Chapter 4: Emergence
"Death to ze crab!"
"Somebody help me!"
Sebastian scrambled over the stone footpath in Seahaven palace's gardens as fast as his six legs could take him. In pursuit was a crazed Chef Louis with a meat cleaver in each hand. The man was swinging wildly at his mortal foe, smashing his makeshift weapons into the stones with sharp clangs that sent sparks flying about. Sebastian darted like a housefly to avoid the blades.
"I will 'ave you in mon stew, crusta'ceon!" hollered Louis, his normally well-trimmed mustache crooked and eyes ablaze with mad determination.
Sebastian climbed up a topiary trimmed into the form of a seahorse. Louis swung wide, forcing Sebastian to jump off the botanical artwork as the blade decapitated the topiary. The green horsehead went spinning in an arc before splashing into the nearby pond. Sebastian landed on top of Louis' hat and pushed it over his eyes.
"Give it up, mon!" he shouted, leaping onto the lawn. "You nevah caught me in twenty years!"
The chef pulled his hat up, glaring at Sebastian with bloodshot eyes as though he could hear the crustacean's voice. Sebastian yelped and scurried away across the grass.
"A-ha! I 'ave you now!" Louis said as he raised his cleavers in preparation to throw.
"Louis! What are you doing!?"
Louis froze mid swing. He turned to see Ariel hurrying along the pathway to him, dressed in her royal finest. Her hair was done up in a tight bun, a silver tiara bearing a single large sapphire atop her head. Her dress was a blue ball gown embroidered with wave patterns around the skirt hem, the ensemble completed by a simple pearl necklace. She looked every bit the queen she was. Both Louis and Sebastian could only stare for a moment, as entranced by her beauty as her presence.
Then Louis remembered he was holding a pair of meat cleavers over his head like a lunatic. With an embarrassed smile he quickly hid the blades behind his back. He swept his hat off in a low bow, revealing his balding head as Sebastian darted for the safety of Ariel's dress. "Your 'ighness!"
"Care to explain why you're running around the garden when you should be finishing Melody's cake?" Ariel asked.
"He was trying to stuff me for a snack! Again!" said Sebastian as he poked his head out from beneath the dress. Louis' eyes locked onto the crab like a dog watching a cat moments after its master scolded it for chasing it around the house.
"Sebastian says you were chasing him again," said Ariel, kneeling down to pick up her friend. Sebastian clambered up her arm and hid behind her neck.
"I was not!" denied the chef.
Ariel arched a disbelieving brow, folding her arms together. "Really?"
"Eez ze truth, your 'ighness! I was...I was... going to give him a bath! Yes, zat's it! A bath! It eez ze princess' birthday party after all! We all need to look magnifique tonight!"
"Except to him I look 'magnifique' on a platter," whispered Sebastian in Ariel's ear.
"Does this bath involve, vegetables, broth, and a stove?" asked Ariel.
"No," said Louis, suddenly trying to avoid eye contact with her.
"Then why the knives?"
"Eez for chopping ze firewood... to heat ze bath," said Louis, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he struggled for an explanation. "I, uh, lost my ax…again."
"Lost it? He threw it in de ocean!" exclaimed Sebastian. "De last time I saw dat ting it was flying at my head, mon!"
Ariel had to stop herself from laughing. Sebastian and Louis had been engaged in this game of cat and mouse since their first encounter in the kitchen. No matter how many times Louis was scolded for it or how hard Carlotta twisted his ears, she doubted they would ever stop within her lifetime. Fortunately, after so many years she knew just how to handle it.
"Tell you what, Louis," Ariel said as she walked over and straightened the chef's collar, brushing some dirt off his shoulder. "I'll make you a deal. If you promise to stop chasing Sebastian for tonight, I'll find a way to keep Carlotta busy until the gardeners come tomorrow. That way she won't see what you did to her garden."
Louis looked around and turned white as the flour on his apron. The palace garden was normally an ornate arrangement of carefully manicured topiaries and lawn, complemented by well-tended flowerbeds. Colorful koi swam in a crystal-clear pond with white lilies. A large willow grew next to it, its green foliage draped gracefully over the water. It was a quiet, calm place that gave serenity to even the most anxious soul.
It now looked as though a typhoon had blown through. Louis' knives left numerous chips in the stone paths and mangled many of the plants. Several topiaries were missing chunks of foliage. Flowers were trampled, rosebushes were in pieces, and patches of lawn looked as though a drunk Scotsman had played a round of golf across it. Pieces of sod and plant material floated in the pond as the terrified koi huddled under the lilies. The willow had a pair of deep gashes in the bark from when he threw his cleavers, now leaking sap down its trunk.
Louis dropped his knives and fell to his knees, clutching the hem of Ariel's dress. "No, pleez! Any'zing but zat! I swear, no more chasing ze crab! I'll go back to ze kitchen and stay zere! I'll lock myself in and eat ze key! Just don't tell...Carlotta!" He shuddered as though speaking the name of a terrifying monster. His hands clutched his ears as he whimpered, remembering how sore they were after the last time Carlotta caught him chasing the red crab. He had been forced to leave his chef's hat off for a week.
"Then it'll be our secret," Ariel said with a sweet but warning smile. She straightened Louis' hat and gave it a quick affectionate pat. "Now off you go."
Louis rose to his feet, bowing so low his hat almost fell off. "At your leave, ma reine." He cast a final sour glare at Sebastian then turned and trotted towards the palace before backtracking for his knives. Then he was off again, muttering something about devilish maids and crabs under his breath.
"Humph. Crazy as a tarpon on de hook, dat one," Sebastian snorted as the chef left.
"Sebastian, he's a nice man!" said Ariel. "He just has a few...quirks."
The crustacean crawled atop Ariel's head, hiding behind her tiara as he blended with her hair. "You're telling me."
Ariel stifled another laugh. "Come on. We're missing the party." The two headed out of the garden toward the beachside pavilion and the sounds of celebration.
"You know, Eric's told me his stuffed crab is really good," said Ariel, glancing upwards. "Maybe I'll ask him to make it one day."
Sebastian frowned. "Dat's not funny, mon."
Things were definitely not funny in the White Iron Mountains.
A savage blizzard had consumed the eastern edge of the mountains like the wrath of a vengeful winter god. Wind blew with such force it knocked down trees and loosed avalanches of snow, ice, and rock that consumed entire valleys. The pine forests and crags sang like phantoms as the wind raced through them, producing a ghostly choir of moans and howls to rival the Dragon's Teeth. The snow fell in a thick flurry, reducing visibility to mere feet in the failing light. The flakes flew like icy needles, forcing the inhabitants of the mountains to seek shelter wherever they could.
The traveler pulled its cloak tight around its body, hunkered over as it trudged through the deep new snow falling in the alpine forest. The storm whipped flakes into it with no less force than the sandstorms of the desert, stinging when they found skin. The frozen vapor of its breath had formed a crust of ice on its shemagh. Frost rimmed its goggles, which the traveler frequently had to wipe away. The roaring gale blocked out all sound except the traveler's labored breathing and the crunch of snow beneath its boots. Frost formed wherever it could on its clothes, slowly adding frozen weight.
A heavy gust raced through the forest, its arrival heralded by a shrieking howl. The traveler shielded its face against the sudden onslaught as it crouched low, leaning to avoid being blown off its feet. It adjusted its shemagh higher on its face to guard against the cold. It rubbed its hands together, fingers starting to tingle from the chill.
