Link was walking down the road towards his house. His thoughts were
helplessly revolving around Zelda. She was such a considerate and kind
person, and seemed to be willing to lend a hand.
He sighed, remembering his former "girlfriend." Link had never really ever had feelings for Malon, but she kept it no secret that she did for him. The attractive red-head was nice, but she just wasn't Link's type. Everyone thought they made a cute couple, but Link was thoroughly annoyed by the "relationship." They broke up.
"Hey, where you been?" Conner asked, walking out of his house. "I was looking for you earlier."
"Sorry," Link responded. "I decided to take a trip down to Lake Hylia. I kinda stayed longer than I anticipated."
"Woah, what happened?" Conner asked, eyeing the bruise on his friend's forehead. "You didn't get into a fight, did you?"
"Well actually, I kinda did," Link laughed. "You see, this strange man had stolen Princess Zelda's horse. Naturally, I felt it was my duty as a citizen to get it back for her. And, well...he didn't give up without a fight."
"I see."
Roy, Mario and Brian walked in through the door. "Hiya, Link," Mario said, sitting down. "We've been wondering where you were."
"He was at Lake Hylia," Conner answered for him. "Saving the princess' horse."
"Very gallant," Roy laughed.
"Ha ha," Link snorted. "Do you guys know what you're wearing to the party thing?"
"Yep," Brian answered. "We did our shopping yesterday. Some lady named Impa helped us...I think she's the princess' nursemaid or something like that."
"Yeah, that's Impa," Link said. He sighed, and stood up. "Well I gotta go. I thought I still had a pair of nice shoes, but it turns out that I don't. I'll be back soon." He walked outside and shut the door behind him.
Link walked around Marlon Kelly's market, trying to find a place that sold shoes. Eventually, he found a shoe-maker's store, and stepped inside.
"Hello!" greeted a sales clerk. "May I help you?"
"Yes...Meryl," Link answered, reading her name tag. "I'm looking for some dress shoes. I'm attending a...party in a few weeks, and I don't have any shoes that really go with the rest of my outfit."
"It wouldn't happen to be the May festivity, would it?" Meryl asked a little sarcastically, as she led Link into a section of the store.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Oh, so you are going?" Meryl turned around and faced him. "What size are you?"
"Ten."
Meryl got down a box and gave Link the shoes. "You know, I'll be going to the King's party too. Well, I didn't really get invited by him, though. That'll be twenty rupees, please." Link gave her the money. "Zelda was the one to officially ask me to come, because she thought she ought to show her appreciation to the one that's been gettin' her shoes all her life." Meryl packaged the shoes and gave them to Link. "Aah, yes. That Princess is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Ever since her majesty the Queen died, the King has changed an awful lot."
"Yes, well...good-bye," Link said. "Guess I'll see you later."
As he stepped outside, Link wondered just how old Meryl was. She looked about his age, twenty-one, but she had said that she'd been making Zelda's shoes all her life. Perhaps Meryl had just inherited the buisiness.
At the sound of laughter, Link turned around. He saw Prince Marth atop a brilliant white steed--but he was laughing at an old man who was doubled over in pain.
"You should have seen the look on your face, old begger man!" Marth hooted. "Imagine, asking the Prince of Altea for seven rupees! It's practically unbelievable!"
"Unacceptable," King Harkinian laughed, pulling up next to him.
Link ran over to the old man. "Sir, are you all right?"
The old man looked up. "I swear, I didn't do nothin' wrong, lad. I had no idea who they was upon them horses. I just asked for a tad of money, to get my daughter a birthday present. He coulda just told me to leave, not have his horse kick my chest!"
"Prince Marth," Link said, looking up at him. "If you please Sire, why do you torment this poor man, when he doesn't know your identity, and just asks for a few rupees?"
"I'll teach you to talk back to a prince, you peasant!" Marth spat. He reared back on his horse, and the hooves came bearing down onto Link's left shoulder blade. He sank down to the ground in pain.
"What's all this?!" Meryl cried, rushing out of the store. She dropped her polishing rag at the sight of the old man. "Father, father what happened to you?!" She stooped down next to him.
Meryl's father looked up at Prince Marth, shaking his head and saying nothing. Meryl followed his gaze, and a look of disgust flew over her pleasant features.
"What have you done to my father?!" she screeched. "He's over sixty years old!" Her breathing got louder as Link carried the old man into the shop. "Didn't you even give him a chance??"
Instead of beating her with his horse, Marth stepped off of Pickles. He took off a glove and smacked her across the face with it.
