Chapter 2 – Going to Town
The next morning was far more pleasant when Zelda awoke, with the sunlight filtering in through the windows onto her bed. For a very brief moment, she knew not of last night's events, and believed for a moment she was back in her bed in Hyrule Castle. But that dream was shattered as soon as the memories of her banishment returned. A stranger, Link was his name, had somehow found her and brought her here. It was early afternoon by the looks of it; Zelda had always been a heavy sleeper. In Hyrule Castle, sleep was the only escape from tedium. Now, however, her future seemed dreadfully muddled and uncertain. How long would Link allow her to stay here, anyway? He seemed like a kind person, but Zelda did not wish to be a burden. She would have to find some place of her own to stay. The chances of her father ever allowing her to return to Hyrule Castle seemed small and insignificant. It was not as if she had any great love for the place, but it had been her only home, and suddenly she been cruelly thrust into the world without any sort of preparation. Zelda was utterly dependent on Link, for she knew nothing of the world outside of her castle.
After climbing out of bed, Zelda looked around for her clothes, and suddenly remembered she had not brought any, other than the tattered and bloodstained dress that she had been wearing. So she looked in one of the drawers, and too her surprise, there sat a single, solitary dress, neatly folded and looking as if it had never been worn. It was a light shade of gold that seemed to match her hair, and was tailored from fine silk. Zelda carefully removed it from the drawer and held it up to the light, letting the sun's rays expose its true beauty. She was awe of its exquisiteness, as well as how a man like Link had come to possess it.
Zelda quickly slipped into the luxurious dress, knowing she really had to thank Link for all he had done for her. Her father and provided many luxuries for the princess, but he had never been this nice to her. She was still somewhat suspicious of his motives, however. None of the men she knew ever treated a woman like this. They all saw her as an object or a trophy to be won, because, as her father had put it, that was what a princess was. But as she had learned rather quickly, Hyrule Castle was nothing like the real world. To think, she had never even walked the streets of her own city! And then there were her powers… Zelda was one of the few Hylians born with a natural affinity for magic. To her, it came as easily as breathing or walking, but few people in history had ever mastered it. Her father, however, did everything he could to suppress her power and hide them from the world. Every time she caught exercising those powers, or even reading a books pertaining to magic, Zelda was punished severely. No prince would ever want to marry a sorceress, he had told her, and so she was never to use her powers under any circumstances.
After putting on the dress, Zelda quietly looked into Link's bedroom, and saw that he had already awoken. Link was in the smallish kitchen, cooking several slices of bacon by the smell of things. The forest outside seemed much less hostile and foreboding than it had been the night before. The smell of food seemed to entrance her and make her mouth water; it had been so long since she had had a good meal. The worst thing a princess could have been was too plump, so the castle's cooks were only allowed to feed her just enough to maintain her slim figure, but never quite enough to satisfy her. And if she were still in the castle, she would still be in her room carefully brushing her hair and adorning herself with all sorts of jewelry. Part of being a princess was flaunting your wealth in front of others.
"Hello, your Highness," was Link's greeting. "I hope you slept well. Oh, I see you found the dress," he remarked, turning around to look at her. "I thought nobody would ever wear it."
"Where did it come from?" asked Zelda, looking over herself once more.
Link sighed sadly. "There is a young lady who lives not far from here, her name was Arin, and about ten years ago she was engaged to be married. My parents were friends of her family, so they bought that dress as a wedding gift." Link looked down at the floor in sadness. "But they were both killed before they had a chance to give it to her. I discovered it a few days later, but by then Arin had already departed Hyrule with her husband. You may keep it if you wish, your Highness. I have no use for it now."
While it was a beautiful dress, no respectable woman ever had just one thing to wear. She would to have to find new clothes, but where? Castle Town would certainly have them, but Zelda could not go there alone. Link would have to accompany her and pay for her purchases, and he had already done so much for her.
"Link, I…," she began, "I have to find new clothes. Do you know where I might find them?"
"There are many places on Castle Town where you might find clothing, princess. Surely you must know that!"
She smiled abashedly. "No, I was never allowed to see the town."
Link seemed to jump in surprise. "Not allowed to see the town? But you are a princess; you can do anything you wish!"
Zelda shook her head. "No Link, it does not work that way. A princess can never inherit the throne, and thus has no authority or power. I am but a decoration."
