Ursula's Beginning

20. Look at this stuff--isn't it neat?

So she did the vitality spell on herself. Siddikah shared her supplies to facilitate it, then stood back to watch Ursula in action.

It was a fairly reckless thing for to do, but the gamble paid off. Ursula was filled with energy, strength, stamina, and confidence at once. Her wound sites closed and smoothed over on the spot. She was ready to go.

She hugged Siddikah fiercely and thanked her for providing shelter, supplies, expertise.

"Anytime, minnow. You've lost part of your body, but you have an opportunity to increase your body of knowledge so that this kind of thing never happens to you again. I hope you accept my offer."

Ursula kissed both of Siddikah's cheeks as well as her hand, and said nothing.

She beckoned her nameless pets to her side. She didn't know what to call the eels yet, but she intuited that their proper names would simply arrive, just as the animals themselves had done.

Ursula left the Leviathan utterly unafraid of the Uncivilized Waters, of Alphon, of anything. She reached home in record time and watched the eels explore their new abode. Then she slept soundly through the night. And now that she was done processing yesterday's events, it was time to get up and put her plan in motion.

***

Ursula sashayed through the palace. A guard was leading her to one of many sitting rooms. She had asked to speak to the queen, and to any other members of the royal family that happened to be available. She hoped to see all three princes this morning, albeit for different reasons in each case.

She was strutting due to the power of the vitality spell and the power of a good outfit. Her dress was certainly part of the plan: it was full length, and the bodice plunged into a deep V that went all the way to the waist. The look was bold but not indecent; the fabric covered her breasts and her pearls concealed even more skin. Ursula's hair was a towering updo studded with little starfish. The eels had gathered them for her.

The idea was to draw the eye upward. One couldn't see through the lower half of her dress, so unless someone kept close tabs on the number of tentacle tips that peeked out—hard to do with a cecaelia in constant motion—her injury would never be suspected.

She entered a room in which Galataye and her twins were already waiting. Triton and Ganeon arrived a moment later. Their expressions amused her. Triton looked away at once—the pearls were practically a cue by now, and one he couldn't follow at present.

Ganeon's gaze lingered until he and Ursula both started to blush.

Queen Galataye cleared her throat.

"Your Majesty, thank you for admitting me. Word has reached the temple about an envoy from the Caribbean that has been staying in the palace for some time now. We tentacled folk wish to invite him to the temple for a tour."

"A tour?"

"Yes, if your Grace thinks it appropriate. We have speculated that he might be curious about our way of life here in Atlantica."

"I see no harm in the idea," she said, more to her daughters than to Ursula. "Would one of you want to escort Sebastian to the temple?" she asked them.

"When?" said Psamanthe.

"I don't mind," Halimede said at the same time.

As the three mermaids put their heads together to converse quietly, Ursula looked pointedly at Ganeon. He volleyed back a puzzled expression. "Volunteer," she mouthed, moving her lips as little as possible.

"Is this afternoon fine?" Queen Galataye looked up to ask Ursula.

"Yes, your Majesty."

Galataye looked at her twins and Ursula widened her eyes at Ganeon.

"Halimede will meet—"

"Er, mother? The girls should remain available to you. I can bring Sebastian this afternoon," said Ganeon.

The corners of Galataye's mouth twitched down. "Are you quite sure you have nothing else to attend to?" she asked.

"Not this afternoon. I think it'd be fascinating to watch the crab's reaction to everything."

This satisfied the royal mother. In an instant, she decided Ganeon's flushing had been nothing more than shock at Ursula's immodesty. Of course his passions were reserved for his studies...for his observations and hypotheses and working theories...for factoids, for historical research, for philosophizing.

"Very well, Ganeon."

Triton looked up just in time to see his lover leave the room.

In the corridor, Ursula passed by Alphon. She slowed down and smirked, and as his face morphed from bewilderment to doubt to fear, she laughed. The hulking merman flinched at the sound. Ursula watched his eyes dart unconsciously from her hips to her fangs and then, unable to meet her gaze, to the starfish in her hair.

Victory.