Author's Note: Pending Revision
Night Comes to Ariel's Isle
Chapter 1 – A Quiet Moment
~~~ Monday, the 20th of December, 1807 AD ~~~
~ 6:01 p.m. ~
Eastern Caribbean Sea – ~70 Nautical Miles South Southwest of the East End of Sankt Croix
It was a breezy night. With a glorious fiery dusk the sun had descended into the west and now the stars above shone clear and bright. One by one they peeked out from veils of towering cloud until the night sky glowed coldly with their silent glimmer. Lieutenant Gray studied the heavens alone from the forecastle as the waves sighed beneath him. He doubted that anyone else aboard had watched the sunset or had even cared to, for the ship's situation had calmed considerably following the day's chaotic events and the opportunity for rest was at last at hand. Captain Truxton had retired below just before sunset and was quickly followed by most of the exhausted hands, all seasoned men who knew they would too soon again be called to rise and man their stations. Only Aaron's watch remained on deck.
Constellation cut a swift, northerly course through light seas, and the evening rains that had so deeply emboldened the sun's westering now lay far off the port quarter. There was a good wind in the sails and unless it shifted or a gale blew in unexpectedly, the watch should be a quiet one. George Black's ship burned far astern of Constellation, fired and left to sink of her own accord after her magazine had exploded. Mysteriously, she had produced only one survivor, Captain Black himself. Black was now safely locked away below and placed under a close guard with his former compatriot Morgan Caine close beside him sharing the same brig. Neither miscreant would cause trouble this eve, not unless they could lose the shackles and balls which now adorned their ankles.
The day had left its mark on Constellation. Lanterns glowed fore and aft where the carpenter and his mates still labored at mending the damage, but worse had been done to Prince Eric and his small crew. The carnage about Lightning had been great, with several slain and many more wounded. After personally seeing to the welfare of each of his surviving men, Prince Eric had watched quietly as the sailmaker wrapped his dead. Afterwards, he had sullenly struck below to rejoin his wife Princess Ariel, who had incredibly and quite misguidedly stowed away aboard Lightning before the Prince had cast off. When Aaron had last seen her she had seemed quite fearful and distraught, and the Prince had been anxious to remove her to a place of quiet and safety. As a result, both were now resting in the captain's cabin, graciously vacated for them by old Truxton. For a few moments Aaron dwelt darkly upon his suggestion to Truxton weeks ago that Prince Eric's assistance might prove useful in their search for Black. After a moment of silent reflection, he lowered his head remorsefully in a short prayer for the dead.
Raising his eyes from the deck, the Lieutenant looked upward and then about. High above the lantern on the mainmast glowed golden against night sky, and as he looked outward to the heavens Gray saw Sirius shimmering not far above the eastern horizon. It was time to sight the evening stars. Walking aft along the spar deck to the quarterdeck, Aaron completed inspecting the smartness of his watch. The deck had been cleared of debris and washed of what little blood had been spilled by his men. All lines had been neatly stowed or flemished while in the lantern light it was obvious that the brass had been polished and the chart table neatly arranged against the wind and seas. Nodding approvingly in silence, he paused above the binnacle to read the compass. Finding the ship's course true, he stepped closer to the wheel.
"And how are we doing this evening Mr. Stiles?" he asked
The old mate smiled back, chewing his pipe "Well, sir, well. A fine night it be to be out here wi' th' wind and sea, wouldn't you say?"
Smiling back, Aaron folded his arms and looked up "Aye, that it is. A good night for the stars, I think, a clear night."
Stiles looked up, then back down to the wheel "Aye, indeed. You know sir, 'tis the first chance I've had ta' speak wi' ye since the battle, but tis' a good thing ta' me tha' we happened upon the young lad and lass when we did. I do na' trust that 'ol Black George … a pirate he is, and a scoundrel through and through I say."
