Chapter 4

MASTER Grimsby curiously eyed the young redhead from across the dining room's table, finding her to be a silent and strange material of beauty indeed. The woman nervously met his gaze and flushed, though she was smiling softly as she glanced down at her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap as she wrung her hands together out of habit. He could tell by the look on her face that she was at a loss as to what he could want to speak to her about.

By her accounts, she was not important to Eric. She was nothing but some girl without a prospect of a good future, of marriageable age, of course, but without her ability to speak, he was not so sure her life would be happy.

Master Grimsby was growing increasingly troubled that already throughout the castle, rumors were running rampant of this young redhead. How some of the more young and impressionable maids and even the guards under Captain Brutus's command believed Eric's silent guest to be a mermaid.

The Prince had found her with nothing but the clothes on her back, which admittedly was next to nothing, save for a ragged old sail from the remnants of a shipwreck with a rope to maintain her modesty, thank the Gods.

Oh, Dear Lord. Heavens, no... Master Grimsby violently shook his head to rid himself of such a lewd thought.

A chill went down the old man's spine as he pondered what sort of mindless gossip would fill the castle's halls had the woman worn truly nothing. She was a girl of many stories already, and she had only been in the castle a few precious hours at best, and Master Grimsby could already see the impression she was leaving upon the young master.

It set him nearly faintly smiling as his tired gaze swept over the redhead's features.

She was a lovely little thing, with her autumn locks now combed and hanging loosely and free about her face, her figure lovely even when covered in a chemise and pale yellow overdress. Her skin was bone white, nearly reminding Master Grimsby of whipped milk. He began to question if the poor child had ever set one foot out into the sunlight.

Despite the uncertainty of this girl, and whether or not she truly could be a siren from deep below in the fathoms of the ocean, Master Grimsby drew in a breath and decided to welcome the poor girl instead.

"My dear lady," he went on, uncaring that she could not verbally respond. "Welcome to Ipswich." He curiously glanced towards the window at the slow-moving monster of a gale that was moving towards their lands. "A tumultuous morning indeed that Odin has indeed given us," Master Grimsby murmured, his expression kind. "How fares the master's newest guest? How do you find the castle, my lady?" Master Grimsby asked in a crisp, professional tone.

Ariel looked up, startled, and flushed a deeper shade of pink as it quickly occurred to her that she was not in the proper place for company tonight with any other human soul, save for the Prince.

Yet she could not refuse to answer the question the Prince's Head of House had just posed to her. Ariel found herself nodding.

I am well, sir, with thanks to Eric. Had he not brought me back, there's a chance that I would have died out there, was all she could think to write as Master Grimsby had silently slid a long scroll of parchment paper and a feathered quill with which she wrote her letters.

She was grateful Daddy had taught her and her sisters to read and write at a young age, stating that a king or queen should know how to communicate with all people from all walks of life, regardless of whether or not their two species would ever co-exist. Ariel looked away and briefly towards the door behind which Master Grimsby had ushered Eric out. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to put a quick end to their conversation and return to the Prince's side. She could not explain her strange desire to continue to linger near Eric, was foreign to her.

But the Prince's Head of House, however, was not having it as Master Grimsby reached for an empty crystal goblet and poured himself a cupful of wine. The old man studied her intently over the rim of his glass as he drank, and only spoke when he'd finished his drink and set it down.

"How do you find it, my dear?" Master Grimsby questioned curiously.

E-excuse me? Ariel looked up in surprise, slowly lifting her gaze to the wizened old man across the dining table. She was unable to form an apt response either with just a single look or through her penned written words.

There was something of the Head of House's contemptuous tone that was now getting the better of her, and Ariel was suddenly not so sure she liked it.

"Ipswich, my dear. The realm, the Prince's castle. This place is your new home now, unless you have family we can call upon to send them a message you are well?" Master Grimsby asked.

N-no, there is no one, Ariel managed as the blood drained from her face. She quickly looked away and allowed a hank of her long red hair to fall in front of her face like a curtain, shielding her embarrassment from him.

