Hey you guys. Sorry about the wait. Honestly, I just forgot. Friday came and went and then Saturday and the thought to post this didn't even cross my mind. About an hour ago, I'm sitting in my room, drinking hot tea, and reading Lord of the Flies for school, when BAM, I suddenly remember.
Sooooooooorrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy.
But anyway, here it is, so do not fret any longer.
Do not fret.
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Eric
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Being a prince, Eric had long ago learned how to act perfectly normal when you felt anything but. When he was 9, he'd gone to a ball with the chicken pox, and no one had known the wiser. When he was 13, he'd gotten pneumonia and had hosted a charity ball, and no one had batted an eye at him. Just by talking to Grimsby, Eric learned to look completely interested in a conversation, going so far as to answer questions and add comments, even when he'd tuned the person out just 3 sentences in.
But now, he felt like he was in a daze. He felt like he was in some kind of alternate universe. Nothing in his mind was making sense, even though it was working furiously to put bits of pieces together. He wished so badly he'd had a full puzzle to look at. Only having pieces was killing him.
Getting into town, guards were still everywhere. This was one of the reasons Eric hated traveling with guards. He'd of loved to get to know his people, and have them get to know him. He'd love to be able to enter a store and call the owner by his first name. He didn't want children running from him, afraid he'd order one of the guards to chop their heads off, (and yes, he'd actually heard that one).
But how could he get to know the people, when his guards body-slammed anyone who got near him? The town people simply went away when he was in town, for their own safety. And now, with his guards everywhere he looked, he was even more annoyed with them.
A guard brought over his horse, and it took everything in Eric not to snatch the reins from the man. Picking Ariel up, he set her on the horse before swinging himself up. He didn't wait for the guards to give him the 'all clear' that he normally waited for. Instead, he quickly worked up to a jog and headed down one of the lesser used paths. He knew guards were waiting on that path as well, but he almost didn't care. It felt good to pretend he'd outrun some of them.
Ariel, surprisingly, seemed completely content at a jog. Of course, he would have never gone that fast if he thought she was uncomfortable, after all, sitting sideways had to be a challenge, but she simply settled into him, held the horses hair, and rode.
They reached the castle in less than 20 minutes, and Eric got Ariel down, handing the reins over to a stable boy. Though he felt in a rush, he kept his walking slow, allowing Ariel to take in the sight of the castle. She certainly appreciated it, for she oohed and ahhhed right up until they reached the front door. For him, the splendor of the castle had worn off years ago and now, reminded him more of a cage than an actual home. Nevertheless, though, it was still his favorite castle. Right by the ocean.
Two guards opened both the doors allowing Eric and Ariel entrance. Just the opening of the doors elicited a series of whoooaaaahh's from Ariel. Eric supposed that for a commoner, it was to be expected. But he didn't mind. She seemed to notice the most unusual things. The crown moldings. The specks in the carpet. The frame of the windows. Very odd, but also very amusing.
Eric hadn't been in the castle's foyer for no more than 3 minutes before he was ambushed and pulled into possibly the tightest, no, possibly the first, hug he'd ever had. Besides from Ariel, he was rarely touched. Or at least, since he could remember. The smell of Bleu De Chanel washed over him, brown hair filled his vision, and Eric immediately knew who was hugging him to tightly. Standing awkwardly for a bit longer, Eric hugged Charming back, simply because the boy didn't let him go.
Charming pulled back, an unexpected look of genuine anger in his eyes. He pushed Eric back roughly, before pointing an accusing finger at him.
"You're an idiot." Charming said, his voice tense, "Either that, or your just selfish."
Eric opened his mouth to object, but Charming continued his rant before he could utter a word.
"How about a phone call?" he asked, "Ella and I are out there busting our butts looking for Ari, thinking your out there doing the same. Jasmine's been a wreck for the past two days and not even Aladdin can calm her down."
"I'm sorry-" Eric started, only to be cut off again.
"Then, I get news Adam's castle's been invaded, someones dead, and Grimsby calls my dad, acting like it was you who fell off a terrace. Ella and I come out here, thinking maybe you got hurt or maybe you were too sick to call. Imagine my surprise when I find out your out in the woods playing with Florian. So yeah, you should be sorry."
"I tried to call. And I was not out playing with Florian." Eric offered, but Charming folded his arms across his chest, and scowled.
"Where have you been?"
Eric opened his mouth to explain everything as quickly as possible, before he was interrupted by a burst of female screaming. Both Eric and Charming whipped around to see Cinderella and Ariel doing some weird kind of spinning-hopping-hug. They were both talking at once, but strangely, they both seemed to not only be saying the same thing, but also understand each other.
Eric couldn't make out a single word they were saying, but Charming didn't seem to care, as he whipped back around to face Eric.
"And you've found her?" he asked, his voice rising a bit in anger. "So what, you were out on vacation? Having a good time? And not once, did it occur to you that maybe, there were people out here looking for you? People out here who care about your well-being? Did you ever think that maybe, we might be worried?"
Eric cast a cautious look towards the girls, who were still talking miles a minute, before he grabbed Charming's arm and pulled further away from their earshot. Charming snatched his arm from Eric the moment they were remotely cut-off.
"I tried to call you." Eric said, hoping to clear that up right away, "There was no reception in that side of Paris for some reason. And then Ariel was sick. I'd of wrote you a letter, but there were no maids around and this big storm had swept in."
"-how was there no maids-"
"Someone cursed Adam for being arrogant and he... well, he wasn't Adam, anymore. He was this... this... this animal...thing. And then that invasion began. Sorry I didn't have time to deliver the message myself between trying to get Ariel off that stupid gargoyle and trying to come to terms with the fact that she was actually the one who saved my life, was my first female friend, was there in Paris, and-"
"Ok," Charming interrupted, taking a deep breath himself, "Ok. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come at you like that."
Now it was Eric's turn to cross his arms.
"No, you shouldn't have."
"We- I – was just worried." he said, running his hands through his hair. "None of us had heard from you and when you'd left Agrabah, you'd been nearly delirious. Your already known for doing stupid things. I'd prefer not to think about the things you might do for a girl and with a concussion."
Eric, despite himself, laughed. At least he'd lightened the mood.
"I don't do stupid things." Eric objected.
"Hopeless romantic, remember?" Charming said, rewarding Eric while a smile.
"And then there's Florian." Eric said, running a tired hand through his own hair, "He didn't come just for a visit."
Charming, apparently completely over his rant, leaned back against the wall behind him, hands in his pockets like he usually did when he expected Eric to go into a long story or rave. Only, Eric didn't go off into a long drawn out speech.
"I've got to gather the others first." Eric told him, "How long do you think it'll take?"
"Well," Charming thought, "Considering Jasmine's been a wreck, I'm gonna say about 5 hours for her. For Adam? Give or take 3 hours or so."
