The next morning, Zelda awoke in the ship's chambers alone. Her sleep had been so deep, she had not been aware of Marth's leaving earlier that day. She was normally a light sleeper, but lately she had been feeling poorly and knew that rest was vital. Still, she felt a bit lazy and decided to force herself out of bed and get started with the day.
When she sat up, however, a stabbing pain shot through her middle and drove her breath away. Naturally, her hand shot to her stomach and she gasped shortly, though she quickly told herself that is was probably nothing to worry about. Occasional pain was normal, wasn't it? Besides, it had never happened before, at least not that intense. Seeing the nurse would be the best decision, but she did not want to create panic by doing it. If the kingdom thought she was having complications, they'd only make a fuss over her, and she did not want to handle that right now. Ignoring it might be a foolish choice, but she had told Marth that she could handle the trip- a bit prideful, she knew, but she didn't want to prove him right. She carefully got up and dressed slowly, glad to see that there's was no more pain. Still, she had to admit that it had scared her. She guessed that it probably happened to every first-time expecting mother and she was just overreacting, but there was always that chance...
By the time she had made her way up on deck, it was nearly noon. The sun warmed her face but there was a strange feeling in the air, like something bad was just waiting to happen. One of the crewmen passed her with a respectful nod of his head and would have continued on if she had not reached out and stopped him.
"Where's Marth?" she quickly demanded, but the man seemed almost hesitant to answer. She looked at him steadily until he finally took a breath.
"His Majesty has already left the ship. He has gone to meet the Akanean king."
"When?"
"Early this morning."
Zelda felt her face grow hot. By Marth's allowing her to come along on the trip, she had assumed that meant they would be going to meet the rival king together. Apparently he had merely left her behind without even a word on the subject, and now she was quite angry, if not insulted. She was his wife, so that alone gave her the right to know what he was doing, at least to a point. After all, he was the king. But if he had just told her what he was planning the night before, she wouldn't be so offended now. Then again, maybe he had been aiming to; they had not spoken since what he had told her, about loving her. She was unsure if the words had been believable, but it was very unlike him to say something he did not mean; sort of like Link.
Maybe if she had not walked away last night, something could have come of their conversation. It was hard enough to get Marth to talk about personal things, and just when he had voluntarily attempted to speak with her, she had ruined it by running out like a fool. Then again, it had been nearly impossible to face him when he was telling her that he loved her- she was not exactly sure why. Perhaps it was because she was afraid of not being able to reply. She could not just say, "That's nice, but I don't feel the same. I'm still in love with another person." The truth sounded horrible when she thought of it that way, but that's all it was- the truth.
She sent the crewman off to go fetch Gathan, and he nodded again and quickly went to do her bidding. While she waited by herself, she watched the men as they worked to repair the damage on the ship, though it was obviously going slowly. They seemed to take their time when not under Marth's direct surveillance, but that was fine with her. She was in no hurry to get back to Altea. Besides, Marth had said he would take her to Hyrule. He would not break his word, but there was no telling when he would decide to follow through with the promise.
It was quite a few minutes before the man returned with Gathan. Zelda was surprised that Marth had left him behind as well, and it made her begin to think that this meeting between the two kings might be a private affair. Then again, he would have to take soldiers with him, at least a few. He was far too cautious to go by himself, and the guards were required not to allow it anyway.
"You called for me, your highness?" Gathan said, bowing low as the other man left. Zelda secretly hated when Gathan showed so much submission, but she allowed it. She knew that he only wanted to show respect for her, but with Marth, it was no doubt pure fear. The man was constantly jittery.
"Yes, Gathan." She smiled to try to calm his worry. "I'd like for you to come talk with me. Is that all right?"
He looked a bit surprised and blinked quickly. "Of course."
She led him over to a small pile of crates and sat slowly. Not the most appropriate seating arrangement for a queen, but it worked. "I've been told that Marth left for the meeting. It's the first time I've heard anything about it."
Gathan also sat, though he still looked quite uncomfortable. "Yes, he received word last night that the Akanean king had arrived. Did he not tell you?"
"No, and I was under the impression that we would be both be going."
He appeared to be confused and pondering. "So was I. However, His Majesty gave orders this morning to keep you on the ship. I do not know why."
Keep her on the ship? She bristled at the very thought. Sure, he was the king and this was his ship, but he should not be ordering her about. Or in this case, restricting her from leaving. As far as she was concerned, she had every right to get up and leave if she wanted to. She considered doing it just to spite him, but what if he actually had a legitimate reason?
"Did he happen to tell you why?"
"I believe it's a safety precaution." Gathan scratched his beard. "From what I gather, he does not trust the Akaneans one bit. I suppose he does not want you in their direct presence."
This was something new entirely. "Why, are they dangerous? I mean, I know they are. But I don't think they would make an attack in the middle of a peace arrangement."
"I should think not, but you know how it is. His Majesty is... a bit overly cautious, if you will pardon me."
Paranoid was a better word for it. "It would cause a war if they decided to make an advance. They would have to be fools to risk it."
"Of course."
