A young woman, only fifteen years of age, sat upon her throne, staring at her parents. Her golden hair shone in the sunlight that flooded into the room from the large windows. Her pale, almost white, skin was luminescent. Her powder blue eyes looked intently at her mother and father.
She wore a lovely gown. It was backless and all white. It had a mauve bodice and a multi-colored royal banner on the front. She wore white mitts. On her shoulders sat bronze spaulders. A bronze medallion hung from her neck. On her forehead sat a bronze, jewel-encrusted circlet.
"Zelda, my dear, your sixteenth birthday is tomorrow," said her father. "Are you ready?"
Zelda nodded, bored with the conversation already. It was one that she had endured many times in the weeks prior to this day.
"Your dress is selected? The alterations are made?" inquired her mother.
"Yes, mama, everything is perfect," sighed the young princess.
"Your mask? Did you go with the one with the ribbons or the one that you hold?"
"With the ribbons. What a hassle it would be to have to hold onto the mask all night!"
"You're absolutely certain that you want a masquerade for your party?" her father, a tall, stout man asked.
"Completely. If I have to dance with a thousand noblemen, I would much rather escape seeing their faces," Zelda looked out the window. "Hopefully there will be some younger men there. We did send invitations to all the boy's schools and homes, didn't we?"
"Yes, yes, darling," assured the thin queen, "We sent an invitation to every boy in the Lanayru Province. Surely your future husband is lurking out there somewhere. He will be at the party."
"Fine then. Is this all we have to talk about? I don't understand why we had to have a special meeting. This conversation could have been held during dinner," Zelda stood, stretching her legs.
"Well, no, dear, that's not all we have to talk about. Tomorrow, you will be of marrying age, and you must choose who you wish to marry. And, we believe," explained the king, "that we should share with you our picks for your courter."
Zelda looked up at her parents in terror. She could only imagine what monstrosities her father had chosen. Being a noble king, he would have picked men who would bring great power to his country. He wished to make deals with other lands, alliances and proclamations. He did not care if they were fifteen or fifty, as long as they brought power to Hyrule, he was happy.
"Our first suggestion is Prince Ralis, of the Zora."
The princess grimaced, "Father, can you imagine what my children would look like? I could never bear to have children that must remain moist to survive."
"Darbus, of the Gorons."
"Absolutely not. Out of the question. Father, there are no female Gorons, meaning, Gorons do not understand the delicate structure of a woman." Zelda could only imagine who else he father had in mind.
"Kafei, of Termina."
"Kafei? Who is that? I can't say I've heard of him," The princess looked to her father with intrigue.
"He's the mayor's son. He's quite charming, really," informed Zelda's mother, "but I don't think you would want him. He's quite drawn to a woman in his native land. I believe Kashi said that his son was planning on proposing."
"Then Kafei is out of the question," the king said simply, "Moving along, then. Next, we have Chachin, of Earhearst."
"Chachin... maybe," murmured Zelda, "Wait, tell me, mother, are all the men from Lanayru coming? That doesn't sound like you. I highly doubt you would allow hundreds of rowdy teenagers into a masquerade."
The queen bit her lip, "Well, actually, I instructed the schools to send only their most suitable student. I want only the best for my daughter. You deserve a quality consort, not some low-life smuggler."
"All right, then," the princess looked out the window once more, "Shall we continue this at supper? I want to go for a walk in the courtyard before I lose the sunlight. It would be a shame to let this perfect day go to waste when we can speak of this another time."
Her parents looked uneasily at each other as their daughter left the throne room. They had a long list of suitors, and only a little over twenty-four hours until their daughter's celebration.
Zelda stepped out of the castle and was immediately bathed in sunlight. She closed her eyes and smiled. Immediately, she relaxed. "Brutus," she called to an armored guard, "where might I find Impa?"
"I saw her by the duck pond just a few minutes ago," answered the guard, pointing.
"Thank you, Brutus," the princess hurried off to find her nursemaid.
Impa was a tall, strong woman. Her hair was pure white, even though she was still quite young. Her eyes were blood red and piercing, despite the fact that she was very lovely. Her skin was very tan. She wore traditional Sheikah armor. This consisted of a skin-tight jumpsuit in a dark navy color. Her arms were covered in white cloth. An ivory cloth covered her chest, a red insignia painted on the front. It looked like an eye with a large teardrop dripping from it. Her feet were squeezed into thin boots.
"Impa!" shouted Zelda, scurrying over to join the Sheikah woman.
"Ah, Zelda, I thought you were talking with your parents," Impa's voice was soft and smooth.
"I was, but it's over now. Will you take me into town?"
"Zelda..." Impa murmured apprehensively, "your birthday is tomorrow. Do you really want to venture into town, when everyone wants to know all the details of your party?"
The princess pondered the matter for a few minutes, "Impa, this may be my last chance for a while. After my party, everyone everywhere will be badgering me to marry them, their brother, their son. I just want to have one last night of normality. Please?"
Her nursemaid sighed. With a fleeting glance through the window at the king and queen, she nodded. They hurried past Brutus, Impa shooting him a warning look, as if to tell him never to say a word about them leaving.
