Waves of water. Blue and Green. Ariel sighed as she lay in bed. In the shadow of underwater darkness, she could make out the shapes of her sleeping sisters, united in blissful rest. It was often she found herself awake like this, overlooking the kingdom from her bedroom window, studying the endless hue of the blue green water. Her eyes averted to the silver ribboned beam that projected in the distance. Perhaps this would be the closest she would ever get to seeing the moon.
She had read about it on numerous occasions in the books she had found from her exploration of wreckages. Although she had been drawn to the surface to feel for herself the sun's warm rays, the cool sensation of a moonlit sky was a feeling she was unlikely to experience except in her dreams.
'Well that would be the case if I could actually fall asleep in time...' she muttered to herself.
Shifting from the window, Ariel made her way back to her shell bed. Extracting her treasured book from beneath her covers, she turned over to her marked page. She stared at every detail of the illustration. How the ripples of the gentle sea bathed the blue sand and how the sparkle of every star was captured as a glisten on the water surface. Finally she stared at the couple sat on the beach and how the world had seemed to wrap itself around their sweet embrace. The eternal beauty of their affection, protected by the light of the luminous moon.
'Ariel! Ariel, wake up!' Arista's voice sounded.
'Hmm.' Ariel innocently mumbled.
'Ariel this isn't a joke, you need to start getting up in time! You're a princess and you need to start acting like one!' Arista began to shake her sister and was alarmed when her hand hit the solid corner of a foreign object. She picked up the book and began to flip the edge of the pages with her thumb. As soon as her eye caught sight of it she let out a shriek. Ariel shot up at once; dizzy with confusion and exhaustion, she caught sight of the upturned book on the floor and the rage on Arista's face. A shiver of fear swept through her body.
'I... I can explain—'
'That's a HUMAN book!' Arista cried.
'Shhh!' Ariel hushed, 'they'll hear you!'
'What are you doing with one of those? Do you know how dangerous it could be to handle anything of theirs? What came over you Ariel?' Arista's fear had began to seep through her anger.
'Arista there's nothing dangerous about it—'
'Oh really? Let's go ask father what he thinks then!'
'Arista no! You know daddy will be furious- he'll never let me leave the castle!'
'Maybe that will be good for you, maybe it will teach you not to take advantage of the freedom you've been granted!'
'Freedom? Oh please Arista! You call being chaperoned everywhere in the kingdom freedom? The only time I ever get on my own is when I'm sleeping, and even then I share a room with you guys!'
'Ariel the sea is a dangerous place and of course our father is going to be protective over you! You're too young and stubborn to understand these things—'
'And you guys never try to understand me! I can't do this routine business, I like doing things which are different, spontaneous, adventurous... it's who I am.'
'Oh Ariel, you can go take this freedom issue up with father, but this is the last time I will ever let something like this,' she stressed pointing to the book, 'go.'
'It's just a story.' Ariel whispered, 'it's not even real, now I can't even explore places in my imagination?' she remarked bitterly.
'The issue here, and you know this very well Ariel, is humans. Any contact whatsoever is and will always be forbidden. It's time you begin to understand that!' Arista swept the book from the floor and thrust it against the wall. 'Now get ready and make your way to the hall, everyone is expecting you.'
As she left the room, Ariel bent down to retrieve it, and picked up the scattered pages that had with force, escaped the spine.
The banquet was a rainbow of sweet smelling success. From the magnificent drapes of the castle walls to the delicate drapes of the ladies dresses, the event was a treasure to the eye. All the royalty from the surrounding kingdoms feasted and conversed jovially. All except the prince.
'Now if I may have the pleasure Prince Eric,' his manservant proposed, 'to introduce to you my dear Lady Ashford.' The prince bowed politely and received her outstretched hand.
'You may call me Elizabeth' she smiled conspicuously. Indeed, she was a beautiful woman, but the prince had seen many such girls and they were all the same; bred to be beautiful and arrogant. 'Your castle is very pleasing. The servants have done well to decorate it for the occasion. Did you decide the theme?'
'Thank you, they have indeed, but can't take undue credit for it.'
'Oh you are too modest!' Elizabeth smiled, 'it is evident you are responsible for the adornment of your own castle.' Eric tried to contain his boredom. He yearned to have a real conversation, one of substance, one that actually interested him. Grimsby urged him to continue to speak.
'Actually one of my maids has a very keen eye for detail, so I left much of it at her disposal.' He remarked. Grimsby shot him a look of dismay.
