White as Snow, Red as Blood (Part III) Sunday, Dec 30 2012

Again, most apologies..  I’ll try to get on some sort of schedule with this, but I think this one is just going to be sporadic.  There’s a lot going on in my life right now, and unfortunately, my blog is last on my list of things to do. But you can still enjoy it!! :)

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Album marched through the dancers on the dance floor and went straight up to her father.  “Father! How could you? You should have given me a chance to answer for myself.  So now, if we get involved with this war, everyone is going to be cross with me because I ‘refused’ to marry this man.”

The king sighed and sat up.  He straightened his vest and looked at his daughter, arms folded across her chest and chin jutted out.  “Sweetheart, we all know you would have refused…”

“No. I want to marry him. I don’t want us to be in war. We just got out of a bloody war.”

The king’s eyes grew wide.  “Are you serious? You must be drunk. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”  Album started to protest but he shooed her away.  “Go enjoy the party!”

Album left but didn’t dance or drink or eat like everyone else.  She went out into the snow and enjoyed the barren landscape.

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“No! I’m serious. Write him a letter.  Besides, aren’t the people to the north wealthy?”  Album and her father had been fighting all morning. Album refused to let their people go into another war and her father insisted that she not be married to someone she did not love.

“Yes, but that doesn’t matter.  We’re fine here, and with this new union we’re even better.  There is nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, except a freaking war! Father, why are you being like this?  I’m going to write the bloody letter myself.”  Her father sighed, obviously beaten and handed his daughter the paper.  “Thank you.”

Album wrote a letter claiming that she would accept the proposal and live with the prince in the northern lands.  She folded it and sealed it with wax.  She stepped outside and asked the waiting servant to make sure it got to the northern king.  The man bowed then walked away and Album went to the library to waste away the rest of her day in books.

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“Father, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.  You always worry too much.” Album adjusted the shimmering white dress for the umpteenth time and checked her hair in the mirror yet again.  Her black hair was slightly curled and hung around face, giving her a stunning appearance.

She and the prince had met and not wasted any time.  The wedding was put together in a matter of two weeks and soon Album would become the Queen of the northern lands.

There was a knock at the door and the wedding planner walked in looking stressed; these past two weeks had been hard on her.  “Album, we’re ready when you are.”  Album nodded her head and smoothed her dress one more time before turning and walking out of the small room that served as her changing room.

Her father offered his elbow to her.  His face was set in a frown as they walked to the large double doors.  Her family and the prince’s family were on the other side, waiting for her to walk down the aisle.  She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

The prince was a very handsome man.  His face was strong, his gaze never faltered; he was a very confident man.  He probably loved someone, beautiful men always find beautiful women to love.  Album scanned the crowd, trying to see if she could find resentment in any one’s eyes.

She and her father reached the bottom of the altar and he kissed her cheek and helped her up the two steps where she stood next to the prince.  They stood in silence as the priest blessed them and their marriage.  They exchanged rings and kissed gently on the lips.  Album felt nothing for this man.

They gracefully walked back down the aisle as a roar of applause filled the room. They stepped outside and ran to the horse-drawn carriage under a shower of hard rice.  The coachman flicked the reins and the horses hooves clicked against the stone road.  Album and Prince Brian rode the carriage ride in silence. Neither even tried to start a conversation.  They reached the castle and Brian helped her out of the carriage.

“So now we plaster on smiles and pretend we’re in love.” Album looked at the prince and saw the frown on his face. She felt no sympathy for the man and only wished to get this over with.

“Are you good at acting?” she offered her dry humor with a small smile.  The prince let his head hang down and he ran his hand through his thick brown hair and sighed.  “You’re in love with someone, aren’t you?” The prince stared at his black dress boots and nodded his head.  “Well, you need to forget her. You agreed to this marriage and that’s you’re own damn fault.”

“Love you too sweetheart,” he said in a condescending tone.

“I don’t love you.” Then the king came out of the large doors and started down the steps but stopped halfway down to catch his breath.   Brian and Album walked up the steps and greeted the man.  He was coughing and wheezing. They helped him back up the steps and joined the reception.

Album and Brian put on their fake smiles and pretended to enjoy the night. But they both knew that this was going to be a rough marriage.

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White as Snow, Red as Blood (Part II) Wednesday, Oct 24 2012

Sorry it took so long to publish part II! Between work and school, it’s hard to find time to write on here.  I’ll try and publish part III in a more timely manner :) Enjoy.

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The wedding was droning on and Album was at her wit’s end.  The priest was a slow talking man, who constantly had to stop to gather his thoughts.  She greatly contrasted to the white beauty she was standing next to.  Although Album was beautiful, there was something about Stella that seemed to draw every man’s eye.  Album’s foot tapped loudly on the marble floor and the priest looked up from his bible, trying to locate where the annoying sound was coming from.

“Um… Right… Uh… You may now kiss your bride.”  He finally finished.  The congregation erupted into a roar of applause and cheers, save for Album.  She was still tapping her foot, arms crossed over chest, and clenching the bouquet of flowers in her hand.

Her father and new step mother ran down the aisle under a downfall of rose petals.  Album sighed and followed them out the door.  There was going to be a huge reception, and she was dreading it.

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“How old are you?” Stella asked.  She looked at Album with a fascinated look that seemed fake.  Album grunted before replying with a mumble.  “What was that?  I didn’t quite hear you.”
“I said that I’m eighteen. How old are you?” she snapped back.

The new queen seemed taken aback and stuttered as she replied, “I’m nineteen.”  Album laughed and wondered how her father could fall in love with this woman.

The party was in full swing and everyone was enjoying themselves as they ate and danced.  Album sulked in a corner and eventually slipped away from the crowd.  She went to the garden and admired all of the dead plants and white snow.

“You never were on for parties,” said a voice from behind Album..  She jumped around and faced her attacker.  The man laughed and told her to calm down, Album then recognized the man swallowed him in a hug.

“William!  Where have you been hiding?”  They both laughed as they fell to the snow.

“I’ve been looking for you, though it should have been easier.  I’m pretty sure you’re the only woman wearing black here.”  Album blushed and sat up.

“I don’t agree with this marriage.  Something about it just seems off.” Album looked at her childhood friend and felt, for the first time in a long while, safe.

“Well, if they are in love, there’s not much you can do about it.”  Album scoffed at William’s comment and continued along the snow-covered path.  “Look, all I’m saying is that you should just suck it up and move on.”

“She’s one year older than me and I have to call her mom.  How do you ‘suck that up’?”  She looked at him then gave a small shove.  “You’re such a romantic.  It makes me sick.”

William gave her a slight shove and laughed.  “Better a romantic than an old brute, don’t you agree?”

