Prince Eric draped his coat over the poor, mute girl who was soaking from head to toe.
"Here, Ariel, take this." He said, wrapping it around her thin, shivering figure. "I've sent for Grimsby, he should be coming with a carriage any moment now."
The girl hugged his warm coat and nodded.
She stared at him, wide-eyed and trusting, a small smile playing on her coral-colored lips.
He recognized that look. She'd given it to him often. That look of complete innocence, total honesty, and admiration on her face, trusting every word that came out of his mouth. He couldn't explain why or how, but it made him feel ten feet tall.
"That was a close call, wasn't it?" He said, referring to their unfortunate tumble into the lagoon. His mind reeled back to the moments just before their small boat tipped over, when they were just about to...He was afraid to say it, let alone think it. To kiss? Was that what he was trying to do?
Something strange welled up inside of him, threatening to burst out. All he could do was let out an uncomfortable laugh as she continued to look at him.
He felt like he needed to say something to acknowledge their awkward situation, maybe apologize. But was he to apologize for trying to kiss her or for not kissing her? He didn't know which so he stayed silent, wishing now more than ever before, that Ariel could speak and make this more bearable. He wasn't too good with words anyway.
He finally spotted Grimsby making his way down the road in a carriage. Once it arrived, he helped Ariel inside and climbed in after her.
The trip back to his castle was quiet, just as he suspected it would be. Ariel was preoccupied with staring out the window, looking at everything they passed by. She twirled the ends of her fiery red hair absently, her eyes taking in what seemed to be a brand new world.
He liked the girl, he'd admit that to himself. She was pretty, beautiful even. Those captivating, blue eyes of hers made him catch his breath every time he looked into them. A deep green-blue, mirroring the waves of the sea. He felt he could get lost in those eyes.
But yet...she did not speak.
And, he wouldn't lie, it bothered him. In fact, he was slightly disappointed when he first found out she was mute. Ariel looked exactly how he imagined the girl of his dreams would look like, the girl who rescued him from his death, the one he heard singing beside him all those nights ago.
He stared at the back of Ariel's head, studying her posture, her hands, the various flecks of red in her hair. His heart ached to hear her voice.
A person's voice was a tool of expression, a venue for thought, a way to communicate.
The more he got to know the red-headed girl, the more he longed for a deeper connection, a way to communicate with her aside from her hand signaling, arm waving, and finger pointing. These guessing games were often frustrating and confusing. He'd watch helplessly as she tried to convey her thoughts and would feel sorry for her when he couldn't seem to guess what she wanted to say.
Wasn't communication the key to every relationship? He had so many things he wanted to ask her. Like why was she mute? Where was she born and how did she arrive at his kingdom? What was her favorite thing to do? What sort of food did she like? There was so much about her that was left in mystery and in darkness.
She brought her legs up, her knees under her chin, and curled into herself. He sensed a sadness about her as they rode near the coast. What was she thinking about? Did she miss her family? Did she even have one?
He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling tired. So many guessing games.