'Mummy? Mummy!'

Athena's heavy eyelids parted as she was woken from her sleep, presenting her with her third oldest daughter, Aquata, keeping herself steady above the bed upon which her mother and father slept, floating effortlessly.

'Aquata? Sweetie was is it?' asked Athena, sitting herself up and reaching out towards her daughter.

'Eric won't stop crying.'

Sure enough, in the silence Athena could clearly make out the clamorous wails of the human-turn-merboy, carried through the water and surely loud enough to wake the entire kingdom.

It had been just over a week since Triton used the power of the Trident to transform the recently orphaned boy's legs into a tail, and every night without fail he would wake, his cries usually reaching Athena's ears before Aquata came to inform her of the disturbance. And it always was Aquata, the four year old having taken quite a liking to Eric since his arrival, taking on an almost parental role whenever Athena was busy despite being only two years older than him.

Lifting herself from the shell where she and her husband slept, Athena followed her daughter to the children's room, Eric's cries becoming louder by the second. Upon reaching their room, Athena found Alana, Arista and Adella huddled in the corner of the room, looking down upon a seemingly terrified Eric.

'Girls, back to bed please,' instructed the Queen softly, easing Andrina down as she sought to join her three older sisters. The children obeyed immediately, swimming back to their beds and watching as their mother made her way across the room to the crying boy, humming softly as she swam.

Eric sat against the wall, his arms wrapped around his tail, hugging it to his chest, his face pressed against the shining cobalt scales as he tried to hide himself from the world, and his shoulders shaking with each sob that jolted his small frame.

Athena could feel her heart breaking as she looked down upon him, asking herself for the millionth time whether it had been right of her to bring him into this new and confusing world, to force him away from what he knew, to a place where he felt he would never fit in. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Athena lowered herself to the floor in front of Eric, and gently moved one hand under his chin. He was startled at first, and then seemed to retreat into himself further, pressing himself against the wall.

Slowly, Athena lifted his head until their eyes met, his sky-blue eyes marred by exhaustion and sadness, hers with love and sympathy.

'It's alright darling, don't cry,' she said softly, placing her other hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Eric didn't reply. The Queen should have known that he wouldn't answer, he never did. In fact, the two year old hadn't said a word since he'd been here, avoiding eye contact whenever someone spoke to him, and cuddling up to Athena should they persist. She had become his anchor in this new and unfamiliar world, one in which he was still very much an outsider. The girls had tried their best to include him, asking him if he wanted to join in their games, offering to take him with them when they went outside the palace, but always the boy just shook his head and wrapped his arms around himself.

Sighing to herself, Athena took Eric into her arms, cradling the boy against her breast, her slender fingers working their way through the black knots atop his head.

'Don't be scared,' she cooed, rocking him back and forth, 'I've got you, you're safe here.'

'Yeah, don't be scared!' said Arista, swimming over and wrapping her arms around Eric. Adella and Aquata did the same, the three girls wrapping their adopted younger brother in a tight and loving hug as Athena smiled down on them, feeling immensely proud of her daughter's kindness. Even Ariel, though only five months old, began cooing and reaching out, her tiny hands clenching and unclenching in the direction of the embrace.

Gradually Eric's cries died down and became quiet hiccups and sniffles, his blue eyes looking between the three girls who had only just detached themselves from him; and, for the first time in weeks, the merboy smiled at his new family.

'Mummy look! He's happy!' giggled Arista, spinning around the room.

Athena gave a relieved sigh, and she lifted Eric to gently kiss his forehead before carrying him back to bed and laying him down, turning back to her elated daughter's as she tucked him in.

'Alright girls, thank you very much for your help, but it's time to go back to sleep,' she said, swimming over to pick up an energetic Ariel and then returning to perch beside Eric.

'Mummy, can you please sing to us?' asked Alana, adjusting herself in her bed so as to face her mother. The question was followed up by a series of excited squeals and pleas from her younger sisters.

Only moments later, Athena's enchanting voice filled the room, captivating the eight children as they settled down to sleep. It was a regularity, for every night Athena would sing her children to sleep, her gentle voice creating a calming atmosphere that ensured her children felt safe and loved. As well as this, it had also proven one of the few things that seemed to help Eric relax. Even Ariel's normally hyper attitude seemed lessened whenever the queen began to sing, her sea-blue eyes widening as she stared up at her mother with wonderment, her jaw going slack.

The song lulled the children to sleep fairly quickly as it so often did, at which point Athena let her voice drop to a soothing whisper as she returned a now dreaming Ariel to her bed, kissing her forehead as she finished her song.

'Good night my darlings,' she whispered to the silent room, hesitating only for a moment before smiling and turning away.

How lucky she was, to have seven such kind and beautiful daughter's, and now a son equally so. Whether Triton would accept Eric as his son or not, the boy now seemed just as much a part of the family as anyone, and the girls certainly loved him.

'Mummy!'

Athena froze, turning on the spot as a timid voice broke through quietness of the night and to see that her eldest daughter, Attina, seemed to have followed her through the palace.

'Sweetheart, what are you doing? I thought you were asleep,' said Athena, reaching out to her daughter and drawing her into her arms.

