"I swear... you're something else, Mira...", Tazio muttered as she chuckled. "I know, and that's why you love me so much.", Mira teased as she went right back to her erotic playing.
Tazio moaned repeatedly as Mira stroked and massaged, taking him in her mouth back and forth for the next several minutes before Tazio shouted, "Mira!", as he came, and Mira swallowed, cleaning him off as he panted deeply.
Mira then sat up, smiling as she tucked up the trousers over him, replacing, "You really needed that, my beloved.", and Tazio smiled goofily, "I did...I really wish right now I could take you right now.".
"I know, Tazio, but I will be stronger for it in due time...Now, let's go to sleep, and maybe perhaps by the next night, you will return the favor of pleasuring me.", Mira smirked teasingly as she then reached for the tray within a water pitcher, taking a glass of water, washing and cleaning her mouth before she then snuggled up to Tazio.
Tazio purred softly, "You got a deal, my beauty.", kissing his wife on the lips passionately before caressing her shoulders and then cuddled with her as they went back to sleep.
As time passed, the family was overjoyed to see Mira up and moving, and the twins were soon properly introduced to Atlantica by meeting Ariel's sisters and of course, father...Triton was so happy about the news, and he adored his great-grandchildren.
Yet what Tazio feared has come true...Only two nights since the introduction of the twins, Triton passed away peacefully in his sleep, and Ariel was inconsolable when she found out...
"Ariel?", Eric found her at the cove that evening where she took her first steps as a human after her deal with Ursula. She was out by a rock as the tide had come in. Eric could see how much she had been crying, as he walked over to the waterline. He would obviously have to swim in waist high water to reach her rock.
Eric sighed as he luckily had his bracelet, and turned into his merman self, swimming over to the rock, lugging himself up, and Ariel collapsed into him, sobbing, hugging him, and Eric wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead.
"Ariel... I'm so sorry...", Eric said, repeating what he had obviously said quite a few times already today but Ariel... she really just wasn't taking the loss well. "I know how you feel... I really felt something awful when I lost my parents...".
Ariel whispered, "I knew that everything and everyone has their own time, but I didn't...I mean, I knew it would happen, but it didn't feel like it would happen until now...", and Eric rubbed her back softly, "Triton truly lived a full life, Ariel...He was a great man...He loved you, Ariel, no doubt about it...But he is at peace now, probably making up for lost time with your mother which I couldn't blame him for...".
Ariel just shook her head and kept sobbing. Eric just stayed with her, obviously wanting to show that he did care and that she was very much right to cry from her loss. He certainly never wanted to upset her by telling her to suck it up and move on already as he's sure that others in this position might have said. That was never him.
Eventually, after a couple of hours, Eric managed to get Ariel home, not wanting her to get sick, and that they had missed dinner, through Eric had a feeling that their children tried to understand, and he convinced Ariel to eat before falling asleep in her grief, holding her in his arms that night.
The first few weeks were rough, with Ariel slowly getting better, and Tazio took over Eric's duties with determination and familial love as Eric was at Ariel's side every day, with devotion and care.
Eric knew that Ariel needed time to heal, she was just as bad with Tazio's death the first time around, but Melody still needed her mother, so she was a bit stronger and keeping it together somewhat better then, but now... now it just was a whole different story.
With Guido being almost 6 years old, he is sort of independent, but luckily, was distracted with his cousins and such, but he was worried for his mama, and often talked with Melody about it in terms he could understand.
Ever since the near-incident and the introduction of Primrose, Guido and Melody became as close as brother and sister. Guido looked at Melody, "Mama is getting better, and is playing with me again, but she gets sad almost every day...", as he sat in the playroom as Primrose is playing with Esmeralda... Gabriel is helping Mira with the twins as Tazio is currently working on his duties...
"I know... this hasn't been the first time for her doing that... she was doing much of the same when I was around your age.", Melody admitted as she sighed; still feeling bad seeing Ariel like this again.
Guido blinked before sighing, "I know...You will tell me when I get older...But it was about Tazio, was it?", and Melody smiled bitterly, scuffling his hair warmly, "Yes, it was, along with an old friend of hers as well...But we cannot do the impossible...Your grandfather was tired, and he wanted to see Grandmother again. It doesn't hurt him...It's like...he wanted to feel better, and now he is...".
"Oh...He's happy again?", Guido asked, and Melody nodded, "Yes, he's happy for he's home, with his wife long lost, but never again, he won't be sad.", with a smile.
Guido had a small smile on his face as he went back to playing while Melody sighed and thought how much she wished Ariel would be the same. A quick thought did spring to her mind, but she shook that away. She wasn't going to help defy nature and bring her grandfather back like she did with Tazio. That was a whole different thing and honestly, even if she did, Triton probably wouldn't last much longer again. If it wasn't one thing, it was another for those around his age.
