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"Margaret?" Eric asked, knocking on her door. Margaret had retreated a few minutes prior but, almost as if she was waiting for Eric to come to her, she tore open the door as soon as he knocked.

"Hi." She stated awkwardly, giving a thin-lipped smile.

"I was wondering if you, ah, wanted to go on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow." Eric asked politely, hoping getting Margaret outdoors would make her a bit livelier.

"Well, what if we just stayed indoors? I could perhaps look at the tapestries, I find them interesting." Margaret informed him.

"Well, if that's what you want…" Eric said, disinterested in tapestries himself, he was not even sure if his castle had any.

Margaret smiled and stood in the doorway, waiting for Eric to continue the conversation.

"Um, that's a lovely dress." Eric mentioned, trying to get Margaret to open up. He just didn't know what to say!

Margaret's dress was not lovely. It was itchy, thick, steel gray, poorly cut, tight in the bodice and loose on her hips. It's bunched and scrunched and made her look too fat and too short. It covered up any redeeming figure qualities she had, of which there were few, and amplified her twiggy arms and puffed stomach. It was many things, but lovely was not one of them.

Margaret smiled, not saying a word.

"Goodnight?" Eric asked, though it was only six in the afternoon, it was clear that Margaret had no intention of coming downstairs.

"Goodnight." Margaret smiled softly and closed the door. Eric, more perplexed than ever, turned and left.

"He loves me!" Margaret cried, spinning and falling backwards onto her bed. "He really, truly loves me!" she rolled halfway onto her hip, staring at a fine painting of a stern king. "Doesn't he?"

The king, being a painting, did not respond.

"I know…" she sighed, rolling again onto her back and resting both hands over her heart, sighing to herself. "He loves me…"

"Well I have a price darling, you know that." Ursula took Ariel's request without so much as batting an eye, as if mermen and mermaids swam into her lair everyday asking to be humans.

"I don't have much money." Ariel explained.

Ursula slunk over and picked up Ariel's shell necklace. "How about you give me this necklace? I hear a very special boy gave it to you!" she chortled to herself.

"Done." Ariel said, grabbing the pendant and tugging, breaking the clasp, and depositing it into Ursula's clutches.

Ariel was, of course, elated that she could get her dearest wish for what seemed such a little contribution of her own. However, no one could ever see Ursula's whole plan from the beginning, which is what made her so successful. Ariel could have easier signed away her soul; all it would have saved was time. However, like every other poor, unfortunate soul, Ariel did not head to the Sea Witch with emotions in check, she was angry with her father, her situation. She was upset that she had to break the heart of her former best friend. But most of all, she was hopeful. Hopeful that she could get her prince, that she could be the exception to Ursula's rule. That she could get her happy ending.

A potion was brewed, and Ariel drank it down eagerly, not even pausing to consider what she was doing. She felt waves of hear ripple through her legs, pulsating, and she gasped, clutching her hips as her gills closed. Time seemed to slow, and she whipped her head back and forth, trying to find a way to make it to the surface. Flounder swept it, grabbing Ariel's hand and guiding her up and out of the sea.

She broke surface, gasping for air. She swept her hair to the side and tried to kick, but neither leg was synchronized with the other. So, exhausted but empowered, she held onto Flounder and let him pull her onto shore.

Sitting in a tide pool, she looked up to see a sail hanging on a line. She pulled it down and wrapped it around herself, ready to go and find her prince. Testing her feet, she wobbled several times before finally collapsing in the sand.

"Shoot." She mumbled, blowing her bangs out of her face and trying to steady herself again. One successful step…two…three! "Flounder, I've got it!" Ariel cried, just as she slipped and fell to the ground again. "Ooh…never mind."

"Try again; you've got to get it!" Flounder insisted.

"You're right." Ariel nodded, using her arms to push herself upright again. She walked, slowly at first, but within just a few moments, she was able to do so with ease.

"Now you've just got to go find your prince!" Flounder smiled.

"Thank you so much Flounder, you're the best." Ariel bent down and kissed his forehead.

Ariel began walking down the shoreline, and Flounder swam into deeper waters, where he was more comfortable. Still, he assured her that he would remain close for her journey, just in case she needed him. Ariel got her confidence up, being able to walk rather quickly now, until –oops!- she slipped again, crashing into the sand.

"Ow…" she mumbled, rotating her ankle. What had she done?

Eric stepped out onto the beach. He needed to clear his head, and the ocean was relaxing enough to allow him to do so. Rubbing the back of his neck, he strolled across the sand, and looked out into the ocean, watching the waves lap at the beach.

He still didn't understand Princess Margaret – what was she here to accomplish? You would think that after he invited her back and tried to welcome her, that she would be a bit more open and warm. Was he doing something wrong? Maybe he wasn't kind enough, perhaps she was just ridiculously shy.

She obviously liked him – she sailed across the ocean just to see him again! That kind of determination was reflective of some sort of love. And what if she was the one, what if he was letting her go? He stood, firm in his footing, ready to turn back and try harder, when he heard a voice cry out.

"Hello?"

"He looked down the beach, and saw a girl sitting, wrapped in some sort of rag, vibrant red hair spilling over her shoulders. She held her ankle and winced in pain.

He sprinted down the beach and sunk down beside her. "Are you okay?" he asked, gingerly reaching out and touching her ankle.

She took in her breath quickly, but still smiled up at him. "I did something to my…foot." She said, biting her lip, as if she forgot the word.

He gently reached down and rolled her ankle to the side, watching her face for indicators of pain. Between that judgment and how her ankle was able to move, he made his deduction. "I think you just pulled a muscle, I don't think it's broken."

"Oh, good!" she exclaimed, sitting up a little straighter.

Eric smiled at her, "Where is your family?" he asked, taking in the fact that she was not properly dressed in the slightest manner. "…Are you shipwrecked?"

"Yes." Ariel lied, not being able to tell him that she was a mermaid. "I don't know where my family is."

"Oh Gosh, sorry." Eric said, furrowing his brow. "Here," he said, helping Ariel to her feet. "let me help you. Would you like to stay with me?"

"Of course, thank you!" Ariel beamed, leaning on Eric's shoulder and hobbling over to the palace with him. "I'm Ariel, by the way."

"Ariel." Eric said, letting her voice vibrate on his lips. "That's…that's kinda pretty."

"What's your name?" Ariel retorted, hopping up onto the balls of her feet.

"Eric-" Eric paused for a moment, wondering if he should mention that he was a prince. It isn't lying if you just don't tell the whole truth, right? Of course, it may be hard to hide your royal title when you're bringing someone to your castle. "And this is, uh, my castle."

"This is where you live?" Ariel said excitedly, hopping up the steps, ignoring the pain in her ankle. "It's beautiful!" she cooed, looking up at the arching ceilings.

"Well, I'll let Carlotta help you get cleaned up, and then I'll show you around, would you like that?" Eric asked.

"I'd love to!" Ariel exclaimed, walking slowing across the ballroom floor.

Eric smiled. This girl had spent five minutes in the castle and already she was treating it like home.