned and jumped up to hug Grimsby. "Thanks, Grims! I can always count on you to help me out."
Grimsby pat Eric's back. "Yes, yes, well, isn't it about time you were off to take care of your scheduled duties?"
Eric stood straight again and pat the old man on the shoulder. "You're right. See you at lunch!"
Ariel floated in the lagoon in a daze. All she could think about was Eric.
Even when Sebastian scolded her for disappearing for hours, she barely paid any attention to his ranting. Almost immediately after waking that morning though, Sebastian continued from where he left off the previous night, rambling about how reckless she was, how she had no sense of self preservation. Ariel felt like he was over-exaggerating.
"Gosh Sebastian, nothing dangerous happened."
"Someting might have!"
"Eric was with me! He wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."
"Dat…dat might be true, but what about de rest of de humans, hm? Don't you dare go gallivanting off on land wit dat boy again! What if de other humans find out about you?"
"What if I want them to?"
"Don't talk nonsense, young lady."
"It's not nonsense!" Ariel argued. "There's so much we could learn from each other. So much we have in common. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if humans and merfolk lived in harmony?"
"Get your head out of de clouds. Merfolk getting along wit humans?" Sebastian scoffed. "Impossible."
"It's not impossible! Look at Eric. He accepted me wholeheartedly and even wants to learn more about my people. There must be others like him."
Sebastian sighed. "Even if dat were true, your father would never agree to it."
Ariel sighed along with the crab, visibly defeated. He was right. Without convincing King Triton to give humans a chance, bringing their worlds together was impossible. Still, the little mermaid had hope. Maybe she and Eric could come up with a way to talk to her father. Get him to actually listen. Somehow help him understand.
Thinking about Eric again was a good distraction from the apparent hopelessness of her dream. They had only been apart for a few hours and Ariel already missed him. Longed to be in his arms again. She couldn't wait until he visited her that evening.
Afternoon sunlight flooded the halls around Eric as he walked, flanked on one side by Grimsby and his naval admiral on the other. Their meeting ended up requiring more time than the initial schedule allowed and they decided to continue their discussion over lunch. Eric was eager to finish everything on his schedule as soon as possible so he could go see Ariel. If that meant working when he normally would have had a break, he was more than willing to do it.
As they rounded a corner and entered the hall to the dining room, the echo of hurried footsteps behind them gave them pause. A young messenger, out of breath from running, held up a letter in his hand as he ran toward them.
"An urgent message for the prince!" the boy panted, handing off the letter to Eric.
Eric nodded at the messenger boy who bowed and left the way he'd come.
"Let us continue to the dining room to finish our discussion," Grimsby said. "Why don't you read that as we go."
The trio turned and resumed walking to their destination. Eric opened the letter, unfolding it to reveal a short, hastily written message. As his eyes skimmed the report, his gait slowed more and more until he eventually halted his movements completely. Grimsby and the Admiral paused and turned back to the young prince with questioning looks.
"Your Highness," the Admiral said. "Is something wrong?"
Eric didn't respond. He frowned at the letter in his hands, eyebrows furrowed. Surely it was some kind of cruel prank. Reading it over twice more did nothing to help make the words any more believable.
"Eric?" Grimsby spoke with caution, growing concerned at his young charge's sudden pallid complexion. The boy looked like he'd just seen a ghost. Grimsby stepped closer to Eric. "What does it say?"
"It…I-uh, my-" Eric stuttered and stalled, shaking his head. Coherency was eluding him.
The letter in his hands couldn't be real. It was impossible. It was a nightmare. Any second now he would wake up to find himself still in his bedroom, swathed in his blankets, squinting against the morning sun. He squeezed his eyes shut then opened them again, repeating the action a few times, only to find he was still standing in the hallway, the awful letter in his hands, Grimsby and the Admiral staring at him with worry lining their aging faces.
Maybe he should have waited until they were seated at the dining table to read the message. He could feel his legs going weak, knees threatening to buckle under him. His entire body felt numb. Unsure if he would have the strength to continue standing, he slumped against the wall for support.
