– 12 –
The Prince and the Little Mermaid

After a moment of silence, he hooked up his lips and repeated softly: “It is a kiss..”

The old grandmother swam over and raised her hand to gently caress his long hair. She began to narrate in a steady and soft voice.

“A kiss is not just an act to express love. For us merfolks, it also represents a sacred ritual. When you find someone you like, then you will understand the meaning of a kiss. Once a mermaid kisses someone…… it is tantamount to willingly sacrificing all of yourself to that person.”

The Little Merman did not look at her but at the swaying sea grass. He said in a very low voice: “I know.”

“Everything. From every strand of hair, to every inch of skin, to every heart beat…” The old grandmother lightly sighed. “Child, do you have someone you like?”

The youth did not answer. He raised his thick lashes and the ice blue eyes stared quietly at his grandmother in front of him.

The old grandmother closed her eyes and faintly shook her head.

“Child, you must remember that a kiss should not be given lightly unless you are prepared and is willing to contribute everything that you have to that person.”

Anmore’s expression was very calm and he silently returned to looking at the shuttling shoal of fishes.

The old grandmother continued to speak in her slow, soft voice:

“Your ‘possession’ and your ‘everything’ is different. It is all that you have, comprising of everything that you care about, for example, your family, your friends, and even including the things you may not have noticed, such as your health, your singing…. as well as your life.”

She softly sighed. “Therefore, you should only give a kiss when you are ready. However, this is just for us merfolks. If it is a human……”

The Little Merman’s long lashes faintly trembled. Quietly gazing at the beautiful underwater garden, the sound of his clear and pleasant voice that was like still water, as if indifferent, repeated:

“If it is a human?”

“If it is a human, then it is a completely different thing.” The old grandmother calmly stared at him. “A human’s love is the least reliable. A kiss is not sacred a matter to them and they do not have to be responsible for it. Love is also the same. A human’s life is very brief yet their heart drifts from place to place. They can kiss many people in their life, and they can also love just as many people.”

The Little Merman smiled softly, the corner of his lips raising to reveal soft budding dimples. He quietly muttered:

“……how unfair.”

The old grandmother smiled helplessly and slowly said: “But they have a soul. Even though their life is short, they are able to ascend to heaven after death. However, we cannot. Even with our life span of hundreds of years, when we die, we will merely turn into foam, floating in all directions across the sea.

“Unless……” She hesitated.

The child before her looked up at her, his ice blue eyes calm. “Unless what?”

“Unless the human is willing to divide half their soul with us,” the old grandmother gently said. “If one can obtain a human’s true love—— in the event that their love for a mermaid surpasses everything, they can give half of their soul, half of their joy, to the mermaid…… However, child, that is impossible.”

The Little Merman blinked: “Why?”

The old grandmother smiled and said softly:

“Because of our fishtail.

“My dear child, our fishtail is something that human’s are unable to accept. It is too strange for humans. No human will fall in love with a mermaid with a fishtail.”

Anmore lightly blinked his eyes.

His long eyelashes trembled for a moment before he finally asked softly, as if he were whispering to himself:

“Humans cannot fall in love with merfolks?”

She answered him with a muttered sigh:

“That’s right, child. They cannot.”