"So by sundown," Eric concluded, "I can have us all together. Maybe even before dinner."
"Give or take." Charming reminded, and Eric nodded in agreement. "Of course, you've forgotten Aurora, as well."
Eric cringed inwardly. He had forgotten her. But... maybe... she didn't need to be present. Sure, she was a royal in Pangrea, but did that mean she had to be present? Really, her province was the smallest. Maybe... she didn't even need to know.
But no, it would be better to call her. Just in case. He may not like her, but it would be a hard blow to his sense of dignity and rightness, and to Pangrea if something were to happen to her because of his mistake.
"Alright," Eric said, shoving his hands in his pockets defeated, "I suppose I'll call her."
Charming laughed. A laugh that was laced with pity, not humor. "Who said you needed to call her?"
Right on cue, a shrill, loud voice broke the calm air in the room.
"Oooooohhhhh, Eriiiiiiiiiiiic!"
Eric's eyes immediately snapped to Ariel, the shrill voice sending a mild panic down his spine. Ariel, unaware the voice's owner nearly always meant a bad experience, looked around herself excited. A kind of look of wonder on her face. Like she were expecting performers to jump from the walls and entertain them.
She was too innocent to tangle with Aurora. Eric through a SOS look to Charming. Charming sighed before he muttered a string of french beneath his breath, but nodded in consent.
"Alright ladies," he said with an amused clap, "Why don't you follow me and I'll fix you some tea."
Cinderella, who Eric hadn't actually gotten a chance to meet personally, sprang to attention at Charming's voice, and in an instant was at his side. Ariel, on the other hand, looked to him, still excited about the phantom voice she heard, but seemed to silently ask his permission. As if going with Charming was something he needed to allow her to do.
Unsure of what else to do, Eric simply nodded at her, smiling when she bonding off towards Cinderella and looped their arms as they left the room. No sooner had they left the room, had a mob of blonde hair entered through another door.
"Eric!" Aurora cried, hurrying towards him in the fastest walk Eric had ever seen. "Oh Eric, how I've missed you!"
Before he could discourage the act, she through her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
"Aurora," Eric said, any attempt at being friendly probably sounding fake, as he pried her off of him. "Yeah, great to see you too."
"Where have you been?" she asked, "When you didn't return my letters, I got so worried."
Eric had received the bundle of envelopes clearly written by a maid, he'd just chosen not to respond to them.
"I got... caught up." Eric shrugged, and she laughed.
"Your so funny!"
Her laugh was anything but the melodious titter, so many people claimed she had. It was sharp, high, and sounded more like a cats cry than a laugh at all. No, Eric preferred Ariel's giggle over hers, any day.
"We should totally have a date tonight," she said, thinking, "Yes, that's right. You should set it up, and surprise me. It'll be your greatest honor. I'll wear my new dress. I'm sure you'll love it- well, I'm sure everyone will love it. I just hope Charming doesn't get any ideas. I'm taken. Clearly."
Between Eric's boredom and frantic thoughts of how to escape the situation, he noticed Aurora hadn't walked in alone. Right behind her, a boy had followed. He looked as if he felt the same way as Eric did about Aurora. His hands were buried in his pockets and he looked not at Aurora, or even Eric, but far out a window.
He had to be around Eric's age. He had brown hair that was parted at his forehead and tied to a brief rat-tail behind his head. He had thick brown eyebrows and dark blue eyes. He seemed extremely ordinary, for someone Aurora would hang out with. He wasn't wearing any grand clothes. Instead, wearing a black jacket, an ochre V-neck shirt, gray pants, a tan belt and black bucket-top boots.
"Oh," Aurora said, noticing Eric had spotted the boy and waved her hand as if he didn't matter, "That's Phlegm. My new help."
"It's Jim. Jim Hawkins." the boy said, whipping around to correct Aurora. "And I'm not your help."
"Your what I say you are." she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder, and turning to Eric. "I practically saved his life, you know. He and his much-too-skinny mother were practically starving at their little 'family owned inn'. They had no money. Probably weren't making the rent or bills or whatever too. I hired Tim, paying him 3 times what he made, and, I'm having someone take care of his dear mother. Aren't I just too kind?"
Eric rolled his eyes, and happened to catch Jim doing the same. Eric held his hand out, shaking a slightly surprised Jim's hand.
"So," Aurora said, "He just follows me around and does what I tell him. Anyway, about our date tonight."
"Listen Aurora," Eric said, trying to think of a way not to cause an Aurora-freak-out-scene, "The thing is-"
"Eric." snapped a completely new voice, "Why are you lolloping around? You've work to do."
Eric turned to Grimsby, who'd walk in the way Charming and the girls had left. Eric flicked his attention between Aurora and Grimsby, backing up towards the exit right behind him.
"Your absolutely right." Eric said, to Grimsby, but noticed Aurora smile, as if he'd been talking to her, "I've got some calls to make and some things to do."
"No," Grimsby said, "You've got packing and tailoring to do. Are you aware you leave for school in a few days?"
"Our date." Aurora cut in. "Don't forget our date."
Eric was nearly to the exit behind him.
"And," Grimsby cut in, "You've a visitor arriving. I've word she'll be here for dinner. You best change your clothes now. It would be undignified for you to allow her to see you as such."
"I want you to give me roses." Aurora said, "Red ones. And make sure you cut the thorns. I'm not a fan of sharp things. But you already know that. You should know everything about me already if your to ask for my hand, of course."
Jim looked at him as if slightly amused at Eric's misgivings. But Eric heard nothing more from any of them, as he'd reached the exit and used the swinging door to escape. He had to call Jasmine and Adam and get them down to Germany before Florian and Snow White arrived to repeat what he'd told him earlier.
He had a feeling though, that dinner would be something he'd never experienced before.
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Ariel
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Ariel smiled into her tea cup. Cinderella was looking at her a little funny, as she'd been doing for the past 5 minutes before nodding her head.
"Yes." she said, "You certainly look more like a Ariel than a Ari. I like the nickname, but Ariel is nicer."
Ariel breathed a sigh of relief. She'd hoped Cinderella wouldn't be upset with her, but apparently, humans often had nicknames and the girl hardly blinked an eye when Ariel preferred the girl call her Ariel instead of Ari.
"Can you believe this?" she whispered, for probably the 5th time, "The both of us. In love with princes."
Charming was on the phone with his father in the far corner of the sitting room, and Ariel and Cinderella were by the window on the other side of the room, enjoying tea.
"I know." Ariel said, sipping her tea, "It's pretty amazing."
"I know!" she squealed quietly, "How lucky are we? And to think, we're also like, best friends. This is just too awesome."
Happily, Cinderella was too excited about seeing her that she didn't have time to wonder what had happened to Ariel. Why she'd suddenly disappeared and never contacted back in Paris. Ariel hadn't yet come up with an excuse for that one, so the stall was good.
