Captain Link

I threw the axe with concentrated force, with a nimble shoulder movement. It stuck in the centre again.

"It's completely unfair," Ardren complained, "I won't bet against Link again."

Fridd, with his usual suspicion, remeasured the distance from the shooting point to the target. Fifteen strides.

"Alright, stop it, the distance is okay," I laughed.

"You built this target yourself, that's why you don't miss a single shot," he growled, folding his arms like a pissed-off child.

"That has nothing to do with it, it's just practice. I practice a lot."

"Drink up, Captain, that way maybe Lord Stonehead and I have a chance of beating you."

I accepted a horn filled with beer. We'd taken a barrel out to the yard, the weather was so nice that we had the feast outdoors. Frea was grilling something that had been making me salivate for a while, but she wouldn't let us near her, so we killed time playing axe.

"How many did you kill this winter?" Ardren insisted. We both drank while it was Fridd's turn.

"Come on, not as many as they say."

"One hundred?"

"I don't know," I shrugged.

"Since the end of the Dark War you've purged the land of lynels, from north to south. Even the mountain tribes surrender to you. The eagle that has devoured the beasts, they say. I heard it from some barbarians in the tavern."

"I can't imagine those barbarians admitting any of that from a southerner like me," I joked.

"Less than a hundred, then."

"I haven't counted them... but many. Yes, hundreds, I guess." I took a long drink from my horn. Fridd came up after his turn - only one axe out of three hit the target - and filled another horn with beer.

"My mother loves you, Captain. She says the Steppe has never been safer." Fridd said.

"Many women love the captain, but he prefers the lynels," Ardren teased me.

"Someone had to take care of the problem once and for all," I tried to tackle the issue because it made me uncomfortable, but my friends didn't give up easily.

"Seriously, Link. You're done with all the monsters, there's no more," Ardren smiled, "the world has become a ridiculously safe place."

"There may be some left at the border."

"By Or, you're the most stubborn guy I've ever met."

"Okay, I admit there are no monsters. But since we're not sure how the Dark War ended, it's better to be sure," I insisted.

"It was the work of Or's axe. He wielded it from the skies to decapitate the wraiths of Ikana," Fridd said with conviction.

"Our neighbours say it's been their goddesses and the secret power of old Rhoam," Ardren joked, trying to annoy Fridd, "And we've talked about all this a thousand times and it doesn't even matter anymore because if there was any danger left, Link is done with it. Besides, what the hell, it's been a year of all that, it's time to stop living in fear, there will be no more monsters and no more attacks."

"Here's to that," I raised the horn and the three of us clinked it before taking a long drink.

Frea came to pick us up for lunch, but Dad approached me so we could share some time alone. My friends pounced on the roast like two hungry wolves, I hoped they would respect my share of the feast.

"I've seen how you throw, no wonder you've made a name for yourself as a lynel hunter," Dad smiled.

"It's just practice. You taught me there's no talent without practice."

"I'm very proud of you, son," he patted my back, "we have to celebrate everything, we'll honour you as you deserve. I thought we'd all do something together at the Fort, when we're back from the trip. The twins miss you."

"And I miss them a lot."

"Next time everyone will come to the Nest, including Aldry."

"Would you convince her for something like that?"

"She softens over the years," he winked at me, "well, you're The Lord of the Nest and the greatest lynel hunter the West has ever seen. I was hoping you'd announce something else about your future when I got here. What about Thakmak's daughter? I haven't heard from her in a long time."

"There's not much going on," I halfway smiled, "I hope she'll be happy. Fridd told me she's engaged to a member of the Fox Clan."

"For hell's sake, I thought she and you-

"No. Not for a long time."

My father looked at me with the same strange expression as my friends did, almost a year ago, when I explained that "the void" prevented me from seeing Eve anymore and that because of that we both agreed to end the relationship. They insisted that I had to be patient, that they too were having amnesia and that it would soon pass. I didn't know how to tell them that what happened to me was more than that, more than the absence of memories. How to explain that when I ran to meet Eve after the awakening, it was as if I expected to meet someone else. It was an alien and cold feeling. I tried to pull myself together, to make the feeling go away on its own. It was useless. I could never see her the same way again. And that was so unfair to her. She deserved someone who really loved her, not… not someone like me.

