Chapter Four

After Zelda's tearful confession of stress and fear, life was relatively calm. Time elapsed in strange waves, as time always does, and after three weeks of hunting with the king and sneaking around with Zelda, after three weeks of late-night visits and developing bonds and archery and picnics on Sundays, it was almost time to go home.

The last hunt had much the same tradition as the first, except in reverse. Everybody went on the hunt in the morning, came back in the afternoon, got wholly drunk and ravaged the maids all night. Then, the next morning, we would begin the trip back home.

Our last day at the manor dawned unusually cool for the south. True, it was springtime, but the forested area was often the most pleasant of temperatures- the palace, on the other hand, was probably having a miserably chilly morning.

I drew my coat closer around me as we rode quietly through the woods, staring at the back of Zelda's loose warrior-maiden braid. It was probably the last time I'd see it, too- at the palace, her hair was always perfect in the latest fashions, whether it was down or up. And as her hair would change, so would her behavior. She'd resume the courtly, icy stance, and probably completely forget about me. She'd be intimidating and distant but a perfect lady, and if she were ever seen with a knight of any kind, he would be her guard, not her friend. Princesses just didn't socialize with the lower classes like that.

I sighed. Times like this, it felt my life was a worthless waste of revelry in the king's court.

And then Zelda turned over her shoulder and smiled at me before turning forward again, free hand tight on Fenny's reigns. Her other hand was gloved, a restless falcon sitting atop it.

You are for the princess, I reminded myself. Sometimes she may turn her back, but even if she does, you serve her through and through. That is your purpose.

The hunt was, sadly, mostly uneventful. Two deer felled at once by the King, and a fox by Zelda's falcon, and that was the end of our hunt.

There was much cheer and celebration as we rode back to the manor. True, the hunt had not been a good one, but there would be great revelries this night.

We arrived back and the manor and everybody went to freshen up and begin their packing- the knights would not have time after dinner, as they'd be too busy enjoying themselves with the maids, and there would be no time in the morning as we'd leave at dawn. So we went to our rooms and changed into fresher clothes, threw everything in our bags and tromped down to dinner, eager for the night to begin.

I was eager for a very different reason than the other knights- Zelda had assured me two weeks back that her maids had cracked and given in to the knights, and now spent every night giggling, away from her chambers. This meant that Zelda and I got more time together each night for our ritualistic talks about nothing, and also for stealing food from the kitchen, which we'd taken to doing as well.

Dinner that night was a great feast, and we all ate hardily- on the road the next night, dinner would be venison jerkey and dry fruits. The night after that, though, back at the palace, there would be another feast in honor of our return. It seemed that wherever the king's century went, feasts and fun inevitably followed.

I spent the feast alone- Zelda dined, as usual, with her father. And, as usual, I didn't mind, as it gave me time to think. This particular night, as I was in a slightly sillier humor, I contemplated my potatoes and shared more bantering words with the increasingly drunken knights than usual- I disapprove of mindless inebriation.

I went back to my room after dark, ignoring the sounds of the drunken knights chasing the squealing maids up and down the hallway. And then from outside the door, I heard "Cyssa's" voice:

"Oh, no sir, I'm on my way to Sir Link right now."

"Link? I'll be damned. 'Bout time the boy loosened up! Bed 'im good, lady, and when you're done with him, come to me."

"Yes, Sir," Cyssa said, and entered my room, shutting the door behind her. I noticed that she was totally calm and composed- the lewdness of the knights had not disturbed her in the slightest.

"Glad you came, but did you really have to make such an excuse?" I asked her as the glamour bubbled away and she locked the door, waving her hand over it. She grinned at me big, letting loose her hair, wavy from its braid earlier.

"Yes."

She looked utterly tantalizing. I shook it off, sitting down on my bed- Zelda plopped belly-down on Esten's unoccupied bed, still grinning. I gave in. "What's that you're smiling about?"

"Smiling? I'm not smiling about anything, what are you talking about?" She grinned bigger. I couldn't help smiling back at her, rolling over to look at the thatched ceiling.

"Fine, leave me in the dark," I grumbled. I snuck a peek at Zelda, who looked thoughtful, and then averted my eyes as her gaze danced over in my direction.

