(Little Mermaid AU! Eventual Theon Greyjoy x fem!reader. The original story is the work of Hans Christian Andersen. There will be a second part!)

You bit back a sigh as your father's harsh words went in one ear and out the other. You knew he was angry, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. You just didn't see what the big deal was. No one had seen you. Not really. You were careful. But you couldn't help it. Curiosity had always been your weakness. You wanted to know about anything and everything. That included the surface and the humans that lived there.

"Yes, Father," came out of your mouth when your father finished his typical tirade. It was the same thing every time so you pretty much knew it by heart now. Without another word or even a look at him, you swam away, your (f/c) tail propelling you forward as fast as it could.

It wasn't that you didn't like living under the sea. It was beautiful and fun. A place untouched by war or famine. A place where a mermaid could swim and sing and enjoy life. But you were drawn to the surface. Humans were beautiful. They invented wonderful things and you wanted to know more. You father and siblings could never understand that. Still, you always made sure to stay out of sight. That is, until one night.

A terrible storm had you at the surface again only this time, you were at least attempting to help get the creatures closer to the surface to safety. That was when you saw the ship. It was larger than anything you'd ever seen on the surface, but it was caught out in this storm. Even from a distance, you could see it beginning to break apart. So you did the only thing you could think of. You swam closer, eager to help if you could.

It looked like the majority of the people were already pulled under or were floating lifelessly upon pieces of the shipwreck. However, you saw the head of one of them bobbing in and out of the surface of the ocean. You swam as quickly as you could over to him and pulled him to shore just as the sun was beginning to rise.

You glanced down at the face of this human, completely captivated by him. Curly light brown locks were sticking to his forehead and water was trapped in the short beard that decorated his jaw. His shirt had opened a bit to reveal a smattering of light brown curls along his chest, along with several scars. He was such a beauty to look at, you nearly forgot that he wasn't breathing properly. That is until he took one large breath, making you jump slightly.

You were fidgeting as his eyes began to open. For some reason you couldn't explain, you needed to see his eyes. You just had to. Your patience was soon rewarded with the sight of the most stunning blue-grey eyes you'd ever seen. However, you didn't get to look long. You heard a voice calling out to someone. That was your cue to get out of there. Before the man could say a word, you dove back into the sea, hiding as quickly as possible. Once the man was out of sight, you smiled to yourself.

That was why your father had been yelling at you. For saving that human. Not that you were particularly paying attention to what he was ranting about. Your mind was elsewhere. On that human. That beautiful human. You needed to see him again. But it was hopeless. It wasn't like you could live on the surface...Or could you?!

It was insane to even think of it, but there was a way. You knew that. You bit your lip as you contemplated it. Could you really go against your father and seek her out? It might have been your only chance to see your prince again. With one look back at where you'd left your father, you made up your mind. You had to see the Red Witch. Melisandre.

The sea seemed to grow darker as you approached the place Melisandre was supposedly banished to. The water was cold and you could hardly see in front of you. Still, even as the cold began to seep into your bones, you kept going. This was your only chance.

"Come in, child," her soft yet strong voice beckoned from deep within the grotto. Shivering, you swam closer to meet with someone you weren't expecting. Despite all the rumors, Melisandre was quite beautiful. You'd heard she was a twisted and ugly crone. That anyone who looked at her would have nightmares for the rest of their lives. This was far from the truth and you'd have to have a talk with those people about making such horrible assumptions.

"Forgive my intrusion," you began softly, "I was hoping-"

"You were hoping I could help you," she cut you off, "I can, of course. With the help of the god I serve." She swam over to the wall of the grotto, plucking a vial of something from the rocks. "This will allow you to become human for three days. Only three. Before the sun sets on the third day, you have to get that human to kiss you. If you do, you shall remain human forever." Your heart leapt in your chest. Human forever? You could spend the rest of your life out of the sea.

"A-And, if he doesn't kiss me?" An almost wicked smile made its way to her lips. "Then the Lord of Light shall demand payment. Your soul." You became light-headed at the thought. Either the prince fell in love with you or you were going to die. Was it worth it?

"Three days?" She nodded. "Three days or my soul..." you muttered. "Yes. Of course, there is also the subject of payment." You let out a sigh as you wondered how much you would be willing to sacrifice to finally achieve your dream. "I don't have anything." Melisandre swam closer to you and brushed her long finger along the column of your throat. "The Lord of Light does not ask for much. A small sacrifice you will hardly miss. Your voice."

"My voice? But how can I-"

"Do not underestimate your ability to get your point across. Women have an unspoken language when it comes to those they are attracted to, do they not? And, should the prince kiss you before the end of the third day, your voice will return to you." You only let your mind work for a moment. You knew you'd never get another chance like this. So, you nodded.

You could feel her magic working as your voice was practically ripped from you. "You may want to start swimming." It took a moment for your mind to catch up to what she was saying. Then you realized that if you weren't close to the surface when the magic took effect, you could drown. You gave her a quick nod of thanks and then began the long swim up to the surface.

You swam as fast as you could. You could just make out the rising of the sun above the water when you felt your tail beginning to change. The pain was almost excruciating, but you kept moving. The pain would surely disappear once the magic was done. You just needed to break the surface of the ocean before that happened. So, you pushed on. You could feel your lungs start to burn as the foreign need for air began to take over. Your vision began to tunnel, but still you kept swimming. Finally, after what felt like hours, you broke the surface, gasping for air for the first time in your life.