No one knew that this confusion and emptiness had driven me to keep searching for monsters, wielding my sword and cutting through skulls like butter. A couple of mountain chiefs had wanted to buy the sword from me for two pots full of rupees and gold, pots as tall as the twins. The weapon was priceless. Of course, I had completely forgotten how I'd made it, and if I hadn't found the design drawing and inscriptions in the forge, I'd never have believed myself capable of making such a sword. And as long as I had the strength in my arm to wield it to protect my family, I wouldn't think of selling it, not for all the rupees in the world.

Dad and I approached Frea, Manroy, Mabet and the boys. I helped myself to a generous portion of the roast and was quick to sink my teeth into it.

"I want you all to come with me to Hyrule," Dad announced.

"And who will stay looking after the Nest? It's reckless..." Manroy said.

"My men will stay here. Besides, we'll go and return in the daytime, there's nothing to worry about. But I want my family and friends with me, it's an important event."

"What about the kitchens? Please understand me, Grenmak, it's not that I'm not excited about visiting Hyrule, but I don't usually let anyone touch my stuff…", Frea looked suspiciously at Dad's men, who ate in their circle, a bit away from us.

"I'll tell them not to approach the kitchens, don't worry."

"Dad..."

"I don't want to hear any other complain," he growled, "let alone from you, son. Lord Tyto has made a special request for you to come. He wants to thank you in person for cleaning the Rito Forest of enemies. The lynels had never moved so far south and without you the rito knew nothing about how to handle the matter."

"Okay, we'll all go there," I gave in.

"Hyrule will celebrate the end of the Dark War every year and it's an honour that Lord Tyto has invited us to one of the celebrations in his village. I'm even thinking about adopting the custom in the West as well."

"I'm in favour of adopting any custom whether it's a party or a good feast," Ardren said, raising the horn. We all laughed at the joke and ended our roast in a good mood.

The next day, we left early for neighbouring Hyrule and the Rito region. I thought the journey would be much lighter, but Frea insisted on bringing jams and other gifts for Lord Tyto, and in the end we had to pack the wagon with everything. When we arrived at Lake Totori the sun was beating down on our heads, it was a very warm day, especially compared to the freezing days we had spent in the Nest only a week before. Spring was always this unpredictable in the West.

The boys rode into the waters of the lake as soon as they saw a chance to cool off a bit, and I looked at my father with pleading eyes, silently begging to join them.

"Damn it, it's okay," he growled, "you can spend the morning here. But you must be present in the village for lunch, I don't want to do Lord Tyto any disrespect."

"Thanks, Dad, we'll be there on time. Maybe we'll hunt something to make up for it," I smiled, though he kept snorting.

I rode to Fridd and Ardren, who had already got their feet wet on the shore and were splashing each other. I circled my horse around them, splashing and dunking them even more.

"It'd be great to catch something around here," Ardren said, looking around us, "we could offer it to the rito, I've heard there are huge salmons in this lake."

"We don't have reeds," I looked suspiciously at the waters of the lake, clear on the shore, almost black as the depth grew.

"Look, there are people fishing," Fridd observed.

The sun reflected on the surface of the lake and hurt the view, but yes, there were a couple of boats in the distance.

"Here's a spear and a boat," Ardren celebrated.

"Hey! Don't touch anything, don't be foolish," I said, getting off the horse to chase him along the shore.

"Maybe it's here in case visitors want to fish for lunch," he began to undo the boat mooring.

"Don't touch it, damn it, you're going to get us in trouble."

"Look there, there's something strange, will it be rupees?"

I fell into his stupid trap and by the time I realised he had pushed me off, I fell face first into the boat and Ardren pulled me into the lake. I started shouting to the shore as I watched him laugh his head off. There wasn't much current, but I had drifted enough that I couldn't see the bottom, the waters were as black as the night.

"Captain, it's your time to catch some salmon!"

"There are no oars, asshole!" I tried to stabilise the boat and grabbed the spear, it would be enough to paddle to the shore "fuck it, damn moron".

In the waters I saw something black underneath, an elongated shadow. It must have been a gigantic fish - I had never fished in a boat before, but I had fished in the mountain rapids. I motioned for Ardren to be quiet and both he and Fridd watched me from the shore. When I tried to stand up the boat moved quite a way, sideways, I wedged my feet against the sides and saw the shadow, shadows, there must have been a bank just below me. I raised the spear and aimed at where I thought the fish would be, hard, as I didn't quite know the depth. Like an idiot I let the spear slip from my hand and when I tried to catch it I fell into the water.