"Well, he's a privateer, pirate or something of the sort, that much is undeniable" Aaron nodded, "but I'm not certain he's all that bad." He paused, "A true blackheart would have murdered the Prince and done the Princess far worse, but Black did neither, even when the chance clearly offered itself before we came alongside. In fact, from what the Prince told us, the old goat saved the both of them from Caine's blade. If Black's letter of marque proves true, he may escape the gallows after all … I almost hope that he does."
Stiles chewed his pipe and chuckled "Ah, sir, I can see I raised a fine lad into a good officer. A right good gentleman too, I think. But beware o' that soft heart I'm telling ya'. It'll be end 'o ye, jus' as th' good cap'n said."
Aaron laughed quietly, then looked back up at the night sky. Smiling approvingly at Stiles, he stepped over to the plotting table and spread out a chart of the Danish West Indies, securing it against the wind. While the compass had shown Constellation true on course, it remained the Lieutenant's duty to conduct the evening sights to ascertain the ship's actual position and verify Truxton's and the Quartermaster's earlier dead reckoning. Opening an ornate lacquered wooden case, Gray removed a black sextant and adjusted it carefully. Sighting Sirius he consulted the compass and recorded the star's altitude and azimuth in the log, then shot two other good stars in the same fashion. Laying down the sextant, he began his calculation and was soon lost deep in concentration.
As Aaron worked, the freshening breeze brushed at the back of his neck carrying with it into the airs about him what seemed the soft fragrance of lilac. The part of his mind unengaged in the mathematics of celestial navigation considered this, finding it an odd scent to be found so far out to sea. Then, out of the corner of his right eye he noticed a slight and unexpected movement at his side. Suddenly alert, Aaron brought himself to his full height, twisting smartly to his right.
"Oh!" the girl nearly fell backward, startled by Gray's unexpected turn. "I'm sorry…" she stammered, obviously embarrassed.
Even in the dim light of the lanterns, Aaron immediately recognized that his guest was Ariel … Princess Ariel. For a moment, he stood transfixed by the elegant and serene beauty of her form and voice; Aaron struggled to regain his suddenly absent wits.
"Oh, no!" Aaron paused, blushing as he collected his thoughts, "Really, it is quite all right," he assured her, "and besides, I am the one who should apologize."
Ariel looked back at him innocently, still herself a bit shaken.
"I mean, for frightening you Princess. I thought that you and the Prince had retired for the evening." He paused darkly before continuing "It has been a trying day for you both."
Ariel smiled softly, a pained look fleetingly clouding her lovely face, "Oh. Well, Eric and I thought that we might look at the stars together tonight," she said quietly, looking upward and about across the darkened ship and seas. "It's so ... peaceful. I didn't want to leave him, but he said he'll be up in just a little while." Ariel paused, peering around the Lieutenant's side at the chart table. "What were you ... doing?" she asked curiously.
Looking across the table, the girl's eyes suddenly lit up when she saw the chart upon which Aaron had been calculating his plot. "Ohhh! … It's a map!" she exclaimed, her voice rising sweetly. "It's so, so, beautiful!" she exclaimed as she clasped her hands together in delight and looked back at Aaron.
Aaron grinned, "You like maps?" he paused. "How unusual!" he said as he puzzled over Ariel's delight.
Ariel nodded her head excitedly and looked back at the chart, as though awaiting Aaron's permission to approach it. Her eyes were bright and full of wonder. Aaron remembered what Ambassador Adams had told him about Eric's wife when he had first sent the young Lieutenant to the West Indies. Princess Ariel was surely a most unusual young lady, and Adams among others had a special interest in her welfare. The former President seemed to have an almost fatherly concern for the girl.
Yes, she was special, not just a Princess. Everything about her suggested the vibrant innocence and sweet, almost childlike naiveté Adams had warned him of. Even the elegant but uncertain way she walked. Everything about her seemed somehow new. Princess Ariel was an innocent in a troubled world.
"Well," Aaron continued, "it really not a map, per se."
Ariel looked at him, "It's not?"
He smiled "No, it is actually a chart you see … there is a difference, of course."
"There is?" Ariel's eyes were wide, filled with curiosity as she stepped closer to look.
He smiled "Oh yes, a nautical chart is a precise mathematical instrument, a map is a rather common thing in comparison."
