Chapter Three

Melody woke up just as the sun was rising. The young princess was too excited to sleep another minute. She ran to the stables where she saddled up her pony, Barnacle, and rode him into the town.

The people there were finishing preparations for the festival. Last year, her father, King Eric decreed a festival to celebrate the unification of the land and sea kingdoms when the wall came down. There were dances, music, a parade, picnics on the shore, confections, and fireworks.

And this year, King Triton had agreed to do something special.

The townspeople greeted Melody with warm smiles and pleasant waves. Melody had heard how in other kingdoms the royal families were more formal and hardly interacted with the working classes. But in her home kingdom, her parents often walked in the town, shopping and talking with their subjects. Melody had preferred swimming in the ocean whenever she had the chance, but there was a part of her that enjoyed her hometown.

The town held a different beauty than the sea. Instead of seashells, coral, and fish, there were horses, birds, and stones. If Melody were asked which one was better, she wouldn't know how to answer.

Both places were beautiful. Just different.

The baker, a skinny man with rosy cheeks, was struggling to put up a garland of seashells.

"Good morning, Vincent." Melody dismounted her horse. "Let me help you with that."

"Morning, princess. Why thank you."

Melody fed Vincent the line as he stood on a ladder and adorned the outside of his shop with the garland.

"Are you excited for the festival?" His black eyes sparkled.

"Oh, yes!"

The baker laughed at her gleeful excitement. "Me too. Hey, can you help me with something else? I can't tell if this batch came out right."

With a wink he gave Melody one of his famous sticky buns. At least, Melody considered them famous. They were her favorite and often begged her parents to stop by Vincent's bakery whenever they came to the town. For the festival, the buns were shaped as scallop shells.

Melody inhaled the bun, the scent of cinnamon and melted sugar causing her to sigh in appreciation. She bit down and the flaky dough practically melted in her mouth.

"Mmmmm. They came out just right," Melody assured him. "And I love the shape."

"Oh, good. I had the tinsmith specially design the molds."

She finished her treat, and after waving goodbye, Melody got back on Barnacle and rode back to the palace.

"Melody, there you are." Her mother, Queen Ariel, said as Melody raced into the dining room.

Carlotta was starting to take away the breakfast trays, so she grabbed pieces of bacon and toast as they passed by.

"We can have Louis fix something up for you if you're hungry," Her father said. King Eric walked over and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Where were you?"

"Took Barnacle for a quick ride into town. I just couldn't sleep. I'm so excited!"

"Well, your grandfather will be here soon. Why don't you go get dressed and then meet us by the shore?"

Melody raced back to her room, beginning to feel winded from all her running. Quickly she brushed her hair and tied it back with a seafoam green ribbon, the same color as her dress. The royal seamstress had outdone herself and sewed pearls and small seashells onto the bodice and hem. It was intricately detailed, but subtle so that no one could notice from far away. Melody decided against the shoes, wanting to feel the sand between the toes.

Once dressed, Melody went to the shore to join her parents as they waited for her grandfather. Her mother seemed particularly excited. The queen was acting like Melody did when she was forced to stand still; hopping on her feet, which not even her skirts could hide.

Soon, heads began to emerge from the water.

"Grandfather!" Melody rushed forward into the waves, giving King Triton a hug. Sebastian was on Triton's shoulder, and Melody gave him a wink.

"Hello, Melody." The hug was broken only when he turned to hug her mother.

"Aunt Attina." Melody rushed forward to hug her aunt as her grandfather hugged her mother.

"Hello, child." Aunt Attina was formal, and rather stiff, in the hug. Unlike her other aunts who rushed forward to smother her in hugs, peck kisses on her forehead, and gushed over how much she had grown. It wasn't until she saw a familiar face she could break away.

"Alex!" Melody rushed forward to hug her friend. "I can't wait to show you everything."

"Are you ready, father?" the Queen Mother asked.

"I still don't know about this." Triton twirled the trident in his hands.

"I don't recommend it, sire," Sebastian crossed his claws.

"But you promised!" Melody gasped.

"So I did." King Triton sighed.

"It's only for a day, your majesty." A merman with long, white hair said as he swam forward. "Besides, I think it will be most enlightening for us all."

"Archimedes!" Melody's mother exclaimed, wading forward to wrap the elder merman in a hug. "My dear, dear friend. How have you been?"

"Quite well, my princess," Archimedes assured her. "Quite well."

"I'd love for you to meet my daughter. Melody." Ariel beckoned for her daughter to come closer. "Melody, this is Archimedes. He's the official Atlantica humanologist."

"And also my great-uncle," Alex chimed in.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Melody." Archimedes shook her hand. "I couldn't believe all that I heard about you, Ariel, since the last time we parted. Well, I guess I should say, 'my queen'."

"She's only a queen of the land, not the sea," Aunt Attina interjected.

The comment caused some discomfort among the group. King Eric suddenly became interested in polishing one of his shirt buttons; Sebastian clicked his right claw, and King Triton continued to twirl the trident in his hands.

"Well, your majesty," Sebastian broke the silence, "you did promise."

"Very well."

Triton faced the sea and rested the trident on the water's surface. From the tips came a stream of light and surged across the water. The merfolk continue to advance towards the shore, and as they rose from the waves, everyone could see their fins had been replaced by two legs. Just as Ariel had been clothed in a dress when her father granted her permanent legs, the merfolk emerged from the sea wearing dresses or pants that resembled fish scales.

Archimedes walked from the sea onto the shore. He wore a pair of purple pants that matched the color of his fish tail. His first few steps were wobbly.

"Land." The elder merman said in wonder. With his new feet, the merman flexed his toes to cover the tops of his new feet in sand. Then, with a galloping stride, Archimedes ran up and down the beach. "It's land!" he shouted to the top of his lungs.

Melody and her mother laughed at the childlike glee Archimedes exhibited. Only Triton's face held a frown.

"Is something the matter, sire?" Sebastian asked.

"I thought I felt something…" the King began, but then shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing. It's been a while since I've used this much magic."

Unknown to everyone, there was a certain block of ice that was breaking miles and miles away.

Archimedes was a character that appeared once in the Little Mermaid TV series. He appeared in the episode "Metal Fish", along with another character that we'll be seeing (reading?) soon. His connection to Alex is my own spin on things.