(Eric's P.O.V.)

I was beyond relieved and amazed that Ariel forgave me after I explained everything that got me into this situation, but I was doubting the eel of his words about the poison. I would trade my life for that poison if Ariel would be safe. I blamed myself for not being fast enough to stop him from forcing Ariel to drink the damned poison, but Ariel told me that it was her fault for coming in the first place, wanting to seek me out after the fight she had with her mother.

My heart slowly breaks at the thought of her marrying a stranger, or yet a true-blooded merman prince at that, and I wished to tell her that I loved her, but I couldn't. She has been stressed out by her mother, frustrated at her sisters, and now she's so scared about dying from the poison.

I really don't want to lose her. Ariel is my everything, the one I have been looking for. I don't want to see her to be so sad or sick as I strive to live for her beautiful smiles, her wonderful personality, her incredible knowledge of merperson culture, and all the ways she would be around me, like how her eyes light up when she sees me, how she would tease me when I failed with a joke, how she could be excited when she discovers human objects, and how she would glance at me with a blush or a shimmer of love in her eyes when she thinks when I wasn't looking.

I would give anything to hear her lovely laugh, her singing voice. Dad and Uncle Grimsby was right. Once you love someone, you'd do anything to take away the pain. And I remember too well of that damned influenza when I was eight. The hacking coughs, the fevers, throwing up, body loss. I don't know if Ariel would go through the same thing, or entirely a system of different symptoms from this poison.

Neither way, it would break my heart further, and at her concerned looks, I then told her of my worries and stress. She understood incredibly well, impressing me further than ever before. She didn't want to return to the city today, and despite being best friends, Ariel didn't want to tell Flounder, scaring him about this. She just wanted to go exploring, and I wanted to make her happy today, distracting her from thinking about what happened this morning.

We went to all our favorite places; the ship graveyard, Scuttle's island, the caves in the nearby mountains, the crystal valley, and the beach. It was such a wonderful day that I couldn't stop smiling upon seeing Ariel's excitement and joy when she discovered some new human stuff which I described about, or hearing her laughter when she saw me posing before the crystal mirrors.

Why, her bruises from the eel's too-tight hold on her was fading already, and I was happy to ignore the warnings as well for today was ours. When we returned to the grotto at sunset, Ariel shocked me by telling me that she's staying here for the night, not going home for dinner and bed as I originally thought.

She still has a lingering grudge at her mother, and I want her to be happy still. We had breakfast, and a few nibbles for lunch, but now, we are hungry for dinner. I offered to head to the castle to grab some dinner for us, and she suddenly kissed me on the cheek, close to the lips, looking gratefully with a big smile, telling me to hurry back.

I think I had a lopsided smile all the way to the castle, overjoyed that Ariel actually did the first step yet nervous about the fact that I could actually kiss her when I want as she seems very comfortable about it. I saw some of Ariel's sisters, and not the Queen which I was kinda grateful yet anxious about, and I told them about Ariel's basic behavior, and they thanked me for keeping her safe and well, and asked me to tell Ariel that they think that the Queen's wrong.

I was bewildered yet shocked as I brought back two passable meals for me and Ariel to eat, the comments from the sisters winding through my mind. I told Ariel as soon as I got to the grotto, and she seemed very grateful that her sisters is very supportive yet she seems confused about her mother. We ate dinner, chatted about everything and nothing.

As we rested upon the sand, with fur blankets that I found in one of the wrecked ships, becoming pleasantly warm from the slight chill of the sea and Ariel doesn't seem very bothered about it, thanks to listening to me about the ways with land creatures. With those beautiful blue eyes looking at me sleepily, saying good night, I realized that I could say good night in a way, and I leaned forward, and kissed her forehead warmly, hearing a soft hum from her, whispering good night.

We soon fell asleep, with the slight sound of bubbles and the glow of the filtered moonlight. Yet it felt like a short time when I woke to the sound of moans and whimpering at the peak of dawn. To my horror, my heart broke into half as I stared upon a very pale Ariel, her bright red hair becoming dull red as death, her skin a shallowly white, and her beautiful tail a very pale sickly green, no shine at all. I shook off the blanket, swimming to her, shaking her gently by the shoulders.

"Ariel, Ariel, wake up, please wake up!". I frantically call for her repeatedly as her skin felt freezing cold and blazing hot at the same time, causing me to worry even further. I wanted to go to get the antidote now, but I realize that he would be lying about it, and I could lose her all the same, then I realize that the Queen has magic, magic that could heal Ariel!

I gently picked up Ariel in my arms, cradling her bride style as my heart thundered and broke repeatedly at the sound of her moaning and whimpering, and I spoke to her, "You're gonna be okay, Ariel! I promise you're gonna be okay! I swear it! Just hold on. I got to get you back to the castle, your mom gotta have something to help you.".

I was relieved that we had left the grotto half open yet I was frantic and terrified of losing Ariel. I cannot lose her, I cannot! I haven't told her that I love her! I moaned to myself as I carried her as fast as I could swim, "I am so sorry I got you into this, Ariel. I was too scared to tell you that I love you.". I didn't get a response, yet she was growing unconscious as the battle to the poison was wearing her out too fast. I prayed and prayed for her sake as I became terrified, half recognizing the kelp forest which was near the city.