ERIC never once looked up from the young woman in his arms as he trudged the seemingly endless distance swiftly as gently as he could, careful to try to be mindful of the young woman's injuries, not wanting to make it worse for her. She needed the attention of a doctor, and quickly.

For the moment, if whoever had cared for her was dead as she had claimed, then it was possible that she had no other family to call her own in the village, perhaps no friends to call upon for help. Thus, he concluded that bringing her back to the castle as he had originally hoped to do was perhaps the safest course of action. She would be safe there, and she would be well looked after and provided for. Molly would take her under her wing. He would see to that himself.

The sight of the castle was more than welcome sight, though it seemed to take him and the foot soldier who'd followed him out the castle gates earlier for protection an eternity to reach the steps.

Several passing maids and guards shot the Prince quizzical looks as Eric bounded through the doors and down the corridor, shouting for Carlotta and Grimsby, and his maid and best friend, Molly, to show themselves. He did not think he could help her without their help, they would know what to do for her better than he did. Eric's eyes searched until his gaze rested on a familiar feminine figure at the end of the hall that led toward his private chambers.

"Molly!" he cried to the young maid, urgency laced in his voice.

The young blonde with strawberry blond curls looked up, surprised, clutching a handful of fresh bed linens close to her chest. She looked startled upon hearing her friend's voice, expecting Eric to be hurt. The look on his face was graver than if the Prince was the one who had in fact, been hurt.

But then her curious brown eyes flicked downward, and she noticed what it was that Prince Eric carried in his arms. The young maid let out a squeak and immediately darted forward, eager for a closer look at the mysterious beauty of a woman in her best friend's arms.

"Oh, my goodness! Is this…her? Y-your so-called mermaid, Eric? You found her, then, Your Highness? After all this time?" she breathed, sounding breathless as she nervously flicked her gaze up to meet Eric's. She hesitated in trying to read the Prince's face for any hint of a lie, at any hint that this might be the Prince's idea of some sick practical joke to pull one over on her and his counselor, Steffan, but there was no trace of jest in the man's blue eyes. Only fear and concern.

"I—it is, Molly, I-I know what it sounds like and what it looks like, but it's her," Eric murmured, though he sounded so hesitant and unsure of herself. "She's hurt, somehow, and she needs a place to stay. Whoever she was living with is dead. Help me with her, Molly, please, I beg of you," he pleaded.

His desperation seeped its way to the surface of his voice as it cracked, and he blinked back tears. He watched, the seconds seeming an eternity, as the blonde hesitated for a moment, her brown eyes going flat, the same way an animal did when trying to decide how best to deal with its fear.

For a moment, Eric thought his second oldest friend after Steffan was going to say no, but then to his relief, Molly nodded. She blinked as she came back to herself and shouted orders at a passing maid, Violet, to fetch as many spare blankets as possible and warm water, a basin, and to ensure Master Grimsby and Carlotta were told. Both the Prince's Heads of House would need to know, though the minute Grimsby's name passed Molly's lips, she caught the tail end of Eric's flinch.

Molly turned towards the Prince and shot her dearest friend an apologetic look as she motioned himself a spare guest room with a wave of her arm.

"I'm very sorry, Eric, truly, I am. You know Grimsby's going to kill you for this, but they have to know what's going on. He won't like this," she pointed out the obvious, in case Eric had forgotten, which of course, the Prince hadn't, but she kept on. "We don't even know her, and if you're thinking you can get her a job in the castle, I would wax and seal off that notion in your mind right now," she warned. "He'll never consent to it, not without going through his 'extensive' interview process." The strawberry blonde made an odd noise of dissent through her nose as she rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she quickly ushered the Prince inside the room and gingerly closed the bedroom door behind her. "Set her down there on the bed, just there," she commanded in what she hoped was a soothing tone as Molly fought to keep her voice as level-headed as possible.

Eric strode across the simple bedroom and gingerly laid the woman who he now knew was called Ariel down on the soft mattress, hoping that a softer surface would help her.

"What happened?" Molly asked, scurrying around the room as she scrambled at collecting what items she could find, spare blankets, a spare bathing cloth that she might need to dab away the excess moisture if the girl was developing a fever, anything that she could think of.

"She—she fell and hit her head, a-and she was limping when I found her, I think she sprained her ankle somehow," Eric blurted out urgently as Molly came to stand beside the Prince by the bed.

