#ursul

"Blah, blah, blah, Ursula complains about this way more than her aging," Joe huffed as he flipped through the pages of conflicts and lies and everything between Trident and Ursula and their father, the wedding of Trident and Ursula's best friend Athena, and finally found the line of succession with the princesses and Queen Athena's untimely death.

The eldest of Triton's daughters, Princess Attina married the Unagi-kei Prince Fars of the Arctic Ocean and sired three children.

The second, Princess Alana married the Chaetodonotidae Prince Larwi of the North Atlantic Ocean and sired thirteen children.

The third, Princess Adella married the Polyprionidae Prince Harkand of the South Atlantic Ocean and sired two children.

The fourth, Princess Aquata married the Surmai Seer Prince Kalah of the Indian Ocean and sired twenty children.

The fifth, Princess Arista married the Great White Prince Salahit of the North Pacific Ocean and sired seven children.

The sixth, Princess Adrina married the Angler Prince Kandranj of the South Pacific Ocean and sired two children.

The last of Triton's daughters, Princess Ariel was engaged to marry Harpagifer Spinosus Prince Sanji of the Antarctic Ocean, however, instead married the land Prince Eric and sired one daughter named Melody was then arranged to the next heir of the Antarctic Ocean before her untimely death.

The rest of the text rambled on the different benefits the union of each daughter that brought to Atlantica as well as the scorn of the seventh sea and how King Triton died of a broken heart at the loss of his youngest daughter and eldest granddaughter – all of which was little help to Joe in this matter. It was nothing new, which meant nothing new had happened to the princess's lives yet. Knowing who they were betrothed to and later have children with did nothing to assure Joe that things would somehow end happily for Ariel. He obviously hadn't made enough of a change if Melody and Eric were mentioned. He had to get Ursula in the history books, and not for trying to take over the kingdom, how he was to do that was proving a much more difficult task.

Biting his lower lip, he pulled book and book from the shelf hoping that somehow there was one that had a different outcome, except nothing changed. A part of him feared that he was on a doomed course of a Bad Ending after only a day in the sea again, but he would have to do something. Tucking the history book under his arm, Joe went about putting the books he'd hazardously tossed on the floor back on the shelves when a certain lavender volume in a bold script caught his eye. Secrets of the Serpent.

Joe picked the volume up and he could see very clearly that it was a private collection piece that probably didn't belong in this library. It was Ursula's handwriting. Flicking open the cover and reading the table of contents, Joe saw it was written more or less like a diary with handwriting he couldn't quite decipher written out on all the pages like footnotes in old, faded ink. In Ursula's handwriting were ingredients of select spells, some dangerous, some harmless, and off the side in the notes of someone else's handwriting wrote out corrections with tiny details as to what made the potion better with the changes. In all his time working for Ursula he couldn't recall the potions book, but just from what he skimmed over and the strange foreboding vibrations he got in his chest, he needed to take this book.

Quietly closing it and tucking it inside his suit jacket, Joe finished putting the books back just in time to look up and see a face he'd never think to see having legs glaring down at him. His brow pinched and a part of him feared that the boy before him somehow followed him through the Wardrobe, but that couldn't be. "Urchin?"

"Joe." He crossed his arms as he raised a bushy blonde brow at him. He stood too confidently on legs he never should have had and actually stood stable enough. The Urchin that stood before him wasn't much taller than Joe, though he was older and had the same blonde hair and bushy browns and the same envious angry green eyes, only difference was he walked around on two legs instead of a tail.

"What are you doing here?" Joe tucked the history book under his arm and glanced over his shoulder to make sure there weren't any more surprises.

"Working." He answered curtly, looking far from pleased in having to speak with Joe. It was clear that Urchin was one to hold a grudge under that unrelenting glare.

"What?" Joe almost couldn't process the man's words when, as he looked at Urchin's butler uniform, it dawned on him. "You work here?"