“I don’t know.  I would probably feel safer with you if you were a brute, instead of a delicate flower.”  William laughed and got serious very quickly.

“I may turn into a brute.  I just got enlisted into your father’s army.”  Album stopped in her tracks and stared at him.

“What do you mean?  Why?  I thought that this marriage was going to end the war?”

William nodded his head.  “Yes but now spies in the north say that they are preparing to attack us.  They wanted a union too and your father refused.  Apparently they were demanding you marry the prince.”

“How did I not know this.  That’s just great.  Now we’re going to be in war again because I won’t marry someone, when I didn’t even know that was an option.”

William laughed, “You wouldn’t marry him anyways.  I think that’s why your father answered for you.  Save him the trouble of receiving your temper.”  Album crossed her arms and turned around.  She stomped back to the castle were she planned on approaching her father.

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White as Snow, Red as Blood Sunday, Sep 16 2012

Too bad Snow White and the Huntsman was taken! :) I’m joking! I like my title… I bet you know what’s coming up!!!  Another speculative fiction! Woo!  This time, I’m not going to base it off of any certain one’s version.  I’m to make this one as much as my own as I possibly can, but that may be hard considering that there are so many versions!  Enjoy :)  By the way, her name is Album because that is Snow in Latin. :)

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A blanket of pure white snow-covered the castle grounds and had not yet been disturbed.  Album looked out her window and smiled for she loved the snow, and this was the first snow of the season.  She turned around and walked out of her spacious room.  The hallway was cold and the servants were bustling around to all of the rooms to light fires.  Album could not wait to step into the snow.

As she stepped outside, she let out a sigh of relief.  It had been a long hot summer, and now it was to be a cold winter.  Her bare feet stepped into the snow and immediately started to sting but she did not care.  She walked along the snow-covered path and she admired a lone red rose among the barren landscape.  “How peculiar..” she thought.  She went to pick the beautiful rose but stopped when a thorn pricked her finger.  She cursed and sucked on the finger, but not before three droplets of blood fell to the white snow.

Her finger was bleeding more than it should have, she had merely been pricked by the thorn.  However, her finger was bleeding as if she had severed it.  She walked back to the castle with her finger in her mouth.  She went through the great doors and ran into her father.  “Album!  Your lips are as red as blood.  What happened?”

“That damned rose out there.  I went to pick it and it pricked my finger.  Cursed thing won’t stop bleeding.”  She continued to suck, and wondered why it had not stopped bleeding yet.

“A lady should not talk like that.  Go and see the nurse; she’ll help you.”  Album nodded and set out to find the nurse, whom she did not care for.  As she walked down the hallway, the servants would quickly find a new route so that they would not cross paths with her.  She turned a corner sharply and found the nurse helping a small boy with a scrapped knee.

“Nurse!  My finger; it won’t stop bleeding.”  The small boy quickly got off of his chair and ran down the hallway away from Album.  The nurse motioned for her to sit down on the chair, and Album did so.

“Let’s see it,” the nurse reached for her hand and Album jerked it back.

“That hurt!  Don’t hurt me,” she scowled.

“Oh, I barely touched it.  Give it here,” the nurse grabbed her wrist and abruptly brought it close to her.  The blood was now spilling over and landing on the floor in small droplets for Album had not sucked on it for a few seconds.  “I’ll put a bandage on it try to make it stop bleeding.  But you shall live to tell the tale.”  The nurse gave her a condescending smile.

Album jerked her arm back and grunted as she left the nurse.  She then went back to her room to change out of her nightdress.

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“Father, you barely know this woman.  Do you really think you should be marrying her?”  Album was sitting in a large lounge chair in her father’s bedroom.  The king was putting on his most expensive clothes and was about to don his crown.

“Album, I love her.  I know that your mother’s death has been a shock for the both of us, but Stella will be good for both us.  And I know her well, we were friends while your mother was still alive.”  He was straightening his crown now.

“More like you were sleeping with her.”  Album mumbled.

“I heard that, young lady.  And I do not appreciate your accusations.  We were simply friends.”

“Is that why mother killed herself?  Because you loved another woman and not her?  Is that why you two were always fighting?”

The king slammed his fists down onto his vanity.  “I have had it.  Leave, now.  And put on a proper dress.  You know it’s disrespectful to wear black to a wedding.”

Album stood up and left the room with no intentions of changing her dress.

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Princes And Mermaids (Part IX) Friday, Jun 29 2012

Alas, we have reached the end of our Little Mermaid adventure.  Just to let you know, the very end is a bit different from Andersen’s…  But it’s similar.. if that makes any sense. :) Did you expect this ending??  Enjoy! :)

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Ariel woke up in darkness.  She had no idea what time it was, but saw that the moon was high in the sky.  She was still in her green dress, and it shimmered in the moonlight.  She slowly pulled the knife out of her under-dress and tested the weight in her hand.

She felt beside herself, like she wasn’t in her body.  She slowly walked over to the prince’s bedroom.  Ariel opened the door silently and walked in.  The knife was gripped in her hand as she looked at the bed.  Eric and Christina were in the bed, he was holding her in the arms that used to hold Ariel.

Ariel felt a bitter taste in her mouth and raised the knife above her head.  She stared at him.  His features were even more beautiful in the soft moonlight.  Tears started to fill her eyes and her vision was blurred.  She thought of what she was about to do, what was going to happen.  She was going to slay the prince and turn back into a mermaid.  She would return to the sea and live for over three hundred years, while the prince had merely a few minutes left to live.

Ariel dropped her arms to her sides.  She couldn’t do it.  He looked so happy with his new wife; how could Ariel ruin that for him?  She sat down on the floor with her back pressed against the bed and noticed that the moon was low in the sky now.  She sighed and stood up.

She stole one last look of the prince, and kissed his cheek lightly.  Ariel left the room silently and walked out to the beach.  She watched the sun start to rise in the horizon.  She first threw the knife far out into the sea and watched it splash in the water.

Ariel walked out to the edge of a pier.  She tried to speak, but nothing came out.  She wanted to say, “I love you more than anything,” but just settled with mouthing the words.  She stretched her arms out and slowly fell forward into the ocean.  She felt the water surround her and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting to be turned into sea-foam.  Then everything went black and she left the world peacefully.

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Ariel’s eyes fluttered open.  She was surprised to see that she was floating in the air.  She sat upright, but found that she was sitting on a cloud.  “What the…” she grabbed her throat.  “I’m able to talk?  Where am I?”  She looked around but only saw clouds.  When she turned completely around she saw large golden gates.

Ariel stood up and was relieved to find that her feet no longer hurt.  She took one careful step, wondering if she was going to fall through the clouds, but she found that it was firm and safe.  She walked over to the large gates and tried to peer in but only saw rolling hills of white clouds.  “Hello?”  Ariel looked around but saw no one.  “Is anyone here?”

