Dark shapes were moving in a dark world.
The flashes of light that streaked across the sky every so often only illuminated the utter darkness of the world, shedding light upon nothing; making the darkness more complete.
Somewhere in this hell of black, a man was walking. Walking from nowhere heading for nowhere. Having no purpose in his mind, he just walked; walked onward in the land of darkness.
The endless wind scorched his ears and scored deep lines in his battered back. His skin crumbled under the harsh gaze of the sky and his feet bled with each step he took in his tortured walk.
He was in pain. A pain only he could know. A pain much more acute than anything any mortal had ever experienced. A pain only a condemned god could feel. His pain came from his destroyed body and his destroyed mind. His destroyed limbs and his destroyed eyes.
Yes, his eyes. His most important asset had been taken from him in the battle. He had once been honoured for his gift to see what others could not, but no more. He was now less than normal men. A burden on nature and on Man. He was a waste.
He walked on and on, down valleys and up hills until he at last came to what he was searching for. He had found the Mythril mines. Overcome with pain and joy, the man fell on his broken knees and prayed to the gods to grant him his dieing wish.
He rose and stumbled into a small cave and stopped. Around him the sound of movement could be heard. Dark shapes in a dark land. Ethereal beings of sound. Formless monsters of the mind. He was surrounded by these things and led down a maze of narrow corridors until at last they stopped and allowed him to sit upon a stone slab.
Muttering to themselves in strange tongues, the formless ones lay the man down and covered him with a cloth and flowers. The man smiled. His wish had been granted and the pain would forever leave his body. He would be free. He had done his duty for his entire life and had now been given his payment. He closed his sightless eyes and took a deep breath. It was all over now.
A blade pierced his open neck and his pains were over amid the constant voices of the shapeless ones. Dark devils in a world of nothing.
Link opened his eyes and came awake in an instant, the horrible images of the dream still fresh in his mind. He looked around.
Understanding dawned on him as memories of last night came flooding back into his mind. Even so, his mind had been hazy. He could dimly remember riding through the woods and coming to a house. Then... What then? He saw Zelda. Link shook his head to clear his mind, but doing so only caused the world to spin. Was it just a dream? Did he really see Zelda?
Link lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Perhaps it had been a dream. After all, the chances of actually finding his princess after such a long time and distance were very remote. In fact that sort of thing only happened in fairy tales. This was real life after all, not some fantasy; not some legend.
The door to the room opened and Link opened his eyes. He immediately shut them. Damn it all! Was this part of a dream as well?
"Are you up?" asked a unnervingly familiar voice.
Link slowly opened his eyes and saw the beautiful face of Zelda staring down at him.
"I might be," Link said softly, his voice cracking with lack of use. "Am I dreaming?"
The girl smiled. "No. You're not dreaming. We are together again."
Link smiled and tried to raise himself onto his elbows but Zelda pushed him back.
"No. Hecuba left strict instructions for you to stay lying down."
The boy sighed and felt his stomach growl. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About two days. You had a fever and needed some rest. The cold had got to you."
"Two days..." Link mused. "Who's house is this?"
"An elderly couple live here, Donalbain and Hecuba."
Link nodded. "I shall have to thank them for looking after me."
"You can do that later," Zelda said picking up a bowl of water. "When you are fully recovered."
"But I-" Link started but Zelda cut him off.
"No buts! Now sleep."
Saying that, the princess shut the door, leaving Link all alone in the room with only his thoughts to keep him company.
He had drifted off to sleep again when a knock came at his door.
"Yes?" he asked and the door opened to reveal the old man, Donalbain. The old man smiled warmly and Link looked his host over.
The man was small thanks to a stooped posture and had a beard that fell down to his waist. He walked with a cane and dressed in a simple blue tunic with grey breeches and a brown, leather vest lined in fur. On his feet were well worn boots.
"Good to see that you are up, boy."
"It was thanks to you, sir." Link replied courteously. The old man shook his head.
"Nope. It isn't I you should be thanking, lad. It is my wife. She took care of you. Her and Zelda." Donalbain brought a stool over to the bedside and sat on it. "That young girl was by your side since we brought you in here. She was really worried for you, you know."
Link smiled. "That does not surprise me. We have been friends for a long time."
Donalbain nodded. "Of course. Now," he said, rising and clapping his hands, "Let's see if you can walk. Up you get!"
