Mipha moved to stand behind Link as he finished getting dressed; she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face to his shoulder. "We don't have to do this, you know."
"Yeah, we do," he said quietly. "I'm required to attend all these, remember?"
"You could pretend to be sick, and stay home?" she suggested.
"I can't do that for all of them." Link sighed. "But I don't think the requirement applies to you, so if you'd rather stay home, you can."
"No, I cannot." Mipha shook her head. "As apprehensive as I am, I could not in good conscience let you go alone."
"I'd understand." Link laid his hands over hers. "I'd tell everyone you were sick."
"No," she repeated. "I will not do that. Either we both stay home, or neither of us does. I am your wife, I am meant to support you, and that is what I will do."
In the mirror she saw him close his eyes. "I hate dragging you into this."
"Stop that. You aren't." Mipha tightened her hold on him. "It is you I feel bad for, given who we might run into and how upset you were last time."
It'd been two weeks since the incident with Astor; their second session with Pikango had come and gone just yesterday, and tonight they were to attend a garden party at Hyrule Castle. The time seemed to have flown by, and during all of it Mipha hadn't once figured out how to broach the subject of Link's unexpected affection.
I have gone over it in my mind countless times since then, and I am no closer to understanding it now than I was when it happened. I had been so very upset about what I read in that gossip pamphlet, so much so that I could not even be happy to see him come home. There was no way I could have known about what he'd just been through, but the guilt still plagues me anyway. He was so shaken that I immediately abandoned my unhappiness and sought only to comfort him.
And then, when I had done that... Link kissed me on the cheek. I cannot decide whether I think it was simply because of his emotional state at the time or something else. If indeed it was something else, then what? Do I dare to hope, despite what I read, that he may be starting to reciprocate my feelings? It feels foolish, dangerous, even, but I can't help giving in to it.
To that end she had started—tentatively—to be a little braver about her own displays of affection. She had yet to kiss him in any fashion, aside from the one that night (which barely counted in her opinion), but she could wait and work up to that. Let him take the lead, with her subtle encouragement, and repeat the moment. So far he hadn't, but she lived in hope that he would, in time.
"I'll be fine." Link squeezed her hands. "There'll be a ton of other people there, it'll be easy to lose ourselves in the crowd. He doesn't go to these events that often, anyway. So let's just finish getting ready and go."
"So he is not required to attend them as you are?" Mipha waited for Link to sit down and pull his boots on, and then moved behind him so she could brush his hair.
"No." He adjusted one of the boots and then sat up straight. "That's only for knights. Royal Magic Academy people have some more leeway about what they're required to do socially, since they're usually so caught up in their work."
"Normally I would say that that is a bit unfair." Mipha gathered his hair up so she could tie it into a ponytail with an emerald green ribbon that matched his chosen tunic for tonight. "But if it keeps us from running into that horrible man tonight, then I am all for it." She picked up a pair of small golden hoops—the very ones she'd bought him the day of his last run-in with this Astor—and put them in his ears.
"Yeah, I used to resent it until I started thinking of it like that." Link rose, and inspected his reflection in the mirror. "Do I look okay?"
"You look very handsome indeed." Mipha smiled. "I'm sure I will be the envy of every woman there, with a husband such as you on my arm."
"I'm not so sure about that." His voice was light, but she'd seen something flicker in his eyes that belied his tone. "But either way, we should get going—I'm sure the carriage is ready by now."
"You're right." Mipha shoved down her disappointment at his response to her attempt to flirt with him. "Let us be on our way."
Link had finally purchased a carriage of their own about two weeks ago; the way he'd explained it was, before they got married he hadn't seen a need to. He was fine just walking or riding Epona everywhere. Now, though, with her here, they needed to have one. And as he'd predicted, it was ready and waiting for them when they exited the house. He helped her into it, and then climbed in to join her.
Mipha smoothed her sash down as they rode the short distance to Hyrule Castle. She'd chosen one of pale gold gossamer, to coordinate with Link's outfit; she still wasn't sure about it, but it was far too late to change now. He was staring out the window with an unreadable expression on his face when she glanced up, and she let herself study his profile for a minute before returning her gaze to her lap. A slight frown grew as she looked at her hands, at the red and white scales, the webbing between her fingers, and the dark claws she had instead of nails. So many parts of her were so different from what Hylian women had.
And tonight she would be thrown into a veritable sea of them. The social season was in full swing, but she and Link hadn't been invited to any of the nobility's parties. This royal function, then, would be their first true outing into society. To say that she was apprehensive was an understatement. There would be so many strangers here, so many Hylian strangers, and their attention would inevitably be drawn to her, the lone Zora in their presence and a notable one at that: the princess that their king's foster son had just married in order to avoid war. Would they judge her for what they saw as strange physical features? For what was undoubtedly considered indecent attire by their standards? What kind of misconceptions about her culture and beliefs would they already have stuck in their heads?
Worst of all, would they be making remarks about the state of her marriage to Link? Weeks later, that issue of Rumor Mill still haunted her. She hadn't had the nerve to seek out another copy to know all of what they were saying; that one issue had been bad enough. Surely there would be at least some among the upper class who read it and believed it, and they would've passed the gossip on to everyone else. So there was a very high chance that people here tonight believed their marriage to be a loveless sham.
