Chapter 7

ERIC, nearly after an hour of searching every corridor of the castle, was close to giving up the search for his friend despite having witnessed Darius disappear behind closed doors and was close to throwing something out of anger. Every door he searched behind, his friend was not in the room, and he had checked the usual passageways of the castle and there was no sign of his old friend. He wandered through the dimly lit corridor of the East wing, a look of concern etched on his face.

The Prince passed by the various ornate tapestries and intricately carved wooden doors, searching. Eric was about to turn on his heels to retire to his chambers for the night, ready to give up completely when a small sound snatched him from his senses and made him halt. A faint voice could be heard murmuring from a nearby chamber, one he'd not yet looked at.

Made curious, Eric cautiously advanced, his ears attuned to every sound. As his pace gradually slowed, the soft glow of a single candle perched upon a five-pronged holder cast light on the adjacent door.

Puzzlement etched across his face, as he struggled to recall encountering this particular entrance before. Nestled within the walls of the hallway, the closed passageway bore the marks of time, with small cracks formed by years of relentless slamming against the aged oak panel. This door stood out, an incongruous anomaly amidst the pristine and opulent surroundings of his family's home.

The Prince's gaze nervously fixated on the door, his eyes filled with caution, while his restless hand swiftly ran through his raven-black hair, betraying his despair. In that fleeting moment, Eric felt an impulse to retreat.

If Darius lurked beyond that door, he knew his friend wouldn't appreciate the uninvited company. However, a gnawing unease compelled him to seek answers. Whatever troubled Darius, Eric intended to make him confide in him.

With a frustrated exhale, Eric delicately grasped the worn doorknob and applied gentle pressure, slowly pushing the door ajar. Yet, his body flinched instinctively at the deafening creak of the hinges, alerting whoever resided within to his presence just outside.

He took a deep breath, summoning his courage and cautiously stepped the rest of the way inside. The room was dimly lit, with dusty shelves that lined the walls, filled with forgotten trinkets and worn-out books. A flickering candle on a rickety table cast jittery shadows across the space and Eric had a difficult time not staring at his distorted shadow along the bricked wall.

Forcing himself to tear his gaze away from his odd-looking silhouette, Eric summoned enough strength in his throat and called his friend's name.

"Darius?" Silence greeted his call, broken only by the distant and haunting sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the castle's stone walls.

Eric's heart pounded in his chest as he inched further into the unfamiliar room, trying to recall if Mother and Father or even his brother had ever mentioned this room and wondered how it could be that he had not known of its existence.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure huddled in the furthermost corner of the room, partially hidden by the shadows. Tension met him immediately as his eyes settled on his friend, lax and grim together. It was a shock to see his friend this way, he was usually so jovial and carefree, though now, he was anything but as he had perched himself in a plush armchair.

Darius was hunched over, his hands clenched into shaking fists as he raked his nails down the sides of the chair, and his brow was furrowed in deep concentration. Muttering to himself, he seemed lost in his thoughts. For a moment, he seemed not to see Eric.

Darius seemed to come out of his stupor at the sound of his name being called. With painstaking slowness, Eric was acknowledged as his oldest friend slowly twisted his head in the Prince's direction. Darius slowly lifted his head, revealing bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair. His face was etched with worry and despair. He blinked, momentarily startled by Eric's presence, and then recognition dawned on him. As he looked up, his blue eyes were clouded with a mixture of frustration and sadness.

He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he leaned back against his armchair.

"Eric," Darius's voice was hoarse and hollow-sounding, and almost, Eric bit his tongue, sorrowful. An ache pounded in his stomach to hear his friend sound like this. Though he was not given a chance to ponder the shift in his friend's countenance as his friend spoke. "It is…good to see you. But I'm not in the mood tonight for idle chatter, I'm afraid," he growled, his face turning paler.

Eric's face contorted into a frown as Darius directed an intense, angry gaze at him. It was evident that Darius was displeased with the intrusion, and Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise, taken aback by his oldest friend's sudden coldness.

Yet, amidst his bewilderment, Eric couldn't help but feel a sense of concern churn in his stomach. Why had Darius secluded himself in this room instead of being at home with his wife? As Eric pondered these thoughts, he remained silent, briefly casting his gaze down to the cobblestoned floor beneath his boots, allowing himself a moment to gather his reflections. In that fleeting instant, he observed Darius's chest rise and fall with heaviness, an indication that he was grappling with his emotions.

