Chapter 2: Arriving at the Festival

The sun was just over the castle wall when Link and his father entered Hyrule Castle Town. The main street was busy. Everyone was bustling to and fro, trying to put together last minute preparations for the festival. Plus, there was a large stream of people coming from all over the kingdom to celebrate.

Link could never remember the castle town being this excited. Sure he had vague memories from the last festival, but nothing in them was clear. Now, everything was crystal clear. He could see the people moving about in excitement. He could hear the din of conversation as everyone talked in jubilant tones. He could smell the aromas of all kinds of food being prepared. Today would certainly be a day to remember.

"Remember, Link," his father whispered into his ear. "We're here to celebrate, not to gorge ourselves on whatever people are selling here."

"I know that," he replied. "But still, is it really that wrong to let ourselves go just a little bit?"

His father thought as they approached the palace gate. "I suppose not," the old man said at last. "Well, if that's the case, here." Link's father held out a bagful of rupees. "Enjoy yourself, but don't get anything too stupid."

"Now, Father, when have I been known to buy stupid things?" Link replied. "You know that you can trust me."

"One can only hope. Sometimes it's difficult for a parent to trust a teenager."

"Ha, ha," Link replied sarcastically, but with a good nature.

They passed into the courtyard. It was a truly beautiful sight. There were four paths that met in the center. Between each of the paths was a nice grassy area. As one got closer to the walls, there were gardens of flowers and trees. In the very center of the courtyard was a fountain that had a statue of the three goddesses floating around the Hylian Crest (the winged Triforce). Each of the goddesses released a fountain of water from their mouths.

The courtyard was full of people setting up the public dancing area. There were also people moving in and out of the main castle, obviously preparing the banquet. Link wondered what was in that castle. However, he put off that wonder, he'd find out soon enough.

"What are you doing still standing here?" his father asked. "Go, explore the town. Have a little fun. Given how hard you push yourself, you're at least entitled to that much."

Link smiled at his father. He turned and went back into the main town. He knew his father would get everything ready. Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw his father unhitching the cart and leading Epona to the royal stables. Being a former Knight of the Royal House, his father did have some privileges.

Link often wondered why his father gave up knighthood to take on blacksmithing and magic. True, magic wasn't exactly a common talent, but it wasn't anything too special, either. And blacksmithing, well, that was a peasant's job. However, Link didn't really care about that last bit. After all, that's the lifestyle his father had raised him in.

Link looked at the town in closer detail as he headed to the marketplace. The streets were made of quality cobblestone. The buildings were all made of stone and rose quite high. The street layout was simple. The city was designed in a square with eight main roads, each leading to the palace. There were also multiple crossroads, and the larger intersections housed markets.

It was to one such market that Link was headed. He moved past the busy people and found a vendor selling something that smelled absolutely divine. He asked the person behind the counter what was sold there, and was told that it was bread rolls. They were 10 rupees for a bundle of five. Link happily handed the man the money and bit into one of the rolls. They tasted every bit as divine as they smelled. Though the rolls didn't last long, it was money well spent.

Ghirahim looked down at the market from his hiding spot on the rooftop. True, all that stealth wasn't really necessary, as he could easily power his way into the castle, but that wouldn't have the kind of spectacle he wanted. No, he wanted his appearance to be grand, shocking, and wonderful all at once. He was the great Demon Lord Ghirahim, and no less was fitting for a being of his stature.

He teleported to the next rooftop, and the next, and the next. Each teleport drew him closer to the castle. He wanted to get into a good hiding position. He'd watch the humans make merry for a while. He'd let them get happy and feel secure. Then, when least expected, he'd drop in and take what he needed.

Oh, not only would today be important, it was going to be loads of fun. Ghirahim smiled in anticipation.

Link strolled along happily. He'd gotten a new tunic and was chewing on a pastry. He didn't quite know what the pastry was, but it tasted good, so it didn't really matter. He looked at the satchel of clothing in his hand. It was a costume designed after the great hero's attire. He had no idea why he bought it. He had no use for it, after all. True, he did bear the name of the great hero, but that wasn't reason enough. He'd just felt a compulsion to get it. Oh well, if he ever had kids, he was sure they'd enjoy it.

He didn't notice the girl coming at him, and she didn't notice him, which, of course, meant that the ensuing crash was all but inevitable. Link stumbled backwards as the pastry slipped out of his hand and his costume dropped to the ground. He was able to save the pastry. Then he looked just a little further ahead at the girl he'd knocked down.

"I'm so sorry, miss," he said. "Here, let me help," he said as he stuck his hand out. The girl accepted it. She had stunning blond hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"It's all right," she said as she stood up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Are you in a rush or something?" Link asked.

"No, I was just lost in thought."

Link looked at her. She was a stunning beauty, especially for a peasant. At least, the way she dressed suggested she was a peasant.

"So was I," Link went on. "How about I buy you something?"

"What, why?"

"It's the least I could do for knocking a pretty girl like you over."

"That's not necessary, it really was my fault."

"I still want to buy you something. After all, it was my fault, too."

The girl smiled at him. "Thank you."

As they walked towards the market, Link asked, "What's your name?"

She hesitated a moment. "Adlez," she finally said.

"That's an interesting name," Link replied. "My name's Link."

"Nice to meet you."

They walked to the market, chatting about nothing in particular. Link found that he liked this girl. She was very positive, yet polite. They made it to the stand where he'd bought that unusual pastry. He got one for her. She seemed a little hesitant to take it, but he said:

"It's good, trust me."

"Ok," she replied hesitantly. Her face lit up as she took a bite. Apparently she thought it was good as well. Link paid the man.

"Ok," he started. "I got you a pastry." His tone then shifted to exaggerated chivalry. "Is there anything else the lady desires?"

"No, thank you," she said. "The kindness you've shown has been more than enough. But, right now, I need to go back to what I was doing."

"Alright," Link stated. "It was nice to meet you, Adlez."

"It was nice to meet you, too, Link."

And with that, she was gone. Link hoped to meet her again. But if she had traveled to the city from a distance, the chances of that were slim. Oh, well, it was nice to meet someone new every now and then.

Link headed back to the palace, as the gift presentations would begin soon. He wanted to ensure that he was there to present his sword. The earlier he could present it, the better.

A/N So we're getting a little more into the story here. If you didn't think this was too interesting, bear with me. The next two chapters will do more to advance the plot. Please leave a review. I appreciate hearing from readers.