SUMMER

~Landon~

I often spent my winters journeying South since I was old enough to wield a sword, visiting the Cities of the Forest - Ordon, Autumn Valley, and Farore's Hearth - and even beyond the lands of Hyrule, voyaging aboard Uncle Willan's boat to exotic places carved into jungles, like Ginsha, with its pyramids that stand taller than Hyrule Castle, or the Most Divine City of Salkenhana, which was contained by gold walls. I've always found the winters that Hyrule Castle braves to be unbearably cold, and it serves as an excuse to leave the city as often as possible.

But I never travel South in the summer. In the hottest months, Ordon smells like manure and pasture, and the salty smell of the sea that I have grown fond of is greatly weakened. As soon as I rode through the gates of the city on horseback, I knew I would prefer to stay here no longer than I need to.

"Do we have sufficient coin for a meal?" I asked.

"Plenty more than that," Ignacio answered. "Ordonian wines are said to be at their best in the summer. Perhaps we could find a tavern of some sort-"

Rylan sighed. "We aren't here for wine; let's find and greet the Terminian prince and escort him to Hyrule Castle."

Father told me that the heir to Termina was coming for a diplomatic visit of sorts, and that it would only be appropriate if I were to meet him here, at Ordon, the largest port in Hyrule. "It would be well-suited if the Prince of Hyrule were to escort the Prince of Termina," Father told me. I disagreed, but still had little say in the matter. By the same night, I took a few belongings and rode south on horseback with two knights in my personal command: Sir Ignacio and Sir Rylan. I was raised alongside them, and I occasionally feel as though they were more like my siblings than Zelda or Landon.

I glanced at Ignacio. A tall man of my age, with fair skin and blond, curly hair. He often smiled, and his smile exuded confidence and dangerousness in equal measure. I would feel threatened to have him in my presence, but years of being around him have waned that effect on me.

"The weather's good," Ignacio observed, and I silently nodded in agreement. "Even if the royal brat's boat makes good time from Termina to Hyrule, we'll still have hours before he would come ashore."

"He's their Prince," Rylan quickly said, "you ought to speak to and about them with respect."

Ignacio, however, did not care for Rylan's advice (as usual). Instead, the former simply smiled, and said, "Want to know why Termina's flag has strips of plain white all over it?"

Rylan scoffed. "Don't."

"They've lost so many wars that they confuse their own flag with the flag for surrender."

I could not help but laugh at that, and Rylan shot me a glare as well. Rylan was always quick to defend others - mostly because he was targeted himself so often. A skin like copper was rare in Hyrule, and it often gave Rylan unwanted attention from others. "We are not going to idle for hours on end, waiting for the royal brat," I decided. Ignacio grinned. "Rylan, we wish to drink our fill of Ordonian wine while we are here. Perhaps some sleep as well. You're welcome to stand by the piers, waiting for their ship, or join us."

"For us, three's a crowd, but we'd make an exception for you," Ignacio agreed, nodding.

"As it happens, I have my own matters to attend to," Rylan said, flushing. He gave me a glance. "May I be excused?"

I nodded, and he quickly disappeared into the crowds going through the busy Ordonian streets.

Ignacio and I remained there, at the foot of the port. We left our horses in a nearby stable, and paid the owner double the going rate he charges - these were important horses, after all; well-bred and groomed, trained for everything I could use a horse for, and still energetic. Might I say, looking at Ordon from horseback made it seem insignificant, but when you are at eye level with the hundreds of peasants making their way through the busy roads, the port looks chaotic. Ignacio spoke of a particular tavern he had come across the last time he had been to Ordon, and I let him lead us to it.

Buildings rose on either side of us. Shops, inns, and temples were two or three stories tall, carved of stone, and I could immediately tell that this is where people spend most of their days. Beyond that were smaller, more recent businesses: weavers and cloth-makers displayed their wares in front of us, offering for Ignacio and I to feel the silk used to create the material; fishermen and farmers offered fresh produce, although the fish seemed to be dried in the sun and preserved only with small amounts of salt. Jewelers were few and far in Ordon, but every shop that sold something important had multiple guards both inside and outside of it, and the shops of spice traders were guarded even more heavily. One shop that kept in my mind sold nothing but roses and other flowers. It simply had an old lady standing at the counter, talking and smiling to customers.

Ignacio forgot where the tavern was several times, and had to ask for directions. "Where's the Ordonian Spirits?" Ignacio repeated to several people, until somebody gave an answer. One particularly nosy peasant asked why we wanted to know, but we waved her off and continued without her directions. We eventually did find the building. It stood short, and unlike the buildings around it, the tavern was made of wooden logs and smelled more of the sea than of manure.