"Hey," Cinderella said, getting her attention and leaning forward a bit, "Did you hear about the Academy?"
The academy? Ariel couldn't say that she had. But it didn't matter, the question was apparently rhetorical.
"Charming leaves in a few days," Cinderella said, "When I first heard he'd be leaving, I was totally bummed out, but then, Prudence told me, that since we're together, we'd be going together. I've actually got a few required classes to go to."
Cinderella was looking at Ariel as if she'd just said the most spectacular thing ever. Like Ariel was suddenly supposed to grasp the meaning and be ecstatic. Ariel blinked at her, and Cinderella half laughed half sighed.
"Ariel," she said, "That means your coming too. You know, with Eric. It means we'll both be at the academy. We'll probably have the same classes since we're both in the same boat."
What about a boat, now?
"Aren't you excited?" she asked, bouncing a bit.
"Yeah," Ariel lied, still unsure what the girl meant, "Sounds like fun."
"I know! Charming said there are dorms there. Maybe we can share one."
"Definitely." Ariel said, stirring her tea, "I'm sure the guys can help us out."
Cinderella sighed, "This is all beyond my wildest dreams. If two weeks ago, you'd of told me I'd be engaged to a prince, live in a palace, have my own maids, any pick of shoes, actually be served to eat a meal... well, I'd of slapped you for insanity."
Ariel laughed, but mostly to herself, "Yes, two weeks ago I wouldn't believe I'd be here either. Wouldn't believe you at all."
There was a knock on the door, and both girls turned around. Charming, still on the phone, had gone to answer it, but the knocker came in without permission. Ariel felt her heart sink as Grimsby walked into the room casually. He looked ever the part of someone old, stiff, and mean, as he beckoned with his hand for her to follow him.
Knowing she couldn't refuse to go with him in front of Charming and Cinderella, she had no other choice than to excuse herself and follow the man out the room. Grimsby walked briskly, and she rung her hands as she followed him down the hall. She couldn't imagine what he'd say to her. The last time they'd talked, he'd told her he knew her biggest secret. He hadn't asked for anything, but if he had, she had no choice but to consent.
Ariel, once again, was led to a small room. This one, though, was full of fabrics and textiles. Buttons and glitter lined the floor. Measurements were written on the walls. Rulers hung from every available space. Unfinished suits and dresses gathered in piles along the walls. The room was clearly made for tailoring and hemming clothing.
"Now." Grimsby said, matter of factly, "Out of the goodness of my heart, have I allowed you to get a ride home."
"Home?" Ariel asked, wondering if he actually meant the castle.
"Yes," he told her, "Home."
He made a point of gesturing out a nearby window, and Ariel caught a shimmer of blue in the distance. The ocean.
"Now," he said, "I've gotten you home. And now you can go. I'll give you time to contact your father so that you may have a ride back to Atlantica. But that is all I will do for you."
...back to... he... Grimsby. He wanted her to go home. Back to Atlantica. The only reason he hardly bothered her lately, was because he knew he was taking her home. But... Ariel didn't want to go home. She felt right at home in the castle. With Eric. She couldn't, wouldn't, leave.
"I can't." she nearly stuttered, "I just... Eric... no."
She'd sounded unsure, but her 'no' was firm. It was her 'final' voice. And she meant it. She wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon.
"No?" Grimsby laughed, "No? My dear, you don't have a choice in the matter. Have you forgotten the secret we share? Do not think I wont hesitate to let Eric in on it."
Color drained from Ariel's face. Yes, for a quick second, she had forgotten the secret he knew. But, she couldn't leave. She couldn't leave her friends. She couldn't leave Eric. She'd finally gotten what she dreamed and waited so long for. She found love. She found someone to love her in return. She found the only one for her. There was no one else who could compare with Eric. Of this she was sure.
"I can't leave." she confessed, "I wont."
Ariel saw a flash of anger cross Grimsby's face. A flash that she knew would haunt her forever. The man looked purely crazy. Insane. But the face was gone before she had time to register it. In less than a second, he gathered himself together, and surprisingly, he laughed.
"Who do you think you are?" he asked, his laughing dieing down to chuckles, "Do you honestly think Eric has chosen you because your someone special? Girl, the only reason he's picked you is because your something new to him. I admit it, he doesn't get out much, but if he did, he wouldn't be so smitten by you. Of that, I am certain."
"Your wrong." Ariel challenged. "Eric would choose me over anyone."
"I wouldn't bet on that." Grimsby said, his voice dragging on in his amusement, "If he knew of the thing you used to be, he would be repulsed. Look at you, my dear, you hardly know how to walk, for goodness sake. Do you honestly think you could keep a hold on him around someone with class? Someone with knowledge of this world? Your no one he could talk to. No one he could ask for help or advice. As far as anyone is concerned, you're as daft as a baby. Aurora or even a peasant girl, could outwit, and outdo, you without so much as trying."
Ariel wasn't crying. She refused to do so in front of this man. Instead, she put every bit of energy she had into glaring at the man. Everything he said was a lie. She knew this for sure. Eric loved her. He loved her. She had nothing to be worried about. Not that... Aurora person, and not anyone else. Grimsby... he was just crazy. Out of his mind. Loosing touch with insanity in his old age.
A door opened behind Grimsby and a short, sickly skinny, woman with her gray hair in a tight bun pointed to Ariel, and motioned her to come into the room. She closed the door behind herself, and Ariel briskly walked by Grimsby without so much as a glance his way.
"You think Eric loves you," Grimsby said, and she stopped in her tracks. "But if you're so sure, why are you keeping this secret from him?"
Ariel didn't want to hear any more. Grimsby was a liar. He knew nothing about her. And nothing about Eric. Eric would always love her. He would. And no one could change that.
Through the door she entered, she found she'd gone into a huge room. Dozens of large windows let in natural light to light the entire room in a gleam of brilliant yellow. Stalls, Ariel supposed were for changing, lined the walls and even more fabric littered every empty space in the room. Sowing machines and racks and mannequins stood at attentions, not one of them empty of clothing. Dozens of women of all shapes and sizes ran around, cutting, sowing, clipping, gluing. No one even seemed to notice her.
But not even this busy, happy room uplifted Ariel's spirits. She was determined not to let Grimsby's words get to her, but he'd been right about something. If she was so sure Eric loved her, why didn't she want him to know about her mermaid past. It was such a big part of her life. It was who she was inside. How could anyone really know her, if they didn't know about her past? About such a large part of her life?
This revelation made her feel isolated. She was the only one who knew about that part of her, besides Grimsby, of course. It made Eric seem far away from. Like he didn't know who she was. And if he didn't know her, than neither did Cinderella. Or Jasmine. Or Belle. Or even Snow White.
