Lucy had always been captivated by the legends of mermaids. Her mother spun enchanting tales of these mystical beings, and later, traveling merchants would share their own stories. In contrast, her father dismissed such notions, refusing to believe in any magical creatures that supposedly inhabited Fiore—merfolk, water horses, giants, manticores, sylphs, phoenixes, genies, or even dragons native to their city. Yet, her mother's unwavering belief inspired Lucy to embrace the magic of these stories. However, believing in something and witnessing it firsthand are two entirely different experiences.

When Lucy first encountered the mermaid, she was utterly speechless, her mind blank with disbelief. Was this creature real? Could there truly be a half-woman, half-fish in the river before her? Initially, she suspected it was a mirage brought on by the heat. But then she caught the unmistakable scent of coppery blood in the water—an undeniable sign. The mermaid was real. Lucy was witnessing a genuine mermaid, every bit as beautiful as she had imagined. With delicate features and a graceful form, the mermaid's long dark eyelashes framed legendary blue eyes that sparkled with truth and purity.

"Please, please don't hurt me." Her voice was cool and fresh, like bubbles rising from the ocean. "I meant no harm; I only wanted to see what a human girl looked like."

The fear in her voice and the scent of blood jolted Lucy from her stunned state, prompting her to rectify her mistake.

"Oh, please forgive me!" she pleaded, her tone filled with remorse. "I thought you were some filthy, perverse man spying on me. Let me help you."

With slow caution, Lucy stepped into the river and approached the mermaid.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to fix your fin."

The sea maid was torn. She had been forbidden to speak to humans, let alone allow one to touch her. She had been taught that all humans were selfish, hateful, and wicked—that they would only bring her harm. Yet, as she looked into the girl's eyes, she saw immediate regret and genuine kindness. This girl hadn't meant to hurt her; she was trying to make amends.

"You're not going to hurt me?"

"No. I promise," Lucy assured her. "I'll just call my handmaidens, and they'll—"

"No!" The mermaid's fear returned. "You can't tell anyone I'm here! It's bad enough that I've let one human see me. If anyone else finds out, I'll be in big trouble!"

"Alright then, I'll try to dress your wound myself."

Lucy tore a strip from the sleeve of her silken robe and carefully bound the mermaid's injury.

"This might sting a little," Lucy warned.

"I don't mind. I'm quite pain tolerant," the mermaid replied.

"I'm Lucy, by the way. Do you have a name?"

"It's..." She hesitated, knowing she shouldn't introduce herself to a human. Her brother would disapprove. Yet, she felt no harm in it. "It's Juvia."

"Nice to meet you, Juvia. So, where did you come from? What are you doing here? I'm no expert on your kind, but I've heard you're supposed to be from the oceans of the Verdenshav Kingdom."

"That is where I'm from."

"That's a long journey, and now you're in a river. How did you get here from the ocean?"

"Merpeople like me can travel to any large body of water in the world."

"Really?" Lucy exclaimed, astonished. "So you can go anywhere?"

"Anywhere with a large body of water. This place is particularly hard to reach because there's so little water here."

"That's incredible! I'd love to have that ability."

"Well, it's not all that great. Even though we can travel anywhere, we can't leave the water. It's similar to using an enchanted glass or a crystal ball; we can only look."

"Still, at least you get to travel. I'm not allowed to go anywhere."

"Why not?"

"Never mind. You wouldn't be interested."

"Yes, I would."

"No, you wouldn't. Believe me, nobody wants to hear about my problems because they've never walked a mile in my shoes."

"What's a shoe?"

"Yeah, you probably wouldn't understand that expression. What I mean is, when someone hasn't experienced your struggles, they usually don't want to hear about them. I'm sure your mother has told you all about that."

Lucy chuckled lightly, but she didn't see Juvia's smile. Instead, she noticed the mermaid's expression shift to one of melancholy.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, concern creeping into her voice. "Did I say something?"

"My... my mother isn't alive. She died when I was very little."

