Chapter Text
Around midday, Sebastian had informed the Sea King and Queen that the wedding was to take place on a fancy boat out at sea. Athena was thrilled to be able to witness her now-human daughter get married from the comfort of the water. But her husband on the other hand was terrified.
He had grown a liking to Eric just because he had acted very selflessly for his daughter and her family. But he was still worried about what the other humans may think about merpeople. He was concerned about how shocked they could be to hear the human prince was married to a mermaid turned-human.
Triton sat on his throne in the throne room while he watched servants and maids swim back and forth all throughout the palace in a hurry to get his other daughters ready for the ceremony. He held his head in his hands, taking it all in.
It was as if his whole world had done a complete 180 and he was completely blindsided. His youngest daughter leaves her home in the ocean to go live in the above world with a human. It was so bizarre to him.
“Triton?” He heard his wife’s gentle, melodic voice call to him as she entered the throne room, “Are you alright, dear?”
“As alright as any father about to give away his youngest daughter can possibly be, darling..” Triton spoke shakily, nervousness lingering in his tone,
“Oh, Triton,” Athena cocked her head and swam over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder, “You’ll be alright, you’ll see, we’ll visit her as often as we’re able.”
“Which is fine, I just..” Triton sighed, “I don’t know.”
“I know, you weren’t ready to let your little mermaid go.. but she’s ready, and we just have to be supportive of that.” Athena soothed, “She knows we will always be here for her.”
“I hope she knows that.. otherwise she may seek another estranged relative of mine for guidance and I don’t think I could live with myself if I gave up the trident again..” Triton shook his head,
“Right, she couldn’t possibly make that mistake again.” Athena smiled, she looked at the hallway that led to the princesses' room, “It’s going to definitely be weird that nothing exceptionally chaotic will happen around here anymore..”
Before Triton could open his mouth to reply, Aquata and Arista swam into the throne room, they were bickering with each other about something the King and Queen couldn’t quite make out until they swam up to the thrones,
“Daddy, Aquata won’t let me wear her lipstick!” Arista whined to the King, again, before he could reply, Aquata interrupted,
“Why in the seven seas would I let you do that? You have your own lipstick! Why does it have to be mine?” She argued,
“Because you hardly use yours! It’s going to look so good with my outfit for Ariel’s wedding!” Arista explained,
“You want her to see your lips before she sees the rest of you so badly? Go borrow someone else’s lipstick for a change! I’ve had it!!” Aquata shrieked,
“Never mind..” Athena muttered while Triton attempted to calm his daughters down,
“Your Highnesses!!” Sebastian bellowed, grabbing everyone’s attention and shutting up the disputing teens, “The ceremony is about to start! We must head to the surface at once!”
“I’m not ready!”
“I’m not ready!”
Both Arista and Aquata dashed to their room and Athena rubbed her temples with a small, patient smile,
“Thank you, Sebastian, please, inform the people about the event and have them join us up at the surface, we will be there momentarily..” Athena ordered and the crustacean nodded with a smile,
“Of course, Your Majesty, right away!” He said and swam off into the kingdom to make his announcement. Athena turned to Triton, who still remained on his throne,
“Are you ready to go?” Athena asked, extending out her arm for him to hold,
“As ready as I can be.” Triton mumbled, “Girls! Come along, it’s time to go!”
“Coming, Daddy!!” The princesses all shouted from down the hall as they quickly made their way to their parents and met up with them before they left the palace.
The swim up to the surface felt so long for Triton as if he was climbing up a dozen leagues of the sea to reach the top of the water. Finally, they reached the surface and as they broke through the water, they immediately saw the ship where the wedding was taking place.
The princesses were awed at the sight, remembering what the world above had looked like after not seeing it for over a decade. Looking up at the ship, people in the audience were looking over the railing and down at the merfolk below, waving down to them.
“Neptune.. I have never seen so many merfolk and humans in the same place at once..” Athena breathed in shock,
“It is most definitely a sight I never thought I’d see.” Triton agreed as he observed almost all of Atlantica had come to the surface to watch his daughter get married, he couldn’t believe it.
The merfolk heard cheering from the boat and they could barely see Ariel and Eric having their first kiss as husband and wife at the altar. It was quickly interrupted when Max came in between them and excitedly licked both of their faces,
“Oh, you rascal! Get down!” Eric laughed as he attempted to calm his happy dog, Ariel giggled at the sight,
“Eric, look! Look, all of the merpeople from my father’s kingdom showed up! They’re actually here!” Ariel exclaimed and quickly made her way to the railing, scanning the waters for her family,
“How wonderful, darling.” Eric smiled as he joined her side and wrapped an arm around her, “Do you see them?”
“See who?” A voice said, causing Ariel and Eric to look up and see Triton and Athena being held up by a stream of water,
“Daddy!” Ariel smiled and embraced him tightly, “I’m so glad you guys were able to make it!”
“Did you sincerely think we’d miss our youngest daughter's wedding, minnow?” Athena inquired in a teasing manner, “I should certainly hope you don’t think that low of us, darling.”
“I don’t, Your Majesty.” Eric straightened up with a smile, Athena smiled back,
“How charming.” Athena nodded, she turned to Ariel, “You look absolutely beautiful, my littlest one..”
“Thank you, Mom, I wish you and my sisters had been there to help me pick out my dress.. It was so hard to choose!” Ariel remarked,
“I think you picked the best one, Ariel.” Triton stifled, Ariel smiled at him and hugged him again,
“Oh, Daddy, I love you so much.” She whispered to him, it only made him hug her tighter and he felt a tear slide down his cheek, something he had never experienced due to being in the water all the time,
“I wish you two all the best with your endeavors as a couple.” Triton smiled as he pulled away from his daughter, “And always remember, you have a home down in the sea.”
“We could never forget that, Daddy.” Ariel nodded as she leaned into Eric’s side, resting her head in the crook of his arm,
“May your love for each other blossom and grow stronger as you go through life together.” Athena smiled as she looked at her husband, “Never lose sight of the person who truly loves you.”
“It shall be kept in mind, Your Highness,” Eric assured,
“Until next time, minnow.” Athena bid goodbye and Ariel embraced her mother tightly,
“Goodbye Mother, thank you for everything,” Ariel mumbled quietly into her mother's hair, she felt a kiss on her cheek before the Queen pulled away,
“Goodbye, my darling, goodbye Eric,” Athena replied quietly, she turned to Triton, who had only nodded his head as they began descending down into the water, to which Ariel blew her father a kiss.
Now back in the water with the rest of their daughters, who waved excitedly up to their youngest sister, Triton used his trident to cast a rainbow over the boat.
The boat then began to sail off, Ariel and Eric waved to the merfolk below with smiles on their faces. Athena and Triton smiled at each other,
“She truly has grown up..” Triton remarked quietly,
“Yes, but she will always be our little mermaid.” Athena stated and they looked back at the boat in the distance.