Chapter 3
ERIC guided Ariel into the castle's dining hall, relieved to find it empty as they came inside to find themselves alone. His hand tightened around hers as he released a held breath. He had anticipated Master Grimsby's presence at the head of the table, eager to meet the woman who had captured his attention.
He was grateful, however, this did not seem to be the case, for he knew he secretly wanted in his mind more time to linger and be alone with her, especially now that he knew her name was Ariel.
He could get to know her better, as a person, a human being.
Eric smiled at the two place settings on the table, which were not where he had envisioned them to be, yet he suspected their arrangement had everything to do with Carlotta, gods bless his old nursemaid's kind, sweet soul.
Instead of being placed at the opposite ends of the long rectangular table, they were strategically placed together in the corner by the fireplace at the far end of the vast and lavish hall.
Two steaming bowls of a delectable onion soup, a golden turkey breast on a plate, and a heaping mound of mashed potatoes swimming in gravy were set upon place settings for each of them. The good smells that filled the room nearly made his mouth water. The rest of the table, however, was entirely bare, which made Eric feel uncomfortable.
His eyes widened as he felt his breathing quicken and even his hands were becoming clammy as he silently led Ariel towards the table, something Eric admittedly had not anticipated to occur. If Ariel noticed it as he reluctantly let go of her hand to pull out her chair for her, she was good at hiding it from him then, for which Eric was greatly relieved.
"A-are you hungry, Ariel? You must be starving," Eric stammered nervously, his mouth turning dry and his tongue feeling like heavy clay in his mouth as he moved to place a lit torch onto the wall for light and warmth before guiding Ariel to one of the chairs, pulling it out for the young redhead.
She nodded eagerly. Oh, yes, she tried to communicate, suddenly realizing her hunger, and was glad the Prince had asked that she share in a meal with him. She was curious about what the humans on land ate but was pulled from her thoughts as the Prince nodded and spoke once more.
"I hope you will enjoy the meal," he told her, trying to hide his nervousness as he prayed that everything was to her liking.
Ariel nodded. Thank you. She glanced down at the table. Her mouth almost watered to find the meal in front of her, the likes of which she had never seen before but it smelled divine. Oh my goodness. It was truly a beautiful meal and Ariel had to struggle with herself to remain polite. The golden turkey breast she had never seen before and stared at it in awe and wonder, wondering what it was and how she intended to eat the meal. How...?
She cast her gaze around her place setting and spotted a dinglehopper resting by the bowl of soup. Her eyes alighted with familiarity and delight and she jutted out a hand to wrap her slender fingers around the small silver device and began to rake its ends through her long autumn hair, which tended to kink and curl now that she had been above water a few days and was becoming more and more unruly. Without thinking, she continued her gentle strokes, a faint smile coming to her lips as she was relieved to have the opportunity to comb her hair somewhat and looked presentable. But she froze the moment she heard Eric let out a chuckle from his spot at the table. The dinglehopper was halfway through a hunk of her hair when she heard the Prince let out an amused little laugh.
Eric laughed, the noise escaping from the back of his throat before he could stop it. This strange girl was endearing to him as he struggled to stifle a laugh from observing her odd behavior. Ariel had a blush rise to her face out of embarrassment and immediately set the dinglehopper back on the place setting where she had found it.
Am I…am I doing it wrong, is this not the way? She tried to ask, gesticulating with her hands, not sure how else to communicate with the Prince unless he'd brought her something to write with and a piece of parchment paper.
"Have you never…used a fork before, Ariel? Is this your first time?" Eric smiled lightly, a stubborn coarse lock of his bangs falling in front of his face. He noticed how Ariel's already large eyes widened. Her lips parted as if she wanted to try to speak, however, much to his dismay, no sounds came forth. He felt his shoulders slump in disappointment.
