Author Note: I am sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I have been off in the world of my other fanfic and it is proving difficult to bounce back and forth. So here is the start of what everyone is asking for...

Chapter 4

The Autumn Festival was full of rich colours. Banners of purple, crimson and orange hung from every shop and home. The cobbled streets were alive with activity. Ariel and Eric walked hand in hand down the street past carts selling sweet and crunchy apples, baked pies and tarts, and roasted autumn vegetables with salt from the sea. Ariel didn't even know where to direct her attention. "There's so many people!" Ariel exclaimed as they passed through crowds of villagers. Some had baked goods in paper bags, others held onto their children as they ate candy and waved small banners. "What are the banners for?" Ariel asked as they paused at a cart selling some of the banners she spoke of.

Eric pressed a silver coin in the man's hand and gave Ariel a banner of deep purple. The man tipped his hat in thanks. "These are the sigil of our village. See, it's a ship sailing into the sunset." Eric took it from Ariel's hands and held it in front of his chest.

It was indeed a ship sailing into a setting sun. Each banner was a different colour, but the main symbol remained the same. This one was deep purple with lighter shades outlining a ship, rocking waves and a setting sun. "It's lovely," Ariel said with a smile. The human world was growing on her with each day, even though her heart gave a quick ache at the sight of the fake ship on the fake sea. She hated to admit how much her legs yearned to be a tail, just for another moment. Without thinking, she was looking at her black slippers poking out from underneath her blue silken dress. She couldn't help it, she was born in the sea and had always dreamed of being on land, but been told she would stay under the water. It's one thing to wish for something, it's another to suddenly be living it.

"Hey," Eric said while putting a finger underneath her chin, gently lifting her face to look at his, "I saw that."

"I'm sorry," Ariel sighed. "It's going to take me a bit."

Eric chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "Take all the time you need." He kissed the top of her head and just held her. Ariel closed her eyes and felt butterflies begin to fly in circles in her stomach. "Maria makes the best tarts, would you like one?"

Ariel pulled back, clutching the banner. "Yes please!" She tried her best to encourage the butterflies to disperse.

They found Maria's stand in front of the bakery. The smell wafting through her open door and shop window made Ariel's mouth water. Fresh pastry was baking in her ovens and the tarts out on her cart were golden brown with beautiful and intricate designs pressed into the crust. Ariel selected one with fall leaves bursting from the baked apples and caramel filling. It was still warm as Ariel held it while Maria spoke quietly to Eric as he tried to hand her a coin. She kept insisting the princess didn't need to pay. Princess. A princess of the sea, and now one of the land. Finally, after a short light argument, Maria accepted the coin but waved them off and told them to have fun and be safe. Have fun and be safe. Ariel smirked as she bit into her tart. The taste was overwhelming. Cinnamon, baked apples and swirls of caramel in the most flakey crust. It practically melted in her mouth.

They walked over to a quiet area with benches, with only a few children playing nearby. They sat as Ariel took another small bite. She was trying to savor the flavor. "Mind if I have a taste?" Eric asked, gently tucking Ariel's hair behind her ear.

"Of course," Ariel replied holding the tart up in between them.

To her surprise Eric pushed it down and instead captured Ariel's mouth with his. His lack of hesitation caught Ariel off guard. Kissing was something she loved and found so hard to get accustomed to. The butterflies in her stomach took flight and began to make the tart sit almost uneasily in her belly. She clutched the warm pastry almost too tightly as he parted her mouth with his tongue, letting himself taste the spices lingering on top of her tongue. Ariel kept her eyes shut tightly as she tentatively moved with Eric. His mouth moved easily with hers, their tongues dancing together. Ariel felt the quickening of her heart in her chest and the heat of her desire begin to creep up her neck. Don't save it all for the wedding night. Ariel set the tart down on the bench, a bit clumsily with her eyes closed, so she could place her hands on Eric's thighs. He cupped her face with one hand and gripped her waist with the other. The kiss continued as Ariel let her hands begin to travel further up his legs.

Eric pulled away suddenly. "Not here, Ariel." He said it gently enough, but Ariel couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. "Come on," he stood and took her hands.

