Chapter Five - Lana
Ariel watched as Eric managed to catch some fish for them to eat. He'd already managed to get enough to sell to the merchants and get some good money which could pay for simple lodgings but it felt tough to see him like this. She knew the luxury of living the life of a royal. She had been a princess, maybe she still was a princess but for a prince to choose to live as a commoner for her benefit was making her feel guilty.
Not able to even say, Ari, as her name, Ariel had gone for the name Lana. It somehow made her feel more comfortable and connected to her home. She saw him wipe the sweat off of his brow before getting to the net where the fish had been.
"Didn't think I could do that?" he laughed as he looked at her. "Don't feel so disappointed. They may seem slimy and disgusting to most girls but they're good to eat. They'll be good to sell as well. I've been on the seas a lot and this…this I learned for survival."
Ariel frowned. She had eaten fish before. She hated to admit to it because fish were seen as members of the kingdom but even a mermaid couldn't survive on kelp alone. The puppy-Flounder looked sickened though even with Max trying to play with him.
"This girl?" Ariel asked as Eric came to sit beside her. "Are you going to meet her here?"
"Hopefully, eventually," Eric said as he had a far off look in his eyes. "I just hope that she forgives me for what happened. I did something stupid that put her in danger. I should have thought more about her situation but I'm so in love with her that it escaped my mind. I just hope that she's at her home with her family. Even if she refuses to see me in the future, I just want for her safety and happiness."
Ariel pulled her knees to her and hummed. "Do you think that you'd ever find somebody else?" she asked and Eric laughed and shook his head.
"No. I'm sorry. I would do anything for her, I would even agree to leave my own home to be with her but that's…we're very different and I don't think it's possible for me to be just like her, accepted into her family." Eric turned to see Ariel about to protest and then looked guilty. "Lana, I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. If you found my actions or intentions anything more than friendship, I do apologize. You're just not Ariel."
Ariel fumed inside her head but she knew that her only choice was to agree with him. It wasn't as if she had any way of proving to him that she had been transformed. Her voice disappeared each time she tried to tell him anyway.
Eric sighed and gestured for them to leave the coastline. He threw the bag over his shoulder before hearing Max's excited barks. His eyes widened as he saw someone who he had feared would be looking for him and looked to Ariel apologetically. "Lana, I have to take care of this."
Eric paused as he looked at Grimsby who had taken care of him since he was a young boy. "Grim," he said with a sigh. "Didn't take you long to find me." He told him and Grimsby sighed.
"I just wanted to make sure that you are okay. Your parents are worried about you. They've given me the chance to locate you before they send out the royal guards. This isn't where you're supposed to be. Come back to the palace and we'll discuss the matter," he suggested but Eric pulled back.
"There's nothing to discuss. I fell in love and you saw what they tried to do to her. I'm not ready to forgive them -" Eric protested. He bowed his head showing the anger which he felt. Sure, he had fallen in love with someone very different from himself and his family but who truly cared about that?
"The girl that you fell in love with was quite…unexpected," Grimsby tried to make light but then saw Eric glare at him in a darker way than he could expect. "Eric, I support your love but…"
"But what? I didn't choose for her….background but if I don't care, then why should anyone else?" he said before Grimsby sighed.
"Eric, she was a mer-" he saw a fire behind Eric as he said that word and immediately stopped. Yes, it would be best if the idea of merfolk were kept from everyone's minds. Nobody wanted for there to be an attack between land and sea. Watching the way in Eric was protecting her made her want to go over to him and confess everything but she wasn't able to. Nobody had ever loved her like this. No one other than her father had protected her like this.
Ariel ran out and grabbed hold of Eric's arm, "I understand."
Eric turned to her, for a moment, disgust showed on his face before he calmed himself realizing that she just wanted to help him. He took a deep breath in. "I'm sorry, Lana, you don't understand."
"Merfolk," Ariel whispered surprised that she had even been able to say that word and Eric stared at her in shock. "I know about them. I am…" she felt her voice leave her again and Eric tilted his head to the side.
"You know about them?" he asked and Ariel bowed her head, somehow her voice was gone. She was prevented from saying anything else. Eric looked at her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Do you know her?" he asked hopefully but Ariel could only shake her head and lie to him. Eric sighed before seeing Grimsby trying to hand him something. He didn't want to take the money but he knew that if he didn't then he might be forced to come back to the castle. He stiffly took it before turning to Ariel, watching her suspiciously.
