Sitting on a rock by the edge of the sea, with the beautiful moonlight shining on her beautiful tail and her melodious voice filling up the air, Eunji enjoyed the night. She always looked at the lights coming from the small huts by the beach.

“Eunji!”  She heard someone call her name, she turned her head and saw Xiumin, her older cousin.

“What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? I should ask that to you! But before anything else we had to get back, your father is getting angry with your disappearance!”

“Omo I forgot”

She gets back to the water and swam back to their palace with Xiumin.

From the hallways of the palace Eunji and Xiumin can already hear the raging of her father.

“Oppa, what should I do?”

“I don’t know… just face him. Don’t worry I’ll be right behind you”

Eunji bit her lip and nodded before entering the room where her father was in. Eunji’s father was not just any merman; he was the King of their palace. The king that everyone was scared of, no one wanted to disobey his orders; the punishment given by him was something one would not like to experience.

“A-Appa” Eunji finally mustered up her courage

“Princess” The king spoke without a hint of softness in his voice, making Eunji more nervous.

“Why did you show up just now?” Her father looked directly at her eyes

“I-I was practicing using my power, I’m sorry” She lied. She had to. She can’t say that she swam up to the shore. It was a thing that a mermaid should never do because a mermaid should never be seen by a human.

“I’m sorry uncle, I’m busy teaching her and didn’t notice your calling” Xiumin tried to defend Eunji. Aside from being her cousin Xiumin also acts as a teacher for Eunji when it comes to her power since they have the same power of Frost.

“Anyways, the reason that I called you is because I want you to prepare yourself for tomorrow”

“Why is that appa?”

“We’re going to the East Sea Palace to settle your marriage with their prince”

“What?”

“I already said it clearly. You should understand”

“But appa…”

“No buts Eunji, now go to sleep and have a rest. Tomorrow we’ll meet your future husband Prince Chen”

“Appa. Why should I marry their prince?”

“As a princess you should know your duty to our palace. You’ll be the next in the throne, the queen, and a queen needs her king. You also know that the east sea palace is one of the greatest and it’ll be good if you’ll marry one of their princes” 

The East Sea palace had two prince; Suho, the older prince and Chen, the younger one. Suho was the one who will be the next king of the East Sea palace. This was what Eunji knew, she didn’t really have interest with them, and she hasn’t even met them personally.

She walked out of the room after nodding her head to her father. With a heavy heart, she headed to her room and sat down on her bed. She’s really upset. Why can’t her father give her freedom? And now he even wanted to have her marry someone she didn’t know. It was always like this, since she was a child. She’s the princess and was expected to act like one. She was always controlled by her father, all her actions were watched.

Yes, she was taken care of but she never felt being loved. They only took care of her because it was their duty to take care of the princess, and just because she holds the title of being the princess. Aside from Xiumin, it’s was her mother who only loves her, but she’s already gone.

Whenever Eunji was feeling down, angry or frustrated she froze everything she sees. Pointing her finger to the cup, in a flash the cup is covered with ice. As she cried more, more and more of the things inside her room gets covered with ice.

“Eunji stop!” Xiumin came entering her room, holding her hands and preventing her to turn the whole room freezing.

“Why? Why can’t I get my freedom?!” She cried to Xiumin

“Hush Eunji” He tried to calm her down. Xiumin was a bit relieved that the room is not yet frozen entirely, because the last time Eunji lost her temper, it’s not only her room she turned into ice.

After her crying, Eunji finally gets to sleep. Xiumin laid her on her bed before cleaning up the mess. He looked at his cousin sadly

“I’m sorry if I can’t do anything” He said and walked out her room.

Eunji woke up in the middle of the night. Going out of her room, she carefully swam and tried not to make any noise. Everyone was already sleeping. She passed by Xiumin’s room and peek inside

“I’m sorry” she said before swimming away, away from Xiumin and away from their palace. It’s what her heart said to her, to find her freedom and she will.

She came into a dark cave, it was creepy looking and no one ever dared to go there. It was the home of Naeun, the sea witch. She swam inside and only a small green light coming inside can be seen. She gulped before facing the witch.

Aware of someone’s presence in her place, Naeun turned around and saw Eunji. A bit surprised because she never thought that the princess would visit her.

“Ooh what a lovely surprise. The PRINCESS made a visit” She said, emphasizing the word princess “What can I do for you, your highness?”

“I...I want to have legs” Eunji said, not even having a second thought.

She already thought about it, and now that she was in front of the sea witch, there was no turning back. She wanted freedom and the sea witch was the one who could give it to her. She already read in one of the history books about Ariel, the mermaid that have gone to land, and she have thought about doing it too. And now was the time.