I emerged splashing and heard the laughter of my friends again.

"Help!"

I splashed and turned around, but I began to swallow water, I was sinking and the boat was drifting away. Goddesses, my boots, heavy as lead, dragged me to the bottom. I was drowning, I barely managed to get my nose out and then I sank again, water got into my nose and mouth. I don't know anymore if my friends were screaming, if they were trying to help me. I felt a strong tug on my shirt collar and something wrapped around me like a claw. It tugged at me while I kept swallowing mouthfuls of water, until I felt my back touching the stony shore of the lake.

"Captain! Can he breathe?"

"I don't know, your friend has drunk the whole lake."

No, I wasn't breathing. But I coughed up and threw up water. I desperately tried to fill my lungs with air.

"Take it easy! Breathe calmly," said my rescuer. It was a woman's voice. She put something under my head to tilt it a little.

I opened one eye and saw against the sun strands of wet blond hair and... despite the backlight I saw two green eyes that burned like the sun itself. My breath caught, but this time it wasn't because of the water I had swallowed.

"Better?" She asked me.

I sat up a little and gawked at her. I must have looked like a real jerk to her because she arched an eyebrow, quizzical.

"Do you speak my language?" She insisted, seeing that I couldn't babble half a word.

My friends burst out laughing beside me, seriously, I would tie them to the boat and they would spend the whole night floating adrift in those dark waters.

"I speak your language. Thanks for getting me out."

"Who would think of going fishing in a boat without oars and without knowing how to swim?"

I felt so embarrassed that I had to look away. Goddesses. Even small children didn't behave like us, let alone in a foreign country. I hoped the incident wouldn't reach my father's ears.

"It was an accident," I said.

"Princess!"

I saw another woman approaching us in a boat, towing the boat I'd lost.

"Princess?" I asked.

"We're fine, Impa! My name is Zelda," the girl smiled at me, and again I was dazed, as in shock.

"Zelda, as the daughter of King Rhoam," I said.

"No. Zelda as the one who has saved you from drowning," she teased, and my cheeks burned like a kid who doesn't know how to talk to a woman. "Who are those guys? Other expert swimmers, perhaps?"

"Those morons are my friends," I growled, casting an angry glare at them. To my surprise, the princess laughed.

"You were lucky we were exploring the lake," the other woman said. She appeared to be from the sheikah tribe, "you must dry your clothes before you catch a cold."

Zelda and Impa took us to a small camp, not far from there. It turns out that the boats were theirs, and Zelda was trying to investigate something to do with the behaviour of fish and... and I don't know what else she told me, because every time she looked at me and leaned a little bit towards me I was shaking all over, from top to bottom. The idiots Fridd and Ardren started whispering antics to me without them noticing, although I got the impression that the sheikah woman was well aware of everything.

While the princess and I were left to dry our clothes near the fire, I forced my friends to help Impa pull the boats out of the water and to gut and skin some fish that they had caught "as a sample", not to be eaten. It was the strangest thing I had ever heard.

"So, you're from the West," Zelda said, when we were left alone. Being alone with her only served to make me even more nervous.

"From the Eagle's Nest. I'm Captain Link, Lord Tyto has invited us to the end of Dark War celebrations. My friends are always playing and making jokes, they're kids, Your Highness. It's embarrassing."

"It's okay," she smiled, "it's been fun. Don't talk to me so formally, please. It sounds very strange."

This time it was I who looked at her quizzically and saw her blush. I felt my embarrassment recede a little to make room for a sense of satisfaction, of being able to have some kind of effect on her. That made me feel some confidence. I needed confidence because... she was a princess, she'd saved me, and... she was beautiful. She was incredibly beautiful and I was kind of hypnotised by her.

In a few minutes she told me many things, that this was her first trip in a whole year, that Impa was more of a friend than a personal escort, although with her she felt safe. That she loved the Rito Region, that they'd arrived a couple of days ago... As I looked at her, I could see the fine blonde hairs on her arms dry in the heat of the fire and glisten like gold in the sunlight. I felt the impulse to reach out to touch them and lost the thread of what she was telling me.

"...definitely the first barbarian I've met. Well, you and your friends," she smiled, "I thought you'd be huge and hairy."

"Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" she was surprised and the blush rose a little on her face.

"I mean, being the princess and this being such an important day for Hyrule... aren't there more important celebrations where you live?"

"Oh, that," she wrapped her knees with her arms.

