III. Happily Ever After

“Prince Chanyeol!”

Everyone in the group immediately got up from the comfort of their shells when they heard Chen, the chief sting ray soldier and superior of Jongin and also husband of the King’s loyal adviser, Xiumin the dolphin, rushing to them and shouting as if his life depended on it.

“What’s wrong, Chen?” Chanyeol worriedly asked.

“Your Father, the King had a heart attack!”

“WHAT?!”

****

It’s been hard to admit but I’m falling apart

Catch every piece of me

And place me in your heart

****

“The prince and Princess Nana surely look good together!”

“The King surely found the best match for our prince!”

“The both of them will definitely have beautiful children!”

“I just can’t wait for our next princes and princesses!”

Dara sadly left the crowd as she heard the endless happy chatters of the citizens of Aquatica about the upcoming marriage of Chanyeol and a princess from Oceanilla Kingdom called Nana. Dara can’t help her tears from falling. She thought she might have a chance. She thought that maybe, just maybe, Chanyeol can see right beyond her appearance and fell for her the way he fell for her when she was still a human.

And she knew he could if only it wasn’t for his father, if only he wasn’t the prince.

Chanyeol’s father and the great king of the whole Aquatica Kingdom, King Junmyeon, suddenly had a heart attack. He is currently weak on the comfort of his shell and all he wishes to be strong is to see Chanyeol get married and who else will he get married to but none other than the gorgeous princess Nana of the Oceanilla Kingdom? The one Chanyeol’s father set him up with.

Their marriage has just been announced to happen tomorrow, her seventh day and the last day of the effectivity of her potion before she becomes a foam. Yes, just like what happened to the real little mermaid in Hans Christian Andersen’s story and unlike what Disney made children believe the story to be.

She just wishes she could be a foam that will stay inside the Aquatica castle or in Chanyeol’s room so she can still stay beside him no matter how much it may hurt seeing him with another.

Dara just decided to stay inside Chanyeol’s room where she is currently staying and possibly sleep until tomorrow so she could just forget about everything including his Chanyeol’s marriage with another.

Maybe, just maybe, they weren’t really meant to be together.

****

Hard to admit but I’m falling apart

Catch every piece of me

And place me in your heart

****

“I wanted my gown to be the iest wedding gown in history, and also the most expensive! I want every detail to be filled with pearls! And only the most exquisite and soothing creams to shine the scales of my tail! And oh! Please don’t also forget to put the shiniest and most expensive gems in history to put on my crown. You all understand?” Princess Nana rudely instructed her maids in waiting.

The maids could only bow their heads to their soon to be queen no matter how much they distaste her. They would rather have the strange looking whale as their future queen. The whale might be ugly looking but she’s even more beautiful inside than this princess in front of them. The head of the maids in waiting---trying her best not to scoff at her---asked for anything else she might need.

“Is there anything more, your Highness?”

“And oh-----” Princess Nana was about to add something more but was stopped when Chanyeol cut her off.

“Nana, please. That was enough for today.” the prince then gently turned to the head of maids and looked as if apologizing for his fiance’s actions, “Mirabella, you may all go now. Thank you for your hardwork today.”

“Our utmost pleasure, your Highness. We shall go.” the maids all bowed in sync before finally leaving the distasteful place. If only it wasn’t for the prince and the King, they would really make that princess see what she’s got!

Princess Nana scoffed at Chanyeol, “Seriously, why did you tell them off! I still have many things to tell them for our wedding.”

Chanyeol can just heave a sigh on his fiance, “They already worked hard enough today, Nana. Let them rest for now or you won’t have any servants working fro you tomorrow.”

The prince immediately felt goosebumps when he suddenly felt Nana and touching his arm and chest sensually while biting her lips, “Aish, why are you so in denial, my prince? You don’t have to lie anymore, you just want to have me all to yourself, right?”

Chanyeol tried to calm himself as he widens the distance between him and his forced to be fiance, “Sorry, princess. But you would need to go. The King and Queen of Oceanilla might be looking for you now.”

“But----”

“No buts, please? You would also need to have some rest for tomorrow, okay?”

Princess Nana just smiled wickedly and seductively at the prince, “Ooooh yeah right! I should be resting for now because you’ll be tiring me tomorrow right, honey? Hihi! I just can’t wait!” the princess tiptoed to kiss Chanyeol in the lips but the prince was quick enough to avoid this and her lips landed on his chin instead.

“Oooooh, feisty! That’s what I like the most about mermen! See you tomorrow, sweety!” she winked before leaving the place.

Chanyeol exhaustedly plopped down his shell when he suddenly heard choking and gagging sounds nearby. He smiled and shook his head as he saw his friends along with Jongin, Xiumin and Chen.

“Will you guys please stop whatever that is you’re doing? You look like a bunch of idiots!” Chanyeol laughed.

Baekhyun just rolled his eyes at Chanyeol as he plopped down on the shell next to him, “If we’re idiots then you just might be our leader since you’re the biggest idiot out of all of us, Yeollie! Seriously, how can you even endure to be married to that bit---I mean, WITCH KIND OF A PRINCESS!”

Xiumin interfered as he hands his husband, Chen, a drink, “Baek, please be gentle with our prince. He was just torn in this situation.”

Chen nodded at his beloved, “And besides, it was the king, his father we are talking about here.”

“But seriously, guys?! How can our Highness even set up Prince Chanyeol with that kind of princess?! This is really absurd!” Kyungsoo bursts out madly.

Jongin just nods his head, “If he only wanted the prince to get married then he should’ve chosen a better fiance for him.”

“Exactly my poi------WAIT A SECOND!” Kyungsoo was frozen for a minute almost all of them thought he was a goner until he turned his attention to Xiumin and Chen, “Say, Xiumin and Chen, the King doesn’t really have any particular choices to who our prince is getting married to, right?”

Xiumin, albeit confused, nodded, “Yeah. He just wanted the prince to get----OH MY GOSH! WHY HAVEN’T I THOUGHT OF THAT?!”

“Exactly!” Kyungsoo smirked and turned to Jongin, “If the plan that I’ll be plotting works, I’ll marry you anytime and anywhere you want.”

Baekhyun whistled, “Woah there, Kyungsoo! That is really saying something! Look, Jongin here fainted with what you said!” a