The Little Mermaid (Faerie Tale Collection) Read Online Free PDF

the queen.
    Her father, with his flowing white hair and tall stance, was strong and confident. He was the merman who knew all the answers and could fix or heal anything immediately. He was the anchor of their sweet family, and his trust and love knew no bounds. Even now, his face had turned a light shade of purple. He would miss her. They all would, as she would miss them. Truly, she could not have asked for a more perfect kingdom or family to be born into.
    “Good-bye,” Pearl muttered as she looked away, her heart not up to the task of staying longer. Keel caught her gaze, silently asking if she still wished to proceed with their plan.
    There was no way she would pull out now. Not after all her preparations and excitement and eagerness to go.
    She inhaled a great amount of fluid and nodded her head.
    After all, this was what she had always desired. Was it not?

AHHHH! KEEL BIT BACK the words he wanted to shout at the pain of feeling his tail slowly rip apart and the human legs grow. With Pearl right there, watching on, he needed to be strong. They had decided to allow him to change first, go on land, and see if he could trade or barter for clothing for her. But great kettlefish, he had forgotten how painful this process was. He could attempt to persuade Pearl not to try something this awful, but he knew it would be hopeless.
    “Argh!” he gasped, and then coughed and hacked and hacked as his lungs burned. They clearly were not dry enough for inhaling large quantities of air at this time. But deuce it all, this hurt. So. Much.
    “Are you well?” she asked, her face full of concern next to him. She was on the other side of a jagged cropping of rock a few hundred yards from the landfolks’ port.
    With the tide going out as it was, the ocean was much calmer than it could have been. Every few minutes, though, a giant wave would still make its way up to them, drenching them and attempting to slam them both into the ledge where they were perched, facing the water.
    He could feel beads of sweat forming upon his brow, every muscle in his body was so tense. “Yes. I am fine,” he answered curtly. Perhaps too curtly.
    She flinched. “Indeed, you do not look fine. What can I do to help?”
    Not go on the blasted land and live there a month! “Nothing. It is just painful. I have warned you of the pain, have I not?”
    “Yes, you did.” He could see her teeth worrying her lip.
    Great. Now it would seem he was turning into quite a brute. This would never do. The pain she would face would be enough for her to agonize over—no sense in his silliness harming her too. Instead of distressing over his forming legs, he leaned the short distance between them and kissed her bitten lip.
    As always, Pearl instantly wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. This time, he could tell she was particularly hoping to take a bit of his ache away. So he let her. Her sweet mouth kissed him and kissed him until he truly could not think of anything else except the dear merwoman in his arms. If she was soon to meet someone on this dangerous journey and this was the last of their kisses, then forgive him—he planned on making the most of it.
    Long, slow minutes seemed to bend into a cacophony of feelings and emotions he was not quite willing to explore just yet. How he loved this mermaid. How he needed her near him. Her sweet soul answered something within his own heart he had never found anywhere else.
    And excuse his forwardness, but no one kissed another like she did and not feel something toward him. He knew she loved him. He knew it!
    However, if he did not let her go, he was certain she would never discover just how greatly she needed him too.
    The perfect kisses lasted until just before the transformation was complete. He quickly dipped into the water to put on his clothing. Though he was covered in a seaweed layer and now the water, he felt a bit awkward all of a sudden. His fingers stumbled with the odd clasps and ties on the fabric