Chapter 4
As she was falling asleep, Ariel didn't think it was possible to find a human bed to be any more comfortable, but that morning, she found the bed to be so comfortable she wasn't sure how she was going to wake up. The room was cooler; she could feel a cool air on her exposed cheek. Ariel pulled up the warm blanket and snuggled deeper into the soft mattress and fluffy pillow. Much to her dismay, she felt Sebastian's claws tap her forehead.
"Ariel, child, get up. The housekeeper will be in shortly. I need to discuss with you how to be on your best behavior before she comes," he urged.
The mermaid instead squeezed her eyes shut tighter and rolled over onto her other side, making sure to keep the blankets wrapped tight around her. As she snuggled back into her new spot, Sebastian made his way around her head to the other side of her pillow.
"Ariel. I know the mischief you've gotten yourself into at your father's palace. There can be none of that today. This day is of utmost importance. If you want to get your prince to kiss you-"
At his mention of Eric Ariel's eyes flew open. That's right! She was in a warm human bed because she was human and staying at Eric's castle, and was about to spend a day with him! A day that would hopefully be everything her mermaid heart could dream of, and one that would hopefully end with a kiss.
She sat up. The sun was shining and she was excited. Sebastian let out a sigh of relief. "Finally. Young lady, this is another one of your problems. You can't just sleep the day away."
Ariel rolled her eyes. I'm not going to sleep the day away, but you're going to waste it by lecturing me.
Thankfully, someone knocked the door, saving Ariel from Sebastian's advice, who scurried off the bed into a hiding spot. "It's Carlotta, dear. Are you awake?"
The housekeeper must have remembered Ariel had no voice to respond to her question, so she opened up the door and popped her head in. "Ah, you are. Good morning!" She entered the room holding a tray of food. "I hope you slept well and found everything to your liking."
Ariel nodded, grabbing some blanket and hugging it close to her, indicating her likeness for the bed.
Carlotta laughed. "Yes, those sheets do feel wonderful, especially on the cooler summer mornings like these. It'll warm up by noontime. It's going to be a wonderful day to tour the kingdom."
Too excited, Ariel pulled her covers back, rose, and made her way to the door.
"And where do you think you're going? "Carlotta questioned, placing the tray down on the nightstand. "You need to eat breakfast, and not to mention you need to get dressed!"
Ariel glanced over at the food noting its sweet smell, and then glanced down at her pink nightgown and barefeet. Right. A dress and shoes might be important in making Eric fall in love with me. With a bashful smile she made her way back to the bed.
"Now, Louis gave me some fresh baked pastries for you to try, so how about you eat and then we'll get you all done up and pretty?"
After making some room in her stomach amongst all the butterflies for a few bites of a flakey pastry Carlotta had called a croissant and after the overly complicated process of getting dressed, Carlotta finally let Ariel go to meet with Eric.
He was waiting for her by the door to the gatehouse. "Are you ready?"
Ariel eagerly nodded. More than you will probably ever know.
Carlotta, who had finally caught up to Ariel, laughed. "She's ready and excited."
Ariel blushed, finding herself slightly embarrassed at how excited she was. Why? She wasn't sure, but she felt better when Eric looked her in the eye.
"I'm excited too," he replied, locking eyes with her and smiling. He shook his head, as if recollecting his thoughts. "Uh, I have the carriage waiting, if you're set."
Again, Ariel nodded, looking back once at Carlotta, silently asking if it was okay for her to leave. The housekeeper gave a nod and a warm smile. "Have fun, you two."
Eric held out his arm and Ariel understood the cue to take it, smiling and waving back towards Carlotta as they walked out the door that a guard had opened.
The sun shone on Ariel's cheek and she smiled at the feeling. The day was still warming up, as Carlotta had said it would, so the sunshine felt very comfortable. It also reminded her of how she was human and exploring the surface world! She could neve feel the warmth of the sun beneath the waves.
They walked up to the carriage. It was much different than carriages under the sea. A horse—Ariel remembered the name!—was at the front, ready to pull the carriage. Four large circles held the carriage up. It looked as if they could spin, perhaps as the horse pulled it, which would make it move.
