(Author's Note- Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!! I'm sorry for the delay in getting the second chapter up. I'm unsure as to when the third chapter will be up being as I have to write it, and time is limited until at least June. Hopefully it won't take me that long, but that's how it may look. But regardless, I hope everyone continues to read!! Thanks so much! –TRP)

Chapter #2

After closing the sea-shell door to her old bedroom, Ariel quietly observed her father as he looked out over the palace grounds. Ariel waited patiently as King Triton was clearly deep in thought and was unsure of how to broach this subject with her.

"Father?" Ariel quietly asked.

Slowly shaking himself out of his thoughts, he took a moment to again observe how much his youngest daughter has grown. He also observed how much compassion she truly had. He always knew she'd make a wonderful mother.

"I'm proud of you Ariel. Truly I am."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me…but why?"

Triton knew it was now or never.

"Ariel, before you or any of your sisters were born, your grandparents insisted your mother–" Triton paused. He rarely ever brought up the subject of his daughters' mother.

Celeste was her name. In Triton's younger days, he was the one with the red beard, while Celeste had gorgeous brown locks. Triton became saddened, then angry as he clutched his trident in his hand; it glowing yellow. Triton realized he had to relax, otherwise there would be no way that he could tell his daughter the truth.

"They insisted that your mother and I marry. At first…well I didn't even like your mother and the same went for her. I thought she thought that she was above everyone else, and she thought I was pompous, arrogant,, and just wanted power. But as we slowly got to know each other, outside of our parent's influences, I realized what true beauty was.

"When it comes to the human world at that time, it was an unspoken topic. Both sets of your grandparents didn't hate humans, but we all had a sense of fear when it came to them. After all, they do hunt and eat fish."

By this time both Ariel and Triton sat on her bed, as Ariel pulled out a picture of her mother, while Triton looked on. Ariel was truly her mother's daughter, with most of her mother's looks and determination. She received her stubbornness from her father, most definitely, and now as a parent, she also had part of her father's protective streak.

"Anyway, I had two sisters. Nautica, and Edea. I loved them, but they always kept to themselves, with Nautica older than Edea, she always thought she could get her way, while Edea always was pushed in the background by her older sister and was a very angry mermaid. Nautica was angry most of the time because she found out she couldn't' get her way. "

"Wasn't the focus on making you King of Atlantica anyway? That's why Nautica and Edea got pushed aside, and even ignored."

"Precisely. Edea was always more jealous of Nautica, and I wasn't a very good brother to either of them, especially when we got older. While our parents were obsessed with making me King, I was just as obsessed with pleasing them and wanting to rule, at least before I met your mother. But your mother, Celeste…she changed me. She gave me compassion, as did my own mother, but Celeste showed me what true love was. I remember when you ran away from home that time, you wanted true love. I was so terrified about Eric. Not because he was cruel, he was the very opposite – I wish I had known that though. I was so furious when you saved his life…But because he was human. I was in such a place where all humans were, well barbarians."

"Another thing you must know about Nautica and Edea were that they were extremely jealous of your mother. They wanted to be Queen and not have someone else in their place."

"But they would have no shot at being Queen anyway, right?"

"Technically, no. And since your Uncle Dorian was born a few years before Edea, any chance they had, even regardless of if I had a son was gone."

"But didn't Uncle Dorian…?"

"Yes, he died shortly after my wedding to your mother. So Nautica and Edea had no chance whatsoever."

Triton then took the picture from Ariel, and went over to her window. Ariel waited in patient silence for her father to continue. She had a feeling the worst was yet to come.

"After your sisters and you were all born, my sisters by that time had developed so much rage and hate towards both of us that they stooped to an unspeakable level."

Triton's anger and sorrow again got to him (understandably so) as his trident again glowed a bright yellow.

"Daddy? What did they do to Mom?"

Triton didn't dare look his daughter in the eyes as he was sure she'd be frightened. Instead he stared a hole into the ocean's distance ahead of him.

"They killed her." Triton replied.

(Author's Note – Please Review!! Thanks!!)