Once, there was a castle that remained isolated by the water. Within it lived a lone princess, whose beauty would never see the light of day. Known for her beautiful tapestries, she was simply known as Orihime. Orihime had been in these towers for as long as she could remember. Week after after week, day by day, hour upon hour. The time she had spent endlessly weaving was infinite.

Because of the curse, she would never have the life she dreamed of. Or so she'd been told. She was never able to find out what the curse necessarily was.

And so, she did as she was told, spending her days weaving, weaving; taking in everything she saw in the large mirror. It had been carefully placed to reflect her window. A daily reminder of the life that hadn't been allowed to her.

She weaved everything that she could observe. The animals, the flowers, the river. Sometimes, if by chance they appeared, she would weave the people that passed by, be it the lovers, the farmers, the shepherds, and the bards. Once in a while, she'd even spot the occasional knight gallantly prancing in their horse.

If she wanted to be frank, she was half-sick of shadows.

It was one such rare occasion when he showed up. A knight with the regalia of Karakura, the neighboring kingdom. At the sight of him, she was immediately bewitched. Her mind was clouded only with him, the curious man with the scowl and orange hair. Her hands and eyes had forgotten their tasks as she stopped weaving and looked toward the window to get a better look. Orihime watched as he trudged through the heavy mud with his steed. She could see the same shadows within his eyes. There was a thorn in his heart, she'd realized. She suddenly wanted to know more about him.

'If only I could be the rain.'

The spell was cut short when a loud crack filled the room. The mirror had shattered. She felt the sensation of a hundred needles pricking her heart, and she instantly knew. "The curse is upon me," she sobbed, as a single tear trailed toward her chin.

How funny that the first and only man she would ever love, would also be her demise.

She wiped at her face and shook the thought away. Even if she was to die, she was thankful. The price she had to pay was small in exchange for the warmth he had brought to her. There was no time to waste. She was determined to see him once more, before it was too late.

With all the strength she could muster, Orihime fled down the long spiral of stairs. Who knew how much time she had left. As soon as she was outside she realized there was no way of leaving the lake to reach the land. She had never learned to swim. 'He must be far ahead by now.'

She ran again, to find something. Anything.

In the corner of her eye was a small boat.

She unchained it and hopped in, rowing further and further. The river itself lead to the kingdom of Karakura, so she rowed in the direction the water went. It was the quickest way she would be able to reach.

The sight of her castle was long gone. She wasn't sure how long she had been floating. She had underestimated the time she had left, it seemed, as she could feel her body growing colder and heavier. She lied down and began to sing. It was a song that she heard once or twice in her dreams. Memories of the halcyon days. A vague image of Sora-nii crossed her mind's eye.

"I think of you, all alone..."

She could only hope that at least, her voice would reach a piece of that man's heart.

"That song? What is it you sing?" Orihime gasped, lifting her head to look for the source of the voice. Two identical women sat on the edge of the boat, their hands neatly tucked into their laps with intrigued expressions on their faces. They were probably the most beautiful women she had ever encountered. "P-pardon?"

The one on the left, who carried a gentle demeanor, smiled sweetly.
"Oh my, did we frighten you? I apologize, we were just too captivated with your song, wouldn't you say so Rukia-chan?"

The one called Rukia, who despite carrying the similarly elegant air as her look-alike, seemed to be a little rougher around the edges. She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry for startling you. It's not very often you see or hear anything exciting all that often around here."

Orihime blinked, not sure what to make of the situation. Was she so close to death that she was now delirious?

As if having read her mind, the gentle one shook her head.

"You must be wondering who we are, my apologies once again. My name is Hisana and this is my younger sister, Rukia. We are the daughters of the lake."

Daughters of the lake? Orihime was sure she was delirious. How else could she be meeting with the daughters of the lake? Despite having been locked in the tower for so long, even someone like her knew who they were. They were legendary sorceresses. Not wanting to risk their wrath just in case, however, she decided to go along.

Willing herself into a kneeling position, she bowed.

"Your honors, I apologize for intruding. My name is Orihime."

Rukia blushed in embarrassment. Clearly she was not used to being shown any sort of reverence.

"What are you bowing for silly? There's no-," she paused mid sentence, her eyes widening in shock. She grabbed Orihime's face; turning it this way and that with such force that it made her dizzy.

She sweated nervously, and before she could ask, Rukia answered.

"You're cursed," she announced, squishing her cheeks with her palms.

"Um, yes."

"I see. So you came here to die," she stated matter-of-factly, looking her in the eye and then thumbing her wrists to check her pressure.

Hisana eyed Orihime with a pitying look.

"And from the feel of it, this is Cirucci's work," Rukia added, "What a witch!"

Orihime was impressed. She could tell all that just from studying her?

"Rukia, language," Hisana scolded, but then continued to ask, "Is there still something we can do?"

Rukia dropped Orihime. "Yes, but we need to hurry. I'll be back."

Hisana nodded, and Rukia quickly disappeared.

"What's going on," Orihime asked.

Hisana sighed. "It's alright dear, don't exert yourself. We'll explain everything.

Rukia returned a minute later, with a small jar of four, bright red feathers.

She took one out and handed it to Orihime and instructed her to consume it. She did as she was told. The feel of the feather down her throat was uncomfortable, but she felt as if a weight had been lifted.

"Good girl," Rukia smiled as she pat her head. She placed the jar into the pocket of Orihime's dress. "Keep this. You should be feeling much better now."

"Unfortunately, this is only the treatment. They will each last you a week at most," Hisana spoke, "The curse is far beyond our ability to break. Fortunately, we know someone that is much more capable than us."

"Thank you very much," Orihime spoke. She didn't mind if she wasn't able to live. As long as she got to see him again, and thank him, it would be enough. "I don't know how to repay you."

They shared a look.

"There's no need, you have already gifted us your song. We are only returning the favor. Now tell us, what is the name of the man on your mind?"

Orihime blushed.

"How did you know?"

They eyed her knowingly.

"W-well, you might have seen him? He's a knight. His hair is orange and he has a funny scowl. And the shadows… A-anyway, he passed by my tower and I wanted to thank him."

Hisana covered her mouth to hide her smile, as Rukia quirked a brow mischeviously. Was there something they knew?

Suddenly, Rukia brushed away the invisible lint from her dress and proceeded to stand up along with her older sister.

"Well, it looks like we have overstayed our welcome, so we'll be taking our leave. Once you reach Karakura, look for Urahara. Tell him that we sent you. Oh, and Orihime?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry for what we're about to do."

The boat disappeared along with the sisters, and Orihime slipped into the water. She panicked, kicking her legs around to help keep her afloat.

"H-help! I can't swim! Rukia-san! Hisana-san!"

She accidentally swallowed the water and choked, causing her descend downward. Struggling to reach for air, she failed to hear the splash from above. Suddenly, a pair of arms pushed her upward and onto the land.

Feeling her conciousness fade, she forced herself to look at her savior. A set of warm brown eyes and orange hair greeted her vision.

"Are you alright?"

Everything was black.

A/N: This story is an IH AU loosely based on the poem/ballad 'The Lady of Shalott' by Alfred Lord Tennyson, with some twists and heavily strays away from the source material in the second half (only because my feelings would not permit me to let Orihime die. At least for now. I can't do it ok?). It is a very very slightly revised version of the same fanfic I posted on tumblr. Will I ever continue this fic? Depends on whether or not my ADHD will permit me, so it will remain a one-shot until I am struck by inspiration.

For additional effect, listen to Shalott by Emilie Autumn and Lost in Thoughts All Alone from Fire Emblem Fates as you read.