Zelda turned a little and stared up at the cloudless blue sky, her feelings conflicting. She was not exactly worried for Marth, but Gathan's words had got her thinking. Marth had his soldiers with him, and there was nothing she could do to protect him anyway. But she would feel better if she could at least see what was going on, listen to what was said. If something bad did happen -which of course it wouldn't- she knew it would start a new war right then and there, and Marth didn't need that on him again. She knew that the last war he had fought in, not much time before their wedding, had scarred him more badly in the mental area than anything physical could have done. Yes, he still had problems with his damaged knee and occasional massive headaches, but he could handle that. It was the things that went on inside his mind that worried Zelda. She had heard that he had fallen into a dangerous state of depression after the war with Doluna, so she could only imagine the things he had been through- the things he had seen. He still sometimes awoke in a panic in the middle of the night, but she never let on that she had noticed; the first time it had happened, she had been more frightened than he had, and since it had scared her stiff, he had never realized that she was awake. After that, she began to get used to it. But she was concerned for him now, for she knew that if something did happen to start a battle, he would jump in with the Falchion swinging and would be thinking of his own safety last- very much like Link.
That thought sparked her imagination, but it also got her thinking seriously. She was beginning to see a pattern here, and, ironically, was discovering that Marth and Link were alike in many ways. She had witnessed Link do some seemingly crazy things, for he was one of those act-now-think-later types. Marth, on the other hand, normally liked to plan and think things through, but when it came to a battle, his body and mind were like two different beings, the latter usually acting last. Zelda herself was definitely a thinker, but she had never really had to go into physical action; there had always been someone else around to do it for her. The guards, Link, Rhashidi, and later Marth. Still, if she ever had to wield a sword, there would be no hesitation.
"Gathan," she said finally, still very distant and thoughtful, "sometimes I wonder how it will all end."
He glanced around nervously. "How will what end, your highness?"
She looked at him squarely. "My life. Ours lives, our story. Everything that's connected with us. Altea, Hyrule. Everything and everyone in-between. I've been through so much, so many things, it all seems like part of a puzzle that someone's putting together. I want to know the reason why things have happened. The pieces are moving into place, and I want to know the outcome. The puzzle will be finished eventually, won't it? I want to know what it'll look like when it's complete."
A light breeze came in from the sea, smelling strongly of salt. There was silence between them until Gathan finally spoke. "Your highness, I find your way of thinking impressive. Interesting at the least. You long for the bigger picture, as I myself have done many times. I sometimes find myself wondering, what purpose do I have? Surely there must be a reason why my life has turned out this way. I have served a powerful king all my life, and now his son. Yet... my heart is not happy."
Zelda could see the pain in his eyes, and she understood. Maybe he needed someone to do that, just to sit here and understand. She was probably the only one who ever had, or at least recently. "I don't know you very well. Hardly at all, in fact. But I feel that you are far above the treatment you get from my husband. You deserve more, Gathan."
He looked down and turned a humble red. "I receive from His Majesty only the things that I am worthy of. I am lucky to be under his rule."
"You say what you think I want to hear, and that's fine." She leaned over so he would looked at her. "You may not know it, but Marth is insecure. He's unsure of his role as king, and he abuses those around him in an attempt to feel more powerful."
Now he was staring at her. "His Majesty has all the power one could ever want."
"Yes, but he doesn't how to use it. He's still young, so he experiments."
His look was almost admiring. "As are you, your highness. Yet you seem to have wisdom far beyond your years. Tell me, how do you accomplish this?"
She found herself fingering the back of her left hand where the mark of the Triforce was hidden beneath her glove. "I'm not sure."
"I find that amazing, my queen. You will surely surpass even the wisest of advisors." He smiled now. "Perhaps you will even take my place."
Zelda noticed a few Altean soldiers approaching from the corner of her eye, but she smiled back at Gathan. "I would never." Only then did she turn her attention to the other three approaching men, who all dropped down to a knee in salute of her once they arrived.
"Your highness," one said promptly, and they rose as one. "Excuse me for the interruption."
"Go ahead."
The three of them glanced at each other through the slat in their metal helmets, then the one continued. "There seem to be two... young men, shall we say, down on the beach requesting an audience with the queen. They claim to be acquainted with you."
She frowned. "Who are they?"
"We're... not sure. But the one who spoke was very adamant."
"And what did he look like?"
"Hylian, your highness. Blond."
Aha, Link. She found herself very pleased with this discovery. "And the other?"
"Well... wolf-like, I would say. Quite the ruffian. Actually, that seems to go for the both of them."
Zelda fought a smile. "Not at all. Bring them to me." The soldier nodded once but still looked unsure. He doesn't trust them. That's not surprsing, though- neither does his king.
"You heard Her Majesty, men. Bring up the two young men." As they walked away, he said in a lower voice, "And make sure to keep an eye on them."
Keep an eye on them. Zelda found this to be humorous. These were the two boys who would fight -and kill- to protect her, and Marth's soldiers were worried about her safety. When they were around was the time for the least worry- she felt safer with those two than with the entire Altean army. There was no way anything would happen to her now. "Excuse me, highness," Gathan whispered as he sheepishly stood. Zelda had not meant for him to leave, but he was already heading back belowdecks before she could stop him.