As Grimsby and the Admiral rushed to the prince's side, the majordomo gingerly took the letter from Eric's limp hand.
"He's…he's gone," Eric muttered, his voice cracking, making him sound like a child again. The light in the hall was suddenly too bright to bear. He brought up a hand to cover his eyes, squeezing them closed again in an attempt to fight off the painful sting of unshed tears.
Grimsby read the letter and gripped Eric's shoulder as he passed the message to the Admiral. Pirates. A shipwreck. Few survivors.
Grimsby and the Admiral exchanged a sorrowful look. Calling the news shocking was an understatement and Eric would need their support more than ever.
"Find the head maid Carlotta," Grimsby murmured to the Admiral, "Inform her of what's happened. She'll know how to help."
The Admiral nodded and left in a hurry. Grimsby put one of Eric's arms over his shoulder to help support him so he could stand again.
"Grim, I-"
"Hush now. I think we should cancel the rest of today's schedule and take a moment to relax, don't you?"
Eric took in a shaky breath, attempting to say something before simply nodding instead. The initial shock was wearing off slowly, but his thoughts were still in turmoil, his head buzzing and making him dizzy. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Nothing. Just like when he lost his mother, he knew this blow would take a long time to recover from.
By mid afternoon, nearly the entire kingdom was in mourning.
Eric's father, King Willem the Third of Denmark, would never be returning home.
As the sun's light waned, twilight turned to dusk and dusk turned to night and Ariel grew restless. Eric hadn't arrived at the lagoon yet and the little mermaid was worried. Had she done something wrong last night? Did something happen to Eric? She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling rising up within her. Her prince was never late. Something was keeping him from coming to see her. She was sure of it.
"I-I'm sure he's just, uh, busy. Yeah! busy!" Flounder tried to calm his friend's obviously frayed nerves but was utterly failing. He looked to Sebastian and Scuttle for help, but they seemed to also be at a loss.
Ariel knew Eric had to sneak out to see her to make sure no one followed him. It was entirely possible he couldn't slip past the castle guards or get away from his duties. She still had a bad feeling about it, even when she tried to think rationally.
"You're probably right," Ariel finally sighed. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."
Without actually knowing what was really going on, there was no sense in worrying. She considered swimming to the castle to see if she could find out what was going on. Sebastian wouldn't let her, but maybe she could slip away after he fell asleep. Then again, she might have been overreacting. Her conflicting thoughts were giving her a headache.
In the end, she decided to just try to get some sleep.
The rest of the day passed in a blur at the castle. Eric refused meals, finally accepting some hot tea in the evening after Carlotta wouldn't stop pestering him to at least drink something. The tea was tasteless, like ash in his throat. That was why he didn't want to eat anything. He was sure food would taste just as bad. He thanked Carlotta regardless and after assuring her he was okay he was finally left alone, able to confront his grief privately.
Sleep was restless for Eric that night. He dreamt of pirates and swords and gunpowder. Of his father being shot, stabbed, drowned, while Eric was helpless, unable to save him. He woke with a start after every nightmare, covered in sweat, tears clinging to his cheeks. Every time he woke, Max would whine from his spot on the bed next to him and Eric would reach for the dog, burying his face in the fur of his neck, crying until exhaustion overtook him once more.
The sun was high in the sky when Eric finally woke for the day. No one had come to bother him despite the hour and he was grateful for that. He just wanted to be alone for a while.
Dragging himself out of bed, he eyed his reflection in the mirror. Face stained with dried tears, eyes red and puffy, hair mussed and tangled from a fitful night. He looked a mess. Eric sighed and washed his face in a basin of warm water that Carlotta must have left. She also must have let Max out seeing as the dog was no longer in the room. Silently thanking her for not waking him, he went to his closet and dressed.
With no desire to interact with any of the castle staff, Eric slipped through the halls quickly. If anyone had noticed, they didn't acknowledge or bother him. Small blessings.
Soon he pushed through the door to the staircase leading to the beach. Closing the door quietly behind him, he leaned back against it with a sigh before making his way to the shore.