Saying this, the man grabbed Link's arms lightly but firmly and lifted him to a sitting position. Link waited until the room had stopped running around his head and then aided the old man in getting up. It was then that he noticed that he was wearing no clothes.
"Umm..." he said, blushing from embarrassment.
The old man looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on him.
"Ah! Of course! That was why I was sent in here." he chuckled lightly. "Couldn't ask one of the girls to do it, right? Right."
He went over to a cupboard and rifled through the clothing inside. "Hmm," he said. "This might work. Try it." Saying that, he tossed a rough brown tunic onto the bed. Link put it on.
Donalbain looked him over and nodded.
"That'll do for now. Come on. Dinner is almost ready."
"What about trousers?" Link asked.
Donalbain shook his head. "Whatever for, lad? You're not going outside in your condition. Just a meal and then back to bed for you. Now come on."
Link sighed and was helped by the old man out of the room and into the large living room he had seen earlier. A fire still burned in the fireplace. They went through another door where there was much commotion to be heard.
Inside, Link saw Zelda rushing around the kitchen with plates while an old woman stood at the stove watching the pots there like a hawk. At the small table sat Vincent, apparently still comatose in his movements.
"Ah!" came a cry. Link looked and saw the old woman staring at him. "Here he is! The young man who has come to steal our young Zelda away from us!" "What?" exclaimed Zelda, stopping in her rush.
"Felling better are we?" asked the old woman, ignoring Zelda's shock.
"Yes, miss. Thank you" said Link.
"You are very welcome, young sir." The woman waved her hand at the girl. "Don't you deny it. You two were meant to be together. I can tell these things, you know." The woman winked at Link while Donalbain helped him to a seat at the table before sitting himself.
Link waited patiently as the women laid the table, served everyone, and sat down.
The woman was obviously the talkative type. She immediately began chatting to no one in particular as soon as she had seated herself. Link had to carefully pay attention to keep up with the conversation, though he was sure that most of the questions were aimed at him.
"So, Link- may I call you Link, or is that strictly reserved for young beauties like our Zelda?- how was it you came into these woods? My name is Hecuba, by the way. Accident? Or were you looking for something? Or someone perhaps?" said the old woman in a rush before putting a fork full of food into her mouth.
After a second of silence, Link realized that he was expected to answer. "Umm. I came here looking for Zelda, actually." He took a mouth full of the food before him and immediately loved it.
The old woman beamed. "Oh, isn't that lovely! Isn't that lovely, Donalbain?"
"Yes dear." the old man said wearily. Link guessed the woman was this talkative all the time.
"Yes, that is what I thought. You are lucky to be alive, young man. Do you realize that? Why, you must have been in that cold for hours in those wet clothes. Not good for anyone to be out like that, I say. Don't I always say that?"
"Yes dear."
"Yes, that is what I thought. So who is this talkative young man we have here?" Hecuba glanced at Vincent before returning her attention to Link. "He won't tell us his name or anything. Is there something wrong with him? He's not dumb is he? Not that I have anything against dumb people, mind you. Poor folks, they are. They got the short stick from the gods, they did. Lovely people, they are. Just not too swift, poor folk."
Another silence before Link knew to answer. "His name is Vincent and he is not dumb. He just seems to be in permanent shock after seeing his father die a few days ago." Link took another mouthful of the delicious food.
Zelda almost chocked on her food. "Gregory is dead?!" she asked in alarm. Hecuba waved at the girl to silence her as she readjusted her posture to look at Vincent. "Oh the poor dear!" Hecuba rose from her chair in a swirl of skirts and walked around to behind the Calatian, embracing him in a bear hug, burying his head into her plentiful chest.
Donalbain took the absence of words to lean over to Link and whisper, "Don't mind her, she's always like this with guests." Link nodded.
"How awful to have seen something so awful! Poor dear. And Donalbain, don't bore the lad with your endless chatting."
"Yes dear."
Hecuba sat down again and resumed talking while eating. "Yes, that is what I thought. How are you holding up, dear?" she asked Vincent who was, as always, unresponsive.
"Ah. Yes. Of course." She took a mouthful of food and turned her attention back to livelier subjects. "So what is it you do back home, Link?"
Link swallowed his food and said, "I used to protect the Hylian royal family. But I quit."
This time, Hecuba was cut off by Zelda, butting into the conversation. "What? You can't just quit the Hylian Royal Guard! How could you do such a thing?"
