Hello, my cherished readers! I hope you are all safe, happy, and healthy as spring is right around the corner. I have been working on chapter fourteen for a while now, and I think it is perfect now. I will admit, I had a bit of writer's block during the creation of this chapter, but I am out of it now, and the creative energy is flowing once again. I took time to throw in some of my favorite things into this chapter as well (such as my favorite Broadway play, and one of my favorite movies). I also recommend listening to the songs that are featured in this chapter. I put them in because 1.) They are great songs and 2.) they fit the emotional energy I want to convey in the scenes. I also threw in two easter eggs but I am not going to tell you, I will see if anyone can pick them up.

As always, I do not own these characters, but I do own my creative license with them. Break out the tissues, and buckle up for this emotional roller coaster, I am sorry in advance but I was also in my feels as I wrote this one.

Chapter 14: Strange As A Dream...Real As The Sea

While it was just barely after nine at night, Ariel's sisters had gone to bed early, as they were leaving in the morning and spent the hours after dinner packing. The palace was quiet and Ariel and Eric were found sitting on the balcony of their bedroom suite. The moon sat lower in the sky than it had in the nights previous, casting a pale light over the entire balcony, somehow calming the entire night. Eric brought the remainder of the cider from their evening with Jodi and Chris, along with some cheese and crackers, so they would have something to snack on, this was going to be a long conversation after all.

"Alright mister, time to talk," she said as she turned toward him on the couch sitting, crisscrossed, and patting his forearm. In response, he threw his left arm over the back of the couch and leaned into her subconsciously bringing her closer to him. "Okay" he began, "Well you know that our kingdom is prospering economically, and educationally, and it remains the safest kingdom overall in the realm," he said with a mild tone, and she nodded. "The council shared with me that there is a potential threat on the horizon that could ruin the current state of the kingdom." This got Ariel's attention, her brows raised in concern and encouraging him to go on.

Eric took a breath before continuing "Obviously, I don't want to jeopardize anyone or anything in our kingdom, but there is talk about us supporting the Marzoratians while they fend off the attempted advances." "Okay, that doesn't seem unreasonable, we have done that with neighboring kingdoms in Atlantica. One time, when I was maybe six or seven, I recall my parents meeting with the rulers to provide things like chariots and first aid. I remember the queen brought me a sea turtle plushie, which sat on my shelf until I met you, then I gave it to Arista as a parting gift" Ariel said with a giggle, causing Eric to smile at her and pour her a glass of cider, offering it to her. She took it willingly, and sipped from her glass, and popped a cracker in her mouth savoring the salty and buttery taste. Eric became painfully aware of the silence between them, so he made his way over to the Bluetooth speaker, turned it on, and put on their Spotify playlist, playfully titled Whozits and Whatzits as it was a true amalgamation of their tastes. He could feel his shoulders relax when the beginning beats of Trust Me by the Backstreet Boys played in his ears, he then adjusted the volume as to not disrupt their conversation. Ariel then turned back to him and asked her next question.

"So what is the plan? The Marzoratians are not the most savvy of our neighbors when it comes to sea-faring experiences." This made him look at her and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't know how to begin, but he looked at her and saw the patience and understanding in her eyes which caused part of him to calm down. "Well, they want our guidance for anything related to the ocean, because we know these waters better than everyone," she chuckled as he said this because it was true. "So I assume you will designate Captain Daniels to manage that right?" Ariel asked, knowing that he was one of the best captains in their kingdom's military and had been serving since Eric was born. Eric paused.