He wondered if the girl had always been mute or if some tragedy had happened to cause her to lose her voice. He'd heard of such things happening, mostly to war victims. Ariel gave him a curious look and tilted her head to one side as she shook her head no, trying to tell Prince Eric that she had never even heard of a fork before, or anything here on land, but if there was time, she hoped the Prince would tell her everything of this fascinating new world.
A fork? Ariel frowned and stared at the dinglehopper she now held in her hands with curiosity.
"Here," Eric offered kindly, finding the confused look on Ariel's face irresistible, but he did not want her to feel awkward around him. He showed her. "You take a piece of the turkey breast like this and tear off a piece."
Ariel carefully followed the Prince's instructions. She did as she was instructed as she broke off a chunk of meat from her portion of the turkey breast and popped a small bite between her teeth.
She then followed the bite of meat with a hearty spoonful of the soup, using a small silver utensil that the Prince called a soup spoon to eat the hot liquid that was in the bowl.
Eric smiled as he reached for his cup, filled with a red-colored liquid that smelled strange.
"Would you like to try some wine?" he asked.
Ariel looked at it a long moment and then nodded. The Prince seemed to enjoy the drink. His eyebrows lifted as he reached for a tin decanter of the liquid set in between their respective place settings and poured her a cup and gave a little smile. It calmed whatever nerves were within Ariel prior and she felt herself relax.
He slid the crystal glass across the table and watched as Ariel shyly accepted it.
"I thought, perhaps, if you were feeling up to it, the two of us could take a walk, perhaps down by the beach?" he asked, hopefully. "Would you like that, Ariel?"
She stared down at the wine in her cup and sloshed it, trying not to pull a face. She was suddenly not so sure she liked the smell. She hurriedly shook her head no. Ariel's hand froze as she brought the goblet to her lips.
Ariel looked over at Eric. He was chewing a bite of his turkey leg thoughtfully, a funny expression on his face.
She thought the beginnings of understanding were beginning to form in his features, but the Prince was not allowing himself to believe it. He suddenly understood.
"Why do you not want to go outside?" he asked.
Ariel furrowed her brows in thought for a moment. She thought of Daddy, and she felt sure the moment she set even one toe in the water, Daddy would sense her presence and forcefully return her home.
The magic that was held in Daddy's trident was a powerful object and capable of great and terrible things. Coupled with the anxiety she felt at returning home so soon when she just got here did not sit well with her.
The vulnerability she felt. She did not want to set one foot near the ocean, she was tired of life under the sea and wanted to see what the world before her had to offer.
Ariel shrugged, not sure what she could say to the Prince as an answer that would please him. Eric nodded, recognizing her reluctance to answer and she was grateful he did not press her for a reply.
She looked over at the Prince just as Eric was taking another sip of wine. He tilted his head backward as he set his cup down, and Ariel looked at her own curiously. She nervously reached for her cup of wine with slightly shaking fingers once she'd finished her meal. It had to be good. Eric seemed to like it.
But the moment the disgusting sour liquid touched her tongue, she flinched and pulled a face. She let it spill back out into the glass with a slosh and a violent shudder ripped through her.
How could the Prince or anyone here on land like such a drink?
"Not to your liking, is it, Ariel?"
Ariel looked up sharply to see the Prince staring at her, though Eric did not seem upset, which she was grateful for. A girlish blush graced her cheeks embarrassedly and she shook her head, trying to apologize to him with a look.
N-no, um, I'm afraid it's not, she tried to communicate with a curt shake of her head while mentally telling herself to try and get a grip. He was still the same man who had been so kind to her a few hours ago.
"Would you like some water instead?"
Looking up again, Ariel found herself staring wide-eyed and curiously at the Prince once more, who was now eyeing her, concerned, his expression somewhat troubled. She was beginning to wonder what was wrong with her. She flushed, embarrassed at having put herself in such an awkward position.
Oh, yes, please, that would be lovely. Ariel grimaced as she found her strained smile odd, but then she quickly realized that the fact that a Prince of these lands was offering her a drink was in fact, what was odd.
