Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original The Little Mermaid or The Little Mermaid II characters. I do, however own characters of my own creation such as Christella.
NB: I wrote this while on a camping holiday with no net connection, so sorry it took so long!
Big thanks to all the regular reviewers, reviews make all the difference.
Last Time: How he hated bowing to a land man, he hated even more that she, more beautiful than any other, was his daughter.
Chapter 6:
Christella could not listen to the conversation that followed. All her energy was devoted to staying still and not panicking.
Melody was fuming. Ray's gaze was going from Ariel, full of respect, to Eric, full of contempt and often darting to Christella, his gaze full of desire.
"I would like to speak to the two… ah… princesses privately," said Ray at the end of the audience. "Why," said Ariel coldly.
"To inform them that I have no prejudices against them because they are… ah… half human." said Ray.
Eric seethed silently then opened his mouth as if to say something that would probably make the rebels resent him all the more.
Then Ariel looked at him with a pleading expression, and slowly he closed his mouth.
"Fine," said Ariel in a voice so full of hatred, Melody's mouth dropped.
Her mother never hated anyone, she thought. It was a curse that Ray was the only one her mother despised.
Ariel and Eric left the room holding hands, while having a conversation through their eyes that only people who completely understand each other can have.
Ray slowly swam to where the two sisters sat and said softly, "I hold no prejudice against you." looking only at Christella.
"But what if I hold prejudice against you," said Christella venomously, all her fear being unleashed as anger.
Ray looked shocked, he had not expected this. "What, um, how… How old are you," stammered Ray, not knowing what else to say.
Melody, tired of being ignored, said quickly, "I am eighteen and Chrissie is fifteen."
"What?" shouted Ray "I thought Chrissie was the oldest!"
"Christella," corrected Christella coldly.
Ray frowned, Christella was looking at him with hatred in her eye, whereas Melody was smiling at him so hard she looked as if her cheeks were about to burst.
Ray realised with a slight feeling pity that Melody was flirting with him!
He had heard of her reputation above the sea of flirting with a boy for sometime then dropping him as if he never existed. It sickened him.
A number of girls in the rebel group had grown 'infatuated' with him, and he had always firmly refused them.
When had done so they pleaded with him, had a screaming fit, sulked or all of the above!
Melody though was different. He felt that if he refused her, she would quietly accept it and get on with life, though maybe lacking some of her past vivaciousness.
He smiled at Melody, and impossibly she smiled even more.
"Do you want to meet me in the market sometime?" she asked hurriedly, then clapped her hands over her mouth, as if she couldn't believe what she had just said.
"Okay, how's tomorrow morning, just outside the palace gates, say about 10?" asked Ray. Melody smiled and nodded vigorously, she swam from the room full of joy, to mentally digest what had just happened.
Ray went to leave but before he did Christella said, "If you hurt her, you will regret it to the end of your days."
Christella's voice was so dangerous, yet so truthful, that Ray nodded dumbly in fear.
Christella swam swiftly through the palace, looking to the ground thinking of how stupid Melody was.
She was so preoccupied she crashed into someone. "Oh, sorry," said Christella quickly before looking up. It was Derek.
"Hey Christella!" he said with a smile. "Call me Chrissie," she said, surprising herself.
"Okay, Chrissie, what's up?" "Melody," explained Christella in that single word.
Derek nodded and took Christella's hand. Her heart fluttered. "Wanna go for a swim with me in the coral gardens?" asked Derek, "Um… Sure!" said Christella with a smile.
They swam through the garden in silence, still holding hands and sat in one of the many seats around the garden.
"So, what's she done this time," said Derek, referring to Melody, "Oh, just gone and fallen in love with the leader of the rebels," said Christella sarcastically.
"Oh, is that all," said Derek with a laugh. Christella smiled, "So, I haven't seen you in ages. What's happening in your world?" Christella asked.
"Well, my dad has tried to set me up with this girl called Lamella, pretty little thing, rich too." "What!" Christella exclaimed, alarmed.
"What? You jealous," said Derek cheekily, "No," Christella lied, blushing.
"Well you have no reason to fuss because she's a stupid airhead not capable of an intelligent conversation." said Derek grinning.
"You never stop smiling, do you," said Christella. Derek pretended to consider for a moment, then smiled and said, "Nope!"
Melody swam around her room in circles. With one thought going through her head like a broken record.
"He asked me out. He asked me out! he asked me out…"
Ray sat down with a sigh in beautifully furnished dining room in the Blueswell house, his temporary home.
Rhiannon came rushing in almost immediately and sat on the chair beside him, turning it to face him.
"So," she began, "Did it go well?" "Not as well as I hoped, but she listened, that's what counts at this stage."
"You look grim, how 'bout we go do something tomorrow morning?" asked Rhiannon, smiling hopefully.
"Sorry Rhi, but I'm doing something tomorrow…"
"What?" asked Rhiannon, her voice full of interest.
"Well, you know those two mermaids we met the other day, in the markets?" Rhiannon visibly stiffened and nodded.
"I'm going to the markets with the older of the two, Melody, tomorrow."
"Was she the one you were staring at?" inquired Rhiannon, trying to hide the shake in her voice.
"No, she's the younger one and she hates me." said Ray wryly.
"Oh," said Rhiannon simply. The anger that was filling her was threatening to overflow.
"I have to go now," she said mechanically, and fled the room.
Rhiannon raced through the corridor that led to her bedroom. Suddenly she stopped.
Her favourite tapestry was askew, the one of the beautiful mermaid that looked a little like her, being worshiped by a merman that looked a little like Ray.
She went to adjust it, but saw something other than sand-coloured stone of the wall peeking out from behind the tapestry.
Rhiannon pulled the tapestry aside to reveal what lay behind it. A door.
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