I tilted my head and looked at her trying to understand, maybe it was a sensitive issue.

"Father asked me to visit Lord Tyto on a diplomatic mission, no one in my family has been here since the war, it's about time. And... well, as you know, my brother the Prince Gaepora is the heir to the crown, he's presiding over those celebrations you say with Father."

I was very surprised that she didn't preside with her family too, even if she was not the heiress, but the people of Hyrule had their customs, and they were different from our own.

"It was nice to meet you, Link," she said, standing up suddenly, "but it's so late. I only wanted to be gone for a couple of hours at most, and I've run out of time. I have to get back to the village right away."

"Are you going to attend the lunch with Lord Tyto?" I also stood up, my heart racing. I hoped I hadn't said anything that would have made her feel uncomfortable.

"I won't attend lunch, but I will attend dinner."

"We'll leave before dinner," I lamented, "Lord Tyto wanted us to stay all day, but my father has unfinished business in the West and we must leave today."

"In that case I hope you have a safe trip back home," she smiled, though it was a strange smile, different from the others she had given me.

"Can… can I see you after lunch? It's just... I want to thank you for saving me."

Anyway. I must have been red as a tomato, but hell, I couldn't let her go just like that.

"I'd love to see you after lunch," she grinned one last time, and walked away with an agile movement.

I had to put up with Fridd and Ardren's jokes, because, yes, it was obvious that somehow I liked the princess of Hyrule. And it wasn't something that happened to me often really, I'd forgotten the last time I'd felt something hit me so hard all of a sudden. I couldn't do anything about it, I thought, as we headed off to lunch with Lord Tyto. I was no important, I was a foreigner, a barbarian, and my options with someone like her were… I had no options with someone like her. But I sensed that there was something going on between us, I wasn't the only one who had felt it, and... it was just one day, just one moment when I could get close to such a woman and... I had to see her one more time before we left, that's all.

"You've never been so brave, Captain, to court a princess in the middle of a diplomatic visit...", Ardren teased me.

"You better shut your mouth. I don't want it to be known. Besides, I'm not courting anyone here, damn it, I just want to see her one more time before we leave." I elbowed him under the table. Dad had already shot me a look of fury when he saw that the three of us had arrived by the skin of our teeth, just as they had started to set the table.

"Link does it out of gratitude," Fridd reasoned, "it's the right thing to do, even though she's from Hyrule… our natural enemies."

"You're dreaming, moblin's head. The captain does it because that girl is so-

I covered Ardren's mouth before he could utter an obscenity in front of the rito. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lord Tyto beckon me closer. I looked at my father and he nodded, so I approached the table over which they both presided.

"Captain Link, I wanted to thank you in person," Lord Tyto said.

"Sir?"

"My officers have told me how you helped to exterminate the lynels that threatened our region. We don't have experience in hunting those beasts. They say you and your sword have accounted many."

"It's an honour to help the rito. Your people have always helped the West when we've needed it."

"Well, you can come to my house as if it were your own whenever you need to."

"Thank you, sir. You're also welcome in the Nest."

At that moment, Lord Tyto stood up and raised his glass. He made a nice toast to the union of the two neighbouring countries, and to all the work that still needed to be done to keep the peace and regain the things we lost in the war. The things we lost in the war... that tasted bittersweet, I found it hard to swallow, for every now and then the emptiness came back to me, real as the wine we had toasted with, and I was sure that I'd left behind important things that made me feel alone and out of place, things that would never come back.

When I came out of lunch I found Impa, the sheikah woman, at the door, waiting for me. The truth was that I had intended to look for the princess and I didn't know where to start, and in the excitement of the moment I didn't agree on a meeting point, so seeing her there made things easier.

"The princess will meet you here," she handed me a piece of paper with a drawing of the place, "it's not far away, ascending the path surrounding the rock until you see a hollow with a stone statue of the goddess Hylia."

"I have no bad intentions," I confessed, seeing her suspicious face, "I just want to thank her again."

"Don't worry, I'll leave you two alone if that's what you're implying," she folded her arms, "I've seen how harmless you and your men are."

" It's reassuring that she has someone like you by her side," I said, without thinking. My ears suddenly burned as I realised what I'd said, and I could see the look of surprise on her face at the comment.

"Don't look out too far over the edge of platforms and rooftops, the princess is reckless sometimes," she said, and with a nod of her head she said goodbye to me.

