Wow… I laugh at all the hate for Salvin 'cause I actually know how the story goes.
And, on that note, I'm actually going to try advancing the plotline. Partially because I'd like to avoid writing anything I consider too boring or hard for me to spend an abhorrent amount of time on.
Matters of the State
Chapter 7
To say that I don't feel bad on the inside for what happened to Timothy would be a complete and utter lie. I wish I could've gotten to his room faster than I did; I decided forgo a visit with a mistreated and clearly livid female to do so, but I was still slowed down by nearly every possible obstacle in the palace. First I accidentally ran into one of the stewards, which led to a long list of apparent duties which all require attention. Finally shaking the thin man off, I had to change course three times and take a long swerving route to avoid the tighter knots of noble women and one near encounter with the Lord Salvin… No, no thank you I'll pass on that any day.
Impa looks completely ridiculous! Head to toe in flowing robes, oh, Farore! I've only seen her in get up like that a few very strange times; normally she wears a tunic and trousers in place of the formal wear, but today! I could swear she was going to try putting me to the strap when I couldn't stifle a giggle at the sight of her. I'd thought her a miscellaneous maid or something when I saw her from behind, and to have her wheel around with an infuriated look in her dark eyes- I couldn't help it!
Needless to say, I was also surprised to see Zelda step into Timothy's quarters. Wrapped head to toe in flowing white and blue silk and glittering with sapphires and silver, all while standing in a musty basement. That large sapphire dangling from her circlet was like a third eye when she began to work at my squire's arm. Not her flashiest spell, Zelda's hands began to glow with a gold light which radiated through the boy's arm. It's always a sight to see her drawing on her powers, and I'll have to take the time to thank her for helping when I have the chance.
I pause in front of a door I can instantly tell as being Ralph's. Two of the Prince's travel-worn and rather traumatized guards are standing outside, each nodding to me and seeming rather uncomfortable with their posts as they shuffle away from the door slightly.
"Relax, you two." I say lightly, "Nothing to worry about, unlike the other ones, I don't bite. You can eat and collapse in a bed somewhere when I drag your lord downstairs to the hall." The two of them share a brief and somewhat hopeful glance between them, before one lets out a wide yawn, catching himself too late at it and smacking one gloved hand over the gap. I can't help but snicker a bit as I move past and step into Ralph's chambers.
Not bad. Pale wood tables, shelves, and mantels sparsely fill the room, finely crafted and solid, but simple in design. Navy blue is parceled about in upholstery, curtains, and rugs, a few tapestries covering bare walls showing maps and designs which don't seem very Hylian. Probably something near-ancient that was dredged up from a time when Hyrule and Labrynna were still in close contact with one another.
To find the Prince, I merely follow the sounds of dull thuds, muffled yells, and one or two sharp yelps. Opening the door which separates the antechamber and sleeping quarters, I take a peek inside.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It seems I'm mistaken. I was looking for the Prince Raphael…" I say humbly, only to be cut off by an enraged glare.
"Who the hell're you?" Ralph says bitterly, tugging with one hand as the collar of his shirt seems to be strangling him. Barefoot, he's got a short chain hanging from one ear which holds a sparkling piece of amber. He's half shaved, and his hair is flopped across his face in a way which makes it look more tangled than I've ever seen before. Finally, the bandages which were being re-wrapped around his head are for the most part tangled around his neck. Clearly the Prince has forgotten how to get dressed.
"Ferran, Percy, you guys go get yourselves ready for the banquet." I say, spotting the reason for Ralph's wretched mood and odd state of half-dress in the form of the two semi-clueless vassals. I can't decide whether Percy fainted again, or was knocked out by Ralph or just tripping over something, Ferran is bent over the mayor looking at him sympathetically. Rising, he nods to me and gives me a bow, and I can see that the man is wet all across his front. Honestly, don't they think Ralph can do anything?
Ferran ends up enlisting the help of the guards outside to drag and carry Percy away. And I watch them go with a forlorn look.
"Thank you." Turning, I find that Ralph's vanished, a length of tangled gauze tossed onto the foot of his bed, but I follow the sound of splashing water to find the small tiled bathroom that's attached to his room. Sighing, I leave him to continue shaving, hearing the small clatter of metal on porcelain which signifies his remembering the foolishness of jewelry before washing.
"So, should I be starting a pot for how long it takes you to murder the both of them?" I call jokingly, dropping into one of the chairs next to the bed and begin toying with the cuffs of my sleeves. I'm wearing one of those absurdly puffy white shirts under the sane green of my tunic, although this one is a bit more fancy. Sleeveless, but still going down nearly to the knee, I could almost picture Timothy squirming in his bed should I not try and appease the boy's impregnable sense of proper fashion. A black belt keeps me from looking like a square, and although I hate these sleeves I chose the puffy shirt anyways.
"You haven't answered me yet." Ralph calls, emerging from the bathroom with a towel drying off his face. That cut I gave him when he landed is still visible, but is little more than a thin pink line, and the wound on his head from the horse was small, so he doesn't seem intent on bandaging it again. The laces of his shirt are undone now, and he goes about tying them properly before walking up to me, keeping the game going.
"You sound like the Fairy Boy, you act like the Fairy Boy, hell, you even have his hat." I should've clued in when he looked to my cap, but I didn't so end up trying to snatch the garment back from him as Ralph swipes it off my head and jumps back snickering.
"Well, perhaps I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. For now." He says, sticking the cap on his head and making a clown face with his fingers stretching his mouth.
"Now, don't forget you've got that on your head when you leave. Wouldn't that start a rumor or two." I stick my tongue out between my teeth in a grin as Ralph's face visibly shrivels up and I catch my cap as it comes flying towards me.
"I certainly hope you aren't here to give me fashion advice." He says sourly, walking over to the mirror which stands in one corner, and picking up a tunic of his own. Dark Labyrnnian blue is pulled over his flaming red head, and he belts it with a thin bit of leather just a shade darker than his hair.
"Well, not exactly. Although I did think you'd want to go over a few things before your début." I amuse myself with looking over the stitching in my cap, I'm not going to be wearing it tonight though, I sort of want to, but I can go without it for one evening. Ralph drops into the chair next to mine looking dead tired and more than a little miserable as I give my report on the castle. It's amusing, I often notice servants running around to do this sort of thing for the lords and ladies within the palace, but now instead of receiving a message myself, I'm the one doing the running around!
"The Zora and Goron Ambassadors are here, but not the leaders since this is such short notice, so you're safe in that respect." A relieved look. "If you still go green around shell fish then stave off the soup since it'll be full of them tonight." A grimace. "And I'd advise against both indulgence in wine and dancing as well." Confusion. It's fun to watch the emotions and reactions play so openly across Ralph's face.
"Every young pretty thing over the age of fifteen- not that there's a horrifying amount of them- is hoping to make herself a Princess by the time you leave. A clear head and sound steps would both be good ideas until you get a feel for this." Ralph splutters, and the splash of crimson which washes up his face makes me choke on laughter.
"What!? I'm not looking for a wife! Never a Hylian wife either! Hell, take a girl from a castle like this and sit her in Labrynna? I'd hang myself after the third day from all the whining and whimpering over wanting servants to chop wood for her!" Forget choking, I laugh outright as his reaction, slapping my knee and trying to get over the look on his face. He's beet read from top to bottom, completely flustered and not doing well to regain his composure. When I get back a bit more of my own I clap on hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, my Naïve Prince! Every eligible young lady is expecting you to take a wife. Doesn't mean you have to- since I'm fairly sure you won't, but it's in the air. They think you're loaded down with so much gold and gems that you couldn't be bothered to bring it all! A rich man who dresses plainly- supposedly- is also the type to buy his wife the most extravagant gifts." He sinks into his chair much the way he was crawling into his cloak on the ride into the castle; wishing himself swallowed by the material never to reappear in the eye of any man or woman again. He looks so uncomfortable- better now than later when he'll really be in public eye- that I have to be a complete bastard.
"Don't worry," I coo gently, "So long as you don't dishonor any of them, Nayru shouldn't take offense."
"You son of a bitch!"
"Now, now, manners, Ralphie. Clear head, sound steps. Simple enough too remember, eh?" I grin at him like a fool as he holds the collar of my shirt in one hand with the other balled up in a fist to strike me. Oh, I don't doubt that he would hit me, he's done it before and vice-versa, but I think it's how we affirm that we're friends with one another.
I don't think he had much of a reply for my comment, and he was probably considering going through with the punch, but for a soft sound dimly going off in the background. One, two, three- again, it sounds. One, two, three-
"Those are the bells?" He asks, letting me go as he stands straight and listens again for the dull tolling. "Those aren't coming from your temple though, are they? That's off in another part of the city!"
"Dinner time!" I say, getting to my feet properly as Ralph walks off to his mirror again and takes up the amber earring from where it was set down and puts it on. A short, navy blue cape rimmed in red also goes around his shoulders and I watch him slip on a thick stone ring impressed with a seal of some sort before turning back to me.
