I know it took me forever and then some to get this up, but there was a week or more where I couldn't write at any at all, so it took me awhile to catch up. But here it is at last, and it's about time! XD
-O-
It was dark by the time Jennan could get out of the house and go off in search of Link. She found him in the loft of the stable, and she paused on the ladder, one hand on the top rung and the other holding her skirts loosely. Link was lying on his back in the hay, one knee up and his hands on his face, his sheathed sword propped up in the corner. It was obvious that he was awake because he rocked his knee back and forth slowly, and Jennan pulled herself into the loft, silent even in her heeled shoes, and made her way quietly to him. She was in a flirty mood and had been waiting to capture him all day, glad that now he was finally alone. He froze suddenly and stiffened, a sign that he knew she was there, and she knelt down beside him and and let her hand slide over his chest.
As soon as she touched him he was on his knees in a heartbeat and had seized her arms quite violently, perhaps as if he was aiming to throw her off the loft. She was so surprised that she only went limp and sat gaping at him, and about that time he seemed to focus on her and let go as quickly as he had grabbed her.
"The gods, Jennan, I'm sorry." He sheepishly reached over and pulled her to him gently, and she came slowly, still in shock at the previous situation. He was always very gentle with her, and though she had seen him fight and work many times, it was just now that she realized exactly how strong he was, for he could nearly snap her in half without hardly even trying- but instead of being afraid she was more impressed.
"What was that all about?" she asked, forcing a smile. Link let go of her and sat back, running his hands through his hair. He looked stressed.
"Nothing. Just a reflex."
Jennan tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "I haven't seen you have that reflex before. What happened?"
Link sighed through his teeth and ran the back of his hand over his mouth. "It's Beth. I've had to fight her off all day."
Jennan nearly came up off the floor. "Beth! I'll kill her."
Link shook his head. "She'll back off soon enough."
"What does she want?" Jennan felt that she already knew the answer, and she could feel the anger almost consume her. And Link just looked at her and shrugged slowly, but she could tell that he knew as well. If Jennan had a weapon, she was afraid that she would go in search of her cousin and start hacking. She noticed the Master Sword in the corner of the loft and had a quick thought of going after Beth with it, but she pushed that away and tried to think of a more sensible way to confront her cousin. She could tell that Link was not in the mood for talking about it, and that only increased her anger at Beth.
Link leaned over and began tracing the Triforce in the dust on the floorboards. Jennan watched but was distracted with her thoughts of revenge. Link glanced up at her, and as if he could read her mind, said, "Beth will learn to leave me alone."
Jennan's eyes shifted to him. "She's a lot more persistent than you think, Link. If she harassed you all day today, she'll make a habit out of it; believe me, I know. She's done all of this before. I saw her following Henry around just the other day."
"Better Henry than me."
Jennan certainly agreed with that. She ran her fingertips across the back of his neck possessively and laid her head on his shoulder. "I want to know why she never goes home. She's here more than she is at... wherever she lives. But I'll get rid of her soon enough."
A half-smile was at the corner of Links mouth. "Maybe she's got it bad for Henry."
Jennan glared at the wall. "No, she's got it bad for you, and I just know she wants to get it on with you too." Her eyes smoldered.
"Get it on," Link laughed nervously, "with me? Yeah right."
"I've already gotten into a fight with her once, and you would think that'd teach her," Jennan continued angrily. "Maybe it's her blonde snobbery that makes her do it."
Link's eyebrow raised. "You must forget that she's not the only blond around here."
Jennan laughed and kissed him firmly. "You don't count." She grew serious again and looked at her fingernails. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. It's about Matayo."
Link stood up and stretched the muscles in his back. "I think I know what it is."
"Really... what is it?"
He slowly picked up the sheathed sword and ran his thumb over the creases in the blue hilt. His eyes flashed up to her and then back to the weapon in his hand. "It wouldn't be a problem if Dorobis didn't make it one."
Jennan frowned. "Father makes everything difficult. Link, just tell me what it is."
