Head over fins

"ARIEL?!" Sabastian shrieked, throwing his hands up to cover his eyes, and quickly turned away from her. He peeked over his shoulder through his fingers taking in her new form in stunned disbelief. "You... you have legs... and you're naked!"

Ariel giggled. "Yeah, isn't it amazing? I got the idea from talking to Auntie." Her sparkling eyes moved to him. "I'm sure you could as well."

He turned back away from her, his cheeks burning with his embarrassment. "And be naked too? I'll pass." He risked another glance over his shoulder as she continued to examine her new form. "Besides... why would I want to? The surface world has nothing more interesting than what we have down below."

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Well, there are plenty of things I want to explore here." She arched a brow at him. "So, if you're not coming with me, I shall be on my way." She took her first unsteady steps, stumbling as she did so.

Sabastian's eyes bugged. "You're going like that?!"

Ariel looked herself over once again. "Well... It's not like there are clothes just laying around... So... I guess I have no choice in the matter."

Sabastian darted forward and caught her arm. "You said Ursula was the one who gave you the idea, right? Well, couldn't we ask her for proper attire?"

Ariel stroked her chin. "Well... I suppose... But we're already here..." She shrugged, a gleeful smile spreading across her lips. "We might as well explore the beach, right?" When he began to protest, she stopped him. "Look around, there's no one to see us."

Sabastian groaned. "Fine..." He focused all his energy on his fins for several long minutes. "Um... Ariel... Nothing's happening... How... how did you get it to change?"

She rubbed her chin again. "Well, I just thought it..." She stumbled back over toward him. "Perhaps you're not wishing it hard enough."

He nodded, then closed his eyes focusing even harder on his tail. After a little while longer he peeked out from one squinted eye. "Did it work?"

Ariel pursed her lips. "No... It didn't..." She ran her hand over his fins as she examined him closely. "I don't understand... Auntie said she and momma both... So, I'd assumed we all could."

Sabastian looked away as his cheeks heated again. "Y... you shouldn't be so forward with a man... you know."

Ariel chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing you aren't a man. Isn't it."

His eyes widened as he turned back to face her. He caught her hand that was still pressed to his fin and tugged her closer. "But I am-"

A slight commotion on shore caught their attention, interrupting his words. Ariel's breath caught as a man and an animal came running out onto the open beach. She tugged her hand from Sebastian as she began walking forward, entranced by the familiar face. "It's him..."

Sebastian caught her hand again and gave it a firm tug. "Ariel, no! It could be dangerous! You know nothing of these humans, and they nothing of us!"

She pulled her hand away, ignoring him as she moved forward. "And I never shall if I remain here." She stumbled forward, pain stinging her feet and legs the closer to land she got. Once she was out of the water, she couldn't maintain balance and tumbled to the sand.

Sabastian's breath caught as he was forced to watch the scene play out in front of him. She'd gotten the attention of the man and the beast, and they were both moving toward her now. He covered a gasp with his hand as the large creature reached her first and then the man. Sabastian lowered deeper into the waters. "What do I do..." He muttered to himself as he watched, frozen in fear.

Ariel giggled as the strange creature began licking her face. She reached out and ran her fingers through its long soft fur. Her heart beat furiously against her chest as the man she'd plucked from the water several weeks ago drew nearer. He called out, and the creature pulled away from her and ran back to him. She nervously drew her legs closer to her body and brushed her hair over her chest, covering herself as best as she could. She smiled invitingly up at him as he neared, but she couldn't make out any of the words he was saying.

The man tilted his head as he lowered to one knee beside her. "You must not understand what I'm saying do you?" His eyes roamed over her long, wet locks and perfect, porcelain skin. "Where are your clothes?" He muttered as he continued studying her. He'd expected to find her in some form of swimwear... but no... she was completely naked save for a strange garment covering her small pert breasts. His brow arched as he looked around the beach. "Where did you come from... And what shall I do with you?" He asked as his eyes moved back to her. "Hum..." He let out a sigh. "I suppose I cannot leave you naked and alone on a beach." He unbuttoned a few of the top buttons of his shirt before pulling it over his head. A smile curved his lips as her wide eyes locked on his bare flesh. "Like what you see?" A cocky grin covered his lips as he slid the shirt over her head and stood. He held his hand out to her. "Would you like to accompany me to my palace?"

Ariel tilted her head as she stared at his outstretched hand. His beautiful voice had been like music to her ears, but she couldn't understand a single word that he'd uttered so far.

He chuckled again as he bent and scooped her up. "Let's move this indoors, shall we?" He noted the youthful excitement that lit every detail of her beautiful features. He sent her a charming grin as he made his way toward the back entrance of the palace with ease. "By the way, my name is Eric." He tilted his head. "Do you understand at all?" He lowered her to the floor of the wide veranda and was surprised when her weak legs gave out under her. He rubbed his chin. "Strange… You appear to be in good health." He turned his attention to a servant as they rushed out to greet him.

"Prince, you're back." The young woman batted her long lashes toward him. "And… you brought a… a girl…"

Eric examined the girl in his arms. "Indeed, I have. Prepare the guest room closest to mine. Have a bath drawn and have the palace physician sent up." He studied the strange girl as he spoke, noticing that she didn't seem to pick up on a single word he'd said so far. "Also, see if the palace scholar is in. I don't believe she speaks the language."

