Hello! This chapter is a bit more wordy and has less dialogue than I would have liked it to have. However, it's pretty important for setting up the plot, so bear with me. This book will get less boring, I promise!
Anyways, enjoy this chapter and please review. It would be greatly appreciated.
Have a wonderful day.
BEHIND THE BOOKSHELF
Secrets Drowned Beneath
The soft sounds of a harp fluttered gracefully throughout the large ballroom, as men and women danced in a way that seemed rehearsed to perfection. The women were all dressed in beautiful ball gowns, which were clearly expensive, based off the quality of the fabric. Their hair was perfectly styled, thrown into elegant buns, or twisted into an array of braids that seemed to flow perfectly together. Balls were a beautiful sight to take in, with calming music, and eye-catching decorations placed neatly around the room.
However, these events were only enjoyable to the guests in them. Not to the observers.
Link stood in the far corner of the ballroom, near the back exit, anxiously awaiting the time where he could begin his departure. It was almost ridiculous how long these events went on, for it was almost ten o'clock, and the ball still hadn't ended. He didn't even know what the specific ball was for. The princess and the king hadn't made an appearance once, nor did they announce the meaning of the event. Hopefully the ball would soon be over once the princess and the king made an appearance.
There were a few other guards stationed around the ballroom, but since guards weren't allowed to speak to one another on duty, Link couldn't just make conversation with one of them to pass the time. Guard duty was possibly the worst job the lieutenant ever gave the trainees. It was excruciatingly dull, basically just consisting of standing around and watching absolutely nothing. Link and the other soldiers had been told there was a shortage of guards around the castle since the war, so until they gained more numbers, trainees were needed to take a shift every now and then.
Although any type of guard duty wasn't preferable, Link was at least grateful he was placed to watch over a ball instead of some other dull area of the castle. The dancing and the music were a little entertaining to watch, at least.
However, what was absolutely nauseating to watch was the people. The way they conversed with one another, their dull conversations, their feigned admiration towards one another; it was all for appearance. They were so sickeningly wealthy that appearance was all that mattered. Link couldn't be paid a million rupees to try and converse with them.
Suddenly, Link noticed that the music had very much died down, and the crowd of people had their eyes centered at the back of the ballroom, where the entrance doors were. Link quickly followed their gaze to see what they were all looking at.
A flood of relief immediately washed over Link as he noticed the two people entering the ballroom. Entering the doors was King Daphnes himself, and on his right side stood the elegant Princess Zelda. Out of courtesy, the crowd of people strayed away from them both and let them sit in their respective seats at the front of the ballroom, only choosing to bow politely as their greeting.
King Daphnes looked normal, as always, wearing his signature tunic, and a well-embellished red robe that fell just above the ankles. His wispy white hair poked slightly from under the large golden circlet atop his head, which had multiple rubies and gems of different colors embedded into it. He was an intimidating man, undoubtedly, and sure knew how to make himself noticed during large events such as these.
As the two royals got themselves settled into their thrones, the ball quickly resumed with the music and the noisy conversations. It only took a few minutes until Princess Zelda rose out of her seat and began to greet the guests.
Link watched intently from afar as the princess conversed with the nobility. The way she held conversations with the guests was polite, and with every person that approached her, she gave them a soft smile. If she truly didn't want to be there, it was tough to tell.
Her ball outfit was nothing but elegant, which was a long, flowing white dress with ruffles at the shoulders and ankles. She accessorized her dress with sparkling diamonds, and white gloves that came halfway up her forearm. Although her outfit was simple, she looked completely stunning.
She was beautiful, Link had to admit. Graceful. Elegant. He couldn't help but stare, and the more he studied her appearance, he began to notice more traits about her. When she smiled, her dark eyes crinkled slightly, and a large dimple formed in her left cheek. He noticed her slender neck, pale skin, and her long, silky brown hair that was pulled into a lengthy braid. He had never studied her appearance for such a long amount of time, mostly because he never had enough time to see her, or to truly appreciate her beauty.
She was everything anybody ever saw in a princess. But for some reason, there was something different about her mannerisms. Link couldn't tell what it was, but there was something about her that told him she had depth, much farther than he could ever imagine. Every conversation she had seemed practiced, and her smile, no matter how beautiful it was, did not seem genuine.
