Chapter Four
Spring was by far the most beautiful season Termina ever saw. Leaves were the color of emeralds, and the flower petals themselves looked like gemstones of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The weather wasn't blistering hot nor glacial cold. Because it was such a perfect time of year, it was also when Clock Town received the most tourists, either dressed in furs and heading to the mountains of Snowhead or wearing mysterious shoes called sandals and going to the oceanic Great Bay.
By break of the day, the guilt over Azaelia's head was so strong, she awoke early, at four-thirty, to go to the Stock Pot Inn and cook breakfast for the tenants. She sat up in bed, and looked to her right. There were her mother and father, sleeping peacefully. Azaelia got up and put on a simple dark green gown, and pulled half of her hair into a braid. The rest of it fell down her back. Royal regulations said that she needed to wear a tiara or a circlet on her head, but Azaelia overlooked that, for today was she a commoner again.
Clock Town was peaceful at such an early hour. The children were sleeping in their beds, safe and warm, so the streets lacked the cries, shouts and giggles of kids. The adults were resting as well, exhausted from yesterday's busy preparations. Azaelia again glanced at her parents. No doubt they were fatigued. She wondered where Impa was. She was most likely staying at the inn. Azaelia also noticed that Navi had slept in her bed last night, for she was still there, a little white glow on the blankets.
She crept outside and strolled down the flight of stairs to where Anju's inn was. She removed her key from her pocket, unlocked the main door, and stepped inside.
And what a display the inn had! The floor was a polished mahogany, and the walls an off-white. A watercolor painting of the magnificent morning sunrise hung on one wall, and on another was a pictograph of Anju and Kafei on their wedding day. Azaelia flinched as she remembered the secret she and Navi were keeping. But the she reminded herself that she was there to help Anju, not to break her heart. Though she wanted to see the other rooms, she decided to do that later, and made her way to the kitchen.
There she cooked breakfast, which would be distributed to the guests at nine o'clock that morning. She squeezed oranges for juice, and found a dozen Cucco eggs for omelets. The aroma floating out of the kitchen was mouthwatering, especially when Azaelia began baking bread. She sighed with content. When she had worked at the inn, she had cleaned all day, while Anju cooked, and Leila, Anju's mother, stood at the desk where visitors checked in. Cooking was much more fun than those things.
She'd been working for an hour when she heard a mumbling groan behind her. She turned to see Anju standing there, still in her nightclothes, her hair mussed and rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Huhh...Azaelia, what are you doing here at this hour?"
"Helping you," Azaelia said cheerfully. She grabbed a tray off the kitchen's wodden table and put a plate of food on it. Then she handed it to Anju, still confounded and puzzled, like she always was when she woke up. "Here. Have some breakfast. I looked in your appointment book; your first guest is due at seven. Room 17. I'll go clean that up now while you eat." She pulled a chair out for Anju, who plopped down.
"Azaelia," Anju said, "you don't have to do this. You...you're on vacation."
"You've got it all wrong, Anju," Azaelia responded. She took a quick bite of egg. "I want to help you. I've missed working here, so I'm gonna make up for it this week."
Anju shook her head but said nothing.
"So..." Anju said. She stirred the hot beverage she was preparing in a large pot on the stove. "When does Kafei wake up?"
"He'll be up any minute," Anju answered. "Why do you ask?" Her eyed locked on Azaelia, not chary, but with curiosity.
Azaelia shrugged as she swirled the liquid inside the pot absently. "Oh...just wondering. Hey, maybe he can take you out for lunch or something while I take care of things here," she suggested. She was hoping that if they went out for a romantic meal, he might tell her about Cremia and her perils.
Anju tilted her head thoughtfully. "I dunno. Maybe. I'm not going to force him to go out," she told Azaelia, who nodded grimly. She rapped her stirring ladle on the side of the pot.
"Well," Azaelia said, "I'm going to ring the breakfast bell, and then I'll hurry to tidy up Room 17. You go back to bed," she instructed Anju.
"All right," Anju agreed reluctantly. "But if you need anything at all, come wake me, alright? Promise?"
Azaelia nodded.
Anju trudged out the door and back to her room, while Azaelia chimed the breakfast bell. Guests flooded into the kitchen, some hungry and impatient to get breakfast, others solely wanting to see Princess Azaelia. She smiled good-naturedly, eager to get other things done.
After she had enjoyed a quick breakfast herself, Azaelia went to Room 17 to clean up. She was putting sheets on a cot when she heard a "Hey!" from outside the casement. She glanced up and saw a familiar white blur of light. Navi, and she was flying about uneasily.
Azaelia hurried to open the window. Navi flew in. She seemed to be looking around when Azaelia blurted, "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"
"Of course not," Navi said. "But I had to let you know. Cremia is still in town. I saw her over in the west."
Azaelia's heart skipped a beat. "Navi, what're we gonna do?! She's looking for Kafei, I know it!"
"Of course she is!" Navi answered back. "Where are they, anyway?"
"Still sleeping," Azaelia said, blue eyes wide with dread.
There was a pause, when Navi said edgily, "So? What do you want me to do?"
"Find Cremia and trail her. If she gets anywhere near here...um...distract her. Come back here if you need me. I'll try not to let Anju and Kafei out of the inn."
Navi nodded. "I'm on it. Good luck, Princess." With that, she flew out of the open window.
Azaelia sighed and got back to her cleaning. At seven o'clock, their guest came, and Azaelia was shocked to see that it was a pirate! Pirates lived in the east part of Great Bay, inside a fortess. They were striking but mean, and all-female. Still, Azaelia gave the pirate her key and settled back into her chair at the front desk.
And that was how her day went, guests coming or departing, cooking lunch and bringing it to the rooms, cleaning. It was hard work, but Azaelia enjoyed it more than she had enjoyed her two years as a noblewoman. Perhaps it was because this was the life she was used to.
Over the course of the day, she didn't hear back from Navi, so the presumed everything was okay. Eventually, she forgot about Cremia and was working industriously.
Arond two o'clock, she was dusting in the lobby with Anju sitting at the front desk when Luken came in with the mail. "Afternoon, Anju," he said. He set her letters down on the table and looked around. Azaelia gawked at him for a minute. He became aware of her and said, "Princess," in acknowledgement.
Azaelia merely nodded at him before walking swiftly out of the foyer and into the kitchen.