A walk on the beach would soothe his mind. The ocean always calmed him. And there was also Ariel. He'd missed their nightly meeting, but he knew she would understand. What was he going to tell her though? Could he talk to her about his father's death and not break down? The more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't care. He just needed to see her. His pace quickened with a new sense of urgency.
Upon reaching the trees surrounding the grotto, Eric took a deep breath and pushed his way through the bushes and low hanging branches. His eyes found Ariel right away, resting her arms on the sandbar between the lagoon and the cove leading out to sea. A seagull was perched in the sand next to her. The bird's wing looked like it gestured to him and Ariel turned toward Eric in surprise at seeing him so early in the day. She dove to swim to him and without a second thought, Eric kicked off his boots and walked straight into the water. That was unusual, Ariel mused. The water was almost past his waist when she reached him.
"Eric," Ariel greeted as she surfaced in front of him. She cocked her head to the side with a frown at seeing how disheveled he appeared and how blank his eyes seemed. "Why are you here so-" She didn't get to finish as Eric wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him, burying his head into the crook of her neck. Something was definitely wrong. He held her like his life depended on it. Ariel returned his embrace, running her fingers through his hair and down his back in a soothing gesture. "What's wrong?" Ariel gently asked, "Whatever it is, you know you can tell me."
Eric took a shuddering breath and pulled away to look at Ariel. She brought her hand down from his hair to caress the side of his face.
"Ariel, I-" Eric stammered. He closed his eyes to fight back the tears threatening to fall so he could finish speaking. If he started falling apart right away then he'd never be able to finish explaining what was going on. He needed to talk first, cry after. "My-my father, he…he was on his way home from, um," Eric paused. Why was it so hard to explain? His mouth felt dry. He swallowed and cleared his throat before continuing. "He-he was returning from a, uh, a diplomatic meeting in another country. He'd, um, it was to cancel an engagement he'd arranged with the king there with the princess and, well, uh, with me. I refused it after I was sent to meet her, and, well, things worked out and the king allowed it to be called off. My father went to confirm that and negotiate a peace treaty."
Ariel quietly listened to his explanation, continuing to caress the side of his face and run her fingers through his hair, encouraging him to say everything he needed to. Eric leaned into her touch, bringing his hand up to take hers and entwine their fingers.
"Pirates attacked his ship on his way home," Eric continued, finally reaching the main point of all his rambling. "The ship sunk. My father died. A-a messenger arrived with the news yesterday."
"Oh, Eric," Ariel breathed, wrapping her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I'm so sorry."
And then Eric broke down. The young prince's shoulders shook as he wept in Ariel's embrace and the mermaid princess began to sing to him, her voice cracking periodically as sadness enveloped her too. She sang the lullaby her mother used to sing to her and her sisters. Her voice was gentle and radiant. Eric felt it wrap around him in a comforting aura as if it was a tangible thing.
"It's my fault," Eric whispered through his tears when Ariel finished singing. Her voice had helped tremendously, his sobs subsiding enough that he was able to speak again. "If I had just accepted-"
"No, Eric," Ariel soothed. "This was not your fault. Not at all. Pirates are to blame and no one else. They're awful." Her voice took on a tone of anger as she remembered her mother, how pirates had been a source of sorrow and anger for her family too. Both of them had someone they loved stolen from them because of the greed of a few nasty humans. It had been traumatic enough that it made her father abhor all humans and ban merfolk from ever going to the surface again. How unfortunate it was that the despicable act of a few could drive some people to blame all, regardless of association, or lack thereof. "Everything is their fault."
Eric pulled backed enough to look at her. There was something about the way she spoke that made him think there was more to what she was saying than it seemed. He ran his sea-water soaked hands over his face to wash away the remnants of his tears.
"It's true, they are awful," Eric agreed, "But how do you know about pirates?"