'A maidservant? You're teasing me surely!' She laughed.
'No actually, I believe she is extremely talented so I merely gave her an opportunity to demonstrate that talent.'
'Well that is unheard of. It is very unorthodox, or do you believe otherwise?' questioned Elizabeth. Eric smiled at her astonishment.
'Surely my lady, if there was never any change, life would never progress from the here and now.' He watched as she considered his proposition.
'Well what is the need for it? I personally believe present day society is at its peak; surely any change would result in its weakening. For if the servants start doing our jobs, imagine we start doing theirs!'
'Ha! Can you imagine such an inversion Eric?' Grimsby snorted.
'Well I'm sure it wouldn't kill anyone.' He said bluntly. Grimsby chocked on his drink. Eric rolled his eyes and glanced around the hall. After a moments silence Elizabeth broke into laughter. Eric felt her take hold on his arm, as he faced her she gazed intently at him and giggled,
'You have quite a sense of humour, my Prince.'
The urge to release his arm from her serpentine clasp and fled the palace was overwhelming. Yet silent and courteous, the prince remained present, although so to speak, he was never really there.
'And this is my youngest daughter, Ariel.' Triton continued as he presented the last of his daughters to the guests. Ariel swam and seated herself next to her sisters. Her single adornment, a tiara of pearls, shimmered like the surface as she did so.
'My, she is a great beauty,' a rounded merwoman admired, 'they all are.'
'Yes well they are their mother's daughters.' Triton beamed.
'Look out Ariel, I think she has a son! ' Attina murmured.
'He's in good shape too- he's his mother's son!' Aquata added. Ariel tried to contain her laughter. These gatherings were an obvious excuse for the girls to meet the kingdoms most eligible mermen. Inevitably Ariel's only pleasure in such an event was to poke fun at it. However, towards the end of the evening, Ariel was growing unmistakably bored.
'When is this stupid thing going to finish?' she asked Alana.
'Quit complaining Ariel, there are actually a few hot guys here for once, just join in the fun!' She retorted.
'They might be good looking but they're complete washouts,' Ariel commented. She watched as Alana swam away. Why are you guys so afraid to be yourselves? She thought moodily. Her thought process was soon interrupted.
'Excuse me?' A deep voice sounded. Ariel, caught by surprise, turned to face the stranger. He was a tall merman, a good few years her senior. His silky hair and round eyes were a deep brown colour, but her gaze was distracted by the brilliant gold of his tail. She could see her sisters shamelessly gawking at him in the background. 'Hi, my name's Lucas.' He held out his hand to receive hers. Reluctantly she did so. 'I believe you've met my mother Dame Fradillous?'
Fradillous... Fradillous... where did I hear that again? Ariel struggled to recall the introduction.
'She's the one with the huge starfish on her head,' Lucas assisted. The fat woman! Ariel remembered, he definitely isn't like his mother Ariel thought. She continued to stare at him blankly.
'Oh, I'm sorry I'm Ariel.' She laughed nervously.
'It's a pleasure to meet you princess.' He bowed. Is it? Ariel questioned. She could now see her father and Dame Fradillous in deep discussion, her father caught sight of her eye and gave her an approving smile. Ariel suddenly felt very nauseous and her stomach seemed hollow like a vacuum.
'I'm really very sorry um... Lucas? I'm afraid I'm not feeling too well.' She began.
'Is there anything I can help you with at all?' He said, concerned. Yes... Leave! She thought to herself.
'No, I'll be ok, I'm just going to retire to my room for a while.' Ariel swam over to Attina, who accompanied her back to her room.
'Get some rest Ariel,' she whispered, ' you know daddy will be worried.' She then turned and left.
Ariel knew exactly what was going through her father's head when he had looked at her. Never before had she ever experienced such a huge void within her. It was as if her soul was repelling and trying to escape her body, and in her effort to retain it, she too had had to repel.
Resuming her usual position at the base of her window, she gazed out at the kingdom. It seemed as if all the inhabitants had attended the function, even the guards were concentrated within the castle walls.
This thing could last all night Ariel sighed. Then something within her clicked. All night. Everyone in the castle. All night...
Ariel placed her tiara on her dresser. Careful to leave her bed suitably stuffed and taking hold of a single page of the book, she swam through the window, further and further away from the sound of the sea.
'Well it all went rather well now didn't it?' Grimsby declared loudly. On receiving no reply he prompted the prince who was deep in thought.