Breaking the silence, Darius spoke with a softer tone, a shift for which Eric felt grateful. His oldest friend's question lingered in the air, and Eric carefully considered how to articulate his request.

With a brief pause, Eric chose to occupy the chair opposite Darius, noticing his friend's body tense in response. Disregarding the peculiarity of Darius's behavior, Eric pressed forward, determined to address the matter at hand.

"Oh, gods, Darius, how do I put this into words?" Eric began, his voice trailing off. He gazed up at his friend, only to find that Darius's once vibrant blue eyes had darkened, mirroring the somberness of their current situation. He leaned forward in his chair, his knuckles turning white with the effort to steady himself as he found himself gripping onto the arms of the chair he now sat in for support. "I want you to tell me what is wrong, Darius, please, my friend, I beg of you, you are like a brother to me when I have no one else, we have never kept secrets before, you and I," he pleaded, unable to recall the last time he had begged the man for anything. "What's the matter, my friend? You seem troubled. Why are you not with your wife given how late it is, I thought you would have headed for home and your bed. Is it Helena? I…er…heard she's not been well." He cringed as the words left his lips.

Darius did not allow his shock to grace his handsome features, but instead, he looked at Eric blankly. His eyes, though, gave away his surprise, and even his anger as his expression darkened and a flash of anger flickered in the man's cold wintry blue eyes.

"My wife is…a sore topic, Eric, old friend, one that you do not need to concern yourself with. It is something I need to handle on my own. And as for why I am not with her tonight, she was not feeling well, but I hope that she will be more comfortable come dawn."

Eric instantly grew concerned as though his friend's wife were in the room along with them.

He was taken aback by Darius's coldness and distant demeanor. He nibbled on the wall of his mouth for a moment as he hesitated, searching for the right words as he knew anything he would say might only succeed in further agitating his friend even more.

"Helena, Darius, i-is she…alright?" he stammered worriedly, his voice holding a slight stutter to it, likely from his nervousness and fear that something was gravely wrong with his two friends whom he considered his only family left.

Lucas was still his nephew, of course, though he behaved as though he wanted nothing to do with him or anyone else in the castle and lived his days in bitterness and resentment that Eric had taken up the mantle and responsibilities of Prince.

"Darius, you know that I've thought of you as a brother to me as long as I can remember, and Helena is like a sister to me when I've had none. I know Ariel would enjoy keeping the company of another woman as long as she stays here in the castle. You know that I care about you both. If there's anything I can do to help, if Helena is sick, if there's something you're not telling me…" Eric trailed off, concerned, as he looked intently into his friend's troubled blue eyes, but had no time to ponder the man's expression that was as grim as a grave as he watched the shift in his friend unfurl right before his very eyes, much his horror and surprise.

Darius stood up abruptly, nearly overturning the chair he had been occupying in his apparent haste to stand. He cast the chair a disgusted look as though the piece of furniture had personally offended him somehow, and stepped over it as it toppled and cut Eric off in mid-sentence.

Eric bolted to his feet, alarmed at the shift in his friend.

"Forget it, Eric, I appreciate your concern for my wife and me, my friend, I truly do, but it is best that you and Ariel stay out of my affairs, it is for your good. I cannot tell you what's wrong, believe me, were that I could, but this is my business and burden to bear."

Eric's concern for his oldest friend deepened and without thinking, he stretched a hand and rested it on Darius's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze and attempting to do what he could to comfort him.

"Darius, please don't do this to me, please don't shut me out like this," Eric's tone was deadly serious and the Prince's expression as grim as a grave, his eyes pained as he desperately searched his friend's face for any sign of the truth. "Please, tell me what's wrong. Is it Helena? What can I do? I know that something is wrong, and I need to know what's troubling you. Both of you are my best friends and the only family I have. Please, let me help you." His voice cracked as he begged his friend to be honest with him.

Darius's gaze dropped, and Eric swore he was looking at the weight of his troubles crushing his friend's very spirit and it nearly made his heart cease to beat right then and there on the spot. He parted his lips as if to speak, however, it took him a moment and when he did, he muttered, his voice low, and Eric had to strain to hear him.

