Link opened her desk, looking upon the dark purple glow in the gold cage there.
"So Kias, have a fun night?" Link asked, trying to keep neutral despite her anger at the fairy.
"Better than yours I think, the echoes surrounding your magic field seemed to show you were having a nightmare."
"Just a really strange dream...so what happens if I leave you in that gold cage?" Link didn't want either of the Fairies being around too much. Fae creatures tended to draw people and the dress she had on didn't have much in the way of places to keep a fairy aside from in the skirt.
"Not sure, could be I'm drawn to you so powerfully I drag the cage along, could be the gold stops all fae magic and nothing happens. anything in between really."
"Safer to keep you with me then I guess," she opened the cage and Kias flew up to be level with Link's face.
"Now then, what are your orders?"
"Stay out of sight, and if Navi tells you to do something do it. Do not hide on my body." She added as an afterthought.
"Spoil sport." Kias huffed and dimmed herself, coming to look more like a miniature Hylain with gossamer wings then the ball of light most people associated with the fae. "Anything else Master? Want me to call you Mistress instead? A Full account of the magic I can do still? Make some poor lady go through Parthenogenesis?"
"Parthano what?"
Kias sighed, her head visibly dropping, "Not very learned for the Hero of Time are we?"
"Excuse me for saving Hyrule instead of having my nose in a book. What is parthano whatever?"
"Explaining it for your underdeveloped mind, a lady having a baby without a man, nearly impossible but Fae do go through it and can make others though a..."
"Wait. Fae go though it? Aren't I part Fae now?"
"Hm, not quite as underdeveloped as I thought, perhaps I misjudged you," Kias' attitude changed subtly, as though she realized something. "Yes you are part Fae, how much you are I'm not sure, if you will or won't, if you'll grow wings as you go through puberty, if you begin to give off light...you're a first in many ways Hero, and there is nothing to go on."
"Fair enough. I better get to Zelda, I'm expected to help her with many things today, so behave." Link opened the door and Kias zoomed out to find a good place to hide as Link simply walked across the hall and knocked on Zelda's door.
"Who is it?" Zelda's voice floated out, with a very slight yawn at the end."
"Li...Anell your Highness."
"Come in." Link opened the door and stepped inside. Zelda's room, which he had never been in before, was huge almost as though Link slept in a broom closet. It was dominated by purple and gold, a little pink here and there on throw pillows, and Zelda's sheets were a dark blue. Zelda's hair was held back in a braid and she wore a night gown of pure white silk that must have been worth millions of rupees. She was sitting against her back board, reading a book of law.
"Anell come closer" Link did, Zelda putting her book on her bedside table. "So, how are you adjusting to life at the castle?"
"Well, it is very hard change..."
"No doubt, no doubt." Zelda got out of bed and passed Link a note, "So which court dress do you think I should wear? Purple with gold trim? Gold with purple trim? White with purple trim? Or how about white with gold and purple trim?" Zelda made a motion like reading something as she talked.
"Um, white with gold and purple." Link unfolded and read the note as Zelda nodded approval.
Link-
Last night the castle went on full alert, an intruder was caught stuck in the drain that you used to come though, every Royal's room is currently enchanted to relay all sound to the guard posts. Don't even start to say anything outside of your 'Anell' story or you'll be detained as a suspected assassin and even I couldn't get you out.
With that warning squarely in mind Link turned to watch Zelda disrobe out of her night gown.
"So do you think I should wash in the morn or in the night?" Link's day was off to an interesting start at least. "Well..my lady," Link was trying very hard not to look as Zelda disrobed, down to her naked skin, then Zelda turned around, making Link take a sudden interest in the Walls. "I think there are benefits to both, but I suppose it depends on how often you bathe..." Link was trying not to look, but having once been a 17 year old male she was curious and wanted to look, but also confused. Zelda looked at her and realized what was happening and wrapped a bath towel around her.
"I suppose tonight would probably be best, as this day promises to be both challenging and exhausting. Court from 10 to 2 then Archery for two hours Followed by Magical tutoring until dinner..." She got a quill and flipped the note over and scribbled something. She then rushed it to Link as she went into her private toilet with a few garments.
Sorry, I forgot. Usually have servants who have been female their entire lives helping me.
Link knew that the princess was truthful, but what was also truth was that she had to get used to the female body, seeing as how she was for the foreseeable future a female. Steeling herself for confusing feelings and awkwardness, she knocked on the door
"Milady, would you like some assistance?"
