and royally thanked. She was given a vacation (which she didn't take), a snug country house (which she did), and a significant raise.
Eric had his men chain Flotsam and Jetsam together and toss them mto the ocean. Either they would be found and treated appropriately by the mer, or...not. Not really his problem.
Then he oversaw a careful scnptmg of the official record of events of the day, to be read, announced, distributed, shared, and generally understood by all the good citizens of Tirulia who had borne witness to the events. There was no mass hypnosis spell to make everyone forget the existence of mermaids this time. Now everyone knew. It was important that they all knew the same thing, and didn't concoct potentially dangerous fake news about what happened.
Except that he did have to draft a fake formal announcement for the death of Princess Vanessa. Tirulians would understand what really happened; the rest of the contment would only know the faintest details: she died. Possibly drowned.
Troops from everywhere had to be recalled immediately.
Ambassadors and emissaries had to be thoroughly debriefed, and m some cases exiled.
It was endless and exhausting work. Eric stayed up until the wee hours of the night trying to get everything done. Sometimes, given a spare moment, he would glance ironically at the moon and think about how he used to compose music at that time. But that was all right. He had a dutyr to his kingdom. Bemg prince wasn't just fun and games.
There were a few bright moments—like when he summoned Vareet mto his office.
The little maid had passed out from exhaustion the afternoon after everything happened, and slept for over a day. Eric couldn't imagine what was gomg on in the poor girl's head, in thrall to a witch-princess for years and then saved by a mermaid girl.
She came in wide-eyed and understandably suspicious when the prince smiled at her and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, formally."
She continued to look confused, but her eyes widened in mterest.
"Vareet, you have borne more than any of us, m some ways, and come through it all bravely, helping us out in our darkest hour. Of course you shall have whatever you like—-fresh, ahem, drawing paper, toy soldiers, a pony—you have but to name it.
"But also: I have hired a tutor from the Academia to come live at the castle. She will teach you how to read and write and do maths. And probably Latin. Sorry about that, but it's part of the package. Then you can make a choice, when you are caught up: either stay here as my personal secretaiyr, or go to university' and attain whatever else you wish to do with your life."
Vareet remained silent.
The prince suddenly felt awkward, something he had rarely experienced. He had no idea what the little girl was thinking. Should he repeat what he had said, slower? Would that be insulting?
Then suddenly she flung her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest.
Eric laughed and hugged her back. That was the happily-ever-after moment he had been waiting for, and it wasn't even his.
Triton's arrival was epic, although a truly epic official parade was planned for the next day. Flounder, once returned to the sea, shot ahead and told every fish he met. By the time Ariel and her father got close to Atlantica, a massive crowd had already formed: most of the mer, and many, many other people of the sea. Whales and sharks and minnows and sardines and tuna and cod and octopodes...Even all the little corals, anemone, and barnacles came out to wave their fronds.
"FATHER!"
Five slippery, sparkling mergirls shot out of the crowd and wrapped themselves around him like the fat tentacles of a kraken. Attina hugged Ariel. "You did it," she whispered, pressmg her forehead to her sister's like they used to when sharing secrets. "You actually did it." "I did," Ariel said with a smile.
"You really are somethmg." The oldest mer princess smiled and shook her head. When the others regretfully disengaged, she, too, went to greet her father, with a solid—if slightly more formal—embrace. "Goodpeople of Atlantica, " Triton said, holding his trident aloft, "I have returned!"
His voice boomed out through the water, far more commanding even than Ariel's newly regamed voice. The crowd went wild: cheering, flapping their tails, slappmg, bubblmg, gurgling, swimming in circles.
The king himself was only too happy to retire quietly that first mght, drink goldenwine with his closest friends, swim lustily through the kingdom,