"How are you doing today, Snow?" Ella asked as the girl with jet black hair took a seat at the bar.

"Absolutely exhausted. The dwarves do absolutely nothing to help and sometimes I feel like I'm raising seven children," she groaned, gladly accepting her usual drink of apple cider from Ella. "How about you?"

Ella shrugged. "Same old. No time for me between the bar, and cooking and cleaning for my step-sisters and step-mum."

"Have your sisters still not gotten married?"

Ella scoffed. "Have you met them? My step-mum keeps organising all these blind dates but they scare them off by immediately asking what house they will own and how many kids they have and what allowance they will get." She shook her head and grabbed another glass from underneath the counter.

Leaving Snow, Ella shuffled down the bar to the other woman. Also seemingly in her early twenties, her head slumped, red hair cascading around her like waves in the ocean.

"What's your poison?" Ella asked.

Her head snapped up, dazzling blue eyes meeting Ella's. "Poison? I don't want—"

"I mean... what do you want to drink?"

Her brows furrowed as she glanced around. "Drink..."

"You know..." Ella held up a glass.

The girl's eyes went wide. "I've studied these! They're called... um... terrywinkles!"

Ella wasn't even sure what she was hearing at this point. "You're not from around here, are you?" she accused, eyes narrowing.

"No. I'm from the ocean."

"Ocean?" Ella exclaimed. And, as if to answer her next question, a green fin popped up over the bar.

Ella stumbled back. "What in cinders... Are you a mermaid?"

"Indeed."

"How did you get here?"

"I dragged myself. I'm trying to find my Prince, but navigating land without legs is difficult."

"Prince?" Ella asked, heart throbbing at the memory of the charming man she danced with all those years ago.

"Prince Eric."

Ella grimaced. "Never heard of him."

"You don't need a prince," Snow then said, intruding on the conversation. Rising from her chair, she stumbled over to the girls.

"How many times have I told you to not steal drinks?" Ella demanded.

"Sometimes I just want to pass out, okay, El?"

Ella shook her head in response.

"Anyway," Snow slurred, "We all try searching for our princes and for what? Sometimes any man in tinfoil is good enough, y'know? So long as he understands you." Snow hiccuped. "This Eric guy... He's probably got three hundred girls waiting on him. No. You don't want him. In the end, you will end up like the rest of us, cooking and cleaning for him until he wants you to give him babies."

"The dwarves haven't tried—" Ella started, but Snow cut her off.

"They wish they could touch this! Anyway... what's your name, dear?"

"Ariel," the red-head said, alarmed by Snow's stumbling state.

"Ariel... Our one true love is ourselves, so don't go chasing any man. Look after yourself, and love will just happen when you least expect it."