She began to wonder if she was going to live here in isolation for ever.  She couldn’t figure out why she didn’t just turn into sea-foam.  “Ariel,” the loud booming voice caused Ariel to scream and fall to her knees.  She covered her ears and trembled on the floor.  “Stand up, there is no reason to be afraid.”  Ariel barely opened one eye and saw a pair of sandaled feet standing in front of her.  She looked up and saw that the person was wearing a brown robe, as she continued to look up she saw a large brown beard.  “Please, stand up.”

Ariel did as she was told and was face to face with a man who seemed to hold a lot of power.  “Hello…” was Ariel could think to say.

The man chuckled.  “Do you know who I am?”  Ariel was ashamed that she did not.  “That’s okay, my child.  I’m the Lord Jesus.  I watch over the humans of the Earth.  I have watched you too, and I must say, you are a very interesting girl.”

“Thank you, sir.  May I ask why I am here?  I thought that I was supposed to turn into sea-foam.”

The man nodded thoughtfully.  “You were, but I saved you.  Your selfless act showed me that you deserve a second chance.  You now have an eternal life here in my palace.  Unless you would rather be sea-foam?”  He smiled and it caused Ariel to smile as well.

“I would be honored to live here, but I would feel out-of-place.  I know that some people have worshiped you for their entire life, and I have just met you.  I don’t think I have earned this.”

“My child, walk with me.”  They stepped through the opened gates in a beautiful garden.  Ariel wondered how this had gotten here, but decided to not question it.  “You are wiser beyond your years.  If I grant you permission to live here, then you may live here.  The people who live here all respect me and my decision, anyone who would question that does belong here.  This is a holy place and should only contain holy thoughts.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.  I understand.  And I would be honored to live here.”  He smiled and Ariel was confronted by a bright light.  “What’s going on?”

“Welcome to my kingdom, Ariel.”

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Princes And Mermaids (Part VIII) Wednesday, Jun 27 2012

I bet you’re going around in circles trying to figure out what’s going to happen next!  But don’t worry, I am too!!!!  Enjoy! :)

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She had a restless night.  She tossed and turned and each time she fell asleep a new dream appeared.  One was about her killing the prince, but she woke up before her dream self stabbed him.  In another, she turned into sea-foam and everything went black.  Each dream was different, but they all were the same in one aspect: none of them made her feel any better.

She slowly got out of bed and realized that the knife was in plain sight.  She quickly grabbed it and frantically searched for a place to hide it.  She finally decided on putting it under her skirt, figuring that no one would look there.  She carefully placed the sheathed knife under her skirts against her right hip.  It felt safe and secure, but incredibly intimidating.

There was a quick knock on her door and she checked herself in the mirror to make sure it was not visible before she answered the door.  “Where were you last night?”   The prince looked stern and Ariel felt her heart thump and knew that he could see the knife.  “Marlain told me that you were sick, but when I came here last night, you were nowhere to be found.  Would you care to explain?”

Ariel shook her head and he grunted.  “Whatever.  Christina and I have decided to get married tomorrow.  If you’re feeling up to it, I would like for you to be there.”

What a bastard, Ariel thought.  He’s teasing me now!  He has to be.  I may just kill them both.  But she quickly shook that thought from her head.  She was not able to kill a fly, let alone a human she loved.  “Ariel, will you be there?”  She stared at him for a few long moments before she decided to nod her head.  His face relaxed and he hugged her.

She felt herself long for him to hold her, but her rational self pushed him away.  “What?  Why did you do that?”  Ariel shook her head and turned away.  “Ariel, what’s wrong?”  She dropped her hands to her sides, still not facing him.  She wished that she could scream at him right now.  Eric grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so that she was face to face with him.  “Ariel?”

She stared into his eyes with disbelief.  Why was he playing with her heart like this?  She pointed an accusing finger at him and shook it wildly in his face.  He backed away and his eyes bulged.  Then Ariel’s hands were flying around as she frantically tried to demonstrate that what he was doing to her was unfair.  That he should be faithful to Christina and talk sweetly to Ariel, or hug her, or… even the kisses had to stop.

As her charade ended, her motions slowed.  “I didn’t know you felt this way.  I’m terribly sorry; it won’t happen anymore.”  His eyes were staring at the floor and he was shifting his weight nervously.  Without another word he left.

Then Ariel was stuck with her thoughts.  Suddenly she realized that in two days she would be dead.  She collapsed and hit the floor with a loud thud, and on the way down she hit her head on the bed post.  She tried to get up but her vision was claimed by darkness and she drifted off into a deep sleep.

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“Ariel… Ariel…”  she felt like getting sick all of a sudden.  When she opened her eyes she quickly leaned over and vomited.  The pain in her stomach was intense, but nothing compared to when she drank the potion.  “Oh, that’s okay.  I’ll go get some towels.”  She looked up and watched Marlain leave the room.  She was still on the floor and she felt an intense pain in her head.

The room was spinning as she tried to sit up.  Ariel didn’t move for a long time, she just sat with her back resting on the bed.  Marlain walked in carrying a handful of towels.  “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”  Ariel slowly shook her head.  “You just relax.  We’ll get this cleaned up for you in a jiffy.  What happened last night?”

Ariel sat with her head between legs, trying to get her head to stop spinning.  It took many long moments before she felt stable again.  She slowly stood up with the help of Marlain, and she sat her on the bed.  “Ariel, do you know what day it is?”  She slowly shook her head and tried to remember what happened the day prior.  “It’s Sunday morning, the prince is getting married tonight.  What were you two talking about last night?  Oh, I don’t know why I ask you questions.  Never mind sweetheart.  Are you going to the wedding?”

Ariel thought for a moment and nodded her head.  “Okay, we have about two hours to get you ready.  I’ll go pick out your dress and get you some food and water.  Just wait here.”  Ariel did as she was told and wondered what tomorrow would bring.  She then felt the weight of the knife presses against her hip.  She sighed and again tried to figure out which side she should take.

When her thoughts were in full swing, Marlain came bursting into the room carrying a large, green, sparkling gown.  Ariel quickly dressed, leaving the knife in her under-dress, and ate a few bites of bread and drank a couple sips of water.  “Now, I understand that you are sick, but you need to eat more.  At least finish the water.”   Ariel finished the water and winced as her stomach rumbled.

Marlain sighed and helped her to her feet.  Ariel felt as though she was walking on shards of glass, and each step grew more painful than the last.  But, she made it the chapel and sat in the back rows of the congregation.  There were already many people waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle.  Marlain left to make sure that the dining hall was ready for the feast after the wedding, and Ariel put her down on her lap and tried to calm herself.