'Huh? What did?' He asked absentmindedly.
'The ball, you highness', gritted Grimsby, rather aggravated.
'Oh yes. It was... nice.'
'So you agree! And the Lady?' Enquired Grimsby with a wink.
'Lady?' Eric was growing more confused. 'Which one?'
'Ha! Spoilt for choice were we? Well at least that means you can finally make your decision.'
'Decision?'
'Why, your marriage sire! You're to chose a wife with whom you can together rule your kingdom as is the tradition of your forefathers...' Grimsby continued on and on.
Eric felt his head grow dizzy. He was sick of these social gatherings and the constant pressure to wed.
'And what if I don't want to get married?' Eric exclaimed. Grimsby grew silent. 'What if I decide to rule this kingdom all by myself?' Now the only sound that filled the hall was the sound of the Prince's heavy breathing. After an awkward silence Grimsby began to explain,
'Now Eric, you know I mean well—'
'It's better I just go out for a while Grim, I need to clear my head.'
Grimsby watched as Eric left. The Prince only seemed to be content when he took these long walks on the beach. Every other evening, Eric would retire to the beach, and Grimsby would observe at how loneliness had enveloped his seemingly extravagant life.
Eric watched as the waves beat against the shore, surveying how the sea dominated the land in this microcosmic battle. He sat silently against a rock, at the boundary between land and sea. Grimsby's words echoed in his mind. Shaking the voices out of his head, he returned his attention to the water. How he wished he could swim to the horizon and in turn pass through all the boundaries that restricted his life.
Up above, the sky was a perfect clear navy, jewelled with stars, surrounding the radiant moon. Ariel's heart was beating rapidly, although she had dared visit the surface, she had never ventured out at night and never had she been so close to land. Her back rested against the wooden pillar of an old pier and she stretched out her hand so as to bathe it in the white dust that was moonlight.
Eric looked up at the nearby town. Some houses remained lit, and he could vaguely make out the banter of girls, most likely discussing the events of today. After an hour or so of solitude, he was about to make his way back to the castle when something caught his eye. He remained still, his eyes fixed in the direction of the shadow. It was a little further up the beach, hidden beneath a long forgotten dock. He stared on, determined to capture another glimpse. And there it was. Crystal white under the moonlit sky, a woman's hand, dancing in the night air. Despite being taken aback, the prince crept closer towards the mysterious woman, making sure not to startle her for she seemed completely unaware of his presence.
Strangely, Ariel's initial fear of her defiance had ceased and she began to feel more at ease than she had ever felt before. It was as if the picture had come alive, and she was a part of it. She smiled to herself at this notion and took a side long glance at the beach.
The closer Eric came toward the girl, the more and more extraordinary she appeared. Her hair, soaked, was draped over her shoulders and gave the impression of glistening rubies. Her gaze was directed towards the sky, and soon the side of her face broke into a heartfelt smile. He almost felt as if he had intruded on a conversation she'd been having with something he couldn't see. Excuse me are you lost? Hello, did you decide to go for a swim? Unsure of how to approach the unusual situation, he made to speak, but in the same instant she had caught sight of him.
Both froze, uncertain of what to do next. Ariel's heart was out of control, her eyes wide open with fear. Eric couldn't help but notice how strangely beautiful she was, her huge almond eyes were the colour of the sea, her complexion like water. Nervously, Ariel began to edge away.
'No wait!' The human called. 'Please, I want to help you.' His voice was so gentle. She remained stationary, looking at the tall figure in awe, whilst sinking deeper beneath the surface till only her head was visible. His face was flawless and dark thick hair formed waves on his head. Thick lashes lined his large sky blue eyes, which wore a look of curiosity and... kindness.
'Are you ok?' He asked, hesitantly edging forward so that he could almost reach out to her. 'I thought you might be lost?' Eric cringed at his last statement, she seemed perfectly ok before he showed up. Ariel remained silent, scared. Sensing her fear, he took a step back, and knelt on the sand, the waves slowly lapping over his legs.
'I'm sorry if I gave you a shock. I was just walking on the beach,' he said, gesturing at the sea, ' you see I live just over there,' he pointed at the castle, 'so I usually come by this way' he finished by pointing at his current spot, 'to... um walk'. Feeling foolish with his outbreak of signs and signals, he decided to sit still. 'I'm sorry if I'm making you feel uncomfortable,' he watched her pale face carefully, 'I'm just concerned about your safety, it's quite dangerous round here this late. Would you like any help getting home?'
