Triton continued to listen. "Trying to save him... I ended up getting caught in the wreckage and was washed away by the storm to an island far away, almost a good two dozen leagues away. I was badly injured... I have to basically let myself heal unless I wanted to deal with sharks...", Ariel explained.
Triton sighed as he held her tight, "It's okay, Ariel... the important thing is that you're safe and sound now... but... please, don't ever do something like that again, even if your heart is in the right place... I fear you may not be as lucky as you were.".
Ariel nodded, "I won't, Daddy. Luckily, the island borders had plenty of my usual food, so I managed to survive...It took me some time to get back to full strength, and now I'm home...".
"Yes, you're home, my daughter...Are you hungry? It must have been a long trip.", Triton smiled warmly, and Ariel smiled widely, "Are you kidding? I'm hungry as a whale!".
Her sisters giggled and laughed as Triton chuckled, "Let's have some dinner!", and so Ariel happily reveled in the familiarity of chaos around the dinner table that night and went to sleep exhausted yet relieved that Triton wasn't angry at her...In the morning, she will tell him that she will keep to the punishment from prior before the storm.
She was sad when she realized that Eric's ship was slower than her tail as her dreams were only black, nonsensical things that night just like Eric's dreams, but thankfully, Eric's ship made it by late morning, and Eric happily reunited with Carlotta, Grimsby, with the palace in happy chaos, making up Eric's favorites for the meals that day.
Eric was relieved when he was back in their dreams that night then, having adventures as they figured that having dreams is only possible when they are living door to door in a way, and so, Ariel's punishment gradually came with no complaints during the day, but in their dreams, a few complaints as Ariel ranted to Eric occasionally to let off some steam.
And then there was the minor kingdom's royal family visit...After Ariel missed out on the first time, Triton decided to keep trying, and so, Ariel petulantly hosted the visitors, and soon found out that the prince was self-absorbed, selfish, and annoying.
Ariel tried so hard to not complain during the next whole week, and Eric was the only palm of pure happiness in her life, bringing smiles in her dreams, yet the prince tried to put moves on her without her permission, bringing Ariel to hit him angrily...Of course, that brought some tension to Triton that he didn't need to have, apologizing to the royal family, and Ariel had a fight with Triton, trying to explain her side, but Triton wouldn't have it, and sent her to her room without dinner.
That night, with the pot boiling over, Ariel was beyond stressed and agitated that Eric offered to make it better by making love again, and Ariel happily obliged, unknowing that her sisters is hearing everything.
Ariel sighed deeply, smiling to herself as she is now better, waking up in the middle of the night after their intense yet incredible dreams, finding six pairs of eyes looking at her, and Ariel blinked, startled, "Oh! What's wrong?".
Like a dorm, their bedrooms are side by side, with a huge vanity in the center, some resting sea sponge sofas and such, and it's not normal for Ariel to be talking and making noises in the night as she is usually a sound sleeper, well, before their dreams, that is.
"Uh, Ariel... did you... um...", Aquata was certainly finding it greatly difficult to say what she wanted to say. "Ariel... we all have our 'special' dreams, but we don't usually announce them even while sleeping!", Attina shouted as Ariel went so red- faced.
"Was I... did you all really hear that?", Ariel blushed so much that she practically could be glowing. "Hard to ignore it with all the moans and 'yeses!' you were giving.", Arista said.
Ariel chuckled sheepishly...What can she say? Eric truly is a natural beyond belief, even if it was only their dreams together...
Alana replied, "You lied to Daddy, didn't you? Someone helped you with your tail...And now you got a soulmate...This gotta be a record...We barely found our soulmates a year or two in after we turned 16, but you, you only had five months after your birthday!".
Ariel stammered before begging, "Please don't tell Daddy! I can't...I can't lose Eric...", not wanting Triton to blast Eric with his trident...Triton would be berserk to find out that his youngest daughter is practically together with a human.
Aquata cooed, "Is that his name?! He must be so handsome!", and Attina groaned, pinching her nose, "Girls!...Ariel, you know us...You can tell us, we are sisters, after all.".
Ariel sighed as she clearly was cornered. "Yes...", Ariel answered in terms of the handsome question. "And yes... I... I'm certain he's my soul mate.", she added.
Arista asked, "Well, how long has those dreams been happening?", and Ariel exhaled, licked her lips nervously, "About two weeks...".
"Wait, are you saying that your man, your soulmate came with you, but secretly?!", Aquata gasped, and swooned, "That's so romantic!".
"...Not exactly...He's not a citizen of Atlantica, or even our species...", Ariel spoke quietly, hoping that her sisters would accept the fact that the man she loves is a human.
Attina blinked softly before groaning, "Out of all the people in the world, your soulmate is a human?!", and gasps of shock, surprise rang through the bedroom, and Ariel didn't protest, convincing the sisters to realize that it's true...
