Chapter 6

Next day started with another bright morning, the blue, glittery light from the sun above the sea water touches the edge of Ariel's left eye then slowly swam over to cover with light on both of her eyes. Ariel flickered her eyes a few times, so she could recharge her sighting on the morning light through her bedroom window shining on the half side of her bed. Ariel lifted herself up and sounded a long yawn while stretching her arms and tail out wide, her eyes were fully open and she surprising noticed her sisters are still asleep comes to surprise herself that she woken up quit early. Falling back on her conferee bed and wondered why she woke up earlier than everyone, then realised that she's exciting to see Eric again above on the surface and rolled to her side and stare out through the window.

At that moment, Marina's loud voice broken Ariel's gaze through the window, "Get up, girls! It's morning! Rise and shine!"

The sisters moan in tiredness covering their heads with their pillows and creating excuses for them why they need more sleep, however for Ariel up and excited for the day and swam to the entrance out of the bedroom. Attina was after Arile then the rest of the sisters after they brushed their hairs and putting on their make-ups.

Benjamin whispered, "Ariel's up so early."

"Why so surprised, Benjamin?" Marina smiled to herself.

"Should I?" Benjamin cluelessly asked, Marina looked at him with an annoyed look.

Marina looked back at the girls, "Move your tails, girls! Come on! Come on!"

Outside waiting for their other sisters, Attina looked at Ariel curiously, "Usually, I'm the first one up."

"Probably have enough sleep" Ariel replied as she stretched her arms again and yawned a little.

"Thankful for father for sending you to bed early then" Attina stated before the other sisters swam out, Ariel annoyedly looked at Attina obviously knowing that she would always agree with her father even though he could be wrong ta times.

The daughters reached down to the centre hall meet their father sitting on his throne with Sebastian next to him. Soon, they did their morning walk around the palace, Ariel desperately wanted the walk to go faster so she could swim up to the surface and spend the day with Eric again. After the walk, Ariel immediately swam away but she wants to see Flounder first to see how he's doing.

Then she spotted something jumping in and out from the sea surface, Ariel noticed Flounder and jumping above water infront of human sailors on their small boat cheering for the dolphins' tricks. When Flounder spotted Ariel below him watching him, Flounder swam down they both headed down to the beach.

"Weren't you afraid?" Ariel asked, "When you were jumping infront of the humans."

"No, they were actually quit found of my flicks" Flounder smiled, "Why?"

"I thought a guppy like you would be afraid of getting close to humans."

"Na… I used to jump above water even when humans are around" Flounder answered, "And, I am not a guppy!" Ariel only laughed in return.

They finally reached to the shore feeling strong waves coming upon the beach realising the tide is coming in, Ariel crawled on the shore and took out her clothing hidden in her secret hole in the bottom of the rock. The clothes were wet with sand mushed against the fabrics as the sea water slide underneath the small rock as the door closing the entrance and manged to soak the clothes. "Oh, what am I going to do?" Ariel asked her then turned to Flounder.

"Sorry Ariel" Flounder didn't have any ideas on solve this problem.

"I juts have to go in wearing this, then I will get new clothes" Ariel planned.

Ariel waited till the sun's light to dry the scales on her tail, but she needed to find another dry spot for the tide already floated up to the rock with the secret hole. Luckily the boiling sun was giving the light heat which quickly transforms Ariel's tail into legs, then she squeezed all the soak out from the clothes and let them dry for a minute on a rock in the sun. Soon, Ariel was wearing her creased, damped clothes and walked down the shore to Eric's castle, when she was close Ariel could a small, lovely music from above. Spotted Eric playing his flute standing close to the edge of a high, out-door balcony, gazing out where the light touches the sea while Max was barking and jumping as the dog is in a jumpy moan. Eric gaze across the edges and the surface of the blue, glittery sea he then spotted Ariel below on the beach, he smiled widely and rush out of the balcony with Max following him through the hallways to the bottom of the castle. Ariel felt his rushing down through the castle as she walked faster to the stairs where it connects down on the beach to the side of the castle.

Eric reached down outside of the side gates and walked down the stairs to the beach, "Ariel, I glade to see you again" and so did Max as he jumped around Ariel and she smiled at both of them, but mainly at Eric.

Eric spotted in surprise at Ariel's soaked, and sandy dress, Ariel said, "I had an accident."

"Who hasn't" Eric smiled, as he hugged her as a welcome Ariel was shocked thought that her dress would be disrespectful, but she hugged him.

