Well folks, you wanted it, you got it!

A year had passed; a lovely year. Fall was beginning to settle into the kingdom, and the people were beginning to swaddle themselves in it.

"It'll be too cold to swim, soon." Ariel remarked, running her long fingers across the surface of the glassy ocean.

"You can stay in the shallow end for a pretty long time, until it really starts snowing and everything freezes." Eric stated. "There's one little tide pool that's so shallow, it never freezes, though."

"Really?" Ariel perked up. "Where is it?" she looked around.

Eric grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the south end of the beach. It was only a couple minutes away. "There's a really cool starfish right there" he said, pointing.

Ariel fluttered out her skirt and settled into the stand. "Where?" she furrowed her brow.

Eric pointed a little to the left of where she was looking. "Right there…"

"Oh!" Ariel exclaimed, picking up a small wooden box with a starfish painted on it. She picked it up out of the tide pool and examined it.

Eric grabbed Ariel's free hand and pulled her to a standing position. Taking the box from her, he got down on one knee. "Ariel, will you marry me?" he smiled, opening the box.

Ariel was silent for a moment, staring back at Eric with her mouth agape. Tears filled her eyes and she flung herself towards him, hugging him and chanting a chorus of 'yes!'es.

Eric picked her up and spun her around.

"A wedding!" Ariel exclaimed, kissing Eric again. "I'm getting married – we're getting married! We're having a wedding!"

"Well, that's usually how it works. When do you want to get married?" Eric chuckled.

"Now! No, I should probably invite my father and sisters. And I don't know where we'd find a priest. No, we should probably wait a month…or three weeks." Ariel reasoned, tipping her head back to look at the ocean.

"Alright, we'll start on that tomorrow. But for today, let's just celebrate!" Eric beamed, hooking his arm around his fiancé's waist.

…

"I'm getting married!" Ariel ran into Cassandra's arms the first time she saw the girl.

"Oh, congratulations!" Cassandra smiled softly down at Ariel and hugged her back. "When's the date?"

"We don't know yet. I'm thinking soon, I don't need to fancy of a wedding, but I need enough time to pull everything together. There will be flowers and cake and I want it to be ocean themed, and I'll invite all of Atlantica and – oh, dear." Ariel paused and pursed her hand. "Are you okay, dear?"

"Oh, of course I am! This is such a happy day!" Cassandra said softly, grabbing Ariel's hand and swinging it.

"It's Urchin, isn't it?" Ariel pressed, looking kindly and offering Cassandra the option to open up.

"I still miss him. Does that make me stupid?" Cassandra said shyly, dipping her head down.

"No, no! Of course not." Ariel cupped Cassandra's cheek. "Here, let's talk privately."

Eric took the hint and wandered off, he had some business to take care of anyway.

Cassandra bit her lip and dipped her head "It's just…I don't want to be another stupid girl who stands around waiting for someone who will never come. Where's the line? Persistence, obsession, foolishness – they all mean different things to different people, and I'm not even entirely sure what they mean to me. They're different, I know, but they all seem to run together sometimes."

"Cassandra, you're overthinking." Ariel said sympathetically. "If you really love him, who's to say there even is a line? Don't go crazy thinking of hypotheticals, just know what you want, and do what you need to in order to get it.

"You're right!" Cassandra perked up. "So, you don't think I'm stupid for still liking him?"

"I don't think you're stupid, I think he's stupid. But you still love him, so he's stupid but lucky." Ariel giggled.

Cassandra smiled back and her and ran her hand through her black hair.

"The ink is starting to come out." Ariel commented, pointing at Cassandra's once honey-brown hair. "Are you just going to let it wash out, or re-dye it?"

"I don't know." Cassandra sighed. "I don't really like it, but I don't really like my hair either.

"Here, let it out of the ponytail!" Ariel insisted.

"Cassandra brushed her hair through with her fingers again, and then tugged on the ribbon. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and came down to the middle of her ribcage.

"It's gotten so long, I remember when it was only down to your shoulders." Ariel pushed it off her shoulder. "I bet Urchin wouldn't even recognize you like this."

"That's part of the problem." Cassandra sighed.

"Oh, Cassie, I was only kidding, I know Urchin would never forget you-" Ariel began.

"No, no, it's that he hasn't seen me in a year Ariel – a year. I know I still love him – but does he love me? I go out to the beach every day, if not for enjoyment then to hang laundry or some other chore!" Cassandra flicked her hand. "Why hasn't he tried to come to the beach, come look for me? I certainly can't go looking for him! It doesn't matter how much I might want to marry him if he doesn't want to marry me!"

"I told the staff!" Eric smiled, strutting back into the room. "They're all real excited to come to the wedding.

And clearly, they were. Almost instantly, dozens of people came pouring out of rooms, shouting their congratulations as the hustled and bustled about to gather things and clean things and prepare everything they could.

"Oh my!" Ariel laughed, distracted from Cassandra. She walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a piece of paper. Writing a short letter, she called out "Carlotta!" and the portly woman came to her aid.

"Oh my lovely, you're getting married!" Carlotta beamed, kissing Ariel's cheek and then Eric's. "What can I do to help?"

"Oh, can you take this to the shore? It's a letter to my father and sisters, the tides will take it there." Ariel asked.

"Of course, darling!" Carlotta took the letter and scurried off.

"Thank you so much!" Ariel called. "Come on, we have to go plan!" she grabbed Eric's arm and pulled him to the art room.

Cassandra shook her head a little and went to go hang laundry – and crashed right into a speeding footman, who promptly spilled tea all over her.

"Cassandra! I'm so sorry!" he stuttered, not knowing whether to help clean her up or keep apologizing. He settled for both.

"David, David – calm down!" she laughed. "It's just a work frock, it's to be expected!"

"I know, but-"

"You're fine with me, but who needed tea in such a hurry?" Cassandra said coyly. "You might not be as fine with them."

"Grimsby. He says we have a guest, and she's rather fussy, I'm getting the impression."

"Uh-oh!" Cassandra said tauntingly. "Here, let me help you make a fresh pot, my laundry can wait."

"Thanks, Cass." David gave her a half-smile and squeezed her shoulder. "Then maybe we can find you a nice new dress. Perhaps a ball gown."

Cassandra threw her head back and laughed. "Well, we best hurry up then, eh?"

...

"You're free to go."

Urchin's head snapped up. He had waited over a year for those words to be spoken to him, but now that they had, he almost didn't believe them.

"What?" he asked, sliding to the edge of his bed.

"You heard me. Get out."

"Why am I able to leave?" he asked, swimming out of his jail cell.

"King Triton got some good news. Ariel's getting married. He's happy, he decided to set you free. Figured you paid for your crimes."

Urchin broke out into a smile. He knew the first place he was going, too. To the surface – to see Cassandra.

First chapter, please review!