"Ariel," Arista motioned for her as everyone began to clear the dining room the following morning after breakfast. Ariel swam to her sister's side. "Can I talk to you?" she whispered. Arista's eyes seemed anxious and mysterious.
"Eric, Arista and I are going to the gardens for a moment. I'll be back soon," she said to him as her and Arista made their way toward one of the castle windows. Eric gave an approving nod and smiled.
"Come, Eric. We'll take good care of you," Adella took a hold of his arm with a sinister smile.
"We sure will!" Aquatta added, popping her head near his and grasping his shoulders.
"Eric, when you're on land, how does your skin not dry out?" Andrina asked as the chatty mermaids led Eric out of the room and down the long hall. Ariel rolled her eyes at her sister's sudden interest in the new merman. Triton looked at Athena and let out a deep, low groan that made her chuckle.
"He's such a clam," Arista said regarding Eric as they made their way toward the garden. "Dangerous of you to bring him around the lot of us."
"Oh, I know," Ariel responded a bit jaded, Arista's red tail sparkled tiny specks of gold when up close.
"You're so lucky, Ariel." Arista sat on a golden clam near some sea sprite and Ariel joined her side.
"Arista, is everything alright?" Ariel looked at her beautiful, blonde sister who stared solemnly at the colorful coral garden. "Yes, I'm fine," Arista forced a smile and propped up her arms behind her for support against the clam as she leaned back. She flopped her fin up and down, watching its fluttering movements in the water. "Your wedding was so beautiful," Arista smiled to herself, deep in thought.
"Thank you. Yes, it was. It was all Eric and the humans," Ariel responded, remembering the day she had been so anxious to come.
"Daddy picked out our dresses, you know," Arista informed her.
"Oh! Did he? They were lovely."
"It was Eric's idea to have us join on land. He told Sebastian and Sebastian convinced Daddy. Took Daddy forever to agree. But he did- since it was only for a day," her voice trailed off.
"That was smart of Eric," Ariel giggled, "Did you have fun that day?"
"Oh, yes!" Arista perked up, but then lowered her head, "Actually, I haven't been able to stop thinking about that day."
"Oh," Ariel was a bit confused and curious.
"Being a human- it's so… different. Isn't it?"
"Yes, it really is," Ariel thought of how drastic the change was for her.
"Ariel, something happened the day of your wedding. On the ship," Arista confessed quietly. Ariel looked at her sister intently as she moved a little closer to her on the clam. "I loved everything about being a human- the way they walk , the way they act. I loved having legs and hips and feet and toes!" she wiggled her fins and then frowned.
"What happened?"
"Well, I was dancing with one of the men while you and Eric were eating and talking to daddy- do you remember that?" Ariel didn't remember, but she nodded. "I noticed the prince kept staring at me. I smiled at him and he'd smile at me. He's so handsome."
"Eric?"
"No, Adam," Arista corrected. Adam's name made Ariel cringe.
"What did he do? Did he hurt you?!" Ariel nearly shouted with much concern in her voice.
"What? No, no. He asked me to dance, so we did. I loved dancing and he's so handsome," she repeated. "He pressed his body against mine so closely, I felt as if I would have almost lost my head. Eventually, after a few songs, he pulled me away to one of the balconies on the lower levels where it was just the two of us." Ariel wanted to interject her sister's story to warn her about Adam, but realized it was too late, she didn't want her sister to stop being open with her. "We looked over the balcony at the sun setting over the ocean and I was telling him how beautiful it looked from above. He told me I was beautiful, more beautiful than the ocean," Arista blushed a little with a smirk. "He was leaning his side and arm against mine at first, but then he moved behind me and pushed his chest against my back and I held onto the railing. He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed the outside of my dress, around my stomach."
"Oh," Ariel said quietly, unsure of where the story was going.
"Ariel, it felt so good. His body touching mine, all the new feelings. He kissed my neck and the side of my face. My legs were shaking just from his lips on my skin. It was like something I had never felt before. He asked me if I had ever been kissed and I told him it was none of his business- you know, as a joke. He said that he bet that I had never and I told him there was just one way to find out!" she mentioned proudly, "So, he turned my head over my shoulder with his hand and kissed me!" she beamed with glee. "Oh, Ariel it was so fantastic! Kissing a human is so different than kissing a merman."
"I never kissed a merman before Eric," Ariel said.
"It's different. I love the feeling you get all over," Arista hugged her body tightly and closed her eyes.
"What happened with Adam?"
"Oh, Adam?" Arista smiled to herself, snapping back into reality. "Well, he sat me on the banister and we kissed some more. Real wet kisses too- much different than kissing under the sea. I also became wet right between my legs, it was incredible."
"Did he- put anything inside you?" Ariel's voice became stern.
"Why are you asking like that?"
"Adam is a very dangerous and hurtful person," Ariel explained.
"No. He can't be. He was great to me."
"He's ruthless, Arista! You have to be careful with him."
"I don't think you want me- or anyone to be happy!" Arista got off the clam as she scolded Ariel with her arms.
"No, that's not it."
"You're not the only one who can marry a human prince and live an amazing life!"