There had been whispers of the alleged Failed Staff of the castle, people who used to live in the stories of the Villains and Heroes and Princess, minor parts that had little consequence to the story, that somehow ended up in the Anti-Realm seeking employment opportunities in the Anti-Castle. Joe hadn't thought anything of it given the fact there were all sorts of people that lurked in the Anti-Realm, but seeing a face he knew, and one he knew well somehow put a damper on his mind.

"Much to my displeasure." He rolled his eyes with a growl. "To make matters work, I am supposed to baby sit you."

It would also appear that his prickly personality hadn't changed much from his time under the sea to living out a life on the surface. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I forgot I'm not supposed use those type of words. Allow me to correct myself, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you," He rolled his eyes as though Joe were somehow being a problem and intensified his glare.

Joe was momentarily stunned into silence and his brain hadn't quite caught up with him yet. His mind just couldn't wrap around the situation. "Why are you here?"

Something akin to the pain that Joe knew very well flashed in the sea green eyes and Urchin somehow pulled his arms tighter across his chest and gritted out. "I needed a job, this place hired me. Why else would I be here?"

"B-But why –" He wanted something more specific, even if not the whole story, having a portion enough to put it together would be just enough. What could Urchin have done to end up in the Anti-Realm? "But why are you here, in this Realm?"

"Because my life didn't get much better after Ursula died, Joe. It should have, but it didn't." Urchin barked, the storm in those green eyes growing worse and more envious as he continued to speak. "Not that my life was really worth living since no one wanted me around, but things just became that more difficult for me as I was left entirely alone."

"You weren't entirely alone." Joe shook his head as the memories flickered angrily in his mind. They more or less had each other and tried to keep the small business Ursula had moving while they sorted out through all the polyps.

"Yes, I was." Urchin didn't miss a beat. "Ursula died and you went missing; more like you took the chance to leave without looking back the moment we were both freed from the contract."

"I wouldn't have left you." Joe stated flatly with a shake of his head. They fought like brothers and hated one another like brothers, and for all the irritation and trouble Urchin seemed to cause for him, he'd never flat out leave him. He had vivid memories of the two of them working together to assist the shifted merpeople to return to their homes.

"Funny you should say that when you weren't there when soldiers came to the Sea Serpent lair and tore the place apart, not to mention everyone she cursed turned around and took it out on me."

Joe could see the invisible scars that littered Urchin's heart and body from such an experience for a seventeen-year-old with nothing left save his name. One of Joe's hearts clenched at the thought and silently prayed to Poseidon that that wasn't how he ended up here.

"Don't give me that look." There was venom in his words as he shook his head in disgust at Joe. "I don't want your pity."

"I'm not pitying you."

"Yes, you are." He scoffed. "I'd know that look anywhere, it's the same stupid look you'd give me when Ariel spent more time with you rather than me."

"Urchin –" Joe winced and could only hope he'd somehow manage to do better with the second chance he was given as he went about setting things right.

"Don't deny it when we both know it's true." Urchin's voice was sure, and the pain was thick in his voice. "I survived the people's anger and somehow managed to make a living as a messenger between land and sea."

That eased some of Joe's fears, but it wasn't enough. Urchin was still here which meant he either did something bad, or something bad happened to him, either by his own hand or someone else's.

"But if you're here," he gestured to the whole library of the Anti-Castle with a frown, "I take it things didn't go well?"

"No, you know what, things didn't go well." Urchin laughed bitterly and years of anger that he'd endured, and years of his own anger building surfaced in those green eyes as a wild look focused on Joe. "But you'd know all about that, you'd you?"

The library was supposed to be a place of quiet for people to read and study in, however, the atmosphere was so thick that not even the ghosts dared to mumble or moans. Joe's jaw clenched his teeth at Urchin's insinuation. "No, I don't think I would."

"Liar."

"Urchin –"

"I'm here, Joe, because things in Atlantica didn't get any better after King Triton died."

A pain spread in Joe's chest and it felt as though all three of his hearts stopped at once. Joe didn't say anything, and Urchin took that as his bitter chance to continue.

"Ariel would have been the one to rule Atlantica if she hadn't died, but you weren't able to save her, so everything else fell apart."