Oh, but that isn't actually the worst thing of all, Mipha corrected herself as she and Link stepped down from the carriage. For I still don't know if it's true that Link was involved with someone highly-ranked before our marriage, that he had to give up on. If it's an unfounded rumor, that is one thing—I suppose I can live with that, with people spreading misinformation about him. It's not pleasant, of course, but... I feel it would be far worse if it were true. If there is someone likely to be here tonight that he still wishes to be with, that he would prefer to be married to. Having that be true would hurt so much more.
Servants greeted them at the castle doors, and led them through to an entrance to the gardens. For a moment, Mipha forgot her worries as she gaped at the scene before them. By day the castle grounds were undoubtedly gorgeous, but now, at night, they felt downright magical. All sorts of lanterns had been strung and hung, allowing for everything and everyone to be seen oh-so-clearly. And they deserved to be. Flowers bloomed everywhere, perfuming the air with their sweet fragrance, and neatly trimmed hedges and stone sculptures caught the eye nearly everywhere. Smaller versions of the fountain in the city's central square dotted the gardens, their water shimmering in the light. At the center of it all musicians played in a stone gazebo.
And all around was—oh, what a wonder! "It is like a carnival," Mipha breathed as they waded into the crowds. Besides the musicians, there were also jugglers, dancers, artists, even a few stalls set up for people to play games at. "I had no idea it would be like this..."
"Neither did I," Link admitted. "The king's thrown a few garden parties before, but never went all out like this. At least not since I started being required to attend, anyway."
"And when was that?" Mipha snagged two glasses of sparkling wine from a passing waiter, and handed one to Link.
"When I was about fifteen." He clinked his glass against hers and then took a sip. "We'd just finished our dancing lessons, and they felt we were finally mature enough to not make fools of ourselves."
"And were you?" They stopped walking so they could watch a young Sheikah woman juggle orbs that seemed to glow from within somehow. "Or were you still stealing desserts?"
"Not without you to share them with." The warmth in his voice sent a jolt through her. "If you'd been here, we probably would've gotten in trouble together, but since you weren't I behaved perfectly."
"Oh, now—" Mipha spluttered as Link laughed. "Do not go blaming me for your misadventures in the Domain! You said it yourself to Sidon, you were the one who was a bad influence on me! Not the other way around!"
"Some of it was your idea, though." He took another drink. "And the rest of it, well..." Link's face seemed to turn pink. "I wanted to impress or entertain you. And you usually went along with it."
"Except for those ideas which were risky to you." Mipha rolled her eyes and sipped her wine. "Which you usually proceeded to do anyway against my pleas, and got yourself hurt."
Link frowned. "I'm sorry. I... no, there's no excuse for worrying and hurting you like that."
"Link, you were a child." She laid her hand on his arm. "All children do foolish things. Sidon doesn't always listen to me either, and I'm certain there were occasions when I worried or exasperated my parents." She paused, and a smile returned to her face. "Such as when I became caught up in your antics."
"Or when you dragged me into yours." Humor returned to his eyes, much to her relief. "As you said yourself not that long ago, it was your idea to catch all those frogs and smuggle them into Muzu's office."
"He'd been so rude to you!" Mipha arranged her face into a childish pout like she had all those years ago; it achieved its desired effect by pulling more laughter from Link. "I remember I was so angry on your behalf, and I wanted to get back at him somehow, to make him regret being mean to my friend. You didn't want to at first, though."
"I didn't want to get in trouble." Link deftly took her empty glass from her and deposited both of theirs on a tray of them that another waiter bore in his hands. "I was just a common Hylian, you know? My dad wasn't even the ambassador, just the guard of the ambassador. And here was the princess, trying to get me to do something to her father's chief advisor."
"He deserved it." Mipha looped her arm through his and they continued walking. "I think the way I saw it was... he had struck first, and insulted my best friend, and needed to be taught a lesson." She gave him a quick glance. "I never did like anyone being unpleasant to you. You know that."
"... I do." He held her gaze for a moment, then returned his attention to weaving through the crowd. Pikango had a booth set up and was hard at work illustrating a young couple, but waved to them anyway as they passed. "Anyway. I was deathly afraid of getting in trouble and being sent away, but you promised you'd protect me if it came to that. So we stole a big bag and went to the falls to catch frogs." Link shuddered.
Mipha tilted her head. "What's wrong? You didn't mind them back then."
"That was, uh, before some... unpleasant things happened here." He looked faintly nauseated. "There's some elixirs we had to drink a few times to make us faster in battle, and the potion brewers use those same frogs. I couldn't get that out of my head and I threw up a few times. Didn't help that they taste disgusting." Link grimaced. "The princess also tried to make some of us eat a live one once when we were sent to accompany her to the Royal Laboratory out in Ridgeland."
"What?" Mipha's eyes widened. "That—that is an awful idea, why would she do that?"
"For an experiment she wanted to run, to see if they had the same effects raw as they did cooked. We got saved by one of the head researchers though." Link sighed. "Who proceeded to bite into it right then and there. Let's just say... I wasn't the only one who had to clean up the lab floor that day after seeing her do that."
"Oh, Jabu preserve me!" She shuddered. "Say no more, or else I shall lose my appetite."
Link's eyebrows went up. "You're hungry?"
"A little bit. Less so after hearing that story," she added, laughing weakly. "But a bit of something sweet would not be amiss."
"Then let's get you something to eat."
