I hope you enjoy the fifth in the series. I
hope you enjoy the story and the characters I have been enjoying writing
about. I also post these on Tumblr and my other sites.
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“ARIEL!” Her father’s voice echoed through the corridors of
the castle, but she just giggled as she continued on her way. She ran into her
room and began to mess around with objects as she waited. Finally her father
entered the room looking every bit the part of an angry father. “Ariel” this
time he was much softer about his approach.
“Yes daddy.” She played up the sweet card as she often did
when she did something wrong.
“Don’t daddy me Ariel. What have I told you about going up
to the surface world? It’s dangerous, imagine what they would do to you if they
found out about mermaids.” His speech bored her, but she listened through.
“Daddy there are many magical creatures in this world and
most of the surface world knows about mermaids.”
“They do not know the difference between Sirens and
mermaids. They could mistake you as one and hurt you. Nor do they know what we
are capable of and vice versa.” He was full of concern for his youngest
daughter. She was the one who was most curious and adventurous. She could sing,
defend herself, and much more because she was always getting into everything.
Everything he ever built was to protect her and he needed it to stay that way.
“Promise me, you will not be going back to the surface.” He
looked at her and saw only the young girl she used to be.
He always asked way too much of her, but she would allow him
to think he won, “Yes daddy, I promise.” Was the only answer given to him
before she turned away from him. He thought she was just pouting, but what she
was in all actuality doing was plotting a way to sneak out. She wanted to see
the humans, the ones without the ability to turn into mermaids. They were who
she was most curious about and she wished there was someone to answer her
questions.
That night
it seemed to her father that she had finally given up all hope of her
ridiculous dreams. The next morning saw her in the throne room with her father
and her ability to convince him that she was going to be visiting her people
with Sebastian.
“Promise me you will be careful.” He talked to his daughter
gently thinking about all the ways she could get hurt.
“Yes daddy, I will.” What she wasn’t telling him was that
she was really going to sneak away to the surface world and maybe talk to her
first real human. She took off towards one of the water exits and as she dove
out the magic began. Her dress and legs turned into a luminescent green-blue
tail and a purple shell lace-like bikini top. She began to swim towards the
town knowing her father was watching and when she knew she was out of his sight,
she began to swim up to the surface.
Breaking
the surface so close to civilization was a new experience because it was
something she had never dared to do. She always wanted to, but was too afraid.
As a child, she had lost her mother to a ship accident and her father banned
even getting close to the surface. After the accident, she was brought up with
her father telling every terrible thing about the surface world. Yet she knew
that the surface world had more to offer, or maybe that was just her curious
side talking. She swam towards shore and hid behind a large rock when a loud
noise erupted.
She heard laughter erupt from a male voice, “Come on Killian
do not lag behind.”
“Yes Brother, Your Royal Princeness.” Came another male
voice. They finally came into view and there were two boys who looked
incredibly alike. She settled into watching them, her first real humans. They
were playing some sort of game with a ball and a bark interrupted her thoughts.
“That must be a dog.” She whispered to herself so excited
that she was finally seeing the things she had only read about in books. Yet
she wasn’t quiet enough for the dog not to hear her and it came barreling
towards the water.
“Max what is it boy?” The first boy curiously followed the
boy while the second searched the area. “Killian do you see anything?”
“Nothing I ca—Eric did you see that?” She moved because the
dog was getting closer and Killian must have gotten a glimpse of her hair. “You
can come out you know, we won’t hurt you.” He spoke gently to whatever creature
was lurking behind the rocks.
Her curiosity was burning a fire inside her and she peered
around the edge of the rock slowly. The second boy, Killian smiled as he saw
these sea blue eyes staring back at him. Her hair was a rich red.
“Hi, what’s your name?” His brother, always the first to ask
a question.
“I’m Ariel.” The voice was soft, but so captivating. Eric
turned and watched his brother’s expression because it had never happened
before. He looked completely blown away with just one look at this woman and
the sound of her voice.
“I’m Eric and this is my Brother Killian. We’re princes in
this kingdom.” He introduced themselves to this mysterious woman.
“Won’t you come out of the water?” Killian was soft spoken
and enchanted at this woman. She came more out into the open and lifted her
luminescent tail for them to see. “You’re a mermaid!” Both brothers were
shocked at the realization, but not frightened. To both sides there was some
sort of feeling of safety.
“You won’t hurt me?” Her eyes were locked with Killian’s as
she swam closer to the shore. She willed her legs to appear and walked out
towards the two men. When she had transformed she was back in her royal garb
making obvious to them that she was a royal or at least a noble.
