Ericka stood out on the balcony of her bedroom, once again humming the song she'd heard from the mysterious stranger who'd saved her life. She knew it had only been about a week, but she was beginning to lose hope that she'd ever find him.

But another part of her wondered if it was better that she hadn't.

To her shock, she'd almost kissed Arron earlier. Normally, Ericka didn't give her heart away so easily. But when it came to Arron, there was something so pure and beautiful about him that she'd never seen in any other man before.

Ericka stared out at the ocean and wished that she could dive inside and swim away for just a moment's peace. Things seemed to make more sense when she was out at sea. It was moments like these where she felt the loss of her mother especially hard. The queen had always seemed to have the right answer to any dilemma Ericka faced.

"My lady, it's getting late," Grimhilda said gently as she joined her on the balcony. "You should be in bed by now."

"I know," Ericka sighed. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to fall asleep though."

"And why would that be? Perhaps a certain attractive redhead is consuming your thoughts?"

Ericka's face warmed as she recalled how the night had ended. After they'd returned to the palace, Arron and Ericka had bathed and changed into warm clothes. Then the both of them had sat in front of the fire drinking some soothing hot chocolate. She could've sat there with him forever, but unfortunately, Grimhilda and Carlisle had entered the room stating that they both needed to get to bed and could spend as much time together as they desired tomorrow.

"Today was…amazing. I can't even remember the last time I had so much fun somewhere that wasn't the ocean. But at the same time, something about it all feels…wrong. Like I've already given my heart to someone else and here I am entertaining thoughts about him instead."

"My dear, we've looked as hard as we could and no one has revealed themselves to be the one you're searching for. So my question for you is are you going to spend the rest of your life searching for someone you don't know anything about and who you may never find, or will you accept someone who is already here and quite obviously adores you? And if I may be so bold, I believe the feeling is mutual."

Ericka looked up at the window of Arron's room, recalling last night when she'd been down in the garden with Maxine and had looked up to find him out on the balcony watching her. Realizing he'd been caught, he'd given her an awkward smile and wave before disappearing back into the bedroom. "I'm never going to know who he is…am I?"

"I don't believe so. Maybe it's for the best."

Ericka knew that she would always remain curious about her mysterious savior, but she couldn't deny her strong attraction to Arron and how safe she felt around him and how his innocence and naivety about the world around him was like a breath of fresh air when compared to all of the suitors she'd been forced to entertain in the recent years.

"All this time, I've never even asked him where he's from," she said quietly. "What if he has a life that he needs to go back to? What if we're just fooling ourselves?"

"You've only known him for two days. You still have plenty of time to get to know one another better. It's not like there's a deadline hanging over your heads and you have to know everything about him in a week."

"I suppose. I'll be in in a minute."

"Don't stay up too late, Your Highness."

Grimhilda stepped back inside the bedroom and disappeared into the hallway. Ericka leaned back against the balcony as she sighed. Maybe it was indeed time to give up ever finding her rescuer. There was no telling if there would even be any sort of attraction between them anyway if she did find him. Maybe he had just seen someone in trouble, helped her, and that was the end of it. For all she knew, she was remembering some of the events wrong and the person wasn't at all like she believed. It was difficult having to give up her pursuit, but she decided that Arron was more important and more real than this unreliable memory.

Come the morning, she would discuss more about his home and family and find out what their possible future together held.

Ericka was just about to step back into her bedroom when she heard faint singing. She frantically turned back around and peered over the balcony. She dared not hope that it was truly her rescuer, but she was sure that voice was the one that had been stuck inside her head since the moment she'd first heard it. She looked down and tried to see if she could make out its owner, but the fog rolling in from the ocean was too thick to see anything clearly.

Someone slowly walked along the beach, beautiful and smooth notes leaving his throat and wrapping around her like a warm blanket. Ericka could somewhat make out a handsome young man dressed in a dark purple shirt and black pants with a blue cloak waving behind him in the ocean breeze.

A nautilus shell glowed around his neck and when Ericka stared at it, the same yellowish hue filled her eyes. Her face slackened as every thought inside her mind slowly and completely faded away.

Down on the beach, the one calling himself Varian smirked as he felt some of the magic inside him take effect on the dear little princess.

"Arron!" a loud voice called outside his window.

