With relief, I finally hear the satisfying click of my door shutting behind me, closing me off to the world for tonight. Well, to all appearances, anyway. With a heightening grin, stretching into joy, I begin my transformation. First, I make my way toward the nightstand; such a piece of furniture that looked so ordinary never held such simple secrets. I open the middle drawer and push the garments in it toward the back. My nimble fingers search the seam for an impossible crack, and my fingernails quickly mark the place. With a bit of maneuvering, I hear the satisfying sliding sound of the secret lid moving back. Lying in this hidden place is a near plethora of secrets. There lies my diary (not written in any recognizable language, mind you.), my Sheikah garments, my old royal Hylian dress, a bundle of unremarkable clothing, and a small stack of mismatched parchment, tied with a bow. I smile as I lift the parchment up, reminiscing younger days. These notes are evidence of the secret correspondence between a certain hero and myself, back before he left. The writing is not visually beautiful (after all, heroes are not made to be calligraphers) and the papers themselves are tattered (several of them had been shot from a bow, or accidentally left in the rain), but I had kept them still, and treasured them.

I place the parchment carefully into the drawer again, back to the business at hand. I grab the pile of plain clothing from the drawer. These clothes are peasant garb I acquired long ago, sometimes using them as a disguise when I traveled among the people. I had an ordinary pair, for everyday days, and a slightly dressier pair, which I assumed would be more appropriate for tonight. I sort out the fancier garments and put the rest back in the drawer, deftly sliding the compartment back in place and replacing the rumpled clothing on top. Without further ado, I begin the change.

After donning my commoner fashion and storing my queenly garments away, I head over to the vanity and work on my appearance. I concentrate for a few moments, shaping the words of magic in my mind, caressing them as a lover does another into acquiescence. When I open my eyes, the face in the mirror is not mine. My golden hair is a rich brown, which I begin braiding down my back. Green-brown eyes stare back at me as I continue my work, finishing quickly. My face is even altered; my cheekbones less pronounced, my nose shorter, my skin slightly darker. Overall, I am satisfied with my appearance. With one last glance, I draw a deep breath and close my eyes. I once again feel the familiar flying sensation as the magic coils around me. When it unwinds, the sound of laughter fills my ears.

I have arrived in a shadowed alley, as was my design. This is where I usually arrive on my escapades, but the streets were never quite this crowded. For a moment, I am worried that the joyous crowd may have spilled into my secret space, but with relief, I glance around to notice that my arrival has not been noticed. Without further delay, I make my way to the fountain as quickly as possible, weaving my way between revelers. The sound of impromptu singing with only laughter for accompaniment fills my heart with joy, and for the first time, I do not regret my decision in the least bit. I would never have denied my people this happiness, this carefree exultation. With lighter steps and an excited heart, I dance and hum my way toward the center square.

The fountain is a construct of beauty; pure marble Goddesses spouting water from their cupped hands. The three deities are crafted beautifully, every ripple and sigh of their garments captured immortally in stone. Crystal clear water arcs from their hands, diving into the shimmering pool below. Contributing to its shimmering quality are countless coins thrown in tribute and thanks to the Goddesses. My eyes search the fountain and its surrounding area for an unruly patch of blonde hair, but as I had predicted, I have beaten him to our meeting place. I sit down on the marble edge of the fountain, careful not to accidentally plop into the water (that would be just the thing, wouldn't it?). I watch the people dancing and swinging about, and a slow smile creeps up on me.

I see him ducking his way through the crowd, carefully avoiding swinging arms and waists. It is strange, in a way, to see him without his usual green tunic and cap. Instead, he has opted for a crimson alternative, its collar and sleeves embroidered with a bit of silver stitching. The red highlights his ocean eyes and blonde hair very nicely. His regular fairy cap is missing, leaving his hair to fall about whichever way it pleases (although, it did seem to suit him, and I was definitely not going to be voicing any complaints). I notice the portable armory he usually carries on his person is missing, but I do not assume he is unarmed. He is never unprepared or surprised, it seems.

Although, now he does seem a bit lost. He, like myself, opts to sit on the marble edge and gazes at the crowd, searching. I decide to have a bit of fun and say, "Waiting for someone, are you?"

Snapping out of a trance, he looks at me and allows a small smile to grace his features. At that moment, I am absurdly jealous of...well, myself, I suppose. My commoner self. "Yes, in fact I am. I almost expected her to be here before me. She always seems to be one step ahead of everything," he chuckles to himself. Then he turns to me and parrots my question back, "And are you waiting for anyone?"

