Swimming up to the surface, unable to breathe underwater for the first time in your life, you pondered if maybe trading your voice to the sea witch for legs wasn’t the smartest idea.

 

The minute your… toes, is that what they call them? The minute your toes hit the sand, as soon as the sun washed over your skin, once your eyes caught sight of his face-it was all over for you. Everything that you’d dreamed about for so long was finally here in your grasp. Years of longing to experience the human world had come to fruition here and now.

 

Jonghyun, the crustacean composer that your father had appointed to take care of you, was deeply distraught at this turn of events. Both he and Taemin, a little fish you had become best friends with over the past two years, had tried in vain to dissuade you. Your burning anger over what your father had done to your human belongings and the dying urge to see the young man you had saved finally boiled over and in a moment of weakness you had visited your aunt to trade your tail for a pair of human legs, all at the price of your vocal chords.

 

Walking was difficult at first. The first several times you tried to stand up you immediately fell flat on your face. Kibum, the seagull that helped you to discover and identify all of your human possessions, couldn’t stop laughing as you tripped over and over again. Soon however, to Taemin and Jonghyun’s disappointment, you started to get the hang of putting one foot in front of the other.

 

You had just gotten to the nearest rock when you saw someone approaching in the distance. It looked like they saw you and started running. Jonghyun and Taemin swam to behind the rock to spy on you, and Kibum flew over to a nearby tree. As the stranger approached, you noticed that it was actually the mysterious young man you had saved the other day. Your heart caught in your throat as you realized you were about to see the prince up close, with him fully conscious.

 

“Are you all right?” he asked as he got closer. You nodded and stood up quickly to greet him, but your new legs were not up to the task and collapsed underneath you. The prince lunged forward and caught you before you hit the ground.

 

You went to tell him thank you, but you had forgotten that you didn’t have a voice anymore. This was just as well, because the sight of the handsome man in front of you would have left you speechless. As your hands pressed up against his chest you gazed at his face, drinking in the sight of him. His strong arms were wrapped around your waist but you barely noticed; you were too busy admiring his dark eyes that were so full of light and vibrancy. He had been unconscious when you saw him last so you had no idea just how gorgeous his eyes were, how much spirit and hope lay within them, how beautiful they looked when they were smiling at you….

 

“Whoa, careful there,” he said, letting go of you to your disappointment. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not hurt or anything are you?”

 

You nodded at him again and smiled, not sure how to go about continuing this conversation when you couldn’t even speak to him. Standing on your new legs was difficult enough on its own. The thought of your slightly damp skin so close to his warm body was making you dizzy. His eyes refused to leave your face as a quizzical look spread across his features.

 

“Hey, you look familiar. Have I seen you before?” he asked, tilting his head a little. Once again you nodded, hoping that the prince would realize your identity regardless of your lack of voice. “Wait, are you… My rescuer! You saved me when I was drowning. It was you, wasn’t it?”

 

Delighted, you nodded eagerly at him. The relief that washed over you made your hands shake. “Yes! It’s me!” you wanted to scream, but your hands flew to your throat as you realized no sound was coming out.

 

“Oh, what’s the matter? Is your throat hurt?” the prince asked, clearly concerned. You shook your head and tapped your throat. “Oh. You can’t talk at all, can you? I’m sorry, I must have mistaken you for someone else.”

 

A sense of panic and disappointment welled up inside of you, and you rushed forward in an attempt to prove that it really was you. Your new legs disagreed, however, and once again you began to plummet to the ground. The young man quickly grabbed you and stood you back up. “Please, you’re clearly unwell. Come with me. My name is Lee Jinki, and I’m the prince of this land. You will be well taken care of at my castle.”

 

Smiling, you agreed and let him support you as you walked away from the spot you had washed ashore on. As you walked away, you threw a quick smile in the direction of Taemin, Jonghyun, and Kibum who were glancing at you with worried looks. This was the first step of your journey however, and you were eager to make the most of it.