A small crowd greeted them at the gate.
"Zelda! Zelda!" they screamed. They reached for her, but were promptly reprimanded by a guard or by Impa.
"Let's go by the schools, shall we? Lessons should just be finishing up. Perhaps I'll get to have a preview of who will be at the party tomorrow," Zelda led her nursemaid to Hyrule Castle Town Campus, where all the schools were located. She passed the school for young children, passed the ones for girls, and stopped by the older boys' school.
She peered in the window, trying to figure out what they were doing. The professor stood at the head of the room, writing names on the chalkboard. Students cheered as people raised their hands to say a name. Someone spotted the princess, and announced her arrival.
The thin wooden door opened, and the teacher stepped out.
"Princess Zelda?" he bowed deeply, "I am honored that you have decided to review my teaching establishment. I mean no disrespect, but may I inquire as to why? I would not take such a noble princess to watch these rowdy young men."
Zelda and Impa shared a quick look, "Oh, no reason. I take it you are choosing your candidate for the party tomorrow?"
"Oh, yes, your Highness, we were just taking a vote. Are you allowed to see who we have chosen?"
Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Impa.
"No. We must be on our way. Come along, now, Zelda, dear," the Sheikah woman took her by the arm and escorted her away. Zelda looked through the window once more to see the boy they had chosen, but it was only a glimpse.
From what she could see, he was quite tall and slightly muscular. He had a thin nose and high cheekbones. His eyes were a piercing blue. His hair was light brown. He was tan, and very handsome.
"I wonder what mask he shall be wearing..." Zelda whispered, dreamily.
"It doesn't matter," huffed Impa. "Everyone removes their masks at the end of the ceremony, so you might be able to weed him out."
The morning of Zelda's sixteenth birthday came all too early. She dreamed of the boy that night. It wasn't quite a dream, but a vision of sorts. It reminded her much of a dream she had had years ago, but this one was much happier, much more upbeat. It was same only in the intensity of it. It felt so real, that the princess was astonished when she awoke.
In the morning, she ate a light breakfast, and was immediately taken to get her hair done. It took hours to complete the style. By the end, it was worth it. Her blond hair was twisted into intricate braids, at the back of her head. A golden circlet rested on her forehead, sapphires built into it. They made her blue eyes pop.
Next, she ate a large lunch to hold her until the celebration feast. After lunch, she was sat back into a chair to have her makeup done. This only took about an hour, because her features were already so beautiful as they were. The last thing to be done was last minute changes to her dress.
The dress was all blue, a shocking royal blue. The skirt fell all the way to the ground. A golden belt with the Triforce on it was tied to her waist, a gold, blue, and white royal banner hanging from it. The dress had thin straps covered by golden spaulders. Her arms wore long, golden gloves. A triangle hung from a long chain fastened around her neck.
Her mask was mostly white, with gold and blue accents. It was fastened to her head with shiny satin ribbons.
The sun began to set, and Zelda hurried to the enormous ballroom, where she took her seat at the end of the head table. She saw her parents, and they beamed at her.
"Oh, Zelda, you look gorgeous!" her mother wrapped her in a hug.
"You truly do look beautiful. We'll have to keep an eye on all the young men tonight, won't we, Annabellin?" the king laughed, looking at his wife.
"Oh, Nohas, you joker," The royal family looked happy as the guests began to arrive.
Zelda stared at the doors, trying to figure out who was the boy she saw at the school. She ruled out all of the Gorons and the Zora, for obvious reasons. She ruled out all of the short men, all of the fat men, and all of the old men. All that were left was a small handful of brown haired boys. All she had to do was dance with each one of them to figure out who the boy was.
"Ugh, the nerve of some people," uttered Nohas.
"I know! To wear a child's mask to a royal masquerade!" Annabellin scoffed.
"Who?" Zelda looked at the young man her parents pointed to. He wore a Keaton Mask. She pursed her lips. He looked familiar. Could it be? Was it the boy from the school? He took directions from a servant, and sat down at a table with a bunch of other boys around his age.
The feast began, and it lasted around two hours. By then, the moon had begun to rise. The king stood at the table, and commanded the room's attention.
"I thank you all for being here," began Nohas. "Thank you for celebrating the coming of age ceremony for my daughter, Princess Zelda. She is now of marrying age!" The room erupted into cheers. "Now, as goes tradition, the young men invited here to vie for a chance to be her husband will step onto the dance floor, and she shall choose who she will dance with first! Then, after their first dance is complete, others may join her, in this order: royal family, noblemen, then the rest. Thank you, and please, enjoy this night!"
The young men at the table took this as their cue to fill the dance floor. Around thirty men stood there, over half of them Hylian, a few Zora, and a single Goron. Zelda stood up, and headed straight for the man behind the Keaton mask. She glanced behind her to see her parents' reaction.
"May I have this dance?" she asked, holding her hand out to the boy.
"Isn't that my line?" retorted the young man, "But yes, I would be honored to dance with you."
The couple began to dance slowly.
