CHAPTER 1: 19th Birthday

Everyone knew how important the Princess's 19th birthday was, for many reasons. It meant the sole heir was an adult, an eligible bachelorette, and it would be the first time the world got to see her. She was the crown's darkly veiled secret, only to be seen by close imperial confidants. Any time there were visitors or important events, the phantom girl was whisked to a tightly guarded tower. Any questions about her were dodged and avoided with a smile.

A wide array of theories circulated, from simple explanations to fantastical outlandish claims. A large part of the kingdom believed the Princess had perished. The monarchy was just pretending to have an heir, so the family's future appeared strong. Optimists proposed that the Princess was so beautiful her parents hid her away from suitors till she was an adult. More cynical people said she was an embarrassment and brought shame to the country, so she was hidden from the public. Even with all of the thoughtful explanations, and wild conspiracies, no one ever guessed the truth.

The celebration was announced a year before it took place, as so much work had to be done. It was to be the event of the century, the mysterious veil was going to be lifted. Princess Melody was going to be debuted to the world, her people, high society, royalty, and of course, many suitors. The kingdom was fascinated, royalty and nobility of neighboring nations abuzz with speculation.

Preparations were massive in scale, and the entire kingdom contributed in one way or another. The palace requested farmers grow hundreds of exotic flora for decor, and fields of herbs and crops to feed the incoming travelers. The finest artists created hundreds of elegant invitations. Metalworkers and jewelers received an onslaught of orders.

After a massive purchase of exquisite fabric, ribbon, and thread, the crown sent out a notice. Any seamstress, weaver, or embroiderer could report to the castle and find paying work. They needed intricately detailed dresses, new uniforms for staff, drapes, curtains… the list was endless.

The kingdom was thriving, as it had 20 years ago. No one was without work, trade was bustling, and hundreds of incredibly wealthy attendees would flock into the kingdom. Even the weather improved, raining enough to make plants blossom, but never storm.

Then the day came, a calm sunny day in the middle of summer. Exquisite carriages began parading through the town streets to the castle, pulled by powerful horses. The people lined the streets to watch the spectacle.

The Queen did not get much sleep the night before" Early in the morning Carlotta entered the queen's private dressing room, where she knew the anxious woman would be. She found Ariel slumped on a soft velvet chair, looking quietly at the floor.

"You have done everything you can my child. You have raised a lovely young woman, and you gave her everything you could. You shouldn't trouble yourself with problems that haven't happened yet."

Ariel was comforted by her attendant's words. The queen lost her own mother as a child and had come to see Carlotta as a mother figure. Ariel had been a teen when she met the kind woman, and that was 20 years ago.

The Queen took a deep breath and smiled. Today was a special day for her daughter, she should be excited.

Carlotta began silently preparing Ariel, and it wasn't long before ladies in waiting began to flow into the dressing room to help. The queen had to look all at once conservative, elegant, composed, and radiant. Luckily she always had a natural otherworldly beauty, so it wasn't too difficult a task.

The long thick red locks were swept up into a perfectly secured bun, not a single hair could be out of place. The lovely bangs brushed out to frame her face and were completed by a resplendent gold crown laden with brilliant diamonds and emeralds. The look is completed by a simple set of matching gold emerald earrings and a necklace.

At sunrise the queen was ready, and as she looked in the mirror, a thought occurred to her. In an hour her own daughter would be whisked out of bed and meticulously groomed till she was stunning. Then she would be debuted into royal life, maybe even meet her own charming prince. The thought filled the mother with pride.

Queen Ariel quickly busied herself looking over the final details of the day. She found everything was running perfectly, there was nothing to fret over. With a little time on her hands, she made her way to the garden, wanting a little peace and calm. She made it only one step outside when she heard a frantic young woman rushing to her. The young lady gracefully curtsied before speaking, clearly out of breath.

"Your Majesty, Princess Melody is gone."

Hi everyone, thank you for reading my AU of The Little Mermaid 2, with Melody at 19 and not 12. I originally posted this FanFiction on Deviantart, and it is updated there every 1st and 15th of the month. I will be adding chapters to this story every Monday till it's caught up to the deviant art version.

If you would like to read ahead or check out my Disney fan edits here is my deviantart profile name:

mermaidmelodyedits

You can also check out my Disney fan edits on Instagram:

mermaid_melody_edits

I'd super appreciate if you guys could leave me your thoughts in the comments! Critique, comments, discussion, etc. I want to hear it all!

In the prologue and this chapter there is a lot of set up, but I feel it was necessary to really set the scene and sneak in some foreshadowing details for later. I also wanted to show something important about royalty, both in fiction and the real world. Royals generate a ton of buzz, tourism, serve as an icon for the nation, and demonstrate both the wealth and power of a country. Think of how much money and news gets generated when a British royal marries. So in my chapter I wanted to show how extravagant events boost a country's economy and image.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed!