"Is she...dead?" Andrea looked at the lifeless form anxiously.

She had dragged Miranda up to shore and collapsed next to her, her energy spent. Lily, Emily, and Doug had soon found her after, and now the four of them were looking at the unconscious woman. Andrea placed her hand on Miranda's arm and shivered when she felt the cold skin underneath her fingertips. Miranda's feet were cut from the wood, and there were some splinters in them. Unfortunately, Andrea didn't have a clue how to fix her, and she didn't know if she should bandage it in seaweed to fix them.

"Let me check," Lily strode confidently to Miranda's naked foot and picked it up, holding it by her ear. "Hmm..."

"Look, she's breathing," Andrea gently placed her hand on Miranda's chest between her breasts and felt the older woman's heartbeat. She gazed wondrously at the beautiful woman and hesitantly reached up to brush the stubborn forelock she had itched to move earlier. Despite the seawater, the snowy locks were still incredibly soft, and Andrea marveled at how it flowed through her fingers smoothly-much like running her fingers through a bed of gentle coral. "Isn't she the most exquisite creature you've ever seen?"

Where would we walk?

Where would we run?

If we could stay all day in the sun?

Just you and me

And I could be

Part of your world

Miranda's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed were two large, beautiful chocolate-colored eyes gazing down at her. The sun illuminated her face so she looked like an angel, and her hair was a lovely shade of chestnut. She was singing and gently stroking Miranda's face. The queen wanted to say something, but a loud barking startled her, and within a flash, the young woman was gone.

"Miranda!" Nigel's voice was filled with worry.

Miranda groaned and strained to sit up to see if she could spot the brunette, but it was a futile attempt. She was gone. Patricia bounded up beside her, and started licking her enthusiastically.

"Good lord woman," Nigel shook his head and bent down to help his queen up. "Were you trying to give me a coronary?"

"There was a girl," Miranda said absentmindedly, staring out across the sparkling blue sea. "She was singing to me. I do believe it was the prettiest voice I've ever heard."

"You've probably swallowed too much seawater. Oh dear, look at your feet. You shouldn't have thrown your shoes off," Nigel shook his head and allowed Miranda to lean on him. He gently turned her away and helped her hobble down the beach. "Come Patricia." With a happy bark, the large dog obediently trotted after the two. About half a mile away, Andrea was sitting on a rock and gazing wistfully at the departing woman.

I don't know when she sang softly, her eyes filled with love.

I don't know how

But I know something's starting right now

Watch and you'll see

Some day I'll be

Part of your world

Andrea was in the best mood she had ever been in. She didn't just swim anywhere anymore...she floated.Humming dazedly to herself, she twirled out of her bedroom and almost ran into her father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, good morning Daddy," Andrea said with a large smile and tucked a flower behind his ear.

She spun her arms and spiraled out of the chamber, still crooning a tune under her breath. Richard watched his youngest daughter leave, happy as a clamshell, before gently taking the flower out of his hair and looking at it wondrously.

"Ugh," Andrea's sister, Princess Aliana, scoffed as she pulled a purple coral comb through her platinum blonde locks. "She's obviously got it bad."

"Got what bad?" he asked, clueless as to what sparked the sudden change in his daughter's demeanor.

"Andy's in love!" Aliana sighed and started braiding her long hair.

"Andrea in love?" Richard scratched his head. "Hmm." He twirled the pretty flower between his fingertips and grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emily was in a turmoil. She scrambled back and forth on a flat rock and hyperventilated. How was she going to keep Andrea going to the surface and rescuing ahuman from the king? A pink petal landed on her head, and she blew it off irritated.

"She loves me!" Andrea squealed happily and clutched the last petal.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Andy. Stop fooling around. She's a human, you're a mermaid."

"I'm going to visit her tonight!" Andrea continued, ignoring Emily. "Doug will help me! He'll splash around below and Miranda will see me, and then-"

"Andy!" Emily shouted, effectively shutting the brunette up. She scuttled up to eye level with Andrea and looked deep into chocolate eyes. "Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there."

She waved her arms, and the entire ocean floor came to life. Music filled the air, and while Andrea appreciated the bouncy, upbeat song, her mind drifted to a woman with cobalt eyes. The melody was catchy though, and she could practically feel the tune getting stuck in her head.

Under the sea

Under the sea

Darling it's better

Down where it's wetter

Take it from me

Up on the shore they work all day

Out in the sun they slave away

While we devotin'

Full time to floatin'

Under the sea

Doug swam to Andrea who was sitting by herself on a rock, dodging multiple sturgeons and rays, and whispered something in her ear. She grinned widely and swam off. When the musically talented crab finished her song, she realized that Andrea was long gone. She sighed and the ocean floor was bare once more.

"Emily!" a voice called, and Emily turned to find that the king's seahorse messenger was frantically calling her name.

Inwardly, she groaned. "What is it?"

"I've been looking everywhere," the seahorse panted and then drew himself up regally. "The sea king would like to talk to you."

