Thanks so much for the reviews guys! It really does mean a lot to me and helps me to keep writing. Sorry this chapter is late, I was out of town the past weekends and have had 4 hours of homework each night every night. Yuck. Anyways! Here is the third chapter!
Zelda sat in the mid-morning sun, soaking in the warming rays. She was dreaming. Day dreaming of days gone past, when things were innocent, happy, and she didn't have a care in the world. She smiled at the thought of it all, sadly though, all the same. She new she could only go forward, and forward she would trek even if it killed her. She knew what was at stake, her country, her home, the lives of her people. She did admit that she felt somewhat lost and helpless, a bit unguided. This brought her mood down, despite the endorphins from her exercise.
On the train of thought of what was at stake, her mind travelled to the war itself, the countries and where they lay. She thought of the odds, in their favor, but perhaps outdone in skill, possibly. She knew Ariat was fueled on will power and the determination of a thousand ages, yet Hyrule she felt, advanced them with determination of a hundred thousand ages, and she beckoned her mind to counteract her thoughts, become pessimistic and take down her confidence in her people. Her own darker self fighting for her to despair, for her to sit to sulk to dream of days gone past; forever, locked, in the unforgiving claws of the past, never to resurface or reenact themselves, yet ever there, haunting and winning over with their malicious influence. Perhaps she thought, the future, after the black war that will pursue, she will find some peace, and she hoped the same for all the people, Araitian and Hylian alike, for they all were one people in a time passed, and maybe in the time ahead, however unlikely the odds.
Looking up and squinting into the sun cloaked day, she decided she had to move, to hunt for what she needed, and get answers. She had to find about the heir of Ariat. She made a mental list of the information she had already collected from Lord Rizohn.
King Derek- Died shortly after meeting Dresden
Queen Grace- Died in childbirth after multiple odd events.
The Heir- Possibly dead, possibly alive.
Dresden- Abomination of nature possessed with a freakish desire for power.
Simple enough. She thought. Stretching her legs, she pulled herself from the cobblestone ground, popping her shoulders as she sighed and let her breath out. Walking back into the castle, in its cool protection, she literally ran into Veronica as she rounded the blind corner.
"Ah! Princess!" Veronica said, curtseying as she backed from the princess and the almost ugly situation that would have ensued. "I was just looking for you."
"Pleasantly, Lady Veronica!" Zelda formally began. "You must excuse my dress, for I have just finished training, and was currently on my way to refresh myself."
"Well freshen you should!" Veronica started; Zelda could hear a hidden excitement in her voice. "It is the night of the masquerade, is it not? I came to let your Majesty know, so you would not be caught unawares."
"Most appreciated Lady Veronica," Zelda paused, "Is it really the time for the masquerade again? Where has the time gone?"
"I feel the same your Majesty. But try to keep this night slow, yet, enjoyable as possible, for I fear this will be one of the last nights in a long time that you will hear laughter and merriment of many." Veronica said, disposition saddening little, but the smile still upon her face.
"Well said, if it is so, I must see to that I am prepared, nay?" Zelda said, preparing herself to leave. Before she could start walking away, Veronica caught her halfway through her turn in the other direction with her voice.
"My Princess Zelda, before the Masquerade this eve, I wish to speak with you. In private. Is there a time that suits her Ladyship best?" Veronica asked innocently.
"I am quite certain there will be some odd ended hour that we may speak before the eve's festivities. I will send a maid to fetch thee, and bring you to speak in private. I expect slightly after the hour of four and before five." Zelda said, smiling at Veronica, curious as to what she had to say.
"That is quite considerate my Lady, I shall see you in the good-den. Until then, may the wind be at your back and the road ease in your path and the sun shine upon you good fortune and happy times." Veronica said as she curtsied.
"And may the rain not let its tears and sorrow tangle your path." Zelda gave farewell, turning once again to the open hallway, heading to her chambers.
Zelda's mind was silent for once in a very long time as she passed servants preparing for the night's festivities. Silently, she observed everything around her; the tall windows with the rays of the mid-morning sun splashing the white and gray marbled floors, reflecting onto the stone walls, clean and carved. She studied the array of blue and black flowers, splashed with pure white roses here and there, supposedly representing the sky minutes after the sun had set; blues fading into blacks, and the stars starting to wake, spreading their light upon the dreaming surface.
As she passed the main throne room, she looked inside as a servant rushed through, opening the doors as she went, carrying cleaning supplies that suggested to Zelda that even the floors had been cleaned for the evening ahead. The once essentially bare hallway walls were now vibrant and alive with the royal Hylian Code of Arms. The lengthy banners were trimmed with gold thread, the royal blues made with the finest dyes from the Gerudo, the reds as vibrant as those of the tribe itself, and the yellow brighter and even more intense than the sun upon the endless sands, scorched in the day's heat. Though the fabric was dyed with Gerudo brews, the cloth itself was made of the hands of the forest dwellers, the softest, lightest, and most valued cloth of its time.