"Arista, I want you to be happy. If you love Adam, I want you both to be happy," Ariel smiled to her sister. She realized that getting to know Eric and other humans made her learn to have a bit of patience with others. Arista didn't know what to say, instead she sat back down next to her sister. Ariel placed her hand on her back and sat closer, fin to fin.
"Thanks, Ariel," Arista said softly. "To be honest, I don't have any feelings for Adam. He was great to me, but I think it was only fun- for both of us." Ariel felt an overwhelming sense of relief come over her. She couldn't bare the thought of her sister being in love with such a fowl person.
"Did he," Ariel hesitated a moment, "put anything inside you?" Arista's face turned bright red as she looked at Ariel and nodded hesitantly.
"His fingers," she confessed. "They felt so good I nearly screamed into his mouth. We were still on the balcony. I was sitting on it with my arms around his neck and he-"
"I understand," Ariel cut her off, a little embarrassed and not wanting to hear the details.
"You have to help me, Ariel," she pleaded.
"Help you with what?"
"You have to help me convince daddy to make me a human again."
"Oh," Ariel's mind raced with thoughts. She wasn't sure how to feel about having Arista with her on land.
"Not forever, just for a little while. I need to know what it's like, it's an entirely different world with new experiences and things to do and feel!" Arista placed her hands on Ariel's lap and leaned in, "Please, just tell me you'll try. Daddy listens to you!"
"Ha! No he doesn't! Daddy listens to Attina!"
"Perfect Attina," Arista mocked with a face. The two mermaids giggled.
"Have you tried to talk to mother at all?"
"Why do you call her 'mother'? And no, I haven't had any time alone with her. Andrina and Alana hog all her time. They're like her shadow. She does seem to like Eric quite a bit. I see them talking alone sometimes. What's that about?" Arista questioned curiously.
"Yes, I know." Ariel pursed her lips. "They seem to have bonded when they were captured together. But Eric wasn't there for very long," Ariel thought out loud.
"Huh. Who knew?" Arista shrugged. "Will you ask daddy for me?" Ariel nodded, a bit uncertain. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Arista threw her arms around Ariel and kissed her cheek.
The two mermaids made their way back inside the castle and to the great sitting room where Ariel noticed a thick blue tail poking out of a group of squawking mermaids.
"What's going on?" Ariel said playfully to the group. Eric poked his head through Aquata and Andrina's shoulders and darted out of the hands of her sisters.
"Ariel!" he nearly shouted, relieved and ecstatic to see her. He had some pink mud on his the side of his face and a starfish in his hair, by his ear. "They did things to me." Ariel couldn't help but laugh at his expression. She had never seen him so terrified.
"We were only exfoliating his skin with a mud and seaweed wrap," Aquatta said.
"And we moisturized his hair to give it shine," Alana added with a smile.
"Eric, let's finish up your manicure," Andrina called to him.
"Ariel!" Eric pleaded for help. Ariel laughed and swam to Eric, throwing her arms around his neck.
"You look so pretty!" Ariel shrieked, pecking her lips to his.
"Really? Do you like my starfish? Do you think it makes my tail look too big?" Eric joked, lightly touching the starfish in his hair and batted his eyelashes. The girls squealed with laughter. Eric pulled away from Ariel and moved his hips from side to side as they laughed hysterically. Suddenly, King Triton and Sebastian were at the doorway as stern as ever. "Oh. Hello, your majesty," Eric bowed, feeling his heart in his throat. There was a sudden roar of laughter.
"Come, Eric," Ariel took his hand as she tried to catch her breath in-between laughs. She brushed one hand gently across his cheek, wiping away the pink residue. She then pulled the starfish out of his hair.
"Hey, my starfish!" he exclaimed. The mermaids could not control themselves with laughter.
"I'm glad you didn't have any sons, your majesty," Sebastian said stoically. "I'd have felt very bad for the poor boy."
"Let's go, Eric," Ariel giggled, pulling him by the arm.
"Wait, where are you going?" Triton asked.
"Don't worry, Daddy. We'll be around," she smiled.
"Oh!" Ariel and Athena said in unison, nearly bumping into each other as Athena made her way into the room.
"Sorry," Ariel whispered a little shyly.
"Ariel! My dear, I've hardly spent any time with you," Athena reached out and smoothed over Ariel's thick bangs with her hand. Ariel looked down at her fin and felt her face become warm. "Where are you off to?" Ariel hesitated to respond for a moment. She felt suddenly silent.
"We'll be back soon, Queen Athena," Eric interjected with a smile, making a slight gesture toward Ariel with his eyebrows.
"Alright, darlings," she said before placing a kiss on each of their foreheads.
"What's going on between you and your mother?" Eric asked once Atlantica was out of sight.
"What do you mean?"
"Ariel," he nagged, "You can barely look at her." Ariel did not respond. "Aren't you glad she's back?"
"Yes, of course I am," she said, a little bothered.
"Then what is it?"
"I don't know. I just don't really remember her," she said softly.
"It'd be nice if you got to know her."
"I mean, I do remember some things and I also remember we went through a very dark period for a very long time because she was gone. I didn't understand why. Do you know my father banned all music because it reminded him of her and was too painful to hear?"
