Ever since arriving on shore, Ariel had not seen her family again. Neither her Great-grandmother, who wore a silver crown and was old-fashioned but deeply loved her, nor the majestic yet benevolent Sea King, nor her beautiful sisters'.
Rhine smiled:
"From beginning to end, everyone in the Sea Kingdom, including your sisters', your Great-grandmother, and your father, has been closely following the development between you and Prince Eric, always ready to help you."
"I used magic to broadcast the events on land to them."
"They witnessed the progression of your feelings with the Prince, and they are all blessing you!"
Ariel's eyes stung, and her voice was a little choked:
"So, they've always cared about me so much."
"Clearly, this was just my selfish decision. I cruelly and selfishly abandoned them to pursue the human society I was curious about, to pursue an immortal soul and a love. Now they have to do so much for me!"
Rhine shook his head:
"No, don't think that way, mermaid princess."
"Your marriage to Prince Eric is absolutely not just about you personally."
"I know, just as Prince Eric said before. In your envisioned perfect ending, it would only be like this:
"The King of the Kingdom of Summer agrees to your marriage, you walk hand in hand with him in a wedding dress, and you become partners under the blessing of the temple priest and amidst celebratory songs."
"Everyone in the entire Kingdom of Summer blesses you, saying that you are one of the few loving King and Queen in the kingdom's history!"
"But just as the Prince said, you will be forever separated from your family, never able to return to that deep blue Kingdom."
"And a hundred years later, you and Eric will be buried in the same tomb—just like the many King and Queen that the Kingdom of Summer has already had."
"History books will only record that once upon a time, a King of the Kingdom of Summer picked up a girl on the coast and finally married this beautiful girl as his Queen, and they lived a loving life together."
"No one will know where you came from, no one will understand the Sea Kingdom beneath the sea waves."
"Nothing changed at all."
"Perhaps centuries later, there will be another mermaid like you—perhaps also a mermaid princess or a mermaid prince, but most likely just a commoner—who will fall in love with a human on land, yearn for life on land and the colorful human world, and may even accidentally discover the secret of an immortal soul, and desire to obtain an immortal soul just like you."
"He or she will, like you, tell their elders naive fantasies, and then be met with a cold shower."
"That mermaid might give up then, or might turn to seek the help of the Sea Hag or some other magician, and after paying a terrible price, step onto land."
"That ordinary mermaid does not have the proud status of a princess, nor does he or she have a beautiful singing voice like yours, and will inevitably have to pay a price unimaginable to ordinary people. And this price will hinder the future path of love."
"He or she will also have to experience all the hardships you experienced, bear all the sorrow you endured, and bathe in all the helplessness you bathed in. All the obstacles you and Prince Eric encountered on your path to love must be experienced again."
"This mermaid might succeed, or might fail—the latter being significantly more likely. Finally, his or her heart will crack open and turn into unknown foam on the waves."
"Even if that mermaid succeeds, it will only be limited to that."
"The priests and guests who bless this newlywed couple do not know that one of the bride or groom comes from the azure Sea Kingdom they have never understood."
"When these guests finish their words of blessing, leave the sacred wedding ceremony, and step onto their ships, they will still tell stories of mermaids bringing disaster, believing that mermaids' songs will lure ships into stormy waters; they will panic and cry when they hear mermaids' songs, thinking they are about to be swallowed by a storm; they will mercilessly shoot poisoned arrows when they see mermaids resting on reefs, celebrating the death of these non-human monsters that bring disaster—yet not knowing that those who died at their hands might be the parents of the newly blessed groom or bride."
"Then, centuries pass, and the above stories will be replayed again and again."
"A few more white foams will appear on the waves, and a few more blessed couples will appear in the temple, nothing more."
At this point, Rhine's tone had a slight ripple.
He couldn't help but glance at the blond girl beside him, who was listening intently.
The last time he spoke a long string of words and felt his heart fluctuate was 10 years ago, at Aurora's baptism ceremony, describing another path of destiny to the King and Queen.
"Since I have come to this world, I must change something," Rhine thought.
After listening to Rhine's words, Ariel's vision was already blurred, and the world seemed to be covered by a thin mist.
"So what? What exactly should I do to prevent all this from happening again, to ensure that my future kin do not have to cross the sorrow I once crossed, and walk the difficult path I walked? How can I make humans on land understand us and no longer view my kin as monsters who bring disaster! My magician friend."
Ariel asked hoarsely.
"You only need to marry Prince Eric—but unlike what was originally envisioned, it is absolutely not to hide your identity and marry the Prince as a human. You must let everyone know that you are a mermaid from the Sea Kingdom! At that time, both humans on land and mermaids in the sea will bless you. This will be a miracle never seen since the appearance of the Sea Kingdom!"
Rhine said seriously:
"As for the rest, your sisters', Great-grandmother, and father will take care of it—that's why they participated in this event today."
