A Brief Eternity
They say the easiest things in life are those that we don't have to do ourselves. Princess Zelda had one of the easiest and most horrifying experiences of her life just recent. She didn't remember the face of her savior nor the fight that person would have had with the evil Ganondorf. It'd been quite a few weeks since that awful event. As excruciating as her kidnapping was, it lasted by a mere day long. In that one full day she'd experienced far more trauma than the rest of her life combined.
Zelda sat topless with her breasts exposed on her posh bench in front of her vanity mirror as she stared into her own dark expression. Her hyper blonde hair may have been brushed and put neatly into pearls and braids a' beauty, but her normally azure eyes were deep and stoic. Her long, golden hair twisted gently around her bare shoulders and over her pale chest. With each heave of her breath her body shifted slightly.
The smallest of frowns caressed her lips and in an instant it was gone.
She glanced to her side to see her maids quick at work gathering pink silks and golden jewels. She placed a cold and shaky hand over her heartbeat; she was scared. Yes, fear was the dominant emotion in Zelda's quivering heart. She hadn't felt this way since before she'd been rescued from her imprisonment in Ganon's castle just months ago. This fear however was not for her life, but for her kingdom. Ganondorf may be dead, or sealed in the Sacred Realm rather, but that did not mean that Hyrule was safe from invader and foe alike. She moistened her lips with her tongue and opened her mouth to speak.
"Impa." She called out lightly.
"Yes, Princess?" the older woman's reply came from across the room.
"Gondaire isn't a barbaric place, is it?" she asked and Impa froze. "I mean…" Zelda let out a nervous chuckle. "It's just that I've heard some things about their backyard…"
"Backyard?" Impa asked as she strode over to Zelda's side.
"I heard that there are whizrobes and moblins in the woods of Gondaire. Is it true?" Zelda asked pensively.
Impa let out a hearty laugh. "No, no, no! Princess, you're thinking of Sabireth Hills!" Impa moved to sit next to Zelda who took a sigh of relief. "Gondaire is a human kingdom. That means no moblins, no wizrobes, no octoroks and absolutely no intelligence." Impa smiled and Zelda laughed with her.
It was indeed a racist joke, but just a joke. Hylians and humans were known to not get along well in terms of politics. Tonight would be a game changer though. Out of the seven human kingdoms five of them would be represented at tonight's ball. Even though this new information soothed Zelda's fears for the moment, she still dreaded the safety of her kingdom. Impa stood up and retrieved a brazier from the dresser and approached the monarch from behind. She slipped it over Zelda's arms and over her breasts. She then snapped it in place around her back and straightened out the shoulder straps.
"Oooh Princess!" came a third woman from behind the paravent holding a large pile of pink fluff. The older woman unfolded the pink dress and held it up to show Zelda. Zelda's smile spread like melted satisfaction. She stood up in nothing but her bra, panties and stockings with unsnapped garters.
"I love it!" she exclaimed happily with a coy smile.
They put a corset onto Zelda and squeezed her into the pink and gold dress. The six 'o clock chimes went off from the Temple of Time like church bells at a wedding. They hurriedly put Zelda's sparkly gold heels on and did her exotic make up. With so many people from differing races and cultures attending the ball there was much impressing to do. After Zelda's gold make up and glitter was applied they threw on her replica Triforce necklace, tiara and other jewels; she looked like divinity at the dawn of time.
"Now just a sprits of this and you're off to meet Prince Charming!" the old maid said. Impa and Zelda rolled their eyes as Zelda was assaulted with the aroma of earthen roses and gardens of lilies.
"Miss Anos, you're excused for the evening." Zelda said and the older woman left.
Impa may have been older than Zelda, but Anos was even older by far. She'd been a maid in the castle since Zelda's father was young. Zelda, in all her pink and gold glory, did a full spin in the body length mirror and sighed deeply. Impa knew that Zelda loved balls and waltzes, but tonight was different than usual. Tonight she'd be seeing the first of her possible suitors. Zelda was eighteen now and of eligible age to wed. The King of Hyrule was getting up there in age and could pass within the next five or so years easily. So to secure the throne Zelda had a limited amount of time to find a Prince, or god forbid an old King, that would make a suitable King for Hyrule and a loving mate for Zelda.
"Relax Princess." Impa's calm, soothing voice said. "There will be at least fifty Princes and countless Kings here tonight. You are the prize; not them. The ball is in Hyrule for your sake."
Zelda sighed deeply repeatedly.
Hyrule was the third most powerful kingdom in the world. The first was Sabireth Hills and the second was Gondaire. There were many other kindgoms that was vast and powerful, but these three stood out the most in the world. Alile, Xzetch and Kalos were in a trilogy peace-treaty, but together combined were no match for Hyrule. Hyrule was also the oldest kingdom of them all. With its rich culture and deep grasp in history, Hyrule was destined to rule the world one day and Zelda was to be the Queen to set it on its path to glory.