'I can't sleep,' replied Attina, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as Athena began brushing back her hair, her slender fingers working their way delicately through the six year olds shoulder-length auburn hair, which was styled during the day and only really freed at night to contribute to a good night sleep. However, as a result of the currents and the gentle swell of the water, it tangled itself during the night, and had to be brushed for at least half-an-hour the following morning. Not that Athena minded, most of her daughter's loved having their hair brushed, the sensation calming both them and their mother, and a time for each one to spend a bit of time with Athena without the interruption of their sisters.

Athena smiled wistfully, but then realised what Attina had said, and her brows knitted together.

'Oh? Why's that then?'

'I'm scared.'

Athena froze, her heart aching as she noticed the fear in the girl's eyes, that way she pressed herself against her, seeking both comfort and protection it seemed. As the eldest, Attina was always the one to take care of her younger sisters, making sure that they were safe, Ariel especially it had to be said; but now it seemed that she needed to be cared for just as much. Athena immediately felt bad, she was her mother, it was her duty to provide each of her children with equal care and love, but recently she had been so caught up in taking care of Eric and her other, younger, more needy, children, she had almost completely neglected Attina.

Pressing a gentle kiss to her daughter's temple, the queen sat down upon the windowsill, looking out across Atlantica and holding her daughter close to her bosom.

'What are you afraid of?' she asked.

When Attina didn't answer, Athena pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, an action so gentle, and so loving that the mermaid princess couldn't help but lean into her mother, trusting her and ready to tell her everything that she had kept to herself for the past week. Still her mother persisted, uttering encouragement.

'Tell me sweetheart.' Athena lifted the young mermaid's chin, and turned her slightly to the side until their eyes met. The queen honestly didn't know what words were going to come out of her daughter's mouth next, but there was one thing that she certainly wasn't expecting.

'Eric.'

The queen was stunned to silence, wondering for a moment whether or not she had heard Attina correctly. She was scared of Eric? Why? Athena was certain that Eric had done nothing to make Attina fear him; in fact she wasn't sure the boy could even frighten a sea snail. Taking her daughter's small hands in her own, Athena spoke again, though her voice was filled now more with confusion than concern.

'Darling, why are you scared of Eric?'

Attina looked down to the floor, her tail swishing back and forth rhythmically, though absentmindedly against her mother's.

'Daddy said he was dangerous,' she mumbled, lifting her eyes upwards, 'mummy, I don't understand, why did you bring him here if he's dangerous?'

Not for the first time, Athena found herself wondering how such a young girl could keep such things to herself, and why it was that Attina was willing to trust her father's judgement over hers.

'Oh darling, he's not dangerous, what would make you think that?

'He was a human, and humans… they… they take us… daddy said so… they think it's fun mummy!' exclaimed Attina, her voice raising as she stumbled over her words.

The queen sighed. Triton was right to be wary of humans of course, they had the capabilities to seriously hurt of even kill folk of the sea; but so often he forgot that there had never been any proof of humans hunting their people for sport. It was true that they sometimes found themselves tangled in fishing nets and hoisted above the waves, but they found themselves back in the water more often than not. Yes, Atlantican's had gone missing in the past, but Triton had no way of knowing that it was the humans doing. Her husband's beliefs had been clouded by fear, and last week hadn't helped the matter one bit, and now it seemed he was inflicting those views upon their daughter's, tainting their young minds with suspicion.

'But he's not a human anymore Attina, and he's only young, the same age as Adella, and you don't think she's dangerous, so you?'

Attina shook her head. 'No, but she isn't a human.'

'And neither is Eric, not anymore,' replied Athena. 'Attina darling, Eric's much more scared of you than you are of him, this is all new to him and as long as we protect him, and love him, and care for him he'll never be a threat to us. I promise.'

Attina cocked her head to the side, her delicate brows knitting together as she took the time to register what her mother had just said.

'But… if he was dangerous before then why did you help him? Weren't you scared?'

Athena smiled and shook her head, her expression kind, understanding her daughter's queries and more than willing to answer if it meant altering Attina's opinion of Eric.

'He's only a child sweetheart, just as you and your sisters are, he won't be dangerous unless somebody teaches him to be.'

'So we just need to be nice to him?'

'I know you will be,' said Athena, drawing Attina tighter into her arms and kissing her cheek before getting up and swimming back towards the room where her children now slept soundly.

Attina clung to her mother, thinking through all she had said. Who was she to believe if her parents each told different tales of humans? Had her father lied to her? Questions swam round in her head as Athena tucked her back into her bed, making sure that she was both cosy and comfortable before moving to sit beside her, her slender fingers working their way expertly through the young Princesses hair, brushing it back from her face.

Attina yawned, leaning into her mother's gentle touches that so often provided her with comfort and reassurance, only now realising just how tired she was. But, there was one final question she had to ask.

'Mummy? Are grown up humans dangerous?'

'Not now darling,' whispered Athena, not wanting to strike anymore fear into the girl's heart now, 'you go back to sleep, and don't be afraid, you're safe here.' Leaving behind a gentle kiss, Athena swam silently around the room, making sure that Eric and each of her daughters were warm enough before heading over to the door. 'Sweet dreams.'