"Ariel...", Andrina as she rubbed her temples. "Do you know how much hot water you're gonna be in if Daddy finds out?".
"I know... I just...", Ariel looked ashamed. "It's not her fault. Can't exactly pick and choose soulmates, we all know that.", Adella defended.
Aquata nodded, "She got a point there. So, come on, give us the details! What does he look like? Is he really nice, personality-wise?".
Ariel smiled softly, "Eric is 18...He was the one I saved in the storm...He saved my tail from getting infected...He loves the sea, music, and he is kind to many animals as he has a pet. And he got tanned skin from the sun, ice blue eyes, and his hair, inky black like the pitch darkness in the depths...And he's a prince...compassionate, good-hearted, and fair to everyone.", dreamily thinking of him, proving to all the sisters that Ariel is really in love with him.
"So, he knows you're a mermaid?", Attina asked as Ariel nodded.
"Didn't really have a chance to hide that from him. The beach we ended up washed away on, he woke up first and found me.", Ariel explained. "But he was doing his best to try to hide me from others... so there's at least one good human. And... he did tell me about those humans who... well, Mother's killers.".
Gasps of surprise, "Really?! What happened?!", voices all at once, and Attina gave a sharp whistle before they settled down, and Ariel exhaled deeply, "Last year, his kingdom and some other kingdoms were having trouble with pirates, the Barbary pirates Eric called them by, and his ships captured several of the pirates, taking back the lost treasure to the rightful owners, and since those pirates killed humans on the surface, there was justice served, and they're dead now...".
"So... Mother has been avenged?", Alana asked as Ariel shook her head. "There's no way to be sure that if those pirates were the ones that got Mother or if they're still alive or all dead from some other surface nation, but... I do know that Eric is no friends of theirs for sure.", Ariel said.
Attina exhaled, "At least the world is better without those said pirates your Eric and his kingdom killed. And you trust this Eric?", and Ariel looked at her eldest sister, "With all my heart. I love him, Attina, and he does love me for who I am, what I am, even...if I can't be human to be with him...", with a sob.
Adella replied, "Could you make a deal with Ursula about that?", and gasps of horror, with voices shouting, "Adella!", looking at her in shock. Ariel blinked in surprise, "The sea witch?".
Attina spat, "We all know Daddy banished her, and for good reason! Ariel, please, don't seek out Ursula...She's bad news.", pleading to her, and Ariel exhaled, having heard the stories about Ursula the infamous sea witch, and nodded, "I won't seek her out, Attina...".
"Why would you even suggest something like that, Adella?!", Arista acted like Adella had lost her mind. "It slipped! I'm sorry, I just... I heard the rumors about her and all, and it just slipped!", Adella tried to explain.
Aquata scowled, "I may be a drama romantic, but I ain't that crazy.", and murmurs of agreement rang around the bedroom. Attina sighed, "It's late, girls, we will talk in the morning and all.", and everyone accepted that, heading back to their rooms, with Aquata stage-whispering to Ariel, "Is Eric really good in the bedroom department?".
Ariel blushed yet again, smiling warmly yet proudly, "In our dreams, he's the best...He's easily on par with the guards around the palace in the handsome department as well.", and Aquata smirked softly, "Looks like you're no longer our baby sister, Ariel. Just try to pipe all that loving down when you see him in your dreams soon, eh?", as she winked at her before leaving Ariel's room.
"I'll try... I really will...", Ariel sighed as she tried to take a few breaths.
The next couple of days went fairly calm for Ariel, but Triton could easily tell that something was off with her and one of the sisters let slip that Ariel was in love. Of course, she quickly shut her mouth as Triton mistook it for not wanting to say who the lucky merman was; thankfully none the wiser about it being a human.
Speaking of said human, Eric was having his own difficulties back in Tirulia; the mess that was caused by his absence certainly still needed some fixes but as Grimsby had pointed out to him, it would've been much worse if he was missing much longer.
And of course, there was his marriage issues. The deal between him and Grimbsy is still on for the remainder of the two months left before Grimsby would go for the Bourbon royal family in France, and Eric didn't want to be tied down to France like that as his heart, his whole soul, his body belongs to Ariel, his little mermaid, not that anybody knows, through the palace staff can tell that something was off, something as in not wrong, but something that is making the prince happier yet sadder than usual sometimes.
"Your majesty?", Grimsby injected as he found Eric sitting on the beach where he tended to retreat to ever since he had come back. "Grimsby.", Eric said as he didn't turn to look at him but continue to stare out to the ocean.
"Sir, I may not be the greatest expert on it, but I certainly can tell that something's wrong and it is related to the heart.", Grimsby paused. "Not physically, I assume you're still in good health, but the spiritual sort of heart.".
Eric sighed deeply, "Nothing gets past you, Grim...Yes, my heart is hurt, not physically, but in the throes of love...I... wasn't alone on that island...She...can't leave the island as her father hates me...", keeping to his promise that he wouldn't tell the truth of Ariel being a mermaid, from under the sea.