"So, what is your name?" inquired Zelda, trying to see through the tiny slits that were the eyeholes of her partner's mask.
"Now, wouldn't that ruin the mystery?"
"Wha...?"
"Isn't the point of a masquerade to keep your identity a secret?"
"Well, yes," sputtered the princess, beaten by logic, "But..." She looked at the Keaton mask, it's mocking eyes staring at her. "Are you having a good time?"
"Why, yes, actually. I saw a couple of my friends at my table. The food was divine," said the man.
"You're an excellent dancer, Mister Eman," Zelda giggled at her joke. Mister Eman was supposed to sound like, "Mystery man."
"Oh, really? I've never danced like this before. You're a lovely dancer yourself, princess," The princess could not decipher whether or not her partner was embarrassed or not, due to his mask. If he was, he was hiding it well.
The music began to change, and the man behind the Keaton mask lessened his grip on Zelda. It seemed that their time for dancing was over. In her peripheral vision, the princess could see many eager suitors waiting for her to finish her dance.
"May I cut in?" squawked Prince Ralis, one of the few Zora.
The Keaton mask man bowed to Zelda before releasing her. She looked longingly at him. The music grew louder, and Ralis began to dance with her. He made small talk, but every time they twirled, she looked for the mocking face of the Keaton mask.
Many dances passed, and she only caught glimpses of her first partner. She saw him separate himself from the dance floor as the partiers jumped around during a traditional Goron bolero. He stayed away when they slowed down and twisted to a Zoran pavane.
Finally, as the night winded down, Zelda found him again.
"You're not dancing," stated the princess.
He sighed, and looked up at her, "I danced with many wonderful woman, most of them trying to win my heart. The majority of them thoroughly repulsed me. I did get a chance to talk with my old friend, Kafei."
"Ka... fei?" Zelda thought back to the conversation with her parents. "Where is he?"
The man with the Keaton mask pointed to a tall figure with dark purple hair. He was sitting at a table, speaking with a young woman with short red hair.
"Let's go say hello!" Zelda suggested.
The mystery man only sighed, as if he did not want to go. He took her hand and brought her over.
Kafei and his partner bowed to the princess as she approached.
"What a pleasure it is to meet you," said Kafei. His voice was low, like a purr. He wore an ornate mask that matched his attire perfectly.
"The pleasure is all mine, Kafei," the princess smiled warmly at him. "And you are?"
"Oh, um, my-my name is... Anju," stuttered the woman, clearly nervous at the sight of Zelda.
"So, L-" Kafei began, but he was quickly interrupted by the Keaton mask man.
"Shh!" he snapped, "She's not to know my name!"
Zelda giggled, "Yes, he's playing a game with me, I suppose. He won't let me know who he is until everyone is told to remove their masks."
The purple haired man nodded, then smiled, "Well, I have to say, I love your choice in masks. I thought you were going to return that."
The Keaton mask man replied with laughter. It was a laugh so nice and so warm that it made Zelda want to laugh as well, even though she didn't understand the joke.
"The guy from the Mystery Shop said nothing about returning it. He said that you wanted me to have it," he shrugged.
"Hm," thought Kafei, "I suppose he did... Well, I wouldn't know, would I?"
Zelda looked confused. Anju looked briefly up at her, then quickly away. She looked as though she were going to explain, then remembered who she was with, and didn't.
"No, you wouldn't," the Keaton mask man laughed again.
A guard weeded his way to the table, and took the mystery man by the arm.
"The king would like to speak to you," his voice was grave.
Kafei's eyes flickered behind his mask. The mystery man was taken away by the guard, Zelda tailing him stealthily.
Nohas eyed the mystery man, "I want to know why you think it was appropriate to wear such a mask."
The young man contemplated his answer, "Legally, Zelda is an adult now," he began, "and I wanted to let her know that just because you're an adult, and you have so many more responsibilities, you can still have fun."
The king stared him down, "All right then," was all he said.
The party finally came to an end. Nohas stood upon a small pedestal to make an announcement.
"The night has come to an end. Will all the guests please remove their masks!" Nohas took his own, and revealed his chubby face. The guests followed suit.
Zelda stared at the Keaton mask man intently, absentmindedly taking off her own mask. Beneath the shining gold wood of the Keaton, there was a young man with a shockingly handsome face. His face was identical to the one the princess had caught a glimpse of the day before. She started to make her way over, but was stopped by a couple guards.
"Your father would like you up with him, your highness," apprised one guard. She nodded, and went with them.
"Ah, there she is!" the king kissed his daughter's forehead. "Did you have a good time?"
"Yes, Daddy. I had a wonderful time," she beamed at him, still antsy to find the boy.
"Did you find anyone you liked?" queried her mother.
"Why, yes, I did," Zelda told Annabellin, "I was just looking for him..."
"Who is he?" Her mother ignored the hint.
"Well, I'll find him and bring him to you," The princess hurried into the retreating crowd, desperate to find the boy. After many minutes of searching, she came up short. She slumped back to her parents.
"He left," she said, her voice sad and tired.