"Over here." called a gruff voice, and Ariel looked up and noticed the woman who had gotten her away from Grimsby.
The woman was standing in front of a stall, piles of fabric around her so high that Ariel could really only make out the bun on top of her head. Quickly, Ariel made her way over to the woman, and went into the stall when the woman motioned.
"Take off your clothes." she said in a low, dry voice.
The stall was long, and Ariel did what the lady instructed. The woman closed the stall behind her, and pointed to a stand for Ariel to stand on. With no clothes on, Ariel felt hesitant to step up on the stand, but when she did so, she found that just the tops of her shoulder was revealed to anyone. Everything else was hidden by the stalls walls.
The old woman grabbed a flimsy measuring tool and put it around Ariel's waist, writing the number on the wall of the stall. She then grabbed Ariel's arm, and did the same. Ariel tried to ignore the weirdness of the woman measuring her, but back in Atlantica, she didn't wear clothes, so she didn't need to be measured.
"Make it a little tighter than that." said a nearby voice, and Ariel looked up to find a girl was actually in a stall right beside her.
The girl looked up, probably from being tailored herself, and jumped a bit when she and Ariel's eyes met.
"Hi." Ariel said, her cheeks coloring a bit, "Sorry."
The girl laughed easily, her voice sounding almost like a song.
"It's alright." she said, "I thought I was the only one being tailored today.
From her face, Ariel immediately realized that the girl was beautiful. No, gorgeous. She had long black hair, that began in natural waves at the top of her head. Ariel couldn't see her body because of the stall, but judging by the way her shoulders dipped, she had to be very slender. Her eyes were a shade of green that Ariel had only seen in fresh-grown seaweed. And her lips were a unbleached pink that required no kind of makeup at all, as did her extremely long eye lashes.
"I'm Jewel." she said, "From Glowerhaven."
Jewel. What an extremely appropriate name.
"I'm Ariel." Ariel told her, "From... here."
Here was the best she could come up with. She was as close to Atlantica as she could get, and that was pretty much... here. It was lame, but all she had to go by.
"Did Grimsby invite you too?" she asked, curiously, "I got the letter a few days ago. It came personally from Paris. Could you imagine? A chance to be a real princess. Of course, my nobility already entitles me the name, but whats in a name if it has no value?"
"What letter?" Ariel asked, curious.
"Oh," the girl said, sadly, almost embarrassed, like she'd said something wrong. "I just... I'm sorry. I assumed... Well, a few days ago I got a letter from Grimsby. He's prince Eric's right hand man, you see. The letter invited me here for a chance to court the prince. I thought Grimsby had invited you too."
Grimsby...!... that conniving...little...wicked...scheming...vicious... How could he? And even before they even reached the castle, he'd already had someone lined up! Did her presence mean nothing? No, to Grimsby, she supposed it didn't. But to do so right under her nose?
"No," Ariel said, an unexpected bit of rivalry in her voice, "Grimsby didn't invite. Eric, in fact, brought me here."
"Oh?" the girl said, and Ariel saw in her eyes the moment Ariel wasn't considered someone 'non-threatening' and turned into a 'challenge' for the girl.
This Jewel of Glowerhaven, she wanted what Ariel had already won. Eric's affection. And Ariel had already demonstrated that by mentioning that Eric had brought her there himself. Jewel no longer cared about being friends, or staying friendly. Ariel knew, the girl wanted her out of the way. She wanted Eric all to herself.
"Well," Jewel said, expertly clearing any malice out of her voice, "That was sweet of him. I always did think he was the nicest of the prince's."
Ariel didn't want to brag on and on to the girl about how right she was. Ariel, in fact didn't want to talk to the girl at all, for fear she'd say something to anger her. This girl obviously was after Eric. And since Ariel had him, she felt like the more she said, the more this girl would hate her. After all, they both couldn't have him. So Ariel opted to just nod at the girl and keep her mouth shut.
"Have you spent a lot of time with Eric?" Jewel asked, and Ariel was almost surprised at how direct she was all of a sudden, "Because he and I met once."
Had they? Well, it didn't matter.
"Oh," Ariel said, waving her hand, "We've spent some... time together before this."
Time like, saving his life after a ship wreck, a conversation in Paris, a whole night together in Agrabah, sleeping beside each other and kissing in France. That counted as... time. Sure.
"He's funny." Jewel said, "And too sweet to be real, you know. The gardens out back are phenomenal, too. When he showed me, it was absolutely breathtaking. And the dinners. Oh, there so romantic. Have you ever tried chef Lois's stuffed crab? Its to die for."
"I don't eat seafood." Ariel said, putting that mildly. "Allergic."
This girl was clearly gauging her reactions. Seeing what would tick her off. Seeing if she would get jealous. But Ariel kept a clear head. She wouldn't let this girl get to her. No matter what happened in the past, Eric was still in love with her now. She knew that for a fact.
"Tighter." Jewel said, looking down at her sempstress, before looking back at Ariel, "Anyway, I should go get my things settled in my room. Dinner tonight is bound to be interesting, don't you think."
"Definitely." Ariel told her, her best smile on.
Jewel mimicked an even sweeter smile, before jumping down off her stand and disappearing out of view.
There was something fake about her, Ariel thought to herself. Of course, she couldn't judge the girl on one meeting. For all Ariel knew, she might have traveled a long way and was tired. But through their whole talk, Ariel had felt like everything she said was being processed in Jewel's mind to be used against her later.
Needless to say, it was a relief when she'd left.
Ariel breathed a sigh she hadn't even known she'd been holding. Ariel, as she reminded herself, wasn't worried. She wasn't. This Glowerhaven princess, she couldn't steal Eric from her, because Eric wouldn't let her. He and Ariel were in love. Love. And not Jewel. Or Grimsby. Or anyone would change that.
No one.
Ariel took a deep breath. All she had to do was trust in Eric. She could do that.
A familiar giggle tore through the room and Ariel looked up, seeing Cinderella had entered the room.
"Hi!" she said, waving and bounding over, "Isn't it funny how we're getting ready for dinner before we've even had lunch?"
Ariel shrugged, her scattered mind not quite on the girl, "I guess."
"I think I'm gonna wear something blue." Cinderella continued, "I think its my lucky color. Besides, Charming likes me in blue."
Ariel nodded again. She was trying, and failing, to stay confident. She couldn't let people like Grimsby and Jewel get to her. But it was always so hard to stay confident away from Eric. When she was near him, everything was alright. She knew everything would be okay. But away from him, she always felt like she was falling apart.
Like at any time and any moment, her world might just collapse.
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Eric
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Eric hung up the phone.
Jasmine, Aladdin, Belle, and Adam were on their way. They were taking jets, so Eric could take 30 minutes off of their expected time. Florian and Snow White had arrived and Eric made sure Carlotta, his favorite maid, herself took care of them. Florian was on edge and Eric didn't want to give him any reason to be even more uncomfortable.