Half an hour later Zelda walked out of her room fully dressed for the day, with Link behind and to the left. Getting Zelda dressed had been more of an adventure then a temple or three, but Link had done it without screwing up too badly. Already she was ready to get out of this life and back into her own, male one. Clothes were simpler to say the least.
"I trust there were no difficulties?" Impa made Link jump as she appeared from nowhere behind them. Zelda however, had the composure not to jump, but to turn around gracefully.
"Hello Impa, I trust your night was as restful as your day is watchful?"
"Hello Zelda, I trust your night was as peaceful as your day is protected." Impa took a knee as Zelda bowed. Link was struck, not by the actual ritual, which now she realized was being repeated by Nehsa and Dina a little down the hall, but by the fact that Impa called Zelda by her name to her face. Link couldn't remember the last time, if ever, she saw that happen. Then she realized that this must have happened every day sense Zelda could speak. The full effect of what Impa must actually know about Zelda, how intimate the relation between Shekiah and royal must become, hit her as hard as a Goron rolling full speed. Impa's way of always referring to Zelda as Princess, or Her highness was not a true formality forced upon her by the station, but as a sign of how much she respected the young lady who, for good or ill, she's helped shape, in ways akin to an older sister, or maybe aunt, more than protector.
"Is Anell ok?" Dina's question snapped Link out of her trance.
"Oh...I'm sorry milady Dina, I was just...thinking very very hard."
"Are you ok? Did it hurt? Shall I have Nehsa get a healer?" Dina looked up at Link with a look of pure, innocent concern.
"No, I'm fine, thank you for your concern milady..."
"Why do you call me milady? Why can't anyone just call me my name?"
"Well, milady, that would be very inappropriate."
"Sissie Zelda, please tell me that I can order people to call me by my name, it's so...stuffy, calling me 'milady' and 'princess' all the time..." Zelda smiled softly at her sister
"Dina, you know that's not going to happen, and even if you did, you would still be called 'milady' and 'princess' when called on formal matters."
"I know...but please, just Anell?"
"Fine...but, I will order her, so I can word it properly." Zelda turned to Link, and with a light heart made her command. "Lady Anell, when dealing in private with me or my sister you are to use our first names only, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Zelda" Link was used to calling Zelda by her name, so it was not a big deal for her to correct her speech to follow the order.
"Thanks Sissie...now then, Anell, do you need a healer?" Dina was glowing with the thought of having her name used informally, even if it was by only one person.
"I'm fine Dina. Thanks for your concern." Link had to stifle a laugh, trying to remember that this young girl had probably never been called anything but 'princess' and 'milady'. Just then Ferao's door opened and out came the prince in a custom made Army Uniform, a very flashy deal Link thought, and with all the gold trim it was clearly neither for a common solder or the battlefield. Behind him wasRunaz.
"I told you, no need to go thought that silly ritual every day Runaz, I slept well and so did you, or so you have led me to believe for 11 years of my life."
"But milord, The Goddesses demand the recitation of it as a sign of the duty that has been placed on..."
"If they really insist on it they can tell me someway other than your constant moaning!"
"Ferao! stop being so mean!"
"I will when Runaz stops insisting on worn out old codes that were obsolete when the Castle was new! the only thing the Goddesses did for me was make the Prophesied heroes just that, heroes! Not heroines!"
"Actually Ferao the translation of the runes of prophecy are incorrect, while the current official translation does indeed use the masculine, the Runes themselves mean the neuter term "Intercessor of Fates" meaning that technically they could be heroes or heroines." Zelda corrected her brother. Link had never heard of the runes of prophecy, though now she got an idea were the idea of "hero of time" came from.
"Please, you are going to tell me that the...Intercessor of Twilight, the one who will be beast and man in one, would be beast and woman? What of Wind? The one who would hold the sacred Wind Waker being a female sailor? Those will come to pass when you are a pirate queen!"
"It is true the other Runes have more a specific meaning to them, and all the confirmed Intercessors have been male up till now, but other than those the wording is very unspecific...for example The line for of Time states 'After the quest has been done, and returned to the form of their childhood, then they shall learn of the duality of self'.
Link was spared more debates about Runes as the bell for Breakfast rang out its cheery tone. She fell back to speak with Zelda as privately as possible
"Are you saying that these Runes of whatever have preordained this? For centuries?"
"It seems so...though it does go on to say that the duality shall be undone...though how so is vague"
"Great..."Link followed Zelda to the dining hall, wondering just what else the Runes said.
