Could he have done something differently?

That was the question Roy asked himself as he bit into what had to be his 4th order of fries this week. He could already imagine the lecture he would get from the Byleths for eating so unhealthily. Despite how they looked, they cared more than they let on; with that, they were a lot better than him.

He shouldn't have shown up. It was a stupid choice, not giving himself time to think about it, confronting her when the wound was still fresh. Maybe if he'd waited, he could have figured out how to hide his thoughts from Zelda. Maybe if he'd waited, they could still be friends.

But maybe... this is for the best.

Roy didn't want to think it. It just seemed to awful to be true, like tearing an arm off–the thought that maybe, a friend he held so dear, maybe it was better if they went their separate ways, because did he really want to be friends with someone like her?

He didn't want to say no. He really didn't want to say no. And Zelda had made it so clear how much she regretted it. But did that absolve her of it? If not, what would?

Before, he would have asked Zelda. She had seemed so graceful, so sure of everything she said, but now he could see that was not true.

What would his father say?

Oh Gods, what would his father think?

There was nothing stopping him from sneaking through the gateway leading back to his world, but what if he had messed this up so terribly that his father would think he wasn't ready to lead just yet? And how would he bring it up to his father, anyway? That he had a friend who had wiped out a city, and that he still loved her despite it?

Roy plucked another fry from the box, ate it, and took a long sip from the drink in his hand. It fizzled on his tongue and burned the back of his throat in a cold, icy way.

I still love her, don't I?

It was foolish to even ask. As Roy stared down at the table in front of him, he couldn't find the strength to deny it, even as a lie. He loved her. He still wanted to be with her. The pain of regret weighing down his heart made that so very clear.

But what did he want to do with this love, this small flame still flickering in his chest?

He should kill it. Let it go. It's not as if it would ever go anywhere, and if they were no longer friends, pining for her would just be a pointless knife to the heart.

But, like all things, that was easier said than done.

As Roy finished the last fry in the box, he thought, Chrom said he and the others would be in Delfino Plaza today, wouldn't they? I hope they haven't left just yet. I should probably go join them.

Every year, Master Hand made sure to go the extra mile in making sure Delfino Plaza was outfitted for celebration. Colorful banners strung between the buildings proclaimed the holiday cheer, and people danced from stall to stall with laughter and goodwill.

It was a Smashers-only event; though gold never rusted, just for today, Master Hand let the workers of the Smash Mall have some time off to celebrate.

And celebrate they did–with so many people from so many different worlds, Roy wasn't surprised to see them all celebrating in different ways. As he watched, Isabelle strolled by him, grumbling angrily as she picked up the large red and green wooden chests Steve and Alex had left on the street. Red and the Inklings were out on the frozen beach, iced over and covered in snow for this day alone. Over in the palm trees, an exasperated Toon Link used his hookshot to yank Diddy Kong and Bowser Junior out of the leaves, and by the stalls, he could see a few of the Smashers laughing loudly and splitting a giant roasted bird between them.

It was there that he found Lucina and Marth, sitting in the back with empty plates and impatient frowns. They turned when he approached, and Lucina's face brightened as she beckoned him into the seat next to them.

"It's rather popular here, isn't it?" Roy said as he took a seat.

Lucina huffed. "Master Hand promised food. We all expected him to deliver."

"Just a bird, though? That seems a little disappointing."

"To be fair," Marth piped up, "he did say more was coming."

"But it has been a while since I've had meat," Lucina added. "I'll not miss this chance to have some."

Roy nodded. He followed the crowd again, and saw that half of the bird had been stripped of its meat already. Frowning, Roy pushed off the table.

"I can get you some, if you wish," he said.

"I'd rather not," Marth said. "I wouldn't want to take the last scraps if anyone else wishes to have some. Perhaps we may help ourselves once the fuss has died down."

Lucina looked like she wanted to protest, but she bit her lip and kept the words to herself. Roy glanced between the two of them, not sure what so say, before he sighed and sat back down.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Marth ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I wouldn't want to be inconsiderate."

Still, the bird was disappearing rather quickly. Maybe it was silly of him to think, but he really felt like he owed Lucina this much at least, after what she'd said to him.

And I still let it go to waste.

Someone sat down on the bench to Roy's left. "If it's turkey you want, I'll be happy to cook you folks one."

Roy, Marth, and Lucina all glanced at the man sitting next to him, arms crossed as he watched the battle for the Christmas turkey. Roy couldn't say he'd seen the man around often–perhaps he was one of those Smashers who liked to stay in their shop–but he was certainly striking, with his messy blond hair, his deep green tunic, and gaze that seemed a little too old for someone who looked so young.

Roy's eyes widened. He fixed his gaze back on the table, and gripped the table.

Link. Zelda's boyfriend. What was he doing here? How much did he know?

Lucina, oblivious to his thoughts, just gave him a smile and nodded. "You would do that for us?"

Link shrugged. "It's Christmas, isn't it? No better time to get into the spirit of giving."

"Then I would be more than thankful if you did."