"Wow. That sounds terrible. I'm sorry you went through that," Eric said, trying to seem empathetic.
"It's not so much that. I just don't know what it's like to have a mother. I always just had daddy. I never seemed to miss her as much as everyone else did and didn't know why things couldn't just continue as they were," she explained.
"If we ever have a daughter, how would you like it to be? How would you be as a mother"
"A daughter? I'd love her so much! I'd want her to show her everything and teach her as much as I can. I'd want her to be free and adventurous and curious. I'd want for her to be able to tell me anything. I'd want to be her best friend," Ariel smiled at the thought of being a mother.
"I'm sure that's all Athena wants," he said to her. Ariel grew quiet and he wrapped his arm around her waist as they swam together through the deep blue ocean waters.
"We're here," Ariel stopped in front of what looked like the side of an underwater mountain and swam ahead of Eric.
"There's nothing here," he said as he looked around. She started to push on a large circular rock. "I'll help you with that," he said, coming over to help her.
"I've got it," she smiled, "Go in." The rock opened the way into a small dark hole. Eric gave her a strange look and tried to look inside the cave. "It's fine, Eric," she laughed. He swam inside slowly and she followed behind him. Eric looked around the cave that seemed to get brighter as he went along.
"It's my statue?" he said, a bit curious.
"How? Daddy destroyed it the day I left," Ariel was confused. "He destroyed all my things."
"Well, maybe he put it back together." Eric looked into the eyes of the statue and winced. Ariel was amazed to see that all of her things were intact the way she had them before King Triton discovered her secret place.
"Isn't it neat? I've been collecting human things since I was about twelve," she said as she spun a nearby globe.
"It's a bunch of junk," Eric laughed.
"Eric!" she exclaimed at him, almost breaking a smile.
"Look at this, why do you have a box of screws and bolts? Were you going to building something?" he joked. Ariel chuckled a little and looked down at her music box with a dancing ballerina. Eric swam over to Ariel and put his arms around her from behind. "I'm just teasing, my love," he whispered into her ear, pressing his nose against her soft, red hair. "Forgive me?"
"No," Ariel pouted, but then quickly smirked at the feel of Eric's lips on her neck.
"Yes," he growled on to her skin. He continued to kiss down her neck to her collarbone, wrapping his arms more tightly around her as he did. "It's really great stuff though," Eric continued. "If we, for some reason, needed the start a fire under the sea we wouldn't need any firewood."
"Uh!" Ariel gasped dramatically and pulled away from him. He immediately pressed his body against hers and shoved his tongue between her lips. Ariel's body tensed up at the sudden gesture but then slowly eased her body under his hold. Even under the sea he knew how to set her body ablaze. Eric ran his hands down her back, over the curve of her tail. Ariel had never had her tail touched in that way before and the feel of Eric's firm hands awakened sensations she had never experienced. He grinned as he watched her mouth open and eyes close with a long exhale.
Eric released his arms from around and her and swam up the cave. He grabbed something off one of the top shelves and then took some rope that was on the ground.
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously. He took a large rock off the ground, tied one end of the rope around it, swam toward a hole where light came through from above and threw it out of the hole, the rope hanging down the center of the grotto.
"Do you know what this is?" he said to Ariel, with a large metal contraption in his hand.
"Yes! That's a romplelaaf."
"A what?" he laughed.
"A romplelaaf. For holding cups together."
"Who told you that?" Eric laughed, "Was it Scuttle?" Ariel nodded. "Forget everything Scuttle's ever told you."
"What is it for then?"
"Ariel, these are shackles," he pressed a small lever that opened the circular metal. "Stick your arms out," he commanded. Ariel put her arms forward almost immediately and just as quickly Eric enclosed the shackles around her thin wrists.
"I'm trapped!" she exclaimed, trying to pull the chains apart. The weight of the shackles made her arms fall down toward her lap. "The queen wore these when they captured us," she remembered.
"Let's not talk about my mother right now," he said sinisterly. He led her by her wrists up toward the rope and tied the rope to one of the chains that held the shackles together.
"Eric, what are y-"
"Shh!" Eric covered her mouth with his large hand and stared into her frightened blue eyes. "Don't say a word," he whispered hoarsely. He placed both of his hands up her wrists and stroked down her arms gently toward her shoulders. Ariel felt her heart racing with excitement as Eric moved from her shoulders to her chest. He completely covered her seashells with his hands and rubbed the tops of her breasts softly with his thumbs. Ariel kept her eyes fixed on his. "Don't look at me. Look at yourself," he barked. Ariel looked down and watched Eric's hands flip down her purple shells, revealing full buoyant breasts with erect, pink centers. Having them free and open to the cool ocean water gave her a rush of excitement. He flicked both nipples with his thumbs and a soft, quick moan involuntarily escaped Ariel's mouth. "You seem to like that," he said, wrapping the tips of two fingers around each one and squeezing hard, making her whimper in pain. "I'll make it better," he cupped both of her soft, wet breasts in his hands and licked her erect nipples- moving from one to the other. Her tail seemed to flop back and forth, as if searching for contact with his.
