Chapter 26

Ursula thought back on the morning, thinking about Morgana's suspicious gaze as Ursula appeared late to dinner.  It was true.  Ursula was never late to dinner.  Her thoughts lingered on the delicious squid she had  nearly missed.  She thought about Eli's non-jealous face as she flirted with a passing cecaelia, hoping to pry him away.  She didn't understand how he would still love her even after she woke him up with a strong fist, leaving dark blood on his nose. 

Well, Ursula couldn't really blame him.  She was quite the catch. 

After leaving a non-jealous Eli behind and heading out to guard the north wing of the Empire, Ursula had decided she would never let what happened repeat again.  Never would she let anyone hold her hand or put anything in her hair. 

The flower...

As Ursula shifted to another spot to guard, Ursula thought about the flower in her dagger.  She had told herself littering a flower around anywhere would make the Empire look like a daycare center.  

Ha!  Imagine a flower in the Dark Underwater Empire of Atlantica, the most feared Empire to ever exist.

The most fearsome Empress

In the most fearsome Empire

Possessing a flower from her wuv!

The eels Flotsam and Jetsam pouted, looking at each other knowingly then continued,

Why haven't-you thrown it away?

"My poopsies! Where have you been these past 7 days?" Ursula inquired.

Somewhere. The eels blinked innocently.

Ursula frowned slightly.

"A flower here would make the Empire look weak!"

Crush it.

"I don't want to!" Ursula growled, baring her teeth. 

"Why?  What do I know?!  I don't want to crush it, it's as simple as that."

Before the eels could speak, Ursula smirked at them smugly and said,

"You will think I don't need you?  Is that it?  Don't be fools!  I will always be there to receive your advice, and there is nothing you can do about it.  No one can get rid of me, not even you two."

The eels smiled at Ursula guiltily and ducked their heads shamefully.

"Get lost, will you?  But not for 7 days again, or I will gut you two and turn your scales into shawls and use your eyeballs as earrings." Ursula snapped playfully.

With that the two eels slithered away, leaving Ursula to guard the west wing.

Two uneventful eternities later, Ursula returned to her room after eating, and heard a pebble which she had heard the previous night, and dare she think, tentatively hoped for. 

Once again, Ursula looked out her window, and Eli looked up at her with a hopeful expression.  Cursing herself angrily, Ursula crawled down, double checking that Morgana was sleeping.  Eli's grin lit up, and he took her hand and gave her a spear. 

Ursula looked at him, confused.

"Are we going hunting?"

Eli nodded.

"We need more food for the school."

Slightly disappointed but not mad, Ursula nodded, and they both swam off to the hunting grounds. 

As they hunted, Ursula asked,

"Will we do this every night?"

"Hunt?" Eli replied, then said "No.  I was just thinking hang out and hunt every now and then."

"We'll be like two lovesick cuttlefish!" Ursula snarked.

"You'll be the lovesick cuttlefish who agrees to hang out and I'm the-"

"The rejected lovesick and pitiful cuttlefish?"

Ursula interrupted.

Eli grinned.

"You're not rejecting me anymore.  I was thinking I'm the dashing cuttlefish who will always love you."

"Even if the lovesick cuttlefish abuses you on a daily basis?" Ursula asked.

"Even if they're abusive."

"Even if she rejected you for 5 years?"

Ursula pressed.

"Even if she tries to make me jealous for no reason?  Yeah.  Even if she isn't affectionate and will pull a knife on me whenever I chew too loudly."

Ursula smiled.  She couldn't help it.

"I love your smile."  Eli said, grinning.

Ursula nearly lost her prey. 

"Thank you.  Your smile is contagious."

He laughed, then rounded up the game and hoisted it on his shoulder, giving half to Ursula.   They headed back to the Empire, not noticing two gleaming yellow eyes in the distance.