It took a few moments for Link to realize he was staring, and as soon as he noticed, he quickly snapped himself out of it and looked in another direction. It was completely improper to be staring at the princess in such a manner, even if he was just some guard hidden in the corner. He was even glad he had all that clunky gear and a helmet on, or else somebody would have noticed his obvious gaze.
As he silently scolded himself, he noticed the ball guests were suddenly beginning to clink their champagne glasses simultaneously, which was clearly a sign someone was to give a toast. King Daphnes rose from his seat and with one single wave of a hand, the guests stopped clinking their glasses.
"Hello, all," Daphnes boomed. His voice was powerful, holding volume all the way to the other end of the room. "And welcome to our celebration. I am fortunate and immensely grateful that you all have arrived. This is a very special day for me, and for the kingdom as well."
Daphnes paused for a moment, setting his gaze onto the princess standing with the crowd of people. He beckoned her to join him at the front, and she complied, the soft clink of her heels pattering quietly against the marble floor as she walked towards him. Oddly enough, the way she walked to the front was strange. To a typical guest, nobody would notice a thing, but Link saw that she almost seemed hesitant. Her steps were slow and careful, but what was the most noticeable was how tightly clenched her right fist was.
Bizarre was Link's immediate thought as soon as she began walking. Just bizarre.
As the princess joined her father, he placed a large hand on her shoulder. The princess uncomfortably shifted slightly on her feet, causing Link to believe she was possibly just a bit antsy. Standing in front of such a large crowd was indeed nerve wracking.
"As most of the kingdom knows, my daughter, Zelda Nohansen, has been courting Prince Aiden of Volagio for quite some time now." Daphnes took his hand off the princess's shoulder. "In case any of you were wondering, he is unfortunately not able to arrive here tonight."
Everybody in the kingdom of Hyrule knew about Princess Zelda and Prince Aiden's famed courtship. The citizens loved them together, and the possibility of their marriage would be extremely beneficial to Hyrule. They were talked of all across the lands, about how happy they were together, and how they were such a beautiful pair.
Link had only seen the prince once, from a far distance. Although Link had only seen him for a split second, he believed that Prince Aiden looked much more feminine than masculine. His hips were slightly wider than the average build of a man, and his face was much more round and soft, rather than jagged and sharp. His figure was slender, and his pale skin was spotted faintly with light freckles. Dark hair sat atop his head, which was so well tamed that each curl sat perfectly. It wasn't like his feminine traits made him hideous, but it just made him look a bit different than the average man.
Link wasn't judging him for it, however. There had been multiple times Link had been told himself that he looked similar to a girl. It was likely because of his long, shaggy blonde hair that he absolutely refused to cut. His eyes were also a bit feminine, he would admit. They were big and blue, and he had dark, long eyelashes that were very noticeable, especially for a man.
He didn't care whether he looked feminine or not. There was much bigger things he needed to worry about than his appearance.
"The binding of my daughter and the prince would be extremely beneficial to the growth and stability of Hyrule," Daphnes went on. "The war has destroyed our beautiful lands, making food scarce, and creating an even higher percentage of poverty than ever before in history. It is needless to say that we need help, and we've needed it for quite some time."
The guests began to murmur to each other quietly in agreement. It was true; Hyrule had been completely damaged from the Twilight. Poverty levels, homelessness, and starvation rampaged across the kingdom. It was worse than anybody had ever seen before.
King Daphnes was thankfully taken to a hidden refuge when the Twilight invasion first began to unfold. However, that unfortunately left his daughter as the only one in power, and at only eighteen years old, she was forced to make the decision to surrender Hyrule to protect her people. It was an extremely controversial decision, as most never agreed with it, considering how damaged the kingdom became after her submission to the Twilight realm. It unfortunately tainted her in a bad light, causing the whispers of the people towards her to grow more negative as her official inauguration date to the throne drew nearer.
"Volagio, fortunately, was left untouched by the Twilight—" Daphnes paused and let out a cough. "—Excuse me. As I was saying, Volagio is in great shape. Food all around is not scarce, and poverty levels are almost ten times lower than ours. Creating an official alliance would put Hyrule in a much better position than it has been in over a year. Alliances equal trade, which means our future alliance with Volagio can give us the much needed resources that we have been lacking since the war."
