Hello All,
First thing, before an angry mob finds me and tries to kill me, the story If I Set You Free, it's in progress again. I was on a forever long hiatus and really didn't realize so many people loved the story. Sorry for keeping you waiting, its coming.
Next set of news. Well, nothing. Just, ignore errors, I'll fix them later, and enjoy this. This is shorter than the other chapters but... well, whatever.
*Part III: Dunes*
- Chapter 1: Good Deeds Done -
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Ariel
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Ariel woke up in a tremendous amount of pain. Being thrown from Bruno had really hurt.
It was light outside, which was an odd change, having been expecting to wake in the pitch darkness. The sun was up and the birds were singing.
Ariel sat up, painfully and got out of bed. Cinderella was no where to be seen, so Ariel pulled her hair back herself and headed down the stairs. She reached the last stair when she realized she spotted a glowing green circle through a window. It was right out front. Ariel had a feeling though, that it wasn't leading her to a needy old man with an old horse. She had a feeling it was going to take her away.
But she wasn't ready yet. She hadn't even seen Cinderella.
Ariel ignored the call of the dots and was nearing the front hall when she heard the sound of yelling.
"You stupid, stupid girl!" came Drizella's voice.
Ariel figured her and Anastasia was just going at it again and took her time. But then she heard Cinderella's voice.
"Step-mother, please." she begged, "I-it-it wasn't me. I was here!"
"You liar," came lady Tremaine's voice, "You were humming the song from the ball last night. I heard you!"
"Lock her up," Anastasia said, "Call the police. Do something, mother!"
"Make her do Anastasia's toes! Make her paint them all with no nose plug!" Drizella suggested.
"Oh, I'll do something." lady Tremaine said.
Ariel peeked around the corner and saw lady Tremaine grab Cinderella by her arm and haul her down the hall. To give her credit, Cinderella fought her, protesting all the way. Fought her nobly, but the sisters pitched in and helped out.
Ariel had been about to go and help Cinderella, but what good would both of them locked up be? She'd be more help if she could get Cinderella out.
The girls came back down a moment later, followed by lady Tremaine. They hadn't taken the usual steps. She had to be back in their room.
The door bell rang.
"Now what?" Ariel said to herself, going to the door.
She swung it open with accidental strength and the door dragged her a bit as she tried to stop it from slamming.
Men in uniform poured in through the door and Ariel was pushed back. Ariel stood on her tip-toes, trying to see just exactly what was going on.
A tall, very skinny man with black hair a large black mustache cleared his throat.
"Announcing a proclamation from the king and prince." he wasn't screaming, but his voice was booming loud.
Anastasia and Drizella was already fighting their way towards the man. Lady Tremaine parted the guards like the red sea and walked through calmly.
"A girl last night has won the heart of our noble prince Charming," booming voice continued, "But his chosen wife ran off last night. We're doing a countrywide search for her. The only clues we have to her is this glass slipper."
One of the guards held up a glass slipper on a red pillow to show them.
"I'd like to be presented with each single female in the household."
A chair was presented and Drizella kicked Anastasia in the leg, stealing the chair first.
Booming voice guy took the glass slipper and held it as if it were a newborn baby. He carefully put the shoe to Drizella's foot and tried to get it on her. But it was no use, her big toe wouldn't even fit.
"Next!" booming voice announced, and Anastasia pushed her sister out the chair and sat there herself.
Her foot was a little smaller. She got all her toes in. But that was it. Nothing else fit.
"Is that everyone, ma'am?" booming voiced asked lady Tremaine.
"Yes." the woman said, "That's everyone."
Ariel nearly keeled over and died. She'd been watching so intently, she forgot Cinderella was up in the room locked away.
The guards filed out faster than they entered and Ariel snapped out of her trance.
"Wait!" she called, running out the door behind them.
They'd made their way to a carriage and were probably about to move on the next house. Ariel ran to the carriage, but apparently, whoever was inside was important, because the next thing Ariel knew, she was thrown through the air and fell in the grass. A shell-ball player must have hit her. It was like being thrown off a horse all over again.
She lay there for a moment. Feeling like every pain she'd ever had was rushing back to her. Her head spun.
"Miss, are you alright? I'm so sorry for that."
A hand reached out to help her up, but she pushed it away, dizzily. She was done with guards help, thank you very much. She sat up slowly and realized, though, that the hand outstretched to her hadn't been a guards. She looked up and her blue eyes met chocolate brown ones.
"Your majesty," she said, trying to get to her feet.
Despite her denying him the first time, he still grabbed her arm and helped her up.
"You'll have to forgive my guards," he said, "They act sometimes without thinking first. It will be addressed."
She waved him off, simply glad he could see her. "I was trying to stop you from leaving."
"Did you want to try on the shoe?" he asked, and Ariel noted his lack of hope and enthusiasm.
And why would he be enthusiastic? For one, she had long red hair and Cinderella had blonde hair. He was being polite, but he knew she wasn't the one.
"No," she said, "Not me. My friend, you danced with her last night."
He nodded, but it seemed as if he had heard that story already. She wondered then how early he had started his search. Ariel needed him to realize she was telling the truth.
"She's got blonde hair." Ariel said, "I did it up in a chignon bun. She had on a blue sparkly dress that matched her blue eyes-"
"Ari!" called lady Tremaine from the door. "Get over here this instant!"
"-She's taller than me," Ariel continued, ignoring the woman.
"Do it now or you will suffer the consequences!"
"-She had on those glass slippers,"
"You've got to the count of 1!"
"She made you laugh,"
"Ari!"
"Enough!" Charming bellowed over Ariel, to lady Tremaine. "Let her speak."
Ariel had only heard her father yell. Hearing Charming do it, someone so calm and well mannered, she knew it wasn't something he usually did. He seemed so under control. It was almost scary.
"Her name is Cinderella." Ariel finished, "And that witch of a lady has her locked upstairs in our room."