"So you mean it's a … special map." she suggested with a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Grinning, Gray stared back at the precocious girl and nodded his head as he grinned "Yes, it is Princess, a very special map. We use it to find the location of Constellation while underway far out at sea."
"How!?" Ariel exclaimed with delight. She looked closely at the sextant and the dividers on the chart, wondering at all of the lines and markings Aaron had made. And while she could not quite discern their meaning, they fascinated her nonetheless. This was certainly like no map she had ever seen, not even since she and Eric had married.
"Well, Captain Truxton is truly the expert in the art and might explain it far better than I, but we use this instrument, called a sextant, to measure the positions of the stars in the sky. Then we translate those figures into lines of bearing using mathematical formulae from this book." He stated, touching a brown book beside the sextant. "Our location is where those lines intersect."
Ariel stared back at him curiously, looking towards the sky. The idea of a star having a position in the sky certainly made sense. What confused her was that the stars seemed to move when one watched them, even rising and setting like the sun and moon. How one could actually measure such things was beyond her experience. Indeed, the art of navigating by the stars had been so long lost beneath the Sea that the tools and laws of that art, even the legends of the ancient days in which it had been practiced, had been forgotten. Only the names of the ancient gods of the Sea remained.
Seeing that he was losing her, Aaron changed his approach. "Here, let me show you." Taking the sextant, he placed it in her hands. Delighted, she looked at the complicated instrument from every side, looking back to Aaron with a shy smile. Taking her hands gently, he carefully held the eyepiece to her right eye and adjusted it until she could see a star.
Ariel gasped "Oh! It looks so bright now, and so much larger! Is this a …" thinking back, she remembered the word Archimedes had used for human devices of this kind, "tel … telescope?" she exclaimed, looking up at Aaron.
"Why yes!" he replied enthusiastically, surprised and delighted by her unexpected knowledge. "Indeed it is, a very small telescope designed for the special purpose of sighting the stars … and measuring their positions."
Ariel beamed at having known the device's name and purpose. Though she had been married to Eric for over two years and been together with him even longer, many things she encountered still weren't what she had thought. This meant that she felt a great and special joy when she did recognize or understand human concepts and things, which was increasingly the case. To her, it was proof that she truly belonged among the people of the land, and most importantly, with her love Eric. Ariel turned then and smiled, looking forward to the stairs and wondering both where Eric was and when he would join her.
In fact, Eric was below with the ship's surgeon. Although not too deep, the slash on his right arm had required stitches and a bandage. The sting of the alcohol still burned, and he wore his arm in a sling which the surgeon was now dressing. Wanting to spare Ariel the sight of his own blood, for she had seen enough blood already today, he had kissed her and asked her to wait for him above, promising to spend the evening with her beneath the stars. A tub filled with hot water had been provided for their comfort and cleanliness, and after Ariel had finished with her bath, she had rather reluctantly removed to the deck above.
After Ariel had left, Eric bathed and was dressing when Dr. Aames called upon him. The middle-aged surgeon had returned to check on the Prince at the Captain's request and Eric was secretly grateful for the attention. His ribs had felt as though they were on fire since the duel and the bandages beneath his shirt helped to ease the pain, but only slightly. Finishing with the sling, Aames inspected each rib, noting with concern the bruises that Eric had only reluctantly revealed to him. There was blood beneath the skin, not much, but at least one of the Prince's ribs appeared broken. Eric grimaced, certain that one of his ribs was broken, but he couldn't and wouldn't let Ariel know. The rib would heal in time and it could have been much worse. Caine had landed a solid blow on his lower torso, and only thanks to a last second parry had the stroke landed flat. It was a good thing, because Eric would have otherwise been dead.
"Well, Prince Eric, now only time and rest can heal you any further, and I advise you give yourself plenty of both. You're very fortunate, you know."
"Yes, I know…in many ways." Eric replied, "Thank you for your help, it feels much better already."
The old surgeon smiled slyly, "I'll bet that it does. You take good care of yourself now." He paused, "And just one other thing, I would have never taken you to be a Dane, though a prince I could believe. Your English is quite excellent."
