A/N: The lines spoken in this chapter will be translated into English. I'd like to thank 2wingo for being my source of information when it comes to mermaids, BTW.

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Whooping and hooting, the young prince raced back to the city of Poseidon Volcanus, a statue of its namesake in the center of the town. He paused but a minute, as was tradition for the citizens, expected of the royal family; before darting through the streets once more, hollering as he loop-de-looped and barrel rolled home. Slowing his pace, he came to Poseidon's Deep, his family's home since the days of Poseidon himself, ancestor to all merfolk. It is even said that his daughter, the one who gave birth to the first mermaid may have been a full-blooded Goddess.

"Mother, father, I'm home!" Daniel announced as he swam into the throne room, his mother, Queen Madeleine and his father, Jonathan, High King of the seven seas. In the merpeople's world, there were four major cities: to the northeast, the once human city Atlantis, now known as Kraken Atlantica; her sister city Kraken Pacifica off the Chilean coast, Neptune Oceanus off the Great Barrier Reef, and Poseidon Volcanus, the capital of the undersea world.

"Where have you been?" The High King asked.

"And what happened to your Nautilium amulet?" The Queen added.

"I have given it to a girl."

"Oh? Who is this girl, and how did you meet her?"

"I was feeling lonely last night, as if my bed seemed larger and emptier than ever, so I went for a swim. Picking my favorite spot for when I'm in such a mood, I perched on a partially submerged rock and sang as I gazed at the moon. While I sang, I heard a girl scream. Dragging her unconscious body back to shore, I waited by her side until she woke, at which point I gave her the amulet and swam off."

"You traversed the open waters by yourself?!" Jonathan asked, enraged. "Have you been taught nothing? You know the open waters are dangerous enough for commoners, let alone a prince bound to rule the entire submarine world. The animals out there are dangerous enough. Do you not remember the Megalodon spotted off of Kraken Atlantica two weeks ago? Or the report last week of the Giant Squid near Neptune Oceanus? The open sea is a dangerous place. We're a powerful family, Daniel, and as such have made many enemies. Besides, Daniel, humans are greedy creatures. For all you know, one of them could have abducted and exhibited you merely for profit."

"Your Majesties," General Plasmius announced, appearing through the door, "I come with news from King Alexander of Kraken Pacifica."

"What is it, General?" Asked Queen Madeleine, regal as always.

"Sons of the Tigershark have been spotted near them, moving north."

"Towards us?"

"We think so." Daniel shuddered at the thought. He had heard of them, a race of barbarian merfolk from the Arctic Ocean, and they wanted nothing more than to overthrow his family and supplant them, replacing his father with a chief of their kind as they sentenced the reigning royal family to death. They've tried overthrowing the ruling family of Kraken Atlantica, one of the three lesser monarchies, multiple times, always to no avail. "I wonder if I might have a word with Daniel in private?"

"Very well." Replied her Majesty. "I have to go see Desiree and Nicolai anyway."

Escorting Daniel into the highest tower and onto a balcony overlooking the entire city. "Just look at her, Daniel. Poseidon Volcanus. And someday she'll be yours. Someday soon. Sooner than we'd hoped."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your father's dying, Daniel. He awoke this morning with an acute attack of vomit, so your mother and I escorted him to see the royal physician. It turns out he has Stingray flu."

Daniel knew what this meant: that his father was going to die a long, slow death over the next few months and there was nothing that could be done about it, the disease being incurable, Madeleine ruling as a regent until Daniel turned eighteen. "Does he know?"

"Yes." Plasmius replied, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Your father's a good merman, Daniel. There is no one I'd rather serve than him. I trust that when he's gone, you will rule as he did, wise and just, never impulsive."

All his young life, Daniel had regarded his uncle Plasmius as a friend and mentor, someone he could go to when his dad was too busy and he was scared or hurt or just wanted someone to talk to if he felt lonely, and Plasmius always had time and energy to play with the young Prince. Plasmius had trained him in how to deal with enemies in both battle and peacetime. Daniel loved Plasmius. To him, Plasmius was not just a friend, but his best friend, a merman he could admire, but tonight, he saw Plasmius as something more. Tonight, Daniel saw a hero.