"You know, Link, I haven't been sleeping much at night."

"No?" I asked her, surprised. "Why not?"

She shrugged, putting her feet on the floor and standing. "Just couldn't. So I figured I'd make good used of the time." She sat down next to me, smiling down at me, her hair forming a curtain around our faces.

"Oh?" I vaguely wondered what she was getting at, but was too busy feasting my eyes on her beautiful features to press further. Besides, she was going to tell me. I knew her well enough to know this.

"Yes," she replied, and turned her head to the windowsill. "Look."

I idly followed her gaze to see the straps of my bag slowly and tentatively unworking themselves. I turned back to Zelda, awed. There was the slightest sheen of perspiration on her face, but other than that, she looked fine.

"Amazing," I told her, sincerely impressed. "You've been practicing."

"Making myself stronger," she replied, sitting on the bed and crawling over my stomach to lie perpendicular to me, with her knees hanging off the edge of the bed and her head resting on my chest. Idly, I played with a few golden locks of her hair, both of us lost in our own worlds of thought. Finally, Zelda spoke again.

"Link, do you believe in love?" she asked me, voice lilting. I shrugged, running my fingers through her hair.

"I don't know. I suppose I do- I grew up in an orphanage without knowing the love of a parent, but I had Aryll and now I have Esten, too. Romantically, though? Maybe for me someday." With you, I added silently, still toying with her beautiful golden locks. But it was too much to dream for. "Do you, Zelda?"

"I believe in love of every kind," she replied. "But it's too much for me to hope for."

"But there is hope," I stated absently. "Isn't there?"

"A small chance," she acquiesced quietly. "An increasingly small chance."

"But there is hope," I said to her softly. "And that's what matters."

She curled up against my side, turning and resting her head over my heart so that we were lying together, like lovers. "Yes," she replied. "It is."

I wrapped a protective arm around her and we stayed like that, lying together on my bed through the whole night, the both of us sliding through sleep and wake. Roughly two hours before dawn, I gently woke Zelda.

"Zelda, Zelda, wake up," I stated, tenderly shaking her shoulder. "Zelda, you need to get up."

"Mmm… sucha niiiiisedream…." Her eyes fluttered slightly, opening briefly and closing again. I chuckled softly to myself, wanting nothing more than to kiss her cheek, but I refrained, instead opting to make her wake up- her dignity was at stake.

"Zelda, please, wake up. You should be going back to your rooms. Do you think your maids are back?"

"Wha?" she replied sleepily, blearily blinking her eyes and staring around. "Liiink? D'I falasleep?"

"Yes, Zelda, you fell asleep. We'll probably be leaving in an hour. Go on, get back to your room and clean yourself up."

"Goddesses." Zelda was now fully awake, sitting up and putting a hand to her head. "An hour? I slept the whole night through! Oh, Link, I hope you don't mind…"

"No," I replied, smiling crookedly at her. "Not at all. What are friends for, right?"

"Are you sure?" Zelda nervously bit her lip, looking around my room cautiously. "Really, I didn't mean to intrude…"

"I don't mind," I replied, stretching and grinning. "Go on. Get back to your room. Go!"

"I'm going, I'm going," Zelda replied, flinging the glamour on like a protective cloak. It swirled around her, part of her, and then settled into place. "I'll see you in a bit, Link. Thank you for tolerating me."

"Not a problem," I replied, rolling a shoulder. "Now go! I don't want you getting in trouble."

Zelda hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, slipping out of my room. The moment the door closed behind her, I exhaled- as she'd left, so had something beautiful and magical and powerful in the room. Now it was just walls and a ceiling and some beds- dull. Zelda was what brought it to life.

Wearied suddenly from my on-and-off vigil of Zelda's sleeping form, I cleaned myself up as best I could, changed my clothes, grabbed my bags, and went down to have a bite of breakfast before I left. Many of the nights were already down there, blinking sleepily, some clutching their heads, celebrating their hangovers. I smirked at my potatoes, and idly wondered where Zelda was. Perhaps she'd already eaten. Perhaps she'd been discovered.

I prayed for the former.

By the time I left, the sky was turning pink. I quickened my pace slightly- went up to my room and looked around it, bidding it goodbye for another three months, and then hurried down to the stables to saddle up Epona and ready her for the long trip ahead of us.