"It serves fine wine?"

"The best we can get here," Ignacio answered.

"How about the meat?"

"Won't be too much better than the meat anywhere else in Ordon. It's inedible - you have to build the stomach for it."

There were several other people in the tavern - a burly old man laughing along with a smaller woman; a young lady sitting by herself, stirring her drink, with her palm cupping her cheek; an old man playing the ocarina as background music; two servers; and four sellswords with a rancid odour and ripped clothes - but they all ignored us when we walked in. Ignacio and I took seats by the window, so we could enjoy the view of ships entering and leaving Ordon's natural harbour. But even when the serving wench was asking for what I wanted, I still could not keep my eyes off the young woman, with her straight, golden hair, sitting alone. I feel as though I've seen her before...

"We'll both have a cup of wine each," Ignacio told the wench.

Before she could leave, I pulled on her arm, and pointed to the lady sitting alone. "Did she already pay for her drink?"

"She did not-"

I handed the wench a silver coin. "Tell her that it's on me, then." The wench remained silent, although she looked confused. She immediately approached the young lady, dropped the coin in her palm, and pointed toward me. As our server left for our wines, the blonde looked at me, and I retained eye contact. After a moment, she stood up and approached us.

I expected her immediate gratitude and perhaps a short thanks. Instead, she reddened and slapped me.

My hand was on the hilt of my sword, prepared to defend myself against this sudden assault. The sellswords glared at me all the while; they were certainly armed, and would not take lightly for a man drawing a sword upon a lady. Even the burly old man was challenging me with his facial expression. To show I meant no threat, I let go of the sword and kept my hands in the air.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked. I thought I did, which is why I paid for your drink; the words, however, got stuck in my throat, and I sat there, staring at her, looking like I was dumbstruck. But my silence only seemed to further anger her. "Do you think I'm that kind of girl, that if you pay for my drink, you can do whatever you may with me?"

"No, I-"

"Are you from here?"

Ignacio could not help but smile at my own misfortune. Damn the bastard, I thought to myself, giving him a cold glare. "We're from the Capital."

She scoffed. "My father, the mayor, owns this tavern. I work here. I'm simply on break, enjoying a drink. And I don't need your charity." I stood there, silent, waiting for her to continue. "What are you waiting for?"

"What do you want from me? A second silver coin?" That was my own stupidity at work, but it made Ignacio openly laugh.

The mayor's daughter did not find that amusing, however. She slapped me once again, but this time, I did not show any threats of retaliation. "I'm expecting an apology!"

"For what? Offering to pay for your drink?"

"What makes you think that offering to pay for my drink is the right thing to do? Do I look like I'm impoverished? Do my clothes look like they're tattered?"

"Perhaps your overreacting," I offered, and laid back in my chair. "I did not mean any offense."

She crossed her arms. "I found it offensive, which is why I'm asking for any apology."

"It was not offensive, and I did nothing wrong."

"My father is the mayor of Ordon," she said. I could tell she was trying to be threatening, but she sounded scared.

I smiled. "Do you know who I am?"

"You could be the King for all I care, but that doesn't mean you're right. Apologize."

I'm the Prince, you fool. I would not dare tell her that, however. "No. You are being unreasonable."

"Apologize."

"You are psychotic," I said calmly, but evidently loud enough for everybody to hear me, as I could feel every eye in the room fall on me. My breathing was ragged, and I could feel my heartbeat.

I expected her to slap me again. This time, I will retaliate. Instead, she uttered two words: "Get out."

"Gladly." I left the tavern immediately, and although I did not look back, I could hear Ignacio's footsteps behind me. We stood outside of the tavern for a few moments, watching the waves, when one of the serving wenches came outside to give us our wines.

"You must forgive Lady Ilia for her short temper. She's had a rough time the past few months... her brother died of the measles a season ago, and her father is becoming more and more stressed regarding his job, especially now that elections will happen soon," the wench said.

I kept quiet, and subtly accepted the flagon with wine inside. Ignacio, however, gave her my thanks.

"Now what?" I asked. I glanced at the sun - it was likely to not even be noon yet.

"Rylan said he would meet us by the pier," Ignacio offered. He led the way. And this time, he did not need to ask for directions.

By the pier, the smell of manure was partially replaced by the smell of saltwater. Of the three Cities of the Forest, Ordon was the only one that bordered the sea, and was also Hyrule's only major port along its southern coast. The exotic spices and fabrics that originated from lands far away all go through Ordon at some point. During the summer months, when trading is at its profitable, there are always ships entering and leaving the harbour.

