The Little Merman

Storm

Ariel leans on his balcony, wearing a nightgown. He watches as Wren plays with Max on the lawn, playing fetch as Max tackles the prince.

"Come here boy! Arrr . . ." Wren grunts as his head slammed on his lawn.

Max licks Wren's face and Wren ruffles his fur. He sees Ariel on the balcony and waves at his new castle-mate. Ariel waves back shyly and backs into his room, bumping into the wall behind him.

Ariel brushes his hair with a fork and Sebastian sits on a table.

Outside, it starts to rain. Wren laughs as Max rolls in a mud puddle, Carlotta scolding the boys, who put their heads down; Wren apologizing; Max whimpering.

"This has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life." Sebastian puffed, making his annoyance for Ariel known.

Sebastian picks a lettuce leaf off his head. Ariel passes him and pats his head.

"I hope you appreciate what I go through for you, young man."

Ariel sinks into his bed, thunder booming loudly causing Ariel to flinch.

He never did like thunderstorms.

"Now - we got to make a plan to get that boy to kiss you. Tomorrow, when he takes you for that ride, you gotta look your best. You gotta bat your eyes - like this. You gotta pucker up your lips - like this." Sebastian puckered his lips and batted his eyelashes.

Sebastian demonstrates to Ariel. He sees Ariel has fallen asleep, Ariel eyebrows furrowed when thunder cracks again. Smiling, Sebastian blows out a candle on the nightstand and hops onto the pillow beside him.

"Hm. You are hopeless child. You know dat? Completely hopeless..."

The seahorse swims hurriedly to the throne room, where King Triton swims back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"Any sign of them?" King Triton asks.

"No, Your Majesty. We've searched everywhere. We've found no trace of your daughter - or Sebastian." The seahorse said regretfully.

"Well, keep looking. Leave no shell unturned, no coral unexplored. Let no one in this kingdom sleep until she's safe at home." King Triton commanded softly.

"Yes sire." The seahorse bowed.

The seahorse bows and leaves. Triton sits on his throne.

"Oh, what have I done? What have I done?"

Wren sighed as he signed what seemed like a thousand paperwork. He signed his name so many times, he was starting to hate it. How did his mothers do it? For years as well. When Wren inevitably became King, he was going to ban paperwork.

He pushed his black rimmed glasses up his nose. Wren placed his palm on his chin, doodling a cat on his document. He blinked at the drawing, he probably shouldn't have drawn on an official document. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, glaring at the paper.

Wren got distracted as he watched another bolt of lightning bounce off the ocean. Maybe if he drowned again the same boy would come and save. But he also might die, but that was a chance he'd be willing to take.

Wren grunted as he ripped his glasses off. He rubbed his burning eyes, cracking his neck. As a loud thunder crashed in the sky, the loudest of the night, he heard rapid footsteps running towards his room.
Once the footsteps stop outside his doors, he hears soft knocks on the door and whimpers.

He yawned into his fist, standing up from his chair, scratching at his chest. Opened his door mid-yawn, pausing awkwardly as he saw teary dark blue eyes.

Wren smiled weirdly, "Hi? Uh, can I help you?"

Wren forgot the shorter boy couldn't talk.

Ariel wordlessly opened his mouth. He jumped closer to Wren when thunder cracked. Ariel hovered close to Wren, trying not to make eye contact or seem weak.

"Oh, I suppose thunderstorms scare you, huh? You washed up from one right?" Wren smiled comfortably at Ariel. Ariel nodded, slowly.

"Uhm, come in. I'm not doing anything, just signing some super fun paperwork!" Wren grinned sarcastically. Laughing at Ariel's cute confused face.

Ariel walked around the huge room, looking at the various pictures Wren had put up. Ariel pointed to a picture with two women; one pretty, short lady with dark hair and green eyes. The other was tall, had blonde hair and blue eyes. They were lifting up a smiling little boy with matching dark hair and blue eyes.

"Oh. That's me and my mom's. That was the only family photo we could really get. Not a lot of people really . . . appreciated that the kingdom was led by two girls.  So, not many photographers wanted to take their pictures. But that was years ago and people have matured. Not much, but some." Wren sighed, sitting back down at his desk to start his paperwork again.

Ariel watched him silently. He seemed sad when he was talking about his moms. Ariel hadn't seen any woman around except for Carlotta and some other maids. And none of them look like those two in the photo.

Ariel wanted to ask, this could be an opportunity to get to know Wren, but he didn't want to push his boundaries and make him hate him.

Wren noticed Ariel's nervous twitching.

"Uh, my mother, she died when I was 10. Someone from a neighboring kingdom really didn't like her relationship with my mom. Erm, so they, ya know..." Wren stopped his writing, pausing. He could still feel his mothers splattered blood across his face, his mom's screams and the crowds gasps.

Ariel stood next to him, staring at his face intensely.

Wren felt Ariel wrapped his arms around his neck. He stiffened, placing his hand on Ariel's soft arm.

"Uhm, it's getting pretty late. Do you want me to walk you to your room?" Wren asked, rubbing the back of his shoulder.

Thunder echoed through the castle. Ariel jumped again, latching onto Wren's neck again.

Wren placed his hands on Ariel's waist, "Oh, you're scared, right. You can sleep in here if you want," I'll probably just be finishing work." Wren smiled, leading Ariel to his soft bed. Ariel sunk into it, smiling at the cushiony feeling. Wren smiled briefly, covering Ariel up with his blanket. Ariel smiled at the soft blanket being pushed to his face.

Ariel frowned when Wren walked away. Wren stopped, looking back at the sleepy red-head.

Wren let Ariel pull him into his bed, silently watching Ariel as he tucked Wren in the same way he had just done. Ariel nodded at his work, laying next to Wren. Thunder struck again, Ariel jumped into Wren's arms. Wren slowly wrapped his arms around Ariel, comforting the "traumatized" boy.