Chapter 5

The soft sound of the ocean brushing up against the shore carried throughout the room followed by the sounds of seagulls squawking between the crashing of the waves. The tall dining room windows offered a magnificent view of her former home, but the former mermaid was focused more on the long dining table and a special someone who stood by the head of the table.

"Good morning, Ariel," Eric greeted with a smile as she approached the table.

"Good morning!" she offered back. He offered her a seat next to his and adjusted the seat for her. She responded with a grateful "thank you" as she smoothed out the blue skirt of her dress. The pink tulips Eric had bought her were sitting in a vase in the middle of the table. Directly in front of her was a box. She recognized it from the Sweet Shack.

"Go ahead. Open it," Eric urged.

Ariel obeyed. Inside was a whole assortment of chocolates. She recognized all of them from the shop. They were all ones she didn't get to try. She smiled up at him.

"I wanted to give you the opportunity to try all the chocolates there are. We just won't tell Carlotta we're having sweets for breakfast," he winked.

"Thank you, Eric! This is so thoughtful!".

"I figured you would enjoy them. Go ahead and try one," he offered. "Oh, and I hope you slept well after our long day," he commented as he took his seat.

Ariel eagerly nodded, "I did! My bed is so comfy and warm!"

"A warm bed is the best after getting soaking wet, isn't it?'

Ariel paused mid reach for one of the candies. A cold feeling rushed throughout her body. It was a chill that went up her spine. And it was wet. Her hand dropped from the reach as she looked down at her blue dress. It was soaking wet. The dining room also grew chilly. She looked out the window as the sun disappeared and it grew dark outside. The second she turned a wave crashed through the window and overtook the room with cold water.

Ariel awoke from her dream with a silent gasp for air. It was a familiar feeling to when she first turned human and had to be rushed to the surface lest she drown. She sat up in her bed breathing heavily. She glanced around, realizing she was dry and still in her warm bed, Eric was nowhere to be seen.

"Child, are you okay?" Sebastian asked from the pillow where he was waiting for her to wake.

Her mouth attempted to respond but she was reminded that she had no voice, unlike in her dream. It had all been a dream reminding her of her eventful day prior. She had spent a wonderful day with Eric exploring the human world. It had nearly concluded with a kiss during a romantic boat ride in the lagoon, but somehow the boat had tipped over and launched the couple into cold water. Still, they had collected themselves and made it back to the castle where Eric had bid Ariel a goodnight and she went to bed hopeful that her third and final day would get her the kiss. She was so close.

Before Sebastian could ask her any more questions, they were interrupted by a loud crash on the window. It was Scuttle who had missed the opened balcony door. He collected himself and then flew into the room using the correct entrance.

"Good, kid, you're awake. I just heard the news! Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!" he exclaimed.

"What is this idiot babbling about?" Sebastian questioned.

Scuttle scoffed, "Right. As if you two didn't know, uh? The whole town's buzzin' about the prince gettin' himself hitched this afternoon!" Everyone stared back at him with blank stares so he continued. "You know, he's getting married! You silly sidewalkers! As if you didn't know already."

A smile quickly spread across Ariel's face as it lit up. She did it! Eric was going to ask for her hand in marriage!

She jumped out of the bed and ran over the mirror to fix her hair before running out into the hall. She followed some voices down the main staircase. However, she wasn't even halfway down the staircase when she spotted Grimsby and Eric with a woman clinging tightly to his arm. Ariel pulled back, hiding behind a pillar to listen in.

"Well…uh…Eric, it appears that I was mistaken. This mystery maiden of yours does in fact exist. And…and she is lovely. Congratulations, my dear," Grimsby offered to the brunette.

Eric responded, "We wish to be married as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes…of course, Eric, but these things do take time you know…"

"This afternoon, Grimsby," Eric ordered. "The wedding ship departs at sunset."

Grimsby seemed stunned. "Oh…very well, Eric. As you wish."

Tears built up in Ariel's eyes. She shook her head in disbelief, trying to get air into her lungs which seemed to reject the air the same way they rejected water. This couldn't be happening. Eric was supposed to kiss Ariel today. She was the one who rescued him! They had a fantastic day yesterday! Who was this other woman?