It was surprisingly interesting to watch Ignacio masterfully describe where the ship is from, what cargo it is carrying, and where it is heading next. "That one ship has three stripes painted in orange, across an otherwise checkered background. That is certainly the symbol for a Tiserene ship. The Tiserenes are famous for their exports of mangos and other tropical fruits, so that's what they're carrying."

I laughed. "How about that one?" I asked, pointing to a ship with a red bird painted on its hull.

"That is the symbol for Ginsha. Like Tiseria, Ginsha sells mangoes, but it chiefly exports human labour."

"What?"

"Ginsha practices slavery. Why would they be bringing a boat like that here, if not to smuggle slaves into Hyrule as well?"

"That's ridiculous. Hyrule has never practiced slavery."

"Consider it."

I looked off in the distance. We've played this game for perhaps an hour, and that is enough time for most ships to enter and leave the harbour. However, one ship, that looked little more than a blur from my angle, stayed there the entire time. "What about that ship?" I realized who's ship that was. "Oh."

Uncle Willan. I walked at a brisk pace, past the crowds, and I muttered "Excuse me," at least a dozen times before I actually stood in front of the ship. I walked on the deck, and Uncle stood on the side of the ship, observing the sea and city as though they were some sort of portrait. "It's been too long since you've come to Hyrule," I quickly said, before he could notice me.

He turned and smiled. "Perhaps. But I'd like to show you something. Do you know what happened exactly thirty years ago, in this very town?" Willan asked. "No? Then I'd like to show you something." I grinned. Any thoughts of Ignacio, who seemed to have disappeared from the area, or Rylan, or the Terminian brat, or of Father disappeared. Willan understood me the best. And if there was anybody I looked up to, it was him.

Willan took me past the numerous buildings that were spread across Ordon; he took me past the pastures and open fields that surrounded them, and brought me far past the dirt roads that marked the way from Ordon to Farore's Hearth, and instead, we made our way through the forest. But Willan seemed to know where he was going.

We passed through the greenery and decaying logs, past the tall trees that provided homes to wildlife, and Willan grinned at me. "Thirty years ago, the King and I defended Hyrule against a Terminian invasion, but you would never hear anything about me when you ask somebody about this story. Your father had only recently been crowned King, and the Terminians, believing Hyrule to be in a state of political insecurity, took their might across the sea and attacked us. King Rohn led the Hylian armies himself, being the first one into battle, and quickly became a symbol of hope for Hyrule. But hope turned into despair when our army clashed against theirs just south of Kakariko, in the Battle of the Rosefield, and three Hylians died for every Terminian that perished.

At this point, the Varlen Empire decided to enforce peace, and sent a force of several thousand across the West Mountain Ranges. They did not expect to be ambushed by the bulk of Termina's forces, and they had to retreat and withdrew their pledge to help us. We did not give up. Their own supplies were running low, so they realized that the only way they can stay in Hyrule is to capture the Cities of the Forest. They laid siege to both Farore's Hearth and Autumn Valley, and were moving toward Ordon, where the remaining Hylian soldiers encamped themselves.

In a desperate effort, it was my own idea to lure them into this forest, which our soldiers knew infinitely better than their soldiers. We never directly fought them, but killed them from the shadows, and we would retreat before they could find us. Our losses were minimal, but their own was staggering. When they were depleted of any morale, and looked to give up on finding us, we attacked their army camps and slaughtered them by the thousands. Termina was forced to surrender." Willan smiled. "That battle took place right here, where we stand, thirty years ago. This was history, but I still feel exhilarated, walking through this forest... What do you feel when you walk through this forest?"

"Empty," I immediately answered. "I feel somewhat sad."

"But Farore was, and still is, good to us, by giving us such a good field for battle. Din also favours us, else we would not have won this war. Think about the Goddesses, Landon - they are looking out for you. They always have your best interests in mind, even if that is not immediately apparent. Have I ever told you about faith?" I shook my head. Willan was a pious man, as I learned the last time I saw him. Few are as devoted to the Three as he is.

We made our way over a river by a tree that had fallen down to the other side. Obviously, somebody lives here. Hyrule, especially in the South, was filled with people choosing to live in small homes in the wilderness, where they could claim large plots of land for themselves, and interact with others only when they wanted to.

Willan sighed and rubbed his forehead. "The next time I will see you, I will tell you what faith is, and what it means to be faithful."

"Why do you visit Hyrule so seldomly?" I asked. "Father misses you, and complains that you do not visit enough. You have a comfortable home in these lands."

"The day we won the war was the day I realized that I had no place in Hyrule. My older brother ascended to greatness as the King of Hyrule, and I remained a shadow in his wake. And so I decided that greatness was elsewhere. I bought a small ship and a crew of a dozen and set for the seas as a merchant."

I laughed and said, "I would hardly consider you great; you took thirty years to save up enough coin to replace that boat with your new one."