Eric helped Ariel into the carriage and she sat down as he joined her. He sat down on the seat beside her. She blushed upon realizing how close they were sitting. She could feel his body heat, a delicate warmth that radiated off him amidst the cool summer breeze. It calmed her, and she held in her desire to close the gap between them by leaning in and placing her head on his shoulder. She shut off the feeling, knowing it was too soon to be making such moves. Ariel did not want Eric to become uncomfortable and call off the day.
Eric picked up the reins to the horses and turned towards Ariel. "You ready?"
Ariel eagerly shook her head, her heart flipping at the sight of Eric's equally excited grin.
He gave a quick flick of the reins and the horses followed cue. They made their way out the gates, passing the guards that controlled the large doors. Eric waved at the guards before turning back to Ariel and with a wink said, "I think we're gonna have lots of fun today."
"So this is the Sweet Shack," Eric announced as they approached the had disembarked from the carriage a few blocks back and left it in the hands of some of Eric's security detail, another group of them followed behind them. It was a quaint building, smaller than some of the surrounding ones. A wooden sign the shape of a piece of candy hung outside announcing the name of the store. A group of children had just run out of the shop giggling with hands full of candy, destined to return to their parents with sugar highs.
Ariel smiled at the sight of these young, human children as they had fun running through the streets during children activities. She wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in this world.
Eric held the door open for Ariel, who returned a smile as a thank you. Behind that smile was a blush that she tried to hide, brought on by his chivalry. The shop was bustling that morning. Children stood at the edge of class counters, eagerly pointing at what they wanted. A few children were accompanied by adults. One man was by himself, staring determined at some brown candy Ariel couldn't identify. It was all foreign to her.
Eric followed closely behind her, placing a gentle hand on her back to stay close to her as they navigated the busy shop. Ariel was surprised at how busy a small shop could be. Eric used his other hand to wave at the shop keeper. "Mr. Grayson!"
"Ah, Your Majesty!" the shopkeeper replied, dropping into a respectful bow after taking payment from the child in front of him. He had known the prince since Eric was just a toddler begging his mother for candy. His eyes then set on Ariel. "I see you brought an extra visitor...and an extra pretty one if I might add."
Ariel blushed, looking towards Eric to guide the conversation. "Yes! This is Ariel. She's staying with me for a few days."
"Indeed. Well, what can I get you folk," the shopkeeper then leaned towards Ariel. "He's got a sweet tooth. He never comes in here for nothing."
"We're gonna browse around. It's her choice," Eric winked.
"Go right ahead."
Ariel smiled brightly knowing that Eric was putting trust into her to pick out some candy…if only she knew what human candy tasted like. But this was her opportunity to learn. She glanced around at the stock. Much of the candy was brightly colored. There were bins of small, egg shaped colorful pieces of every single color. There were lollipops, she recognized the shape of them. Instead of the dull colors they had under the sea, these were rainbow and spiraled in colors. There was also a whole assortment of candy brown in color. Some were bars, others were shaped in circles or hearts.
A gentleman looked sternly at the brown candy until Ariel caught his attention. "You're a lady. What type of chocolate do women prefer most? I need to impress her."
Ariel stared back at him, her heart sunk a little at the realization that she was put on the spot but had no idea about any of these so-called "chocolates." All that she knew was that this was the type of candy that Eric and Oliver bonded over so it must be tasty.
Eric must have sensed her discomfort. He chimed in to lighten the mood. "Well, the bars are Oliver's favorite, if he counts at all. Chocolate works wonders for his mood."
Ariel still knew the man was waiting for Ariel's answer. She looked at Eric then shrugged. She pointed at the heart shaped chocolates. If this man wanted to make a romantic gesture then hearts would do that.
"A classic," Eric commented on her decision.
The man rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you sure it's not too bold?" When both of them shook their heads, he thanked them. "Grayson! I'll take half a pound of these!"
"What's your favorite type of chocolate?"
Ariel stared back at Eric, not knowing an answer. There was no such thing as chocolate under the sea. She shrugged.
"You…don't like chocolate?" Eric asked.
She shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't like it. Or maybe she didn't. How was she supposed to know? This was so confusing to communicate! If chocolate was really as good as Oliver insisted, then she didn't want to pass on the opportunity to try it. She shrugged again, hoping that the gesture would communicate the correct response.