Zelda was literally the world's most eligible maiden at the moment. She was in her prime for fertility and beauty, she was extremely well educated in both book and wand, she was heir to a powerful nation and most importantly she was the prophet of Hylia. Upon Zelda's conception a rumor spread, even before made public of the Queen's pregnancy, that Hylia had reincarnated herself into a mortal woman. Zelda was the last purebred Hylian in all the world. The King being a pure Hylian married one of the last pure Hylian woman left. They wished to have many offspring, but her body gave out on her just after two. All of those today who call themselves "Hylian" are not but half-breeds and hybrids. Zelda, with her ears the longest, was the last of two living purebreds left, including her father. She would have to make a sacrifice and marry the first non-pure Hylian in Hyrule's history. She was the last of her people's history standing. From here on out there would be half breeds and hybrids on the throne. All in all, Zelda was by far the most wanted woman in the world. There were other Princesses that came dangerously close to her title, but none were to outdo her.
Not tonight.
"M'lady!" a loud knocking came to her door. "M'lady, Impa!"
"Yes, I'm coming." Impa said as she walked over to the door and cracked it open slightly ajar. "Yes?"
"The King is about to start the opening ceremony. He wishes to see his daughter at once!" the guard man's eyes opened wide as he spoke.
"Very well, she's on her way." Impa said and closed the door without another word.
As she turned around Zelda was nowhere in sight. She huffed assuming the Princess had gotten nervous and jittered off somewhere to hide, but the loud shriek of surprise from the other side of the half-wall made that a moot suspicion. Impa flew over to the other side of the wall to see Zelda frightfully backing away from the open window. Impa put herself between Zelda and the window and waited a couple of seconds for a villain or monster to appear, but none did.
"What did you see Princess?" Impa asked darkly as she slowly crept towards the window with her dagger in hand.
"A masked man! He wore a white, blue and red mask!" Zelda gasped out.
"What else? What about his clothing?" Impa asked as she leaned over the window sill and looked down towards the ground to see if the man had jumped back down.
"He had a dark green cloak with gold trim and muddy boots. He was just sitting in the open window staring at me! I think he had fingerless gloves or something….and….and….he had a weapon on his back." Zelda panted as she sat down at her vanity bench and grasped her chest to steady her breathing. "He….he looked…familiar…" Zelda calmed herself.
"Familiar?" Impa turned back to Zelda, but never left the window. Zelda's brow furrowed.
"Yes, but…maybe he was from one of the story books you told me about once?" Zelda asked. "Maybe he's some villain from a book, or maybe he's cosplaying?"
"I don't recall a villain like that from any of the story books I read to you as a child." Impa closed the window. "I'll tell the royal guard to search the grounds, but for now you need to get to the ballroom. Everyone is waiting for you." Impa implored as she coaxed Zelda to stand up. She helped her fluff out her dress and make sure she hadn't smudged her eye make-up.
"I'm fine." Zelda sighed out and walked to the door. Impa followed suit and opened the bedroom door for her. "I don't have an escort, do I?"
"Not tonight you don't. It'd be awfully strange for a male to escort you into a room full of suitors." Impa informed her.
"Well, you're not male." Zelda smiled. Impa's brow raised; this was inappropriate to say the least. "I'm scared of the masked man, I don't want to be alone for a single moment. What if he mauls me in the hallway on the way down?" Zelda pouted fakely, but the threat could potentially be real.
"Very well then; if it is for your safety I shall break law and reason." Impa said regally as she lopped arms with her beloved Princess.
"Now entering the ballroom is her highness, the heir of Hyrule, Princess Zelda de Hyrule!"
As Zelda's pink and gold figure, framed by Impa of course, emerged the ballroom went silent. As soon as Impa released her hold on Zelda's arm the Princess curtseyed and clapping erupted. Many of the suitors looked at her in awe; some for the first time and some for the millionth, but all equally enthralled. She glided her way to the nearest group of people and introduced herself as her intoxicating aura reached every man in the room; married or not. A curtsey here, a kiss on her hand there and a few lies about nothing important all around and she was instantly the most conversed name in the room.
Impa kept a sharp eye out for her Princess as she drifted from Prince to dutchess in conversation. Off handedly Zelda kept count of every Prince's hand she'd touched. She was at thirty seven within the hour. She sipped gingerly on a glass or two of special champagne made from Zora waters. It was a slight blueish color with purple fizz; a fascinating taste, a nasty drunk it'd make. Luckily Zelda wasn't to drink too much and thus she wouldn't have to fear inebriation, all she had to fear was the masked man on the chandelier. She caught a quick glimpse of him and inhaled sharply.
"Princess?" a suitor asked at her sudden unusual behavior. He followed her eyes to the ceiling, but saw nothing out of place. "Something wrong?" he asked as his eyes returned to her perplexed expression.
"Oh, nothing! I just noticed that we got a brand new chandelier for the ball!" she exclaimed, quickly recovering her posture.
"Oh yes it's lovely!" the man said with a smirk. "But not half as lovely as thou." He added slyly with an old accent. She giggled delightfully, but her laughter was mostly fake. She'd heard these same clichés and repetitious white lies a thousand times, enough to make her less complimented than otherwise.
"If I were as beautiful as a chandelier I wouldn't hang myself from the ceiling." She muttered out to amuse herself. He was taken off guard by such an unsophisticated thing to say, but ignored it. She was Princess Zelda, she could do and say as she pleased. "Oh, I think that man over there is trying to get my attention. It was nice chatting with you." She said and excused herself leaving him mystified in her wake.
