Do you know how many reviews I asked for? FIVE. I really don't think it's that much. After almost two weeks, I have three. It takes me HOURS to structure and type a chapter. I review the stories I read, so I know FOR A FACT that it takes a minute – at most! – in order to review. I don't think five reviews, for several hours of my time, is too much to ask. Reviews are motivating, and if I get reviews, I want to write more. Now, I know the story's ending, but you guys don't. If you guys don't think the story is good enough to waste a minute of your time on, then I won't finish it. If that's what you want, then by all means, don't review. SO! I want SEVEN reviews, five plus the two I didn't get last time. Now because I still love all of my readers [even if they don't review :/ ] I won't make you click onto this without getting a chapter. So come on, loves, SEVEN PLEASE.
"It gets worse." Eric said darkly, jabbing his thumb lower on the bottle.
Ariel read a messy, curly script, clearly added on later to the bottle, most likely by Ursula:
Note:
If the mermaid enters the ocean against her will, then she does NOT become a mermaid again. Instead, she becomes a lump of sea foam, doomed to float the ocean forever.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Ariel gulped.
"Yes." Eric sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "You can't go in the ocean again, Ariel. Ever."
Ariel sighed. "Well this is what I wanted!" she started to perk up. "I'm a human! Eric I'm here! On land! ERIC! I'm a HUMAN!" she spun around, almost delirious with joy. "I HAVE LEGS! Haha!"
Eric was glad Ariel was coping…quite well, especially considering what she had just learned. But he snapped out of his thoughts at the sight of his girl spinning around – and occasionally falling down – on her own two legs! He laughed, and grabbed her around her waist, picking her up again.
They began walking back to the castle, smiles all around. Eric had a plan to execute, and it was time for dinner and bed.
Time had flown through the rest of the day. The two had decided to stay indoors, playing games, reading, talking. All troubles seemed to be forgotten. Ariel eventually became too tired with the day's endeavors to scarcely hold her head up, and Eric had to practically carry her up to her room. Carlotta shooed him away, and got Ariel ready for bed.
Now it was past midnight, with a light mist falling over the kingdom. Eric tried to be quiet, but was altogether unsuccessful. The floorboards creaked, and Ariel's bedroom door made an awful screeching noise and caused Eric to wince. He held up a candle and looked around the room, finally, it bounced off something shiny. Ah-ha! Eric quickly walked over to her bedside table. Laying on it was the ring he gave her, when he thought they had no future together. Yes! He knew she kept it! Instant relief washing over him, Eric stepped forward.
Causing the floor to emit a large creak. Eric froze, Ariel stirred, but did not wake, much to his relief. How could he ever explain himself? Carefully, gingerly, he stepped forward and grabbed the ring, enclosing it in his palm. He turned around and stepped forward – right on that cursed floorboard!
But this time, it released a creaking sound much, much louder than before. Eric winced, hoping, praying on the slightest chance that Ariel might not notice.
He was not so lucky this time.
She stirred and sat up, pushing her bangs out of her eyes. She gasped, unaware at why there was a stranger in her room. But she quickly settled as she realized it was Eric, his figure made out by the light of the moon shining through the window. She grabbed a match from the side table and very, very carefully lit the candlestick [after all, she was just getting used to the power of fire.].
"Eric?" she questioned. "Eric, what are you doing here?"
Eric bit his lip. A thousand possibilities ran through his mind: running, lying, laughing. But although this was neither the most ideal, nor most romantic, it would at very least make for an interesting story. He mustered up all his courage, and hoped Ariel could not his heart beating all the way across from her.
"Ariel." Eric stated her name, drawing her focus, as well as reminding himself about the new, and most important, facet in his life. "This isn't what I had in mind at all when I was planning this." He laughed. "In fact, this was probably the farthest from what I had imagined." He ran his fingers through his hair, and sat down on the bed next to her.
Ariel sat up and drew her legs into a crook. Her face portrayed a quizzical look, but she gave him a sweet smile, as if to urge him along.
Eric pulled out the ring and held it in from of Ariel. "Ariel. My little mermaid. I love you, and please do me the honor of marrying me. I promise I'll be the most loving husband I can possibly be. In fact-"
Eric had begun to ramble, but Ariel knew exactly what he meant. "Eric! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, and more yesses!" she flung her arms around him, hugging him so tight he felt as if he was about to explode! Except he could not decide if he was going to explode from her ridiculous strength, or the happiness that was filling him to the brim.
"Like I said," Eric leaned back a little, still keeping Ariel in his arms. "This was not the best timing…I should probably let you go back to bed."
Ariel laughed. "Stay. Please?" she looked up at him with big blue eyes, and like he could refuse her now!
She pulled him a back a little, but he offered no resistance. He wrapped his arms around her, and the two were asleep within minutes.
…
Eric announced the engagement to Carlotta and Grimsby the next morning, and needless to say, the two were thrilled. Carlotta began rushing around, beginning to start on the wedding plans.
"Come dear! This is your wedding to plan!" Carlotta chuckled, grabbing Ariel's thin wrist and pulling her along.