"Well I have some things I need to do there, so you can come with me if you wish, your Highness."
"Please don't call me that," Zelda interrupted. "That life is behind me now."
Link stopped what he was doing and walked towards to her. "Zelda, do not give up hope. If your father has any shred of decency, he will realize that what he has done was wrong and send his men out to find you and return you to the castle."
Zelda turned away. "That will not happen," she said with a contemptuous "hmph." "He is probably spreading lies and rumors against me to justify himself."
"He would not do such a thing-."
Zelda spun around. "Yes Link, he bloody well would! All the king cares about is how he will be remembered in five hundred or a thousand years."
"But you don't you wish to return to Hyrule Castle? That is your home, isn't it?"
"I…I don't know," she honestly replied. There was much to love about Hyrule Castle; the luxury and the comforts, but there was even more to despise. If she were living on her own, she could do whatever she wanted whenever she pleased. But how many women were there who lived by themselves? And Zelda had no money, how could she afford a home?
"It will be hard to find a place to live, Zelda. Castle Town has nearly outgrown its walls, and since the king owns all the land, he is responsible for parceling it out. I doubt very much the king would sell land to his daughter, much less an unmarried woman."
Zelda could have slapped her forehead in frustration. She had caused her father so much anguish and strife that he would never be willing to give her anything. The next closest city to Castle Town was Kakariko Village, but that place was a shantytown filled with nothing but criminals, barbarians, ne'er-do-wells, and people too poor to live elsewhere. From there, the closest town was over five hundred miles away, in the territory of the Kalendrians, the same people she had collectively insulted by refusing to marry their prince. The Kalendrians were a despised people in most of Hyrule, living to at most 100 years of age, a mere fraction of a Hylian's lifespan. They were warmongers and conquerors, and it was only through necessity that Hyrule traded with them. Their royal family seemed about the only thing respectable about their civilization.
"How long may I stay here?" Zelda asked, dreading the answer.
Link paused for a few seconds, and then shrugged. "You are the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. If you wish to stay here, I can't stop you."
Zelda wished he would stop treating her as if she held some great power and authority, which she certainly did not. Though she might derive some pleasure from having people bend to her will, she was not an authoritative person by nature.
"I do not wish to be a burden…"
Link smiled at her. "'Tis no burden, princess. I have had others stay here before. I had a friend named Malon a few years ago; she would often come to my home after a fight with her parents and spend the night. This happened so often that her parents always showed up the next day, begging their daughter to return."
Another contemptuous grunt. "I wish my father would come begging for me to return on hands and knees."
Link ignored her flippant remark and simply said, "Now princess, tell me, what do you have for breakfast?"
"I don't have breakfast," said Zelda flatly.
"What? No breakfast?"
"I ate twice; once at noontime, the other at night. I ate alone, as I found my father's company distasteful."
"And you lived like this for how long?"
She sighed. "Almost eighteen years now."
"Well allow me to show you what breakfast tastes like, then."
For the next little while, Zelda dined on bacon and eggs (her first real taste of meat), and whole-wheat bread covered with thick, rich butter. She had never tasted these things before, and it was an entirely new experience. It seemed quite like one's first kiss, if she had actually been kissed. It was all she could do not to swiftly devour everything Link had prepared. Everything tasted so stimulating and sensual, not at all like the bland food served at the castle. And people did this sort of thing every day! How could the Princess of Hyrule have missed out on such simple pleasures?
"Careful Zelda," Link cautioned, "too much of that will make you fat!"
"Well I'm sure a small indulgence won't hurt me." Zelda took another slice of meat and ate it with an almost feverish hunger, delighting in its flavor. Her father had always thought the consumption of meat "disgusting," and refused to let his daughter have it.
After finishing breakfast, they began their trek to Castle Town. The moment Zelda stepped out of the front door; she was held in awe by her surroundings. The forest seemed beautiful and ethereal in the noonday sun, as if she had stepped into another world. She had not gotten a decent look at it during her hurried and harrowing arrival, so Zelda took a few minutes to take in its entire splendor. The forest seemed like an ancient, timeless place, a realm that had existed long before the Kingdom of Hyrule had. The meadow was alive with the sound of insects and birds and running water of an unmuddied stream passing through. The nearest thing she had to all this in Hyrule Castle was the castle courtyard, where Zelda often found herself alone in thought and meditation. She had rarely felt the sun on her skin as she did now, as anything but pale skin was seen as a sign of poverty by the higher classes.