"Matayo and Ness have something going on. I'm not sure what it is, but I've seen enough to know."
"Ness, Beth's negro slave? I had no idea..." Link had noticed something about her brother that she would have never guessed, and she and Matayo even lived in the same house. Jennan was surprised at all of the things she was naive about.
"Dorobis has to stop controlling everything that goes on," Link said bitterly. "He can't decide who Matayo falls for."
Jennan's voice softened. "And he couldn't choose for me, either." She saw something flash in Link's eyes when he looked at her, and then he strapped on his sword and slid down the ladder to the stable floor. Jennan gathered her skirts and came down backward, and Link caught her by the thin waist and lowered her without effort. In the nearest stall, Link's mare Epona thrust her muzzle into Jennan's shoulder and nearly knocked her over with the friendly force of it.
Back when Link was still considered a slave, Dorobis had once even complained that the Hylian had brought too many things with him to the plantation, though Link's arrival had be unwilling and it was more Dorobis' fault than anyone's. Link's horse, his dog Gelert, and his friend Rhashidi had come only because Link was there, but now all of them had just become an official part of life at the plantation.
Rhashidi- now there was a boy that was hard to explain and usually had to be seen to be believed. He was basically normal enough at first glance, and though he was almost all brawn, he had a trademark timidity that kept him at a distance and normally quiet and aloof. But when times called for it, he could be dangerous in defense of his friends and quite the protector. He was not a force to ever be trifled with, for he was most commonly known by strangers as the 'wolf-boy', which was in fact not at all far from the truth. As far-fetched as it seemed, Rhashidi the instincts and senses of a dog, the ears of a wolf in his thick brown hair, and the two deadly fangs of a predator. It was suspected that perhaps he came from another realm, if that sort of thing really existed, and it was not unusual for him to be the object of distrust. But it was not easy to have the instincts and personalities of both a human and a wolf, and though he knew English well and was completely capable of speech, he also vocalized in dog-fashion and it was not out of the ordinary for him to express himself with a growl or even a bite as the result of his lightning-fast reflexes and the power of his jaws.
It was Princess Zelda who had first come across him, and after gaining his trust had sent him to be a protector of Link, and Rhashidi had done so ever since. Since Link was friends with almost everyone on the plantation, Rhashidi considered it his job to give protection to them as well, especially the women, and he could usually be found close by to Jennan's older sister Memnet. This boy's physical power was so advanced that he had once faced off with a full grown mountain cat, and after engaging in a vicious and bloody battle, killed the cat single-handedly.
After that incident no one dared to question Rhashidi, not even Dorobis. The wolf-boy did and went as he pleased unmolested, because if he would stand up to a monstrous killer like the mountain cat, nothing else could stand in his way and prevail. But the strange thing was, Rhashidi did not like confrontation and avoided it as much as possible. If not with Memnet, he could usually be found on the sheer cliff in the woods that was set behind the house and overlooking the plantation to make sure that all was well. He was always the first to notice what went on, and at the first sign of trouble he was always there.
And with Link around, trouble was not unusual. Not to say that Link went looking for it- it seemed to always come to him. For some reason most young men disliked him, and it was not a surprise if a fist-fight broke out. Especially Henry, the youngest of Dorobis' men but also the most respected, had caused Link the most trouble, and the two of them had been sworn enemies from the start. The outcome of a fight between them was inevitable, for with each battle Link had beat Henry bloody and reeling and come away with hardly a bruise. The Hylian was too fast, too strong, and just too good all around. But for some reason Henry kept coming back for more.
When Link was equipped with his sword, Henry did not dare bother him. But when he was weaponless, that was when the battles really broke out. Henry had disliked Link from the very beginning, but it was said that his hatred was really brought on by jealousy. It was certainly not a new thing for other young men to be jealous of Link for no reason, but Henry was considered to have one. The British young man had had his eye on Jennan ever since she had reached courting age, and though Dorobis had once even claimed the two of them would end up getting married, Jennan dug in her heels and refused to give Henry the time of day, which nearly drove him mad; but he reached breaking point when Jennan and Link had first laid eyes on each other, and the connecting spark had flared up between them. That had started their rivalry and the end of it did not seem to be in sight, for now it was Link's ring that Jennan was going to soon be wearing and not Henry's.