"Well," said Link, "You had left Hyrule, and I disagreed with the way Trine was running things so I left with Vincent to find you."
"Oh, isn't that romantic?"
"Yes dear."
"Yes, that is what I thought. And Zelda dear, it is impolite for young girls to butt into a conversation. Please keep that in mind, dear."
"Yes, Hecuba." said Zelda primly, barely covering her distaste for the rule.
Hecuba continued with her ranting. "So you protected the royal family, eh? That sounds so wonderful. I bet you got to go to all those fancy balls and eat fancy food all royal like. That sounds like paradise."
Link shrugged and ate some more.
"If you were a protector," spoke Donalbain, "does that mean that you had to fight beasts and warriors and such?"
Link nodded. "Constantly."
Hecuba sighed. "Such violence. And you're only a child, too. It must have warped your mind something horrible. I tell you, all the children I see are always running around trying to do bad things. And it is always getting worse, it is. Why, just the other year, a dear friend of mine was killed by a couple of young tearaways she was helping. Found them wandering the forest, brought them home to feed the poor devils and they pushed the poor soul into an oven, they did. Kids of today!"
"I blame the parents!" Donalbain said in disgust.
The old woman nodded and wiped a make-believe tear from her eye. "It is sad. Oh! Have you finished, Link dear? Would you like some more?"
Link shook his head and said, "No, thank you. That was the most delicious food I have had in a long time. Thank you. If it is alright with you, I would like to return to bed. I want to be up and about as quickly as possible."
"Well, very well," Hecuba said, visibly unhappy with his decision, "Would you like something warm to help you sleep?"
"Yes thank you, if it wouldn't be too much trouble." Link said, getting himself up from the table.
"It will be a minute before it will be done, so you head on back to bed and I'll be in later to give it to you."
"Thank you again." Link said and walked shakily back to his room. Just before he had closed the door, he heard the old woman say, "Isn't he a poor soul?"
"Yes dear," came the reply just as the door closed.
Link smiled. He liked the couple already. Unfortunately, with Hecuba doing all the talking, he had not had a chance to really talk with Zelda. But that could wait.
He took the tunic off and got into bed. Just as he had settled down there came a knock at the door.
"Come in." he called.
The door opened and Zelda walked in with a steaming mug in her hands.
"Here you go, Link." she said as she sat down on the bed next to him.
Link pushed himself up and took a sip from the proffered mug. "Goat's milk?" he asked.
The girl nodded. "Donalbain keeps a few goats in a pen out back."
Link speedily finished the warm milk and handed it back to Zelda. She took it and rested it in her lap. "Link, I..."
Link held up a hand and smiled. "I missed you too."
Zelda's eyes clouded over and she embraced Link in a heartfelt hug. Link could feel her warm tears fall onto his shoulder. "I missed you so much!" she cried. "I was so scared when I left Hyrule! I had to ride for miles without seeing anyone, and I couldn't go into any towns and it was just awful since I left you!"
Link rubbed her back and soothed her. "Don't worry. I'm here now." He grasped her shoulders and pulled her out of the hug, looking her in the eye. "Your protector is back." The girl smiled through her tears and Link thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He grinned.
"I'll keep all the monsters away from my little princess." he said in a teasing voice.
Zelda laughed and slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "Oh! You're terrible!"
Link laughed and again held the princess's arms, this time serious. "I really missed you."
Zelda nodded and hugged him again. "I missed you too." They remained still for several seconds; the only sound their breathing, the only movement Link's hand stroking her hair gently.
Suddenly Zelda pulled away. "Well, you must get your rest or you will never be healthy again." She pushed Link back into bed and lightly kissed his cheek.
She picked up the lamp hanging on the wall and went to the door. "Sleep well, my hero."
Link smiled. "You too, my lady."
Zelda smiled and closed the door softly, leaving Link alone in the darkness, with only the faint moonlight streaming through the window to illuminate his view.
His mind a whir of thoughts, Link soon fell asleep, from exhaustion or his recovering body but most likely the sleeping potion Hecuba had put into the warm goat's milk.
Link awoke early the next morning to the sound of wood creaking.
Slowly, he sat up in his bed and looked out the window by the bed. Outside, he could see millions of white specks flittering across his view and gathering on the white ground.
Again the sound of wood creaking reached his sensitive ears. He looked up and, for a moment, felt a wave of fear wash through him. The snow outside was piling up on the roof. Hopefully the cottage could handle the weight.
