Feliciano slowed his horse as they emerged from the forest, and led it onto the outlook that looked out at the shoreline. He could hear Lovino riding up behind him, they had shirked their frivolous morning duties and taken their horses out for a ride across the beach and through the forest.

As he took a deep breath of the salty sea air, his thoughts returned to her. No matter how much Feliciano tried to distract himself, he couldn't stop thinking about the mermaid who saved his life. He understood that he was drowning in the ocean at the time, surely a bit hard to focus on all the clear details.

But he remembers the moment, on the brink of losing consciousness, seeing her swim up to him. Fair skin, long blonde hair that swayed in the current, and deep teal-green eyes that almost had a flicker of blue to them as she swam up to look at him face to face. They even managed to keep their eyes locked on each other as she grabbed his arms and pulled him up to the surface.

Once they emerged from the water, she gently held him against her shoulder and cooed in her sweet voice for him to relax as he caught his breath again. She let him rest his head on her shoulder above the surface while she swam, eventually bringing him to the lifeboat where the others brought him aboard and she returned to the depths of the water.

"It's been a week since the storm, would you stop pining already? I've already told you a hundred times, she's not coming to find you."

Feliciano rolled his eyes at his brother's dismissing remark.

"I'm not pining," Feliciano corrected, "I'm remembering."

"Give it up, Feliciano," Lovino urged as he turned his horse back towards the castle, "Come back to reality."

While Lovino rode ahead, Feliciano took one last look at the ocean before finally turning his own horse towards home and following his brother. As much as he could look out at the sea forever and wait for the mermaid to return, Lovino was right and he needed to move on. It really was a shame, the mermaid was enchanting and beautiful, perhaps even more so that Princess Madeline.

The brothers returned to the castle, and rode around the side to reach the stables. Lars and Eric, along with some stablehands, were already tending to the stalls and preparing for their return. As the brothers rode in, the group immediately assembled around to gather the horses and help the brothers dismount.

"Thank you," Feliciano acknowledged as he was helped down.

"Your mother realized the two of you had run off," Lars reported, following the brothers as they walked over to the staircase, "She told your father, but he did not seem to mind."

"I figured as much," Lovino uttered, "It was a quiet morning anyways, and the fresh air was worth it."

As they climbed the staircase and reached the turn back into the castle, Feliciano heard some voices down below to the other side, so he paused to look over the railing. The main door to the servants' quarters was tucked into the wall at ground level there, and Laura was there at the moment talking to two ladies.

One of the ladies was not speaking, allowing her companion with flaxen-blonde hair to talk to Laura, and simply looking back and forth between them with teal-green eyes. She was dressed only in rags, and her own long golden blonde hair looked a bit wild and untamed.

Feliciano gasped and shook his head in shock. She looked just like the mermaid that rescued him.

"I'm very sorry, miss," Laura told the other woman, "That is not something I'm allowed to just give away."

"Can you tell us where to go then?" the other woman asked, "Is there somewhere in Niba we can -"

"Laura," Feliciano called down, interrupting the ladies and making them look up at him, "What are these ladies looking for?"

As he spoke, Feliciano saw the woman in the rags look directly at him and gasp in shock.

"Food, clothing and supplies, Your Highness," Laura recounted.

"We mean no trouble, your Highness," the talking woman appealed, "I am just a weary traveller who is looking to replenish everything while I am here in Niba. I was merely asking your servant here for any assistance, even if it was just information on where to ask next for help."

"Surely we can help with that," Lovino offered as he stepped down the stairs to join Feliciano, "And what of your friend, does she not travel with you?"

"We only met this morning," the talking woman revealed, "I found her on the beach, it seems that she was shipwrecked. She is unable to speak, so I brought her with me to see if we can find her some help as well."

"A shipwreck, you say," Lovino commented, "I don't think there's been a storm since last week's, but perhaps it took that long for her to reach land again."

Feliciano tapped on his brother's shoulder, and turned him to face away from the ladies for a moment.

"The quiet one, Lovino," Feliciano whispered to his brother so the others wouldn't hear, "She looks just like the mermaid!"

"You've got to be kidding me, Feliciano," Lovino grumbled.

"I'm not," Feliciano insisted, "She gasped when she looked at me too."

"Her friend is pretty too," Lovino contemplated, "If they were to stay for a few nights, would you be a good host and stop staring out at the ocean?"

"I can try," Feliciano promised.

"Given the circumstances, ladies," Lovino announced at full volume as he turned to face them again, "Perhaps you would like to stay at the castle for a few nights. Laura can see to it that you are fed, cleaned up and well rested, and then we'll see how we can assist further with your journeys."

"That is very kind of you, your Highness," the talking woman accepted.

"What is your name?" Feliciano inquired.

"Natalya," the talking woman answered.

"Laura, can you please take care of Natalya and her quiet friend?" Lovino requested.

"Of course, Your Highness," Laura agreed.