Arron drowsily sat up as Scuttle flew into his bedroom and landed on the bed.

"Arron, I just heard the news! Congratulations, kiddo, we did it!"

We did what? Arron signed on instinct, forgetting that his animal companions weren't familiar with the language.

Sirena put her claws to her aching head. "What are you going on about?" she grumbled.

"Oh, as if you two didn't know!" the seagull smirked. "The whole town's buzzin' about the princess gettin' hitched this afternoon!"

Arron's brow furrowed.

"I mean she's gettin' married!"

The clarification did nothing to help his confusion. Why would Ericka be getting married so suddenly and more importantly to whom? Because she certainly hadn't discussed the idea of marriage with him, and he was fairly confident that there wasn't anyone else in the picture.

"I just wanted to wish you luck! I'll catch you later at the wedding, I wouldn't miss it!"

As Scuttle excitedly flew back out of the window, Arron turned to Sirena still just as clueless as before.

"That's about how I feel whenever that mindless bird says anything," Sirena groaned. "Come on, we should go see what this is about."

Arron quickly dressed and made his way downstairs. Everyone he passed seemed to be giving him strange glances like they felt sorry for him. He understood that he couldn't speak, but having someone with one of their senses missing was nothing new for the palace servants.

But when Arron got to the main ballroom, everything quickly became clear, and his heart seemed to shatter into a thousand pieces.

"Well, my dear, it appears that your search proved worthwhile," Grimhilda confessed. "You managed to find the mystery savior of yours after all. And he is quite a vision."

Around Ericka's shoulders draped the arm of a very handsome man in a navy-blue suit with jet-black hair. A man who wore a very familiar nautilus shell around his neck.

Arron felt ill.

Sabotaging his evening with Ericka hadn't been enough. The sorcerer had decided that intervention on land had become necessary to keep him from winning their deal.

Arron quickly hid behind a pillar before any of them saw him. He couldn't think straight. He could barely even breathe. He felt like he'd been stung by a thousand different jellyfish and their poison was coursing through his veins.

"But, Princess, what about—" Grimhilda started.

"Never mind that," Ericka abruptly cut her off. "Varian and I wish to be married as soon as possible."

"Are you quite sure about that? You don't want even a little time to get to know each other more?"

"No."

"Well, all right, but these things take time, and—"

"This afternoon, Grimhilda."

"This afternoon? Princess, I—"

"The wedding ship departs at sunset."

"Princess—"

"You have your orders, Grimhilda."

The elder woman sighed heavily and then politely bowed her head. "As you wish, Princess."

That evening, Arron dejectedly watched the large wedding ship carrying Princess Ericka, the sorcerer disguised as a human, several palace servants, nobles, and townspeople depart from the dock.

He wished that Sara wasn't one of those people on the boat. Right now, she was about the only person he'd be comfortable communicating with. He remembered going to bed last night excited to show her everything he'd learned that day. But with the announcement that Ericka wanted a last-minute wedding, none of the staff had had time to speak with him. Maybe that was for the best anyway considering how all of them had just stared at him with pity which he'd had just about enough of.

Angel appeared in the water below and looked up at her best friend sadly. Arron sank down onto the edge of the dock and let his bare feet touch the water. The harsh reality of his situation had finally sunk in. In just a few hours, the sorcerer was going to win their deal, and he would be turned into one of those slimy polyps doomed to wither in the entranceway of that horrible lair for the rest of his life.

Arron didn't think it was unmanly of him to admit that he was terrified and that more than ever before, he wished that his mother was here. He wanted her to sing him her lullaby and stroke his hair like she always did when he had trouble falling asleep.

He even missed all of his brothers' teasing and jests and would've traded anything to have any one of them here right now, even Adonis. Now that he was faced with the prospect of never seeing his family again, he realized just how much he had never truly appreciated his relationships with his mother and brothers.

He just wanted someone to tell him that things would be okay.

Something wet ran down Arron's cheek. He cautiously put his hand up and wiped away the water on his face then looked at Sirena in confusion.

Sirena looked at him sympathetically. "They're called tears, dear. They appear when humans are sad. You've probably had them come before and just never knew it since you were underwater."

He looked at her curiously, wondering how she knew that and he didn't.

"I may know a thing or two about humans."

