Ursula's mind went blank. She could not believe what she had just heard.
Eli? Love me? No. It can't be, he must be talking about some other Ursula.
Ursula's thoughts drifted to Eli's face. He looked mortified. Ursula would have laughed, except that Eli's mortification was the fact that she clearly heard something she wasn't supposed to.
No. Not Eli. Please, not him.
Ursula turned around, forgetting about the reason she returned, which was to return the stick she had accidentally taken from the turtle bomb. She headed to her room, perhaps going faster than necessary.
Eli watched with unexplainable numbness as Ursula swam away. Morgana watched with interest as she observed her friend and sister. Biv watched with sadness as Ursula swam away with her picking stick. They were made of coral and took a while to make. But never mind that, Biv felt that Ursula was either rejecting Eli or swimming away out of uncertainty.
Eli's mind was boggled with indecision.
Do I go after her? Or.... do I go after her?
Eli stood up to swim after Ursula, then suddenly sat down hard as his gut cramped with agony from Ursula's punch.
A painful reminder I will have to wait till Tartarus burns over. Maybe I should let her be so my bruise can heal. Then it will be easier to chase after her.
Eli stood up slowly this time, holding his gut and limping away to his room in the empire.
Morgana was left alone with Biv, who was grieving for her stick and what she thought to be Eli's lost cause.
Time to see what sissy thinks of her admirer.
Morgana swam off after Ursula.
Ursula sat in her room, for the first time in her life thinking about her annoying childhood friend, Eli.
Am I really that clueless? Do I love Eli? No. I cannot. Mother would hurt him. I can't let her do that, friends are precious.
Ursula heard a rustle, then watched as her two eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, slinked toward her.
"What do I do? Mother would definitely find a way to hurt me using Eli. Do I even do anything at all?" Ursula muttered softly to her two companions.
Would you care?, muttered Flotsam.
If he was hurt?, asked Jetsam.
Ursula was shocked. She had known her two eels were special, but in the years she had had them, they had never said a single word.
"Since when could you talk?" Ursula asked.
Do not change-, muttered Flotsam,
The subject., finished Jetsam.
"Should I care?" Ursula replied sharply, deciding their marvelous raspy voices would be another topic later discussed.
Yessss, the two eels hissed in unison.
"Whyyy?", Ursula hissed back.
We like him., they both answered simply.
Ursula was speechless. She hadn't expected that answer. As far as she was concerned, Eli always called them ugly and creepy.
"He always says you two are creepy and disturbing. Why would you like him?", Ursula demanded.
He always talked to us, began Flotsam,
About you. Finished Jetsam.
Ursula stared at them.
He said that you are the best thing,- that's ever happened to him. They hissed.
We know that,- he loves you.
But the,-question is,-do -you-love-him?
Ursula went silent. She glared at them, pushing every thought on Eli back, blocking every positive and negative thought about him from her head.
"You know I can't answer that. I will not answer that. But I'll tell you this. He is a friend, and I wouldn't like to see him gravely hurt."
By the hurt-look on his face, it is clear that-you have gravely hurt-him.
They said slyly.
Ursula glared at them.
"Well then I am sorry. You are smart and know it isn't that simple. It would be cute to settle down, but that is not going to happen."
But you could- keep it a- secret.
Their tongues clicked deliciously at the last word.
Ursula's ears perked up. She was always one for a secret. But the idea of daring to keep a secret from her mother seemed so far away, that it only drew Ursula closer, and in that manner accidentally opened a gateway to the thought Ursula kept farthest from her mind:
We could be together...
Ursula's lips curled slightly with the thought of happiness. Her face seemed to glow with the idea of change and defying her mother in that matter, but quickly snapped back to reality when she spotted the two eels shaking each other's tail fins with victorious smiles on their faces.
So you thought about it.
There is no denying it now.
"My mother would kill him and use him against me if she ever found out!", Ursula spat.
You are right!- But she wouldn't find out because-you are careful-and smart.
Ursula held her head in anger and overwhelmingness at the very idea. Her mind was excited for the possibility of defying her mother, and just maybe having a life that was more than just blood and war. A life with the very thing that could ruin her. If she let it. But her mother would find out. She always did.
"Do you think it would be better than this?", Ursula finally asked. "Spending the rest of my life with... him? Would it makes things better?"
Would you bother love something you could lose anyway?
Would you get over him?
Would he be-worth the- pain?
The eels circled Ursula.
Would he be a nuisance?
Ursula dug her nails in her scalp.
Would he be a waste of time?
"Shut up!", Ursula spat.
What does your life-mean to you?
"I-", Ursula was cut off, their raspy whispers growing louder in her ears,
Would it be dangerous?
Is he a weakness?
Do you love El-
"SHUT UP!", Ursula screamed.
The eels hugged themselves, displaying their scared guppy eyes.
"I liked you two better when you couldn't speak.", Ursula muttered, irritated.
She turned around to face her minions, but discovered they were gone.
The door opened to reveal Morgana grinning teasingly at Ursula.
" Eli's face was-"
"SHUT UP!" Ursula roared. She stood up and shoved her out of the way. As Ursula stormed out, Morgana decided not to tell her it was nearly time to call it a day.