We left not long after I'd finished tacking up my beloved red mare, setting out on a sleep-deprived trot down the one road leading from the manor deep into the woods. All day we rode, stopping only once it was too dark to continue on to make camp and eat dinner. Each of us fell into sleep instantly, exhausted, but glad to be out of the forest and on our way home. Zelda and I didn't speak that night.

We set out early and arrived at the palace late evening the next day. Wearied from our long ride, we knights trudged up the palace steps, glad to be home. Zelda, however, slipped quietly in the other direction after whispering a word to her father. The king's eyes found mine as Zelda hastened away, and he nodded- I was to follow her. Silently, I obeyed, appearing to stealthily follow the princess until we were out of sight of the king and his knights. Then, I caught up with her, striding easily along at her side.

"So where are we going?" I asked her amicably. She didn't look at me as she answered, almost as though she feared my reaction.

"The Temple of Time," she told me. "We look like peasants, so only one guard is necessary, That's why I was allowed to slip away."

Her words stung me, though I wasn't entirely sure why. Guard? Was that all I was to her now that we'd returned? Or was she still embarrassed over falling asleep in my room the other night? Either way, it was quite obvious she'd rather not have anything to do with me.

My heart dashed itself upon the rocks of bitter disappointment, shattering into a thousand pieces.

"I didn't dare ask my father to let you accompany me- I told him to choose a knight as his own discretion to follow me. I knew it would be you anyway."

"And why didn't you dare ask your father for my company?" I asked, my voice icy acid. Zelda stopped in her tracks, snapping her head around to face me.

"Because," she replied softly, sharply, "he needs time to adjust to the idea of me ma- making myself often in your company."

"Your father holds me in the highest esteem," I stated, still hurt, too wrapped up within my own emotions to catch her slip.

"As an advisor and friend, Link," Zelda stated, exasperated. "The king is often with his knights, thus, it is not so strange for him to seek out their friendship. A princess, on the other hand…" as we'd walked, we'd cut through the village to the Temple of Time, and we now stood before its doors. Zelda trailed her sentence off with a sigh, closing her eyes and looking very weary indeed. At long last she opened them, communicating all the things she wanted to say to me through those beautiful blue pools. We stayed like that for what felt like forever- the doors to the temple opened after a moment, though, snapping our bond. A mother was leading her little daughter into the holy building, "to pray for Daddy,"

I stood back so that Zelda could enter the temple before me, watching with pondering silence as she swept up to the altar to pray,. Even in her coarse riding dress, there was something majestic about her, something that I couldn't place but knew came from within.

Shaking my head, I followed Zelda, down the aisle to the altar, where people collected to pray. I lent next to her on the padded surface where visitors to the temple knelt- on Zelda's other side was the little girl and her mother.

I clasped my hands together and began to pray to each of the Goddesses in turn- to Din, to make me stronger for the king and for Zelda, to Nayru to make me wise and lawful and disciplined, and to help me choose the right path, especially with Zelda, and I prayed most expressly and particularly to my patron goddess, Farore. For a long time I sent my restless pleas up to her, my patroness- to help me, help me please, my life was so uncertain, and especially to help Zelda, that I would gladly endure any misery for her so long that she was happy…

A rustle of skirts next to me alerted me that Zelda had stood. I opened my eyes briefly, taking a peek- she had moved to speak with the robed elder who stood in a corner. She spoke with him briefly and he nodded, producing a long, shimmering blue candle for Zelda.

Ah. So Nayru was Zelda's patroness. I would have suspected the strong, defiant Din, but somehow, the mother of order and knowledge was strangely fitting for a princess, and even more so for Zelda.

I returned to my prayers, but every fiber of my being was closely attuned to Zelda and her movements, despite the fact that she was all the way on the other side of the temple and my eyes were closed.

I heard the footsteps of the little girl trailing Zelda- Zelda turned. Her smile shone through her words as she said gently, "careful with that candle, little one."

"I am," responded the little girl. "This candle is for my daddy."

"A candle to Din for your father?" Zelda repeated, questioning. "It must be very important."

"Yes," responded the little girl. "He works for the king. He goes out and talks to the desert ladies for him."