Eric nodded and smiled politely. "Thank you Doctor" as quite different feelings of pain stirred suddenly within his heart. Dr. Aames left the cabin and Eric stood alone, looking out to the moonlit open sea astern of the ship. He thought of his parents and the land in which he had been born, a land of which Ariel still knew nothing. What point would there be in telling her of a home that surely was forever lost to him and all those he loved? Still, he thought, he must tell her, if for no other reason than to show how deeply he trusted her and valued her thoughts and opinions as both his wife and Princess.
As Eric watched the long wake of the ship, glistening in the light of the moon and the strange green luminescences stirred up from beneath the waves, his mind turned more fully and reflexively to the battle again. His rash disregard of Captain Truxton's warnings to wait until Constellation arrived before engaging George Black had brought ruin upon not only his ship and death to his men, but most unforgivably, had exposed his wife to something no woman should ever have to see. That she would have stowed away out of her unwavering sense of curiosity and moreover protectiveness for him should have come to him as no surprise, so not ensuring the ship had been free of unexpected guests was yet another miscalculation of an unseasoned and reckless mind – his mind. In the future he had to do better than that for not just Ariel's sake, but for that of his men and his people. Never again, he resolved, would he make such mistakes.
Hesitantly, he slipped his shirt and jacket over his wounded torso and carefully laid his right arm into its sling. It was a painful effort, but at least he and Ariel had something clean to wear after the mire and stench of battle. Somehow, Truxton had found a turquoise gown for Ariel that was simply breathtaking, and while Eric couldn't be certain, he knew that it must have come from the treasure chests seized from Black's ship. For Eric, Aaron had provided one of his own dress uniforms. The fit was a good one, quite trim and very sharp. For a moment Eric felt a twinge of guilt at donning a uniform he had not truly earned the right to wear. Still, he continued, for he had no alternative. Surprisingly, the tightness of the jacket seemed to somehow lessen the pain of his broken rib, if only a little. Finding the ladder, he slowly worked his way upward to the main deck, anxious to find his wife.
Eric saw that it was dark and windy when he emerged. Constellation's sails were full with the wind and she appeared to have good headway on, proceeding north judging from the moon and stars. It shouldn't be long until he and Ariel were safely home. Looking about the deck, Eric espied Aaron behind him on the quarterdeck, and not far away stood Ariel, curiously inspecting a sextant. It seemed they were talking about navigation of all things. Neither seemed aware of his presence.
Eric couldn't help but wonder at how beautiful Ariel was in the dim light, how the wind caught her hair and how the lantern light played softly across her delicate face, occasionally capturing a sparkle in her brilliant blue eyes. Nor could he forget that he might have lost Ariel today had George Black not intervened in his duel with Morgan Caine. Caine had been too much for him, too good of a swordsman and duelist, and Eric knew it.
For the first time since his marriage the prince felt unsure about himself, and he didn't want Ariel to know. The truth was that Eric wasn't certain that he could protect his wife any longer, especially with the interminable war in Europe and the tragedy it had brought to his Denmark. In his exile, privateers and conspirators the likes of George Black and Morgan Caine should have least among his worries, but against even them he had come up short.
As he slipped up quietly behind his wife, Eric saw Ariel sigh. Her gaze strayed from the stars to the sea. Just for a moment, he saw what could only be a brief but intense look of longing in her eyes and he stopped where he stood. Oblivious to the fact that Ariel's attention had drifted away, Aaron continued his discourse about the heavenly luminaries while his young student's mind wandered off beneath the waves.
Quite by chance, Ariel turned then and saw her husband standing behind her, "Eric!" she cried softly but with discernible excitement. Stepping towards him, the young woman looked up at him intently, reaching out to touch his arm. Eric took her left hand in his. They stared deeply into each other's eyes and kissed.
Opening his eyes, Eric saw Ariel looking intently at him, concern in her eyes and her right hand gently touching his wounded arm.
"Does it still...hurt?"