She didn't know what she felt for this boy, named Luken. Part of her liked him and wanted to sit with him for hours to try to unearth the inscrutability that shielded him, even though she knew that was infeasible. Her father, Link, could hardly warm up to his own daughter, so there was no guarantee Luken would ever accept her. But the other half of her disliked him strongly. Why did he have to call her 'Princess' instead of by her name? Is that how his parents taught him? Azaelia was profoundly intrigued by the handsome young boy, but she forced her mind away from him, which wasn't easy.
Luken watched Azaelia go, and then turned back to Anju, resting his palms on the desk. "What's she doing here?" he asked, nodding at the direction Azaelia had gone in.
"Helping me," Anju said vaguely. She groped through the documents, books, and quills on her desk, then handed him a stack of letters. "Deliver these, will ya? I'd appreciate it."
Luken nodded and stuffed the letters into his red mailbag. "She's helping you? Why?" He was still staring at her path, a foggy look on his face. WHY? he asked inside his head. Why do I have to fall for the most beautiful girl in the land, whom I know absolutely nothing about? She may be gorgeous, but that doesn't mean she's a good person... His thoughts would not reconcile. The pure sight of Azaelia excited him so. Those sapphire blue eyes, that just last night had locked on his as they chatted. Her flaxen hair, falling down her back and swishing as she walked. If she was that pretty not smiling, imagine how stunning she would be when she did! The thought left him breathless! But Anju could not know that.
Anju have him a hard stare and asked, "Why does that surprise you so?"
He shrugged. "She's a princess. Isn't she supposed to sit around while we wait on her?" His heart thudded around in his chest as he envisioned her face.
Anju smiled and shook her head, auburn hair bouncing. "Most princesses weren't raised as commoners," she laughed.
Luken looked thoughful. "True," he said. If only she was still a commoner!
They were silent for a moment, until Anju said, "We have work to do. Go deliver my letters, please." She grinned.
Luken leered at her. "All right. I'll be back soon." It just slipped out.
"Oh..." Anju was about to return to her manuscripts when she realized what he had said. "What? What d'you mean, you'll back be back?"
Luken gave a small shrug. "It's what you said about the princess being different..."
Anju wore a skeptical look.
"She inspires me," Luken said softly. "When I come back, I'm gonna help her help you." Yes, he was. He was going to spend his afternoon with Princess Azaelia of Hyrule, the most attractive girl in all the world! He was even more enthused than before.
And then he was out the door. Anju could only sit and stare, then smile.
~~~
"Azaelia still refers to herself as Terminan," Queen Zelda was confiding to Kafei.
They were at the mayor's house, in the drawing room. The mayor and Madame Aroma were out, making sure everything in town was going well. Kafei sat in his mother's scarlet velvet chair, with the queen perched on the navy sofa beside him.
Kafei previously knew how Azaelia portayed herself before the queen had told him, but for the her sake, he acted as if he didn't. Her eyes were already rich with rage.
"Well," Kafei said, "physically Azaelia may be a Hylian. She's got the pointy ears to prove it."
Zelda let a tiny smile form on her lips. But, being a royal, she couldn't show too much emotion.
"But," Kafei persisted, making eye contact with the queen, "she was brought up here, your majesty. Maybe someday, Hyrule will be home, but she hasn't been there for that long. It might take years before she accepts the change."
"I hope it's soon," Zelda said, and Kafei detected a touch of panic in her voice. "Someday not far off, she'll have to marry and be queen. And I for one don't think she can handle it...I mean, she insisted on sleeping at your inn last night. I didn't let her, of course, but...oh, nevermind. It's frustrating. I wish she'd act her status."
Kafei was hurt and angry. What was wrong with his inn? With Anju's inn? But he was not one to show how he truly felt about important matters, so he forced his irate away.
"I don't think status is important to Azaelia," Kafei responded. He looked over at the small table beside his mother's chair, and saw a bottle of wine and a few goblets there. "Care for a drink, Highness?" he asked, pouring himself some.
"Please," Zelda said.
He decanted some into another chalice unblemished wineglass and gave it to the queen, who sipped it daintily. "So," she started, "how are things with you and young Anju?" Kafei and Anju reminded her of what her and Link had when they were young: hard love, love that suffered because they lacked time to nourish it, but love that would survive in the end.
"Good, thanks," Kafei said. He remembered his encounter with Cremia the night before and squirmed uneasily. The queen gave him a concerned look but said nothing.
When he and Anju were dating, before they wed, Cremia was the sweetest girl Kafei had ever met, other than Anju. She was strong, because when he father died she took over his dairy farm, no questions asked. Kafei admired that so, and thought highly of her. But while she harbored strong, lusty sentiments for him, he had nothing to offer her other than his comradeship. At first Cremia thought he would come around. When Anju was occupied with the inn, Cremia and Kafei spent days together, just talking. The conversations they'd had were subterranean, and Kafei poured his heart out to her when Anju was too busy and stressed to listen. Cremia was sure she'd won his love. But she hadn't. Kafei and Anju got married, and that's when Cremia grew evil, resentful and cunning, and she began forcing Kafei to perform sexual acts with her or else she would kill Anju. He was petrified of her now. The girl who could've been his best friend was now his nightmare.
"Are you planning to have children?" the queen asked curiously, taking a drink of wine, blinking at him.
Kafei mulled over the idea. He had to deal with Cremia before he could have kids with Anju. He knew that. "We actually haven't talked about it," he divulged. "But, y'know, we're young, and things've been so hectic at the inn, it'd be hard to concentrate on anything else."
"I know what you mean," Zelda said. "In Hyrule it seems like every other day there's something bad happening." A sad, secluded look was in her eyes.
She was stiff, and prescribed, and loved to be known as queen. Azaelia was the opposite; she wanted everyone to forget her title and just treat her normally. Zelda seemed to have a thirst to be adulationed that could never be quenched.
"Like what?" Kafei asked.
Zelda sighed. "Well...there've been phantoms in our land. Kafei, our worlds may be very diverse in some ways, but in others, they are a lot alike. You see, recently some soldiers were exploring the ruins beyond our territory, when they came across a mysterious castle. We looked in books for hours, but we found nothing about other citadels other than our own. My husband and his men went to investigate further, and they found dozens of Stalchilds there. And they seemed to be speaking in their own tongue, but we can't interpret it. So my husband destroyed them, and now ghosts of them roam Hyrule, and some are still seen in the castle we found. We're trying to find out more, but..."