As glad as the traveler had been to see the mountains peek over the western horizon of the Devil's Steppe after seemingly infinite miles of scorching sand, this storm made them no more tame or traversable than the desert. The traveler arrived just as it used the last of its water, making the sight of foothills green with trees and alive with snowmelt streams and healthy game a welcome sight. A few days of foraging, hunting, and resting, and the traveler's pack was restocked for the journey through the mountains.
That was three days ago. The traveler was barely a day into its trek when the storm abruptly hit. Within hours conditions went from clear and calm to a frigid whiteout. Since then the traveler had gone less than twenty miles–still an astonishing achievement in this storm, but not the progress it needed. It had enough food for several days more, but there was no telling how long the storm or the mountains would last. And with this thick snowfall it was almost impossible to tell where it was going.
The traveler shivered, rubbing its arms. Even with its meager coverings and such frigid weather it only felt a mild chill. It was as resistant to the cold as it was the heat, but not immune to it. If the temperature continued to drop the traveler would need to find warmth eventually. And even if it did find some it would need more food or starvation would become a greater threat than the cold. In a weakened state of hunger, it would take one wrong step on a cliff, one rogue gust of wind, or one hungry mountain lion with the element of surprise to turn the mountains into the traveler's grave.
Another howl announced a new gust, accompanied by the snapping of branches as it ripped through the trees. The abrupt wind struck the traveler like running into a wall, knocking it onto its back.
Crk-crack!
The traveler whipped its head up to see a giant pine break at its base in front of it, having lost its fight against the storm. The wind propelled it at the traveler with deadly speed, turning the tree into an oversized wooden club. On instinct the traveler drew its sword. The blade came alive with heat at it left the scabbard, turning the metal forge red and then igniting with flame.
"Claymore, burn!" shouted the traveler as it swung.
A jet of fire leapt from the blade and struck the pine. It exploded in a brilliant flash, the concussive force halting the tree's fall. Even frozen to its core the tree was immediately consumed in flames. Heat and light cascaded off it like a bonfire, bathing the traveler in its first warmth in days. Then the wind started pushing the tree back, the fire spitting out sparks and boiling sap like an angered volcano drake. The tree broke in half at the middle as the traveler scrambled to the side, the burning trunk crashing down in the snow. The traveler looked back as the flames melted the snow with a loud hiss, refusing to be quelled by the storm.
"All right!" yelled the traveler. It jumped to its feet and pulled the front of its shemagh down, revealing a set of pale lips with a jet-black labret stud in the lower one. It was not about to pass this opportunity up. Fire was heat, and heat was energy. It needed both. "Chow-time! Davoro!"
The flames leapt off the burning tree and sword, flying to the traveler's open mouth as it inhaled. The fires continued to leave their substrate as the traveler drew them in, swallowing as though it were consuming food. The frost on its body began evaporating, making it seem that the traveler was smoking as ice became steam. It kept drawing the fires in until the last wisp of flame was consumed, leaving a pair of cold black logs crumbling in the snow. The sword steamed in its hand, the metal releasing what residual heat it carried.
The traveler smacked its lips. "Smoky, yet satisfying."
It was started to pull up its shemagh back up when a small tongue of flame appeared on the lower half of the burned tree. The traveler made a sucking motion with its lips and the flame leapt into its mouth. The traveler chewed it around before swallowing, but the small flame refused to be digested so easily. It gave its sternum a solid thump, dislodged a spark-laden belch, and then covered its face once more.
"That's pine all right," said the traveler as it sheathed its sword. "Can't mistake that smoky zing."
Crunch…
The traveler stopped sheathing its weapon. It held its breath, straining to hear over the din of the storm.
Crunch…crunch…
It was faint under the clamor of the blizzard, but there was no mistaking the sound of snow underfoot. Something or someone was approaching. Slowly the traveler drew its sword again, wrapping its fingers securely around the hilt.
Crunch…crunch…
The traveler slowly turned about, scanning for any movement among the dark outlines of the trees. The falling snow made visibility horrendous even for its eyes. The twilight and snow played tricks on it, creating shadows and movements where there was none.
Crunch…crunch…
"Who's there?" called the traveler.
Crunch…crunch…
The traveler saw something moving through the trees. The dark outline of some animal approached on all fours. It was tall, standing three times the traveler's height. It moved between the dense trunks like wind, quiet save its steps. And considering it was coming straight towards the traveler, possibly a predator.
The traveler tightened its grip slightly. "Claymore, ignite!"
The metal burst into flame again. The creature stopped its advance, staying secluded in the trees.
"Ha! Ha! Get outta here!" shouted the traveler as it advanced on the creature, waving the sword to scare it away. "Go on, get! Back to the woods with you! Get–!"
The creature made a rumbling throaty growl as its eyes flashed with emerald light.
As quick as the traveler was, the speed with which the trees around it came to life and seized its limbs caught it completely off guard. Suddenly it was hanging upside down in the air, the living branches wrapped tight around its wrists and ankles. A branch wrenched its wrist hard, forcing the traveler to drop its sword. The fires died before it stuck in the ground.
"Ow! What the…!?" The traveler kicked and struggled to get free of the bindings, but they held fast.
The creature moved behind a tree, a single luminescent green eye fixed on the traveler as it growled. "If any soul is to 'get outta here,' it will be thee, magus."
The traveler stopped struggling, startled by the creature's speech. Any thoughts of this being some animal disappeared. Animals did not speak, much less manipulate trees. This creature was intelligent, old, magical, and powerful. And not particularly friendly by the looks of things.
"Who're you?" asked the traveler. "And while you're at it, what are you?"
The creature's eye narrowed and the trees pulled tighter on the traveler's limbs. "Still thy tongue, human. Thou art within my realm. Thus, I will ask the questions."
"Your realm?"
"Verily." The creature moved to the other side of the tree. "Thou art trespassing upon my kingdom. I am the guardian of all around thee, from highest peak to lowest cavern. All is my domain to guard and rule. Thus do I see and attend to all that happens within." The branches tightened uncomfortably around the traveler's ankles. "Which makes thee an interloper."
"Well sorry if I didn't see a 'no tresspassing' sign, oh greateth guardian of theseth mountaineths," replied the traveler sarcastically as it tried to pull its limbs free. "In case you haven't noticed there's a blizzard going on, so I'm having aproblem just seeing where I'm going!"
"Thou maintains a sharp tongue despite thy position, human." The creature's eye shifted to the burnt tree. "And an unnatural appetite. Give thy name and state how thou camest to be here. And know that if thou doth try to deceive me, I shalt know it."
"My name's none of your business!" snapped the traveler, fighting against its bindings. "And so is where I'm from, furball!"
The branches pulled hard on the traveler's arms, straining its shoulders. It grit its teeth as it tried to pull back, but the trees outdid even its strength. A branch swung around for the traveler's stomach, giving it just enough time to tense. It stuck hard, snapping in half against the traveler's core. The traveler grunted at the stinging but was otherwise unharmed.
"Answer me, human," growled the creature. "My next branch will not be so lenient to your flesh."
"You see all within your kingdom, don't you?" replied the traveler sharply. "So you tell me!"
The creatures growl deepened. "If thou intends to continue thy defiance, then I will deduce thy origin for myself!"