"I asked Carlotta to sort out a bath and find some new clothes" Eric said as they walk up the stairs and into the castle.

Later, Carlotta sorted a warm bath in a big tub for Ariel, "Right there you go dear, and when you're done you know where to do some clothes."

"Thank you" Arile smiled.

"Not worry about it, dear" Carlotta smiled back as she entered out of the bathroom, "I will be back in a short time, I have to help out with the kitchen."

Staring down on the surface of the bubbling water Ariel know it would be a risk to get in and someone might spot her tail, but she did feel like she needed a clean for to wash off the sand and Ariel thought of the lots of bubbles would cover the sight of her tail. Ariel undressed herself and walked to the side of the bath and slowly dipped herself into the warm bath. Once Ariel was fully in the bath, she could feel her legs scaling themselves back together again and the tip of her fins unrolled out on the other side of the bath. Ariel has never been in a warn, bubbly bath as she leans back and relax, the steam floating out form the surface of the bath was like under sea when bubbles blow out from the ground float up toward the surface. Somehow the water feels different, the water in the water feels sunken like it's feels down in drowning way, compare to the sea, the water feels lifted and more spaced to fly through easily. Ariel slowly her head down under the water with her eyes open wide as the water covering the sight of the outside air till her whole from staring up at the ceil was like starting up at the sea above. She opened her mouth and taste the new water as it poured into her mouth, the taste was somehow fresher than the seawater. Ariel picked up the same, sweet smelling soup and rubbed it underneath her shoulders, on her belly, and when she it rubbed it on her scales it tickles her gently, she laughed hard underneath the water.

Outside the bathroom, Eric walked around the hallways with Max walking by his side until Max rushed outside the bathroom doors and began shifting underneath at the bottom. "What are you sniffing for, boy?" Eric rubbed around Max's fury neck, "Hey, we can't go in there, Ariel is in there."

Max about barking, not loudly, while Ariel was still underneath water she could hear some a usual, strange sound from underneath the doors to echo through the water. Ariel lift her head above water quickly and scanned around the room wondering where the sound was coming.

"Ariel?" Eric asked outside the room thinking the room is too quiet, "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Ariel replied.

Max continued sniffing underneath the door and bark a bit louder than before, Eric replied, "Okay, well there's no rush."

Ariel pushes all the bubbles over the other side of the tables to cover the sight of her tail and she look over the edge of the bath and noticed the floor was all wet. She saw a towel hanging near her Ariel tried to reach over and grabbed it, but the towel was too far for her reach. She nearly had, but Ariel was only leaning a bit further over the edge and soon her wet skin and scales made her slip over the slide.

Eric was just about to walk away until he heard a bang inside the bathroom, he shouted, "What was that?! Ariel?!"

"I slipped!" Ariel replied, as she was honest.

"Are you sure?!" Eric leaned his head closer to the door.

"Yes, I am fine" Ariel replied while she tucked the towel underneath her tail, so it doesn't touch any of the water on the floor, "I am just having some… personal issues."

"Oh… I see" Eric got an idea for what Ariel might be talking about.

Ariel started to breathe normally and happily, until Eric added, "I'll get Carlotta!"

"No! No! Wait! I'm nearly done actually" Ariel replied back quickly but Eric alright left with Max following behind.

Ariel quickly rubbed her tail by the towel, unfortunately there was not enough sun light through the bath window to warn off all the wetness on her tails. She continued rubbing gently her tail but there was no progress, Ariel could imagen hearing footsteps coming closer, down the stairs and echoing through the hallways. Ariel continued rubbing she even tried blowing from her mouth onto the wet scales, until she felt the scales on her tail were beginning to suck down into human skin for her legs. Ariel saw the tip of her toes and tried wiggling them like a wave, she tried to lift herself then wrapped a towel around herself and carefully walk away from the water on the floor.

Carlotta entered the room, "Dear, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am better now" Ariel replied.

"Well, let's find a nice dress for you then, dearly" Carlotta lead Ariel into the dress-room and scanned for some new clothing she could, then Carlotta spotted a golden dress with a split in the middle for the skirt with a white skirt behind, small blue diamonds decorated around the top in patterns. After Ariel fit into the dress and put her red hair in a bun with yellow hair bobbles to wrapped around with, Carlotta commented, "Oh, you look like an angle fallen from heaven" Ariel didn't know what those words meant but she smiled as a thank you.