"Don't you dare blame what happened to her on me." Joe growled lowly, his hands balling into fists as the years of guilt formed a defense around his mind. "I did everything I could to sway her mind from the stupid prince, but it was her choice Urchin."

"Figures you'd say something like that." Urchin scoffed and rolled his eyes as his crossed arms fell at his sides. "You were always quick to say that whenever she did something stupid and you didn't do enough to stop her. Sorriest excuse I'd ever heard."

"You, of all creatures, do not get to tell me that." Joe ground his teeth so hard his jaw hurt, clenched his hands so tight he knew he left marks in his palms. "Not when you're the one that dragged her out into danger and got her the trouble, I had to get the two of you out."

"You didn't do anything!" Urchin roared and slammed in palm on the shelf beside him. "I at least hunted the humans that killed Ariel, but it didn't matter because in the end because things could never go back to the way they were. Not it she wasn't around." He pressed his thumb into his chest and Joe almost anticipated Urchin to start breathing fire the way he grew red in his anger. "The terrible life I lived held little consequence to everything else that happened to bring me here. I don't even want to know why you're here."

Something dangerous lurked in Joe's thoughts and slowly bled into a hunger, something that wanted to lash out and spill Urchin's blood, a feeling he hadn't felt since Ariel's untimely death along with the enemies that had killed her, but he would not allow that feeling to churn any further from his mind. This was his chance to make things right, not get swept away by Urchin's baiting. They were grown adults, nearly thirty in this Realm, surely, they could behave as such. Joe could not allow years of anger, regret, and loathing leek out now, not when he had a chance to fix everything, though Urchin was proving as great a challenge as Ursula.

Fish from different pools but attended the same school that brought them both here for revenge murder; only Urchin was free from Ursula where Joe was stuck with her. Joe had been free from her once, but when he ended up in the Anti-Realm she suddenly clung to him like a desperate mother with a child and would not leave him alone. The two men stood glaring at one another, jaws clenched, fists balled and ready for the first swing, the air between them vibrating with malice and everything else needed for a fight when one of the Hosts suddenly appeared behind Urchin. It was Mr. Po, the nicest of the Hosts, dressed in a pine green suit with black oxfords, pushing a cart full of books down the aisle.

"Well, well, well, what's going on here, hm?" A smile was planted on his face, but there was something warning and dangerous hidden just beneath as the air around them changed. "No sort of conflict I hope."

"No sir." Urchin was the first to deflate and look to Mr. Po as if nothing were wrong. The quick face he made was the same one he made when he was wriggling himself out of trouble with Ursula. "Merely greeting Master Joe as we have not been formally introduced yet."

"Is that so?" Mr. Po hummed with that dangerous smile on his face as he glanced over to Joe who struggled to calm down. To his trained eye it was obvious that wasn't all that happened, but whatever was going on in that twisted mind of his was too well concealed for Joe to see what he was thinking about. "Well, since you've properly been introduced, why don't you escort Mr. Joe back to his room, hm? I haven't had much of a chance to get into the depths of the sea here, so it would be most prudent of you to take him elsewhere."

"Yes, sir." Urchin answered with a bow and turned to Joe with little kindness in his malice green filled eyes. "Shall we?"

Having little choice, Joe followed Urchin out of the library in silence to his room with two books in toe. Urchin thankfully kept his mouth shut as he guided him to his room and reminded him that dinner would be in an hour before leaving him alone. Joe made sure to lock the door behind him to keep any more surprises at bay so he could take a little time to himself. He heard soft mumbling in the bathroom that caused Joe to groan as he locked his door to the bathroom suit. He begrudgingly shared a suit with Malfie and the guy spent a little too much time with his products to make sure he was as perfect as possible which meant Joe could hardly do anything more than take a leak in there without Malfie instantly raising a fit.

Taking his books to the desk, Joe immediately pulled out the field journal and wrote as quickly as he could.

Day 1 of my new nightmare.

Ursula is alive and well and still the main cause of my misery as she already proves a challenge of the worst undertaking to manage. Unless a simple potion will be powerful enough to change her mind, I doubt she'll get a different ending than ending up as sea foam.