Ariel sat in the library with Carlotta, picking out the theme she wanted. Due to her origins, Ariel wanted a sea themed wedding. She picked out flowers that somewhat resembled coral, and fluffy centerpieces and decorations. The cake, baked by Louie, of course, was to be decorated with starfish, sixteen towers high, one for each year Ariel had spent under the ocean.
"Come upstairs, love! You must be dressed!" Carlotta smiled, grabbing Ariel and lifting her back onto her feet.
"Carlotta!" Ariel laughed. "I'm already dressed!"
"Those are clothes you can wear around the castle, not out in public!" Carlotta laughed.
"But Carlotta, the dress is beautiful!"
"Thank you dearie, but this is the first time you'll be in public and the future princess! You need to be extra beautiful!"
Ariel rolled her eyes. Being a princess was a little more complicated than she thought! Regardless, she followed Carlotta upstairs.
Wishing to make things as least complicated as possible, she wore the first dress Carlotta brought out. It was off her shoulders and a light violet. It cinched in at her waist and was trimmed with a ruby red lace. Ariel's hair was pulled back with diamond combs and she wore shiny silver shoes.
"Are you ready to pick out your wedding dress?" Carlotta smiled.
Ariel spun around, smiling. "Is that where we're going?"
"After lunch!" Carlotta laughed. "You're too thin!"
Ariel rolled her eyes, this was not a new comment from Carlotta.
After lunch, Ariel was rushed into town to go see about her wedding dress. Word spread quite quickly throughout the townspeople: gossip had been scarce and it was not often that a royal wedding occurred, after all! By the time Ariel entered Madame Tespit's shop, there were piles of wedding dresses laid out.
"Princess!" Madame Tespit herself rushed forward, clasping one of the girl's hands between her own. "I knew you'd be coming shortly! Now, now – we'll close up shop, I'll dedicate every day I need to in order to find you the perfect dress! Now why don't we get started dearie?"
Ariel was whisked away and stripped of her dress. Some material would be thrown over her head. Madame Tespit would circle around Ariel once or twice then go 'no, no, no!', rip the dress of Ariel, and replace it with another before Ariel truly got a chance to look in the mirror. This process was repeated what felt like thousands, but was only dozens, of times until Ariel yelled "STOP!"
The store practically froze, all looking at the scarcely known princess.
"What do you need, darling?" Madame Tespit asked very quietly.
Ariel stepped forward towards the mirror. The white fabric shone like the top of the ocean. The bodice was almost skin tight, but Ariel could still breathe quite comfortably in it. The dress fluffed out at her hips, with swirls of cream fabric falling to the floor, not unlike sea foam. Wavy, imperfect, and snowy ribbon, somewhat resembling sea weed, wrapped around her waist and the hem of her dress. The dress was strapless, showing off Ariel's fair skin. Small – imitation! – pearls lined up around the top of her bodice and were speckled around the dress.
It was perfect.
"I love it!" Ariel exclaimed, spinning around. The dress fluffed out perfectly. Ariel smiled at Madame Tespit. "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen!"
"Why thank you dearie!" Madame Tespit swelled with pride. " 'Twas nothing, just something I whipped out, truly…now, you'll need that wrapped up, won't you?"
Ariel shimmied out of the dress. Madame Tespit gingerly took it to the counter and wrapped it up.
Ariel carried out the big dress box and sat down in the ornate carriage. The sun was setting, and she was eager to get back to the castle and Eric.
…
The two sat in front of the fireplace. It was warmer than Ariel was used to being, and she constantly fidgeted, rotating herself to keep one part of her body from getting too hot.
"Eric?" she asked. The two were involved in a game a checkers, and needless to say, Ariel was beating him.
"Yes?" Eric looked up, his hand resting on the piece he was about to move.
"Can we go for a walk on the beach?" Ariel asked. She needed fresh air!
"Are you trying to get out of the game before I beat you?" Eric laughed.
Ariel smiled. "Hey, I'm pretty sure I'm winning!" the two laughed. "but please Eric, I haven't been out to the beach in days! I need fresh air!" she rolled onto her stomach and propped her face up on her hand, awaiting his reply.
The corner of Eric's mouth tightened. "You know we can't do that Ariel. If you touch the ocean, you'll be a mermaid – forever! Or even worse, sea foam! I can't lose you again! I love you too much! I'm sorry, but we just can't!"
Ariel sat up. "I'm not six years old, Eric! I can see where the tide is lapping up! I'll stay away from it! I just need fresh air! Don't you trust me!"
"Of course I do Ariel, don't ever think that! I just want to be careful!" Eric reasoned.
"My father did the exact same thing! He was too concerned with the 'what if?'s to actually see that there was nothing wrong! I did what I thought was right, and I found you! I can take care of myself Eric!" Ariel sat up and crossed her arms, practically daring him to defy her.
"Do you promise you'll stay at least a reasonable distance away from the ocean?" Eric asked, not having a leg to stand on in this argument.
"Promise!" Ariel smiled, knowing she had gotten her way. "I don't want to be sea foam either!"
Eric smiled. "Fine, we'll go. But once we get back inside, I'm beating you at checkers!"
Ariel laughed. "As if!"
Eric grabbed her hand, and the two walked out onto the sandy beach.