The days passed quietly until the forth day. At the end of the day, the three travelers were tired from and weary. Link however seemed slightly nervous. When asked about this, he merely responded with a laugh, saying he was merely tired from riding all day. Eventually they stopped on top of a hill to see Lord Arathein's castle below them. They took a moment to appreciate the scenery before making their way down the hill towards the castle gates.
Despite what he told his traveling companions, Link was very nervous. Throughout his travels, he tried to do work without letting anyone see him. For instance, he didn't mind people seeing him going into a dungeon that had been rumored to be cursed, or housed a deadly monster that was attacking the village, or anything of the like. What really bothered him was when he came out and the gratitude they would give him. Granted he could understand why they would want to thank him. Sometimes the things he did to help them were predetermined to be impossible for a small army, let alone a young man who was a stranger at best. But on many occasions they people were so happy that they tried to turn him into a hero. They would tell tales of him in the taverns and inns around the town that the event had happened, blowing them out of proportion and making him into a legendary hero of some sort just for helping them. Even other times, they had tried to get him to stay around and live with them as thanks. On a even smaller number of small adventures, the mayors of the town would try to get him to marry his daughter or something like that. It was often far too much for the young man and he would have to take off during the night without saying a word.
The work he had done for the Arathein family in the past was one such instance. The daughter had been kidnapped by a band of thieves who decided to use a cave that had rumors of a legendary monster living in it. The rumor scared people away from entering, or even thinking that's where they would have taken her in the first place. It turned out that the stories were far from being rumors, as the entire band of thieves was brutally killed by the eight headed beast that lived within the cave. The beast killed them all, feasting on their flesh and blood, but for some reason left the girl alone. To this day, Link always assumed that it was because that it was already full. The beast however blocked her escape. Link had gone to the cave in order to explore it and see if any of the rumors were true. Such was the nature of the young adventurer. When he discovered the girl he was shocked to say the least. It wasn't very often that a random Princess would be wandering around in a cave rumored to have monsters running around. She told him of her plight and Link tried to get her out of the cave, while avoiding the eight headed serpent-like creature.
Unfortunately they were unable to avoid fighting the giant beast. It was a hellish fight, one that Link still remembered blow by blow. He still had old scars from that fight on his chest and right arm. Upon finally killing the beast, the cave began to collapse. The two young adults spent the next two days wandering around in the darkness looking for a way out. Upon finally reaching the exit, Link learned of the girl's status and was taken to their castle for treatment of his wounds. Link had left during the night, wishing to vanish from the royal family of Rylok's sight. Being famous made it harder to wander. Hence the source of his nervousness. In addition to his own prerogative of not wishing to be noticed for his actions, he was now a soldier of Hyrule.
Basically, he was hoping that the members of Lord Arathein's family would not recognize him. Somehow he knew it was a fleeting hope. I'd rather not have to explain that little adventure. The sun was setting in the horizon as the three companions made their way towards the castle gates. Link merely reflected to himself about the beauty of the sunset and felt himself reaching for his ocarina. He stopped himself, feeling with the castle in view it was not the time for his playing. I wonder what she looks like now... He idly wondered to himself. His thoughts stopped when they reached the gates and two soldiers carrying long spears walked towards them.
"Who are you and what is your business here?" The first one asked, pointing his spear at Link's head. Not at all impressed, Link reaching out with his left hand and tapped the point very lightly. Feeling the prick of pain on his finger, he nodded in satisfaction as he removed his hand. Very nice.
"Why you...." The second guard said, trailing off and pointing the spear away from General Wilde, past Zelda towards Link.
That's when Zelda spoke, "Master Link, stop teasing the guards please." Her voice sounded somewhat annoyed but it held some amusement as well. She removed her hood and looked to the first guard. "I am Princess Zelda Harkinian, heir to the throne of Hyrule. I have traveled far to speak with Lord Arathein on an urgent matter."