Urchin still lives in both Realms to annoy me like the jellyfish he is with constant prodding stings of my downfalls in life both under the sea and on land. It would appear that like roaches, urchins never die either.

Though I have the strongest memories of what has happened and what I can do to change them, I feel utterly powerless in any choice I make because of how it will affect everyone. I have to be careful, though, for if I change what happens in the past, I may very well lose whatever precious memories I do have; and those are hidden in a chest in the deepest of depths.

The only good thing from my first venture back into the waters was seeing Ariel, young and alive and well. Then again, that could quickly change depending on how quickly Prince Eric shows up. If I wise up, I might be able to prevent her from ever seeing him and somehow keep her under the sea forever, though I highly doubt that.

In the few short hours since I have dived into my mission, I can already see that the tide of fate is much stronger than I originally thought, and it will take quite the creative measures to alter things to ensure the happiness of everyone at the cost of my own. As of this moment in time, I have yet to decide if I regret agreeing to this program, or if I am thankful for the chance to somehow make a difference if only to save Ariel.

His hand stilled at the last sentence and caused the ink to seep and bleed into the paper as his thoughts escaped him and spun like a starfish thinking of a better way to change Ariel's future. Preventing her from ever seeing Prince Eric was going to be a hassle, doable, but still a hassle. He could always try to set her up with Urchin, but it would rot in his core and make him into a vile creature worthy of serving under Ursula. No, the best thing he could hope to do was create some sort of potion to assist Ursula in changing her mind about what she really wanted for the future.

His eyes skimped over to the lilac book, and he set his pen down. He quickly closed the field journal and dragged the potion book closer to read a few lines when a knock came at the door. It was Urchin.

"It's time to eat."

Joe growled in response at the so ill-timed situation, but quickly put the books away in the drawer of his desk and went to dinner as he was so summoned. Dinner was decent and grim thanks to Mr. V's announcement of making their lives more difficult by removing certain books from the library, not that it mattered to Joe as his mind was elsewhere. It wasn't until Joe was on his way to return to his room that he was stopped by Mr. Po as he grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Ah, there you are, Joe." He beamed overly politely. "I was hoping to see you."

Joe's brow raised at the comment as he was only just a few seats down from the man but said nothing to give nothing away. "You needed me for something?"

"Nothing bad, I assure you." He chuckled as he dusted Joe's shoulder off. "Just a question." Joe kept his face especially blank and warily watched the smiling Host before him. "Did anything happen earlier in the library?"

"No." He shrugged uncomfortably at the scrutiny in his smile. "You practically saw everything that happened. We were just talking."

"Hmmmm, if you say so." Mr. Po shrugged, but it was obvious by the look he gave he was still unconvinced. "I just wanted to make sure. I know that the two of you have a . . . prickly relationship since you were young, so I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything more to it than just mincing of words and sharpening swords."

He wasn't entirely sure what it was that Mr. Po was looking for, but he wouldn't do anything to risk Urchin's job. He might not like the guy because of their past, but he knew he was good deep down beneath his prickly surface.

"Nothing happened." Joe restated very carefully. "I was just surprised that Urchin was here, is all."

"Urchin, is that his real name?" Mr. Po blinked back in surprise. "He goes by Dylan here."

That at least cleared up how they'd never met and how they'd narrowly avoided each other for as long as he remained in the Anti-Realm. Had he known Urchin was here he would have sought him out, he'd never go looking for a Dylan. "I see. . ."

"I don't blame him for changing his name, Urchin isn't much of a pleasant name." Mr. Po laughed like it was a joke. "Can't imagine the name went over very well when he went to the surface. Can't imagine he'd get so close to marrying a girl being called Urchin all the time."

"He was married?" After the heated conversation Joe just had with Urchin, he almost found that hard to believe. The man was too prickly and too stubborn to get married.