"Why hello there, Princess!" a Prince with blue hair and in blue and gold garb greeted her and she curtseyed. "When I waved to you I didn't expect you actually come over to me. I'm excited to say the least."
Zelda's elven ears perked up, this Prince was actually cute. He was genuinely smiling and didn't have an air of phony politeness about him.
"I don't believe we've met. Have we?" she tilted her head cutely at him.
"No, but I'm glad we have now." He smiled down at her. "When the music begins, would you mind a waltz with me?" he asked without a single essence of entitlement.
"Why certainly, you'll be the first to hold me in motion tonight." She giggled, this time for real. The look of surprise on his face turned to utter amusement. At first he'd thought she'd mean sex, but quickly realized she'd chosen her words carefully to shake him. His blue eyes looked into her own skylights for a moment in time.
"I don't believe I know your name." she stated almost dumbly as her eyes wandered from his skies to his lips.
"I'm Marth of Altea." He stated as relaxed as possible. "I'd ask you were are, but I think everyone here with a brain in their skull knows who Zelda is." He smiled to himself.
Even though Zelda returned the smile and continued the conversation, she noticed something off about him. He wasn't arrogant, he wasn't vain and he didn't use a single word of rank nor superiority. He was kind, genuine and gentle. He seemed perfect at first, but then a sudden thought burst her bubble. This thought made him entirely ineligible for marriage. A King needs to be harsh at times and allow people to worship him, this Prince Marth was entirely opposed to such things. He'd be seen as naïve and squishy in the political world. He'd be crushed in an instant by his foe.
This alone however wasn't the issue.
"Meet my boyfriend, Roy-"
"I'm so sorry, but the Prince of Death Mountain wants to speak with me!" she chirped abruptly and bounced off less than elegantly towards a massive Goron she desperately hoped was Prince Dranai. Zelda wasn't homophobic nor against a gay leader, but she couldn't allow herself to fall in love with a man who'd never marry her. He'd make a great ally however, she'd have to remember Altea for future reference.
As the night went on she'd met every single Prince there and as soon as the music started up Marth found her all over again. She kept her promise and danced with him. He was as swift as she on foot, but he lacked the manliness of a King. She sighed, he was too cute and perfect to be true. As he twirled her all around she kept seeing something she wished she wouldn't; the masked man. He was all around; on the walls, on the chandelier, in the windows and damned be it all….in the crowd.
Marth immediately noticed her fearful expression and halted their waltz, he pulled her gently away from the dance floor and promptly asked if she was alright. She nodded and lied saying she was simply dizzy and feared fainting. Marth sat her down at a posh seat and brought her a drink. She politely excused Marth for the evening and sat there in silence until Impa approached her.
"Princess?" the nursemaid asked.
"He's everywhere…" she muttered.
"The masked man?" Impa inquired.
"Yes, he's everywhere." Zelda said slowly. "Did the royal guard spot him yet?"
"No, you're the only one. Where all have you seen him besides the window?" Impa asked as she knelt before her Princess.
"The chandelier, the walls, and in the crowds. He's everywhere in an instant." She said tiresomely.
"I think you might be hallucinating." Impa frowned as she placed a hand to her forehead. "No fever."
Suddenly Zelda jerked slightly and gasped gently. Her wild eyes were opened wide and pink lips parted. Impa looked in Zelda's direction just in time to see the masked man backing away from them and back into the entangling crowd who didn't seem to notice. Impa rose to give the royal guard commands to seize the man, but Zelda stopped her.
"No, let him be." Zelda stood as well and walked towards the crowd that had engulfed him. "I want to meet him."
"Princes, please no! He could be dangerous!" Impa hissed. As per her role as nursemaid, no matter how powerful as a Sheikah she was, she had no real power to stop her.
Zelda was determined to see this masked man once again, if not to confirm her suspicions. She made her way past Prince and pauper alike as she trailed the dark green cloak with gold trim that slipped through the crowd like smoke. She eventually found herself up against the railing of the outside balcony. She loomed over and looked at the ground below, but did not see him. Just as Impa brought up the rear she spotted the masked man standing atop a roof just across the gap of the balcony and the building next to it.
The ever so slightly chilly wind wrapped itself around this man. Both Impa and Zelda looked on at this man as a crowd formed around them. Chattering rumors began as people proclaimed the man to be the spirit of Ganondorf haunting the castle or that it's a legendary Prince from a kingdom forgotten in the flow of time. Impa however knew that this was very false, all just speculation.
"You there, remove your mask at once!" Impa called out. The masked man tilted his head to the side cutely; as if he didn't quite understand the command given.
A sudden shake of the castle alerted everyone. The wind kicked up and the cloak of the masked man went wild in the sudden surge of breezes. Zelda's hair was tossed around like paper and she was forced to retreat back inside the ballroom. As everyone was ushered inside, Impa remained outside to battle this wind fiend.
"Who are you?" Impa demanded to know. "Are you here to kidnap Princess Zelda?"
The masked man shook his head 'no'.
The wind whirled violently around and the green and gold hood sagged downward to expose a portion of golden blonde hair. Impa paid no heed to it, many people were blondes. It wasn't until the wind practically ripped his hood off that Impa's red eyes felt their rage drain and her heart skip a beat. His mask remained in place, but his long ears were now exposed and his short blonde hair battled against the windy rapids.
