Hey guys! This is another chapter for today. I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank you for all the support. It makes me really happy. I'm going to try to keep the updates coming, I want to finish this story soon.

J

Andrina swam through the palace freely. She felt like she was a feather flowing happily through the soft currents. Even Triton noticed the change in his daughter as she swam happily past the throne room. I'll ask her about it when we have dinner. He thought to himself.

"Your Majesty, there is a visitor here for one of the Princesses."

"Very well, Sam." Sam was one of the best guards Triton had ever had. He had been there since he married Athena… the thought of her sent a shiver down his spine and made his heart fill with love.

Taylor came swimming in. His black hair was parted to one side. His neo pink tail sparkled with an air of innocence. However, Triton wasn't fooled. He could see through all the crap that ladies pushed to the side. This merman was a womanizer and he had broken Attina's heart.

"Taylor Finch, your majesty." Sam bellowed. His grey hair flowing neatly away from him.

"Oh… Hello Taylor…"

"Hi. Your Majesty…. May I see Attina?" Triton gave the young merman a look that made him wrap his tail around himself nervously.

"Oh very well. Sam… go tell Attina he's here." Triton smiled. He was going to have some fun.

"Um… Taylor… you're having trouble with my daughter aren't you?" Triton struggled to contain himself.

"Yes.. Sir.." Taylor wished he could run away.

"Well, you know there's this law we have…" Triton paused dramatically.

Taylor looked at him, his eyes were as big as dinner plates.

"The law states that any one offending or breaking the heart of a descendent of the king. I.e.… me… will be punished…" Triton paused as Sam came swimming back in.

"I'm sorry sir, Princess Attina has requested that you be forbidden from coming to the palace for her. She states that she was offended by your words at the ball. Her decision is final…"

Taylor looked at King Triton. His hand was on the Trident, and its prongs were lit with a golden light.

"Oh what a surprise! The law states…" Triton struggled to contain his laugh as the young merman bolted from the premises.

"Your Majesty!" Sam bellowed.

Triton was rolling around creating a small current just from his laughter. It was the first time that he had laughed in awhile.

Ariel sat in her room thinking it over. Guilt took over her body. Her head hurt, thoughts chased each other through her mind.

She really was trying to move on. To stop being the grieving widow, but it was difficult. The one question that she didn't have the answer to was could she be true? Could she be true to another man? Could she move on to a new love while still trying to hold on to the one she lost? Yes, she knew it was too soon to be thinking about this sort of love, but it was clear to her that Ben was already on that level.

He loved her. He loved her as if he had known her his whole life. They didn't even know each other and yet his love was strong. And Ariel knew it.

Why else would he be intimate with her like that? The thought of it was repulsive. They were moving too fast; way too fast.

Why did she allow it? Why did she give up that piece of herself to someone she didn't even know? The thoughts just kept coming, until finally Ariel threw up. She didn't know where the matter came from, she just knew that her head was pounding and that she was guilty.

She waited for her stomach to calm, and gradually her headache went away, but the guilty feelings did not.

Maybe the thing that was upsetting her the most is that she knew that a part of her… a very small part, could see herself some day loving him. The thought brought her to tears as she thought of what Eric would feel. Hurt. Betrayed. Unloved. She thought about how Melody would hate her for it.

She settled her thoughts as she went to the dining room. She was sure it was dinner time. She couldn't tell anyone. No one could know. They would just judge her.

When she entered the room, every one was there. Triton motioned for her to join them.

"Hi Ariel!" Andrina piped up. Every one looked at her. Why was she this happy? Andrina hadn't put her head piece back on and her hair flowed wildly around her. Her smile was radiant, her eyes sparkled.

"Um… Hi. "Ariel smiled at her sister. She had that look that screamed hey I met a boy! Ariel looked around at her sisters, they all seemed to come to the same conclusion.

Triton was about to ask the question that plagued his mind when Arista blurted out:

"Okay, Andrina! Who is it? Clearly some one has wrung your bell."

Andrina smiled. How in the hell did they know?

Triton looked bewildered. Now Andrina has a merman?

"What's his name?" Attina smiled. Her father was sitting there sullenly.

Andrina knew she couldn't avoid the question. She didn't want to either. Andrina felt great, almost as if she had been reborn.

"Anthony…"

"Where did you meet him?"

"The Neptune Ball"

Triton breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness, Bums aren't allowed at the royal balls."

His daughters broke out in laughter.

How did Triton's daughters grow up so fast? That's what he wanted to know.

"What's he like?" Adella asked. She was the boy crazy one and had never even heard of an Anthony.

"Oh… kind…funny." Great in other areas too! Andrina grinned. And while her sisters thought that she was being lustful Andrina knew that her smile had more to do with what happened in the morning than the description she just gave.

Then Attina couldn't help but bring it up.

"Ariel, how was this morning? Did you have fun at the crow with Ben?"

"Oh… it was… Interesting. Not that fun."

"Well, what happened?" Before Attina could get an answer Triton asked another one, putting down his glass.

"Ariel, who's this Ben?"

Ariel gulped. This was her favorite lunch: Kelp Pasta.

Ariel braced herself as she gave the answer: "I met him at the ball."

"He seemed to take quite a liking to you Ariel. I was watching him." Triton said, really enjoying the conversation and helping of salad on his plate.

"He did…"

"I'm happy you've found a friend Ariel! This could really help your grieving." Triton said. He remembered the days after Athena died, he never had a friend again. He was just the King, ruler of all of Antlantica.

If only Ben was interested in just being a friend, I wouldn't feel so guilty about it all.

"He invited her to the crow Daddy! That's where we all went today."

"That sounds wonderful Ariel, did you have fun?" Triton could remember well the family trips to the crow. The only fun place to go back in the day.

"It was alright Daddy…" Arista thought of asking where they had gone, but she didn't, she would ask her later.

As dinner was wrapped up, Triton looked at all his daughters. Things were looking up for them. Andrina was happy. Ariel seemed content. Attina finally dumped that merman.

One by one each sister left the table, but Ariel stayed. She had so many questions she wanted to ask her father. How did he make it? Did he have these guilty feelings too? What did he do?

As much as Ariel wanted to ask those questions she couldn't.

"I love you Daddy!" Ariel hugged her father. No matter what was going on in her life, she knew her father was there.

Triton took hold of Ariel. His favorite daughter, his mini Athena. He watched as she swam away.

Ben sat in his room craving her. Would she still want him? Had he pushed it too far he didn't know. His dreams were full of Ariel that night. It was the best sleep he ever had.