(A/N: First things first, please go back and read chapters 1 and 2 before reading this chapter. I have updated and revised them to reflect a rather big change which will help the story develop better, thanks to the suggestion by D-Queen :)
I also apologize for any long moments between updates. I lack inspiration sometimes because TLM simply isn't the genre I want to write for anymore. I'd rather spend my time focusing on my original, darker pieces. That being said, I have three TLM fics that I've been excitedly developing for the past five years (see my bio for more details!) that I'm determined to finish and publish for you guys, so expect to see them in the near future.
Chapter 3
Dinner was over and Oliver had left for the night. Ariel thought he was almost as equally charming as Eric was. She was extremely grateful that he found her and brought her to Eric. Oliver was very pleasant to speak with (well, listen to), although all the humans she had encountered so far were pleasant. She had yet to understand why her father was so weary of them, so the small fear she had that they might turn out to be evil was washing away each step she took. These humans were as similar to merpeople as they could be, minus the physical features. They had intense feelings, emotions, and stories to tell. Ariel thoroughly enjoyed Oliver's stories about their childhood and first encounter with each other. It taught her a bit more about Eric and she was interested to learn more.
Dinner itself was interesting as well. She got to eat human food for the first time! However, she was disappointed to find out that crab was the main dish but not as disappointed and irritated as Sebastian was. He had somehow ended up on the plate! She glanced down at him in her lap. I was hoping you would stay out of trouble.
The sun was already well past sunset and Ariel could hardly make out the ocean when she looked out the window. Carlotta, the sweet housekeeper who had helped bathe and dress Ariel before dinner approached the table. "Well, I believe it's time we get you ready for bed. I'm sure you must be tired after a long day. Heavens know what you went through before Oliver found you."
Ariel simply nodded. If she could speak, she wouldn't have known what to say. She had let them believe she had washed up in a shipwreck, which was probably for the best. She assumed claiming to be a mermaid-turned-human was a big claim to make in the human world which would generate lots of disbelief. It was probably safer for her to conceal her identity until she could properly articulate her story.
"Actually, Carlotta," Eric chimed in, "I was hoping to show her around the castle, so she gets a feel of the place. I can make sure we end back at her room. If that's alright with you, miss," he sought her approval. He felt he needed to make up for how he reacted early upon realizing she was not the mystery maiden.
Ariel eagerly shook her head. Yes! She looked up at Carlotta, practically begging with her large eyes to let her explore the castle with Eric as if she was a child begging to stay up past their bedtime.
"Oh, alright," Carlotta agreed with a laugh. She turned towards Eric. "But I expect her back in her room in an hour. Got it? She'll need her rest if you want her to join you on a tour tomorrow."
"One hour. Will do," he agreed as they both rose from their seats. He then placed his arm out which Ariel accepted with a wide smile similar to when he first wrapped his arms around her to help her walk up the beach. The close contact made her stomach spin. "This way, miss," Eric led.
They exited through the same door she had entered with Carlotta.
"What do you want to see first?" Eric asked. "There's the grand ballroom, the library…"
They passed the kitchen, which door was left open revealing the room to be torn apart. Inside they could hear Carlotta scolding the chef as they both worked to clean up.
"...Definitely not the kitchen," Eric declared, quickly ushering her past the mess. "Chef Louis is...a character, but he's a very sweet man and, as I'm sure you tasted for yourself, an exceptional chef."
Ariel nodded in agreement when he looked over for her opinion. The sides she ate, though unfamiliar with what they were, tasted amazing. However, she had picked apart her crab to make it look like she at least touched it, then simply claimed she was full.
"Let's go this way," Eric suggested, guiding her down a large hallway and she eagerly followed in his footsteps.
Human castles were so different from her Atlantican palace. Everything was much more closed in. In Atlantica, the palace was open, and rooms flowed together. Eric's castle had many doors blocking off rooms, leaving their contents a mystery. Some ceilings were short while others were massively tall, amounting to what seemed like empty space to Ariel. Why make them so tall when humans couldn't swim up there? However, they made good use of windows wherever able, but this hallway, being in the middle of the castle, had none. To her surprise, she didn't feel trapped or claustrophobic. Eric's castle was brightly decorated with intricate details on the wall and trim. Furniture, flowers, pottery, and tall paintings and portraits also hung on the tall walls. This hallway had many, and Ariel was amazed by them all.
