In the palace hall.
"Why get angry over such a trivial matter? We are friends who have come from afar." The king tried to smooth things over.
"As it happens, there's a singer in my court with an incredibly beautiful voice. I swear, it's the most melodious voice I've ever heard! You're sure to love it," the king said with a smile, then looked at Ariel. "Quick, sing a song for the distinguished guests of Ender."
He had faith in Ariel's singing. No matter how angry the foreign envoys were, they would forget their anger after hearing her beautiful and enchanting voice.
"I don't want to sing for that old witch!" thought Ariel.
But immediately her thoughts changed again:
"But Prince Eric is here too, and I should sing a song for him! I haven't sung for him since he knew my true identity and since he actually proposed to me!"
Ariel lifted her skirt and walked slowly to the center of the hall. Her graceful and graceful steps drew praise from the princes, ministers, and envoys from Ender.
The mermaid princess began to sing.
As the girl sang, her eyes remained focused on Prince Eric's handsome face.
Ariel sang more attentively and seriously than ever before.
She was not singing any song that had ever been sung, but a song praising great love.
The song sometimes resembles the chirping of orioles and swallows, sometimes loud and clear. Sometimes it is like the rising sun above the sea, brilliant and bright; sometimes it is as violent as the surging tide, with waves heaving and rolling; sometimes it is like the turbulent undercurrent in the sea, accumulating strength in the calm, giving birth to endless possibilities...
Ariel once heard her sisters sing this song in the garden under the sea.
"What a beautiful song! I've never heard such a beautiful song before," said the little mermaid. "Sisters, I want to learn to sing too. I want to learn this song!"
The old grandmother with the silver crown on her head smiled. She stroked Ariel's head and said to the little mermaid:
"Ariel, do you want to learn to sing? That's great! You have such a great voice! You'll be the best singer in the whole ocean.
"We mermaids do not seek eternal things. The fleeting, fleeting beauty of a moment is far more important.
"People in the upper world like to compile their stories into books, have their images fixed in sculptures and paintings, and carve their history into stone so that it can be passed down. Even after death, they bury themselves in graves and erect tombstones to prevent them from being forgotten.
"In their view, if something does not last forever, it is meaningless.
"But we are different. In the world of the sea, no sculpture can survive thousands of years of seawater corrosion and still look as good as new.
"When our three hundred years of life are over, we will turn into sea foam, scattered by the waves, leaving behind not even a grave, nor any trace of our existence.
"But what does it matter? Were the beautiful moments we once had fake?
"Songs are such fleeting yet brilliant things—perhaps this is why we mermaids love to sing but can't compose music. Unlike paintings and sculptures, when your song ends, there's no trace left, no different from sea foam, leaving only the lingering echo in the hearts of the listeners."
The old grandmother held Ariel's hand, looking at the five sisters singing hand in hand, and smiled:
"My little princess. As for this song, it's a song about love.
"You are still young and may not know what love is, but you will understand it one day.
"My Lord, when you find someone you love, sing this song to him!"
The grandmother's face in the memories of the sea faded away and gradually froze into the handsome face of Prince Eric in front of him.
Ariel sang even harder, as if she wanted to express all her heart, all her thoughts, all her emotions.
Her high notes made the entire palace tremble slightly. The wine in the glasses swayed, the gorgeous crystal chandeliers swayed, and dust fell from the ceiling.
Every prince, minister and envoy was fascinated.
The most fascinated person was undoubtedly Prince Eric himself.
He didn't understand the mermaid's song, but for some reason he suddenly understood that it was a song sung for him.
The only one who was not immersed in the singing was the old witch from the Ender delegation.
"How strange, so strange! This doesn't sound like a human song at all," she thought. "It's like a perfect ballad that only mermaids in the sea could sing!"
The old witch noticed that throughout the singing Ariel's eyes were focused on Prince Eric.
The prince gave an equally affectionate look in response.
"This is not a good thing. I hope it is not what I think." thought the old witch.
The song Ender, and after the thunderous applause, Ariel, still unsatisfied, said:
"I can dance too. Let me give you a dance."
The king was stunned.
He never knew that the girl picked up by the prince could dance.
Ariel began to dance again. She raised her beautiful white hands and danced on the tiptoes - no one had ever danced like this before.