Then the dreaded organ played.  Ariel sighed and stood up to watch the bride grace down the aisle.  She fought back tears as she caught sight of Eric, looking rather handsome in his suit.  Christina came down the aisle and had a smile that crossed her entire face.  When the priest told them to be seated, Ariel sat and let her head rest on the back of the pew in front of her.  She suppressed her sobs as much as she could, but let a few tears run down her cheek.

When the ceremony was over, Ariel was the first one out of the church.  She ran to her room, ignoring the pain in her feet, and threw herself onto the bed.  She let out all of the sobs and eventually cried herself to sleep.

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Princes And Mermaids (Part VII) Sunday, Jun 24 2012

This is all getting very sad :(  But maybe there will be a happy ending!  Who knows!  Enjoy :)

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Ariel slept in the prince’s arms that night.  She dreamed of merfolk and sea creatures.  When she woke up, she was still in his arms.  She began to wonder if it would be always be like this but was abruptly hit with the memory of the previous night.  Her head started to spin as she thought about his last words to her.  “I’m going to marry her, Ariel.”  She didn’t want to think about what this meant for her and her future.

She laid there and thought about her possibilities for a long time before Eric finally stirred.  She pretended to be asleep and let him stroke her hair.  He kissed her forehead and she let her eyes drift open.  He wasn’t smiling, but he looked content.  “Good morning, my dear.”  Ariel kissed his cheek and thought that she had him back and that last night was just a small hiccup.

“I will probably sound awful when I ask this, but I mean it in the most sincere way possible.  Will you please help me prepare for this wedding?  I’m going to ask Christina to marry me.”  Ariel tried to show no emotion but knew that that would be near impossible.  “I’m sorry.  You don’t have to, I would understand.”  She nodded her head thoughtfully.  “So, yes or no?”

After a few long moments of thinking, she decided to nod her head.  She figured that the only way to get him back was to keep him close.  “Fabulous!  We’ll start as soon as possible!  This is going to be the best wedding in all of history.”  He smiled and Ariel forced a smile onto her face.  He rolled out of the bed and put on a fresh shirt, much to her dismay.

“You should probably go get dressed.  I’ll see you at dinner?  We’ll start planning then.”  Ariel nodded her head and left the room without looking at the man she was in love with.

Ariel spent her day in her room.  She thought a lot of what was going to happen in the near future.  For a long while she was rocking herself back and forth and crying because she was afraid of death.  She knew that if the prince married Christina then she would turn into sea-foam.  Her cries turned into sobs.

At some point during the day she fell asleep.  Marlain shook her awake and made tsking noises.  “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?  Come on, let’s clean you up.  It’s almost time for dinner.”  Marlain was talking slower than she usually did.  She helped Ariel sit up in bed and sat down next to her, she rubbed her back gently.  “It’s about the princess isn’t it.”  Ariel nodded her head and broke out into another episode of sobs.  Marlain let Ariel rest her head on her shoulder and patted her hair.

“I don’t know what to say to make you feel better, but I do know that you are beautiful.  Don’t worry, my love, there will be plenty of other men begging for your hand.”  This made Ariel sob harder, for she knew that she could never love another man.  Marlain made soothing sounds and patted her head.  “It’ll be okay.  Just keep your head up.  Do you still want to go to dinner tonight?”

Ariel shook her head and Marlain agreed.  “You stay here as long as you want.  If you need me, you know where to find me.”  Marlain smiled at Ariel and left her.  Ariel laid back down cried for many hours until sleep claimed her again.

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When she woke up again the sky was dark.  She decided to take another walk on the beach to see if her sister was there again.  Ariel stood up and was crippled by the intense pain her feet.  She let out a cry of pain, but no sound came out.  This was the first time she was ever thankful for her muteness.

She struggled to get outside, but when she was she let out a sigh as her feet stepped onto the soft sand.  She went to the same place that she saw Shia before.  Ariel sat down and drew pictures in the sand, constantly looking up to the ocean.  Everything was illuminated tonight by the full moon.

“Pst!  Ariel!”  Ariel looked up quickly and saw five heads swimming towards her.  Her face broke out in a huge smile.  She first saw Mia, the fourth born, the Natalia, the second born, then Jaya, Leah, the third born, and Shia brought up the rear.  When they all emerged from the water, Ariel gasped.  All of their hair was crudely cut short in a boyish style.

Ariel lowered her eyebrows and all of the girls smiled.  Leah said, “We traded our hair for this.”  Natalia pulled a knife out of her bag and offered it to Ariel.  She shook her head, not wanting to handle the weapon, so Natalia set it down on the beach in front of her.

Jaya then said, “When Shia told us what had happened to you, we all agreed to find a solution for you.  We talked to Ursula and she said that if you kill the prince with this knife and let his blood drop onto your feet, you’ll be turned back into a mermaid and be able to come home.”  Ariel gasped and shook her head violently.  She made a motion of cutting her arm, to ask if she could just cut him and not kill him.  “We asked that, he has to be killed.”  Jaya’s voice had no emotion in it and it disturbed Ariel.

“Ariel, you have to do it,” said Mia.  Mia was the sweetest and she loved Ariel the most.  “I miss you so much.  I can’t bear another day without you.”  Ariel fought back her tears and looked back at Jaya, the strongest.

“Leave it to Ariel to screw everything up,” said Shia.  “But your legs still look amazing.”  Everyone agreed and touched her legs, making sure that they were real.

“You need to do it Ariel.  I’m not going to let you die.”  Jaya’s face was hard and she looked like she had aged since the last time Ariel saw her.

Ariel reached for the knife slowly.  She gripped the handle and pulled it to her.  It was heavy but felt strong in her hand.  The blade was straight and pointed, the handle had intricate designs on it.  She nodded her head at her sisters.  Ariel wasn’t sure if she was going to do it, but wanted to reassure her sisters.

They all said their good byes and parted.  Ariel walked to her bedroom with the knife in her hands.  She laid it on the bedside table and studied it all night.  The war raging in her head was giving her a headache.  Each side had a valid point, but she could not come to terms with killing the one man she loved.

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Princes And Mermaids (Part VI) Wednesday, Jun 20 2012

I’m sorry this one took a while to publish, I was plagued with some writer’s block.  But here it is, and be prepared for a few curve balls!  Enjoy :)

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Ariel woke up to the sound of shouting outside her door.  She put on a new green dress that Marlain had set out for her.  The woman insisted that she wear green. for it brought out the color in her eyes.

She stepped outside her bedroom and was nearly knocked over by a man running down the hall, carrying a large pot.  “Pardon me,” he said stiffly.  Ariel stepped out of the way and looked at her surroundings.  It seemed that everyone was bustling and running from place to place.  Ariel spotted Marlain down the hall, she walked towards her and tried to capture her attention by waving her arms.  Marlain saw her and smiled broadly.

