Just as a reminder, I made changes to chapter 7, mainly to Jim and Eric's conversation. Sorry, since you guys have already read chapter 7 if you're on chapter 8. Just so you don't have to re-read the whole chapter, it's the end of their conversation when Jim tells Eric about where he's from.
Chapter 8
A different planet. He's from a different planet! And in the future! And she thought her story was outlandish. But he wouldn't lie about something like that. He has kept the secret of where he's from just like she has kept the secret of where she's from as well. Does Eric know this? Does he know of Jim's feelings for her also?
"Ariel, you have crossed the line," Sebastian said as Ariel sat on a rock on the beach near the castle, twirling her finger around in the tide pool that Flounder was in. She hugged her legs that were pushed up against her chest, and her head was resting on her knees. "I told you to be careful, and you weren't careful. You went and fell in love wit the wrong man."
"The curse was broken, wasn't it?" Flounder countered. "It shouldn't matter anymore."
"Yes, the curse was broken, but it only means that Ariel can remain human. The whole point of this foolishness was for her to have her prince. And now look what has happened! I saw the two of dem last night!"
Her friends bantered back and forth for a minutes as Ariel thought about the night before and her talk with Cadet Hawkins... when he almost kissed her but didn't. Just like Eric. But what was Cadet Hawkins's reason? No, his name is James. What was James's reason for turning away from her? Because he knew that Eric proposed to her and he didn't want to get in the way? But she said straight out that she didn't want to accept Eric because of him. That should turn on any man.
"Ariel, are you listening?" Sebastian asked. "What are you going to do now?"
"I have to do something," she said, keeping her gaze on the swirling water around her finger. "James is leaving. He's leaving when we both realize that we have feelings for each other. I... don't want him to leave."
"Well, he has a life to live as well as you," Sebastian said. "Dat is, if you are going tell anyone about it. When are you going to tell your faddar about all dis?"
"I thought you said that she told Prince Eric that she was going to use his ship to go out and talk to King Triton," Flounder said.
"I did, but who knows at dis point since she doesn't want to marry the prince anymore." The little red crab looked up at a sullen Ariel. "Well, Ariel? What are you going to do?"
Ariel thought and thought. What could she do? There was no stopping James. He was leaving no matter what. He has his test to finish. He has to leave. But... was there a way to follow him? That portal he spoke of... what was that? That's how he came here, and that's probably how he's going to leave. Maybe her father would know? Maybe, if it's possible, she could...
She shot up from the rock, startling her sea friends. "That's it! I'll ask Daddy. He should know what it is!"
"What what is?" Sebastian asked.
"Flounder, tell my father I need to meet him in two hours at the surface" she said, ignoring Sebastian. "There will be a ship and I'll be on it. Beg him if he refuses."
"Ariel!" Sebastian called, but she was already running through the sand back up to the castle. Her heart pounded from the exertion of running, as well as anticipation of meeting her father in her permanent human form. He will not be happy, she is sure of it, but once she convinces him that the humans she has stayed with were more than kind to her, he'll have to change his mind about them. Maybe then, he'll agree to her very outrageous proposition.
"Ariel, are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"
Ariel gave Eric a sweet smile as he and she were on the main dock where Eric's majestic ship The Sea Pearl was next to, with its sails towering over them. It was one of Eric's five ships—not including the one that was wrecked in the storm. "No, I would like to go on my own."
"But I would like to meet your father. I would really like to do the right thing and ask his permission for your hand."
When she hasn't even accepted his proposal yet? But maybe having him there would show him just how serious she is about this as well... that she didn't want to marry him. But would it be right to have him find out in such a way?
"Well, I suppose it would be a good idea, but... I just fear that it may be awkward with you standing right there when I tell my father everything."
The sea wind whipped both of their hair, and Eric nodded. "Very well. I will be below deck when you talk to your father. Are you sure that he is going to be there?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Flounder came up from the water just twenty minutes before and said that King Triton will definitely be there to greet Ariel. He and the kingdom have been frantic searching for her. The moment that Flounder said that she has been on land with humans this whole time, he was furious. As expected. That's one of the reasons why she didn't want Eric to witness their conversation—her father is going to be yelling at her. How embarrassing that would be.
The gang plank hit the dock, and Eric put out a hand and guided her up the plank. She looked behind her at the castle and saw that same balcony from last night occupied. James was there, watching her do this. She was relieved when she found out that he politely declined going on the ship if Eric was going on it. That hurt Ariel's heart. She wished that he wouldn't stay away from her, but it's futile now since he's leaving anyway.
She hoped that she will be able to be successful with her conversation with her father.
Once on the ship, Ariel and Eric stood near the ledge, and one of the five crewmen that Eric hired for this small journey shouted "Hoist the sails! Off we go!" The ship pulled away from the dock and soon, the castle got smaller and smaller. Soon, it was a spec in the distance. Ariel's heart hammered so hard with nervousness, it hurt with every speedy beat, and her hands were numbing up from how fast her pulse was going.