"Yes, those are the Temple bells, impressive, hmm? Come on, I'm sure you're ready for something aside from dried meat, stale bread and water." We exit his chambers and walk past the guards, whom he dismisses to get some well-deserved food and rest. The two of us then continue on down the corridors.
"They're going to announce you in at the doors before you enter." I mention, having forgotten the formality. "And you'll probably be last since you're the honored guest." I add, I'm a bit curious as I don't get the same outraged response out in the hall, I can see a flicker behind his eyes when I glance at him, but it takes a moment before I realize he's trying to compose his features.
"You'll be at the Head Table with His Majesty, Zelda, Sir Ladekhan, the Ambassadors, and a few of the higher nobility. I'll be down at the Knight's table. Oh-" Hell, I forgot. I stop us abruptly with a hand on his arm just as voices begin to grow down the hall, people assembling outside the grand doors.
"Almost every noble has a hidden agenda; I hope you realize that, even you and I." I say, dropping my voice down low so that he has to bend his head a bit to make sure he hears me. "You don't need to worry about most of them in there, as for the most part the Nobility simply bicker amongst themselves for trade and territory and won't have much to do or say about you until tomorrow when His Majesty opens up the subject about Trade, but that's not important now."
"What is important then?" He asks quietly, "Come on, don't dance around the issue, the last person I need stumbling over things is you, give me a damn bre-"
"Salvin."
"Who?"
"His name is Lord Salvin," I say shortly, occasionally looking around to make sure no squire or servant comes up unexpectedly. "An arrogant prick with any number of things rammed right up his ass. He'll give you hell, I'll bet anything on it. He's not as brilliant as he thinks he is always hanging onto the King's arm and whispering to him, but he's not someone to count out. Believe me, Ralph; say as little as you can to the velvet-wrapped ass without being impolite, he made my life hell when I first arrived here. He might think you're hiding riches, but so far as you can help it, don't let him know anything about you!"
I watch Ralph's face closely as he takes in what I've told him, his lips moving soundlessly as I can tell he's trying to recall something. I notice him suddenly look worried and wait for him to speak.
"Hanging onto the King's arm? As in, feels he should be able to walk right into His Majesty's chambers unannounced?" I nod dumbly, yes, that sounds like Salvin. Ralph frowns, and I do too since I can connect the dots.
"Already made your first impression?"
"Badly, yes. He charged in when I was speaking with the King and he was teaching me some game your people play. I have to admit I hadn't noticed how much I'd relaxed until he barged in proclaiming something which the King dismissed." I suppress a groan.
"And I don't think he's fooling himself into believing I'm rich, either." Ralph admits, and I listen. "He had this insanely feral look in his eyes when he recognized me. He looked utterly disgusted for a mere instant before he finally noticed His Majesty sitting right across from me, and his eyes glassed over to give him this freakishly calm expression."
"That is exactly what he's like…" I say morbidly, clapping a hand on my friend's shoulder as if to say I'm sorry that we're both on someone's cutting block. "Well, all's not lost as it's probably best to have made impressions before the banquet; it means you can eat without wondering what those odd looks he'll probably throw about mean." I make myself smile, as really it isn't that horrible a situation. I glance around the corner and note the thinning of the crowd before I look back at him.
"I'm going to go get through that gaggle over there to find a seat at the table, don't worry; the trumpeter makes sure you don't do anything stupid. When nobles make bad entrances he gets the blame." I bite my tongue with a grin and Ralph gives me a rueful smile before I nod to him and- for the sake of being an ass- give a shoddy bow before saying one last thing;
"Remember; clear head, sound steps."
The moon is out tonight, and it's lovely to watch. I've seen its face a thousand times in every phase, but it never seems to lose its beauty. The night is warm, with enough of a breeze coming from the sea not so far away that my light half-sleeves are more than adequate. I run one hand back through my long hair, taking care to straighten the coiled gold-like bangle around my wrist, casually turning the similar coil around my throat to make sure the clasps are not showing.
Everything is quiet now that the sun's gone over the horizon, but not silent, no, never that. The soft humming of night-time insects floats through the air, a gentle wind rustling leaves overhead, and dimly the sounds of townsfolk settling into late evening conversation and food can be heard through parted windows. There is no greater peace than Lynna city at night.
"When will you be back, my Lady?" I turn with a smile towards Blossom, a woman whom I've come to rely on in the past few years since so much began to pick up within Labrynna. Her dark hair is tied back in a bun at her neck, a deep green country skirt and yellow long sleeved shirt are the farm wife's normal attire, and she doesn't differ from it tonight.