Molly nodded in understanding, her brows furrowed in quiet contemplative thought as she flitted her gaze between her friend and the beautiful young redhead asleep on the bed. She longed to say something, to comfort the master of the castle, as it was obvious to the young maid that this woman, this mermaid if she was to take Eric at his word, was more to him than just a young woman now in need of help. Molly parted her lips as if to speak to Eric, though nothing came out.

She could only click her tongue in disappointment. She thought of reaching out a hand to place it on the man's shoulder in hopes of providing him comfort, but she stopped herself from doing it. She was unsure if the Prince in his current vexed and agitated state would allow it.

Instead, Molly decided to refocus her efforts on ensuring the girl on the bed was safe and turned on her heels in a twist of her skirts and began to examine the siren from the sea.

Her skin began to tingle, and an itch spiraled to life in her veins as she gingerly began to feel the young woman's arms and her forehead, checking for any signs of moisture.

It took Molly a moment to realize that the feeling was genuine awe and excitement.

If this girl was Eric's supposed mermaid that had rescued him from his watery grave months ago, then she would be the first mermaid Molly had ever met.

Excitement flooded in her veins, though the maid forced herself to control her excitement and tried to refocus her energies on healing the woman instead of worrying about herself.

She finished her initial examination of the girl, taking a step back and wiping her hands on the front of her apron, relieved, at least, that she did not seem to develop a fever, though the castle's doctor on staff would know more about her condition than she would.

She did notice a nasty-looking cut above her brow that had already caused the dried blood to become crusty. That would smart and sting something awful, she knew, though little could be done for the cut other than to just let time heal it naturally on its own.

Please, for the moment, she turned to Eric.

"Your mermaid will be just fine, Eric," she chirped, trying to smile, though the muscles in her face ached with the effort, and she could tell by the stricken look on Eric's face, he was not convinced.

With almost painstaking slowness, the Prince slowly swiveled his gaze away from the redhead on the bed and toward Molly, who waited patiently for him to speak.

His lips parted as if he meant to speak to her, however, it took him a moment to find his voice.

"H-how is this fine, Molly?" he demanded, almost sounding angry with the blonde as he wildly gesticulated towards the sleeping beauty in the bed.

His words came out harsher than he meant them for, for he saw Molly shirk away from him in surprise at his sudden aggression and unexpected outburst.

Though Molly, just like the rest of Carlotta's maids that she cared for, was tougher than she looked, and hardened her expression in response to Prince Eric's uncharacteristic aggression and replied to the master of the castle in a clipped, aggrieved tone.

"Because your mermaid's health is not in any danger, Eric," she pointed out, hoping to supplicate Eric somewhat and calm him down from his worry, or else it would consume the man and make him sick. "She twisted her ankle and she hit her head when she fell, aye, yes, but she'll likely wake up in an hour or so and be just fine. She passed out from stress. Finding someone in your home dead would be enough to stress anyone out, don't you see?" Molly tried to state the obvious.

Eric could hardly believe the words that were coming out of his best friend's mouth.

Stress?! Stress had caused this. He looked towards Ariel and furrowed his brows in a frown as he studied her more closely, daring to creep forward for a closer look.

He was relieved to see that at least some color had returned to her pale complexion the longer she slept, though he was startled by how skinny she was. She needs feeding up, he thought to himself, and immediately looked to Molly, hating the prominence of the woman's collarbones and her sunken-in cheeks, and was about to ask the maid if she would fetch the girl something hot to eat from the kitchens, in case she was hungry when she woke. Before he could so much as utter the first syllable, however, it was as if Molly had read Eric's mind, for the maid nodded.

"I will go down to the kitchens and see if I can't convince Chef Louis to let me sneak away with a nice hot bowl of soup for her. I think he's making onion soup today, one of your favorites, Your Highness. I'll bring you a bowl as well, and some bread, too, you need to eat and I know for a fact that you skipped both breakfast and lunch today so you could search Ipswich for your little mermaid here," she chirped, not a hint of judgment in her tone, or if Molly did think Eric to be touched in the head, then the maid was good at hiding it. She turned on her heels to flee the room. She had her hand on the knob of the door and wrenched it open, though Molly let out a startled gasp and accidentally stumbled backward into Eric's chest as she found herself standing face to face with Master Grimsby and Carlotta, behind whom stood the doctor. The maid looked shocked as her uneven stride met the wall of Eric's chest. She squeaked and let out a gasp.