Ariel couldn't help but gaze at his handsome face. For once someone had assured her safety when she actually felt afraid. There was so much compassion in his eyes as he spoke.
'I always imagined the water to be quite cold at night?' Eric stated inadvertently after a period of quiet. He looked up at Ariel. 'I mean it looks pretty cold,' he placed his hand into the water's surface, 'Wow, how long have you been in there for?' Ariel observed how the ripples he'd created drifted slowly towards her. 'You must be a really good swimmer to float up like that for so long!' he smiled at her. Ariel couldn't help it as the corners of her lips began to smile back. 'You're probably find the fact that I'm talking to myself odd, but I'm pretty used to it around here.' He chuckled to himself, 'half the time when I talk to people they don't seem to understand anything I'm saying, like right now... um... you know, with you. They just stare at me like I'm from another world, like I speak a different language or something. Well in your case that's probably true.'
Ariel laughed. She couldn't help her delight in the absurdity of the situation, as well as the irony in his final statement.
'Or maybe not...' said the Prince, deeply embarrassed. Ariel looked up at his face. He seemed to shy away from her gaze, as if he had revealed a deep secret. How could she tell this man... this human that she could actually relate to what he had been saying? How could she explain that feeling of isolation that encompassed her every time she returned to her father's kingdom? 'Are you going to talk back or do you want to see me make an even bigger fool out of myself?' He asked sheepishly. Ariel remained silent, quietly smiling at his awkwardness. Eric found himself staring into her eyes. 'Ok.' He said finally. 'If you're not going to come out of the water, I'll just come in.' The mermaid watched as the Prince removed his boots and stepped into the water. 'Woah, it's colder than I thought.'
Ariel bit her lip nervously. She couldn't let him come too close. Eric stretched his hand out towards her. She stared at his strong arms and his extended hand. In a whirlwind of emotions, Ariel leant out her own hand and slowly placed it into his. His hand was soft and warm, and she felt a wave of tingles run through her arm as he wrapped his fingers around her own. For the first time she was able to sense a chill.
'See you are cold.' He pointed out. Ariel smiled shyly. She had never felt so self-conscious around anyone before. She felt her cheeks grow warm. 'Well,' he began, 'seeing as we haven't been formally introduced, I'm Eric.' He looked at her eagerly. The girl remained hushed. 'Ok, maybe I'll just guess your name'. Ariel's eyes lit up. 'Vivian?' The girl looked unimpressed, 'Wendy?' She shook her head. 'Catherine? Elizabeth? Mary? Linda? I dunno... weird and wonderful water woman?' Ariel giggled. 'I'm trying to work with everything I've got! What you're just going to keep laughing at me in my desperate attempt to uncover anything about you?'
'Ariel.'
Eric looked as if Lady Ashford had proposed marriage.
'Um... did you? Did you just? Er... did you say some—'
'You wanted to know my name.' She said anxiously. 'It's Ariel.'
'Oh. Oh ok. Thanks... I mean, Ariel... that's... sort of pretty.' He paused. 'I was quite close though,' Ariel raised an eyebrow, 'I was getting there, trust me' he grinned.
Suddenly he felt Ariel release her hand and begin to fretfully swim away. He followed her stunned gaze to find Grimsby walking in the distance. On spotting Eric, he began calling out for him.
'Wait!' Eric pleaded, 'Where are you going?'
'I have to... I have to go home.' Ariel panted.
'I'll take you—'
'No, I'll be fine! Thank you! Thank you.' She called as she swam off deeper into the distance before finally disappearing into the darkness.
Eric's eye searched frantically for a wave or a splash, but his vision was soon clouded by the yellow of a lamp shoved in front of his face.
'Eric, I have been worried sick! You've been out here for hours!'
'I... I met a friend' he explained, pointing at the nothingness. Grimsby raised an eyebrow.
'You're soaked to the brim young Prince- oh my! Is this water or ice?!- I think you must have caught something- that would explain the hallucinations...' he muttered, lifting a hand to the Prince's forehead.
'I'm fine Grim—'
'Fine? Your eyes aren't even in focus!'
'That's because I'm looking for a girl!'
'You've had all night to do that Eric! Look at you your shivering, I think the fever is getting worse- come on now, let's get you inside. We'll get Carlotta to see to you immediately.'