And besides, she had a feeling that Ariel would be enraged if she knew what Melody thought for a moment. No, it's better to leave it alone.
"Guido, you okay playing on your own for a few minutes? I need to talk to Mama.", Melody asked as she stood up; obviously she wanted to make sure that Guido stayed out of trouble while she was away.
Guido nodded, "I'll be fine, Melody. Primrose and Esme's playing over there. I am gonna play with them.", sprinting over to the other side of the playroom, asking Esme, as Esmeralda is around his age, almost 5, with Primrose now 4.
Melody smiled, heading out of the playroom, and spoke to one of the palace staff, "Stay close to the playroom while you're cleaning, clear?", and the staff nodded, obeying the orders.
With a sigh of relief, Melody then headed off down the hallway to the master bedroom, noticing Eric flittering around his personal desk, "Daddy?", and Eric looked up with a warm smile, "Melody. Are the kids alright?".
Melody nodded, "Yeah, they are...Mom?", and Eric nodded in understanding, and gestured with a tired smile, "On the balcony...She told me that I shouldn't leave some important things unattended...I think she wanted some alone time, but perhaps it's better for her to have a woman talk...".
"Okay. I will talk with her...", Melody smiled, and kissed him on the temple, "Love you, Dad.", with Eric smiling softly at her as she then passed him, walking into the balcony, seeing Ariel sitting on one of the balcony chairs.
"Mom?", Melody made her presence clear as Ariel turned around to look at her for a moment before looking right back at the sea. "I know you told Daddy that he should go do some things, but I've got nothing that needs taken care of; Guido and the others will be fine so... well, can we talk?".
Ariel gave a small nod, and Melody then sat down on her chair next to Ariel, "Mom...I know it's natural to ask how you're doing, but I am not gonna do that, as I want to ask you something else...What is your heart telling you?".
"I don't know...", Ariel answered. "I just feel like a ship lost in the ocean right now...", Ariel admitted. "Daddy's always been here throughout my life... but now... now he's not here anymore...".
Melody took her hand, "I miss him too, Mom...I'm not going to tell you to move on, because that's your decision, not mine, but Grandfather would want you to get better...far better than those past few weeks...I mean, even Guido noticed...He is happy that you got back into the mood to play with him, but he noticed that you're still sad...".
"I know... it's just... maybe it was easier with Tazio since he was only just born... I only knew him for a few months before it happened, and I had you as a baby that needed help raising. But this... my whole life I knew my Daddy... and Guido's already old enough to be just a tiny bit independent. ", Ariel sighed deeply.
Melody nodded softly, "Yeah...Look, it's not just you...It's all of us...well, not maybe the children, but as he was our grandfather and all, we knew him all our lives too, Mom...You're not alone...You have all of this family, and we're all here with you, and we all need you...Sure, we don't need you to help us grow and all, but we still need you, with your presence, your advice, your love. Heck, even if Daddy hadn't said it much around us, I think he's worried about you, even though he's relieved that you're getting better slowly.".
Ariel just took another deep breath as she had a small smile on her face, "Thank you, Melody... I know... I just... I just still need time to get used to it, I think. The shock of it all... it still hurts.".
"It hurts for all of us, Mom.", Melody told her as she walked up to hug Ariel. Ariel smiled a bit more as she hugged Melody back and gave a little chuckle as she kissed her daughter's cheek, "You have grown up so well, my wonderful baby girl...I'm so proud of you, even with your stubbornness.".
Melody giggled sheepishly, "I love you too, Mom. Well, do you want to come with me and play with the children?", with a patient smile on her face as she looked at her mother.
Ariel smiled tenderly and looked at the sea for a moment before nodding, "I'd be glad to, Melody.", getting up from her chair, and Melody smiled, feeling a tiny bit victorious, glad to see her mother electing to do something instead of moping around...Of course, it's a little step in the right direction, but it's still big steps in a way.
She knew that her mother will still mourn for Grandfather for some time, and of course, pain fades with time, and she will be back to normal sooner or later.
But she was hopeful that would eventually happen, Ariel was making progress, but it seemed like it was much slower than even Ariel probably wanted.
And so, months and years passed, and Ariel returned to her old self, and the family was relieved, and so, the family grew prosperous, with Bascus and Arcadia finally marrying their intended halves, and more children was born.
Of course, Carlotta passed away within a few years, and Ariel returned the favor by reassuring and being there for Eric as Carlotta was like a second mother to him...
And then the Seven-Year War began...Tirulia wasn't much bothered, but there were travelers who spoke of the war, along with people who brought disease.
Most of the kingdom was quickly aided, and the people who brought disease was sent away, but not quickly enough as many of the elderly people fought the spread of illness, and that included the king and queen.