She turned the corner between the east and west wings, departing to the right (west) for her own chambers. Here, she saw pedestals made by the Goron and Kakariko dwellers alike. The hand, wrought iron legs curling in swift and smooth designs, almost showing the Hylian spirit, while the polished stone mined from within Death Mountain itself, shone like the fabled Goron ruby, the granite with red streaks of garnet intertwined with the black and gray speckled stone. The edges of the great stone was hand carved with such delicacy, that one would never believe that a Goron was capable of such a gentle hand despite their size and strength. Upon these tables sat gifts from the Zoran tribes. Vases made from glass; blues, greens, purples, oranges, yellows, and pinks swirled in excelled craftsmanship, literally showing the majestic flow of the water as you sit underneath the break, looking up to the sky as the sun bounds off of the surface of the water.
These keepsakes were only brought out during gatherings such as the ball that is to take place tonight. If there were no visitors, the treasures were stored away, safely under lock and key, guarded and protected so that no one would steal the gifts of the various tribes.
She continued on until she could see her door, but at her door stood Impa, leaning against it, arms crossed and staring at her with a sour expression upon her face. Zelda slowed as she thought, "oh shit. What did I do?" Zelda warily approached the calm looking but secretly-boiling-on-the-inside Impa.
"Yes…?" Zelda asked.
"Inside." Impa said as she motioned to the door, opening it and holding it for the tense princess to walk in. Impa shut the door silently behind them, and turned to face the princess. She folded her arms and sat her weight on one hip, glowering at the wary princess. Silence ensued for some time more.
"Whatever it is you have to say, say it, for this silence that you are putting upon this situation is not doing us well." Zelda pleaded, arms rushing down to her sides, her voice desperate and more than willing to get whatever was coming at her.
"You know why I'm here." Impa's monotone voice replied.
"Es tut mir Leid (Sorry), Impa! I am afraid that is not so, I really don't have the slightest inkling as to what pertains to this situation." Zelda replied, anger heating up in her like the innards of Death Mountain.
"Hold your tongue. Nun, entschuldigen Sie mich Prinzessin, aber erinnerst du dich nicht das Gespräch mit Herrn Rizohn? Ich tue! (Well, excuse me Princess, but do you not remember your conversation with Lord Rizohn? I do!) " Impa sharply whispered to Zelda.
"Was darüber? (What about it?)" Zelda asked. Transitioning out of the Araitian language.
"You must not speak with him my dear, we know not who we can trust in these times! That man has many dark secrets. Remember that letter? Think, Princess! That letter was in Araitian hands, and not just in the country, but also INSIDE the palace itself! Watch where you tread and watch that tongue of yours! You let it fly without thinking of consequence! I much rather you talk to Veronica, that or Ethan. Those are the only two that are trustworthy." Impa finished, all her hot air spent.
"Yes, Impa, I understand." Zelda replied meekly, scolding herself for being so rash and naive.
"Very well, now you must get ready, the masquerade is in a few hours time. I have made sure that the maids have prepared a bath for you. Now go, and have a made call me if you have need of me." Impa bowed as she turned to leave.
"Thank you, Impa." Zelda said, leaving the conversation to be closed by the silence. Zelda sat for a minute more, contemplating the severity of her stupidity and rash actions. Trying to switch herself to a happier subject, she went to her bathroom, the marble floors shining and spotless, the large tub the same, filled with steaming water, steadily cooling since its temporary placement some time ago. The room held countless colorful bottles, of all shapes and sizes, spread on the windowsills. They were placed to catch the light from the windows and give color to the generally neutral room. Yet, with the curtains let down, the filtered and dampened light still sent faint pools of water onto the marbled room.
Zelda literally peeled her exercise clothes off her body before stepping into the warm bath. She let it seep into her muscles, soothing the oncoming aches and pains, as well as getting rid of her not-so-nice-smelling sweat. She smiled at the thought. 'How many other princesses in the world have sweat like me by actually exercising, not by wearing heavy and many garments? Not many I suspect.' Deciding she had been sitting long enough, she reached for perfumed oil, one of her favorites and also one of the best. It was Gerudo oils mixed with Araitian perfumes. 'It is true craftsmanship', she thought, 'to be able to capture the smell of the forests, but also of the wild roses presiding there, to give a feminine, yet strong scent. Residing in the water for naught a few minutes after being fully cleaned, Zelda grabbed one of the numerous towels waiting for her. Hating the feeling her long wet hair, she dried it. Smiling as she did so, for Impa despised when she used her magic to complete simple tasks like that. 'What she doesn't know won't kill her.'
She dressed into her ball gown slip, walking into her main room glancing at the clock upon the wall; '3:15.' She happily thanked the maid who had brought her lunch out at the training grounds in her head, for she knew now that she would have to wait until the dinner tonight to eat again. The time was also pressing close to the hour of four, and that was when she needed to speak with Veronica. Ringing for her maids, she thought what kind of dress her father would surprise her with this year. Every year it was tradition for him to buy her a new ball gown, and of course he had Impa's help in the matter, but it still meant a great amount to the motherless heir to the throne.
Zelda rolled every idea over inside her head, and stopped when she heard the rush of tissue paper and the footsteps of the maids in the hallway, soon followed by the knock upon the wooden doors.
