Ariel sure was perky today. Not that she wasn't always perky. Well really she wasn't, not since she lost her tail. Although she tried to always hide her sad face from me.

I asked her to stop, actually. I told her that she should be able to cry and complain to me, and that I should be here to comfort her in even the most meager ways possible. But to no avail, after that she just became happier. I can't believe that she is truly happy, like before she became human. Maybe one day I'll get her to cry into my shoulder, like she used too.

But today it wasn't some useless shell covering the truth of a broken soul. Today she was really, really, happy. And she wasn't telling me anything!

I've asked her five times now, why are you so happy today? And everytime she would giggle and answer "It's a surprise you are just going to have to wait!" and then quickly change the subject to some human object that I know she already knew about, she just claimed to have "forgotten".

Like she would ever forgot.

"Ariel, I would really like to know what you are so excited about? Is today something special?" I asked hopefully. I couldn't think of anything that was truly special though; her birthday was August 26th, the anniversary of her saving me was September 3rd, the anniversary of when we had our fist official conversation was September 5th…was today my birthday? No that was impossible, my birthday just passed. I would never forget, Grims was enraged that I had yet to marry.

"You should just be patient oka-" Ariel whipped her head around, her red hair catching the sea breeze a flying back in such a way I don't think I could have found a better definition of perfection at that moment. Hair like fire flying back, eyes so blue and looking out to the sea with joy, and just the face of someone I loved so much that not even a giant octopus could separate us.

What was it about this girl that my people couldn't find gorgeous?

"Eric! Eric, shut your eyes okay?" Ariel started jumping, as best a crippled mermaid could, with excitement. I wanted to protest immediately. I didn't like closing my eyes for surprises, not since my 9th birthday. But the hope, the excitement, and the sheer happiness that I have not seen dawn Ariel's face in the longest time compelled me. After all, how could I disappoint her now, when all she had to look forward to was this apparently? So I shut my eyes and placed my hands tightly of each one, seeing nothing but those strange shapes that like to dance on the back of eyelids.

"Keep them shut okay?" Ariel said before muttering something to someone else. Probably Flounder or Sebastian. She introduced me to those two, but I couldn't understand them. Well not entirely. I caught words and such, but there was this thing that they did with speaking. I guess it could be called a dialect from under the sea. Though when I thought about it I had to cancel out that possibility because then Ariel would speak with the same clipped language. Maybe it was due to the shape of a fish's mouth.

Ariel understood well enough though, and the two sea creatures seemed to understand me fine. I was learning fast enough too. Sometimes when extremely bored Sebastian would accompany to the castle and talk to me until I completely understood the meaning behind his speech. Normally I really didn't want to understand though. It was always things about how this was all my fault, if I didn't come around Ariel would be better off. Sebastian would still have his life. Ariel would be happier. Flounder would be happier. Ariel could have grown swimming and with a healthy life style, surrounded by friends and family and people who love her for being a mermaid, rather then a king who was the only one who saw her true beauty.

Like I didn't know that.

And I regretted it constantly. I regretted what I have done to Ariel, and I regretted what I have pulled her friends into. It was all my fault. If I could have said no when it was necessary, then she would never had to go through any of this.

Or if I just saw how important she was before, or at least let her know that she was more to me then just a music box of flesh and blood. More than just a exotic beauty, an untouchable prize. If I had told her all that, she would still have both fins.

But I didn't, because I was an idiot. Never again would I make the mistake of keeping information like that from her again.

There were a bunch of voices now, it sounded like a bunch of giggling girls, all coming from the ocean. Now I wasn't sure if I wanted to open my eyes.

"Ooo, he is a little angelfish isn't he?" one voice cooed.

"Adella, hush," Another, more authority like voice said.

"Ya, he's Ariel's man now," a dry husky voice said with amusement.

"Hey!" I heard Ariel reply to the strangers indignantly.

"It is the truth though, Ariel" a smooth, silky voice said back.

"But you got lucky didn't you? He looks like the kind of guy all the girls would be over," yet a different voice said.

"Oh ya, lucky you got to save his life. Otherwise he would have never noticed you," a sixth voice let out a small squeal of laughter.

"I'm starting to regret brining you guys here," Ariel mumbled. I smiled a little, imagining what Ariel must look like at the moment.

"Well there is no way we are going back now,"

"Ya, we came so far,"

"And that transition was horrible,"

"I still feel like I am suffocating,"

"And it is going to take us another half hour to get back under,"

"I don't know how you come above surface so quickly little sis. It is truly torture."

