Fresh Air

Chapter Five

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” asked Rosette confused.

“How are you feeling? You’ve been sleeping for quite some time, but you woke up briefly after I dispelled the water from your lungs,” he explained. Rosette looked intently at him.

“That was you? You were the one that saved me?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said a little taken aback by her harsh tone.

“Sorry, I’m just having a bit of a hard time,” said Rosette noticing her tone was not needed, “Um you don’t think you can get me off of this rock, do you?”

“Of course, that’s why I came back. Eric wants you at his wedding which is tonight. little Princess Ariel is getting married,” he said laughing a bit.

“Wait, she’s a princess?” asked Rosette.

“Yes, youngest daughter of King Triton,” he said.

“King Triton? Wait, how do you know all of this?” she asked. He sheepishly smiled and scooted back a bit. Soon a fin broke the surface and Rosette stared in shock at it.

“You’re a merperson as well?”

“Yes. You don’t think a human could have saved you from that ocean last night did you?”

“Why did you save me?” He merely shrugged. “Well for whatever reason, thanks…um?”

“Oh, I’m Neptune,” he said.

“Well thank you Neptune,” she said holding her hand out. He just stared at it, “oh, you probably don’t know about shaking hands, do you?”

“No, I don’t. Sorry, but you can tell me your name,” he said smiling and leaning on the rock once more.

“I’m Rosette,” she said.

“Well it is nice to meet you. Now we have a wedding to get you to,” he said.

“Oh, right,” she said suddenly getting sad.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s just…it’s nothing,” she said putting on a pathetic smile but Neptune stopped her.

“Tell me,” he said.

“It’s just for as long as I’ve known him, I’ve liked Eric. I never really tried hard to get his attention or anything but I just hoped that one day he would return my feelings. But then he had this girl save his life and he fell madly in love with someone he didn’t know, and didn’t even know what she looked like. All he remembered was her voice,” she said getting upset, but she looked at Neptune sympathetic expression and calmed down, “sorry, I shouldn’t be doing this to you. I don’t even know you.” She reached up and wiped away tears that hadn’t fallen yet and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

“So you’re in love with Eric as well?” he asked taking her hand and rubbing his thumb over it reassuringly.

“Yes, seems so stupid huh? A maid with a prince. No, he should marry a princess, and what do you know he found one. But still I don’t know if I want to go to the wedding,” she said.

“Then let me take you home. I can’t leave you on this rock for the rest of your life now can I? If I did it wouldn’t be a very long life,” he said in a joking manner.

“Yes, please. Why did you bring me here anyway?” she asked.

“It was the closets place and I had to get the water out of your lungs,” he said shrugging.

“Oh, well thanks again,” she said. He nodded.

“Now get in the water and I’ll swim you back home. I assume you live in the palace since you said you were a maid?” he asked.

“That’s right,” Rosette said as she carefully slipped back into the water and treaded.

“Put your arms around my neck and hold on, but not too tightly, don’t need to strangle me,” he laughed. Rosette put her arms around his neck so her body was flush with his back and he began to swim. It was slow moving at first so he didn’t lose her but soon he picked up the speed and Rosette enjoyed the feeling of the water rushing past her.

They had soon reached the palace and it was just in time for the wedding ship to depart. Eric caught sight of Rosette and went to the side to call to her.

“Rosette! Someone help her up here,” he said. A rope ladder was lowered towards her and she grabbed on before turning to Neptune.

“I really thank you so much for saving me, and helping me. I shall never forget your kindness,” she said.

He smiled, “it was nothing.”

“If you say so,” she said and started up the ladder. Once Eric helped her up she glanced down and only saw a dark blue fin swim away. She sighed and looked up at Eric.

“So you found her and now you’re marrying her,” she said. Eric just pulled her into a hug.

“I though I’d lost you. I don’t know what I would have done if I did,” he said.

“Eric I’m ruining your suit,” said Rosette as she patted his arm to let go of her.

“I don’t care. I thought you died, that’s more important,” he said pulling away.

“I’m alive, see, now I think I’ll go change and get some rest,” she said and started to head towards the cabin.

“You’ll be at the wedding though, right?” he asked. Rosette turned to face him and shook her head before disappearing below deck. Eric was shocked and didn’t understand. He was about to go after her but was stopped by Grimsby.

“My dear boy, it is finally that day. Now are you sure you want to marry this girl?” he asked.

“I thought you just wanted me to get married, regardless of how I felt or who it was?” asked Eric.

“I did, but I’ve seen the way you look at Rosette, you two aren’t just friends. Has something happened between you two?” he asked.