Link steered her over to the tables laden with all manner of food, most of it sweet, though there were some savories as well. After a bit of indecision, Mipha selected a slice of cake, and carried it with her over to a bench that had just been vacated. Link sat beside her, eating a slice of his own. When they finished, they handed the plates to a castle servant and resumed their leisurely stroll through the festivities.
"Are you having a good time?" Link asked a little while later. They'd just escaped from exchanging pleasantries with a couple other knights and their dates, and were stopping at one of the fountains. "I know you weren't any more excited about coming here than I was."
"It has been a lot better than I expected, yes." Mipha let her fingers trail along the surface of the water. "There is so much entertainment to be had here that people are less inclined to engage in conversation with us, and I do appreciate that." She sat on the edge of the fountain and smiled up at him. "I have always preferred being left to our own devices at such things."
Link smiled back, his eyes going so soft and warm that her heart fluttered. "Me too. I—"
"Link! There you are!" It was Pipit, hurrying up to them. He nodded to them both in turn. "And Lady Mipha. It's good to see you too."
Mipha smiled and nodded back. "Likewise."
"What she said." Link turned to face Pipit. "Have you been looking for me or something?"
"Kinda, yeah." Pipit took a drink of wine. "Mostly just to say hi, but, well..." He glanced back at Mipha again. "I'm sorry to ask this, but would you mind terribly if I borrowed your husband for a while?"
Mipha laughed. "Only if he objects. Otherwise I see no problem with it."
Link's brow knit in a frown. "What's this about? Something wrong?"
Pipit shook his head. "Nah, just... something I'd like to talk about in private. Man to man, you know?" He winked. "Come on, what do you say?"
"Uh..." Link glanced at Mipha. "You... really don't mind?"
"Not at all." Mipha shook her head. "Go speak with your friend, I will be fine. Though you may have to come find me afterwards if you take too long," she added teasingly.
"Then it's decided!" Pipit clapped his arm around Link's shoulders and led him off. "And I promise to send him back in one piece, don't worry!" he called back to her.
Mipha opened her mouth to say something, but the two had already disappeared into the crowd. Laughing to herself, she shook her head again and rose.
Let them have a moment of conversation together—I know Link will be safe with his friend should that awful man turn up here. In the meantime, perhaps I shall find something to occupy myself. No sense in just sitting around, after all.
Pipit led him to a quieter part on the outskirts of the party, snagging fresh glasses of wine for them both along the way. Neither spoke a word, except in passing to a few people they walked by.
Finally, once they seemed to have arrived, Link cleared his throat. "So, what's all this about?" He tried to keep his voice light. "Do you need marriage advice or something?"
"No, I..." He looked furtively around, and then leaned in. "Listen, just be careful, alright? Astor's been sniffing around lately, trying to find out what changed the king's mind about the marriage. One of his goons even bothered me, wanting to know what I know."
Ice skittered down his spine. "What did you tell him?"
"I had to tell him several times that I don't know anything." Pipit rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if anyone believes that, though—everyone knows we're friends, and I was seen talking to you the day you got back, right before Rhoam's change of plans. I think Astor's convinced I'm in on some conspiracy with you about it."
Link almost choked on his wine. "That's—you tried to stop me from going in there, not help me!"
"I know. But if I tell them that, then they'll know for sure that you played a part in Astor 'losing' what he thought was his." Pipit sighed. "And since the king isn't talking about what happened, I'd probably be pissing him off too." He took a gulp of wine. "Any idea why he's so tight-lipped about it?"
"No." Link glanced around as he took another drink himself. "Maybe to prevent it becoming a big thing? Astor's well-connected, so maybe there's someone he doesn't want to piss off by revealing he passed over their golden boy on the word of a filthy commoner like me."
"The damage has pretty much been done, though, right?" Pipit frowned. "He made his choice and then changed his mind to you, and you're married to the princess. Plus, he's the king, can't he just..." He gestured with his half-empty glass. "I don't know. It's stupid."
Link laughed. "I didn't say it wasn't."
"Ha, true." Pipit regarded him seriously over the rim of the glass. "While we're on the subject, though... I gotta apologize. I misjudged you."
"Oh?" Link raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"Well, that day when you... did the thing..." He waited until a maid passed by. "I completely misread your motives, and I didn't realize how wrong I was until you got back in town. See, I..." He lowered his voice and leaned in again. "Until I found out you two were close back in the day, I kinda figured you were determined to marry her to get one up on Astor for revenge or something. I didn't know it was about her, too."
"It was always about her." Link stared down at the wine. "All of it. I..." I love her. "I care a lot about her. I couldn't let her be married to someone like him, I had to protect her from that."
"Interesting." Something about the tone of his voice made Link look up, but he instantly regretted it—there was something knowing in Pipit's eyes that made him squirm. "So the rumors are false, then?"
"Rumors?" He blinked. "What rumors?"
"You don't know?" When Link shook his head, Pipit gave him an incredulous look. "Oh, for—what kind of rock have you been hiding under? Tell me you've at least heard of Rumor Mill, even if you haven't read it." At his blank stare, Pipit groaned and rolled his eyes. "Okay, well... to sum up a few weeks' worth of gossip from that rag... there are people absolutely convinced you have some sort of secret lover amongst the nobility, that you may or may not have dumped by the wayside when you got married."
The wine glass slipped out of Link's fingers and shattered on the ground. "Please say you're kidding."
