"Zelda, I don't want you to go outside today."
"Father, why not?"
"I need your help here, at the castle."
"Father, what on earth could you possibly need my help for? What about Impa, and the other servants?"
"Impa's helper Mandy just got sick with the flu."
"Oh I see. So...I'm replacing Mandy?"
"Well, Mandy passed it on to all the servants except Impa."
Sighing, Zelda stood up. "Oh, all right. I guess there wasn't really anything else I had planned to do today. What do you want me to do?" She sighed loudly again.
"There's a good girl," King Harkinian cheered, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, stop kissing up to me," Zelda grunted. "Just tell me what it is you want me to do."
"Help Impa cook."
"Oh. Sure. Whatever you say, dad." With a weak salute, Zelda exited her father's den.
"Zelda, what're you doing down here?" Impa asked, upon seeing the princess enter the kitchen. She rubbed her dirty hands on a cloth.
"My father insists on my helping you today," Zelda answered. "It's nothing personal, and I don't mind helping you out, it's just that I had kind of intended on going into the village today. Even though that's...not exactly what I told him."
"Oh? Why is that? What did you plan on doing?"
Zelda laughed. "It's none of your buisiness, Impa." She put her arms behind her back. "Well, I'm here to help. What can I do?"
Impa grinned. "You can start by opening that cabinet and getting out some flour."
"Okay." Zelda walked over to the cabinet. When she opened it, she leapt back and screamed in horror. "IMPA!"
Slightly amused, Impa turned around. "What is it?"
"Impa, a rat just jumped out at me!"
"A rat? Doesn't surprise me. Mandy's been getting real lazy lately, and hasn't taken to cleaning out the cabinet. That's her job, you know. Not mine. I don't do any extra work."
"Y-you...you mean there are rats getting into the food?"
"Oh, sometimes worse. I was eating my dinner in her once, and a spider climbed out of my iceberg salad. Quite usual, you know."
"Impa, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Don't apologize, it's not your fault. It's Mandy's. Now...the flour?"
"Oh yes, sorry." In a quick movement, Zelda thrust her arm into the cabinet and pulled out the sack of flour. "Ah ha ha!"
"Very smooth," Impa laughed, taking it from her. "You don't know what it's like down here is it?"
"Not really. My father doesn't really let me be around any of the servants except for you. Why, what is it like?"
Impa sighed and turned away. "Perhaps it's better not said. I don't want you to go pestering your father. You know as well as I do that he doesn't care a smidge about people below him."
"Yes, I know. I think it's horrid."
"I'm glad someone in the royal world thinks that." Impa turned to Zelda and smiled. "You don't belong down here with me. Go on outside."
"What? But my father told me to-"
"Come on. You're a growing child; you need fresh air and all that junk. I'm an old maid. Literally."
Zelda laughed. "Okay, okay. But how will I manage to elude my father? He'll probably go on his daily horse ride thing today, and he might see me. What should I do?"
"Wear a disguise."
"Oh right, that'll work. I hate to say it Impa, but none of my 'dress up' clothes fit me anymore."
"Okay, ditch the disguise idea." Impa pulled a shabby, black cloak out from under one of the sinks. "Wear this instead. Just pull it over your head when your father is in view."
Zelda shrugged and took it. "All right, I guess it won't do any harm. I'll have to wear a...kind of not-very-royal-looking dress." She smiled at Impa. "Thanks. Bye!"
A few minutes later, Zelda had snuck out of the palace. Finally, she could breath. The air inside the castle was so stuffy sometimes. That's why she adored being outside.
The princess glanced down at the dress she was wearing. It was a smooth, lavender color. It wouldn't make her stand out; but everyone would probably recognize her anyway.
Zelda decided to visit Meryl. She walked down to the Marlon Kelly market, and found the shoe store. When she walked inside, she didn't see Meryl. A skinny (nerdy) man walked up to her.
"May I help you, your highness?" he asked.
"Yes, please. Could you tell me where Meryl Street went? She...she works here, right?"
A little disappointed, the man answered. "Yes. She went down to the hospital to visit her father or something."
Zelda quickly turned and left the store. "Thanks!"
Slightly worried, Zelda quickly walked out of the marketplace. Meryl's father was quite old, and she still didn't know how much damage had been done to him by Marth. Zelda gritted her teeth and rounded a corner. That selfish, spoiled brat.
The faint sound of screaming reached the princess' sensitive ears. Quickly, she turned another corner and stepped back in shock.
Meryl was standing against a wall, pinned there by Marth. Her father was there too, watching the whole thing on his horse. Both Marth and Meryl were grasping a small maroon purse.
"Please highness!" Meryl begged. "I need this money for my father!"
"Don't think I don't remember your father!" Marth yelled. "I forgot my money back at the palace, and I need to buy something! Give me this purse, you peasant witch!"