 

***

 

Walking wasn’t as difficult as it seemed at first. You quickly learned to put one foot in front of the other, similarly to how you would have to swish your fins back and forth when swimming. The sensations of different things on the sensitive skin of your feet elated you. Carpet, wood, water; all were new experiences that you delighted in.

 

You liked dresses, the soft fabric brushing against your legs as you pranced through the halls of Jinki’s castle. Behind you the whispers of servants gossiping about the newcomer to the castle and the lack of voice thereof, but you were too busy twirling around in circles, letting the skirt fan out and make pretty waves around you. You were careful to watch how the maids walked, sat, and stood in an attempt to match your behavior to theirs. Often you caught yourself rubbing the fabric of your clothing in between your fingers and you had to stop your nervous habit before you wore a hole in the dress.

 

Heels you did not like. The peculiar shoes that had strange sticks attached to the soles were not meant for you. The handmaiden who had been asked by Jinki to assist you watched you fall three times before she finally gave up and searched the castle for an extra pair of flat shoes. Although you would have preferred to run around the castle barefoot, these shoes suited you just fine, and you pranced off to the dining hall where the prince was expecting you.

 

“It’s not often we get to dine in the presence of such beauty,” said Minho, Jinki’s right hand man. The advisor had a grim look on his face until he saw how Jinki’s face lit up when he saw you. Both of them took in your delicate pink dress as you curtsied to them in the way the handmaiden had instructed you to.

 

Jinki took your hand and bowed to you before kissing it. “You look stunning,” he said, his dark eyes sparkling at you. You blushed and nodded as your way of accepting the compliment. He led you over to the table and slid out your chair for you, inviting you to eat to your heart’s content.

 

Dinner was quite enthralling. Jinki and Minho entertained you with stories of their adventures on the high seas, while Minho told many a story of the young prince’s antics around the castle. Keeping aware of your lack of voice, Jinki made sure to ask you several times if you were bored with the conversation, but you simply smiled encouragingly as you were enthralled by the tales the two were telling you.

 

Your admiration for the human objects in the room did not go unnoticed either. The beautiful dinglehoppers that lined the table entranced you, although you felt uncertain after noticing Jinki’s peculiar glance when you started combing your hair with it. Minho’s snarfblatt did not go unnoticed either. While it didn’t produce music like Kibum had said it would, it did let out an enormous cloud of dark smoke that stained Minho’s face when he let you try it out. Although the advisor seemed a little disgruntled, the prince teared up with laughter as Minho had to wipe his face clean. You looked at him apologetically but he simply smiled and stepped out of the room.

 

Left alone with you, Jinki smiled and asked, “Did you enjoy your meal?” Encouraged by your enthusiastic expression, the prince stood up from his chair and offered you his hand. “Care to dance?”

 

You face must have betrayed you with a worried expression, because Jinki quickly said, “Oh, never danced before? It’s actually fairly easy. Just follow my lead.”

 

Hesitantly you took his hand and he escorted you to the middle of the dining hall where there was plenty of room. A group of musicians you hadn’t noticed before slowly struck up a gentle tune as Jinki placed your hand on his shoulder and his hand on your hip. Your heart raced as his other hand took yours and pulled you closer to him. He looked you in the eyes, smiled warmly and confidently, and quietly said “Follow me.”

 

As the two of you twirled around the dance floor, you quickly got the hang of it. Dancing involved rhythm, as well as closeness with your partner that you seemed to find instantly with Jinki. The prince was careful with you, especially at first when you kept stepping on his toes, but as your confidence grew he began trying out twirls and spins that made you giddy. As the two of your spun around the room, neither of you could hide the smiles that were growing on your face, nor the love that was growing inn your hearts.

