Chapter 1
~7 years later~
Ariel finished tucking the last few flowers of a bouquet into a vase. She rearranged a few petals then gave a satisfied smile knowing Sibyl would love it. Ariel then grabbed the vase and brought it with her into the living room. She placed it on the table beside the chair where Sibyl sat reading.
The older mermaid closed her book and inspected the flowers. "Oh, these are beautiful, Ariel," she complimented, delicately touching the pink ones in the middle of the bouquet. "These are my favorites. I haven't seen them in ages."
"I requested they grow them in the palace garden this year. They finally bloomed," Ariel responded.
"They'll certainly brighten up this place," Sybil winked.
Ariel did in fact feel very satisfied that Sybil liked the flowers she brought with her from the palace. It was an easy deed Ariel could do to show her gratitude for the woman who kept her company throughout her lonesome teen years. The outskirts of Atlantica was a dreary place, lacking color and beauty. The stories uttered through childhood playgrounds about Ms. Keryndel, the old wicked witch of Atlantica, described her so-called "lair" as dark, gloomy, and cold, adorned with nothing but fish eyes and bones for decoration. However, during her first visit to the house, Ariel noticed that Sibyl had made an effort to brighten her home with vivid colors and vases of flowers gathered from wherever she could find them. As princess of Atlantica, Ariel silently made it part of her duty to bring small touches of beauty to the neglected outskirts. It was the least she could do for her friend and closest companion.
Ariel sat down in the chair across from the older woman. "Whatcha reading?"
Sibyl closed the book, showing Ariel the title. "Proper Storage of Healing Aids. A fascinating read."
Taking the book in her hands, Ariel carefully flipped through the book's old, fraying pages, mumbling, "Sounds as fascinating as my textbooks on Atlantican history."
"It might put you to sleep, but it contains lots of helpful information," Sibyl replied, taking the book back. "You want to help me with something?"
"Sure thing," Ariel said, rising from her seat and following Sibyl into her kitchen. They approached the cabinet that held all of her healing supplies. Ariel recalled being nine and absolutely terrified of what the woman was going to pull out of the cabinet. Thankfully, her childhood imagination couldn't have been more wrong about the woman. She only wished the rumors that spread and hurt the woman so much had stopped, but they continued on as children continued to pass them down to their younger siblings and friends. Ms. Keryndel the evil witch: she'll capture you and experiment her magic on your body!
Sibyl pulled down a jar full of pearls. Moving to some empty counter space, she grabbed an empty jar and reached into a nearby basket for a clump of some sort of bioluminescent plant and placed it before them.
"This is a bioluminescent coralvine. It has great healing properties, but only once it goes through a fermentation process will it become strong enough to be effective. We infuse it with crushed pearls to enhance its properties even more," Sibyl explained.
Ariel nodded, absorbing the knowledge.
"Grab about six pearls," the woman gestured towards the jar of pearls as she reached for a shallow shell and a pestle. She handed them to Ariel. "Grind them down into a fine powder."
Ariel did as told. She removed six pearls from the jar and placed them in the shell. Picking up the pestle, she began crushing them. Watching the shiny pearls turn into dust reminded her of the events of the day prior. "Last week, Adella got so mad at Arista for taking her pearl necklace that she ripped it off of her neck and broke it. The servants are still finding pearls in our dressing room!"
"Must be something to have six sisters," Sibyl commented, cutting the coralvine into smaller pieces.
Ariel replied, "It's literally awful! Someone is always fighting someone. We have a whole palace, but I can't find one quiet space for myself! Even father gets annoyed sometimes."
"I'm glad I had a son. They get into more trouble but bring home less petty drama."
Ariel continued crushing the pearls. Cautiously, she asked, "Have you heard from him at all since sending the birthday card?"
Sibyl shook her head.
"Maybe he didn't get it?" Ariel offered. "Could have gotten lost in the mail."
"I'm sure he got it," Sibyl replied, hiding a sigh. "But it's alright. I didn't expect a reply. I'll hear from him eventually. He's just busy with his family and kids, that's all. How are those pearls looking?"
Ariel held up the bowl for Sibyl to examine her work. "Looks excellent," the older woman complimented. "Pour them in."
Ariel did as instructed, pouring the now powdered pearls into the jar of coralvine Sibyl held open. The powder fell softly to the bottom and coated the plants. Sibyl then closed the lid and placed the jar back up in the cabinet. Ariel marveled at how just two simple ingredients and time could make such a potent healing aid. The patience to let it ferment was something ordinary doctors did not have. They frowned upon it when someone actually knew how to manipulate natural ingredients. Ariel found it fascinating while others did not, hence Sibyl's misunderstood life in the shadows.
Ariel could sense that Sibyl missed her son who disappeared from her life as soon as he was old enough to be on his own. He was embarrassed by the constant accusations of her being deemed a witch and wished to live a normal life with a normal family. She spoke of him only every now and then, and Ariel wondered how someone could abandon their own family.