Link smiled as images from last night's dinner flashed across his mind. The house, small and simple as it was, seemed to have survived many years so far, and showed no signs of collapsing any time soon.
Getting slowly out of bed, Link put on his tunic from the night before and stopped at the door. Outside of the room, he could hear movement. Someone was awake. Link opened the door quietly and shuffled cautiously out.
Walking through the living room, Link stopped at the kitchen door in amazement.
There, before his startled eyes, was Zelda, princess of the most powerful nation in the world, running about the kitchen like a common housewife. Link was stunned.
Zelda kept moving around until she caught sight of her audience.
"Oh!" she cried, startled. "Link, I didn't know you were up."
Link smiled and entered the room, sitting at the table. "That's all right. I didn't know you could find your way around a kitchen."
The former princess blushed and went to the stove, putting on a kettle. "Hecuba has been training me. She is very insistent that I become a fully prepared wife. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please." Link said and settled into the chair. He laughed lightly.
"What's so funny?" Zelda asked.
"I never pictured a princess doing household chores, that's all."
Zelda turned to stare at Link and then sat down opposite him. "Well," she said slowly, "I haven't actually told Hecuba and Donalbain about where I came from, exactly."
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them I was exiled from Hyrule for a crime I did not commit. That is true enough. Hecuba took pity on me and they took me in as their daughter." She paused as the kettle began to whistle and poured some tea for the two of them. "I like it, really." she said as they waited for their drinks to cool. "I like living such a simple life. There are no fancy balls, no fancy food, no scheming people, no danger, really. It is unbelievably relaxing." She sighed in contentment. "I wish I could stay here forever."
Link sipped his tea. "But you can't." he said simply.
Again, the girl sighed, this time in regret. "I know. I have to go back, don't I? I just wish things were different."
The minutes ticked by tensely as the two drank from their cups silently.
"Listen to that," Zelda said softly.
Link paused and listened. Then, when he understood what his friend was talking about, he smiled. "Nothing."
Zelda nodded. "Yes. Nothing. Not a sound. I have never been in such a place. In Hyrule, I was always surrounded by people, countless numbers of people. There was never any quiet like this." She sighed. "I love it here."
Link finished his tea and nodded. "This is a wonderful place, Zelda, but you can't stay. You do know that, don't you?"
Zelda slammed her cup down onto the table in anger. "Why not? Huh? Why not? Don't I deserve to live in a place where I can be happy? Truly happy?" her eyes misted over in anger and frustration. "Why should I go back to Hyrule, where people will hate me and scrutinize everything I do? In Hyrule, I can never be as happy as I can be here! As queen, I would have to put the good of the state ahead of me. Here, I can put my needs first. I can be happy here, don't you see that?"
Link watched as his friend of many years reduced to sobbing wretchedly, her breaths coming in gasps behind streams of sweet tears. Link knew very well how Zelda must feel, after all, this cottage was just like Lon Lon Ranch, where Link had spent the best week of his life with Malon and her family. It had been painful to leave the girl back in the past so that Hyrule could be saved, but he had done it with the promise to return. Now Zelda must do the same thing. There were still many things that needed to be done before Zelda could find peace. Besides, true happiness can never be achieved while things of importance are going undone. They will always be in the back of the mind, lingering with doubt.
Link rose and sat next to his princess, putting a comforting arm around her. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel. I wish that we could stay here forever, too."
Zelda stopped crying and sniffled. "You do?" she asked quietly.
Link nodded. "I would love to be able to spend the rest of my life in a place like this, surrounded by peace, but I can't. And neither can you. We both have jobs to do. Our duty is to protect Hyrule, and we can't do that from here."
Zelda said nothing but only burrowed deeper into Link's embrace. She knew what had to be done, but refused to accept her fate. One thing Link had learned over the years was that Fate was not to be ignored.
"Although," he said slowly, "perhaps we can stay just for the winter." Not ignored, only postponed.
Zelda's head flew away from his chest and to his face as she kissed him quickly on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you thank you!" she cried. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
The girl released her friend from the hug and got up from the table getting back to work. "Too much to be done around the house to sit talking all day. Donalbain should be up soon. You can help him get the wood in for a fire."
Link stayed sitting in the kitchen for a few seconds watching Zelda as she busied herself doing chores and then he went back to his room.
