/23/ Give her a break?

"I hold nothing against your wife, Taffi," Ariel mumbled with a smirk as Taffi approached them from behind.

Sania was stunned, she didn't expect him to show up so soon especially since it's been only a few minutes since she left the bedroom.

"Are you okay? You were taking too long." He asked Sania, ignoring his sister's words.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sania replied.

"I only stopped her for a quick talk, do you ever give her a break?" Ariel questioned her brother while shaking her head disdainfully.

Sania giggled, she saw that Ariel had quite an attitude but it wasn't offensive, she was rather precise with her words and knew what she wanted.

"You haven't had breakfast yet." Once again Taffi ignored Ariel and focused on his wife.

Sania sighed, she wondered if she'd ever leave his sight without him getting worried and constantly coming to check up on her. For all she knew, she was human and also needed some time to herself.

"I'll have breakfast now," Sania smiled at him, while Ariel rolled back her eyes. She saw her brother's love but also sensed that he was just trying to protect his wife from his wicked family.

"I hope to see you soon, Princess Ariel," Sania uttered and waved the young princess goodbye to which Aerial did the same with a smile.

"I want to speak to Ariel for a moment, I'd be right with you my love," he told her and Sania nodded affirmatively before leaving the library with her book in her hand, and Melissa behind her.

"My love," Ariel mimicked mockingly right after Sania had left the library.

"If you are doing anything that will offend my or my wife, Ariel, I wouldn't hesitate to…

"Taffi," Ariel interjected with a sneer, she walked up to her brother and looked him in the eyes.

"Tell me if you see any trace of hatred for Sania in my eyes. The young princess has done nothing wrong to me because she married you. Besides, if I should hate on anyone then it will be you for bringing her into your very secretive life and leaving her in the dark about who you truly are."

"Hush," Taffi nearly covered Ariel's mouth with his palm.

"Don't say that out loud, she might still be somewhere close to the library and might hear you."

"Hmm," Ariel sighed,

"You have to tell her at some point, the earlier the better."

Taffi looked around the library as if someone was eavesdropping on their conversation, and said,

"She only just began to like me as a person. She's supposed to be angry with me now for not telling her that it wasn't Mother who crowned her, but for some reason, she seems to understand. I don't want to ruin that…

"When do you want to, then?" Ariel cut him off, she knew who her brother was and how quickly he might expose his secret without knowing it.

"After she is committed to being your wife? Like I said, the earlier the better, it'll only take a moment for you to get upset and become a beast right in front of her."

"Ariel," he tried to cover her mother again, but the young princess pushed his hand away.

"If you can avoid getting upset then you are free, but trust me… the earlier, the better," Ariel concluded and began walking back to her reading spot in the library which her late father had designed for her.

"You poured water on me earlier," Taffi's words stopped Ariel in her tracks.

"Yes, and?" She asked without turning around.

"How did you know?" He asked her.

"It's very obvious Taffi, whenever you get upset you stare at the fountain for a long time, your favorite spot in the kingdom is Itchalo, the still water. It's the only thing in nature that helps you tame your inner beast." Ariel answered and without waiting for further questions from her brother, she walked away to her reading spot.

"Hmm," Taffi sighed after Ariel was out of sight, she was the only one in the castle who never really cared about Sania's presence among them. She understood him more than anyone else despite being the last child and only girl born to the family.

"Sania is waiting for you, don't stand in the library all day," Ariel's voice echoed through the library and snapped Taffi out of his train of thought.

Without responding, he rushed out of the library to have a meal with his wife for the first time, one of the many things he used to look forward to.

Once he got out, one of the guards took a bow and said,

"My Lord, she has been taken to the rooftop."

Taffi smiled, and asked,

"I hope that she wasn't forced?"

"No, my Lord," replied the guard,

"Her handmaid assured her that it was safe."

"Good," Taffi said and began walking away while the guard walked behind him.

"What was her expression when she saw it?" He inquired.

"Pardon me, but I did not take note of her facial expression, my lord, but she seemed delighted." His response confused Taffi as he wondered how the guard knew she was delighted when he didn't see her face.

"Good work," Taffi remarked, besides, he was going up there to see for himself if she was truly happy to see what he had done within two minutes that she was away.