"Did you go to the shipwrecks at all this week?" Sibyl asked, changing the subject.
"A little," Ariel replied.
"Find anything good?"
She shrugged. "Not much. I feel like I've explored all of them already."
"Every nook and cranny?"
"Just about. Nothing left to explore anymore."
"Well, maybe another one will sink nearby soon enough," Sibyl suggested as they took a seat at her kitchen table.
"I wouldn't want any humans to get hurt, though," Ariel replied, recalling a few of the skeletons she had come by in the shipwreck and the shivers that they sent down her spine.
"Most humans make it out safe and sound," the older woman responded, "They keep mini ships on board their great big ones so if anything happens to the big ship they can hop into the little ones and use them to stay afloat and make it back to land."
Ariel pondered. How interesting. Little ships on bigger ships. Sibyl was full of little bits of knowledge of the ocean and the human world, the latter being something she couldn't even think of speaking about with her father, or anyone else in the merworld for that matter.
"Well, whenever one sinks I'm usually one of the first to know. The guards always inform my father. He likes to be alerted to all human activity."
"As if they could do anything under the sea," Sibyl scoffed. "They can't even breathe water."
"You know how he is," the mermaid shrugged.
"Oh, I know alright."
Ariel sighed. "I just wish he wasn't so judgmental of everything or everyone who's different. I wish he would just hear you out and understand you."
"His intentions are pure. He's a ruler and a father. He just wants to keep you and the kingdom safe," she replied.
Ariel questioned, "From what though?"
"Who knows," Sibyl shrugged, knowing she did absolutely nothing to upset the Sea King or the rest of Atlantica. "Who knows…"
Sebastian was rather lucky to have been chosen as one of the Sea King's advisors years ago. He led one of the best lives a crab could have asked for. But being the advisor to a king with seven daughters came with a catch; Sebastian was also tasked with keeping all seven daughters in check. Six of them didn't make it very difficult for him. He was good at breaking up fights, telling them they looked pretty in the shade of lipstick that looked just the same as the last three they tried on, or listening to them sob over boys. The seventh, however, introduced Sebatian to a level of stress he never felt before. Ariel made his blood pressure rise so high that sometimes he felt like he was going to turn into a boiled crab.
"Ariel!" he hollered out one of the palace's side entrances as he saw the redheaded mermaid approach. "If you don't hurry up and get your tail over here this second I'm going to tell your father to pin your tail to the floor or your room!"
"I'm sorry!" she offered. "I forgot what time it was."
"Dinner is at the same time every night."
"Last week it was a half hour late," Ariel crossed her arms and stubbornly retorted.
Sebastian sighed. "That's because you caused a whole wreck in the kitchen!"
Ariel shrugged and swam past him, entering the palace. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now."
"Not so fast, young lady, Sebastian swam in front of her, pausing her in her tracks. "You mind telling me where you were?"
"I do mind."
"Ariel, this is important!" Sebastian warned, throwing up his claws in exasperation as the princess began swimming away from him. "You need to take some responsibility. Where were you?"
Her silence was enough for the crab.
"I saw you come from the east," he said. "Were you visiting the witch again?"
"Her name is Ms. Sibyl Keryndel," Ariel responded. Since Sebastian was tasked with keeping a close eye on Ariel, he already knew about her visitations with the so-called witch. Her father was none the wiser. He didn't pay as close enough attention as he should have. "And she's not a witch, Sebastian. We've been over this."
"You know your father doesn't trust her. No one in Atlantica does."
Ariel stopped just outside of the entrance to the dinning hall. "I do, and that's all that matters."
She brushed him off and then entered the room, swimming up to the only empty seat left at the table.
"Ariel," her father scolded. "You're late."
"And your hair's a mess!" Alana commented.
"So's yours," Andrina replied.
"What!?" Alana shrieked, putting her hands to her hair, eyes narrowing towards her younger sibling once realizing that her hair was actually quite fine.
"Sorry, Daddy," Ariel offered, taking her respected seat. "I lost track of time."
"Doing what?"
"...Just running a few errands," she shrugged, knowing it was best to keep her answer vague.
Triton sighed. "Were you out by the shipwrecks again?"
The chatter of the other girls at the table silenced. Ariel gulped hard. Her father usually was never so frank with his questions, especially at the dinner table. It was always assumed that Ariel was just the irresponsible, youngest princess who could never keep track of time or cared about her role in society. But she also knew her father was well aware of her interest in the human world, having gotten caught with human objects before. Lately, he was putting more and more pressure on her to end her obsession with humans, one she had had for as long as she could remember and could just not let go.
Except Ariel wasn't anywhere near the shipwrecks today. If her father discovered where she actually was there would be a far greater consequence for someone else than for herself.