She turned around to face Link, who looked all the more handsome in the open sunlight. He had an almost roguish appearance, with his uncut hair and slightly dirtied clothes. But he was neither a rogue nor a knave; rather, he seemed like a lonely person who would rather live alone in the forest than with the rest of civilization. He did not look upon her as most men did, with lecherous eyes and lascivious thoughts, but as a welcome companion. Zelda still wasn't sure if she should trust him or not, but being sheltered by him was a far better alternative than being on the streets with no place to live. She wondered if she might consider him a friend, but Zelda never had any friends growing up and had nothing to base her decision on. But Link acted a friend might, so Zelda decided to look on him as one. The only other person whom she might have ever seen as a friend was her lady-in-waiting, Impa. She was the one who had taught her "how to be a lady" and "how to please her husband," two very strong reasons for Zelda to despise her, but Impa was also the only one who ever showed a glimmer of kindness or understanding. Sometimes she would comfort her in time of sadness, or find her books from the castle library that her father had forbidden her to read. But Zelda never looked upon her as the mother she never had; they were not that close.
"Is something wrong?" Link asked.
"I've never seen the forest before," she said, looking around a bit more before following Link along the trail. The woods seemed even more beautiful once they were under the cover of the trees. The rays of sunlight shining through the leaves overhead, the far off sounds of wildlife, and the scent of flowers and earthiness seemed to have a power over her, as if the forest itself were a living being. Zelda couldn't help but frequently stop to have a better look around. Link did not protest, as he too was in love with the forest. This was where he had grown up and spent all of his childhood days. Zelda was struck by the quietness and stillness of it all, being so used to the crowds and noise of the castle.
The path twisted and meandered through the forest, something Zelda had vaguely remembered when Link had brought her here. She was not used to traveling over the sometimes rough terrain, and found herself stumbling quite often, although Link was always there to help her up like a gentleman. She stayed away from the undergrowth, fearing it might hide poison ivy or stinging nettles, but stopped every once and while to literally smell the flowers. Time seemed to have no meaning here, and Zelda began to worry less and less how long it took them to get to Castle Town. They passed lakes and streams whose crystal waters shimmered in the sunlight, and were so clear Zelda could see everything that lived in them. Never once did they encounter anything remotely unpleasant or distasteful; there were no foul bogs or marshes, and no carcasses or carrion half-devoured by scavengers. The woods that had seemed so threatening and dangerous when she had first come here now appeared idyllic and otherworldly. It was quite possible to get yourself lost in these and never come back, because you didn't want to come back. Even now Zelda felt as if the forest had a spell over her.
Link, however, was far more enchanted with her than the forest. To him, she was like a goddess that had fallen to earth and through some great coincidence or fate had come into his home. Tall and slender she was, with a river of golden hair that flowed down to her waist, and sapphire eyes that burned with a cold fire as bright as any star. She had a commanding presence, and a strength and determination about her, like a true king's daughter. It was so wrong that her father should treat her so badly; that any harm should be come of someone so fair and wonderful. And oh, she was fair, as fair as the morning sun over the distant mountains, as fair as the shimmering stars and moon of the crystalline night. Zelda was young, no older than he; a young lady on the verge of womanhood. She was naïve, as any sheltered woman would be, but she was not narrow-minded or submissive. His calmness at her arrival belied his inner panic, panic at realizing that the crown Princess of Hyrule, a woman no man could ever dream of seeing, let alone speaking to, had taken up residence in his home. But Link would have done it all over again if he had the chance. He would never forgive himself if he simply left her all alone to die on the streets of Castle Town. A part of him hoped that her father would see the error of his ways and allow her to return to the castle, but a small, but growing, part of him wanted her to stay with him. The loneliness of his life had often weighed heavily on him since the death of his mother and father.
Link still often recalled the fond memories of his childhood. His father was a soldier, and thus he spent more time in Hyrule Castle than he did at home. That meant Link found himself in the care of his mother, who loved him more than anything in the world. She was a sorceress, a trait feared and despised by many, and something she went to great lengths to hide. Link was too young to understand why she was so secretive, and why she always seemed so sad and worried when his father went away. In those days, she would walk with him in the forest, telling him tales about the spirits of the forest and how their family had dwelt within it for many thousands of years. He still remembered their last walk together, where his mother had told them that if you closed your eyes and listened carefully enough, you could hear the spirits whispering to you. That was seven years ago, but to Link; it might as well have been a thousand. A few weeks after his father's death at Chendra Valley massacre, soldiers had come to their house and taken his mother away; they took her away and he never saw her again. Link never did find out what became of her. He held onto the hope that she was still alive somewhere, but that hoped slowly faded and died over the years. Sometimes he saw her in his dreams, and they would walk together in the forest again. But like all dreams, they came to an end, and all Link was left with was his grief and loneliness. His mother had once said "to love and to be loved, that is the greatest happiness you will ever know." Link didn't want to be alone anymore. He did not want to be remembered as "the old man in the forest." And now that he had taken beautiful and charming young woman into his home, it appeared as though fate had given him the companion he sought. But for Link, fate had often proved more cruel than kind.
What Link didn't know was that Zelda was eyeing him as well. In her eyes, Link looked rather kingly; or perhaps he would when he had a few more years on his face. Had his hair been cut shorter and his clothing less common, he might have made a convincing nobleman. His eyes were blue and his hair was light and his stride was long and proud, traits typically associated with folks of good breed. But Link did not live poorly; rather, his parents had been quite wealthy. A soldier on the battlefield was allowed to keep whatever he plundered and often soldiers returned home with exotic jewels and artifacts that many had pried from the dead hands of their enemies. It was not an admirable way to make one wealthy, but if the soldiers did not loot their enemies, someone else surely would. The spoils of war, they called it. The king was certainly generous in passing out gifts to his favored soldiers, often treating them like sons. Zelda had longed to learn the ways of the sword and bow, but her father would have none of it. So she taught herself the best she could, reading books on sword fighting and archery and observing the Royal Guard in training. A few of the kinder soldiers had furtively trained her when the king was away, and not once did her father ever find out. But Zelda knew she could never live a soldier's life. A Hylian can live well over a thousand years, the oldest on record lived to about 1564 years, but a soldier was fortunate to live a hundred years. A soldier saw no grace in dying an old man, so the only honorable way to die was in battle. A soldier lived by the sword, and died by the sword. While the thought of spending a thousand or so years locked within the castle of Hyrule or another kingdom was not very appealing, she had no desire to die before she reached a hundred years of age.
The forest ended abruptly, leading them before an open plain, commonly known as Hyrule Field. A short distance ahead was the outer wall of Castle Town, and one a hill beyond one could clearly see Hyrule Castle. From a distance, one could see the town wall extending in a giant circle around the town, with the shining peaks of Hyrule Castle in the very center. Far off in the distance, you could make out the slopes of the Snowy Mountains to the north. A well-worn path led to the unguarded drawbridge that was only lowered at night to keep out wolves and other foul creatures. Just beyond the drawbridge they came to the town square, the exact place she had run to the night before. At this time of day, it was swarming with people, and seemed much less frightening then it had in the storming rain. Not wishing to become lost in the crowd, Zelda held Link's hand, noticing that many people in the town, even some of the women, stopped what they were doing to stare at her. Was it something about the way she dressed? Or did Link have some sort of reputation?
After staring at her for a goodly period of time, the people returned to crowding the tents and pavilions, each trying to haggle with the seller to a lower price. But Link had no business here, so he quietly led her off down one of the alleys, leaving the sounds of the crowded market behind them. Link stopped before a moderately sized store, one that had expensive-looking clothes prominently displayed in the window. Looking behind her, Zelda could see several men had followed them and were now staring and gawking at her. She turned back to Link, who held a pouch of rupees in his hand.
"I'd be daft if this wasn't the house of the finest tailor in Hyrule. Now, you find something nice for yourself; I have a few things I'd like to pick up in the marketplace."
