Redeemed - Morning
Prince Eric woke to his arm tingling. He shifted slightly and the blood began to flow to his fingers again. He felt his wife slide her arm across his chest holding him close. He smiled gently as he looked down on the bright red head of his bride.
What a month it had been. From feeling helpless and hopeless of ever retrieving his family to meeting the love of his life, fighting a massive sea witch, and meeting with the King of the Ocean.
It was understandable that Aunt Rapunzel and her family left to return to Corona, but after the incident with the spoon during dessert the first week… it was best for the younger children to be somewhere else until he and Ariel were able to tone things down a bit.
That talk with Aunt Rapunzel, Uncle Eugene, Grimsby and Carlotta had him blushing like never before, but Ariel was game to try anything. Taking off each other's clothes had taken quite a lot of time, not that the kissing was bad but his hands were shaking while deliberately taking off her dress and she didn't have much experience with buttons. They had been kind and gently with each other until they were able to come together as husband and wife. They had experimented a lot to come to know each other, not everything worked but they learned what did, so they got better at it.
But not only that but they spent a lot of time talking quietly looking out over the ocean from the balcony or on a picnic as they actually got to know each other. Eric was deeply humbled by her desire to be human and with him specifically as he came to know that she has family and a kingdom under the sea.
They had gone out to visit, but it couldn't be the same since she was human and wanted to stay human, even though her father's trident could turn her back into a mermaid. King Triton actually said he knew hell because his uncle was Hades, Lord of the Underworld, with whom he visited from time to time. While hell wasn't exactly part of Hades' domain it could be reached by King Triton using the trident. But he would never let the trident go to hell because it was too powerful a weapon to be allowed there except in his own hand, but he had a kingdom to lead. Eric understood that, which was why he had to do this sooner then later.
He had told Ariel of his own history and she was more than supportive and was willing to join in the adventure.
Reflecting in the early morning light he realized that for the first time in forever it felt like things were moving forward.
Then Ariel whimpered in her sleep and she dragged her hand from his chest to her stomach, as she lay curled up on his chest. He moved his hand up her waist to her back and held her close.
"Seashell, wake up. What's wrong?" He asked.
Ariel's eyes opened, "I don't feel so good."
Then she barfed all over his chest.
"Whoa!"
Ariel looked at him and asked in a shaky voice, "What's happening?"
"Ah, okay you are throwing up. Your body is just trying to get rid of something that doesn't agree with it. Generally, it isn't a big deal." He was racking his brain to think if any of the food from last night had tasted funny or if they had met anyone sick recently.
"Oh, no." She said as he tried reaching for the chamber pot under the bed.
"Someone help us!" Eric called.
A maid opened the door and saw the princess spewing across the prince and the bed. She grabbed a decorative bowl from the table by the door and rushed over.
When the latest bout was over, the maid said, "I'll get help."
She rushed out the door and Eric could hear her shoes ringing against the floor.
"You're going to be okay." Eric was thinking it should be about over. Most of the time if he ate something bad it would take a few tries to get everything up but he'll start feeling better almost immediately.
"I'm scared. It feels like I am turning inside out. Worse then what Ursula did to me." She said and got herself onto her knees, then with a hand on her throat and her eyes rolled back in her head, she gave a long series of ripping vocalizations that finally brought up a small gob of greenish phlegm, before collapsing against him again.
"Please, I don't want to die." Ariel said in a quiet shaking voice. Her hand clutched at his chest but it felt weaker. Sweat glistened across her face.
"You are not going to die." Eric asserted but he wasn't so sure now. People did die though usually not so quickly but that last one sounded like she was trying to bring up her lungs.
Ariel was panting trying to control whatever was happening to her. She bit her lip, and panted, "I love you." But he felt a warm stream against his leg as she got onto her knees again and bent over him he could feel the muscles in her sides ripple as she silently attempted to vomit. His mind was begging her to just bring something up, but nothing came from her mouth.
"Someone! Get! In! Here! NOW!" Eric roared in his shipboard voice, a voice that rattled the windows.
Grimsby, Carlotta, the doctor and the maid came rushing in as Ariel just collapsed across him.
"Please, just make it stop." Ariel begged him between pants. The terrible panic and weakness in her eyes frightened him like little else ever had.
"What's happening?" someone asked.
"She was asleep and then she started throwing up, now she is trying to but nothing is coming up anymore, but it looks like she is trying to bring up her toes. Please, do something."
Carlotta began massaging the exposed back of the princess. Grimsby was recoiling from the mess the doctor was knelling in to get a good look at Ariel's face.
A look on anguish came upon her face as her mouth opened again. Eric held her close for an eternity of seconds as Ariel tried to vomit once more but she again brought up nothing. All she could do now was sob weakly as she collapsed in his arms.
"What's happening?" Eric asked.
"We don't know enough yet." The doctor said. "What did she eat last?"
Carlotta rattled off the menu from last night and said, "But Eric had it too, the chef tasted everything and I even had some of the leftovers. We're all fine."
"Have they been with anyone whose become ill recently?"
"They've barely left the bedroom for the last three days."
Then Ariel took a deep breath and sighed.
"Are you okay, dear?"
"A little better I think." Ariel replied then she flopped onto her back and Eric quickly covered her as Grimsby turned around blushing as the maid brought out towels.
The doctor checked her pulse and her eyes. "She seems to be recovering."
"What was happening to me? I felt like I was transforming into something terrible." Asked Ariel.
"You were throwing up, dear, but we are not sure why yet." Said Carlotta. "How are you feeling now?"
"Better. A little weak. That was a lot of work."
"Here now, let's get you cleaned up." Said Carlotta as she helped the princess up and the maid wrapped a towel around her.
Eric took his towel and stepped around the mess as the door closed behind the women.
"So, any ideas?" Eric asked the doctor.
The doctor looked away as he thought, "Several, but I am trying to eliminate as many as I can. For now we will have to wait and see."
Then Carlotta came back into the room. "Have you figured it out yet?"
"Um." Eric said and Grimsby looked bewildered.
"It is too early to be sure but at a guess I would say she is pregnant."
"Pregnant!?" the men chorused.
"My mother was a midwife and there was one woman who nearly died because she was vomiting all the time. It was worse then this but this seemed similar. She's a skinny little thing so we are going to have to feed her as much as she can hold while we can."
"Is she going to be alright?" asked Eric.
"Probably, this shouldn't last more then a a few months. Giving birth is the dangerous part." Said Carlotta matter-of-factly.
"We'll take good care of both of you." Assured the doctor.
Author's note: For some reason I just think that Ariel would have some issues with her pregnancies. Hyperemesis gravidarum seemed like a good considering what Kate Middleton has gone through.
