Meanwhile, in the Verdenshav Kingdom, a young prince named Gray stood at the railing of a fine vessel, gliding over the crystal-clear waters. Managed by the kingdom's finest fishermen, the ship cut gracefully through the waves. Gray lifted his face to the sea breeze, his dark hair tousled by the wind, and smiled as he watched dolphins playfully leaping from the tide.

"Isn't this perfection, Lahar?" the young man exclaimed, addressing his slightly older, more practical companion. "Out on the open sea, surrounded by nothing but water!"

"Oh yes, it's simply delightful," Lahar replied sarcastically, his face pale with seasickness.

"There's nothing like it, Lahar! I can feel the salt on my skin and the wind in my hair, miles from shore, watching the sun rise over the ocean horizon."

"And here I am, about to heave-ho!" Lahar gagged before leaning over the side of the ship.

Gray chuckled to himself. Lahar had been a loyal manservant to the prince for years, ever since his father's passing. He was strict, firm, and unwavering in his beliefs, taking his role as the prince's guardian and tutor very seriously. Yet beneath that stern exterior lay a kind heart; he cared for Gray deeply. Under Lahar's guidance, Gray had managed to recover from the loss of his family, growing into the handsome, honorable, and compassionate young man he was today. Unfortunately, the years had also nurtured a mischievous and roguish streak in Gray—one that Lahar often wished he would rein in.

"Your Highness, haven't you had enough sea-faring for one day?" Lahar inquired. "You need to return to court and take up your father's crown."

Gray rolled his eyes at the familiar lecture. Oh, Heaven, not this again. Not on a perfect day at sea. Lahar had been relentless lately, insisting that he ascend to the throne of the Verdenshav Kingdom following his late father's death. But that was not the life Gray desired. Even as a boy, he had never felt at home in the castle. The ship gliding over the ocean was where he truly belonged. Everything felt more authentic there, in the tide's swift flow, where life was wild and free. It was all he ever wanted.

"I'm not ready for that yet, Lahar," Gray replied. "I'm not even the right age."

"Only one more week until your eighteenth birthday, and then you'll have to—"

"Wear a crown and be forced to wed."

"That's not exactly how I would phrase it, milord."

Gray dismissed his guardian's words and went below deck to help the crew secure the sails. The atmosphere was lighthearted that morning, with smiles on their faces and folk songs filling the air. Gradually, Gray's frustration began to fade. But then, his calmness shifted to intrigue as a beautiful voice echoed from the waves, singing a haunting melody.

"What is that?" he asked, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Do you all hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lahar replied, descending from the upper deck.

"I heard singing," he said. "A girl singing."

"You must be imagining things, sire," Lahar concluded. "There's no woman on this ship. The sea air is playing tricks on you, I'm sure."

"Or maybe it's one of Gajeel's sisters," suggested a sailor.

"Who?" the prince asked, puzzled.

"Gajeel, King of the Sea, ruler of the merfolk. Every sailor knows of him, lad. He has a sea-beauty for a wife and four lovely sisters. His second sister is said to be the most beautiful and the finest singer in all the world."

"King of the Sea? Merfolk?" Lahar scoffed. "Just silly superstition."

"Says you, landlubber. But mark my words: the merfolk are real, and I wouldn't be surprised if one were nearby, ready to steal a poor man's heart and mind."

"Indeed, the merfolk can be a merciless race," another sailor added. "The king himself has a terrible temper and wouldn't hesitate to send us all to a watery grave."

"Really?" Gray inquired, intrigued.

"Pay no attention to this nautical nonsense, Gray," Lahar interjected.

The second sailor frowned at the manservant's skepticism.

"But it's not nonsense; it's the truth!" he insisted, shaking a fish in Lahar's face. "I'm telling you, they live in the depths of the ocean!"

"Gah! Get that thing out of my face!"

Gray chuckled, having heard this argument many times before. Every sailor in Verdenshav was convinced that merfolk existed, while Lahar was absolutely certain they did not. As for Gray, he remained undecided. The sea held endless possibilities; you never knew what might be out there.