The guards seemed surprised at first then the first nodded in understanding. "I understand, your highness. I will inform Lord Arathein that you have arrived." He looked to the other guard and said, "Private, show them the way in. I will have a message sent to our lord." The other guard saluted and then gestured for them to enter the open gates.
As the three followed the soldier that was leading them in, Link shifted around Zelda to be on General Wilde's right side. He leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Sir, is it really that easy to get an audience with royalty?"
The General chuckled, "Helps when you're the heir to an entire nation." He said with a smile. Link blinked then shrugged, shifting back around to the other side of the Princess. They soon entered a large courtyard with a small tree in the center. The hard stone path circled around the tree and on the other side of the tree were several figures waiting for them. Link recognized the aged face of Lord Arathein but showed nothing. He saw that the man was surrounded by other men, probably advisers of some sort. The three travelers stopped their horses in front of the group and, following the Princess' example, dismounted and bowed their heads. Link saw that General Wilde dropped to one knee so Link decided it would be best if he followed.
He heard Princess Zelda speak, "Lord Arathein, I am Princess Zelda. It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you, m'lord."
The man bowed his own head. "I assure you that the pleasure is all mine, Princess Zelda Harkinian. It is not everyday that we have guests of your stature." Then he raised his head and gestured for Link and General Wilde to rise. "You have impeccable timing Princess Zelda, dinner will be ready shortly." He then looked to one of the men near him and said, "See that the Princess and her companions are given rooms." The man nodded in understanding and bowed his head as he stepped away. Lord Arathein looked back to the three weary travelers and said, "I must request you join us for dinner after your journey."
Princess Zelda smiled and did a small curtsy. "I thank you Lord Arathein. You are very kind, considering we have shown up on your doorstep without any warning."
He waved it off, as if it was no problem. "Please, allow my aides to show you to your rooms where you may freshen and change out of your traveling clothing for dinner. I would like you to meet my daughters as well." Link paled when the man said that but only for an instance. "I will see you later then, my new friends." This was when an aide stepped forward and gestured for the three to follow him. Link fell in step behind General Wilde and Zelda, resigning himself to his fate. How bad could it be?
It wasn't long before Link was left alone in a bedroom very similar to the one he had used in Hyrule's castle. He sat down on the bed and slowly began removing most of his gear, somehow sensing that someone would be along with new clothes for him to wear to the dinner. He rested his equipment on a table that was next to the bed. Several of his pouches found their ways there as well, in addition to the golden gauntlets that he wore. He then lay backwards on the bed, exhaling deeply. It was then that something occurred to him that he had forgotten about. He slowly reached his hands in the air and removed the glove that was over his left hand. He looked at it with interest, the mark of the triforce of courage residing on the backside of his hand. He brought it closer to his eyes and examined the mark. It didn't look any different that it always has. I wonder what caused that intense pain then? I thought maybe there would be a wound or something there.
A heavy knock at the door broke his thoughts as he popped up to his feet, covering his left hand with the white glove quickly. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a very young servant girl, probably around the age of seven or eight. She walked in carrying a new outfit in her arms. Link raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, I hope it fits. She looked up at him with a small smile that caused Link to smile in return.
She then said, her voice coming out very softly, "Those are new clothes for you to wear to dinner sir."
Link nodded, giving her a small bow. "I thank you." He looked up to see the young girl blushing slightly, causing him to chuckle to himself. He looked over the outfit. It was a strange outfit to him, unlike what he was used to. It was a pair of white slack-type pants, which a shirt design that he had never seen before. With that was a vest of some sort that he assumed he was supposed to put on after the shirt. One thing that he did notice though was that there was no hat to the outfit. Darn. He looked back to the little girl and asked with a hint of amusement, "I guess this means I'm not wearing my hat to dinner."
She smiled, "Apparently not sir. Is that a problem sir?" She asked, her smile starting to fade in the fear that she had done something wrong.
Link shook his head. "No, no. It's not a problem. I guess I'll just actually have to comb my hair." He paused for a moment, "What's you name?" He asked.
