Smooth Waters

Prologue

Two women sat, huddled up in the opressive darkness of the holding cell that had been their home for more moons than they would ever care to recall. Both were heavy with child, and felt the need to confess to each other, now that their time was drawing short. She was the more exotic of the two, with fair hair that was now tangled and coarse from neglect, and light eyes with skin that still held the faintest trace of a tan; despite the many many years she had gone without seeing true sunlight. She had been born in this darkness, and she had always known that she would die in this darkness. She feared it would be the same for her child. If it was allowed to live.

She sighed, and rested her head upon the extended stomach of the other mother-to-be. "I know who the father is." she said, breaking the silence with her raspy voice. "He is not a man who I would wish to be the father. Oh, how I wish that he were a simple servant! A whore, even! This child... If the child does not kill me, the father will!"

The other woman tried to offer a comforting smile, but the darkness stole the expression for itself before it reached her face. "Gray.. Is the father?"

She, Gray, nodded and then choked out, "Yes."

Disbelief. "No. Teal?"

"Yes." Gray whimpered.

"Truly...?" The other woman questioned, amazed by this. Teal was the man who had imprisoned them in this slimy, filthy, unsanitary slice of hell on earth. He had never married, and had never shown any desire for a mistress. Never in her presence, at the very least. Perhaps Teal preferred exotics, she allowed herself to muse, and she, being a native islander herself wouldn't have been spared a second glance.

"Y-yes," Gray replied, her voice wavering with unshed tears. "Emperor Teal... his child ... It is his child! And he... He is going to kill me! Why! Why? Why..."

The other woman heaved a long, heavy sigh as she ran her fingers through Gray's unkempt locks, tucking them behind her ears. "I don't agree with it... but, it is his right. He doesn't see us as people, Gray. We're objects. To be used and discarded on his whim. We've all been this way... Since, aw, hell, I don't know. But... Gray, you should be glad, though. Your child, he'll get a chance at a normal life; he won't be confined down here, only dragged forth into the sunlight when Teal wants a quick fuck or a task done..."

Gray sniffled, and wiped her nose along her grimy arm. "You're right, Nire. Teal wouldn't force his own child to this life. Let's make a promise."

"A promise?"

"Yeah. My life, is going to end. Yours... I hope, is not. I want to make a promise, that our children will protect each other. If you can, raise my child as your own. Teach our children of this promise, if mine is to truly be his father's child then... he will be able to protect yours. Of course, all this goes the other way as well. So, Nire, what do you say? Do you promise?"

"I promise," Nire vowed, gently patting her stomach. "And I think the baby agrees."