"Nope." Pipit shook his head. "I'm... guessing it's not true, then?"
"Of course it's not true!" Link gaped at him. "That's insane!"
"Insane?" Pipit swallowed the last of his wine. "That's a strong word. Especially since there are some really nice, pretty girls in high society, I wouldn't blame you for at least being into them, even if I wouldn't want you to go cheating on your wife."
"I'd never do that. And I'm really not into them anyway." His mind was racing. Has Mipha heard this rumor? "Not my type."
"Not your..." Now it was Pipit's turn to gape. "Am I hearing you right? You're a Hylian man who doesn't think Hylian girls are attractive?"
"They're okay, but they're not my preference." I hope she hasn't. I hope she doesn't think it's true. I don't know if I'm ready to tell her how I feel about her, but I also don't want her thinking I want someone else. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Pipit's mouth opened and closed a few times. It was almost comical. "Then... what is your preference?"
"I married a Zora," Link reminded him. "What do you think?"
"I know you did, I... just... I... huh." He scratched his head. "I guess I should've guessed that you'd be into them, but somehow it didn't occur to me that that'd be your preference."
Link shrugged. "We all have our own tastes." Mipha was my first love, and I never let go of that. I never will. So of course I feel things for her that no Hylian woman could compete with. Not when I've spent my life loving the most amazing Zora.
"Oh, of course, and there's nothing wrong with that, more power to you." Pipit patted him on the back. "It's a good thing you never said anything till now, though, or else I really would've had my work cut out for me with those bullying turds."
"That's exactly why I kept my mouth shut." Link rubbed one of his temples. "Anyway, is that all you wanted to tell me?"
"Ha! Eager to get back to her, are you?" Pipit threw his head back and laughed. "I hope she appreciates how devoted you are. But yeah, that's it. Keep your eyes open and watch who you talk to; I don't know if he's here tonight, but it doesn't hurt to be careful, yeah?"
"Oh, I know." Link sighed. "Trust me, I know." He glanced around, and then returned his attention to Pipit. "Thank you. Not just for the warning, but for keeping things quiet. I don't know what I did to deserve being looked out for the way you always have for me, but I appreciate it. I hope you know that."
"I do, yeah." He nodded. "And... don't stress yourself worrying about this 'deserving' crap, alright? You're a good guy, Link, and you deserve friends and a good marriage. And happiness, of course."
"Thanks." Link swallowed. "I'm... going to go look for Mipha now. Take care, and thanks again."
He waded back into the crowds, scanning the seemingly never-ending sea of people for Mipha. She always stood out to him, especially among Hylians and Sheikah, but there were so many people here that it was more difficult than it should've been to spot her. Frustration grew in him, particularly when he had to take detours around clusters of party guests that just didn't budge, most of them failing to notice him at all. He wasn't about to talk to her about that terrible rumor in a place like this, but all the same something was nagging at him to get back to her side as soon as he could
A sudden complication to that plan arose, however, in the form of an arm reaching out from the shadows and grabbing him.
"There you are!"
Mipha wandered aimlessly through the party, her eyes periodically scanning the people around her for any sign of Link. Nothing so far; oh well, she just hoped he was having a good time with his friend. It was more than a little awkward to be alone in a crowd of strangers, without her one anchor beside her, but he deserved to have a private moment with a friend. She would just have to bear with it.
A half-full glass of wine sloshed a little in her hand as someone jostled her; Mipha turned, but the person had already disappeared behind a knot of people gathered at the food tables. She shrugged. Her curiosity drawn by the food, she moved closer to reinspect what they had to offer. More savories than sweets were left at this point, and she couldn't seem to dredge up the interest in eating any of the former, not after having already had cake. So with another shrug she moved on.
Her wandering—and by now slightly aching—feet eventually brought her to where a few people were clustered around a man reading poetry beside a statue of what looked like a long-dead king. Mipha sat on a small bench at the edge of the grass where he stood, and turned her attention to what he was reciting. He was a tall Sheikah man who looked to be in his late twenties, with a rather stern-looking countenance and a rich, commanding voice. From what she could tell, his poem was about an ancient heroine of his people, whose deeds had passed into legend long ago.
When he'd finished his recitation, Mipha joined the other people in applauding. "Thank you, thank you, gentlefolk." He bowed. "That is all for now, as I require refreshment to revive myself, but I shall be performing later on with the musicians."
They all began to disperse; Mipha turned to join them, but the poet's voice called out to her, bidding her to wait. She turned. "Yes? Can I assist you with something?"
"It is only a question." He eyed her appraisingly as he walked over. "Might you be the princess of the aquatic kingdom, about whom so many tongues are wagging?"
Mipha's heart sank. "I... yes, I suppose I am, though I am loathe to be the topic of gossip..."
"It is the nature of most beings to be curious, and express that curiosity." His eyes went to the starry sky above them. "And you are a figure around whom much curiosity swirls, you must understand."
"So I have been told." She sighed. "Yet I would prefer not to be talked about by those who do not know me. No one's private life should be the topic of stranger's conversation."
"A valid concern. Yet I would say to you, that in your case the private blurs a little with the public." He nimbly snagged a glass of wine from a passing waiter. "The private—your marriage—does much good for the public by averting war and the tragic loss of life. So to some degree you should expect a bit of talk from those grateful for the reprieve from violence."
