Ariel yawned as she left her room, curious to see where Eric was. She was disappointed to see that he wasn't next to her when she woke up, like he usually was, except if he was set to go to sea or meet with another kingdom. But as far as she knew, nothing was scheduled for him for the day. Actually, she had been hoping that maybe they could spend the day together at the beach, just the two of them.
As she headed towards the stairs, she heard voices, only getting louder and louder as she got closer. Peeking around the corner in the hallway, she saw Eric and Grimsby standing by the dining table, arguing with each other.
Ariel furrowed her eyebrows in concern. Grimsby, being the strict advisor he was, was trying to explain to Eric about the importance of meeting with the prince of the neighboring kingdom today. Ariel felt her heart sink, disappointed. So much for a day at the beach. However, Eric was arguing that he just couldn't go today, that he wanted to spend the whole day with Ariel.
She grinned and blushed, taking a step closer and hiding behind one of the pillars in the hall. Surprisingly enough, it was the same pillar she had hid behind when Eric "told" Grimsby he wanted to marry Vanessa.
"It's your responsibility!" she heard Grimsby bellow, before he let out a frustrated sigh and turned, leaving Eric alone in the room. Then, Eric, letting out the same frustration, angrily sat down at the table, his head in his hands.
Ariel frowned, wanting to cheer her husband up. She knew how stressed he was. She wanted to do something, not only to make him smile, but make him laugh, too. But what..
After watching him for a moment and thinking, an idea popped into her head. And in her opinion, it was a good one. Sneaky, but definitely a good one. She smiled devilishly.
The redhead tiptoed away from the pillar and descended the stairs quietly. Once she reached the bottom, she broke into a frantic run, putting on a look of panic. She rushed over to Eric, the sound of her footsteps causing Eric to lift his head and look at her questioningly.
"Ariel?" he asked, turning towards her. She started to pretend to hyperventilate, clutching her throat. "Ariel.. What's going on?" he asked her, a look of concern and confusion crossing his face. The princess started making gestures, the same ones she did when Eric had found her on the beach.
"Your… Your voice is gone!?" he asked, eyes widening in panic. She clenched her teeth, nodding furiously. "No.. No, no, no!" Eric rose from the table, grabbing her arms. "Try to say something!"
Ariel opened her mouth, making it look like she was trying to speak. But she didn't make a sound. Eric grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the dining room, heading towards the front door. Ariel bit her tongue, fighting the need to laugh.
The couple passed Grimsby, and Eric shouted at him, still pulling Ariel, "Her voice, Grim! IT'S GONE! I don't care about my 'responsibilities,' Ariel needs help!" he barked at him.
Grimsby gave him a look os shock and surprise. "O-Of course, Your Majesty, of course!" He started to ask Eric if he wanted a carriage to take the couple to the nearest doctor, but Eric was already halfway out the door, Ariel in tow.
Ariel was rushed down the steps, Eric still grasping her hand protectively. He marched across the sand, heading towards town, barely even looking back at her. He started mumbling angrily, though Ariel couldn't make any words out.
"Don't worry, Ariel, I'll get to the bottom of this," he grumbled angrily, clearly upset and frustrated.
Ariel grinned, wriggling from his grasp. "Okay!" she chirped.
Eric stopped and turned, looking at her with confusion, the smile still wide on her face. "Wha- But I- And you-" he started stuttering, making hand gestures. Ariel noticed an exasperated laugh escaped him.
She giggled, locking eyes with him before getting closer. She leaned up and kissed him. When they parted, she whispered, "Gotcha," another giggle escaping her.
Eric said nothing, but started laughing, his face immediately lighting up as he did so. Ariel laughed with him, happy that everything went as planned.
When the pair finally caught their breaths, Eric looked at her, shaking his head. "You really are something, Miss Mermaid."
Ariel blushed, taking his hand again. "Well, now Grimsby can't make you go anywhere, can he? I think we still have some time before he finds out about anything." She turned her head, looking at the ocean before looking back at Eric.
He grinned, offering her his arm. "Shall we, then?" Ariel smiled and took it eagerly, as the couple began to walk to the beautiful ocean. Ariel leaned her head against his arm, excited and pleased to be able to spend the day with Eric, just as they both wanted.