She had done it. Finally. Her dream had come true. Ariel blinked a few times as she stared at her new legs, almost in disbelief that they were real. But there they were, perfect legs that matched her skin perfectly. She could hear Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle all talking amongst themselves, and tried to say something to them. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. With a silent gasp, she remembered what she had to sacrifice for legs. Her voice.
After Scuttle put together a dress for her, Ariel heard barking, and turned to see the animal that she had seen on the boat bounding towards her. It was large and covered in hair, and the speed it was coming at her was frightening. Quickly, she turned and ran to whatever was closest, stumbling along the way as she tried to move her feet.
But then, she saw him, following after the dog. Eric. He was here. He was real. Her heart started racing, and her legs suddenly felt.. jiggly. But she wasn't sure why. All she could see was Eric, and once he looked at her, she became a nervous wreck, not knowing what to do with herself. She nervously twisted her hair around, hoping it would catch his attention. Maybe he would kiss her right away!
But he didn't. He talked to her, and she tried to tell him who she was, where she had come from, why she was here. But she couldn't. The redhead became frustrated, exhaling as she blew her bangs up. Maybe if I make some gestures, he'll understand.. She started moving her hands around rapidly, but she stumbled and fell off the rock. However, Eric caught her, and she locked eyes with him, feeling that same nervous feeling again as she pulled on his shirt.
Before she knew it, Ariel was in Eric's magnificent castle, taking in all the human things around her. It was just as she had imagined! But her focus wasn't on these things; it was mostly on Eric. She tried to be polite, but she found herself to be very shy. She kept looking at him, only to see him staring right back at her. She wasn't sure what he was thinking.
Eric, on the other hand, was completely smitten. Something about this beautiful, mystery girl in front of him, was so different about all the other girls he met. Even though she couldn't speak, he felt a strange feeling towards her, one he wasn't familiar with. As they sat at dinner, a thought crossed his mind that she was the one. She was the girl he wanted to marry. But something at the back of his mind kept pulling him towards the mystery girl who rescued him, the one whose angelic voice had been stuck in his head for days.
The following day, Eric took Ariel around his kingdom, delighting in how excited she seemed to be at such simple things. It baffled him a bit, but he couldn't help but smile at seeing her excited expression at things like puppets and horses. Her eyes were twinkling, and he first noticed how blue and beautiful they were. He took her on a boat out on the lake. Maybe it was the feeling that he had for her, which he finally admitted was love, but he seemed to keep hearing voices. Finally, the sailor prince found out the girl's name. Ariel. It was the most beautiful name he had ever heard.
Both had had the same urge to kiss each other, yet their shyness prevented them from doing so. Despite this, by the end of the night, when he had been thinking about the mysterious girl with the wonderful voice, only to be disproved by Grimsby, Eric realized that Ariel was the one. She was the one he wanted to be with, the one he wanted by his side forever.
The next morning, Ariel woke up to Scuttle's screeching, telling her she had done it. Eric had announced he was getting married. Ariel was so excited, so looking forward to spending her life with Eric, so in love with him. But when she raced downstairs to see him standing with another unrecognizable girl, the former mermaid was crushed. Everything she had wanted was suddenly taken away from her. Suddenly, Eric was lost to her. The man she wanted to be with was gone. She was depressed, feeling as if nothing was important anymore. She spent hours in her room crying, reminiscing about all the precious moments she had shared with him over the past 3 days. The way he smiled at her, the way he acted, the way he danced with her. All nothing but memories.
But it wasn't the end. Upon learning that Ursula was ruining her happy ending, Ariel sprang into action. She wouldn't let Eric go. She wouldn't let him stay in hypnosis for the rest of his life, even if it meant sacrificing herself.
The hours afterward were tiresome. After being released from his spell, Eric was filled with a deep, deep love for Ariel. The discovery that she was the girl with the beautiful voice only confirmed to him that she was the one, even though her voice didn't even matter to him anymore. He had fallen in love with her, and voice or not, feet or fins, he promised to himself that he would be with her, to love and protect her.
Seeing Ariel emerge out of the water in that beautiful dress made Eric so happy, even on the verge of tears. Despite how spent he felt from defeating Ursula, Eric ran to Ariel, spinning her around until he finally was able to do what he had wanted to since the night on the boat. He kissed her, and the couple embraced for a few minutes, both overjoyed that they could finally be together.
The day Eric proposed to Ariel was one of the happiest moments of his life. Her melodious giggles and excitement were contagious as she sprang into his arms, kissing him and repeating "yes" over and over again. Their wedding day was also magnificent. The sight of Ariel in her gown took Eric's breath away as he grinned at his little mermaid.
Their honeymoon was one of the best and most interesting week of both of their lives. Ariel had a lot to learn, but luckily, Eric was very patient and willing, and Ariel was a quick learner. Before no time, Ariel didn't need help with any simple tasks anymore; she was finally adjusted to being human.
When Ariel had spent a few days feeling very sick and very "not herself," she shook it off as a simple illness. But her stomach constantly hurt, in a way it never had before. Finally, she told Eric about it, who immediately grew concerned, calling immediately for a doctor. After a thorough examination, the doctor smiled, giving the royal couple the news: "You're expecting." Eric had gasped and smiled excitedly, speechless yet overjoyed. He turned to his beautiful wife, who just had a confused look on her face, glancing back and forth between the doctor and Eric. Eric had taken her hands and explained what the doctor meant, and the news made Ariel both proud of herself and excited to become a mother.
The next 9 months were long and hard, both for Ariel and Eric. There was so much more involved with a human pregnancy than what Ariel was used to with mermaids. During that time, Carlotta had become her best friend, explaining every little thing to her. Eric was very supported, though worried for his bride. She had only been a human for a few months, and now she was about to bring another one into the world. No matter what, he told himself, he would stay by her side and guide her through it the best he could, wanting her to be as comfortable and safe as possible.
Labor was the most painful thing Ariel had ever experienced. The pain was excruciating, and she was crying as she screamed, clenching onto Eric and Carlotta's hands. But after a few hours, the pain diminished, and the sound of a crying baby filled the room as Ariel collapsed back on the bed, panting as Eric leaned over and kissed her forward gently, whispering to her how proud he was of her, how wonderful she had done.
When the little black-haired baby girl was placed in her arms, Ariel felt a different kind of love. Just like with Eric, this love was immediate as soon as she looked into her daughter's blue eyes. She and Eric raised Melody the best they could, though they disagreed about how much should be revealed to Melody about her mother's past life, which led to a few problems along the way.
The sailor prince and sea princess raised their daughter to be a beautiful, strong woman. She eventually married her own prince charming, leaving Eric and Ariel to have the castle to themselves once again. But their love was just as strong as it had been when they first met, and even stronger. To Eric, Ariel was still the beautiful young mermaid of whom his life revolved around. And to Ariel, Eric was still the handsome sailor who stole her heart away, giving her a life she never expected. They still did romantic gestures for one another often, as if trying to capture each other's hearts.
Ultimately, though, time took its toll. When Eric departed, Ariel went through a long time of grieving for her husband, remembering all their wonderful times they had had together. Every precious moment, from simple moments alone in their bed together to royal balls that made their love stronger. For the remainder of her life, Ariel cherished these memories, unable and unwilling to release Eric. He would always be her sailor prince, and she would always be his little mermaid. Forever.