"The people of the Sea Kingdom are not just active in this port. On the shipping route between Ender and the Kingdom of Summer, your father is busy."
"This is the most important point I want you to understand: you don't have to feel guilty for receiving help from your family; what they are doing is not just for you, but also for the future of the entire Sea Kingdom!"
"What you need now is to see Prince Eric!"
With that, Rhine softly chanted a spell.
In a cloud of white mist, the three of them simultaneously transformed into three birds and flew towards the temple where the wedding was being held.
And behind them, at the port, another battleship sank amidst confused wails and exclamations.
Clang.
The wooden planks shattered, the mast crashed into the water, stirring up large waves, and the magnificent flag, interwoven with purple and gold, also fell into the sea.
This magnificent flag, which once belonged to the Royal Navy of Ender, was now sinking past the mermaids.
...
"We have followed the magician Rhine's instructions and scuttled the 12th battleship of Ender!"
"It's quite simple. Human warships are designed to fight strong enemies floating on the surface of the sea, or structures at ports, but they cannot defend against underwater attacks."
"The area near the port is already in chaos!"
The people of the sea swam to and fro, relaying the news to each other.
Among them, five mermaid princesses, elegantly dressed and adorned with shells, pearls, and oysters, were all looking up at the chaotic moving shadows on the sea surface.
They knew that their sister was in that direction.
"Ariel, you must succeed."
"You bear the future of the Sea Kingdom!"
Around them, mermaids were busy in the sea:
They were either directing large fish and sea beasts, or swimming around with sharp knives and drills, shuttling back and forth beneath the seabed, making the deep blue water ripple endlessly.
...
The deep blue seawater swayed and flowed.
Mermaids swam nimbly, dodging the cold undercurrents in the sea, relaying messages to each other, and reporting on the situation on the surface of the sea.
"Great Sea King, there is no doubt that a storm is coming. This will be an incredibly terrifying storm, a once-in-a-century event in this sea area!"
"That human King's magnificent ship will surely be swallowed by the giant waves."
"His ship, despite its massive size and beautiful, abundant decorations, is merely a vain show, lacking the strength to withstand the storm, and will absolutely not survive the cruel storm that is to come!"
The mermaids reported what they had observed to the monarch of the sea.
For mermaids, they understood the temperament of the sea best. They could naturally sense when a storm was about to arrive, and in the past, some mermaids liked to surface and sing at such times.
The Sea King, wearing a crown and holding a golden trident, smiled.
"Good, we'll follow them!"
On the magnificent ship, on the surface of the sea.
The King of the Kingdom of Summer had not yet realized that an unprecedented great storm was about to arrive.
In fact, compared to when they first set sail, the sea was unusually calm now.
Bright moonlight scattered on the waves, and the sea reflected the moon's silver glow, like waves stirring fine silver foil.
"What wonderful weather this is!" The King looked at the calm sea, drinking the wine from his golden goblet. "The wind was quite strong when we first set out, but now everything is getting better."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Sailors who often sail the seas all say that if one hears the song of a mermaid or sees the beautiful figure of a mermaid resting on a reef, disaster will descend upon the sea. But if no mermaid is seen throughout the entire voyage, then the sea will show its gentlest side, the wind will be incredibly soft, the waves will be only small ripples, and in the distance, one can hear the occasional cry of a seagull."
The attendants said so.
"I've heard such legends since I was a child. But tell me, why is this?" The King gazed at the tranquil sea, lost in thought.
"I don't believe every single mermaid has the ability to summon a storm. That's too exaggerated!"
As a monarch of a kingdom, even if it was only a small country, his knowledge of magic surpassed that of most people in the world.
He had seen magicians display their miraculous power more than once.
The King believed that magic capable of summoning a storm must be quite powerful, and absolutely impossible for just any mermaid to achieve.
The attendants also fell into thought.
They had heard similar legends many times before, but had never deeply considered them.
"Perhaps it's because mermaids don't bring storms, but rather, after sailors hear mermaids' songs, they unconsciously deviate from safe routes and sail into dangerous waters where storms are imminent. The legend of mermaids enchanting sailors is also quite popular," an attendant said.
"Or perhaps it's because mermaids understand the nature and temperament of the sea too well, and can predict the arrival of storms in advance, and like to sing on the surface of the sea when a storm is about to arrive," another attendant said.
The second attendant was also Prince Eric's attendant.
Three days ago, the Prince told the attendants stories of the sea in the palace, specifically mentioning this. But what Prince Eric didn't say was that the magician Rhine and Ariel specifically told him to say this in front of the attendants.
The King listened to the answers of the two attendants, nodded thoughtfully, and continued to gaze at the tranquil and beautiful sea illuminated by the moonlight.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
A strong gust of wind suddenly blew.
"What's happening? Is the wind picking up?"