They passed one depicting some sort of large and majestic land animal. It had a white body and had a long white tail and mane as well. The creature stood in a prideful pose. Ariel pointed it out to Eric.
"That's Belle, my mother's favorite horse," Eric explained.
Horse. So that's what the animal was. The next painting was of a night's sky over the ocean. Ariel pointed that one out as well, happy to see her home represented on the walls of a human castle.
"That painting is by a famous Italian painter, The Giovanni. My mother was an art collector, which is why the halls are filled with paintings and sculptures. I was never really into art. Tying ropes and hoisting sails doesn't count much as one of the classical arts," Eric laughed, shrugging. "But I can play the flute. Music counts as something classical, I guess. Do you like art?"
Ariel shrugged. She never took a liking to art. Paintings were pretty to look at, but that was all she wanted to be involved in. She only wanted to enjoy, not create them.
"No? How about music?" Eric found himself asking.
To that, Ariel eagerly nodded her head. She could play a couple different instruments and sing!
Eric laughed at her enthusiasm. "I'm guessing you can play more than a few instruments?"
Ariel casually shrugged with a nod. Music was only kind of a big deal where she came from.
"...How about singing?" he asked, then instantly winced at his question, realizing how insensitive it was. The girl has no voice. How could he be so stupid?
To his surprise, she nodded. She looked Eric in the eyes, hoping maybe, just maybe, it would all click in his head.
He held her gaze. "I guess you must miss your voice."
She frowned. You have no idea.
"Maybe you'll get it back one day."
Kiss me and it'll come back right now.
But much to her dismay, Eric dropped his gaze and turned away from her. He proceeded to continue leading the tour. Ariel followed in his footsteps, waiting for him to say something, but a silence fell between the two and carried throughout the hall. Eric found himself lost in his thoughts of his mysterious savior for the first time since dinner began. It wasn't fair that this woman beside him was not the same. If only her voice would return and prove her to his savior.
He then realized he was being rude, completely ignoring the woman who was in the here and now. Grimsby was right. He really needed to get out of his fantasy land. Eric cleared his voice as some guards opened two massive doors to the ballroom.
"How about dancing? Can you dance?" He asked her.
She feverishly shook her head. No, silly. Mermaids can't dance...If only you knew that.
"Huh. You look like you would be a dancer," he observed. "I know how to dance, only because of many, many lessons forced on me, but that's about it. If we weren't so pressed on time I would teach you a few moves. Maybe some other time, that is, if you would like."
Ariel smiled. She would love to dance! Especially with Eric!
"Great! As soon as the opportunity arises, we'll be dancing," Eric smiled. "We might have time when we get back from the tour tomorrow. If not, I think my schedule lightens up later in the week."
The mermaid nodded along in agreement, trying to express the concern that arose within her. It wasn't nervousness for trying something new, but rather the fact that she knew "later on in the week" was not a certainty. It all depended on a certain kiss…
But her thoughts and worries of the future were washed away when she finally took in her surroundings with a silent gasp. The ballroom was huge! Perhaps even bigger than Atlantica's. Ariel assumed this was because of all the room humans needed to dance. She pictured hundreds of people filling the room, the human women dressed in some of the biggest dresses she had only seen in images thus far. Those dresses for sure had to be the reason human ballrooms had to be so big.
"We hold a few balls in here throughout the year. Not as many as when my parents were still alive, though. I guess I just can't find as many reasons to celebrate as they could. We pretty much just hold the annual balls that are traditions, such as one for the celebration of our kingdom, a springtime ball, and every few years they make me hold one for my birthday," Eric shrugged, obviously not liking the idea. "They mainly serve as a way for the elite to socialize and network…and for me to find a wife."
