Chapter Four:
Ugh, my head, it kills. I open my eyes, which sting from being exposed to all that ink. I briefly remember being dragged beneath the waves, and choking on ink, before blacking out. But where am I now? I look around. I'm in an underwater cave. The walls are made off thick ice. I must be in the arctic, but I'm not cold. This comes as a shock. Shouldn't I be cold? Wait I forgot, Morgana turned me into a mermaid; maybe water temperatures don't affect them. I inspect my new tail. It's red. Almost like mother's hair… wait mother! I wonder if she's coming to get me. But if Morgana gets the trident, it'll probably mean disaster. I don't know much about it, but it most likely very powerful… so that leaves me one option. I'll have to escape on my own. I try to get up, but my wrists are bound to an ice column behind me. I struggle some more, but to no avail.
"You'll never escape that way, little princess." I turn and glare at the cruel woman, responsible for all of this. A small shark hovers beside her.
"Oh can I eat her Morgana, please." The shark begs. My blood runs cold.
"Absolutely not." Morgana snaps. "We need her alive, besides that's much too quick a death." I gulp. Now more than ever I just wish I was home. I slowly rub my bindings up against the ice. I have to try to escape. Morgana's little shark swims over to me. I know he's considering taking a bite out of me anyways.
"Undertow control yourself, now let's go." Morgana commands. "Cloak, Dagger, watch over our little prisoner. Make sure she doesn't try anything." Morgana leaves and undertow reluctantly follows her, as two manta rays enter the room. They swim close and I shy away. They freak me out. Both snicker, before rising to circle the ceiling, watching my every move. I curl up my tail, rest my chin on the part where my knees used to be, and sigh. Suddenly staying away from the sea doesn't seem to be all that bad. For the first time in my life, I'm actually afraid of it. Tears form in the corners of my eyes, but they don't fall, instead they just become part of the water surrounding me, as if they were never really there. Oh mommy, where are you, please come get me and take me home. I cry out silently…
Triton
I sit in the throne room, staring at a picture of Melody. It's the only one I have of when she was a baby. Twelve years have passed since I last saw her or my daughter. Its Melody's twelfth birthday today or yesterday since dawn was an hour ago, and I wish I could have been there. I miss them terribly, but Ariel was very firm when she decided to keep Melody from the sea. Though I hate the thought of it, I can't help but admit that she's right. Morgana can't get to Melody if Melody is nowhere near the sea. I sigh. I only got to see her once, I barely even know my granddaughter. My thoughts are interrupted, as my eldest daughter Attina enters the throne room.
"Good morning father." She says with a bow.
"Good morning Attina" I sigh. She swims over and glances at the picture in my hand. She places a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Oh daddy I miss them too. But we'll see them again, don't worry." She reassures me.
"You get more and more like your mother every day, you know that." I tell her. Attina smiles. "It's just been so long. I doubt she'd even be recognized. Ariel's been gone so long that I don't think even the palace guards would remember her."
"Well father that's understandable most of the guards are relatively new. Most would have still been young children when Ariel was around." She says with a laugh.
"Well I can tell you one thing; the ocean has sure been calmer without your mischievous younger sister around. I almost miss all the trouble she got into." I think if it was truly possible for me to cry, I would burst into tears right now. It is one thing to lose a daughter and quite another to lose a daughter and a granddaughter. And believe me; just losing my daughter was hard enough. Just then there was a slight crash coming from outside. Attina gives me a worried glance.
"Halt! Who are you? You can't just barge in on the king." One of the guards yells.
"Yes be gone" orders the other. There seems to be a tussle before the doors swing open and a very flustered and upset mermaid swims in. A mermaid with bright red hair and an emerald-green tail.
"Ariel?" Attina asks quietly as if she can't quite believe that her sister is here. I can't believe it either. Her large aqua blue eyes turn to me, and a strangled sob escapes her lips. I swim over to comfort my youngest daughter.
"Ariel, how did you get here? And what's wrong?" I ask hesitantly. Ariel wipes at her eyes furiously.
"Oh daddy, its Morgana, she came back. She-she took Melody" Ariel says and another sob escapes her. I feel my blood turn to ice in my veins. Just then one of the guards swims in and grabs Ariel's arm.
"Sorry your majesties for the disruption, I'll escort this trespasser out." He says, while yanking my heartbroken daughter towards the exit.
"Release my daughter at once, Herald" I command, my voice loud with rage. The startled merman releases Ariel, a startled and frightened look crosses his face.
"I'm terribly sorry your majesties." He stammers, and with a quick bow he flees the room. I turn my attention back to my daughter, who seems to have gotten herself under control.
"Now Ariel, what happened," I demand softly.
"We-we had a fight. She'd been swimming in the sea again and she found the locket."
"You mean the one I gave her." I ask. Ariel nods before continuing.
"I yelled at her and she ran off. I found her down on the beach; I finally decided to tell her the truth. And I had just finished telling her everything, when Morgana showed up. She took Melody and used some of Ursula's old potion to turn Melody into a mermaid. She told me that if I wanted Melody back I would have to bring her your trident. Then she just disappeared again, but this time she took my daughter." Ariel couldn't hold back anymore. She started sobbing again, her shoulder shaking. Attina wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
"It's ok Ariel we'll find Melody. You'll see we'll figure something out." She reassures her sister.
"You don't understand Attina, we have three days." Ariel cries. Attina looks shocked. "What do you mean?" she asks
"In three days the spell wears off on me and on Melody, if we don't get her back before then she'll drown." Ariel explains her eyes alight with fear.
"Well that settles it then. Ariel do you have any idea where Morgana might be hiding out?" I ask her. Ariel nods.
"All I know is that she's somewhere in the arctic sea." She hiccups softly.
"Then my guards will find her hideout and you'll go get Melody." I say firmly.
"But how? We can't give Morgana the trident, Melody won't live five minutes then, and neither will anyone else." Ariel asks.
"Herald." I call. The black-haired merman from before swims in.
"Yes your majesty?" Herald asks.
"Take as many guards as necessary and go search the arctic sea. Find Morgana's lair, but don't enter. Once it's found, report back to me immediately." I order him.
"Yes sir." He says before swimming away.
"Daddy were you listening to me?" Ariel asks.
"Yes Ariel. We aren't going to give Morgana the trident." I say.
"Then how…" Attina starts to ask. I hold up a hand, silencing her. I turn to Ariel.
"We won't give Morgana my trident; we'll give her a fake replica instead." I say deviously. And for the first time since she got here, hope glows in the eyes of my youngest daughter. I will see my granddaughter again. And she will be reunited with her mother.