Triton swam towards his wife like a mad merman. Marina, shocked that he had dared to reject her sentencing of the prisoner, swam up to him and began to say,

"No, no, no, I'm in charge here," as she forgot herself and her station. He swept her aside like a troublesome shrimp, and was soon within a foot of Athena.

He reached out to touch her face, and then, frightened that the vision before him would vanish if he dared make physical contact with it, pulled back his hand. He looked at her, unable to speak for a long moment, choked by emotions which he had kept locked away inside for a decade. At long last, he managed a single word.

"Athena?"

"Triton?" she whispered in return. As she looked into his green eyes, almost despite herself, the Sea Queen found her anger at him dissipating. He had noticed her of his own accord, and the way he was looking at her now was identical to the way that he used to look at her when they were young and first falling in love. Apparently, there was still something of the old Triton in this Sea King.

"ATHENA!" he cried out. He was no longer afraid that she would disappear. He dashed at her, throwing his arms around her. Forgetting the presence of prisoners, guards, and all, he began to wildly kiss her face, her hair, her lips. He strained her to his heart, feeling each beat of hers. With complete abandon, he called out, "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you."

Athena was too overcome to speak. She closed her eyes and remained silent.

Minutes passed in this manner. At last, Triton began to return to his senses, and realized that Athena felt…somewhat…stiff…in his arms. She had not protested his unrestrained caresses, but she had not even made a move to return his embrace. Confused and pained, he gently pulled back and was about to ask the reason for her reticence when he espied the heavy chains which were pinning her hands behind her back. She could not embrace him, no matter how much she wanted to!

Suddenly, the significance of the entire preceding decade crashed upon the Sea King.

He had done this to her. It was his laws, his guards, acting upon his orders, who had placed those chains upon the hands of his wife. He had made her a criminal. Not to mention how many innocent subjects he had hurt as he tried to ban everything from the kingdom which reminded him of her!

"Athena," he gasped out, his heart twisting like a knife in his chest. "I am so sorry. I was so selfish…I caused so much more pain than there needed to be…I will fix it…I will fix it all…I promise…upon my love for you…I swear it!"

"Of course you will," Athena comforted. She could see that he was in earnest. Clearly, his conscience was tormenting him for the first time in ten years, and she would not add to his agony. Her love for him was rekindling.

Turning upon his guards, he outstretched his hand and demanded in a trembling voice,

"Give me the key!"

It was handed over at once. Triton swam behind his wife and began to try to remove the handcuffs from her wrists. He soon realized that it would have been wiser to let the guards do it, for his hands were shaking so violently from emotion that it took five attempts before he managed to fit the key and turn the lock. Athena, unwittingly, made it worse by saying in her melodic, patient voice,

"Triton, calm yourself. I've been in these chains for hours, a few more seconds do not matter."

But it mattered to him. He could not bear to see her shackled so.

As the fetters came off and floated down to the ocean floor, she slipped her arms around him. Triton dissolved into tears as he felt his wife's embrace.

After a few more moments, he finally managed to collect himself. He gently pulled out of Athena's embrace and, still holding onto her hand, looked past her at his subjects. As he met their gazes, they shrank away in fear. O, what had he done?

He had to begin reparations at once.

Looking over at his guards, he commanded,

"Release the prisoners." The guards began to remove the handcuffs. "And then go to the prisons and release anyone who is being held for music-making. If anyone has been banished for that reason, send for them. Ensure that all their property is returned to them."

He could feel Athena radiating with approval besides him.

A small speck of red caught Triton's eye. It was Sebastian. To his shock, the Sea King realized that the red crab was watching him and Athena with pure joy. He did not even seem to notice or care when the shackles were taken from his wrists.

Sebastian was happy for him. Despite all that he had done to him, the crustacean was sharing in his elation and wishing him well. This was loyalty!

He swam to the little crab, taking Athena with him.

"Sebastian?" he asked. "I am ashamed of myself. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," the crab said graciously. "I know dat it was grief talking all des years."

"Will you come back then as chief-of-staff? And as my old trusted friend?" Triton begged.

"Yes, Sire!" he looked over at Athena. "And it is wonderful to see you again, Your Majesty."

"Oh Sebastian, it has been too long," the Queen responded with a smile.

At that moment, a shrill voice was heard behind them.

"No, no, no! I am chief-of-staff! He is a criminal -"

"Marina!" Triton interrupted her mid-sentence. "You are dismissed. Gather your things and leave the palace at once."

"But, but -," she began to sputter.

"Go!"

Paling, Marina swam away. Triton sighed. He had put up with her for so many years because he had not wanted to take charge of his daughters' upbringing…he now realized that he had been putting up with an overly-ambitious mermaid who could have well staged a coup one day and taken his throne. What had he been thinking?

"Your Majesty," Sebastian said, cutting into his thoughts. "with your leave, I will show your subjects out and dismiss de guards."

"Yes, do that, Sebastian," the Sea King said. Raising his voice, he then declared loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room: "But first, I hereby decree that music will once again ring clear from one end of my kingdom, to the other!"

The cheers were deafening. The merpeople swam away happily, bubbling with excitement. Triton and Athena were left alone in the large room.

"Triton," his wife said, turning to him.

"Yes, my love?" he asked, taking her hands in his own.

"Take me to our children."

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