Suddenly a branch swung down and ripped the traveler's shemagh off, exposing its face to the creature. The creature's eye widened, and then it chuckled in amusement. "I see why thou keeps thy face hidden, magus. A strange sight thou makes."
"Give that back!" shouted the traveler as the tree's limb grew out, carrying the shemagh down to the creature. It leaned out to sniff the cloth, taking deep audible whiffs.
Suddenly the beast snorted and threw its head, darting back from the shemagh as though it were poisonous. "Thy scent! This is…!"
"What's wrong?" asked the traveler with a smirk. "Guardian got a sensitive nose? Can't take a little B-O?"
The creature threw its head back, loosing a howl like nothing the traveler had ever heard. If its hands were free it would have covered its ears. It drowned out all noise, carrying through the forest and making the air vibrate. It echoed off the mountains, carrying into the storm for mile after mile until the air was filled with it.
Immediately the storm died. The raging wind vanished and the snowfall lightened, the flakes free to drift down in peace. Even the temperature rose slightly. Everything became quiet, muted by the snow. The trees released the traveler. It flipped over before landing, immediately grabbing its sword and holding it ready.
"Thou art a fiction!" exclaimed the creature. "And yet thou stands before me real as the snow beneath thy feet! What miracle has birthed thee into this world!?"
"What's my smell got you worked up for?" asked the traveler.
"Because thou art of the first knights!"
To anyone else, the beast's words were either utter gibberish or fantastical nonsense. Yet they made the traveler lower its sword, shocked by what the creature said. "How could you possibly know that!?"
The creature's eyes glowed. The needles on the surrounding pines began to glow with yellow firefly light as it stepped out of the trees, illuminating its form in full.
The traveler's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You're–!"
"Ugh! How do human females walk in these things?"
The maid scowled as she staggered down the hall in her heels. She grimaced as she fidgeted with the collar of her dress, revealing unusually pointy teeth. The gold chain of a necklace was barely visible at the nape of her neck, the centerpiece of the jewelry hidden under her bodice. Her eyes were so dark they could be mistaken for black.
"Control yourself, you idiot," hissed the violinist beside her, running a hand through his slick brown hair. His instrument was clutched in his other hand. Like his companion his eyes were unnaturally dark. "We're trying to blend in, remember? You'll get us caught with your wobbling around like a newborn jellyfish."
"Oh, and dragging those two in here wasn't going to?" snapped the maid as she struggled to keep her balance while straightening her skirt. "We're lucky no one saw us! We should've killed them and shoved the bodies under a rock for later!"
The violinist smacked the maid upside the head. "Were you listening at all!? The spell only works if the original stays alive, and we needed clothes to wear! Clean clothes! Bloodstains aren't going to swim with this lot!"
The maid touched the chain around her neck. "I don't see why we had to go with two different spells! It would've been simpler to make more potion!"
"Deal with it," growled the violinist, becoming aggravated by the maid's incessant complaining. "There wasn't enough for two!"
The maid tripped into the wall, banging her head hard on the frame of a painting. She rubbed her head and then growled as she glared at her heels. "I've had enough of these things!"
She raised her right leg and brought it down hard, snapping the heel off her shoe. She repeated the process with the other one, kicking the broken heels against the wall. The removal of the heels immediately improved her stability.
"We still could've taken a limb or two off her. There's no reason to let that one live." The maid's stomach growled loudly as she licked her lips. "I'm starving. A taste couldn't have hurt. Did you see her legs? They looked so tender and juicy..." Her voice trailed off as she started to drool profusely.
"You would've made a mess like last time," said the violinist. "Don't forget we're here on business, not for a buffet line."
The two reached the end of the hallway. The oak door to the garden had been left open to allow the cool night air inside. The sounds of a party wafted on the evening breeze, carrying music and voices with the glow of candlelight. They saw a woman with red hair in a blue ball gown begin descending the stairs to the pavilion.
The maid pointed after her. "Hey, was that…?"
"Obviously. Who else has hair that color?" The violinist pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and threw it at the maid's face. "Now clean up your mug and act like a human! We do this and we'll be eating like kings the rest of our lives!"
The party was well underway when Ariel and Sebastian arrived. The pavilion had been decorated in full festive flair. Paper lanterns of various colors hung from the ceiling, casting their light into the sea glass studded roof. Pink ribbons hung between the columns, the light sea breezes making the lanterns sway so the roof sparkled like the stars. Tables laden with food were set for the guests to sample. Roast duck, glazed hams, scalloped potatoes, fresh salads, hot soups, and other dishes too numerous to name adorned them. A special place remained clear for the much-anticipated cake. Servers bustled around with plates of appetizers and glasses of wine. An orchestra played light music from a raised stage, their mastery of their instruments evident in the quality of sounds they produced and the applause of the partygoers.
Human and merfolk alike danced and made light conversation throughout the pavilion, although there was no dancing between merfolk and humans for obvious reasons. The ocean pool was filled with merpeople and a variety of sea life while others surrounded the seaward perimeter. Turtles, fish, seals, gulls, and even dolphins talked among themselves and with the merpeople. Ariel could see her sisters dispersed among them, talking with humans and other sea folk or attempting to maintain some semblance of control with their own rambunctious families. All their children had come, from the oldest of eighteen years to the youngest of eighteen months.
"Sebastian, any sign of Eric?" Ariel asked, surveying over the crowd.
"Hmmm…" Sebastian shaded his eyes with a claw. "Not dat I can see."
"Ariel!"
Ariel looked in the direction of the call. Eric waved to her at the closest edge of the ocean pool. He was dressed in is best white uniform, medals polished and shining bright in the light. At his side the gold hilt of his sword glinted. Grimsby stood close by, keeping watch for anything that might require his attention whether it needed it or not. Beside Eric was Triton. Her father had used the magic of the trident to elevate himself on a column of water. The trident was giving off the familiar happy glow as it rested in his hands. His crown and bracers were freshly polished, shining as brightly as his son-in-law's sword.
Ariel waved back and started maneuvering her way through the crowd to them. The people willingly parted for her with respectful bows and glad smiles.
Eric smiled himself as she reached him, as though a portion of his heart had been returned. "You look beautiful."
"You're looking very handsome as well," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek as she took his arm.
"Quite the charmer still," chuckled Triton. He then noticed Sebastian nestled in Ariel's hair. "Sebastian? What are you doing up there?"
"Hiding from dat half-shell of a chef, your majesty," answered Sebastian as he dove off Ariel's head into the waves, surfacing a moment later. "At least he can't go underwater."
"Speaking of underwater," said Ariel, looking around the crowd for a familiar head of sandy blonde hair. "Where's Urchin? Isn't he supposed to be here?"
"He's over there," said Triton, nodding towards a group of merfolk nearby. Urchin stood out from them with his rather imposing figure and spear. He was surrounded by a group of pretty mermaids. Going by the expressions on their faces, he was doing a fine job of enchanting them. He caught sight of her and waved. Ariel waved back, glad to see him. But there was a bitter sweetness to it. Partly because her friend's spear reminded her of the circumstances under which they were throwing this party. And partly because of another friend who was no longer able to celebrate with them.
Flounder had been Ariel's friend for as long as she could remember. They spent more time together than apart while growing up. It had been sad for Ariel to realize she would not be able to see him as often when she became human, but Flounder was nothing but happy for her. He had always supported her unconditionally, and this was no exception. The twelve years of separation following Melody's birth were torture for them both. She was overjoyed when they were reunited in Atlantica, and to see he now had a family of his own. After Morgana's defeat, Ariel spent two weeks in the undersea kingdom catching up with her dearest and oldest friend, as well as Urchin and her sisters. She barely recognized Urchin he had grown so much! There was laughter, tears, and stories of all she had missed in their absence. Twelve years suddenly felt like nothing to them, as though they had only seen each other yesterday.