Zelda was reluctant to be left by herself, but she didn't want to be a burden, so she took a deep breath and opened the tailor's door. Inside, there was little room to move about the place was so cramped with racks of clothing. There were a few men and women looking around, and soon Zelda began to feel their eyes on her as well. Why did they keep staring at her? How was she different from every other young woman in Hyrule? Was their something that gave her away as royalty? It was making her very uncomfortable whatever their reasons, so she quickly selected a few articles of clothing and brought them to the counter. There were few clothes that seemed to fit a woman as tall as herself, being that the average Hylian was woman was at least a foot shorter than she was. She didn't want anything too fancy or elegant, rather, she needed something practical and lasting now that she was no longer living within Hyrule Castle. But Link had given her a generous sum of money, so she decided to afford herself one opulent piece of clothing. She found it in one dusty corner of the store: a white silk dress similar to what she worn the day she had been banished from the castle, only this dress had intricate silver patterns around the waist and hemline. It was the only one of its kind, so she had quickly pulled it from the racks before anyone else could claim it. She then went and chose a nightgown, and a sapphire-blue gown made of thick, warm-looking fabric. Her anxiety at being left alone fading, and realizing she still had enough rupees to buy something else, she found a pair of blue slippers and enthusiastically grabbed them off the shelf. Who knew shopping for things could be so enjoyable? In Hyrule Castle, everything had been provided for her, but there was a certain indescribable thrill to finding things yourself.
She laid it all out at the front counter, where the tailor eyed her with some suspicion, wondering what such a young woman was doing all alone and with so much money. Nevertheless, he silently totaled up the cost of her purchases, which came to some ludicrous amount that Zelda gleefully placed on the counter. The tailor courteously placed her clothing into a large paper bag, and Zelda stepped back out onto the streets. Link was nowhere to be seen, and she still had a few rupees left, so Zelda decided to look around to see what else there was to buy. There were stores selling pottery, jewelry, and a few even sold weapons. But just as she was beginning to enjoy looking around, she saw Link coming down the alley, carrying a large sack of something over his shoulder. She walked up to meet him, noticing that several people from the tailor's store had followed her into the alley.
"Well, what did you buy?" he asked. "Nothing too expensive, I hope."
"Oh, I supposed I indulged myself a little. I'm sorry…"
Link laughed. "That's quite all right. I was just picking up some flour at the marketplace. I don't much like the bread that they sell here."
"Link," she asked quietly, moving closer to him, "why do they stare at me?"
He hesitated for a brief moment. "Because you are beautiful."
Zelda thought that might have been a compliment, but he said it more as a fact than a flattering remark. Zelda did not know if she was beautiful or not; her nursemaid had once named her "the fairest maiden in all of Hyrule," while her father had often called her an "ugly, stubborn young woman." The princes and noblemen who courted all spoke at length of her beauty, but their words meant nothing to her.
Suddenly, as they were walking out of the alley, there was a loud ringing of a bell, and a cry of, "Make way for His Majesty the King!"
Link and Zelda stopped in town square to see the Royal Family's horse drawn carriage riding through the streets of Castle Town, a vehicle Zelda had seen many times. A small contingent of guards escorted the carriage, shoving aside any citizens who were in the way. Everyone in the town stopped what they were doing to gaze at the carriage, hoping to catch a glimpse of His Majesty. Zelda, not wanting to be seen by her father, ducked back into the alleyway while Link looked on. The king's carriage trundled over the drawbridge and into Hyrule Field, followed by a crowd of onlookers hoping to somehow attract the king's attention.
"I wonder where he's going," Link wondered aloud.
Zelda knew the answer. "To the Kingdom of Kalendra to apologize for my refusal to marry their prince."
Link turned to face. "You were going to marry a Kalendrian?"
"Yes, I do not recall his name…"
"But he would have grown old and died before you reached a hundred! How could they expect to love a man like that?"
Zelda looked down and sighed. "A royal marriage is not like a common marriage. It is not for love, but for gain and profit, and so that the throne may have an heir."
"But the king would then be part Kalendrian; the people wouldn't stand for that!"
"They would stand for whatever the king tells them to, for his word is law. He cares little for the troubles of the common people, and they care little for his. His mind is of soldiers and armies, which is all he knows and cares for. The only reason for my marriage was so we could have more iron and copper to make weapons for our knights."
Link took one last look at the departing carriage and said, "I guess we should get back to my house, then, if there is nothing more you want to look at."
