Ariel was lost. Her face, expressionless, unfeeling of any kind of emotion. She was barely able to sit through the ceremony. She couldn't look, couldn't pay attention, couldn't understand. All she knew was that he was gone. Her whole world was gone. And all she saw was black.
She said nothing to everyone who had come, and yet somehow, they just understood. Everyone knew their story. Everyone knew how much she loved Eric, and how much he had loved her. But now their happy ending was really over.
She didn't know how much time had elapsed, but before she knew it everyone was gone. She shook herself from her trance, lifting her head to find herself staring out at the ocean, her first home, as well as the force that took him from her, in the same way it took her mother.
Ariel exhaled, feeling pain, confusion, anger, sadness. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, yet she felt nothing. She turned away from the sea, conflicted. She couldn't stay here anymore. Her life on land was over. There was no way for her to go on, no way for her to live her life as a human without her prince by her side. But the sea was what took her from him. How could she go back?
Something took over Ariel then. She marched into the castle, refusing to look up. She didn't want to meet the looks from the castle staff, didn't want anyone to approach her. And she would not look at the walls, only to see their wedding pictures and other memories from their marriage captured in a photo.
Instead, she headed straight for her room, still no expression on her face. She angrily pushed open the door, forcing herself to look up.
She saw the bed, and a flood of memories washed over her. So many memories, just from that one bed.
And then she cried out, sobbing. She ran over to the bed, throwing herself onto it, wanting to hold him, hoping he would somehow be there. But he wasn't. She snatched his pillow, burying her face in it, breathing in his scent. She tried to memorize the smell, knowing it would be the last time she would ever experience it. Like Eric, soon it would be gone.
Ariel must've cried for hours, she didn't know. All she knew was that now, his pillow was damp with her tears, tears of love that were pleading for him to come back to her. Her breathing was unsteady, and she felt her heart skip a beat, over and over again.
She knew what she had to do. There was no other option for her. She weakly rose from the bed and turned to her nightstand, snatching a pen and stationary paper. She scribbled out a note for Carlotta, leaving it by Eric's pillow. It gave her instructions to care for Melody, and in a few days, have her pack her things, and to meet Ariel on the shore.
Ariel left the room, descending the stairs again and walking back out to the beach. Her life on land, her dream to be a human, to be with Eric forever, were all gone.
She was going back to the sea, and this time, she wasn't coming back. Ever.