She looked shocked at him for asking her name. "... Lilyria sir."
"Well Lilyria, my name is Link so you don't have to call me sir anymore." He said with a hint of amusement. "Neither of us are nobles or anyone important, no need for formality."
"No, I couldn't!" She said, shocked that the guest of the royal family was being so nice to her.
He waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind." He then stood up and reached his arms in the air stretching, "I suppose I should change now."
The girl bowed slightly and walked towards the door. She paused and turned to face Link. She started to say something then paused. "...Link," she said hesitantly, as if afraid of being tricked, "..I will come back when you are done." He nodded in understanding. The girl then left and he chuckled to himself as he began to change out of his comfortable green clothing into the new outfit. It's somewhat amusing to see people's reactions when I tell them to address me without a title.
After he had finished changing into his new outfit, he folded his traveling clothes and placed them in a small pile on top of the desk next to his gauntlets. He quickly made sure that he was wearing his gloves then replaced a select few of the pouches back around his waist. He heard a small knock as he tightened the pouches around his belt and said "Come in." The door opened, revealing the small servant girl again, this time carrying a small basin of water and a brush of some sort.
She closed the door behind her and walked forward again. "I will brush your hair... Link."
He smiled. "You really don't have to Lilyria. If you leave it I can do it myself." He said with a gesture as if it didn't matter.
The girl seemed shocked and immediately exclaimed, "I couldn't do that. You're a guest and I'm supposed to take care of you." Link chuckled at the girl's earnest reaction and was about to tell her not to worry about it when he saw her eyes. The poor girl looked on the verge of tears.
Link for some reason began to feel really guilty and sighed in defeat. "Alright, you win Lilyria." The girl's frown turned into a great big smile as she gestured for him to sit in a chair. Link did as he was directed and submitted to letting the girl comb his hair for him. I can never say no to a girl with eyes like those, he thought with a smirk. When the girl was done, she gave Link a mirror. He gave himself a quick look over. His usually unruly blond hair was combed into a presentable style. He gave the mirror back to Lilyria and asked with in touch of humor in his voice, "So Lilyria, how do I look?"
He noticed the small blush that came up on her face as she looked away and said in a very quiet voice. "Very gallant." Link smiled and walked back to the desk. He opened one of the pouches that remained on the table and withdrew a small gem he had picked up during his travels. The gem wasn't really worth much, but the type was often used for jewelry. Link didn't really remember where he picked up, merely knew that he didn't believe in throwing stuff away unless absolutely necessary. He closed his hand around it and walked back over to the little girl.
"Here you go Lilyria, a token of my appreciation for your help." He said with a smile as he handed her the gem. She gasped at it and held it up to her eye.
She looked back to Link and gave him a large smile. "Thank you sir." She said happily.
Link playfully rustled her black hair with a small grin. "You're a good kid. Do you think you can show me to the other guy that came in with us?" She nodded happily and led him out the door. Link chuckled as she continued to stare at the gem as if it was a priceless diamond. It wasn't long before Link stood outside the room that had been given to General Wilde. Link thanked Lilyria again and knocked a few times. He heard Wilde give permission to enter and Link opened the door. General Wilde's room was very much like his own, very simple. The General was out of his traveling outfit and in clothes that seemed to his own. It was very similar to how the man dressed back in Hyrule beneath the armor. Wilde looked at him in shock.
After a few moments of silence he said, "You clean up rather well Master Link." Link raised an eyebrow but decided that it was better to not respond to that comment as he wished to. Instead, he asked the General a question that had been bothering him since he realized that he would be eating with the rest of the nobles.
"General... how should I act... during dinner." Link couldn't really phrase the question he wanted to ask into words very well.
General Wilde lost the shocked look and went into a grim expression. "Try to act more civil that you do in Hyrule." He paused a moment, chuckling at the boy's actions at the two dinners he attended in Hyrule. Then he said as an afterthought, "It would probably be best if you didn't speak unless asked a direct question. Just answer any questions to the best of your ability."