People watching from the ballroom couldn't see what Impa had seen. He scrambled slightly to put his hood back on and hide his head from sight. Suddenly, from inside the ballroom, there was a scuffle and a tizzy. Impa turned around to look inside the ballroom for a quick moment to see what was wrong. Apparently an uninvited guest had made an entrance. When she whipped back around to get a glimpse at the masked man, he was gone. She knew she'd see the masked man again, but now the uninvited man was making a scene. She retreated back inside the ballroom and back to Zelda's side.
"Ahah!" the man burst out with a wicked chuckle. "Oh Princess! You look fabulous in pink!" the man let loose another howl of amusement. "But I think you'd look better in black and purple." He lowered the tone of his voice and composed himself. His long white hair that was pin straight and reached his waistline. He wore dark purple and red attire with the traditional golden trim; this was the golden era after all. Gold is all the rage now. He wore a strange purple hat with a gold crown attached. Zelda didn't like the look of this guy, nor his maniac cackling.
"Wh-who are you?" Zelda asked boldly.
"I am Vaati, the Emperor of the Winds." He grinned at her. "And soon I'll be Emepror of all of Hyrule!" he chided.
"Emperor?" Zelda's eyes fastened on his red ones.
"Yes, Emperor." He looked at her sarcastically. "When you and I wed I'll be Emperor of Hyrule."
"I refuse." Zelda denied him with a gruff stance.
"You can't!" he snorted. "I'm here to take you away to our wedding, honey!" he cracked his voice.
"What nonsense is that?" the King bellowed as he stood from his throne. He took a few steps down from his throne and made his way to Zelda's side. "You interrupt our ball, threaten to kidnap the Princess, declare Hyrule an Empire and now you behave like a madman with endearing terms towards my daughter?!" The King roared. He rose up his right hand with his palm flat in Vaati's direction. "Leave this place villain!" he shouted as his palm glowed golden with the magic of his ancestors.
Vaati cackled loudly as the winds of typhoons and hurricanes ripped through the castle doors and hurled the King to his ass. Vaati placed a hand on his mouth in mock surprise. Zelda screeched, horrified, and ran to her father's side. Vaati shook his head and sighed smugly, he then made his way towards the two with nothing but malicious intentions.
Marth stepped in between Vaati and the path towards Zelda defiantly. He grimaced as he knew he wasn't a worthy opponent for this nut-cracker, but he had just become friends with Princess Zelda and wasn't going to let him take her without a fight. Marth pulled out his sword and aimed it at what he assumed was a wind-mage. Vaati rolled his eyes and lolled his head around and with a gust of winds from all four directions Marth was sent hurling upwards towards the massive chandelier where he was strung up by his cloak. He wafted there as he could only watch as Vaati began making his way towards Zelda once again.
Impa leapt up and in a pouf of smoke appeared behind Vaati with her dagger. She thrust it into his back, but didn't make contact with skin, just cloth that tore. He stopped in his tracks and turned to her with a crooked, twisted grin.
"That won't work; I am the Emperor of Winds, a wind mage from the ancients. My body, soul and powers are constructed entirely of wind. Mortal blades will have no effect upon my body." He walked casually away from the baffled Impa and took a next step towards Zelda. He kicked the wind up behind him and sent Impa flying out of the main entrance.
People all around in the ballroom began to panic; every Prince drew their sword at once and charged at him. Vaati frowned at their stupidity, had they not of attacked they wouldn't have to die. They must also be deaf, for he had just told them that mortal blades have no effect on him. With one swish of his arm every last Prince was sent a whisk towards the walls in all directions. With all men down nothing stood between him and his desired prize.
"Now then…Princess Zelda…." He licked his lips deviously.
"By the light of the Goddesses…" the King began as he rose to his feet staggeringly. "I request their golden light to repel this evil…" he said as he extended his palm out once again.
Vaati's shoulder's slumped in annoyance and he scoffed. "To stone with you." He said tepidly and the King's body became encased in stone slowly starting with his outstretched hand. Just in time the royal guard rushed in and attempted to encircle the mage. With a crack of his slender wrist they all began turning to stone as well. They all struggled as their appendages began to transform and stiffen into rock.
"How redundant of you all." He sighed and took yet another step towards Zelda who was shaking as she watched her father's figure finish turning to stone. "Come Zelda." Vaati commanded and her head snapped in his direction. She took a step backwards.
"No…" she mouthed softly. She too knew the spell her father was trying to use and she extended her palm towards him. Vaati frowned harshly.
"I don't want to marry a rock, but I will if I must." He stopped his advance. "Stave your hand Princess, or you too shall share the fate of a stone ridden eternity." He warned. She refused.
"Tch!" he scowled and for a moment considered turning her to stone as he positioned his hand towards her, but then a better idea struck him. He fingers snapped and a greyish cloud enveloped her and lifted her off the ground.
"By the light of the Goddesses…" she spoke as she choked on the grey cloud.
"No, stop!" he commanded as the cloud began pouring into her open mouth.
"By the light of the Goddesses…" a gentle, but very masculine, voice called out.