"Influenza...", the doctor, a different one, much younger than their old doctor, was explaining. "It's a ravager... but obviously, I feel confident you two will recover.".
"I hope so...", Eric coughed, obviously having it worse than Ariel. "It's hell.". The doctor nodded, "I expected that, but with care, very good care, you and Queen Ariel will get better, I know it.", as he glanced at Ariel who is eating some herbal soup between coughing and taking deep breaths.
Ariel looked at him, "And I presume we'd stay in bed for some time, doctor?", and the doctor nodded, "Afraid so, Your Majesty. Only leave the bed for bathroom breaks, nothing less. And after the illness passes, the bed will have to be washed and cleaned.".
Eric nodded, "Naturally...Thank you, doctor.", and the doctor smiled professionally, "Of course. I'll inform your children of the strict rules. I'll take my leave, then, if there's nothing else, Your Majesty?".
"Thank you, doctor. You're dismissed... make sure to clean yourself, wouldn't want you to get sick.", Eric said as the doctor nodded and left. "He's wrong... this bed should be burned.".
Ariel nearly broke out in a hard laugh, hearing that. "At least your humor isn't under the weather.", Ariel chuckled.
Eric smiled at her, "And at least your laughter is a spot of light as well.", and Ariel giggled softly, "Why, thank you.", before picking up the other bowl of herbal soup, "Soup, my love?".
"Alright, my little mermaid.", Eric smiled before coughing roughly, and then sighed deeply as he took the bowl, slurping the warm liquid with a spoon, and Ariel replied, "I'm relieved that Guido is almost a teenager, otherwise I'd have worried about him...", between slurps of her soup with her spoon.
"He's still got plenty of family to help take care of him... just in case...", Eric said as Ariel nodded, "I know... but I really just don't want him to live through much of the same as what happened to you... be very frightening to think about."
"About us sharing the same fate as my parents almost?", Eric whispered softly. Ariel spoke, "Yeah...", before coughing, and Eric rubbed her back, concerned for a moment before she took deep breaths, "I'm okay...This is going to take a while, my love...".
Eric nodded, "I know...We will fight hard through this, Ariel...", before coughing again, hard, and Ariel took her turn to rub his back, and after a minute, Eric settled, breathing deeply, "This really takes a lot out of me...I believe we will recover, yet I am getting tired of being king...".
"You know you always could abdicate... let Tazio take the throne if you wish.", Ariel reminded. Eric nodded, "I know... but... it's one thing to abdicate at a much later age rather than now... shows weakness to other kingdoms and I don't want to put Tazio in a vulnerable position because of it.".
Ariel nodded in understanding, "Especially with a war on the far horizon...I know Tirulia doesn't matter much, but in a whole of Italy, it matters more...", and Eric smiled wearily, "Exactly...".
With a smile as Ariel kissed him on the cheek, "You can worry about it later as it's time to worry to get through this instead, okay?", and Eric stroked her cheek, "Yes, you're right... I love you, Ariel, and you'll always be my little mermaid, queen or not.".
"And you'll always be my prince.", Ariel smiled as Eric took another cough. "Sorry, I probably should at least give you a bit of distance, I don't want to make you worse if that can happen...", Eric apologized.
Ariel gave a little nod, "Fair enough, but we are in the same room, as we can't afford to leave and make the others sick.", and Eric chuckled, "As always, your logic makes sense.", before continuing to eat and drink his herbal soup, and Ariel followed, doing the same.
Elsewhere, almost 13 years old Guido is sitting on the upper deck of his father's favorite ship, anchored and latched to the dock, sighing deeply as he played ball with Leo who barked and yipped, chasing the ball...
Leo gave out a excited woof, and Guido blinked, glancing to see Esmeralda ruffling Leo's ears as she smiled at him, "I thought I'd find you here.", as she walked the stairs to the upper deck. Esmeralda always had been Guido's female best friend like how Gabriel has been his male best friend.
Guido gave a small smile, "You know me too well, huh?", and Esmeralda, 12 years old, giggled, "Wasn't too hard, Guido...You sure love sailing with your dad...How are you doing?", as she then sat next to him.
Sighing wearily, "I am doing okay, I guess, but I couldn't stop thinking about the story of Dad's parents dying from illness when he was about my age...I mean, I still got big stuff I wanted to show them; wanting to be apprenticed to the captain of Dad's navy, helping Arcadia to figure the sailing rules to make sure the seas around here are good and careful, finding the one of my dreams, growing up to get married and have kids...", Guido replied.
Esmeralda grinned, "You sure got a good shot with the captain, I mean, you've been sailing with your dad for years! And you're smart, you can do it, changing the rules to good, sensible rules within very good reason to help the seas while sailing...And I thought you'd found a girl already since you were introduced in your party last year...".