He looked at me with sad eyes. "There's still time."

Suddenly I felt guilty, as though I had brought up a thought he wanted to keep buried. The rest of the way, past another waterfall, a grove, and a steep hill, I kept quiet. At the top of the hill he stood still, watching as Ordon acted as the foreground for the calm, dark-blue seas.

Uncle Willan looked at me once again. "The Goddesses have a plan for us all. If I do not achieve my dreams before I lie on a deathbed, so be it. I am nearly fifty, and even now I am not entirely sure what my dreams are. But I take solace in the knowledge that everything will turn out for the best in the end. What are your dreams, Landon? Do you aspire to simply be the King of Hyrule once King Rhon himself passes away? Or do you want to be more than that?"

"What can be greater than being a king?"

"Being happy," he answered. "You look like your father when he was your age. Did anybody ever tell you that?"

"A few times, actually. Even Father acknowledges it."

"Do you know what he wanted to be when he grew up?"

"King?"

"A bard. He wanted to play music for people. Aye, being the King would be his lifestyle, but singing was his passion. Few people supported the notion of a singing king, and it was our own father who dissuaded him... Be happy, Landon. Be happy that the Goddesses are real, and that they have plans for you."

Willan had retired into his quarters, aboard his ship. Although he did not tell me that he wanted to be alone, he did hint it, and I offered to give him some time. He's nothing like what I remember...

As for myself, I found Rylan and Ignacio by the piers. They were waiting for the Terminian brat's ship, and Ignacio was particularly bored. "What did you and your uncle talk about?" Ignacio asked.

"Faith. His age. The Goddesses. Whatever popped into his mind," I answered, taking a seat there. I kept my eyes forward, looking for the Terminian flag on a ship. "If the ship does not arrive by tonight, we're leaving. Prince Cythen can find his own way to Hyrule Castle."

Rylan crossed his arms. "Your father said to wait for him. It would be the right thing to do."

"And if he does not show up?" I asked, looking at Rylan. "Do you really want to be here into nightfall? We'd be three sleepy knights who would make easy targets for thieves."

I somewhat hoped that the Terminian Prince did not appear soon, just so I could enjoy a dinner and sleep. But I knew that Rylan was right, that Father would be disappointed if I didn't stay up all night waiting for him.

Yet I did not have to. Ignacio brought my attention to a ship off in the distance; barely noticeable, but it was certainly a large flagship that hoisted the Terminian flag.

Prince Cythen was all that he was rumoured to be: arrogant, rude, and took everything for granted. I knew I was not going to enjoy escorting him across the kingdom, to Hyrule Castle. But before I do that, I had something else I needed to do before leaving Ordon.

All it took was for the door to open and close for her to raise her head and look at me. She was talking to a customer over the bench, who ignored me.

"You," she hissed. "I told you to never come back."

I gave a smile. "You told me to get out. You did not say I could never return. And is that the way to speak to a paying customer?"

"What do you want?" she asked.

"To apologize."

"Oh," she said, as though she was let down. Was the wench expecting a fight?

I walked forward. "I acted unreasonably earlier today. You deserve an apology for my comments. Ilia, is it?" She nodded. "I'm sorry for my behavior. I hope you can forgive me."

"I don't know what to say..."

I held out a small, modest bouquet of roses and other local flowers for her. "These are for you, to show you that I genuinely regret my words. Do you forgive me?"

"Absolutely," Ilia immediately said, accepting the bouquet. "Would you like to stay for a drink?"

I shook my head. "I need to be somewhere. But thank you for the offer."

~END CHAPTER~

Author's Notes

This chapter stands in contrast to the last chapter, in the sense that they seem completely unrelated. And that's how most of this story is. Different characters are at different places, so their stories are very loosely entwined. The only thing that really connects these characters are the major events that happen in the story. And I think that really helps to emulate how the real world works.

I've tried to make Landon to be quite rude and arrogant himself, but he has some degree of morality. He's not a virtuous character in many ways, and as you might notice, he's unknowingly hypocritical. His only real friends are Ignacio and Rylan, and even then, he often alienates Rylan and makes Rylan seem like an outcast. He has a cooler relationship with his siblings, Victon and Zelda; both of them dislike him. You could say that he's somebody who's incredibly accomplished and talented, but he remains incredibly lonely. Perhaps that's why he felt the need to apologize to Ilia.

This story is heavy on foreshadowing. Where did Rylan go when Landon and Ignacio visited Ilia's tavern? Why did Link receive that sword from his father? I like to put these hints of what's to come in the later part of the story, yet I also like to make them incredibly subtle.

As usual, I'm always open to your feedback, whether positive or negative.