"Almost, but there was something that happened where he wasn't able to." He covered his mouth like it was a secret, but the tone in his voice was obvious that he meant to say it. "Oops, shouldn't have said that." "You'll have to get the rest of the story from him, though he doesn't like talking about it without a drink."

Joe narrowed his eyes at the overly familiar Host who wanted to bait him into something. "If there's something you'd like to say stop beating around the coral and just come out with it."

"Blunt and to the point, are we?" He raised a brow, his smile somehow seemed to grow. "Very well, the only advice I can give you, Joe, is to be careful with the book you took from the library. The one that isn't registered."

Joe was sure that neither Urchin nor Mr. Po could have seen the book he had sucked inside his suit. He put it in there before he and Urchin started talking aggressively to one another. Then again, the book had a strong foreboding aura about it that should have repelled him away from the book, but after playing with black magic for so many years one learns how to put up with it and use it for their own personal use.

Joe kept his face as stoic as possible and merely continued to look at Mr. Po while waiting for him to finish his speech. Something glimmered in those knowing black eyes of his as he spoke. "A potion can only temporarily solve a problem, Joe."

"I don't quite understand what it is you're saying, Mr. Po." Joe responded curtly, his fingers tipping and tapping impatiently for this conversation to end.

"A potion isn't going to guarantee an easy solution to your second chance." Mr. Po leaned in closer and there was a wall of foreboding behind him. "You can't force someone to make the decision you think is right, even if it is beneficial to everyone else around you."

"I do not force anyone to make a decision against their will." Joe had barely even skimmed more than a few lines in the potion book, but it would appear that there was something in that book that would be just what Joe was looking for, and Mr. Po was ever so politely telling him not to use it. There much be a great cost to using the potion.

"That's good, I'll be holding you to that." Joe wanted to do something to wipe that smile from his face, but some part of him knew that would be terrifying. "Guiding a person to the right course is a much better solution than forcing it unnaturally. Potions are only temporary and even they aren't powerful enough to keep someone from fighting their own instincts."

It was clear as the depths of the sea that Mr. Po was hinting at something, but before Joe could question the strange Host, he received a pat on the shoulder and a much kinder smile. "Don't give up hope, Joe. There's hope for you yet."

"Eito, darling," Ms. Villa chime as she gracefully slipped her arm through Mr. Po's and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Have you finished your conversation yet?"

Mr. Po turned his face towards her with a smile and their noses touched. "I believe so."

"Then let us retire for the evening." She pulled him by the arm with a smile so carefree and charming Joe was slightly worried for the woman of the underlying dangers of the man she clung to. Was she not aware of his warning presence just a few minutes ago? Or was it that it did not matter since they were both somehow villains? Not that it mattered to Joe, he had better things he needed to do with his thoughts and his time than think about the Hosts.

Taking the opportunity, Joe rushed back to his room and locked himself away as he took his place back at his desk to finally see what secrets he could divulge from the pages. Upon flipping the cover, he saw that the rightful owner was Ursula, but the core editor beneath it was initialed and noted "G.D.U. To help us both have a better life" with a heart signed at the end. Joe only stared at the strange note and initials briefly before flipping to the table of contents.

Secrets of the Serpent for:

Hair Care. . . 001.

*Of all types for both land and sea.

Skin Care. . . 011.

*For all ages land and sea.

Eye Care. . . 031.

*For those visually impaired to entirely blind.

Lip Care. . . 042.

*For plumping and slimming.

Nail Care. . . 045.

*Strengthening, lengthening, and cuticles.

Transformation Spells. . . 50.

*Into all shapes, forms, sizes, and beings.

Joe raised his brow curiously at the title but kept reading. He would have to be sure to look back at it later in case he needed to casually prevent Ursula from becoming Vanessa.

Organ Care. . . 65.

*Everything internal for both land and sea.

Love Spells. . . 85.

*Sometimes the matter of the heart needs a little coercion in the right direction.

His nose wrinkled at the idea of coercing someone into falling in love and prayed that this book was somehow written after Ariel became a human and not before.

Blood Care. . . 95.

*Pressuring and thinning.

Mind Spells . . . 120.

*Changing the mind of another can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be.