Link squinted curiously at the king, wondering where he could possibly be going with this speech. The king was right; Volagio was in much better shape than Hyrule because it hadn't been directly affected by the war. But these were things people already knew.
Creating an official alliance. Link thought on those words for a moment. The only way to make an alliance official was to marry two people from each kingdom who were of royal descent, so in conclusion…
Were Princess Zelda and Prince Aiden engaged?
"It has come to my attention that the marriage between my daughter and Prince Aiden is widely supported by our citizens," Daphnes said, his booming voice snapping Link out of his train of thought. "Not only would their marriage benefit our people, but it would also benefit themselves. Their love binds one another, and it has come to my belief that there is not one day they want to spend from another."
With that last statement, the princess gave out a soft smile. Her smile was small and beautiful, with her plump lips curved upwards, and a singular dimple formed into her right cheek. She looked absolutely radiant.
But there was no spark behind her eyes. Link searched and searched for some kind of emotion, but he found nothing. Nothing at all.
It was strange.
"Alright, enough of me beating around the bush," the king quipped. Soft laughter rippled across the crowd of guests. "I am immensely fortunate to announce my daughter's official engagement to Prince Aiden of Volagio. You all may continue the celebration."
The guests immediately burst into an applause, and after a few moments, they began to approach the princess one by one. The princess had such a large smile on her face as she greeted each guest, as she received their compliments and congratulations. Multiple times, the guests asked her to hold out her hand, and she complied, showing of the particularly large diamond ring on her left hand.
Link watched curiously as the princess conversed with each guest. It wasn't like he was surprised with the announcement. He knew the time for their engagement was near, considering the amount of time the pair had been courting each other.
At least it was beneficial for the kingdom. Poverty and starvation levels were so large that it worried Link quite a bit at times, especially for the people he knew back in his home village.
His throat instantly went dry at the thought of his hometown. Unfortunately, he wouldn't know how they were doing. He hadn't spoken to them since he left.
Attempting to push that thought to the side, he quickly centered his attention back on the princess. She now was speaking to a tall and muscular man dressed in an expensive-looking gray tunic, with a dark cloak wrapped around his shoulders. His silky black hair was tied into a neat low ponytail, which looked styled to perfection. The attire and appearance of this man looked much too elegant for even an average person of nobility.
As Link studied that man more, he quickly recognized the man as Prince Maurice, heir to the throne of Alburnia. His father, the former ruler, had passed away around two weeks prior due to illness. Maurice was to be officially inaugurated in the early spring, around three months from the current season of winter.
Alburnia was quite a small kingdom, but also extremely powerful. Their lands were rich, much richer than Hyrule, the people nearly all wealthy. Their militia forces were the most powerful in all the lands, due to years work of conquering neighboring kingdoms by the order of the late king. The late king's rule was admittedly quite tyrannical, which was why Hyrule broke off alliance with Alburnia so many years ago during King Daphnes's early years of rule.
Although Maurice's father seemed a bit off his rocker, Maurice himself seemed to be a kind young man. Link had heard that Maurice and the princess were very good friends, as they had been for years. It was known that they met when they were young children.
And as Link watched the pair converse from afar, he didn't have a doubt in his mind that they were close. Shockingly enough, the princess had an emotional spark behind her eyes as she talked to Maurice, and a genuine smile that actually reached her eyes. She seemed much less caged, and a bit more free.
Or maybe Link was just thinking too much into the matter. He was often told he was too observant.
He watched the ball drag on for a bit longer, particularly keeping his eyes on the princess and Maurice as they waltzed to the soft music. He felt as if time was going in slow motion, and he couldn't tell if it was because he was just bored, or because he was oddly captivated by the presence of the princess.
Link shook his head at his improper thoughts again, and decided that he needed a quick breath of air. He quickly turned and snuck out the ballroom, with the iron boots of his armor clanking loudly against the expensive marble floor.
The ballroom chatter quickly became muffled as he left. He soon realized that he had a burning headache, one that he hadn't noticed he had until he stepped outside. The loud chatter and music likely did not help him feel any better. It was likely for the best that he took a step outside.