Eric placed his face between her breasts and slowly ran his tongue down her chest to her belly button. He could feel Ariel's chest rise and fall while she dangled from her wrists. She was his and his alone.
"You're mine," he growled as he took hold of her hips and hungrily licked a sparkling green scale. Ariel giggled at the tickling feeling of his tongue on her tail. Eric immediately moved slightly above her, looking down at her sternly. Ariel wasn't sure what he'd do. She was anxious with anticipation. Her face and mouth slightly parted told him she was yearning for more. In one swift move, Eric yanked the purple seashell bra that was still wrapped below her breasts, tearing the string that held it together and tossing it aside. Ariel felt her heart race. It excited to her when Eric would get rough.
He swam behind her and admired her slender figure and the sexy mermaid curves he couldn't stop admiring since he had arrived at Atlantica. Her hair hung forward over her shoulder, exposing a perfectly contoured, smooth back that ended at a curvy, green tail and delicate fins. She tried to look over her shoulder behind her to see what Eric was up to, but couldn't because of her arms tightly straightened beside her head.
"Don't you dare," his deep voice muttered haltingly. Ariel tensed at his touch on her back. Tiny hairs emerged on her skin as Eric traced his hand down her spine. He stopped right before her tail, moving both hands from behind and spreading them across her stomach. Eric pulled her body closer to him, cradling her back with her chest and pushing his tail against hers. He brought his lips to her ear and sucked gently on her fleshy lobe. A soft moan escaped her mouth and her tail began to feel a sensation it never had before as her scales rubbed against Eric's. Eric moved his hands to her exposed breasts and cupped them roughly, rolling her nipples between his thumb and index finger. Ariel let out a loud, sharp moan.
"This feels so good," he groaned, rubbing his tail up and down against hers from behind. After a few moments, Eric pulled away from her warm body.
"Don't stop, don't stop," she pleaded breathlessly. Eric moved in front of her and stared at the panting, red headed mermaid suspended from her wrists. Her breathing was so deep he could see her rib cage make its appearance against her skin. In one quick motion, he grabbed her by her hips and slammed his tail against hers, feeling the friction in their scales when they touched in the opposite direction against each other. Ariel's hips subconsciously moved themselves toward his. Eric gripped her hips more tightly as he moved his body against hers, tail to tail. He could feel the pressure instantly rising in a different way than it had before.
"Ariel, look at me," he said desperately, feeling himself nearing the end. She could barely keep her eyes open as she slowly raised her chin. When her eyes met with Eric's, she felt as if he could look into the very depths of her soul. She wrapped her tail tightly around his, creating a stronger intensity around Eric's tail. Ariel's mouth dropped open and her head fell straight back, as the heightened sensation coursed through her veins. Eric felt his own tail about to burst.
"Oh, Ariel!" he hugged her chest tightly, digging his fingers into her back. His tail throbbed violently for a few moments before he felt a calming release. He continued to hold on to her, afraid to let her go. He kissed her neck and applied quick pecks against her lips, making her giggle.
"What just happened?" he huffed, trying to stabilize his breathing.
"I- I don't know," she looked down at her body. "What is that?" The couple looked down at a dark crimson substance that pooled below.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, placing a hand on her cheek.
"No, I'm fine," she smiled, "I think that's from you."
"I don't think so," Eric responded, looking down by his fins. "Let me get you out of these shackles."
"It's ok," she giggled, twisting her arms a bit and slipping her hands out of the metal contraption.
"You could get out this whole time?!"
The swim to Atlantica was an interesting one, since Ariel's seashells kept coming undone.
"If this falls off in front of daddy, it will be all your fault," she jeered at him as he tied the knot behind her back for the fourth time.
"We'll just use my hands to cover them everywhere you go."
"Eric!" she shrieked with laughter.
Ariel and Eric entered the castle in a fit of laughter that echoed down the golden halls.
"Oh!" Ariel gasped, carelessly bumping into Triton's chest. "Sorry, Daddy," she giggled.
"You're back," he smiled. "Ariel, have you spoken with your mother?"
"Yes," Ariel lied.
"No, you haven't," he scolded her sternly and then at Eric who looked down at his fins. There was a brief moment of silence as Triton thought of what to say. "Athena!" his eyes perked up at the sight of her. She glided effortlessly down the hall with a small crown on her head, her long auburn hair had curls at the end.
"Hello, dear," she smiled and kissed his cheek. "Hello, sweet prince," she placed a hand on Eric's shoulder and kissed his cheek as well.
"Your hair," the king acknowledged, touching the tips of her hair with his fingers.
"Do you like it? The girls did it," she smiled to herself. "Ariel, could I talk to you a moment?" Ariel looked at Eric and then at Athena and nodded politely with a smile.
"I'll be with the King, if that's alright with you, your majesty," Eric suggested cautiously.
"Of course, my boy!" King Triton slapped Eric hard against the back playfully. Ariel and Athena both giggled.