Mipha frowned. "I can understand a bit of that, I suppose, but only to a point. No one has the right to be speculating about private matters between me and my husband, for example, and I would hate to think that anyone has stooped to that instead of tending to their own business."
"Ah, a touch of frost in the warm spring air!" He smiled. "You are an intriguing one, Lady Mipha."
Something about his amusement rankled her, though she couldn't put her finger on why. "You know my name?"
"You are the illustrious princess our king made his alliance with; all are familiar with your name." He bowed. "As for myself, I am Piero, the official poet of King Rhoam's court. A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Mipha said coolly. "You have a talent for the art, I must say."
"You are too kind." Piero bowed again. "It is only my own natural curiosity about the world around me that gives life to my words, my keen interest in the inner workings of the hearts that beat within us all. And I confess your story leaves me full of intrigue."
So much for an attempt to change the subject. "I assure you, there is nothing overly interesting for an outsider to latch onto." Mipha took a sip of her wine. "We are childhood friends who had the good fortune to be united in a marriage that benefits both lands."
"Is that so?" Piero took a drink of his own wine. "A stroke of fortune for you it be, but at what cost? What hearts have paid the price for the fickleness of man? I fear the pain that lies hidden behind closed doors."
Mipha frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Does he... refer to the rumors from that awful publication?
"What loves yet lie unfulfilled? What spirits break from unjust rejection?" He raised his glass. "Young love, so wickedly toyed with by the unworthy, and forgotten in an instant when another opportunity comes knocking? It would be greedy indeed to try and keep two women, but to cruelly lead one on and then run away with another is unforgivable behavior. The capriciousness of youth, perhaps, but I cannot find it in me to excuse it."
Mipha's heart banged against her ribs, and the wine and cake suddenly sat ill in her stomach. "Are... are you saying that my husband and..."
"It is a whisper that gilds the tongues of many. Whether there is truth to it, I cannot say." Piero shook his head. "Yet when my own affections go unnoticed, it is difficult not to believe that the eyes of the one I care for lie elsewhere, and where there is smoke..." He gave her a significant look.
"Is your intent to upset me?" Her voice quavered, at least partly with anger. "You cast aspersions on my husband and our marriage, giving voice to cruel and baseless rumors, and for what? Do you take joy in causing others pain? Will this make a fine new poem for you?"
"Pray, do not mistake my intent, good lady." Piero shook his head. "I mean only to warn you, to safeguard your heart against disappointment and prepare you for what may lie ahead. It would not do for you to turn your eyes away from a potential truth, no matter how little you may like it."
"Be that as it may, I have no interest in listening to any more of your poisonous words." Mipha set her glass down on the tray of a passing maid. "Good night to you."
Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel and stalked off. Her heart was still racing, her stomach threatening to regurgitate its contents. Worst of all, her vision was starting to blur from the tears filling her eyes. She wiped them away as discreetly as she could, mindful of all those around her. Snippets of conversation reached her unwilling ears as she unsuccessfully searched for Link; most were were about things irrelevant to her, but others were not.
"—indecent, honestly, I can't believe the King allowed her in wearing that—"
"Barbarians, the lot of them. I'm grateful we'll spared war, but to have such an immodest creature here... disgraceful."
"—true, then? About that knight and the princess?"
"Which one? I'd almost say he's a lucky man to be juggling two, if one of them weren't a literal cold fish!"
Uproarious laughter followed that statement, and Mipha had to clutch her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. She quickened her pace, not wanting whoever it was that said that to see her crying, ignoring the ache in her legs.
I do not want to believe it... I do not want to believe it is true... Link would... would he truly do that to me? He has told me repeatedly not to worry about his lack of choice in our marriage, and I want to believe he meant it, that he is truly content... but I cannot deny that it was an unsatisfying answer to my query. Nor can I forget how Zelda behaved at our wedding. And that unpleasant man, that poet... he was not wrong about one thing at least. Rumors do not begin from airy nothing. There must be something giving substance to these whispers about them. The question is, can my heart bear knowing the truth?
Either way, however, I do not think I am ready to see him just yet. I would rather be alone, at least for now.
There was a gazebo off to her left, somewhat poorly lit—that would be the perfect place to take a breather and try to gather together the shards of her spirit before facing Link. Mipha hastened herself again, impatient for the solitude the structure offered.
She stopped dead, however, when she saw that it was already occupied.
Over Link's protests, Zelda dragged him away from the crowds and off to the side of the castle, into a gazebo mostly cloaked in shadow. She didn't let go of his hand until they arrived, and then began to delicately dust her gown off. In the dim light, he could barely see her face, much less decipher her expression.
"What's this about?" He struggled to keep a lid on his impatience, even as he refused to wait for her to speak first. "Why are we here?"
"So that we can speak privately, of course." She rolled her eyes. "Why else?"
"I realize that." Link folded his arms across his chest. "What about, though?"
Zelda regarded him silently for a moment. Then she pursed her lips and shook her head. "I suppose I might as well get straight to the point." She moved closer to him, peering at his face. "You know something about why my father changed his mind. And I want to hear it."
"Changed his mind about what?" His blood chilled. Why the hell is she interested in this? "What are you talking about?"
"Not this again!" She stomped one foot on the ground. "I'm well aware that he initially chose Astor to marry Princess Mipha, and then a day or so later changed his mind and appointed you as her husband. And I need to know why. You dodged my questions at your wedding, but you won't now."
