the little mermaid

prologue - cordelia

His voice was loud, and he spoke with an air of aristocracy. "I've had yet to see a tail of that color in the kingdom until this moment," he said.

"I'm not from around here," replied Cordelia with a shrug. Her voice was soft and weak like the rest of her.

"I'm aware. We've met before this occasion. I see you whenever I tag along with my parents to assist in feeding the less fortunate merpeople."

Cordelia knew he looked familiar.

"Oh..." she mumbled.

"I wish my tail was as unique as yours," he said.

"Your tail's wonderful, though," Cordelia told him.

"Eh," he shrugged. "Everyone in my family has one of the exact appearance. But yours..." He trailed off.

"Don't you think mine makes me look... evil or something?" questioned Cordelia.

"No," he answered simply. "I've never met anyone evil, but I picture them as having a red tail. Black just adds depth. Have you ever seen a painting that doesn't have shadows? It probably wouldn't be much of an interesting painting."

Cordelia had never looked at her black tail like this before. She liked his new perspective.

"Thanks...?" she said questioningly.

"It was my pleasure," he said as he began to walk away. He then stopped abruptly, turned around, and said, "I can't believe I was so impolite. I'm Prince Edward III, but feel free to call me by the name of Ed. And you are?"

"Cordelia," said the lonely girl as she tried to make the side of a building a somewhat bearable place to sleep.

"Do you need a place to stay, Cordelia?" asked the prince, realizing what she was doing.

Cordelia looked up at him with eyes full of gratefulness mixed with disbelief and a touch of longing, while he looked down at her with a look as if he were waiting to hear a "yes" right after a marriage proposal. They stared for a while, until Cordelia finally said, "Yes, that would be lovely."

It took a while for Cordelia to realize what was actually happening. It wasn't until the first week had passed that she realized she was staying in a palace and becoming friends with the prince.

She told him her life's story - how her father left her mother, and how she was born into poverty. She was afraid to tell him about her mother being a witch. Even though Ed was kind to her and seemed accepting, she didn't want him to become afraid of her.

After a few days, however, she had a compelling urge to tell him. She felt like she was lying to him by keeping him from such a major part of her life. She told him about her mother, and when she did, Ed's face fell and he looked frantic, but within seconds he put on a smile and told Cordelia that who her mother was is not who she is. It did not alter the way he talked to her or treated her one bit.

Cordelia had a theory that Ed was ashamed of her, though. The King and Queen did not know about her; she was kept hidden in one of the many palace guestrooms, and Ed snuck food to her every day.

She liked to think it wasn't shame that kept her hidden in that room, though. Ed was protecting her. That's what she told herself, anyway.

Ed and Cordelia talked every day.

It wasn't until the first month had passed that she realized she was staying in a palace and developing feelings for the prince.

"Remember the first day we met? Formally met, I mean," she asked him one day.