"I still don't see why the girl wanted to meet her father out here," said one of the hunched-over crewmen. "Is he going to be on another ship?"
Ariel hugged her torso. She knew this was the spot. She looked to Eric. "Eric, will you and your crew go below deck, please? I don't wish to have anyone on-deck when I speak to my father." Mainly because they would all go crazy at seeing a real-live merman, who is also the king of the ocean.
"Yes, of course, Ariel." He turned to the crew. "You heard her, men! Drop anchor and head below-deck and don't come back up until she says so!"
"Aye, Prince Eric!" they all said in unison, and the anchor was dropped, and everyone went below-deck. Ariel stood at the railing to the ship, her fingernails digging into the wood. Her heart jumped to the sunny sky when she saw a glow under the water. Bubbles erupted, and then the majestic King Triton emerged out of the water, supported by a wave of his own making. His blue-gray eyes were full of the concern of a worried father.
"Ariel! Oh, thank the gods that you are well. What on earth have you been up to these past few days?! I and your sisters have been worried sick about you. We had the full Aqua Corps out looking for you for miles."
"I know, Daddy, and I'm sorry."
"You have been living with those humans! After what has happened with you your mother! I want you to come back down to Atlantica where you belong!"
"Daddy, Mother's death was an accident. We all know that. And... I can't leave. This is why..." She stepped back and her full form came into view for her father, since it was half-covered by the ledge of the ship. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened in shock. She lifted up the skirt of her blue dress to reveal her legs. Her father's trident immediately started glowing and anger filled his features.
"You became a human?! How..." He paused, the realization hitting him. "You went to Ursula! How could you do something as absurd as that?"
"Daddy, I had to. I wanted to prove to you that I'm serious about these humans. They aren't so bad. They were kind to me and took care of me."
He rose his trident. "Ariel, I'm turning those two limbs back into fins and your are coming back home with me!"
She put up her hands in desperation. "Daddy, no! You can't! They're permanent!"
King Trident paused. "What?" he muttered, stunned.
"I made a deal with Ursula. I was so in love with Prince Eric, and, coupled with the desire to be with him and prove to you the good nature of humans, I had her take my voice from me as payment for turning me human. I would receive my voice back and become human permanently if Eric fell in love with me and kissed me. And he did! Now I'm a human for good!"
King Triton looked as if he was going to blow like an underwater volcano. "Ariel, how could you..."
"I had to, but... things changed. While I was in love with Eric, as the days went on, I fell out of love with him."
King Triton relaxed, and his fatherly gaze begged her. "Then come back to us, Ariel! I can reverse this spell if there is nothing left for you with the humans."
"There is, Daddy!" She took a shaky breath, ready to present her proposition. "But it's not Eric. I fell in love with someone else, and he fell in love with me. At least, I think he did. But nonetheless, I want to be with him. This is the main reason why I wanted to speak with you. I wanted to ask if there is any possible way I can be with this man who is going back home to a whole other world and time." She came up to the railing and gave her father a pleading look. "Please, Daddy... this is the only way I can be happy."
King Triton shook his head. "These humans have brainwashed you, Ariel."
"No, they haven't. Please, Daddy. You are a wise man, and a wise man would know what to do for his daughter to make her truly happy, even if he doesn't agree with it."
Tears started to develop in the sea king's eyes as the sun shined down on his silver hair and beard. "You... are really serious about all this?"
Relief started to engulf her heart. "Yes, Daddy, I always have been. Please, this man... he's leaving. I want to know if there's any way to go to where he is."
"Ariel, I never wanted you to associate with the humans in the first place, and now you want to go to a whole other time and world for another? Just to follow a different man that you are blindly infatuated? No, I can't have that. I don't want to lose you again."
She reached out and touched her father's aging cheek and gave him a loving look. "You will not lose me, Daddy. I love you. Please... is there a way?"
He huffed, and he surmised that there was no point in battling his determined daughter. "I do not know of such way to travel to a different world. That is magic beyond my knowledge... beyond the power of my trident."
Ariel saddened. She knew there wouldn't be a way. How will James go home, then? How did he even arrive if her father didn't even know about that type of magic?
"Ariel, please think about this," King Triton said. "Do you really want to do this?"
"I do, Daddy. And I'm not changing my mind. The humans here are kind, and I'm sure that the humans wherever James is from are kind as well."
"James... is that his name?"
"Yes, well, we call him Cadet James Hawkins."
His brows rose, his eyes filling with fascination. "Cadet? He is in the army?"
"Yes, in a way. He's here for training and has to leave to continue it."
"I see. Well, I suppose I can't stop you any longer. You have gotten yourself this far, and I know that if I drag you down to Atlantica, you'll never speak to me again." He took a breath, and tears came to his eyes. "I suppose I'll let you live above the surface for a little while longer. I don't like it one bit, but I know it's what you want."
