Shrine of Summer

Chapter 1: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

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She's a worryingly thin baby that grows into a relatively skinny toddler with wild dreams. As an infant she refuses to sleep, wanting to stay awake as long as possible. As a toddler she protests against nap time, wanting to read one more story with the nanny. An only child and (for now) the heir to her lord father's estate, she gets everything she wants; but little bodies get tired quickly and she caves to her exhaustion after one more storybook. She wants and wants and wants. She's a greedy little thing, like all children are. The heroine of her story, the protagonist. She wants to be a beautiful princess, a fierce warrior, a wise queen all at once. Her dreams are bursting, full of magic and sunlight and sparkles. There is no end to Wonderland.

Until there is. On a hot, muggy night, she sneaks out of her room to climb the tree in the courtyard. She doesn't get very far up the tree, but she gets far enough that she can't get back down. She screams and cried, a spoiled little princess with soft hands and no way back to earth. No one comes. She wails, tears rolling down her plump cheeks and snot dripping down her nose. She is alone.

-shrine of summer-

Far away in another wing of the manor, her lady stepmother is giving birth to the child who could be the lord's heir. The guards surround the birthing room as maids hurry in and out to the sound of the lady's shrieks and moans of pain. The lord is nowhere to be found. The birth is taking too long, the lady is growing weaker. She cries out again and pushes. Harder, the midwife cries. Breathe, my lady, the maid whispers. The lady whimpers and pushes harder. At last, the child is born. A boy. The birthing room erupts in joy, but the new mother pants as her washed and swaddled son is placed in her arms. She smiles down at the infant, cooing weakly at his cries. The midwife takes him from her arms and wipes her forehead with a cool, damp cloth. Eyelids fluttering in exhaustion, the lady falls asleep.

-shrine of summer-

No choice is left but to fall down, the little princess thinks. She's scared. What if it hurts? She's never had anything worse than a papercut or a bruise from running into a table. She sniffles and scrubs her eyes with a pudgy fist. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and jumps. And misses. Her head cracks against the stony pathway and her eyes flutter shut. Not again, she thinks.

-shrine of summer-

The maids titter behind their hands at me.

"The little lady is a halfwit!"

"Poor little lady. Such a shame what happened to her. Poor foolish little girl."

They laugh and hoist their baskets further up on their hips and walk down the hallway. They think I can't understand them. They're not exactly wrong. It takes me a few seconds to decipher what they're saying but it's not so difficult that I don't bother with it. I mean, this is all so new. The soft fabrics that pool around my arms, the laquered table that sits across the room, everything. It feels a little like stepping back in time and a little like visiting my dad's parents.

Three months ago, I woke up to a quietly sobbing middle-aged woman by my bed and the spicy taste of overused incense in my tongue. My head ached and I couldn't move my left arm. I have to admit, the first noise I made wasn't pretty. Neither was the second. Or the third. But the weeping woman looked up at me and smiled softly. She asked me if I was thirsty. I stared at her.

"W-Who are you?"

Her face paled and I grimaced. Maybe I should have pretended to recognize her. Oh well, too late.

"W-What happened to m-me?"

She took a deep breath as if to ground herself and spoke in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Can't you recognize me? It's me, Natsu-baa."

She looked wrecked. I shook my head. Silence filled the room.

"Ah, N-Natsu-baa? I'm a little thirsty. I'm sorry to ask b-but might I have a little w-water?"

She looked down.

"Oh, of course."

The door slid shut behind her. I sat up and looked around. The room was beautifully decorated but everything looked rather small. Am I in a child's room, I wondered. My gaze turned to the window. The sun looked to be setting and the room was glowing with a soft golden-orange light. Yawning, I wiggled a little further into the blanket of the bed. I waited for the womanNatsu-baa to come back and stared out into the garden of what had to be either a ridiculously large house or a really traditionally-themed hospital. A few minutes later the door slid open again and the woNatsu-baa glided in holding a small cup, presumably of water. She set it on the table by my bed and sat down. I drank the water quietly and she smiled, smoothing down the hair on my forehead. Strange, I thought while staring down at my hands holding the cup.

"Goodnight darling."

"Goodnight Natsu-baa."

The lamp was extinguished and the curtains were drawn. Natsu-baa kissed my forehead lightly and stepped out, sliding the door closed behind her. I yawned again and closed my eyes. What a weird dream.