Melody leaned over the balcony, watching the evening sky. A few seagulls sliced across it, with their raucous calls; the ditzy Scuttle called out a 'happy fifteenth birthday' to Melody.
"It's seventeenth!" Melody informed him, but Scuttle was out of earshot. With an amused sigh, Melody took her locket in hand, flipping it open; immediately, the lullaby sounded, and the glowing orb of Atlantica floated in the air before her eyes. She gazed at it, watching the merpeople swimming with longing. Stop it. What's wrong with me? She looked down at her legs, but couldn't help but wonder. It was red, or orangeish... Melody struggled to remember her tail.
Turning away from the balcony, Melody reached for her hairbrush, before once again returning her gaze to the setting sun. She started to brush through her tangled hair, wincing slightly as she pulled through a knot.
She wasn't looking forward to her birthday ball - it was embarrassing, especially after her twelfth birthday. This year, a lot of princes were coming; her parents desperately wanted her to find someone special, because the majority of princesses married at sixteen, as per the tradition. She was seventeen and unmarried; the royal advisory always recommended the traditional marriage-at-sixteen. But Melody didn't want to find anyone, let alone marry yet. She didn't want to move away to some other kingdom, leaving behind her parents, merfolk family and the sea. What if the kingdom was far inland? That sounded unbearable.
With her hair detangled, Melody went to find out what sort of outfit had been laid out this year. Finding it hung over the door handle, she was relieved to see that it wasn't some hideous shade of bright green, like for her fifteenth. Instead, it was a peach-coloured dress, but Melody filled with dread at the sight of the cream heels that went with it. No, not heels... they seemed unusually high. She didn't mind a small heel, but this one was at least three inches, which was where she drew the line.
"Melody!" There was a tap at the door, followed by the turn of the door handle. The door flew open, and Melody could just about see Ariel's face behind the enormous bouquet. Her mother was wearing a blue dress, her hair up in an elegant updo; this year, the plan was for Melody to have an updo as well, for a change. But Melody was more occupied with the vase of elaborate flowers.
She stared in surprise, as Ariel struggled to put the vase of peonies and roses on the messy cabinet. "Mom... what the...?"
"Oh, it's not from us." Eric explained, also struggling into the room with some more flowers. "Your mother's ones were from Prince Thelonious... and these are from Prince Zephyr." Melody continued to stare. Oh, no. This is humiliating. This had happened last year, too - as soon she had been old enough to marry, she had been sent extravagant flowers and bejeweled gifts from princes everywhere. Not one had impressed her - sending expensive gifts was like bribery to her. She marry them in exchange for presents? It was as if it was bribing her into marriage.
Eric then left the room, for Ariel often helped Melody get ready. She sat in the chair before the mirror, and watched as Ariel began twisting her hair into a stylish updo. Melody tried to smile, but Ariel must have realized that something was amiss, for her own smile faded. Her mother could always tell when something was wrong. "Melody, are you okay?"
"What do you mean? I'm fine." Melody laughed to prove it, but Ariel didn't buy it. She put down the pot of hair pins.
"Darling, it's your birthday. What's wrong?" Ariel asked, gently. Melody wasn't sure she wanted to tell Ariel about her recurring dreams - as of recent, she kept dreaming she was a mermaid again. Ariel looked outside, where the ocean was lapping against the beach. "You miss it, don't you?" Melody looked up, wide-eyed at the guess, but Ariel was smiling again. "I talk to Alana and my sisters. Zafrina keeps telling her how much you say you miss the deep ocean. I miss it as well, you know."
"Maybe I do... but there's nothing I can do about it, is there?" Melody reminded her, in disappointment. Ariel paused, and glanced toward the pile of unopened gifts, and she spotted the small, kelp-wrapped thing sitting on a letter. Triton had spoken to her and Eric first; it had actually been Aquata who had suggested the idea. Of course Ariel had protested at the suggestion, but Eric had managed to bring her round. If Melody really did miss her time as a mermaid, could this be the solution?
"Melody, maybe you should have a look at the present your grandfather got you -" Ariel began, but then the door opened, to Grimsby.
"Your highnesses, the last guest has arrived. Everyone is here, and your presence is -." The elderly man then glanced to the left, and gasped. He rushed down the corridor, hastily. "No, get that dog off the -" before Grimsby could finish protesting, there was the sound of something smashing, and some barking.
"Oh, dear, we'd better get a move on." Ariel said, stressfully, forgetting the gift. She quickly finished Melody's hair, sticking in a gold tiara. "Hurry, everyone's waiting." She insisted, handing Melody the heeled shoes, before running out of the room. Staring down at them in disdain, Melody struggled into them; immediately, the backs of her feet protested. A tail would be so much easier.
"Ow." She muttered, walking awkwardly to the door.
A few hours later
Melody stormed into her room, slamming the door hard. Kicking off the ridiculous and painful shoes, she threw them viciously against the wall, where they belonged. She had never been so humiliated in her life. Melody limped to the balcony, the anger raging. I hate birthdays. I hate parties, I hate princes.
She had practically wobbled throughout the whole evening. A pompous, auburn-haired prince had noticed this, but unfortunately, he was no gentleman. He was one of the princes standing in the corner, sniggering at outfits and boasting about how their castles were better than the one they were in. Melody had tried to ignore their raucous laughter, but then the auburn-haired one had practically dragged her onto the dancefloor; Melody had gone along with dancing at first, but then he had started to step on her painful feet, apologizing in a sweet, heavily fake voice, while his friends pointed and laughed.