"You've never had chocolate before?" Eric guessed.
Ariel nodded her head, glad he finally understood. She looked sheepishly back at the chocolate. Eric seemed shocked. She really did feel like a fish out of water.
"Where did you come from that you've never had chocolate?" he questioned. He immediately felt rude. He didn't know the specifics of her circumstances. She tried to change the mood. "Well, you're gonna try some. Mr. Grayson! Let's do…"
Grayson walked over and prepared a box to put the chocolates in as Eric scanned the assortment. "Well, let me grab a few of these bars for Oliver."
Grayson reached for a few of the bars and placed them in the box before Eric continued. "Then, we'll do…" his eyes paused at the heart shaped chocolates. Would they be too bold? He cleared his throat. "Some of the classic truffles, and a few of the caramel ones please. Oh, and do you have any of the chocolate covered strawberries?"
The candy man nodded. "I do indeed."
"You're gonna love them," Eric told Ariel as Grayson finished packaging them up. He told Eric the total and Ariel watched as he handed the man some human money. Ariel didn't understand the amount, having no idea how human currency worked, so she had no idea if it was expensive or not.
"Thank you, Mr. Grayson!" Eric said as he took the box from the man. "Have a nice day!"
"You two do the same!"
Eric guided Arie out of the busy candy shop, exiting as a new group of children rushed in. They walked over to a nearby bench and sat down. Eric opened up the box. "Smell that. Chocolate is literally the best thing in the world. I can't believe you've never had any before…uh not that I'm judging or anything. I'm just glad I get to watch you try it for the first time."
Ariel smiled at his consideration. The smell of the fresh chocolate was also making her eager to try them.
He held the box out in front of her. "Here, take your pick."
She carefully chose what Eric had described as a "classic truffle." She bit into it and it quite literally melted in her mouth. It was delicate, sweet, and smooth. Popping the second half into her mouth, Ariel decided she loved chocolate.
Eric had watched her carefully as she did so. Her eyes grew wide upon her first taste. He smiled. Everyone loved chocolate, but for some reason he was ecstatic to find out she loved it. It was a wholesome scene to watch.
"Okay, try one of the caramel ones," he pointed them out. "Have you ever had caramel before?"
She shook her head, reaching for one of them. She bit into it. Instead of chocolate all the way through, it was filled with a substance that was a much lighter brown. That too was creamy, sweet, and delicious. It was a little sticky, a string of caramel made a little peak where she bit it off.
"Like it?" Eric asked, laughing as she feverishly shook her head. Even if she had her voice she wouldn't have been able to respond because she had a mouth full of chocolate. "Okay, well, if you like those then I bet you're going to like the chocolate covered strawberries."
Ariel didn't know what a strawberry was, but she trusted Eric with her taste buds thus far and was extremely satisfied. She reached for one and took a bit off the tip. Inside was what she assumed was the strawberry, bright red in color and juicy, The juiciness and leaves on the top of it made her guess that it was a type of fruit. And it was delicious. The hardened chocolate on the outside and its slight bitterness only complimented the flavor of the strawberry.
"Let me guess, you don't like it?" Eric joked. The joy on her face was very clear.
Ariel shook her head, hitting him on the arm slightly.
He laughed, picking up one to eat himself. "I knew you would like them. The rest are yours, except for Oliver's bars of course. If they don't make it back to him I'll never hear the end of it."
Ariel smiled brightly and took the box from him. Thank you, she mouthed.
"You're welcome," he smiled. "And now you know you like chocolate!"
After their little chocolate break, they continued on through the village, stopping to browse at different shops and market stands. The human world was so intriguing. She had so many questions she wished she could ask. It was painful to not be able to.
After exiting a bakery, some music caught Ariel's ear. In the middle of the square were people dancing. Ariel tugged on Eric's sleeve and pointed towards them.
He smiled. "I did say when the opportunity arises we'd be dancing." He held out a hand, "May I?"
She eagerly took his hand, but as they made their way to the center of the square, she grew nervous. She had just mastered–if you could even give her that much credit–walking. Ariel had no idea how to dance. Luckily, she trusted Eric.