“Hi sweetheart, what are you doing?  Oh can you believe it?  In the middle of the night we get a message saying that the princess and her father are coming here today!  They want to have dinner with the prince and his father.  In the middle of the night!”  She grunted and ordered someone to set the table.  “So, now we are all trying to get the castle ready for this dinner.  It should be fine, but who knows.  Will you be joining them for the dinner?”  Ariel shrugged her shoulders and Marlain gave a chuckle.  “What is going on between you and the prince?  I’ve been hearing rumors fly around… Are any of them true?”

Ariel was astonished to hear that there were rumors about her.  She wondered what they were and if any of them were true, or made her into something that she is not.  She shook her head to tell Marlain that she did not want to answer.  “Oh, I’m sure it is all phish-posh.  No need to worry.”  She smiled and walked away with out another word.

Ariel set off to find the prince.  She first went to his bedroom, but there was no one in there.  Then she started to wander, walking aimlessly.  She lost track of where she was, where she had been, and began to study the walls and artwork.  It was all very beautiful and odd to her.  She came across a painting of mermaids.  It was a very accurate portrayal of their most famous celebration, “Awakening Day”.  The merfolk celebrate the day that Ursula’s curse was lifted.

Ursula had cursed the merfolk because Ariel’s father, King Triton, had scolded Ursula for practicing in the dark arts.  The dark arts were forbidden in their happy community, but Ursula would not listen.  So Triton banished her out of the community and she did not take the news very well.  She cast a spell on the entire land that made everyone turn on each other.  A large war broke out that lasted many years.  It wasn’t until a merman from another city came, that the fighting slowed.  The merman helped them see the error of their ways and everyone loved each other after that.  But the decided to celebrate it so that they don’t forget that it can happen.

Ariel was studying the picture, she let her fingers run over her father’s long white beard, and wondered how this painting came about.  She also noticed that to the right of her father was a girl with red hair and a green tail.  Ariel gasped then heard something behind her and turned around.

“Beautiful painting, isn’t it?”  Ariel was relieved to see that it was Eric.  She nodded her head and turned back to it.  Eric came next to her and studied the painting.  “You know, this may sound crazy but that mermaid looks just like you.  Her hair, eyes, everything.  I’m crazy aren’t I?  There’s no way you are a mermaid.”  Ariel smiled and nodded her head.  Eric laughed and turned to her.

“Ariel, I’m sure you already know, but the princess is coming tonight for dinner.  Would you join us please?  I don’t think that I can handle this alone.”  His face was sweet, and his eyes were sparkling.  Ariel nodded her head and threw her arms around his neck.  She started to realize that the pain in her feet was subsiding.

Perhaps, the more he loves me, the less my feet hurt?  She did not know if this thought was accurate, but either way her feet weren’t hurting as much as they had been.  Eric gave her a tight squeeze and said, “Tonight at six, meet me in the dining room.”  Ariel nodded her head against his shoulder and she kissed his neck.  She couldn’t help herself, she loved him too much.

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She took a deep breath in and slowly let the air out, she was unsure of what lay behind the double doors, but knew that her prince was waiting for her.  She pulled the handle down and pushed the door open.  She first saw the prince’s father, sitting at the head of the table on the far side, then she saw the prince sitting to his right.  She smiled and walked over to his side.

He smiled at her and got up and pulled out her chair.  “Sit here,” she smiled and sat in the chair.  When she sat down, the doors opened and a very elegant woman stepped in.  Her dress was beautiful and sparkled in the light.  Ariel was taken aback by her beauty.  “That’s the princess.”  Eric answered her unspoken question.

The woman walked over and sat across from her, and her escort sat next to her.  Eric stuttered, not knowing why she did not wait for him to pull out her chair.  “Hello Eric.  Do you remember me?”  Her voice was smooth and confident.

Eric seemed to not recognize the girl, but then Ariel saw realization cross his face.  “Are you the girl from the beach?  The one that saved me?”

The woman smiled and nodded her head.  “I’m glad to see you’re still breathing.  My name is Christina.  Will you please have a seat, you’re making me nervous.”  Eric sat down slowly, never taking his eyes off of her.  Ariel started to get very scared that she was losing her prince.  “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh, this is my friend, Ariel.”  Eric then snapped out of his stare and smiled at Ariel, but Ariel knew that she was going to have to work extra hard to get her prince back.

The dinner seemed to drag on forever, and Ariel felt more and more like a third wheel the longer it went on.  She wasn’t able to participate in the conversation, other than a few head nods or smiles.  She could tell that Eric was loving the back and forth conversation.

When the dinner was over, Eric took Ariel’s hand and pulled her close to him.  She thought that he was going kiss her, but he put his head next to her ear and whispered to her.  “Come to my room tonight.”  Ariel nodded her head and felt her head spin.  Perhaps she hasn’t lost him completely.

She hugged the woman goodbye and retired to her bedroom.  She waited for the sun to set completely before she left her chamber and walked down the hall to Eric’s room.  She slowly knocked on the door and he immediately opened it.

She was confused for a second, for he was not wearing his shirt.  He grabbed her and abruptly brought her into his room.  She tried to ask him what was going on, but nothing came out.  She scowled at him but his back was facing her.  She grabbed his shoulder and made him face her.  His face was an array of emotions, but her’s was stuck in the scowl.

“Ariel, please, not tonight.  I just want to talk to you.  There are so many thoughts going through my head.  Just sit down.”  He would not look her in the eye and it disturbed her.  She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down.  She studied his back.  It was strong and rippled with muscles that shifted with every movement.  She felt her heartbeat quicken as he turned around and she got a good look at his chest and flat stomach.

He walked over to her and handed her a glass of red liquid.  It smelled bitter but sweet, and when she sipped it, it tasted the same.  “It’s wine, if you don’t like it I’ll take it.”  She shook her head and sipped the bitterness again.  He smiled and sat down next to her.  “I can’t believe that she was the girl who saved me.”

She knew that he was talking about Christina, and her name sounded like nails on chalkboard to her.  She took a long swig from her cup and set it down, her head was starting to feel fuzzy.  “I vowed that night that I would marry that girl when I found her.”  Ariel’s head was suddenly clear and her eyes shot open.  She looked at him and he was refusing to look at her.

“I’m going to marry her, Ariel.”  If Ariel had had her voice, she would have screamed at him.  She would have told him that it was she who swam him from the boat to the shore and sang to him.  She would tell him that he was meant to be with her and not some girl he just met.  But, alas, she could not scream at him.  She could only sit in her own silence.  And it was killing her.

