Ariel nestled close to Eric as they stood at the helm of the ship, watching the fireworks display.
"It reminds me of the night we met," she murmured to her husband.
"Hopefully this night will be less eventful," he answered. "I do not want to be half-drowned on my wedding day."
Ariel laughed and turned her attention back to the night sky.
As she, Eric, and all those aboard watched the fireworks display, they suddenly noticed a strange yellow light amidst the colored ones which the sailors were sending up above the boat. This light hovered in the midst of the other lights, and then began to make its way across the sky, leaving yellow streaks behind it.
"Why, it is spelling something out!" one of the guests cried out. "I have never seen such amazing fireworks!"
Wide-eyed, Ariel and Eric read what the light wrote across the sky:
"Congratulations…"
Then the light descended a few feet, and under the first word, wrote,
"Prince Eric and Princess Ariel"
The bridegroom looked at his advisor, in order to thank him for the original and doubtlessly expensive display, only to see Grimsby staring upwards with his mouth open, speechlessly. He followed his gaze in time to see the light descend a few more feet and write two last words,
"Of Atlantica"
"Atlantica?" Eric asked out loud, puzzled. "Isn't that where they say the merpeople live?" He looked at his friends, the sailors. "Is this a clever joke of yours because Ariel and I love the sea so much?"
All he saw, however, were confused faces and shaking heads.
His wife was struck with other ideas. Instinctively, she walked to the edge of the ship and peered into the dark waters below. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the glowing trident, and her father propelling himself on a growing wave towards the ship!
Ariel gasped. Her first thought was for Eric and her new subjects. She needed to protect them, whatever the cost!
She ran back to her husband and thrust her hand into his. Then, in a voice that brooked no opposition, she ordered everyone else on board,
"Join hands with one another, and then with me and Eric! Not one of you is to stand alone. Quickly!"
Bewildered by the strange command, they glanced at each other and moved to obey in a dazed manner, but too slowly for the princess's liking.
"Hurry!" she cried, grasping the arm of the noblewoman closest to her with her free hand.
"Ariel, what? -" Eric began to ask, as confused as the rest.
It was then that they heard a slight sound from the side of the ship. Looking towards it, they saw an older man with a flowing white beard just beyond the railing. They stared. No one knew how to react, except the bride.
Ariel quickly glanced back at her subjects and was grateful to see that everyone had managed to join hands and was now in some form of contact with her. She then turned and looked at her father.
"Whatever you do to them, you will do to me," she said, uncompromisingly and determinedly.
Triton looked at her set, fearless face and the crown on her head, and realized that he had never admired his daughter more than at that moment. He suddenly realized that the crown she wore meant that she had married into royalty. He had spent countless hours teaching Attina to be the next ruler of Atlantica, but he had never lavished such instruction on or burdened Ariel, the baby of the family, with such responsibility. Now he recognized, by her actions, that even without his help, she had the heart and courage of a queen.
"I have not the least intention of doing anything to them," he answered, kindly. Seeing that his daughter did not believe him and was clinging even tighter to her husband, he asked her in a formal tone,
"Your Highness, do I have a quick temper?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Do I set rules and expect them to be obeyed?"
"Always."
"Have I ever been insincere? Have I ever said anything I did not mean?"
"Well," Ariel suddenly hesitated, and thought. "Well, no."
"Then why would I congratulate you – and your husband," Triton asked, gesturing to the sky, "if I meant to harm you or him or any of your friends?"
The human princess had no answer to give him. Her mind was in a tumult. Could her father…could he be approving of her marriage?
"Ariel," her father said softly, "I am not going to pretend that I hadn't envisioned a different future for you, but what is done is done. I am sorry for the temper I demonstrated in the grotto, I should have sat down with you and talked. Clearly, you have been treated well up here, better than I had ever hoped you would be. Sebastian seems to approve, and he is no fool. Now, can't we begin again?"
"You don't want to turn me back?" Ariel asked, shocked.
"For my own selfish purposes, yes, I do. But I won't. Not unless you tell me that you want to come to visit." He glanced at the mystified Eric. "I think your husband deserves an explanation. Don't you think that you should tell him?"
Ariel swallowed nervously and nodded.
"Eric," she said, turning to him, "do you remember that we spoke of merpeople several days ago?"
"Yes, I do."
"You said then that you did not know whether they exist. Well…the truth is, Eric, they do."
"How do you know?"
"Because this is my father," she said, waving her hand towards the white-haired man with the golden crown, "King Triton of Atlantica."
The Sea King caused the wave he was riding on to grow a little taller, and Eric and the rest of the guests could see his blue tail.
Eric became pale and trembled. In a very few seconds, however, he gathered himself and, shaking off any misgivings, respectfully bowed to the older ruler.
"I am very glad to make your acquaintance," he said, "I know that Ariel was pining for her family."
Triton found himself smiling at this polite human.
"I never thought that I would say this, but I am pleased to meet you too."
Ariel felt her husband's eyes on her.
"I suppose you are wondering why I am a human when my father is a merman?" Eric nodded. "Until a few days ago, I was a mermaid. That three-pronged instrument my father is holding is called a 'trident'. It has great power. I was very angry several nights ago and wished that you and I could be together as I grasped it." Glancing at her father, she continued in a pleading tone, "I did not know that it would turn me into a human, but it did. Sebastian and Flounder – the 'fish' I was just feeding, dragged me to the surface." She looked back at her husband, "You found me on the shore shortly afterwards."
"I understand," Eric said, gently.
"So do I," King Triton said. He looked at Eric. "Would…would you mind it very much if I kissed the bride?"
Eric shook his head, and for the first time since seeing her father, Ariel slipped her hand out of his. She ran across the deck, and reaching over the railing, embraced her father.
"I love you, Daddy," she whispered.
…
About an hour later, Eric stood apart and watched the scene before him. In the last sixty minutes, Ariel had introduced him to her six sisters, and to everyone's wonder, King Triton had actually lifted them up, one-by-one, from the sea and placed them on seats on the deck so that they might better observe the festivities. They presently sat together, wrapped in shawls provided by the kind human noblewomen, and were waving their colored tails in beat to the music.
His bride and her father were sharing a traditional father-daughter dance. The Sea King was still floating on his wave just beyond the ship. Ariel was standing very close to the railing. Their hands were joined, and he led her down the dance along the length of the deck. She twirled, laughing.
Carlotta, ever the motherly one, was fussing over Ariel's sisters, offering them sweets and pieces of wedding cake. Grimsby was standing nearby, wearing a smile on his face. He was beyond satisfied at how everything had turned out. Who would believe it? Eric's mystery maiden had turned out to be royalty. This would be extremely beneficial to Eric's kingdom. So happy was he, that he did not even notice the smug smiles directed at him by the sailors. They knew that he would never live his onetime insistences that merpeople were 'nautical nonsense' down.
The dance ended and Ariel came back towards Eric.
"You are taking this well," she said.
Eric smiled.
"This was definitely not the way that I had envisioned my wedding day ending, but looking at your happy face, I would not have it any other way. Besides," he said with a laugh, "I am sure that your father had quite a shock too. We can bond over it sometime."
Ariel laughed, pulled him close, and kissed him.
THE END
Thank you to everyone who read this story, waited patiently for updates, and reviewed! The reviews kept me posting! Thank you!