The tart was forgotten as they shuffled through the crowds towards the shops. "Where are we going?" Ariel asked loudly over the chatter of the villagers. Eric only looked back at her and winked. It caused Ariel's stomach to flip and her knees to buckle. She stumbled as she gripped his hand tighter and did her best to stay close to him as he gently pushed through the crowd.

The building they stopped in front of had no cart in front of it. Next to it was a shop with silks hanging out front and the door open wide. Ariel could see the dresses and slippers placed with care all over the shop. She watched the silks sparkle and shimmer in the breeze and the shoes twinkle in the setting sun. This is Diana's shop. Ariel's thought was confirmed when she saw a woman with the deepest purple hair walk by the open shop window clutching an armful of silks. On the other side of the mysterious building was a men's shop with handsome shoes, boots and shirts that were made for broad shoulders, like Eric's.

"What is this place?" Ariel whispered to Eric as he tugged on the door of the building. It resisted, but with both of his hands he was able to tug it open.

"Somewhere private," he said while holding the door for her. Eric studied Ariel as she bit her lip and hesitated. The door opened to a staircase of rich wood. It led up into darkness. Her hesitation wasn't because she was going up into the unknown with Eric, it was the words Diana had spoken. It was the words that she had read in her book from Heather. Her mind was spinning. It's one thing to wish, it's another to have. "You say the word and we go back to the festival." Eric said as he began to close the door.

Ariel immediately walked forward and caught the door before it closed. "No," Ariel said. She began to ascend the steps. It was a bit humid as she climbed the steps. "Don't save it all for the wedding night," Ariel whispered to herself as she continued to climb into darkness. The orange of the sun streamed through dusty windows as she made it to the top.

It was one large room with two windows. Ariel had anticipated no furniture but was surprised to find a blanket on the floor with pillows and candles burning, the wax dripping down onto plates that held them. A basket rested in the middle of the blanket with a bottle sticking out of it. Ariel looked back at Eric. He looked nervous. He shuffled his foot and ran a hand nervously through his black hair. "I, uh, had some help," he admitted. "Diana hasn't used this part of her shop in years. She had plans to do something with the space, but said I could use it tonight."

Ariel's nerves came crawling to the surface of her skin in the form of gooseflesh. "Diana," she said the name slowly. "It's lovely. How kind of her."

Eric walked behind Ariel and pulled her into an embrace. She tensed. Unwillingly her body became stiff. "Ariel," Eric murmured as he kissed her neck delicately, "please know that I have no expectations. This life is new. Your body is new. But I can help. I love you." Ariel let her muscles relax. She held up her left hand and looked at the ring shimmering in the sunlight spilling through the windows.

"And I love you," Ariel said as she twirled in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. They stayed that way for several moments, just an arm's length away, looking at the other with love.

When they settled on the blanket Eric took the bottle from the basket and two glasses. "Have you ever had wine?" he didn't wait for her answer as he poured a generous amount for them both. Ariel accepted the glass and brought it to her nose and smelled.

The sweetness was evident. It looked like a liquid ruby. "No, never." She took a large gulp.

"Woah!" Eric helped her bring the glass down from her mouth. "You may want to take it one sip at a time." He laughed as Ariel raised her eyebrows.

She held the glass up to the sunset and looked at it quizzically. "Did I do something wrong?" she had to admit that it stung a bit going down her throat, but the taste was sweet with only a touch of sourness. Why couldn't she drink as much as she wanted?

Eric chuckled a little more as he clinked their glasses together. "Alcohol, such as wine, can make you drunk," he explained. "Do you know what that means?"

Ariel shook her head. "I've read the word before, but never really understood."

Eric took a sip of the wine, a much smaller amount than Ariel had. "If you have a lot of alcohol, or even a small amount if you aren't used to it, it makes you a bit less careful." Ariel put the glass down, unsure of what she was drinking. "I'm not explaining this very well. It's not something to fear. It can make you carefree, loosen you up. But if you have a lot of it, you can get sick or not remember what you did." Eric ran his hand through his hair again.