 

Spinning out and back into him quickly, you stayed locked in his close embrace as the band finished their song. Your eyes were looking eagerly at his, trying to communicate everything you felt with your expression instead of your voice. Jinki seemed to understand as he gazed at you, eyes tracing every inch of your features before settling on your lips. Tentatively he leaned forward; he was asking permission from you, something he had always done but never had to do as a prince. You closed your eyes and tried to relax as you waited for his lips to connect with yours…

 

“Sire!!” you heard Minho’s voice echo from down the hall. Startled, the prince and you quickly moved apart from each other to your disappointment. The sound of shoes clacking on the wooden floor was followed soon after by Minho’s swift appearance at the door. “Ah, there you are! Dancing lesson, I take it?” he said, noting that your hands were still in position from earlier, although significantly relaxed.

 

“Indeed!” Jinki said, smiling and bowing to you. “I think she even made me look good.” You felt heat rising in your face as you curtsied back to him.

 

“Well, that’s excellent to hear! You’ll have a marvelous time on the prince’s birthday ball! Speaking of which, your highness, we still have some things to plan for that. You should come along now. I promised your father you would be wed by sundown and I intend to keep that promise. Come along, sir.” Minho quickly ushered him along, but not before Jinki could kiss your hand and thank you for the wonderful evening.

 

As the handmaiden escorted you to your room, you couldn’t help but dance along the halls a little. The prince was truly as nice and caring as you though he would be, and being so close to him made you feel safe. Despite the fact that he hadn’t kissed you, you felt confident that in the remaining two days you would see your wish fulfilled and you would be able to stay with him forever. You fell asleep that night with Jonghyun on your pillow, lecturing you about how to get him to fall in love with you, but you thought only of Jinki until you fell asleep.

 

***

 

Your second day staying with Prince Lee Jinki was rather eventful. The young man insisted on taking you out to see the sights of the kingdom. He bought you a beautiful… rose? You thought that was the word. Regardless, it was a beautiful flower with a bright red color that caught your eye from the minute you saw it. He handed it to you shyly after he bought it, and you held on to it tightly for the rest of the day as you danced and explored the kingdom.

 

To end the night, the prince brought you to a gorgeous lagoon and set sail on a small yet comfortable boat. Frogs croaked in the distance as he rowed you out into the water. The draping leaves of the weeping willow gave you a layer of protection from the outside world; it was just you and Jinki here in this quiet setting.

 

Once he reached a nice spot, he stopped rowing and stretched his arms out. “You know, most girls would never come out here with me. They’re too afraid of getting wet, I guess.” You laughed at this, despite no sound coming out. It seemed like the prince was out of things to say however. Your mind raced for things to say to him while you heard Kibum’s squawking in the background.

 

“You know, I really ought to know your name,” Jinki said. “Should I try to guess?” You nodded at him, hoping that he really would be able to get your name right. The prince jumped around from name to name, guessing wrong one right after the other. There were a few times he got close, getting the same first letter, but he just couldn’t seem to get it.

 

You were just about to give up completely when you saw Jonghyun’s small crustacean body pop up out of nowhere, suspended on a water sausage. He got as close to Jinki’s ear as he could without touching it, and you saw him whisper something quickly before the plant whisked him away.

 

“_____.... Is that your name?? _____?” Jinki asked, incredulously. Your head bobbed excitedly with delight as your name escaped from his lips. There was little you wanted more from the world than to hear him say your name over and over again.

 

“I think that’s a beautiful name,” he said, leaning closer to you. You inched forward to meet him, eager to close the distance between the two of you. Slowly your faces grew closer and you could feel his warm breath on your face. Your lips parted in anticipation of the kiss as he moved towards you…

 

Before you knew what was happening, you were nearly in the water. Jinki’s quick reflexes managed to keep the boat from capsizing, but the spell was broken. The two of you simply sat there for a moment, recovering from the rush of adrenaline you had experienced. He was frowning, muttering about what had happened and how the boat could have gotten bumped like that. Sighing, Jinki said, “It’s late, we should be getting home. I’ve got a big day tomorrow. Getting married and all.” He grimaced as he began rowing. All you could do was nod and smile encouragingly, even though your heart was breaking.

