It seemed to Pearl that mermen were just as stubborn as men who lived on land because she spent days stuck in what she figured was some dungeon in Caspian's underwater palace, guarded by great white sharks with gleaming fangs. At least Caspian had used some mer-folk magic to grant her the ability to breath under water, but when she pleaded with her guards to release her, or allow her to defend her case to the enraged king, they snapped their jaws at her. Pearl regretted that Mari had given her the mirror; probably Stan was the sorcerer who had enchanted it, and she wondered if he had killed Caspian's parents, the former rulers of Mar Caribe.

The sharks were replaced by dolphins at some point, but they also ignored her pleas. Desperate, Pearl opened the stupid mirror that had gotten her into the mess she was in, and noticed that a crack ran down the center. She glared at her frazzled reflection in the broken mirror and was inundated with thoughts of Sal, Stan and anyone else who had ever screwed her over. Hot angry tears blurred her vision and splashed against the broken glass. Pearl swiped her hands over her eyes and saw that her reflection was gone and had been replaced by a series of moving images. It was like watching a movie playing in the glass: she saw Stan laugh maniacally, while sucking a mermaid and merman into a stormy portal. Then she saw a human man and woman who resembled the mer-folk, lounging by the pool on her cruise ship; they had to be Caspian's parents! They weren't dead at all; Stan was the evil sorcerer and he had sucked them into a magic portal. Pearl just had to convince his wrathful majesty of the truth.

Pearl showed one of her more sympathetic dolphin guards the magic compact and to her relief, King Caspian arrived brandishing a golden trident in his hand like a weapon. The dolphin communicated something to Caspian in a series of excited clicks and Caspian's vengeful gaze softened slightly, so she hoped he would refrain from gutting her with the trident prongs. Crossing his arms over that rippling chest he said, " Ok, Pearl, show me the mirror." 

Pearl paddled closer to the barnacle coated prison bars and held up the compact, so Caspian could see the images for himself. " See, this is the evil land-dweller, he gave me this mirror! I never wanted it in the first place," she explained. " That must be your parents too. I hate being your prisoner, but I'm sure they are proud of how you defended your kingdom."

Caspian sighed deeply and broke the chain that held her cell closed with his tail, releasing Pearl. " I humbly apologize for holding you captive, but I'm not sorry for rescuing you. Pearl, finding you and this cursed mirror has given me hope that I might see my family again." 

" I forgive you King Caspian," Pearl said, handing him the compact. " If we work together I can get back to my realm and you can find your parents, what do you think?"

Caspian grinned, and bowed gallantly to Pearl. " I think even a king can be wrong sometimes and I hope you will call me Cas, Lady Pearl."

Pearl smiled. " Cas, let's find your family." Pearl had always dreamed of mer-folk being real and now she was about to embark on a journey home with handsome mer-folk royalty at her side!