“What? No,” said Eric before trailing off and remembering their kiss on the lake. It was that kiss that made him not able to kiss Ariel when he brought her on the lake, “no, nothing happened. Excuse me,” he said wistfully before heading below deck as well. The maid’s quarters were all the way down and soon he came to the room he had left free for Rosette. He knocked and there was no answer.

He knocked again but still no answer.

“Rosette?” he called. There was a shuffle of food steps before the door cracked open.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Can I come in. I think we need to talk,” he said. Rosette opened the door all the way. And let him in. She had already changed into dry clothes, still a maid’s outfit, and she was towelling her hair. Eric took a seat and watched her for a bit.

“Did you come in here to see me dry my hair or did you want to talk?” she asked pausing her actions and noticing her was just staring.

“Right, um, I wanted to talk about us,” he said.

“What us?” she asked.

“Well…how do you feel about me? Honestly,” he said. Rosette put the towel down and faced him surprised.

“What?”

“I want your honest opinion. How do you feel about me?”

“I don’t think your wedding day is a good day to talk about this.”

“I think it is the last time to talk about this.”

“Fine you want my honest opinion of how I feel about you? I like you, hell I might even love you. But what does it matter? You have Ariel and you love her,” she said thrusting her hands onto her hips. Eric was just shocked before he shook it off.

“How long?”

“Seven years.” Eric coughed.

“Seven years? For as long as you’ve known me? I must say you hide it well.”

“Now what has this accomplished. I highly doubt you’re going to leave a princess for your maid.” Eric sighed.

“I didn’t even think you liked me at all, well I must be honest I think of you as the best friend I never had, but I love Ariel. I just hope you can accept that.”

“I have, and I still will.”

“Then will you please come to my wedding?” Rosette sighed, “I’ll let you have the second piece of cake.”

“Hey, you owe that to me already anyway,” she said poking him in the chest and laughing. He laughed as well.

“That’s right. So does that mean you are coming?”

“Yes, I’ll come, and I’ll be happy, and marry, and anything else you need me to be,” she said, “now get out so I can change into something appropriate for a wedding.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said getting up and heading to the door before stopping and turning back to her, “Rosette, I am happy you are safe and thank you for all that you have done for me.”

“You’re welcome, Eric,” she said and gave him a soft smile, “now go get ready for your wedding.” He nodded and left, gently closing her door.

The ceremony was underway and Rosette was patiently waiting for it to be over. She thought wedding ceremonies were kind of boring, but luckily they never lasted too long. After Eric and Ariel became man and wife Ariel walked to the side of the ship and gave her friends’ kisses. Rosette was kind of shocked and looked over the railing to see they were surrounded by merpeople.

Neptune spotted her and waved. She weakly waved back and moved away from the railings. Things were kind of weird now.

The wedding party was underway and as promised, Rosette got the second piece of wedding cake, which had looked like it was already cut before the bride and groom had even gotten to it. Rosette had to leave early though because her father was not feeling well and he kept muttering something about a devil crab, again.

Once she made sure her father was in bed Rosette made her way to the beach and sat there while she watched the wedding ship dock and people started loading off. Last off were Eric and Ariel. He caught sight of Rosette and nodded to her before walking into the palace with his wife.

“Hey,” came a voice and she turned to the water and saw Neptune sitting along the shore. The water washing over his dark blue fin as it came up.

“Are you stalking me?” she asked getting up and walking over towards him.

“No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw you leave the wedding early with the chef,” he said.

“Oh, the chef is my father. He wasn’t feeling well so I helped him home,” she explained and sat down where the water couldn’t get her.

“Well, how are you feeling?” he asked as he scooted up so he was sitting next to her.

“Fine, why wouldn’t I?” she asked turning to look at him. He just gave her a look and Rosette sighed, “I am fine. I mean I don’t really like Ariel all that much, but he does, so I’ll just leave it be. Plus there was nothing I could really do.”

“You aren’t happy though,” he pointed out.

“No, I am not, but I’m just a maid, no one cares if I’m happy.”

“I care.” Rosette laughed at that.

“You don’t even know me.”

“I would like to though.”

“Listen, Neptune, you’re a nice guy, and you saved my life, but I’m not Eric. I don’t fall in love with people that save my life. And don’t you think that there has been enough species switching for one day?”

“Well then how about tomorrow?”

“What do you want?” she asked after laughing. Mermaid boy was starting to get on her nerves. Sure it was cute, but she didn’t really like fish.

“Come swimming with me,” he said.

“I can’t really swim like you can,” she pointed out.

“I know, I’ll stay on the surface. Please, just come swimming with me and I will leave you alone,” he said.

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he said. She sighed before taking her dress off and leaving her in her under clothes before jumping into the water. He swam over to her and smiled.

“Take my hand, I want to show you something,” he said. She was skeptical but took his hand anyway.