Ursula awoke to shouting outside her front door. She had slept solidly but it was early, still dark. She threw a cloak around her body, pulled open the door, and peered out. A blowfish and a lanternfish charged at her. She watched with dread as the blowfish inflated.
"Come quickly! It's the king! He's taken a turn for the worse!" he blasted excitedly. His companion darted around her head, blinding her.
"Alright, give me a moment!" she hissed, slamming the door. "So bright, yet so stupid," she fumed, rubbing her eyes. She slipped on yesterday's crumpled shirt and rushed to the mirror; her hair was even crazier than before and there was no time to fuss with it.
"Pssst, cuties!" she whispered to a cage on her vanity. The baby piranhas inside started to stir. "Hold my hair back in a spiral, like a snail's shell," she instructed. "No swim-aways."
She lifted the top of the cage and they swarmed her head, then spaced themselves at neat intervals and burrowed in until all that was visible was the metal-gray tips of their tail fins. Their strong little jaws held everything firmly in place. "Good! Now, no funny business, you understand? You bite me, or anyone, and I'll have you as breakfast on the go."
The piranhas tittered merrily. They loved her, as she had rescued them from one of the temple's storage pods right after they had hatched. Ursula chuckled at their squeaky laughter. "Be good, and we'll get something for you to eat after my work is done, ok?" They wiggled with joy.
She rejoined her obtuse messenger and his sidekick and together they took off for the temple. It was a blur of faces and voices upon arrival; all she perceived clearly was Ephram telling her to carry out the vitality spell at once, and then she found herself alone with the king. He was struggling to breathe and more colorless than ever. She wasted no time in casting the spell, solidly memorized by now, using supplies she had stored behind his bed the night before.
There was nothing to do now but wait, and the adrenaline rush that had shot her out of bed and propelled her through her task was wearing off. She pulled aside Amoret, a fellow cecaelia that served as one of Nepp's morning attendants, and told her she'd be in the courtyard if anyone needed her. Then she weaved her way through the crowd and swam until she was hidden from view among the magical coral.
She rested, praying for the king's recovery. Then she began to slowly pace the corridors of enchanted labyrinth. Light filtered through the colorful canopy above her head and dappled the ground beneath her. She studied these soft beams as they danced upon the sand, and her mind quieted.
As she rounded a corner, Ursula saw the immense rippling back and evergreen scales of Alphon. She turned silently to reverse course, but it was too late. He whipped around, and his face lit up when he saw her. Like watching a ghastly statue come to life, she thought to herself.
"Ahh, Ursula! The woman of the hour!" His emerald eyes flicked across her body. She saw that he was absentmindedly ripping the legs off a starfish as he surveyed her, allowing the limbs to float to the ocean floor like petals from a withering plant.
She rushed him and tore the animal from his hands. "What are you doing?! Idiot!" she spluttered angrily. She crouched before him to collect the discarded legs of the tortured animal.
"Mmm, feisty. Is that any way to address your future king?" he purred.
She looked up at him, silent and furious. As she glowered, he looked straight into her eyes for the first time. A small smile played at his lips. "I like you down there. Stay. That's where you belong, kneeling before me." He cocked his head to one side. "It suits you."
Ursula shot up instantly, propelling herself backward and spiraling to leave in one quick motion. He darted around her in a flash and blocked her exit.
"You're freaky, aren't you? I can handle freaky. Actually, I prefer it." He was smirking now, and running the tip of a fin along the length of one of her tentacles. "Show me those fangs of yours," he commanded sternly.
She paused a beat, then spun around and took off through the labyrinth at full pace. He pursued her, laughing. "Hey, get back here, you freak bitch! Royalty wants a word with you!"
As she careened wildly forward, she noticed her head was buzzing. The piranhas were vibrating with agitation. She turned two more corners before the idea took form.
"Ok, sweeties. Breakfast is served. Just slow him down," she ordered in an urgent low tone. She felt them release her hair as she sprinted the final length of the maze. "Farewell, darlings," she whispered.
A beat later and Alphon was cursing; she was out of the labyrinth and shooting toward the top of the temple with the starfish in her trembling hands. She soared over the top of the dome, then darted into one of the private rooms in the back of the building and locked herself inside.
