DIAMANT
"Sterre was my mother," Merete said, and for a few moments Diamant failed to react while his brain processed this information. When finally he lifted his eyes to look at her, he saw for the first time the shock in her expression, just visible in the half-light. She was looking away from him, her gaze faraway and thoughtful, and though she did not look close to tears she was nonetheless the picture of someone who has just received life-changing news.
Seeing her like this pulled him out of his whirlpool of self-pity. He saw now that he was not the one who suffered from these revelations. He had merely gained a glimpse into a previously unknown lineage, while Merete had lost a father, mother, and sister all in the same careless breath. Even if she had gained a brother from this bombshell, he could not even begin to replace the relations she had lost. She might not even want to stay in touch after this conversation. They did not know each other, after all.
He considered the idea that the diamond-shaped white mark on his forehead and the smoldering amber eyes that had made him stand out next to Inka throughout his youth were the very traits that made his parentage so obvious. Of course, he thought. Their names meant 'fire' and 'star' - why hadn't he considered it before? He may have only picked up a few Dutch words from Inka, but the connection was not so tenuous that he shouldn't have been able to see it.
Diamant felt like an idiot, but moreover he felt like an inconsiderate idiot for speaking so thoughtlessly and thus bringing Merete's world crumbling down in one swift blow.
"I guess so," he finally replied in a low voice. "I'm sorry. If I had known -... I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I just... couldn't have expected this if I tried. Were you… close with them?" He lifted his aquiline nose and glanced at their surroundings. Twilight had fallen around them, swathing the clearing in a haze of shadows, and though this time of year it would not grow any darker, it was still enough to signal that they should get some rest soon. Diamant looked back to Merete with a sheepish expression. He was wired from adrenaline, but his body was trembling from tension and he suddenly welcomed the idea of reclining on the spongy tundra grass.
"We have a long night ahead of us if you want to talk about this more. Do you want to come lay with me under the trees? We might as well make ourselves comfortable."
FRIESIAN; 17’2HH; BLACK; THREE
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