"I don't believe in using horsepower on women," he said casually. "But perhaps that sting will remind you of where you stand below me." He slapped her again, on the other cheek. "Hope you've learned your lesson."
"Excuse me Marth," came a voice behind them. "I believe that was completely uncalled for."
Marth swiveled around, and found himself facing Zelda. She was wearing a very rare expression, a quite stern one. She walked over to Meryl, and helped her up.
"Are you all right, Meryl?" she asked.
"I-I think so," Meryl stammered, putting a hand to her cheek.
"Forgive me father, if you think I'm being a snob," Zelda said, turning towards King Harkinian. "But I always thought mother said to socialize with and be kind to our people. And also forgive me if I'm wrong, but I never thought beating the innocent was ever considered kind."
"The wench and her father were quite outspoken," Marth explained, getting back onto his horse. "They needed to be made examples of."
"Marth, I hate to say this, but...this isn't your country. And I would personally appreciate it if you stayed out of Hyrule's affairs for now. Okay?"
With a snort, Marth and King Harkinian rode away.
Zelda led a sobbing Meryl back into the shoe store. "Oh, he's going to kill me for that," the princess said casually.
"Thank you for standing up for me, Princess," Meryl sniffed, leaning into Zelda's shoulder.
Zelda patted her back awkwardly. "There, there," she soothed. "It'll be all right. Now what's this I heard about your father?"
"He's got it pretty bad," Link groaned from the other side of the room. Zelda jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.
"What happened?" she asked, walking over.
"From the sound of it, that high and mighty Prince Marth beat his horse's hooves into his chest."
"Don't try and hide your own injuries," Meryl sobbed, wiping away the last of her tears.
"What happened to you?" Zelda inquired, somewhat anxious. "He didn't try to attack you too, did he?"
"No," Link answered. "He did attack me. Did the same thing, only to my shoulder, but I'm fine. Looks like Meryl's father is much worse off."
"Nonsense," the old man coughed. "I'll be fine, I'll be fine..." With his words trailing off, the aged male fell over.
"Father!" Meryl cried. "Oh no, no! I've got to get him to a hospital!" Showing immense strength, Meryl picked up the frail, skinny man and dashed out the door.
Link and Zelda walked out of the shop. Zelda turned back, and changed the "open" sign so that it read "closed."
He sighed, remembering his former "girlfriend." Link had never really ever had feelings for Malon, but she kept it no secret that she did for him. The attractive red-head was nice, but she just wasn't Link's type. Everyone thought they made a cute couple, but Link was thoroughly annoyed by the "relationship." They broke up.
"Hey, where you been?" Conner asked, walking out of his house. "I was looking for you earlier."
"Sorry," Link responded. "I decided to take a trip down to Lake Hylia. I kinda stayed longer than I anticipated."
"Woah, what happened?" Conner asked, eyeing the bruise on his friend's forehead. "You didn't get into a fight, did you?"
"Well actually, I kinda did," Link laughed. "You see, this strange man had stolen Princess Zelda's horse. Naturally, I felt it was my duty as a citizen to get it back for her. And, well...he didn't give up without a fight."
"I see."
Roy, Mario and Brian walked in through the door. "Hiya, Link," Mario said, sitting down. "We've been wondering where you were."
"He was at Lake Hylia," Conner answered for him. "Saving the princess' horse."
"Very gallant," Roy laughed.
"Ha ha," Link snorted. "Do you guys know what you're wearing to the party thing?"
"Yep," Brian answered. "We did our shopping yesterday. Some lady named Impa helped us...I think she's the princess' nursemaid or something like that."
"Yeah, that's Impa," Link said. He sighed, and stood up. "Well I gotta go. I thought I still had a pair of nice shoes, but it turns out that I don't. I'll be back soon." He walked outside and shut the door behind him.
Link walked around Marlon Kelly's market, trying to find a place that sold shoes. Eventually, he found a shoe-maker's store, and stepped inside.
"Hello!" greeted a sales clerk. "May I help you?"
"Yes...Meryl," Link answered, reading her name tag. "I'm looking for some dress shoes. I'm attending a...party in a few weeks, and I don't have any shoes that really go with the rest of my outfit."
"It wouldn't happen to be the May festivity, would it?" Meryl asked a little sarcastically, as she led Link into a section of the store.
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Oh, so you are going?" Meryl turned around and faced him. "What size are you?"
"Ten."