Ariel squealed with glee and embraced her father, who embraced her back. "I promise I'll try my best to see you. Just because I chose this world, doesn't mean I don't love you or my sisters. I'll just ask Flounder or Sebastian to give you word that I want to see you, and we can speak like this again."
He patted her back. "Alright, Ariel. Now off you go now before I change my mind."
She nodded, and she saw her father descend on his wave and go back into the ocean. She wanted to dance around for joy at her father beings at least somewhat okay with this. But... she never brought up what Eric wanted her to.
When she knew that her father was goodly gone, she went and opened the door that led to below-deck. She went down into the galley, and the men were sitting at tables, playing cards. Eric was standing off to the side, leaning against the wall. When he saw her, his face lit up. "Ariel!" He came and took her hands. "Have you talked with your father?"
"Yes, I did. He..." She looked around at the crew listening. Lying would be best, even though Eric knew that her father is a merman. "He arrived on a smaller boat and came aboard. He's gone now. Your crew can go up on-deck."
The men put away their card games and walked up the stairs to the main deck. Ariel and Eric were left alone in the galley. Ariel knew what she had to tell him.
"So, what did he say?" Eric asked anxiously. Ariel bit her lips together. The only way to tell him this is to tell him straightforward.
"Eric... I'm sorry. I can't marry you."
The smile that was on his face vanished. "W... what?"
"After speaking with my father, and after a lot of thought I have done myself beforehand, I have decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to marry you."
Eric gave her pleading look. "Why, Ariel? Will your father not allow you to marry a human?"
"No... well, not exactly. I didn't bring it up. I already knew my my answer before speaking with my father, I just... talked with him about different things. Things that are personal."
Eric gulped hard, and he gripped Ariel's hands tighter. "You never mentioned me at all?" She shook her head. "But I thought... that you were in love with me."
It hurt Ariel's heart to see the pained expression on his face. "I was, in the beginning. The main reason why I wanted to become human was because of you, but... my feelings changed. I see you more as a good friend now, and someone who I will be forever indebted to for allowing me to stay in the castle when I needed a place to stay and experience human life for the very first time."
Eric let go of Ariel's hands and went and sat down at one of the galley tables. "I suppose I just got my hopes up. You didn't care about me like I thought you did." He met her eyes. "That kiss on the beach... was that just so you could turn human again? You didn't kiss me because you loved me?"
She didn't know what else to say... "I'm sorry, Eric."
He ran a hand down his face and let out a massive, shaky breath. "First Jim tells me he's going to leave, now this... Well, I suppose I should be grateful that you care about me as a friend. You may be the only real friend I'll have here after Jim leaves tomorrow. Aside from Max."
"Jim?" Ariel questioned. "Do you mean Cadet Hawkins?"
"Yes. His name is James, but I just call him Jim."
"I see." So she will just refer to him as Jim now, if he prefers that name.
Eric eyed Ariel for a moment, and she felt the heat rise up her neck at his long stare. "Ariel, I want to ask you a blunt question... Is Jim one of the reasons why you rejected my proposal?"
If her cheeks didn't become pink every time she showed any type of emotion, she would be able to lie to people very easily. Now, her cheeks began heating furiously, and she knew Eric noticed. She didn't need to say anything. Eric had his answer.
"I thought as much," he said solemnly. "You two seemed close." A small smirk crossed his lips. "Well, I approve. He's a very noble and decent man. But... we won't see him after he leaves."
She came and sat across from him at the wooden table that was nailed to the floor. "I know. And... that's something I asked my father about just now. I want to know how Cadet—I mean, Jim will travel home. He mentioned some type of portal, but I don't know how we can find one, or create one. I'm not even sure what it is. I just know that's how he got here. My father said he doesn't know anything about portals or transportation to different worlds. He said that kind of magic is unknown to him."
"Your father has powers?"
Ariel held her tongue on that. Her identity as a princess should still remain a secret from him. If she told him that she's a princess, he would say that they should definitely get married since it would only make sense that a princess wed a prince. And if Eric didn't say that, the whole of his kingdom would, and she would be pressured into it. "He knows that King Triton has powers and magical skills, but this kind of thing exceeds what he would know how to do."
"Who would know, then? I want to know so I can go and visit Jim. Who else in the ocean—or anywhere—would be capable of wielding that kind of power?"
Ariel thought, and the fact that she is speaking now gave her a massive hint. "The sea witch, Ursula. She may know something. Her powers are pretty extraordinary."
"I don't know if I would want you talking with her again. She stole your voice."
"But she may be our only hope. Who else would know how create a pathway between worlds?"
Eric pursed his lips, unsure. Ariel felt the same way, but if she and Eric want to ever see Jim again after he leaves, the secret to his way of travel needs to be revealed.