Now, if he could get his things sorted for school, he could get Grimsby off his case for a short while. Leaving the study he'd made his calls in, he passed the formal dinning room. Maids and servants scurried around the room as if one of the kings were coming. Jasmine, Charming, and Adam often came over for nothing more than a meal, but Eric had never seen anyone work as frantic and hard as the maids and servants were then.
He shrugged, none too bothered, and continued down the hall. Going into his room, he found racks of clothing taking up nearly every empty space. He was supposed to be gone for a few months, so he supposed the dozens of racks were appropriate, but he wondered if the servants could get the clothes out before it was time for him to go to bed. He doubted he could make it to his bed even if he wanted to.
He didn't pay much attention to the formal racks. The ones full of suits and ties and slashes and gloves. Instead, he went right to his casual clothes, stuck the little red flag up that signaled his choice, and left the room. Clothes picked out for school. Check.
Eric rounded a corner when he nearly ran into Charming.
"Hey," Eric said, looking around the boy for the ever present redhead. "Where's Ariel?"
"Ariel?" Charming asked, "I don't know. She went off with Grimsby earlier."
"Grimsby?" Eric asked, trying to keep alarm off of his face, but apparently failing.
"You didn't tell me to babysit her." Charming said, catching on to a slight panic, "Your look said 'get her out of here'. I did that."
"Forget it." Eric said, waving the boy off, "I'll find her."
Eric left a slightly confused Charming behind. He should have known Ariel wouldn't stay in one spot for long. And that was the perfect time for Grimsby to get to her. Of course, maybe Grimsby was fitting her for a wedding dress. After all, the man seemed eager enough for their marriage. Eric might have everything all wrong. Maybe he didn't need to worry.
But then... maybe he did. He wasn't too sure about Grimsby, and preferred to stay on the safe side. Eric just happened to look into a room and found Grimsby was sitting at a desk, looking over some papers. The door to the room was open so Eric walked in without any hesitation.
Grimsby looked up, startled at any company, and slammed the papers he'd held in his hand inside the drawer.
"Eric." he said, still slightly stunned, "Have you chosen your school clothes."
"Yes." Eric said, wondering just what Grimsby had been looking at, before he shook his head, "Where's Ariel?"
Grimsby raised an eyebrow at him, "I took her to see a seamstress. She has no clothes, so she needed to be fitted."
Eric breathed a sigh of relief, also coloring a bit in embarrassment. Here he thought Grimsby might have done or said something horrible to her, when really, he'd only taken her to get fitted. Honestly, he was more stressed than anyone knew. For him to be so worked up.
"Right." Eric said, "Of course."
"You ought to change into formal wear." Grimsby said, raising an eyebrow. "Your guest has just arrived."
"Guest?" Eric asked, "What guest? I wasn't expecting anyone."
"I told you earlier." Grimsby said, sighing, "Jewel will be staying with us for a while."
"Jewel?" Eric asked, "Why is she here?"
Eric remembered Jewel. She was smart. Funny. Pretty. She'd visited just a few months prior, her father having business in the country. While Grimsby hadn't said so, Eric suspected he'd tried to get them together. But Eric had felt no sparks with her. She was good enough company, and almost too sweet a girl, but there was nothing more between them. That much was clear.
"How long is she staying?" Eric asked, "Surely not long, with me off to school soon."
"No." Grimsby said, "But since you both go to the same school, I thought perhaps you could both ride together. It's only a short flight."
Eric rolled his eyes. 6 hours wasn't really considered 'short' to him. And he would love to say no. Since he'd be going with Ariel, he'd hoped to spend some time with her, knowing when his studies started, he'd be short on it. Now, he'd need to entertain Jewel as well?
"She's got a perfectly fine jet-" Eric tried, but Grimsby held his hand up for silence.
Eric had to bite his lip to keep quiet. He had every right to want to spend time with Ariel. After all, they were... as of yet, they were... well, they were... dating? Well, eventually, she'd be his fiancé. And then his wife. Practically, they were courting. Of course, he had to propose to her first. But all of that was coming. He just had to plan it right. That is, assuming she'd say yes. Which, of course, she would. Right?
"Eric." Grimsby said, firmly. "Stop that thing with your hands, and what in heavens has gotten your attention. You look like your watching TV."
"Nothing." Eric said, shaking his head. "I'm fine."
"Lovely." Grimsby said, dryly, "Well, if you're so fine, why don't you head down to the fitting room and get your fathers suit tailored. As I said before, we've only one shot at this and I want no mistakes."
"Fine." Eric said, spinning on his heels.
"And then," Grimsby said, stopping him, "Head down to the kitchen and make sure dinner is to your liking."
Eric waved his hand in acceptance, and left before Grimsby could think of something else for him to do. If he didn't know any better, he was thinking Grimsby was purposefully keeping him busy.
.
Ariel
.
.
Ariel had fallen asleep after lunch. When her seamstress was done with her, Cinderella and her had ventured for a private tour of the castle. It had been just enough to keep Ariel's mind off of... certain people. Of course, then they had gotten lost and it wasn't until Charming had found them that they'd felt alright.
Charming had treated them both to lunch, before he had business to take care of, and Ariel and Cinderella had talked a little while. A servant had appeared though, and had taken them down to wardrobe to get prepared for dinner. The wardrobe room had been full of people. People doing makeup. People doing nails. For the first in her life, she'd gotten her hair washed on land, and she had to admit it was fun.
Of course, they'd needed to use their largest sink for all her hair. And three people had needed to pitch in. And then there was the fact that no one believed her hair color was natural.
Ariel woke under the hair dryer, and Cinderella was beside her, flipping through a magazine while she got her hair done.
"Hey sleepy." she said, putting her magazine down. "You were out forever."
"Yeah," Ariel said, stretching in her seat. "I needed a good nap."
"I tried. But I couldn't get to sleep. Eric came in, but he didn't want to wake you."
Ariel frowned, she would have liked to see Eric. Very much, actually.
"He seems nice." Cinderella said, looking at her nails, "He introduced himself."
Ariel nodded, seeing her nails had already been done a lavender color. She hadn't seen her dress yet, but now she supposed she'd be wearing purple. That was alright. She liked purple.
"I've got to get some more tailoring done." Cinderella said, the people doing her hair nodding at her up-do in approval, "See you later?"
Ariel nodded as the girl got up and walked off. Cinderella hadn't left the room for more than 2 minutes, before a familiar head of long black hair caught her eyes. Ariel hardly had time to register the girls face before the girl embraced her in a huge hug.
"Jordan!" she said, "I'm so glad your alright."
Jasmine pulled back, and Ariel smiled at Jasmine. She'd actually missed the girl. It was nice to see her again.
