[rd][fic][The Little Mermaid] Love Sought
Love Sought
by K. Stonham
first released 25th December 2012
Patting Flash one last time on the muzzle, Ariel left the stables. The giant seahorse was one of the fastest in Atlantica, but even so it had been very, very late at night by the time they reached the palace grounds. She stifled a huge yawn now, hand ladylike over her mouth, as she swam into the grand pearl-and-coral structure. Hardly anyone was awake at this hour, and the bioluminescent lamps cast pools of soft blue-green light fading into darkness. But she didn't fear the dark, would know her way around the palace blindfolded. Which was fortunate, as her eyes kept drifting shut.
It had been a very long mission to the Baltic, and a grueling diplomatic series of exchanged proposals to settle down the local warfare between the starfish and the clams. But eventually she'd hammered out a workable treaty, and hopefully both sides would stick to it. She really didn't want to have to go back anytime soon.
It was by rote instinct that she made her way to the room she had long shared with her sisters - five, now; Andrina had married and moved into her own suite with her husband - and found her bed. Ariel's eyes drifted shut to the familiar music of her sisters' breathing, and her last thought was how true it was, that nothing was ever more comfortable than one's own seabed.
* * *
"Shh, let her sleep." The voice was Arista's. "I don't even know how late she got in last night."
"'M awake," Ariel mumbled.
"Look what you did!" scolded another voice, Alana. There was a shifting of weight on Ariel's seaweed mattress, and a hand on her hair. She blinked her eyes open enough to see her nearest sister sitting next to her. "You should go back to sleep, dear."
Ariel sighed. "I was sleeping, until you all decided to be noisy." Still groggy, she pushed herself up and out from under her sister's petting hands. "I should get up and go report in to Daddy."
"Daddy can wait." Aquata swam up and poked Ariel in the stomach. "You've lost weight. I know the Baltic food is bad, but you should have at least found something edible there!" She paused as Ariel swatted her hand away. "Tell me they remembered to feed you."
"I was busy. I didn't have time to waste on silly things like meals, not if I wanted to get back in time for Andrina's birthday."
"Ariel, food is important. I know it might not seem like it, but...."
"I am fine, Alana." Ariel pushed off from her bed and headed for the mirror. "I got here in time for the party, and I promise I'll eat plenty today. Especially if Merida is making sea-cakes for the festivities!" Picking up her fork, she glared at her sisters' reflections until they let go of the point.
Combing her hair in the sudden silence, Ariel sighed. She loved her sisters, really she did, but they had a tendency to be overbearing en masse. "You know," she said, changing the subject as a peace offering, "I think Flash and I might have broken the Baltica-Atlantica speed record last night...."
"Oh!" Arista perked up. "When did you leave? What route did you take? Isn't Flash magnificent?"
Smiling, Ariel began to recount the tale of her midnight ride.
* * *
Andrina's party was, as to be expected, magnificent. Ariel had picked up a long strand of tiny, tiny pinky-purple pearls in Baltica, and gave them to her sister as a gift. Andrina immediately strung them in her hair. They matched her favorite hair shells perfectly; both giver and receiver were delighted.
Merwyn, Andrina's husband, was still getting used to living at the palace, but he was slowly starting to relax, Ariel thought, watching as he smiled and adjusted the pearls so they hung better. He murmured something low in Andrina's ear, making her laugh and smack him on the arm. Ariel wondered if anyone else really noticed the dolphin trainer's gradual change, or if it was just obvious to her eyes as she was gone so often. He loved Andrina, that was clear to anyone with eyes, but his new status as a princess' husband made him uncomfortable.
"Ariel."
Turning, she gasped in delight. "Flounder!" She hugged her friend. "I thought you weren't going to be able to make it!"
He smiled. "I'm sneaking out of classes."
"How very daring and rebellious of you!"
"Well, I kind of did arrange it with the professor beforehand...."
Ariel laughed. "That's just like you. So, how goes university?"
"Oh, you know." He bobbled in the water, a piscine version of a shrug. "Nothing exciting, nothing new. No excursions to shark-filled waters."
"Sounds positively boring."
"It is!" Flounder sounded pleased. He paused, though, eyes darting right then left. Assured that the coast is clear, he darted up and whispered in her ear, "Scuttle has something for you."
Eyes wide, Ariel couldn't think for a moment. Scuttle had faithfully acted as her courier of small gifts to Eric, reminders that though they could not be together, the prince still held her heart. But... every time Eric sent her something back, it always threw her for a loop. His gifts were never very large, but they were obviously carefully chosen. A tiny, exquisite carving of his castle. Sheet music that he had somehow waterproofed. And once, her favorite, a trio of peaches. She'd shared them with Scuttle and Flounder, relishing the sweet, thick juices.
"I'll... go see him later," she replied softly. "Do you want to come?"
"Ha, can't," Flounder replied. "I have a two-weed essay on 'Time and Tide' to write out. You have fun, though."
* * *
The red-headed merprincess surfaced with a splash. It was a sound Scuttle had been waiting for, ever since Flounder had visited a couple days before and told him Ariel's schedule.
"Nice party, kiddo?" he asked as she swam toward him. He sometimes wondered what it was like, down there in the merkingdom. It was something he was unlikely to ever know. Even assuming there were any witches around who could give him a glimpse, Scuttle knew enough about their kind to know the prize was never, ever worth the price.
Ariel grinned. "The best party." She held something up. "I sneaked a sea-cake for you."
"Oh, kiddo, you know how I love those things."
"Anything for you, Scuttle."
"Truly, you are a pearl among princesses." Before he could forget, however, Scuttle dragged Prince Eric's present out of the rocky niche where he'd stashed it. "And from your beloved, this gift."
Ariel's eyes lit up even as Scuttle unwrapped his own package. Oh, hello sea-cake! He watched as, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth, Ariel carefully undid the intricate (and a little silly, Scuttle thought) wrappings the prince had put around the package. Eventually, she lifted the lid off the small box inside.
"So what'd he send you?"
She pulled a shiny chain out of the box. "A... necklace, maybe?" Ariel tried it around her throat, then shook her head. "No, it's too small."
"Let me look." Scuttle waddled over. "Ah, this would be a wristlace!" he declared, recognizing its purpose.
"A wristlace?"
"Like a necklace, but for your wrist," he informed her. "Ooh, nice charms!" Dangling from the delicate gold chain were a number of miniature items. He recognized a dinglehopper and a snarfblatt right off.
Ariel fingered them. "Shoes," she murmured, "and a horse and cart... a rowboat." She fell very quiet for a moment. "I miss him," she confessed.
"He misses you too," Scuttle reported, laying gentle feathers on her head, patting her hair. "Word has it that the prince is refusing to marry, ever. It's been a couple years, but the whole town's still buzzing about the mystery mermaid who stole his heart."
Huge blue eyes looked up at him. "I didn't want him to not move on, Scuttle."
"Oh, Sweetie." Scuttle couldn't help but feel sorry for the two would-be lovers, separated by the surface of the ocean. "That runs two ways. Don't you think I can see you haven't moved on either?"
*~*~*
Author's Note: The title is from Twelfth Night, "Love sought is good, but given unsought is better." And, yes, I couldn't help co-opting Merida from Brave's name. It's too perfect a name for a mermaid. The first three parts may be found by clicking either The Little Mermaid tag, or the Disney Princesses tag. Happy Christmas!