He took both her hands then began the motions. Ariel realized quickly that he was taking steps in tune with the music. Thankfully, her experience and knowledge with music and beats made it easy to make her movements in tune with the music as well. She listened carefully to the music and watched Eric's feet closely. He was gentle, went slow, and allowed her to catch on.
She giggled when he twirled her around. The skirt of her dress gently blew out and twirled with the breeze. Ariel felt like a real human in that moment, and she felt very pretty. She smiled up at Eric.
Her breath was completely taken away when he grabbed her waist to pick her up and twirl her in the air. His strong touch sent lighting bolts through her body. He sat her down and the song came to an end, much to her dismay. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled as well and her heart grew warm. They stood there, close to each other, both enjoying the moment.
Eric was the first to snap out of it, becoming aware of the many stares of the people around them. He cleared his throat. "I knew you'd be a natural!"
They walked back to the sidewalk. Ariel smiled at him as a response. She blushed. So maybe dancing wasn't that difficult if it was to music. They continued walking through the village until they passed a flower stand. Ariel stopped to smell them. Human flowers had a much different scent than the ones under the sea. It was a unique scent she couldn't compare to anything else. And they were extremely pretty.
Eric watched as she paid particular attention to some pink tulips. He pulled out some coins and handed them to the owner. He picked them up and handed them to Ariel, much to her surprise. "For you."
She smiled brightly and took them from him, inhaling deeper. They smelled even lovelier now. She was slightly surprised by the gesture. She had watched him skip the heart shaped chocolates at the candy shop, but was bold enough to buy her flowers. Boys were funny. It didn't matter though. Ariel breathed in the fresh, floral scent of the flowers and was very, very happy.
"Hey, how about a boat ride?" Eric suggested next. "I know the most beautiful location."
It had all happened so fast.
One second Ariel could feel Eric's hot breath on her lips, the next she found herself plunged into the cold waters of the lagoon, immersed in the depths of her former home, except this time the waters were most unwelcomed. It was quite the shock to her system.
"Woah, hang on. I've gotcha." Ariel felt as Eric's strong arms quickly grabbed her and pulled her back to her feet. She felt the cool air of the evening hit her face once again as she took a deep breath. Once steadied, she studied his face for any signs of emotions but found no reminders of the kiss that almost took place. He muttered something under his breath about getting back to the castle to dry off as worked to fix the row boat and Ariel found herself standing in the lagoon, watching him do so, cold and wet.
On his way back to the castle he didn't utter one mention of the attempted kiss. It was a silent carriage ride back, as if he was contemplating what had happened. Only every so often would he acknowledge the tension that fell between them and awkwardly clear his throat to utter some random comment on their surroundings.
When they finally made it back to the castle and walked inside, still dripping wet, Carlotta, mouth open agape at the sight, came running towards them, immediately taking Ariel into her custody.
"Goodness, children, what happened?" she exclaimed. "Someone get me some towels, please."
"Ariel!" Eric abruptly exclaimed. "Her name is Ariel!"
Carlotta paused. She turned towards Ariel. "Is that so?"
Ariel nodded and then smiled at Eric. Was he thinking about her name the entire quiet ride back to the castle?
"Well, that's a lovely name, dear," the housekeeper responded. "But, Eric, you have yet to explain why you guys are soaking wet. It certainly didn't rain today."
"I can't say I understand it myself. We were taking a short boat ride on the lagoon and then the boat tipped over," he shrugged. "Not sure what happened."
"With this young lady with you?" Carlotta exclaimed. "Eric, you've got to be more careful."
He defensively put his arms up. "I don't know what happened!"
"Nevermind," she shook her head. "Go up to your room and get dried off. I'm going to take her upstairs and get her cleaned up. Sounds good, honey?"
Ariel nodded as Carlotta whisked her away, leading her up the grand staircase. She glanced over her shoulder to look at Eric.
"Goodnight, Ariel," he smiled.
Her heart fluttered hearing him say her name. Something about it felt right. She was one step closer to him knowing her identity and true self, and somehow, that was better than a kiss. If only just hearing Eric say her name was enough to get her voice back. She got so close to that kiss tonight. Tomorrow was the last day. As daunting as that was, Ariel felt much better about her chances.
Goodnight, Eric.