Please note two things!

1) I lied last chapter, we don't meet Mipha yet. I'm sorry! It will be very soon though, I promise!

2) I slightly changed the name of this story because I noticed that there was another fanfic with the same name that was posted in way back in July. Sorry about that, it wasn't intentional!

-Bold

Chapter Four

Cold Eyes

There was a great hustle and bustle about the Hamish estate the morning after Link's arrival. It was an amusing sight to see if I do say so myself. Footmen raced back and forth between the servant's hall carrying suitcases and bags, huffing and puffing up and down the stairs with two bundles under each arm more often than not, as they made their way to the front of the estate where there awaited travelers' wagons. The maids busied themselves with seeing to it that the wagons were well stocked with provisions for the eventual trek to Zora's Domain. It always was a scrambled mess preparing for a Knight and his party to make a trip of any distance, even for one as short as the trip to the Domain, though the servants made it seem much less scrambled than it really was. Preparations required time and patience, which often seemed in short supply in the busy morning hours. Nonetheless, things were moving right along thanks to Mister Telmar, who was in charge of personally overseeing Sir Hamish's belongings being arrange and packed up in an orderly fashion. That meant he was far too preoccupied to watch over Link.

No, that responsibility fell upon a young maid named Ellie, who despite her youth, was an individual of surprising maturity. She was a kind soul, well-spoken yet tender, and very intent on making sure our little Hero felt welcome in his new home, especially after such a frightful night before. She had heard him crying in his room after all, a sad thing to hear considering how much better he sounded laughing―which he did a lot once she got him cheered up. All it took was a little food and tickles under the chin to brighten his mood. After that he seemed as right as rain, ready to explore and help in any way he could. He even volunteered to help her see to the washing, seeming rather intent on earning more food and chin tickles for the future.

"Scrub, scrub, dunk, dunk," Ellie said as she demonstrated cleaning a small dress in a wash bucket of warm soapy water and an old tin washboard, scrubbing to the rhythm. Link tried his best to replicate her work, as best as a four-year-old could, but he was persistent, scrub-scrub-dunk-dunk he repeated, taking the time to push his sleeves up on his new overshirt. "You look mighty fine there in your new shirt and nickers, young Link. What do you think of them?"

"Oh, I like them alright, Miss Ellie" he said, rubbing suds of his brow with a soapy hand, which of course only made the issue worse. She had to help him get all the bubbles off. "I like my old clothes better, but I sure am glad I have new ones. Mister Telmar says I have to wear them or else I won't fit in with the other servants."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ellie replied with a warm smile, dunking her work back into the water. Scrub-scrub-dunk-dunk, that was the rhythm. "You fit in just nicely if I do say so myself."

"Miss Ellie―"

"You don't have to call me Miss Ellie, Link," she laughed.

"Oh, sorry," he said with a smile. "Ellie, who's dress is that? It's too small to be any of the maid's dresses."

"This is no maids dress," Ellie replied, "this little Miss Arin's summer play dress. She's rather adventurous you see, got the front all dirty crawling around on her hands and knees. Lady Hamish certainly wasn't happy about that, no indeed."

"Who's Miss Arin?" Link asked perplexedly. "And Lady Hamish?"

"Why that's Sir Hamish's daughter of course, didn't you know he has children? There's Arin, the youngest, and her older brother Byron. He is much like his father, with chestnut hair and all. They're ages are four and six respectively, just about your age as I see it. And Lady Hamish is their mother, Sir Hamish's wife. She's lovely, I'm sure you'll see her today before you set out for Zora's Domain."

"They're my age?" Link asked with a brimming smile, all sorts of wonderous ideas coming to mind. "Do you think they like to catch bugs? Me and my friend Dal used to catch bugs all the time back home! I sure would like someone to play with my age, since Mister Telmar says I'm going to be here a long time."

"Catch bugs?" Ellie laughed, "I certainly hope they don't, their governess would have their ears for it, catching bugs, ha! She's a real stickler, old Misses Havisham. She'll give you the cold eye just for sneezing, best keep clear of her, and mind your p's and q's. As for catching bugs, I wouldn't go around suggesting it, you could get in trouble. No, no, its best if you stay clear of little Arin and Byron now, Sir Hamish wouldn't be happy if he heard they were playing with one of the servants." Link frowned at the idea, but he offered no arguments, though I very much doubted he intended to heed the warning. Children can be quite rebellious spirits, even the ones destined to be Chosen.

"Link, Link!" That was Mister Telmar calling from the servant's hall. He sounded rather rushed to suit him.

"Looks like I gotta go Ellie," Link said, drying his hands on the front of his new pants. "Thanks for teaching me how to wash clothes."

"Anytime dear," she said with a warm smile. "Just remember what I said Link, and have fun on your trip to Zora's Domain, I hear its beautiful out there. Cascading waterfalls and crystal-clear rivers and all that. I would love to go some day."

"Maybe you will someday," Link suggested confidently, putting his fist on his hips. "You―"

"Link, come along now, there's not much time" Mister Telmar said again, only a little louder. The boy apologized and turned to leave. Ellie was just about to return to her work then when arms suddenly wrapped around her neck, hugging her for a moment.

"Bye Ellie," Link said before letting go and skipping off through the door and down the hall with a boyish gait. "I'll tell you all about Zora's Domain when I get back!" She smiled to herself for a moment before returning to her work. How wondrously quick he recovered from yesterday's heartache, she thought to herself, returning to that same rhythm. Scrub-scrub-dunk-dunk, repeat.

