Views Arguments confusion

I really appreciate the help. To put it in more solid terms, I have a vocabulary called 'the_bride' with terms like 'aries'. No hierarchy. On my Views block I have a Filter set to show only published nodes that 'Is One of Taxomony Vocabulary: The Bride'. I also have a simple Mini-Panel wrapping the whole thing -- and I haven't tried it without the panel but it's kinda necessary to my design. The block is visible at /bride unfiltered, and /bride/aries should filter for the term 'aries' within 'The Bride' vocabulary.

Thanks!!!

PS> More specifically, the block is visiable on pages: bride and bride/* is it possible the * is interfering?

  $view = new stdClass();
  $view->name = 'the_bride';
  $view->description = '';
  $view->access = array (
);
  $view->view_args_php = 'if ($view->build_type == \'block\' && arg(0) == \'node\' && is_numeric(arg(1))) {
  $args[0] = arg(1);
}
return $args;';
  $view->page = FALSE;
  $view->page_title = '';
  $view->page_header = '';
  $view->page_header_format = '1';
  $view->page_footer = '';
  $view->page_footer_format = '1';
  $view->page_empty = '';
  $view->page_empty_format = '1';
  $view->page_type = 'node';
  $view->url = '';
  $view->use_pager = TRUE;
  $view->nodes_per_page = '10';
  $view->block = TRUE;
  $view->block_title = '';
  $view->block_header = '';
  $view->block_header_format = '1';
  $view->block_footer = '';
  $view->block_footer_format = '1';
  $view->block_empty = 'No records were found!';
  $view->block_empty_format = '1';
  $view->block_type = 'node';
  $view->nodes_per_block = '1';
  $view->block_more = FALSE;
  $view->block_use_page_header = FALSE;
  $view->block_use_page_footer = FALSE;
  $view->block_use_page_empty = FALSE;
  $view->sort = array (
  );
  $view->argument = array (
    array (
      'type' => 'taxletter',
      'argdefault' => '7',
      'title' => '%1',
      'options' => '1',
      'wildcard' => '*',
      'wildcard_substitution' => '',
    ),
  );
  $view->field = array (
  );
  $view->filter = array (
    array (
      'tablename' => 'node',
      'field' => 'status',
      'operator' => '=',
      'options' => '',
      'value' => '1',
    ),
    array (
      'tablename' => 'term_data',
      'field' => 'vid',
      'operator' => 'OR',
      'options' => '',
      'value' => array (
  0 => '44',
),
    ),
  );
  $view->exposed_filter = array (
  );
  $view->requires = array(node, term_data);
  $views[$view->name] = $view;