She retreated back to her room, no longer able to hold in her tears. She closed the door behind her and slid down to the floor, leaning her back against the door. She curled her knees up to her chin, burying her face and tears.

"My child, what's wrong?" Sebastian asked, quickly making his way down from the bed and over to Ariel.

She shook her head. It was confusing and she couldn't even speak to attempt an explanation.

"Aren't you getting married?"

Ariel looked at the crab and shook her head once again.

"But I saw all the flyers around the kingdom when I was making my morning rounds," Scuttled said. "They stated a royal wedding of the most extravagant degree!–or however they phrased it. Figured our little mermaid here deserved the best!"

"Well, it appears you were mistaken," Sebastian scoffed, crossing his arms. "Got the poor child's hopes up."

Scuttle shook his head, pointing at his eyes. "I saw them with my own eyeballs! Unless this kingdom has more than one Prince Eric–and I find that hard to believe."

Ariel shook her head and pointed at herself.

"...He's not marrying you?" Sebastian guessed. "Is he marrying someone else?"

Ariel nodded in response before returning to sobbing. She buried her head back in her knees. Her friends looked at each other.

"H-how? Things were going so well. He almost kissed you yesterday!" Sebastian pondered and then looked over at Scuttle who was just standing there, preoccupied by something else. "Well don't just stand there twiddling your bird feathers!" the crab exclaimed. "We gotta do something! Young lady, I'm going to go tell your father!"

Ariel's head shot up and she feverishly shook her head. She couldn't bear to have him involved.

"Don't you go shakin your head at me, young lady. This whole situation has been a disaster! It's time we follow a logical path and get you outta this mess. I'm going to bring the Sea King here. We'll be back shortly. Meet us by the shore, ya here?"

And with that declaration the crab began marching his way to the balcony. "C'mon!" he motioned for Scuttle to follow. Ariel gave a quick attempt to prevent her friends from leaving, but upon remembering she had no voice and realizing the lack of strength in her body she gave up, retreating back to her spot on the floor. It had seemed that all hope was lost for her.

"So what do you think the ol' Sea King's gonna do?" Scuttled asked Sebastian once they were on the balcony and out of Ariel's earshot. "You think Ariel's gonna live?"

"Of course she's gonna live, you nincompoop! Why wouldn't she?" Sebastian stated exasperatedly as he began to climb his way down the side of the castle. This was the help he got?

"You want me to give you a lift down?" Scuttle offered, landing on the balcony railing. "It's much quicker."

Sebastian paused and looked up at the bird, wincing at the idea. "I'm fine," he declined and continued down by reaching for more vines.

"You sure?"

"As sure as the next tide."

"I thought we were in a hurry," Scuttle stated, then made the decision himself to scoop Sebastian on his back.

"Noooooo!" he screamed. Sebastian squeezed his eyes shut in a moment of panic. Was this what a heart attack felt like?

But it wasn't long before Sebastian found himself at the coastline. He looked down to make sure he was standing on all six legs. He left out a sigh of relief. "NEVER do that again," he warned the bird. "Or even speak of it."

"I did what I had to do for our Ariel," Scuttle declared. "Keep me in the loop!" he said as he flew away.

"Ridiculous bird. I don't know why Ariel keeps him around." Sebastian muttered as he marched beneath the waves.

It wasn't long into his swim when he ran into Flounder. "Did he kiss her yet?"

"We got ourselves a big problem, mon," he declared, swimming right past the fish.

Flounder turned around and followed. "Wh-what is it?"

"The prince is marrying another woman!"

"What? Who?"

Sebastian shook his head. "We don't know. But it's not Ariel and that's all that matters."

"Poor Ariel," Flounder thought. He knew his friend must be devastated. "She must be really upset."

"She is, but her heartbreak is about to be the least of her worries. This means she won't get that kiss and she'll belong to Ursula. We have to stop this nonsense before it goes too far. I'm telling the Sea King everything! He'll know how to help her and bring her back home safely," Sebastian informed Flounder.