In the years that followed, Ariel kept frequent contact with them. At least four times a year she ventured beneath the waves to see Flounder and Urchin in person, as well as her father and sisters. Oh, and her many nieces and nephews! The royal family had expanded quite a bit since Melody was born, and Ariel was determined to make up for the lost time. Though she knew her home was truly on the land, Ariel found a part of her still longed for the sea. It would always be a part of her.
Then, three years ago, tragedy struck. Flounder became infected with an unknown illness. At first, he shrugged it off as a rough case of ick. But after collapsing in his home, he was rushed to a doctor. No one knew what he had, or how to treat it. His condition deteriorated rapidly despite the doctor's best efforts. Not even the trident was able to cure him, making it only the third disease immune to its magic. Yet Flounder never cursed his fate or Triton's inability to heal him. Fearing he could spread the disease to others, he asked to be isolated from everyone, including his family. However, he did request to see Ariel before things took a turn for the worse.
Ariel felt her eyes start to water as she remembered the last time she saw him. He looked nothing like the blue and yellow fish she knew. He lost a dramatic amount of weight, as well as most of his scales. His gills were swollen and an unhealthy dark purple, making his voice raspy and weak. For once she was the scared one, and he was the brave one teasing her not to be a guppy. They talked for a while, even though it was difficult for him and she had to keep her distance. Ariel brought him medicine from the land, hoping it might cure him. Flounder thanked her for it and promised to keep fighting against his illness. But, on the off chance he did not make it, he asked to be laid to rest in her old grotto. It was one of their fondest places growing up, and it would contain whatever illness had struck him. Of course, Ariel refused, saying he was going to get better and they would look back on this as another of their harrowing adventures. They did not say goodbye–only that they would see each other again soon.
It was not to be. Flounder passed away that same night in his sleep. His funeral was small and private, though well-known given the entire royal family was in attendance. They laid him to rest per his wishes and sealed the grotto shut, letting him sleep forever surrounded by mementos and memories of his dearest friends.
Ariel sighed, holding back a tear that tried to form. How she wished he was here tonight. That she could tell him about everything that was happening with her kingdom and her daughter. She could use his support. Knowing him, he would get scared about a giant sea monster roaming around, and then go off on one of his anxious rambles. Then he would calm down, tell her everything would be okay, and ask what he could do to help. That was just who he was.
She looked around. Merguards were stationed along the edge of the pavilion and further out, keeping watch for any signs of the creature that attacked Melody. They were dressed in full armor, even over their tails. She knew that they were joined by lookouts from the palace, surveying the ocean with telescopes for the monster.
Ariel feared the worst when a sopping-wet Tip came running into the palace with Melody's necklace and no Melody attached to it. Her fears were not alleviated when he told her about the enormous creature that chased them onto shore, or that Melody had immediately wanted to swim to Atlantica to warn them. When Melody came back on shaking legs and covered in sand, Ariel knew Tip had been speaking the truth. Her daughter was shaken, even if she did not admit to it. Naturally Ariel forbade Melody from going in the ocean until the creature was found. She knew it would be devastating to Melody, but it had to be done. But instead of protesting like she normally would Melody simply accepted the decision and went back to her room. It was heartbreaking for Ariel and Eric to see her so resigned.
Things were little better when word came back from Atlantica regarding their request for Triton's help with the nightmares. As much as he understood why she and Eric waited to tell him, and his sincere wish to help Melody, there was little he could actually do. Dreams and memories were beyond the trident's power to affect. To say Ariel was disappointed would be an understatement, but she knew he was not to blame. Triton had wielded the trident for over fifty years now. No one under the ocean was more qualified to say what it could and could not do.
The only silver lining had come a week after the monster's appearance. While they had yet to find it, Triton sent a letter to Melody telling her it would likely be safe to enter the ocean within reason. He had mermen searching for it round the clock. That, and if this creature was so large it could hunt whales, it would not be able to get close to shore because of the slow rise of the sea floor near Seahaven. She would need to stay close to land, but he saw no reason she had to remain out of the water entirely.
"Daddy?" said Ariel.
"Hm? What is it dear?" asked Triton.
"Did you find out anything?"
"About what?"
"About...you know. What Melody saw."
Triton shook his head, a frown on his face. "I'm sorry, but we haven't found a thing. We've scoured the waters, but we only found the whale. I gave the poor creature a decent burial, but there's no sign of this monster anywhere. The only lead we have is that tooth Melody found."
"But what about the fish?" asked Ariel. "One of them had to see something."
"If any of them saw it they are either too afraid to talk or they've gone missing."
"Any idea what this creature is?" asked Eric.
"Nothing yet. I gave the tooth to our best naturalist," said Triton. "She can't pin it to any specific creature. Based on the size alone, she says it has to be very large."
"It made a snack out of a whale!" said Sebastian. "Large is an understatement!"
Ariel gave a troubled sigh. It was true that giant creatures could hide in the ocean quite easily, but something of the size Melody described would be hard to miss. How could it just disappear without a trace? Combining that with the rash of unusual incidents that occurred over the last year, and Ariel was beginning to feel like she did when Morgana was still alive. Afraid that at any moment, something would tear Melody out of her life forever.
Eric noted the worried expression on Ariel's face, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Let's save this for another night. Giant sea monsters aren't appropriate conversation for a birthday party."
Ariel sighed. "You're right. This isn't the time or place. Speaking of which..." She looked around the room. "Where's Melody? I haven't seen her since this morning."
"She's over there," said Eric, nodding to a group of young women, mermaids, and a familiar penguin and walrus on the other side of the pool.
It took a moment, but Ariel could make out Melody's hair and laughter amidst them. The group parted slightly, revealing the princess in her birthday regalia. She wore a dress reminiscent of the one Ariel wore for her first dinner on land, plus a few modifications of Melody's own design. She tied a large pink ribbon around her waist and wore a sapphire necklace that sparkled in the light. A simple silver tiara topped her head. She looked even more beautiful than usual in it. Part of it was how elegant she looked, another part was the nostalgia the color brought to Ariel, and the majority was because of the smile on Melody's face.
Ariel smiled herself as she watched her daughter, a weight lifted off her heart. For the first time in what felt like a while things were back to normal, even if it was just for tonight.
A large glowing bubble floated in the water, casting the icy chamber in eerie green light. In the middle of the sphere the maid and violinist were visible as they entered the pavilion unnoticed. The violinist made his way to the raised stage the orchestra was playing from and took a seat near the back, affording him the best view of the party while remaining inconspicuous. The maid took a plate of appetizers from a table and began making rounds through the guests. There was no sound, an unfortunate condition of the spell. It would be divine to hear the chaos that was about to unfold.
A menacing chuckle filled the room. If everything went according to plan this party would turn into a night that would never be forgotten.
Melody would never take sleep for granted again. She had been blessed with nightmare-free dreams for over two weeks now. That first night she slept like a sea cucumber, waking up only when her mother came to get her for lunch. The circles under her eyes had disappeared. She felt more energetic and attentive. She smiled more and laughed harder. She was happy and feeling like herself again. She was still unhappy she could not explore the ocean as she wished, but she had faith in her grandfather's promise she would be able to swim freely in it soon.