"I'm sorry, I haven't spent much time with you since I've been back," Athena apologized once they were in the Queen's room. She sat at her mirror and gently removed the crown from her head and placed it in its holder. Ariel watched in the mirror as her mother pinned some of her hair up and let the rest cascade down her back. Athena noticed and smiled at her daughter's reflection. Ariel quickly looked away. "Ariel," she said, rising from her seat, "Come sit with me. You must have so much to share." She sat over by the window and patted the seat next to her. Ariel made her way over slowly.
"Not really."
"I hear you love going on adventures and you love music," Athena said excitedly as her youngest daughter sat down beside her. Suddenly, Ariel's seashells came undone and fell to her lap. She immediately covered her chest and felt her face get warm with embarrassment. "Oh, dear!" Athena cried out, followed by some laughter. "Here, I'll get that fixed for you." She took the seashell bra in her hand and made her way to to her closet. "Come, Ariel. I want to show you something."
Ariel followed her mother into the large closet. Inside was a collection of garments of many different colors, jewelry, hats and bags.
"Do you like them?" Athena asked as Ariel ran her fingers across a sparkling blue seashell bra.
"I like mine," Ariel smiled at her appreciatively, breasts still covered with her arms across her chest.
"Come this way," Athena said to her, moving a large armoire out of the way which covered an open passage in the wall. "Go on," she encouraged. Ariel hesitated a moment and then a big smile spread across her face as she quickly swam inside, eager to discover what secret awaited. Inside was a dark, stuffy area with hardly any light. Ariel could see the beginning of a long spiral ramp. Athena closed the hole with the armoire from behind and then took a hold of Ariel's hand off her chest. "It's ok, darling. They're nothing I don't already have myself," Athena said with a wink, "This way." She led Ariel by the hand up the long ramp that seemed to go on forever.
"We're in the middle tower, aren't we?"
"The forbidden tower, yes," Athena smiled.
"The forbidden tower?" Ariel's eyes widened, "I didn't know it was called that!"
"Your father probably never told you to keep you curious young mermaids out," she chuckled. The higher up the tower they went, the brighter it became. "This place is very special to me. It's where I would come to get away from everything and everyone when my father wouldn't let me leave the castle."
Once the two mermaids reached the end of the ramp, Athena pulled on a hidden lever that released a ceiling door. A golden light brightly shined from above.
"Go ahead, sweetheart," Athena encouraged. Ariel smiled again and swam up into the hidden circular room. She was amazed by the brightness of the large golden room completely surrounded by golden glass that covered the walls and arched ceiling.
"I've never seen this from outside!" Ariel chirped excitedly.
"You can see out, but they can't see in."
"You can see all of Atlantica from here!"
It took a moment for Ariel to ignore the view and focus her eyes on the things that adorned the room. There was a collection of musical instruments on one end and a wall that carried a collection of seashells and different colored sand. Athena opened a box that had a sea needle and thread and began to repair Ariel's seashell.
"What is all this?" Ariel asked curiously, fingering a large ivory instrument with long vertical strings.
"It's human. They call it a harp," Athena explained. Ariel strum a few strings and smiled with glee at the beautiful sound it produced.
"When I was a young mermaid, I collected instruments and seashells from all around the globe. My father, the sea king, was very overprotective of me. He built this castle many years ago so that my mother and I would have a safe home. But it became more like a prison. He'd go away for months at a time and I'd miss him terribly. I had no brothers or sisters to talk to and was hardly ever allowed to have any friends," Athena told her.
"That's terrible. I'm not sure what I'd do without my friends. So, what happened?" Ariel asked, listening intently.
"All I ever wanted to do is see the ocean and the rest of the world. When I was a bit younger than you, I followed my father and his guards through the South Atlantic Ocean to the Antarctic Ocean."
"All alone?" Ariel's eyes opened wide. Athena smiled and nodded as she continued to repair the bra. "How?"
"I was on my seahorse. She was so fast. I won many races with her," she gloated a bit.
"Did your father ever find out you were behind him?"
"Yes. He discovered me in the Caribbean, that's where we met Sebastian's great grandfather and I discovered Calypso music, my favorite. My percussion instruments over there are from the Caribbean seas. I found that flute behind you near the Bermuda triangle," she explained. Ariel picked up the flute and played a few notes, making Athena chuckle. "You know, the day I found that flute was the first day I met your father."
"Daddy? Really? He was near the Bermuda triangle?"
"Yes. He was on the royal guard; the youngest member. He wanted so badly to be tough and serious like the other men, but he was still very much a rascal. But, he always had a soft spot for me it seemed. He'd follow me around in secret, ordered to by the guards and my father- to make sure I didn't get into trouble," Athena smiled to herself, "And I did. Often. Triton seemed to always show up out of nowhere to save me. He'd then scold me for being careless, claim he'd tell my father- but he never did."
"That sounds like him alright," Ariel said dryly. Athena swam over to Ariel and handed her the newly repaired seashell bra.
"Tell Eric to be a little more careful next time," Athena said with a wink. Ariel felt her cheek become warm again with embarrassment.
"H-how did you know?"
"Humans are obsessed with breasts for some reason. Your father is more of a tail merman," Athena laughed. Ariel laughed a bit uncomfortably. It was odd for her to think of her father as a sexual being.