"Can you take me to her?" he asked, and Ariel nodded.
Turning on her heels, Ariel marched through the grass and back up to the house. Lady Tremaine stepped out of the way, her lips tight. Drizella and Anastasia had obviously been fighting, the two of them on the floor. They stopped when Charming came back in and their mouths dropped open.
Ariel climbed the stairs swiftly. Even when the familiar burn in her legs came, she didn't slow down. Charming was right on her heels and she tried to anticipate how Cinderella would look when she opened the door and he was there. Ariel guessed she did still have time to bring the prince to her.
Reaching the door, Ariel pulled on it, but it didn't budge.
Ariel turned to Charming.
"Its locked."
He sighed.
"I'll go back down," Ariel said, "And get the key from lady-"
"Don't bother," he said, seriously, "Just back up."
Ariel did as she was told.
Charming put his hands on the door and spoke through the keyhole.
"Hello in there," he called, "Back away from the door. I'm kicking it in."
She still wasn't quite sure what he was planning to do, but he made it sound dangerous. She turned and covered her face with her hands. There was a loud bang and the sound of splintering wood.
Ariel turned back around to see Charming had somehow kicked the door open.
Ariel smiled, running up the steps behind Charming. He entered the room cautiously, but confidently. If that were possible.
"Hello?" she heard him ask.
"Your majesty." Cinderella said, startled.
She had been by the window, it seemed, probably looking out towards the palace. Ariel saw though when realization hit her. She smiled and Charming returned it. She wasn't done up. She didn't have her hair up. She had no glamorous shoes or dress on. But he still recognized her. She ran to him, dropping formalities, and he picked her up, spun her around once, and embraced her in a tight hug.
"How did you know?" she asked, softly, and Charming put her down and turned to the door.
Ariel simply waved. She didn't want to make a big show out of it, although she did feel mighty heroic.
But her smile dropped as she saw both Charming and Cinderella's face sink into confusion.
"She was right here." Charming said, going towards her. "She had red hair."
"That's Ari." Cinderella said, "She's my best friend."
"She brought me up here." Charming said, turning to her. "She stopped me from leaving."
Ariel looked down at herself. Yes, she was still there. But why...
Ariel walked around the confused new couple and looked out the window. The green, neon, spots in the ground were glowing brighter than before. Perhaps they decided when she was and wasn't seen. Maybe it was part of her journey.
Ariel felt an overwhelming sadness. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.
"We'll find her." Charming said. "I owe her, for you."
His smile said he was flirting a bit, but it seemed to go over Cinderella's head.
"She's the only reason we met." she said, "Without her, id still be here."
"I owe her too," Charming said, putting his arm around her. "We'll find her. I promise."
He led them both downstairs and Ariel followed
"I heard my step-mother from all the way up here." Cinderella said. "She sounded awfully mad at Ari. You don't think..."
"She can't be that crazy," Charming said, "Right? She'd know Ari was under my protection now."
"She's not crazy, but she is determined."
"I'll look into it, okay?" Cinderella nodded, "But for now, think only good thoughts. Like, what flavor our cake will be."
Cinderella giggled, and Ariel nearly rolled her eyes.
Oh that love-drug.
Cinderella actually gave a little smirk at Drizella and Anastasia when she passed by, under Charming's arm. They hadn't moved from their spot on the floor. Lady Tremaine said nothing, simply moved out of the way again and allowed Charming and Cinderella to pass.
Ariel kept close, hoping the door wouldn't close and she wasn't somehow locked inside. Then she'd need to go out through the kitchen, because to everyone else, it would appear as if the door opened itself. And that was a mean joke.
Ariel made it outside without a hitch and walked by the guards. She had every nerve to karate chop one of them in their huge, muscular, legs. Let him think the wind did it. The idea made her smile. A rare thing, the thought, looking over her shoulder and back at Cinderella's home. It was weird, but she'd kind of miss it. She'd only been in it a few days, but apparently, she got attached to things easily.
Following the green dots, Ariel walked down a dirt path and somehow ended up walking into a forest like area. Tall oak woods and pine trees stretched up forever towards the sky. Ariel wondered how they didn't burn, because surely, they reached the sun.
The further into the woods she got, the darker it became. It was still early morning, but it still seemed as if night had fallen quickly. Ariel would be so much happier if Cinderella was with her. The girl had a way of lending strength. Even accidentally.
Ariel could use some strength at the moment.
But Ariel finally followed the dots and reached the portal. Ariel looked around herself once more and silently said goodbye to cold Paris. She hoped her journey was over before Cinderella and Charming married. She'd love to be there.
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Ariel closed her eyes and jumped in.
- Chapter 2: Fallen off her Pedestal
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Ariel
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Ariel fell on her face this time. She didn't pretend her landing was graceful and she didn't try to play it off. She fell long, hard, and fast. That all added up to a painful headache and an awful landing.
Getting to her feet, her hair blew into her face. She had somehow lost her hair ribbon in the fall and was now just left with her shoes and Cinderella's loaned maid dress. She looked lower class now. Like a maid. A servant. Something different for her, but she didn't much mind. No matter what people thought the dress meant, she still thought it was beautiful.
Ariel looked around herself. She was standing in what looked like miles and miles of endless sand. It had somehow gone from freezing cold to super hot. The sun beat down and Ariel actually thought she might sweat. There was a ruckus in the distance and Ariel made her way towards it. It was the ruckus or the endless sand.
A green spot in the ground caught her attention and Ariel realized it led towards the noise as well.
Climbing over a sand hill, and sliding down a few times, Ariel realized the ruckus was actually another market.
Great.
It seemed close by, but 10 minutes later Ariel was wondering if she had even made progress. The market still looked close by, but she seemed no closer.
The heat might have been getting to her, but Ariel knew she just needed a snack to eat. She had skipped breakfast, after all.