Eric shook his head gently, he didn't want to lie to Ariel, but it would only upset her if she knew that he was in pain. What concerned him more was the longing and perhaps even distress he had seen in her seaward glance. What could it have meant? Was she homesick for her father and sisters? What troubled her? Surely it must be what she had only just this morning endured. Eric's heart sank at the thought of what he knew Ariel must have seen. A battle at sea was no place for a lady, let alone his wife. His own stomach turned at the mere thought of it, at the friends he had lost, and those who now lay below maimed, all of them his countrymen, some of whom had taught him to sail so many years ago. He would visit the survivors again soon, most especially the wounded, but such a visit would have to wait, for his men were now fast asleep.
"Eric…what's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Nothing sweetheart, I'm fine, the pain has almost gone now."
"Oh Eric, that's wonderful!" she beamed happily.
Eric nodded and smiled "You look beautiful tonight, that gown really becomes you."
Ariel blushed, smiling up at him "You always say that. I feel embarrassed."
"Well, you shouldn't," Eric replied softly "because you are beautiful, and you shouldn't be embarrassed about the truth."
Ariel smiled modestly and laid her head on Eric's chest as they softly embraced. Eric saw Aaron leaning on the chart table beside them, looking curiously over at the two. Nodding as though to acknowledge the Prince's need for privacy with his wife, the Lieutenant smiled as he turned again to the small chart table to finish his calculations, placing the sextant carefully back in its box as he did so.
Eric rocked Ariel in the breeze as the ship rolled ever so gently beneath their feet. He felt her tremble slightly in his arms, and suddenly was glad that he was there for her. It was worth the pain to hold Ariel like this, especially if she was herself hurting. It would be more deeply painful to find that she had needed him and that he had not been there to comfort her. Eric vowed silently that never again would he leave her on some foolhardy adventure.
"Prince Eric," Aaron interrupted gently as he turned from the table, "I hesitated to inform you of this before I had myself confirmed the Quartermaster's calculations, but it now seems fair to do so. We should be rounding the eastern point of Saint Croix near the break of day tomorrow. Based on what I can see, all conditions seem fair enough to portend a return home for you both, most hopefully by noon."
Eric nodded and looked down to Ariel, "Do you hear that sweetheart? We'll be home tomorrow morning."
Ariel nodded, then looked up at him longingly, the strange sadness again filling her eyes.
"Would you like to walk around for a little while?" he asked, smiling as he looked down into her eyes, "I did promise."
Ariel nodded again, her eyes never leaving his. At this moment she simply wanted to be with Eric, nothing more. Her heart hung heavily as her mind relived the horrors of that morning, the blood-soaked decks, the merciless splinters, the severed pieces of Eric's men strewn about the ship.
While her curiosity in the Lieutenant's odd devices and maps had distracted and enthralled her for a little while, being with Eric had instantly brought back all of the day's memories … scenes she couldn't stop seeing. Her husband had almost died that day, and many others actually had, especially the one man who had been kind to her when others had been cruel; and it had been her fault. Ariel struggled to choke back tears. Seeing her distress, Eric began to rock her slowly again as she finally cried softly against his chest.
"It's all right, it's all right, sweetheart." Eric stood there with Ariel safely in his arms. "Aaron…," he started, stopping himself suddenly, then continued "err, Lieutenant, there isn't any problem if I take Ariel up forward, is there?"
"No, none at all. Do have a care for the deck rigging though, it can be very dark on the forecastle."
The prince nodded. Taking Ariel's hand in his, Eric led her up along the starboard spar deck leaving the chart table and the dim light of the quarterdeck behind. Aaron was right, there was rigging laid out and the carpenter was working near the fore mast. The two finally came to the forecastle where it was very dark indeed. Only the light of the moon and stars remained. The wind whipped briskly up the bow here, but Eric discovered a fair lee in which lay the starboard cathead. Sitting slowly upon the cathead, Eric pulled his wife into his lap and again held her.