The cloud stopped filling Zelda's body, Vaati's eyes scattered all around the room searching for the source of the voice. Vaati's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the Chandelier to see Marth still dangling helplessly, but a masked figure looming over him. Marth looked up to see this ominous figure above him. He squinted his eyes and took note of his stance and length of ears.
"No…" Vaati whispered to himself, no one else heard him. "Not you…"
Vaati took a step backwards in denial and caution.
"I request their golden light to repel this evil…." The masked figure continued.
"Damnit!" Vaati turned on his heel and attempted to flee, but a golden light forced the castle doors closed.
"Begone villain!"
With a flash of golden light Vaati was enveloped and he turned to air and fled via the balcony. As Vaati rampantly exited the castle to flee for his life all the windows shattered due to the sudden wind pressure. Luckily all the glass fell outside of the castle thus no one else got hurt. The stone that was encasing everyone then crumbled, freeing them from death. The masked man grabbed Marth by the cape that he dangled from and lowered him back to the ground with what appeared to be a grappling hook. Marth thanked him, but by the time he'd reached the ground, let go of the rope and looked back up he was gone.
"Ohhh…..my head…" the King mumbled as she hobbled and shook his fuzzy brain.
"Oh father!" Zelda cried out as she ran over to him to help steady him.
The ballroom was a mess. There was rock fragments everywhere, broken windows, crashed floors and fainted Princes, with the exception of Marth. The ball was immediately cancelled and the King was taken to his chambers to recover. Zelda was escorted by Impa to her bedroom to wash up while the guests who were injured were treated by the castle medical staff.
"Per the King's command, all guests who attended the royal ball are permitted to stay in the castle as long as they need to recover. If you cannot make it back to your kingdom in your current condition then we will accommodate you!" called out a crier.
"Thank goodness Hyrule has such good hospitality and manners!" exclaimed a guest as she swooped the back of her hand across her forehead.
As night fell Impa was escorting Zelda to her father's personal lounge. She wasn't sure quite why she was being summonsed, but it must have something to do with the wind mage's attack earlier at the ball. Zelda was pensive; she hadn't met a man that struck out at her at the ball as King-worthy. Then there was the matter of the masked man and Vaati. She also had to think about a possible reschedule of the ball. There were so many possibilities that the King could want to speak with her about. As they reached the door Impa bowed and Zelda entered the large double-doored room.
"I am here father, just as you have requested." She curtseyed.
"Please sit Zelda." He offered and pointed to a plush white lounge chair mere feet before him. Zelda took the offer and sat down. The double doors were closed with a creaking noise which was replaced with the serene crackling of the lit fireplace. A slurp of wine from the King's glass brought her attention to the stiffened and dark expression on his face.
"I can only imagine why you have brought me here tonight. It must be about Vaati." She said lowly.
"Well, partially, yes." He cleared his throat. "I'm more concerned with what Impa observed from the masked man."
"The masked man? What did Impa see?" Zelda pondered out loud.
"Long ago when I was young I already knew our race was dying." The King began with a strangely emotional voice. It was unlike him to display much more than stoic and stern. "I had a younger brother who passed due to a training accident when we were but young lads." A shiver went through him and Zelda saw him tremble slightly.
"Yes, I've heard the stories before." She spoke softly.
"My brother….my brother's dying words were that he wished me love and happiness, damned be the throne." He paused to take a shaky sip of his wine. "I loved my brother, but I also thought he was a fool to abandon the throne. So when I took over I demanded nothing but the finest of the finest; the best of the best; the grandest of grand. I had crowns made of gold and wine glasses made of pure diamond."
He nudged knowingly at his current choice of wine glass that sparkled extravagantly. Zelda knew about his special set of diamond wine glasses, but was never allowed to drink from them; yet.
"I was a true King." He frowned. "Or so I thought."
"Pardon?" Zelda's brow furrowed. Her father wasn't a true King?
"I was King in title, birthright and power. I however lacked a vital key component to being a leader though. I lacked love." He smiled tepidly. "It wasn't until the census of purebred Hylians came in that I realized our purebred race was nearly extinct. There were but three virgin maidens left and only one other man. Only one of the three virgin maidens was any sort of nobility left. I immediately offered marriage to this woman, but she rejected me. I intended to force her to wed me, but she time and time again refused me. One day I got fed up and practically kidnapped her. I was young and rash, but she was young and also rash; she slapped me."
Zelda smiled widely, she knew her mother was a firecracker.
"She told me that there was but one ravishing gem in the whole world she'd accept as an engagement present. She told me it was rough, but could be carved. It was jagged, but smooth under the surface. She described it as redder than a ruby, but brighter than the Triforce. She said it'd fit right in the palm of her hand; no bigger, no smaller." He cracked a wide grin. "I asked her to wait and I'd scour the world for this gem. She actually let me head off to Death Mountain where I met the King of Gorons, Darunia, and befriend him. After becoming 'sworn brothers' I asked him where I might find this gem that my future bride spoke of."
"It wasn't in Death Mountain, was it?" Zelda asked with ears burning to hear more. She hadn't heard this part of the story before.
