pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"Later that evening, in the castle dining room, Eric and Grims were waiting for the girl to arrive for dinner. Even though Eric had taking a strong liking to the pretty girl, there was still that other one...the one who had saved him. If the girl wasn't a mute, he would have believed wholeheartedly that she was the one. But she wasn't. The one with a voice like an angel was...and he had to hold onto her. He just had to.
"Oh, Eric, be reasonable. Nice young ladies just don't - swim around rescuing people in the middle of the ocean and then - flutter off into oblivion, like some -"
Eric interrupted him as he gazed out the window, looking out at the churning sea. "I'm tellin' you, Grim, she was REAL! I'm gonna find that girl - and I'm gonna marry her."
Carlotta's voice suddenly drifted in from the doorway and Eric looked up curiously.
"Ha Ha. Come on honey. Don't be shy." The girl entered then shyly. Her long, dark red hair shone with a healthy, beautiful shine and she wore a pink-and-white gown with silver barrettes on her hair and pearl white earrings.
Grimsby smiled and elbowed the Prince slightly. "Oh, Eric, isn't she a vision?"
Eric was struck. "You look - wonderful."
So beautiful...
Grimsby gestured to her as Eric pulled out a chair for her. "Come come come, you must be famished. Let me help you my dear. There we go - ah - quite comfy? Uh. It's - It's not often that we have such a lovely dinner guest, eh Eric?" The girl suddenly started combing hair with a fork. The two men looked dumbfounded and she quickly put the fork down, embarrassed. She saw a pipe and brightened. "Uh, do you like it? It is rather - fine . . ." Grims was saying when she suddenly blew its contents into his face. Eric laughed as black soot covered the old man's face. She was just something else...to damn adorable for her own good.
"Oh, my!" Carlotta gasped, hiding a smile.
Eric caughed, hiding his laughter. "Ahem, so sorry Grim."
Carlotta grinned. "Why, Eric, that's the first time I've seen you smile in weeks."
Grimsby wiped his face. "Oh, very amusing. Carlotta, my dear, what's for dinner?"
"Oooh, you're gonna love it. Chef's been fixing his specialty, stuffed crab."
Just then, a huge crash was heard and everyone froze, looking in the direction of the kitchen.
Carlotta was silent for a moment before she smiled awkwardly. "I think I'd better go see what Louis is up to."
Back in the kitchen, Louis was trashing the place.
"Come out you little pipsqueak and fight like a man!"
Carlotta was seething. "Louis! What are you doing?"
"Well - I - I was just - er, er, I'm sorry, madame."
Back in dining room, Grims was busy trying to push the idea of the mystery girl on Eric. The boy needed to leave this singing imaginary woman behind!
"You know, Eric, perhaps our young guest might enjoy seeing some of the sights of the kingdom. Something in the way of a tour?"
Eric had been staring at her, lost in thought as he watched her process the world around him. "I'm sorry, Grim, what was that?"
"You can't spend all your time moping about, you need to get out. Do something, have a life." Grimsby lifted his plate's cover to reveal Sebastian cowering in the salad. "Get your mind off -"
"Easy, Grim, Easy," Eric warned as Ariel lifted her own plate cover and signaled for Sebastian to hide there. Sebastian rushed across while no one was looking. "It's not a bad idea. If she's interested. Well - whaddaya say? Would you like to join me on a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"
Ariel turned back in as Eric turned his mesmerizing ice blue eyes on her. She nodded vigorously, leaning heavily on her plate's cover, her eyes wide and adoring as she looked at him.
"Wonderful, now let's eat, before this crab wanders off my plate."/pre