Releasing a shuddering breath, Link walked on throughout the elegant halls of the castle. Even though he had been at the castle for around a year now, he still couldn't fully navigate throughout the large building without help. He recognized some halls and turns every now and then, but the castle was so enormous that it would take him another year to fully figure out his way.
As he walked aimlessly around, he took the opportunity to appreciate the castle's beauty. The building was certainly a sight to behold. Beautiful, classical art of the goddesses were painted on the ceiling, and age-old sculptures were lined amongst the walls on almost every corner. The windows were clear and large, letting the moon completely illuminate the dark halls, bathing the carpets in soft, white light. Link was glad the windows were so large. It gave him the opportunity to look outside and appreciate the night sky above.
Link took another turn that seemed familiar to him, and he stumbled upon a statue he had seen multiple times in his previous days of guard duty. The statue helped him remember that he was near the castle library, which meant that he was also close to the ballroom, since the two rooms weren't much of a distance from each other.
The statue was a large, stone sculpture that stood at around nine feet tall. It was of a woman, dressed in a loose garment that fell off her shoulders. The back of her hand was pressed to her forehead, with her body and head tilted back in slight agony. Link had always found it quite interesting, mostly because the meaning of the statue still remained a mystery to him. Most of the statues around the castle were of powerful people in history, but this particular one, in all its plainness, was unique. The mystery of the woman's hidden pain made it interesting to analyze.
Suddenly, as Link continued to study the sculpture, he heard quiet footsteps echo behind him. In a panic, he turned, assuming it was another guard, but who he saw wasn't who he expected to see.
Shockingly enough, there stood Princess Zelda, in plain sight, alone. She stood at the far end of the hall, her figure seemingly a dark silhouette from where Link stood. She didn't seem to notice his presence, however. Her back was slightly turned away from him, as she gazed out a large window, clearly deep in contemplation.
Confusion clouded Link's mind as he tried to figure out what she was doing outside alone. Was it possible that she just needed a breath of air? That could've been the reason. It was rare that a princess left her own ball, and if Link thought about it, he didn't think princesses were allowed to leave their own ball unless they had a good reason to. Needing a fresh breath of air for just a moment seemed valid enough.
Link stared for a few moments in shock, until he realized that he really needed to get back to the ball. Soldiers on guard duty were never supposed to wander off, but Link did it anyway to clear his mind. He had never gotten this close to being caught, by the princess, he might add, which made matters much worse.
He stood awkwardly for a moment, torn between whether if he should just try and sneak away, or if he should just hide behind the statue until she left. Sneaking away would be risky, because to his annoyance, the iron boots of his armor were so loud that she would surely notice him trying to get away. Hiding behind a statue clearly wouldn't be ideal either.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to make a decision on this odd predicament, as the princess finally turned her head and noticed his presence. At first, she jumped slightly from surprise, but then she visibly relaxed as she realized that it was just a guard.
Her piercing gaze studied him for a moment, her expression blank but serious, and then she finally began to speak.
"You are on guard duty for the ball, I presume?"
She had to shout a bit so her voice would reach Link, because they still stood a far distance from each other. And though she had to shout, her voice was still soft, fluttering gently across the hall to reach his ears.
Link genuinely did not have one clue what to respond with. The castle rules were strict about guards wandering off during times of watch, and there could be serious consequences. Link wanted no such punishment, especially from the princess herself. That could be humiliating.
So Link decided to stand there awkwardly, without saying a word, like a sheer idiot. What could he possibly say? He couldn't lie. Lying to royalty was practically a crime.
The princess continued to stare at Link for a few more moments, waiting for an answer. When he did not provide her with one, she began to walk towards him, to Link's complete panic.
She stopped a few feet in front of him, her dark eyes scanning his figure from head to toe, and her brows furrowed in mild contemplation. Link was practically frozen still, because by goddesses, she was much more intimidating than he originally thought. She almost reminded Link of the king, who was possibly the most intimidating man he had ever been in contract with.
Well, it made perfect sense. Like father, like daughter.
Then, the princess let out a sharp breath. "I know you may think otherwise, but it is not in my interest to report you for stepping off duty." Her hard gaze softened a bit, and she gave him a small smile. "It might be best to get back to the ball before you are caught."
