Skye
woke early and went looking for her mother.
She found her mother and daughter having breakfast.
"Come
walk with me." Skye looked at her
mother.
"Where
are we going mommy?" Star asked.
"You
get to stay here. Mommy needs to talk
to grandma." She smiled at the
pouting little girl.
"I
want to go too."
"Next
time sweetheart. Andre please watch her
for me."
"Yes
Majesty." Star smiled up at the
big man who treated her like a daughter.
Skye
and Daphne walked along the beach in silence.
Daphne waited for her daughter to speak, wondering what could be so
important.
"Mother,"
Skye began, "it is time for me to marry."
This
took Daphne by surprise. Daphne knew of
Skye's feelings for Paul. It was never
spoken between them but Daphne had watched her daughter and knew what was in
her heart.
"Andre
loves you." Daphne said softly.
"I
know." Skye became quiet for a
moment. " I don't know if I can
love him the same way, but I can try.
Do you think he can accept this?"
I
think that he wants to see you happy.
He loves Star like she was his own."
"I
know. He is wonderful with her and she
loves him. I could not ask for a better
father for her."
"Then
my Daughter you must speak with Andre.
Hear his thoughts." Daphne
left Skye sitting on the rocks looking out into the surf.
A
short time later Andre found Skye sitting on the rocks just where Queen Mother
Daphne had told him she would be.
"Majesty,
is something wrong?" Andre asked with concern in his voice. "The Queen Mother said you needed to
speak with me privately."
Skye
did not look at him but continued looking out to sea, trying to collect her
thoughts.
"I
had forgotten how beautiful the ocean spray is. It has been a long time since I just sat and watched."
Andre
did not know what to say to his queen.
He was in love with this woman but sometimes she confused him terribly.
Skye
began again, "Star really loves you."
"And
I love her also." ‘Where was
this going?’
"My
mother and the regent have been lecturing me for some time now. They believe it is time for me to
marry."
The
day he had dreaded for so long had arrived.
He was being dismissed from his duties his services were no longer
required by the queen. Andre felt a
pain run through his body. Why had he
fallen for someone he knew he could never have? Skye's heart belonged to Star's father and although Andre did not
know who that was; he knew that Skye was finally going to marry him and they
would be a family.
Andre
decided that he must stay unemotional.
He would keep his feelings to himself and then after the wedding he
would go back to Aquatica.
Skye
climbed down from the rocks to stand before Andre.
"You
have been my escort for a long time."
"Yes,
Majesty."
"Andre
you do not have to be so formal."
Skye smiled. "You can call
me by my name."
"Yes,
Majesty."
Skye
tried again, "As I was saying. You
have been my escort for a long time. I
have always enjoyed our time together."
Skye stopped and looked at Andre, trying to gauge his reaction to what
she was telling him, but Andre just looked at her. Trying again, "Andre, have you enjoyed your time with
me?"
"Yes,
Skye, I have enjoyed spending time with you very much." He was trying to keep the emotion from his
voice.
"Andre,"
Skye continued hesitantly, "would you consider marrying me?"
Andre
stared at Skye. Did he hear her
correctly? Marry her?
Skye
was becoming nervous. "Andre?"
Andre
took her hand and kissed it. "Yes,
Skye, I would very much like to marry you."
"You
understand," Skye didn’t know exactly how to continue. "I don’t know if I can love you like
you should be loved. I cared about
Star's father and I just don’t know if I can let him go."
"Skye,
I love you. I have loved you for a long
time. I care about Star as if she was
my own. Let me have the opportunity to
make you love me." With that Andre
took her in his arms and kissed her.
Paul
watched Skye and Daphne leave the house, as they walked away from him he picked
up the binoculars he kept on the deck.
He observed Daphne came back to the house and then watched as Andre made
his way to Skye.
Paul
continued his observations as Skye and Andre talked and then witnessed Andre
take Skye in his arms and kiss her.
Paul's
heart seemed to stop. Skye was in the
arms of another man. A single tear trickled
down his cheek. He did not wipe it away
but felt it as it ran down his cheek onto his neck and dropped onto the
floor.