But oh, there was! Zelda wanted to see everything in this town, everything she had missed out on in her childhood. There was so much to see and do in this town; it would take days for them to explore everything. But Link was carrying a heavy sack of flour, and doubtless he had seen this town many times before, so she decided to wait for another day. So they walked off back to Link's home; Zelda was careful not to refer to it as "our home." From the gates of Castle Town, she could still make out the dust cloud kicked up by the king's horse drawn carriage. She wondered how her father would go about "apologizing" for her willfulness. Would he go down on his knees and grovel for forgiveness? A thin smile crept up her lips when she imagined her father doing such a thing.
The ride was rough and uncomfortable for the king, who sat in the carriage hoping this miserable excursion would soon be done with. Across from him sat Faraleth, his most trusted friend and advisor. They were indeed going to Kalendra to apologize for Zelda's insolence, and having to perform this degrading deed made his hatred of his own daughter all the more consuming. Everything that had transpired as of late: the shortage in metals, his humiliation among other kings, and having to apologize at the feet of the Kalendrian king, it was all her fault. Why couldn't she have married that prince, like all of her forebears? The many Princesses of Hyrule had always taken a prince as a husband. Was there some devil at work in her mind; planting seeds of insolence and malevolence in her soul? He had always known she was peering a little too deeply into the Dark Arts, or so he called all manners of sorcery and wizardry. Despite all his efforts to keep her from such knowledge, her damned nursemaid kept giving her everything she wanted, until he had discovered their little ploy and banished the troublesome nursemaid from the castle. She was too old for such coddling, anyway.
Now he was traveling to the Kingdom of Kalendra to ask for a resumption of trade between their two kingdoms. He would have to offer a great amount of gold and jewels to sway his favor, something he had lost upon her learning his son had not married. The king was going to make no secret of his contempt for Princess Zelda, even if she was his daughter. He had disowned her; cast her out of the family. No history in Hyrule Castle or of the Royal Family would ever record her existence, and scarcely anyone within the castle would remember her. What had she done of relevance or importance, anyway? Moped about the castle in her usual weepy fashion? Insulted the entire Kingdom of Kalendra? No, Zelda had done absolutely nothing worthy of note. It would be as if she had never set foot in Hyrule Castle; as if her presence was never known.
"Is something troubling you, Faraleth?" he asked his friend, noticing that he had been twitching and fidgeting uncomfortably ever since they had set out.
He paused for a moment. "About the princess sire, I don't much like what you've gone and done, sir! Throwing out the Lady of Hyrule like that! I won't have it!"
The king grumbled in displeasure. How many times would he have to explain himself? "Look, friend, she has come very close to ruining me! She has defiled our great tradition, and made a mockery of the Royal Family! She deserves what I have given her!"
"But she's just a child! She doesn't know one thing about how to live in the world outside the castle. She'll die out there!"
"Oh please! Tell me Faraleth, what is the gravest sin one can commit?"
Faraleth paused for a few moments to think about the king's question. "Murder, I would guess."
"Methinks you have not studied the Word of Nayru enough, old friend! The gravest sin is to refuse the Goddesses graces! And since I am their representative, should not refusing my graces by a cardinal sin as well."
"It must be so, sire."
"And that is what my daughter has done; refuse my graces! She does not want to be part of the Royal Family, so she may not reside with me in Hyrule Castle!"
They didn't talk much after that. All this talk of his daughter and angered him more and soured his mood. By this evening he would be formally apologizing to the Kalendrian king. To think, the mighty and honorable King of Hyrule apologizing for his daughter's actions! It was a shame he hadn't given that foolish girl a good slap. It might have forced some sense into her! Only once did he consider what might have happened to her, only once did it cross his mind that someone out there might have shown the poor girl some sympathy. But he forced those thoughts from his mind, and instead concentrated on how to construct his "apology" in the least embarrassing manner possible.
When Link and Zelda returned home, Link discovered something rather unusual. The flag on his mailbox was raised, meaning that someone had actually thought to give him a letter. Link had not received a letter in all of the seven years he had lived alone. Curious, he opened the mailbox and withdrew a letter sealed with the stamp of the Lon Lon Ranch. Now quite interested, Link ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter. The handwriting was clearly Malon's, writing in her usual semi-literate form. Malon wasn't one of the brightest women in Hyrule, but she was still a good person. Link had been friends with her for many years, until they had slowly grown apart. There was no antipathy towards one another, rather, they just subconsciously decided to see less and less of each other. He was never quite sure why they could not make their friendship last. Maybe it was their lack of mutual interest, or the fact that Link worried about falling in love with her. When Malon began to see other men, Link knew his chances of being with her were gone. She still wanted to be friends, but Link found it rather hard to look upon her as a "mere friend." He had not seen Malon in at least two years, and wondered what she had been doing all this time.
