A few minutes later, King Triton spied a shadow above. It had to be the belly of the human ship the whale had seen. His heart pounding, he swam even faster. Within thirty seconds, he cautiously poked his head into the air. One by one, his daughters followed his example.

They gazed towards the ship. There seemed to be hundreds of humans on it, all chattering excitedly over lively music. Triton almost sighed in despair. How was he ever to get a glimpse of Ariel, and ensure that she was safe before blasting the human conveyance to bits?

As he looked at the large ship, he noted specks of yellow and red swimming around it. Inching closer, his eyes widened in shock as he recognized Flounder and Sebastian! What in the world did they mean by keeping the human ship company? They ought to have been in Atlantica forty-eight hours ago, informing him of his daughter's whereabouts!

He moved closer to them, and was just about to accost them when a voice from above startled them.

"Here you go!" Ariel joyfully exclaimed. The Sea King gazed upwards and almost burst into tears from relief. His daughter had appeared at the side of the ship. She was dressed strangely, in some white fabric, and with a gold tiara, but she was still unmistakably Ariel!

She did not notice him. In her hand she held a platter filled with human pastries and cakes. These she tossed overboard to Sebastian and Flounder, who promptly began to devour them.

"I will admit, des humans know how to cook!" Sebastian exclaimed.

Triton began to realize that something was…wrong…about the entire scene. First of all, Ariel was not trying to escape the ship! Unless her fins were chained to the deck, it would be easy for her to catapult herself over the railing and into the sea. Then again, Sebastian and Flounder seemed wholly unconcerned about Ariel being with humans.

"Feeding the fish, are we?" came a teasing but loving male voice from behind Ariel. With a start, Triton tore his eyes away from his daughter and saw Eric approaching her. He was taller than Ariel, and as a result the Sea King could see part of his thighs and instantly identify him as a human. He began to activate his trident, but before he could take aim, Eric reached Ariel and took her hand in his. Frustrated, worried for her safety, Triton watched his every move. As long as the human was in physical contact with his daughter, he could not blast him with his trident without its power spreading to and harming her.

"Yes," Ariel said, smiling at him. She put down the platter. "In my culture, we always make sure that the fish get a part of the wedding feast."

Eric studied her and found a glimmer of sadness in her eyes which he did not like.

"I am sorry, Ariel, that your family could not be here today."

"As am I, but you need not apologize for it. It is my father who keeps us apart, not you."

"All the same, I dislike seeing my new wife unhappy on our wedding day."

Triton and Ariel's sisters heard his words and gasped collectively. Ariel, married, to a human? The Sea King thought his heart might stop from shock. What had she done? Had she completely lost her mind?

"I am not unhappy," the former mermaid said, taking his arm. "I made my choice with open eyes, and I shall not regret it. What did the archbishop say when he married us? 'A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife'. It is the same for me. As dearly as I love them, you are more to me than my father and sisters. It is as it should be." They walked arm-in-arm to the back of the ship, where an observation deck was located. This observation deck was about ten feet higher than the main deck, and in order to access it one had to climb a relatively long staircase. The newlyweds started up the stairs, and Ariel daintily lifted up her wedding dress several inches in order to avoid tripping over it, unknowingly allowing her father and sisters an unobstructed view of her high heels and ankles.

Triton actually rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not dreaming.

"Ariel is a human!" Aquata gasped, proving that she had seen the same as he, and that he was not mad.

When Ariel and her husband reached the observation deck, she began to sing,

"Now we can walk

Now we can run

Now we can stay all day in the sun

Just you and me

And I can be

Part of your world!"

Transported by emotion, Eric drew her towards himself, and kissed her passionately. She slipped her arms around him and deepened the kiss.

Triton felt himself reeling. Of all the circumstances which he had imagined in regard to Ariel during the past three days, he had not thought of anything like this. Ariel with humans – Ariel a human – Ariel married to a human and kissing a human!

He felt blinding rage surging within his heart. This is what she had been doing as he tore his kingdom apart, looking for her?

He swam up to Attina, his eldest.

"Take it," he said, thrusting his trident at her.

The Crown Princess stared at him. This was the first time in her life that she remembered her father allowing anyone besides himself to touch his trident, let alone hold it. Then she interpreted the feelings in his eyes. He had never looked so furious. She realized that he was afraid of himself. He feared doing something rash with his trident which he would later regret.

Therefore, she reached for it and took the heavy implement from his hands. Her father turned and swam away from them and from the ship. He needed some time to collect himself.