Emily gasped and she almost fainted. "He knows."

The journey spent getting to the palace was full of worry and mental pep talks. "You'll be fine Em," she muttered under her breath. "Come on. Be strong." She took a deep breath when she reached the palace walls and then paddled down the long hallway, where she found the king intensely studying a flower. She coughed, and Richard looked up.

"Ah yes Emily," he waved at her, "come on in."

She meekly swam up to him and plopped herself on her usual spot on the arm of the throne.

"It's come to my attention that something is wrong with Andy," Richard rested his chin on his hand in mock confusion. "She's been singing, daydreaming, looking wistful...that sort of thing."

"Oh," Emily squeaked and then cleared her throat, "um. Doesn't she always do that?"

"You've been keeping something from me Emily," Richard glared into Emily's eyes.

"No," Emily lied badly.

"Andrea," Richard raised an eyebrow, "is in love?"

"I tried to stop her Your Majesty!" Emily flung herself at the king's beard and sobbed hysterically. "She wouldn't listen to me! I told her that humans were bad and that-"

"Humans?" Richard roared and pushed himself off the throne.

"Humans?" Emily realized her grave mistake and her eyes flitted around in panic. "Who said anything about humans?"

She tried to back away, but Richard's fist caught her and she squeaked both in pain, and in fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dougie, just tell me what's going on," Andrea giggled as she followed her enthusiastic friend.

"You're gonna find out soon anyways," Doug called over his shoulder and led her to her grotto.

Stopping in the doorway, Andrea gasped. There was her Miranda...except as the gaudy statue. Still, Andrea couldn't be happier. She twirled around the unmoving sculpture and then hugged it from the back. "Oh Doug, thank you." She laughed in glee and rested her head on the carving's shoulder.

"Andrea." a cold voice made her head snap up painfully.

"D-daddy?" she stuttered.

"I expect my rules to be followed," Richard said slowly and deliberately, making Andrea clutch the carving tighter.

"What do you-"

"Did you or did you not rescue a human from drowning?" he snapped and his angry eyes glowed.

"I had to-" Andrea almost sobbed.

"It is forbidden to have contact between merpeople and humans," the King growled and he gripped his trident tighter. "I can not believe you did that."

"She was going to die Daddy!" Andrea's eyes welled up.

"One less human to worry about," Richard waved his hand carelessly.

"I love her!" Andrea cried out and let her head fall back down when the truth came out.

Richard's eyes became wider and his trident began to radiate a vibrant blue-ish color. "No. So help me Andrea, I am going to get through to you. And if this is the only way, so be it." He raised his spear and blasted it at her collection of springs, making the box disintegrate and disappear. Andrea sobbed and yelled at her father to stop, even going as far as grabbing the trident herself, but he easily shook her off as if she were no more than a piece of kelp. It was killing her inside to see all of the precious human items she had collected so carefully over the years being blown up within seconds. He kept destroying all of her artifacts until all that was left was the statue of Miranda. Andrea saw his gaze shift to the sculpture, and his expression became merciless.

"Daddy noooo!" her shriek was lost under the cracking noise of the statue blowing apart.

Andrea fell onto the empty rock, sobbing her heart out. Richard glanced sorrowfully at her, wanting to say something, but ultimately deciding against it. He guiltily shuffled away, leaving Andrea by herself in the bare room that once held her dreams.

"Andy, I'm sorry," Emily whispered, hanging her head.

"Just go," Andrea's sad voice was muffled by her arm.

Ashamed at her weakness, Emily sadly left with Doug trailing after her, looking back at his heartbroken friend. Two yellow, glowy eyes peeked out from under a rock and stared at the princess greedily. She was their ticket to ruling the kingdom.

"Ssso ssad," Irv slithered out from his hiding spot and glided over to Andrea's shaking form.

"Poor child," Stephen hissed, coiling around his partner.

"If only there was something we could to help her," Irv clicked his tongue in mock sympathy.

"Oh but there is Irv," Stephen pretended to think.

Andrea looked up and wiped her eyes. "W-who are you?" she said in a small voice.

"Don't worry," Irv curled himself around her slender neck, making her shiver in disgust.

"We represent someone special who can help you," Stephen wrapped around her wrist. "Someone who can make all your dreams come true."

"Think of it-" Irv looked up and sighed.

"-you and your queen," Richard copied him and let out a breath wistfully.

"Together. Forever," they said in unison.

"I don't understand," Andrea's voice wobbled.

"Jacqueline can make everything you wish a reality," Richard purred.

"The sea witch?" Andrea yelped and swiped her arm in the air to disperse of the two slimy creatures. "I'll never go to her. Ever. Get out of here...leave me alone!" She flung herself back on the rock and hid behind her hair.

Irv shrugged and began to swim away. "It was only a helpful suggestion," he said, slyly flicking the statue's face by Andrea's hand. She looked up and saw Miranda's face. Even though it wasn't as beautiful as the real woman herself, Andrea could feel her heart yearning to be close to the older woman.

"Wait," she called. "Come back."