She was just now thrown into a situation she was not familiar with, was all this was, she tried to convince herself.
"One moment, please," Eric muttered before rising from his seat, leaving Ariel to sit awkwardly on her own as the Prince moved to a small side table and with his back turned to her, he poured a bit of water into a crystal glass from another tin decanter she'd not realized had been perched there.
Thank you, Ariel nodded shyly. She could not dare admit it to the Prince or anyone else in the castle, but she was finding this situation to be both painful and awkward as the Prince responded to her by saying nothing by way of reply and instead placed the water on her side of the table as he moved to take his seat once more.
"It's me who should be thanking you, Ariel," the Prince offered in a mild-mannered voice as he glanced down at his plate of food as pushed away his plate, seemingly no longer hungry and had eaten his fill. "You accepted my invitation to dinner. If I'm being honest, I didn't think you would."
Ariel gave Prince Eric a funny little half-smile and threw her hands up in the air.
Why wouldn't I accept, Prince? You have been kind to me, I have every reason to spend some time with you… Prince Eric could tell was enormously pleased by Ariel's compliment, but he tried to look modest. It nearly set her smiling.
The two sat in silence for a moment as the candles that were lit and scattered in their five-pronged holders flickered for a moment as they sat there, hesitant, nervous smiles on both their faces. It was then that Ariel flicked her gaze to the wall behind the Prince and caught sight of a portrait of a woman who bore a striking likeness to the Prince.
Next to the woman in the oil painting was a blond man whom she presumed had been her husband, and in the front, were two black-haired, blue-eyed children, twins, by the looks of them.
Ariel froze as though someone had just poured ice water over her head. Her heart nearly stopped beating as she realized the portrait was likely of the Prince's family, and she recalled what Carlotta had said of the Prince's family dying at sea, leaving him alone to care for his young nephew, Lucas.
Your family is beautiful, Your Highness. That portrait does not seem to do their beauty justice, Prince, Ariel tried to communicate. She cursed herself when she once more tried to speak and nothing came out.
She was beginning to regret going to Aunt Ursula for help. She wished the sea witch could have offered something else in exchange for giving her legs. The Prince twisted in his seat to see what had his guest so captivated and it was then that Ariel noticed as Prince Eric turned back around to face her that the man looked almost wistful. She could do nothing but stare back at him in response and try her best not to look surprised at his crestfallen look.
"They were," he answered softly. "Very kind, considerate people, and intelligent too. The kind of ruler I hope to be for my people one day." Eric furrowed his brows as he noticed Ariel's expression growing sullen and he suspected the young redhead did not even realize she was looking this way the longer she eyed his family's portrait. "Ariel, forgive me, but I must ask…y-your family?" he stammered.
He cursed himself as he fumbled over his words a bit as his voice held a slight stutter, likely due to his nerves, but it was too late to take back his question, and he found he did not want to. More than anything, he wanted the truth.
Ariel nervously smiled, already knowing where the Prince was headed, and yet, she did not feel comfortable revealing the truth about her.
They are…well, and being cared for, Prince, you are sweet to worry. My family lives…far away.
She pointed an index finger towards one of the windows and out towards the sea in the distance.
But then she caught himself before she could accidentally reveal too much of herself. Perhaps it was the tone of the Prince's voice, but Ariel felt her cheeks flush. She would have wanted to give a reply, but at that moment, she was interrupted by what she had been about to try to communicate when the doors to the dining hall abruptly opened.
Ariel curiously watched with a keen eye as the warm expression on Prince Eric's handsome face like water falling over rocks quickly died away and how his wintry blue eyes almost turned cold.
He was annoyed that their dinner and moment alone had been interrupted but there was nothing more that could be done. She mouthed a brief 'thank you' to the Prince as he shot her an apologetic look as one of the oldest men Ariel thought she had seen in her brief time here on land thus far limped towards her.