The party only served to improve her demeanor. All her friends and family were enjoying themselves as much as she was, human and merfolk. The food was wonderful. The music was lovely. The atmosphere was enchanting. She could hardly ask for a better birthday.
The orchestra finished another song as Dash and Tip finished telling how they once supposedly fought off an entire pirate ship. A round of polite applause for the musicians went up, and Melody quickly joined them. The musicians bowed politely, enjoying the audible appreciation from the crowd and dancers before sitting down to begin another song.
Elaine leaned close to Melody, lightly elbowing her side. "Heads up, Mel. I think someone wants you for the next dance."
"Huh? Who wants to dance with me?" she asked.
"I would, if you're offering," said a male voice.
Melody gasped. She knew that voice. She knew it very well. She quickly turned around, her heart beating faster when she saw him.
Prince William of Strihaven was standing in front of her. An attractive young man barely a year older than her, he had a pleasant face that made many a young girl swoon. Melody was no exception. William inherited his father's piercing blue eyes, but on him they were entrancing instead of intimidating. His golden blonde hair was pulled back with a dark blue ribbon. He wore a jacket of the same color with silver trim over a white jerkin and matching pants. He looked every bit the dashing prince he was.
Melody had known William for seven years now, or "Will" as she called him. Their first dance had been a disaster to say the least. He ended up doused in punch when Sebastian pinched his finger and brought the whole evening to a grinding halt. One of the first things Melody did after the wall went down was send a long apology letter to him. She fully expected him to blow her off if return her letter at all, but he had been surprisingly forgiving in his response. Thus their friendship began, and from there it only grew.
It did not take long for Melody to realize William was not like his father, whose company she enjoyed as much as Eric did. He was kind, selfless, charismatic, honorable, and strongly believed in serving his people instead of the other way around. Yet he was also dignified without being arrogant, perfectly relaxed around people as though everyone was his friend. And he could get into almost as much trouble as she could without even trying. Whenever they were together, they were always smiling and laughing, whether it was on land or in the water. She had yet to show him Atlantica, seeing as he was a human. But she regaled him with enough stories about its people and splendor that William felt he already knew the place. Melody and William had soon grown to like each other, and then that developed into something more. Put simply, they had fallen hard for each other. The only thing left was that most exciting yet terrifying step–for them to tell each other.
"Will!" Melody threw decorum to the wind and hugged William close, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. He gladly returned the embrace. "You made it!"
"Nah, I just came for the food," he said as they separated. Melody smacked his arm playfully. "So, may I have the privilege of dancing with the birthday princess?"
Melody giggled as he gave an obviously dramatized bow to her. She matched it with an appropriately grandiose curtsy, offering her hand to him. "You may, my good sir."
William took her hand in his, leading her to the center of the pavilion. The guests noticed and began clearing back for them, eager to see them dance. They stopped in the open space and he brought his hand to her waist, sending little tingles of electrical excitement racing up her spine. She cast a quick glance over his shoulder to her friends. Several of them gave her thumbs up with large grins. Tip and Dash high-flippered each other before doing the same. Elaine winked at her and mouthed, "Break a leg."
Melody gave them a smile and a wink as the music started.
The violinist watched from the orchestra as the couple start to move across the now open pavilion. The crowd had prepared a wide area for them, providing the birthday girl and her partner ample room to dance.
Unknowingly, they also provided more than enough room for the violinist to work with.
He scanned the crowd for his partner, hands miming the movements of the violinist in front of him. He could have played it like a banjo and it would not have mattered. The instrument had been enchanted to produce no noise. He just had to vaguely mimic the other musicians to avoid suspicion.
He spotted the maid at the edge of the pool serving an appetizer of some sort to a group of mermaids. For all her earlier complaining she was playing the part well. He caught her gaze as she turned to leave. He gave a nod and motioned with his head to an area where the crowd was thinnest. The maid nodded in understanding and moved to the outside of the crowd.
The violinist smirked wickedly as the orchestra continued to play, providing rhythm for their target. Everything was going as planned.
Ariel watched the two teens dance with the music. Melody was positively radiant as William led her around the pavilion. It was a welcome change from the exhausted daughter who suffered repeating night terrors. Watching them reminded her of the first dance she shared with Eric. She had no voice back then as they twirled in the town plaza, but she did her best to convey her feelings through her movements. Melody and William appeared to be doing the same.
She felt Eric's hand tighten around hers as William and Melody drew a little closer. She smirked, amused by his fatherly sense of protection. "Down boy," she whispered teasingly. "She's with Will. She couldn't be in better hands."
"Sorry," Eric whispered back. He relaxed his grip before giving her a lighter, more affectionate squeeze. "Can you believe it?"
"Believe what?"
"Nineteen. Our little Melody's all grown up. Seems like just yesterday we were rocking her to sleep in the crib while you sang. Now she's…"
"I know. She grew up so fast." Ariel leaned her head against Eric's shoulder. "She used to love the stories about the little mermaid and her adventures under the sea. I must have told a thousand to her."
"She never got tired of hearing them," said Eric. "And she'll have her own stories to tell someday."
A movement from beyond the crowd caught Ariel's attention. For just a moment she thought she saw a familiar face. She gave the spot a quick scan, but the person was gone. She turned her attention back to her daughter. Probably a case of mistaken identity.
A sizable flock of gulls, terns, and pelicans had gathered around the chimney to the palace kitchen, drawn by the delicious odors wafting from below. The birds danced around the brick structure as they tried to figure out how to infiltrate through the fumes into the kitchen, hungry for the food inside.
"Zat's it!" came a holler from the chimney, scaring the birds away.
Inside Louis stood back to survey his masterpiece of a birthday cake. He had completely forgotten about Sebastian and the garden as he pursued culinary perfection. Nineteen candles arranged in an "M" adorned the top of a quadruple decked cake. The pale blue icing was adorned with candy seashells. Designs of various sea creatures and merfolk adorned the sides of the cake, creating the illusion they were swimming in circles around it. The frosting on the edges had been meticulously sculpted into the forms of waves and shells. It was more art than food.
Louis wiped a tear from his eye. "So beau'iful! I almost wish zat it weren't going to be eaten. Ah well, c'est la vie!Better it be eaten zan left to rot in mon kitchen. Now I just need ze matches." He fished his matchbox out of his pocket and slid it open to see a single match remaining. "Voila! I am in luck tonight!"
He took the match and struck it, the tip bursting into a small orb of flame as he leaned in to light the first candle.
"Louis!"
He jumped violently at Carlotta's voice, dropping the match to the floor. It hit the stones and went out as the portly maid barged into the kitchen, the head turning black with a hiss and puff of smoke.
"Carlotta! Ze match!" exclaimed Louis, the ends of his moustache frizzing. "Zat was ze last match!"
Carlotta marched smartly over to Louis. "Never mind your matches, Louis! Is the cake ready yet? It's almost eight o'clock! The singing will start once the next dance is over!"
"Zat is what I was doing until you made me drop ze match!" Louis shook the matchbox, wishing for the sound of wood bouncing inside. He got no such noise.
"For goodness sake, Louis, just use a candle!" said Carlotta
Louis looked at Carlotta as though she had told him to use a flamethrower. "A candle!? Use a candle on zis cake!? And risk dripping wax all over eet? No, mon cheri, I will not have it!"
