Foolish Thoughts
The sun had set, and the night troubles arose. Link sat on his balcony staring aimlessly into the dusk. The doors from his room ajar, the cold air swept into his darkened room, but the chill was the least of his worries. His bright blue eyes glinted in the night. His blonde hair was noticed by any person that just happened... to glance up at his balcony.
He watched the royal guards in training. Men and women alike were thrusting swords long after dark. As he tried to empty his never-ending thoughts, it only brought more troubling thoughts to his mind. Link knew the Queen; his mother was becoming sicker and sicker. He had overheard Impa speaking to his mother in quiet whispers. He heard his name and something about a coronation.
Link's breathing quickened. Was his mother going to die.? He cared about his mother though she had always kept her distance. Whenever she looked at him, all he could see was disappointment in her eyes. No matter her smiles, his mother had it deep in her heart. Knowing the reason only hurt more.
Link shook his head to stop his grim thoughts from progressing further. His bedroom faced towards the training grounds where he could watch the knights and guards practice. The walls surrounding the castle felt secure but a prison. Averting his gaze from the moonlit walls, he glanced back down at the training grounds where he saw they were still training strong.
"Same day, Everyday" he muttered, knowing no one would hear him.
He longed to hold a sword. His father wanted him to learn but died before he could arrange this. His mother refused to let him learn swordsmanship. She believed it was a brutal practice and only simple-minded soldiers should be taught it. These thoughts plagued his mind.
Suddenly out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glint of gold. He squinted and he saw her. Link saw a girl with blonde hair training on the grounds. His mother once said it was a rare thing to be a blonde, then she smiled at him and ruffled his hair. It was the last smile he had ever received from her.
The blonde girl faced her back to him, he could not get a clear view of her face. He could see she was sparring with one of the royal guards. Graceful with her movements, she had the guard pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds.
The royal guards in training started to notice that Link was watching them, and their skill had suddenly skyrocketed. Link did not notice it though he was intrigued by this girl. Then she turned her gaze as the fellow trainees looked up at him. He had not realized it until he saw her luminous green eyes meet his bright blue ones.
Link felt his checks turn to a deep scarlet. He swung his feet back over the rail where he had been sitting. He still felt their gaze pressing into the back of his head. He hoped they couldn't see that his cheeks turn red. No, they couldn't have seen it, it was close to dark outside. But that nagging thought nudged at the back of his mind.
He shut the balcony doors quietly behind him. The cold hit him as he made his way towards his bed. Regretting leaving the doors open and staring at that one girl for so long, he pounded his bed with his tightly held fist.
Link felt the embarrassment still boiling up inside him. He made himself look like a fool. Admiring someone else's skills would be the last thing his mother wanted him to do. She believed that royalty should be the most versatile and be the highest of all skills. Link knew that was a lie. He knew that deep inside that cold heart of hers she knew it too.
(Believing in her fantasies is what is going to kill her, if not the disease it will be that.)
He sat on his bed with his head in his hands. His thoughts wandered back to the girl...she had unbelievable skills at holding a sword. His shoulders suddenly tensed.
(Why did she get the privilege to train with a sword?)
(Why didn't I?)
He felt burning anger shoot up in his chest.
(Why didn't I!)
He felt a spark of jealous hit his heart.
(Mother was right, I shouldn't be impressed by skills other than me. She succeeded in every obstacle at the training grounds. Every single one!)
He remembered her jumping over barrels, dodging attacks, and hitting every target! He didn't want to admit it, but he feared this girl for her feats, she could kill him a single hit. These thoughts burned in his mind. His mind wandered away from the girl, who filled his mind with fear. But a strange feeling for this girl had also settled in his heart.
He felt as though he had an undecided fate. He loved being undecided in his destiny as a leader. It came with many quirks. He could enjoy anything at a ring of a bell and call. He thought being a prince meant feasting to his heart's desire, hosting banquets, and everyone was kind to him whether he wanted it or not. But he was never taken seriously. Now that he was coming of age, his freedom had become less and less.
(More responsibilities, less freedom. It didn't seem fair.)
He had always imagined when he came of age that it would be parties and banquets. He had never seen his parents very much, so this is what he had assumed they were doing while he was alone with his caretakers.
Believing his own fantasies this whole time, he felt more foolish than ever. He has begun to believe his own fantasies just as his mother believed hers. As he thought more his mind began to blur from exhaustion.
"I better get to bed," he mumbled.
He changed into his nightwear and flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He rolled over and stared intently at his grand bedroom door lined with sophisticated carved designs. The sheets were soft, but his mind was tense. He fell into a restless sleep.
Thinking that the girl and his insecurities could not harm him.
Could not touch him.
How foolish he was...