"Well…I never liked the rule of never going to the surface," Ariel began slowly, "I've seen pirate ships before. I even thwarted one once. But, that's not really the reason I know about them." She paused, wondering if she should tell him about her mother. She didn't want to twist the conversation and make things about her. This was all about comforting him. Allowing him to share his grief with someone who understood. He'd been so open with her about his loss though that she decided she should tell him. It was just another way they seemed to be bonded. Another way they were connected. "I encountered a pirate ship when I was really little. Before my father decided the surface was too dangerous for merfolk. My father, mother, sisters, and I, along with other merfolk were sunbathing and singing and playing at the surface. A pirate ship saw us and deliberately came for us. My mother didn't flee fast enough and was killed. My father blamed all of humanity and he's loathed humans ever since."
Eric was silent for a moment. So humans were the reason her mother was dead. It made him feel a little sick. Now he understood why her father hated humans so much. It all made sense and he couldn't blame the Sea King for the way he felt. Eric knew that if someone hurt Ariel he might react in much the same way.
"That's terrible," Eric frowned, taking her hands in his and squeezing them. "I thought you said you didn't remember your mother though," he pointed out, recalling her words on the day they'd reunited.
Ariel sighed. "I didn't want to bring up something so depressing after we finally met again. And…I-I thought maybe hearing that humans killed my mother would, I don't know, upset you enough that you wouldn't come back or something."
"That's ridiculous. Once I knew our feelings were mutual, nothing was going keep me from you. Except maybe your father…I mean, sure it's upsetting to hear. I'm human after all. But pirates are to blame. Not my family or even anyone I know."
"Exactly," Ariel said, arms encircling his shoulders once more. "So don't blame yourself for what happened to your father."
Ah, his clever little mermaid managed to turn the topic back to him and his problems. He'd been grateful for the change in conversation helping to take his mind off his father, however short a reprieve it was. In the long run, it was probably better for him to get all of his feelings out right then he supposed, confronting any dark thoughts that might arise from his pain. With his father gone, the responsibility for the kingdom was now his. It was a heavy weight on his shoulders that would require him to focus diligently on royal duties. His people would need him.
Eric sighed and rested his head on Ariel's shoulder, closing his eyes. Brushing his hair back, she pressed soft kisses to his forehead and eyes, lingering there as if trying to soak up his tears. Gentle waves lapped around them as they held each other in silence. Words weren't needed to know that something had shifted between them. It was a feeling, an all encompassing warmth and strength that filled them with undying affection. The bond between them solidified and became something more, growing unbreakable through their shared grief.
Notes:
This ended up not being nearly as sad as I wanted. lol
I decided to go with the canon from 'Ariel and the Curse of the Sea Witches' graphic novel in terms of the location of Eric's kingdom, which puts it in Copenhagen, Denmark.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 7
Notes:
Welcome to chapter 7! Thanks for reading! The plot is finally going somewhere now. lol
Chapter Text
A month passed and with it most of the shock and sadness that had overwhelmed Eric upon learning of his father's death.
The day after receiving the upsetting news, Grimsby had set to work hiring builders and contractors to create the indoor cove Eric had requested. They repurposed the entire ground floor of the rounded Western tower to house it and it was built in record time. Everyone in the kingdom wanted to help their prince through this dark time and see him smile again. That drove the workers to build as fast as possible.
The cove was near its completion when Grimsby finally let Eric see it. The surprise was worth it. Eric smiled in front of someone other than Ariel for the first time in weeks and everyone was overjoyed. Despite only describing what he wanted the cove to look like, the end result was almost exactly what he pictured. Eric couldn't wait to show Ariel.
Once he was handed the keys to the renovated tower, and after profusely thanking everyone for their hard work and dedication, Eric raced off down the beach to the lagoon.
"Ariel!" he called when he emerged from the treeline into the lagoon. Ariel waved at him and swam to meet him as he approached the water's edge. When she reached the shore, Eric took her hand and revealed a key with a chain attached to it. He placed the delicate chain over her head and pulled her hair out from under it. "It's finished! The cove in the tower is finished and it's perfect. You can't go there quite yet, there are still too many people around, but if you meet me there just before sunset it should be safe. I can't wait for you to see it!"