"Sounds like a plan," the fish responded as they quickly made their way towards Atlantica.

"...I'm telling the Sea King everything! He'll know how to help her and bring her back home safely…"

"You hear that Flotsam?" came a slithering voice buried behind some rocks, hidden from the view of the crab and fish.

"Sssounds like someone is trying to ruin our mistress's brilliant plan," Flotsam responded to his fellow eel.

"And we can't have that, now can we?" Jetsam asked. He looked towards his partner who nodded, idea sharing in their minds.

The swamout from behind the rocks, quietly gliding through the water to catch up with Sebastian and Flounder.

"...I don't know, Flounder," Sebastian sighed.

"Well, who do you think the other woman is?" Flounder asked.

The crab sighed again. "I told you, Flounder, I. Don't. Know. Now would you please let me focus on what I am going to say to the king that will not land in part of the buffet. The Sea King's gonna–"

His words were choked out of his mouth by tight pressure around his chest. He found himself wrapped in something, caught and unable to move. He looked over at Flounder and saw the same happening to him. It was an eel.

"Let me go!" Flounder ordered, but was silenced by the eel squeezing him tighter.

"We can't have you guys running your mouths back to the Sssea king," Jetsam stated.

"Our mistresss would be very disappointed," Flotsam added.

"The Sea Witch…" Sebastian choked out upon his realization.

"We just need to keep you sssilent until sssunset."

Ariel sat on the dock, bare feet hanging off the edge, awaiting her father's arrival. She watched as her tears dropped one by one into the ocean. Tears were something mermaids couldn't see beneath the wave, but they were there, accompanied by sobs which were the only proof of crying.

Her painful sobbing had concluded at some point in the early afternoon. Her body was tired, and if she continued her rough sobbing she knew she would vomit the contents of her empty stomach. Her crying did not cease, as it only lessened into slow tears that rolled down her cheeks each time she thought of her current situation.

She had never been in love before which meant she had never felt heartbreak. Ariel understood the term now. It truly felt as though her heart had been torn apart into pieces. Crazy ideas ran through her mind: she wished she had never met Eric; she wished she had never taken an interest in humans; she wished she was dead.

It felt as if all hope in the world was gone. All of her hope in regards to Eric, the human world, and her happiness was gone. Her father could help the situation by protecting her from Ursula, but she would face the ramifications. He would be furious with her, for falling in love with a human after saving him, for entering the human world, and for making a deal with the infamous Sea Witch. Ariel felt like a young girl who had no choice but to sheepishly go to her father to get her out of trouble. He was the only person she could count on–she hoped–but his help came with confession.

Ariel was not sure how to explain the situation to her father when she wasn't sure she understood it herself. As of last night everything was going great. Her and Eric spent an amazing day together. They had danced and he had bought her flowers and heart-shaped chocolates. They nearly kissed that night in the lagoon. There had been no mention of another woman or a wedding in the near future. Did Ariel do something wrong? Did this woman do something that she didn't?

She mentally cursed her voice. Eric was so infatuated with it that he was willing to choose it over herself. Truthfully, she did not care if Eric liked her voice. It was only one part of her.

Another tear fell into the ocean causing little ripples to spread about. She expected the ocean to form similar ripples when her father emerged from the sea, yet there had been no sign of him. Sebastian had left in the morning to fetch her father, and it was now already well into the evening hours, the sun hovering by the horizon line.

"Hey sweetie!" came from above her. She looked up and saw Scuttle approaching. He landed beside her. "I thought your father would've come and got you by now."

Ariel shrugged. What was taking so long? She glanced again at the sunset. It was almost time. Her stomach sunk at the idea as she worried what her future would hold. Was her father unwilling to help her? Surely if that was the case Sebastian and Flounder would have come to inform her of such. Had they abandoned her too?

"Ariel?" came a man's voice from behind her. She turned around and discovered it was Oliver. He was dressed down, hands casually in his pockets. He gestured towards the spot beside her. "Mind if I sit?"