"Helena, Eric, she…she's not well. She—she hasn't been for quite some time. No doctor or physician in our hamlet has been able to help her, but she continues to fade no matter what we try, and I…I don't know what to do, Eric." His voice broke as he spoke softly. In a hushed and remorseful tone, Darius admitted, his voice barely audible, "I thought I had discovered a cure that could help her, but it failed." A sense of shame etched across his face, causing him to avoid making eye contact with Eric. Instead, his gaze wandered, fixating on a point somewhere beyond Eric's shoulder, although it held no true focus. With a mix of bitterness and resignation, a dark and cynical chuckle escaped his lips, accompanied by a shuddering sigh that seemed to consume his entire being. Darius ran his hands through his thick, black hair, his fingers becoming entangled in the sticky strands. "I was such a fool, Eric, my friend, to put any of my faith into thinking this cure would work," he confessed, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air. Darius's voice trailed off, leaving the remainder of his troubled thoughts unspoken, yet lingering in the man's troubled mind.

Eric's eyes widened, realization dawning on him, and then softened as he realized how much this was impacting him. He took a step closer to Darius, his voice filled with empathy.

"You should have told me the moment her condition started, Darius, why didn't you?" His tone was only slightly condescending and betrayed his hurt as he shook his head to rid himself of the growing anxiety that his friend had kept Helena's condition from him a secret for so long. "I could have helped you." His expression contorted and twisted into a pained grimace as he envisioned how long his friends must have suffered in silence. He hated that neither one of them had come to him for his help. He felt his pride slightly wounded they hadn't. "Darius, we will find a way, together, the two of us, we will not let her suffer. You're not alone in this."

When all Darius did was stare, seemingly too stunned to form a reply, Eric took that as a good sign that he was at least considering his words and continued.

"Please, Darius, let me help you. Ariel and I could come over for breakfast tomorrow if you would have us," he offered, hopefully. "We'd like to spend the day with you and Helena. Maybe it will lift her spirits to show Ariel the hamlet," Eric offered, hopefully.

He felt his friend stun at his request and as Eric met Darius's gaze as he looked up, his friend's eyes which were so startlingly blue as his own were, were filled with a mix of gratitude and exhaustion.

He nodded, acknowledging Eric's support. When he regained his voice, it was hoarse as he whispered his thanks to the Prince.

"I…Breakfast and…showing Ariel the hamlet?" he questioned, trailing off as Eric nodded, pleased that he was, at least, considering it. "I, well, if you're both insistent, then I suppose it couldn't hurt. But don't expect my wife to be in high spirits. I…I upset her tonight," he confessed and immediately ripped away from Eric's grasp as he turned away, his resolve faltering.

Darius paraded his back to Eric as he began to walk towards the chamber door.

Eric felt the edges of his mouth twitch as he fought against the beginnings of a hopeful smile from sneaking its way onto his features. He hoped his friend would head straight for home and make amends with his wife. Darius had a hand on the door and made to turn it to leave the room. Though he paused, twisting his head slightly to look Eric in the eye as he thanked him.

"Thank you, Eric," he murmured in a soft voice. "I…I appreciate your friendship more than you know. I know Helena does too."

Darius nodded, sure of himself and his words and Eric was relieved to see the beginning of a glimmer of hope returning to his friend's eyes as he must have realized that he fully had Eric's support, no matter what.

Eric nodded, his voice sincere.

"Whatever it is Helena is going through, Darius, Ariel, and I, we can handle it. If you let us. We'll face whatever comes our way together. We'll find a cure and we'll find answers. We're not letting Helena slip away from us, that's not happening, Darius," he passionately promised. Eric had not even realized that his body had started to shake with the solemnity of his pledge as he made his promise to his oldest friend.

Darius looked at Eric curiously for a moment, taking note of the softness in the Prince's blue eyes whenever Ariel's name was mentioned. He wondered at the obvious bond that was already growing between the young redhead and his friend, and the girl with no voice had only been in the castle but a single day now.

He hesitated, nibbling on the wall of his mouth as he was unsure whether or not to ask, for he did not want to offend Eric, yet he thought he recognized the smitten look in the Prince's eyes and he had to be sure.

"Eric, may I ask you something?" Only when Eric nodded did Darius continue. "I can't help but notice how captivated you've become by the girl. Ariel. It's just…she's a beautiful girl, of course, she is, but what draws you to her? She can't speak…" He trailed off, concerned, as he looked into Eric's eyes.

Eric blinked owlishly at Darius, not having expected his friend would ask such a question and he could feel a shining pressure building behind his eyes, a mixture of affection and vulnerability.