Finally, though, she made it. The market was hotter, the people adding to the heat, but Ariel was too entranced to mind. Each time she went out in Paris, she had found several things new to her. This new area was no different. There was so much furniture and decorations that Ariel's head spun. The colors were so bright and vibrant. And the people spoke loudly, talking of money and exchange. The whole place reminded her of a large shopping mall.
Ariel was looking closely at some jewelery when a man roughly pushed by her. She fell to the ground, but the man didn't even seem to see her. He was huge. Tall and mean looking. He had a black goatee, and was missing a tooth. He looked in uniform, though. Even if Ariel didn't know what uniform was common here.
"I'm sorry miss," the man said, gruffly, looking down at her, "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you back to the palace."
Was he talking to her? He couldn't have been. She had seriously just got there. How far was France? Would he believe she'd just fallen in from Paris?
Her answer was no, because a second later, two men grabbed her roughly by the arms and pulled her after the first man, as he walked off. If they would have said, follow us, she would have. They didn't have to treat her so low. Maybe it was the clothes.
They didn't walk a long way before they entered a gate and a giant palace stood before Ariel's eyes. It was white, but had brown-gold tear drop roofs. The palace looked more like a sculpted piece of architecture than a place to live.
"Surabi!" the head guard, it seemed, yelled. "Surabi!"
… maybe he was thirsty? She didn't know why he was screaming. Nor, and possibly this was more important, why she was dragged through the market and brought to this palace.
"I'm coming," yelled an equally gruff voice. "What Sal?"
A short, and portly woman marched up to them. She had gray-black hair that stuck out of her scarf, that was wrapped around her head. She had deep, black, eyes that seemed to stare straight into Ariel's mind.
"We found this girl in the market," 'Sal' said. "She's got on the traditional blue colors."
"Of course," Surabi said, unamused, "Come on, red. Lets go."
The two men who had her arms pushed her forward roughly. She just caught her balance, a real feat, but with the men watching, she had no choice but to obey the command. She was still in pain from being thrown off a horse and thrown through the air back in Paris. She wasn't ready for more bruises.
"So," Surabi said, taking her around and into a side door of the palace, "Think you can run away, huh? Spunk, you've got. I hate spunk. Whats your name?"
Ariel. Her name was Ariel. But she couldn't tell the rude woman that. She had a secret identity to protect.
"Ari."
"Are we?" Surabi spat, "Are we what?"
"No," Ariel corrected, "Ari. A-R-I."
"I don't like it," Surabi said, "Your new name is Jordan."
Ariel was about to object. This woman, the one Ariel couldn't identify from a can of paint, could not just change the name she'd changed from her name. It wasn't her real name, but this woman didn't know that.
"Problem?" Surabi asked, turning around.
Her black, beady eyes looked straight into Ariel's eyes and all words stilled in Ariel's throat.
"No ma'am." she squeaked out. "None."
Ariel was so tired of old mean women. Humans could just be so nasty. In Atlantica, that never happened. Children loved her. Women envied her. Men stalked her. Ariel really only loved the children part of that, but the point was that no one hated her. No one sneered at her or barked those kinds of orders. Merpeople had respect for her. But was it only because she was a princess? If her people didn't know about her royalty, would they treat her mean too?
The thought that they might saddened her spirits considerably. She never cared much for her princess status. She's of liked to think that her people liked her, because she was her. If she were just an ordinary girl, would they still like her as much?
"You're the last to choose your job." Surabi said, taking her into a room full of girls.
Ariel noticed one thing about them: they all had on blue dresses. None of the dresses were the same, but they were all the same shade. Ariel fit in perfectly.
Surabi drew a hat and held it out to Ariel.
"Well?" the woman said, impatiently, "Reach in and get your job."
Ariel reached into the hat, hoping a snake wasn't in there and pulled out a piece of paper.
"Read it aloud." Surabi said.
"Nightly Duties." Ariel read and the girls in the room sighed happily.
It wasn't a, good for you, kind of sigh. It was more of a relied sigh. More of a 'I'm so glad I didn't get that', kind of thing.
"You will attend to the princesses duties at night." Surabi said, "A noble job and blah blah blah. Truthfully, you're going to hate the job. The princess is spoiled and bossy."
Ariel opened her mouth, but closed it again. She was at the bottom again. She was some kind of servant. Why, for once, couldn't a rich, and kind woman take pity on her?
"Come on, Jordan." Surabi spat. "The rest of you, back to work!"
The girls in the room scrambled to their jobs and Ariel followed Surabi.
"Now listen carefully you rebel." Surabi said, "At 8 sharp, you are to run princess Jasmine's bath. After it, you are to brush her hair out and gather her clothes for the morning. Got it?"
Ariel nodded her head. She was saying this now, but secretly, she was hoping her portal of a ride would get her before she had to do anymore chores.
Ariel was shown into 'Jasmine's' room and Surabi slammed the door shut behind herself, leaving. Ariel looked around the room. It was big, a balcony being at the end of the room and a large bathtub in front of Ariel. There was a big bed by a vanity full of comfortable pillows and covers. Ariel wondered... but no. she spotted a pathetic pile of pillows in a corner. Of course, that was her spot.
It was still early yet, so Ariel sat at her little corner. She had happened to sit on a piece of paper and picked it up.
Dear new night duties girl, it read, my name is Lola. If you are reading this, Surabi has probably just left you to fend for yourself and figure things out on you own. I'm not like that. On the back of this paper is a specific list of things I have found to actually please Jasmine. She is a handful, but not impossible to deal with.
Follow the instructions carefully, and you may make it to the end, yet. Don t let her rambling throw you off and whatever you do, don't talk back to her. Just smile and nod your head, like she always right. With any luck, you'll die before your first years over and you can be free from your pain.
How... comforting. When death was the only escape, it was time to find a new job. Ariel walked out to the large balcony and looked over it. No neon green spots in sight. She was beginning to wonder whether or not the spots had minds of its own. It showed up when it wanted to and made her invisible in the same manner.