Life on a plantation would seem to be boring at first thought, but these were the things that went on here; these days there did not seem to be a dull moment. When there were so many teenagers together and feelings going around, there was sure to be drama- it had been that way forever and probably always would be throughout time.
Though Jennan had not known it until Link told her, there was in fact something between Matayo and Ness- feelings that had blossomed into love, in fact. They had gotten to know each other over the long time that Beth had been at the plantation, for Ness was Beth's slave and must go where her mistress went. Now it was no secret that Dorobis found race to be a big issue; he had ridiculed Link because he was Hylian and now Ness because she was African. When Matayo had told his father of his feelings for Ness, the man had said that 'he was done with his children falling for slaves, especially Negroes, and he was drawing the line here'. That had resulted in a screaming match between father and son, and would have maybe come to blows if Memnet had not stepped in and taken her brother's side. She knew that if enough people backed up Matayo and Ness, just like with Link and Jennan Dorobis would have to back down and give in.
With all of the negativity that Link and Jennan's relationship had brought on, they had been stubborn and in love enough to hang on, and it paid off. But for Matayo and Ness, it might not turn out so well.
-O-
All subjects of a royal castle wear black with the death of a king, and so it was in Altea. Prince Marth was not to be consoled, and he was silent the rest of the night that his father passed, and even Zelda thought it best to keep her distance from him. The nurse who had been in charge of the late king was practically in hysterics, terrified that she would be executed at the hand of the prince's anger in the morning. Zelda was unnerved over the situation, for not only had her father-in-law just died, but she was unsure if Marth would actually follow through with his threat when the time came. She knew that her young husband could be harsh and frightening when he wanted to be, and she was also sure that he always kept his word.
So she was devising a plan to spare the nurse's life. If the woman had been guilty of the king's death, Zelda would not hesitate to stand behind Marth in his decision, but the nurse had done everything she could to save the king. Marth was just acting out in pain and anger, but if he gave an order it was the law to obey it. In the morning if he commanded the nurse to die, it would be done as he said.
But Zelda felt that perhaps she could change his mind, if she approached him in the right way. If she was going to soon be queen, she wanted to be as just as when she was a princess. She did not think that subjects should die just because the prince felt he had to take his anger out on someone. Zelda talked this situation over with Marth's blind step-sister Anya, who had no blood relation to the royal family and thus had no title. Before Marth and Zelda's marriage, Anya had been very close to the prince and had been the only one that could talk sense into him, and Zelda thought that perhaps she could give advice that would give direction on what to say to Marth to request the nurse's life. Anya was devastated over the king's death herself, but something had to be done about Marth's blind rage. It was a very bad thing for a kingdom when the person that should be making the wise decisions was making the most foolish ones. Zelda had experience with ruling a country, and she felt that perhaps she could help set Marth straight.
It was going to be no small task, but Zelda knew she had to be up to it. Marth may have very soonly been a king, but he was first her husband, so that made her an equal with him in at least one way and lessened the dangers of facing him.
She found him in their dwelling with one of the stained-glass windows open; the hard night wind that came through whipped his hair and cloak, but he stood rigid and unmoving as he stared out into the darkness. No doubt he knew she was there, but he still did not budge. Zelda noticed that she was holding her breath, and exhaled slowly. There was not much reason for her to be nervous, for Marth would not get violent with her, but his harsh shortness was slightly unnerving. She came to a stop behind him and decided to just get right to the point.
"After the funeral tomorrow," she said gently, "the nurse is expecting to be executed."
He tilted his head slightly in her direction. The dark shadows on his face looked ominous. "Someone has to pay for the death of a king."
