Just before the wedding, the mermaid sits all alone and weeps--or at least she does until suddenly a gentle hand startles her as it wipes away her tears. The princess looks at her, eyes so unbearably kind, and says "here now. You are lovely even in tears, but they don't suit you anymore than they do myself. My prince has told me you do not speak with words, but maybe we can find a way around it. Wouldn't that be better than crying?"

And it is, and finally the mermaid tells her story. Things abruptly change after that--the wedding is postponed, but not cancelled, and the Prince holds her so warmly while the princess braids the hair out the mermaid's face that all the heartache seems worth it.

The wedding does proceed, but there is much talk about how quickly the Prince takes a mistress, and then there is even more talk about the Princess has taken up with that mistress as well. But the cruel gossip is below the happy trio, and it matters not anyway. The three have each other and is that not enough?