Link paused for a moment, chewing on his lip in uncertainty. "What should I do if I know that Lord Arathein and his family will not... like my answer."
General Wilde shot him a disapproving look, "Don't do anything stupid Master Link. That's all I can tell you."
"Understood sir." Link said, a small frown on his face. It was then that there was another knock at the door.
"Come in." General Wilde said quickly. The door opened to reveal Lilyria with a small smile.
She bowed and said, "They are ready for you, my lords."
Link walked towards the door, "Thank you Lilyria." He said as he passed her. She blushed slightly again as she closed the door behind General Wilde when she heard his thanks. General Wilde saw this but said nothing. The small servant then led them towards the great hall where they would be joining the royal family for dinner.
As Link approached the doorway to the great hall, he was met with a vision of pristine beauty. He stopped in his tracks as he saw her. She no longer was wearing the dark purple cloak, but rather a light blue dress that seemed to flow with her as she moved. Seeing Wilde and Lilyria pass by him, he quickly recomposed himself and moved a little quicker to catch back up. Zelda looked up and smiled as she saw the two men approach her. "General Wilde, Master Link. You both look well." She said with light amusement. Link could somehow tell this was a joke about him again but was too awestruck with Zelda's stunning appearance.
General Wilde spoke first. "You look as lovely as ever your highness."
Link broke out of the spell that Zelda seemed to have him under and said quietly, "Yes. You look very beautiful milady." His voice was coming out in a soft yet stunned tone.
"Thank you both." She said with a smile and a small blush. It was then when an older servant walked over to the three of them with a tray that held three glasses of wine on it.
Link reached for one and then handed the other two to Zelda and General Wilde. "Master Link, what are you doing?" Wilde asked as he accepted the fancy glass.
Link looked at the man as if confused. "It's a tradition here." Seeing Wilde's confused face Link explained, "When you join someone for dinner in this land, its customary to be met with wine. When you sit at the table, you drink your wine with your hosts." Link however failed to mention why he knew this: it was mostly due to the fact he had joined this group for dinner before, a few years back after that little adventure of his.
Zelda looked at Link as if impressed. "I am very surprised that you know such a thing Master Link."
Link turned back to Zelda and shrugged, almost spilling the red wine on himself. "I'm full of surprises milady." He said with a hint of boredom. It was then that the door opened. As the door opened, the servant who had served them the drinks called out in a loud voice.
"Introducing the honorable guests from Hyrule." Link followed behind Zelda and Wilde as they entered the large dinning room. He looked around to see splendor very similar to the eating hall in Hyrule castle. He realized that Zelda had stopped moving and Wilde was standing beside her now. Link followed suit, standing next to the General to see what was going on. On the other side of the room, there were three people standing up as if waiting for their guests. It was Lord Arathein and his two daughters. Link quickly averted his face, as if somehow hoping it would prolong recognition.
Lord Arathein spoke up, raising his glass in the air. "To my friends who have traveled so far to be here tonight." The two daughters rose their glasses as well, the older one giving Link an odd look. Oh no, he thought to himself.
Zelda in turn raised her own glass. "To the kind Lord Arathein and the royal family of Rylok." General Wilde and Link raised their own glasses in turn. Link raised his eyes as well, realizing that he really didn't have any hope to not be noticed. Might as well get it over with. Link watched as the older girl's eyes flash in recognition and the glass slip from her fingers. It crashed on the ground, shattering the glass and splashing the red liquid everywhere near her feet. Link fought the urge to grab his forehead in dread. Oh god no...
Lord Arathein looked to his daughter and asked, "Thylena my dear, are you alright?" He asked, sounding rather concerned.
She paused for a moment while staring at Link. She then shook her head and looked at her father. "Yes father, I'm sorry." Lord Arathein looked at his daughter for a moment longer with concern in his eyes but then turned back to his guests.