Her son is in his early teens now, a reclusive youth who grew up in troubled times. His parents lived in Holodrum years ago, and were forced to leave after a strong year of unpredictable weather and chaotic seasons led them to near bankruptcy and starvation. Regrettably the family arrived here only months before Veran appeared and the chaos followed with them. Thankfully though they were able to settle here, and I'm glad for it.
"Not very long," I reply, giving her a warm smile as I look towards the construction site in front of me. Timber frames stand at random intervals to mark what will soon be supportive walls and separate rooms, more frames and various beams lay off on the other side of the site, waiting to be positioned or fastened together properly. The fervor with which the citizens of Lynna go to their work each morning is heartwarming and I clasp my hands together in front of me so as to keep from fidgeting them in excitement.
"Do you think the Prince will enjoy his new home?" Blossom asks, and pulling my attention from the piles of timber and stone which in my mind already form strong, solid walls. I look to her and have to laugh a little as I nod my head to her enthusiastically.
"I promised myself not to look on it in the future, at least, not within say thirty or forty years," I say, tacking on the number of years as I know in my heart that by then it will be even more grand than what the people are building now. "I can see him squirming and fidgeting and asking why he can't sleep in his small house anymore when he arrives, even without dabbling in anything."
We share a quiet moment together before I note the cloak in Blossom's hands, and we turn to one another.
"You should be on your way now, my Lady." She says, handing me the thick blue wool which is bare of any mark or insignia. Although the night is warm, I accept, where- or rather, when- I'm headed it will five nights before the Winter Solstice. "You don't want to be late for your host." We share another smile and I keep from correcting her. For one who knows all far past and present- even an Oracle cannot know her own immediate future- being late is never an issue.
"Good night, Blossom." I say, doing up the wooden clasps of my cloak so that it drapes around me warmly. "I should be back tomorrow morning, late afternoon at most if I forget. This is… the second Spring Full Moon, in the second year of Prince Raphael of Ambi's reign. Yes. I will be back soon." Although I have the memory of every Oracle before me, and dates are but numbers in my hand, it is always proper to announce the time before leaving it for another.
Blossom tugs at her green skirt to spread it slightly, dipping her head down in a curtsy which is admirable for a farm wife. I nod back to her in farewell, and hum lowly in the back of my throat. The few notes drift into the air which Blossom cannot hear, frozen with her head bent to me, the sounds of the night still, as does the wind, the leaves and even the conversation within windows.
I settle the hood of my cloak over my waving hair to hide it, holding one hand out in the frozen night before singing wordlessly within my bubble of time. The Oracle of Ages is the only one in the entire world who may move through time with no repercussions of age. I shall age how I wish, when I wish, until the time comes when I relinquish my duties onto another.
It is almost as though I can see the sound of my own voice, curling like mists around my outstretched hand, the melody comes to me at the moment, although at the same time it is much like the tunes I used to sing in the glades of the Lynna woods. However, this song is not to simply sooth the creatures of the woodland, but I do allow myself to be comforted by the sound of my own voice for a time before the spell completes itself.
The weight of crystal, wood, wire, gold, and precious gems all slowly form within my grasp, and I allow the final note to drift into the silence of stilled time. Looking to what I hold before me now, I smile and gently run my finger over the Harp of Ages. The round instrument is a mix of blues, violets, and golds all seamlessly attached to a wooden core said to have come from the Maku Tree, or perhaps even her own predecessor. The wires which shine golden are, despite their thin lengths, almost soft and soothing to the touch. I have the ability to move through time aided only by my voice and will, but there is no need now for such forced power, it is draining upon me, and I would truly prefer for my outing to not take very long.
I sing now for the simple joy of doing so, my fingers gently strumming the instrument as I hold it in the crook of one arm, before finally plucking the melody I wish to use to carry me through time. The strings call out for my touch, and I indulge them as far as I dare, even the Oracle may be thrust into the various dangers of this art such paradoxes and undone realities.
Knowing time is not the same as escaping distance. I have been asked before in many lifetimes why I simply do not speed up time when I travel so that I am there faster. Well, that is quiet simple really; those who are being spun through the web of time do not notice its passage; it is the world around them which exclaims over it. The only exceptions are the portals which dot the land of Labrynna, which act as doorways much like the one I am opening around me now. However, I do not suffer the repercussions of time travel. As it has been said, I am in control of my aging until the time when I am no longer Mistress of Time.
