*ship*

Nausicaa Awakens

The glow of morning light could be seen faintly behind the curtains of a stately bedchamber. The ocean could be heard soughing in the distance. The sound of servants rattling kitchen utensils in preparation for the day's breakfast, and the smell of already frying bacon, called the sleeper in this room to return to her early morning dreams and then to wakefulness.

But a golden radiance hovered over her head, and intercepted the silver-blue breath twining its way back to her body.

"Look at the state of your clothes, girlfriend! How do you ever expect to attract men with that kind of mess?"

Nausicaa blinked a few times. She couldn't remember how she got to be sitting on the floor with her friend Dymea sorting through her clothes. She looked closely at Dymea and at first she seemed just a hazy golden radiance, then her features snapped into clarity beginning with her grey eyes. "I don't know, I've never thought about it before."

"Haven't you ever thought about what kind of man you might marry?" Dymea insisted.

"Well, sometimes. A little. What kind of man do you want to marry?"

"An athletic man. Not too bulky, but with tight buns."

"Get out of here! Is that all?" Nausicaa giggled.

"Good hair and all of his teeth would be nice too, but knowing my luck I'll probably get some short, balding guy."

"And you would love him to pieces. I think I would like..." Nausicaa looked thoughtfully at her clothes for a moment, "to marry someone with gentle eyes and a kind heart, a person of mystery and adventure."

Dymea threw a lace slip at Nausicaa's face. "You are a romantic. Well, you better get to washing your things. Mr. Mystery could turn up any day and you wouldn't want to meet him in dirty underwear. Let's go to the beach today. We could catch some rays and do a bit of cleaning. You know what they say, cleanliness is next to godliness."

Nausicaa laughed. It sounded like fun and why not indulge in a little dreaming?

Princess Nausicaa awoke as a gentle breeze fluttered the curtains and caused rays of early morning light to play across her face. She stretched, sat up, then stepped into a pair of slippers and walked over to the window. Pulling back the curtains she saw nothing but blue sky and sunshine. "What a perfect day to do the laundry."

After breakfast Nausicaa convinced her father to let her borrow the fancy mule cart with the red and green wheels. "Now you be careful with it, and don't go driving the mules too fast," he admonished her. She packed a lunch, some beach things and the laundry, then headed off toward the ocean with a number of her favourite servants and Dymea.

Having a Ball at the Beach
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Copyright © 1998 Katherine Phelps