Ariel brought glass back up to her mouth and took a small sip. "So this will help me feel less nervous?" the words were out before Ariel realized she had even thought of them.

Eric laughed. "Yes, it will help." He watched as Ariel took another longer sip. "But still take it easy, the effects of it won't take long for you."

After an hour of slow sips and light conversation, the sun had set and the effects of the wine became apparent. Ariel sat the empty glass down and gripped her head. She felt light and carefree. Any nerves she had before evaporated from her. Eric watched her hold her hands out in front of her and turn them, making fists and then releasing them. Her fingers tingled, her head felt fuzzy, almost plush. It felt as if she was floating. She smiled and laid down on the blanket, letting her head rest on a pillow. Eric was hovering over her as she blinked slowly. His lips were on hers and her eyes closed. The room was spinning, but the effect didn't make her feel sick, it made her feel magical. His lips on her felt like fire and she never wanted it to end. When before she would have been nervous and unsure, now she was able to give in like she had secretly imagined.

"Are you okay?" Eric parted from her long enough to ask the question only to be pulled back to her lips by Ariel's eager hands.

"Yes," she said between kisses. "Will you help me?" she pulled away and looked into his eyes.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What do you need help with?"

Ariel giggled. "Everything is very new. You said you would help." She blushed as Eric looked away shyly.

Eric kissed her neck, making a trail to her collarbone. "Can I touch your leg?" he asked as his hand hovered over her thigh covered with blue silk. Ariel nodded as he glanced up at her. "Can I touch it underneath your dress?" Ariel giggled again. The wine was making any hesitations she had before melt like the wax from the candles surrounding the blanket. She nodded again.

Eric delicately lifted her dress, his fingers grazing her leg as he pushed the silk higher and higher until it rested over a place she had only read about. Ariel blushed the colour of her hair as Eric let his hand rest on her exposed calf, then travel up to her knee, circle it, then moved carefully up to her thigh. The feeling was bizarre because of Ariel's lack of legs only weeks before, but she felt more alive than she ever had. A warmth was beginning in the pit of her stomach and radiating out to all of her limbs and extremities. Their kissing continued as Eric rubbed her thigh, the feeling sending waves of heat through Ariel. She smiled against his lips and then parted for his tongue. While their mouths moved together Ariel slipped her feet from her slippers and let her toes wiggle free. Eric let go of her leg and laid down next to her, pulling them both onto their sides, their noses touching as they parted lips. Eric slowly pulled Ariel's dress higher until her other thigh was exposed, the candlelight washing over it, making it look orange. Her heart began to hammer in the chest, the effects of the wine slowly disappearing as Eric ran his fingers over the lace beneath her clothes.

Eric raised an eyebrow, a blush touching the tops of his cheeks. "I got them from Diana," Ariel confessed. She remembered going to lunch after the dress fitting and when she had returned to her room a box with a delicate white bow had been on the bed. She had opened it and knew instantly it was from Diana. The most gorgeous, delicate, and flattering lace undergarments had been in the box, surrounded by pink tissue paper. They were white, the lace not flowers, but seashells and coral.

"I'd love to see them," Eric said quietly as he lifted her dress higher, exposing her hip and the front her white undergarments. He looked down and noticeably breathed in.

Ariel blushed. "I'm getting nervous again," Ariel said before she could stop herself. The feeling was sitting in her chest. The feeling made her shift as Eric let his hand rest on her exposed hip.

"Do you trust me?" Eric asked as he kissed her lips and lightly pushed her onto her back, her head resting on the pillow. With slow movements, Eric took his hand and rested it over Ariel's woman's place. His fingers pressed and slowly moved over the lace.

Ariel closed her eyes and let the sensation of his hands on her consume her. Ariel tried to remember where in the book it had discussed these feelings, but she couldn't remember. His fingers moved up and down over the curve of her body, his fingers pressing lightly on the lace. She opened her eyes and saw him hovering over her, his eyes watching her face carefully as his hand gently explored. "I trust you," she breathed.

So, I am leaving it there so that I can make their first intimate experience believable and as true to character as possible. Thoughts? Reviews are wonderful.