Zelda swallowed hard and felt a sharp pain in her pregnant stomach. "Marth," she said softly, "no they don't. Your father's death was natural, and you cannot punish fate. The gods chose for the king to go."
Marth scoffed quite harshly. "The gods mean nothing to me. Maybe there is a single God out there somewhere, but right now the only power in Altea is the king."
Zelda blinked slowly and took a small step towards him. "And it's youthat is going to be king. Marth, please spare the nurse's life."
She saw him tense up, and then he turned to face her. "Zelda, have you ever lost someone close to you?"
"Yes." He meant in death, but in her opinion loss could be something different. "And I found out that taking out your pain on other people doesn't help. Think about it, Marth. If you kill the nurse..." -her hands slipped over her own stomach- "...what of her family and the people who love her? Her death will not bring back your father. It will only take away."
Marth's eyes rested on her hands, and though his expression remained the same, the look in his eyes changed. He slowly turned back to the window and waved his hand as if to dismiss something. "All right," he said, his voice husky. "I'll spare the nurse's life for you. But she won't be serving me personally."
Zelda was grateful, but it was not her way to thank him. She reached out and touched his arm. "It's late, and you have to rest. Come to bed."
In the morning, a great deal of the subjects were crowded outside the castle walls in what looked like a sea of black, for it was the traditional color for a funeral. The king's coffin was made of the most polished wood and had gold-plated creases and hinges. The burial was to take place on the hill that consisted of the rest of the royal graves, and the people attending nearly filled the valley at the base of the hill. Four guards from the castle carried the coffin to the deep hole that had been dug sometime during the night, and very gently set it inside.
The only people allowed on the actual hill were Marth and Zelda, Anya, the royal adviser Gathan, a burial priest, and a slew of guards, all dressed in dark clothing. Marth wore a black robe that touched the ground and had a wide hood that he had pulled loosely over his head. He stood straight and solid as stone, and did nothing but stare down into the open grave. The priest raised his hands, and the entire crowd was eerily silent. As he began his sayings to lay the king to rest, Zelda heard a sob from somewhere in the crowd, and she turned her head ever so slightly to peer through the black veil over her face. Even from here she could tell that there was more than one person in the crowd that was in tears, and she felt her own eyes flood over. Only Marth was stone-faced, and throughout the whole funeral procession his expression changed not once, even when the grave was filled.
The rest of the day passed slowly and quietly, and Zelda did not see Marth much throughout that time. When darkness came on there was going to be a royal ceremony that officially crowned and declared Marth as king, and since there must be witnesses, the crowd who had attended the funeral had gone home to prepare for the night. For the first time since the crowning of Marth's father, the public would be allowed into the castle and right up into the very throne room. Zelda had looked over the throne many times, but at a distance. The queen's seat was directly beside the king's, and had not been used for years now. Zelda would be the first queen in a long time to occupy that throne, but that did not take away the sympathetic pain of losing her father-in-law.
The castle was crazy with the arrival of people that night, and Zelda spent most of that time sitting at the banquet table to keep herself out of the way. Marth was nowhere in sight and was probably being dressed and prepared for the ceremony by his servants. Zelda was secretly feeling quite ill, though it was certainly not the night for it, but she kept having a repeating wave of nausea. Subjects kept approaching her and bowing low to the ground and quickly moving on, perhaps just to say that they had been in close quarters with the princess. She did not mind, but hoped that she would be in good enough health to stay through the rest of the ceremony.
A small crowd of advisers stood at the throne to patiently and await the prince. Zelda was beginning to get dizzy from all of the activity, and clutched a golden cup of white wine in her hand and noticed her slight shaking. She imagined that Marth was very nervous at this point, but was somehow more weighed down by the loss of his father than the pressure of soonly becoming a king.
Finally the heavy doors to the room swung open, and Marth was there and flanked by two guards. Zelda thought he looked very nice, but not at all happy or excited. He met her eyes, even from across the room, and then as he slowly approached the throne, the people lining the walls dropped into a slow bow. Marth's steps were slow but meaningful, and his gaze was piercing as he leveled his eyes on the advisers that held the king's crown; the gold arc was much like the prince's crown, but wider and implanted with jewels. The two guards split apart from Marth when he ascended the steps of the throne, and a hush fell over the crowd.