"Need?" Link backed away, his stomach starting to churn. "Why would you need to know?"
"Eh?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. "So, the rumors aren't true?"
Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please tell me you're not referring to that trash rag I just heard about a little while ago."
"You... had never heard of Rumor Mill?" She let out an incredulous laugh. "You really are oblivious! Oh my!" She sobered slightly at his scowl. "Yes, yes, fine... I am referring to those. Apparently you and I are carrying on—or carried on at one point, no one seems to know which it is—some sort of passionate affair. I know, I know, it's false!" Zelda held up her hands. "Still, it did give me pause to read about, given that I did at one point wonder if you perhaps were interested in me..."
"... What?" Link blinked. "How did I give off that impression?"
"When you saved my life from that assassin's attack in Hebra all those months ago." Zelda brushed a speck of dust off her sleeve. "You sprang into action without a moment's pause, and soundly defeated him. As I said, it did make me wonder, and I was anxious about what I should say if it ever came up."
"That—I was just doing my job." Link's frown deepened. "If I'd let any harm come to you, my own life would've been forfeit, foster son or not. And even if I had been doing it out of some ulterior motive like that, I'm married now, and nothing could tempt me into being unfaithful to her."
"Believe me, I know. Father explained that to me when I expressed my concerns." Zelda seemed almost on the verge of laughing for a moment before becoming serious again. "Trust me, I have long since come to recognize my mistake, and I was never interested anyway; there is someone else I have my eye on, and I will say no more than that."
Link took a deep breath and silently counted to five. "Then... why are we out here?"
"I told you." Zelda tapped her fingers on her arm. "I need to know why Father changed his mind and chose you. And do not play the fool again, I'm aware that you were seen going into the throne room the day before the switch was announced."
"Yes." Link sighed deliberately, trying to give off an air of exasperation rather than nerves. "I had just gotten back from visiting my father in Hateno, and I wanted to pay my respects to His Majesty."
"That can't be all!" Zelda leaned in close again, her face inches from his. "Do you really think me that stupid, Link? That I would accept that as a coincidence? Something is going on here, and my father will not tell even me, his own daughter."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Link forced his voice to remain steady as he stepped away from her once more. "And I don't know why you're interested in the first place. If you're really not interested in me, then why do you care so much about the circumstances of my marriage?"
"Because Astor is sniffing around me now!" Her voice rose, a note of panic entering it. "He has made it clear that he would like to be my husband when I take one, despite that I have rebuffed him over and over. I do not think Father will select him, but..." Zelda wrung her hands. "That man, he... there is an unquenchable ambition that burns within him, and I don't think he will stop trying to sate it despite being denied marriage to Princess Mipha. He's frightened me for years, and I must stop his rise to power. I must."
She clasped a gloved hand to her mouth, seemingly on the verge of tears; Link moved closer and touched her arm. "Hey," he said quietly. "I get it. I don't want him in power any more than you do. But I don't see how finding out what I know about why your father picked me instead of him will help you."
"Perhaps not. I just..." Zelda made a noise of frustration. "I'm trying so hard to do whatever I can to stymie him, and Father drags his heels because of how 'well-connected' he is, and it is just..." She groaned. "I feel as though any information would help me in my efforts. But maybe I'm misguided."
"I'm sorry." Link let go of her. "I wish I could help you. But I really don't know anything." And it's not like telling you I demanded to be chosen as Mipha's husband based on my years in the Domain could do anything for your efforts anyway.
"It is fine. I shall simply have to look elsewhere." She gave him a weary half-smile. "Sorry for wasting your time. I know you're eager to get back to her." Zelda paused. "So... you really are happy with her?"
"Yes." Link nodded. "I am."
"Good. I'm glad." Her smile was more genuine now. "Go find her, then, and enjoy the rest of your evening."
"Thank you." Link bowed. "Goodnight, Princess."
So saying, he turned his back on her and headed back the way she'd led him.
Mipha stood frozen, her limbs pinned in place like a butterfly in a frame as Zelda leaned close to Link. Her own erratic breathing was all she could hear, her heart pounding as though it was about to burst out of her chest. With their forms draped in shadow it was difficult to see what was truly happening, but her imagination was only too willing to provide answers. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see.
No... no, please, this cannot be happening, I... oh, Lord Jabu, why? Why was I such a fool as to think I could trust him? That he was still that same sweet, guileless boy at heart? He has grown into a man I don't know in the last eight years, one capable of deception. Of hurting me despite his seemingly sincere promises to the contrary.
Mipha opened her eyes again, just in time to see Link put his hand on Zelda's arm; the Hylian princess seemed to be upset about something, and he was obviously trying to comfort her. A sob rose up in her throat, and without trying to she mirrored Zelda's position by pressing her hand to her mouth.
I cannot watch any more of this. It is all too easy to guess at what she is upset about, what comfort he seeks to provide her. What stands between them... or rather, who.
Fresh tears brimming in her eyes, Mipha turned and ran. She ran, and prayed that her footsteps wouldn't alert the attention of the couple whose stolen moment she'd spied upon. The thought of Link chasing after her and trying to explain was too much to bear right now. Heart shattering, she raced all the way back to where everyone else was. Only at the very edge of the festivities did she slow, wiping at her eyes and giving her aching legs a break.