"Darius, you know as well as anyone else in this castle that being the prince of this realm comes with its burdens. Any girl I've ever encountered looks at me and sees only my blood status, my wealth, and the life of privilege that comes with it. But Ariel…" He paused and gave it a thought. "She sees me differently, my friend. I-I don't know how else to explain it. Her eyes see beyond those titles and riches. It's almost like…she is familiar with the burden of them, in a way."

Eric rose from his seat and began to pace a restless line around the room, his expression earnest and thoughtful while Darius never tore his gaze away from the Prince's face.

"She treats me as though I'm normal, Darius, just like everybody else. For the first time in my life, I feel like I can truly be myself around someone. She hasn't judged me or fawned over me because of my position. And even though she can't speak, her actions speak volumes."

Darius nodded in understanding, a soft smile gradually spreading across his tired face as he comprehended his Prince's words.

When he spoke, his friend's voice was mild and sincere.

"I understand, my friend. Well then, it sounds like you've found something truly special if that is indeed the case. You deserve to be seen for who you are, beyond the trappings of your title. I know you would give anything to give it up. It warms my heart to know that Ariel could provide you with that kind of acceptance," he said, smiling.

Darius's expression shifted just then at that moment, a flicker of sorrow clouding his deep blue eyes.

He inhaled deeply and struggled to maintain his composure.

"Cherish this connection, Eric," he spoke passionately to the Prince, though his voice trembled as it cracked. "Treasure every moment with that girl as long as she stays in the castle with you. Time is such a fleeting gift, and sometimes, we take it for granted until all is too late."

Darius's voice broke and he clenched his fists as though he thought he could regain control of his emotions that way.

"I say this to you because…Helena's sickness has taken its toll and only grown worse. I fear that unless a miracle happens, I will lose her soon, Eric." Darius nearly crumpled under the weight of his grief and guilt then, his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs as he ran his hands through his thick black hair in despair.

But he gathered himself after a moment, wiping away a single wretched tear that escaped the edge of his eye with a flick of his finger.

Eric's heart lurched to see his oldest friend hurting so badly. He strode towards Darius, his face filled with compassion and understanding. He rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Darius. Your words mean more than you could ever know, my friend. And I am so sorry for what you're going through with Helena. She's as good as a sister to me, you know that. I want to do what I can to help. And you, you lean on me whenever you need to, just as I lean on you, Darius, please."

Darius managed a weak smile, though it did not reach his eyes. Regardless, he was still touched by Eric's gesture.

"I appreciate that, Eric," he spoke in a hushed voice that was barely above a whisper. "Thank you. You and I will support each other, Eric, like we always have. Don't worry about Grimsby or the Court, either. Eventually, it will come to a head, but for now, let me deal with the old man. I can keep him off your back for at least a few weeks," Darius promised his remorse and worry soon replaced by a fierce sense of determination.

Eric smiled, and at that moment, the two shared a profound understanding, their friendship, and brotherhood solidified by the trials they faced together. He drew in a hitched breath and held it as Darius managed a faint smile, and with a final glance back at Eric, without another word, he offered a curt nod to the Prince as he twisted the door open gingerly and left the room. Eric was left to stand alone in the corridor, his thoughts heavy with concern.

He watched Darius disappear around the corner, a mix of determination and worry etched on his face.

NO moon hung overhead in the sky as a bitter cold hung in the air. The castle was so quiet that Darius could have believed all its people to be dead. He paid no attention to the precious few guards and serving girls that passed him by in the halls to confirm it was him that was walking swiftly down the winding stairs and through the Courtyard. Their stares and whispers were nothing to him. Darius's mind was fixed on one thing and one thing only. He needed to see his wife. He was on his heels, almost flying.

His nerves were still a wreck and his entire body still ached from the talk he'd had with Prince Eric a moment ago, but he needed to see his wife. He found her standing outside their home, her shawl wrapped tightly around her for warmth.

His heart lurched to think of her waiting for him all this time and a wave of guilt washed over him as he rushed to her side and wound his hands around his wife's small waist.

"You should be resting, Helena, my love," he commanded her, trying to sound firm though he could feel his resolve slipping as she smiled out of pity.

"I wanted to see you. I could not sleep until I knew you had come home." She lifted her gaze to him as she squirmed in his embrace, her dark eyes serious and her expression graver still. To see his beloved wife so solemn sent a chill through him, and he was overcome with guilt in knowing that he had been the one to cause this shift in his wife.

Her pleading eyes bore into Darius searchingly. He kept a hand around his waist and guided her inside, careful to move at his wife's slow pace. Darius let out a frustrated exhale as he guided her to sit in the chair at the table earlier and once more knelt at her side.