The ceremony that was going on now was a definite step up from the one that had took place just that morning. The crowd still wore all black, but the mood was changed and excited. Marth, on the other hand, was the exact opposite and dressed in the white cloak that he had worn on his and Zelda's wedding day. When he reached the top step and the platform that housed the thrones, the prince faced the crowd and slowly slid his hands behind his back, concealed between his body and the long cloak, and stood ramrod straight and still. The late king's personal adviser exhaled quietly, and as the silent crowd looked on, held up the crown a little higher and began his short speech.
"The death of a king," the man said slowly, and his voice echoed throughout the huge room, "is a difficult thing for not only a son, but also for a prince and as well as a country. We lost our king and our leader, but that is not where it ends. Thankfully the king had a son, a very wise and compatible young man for the throne, and it was the king's wish, of course, for Prince Marth to take over and rule the country as his father had done. We can be assured that we are in good hands, my friends. And it is my pleasure to do as I am about to."
Marth slowly turned to the man, his long cloak swinging around with him, and knelt down onto one knee. Zelda held her breath, and it seemed as if the whole crowd did as well. With so many people in one room the silence seemed almost impossible, but it was very well happening. All eyes were up at the throne as one of the advisers reached out with both hands and gently slid the gold prince's crown from Marth's hair; then the man with the king's crown raised it a few inches for the crowd to see, then leaned forward and replaced the prince's crown. Marth put a hand to his hair and stood stiffly, and when he turned to the crowd, Zelda led the huge wave of applause and cheers.
Marth did not even smile, but looked over at Zelda and held out a hand in her direction. She pushed back her chair and dropped her glass of wine in the surprise of getting to him, and when she got close he reached out and took her hand. After he pulled her over to him, the late king's head adviser called out loudly, "Behold your king and your queen!"
This caused an even more intense joyful uproar, and Zelda at last detected the smallest of smiles on Marth's mouth. The advisers bowed deeply and left the platform to join the crowd. Anya was near the front of the people and close to the throne, and her blind eyes were shining as she applauded, as if she could see her brother's glory. White flower petals were thrown high into the air and were soonly all throughout the room.
The night ended in excitement and drunkenness, and by morning nearly ever subject of the kingdom had a hangover, but Marth and Zelda seemed to have been the only ones that were not drunk. Zelda felt better than she had the night before- maybe it had something to do with the pride of officially being a queen. She did not feel much different other than that; she still had the same feelings and the same loves and everything else, but being in such a high and powerful position was exciting, for she was now second in command over a country. She of course had always been a princess and was used to having things her way, but her father had taken care of all of the important decisions back home in Hyrule. Now she would be doing some of it herself.
Marth was in his dwelling behind closed doors and had been all morning, but Zelda was exploring the throne room with interest when Gathan, holding a thin scroll, came inside and bowed low to her. "Queen Zelda," he said respectfully.
"Gathan," she replied, and nodded her head to signal him to continue. He rose from the bow and rolled open the scroll.
"I wanted to present this to you, highness, before I showed the king. Perhaps you can be the one to call it to his attention, for it may displease him."
"What is it, Gathan?"
The man stroked his beard for a moment before turning the scroll towards her. "It is from Akanea's king; they are requesting a time for peace talks in Carrickfergus."
The last word caused Zelda's heart to jump- Link was in Carrickfergus. But then she felt badly for thinking that and instead began to wonder why the Akanean king would want to cross all of Altea and Hyrule just to have these talks in the distant land of Carrickfergus. It was a terribly long trip and did not make sense, but Zelda was hopeful at the thought of seeing Link again, for if Marth went to Carrickfergus that would mean she would go as well. But Marth would know what to do about it, so he should not doubt be shown right away.