"Hi Jasmine." Ariel greeted.
The girl plopped down in the seat Cinderella had been sitting in and crossed her legs.
"Though," she said, "Eric said you'd prefer Ariel now."
"Yeah." Ariel said sheepishly, "I don't even know where Jordan came from. Surabi just gave it to me."
"What a wicked woman," Jasmine mused, "Well anyway, I'm glad everything worked out. Of course, I had to spend a few long days thinking you were either dead or kidnapped, but Aladdin told me you were fine. What do you know, he was right."
"A lot of things... happened." Ariel said, trying not to sound too vague, but trying to stay... vague.
"Yeah," Jasmine said, continuing, "Like you getting with my kid brother. Total curve ball. Wasn't expecting that at all."
"You don't mind do you?" Ariel asked.
"Who, me?" Jasmine laughed, "Never. I think its kind of cute. I mean, you were my night maid, and now you'll be like, a sister-in-law. That is, when the bozo works up the nerve to propose."
Ariel couldn't help her cheeks coloring at the prospect. And to think... she would be the girl to marry Eric. The girl to go down the aisle. The girl to say I do. The one he'd love, forever.
"Don't worry," Jasmine said, picking up a magazine, "He'll propose soon. I'll make sure of it. I don't know why, but when I want to, for some reason, I can scare people. I think it's because I'm not afraid to hit. Maybe that's why. I mean, all those times I hit Aurora, it was because she deserved it."
Ariel rolled her eyes at the name. Who was this Aurora girl? She seemed to come up more and more.
"Who is that?" Ariel asked, "Aurora I mean. Who is she?"
"Aurora?" Jasmine asked, before sucking her teeth, "Well, imagine conceded and rude having a baby together. The baby's name would be Aurora. It would have blonde hair and blue eyes. And a face that practically said 'punch me' all over it."
Ariel had to giggle at Jasmine's exaggerated tale.
"Well really," Jasmine said, "She's the princess of the 5th province. I wish I had your skills of ignoring people. Even people like me who don't like her, at least know her."
Ariel shrunk back a little. Of course, she should have known that already. Grimsby was right about another thing. She wasn't at all versed in this world. She was completely new. She really was like a 'daft baby'.
"Hello friends!" cried a voice, and Ariel looked up to see Snow White had entered the room.
Somehow, she looked even dirtier than she'd been before.
"Hi!" Ariel greeted.
"Hey, Snow." Jasmine said.
"Oh I can't wait until dinner!" Snow White said, "My closest friends, all sharing a meal with me!"
A short woman was trying to usher Snow White to sit in a chair to get her hair washed, but Snow White simply continued walking around the room, looking at all the tools and equipment.
"I love Snow," Jasmine said, when the girl was out of earshot. "But I think she's fallen out of one too many trees."
"She's so nice." Ariel told Jasmine with a smile, "She taught me how to climb a tree."
"Who hasn't she taught." Jasmine said, yawning, "But I will say this, the girl has ankles made of brick."
Now that, Ariel remembered.
"Lady Ariel." called a voice, and Ariel looked up to see a woman was waiting in a doorway for her.
"Better get dressed," Jasmine said, "If Grimsby finds we're not ready before he is, we'll all be part of tonight's main course."
"Alright." Ariel said, standing up, "See you later?"
"Of course." Jasmine said with a wink.
Ariel found she'd somehow made her way back into the fitting room. The same woman who'd measured her earlier was at the same stall. Now that it was getting late, the windows curtains were all drawn and chandeliers above the room shown brightly, casting golden glows around the room.
Ariel expected Cinderella to be in the room, knowing she'd needed some more tailoring. But it wasn't blonde hair that caught Ariel's eyes. Instead, it was brown.
"Embe-er-Ariel." came the unsure voice of Belle.
"Belle!" Ariel cried, surprised at seeing the girl.
"I knew we'd meet again," Belle said. "I knew it."
Belle was a few stalls down, but Ariel could tell the girl was uncomfortable. After all, she was being put into a dress.
"Up on the stand." the woman instructed, and Ariel tore her eyes from the girl, and complied.
"When did you get here?" Ariel asked, while the seamstress retrieved her dress.
"Oh just a few minutes ago, actually." Belle told her, "Adam rushed me on that stupid plane and the whole flight he was asleep. Mouth open, drooling, and snoring. You'd think he never slept before."
Ariel laughed, "I could see that from him."
"Can you imagine after we're married?" she asked, "How will I ever get to sleep with him sawing wood like that? It was like an alarm clock that wouldn't turn off."
"You could always get headphones." Ariel suggested, and Belle scoffed.
"I'm afraid a marching band would be muted by him. Maybe I'll get him that thing that opens your nose so you don't snore. Have you ever seen that commercial?"
"No." Ariel said, shaking her head.
"I'll look into it." she said, thinking about the product, "It sounds like a miracle."
"I'll get it for you as a wedding present."
"You're the best."
The old seamstress returned holding a large, purple, ball gown.
"Oooh," Belle said, "You do like your big gowns, don't you?"
Ariel took a moment to marvel at the work. She didn't believe the old woman could come up with such a lovely dress in such short time. The idea seemed impossible.
The dress, the softest lilac color she'd ever seen, had strands and tints of blue to it. It was even poofier than her silver dress, having to have a radius at least 5 times what she was herself. This one, as was her last ball gown, was strapless. And synched all the way down to her waist, still like her last dress. But, instead of the busy flower-like bottom, this dress had sheer, soft ribbons that swooped across the skirt of the dress synching at her right waist.
Ariel was eager to accept the help of the old woman as she put it on. The dress fit so perfectly that Ariel wanted to cry. Everything about the dress just seemed so perfect. She was so sure Eric would love it that it gave her goosebumps.
"Wow." Belle whispered when she left her stall, "You look... wow. That's... it's so girly."
Ariel laughed. Of course Belle thought it was too girly.
"Do you think Eric will like it?" Ariel asked, and Belle sucked her teeth.
"I think tonight Eric better propose or someone else will steal you."
Ariel rolled her eyes playfully. It seemed as if everyone was waited for her proposal almost as much as she was.
The seamstress pulled at Belle's arm, pulling her down the hall.
"See you at dinner?" Ariel asked, and Belle nodded.
"Bet on it."
Ariel's seamstress pulled out a pair of high heeled purple shoes, and Ariel groaned. Her last high heeled shoes had hurt her feet horribly. She'd been hoping for some flats. The woman put the shoes down and made to leave, but Ariel stopped her, by grabbing her arm, and gave her a tight hug.
"Thank you." Ariel told her, "I love this dress."
The woman seemed surprised. Shocked, as if Ariel had done something forbidden. Ariel grabbed her shoes, slipped them on and made her way out through the salon door. The woman was still standing shocked when Ariel walked through the door, and Ariel wondered if she really did something she wasn't supposed to.
