A woman stalked around the corner, smirking. "Hello, Athena," She crooned. Athena glared. "What do you want, witch?!" She snapped. "I see we're all for the pleasantries still," Ursula leaned to the left, sneering. She waved her hand. With a moan, all of Athena's daughters dropped to the ground, out cold. She gasped. "What have you done?!" She yelled. Ursula cackled and waved her hand again. With a bright glow, they all turned into mermaids again. Athena watched in horror. Ariel was the only one spared from the curse. "Ursula, they'll die! What are you doing!?"

If a mermaid, obviously without the ability to turn into a human (of which was only available to royal blood), were to be kept out of the water, they would die when their tail dried up.

"Leverage," Ursula sniffed. Athena glared. "What leverage? We haven't done anything to you!" She stepped away from her children, hoping to direct Ursula's attention. The witch's gaze followed her lazily. She hoped Ariel had at least discussed how dangerous it was for a mermaid to be without water to Eric... otherwise, her girls would be in serious trouble. "No... but she has," Athena followed her finger. "Ariel? What did she do, Ursula?" Athena asked. She "looked" at her youngest, nodding to the lagoon. She caught Eric's eye, who nodded with a determined face.

Athena steeled her face. "What did she do, Ursula?" The witch rolled her eyes. "Well, where to begin! She sighed a contract stating that if she could get true love's kiss from Princey-boy over there within three, then she would retain her legs as a reward," Athena walked further around so when Ursula faced her, she wouldn't see the fast progress Eric was making in saving her girls.

"Right... but no deal you make is that beneficial... what did you demand?" Athena snapped. Ursula cackled loudly. "You're good, you're very good," Athena narrowed her eyes. "Oh... well, the condition of such a deal was her voice." Athena blinked in shock. "Her voice? Why on Earth would you want her voice?" She asked.

Eric lowered Adella into the water, next to Attina and Alana, shushing them as he stepped away once more.

"Well I couldn't have her going to princey all dopey-eyed, could I? There'd be no point in the contract!" Ursula said as though the two were old pals.

Which, in a way, they were. But that's a story for another time.

"What the little tramp failed to say was she had a history with him already, can you believe it?" She scoffed. Athena bristled. "Do not call my daughter a tramp," She hissed. Ursula snorted. "Would you rather me call her a skapáni*?" Athena slapped her. "How dare you?" She hissed. Eric lowered Andrina into the water, waving at Athena behind the witch's back.

Ursula glowered but didn't say anything else on the matter. "Either way," She sniffed, the glare not leaving. "She violated the contract in her own way, so I came to deal with it personally," Athena took a breath to steady her emotions. If she let her anger get out of control, there's no telling the damage she'd do. Athena, like her daughters, had power over the ocean. She could summon any size wave, from surfer height to tsunami height with just one sentence.

"How did she violate it, hmm? She couldn't tell Eric that she knew him could she? You took her voice, which means you knew of her history with him,"

Ursula cackled. She suddenly flung her hand out, still cackling. Athena watched in horror as Eric was suspended in midair. "Don't try and sneak up on me again," She hissed.

Athena watched as his body collided against a wall with a sickening crunch.

"Ursula! Why are you doing this? Nobody violated anything!" Athena cried. Ursula placed a finger to her lip, frowning. She hummed. Athena sighed, exasperated. "Look, I'm a fair person, I'd like to say. So I have another proposition, hmm?" Athena narrowed her eyes. "What proposition?" Ursula smirked evilly and displayed the contract Ariel signed. "An amendment, of sorts. To gain her voice back, fully, and keep her legs, she will need his hand in marriage."

Athena almost laughed. "Fine. Give me a quill, and I'll sign it for her," Ursula tutted. "Nah, see, here's the fine print, which your darling child forgot to read."

"If you are to sign in, you are not to say a word about it. You will turn back into your fishy form should you even sign about it!" Athena's spirit wasn't altered. "Fine, give me a quill," She snapped. Ursula cackled once more. "Also, she has four days from sunrise tomorrow," Athena's heart fell. "You cannot propose to somebody in four days! It's impossible!" She cried. "You and my dear brother did!" Ursula snapped. Athena hesitated. "That... was different. We knew each other from birth, and it was long arranged,"

"I see no difference. Your daughter and the prince have known each other since childhood, have they not?" Ursula countered. Athena hesitated. "Well... yes, but they weren't ever betrothed and have only just recently developed feelings for each other!" She exclaimed. Ursula shrugged. "I'm not changing the offer. Either you sign, and your darling teenager has a chance at her voice and legs again, or you don't, and she becomes mine for violating the contract. Your choice," She snarled, grinning viciously. Athena cast a look over to her girls, still out cold from whatever Ursula's spell was.