"No. Darunia denied that any sort of gem existed in the mortal realm. I was actually slightly angry. Maybe Zerlina had lead me on, lied to me so she could bide her time to escape from me. I returned to Hyrule expecting to hear news that she'd fled the country. This is however not what happened. Instead… I found her sitting at the very end of the dinner table, right next to my seat. She had a smile like a whip!" his eyes opened wide as he spoke.
"Did she agree to marry you without the gem?" Zelda asked full well knowing her mother never had a ruby that large or beautiful in her collection.
"No, she got her gem alright." He chuckled whole-heartedly. Zelda looked perplexed. "I took my seat next to her at that big, lonesome table. I confided that I could not find the gem she so desired, but I'd found myself an ally, a friend. She had the nerve to laugh at me!" he huffed.
Zelda placed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
"She scooted her chair eerily closer to mine, placed her hand on my forearm and asked me, in her most seductive voice, if I loved her like she loved me."
Zelda's eyed widened. Surely love didn't happen just that fast! "And?!" Zelda asked enthralled.
"I froze. I choked on my words!" he stopped to take another sip of wine before looking thoughtful again. "I said… I didn't know she loved me. Regardless of how she found the will to endear me to herself I was glad. I turned to her promptly and said…no, but I'd like to." He smiled.
Zelda's expressed dropped, she looked annoyed. "That was awfully rude!" she hissed.
"Well at least it was honest. I wasn't madly in love with her, yet. I liked her lots, but I wasn't quite in love. I took that woman on a traditional date. She refused anything too fancy, nothing in the castle, so I reserved a whole dining hall across town just for her. We ate, conversed, shared a few personal secrets and even had a little slow dance at the end of it. It wasn't until we were gliding across the creaking wooden floors of some shanty dining hall that I realized that I wanted Zerlina to marry me even if her ears fell off."
Zelda, for a brief moment, allowed his words to process in her mind. She then remembered that when a Hylian's ears fall off, or get cut off, that they are just humans. It's a folktale, but a notable compliment nonetheless.
"I see." Zelda said awkwardly. "And what did mother say to that?"
"She said that she'd found it; the gem she'd been looking for. The gem redder than rubies and as large as her fist." The King froze as he took note of Zelda's less than enthused reaction. "She leaned up, kissed me on the cheek and whispered in my ear….I found your heart, the greatest gem of all."
Zelda's smile erupted as she witnessed the water in her father's eyes pooling. When his lips quivered and his hand shook she realized he wasn't just reminiscing, he was still mourning.
"That woman isn't here anymore!" he whined loudly as the tears fell from his eyes down his cheeks and into his beard. "My precious Zerlina isn't here anymore!" he squeezed his eyes shut as his face twisted red. "I'd give my throne away just to have her back!" he howled in pain. Zelda, with her eyes full of the same tears, jumped up and ran over to him and held him like a child. Together they cried for a moment before he reclaimed his composure and she sat back down.
"Zelda, my most precious, favorite thing in all the kingdoms…. The last purebred female Hylian, I want you to know the happiness and love that Zerlina and I had. Promise me that you'll never fall to become a victim of politics. Do not use your body as a tool to save the kingdom; use your heart." The King spoke as he pointed at her and she nodded with every word. "Out there tonight I saw the men you spoke to, the men you danced with and the man you fought against. I've never been so proud." He straightened himself out and polished off the last of his wine.
"Yes, I promise!" Zelda smiled.
"Your mother and I had two children. A first born son who was destined to become King, and a Goddess-like daughter who was free to do as she pleased with her life. Your brother's death was most tragic. It left you in charge with Hyrule's future, it left you with all the responsibilities of the world that I govern today." He paused to look up at an oil painting of a young man who looked strikingly like Zelda.
The name plaque read "Prince of Hyrule, Bouyin de Hyrule".
"I miss him so…" Zelda said wistfully. In truth, she barely remembered him. He was ten years older than she and he died years ago. Zelda is now eighteen and he would be twenty eight, but he passed more than ten years ago.
"He was going to the Gerduo desert to make peace with Ganondorf their King. He knew it was risky business so he disguised himself as a Sheikah guard and put a phony in his carriage garbed as himself. So if there was an assassin attempt, they'd kill the phony instead of him, but they ended up slaughtering every single one of them. You're all I have left Zelda." He frowned as he patted the top of her hand.
"I'm still here, and I always will be!" she smiled warmly.
"Yes, you're here now, but who knows about tomorrow! You were almost kidnapped today by that awful Emperor Vaati." The name made the King's blood boil. "I've heard of him before; he causes massive storms and takes over the fell nations of the damage. He's absorbed a decent portion of the world already and it's clear he wants Hyrule too."
Zelda said nothing, she simply looked down. She looked back at the evil Emperor Vaati and how easily he could have killed everyone in the ballroom. A swish of his wrist and the entire royal guard was turned to stone. Impa was thrown around like a ragdoll and the King's magic repelled. She hadn't felt that useless in quite some time, since Bouyin died.
"Had it not of been for that masked man you'd be dead or kidnapped." The King said abruptly. This line snapped Zelda out of her thoughts and back into the conversation.
"Yes…yes the masked man…" she mumbled. "So familiar…"
"I can imagine he might be." The king cleared his throat and poured himself a fresh glass of wine, probably an expensive brand made just for him. He poured a second diamond glass full and handed it to Zelda who took it cautiously. She was old enough to drink, but feared it might be inappropriate given she wasn't currently eating dinner.