"Please, join us at the table here." He said, gesturing towards the table with his other hand. Zelda led the way, followed by the General and then Link. Before sitting down, Arathein asked, "Who are your companions?"
Zelda gestured to General Wilde first, "This is General Wilde, one of higher ranked Generals in our military."
General Wilde merely bowed his head, crossing his right arm across his chest. "It is an honor, your excellency."
Zelda then looked past Wilde to Link. "And this fine young man here is Master Link. A soldier who has recently joined us, and someone who had helped Hyrule in a way many couldn't."
Link mimicked Wilde and said "Her royal highness flatters me."
Lord Arathein looked at the boy with detached interest. He looks familiar... "Allow me to introduce my daughters. First is my oldest, Thylena. I believe she is the same age as you, Princess Zelda." This did appear to be true. She was around the same height as Zelda, with brown hair then went nearly down to his back. She was wearing a white gown, very similar to the one Zelda was wearing.
The girl that had been staring at Link up until this point turned to Zelda with a smile. "It is a pleasure Princess."
The man then gestured to the much younger girl that was standing beside Thylena. "And this is my youngest, Fiona." The little girl didn't say anything, but grabbed her sister as if afraid of the guests. She only looked to be around six years old, but she looked remarkably like her older sister. She wore a small peach colored gown that looked like a miniature version of Thylena's gown. Link fought to keep from smiling at the young girl. He then looked back, "Be seated my friends and we shall eat." Everyone sat down at their respective seats. A servant came over with another glass of wine for Thylena, who took it with a hint of shame in her actions. Then with the exception of Fiona, the table raised their glasses again. "To our friends to the north!" Declared Lord Arathein. Then they all drank their wine and placed the glasses on the table. Link's eyes did not miss the fact that Thylena was watching him closely. Damn it, she does recognize me. It'll only take her a few moments to put it together. He gave out a sigh of defeat but didn't say anything as he watched the servants bring out the meal.
-
"So Princess Zelda, what brings you to our land to the south?" Arathein asked as he cut a piece of meat that sat on his plate with his knife and fork.
Zelda paused momentarily then merely said, "Can we discuss it later your excellency? I'm afraid it would not make pleasing dinner conversation." The man nodded in understanding. He then began to talk to General Wilde about the last war. The two men spoke at length about battles they had fought in or sent troops into. Apparently the last big war was between Hyrule and Rylok, with neither side really winning before peace was declared. Link merely ate the meal in silence, silently wishing that he would merely be overlooked as a peon sent to aid the General and the Princess.
No such luck as Lord Arathein turned to him and said, "So, Master Link is it? You've been quiet so far."
Link paused for a moment, cursing under his breath for being noticed. He looked up towards Arathein and said softly, "I... am unsure of what to say, your excellency."
Sensing the boy's discomfort, General Wilde spoke up. "I am afraid the young Master Link is still new to this life. I'm sure if you had told him a month ago that he would be eating with royalty that he would think you were out of your mind, your excellency."
Link spoke up, as if trying to validate his existence. "That is true." He paused for a moment then added, "I don't really like to talk about myself."
"It is rather unusual to see a common soldier escorting a high ranking General and royalty across borders."
Link hesitated, thinking of something to say. "I suppose you could say that I'm a sort of guide."
"More like an oddity within the military." General Wilde said with a hint of amusement.
Lord Arathein chuckled at the boy's nervousness and the General's words. "I sense there is a story behind that. Please tell us sometime." He then asked the boy, thinking back to his previous thoughts. "Have we met before my lad? You seem awfully familiar."
The fork that had been in Link's hand dropped to the floor, making a somewhat loud noise in the open room. Link, not really sure what to do, picked up the fork from the ground and placed it on his napkin. The silence was disturbing to him and when he looked up he realized that everyone at the table was staring at him, even the little girl that was sitting across from him. He took a deep breath, here goes nothing. "We have met before your highness."