"Ariel!" cried Snow White's voice when Ariel entered the salon, "Hi!"
Apparently, Snow White had sat up in the middle of having her hair washed and was now dripping with soapy water. The man washing her hair looked ready to explode. He was already soaking wet.
Ariel managed a smile and wave Snow White's way before leaving the salon and making her way down the hallway. Her heels clicked in the empty hallway, and she hoped she didn't run into Grimsby. The last thing she needed was to be left with him again. She wasn't sure what he might say, but she knew it was probably along the lines of forcing her back into the ocean. Which wasn't going to happen.
Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, she hoped she didn't mess anything up. The many stylists who had worked on her hair had put it up in an exquisite bun, tons of tiny little curled strands of red hair falling down the sides of her face. Pearls and beads were woven all through her hair, and Ariel knew it must have taken the stylists a long time. She wasn't sure, she'd fallen asleep about then.
The sound of footsteps caught her ear, and her first instincts was to remove her loud clicking shoes and run in the opposite way. Seeing Grimsby's face round the corner was her biggest fear. And yet, she was met with the handsomest face off all time.
Eric flashed her a dazzling smile, clearly surprised they'd run into each other. Ariel felt weak. It was his smile, she knew, (or maybe his deep dimples) that made her knees loose an unhealthy amount strength and muscle. It made them shake right off the tendons. Thank goodness she had a fluffy dress on or Eric would have thought her crazy.
"You look... you look..." he seemed to search for words and Ariel felt her heart stop, "You look beautiful."
Ariel had to resist playing in her hair. It was a habit, but she knew she couldn't touch the art that was her hair. She wanted it to last. She wanted no strand out of place.
"Come on," he said, offering her his arm, in which she gladly took, "I was just coming to look for you."
"Sorry I was asleep earlier." she apologized. "You should have woke me."
"Don't worry about it," he waved off. "I just wanted to check on you. And besides."
He stopped walking down the hall and leaned down just far enough to whisper in her ear.
"Your beautiful when your asleep."
She couldn't help it. She giggled. The most girl-iest, fangirl-ish, high, squeaky giggle, even she had ever heard. And she had 6 sisters! He was just too sweet. Too amazing to be real. That... and the fact that his breath tickled her. But in a way that could only be described as perfect. Perfectly perfect.
Still giggling, she let Eric lead her the rest of the way to the dinning room. While the last ball/dinner had consisted of practically, Ariel, Eric, Grimsby, and that Queen of Stars, or Hearts, or whatever, this one bustled with people. Servants and maids walked around, tasters and hors d'oeuvres on trays. Belle and Adam were already seating, seemingly talking over something important. Cinderella and Charming were both tasting the food. While Aladdin and Jasmine were looking out a window, laughing together.
It left Ariel's mouth open.
Besides the people, the room was beautiful. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, candles lit the table that was full of clearly expensive china. A band was playing soft music in the background. Ariel couldn't believe how... perfect everything seemed. How wonderful and lovely and simple and yet sophisticated it all was. It was like chocolate.
"To your liking?" Eric joked, and Ariel closed her slightly agape mouth.
"It's alright." she shrugged, mockingly, and he laughed, pulling her into the fray.
Hand in hand, they both ducked under a waiter's tray expertly, and spun around a maid who was lighting a candle that had blown out. She was amazed, but she wasn't completely out of her element. This almost seemed like a typical Saturday dinner back in Atlantica. Only, instead of dodging trays with a handsome man, she was doing it with her sisters instead.
"Come on," Eric said, "Dance with me."
He pulled her out of the ruffle of people and onto a clear floor, beside where the band was playing. The song was slow, and almost instinctively, she leaned into him, one hand on the arm he had on her waist, the other grasped within his other hand. He rested his head on top of hers, allowing the music to lead them wherever it felt like.
"Sorry I'm late everyone!" called a voice from the doorway, and Ariel noticed a tall girl with blonde hair and pretty features enter the room. "My poor 'help' got lost."
Her floor length pink dress had oddly sharp shoulders and her sleeves ended in points as well. The curls in her hair were perfectly placed, not a strand out of place, and she practically smelled of confidence. Even across the room, Ariel could smell it. But Ariel was more concerned with the fact that the blonde girl was the infamous, or literally, famous, Aurora. Apparently, this girl was evil. The very child of rude and conceded.
"Nonsense." Charming spoke up, an easy tone to his voice, "We haven't even sat down yet. Your anything but late."
But even this new girl could ruin Ariel's mood. She was half expecting clouds to slip across the floor as the room melted away. She was with Eric. Everything was perfect. She felt like she were flying. Like she was in a dream. In a single moment, it seemed as if her life was suddenly perfect. She would give up anything, just to relive that moment whenever she wanted. Quite frankly, perfection aside, she was simply surprised she still knew how to dance. Of course, he was leading, but still...
Against his chest, she could feel his deep breathing. Hear his consistent, calm, rhythmic heart beat. She matched her own breathing with his, smiling when he noticed and chuckled. Everything about that moment, if felt so real. Too real. The serene atmosphere was shattered when Eric pulled back from her a bit.
Charming looked apologetic as he approached.
"We can go now, or after dinner," he said.
Ariel, out of the loop and confused, still looked to Eric for his answer.
"I'd love to say after dinner," Eric said, "But we may lose the chance. We better do it now."
Charming nodded his head, "I'll gather the others. And we'll pick up Aurora as well."
Eric gave a tight nod as Charming walked off casually. Ariel didn't want to butt in, but she didn't get the chance as Eric grabbed her by both her arms and whisked back into the fray of the bustling maids and servants.
"Eric?" Ariel laughed, dodging a waiter's tray, "Where are we-"
He held a finger to his lips, and she merely smiled a bit, following along. He pulled her to the other side of the room, and they both stood against the wall beside a door, until a particularly busy bustle of maids went by. Seemingly using them as cover, Eric opened the door he was standing by, and hurried them both through.
They were plunged into darkness when the door closed, but Eric seemed to know the way without light anyway. He pulled her closer to him, his arm going around her waist and led her deeper into the hall. Ariel's heart pounded, her mind reeling at what awaited her. Charming had seemed so stiff and uptight, but Eric moved as he normally did. There seemed to be no problem to him.
Eric stopped and the sound of a door in front of them being unlocked echoed through whatever room or hallway they'd just been in. Light cracked through the darkness around the edge of the door, and Ariel found a cool breeze picked up the few strands of her hair that was down.
Eric allowed her to exit first as he locked the door behind them. They had exited in an area that was apparently off-limits, because when the door closed, it seemed nearly invisible on the wall. A tall wall of thick grown hedging blocked her view in the other direction. With nothing but the moon and stars for light, Ariel waited for Eric to show her the rest of the way to... wherever he was taking her.