“Never.” Eric nodded along to his brother’s answer and
watched as she walked on two legs over to meet them.
“You have legs.” Eric’s obvious statement earned a giggle
from her.
“Common misconception about Mermaids, we are able to turn
human at will.” She stated now standing right in front of the two and giggling
at Max’s antics. She ran her fingers along his ears learning the soft texture
of his fur.
“You’re a princess?” Killian asked after getting over the
shock of her standing in front of him looking every bit a princess.
“Yes” she was kind in the way she talked to him.
“Mermaids have princesses?”
“Yes.” She knew he was just a bit awestruck at meeting a
mermaid for the first time. The people of seaside kingdoms know they exist, but
it is rare to meet one. The two brothers were very alike in their obvious
questioning. She was very drawn to the younger one and she was not quite sure
if she was okay with that. She had always been independent and her curiosity
about the world above had led her here. Now she was living her dream and she
was not sure what his role in it would be.
“I’ve never been out of the water before.” She shyly
admitted and the wonder on her face was very apparent. Killian just wanted to
show her everything there was about the surface world. You could tell that she
was a curious creature by the way she took all of the scenery in rapture.
“Would you like us to show you more?” Eric asked and the
smile she gave both boys was blinding and just like that they were hooked. They
walked with her into the village marketplace where there were many thingamabobs
to touch and look at.
“Oh a dinglehopper!” She picked up a shiny lavish fork.
“That my dear mermaid is a fork.” Killian said plucking it
from her hands as his brother paid for the object.
“A fork? And this?” She pointed to a beautiful comb at the
vendor next to them.
“This is a comb.” He handed the comb to her and she touched
it reverently. He paid the vendor the money for the comb before leading the way
away from the shops. “Are you hungry?” She smelled the food and her stomach
growled. She was a little nervous because she was not sure what she would like
to eat. He led her to an eatery and she tried her first taste of surface world
food. They spent the rest of her time on land teaching her about the places,
objects, and whatever else she was interested in. This then became a daily
occurrence.
She had
learned much about the land-dwellers in these past couple of months and the
boys had even began to teach her how to fight. It was quite funny when she
bested them in sword fighting. Her father had taught her from a very early age
how to defend herself. At the moment she was stuck in Atlantica sitting in on a
boring meeting because of her father. She would rather be with Killian…and
Eric.
“Ariel!” Her father’s voice brought her out of her stupor.
She turned to look at him and shrank back a little at the look on his face.
“What are you thinking about Ariel?”
“Nothing much daddy. I just was hoping for a swim today.”
She answered leaving off the part where she would swim to the surface.
“Well the meeting is over,” she looked around now noticing
that everyone is gone, “I will allow it. I am so glad you gave up those
ridiculous dreams.” He said walking away and giving her freedom. She was filled
with fury as she swam to the surface and joined right in on the boys’ battle.
She bested them both before sitting down in the sand with much anger in her
expression.
“Ariel are you okay?” Killian asked gently taking the spot
next to her.
“No! Father is so glad I gave up my ridiculous dreams…my
dreams ridiculous?” Her anger was boiling over so much so that the waves
responded in anger. The waves were growing angry and the sky cloudy.
“Ariel!” Both boys shouted due to the winds picking up. She
could not hear them and the storm approached angrily as she did. They could not
get through to her, so Killian mustered up his courage and kissed her. The
storm began to fade away with the kiss and when they broke away it was gone.
She filled with this new feeling and she welcomed it as she smiled at him. They
stared at each other in awe for some time.
“Not that this has not been a hundred years in the making,
we are late to meet an important friend.” Eric reminded them as they broke away
from each other’s eyes. The kiss was forgotten for a time. She looked at them
inquisitively and Killian led her in the path following his brother. They came
into town and into the first place that they had ever eaten in together.
At the only non-crowded table sat a man and according to the
way that the boys reacted; this was the man they were looking for. He had black
hair and intense blue eyes, but he smiled when they came into view.
“You must be the one I have been looking for.” He stated
when they approached the table. He was looking right at her, but she was unsure
of what he meant. “That was an impressive storm you caused there. Ever have any
burst like that?”
“All the time.” Eric was the one who answered, who had long
noticed his friends oddities. She was a mermaid, but at the same time she was
much more than that. She just had not discovered it yet.
“Who are you?” She was curious on the easy feeling she got
around him. A feeling of trust that would define their friendship for years to
come.
“I’m Merlin.”
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