If the man possessed any hair at all, it was hidden underneath a curled white wig and his posture was slightly stooped with the curse of old age and he did not walk without the assistance of a cane as his gait was limp.
Nevertheless, his expression was stern if not formidable as his suspicious eyes washed over Ariel as it was clear to her he was wondering at the obvious bond between the two of them.
It was a moment before the old man spoke, still keeping his gaze fixed on her, but addressed the Prince.
"Eric, my dear boy, please forgive the intrusion, I do not intend to take up too much of your time tonight. But I was hoping I might have a moment alone with our…new guest? I had hoped to call upon her despite the lateness of the hour, though I promise I will keep it brief. I have not yet made her acquaintance and am offended, Eric, that you did not bring her immediately to speak with me upon bringing her back," he asked formally, stiffly.
Ariel curiously flicked her gaze to Prince Eric and studied him intently for his reaction. He had turned stiff and rigid in his seat, though he lowered his head and reluctantly gave in to the man's ask.
"Of course, Master, I apologize that I did not, I merely wanted to make sure that she was comfortable here, of course, I would have brought her to you soon enough," he answered through gritted teeth. "You may speak with her. As long as you do not take too long and take up too much of her time tonight, Grims. I was hoping to show Ariel around." Ariel thought she saw the old man bristle at the use of a nickname for him, but he ignored it and merely nodded, looking at the Prince expectantly, clearly waiting for Eric to leave.
Eric looked to Ariel for her answer that she would be alright on her own left alone with Master Grimsby.
Though she sensed the older man was firm and not one to be trifled with, she could not pick up on any ill intents and he seemed like a good man. She did not think he meant any harm by asking to speak to her alone.
She smiled at him and touched his arm, touched by Eric's obvious concern for her.
It is alright, she tried to tell the Prince, though Ariel was a bit nervous as to what the man might say to her.
Every inch of her protested, she wanted nothing more than to ignore Master Grimsby's demand and return to her conversation with the Prince.
There was little she could do, however. She did not wish to cause Eric any further trouble.
She offered Master Grimsby a curt little nod of her head, to which he responded with a little smile and he motioned for her to occupy the chair across from him. She would have moved immediately to sit down, but she wanted to thank Eric for the meal and spending time with her when he did not have to.
Her mouth was set into a straight line as she flicked her gaze toward Eric and held eye contact with the quiet and mild-mannered Prince. She felt annoyance course through her that Eric's Head of House was interrupting their conversation as she began to walk toward the Prince.
Prince Eric's face was blank and the Prince's blue eyes gave away no sign of what the Prince was thinking, but when she came to stand in front of him and rested her hands on his shoulders, Ariel felt Eric tense underneath her featherlight touch. She lifted herself onto the tips of her toes and managed to pull him down the rest of the way, eager to thank the man in the only way she knew how, with physical affection, as Ursula suggested.
Ariel placed her lips on Eric's cheek gently in a chaste, gentle kiss. Her body trembled slightly, but she reminded herself that Eric did not seem the type of man who would ever dare lay a hand against her in anger.
He was different and alone in the heart like she was. Not one of many. She could tell. When she took her lips from his cheek, she stared him in the eye, Eric's face still inches from hers and flushed red.
Thank you. She hoped her eyes conveyed what her voice could not. She smiled hopefully at Eric, eager to spend more time with the man and continue their conversation once she had 'spoken' with Grimsby.
Walk with me, after? she asked, gesturing with her hands.
Only when Eric nodded, looking stunned as though he could not believe what had just transpired, did Ariel turn away, a faint little smile playing upon her lips.
"Fear not, Eric, I will see to it she meets you outside in the castle's bailey," Master Grimsby smiled serenely as he clamped Eric on the shoulder and began to steer the young, flustered Prince to the door.
Eric barely nodded his thanks and looked over his shoulder to check Ariel one more time before his Head of House gingerly shut the door behind him, leaving Ariel alone with Master Grimsby.