A coastal prince renowned for courage and martial prowess staunchly opposes arranged marriages. After a sea witch’s tempest shipwrecks him, mermaid princess Marina drags his unconscious form to shore, where a raven-haired princess from Suomi discovers him, fostering his mistaken belief in her heroism. Consumed by gratitude, the prince fixates on locating his imagined savior. When Marina, mute after trading her voice for human legs, enters his world, the prince forges a profound bond with her. Their connection clashes with his parents’ demands to wed Suomi’s princess. His cunning cat, Jemmy, sabotages Marina, framing her as deceitful and exposing their encounters to the crown, culminating in her imprisonment. Upon meeting Suomi’s princess, the prince identifies her as his presumed savior and consents to the union. As wedding preparations unfold, Marina’s sisters offer her a dagger to slay him and reclaim her aquatic life, but she chooses self-annihilation. At dawn, Marina dissolves into sea foam, leaving behind a pearl hairpin and luminous scale—evidence the prince discovers, unveiling her true role as his rescuer. He mourns her demise yet accepts her metamorphosis into a daughter of the air, striving toward an immortal soul through benevolent acts. The prince’s journey traces his evolution from naivety and allegiance to duty to confronting the tragic fallout of misjudged loyalty. His relationship with Marina reveals his depth of empathy, while his belated realization of her sacrifice amplifies themes of love’s resilience, the weight of obligation, and redemption through loss.