Once upon a time, on an island far beyond the reach of the Serpent's Claws, there lived a Knight. Not the usual kind of Knight, clad in mail and arrogance, but a poor and humble Knight, living quietly beside the sea and owning no man his master.

The seas around this island were home to many of the sea people, and our Knight would talk often with them and was held by them in high esteem. In time it happened as one might well expect, and he won the love of a beautiful sea maiden, with hair as green as the summer kelp, and eyes as grey as the winter sea. And thus it was that one bright night she came to our Knight as he walked beside the waves and told him of her love. And he, in turn, was stricken as one mute, and finding no words to tell her of his own heart, he fell upon the sand and kissed her wet and sandy foot.

In time they married by the laws of his land, and married again by the laws of her sea, and lived many years in happiness and contentment, in a love as deep and as wide as the eastern ocean itself. But it is always the way that those of evil mind who see not the grace of our Lady Gaia, when they see the happiness of others they wish only to destroy what they can never themselves understand. And behind the backs of the sea maiden and her Knight did they plot their wicked plots and tell their wicked tales, and to a sad, sad end. For our Lady Gaia, although she weeps for every one of us, yet can she never curtail the evil that lies within the heart of men, but can only grieve after the event.

One evil day it was that a neighbour of the Knight came to him saying "Are you not aware that your wife is unfaithful? Care you not at all that you are adorned with cuckold's horns? Do you see, and do nothing? Or are you truly so blind that you see not what is plain to the sight of others?" At first the Knight believed no evil of his wife, and closed his ears to such vile words. But, with time and repetition, doubts can be instilled into the staunchest mind, and so it was with him. And the day came when the Knight spoke harshly to his beloved wife, with foolish anger and yet more foolish words, saying things of her that should have ever been unthought.

The sea maiden bowed her head in grief.
"My dearest husband, those words will I never hear from you again, nor any others either, for I will not abide here to listen. When you are of a mind you will find me among the waves, with my own people."
And with those words, she walked down to the shore and out to sea, neither looking back nor hesitating, and in anger and sorrow was gone with the ocean swell.

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Our Knight went back to his lonely bed, and there wept the bitterest of tears. For he knew, as surely as he had ever known anything, that he had been the one to be false to his wife. That for lack of trust had he broken both their hearts could he now see too clearly. But understanding, for our Knight, came too late, and brought only grief with it.

No matter the clarity of guilt, it is not easy to look past the barriers of pain and pride, to admit fault and beg forgiveness. And our Knight was proud, so very proud. So many long months it was before he went down once more to the sea shore. He knelt at the edge of the sea, drank a little of the water and said quietly,
"My love, my wife, my sea maiden, I know I wronged you greatly, but you must know that I have suffered as much myself for lack of you, so that for suffering can I barely survive longer in this world. I beg you, my dearest love, speak to me once more, return to me once more so that I may show you how even a foolish Knight may learn well from his mistakes."

In the space between one wave and next she appeared there beside him, but it took only one look for the Knight to understand all too well. Anger, impatience, annoyance, these can all be dealt with. Hate, even, for we know how close to love this can be. But understanding and patient pity is the one look that spells disaster each and every time.
"My husband", said she, "I have loved you, I love you yet, and I will always love you. I have spent many a long night weeping for your cruel words, and many a long day desiring greatly your company. But even broken hearts mend in time, and so mine has. Indeed, it has mended greater than it was before for I now find it has room for the love of more than just one. I have met a man of the sea people, a noble man who loves me as much as do you. Him do I also love as I do you, with him have I discovered those parts of me that were buried by our love, and with him do I dance in the lanes of the ocean where you never can follow us. Him can I not leave, do I love you ever so much." And her grey eyes wept the smallest tear.

The Knight looked long and quietly at his love, and seeing in her tears the truth of her words, he said nothing but turned away. In grief he went along the shore until he came to a tall and rocky headland. There he climbed to the top and, looking at the sharp rocks and boiling seas below, lowered his head and said a quiet prayer.
"Lady Gaia, you who watches over the fortune of fools as well as strong men, take pity upon me I beg you. Through my own anger and foolishness have I lost that which I held most dear. Kill myself I cannot, for I cannnot find it within myself to give my love even that small measure of pain as my death would bring her. But I beg you, as you will, to give me peace."

Lady Gaia, she of infinite mercy, looked down upon this poor and foolish Knight and took pity upon him. Reaching down, she touched him gently on his shoulder and transformed him into a wild and thorny rose bush. And to this day there stands upon this headland a wild rose, facing always out to sea, and seeming, with the dew, to weep each night.

But out at sea, far far beyond the headland, the sea maiden knew nothing of this wild rose, and danced happily in the sea's quiet depths.

Go you in the grace of Gaia, gentle reader, and reflect upon my tale.

Arvarius the Monk