The flashes of light that streaked across the sky every so often only illuminated the utter darkness of the world, shedding light upon nothing; making the darkness more complete.
Somewhere in this hell of black, a man was walking. Walking from nowhere heading for nowhere. Having no purpose in his mind, he just walked; walked onward in the land of darkness.
The endless wind scorched his ears and scored deep lines in his battered back. His skin crumbled under the harsh gaze of the sky and his feet bled with each step he took in his tortured walk.
He was in pain. A pain only he could know. A pain much more acute than anything any mortal had ever experienced. A pain only a condemned god could feel. His pain came from his destroyed body and his destroyed mind. His destroyed limbs and his destroyed eyes.
Yes, his eyes. His most important asset had been taken from him in the battle. He had once been honoured for his gift to see what others could not, but no more. He was now less than normal men. A burden on nature and on Man. He was a waste.
He walked on and on, down valleys and up hills until he at last came to what he was searching for. He had found the Mythril mines. Overcome with pain and joy, the man fell on his broken knees and prayed to the gods to grant him his dieing wish.
He rose and stumbled into a small cave and stopped. Around him the sound of movement could be heard. Dark shapes in a dark land. Ethereal beings of sound. Formless monsters of the mind. He was surrounded by these things and led down a maze of narrow corridors until at last they stopped and allowed him to sit upon a stone slab.
Muttering to themselves in strange tongues, the formless ones lay the man down and covered him with a cloth and flowers. The man smiled. His wish had been granted and the pain would forever leave his body. He would be free. He had done his duty for his entire life and had now been given his payment. He closed his sightless eyes and took a deep breath. It was all over now.
A blade pierced his open neck and his pains were over amid the constant voices of the shapeless ones. Dark devils in a world of nothing.
Link opened his eyes and came awake in an instant, the horrible images of the dream still fresh in his mind. He looked around.
Understanding dawned on him as memories of last night came flooding back into his mind. Even so, his mind had been hazy. He could dimly remember riding through the woods and coming to a house. Then... What then? He saw Zelda. Link shook his head to clear his mind, but doing so only caused the world to spin. Was it just a dream? Did he really see Zelda?
Link lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Perhaps it had been a dream. After all, the chances of actually finding his princess after such a long time and distance were very remote. In fact that sort of thing only happened in fairy tales. This was real life after all, not some fantasy; not some legend.
The door to the room opened and Link opened his eyes. He immediately shut them. Damn it all! Was this part of a dream as well?
"Are you up?" asked a unnervingly familiar voice.
Link slowly opened his eyes and saw the beautiful face of Zelda staring down at him.
"I might be," Link said softly, his voice cracking with lack of use. "Am I dreaming?"
The girl smiled. "No. You're not dreaming. We are together again."
Link smiled and tried to raise himself onto his elbows but Zelda pushed him back.
"No. Hecuba left strict instructions for you to stay lying down."
The boy sighed and felt his stomach growl. "How long have I been asleep?"
"About two days. You had a fever and needed some rest. The cold had got to you."
"Two days..." Link mused. "Who's house is this?"
"An elderly couple live here, Donalbain and Hecuba."
Link nodded. "I shall have to thank them for looking after me."
"You can do that later," Zelda said picking up a bowl of water. "When you are fully recovered."
"But I-" Link started but Zelda cut him off.
"No buts! Now sleep."
Saying that, the princess shut the door, leaving Link all alone in the room with only his thoughts to keep him company.
He had drifted off to sleep again when a knock came at his door.
"Yes?" he asked and the door opened to reveal the old man, Donalbain. The old man smiled warmly and Link looked his host over.
The man was small thanks to a stooped posture and had a beard that fell down to his waist. He walked with a cane and dressed in a simple blue tunic with grey breeches and a brown, leather vest lined in fur. On his feet were well worn boots.
"Good to see that you are up, boy."
"It was thanks to you, sir." Link replied courteously. The old man shook his head.
"Nope. It isn't I you should be thanking, lad. It is my wife. She took care of you. Her and Zelda." Donalbain brought a stool over to the bedside and sat on it. "That young girl was by your side since we brought you in here. She was really worried for you, you know."
Link smiled. "That does not surprise me. We have been friends for a long time."
Donalbain nodded. "Of course. Now," he said, rising and clapping his hands, "Let's see if you can walk. Up you get!"