Alone now, besides for the working crewmen around the ship, she found herself suddenly deep in thought. For the past few years, even the very thought of Link could ignite a spark of excitement within her, no less the fact that she might be seeing him face-to-face. She could not count the times she had just sat in silence, wishing and longing for only a mere glimpse of him, wondering when she would ever see him again- wondering if he was even still alive. On the night that he had told her of Jennan, it was like a part of her died- or a part of her heart had gone numb. She felt no ill feelings against the other girl, but Zelda had given up hope that day. For years, she had pictured her wedding day to be shared with Link, and she had hoped the feeling was mutual. It would not have been the normal marriage arrangement for a princess, but her father would have never denied her happiness.
Strangely, though, she did not feel excited at the moment, or even anxious. She loved Link and Rhashidi, obviously in different ways, but something was different this time. Oddly enough, she found that her thoughts kept drifting back to Marth, and that nearly shocked her. She never imagined that would actually happen, or at least not this soon. It was strange that she had been quite literally longing for Link this whole time, and now that she was so near to seeing him once again, she was not as concerned as much as she thought she should be.
Her confused thoughts were interrupted when she was abruptly grabbed from behind by both arms. She stiffened and yanked away, whirling around defensively, only to see Rhashidi grinning mockingly back at her. It took her a brief moment to relax, then she scolded, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" But she smiled back and hugged him because she knew he had done it on purpose. He always had to be stirring up some sort of trouble.
Over Rhashidi's tanned shoulder, she saw Link standing there with his hands in his pockets, smirking slightly as he looked back at her. Zelda felt her face grow hot, and she pulled away from Rhashidi's crushing embrace and smoothed down her hair. In Altea's eyes, it was unseemly for a queen to be friendly with anyone outside of her immediate circle -in her case, this would be her personal female servants and Marth- but she was not about to let herself have such restrictions. There was no such rule in her homeland, and there was no way she would forget where she came from.
"Guess I got you," Rhashidi jeered, his voice surprisingly even more bass than she remembered. He was still grinning, as if very much pleased with himself, and she couldn't help but continue to smile back.
"I guess so," she said, and noticed from the corner of her eye that Link was still looking at her intently. Only moments ago she had been wondering why her feelings had changed, but now that he was right in front of her, she realized they hadn't.
And she cursed herself inwardly.
-O-
"Check," Link said, pushing away a defending bishop and sliding his queen into place. Zelda glanced across the table at him briefly, then gave her attention back to the board. They sat over a game of chess in the ship's library, and this round seemed to be taking longer than usual. A few hours had passed since the boys had come aboard the Dragonhead, and the game was beginning to intensify. Three rounds of victory were in Zelda's favor, but Link was quickly catching on to her strategies. He leaned back in the chair and looked at her pointedly, as if challenging her to beat him again.
She tapped her fingernail against her teeth and slowly moved her king to safety. The two of them had used chess as entertainment in the past, and they had always been competitive in a friendly way. It brought back memories to sit here and do this again, and Zelda was secretly convinced that Link had suggested it on purpose. The moment he had discovered Marth's ivory chess set, they had immediately shared a look of recognition and had set up the board, just as they had those many years ago. Still, she had nearly always beat him then, and there seemed to be no difference now. In fact, she was even better equipped to be victorious- she had played against Marth, and as good as she was, he could certainly teach her a thing or two. There was no beating the master of strategy at his own game.
"You forget, Link," she said with a friendly smile. "I've played with the best."
Link only scoffed at her and continued to plan his next move. Rhashidi's eyes were focused intently on the game, but Zelda had a feeling that he had no idea what was going on. He lay on his stomach on the table next to them, his chin resting on his folded arms, knees bent with ankles crossed behind him. The position made him resemble that of a small child, but she was fully aware that he was as wild and dangerous as any wolf that could be found in the forest. She had missed that about him; the way he appeared timid and harmless on the surface, but the fact that he should be the most feared of all the people she knew. It would only take one word from her to make him kill, and she was sure he wouldn't hesitate if the time ever came.
Rhashidi had come a long way since she had first met him. While in exile, Zelda and her father had come across a middle-aged couple who had allowed them to stay a few nights in their home. Unaware that their guests were actually royalty, the couple had lent their small barn to the princess and her father. One night while lying awake in silence, Zelda had overheard the man and woman moving around outside in the darkness. Sure that it was well past midnight, Zelda had later gone out to find out what all the secrecy was about. That had led her to an underground cellar with a door of iron bars, but she had waited until the daytime to investigate further. Now with light to see by, she had discovered that the cellar had had an occupant: an overly thin boy with dirty hair and wild eyes (it was later that she had discovered his wolf features), chained to the wall by a metal collar around his neck. Her heart had gone out to him immediately, but he had shied away from her when she approached the bars and looked down at him, even though she tried to assure him that she was going to get him out. But on one day when the man and woman had left for the day, Zelda found the key to the cellar and had remained true to her promise.
Now looking at him, it was hard to tell he was even the same person. He was much calmer now, more in control of himself, and had surely put on a near hundred pounds of sheer muscle since. Back then, it had not taken Zelda very long to gain his trust, and once she had, he stuck to her as if afraid to leave her side. Though this had served to make him trustworthy with her, it was not so with anyone else. He had gone after nearly anything that moved, wildly tried to attack anyone who approached. It had interested Zelda when she had discovered that he had fangs, but that was what made him such a danger. He used his hands to restrain his victims, but it was his canine teeth that did the damage. It had been hard work, but she had finally managed to convince him that everyone was not a threat, and it was only then that she had sent him off to find Link.