"So, how did the two of you- you know," Ariel started slowly, trying to change the subject.
"Well," Athena sat down again, gesturing for Ariel to sit next to her. When she did, Athena took Ariel in her arms and laid her head down on the lap of her tail. She combed her fingers through Ariel's long, thick red hair. "I had been exploring the seas with my father almost two years. He tried to make me stay home on the next exploration, but I refused to. Told him he could either take me properly or I'd just end up following again. My mother was very upset and worried, she had wanted to come as well, but she was terrified of the open waters.
Toward the end of the second trip, this time to the Indian seas, your father and I got into a big fight. He was still the youngest on the royal guard and still in charge of being my shadow. No other guards wanted to do it. I would constantly try to lose him in a crowd or hide in a cave until he'd pass, but he'd always find me eventually. One day we had a close call with a hungry shark. I almost didn't make it through the hole of a small cave we used to hide for a few hours. Once we both made it inside, I started laughing from the excitement and he had had it with me…
"I am sick of this!" a young Triton yelled angrily, "All this for a stupid flute?! I'm done babysitting this pampered palace brat!"
"I'm the brat? You're the one having fits like a merbaby!" Athena shouted at him, moving closer to where he paced back and forth in the water.
"You're, quite frankly, the most selfish, irresponsible, and careless thing I've ever met!"
"Don't call me a thing, you mindless drone! How will it feel to take orders your whole life? To be told what to do constantly and blindly follow the leader. You're pathetic," Athena screamed, inches away from his face. Athena's veins pulsed with anger as she felt tears starting to form in her big green eyes.
Triton knew why he was so upset. He didn't realize it until the short few months between trips they had in Atlantica. Her long auburn hair, angry emerald eyes and quivering lips just a mere inches away made him realize what he had been holding back the entire time. He pressed his face to her and kissed her forcefully, quickly wrapping a hand behind her head to his and the other pulled her soft body in to his hard chest. Athena let his tongue explore her mouth without much resistance. She suddenly felt her heart pumping a different kind of emotion through her veins as she let herself be held in the arms of the strong young merman.
Triton moved his hand from the back of her head to the side of her cheek as the kiss began to slow its pace. He opened his eyes to see hers still shut and a calm, serene expression across her eyebrows. He slowly started to pull his lips away from hers and her eyes immediately opened to meet his pale blue ones.
"Athena, I-" he started hopefully, but then closed his eyes and sighed, releasing his hands from around her and backing away. "I'm so sorry, your highness," he bowed his head, clenching his jaw a few times. The ocean water suddenly felt cold without his skin to hers. She didn't know what to say or where to start. All she knew was that she had never felt the way she had felt in his arms.
"It's ok," she said, barely a whisper. Triton felt as if he had made a huge mistake. She'd surely tell her father what he had done and he'd lose his position with the Royal Guard. Worse, he'd never see her again. He tried to shake off what had just happened and realized he had a job to do.
"Come," he said sternly, "Let's get you back to your father." She felt her heart sink completely as he swam by her, barely able to look her in the eyes. He poked his head out of the hole of the cave, searching for the shark. Just as quickly, he darted back inside and away from the entrance. The shark slammed his face against the hole, trying to take a hungry bite of Triton's head.
"Are you alright?" Athena swam to him, worriedly. He had never seen her express concern for him before.
"Yes. I am fine," he said softly. Athena nodded politely, unsure of what to say or how to act.
"Did- did I do something wrong?" she hesitated, sitting on a rock and looking down at her green tail.
"Which time?" he jeered, but then noticed she did not react to his fun poking.
"Just- a moment ago," she said quietly.
"No, no. Not at all," he explained in a sweet voice, swimming over to her.
"Then, why did you-"
"You're a beautiful, smart, young princess," he said, taking her delicate hands off her lap and in his rough ones. His touch made her heart throb again. She had never realized how attractive he was. "I took advantage of you just now and I sincerely apologize."
"What if I liked it?" she said timidly, looking down from his penetrating eyes to his chest.
"My duty is to your father," he swallowed hard, the words were almost impossible for him to say. He couldn't believe what she had just said. He wondered if she could have possibly felt the same way about him. Athena felt her heart sink again, why would he start something he could not finish?
"There you go again, following orders," she snarked, pulling her hands away.
"It is my job," he deepened his tone.
"What if I ordered you to kiss me?" she challenged him with a raised eyebrow.
"Please, don't so that, Princess."
"Why? Because you'd refuse? You'd tell my father?" she swam away and turned her back to him, crossing her arms at her chest and feeling her blood start to boil.
"No," he swam behind her and turned her around, pulling her toward him with one hand behind her lower back and one at the base of her head, fingers tangled in her hair. "Because I wouldn't be able to stop," he huffed, his nose touching hers. Their tongues met passionately and without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pushed into his face just as much as he did to hers. Soft sighs escaped Athena's throat as he gently caressed her back and neck. The kiss seemed to be neverending, the young merpeople couldn't get enough of each other's intimate affections. Triton pulled away a moment and smiled at the beautiful mermaid in front of him.