"Forgive me, Eric," she begged as she jumped forward and slowly turned her head to look at Eric.

Eric ignored Molly's apology for the moment, though tried to shoot his friend a curt nod of his head, though he never took his gaze off his eldest Head of House. Master Grimsby's lips were pursed in a thin line of disapproval as his narrowed inquisitive green eyes made a quick scan of the bedroom and settled upon the young redhead lying unconscious but peacefully on the cot.

Eric felt every cord in his body go tense as his posture stiffened and he prepared himself for the onslaught from Master Grimsby that he knew was to come as the old man looked upon him disapprovingly. The Head of Household shook his head, just like Eric suspected he would, and immediately, he let fly.

"Young master, I understand your desire to want to help your subjects and it is a most admirable quality, something your parents would be very proud of if they were still alive to see you as the man you've become today, b-but this highly unorthodox and completely irresponsible and unacceptable! She...she cannot stay here!" he bristled, balking at the notion of this she-stranger.

Eric felt frustration bubble within his chest, and the solar flare of his temper ignited at the usual of Grimsby's protesting whenever he did something his Head of House disapproved of, which was quite often.

"Why not, Grims?" he snapped, careful to purposefully use his nickname he knew the older man reviled, knowing that it would stoke the fires of his agitation further, but it could not be helped.

The thought that he meant to send her away, after the lengths he had gone to search for her all these months, did not sit well with the Prince at all.

"We have the room. Right here, she can stay," he pointed out, gesturing towards the room with his arm. "We need a new maid since Mary left. Molly can show her the ropes and look after her, she's already agreed, I can't just send her away, Grimsby, she has nowhere to go, sir," he blurted out, cringing as the words left his mouth. He had not thought this part through.

Grimsby let out a groan from the back of his throat and pinched at the bridge of his slightly hooked nose with a slender thumb and forefinger, as though the old man were fighting off the beginnings of a splitting headache, and for all Eric knew, he was.

"Your Highness, you have made such arguments to me before when it comes to the welfare of your subjects, particularly ladies in general. They did not hold any weight with me back then and they will certainly not hold right now. If we opened the castle's gates to every young lady who sought employment here, we could not keep up with the demand. The resources now are too scarce, sire."

Grimsby shifted his gaze to the left and cautiously eyed the Prince's old nursemaid, Carlotta, out of the corner of his eyes.

"Carlotta, my dear, help an old man out here, would you kindly inform the master that this notion he has of letting her stay is ludicrous?" he pleaded, wringing his hands together nervously and waiting impatiently for the castle's Head Maid to speak up.

Carlotta looked quiet and thoughtful for a moment before she spoke, though before the older woman could so much as utter the first syllable, Molly stepped forward in hope of rectifying the situation.

Eric shot out a hand meant to wind around her wrist with the intent to pull her back, though she shrugged her hand away too quickly.

"Molly, no!" he tried to mouth at her, though the blonde shot him a furtive little playful wink before composing her expression into someone who was mourning a friend at their sick bed as she turned around to face Carlotta and Master Grimsby.

"Please do not punish the Prince, Master, it was my idea to bring the woman back with us," Molly blatantly lied through her teeth to spare the Prince the worst of the Head of Household's annoyance. "I er… snuck out of the castle for some fresh air and went for a walk to the marketplace and found her. I chose to bring her back. I promised her a hot bowl of soup from the kitchens and maybe even a job. Please don't send her away," she begged, sticking out her lower lip in a slight pout and biting down on it. "I could use another girl close to my age to converse with. All the other maids are so much older or younger than I am, there's no connection I have to any."

Eric drew in a sharp breath and held it until his lungs began to burn as he waited with bated breath as he could only watch as Grimsby and Carlotta stared at Molly. Master Grimsby was looking at the young strawberry blonde with such disappointment in his eyes, as though he had expected better of Carlotta's niece, whereas her aunt was eyeing Molly with a look that Eric could only describe as prideful.

Feeling some hope swell in his chest, he let out the breath he'd been holding slowly as Grimsby spoke after exchanging a brief look with Carlotta and let out a groan at seeing the expression on her face. He knew he would get no help from Carlotta.

Grimsby turned back to face Molly and spoke.