Dear Link, it began, you are cordially invited to the wedding of Malon and Ronan Vigo. The ceremony will be held in Nayru's Temple in Hyrule Castle Town tomorrow. Guests are welcome. No gifts are necessary. There will be singing, dancing and food for all at the reception afterwards at the Lon Lon Ranch. See you soon!
That was all there was to it. Link had been out of touch with Malon for several years, but her marriage came as a pleasant surprise. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to go or not; he had been dragged off to several weddings as a child, and Link had found them all terribly boring. All he ever did was just sit there and watch the priest drone on for what seemed like hours until the bride and groom finally spoke their vows. Afterwards, there was the dull reception, where his parents would dance with each other, while he would sit alone someone and wait for the night to end. But there was a chance he might see them differently now that he had matured somewhat. Or, quite possibly, it would still be a most tedious affair.
"Who is it from?" Zelda asked after Link had read it over.
"It's from Malon, a friend of mine. She's getting married tomorrow, and she has invited me to ceremony."
A wedding? The last thing Zelda wanted to think about was marriage, but she wanted to see what a "normal" wedding was like; a wedding where the bride and groom truly loved each other. All she knew of were "Royal Weddings" which were less a celebration of a union than they were of the king's wealth and opulence.
"I don't know whether or not I want to go," Link said with a sigh. "Weddings can so dull sometimes."
"Oh, but we must!" Zelda protested. "I dearly wish to see a true wedding."
"A true wedding?"
"A wedding of love. A princess is never taught to marry for love. I want to see what it is like, to marry for love…"
Link smiled. "Well, if you say so."
Eager to try on her new clothes, Zelda ran into the house ahead of Link, as he had some work that had to be done outside. She ran up to her room and locked the door behind her, dropping her paper shopping bag onto the bed. Looking through it, Zelda decided to try on the white silk dress, since it looked the fairest. As she was about to undress, she caught a glimpse of Link chopping up firewood outside. He looked so strong and handsome as he split log after log with his hatchet. Try as she might, there was something about Link that made it very hard for Zelda to take her eyes off him. She had known many handsome men, some of whom could make a lady swoon with a mere glance, but somehow Link was different from them. Maybe it was they way he lived, or the sympathy she felt for his loss, but there was something fascinating about Link that simply made it enjoyable to be with him. Feelings and emotions were beginning to awaken in her mind; emotions Zelda herself was not even aware of. She had been locked up in Hyrule Castle for far too long! And now that she had been away from its glistening limestone walls, she was quite sure that she did not want to return. There was so much more to do on the outside; so much so that Hyrule Castle seemed more akin to a prison than a home.
Finally, she looked away from Link, and quietly slipped into the first of her new dresses. The silk was very fine, and it felt so wonderfully smooth and gentle on her skin. It was pure white save for the silver patterns that ran along the hemline and sleeves. It wasn't a complicated or intricate garment, but it was one of the most expensive at the tailor's shop. But Zelda had to remind herself it had been purchased with Link's money, and it equated to a very expensive gift. How could any man spend so much on someone he had just met the day before? Zelda guessed that Link didn't have much use for money, living alone here in the forest. But was he doing this out of the goodness of his heart, or simply because she was the "Princess of Hyrule?" His lack of surprise when she had revealed her identity the other day strongly suggested the former. What was the Princess of Hyrule to man like Link, anyway? He had probably never even heard of her, she thought.
Zelda heard Link enter downstairs, and she wanted him to see her in her beautiful new dress, so she bolted out of the room and headed downstairs, stopping Link as he closed the door behind him. She followed Link's eyes as he looked her over from head to toe, undoubtedly stunned at her appearance. Without saying a word, Zelda ran down the last of the steps and hugged Link briefly, so happy for all he had done for her.
"Thank you Link, thank you for everything!" she said, although it came out more as a shout.