For some odd reason, Link could not form words in his mouth. This was possibly the most Princess Zelda had ever spoken to him in the past year, which was quite comical because she didn't even know she was speaking to him. Link had the sudden urge to take his helmet off so she could recognize him.
"I…I…" Link cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, Your Highness. I'll be headed back immediately—"
"By goddesses, Sir Link, is that you?"
Link's eyes widened in shock. If there was one thing he expected to come out of her mouth, it certainly was not that. And he definitely didn't expect her to call him by the title of sir. How could she have even recognized him? His armor didn't reveal his appearance in the slightest, except for only his eyes.
"Well, no—I mean, yes…" Link gulped nervously. He quickly cleared his throat and continued. "My apologies, Your Highness. I was just quite surprised at your presence. I just stepped outside for—"
"No need to fret," Zelda interrupted, waving a hand. "I understand."
Link swallowed the rest of his words down and clinked his boots together awkwardly. He suddenly felt fortunate for his helmet, because it successfully hid his flushed face. It was quite humiliating.
"I haven't spoken to you in quite some time," the princess said politely, her dark eyes now softened a significant amount. "I'm even shocked with myself that I recognized your voice. How have you been?"
Link's eyes widened even more at the princess's words. She recognized his voice? How could she have even remembered?
"I…I am well," Link stammered.
"I'm glad you're well." Zelda's piercing gaze drilled into him, her eyes holding an emotion he could not decipher. "I will admit, it is a bit odd speaking to you with that helmet on. Would you mind taking it off for just one moment?"
Link swallowed. He would much rather keep it on, but he couldn't argue with her nevertheless. He knew she wasn't trying to be demanding with her request, but disobeying royalty was strictly forbidden.
"Oh, of course." Link pulled off his helmet, which unfortunately proved to be quite the difficulty, as his long strands of hair kept getting stuck inside. His face reddened even more as he realized how ridiculous his hair must have looked, knowing for a fact that his blonde mop was likely sticking in all sorts of directions.
"Thank you," Zelda said, giving him a polite smile. "Now, if I may ask…what are you doing wandering around the castle when you're supposed to be on guard watch?"
A wave of nerves flooded Link's body, until he noticed that the princess's polite smile had turned into a small, but playful smirk. He immediately wondered if his eyes were deceiving him or not.
"I…well…I just needed a fresh breath of air. It—it was quite stuffy in there."
Zelda laughed softly. "No need to be so worrisome. You are an acquaintance, after all. I wouldn't feel the need to report you."
Link blinked twice. Is that what they were? Acquaintances?
"I suppose." Link set his gaze to his boots awkwardly, attempting to think of possibly anything to spark small talk. He was awful at small talk in general, but when it came to the princess, it was much worse.
An awkward silence filled the empty hallway. Link's mind scrambled to find something, anything that he could say, but his mind was blanking. Conversing with the princess proved to be quite the difficulty, much more than he imagined it would. He suddenly wished he had the charm and the social skills of somebody in court. They always knew how to start conversations.
Finally, after a few more seconds of an extremely painful silence, he thought of something that was sure to at least start some sort of conversation. It was a dull topic, but just speaking was better than the dreadful silence that lingered between them.
"May I ask why you have wandered off as well, Your Highness?"
Zelda's eyes suddenly zipped across his face in odd defensiveness, her face again holding an indescribable emotion. Link suddenly worried that he had asked something too personal.
"My—my apologies," Link quickly sputtered. "That question might've been a bit over the line—"
"No, it's quite alright," Zelda interrupted. The odd defensive look on her face instantly morphed back into her normal, polite expression that he had seen her hold so many times previously. "I am just…out here to think. It's nice to get away from the noise, even if it's just for a moment."
"I—I agree, Your Highness. It is rather nice."
"Yes. It is indeed."
Another painful silence fell between the two. Link's mind immediately raced for an excuse to leave, but he couldn't think of anything without coming off as rude. Dismissing conversations had to be done right. There had been multiple times where Link ended rather awkward encounters with the nobility quite curtly, to the point where it was seemingly rude. He did not want to come off as unkind to the princess.