The world around me blurs in a twisting mass of twilight. The sun and the moons dance across the sky too quickly for either to hold onto the world in my eyes. I step casually out of the ways of trees which reappear after having been cut down, swerving easily out of the wake of buildings which rise and fall as the waves do. I know the location of all obstacles, and within this safe barrier of mine, the people of the days are of no consequence to me.
"Three days before the Winter Solstice, within the seventeenth year of Queen Miriam of Ambi's reign." I say, my voice holding the melody to it, but not singing exactly as I announce the date once more. My fingers leave the strings despite the ache which abruptly wells up within my heart, the music of the Harp is so beautiful that even time itself surrenders to its voice. It is always a great shame to have the songs come to an end.
Once the final note fades from my hearing, I hum once more in the silence. The melody is the reverse of that which I used to summon the harp, and the aching within me fades as I am relieved of its weight. I sigh as the instrument returns into the ebb and flow of the ages to sing itself to sleep until I call upon it again.
I stand only mere steps away from where I stood beside Blossom, here, almost five hundred years before her birth. I give a slight squeak as my sandaled feet meet icy snow, and I feel myself laugh sheepishly at my foolishness in wearing summer clothing to a Winter Solstice. Tightly holding my cloak around me, I debate whether or not it's worth it to return to Ralph's time to don something more appropriate, but I simply giggle at myself again and begin walking.
After the fall of the Regency some two hundred years before Ralph's time, the castle of Labyrnna fell into disrepair and was finally simply allowed to fade into the highlands. The monarch itself fell perhaps only a few years from the time I stand now, moving through the ankle-high layer of white, and it is not something I look forward to. Queen Miriam Ambri XII was the final Queen of notable power and ability in Labyrnnian history, although I do secretly hope that I will be able to establish Ralph as the first King since his grandmother's time.
Her fall will be painful for Ralph to endure, for despite the gap in centuries between them, they are as close as relatives who have only physical distance to contend with. The only apparent 'good' things which may come about of it should be Ralph's recognition of his position. He is good to take on the responsibilities of a prince, but I know my friend, and he still wears his crown as a costume and not as a real position. On the other hand of course, there is also the fact that I do not myself know the specifics of the Ambi's fall. It is simply a corner of history I have not explored, and I do not intend to simply stand by and watch, I feel an obligation to Her Majesty the Queen. She is Ralph's mentor, and he respects her greatly, even had I not failed her myself at the hands of Veran years ago, his respect is enough to convince me.
For now though, I want to think less on politics, and more on weaving my way through the streets of Lynna Village. I intend tomorrow morning to head towards the Maku Tree's grove, to speak with the thickening sapling and perhaps entertain her with a bit of song, and tales of the times before her own.
"Hold, and state your peace." I halt as told, the stairs and gates leading up towards the long, majestic terraces and gardens of Lynna Castle's expansive outer grounds are illuminated by dim torch light several yards ahead of me. The burnished helmets and halberds of the Labrynnian royal guards are visible to me, the sky is clear and showing the moon's nearly full face, thus their armor is a mix of shimmering golds and silvers.
Approaching, I lift one hand up with my coiled bracelet circling my wrist. It too catches the light of both fire and moon, and I take a moment before speaking.
"I am Nayru, Oracle of Ages." I proclaim, allowing my hand to drop. "I have come at the summons of her Majesty Queen Miriam Ambi of Labrynna."
"Hail the Oracle, long live the Queen." I nod to them as they salute and go about opening the gates for me, allowing my hood to fall back as I take the steps carefully to avoid slipping on the snow which has been trampled in places and threatens to refreeze as ice.
"Would you allow for an escort, Oracle?" One of the guards asks, and I give him an appreciative smile before nodding to him. I pause only for a moment to actually take a look at them both; they look tired, but more in the way of troubled men than simply those chosen for the night watch. Drained of energy and distraught. That it is in one does not bother me, but it is clearly reflected in the eyes of his partner. I hope that I may simply be able to put it down to some sort of distress amongst the guards, not the people.
"Thank you," I say, one of the two stepping up next to me and extending in arm in a fairly elegant manner as I set my hand on it to be led. "I look forward to speaking with the Queen." I pause again, although we've begun to walk and I am eager to get in out of the snow, however I have to take a moment mentally to take in his reaction. His eyes drift off to the side, and I can see the lines of his rough face seemingly grow deeper. The signs of deep worry.
"Aye, Oracle." He says after his own pause, his voice is rough, but not unkind. "I suppose you would."
Hehe~! Nayru's in!
