Attina had a year-and-a-half-old who she could not stop from putting his hand into his mouth for fear he'd scream bloody murder, on her hip, and yet somehow that was not the most stressful part of her day.
No, in fact, the most stressful part of her day was, in fact, the exact moment when her father told her it was her job to relate Sebastian's news to her sisters.
And what news it was.
"Dad, they're going to kill me," Attina deadpanned, serious, adjusting the wiggling toddler. "Even if I tell them while holding Theron."
"Attina, your sisters are grown mermaids, I'm sure they will be understanding."
"Last week, Alana swore Aquata purposely knocked over her favorite moisturizer. They didn't speak for half a day," Attina raised her brows pointedly at her father, the green eyes she had inherited from him serious, and worried. The toddler she held wiggled more; she sighed, tired and irritated. "Theron, enough."
"I'll take him," King Triton offered, and the relief in his daughter's eyes spoke volumes. He smiled, reaching to take his second-youngest grandchild from his eldest daughter.
King Triton was reminded, for a moment, that not too long ago he too used to be the exhausted parent. Now his daughters were grown, and he enjoyed his position as a grandfather to many. The palace was alight with laughter, music, and the occasional indoor spongeball game that, predictably, got out of hand. Atlantica flourished, its citizens, sea-folk and merpeople alike were happy, and sitting in his throne, it should have been another predictable day for King Triton.
Until of course, Sebastian, who was standing on the armrest of the throne, delivered Ariel's news.
"Thanks, Dad," Attina said, the relief even more evident in her tone, far too quickly handing off the toddler to her father. The little boy, with wisps of auburn hair on his forehead stared at the king, puzzled, but not enough to throw a fit. He settled himself against his grandfather, reaching out his free hand to bat at the King's beard, delighting himself.
"He's getting big," Sebastian pointed out, watching as the boy entertained himself on the king's lap, but staying far away from his hands. He still was not over Alana's middle child once using him as a rattle.
"He is big," Attina corrected, pushing back her hair over her ear out of habit, even though realistically she knew it would never come out of its up-do. "Marin swears he's only feeding him baby food, but I think he gives Theron sweets on the side."
"He does have access to a candy store," King Triton replied, laughing, the sound booming in the throne room. "Ah, but he is shaping up to be a fine young merboy."
"He is, isn't he?" Despite herself, Attina cracked an affectionate smile. She loved all her children, but her youngest, with his father's face, held a special place in her heart. "I couldn't imagine not having him around."
Her words turned the lighthearted mood back to a somber, serious one. It was King Triton who cleared his throat, asking of the crab, "How is she…the girl…Harmony?"
"Ariel says she's fragile, your majesty," the crab repeated what was told to him.
Attina's brows shot up. "Fragile? Ariel's daughter?"
Sebastian nodded. "Dat's what I said! But Ariel said had another life in…Earth. A normal life, dat's what Ariel called it."
The implication behind "normal" was clear. The girl had lived a life outside of a palace and all its trappings. She hadn't been a princess.
Still, it was enough for King Triton to sit back in his throne, frowning, one hand resting behind his grandson's back to support the infant. "Ariel and Eric are sure about this? Going through the Divide…it's never been done, not since the passageways were sealed, hundreds of years ago."
"All historical documentation was destroyed as well," Attina said, recalling the information slowly, as it had been years since she had pursued the topic for personal, historical research. "There are no firsthand accounts of the Divide, or those who went through. There's not even an exact date as to when the passageways closed. I always thought it was more of an urban legend, than anything."
"Dey are sure," Sebastian stated, looking at both the princess and king, seriously. "Ariel said de girl didn't even know about de Divide."
"She didn't know?" King Triton questioned, now stroking his bread with his free hand, distressed at this development. "How did she even get through, then?"
"I don't think anyone understands what happened," Sebastian answered, frowning, thinking through what Ariel had told him. The story had so many twists and turns, but the main point was that it seemed no one, including the girl, could pinpoint what exactly had occurred. "Only dat it did, your majesty."
King Triton sighed, weighing the words. It should have been a time for joy, excitement. The infant had disappeared without a trace years ago, and many, even him, had come to the conclusion that she was gone. It was a heartbreaking setback for his youngest daughter's burgeoning family, made even worse months later when Morgana threatened the life of his then only remaining grandchild. It was no coincidence that Ariel's reaction to the attack was to put up a wall; she had already lost one child, she would not lose another.
Yet, instead of feeling relief at the great news, Triton felt…uneasy. And he wasn't the only one.
"Dad," Attina started, her eyes briefly dropping to her young son, before holding her father's gaze again. "You don't think this has anything to do with those…witches, do you?"