This had driven her to boiling point. Melody had angrily started to prize his hands off her waist, when he had let go, making her stagger. A prince from another kingdom had stuck out his leg, and her high shoes had been caught; Melody had gone flying, face-first, into the dining table. Straight into a large bowl of punch. Food had gone everywhere, and she had sat up with a bowl on her head, soaked.
Ariel, Eric and the servants had rushed to help her, while the crowd had roared with laughter. But Melody had gotten up before they could reach her - she had fled the room in tears and anger. There was a lot of shouting downstairs - the princes were probably getting a scolding, but Melody didn't care. She stood there, hands buried in her hair.
"Melo -"
"Go away!" She ordered, but Ariel didn't listen.
"Melody... Prince Simon and Eustace offer their apologies..."
"I don't care." Snapped Melody, bitterly. "Just leave me alone. This is just like my twelfth birthday, all over again - I just want to be on my own!" She heard Ariel's upset sigh, and then her fading footsteps. She dug her nails into the balcony wall, glaring into the blackness. She occasionally saw a flickering tail, either that of a mermaid or a dolphin.
Reminded of that desire, feeling tears welling up in her eyes, Melody angrily ripped off the dress, feeling the familiar shot of anger at the sight of the punch stain. Dropping it and her underclothes onto the floor, she pulled on a nightdress, and swung her legs over the balcony side, hooking her fingers into the climbing plant that grew up the wall. She clambered down, and once she was on the ground, Melody ran down the sand, straight into the water. She surfaced, determined to get away from sight.
She swam straight for a rock, but en route, the nightdress pulled her down, having snagged on a seaplant. Melody swam faster, surging with panic, but then realized her head kept bobbing under the surface, as her nightdress wouldn't let go of the plant. Just as she kicked the dress free, she felt arms grabbing her. Briefly, Melody struggled violently, only to realize that it was a mermaid. "Zafrina!" She coughed, sputtering up some water.
"Honestly, Mel, are you trying to drown yourself?" Zafrina asked, in alarm, steering her back to shore. Melody was relieved to feel sand beneath her feet again, but disappointed as well. "Swimming in the dark? How was the party?" She asked, expecting Melody to be bright; but her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of her cousin's face.
"It was awful!" Melody cried, as she slumped down in the shallows, sitting with the water up to her waist. Zafrina eased herself onto the sand beside her, putting an arm around her.
"What happened?" She asked, worriedly. "Tell your cousin all about it." so Melody poured out the whole story, of wearing uncomfortable shoes - which Zafrina obviously didn't understand - and being tripped into a dining table and a bowl of punch, and being laughed at.
"It's just like my twelfth all over again." Melody sobbed, wiping her eyes, while Zafrina kindly helped to undo the rest of her hair, most of which had been disrupted by the water.
"Oh, Melody." Zafrina sighed, shaking her head.
"I hate it there, Zafrina." Melody said, hugging her knees. "I... I miss the ocean. I miss the reefs, and I really want to see Atlantica properly, but I obviously can't get that far." She opened the locket once again, staring into it. Zafrina paused, remembering what her and Melody's grandfather had decided to do, at Aquata's suggestion. Everyone back home was hopeful that Melody would go through with it.
"Well... maybe you can." She suggested. Melody blinked several times, and looked at Zafrina, with a puzzled expression.
"What? If you're suggesting I -"
"No sea witches." Zafrina promised. "Did you see what Grandfather made you? It was wrapped in kelp."
"No... why?" Melody glanced up to her bedroom balcony, trying to recall such a present.
"Oh, Mel - you have to open it!" Zafrina urged, suddenly looking very excited. "Go on, go get it, I'll be here!" Her eyes danced with joy, and she was grinning. Melody glanced upwards, reluctant to go back; before, with a heavy sigh, she hauled herself out of the water, padding across the sand, before clambering back up the climbing plant. Just as her feet touched the floor, she realized that Ariel and Eric were sitting on her bed.
"Oh... hey." Melody said, awkwardly. "I was just talking to Zafrina..." She looked over the gifts, looking for one wrapped in kelp, before her eyes found it; in her mother's hand.
"Melody, sit down." Eric said. Melody hesitated, reluctant, before she sat down heavily between them. Ariel took her hand, with her free one.
"We're so sorry, Melody." She apologized, looking as mortified as she had when Melody had landed in the bowl of punch. Melody was unsure as to how she would reply, so she said nothing; she sat between her parents, staring at the floor.
"It's fine." Replied Melody, bluntly. "I just want to forget all about it, alright?" she knew she was being blunt, but Melody was in no mood to talk; to her relief, Ariel and Eric seemed to know this, for they both looked at each other, exchanging silent conversation. They knew their daughter didn't appreciate their worries.
"Alright, then." Eric sighed, before glancing at Ariel, and then at Triton's gift in her hand. She looked hesitant at first, but then Ariel shook off her worries, knowing that it was for Melody's own good. She placed the kelp-wrapped gift onto Melody's knee.
"We'll just leave you alone, now. You go and open this on the beach, okay?" To Melody's surprise, Ariel unexpectedly hugged her. "Be safe."
"Okay." Melody said, puzzled by this request. Taking the gift, Melody turned, and climbed out of the balcony. Ariel and Eric watched her go, glancing at each other.
"I hope daddy made the right decision, to give her such a gift." Ariel said, worriedly.
"She'll be fine, Ariel." Eric assured her, kissing his wife on the side of her head. "Don't worry about Melody. This will help her."