"Then use a stick from the oven!"
"And get ash all over zee beau'iful frosting!? I am a chef, dear Carlotta, not some soot-handed blacksmith! I will not have a zingle speck of ash on my creation or on ze princess's birthday! Non! It will not happen!"
Carlotta sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fine, fine! Just get it lit! And be quick about it! You probably have six minutes at best!" She darted through the door with surprising speed. "Oh, I better make sure we have enough plates! And spoons!"
Louis riffled through his pants in search of a wayward match, muttering to himself as he went. "A candle to light zis cake? Pah! Eez not a candelabra, woman! Eez a cake! You don't like it when wax drips on your carpet. What makes you zink zey'd like it on zeir food?"
Unable to find a match on his person Louis headed to the pantry, hoping there was a fresh box inside. "Zat's odd," mumbled the chef as he pushed on the partially opened door. "I thought I closed zis when–?"
Louis froze. A human foot appeared in the light.
The chef howled and drew his meat cleaver from his belt, flinging the door open. "Ruffians! Vandals! How dare you desecrate mon kitchen with your–!"
Louis expected to find a pair of new guards asleep after drinking too much wine, which had happened on some occasions. Or one of his assistants taking a nap instead of out helping with the party. Instead, he found an unconscious woman lying on the floor. Her hands and feet were bound behind her back with what looked like braided seaweed, and a gag had been tied tight across her mouth. She was missing all of her clothes save her undergarments. Her brown hair was wet from the bleeding wound on her head. She smelled strongly of blood and seawater.
"Mon dieu! What eez zis?!" Louis dropped the cleaver to the floor and rushed to her, the matches forgotten. He fumbled with the ropes binding her, quickly working them free. The woman groaned and began to stir.
"Louis, where is that cake?" came Carlotta's voice, her footsteps hurried and sharp.
"Carlotta! In 'ere!" called Louis.
"Louis! What are you doing!?" demanded Carlotta as she rounded the corner to the pantry door. "Why aren't you–?"
"Ne'er mind ze blasted cake! 'Elp me with 'er!" Louis shouted as he released the gag on the woman's mouth. Blood stained the corners of her lips where it had cut into her skin.
Carlotta stood stunned for a moment before rushing over to help Louis lift the dazed woman. They supported her between them and carried her to a chair by the stove, setting her down as though she were made of glass. The woman groaned again and rolled her head, lifting her arms weakly. Carlotta rushed over to a water basin and wetted a rag from her apron.
"Hold this to her head!" she said, tossing the towel to the chef. Louis snatched it and gently pressed the rag to the woman's head wound. She flinched at the touch, reaching blindly to swat Louis' arms.
"Easy there now, miss," said Carlotta. "We'll take care of you. It's all right."
"What eez your name?" asked Louis.
"Ra…chel…" whispered the woman. "Where…am I?"
"You're in ze kitchen, Rachel," said Louis, now using another rag to wipe the blood from her face. "Do you remember what happened?"
"We were at…the beach…having lunch," said Rachel slowly. "He was…telling me…about…his home when…" Suddenly she bolted upright, eyes wide in alarm. "Martin! Is he–!?"
The stunned woman suddenly clutched her forehead and sunk back into the chair, moaning in pain.
"I'll see if I can find some spirits to clean that wound," said Carlotta, grabbing a candle and heading back to the pantry.
"You said Martin, mademoiselle. Who eez Martin?" asked Louis.
"Louis! Come here, quickly!" shouted Carlotta.
Louis looked up to see Carlotta beckoning urgently to him from the pantry door. Taking the stunned woman's hand and pressing it to the rag on her head, Louis went to her. "What eez it?"
Carlotta's answer was to step to the side, holding up the candle to illuminate the pantry.
Louis had expected several things to be inside. Potato sacks, cheese rolls, flagons of wine, or even the princess eating her favorite sweets. He had never expected to find a brown-haired young man with his hands and feet bound, a wound on his head, and a large ring of lacerations in his left thigh.
"What in ze world?!" shouted Louis in surprise.
The man groaned and tried to get up but only succeeded in rolling onto his back. Louis and Carlotta were at his side in seconds, freeing his hands before setting him against a sack of wheat.
"What…happened?" asked the man as he came back to consciousness.
"You're in the palace kitchen!" said Carlotta as she started wiping blood from the man's head. He flinched sharply but made no effort to stop her.
"Are you Martin, monsieur?" asked Louis.
The man nodded. "Rachel…is she all right?"
"She was knocked in ze head I zink, but oui, she eez all right," answered Louis. "Do you remember how you got 'ere?"
Martin clutched his head, as though the act would keep his memories from slipping away. "Rachel and I…we were having lunch on the beach. I was telling her about…about a festival back in my hometown. I was going to ask her to come with me when…"
Suddenly he sat upright. "The party! We have to warn them! She's in danger!"
"Danger? What are you talking about? Who eez in danger?" asked Louis.
Martin grabbed Louis shirt in both hands. "Princess Melody! I heard them! They're after the princess!"
The maid watched impatiently from the crowd as Melody and William continued dancing. The tray of appetizers and her shoes were gone, tossed into the surf without notice. All eyes were fixed on the prince and princess. They were mesmerized as William twirled Melody around before bringing her back in, the two moving in complete harmony.
The maid was in position. The crowd was more than ten bodies deep here, but it was still the thinnest in the pavilion. It would take some jostling to work her way through, but it would be possible. Once through she would need to move quickly.
Her stomach growled again. It was tempting to grab someone from the back of the crowd and drag them down to the beach for a snack. She loved how tender and rich the flavor of humans was. Not oily and full of scales like fish.
A quick glance to the violinist caught him staring at her. She nodded towards the dancers and licked her lips. The violinist gave his head a shake, not breaking his false playing. The message was clear. Not yet.
The maid trembled with eagerness and anger, hands balled into tight fists. Why were they hesitating when she was right in front of them? The princess was practically offering herself up on a silver platter with an apple in her mouth.
The maid ground her pointed teeth and waited. Her patience was wearing thin.
Melody and William had settled into an easy rhythm. Their movements were flawlessly synchronous, as though each knew what the other would do before they did. The feel of his hand on her waist was still sending tingles through her body. She could not keep from smiling as she looked into his eyes. Even with the rough weeks she had been through his presence made her feel at ease. Yet it also excited her, making her heart beat faster.
"Melody?"
Melody blinked as she realized William was looking at her. "Huh?"
William glanced down, giving a handsome but pained smile. "You're standing on my foot."
"Oh!" Melody quickly pulled her foot back, blushing furiously. "Sorry!"
William's smile widened. "It's fine. Actually, I'm the one who should be apologizing."
"Apologizing? For what?"
"My father." William's smile faded. "I heard about what he said to the king."
Melody nearly lost her rhythm. Her father told her about Willard's ill-intended proposal. Although she shared in his anger over his reasoning and the inappropriateness of his remarks, a part of her was not against the idea of being with William. She had considered that possibility multiple times lately. Rather recently as well, which made him bringing it up now all the more awkward.
"Oh. Uh…it's nothing. Don't worry about it. Really." Melody felt her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.
"Still…" continued William as he guided Melody through a graceful spin. "I feel bad about it."
"Why?" She let William pull her back in. "It's not like you did anything wrong."
"Yeah, but it's embarrassing that he said it at all."
