Four years had passed and Melody was an active four-year-old running around the castle with Sebastian, Ariel, or Eric chasing after her. Everything was going perfect, but for how long could everything be perfect?

One morning Ariel awoke to a horrible pain in her right leg. She woke up screaming in agony. Eric awoke as soon as she screamed.

"Ariel, what's wrong?!" asked Eric.

"I…don't…know…it…hurts!" yelled Ariel. She was grabbing her right leg forcefully.

"Grim! Grim! Call the doctor NOW!" Eric yelled down the hall.

"Yes sire!" yelled Grimsby.

"Ariel, darling, hang on. Just look at me and hold my hand." Eric held her hand and tried to make the pain go away.

"I…I…" but before she could finish her thought she passed out from the pain.

Ariel's eyes opened many hours later. She woke up to her husband lying next to her.

"Ariel! You're awake! How are you feeling?" asked Eric.

"I'm…I'm feeling better. The pain isn't very painful at all. What happened?" asked Ariel.

"You woke up with a pain in your right leg. So I called the doctor and he came to examine you, but you were passed out."

"Did he say anything?"

"No he told me to call him when you woke up. Grim?"

Grim entered the room. "Yes sire?"

"Could you tell the doctor that Ariel is awake?"

"Yes your majesty." Grim left the room and went to get the doctor.

Ariel grabbed Eric's arm. "Where is Melody?"

"She is with Carlotta. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes please." Ariel needed her daughter to cheer her up.

Carlotta came in with Melody and Melody ran to her mother.

"Mommy, are you sleeping?"

"No, I am awake now. Are you having fun darling?"

"Yes mommy. We played in the sand."

"Oh how very fun. Did Sebastian go with you?"

"Yes. I put sand on him."

"You did? Poor Sebastian."

"He likes it." Melody giggled with her mother. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. It was Grim with the doctor.

"Your highnesses, the doctor is here to see Ariel."

"Thank you Grim. Carlotta can you take Melody to her room for a nap?" asked Eric.

"Yes your highness. Come Melody." Carlotta tried to take Melody's hand but she resisted.

"I want to stay with Mommy," replied Melody.

"Mommy will come see you after the doctor visits me ok sweetheart?"

"Ok Mommy," Melody turned away and grabbed Carlotta's hand.

The doctor came over to Ariel to ask her some questions.

"Your majesty, has your right leg ever hurt you like this before?"

"No, I have never felt that much pain in my leg before."

"Have you fallen on your leg or scraped it?"

"No, not that I can think of."

"At any time in your life?"

Ariel stopped to think. Only Eric, Carlotta, and Grim knew she was a mermaid before becoming human. She couldn't tell the doctor about her former tail. She also couldn't think of a time she hurt her tail as a child.

"Not that I can think of."

"Prince Eric may I speak to you outside."

Ariel didn't like the sound of that. Eric looked to her to see if it was ok for him to leave and she nodded her head yes. Eric got up to meet with the doctor in the hallway.

"What's wrong with her? Is she ok?" asked Eric. He was so nervous.

"I don't know your highness. I have never seen that much pain in a leg before without a scratch or a scar," explained the doctor.

"What do we do then?"

"Well, I think this may be a medical problem that I haven't seen yet. I don't know what is causing her pain, but I do know that her vitals are not that strong," answered the doctor.

"She's going to die?" asked Eric. He couldn't loose Ariel. He couldn't even think of his life without her.

"If she has another attack or two like that she might. I am sorry your majesty I wish I could tell you what is wrong, but she bears no physical symptoms. You may want to talk with her about setting her affairs in order."

Eric would not talk to his wife about her death. Ariel dying was not an option. "She cannot die. You understand me!? I cannot live without her nor raise a child on my own. So I will ask again, what do we do?"

The doctor could see that he was in denial about his wife's terminal illness. "Your majesty, if there was anything I could do for her highness I would. I am so sorry your highness," replied the doctor and he continued down the hallway to exit the castle.

Eric stood there for a good five minutes before he entered the room again. His love couldn't be dying. They were meant to be together, forever. He looked down at his love and tucked her hair behind her ear, waking her up.

"Eric, you're back. What did the doctor say?" Ariel asked her husband.

Eric looked into Ariel's blue eyes and thought how long would he have left to look into her deep blue eyes that were as blue as the sea. Tears formed in Eric's eyes and he looked away from Ariel so he wouldn't see him crying.

"Eric, it's alright. You can tell me what the doctor said. No matter how bad it was," Ariel reassured him. She wiped his tears from his cheeks with her hand. She was looking into his bright blue eyes and wondered how long did she have to stare into them.

"Ariel…this is not easy to say," Eric paused and took a deep breath, "the doctor doesn't know what is wrong with you, but he knows that your vitals aren't very good. He said that another attack could kill you."

Deep in her heart Ariel knew this might be the response from the doctor. She thought of Eric and how he would be without her. Then she thought of Melody and how she would grow up without a mother just as she had done. Ariel wanted to be there for her daughter. She never wanted her to grow up without a mother.

"Eric… I think we need to go see Daddy," said Ariel. Maybe her father could do something.

"Ariel, you're a genius! Your father can heal you!" Eric's face brightened. Why hadn't he thought of that?

"Eric, Daddy might be able to help, but he might not be able to cure me," warned Ariel.

"Well it's worth a try."