Legend of Zelda

Secret Love

Chapter 4

My mood failed to improve when I woke up. Finding out that the love of your life is going to marry someone else doesn't really give you happy thoughts. The weather also must have been in a bad mood as well, for it was dark, gloomy and wet all day.

Walking around the palace, I could tell that everyone else seemed to be in a negative mood. Perhaps it was the weather, or maybe it was the stress caused by Nomilov. He was an important guest, so the castle's staff was kept on their toes at all times. Either way, the lack of optimism didn't help my own mood.

I headed towards the kitchens. The head cook was a plump lady who always had energy to boss her underlings around. Despite her assertiveness, she was usually a nice person to talk to. She didn't seem to mind my company either, for she didn't seem to care that I wasn't a noble. She was one of the few that didn't seem to think that I was friends with Zelda for benefits. Other than being a social outlet for me, she really was a wonderful cook, and would go out of her way to make me something to eat. Whether it was simple like soup or an entire entre, it was always delicious.

The kitchen was bustling with activity. It was about time for lunch, so everyone was busy getting everything perfect for the guest. Fortunately, I arrived when the final touches were being applied, so I didn't have to wait long to talk to Mernea and get my own lunch.

A piece of bread almost hit me in the face when I sat down at the stool by the counter. I was lucky to catch it without it falling to the floury floor. Mernea laughed as I gave her a scowl and bit into the piece of bread.

"Now don't give me that look," she replied to my scowling face. "You're gonna have to treat me nicer if you want my chicken soup." Mernea's soup was always delicious, so I gave her a smile. I wasn't going to get stuck with only a piece of bread to eat. Her cooking was probably going to be the only thing to cheer me up today.

Mernea soon got me a bowl of her soup, and I didn't wait to start eating. I heard her laugh while attending to some cooking. "Looks like you missed my cooking like always. I wish I could get the same reaction out of that 'Nomelov' character!" I stopped eating when I heard the name. Since this guy had a high chance of marrying Zelda, I was interested in knowing what he was like.

Swallowing, I followed up on Mernea's statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you haven't seen him yet." I shook my head. I didn't know if I wanted to see him. "He's like a lot of the other high nobles that come around from time to time. Thinks he knows everything. He had the nerve to send back his plate the other day. Said I was a lousy cook." I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Anyone calling this woman a lousy cook had to be insane. I opened my mouth to speak, but Mernea cut me off. "And believe it or not, but I'm one of the lucky ones. One of the maids was carryin' a large bundle of laundry back to His Highness' room. Poor child, she could barely see over the top of that stack! And that Nomelov, he came down the stairs as she was walkin' up and ran into her. She almost fell down a whole flight of stairs! Could've broken her neck. Then that noble had the gull to tell her to watch where she was goin' or he'd get her flogged the next time!" This bit of information made me more uncomfortable.

"You think the King's going to let him marry the Princess?"

"I don't know." Mernea shook her head and sighed. "I've listened to this guy talk, and boy, does he have a way with words. He could get away with anything he wanted to. He's almost got the King wrapped around his little finger, and I won't be surprised if there is a wedding."

Mernea and I were able to change the subject and talk about happier things while I finished my lunch. All the while however, I had everything that Mernea said in my mind. Zelda was smart, so I wasn't too worried about her judgment on Nomilov. I was worried about how much influence the nobleman really had on her father, and whether or not she would be forced to bow down to his authority.

Maybe it was time for me to meet Sir Nomilov.