A glance over her shoulder as she composed herself revealed that no one was approaching. Mipha sighed, and continued on her way through the crowd. She felt even less ready to face Link now; hearing a rumor repeated by that poet had been bad enough, but to see the truth he'd claimed to be warning her of? No, she needed to be alone. As alone as she could possibly be in a place like this.
Oh Link... how could you? How could I be so stupid as to entrust my heart to you? Tears blurred her vision yet again, and she dashed at her eyes, not caring anymore who saw her. How could you hide such cruelty within yourself... it makes no sense. It does not fit with the man who has been causing me to fall in love with him all over again with his kindness and affection. How could you betray the oath you swore to me in that temple? I understand you must be suffering at not being able to be with the one you truly love, and I do feel for you, but... but this behavior remains inexcusable. I...
… I do not understand. Oh Nayru, please help me to understand how he could bring himself to do it... it will not ease my pain, but...
The small hedge maze at the far end of the gardens beckoned to her: surely that would afford her some privacy for at least a little while. Long enough to gain control of herself before she found Link. Or he found her. Jabu willing, that would not happen for some time.
I cannot face him. I cannot think of what to say. I can barely think at all, the shock is so great.
Just before she reached the entrance to the maze, a tall, dark-haired man in deep purple sorcerer's robes loomed up before her as he apparently exited the way he'd come. Mipha stumbled back in her surprise, and his eyes widened too. "For-forgive me," she managed, her heart racing all over again. "I'm afraid I did not see you."
"You are... Lady Mipha?" There was an almost silken quality to his surprisingly deep voice. "Princess of the Zoras?"
"Yes." Mipha tried not to sigh. I really ought to be resigned to this by now, but... honestly, is even a little anonymity too much to ask for? Am I truly doomed to be instantly recognizable to every random stranger I meet? "I am she."
"So we finally meet." A smile that was more than a little feral lit up his pasty face, his sallow eyes gleaming. "I am Astor... the man you were truly meant to marry."
"... What?" Mipha stared blankly at him. "I... I think you must be mistaken... King Rhoam chose—"
"King Rhoam chose me!" Astor's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a snarl. "I was meant be your husband, not that pathetic commoner. It would've been the perfect match, if that doddering old man hadn't seen fit to change his mind and offer up someone inferior in my place."
"I—you—" Mipha's mind whirled with this overload of information. Link hadn't been the king's first choice? If this man—this horrible man who'd burned and scarred Link out of pure hatred and spite—was telling the truth, then she'd come within a hairsbreadth of being trapped in marriage to him. What had changed things? "Don't—don't you dare insult him, he—" Despite Link's transgressions against her, a jet of anger spouted up in her chest at hearing him degraded so. "You have no—"
"He is the insult!" Fire kindled in Astor's eyes. "I was born into an esteemed family, while he is nothing but a common, country-born usurper who deserves none of what has been handed to him! That Rhoam would spurn me in favor of that upstart whelp is beyond the pale!" His spindly hands curled into fists. "I understand why you might be willing to accept someone like that, but even the Zora deserve better than such an unworthy offering."
Mipha's spine stiffened. "What do you mean, even the Zora?"
"Fortunately for you, it is not too late." He smirked. "Say the word, little one, and your sham of a marriage can be annulled." He took Mipha's hands. "Bring me home as your rightful groom, and I shall guide you and your hopelessly backward people into a brighter future."
"Let go of me!" Mipha yanked her hands back, her scales crawling at his touch. "I would never agree to marry one such as you! You are—"
"Fool!" Astor's face contorted in fresh rage. "Do you not see it?" He grabbed her arms in a vise-like grip, electricity crackling through his fingers and paralyzing her; she struggled to break free, to claw at him, but was helpless against his magic as he bent and all but shouted in her face. "I am the one that should have been wed to you! Me! Only me! And if you refuse to acknowledge it on your own, then I will—"
Whatever he would've done she would never know, for a fist slammed into his jaw at that moment. Caught off-guard, Astor went flying backwards, sprawling on the ground as he yelled in shock and pain.
"Don't you ever touch her again." Link's voice startled Mipha out of her own shock; she turned to see him standing beside her. He was livid—eyes blazing, teeth bared, chest heaving, cheeks flushed—and focused entirely on Astor, all his fury directed at him. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your filthy hands off her."
"You—you—" Clutching his jaw, Astor rose into a sitting position, his features twisted into an expression of almost inhuman hatred as he glared up at Link. "Why—why must you always—always—"
Sparks began to ignite around his other hand, and Mipha opened her mouth to scream at Link, her body moving on pure instinct to dive in front of him, but then the black-gloved fingers of some sort of guard closed around Astor's wrist.
"That's quite enough." Mipha looked up to see an older Hylian man with white hair and an owlish face standing behind Astor, with a few other soldiers in the same uniform and dark gloves. "Astor, you know the laws of this land well. And in accordance with them, I must bring you before His Majesty for this flouting of them."
"Let—me—go!" Astor struggled as they pulled him up, to no avail. The gloves these guards wore evidently had some sort of magic-suppressing quality to them—his fingertips sparked and fizzed weakly, but he couldn't do anything more than that. "I have done nothing—nothing more than—"
"Save it for the king," the man interrupted with a heavy sigh. "And you—Link—" He turned his stern gaze on him. "Report to His Majesty tomorrow morning. He'll want to hear your side of this little brouhaha."
"Yes, Sir Gaebora." Link took a deep breath and bowed.