Triton considered her words for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. Your sister, after all she's faced, would have a keen eye for that type of evil lurking about."
"She might be so overwhelmed, she's not thinking straight," Attina answered, floating alongside her father's throne, crossing her arms doubtfully over her chest. "There's a high probability that whoever Ariel thinks this girl is, she's lying."
"I asked her dat, but she said de girl had proof," Sebastian offered. "And she said de girl keeps asking to go home."
"Home?" King Triton repeated, making sure he heard correctly. "Home as in…Earth? She doesn't want to stay?"
"No," Sebastian answered. "De girl wants to go back to her normal life. Ariel says she didn't know she was missing."
"If she didn't know she was missing, then why did she end up in Elsemaine?" Attina wondered aloud, reservation sewn into her voice. "Something about this isn't adding up."
"I'm inclined to agree, Attina, if only that there appears to be gaps in the story," King Triton reasoned, still uneasy, hesitating. "But your sister has had to deal with her fair share of nefarious magic. I'm certain that whatever's happened, Ariel's not accepting this girl as Harmony lightly."
"I'm not convinced," Attina answered, her stubborn streak appearing. It wasn't as strong as Ariel's, but it was equally as fierce. "And I don't think any good can come from us not meeting the girl. If anything, it would be an opportunity to ask more questions."
"I have a feeling that's exactly what Ariel is trying to avoid," Triton responded, inclining his head thoughtfully. "If the girl is fragile, she may be trying to give her time to comprehend her new normal."
"Did she at least give a timeline on when Harmony will be ready?" Attina asked, directing her question for Sebastian, who shook his head. She sighed, irritated. "Of course, she didn't. The girls are going to be thrilled."
"Perhaps it would be best to inform them when—"
"Mo-o-o-m!" A voice cut through the throne room, and racing forward was a blur of a light-purple fin and dirty blonde hair. She stopped halfway, as though taking stock of who was in the room, and brightened. "Grandpa!"
"Coral," Triton greeted, warmly, switching his focus from the heaviness of the topic at hand. The girl swam up to him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "How was tide school, dear?"
"Boring," the girl answered, releasing her grandfather from the hug, and planting a quick kiss on her youngest brother's cheek. "Hi, Theron. Hey, Sebastian."
"Aren't you supposed to be with your father, at the store?" Attina wondered, eyeing the teen suspiciously. She noticed the amount of scrolls the girl was carrying with a sense of mild alarm. "Is that all homework?"
"I asked for extra homework, for practice," Coral answered, determining that she wasn't lying, instead merely not informing her mother of the entire truth. There was a big difference. She swam up to her mother, explaining, "Dad said to ask you if it's okay that I go study with a friend?"
Every alarm went off in Attina's mind. She reached out, feeling for the girl's face, pressing the back of her hand to it. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine, Mom," the girl declared, swimming away from her mother's touch, a whine in her voice.
"Usually I have to force you to do homework, and now you're asking for more?" Attina clarified, narrowing her eyes, suspicious. Her hands went to her hips, not buying the girl's story. "Something is going on."
"Nothing is going on," Coral assured, looking at the three adults who were scrutinizing her. "What? I'm actually going to study."
"What friend?" Attina inquired, still not believing her daughter. "What's their name?"
"Marcie," Coral answered, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. "She just moved."
"Where does she live?"
"Not too far away," Coral answered, vaguely, skirting around the question. "She hasn't been here long. Can I go now?"
Attina regarded the girl, debating internally. Her motherly sense told her the girl wasn't telling the truth, but she had no reason to think so. Nothing Coral was saying was too far a stretch, and the girl didn't look like she was lying. Still… "I want you home by dinner, with all your homework done, and all the extra work."
If Coral had been lying, Attina reasoned, she would have looked faint at the prospect. But instead, the girl shrugged, and her face broke into a smile. "Cool! Thanks, Mom!"
Without warning, the girl raced off, leaving her mother to flinch at the bubbles left in her wake. Attina stared after the teen, still not thoroughly convinced, feeling torn that she had let her go.
"'Cool?'" She reiterated, to herself, unfamiliar with the term. Coral had been picking up on the teen slang lately, but this word was new. "I thought she was stuck on 'tidal'."
"Dat girl is up to something," Sebastian said, suspicious. "She's got too much of Ariel in 'er."
"She's definitely the wild seahorse in the stable," Attina answered, still looking after the path her daughter had taken out of the throne room. "What do you think, Dad?"