Melody swallowed. It sounded like William was not as tickled by the idea as she was. "What do you mean?"
"My father's old fashioned, especially about marriage. He's been pressing me to find a wife ever since I turned sixteen. Needless to say, I haven't been interested in any of the princesses he invited to meet me."
"What was wrong with them?"
"Oh, nothing was wrong per se! They were all nice! I don't think there was anything about them I could call 'bad.' It's just…they weren't for me." William sighed, dipping Melody down and righting her again. "We just don't see eye-to-eye on marriage, dad and I. To him it's more politics than heart. Probably why I've had three stepmothers."
"Is there anyone you'd think about marrying?"
Melody had to stop herself from slapping a hand across her mouth. Did she really just blurt that out? Why, oh why had she said that?
William laughed at her expression. "You didn't mean to say that out loud, did you?"
Melody blushed even harder. "Was it that obvious?"
"Oh yeah. Very."
Melody groaned. "Great…"
William laughed again. "There may be someone I'd consider marrying. But I'm not the type to marry for politics. If I'm going to marry anyone, I want it to be someone I care about. Not someone my father or the council chooses because it benefits them."
A little voice in Melody's head was telling her to take a leap of faith. She swallowed nervously, heart beating a little faster as she asked, "So...there is someone you'd want to marry?"
Their dancing slowed, both teenagers focusing more on each other and less on the rest of the world.
"As a matter of fact, there is," said William, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke.
Melody's heart felt like it was about to sprout wings and fly out of her chest. She was hanging onto each of his words now. William looked like he was doing the same with hers. "What's she like?"
"He."
Melody almost tripped. "He?"
William grinned and winked. "Gotcha."
Melody would have given William a slap if they were not dancing. She settled for resting her head against his shoulder, giving a short laugh. "That's not funny! Or nice! Or appropriate!"
"Then why are you laughing?"
"I shouldn't be! And I hate that you still made me!"
William chuckled. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."
Melody shook her head, unable to keep from smiling as she looked to him. The tension was broken. "But seriously, is there someone like that for you?"
"Seriously? There is. And she is one of a kind."
"She's lucky. Can you tell me about her?" asked Melody.
William unconsciously moved closer to Melody as he spoke. "Wow…where to start? Well, she's smart. Daring. Sweet. Funny, even if she doesn't mean to be. And she has this insatiable thirst for adventure. She's kind to everyone, but she also knows how to stand up for herself. She loves the ocean. And singing. You should hear her. It's…amazing. Like the serenade of an angel."
Melody leaned in closer. "She sounds very special to you. Does she know you feel that way about her?"
"I haven't told her yet," answered William. "Not directly, at least. But I'm hoping she feels the same way."
Melody looked deep into William's eyes. She saw such sincerity and tenderness there. She felt like she was melting, any trace of anxiety now lost in the emotions welling up in her heart. She felt totally vulnerable before him, and it did not scare her. She felt completely safe here in his arms.
"Will?" she said softly.
"Yeah?"
Melody leaned up at the same time he leaned down, closing the space between their lips. The feel of his lips on hers turned the tingles into a bolt of wonderful lightning. She could feel her heart racing furiously in her chest as William pulled her close. She rested a hand over his heart, feeling how fast it was beating. The emotions and sensations made her head spin. She felt she could fly into the stars. They stayed there, enjoying the intimacy of the moment, and then slowly separated.
"I'm sure she does," said Melody. "Completely. And I think her answer would be yes."
Ariel watched Melody and William share their first kiss on the dance floor, making her own heart skip a beat. She suspected their relationship was getting serious for a while now, and here was the proof. She always told Melody to follow her heart, and it seemed she took it to heart as well. She joined with the collective "aw" and a few whistles and applauses that went up from the crowd. She smiled as the two blushed bright red, giggling before they settled back into the dance.
She nudged Eric in the ribs. "Looks like I win."
Eric sighed, fishing a gold coin from his pocket and pressing it into her palm. "Bet you two he'll ask for our blessing before the night's out. Three that you'll say yes."
Ariel smiled. "Bet you five you'll say–."
Someone at the back of the crowd caught Ariel's eye. It was a maid with long brunette hair in the shadow of a pillar. She had rosy pink lips, but her eyes were incredibly dark. She had an intense expression on her face, as though she were upset about something. Something flashed in Ariel's memories. She was sure that she had seen the woman before. The memory flickered at the back of her mind, waiting for the correct thought to bring it to clarity.
"Eric," Ariel asked, gently pulling on his sleeve. "Who's that maid in the crowd?"
"Where?" asked Eric.
"In the back. See, they just went past her. Is it just me, or does she look familiar?"
It took Eric a moment to find her. "Hmmm…you're right, there's something familiar about her."
The maid stepped out of the pillar's shadow, illuminating her face in full.
Eric paled. "That's…!"
Ariel could understand Eric's disbelief. She could not believe they had almost forgotten that face, but there was no mistaking it.
It was foggy the night before she appeared. Ariel had been a human for two days. She almost kissed Eric in the lagoon before their boat capsized. She came downstairs the next morning, elated at the news her prince was going to get married. Instead her joy turned to confusion and heartbreak when she saw him standing with a strange woman on his arm, announcing his intention to wed her that night with a dazed look in his eyes.
That was the first time Ariel saw her. The last time had been when she transformed, cackling as her legs became black tentacles.
Eric's clutched Ariel's hand tight. "It's Vanessa! But that means…!"
Ariel felt a terrifying chill course through her veins. "Ursula!"
"Are you absolutely sure?" said the captain of the palace guards as he marched his men to the party, stepping in synch as they marched for the open garden door.
"Oui, capitaine!" said Louis, keeping stride with the captain. He made quite a picture in his chef's outfit and a kitchen knife in each hand, jogging alongside professionally trained soldiers dressed for combat. "You zink I would joke about zis? Or zat ze two people in my kitchen just tied zemselves up and bashed zeir own heads?"
The captain cursed under his breath and broke into a run. "Men, double time! Louis, get down there and sound the alarm!"
"Eh!? Moi!?"
"Go!" barked the captain.
Louis took off fast as he could lest the captain yell at him again. He could hear the soldiers following as he ran across the lawn for the stairs, their swords clanking loudly. He raced down the steps, almost tripping in his haste.
He stopped on the stairs, looking out over the pavilion. He could see Melody dancing with Prince William on the vacated floor. They enraptured everyone, so it was no surprise they failed to notice the impossible maid staring at the teens with murder in her eyes. He remembered that face, just like he remembered she ruined the wedding cake he so hastily prepared when a seal tossed her onto it.
A cold chill ran through Louis as the maid started pushing through the crowd. "Princesse! Look out!"
The maid spun at the cry, noticing the chef on the stairs. He was staring straight at her. He knew. Somehow that stupid chef recognized her.
She growled angrily, exposing her unnatural teeth. Her cover had been blown, and so had her patience. She grabbed a nobleman by his neck and threw him back, sending him stumbling off the pavilion into the water.
"I say!" exclaimed the woman he was with. "What are you–!?"
The maid shoved the woman aside, pushing into the crowd and towards her target.
The violinist cursed under his breath as he saw the chef lock eyes with the maid. He was suddenly wishing they had done as his partner suggested and killed the girl, or at least hidden them somewhere else. He thought they would have more time before someone discovered their victims.
He looked back to his partner. She was already halfway through the crowd, but now people had taken notice. A pair of men tried to stop her, but she shoved both of them aside like they were nothing.