"Hmph." The old man grunted, but said nothing more and followed his men as they dragged the still-struggling Astor away.
Mipha watched them go, a sort of numbness beginning to spread through her. A buzzing sound filled her head, and she heard nothing of the crowd around her, her eyes unfocusing as she started to descend into a sort of fugue. Too much had happened, and her overloaded mind was in danger of shutting down completely.
She had only a few seconds though, or so it felt like, before a hand on her shoulder startled her out of her near-trance. Yelping in surprise she wrenched herself away, only to then see Link staring at her in wide-eyed concern. "Mipha? Are—are you okay?"
"I... I..." The raw anger on his face when he'd hit Astor had bled away, and now he was looking at her with worry and caring so intense that she had to avert her eyes. If she hadn't seen him in the gazebo with Zelda, his expression would've made her burst into tears and throw herself into his arms. But since she had seen them together, it was unbearable to look at. "I do not know..."
"Do you want to go home?"
Home. How bitter that word tastes now. "Yes." Mipha wrapped her arms around herself. "Yes, I think that would be best."
"Okay. Then let's..." Link's voice trailed off as he reached for her and she stepped away from him. Hurt flashed in his eyes, making her almost regret her actions, but she steeled herself against it by conjuring up the memory of Zelda leaning close to him. "We just... have to get the carriage, and then we can go," he said after a momentary pause. His words sounded unnaturally stilted, and the neutral expression he schooled his features into was undercut by the pain that still lurked in his eyes. "Let's go."
Mipha didn't answer, just followed him, trying to cling to her numbness and not feel the sting of remorse over her rejection of his touch. A weak, traitorous part of her longed for his embrace, for him to comfort her after the horror of her encounter with Astor, but the rest of her knew that any warmth to be found in his arms would be leached away by the knowledge of his infidelity.
I knew he could not possibly want me the way I am. Not when I am a Zora who lacks the things that Hylian men find so appealing. I knew he would prefer Hylian women. They are his own kind, after all, and I'm... She couldn't even bear to finish the thought. I was a fool to think he might want to give me the kind of tender affection I crave. The physical intimacy I long for. But I did not think I was being foolish for expecting him to be true to our marriage vows, for him to be faithful to me even though we don't have that kind of relationship and never will. How could I have been so wrong? It boggles the mind.
And yet here we are, with me having been played the fool by a man who does not, and will never, care for me the way I so stupidly do for him.
The carriage ride back was little more than a blur; Mipha sat alone, curled up in one corner, while Link sat across from her and didn't speak. Occasionally he seemed to glance at her, but she studiously avoided his gaze and couldn't tell what emotion, if any, showed on his face. His beautiful, deceptive face that had tricked her so many times into believing his words and kindness were genuine.
She could hardly bear to look at it now.
Link didn't try to touch her at all when they got back, except to help her out of the carriage, and even then he let go of her hand the instant her feet were on the ground. It soon became clear that he wasn't going to speak, either, for whatever reason. So when they were finally in their bedroom, Mipha drew a deep breath and broke the silence, in a voice as steady as she could make it. "Is it true?"
Link, having just shed his shirt, paused in the act of reaching for another. "Is what true?"
"That... Astor, he... he told me..." Her heart sped up again. "That King Rhoam initially chose him to marry me, and then changed his mind and picked you instead. Is that true?"
"... Yeah." Link spoke so quietly she could barely hear him. "It's true."
"You never told me." Mipha rubbed her face with one hand. "You never told me that."
"I know." Link sighed and put on the new shirt. "I'm sorry, I..." He turned around. "Is... that why you're upset with me?" His voice sounded so small. So scared. "I'm sorry, I really am. I should've spared you that shock, and... and I should've been there with you when he showed up, I was trying to find you, but—"
"... Trying to find me?" Mipha fought to control her emotions. "Are you... are you saying that after you and Pipit were done talking, you immediately went in search of me?"
"Yeah, of course I—"
"That is not true." Mipha stood rigid, her heart pounding with anger renewed as she began to tremble all over. "How... how can you stand there and lie to me?"
Link's mouth fell open. "What?"
"I saw you with her." She could barely breathe for the pain, but forced the words out anyway, her heart breaking all over again with each one. "The Hylian princess. I saw... I saw..." A sob broke loose, despite her efforts to hold them back. "It's true, isn't it? The rumor about you two..."
"No... no, no, it's not." Link shook his head, his eyes wide and his breathing loud and uneven. He looked nearly as pale as Astor, as if all the blood had drained from his face. "Mipha, I swear—I swear it's not true, we're not—"
"Then what in Lord Jabu-Jabu's name were you doing in that gazebo?" Her hands clenched into fists, her claws digging deep into her palms. "Link, I do not want to believe you would humiliate me like this, but I know what I saw." Tears began sliding down her cheeks. "Tell me the truth. No matter how painful, I must know. What were you talking about with Zelda?"
"I..." Link's mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to choose his words. As Mipha waited and watched he finally seemed to come to a decision, and anguish and resignation flashed in his eyes in quick succession before he closed them and took a deep breath. "Rhoam, he..."
"He changed his mind because of me."
Author's Note: And that's it for the next two weeks! I won't be updating this coming Sunday, as it's Halloween, but we'll be back on the regular schedule after that. So sorry about leaving you all on this cliffhanger, I hope you'll all stick around to see how I'm going to follow it up. 333