"I'm not sure," King Triton answered, musing. Coral did have the same energy as Ariel, always on the move, never able to sit still. It was an endearing quality, however much it got her into trouble. "But I'm interested to see if she completes all her schoolwork."
"That would be a first," Attina muttered, to herself, green eyes turning back to her father. "I'll take Theron. I'm going to need him to keep the shouting down when I tell the girls."
"And then, you move the one and—you get the answer!" Coral declared, finishing her problem with a flourish.
Marcie looked over at her work, and then focused on her own, biting her lip as she repeated the same steps. She held up the scroll for the other girl, asking, "Like this?"
"Yup! You've got it!" Coral declared, proud of her friend, and of herself for teaching such a complex analysis. "It's really not so hard once you understand it."
"Uh-huh," Marcie intoned, having already moved onto the next problem. Both girls were spread out on their stomachs, but while Marcie was laying on the sand, Coral had sprawled out in the surf. "I never thought I'd say I miss homework, but…I've missed homework."
Coral twisted her lips, thoughtful over the problem before her. "Have you heard anything about moving back, yet?"
"Not yet," Marcie sighed. "It's been fifteen days."
"You're keeping track?" Coral asked, looking up from her homework, surprised.
"I wanna go home," Marcie shrugged, twisting her lips as she completed another problem. "Once I'm home, things will be better."
"Well…" Coral drawled out, twirling her squid pen in her hand, "What do your parents say?"
"They say it's complicated," Marcie returned, pushing her glasses up her nose as she looked up. "I dunno. Things have been…kinda weird, lately."
Coral frowned. "Weird how?"
"It's like, they're trying extra hard to be nice," Marcie responded, tucking away short red locks behind her ear. "Like if they're afraid I'm gonna lock the door on them again."
Her relationship with Ariel and Eric was…tense. They had returned from the festival to find her in the hayloft of the stables, a book of the kingdom's mythology held between her hands. Since then, not much had progressed. The teen's appearance at meals was still spotty, and she still asked if they had figured out how to get her back home yet. The only real change was the teen's unwillingness to interact with Melody—which both perplexed and hurt the dark haired girl.
"How long did you lock them out last time?" Coral asked, curiously.
"Only two days," Marcie said easily, despite Coral's gasp.
"Two days!" The girl repeated, shocked. "How did you eat? Mom says I can lock the door to my room, but if I want to eat, I've got to come to the table."
"Didn't eat," Marcie answered, now dropping her eyes, focusing back on the scroll before her. She recalled the people who had knocked on her door, who said they'd been instructed to send her a tray of food, and the ones she had refused to respond to. "Too risky. I wasn't gonna open the door, give anyone an opportunity."
"But weren't you hungry?" Coral pressed, confusion now in her tone. "I barely even last when I skip a meal!"
"'S not so bad," Marcie intoned, nonchalant about the entire situation. "I'm used to it."
"What do you mean?" Coral followed up, her blonde brows scrunching together. "How can you get used to not eating?"
Marcie bit her lip, torn. She had clammed up when Ariel had asked her a similar question. There was good reason too; it was always better to blend in than it was to stand out. Yet, Coral was her friend, not some adult who thought they knew what was best for her. Besides, it wasn't likely that Coral, who was a mermaid, in another world, would blab to anyone who could affect Marcie's carefully cultivated image in Earth.
"Where I'm from…sometimes, money is…my brother, Adam, and me, we pitch in when we can, but…I mean, there's an awful lot of bills..." Marcie struggled to find the right words, unable to complete her thoughts. "Most of the time, things are okay, and we get by."
"What…happens when things aren't okay?" Coral proposed, hesitantly. She was having trouble following Marcie's line of reasoning.
Marcie pressed her lips together, closing her eyes tightly, before reopening and looking up. Her gaze was determined and fiercely independent. "We survive."
"Caity said that Matt said you were in here," Marcie looked over to the sound of the voice, clearly annoyed as a blast of cold air hit her. The barn creaked from the sound of wind outside, but stood steady against the test of weather.
"I wanna be alone," she responded, stubbornly, watching as Adam jimmied the old door behind him, forcing it closed.
Adam ignored her statement, instead pulling off his wet hat, and stating, "Can you believe it's snowing before Thanksgiving? That never happens."
"Get out," Marcie ordered, pointing back to the door.
"Make me," Adam replied, plopping down on one of the mismatched couch cushions. He stuffed his hat into his coat pocket, rubbing his hands together to keep them warm. "It's freaking freezing in here."
"Leave me alone!" Marcie demanded, her raw voice raising, knees pulled up to her chest. She sank further into the loveseat, frustrated, fresh tears brimming behind her glasses. "I don't want anyone in here!"