Instant regret washed over Lucy, mingled with compassion and empathy. "Oh... I'm sorry," she said softly. "I lost my mother when I was young too."

"How old were you?"

"Seven."

"That's how old I was."

"How did your father handle it?"

"He's gone too. He died with her."

"Then you're... Oh my God, you're an orphan."

"Mmm-hmm," Juvia nodded sadly.

"Oh, you poor thing. Here I am, complaining about my life, while you've probably faced this alone for so long."

"Oh, I wasn't alone," Juvia replied, her spirits lifting. "I had my brother and sisters. There are five of us, and after Mom and Dad passed away, we looked after each other. What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"No. But I consider my handmaidens like sisters."

"What are those?"

"Well, technically they're supposed to serve me, but they're much more than just servants. They're my confidants, the ones I can truly be myself with. I talk to them about everything."

"Servants? Does that mean you're royalty?"

"Regrettably, yes. I'm the Princess of Lazan City."

"No kidding! I'm a princess of my kingdom too."

"Seriously? And you're allowed to travel this far from home?"

"Of course! Now that I'm seventeen, I can visit the surface world whenever I wish."

"My father would never allow that. Since I was a child, he and everyone else have fussed over me, terrified something awful will happen. I appreciate their concern, but I'm not made of glass, you know?"

"At least your people care about you. Mine are always laughing at me and making jokes."

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed, shocked. "How can they do that? You're their princess! If anyone in my city dared to ridicule me, they'd have their tongues cut off."

"Goodness!" Juvia gasped. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Perhaps, but that's beside the point. A monarch's daughter deserves respect and courtesy. No offense, but what's wrong with your people?"

"They don't like me because I'm different. I dream about the world above, learning about it, and maybe one day finding peace between humans and merfolk. But everyone else thinks that's foolish."

"What does your family think?"

"My brother and sisters don't understand me, but they're not cruel like everyone else. My brother Gajeel and I sometimes bicker about it—not because I'm different, but because he worries I'll get hurt."

"I can relate."

"I can't blame him, though. He was only fifteen when Mom and Dad died. After that, he had to grow up quickly, become king, and take care of us. He's made many sacrifices and put aside his dreams. That's what Levy always tells us."

"Who's Levy?"

"She's his wife and my sister-in-law. I'm glad he married her because she understands my fascination with your world. While Gajeel and others believe humans will only cause harm, Levy has faith in them. She thinks we can learn from each other."

"Does anyone ridicule her for that?"

"If they did, Gajeel would throw them into a whirlpool. He'd do the same for me if he knew. I choose not to tell him; he has enough on his mind."

"So what do you all do down there?"

"We swim, explore, laugh, play games, and hold grand events. But our favorite thing in the world is making music. Gajeel is the best musician under the sea; music was his first love, and no one is better than him."

"What about you? Can you make music?"

"I've been told I'm a good singer. Gajeel always says I have a gift and reminds me to cherish it. Do you all up here enjoy music?"

"We do, but our favorite pastime is art."

"What's art?"

"You don't know what art is?"

"Nope."

"You mean you've never heard of painting, pottery, or sculpting?"

Juvia shook her head.

"Oh wow! You really need to get out more, and that's coming from me."

For the rest of the afternoon, Lucy and Juvia talked and quickly became good friends.

"I have to go now," Lucy said, noticing dusk approaching. "If I'm not back at the palace before dark, my father will be furious."

"I should go too," Juvia replied. "If I'm late to the concert, my brother will be angry. But it was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too! Maybe we can meet here again?"

"Maybe. I'll see if I can make it tomorrow. Same time?"

"Of course."

"Alright. But remember, you can't tell anyone about me. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Goodbye, Lucy." Juvia waved before diving back into the river.

"Goodbye, Juvia." Lucy waved back, then called her handmaidens to dress her.

"Princess, that was a long downtime," Aries said. "Much longer than usual."

"Yes, it was," Aquarius added. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Lucy assured them. "I just really enjoy admiring the river. It's quite beautiful, you know."

With that, the princess, her handmaidens, and her royal guards returned to the palace.