In her dreams, Zelda once again saw the tall man with the copper hair. This time he was tending to the rose bush with a solemn look on his face. Zelda came over and watched as he pruned back the dead branches, all the while scowling and shaking his head.

"If he was going to go through the trouble of taking one for you, he should have taken a good one. You deserve more than a blemished rose."

She couldn't help her curiosity. "Why does the beast care so much about this rose bush?"

"...It's a symbol of his arrogance. He was warned once, that he needed to think of others. He didn't listen, and it cost him. Now he has this bush as a permanent reminder that life is fragile, and that a little care goes a long way. Though, roses are much easier to care for than people."

Zelda stayed silent, until the man turned and stared her down. She looked to meet his gaze, and found he had the same golden eyes as the ones she saw right before falling asleep.

"He likes you."

She was caught off guard. "Huh?"

"He may not act like it, but he really does. You're not afraid of him, and he admires that. A girl came across the castle once before, and the second she saw him, she screamed bloody murder and fainted. You, sure you were frightened when you thought he was going to rape you, but once that was cleared up, you actually stood and argued with him. And to think you survived dinner without busting into a fit of the vapors over his eating habits."

After thinking it over, Zelda realized what he said was true, the only time she showed any true fear over Ganondorf was in the tower during their first meeting. She didn't like his behavior one bit, but visually there was nothing terrifying about him. She could almost stomach him... if only his disposition wasn't so sour.

"...Maybe if you spend some time with him, you'll rethink your answer to his proposal."

Once again Zelda woke with a start, though this time she was more annoyed than alarmed. Why did she keep dreaming about this mysterious man, and why did he keep trying to get her to rethink her decision? Choosing to focus on the real world instead of her dreams, Zelda craned her neck to look out the window. Only someone had drawn the bed curtains closed, and in her state of weakness, Zelda couldn't reach over and pull them aside. "Rats..."

"Rats?! MAMA, RATS!"

Zelda was startled by the sudden panic, though after a few seconds she heard a hush and a smacked bottom. The curtains then pulled back to reveal the insectoid woman from dinner, and her monocular little boy.

"Good morning, My Lady, I hope you are feeling better. My apologies if this little brat startled you, I told him to behave..."

"But Mama, I don't like rats!"

"Shush! My name is Veran and he is Vaati. I am in charge of the kitchen and the pantry, so if you need anything at all, please let me know and I'll fetch it. I was just in the middle of replenishing the tea and snacks in your cupboard, would you like me to get you anything? How about a nice bowl of porridge?"

"That will be fine," Zelda answered.

"Excellent. Though I think you should get out of bed and come eat down in the kitchen. Too much laying around is bad for recovery," Veran chided, and pulled back Zelda's blanket. Though when she saw Zelda's attire, she began to seethe.

"WHAT?! Those idiots, they took your jacket off but never bothered to remove your soiled dinner gown? Three men and barely a whole brain between them... Vaati, go into the wardrobe and get out one of the dresses that looks like Mommy's."

Vaati returned with a simple blue dress, much like the dress Zelda arrived in. Veran helped Zelda sit up and get out of the dirty clothes, then cleaned her up and helped her into the dress. "Wow, Mama, she's pretty! Is she gonna live here with us now?"

Veran ignored her little boy's excitement, and scooted Zelda to the edge of the bed. Zelda was able to stand once Veran helped her up, though her back still ached terribly. After taking a few steps around the room, the three started for the kitchen.

"I'm telling you, you have to be calm and complaisant. If she says she doesn't like something, don't start arguing with her because you happen to like it. Agree with her. Please her. Pleasure her, if you get the chance..."

"Ghirahim, don't be so vulgar," Agahnim snapped, after serving his master a glass of cider. The three of them were currently in the kitchen working on improving their social skills, so that they might succeed in getting Zelda to accept the marriage proposal.

"She's not going to say yes," Ganondorf snarled. "She will keep her word and stay, but she'll probably pout about it the whole time. She thinks I'm a beast. What girl in her right mind is going to love a beast?"

"Who needs love? Tons of people marry without love, and they lead happy lives."

"It doesn't work that way, Ghirahim," Agahnim interrupted. "The curse will only be lifted if Master can earn the love of an innocent. Zelda is innocent, there is no question. Earning her love is the hard part. Even if she agrees to the marriage, there is no guarantee she is doing it because she loves him. She might feel coerced."

Ganondorf suddenly snorted, startling his two associates. "Why does everyone think I'm trying to force myself on the girl? That is literally never going to happen. Ever."

Agahnim and Ghirahim made to answer, when the kitchen door opened and in walked Veran, Zelda, and Vaati. Agahnim immediately pulled out the softest chair he could find, and helped Zelda sit down at the table since it was obvious she was still aching.

While Veran, Vaati, and Ghirahim disappeared to make some breakfast, Agahnim decided it was an excellent opportunity for Ganondorf to get to know Zelda. He urged his master to sit at the table with her, and to make some small talk.

Ganondorf stayed quiet and watched Zelda stare at her lap, until Agahnim finally nudged him along. "Uh... Does it hurt?"

Agahnim wanted to slap his forehead at such a comment, but Zelda didn't seem to mind answering. "Somewhat, yes. But Veran said it's good to move around so I don't get stiff."

"Oh, okay. ...Do you like hunting?"

"Not particularly, no."

"I see. How about belly dancing?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know what that is."

"It's a traditional style of dance done by my people, using the torso and hips," Ganondorf explained. "Veran was pretty good at it, Agahnim too, though they haven't done it in a while. Ghirahim used to teach it but he quit taking students when he switched to his new weirdo dance style. Do you dance?"

Zelda shook her head in the negative. She could tell that Ganondorf was enjoying talking about his pastimes, so she tried to contribute. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at dancing, but I do know how to play some musical instruments. I can play the lyre."

"That wouldn't help, most of the music you need is percussion or-" Ganondorf stopped his rebuttal when he saw Agahnim glaring at him. "Or, maybe not. Lyre music is nice, too."

Veran entered with breakfast, so Agahnim took the opportunity to drop a stealth hint in his master's ear while Zelda was distracted. "Ask her what she likes, not if she likes something. Get her to tell you."

Ganondorf waited until Veran finished serving the porridge, and then until Zelda got a few bites in before springing his next question. "So, uh... what do you like to do? Sew? Paint?"

"Actually, I like reading."

Agahnim, Ghirahim, and Veran all looked up from their tasks and turned to their master, who had a look of intrigue brewing on his face. "Reading, huh? That's not exactly a popular hobby for a young girl such as yourself."

Zelda shrugged. "I know. The people in the village say I'm odd, and that I read because I can't think for myself."

"Finish your breakfast," Ganondorf snorted, smirking as Zelda turned back to her bowl. "When you're done, I have something to show you."