5/9/00

Dear Diary,

Well, it has been a busy last few days...I didna get to go gathering herbs when I last left you..As you know, that is one of my favorite things to do besides riding horses and going exploring...I ended up having to do household duties, Mother is not feeling at all well, once again...My Father is very concerned...He is so haggard looking these days, I see him age before me eyes...It is a hard time what with the dragon activity, robbers going through the small towns and villages under Father's protection..doing rampant pillaging...I donna understand what is in the air but it is not good..SO , MY STARS..I must take the Queen's place on managing the household staff for a few days....I am very worried about Mother...I will have to think of something to cheer her up...I must try to restrain myself and stay out of trouble...I will do this for the time being...I will not let things RANKLE me...I will keep my temper....ALAS I will TRY..( I know I will take Snow and Icee to visit her...SMILE...hmmmmm...

What are we to do , the heat is almost unbearable...Spring has disappeared quickly to be replaced with the coming of a harsh dry summer..I am also concerned about Michael..I have not heard from him..THat is not like him, to not show up ..I am very concerned, I sent word to him but no response as yet...SIGH...

I will hope to get out today and hunt for herbs, it is of a need that we have all various types on hand and in good quantity as this is the time when I can find some of the more difficult ones....I was taught by my Grandmother (father's mother) on the proper uses of these...At the time as a young child I dinna enjoy it but now I realize the need....AH but a lovely woman was she...SHe had the most wonderful laugh..A very happy woman, she was..She sparkled with such life...I miss her so...She and Mother dinna get along though, aye but I am at such loss as to why...Mother will not say much of this...OH MY STARS...I have been blathering much too much...must go....I will check in as soon as I can for I have much to tell you..My mind did wonder....sigh....Take care my friend...Yours, ~Mira~


5/10/00

Dear Diary,

I have such sadness of heart of lates...Things do not seem to be going well..Father is on edge, everyone seems to be snappish with the heat and the strain...We know know that there is a new sickness out in the outlying areas that donna bode well..

Went to cheer Mother up this morning..Took her some lovely flowers which brought a smile to her lips..Though I believe my 2 rascals of kittyhood made her smile even more after she got over the broken vase and other various items to fall prey to the speed of those 2 running through her chambers...I managed to corral Icee for Mother to hold but Snow hid under the huge bed...Mother has some wonderful songbirds that were given as a gift from some guests during the last festival and joust, it was this that caught the kitties attention quickly enough...OH MY STARS...What a racket and commotion that caused...Before too long I was shooed out of the room along with my reluctant rascals...Only after the maids managed to capture them...LA....

On a serious note, Mother was very pale , though she put on a cheery front for me, I know she truly is not feeling well...The physician had suggested several things but Father put his foot down on some outmoded suggestions...He donna believe in the leeches ...I am clearly worried, my friend...SIGH

Well, I have some more things to do prior to retiring tonight..Perhaps I will check in shortly before sleeping...One thought, rumour has it that Michael has left on a journey for the Earl...He is to check the familie's outlying estates for disrepair...I am not sure what to think on this, but perhaps it is so...I do so wonder if he truly sent that note, it was not signed...I am so purely vexxed....AH WELL...Until later, my good friend, perhaps my heart will lighten soon...I do wish it so...~yours , Mira~

5/15/00 Dear Diary, I am so sorry that it has taken me abit to check in..I have had a very bad time of it as of lates. I am bruised, battered but alive..It was horrible, I canna begin to believe that it really happened..Many times I wanted to write to explaining but I just didna have the words...I will try to impart to you this night what happened, as it is raining horridly tonight, I canna sleep as yet...The candles are burning low, my kitties are curled up asleep having given up on any hopes of me coming to bed as yet..I have been trying to get things organized in my mind, but it donna want to believe...Here tis the story.... I last remember telling you that I would be going hunting for herbs...That I did after, taking care of my duties here at the castle..I had a late start due to checking on my mother before heading out herb hunting...I must say I was in need of this respite as my heart is so very heavy with worry and sadness...I have felt very uneasy as you know my friend...I had Maximus prepared for riding, I was in my household gown so I dinna change clothing as I didna have to much daylight left...I assured the guards that I would not go very far beyond the castle walls, so they could keep an eye on me..I headed out at a sedate jog on Maximus until I crossed the bridge then we went at a run...It was so wonderful to fly with the wind hitting my face taking my breath away....I headed to an area I had remembered from another time..It had some particular herbs that I was looking for.. I must have been gone about an hour or more when I noticed that I had wondered into an area that was not familiar...The growth of the forrest mantle was much thicker and wilder..It was darker and I lost track of time while there..I found alot of what I needed...I found a brook and took a bit of water from it to drink and wipe my sweaty brow.. As I sat on the rock and leaned over to look in the water I saw movement above, it was a huge dragon, not one I had seen...It seemed to not have noticed me...Then I smelled burning of brush shortly after..By then Maximus was calling out in a panic as I had him loosely tethered..I ran over to him trying to calm his wild eyes... I was not feeling any calmer than he I am afraid, We started off at a run out into the clearing.. There was one fallen log on the way that we took at a fast clip and suddenly I was airborne, I hit the ground really hard..Maximus continued on in a panic..I saw the shadow and fire burning not far from me back where we had just come...OH MY LANDS, but I was frightened and very dizzy...SUDDENLY THERE was a large shadow in the clearing overhead.. I felt something swoop down before I actually saw anything...A large gigantic claw reached for me as I looked up at the dragon...I screamed...tripped and fell in my haste to get away...That actually bought me a little time..He swooped down again making contact with a claw, lifting me up as I was hanging by my clothing , he lifted me into the air, screaming..I could feel the wind from the beating of his wings and hear the sound of them...I don't really understand much what happened next...I know that I found myself on the ground later, bleeding and bruised, a bit dazed..It was dusk, and my clothing was ripped and bloody..I felt around myself and I seemed all right...I just couldna make any sense in my mind...I tried to stand but couldn't..... Dear friend, I do so hate to stop my tale at this point but, I just canna go on right now, for it makes me queasy.. I am not sure if I can continue.....I shall finish tomorrow , please forgive, I just can't continue.....Good nite my friend....~yours Mira~

