"Ariel, are you going to go ashore and drink the potion now?" Aurora asked the mermaid princess swimming ahead.
"It's still several hours until sunrise, let's wait a little longer," Ariel's voice was tinged with sadness. "I want to take one last look at my father's palace and my sisters' garden."
The mermaid princess knew that once she grew legs, she probably wouldn't have another chance to return to her father, Great-grandmother, and sisters'.
Next, she would have to face a grim challenge alone—if she didn't win the prince's affection, the curse would still tear her heart apart, turning her into sea foam.
"Alright, goodbyes are always sad, take another look at the palace and garden," Rhine agreed. "We'll follow behind you, watching from afar and wishing you well."
Ariel and her two friends rode the large anglerfish for a while longer.
The Sea King's Palace appeared before them.
When the mermaid princess left, a grand celebration was still being held in the palace, brightly lit.
But when she returned, the lights of the ball had already extinguished.
The Sea King's Palace was like a sleeping giant beast, quietly lying in the deep blue seawater. It was magnificent, solemn, and silent.
"Father and my sisters, they're probably asleep."
Princess Ariel didn't dare disturb them, quietly swimming into her sisters' garden.
She wanted to pick a few flowers from the blooming flowerbeds and then quietly leave.
"My little princess, I've found you!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her.
Ariel turned around, and it was Great-grandmother, adorned with countless pearls and shells.
She led a large group of mermaid maids, her expression extremely flustered, but immediately overjoyed upon seeing Ariel.
"Oh my goodness! My beautiful princess. I heard you went to the terrible coral forest to find that ugly Old Witch! Why would you do such a foolish thing?"
Great-grandmother was terrified. She came to her granddaughter's side, her gaze moving from the mermaid princess's beautiful tail to her lovely long hair, confirming that nothing was missing from her granddaughter's body before she finally relaxed.
This elderly mermaid was too excited and didn't even notice a large anglerfish with a transparent belly above them, containing two humans.
"Why would you go looking for the Sea Hag? In the Sea Kingdom, all mermaid children grow up hearing evil stories about this Old Witch, knowing how terrifying she is. Finding her to grant wishes never ends well!"
Great-grandmother held the mermaid princess's hand, gripping it tightly, as if afraid her granddaughter would run away:
"You must have seen that Sea Hag, right? But absolutely do not make a deal with that Witch! It will definitely come at an extremely heavy price."
"Don't worry, my Great-grandmother," the mermaid princess also held her Great-grandmother's hand. "I'm fine."
Great-grandmother patted her chest, and her suspended heart finally settled.
"That's good, that's good, nothing happened to you, my little princess.
"It looks like you probably didn't find that Old Witch, right? She's always appearing and disappearing, and might not be home. And in the labyrinthine coral forest, finding her bone house isn't easy.
"Fortunately, you didn't find her, what a blessing, what a blessing!"
Great-grandmother guessed that just by passing through the rapidly flowing whirlpools, seeing the bizarrely deformed coral forest and the eerie white bones hanging on the coral trees, this delicate little princess would have been terrified, scared into running straight home, and thus wouldn't have encountered that Old Witch!
"Don't ever go there again, my little princess. In this Sea Kingdom, what wish is there that your father and I can't help you fulfill?"
Great-grandmother stroked Ariel's hair, which was as smooth as seawater.
"No, Great-grandmother. I found that Sea Hag. And I talked to her a lot," Ariel said. "She's not as scary as the legends say."
The mermaid princess's words terrified Great-grandmother, almost making her shake off the oyster decorations on her tail:
"No way? My little princess. Did that Old Witch make you pay any price, did she hurt you?"
Ariel smiled:
"Originally there should have been. But I ultimately didn't make a deal with the Sea Hag; a kind human friend helped me. He's a good-hearted magician who is willing to grant my wish without charging a price."
Ariel didn't elaborate on the specific wish.
That should be a challenge she faces alone.
"Human friend?" Great-grandmother was stunned.
How could mermaids become friends with humans?
In the history of the Sea Kingdom, such a thing had never been heard of!
"Look, they're over there!"
The mermaid princess pointed behind Great-grandmother.
The large fish swayed and swam over, and inside its transparent belly were two human children. They were a silver-haired boy and a blonde girl.
"You... you are, the two humans rumored to have come to the Sea Kingdom. Said to be a Human Scholar and his attendant."
Great-grandmother immediately recalled the rumors she had just heard, and was astonished:
"You are Ariel's human friends?"
Rhine nodded gently, greeting the Queen Mother of the Sea Kingdom.
"No matter what, since you helped Ariel, then you are my friends, honored guests of the Deep Sea King's Palace! From now on, whenever you step into this Sea Kingdom, the Sea Kingdom welcomes you!" Great-grandmother announced. "This is what I say in the name of the Queen Mother, and it will always be valid."
The maids accompanying Great-grandmother to find the mermaid princess whispered when they heard this:
"Didn't the Queen Mother always believe that the worlds of mermaids and humans should always be separated and have no interaction?"
"Yes, just now in the palace, she was still against the Sea King seeing these two humans!"
"Normally, that's true. But don't you know? The Queen Mother has always spoiled the mermaid princesses the most, especially Princess Ariel; she is her cherished darling!"
"Yes. The old lady usually has such a stern face, but when Princess Ariel is mentioned, she changes completely."
"..."
Great-grandmother, beaming with smiles, invited Rhine and Aurora:
"My two friends, isn't this a coincidence? I heard that my son—the King of this Sea Kingdom—is currently wanting to invite you to his palace as guests.
"It's already late. Wait until tomorrow when the sun rises, and the warm sunlight shines into the seawater, illuminating this magnificent palace, then you can return here.
"I will personally lead you as guests!"