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Princes and Mermaids (Part V) Sunday, Jun 17 2012

This part I really love :)  I don’t want to spoil it, but I think you’ll love this part as well.  There’s just something so touching about it… Well, until the bad news comes…

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“Ariel, do you realize how beautiful you are?”  She blushed shyly and averted her eyes from his intense blue eyes.  “So beautiful… Do you dance?”  Ariel didn’t know what this word meant, but she remembered Ursula saying that she would now be able to dance as beautifully as she sang.  To answer Eric, she scrunched up her face to express that she was confused.

“Come here, I’ll show you.”  He rolled out of the bed and walked around to the side that Ariel was laying on.  They were often in his room because it was the only place that was private.  Everywhere else was crawling with people, and Ariel and Eric liked to talk to each other in the privacy of his room.  They never were intimate, mostly because Ariel did not understand his flirting, but also because Eric was secretly wanting to marry her and not turn her into a whore.

Ariel accepted his waiting hand and tried not wince at the pain she felt in her feet.  She wondered if the pain would ever subside.  He placed the hand the he was holding onto his shoulder and let his hand rest on the small of her back.  Then he gently reached for her other hand and held it in his.  With his right hand, the one on her back, he gently pushed her closer to him.  She resisted slightly but let him control her.  She smiled as she stumbled into his chest.

“There we go.  Now, follow my lead.”  He stepped towards and she did the same, but ended up stepping on him.  He started laughing and said, “No sweetheart, when I step towards you, you step away.”  Ariel nodded her head in determination.  She was going to learn to dance, no matter how much it hurt her.

He stepped towards her again, and she stepped away with the mirroring foot.  Then he swayed slowly and she swayed with him.  Their steps were small and slow, but Ariel felt her heart beating rapidly and she was afraid that Eric was able to feel it too.

“See?  Not so hard, right?”  She nodded her head and leaned back so that she could look into his eyes.  But to her astonishment, he leaned into her and his lips met hers.  She had never kissed a merman before, but her sisters had and had told her about it.  So she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his back as he slid his arms tighter around her back.

When they pulled apart, they were both trying to catch their breath.  “And I thought you were innocent and naive.  Where did you learn to kiss like that?”  She lifted her hand to show that something was taller than she.  “Your mother?”  Ariel used her fingers to show that he was close to the answer.  “Sister?”  Ariel nodded her head and held up one hand, to show that she had five.  “You have five sisters?  Where are they?”  Ariel shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to explain that she was from the sea.

He was about to question her further but there was a knock at the door.  Before he could answer, the door opened and his father walked in.  “Oh, I’m sorry.  Am I interrupting something?”  The old man had a deceptive look to his eye.

“No, father, I was just teaching Ariel how to dance.  What do you need?”

His father grunted and said in a low voice, “May I speak to you alone please?”  Eric started to protest but the old man lifted his hand and left without another word.

“I best go, or else he’ll send a guard to retrieve me.  I’ll be back before too long, okay?  Will you be here upon my return?”  Ariel nodded and kissed his cheek.  When he was at the doorway, he turned back and Ariel waved to him.  He smiled and waved back.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ariel had fallen asleep in the prince’s bed.  The sun had set a few hours before Eric came back.  Ariel didn’t notice he had returned until she felt his soft lips on her forehead.  Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the smiling face of the beautiful prince.  “Hey beautiful.  Sorry it took so long.”  Ariel shrugged her shoulders and sat up to kiss him.

But he pulled away.  “Ariel, I can’t.”  She didn’t like that he looked so stressed.  She patted the empty area next to her and he jumped over her and landed on the soft mattress next to Ariel.  She placed her hand on his cheek and searched his face for an answer.

“I was just speaking with my father.  He said that I need to marry the neighboring princess.  I don’t even know who that is!  I don’t love her.  I love… never mind that.  But how does he expect me to love and marry a girl I don’t know?”

He looked into her eyes and felt a stabbing pain in his stomach when he saw how hurt she looked.  He sighed and said, “I just don’t know what to do.”  Ariel got out of the bed and started twirling around.  She didn’t know if what she was doing was the proper way to dance alone, but she desperately wanted to make her love happy.

He didn’t say anything, nor do anything.  He just sat there and watched Ariel dance as she tried to not show her pain.  “Ariel, I love that you’re dancing for me.  Please, never stop.  This is making me so happy.  Thank you.”  Ariel smiled and continued to dance, even though she was certain that her feet were bleeding.

She couldn’t handle the pain anymore so she went back to the bed and laid down next to Eric.  “Thank you so much.”  He kissed her forehead.  “I’m not going to marry her.  I can’t.”

Ariel left him so that he could get some sleep.  However, she was not tired and decided to visit the beach.

She silently stepped out of the large castle and let out a sigh as her feet touched the sand.  This was the first time that they did not hurt her when she walked.  She walked out to the edge and stepped into the water.  The coolness was refreshing.

She sat down and let her feet float in the water.  As she looked out to the sea, she noticed movement to her left.  She tried to make out what it was, but there was no moon to offer any light.  Then she saw the water moving restlessly around her.

Then she saw a head pop out of the water.  She gasped and it came closer.  “Ariel!  Ariel, it’s me, Shia!”  Ariel tried to greet her, but then quickly remembered that the sea-witch had her voice.

“What the hell are you doing?  Where have you been?  Where’s your tail?”  She cursed a few times and Ariel was appalled to hear her sister use these explicit words.  “Ariel! Answer me!  What’s wrong with you?”

Ariel sighed and tried to speak, to show her sister that it was impossible.  “What is going on?  Why can’t you speak?  Ariel, what have you done?”  Ariel looked her sister in the eyes and tried to explain using her hands what had happened.

“I understand.  I can’t believe you did this!  You don’t even realize what is going on down there!  Father has been freaking out.  Everyone has been searching for you, and many people thought that you were dead.  This boy better be worth it.”  Then Ariel told her sister about the prince, and the new news and what it possible meant for her.

“You’re not serious are you?  You are going to die because this idiot is going to marry someone else.  Are you really that naive?”  Ariel cringed at her sister’s cruelty, but knew that she was right.  She dropped her head between her knees and started to cry.

“Honey, it’ll be okay.  We’ll figure this out.  And, for the record, your legs look amazing!  I might have to get a pair.”  Ariel laughed because she knew that her sister was joking, but it made her feel better.  “Hang in there Ariel.  Everything will be okay.”

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Princes And Mermaids (Part IV) Thursday, Jun 14 2012

I want to dedicate this part to Pristine!  She has been my inspiration to keep this going and she is constantly forcing me to publish these things faster! If it weren’t for her, I would probably only post a part a week!  So this one is for you, Pristine! I hope you enjoy it :)

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Ariel dropped the bottle and it shattered as it hit the floor.  She clutched her stomach and started to gasp.  This was unlike any pain she had ever felt before.  She looked at her abdomen and tried to scream when she saw a sword protruding from her belly button.  But when she tried to scream, no sound came out.  She collapsed on the floor and started convulsing.  The wicked sea-witch was laughing hysterically, but her laugh wasn’t hoarse or scratchy, it was beautiful.  It sounded just like Ariel’s laugh, but Ariel was not paying attention to that.