"Well, aren't you pretty?" Link complimented, looking over her dress. "You should wear it to the wedding."
"I intend to," she replied with a sly smile.
That night, they had a candlelit dinner, although that had actually been Zelda's idea. Though she wasn't quite conscious of it yet, Zelda was already beginning to feel attracted to Link. Love was a foreign and alien concept to her; save for the occasional romance novel she read. But she never understood the use of "love" and what one would go about doing should themselves "in love." She had heard about such vague concepts as "courtship" and "romance," but she was never taught about True Love and Companionship, for then she might get some thoroughly ridiculous notion into her head about "marrying for love." No, all she knew of love was her lessons on "how to please her husband" and what she read in books from the castle library. All the novels she read all seemed alike: the poor man with a heart of solid gold somehow wooed an aristocratic lady who forsakes her pampered lifestyle to be with her love. At the time, she had found the novels to be quite perplexing. Why would anyone so wealthy wish to sink to level of a peasant? She had been barely ten years old then. Now on the verge of womanhood, love and romance were slowly making inroads into Zelda's life, naïve as she might have been.
Link really was an excellent cook. Two slices of pork and salad she had torn through already, much to Link's surprise. It never quite seemed fair that her father spent so much of his time feeding himself, whilst she was given mere scraps. "You mustn't eat too much!" her nursemaid had prated on her. "A prince is not interested in a fat princess!" But this little indulgence wouldn't hurt her, she decided. Zelda could almost feel the strength returning to her body with every bite she took. Sometimes she had resorted to stealing food from the castle kitchen like a beggar, although her father had caught her in the act and severely reprimanded her. But it was so hard to fall asleep when she was struck with sudden hunger pangs, and Zelda would lie awake wondering why they insisted on starving her. Was it simply to be cruel, or did her father and nursemaid genuinely believe she would become fat if she were to eat more than a meager serving? And to think her chief good in life had been but to sleep and feed.
Link couldn't think of much to talk about, so he simply ate in silence, trying to think of something to say that might break that awkward silence. The concept of "love" was as unfamiliar to Link as it was to Zelda, although his mother had always told him that being in love could bring great happiness, or sorrow. He had never once spoken to a woman in all the years since his parents had perished, especially not one as beautiful as Zelda. It was hard not to stare at her; Link did not want to be rude, but she was so…captivating. He did not really want her to leave him, although if she wished to return to Hyrule Castle, there was nothing he could do to stop her. But Link had longed for a companion for so long, and now that chance had brought this beautiful young lady into his home, Link was reluctant to let her go. At last, he had somebody to talk to, someone who understood him and enjoyed being with him. In the very bottom of his heart, Link knew he was slowly, but quite definitely, falling in love with her. Yet a part of him wanted to hide and suppress those feelings for her, as if were somehow wrong for him to be in love with the Lady of Hyrule. Whatever his true feelings, there was no denying Zelda's elfin, ethereal charm. Whenever Link looked into her deep blue eyes, it was impossible to look away no matter how he tried.
That night, when Link slept, he began to dream about Zelda. They were standing in a beautiful, otherworldly meadow, not saying anything, but gazing at each other understandingly. Then Zelda extended her hand, and Link thought he heard fair voices and music in the air. Driven by a strange desire, Link took her hand and before he knew it, they were dancing to the unearthly music. The meadow disappeared, and suddenly they were dancing and holding each other close among the stars. Although it was a mere dream, Link could feel the warmth of her body so close to his, and he knew then that he loved her. Zelda was so perfect in body and soul; it was impossible to feel nothing for her. The world around them begin to spin and blur until it was only them, together, lost in each other's embrace. But just as Link felt a true sense of belonging, the dream faded and disappeared, replaced by the sunlight shining on his face. The wonderful dream was over, and now he was laying bed, staring up at the ceiling. He knew something was very wrong with him; he had never had these kinds of dreams or felt these kinds of emotions before. Everything seemed so unreal now, as if he was still dreaming. Was this love? No, it couldn't be. This felt more like a sickness. And, Link knew, the longer Zelda stayed with him, the worse it would get. But it was not altogether unpleasant; in some ways he wanted to feel this way about her. It was all so confusing and complicated that Link forced it out of his mind and climbed out of bed with a renewed vigor. Today was Malon's wedding, and he would have to get himself ready.