Back in the sea, Panther Lily was taking his new position very seriously. Whenever Juvia was outside the castle, he was following her wherever she went and was always schooling her on her singing, which decreased her visits to the surface world and was exactly what Gajeel had wanted Lily to do. Sometimes though, lessons wouldn't keep her distracted for so long and Lily had to try other methods. One was getting her to socialize with other merfolk, but that didn't end well. One example would be this evening, when the two noticed three mermaids tossing around a shell.

"Good afternoon everyone. Do you need an extra player?" He asked gesturing toward Juvia.

Juvia smiled at them warmly, but the other mermaids looked at her like she was strange. As usual.

"Sorry." One of them spoke. "But there's already three of us and we just don't have anymore space for another player."

"Why don't you go swim up and find a human to play with." Another remarked cruelly. "Humans like weird things."

"How dare you speak to the princess that way!" Lily defended. "Where is your sense of respect? When the king hears of this-"

"Forget it Lily, it's not worth it." Juvia told him in a melancholic tone.

"They cannot get away with this!" The sea cat persisted. "You are the sister of a king! You are to be treated with respect and dignity! You should not be mocked and insulted!"

"I'm used to it Lily, just let it go."

She started to swim away, Lily followed her while pondering what just happened. Was this how it was for the sea princess? Constantly disrespected by her own people? Did Gajeel know of this? No, of course not. If he did know, he would have made sure that it never happened again.

"Juvia I think you need to tell Gajeel about this."

"I don't want to tell him." She said. "And I don't want you to tell him either. I can't expect him to solve all my problems."

She swam into her secret garden, taking a moment to tend to her flowers and admire the painting her friend Lucy had given her. Why couldn't everyone else see the beauty that the world above could provide? Why did they have to automatically assume that she was strange just because her views were different? Why couldn't they at least try to be kind to her or maybe be her friend? What was so wrong with her?

"I hate being different as much as I love it." She thought out loud. "I just don't understand. Everyone is different, so why does everyone act like I'm the only one who is?"

"Maybe if you tried to act like everyone else." Lily suggested.

"I've tried that." Juvia said. "Doesn't change anything."

"Maybe if you tried a little harder-"

"Lily if I did that, I wouldn't be me anymore. I understand changing a few parts of myself to fit in, but nobody is satisfied with just a few parts changed. They want every aspect of my being changed and I just can't do that."

She sighed gloomily, Conlan nuzzled up at her side to make her feel better.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't really belong here. That I should be somewhere else."

"That's ridiculous." Panther Lily said. "Where else in the world could you possibly belong?"

"I don't know. Someplace where people don't always laugh and gossip about me. Someplace where I could fit in. Someplace where there's at least one person who can understand me and like me for who I am. Someone I can relate to."

"You know what you need to make you feel better?" Lily said. "You need to keep your mind on your music. You can't get into trouble if you keep practicing on your singing."

"Lily I've practiced til my throat is sore. I need a break."

"Very well. Take an hour  to relax. But afterward it's back to practice, practice, practice."

But no more practicing would take place this evening because at that very moment the three felt a shadow pass over them. Juvia looked up, and begin to swim toward the surface to see what that shadow was. Bobbing her head out of the water, she saw that what had passed over was none other than a ship. Her curiosity quickly got the better of her and she moved toward the vessel for a small peek at what could be aboard it.

When Juvia made it to the ship, she swam close up and sat on a ledge that allowed her to see the deck, but was low enough to keep her hidden from the view of any human being. Music and song resounded from the deck, and hundreds of lamps had burst forth into light. She watched as the crew danced on the deck, drank rum, and laughed. Then one crew member among them, caught her attention.

A young man who stood in the center. Juvia had never stared at anyone in such way. This man was so different from all the rest.  His rugged dark hair, those gentle eyes, that carefree and since smile on his face as he laughed with the others, her breath was caught in her throat. She thought he was the most handsome man she had ever seen, and her admiration only grew when he started to dance. As soon as one of the other men played a new song on his flute, the boy's feet went to tapping in in exquisite rhythms that spread joy from the bottom of his heart to the tip of his toes. It was complicated, intricate, and divine.

"He's wonderful." She thought, awestruck by his passionate movements. "I wish I knew who he was."

He was Prince Gray of the Verdenshav Kingdom and today was his eighteenth birthday, which he was celebrating at his favorite place to be in all the world. On a ship in the middle of the sea. This made him so very happy and excited. He was glad that Lahar had agreed to let him celebrate this way, instead of with one of those boring balls where he'd have to meet so many women and pick a bride. Unfortunately while that wasn't going to happen on his birthday, it was going to happen eventually.