Meryl got down a box and gave Link the shoes. "You know, I'll be going to the King's party too. Well, I didn't really get invited by him, though. That'll be twenty rupees, please." Link gave her the money. "Zelda was the one to officially ask me to come, because she thought she ought to show her appreciation to the one that's been gettin' her shoes all her life." Meryl packaged the shoes and gave them to Link. "Aah, yes. That Princess is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Ever since her majesty the Queen died, the King has changed an awful lot."
"Yes, well...good-bye," Link said. "Guess I'll see you later."
As he stepped outside, Link wondered just how old Meryl was. She looked about his age, twenty-one, but she had said that she'd been making Zelda's shoes all her life. Perhaps Meryl had just inherited the buisiness.
At the sound of laughter, Link turned around. He saw Prince Marth atop a brilliant white steed--but he was laughing at an old man who was doubled over in pain.
"You should have seen the look on your face, old begger man!" Marth hooted. "Imagine, asking the Prince of Altea for seven rupees! It's practically unbelievable!"
"Unacceptable," King Harkinian laughed, pulling up next to him.
Link ran over to the old man. "Sir, are you all right?"
The old man looked up. "I swear, I didn't do nothin' wrong, lad. I had no idea who they was upon them horses. I just asked for a tad of money, to get my daughter a birthday present. He coulda just told me to leave, not have his horse kick my chest!"
"Prince Marth," Link said, looking up at him. "If you please Sire, why do you torment this poor man, when he doesn't know your identity, and just asks for a few rupees?"
"I'll teach you to talk back to a prince, you peasant!" Marth spat. He reared back on his horse, and the hooves came bearing down onto Link's left shoulder blade. He sank down to the ground in pain.
"What's all this?!" Meryl cried, rushing out of the store. She dropped her polishing rag at the sight of the old man. "Father, father what happened to you?!" She stooped down next to him.
Meryl's father looked up at Prince Marth, shaking his head and saying nothing. Meryl followed his gaze, and a look of disgust flew over her pleasant features.
"What have you done to my father?!" she screeched. "He's over sixty years old!" Her breathing got louder as Link carried the old man into the shop. "Didn't you even give him a chance??"
Instead of beating her with his horse, Marth stepped off of Pickles. He took off a glove and smacked her across the face with it.
"I don't believe in using horsepower on women," he said casually. "But perhaps that sting will remind you of where you stand below me." He slapped her again, on the other cheek. "Hope you've learned your lesson."
"Excuse me Marth," came a voice behind them. "I believe that was completely uncalled for."
Marth swiveled around, and found himself facing Zelda. She was wearing a very rare expression, a quite stern one. She walked over to Meryl, and helped her up.
"Are you all right, Meryl?" she asked.
"I-I think so," Meryl stammered, putting a hand to her cheek.
"Forgive me father, if you think I'm being a snob," Zelda said, turning towards King Harkinian. "But I always thought mother said to socialize with and be kind to our people. And also forgive me if I'm wrong, but I never thought beating the innocent was ever considered kind."
"The wench and her father were quite outspoken," Marth explained, getting back onto his horse. "They needed to be made examples of."
"Marth, I hate to say this, but...this isn't your country. And I would personally appreciate it if you stayed out of Hyrule's affairs for now. Okay?"
With a snort, Marth and King Harkinian rode away.
Zelda led a sobbing Meryl back into the shoe store. "Oh, he's going to kill me for that," the princess said casually.
"Thank you for standing up for me, Princess," Meryl sniffed, leaning into Zelda's shoulder.
Zelda patted her back awkwardly. "There, there," she soothed. "It'll be all right. Now what's this I heard about your father?"
"He's got it pretty bad," Link groaned from the other side of the room. Zelda jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.
"What happened?" she asked, walking over.
"From the sound of it, that high and mighty Prince Marth beat his horse's hooves into his chest."
"Don't try and hide your own injuries," Meryl sobbed, wiping away the last of her tears.
"What happened to you?" Zelda inquired, somewhat anxious. "He didn't try to attack you too, did he?"
"No," Link answered. "He did attack me. Did the same thing, only to my shoulder, but I'm fine. Looks like Meryl's father is much worse off."
"Nonsense," the old man coughed. "I'll be fine, I'll be fine..." With his words trailing off, the aged male fell over.
"Father!" Meryl cried. "Oh no, no! I've got to get him to a hospital!" Showing immense strength, Meryl picked up the frail, skinny man and dashed out the door.
Link and Zelda walked out of the shop. Zelda turned back, and changed the "open" sign so that it read "closed."