Teleli was awakened the next morning by the sound of Gerudo teenagers arguing. She pulled her pillow over her head and groaned. "Shut up.."
"You...you're so insolent, Yagra, I swear! Uff!"
"You need to back up off my man, Nadin, you know I've been with him for two weeks already! You can have that ugly beggar in Kakariko. He's more your type anyway."
Teleli groaned in anger and pulled her blanket above her head as well. She'd gotten home around 4 am, and it was only...
"Noon, Teli, noon, and you're still in bed."
Teleli sat up and shook her long, wavy hair out of her eyes to see Yadira sitting on the foot of her bed. " Morning, sunshine. I saved you some breakfast. Sorry it's cold."
Yadira pulled a tray of bread, fried eggs, and Lon Lon milk from the table next to Teleli's bed.
"So..." started Yadira as Teleli began to devour the food. She was famished.
"Where were we last night, Miss Teleli? Hmmm?" she grinned.
Teleli looked up. "Kakariko."
Yadira rolled her eyes. "So I've heard. But you know what I mean...hmm?"
Teleli blinked.
"I didn't find him, Yadira."
"Yeah, I heard the King caught you there and all, but I would've thought you got a little somethin somethin you know what I'm saying babe, heheh-"
"Yadira, stop...seriously. Don't even mention Link anymore. It's done."
Teleli swallowed with difficulty. Yadira tsked and took the tray.
"You're welcome, sugar. Go shower and get out on the fortress."
"Yeah, yeah.."
Teleli loved Yadira, but she was really too much sometimes. At 20 years old, she was the one responsible for training the 16+ year old girls. She was also Teleli's 2nd cousin.
Stretching and yawning loudly, Teleli got up and threw off her clothes as she hopped into the shower. She let the hot water run over her tired, sore body as she washed herself.
Maybe the King knows what's good for me, she thought as she washed her long, thick waves of dark red hair. Maybe he's trying to protect me.
It's not like he gives a damn about who the other girls go with, she snorted to herself. So long as they supposedly stayed away from Link. Hell, Link most likely didn't even give a damn about her anyway. They'd only met once and only she was crazy enough to keep thinking about him. Maybe it was better for her to just give up on finding the guy and just focus on her training. I mean, who was this...this..man... to her that was so important and worth her time anyway? Teleli shook her head and grabbed a towel from the rack.
She dried herself off and went to her room to get dressed.
And there, sitting on her folded clothes...
Was the fairy.
"GAH!" She shrieked, pulling the towel tighter around her body.
"Why are you even here? Go away! Argh!" She began to smack at the fairy with her pillow.
"Stop it, you're going to tear off my wing!" Its voice was soft and high.
"You TALK too?! GYAAAHH!" Teleli swung the pillow more fiercely.
"Look!" The fairy flew up in Teleli's face. "Calm down. I want to talk."
Teleli put the pillow down and tightened her one arm around her towel.
"What do you want?"
The fairy settled itself on Teleli's pillow.
"Get dressed, my eyes are closed."
Teleli puffed and threw on an off-white tank top and loose white pants with red trimming. She towel dried her long, wet hair and pulled it into a tight bun on top of her head. She sat on the opposite end of her bed and glared at the fairy.
"My name is Navi."
"Teleli."
"Are we calm? We good now?"
Teleli clicked impatiently. "I guess."
"Don't get mad, but I've been following you since yesterday morning."
Teleli's eyes popped wide open.
"You little creep! Why on EARTH-"
"Shh! I thought you said you were calm. Anyway, I saw the way you were looking at my comrade, Link. You know, he never talks about girls. I always ask him what he thinks when we're around girls. He acts indifferent."
Teleli puffed. "Okay, and?"
"I'm getting there," said Navi, flying closer to Teleli and sitting in her lap.
Teleli grimaced.
"Anyway, when you turned around and started following us, I knew you liked him. You looked like you'd taken a rather large dose of Magic Beans."
"Wow, you're really not helping-"
"Will you stop interrupting me? Geez. So after you guys got acquainted, I kinda went back and forth between you two. Heheh, between you and me, I love this juicy stuff."
"Juicy stuff? What are you talking about? You drama loving little insect."
"Guilty. Anyway, on the way into Kakariko, I stayed with Link for a few minutes before persuing you and your horse. He talked about how beautiful you were, and also how strange you were acting," Navi giggled. "He also wished you weren't a Gerudo."
"Oh, nice." Teleli didn't know either to feel flattered or offended.
