artemis and actaeon || for @misterdowding
Once upon a time... An undisclosed location in the country. August, 1800.
The pond was her secret, sacred place.
Marina didn't bother to check to see if anyone had managed to follow her this deep into the woods. The land surrounding the country estate was private, and so remote it seemed to belong to another world altogether. She had spent most of the summer nestled along the banks of the pond, hidden in amongst the greenery and wildflowers. She'd fallen in love with the little pool, the gentle perfume of the air, and the song of the birds echoing through the trees.
From the moment she'd woken up that morning and felt the press of the heat against her already sweat-soaked skin, all she could think about was this.
Marina slipped off her shoes, carefully placing them high up on the dry earth, before the trees and soft grasses sloped away to the mud around the edge of the crystalline waters. Her stockings were next, carefully folded and draped over a low hanging tree branch, so that they couldn't blow away.
Hiking up her skirts, the princess slowly waded into the water. She gasped, letting out a surprised burst of musical laughter as the cold hit her feet, and began creeping up her legs. She pulled her skirts higher, holding them up around her upper thighs as she moved carefully into deeper water, sighing with relief. She closed her eyes, breathing in deep.
The summer heat. The icy water and the faint breeze. Solitude, at last. This was paradise... To have one moment completely alone...
Or so she thought...
