[ Eric was a goddamn saint in comparison. ]

I don't disagree. Would it not be better for him to learn of what his misdeeds caused? To say that his poor companion saved him from drowning, and then sacrificed nearly everything to be with him--only for him to reject her at the last moment, condemning her to death. Even then, she still loved him and wished for his happiness. Would that not be the best lesson for him, to have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life? Atonement is always a choice, and the mermaid princess was not completely damned.