"Your daddy is a very important man," Zelda replied simply.

"Who is your candle for?" The little girl asked Zelda. I felt myself tense, waiting for her answer.

"It's for my mother," Zelda replied gently, though her voice held no tone of sadness. "And for my… guidance."

"Is your mommy sick?" the little girl asked with the typical curiosity of small children.

"No," Zelda replied. "She died a long time ago. No, you don't need to apologize," she cut the little girl off, "you didn't know. And it happened so long ago that it doesn't make me too sad anymore. I just hope that she's happy, wherever she is."

"I hope so, too." The two were silent, and I continued with my steady stream of prayer- and then the little girl asked a question that knocked all of my requests out of my mind.

"Are you and that man going to get married?"

"I don't know." There was a sad smile in her voice that took me totally by surprise. "Maybe someday, if we're very, very lucky. Why do you ask?"

"You two are sparkly together. Like you belong. Sort of like, like…"

I peeked open one eye and looked at the girl, who couldn't possibly have been much older than five or six. A frown was on her little face as she thought. "Mama tells me stories sometimes about the Kokiri children, and how the children aren't complete without their fairies. It's like that with you. Sparkly. Like he's your fairy, or you're his."

"I see," came Zelda's thoughtful reply. I was too rattled by the brief commentary to continue my long and complex string of intricate prayers. Instead, I was reduced to a single mantra to my Goddess: please, please, please. Please what, I wasn't sure.

At long last, deciding I'd begged enough for one night, I stood and walked across the room to where Zelda was sitting on a wooden pew in front of a statue- I marveled that I'd been able to hear her, as she was much further away than I'd originally thought. The little girl, I noticed, had curled up in Zelda's lap, resting her head on Zelda's chest, fast asleep. There were two candles burning low in the hands of one of the many sage figures scattered throughout the temple. I sat down next to Zelda on the pew, smiling at her, all earlier pain and animosity forgotten.

"She likes you."

"Sweet kid," Zelda replied, eyes tinder as she looked down at the sleeping form of the little girl. Her hair, long and dark, hung in little mats around her dirty, pale face. I looked over at her mother, who was still praying, an expression of tense desperation on her face.

"Poor woman," Zelda said softly. "Her husband is one of the couriers from the desert to here."

"How sad," I replied, knowing well the tensions between the Gerudos and the king, and the rumors of war, despite a tentative and tense alliance.

"I wouldn't wish the loss of a parent on anyone," Zelda stated quietly, looking down. Sympathetically, I took her hand, interlacing her fingers with mine and giving her a comforting squeeze.

We sat like that for a while, holding hands, Zelda's other arm wrapped around the little girl. Her eyes were filled with bittersweet tenderness as she gazed down at the little sleeping form. It struck me that Zelda would be a good mother someday, a good wife. A good queen.

She was so many wonderful things that I could never hope to attain for myself. She'd told the little girl that "maybe someday" Zelda and I would wed, but that was most likely appeasement, to avoid the ever-impending "why not?" But still, I couldn't help but wonder what if? And slowly, my mind drifted off as I sat there with Zelda…

The little girl's mother hurried over, snapping my dream. "I'm so sorry," she worried. "Oh, I hope she hasn't imposed…"

"Not at all," Zelda replied with a little smile, carefully repositioning the little girl. I watched a jumble of arms and lolling limbs in an amazement as the girl's mother carefully hoisted her daughter off of Zelda's lap, hardly disturbing the child. My princess smiled at the woman as her daughter settled her head comfortably on her mother's shoulder. "What's her name?"

"Ancia," the woman replied with a little smile. "I'm Elenra."

"She told me your husband is a courier," Zelda said quietly. "Do you live in the palace?"

"No," Elenra replied. "Maddon- my husband- is there infrequently. We have a small house not far from there, though. Why do you ask?"

"I'll walk you there," Zelda replied evasively. The four of us set out down the aisle and out of the temple, in the general direction of the palace. It was completely dark outside by this time- night had fully fallen.

"What took you to the temple so late?" Elenra asked us curiously, eyeing up Zelda's coarse riding gown and my own grubby trousers. Zelda cleared her throat, but I beat her to the response. After all, I'd spoken no words since meeting Elenra, and didn't feel like being utterly left out.