I heard Ariel let out a long sigh and finally she said, "Eric, if you are up for a lot of trouble, you can open your eyes now."

I was pretty sure Ariel didn't mean anything by lots of trouble, not when she was so excited before. So I opened my eyes, expecting anything and everything, from people to talking whales. But what I did see struck me with a little surprise.

6 other mermaids all lying on the beach, side by side, with Ariel as well, making 7. Each had a different color tail and shells, paired with an underwater hairstyle.

"Oh my, and a handsome set of eyes to match. Ariel, the hatred I feel towards you is quite great at the moment," An overweight mermaid with a dark yellow tail and two strands of pearls in her hair.

"Adella, if you would just be happy for your sister for once instead of jealous I feel like you will be happier in the end as well," A skinny mermaid with a five pointed hair piece said wisely. The hair accessory reminded me of a crown, and the way she situated her orange tail, kind of above everyone else's, made me think she must have been the heir.

"Oh don't be like that Attina, you know you are jealous as well," another skinny mermaid, this time with a light blue tail, said accusingly.

"You're the rich prince right? You should have brought your future sister-in-laws some presents," a blonde with a purple tail and a sarcastic voice shook her head in a disappointed manner.

"Hey, your right Andrina, and I would love some human beauty products, I bet they work wonders! Do you use any?" a second heavier set mermaid with a pink tale and pitch black hair cocked her head to one side.

"Alana! Don't be rude," the last unknown mermaid scolded in something that I would call a voice like sugar. Nothing compared to Ariel's, of course, but where it lacked in the melody Ariel seemed to use in everyday conversation, this red tailed mermaid had more an innocent look about her.

I didn't say anything for a little bit, just studied them. I couldn't figure out what it was that bugged me so much about them being related. Maybe it was the fact that they were all mermaids. I mean, I was expecting that, but it was still a little shocking to see 7 mermaids just lying on the beach. But was I really that shocked?

"Well? Gonna say something?" The purple tail blonde asked, impatience creeping into her voice.

"Give him time! When was the last time you saw something said to be impossible just come up to meet you?" The orange tailed one hushed her sister quickly. I was grateful to her.

Soon enough I collected my wits and was able to make sense of what I was seeing and responded. "Sorry, it is just a little…shocking," I struggled to find the right words. On one hand I really didn't want to be to formal with them, Ariel may trust them, but I thought they could possibly be spying for their father. Yet Ariel brought them here without asking me, otherwise I would have advised against it. She still would have brought them anyway.

On the other hand I didn't want to insult them. They were princess of the ocean, they expected to be treated like royalty, right? Or were they like Ariel? Did they just want to have a little fun, use the shore to get away from the stifling royal life of the sea?

"That is okay, we understand," the orange tailed one said patiently.

"Well, I- I-" should I introduce myself as a prince or a king? I haven't introduced myself to anyone since my birthday, and I hadn't had my coronation yet. Probably because I wasn't married and Grims was getting really stuck up about it. But still, I was 18 now, and that made me of age.

"Oh how cute! He's nervous!" The blue one squealed while many of the others giggled. I could feel blood rushing to my face. Ariel smiled sweetly at me and waved her hand in an encouraging manner.

"I am…Eric. Ya, just Eric," I didn't really want to add a title to my name this time. As the shore was these girls escape from royal life, this beach was mine. I was no prince or king here, my parents didn't once rule a kingdom, and I wasn't getting pressured to marry a French princes because my love wasn't sufficient enough for my people. No, here I was Eric, a man with blue eyes and black hair, who loved the sea and happened to fall in love with a half fish. That was me.

"Eric, these are my sisters," Ariel pointed down the line.

"I'm Attina," the orange tailed one with the five point crown nodded her head while she introduced herself. I was glad that she chose to drop titles as well.

"I'm Alana," The heavyset pink one with black hair said next.

"I'm Aquata," The blue one with light brown hair raised her hand slightly in greeting.

"Andrina," The purple one with the dry voice said shortly.

"Adella over here!" The overweight yellow mermaid said excitedly.

"And I'm Arista!" The red tail mermaid with the voice like sugar smiled and blinked a few times, as if she had to clear her blue eyes of sand."

"More like thief," the blue one, Aquata, mumbled.

"For the last time I did not take you comb!" Arista sounded hurt when she screamed at her sister. But Aquata and the pink one, Alana, both rolled their blue eyes and let out exasperated sighs.

I guess for a voice as sweet as sugar came some fingers as sticky as honey.

Ariel shook her head and distracted her sisters, "So how did you guys trick Daddy into letting you come?"