Arron gently rubbed his finger over Sirena's head. Even if she'd disagreed with his decision, she'd stayed by his side all this time and helped him attempt to win over the princess, and he wished he could tell her how much he appreciated it while maybe teasing her a little and calling her 'Siri'.

On any other day, Sirena might've pinched Arron for patronizing her size, but she decided that just this once, she would indulge the heartbroken prince.

Meanwhile, Scuttle was just flying by the boat where the wedding was taking place when she heard something very strange coming from one of the portholes. Someone was singing and it sounded a lot like Arron, but that couldn't be possible because Arron had given up his voice for his legs. She quickly flew over to an open porthole for a better look. Inside, she could see the future groom that the princess was to marry flouncing around the room.

What a lovely little bride she'll make, my dear, you'll look divine

Things are working out according to my ultimate design

Soon I'll have that little merman and the ocean will be mine!

Scuttle watched in horror as the young man pulled up the mirror on the vanity and the reflection looking back was that of the sea sorcerer! Arron's smooth voice mixed together with his rough cackle which sent a shiver down the seagull's feathers.

"The sea sorcerer," she whispered. "He's…I gotta…" Scuttle quickly flew away from the boat and directly to the dock by the palace. "Arron! Arron!"

Arron looked up as the bird urgently set down next to him.

"I was flying," she quickly explained. "Well, of course I was flying. And I saw the groom, only he wasn't the groom. I saw the sorcerer watchin' a mirror, and he was singin' with a stolen set of pipes! Do you hear what I'm tellin' you? The princess is marryin' the sea sorcerer in disguise!"

Arron looked at the bird helplessly. He had already guessed as much and he wasn't sure if there was anything to be done about it now. As much as it pained him to admit, he was just no match for Ursulus.

"What are we gonna do?" Angel asked worriedly from down in the water. "We have to do something, right, Arron? I mean…you can't just let her marry Ursulus."

Arron looked out at the sunset as the sorcerer's words confirming their deal echoed in his head.

No. What was he thinking? He had wasted all this time wallowing in self-pity when he could've been coming up with a plan.

Arron felt a deep and fiery anger completely overshadow any of his misery. The sorcerer may have intentionally messed up their agreement in the worst ways possible, but the third day wasn't over yet. He wasn't about to just sit back and watch the girl he loved marry someone like Ursulus without fighting back. Ericka had told him that even though he didn't speak, he had a voice, and gosh darn it, he was going to use it.

He looked down at Sirena with determination in his eyes.

The little crab understood immediately. She snapped a rope tying several barrels together and they all fell into the ocean. "Arron, grab onto one of those."

Arron dove into the water and quickly latched himself onto the nearest barrel.

"Angel, get him to that boat as fast as your fins can carry you!"

Angel put the rope on the barrel around her body. "Got it!"

"I've got to get to the queen. She must know about this."

"What about me?" Scuttle asked. "What about me?"

"Find a way to stall that wedding! Do whatever you have to do in order to make sure that the princess absolutely does not marry the sorcerer!"

"Stall the wedding. Oh…I can do that."

She quickly flew off with loud squawks and calls that alerted every creature of air and sea of their dire predicament.

"Don't worry, Arron," Angel panted as she frantically tried to pull him towards the ship. "We're gonna make it! I won't let you down!"

Onboard the ship, Varian and Ericka walked down a small makeshift aisle and everyone politely bowed to the princess as she passed by them.

Maxine growled at the foreign human who most certainly was not who her mistress should be marrying. Varian lightly kicked the dog to quiet it. He didn't need any sort of complications from the stupid animal. Only a few more minutes, and the sun would set and the merprince was as good as dead.

The 'couple' arrived at the end of the aisle in front of an altar.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together two souls in holy matrimony," a very old priest announced.

Varian rolled his eyes. There wasn't anyone who could speak any faster? Well, soon it wouldn't matter anyway. He smiled as the sun set further and further on the most important day of the young prince's painfully short life.

"Yes, um, do you, Ericka, take Varian to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?"

Ericka stared blankly ahead of her. "I do."

The sound of horrendous caws and squawks drowned out the priest's next words. Varian looked up and managed to duck just as a swarm of bluebirds swooped over his head. Seagulls and pelicans flew all over the ship, and two seals jumped onboard which sent the passengers screaming and trying to find places to hide.