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does matter, young lady," her father refuted.
"So what if I was?" Ariel snapped. It was tiring, constantly being chastised for the only things that brought her enjoyment in life. She knew she could have avoided this entire conversation by telling him where she really spent the day, but Ariel would rather be grounded than be grounded and see Sibyl face serious punishment.
"What do you even like about those old shipwrecks anyway?" Attina chimed in, trying to limit the amount of speaking (on the verge of shouting) her father had to do. "They're old and creepy."
"Yeah, why can't you just get a normal hobby instead?" Arista asked.
Ariel glanced at her father then shrugged. "I don't know. They're full of stories and little pieces of history."
"Human history," Attina mumbled. "I can give you some of my old Atlantican textbooks if you want to read proper history."
"Or how about you join the snail ball team? We're looking for new players?" Adella suggested.
"Can we just let this go?" Ariel asked, staring at her plate of food.
"Just please be one time for the luncheon tomorrow. Do not embarrass me in front of the guests," Triton begged, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "We'll finish this discussion of humans later."
Ariel flinched at the word "embarrass." Did her own father really feel that way about her?
"Yes, Daddy," she agreed, and then proceeded to push her food around on her plate.
The sun dipped slowly beyond the horizon, cascading warm waves of orange light into Eric's office. It was formally referred to as the Prince's Study, for Eric was still a prince, learning and preparing to become king. One day he would relocate all his files and paperwork to the King's Study where he would one day spend countless hours bent over paperwork and grappling with the weight of his kingdom's expectations. Currently residing in the King's Study was his uncle, Prince Marcus, who had served as Eric's regent since the death of Eric's father when Eric was just ten years old and still far too young to be crowned king. Prince Marcus, who, as the second born son, thought he would never see the throne once his brother had a child, gladly basked in his years of power, allowing Eric to finish his studies and reach the maturity required to rule.
It was something he dreaded since his father's death.
His father was a bitter man. Eric, having never seen the version of his father before he became king, wondered if it was his rule that turned him so bitter. Currently, he watched his uncle, though not a bitter person, grow tired of the reign he was once so excited to receive. It exhausted him, and he longed for the day he could once again return to being the second born prince with minimal responsibility.
It is because of this that Eric knew his uncle had opposed it when Grimsby told him he would have to extend the time of his regency because Eric had planned to take time off from his studies to go on a sailing voyage. Thankfully, his uncle agreed, taking pity on his nephew. After all, that was what uncles were for; to help their pitiful nephews and make important adult decisions that greatly affect the outcome of the kingdom's success.
Oh, how Eric's childhood quickly faded away. It faded faster than the sun currently setting beneath the waves. If only Eric's future laid out within the ocean blue instead of within the King's Study.
"...Are you listening to me, Eric?" questioned Grimsby's voice. He currently sat in one of the chairs in front of Eric's desk. "I am saying this with the utmost importance. It is not necessary that you wed before your coronation, but I highly suggest it. The burden of being king is hard. You need someone by your side to support you."
His coronation. Eric hated that the word was beginning to flow out of everyone's mouths more frequently now. It was thankfully no longer set just mere weeks after his eighteenth birthday, but now after his nineteenth birthday. Procrastination. That's what Eric liked to call it. He only wished he could have been at sea for longer than just six months.
His attention turned towards Grimsby, sitting arms crossed before him. The stern look on the older man's face made him frown. "I can't just fall in love overnight, Grim. We've been over this. I'm not just marrying some random princess. That's not exactly the type of support I want."
"It's just a suggestion, Eric."
"You know, we could just put off the coronation until after I get married," Eris suggested with a smirk.
"Knowing you, my boy, that would mean you will never wed so that you can never be crowned," Grimsby frowned even more.
Eric leaned back in his chair, throwing his arms up, "I'm just saying Grim. It's always an option."
The smirk on his face dissipated as his eyes caught glances of the painting of his family crest that hung in his office. Eric knew procrastination could only work for a short amount of time. It was in his blood to become king. His eyes then glanced over at the world map that hung on the other side of the wall. It was old and torn around the edges, passed down to him from his grandfather. Eric thought of all the places he could see in the world if he did not end up confined to a castle.
"Eric, you must know that it is my job to ensure you have everything you need to succeed in life. This may not be the life you want to lead, but it is the life you were born into and the future you are expected to fulfill, so we must look towards the future and turn it into a life for you to enjoy. It's up to you to embrace it," Grimsby said.
"I don't know how to not feel nervous about it all," Eric replied.
Grimsby rose from his seat, groaning at the pain in his knees. On his way towards the door he stopped to place a hand on Eric's shoulder. "My boy, you are young. One day, it will all fall into place, and when you feel it start to happen, you will feel wonderful."
Eric smiled up at his trusted advisor, but nothing could quell the anxiety still ran through his blood as he wondered when that day would be.