The living room was unusually full for the time of day, though perhaps night would serve as a more appropriate term. Within all was quiet and comfortable. The room, situated on the ground floor of the palace, between the library and Eric's private study, was modest given the status of the those who resided there; but it was snug, and on nights like this was it precisely what was required. There were two sofas of deep red upholstery, the smallest of which lay beneath the window, overlooking the garden and beyond that the sea. The other faced the hearth, and it was here that Ariel and Eric found themselves at nearly midnight, watching the dancing flames that set the room aglow. Between them and the fire lay a gold trimmed rug, upon which their two-year-old daughter Melody sat with a selection of coloured crayons about her and a few sheets of parchment.
Grimsby sat in the only armchair, situated to the left of the fire, reading his book and smoking his pipe. That latter of these occupations did not employ him for long however, for Melody's disapproval, evident in the way she scrunched her nose up, lead to its termination. He smiled, and placed the pipe upon the table beside him.
Eric too found amusement in the compliance of his advisor to the silent wishes of a toddler, and caught Grimsby's eye with a smile. He sat with an arm around Ariel, who didn't so much as sit on the sofa as curl against her husband, her head resting upon his shoulder. The Prince placed a soft kiss to her temple, and took to running his fingers through her hair.
It was a peaceful scene, a stark contrast to the hammering and howling of the storm outside.
It was the beginning of March, and the sunset had been hidden from them by thick, black clouds rolling in from the north. During dinner the wind had picked up, and as Ariel and Eric were putting Melody to bed the first fat spots of rain had begun knocking at the window. As the night marched on the storm had only worsened, the continuous roar making sleep an impossibility, and when Melody had entered her parents room claiming that she was unable to sleep they had made the decision to come down here until the worst of it passed, where they had been surprised to find Grimsby and Carlotta, having decided the very same.
That had been a little over and hour ago and the storm, which had been going on even longer, showed no signs of stopping.
Eric, fidgety beside his wife, stood and headed for the window, leaving Ariel to find a new position without him. She watched as he lifted the curtain and strained to assess the damage amidst the blackness. What he could ascertain from the little he could see was that the dawn would bring with it a sizeable cleanup operation, and it was entirely possible that he hadn't the funds for it. Out of the twelve Kingdom's within the region Eric's ranked seventh, and as a result was occasionally dependant on the generosity of others. This, Eric feared, would be one of those occasions, and the threat of being burdened with unwanted debts made him restless.
The Prince sighed.
At this moment Carlotta entered the room with a tray of hot drinks and, upon noticing Eric's anxiety, sought to reassure him. "You mustn't worry yourself dear, the storm will pass."
"It's the aftermath that I'm worried about" replied Eric, taking a mug of tea with quiet thanks and savouring the heat against his cold fingers.
"Eric, every Kingdom has had debts to pay at one point of another" informed Grimsby. He sipped his herbal tea and placed the cup and saucer upon the table next to him before continuing. "And there's little point in worrying about what you can't help. Unless you plan to go out there and correct the damage as it happens I suggest you relax for the time being."
Eric reluctantly did as he was told, returning to Ariel's side with no less trepidation than he'd had on quitting it.
"We'll be fine," she said, "and besides, your don't know the extent of the damage, we might be able able to manage in our own."
Eric smiled at his wife's optimism. It was true that the palace would bare the brunt of the storm being so near the coast, but he couldn't help but dread the sight that would greet him when he made the short journey into town tomorrow morning.
He was brought back to the present by a flash which illuminated the room, and the subsequent rumble of thunder.
Melody froze and turned wide-eyed to her parents.
Ariel smiled and did her best to reassure her. "It's alright sweetie, don't worry."
The toddler remained unconvinced, and when the same happened again not a minute later, she cried out in fear and rose shakily to her feet.
Immediately, Ariel scooped the trembling child into her arms, kissing her cheek and smoothing down her black curls. Alas, she could do nothing about the weather, and the growing thunderstorm soon had Melody in tears. What began as quiet whimpers became screams of terror. Ariel looked to her husband, but knew that his furrowed brow had only half to do with their daughter. She could only guess at the calculations going on inside his head, and promptly decided that he and Melody may gain more comfort from each other than she could provide either.
"Melody, do you want to sit with daddy?" she asked softly, realising only when the question had left her lips that she hadn't prepared for a negative answer.
She needn't have worried.
The toddler nodded and, though the suggestion has caught Eric off guard somewhat, he was more than happy to oblige, and Melody promptly found herself encased in the strong and safe harbour of her father's arms.
Eric, though grieved by his daughter's sorrow, relaxed considerably, recognising that whilst he had no power over what happened out there, his attentions here could make the world of difference. He brushed away her tears with an innate gentleness and scattered his precious possession with tiny kisses, hoping to alleviate some of her fear.
Ariel shared a smile with Grimsby and Carlotta, all three thinking very same thing; Eric had been so worried about the prospect of fatherhood, but nobody would know it to look and him now.
Lighting forked again across the sky and thunder shook the palace, and Melody cuddled closer to her father, burying her face against his chest.
"You're okay little one, I've got you" soothed Eric, holding her close.
"Scary." Melody's voice was small, hardly a whisper, and it broke her father's heart.
"It can't hurt you whilst your inside Melody," informed Ariel, "and besides, daddy's here to protect you."
Dubious though she was, her fear soon gave way to exhaustion and, safe within the arms of her father and young as she was, the little Princess at length found sleep.
Eric stood with as little interruption to his slumbering daughter as he could, allowing her head to lull against his shoulder.
"Come on," he whispered, offering a hand to his wife, "we may as well try to get some sleep."
Ariel nodded her agreement, her own eyes heavy, and the pair bid a quiet goodnight to Grimsby and Carlotta before was making their way upstairs.
Melody did not stir as Eric lowered her down to her bed and kissed her cheek, nor when Ariel pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and did the same. The storm could not reach her now, though it raged on outside, and her parents could only hope that her dreams would provide a picture much less frightening.
Returning to their own room and to their own bed, and finding warmth in each other's arms, thoughts turned once again to the morning; though Ariel was glad to have provided Eric some small period of respite in the form of their daughter.
"Whatever tomorrow brings, we'll face it together" she assured him sleepily.
Eric smiled and voiced his thanks with a kiss, before lifting the lamp from his nightstand and plunging the room into darkness.