She was so caught up in the past that she was hardly aware of Link's subtle, "Check mate." When the two words actually sank in, her eyes snapped back to the board and she realized that he was right. There was no way out, so with a hesitant frown, she slowly cupped her hand over her king and gently pushed it over until it dropped with a clink.
"Played against the best, huh?" Link said with a grin, beginning to put the pieces back in place. "Guess that doesn't mean you always win, does it?"
"You got one out of four," Rhashidi stated defiantly. "She still won."
So perhaps he didhave a grasp on the game. Zelda was sorry that she had underestimated him. "My mind was elsewhere," she said, though it was obviously a lame excuse. Still, it was the truth. Not only had she been thinking about the past, but she was also wondering what was happening at the meeting between Marth and the Akanean king. Of course these things took time, but Marth sure had been gone a long while.
"Maybe I'm just getting back at you. You always used to beat me," Link joked, which was quite unlike him- or at least unlike how Zelda used to know him. This made her think that she was surely losing grip on their friendship, and she wished that they could talk seriously, even for just five minutes. That's all she needed. She wanted to discuss what was happening now in their lives, to find out things about his present self, rather than just assume by what she remembered. She could tell that he felt the same way, but there was an unspoken, invisible divide between them now that prevented it. Actually, that divide consisted of people- two of them, in fact, and that was Jennan and Marth. Had Zelda's husband and Link's girlfriend not existed, the situation would not be the same. Zelda and Link were too formal now, too distant.
Back when she had received word of Jennan's miscarriage, she had for a brief moment thought that would free Link of the younger girl. Immediately, she had reprimanded herself for even having such thoughts. It was incredibly selfish to think that way, for she told herself that Link should do whatever made him happy, and that in turn would please her. Also, she was married to Marth at the time and it would have done her no good regardless. Besides, seeing that Link was still with Jennan to this day, it was obvious that he had made his choice. Used to, knowing that was like a stab to her heart; now it was only a dull pain.
The strip of orange light that was coming through the stained-glass porthole showed that the sun was beginning to set. Again, Zelda found herself wondering just how long Marth was going to be gone. There might be trouble if he returned to find Link and Rhashidi on the ship, especially if the meeting had gone badly. Still, she wasn't about to kick them out just to spare herself from hearing Marth's disapproving rant. Luckily, Rhashidi saved her from having to worry about it when he slid off the table and stretched.
"I want to get back," he said, yawning deeply, his fangs very visible. Then his jaws snapped shut and he looked at her hopefully. "Zelda. Come with us."
Link was also looking at her for an answer, but she didn't know what to say to them. Marth had given her a direct order to stay on the ship, but she had never really listened to him and didn't want to start now. Not only that, but she wanted to go with them- there should be nothing holding her back from that, so she finally agreed. This seemed to please them both, and Zelda sent for a servant to prepare her horse for the trip.
Unable to sit still any longer, Rhashidi again mumbled something about getting back and abruptly left the ship, leaving Zelda and Link sitting alone at the table. For some reason the mood in the room turned awkward, and Zelda no longer knew what to say; Rhashidi was normally silent anyway, but she was surprised when she realized how much difference his presence made. With him gone, it almost felt like she and Link were strangers again, and she hated it. However, she seemed to be the only one that was noticing, so she tried to make conversation.
"I see that something's a little different about Rhashidi. What's his hurry to get back?"
Link shrugged, but he was grinning slightly. "I dunno, probably Memnet."
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"
"I know what Jennan's told me. And I can just tell."
From what Zelda remembered, Memnet was Jennan's older sister, the brown-haired girl who had seemed almost distrustful of the young queen. Still, at least she now understood the reason behind Rhashidi's restlessness- apparently he had a girlfriend. They struck her to make an odd couple, but she didn't know anything about Memnet and couldn't say for sure. Zelda cared for Rhashidi like a brother and wanted to see him content, but he had good judgement and was certainly capable of looking out for himself. If he wanted Memnet, then she wasn't about to stop him. In fact, hearing this news, however unexpected it was, made her happy for him. It was about time he stopped getting himself in trouble and settled down, and it would probably take a woman to accomplish that.
"So," Link said after while, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table. "When's your guy supposed to be back?"
She couldn't help but smile a little. It was funny to hear Marth, the mighty young king of Altea, be addressed as 'her guy'. "There's no way to tell. He could stay there and discuss things with the Akaneans all night."
"You worried about him?"
It was unlike Link to ask such a thing, but she had to answer. "Well... I know that he can take care of himself."
He forced a half smile. "Well that sure doesn't answer the question."
When had he gotten so persistent? Apparently there was no getting around this. "Maybe just a bit. After all, he's a well-known man. A lot of people want him dead."