Ariel smiled wide, touching the key resting just above her seashells. She was delighted to see Eric in such a good mood. They'd spent as much time as possible together since his father died, but he always seemed exhausted. Taking up his father's mantle while still mourning ended up being more draining than he thought it would be. He'd confided in her many of his worries about being a good ruler, about how he didn't want to let his people down. Rarely did he smile in the first couple of weeks after receiving the heartbreaking news. Seeing him smiling now, holding her hands tightly and clearly excited, was relieving.
Ariel laughed and jumped up out of the water enough to kiss Eric on the cheek. "I can't wait!"
Eric laughed with her and touched his forehead to hers. "I need to get back, but I wanted to tell you the news as soon as I could."
He leaned down and kissed her quickly before standing. If he stayed any longer, he wouldn't want to leave, but his work back at the palace needed to be finished for the day.
"I'll see you tonight!" Ariel smiled and waved as Eric began to leave. As always, she was sad to see him go, but she knew that him being the kingdom's only prince was a role that took precedence.
Eric stopped halfway to the treeline. The urge to stay with her was almost overwhelming. He turned suddenly and rushed back to the water, relenting to his desires. He reached out to Ariel who was more than happy to return to him. Pulling her close, he kissed her passionately and she returned his kiss just as fervently. Oh if only responsibilities could wait.
Finally managing to tear himself away from Ariel, Eric bid her goodbye and ran off before he ended up lost in her and inadvertently shirking his royal duties.
The Western tower was awash in the light of the setting sun. Ariel swam eagerly from the lagoon, humming and spinning in the light touched shallows. When she reached the underwater gated door at the base of the tower, she lifted the key from around her neck and inserted it into the lock. It clicked over easily and she pushed open the door. The water was just as deep inside and remained that way for several feet ahead of her. It truly felt like an extension of the ocean, as if it had always been inside the tower instead of crashing against it. Locking the door behind her and putting the key around her neck again, she swam further in.
Raising her head above the surface, she gasped in awe. The large room had a high ceiling with tall windows facing West that were placed high enough that anyone outside could not see in. Hanging lanterns, sconces, and lamps were situated all around to give the room a glow Ariel knew would be beautiful at night. The water lapped against the false sandy shore just as it did on the actual beach outside, with rocks and boulders of various sizes placed in the water and on the sand. A waterfall had been built onto the side of the tower wall with shrubs, flowers, and rocks to decorate it and it looked quite like the small waterfall at the lagoon. That must have been one of Eric's ideas he insisted be included. Ariel was delighted and amazed at how beautiful the indoor cove turned out. She couldn't have imagined a better place for her to relax both with and without Eric.
The main door on the far side of the tower from the water opened and Ariel ducked under the deeper end of the cove. Eric insisted he'd be the only one to have access once the room was finished, but a surprise encounter was not the way she wanted other humans to find out about her. Eric slipped through the door and locked it behind him. Ariel grinned and surfaced again, climbing onto a rock near the waterline.
As soon as he saw her, Eric kicked off his boots and bound over to her, hugging her tightly. "So what do you think?"
"Eric, it's beautiful!" If only she could show this to her father, to prove how humans could create such beautiful things. If only he would listen, then she wouldn't have to hide.
Eric beamed at her and lifted her by the waist, twirling her in the air before setting her back down on the rock. His future with Ariel was one step closer. She had her own space inside the palace now. A place that helped her be close to him even if he wasn't in the same room. Just knowing she would be nearby while he worked and slept filled him with joy.
"I'm so glad you like it." Eric said, kissing her cheek. "I wanted you to feel comfortable here. I-I wanted this to feel like a home to you."
"Oh Eric, it really does! it's so cozy. It's just perfect."
It was relieving to hear how much she liked the renovations. He'd been worried it wasn't big enough or pretty enough. If she felt even a little uncomfortable or caged he would have knocked down more walls into the castle and filled half of it with seawater just to accommodate her.
Suddenly, Ariel threw her arms around Eric and dove from the rock into the water. She laughed when they surfaced seconds later and Eric shook his head, sending water flying in all directions. Pushing his soaked hair out of his face he eyed Ariel and gave her a devilish smile. He dove at her and dunked her under the water for a few moments in an attempt to get back at her before remembering that wouldn't really work as intended on a mermaid. Ariel laughed again and splashed him, a gesture he returned in kind. They played for what seemed like hours, splashing, tackling, and laughing until they were out of breath.