"Please, come inside!" The princess exclaimed, her excitement pitching in a single second to three times higher than it had been naught a moment ago. The maids rushed into the room, smiles and giggles as they carried the boxes with the personally tailored dress and its pieces resting inside the tissue paper.
"Princess!" Helena said as she and the other maids bowed to Zelda. Helena, Zelda's Lady in Waiting and one of her personal friends approached the young monarch, reaching to hold the princess' hand to bring her to the array of boxes. Giggling and smiling, the other three maids backed away, as the two approached. Zelda and Helena stopped in front of the multiple boxes, staring and admiring the painted designs upon them, before one of the maids spoke up.
"My princess! Go ahead and open it!" Not waiting for a second more, Zelda gingerly reached for the box containing the main bodice of the dress. Lifting the lid, the maids and Helena peered around her shoulder, watching to see what the princess will be wearing. With the lid off, the princess pulled aside the tissue paper, uncovering what was underneath. Lifting the garment out of the box, each woman gasped at the sheer beauty of the gown. The deep blue, like that in the sky naught ten minutes after the sun had set, that same rich blue that led the night with the stars newly awakening. To portray the stars, a fabric, Zelda nor the maids knew what exactly it was, but they all expected it to be from the Zora's, for it glistened like the moon and the stars across the rippling water.
They all stared in wonder at the sight of it, eyes wide and mouths agape as seconds passed, but they did not notice.
"Well," one maid broke the silence, "Let us get you into it, then we can see how truly beautiful it is!" In that one second, the excitement and the noise came back, as well as the laughter of the mystery and secrecy of the dress no one but they, the king, and Impa had seen thus far. Opening other boxes, the maids and Helena set out everything upon the bed spread, so they would not miss anything for the process took hours.
Zelda stoop upon the small pedestal in the changing room looking in all the mirrors thinking to herself how different she will look in an hours time when she was wearing the full gown, and not just a slip. Helena came into the room with another maid, carrying the corset that she was to wear underneath the expensive fabrics.
Zelda tried her best not to be pulled and swayed as the corset was pulled into its place. Only a few days each year did she have to wear a corset of this kind. It was tighter and more oppressive than the everyday ones that she would put on everyday. Helena and the maid, Serena, kept conversation with the princess, trying to keep her mind off of the extremely constricting corset. As they conversed with simple chatter of the latest rumors and happenings around in Hyrule, Zelda could hear the other two maids 'ooh-ing' and 'ahhh-ing' in the main chamber, preparing the rest of the dress pieces, make-up, and hair products.
"Done!" Helena said happily, standing back looking at Zelda with her hands on her hips, huffing out at the bit of effort as a stray piece of her mousy brown hair fell in front of her face.
"Goodness gracious," Zelda started trying to get used to the foreign feeling of the bodice," this has to be the tightest corset yet."
"But it definitely looks the best out of all of the corsets I have seen on any great Lady." Serena added, admiring the handiwork of the seamstress and her and Helena's handiness at getting the slim princess into it.
"Much appreciated, Serena." Zelda said looking at her reflection.
"My pleasure your Majesty." Serena said, exiting the room to bring in the next piece of the dress. Zelda looked again at the hourglass figure she now had, it gave her the appearance of a longer waist and bigger bust. She knew both were false, her legs being the dominant height structure of her body and being quite slim, was, 'Well,' she thought, 'much less 'prominent' than the other women of the court.'
Helena met Serena at the door as she brought in the back-lace kirtle. It was made of a non-shimmering material, soft and beautiful with its deep blue all the same. To add to the lace up back, ribbons laced themselves across the chest, accentuating her form even more than before, giving an even more false appearance than earlier. The thick blue material of the bodice of the kirtle only extended until slightly past her shoulders. From there, a gold lace connected a strip of tulle until another lace met it at the elbow, with the blue material continuing again until the lower arm with the lace and tulle again. The tulle went to the middle of the forearm before becoming the blue material again for about another inch, ending in the golden lace at her wrist, tightly wrapped around the small and pale appendage.
The shinning material on the blue skirt was used to cover the hook and eyes, making the dress seem completely seamless. With the skirt in place, the only thing left was the mask. That the mask was made of the finest Hylian porcelain was easily ascertained by the lightweight and smooth surface. Upon that same smooth surface, the finest paints graced it, the same blue as the dress. To accent it, gold paint and sapphires were placed masterfully upon it to show her status. The mask was made to only cover from the bridge of the nose to the beginning of each ear, and the crown of the head before the hairline. The same golden lace was attached to hold it in place and be tied around her head.
"What is the time?" Zelda asked.
"It is shortly after the hour of four My Lady." Selena replied, fixing the laying position of the skirt.
"Could you be so kind as to fetch Lady Veronica and bring her to my quarters, please?"
13to-be-and-to-not-to-be13
Special Thanks to Sbirney, KaijuKnight, and all those who listed the story as a favorite and followed! It means a lot and thank you to all who read as well!
Sorry 'bout the late update. High school is only three weeks more until I finally gain my freedom once again. I have also been out of town almost every weekend so I haven't been able to update. Expect two chapters to follow this one within the next two weeks because I'm trying to catch up! Thanks guys!
-Bean
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