When Link met Mister Hamish in the servant's hall he hurried the boy along outside, making sure that the buttons on his shirt were done and neat and his collar was folded, and then positioned him at the end of a line of two other servants beside the wagons out front, two tall footmen by the names of Alin and Hugh, though they didn't say much. They were both dressed appropriately for travel.

"Stand here, Link," Mister Telmar said, tapping his back so that he would stand of straight. "And chin up, don't move till I tell you too, alright?" Link nodded fervently, determined to make Mister Telmar happy.

For a while they all stood and waited in the driveway, and as much as Link wanted to fidget and move, he kept still as Mister Telmar asked. The front door of the estate swung open finally after a time, and out came Sir Hamish with a regal lady with long satin hair of a rich brown color on his arm. She was quite a beautiful woman, with large bright eyes, a shapely face, and full lips that had a pleasant disposition towards smiling, but she did seem a little put out by the whole affair in her body language. Link could not hear what they were saying to one another in whispers, but it wasn't long before Lady Hamish looked at him and those lips of pleasant disposition turned sour and ill content. It only lasted a moment, though, nothing more than a breath of air before she looked away, having seemed to put it out of her mind with only a small amount of effort.

I cannot say that her composure was very revealing of how she truly felt, women of nobility were and are always very good at concealing their emotions when they want to. Regardless, I can say that as it stood, she despised the sight of that golden-haired boy, the bastard son of her husband, for he alone was testament to her husband's infidelity. Living, breathing, walking proof that he laid with another woman. From then on, her heart was a hardened as stone, resolving to never soften towards the boy.

Two more came from those open doors as well dressed in mighty fine clothes for children, a young girl who Link instantly assumed was the young miss Arin, and an older boy who was undoubtedly young Byron by his chestnut hair and a face that was a spitting image of his father, even in his young age. The siblings certainly looked similar, but the two could not have been different in mannerisms. While Byron, much like his father, carried on in a calm and even manner, neither walking to fast nor slow and always with a unaffecting expression, Arin seemed to be on the verge of breaking into a full run with a heart full of adventure, ready to roll in the grass and climb trees, a spirit ready leap out from the confines of that dreary hilltop estate. The woman that walked behind them however, their governess, saw to it that she did not run off.

"Papa," Arin called out in a mopey whine, "why can't I come with you and brother?" That earned a quick whisper in her ear from the governess, causing her to cringe.

"Because you are not old enough to be traveling about yet without your governess," Sir Hamish replied, but there was something different in his tone and voice that Link had not heard before… a certain warmth. And something more, there was a small smile on his lips too, a genuine smile. Such a thing was as obvious to a boy of four as it would have been to you or I. A simple thing that spoke volumes without utter a word, something that was denied to him the night he arrived. It was love.

"Besides, you're far to adventurous for us to handle," he continued with a chuckle, kneeling down to Arin's level. "In a few years when you're old enough, and when you've learned to behave yourself, you can come along, and we'll see the world together, you and your brother. I promise. Alright?"

"I guess," Arin replied dejectedly, frowning as she looked at the tips of her shoes. Sir Hamish kissed her forehead before standing, patting her head as he did.

"Good, now behave for Misses Havisham for me, I don't want to hear that you acted up while I was away."

"Yes Papa," Arin replied, returning to the governess's side, waving her brother goodbye as he joined his father's side. Byron smiled and returned the favor, although he did not seem quite as enthusiastic about the venture as his sister.

"Safe travels, my love," Lady Hamish said in a silvery voice that was soft the ear, not a hint of the unpleasantness of her heart corrupting in her tone. "Please give young Princess Mipha my best wishes, she is a darling girl. And to her father too, of course. And please make sure Byron behaves himself, oh and―"

"It will be alright, dear," Sir Hamish laughed, embracing his wife on the shoulders. "It will all be done, do not worry yourself so much. We will be back soon enough, before autumn. Take good care of the estate while we are away." Lady Hamish smiled sadly then, but nodded affirmatively and kissed her husband, and then her son goodbye as they mounted the horses brought to the by a stable hand.

And off they went, trotting past as a detachment of armed guards followed from the rear. There was a quick rush among the servants then, the footmen began throwing two large sacs in the back of the last wagon before climbing up themselves and settling down on the shoddy benches. Mister Telmar instructed Link to do the same, handing him a third sac full of clothing fit form him, and lifted him up into the back.

"Get comfortable back there, Link," he said as he clambered up into the driver's seat. "We'll be riding till the sun sets, I don't doubt. The road to Zora's Domain is a winding and narrow one after all, and if the rains come like they usually do this time of year we will have to stop."

"He'll be alright back here, Mister Telmar," the footman named Hugh said politely, "We'll keep an eye on the lad."

"Thank you, Hugh," Telmar replied, grabbing hold of the reins. "Off we go."

With a swish and flick of the reins the wagon jolted forward and began to follow the caravan of servants and guards down the hill due east. Link looked back on the estate once he was settled in beside Hugh and noticed that Lady Hamish was looking at him again with that same sour look. Link shied away from her cold glare though he did not know why, but even when he looked away, he could still feel the weight of those piercing eyes on him till they reached the bottom of the hill and even then, he felt as if there was something always watching him from behind. Link pondered the sensation as hard as a child could ponder, and yet for all his pondering he could never puzzle out why her gaze made him feel that way… as if she hated him.

I regret to say he learned the answer to that question far sooner than later.

As always please let me know what y'all think!

-Bold