"I put a few bottles away for the day, just make sure he takes at least two naps. He shouldn't be too fussy; he slept through the night last night. All of his toys are by his crib." Ariel was talking to Carlotta, giving her directions for Hayden for the day. The princess was to spend the day in Atlantica, but with Eric being out at sea, it was the first time that Hayden would go the whole day without being watched by either of his parents.
"And I told Melody she could go meet Tip and Dash once she gets back from school. Just keep an eye out for her and make sure she's home before supper." Carlotta kept nodding, reassuring Ariel that everything at the castle would be taken care of. Ariel gave a brief smile and thanked her, and in a moment the maid left the master bedroom. Ariel glanced around the large room, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything before she left. It felt strange leaving for the day without bringing anything with her; but then again, what would she need?
Finally, she was ready to go. Ariel walked over to Hayden's crib and gently kissed his forehead, smiling down at her sleeping baby boy. She tiptoed out of the room and headed back downstairs, bidding the castle staff goodbye before making her way down to the ocean.
For some reason, she felt nervous. It had been 10 months since she'd last visited her underwater home; she hadn't gone since she'd gotten pregnant, and she usually tried to visit at least once per month. She just needed to brace herself for all the questions and probing she would receive from the fellow Atlanticans, from Eric to Melody to, of course, Hayden.
As she got closer to the water, Ariel clutched her locket and began to sing. The familiar tingling sensation washed over to her, and in a matter of minutes she found herself looking down at her beloved green fins. Seeing them again made her think of Hayden and his strikingly green eyes, which brought a smile to her face.
The redhead dove under the waves, swimming towards Atlantica. As her nerves set in, she saw her father's glowing castle in the distance. With a deep breath, she swam faster to it, noticing some merpeople. Once they noticed her, they all swam out to meet and greet her, bearing the expected questions.
"Ariel! How have you been, darling?"
"How's that handsome prince of yours?"
"And King Triton's grandchildren?"
"Oh, what about your new baby!"
"Yes! We heard his name was Hayden! Congratulations!"
"What does he look like?"
Ariel struggled to get to the castle, and she tried being polite to everyone and answering as many questions as she could. Soon, thankfully, she reached the castle gates, leaving the merpeople outside. The merpeople were some of the kindest and most genuine people she had known, but sometimes they could be a little much.
Ariel sighed, feeling overwhelmed and suddenly exhausted. As she swam over to the castle itself, she noticed that it seemed strangely quiet. That was, until she headed over to her sisters' rooms, where she could hear the usual yelling and complaining. She giggled to herself, swimming over to the secret nook in the back of the castle where she had snuck in and out, unnoticed.
Once inside, she made her way down to the Daughters' bedroom, and she leaned against the threshold, crossing her arms and smiling. No one had noticed her. She cleared her throat obnoxiously, drawing all of her sisters' attention. They gasped in unison, squealed, and rushed over to her, enveloping their baby sister in a group hug.
"You made it!"
"Awww, I'm so glad you're here!"
"How's our little baby sister doing?"
"And my little starfish, Melody?"
"And that pretty prince of yours!"
"And my little sea monkey, Hayden!"
Ariel laughed, rolling her eyes to herself. "Everyone's fine, everyone's fine, and yes, I made it," she giggled. "Where's Daddy?"
"Oh, he's out with Sebastian visiting some baby dolphins or somethin'," Aquata shrugged. "We're so glad you're here, though!"
Arista snatched Ariel's hand. "Come on! We shouldn't waste any time! Before Daddy gets back, don't you want to see your grotto? We've been taking extra good care of it!"
Ariel smiled and nodded, and Arista led her sisters out of the castle. As she and her sisters made their journey, Ariel grinned to herself, looking forward to the great day ahead with some of the most important people in her life. She could never be thankful enough for being able to visit Atlantica.