 

***

 

The next morning when you woke up the servants of the castle were rushing to and fro to get everything ready for the night’s ball. You tried to stay out of the way so as not to interfere but ended up lending a helping hand to several of the maids, cooks, and footmen who wandered by. There was no trace of Jinki no matter how hard you looked.

 

As the festivities were about to begin, Minho found you standing on a balcony, staring out at the sea. “Child, you should come inside and join us. The ball is about to begin!” You smiled at him, but he could see the sadness that lay under the bright expression. “I know, my dear, I’m sad too. I’ve watched over him for so many years. All I want is for him to be happy, but we do have a kingdom to look out for. I do hope he will find someone tonight that will make him as happy as he has been the last few days.”

 

Without another word he turned around and quickly left the balcony. You swore you saw tears welling up, but you knew how he felt so you didn’t go after him. After watching the sea for a bit longer, you decided that it was time to attend your first royal ball in the human world.

 

When you entered the hall that you had first dined in with Jinki, you received many glances from the nobility surrounding you. Everyone seemed to be whispering about who you were and where you came from, but you held your head high like Jonghyun and your father had taught you and kept walking. You were royalty of the sea and no one could look down on you.

 

The ladies wore flouncy dresses with colors that rivaled the most beautiful coral in the ocean. Each one of them clamored for a chance to dance with Lee Jinki, and the prince politely danced with each of them to appease the nobility. Occasionally he would see you from across the room and smile before being swept away by some duchess in an enormous white wig.

 

Finally towards the end of the day, Minho brought everyone’s attention to the stage where the musicians were playing. “Now we shall hold the event we have been waiting for! Today’s festivities will conclude with a singing competition, where the winner will be given the honor of becoming the bride of our very own Prince Lee Jinki!” The crowd let out a wild cheer as Jinki waved them and sat down in a particularly regal looking chair.

 

One by one ladies came onto the stage and sang their lungs out, attempting to capture the heart of the lonely prince. High and low, soft and strong, the music echoed through the hall nonstop. You watched as the prince listened inquisitively to each singer, pleased at the fact that none of the ladies were meeting his standards.

 

At long last, the final contestant finished her song, and you crept up to where Minho and Jinki were debating. You couldn’t stop your hands from shaking as you heard the prince say “But none of them have the voice I’m looking for!” Your heart soared; there was still hope yet! Taking a deep breath, you quickly leapt onto the stage and began to dance.

 

Neither of the two men noticed until a round of laughter emanated from those watching. Self-consciously you stopped your dancing as Minho said, “My dear, what are you doing? Please child, I-“

 

“No,” Jinki said with more authority than you had ever heard, even from your father. “Let her speak. Go on, _____.”

 

Encouraged, you began to dance once again. You repeated some of the steps that Jinki had taught you while bringing in new ones you thought of on the spot. Somehow your human legs moved with the grace you had gained in your life as a mermaid, and you let your love for your prince show through every movement, every glance. So enraptured in the performance were you that you didn’t even notice Jinki moving towards you until his hand was around your waist. Without missing a beat, he joined you in your dance. The gasps from the crowd were audible, but neither of you cared. You were too lost in each other’s eyes to pay attention to your surroundings.

 

When the music stopped, Jinki held you close and proclaimed loudly, “Minho, I was too focused on trying to find my true love to notice she was right here in front of me all along. The contest is over. I want to marry _____.”

 

Minho’s stutters and the collective shrieks from the audience did nothing to dissuade the bright smile that spread across your face. The look of love the prince gave you was the most beautiful sight in the world to you.  He laughed softly and leaned in to kiss you. Butterflies rose in your stomach as you realized your dream was finally coming true.

 

Suddenly out of nowhere a mysterious voice rang out, singing an enchanting medley. Jinki pulled back and said in a serious tone, “That’s the voice. The one I’ve been searching for; the one who saved me.”

