She did not rest long, however. She took a quick look at her surroundings and realized that she recognized them. She was but seven miles from Atlantica!

Desperate to see her husband and daughters again, she began to swim in the direction of home. She saw no one on her journey, something to be expected as she was traversing wilderness, and it was nighttime.

After several hours of rapid swimming, Athena caught her first glimpse of the city.

Atlantica!

Every fiber of her being thrilled with joy at seeing her old home. Why, it looked as if she had never left! The palace stood at the center, as tall and proud as ever. The gates around it shimmered.

Forgetting her fatigue, Athena raced towards the gates of the city. As she swam through them, a large smile imprinted itself on her face. But it was not enough to express her joy. As she swam forward, the song of happiness which was playing in her heart overflowed and reached her lips.

"Under the bright blue endless sky…," she began to sing.

She had not gotten further than a few meters into the song when, out of nowhere, two guards swooped down upon her.

"Halt!"

Athena stopped short, startled.

"What is the matter?" she asked, confused, looking at the guards.

"You are in violation of the law!" they snarled.

"What law?" Athena asked, quickly running through the long list of Atlantican statues in her mind. She could not think of one which she could have possibly broken. "Forgive me, I have not been in the city for ten years. I am not sure which rule you refer to."

The guards stood unmoved.

"You are in violation of the King's decree outlawing music!" they snapped, closing in on her threateningly.

"Music…outlawed?" Athena gasped in disbelief. "The King's decree? Isn't Triton the King of the Sea anymore?" She felt as if she had just been dropped into ice cold water. If there had been anything which had kept her spirits up during her ten-year-long ordeal, it was picturing her family together under the waves, happy and together. The idea that her husband might have died had never occurred to her.

"Yes, he is," the guards snarled. "King Triton is the one who outlawed music!"

"But that does not make sense!" Athena protested, albeit relieved to hear that her husband lived. "Triton loves music! I – ,"

"That is King Triton to you!" was the reply. "Come along, you are under arrest!"

"Arrest? For singing?" Athena cried out. She shook her head. "Please, I see that you do not recognize me, but please take me to the palace. I need to speak to the King. I am sure that if I do this misunderstanding will be cleared up immediately -"

"Do not worry, mermaid," one of the guards said harshly, prodding her in the direction of the prison. "I am sure that the King will see you at your trial."

"When will that be?" Athena asked, pale to the lips.

"Probably soon. We have a lot of music-makers who we arrested tonight at an underground music club. The King is furious, and will want to make short work of them, I daresay!"

Bewildered, the Queen of Atlantica could do nothing but obey. She was taken to the prison, and unceremoniously forced into a cold, dark, solitary cell. When the guards swam away, she sat down in a corner and stared at the bars. She had traded a crate on a pirate ship for an Atlantican prison. It was hardly the sort of homecoming she had expected.