"Stalchilds?" Kafei interrupted. "We have our own castle as well, Majesty. The Ancient Castle of Ikana is where ReDeads and Stalchilds stray without restraint."
Zelda looked thoughtful, and she leaned forward. "Tell me more..."
"Well," Kafei said, "first tell me about your Stalchilds. What are they like in Hyrule?" He was relieved to her his mind of Cremia, and Anju. A headache terrorized his brain.
"I don't know very much, but my husband has come across them many times," Zelda answered. "But our Stalchilds only come out at night, in our Hyrule Field, similiar to your Termina Field. If they see someone, they'll follow them around, ceaselessly slashing them with their claws."
"What do they look like?"
Zelda paused. "Skeletons," she said with a shiver.
Kafei nodded knowingly. "Yes, so do ours. Well, Majesty, we must be a bit more academic here in Termina, because from what our scholars have discovered, Stalchilds are the soldiers of our Ancient Ikana Castle. Hundreds of years ago they were cursed, and now they are found in Ikana Canyon, still searching for their leader and awaiting his orders."
Queen Zelda's eyes were huge. "What else do you know?" She looked like a child, even though she was age thirty-seven, so interested and determined.
Kafei smiled a little and continued. "Well, a mask was created the allows the one who wears it to converse with the Stalchilds. However, it is the mask of their leader, so when the Stalchilds see the person wearing the mask, they think it is their master. It also permits the mask wearer to communicate with them and tell them what to do. Majesty, I want to help you. Somehow I will find that mask and give it to you to take home, so you can drive away these creatures."
Zelda shook her head and closed her eyes. "No, Kafei, that isn't neccessary. Surely there is another way. I will not have you risk your life for me." The worry and corncern in her voice actually seemed genuine. This surprised Kafei.
Kafei smirked and leaned toward the queen. "No offense your highness, but if Stalchilds are troubling Hyrule, they're haunting your daughter's home. And I love Azaelia like she is my own daughter. I'll do anything to protect her."
The queen was blank for a second, for never before had anyone been so mordantly disrepectful in her presence.
"What are you going to do?" she asked Kafei quietly.
"I'll find the mask," Kafei said. "Somehow."
~~~
"Yer daughter's a dish," Mutoh implied loudly to the king, Link, who didn't know what to say.
"She looks jus' like 'er mother!" Mutoh concluded.
Link blinked a few times in a row, astonished that someone would say such a thing about his wife, especially in his company.
Mutoh burst our in hilarity. "Haw haw haw! Jus' kiddin'! Haw haw haw haw!" He slapped the king on the back. "I'm jus' kiddin' my friend. Dun worry. I gotta wife of my own anyhow, Majesty."
Link nodded numbly.
"So how's everythin' in the country o' yours?" Mutoh asked seriously.
"We're being invaded by phantom Stalchilds," Link said, "but other than that, it's good."
They were standing in East Clock Town, not far from Anju's inn. Mutoh was drinking cold milk, and Link nibbled at a pastry every so often.
"So tell me," Mutoh said, "is 'Zaelia gonna get married anytime soon?"
He hadn't gotten especially close with his daughter, despite the fact that they were a lot alike, from what Navi and Impa told him. All he knew was that she was beautiful (as Mutoh had said, she looked just like her mother), daring, and missed her Termina friends deeply. He longed to show her sword techniques and magic, but couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He felt he had betrayed her all her life, because they had waited until she was nearly an adult before finding her. He wanted to kiss her goodnight.
It wasn't her fault; Azaelia was not at all distant. She was warm, sociable, and welcoming. It was he who needed to come out of his shell to greet his grown-up baby.
Link smiled and shook his head. "Royal regulations say she has to be twenty or over."
"Ahhh," Mutoh said in response. "An' she is...?"
"Seventeen."
"Ah, I see. She's young, she's got plenty o' time. Young an' beautiful. She'll 'ave no trouble findin' a man, that's for sure!" He laughed again.
They didn't speak for a moment, until Mutoh said, "So in yer country, do you royals marry for love? Or do ya have arranged marriages?"
"My wife wants to arrange it for Azaelia," Link answered. "She thinks Azaelia's too intractable to find a man herself. But I don't think so, I think she'll find somebody."
"Course she will!" Mutoh exclaimed. "But what 'bout you and her majesty? Was yer marriage planned by yer parents?"
"I met Zelda when I was a child," Link told him. "Actually...yes, we were quite young. But she told me Hyrule was in trouble and that we were the only two people who could save it. I was unconvinced, but in the long run I believed her. And we rescued Hyrule."
Link didn't bother telling Mutoh about the Temple of Time, or Ganondorf. He'd just laugh and call him a liar anyway, she Link kept his mouth shut. He memories of those eerie, bizarre years loitered at the edge of his mind. He thought of them often. Yet another story he longed to tell Azaelia.
"Interesting love story," Mutoh remarked.
"I suppose it is," Link said. "After Hyrule was safe, we were good friends for years. I proposed to her when we were very young. I was Azaelia's age, and Zelda was fifteen. But she said yes...and five years later we wed."
"Awww...how sweet," Mutoh laughed and hit Link on the shoulder. "Y'know, Link, you should come to the Bar with us again tonight. You seemed to have fun last night!"
Link decided not to admit that he had been drunk. "Perhaps," he said. His worry for Hyrule had proceeded to make him consume so much Chateau, he could hardly walk. Zelda had been very disappointed in him.
"C'mon." Mutoh put his arm around the king. "A little fun never hurt anybody..."
~~~
Back at the Stock Pot Inn, Azaelia was in the inn study. She was supposed to be cleaning, but she couldn't help it: she had settled in the armchair by the fireplace, reading a thick book with long, eloquent words she could hardly understand. She knew Anju wouldn't mind, but Luken had been helping her wordlessly all afternoon, and she was afraid of what he might say if he found her.
Her feelings for Luken had congealed, and now they were set in stone in Azaelia's mind. Affection with an ill-mannered twist. She couldn't meet his gaze when he spoke to her. She was glad he hadn't all day. He had followed her from room to room, doing what he thought needed to be done, but that was it. No discussion, but was saying something to her. She wished she understood...