Joe's eyes landed on the mind and immediately flipped through the pages to the desired section, his eye growing wider as he continued to read. "Well, well, what have we here?"

Despite the ingredient list and the purposes of the spells and potions meant to assist in changing one's mind, it would appear that none of the spells that Ursula procured, nor the editor, appeared to have any real use. Each one appeared to either be too weak or entirely useless as all the ingredients could only be found on land and the moment the potion came in contact with water it activated instantaneously. It offered Joe's mind a small amount of peace knowing that some of Ursula's spells and potions did not work, however, it did trouble him that there was little in this book that would otherwise help him change Ursula's mind.

Slamming the book shut, Joe released a groan as he ran his hands through his silvery hair and pulled at the ends. Dragging his hands down his face and over his eyes and pulling on his cheeks, he groaned. "Why does everything have to be so difficult when it comes to that woman?"

Nothing was ever simple with the woman, she always had to complicate matters so that way things could only benefit her; it made it such a hassle trying to untangle her mess. It had to run in the family because trying to change Ariel's mind on anything took a lot of begging, pleading, the occasional threat, and even demanding her not to do something all for her to turn around and do it anyways. It was something he always counted on, and it was something he could always hold over her whenever she denied it. Ursula didn't care and would do as she saw fit to entertain herself or gain some sort of benefit from it. For now, he would have to hope that encouraging her to open a shop on the surface would be enough to distract her from her desire to take over Atlantica.

URSULA

As the night dragged on Ursula nursed her potion while she impatiently paced her brewing room for Joe to return with her missing ingredients. She had Urchin feed her precious babies before allowing him to retire to his room for the night, and even then, Joe had yet to make a reappearance. After hours of pacing and acknowledging that this potion would not be finished for the night, she determined she had to forgo perfecting her potion and prepare for bed. Most of her day was wasted, but she would not waste her night and have her beauty sleep taken from her. She tutted as she closed the lid on her potion and locked it nice and tight. "What's a woman got to do around here to get things done?"

Sometimes the boys made her life unnecessarily difficult rather than easier like she wanted, but she kept them around for so long now that she would be completely beside herself if she got rid of them. Besides, she already had them tied down with a life binding contract that it would be a waste to get rid of them now. She chuckled to herself as she locked her potions and ingredients in their proper places before snatching her ledger stone tablet and her journal where she cataloged her potions. She flipped through the ledger as she sauntered down the bowels of the Sea Serpent to her large master room bedroom. She knew her ledger forwards and backwards and only had to alternate a few of the numbers on the list, however, she had to lie in the waves of the sea while Joe took his sweet time to get her last ingredient.

"Where is that boy?" She hissed through her teeth and dared to look towards the darkened doorway of Joe's room as she passed. "He should have been back hours ago!"

Ursula may have demanded for double of her order since he failed to bring back the original amount, but Joe was a fast worker and made short work of difficult work. It should not have taken him this long to return. He wasn't foolish enough to hasten his workload to get caught up in trouble, he was normally the one saving Urchin from trouble. However, that did not mean Joe would not run into trouble without his companion. Suddenly realizing she was somewhat worried, she scoffed and laughed at herself. Ursula ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "What am I doing?"

She had better things to worry about than one of her workers getting lost or in some sort of trouble. If something happened to Joe, he was replaceable with the next undesirable and unfortunate soul in desperate need of saving from their own misery; though Joe was the best one she'd ever had. Ursula had a list of things she needed to go through and double check in the ledger, not to mention she wanted to look over her potion book to see what she needed to change and add. Giving a firm shake of her head, she closed her ledger stone tablet as she continued to her room. It looked like she needed much more sleep than she realized.

Upon entering her room, she deposited the stone ledger on a side table while she took her journal over to her vanity where she would take off her makeup and roll into her evening routine. Pulling up her stool to her vanity Ursula worked her hair mask into her hair with her tentacles while removing her lashes with her hands and removing the rest of her makeup with a spare tentacle.