She was kicking her tail violently, trying to escape the pain, but to no prevail.  She flipped onto her back and squeezed her eyes shut against the pain.  Her kicking tail split down the middle and Ariel’s eyes flew open.  She was astonished to she her tail now in two separate pieces, but it was still green shimmering.  With another flash of pain the scales disappeared, and in their place was smooth, flawless skin.

The pain started to subside and Ariel tried to get up, but found that she couldn’t swim as gracefully as when she had her tail.  She also started to notice an ache in her chest.  She started to take a breath in, but was quickly cut off by the rush of water entering her mouth.  She clutched her throat, gave the sea-witch one final glare, and swam as fast as she could out of the cave and up to the surface.

She felt herself slowly dying as she tried feverishly to get to the surface.  Just before it was too late, her head broke through the surface and she took in a huge breath.  She carefully tried to stay above the water, testing her legs with each kick.  She quickly became aware that she did not have anything covering her.

She spun around and found that she was closer to the shore than she had expected.  There was no one on the beach today, and Ariel thanked Poseidon for this small gift.  She slowly swam to the shore, keeping her head above the water, and kicking with separate legs.

When she reached the shore, she was exhausted.  She pulled herself out of the water and found a large, rough piece of cloth.  She wrapped it around herself and found a rope to tie around her waist.  She sat on the sand, still unsure of how to work her legs, and looked around the beach and thought, “Now what?”

She then heard a strange noise coming towards her, it sounded like a seal barking, but was deeper and a bit more intimidating.  She clumsily crawled behind a large rock and peeked over the edge.  The strange creature came bounding across the beach, jumping on four legs.  The barking noise continued as a human came walking behind it.  “Come on, Max.”

Ariel gasped as she saw the man.  Her heart skipped a beat and her hands grew clammy.  The animal stopped in its tracks and noisily sniffed the air.  It barked once more and came charging at Ariel.  She gasped and tried to scream, but again, it did not work.  The animal came up to her and jumped into her lap.  It started licking her face and panting as Ariel tried to push the beast off of her.  “Max!  Stop it!”  The beast jumped off of her and ran back to his human.

The man came around the rock and gasped as he saw the beautiful woman cowering against the rock.  “Who are you?  What are you doing here?  Are you okay?”  He knelt down to try to look her in the face but Ariel averted her eyes, embarrassed of her clothing.

He gently placed his hand under her chin and slowly raised her head to meet her eyes.  Ariel searched his face for any sign of cruelty, but all she could see was his striking features.  “What is your name?”  Ariel opened her mouth to answer him but no sound came out.  She slowly closed her mouth and lowered her eyes.  “You can’t speak?”  She shook her head and felt a tear slide down her cheek.  His thumb caught the tear before it fell and he whispered gently, “It’s okay, let me take you home with me and we’ll get you fixed up, okay?”

She nodded her head and accepted his waiting hand.  When he pulled her onto her feet, she took one careful step but collapsed with a gasp.  When she took the step, it felt as though she had walked on broken glass and the shards were sticking straight up.  The man grabbed Ariel before she fell to the ground and tried to right her again, but she collapsed again, unable to handle the pain.

“What’s wrong?”  Ariel pointed to her feet and scrunched up her face.  “It hurts to walk?”  She nodded her head and in one swift motion the human picked her up and cradled her in his arms.  “Max, come on buddy.”

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Ariel was astonished at the vast array of gowns.  There were shapes, sizes, colors, and fabrics that she had simply dreamed of.  She was overwhelmed by the dresses, but chose a simple green dress that reminded her of her tail.  The housemaid exclaimed that it was a beautiful dress and brought out the sea-green color of her eyes.

The housemaid’s name was Marlain, and she talked enough for herself and Ariel; and Ariel was fine with that since she couldn’t communicate with anyone.  Marlain left to room so that Ariel could get out of the tarp and into the rich dress.

She stepped out of the room and the woman gushed at how beautiful she was.  Ariel gave an embarrassed smile.  Marlain took Ariel’s hand and said, “Would you like to join the Prince for lunch?”  Ariel nodded her head vigorously and the woman led her to a large room with one very long table, and an overwhelming number of chairs.  The sea-castle was a mere shack compared to this palace.

She saw the Prince sitting at the head of the large table.  He was in a deep conversation with an older man sitting to his left.  She wanted to leave and not interrupt them, but Marlain still had a hold of her arm and was dragging her to the empty seat next to the Prince.

The Prince looked at Ariel and his face broke out into a smile.  He got up and offered his hand to her.  She didn’t know what to do with his hand so she grabbed it awkwardly and he shook it swiftly.  “I’m so pleased to have you join us!  Father, you won’t mind an extra guest, will you?”

The old man looked up from his bowl of red soup and smiled at the girl.  “Of course not, Eric.  What is her name?”  The man had lines all over his face, but Ariel could tell that he was once as handsome as his son.

“Her name… I’m not sure what her name is.  What is your name?”  Ariel opened her mouth, but nothing came out.  How do I tell him my name? she thought.  She looked at the man named Eric and tried to think of a way to show him what her name is.

Ariel didn’t know how to read or write but she knew how to pronounce her name and what it sounded like.  “Why isn’t she talking?  Are you mute, girl?”  Now the old man had an intimidating scowl on his face.  Ariel shyly nodded her head.  “Well, can you write?”  She answered with a shaking of her head.  The old man coughed and looked at his son.  “So how do we find out what her name is?”

“Uh, let’s try guessing some names.  If we’re close stick your tongue out, if we’re way off, shake your head.”  Ariel nodded her head and was excited for this game.

“Beth?”  Ariel shook her head.  “Victoria?  Emily?  Anne?”  At that last one, Ariel stuck out her tongue since it started with the same letter.  She held up one finger.  “The first letter is A?” She nodded her head and he started guessing what the second letter should be.  “Amy?  Alaine?”  Ariel continued to shake her head for she hadn’t heard the “r” sound yet.  She started to wave her hands and saw that Eric was enjoying the game as well.

“How about I start sounding out letters and you pick the one that sounds like your name?”  She nodded her head and he started.  “Al… An… Aw… Ar…” She stuck out her tongue and Eric let out a sound of excitement.  “Ar…” he looked to his father and asked him, “What kind of name starts with ar?”

“Ariel?” Ariel jumped out of her chair and ran around the table to hug the man.  He was startled but Ariel didn’t care, he had found her name!