- Chapter 3: The Nicest Brat Ever
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Ariel
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Time passed slowly for Ariel. She'd found a fruit basket and had eaten practically all of it. She took a quick nap on her makeshift bed, and thought about Cinderella. She hoped the girl had forgotten her and focused more on being happy. She'd gotten what she had deserved.
Ariel looked over the list Lola had left again. While Surabi had told her to begin her chores at 8, Lola suggested starting at 6:30. Ariel listened to Lola.
The tasks didn't seem that hard, but Ariel was seriously aching and she wanted to give herself some grace time. Ariel did the simple chores first, like starting a fire and putting a pot of water on it. She remade the bed in the order Lola had instructed. Dusted the furniture and swept the floor.
That was it. The rest of her chores was done with Jasmine. The chores weren't so bad, practically nothing compared to what Cinderella and her did. Ariel wondered why everyone was so afraid of the job. Jasmine must have really been a pain. Ariel hoped that wasn't the case. If you asked Ariel's father, he'd say Ariel herself was a pain. But Ariel knew she was simply misunderstood. Hopefully Jasmine was too.
Ariel found herself back out on the balcony overlooking another odd part of the human world. There was so much sand. Add a million tons of water to it and Ariel might actually feel a bit a home. But this sand was dry and blew away in gusts when the hot air blew.
Ariel put her elbow on the balcony railing and leaned on her hand. A hot breeze picked up and Ariel closed her eyes, allowing the wind to push her hair back. She wondered where Eric was. Was his province close to this sandy area? Maybe he had rode through at one point in a carriage or something.
Ariel sighed. She had no idea. She didn't even know where Eric lived. She didn't know a thing about him. Not his last name. Or his age. Who his parents were or what they were like. She was reminded again of how much of a stranger they were to each other. All she had to go by was a simple, short conversation they had had. Though it had been the best 5 minutes of her life, it wasn't nearly enough to know a person.
She was definitely putting a lot of pressure on her love instincts. And fate. She hoped Eric was more than just a handsome face. She wanted him to be someone she could talk to. Someone who could be her best friend. Someone who made her laugh. Someone not boring and had a sense of adventure. Perhaps she was picky, but she just wanted a decent guy. Her sisters had proven time and time again that love existed. She believed she had found it. Now, she just had to go get it. Or, him, rather.
"Jordan." came a gruff voice, "What on earth are you doing? You are not to go on the balcony unless you are invited."
Ariel turned to Surabi's voice. She looked ready to kill.
"I just needed some fresh ai-"
"Not another word." the woman cut off, raging. "Here. Put these clothes on. It will keep you cool and hopefully keep you off of the balcony."
The woman threw a bundle of clothes at Ariel, and Ariel caught them.
"Stupid rebel." Surabi muttered loudly, leaving.
Ariel looked over her clothes. There was a pair of baggy purple pants and a bra-like shirt to match. Ariel was no stranger to minimum clothes, so she changed quickly without hesitation. She noticed the outfit had a sheer, black, scarf, made like the one Surabi wore. Expertly, Ariel was able to wrap it over her head like Surabi had done.
Immediately, she felt cooler. She hadn't noticed she'd been sweating, but the cool air on her stomach and the baggy pants felt good.
Ariel hardly had time to marvel at the new fabric, before the door to the room opened up. Ariel had been expecting to see the ever so present Surabi, but was instead met with a fuming girl probably a little older than she was. She was definitely beautiful. She had long black hair and cat-like eyes. Her skin had an exotic tone to it, that Ariel had never seen before. She had but a second to envy it before the girl began raging to herself.
"I can't believe him!" she said, marching around, "If he thinks for a second, that I'm going to marry a stuffy, old, noble from across the sea, he's got another thing coming."
The girl still hadn't seen Ariel and Ariel stood still, hoping maybe, that a portal would open up beneath her and carry her away.
"I have a half of mind to let Raja just eat them. Eat them all!"
Lola had instructed Ariel to now ask if Jasmine was ready for her bath. Ariel assumed this was Jasmine, but it took courage to disrupt the raging girl.
"Excuse me," Ariel said, "Your majesty?"
Jasmine's head whipped up like Ariel had dropped a glass. For a moment, her eyes burned with anger, but they softened when she realized she didn't even know Ariel.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you," Ariel rambled, "I'm the new girl on night duties. I wondered if you were ready for a bath."
"Yes." Jasmine said, taking several deep breaths, "I am. Thank you."
Thank you? That was polite. That didn't sound evil. So far, so good.
Ariel took the water off of the fire and poured it into an already full tub. She'd been prepared.
Without any hesitation, Jasmine stripped down and stepped into the tub. She hesitated a bit, and Ariel knew the water was hot. Lola had said she liked that, though.
"Is it too hot?" Ariel asked, and Jasmine shook her head, sitting down.
"I need a hot bath after today." she said, leaning back and closing her eyes, "My father is trying to kill me."
Ariel was instructed not to talk out of no where. She was only to answer questions Jasmine asked her, but her chatty mouth went off by itself.
"I'm sure you don't mean that literally." Ariel said, before slapping a hand over her mouth.
Jasmine didn't notice.
"I'm serious." the girl said, "He's got a whole room full of men he wants me to choose from and marry. All of them are either twice my age, conceded, or as interesting as my foot."
"Believe me," Ariel said, "I've been there."
Jasmine sat up and turned to look at her, startled. "You have?"
Ariel nodded, "My father had an arranged marriage set up for me and I didn't even know. When I finally met the guy, he was the boring type who got caught up in his job."
Jasmine moaned, "Oh I hate that type! I've met like, 14 of them today."
Ariel groaned for the girl, "I'm so happy you lived."
Jasmine laughed, "I know. A few times I checked my own pulse. Several times we almost lost me."
Jasmine washed and Ariel handed her her towel.
"So," Jasmine asked her, intrigued. "Are you married now, or did you escape?"