"Yeah." There seemed to be a reason he was asking and she studied his blue eyes intently, determined to find out what it was. He looked back at her almost as if he wantedher to inspect his true intentions, and it was then that she realized he had, in fact, asked it for a reason. From what she gathered, it appeared that there was another message in the question, and it was for him to find out where she stood when it came to Marth. He was basically asking if she loved the young king- and in turn trying to find out if she still had feelings for him as well. Zelda blinked hard when she realized this, shocked. Just as she had been all this time, Link was wondering if she was still in love with him, and though this was what she had been waiting for, there was no way she could answer now. Coming out with the truth would only complicate things, and it was clear they both knew it. That was why the look in Link's eyes had been almost sad; he knew that bringing this out in the open would be pointless in the end, but for some reason he had been willing to try anyway. Zelda wanted to cry, or run away screaming- he was finally hinting that he still loved her, giving her closure on the thing she had wondered about so much, and now she could do nothing about it.
She didn't know whether to be thankful or disappointed when one of her servants entered the room. The young man, hardly more than a boy, bowed to her and briefly nodded to Link. "You called for me, majesty?"
It took a moment to find her voice. "Yes. I want you to tack up my horse and prepare him for a ride." When he merely stood there, she raised her eyebrow and frowned slightly. "Do you understand?"
Now he looked nervous. "Yes, majesty... but you see... majesty..."
Only then did she realize what his problem was. He was remembering Marth's command to keep her on the ship, and here she was ordering him to disobey. She felt bad for putting him in the middle of it. "I'm aware of the king's order," she said firmly. "But now you need to do what I tell you. If Marth wants to blame someone for this, I'll make sure it falls on me. Now go."
The boy still looked undecided, but he nodded and quickly left. Unable to meet Link's eyes, Zelda got up and headed towards the deck before she was forced to say anything more. It took a few minutes for the preparations to be finished, but it wasn't long before they were on the road. Her personal guards had insisted on accompanying her, but she refused their request. She saw no reason for them to come along when she had Link and Rhashidi with her, and the whole ship had watched in silence when she had left- probably hoping that Marth didn't send them all to the gallows when he found out that his order had been ignored.
Link's dog Gelert had been waiting for them on the beach, and he now followed behind the horses as they made their way towards the woods. Their riders didn't talk much, and Zelda found the silence to be a bit uncomfortable. It was no surprise that Link didn't appear to notice, and she kept her eyes on his back as he led the way, the horses forced to walk single-file on the narrow wooded trail. There as no sign of Rhashidi anywhere, but he had never really liked travelling in such close proximity to other people. Regardless, she found herself wishing that he was here now just so it wouldn't be only Link and herself- which was a strange thought in itself, because this was what she had been wanting for so long.
Still, she had gone through some change lately and was suffering enough confusion as it was, especially with the situation concerning Marth the night before. He had stated that he loved her, but she was having a hard time believing him; in her opinion, they still didn't know each other well enough to say that, but he had sounded serious. The mere thought of remembering how she had ran out was enough to make her cringe, but she had felt trapped at the time and reacted by doing the first thing that came to her. To make matters worse, he was gone when she had returned to the room, and she hadn't seen him since. No doubt her mindless actions had made him feel just as foolish as she did, if not worse. Maybe she would find a way to approach the subject again, if possible. It wasn't often that he wanted to talk of personal things, and she regretted possibly destroying the chance of his ever trying it again. Then again, what could she say? 'I'm sorry about running out last night, I feel like an idiot"? She couldn't imagine just coming out with that but decided it would be best to at least try. It probably couldn't make things any worse.
It didn't seem to take as much time to reach the plantation as it had the day before, but it was nearly dark when they arrived. Link slid off Epona and then helped Zelda dismount, and Artos soon came along to take the horses to the stable. Zelda gave him a friendly greeting, but he only smiled grimly in response before his attention shifted off to the side at something behind her. She glanced back discreetly and noticed Rhashidi against the outside of the stable's wall, sitting with his knees drawn up as if he had been waiting for them to arrive. Despite the dusk, she saw a flash in his eyes when Artos met his gaze, and a wall of tension sparked between the two of them as Artos passed. The latter was the first to break the electric stare, and he hurried on about his business- but Zelda understood now. She remembered when Artos and Memnet had shared nearly the same silent look in the kitchen the day before, and the swollen bruise on young man's temple. Now that Zelda was aware of whatever Rhashidi and Memnet had, it was obvious that Artos was in the middle of it; clearly he had feelings for the girl as well, possibly long before Rhashidi had even come into the picture. For a moment Zelda figured the dark bruise that Artos displayed was the result of Rhashidi's doing, but she quickly decided otherwise. If the wolf-boy had gotten physically defensive of Memnet, the wounds be far more extensive than a mere black eye. She could only hope that the two of them didn't pursue it further, for she knew that if a fight ensued, Artos wouldn't stand a chance.
Rhashidi's demeanor changed completely as soon as the stable hand was out of sight. He stood up and stretched, presenting them again with his normal self, and Zelda was relieved. Link stood there with his hands in his pockets, just looking at her, and she wondered what he was thinking. There was no way to find out something that impossible, so she just looked back until he finally glanced away and spoke. "Well, I guess there's no sense just standing around out here. Unless you want to wait for your guy."
Since that could mean waiting all night, she shook her head. "No, it's fine."
"Great, I'm starving." He scoffed a little. "You know, Dorobis doesn't usually like guests that aren't his own, but he's fine with it when they're royalty. I guess he just wants something to brag about when he gets together with his merchant clan."