"Take it to Marth," she commanded, "and don't be afraid. I won't let him hurt you in any way."
Gathan looked embarrassed, but bowed and hurried off. Zelda followed at her own pace, and by the time she reached the dwelling the scroll was open and Marth was already in a slight rage, yelling his suspicions and judging the invitation as some kind of a deceiving trick. Zelda came inside and tried to convince him to calm down and think it over, and surprisingly he did.
"I don't trust it, Zelda," he said flatly, and ignored Gathan completely. "What makes them think that I want any peace with them? And besides, I want to know the reason why we can't meet here where I have soldiers. I can't take a whole army with me to Carrickfergus, and the Akaneans know it."
Zelda bit her lip and tried to think. "Gathan, do you think it sounds untrustworthy?"
Gathan's head snapped up in surprise. "Uh, well, your highness, I agree that it could very well be a trick. But also what if the Akaneans really do want peace?"
"But why would they choose Carrickfergus for a meeting place?" Marth snapped. "I don't trust it."
"Of course it's your decision, Marth," Zelda said, hoping to calm him, "but we just want to help you decide. Maybe there's a reason they chose Carrickfergus."
Marth waved his hand irritably. "It's too many miles from Akanea to Carrickfergus, and it makes no sense for them to want to travel all that way for nothing. They did not offer to come to Altea, and neither did they want us to come there."
"Perhaps they consider that the most peaceful thing," Gathan said quietly. Marth eyed him carefully. "It may seem to them to be a sign of dominance to meet in Akanea, and maybe they are afraid to meet here in Altea. Hyrule may seem just as dangerous to them, and they know that Doluna is another one of Altea's sworn enemies, and of course we cannot meet in the ocean. So though it is far away, Carrickfergus is the closest and most peaceful place. It has no king, and without a king it has no army."
Marth thought on this for a moment, and then grinned slightly. "It's times like these that I remember why I keep you around, Gathan. I like the way you think." His face hardened again. "But I still don't trust it."
Zelda tilted her head and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "It's wise for a king to be cautious, but what if Gathan is right?"
"We'll never know unless we try," Marth replied, "but I don't want to gamble with it."
Zelda bit her lip; she wanted to go, just for the chance of seeing Link, and if Marth had not figured that out by now she did not plan on telling him. She did not want to act too desperate to go, for she knew that Marth would probably only do the exact opposite, so she struggled to appear calm. In a way she felt guilty for getting this excited over a man that was not her husband, but she could not help it- her love for Link had never died.
"We must send back a reply to Akanea as soon as possible, majesty," Gathan said quietly. "We need peace as soon as we can have it."
Marth turned to the window, the bottom of his dark blue cloak brushing the ground. "Even if we can manage peace with Akanea, we are still rivals with Doluna. But the less problems I have to deal with, the better."
"Exactly," Zelda agreed. "But of course we have to consider the risks. We can't just walk into a trap."
Marth glanced back at her. "Even if I go, you're not coming."
"What? Why not?"
He reached up and pushed back the curtains from the window. "I don't trust it as it is, and if a battle breaks out I don't want my wife involved in it."
"Not only am I your wife, but I am also the queen of Altea. I'm supposed to be beside you in everything you do, Marth. And besides, you aren't even sure if there will be a battle."
Marth turned and faced her squarely. "We don't only have you to think about."
Just as he said this Zelda felt a pain in her stomach, and though she knew that he was right, it did not change her desire to go to Carrickfergus. "I'll be all right. Marth, I want to go if you do."
Marth grumbled something about her stubborness and sighed. Zelda shared a quick look with Gathan, and then Marth gave up the fight. "Fine, you can come ifI decide to go." He turned to Gathan. "I'll be bringing more than a few soldiers, just in case, but not so many that it seems like I'm asking for a fight. But I want the both of you to know that I don't like this idea."
"Then perhaps you should listen to that feeling, majesty," Gathan suggested.
"The Akaneans cannot take us to be that foolish," Zelda said quickly. "If this really is a trap, it's a blatant one. They know Marth is king now and they know that he is far wiser than that."