A half hour passed before he found her. When he came in, he was holding a duster. He gave Azaelia a disappointed smile and said, "Princess..." censoriously. His heart pounded and for a second he feared she might hear it.
The apprehension Azaelia had felt toward him evaporated. He was treating her like a child, and that rankled her. "What?" she snapped fiercely. Yes, he was very handsome, but what right did he have to make her feel inferior?
Luken held up his hands, surrendering. "Nothing, Princess. Just surprised that you weren't working." He walked evenly over to the wooden bookshelf and began dusting. Azaelia's intense blue eyes followed his every movement. She was annoyed that she didn't have the same affect on him as he did on her.
"What do you mean?" she demanded angrily. She stayed seated, trying not to get worked up.
He turned to face her. Farore, she was beautiful.
Luken shrugged. "Ah, never you mind, Princess. You are royalty, you shouldn't have to work..." His voice trailed off. He longed to grab her and wrap his arms around her, but he told himself no. Control. Could he control her? He wanted to try. Perhaps she was not as authoritative as she seemed.
"Excuse me?" Azaelia's temper flared, and she stood up. "Who cleaned the entire kitchen and made lunch today? Hmm?"
"You did, Princess," Luken said simply. "With my assistance."
Azaelia didn't protest. Luken enjoyed seeing the beautiful, powerful royal back down to him. As much as he wished she was rude, demanding and arrogant, she just wasn't. She was kind, charitable, and from what Anju said, adventurous. But in his heart, Luken knew she was more than that.
She was everything.
They continued to work for the rest of the day. Again, they did not speak. Azaelia at one point got so close to him when arranging the bookshelf in the study that she could feel his breath on her face. She shivered, and he turned away. That occurance stayed with her all afternoon, and she must have replayed it in her mind a hundred times before Anju came in to eulogize them for their work.
"Maybe you should work her full-time," Anju teased Luken. "I didn't know you could clean so well!" She grinned.
Luken shook his head sadly and ran a hand through his dark chocolate hair. Smiling, he said, "Thanks for offer, Anju, but Azaelia did most of the labor here today."
Azaelia's heart skipped a beat. Was that a compliment? He heart believed it, but her mind did not.
Anju lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Azaelia, whose expression was blank. The girl shrugged. "Naw," she said. "Luken helped a lot." She shot him a glance that was not returned to her.
Anju continued to look at Azaelia, then back at Luken. He looked away from Anju's gaze and Azaelia's cheeks reddened. "I should get home," Azaelia said. She gave the clock a fleeting glance. "It's getting late."
It was Luken's turn to be surprised. "It's eight o'clock," he told her.
"Yes," Azaelia said. "I know." She gritted her teeth. He could change her mood so easily. That flattering remark he'd said just seconds ago made her soar, yet now this teasing made her want to strike him across the face.
Luken gaped at her. "You go to bed that early?"
"I'm tired," she said. The edge in her voice was back. She wasn't angry, but she knew Anju suspected something of them, and she didn't want her to, so the irate in her tone was required. But now she felt she couldn't be mad at Luken. He'd spent his entire day helping her. Azaelia's heart hadn't been into lending Anju a hand all day, but it did take her mind off Cremia and Kafei. Not to mention what had happened in the study. The highlight of my day, she admitted silently.
With a toss of her golden blonde hair and "Bye, Anju," Azaelia was out the door. She wanted to make a final eye contact with Luken but she didn't let herself. She was afraid of what she might see in those bottomless brown eyes--and of what hers might tell him.
She knew what hers would say. They'd tell him the words she'd practically been bursting to say since the moment she'd met him. Those words made her want to break down in tears and rip her own hair out. In disturbance, she put her hands in her hair and bit down on her lip, hard.
She meandered up the steps to the mayor's house, still troubled but trying to keep her cool. The receptionist, Elsa, sat at the tall, light coppice counter. She smiled at Azaelia, who nodded and said, "Hi Elsa," before heading into the room she was sharing with her parents.
Throwing her body onto her bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
~~~
Why was it so warm?
She kicked her covers off her legs and wriggled around. Beads of sweat fell down her face. Clamminess formed on her arms and legs as well. It was insufferable. She wanted to scream in irritation. All she wanted was to sleep. Oh, sleep, unfathomable dark sleep, where her dreams became reality. A place where Luken confessed his love for her under a shady tree, and their wedding, it was spectacular. Her gown was a clean bright white, with faerie dust sprinkled all over it, glittering, a crown on her head, blonde hair falling down her back. Her mother at last smiled at her daughter with pride. Her father walked her down the isle before giving her away to her Luken.
But why was it so hot?
He took her hand and pressed it to his heart, and beamed at her. She smiled back and closed her eyes, feeling emotions she'd never dared to think about before. He bent down to her, his face close to hers, breath on her cheek. She wanted to press her lips to his more than anything in the world, but she didn't, instead she took pleasure in being so close to Luken.
The ceremony began.
"I will never forget the day I first met you
Because I knew from that moment forward I would love you
Love...
Yes.
I love you--"
He cut short by a scream. Azaelia trembled and shivered. The scorching heat was getting to her head, she needed water...but why, why hadn't he said it? He loved her, she just needed...
Someone shook her arm. Not a gentle shake, but a hard one, like her life depended on it.
"AZAELIA! GET UP, NOW!" More screams. "PLEASE AZAELIA, WAKE UP! OHHHHH! OUCH, MY ARM...AZAELIA!"
She opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't.
Flames plagued the room. Everything, everything was burning to crisp. She saw her mother at the other side of the room, clinging to her father, crying in fear. Her arms and hands were smoldered, and her father was shooting ice arrows everywhere, doing everything in his power to stop the fire. But it was no use.
And then they hit her face. She plunged into a world of fire and lava. Everywhere she stepped, her whole body burned, until she dissolved into nothing, burning in the middle of room. No more than a few seconds after, her skin looked like coal.
Then she saw...
What...?!
Stalchilds. Hacking their claws at her and laughing a depraved snicker the resembled Cremia's. So many Stalchilds, and ReDeads, and...where was she? Those creatures... But oh, the burns! They slaughtered Azaelia to bits, until she lay on the sizzling ground, entreating for mercy.
Clock Town was on fire, and Azaelia was in the center of it.