"Well, I…" Link coughed awkwardly. "I must be going, not to be rude. I don't think it's in my best interest to…um…stray away from the ball for much longer."
Zelda gave him a polite smile. "Oh, it is no trouble at all. It was a pleasure to catch up."
"A—Agreed, Your Highness. It was a pleasure." Link gave a quick bow. "And congratulations on your engagement. I give you my best regards."
If Link was expecting a polite smile, or a word of thanks, that was not even close to what he received. The princess's eyes suddenly darkened, and her already pale skin turned a ghostly white. It was a terrifying expression, one that was so foreign that Link did not even know what to think of it.
"I must be going," Zelda said curtly, her eyes still darkened, holding nothing but emptiness. "It was a delight speaking with you, Sir Link."
Within a blink of an eye, the princess whirled around and walked away, her long skirts dragging delicately across the floor. Link watched her go with an absolutely dumbfounded expression on his face.
What even just happened?
Link ignored the unsettling feeling in his stomach and began walking back towards the ballroom. Had he perhaps said something wrong? Maybe him asking permission to leave their conversation came off a bit ruder than he expected.
Or maybe he was just reading too much into it. Maybe there was nothing wrong at all. Again, he was often told he was too observant.
Link quickly shook his head of those thoughts and continued through the castle. His iron boots clanked loudly against the white marble floor, echoing around the eerily silent and desolate castle. It was odd seeing the large structure so still. During the afternoon, it was always bustling with people, nobility, and guards on duty. However, as the daylight dwindled, and dusk drew near, the castle finally went peaceful, its silence and desolation bringing a comfort to Link especially. It was much easier to appreciate the castle's beauty and divine craftsmanship at night.
Link studied the artwork lined across the wall, as each colorful painting he quickly passed blurred onto the next. He thankfully knew his way throughout this section of the castle because he recognized a few pieces of art every now and then. It reminded him that he was much closer to the library, which was right near the ballroom.
A few minutes passed until Link thankfully spotted the library in the distance. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He was thankful he didn't get lost, like he had so many times previously.
However, as he passed the library, a foul, rancid stench immediately filled his nostrils.
Link stopped in his tracks, his heart rate beginning to pick up at a rapid speed. The stench was not unfamiliar, and he knew right away that the smell resembled blood. Fear mixed with confusion filled his body, and although his mind screamed at him to keep on walking, he had a strong feeling that there was something terribly wrong.
He stood hesitantly for a long moment, until his curiosity got the better of him. He walked nearer to the entrance of the library, and shockingly enough, the stench grew stronger. His anxiety and weariness about the situation immediately spiked even further. It was now completely clear that something was off.
Taking a shuddering breath, Link opened the door to the library and entered. As soon as he walked in, the stench hit him like a slap to the face, completely shrouding his nostrils. He instantly coughed and covered his nose with his left hand.
Fighting the urge to gag, he peered around the library briefly. The library looked as it normally did, with large bookshelves lined neatly around the room, and a grand fireplace tucked away into the corner. It was quite enormous, possibly the biggest library Link had ever seen in his lifetime. It seemed as if there was an endless array of books.
Suddenly, as Link was scanning the library, something caught his eye. Sticking out behind of one of the bookcases was a man's foot, wearing dark, elegant leather boots.
Alarm bells rang in Link's mind almost instantly. His heart picked up to incredible speeds as he walked towards the bookshelf, taking slow, cautious steps. His steps were completely silent, despite the heavy iron boots he wore on his feet.
He finally reached the bookshelf, but he could still only see the man's boot sticking out from where he stood. The stench of blood was so overbearing at this point that Link couldn't even avoid it by plugging his nose. His palms clammed instantly, and his brow began to sweat, because at this moment, he was now almost completely sure of what was behind that bookshelf.
He just prayed to the goddesses that he was wrong.
Swallowing the thick bile that had formed in his throat, he took another step and daringly peeked behind the bookshelf. And by goddesses, what he saw behind that bookshelf shocked him to his inner core.
There behind the bookshelf laid the dead body of a man, with a large knife stabbed to the heart, and a suicide note placed on his side, covered in fresh blood. And shockingly enough, the identity of that man was undoubtedly Maurice, the prince of Alburnia.