I went to the cabin where my family and I stayed and grabbed a cloak, with the altitude and the sunset, it would start to get quite cold in the village. I had to deal with Frea's questions, by Or and the thousand hells, she was relentless. I know it was strange that I didn't stay behind to accompany the diplomatic visit with Dad and Lord Tyto or just warm my feet by the fire like the others did. I told her I was just curious about the village and left her with her mouth open and more untold questions.

I waited for Zelda in front of the stone statue. I was pretty nervous because of my boldness and because it was something I never used to do. Besides, she was a princess, what the hell was I thinking? She probably thought I was an idiot. For playing in the lake without knowing how to swim and for thinking I had seen... something... in someone in her position. Surely she'd agreed to meet me out of pure diplomacy and pity, that's what.

"Link, I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

I felt a kind of rush when I saw her again, and any shadow of doubt or regret disappeared, because it was worth the risk.

"Don't worry! I've hardly waited at all."

"I tried to hurry, but I forgot my cloak and went back to look for it."

"I've gone looking for mine, too."

"Oh! What skin is it made of?"

"It's deer and wolf."

"Interesting, the manufacture of the cloaks always makes me curious."

"Sure."

I stared at her and tried to ignore the noise my pulse made on my chest and head. Now that I had her in front of me, I had no idea what to say or do so as not to look like a moron.

"Sorry, I don't know what I'm saying," she apologized, with the blush I saw in the lake raising again on her cheeks, "I admit that I'm a little nervous."

That she admitted that gave me wings and made me smile. Because I was feeling the same, I wasn't the only one apparently.

"Shall we go for a walk, Link? I was going to show you a flying platform at the top," she continued, "from there you can see the border with your country."

As we climbed, she explained to me about the rito village, how safe it was, being on a huge stone pillar, almost impregnable unless the enemy could fly. As we walked and talked, I became more confident. She found what I was telling her interesting, she didn't seem bored with me. I saw her smile and blush when I looked her in the eye and... by Or, she grabbed my wrist once to make me stop and look at something on the horizon and I could still feel her touch on me, as if she had marked me there forever. It wasn't good, because that only served to stun me with the desire for her to touch me again.

"Wait! Don't sit there!" I exclaimed, seeing that she intended to sit on the edge of the flying platform, and I remembered the words of the sheikah woman.

"Do you have vertigo?"

"No, it's not that."

I didn't have vertigo but seeing her so close to the edge did make me feel kind of dizzy. She laughed at my cowardice to my face and I endured her taunts, but she agreed to let us sit on the wood floor, a little away from the edge and the air currents whistling off the cliff.

"From here you can also see the landscape," I said.

"And it's much safer, isn't it, Captain Link?" she mocked, laughing again.

"As long as the hylians don't fly, we're better off here."

For a moment we both relaxed, it was cold because of the altitude, but the temperature was still bearable. The sun was horribly close to the horizon, time had gone by so fast, too fast, and seeing the orange sunset sky reminded me that we didn't have much left, soon I would have to leave with my family for home and say goodbye to everything that was happening to me.

"I'm glad to talk to someone who understands me," she confessed, "I haven't felt so comfortable talking to someone in a long time. People often look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them about the little I remember. It's a selfish feeling, but I hate that the war has not treated us all equally."

"It's the same with me. If I tell them I don't remember when or why I moved to the Eagle's Nest, they look away. If I tell them I feel like someone has plundered my fortress and taken a treasure from there, they just say: take it easy, Link. But I can't, I know I miss something important. That's why I like to hunt lynels, it's not because I'm some kind of hero or something. It's because it makes me forget all that crap."

"You look like a kind of hero or something to me," she teased, "you've been taking a lot of risks and the people respect you, even the rito, I've heard what they say about you. But..."

"Stop it right there! You were doing fine just before the but," I joked, making her laugh.

"… but you can't swim, it's pretty weird and funny. It's not typical of heroes."

"Someone should teach me."

"True, someone should."

I wanted to say "you, you should", but the words got stuck inside me. I could only look at her and wanted to kiss her so badly, I was consumed by her, I couldn't think of anything else than kissing her and I was paralysed, I couldn't stand the electricity between us, like when lightning strikes the ground and all the air fills with sparks that give you goose bumps.

"Link..."

