Attina paced anxiously in her room. At her suggestion of Ariel visiting Ursula, her father blew up and sent her away. Her mom had tried to defend her, but her dad refused to listen, insisting they doubled up the search parties. "Tina?" She turned and sighed at Alana's entry. "Hey..." She rubbed her head. "Ignore dad, he's just worried." She tried. Attina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, that's no excuse to take it out on me... I was only trying to help,"

She dropped onto her bed. "We've all lost her, Alana... why does he get to be the only one that can be upset?" Alana sighed. She knew Attina had a particularly close bond with the littlest mermaid, so it was hitting her hard. "Come on Tina... you know how he thinks. Give mom some time, she'll talk to him,"

Attina sighed heavily. "Yeah, well... we'll see,"

~

Attina swam into the dining hall, refusing to make eye contact with her father. She sat, dignified, as her dinner was presented. All six sisters, plus their parents, ate their food in utter silence. Until: "Are we just gonna pretend that she's not here?"

Attina glared in the direction of the blue-finned mermaid. "Don't look at me like that Attina. We're all thinking it!" Aquata snapped. "How can we sit here, and eat our food, while she might be in trouble, or worse, hurt?" She continued. Attina turned her glare to her food. "Aquata, sit. If she thought with her head, and not her fins, then she'd still be here," Her father spoke evenly. Attina rolled her eyes, blushing when her mom coughed pointedly. "I have a proposition to make," Andrina announced, swimming up.

Attina sighed softly. Here we go... she thought. "Oh? And what is your proposition, Andrina?" Her father asked, biting into some kelp. "I want to help the searches. Just around the palace and the city," Attina frowned. Why did Andrina want to help? Sure, she was close to Ariel, but as far as people go, Andrina was one to save her skin far quicker than any of the others. "It might not be a bad idea, my love," Athena spoke gently. "And why is that? Hmm? What if that cursed sea witch is involved? She has enough tentacles for our daughters, Athena," Her father snapped.

Attina would never get over how calm her mom was. She seemed to ignore his childish outbursts, and calm them with her voice. "The girls know Ariel better than anybody else in the kingdom. They're more likely to know where she is, over some guards who have maybe spoken two words to her,"

Triton frowned as he stroked his beard. "You know they're going to do it anyway, so why not just allow them, hmm? Save the drama?" Attina raised her eyebrows in a poorly concealed sigh. "Fine. But, you will go with them. I will stay here, and command the outer searches."

~

"Girls," Attina mumbled and swatted in the water. "Go 'way," She grumbled. "Girls!" Attina rubbed her eyes. "Mom?" She asked. "Shush, wake your sisters. I have to show you something... quickly though," Attina instantly sobered up to her mom's serious voice and began shaking her siblings awake.

"Quick, come with me. Quietly!" Athena hissed. She, followed by Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina, swum through the palace and out towards the East. "Where're we going, mom?" Andrina moaned from the back. "Shush, and just follow me," Athena said over her shoulder.

It was then that Attina noticed how close they were to the sand bank. "Uh... mom?" She asked. Athena glanced around. "Girls, I think I know where Ariel is... and I think she's in that castle there," She pointed and swam up. Attina exchanged a look with Alana. All six sisters swam up to the surface. Thankfully, it was night, and the moon was high. "It's a nice castle," Adella said. Their mom looked around once more. "Ok, there's one way we're gonna get her, and I need to know if you trust me,"

They all voiced their unyielding faith. "Ok... drag yourselves up onto the sand. I know it hurts, but just trust me."

Ariel sighed heavily. Well... silently. She brushed her hair with her eyes shut. Poseidon knows what's wrong with him. She was enjoying the sunset (on the first eve...) listening to the dolphin's chatter. Eric had arrived shortly after, bringing up the strawberries up that Ariel had forgotten. Maybe he did remember something... she thought to herself. When she could speak, she often vocalised her love for the pink berries. So much so, that Eric asked Louis to make her a strawberry tart. But then he'd stumbled out soon after, mumbling to himself.

He was strange sometimes.

She grabbed a hair tie from the small table to her left and began braiding her hair. Carlotta had taught her to braid when she was last here, and Ariel made it a habit to practise until she could do it perfectly. A breeze of the sea hit her face. She frowned at the clouds, slightly surprised when they greyed even further and began to dribble rain.

It was common knowledge that the children of the sea had aquatic powers. Not nearly as much as Triton, or Poseidon, or any of the large rules or gods, but nonetheless. Ariel huffed softly to herself. She assumed that with her legs came the lack of powers... but apparently not.

It was rather interesting that each of her sisters had a different power from the other. Attina could control the waves and the currents under the surface, Alana could manipulate the coral reeves, Adella had power over sea-mist and slight terrain manipulation and Aquata was as powerful as Attina, hence her name, and could control the waves, currents below and above the surface.

The rest of them were as, if not more, powerful than the first four, surprising everyone in Atlantica. Usually the firstborn had the most power, but no. Not in their case. Arista could control the waves and gales, Andrina could summon earthquakes, and Ariel had the power to summon a storm as powerful as the trident. They could all communicate with the animals, and even some horses, interestingly enough.

She frowned deeper at the clouds, smiling slightly when the rain came down a bit quicker. She leant back into the chair, rubbing her eyes forcefully. Best stop before it grew out of control... not that that had ever happened. Aside from one time, when she was younger. Eric's father had died rather tragically, so he turned to Ariel for comfort. She was caught above the surface by none other than her father, who berated her and made her feel stupid. In a rage, she summoned a storm so huge, that it levelled a few small islands and caused a barely stopped tsunami.

