The Return || Ariel & Ursula
Tonight was Ariel and Eric's first anniversary ball, and the former mermaid was practically bursting with excitement. The other ball she had experienced was her wedding ball, but the only attendees were Eric's close family and friends. This was going to be completely different--they had invited people from all over the world; there would be hundreds of people in the castle, and Ariel couldn't wait to meet them all.
She had picked out a special dress just for the occasion. It was sea-foam green and had puffy sleeves, and sparkled whenever it hit the light. The dress was by far the prettiest thing Ariel had ever owned, and she certainly felt like a princess--no, a queen--in it. The redhead still wasn't used to calling herself Queen. This is all so crazy, She thought as she began to style her hair for the night. A year ago, I was living in Daddy's kingdom as a mermaid. And now, I'm human, living here in my own kingdom with the love of my life. She wasn't sure how she had managed to achieve her biggest dream and meet Eric at the same time, but she was extremely grateful that she had.
Ariel continued to get ready for the ball in a state of bliss, before Eric knocked on the door, informing her it was time to go. As they made their way to the grand staircase, she desperately tried to contain her excitement, which was becoming nearly impossible. Before she knew it, they were at the top of the staircase, looking down upon all their guests. The entire room was filled with people, as well as tables piled high with all different kinds of food and beverages. Eric briefly addressed the crowd, thanking them for coming to celebrate his marriage to Ariel, and then the ball had begun.
Ariel and Eric mingled for a while before deciding to dance. After their first dance, Ariel thought she noticed a flash of red across the ground. Sebastian. She watched as he attempted to avoid being crushed by the foot of a tall older man, and then try to hide under a table. She had to get him out of there. If someone spotted him, the entire ball would turn into chaos. She whispered the problem in Eric's ear and excused herself, walking in the direction of where she last saw Sebastian. But before she could reach him, she found herself colliding with a stranger.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!"