"So anyway, I asked him whether he was interested in you, and he laughed at me and told me he was done with me trying to set him up with every girl in Hyrule."
Navi flew up and sat on Teleli's shoulder. Her glow had faltered. She was a petite, pretty little thing with silvery white hair, tan skin, and large grey eyes. She looked into Teleli's eyes.
"But he did say he was definitely intrigued by you..," she said softly.
"Ohh..," Teleli's heart melted.
"Listen, Navi, you shouldn't be here. I'm not allowed by my King to talk to Link. Go find him and stay with him." Teleli sighed, feeling down.
Navi's lips parted for a second, then closed. She nodded solemnly, and flew out the window.
Teleli sighed and turned to leave for the fortress grounds. She stopped for a second to fix herself up a bit in the mirror. She took her container of kohl and winged her eyes a bit, and lined them heavily. Her large, almond shaped golden eyes stood out against the black makeup. She walked out into the hot, humid fortress to help the rest of her Gerudo sisters with their work. As she helped one of the women sharpen spear heads, she thought about what Navi told her. He said I was beautiful, she mused to herself. But she had to let it go, or she would be severely punished by the King. She shook her head sadly.
"What's wrong, love?" asked the Gerudo she was helping.
"Oh, nothing, auntie (A/N in some cultures, such as Arabian and Indian, people refer to older women as 'auntie')."
"You sure, hun? You look so down."
"I'm just tired, auntie, I'm sorry.."
xxxxxx
"Stop it already, you two!"
Yadira pushed herself between the two bickering Gerudo girls as the women all settled down for lunch. Teleli laughed loudly at their immaturity. "Still arguing? Bahaha! Make up already."
"But she's a man stealing skank!"
"Man stealing? I didn't see your name on his head, habla!*
"Who are they fighting over, anyway?" asked Azeba, who was leaning against Teleli as the roasting goat's delightful aroma filled the air around them.
"The-stop hitting, Yagra-the dumb Potion Shop owner," gasped Yadira as she avoided a swing from Nadin's ring-laden fingers. "ENOUGH or I'll call for Aveil."
Nadin and Yagra glared at each other and took seats as far away from each other as possible. Gerudo fights over men happened often, and usually ended in the man either being killed by one of them or going into hiding.
"He's not even that cute." Azeba twirled a fork between her fingers.
"He's cute as hell!" called Nadin. Yagra shot her the dirtiest look Teleli had ever seen her throw at anyone. She couldn't help but giggle.
Teleli only had one cute guy on her mind. A cute guy she wasn't allowed to think about.
But the King couldn't read her mind, she realized. She was free in her fantasies.
"Finally! Ugh."
The Gerudo cooks carried a heavy platter of delicious roasted goat onto the middle of the table. The women hungrily began to pull chunks of meat onto their plates. Gerudo women weren't exactly known for their good manners. They were, after all, warriors.
"Yeah, buddy!" exclaimed Teleli as Yadira forked a large helping of flank meat onto her plate. She could eat forever, this girl. She began to devour her lunch, savoring the flavor of the meat. "Hey Dialeh, great job with the seasoning!"
Dialeh, the head cook, raised her eyebrows in surprise at Teleli's polite compliment.
"Thank you, dear.."
Suddenly, the women all got quiet as the King Ganondorf walked in and cleared his throat.
Aveil stood up and filled a plate til heaping with meat and potatoes, and placed it at the end of the table where his almost always vacant chair sat. The King sat down and began to eat as the women bowed their heads toward him in respect. Teleli shook with fear.
He never ate lunch with them.
After a few minutes of dead silence, aside from Ganondorf's chewing and silverware, he stood up and cleared his throat again.
"My girls."
A quiet murmuring of "Your Highness"'s and "My Leige"'s were heard til it was silent again.
"I have made this clear in the past, but it certainly isn't clear enough."
He shot a glance toward the trembling Teleli.
"You girls are not...and I repeat, not... allowed to have relations with my enemy. And my current enemy, as you all know... is Link, the so-called 'Hero of Time'."
Dead silence.
Unwelcome tears filled Teleli's eyes.
"Am I clear when I say this?"
Another murmuring of "Yes, Highness"'s erupted.
"Ahh...good, good."
The King flourished his cape and began to walk toward the exit. He slowed down for a second while he passed the frightened, disheartened Teleli, and shot her a knowing look before finally leaving the kitchen chamber.
xxx
*habla- Arabic for dumbass (female)
I'll probably be referencing Arab culture alot, because they are desert people after all. xx
r&r please.
The next chapter will probably be from Link's POV. :)
