:: | Theme twenty-five,
:: | Breaking Away
: Rated K :
A knock sounds on the door of her castle, and the princess of bugs leaps excitedly to her feet and hurries to answer it. It has to be him. Who else can it be? And when she pulls open the door, she realizes she's right - it is him. Clad almost from head to toe in green, he reminds her of a large grasshopper. And although he is, in fact, a Hylian, she calls him Sir Grasshopper nonetheless. "Good afternoon, Sir Grasshopper," she chimes happily.
"Hello, Agitha." He smiles at her - a kind, warm smile.
"Come inside!" And she hurries to step aside to permit him entrance into her castle. As he crosses her threshold, she can't help but ask, "Did you find any more of my lost guests?"
Still with a smile on his face, he reaches into the pouch that's always at his side and gingerly lifts from it a small, glimmering insect. Cradling it in the palm of his hand, he shows it to her - a beautiful golden butterfly.
"Oh!" Agitha grins jubilantly, and she stares at the beautiful little butterfly in his hand. "Hello!"
"Hello," the butterfly titters in a high-pitched, notably feminine voice.
"How do you do, Mrs. Butterfly?" Agitha holds out her hand to the butterfly, and the little insect flutters into her palm.
"I'm quite well, thank you, Princess Agitha." Mrs. Butterfly smiles - if a butterfly can smile - and says, "Have you seen my husband, Mr. Butterfly? I'm afraid we got separated on our way here..."
Agitha nods and carries the little insect to the center of the room, where a large tree sprouts out from the ground beneath the floor and stands all the way to the top of the ceiling. "Here he is," says the bug princess, pointing to a handsome male butterfly perched atop one of the tree's branches.
Mrs. Butterfly giggles in delight and flutters up to land beside him. "Mrs. Butterfly!" her husband cries happily, a grin on his face. "It's so good to see you again, dear! I'm so sorry we both got lost in the fields."
"Oh, it's quite all right." Mrs. Butterfly seems to shrug her shoulders, then she turns her head to the young Hylian man still standing - somewhat awkwardly - in the doorway. "It's thanks to that brave knight that I finally found my way here! Thank you so much!" she calls to him.
Sir Grasshopper, with the long, pointed ears of a Hylian, has very acute hearing. He should hear the butterfly's thanks, even if her voice is somewhat tiny. But strangely enough, he remains silent, as if she hadn't spoken at all.
Agitha watches him in confusion. "Mrs. Butterfly thanked you. Aren't you going to say something?"
The young knight nervously shifts his weight and runs a hand through his golden hair. "Um..." Suddenly he looks very uncomfortable, and his deep blue eyes glance to the sides or the floor - anywhere but at Agitha. She realizes she might have offended him, and she frowns at herself for being such an ill-mannered princess.
"I'm sorry, Sir Grasshopper. Won't you come in and have a spot of tea?" She gives him her most radiant smile.
But he shakes his head in response. "R-really, I have to be going," he mutters. "I'm really sorry. I just have a lot of things to attend to."
"Oh, I see." Agitha's gaze drops to the ground, and she sighs in disappointment. "That's fine. Thank you for escorting Mrs. Butterfly here."
"Yes, thank you!" both Mr. and Mrs. Butterfly chime simultaneously.
"They are very grateful." Agitha nods her head. "I hope you return soon."
"I will," Sir Grasshopper replies, the corners of his lips tilting up into a small but perhaps slightly forced smile. She wonders why he seems so uncomfortable. "And I'll return with more bugs." He turns around to leave, but stops and glances over his shoulder to add one last thing. "They're very excited to come to your ball. They've just lost their way, is all, and I'm happy to escort them to your castle."
Agitha giggles happily and gives him a deep, flourishing curtsy. "You are too kind, Sir Grasshopper. Good luck in your travels, and I hope to see you soon!"
"Yes, goodbye! Good luck!" the butterflies call out to him.
"See you," says the young man - but his words are directed only at Agitha, not at her insect friends. She frowns as he leaves and shuts the door behind him. Why is he so impolite to the poor bugs? Oh well. Maybe he's simply tired, she thinks to herself, and turns away to make herself a pot of tea.
The young man, on the other side of the door, shuts his eyes and heaves a long, distressed sigh as he gently rubs his temples. He never knows how to act around her; never knows what will break her delicate mind and what won't. His long Hylian ears can hear Agitha's voice, even through the thick wooden door.
"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Butterfly," she's saying, "how are you enjoying the castle?"
But they don't respond to her, because bugs can't talk.
A/N: So I didn't incorporate the theme very well. Oops! It was still fun to write (I seriously believe Agitha is insane [albeit adorable], lol). :3 Thanks for reading - I love all your awesome reviews! :D