Marth sighed again, and after a few moments of silence in the room he glanced at Gathan. "Get my soldiers and the ships ready, and send a message back to Akanea to tell them that we're coming. We leave tomorrow."
Zelda turned away and smiled.
-O-
A few days later in the heat of the season, Link was up early and ready for work. Spring was quickly changing into summer, but the rains were still heavy and frequent and a semi-flood was not unusual, so Dorobis had given Link a shovel and assigned him to the job of digging a deep trench by the stable to keep the water from getting in. Link got up before dawn and mapped out in his head where the ditch would be, and began digging as the sun rose. Jennan and Matayo's tutor did not come in the warm weather, so it did not appear that anyone in the house was awake yet. Link was used to getting up every morning and tending to the horses, but today that would be only Artos' job, for Link had enough work to do with the trench.
It was hard work, but Link was used to that sort of thing. He had worked hard most of his life and it was certainly nothing new. As hard as he worked now he knew that it would only get more difficult when he and Jennan were on their own. He was sure that he could support her, but it would not be easy- he had adjusted to taking care of himself for a long time, but it might be different with someone else, especially a woman. Link and Rhashidi had traveled together for nearly two years, but they each had depended on their own selves and rarely assisted the other; when Link and Jennan got married, she would be depending on him rather than herself.
That was strange to say: when they got married. A year ago Link had never imagined that he would almost be engaged by now, for he had for a long time been a loner and had never really thought about settling down, even when he and Zelda had been together. He had loved Zelda deeply, but had never considered actually marrying her. It was a complicated thing, but with Jennan it seemed much more understandable, and he thought that maybe that was one of the reasons that the two of them worked out so well.
He jabbed the tip of the shovel into the dirt again. Since he was alone most of the time while working, it was the best time to think about things, which reminded him that soonly he had to buy a ring for Jennan. He would use the money that he had worked for and earned from Dorobis, because Hylian currency meant nothing here. Maybe he would not be able to afford gold and diamonds, but he planned to try hard to get Jennan the nicest ring he could find. Not only did he think she deserved it, but she would be wearing it for the rest of their lives, so Link would not rush to find it. But after he did was when he planned to ask her to marry him, which, if she said yes, would officially put their engagement into motion. It had been well known that they were a couple for a long time, but when they were engaged it would be written in stone.
Link's huge white hound Gelert came loping around the corner of the stable as Link stabbed the shovel into the ground again, and the dog's long tail began wagging hard when he laid eyes on his master. Link glanced up and patted his thigh, and the dog rushed over excitedly and thrust his thick muzzle into the young man's hand. As Link took a moment to scratch the hound's ears, he suddenly wondered if Rhashidi would come with him and Jennan when they moved away from the plantation; after all, the wolf-boy had been with Link for over the past two years and it would be strange to part company now, but there was the possibility that Jennan might say otherwise. Even yet, Rhashidi might decide to stay at the plantation of his own choosing; his bond and attachment to Memnet might be strong enough, but Link had never asked and would be left wondering until the time came to find out.
Gelert pulled away and continued around the stable to roam around freely as usual. Dorobis had once tried to keep the big hound tied by a chain, but Link had never done that to the dog and refused to begin, so Dorobis had given in. Now as he dug the trench he realized that though Dorobis had disliked him to the near point of hate before, things had managed to change, even if no one had really noticed it so far. Used to, the two of them had not been able to share company without getting into a verbal or physical battle (which the reason for this was simple, for back then Link had unwillingly been a slave to the man), but now they could actually converse with one another, which was a forced result of Link's stubborness to be with Jennan. Dorobis had finally realized that he was defeated in this situation- at last.
Which reminded Link of what was going on with Matayo and Ness. He had not been sure at first, but lately he had seen them sometimes, especially at night, meeting somewhere in the shadows when they thought everyone else wad asleep. Well, they did not need to worry if Link knew what was going on, because he knew how that was and would not let on even if he did not. He would tell Matayo that the secret was safe, for only Link and Jennan knew, and they had already been through the secrecy and stress- but they had got through it, and hopefully Matayo and Ness would as well.