"We've just returned from a time away from town and felt it necessary to pay homage to the Goddesses for allowing us our safe return. And yourself?"

"I work for the village tailor from dawn to dusk. After I've finished for the day, I come to pray for my husband."

We reached a modest, ramshackle little wooden home, whose roof and walls had been lovingly patched many times over. It was obvious that there was a happy family there, though- a child's dolly sat in the window, and the garden was carefully tended. I didn't miss Zelda's look of yearning as Elenra started down the short path, Ancia still fast asleep on her mother's shoulder.

"I'm afraid I didn't get your names," Elenra said as she deftly opened the front door with one hand, her other balancing Ancia. I looked to Zelda, who seemed to be thinking- afraid. Finally, she nodded, taking a deep breath.

Tentatively, she spoke. "My name is Zelda," she told Elenra simply. "This is my companion, Link."

The woman's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Your… your highness! I'm so, so sorry, I didn't know, I…." she dropped a fumbling, lopsided curtsey, clutching to Ancia as though Zelda might seize away her daughter. Smiling softly, sadly, Zelda held up one hand.

"Please, Elenra. Just Zelda."

"Yes, your… yes, Zelda." She still looked utterly afraid, like a deer facing its doom.

"Might I call upon you and Ancia sometime?" Zelda asked hopefully. Elenra nodded in wide-eyed shock, though she took a step back.

"P… please," she fumbled. "Consider my home your home. Would you like something now? Could I fetch you a drink, something to eat, would you like to sit down, milady?"

"No thank you," Zelda declined politely. "I'm afraid I've got to get back. I'll be missed if I'm away much longer. Thank you for letting me spend time with Ancia, though. Good night, Elenra. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Goodnight, your majes… Zelda."

We turned and left the still-stunned Elenra behind, trekking to the palace. Zelda, I noticed, had taken an almost painful grip on my hand, and that night after dinner when she came to my little room in the soldiers' quarters, she clung to me, bursting out into tears. I didn't question this, only comforted her as best I could. At long last, her tears subsided, though she remained clutching to my tunic.

"I reacted much the same," I reassured her quietly. "They're afraid of the crown on your head. Soon enough, know, they'll know to look past it and understand who Zelda really is."

"Curse my stupid crown," Zelda mumbled into my shoulder. "It will be the death of me."

I understood immediately that there was more to Zelda's upset feelings than just Elenra's initial response. "Suitors again?"

"Suitors, and maids, and everybody."

"What happened?" I asked her as she sat back from me, biting her lip, red-rimmed eyes downcast. As she sat there and collected herself, I tenderly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers trailing almost imperceptibly down her neck to rest on her shoulder.

"I've just gotten back, but already I've been called upon three times this night. I finally wound up padlocking my door and scaling the roof from my balcony."

"You could fall and kill yourself!" I stated, aghast. Zelda shook her head, still looking down.

"I'd catch myself. Adrenaline. Magic. I wouldn't do it if I was in any danger, Link."

"Mm. So they kept bothering you?"

"Yes. I wish they'd just leave me alone, Link. The only ones who care about me for me are you and Impa and my father, and even Impa and my father wouldn't care so much if they hadn't been stuck with me in the first place. If I wasn't the princess, you'd still be my friend, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would," I comforted her. And it was true- the woman who had grown so dear to me was not the princess, but Zelda. Even if she were poor, even if she were missing all her teeth, even if she were a prostitute or even a Gerudo, she would still be Zelda and that would be enough for me.

But that wasn't the problem at hand. The fact that she was a princess was.

"I mean, what can I do, Link? How can I discourage them?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "Best not worry about it more than you have to, hmm? Meet it as it comes."

"Yes," she replied quietly. "Yes, you're right."

Zelda entwined her fingers within my free hand, looking together at our joined digits on my simple quilted bedspread. Blearily, she smiled at me. "Thank you, Link. I owe you my sanity."

"Anything for a friend," I replied, applying a light pressure to her shoulder with the hand that still sat there.

A sudden knock at the door sent Zelda reeling back, the glamour bubbling suddenly over her skin.

"Who is it?" I called warily.