Ariel nodded with a sniffle, quickly doing her best to stop crying and wipe away her tears to make it seem as though she hadn't spent all day crying.

He sat beside her and left out a long sigh. "We weren't sure where you went. Carlotta was looking high and low for you. She got pretty worried. She refused to help with the wedding and spent the day looking for you instead."

Ariel didn't respond, not that she could, but she was touched by Carlotta's compassion. She instead looked down at the feet she would not have for much longer. She felt bad knowing she had worried the kind housekeeper.

"None of us really approve of the wedding, just so you know," Oliver continued on, "but he's our prince and if he wants a wedding, he gets a wedding. Turns out your opinion doesn't even matter if you're his best friend."

Oliver starred out to sea at the wedding boat which now appeared tiny. "It's so odd how he comes to me all the time for advice, and then suddenly wants none of it. I told him he was rushing too fast into it. I mean really? A wedding by sunset? When all you know about the woman is that she has a pretty voice? I couldn't bring myself to be there to support him. He's been acting strange all day. I wonder if maybe he knows it's a bad idea but he feels obligated to marry her. I wish I knew," Oliver continued. "Grim and I really thought that, well, that you and him had hit it off."

Ariel looked over at him, a puzzled look in her eye. Obviously that statement couldn't have been true. Eric had chosen another woman over Ariel despite actually getting to know Ariel, and despite the fact that it was Ariel who saved him! He couldn't even recognise the actual woman that saved him! It was me! It was me! It was me! she wanted to scream

Oliver continued on. "Grim and him had a chat last night about it. Said it sounded like he was really interested in you. I'm sorry if you got your heart broken over this. You've been through enough washing up on our shore. You didn't need to get your hopes crushed."

Ariel looked away and shrugged, holding back tears. All hope was gone. Even her friends couldn't pull through. She glanced at the setting sun, just a few moments left. She would need to retreat back to the sea and present herself to Ursula. She hoped Oliver would leave soon.

But he didn't. He stayed beside her in silence until the sun set beyond the horizon and it could be seen no more. And with that setting sun, Ariel's time was up. She needed to surrender herself to the sea witch. She couldn't do so with Oliver right next to her so she rose to leave and find another quiet spot.

But as she rose, she felt pain in her legs. She winced in pain as she fell back down to the ground. It was as if her legs were not there. There was no strength to keep her up. Needles tingled all the way through her.

Oliver caught her in his arms. Her attention shifted away from the pain to how he held her the same way Eric did during the past few days, from when he first helped her up to the castle, to when he picked her up and spun her around when they were dancing. The memories saddened her, and she found herself sinking deeper into the only thing that could potentially reenact those moments.

"Woah, woah. Are you okay?" Oliver asked, joining her on the ground beside her, immediately feeling foolish as he remembered she could not answer.

Ariel shook her head. Everything was not okay. The muscles in her legs burned, the air entering her lungs burned, her head grew foggy, her chance with Eric over, and her life now over as well. What more was there for her to do?

"Here, let me help you up. I've got you," Oliver reassured. "Let's get you back to the castle so Carlotta can take a look at you."

To that, Ariel feverishly shook her head. No! her eyes silently begged. Don't take me back there. I don't want to be near Eric anymore.

"Okay, I understand. No castle," Oliver thought for a second. "Let's get you back to my place so you can rest. Then you can decide what you want to do in the morning. How does that sound?"

Don't even think about not returning to me after your time is up. It won't do you well. You will simply be a mermaid with legs. Mermaids only have about a month's time to spend outside of the ocean before it kills them.

Ursula's words hung in Ariel's mind as she stared out at sea then glanced back down at her legs. Though no longer a true human, she still had her legs and could roam the land. Despite the consequences that may follow, she did not have to return to the sea just yet. If she refused and ran away with Oliver instead, it may ruin her, but would offer her at least a little more time to take in this world before her body was no longer hers.

She nodded her head. Yes, please. What else do I have?

"Okay," Oliver agreed, scooping Ariel up in his arms. "I've gotcha. Let's get you some rest."