"I should have you turned out of this castle this very moment for such theatrics," he murmured in a low voice that made Eric freeze. For a moment, his Head of House sounded as though he were actually considering it, but then he spoke, and Eric was left with no time to ponder it. "However, even I cannot deny that your intentions were well-meant. Even I don't like to see a young lady suffer as she has. For the moment, she will be permitted to stay, though she will be put on a probationary period. Three days. I am giving her three days to get caught up to speed and if she does not exceed my expectations, my dear, then she will have to go. And as for your actions, I cannot let this go unpunished. For going behind my back and disregarding the interview process I have for each new staff member who comes to work for us, you can forfeit your week's pay," he announced, his decision made, and his mind made up as he nodded, looking so sure of himself.

Eric felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach, though he was surprised when Molly turned her head slightly, just enough that he could see her expression and she shot him another little wink.

Relief flooded through him as he realized that she had covered for him and was not upset with Grimsby's method of choosing to punish her for covering up for her.

He made a mental note to secretly pay her back by giving her the funds anyway, and then some. Perhaps give her enough money to buy a new dress or anything she wanted. It was the least he could do for his friend, after all, after what she had just done for him, and Ariel now too, he supposed. He averted his gaze from Molly when Grimsby spoke, coming back to himself.

Molly lowered her head in reverence, accepting her punishment. "Thank you, Master, milord is merciful, I am indebted to you," she mumbled, and sensing that her presence was no longer needed for the moment, she darted out of the room, with Carlotta trailing close at her heels.

Eric waited until he was alone with Grimsby and the good doctor to speak.

"Thank you, Grimsby," he said, careful to leave off the Grims this time, to which the Head of House merely grunted.

"Do not thank me just yet, young master for your…new maid here is not out of the woods just yet." He motioned for the doctor to examine her.

The doctor nodded though straightened his gait as he looked towards the Prince, noticing how flushed the young man was becoming and how agitated he was. It would impede her healing to continuously be delved into too much anxiety.

"Perhaps, Your Highness, you could do me the courtesy of waiting outside, until I have finished my examination of the young woman's needs?" he asked, a note of finality bordering in his tone.

Eric gave Master Grimsby a shocked look, feeling certain that his Head of House would object to his being forcefully removed from the bedroom.

However, he found the man's brows were creased in thought and his shoulders shrugged at the logic of the medical professional's suggestion. It was then that he saw how his tension was affecting Ariel, even in the young woman's sleep. The skin of her brow was pulled taut and tight, and he swore that he heard her let out a little whine. Eric's face fell crestfallen, though he quickly accepted the good doctor's wishes.

If his absence from the room was what was needed to help Ariel heal faster, that meant he could speak to her that much faster, then he would be gone. For right now.

"Very well," he sighed dejectedly. "If you think it would be best for her. I hope it will not take long. You will call for me if I am needed?" he asked fearfully, to which Master Grimsby hastily nodded.

"Yes, young master, but of course. You shall be the first to know if there are any incidences," he agreed, already shepherding Eric towards the door.

"Instances?" Eric nearly choked on his tongue as he repeated the word in horror, trying to turn around in his tracks and bolt toward the girl's bed.

But Grimsby was already blocking the Prince's movements as he reached for the knob of the door.

"Please do not fret. There is no need to trouble yourself over this any further, Your Highness. I am sure all will be well with your new…maid. With rest and proper care, all will be well," he said after an awkward pause that told Eric that Grimsby still did not approve of how this had been handled.

Before Eric could force out a "Thank You," Grimsby nearly shoved the Prince through the open door and hurriedly closed the door behind him.

Suddenly alone in the hallway, the silence closed in around Eric and began to seep through his skin like a slow-acting poison, numbing his insides. He sneered in the direction of the closed door, knowing that it would do him no good to linger here, for his anxiety alone would surely kill him if the waiting did not.

He strode off down the hallway, hoping to find Molly to thank her for all that she'd done.

Eric prayed that when the lady Ariel awoke, he would be the first to know about it, as he wanted his face to be the first thing she saw when she woke, much like her face had been to him when she had saved his life from that shipwreck months ago. He felt the hope swell in his chest as he walked, grateful that Grimsby was letting Ariel join their staff, for now.

In time, he knew she would give Grimsby a reason to let her stay. All that was left within his heart at the thought of being so close to her was growing excitement. Eric had not felt so hopeful in so long that it was good to have something to look forward to again, a challenge once more.

He had questions about her, about this little mermaid from the sea, and in time, he hoped that Ariel would trust him enough to open up to him.

Simply so that he could get answers to a few of them.