Ariel hadn't said a word as they had made their way forward, but now her tears spoke clearly enough, he thought. Humanity had been so wonderful for her at first, but then in Glowerhaven Princess Helena and her man Caine had laid a dark shadow on her happiness. And now … this.
As she rested quietly in Eric's embrace, Ariel's mind turned to what her father had said to her years ago in warning. Had her father been right, about humans and their barbarity? Could she have been so wrong? Her mind reeled at what she had seen, the men who had perished, and she clung to Eric even more tightly. She knew, was certain, that they would be alive had it not been for her recklessness in stowing away. While Ariel was increasingly frightened of what was becoming of her in this world, she was utterly terrified of losing Eric. He had become not just her true love and her husband, but also her steadfast anchor in this strange world of Man, that world which she had all too recently and so desperately wanted to inhabit. But what good would all of the human world be to her be if she didn't have him to share it with? She could never go back to the Sea, could she, especially not … not now? Truly Eric had become the reason for her being, and without him she would be lost, alone, aimless. She couldn't bear the thought of her love coming to harm … especially if she was the cause.
There was nothing that Eric could do but hold Ariel, and in that moment, that simple embrace seemed enough. Somehow his touch calmed her as it always had.
The stars were very bright overhead by then, with Sirius rising clear in the east. Despite the shooting pain in his arm and lower chest, Eric rocked Ariel gently in his arms. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn't asleep. After a while Ariel's breathing eased as her tears passed. Nestled in his arms, she clung to him, seemingly trying to be as close as she possibly could to him.
"The stars are out tonight." Eric said softly, looking down at Ariel lovingly. "Just like I promised they would be."
The girl turned her head and looked up at him curiously, her eyes still wet and unsure. Slowly, she looked up at the sky. "They're beautiful," she whispered haltingly, then continued "I was looking at them with your friend Aaron before you came up." She looked back at her husband, "I used to sneak away from the palace at night and swim up to the surface, just so I could look at them. There are so many. I always thought humans were so lucky to be able to see them any time they wanted."
Eric tightened his embrace ever so slightly, not wishing to hurt her but feeling the need to make her feel secure … safe. "You know, it's a funny thing, but I don't think many people even notice the stars, they just take them for granted."
Ariel hesitated, then in a fragile voice just barely audible above the wind continued "That's sad … they're so lovely. Why shouldn't people want to see them whenever they can?" She asked.
Eric shook his head. "I don't know, love. Perhaps people are just so busy with their affairs that they don't make time to look up and appreciate the beauty above and all around us."
"I'm glad that you do" she whispered. "Thank you for bringing me up to this part of the ship."
"You like it here?" he asked softly.
"Yes, it's beautiful … and peaceful in a way."
Ariel remained quiet in his arms, looking up into the heavens as the wind caught her hair slightly. Gathering it back to her waist, she looked at Eric and smiled softly "Did you know that each star has a name, and that you can find where you are by looking at them with a … telescope?"
Eric nodded his head and laughed gently "Now where did you find that out, from Aaron?"
Ariel nodded innocently "Yes." She paused, then added "Well, from Archimedes too."
"Archimedes? Actually, of all of your family and friends, I think he is the one that fascinates me the most. Of the ones I've met I mean."
"Oh." she replied thoughtfully. "Not Daddy?" she asked. Ariel smiled more deeply now, and though he could barely see her face silhouetted in the faint silvery light, Eric could sense her happiness at his never-ending fascination with her former life and adventures.
"Well, there's no question that your father commands respect, no doubt, but a merman with a human name who studies humans." he paused "Now that fascinates me."
"A human name? Ariel replied, now quite interested.
Eric nodded, seeing that he had succeeded in pulling her mind away from what had transpired earlier in the day. "Yes, Archimedes was one of the greatest Greek mathematicians and scientists."
"Oh." Ariel said quietly, thinking deeply now. "A human name." she whispered to herself, then continued "What's 'Greek'?"
Eric smiled to himself, "Greece is a country far across the sea," he pointed off the starboard side of the ship toward the barely visible eastern horizon. "That way" he finished.
Ariel looked toward the eastern darkness as she followed Eric's gaze.