Just then, he heard the voice singing again, but it was growing fainter. In that moment, he felt an overwhelming desire to know the maiden who possessed such a captivating voice.

"There it is again!" he declared.

"Please, Your Majesty, we should return to shore," Lahar urged.

"Not while I'm captain! Follow that voice! To the ends of the earth, if we must!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" the crew saluted.

Yet, if Gray could see to the ocean's depths, he would realize that the enchanting voice belonged to no human maiden. Fathoms below the ship lay the bustling kingdom of the merfolk, a vibrant realm inhabited by merpeople and other sea creatures, thriving in a world of their own. This underwater kingdom was ruled by the just and noble King Gajeel. Years ago, it had been overseen by his wise father, Metalicana, and his loving mother. But when Gajeel was just fifteen, during the great war, both his parents were tragically killed by two human warships that collided with them. Since that day, he had shouldered not only the responsibilities of a monarch but also the care of his four younger sisters.

The eldest sister, Sherry, was a romantic at heart, captivated by beauty and dreaming of a fairy-tale life with her one true love. A charming young woman, she had many admirers among the mermen, but it wasn't until she turned twenty that she found her soulmate in the dashing mer-soldier Ren. The couple was set to marry by next year.

Meredy, the third sister, was the shy and sensitive one. At sweet sixteen, she cherished polite conversations with her peers and offered a supportive shoulder for them to lean on. However, her true talent lay in her extraordinary skill at playing the calliope. No one could match her divine melodies; when her fingers danced over the keys, the entire ocean resonated in harmony.

Chelia, the youngest sister, was the most energetic and playful of the trio. Always seeking adventure, she was constantly on the lookout for games to play, events to attend, and challenges to conquer. Restless by nature, she refused to stay in one place for long. Remarkably, at just fourteen, she was the fastest swimmer in all the seven seas, outpacing even the legendary water horses.

Then there was Juvia, his second sister and the third royal child. While all his sisters were fair of face, Juvia stood out as the most beautiful of them all. Her hair flowed like waves of lavender blue, and her porcelain skin radiated delicacy, reminiscent of lilies of the valley. Her cheeks bloomed like roses, and her expressive eyes sparkled with the deep blue of the sea.

Gajeel loved all his sisters with all his heart, but Juvia was his favorite. Among the sea princesses, she resembled their parents the most. She embodied her father's spirited passion and her mother's gentle kindness. Juvia even inherited their late mother's enchanting singing voice, clear as ice and pure as water. Whenever she sang, the hearts of her listeners would melt.

Music held immense significance for the merfolk, as vital as it was for the people of Verdenshav—perhaps even more so. Among them, no one cherished music more than Gajeel. He dedicated his free time to writing songs, creating melodies, and teaching his sisters to harness their talents, guided by his advisor and the court composer, Panther Lily the sea-cat. With his remarkable skill, Lily could transform even the most tone-deaf bird into a flawless singer, and he successfully turned Juvia into the most lovely vocalist to ever grace the ocean. Juvia adored singing, but it was not her sole passion.

From a young age, Juvia had been captivated by the world above the waves, yearning to experience it firsthand. She longed to bask in the sunlight, to gaze at the sky, the moon, and the stars; to see trees, grass, clouds, birds, land animals, and, of course, humans. Among all the mermaids, none were more fascinated by the mysteries beyond the ocean's surface. Unfortunately, her curiosity set her apart, leading most merfolk—aside from her family—to view her as an oddball, a misfit who could hardly be considered one of them due to their inability to understand her dreams.

Queen Levy understood the intricacies of her world better than anyone else, perhaps the only mermaid who truly did. She was an intelligent, wise, and devoted woman, as lovely in spirit as she was in appearance. Levy had been Gajeel's childhood friend and eventually became his wife. Together, they often swam to the surface as children, eager to observe and learn about the world above. While Gajeel paid little attention to the details, Levy absorbed everything, sharing her knowledge with her fellow merfolk.

