When I Lived in the Palace

[shadows_light91]

This is an idea I had of Ursula's past. See what y'all think of it. Don't worry, there's more on the way. By the way, the italics are a poem/song that I wrote for the story.

Chapter One: Poor Unfortunate Souls

I watched as Ariel swam into my view on the crystal ball, thinking of how easy this would be. It would be the perfect opportunity to get my revenge on ‘Mr. High and Mighty’ King Triton. No, it wasn’t just Ariel I wanted. It was always in my plans to get back at him for what he did to me. The worse part of it was that no one knew the real story. They only learned his biased side of the tale.

He was always good at twisting things to benefit himself. I learned that faster than I’d wanted to.

Ariel was happy and in love. I loathed her for that itself. There wasn’t any way I could find that kind of love again, the kind that sends butterflies to the pit of your stomach yet lifts you up out of the sea and into the clouds. I’d only been able to find it once, but because of Triton, there was no way it would be possible to have it again.

She laughed; she dreamed, just I had done once. I remember humming to myself a song that only I alone could understand, could comprehend. She fluttered around, holding herself gracefully. As a mermaid. That was something else I missed.

Looking in the mirror
Sick of the image I see.
Fat and wasted away
Far from what I used to be.

She had everything I desired. I wanted to be in her fins.

Before you came along,
I was heir to the throne.
But you came and banished me
Leaving me to grieve alone.

I could have been too, if it weren’t for that horrible day, long, long ago. That was the day Triton had betrayed me, and turned his back on me for good. The traitor. The backstabber. I’d never been one to hold a grudge like this, but I wanted revenge so bad that I could taste it with the salty water floating around me.

People say revenge is sweet.
I’d have to agree.
One day I’ll be in charge again
And you will bow to me.

“Flotsam! Jetsam!” I shouted. “Keep a close watch on this little daughter of his. She may be the key to Triton’s undoing.” I chuckled as I watched her swim quickly back to the palace.

“She sure is strong-willed,” I commented to myself. “If there were some way for me to trap her…” I smiled. I’d finally figured it out. “Now, I need a certain spell. She’ll definitely fall for becoming a human. Girls are desperate when they’re in love,” I spoke from experience.

“Boys, go. You know what to do.”

I pointed to the door, and watched them leave, making sure that they were doing what I wanted. I never really worried about them slacking off though; they were wonderful as my servants.

However, I quickly prepared for what I knew was to come. The little mermaid princess would be here any minute now. I was sure my trustworthy sidekicks would bring her back to me. I didn’t ever have to tell them exactly what to do. They were intelligent enough to understand what to accomplish when I sent them out for something. Well, Flotsam had more of the brains, while Jetsam had the brawns.

As I suspected, here came Ariel and two others, the fish that she always hung out with and Triton’s advisor, the crab. I saw my little collection grab her, and I had to hold back a laugh as she nearly screamed in horror. They did keep out the pesky little intruders.

“Come in. Come in, my child. We mustn’t lurk in doorways. It’s rude. One might question your upbringing,” I sneered.

I could tell the poor child was frightened to be in such a place. Well, if I were told the lies that she’d been told about the horrible things I’d done in my past, I’d probably be scared too. Yes, I did turn people into horrible-looking creatures. But I didn’t do it to everyone. Only the people who deserved it. People who had turned on me when I had needed their help the most. People like Triton.

Years and years have passed
More time brings more lies
You’re no more compassionate now.
Still apathetic to my cries.

I began to tell her the plan to turn her into a human, and she fell for it, exactly how I hoped she would. The look in her eyes was one of pure joy. I’d had that look in my eyes once too. For a second, I almost wished she would find love up on that shore. I half-wanted her to be happy, like I once wanted to be happy too.

I’m tired of this.
These childish games must end.
For your own child is in danger,
As she breathes the salty wind.

Her two friends helped her to the surface, so that she could take her first breath. Meanwhile, I sat back in my little cave, scheming of what to do next. I had to stop her from getting Prince Eric’s love, and I was going to do everything in my power to stop it. I couldn’t let her get away, for if I did, that would mean my plans for Triton would go down the drain.

My time will come
To make up for my broken heart and tears.
Then my planning will be worthwhile
After all these years.

If I had to be a poor unfortunate soul, you bet she was going to be too.

[Prince Mike]

Wait... you wrote this story? I've been reading it for the past like week lol. It's good.