"I don't want to be king Lahar." Juvia heard Gray say when his guardian brought up the matter again.

"I swore an oath to your father on his deathbed that I would turn you into a proper royal once you turned eighteen." Lahar said. "I also promised him that I would have you married to a proper young lady."

"I know, I know." Gray said looking very annoyed.

"I've had you meet several lovely and charming prospects, but you've dismissed them all."

"That's because those ladies you set me up with are just awful. Sure they're pretty, but they're all vain, shallow, and spoiled. None of them like to go to the beach and did you ever try to take any of em sailing? It's a joke."

"Sea-fairing as a hobby is not a requirement for a future queen."

"Alright then, how about respect? None of those girls respected me. Ur told me how they were all talking about me and making fun of my voice behind my back. You know how I feel about that."

Gray was a little different from most people in his kingdom. Verdenshav was a kingdom who's greatest joy came from music, therefore having a good singing voice was a very big deal. But tragically, Gray had been born with a slight disorder in his vocals, meaning he couldn't sing. If he tried, his voice would just crack and make an awful noise. It was so humiliating for him. He was a prince of the kingdom that valued song above all things in the world and he couldn't even sing. What was even worse, was that some people actually had the gall to tease him about it.

"Face it! I'm a laughing stock to them."

"You are not a laughing stock. You are the Prince of Verdenshav." Lahar argued.

"Not to them. They don't take me seriously because I can't or because I don't conform to what they think a proper prince should be. In what world could I marry someone like that?"

Juvia could not help but feel empathetic to the prince's situation. He was just like her. The child of a monarch, but because he's different from what's expected of his title, he's mocked and ridiculed. It made her wonder, if they were to ever meet would he find her to be odd or would he accept her for her quirky behavior?

"The Princess of Lazan City might be different." Lahar said. "They say she's very beautiful and very refined. I'm certain that she would not dare laugh or make fun of your...Condition sire."

"Still I can't marry someone I don't even know."

"I understand that. Which is why the sultan and I think it would be best if the two of you spent the Summer together. You two could get to know each other and fall in love naturally. After all, that's how your parents were brought together."

"I guess. What else do you know about her?"

"That's all, but I'm sure you'll be quite pleased with her."

"I don't know." Gray sighed. "I mean I'm sure she's very nice but I'm not exactly looking for a princess. I'm looking for someone different. Like me."

"I'm different." Juvia thought eagerly. "Everyone says so, and for once I'm glad for that."

Oh how Juvia wanted to call out to him, talk to him, tell him that she could understand what it means to be different from your peers. But she knew it would be bad if she dared to make contact with another human.

"Juvia there you are!" Panther Lily called as he hopped up beside her. "Oh my God! What are you doing this close to hu-"

Juvia quickly covered his mouth.

"Lily be quiet, they'll hear you." She whispered.

He nodded.

"Sorry." He whispered back. "But just what do you think you're doing young lady? This is way too close. What if someone sees you?"

"Calm down. I'm perfectly safe and hidden here."

"I don't like this. Only bad things can happen when you get too close to humans. You should go home. Now. It's getting late anyway."

Yet despite his words, she could not tear herself away from the ship and the handsome young prince. She wanted to stay and learn everything there was to know about him.

Suddenly the clouds gathered together in the sky and the waves rose higher. Thunder clapped, lighting struck, and the wind blew hard. The motion of the sea picked up rapidly, as Juvia and Lily were knocked off balance by the rocking of the boat. A storm was beginning to take place.

"Stand fast! Secure the rigging! Batten down the hatches!" The captain of the ship ordered.

Gray and the crew scattered about to secure the ship. But their work proved to be all for not, the storm was becoming more and more violent. The
ship was bouncing furiously up and down on huge waves as when the lighting struck again the vessel cracked and started to fall apart. The men quickly rushed over to the safety of life boats and lowered them into the sea. It was their only chance at survival. But during all the haste, Gray's foot got caught on a rope and when he stopped to untie himself, a large wave hit, throwing him into the sea.

"Man overboard!" A crew mate shouted.

"Prince Gray!" Lahar McAllen out in horror.

Acting on instinct alone, Juvia dodged planks and debris right and left, desperately searching for the boy who had been swept off by a wave.

"I must find him!" She told herself. "He must not die!"

At last she found him trying to keep his head above water with great difficulty. Then exhaustion gave way and Gray just went under, sinking like a stone. Juvia immediately swam after him. She reached for Gray, and wrapped her arms around him, and lifted his head above water. She spent all night swimming through out of control waves, willing herself toward the nearest shore.