It was an odd sensation to hear her voice floating in through the window. Eric's brow furrowed in confusion as he realized how frightened Ariel was becoming. Something was wrong with this, but slowly the world started to slip away.

Ariel watched him tense, and his eyes became glassy and haze filled. Realizing he was being put under a spell, she panicked, shaking his shoulders desperately. The mermaid tried to get him to look at her, but his eyes were dead and unfocused. She closed the balcony doors quickly, trying to block out the sound. Though she no longer heard her voice, Eric still didn't wake. Unsure what else to do, Ariel tackled him, and she heard a crack as his head hit the floor.

For a moment he didn't stir, and a tear spilled down her face as she desperately shook his shoulders on the ground. He blinked, and the clouds that had filled his eyes faded away. Groaning, he brought his hand to his forehead, trying to sort out what had just happened. Whether it had been moments or hours, the Prince didn't know.

His head pounded as he sat forward, "What happened?"

Throwing herself into his lap, she pulled his face to her and stared at him, trying to be sure no traces of the spell remained. One hand was on either side of his face as she searched every line.

"I'm okay," he breathed, trying to calm her down. He covered her hand and turned his face to kiss the inside of her palm. Relief flooded her, and she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest. He cradled her to him and rocked back and forth to quiet her.

When she finally pulled away, he traced the marks on her neck again, "Something more is going on."

It wasn't a question. The Prince may not understand, but he knew that voice belonged to Ariel and that somehow it must have been stolen. Lifting her up, Eric set her on the bed and grabbed pen and paper.

"What happened?"

Sighing, Ariel wondered how long she would be able to keep him in the dark. With a sigh she scrawled

I was tricked

"And someone stole your voice?"

She shook her head, More or less. It was… payment.

"Payment?! What in the world were you buying?"

I don't know if you would believe me.

Those same words had been said the first day he met her. Leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, "You can tell me anything. I trust you."

Closing her eyes, Ariel took a moment before continuing to explain I was heartbroken when I left you on the shore. I wanted to come back to you, and I was offered help.

"Why did you need help?"

I'm not human, Eric.

He looked at her for a moment in disbelief, but then remembered a foggy image of her swimming to shore from far out in the ocean with a grown man in her arms. He'd heard legends of creatures that lived in the sea. All sailors had.

The sea witch offered to help me, but when I knew something was wrong...

She stopped writing and touched the marks on her arms. Eric cupped her face and tried to quiet the anger he felt for her.

"She wanted your voice in exchange for what?"

Legs

Despite his promise, Eric immediately began to doubt her, but when he took a moment to consider what she'd said, he realized he never saw her lower half that day she'd saved him. She'd been able to swim an impossible distance, and suddenly it was the only explanation that made any sense.

His blue eyes locked with hers as he asked, "You're a mermaid?"

Ariel nodded slowly, I could tell she was up to no good, but she threatened to make you forget me if I didn't make the deal. It wasn't until I agreed that she grabbed me and…

"Took your voice," He sighed, pulling her to him. The Prince now knew everything, or so he thought. Little did he know of the looming deadline that Ariel had been too afraid of confessing.