Spring was by far the most beautiful season Termina ever saw. Leaves were the color of emeralds, and the flower petals themselves looked like gemstones of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The weather wasn't blistering hot nor glacial cold. Because it was such a perfect time of year, it was also when Clock Town received the most tourists, either dressed in furs and heading to the mountains of Snowhead or wearing mysterious shoes called sandals and going to the oceanic Great Bay.
By break of the day, the guilt over Azaelia's head was so strong, she awoke early, at four-thirty, to go to the Stock Pot Inn and cook breakfast for the tenants. She sat up in bed, and looked to her right. There were her mother and father, sleeping peacefully. Azaelia got up and put on a simple dark green gown, and pulled half of her hair into a braid. The rest of it fell down her back. Royal regulations said that she needed to wear a tiara or a circlet on her head, but Azaelia overlooked that, for today was she a commoner again.
Clock Town was peaceful at such an early hour. The children were sleeping in their beds, safe and warm, so the streets lacked the cries, shouts and giggles of kids. The adults were resting as well, exhausted from yesterday's busy preparations. Azaelia again glanced at her parents. No doubt they were fatigued. She wondered where Impa was. She was most likely staying at the inn. Azaelia also noticed that Navi had slept in her bed last night, for she was still there, a little white glow on the blankets.
She crept outside and strolled down the flight of stairs to where Anju's inn was. She removed her key from her pocket, unlocked the main door, and stepped inside.
And what a display the inn had! The floor was a polished mahogany, and the walls an off-white. A watercolor painting of the magnificent morning sunrise hung on one wall, and on another was a pictograph of Anju and Kafei on their wedding day. Azaelia flinched as she remembered the secret she and Navi were keeping. But the she reminded herself that she was there to help Anju, not to break her heart. Though she wanted to see the other rooms, she decided to do that later, and made her way to the kitchen.
There she cooked breakfast, which would be distributed to the guests at nine o'clock that morning. She squeezed oranges for juice, and found a dozen Cucco eggs for omelets. The aroma floating out of the kitchen was mouthwatering, especially when Azaelia began baking bread. She sighed with content. When she had worked at the inn, she had cleaned all day, while Anju cooked, and Leila, Anju's mother, stood at the desk where visitors checked in. Cooking was much more fun than those things.
She'd been working for an hour when she heard a mumbling groan behind her. She turned to see Anju standing there, still in her nightclothes, her hair mussed and rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Huhh...Azaelia, what are you doing here at this hour?"
"Helping you," Azaelia said cheerfully. She grabbed a tray off the kitchen's wodden table and put a plate of food on it. Then she handed it to Anju, still confounded and puzzled, like she always was when she woke up. "Here. Have some breakfast. I looked in your appointment book; your first guest is due at seven. Room 17. I'll go clean that up now while you eat." She pulled a chair out for Anju, who plopped down.
"Azaelia," Anju said, "you don't have to do this. You...you're on vacation."
"You've got it all wrong, Anju," Azaelia responded. She took a quick bite of egg. "I want to help you. I've missed working here, so I'm gonna make up for it this week."
Anju shook her head but said nothing.
"So..." Anju said. She stirred the hot beverage she was preparing in a large pot on the stove. "When does Kafei wake up?"
"He'll be up any minute," Anju answered. "Why do you ask?" Her eyed locked on Azaelia, not chary, but with curiosity.
Azaelia shrugged as she swirled the liquid inside the pot absently. "Oh...just wondering. Hey, maybe he can take you out for lunch or something while I take care of things here," she suggested. She was hoping that if they went out for a romantic meal, he might tell her about Cremia and her perils.
Anju tilted her head thoughtfully. "I dunno. Maybe. I'm not going to force him to go out," she told Azaelia, who nodded grimly. She rapped her stirring ladle on the side of the pot.
"Well," Azaelia said, "I'm going to ring the breakfast bell, and then I'll hurry to tidy up Room 17. You go back to bed," she instructed Anju.
"All right," Anju agreed reluctantly. "But if you need anything at all, come wake me, alright? Promise?"
Azaelia nodded.
Anju trudged out the door and back to her room, while Azaelia chimed the breakfast bell. Guests flooded into the kitchen, some hungry and impatient to get breakfast, others solely wanting to see Princess Azaelia. She smiled good-naturedly, eager to get other things done.
After she had enjoyed a quick breakfast herself, Azaelia went to Room 17 to clean up. She was putting sheets on a cot when she heard a "Hey!" from outside the casement. She glanced up and saw a familiar white blur of light. Navi, and she was flying about uneasily.
Azaelia hurried to open the window. Navi flew in. She seemed to be looking around when Azaelia blurted, "You didn't tell anyone, did you?"
"Of course not," Navi said. "But I had to let you know. Cremia is still in town. I saw her over in the west."
Azaelia's heart skipped a beat. "Navi, what're we gonna do?! She's looking for Kafei, I know it!"
"Of course she is!" Navi answered back. "Where are they, anyway?"
"Still sleeping," Azaelia said, blue eyes wide with dread.
There was a pause, when Navi said edgily, "So? What do you want me to do?"
"Find Cremia and trail her. If she gets anywhere near here...um...distract her. Come back here if you need me. I'll try not to let Anju and Kafei out of the inn."
Navi nodded. "I'm on it. Good luck, Princess." With that, she flew out of the open window.
Azaelia sighed and got back to her cleaning. At seven o'clock, their guest came, and Azaelia was shocked to see that it was a pirate! Pirates lived in the east part of Great Bay, inside a fortess. They were striking but mean, and all-female. Still, Azaelia gave the pirate her key and settled back into her chair at the front desk.
And that was how her day went, guests coming or departing, cooking lunch and bringing it to the rooms, cleaning. It was hard work, but Azaelia enjoyed it more than she had enjoyed her two years as a noblewoman. Perhaps it was because this was the life she was used to.
Over the course of the day, she didn't hear back from Navi, so the presumed everything was okay. Eventually, she forgot about Cremia and was working industriously.
Arond two o'clock, she was dusting in the lobby with Anju sitting at the front desk when Luken came in with the mail. "Afternoon, Anju," he said. He set her letters down on the table and looked around. Azaelia gawked at him for a minute. He became aware of her and said, "Princess," in acknowledgement.
Azaelia merely nodded at him before walking swiftly out of the foyer and into the kitchen.