"Not exactly, I mean Daniels will be part of it," he took a breath and continued; "they sort of want me on the ship with them," he said in one breath, his eyes meeting hers after a moment. She looked at him and did not know what to say, if she was still holding her glass of cider she would have dropped it. "Darling, please say something," he said to her trying to bring her back to the present moment. After a small stretch of silence, she spoke. "...You can't…" she said just barely a whisper, Eric leaned into her trying to hear her. "I'm sorry Darling, I couldn't hear you," this caused her to raise her voice "I said you can't go, Eric! You can't just leave me!" her eyes brimming with tears as she spoke. Knowing this was a possibility, Eric remembered Chris' words from earlier and then spoke again. "Ariel, I know this is not an ideal situation, and I don't want to go, but…" she cut him off. "Then don't! Eric you are the king now, no one can control what you do. There has to be another way" With that the dam burst and she began sobbing into her hands. In one move, he got off the couch and wrapped her in his arms as she cried, his own tears silently falling down his cheeks. The moments ticked by as they let their emotions out; anger for the situation, sadness at the reality, and the everpresent love that they have for one another.

When he felt her breathing even out, he spoke softly, still holding her in his arms. "Grims and the rest of the council say that it is unavoidable. That's why I was so quiet this afternoon, I was so angry at them and the whole situation, but most of all I am angry at the fact that I have to leave you." She felt his breathing become shallow, and his muscles tense under her. "I asked for any and every option I had, and this was the only way. It infuriates me, you have no idea." She looked at him and cupped his face, making him look at her. "Look at me my love, please" he took a deep breath and then met her gaze. "I don't like this situation either, but one of the many things I love about you is your perseverance and how you will do everything you can to protect those you love." His heart melted at her words, all of his bodily tension softening a bit. "Always, my darling you know that" he replied, moving a tendril of hair out of her face before continuing. "I promise you I will do everything to return to you safe and sound, my love and I will write to you every day that I am away. Please know my first and only priority is to get home to you as soon as possible. We are meant to be together forever, and I won't let anything take me away from you" he leaned down and kissed her forehead, and nuzzled into her hair. She had no words in that moment and leaned into him as they watched the waves crash on the shore, and more stars speckle the sky. In the background, they heard the tones of Adele's When We Were Young play over the speaker. Ariel recalled this song playing on their first anniversary, bringing a small smile to her face. She and Eric went to see West Side Story at the local theatre, then a romantic dinner at Noma. It was the first time she had seen a musical, and she loved every minute of it, from the music to the costumes. But what resonated with her was the romance between Tony and Maria, and how in just a short time, they knew they were each other's missing piece. She saw much of the same in her relationship with Eric. She stood up and held her hand out to him, "dance with me, darling." He automatically reached for her hand, and joined her on the terrace, beginning to slowly sway to the music. "Do you remember the first time we heard this song?" she asked. "Of course," he started, "It was our first anniversary and I remember you looked so beautiful in your purple dress at Noma." She looked up at him amazed, as he recalled every detail perfectly." She nodded, still dancing slowly in his arms, "we have been through so much since then, and we got married" she said causing a smile to land on both of their faces. "I'm just worried Eric, that something bad is going to happen to you while you're helping them on that ship. I couldn't bear to lose you" his grip on her tightened as he looked into her eyes. He decided to quote one of her favorite movies The Princess Bride, "hear this now, I will always come for you," causing her to smile at him. For the first time all night, she let out a deep, cleansing breath, relaxing into him. "How long do we have until you have to leave?" she asked. "One month," he said plainly. The song concluded, and they both stopped swaying and began walking into the palace toward their bedroom, their hands never separating. They needed sleep after this discussion, and tomorrow was a new day.

As they were getting ready for bed, there was a knock on their bedroom door, and Ariel went to open the door. She found a note taped to the door with Eric's name on it. "Baby, it's for you," she said as Eric was coming out of the bathroom from brushing his teeth. He took it from her and kissed her quickly, "thank you, my love." He opened it, and it read it.

Siren's Cove, 11:30 AM, Tomorrow. -C.

He took it and placed it on the nightstand, he had an idea of who sent it, but he was too tired to think about it right now. That's when I usually take Max for his walk on the beach anyway he thought. He then got in bed and fell asleep with Ariel in his arms, silently vowing that come what may, he would always protect her.

Hope you enjoyed this one, who left the note? What do you think will happen next?
My long-standing readers know I love the occasional cliffhanger! (Leave a review with your guesses and your thoughts)

Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Happy Reading.
XOXO
~DisneySoul4996