I felt her hand crawl up my arm to my shoulder and I leaned towards her. We were alone and I didn't care, and neither did she, I could see it in her eyes. I had closed mine and was almost about to reach her lips, when I heard a sort of distant mewl, and footsteps on the wood of the platform. Zelda jumped up and I froze in place. "Almost, Link," I thought in frustration. I knew there would be no second chance to try to kiss her, second chances are rare, especially with princesses from a foreign country.

I snorted and approached Zelda and the other maid who had just arrived with my ears down, like the beaten dog I was at that moment.

"When did he wake up?" Zelda asked the maid.

"A little while ago, I tried to calm him down, but there was no way, Your Highness. He cried non-stop."

"He's a little traitor, look how soon he shut up as soon as he's with me. Thanks for bringing him, Mel."

Zelda had a tiny bundle in her arms that made sort of soothing noises as it clung to her. That was the mewling, it was a baby, it wasn't some forest fox or a cat, how could there be foxes or cats in the rito village?

I felt like a complete idiot and didn't know what to say, so I coughed so they both knew I was still there, like a stunner.

"Oh, Mel, this is Captain Link, from the neighbouring kingdom of the West," Zelda said, with a rush. The girl waved at me and I leaned over to greet her, "I was showing him around the village. Do you mind coming back and giving us a minute alone? I'll keep the baby, don't worry. I just have to say goodbye."

"Sure, Your Highness. Pleasure to meet you, Captain Link."

"My pleasure too."

Once alone, Zelda's nervousness became more real, as did my discomfort. The only happy one was the baby, who breathed a sigh of relief to be with her again.

"He's very gluttonous, and believe me he's eaten a lot," she justified herself, unable to look me in the eye, "I thought he'd sleep more after such a meal, but he's very little and this long journey has upset him a little bit. Although on the other hand I thought it would be good to take a trip with him, the roads are safe now and... I haven't left the castle in a long time, as I told you."

I kept looking at her as she swung the baby with more energy than he needed, probably due to the discomfort of the moment.

"You have a son," I babbled.

"Faren, this is Captain Link, from the Eagle's Nest. Link, this is my son Faren."

I had tried to kiss her. Not only that, but I'd also tried to kiss her after flirting with her all day, a princess, I thought that... oh, dammit, I wish I could fly just like the rito. How could such a woman not be married and have a family? I must have been blind not to have seen it coming. I guess I got drunk on the idea of being able to make her nervous or blush when I approached.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, frowning, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Faren before, but we were having such a good time that... I didn't want to hide this from you, it's not a secret what happened to the King's daughter, everyone knows it and I thought you knew it too so... I just assumed you knew it."

"I... I feel a bit silly, I hope I didn't offend you."

Her expression changed completely, there was no more nervousness. Instead, she faded away as if the light she had radiated all day had suddenly gone.

"You couldn't offend me in any way. No man had treated me this well despite my condition, so in any case it was the most pleasant afternoon I can remember."

"Your condition? Which condition?"

She smiled and struck a different pose, stretched and spoke to me with the formality with which I suppose she dispatched peasants who came to Hyrule Castle to seek an audience to discuss land boundaries.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Captain, I'll keep a good memory of this day. We don't want to keep you any longer, and it's cold up here for the baby. I wish you a safe trip back."

"Thank you, but-

"Goodbye, Link."

She left before I could say anything. I thought of following her, of stopping her and... what was I going to tell her? That I had fallen in love with her in just one day, that she had deceived me with the illusion of believing that she felt something too? It was better that way. Even if she hadn't been married, even if she didn't already have a life and a family, I couldn't fit in. I would have kissed her and then what?

We made the return journey in the evening.

Dad insisted on returning in the day, declining Lord Tyto's offer to sleep in the village and travel early. I was grateful, I couldn't stay there another minute, tortured by my shameful behaviour. I couldn't stay knowing she was there too.

Fridd and Ardren realised that something was wrong, of course, but they put the jokes aside when I told them that Princess Zelda already had a family and that I had interpreted something different.

"She may already be married and have a child, but I don't think you misunderstood anything, Link, the girl was receptive from the beginning, you saw it, and we saw it. I swear it by Or," Ardren said.

"Stop it now. It's better to forget that all this has happened as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry, Captain," Fridd said, patting my back.

I decided to travel in the wagon, away from my father and friends, who were on their horses. I wasn't in the mood to pretend that nothing had happened in front of them, let alone my father's scrutiny. I expected him to reprimand me for my behaviour at the lake and for being absent all afternoon. I didn't want to argue with him. The wagon was slow and steady; it would be good for me to clear my head.