"Come on, Lana," he said as he gestured that they should leave. He tapped his leg so that Max would follow and didn't even say goodbye to the older man. He was too angry at that. They should have been kinder to the girl who owned his heart.
….
…..
"I brought us some rolls to go with the fish," Eric grinned as he brought Ariel a plate of food and sat on the bed opposite hers. He had been able to pay for lodgings with the fish he had sold because he hated touching the money from Grimsby. It most likely came from his mother, that along with the nets and guards who had attacked Ariel. "Here," he said as he handed her the fork.
Ariel looked at it and turned it in her hand, "I used to think this was a…" she found her voice to catch in her throat again. "You combed your hair," she gestured and Eric watched her carefully.
"Is that a thing?" he laughed as he started to eat his own food. "Ariel thought that too. I thought it was just a mermaid thing. He saw Ariel shake her head. "Wow, I guess I really am uneducated about female fashion trends," he laughed, "That's what going to sea so often does to you."
"You were so kind to her," Ariel managed to say, surprised that she could do so. Was it just that she couldn't talk about herself but she could talk about herself in third person. "You didn't judge her."
"How do you know I wasn't judging her? I thought she was strange but in an amusing way. That probably sounds cruel of me. I hope you remember that I was willing to risk my life for her. I don't want you just to think that I was laughing at her." Eric sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. "You know, maybe I shouldn't trust you. I've been hypnotized in the past but -"
"I won't force you to marry me," she said and Eric cringed.
"I wish that had never happened, word of that must have traveled pretty fast, not one of my best moments," he told her. He bowed his head and cringed. "I just wish that I could be with her now."
Ariel opened her mouth to argue but knew that it would be futile, instead she just reached out and took Eric's hand in her own. She nodded to him and he sighed before pulling away. She looked at him, showing the pain in her expression. "Eric!" she yelled at him and he looked around, hoping that people hadn't heard that. "I can't tell you my true name," she said and he looked at her.
"I thought that your name was Lana but…it's okay," he said uneasily. "Whatever your name is, it's okay. I don't blame you for giving me a false name."
"I physically can't tell you my name," she said and Eric looked at her confused. He sat back, studying her. Was she cursed or did that mean that she was related to that sea witch? He opened his mouth to argue but Ariel leaned forwards. "When I try my throat closes up."
Eric blinked at her, he nodded wondering if this was because she was nervous. It wouldn't be the first girl who had become weak in the knees after faced with the royal family. She looked at him before trying to take his hand in hers. She knew that this might not work but she had to try.
"It's me," she tried to convince him, looking at him intently before she felt herself fall back, gasping for air. She felt like she had done something wrong. She shouldn't have done that. She should have followed the rules. What was she doing?
Not knowing what else to do, Eric picked her up and tried to pour water over her face, he could see her start to calm down and drew a bath. As he held her, he saw her lose consciousness and for a moment, her appearance changed dramatically to the unconscious love of his life. He held her protectively, shocked that he had been with the girl he loved.
He tested the water before placing her in the bath. He nervously saw her start to breathe again and let his fingers go through her red hair. He should be taking care of her. "Ariel," he said as he tried his best to comfort her. He saw her under the water and then felt someone else there. He was still uneducated about the world under the sea. All he knew was that he would do anything to save the life of this girl.
"If you wish to save her, prince, you will pretend that you don't know who she truly is," a voice said. "Do I have your agreement?"
"I can't stop loving her," he said as he felt Ariel weakly grab to his wrist. He could feel her heart weakening, her body getting scalier and pale. This was wrong.
"I'm not asking that but she must remain Lana to you," the voice said and Eric nodded.
"I promise," he whispered and he saw Ariel's body transform into the human Lana. He saw her start to breathe again and he smiled as he watched her before immediately standing and turning from her. "I didn't know what else to do. You seemed to be in shock."
"Eric?" Ariel asked and Eric placed a hand upon his heart but he still looked away from her.
"I'll get you a towel but then I suggest that you get to bed. I'll wait up for you if you prefer," he said before looking at her, his face turning to a neutral which made Ariel wonder if she had done something to upset him. "Are you okay, Lana?" he asked and she nodded. Eric walked away from her before patting Max's head. He allowed himself to smile now that she couldn't see him. What had given him this kind of luck?
End of Chapter Five
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Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four
Jmschocolate, marat2011