"Why does he seem familiar to me?" Zelda asked as she took a taste-test sip of her wine.
"The mask he was wearing, it's from our royal vault. Only myself and Bouyin know the tricks of getting all the way inside. Even Ganondorf and that monsterous Vaati don't know how to get inside."
"Are you saying the masked man is Bouyin?!" Zelda's eyes lit up.
"I don't know." He paused. "But if he isn't then I'll have no choice but to punish him for breaking into the sacred vault and stealing priceless relics."
"But he saved our lives!" Zelda retorted.
"Yes, and I will cut him slack because of that. I will make a bargain with him the next time I see him. Return the mask to me and he won't go to prison. I'll make him a member of the royal guard or perhaps a Knight. Maybe even force him into cultured breeding."
Zelda shook her head gently and blinked several times. "Cultured breeding?" she asked with bulging blue eyes.
"I was saving this part for last." He took in a deep breath. "The reason I originally suspected him to be your brother is because of Impa. She said as she faced him on the balcony, the winds from Vaati's entrance blew off his hood and revealed his purebred Hylian ears. She estimated him to be about between sixteen and thirty years old, depending on his vague body build hidden by his cloak. His appearance, his ability to use the golden light, his knowledge of the sacred vault….they all point to him being Bouyin. It's still a long shot, but it's definitely possible." The King said as he kept stealing glances of the painting.
"So…aside from you and I, this masked man is the last purebred Hylian? Are you sure he's a …you know…a he?" she asked nervously.
"Yes, Prince Marth confirmed it himself. He said that there was no way in hell that a woman had that body build and strength without large breasts." He smirked. Zelda rolled her eyes.
"Prince Marth was the only person to come into physical contact with the masked man. He'd been helped off the chandelier by the masked man. He was certain it was male. He only reported it to me because he said he himself noticed his long ears and thought it odd with the extinction of our race nearing."
"I'll have to speak to Marth again someday." She noted.
"You don't give him any honor when speaking his name?" the King looked intrigued.
"Oh, he requested not to. He doesn't like the idea of being called anything other than his name." she replied.
"I see, he's not a sausage head like most Princes, I'll give him that." The King said as he nodded his head and took a swig of wine. "He'd make a good King I imagine."
Zelda wanted to tell him about Marth's sexual preference, but found it largely inappropriate and irrelevant so she kept quiet. She'd only bring it up should the King offer him as a superficial suitor.
"So if the masked man isn't Bouyin, you're going to force him to culture breed? Isn't that where you give him large group of the least outbred Hylian girls and force him to impregnate them? Kind of cruel and unusual punishment, don't' you think?" she asked trying to make the topic sound less perverse.
"For hot blooded young men it is not a punishment, but then again should he refuse it'll be impossible to force him. Literally. Worst case scenario…." The King paused and looked at Zelda knowingly.
"Ohhhh no! No, no, no, no, no!" she stood up and backed away, wine glass sloshing slightly.
"Oh Zelda!" he roared with laughter. "I didn't mean marry him!" his bellows echoed.
"Then do explain." She demanded cautiously. She didn't like where this was going.
"His punishment, should he not be Bouyin, shall be that he will become your Knight." The King said boldly as he waved the wine glass in her direction in a toasting manner.
Not much of a punishment in reality, is it?
"Knight?" Zelda mouthed thoughtfully.
"Indeed." The King agreed. "You saw the way Vaati fled with his tail between his legs upon seeing him. He must be a hero of some sort that repels evil wherever he goe-"
"That's it!" Zelda shouted suddenly with a screechy voice. Her azure eyes were opened wider than normal, her ears were perked up, and her entire posture announced her emotions eloquently. "He's familiar because he's the one who rescued me from Ganondorf!" she sighed almost happily.
The King said nothing, instead he looked at her with great interest and apprehension.
"I remember parts of it now!" she sat back down and in her girliest pose began retelling her legend.
"I was chained up inside Ganondorf's personal chambers, to his bed. I heard the clashing of swords and the grunts of men. Within an hour it was all over. I remember the smell of smoke as the castle began to burn and the shadows of moblins running about from under the light of the door. When that door burst open there was a masked man in a cloak, he rushed in and broke my chains with his bare hands." She swooned slightly.
"With his…bare hands?" the King asked in disbelief.
"Yes! He then scooped me up and carried me by horseback to Hyrule!" she gleamed. "He left without a word and I never saw his face…" she sighed sadly.
"I think you've had too much wine, dear." The King smirked.
"I swear it's true! I was just in too much shock from all the trauma to remember!" she retorted.
"So how come you chose now of all times to remember such details?" he asked.
"Well, you said you'd make him my Knight. It made me remember how 'Knightly' he seemed back then." She explained sheepishly.
"As interesting as that is, if it were even true, how does one obtain the power to do all the things he's done?" he pondered. "Breaking chains with one's hands, using the golden light that only the royal family knows, scaring Vaati senseless, and even defeating Ganondorf; who is he really?"
"I don't know, but I must find him!" Zelda said regally with a fist over her heart. "He will be my Knight!"
"Slow yourself Zelda." The King urged.
"Why? What for? This was your idea in the first place, was it not?"