Ariel looked at him curiously. Tell me more about that! Was there already a woman from a ball who had captured his interest?
Unaware of her curiosity and disinterested in the topic himself, Eric didn't continue about the subject, instead describing, "I might prefer being out at sea, but honestly this castle knows how to host a good party. A few drinks and good friends and it's not completely insufferable."
Ariel smiled, but deep down was screaming, But tell me more about the wife searching! He did not and instead guided her up the grand staircase. She stared at them nervously. She couldn't decide which she disliked more, going up or down stairs. Going down ran the risk of falling but going up too many steps she found made her legs ache. Much to her pleasant surprise, Eric must have taken notice of her unsteady feet and placed a gentle hand on the small of her back for support, which she was very grateful for.
Once at the top, he held open another set of doors for her. Another long hallway awaited them. "Want to see one of my favorite views in the castle?" Eric asked.
Ariel nodded her head. Of course she did.
He smiled and led the way, making their way down the hallway until making a left down another. At the end of it was a wide set of doors, much shorter than the previous sets of doors they had passed through earlier. It was dark as they approached and Eric opened the right door, a rush of cool air brushed past him.
Ariel stepped through the door and out onto a balcony. The few lit lanterns surrounding the ledge provided enough light to cut through the darkness. Their warm glow made Ariel feel at peace, the most at peace she had felt since first arriving on land. She walked towards the edge, delicately placing her hands on the ledge as she took in the view. The balcony overlooked, not the ocean, but rather what she presumed to be Eric's kingdom. She looked down and saw the main gate to the castle, a grand spectacle in itself, but looking beyond she could see the village. Houses, shops, and other human buildings filled her view. Most were dim except for the few houses which had small squares of light speckling them, indicating the late hours of their inhabitant. The village was far from dark, however, as many streetlamps lit up the streets, the streets that she and Eric would be touring tomorrow.
Beyond the village were hills, adding more layers to the kingdom. The layout of Eric's kingdom was much different than that of Atlantica, as kingdoms under the sea rested on the ocean floor rather than climbing upwards. The hills were much darker, indicating that they were perhaps very forested areas or perhaps much less inhabited. What was out there? An adventure? It called to her.
"This competes with the view of the ocean, in my opinion. There's so much out there," Eric stated as he joined her on the balcony beside her, the door closing gently behind them, secluding them from the rest of the castle. "I've got to say, the ocean will always be more beautiful, majestic, and inviting, but this…this view just means something to me I guess."
Ariel looked at him with a puzzled look, inviting him to go on.
Eric stared out at the view. "I'm not sure if it's a good something, if you know what I mean. That's my future out there," he sighed. "I guess it's a good thing, to become king. Everyone says it is, but it's also dreadfully terrifying. The people are either going to love or hate you. Hell, they could even try to kill you, but I think I fear disappointing my people the most. They weren't exactly fond of my father. Some say I'm the hope for the kingdom while others have their doubts.
"When I look out at this view, I feel power. Not necessarily my future power, but the power that this society has over me. This is the position I was born into, and I have no escape. My people might be at the mercy of me, but I am also at the mercy of them. My life, my reputation is just…all out there, no matter where I go," he sighed. "And it's all so vast. That isn't even all that I own."
Eric then stopped himself, embarrassingly rubbing the back of his neck. Why was he rambling all this off to this random woman found on the beach? "I'm sorry. It's all a lot."
Ariel shrugged and gave a gentle smile, indicating that it was fine. She really didn't mind. She would feel the same way if she was in his position. She knew Attina did as well when faced with the idea of their father passing the throne to her.
"You're probably tired of listening to me talk," Eric commented. He nervously laughed as he cautiously said, "Bet you wish you had your voice back, huh?"
She nodded in agreement, but touched his arm, urging him to continue speaking. He didn't seem to realize that she wanted to hear as much about his life as possible. Please indulge me.
He took note of her gentle gesture and small smile. A warmth moved through his body as he felt comfortable enough to continue. He finally felt heard. "I guess it's odd of me to call this one of my favorite views from the castle when it's actually rather anxiety-inducing. But…I don't know. I'm just drawn out here sometimes. I can't explain it."