Ariel walked down the stairs to the dining room to greet Eric until she heard some loud arguments in a room she walked passed, she stopped and leaned forwarded close to the door and tried to listen carefully for is what happening in that room. Before, Eric's uncle arrived in short notice asked to speak with Eric in private in the study hall where his father used to work, a great view of the sea through his glass doors to the small balcony. His uncle wanted to discuss with Eric that he had news of new some new arrangements for Eric to meet the princes of Sweden, however Eric refusion cause them to argue. Hi suncle was on the desk chair and started "Eric! I insist you should…"

"I sorry uncle, I cannot do this, one after another it I don't fall for them as I know they don't fall for me" Eric walked from the side of the room to the other and again while explaining.

"This is not how it works."

"It's like I don't like her, she nice but there's nothing we have for us to love with. And even if I have to marry her that still isn't going me love her more."

"Who said anything about marrying?"

"You! You do! Every time I meet a princess you try to convince me into marriage" Eric's hands were holding the front of his forehead as he was going to get a huge headache again. "I still young, uncle, I want to go out at sea and explore instead of staying here arranging marriages."

His uncle paused into silent until, "Grimsby said your meet a strange girl."

Eric put up a strange look, "What does she have to do with it."

"Girls don't just show up saving men from shipwreck, and then just magical appeared out of nowhere. Come on Eric, you got to get your head out of the clouds and back where it should be."

"No, she's real, she's the one that save me. And, I love spending time with her."

"Grimsby said she brushed her hair with a fork."

Eric paused then replied "I agree she maybe be a bit wield, but she's amazing, she's out-going, adventures, funny. For once in my life besides sailing I found someone who makes me happy, and someone I could open up to."

Outside, Ariel's eyes were widened with surprise, she never thought of she could that much to Eric, though she always thought of him as a new change in her life. She grew a small smile as she never felt she was quite important to someone's life, of course her family but they never really mention it, especially her father.

Then, the argument continued by Eric's uncle, "I am happy for your happiness, but you got responsible to do."

"Why not arrange your three sons then."

"They have taken care of their responsibilities."

Eric paused as his reached to the desk and rested his hands on the surface, he faced his uncle from the other side of the desk, "And now, you are bored and want to arrange my life."

His uncle slowly raised up with his hands into a fist and pressured them down upon the desk, he angrily stares at Eric, "You need to start growing up now, and stop acting like a child."

"I turned seventeen a few days uncle, which reminds me thank you for the birthday present, but I am sorry to say it got lost at sea."

His uncle shocked his head from side to side in disappointment, "I am not allowing you do this to yourself."

Eric looked down for a second than back facing his uncle, "You are not my father, he died a long time ago, but he was the only one who knew what's best for me."

After, Eric walked out of the study leaving his uncle sitting back down on the desk chair, Ariel moved herself behind the side wall around the corner, so she doesn't make Eric feel like she was eavesdropping on their argument. Ariel wondered her eyes to stare down as a deep, blue feeling grew upon her for Eric angrily arguing his uncle for he is the only family Eric has. Soon, reminds Ariel of the argument she had last night with her father then reminded back more arguments they had over the years. If Ariel should to Eric that his uncle only loves him as his nephew, Eric would then probably say the same thing about her father. Of course, Ariel loves her father and he loved her and his daughters, it's how he doesn't show it much or least say it, excusing how he is always busy as a king, but he only just says those words won't hurt.

"Ariel?" Eric asked from the edge of the corner, Ariel's first thought was that he would annoyed or a bit angry for realising that she was listening to the argument, but he smiled, "You look really lovely."

"Thank you" Ariel blushed.

"Did you? By any chance, heard?" Eric pointed out.

"I was not trying to…"

"No. No. It was nothing about you" Eric lied trying to make things sound better, "In fact, you shouldn't be named in it, you are innocent." Ariel smiled from that replied then Eric bended his arm out from his side and asked, "Shall we?" Ariel joined in with her arm through the arm hole and they started to walk down through the hall, quickly though their arms lower themselves down, but their hands remains holding together.

Eric's uncle was still in the study room with elbow bended on the desk and his hand holding the side of his head and his eyes close tight as a headache attacks badly inside his head. Suddenly, an unexpected, small knocking was heard at the door entrance, Renata entered with her red and black dress and her blonde wavily tied back in a bun, she was holding a small, flat tray with a Scandinavian Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Cup filled dark tea. "Drink, your highness?" Renata smiled.

"Thank you" he said, he picks up the cup off from the tray and took a short sip from it, he added, "This is good."

"I added my specialty" Renata replied before leaving the study, he did cough shortly but continued to dink his tea.