Thylena broke into a deep grin. "I knew it was you from the moment I saw you."
The father looked to his daughter in confusion. "You've met him before my dear?"
The daughter looked to her father, "Let's see if you remember father." A hint of playfulness in her voice. Link frowned and silently cursed again as the man brought his hand to his chin in though.
Zelda spoke up at this point, amazed that Link was known here. "Master Link, you have met his excellency before?" Link only nodded in response, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation. "How come you didn't mention it?" Link tried to think up of a reasonable response.
He finally just shrugged and said, "I didn't think it would be important milady."
The man across the table snapped his fingers and said, "I know now!" Link groaned internally and found himself having the urge to hit his head on the table. "That shrug, that indifference. You were that strange lad who saved my daughter from that monster." Thylena grinned at her father's discovery and then all eyes went back to Link.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "Indeed, your excellency." He internally grabbed his forehead wishing that was as far as it would go.
The man burst into jovial laughter. "What are the odds, eh Thylena?"
She smiled as she looked at the boy who was slowly sliding deeper into his chair. "It is indeed a surprise. We never saw you again after you vanished that night." Link didn't say anything to the comment. He did take another sip of the drink that had been given to him. It wasn't as strong as the wine, but he could taste the alcohol in it.
Before anything else could be said, General Wilde placed an arm around Link and said, "You saved the daughter of the Lord of this land and you didn't mention it to us because you thought that it wouldn't be important?" He asked in half amazement, half sarcasm.
Behind the soft laughter that echoed from the table, Link said to himself, "More like, I had hoped they had forgotten."
"Now this sounds like a tale you should have told us on the way here, Master Link." Zelda said with a hint of amusement as she watched the young man slide deeper in his chair. He looked at her as if betrayed, not you too. Please not you as well Zelda.
Thylena smiled, "Let me tell you. I didn't know our friend Link here for long but I do know that he is probably still overly modest about his feats." Link couldn't help himself this time as the young woman began to tell the story, and grabbed his head in annoyance. This is going to be horrible. He listened to her tell an overly exaggerated version of what really happened; something that perhaps he might do as a storyteller to small children, leaving his own involvement out of the tale. It was the talk of the remainder of the dinner, much to Link's displeasure. It's not that he absolutely hated talking about his accomplishments, its just rather he thought people thought too much of him. He finally decided to start paying attention as she finished up the story at the point where they exited the remains of the cave.
"That sounds so unbelievable." Zelda said in astonishment. She looked over to Link with amazement in her eyes but Link shook his head in annoyance.
"So, he's leading me out of the cave and my father's men pick us up. Master Link here, "Thylena continued, gestured to Link, "collapses in the carriage from his wounds."
General Wilde began to chuckle and whispered into Link's ear, "I sense a pattern here." Link could only shoot the General a glare that could freeze water.
This was where Lord Arathein picked up the story. "I remember it like it was yesterday now. Our servants patched up his wounds in one of our guest rooms. If I remember correctly, you were really hurt, Master Link."
Link had to bite his lip from saying something rude. 'Really hurt', my ass. I still have scars on my chest and arm from that monster. Instead he replied softly, "Yes sir. I was not in the best of shape, so to speak."
The man nodded in agreement, as if only reassuring himself of his facts. "Well, the next day our doctors went to check on him only to find that he, all of his equipment that was in the same room, and his horse had disappeared. We never knew what happened to him."
Thylena looked over to Link with a questioning expression. "Why did you leave? There was no way you were healed." Link paused a moment again, thinking of a way to word it without offending anyone.
Finally he said, "I was a drifter. Being known makes it hard to do so." He said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Make no mistake, I am grateful for what you did for me." He bowed his head slightly as if trying to show his gratitude.
Zelda merely let loose a light laugh. "Word has it that you tried to sneak out of Hyrule castle when you first woke up."
Link smirked to himself, "Actually, if I remember correctly I tried to see the King."
