(No P.O.V.)
Each night between sunset and sunrise, Ariel was spared from her eternal pain and nightmares, but in the days, it was worse than the day before; her tail losing scales one by one, her fever increasing enough to be unbearable to the touch, the chills decreasing enough to make her have hacking coughs, her hair falling out here and there, her frame getting skinnier and skinnier.
It tore all the hearts of the family, but not more than Eric's heart is. He felt so guilty every day as he is losing Ariel day by day, and he is desperate enough to tell Ariel that he has to take the Trident, not wanting to see Ariel die on the last day of the deadline.
Scared and terrified to lose Eric because of the law, she told him of it, but Eric told her that he has to do it to save her because he loves her. Ariel was shocked and overjoyed at the same time due to the confession, and she proved her love in reciprocation by kissing him on the lips. Eric was so happy to realize that they truly love each other no matter what.
They were immersed in the kiss that they didn't notice that Queen Athena overheard all about the plan to take the Trident. She felt strangely betrayed yet relieved that Eric was determined to do it all for Ariel, but it was still a confession of a attempted crime.
Queen Athena was the maddest ever that Ariel would see, and Eric was frightened yet respectful. She asked for the truth, and Eric gave it all out, confessing everything including the fact that he was a human. The feeling of being betrayed grew, and there was the emotion of shock as well. She became enraged yet eerily calm as she spat out the implications of the law, never mind the rule that a princess should marry a prince, and a natural merman, no less!
At her action, she set the Trident upon Eric, the beam going toward him, but Ariel, despite her dwindling strength and her weakening immune body system, she actually swam out in front of Eric, spreading her arms and tail out in a action to protect him, "If you kill him, you kill me too!". Suddenly, there was a copper green shield forming from Ariel's necklace itself, enclosing Ariel and Eric entirely, stopping the beam at once.
At once, Queen Athena realized that a form of their own love in magic protected them, and relented, saying by the law and her order, Eric is to be exiled, and Ariel is to be married to the prince. Ariel pleaded for one more night together before she would come back to obey the law, and wanting her daughter to be healed and happy, the Queen gave permission.
The couple left the castle almost instantly, with Eric glancing back at the castle, the city, heartbroken that he wouldn't have a home anymore, or have Ariel again in his arms after tonight, and Ariel felt the same, feeling like she doesn't belong at home anymore, losing Eric forever thanks to her mother's orders. She hated the law worse than before, wanting to marry Eric and having little children with him.
They hoped that the warlock would have the antidote for the poison within Ariel as soon as they could reach the surface, praying that he isn't too mad about not sealing the deal with the Trident. Eric wanted Ariel safe and healthy as the beautiful and wonderful person he knows by heart, and Ariel wanted Eric to be unharmed from having his heart taken, desperate to do anything to save him.