At night, while the others slept, the Little Mermaid went up to the palace balcony.
From there she watched the waves and remembered her family beneath the sea.
One night she saw her sisters swimming in the waves far away.
"We miss our dear little sister," the oldest cried out.
She, of course, could not reply.
Instead she thought, "I miss you too.
But I will marry my Prince and live happily in the Upper World."
When she waved to her sisters, they recognized her.
They swam closer, up to the rocks.
She held out her arms, to show them she would hug them if she could.
From then on they came almost every night to sing to their sister.
Once she even saw the Wise Mermaid, who had not been up to the surface in many years.
With her grandmother was her father, the Sea King.
They stretched out their hands to her, but they did not come as close as her sisters.
Her grandmother seemed to be saying, "We miss you, our dear child."
But the Little Mermaid still wanted a soul and to be with the Prince.
"I love seeing the world with you, little companion," the Prince would say.
"You are very dear to me."
Yet he never suggested making her his bride.
"He sees me as his friend.
But I need to be his wife," the Little Mermaid thought.
"And if he marries someone else, I will turn into foam on the waves."
She shivered thinking about such a fate.
Sometimes the Little Mermaid begged the Prince with her eyes, "Please love me best of all.
Love me enough to marry me."
When she looked at him that way, the Prince would take her in his arms.
He'd kiss her lightly on her forehead, in a brotherly way.
But the Little Mermaid hoped that this would change.
One day the Queen announced to her husband,
"It is time for the Prince to marry."
She wanted him to marry a princess from a neighboring kingdom.
"Let's arrange for them to meet," she told him.
When the Prince heard about this, he shook his head.
"I will never marry that princess, little companion," he said.
"I can only marry the one I truly love."
Then he told the Little Mermaid his story.
"Once I was on a ship that sank, and I almost drowned.
Luckily I was swept ashore.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the girl who had saved my life.
Her name is Maiden, and she brought me inside a nearby church.
When I awoke the next day, she was gone.
Though I saw her only once, that girl is the only person I would wed.
Unless I find her, I will never marry."
"But it was I who saved you!" thought the Little Mermaid.
"Please try to understand."
But the Prince could not understand and only smiled at her.
"Oh, little companion, do not feel sad because of my story.
Even though I will never find her, I am happy with you by my side."
"If only he knew the truth," she thought.
"Someday the Prince will realize that I love him more than anyone does.
And in time he will marry me."
She would have to be patient for a little while longer.