Saying this, the man grabbed Link's arms lightly but firmly and lifted him to a sitting position. Link waited until the room had stopped running around his head and then aided the old man in getting up. It was then that he noticed that he was wearing no clothes.
"Umm..." he said, blushing from embarrassment.
The old man looked confused for a moment before realization dawned on him.
"Ah! Of course! That was why I was sent in here." he chuckled lightly. "Couldn't ask one of the girls to do it, right? Right."
He went over to a cupboard and rifled through the clothing inside. "Hmm," he said. "This might work. Try it." Saying that, he tossed a rough brown tunic onto the bed. Link put it on.
Donalbain looked him over and nodded.
"That'll do for now. Come on. Dinner is almost ready."
"What about trousers?" Link asked.
Donalbain shook his head. "Whatever for, lad? You're not going outside in your condition. Just a meal and then back to bed for you. Now come on."
Link sighed and was helped by the old man out of the room and into the large living room he had seen earlier. A fire still burned in the fireplace. They went through another door where there was much commotion to be heard.
Inside, Link saw Zelda rushing around the kitchen with plates while an old woman stood at the stove watching the pots there like a hawk. At the small table sat Vincent, apparently still comatose in his movements.
"Ah!" came a cry. Link looked and saw the old woman staring at him. "Here he is! The young man who has come to steal our young Zelda away from us!" "What?" exclaimed Zelda, stopping in her rush.
"Felling better are we?" asked the old woman, ignoring Zelda's shock.
"Yes, miss. Thank you" said Link.
"You are very welcome, young sir." The woman waved her hand at the girl. "Don't you deny it. You two were meant to be together. I can tell these things, you know." The woman winked at Link while Donalbain helped him to a seat at the table before sitting himself.
Link waited patiently as the women laid the table, served everyone, and sat down.
The woman was obviously the talkative type. She immediately began chatting to no one in particular as soon as she had seated herself. Link had to carefully pay attention to keep up with the conversation, though he was sure that most of the questions were aimed at him.
"So, Link- may I call you Link, or is that strictly reserved for young beauties like our Zelda?- how was it you came into these woods? My name is Hecuba, by the way. Accident? Or were you looking for something? Or someone perhaps?" said the old woman in a rush before putting a fork full of food into her mouth.
After a second of silence, Link realized that he was expected to answer. "Umm. I came here looking for Zelda, actually." He took a mouth full of the food before him and immediately loved it.
The old woman beamed. "Oh, isn't that lovely! Isn't that lovely, Donalbain?"
"Yes dear." the old man said wearily. Link guessed the woman was this talkative all the time.
"Yes, that is what I thought. You are lucky to be alive, young man. Do you realize that? Why, you must have been in that cold for hours in those wet clothes. Not good for anyone to be out like that, I say. Don't I always say that?"
"Yes dear."
"Yes, that is what I thought. So who is this talkative young man we have here?" Hecuba glanced at Vincent before returning her attention to Link. "He won't tell us his name or anything. Is there something wrong with him? He's not dumb is he? Not that I have anything against dumb people, mind you. Poor folks, they are. They got the short stick from the gods, they did. Lovely people, they are. Just not too swift, poor folk."
Another silence before Link knew to answer. "His name is Vincent and he is not dumb. He just seems to be in permanent shock after seeing his father die a few days ago." Link took another mouthful of the delicious food.
Zelda almost chocked on her food. "Gregory is dead?!" she asked in alarm. Hecuba waved at the girl to silence her as she readjusted her posture to look at Vincent. "Oh the poor dear!" Hecuba rose from her chair in a swirl of skirts and walked around to behind the Calatian, embracing him in a bear hug, burying his head into her plentiful chest.
Donalbain took the absence of words to lean over to Link and whisper, "Don't mind her, she's always like this with guests." Link nodded.
"How awful to have seen something so awful! Poor dear. And Donalbain, don't bore the lad with your endless chatting."
"Yes dear."
Hecuba sat down again and resumed talking while eating. "Yes, that is what I thought. How are you holding up, dear?" she asked Vincent who was, as always, unresponsive.
"Ah. Yes. Of course." She took a mouthful of food and turned her attention back to livelier subjects. "So what is it you do back home, Link?"
Link swallowed his food and said, "I used to protect the Hylian royal family. But I quit."
This time, Hecuba was cut off by Zelda, butting into the conversation. "What? You can't just quit the Hylian Royal Guard! How could you do such a thing?"