"I escaped." Ariel muttered. "Literally. I ran away. I know my father well enough to know he wont give in, and well, neither am I."
"You ran away?" Jasmine asked, putting lotion on her legs. "Well, what made you come here?"
Ah, what a good question. Ariel silently asked the inanimate green dots the same question.
"Well," Ariel said, "I fell in love with another guy."
Jasmine gasped like she was watching a movie and there was a sudden twist of events.
Ariel smiled.
"Does he love you?" Jasmine questioned.
"I don't know." Ariel admitted. "I've never really met him."
Jasmine's eyes widened, and Ariel tried to explain.
"I can't explain how I know I'm in love with him. I guess, the same way I know that other guy wasn't for me, I know this guy is. There's something special about him, and I know he can love me. I know it."
"I wish I had your confidence." Jasmine admitted, dressing in her pajamas, "I'm just trying to imagine myself married. Young and tied down. Obeying the every command of my... husband."
She said husband like it hurt, and Ariel was starting to figure something out. Jasmine, was a lot like her. Neither one of them wanted to be that stay at home wife that had no life and no adventure. Life shouldn't cease being fun after marriage. It should be just beginning!
"You know," Ariel told her, "my sisters are engaged, and they love it."
Jasmine looked up at her with saddened eyes.
"With the right guy," Ariel continued, "Your marriage wont be like you probably think it will be. You know, stuffy and boring. You wont be locked in here all day doing paper work or something like that. My sisters found guys they love, and they still have fun."
Jasmine wiped angrily at her eyes. "How can I find the right guy if my father keeps bringing in the same rich, old men?"
Ariel couldn't quite answer that. If she didn't know how to sneak out her house, Ariel was sure she'd go wild, too.
"I need some fruit." Jasmine said, looking at her empty fruit bowl. "There's some right down the hall on the counter. Could you get me a bowl?"
"Of course." Ariel said, leaving the room, though she wondered briefly what would happen if she said no.
Ariel made her way down the hall, marking mental reference points so that she could find her way back easily. Jasmine, she didn't seem anything like everyone said she was. She seemed, like Ariel had thought, misunderstood. She was between a rock and a hard place. Of course, she probably wanted to make her father happy, but how could she marry someone she didn't love? For Jasmine, it all probably seemed so hopeless. It was so sad.
Ariel found a counter full of fruit easy enough, and was heading back to Jasmine's room when she heard a happy voice.
"-such a pleasure, my boy. If anyone can talk to Jasmine its you!"
"I've known Jasmine since forever," came another voice, "But I'm not sure how well she'll listen to me."
Ariel nearly dropped the fruit bowl. She so knew that voice. Ariel tip-toed down the hall and peaked around the corner. Sure enough, Eric was walking down the hall with a short, chubby man. The little man seemed to be sprinting, just trying to keep up with Eric's slow walk.
There he was, tall, dark, and handsome in all his glory. She'd been doubting how serious her love had been for him just moments before, but seeing him again made the thought seem silly. She loved him. She truly did.
"Oh, nonsense," chubby man said, waving him off, "Of all the royal boys in Pangrea, your definitely the one. You've got some sense. Your much like your father was."
"I'll try, sultan." Eric tried and it was clear, he truly didn't believe he could change Jasmine's mind, "But again, Jas, is... strong-willed. Me trying to make her see your way will be like trying to bathe a bull."
"Oh, I love bulls." the sultan said, and Ariel's eyebrows furrowed at him.
What a strange, and kinda dense, little man.
"Right." Eric said. "But-"
"I'll have your bags escorted to your room."
"But I don't need my bags," Eric said, "I'm only staying the night. I-"
"Very good," the sultan cheered, hurrying off. "I'll see you at breakfast!"
Eric looked like he might try to say more, but he must have sensed the uselessness. Ariel did. Talking to the sultan didn't look like an easy task. He was easily distracted and a bit of an airhead. Eric shrugged, and without knocking went into Jasmine's room.
Ariel was at his heels, in the door with him before it even closed. She kept her head down, and set the fruit on a table.
"Hey," Jasmine said, casually. "I love how you just come in my room like its alright and everything."
Eric flopped down on a chair beside Ariel and grabbed an apple from the basket. He tossed the apple in the air, caught it, and then did it again.
"You know me," he said, "I make myself at home."
Ariel checked her pulse quickly. She'd been hating those green dots, but now, they were her new best friend. She had no idea Eric was there.
"I wish you wouldn't." Jasmine responded, grabbing some grapes and sitting on her bed. "Did dad drag you out here?"
"No," Eric said, dropping the apple, and getting a new one. "I was in Paris with Charming. You know his ball was yesterday."
"It was?!" Jasmine squealed, "I wanted to go. I'd of put a good word in for him."
"I told him that." Eric said. "Anyway, I was there for a while and I thought id stop by on my way home."
"In other words, daddy dragged you out here."
"Yeah," Eric admitted, "He practically ran me off the road and kidnapped me. But its alright. I haven't seen you since those school kids of yours put on that play back in August."
"Wasn't it good?" she asked, thinking. "I liked the harmonies."
Eric groaned. "I really do need to get home though. Think you can figure out how to get me out of here?"
"No dice." Jasmine said, shaking her head. "You'll have to stay till breakfast. Daddy wont budge otherwise. Its your own fault though, you know."
"Me?" he asked, siting up, "How is this my fault? I was just riding down the road when the entire army threw me over their shoulder and none-too gently pulled me by my hair back here."
"Not that," Jasmine said, ignoring him, "I mean you, in general. For some reason, people love you. Its your stupid way of being shy and quiet and obedient. People start to depend on you and you pay for it."
"I'm sorry I'm not you." Eric said, sarcastically, "If only I was insurgent!"
Ariel was hiding in her little corner of a bed. She was trying not to be seen or noticed. She wasn't sure if Eric could see her, but she was certainly watching him. Looking at how he talked, how he moved, trying to commit his voice to memory. He was so casual with Jasmine that it almost made her angry.