She didn't know what she felt for this boy, named Luken. Part of her liked him and wanted to sit with him for hours to try to unearth the inscrutability that shielded him, even though she knew that was infeasible. Her father, Link, could hardly warm up to his own daughter, so there was no guarantee Luken would ever accept her. But the other half of her disliked him strongly. Why did he have to call her 'Princess' instead of by her name? Is that how his parents taught him? Azaelia was profoundly intrigued by the handsome young boy, but she forced her mind away from him, which wasn't easy.
Luken watched Azaelia go, and then turned back to Anju, resting his palms on the desk. "What's she doing here?" he asked, nodding at the direction Azaelia had gone in.
"Helping me," Anju said vaguely. She groped through the documents, books, and quills on her desk, then handed him a stack of letters. "Deliver these, will ya? I'd appreciate it."
Luken nodded and stuffed the letters into his red mailbag. "She's helping you? Why?" He was still staring at her path, a foggy look on his face. WHY? he asked inside his head. Why do I have to fall for the most beautiful girl in the land, whom I know absolutely nothing about? She may be gorgeous, but that doesn't mean she's a good person... His thoughts would not reconcile. The pure sight of Azaelia excited him so. Those sapphire blue eyes, that just last night had locked on his as they chatted. Her flaxen hair, falling down her back and swishing as she walked. If she was that pretty not smiling, imagine how stunning she would be when she did! The thought left him breathless! But Anju could not know that.
Anju have him a hard stare and asked, "Why does that surprise you so?"
He shrugged. "She's a princess. Isn't she supposed to sit around while we wait on her?" His heart thudded around in his chest as he envisioned her face.
Anju smiled and shook her head, auburn hair bouncing. "Most princesses weren't raised as commoners," she laughed.
Luken looked thoughful. "True," he said. If only she was still a commoner!
They were silent for a moment, until Anju said, "We have work to do. Go deliver my letters, please." She grinned.
Luken leered at her. "All right. I'll be back soon." It just slipped out.
"Oh..." Anju was about to return to her manuscripts when she realized what he had said. "What? What d'you mean, you'll back be back?"
Luken gave a small shrug. "It's what you said about the princess being different..."
Anju wore a skeptical look.
"She inspires me," Luken said softly. "When I come back, I'm gonna help her help you." Yes, he was. He was going to spend his afternoon with Princess Azaelia of Hyrule, the most attractive girl in all the world! He was even more enthused than before.
And then he was out the door. Anju could only sit and stare, then smile.
~~~
"Azaelia still refers to herself as Terminan," Queen Zelda was confiding to Kafei.
They were at the mayor's house, in the drawing room. The mayor and Madame Aroma were out, making sure everything in town was going well. Kafei sat in his mother's scarlet velvet chair, with the queen perched on the navy sofa beside him.
Kafei previously knew how Azaelia portayed herself before the queen had told him, but for the her sake, he acted as if he didn't. Her eyes were already rich with rage.
"Well," Kafei said, "physically Azaelia may be a Hylian. She's got the pointy ears to prove it."
Zelda let a tiny smile form on her lips. But, being a royal, she couldn't show too much emotion.
"But," Kafei persisted, making eye contact with the queen, "she was brought up here, your majesty. Maybe someday, Hyrule will be home, but she hasn't been there for that long. It might take years before she accepts the change."
"I hope it's soon," Zelda said, and Kafei detected a touch of panic in her voice. "Someday not far off, she'll have to marry and be queen. And I for one don't think she can handle it...I mean, she insisted on sleeping at your inn last night. I didn't let her, of course, but...oh, nevermind. It's frustrating. I wish she'd act her status."
Kafei was hurt and angry. What was wrong with his inn? With Anju's inn? But he was not one to show how he truly felt about important matters, so he forced his irate away.
"I don't think status is important to Azaelia," Kafei responded. He looked over at the small table beside his mother's chair, and saw a bottle of wine and a few goblets there. "Care for a drink, Highness?" he asked, pouring himself some.
"Please," Zelda said.
He decanted some into another chalice unblemished wineglass and gave it to the queen, who sipped it daintily. "So," she started, "how are things with you and young Anju?" Kafei and Anju reminded her of what her and Link had when they were young: hard love, love that suffered because they lacked time to nourish it, but love that would survive in the end.
"Good, thanks," Kafei said. He remembered his encounter with Cremia the night before and squirmed uneasily. The queen gave him a concerned look but said nothing.
When he and Anju were dating, before they wed, Cremia was the sweetest girl Kafei had ever met, other than Anju. She was strong, because when he father died she took over his dairy farm, no questions asked. Kafei admired that so, and thought highly of her. But while she harbored strong, lusty sentiments for him, he had nothing to offer her other than his comradeship. At first Cremia thought he would come around. When Anju was occupied with the inn, Cremia and Kafei spent days together, just talking. The conversations they'd had were subterranean, and Kafei poured his heart out to her when Anju was too busy and stressed to listen. Cremia was sure she'd won his love. But she hadn't. Kafei and Anju got married, and that's when Cremia grew evil, resentful and cunning, and she began forcing Kafei to perform sexual acts with her or else she would kill Anju. He was petrified of her now. The girl who could've been his best friend was now his nightmare.
"Are you planning to have children?" the queen asked curiously, taking a drink of wine, blinking at him.
Kafei mulled over the idea. He had to deal with Cremia before he could have kids with Anju. He knew that. "We actually haven't talked about it," he divulged. "But, y'know, we're young, and things've been so hectic at the inn, it'd be hard to concentrate on anything else."
"I know what you mean," Zelda said. "In Hyrule it seems like every other day there's something bad happening." A sad, secluded look was in her eyes.
She was stiff, and prescribed, and loved to be known as queen. Azaelia was the opposite; she wanted everyone to forget her title and just treat her normally. Zelda seemed to have a thirst to be adulationed that could never be quenched.
"Like what?" Kafei asked.
Zelda sighed. "Well...there've been phantoms in our land. Kafei, our worlds may be very diverse in some ways, but in others, they are a lot alike. You see, recently some soldiers were exploring the ruins beyond our territory, when they came across a mysterious castle. We looked in books for hours, but we found nothing about other citadels other than our own. My husband and his men went to investigate further, and they found dozens of Stalchilds there. And they seemed to be speaking in their own tongue, but we can't interpret it. So my husband destroyed them, and now ghosts of them roam Hyrule, and some are still seen in the castle we found. We're trying to find out more, but..."