The Prince's home is beautiful, Ariel quickly wrote and showed what she had written to Master Grimsby, unfazed, and she kept her gaze fixed on the parchment in front of her. Ariel lowered her lashes as all the old man did for a moment was stare at her in awe.

The man's lack of immediate response began to irk her, and she began to feel nervous.

What was it he wanted of her? Was it to ask questions of her and try to learn her origins? Was it to gauge her interest in Eric? She kept her head ducked as Master Grimsby spoke again.

"No doubt, my dear, you are wondering why I have asked to speak to you alone."

Ariel smiled, a bit nervous, though she secretly still felt irritated. Why was he insistent on speaking to her like this alone without the Prince? She did not understand and hoped her confusion did not show on her face.

Yes. She nodded her head as she nervously wrung her hands together. If this man wanted something of her, then why did he not come outright and say it? Why be secretive?

Master Grimsby nodded.

"I have been hearing of your seclusion since the master brought you back," Master Grimsby continued, looking at Ariel as though she were almost a disappointment to him, somehow.

Like he knew something of herself that she had yet to discover, and it bothered her she could not quite put her finger on what it was…or why.

"Why do you hide, my dear?" he asked. Thankfully, the Prince's Head of House did not sound angry, but curious.

Whatever question she had been anticipating the old man would ask, this was admittedly not it. Ariel furrowed her brows into a frown, feeling the edges of her mouth turning down into a contemplative scowl.

She thought for a moment as she glanced down at the quill in her hands, thinking over her words, and then it came to her. She began to write, all the while trying to ignore the piercing gaze of the old man as he nearly leaned over the table to catch her words written delicately upon the scroll.

I can't speak, and someone like…me…would not be welcomed so easily here in your kingdom, she wrote, carefully choosing her words.

I see the way people look at me and hear the things they whisper when they think I'm deaf as well as mute.

Ariel had not even realized it, but in her fierce determination to remain as calm as possible, her grip upon the quill in her hand had tightened and her hand was now turning clammy and beginning to shake, something she'd not anticipated at all. Ariel quickly realized her mistake in looking away and how the old man would perceive her hesitation to be secrecy, that she was keeping something from him and the Prince by extension. To that end, he would not be wrong. She glanced up, only to find that Master Grimsby was nearly smiling, and he had relaxed his stiff and too-formal posture somewhat and was leaning further back into his chair with greater ease.

"I see. You consider yourself to be a burden, in other words," Master Grimsby quietly concluded, speaking more to himself at the moment than to Ariel. The old man's voice was surprisingly sharp and earnest, but not unkind. He did not sound angry with her, for which Ariel was grateful. "You seem a gentle woman, one who is alone in the heart and suffered enough. A kind soul with a good heart, despite knowing little of you, and it seems Prince Eric is growing fond of you as well and you have only been his guest not even a full day. I advise you not to take advantage of the master's feelings, my dear," Master Grimsby muttered, a thoughtful expression coming over his weathered features. "I would, however, caution you, my dear. If you are not of noble blood and it cannot be proven with the appropriate documentation, do not give Eric false hope when there is none to be had," the Prince's Head of House warned, all the while as Ariel swore she felt her pulse quickening and her heart breaking. "He must wed a princess. Eric has a purpose. A much higher purpose than need or want...or even true love," Master Grimsby declared assuredly. "For the good of his lineage and the realm. I would die peacefully knowing the king's son is looked after and I have fulfilled my obligation to George before his death."

Ariel frowned at the troubled look in the old man's eyes. It quickly became clear to the mermaid that the old man's fretted grey eyes and the way his hands had begun to shake that something was troubling him greatly and causing him to become vexed. She would have wanted to ask what was the matter, what vexed him so.