"Sucks," Adam answered, shrugging, easily swinging his legs onto the couch, mostly to bother his sister. "This thing isn't comfortable. You guys should get a new one."
"Your sneakers are full of snow," Marcie huffed, wiping at her eyes. "You're wetting the couch."
"I'd take 'em off, but my socks are soaked, and I don't wanna have to cut off my toes," Adam responded, shrugging, hands going behind his head to observe the patches in the ceiling. The wood was doing a good job so far; the barn was still dry.
Marcie said nothing. She looked down at her snow boots, a sense of guilt washing over her. She'd lucked out this winter; they still fit, although she worried with the way she was growing it wouldn't last the whole season. Her eyes wandered over to the box shoved haphazardly into a corner, filled to the brim.
Adam looked over when she was quiet, and realized what she was looking at. Nonchalantly, he said, "You know Riley Macintyre? The senior? Has a sister in your grade? He got my number from someone, said you called his sister a couple names."
Marcie's head whipped to her brother, outraged. "Sydney Macintyre said the class should give the canned food drive box to me, because I didn't donate anything, so I must need it. Mrs. Jensen told her to pipe down, but then when the bell rang, she called me up to her desk and gave it to me anyway. Everyone saw. So afterschool I called Sydney a rotten witch."
"That's all you called her?" Adam made a face, clearly not impressed.
"Threw in a few cuss words too," Marcie returned, cheeks bright with embarrassment and anger. "She had no right. So what if I didn't donate a dumb can? Everyone knows the lima beans are hers, and no one eats lima beans!"
"Yeah, handing you up like that? She's rotten, alright," Adam responded, swinging his legs off the couch, and standing up. At sixteen he was tall, but despite football practice, was leaner than most his age.
"I never wanna go to school again!" Marcie declared, watching as her brother strode across the barn to the box of cans. "I'm glad we're on break for the next few days, that way I don't have to see anyone, especially Syd."
"Huh," was the only response she got, as Adam started to rifle through the cans.
"And I think I'm gonna throw all those cans away," Marcie declared again, causing her brother's head to snap up, as though startled by her words. "I don't wanna see them again, either."
"No, you're not," Adam said, his gray eyes unaccustomedly serious. "There's some decent stuff in here. We're keeping all of these."
Marcie's stomach growled, but she held firm, eyes unyielding against her brother's. "But you always say we don't ask for help!"
"Yeah, but this is different," Adam argued. "This is food. And cut your whining, it's not like you asked for it."
"But Sydney embarrassed me! In front of the whole grade!" Marcie cried out, clearly smarting over the ordeal. Her cheeks still had dry tear stains from crying earlier. "I can't eat any of that!"
"Food is food," Adam answered, not backing down. His mind was made up, and Marcie could see he would not relent to her demands. "You can't throw it away. It'll last us, least till the old man gets out of his mood."
"Oh," Coral replied, a pit forming in her stomach. She wasn't quite sure why, but something about all this made her…feel sad. She'd had the privilege of never wondering when or where her next meal was coming from, and was realizing that her friend didn't. "Do you get to eat more often now that you've moved?"
"Yeah, but…" Marcie swallowed, her fierceness giving way to guilt. She had about as much as anyone could ever want here, and yet…
Coral took a guess, based on what she knew. "It's still not home?"
"Nope."
The girls were quiet for a moment, each processing. Finally, it was Coral who broke the silence, asking, "Do you like candy?"
Marcie was taken aback at the odd question. Still, she nodded slowly in affirmation. "Um…yeah, why?"
"Sour or sweet?"
"Sour," Marcie answered, adding, just like she had for Melody, "The sour-er, the better."
"That's my favorite too!" Coral said brightly, smiling in excitement. "My grandparents have a candy store. Well, it's really my Dad who runs it now. I'll bring you some candy, to keep, in case you ever lock your door and get hungry."
Marcie blinked. The offer was unexpected, and if anything, a little mystifying. "Can I even eat the food you eat?"
Coral blanched, her eyes lighting up with puzzlement at the request. "Sure, why not?"
"I'm human, you're a mermaid?" Marcie offered, watching as Coral smacked a hand against her forehead, tail instinctively curling upwards over the surf.
"Oh, right!" Coral answered, making a face at herself, shaking her locks out. "I keep forgetting about that."
Disclaimer: King Triton, Attina, Melody, Alana, Aquata, Sebastian and the setting for this story are from The Little Mermaid, which is the property of Disney. I own nothing; everything represented from the film(s)/tv series, etc. is/are the property of Disney. Other characters are from my own imagination and not associated with Disney.