"Yes, but how in all the lands are you to find him?" he asked.
"I could fake my own peril, you know, pretend to be endangered and he'll come swooping in." she suggested.
"May or may not work. After all he didn't come for you when that guard tried to force himself on you." The King frowned.
"Hardly a villain; just a menace." She scoffed. "Besides! I'm talking about staging my kidnapping again!"
"This conversation has gotten out of hand!" he sighed gruffly and placed his hand over his face.
"Well do you have a better plan?" she asked.
"Yes." He said flatly as he stood up and shook his head. "We announce publicly that this man is a hero and request that he come claim his reward."
Zelda suddenly felt stupid; her plan made her feel childish. She mentally reprimanded herself for such a foolish scheme, not just idiotic, but underhanded at that.
"Alright, is his reward to become my Knight?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not just yet it isn't." he looked thoughtful for a moment. "He needs to be tested; maybe sent on a mission or two. Perhaps we can make him a leader in the army of sorts to initiate him…. Or perhaps he could join our training regime to see his stats and such. After all, we can't have a sissy as your Knight. What if he's too shy to be seen in public or he's socially awkward and can't escort you properly. Many things must be considered."
Zelda let loose a deep well-blown sight. She knew it was too good to be true. She began thinking of all the things that could potentially be wrong with the masked man. He could be a pervert, hideous monster, shy, foul mouthed, uneducated, rude or even evil. He may have saved Zelda's life twice, but who's to say it wasn't out of his own ambitions to have her for himself. She leaned back lazily in her chair and let her head sag off to the side thoughtfully. So many undesirable outcomes passed through her mind.
'This man could be a nightmare…' she thought solemnly. 'I can't act like a school girl about this. I have to think like a Queen.'
"Zelda." The King spoke out as he noticed her change in attitude.
"Yes father?" she asked tepidly.
"First thing tomorrow morning I will announce this man a hero. His reward shall be grand, but I will not offer him knighthood initially. You will personally hand him his reward however, so be up and presentable by dawn." He instructed and went to the door. He opened the door and notioned for the guards to enter. A couple of guards entered and they were given instructions. As soon as they left a maid came in to clean up the diamond glasses and left over wine bottle.
"Zelda, you are excused for the evening. You'd best get some sleep so you'll be at your best at the first sun light." He said and then exited the lounge.
As Zelda got up and left for the bath her father headed to his meeting room where only the top war generals and advisors met. They discussed possible rewards such as gold, rank, women and even land. The King saw it unfit that the masked man receive anything less than grand for the life of his daughter, but all at the same time found it even harder to just hand this total stranger the lands of his people, even if it be just a farm or a hill. The King scratched his chin through his white beard as he groaned.
"How about not announcing a specific reward, let him choose it himself." Rauru suggested with a quick, knowing, smirk.
The King paused in thought for a moment. "That might not be a bad idea…"
"He could very well ask for something small such as a meal. Worst case scenario he asks for Zelda's hand in marriage. Even then that's not so bad, he's a powerful hero and a purebred Hylian at that!" Rauru added.
"Yes, yes… I've considered that myself, but Zelda is not a prize! She is the future of this land and a person of her own will." The King said harsher than needed. "I will not force her. Encourage perhaps, but never force."
"What if Zelda wants to marry this man? Ever think of that?" another man chimed in.
"Not out of the realm of possibilities, but illogical on her part if so. She knows next to nothing about this man's political stance, she also knows not his very name!" the King exclaimed.
"My King, if I may…" Rauru began and the King turned to him slowly. "When he comes, if he comes, ater he receives his reward..." he paused to give the King and every other advisor a glance of drama. "…that we request that he removes his mask and cloak so that we may know the face of a hero."
"I for one wish to know this fellow's background story! Where did he come from? Where has he been hiding all these years? What clan does he belong to? How in Nayru's good name did he acquire the golden light?!" another advisor shouted.
"Exactly!" another chimed in. "We don't know the first thing about this man!"
"I'm sure he's not a villain. He did save Zelda; twice!"
"That doesn't make him a good person. What if he's only in this for the throne? We'd be fools to just hand him Zelda, regardless if she's willing, it could be a trap! Vaati could have staged this event with him!"
"Silence!" The King shouted boldly as he stood up.
Immediately everyone shut their traps and collected themselves. The King cleared his throat and gave each of his men a stare and a leer.
"I've come to a decision." He said stiffly.
Everyone awaited his next words with anxiety.
"I will take Rauru's advice and ask this masked man what he'd like as a reward. I will first ask him to return the mask, reveal his identity, and then he will be rewarded. Then we share offer his chair and glass at our dinner table where he will answer his life's questions. If he then seems like a good fellow then I shall request that he take up a position in our military ranks. In time I will evaluate his worth and see his fate from there." The King explained and Rauru plus the advisor's nodded in agreement.
"Rauru," the King began again as he turned to the man. "Have Statley write up a decree stating that the masked man is to report to the castle for a reward and a celebration. Make sure that by dawn that every village and town has heard the message."
With that the meeting dismissed and all of Hyrule awaited the dawn of the next day to come.
BLK: This is a test fanfic. I'm trying to come back into fanfic writing and I thought I may have been rusty.