"No, please no!"
Marth took out a small dagger from his boot. "Listen, you dirty scum! I'm a prince, and if I command you to give me something, I expect you to do so immediately!"
"Yes, you are a prince!" came a voice. Marth, Meryl, and King Harkinian turned their heads towards it.
"And so saying, you have plenty of money yourself! Perhaps too much, even!"
It was Zelda. The cloak was drawn over her head, so none of them could tell who she was.
"You dare to talk back to me, Prince Marth of Altea?"
"Yes!" Zelda answered, coming closer. "Yes, I do! This poor girl wishes only to help her father, and you want to take away all she has for a gift, because you're too lazy to move your stinking butt back to the castle!"
Enraged, Marth brought the dagger bearing down on Zelda's face. It slashed her cheek, and she fell to the ground.
"Who are you?!" Marth bellowed. King Harkinian got off his horse. "What lowly filth dares insult me?!"
Slowly, Zelda stood up. Then, in one quick movement, she whipped the cloak off her head. "I do!" Marth dropped the dagger in surprise. She stared at him with pure hatred, as blood streamed down her face.
Sobbing, Meryl ran to her. "Princess Zelda, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to cause you harm!"
"It's all right," Zelda assured her. She tore off a part of the cloak, and held it up to the blood. "Marth just didn't know who I was."
Finally, King Harkinian spoke up. "What are you doing out here any way, Zelda?! I thought I told you to stay with Impa!"
Zelda turned to him sharply. "Why?! Why?! So you could sit back and watch him-" (she pointed angrily at Marth)-"assault people? To watch him steal from those less fortunate than yourselves?! Is this what you do whenever I'm not around?! I hope that you keep in mind what mother thinks whenever she sees what you do!"
King Harkinian looked down. His daughter's words made him feel suddenly very guilty.
"Well what on earth are you doing in those ridiculous clothes?" Marth laughed. "You could almost pass for a commoner!"
"That's the point!" Zelda barked. "I was trying to avoid you both! But after seeing what my father does to HIS people behind my back, I just couldn't keep to myself!" She grabbed Meryl's hand. "Come on Meryl, we have to go see your father."
Marth and the King watched the two girls walk away.
"She accused you pretty badly," Marth said, mounting his horse. "I think she's had a tad too much to drink. You should really watch what she consumes from now on."
King Harkinian said nothing, but nodded. For the first time in a while, he thought what his wife might be thinking about his actions right now.
"Father, why not?"
"I need your help here, at the castle."
"Father, what on earth could you possibly need my help for? What about Impa, and the other servants?"
"Impa's helper Mandy just got sick with the flu."
"Oh I see. So...I'm replacing Mandy?"
"Well, Mandy passed it on to all the servants except Impa."
Sighing, Zelda stood up. "Oh, all right. I guess there wasn't really anything else I had planned to do today. What do you want me to do?" She sighed loudly again.
"There's a good girl," King Harkinian cheered, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, stop kissing up to me," Zelda grunted. "Just tell me what it is you want me to do."
"Help Impa cook."
"Oh. Sure. Whatever you say, dad." With a weak salute, Zelda exited her father's den.
"Zelda, what're you doing down here?" Impa asked, upon seeing the princess enter the kitchen. She rubbed her dirty hands on a cloth.
"My father insists on my helping you today," Zelda answered. "It's nothing personal, and I don't mind helping you out, it's just that I had kind of intended on going into the village today. Even though that's...not exactly what I told him."
"Oh? Why is that? What did you plan on doing?"
Zelda laughed. "It's none of your buisiness, Impa." She put her arms behind her back. "Well, I'm here to help. What can I do?"
Impa grinned. "You can start by opening that cabinet and getting out some flour."
"Okay." Zelda walked over to the cabinet. When she opened it, she leapt back and screamed in horror. "IMPA!"
Slightly amused, Impa turned around. "What is it?"
"Impa, a rat just jumped out at me!"
"A rat? Doesn't surprise me. Mandy's been getting real lazy lately, and hasn't taken to cleaning out the cabinet. That's her job, you know. Not mine. I don't do any extra work."
"Y-you...you mean there are rats getting into the food?"
"Oh, sometimes worse. I was eating my dinner in her once, and a spider climbed out of my iceberg salad. Quite usual, you know."
"Impa, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"Don't apologize, it's not your fault. It's Mandy's. Now...the flour?"
"Oh yes, sorry." In a quick movement, Zelda thrust her arm into the cabinet and pulled out the sack of flour. "Ah ha ha!"
"Very smooth," Impa laughed, taking it from her. "You don't know what it's like down here is it?"
"Not really. My father doesn't really let me be around any of the servants except for you. Why, what is it like?"
Impa sighed and turned away. "Perhaps it's better not said. I don't want you to go pestering your father. You know as well as I do that he doesn't care a smidge about people below him."