They floated on their backs side by side in the water as they rested, hands clasped, fingers entwined. Ariel glanced at Eric. His eyes were closed and she smiled. Reaching over him, she pushed a strand of hair back from his forehead and kissed him. Eric's eyes shot open at the familiar feeling and he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes again and deepening the kiss as they began to tread water once more. Time seemed to stop as they rolled and twirled in the waves, kissing and caressing and laughing until Eric's legs became sore. Ariel was unwilling to part and held him tight, keeping both of them above the water with flicks of her tail.
Eric began trailing kisses over her jaw and under her ear, intending to continue down her neck until his lips met something he wasn't expecting and he pulled back for a moment. Beneath her ear, on the back half of her neck, were several small slits in her skin. It took him a minute to realize what they were. He chuckled and reached up to gently touch them.
"Oh. So you do have gills," he muttered in her ear. "Honestly, I was kind of wondering how you could breathe underwater."
Ariel giggled. "Of course I do, silly."
"Well excuse me for not noticing sooner," he laughed, pressing his lips to hers once more. "It's not like I see many merpeople up this close, or at all, you know."
"I think you're just not observant enough," Ariel teased against his lips, kissing him as soon as she finished speaking.
They continued kissing and holding each other tightly in the water, neither wanting to be the one to end things for the night. Eric knew he should probably get some sleep if he wanted to actually get his work done the next day, so he drew back away from Ariel with a sigh.
"I really should go," he said, playing with some strands of Ariel's hair.
Ariel nodded in agreement. "You really should. You better not blame me if you fall asleep while working tomorrow."
"Of course I wouldn't blame you, even though it is your fault for being so beautiful and lovable and-"
Ariel laughed and splashed him. "Go get some sleep or I won't kiss you for a week."
Eric gasped and feigned offense, bringing his hand over his heart. "A whole week? I don't think I could survive that!" Though he was only joking with her, a part of him was absolutely serious.
Ariel shoved him toward the shore and he finally relented, stepping onto the sand to retrieve his boots.
"You'll be here tomorrow, right?" Eric asked, turning to Ariel once more.
"Of course I'll be here," Ariel replied, blowing him a kiss. "Good night."
Eric grinned and wished her good night before leaving his new favorite room in the castle, locking the door behind him.
Days went by and Eric met Ariel in the tower cove every evening as soon as he was done with work. He would often find her sitting on the rocks of the waterfall, tail curled to the side and singing softly as she admired the flowers or read books he'd given to her. The sight of her beauty against the backdrop of the waterfall never failed to make his heart flutter.
Most of the time they would talk and laugh and just enjoy being together. Other times they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Things were blissful. At one point, Eric even had a desk moved into the room so he could spend time with Ariel while working even if they didn't talk.
Ariel told Sebastian where she was staying now and the crab kept an eye on her during the day, but refused to spend his nights there. Being around teenagers who were madly in love was not something he wanted to be subjected to more often than needed. Flounder hadn't visited since the cove was finished so Ariel didn't get the chance to tell her best friend yet, though she looked for him almost every day at the lagoon. Scuttle occasionally visited, though he often ran into the windows, leaving seagull shaped marks on the glass in his wake.
Sometimes conversations between the mermaid princess and her human prince would turn extremely serious and lead to discussions about how they would deal with their obvious differences in the future. They knew they needed to tell King Triton and Eric's people about their relationship at some point. Keeping Ariel a secret was quickly becoming more difficult as their love grew stronger. Eric just wanted to marry her already and tell the world how much he loved her.
Grimsby was pushing Eric to find a wife again now that he would be crowned king upon his 21st birthday. Eric knew Ariel was the one for him and refused to even consider anyone else. Just coming out and telling Grimsby about Ariel seemed like the only way to convince the old man to stop his badgering. Ariel did agree it was probably the right choice, but Eric still hadn't said anything. He knew he was probably just being overprotective, but he didn't want to tell anyone else about Ariel. He worried about her safety.