He was clearly more talkative than he used to be, and she was glad for him. Still, there was something nagging at the back of her mind about Marth, and she worried that something had gone wrong. No, she reassured herself. If something happened, we would have gotten word by now. Marth likes to debate, so it could be awhile before these peace talks are settled. Besides, Marth is certainly capable of protecting himself.
"I'm a little... starving myself," she said, and couldn't help but smile. It had been such a long time that she could relax enough to joke around, and it made her feel very alive. She was with the people that made her the most comfortable now, and it would be best to just let it flow. The only thing that would complete this feeling, she thought, was her father. According to Marth's words the night before, she would be seeing him soon enough. They headed inside, but Rhashidi didn't follow. She hoped he wasn't going off in search of Artos.
Once inside the lantern-lit house, she was greeted with friendly words all around. Jennan's words were especially warm, and it calmed Zelda to find that there wasn't even a hint of ill feelings between them. The girl may have been young, but she seemed pretty level-headed when it came to maturity. It probably wouldn't be long before the two of them became friends, and Zelda was immensely glad to know this.
The mere smell of whatever Ima was cooking was enough to cause Zelda's stomach to have a hunger spasm. It wasn't that she was exactly hungry all the time, but she had reached the point where almost anything could look appealing. Marth had kind of joked with her about this a few weeks ago- one of the rare times that the feeling had struck him to make a jest. Ima insisted that they take a seat, and Zelda quietly refused when Memnet moved to pull out the princess's chair. Zelda had always been treated like royalty, even more so now that she was queen of Altea, but she felt more at home here and didn't mind being a little more human. In her opinion, the subjects of Altea took her rank a bit too seriously, but then again she could see why. Marth allowed no room for disrespect in his kingdom, a lot like his father had before him, but that certainly had its positive side- any Altean would most likely choose compliance over death, and she was sure that's exactly what the consequences would be.
Dorobis entered the house not too long after, looking unusually pleased. "Hello, your highness." He nodded to Zelda and even clapped a hand on Link's shoulder as he passed on the way to the stairs, which caused Link and Jennan to look at each other in obvious amazement. Matayo, who was sitting to Zelda's left, leaned forward and whispered with a scowl, "What's his problem?"
Suddenly stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Dorobis glanced back over his shoulder. "Oh yes, Princess Zelda. I ran into your husband on the way here, so I suppose he will be here shortly."
There was no way to tell what Marth would say to her when he came, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of dread. She didn't really care what he had to say when they were alone, but he had no right to make a fool of her in public. Her disobeying his orders was between the two of them, and she was much more willing to face him alone than with a crowd standing by.
When he finally did arrive, Zelda could see it in his face that something hadn't gone right at the meeting. Dorobis gave an overly-animated welcome, obviously amused to have royalty in his house, and shook Marth's hand with quite a bit of enthusiasm. Marth stood there tolerating the man's excited gestures, but Zelda knew he didn't want to be here; why he had come, she still hadn't quite figured out. Probably just to keep an eye on her, as if she would actually do anything that required his surveillance. Still, he hid pretty well his desire to not be there, and he was even fairly friendly to Dorobis and his family, despite the fact they were so far below him in rank. He had been raised a prince, but she was thankful that he had enough courtesy not to act like it too much. Most nobility would go to their grave before associating themselves with a mere merchant's family, and she knew that he wasn't doing it because he wanted to- strangely, he was doing it for her.
A grinning Dorobis showed Marth to the chair beside Zelda, and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye as he sat. He wasn't looking back at her, and she took this to mean that he was saving everything he had to say for when they were alone. It was a bit disappointing to know that she had angered him, but at least she didn't have to deal with it here. She could only imagine his reaction when he had returned to the ship and discovered her to be the only one missing; she had to wonder if actions like that on her part would damage her social status, and she felt even worse. What kind of example was she setting to the people of Altea? What if they decided that if even the queen didn't obey the king's orders, they didn't have to either? Suddenly, she couldn't really blame him for being angry, so she knew there would be a lot of explaining to do later.
As Ima began to serve them, the door abruptly swung open with a good bit of force, and a blonde young woman stood in the doorway with an open mouth. "Eeee!" she cried shrilly, clapping her hands together. "So it is true!"
Jennan's expression turned stony when she caught sight of the girl, and Link kind of hid his face with a hand to his forehead, and Zelda barely heard him mumble, "Oh my god" in Hylian. Zelda didn't know what the sudden change of mood was about, but the girl's hungry, green-eyed stare was drilling right into her own. Dorobis grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her inside with a large grin.
"This is my niece, Beth," he announced, beaming, and Zelda forced a smile.
The girl flipped her hair and escaped her uncle's grasp, blatantly ignoring the entire room except the royal couple. "I was told there was a kinghere, but I had to see for myself! I can't believe it's actually true!" Her voice was incredibly high and dripped with a large amount of enthusiasm, nearly a screech. Zelda was beginning to understand the flinching that taken place on her arrival to the room, but she hadn't imagined that the situation could get worse. Flouncing past everyone else, Beth made her way to the far side of the table and pulled up a spare chair. Smiling broadly with sparkling white teeth, she shoved it to the table by Marth's free side and sat daintily facing him, chin resting in both hands. Somehow her smile managed to widen, and she blinked a few times at him. "Hiii," she purred, and Zelda felt strangely insulted.