Varian cursed under his breath. No doubt this was that stupid merman's doing. It didn't matter, he was too late. The princess was still under his spell, and there wouldn't be enough time to break it and kiss her before the sun set.

His train of thought was interrupted when three pelicans flew over him and doused him with ocean water. The last batch also contained several crabs, and one of them decided to tightly pinch Varian's nose. With a furious cry, Varian ripped the crab off his face.

While the animals did their best to distract the sorcerer, Angel finally made it to the side of the ship, breathing heavily from the exertion of the swim. Arron smiled gratefully at her and then carefully climbed up the side of the ship to the upper deck. When his head peeked over the railing, the first person to see him was none other than Sara. Her eyes widened and she quickly came over to him to help him onto the deck. She frantically moved her hands to ask him what he was doing.

If Arron wasn't so pressed for time, he would've gotten quite a kick out of watching so many creatures abusing the sorcerer in several very painful and very humiliating ways.

Two seals tossed Ursulus/Varian into the giant wedding cake, and Arron quickly pulled Sara out of the path of some of the flying pieces.

Sara signed her thanks and then told him that the princess wasn't herself because when she had tried to talk to her earlier about some wedding arrangements, Ericka hadn't attempted to communicate with her at all. Not only that, but the mysterious man who claimed to be Ericka's savior hadn't left her side all day and had barely even allowed Ericka to speak at all. She didn't know who the strange man was, but she didn't like him.

Believe me, I don't either, Arron signed. I need to talk to Ericka. Quickly, I don't have a lot of time.

Sara didn't know what he meant by that but she pointed to the princess who was dressed in a terribly gaudy wedding dress standing at the altar in front of a clueless priest, both of them completely oblivious to the chaos around them.

While Scuttle tried to pull the nautilus shell off Ursulus/Varian's neck, Maxine eagerly broke free of her leash and wasted no time in running over to the imposter. Then she chomped on his leg as hard as she could as payback for the kick to the face.

Varian cried out in pain which allowed Scuttle to finally break the cord holding the nautilus shell. The shell flew across the ship and shattered right at Arron's feet. A yellow mist slowly pulled itself up into the air, searching for its rightful owner.

Ericka's eyes cleared of their yellow hue, and she looked around her as she tried to process how she'd gotten onto a wedding ship that was already in the middle of the ocean. Her eyes landed on Arron and she heard the voice from last night come from the strange yellow mist floating up from a broken nautilus shell.

Arron allowed the mist to wrap around him and enter his throat. Then for the first time in three days, musical notes left his own vocal cords and he finally felt complete again.

"Arron?" Ericka said softly.

"Ericka," Arron smiled.

Ericka's heart thumped in her chest as her name left his lips. "You…you can talk." She took a few steps towards him. "All this time…it was always you, wasn't it? The one I've been looking for?"

"Ericka, get away from him!" Ursulus/Varian called from the altar, looking a little worse for wear after all the animal abuse he'd been put through. He quickly put his hand over his mouth when the voice that left his mouth did not have its usual musical quality.

"How is this possible?" Ericka asked Arron.

"I wanted to tell you."

Arron took her into his arms and drew towards her.

"Ericka, no!" Ursulus/Varian yelled.

Just before Arron could kiss Ericka, he felt a deep and sharp pain in his legs as they quickly fused together, and he sank down to the deck with a cry of pain. The transformation wasn't nearly as bad as the last one, but it was still far from pleasant and it took several seconds for him to understand what had happened.

"Arron, what is it?" Ericka cried. "Are you hurt? What—"

She stopped speaking and her breath caught when she looked at him. Instead of two legs, Arron had a scaly green tail.

"Ericka, I…" he tried to start.

"You're too late!" the sorcerer cackled. "You're too late!"

Ursulus laughed maniacally as his clothing tore away to reveal white hair, purple skin, and eight thick black tentacles. With frightening glee, he crawled down the ship and snatched Arron's wrist. Arron tried to pull away, but the sorcerer's grip was too strong.

Ursulus smiled at Ericka. "So long, sweet cheeks." He winked and blew her a kiss with two fingers. "It's been fun."

Then he fell into the ocean with his captive.