“Legs? Why? Tired of being a princess?” Naeun smirked, swimming around Eunji and touched her hair

“Just give it to me” Eunji demanded

“Ooh, calm down my princess” Naeun went to her desk made of rock, and signaled Eunji to come at the other side. “You DO know that I won’t just give it to you, don’t you?”

“I know, so what do you want? My voice?” Eunji said trying to be brave

“Tsk, why would I need your voice I have my own” Naeun rolled her eyes

“But, isn’t it what Ursula ask from Ariel?” Eunji wondered

“Do I look like Ursula to you? Excuse me, I’m Naeun, the prettiest sea witch of all!”

“N..o? But you’re both sea witches”

“But I’m prettier. Way prettier than her. Okay? Ugh do you want to have legs or not?” Naeun said as if losing her patience

“Wait, of course I want to”

“Okay. You have options actually. First, give me your power of Frost and I’ll give you a potion that’ll last for 4 months”

“My power?”

“Do I have to repeat it?”

“No, I’m just thinking, why don’t you want my voice”

“I only said the first option”

“Oh yeah I’m sorry”

“The second option is your voice. If you give me your voice, I’ll give you a potion that’ll last for a year”

“Why is it longer?”

“Because voice is a mermaids’ best asset. And you’re a princess, your voice is special”

Eunji thinks for a while “If I give you my power, I can still speak right? But I won’t have my power, which is actually just fine since humans don’t have powers, but I’ll have legs only for four months. If I give you my voice, I’ll have more time on land but I’m going to be mute. Wait, what will happen when the potion’s effect is gone? Will I turn into a mermaid again?”

“No no no” Naeun sang

“What do you mean?"

“Once the potion lose its effect" she paused and leaned in closer to Eunji "You'll turn into sea foam" she whispered

"What?! Wait that's not what written in Ariel's story"

"Why? Are you Ariel? Actually being a mermaid again comes with another potion"

"So you have that here right?"

"It's out of stock"

"What?!"

"The potion requires at least a year to make, but they only manufacture it in Atlantica, so it'll take a while before they deliver here. It actually comes free with the leg potion but since I don't have it right now, I can't give it to you"

"So I'll turn into foam at the end?"

"Come to think of it, if you return after running away, how would you face your father? Your whole palace? What face will you show them after leaving them just like that?" 

Eunji kept quiet. Naeun's right, if she wanted this freedom she have to forget her palace, everything. 

"Whatever I chose, I'll still die at the end right? Maybe that's better..."

"Actually there's a way for you to have permanent feet. To completely be a human"

"Really? What is it? Ah I know it is true love's kiss right?"

"What kiss? Eww. This story's title is Fairytale Love not Mr. Chu" Naeun said as she rolled her eyes

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. But I don't care about your Mr.Chu"

"Mr. Chu?"

"Chu as in Kiss duh?"

"So what's its connection to what we're talking about?"

"Nothing. Aish anyways if you want to have permanent legs, you need a true love's heart"

"You mean, a human need to fall in love with me right?"

"Not just that. You need to give me his heart. Literally, the organ that is keeping him alive"

"But he'll die"

"Of course. It's called sacrifice my dear" Naeun showed her devilish smile "So...what's your decision?"

"I'll do it. I'll give you my power" Eunji said after pondering about it for a while

"Okay my princess" 

A light came from Eunji's finger tips and is caught inside a bottle by Naeun. When the light subsided, a beautiful snowflake was seen inside the bottle.

"Here's the potion" Naeun handed her a bottle that has a pink glowing liquid inside “You’re confident huh?  Of course you should be, you are the princess after all. Oh I forgot, once you drink the potion, you're no longer a princess" Naeun laughed. 

They started swimming out of the cave.

"Good luck princess. You have four months. But just a little warning” She looked at Eunji’s eyes “Once you grow legs, never ever step back into the sea if you still haven’t have the heart in your hands”

Eunji looked back, directly at her eyes

“Because if you do, you’ll turn into foam” Naeun smirked

“Why?”

“If you step back in the sea without the heart in your hands, it means you fail”

With that Naeun turned around and went back to her cave, Eunji watched as she slowly disappears in the darkness.

Holding the bottle in her hands, Eunji swam up to the shore. She sat again on the rock before gulping down the pink liquid. As soon as the liquid touched , an unexplainable pain is felt. It was too much, she fell from the rock but with the strength that was left in her she tried to hold on it. Her whole body was in pain, especially on her tail; slowly she witnessed the light coming from her tail as it transformed into legs. Her shiny blue tail is gone. She felt dizzy and then all she saw is darkness.