 

With alarm you looked out the window to see the orange glow of the sun on the sea as it disappeared beyond the horizon. The song stopped and another familiar voice said, “Too late my dearie… It’s the sunset of the third day, and no kiss. Now you’re mine!”

 

The last thing you saw before you felt the slimy tentacle wrap around your waist was Jinki’s horrified face as you were whisked away.

 

***

 

Somehow you managed to get a hold of the seashell that held not only your voice but also the source of the sea witch’s power. Your aunt was destroyed, your father’s soul was returned, and you had managed to save Jinki from drowning after he had come after you. Exhausted, you pulled him onto the shore as Kibum, Jonghyun, Taemin, and your father watched from a distance.

 

It struck you just how reminiscent of your first meeting this was. Jinki, lying on the beach soaking wet. You, rescuing him, once again in your mermaid form. You pushed his wet bangs back from his forehead and gazed sadly at his face. Humming, you traced the lines of his cheeks and jaw as you felt the first rays of the sunrise wash over you.

 

It hurt to think about saying goodbye to him. You had fallen so deeply in love with him over the past three days that the idea of never seeing him again tore you apart. Softly you hummed to him and rested your head on his chest, trying to say goodbye to him before he could wake up and make it harder to leave.

 

Before you could say goodbye to the human world for the last time, you felt a tingling sensation in your tail. You looked up and saw your father next to the shoreline, casting a spell with his trident. In amazement you watched as your tail slowly separated and become the pair of legs you had grown accustomed to over the last few days. You gasped and ran over to your father, thanking him as he kissed your forehead and gave you his blessing to chase after your dreams-provided, of course, that you visit the ocean every once in a while.

 

Jonghyun was in complete tears until your father mentioned that he would still be in charge of watching you, to which he immediately started stuttering and protesting half-heartedly. Taemin and Kibum kept laughing at Jonghyun until you reached down and kissed each of your friends, promising that you would see them again regularly. Giving your father one last hug, your turned around to see Jinki sitting up, coughing up water.

 

You ran to him, helping support his weight. When his coughing fit died, his eyes finally connected with yours and a smile of relief spread across his face. He hugged you tightly and whispered your name softly into your hair. Tears leaked from your eyes as your arms held your grip around him.

 

Suddenly Jinki gasped in your ear, and you pulled back to see that he’d finally noticed your father who was still resting on the shoreline of the ocean. He looked at you incredulously and you nodded your encouragement to him. Noticing his crown, the prince stood up, walked a few paces, and bowed low to the king of the sea.

 

Your father’s expression softened as he saw that Lee Jinki had respect for him, just as he would have wished your true love to. “Excuse me sir, I am Prince Lee Jinki, ruler of this kingdom. I humbly offer my gratitude to you for saving me.”

 

The king chuckled and said, “I’m afraid you are mistaken my boy. It was not I who save you, but my daughter, _____. She truly loves you, I hope you know that.”

 

Jinki’s mouth opened in shock as he stared at you. “Your… your daughter?” You nodded, smiling at your father and hoping that he wouldn’t give him too hard of a time.”

 

“Well, in that case sir… Your daughter has made me a happier man these past three days than I have been in years. I love her deeply and I want to spend the rest of my life exploring with her. Would you do me the honor of allowing me to have her hand in marriage?”

 

“_____ can speak for herself; why don’t you ask her?” your father said.

 

Jinki looked at you incredulously as you walked up to him and grabbed his hand. “I loved you from the moment I saved you the first time, and I want to spend every day getting one step closer to you, Jinki. And if we slipped out to sea every once in a while, I certainly wouldn’t mind.”

 

Finally you reached up and pulled his lips towards yours. His strong arms pulled you close and you placed your hands on his sharp cheekbone. You weren’t sure if the salty taste was from the ocean left on his lips or from the tears that were spilling from both of your eyes, but as you pulled away and looked into his eyes, you knew that this was exactly where you were meant to be.