"I love you," the words escaped his mouth involuntarily. Her eyes widened in shock.
"You what?" Triton immediately regretted the words and wished he could take it back. But, being the proud merman he was, there was no turning back.
"I've loved you over the last couple years and just grew to realize it recently. The time we spent back home in Atlantica seemed like forever because you were not around. I couldn't just follow you on your next adventure or dilemma. You were locked away in the castle and I could count the amount of glimpses I got of you on one hand. I didn't know why I would get excited when I'd see you all of a sudden. I think I was a little thrilled you came on this trip with us again. My life without you is boring and empty. You bring me to life when you're around. You scare me to death and I get angry at my own feelings and take them out on you. But it's only because I'm afraid of losing you. Because, I love you, Athena," he expressed genuinely, stroking her cheek with his hand.
"Wow," she was speechless. "I had no idea you felt that way about me. I thought I annoyed you."
"You do," he joked, "But it annoyed me more when I'd hear the mermen talk about you in inappropriate ways. Your body has been maturing and many have noticed. It makes me want to rip their heads off." Athena giggled at his jealousy.
"I wonder what my father would think of this," she said with a devilish smile.
"He must never know. Athena, as much as I care for you, we can never be together," Triton cautioned. Athena removed her arms from around him and shook her head in disbelief.
"And why not?"
"It's not appropriate. You're a princess. I'm- not a prince," he explained.
"So what? I don't care about that," she began to grow angry.
"Besides, I just told you I loved you and you didn't even say it back."
"What?" she pulled herself away from him.
"I told you everything I just did and you barely said anything. All you said was 'wow'"
"Triton, this is all new for me. You're telling me these things now for the first time. It's not that I don't love you, I just-"
"I forget what a child you still are," Triton cut her off harshly. Athena's eyebrows furrowed and she tightened her mouth and began to swim toward the hole of the cave. Triton took a hold of her arm.
"Let me go!" she yelled at him.
"No!"
"Stay away from me!" Athena turned and slapped him hard across the face with her free hand. She swam out of the hole and he followed behind her.
"Wait!" he called out. The shark approached Athena from the other side and she lifted her arm out toward the shark, sending a golden blast to his nose. Triton stared in awe as he watched the shark quickly swim away. "Athena!" he shouted at her, but then didn't know what to say when she turned and looked at him with anger in her eyes. He picked the flute up off the ground and stared at it for a moment.
"So, what happened?" Ariel asked as she continued to rest her head on her mother's lap.
"Well, you know your father. Stubborn as a bull shark," Athena smiled to herself.
"What did you do? How did daddy apologize? Did your father find out?"
"Oh darling, there's so much I'd like to share with you," Athena lowered her head and planted small kisses on Ariel's cheek. "Come look at this," Athena got up slowly from her seat and lead Ariel to a part of the golden room that sparkled with crystal chandeliers hanging from the wall. On the wall there was a plaque for each one of her daughter's names. Ariel found her name at the end of the line, beneath the name was the imprint of a tiny tail painted green. "This was your tail when you were a little merbaby," Athena explained, "I made one for each of you. Here is a lock of your hair. Oh! And your first tiny purple band. I picked all of your colors myself once I knew the tail colors. The tail color is always a mystery. Your father and I both have blue fins, stubborn as ever. I was excited when you hatched with green fins, like my mother- your grandmother."
"What was her name?"
"Melody."
"Ohh," Ariel said as Athena handed Ariel the bronze flute from the story.
"There came a time when I stopped collecting music and seashells and started collecting my children's things. I became in love with motherhood."
"What is this?" Ariel picked up a paper off the floor that had girl's names that started with the letter A.
"I was playing around with names. I spent many hours doing that and asking your father what he thought. All he wanted was 4 sons and a little mermaid just like me named Athena. It was too similar so we settled for Attina. I wanted to have all daughters. I was so lucky!" she beamed with happiness as she looked at wall with the names. "I've missed you so much," Athena hugged Ariel suddenly and cried, "I'm so sorry I left you for so long. I'm so sorry I missed everything in your life. Ariel hugged her back tightly.
"I've been talking this entire time. Tell me about you, I want to hear it all!" Athena pulled Ariel back to the comfortable seat and put her fins up. She snuggled Ariel in closely to her side.
"All? There's so much!"
"Tell me about Eric. How did he find you?"
"Well, I found him."
"Really? How?"
"Well, Flounder- my best friend, noticed there were lights flashing above the water…"
Ariel shared all she could remember about the last few months since she had saved her loving prince. She found that she and her mother had more in common than just their looks.
"Do either of you have any idea of the consequences of your actions?!" the king roared. Eric stood by idly, confused at what he was witnessing. "Attina! Of all of my daughters, Attina? You're the last one I would have expected this from!"
"She is your daughter, not your wife! And she's not a child!" A young muscular merman with brown hair, light brown skin and a yellow tail bellowed, equally as loudly. Attina looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said softly.
"Attina, you have nothing to be sorry for," the young merman whispered to her.
"Who do you think you are?!" The king yelled. "Where is Athena and Ariel? They've been gone for hours!" he called to a guard.