Yeah. So the fallout from that was interesting.

~

She woke the next morning, still in the chair. Her back ached painfully as she sat up. Hmm... must've fallen asleep in it. "Ma'am? Are you out there?" Ariel smiled at Carlotta as she peaked through the doors. She smiled fondly. "Oh, you poor dear. You must've been so tired you fell asleep in the chair! Oh, come now. Let's get you ready for breakfast... Eric will be understanding... he didn't get much sleep either,"

Ariel frowned, cocking her head. "Oh, probably a migraine. He's gotten a lot since his father passed. He'll be ok though," Ariel nodded. Yeah, she had migraines before. They SUCKED.

She sat there in a comfortable since while Carlotta brushed out her braid and redid it neater. "I was thinking the blue dress today," She said. Ariel turned with a smile and a nod. "Good. I heard Eric's planning on taking you into the town today," Ariel grinned widely. Carlotta chuckled. "Off you go then. Pop your dress on and head down to the dining hall. Breakfast's served,"

Ariel rushed down, nearly tripping down the stairs as she went. She took her seat, and note of the prince she loved. She tapped his hand.

You ok?

She signed. Eric frowned. Right... he didn't speak sign language.

With a sigh, she pointed to him, then put her thumbs up. He chuckled. "Ah. Yes, I'm fine. Just tired." She nodded. She ate her dinner in silence, knowing that he had a migraine, and the best cure for those was silence and water. "Mm, I was thinking of heading to the lagoon before we head to the town today. The beach will be busy, so we'll have it to ourselves," Ariel nodded with a grin.

~

So, an hour later, they were in the lagoon, swimming around. Carlotta found a bathing suit of an old maid for Ariel to use, while Eric was in his trunks. She eased herself into the water and felt it envelop her body. She tipped back and drifted around. "You're a natural swimmer, Ariel," Eric said. She jumped at his voice, suddenly by her ear. He laughed loudly. Ariel flicked water at him, giggling silently.

Eric rubbed his head. The migraine persisted with a loyalty man would die for. Swimming around in the lagoon with Ariel seemed to ease the pressure a little. As he sat there, watching as she swam around naturally, the migraine worsened. He thought back to last night. There was definitely something familiar about this person. The way her hair formed a halo around her head, the way she ate the strawberries, her ocean-like eyes, hell, even the way she walked.

Eric grabbed the piece of paper out of his pocket. He'd written her name for some reason, alongside three random statements.

First meeting. We were both six and ate some of my birthday cake. I promised that she'd be my queen.
Dress fitting. Eloise's homemade pink gown, that she fell in love with. We ate some pastries by the water fountain, where she danced with some children.
The sunset. Where I asked her to be my partner, to move on to my wife, and my Queen. The way her eyes sparkled in the sunset.

Somehow, a small part of him shouted, Ariel was that she in those statements. But how... when he didn't know her... at all. He sighed loudly. He put a stone on the paper and dropped into the lagoon. He swam over to her, grinning when she jumped.

He met her eyes. She smiled. His gaze drifted to her lips. She didn't move. Taking the moment, he leant forward and captured her lips in his own.

A strange tingling overcame his entire body. She was this person! She was the lady he wanted to marry! She was his Ariel!

He pulled back, smiling. She smiled back. He leant forward again when-

"STOP!"

Ariel spun in the direction of the voice. She felt Eric's hands tighten around her waist. "I'm not letting you go again," He whispered. She tapped her throat. Cleared it. "Mom," She tried. Croaky, and very very painful, but it was there. "Mom?" Eric asked. "Her," Ariel pointed to the lady in the fancy purple dress. "You swim away from her right now!" Ariel grabbed his shoulders, shaking her head. Eric leant to her ear. "Perhaps we should swim over, at the very least?"

On the condition Ariel could hold his hand, she agreed. "Ariel! What are you doing here! Your father took your legs away!" Athena snapped. She leaned into Eric's ear. He nodded. "She says her throat hurts too much to speak out loud, so I'll speak for her,"

One of the ladies with a pink flower scoffed. "She says... it doesn't matter what daddy did, I'm here, and I'm not leaving," He spoke. The woman, who looked an awful lot like Ariel, sighed loudly. "You must be Eric," She sighed. He nodded. "Yes," He bowed. "If Ariel is a princess, that must mean you are her mother, the Queen,"

Athena blinked in surprise. "Uh... yes. I am..." She stuttered. He wasn't what she expected. "Um... Give... give her to me. We need to go home," She finally said. Ariel leant into his ear. He spun with a deep frown. "I didn't think you were being serious about that! Ariel! That's a huge risk! What if I forgot!"

Athena watched with curious eyes as this human seemed to chew Ariel out for making an irresponsible decision. "Um... what is he doing?" Aquata whispered. Andrina shrugged. "I dunno, but he's chewing her a new one," She giggled. Ariel rolled her eyes with a sigh. She gestured angrily towards the group of seven women. "Um... she says that her deal isn't up for another two sunsets."

"Deal?" Attina asked. Athena already knew where it was heading. With ears unlike the average human, she heard a shlop.

"Yes," Somebody crooned. Athena stood in front of her six daughters. She watched as Eric pushed Ariel behind him protectively. "Mom?" Arista whispered. "Shush," Adella snapped. A woman dressed in black stepped around the corner.

"Ursula," Athena hissed.