"I…I'm so sorry, my love, for how I treated you earlier, I…I had no right to speak to you that way and to behave that way," he apologized, his face pained.

She looked intently as he raised his eyes to her, almost shocked to hear that his wife had forgiven him so easily. Barely able to speak, Helena pressed on, afraid that if she did not continue then she would be unable to say the words that formed in her throat.

"Perhaps we both apologize for the way we acted and move forward, for if we start fighting amongst ourselves, my love, then we are truly doomed, but…you never told me," she whispered in a hushed voice, reaching for his hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Why you were so….changed. Upset," she answered decidedly after a pause, swallowing hard as she braved to meet his stare.

Darius grew quiet and intense.

"I…I cannot tell you why, Helena, my dear, but please understand…that I would do anything to protect you, darling, to save you," Darius stared intensely into her eyes. He watched as he swore Helena's heart soared at hearing his words though a kernel of disappointment sparked to life behind her dark eyes.

She nodded, and he was relieved that she was not pressing him for an answer. Darius, in turn, tightened his grip over her hand and studied how their matching gold wedding bands glinted in the dim light, the only source of which came from the fire in the hearth.

They sat there in silence for a moment, basking in the nearness of one another, and it was Helena who could not stand the distance between them and, eager to make amends, leaned forward hopefully and pressed her lips to his in a gentle and chaste kiss.

Neither wanted the kiss to end, though eventually it did, and as Darius pulled back to study his wife's face and brush a lock of her mousy brown hair away from her face, he smiled as he met his wife's loving gaze.

"If you are feeling up to it tomorrow, my love, Eric would like to join us for breakfast with his new lady friend. Ariel would like to see the hamlet and spend time with us."

Helena's smile as he revealed his news immediately lifted his mood.

"Eric and Ariel want to come here?" Her expression brightened. "How delightful, I never imagined Eric would show an interest in a girl, and I find it strange she can't speak, but you and I should welcome them with open arms and share our home."

Darius smiled, relieved by his wife's understanding. He leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

When he spoke, his voice was gentle and carried none of the harshness and frostiness from earlier. "I'm…grateful, my love, for your forgiveness, though I do not deserve it. Our argument earlier was foolish, and I'm sorry for leaving you alone." His expression twisted and contorted in pain, though Helena's voice pulled him out of his clouded thoughts as she spoke in a sincere, earnest voice.

"Darius, my love, you know our love to be constant and true. It can overcome anything, even our moments of strife. Of course, I forgive you, you silly man, and I'm thankful that you're here now and you made it home to me before the weather could worsen on you."

Darius's pained expression softened, and a flicker of relief crossed his handsome features. He rose from his spot on the floor by Helena's chair and gingerly pulled his wife to her feet. He did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her tightly, before leading her towards the back of their home, to their bed. Unbeknownst to the couple as they soon fell asleep in one another's arms in bed, as they embraced and took solace in one another, outside the window, the storm caused by King Triton raged with unrelenting fury.

The crashing waves and howling winds created a symphony of chaos. In the midst of it all, King Triton's sister rose from the churning depths.

Her green eyes, reminiscent of a predatory cat if a human were to spot her from this distance, narrowed as she observed her latest prized possession.

He looked far too perfect in the arms of his sick wife as he kissed her with such tenderness, she nearly crinkled her nose in disgust. Her lips curled up to reveal her sharp pointed teeth like that of a shark as she hissed.

"Oh, you poor unfortunate souls. Love is indeed fickle and fragile. Your happiness, pets, depends on the pact he made, sealed with desperation and the darkness from his own heart. He will pay his debt, and I shall claim what is rightfully mine when my niece breathes no more and her soul is forfeit and becomes mine," she growled. "And then, when I have taken everything from my brother as Triton did to me, I shall revel in the king's despair as I sit upon the throne that should have always been mine."

Ursula chuckled with mocking, a thing that came to the disfigured sea witch so naturally, and her wicked laughter grew louder until it resonated, echoing across the sea, as she disappeared beneath the waves, leaving behind an eerie sense of foreboding in her wake. As the night wore on and the storm continued its relentless assault, the friends were protected from the worst of the raging tempest within the walls of their respective homes. Eric and Ariel in his castle and Darius and Helena in their modest home.

The sounds of the howling wind and crashing waves lulled them to sleep fast enough, with all of them unaware of the lurking danger that now threatened their happiness.