However, after the passing of the former king and queen, Gajeel enacted a law prohibiting children from visiting the surface. All mermaids and mermen had to wait until their seventeenth year, and contact with humans was strictly forbidden. This decision troubled Levy, yet she understood her husband's motivations and accepted his decree.

As Juvia awaited her seventeenth birthday, she immersed herself in Levy's captivating stories about the land and its inhabitants, cherishing each word and vividly imagining the scenes. Inspired, she created a special garden in her private grotto. Shaped like a circle, the garden featured red flowers that resembled the sun she had heard so much about, white blooms to mimic the moon, and shells crafted into stars. Juvia adored that garden; it was the closest she could come to the surface before reaching the appropriate age, and it made the wait feel a little more bearable.

As the years passed, Juvia's wait grew increasingly difficult. Her fellow merfolk looked down on her, often mocking her behind her back.

"She's so strange," they would whisper.

"I hear she actually tries to make her garden resemble that infernal sun."

"I know she's the royal princess, but could you really tell? There's nothing regal about her."

"What a disgrace she must be to her family."

"Why can't she be more like her sisters and brother? They're perfectly content down here, not wasting their time on trivial interests like the upper world."

Juvia tried to brush off their comments, but she often felt profoundly alone. With no friends to confide in, she spent increasing amounts of time in her garden, waiting and longing for her seventeenth birthday.

At long last, the day had arrived. Juvia's seventeenth birthday was finally here, and she woke up with a song in her heart, her joy spilling over into her singing, which Gray had heard earlier. Today, she was about to realize her greatest dream.

"Oh, Sherry, I can hardly believe it! I'm actually going to the surface today!" she exclaimed as her oldest sister combed her hair.

"If you ask me, little sister, you're wasting your time wanting to go up there," Sherry replied. "There's nothing truly exciting to see."

"What about the sun?" Juvia countered. "It's a massive light that reaches almost everywhere in the world. You have to admit that's interesting."

"Yes, it's interesting, but it's also hot and can burn you if you're exposed for too long. And those humans? They're impossible—always spying on us and trying to catch us with hooks as if we were fish."

"Well, you've actually seen them. I haven't, and I'm curious about what they look like," Juvia insisted.

"I saw one once," Chelia chimed in. "They're not so ugly."

"How did you see one?" Sherry asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're younger than Juvia; you couldn't have gone to the surface."

"Oh, I didn't see him from the surface. He was underwater."

"What did he look like?" Juvia asked eagerly.

"Well, his skin was very pale, and his eyes were wide open, but he didn't seem to be looking at anything. He was just floating face down, completely still. He wasn't frolicking or searching for food or anything."

"That's because he was dead," Sherry said matter-of-factly.

"Dead?" Juvia echoed, her curiosity piqued.

"Men cannot live in our world, nor we in theirs," Sherry explained. "We're just too different."

"Well, I still want to go up there and see them. I want to explore everything on land," Juvia declared.

"But aren't you a little afraid?" Meredy asked. "That world can be dangerous. I've heard about this red flower called fire that hurts whatever it touches and can cause destruction. Then there are hooks, nets, knives, and spears. If you ever got caught by one, it would be the end of you."

"That does sound frightening," Juvia admitted. "But there must be more to the world above than just things to fear. Oh, it's so exciting! I can't wait to go!"

"Oh yes, you can," Sherry said with a smile. "First, we have to give you our present."

Meredy then presented a lovely wreath of white lilies, each flower shimmering like half a pearl. Sherry gently placed it upon Juvia's head.

"We made it ourselves," Meredy said, beaming. "Happy Birthday, Juvia!"

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Juvia exclaimed, touched. "Thank you!"

"And don't forget to see Gajeel before you go," Sherry reminded her. "And remember the concert tonight."

"I won't forget!"

With a joyful hug for her sisters and a flick of her tail, Juvia swam off to meet her brother, excitement bubbling within her.