"Your majesty, you should really try to-" Eric started reasoning calmly.
"Stay out of this!" Triton snapped at him.
"Attina, let's go," the merman held her by the wrist.
"You're not taking my daughter anywhere!"
"I'm not taking her! It's her choice," he retorted, "Attina, do you want to come with me or do you want to stay?"
"You're not going anywhere, Attina!" Triton screamed.
"I can't go with you right now," Attina said to the merman regretfully.
"What?" a pang of hurt was expressed across his face. "You can do it, Attina. Just stand up to him! He's a tyrant!" Eric felt terrible for the merman, he knew what that kind of rejection did to a man's ego.
"Guards, arrest him for treason!" the king commanded.
"Daddy, no!" Attina begged with tears in her eyes, "Please, daddy!"
The merman tried to swim away quickly before he could be caught. Triton lit up his Trident and shot a bolt at the merman, missing him by a few inches.
"Daddy, stop it!" Attina cried.
"Your majesty, stop!" Eric tried to forcefully hold back the king's right arm, but the king was too strong. The merman was forced into the corner of the room with no windows to escape. Triton lit up the Trident one more time and pointed it again, releasing another bolt of lightning. Attina swam to the yellow-tailed merman as fast and she could and threw her arms around his neck, protecting him from the trident.
"Attina, no!" the merman called to her. He quickly rushed her against the side wall and covered her body with his. The bolt grazed the skin of his strong arm.
"Attina?" the king wondered with much surprise and fear in his voice. Suddenly the trident snapped out of the king's hand and went right into Athena's extended hand, like a magnet. She and Ariel stood near the entrance.
"Are you insane?!" Athena screamed at the top of her lungs. Ariel went over to Attina who was crying and the merman's arm bled profusely. She put her hand over his wound to cover it and he winced in pain.
"Eric!" Ariel called out and Eric quickly swam to help the merman.
"It's ok. We've gotcha," Eric said as he threw the merman's good arm over his shoulder.
"Take him to the infirmary!" the queen ordered the guards. A set of guards carried the merman off as he grunted in pain. "Attina, make sure he's alright," Athena directed. Attina nodded, wiping tears from her eyes and followed the guards out of the throne room.
"This is all your fault!" Triton scolded Ariel and Eric, waving his finger in the air. "And today Arista asked me if she could be a human too! 'Like Ariel' she says!"
"Daddy, that wasn't right of you to do to that poor merman! He loves her! You could have hurt him!"
"Excuse us!" Athena commanded, eyes set on Triton. Eric and Ariel both left the room along with any guards who remained.
Ariel guided Eric to the infirmary to check up on the brave yellow-tailed merman. Her sisters were crowded outside the door, trying to take a peek at who the merman was who broke Attina's perfect streak.
"That's Jonas!" Alana whispered to the group.
"Jonas?!" Adella echoed, "Oh, I had to biggest crush on him. He's so exotic!"
"Who is Jonas? And who haven't you had a crush on?" Andrina mocked.
"He's one of the workers or guards here- I think. I hear daddy caught them tiding," Aquatta whispered softly.
Attina, who was sitting beside a bed in the infirmary, holding Jonas' hand turned around and glared at her sisters in the doorway.
"Ladies, I think they need some privacy," Eric said loudly, herding the group of mermaids away.
"He thinks he's the new Attina now," Andrina joked. The mermaids all giggled, including Ariel.
"Why don't you people have doors?" he said to Ariel.
"We're not people," she reminded him with a smile.
"Ariel?" Attina called out to her from inside the room. Ariel went in, with Eric right behind her.
"Ariel, what have I done?" she said as she watched a sleeping Jonas in despair. She held his hand tightly, hoping he'd be ok.
"He's going to be just fine," a big blue fish popped out from behind a white curtain. "I gave him something that will make him sleep for a day. Will subside a lot of his pain. He needs to heal."
"Thank you, doctor," the two mermaids said in unison. Ariel placed her hand on Attina's shoulder and rubbed it gently.
"I'm such a coward," Attina cried softly. "You would have never let Daddy do this to Eric. Why am I such a coward? I love him."
"Attina, you're not a coward. You're so strong. You're the strongest of all of us," Ariel consoled her.
"It was a very brave thing you did back there, Attina," Eric added.
"You think so?"
"Standing up to your father to protect the man you love, jumping in front of a lightning bolt from a trident. Of course," Eric smiled.
"What happened?" Ariel asked.
"Ariel," Eric shook his head, cautioning her not to ask.
"It's ok, Eric," Attina said, "Daddy and Eric caught us."
"Caught you together? Kissing?"
"Tiding," Attina said shamefully and lowered her head.
"What is that?" Ariel asked curiously.
"You're kidding, right?" Attina scoffed. Ariel's blank expression gave away that she was not. "Rubbing fins? It's not something you do unless you're married. It feels really good, but it can release the egg and the man can fertilize it. Pre-marital tiding is forbidden."
Ariel and Eric looked at each other. Ariel felt the blood leave her face and her whole body being drained of color.
"Ariel?" Eric asked. "Ariel!" he shouted, catching her before she hit the ground.