Of course, Jasmine didn't know Ariel was secretly in love with him, but Ariel knew. She wished she could be so nonchalant around him. Better yet, she wished she could talk to him without it being a big production. She was a maid and she knew that wouldn't sit well with Surabi, and in the end, she'd just confuse both Jasmine and Eric more. But that was if she could think of something to say in the first place.
But it was no use. Whenever she looked at him, her heart beat unhealthily fast. Her voice seemed to get higher. She stuttered. Her mind froze. If she didn't love the feeling so much, surly she would have thought she'd be dying.
"So, come on now." Jasmine said suddenly, getting an apple from the basket, "you mine as well get it over with. You want to get home, you have to at least try and convince me to get married."
Eric cracked his neck and shook his hands.
"Alright," he said, "Here goes nothing. You've, got to get married."
"No." she said, humorously turning her back to him.
He shrugged, "At least I tried."
"I wish my father was that easy."
"Tell me one thing though, Jas," Eric said, stopping his game of catch with the apple, "Why wont you get married?"
"I haven't found the right guy yet." she shrugged.
Eric's mouth nearly dropped.
"You mean," he said, "You want to get married? We all thought you were woman's rights crazy or something."
"None of you can remember your own birthdays," she said, shaking her head. "You remember me as the little girl who thought boys was icky. I'm not 9 anymore, Eric. I've grown up."
"But one thing hasn't changed. Your still picky. Of the 300 men you've seen this week, none of them even kind of interest you?"
Jasmine looked at him blankly, "You've met countless girls. Why aren't you married?"
Eric put his hands up in defense.
"Never mind." he said. "Just tell your dad I tried."
Jasmine nodded, probably glad the conversation was over.
Ariel was multitasking between jumping for joy, and discretely reaching for the apple Eric had dropped. She might eat it, or she might keep it forever, knowing it was something he'd held in his hands.
Eric wasn't married! He didn't have a wife or even a girlfriend. Totally available. But she had little time to think about that, because Jasmine's door opened and Surabi poked her head in. She curtsied low and looked straight at Ariel.
"Excuse me," she said, "I need to borrow this maid."
Ariel kept her head down and out of sight as she hurried from the room behind Surabi. She was actually pissed at the woman. She wanted to go back into Jasmine's room listen more to Eric. He might say something important, like what he wanted in a girl... or better yet, a wife. Every second with Surabi was a second away from Eric.
"What do you think you're doing?" Surabi asked suddenly, turning to Ariel, "Jordan, do you not know anything?"
Well, it was clear that Ariel basically knew nothing when it came to being a night duties girl.
"We've a guest." Surabi near whispered, "When Jasmine has a guest, especially, one at night. It is your duty to make sure they are settled in!"
And how on earth was Ariel supposed to know that? She'd just been dragged off the street. No one said anything about taking care of guests.
"Now go in there," Surabi said, pushing Ariel into a room, and onto the floor. "And put his clothes in the drawers. Draw the bath. Light the fire. And fetch new fruit."
Ariel tried to tell the woman that he was only staying the night. He didn't need his clothes put away and he'd probably be uncomfortable with Ariel running his bath, but Surabi looked at her with piercing black eyes and Ariel got up, turned on her heels and went to light the fire.
Satisfied, Surabi walked off.
Ariel went to the big fireplace. It was already stacked with wood, and Ariel was delighted to find a match nearby. Back in Paris, Cinderella had to use two measly sticks to start her fire, but she always had a match on reserve anyway. Ariel struck the match and lit the wood. The air was already so hot, she wasn't sure why anyone would want a fire going. But, Surabi was apparently always right, and Ariel searched around for Eric's bags.
She spotted them, easily. There was a tall stack of suitcases by the door, and each looked full and heavy. Ariel groaned. Surabi had the strength of 12 men. She really shoved Ariel hard and the aching she'd been trying to ignore was no longer allowing that to happen.
It almost upset Ariel how fragile her body was. Ariel had faced countless falls as a mermaid and suffered little injury. But here, every trip hurt her a little more. Of course, underwater, the pressure and gravitational pull was total opposites. Water slowed her falls down underwater, and thinking about it now, it made prefect sense. Of course she hurt herself more up here, there was nothing to slow her fall.
Underwater, falling off of Bruno would have been nothing. Underwater, being thrown by a guard would have been nothing. Underwater, Surabi's push would have been nothing. But now she wasn't underwater, and she was feeling the effects.
Ariel shook off the pain, though. If Surabi came back and Ariel was lolling around, she'd be dead. And Ariel had no doubt Surabi could kill her with just a look. No, it was better to be safe than sorry. To distract herself, Ariel began singing a song to herself.
The tune she'd sung to Eric when she rescued him had always been in her mind. She repeated it over and over, making sure she didn't forget it. But now, she sung it out loud as a little working song.
What would she give to live where he was? What would she pay, to stay there beside him?
The answer to that was everything. She'd given up her entire world just for a chance with him. She was going through pain, through a major caste system shock, and she knew she'd go through a million other things if it meant she could be with him. He was worth fighting for, and she was definitely fighting.
She decided she'd start at the top, and grabbed the suitcase that was at the top of the neatly stacked pile. She gave it a test tug, and found she'd been right. It was heavy. Very heavy. How was she supposed to heave it down and drag it to the dressers? And why, was she the one doing this? Not that she minded going through Eric's clothes with an excuse, but if it were her, she would be against it.
Ariel tugged a little harder, and the suitcase began sliding down. At first, it moved slowly and gradually, and Ariel held its handle, making sure it didn't crash to the floor. But the suitcase must have lost its balance, because before Ariel knew it, the case seemed to fly from its spot and hit her right on the head.
The case didn't hit the floor hard, but Ariel did.
And to think, she'd just been thinking about her lovely injuries. This one definitely topped them all in the pain category.