With a resigned sigh, she held out her hand.

Ariel woke to somebody tapping her shoulder. She groaned and swatted the hand. "Ariel, my love, wake up," She blearily opened her eyes. "Mom?" She croaked. While her voice was back enough for her to croak and whisper, she still couldn't talk properly. "Yes, my love, how are you? Are you ok?" Ariel pushed herself up into sitting, sighing when she saw her legs. She nodded. "Do you speak sign?" She croaked. Thankfully, her mom nodded. "Yes, my love. If it hurts to speak, sign and I will translate it for you,"

Ariel readied her hands to sign when Andrina spoke from behind. "Oooh, what's up with him?" Ariel followed her eyes. Her eyes widened. "Eric!" She shouted. She scrambled up onto her feet and rushed over to his crumpled form. Her throat stung, but she pushed it aside. She didn't matter at the moment: only he did. Her mother shouted from behind, but Ariel ignored her. She dropped to her knees, pressing her fingers into his neck.

Ba-dum
Ba-dum
Ba-dum

She sighed. "Ariel, now's your chance! Leave him and come home!" Alana said. She turned with a frown. She looked at her mom and signed.

Her mom sighed. "Alana, she can't. The deal she made with Ursula means she doesn't have her tail. She either completes the deal and is free to be human or mermaid, or she breaks the deal, and becomes Ursula's property,"

Her sisters audibly gasped. Just then, Eric groaned loudly from behind. Ariel spun to face him, allowing her mother to speak with her sisters. "Are you ok?" She whispered. He sat up, groaning softly, clutching his head. "Ugh, yeah, I think so... what happened? Are you ok?" She smiled softly. She nodded. "Yeah, my mom's sorted it."

Eric smiled back. "Good... that's good." Ariel followed his gaze to her sisters, chuckling softly. "So you weren't kidding about having six sisters, huh?" She shook her head, grinning. She scanned his face, about to speak, when- "Oh, Aquata, your legs!" Ariel immediately turned, concerned. Aquata's legs were an array of different colours of purple, the colour of bruises. "Hey, Ariel," She craned her head, not breaking her stare to her older sister. "If you want, and if your mom wants, I can get them checked over by the palace doctor and give them a place to sleep tonight,"

She turned to meet his own concerned face. "Really?" She whispered. He nodded and grabbed her hands.

Seahorses fluttered in her stomach, sending a hot blush to her cheeks. "They might need to stop by the shop first... they can't walk through town in just a bra and skirt."

~

Ariel smiled at her mom as she displayed the bag of dresses. Eric held the other in his free hand, with one wrapped around Ariel's neck for stability. When Ursula tossed him into the wall, he sprained his ankle, so Ariel insisted on helping him. "What are those?" Athena asked, smiling. "I made a run to the shop for them." Said Eric as he passed his bag to Athena. She opened it curiously. "They're dresses. Or, covers for the girls. Ariel said um... I apologise, the one with the blue skirt, injured her legs, so I would like to extend my hospitality to you all tonight," Ariel smiled at her mom's stunned expression. "I will have the finest doctor examine them, while my chef will provide them with a hearty meal, and my maids will run them baths and prepare their bed chambers if you wish,"

Ariel nodded at her mom frantically, grinning. Athena pulled out three dresses, a purple one, an orange one and a red one. Ariel pointed to Andrina, Attina and Arista. "Ariel told me their favourite colours, so I bought dresses in those colours..." Eric rubbed his neck. "It might not be a tail, but I thought it'd help a little,"

Athena stood up and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," She said, earnestly. Ariel beamed. She handed her mom the other bag which held the dresses for Alana, Aquata and Adella.

Not too long after, all six Atlantican princesses were suitably dressed and on their way to the palace. Athena walked at the back with Aquata, while Eric lead the front, supported by Ariel. "Are you sure you're ok? You're not hurt like your sister?" He asked quietly. Ariel looked up at him with a smile. She shook her head. "I wish I could properly speak to you," She whispered. Eric squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. I'm just happy you're here with me, alive and healthy."

She grinned.