Link huffed, and he reached over and pulled over a nearby grill to their side. Roy wasn't quite sure where he pulled the large bird out from–the small satchel at his hip looked far too small to hold such a big bird, but as he began to sprinkle seasoning on it, and the arid smell that reminded Roy so much of the kitchens back home wafted through the air, he found himself ultimately less concerned about it.

"So, Link, is it?" Roy asked, leaning over to get a better look. "What brings you here?"

Link barely paid him any mind, flicking the grill on with a flint and watching as the bird began to roast. "It's Christmas. Everyone is here," he replied.

"Yes, but I don't know if we've ever spoken before?"

"Actually," Marth said, sliding between them, "Link and I are both part of the Smash Mall Sword Fighters club."

"Sword Fighters club? We have such a thing?"

"We do. If you're interested, I could take you there next Tuesday. The talks we have there are quite interesting."

"Marth here," Link said, "mentioned how much you all like eating meat so much. The turkey's always quite the popular attraction, so I thought I'd offer some."

Marth grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm glad you could make it, Link."

Suddenly, Lucina piped up. "Speaking of which, why are you here, Roy? Did you not say you had an appointment right now?"

Roy sighed. "It didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped."

"I thought you said–"

"I know what I said, but it's not as simple as that."

Lucina blinked. Taken aback. Even Roy could admit that the outburst surprised him, and he forced a smile back to his face. "Nevermind. It's Christmas. I'd rather not bring the mood down as it is."

Beside him, Marth glanced curiously between him and Lucina. He wanted to ask–Roy could tell–but he was thankful when Marth sat back and closed his mouth, letting it slide.

Roy watched as Link roasted the bird some more, prodding it with a stick, turning it over. No one spoke, stewing in awkward silence–awkward silence that Roy couldn't help but feel he'd caused.

Clearing his throat, he leaned over and, in an attempt to break it, asked, "So, Link... how are things in Hyrule? I hear it's been rather peaceful as of late."

"It has."

Marth clicked his tongue. "Peace is nice."

"It is," Lucina said, tapping her fingers against the table. "It's why we fight, isn't it?"

"Wars can't last forever, can they?"

"That is my greatest hope. On my world, it seems like such a distant thing."

Humming, Marth turned to Lucina. "You've got it quite rough, haven't you? Have you ever dreamt about what you would like to do once the fighting is all over?"

A smile traced Lucina's lips. She shook her head, sighed, before she said, "I dream of nothing else. Perhaps I may settle down in a distant land, or I may wander Ylisse, helping those in need."

"You do not wish to stay with your father?"

The smile disappeared. She didn't want to say it–the pained look was obvious on her face–but she pinched the bridge of her nose and let her shoulders fall. "My father already has a daughter. Once this war is over, there is no need for me to stay with him. I do not wish to burden my family with reminders of a future that no longer exists."

"That's not true!"

Lucina jumped back, as did Roy and Marth, as Chrom suddenly appeared by her side, arms crossed and a frown on his face. Before Lucina could argue, Chrom huffed and sat down on the other side of the bench. "How many times have I told you, Lucina. Future or not, I still want you by my side. You may not be my Lucina, but you are still my Lucina." Then he paused. "That didn't sound quite right."

Lucina made a so-so motion with her hand. "It's not the best way you've phrased it."

"It truly isn't." Chrom cleared his throat. "Anyway. Hello, Link, Marth. Glad to see you all could make it. And..." His gaze paused at Roy, and he raised an eyebrow. "Roy? What are you doing here? I thought you had an appointment with Zelda?"

Roy nearly choked on the air. Beside Chrom, Lucina motioned him to stop, but Chrom just frowned. "Did it fall through? Did you two have a fight?"

Panicked, Roy shot a glance at Link, but the man seemed to betray no emotion. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"I don't believe we're friends anymore," he said, and his gaze fell to the floor. "I don't think it was her fault. Maybe it wasn't mine, either. It just sort of happened."

"Oh." Conflict flashed across Chrom's face. The bench creaked under his weight as he sat down with a sigh. "I guess it did. I'm sorry."

"For what? You're not the one who messed it up."

"I don't blame you." To Roy's surprise, it was Link who spoke. He glanced back, but the man was too preoccupied with his cooking to even look at him. Link turned the meat over on the grill, before he said, "No one wants to be friends with her."

"Excuse me?"

Link shrugged. "It's why you had a dispute, I assume? I know her very well; she takes these sorts of things to heart."

"And what business is it of yours, prodding in my business."

Now, Link turned to face him. He looked him up and down, then frowned. "Everyone else hates her for it. You're not any different for it."

"I am her friend!"

"Then why aren't you acting like it?"

To that, Roy had no reply. Link flipped over the bird one more time, hummed, then said, "It's done."

Marth moved to take the bird from him, and Link handed him a knife to carve up the bird. With his job done, he walked away, but not before he exchanged a look with Roy. Link nodded to the side, and before Roy could respond, he left.

Roy blinked. He tilted his head.

Next to him, Chrom nudged him with his elbow. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are you not hungry?"