Eric stared out across his kingdom. It was a breathtaking sight, and it all waited for him. The quiet of the night surrounded the two. Eric had never shared these balcony thoughts with anyone before. Did he share them with this woman because she was mute and thus unable to repeat what he had just said to others? Was it because she had no choice but to listen to him? Or was it because there was something warm, peaceful, and inviting about her? He glanced at her and watched as she patiently stared out at his kingdom while he thought. Eric wondered what was going on in her head.
Though he could not read her mind, he knew the thoughts of many others in the kingdom because his council had been placing pressure on him in recent years. He needed to find a wife. Eric wanted more than just a queen. He wanted someone who wanted to be by his side and understand his fears. He hoped that whoever his future wife was she would be someone who could remedy these fears, perhaps make him feel as he did in this moment. Was this peace that he felt?
His thoughts returned to his mysterious savior. He had also felt peace, unlike anything he had ever felt before when she sang as she laid beside him. Eric remembered that she was the one he wanted to make his wife, so he could feel that peace for the rest of his life.
Eric remembered who was standing beside him and cleared his throat, trying to rein his thoughts back under control. "Well, we should probably get you to your room. Carlotta is going to be very upset with me if I don't get you there on time. She's always been a stickler about bedtimes."
He held the door open again for the woman and she stepped back within the castle, almost seeming sad that her night had come to an end. Eric would return her to Carlotta who would once again take care of her. Then, Eric could return to being alone. He would use this time to clear his head. He needed a clear head so tomorrow he could give his attention to the lady currently before him.
Day one was over for Ariel. There has been no kiss yet, but that was to be expected. She was foolish earlier to think that they would kiss so quickly. They needed to take things slow. Ariel still believed this was still a successful day.
She got to talk to Eric (well it was one-sided, but good enough). Oh, how she could not wait for her voice to return so they could share deep conversations and she could tell him everything on her mind and ask him so many questions!
He was so sweet and kind during their dinner, all of the gentlemen at the table were. She was slightly disappointed when Oliver departed. Ariel realized she oddly wanted to spend more time with him as well. He had been the first human to show her compassion and care for her. She still could remember the feel and smell of his jacket around her shoulders.
But she needed to stay focused on what she came here for. Eric.
Her disappointment had gone away when Eric offered to take her on a tour of his castle, promising to Carlotta it would be brief. It was not brief. After they had left the balcony with the view of his kingdom there was a silence from Eric Ariel didn't understand. He seemed to be sad. However, when she pointed out a statue on their way to her room, questioning what it was, Eric explained it to her. Explaining it seemed to snap him out of whatever he was thinking. He then proceeded to take her on what seemed like the longest route to her room. Ariel was pretty sure that they had passed it at one point.
Carlotta, who Ariel also took an immense liking to, was waiting for them impatiently when they arrived back to her room. She scolded Eric for taking too long, but it was almost as if she didn't mind and was simply trying to keep up a motherly act. Ariel could have sworn she saw the housekeeper wink at her at one point.
Eric then told her goodnight and that he was excited for the tour. Ariel felt her stomach do little flips. She was excited too!
She watched Eric from her bedroom balcony as he played with his dog, Max, outside. Ariel recounted her goal for her second day as a human: wait for the most romantic moment of the tour and receive a kiss. She believed this was achievable. It sounded more reasonable than a kiss on the first day, and she would have a day to spare! If everything went as planned, then hopefully Ariel would return to the castle with her voice. She could even use her voice to thank Oliver for bringing her to Eric!
Ariel was snapped out of her thoughts when she realized Eric was looking up at her and waving. She bashfully waved back, slightly embarrassed that he had caught her dreamily staring. Ariel retracted back into her room.
Brushing her hair with the dinglehopper she had gotten earlier at dinner, she ignored whatever nonsense Sebastian was going on about, only acknowledging him when she patted him on the head. Ariel didn't need his advice. She knew what to do.