Prince Eric was laughing joyously.  “So your name is Ariel?  How beautiful!”  Ariel turned to him and hugged him too.  His arms were strong as they lifted her off of the ground.  When he set her back down, the sharp pain came back.  It was just a numb pain before, but after having a moment of relief, the pain flooded back.  But she carefully walked back to her chair and sat down.

“So Ariel, how do you like the place?”

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Princes And Mermaids (Part III) Tuesday, Jun 12 2012

So, up until now, it has been pretty Disney.  However, I want to warn you, I am not basing this off of the Disney version, so it’s not going to be all singing fish and talking lobsters.  In this part, it will deviate from the Disney track, we’re taking the road less taken.  Enjoy :)

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Ariel had a restless night.  She tossed and turned inside the large clam shell that was her bed.  At around midnight she gave up sleep and kicked the clam open with her shimmering green tail.  She knew that Grandmother Harriet would be awake at this hour.

She silently swam down the hallway and noiselessly went out the door into the open ocean.  She swam past sleeping fish and sea creatures, until she came across the cave that housed Grandmother Harriet.  She wasn’t really Ariel’s grandmother, but everyone called her Grandmother Harriet and she accepted the title with pleasure.

Ariel swished her tail and entered the dark cave.  “Grandmother Harriet?” she called, unsure if Harriet was even in this cave.

Then an old voice shaky said, “Oh I know that voice.  Come to me child.”  Ariel was relieved to hear the old woman’s voice and quickly swam to her.  The cave was unusually light as she entered the spacious area that Harriet used as a room.  “What do you need, child?  How can I help a troubled mind?”

“Grandmother, I have a question about the humans… that live on the beach.  How much do you know about them?”  Ariel was nervous that her question was going to bring about other questions that she was not prepared to answer, but the old mermaid was wise and could sense that Ariel was not just simply curious.

“What do you want to know?”  The woman was the smartest mermaid in the entire ocean, but she loved to be very slow.  And this slowness was killing Ariel, so she hurriedly gave her reply.

“Do the people live forever?  I mean, I know that they can drown, but if they don’t, will they continue to live?”

The old mermaid sat patiently, studying Ariel.  She finally answered in a slow, calculated voice.  “My dear, do you know what happens to merfolk when they pass?”

“No, not really.”  Ariel felt foolish not knowing what happened to her own people when they died.

“When merfolk die, they turn into sea-foam and cease to exist.   However, we live for over 300 years and accept that our time has come to an end.  But the human’s live for a much shorter time.  What makes them exceedingly different from us is that they live forever in an eternal life, after they die.”  Ariel wasn’t sure she had heard that last part correctly.  She gave the woman a confused look and Harriet gave a slow sigh.

“A human will die in about 90 years, their human form will deteriorate, but their soul will live on.  Some call it heaven, others call it whatever they want, but they all live on.  Understand child?”

Ariel was not sure how she felt about this information, but she now knew that she was not wanting to be a mermaid any longer.  “Yes, grandmother, I understand.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“It has to be done,” she thought to herself as she swam to the uncharted areas of the ocean.  She had been thinking about what she would say to the sea-witch when face to face with her, but she could not have imagined what lay beyond the safety of the kingdom.

Outlaws and vermin were everywhere.  She quickly swam to where the sea-witch lived, having asked gate-man before she left.  She couldn’t bring herself to actually go in the cave, so she called from the edge.  “Ursula?  Are you here?”  Her voice was shaky and scared, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not control it.

“What!?”  Was the response she heard.  The voice was scratchy and harsh.  Ariel could see two beady eyes staring at her, and she lost what little confidence she had.  “What do you want?”  Now the voice was low and calculated.

“I… I am seeking your help.  I heard that you deal with the dark magics.”

“Hush!  How did you hear that?”  Ariel just shook her head, everyone knew that she was the sea-witch.  “Come in here, I may be able to help you, but for a price.”  Ariel was prepared to pay any fee, she had brought her shiniest pearls.  “What do you need done my dear?  You want to be popular?  No, I bet you already are.  You want a boyfriend? No, I’m sure you have many of those.”  Ariel was relieved that the witch did not recognize her.

“I want to be turned into a human,” she said more confidently than she felt.

Ursula stopped in her tracks.  She quickly spun herself around, her eight tentacles twirling around her like a dress.  “A human?  Why would you want to be a human?”  Ariel started to blush as she thought of the man.  “Oh, I see.  Well, we’ll see what we can do.”

Ariel was astonished at how nice this woman was.  She followed the woman closely and they emerged into a cramped opening.  “Sorry about the mess, I haven’t had company in quite a while.  Now, let’s see what we can do.”  She opened a cupboard and shuffled through the jars and boxes.

She came to a table and set down many jars.  Ariel stayed at the entrance of the room, unsure of where to go.  “Now, we need to talk about your payment.”  Ariel reached for the money purse, but Ursula held up one bony hand.  “No, I have no use for your money.  You want to be a human, and I want your voice.”

Ariel gasped.  “But, if you take my voice, how am I to communicate with the humans?”  The octopus shrugged her shoulders.  “Is there anything else you want?”  This time she shook her head.  Ariel looked down at her hands, clutching the money purse, and surprised herself when she said, “Okay.  I’ll give you my voice.”

“Splendid!  Now sing.”  Ariel did as she was told and did not stop singing until Ursula had taken her entire voice.  She wanted to cry, but held her composure.  “Good girl, now you will be a human.  But, there’s a bit of a stipulation… once you become a human, you will never be able to return to the sea.  Drinking this potion will make you feel as if a sword is being passed through your stomach, but when you recover you will have two beautiful legs, and will be able to dance like no human has ever danced before, kind of like your singing.  However, it will constantly feel like you are walking on sharp swords, hard enough to make you bleed, but you won’t actually bleed. In addition, you will only get a soul if you find true love’s kiss and if man loves you and marries you, then a part of his soul will flow into you. Otherwise, at dawn on the first day after your true love marries another woman, you will die brokenhearted and disintegrate into sea-foam.  And, I know who your true love is.  Come, look here.”

Ariel was still trying to digest the information the sea-witch had given her.  She had tricked her! Ariel did not know that this would come with stipulations!  She scowled at the woman but looked into the murky ball sitting on a small table.  As she continued to look, a face started to appear.  It didn’t take long for Ariel to recognize the face.

She first noticed the perfect nose, then the beautiful blue eyes, black hair, sweet smile.  It was the man from the ship.  Ariel’s mouth grew into a large smile and the sea-witch laughed.  “Good luck sweetheart.  This is Prince Eric.  You two are meant to be together, but humans don’t always follow fate.  You’re going to have to make him love you.”

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