Ariel sat up slowly and brought a shaky hand up to her head where she'd been hit. She lifted the hood of her scarf and touched a sore spot in her hair, and when she brought her hand back, it was spotted with blood.
Ariel shook her head, blurriness creeping in. She wasn't sure what she should do. Should she search the halls looking for help? Should she stay put? What would Surabi want her to do?
Ariel knew the answer to the last question, and shakily got to her feet. But her balance was somehow even worse than before and she fell back to her butt. That small fall had disoriented her to the point where she felt like she'd be sick.
Holding it down, Ariel realized her scarf had fallen to her shoulders. She grabbed it and tried to put it back on, but she couldn't remember how to do it. She knew it wrapped around her face, leaving nothing but her eyes out, but she couldn't remember how she had kept her hair in it. She gave up and simply put it over her mouth and tucked the scarf under her hair and into her shirt.
Grabbing the evil suitcase that had attacked her, Ariel managed to somehow drag herself and it to the dressers. Her head pounded, but she ignored it, and unzipped the suitcase. She was glad for one thing, Eric was very neat. His clothes were tightly folded and neat. Ariel just needed to get them in the drawer.
Fighting off her headache, she chose a new song, and began singing her mothers.
.
.
Eric
.
.
Eric made his way to his room. He was slightly exhausted, the kind of tired you were after being up early. He figured he was due for some decent rest. He honestly wasn't planning on staying long, but he imaged sleeping in a bit would do him some good. He could sleep some more on his ride back to Germany.
He rounded a familiar corner, he nearly always stayed in the same room when he came to Agrabah and he froze in his steps. Someone was in his room, but that didn't bother him. It was a voice. A beautiful voice singing inside and immediately, his mind went back to his shipwreck. To that voice. The one on the beach. The girl who had saved him.
He quickened his steps and peaked in his room when he reached it. There was a girl inside, a scarf covered her face, but brilliant red hair flowed down her back. It was as long as Jasmine's was, but this girl, her hair wasn't bound in ponytails. Her hair was out, billowing freely wherever it seemed to want.
The girl was putting his clothes away, and even though her voice was upbeat and her tune harmonious, she moved a bit sluggish. Her movements were slow, careful. Elderly like. He wondered if she was alright. Hoped she wasn't hurt in any way, and just tired or something.
Her song ended, and he found himself severely missing her voice, but she merely picked up a different song, and even though he didn't know it, the sound put him in a trance. He would hide behind the wall forever if he knew she'd be in there singing. Every note she hit, he tried to commit to memory. After dreaming about her, and thinking of her every second the girl from Paris didn't invade his mind, he felt a strange kind of peace.
There was no doubt in his mind that this was the girl from the beach. No doubt at all. He prided himself on having a good memory, not that he'd need one to remember the beautiful voice he was hearing. It was simply too wonderful to forget.
.
.
Ariel
.
.
Her dizziness was fading, finally, and she actually got to focus a bit. She repeated the song aloud again, the tune being catchy, and she placed a handful of white cotton shirts in a drawer. She wanted to be weird and hug his shirts or something, but the thought made her wave it away. It was too odd.
She finished emptying the suitcase in a matter of minutes, and turned to the doorway to see just how many more she had to empty when her eyes stopped at a certain handsome fellow in the door way. She gasped from surprised, her song ending in an unattractive note.
"I'm sorry," Eric said, entering the room, "I didn't mean to scare you, but your singing... I just... I didn't want you to stop."
Swoon. He liked her singing? She felt like her life was nearly complete. Every word he said was her new favorite. Every sentence she wanted to commit memory.
But now she was silent. Now was the time to talk. She should say something to him. Anything.
"It's alright," she said, and she watched for a moment as he blinked a few times.
His face took on one of thoughtfulness.
.
.
Eric
.
.
He'd been... surprised.
His mind was reeling. He'd been so confident that this was the girl from the beach. The girl from Paris was temporarily cast aside. He'd been thinking nothing of her when he'd entered his room where the lovely voice was coming from. But now, to hear her talk, all he could see in his mind was the girl from Paris. Well, he'd never seen her, but her casual, carefree voice had been etched in his mind, like the beach girls endearing singing voice.
How could this one girl have both voices?
It was crazy. Too crazy to seem real. But he wondered briefly, if the two girls he'd thought he might have feelings for, could actually be the same girl. Oh, would it make his life less complicated. But he had to be sure. At least of one thing.
.
.
Ariel
.
.
"Have..." Eric started, "Have we met before?"
She hadn't expected that. She was sure he had no idea what she'd looked like back in Paris. Even now, a scarf covered her face. There was no way he could recognize her.
"You seem familiar." he continued.
Ariel was a mix between defensive and happy. She knew she had to keep her identity a secret. And yet, the thought that he had remembered her voice was nice. No, it was amazing. She knew his voice, too, but she had reason to remember him. How, and why, could he remember hers? Their conversation, after all, had been brief.
"I'm not sure." she settled on, "Whats so familiar about me?"
He walked over towards her and squatted down, a hand going to his chin as he thought. He looked beautiful in the fires light. She hadn't noticed, but it actually had gotten a little chilly. She would have never guess the temperature dropped so swiftly in such a hot place.
"Your voice." he settled on, "I feel like we've spoken before."
Oh, screw secret identity.
"Ever been to Paris?" she asked.
He perked up visibly, though she got the impression he didn't want that to be noticeable.
"I was just there."
"So was I. I was... visiting a friend."
"Your that girl from the market, aren't you?" he asked, getting excited, "You're the one that stumped me."
Heh, he remembered that? She was hoping that he might forget about it. It was one of those things that just slipped from her mouth.
"I didn't-" she began, but he cut her off.
"I meant it before, it's alright. Really."
"Sometimes I just talk." she admitted, "Every now and then my mouth gets away from me."
He smiled, "I've never talked to anyone like you before. Besides my friends, everyone is usually so rigid around me. Like I'm fragile or something."
