***Author's note: I started writing this story after beginning Starting Over. It felt much more pressing to me, and I left off on Starting Over long enough to get this one out of my system. I have since done some reworking of Starting Over, as this story turned out to be a prequel, and I want them to fit together. I hope you'll read both stories and tell me your opinion! I started Larissa's Tale with a definite ending in mind, but Starting Over has so far been just a rather meandering, feel-good story of how I would have liked Link and Zelda's lives to continue after the end of the game. I'm still formulating ways to close that story.***
I was a new scullery maid at Hyrule Castle, which did not pay well for all the hard work, but the day he showed up in the kitchens looking for a snack, my work became a joy. Upon asking the other women about him, I learned that his name was Link, he was the son of one of the royal guards, and he was a favorite of the matronly types who loved to feed a growing young man. He was also a favorite of the younger women, whose hearts all fluttered if his eyes turned in their direction. This was the young man who had drawn the Master Sword at the tender age of twelve, the one destined to become the Hero in the next battle against Ganon and the forces of evil.
I was not like the younger women, although my heart fluttered the same as theirs at making contact with those unearthly blue eyes. I was a few years older than the rest; my husband had died after being gored by a stag he had not cleanly shot, and I had had to get a job in the castle to ensure my survival. Unlike the other, younger women, I had a home of my own in Mabe Village and a few years' experience in pleasing a man, and it became my most heartfelt mission to either get into his bed, or get him into mine. I knew I was still young and attractive enough; plenty of other soldiers catcalled and whistled at me. This one had more couth than that, which made him all the more appealing.
While I was sure that most of the other soldiers had played around with girls, I had the distinct impression that this one was untouched. He was a young man of few words and kept mostly to himself. He smiled and joked with the older women, playing the hungry waif with them to get a bellyful, but he was cordial and reserved, almost uncomfortable, with those his own age. His ears turned red when the other men made lewd comments about the girls or grabbed their backsides. I also noticed that those ears also twitched involuntarily whenever anyone mentioned Princess Zelda, and that gave me an idea.
I bided my time until I could get him alone, always keeping a tempting tart or piece of fruit in my apron pocket in preparation. In the meantime, I managed to ingratiate myself to a couple of choice soldiers with my feminine wiles, picking their brains subtly for when this handsome young soldier might have some free time and what he did with himself then. I found out that he and his parents lived in a modest apartment within the castle due to his father's status, and unless he accompanied his father on detachments to the various domains, he seldom strayed from the castle grounds, except to spend a few rupees at the food vendors in Castle Town.
As it happened, he and I were both given the same day of the week off duty; I was elated at this news. The very next Sunday I managed to catch him sitting in the gazebo below the princess's tower, writing in a little notebook. I carried a small basket with some lunch in it - enough to share - and hoped I looked like I was out for a leisurely stroll and not on a mission specifically to find him.
"Well, hello, there, Master Link," I smiled, stopping as if surprised to see him there. I approached him slowly, letting my hips sway just enough, as if he were a wild creature I might frighten away if I was too aggressive. I paused at the entrance to the gazebo.
"Hello," he replied reservedly, putting away his notebook in his pack.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt what you were doing."
"It's okay; it was nothing I can't finish later."
"Are you off duty today, as well?" I inquired, knowing full well that he was.
He nodded, and I held up my basket. "I was actually hoping to have a little picnic lunch in this very spot. Have you already eaten? I think I packed a bit more than I can handle."
His eyes lit up at that, as I knew they would. "If you're sure..." he hesitated, not wanting to appear overeager.
"I would gladly share my lunch for some company and conversation," I replied, and this was not a lie. I had been pretty lonely since my husband's death, and I was still trying to feel out people at the castle who I thought might be good, trustworthy friends, since I spent more time here than at my home in Mabe Village. I entered the gazebo and sat near him on the bench, placing the basket between us.
"I'm trying to remember where I've seen you," Link confessed. "You seem to know me, and I know I've seen your face, but I don't know your name."
"I'm Larissa," I smiled, holding out my hand for him to shake. "I'm a scullery maid, so you've undoubtedly seen me in the kitchen up to my elbows in suds or stirring stew."
The light went on in his eyes as he shook my hand in both of his. "Ah, yes, I do remember you now," he smiled.
"It's a pleasure to finally really meet you." I handed him a kerchief full of wildberries and a hunk of goat cheese. "Here, take these. While I DO have enough to share, I'm a bit worried that it may not be enough for YOU, Master Link. Your reputation as a gourmand precedes you." I smiled at him in a teasing manner.
He favored me with a sheepish grin, and my heart melted in the face of it. "It's true; I do love to eat. But in my defense, I work my body more than most. I'm training to become a member of the royal guard, like my father, and usually I even spend my time off duty practicing with weapons."
"So, what brings you here?" I asked, although I knew exactly what had brought him here.
His ears turned a deep red, confirming my suspicions.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." But I let my tone and my body language show him that he could tell me anything.
"It's all right. To be honest, the main reason I want to become a royal guardsman is because I want to be in closer contact with her." He cast his eyes up to the tower.
"She is beautiful, isn't she?" I agreed, and he nodded, looking wistful.
"I know I'm just a commoner, but it would be a way to at least be useful to her and have her notice me."
"I hear that your combat skills have already gotten notice; do you not think the word has reached her?"
He shook his head and shrugged. I reached out and squeezed his shoulder sympathetically, then slowly took my hand away and rested it in my lap. I hadn't even touched any of the food yet myself.
"I can relate to your yearning. I had a husband until last winter, when he was killed in a hunting accident. I still yearn for him every day."