"Oh it was nothing!" Alana waved her hand at the question, as if it were a simple math problem, "All we had to do was say that we thought we had a lead in the seaweed farms about an hours swim…"

Quickly I fell out of the conversation. Not because it wasn't interesting, or because they were excluding me. Actually they were asking me so much when they could I barley had breath left for myself. It was still something about the way the all looked.

Was it their tails? The fact that Ariel was the only one to have one fin? But I have seen Ariel with both fins, and they weren't much different from her sisters'. Something else that was unsettling. Like I have seen it before, but it was so well disguised here that I couldn't pick it out.

A familiar face in a crowded market place.

"Eric, are you listening?" A voice caught my attention. It was the yellow one, Adella, who was now sitting on her tail, arms crossed annoyed.

"Um, sorry, lost in thought," I shook my head a little and decided to think about it later.

"Well pay attention, I was asking you a question! Now what was I saying…? Oh ya! Do you have a brother?" The other girls burst into fits of laughter while Adella started shouting, "It is a valid question!"

I laughed a little to myself. These girls were Ariel's family, several traits she acquired from them I could pick out . Ariel and Arista shared a love for music, with Atinna a knack for saying the right thing at the right time. Her and Alana both had something beautiful working for them, and her and Andrina shared the same strong headiness. Aquata and Ariel were side by side right now, and from what I got they both had a thing for sneaking out in order to get stuff done. What Aquata wanted done no one knew, she was more discreet than Ariel, despite being the clumsiest sister.

But not one of her sisters had the same curiosity, sense of adventure, nor the exact same type of responsibility Ariel had. Alana was much more vain with her beauty while Ariel had no care for the sand the fell in her hair. Arista couldn't sing, only play instruments, while Ariel couldn't play instruments. Attina seemed to have much more pressure on her shoulders, and it seemed that becoming charismatic was forced upon her. When she could she would let words she would make up, or bad grammar just for fun, slip into the conversation.

They were so similar, yet all so different. And I had no regrets for picking my red haired mermaid, she was by far the best out of all her sisters.

I watched her laugh at her blue sister, Aquata, who just accidentally rolled into the ocean and took a deep breath filled with the shock of switching so suddenly from air to water.

"So Eric, down to business," Attina brought the crowd to her attention as she took on a much more authoritative tone.

"What business?" I asked tentatively. From what I gathered, this was just a friendly meet and greet. I saw Ariel dip her head slightly, as if she really didn't want to become a part of this.

"The business of you marrying our sister in your current situation," everyone was silent. Only the crashing of the waves filled the gap.

"Oh, that business," I said after a minute.

"That business," Attina replied. Already I could tell she would make a sublime queen.


Ariel


I couldn't watch this. I told them not to bring it up, that we would deal with it in due time, but they insisted.

"Ariel, this is a subject that can not be ignored!"

"Ya, what do you plan to do?"

"We should figure it out as a family!"

Over and over again, argument after argument. It got to the point where I started saying I wasn't even sure if he wanted to marry me, and bringing it up would just make him more uncomfortable about the whole thing. To which Andrina replied-

"-If you just went through all that, I mean EVERYTHING that you went through, and he doesn't even plan to marry you anymore, Ariel I swear to Poseidon I'm going to drag him into the depths and give him to Daddy myself,"

Then the others nodded their heads in agreement.

But this wasn't something that we should be talking about! It was for Eric and I to figure out, they didn't need to get involved. Nor did I want them to get involved.

"We realize that human people aren't going to be very friendly toward Ariel. You are an exception as we see it. The whole concept of mermaids may be a little strange to just have it thrusted upon humans like this," Attina said very logically. I didn't tell her any of this actually. She was too smart for her own good.

"Yes, you have it down perfectly," Eric sounded unsure wether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Mmm. What we suggested last night was that Ariel come live with us, wait till I take over the throne, and then once I get the inheritance of the Triton I could change her into a human permanently. This way for now she could have full use of her tail once Daddy heals her, and his attack on humans would mellow down, if not stop completely," Attina was in full political mode now. There would be no stopping her logic. She was the smartest out of all 7 of us, another reason she was heir.

"But," Attina raised a hand, cutting off Eric's interruptions, "Ariel has explained to us that this is impossible. You seemed to have need of a queen being a king now. Although wether you are a true king yet or still to become one is beyond me," I saw Eric nod in agreement. It was beyond all of us. When Grimsby finally made Eric true king was the day Sebastian agreed to become human permanently.

"You, you seem to understand very well," Eric said quietly.