[shadows_light91]

You have? On fanfiction? lol. It's a small world, huh? I thought I'd try it out here and see if I could get any new readers. What's your penname on ff?

[shadows_light91]

Chapter Two: The Fantastical Feast

It was my sixteenth birthday. I was the girl everyone wanted to be. I had the most gorgeous long black hair and beautiful green fins. My father bought me the most expensive shells he could find. As a mermaid princess, I had the best life known to the merfolk.

Through school, I excelled, always the top of my class. I was athletic, and I even was a member of our school’s swim team. I usually did the backstroke, but occasionally raced the breaststroke. I never lost a race.

I was a liked mermaid however, even if I had all this going for me. I didn’t have any enemies really, and if I did, it was only because they were jealous. I didn’t have a bad attitude or a big head though. I tried never to brag. I never wanted special treatment either. I wanted to be an equal, like everyone else. I hated when people were treated better just because they were a higher class than others.

Unfortunately, when you’re a princess, it’s a little hard not to be treated different.

Life at the palace, though, was anything than different. I hated being cooped up all the time, and the only time I got to go out was for school and swim team. Otherwise, I was in my room. My mother always said that it was dangerous for such a young girl like me to be floating around in the ocean without some kind of protection. I would always argue that I was sixteen, and I was plenty old to protect myself. There was only one person who believed me however.

Mark.

He was the advisor to my father, and I simply adored him. He was so smart and witty. Mark always knew how to make me laugh, even when I was down in the dumps about whatever thing was upsetting me that day. He seemed to have an answer for everything. And as always, he hung out with me whenever he had any time off. He was only eighteen, so we were really close.

“Knock knock!” I heard Mark call. “Can I come in?”

I sprung up from where I sat on my bed, and quickly started tiding up my room a little so he wouldn’t have to walk in and see it so messy. “Uh, hold on just a minute.” I shoved the last bit of makeup under my bed before replying, “Okay, come in.”

He looked so handsome. Mark had golden brown hair, with green eyes that light up whenever he was happy. He was the most stunning merman I’d ever seen in my life. “What’s up?” He asked.

“Nothing really. Just trying to decide what to wear for tonight.”

“Ah,” he replied. “Are you looking forward to it?”

I snorted. “Of course not! The only reason we’re having this party is so that I can find a suitor. My father has tons of suitors lined up for me, doesn’t he?”

Mark nodded.

“That’s what I thought,” I rolled my eyes. “Father just doesn’t understand. I don’t ever like any of the suitors he picks out for me. And now that I’ve turned sixteen, it’s only going to get worse.”

He came over and put his arms around me. “Don’t worry, baby. He’s just trying to help you. He wants you to be happily married and settled down, and this is the only way he knows how to show his affection. You know he loves you.”

“Yeah, yeah. You tell me that, but sometimes I’m not so sure.” I smiled at him. “Maybe you could help teach him another way to show that he cares about me. Something that doesn’t involve me having to meet lines and lines of strangers who don’t even know me trying to hit on me, hopefully. I hate that.”

He pushed my black hair out of my face. “I do too.”

I smiled devilishly. “I bet you do.”

I gave him a quick peck on the lips. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we were a couple? That’s right, I got the most gorgeous guy in the ocean. Not to mention the nicest. We’d been going out for nearly a year now, secretly of course. If my parents ever found out that we had something going between us, well, we were both sure they would fire him, and that wouldn’t be good at all. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t have Mark here for me.

“So,” he started. “Do you need my help picking out something?” He asked, obviously noticing the lack of work on my part.

“What do you have in mind?”

He grinned. “Well, if I had a choice, I’d make you wear this,” he said, pulling out an ugly black top that I’d worn to my great-aunt’s funeral two years ago. “It’d turn every guy from here to the Pacific Ocean away.”

“I’m sure that would make you happy as a lark.”

Mark just laughed. “You bet baby. I don’t want any man to take you away from me.”

“Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen.” I tried to smile, but I knew that it would be very hard to keep our relationship a secret for long, especially since I was going to have to choose a suitor soon. Of course, there was no way I’d leave Mark for another mad. Father would have to get over it. Still, though, I felt nervous about it all the more.

“But honestly, I don’t know which shells to wear. I can’t look bad; Father will suspect something.”

“Yeah it’s hard to keep stuff from your father. Believe me, I have the hardest time making up excuses for coming to see you everyday.”

“What did you tell him this time?”

“I was coming to explain tonight’s schedule. He wants you to say a little speech as well.”