This close to him, she could see he was anything but fragile. Though the shirt he had on was long sleeved, she could see how big his arms were. How muscular. The thought made her blush a bit.
"Well," Ariel confessed, "That may be a bad thing. According to my father, its one of my worse attributes. Well actually, according to him, I'm entirely broken."
She hadn't meant to confess that, really. She'd meant it, yes, but it was something personal to her. Her father did think she was broken. He loved her, but he didn't like her, and she felt that every time they spoke. She'd be lying if she said there wasn't times when she wanted to be like her sisters. So proper, and mostly quiet. Obedient and able to simply go with the flow. For some reason, she had to buck any and everything that she didn't believe in. She herself knew she was too headstrong.
And she'd basically just confessed that all to Eric.
She didn't know how, but talking to him was so easy. Things she didn't mean to say just slipped from her mouth. Of course, she meant it, but she was pouring her heart out to basically a stranger. That was a little deep to talk about with someone you barely knew.
"Well," he said, not nearly as uncomfortable as she would have expected, "In some cases, the most broken of people are actually the most put together. I've seen people who appeared fine actually be the most broken themselves."
He said it so mater of factly. Like there was no room for doubt in his mind. How did he do that? How did he take such a weighty matter to her and flip it around and make her feel so... so normal. So important. In that one second, she didn't want to be like her sisters at all. She was just fine being herself. Just one little conversation with him, and she already felt like she was floating on a cloud. She felt like it was just the two of them. She knew she could probably tell him anything, and in the end, she knew she wouldn't be embarrassed or have a care in the world.
"What about you?" she asked, feeling light inside, "Are you put together or broken?"
He looked away from her for a second, thinking and it made her feel even lighter. He was thinking. He was going to giver her an honest answer. No lies. No royalty robot answers. They were actually talking on a personal level.
He chuckled.
"You've stumped me, again. But I guess I'm a bit of both." he said. "But aren't they the most interesting?"
"I'd like to think so." Ariel told him back, "I don't thing anyone is truly sane unless there a little crazy."
"Pure philosophy couldn't have said it better." he told her, and she found herself looking him directly in his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a loud scream down the hall. Even just having met her, Ariel knew who it was.
"I've got to go," Ariel said, "Surabi will have my head for taking so long."
Eric smiled faintly, "I didn't mean to get you in trouble."
Ariel shook her head, "She'd just find something else to yell at me about. I think she likes it."
Ariel made to stand, but her entire body screamed in protest. Sitting down and talking to Eric, she hadn't realized how sore and dizzy she had been. Talking to Eric always made her dizzy, but she realized that hit on the head may have actually been the cause.
She was successfully on her feet, but even she noticed she wasn't balanced.
"Are you alright?" Eric asked, standing up quickly.
"Fine." Ariel breathed out, trying to regain her dignity and made to walk around him.
But something happened. She reasoned that she had simply tripped, but common sense told her otherwise. Her body just seemed to give out on her, and she fell forwards, extremely ungraceful. She hadn't closed her eyes, but in the swift seconds that passed she knew she must have hit the floor. Only, the floor was somehow covered in cloth.
Her eyes trailed up and she realized that Eric's chest, felt just like the floor. Hard and yet soft... and toned.
She had opened her mouth, probably to thank him for catching her, but her words melted into mush, because she had literally gotten lost in his blue eyes. Her entire body seemed to dissolve into water, and he held her full weight easily. He was like the moon, and gravity was pulling at her like it was the high tide.
.
.
Eric
.
.
He'd had his suspicion that she hadn't been well. She'd been wobbly and slow. But once they began talking, nothing else mattered but her voice and the things he said.
He could tell, she often did say things she didn't mean to, but he didn't mind it. Talking to people 24/7 who felt like they had to filter every word coming from their mouth was a constant annoyance to him. He was a big boy, he could handle a normal conversation. But she refreshed him with her unworried, untroubled way of talking. It was a welcome change. He just hoped he'd been ready for it. He hoped he hadn't said something stupid or made her feel worse about anything.
But even now, that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was ill. He could see it in her deep, rich, eyes. She felt drained. Empty. So many times had he felt like that himself. She leaned on him, but he hardly felt any weight. She seemed so frail and fragile. So small in his arms. He seriously just wanted to scoop her up and lay him on his bed so she could rest. She felt like she weighed nothing at all. He wanted to wait on her. Give her food. Fan her face. Take care of her.
What would Grimsby think? The man would probably die of a heart attack.
And suddenly, the thought seemed that much more appealing.
She floundered a bit, trying to get her footing, and he straightened up a bit, hoping to give her more of a steady hold on him. But he truly didn't want her to move. He actually, and shame on him, didn't want her to be strong enough to stand on her own. He wanted that to be his job. He wanted to be the one thing supporting her.
Her hands clenched at his shirt, and he felt her frustration. She seemed to be having a silent battle between herself and her body, but he was willing to wait for her. Wait for her to get her balance. He'd wait all night if he had too, though he wasn't sure if she could. She seemed so tired, even now.
She looked up at him, apology written all over her face, but she didn't need to say a word. There was nothing to apologize for. He'd opened his mouth to tell her that, but effulgent lazuline eyes met his own.
The words he'd been about to say died on his lips. And for all he knew, the rest of the world died, too, because he felt as if he were no longer a part of it. Everything in his peripheral vision melted away and tunnel vision set in with her being the only focus he could see.
That cursed scarf was still around her face, but even then, he didn't care. It wasn't just her looks that he was attracted to. It was her as a whole. Her energy. Her atmosphere. Her freeness. Her freeness when she was with him. The freeness he felt when he was with her. Just everything about her called to him. Everything.
And in that instant, drifting somewhere between, cloud nine and worried for her health, he knew he'd fallen in love.
A/N: How was it? Read and Review please. I appreciate feedback.
Stay tuned!