"I've had all night to think about it," Attina responded cooly.

She says all night like it is a long time, I thought to myself.

"So the way I see it, you wait. Just wait, be a queenless king, until Daddy…passes on," Attina finished awkwardly.

"May I ask something?" Eric raised his hand like a school child.

"Please," Alana answered, flipping her black hair with self-importance. She didn't notice that she did it anymore though.

"Why don't you just steal the Triton and use it on Ariel then?" Eric looked around at us. I gave him a guilty look, realizing I forgot to explain what they told me yesterday when we met. When I asked the same question after some more talking.

The other six all looked at him with confused gazes. Arista, Adella, Attina, and Alana all seemed to ask "Where have you been?" While Aquata just looked confused by his lack of knowledge. Andrina showed no change in her emotions. Typical.

"Like it wouldn't have been hard enough before the new security protection," Adella tried to explain.

"Ya, ever since Daddy thought the humans killed Ariel he never leaves his Triton. He even sleeps with it in his hand," Arista said with her high pitched voice. She even whispered it, making it sound more scandalous that they were all up here, helping me. Helping us.

"There is no possible way we could take it without him realizing," Aquata crossed her arms in a big x.

"And even if we got it away from him, the swim to this spot is a half hour from the kingdom. He would defiantly notice it gone by the time we got to this beach," Alana shook her head with disappointment. She informed me that she was trying to construct this exact plan too, just to try to make it work.

"Plus none of us know how to wield it properly yet. The chances of us messing up the spell are high. He refuses to teach me how to use it until his last days on the throne," Attina shrugged in a helpless manner.

"And I don't think Ariel will be much better off with deformed legs rather than a tail," Andrina added as a little side note. Not that it was necessary. The saddened look of lost hope in Eric's eyes showed that he got the message.

"Don't worry though, I don't plan on going back down. I'm going to stay on shore until we think of something else," I said. He seemed to brighten a bit, just to know that I still had hope given him something to feed off of as well. Some light in this darkness.

We just had to hope that light wasn't an angler fish, luring in the pray, waiting for the kill.


Eric


This conversation was a tad bit more then awkward. But I knew we had to talk about it. I just wished it wasn't the sisters who forced it upon me. I was all settled with ignoring the subject.

But it re-raised the question that I lost countless hours of sleep over. What am I suppose to do?

"I'm glad you're choosing to stay on shore Ariel," I said as earnestly as I could. Hearing from her that she chose to stay with me was enough strength to get me through those endless tea sessions with Maribel.

"Well I'm a little less excited about it," Attina pursed her lips. I saw the true queen she was. Before I thought she would be sublime, but now I thought she would be more. I don't think any of her subjects would dare question her command. She was so sure of herself, and she carried such an authoritative aura when she needed it. I found it hard to believe that I considered her my friend.

"Attina!" Ariel hissed at the eldest sister, but Attina just shrugged.

"Look, I'm happy for you, I truly am. But this is no life. I completely support you turning human Ariel. I would do it for you right now if I could! But without proper knowledge of the Triton, nor a possible way to get it, we can't really do that. Unless you want to go searching for another sea witch," Attina stared at her sister. Ariel squirmed and looked down at the sand, guilt and regret obviously taking hold.

I expected the other sisters to say something. To help Ariel, or maybe even take the side of Attina. I didn't agree with Attina, I actually hated the idea, but she gave some good points. I didn't want Ariel to suffer either.

But the sisters just sat there, watching the eldest and the youngest battle it out. It was as if this battle was going on for a long time, and being bystanders is what they have been doing since it started.

Though honestly I was a little afraid to butt in as well. Attina, I don't know, she was scary. A minute ago she was happy and laughing, using her make believe words and pushing Aquata over. And now it was like a whole new person has taken control. Someone who doesn't only deserve but demands the respect of those around her.

If only I were that good a leader, then I could get Grims to finally give me the crown, wife or not.

"Well, it's not your decision! It's mine. And I don't want to go back and never get the chance to come back up until you're queen. That could take years! And you know that Daddy won't give me the slightest amount of space if I come back," Ariel crossed her arms and made it final. This must have been why it seemed like this battle has been raging for years. The strong headed youngster versus the older and wiser one.

"And I wouldn't mind letting you stay up here like this! But Ariel, look at yourself. You lie on the beach all day, sweltering in the sun yet unable to take decent swims in order to cool off. I can see sand and some type of hair stuck in-between your scales…is this really what you want?"

"I want to be with the man I love," Ariel whispered, on the verge of tears.