The girl quickly hid her surprise as she bowed to the prince. "Right away, Your Majesty."

Eric didn't pay the maid any more attention as she scurried away. He held the strange girl out at arms-length still supporting most of her weight. He pressed a hand to his chest. "Eric…" He pointed to his dog. "Max." The dog came running to his side with an acknowledging bark.

Understanding dawned, and Ariel nodded in growing excitement. Though the pain that coursed through her feet and legs was nearly unbearable she smiled brightly up at him. She pointed to the dog and repeated its name. "Max." Her smile faded, and her cheeks heated as she pressed her hand against his solid chest. "Eric…" She whispered his name in the foreign language.

He nodded his interest growing. "Yes, very good." He cupped his hand over hers and repeated his name before interlacing his fingers with hers and pressing it against her own chest.

She nodded rapidly. "Ariel!"

A pleased smile spread across his lips. "Ariel… Lovely name for a lovely girl." He moved forward, guiding her by the hand. "Now, can you walk?" When she stumbled again, his attention moved to her legs. Her awkward steps were similar to that of a child only just learning. "Hum… perhaps you are injured in some unseeable way…" He scooped her back up and carried her to the readied room.

The physician cleared his throat as the prince walked into the room. "You called, Sire?"

Eric nodded as he set Ariel on the edge of the large four-poster bed. "Yes, I came across this girl on the beach, and she seems to be injured or something."

"Very well…" He looked around the room suggestively toward the maids and then Eric. "If you'll give us a moment of privacy, I shall examine the girl."

Eric nodded as he took a step back from the bed. He waved to the maids away and waited until they'd left the room. "I shall wait for your report in the hall. The girl doesn't seem to speak or understand our language, but I was able to get a name from her. It is Ariel." She smiled brightly up at him all but clapping when he said her name. He gave her a quick grin before continuing. "I've sent for Anderson. He should be able to gain some insight into where she's from and all that." With a dismissive wave and another quick glance at Ariel as he left the room.

Anderson had made it halfway down the hall when the prince had stepped out of one of the extra rooms. "Sire, you called?"

"I did." Eric replied as he leaned against the wall, a grin curving his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I just happened upon the most interesting specimen while out on my walk today, and I thought you should see for yourself. Perhaps, you could even shed light on where it has washed up from."

Anderson glanced around the hallway, looking from each of the whispering maids and then back to the prince. "And what is it you'd like me to examine, Sire?"

The prince's smile widened. He stepped away from the wall and gestured toward the door. "Why it's right inside this room, Anderson." Just then the physician popped his head out of the room.

"If you wouldn't mind coming back inside. She seems a bit uneasy since you left, Sire."

Eric nodded. "Very well." He glanced over his shoulder. "Coming, Anderson?" Eric stepped out of the way inside the room and held his hand out toward the bed. "Well, here it is."

Anderson's mouth dropped. "It… it's not an it at all, Sire! It's a girl!" His shocked eyes moved between the girl on the bed and the prince. "You've found and brought home a girl, Sire? Surely you do not intend on keeping her as some kind of treasure?!"

Eric shrugged. "Only if she proves to be something worth keeping around." His smile faded as his impatience grew. "Well? Are the two of you just going to stand here or are you going to examine the girl? I want answers."

Both men bowed to Eric. The doctor moved back to the bed and began his examination again. "She seems more settled now that you are present, Sire." The doctor noted.

Eric turned his attention to Ariel in curiosity. He tilted his head as he studied her. Her attention seemed divided between him and the other two men, but he remained her main focus. Regardless of what the doctor said or did, she did not reply and rarely reacted appropriately. "Well?" He asked as the doctor set back and lowered the stethoscope.

"Her vitals all seem average, especially considering you claim she had washed up on shore. Her reflexes are all intact. Her muscle tone is quite impressive for a lady of nobility, so I would assume that perhaps she belongs to the working class." He blew out a sigh. "Aside from that, Sire, there is nothing else to report."

Eric nodded. "Very well. You may leave." He turned his attention to Anderson. "She is no invalid. She is capable of speech… Just not French. I will leave it to you to discover her native tongue, then perhaps we shall be able to know more about her."

Anderson nodded. "Very well." He rubbed his chin as he thought about where he should start. "I suppose the most feasible idea would be to start with surrounding dialects…"

Eric nodded as he strolled over to a shelf with assorted books and other items. He withdrew a deck of cards from a wooden box and made his way over to the sitting area. "Bothersome as it may be, I shall oblige the girl and remain in the room until my curiosities are put to rest at least."

***

Sebastian wrung his hands as he watched helplessly from the sea. "WhatdoIdowhatdoIdo!!!!" The wink and thumbs up Ariel sent him from behind the strange man's back were not reassuring at all to him. As he watched them disappear away from the shoreline, a thought occurred to him. "Ursula!" He swam as fast as he could back to the palace, avoiding the watchful eyes of others within the kingdom. It didn't take him long to find her as she was nearly always curled up somewhere with a book. He looked around as he rushed over to her. He pushed the book to her lap and whispered in a hushed but frantic voice. "I must speak to you somewhere private!" His eyes scanned the room once again. "It's about Ariel. She's done something reckless!"