"Stalchilds?" Kafei interrupted. "We have our own castle as well, Majesty. The Ancient Castle of Ikana is where ReDeads and Stalchilds stray without restraint."
Zelda looked thoughtful, and she leaned forward. "Tell me more..."
"Well," Kafei said, "first tell me about your Stalchilds. What are they like in Hyrule?" He was relieved to her his mind of Cremia, and Anju. A headache terrorized his brain.
"I don't know very much, but my husband has come across them many times," Zelda answered. "But our Stalchilds only come out at night, in our Hyrule Field, similiar to your Termina Field. If they see someone, they'll follow them around, ceaselessly slashing them with their claws."
"What do they look like?"
Zelda paused. "Skeletons," she said with a shiver.
Kafei nodded knowingly. "Yes, so do ours. Well, Majesty, we must be a bit more academic here in Termina, because from what our scholars have discovered, Stalchilds are the soldiers of our Ancient Ikana Castle. Hundreds of years ago they were cursed, and now they are found in Ikana Canyon, still searching for their leader and awaiting his orders."
Queen Zelda's eyes were huge. "What else do you know?" She looked like a child, even though she was age thirty-seven, so interested and determined.
Kafei smiled a little and continued. "Well, a mask was created the allows the one who wears it to converse with the Stalchilds. However, it is the mask of their leader, so when the Stalchilds see the person wearing the mask, they think it is their master. It also permits the mask wearer to communicate with them and tell them what to do. Majesty, I want to help you. Somehow I will find that mask and give it to you to take home, so you can drive away these creatures."
Zelda shook her head and closed her eyes. "No, Kafei, that isn't neccessary. Surely there is another way. I will not have you risk your life for me." The worry and corncern in her voice actually seemed genuine. This surprised Kafei.
Kafei smirked and leaned toward the queen. "No offense your highness, but if Stalchilds are troubling Hyrule, they're haunting your daughter's home. And I love Azaelia like she is my own daughter. I'll do anything to protect her."
The queen was blank for a second, for never before had anyone been so mordantly disrepectful in her presence.
"What are you going to do?" she asked Kafei quietly.
"I'll find the mask," Kafei said. "Somehow."
~~~
"Yer daughter's a dish," Mutoh implied loudly to the king, Link, who didn't know what to say.
"She looks jus' like 'er mother!" Mutoh concluded.
Link blinked a few times in a row, astonished that someone would say such a thing about his wife, especially in his company.
Mutoh burst our in hilarity. "Haw haw haw! Jus' kiddin'! Haw haw haw haw!" He slapped the king on the back. "I'm jus' kiddin' my friend. Dun worry. I gotta wife of my own anyhow, Majesty."
Link nodded numbly.
"So how's everythin' in the country o' yours?" Mutoh asked seriously.
"We're being invaded by phantom Stalchilds," Link said, "but other than that, it's good."
They were standing in East Clock Town, not far from Anju's inn. Mutoh was drinking cold milk, and Link nibbled at a pastry every so often.
"So tell me," Mutoh said, "is 'Zaelia gonna get married anytime soon?"
He hadn't gotten especially close with his daughter, despite the fact that they were a lot alike, from what Navi and Impa told him. All he knew was that she was beautiful (as Mutoh had said, she looked just like her mother), daring, and missed her Termina friends deeply. He longed to show her sword techniques and magic, but couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He felt he had betrayed her all her life, because they had waited until she was nearly an adult before finding her. He wanted to kiss her goodnight.
It wasn't her fault; Azaelia was not at all distant. She was warm, sociable, and welcoming. It was he who needed to come out of his shell to greet his grown-up baby.
Link smiled and shook his head. "Royal regulations say she has to be twenty or over."
"Ahhh," Mutoh said in response. "An' she is...?"
"Seventeen."
"Ah, I see. She's young, she's got plenty o' time. Young an' beautiful. She'll 'ave no trouble findin' a man, that's for sure!" He laughed again.
They didn't speak for a moment, until Mutoh said, "So in yer country, do you royals marry for love? Or do ya have arranged marriages?"
"My wife wants to arrange it for Azaelia," Link answered. "She thinks Azaelia's too intractable to find a man herself. But I don't think so, I think she'll find somebody."
"Course she will!" Mutoh exclaimed. "But what 'bout you and her majesty? Was yer marriage planned by yer parents?"
"I met Zelda when I was a child," Link told him. "Actually...yes, we were quite young. But she told me Hyrule was in trouble and that we were the only two people who could save it. I was unconvinced, but in the long run I believed her. And we rescued Hyrule."
Link didn't bother telling Mutoh about the Temple of Time, or Ganondorf. He'd just laugh and call him a liar anyway, she Link kept his mouth shut. He memories of those eerie, bizarre years loitered at the edge of his mind. He thought of them often. Yet another story he longed to tell Azaelia.
"Interesting love story," Mutoh remarked.
"I suppose it is," Link said. "After Hyrule was safe, we were good friends for years. I proposed to her when we were very young. I was Azaelia's age, and Zelda was fifteen. But she said yes...and five years later we wed."
"Awww...how sweet," Mutoh laughed and hit Link on the shoulder. "Y'know, Link, you should come to the Bar with us again tonight. You seemed to have fun last night!"
Link decided not to admit that he had been drunk. "Perhaps," he said. His worry for Hyrule had proceeded to make him consume so much Chateau, he could hardly walk. Zelda had been very disappointed in him.
"C'mon." Mutoh put his arm around the king. "A little fun never hurt anybody..."
~~~
Back at the Stock Pot Inn, Azaelia was in the inn study. She was supposed to be cleaning, but she couldn't help it: she had settled in the armchair by the fireplace, reading a thick book with long, eloquent words she could hardly understand. She knew Anju wouldn't mind, but Luken had been helping her wordlessly all afternoon, and she was afraid of what he might say if he found her.
Her feelings for Luken had congealed, and now they were set in stone in Azaelia's mind. Affection with an ill-mannered twist. She couldn't meet his gaze when he spoke to her. She was glad he hadn't all day. He had followed her from room to room, doing what he thought needed to be done, but that was it. No discussion, but was saying something to her. She wished she understood...