"Don't tell me that you've forgotten about me so easily," called a deep baritone. I smiled at Zelda, relieved.

"Esten," I said to her quietly. "My best friend. He'll be good to you. Come in," I added, louder. The door swung open and Esten stepped in, closing it behind him with his foot.

"Nice to know you ditched me for some girl," he stated, grinning, dark blue eyes sparkling. "Who is this?"

"You tell me," Zelda said, letting her glamour slide off. Esten eyed her, unimpressed, and then turned to me.

"Well I'd heard talk that you were busy at the manor, but not this busy. Greetings, highness."

"Zelda," the princess corrected him, amused. Esten bowed low, then straightened up and smiled that even little triangular smile of his that made most prey to his irresistible charm. I, however, had developed immunity to it, after having it exploited on me one too many times. The great thing about Esten, I thought, was that he could be serious or completely obnoxious in turn, most often opting for the one that would cause the most chaos.

Esten was most definitely a creature of chaos.

"So, Zelda. Any particular reason you've singled out my worthless buddy Link here to be your pal?"

Zelda shrugged one shoulder, unperturbed. "Any reason I shouldn't choose my friends at my own discretion, regardless of other's ideas of their worth?"

"Touché," Esten stated, bowing low once again. "I shall remember not to come unarmed to a battle of wits with you again." He then turned to me, smiling. "And we shan't engage you at all, Link, as you haven't the slightest bit of wit about you any way."

"Nice to know you missed me," I stated gruffly, glad nevertheless to see my dear friend. "Where were you during dinner? I didn't see you anywhere."

"I was with Damleda and Rowan."

"A boy, then?"

"Yes, Link, a strapping young boy. He's going to be tall, too. Taller than either of us."

"When?"

"Two weeks ago," Esten replied, his big smile revealing his joy. "Damleda and I are both incredibly pleased."

"Congratulations to you both," I stated, standing and clapping Esten on the shoulder. "When can I come visit?"

"Tomorrow morning, if you'd like. You're invited as well, Zelda. I'm sure Damleda would be pleased to have you."

There was an expression of utter awe on Zelda's face- she was obviously floored by this easy and unquestioning acceptance.

"Don't worry," Esten continued. "I won't tell anyone that I've seen you here. Might I ask what brings you to these humble chambers at this particular hour of the night anyway?"

"You're free to ask, but that doesn't mean you'll receive an answer," Zelda replied, grinning. "I give you permission to tell him, Link, but only once I'm out of the room. I have to save face."

"The way I see it, you being friends with a commoner like Link only adds to your face value," Esten told her. "It shows you're not some snotty and superficial upper-crust brat, and can appreciate the worth of a person- a real person."

Zelda ducked her head, pleased at the unexpected compliment. I grinned at Esten, thrilled with his actions. Somehow, in that Esten way of his, he'd know exactly what the miserable princess needed and had provided it with her instantaneously. For, after all, it was still obvious Zelda had been upset- her eyes were still rimmed red.

"I've got to get back to my chambers," Zelda stated suddenly, standing with an unconscious elegance and grace that I often silently admired. "I rise early in the morning and need my sleep. Good night, Link. It was a pleasure to meet you, Esten. We'll see what we can do tomorrow."

The glamour slipped over Zelda and she left the room again disguised as the familiar Cyssa, curtsying with a grin as she left. As the door shut behind her, I turned to Esten.

"It's not what you think," I told him quickly. He quirked one eyebrow at me, smirking, and sat down next to me on my bed, occupying the place that had been Zelda's.

"It's not love, you mean? Because that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's quite obvious that you two love one another. I hope you aren't so obvious in public."

I flushed, flabbergasted. "I… but I don't…. we…."

"Whatever you say," Esten stated, waving it away. "So I want to know everything about your trip. Spare me no details."

And from there I told him everything, every last incident and feeling and unsaid message that had passed between Zelda and myself. I talked late into the night, and when I at last finished, the two of us conversed a while on the many aspects of Zelda's multi-faceted personality. It was the middle of the night when Esten finally said goodnight and left, saying that Damleda expected him long ago. After he left, I stripped down and crawled into my narrow bed, pulling the blanket over me, both gladdened and saddened to be, at last, home.