But before she could pen a single letter, the door creaked open loudly on its hinges. Ariel looked towards the door with a weary expression on her face as the boy from earlier, the Princeling, Lucas, she thought his name was, stood in the doorway carrying a heavily laden tray with what looked to be a steaming mug of herbal tea and a small plate of a thing she'd heard Eric call cookies at dinner earlier. Though Prince Eric's nephew was not alone as a woman nudged her way past the blond boy and into the room, her expression sour, though the stranger was quite pretty.

The woman, a maid by the looks of her, shot a withering look of daggers that would have had the young Prince pinned with just the sheer ferocity of her glower as she turned her gaze to Master Grimsby in front of her.

The Head of House was waiting expectantly for either one of them to speak and for a remark on what they were doing by interrupting him.

"Forgive the intrusion, Master Grimsby, but Lucas insisted on bringing the tray himself even though Carlotta expressly asked that I come and fetch Ariel. Eric says you've taken too long, Grimsby, he wants to walk with her," the woman bit out with no small amount of contempt in her voice as she twisted to the side to leer at the boy again.

Ariel tried not to flinch as she stared unblinking at the new maid, wondering who she was. She had chocolate brown hair that rippled to her shoulders and lovely almond-shaped light brown eyes that were kind.

Though right now, the maid was looking vexed, probably it stemmed from having to be near this boy-Prince who Ariel could already tell she was not going to like.

"Yes, yes, Helena, you may tell the Prince that I was just wrapping up here and the lady will be with him momentarily…" Master Grimsby let out a frustrated exhale as he looked away for a moment, pinching at the bone of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, as though he were fighting off the beginnings of a nasty headache.

For all Ariel knew of him, perhaps he was. Ariel curiously flicked her gaze from Master Grimsby, then to the boy, Lucas, whose expression was blank and menacing.

Master Grimsby rose to his feet with a sigh as his bones cracked and protested until he was at his full height, but even then, his stature was still small compared to Prince Eric's statuesque height.

Master Grimsby turned back to Ariel and began to shuffle towards the door, leaning his body slightly to the right as he had to use a cane to walk, and it was then that she noticed he walked with a limp. One of the old man's legs was considerably shorter than the other, and he was bow-legged and awkward.

Ariel felt a pang of pity for the old man wash over her like a tidal wave as the Prince's Head of House shot her an apologetic glance.

"My dear, ah…Ariel, is it? I am afraid I would have to see you later, I am called on for more important matters, like finding our Prince a suitable bride," Master Grimsby gruffed. Ariel stepped back and shook her head, hoping to convince the Prince's Head of House that he needed to attend to the more important matter. The Master's sigh was just enough for Ariel to tell how grateful the old man was for her toleration and patience. "I—I must go, then, there was talk of members of the Court wanting to throw a ball in hopes of finding him a bride of pure and noble stock," Grimsby sighed.

The man hobbled towards the door and Ariel could only watch as the maid who she now knew to be the man Darius's wife, having heard her name brought up in the conversation she'd had with him earlier.

The young woman stepped back and opened the door wider for Grimsby to step through. She had expected the young Prince Lucas would follow, but he seemed content to linger a moment, staring at Ariel for longer than was necessary and making her feel uneasy.

Her stomach flipped when she saw the young Prince's expression harden a moment the longer his gaze lingered on her, and the poisonous words were ripped from his lips before either Darius's wife or Master Grimsby could prevent him from speaking.

"Grims, forgive me, but why is Eric so fascinated with this wench? She can't speak…." He questioned, trailing off, confused, his tone bordering on biting. "There is something of her, Master, something about her that I can't trust. Like she's hiding something or from something. I've not known a village girl in town who has hair as red as hers. It's unnatural, Grimsby, witchcraft is what it is, I'm sure of it. Eric thinks she's a mermaid, how stupid could he possibly be, they don't exist," he blurted out, his expression growing angrier as his cheeks flushed a bright cherry-red hue.