The violinist scowled. There was no point giving the signal anymore. He stopped his false playing and lay the violin in his lap, prying at the soundboard. It popped off with a crack, revealing the weapon hidden inside. This was something never seen in by the likes of man before. Not in this part of the world, at least. He doubted any of these peace-loving apes had ever considered such a thing. Which meant the humans would have no defense against it. If the maid did not finish the job, this certainly would.
"She can't be!" exclaimed Eric. "Ursula's dead!"
Ariel saw a malicious intent in the maid's eyes that would make a shark turn tail. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot as she grabbed a man and shoved him aside. She was moving through the crowd fast.
She was heading straight for Melody and William.
A sound of breaking wood from the orchestra caught Ariel's attention. She saw one of the violinists stand up and point something at Melody. It looked like a pair of metal tubes with a wooden handle. The man's finger was hooked around something underneath it.
Ariel had no idea what it was, but the fact he was pointing it at her daughter made her break into a run.
Melody and William were completely oblivious to what was happening. They did not hear Louis shouting or the clamor of the guard's as they ran down the stairs. They did not hear a startled guest being shoved roughly aside, or see the violinist rip his instrument apart. All they were aware of was their heartbeats, the smiles on their face as they looked into each other's eyes, and the feel of their hands on one another as they continued their dance.
The butterflies in Melody's stomach had stopped long ago. She was in her own safe, wonderful world with only herself and her prince. She knew she had strong feelings for William, but now there was not a shred of uncertainty that he loved her too. If William asked her to marry him right now, she would say yes before he even finished the question. She pretty much already told him so. He was the one for her. Her heart belonged to him, and she gave it gladly. This evening was like a fairy tale come to life. She felt so much joy she thought she would burst apart in a shower of starlight. Everything was perfect.
"Run."
Melody tripped over her own feet. That voice…it belonged to the demon! Her heart was racing again, this time from fear and confusion.
"Are you alright?" asked William, noticing the fumble in Melody's step.
"Yeah," Melody said. "Just a twinge in my knee."
"Run!"
Melody whipped her head around, trying to find the demon. It sounded like it was everywhere at once. Was it in her head? Or was she hearing things?
"You sure you're all right?" asked William with growing concern.
"Run!"
Melody broke from William. She was not hearing things. She knew what it was to hear things that were not there, same as everyone else. Just like everyone knew what it was to see things out the corner of their eye. This was too clear to be a hallucination. This was real.
"You were in my dream," whispered Melody.
"Mel, what are you talking about?" asked William.
"I said run!" urged the demon. "You and the boy!"
"Who are you?" Melody asked, looking wildly around the pavilion. "How are you doing this?"
William reached for her but stopped, noticing the violinist pointing something at Melody. "Hey, you! What are you–!?"
A resonant growl filled Melody's head, making her thoughts feel like they were being shaken. "Run! Now!"
"Who are you!?" demanded Melody.
"Run or die!"
"Melody!"
Melody turned around to see her mother sprinting towards her with hands outstretched. She looked incredibly frightened. "Mom, what–?"
"Look out!" William suddenly shouted. He charged at Melody and shoved her roughly aside. She fell and slid over the floor, bruising her hip and elbow. She pushed herself up, confused as to why William had–.
BANG!
It was a noise Melody would never forget as long as she lived. The sound was sharp and brief. It cut through the night like a sword, deathly quiet following in its wake. The music stopped. The soldiers stopped. The shouts of the people the maid was manhandling stopped.
Melody looked up to see one of the violinists pointing something at William. Smoke was drifting from the end of it, and she could smell the faintest whiff of black powder. The prince staggered back, his expression a mix of shock, pain and confusion. A dark stain spread from a hole in his jacket, staining his shirt red.
All at once everything went mad.
"Death to the Alliance!" shouted the violinist.
Screams filled the pavilion. The merfolk and sea creatures dived for the safety of the water. The human guests ran in every direction, desperate to escape. The palace guards were suddenly pushed back as a flood of people surged up the stairs. Panicked people swarmed around Eric, blocking him from reaching Ariel as she ran for Melody. Triton aimed the trident at the violinist, only to be bowled over by a hysterical duchess.
Melody saw none of it. All she saw was William as he sunk to his knees. He touched his fingers to the hole in his chest, dying the tips red with blood. He looked at her, his face plastered with confusion. "Melody? What…just…?"
His legs lost their strength and he toppled over, blood starting to spread over the floor.
"Will!" screamed Melody, scrambling through the people to him. She took his face in her hands, holding him tight. "Will! Will, hold on!"
"Melody…I can't…" He tried to lift a hand to her, but his arm suddenly lost its strength. "I can't feel…my…" His head lolled over, face turning pale as the life flowed out of him. His eyes started to flutter, lids becoming heavier as he lost the will to keep them open.
"No! Will, stay with me!" Melody pleaded, looking into his eyes as they started to fog over. She cupped his face, keeping it focused on her. "You have to stay with me! Grandfather, help! Somebody help!"
"Melo…dy," William whispered weakly, eyes slowly turning to her.
Melody took his hand in hers, holding it as tight as she could. If she held it tight enough Death would not be able to take him from her. As long as her grasp was firm enough, nothing could take him away. "I'm here, Will! I'm right here! You're gonna be okay! Grandfather will fix you! Just stay with me!"
William's breaths were becoming faster as he struggled to breathe. "I...love…"
Suddenly William hacked violently, coughing up blood. Melody could feel it fleck her face. She could smell it in the air. Then William's head fell to the side, letting his breath go as though exhaling his soul. He did not breathe in. His pupils dilated as his eyes became blank, their spark of life extinguished.
"Will? Will?" Melody shook him, urging him to breathe again. "Come on, Will! Speak to me! Say something! Will!"
His hand went slack in hers, falling limp to the floor with a terrible dull thud. He was dead.
Melody froze. The pavilion disappeared. The people disappeared. The maid rushing at her with outstretched arms disappeared even as Ariel ran into her, desperate to keep her away from Melody. She was only aware of William lying in her arms as his blood spread across his chest. Seconds ago they had been dancing, lost in their own little dream world, the security of their love for each other, and the hint of a future together. Now she watched the life literally flow out of him, turning the man she loved into a corpse.
She could not accept it. William could not be dead. He just could not. None of this could be real. She was dreaming again. Yes, that was it. She was having another nightmare. If she started screaming someone would come wake her up, and then everything would be all right.
She was about to scream when she heard her mother scream. The maid had her hands around her neck as she threw Ariel aside like a rag doll. Funny…Melody wanted to help her, but her body would not move.
The maid's dark eyes locked onto Melody. She charged and tackled her, sending them tumbling away from William's body. Melody's head hit the floor hard, flashes of painful color strobing across her eyes. Strong hands clamped around her neck. Melody choked and gagged, unable to breathe.
"Happy birthday, princess!" said the maid. She grinned madly, revealing a mouth filled with sharp triangular teeth.
Shark's teeth.
The maid's grip tightened around Melody's neck even harder. "Now die!"
A/N: A night of meetings and a night of goodbyes. A night of new life and a night of lost life. A night of impossibilities. As the traveler finds recognition from a creature it has never met, Melody finds death at the hands of a ghost. With that same ghost's hands around her neck, how will Melody escape?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," Disney, or any of its associated characters and intellectual property. Everything else, however, is mine =)