Link was already beginning to sweat, even in the early morning sun, and threw off his hat onto the dirt beside him. He paused his digging for a moment and ran the back of his wrist over the wetness on his forehead, and pushed back his hair. As if on a strange cue, Jennan came out of the house with a glass cup in her hand, and when she spotted Link she came over quickly and handed him the glass.
"It's already warm out here," she said after bidding him good-morning, and then smiled sweetly. "I figured you'd need some water."
He was grateful, and drank half of the water with a nod to her, then dumped the rest right over his head and shoulders, and Jennan jumped back to avoid the flying drops and laughed. "I've got a hot summer to work through," Link said, spitting a drop from his mouth that had made its way inside. "But it'll be worth it when I get paid." He tilted his head down and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I've got things I need to buy."
Jennan nodded in agreement, but she was no doubt oblivious to what he really meant. She knew that they were going to get married, but she was not sure exactly when that would be, and Link thought that it would be pleasant to surprise her. His love for her made him want to get things for her that were not even necessary, just to see her pleasure. He had wanted to do that before but had never really had money until now, and it would be fun to get started. Jennan, that he knew of, did not like or dislike anything in particular; she did not collect anything either, but he knew her and could pick something out that she would like without even asking if she did or not.
"How does Father pay you?" she asked suddenly.
Link spit again. "By the hour. And more than I expected from him." In that day and age, it was not usually the woman's concern what kind of money her man made, and Link had heard the discrimination before, but he sure as heck would not treat Jennan that way.
"Good, as he should." Jennan's eyes were soft. "All you do is work, and without you he would have to do it himself. You deserve everything you make, and probably more."
He knew it was the truth, but it was not his way of thinking. He reached out and touched her hair gently, and her deep brown eyes seemed to shine as she looked up at him. He smiled his crooked grin at her (the grin was off even though his teeth had always been white and straight) and took his hand away from her to push back his wet hair. She was staring at him quite intently, and he had the sudden urge to kiss her; she seemed to realize this, for she reached for his dripping face gently, and he pulled her to his chest. They kissed long and hard and it was no telling what would have come of it had not Artos suddenly appeared around the corner and cleared his throat loudly.
"My goodness you two, you will be married soon enough," he scolded, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice as Link and Jennan pulled away from each other. Artos rolled his eyes slightly as he reached into a pocket inside his shirt, and after feeling around for a brief moment retrieved a folded letter and handed it to Link. "No one knows what it says, but it looks like Hylian writing to me."
It was. Link looked over the crease of the fold briefly and immediately recognized the official Altean seal, stamped with the king's own signet ring. He had heard of the death of the late king, which would mean, if he was right, that it would have been sealed directly by Zelda's husband the prince- now the king. Link slipped his finger into the crease and broke the seal. The outside of the pure-white paper had Hylian words that addressed the letter to Link himself, and even before he read it he had the feeling that it was from Zelda, and he was right. Jennan leaned against him and read what she could understand over his shoulder, and he licked his lips quickly and scanned over the one page with his eyes. From the quick reading that he did, he gathered that the two rival countries of Altea and Akanea were arranging peace talks, and the meeting place, for whatever reason, was Carrickfergus, and Zelda was informing him that nonchalantly that she might drop in. From a previous letter from Zelda, Link had discovered that her husband Marth was a short-tempered tyrant of a young man, and was quite used to having things his own way.
"It was from Zelda," Jennan said, more as a statement than a question. Link nodded and folded the letter again, and noticed that the water on his face and hair had suddenly turned cold. He did not think that Zelda and Jennan had anything against each other, but the two of them being together would put him a very uncomfortable position, and he was not sure how well he could handle that kind of pressure. "Is she coming here?" Jennan asked.
Link nodded again, but he did not yet tell her that it might not be as good of a thing as was expected.