Looking back, Roy saw Lucina already tearing a leg from the bird and ripping into it with the hunger of a starving wyvern. From the way she was eating, he would have assumed that it was the tastiest thing she'd ever eaten–and maybe it was, but a nagging feeling at the back of his head told him that maybe he should wait.

"I'll join you in a minute," he replied, hoping his laugh hid how nervous he felt. "I've got something I must see to first."

Chrom nodded, understanding–with how much he seemed to get Roy's problems, maybe he really did understand–and he smiled. "Well go ahead then. I won't hold you back."

Roy thanked him, then slipped out and after where he'd seen Link head last.

He found the man leaning against one of the palm trees on the beach–one far from the celebration, where Roy could hear Master Hand announcing a raffle. As he approached, Link nodded and stared off into the sea.

Stopping on the other side of the tree, Roy sighed and kicked into the sand. "If you wanted to talk, you could've just asked," he mumbled.

"Not good with words," Link replied. "Besides, you got it."

"I did." Roy paused. "So... what did you want to talk about?"

"You're the guy, right? The one Zelda is meeting."

And just like that, Roy's face turned several shades lighter. Suddenly, he felt so very small, a little boy standing before an angry father, helpless to do anything except wait for judgment.

"It's not like that!" he blurted out. "We're just friends!"

Link snorted. "I know."

"You do? Oh, right." Link kicked the ground again. "I guess that makes sense."

After all, just because his girlfriend was meeting up with another man didn't automatically mean she was being unfaithful.

"So, what did you want to speak to me about, then?"

Link tilted his head. "You said you had a fight, didn't you?" When Roy nodded, he sighed and said, "You found out about her secret, didn't you?"

"Was it that obvious?"

Shrugging, Link said, "There's not much else." Then, he paused. "But, does it have to be such a big deal?"

Roy frowned. "I mean, I never thought Zelda could do such a terrible thing. She's so nice, and... well, it's as if I was speaking to another person."

"But she is not another person. She is the same she has always been."

"Is she?"

Link hummed, and looked away. "You tell me."

Roy opened his mouth to shoot something back, then stopped. He paused, and really thought about it. Zelda was nice–the nicest girl he'd ever met. She read stories to children, helped those who couldn't help themselves–heck, she'd even gone so far as to cheer him up when he was feeling down. She was wonderful, everything about her was wonderful. And yet, she had wiped an entire city off the map; an act that seemed so terrible, so against everything that he stood for, and he could imagine Zelda doing it, but–but he didn't want to, and yet... it had happened, and nothing he did could erase that.

As if reading his mind, Link said, "You probably think she's awful for it, don't you?"

"No, I would never!" Roy said. "It's just... can I really remain friends with her if I know she could do something so awful?"

"Do you think she would do it again?"

Roy thought about it. Then, he shook his head. "She seemed to regret it so much. I don't think she would ever do it again."

"Then why are you so afraid of her?"

"Because–" Because he didn't know if he should love her, or hate her? All these feelings, these strong, overpowering feelings were swirling in his head, making him dizzy, pulling him in every direction at once. Clutching his head, Roy leaned against the tree and slid down until he was sitting at the base. "I don't know how I feel about her. Do I love her? Do I hate her?"

Link hummed. "Then... what about how she feels? Do you think she thinks she might do it again?"

Roy stopped. He held his face in his hands, and he considered it. "I–" Did she believe she might do it again.

But she had seemed so panicked, so afraid. Afraid of what he might think? Afraid of what he thought of her?

He thought the world of her. He really had.

And all that guilt she had, that crushing fear, and what had he done? He'd proved every one of them true.

Suddenly, Roy's eyes snapped to Link, narrow. "Wait. What are you doing here? If you know this, you should help her! You're her–"

"Her boyfriend?" Slowly, Link shook his head. "Not anymore."

Roy stepped back. Shocked. He pressed a hand to his heart, feeling it thrum inside his chest.

It took him a moment for the words to catch up with his head, and a moment more to realize what they meant. Slowly, the words came to him.

"You're not–"

Link smiled sadly. "I watched her commit it. I couldn't see her the same since. I'm not the right one to speak to her."

"And I am?"

"Zelda doesn't know how to feel about herself. But... I think you do." He jabbed a finger at Roy. "You don't really hate her, do you? All my prodding, and you still defended her."

Roy shook his head in disbelief. "Wait. Was that what that was about? That stuff about everyone else hating her back there?"

"Not good with words. Didn't know how to ask directly." Link turned away and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "But, I do know how to tell things directly. What you've got to say–I think she would like to hear it. So, will you tell her?"

Roy stepped back. He swallowed, closed his eyes. When he opened them, they burned with resolve. He didn't know where it came from–but here and now, he couldn't step down, could he?

"I shall," he said, and with that, he turned and sprinted down the beach, back towards the party.

Link watched him and smiled. "Maybe this time," he muttered, "she'll listen."

Confidence (noun) a feeling of self-assurance.

Confidence (noun) the telling of private matters or secrets with mutual trust.

Roy gets a bit of both.

No school in the coming week means I've got time to write. Here's to hoping I spend the time to get the next chapter done.

Until then, feel free to leave a review. It helps keep the wheels turning. Take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!