Ursula pieced the animal back into a complete star, like working a puzzle. Then she placed her hands over it, applying the lightest pressure possible. She felt the pieces begin to fuse together, and this calmed her. Once the starfish was mended, she curled up with it. It lay in the palm of one hand and she stroked it with a fingertip from the other. She wondered how things might have unfolded had she not called Alphon an idiot. Nonetheless, she knew she had glimpsed his true colors, and they were worth knowing.
Ursula also knew she couldn't hide much longer; she had assured Amoret that she would be available in the courtyard. She gathered together the upper half of her hair, then gently placed the starfish atop the bundle, along the back of her neck. "Can you hang out there awhile and hold onto my hair?" she asked it. It gave a gentle squeeze in response. Then she covered both of them with a protection enchantment. It had been a long time since Ursula had felt the need to do one.
As she got up, she willed herself to remain calm no matter who or what she encountered in the halls below. Ursula slowly made her way to King Nepp's sanctuary.
*******************
As she entered, Amoret and two cuttlemaids greeted her with happy smiles. "His color is much improved," noted Amoret. "And he's breathing much easier," added one of the cuttlemaids. Ursula didn't know her name; then again, cuttlemaids tended to blend into the background.
"Oh good," Ursula exhaled. She smiled for the first time that day.
A moment later, the royal family entered the room one by one. Queen Galataye said nothing, but pressed Ursula's hand and looked into her eyes in silent thanks as she passed by. Ursula watched her kiss Nepp's forehead tenderly.
Prince Triton came to her side. "I see it went well," he said warmly.
She nodded. "I think so." For the first time, looking at his perfect face was more comforting than unnerving. Goodness and kindness underlay his beauty, rather than arrogance and cruelty.
The twins pounced her and hugged her tightly. After a moment's hesitation borne out of surprise, she hugged them back, tighter. Over Psamanthe's shoulder, Ganeon caught her eye and mouthed thank you. She smiled at him.
Behind her, Alphon spoke. "Good morning, Ursula," he said pleasantly.
"Good morning," she said politely, releasing the girls. She turned and faced him squarely.
"Since you clearly work such wonders," he motioned towards his father with a sweep of his large, muscular arm, "I wondered if you could help me with a problem."
"I'd be happy to," she replied evenly.
"It's mostly my face, you see." Alphon was covered in scratches and bites; several were still oozing blood.
"Yes, I see." Ursula was expressionless.
"A school of piranha fish found me while I was strolling in the labyrinth. It was the strangest thing! They were only babies, though." Alphon laughed good naturedly, as if delighted by the attack.
Ursula said nothing as she opened a locket linked to a bracelet on her left wrist and swiped salve onto every fingertip of her right hand. She then touched each wound on Alphon's face in turn, cycling through her fingertips and mumbling a basic healing spell. Every time she lifted a finger, perfect skin was revealed where a bloody gash had been only a moment before. Once she had healed the fifth bite with her pinky, she reapplied the salve to her digits and resumed with her thumb.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, in obvious pleasure, as she touched his face. Ursula summoned all her self restraint and ignored the impulse to shred his symmetrical features into ribbons with her nails. It helped that all of his siblings were watching their exchange. She could feel their eyes on them.
She proceeded to the injuries on his back, chest, shoulders and arms, working briskly. Under the pretense of showing her where various bites were, he flexed his muscles this way and that. It was embarrassing enough to make Ursula blush. As she reached the last few wounds on his abdomen, he brushed his thumb along her hand. "You do have the magic touch," he murmured.
"Done," she announced loudly, distancing herself.
He pitched himself forward and hugged her, pinning her arms to her sides. "I'm not done with you, though," he breathed into her ear, so softly she could scarcely hear it. "Thanks!" he added audibly, releasing his hold. "Nice starfish, by the way. Very becoming in your hair like that."
She pretended not to hear Alphon as she turned to his family once again, the starfish shuddering against her. "If that will be all, Your Excellencies, I shall step away for the moment. I'll stay informed regarding the king's condition throughout the day and if summoned, will come at once."
She was met with six bows--five sincere, one not. Ursula bowed in return, avoiding eye contact with all, and took her leave. Swimming away, she could sense Triton's agitation like a current in the water. She didn't have to look at him to verify it; she was becoming attuned to him to a surprising degree.