"Come on," Eric said, grabbing her hand, and smiling slightly, "I think you're gonna like this."
Ariel squinted her eyes at him, but smiled as they approached the thick hedge. To Ariel, it appeared to be a wall. Unbreakable. Impenetrable. She couldn't see anyway past, around, or through it.
But Eric, someone who grew up here, must have seen it differently than her, because he didn't even hesitate as he pushed on the hedges and climbed through. No secret passageway had opened. The bushes didn't part magically around him. He just fought through the twigs and branches and kept going. Ariel hesitated, but shrugged, before following him in.
It was strange, being so compacted next to Eric, in the dense bushes. She might not have minded if she hadn't felt a twig snag her hair and give a tug. Her hair may turn out a mess, but at least Eric had seen her at her best.
But it wasn't long before Eric broke free on the other side and helped her through and out into a clearing. She seemed to have stepped into another world. They'd somehow found their way into a secluded garden. A fountain lay in the middle of the circular clearing, still surrounded by tall hedges on all sides, that seemed to touch the sky. And while the hedge Ariel had first seen had been barren, this side of the hedge was full of brightly colorful wild flowers and strategically woven through with soft lights that lit the area tenderly. Soft pebbles were under Ariel's feet, reminding her of the beach, and stone benches sat around the fountain.
The area seemed to be filled with magic.
"Sorry about you hair." Eric said, brushing himself off before he turned to her and cocked his head curiously, and slowly said, "Never mind."
Maybe her hair didn't look so bad after all.
But in such a magical place, she almost didn't even care about her hair. She walked slowly to the middle of the garden, her hands grasped together in adoration. She spun slowly, trying to take everything in at once. The flowers, the fountain, the moon and stars, the lights, the benches. It was all so extraordinary that she felt she couldn't quite wrap her head around it all at once.
"Do you like this place?" Eric asked, seeming to glow under the enchanted lighting.
"I love it!" Ariel cried, turning to him, "It's so... transfixed. I feel like I'm under a spell."
"I used to come here as a child," Eric told her, walking around the fountain, "When being in the castle felt too constricting. No one, not even Charming, knows about this place."
So it was a secret garden? For Charming not know meant he trusted her. Trusted her enough with his secret. Trusted her enough to allow her into his own oasis. His solitude. A special place for him. The thought made Ariel giggle to herself.
"Why do you laugh so often?" he laughed softly, his arms suddenly wrapping around her waist from behind, his chin on top of her head.
"Because I'm happy." she told him, matter of factly.
"Yes," he said after a moment, his voice turning sad suddenly, "As you should stay."
He pulled away from her, walking to the other side of the garden, and staring at a particular flower absently. Ariel got a strong feeling that someone was wrong. There was something he wasn't saying. She couldn't understand how anyone could be upset in such a beautiful place.
"Eric..." she trailed, her voice soft, a hand reached out, prepared to lay it on his shoulder.
But he turned around to her, grabbing her outstretched hand, and held it in his own.
"Ariel," he said, leading her to one of the benches to sit down on, "I... I brought you here, because I wanted to warn you."
"Warn me?" she asked, "About what?"
He hesitated, "About... about what your about to hear. Earlier, when I spoke to Florian, he told me some... disturbing... things. I'd of left you out of it if I could, but he seems to think every one of royal status should hear this and since you and I..."
He trailed off, biting his lip.
"I just..." he tried, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to warn you. Do you understand that this isn't something I wanted?"
"Yes." Ariel said slowly, her mind still trying to comprehend just what it was he was trying to say.
"I never want to hurt you," he said, leaning his forehead against hers, softly, "I'd never do anything to upset you. I honestly want you to be as happy as I can possibly make you."
He pulled back and sighed again, and to Ariel, he looked much older than she knew he was. He seemed so burdened by something she still had no idea was.
"It's just Florian insists." he said, looking down at his hands, "He fears I may be more involved in this than he initially thought, he won't say why, but this is what he believes. And the last thing I want is for you to get caught up in this, something bad happening and you getting hurt. The last thing I want is you getting hurt."
Ariel nodded. That was one of the last things she wanted to. But she tried to look unworried for Eric's sake. He seemed so bothered by this that she didn't want to add to his stress.
"It's alright." she told him, gently. "I understand."
Eric nodded, but still looked to be second guessing his decisions. Standing up, she took his hand by habit, not even allowing him to fully outreach it to her. This earned her a slight, almost, near-half smile, from him. He led her to another end of the garden, and pulled the hedge apart for her to go through first. She figured it must not be far this time, if she was leading.
She had thought she'd been on her way back out the way she'd come, but when she broke through on the other side of the hedge, she found she was in a totally different clearing than the one she'd just left. This clearing was small, and while lights were still woven through the hedges, it was still dimly lit. Other pathways broke off from the small clearing, and also lit by light, turned off into different directions. A hedge-maze of sorts.
Eric grabbed her hand again and headed down the left pathway. Though this path wasn't as bewitched as the garden she'd been shown, she still delighted in looking at the wildflowers that grew from them. And if she didn't think too much about it, and looked at the stars, they looked just like the lights back in Atlantica. The ones her sisters might be looking at, at that very moment.
Eric turned them right, and Ariel was led into yet another clearing, but this one occupied Florian, Snow White, Charming and Cinderella. They were all sitting on stone benches and watching the fountain in the middle of the garden.
Eric sat on one of the benches, and Ariel sat beside him, turning to Cinderella who sat beside Charming.
"What happened to your hair?" Cinderella asked, giggling a bit, "You changed it."
Cinderella's hair was still perfectly in tact. Clearly, she hadn't climbed through any hedges.
Footsteps sounded and a grumpy Aurora marched into the clearing.
"I better be out here for a good reason." she said, "Its cold and I just broke a heel. Someones going to pay."
"Oh sit down." Charming told her, annoyed, and with her arms crossed, she sat as far from everyone as she could and pouted.
Eric massaged little shapes and circles on the back of Ariel's hand, but he looked on in front of him blankly, seemingly deep in thought. Ariel knew he was thinking about what he'd said earlier, and she wished there was something she could do to soothe his anxiety.
"We're late." said Jasmine, entering the clearing with Adam, Aladdin, and Belle. "I know. We're sorry."
"Late," Adam said, waving a hand uncaring, "Early. What does it matter? We wont be out here long, right?"
"No, no." Florian said, standing up so everyone could hear him clearly, "Not at all. Probably."
"Here we go." Jasmine muttered.
And for some reason, Ariel had had the same thought.
A/N: And there it is. I would, first, like to say.
Virtual Cookies to All Who Reviewed. YOU ALL ROCK!
But anyway, that's that. Sorry about the wait, again. Next week, I'll be on time. Promise.
_TheForgottenName