A warm breeze carried the salty smell of the ocean, partly soothing Ariana's broken heart.

Being crowned as the queen of all the lands was not what she wanted. It was the farthest thing from her heart's desire. Yet, it had to be done, for her father, for her people.

A long time ago, she had promised herself never to be as the humans she observed, waging their wars, making alliances through marriages, and there she was doing the same thing. Nothing could satiate the bitterness that lay heavily on her heart.

Even knowing that she was making it possible for her species to survive could not satiate the deep-seated desire to be in the ocean. Free.

It has been a year since the preparations for the coronation had started, and her heart ached more than she thought possible. Even small moments such as splashing around with her tail seemed magical in comparison to the burden that was legs.

How anyone could walk properly on those things was beyond her, but she did her best. It was all she could do, to proudly accept her fate.

After all, no one could say that becoming the queen of all lands was a terrible thing, many a woman had coveted the position Ariana so despised. Yet, she was the one chosen by the gods.

As her servants finished dressing her up in the most lavish and useless gown that she had ever seen, Ariana was allowed the luxury of a few moments to stand near the open window and gaze at the ocean that was and always would be her true home.

"It is time, Your Highness," a servant said.

The meekness of her voice, and the way she shrank from Ariana, made Ariana more uncomfortable than she had ever felt before. Back home, she and her mermaid friends were all equals, even though Ariana happened to be born as a princess.

"Very well. Let us grace them with our presence," Ariana said, sarcastically.

"Ahem, your Majesty, I am not allowed to attend, no Commoners are allowed to be present at such a glorious event except for the king's closest servants," the servant, whose name Ariana was never given, said.

Ariana's eyes widened in surprise, wondering how many more ridiculous laws she was bound to learn. In the ocean, the rules were far simpler and easier to follow. Harm none and have fun.

"Your escort is waiting, your Highness," the girl said.

Ariana was not only annoyed at the girl for interrupting her musings but also at the use of the title that she did not possess, not yet. Deep down, the soon-to-be-queen hoped beyond hoping that some worthier contender would be discovered to take up her place and the weight of the crown.

"I might as well fulfill my duty," she muttered under her breath as the door opened for her.

The moment she stepped out of the room, a servant offered his hand and gently guided her to the main staircase. The same staircase that was a nightmare to traverse in regular shoes, let alone high heeled glass shoes.

"Are you ready your Majesty?" the formally dressed man asked.

"As ready as one can be," she replied not feeling in the least ready for what was to happen.

"The king is waiting for you at the beach where the coronation is to be held, as it was agreed upon. All that is required of you, your Majesty, is to survive the trip to the beach in those shoes." He said with a huge grin.

His words shocked Ariana. None of the people of the land had addressed her with such honesty and familiarity. It made for a nice change.

At least in her last seconds of freedom, she would have a small part of her home to carry her through what had to be done.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"Mattel, your Highness," he said.

"I beg of you until the crown is set upon my head would you mind calling me Ariana," she said.

"As you wish, Ariana," Mattel said with a twinkle in his eye that Ariana did not understand.

Upon those words being uttered, Ariana could not help but smile at Mattel. The smile lightened up her whole face making her ocean blue eyes even more enchanting. Unaware of her beauty, she was surprised to see how Mattel's warm brown eyes widened while looking at her.

Nervously brushing aside a loose strand of hair that always seemed to find a way to fall into her eyes, Ariana allowed Mattel to lead her down the rickety old stairs as gracefully as possible. After all, the moment they reached the staircase, they could see the crowd that had gathered to catch even a glimpse of the mermaid princess who gave up on love to become the queen. All in an effort to save a magical inheritance many no longer believed in.

The journey to the beach was a treacherous one, having in mind the required garments, the instability of Ariana's newly acquired legs, but most of all, the shoes that were part of the tradition. Yet, Ariana could not help but wonder if the tradition was one of torture.

The red rose petals that lined the path did nothing to alleviate the difficulties Ariana had in walking along the beach, the same beach where one of her ancestors had fallen in love with a human. Her decision to become human put in motion all the circumstances that led to Ariana's sacrifice.

If it hadn't been for Mattel, Ariana was sure she would have fallen and lost everything in one moment of utter clumsiness, so she was grateful for his presence.

Only when Mattel's hand left hers, upon reaching the king and his guard, did she realize how much she missed its reassuring warmth. The king took her hand in his, but his cold yet clammy hand did nothing to ease her discomfort.

As expected, they were situated beneath the Poseidon statue, the god of the sea looking at them from high above.

Yet, Ariana felt no reassurance. She was more confused than ever. Was she ready to give up everything, to save something no one believed in?

Even if it meant saving her people from suffering, she wondered if love was something she COULD give up.

Unaware of her inner turmoil, the king took the crown from the altar and slowly lowered it on Ariana's wild red hair that not even the best servants in the castle could tame.

The moment the King set the crown on her head, the ancient statue crumbled.

The stone image of Poseidon disappeared, and in front of them stood Poseidon himself in all his glory.

"I once tried to stop one of my daughter's from finding true love. I am not about to do the same to another of my children." Poseidon's voice roared from above them.

"Ariana, you were ready to sacrifice yourself for the well-being of your people, and for that, you shall be rewarded by being given a chance to change your fate. You can become the queen of all lands or stay the princess of the ocean. What is it to be?" Poseidon asked.

"What about my people? What about the lands? Will my decision hurt them?" Ariana asked.

"Queen of the lands must be chosen. However, the said queen need not be a princess, as you all seem to believe. It has to be a maiden of pure heart and soul. If such a maiden were by some chance to be found, right about now, the lands would be in peace, and the merpeople would suffer no more." Poseidon said.

"King Elajas, have you knowledge of such a worthy maiden?" Poseidon asked the king winking at him as if he were the god of mischief, not the sea.

King Elajas was quicker to react than Ariana was to follow the proceedings. He knelt beside one of his servants, lowering his head low in reverence.

"Syyn, my beauty of both body and soul, shall you give me, one who is far lesser than you in both beauty and intelligence, the honor of becoming my queen?" King Elajas asked.

"Yes!" Syyn almost screamed.

"You are free, my child. You may return home." Poseidon told Ariana.

Finally free, Ariana still hesitated, her eyes wandering towards Mattel. It was as if she was incapable of leaving him behind.

"Ah, I see. History is repeating itself. Do you wish to become human?" Poseidon asked.

"No, but..." Ariana said.

"You, boy!" Poseidon said, pointing at Mattel.

"Would you like to follow this maiden till the end of days and become a merman?" Poseidon asked.

Ariana blushed profusely but said nothing.

"Absolutely," Mattel answered, running towards her.

He took her hand, and they leaped into the water. The moment they did so, their legs turned into tails, and they swam away splashing happily.