Link looked at me as if he were somehow guilty of insensitivity, even though he couldn't have known I was a widow. "I'm ... sorry for your loss," he fumbled.
"Thank you for your sympathy," I replied. "He was a good husband. Built us a house of our own with some of his friends and family, and every time I go home, I feel his love sheltering me."
Link glanced at me thoughtfully as he popped berries into his mouth. I don't believe he knew how to respond, but at least I wasn't behaving like a mooning young girl, so he seemed to be more comfortable with me. That was good; I wanted him to see that I was mature and level-headed, and to feel that he could trust me. We seemed to be off to a good start.
"Try the cheese," I encouraged, to lighten the mood. "I made it myself with milk from my own goat."
He looked impressed at that, and I glowed with pride. Even my fellow villagers said I made the best goat cheese; my parents had been goat farmers in Deya Village, and I had learned to make cheese at an early age. A pair of goats had been part of my dowry, and after my nanny goat had given birth to her first kid, I had separated the billy from her and continued to use her milk after the kid was weaned.
I watched as Link tasted it, and I glowed even more at his appreciative smile. "Thish ish very good," he said around a mouthful, as he stuffed even more in.
"That was just an appetizer," I told him, pulling out a waxed cloth full of roasted rabbit. I moved the basket to the other side of me so I could set the meat on the bench between us. "And I brought some honeyed apples for dessert."
He cast a greedy smile at me, cheeks bulging and eyes gleaming, and reached for the wineskin I held out, waterfalling the wine into his mouth to help him swallow the cheese. I laughed, my own thoughts turning to wishes that he would soon devour me with such enthusiasm. I was painfully aroused just being in his presence; as young as he was, he already displayed a magnetic self-confidence that I found intoxicating. As long as he wasn't pining for the princess, anyway. When he thought of her, his self-doubt became obvious to me, so I would keep him otherwise occupied. I wanted him to feel only confident when he was with me.
"One of Mabe Village's archers shot this rabbit for me. My husband used to hunt with a bow, but he died before he could teach me," I commented, hoping he would take the bait. I nibbled at some of the rabbit meat for show, but I was the furthest thing from hungry. Well, at least THAT kind of hungry.
"I might be able to find some free time to give you some lessons," he smiled, and I smiled back, elated. It was true that I had ulterior motives, but I really did want to learn archery.
"Would you?" I asked excitedly. "Perhaps if I become good enough, I could become an archer for the royal family," I speculated, half-jokingly. "Do you suppose it pays better than scullery work?"
Link smiled at my enthusiasm. "I know a few archers, but I've never asked them how much they're paid."
"When would you like to start?" I pressed. "If I need to bring my own bow, I could bring my husband's from home."
Link was silent a moment, perhaps mentally checking his calendar. "You could bring your own, if you wish, or you might just be able use mine. Were your husband's arms much longer than yours?"
I was a bit taken aback by that. "I don't know," I conceded. "I know that his hands were bigger than mine, but we never measured our arms against one another! Why do you ask?"
"You want to choose a bow that's the right size for you. If your husband's arms were longer, his draw length would be longer than yours, so you might not get enough draw strength with his bow. You and I seem to be around the same height, so it could be that our arms are the same length. Stand up."
We both stood, and I found myself looking him directly in the eyes without tipping my head. My mouth fell open as I stared into those mesmerizing blue eyes, and my heart skipped. It was all I could do to keep from seizing him and kissing him on the spot. I had to play this slowly and carefully if I wanted to win this game.
"You see?" he went on, oblivious to the moment I had just had. "We're exactly the same height. Now turn around," he directed, "and hold your arm out to the side, shoulder height." I did so, and he moved in close behind me and held his arm out alongside mine. He was close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, and his breath against my hair. The hairs on my arms stood out in gooseflesh, and my belly fluttered. The desire began to ache in my nether regions, and then he stepped away.
"Our arms are very nearly the same length. If you want to bring your husband's bow just to try it, you can. But if it IS too big, you can just use mine. Do you have arrows?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe? I can check when I go home this evening."
"Do that," he said. "If not, we can use the practice arrows at the archery range. I can also show you how to fletch your own."
I smiled coyly at him, duly impressed with his knowledge. His ears turned a little pink under my steady gaze of admiration.
"We could start next week," he continued, breaking his eyes away from mine and sitting back down to help himself to more meat. "I might be able to borrow a second bow, so we can both practice together. One can never have too much practice. Or so my father has always said."
"Should I meet you next Sunday at the archery range, then?" I asked, trying to sound calmer than I felt.
"Yes, noon would be fine. And would you bring more cheese?"
I laughed. "Will you accept that as payment for the lessons?"
"For now," he said, and for a moment my mind went in a direction completely different than that of food, and I nearly gasped. But then he said, "If I get tired of cheese, perhaps you could bring pie. I do enjoy a good pie."
"I think I can accommodate that," I agreed with a wry smile . I broke out the dessert. "Honeyed apple?"
Link waterfalled a bit more wine to chase the meat down. "Yes, please."
After lunch, we washed the sticky honey from our hands in the small pond next to the gazebo, and I prepared to go search for a ride back to Mabe Village.
"Master Link, I have greatly enjoyed making your acquaintance. I look anxiously forward to our first lesson next week."
He smiled kindly at me. "I've enjoyed speaking with you, as well, Mistress Larissa. I hope you find our lesson next week both educational and productive." He turned and glanced back up toward the tower, and my eyes followed his. Fortunately, there was nothing to be seen of the princess, but that glance told me I had my work cut out for me.