Ariel didn't want to return to Atlantica and confront her father because she feared he might hurt Eric or worse. But she also knew she couldn't run from her family forever.
Their problems would not go away if they ignored them, but neither of them wanted to confront their two biggest obstacles for fear it all might force them apart.
Eric sat at his desk in his father's old study finishing up some paperwork. He looked out the window at the darkening sky. A storm was rolling in and dark clouds billowed toward the shore. Setting his quill down, he stood to change out of his royal attire and head to the cove tower to meet Ariel. He'd had enough of paperwork for one day.
Arriving at the cove he smiled as Ariel greeted him, the fatigue he accumulated throughout the day nearly vanishing upon hearing her voice call his name.
"Eric! Sebastian said Flounder finally came back to the lagoon to visit. I wanted to wait to tell you before I left to bring him here."
Eric knelt down at the water's edge to kiss her. "Be careful. It looks like a storm is coming."
"I'll be quick."
With that, Ariel dove and swam out of the tower.
Eric paced on the shore of the tower cove leaving a rut in the sand from walking up and down in the same place.
An hour. It had been almost an hour since Ariel left. Panic was beginning to well up inside the young prince.
When thunder shook the windows of the tower, his patience ran out and he bolted out of the tower and down the castle halls. He burst out the door to the beach staircase and flew down the steps. The storm clouds were directly overhead and the wind steadily grew in strength as he ran to the lagoon. The trip to the lagoon felt longer than it ever had. As soon as he reached the willow trees he pushed his way through and immediately called out to Ariel.
"Ariel!? Are you here!? Please answer me!"
The howling wind was his only response. He ran both hands through his tousled hair, gripping the strands at the back of his head. His eyes frantically searched the lagoon and found no trace of Ariel. A golden light shining under the water near him caught his attention and he dove into the shallow water to grab it. His heart sank when he picked up the object. The key. It was the key he had given Ariel to get into the tower.
He called her name again and again, running up and down the shoreline, though he knew it was futile. She wasn't there and he had no idea where she could possibly have gone. Clearly she had been there earlier. How did her key break off of its chain? He dropped to his knees near the water, all sorts of worst case scenarios filling his head.
A red crab came into view and Eric looked up at it. It must have been Sebastian. There was no way any other animal would just fearlessly approach a human. Sebastian stopped right in front of Eric and waved his claws.
"What is it?" Eric asked, "Do you know something?" He didn't know how he could possibly communicate with the crab, but he was desperate for answers.
Sebastian paced in front of Eric, unsure of how he was going to tell the human prince what happened. Pirates. Again. It was always pirates. They'd seen Ariel approaching the lagoon and captured her with a net. Sebastian stayed behind to tell Eric, knowing the boy would show up to find Ariel. Scuttle followed the prate ship to keep an eye on where they were taking her. Now if only they could tell Eric, maybe somehow they'd be able to rescue her before something awful happened. A drop of rain splashed next to Sebastian, leaving a mark in the sand and the crab came up with an idea. He clacked his claws at Eric to make sure the prince was paying attention and then he began to draw in the sand.
Eric stared as Sebastian moved his claw through the sand with purpose. After a few minutes the crab stepped back and in the sand was a crudely drawn mermaid with some kind of square thing above her head. The mermaid was obviously supposed to be Ariel, but what was the thing above her? Sebastian clicked his claws impatiently. The square object looked like it had holes in it. Then it hit him. A net!
"Ariel was trapped in a net?" Sebastian jumped and clicked his claws in confirmation. "Okay…okay, so she was taken by someone?"
Sebastian scribbled a flag with a skull on it and Eric's face darkened.
"Pirates…" he muttered through clenched teeth. It had only been a month since his father was killed and now his true love had been taken from him as well. There would be no forgiveness for their transgressions. Pirates had been a thorn in his kingdom's side for years and it was time they were stopped. His pursuit would be relentless. "I promise," he said to Sebastian. "I will find her and bring her back safely."