5/26/00 Dear Diary, It is very late this night..I am very tired but still it is hard to fall asleep...The last days since my entry before, have been busy, though I have gone through them much as a sleep walker...I have had terrible dreams and nightmares since that last day that I described...I only remember bits and pieces, flashes that come to me in my tossing...OH but my friend...Rolf was the one who found me...He could not tell me to much, other than I arrived in such a state...I have no memory of talking with Rolf nor how I got here to the castle grounds from where I was. He couldna shed much light as well.. The other night the frog came again, I was at first in no mood, so angry and full of unknown fear..But he managed to calm me..He talked and soothed me for several of those nights..Singing me to sleep...I am deeply indebted to that little scruff of a muffin..He can be serious when the need arises.. Maximus as near as I can tell arrived before me...Rolf has had it that things come through him before they reach my father's ear, PARTICULARLY when they have to do with me..SO the KIng does not know much as yet...I am so relieved...My mother does not need the added strain nor father..I will figure it out myself..I had to promise to Rolf to not go about alone like that during these stormy times..He was very angry with me.. Oh Diary, I am not understanding the fear, nor the other feelings that I am having..Perhaps I will have more to tell as time goes on...It is with heavy heart that I close this entry, dreading going to bed for I know not what awaits me any longer..Thank you for listening my friend..I will try to visit it soon....~yours, Mira~

6/3/00 Dear Diary, The heat is horrible, the livestock, the people even the flies do not wish to move..I am still doing alot of the Queen's duties...I must confess, my friend, that mother is not getting any better. At least not at this time..She did get worse there for a bit but then she had a brief improvement and stablized...She looks so pale. She tries hard to be cheerful but she is so weak.. Father is beside himself with worry..The dragon sitings are getting more scattered. There seem to be several pockets of robberies where some very low people are taking advantage of the people's fear to rob and take advantage of the misfortunes of so many..Father has sent the constable out with specific orders on how to handle the robbers. I, myself, still have sleep that is broken up with fragments of that night but I am learning to accept for now..It is so strange to me, perhaps I will remember when the need is really strong. I have lost most of the bruises and scrapes...Father knows very little other than I had gotten lost. Well, I have many errands to run and responsibilites that mother would normal be doing. They have of course fallen to me...At times I feel very overwhelmed but I just continue bluffing my way through...I will check in later..thanks for listening my friend. Yours, ~Mira~ 6/3/00 Dear Diary, The day has been so VERY long....GRRRRR...But I am so very tired...I donna know how the Queen manages all these duties as well as taking care of Father as well...People can be so difficult or they can get such a look of blankness on their faces...I told the head stewart to please have some times changed on the serving of the meals and you would have thought I was asking him to change the moon and the stars...GOLDEN BELLS....Finally I got across to him what I wanted... I truly can see that mother has a routine as well as a relationship with each and everyone in the castle...That Lady may be my mother but she is also amazing...They just love her, my friend, and I do believe they resent a " mere snip of a girl" as I heard whispered several times telling them their business...Don't I know that they were here long before I was born, some came with mother when she married the King...HORSEFEATHERS... Icee and Snow are growing so fast much to the dismay of the household dogs of father's...They love to tease them unmercifully...LA! You can always tell when they are up to their tricks of a kind....That reminds me , they have been playing with the Frog again BUT this time he is not a victim but joins right in...IT is no wonder that I don't get a bit of sleep around here....Last night they were totally obnoxious! To think that I just paid him a wonderful compliment....SUCH A FOOL WAS I LET ME TELL YOU....BRASS BELLS.. but you just never know... Another thing , the old rumor mill is spinning such webs about Michael...Word has it he was seen with every bar maid in the countryside....Depending on who you listen to...It is atrocious...I donna believe it all but then I AM NOT FROM FALLING OFF A BRIDGE SO PERHAPS HE IS UP TO SOME SHENNEGIANS OF A SORT....I surely would like to have a LITTLE TALK with him...IMAGINE..he has not attempted to even get in touch with me..I donna mind, telling you , I am fairly fuming, thank you very much!...WE SHALL SEE....GRRRRR....DRAT....there goes candle wax all over the place....I shall stop here my friend as my blood is fairly boiling now that I have thought about my lovely Michael...THAT ....THAT...OH MY STARS!!! GRRRRR...night my friend, yours~Mira~