Marth didn't budge, but he eyed the girl warily. "Hi," he said finally, voice flat.
Beth covered her mouth and giggled. "Oh my goodness, you're talking to me. I talked to a king! Me!"
Zelda doubted if Marth had ever been forced to deal with a situation like this before, but truthfully neither had she. In Altea, or even Hyrule, despite the girl's height of friendliness, this would be considered as very rude. Beth was probably around Zelda's own age, large busted and very beautiful, but her personality made her come off as an overly hyper schoolgirl. Or perhaps overly lovesick. To make matters even more awkward, she actually leaned over and wrapped her hands around Marth's arm as she gushed on about how privileged she felt to be in the same room as royalty. Zelda was so shocked that she wasn't sure what she would do even if her body could move.
Marth still wasn't moving, but he glanced at Zelda as if silently pleading for help. Link had both hands to his face now, and Jennan looked like she wanted to strangle her cousin. Everyone else just sat there awkwardly until Memnet finally let out a heavy sigh and rose from her chair, her hands closed to fists on the table. "Beth, I want you to come outside with me for a minute."
"Huh? Why?"
"Just do it."
Beth looked clueless, but she got up and followed her cousin out the door. Zelda didn't normally judge a new acquaintance this soon after meeting them, but she was already unsure about this girl. It was easy to see that Link was uncomfortable with her as well, but what bothered Zelda the most was the way she hadn't even hesitated to throw herself at Marth. Zelda found herself to be surprised that she even cared; still, it was inappropriate to put your hands on someone's husband, regardless of how 'friendly' you wanted to make it seem. That was the whole point- the gesture wasn't intended to be friendly, and it was clear to Zelda that it had been a strange attempt at flirting.
It wasn't jealousy that she was feeling, or at least she didn't think so. This was more about status, really. Even if she didn't love Marth, she had married him and he was hers. No other woman had the right to touch him, and if Zelda had been born with a more headstrong personality, she would have said so. But she only sat stiffly and held her tongue, thankful that Memnet had taken charge of the situation, or at least provided a way to avoid it.
"I'm sorry about that," Jennan said after a few moments, a tense edge in her voice. "My cousin doesn't know how to control herself."
Dorobis waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, she's just excited." He pulled out a chair and sat across from the young royalty with a pleasant smile, but it seemed to be a bit forced. Zelda felt him studying her, and she knew that he was closely examining her expensive clothes, her gold jewelry and many earrings. She felt kind of uncomfortable under his gaze, but made sure not to show it; she hadn't come here to be intimidated by people she didn't know, and there was no telling what the man was thinking. He finally folded his hands on the table and leaned forward, his grin just a little too wide. "So tell me. You've come all the way from Altea, yes?"
Marth only sat there in silence, so Zelda was forced to answer. "That's right."
"Ah, a long trip then. I am a merchant, so I know quite a lot about traveling distance."
"Yes." Why wasn't Marth answering in her stead? He should be the one talking to this man, not her. She took a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye and noticed that not only he was strangely sweaty, but his eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in days. If something that bad had happened at the meeting, surely he would have told her and wouldn't just be sitting here in silence. The feeling of dread that she had been ignoring all day flared up within her then, much more intense than before. Dorobis was still going on about his business as a merchant, and all the important people he had met because of it. To be polite, Zelda tried to listen as she ate but found that she was too distracted with Marth's awkward behavior. Normally he would have involved himself in the conversation and probably found a way to debate about it, but it didn't appear that he was even in the same room with them.
She knew better than to think he was intimidated by these people, and even then he would hide it well. It was hard to tell if this was about the meeting or what had happened last night. If it was the latter, she felt that she deserved it. When they returned to the ship later, she would have to do something to fix this situation, or at least better it as much as she could. Not only did she avoid confrontation by nature, but she couldn't handle the stress of having to deal with this for a long period of time.
Jennan leaned over and whispered something to Matayo, who shrugged. Link seemed to have recovered after Beth left the room, and that made Zelda wonder what the girl had done to him in the past. After seeing the way she had acted a few minutes ago, nothing would surprise Zelda about her behavior. It was a mystery to the princess how anyone, especially a young lady, could have such little respect for themselves.
Memnet returned to the house then, her eyebrows etched into a stony frown. Beth did not accompany her, but Artos entered soon after with an expression that matched hers. They wordlessly took their seats as Dorobis continued talking, and Zelda noticed that everyone seemed to be additionally quiet when the man was around. From what she gathered, Ima and Artos were the two slaves of the house, but the rest of them, save Link, were related. She didn't understand how this man could hold so much dominion over his own family. No one had told her anything specific about his personality, but she could feel it in the very air about him that he owned everything around him, and he wanted people to know it. It was easy to see why he and Link clashed so savagely.
"So that was the time I traveled to Doluna... and a very long trip it was," Dorobis was saying. Finally he leaned back in the chair, his arms crossed, and studied the royalty before him with a strange sudden interest. Something flashed in his dark eyes that sent a wave of distrust through Zelda. "So," he said, his voice casual now, almost as if he was forcing it to cover up another, more sinister intention. "I understand that your country had a previous war with Doluna, yes?"