"Love, I want you to see something," he paused, then taking her up in his arms, Eric gently turned the girl until they were looking into the west. There far above the dark limb of the sea sat a glorious star, burning with a fiery white and yellow radiance. "I think that we should have a star."
"A star?" she asked. "How can we have a star?"
Ariel smiled, thinking of somehow sharing a star with Eric. It seemed like a beautiful idea and she looked at him expectantly, hoping for an answer, while dreading the prospect of ever being apart from him again.
"Yes, a star." he smiled. "Well, we just choose one that we'll always recognize. A star just for us so that whenever either of us sees it, no matter how far apart we may be, we'll instantly think of each other."
"Do you like it?" he asked.
Ariel stared at the brilliant point of light, one among many but oh so much brighter. It was beautiful. "Yes." she whispered and smiled softly.
At that moment Eric kissed her. His embrace was gentle and reassuring as his lips met hers in the dark of the windswept night. She nestled against him remembering why she had chosen to live as a human, and returned his kiss in full. Slowly, their lips parted and they opened their eyes, seeing only each other amid the dark.
"Our star my love." Eric smiled "Except, I have to confess it's not really star. It's a planet, a planet called Venus."
"It is? A … planet?"
"Yes. Planets looks like stars, but each moves across the sky from night to night. Venus is the brightest and most beautiful of them all." He added.
Ariel looked at him, not fully understanding the significance of what he was saying. She knew nothing of the name Venus, but recognized the star of which Eric spoke, having seen it shining brightly on evenings and even mornings when she had stolen away to the surface. If any of her people remembered their ancient names for the stars, she had never heard them, and she had never heard of planets.
"A planet is a place like the earth, a great globe in the sky, but very, very far away," he continued.
"What's a globe?" she asked shyly, her eyes keen and mind clearly at work making sense of what her husband was telling her.
Eric smiled. "Oh, well, it's a sphere, a ball."
"The earth is a ball? But it looks flat." she argued half-heartedly.
"Only because it is so, well, enormous, that you can't see it all at once." he smiled, delighted as always by Ariel's undeterred passion for learning new things.
"So that's why my roundamaj … globe … had maps on it!" she half-whispered to herself. Delighted, she smiled up at her husband, only to see his loving eyes looking back into hers. Her smile faded as they kissed, replaced with the shy softness of her love for Eric.
"Eric, were you … scared?"
"Scared?" he replied quietly, carefully choosing to avoid revisiting the battle for her sake, "Of Morgan Caine? Well, not at first, but after I realized that he was a far better swordsman and that I couldn't win. Yes, I was scared." He glanced down. "I was scared of failing you." He paused, then continued, "I should have known better … I should have waited like I promised Captain Truxton I would. But what really terrified me was when Knudsen told me that you were onboard … and then later, when I saw how Caine looked at you."
"He was going to … to kill you," she paused, seemingly missing his last words, her own words now becoming ever more desperate and ragged, "and I couldn't do anything to stop him. Nothing that I tried worked, and … and …" the girl's voice broke. "It was so … horrible, like that night …that night with Ursula … but … but worse." At that moment, Ariel broke down and started to sob uncontrollably.
Surely that night over two years ago had been horrific, even beyond comprehension given the power that the Witch had exerted upon the sea, Eric thought. That such sorcery was real and a continuing threat haunted Eric, and he wondered every night if some new terror would emerge from the sea and again try rip Ariel away from him. By comparison this morning's horrors had been mundane in their brutality. There had been no blood that night when he had sent the Witch to her doom, save for her own perhaps … but this. What had Ariel seen?
"Ariel, tell me what happened?" he pleaded.
Ariel just looked at him, tears rolling down her cheeks, unable or unwilling to speak, her eyes stinging but never leaving his.
"Oh Ariel, I'm so sorry … I'm so, so sorry."
Gently, Eric rocked his wife in his arms as she softly cried, and at last she slept. Thereafter, and with great discomfort, he carefully removed his arm from its sling, picked her up and carried her to their cabin, there laying her down gently to sleep.