For as much as she loved her beauty products, she thoroughly enjoyed taking it off and rubbing the luscious lotions and scrubs against her skin and scales and the sensation of feeling younger all over again. She was aware, more than anyone else, that she did not age gracefully, it was her ship to bear after years of planning for revenge and constantly scowling because she had not achieved it yet, but despite her appearances she took very good care of her skin and hair and nails.

When her skin was finally bare, she carefully rubbed her moisturizer into her skin with her hands while her tentacles were reaching for her coral rollers to help smooth down her face. While her appendages worked on autopilot to rejuvenate and cleanse her face for the night, her eyes drifted to her book of spells and the paper poking out from it. It was the letter that Joe had brought. She hadn't remembered slapping that stupid thing into her book of potions, but it was a trying day and her memory lapsed at all of the day's events.

"I can't believe he tried to tell me to switch careers." She scoffed as she grabbed a slender roller and slid it down her nose and worked around the crevasses around her nostrils. "Me, the most powerful sea witch, give up all of my powers for what, selling my beauty products? Ha! He is more foolish than I thought!"

Still, her eyes lingered to the letter as they had since he brought it to her. It was an enticing idea. It was a riveting idea. Making profit of her own products on both land and under the sea? It was almost too good to be true. The likelihood of selling anything under the sea did not sound as though it would turn profit, too many people knew of her and too many were wisely wary of her, however, the land folk knew nothing of her. Naïve, innocent, and completely unaware of who she was and what she did, it was an opportunity for the taking. It was almost a shame that she hadn't thought of the idea first.

Her eyes drifted to the book of unstable and spells and she clicked her tongue as she flicked one of her tentacles to snatch it up so she could read the letter again. She wanted to believe that it was Joe pulling an elaborate prank on her to goad her into doing something else rather than going after the trident, but no matter how good he was at copying her handwriting, there were still things he could not accurately accomplish by copying. Even through her denial she knew that this was a letter written to herself, by herself, for herself, she just didn't want to believe it.

Hello young beautiful me,

If you're reading this then it means our wonderful little pet has brought this to you, and you should know that he's going to help us have a better chance at life. Where he's unable to explain things properly due to a deal I struck, I can confirm for us both that out little pet is going to be doing our bidding much more favorable this time around. As much as I am loath to admit it, the boy does have a good head on his shoulder and he does have a few good ideas. It is only thanks to his one great idea that he had that has made me the most profitable woman across all the Realms.

That being said, it would behoove you to keep a good eye on him and not give him as much freedom as you're used to. Though he is a pet bound by chain, his loyalties are only with us so long as his own goals can be met while assisting us. The boy has given me plenty of success where I reside now, but I will admit that I still wish I could have had a chance to rule the sea for longer than an hour. The boy is the key to getting the trident so long as you know who is the best bait to keep him doing our bidding.

Remember beautiful, a woman doesn't know how powerful her voice is until she has been silenced. Where we have been silenced under the sea thanks to Trident, there are many other opportunities to be heard on land. I know you're a very busy woman and haven't got all day to read such vague nonsense, but in summary, get a pair of your own legs and check things out on the surface for yourself. It'll be better for business all around and it will put eyes and ears in proper places.

Stay beautiful.

Ursula.

Ursula's lip curled in disgust with herself, but she still couldn't deny the curiosity that rose within her. It sounded too good to be true and she was sure this was some sort of set up by Joe, but the thing about having eyes and ears in proper places struck a chord with her. Her lips puckered in thought as she folded the letter and tucked it away in a drawer. She chuckled to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Perhaps it is time to expand my trade."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

I know I am slow to posting with this story, but between working two jobs and planning a trip for the end of July, my hands have been a little busy. I know many people have been excited to read a Joe and Ariel story, so I will do my best to provide an entertaining story.

Please remember to leave a comment or a review and share your thoughts with me. I promise that I do read the comments and reviews even if I don't always respond to them. I am currently working two jobs and am saving up money for a trip so my time is spread out pretty thin in what it is that I can do. So far, the Story and I are getting along so we will see how far I can get.

Thanks for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned!