Secretly and quietly, part II
Waiting is a pretty unbearable thing.
Zelda and I wanted to marry as soon as possible, in fact, I wanted to marry her now, she and I, I just wanted her to be my wife now, I couldn't wait any longer. But the king objected to such a sudden union, even though he himself had instigated it. Zelda wanted to fight him, she even threatened to leave and marry in the West, but I knew she was upset, all her emotions were running high and bursting fast, like a storm, and she only kept hurting herself.
The king's doubts were not about the wedding, which was a way out and a solution to a big part of his worries. I don't even think it was because of what he said to Zelda, because it was too sudden and it was better to wait a bit. The king's doubts were because we barbarians were not to be trusted, that was the only truth. The northern clans were ambitious and ungracious, and we had fought Hyrule for decades to remain independent. For all that, the king feared I would use the marriage against him, though I must have seemed a still valid and better option than other men, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted my proposal to his daughter. It was the terms that worried him, as much as my refusal of the reward. The journey from the West was a long one, and we convinced the king that once my father arrived in Hyrule they could both sign all the earnest money contracts and put everything in writing, and it wouldn't be an obstacle to the wedding taking place as soon as the contracts were sealed.
I spent the morning training on the field used by the royal guard, near my quarters. That helped me withstand the tension around me, because suddenly it was as if every eye in Hyrule was on me. "The rumours have reached you too," Mel told me. She was bringing me messages from Zelda, it was our means of communication, as it was frowned upon for us to spend too much time together before the wedding. Some nobles saw in me a conspiracy by my father to blackmail Hyrule, they saw burnt fields on the border and losses in the form of barbarian looting. Others, according to Mel, believed it was I who had impregnated Zelda and returned to claim a bounty, for according to them, Faren bore a strong resemblance to me and there was no doubt that I was the father. "Spread that rumour around, I beg you," I joked. Because damn it, I'd rather look to the world like the miserable coward who abandoned her and regretted it, than have her and the child be a symbol of darkness and bad luck.
That afternoon Impa came to see me and not Mel. I suppose even the princess was beginning to be aware of my nervousness at such a horrible wait, separated from her and the baby, never sharing a table, just a few glances in the distance and barely two walks in the back garden. And every time I saw them, I needed to be with them more and more.
"It's unbelievable, you're even more insufferable than she," Impa complained, rolling her eyes.
"That's why she sends you, to appease the wolves," I growled. I was sitting near the training yard, wiping the blade of my sword.
"The princess wants to deliver you two things. The first is an important message. Your father's around, he'll be at Hyrule Castle tonight."
"By Or... " I said, standing up, with my heart leaping into my chest. If Dad was so close, the wedding could be held in one day at most. One day.
"Calm down, Captain, don't run yet," Impa teased, "the second thing is about this, here."
She gave me a small bag.
"What is it?"
"The princess says it's very important to her. She'll explain it to you when she gets a chance, but it's her wish that the ring in the bag is her wedding ring."
"Okay, whatever she wants," I shrugged, "will I be able to see them today?"
"Link..."
"Yes, patience. I hate that word. When I get out of here, I'll cut off everyone who pronounces it in front of me, I swear to Or and the goddesses of Hyrule."
"She's being measured for her wedding dress, and then she has an audience with the king, plus she has to take care of Faren. I'm afraid it can't be today."
"I haven't seen them in two days. I don't understand this stupid separation."
"There are eyes and ears in the castle. The sheikah support your union, but there's a lot of political tension that could put it all down. You'd better stay away and stay calm until the end. Do you think you can do it?"
"Are they okay?" I murmured, unable to hide my disappointment.
"Yes, they're fine."
"Both of them?"
"Of course, there is no problem with the princess or the child. Happy?"
"No."
When Impa left, I headed to the castle gates. Since I had nothing better to do but despair and want to punch something, I could entertain myself waiting for Dad's arrival. There I waited all day, walking from side to side of the wall, like a caged animal.
"Open up, it's them!" I exclaimed. Hours had passed and there was hardly any natural light.
"Sorry, sir. We have to wait for them to identify themselves," said the gates guard.
"It's my father and my friends, I'd recognise them a thousand miles away."
The soldier twisted the gesture and didn't move a finger. We waited for the wagon and the horses to arrive.
"I told you it was them, damn it," I growled, when they heard my father identifying himself.
I ran down the stairs of the wall and threw myself into my father's arms as soon as he came through the door. I had been needing that hug for days, I guess it was all the tension I had built up.
"We're here, son."
"You look skinny, Captain," Ardren said, beside him.
"You two, come here," I smiled, throwing myself to hug Ardren and Fridd.
That they were there was as if the sun had risen after days of storm.
Gerry, the head of King Rhoam's guard, came there to greet them, told them that there were quarters at their disposal and that we would all be served food in a small hall, as it was frowned upon for me to take them to the common dining rooms of the castle guards. Actually, if I kept eating there it was because the food was good and I preferred it much more than eating alone at a long table with five servants watching my every move, as if they were assessing how clumsy I was. My appetite was spoiled just thinking about it, and after a dinner which I accepted out of politeness, I asked to be allowed to eat with the rest of the guards.
"How are you?" Dad asked me, as we followed Gerry, who was ahead of us, indicating to Ardren and Fridd some basic rules of the castle.
"Now very well," I smiled.
"I know how hard it can be," he threw an arm over my shoulder and pulled me a little closer to him, "after all, I too was determined to take a beautiful woman from Hyrule to the West."
"Not a princess...," I replied, without hiding my nervousness about it.
"But it was hard, too. Her father thought I was a monster, a savage who wanted to take his daughter away from him to take advantage of her. I just loved your mother, that's all. And she loved me."
"I know."
"And since we didn't come to very good terms with her father, we had to make the decision without the support of her family. It wasn't right, I wish we'd done it differently. That's why I'll make sure that's not your case. Your wife will need them, her relatives, maybe not now that she's young and angry at the world. But she'll end up needing them. We must ensure that all parties are happy with this union."
"Thank you, Dad."
"Hell, Ardren's right, you're skinny," he laughed.
"You'll be a grandfather soon," I hinted, smiling halfway.
"Damn it, you make me feel old! Frea is crazy to know that you're taking the baby to the Nest. I don't think she sleeps knitting and doing things for my grandson."
"I'm glad you're taking it that well. This change can be difficult at first."
"Lord Tyto says they will adapt as if they have always belonged to the West," he winked at me, "well, do we eat anything?"
We were served our meal in our new private room. My friends joked all the time that the cooks knew me well, in fact some of them were willing to serve us dinner, for which I was grateful, I preferred them a thousand times to the stuffy servants of the other time.
"Link, Gerry told me that the king of Hyrule wants to meet me tonight," Dad said, "do you want to come with me? You know the terms of the pact better than anyone."
"If you don't mind I prefer staying here. I've talked about those terms a thousand times with the king, and I trust you, Dad. I know you'll close everything and it'll be fair and reasonable."
"There's a huge commotion in the West about your royal wedding," Ardren said.
"I don't know how the hell the news got out, but there was so much noise that I had to summon a kandar and expose the situation to all the clans," Dad clarified, "it's a major political union. Hence the commotion Ardren says, it delayed our trip a couple of days."
"Were there impediments?" I asked, resigned. I didn't know why we were using hawks if the rumours travelled faster...
"The expected responses and complaints," Dad smiled, "I suppose many envy your new position and fear it equally. There's a lot of superstition."
" Hell, enough with the superstitions, there's nothing to fear," I sighed, exasperated, "Fridd? You're not one of those who fears dark reprisals, are you?"
"I don't like Hyrule, as you know," he protested, chewing a bite of his dinner, "but our people don't have to be afraid of women or babies. My mother says that's ridiculous and cowardly."
"Here's to her!" I raised my glass and we all drank.
"I'm leaving now," Dad announced, "I want to send a message to Fort Hawk before I meet the king. Link, Aldry and the kids wanted to come. She's stayed home worried about not being able to attend."
"I know, but this wedding is supposed to be fast, with the righteous witnesses, so I asked that it was just you and the boys. I promise I'll celebrate with her and the twins when we're all home. They can see the baby and play with him, and we'll have a banquet at Fort Hawk."
"It could be in the Nest," Dad suggested, winking.
"Of course, much better."
I finished dinner with the boys and accompanied them to their quarters.
"I'm exhausted, I'm going to sleep a thousand hours," Fridd yawned.
"Not so fast," I said, trapping each other's necks under my arms, "I have an important mission for you two."
"Link, you're cruel...," Ardren grumbled.
"I just want you to spend all day in taverns tomorrow," I smiled, and I freed them to see their surprise face, "you will go to each and every tavern in the citadel, you will be seen."
"Well, I have no problem with that... " smiled Ardren, "but why?"
We had to wait three more days for the wedding. Three days in which I only heard about Zelda and the baby from Mel or Impa. I could complain, but my family's presence made it much more bearable.
Everything was organised secretly and quietly.
The court was kept away from the event. Only a priest was informed, the one in charge of officiating the ceremony. The trusted servants took care of the minimal preparations: dress, flowers and a dinner to be served in the king's private hall, with only half a dozen servants belonging to his personal service. Everyone could smell that something was going to happen, the whole castle was buzzing with rumours, but they assumed that my father was there just to sign the terms of the marriage and that there would be a wedding with immense pomp and ceremony as expected for a princess of Hyrule.
Only one exception was made for the sheikah, the matriarch and her husband travelled from the sheikah village to be at the ceremony at Zelda's wish. The shadow people had been the only ones loyal to the princess, protecting her and offering her support when she needed it most, and I couldn't agree more that they were there.
I couldn't believe the time had come until late afternoon when I let Amy, Zelda's trusted maid, into my chambers and she offered to dress me. She had arranged an outfit for me that had belonged to Zelda's missing brother. In a way it was a way for him to be present too, to honour his memory.
"You look handsome," she said, when she finished her work, "it's about time."
I looked out of the window and saw a crescent moon, a few days short of full, shining over our heads. There would be enough light, for the ceremony would be held in front of the statue of the goddess Hylia in the back garden, where she and I were engaged.
"Don't get nervous," she said, frowning, "you're just snorting like a horse trapped in a stable. Do you have the ring?"
"Yes," I said, squeezing the cloth bag that Impa had given me.
"Make her and that creature happy," she whispered, as shed a few tears, "that's all I ask of you."
I arrived in the garden with my hands sweating from my nerves. The king and Prince Gaepora were already there. Dad and my friends came behind me and stood next to me, accompanying me. Then the priest appeared, escorted by Gerry, who would also be at the ceremony.
"You're closer, Captain," Fridd whispered.
"We're still in time to run away and go on an adventure," Ardren joked.
Just then Impa and Zelda's maidens showed up. I started smiling nervously when I saw Faren in Mel's arms. I guess when she saw my face she decided to approach so I could see him, I left a kiss on his head, it was an immense relief after so many days of not hearing from him except from other people.
Zelda appeared last, as if she had just stepped out of one of my dreams. By all the gods, hers and mine, she did not belong in our world. Her maids helped her remove the cloak and hood she had covered herself with to hide her wedding dress, a long white cloak, with the emblem of her house in blood, the bird with outstretched wings and the three triangles. She was dressed in dark blue, as if she had wrapped herself in a summer night's sky; there were even little bright spots, stars that were white and distant here and there.
"I offer the hand of my daughter, Princess Zelda Bosphoramus of Hyrule, to the young Captain Link, son of Grenmak of Fort Hawk," the king of Hyrule announced.
The king put her cold hand on mine and as I approached I caught the scent of the flowers that had been placed in her hair.
"How are you?" She whispered. I saw her nervousness, she no longer looked like a goddess, just a scared girl, just like me.
"Nervous."
"Me too."
The priest asked about the dowry and the contract. And we finally looked at each other to deliver the vows.
"I, Zelda Bosphoramus Hyrule, take Captain Link son of Grenmak of Fort Hawk to be my husband. I promise to be true to him in times of peace and war, sickness and health, light and darkness, all the days of my life."
"I, Link son of Grenmak of Fort Hawk, take Princess Zelda Bosphoramus Hyrule to be my wife. I promise to be true to her in times of peace and war, sickness and health, light and darkness, all the days of my life."
There was no doubt or hesitation and I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Then I took the ring out of the bag and...
"Link," she said, seeing me paralysed.
"Where did you get this?"
"Is there a problem?" The priest intervened.
None, only that I had my mother's ring between my fingers, with which I was going to marry my wife, I thought. Maybe it was all a dream and I was going to wake up at any moment. I noticed Zelda's tension as she clung to my arm, trembling. I was being an idiot, I'd think about that later. I slid the ring onto her finger.
"By the supreme goddesses Din, Farore, and Nayru," the priest began knotting a piece of cloth on our united hands, "by the blessing of the White Goddess Hylia and by the will of Or, God of the Mountain, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
It was done. She was mine before the gods of the East and the West and no one was going to change that.
"I, Link, receive you and kiss you as a sign of fidelity."
"I, Zelda, receive you and kiss you as a sign of fidelity."
I hadn't seen her for so long, hadn't touched her, that the kiss was pure electricity. It was like I'd imagined it every time, better than that. And I never wanted it to end, so I regretted the moment when she loosened the sweet pressure of her lips on mine. It was made up for by her smile afterwards.
"May you be faithful, in righteous faith to our gods, without wickedness, without deceit, as a man ought to be to his woman, and a woman ought to be to her man. May you see your children's children, may the light shine your days, may you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings. May our gods always bless you."
My friends shouted for joy, and the witnesses applauded. It was still secret, a little less quiet. It was perfect.
We were led through a series of corridors that had been insulated so that no one would poke their noses in, and along the path they had guarded we were led to the king's private room, where mountains of food were already set out, and butlers were waiting with chalices for the guests.
After sitting at the table, I sighed and felt relaxed and relieved, no one could stop anything, we were married and I had Zelda by my side, with the baby in her arms, healthy and calm. We started to enjoy the feast, everything looked amazing and I hadn't been able to eat all day, so it was like a second blessing.
"I thought you regretted all this," Zelda confessed, with a shy smile.
"Why? Didn't I look stubborn enough to you the day I waited for you in the gardens?"
"No, I mean when you pulled out my ring."
I grabbed her hand and examined the ring again, calmer. There was no doubt, that was it, it wasn't my imagination.
"I think the gods play with us," I whispered, "I think we are a kind of entertainment in their stupid, elevated lives."
"Why do you say that?"
"Now it doesn't matter, don't worry," I smiled and kissed her hand.
She had to retire before dinner was over, Faren started crying and she said she had to breastfeed him. She couldn't do it right there, let alone with "the dress so tight." She said goodbye to all the guests, approaching one by one. I wanted to leave with her, but she insisted that I stay a little longer at dinner, to enjoy with my friends without worries. Once we reached dessert, the king made a toast, thanked everyone for coming and blessed our union. It really struck me as sincere. Sincere and yet sad, as if the war had defeated him and he still hadn't managed to get back on his feet. I guess we all have our burdens, even him.
"Captain Link," Impa approached me, dinner was almost over, although my friends seemed willing to wipe out the whole cellar, "we have to accompany you to your marital bed, it's tradition that witnesses of both families do so after the royal toast."
"Sure, I didn't know about it."
In the West, traditions were even stricter, especially among mountain clans. During blood marriages, you had to lay in the presence of witnesses in order for the marriage to be consummated. Luckily, it wasn't our case.
Impa, Prince Gaepora and Dad led me to the quarters of my newly wedded wife. I knocked on the door and Zelda appeared in her nightgown.
"The child just fell asleep," she announced.
"It's enough for me to stay on the threshold, we don't have to take the bride and groom to bed," Dad smiled.
"I agree, I think we have fulfilled more than enough with customs," Prince Gaepora said.
"Well, for my part, I just want to tell you that tomorrow I'll start preparing the carts and horses early," Impa intervened, "we've been working on luggage these days, so hopefully we can leave to the West after lunch."
"Thank you, Impa," Zelda nodded, "and goodnight to all of you."
She hooked my arm, pulled me in and closed the door, not prolonging the goodbye any longer. The first thing I noticed was that the room didn't just smell of her and the flowers in her hair, it also had the soft scent of the baby. Faren was sleeping with pink cheeks in his cot, a few feet away from the bed.
We stood in front of the fireplace, which burned warmly and was the only light in the room.
"Are you tired?" I asked, shyly. I wanted to hug her and kiss her again, but I didn't dare.
"No. I'm just trying to assimilate it."
"Me too," I smiled. And I hesitated if there was any shadow of regret in her.
"I... I asked the servants to prepare bedding for you but I think they forgot to do so. I can call them, maybe we can get some from Kahen."
"I don't even know what bedding is," I laughed, "it's okay like this."
"I want you to make yourself comfortable, Link," she frowned.
We looked at each other again, without daring to approach.
"I don't look like what a bride should look like," smiled Zelda, nervous.
"You're perfect."
"Just… give me a few seconds."
I nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. "Make yourself comfortable," she said. I took off my boots and removed my robe and shirt as I watched her disappear behind some wooden slats that covered one corner of the room, like a false wall. I sighed in relief, tired... perhaps a little incredulous. Suddenly I was aware of everything: it had happened. In the blink of an eye, I had crossed half the world to marry a woman I'd seen only once. And it made me happy. All the uncertainty and sleepless nights and restless dreams would be behind me.
"That's it," she said, going out the false wall.
I tried to say something, but only a strange noise came out of my throat. She had changed her bedclothes for another, a sort of transparent nightgown that fell over her like a second skin. She came up to me and without getting up I hugged her, pressed my face against her belly, kissed her through the thin fabric as she stroked my hair.
It'd have been nice to be able to say at least two words about how happy I felt. She didn't have to prove anything to me and she didn't have to feel obligated to do anything that night, but at the same time there was a kind of melancholy between us, a need to heal our wounds, so I swallowed the words again and let myself be carried by her. I felt her hands come to rest on my shoulders as she sat my lap, she put each knee on one side of me, on the edge of the bed. She held my face for a moment, her eyes locked on mine, as if trying to guess what the hell was happening to us. She kissed me. She kissed me as she held my face and moved over me. I slid my hands down her back and felt her tense, the fabric of the nightgown was thin but it didn't cover everything, my fingers touched skin and that made her react, break the kiss and curl up. We looked at each other again in silence as I slid my hands this time under her nightgown, caressing her legs all the way down her back. She rocked on top of me with her eyes narrowed and her fingers in my hair, she was mine in that moment, I knew it, I knew what I was doing to her. She kissed me again, intensely, her hands reached for my belt to take it off. As she sought me out with her body, as she tried to connect with me over my clothes... I wanted her, wanted her more than anything. "Inside." That's all I could think every time we pressed against each other. "I need to be inside, inside." Inside every time she swayed on top of me, or I made her tremble with my hands trapped between her skin and the skin of her nightgown, her tongue tangled in mine. "Inside her, until we disappear together and there's nothing left. Only then will I be able to breathe again."
I noticed that she was panting with excitement and the kisses were filled with urgency. I kissed her neck, sucked on it. It wasn't enough, it was far from enough. I lifted her up around her waist and laid her on the bed. I felt warm, my heart was pounding in my chest and I only saw the green of her eyes. Again, she held my face to bring my lips to hers. I pulled the nightgown up to her waist and she opened herself to me. Inside. I moaned loudly and she reached around me, clinging to my back. I could disappear now, I was inside her and we moved as one, staring into each other's eyes in silence. I fitted myself into her, her flesh into mine, I made her moan, cling to me, lift her hips so that there was no separation, so that the second I withdrew was brief, and the second we were joined was hard, sustained in time. She writhed under my body and I never wanted it to end, never, ever thought it could fit like this with anyone, no hesitation, her eyes understanding me, speaking without saying a word. I pushed one last time so deep inside as if I wanted to melt into her forever.
"Take a breath," she whispered on my lips, her fingers brushing my hair away from my face.
I opened my eyes and kissed her forehead and her lips. I stayed like that for a while, on top of her, I didn't want to leave her. She was right, my heart was beating like crazy, I hadn't noticed. Finally I moved aside and stared at the ceiling of the room, she curled up on top of me.
At some point I must have fallen asleep, in a placid and dreamless world, a world of peace that I had not had since... well, I guess since the Dark War awakening.
"I don't know what's happened before," she whispered.
She must have realised that I had woken up. I opened my eyes and saw that she'd thrown the blankets over me. She was cradling Faren next to me.
"Is the baby okay? Is something wrong?"
"We're good. He just woke up because he wanted to eat a little and sleep with his mom. Sometimes he does. You were too asleep, you didn't hear anything."
I sat up a little so that I was lying down like her, and put an arm around both of them.
"I'm sorry, I was exhausted, I haven't slept well for days."
"It's okay, I was exhausted too." She grinned and I kissed her cheek. "I… I don't know what happened before, Link."
"Before… when you and I-
"Yes."
"Neither do I. only... I can't explain it."
"I've never been with a man before. Except... I guess I had to, but..."
"And you don't even remember," I deduced.
"Nothing, just the same void as usual. But tonight... it was as if my body knew what I had to do. As if my hands could, you know, touch... and everything else. I don't want you to think anything wrong about me." She shyly admitted. She was too sweet.
"I don't! It was… And it wasn't only you. It's been my first time too. And at the same time, I'm sure as much as I breathe, that it wasn't the first."
"Is this what you mean when you said the gods play with us?"
"Yes, among other things."
"What if..."
"It could be," I smiled, guessing her thoughts and kissed her head, "it could be that we did this before. Maybe you and I… who knows?"
"It's so impossible..."
"As much as it's my mother's ring that's on your finger."
"What do you say?" She laughed, thinking I was teasing her.
"That ring is mine, it belongs to my family, and it was my mother's wedding ring. And all of a sudden... it was there! It comes out of nowhere, you say it's important to you, that you want it to be your wedding ring and you fulfil my wish without even knowing it."
"Don't play with me, don't joke about this, please" she said, waving her head.
"How did you find it? Did you buy it from any merchants? Did someone from the West give it to you?"
"No."
"So how?"
"I... I don't know. It was there," she said, bewildered, "on my finger. When I woke up, it was on my finger."
"And you don't remember how it got to your finger," I smiled. That only served to give me more wings and to understand, to fit in with what was happening to me.
"It may be similar to the one you remember from your mother, it's too much coincidence," she murmured, frowning.
"I'm pretty sure, Zelda, that it's her ring. There is no other equal in the whole world, it was carved by hand and on request, with minerals that are only found in the West, in the heart of our mountains. Those dark veins on the stone are unique. When my mother died, my father gave it to me and I've been keeping it for years. I wanted to give it to a girl from the West a long time ago. But... I lost it. I lost it like a lot of other things in the Dark War. When I saw it today, I thought it was a dream. But it's not, it's as real as how I feel about you. About you two."
I felt her shaking a little, her skin against mine.
"Impa and I will find out the truth, we have found many things... important clues. We have to find out everything."
"The only truth is how we feel. And I feel like this is no coincidence. It's as if I haven't had food to fill me up for a year, or water to quench my thirst. As if there was never enough air in my lungs, I felt strange and out of place. Until the day I saw you at the lake and you made me wake up, everything changed... What if it's not a coincidence?"