A half hour passed before he found her. When he came in, he was holding a duster. He gave Azaelia a disappointed smile and said, "Princess..." censoriously. His heart pounded and for a second he feared she might hear it.
The apprehension Azaelia had felt toward him evaporated. He was treating her like a child, and that rankled her. "What?" she snapped fiercely. Yes, he was very handsome, but what right did he have to make her feel inferior?
Luken held up his hands, surrendering. "Nothing, Princess. Just surprised that you weren't working." He walked evenly over to the wooden bookshelf and began dusting. Azaelia's intense blue eyes followed his every movement. She was annoyed that she didn't have the same affect on him as he did on her.
"What do you mean?" she demanded angrily. She stayed seated, trying not to get worked up.
He turned to face her. Farore, she was beautiful.
Luken shrugged. "Ah, never you mind, Princess. You are royalty, you shouldn't have to work..." His voice trailed off. He longed to grab her and wrap his arms around her, but he told himself no. Control. Could he control her? He wanted to try. Perhaps she was not as authoritative as she seemed.
"Excuse me?" Azaelia's temper flared, and she stood up. "Who cleaned the entire kitchen and made lunch today? Hmm?"
"You did, Princess," Luken said simply. "With my assistance."
Azaelia didn't protest. Luken enjoyed seeing the beautiful, powerful royal back down to him. As much as he wished she was rude, demanding and arrogant, she just wasn't. She was kind, charitable, and from what Anju said, adventurous. But in his heart, Luken knew she was more than that.
She was everything.
They continued to work for the rest of the day. Again, they did not speak. Azaelia at one point got so close to him when arranging the bookshelf in the study that she could feel his breath on her face. She shivered, and he turned away. That occurance stayed with her all afternoon, and she must have replayed it in her mind a hundred times before Anju came in to eulogize them for their work.
"Maybe you should work her full-time," Anju teased Luken. "I didn't know you could clean so well!" She grinned.
Luken shook his head sadly and ran a hand through his dark chocolate hair. Smiling, he said, "Thanks for offer, Anju, but Azaelia did most of the labor here today."
Azaelia's heart skipped a beat. Was that a compliment? He heart believed it, but her mind did not.
Anju lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Azaelia, whose expression was blank. The girl shrugged. "Naw," she said. "Luken helped a lot." She shot him a glance that was not returned to her.
Anju continued to look at Azaelia, then back at Luken. He looked away from Anju's gaze and Azaelia's cheeks reddened. "I should get home," Azaelia said. She gave the clock a fleeting glance. "It's getting late."
It was Luken's turn to be surprised. "It's eight o'clock," he told her.
"Yes," Azaelia said. "I know." She gritted her teeth. He could change her mood so easily. That flattering remark he'd said just seconds ago made her soar, yet now this teasing made her want to strike him across the face.
Luken gaped at her. "You go to bed that early?"
"I'm tired," she said. The edge in her voice was back. She wasn't angry, but she knew Anju suspected something of them, and she didn't want her to, so the irate in her tone was required. But now she felt she couldn't be mad at Luken. He'd spent his entire day helping her. Azaelia's heart hadn't been into lending Anju a hand all day, but it did take her mind off Cremia and Kafei. Not to mention what had happened in the study. The highlight of my day, she admitted silently.
With a toss of her golden blonde hair and "Bye, Anju," Azaelia was out the door. She wanted to make a final eye contact with Luken but she didn't let herself. She was afraid of what she might see in those bottomless brown eyes--and of what hers might tell him.
She knew what hers would say. They'd tell him the words she'd practically been bursting to say since the moment she'd met him. Those words made her want to break down in tears and rip her own hair out. In disturbance, she put her hands in her hair and bit down on her lip, hard.
She meandered up the steps to the mayor's house, still troubled but trying to keep her cool. The receptionist, Elsa, sat at the tall, light coppice counter. She smiled at Azaelia, who nodded and said, "Hi Elsa," before heading into the room she was sharing with her parents.
Throwing her body onto her bed, she fell into a deep sleep.
~~~
Why was it so warm?
She kicked her covers off her legs and wriggled around. Beads of sweat fell down her face. Clamminess formed on her arms and legs as well. It was insufferable. She wanted to scream in irritation. All she wanted was to sleep. Oh, sleep, unfathomable dark sleep, where her dreams became reality. A place where Luken confessed his love for her under a shady tree, and their wedding, it was spectacular. Her gown was a clean bright white, with faerie dust sprinkled all over it, glittering, a crown on her head, blonde hair falling down her back. Her mother at last smiled at her daughter with pride. Her father walked her down the isle before giving her away to her Luken.
But why was it so hot?
He took her hand and pressed it to his heart, and beamed at her. She smiled back and closed her eyes, feeling emotions she'd never dared to think about before. He bent down to her, his face close to hers, breath on her cheek. She wanted to press her lips to his more than anything in the world, but she didn't, instead she took pleasure in being so close to Luken.
The ceremony began.
"I will never forget the day I first met you
Because I knew from that moment forward I would love you
Love...
Yes.
I love you--"
He cut short by a scream. Azaelia trembled and shivered. The scorching heat was getting to her head, she needed water...but why, why hadn't he said it? He loved her, she just needed...
Someone shook her arm. Not a gentle shake, but a hard one, like her life depended on it.
"AZAELIA! GET UP, NOW!" More screams. "PLEASE AZAELIA, WAKE UP! OHHHHH! OUCH, MY ARM...AZAELIA!"
She opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't.
Flames plagued the room. Everything, everything was burning to crisp. She saw her mother at the other side of the room, clinging to her father, crying in fear. Her arms and hands were smoldered, and her father was shooting ice arrows everywhere, doing everything in his power to stop the fire. But it was no use.
And then they hit her face. She plunged into a world of fire and lava. Everywhere she stepped, her whole body burned, until she dissolved into nothing, burning in the middle of room. No more than a few seconds after, her skin looked like coal.
Then she saw...
What...?!
Stalchilds. Hacking their claws at her and laughing a depraved snicker the resembled Cremia's. So many Stalchilds, and ReDeads, and...where was she? Those creatures... But oh, the burns! They slaughtered Azaelia to bits, until she lay on the sizzling ground, entreating for mercy.
Clock Town was on fire, and Azaelia was in the center of it.