ARIEL: *struggles against him* Let me go!!

ERIK: *holds her tighter* you made your choice when you disobeyed me, your king!

ARIEL: You're not my king!!

ERIK: I beg to differ. Who did your father give the crown to?

ARIEL: Y-You...

ERIK: then, who is king? *growls*

ARIEL: *silent*

ERIK: you will obey me.

ARIEL: I never will!

ERIK: I fear you have no choice. *grabs her firmly by her wrist and begins to drag her back to her room*

ARIEL: Stop!!

ERIK: why? *keeps swimming*

ARIEL: I don't want to be your prisoner!

ERIK: is that what you call being my wife? *glares at her*

ARIEL: I don't want to be THAT either!

ERIK: well, my dear *says in a sickly sweet voice* you don't have much of a choice.

ARIEL: Don't call me that, you brute!

ERIK: *eyes narrow* I will call you what I please. *arrives in her bedroom* I will leave my snakes to watch you. If you try to run one of them will bite you. *waves for the snakes to come over* you don't want that happening.

ARIEL: W-What will happen to me if they do?

ERIK: paralysis of the tail along with a condition similar to lockjaw in humans.

ARIEL: *shivers* You're so cruel!

ERIK: well, you can't run if you can't swim. Don't worry, I have the antidote.

ARIEL: *swims to the window*

ERIK: *swims away leaving the snakes in charge* the wedding is in two days, my dear. *shouts behind him*

ARIEL: *cries at the windowsill*

NADIR: *swims around her* now, now, thisssss isn't so bad...

ARIEL: It is! I can't leave my own room or make my own choices! I have no freedom left!

NADIR: well, you made a deal with him. Choices have consequencesssss.

ARIEL: *goes to the bed* I'm just going to stay silent... He won't want me if I don't speak

NADIR: there you're wrong. *says sadly* the king has told you that he loves you, yes?

ARIEL: Yes...

NADIR: then, he'll marry you, no matter how silent you are. May I ask a question?

ARIEL: Go ahead.

NADIR: what made him force you? Last time we spoke he was going to wait a while to mention marriage again.

ARIEL: I removed his mask... *sighs*

NADIR: *gasps* you foolish girl! You're lucky to be alive!

ARIEL: I was only curious.

NADIR: the humans say, "curiosity killed the cat". I have seen him attack someone for just mentioning the mask...

ARIEL: Oh... I'm such a fool... Now he'll never release me.

NADIR: no, he never will. After all, marriage is permanent in the merfolk world.

ARIEL: My life is over... *starts to cry*

NADIR: he's not sssso bad once you get to know him and learn to avoid his mood swings.

ARIEL: I'll be dead before even a year... He will probably abuse me and kill me!

NADIR: no, he wouldn't do that. I've never seen him abuse a woman. And, he loves you, surely that means something.

ARIEL: What if he's tricking me?

NADIR: tricking you? Why would he?

ARIEL: Because he's evil!

NADIR: he is evil but you would know if he was trying to trick you.

ARIEL: How?

NADIR: there would be a certain set of his mouth, a particular sparkle in his eyes, and a way of moving and acting. I know him well enough to know he isn't.

ARIEL: I just wish he wasn't so mean...

NADIR: what has he done to you aside from this little episode which you brought on yourself?

ARIEL: Gave my voice to someone so I could lose

NADIR: that was a bit underhanded. Not that I expected anything less from him. He was tricking you then.

ARIEL: See!

NADIR: okay, well, other than that.

ARIEL: He will only fool me time and time again

NADIR: this is all he's ever wanted. All I've ever heard him talk about. You!! It drove both of us crazy!! *looks towards Reza* *swims around her head* Your name is all we've heard for five years! He has no reason to fool you any more. He has you.

ARIEL: W-What has he said about me?

NADIR: he used to say how beautiful you were, how sweetly you could sing, and how he would marry you as soon as he could. He did mention here and there taking over the kingdom and mostly it was you

ARIEL: He's talked about me for years...

NADIR: yes.

ARIEL: Wow...

NADIR: you have been something of an obsession for him. Then, somewhere along the line, he fell in love!

ARIEL: Obsession!?

NADIR: that was about two years ago. He fell in love with you last year.

ARIEL: This is insane

NADIR: you know he isn't sane.

ARIEL: No kidding...

NADIR: there are times when I wonder if he ever had his sanity.

ARIEL: I wish I could try to talk him out of this

NADIR: there ain't no doing that. He isn't one for being talked out of stuff.

ARIEL: He must listen to me

NADIR: not in that aspect though.

ARIEL: *cries* I'm doomed

NADIR: it won't be so horrible!

ARIEL: How do you know!?

NADIR: well, just follow his rules, do what he says and he won't be cruel.

ARIEL: I don't want to obey him!

NADIR: that's why your life is going to be miserable.

ARIEL: I must get away from here

NADIR: please, don't make me have to bite you. I will if I have to.

ARIEL: I don't want to be b-bitten...

NADIR: if you try to run, I will have to. Perhaps you should lay down and rest. You will feel better.

ARIEL: I doubt it. *lies down*

NADIR: well, it doesn't hurt to try.

ARIEL: *sighs and tries to sleep*

NADIR: *hums gently to her to put her to sleep*

ARIEL: *falls asleep*

NADIR: *leaves Reza in charge of her and goes to find Erik*

NADIR: Master..?

ERIK: *turns to look at him* did you have to bite her?

NADIR: No... Sssshe is staying put

ERIK: good. I'm pleased to hear it.

NADIR: I apologize for what she did

ERIK: its not your fault. I should have known she was tricking me into getting close enough to remove it. *growls* I don't believe she saw anything.

NADIR: She hasn't told me otherwise

ERIK: she would have been screaming if she had.

NADIR: She's asleep

ERIK: that good. I have to plan a wedding. *runs a hand through his hair*

NADIR: Would you like help?

ERIK: well, at least some ideas. It's not like I've planned a wedding before. I've planned funerals but not weddings.

NADIR: I can cccccertainly help

ERIK: thank you, Nadir.

NADIR: What themes did you have in mind?

ERIK: she wanted to marry a human so maybe a human theme? *says dryly*

NADIR: That... That isn't the bessst idea..

ERIK: it was worth a shot. What were you thinking?

NADIR: Perhaps you could put some of her interests into the wedding?

ERIK: perhaps....do you think asking her what she wants would do any good

NADIR: You have to be secretive about it... Or elsse she won't tell you anything

ERIK: maybe you can get some information out of her.

NADIR: Ah, but I think it wise for you to ask her

ERIK: alright. I'll do it later after she's rested.

NADIR: Thisss way too can bond

ERIK: bond? How's that going to work when she hates my guts?

NADIR: By having a conversation with her

ERIK: what do you think I've been doing ever since I took over here? We've been talking...and, she's been running away.

NADIR: Just talk about something normal.

ERIK: like what? What's normal for a warlock and a mermaid to talk about?

NADIR: Maybe music?

ERIK: we've already mentioned her singing. That didn't go well...

NADIR: You just have to be yourself and control your temper

ERIK: you know, being myself doesn't usually attract the opposite gender and controlling my temper hasn't ever happened.

NADIR: Try... For Ariel...

ERIK: fine. For her.

NADIR: *smiles and slithers off*

ERIK: *swims to her room and waits for her to wake up*