"Can't or couldn't?", Grimsby gently asked. "Both in a way.", Eric said as since it was the truth. She couldn't because she was a mermaid and can't because of her father.
"I'm honestly surprised a Greek commoner was the one to take your heart.", Grimsby sighed. "Then again, I suppose the better choice of suitors really weren't good matches.".
"Are any of those arrangements really any sort of match? With all the royals and nobles all matched together... not really likely to find the one amongst them.", Eric snorted with a slight frown.
Grimsby sighed softly, "I suppose not. I have noticed that you were a bit happier in the mornings yet sad in the afternoons.", and Eric sighed heavily, "My only palm of happiness is my memories of her, and I suppose they congregated into my dreams...I..was used to seeing her smile when we would meet up secretly in the morning, and we spent so much time on those wonderful days...".
Grimsby looked away as he went to think, "Sir... if there's anything I can do to help..."
"You can't.", Eric quickly said. "I mean, I would be so glad if her father and her location wasn't a problem, then it would just be, 'Can the kingdom accept a... commoner?' ". He was careful to say that since Ariel was royalty herself... just not one any kingdom in Europe would accept.
"Well, I would certainly... try my best to help if that was the case.", Grimsby told him. Eric blinked in shock and surprise, looking at Grimsby, "Truly?".
Grimsby smiled warmly, "As your friend and most trusted adviser, I only want you to be happy, and if this young lady makes you happy, then I would be satisfied with it.".
"Thank you, Grimsby.", Eric gave him a grateful smile, and Grimsby nodded, "Of course, Eric. Just out of curiosity, what's her name?".
Eric sighed yet smiled tenderly, "Ariel...Her name is Ariel.", glancing at the sea. "Strange name for a Greek woman.", Grimsby said as Eric chuckled.
"Well, she's a strange girl... but... absolutely wonderful.", Eric smiled fondly. Grimsby replied, "You have never lied about those sorts of things, and I see the familiar look of love in your eyes, just like your parents before. This Ariel must be something special to give you the love you deserve.".
Eric smiled softly, "Oh, you have no idea, Grim. I am and will always be in love with her no matter what. I just have to hope that she will find a way here. I invited her for a tour of my kingdom as she loved hearing stories about home, the town, everything.".
"And you're sure there's nothing that I or the kingdom in itself can do to say... bring her here?", Grimsby asked. 'Unless you can magically give her legs and make her human.' Eric thought as he shook his head.
Grimsby sighed deeply, "Well, I will then have to hope that you're right. And in case if she ends up here by a miracle, if you're in a meeting or in town, how do I know if it's Miss Ariel?".
Eric smiled dreamily yet warmly, "She has the most beautiful ocean blue eyes, flawless pale skin that hasn't been touched much by the sun, and her hair, long past her shoulders, and the color, a vibrant fire-red...".
"I swear, sir, she sounds less Greek with everything you say.", Eric gave Grimsby a smirk as the servant sighed, "Of course, sir. Shall I leave you to your thoughts for a bit longer?".
"If that's alright, Grimsby... if I'm needed urgently, I'll come running.", Eric gave a small smile as Grimsby gave one of his own, glad to know that the young man took his burden of rule seriously.
Grimsby then bowed his head, and left, as Eric turned his head around to look at the sea, whispering softly, "At least our dreams are giving us a reprieve from the real world...I miss you, Ariel, my little mermaid.", with a deep sigh as he was soon lost in his memories.
Far from the shore, in Atlantica, Triton is wondering who the lucky merman is, while waiting for his advisor to return from his court compose duties, "My youngest daughter in love... who could've thought?", happy yet surprised as Ariel is rather headstrong and adventurous.
"Your Majesty, you called for me?", Sebastian's voice called down as he walked and swam, and Triton nodded, "Yes, Sebastian. I have a matter of importance to discuss with you.", and Sebastian swam a tad faster, taking a seat on the side of the throne.
"Of course. What may I do for you?", Sebastian asked, and Triton replied, "Have you noticed that something's off with Ariel?".
"Something off?", Sebastian raised an eyebrow, or whatever the crab had to represent that sort of look. "Well, she's been moaning about, daydreaming, singing to herself, and obviously the rest of the girls all know something too but they're not saying.", Triton said.
"Ah, well, it's young girls, your majesty, sisters will always keep secrets amongst each other.", Sebastian explained with a chuckle.
"Yes... but... something feels off about it. The rest of the girls all were very quick to tell me about the mermen they were swimming in circles about... Ariel, on the other hand...", Triton said, sighing frustratedly.
Sebastian shrugged, "Well, she's 16, your majesty...she might possibly have found her soulmate.", and Triton frowned, "But that's early.", knowing that his other daughters was telling him of their soulmates within a year or two.