Athena's (Karin) POV

"Yume ga ippai furiru ippai, onegai yo wedding dress.. mama no you ni suteki na koi mitsukaru kashira.. todoketai no HAATOBIITO o sasayaite "Make A Wish" hanabira mau hikari no naka me ga kurumi sou yo.." Princess Himeka brushed my dirty blonde hair that reached the very ends of my tail while I sang my favorite song, Yumemiru Ai Tenshi.

"mitsumeteru ,kizuiteru.."

"Athena-chan? You've gotten better at your mother's song.. I didn't think it was possible.." Himeka smiled.

I blushed, "Ah, thank you, Himeka-chan.." I turned to my best friend, and she hugged me.

But then I remembered what today was, and my smile faded, my green eyes clouding over.

Himeka hugged me even tighter, her smile fading as well.

"It's all for your kingdom, Athena. Remember that when you walk down that aisle, alright?"

I nodded solemly. "But... I don't.."

"Athena-chan! You're turning 18 in a year, you need to take over the throne before that."

I sighed and nodded, "I know, Himeka-chan.. but I.."

Himeka silenced me and began to apply a light coral pink lipstick to my lips.

I managed a laugh.

"Would you like to see yourself now?" Himeka turned the chair around to face the mirror and I flushed with excitement.

"Is.. this really.. me?" I stared at the mermaid with curly, flowing hair, coral pink lips, big, bright, unusual, eyes that I was told looked like a sparkling green ocean, and long eyelashes. My wedding dress began with rare, pure white slam shells over my large breasts, and then a long, puffy and frilly white dress covered most of my sea green tail.

"You look beautiful. I'm sure Prince Hades will think so, too."

I gave a faint smile.

Himeka was much more lucky than me. She had found true love and had married before me, and would be taking the throne in the Seaberry kingdom on her 18th birthday a year from now, just like mine.

But I was too late to choose for myself. I had kept disagreeing with my father, telling him I wasn't in love yet, and that no merman had caught my eye, but my birthday would come soon, and I had to be married, so I was arranged a marriage and would be married today.

So many merman had wanted to marry me, the Princess of The Oceanbelle, but none of them ever intrigued me. And so I decided that I wanted something different.

I learned in school what humans were, how they fell in love, what they ate, how different they were from merpeople, how they were married, how they had children..what pregnancy was like for them..

And then last night I did more thinking.

What if I had made a bet with my father that I could find a husband in the human world? I'd have a chance at finding true love, and then I could become pregnant with an heir and we'd get married! It was a perfect plan, but having my father go through with it would be a little harder..

"Oh, it's time.." Himeka smiled when the horns sounded outside the castle.

She put my veil on my head, grabbed my hand, and we swam outside to sit in the carriage.

Once the giant, golden catfish got to the church, Himeka and I swam to the top tower, where the bridesmaids were.

"Woah!" the maids turned to look at me and I blushed, embarrassed.

"It's Princess Athena!"

"Waah!"

"Look at that dress!"

"You're a beautiful bride!"

"Omigosh, Prince Hades is going to be envied by every merman in the sea!"

"Kyaaaa! Princess Athena looks amazing!"

"Stop.. it's embarrassing..." my entire face grew hot and I looked away.

Himeka swam up behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders.

"Now, now, girls, the whole kingdom knows Athena-chan is very shy!" she giggled.

The maids nodded and turned away.

"Sorry, Princess!"

"We couldn't help complementing you, though!"

"You look amazing!"

"Th- thank you.." I said as loud as I could.

One of the maids brought me some rare, thick, white seaweed to tie around my waist, so there was a large bow behind me.

"There... makes you look even better."

"Thank you."

"Girls, we should all get dressed, the weddings in less than 30 minutes!"

While everyone bustled about in the room, I sat down on a small chair and closed my eyes.

I'm sorry, daddy, I can't marry Prince Hades... I know it's tradition and all to marry at 17, but if it's not true love, I will never be able to do it.

So, I'm going to follow through with my plan.

Standing up on my fins, I said, "H-Himeka-chan?"

Himeka stopped putting on her makeup to look at me, "Yes, Athena-chan?"

"Uh... um... I have to.. uh.. I forgot something at home!" I stammered.

"Is it important?" Himeka crossed her arms.

I only have 30 minutes.

"Yes, it's important."

"You'd better hurry." she turned back to the mirror to put on some lipstick.

I stared at her, knowing this was probably the last time I'd ever see her again.. if I got out of this as planned.

She looked at me through the mirror and smiled at me.

Goodbye, Himeka-chan. Take care while I'm gone.

I turned and swam out of the window, and quickly to the top tower of my castle, where my room was.

Swimming over to my closet, I grabbed my secret bundle of human clothes that I had learned to make using magic, and placed them in a suitcase, filling it up.

I never knew how to make those coverings that humans put over their feet, though, but I guessed I'd be okay for now.

Grabbing snacks from my secret stash under my bed, I stuffed that in a suitcase pocket.

I filled a bag up of my spell books, and I was ready to go.

After scribbling a note down for my father, I flipped through a spell book, looking for the spell for human legs.

To gain human legs, you must come close enough to a human to plant a kiss on that human's lips.

It seemed a little difficult for me, what if there wasn't a human around when I got out of the water?

There was a bang at my door and I realized it had been 30 minutes already.

"Princess! You're running late for the wedding! We can't have that, please come out immediately!"

I ignored the person on the other side of the door, and making sure I had my stuff with me, swam out of the door and away from the castle as far and fast as I could without looking back.

5 minutes later..

Sirens were ringing through the kingdom I had just left behind, alerting the merpeople of the kingdom to look for me.

I swam faster.

I have to swim faster so I can get out of their sight!

I felt someone else's presence behind me and wipped my head around.

There, was Poseidon, my father.

And he didn't look too happy to see that I was leaving the city.