"Yes, I know. I think it's horrid."
"I'm glad someone in the royal world thinks that." Impa turned to Zelda and smiled. "You don't belong down here with me. Go on outside."
"What? But my father told me to-"
"Come on. You're a growing child; you need fresh air and all that junk. I'm an old maid. Literally."
Zelda laughed. "Okay, okay. But how will I manage to elude my father? He'll probably go on his daily horse ride thing today, and he might see me. What should I do?"
"Wear a disguise."
"Oh right, that'll work. I hate to say it Impa, but none of my 'dress up' clothes fit me anymore."
"Okay, ditch the disguise idea." Impa pulled a shabby, black cloak out from under one of the sinks. "Wear this instead. Just pull it over your head when your father is in view."
Zelda shrugged and took it. "All right, I guess it won't do any harm. I'll have to wear a...kind of not-very-royal-looking dress." She smiled at Impa. "Thanks. Bye!"
A few minutes later, Zelda had snuck out of the palace. Finally, she could breath. The air inside the castle was so stuffy sometimes. That's why she adored being outside.
The princess glanced down at the dress she was wearing. It was a smooth, lavender color. It wouldn't make her stand out; but everyone would probably recognize her anyway.
Zelda decided to visit Meryl. She walked down to the Marlon Kelly market, and found the shoe store. When she walked inside, she didn't see Meryl. A skinny (nerdy) man walked up to her.
"May I help you, your highness?" he asked.
"Yes, please. Could you tell me where Meryl Street went? She...she works here, right?"
A little disappointed, the man answered. "Yes. She went down to the hospital to visit her father or something."
Zelda quickly turned and left the store. "Thanks!"
Slightly worried, Zelda quickly walked out of the marketplace. Meryl's father was quite old, and she still didn't know how much damage had been done to him by Marth. Zelda gritted her teeth and rounded a corner. That selfish, spoiled brat.
The faint sound of screaming reached the princess' sensitive ears. Quickly, she turned another corner and stepped back in shock.
Meryl was standing against a wall, pinned there by Marth. Her father was there too, watching the whole thing on his horse. Both Marth and Meryl were grasping a small maroon purse.
"Please highness!" Meryl begged. "I need this money for my father!"
"Don't think I don't remember your father!" Marth yelled. "I forgot my money back at the palace, and I need to buy something! Give me this purse, you peasant witch!"
"No, please no!"
Marth took out a small dagger from his boot. "Listen, you dirty scum! I'm a prince, and if I command you to give me something, I expect you to do so immediately!"
"Yes, you are a prince!" came a voice. Marth, Meryl, and King Harkinian turned their heads towards it.
"And so saying, you have plenty of money yourself! Perhaps too much, even!"
It was Zelda. The cloak was drawn over her head, so none of them could tell who she was.
"You dare to talk back to me, Prince Marth of Altea?"
"Yes!" Zelda answered, coming closer. "Yes, I do! This poor girl wishes only to help her father, and you want to take away all she has for a gift, because you're too lazy to move your stinking butt back to the castle!"
Enraged, Marth brought the dagger bearing down on Zelda's face. It slashed her cheek, and she fell to the ground.
"Who are you?!" Marth bellowed. King Harkinian got off his horse. "What lowly filth dares insult me?!"
Slowly, Zelda stood up. Then, in one quick movement, she whipped the cloak off her head. "I do!" Marth dropped the dagger in surprise. She stared at him with pure hatred, as blood streamed down her face.
Sobbing, Meryl ran to her. "Princess Zelda, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to cause you harm!"
"It's all right," Zelda assured her. She tore off a part of the cloak, and held it up to the blood. "Marth just didn't know who I was."
Finally, King Harkinian spoke up. "What are you doing out here any way, Zelda?! I thought I told you to stay with Impa!"
Zelda turned to him sharply. "Why?! Why?! So you could sit back and watch him-" (she pointed angrily at Marth)-"assault people? To watch him steal from those less fortunate than yourselves?! Is this what you do whenever I'm not around?! I hope that you keep in mind what mother thinks whenever she sees what you do!"
King Harkinian looked down. His daughter's words made him feel suddenly very guilty.
"Well what on earth are you doing in those ridiculous clothes?" Marth laughed. "You could almost pass for a commoner!"
"That's the point!" Zelda barked. "I was trying to avoid you both! But after seeing what my father does to HIS people behind my back, I just couldn't keep to myself!" She grabbed Meryl's hand. "Come on Meryl, we have to go see your father."
Marth and the King watched the two girls walk away.
"She accused you pretty badly," Marth said, mounting his horse. "I think she's had a tad too much to drink. You should really watch what she consumes from now on."
King Harkinian said nothing, but nodded. For the first time in a while, he thought what his wife might be thinking about his actions right now.