"Can I sit with you, Link?" Frea asked, poking her head through the slit of the canvas that covered the cart.

"Of course. How's Mabet?"

"He fell asleep back there. Too many emotions for a boy his age, you know," she said, sitting next to me.

"I hope he had a good time today."

"Of course, he'll be talking about this adventure for weeks. Above all, it will help you him to show off with the boys from Nightfall."

"That's great."

For a while we were silent. I lit the lantern, it was now fully dark, the road was familiar, but it could be treacherous and I didn't want a wheel to get stuck or break.

"You don't seem very cheerful," she observed.

"I'm fine, just tired," I shrugged.

"I'm very happy to have come with you," she smiled, "truly a beautiful place, the home of Lord Tyto. And he's a leader of a great nobility, admitting someone like me at his table."

"You honour his table."

"You're exaggerating!" she laughed, giving me an affectionate tap on the shoulder, "it's a real shame that we didn't stay for dinner anyway. You know I heard that King Rhoam's daughter herself was in the village? Sometimes your dad is too stubborn, I hope we haven't caused an offense to the royal family."

My heart skipped a beat as I thought of her again, of her eyes by the lake, of the electricity of her touch, of everything.

"Lord Tyto will explain it to the princess of Hyrule, I'm sure she'll understand," I said, trying to sound convincing.

"I'd have liked to meet her so much... Anyway," she sighed, "it's a pity about that young lady."

"A pity? Why?"

"What world do you live in, Link? Her story has crossed all the borders, there is no one who hasn't heard such news, even more so when it comes to a royal family."

"I don't know about royals," I shrugged. And I didn't want to know again... Never again. Frea began chattering about the royal family, things she gossiped about sometimes.

"... and it happened after the older prince was lost, she was appointed heiress above the little one. The young prince was going to be appointed a priest or something like that, but then the king discovered with surprise that the princess got pregnant during the Dark War, a scandal!"

"What the hell do you mean?" My heart began to beat violently in my chest.

"You look like a fool, Link. The girl lost her virtue, to a stranger, a criminal... who knows, there are many dark stories about that. And her son is a bastard, how could the king of Hyrule put up with such an offence? There's no way he could marry a daughter with a bastard..."

"So, ... isn't Princess Zelda married?" I went from surprise to vertigo. 'Her condition', was that it? Did she feel like some sort of discarded dish at a banquet? Had someone raped her and she had to pay by not being queen? It was so unfair...

"Of course not! And that's a real nightmare for old Rhoam. The logical thing would have been to hide her pregnancy, to give the baby to a good servant of the king to ensure his well-being. But apparently the princess refused and claimed that the child was hers and that the baby was above Hyrule's crown, can you imagine?"

"I... I see..." I babbled. I imagined her like that, unable to give up her baby, that fitted in with what little I had known of her. And I could not have offended her more with my attitude.

"I know that Rhoam has tried to marry her, but of course no neighbouring prince, near or far away, accepts a female mother of a war bastard, whether she is a princess of Hyrule or not."

I thought of the baby, small and helpless, breathing happily against her. Goddesses, the world of royalty made me gag. Of all the words I could think of for the baby, the last one was "bastard". It was such a dirty word, so far removed from what I'd seen...

"There are some vassals, minor knights, mostly widowed and too old... they are the ones who have been persuaded by the king to try to court the princess. It's the only way for old Rhoam to cover up the family's shame."

"What about the baby's father?"

"No one knows who he is. And if the princess knows, she keeps quiet. Rumour has it that she blames it on the Dark War. If he were someone dangerous, he might return to claim riches from old Rhoam, as a kind of blackmail to the crown. This means that very few men dare to court the princess, even though the king makes few conditions for it and offers a great reward, so they say..."

"That's because none of those decrepit old knights you say deserve her. They just want to... I don't know, take advantage. But I assure you that if she was my wife and someone dangerous came to claim something from her, he'd have to deal with me. Disgusting Hyrule..." I mumbled. And I felt like screaming or punching something. If I had known before, I wouldn't have acted like such a jerk.

I turned to Frea and saw that she was looking at me with a question mark on her face.

"I didn't know you were so interested in this kind of news."

"I just can't stand injustice."

"You're too kind, Link. That's why Lord Tyto wanted to see you in person. You help people, everyone knows, they know you're a hero."

"I wish it were true."