"Well," said Link, "You had left Hyrule, and I disagreed with the way Trine was running things so I left with Vincent to find you."
"Oh, isn't that romantic?"
"Yes dear."
"Yes, that is what I thought. And Zelda dear, it is impolite for young girls to butt into a conversation. Please keep that in mind, dear."
"Yes, Hecuba." said Zelda primly, barely covering her distaste for the rule.
Hecuba continued with her ranting. "So you protected the royal family, eh? That sounds so wonderful. I bet you got to go to all those fancy balls and eat fancy food all royal like. That sounds like paradise."
Link shrugged and ate some more.
"If you were a protector," spoke Donalbain, "does that mean that you had to fight beasts and warriors and such?"
Link nodded. "Constantly."
Hecuba sighed. "Such violence. And you're only a child, too. It must have warped your mind something horrible. I tell you, all the children I see are always running around trying to do bad things. And it is always getting worse, it is. Why, just the other year, a dear friend of mine was killed by a couple of young tearaways she was helping. Found them wandering the forest, brought them home to feed the poor devils and they pushed the poor soul into an oven, they did. Kids of today!"
"I blame the parents!" Donalbain said in disgust.
The old woman nodded and wiped a make-believe tear from her eye. "It is sad. Oh! Have you finished, Link dear? Would you like some more?"
Link shook his head and said, "No, thank you. That was the most delicious food I have had in a long time. Thank you. If it is alright with you, I would like to return to bed. I want to be up and about as quickly as possible."
"Well, very well," Hecuba said, visibly unhappy with his decision, "Would you like something warm to help you sleep?"
"Yes thank you, if it wouldn't be too much trouble." Link said, getting himself up from the table.
"It will be a minute before it will be done, so you head on back to bed and I'll be in later to give it to you."
"Thank you again." Link said and walked shakily back to his room. Just before he had closed the door, he heard the old woman say, "Isn't he a poor soul?"
"Yes dear," came the reply just as the door closed.
Link smiled. He liked the couple already. Unfortunately, with Hecuba doing all the talking, he had not had a chance to really talk with Zelda. But that could wait.
He took the tunic off and got into bed. Just as he had settled down there came a knock at the door.
"Come in." he called.
The door opened and Zelda walked in with a steaming mug in her hands.
"Here you go, Link." she said as she sat down on the bed next to him.
Link pushed himself up and took a sip from the proffered mug. "Goat's milk?" he asked.
The girl nodded. "Donalbain keeps a few goats in a pen out back."
Link speedily finished the warm milk and handed it back to Zelda. She took it and rested it in her lap. "Link, I..."
Link held up a hand and smiled. "I missed you too."
Zelda's eyes clouded over and she embraced Link in a heartfelt hug. Link could feel her warm tears fall onto his shoulder. "I missed you so much!" she cried. "I was so scared when I left Hyrule! I had to ride for miles without seeing anyone, and I couldn't go into any towns and it was just awful since I left you!"
Link rubbed her back and soothed her. "Don't worry. I'm here now." He grasped her shoulders and pulled her out of the hug, looking her in the eye. "Your protector is back." The girl smiled through her tears and Link thought it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He grinned.
"I'll keep all the monsters away from my little princess." he said in a teasing voice.
Zelda laughed and slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "Oh! You're terrible!"
Link laughed and again held the princess's arms, this time serious. "I really missed you."
Zelda nodded and hugged him again. "I missed you too." They remained still for several seconds; the only sound their breathing, the only movement Link's hand stroking her hair gently.
Suddenly Zelda pulled away. "Well, you must get your rest or you will never be healthy again." She pushed Link back into bed and lightly kissed his cheek.
She picked up the lamp hanging on the wall and went to the door. "Sleep well, my hero."
Link smiled. "You too, my lady."
Zelda smiled and closed the door softly, leaving Link alone in the darkness, with only the faint moonlight streaming through the window to illuminate his view.
His mind a whir of thoughts, Link soon fell asleep, from exhaustion or his recovering body but most likely the sleeping potion Hecuba had put into the warm goat's milk.
Link awoke early the next morning to the sound of wood creaking.
Slowly, he sat up in his bed and looked out the window by the bed. Outside, he could see millions of white specks flittering across his view and gathering on the white ground.
Again the sound of wood creaking reached his sensitive ears. He looked up and, for a moment, felt a wave of fear wash through him. The snow outside was piling up on the roof. Hopefully the cottage could handle the weight.
