His Butler, Faithful

The Little Mermaid

“Tell me a story,” the young master requested.

April paused unlacing his boots, looking up at him. He was a strange boy, she decided. Why did he wear that eye patch? They looked in each other’s eyes for a moment until she continued taking off his shoes. “What kind of story?” she asked, before adding awkwardly: “young master.”

Ciel looked up at the ceiling, smiling to himself. “A fairy tale. Any kind of fairy tale.”

April slipped off the last boot and began to help him with his trousers. “Well,” she began, searching through her brain a good story she remembered reading not too long ago. “This story is called The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen in 1836. The merpeople of long ago lived in a sea the color of cornflower. Its waters so clear, you could see your reflection. The Sea King reigned over his peoples from these waters, but he was a widower, and therefore needed his dwelling kept by his aged mother, who was wise and established because of her high birth.

“The King had six daughters, the youngest of them being the fairest of them all. Her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes were- why, Ciel, her eyes were the same color as yours- the deepest shade of blue, that matched the depths of the ocean.” By this time, April had undone his undershirt, and she was guiding him to the bathtub. “Now, in their palace, the princess mermaids each had their own plot of land in which they planted many beautiful sea flowers. The youngest princess, though, formed her plot in resemblance to the sun, and included a statue representation of a handsome man. And over this statue she grew a rose-colored weeping willow. This little garden reminded her of the lovely world above the sea she so enjoyed hearing of from her grandmother. 

“‘When you reach your fifteenth year,’ the grandmother would say, ‘you may rise up out of the sea and sit on the rocks in the moonlight while the ships are sailing by. You will then see both forests and towns.’ 

“When all of the little mermaid’s sisters had experienced the beauty of the world above them- with descriptions of the quiet moonlit nights, the dazzling sunsets, the rolling green hills, and even the icebergs reminiscent of pearls- the little mermaid was even more excited for her fifteenth birthday. And then her time came- when she was finally able to see the world above. 

“Young master, must you wear that eye patch in the tub?” April inquired. Ciel seemed confused for a moment, only to realize her question wasn’t part of the story.

“Yes, I must,” he said. “Please continue.”

“Alright,” said the maid, continuing to lather his hair. “Where was I? Ah yes, she turned fifteen. When the little mermaid broke through the surface, the sun had just set. But the clouds were still hues of crimson and gold- and through this glimmering twilight shone the evening star in all its glory. The sea was calm. A large ship lay becalmed on the water, with only one sail set. The sailors were dancing on deck and rockets rose to adorn the sky with colors. This was all in honor of the prince, who was turning sixteen. When the mermaid saw him, she was startled, for he was the most beautiful of all the sailors.” April sighed, realizing she was telling Ciel the long version of this fairy tale. “She fell in love with him, and she decided she would do anything for his heart. But she realized she could not marry him if he had legs, and she had a tail. So she met with a sea witch and agreed to trade her voice for land legs.

“There was a condition, though. If he were to marry another, she would die and turn into the foam of the sea.

“So when the little mermaid attained her legs, she sought out the prince, who gave her a temporary home. But getting him to love her proved difficult without her voice.”

April paused to stand up and get a bucket of warmer water to pour over Ciel’s soaped up body. When she returned, her young master was in a trance. “Young master?”

He winced and turned to look at her. “You’re much gentler than Sebastian,” he said. “Please continue with the story.”

April smiled slightly and nodded. “Of course. Ahem. Though the prince and the little mermaid grew close, the prince showed no sign of asking her hand in marriage. And even worse, he met a girl- the neighboring King’s daughter- more beautiful than she. They were to marry the next day.

“The little mermaid was despairing, so she visited with her sisters one night, who met her at the shore. They informed her that they gave up their hair to the sea witch so they could help her.

“‘Take this knife,’ they told her. ‘Stab the prince with it, and when his blood falls to your feet, you will again become a mermaid and return to us. 

“That early morning, just as red streaks of sunrise branched over the sky, the little mermaid entered the prince’s chambers with that knife.”

“She could not kill him,” said Ciel. “She loved him too much to end his life so that she could live, is that correct?”

April smiled and nodded. “Yes, that is correct, young lord. She could not kill the prince. Instead, she threw the knife out of the window, which turned to blood as it fell in the water. She left his quarters and entered the water herself, feeling her body becoming foam. 

“When she’d disappeared completely, she woke up, She saw the bright sun, and all around her floated hundreds of transparent beautiful beings; she could see through them the white sails of the ship, and the red clouds in the sky; their speech was melodious, but too ethereal to be heard by mortal ears, as they were also unseen by mortal eyes. The little mermaid perceived that she had a body like theirs, and that she continued to rise higher and higher out of the foam. ‘Where am I?’ she wondered.

“‘Among the daughters of the air,’ one of them answered.” April sighed and shrugged. “And that’s the end. The little mermaid became an angel because of her choice, and she spent the rest of eternity continuing her good deeds.”

“That sounds dreadfully boring,” said the Earl.

“Indeed,” she agreed, drying him off before helping him into his night clothes.

“April?” he asked.

She looked up into his face. “Yes, young lord?”

“Tell Sebastian I request Harrods’ White Darjeeling for tea in the morning.”

April nodded. “Certainly, young master.”

*Thank you http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html for the story