I groaned. “I hate give speeches. It always makes me seem so full of myself. I have to get up in front of a crowd of people, half of which want to marry me, and talk about myself.”

“I’m sure you won’t sound that way,” he comforted me. “You are too nice. You always put others before yourself. Just, when you get up there, speak from your heart.”

Giving him a kiss on the forehead, I stood up. “That’s what I love about you,” I giggled.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I replied.

“Come on! Tell me. That way I’ll know what I’m doing right.”

I just grinned. “You’re smart. Figure it out yourself. Now go. I’ve got to get changed for the party.”

He sighed. “Okay fine. I’ll see you tonight.” He dipped me down and kissed me. “I love you more than anything Ursula.”

“I love you too, Mark.”

I watched as he left, keeping my eyes on his backside as he walked down the hallway. Then I giggled at my own insanity. I didn’t have time to stand here and stare at my boyfriend’s butt. I had a party to get ready for.

Oh yeah, that was another thing that set me apart from every other mermaid in the ocean. I didn’t want to have a sweet sixteen party. That always meant that the princess would start having to choose a husband. I already had my husband picked out, but of course, I doubted my father would ever let me marry him. He wasn’t of any royal blood whatsoever. His mother and father were good friends with my parents, so he got to move in with us when a plague came around and killed his parents. Something called oil, I think.

But whatever the reason he had to move in with us, I was happy he did. He had moved in when he was ten, when I was about eight, and I liked him from the moment I saw him.

Though early on, it became clear he was older than I was. Father asked him to be his advisor at sixteen, which was a real honor for him since he was so young, but it mean that we didn’t get to see as much of each other anymore.

I suppose it was then though that the chemistry between us started to grow. It’s always when you’re not supposed to do something that you want to the most. I was also growing up then, and starting to get into the boy-crazy years. Now, we’d been dating a year, but I still kind of hoped that someday there could be more between us. One day…

That’s when there was another knock at the door. “Who is it?” I called.

“Your mother!”

I rolled my eyes as I swam over to open the door. “Yes m’am?”

“Why aren’t you ready yet? Did Mark not tell you that the party is going to start in an hour?”

“Uh, yes, he did,” I lied. “I was just starting to get ready when you knocked.”

“Oh,” she replied. “Well sit down. Let me fix your hair up for you. You can’t show up down there with it looking like that.” I knew there was no point in arguing with her, so I sat down in the chair in front of my mirror, and watched as she began to put my hair up into a beautiful braided bun. It looked wonderful, though I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t how I wanted to look tonight. I wanted to look horrible, that way no other merman would want to marry me.

But like Mark always said, my beauty couldn’t be hidden. I had to look gorgeous for tonight, for his sake and mine.

“Well, that looks much better. Now, have you got something picked out for tonight? You sure can’t wear those shells.” She told me.

“I know Mother. I’ve got the ones I’m wearing tonight picked out,” I fibbed again. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to get all dressed up for tonight. You know how long it takes me.”

“Okay, okay,” she smiled. “I can take the hint.”

She left, and I snorted. “Take a hint? Yeah right.”

In the end, I decided on some green ones. They matched perfectly with my eyes; and I knew I’d look beautiful tonight. If it mattered to no one else, I knew Mark would love it. I then left my room and looked over into the ballroom where a few guests were already waiting. ‘Gosh,’ I thought. ‘And we’ve still got forty-five more minutes to go before the actual party starts.’

“Pst!”

I turned around to see Mark motioning for me to follow him.

“What is it?”

“You’ll see,” he replied.

He took me up a long staircase up to his room. Then he showed me to his closet and closed the door with both of us in there. “Mark, what in the world is all this about?”

“You’ll see.” He grabbed my hand and pushed on the wall, revealing a trap door. “Come on. Follow me.”

I did and the door led to a wonderful room filled with tons of books. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed. But what really caught my eye was what was in the middle of the room. It was a red glowing substance in a flask. “What’s that?”

“Oh, that’s what I wanted to show you,” he brought me closer to it, and I found myself trying to stay away from the moving thing. “I haven’t really found out what it is exactly yet. All I know is that it came out of an experiment that I was doing today.”

I gasped. “Experiment? You mean, you’re a sorcerer?”

“I suppose, if you want to call me that.”

“But do you realize what could have to you if someone found this stuff? You could be killed for messing around with magic.” I began to get nervous. How long had he been doing this? Had anyone found out about it already?

