Stark's Diary 11:  Water Dreams

After I woke up that day, I was surprised to find that Illie was not at my
door. He was not guarding me, and I felt some odd stirring of emotion at
his absence. When I found that he was with Cyrana, I think that emotion
attached itself to jealousy. I had lost my special status somehow, and
although Dragos had been rude I must admit it was nice to be sought after.

My head has been whirling with all that has gone on so far. I talked to
the Queen and found out that Greyson has a wife, something he may or may
not have known. Then she looked at me and warned me of something that her
father had spoken out against, "Incest". I left her presence slightly
shaken. It was hard to think of Greyson as a relative, but I felt
slightly queasy at the thought that perhaps he was my father. This
revelation left me disturbed for the rest of the day.

What was I doing with the rest of these people? Was I doomed to follow
along, patching them up, battle after battle? Frustrated I hit my hand
against the rail of the balcony I stood on. For a while, I lost myself in
the hypnotic swaying of the beauty around me. I watched the silver
flickering schools of fish, dashing in zigzags through the moon glow
water. Quietly, something akin to a sting ray glided by the window. It's
"wings" spanned eight feet and I knew I was in no ocean that I had swam in
before. Here and there, fluorescent pink spotted fish nibbled along the
rocks and shells scattered across the ocean floor and everywhere green
tendriled plants waved in the currents.

I felt so truely alone in this alien landscape, but I was glad for the
ocean water, because no one could see my tears.