Just as the sea hag had promised: Ariel's legs were transformed from the mermaid's beautiful tail, and even when she danced, she retained the light posture of swimming in the sea, and her dance moves were more agile than any human dancer.
Ariel jumped off the stage, like a butterfly dancing among flowers, or a fish swimming in the ocean current, spinning in front of every guest, until she jumped in front of the prince - she stayed there the longest, and then danced back reluctantly.
Seeing the girl spinning away from him with light dance moves, the prince couldn't help but stretch out his hand, as if to keep her.
He was smiling, a very bright smile.
When the old witch saw this scene, she knew that her guess had come true, and she suddenly became anxious:
"What bad news! There must be something special going on between Prince Eric and that girl.
"That's absolutely not possible. Prince Eric must marry the little princess of our empire!
"I've long heard that Prince Eric is a rebellious child who is never satisfied with his father's arrangements. So in order to facilitate this marriage and achieve my ultimate goal, I have already secretly arranged everything.
"I ordered the little princess to go to the temple in the forest to study, giving her the opportunity to meet Prince Eric in advance. This is to ensure that Prince Eric will fall in love with the little princess at first sight and firmly believe that this is fate!
"If the prince doesn't marry the little princess of our empire, the rest of the plan won't work, my plans will be ruined, and my future will be ruined!"
Ariel's song and dance came to an end.
The princes, ministers and envoys from the Kingdom of Ender all praised and applauded.
Some guests praised it as the most beautiful song and dance they had ever heard. It was truly enviable that the court of the Western Asian Kingdom had such a beautiful dancer!
The king lowered his voice and said to the prince:
"Eric, my child, I never thought that the amnesiac girl you picked up is not only a good singer, but also a top-notch dancer."
When Ariel suddenly had the urge to dance, he was terrified, worried that her dancing skills wouldn't match her incredible singing. But he was truly astonished by her subsequent performance.
"My father. The girl has a name, her name is Ariel. The magician from the Kingdom of Rose has already divined her life experience, and Ariel has also recalled her past." The prince took the opportunity to say.
But he stopped mid-sentence.
"How should I describe Ariel's life story to my father? Should I just say that the girl is a mermaid from the deep sea? My father will think she is a monster. I must make up a suitable reason." thought the prince.
Meanwhile the old witch said to the king:
"My Lord. The song and dance are over. Let us discuss more important matters. The alliance between our two countries and the marriage of His Majesty Prince Eric."
The prince felt a tightness in his chest, as if his heart was being squeezed hard.
The king and the envoys from Ender began to discuss the possibility of an alliance.
The king said he greatly anticipated the alliance between the Kingdom of Summer and the Kingdom of Ender. Once the two countries reached an agreement, Summer's ships would have unimpeded access to the seas, and their kingdom could become a maritime hub for trade with the Western Continent. Spices from the Middle East and silk and porcelain from the Far East would all pass through their territory. They would also exchange many other things.
"Prince Eric, you will marry the youngest princess of our empire," said the old witch. "She is so beautiful! I guarantee you will fall in love with her the first time you see her!"
"No, I will never fall in love with anyone again. Not even the woman who woke me on the shore. My body, mind, and soul already belong to Ariel," the prince thought. "Just imagine if I were to marry someone else. On the first dawn of our marriage, when I woke up from the morning and saw the golden light reflecting on the sea and the foam rolling among the waves, I would know that it was Ariel who had melted! I would definitely cry bitterly!"
"Your Highness Eric, why don't you communicate through letters now?" the old witch suggested. "How about sending a letter to our little princess to express your love?"
"Although you haven't met yet, as a witch, I often see some revelations of fate. I can predict that you will definitely fall in love with the little princess the moment you see her!" The old witch emphasized again.
She was sure of this because that was her destiny.
The king echoed:
"Yes, my child, send a letter to the beautiful little princess as soon as possible."
Prince Eric realized:
I have to speak out what's in my heart!
He looked towards the king, gazing into his father's dark pupils, which were identical to his own. He finally made up his mind and spoke seriously, word for word:
"My father, I'm sorry that I can't marry the little princess of Ender."
"Because, because... I already have someone in my heart!"