"I can't explain the ring," she reflected.
"Or other things, or what happens to us when we are together. Because I've never touched a woman before tonight. If you and I, during the Dark War..."
"Don't go on, Link," I saw her eyes watering, "I want it so bad it hurts."
"It may be true, it may be the only truth we have come across in a long time. It's right in front of us, we just have to believe it. I'm sure you do. That you were mine..." I took a breath "and so was the baby."
"You're too kind. I thank you for this, for being here, for waiting for me the day you arrived. But you don't really have to do this to convince me about anything. I… I love you anyway."
"Believe it too, please. Believe in this, because it's real. Nobody's going to convince me otherwise, I don't need any more proof."
I don't know if she believed it, but she sought a kiss from me to keep understanding. I would kiss her a thousand times and prove to her that it was true. With every second that passed I saw it more clearly and that certainty grew stronger and stronger inside me, that they were my wife and my son, whether we remembered it or not. Her wounds were greater than mine, it would take her longer to understand, but we had our whole lives ahead of us. I would wait for her. I would let her investigate every stone, every corner, every book. I would accompany her to search for her truth, to find her lost brother. I would help her to heal her heart. Maybe along the way she would realise that what she was looking for was always right next to her, right in front of her eyes.
After a long -and rainy journey since we reached rito region- I finally saw the high tower of the Eagle's Nest, protruding through the treetops.
I had been back and forth a thousand times, but the feeling of being at home was greater than ever.
"What's that you hum all the time?" Zelda asked Ardren, who rode next to our wagon.
"Oh. Don't you know it? It's a composition of mine," he smiled.
"You're a pain in my ass, I can't wait to get home so I wouldn't hear you anymore," Fridd growled, guarding us on horseback, on the other side.
"I heard that same melody," Zelda said, frowning, "in the castle. The servants hummed it too. And the stable boys."
"No wonder, Your Highness, it's a song heard all over Hyrule, isn't it, Fridd?"
"I want to tear my ears off," he growled, pulling up the hood of his cloak.
"Come on, Ardren," I said, "sing it to my wife, as she seems to be the only one in the whole world who hasn't heard it yet."
"At your service, Captain."
Under my window there is a singing bird,
That flew away and brought me its song.
Along the roads rode, the invader's troop
Came the fierce Barbarian, of destroying steel
He stole the Princess, into his lair he took her
Blue were the eyes of the child that was born
They are those of the Barbarian, treacherous foe
"Link, what does this mean?" She asked, looking confused.
I couldn't help but burst out laughing. My friends caught it and started laughing with me.
"Is this your invention? What the hell did you do?"
"Spread rumours, princess," Ardren smiled triumphantly, "spread them around the Citadel, light the town's fire. What we of my guild always do, tell stories, nothing new. Arriving in Hyrule, the captain found that the legends circulating were... unimaginative. We have added our own personal touch.."
"I can't believe it...," she waved her head.
"What? Better this way," I said, "better these rumours than the others. Something had to be done. Now everyone knows, really, instead of believing that stupid story about the wraiths or the mercenaries."
"The wraiths… they don't even know how to invent an original rumour...," Ardren reiterated.
"I agree," I said.
"It's much better the legend of the blue-eyed barbarian."
"Much better."
"Also, that kid is a miniature version of the captain. Right, Fridd?"
"Agreed. We've commented on it a thousand times, and if my mother could see him she would agree, she is good at telling whether babies look more like the father or the mother."
"We are identical," I added, " and his eyes and mine are my mother's eyes, as they should be."
"Goddess," she sighed, and let out a laugh, "who have I married?"
The End
"The Things We Lost in the War, " by 23-Juliet
Written on 30 April 2021
Translated on 31 January 2022
Note:
Many thanks to all of you who have read, followed and liked the story. I know the translation is far from perfect, but I've learned a lot from this experience and it's also been fun, as I'm very fond of the story.
Stay safe,
-Juliet.