“That’s why I’ve kept it good and hidden all these years. I’ve seen what happens to people, but it’s so much fun. I just can’t seem to stop. It’s interesting to watch things bubble and pop, trying to figure out why it responds to the chemicals the way it does. I know! Why don’t you come up here one day and I’ll teach you something?”

Even though I was tempted to say no, I nodded. “That sounds good.”

Just then, the clock struck seven. We both looked at each other in horror. “Crap!” We shouted simultaneously. The part had just started, and neither of us was down there. By the time we reached the ballroom, Father was already looking furious, but couldn’t say anything because he had to greet the guests. I saw plenty of rather good looking men out in the ever-growing crowd, and I didn’t want to have to go through every single one of them, telling each and every one of them no. Well, actually, I would have to pick three to stay for me to ‘get to know better’, but even then, they’d be gone eventually. I didn’t really think most of them would care. They didn’t know me, and they probably wouldn’t ever see me again after tonight. Still though, I hated having to do it.

After a while, when it seemed the ballroom could hold no more, Father finally got up in front of all the strangers and announced, “Welcome ladies and gentlemen. I’m the king of Atlantica, and this is the my queen, Alissa.” Mother stood up and bowed. “Now I’m proud to introduce my lovely daughter, Ursula.”

Everyone began to clap, and I blushed as I made my way up to the stand. “Hello and welcome everybody. Thank you all for coming. I hope that each and every one of you have a wonderful time tonight, as I am sure I will.” I then floated off, and Father announced dinner was ready. There quickly was a line for the dining hall.

Mark got in line behind me and whispered in my ear, “Made it up on the spot?”

“Yeah, was it obvious?”

“Nah,” he replied. When I gave him a look he added, “No, really. It didn’t seem like you just thought of it. It was just short.”

I retorted. “Short? Well, I wonder why? Maybe it was because YOU had to show me ‘something?’” I teased.

He just laughed.

All the way through dinner we talked, as well as with others sitting around us. I couldn’t help but notice the stares pointed in my direction, but all I prayed was that Mark didn’t see them. There was one person in particular that caught my eye. He was quite buff, and his fins were blue. His eyes never seemed to be taken off me. It kind of made me nervous, and I wished he had stopped. Of course I wasn’t going to offend him by saying anything, and I endured it through the rest of the meal.

It was after the meal however when the real fun began.

I had to speak to every guy there, either while dancing or not. There were some guys that I didn’t want to dance with, yet others were kind of fun to be around. Finally, my father called me away for a moment to speak to me. “Do you see anyone you like?”

“Well…” I trailed off, trying to think of a way to state my case. “I haven’t really liked anyone I’ve talked to yet.”

My father pointed over the crowd to a guy, the same guy who had been staring at me constantly throughout dinner. “Why don’t you try him? He’s really nice I hear. I think you two would get along great together. Not to mention an alliance between the two of our cities would be a great benefit to our economy.”

I rolled my eyes. It seemed the only thing my father wanted was for me to get married to someone who would benefit him. “What his name?”

“Go ask him and find out,” Father instructed me slyly.

I sighed and left the corner, heading his way. He must have seen me coming because he began to walk toward me as well. “Good evening, Princess Ursula,” he stated. His voice was quite deep for a man his age, but it was still kind of attractive. Not that I wanted to marry this guy or anything.

“Good evening.”

“Would you like to dance?” He asked me. I nodded, and we began to float around the room. I knew Mark was watching from a distance, and he probably wasn’t happy with all the guys’ attention that I had.

We began to talk and I found that his kingdom wasn’t far from ours. As we walked over to get some drinks, my father pulled me to the side. “The party is almost over. I need you to pick three guys you’ve got your eye on and let me know. Those will stay with us for three days so you can get to know them better.”

I groaned silently. I didn’t want any of them. I whispered two names in his ear and then turned back to the guy I had been dancing with. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name,” I commented.

“Oh I’m sorry for not introducing myself. I’m Prince Triton.”

I leaned to my father and whispered, “The third will be Prince Triton.”

[shadows_light91]

Sorry, guys. I forgot about this being here. To check out the rest of the story, go to www.fanfiction.net/s/3321967/3/ and be sure to leave me a review to let me know if you liked it.

[ariel7angel]

I really like the story so far, i have read the first two chapters and hope to read the third soon, i think it is cool to read something about URsula for once, cant wait to read more!!!!