Upon the assistance of Eric, Ariel was checked alongside her sisters, for which Athena was grateful. Despite Ariel being seemingly unaffected, who knows what Ursula could have pulled. Once Athena was deemed fit and healthy, she sat in the dining hall with the prince. "So, you're Ariel's mother, Athena?" He began, sipping something. Athena examined her own beverage. White clouds unfurled from the cup, piquing her curiosity. "Yes, what is this?" She asked. "The tea?" Athena nodded slowly. "Hmm... tea. We do not have this in Atlantica, which I assume Ariel has told you about." He nodded back. "Yes, I have heard many a tale about her home, but do not worry, only I know. Neither of us have spoken about it to anyone,"

Athena smiled. "Thank you... we do not want to expose our existence to anybody, though I am rather upset she has told you," Athena picked up the hot cup. "Oh, no, I used to know about mermaids when I was a young boy. My father often times told me my mother was good friends with one, though he never knew her name." He took another sip. "They apparently used to meet in the lagoon from earlier,"

Athena's eyes widened. "Was your mother's name Liliana, perchance?" Eric frowned. "Yes... why?" Athena acted nonchalantly. "No particular reason, just the news of her tragic passing reached us, even down in Atlantica,"

Athena took a sip of her tea, surprised at the taste. It was like nothing she'd ever had before... and it was incredible! She blinked at the prince, realising he'd been talking to her. "Pardon?" He chuckled. "It's amazing how much you and Ariel have in common," He smiled.

Athena felt her heart warm. He spoke of Ariel the same way she used to speak of Triton. His face only brightened when the former entered the room, clad in all pink. Athena smiled at her youngest and watched fondly as the prince awkwardly made his way over, despite his obvious limp, and take Ariel's hand in his own. He led her to a chair, pulled it out, and pushed it back in again, smiling the whole time. Athena felt her heart drop suddenly. What if he didn't propose to Ariel within four days? What would happen to her littlest mermaid?

Athena didn't give herself too much time on it and plastered a fake smile on when her elder six daughters stumbled through dressed in gowns that matched their favourite colours.

~

Athena wandered around the halls of the East Wing. Eric had been kind enough to lend each of the girls a room of their own, complete with a thing he called a bath and a large bed. He stuck, what Ariel called, a piece of paper on their doors with their names on it, so if any chose to have a walk during the night, or while he slept, they could easily find each other.

Aside from Attina, who was too worried to sleep, the others had fallen asleep over an hour ago. Athena was trying to find the room Ariel was in. She had to find a way to talk to her, even if it was in sign language. Near the very bottom was a faint flickering light. Athena crept towards it silently, having forgone her heels hours ago. She peered around the doorframe, surprised to see both Ariel and Eric in there.

Athena didn't know the rules and customs of his kingdom, but in Atlantica, it was forbidden to be in a woman's bedchambers, unchaperoned. Aside from other women, obviously. She listened. Her face turned into a deep frown upon her youngest's soft cries. Athena poked her head around once more, and seeing their backs to her, decided to lean against the frame and watch.

"God, I was so stupid to make that deal! That witch is gonna get out of it!" She cried. Athena listened carefully. Despite Ariel winning her true love's kiss, only part of her voice had returned, just enough for her to whisper. "Honestly? It wasn't the best idea," Eric replied, rubbing her shoulder. Athena frowned. Helpful. She thought sarcastically. "But you did it with good intentions... it's not your fault she decided to change the terms after you'd signed it, that's on her,"

Athena blinked in shock.

"Yeah, I know... but... still, she's now coming after my sisters and mom... they had nothing to do with this, Eric... if she hurts them, I'll never be able to live with myself," Athena swallowed back tears. "Well... that's part of the reason I had them stay here tonight. I've doubled up the guards for this evening and locked their balcony doors. There's not a chance she will get in, ok?" Athena sighed softly. "Try to get some sleep. I'm only across the hall, so if you need me, just knock, ok?" He whispered gently.

Athena couldn't stand to hear anymore, so she walked as quickly as she could back to her bedroom. She closed the door with a soft click and dropped onto the bed.

There was no way Ursula was going to win this... not as long as Athena was alive. She sighed. If her husband managed to get Ariel back, he would ban her from seeing this prince... which Athena would have backed up herself less than a week ago. But now, seeing their love?

No, Athena was going to fight to keep them together, no matter what she has to do, or who she has to hurt.

Translation from the earlier star - where Ursula is slagging Ariel off.

*skapáni - hoe in Greek

I figured, what with being the granddaughter of Poseidon (if you follow that Triton is Poseidon's son path, which in Grecian Mythology he is) then they know Latin and Greek for that reason.

Until next time! Kisses.