This time Zelda purposefully did not answer. He asked the question as if he was unsure of the answer, but she could tell that he knew very well the circumstances. He knew that Marth had personally fought in that war, and there was something in him that made her think that his loyalties were with Doluna. It was hard not to challenge him on the matter, but she must keep silent. Did he know nothing of their rival country that strove to overtake and enslave the people of Altea, claiming an unproven right to the land? Hyrule had been enemies with Altea as well, but she had seen even then the error of Doluna's ways. Well, if that was his opinion, then so be it- but that war had scarred Marth in more than one way, and she was insulted that Dorobis would purposefully bring it up to them. This man was certainly not ignorant, and he was very aware of what he was saying; only little did he know, she was aware of what he truly meant, and she was not about to be ensnared in his trap. But why had he laid it? Surely he wasn't that closely tied in with Doluna, to where he would go as far as to make a taunt at their rival king, no matter how subtle he wanted to make it seen.
Marth had the highest intellect of anyone she knew, and she was sure he had picked up on this as well. But he still remained silent, and she began to worry. As far as she knew, he had never held his tongue to anyone who had challenged him like this, no matter what rank or status they held. She had even heard him cross his own father in the past- an act that, for the ordinary person, took quite a bit courage. It was only now that she truly accepted that something might be wrong.
Finally, Matayo and Ima began talking on another subject to cover the awkward, lengthy silence. Dorobis seemed, if she was not mistaken, almost a bit pleased that she hadn't answered his question. Perhaps he thought she couldn't come up with one, but now Zelda didn't care. As the conversation picked up around the table again, she took another quick glance at Marth. He sat there motionlessly, the plate in front of him untouched but the glass of water nearly dry. Ima noticed this as well and rose to fill it again, whereas he kind of nodded to her and proceeded to drain the second glass as well. The hand that gripped the glass was shaking slightly. Beneath the table, Zelda reached over and placed a hand on his arm, very concerned now, and felt that he was dangerously feverish. It was clearly time to leave now, and she could only hope he would make it back to the ship without passing out.
Now she had to figure out a way to get out of here without coming off as rude. Seeing that no one else was eating, Ima and Artos began clearing away the dishes as Dorobis excused himself and headed outside, Matayo following. With her hand still on Marth's arm, Zelda summoned a smile at Ima as the old woman passed, but her mind was working hard to find a acceptable escape route. Memnet said something quietly to Jennan, and the two of them discreetly headed upstairs. Zelda didn't want to be rude, but she didn't want a crowd either, so she left Marth with his forehead resting on his hands and quietly headed over to Link, who was still seated and apparently oblivious to her situation. She touched his shoulder on the way towards the front door, and he got up and followed her.
A warm breeze was blowing outside on the porch, but she didn't have time to enjoy it. Link closed the door behind him and stood there looking at her, hands in his pockets. He looked like he expected to talk with her, and she wished she could- only there were more pressing issues at the moment. With worry pressing into her throat, she told him all that she knew. "Something happened at that meeting today," she said quietly. "Marth was fine last night, but now all the sudden he's really ill. I need to get him back to ship. My nurse is there."
Link rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah. Okay."
"I don't want to seem like I'm just rushing off, but-"
"You should go. He's looked kinda bad all night."
She had known he would understand. Once they were in the house again, she saw that Marth was leaning face-down on the table now, his forehead resting on his folded arms. Seeing that he was a king and this bodily position in public was clearly unacceptable, it was easy to see that something was very wrong. She went to him and touched the back of his neck, which was hot with fever. Ima looked over at them with concern and discreetly asked if he was okay. "I don't know," Zelda replied, her whole body tense. She leaned over and pushed his hair away from his face, but he didn't stir. There wasn't even a hint of response. "Marth," she prodded, struggling to keep her worry inaudible.
Ima came over then, her face troubled. "May I?" Zelda moved out of her way and stood by as the old woman proceeded to examine him as well, her grey eyebrows frowning deeply. "He's unconscious," she said finally, fingers exploring his forehead. "And no wonder. This fever is at a dangerous height." Only Zelda, Link, and Ima were in the room now, and though the woman kept a reserved face, it was easy to see that the situation was serious.
"What is it?" Zelda asked, but Ima shook her head.
"I can't tell, but there's discoloration to the skin. This isn't good."
At last he moved a little, and it seemed to take all of his strength just to speak. "The wine," he managed, voice hoarse. "It was the wine."
"You had wine?" Zelda said shakily. "At the meeting?"
"How could I have been so stupid..." he mumbled, then after a few brief moments of fighting unconsciousness, went still again, his breathing labored.
Zelda's eyes snapped back to Ima, who now looked a little pale. "What does he mean?"
"It's poison," the old woman said, eyes wide. "By the looks of it, a deliberate one." Her gaze met Zelda's. "And if it's deliberate, it's meant to kill. Honey, we need to move fast if we're going to save him."
At that moment, his survival became Zelda's chief concern. And how the Akanean king had the gall to pull a cheap shot like this at a peace agreement, she didn't know. But she did know that if Marth lived through this, there would be a war like none of them had ever imagined.
-O-
So how do you like my five-month wait to update, eh? Eh? Yeah, it's annoying, I know. I've just been really really slow lately, but this is going to get done. All right, so review on this stuff so I'll know that I should continue, okay?