Ariel leaned dangerously far over the side of the ship to get as much of the salt water to spray on her face as possible. She may have lost her tail, but her eyes could still pierce the depths just as easily. Several fathoms below the waves she could see her sisters racing along with the ship. Their pet dolphins twisted and twirled around them, trying to lighten the dark mood. But her sisters were not to be deterred. Today was too important.

Her father's voice echoed in her memory, "Ariel. My sweetest, youngest daughter. I'm sorry that making the offering must fall to you. It is the darkest of tasks. But the prophecy is quite clear."

The Prince's laugh came from behind her. As always, her heart raced with joy at the sound, but now, watching her sisters swimming far below the ship, eyes locked on Ariel in solidarity and pleading, icy dread froze her veins at what she must do. At what she had planned.

"Sweetling! Whatever are you doing there? You might fall right off the ship hanging over like that." Tremors went through Ariel when the Prince's hands wrapped around her waist to pull her back safely from the rail. Her feet still ached when she stood fully flat on them. "What is that you've got there?"

Ariel held up the thin length of rope she'd taken from the curtains in her palace bedroom. She smiled and, still mute, indicated the Prince hold out his arm. She blinked back tears as she wound the rope around his wrist, then around her own, binding them together.

She looked up into the Prince's eyes. He was smiling down at her, so trusting, so naive. Her heart had fed her to the prophecy, but she wouldn't allow him to be fed to something far worse without her.

Her sisters would have fallen back by now. No sea creatures dared to venture where King Triton's currents were taking them. She was glad her family wouldn't know her fate. Perhaps they'd think the humans had killed her for what she was supposed to do to the Prince. She was glad she'd never have to explain that she could have survived losing him to another, but living with the knowledge she'd taken another's life, especially his, was unbearable. She'd felt like a monster herself ever since the moment she had accepted the responsibility of fulfilling the prophecy.

Tugging the Prince by their joined wrists, she smiled and indicated he should look over the side with her. Far below in the depths she could just see the first of the tentacles rising out of the black. She smiled again, and tugged him to lean a little bit farther over. "Careful there, sweetling. We don't want to fall in."

He held onto the rail tightly with the other hand, but she was a mermaid, a daughter of Triton. This human's strength was no match for her own. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore as she launched herself over the side, pulling the Prince down towards his death.

"I love you!" she cried soundlessly just as they hit the surface. For one glorious moment the Prince grabbed onto her as if to rescue her by swimming her to the surface. It was sweet he thought they'd fallen in by accident.

As expected, Ariel felt a tentacle wrap around her ankle and a tug. The Prince looked down. His mouth formed an O of surprise that quickly turned to a grimace of fear. He pulled and tore at the rope that bound them together, then began to kick at the tentacle wrapped around his own leg, as if he ever stood a chance of getting free of the one who held him. There was no escape. He must die, a human royal, loved by a child of the merpeople's ruler, so that her people could live in peace for another two thousand years.

But Ariel did not look down. As they were pulled with unbelievable speed down through the increasingly frigid waters into the darker depths, she wanted only to see the face of her beloved.

The Prince finally looked at her in the failing light. "I'm sorry," she mouthed. Her tears felt like they were scalding her eyes before the freezing waters whisked them away.

He looked down again and began to scream and thrash. She reached out and held him to her tightly. One final embrace before they were consumed by the Kraken.