"But he has to spend most of the time in a palace being courted by another human from what Flounder tells us! Ariel, come to your senses!"

It seems that the sisters have forgotten that I was here. I didn't really prefer it that way, especially with the light Attina was putting me in, but I felt this was something Ariel and her sisters should take up without me. I should just stay silent until they direct this conversation at me.

"Attina you come to your senses! Say that you fall in love! But Daddy doesn't approve and wants you to come home! What then Attina? The love of your life doesn't live up to Daddy's expectations so you go home and wait? For at least 8 years? Then what? Once Daddy's gone you go back out to find him, only to learn the pressure has gotten to him and he had to marry another? Just because Daddy's judgment was a little clouded?" Ariel started screaming at Attina. The orange mermaid had no comeback this time and just started tracing circles in the sand.

Finally, after a minute, with her head lowered and a voice so quiet I had to strain my ears to hear over the ocean, Attina replied, "No, I wouldn't go back. I would do exactly what you are doing now," Ariel nodded with satisfaction of having won that battle.

"But Ariel, we hate seeing you like this, and so does Eric. Don't you Eric?" Adella said, instantly taking the place of her fallen sister.

Now the attention was focused on me. How do I respond? Of course I hated seeing Ariel like this! She used to be so free and majestic, before I ruined everything. And still she came back, after I forced her through all of that.

I hated seeing her this way, unable to anything for herself. I knew it was bugging her that she had to rely on us for her life. But I would also hate to see her go, mostly from the fear that she may never come back.

"Ariel, I do hate seeing you this way…" Adella nodded in satisfaction, but I was yet to finish, "…but I would hate to see you go. I would hate to see you leave for the ocean and find someone more suitable, or realize that this whole mess was actually my fault and that you really deserve better than me. I-"

I was crying. In front of Ariel's family.

Stupid, stop your tears. They are pointless! but it was no use. The mere thought of Ariel going away brought on so much pain that I couldn't control myself. I cried, but I continued to talk.

"I don't want to see you go and never come back," I finished, then ducked my head so no one could see.

"And he is in touch with his emotions! Ariel why did you not tell me of these human men before?" I heard a whisper from the girls. I could still feel their eyes on me and refused to lift my head, but a small smile played on my lips. At least my weakness won the favor of one of the sisters.

And then a gentle hand grabbed hold of my chin and lifted it up so I had to stare into the eyes of the owner. Blue eyes, as blue as the shallows. Ariel.

But no, it wasn't. Same eyes, but too many freckles to be Ariel, along with platinum blonde hair…Arista?

"Don't you worry Eric. Ariel isn't going anywhere," she flashed a smile at me and dropped her hand before turning to her sisters, "Right, Ariel you are staying here. We will come keep you company and bring you sea food when we can, even if it is just one of us, we won't abandon you," she said it with such definition, as if it had been the plan the whole time. Her sisters looked befuddled, and Ariel looked so grateful I thought her heart would burst with joy.

"Arista-" Ariel started, but Arista quickly shook her head, blond hair flying into her eyes.

"We are family, we support each other. We have to start getting back into the water to adjust, Daddy will probably be getting suspicious soon," Arista then completely dropped the military like leadership and shrugged with a little smile and said, once again with the voice of pure innocence, "And besides, with us coming to help you, we may get used enough to the change to be able to surface as fast as you!" And then she let out a little giggle. It was too cute.

But at the same time strange. This girl, she was smarter, more commanding, and stronger then she let us know. Even her sisters looked shocked at the sudden transformation. Why keep this power a secret?

But the daughters of Triton agreed and slowly started to re-enter the ocean they called home.

The next half hour was filled with deep breathing and building up the courage to finally plunge under the sea. And Ariel's laughter. There was a lot of that.

When at last they waved goodbye I sat by Ariel and watched the sun set over the ocean. It was beautiful. And with the orange, yellows, and reds bouncing off the waves like the sea was lights play toy, I finally figured out the thing about the sisters.

"It's they eyes!" I said out loud. Ariel cast me a curious glance and I explained quickly.

"Your sisters and you, none of you look the same, expect for your eyes! Those are the only similarity you share," I said, proud of my discovery. Ariel laughed a little and looked back out to sea before saying-

"Of course, we all have Daddy's eyes."

I sat there, dumbfounded by this. I shouldn't have been, for it wasn't strange or anything. My mother said I had inherited my father's eyes.

But it was strange and horrible to know that when ever I looked into the eyes of the girl I loved, I was looking into the eyes of the man who wanted me dead.