This caused Zelda's voice to lose it playful qualities. "Yes, you did. Much to my chagrin, I must add." She frowned as she said this, remembering the horrible shape that Link was in when he insisted to see the King.
Lord Arathein laughed in amusement. "That sounds like another tale to tell. Please go on Princess." There was then a loud thump on the table. The others looked over to see Link's forehead resting against the table, as if he had passed out on the spot. The youngest there, who had been silent up to this point, found herself laughing at the boy, no older than her big sister.
Link didn't move for a moment, causing the little girl at least, to question whether or not the boy had actually passed out. He then slowly raised his head, his expression showing vexation and frustration. Seeing the bewildered stares that he was receiving from the rest of the table, Link tried to come with an excuse for his actions. He lamely chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I slipped." He said with a goofy grin on his face. This caused the others to laugh lightly, knowing full well that he had done nothing of the sort.
General Wilde leaned towards him again and whispered, "You really don't like being in the spotlight, do you?" Link merely mouthed the word 'help' to the General, as if hoping the older man would cut him a break and release him from this dinner.
Link was about to give an excuse to try and leave when his left hand began to burn again. Link quickly bit his lip to keep himself from cursing out loud as he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand again. Why now damn it! His displeasure went unnoticed by the rest of the table, who was now discussing some trivial matter. His eyes shot up to see if anyone on his side of the table noticed what was happening to him and would have breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they didn't notice. He did notice that Fiona was looking at him with interest, as if wondering what he was doing. Link removed his right hand and brought a finger to his lips in a shushing manner. She tilted her head to the side, confused but then decided to look back towards her sister. Link immediately grabbed his wrist again, feeling the pain on his left hand increasing. What the hell is this? It's worse than before. He then realized that his lip was starting to bleed slightly. Not wanting to draw any attention, he released his bite and quickly regretted it. He let out a soft gasp in response. It was this sound that drew the General's gaze, wondering what Link was doing. He saw the boy's brow knit with concentration and could see sweat forming on his head.
Wondering what was wrong, he leaned closer to the boy and whispered, "Are you alright Master Link?" Link slowly turned his head towards the General. He noticed the concerned look in the older man's eyes. He then noticed the man's gaze travel towards Link's left side, where he could see Link's left hand twitching in pain while being held down by his right. Link mouthed the words, 'Get Me Out Of Here' very slowly and carefully, not wanting to attract anymore attention to his wound. The General frowned at first but then nodded. He turned back to the table, mostly towards Lord Arathein. "Your Excellency, forgive me for breaking up the jovial mood this evening, but perhaps it is time that we discussed why we are here."
Zelda sighed in disappointment, but agreed with the General, "Indeed your excellency, it is rather important."
Lord Arathein nodded in regretful understanding. "I have a feeling I know what you want to discuss with me. It is as you said, not the best dinner conversation." He looked to his two daughters. "Thylena my dear, would you take your sister to her room?"
The Princess nodded in understanding. "Of course father." She stood up, along with her younger sister. She looked back to the three from Hyrule and bowed her head. "It was an honor to meet you." She then gestured for her sister to walk ahead of her.
General Wilde nudged Link almost out of his seat. "Please, let Master Link escort you Princess Thylena. I'm sure the two of your have some catching up to do." Link could've sworn the man had winked at him as well.
Link whispered harshly as he slowly rose to his feet, still grabbing his wrist as the burning sensation in his hand, "General, I really hate you right now."
The man whispered back just as harshly, "Shut up and go." Link merely bowed to Lord Arathein as he walked around the table to join the two royal daughters.
Link slowly released his wrist with his right hand, despite the intense pain. He offered his his right hand to Princess Thylena, bowing his head slightly. "Shall we, Princess Thylena?" The young woman smiled at the act of politeness and grabbed his right hand gently. Link was fighting to keep from showing the pain in his left hand but it still twitched like a fish out of water. The three then slowly walked out of the room with the two Princesses.