"Well, I was," I say, slowly getting up and walking toward him, "but it seems my waiting's come to an end." I stop in front of him expectantly, and I keep my mirth tight behind my lips. I had told him I wouldn't look like myself, but he's still searching for my blonde hair and blue eyes, I suppose. I can tell he doesn't recognize me, and is formulating a polite way to turn "me" down. "Come on now, Hero," I say softly, "It's terrible manners to keep a queen waiting. Shall I have to invite myself to dance?"

He stares at me in shock and stands up slowly, his eyes rolling my words over in his mind like waves. "Zelda?" he questions cautiously, a lock of hair flopping down over one eye.

Now that won't do. "Who else?" I say, laughing, as I move that troublesome lock of hair to one side. "Although," I warn, poking him in the chest, "it would probably be best if you called me "Molly" in public settings instead. No need to rouse suspicions, hm?"

He laughs and nods, "Very well...ah.."Molly." Now then," he continues, taking the hand that I used to poke him within his own, ungloved one. I have noticed that sometimes the Triforce acts a bit like my heartbeat, responding to my emotions. Now, its light flickers softly, reacting to the warmth of his hand as he holds mine, and it burns as bright as my veins when he lifts my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against my fingers. "Shall we dance?"

It's amazing, really. One tiny thing like that, and I'm blushing as furiously as a new bride. I don't exactly trust my voice at the moment, so I opt to laugh happily instead, grabbing his hand and flinging us both into the fray. I lose all sense of time as we whirl and waltz through the crowd, sometimes being stolen by other partners, other times losing sight of each other entirely. But it did not matter, for it made it all the sweeter when we found each other again. Like a tide, we find ourselves following the flow of a vein of the crowd, eventually leading us to an edge. When we stumble out of the throng, our lilting laughter following closely behind, we find ourselves on the opposite edge of town. Our eyes meet, taking in eachother's sweating brows and exhausted breaths, and with small chuckles, we unanimously decide to forgo another round of dancing. Instead, he walks over to me, taking my hand in his (and I am surprised the burning light of my Triforce didn't singe his hand as my own nerves were stinging) and we walk into the quiet wilderness surrounding the town.

Our steps eventually lead us to a forested hill, and we collapse against the treeline, our hands still clasped. More of exhaustion than daring, I lay my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. Our panting evolves into synchronized, soft breaths soon enough; reluctantly I open my eyes. As much as I would love to lie here, falling asleep alongside him, I could not. My eyes follow the horizon, noticing the soft blush rising into the world. Dawn is coming, and I could not linger much longer.

"You have to leave, don't you?" he whispers softly, lazily opening his eyes as well.

I nod sleepily, resisting the urge to allow my eyelids to droop shut. With much reluctance, I retract myself from him, standing up and slowly stretching my muscles. "Well," I begin, hating every word I am about to speak, "I should make my way back now." I do not look back at him, for that would make it all the harder for me to tear myself away. I close my eyes, relying on the shadow of the trees to mask the magic, and begin gathering the words and power within myself.

"Wait," he speaks, taking my hand, and my concentration is shattered. He slowly rises from his relaxed position, and I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. "When is the next day you will not be required in court?"

I pause, as much to think as to be with him that much longer, and finally answer, "The Goddess' day is four days away, and no one is supposed to work then. No one is allowed into court that day. Technically, Hieronymous and I aren't supposed to work either, but I usually use the time to catch up on paperwork or other tedious necessities."

He nodded, and a scheming smile snuck onto the corners of his mouth. "Well, would you like to take a little trip that day? I have something I would like to share with you."

I agreed eagerly, "Yes, of course!" and continue in a more rational way, "Where and how shall we meet?"

He chuckles at my readiness and thinks for a moment. Seeming to come to a conclusion, he then says, "I will leave Epona in the stables for you. Surely, one more horse won't be noticed?" He questions, tentatively, and I shake my head. "Good. Then, all you will need to do is ride her. Trust me, she'll know where to go."

I nod, excited and disappointed at the same time. Excited that I will be able to see him again, and disappointed that I will have to wait as long as four days. Oh well. I suppose four days is a shorter time than ten years, and with another of our meetings to look forward to, I find that leaving isn't as terrible as before. "Until the Goddess' day, then," I say finally, smiling.

He smiles back. "Until the Goddess' day."

I step further into the shadows, gathering the magic within me once more, only this time my eyes remained open. Once again, I feel the swirling, shimmering tingle across my skin as the magic takes a hold of me, and when I reappear in my chambers, I can still see his eyes gazing back into mine.