Ariel's ears began to burn at hearing the young Prince's remarks about her kind. Her cheeks burned bright as well embarrassedly as she had a blush rise to her face out of humiliation. It seemed Daddy was perhaps right in his judgment of humans, after all. Humans tended to fear what they did not understand or could not see. She thought she was beginning to understand it now.

Lost in her musings, she came back to herself at the sound of an angry cut.

Ariel was surprised to hear none other than Helena come to her defense as the older woman spoke up angrily.

"Say no more, Lucas, you little whelp, this girl whom the master has taken a liking to, you will not belittle her," Darius's wife hissed. "Master Grimsby, I will listen to this nonsense no more! If he does not stop, then I will have no qualms about hitting him, my fingers are twitching. I've just about reached my limit with this boy tonight."

Master Grimsby shook his head and turned a reproachful eye towards Dariuis's wife, the edges of the old man's mouth pinching down into a scowl.

"You will do no such thing, Helena, to strike a member of the royal family and lay a hand against them in harm is a crime, one punishable by death, my dear, you know that as well as I do," he sighed, sounding exasperated with the Prince's friend's wife, though his expression hardened as he turned towards the Prince's nephew, Lucas. "And as for you, young master Lucas, you would do well to take better care of what you say. You don't want the gods angry with you, yes? The last thing we want is to bring down the wrath of the gods for insulting one of their creations, just because you cannot see it does not mean it isn't there," he gruffed irate. He made to leave the room, gently shoving the young Prince out the door as he did, though before he left with the boy, he turned to Helena. "My dear, would you perhaps escort the lady Ariel to the Prince?" he asked and let out a grateful sigh the moment Helena nodded.

"Gladly, sir," Helena smiled and turned towards Ariel the moment Master Grimsby had vacated the room, escorting the young Prince Lucas with him.

Once they were alone, she breathed a steady sigh of relief and Ariel could only watch as the set of the maid's shoulders relaxed.

Helena let out a dark chuckle and reached up her hand to swipe a dark curl of her brown hair out of her eyes and tuck it back under her scarf.

"I'm sorry about Lucas, ah, Ariel, he's….a handful in the best of times," Helena apologized, shooting Ariel a pained look. An exasperated sigh left the maid's lips as she shrugged her shoulders and motioned for Ariel to follow her out of the Hall and through the corridors, toward the Courtyard where the Prince supposedly waited.

Ariel only smiled as Helena continued letting fly about Lucas. She could see why the Prince's friend Darius had married this girl. Helena was quiet and soft-spoken, yet sure of herself and not afraid to voice her opinions. She seemed to be a woman well-liked among the staff, for she was acknowledged and waved to several times by passing maids and a few of the guards as Helena escorted her outside and into the Courtyard to meet Prince Eric again.

Helena's eyes softened as she came to a stop in the Courtyard and gestured Ariel to a nearby stone bench to wait for Eric.

"Eric should be along shortly, I hope. I cannot stay long as I need to be getting back, Carlotta would kill me if I left the castle and I still haven't made up the guest bedroom for you yet this evening, but Darius told me of you, and I wanted to meet you. I don't think I've ever met a girl who couldn't speak." She suddenly huffed in defeat. "I'm sorry if I'm talking your ear off and you can't even respond to me in the normal way. I'm so impulsive, it's what gets me into trouble with Carlotta half the time at the castle and then the other half at home with my husband," she cheekily grinned, her dark eyes taking on a twinkling mischievous sheen that Ariel could not help but to like. "It's nice to have someone in this whole bloody castle who will listen to me, even if you can't talk back," she muttered.

Ariel shrugged and shyly returned the maid's smile.

I'm glad I can have someone here now that I can call a friend to me, she tried to communicate with just a look.

Helena smiled warmly and her smirk widened as she noticed the Prince swiftly approaching. She made to turn her heels and go, but before she did, she met Ariel's gaze and the dark-haired woman's smile widened even further.

Darius's wife walked away just as the Prince approached, though before Ariel could allow Eric to whisk her away at the promise of more time spent alone and getting to know one another, she caught the maid's words.

"Me too."