Link smiled as images from last night's dinner flashed across his mind. The house, small and simple as it was, seemed to have survived many years so far, and showed no signs of collapsing any time soon.
Getting slowly out of bed, Link put on his tunic from the night before and stopped at the door. Outside of the room, he could hear movement. Someone was awake. Link opened the door quietly and shuffled cautiously out.
Walking through the living room, Link stopped at the kitchen door in amazement.
There, before his startled eyes, was Zelda, princess of the most powerful nation in the world, running about the kitchen like a common housewife. Link was stunned.
Zelda kept moving around until she caught sight of her audience.
"Oh!" she cried, startled. "Link, I didn't know you were up."
Link smiled and entered the room, sitting at the table. "That's all right. I didn't know you could find your way around a kitchen."
The former princess blushed and went to the stove, putting on a kettle. "Hecuba has been training me. She is very insistent that I become a fully prepared wife. Would you like some tea?"
"Yes, please." Link said and settled into the chair. He laughed lightly.
"What's so funny?" Zelda asked.
"I never pictured a princess doing household chores, that's all."
Zelda turned to stare at Link and then sat down opposite him. "Well," she said slowly, "I haven't actually told Hecuba and Donalbain about where I came from, exactly."
"What did you tell them?"
"I told them I was exiled from Hyrule for a crime I did not commit. That is true enough. Hecuba took pity on me and they took me in as their daughter." She paused as the kettle began to whistle and poured some tea for the two of them. "I like it, really." she said as they waited for their drinks to cool. "I like living such a simple life. There are no fancy balls, no fancy food, no scheming people, no danger, really. It is unbelievably relaxing." She sighed in contentment. "I wish I could stay here forever."
Link sipped his tea. "But you can't." he said simply.
Again, the girl sighed, this time in regret. "I know. I have to go back, don't I? I just wish things were different."
The minutes ticked by tensely as the two drank from their cups silently.
"Listen to that," Zelda said softly.
Link paused and listened. Then, when he understood what his friend was talking about, he smiled. "Nothing."
Zelda nodded. "Yes. Nothing. Not a sound. I have never been in such a place. In Hyrule, I was always surrounded by people, countless numbers of people. There was never any quiet like this." She sighed. "I love it here."
Link finished his tea and nodded. "This is a wonderful place, Zelda, but you can't stay. You do know that, don't you?"
Zelda slammed her cup down onto the table in anger. "Why not? Huh? Why not? Don't I deserve to live in a place where I can be happy? Truly happy?" her eyes misted over in anger and frustration. "Why should I go back to Hyrule, where people will hate me and scrutinize everything I do? In Hyrule, I can never be as happy as I can be here! As queen, I would have to put the good of the state ahead of me. Here, I can put my needs first. I can be happy here, don't you see that?"
Link watched as his friend of many years reduced to sobbing wretchedly, her breaths coming in gasps behind streams of sweet tears. Link knew very well how Zelda must feel, after all, this cottage was just like Lon Lon Ranch, where Link had spent the best week of his life with Malon and her family. It had been painful to leave the girl back in the past so that Hyrule could be saved, but he had done it with the promise to return. Now Zelda must do the same thing. There were still many things that needed to be done before Zelda could find peace. Besides, true happiness can never be achieved while things of importance are going undone. They will always be in the back of the mind, lingering with doubt.
Link rose and sat next to his princess, putting a comforting arm around her. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel. I wish that we could stay here forever, too."
Zelda stopped crying and sniffled. "You do?" she asked quietly.
Link nodded. "I would love to be able to spend the rest of my life in a place like this, surrounded by peace, but I can't. And neither can you. We both have jobs to do. Our duty is to protect Hyrule, and we can't do that from here."
Zelda said nothing but only burrowed deeper into Link's embrace. She knew what had to be done, but refused to accept her fate. One thing Link had learned over the years was that Fate was not to be ignored.
"Although," he said slowly, "perhaps we can stay just for the winter." Not ignored, only postponed.
Zelda's head flew away from his chest and to his face as she kissed him quickly on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you thank you!" she cried. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
The girl released her friend from the hug and got up from the table getting back to work. "Too much to be done around the house to sit talking all day. Donalbain should be up soon. You can help him get the wood in for a fire."
Link stayed sitting in the kitchen for a few seconds watching Zelda as she busied herself doing chores and then he went back to his room.