Chapter 32: The Single Life

AN: Hello! Another chapter finished and ready to go! I hope you like what I am writing and I am really happy that people are still interested in
my work. So thanks for reading and enjoy!

***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***

Samantha woke up and noted holding a tray of breakfast.

"Valorous m'rning, princess. Thee wilt has't been v'ry not restful." Juliet spoke as she set the tray down.

"It's been…" Samantha reached up as high as she could before exhaling and sighing with content. "That was a much needed nap."

Nap? Thee did sleep the entire day." Juliet placed the plate of pancakes on her lap.

"The entire day?!" Samantha exclaimed. "That…no. I…no." She shook her head. "How could I have slept for an entire day? It must have been…what? Four? Five in the afternoon when I got here?" She took a bite of her breakfast; a perfect start to an imperfect day. "Well…what am I supposed to do now?"

"We can wend f'r a swimeth, 'r rideth h'rses. Thee can teachest me how to square. Whatev'r thee wanteth to doth, I wisheth to beest with thee." Juliet spoke with a timid tone. "T's been too longeth since we've hath spent timeth togeth'r."

"Juliet…" Samantha motioned for her to come near her. "If you want to spend the day together, we'll spend the whole day together. Where's William? I'd love to challenge him to a duel. You can cheer me on, and we'll do whatever you want to do. Brush our hair, go for a walk, admire flowers…" Samantha suggested.

"Art thee sure thee has't not aught imp'rtant to doth?" Juliet questioned the princess. Samantha pondered her question.

'Let's see…do I have anything important to do?' Samantha tried to think of why she would be in Crimea, but nothing came to mind.

"Nope…I think I'm good." Samantha smiled. "Let's go find your brother and I promise to spend the whole day with you." Juliet smiled while Samantha continued eating her breakfast.

"Prithee continueth eating. I shall findeth mine own lief broth'r, Romeo, and returneth h're anon." Juliet informed the princess as she skipped towards the door.

"Don't keep me waiting." Samantha jokingly warned.

"And what shall thee doth if 't be true I doth?" Samantha laughed before taking a sip of her juice.

"I suppose I will have to wait." She took another bite of her pancakes. Juliet waved goodbye and exited the room. Samantha continued eating her breakfast and when she was done, she set the tray aside and quickly changed from yesterday's outfit into her regular attire. She admired herself in the mirror and picked up the tray to bring it to the kitchen. As she began walking towards the kitchen, Bastian and Renning were discussing something in the living room, but Samantha made a promise to Juliet. She brought them to the cooks in the kitchen and returned to her room. She walked towards the bathroom to freshen up. After a quick shower, she redressed and noticed Lucia waiting for her in the bedroom.

"Sam, I'm sorry, but I asked everyone in Crimea if they knew Genny. I tried making calls to Kilvas and Phoenicis but Naesala and Tibarn didn't pick up." Lucia pouted.

"I'm sorry...who is Genny?" Samantha questioned. Lucia was caught off-guard, but laughed it off.

"Very funny, Sam. You told me she was some laguz girl and she's your most important priority."

"But…I don't know a Genny. How can she be my top priority if I have never met a Genny?" Lucia stared at the princess with discouragement and concern.

"I…uh…a valid point." She put on a fake smile.

"Would it be acceptable if I spent the entire day with Romeo and Juliet? I haven't seen them in such a long time. I promise not to leave the castle grounds."

"Sam, we're not in Castle Hyrule. We're at Fort Alpea."

"Oh…" Samantha responded like she was unaware of that fact. "…are there horses here? I promised Juliet we'd go riding…even if it's just a slow walk around."

"Yes. There's a stable in the back. I think William is tending to the horses. And that will be fine, but please…stay within the fort."

"Thank you so much." Samantha bowed her head and left the blue haired woman in her room. Lucia frantically ran towards Elincia's bedroom. She knocked on the door quickly.

"Elincia! Open the door! We have a serious problem!" Lucia quickly knocked again and the queen of Crimea opened it. Her hair was a complete mess and her clothes were silky white and incredibly wrinkled. She gave a great big wayn and rubbed an eye with one hand.

"Lucia, this had better be good…you know how I get when I'm rudely woken up."

"Sam's memory is depleting."

"What?" Elincia blinked again and stretched. "You woke me up for some stupid joke?"

"It's not a joke. Sam's-"

"Just keep an eye on her and report back to me when I wake up." She slammed the door and left her friend alone. Lucia knew better than to disobey Elincia's orders so, she did as she was told and turned around.

"Tell me you didn't just wake up our fair queen." Lucia looked in the direction of the voice and Bastian was standing there.

"Darling, I'm worried about the Hylian princess."

"Whatever is the matter?" He asked his wife.

"Sam doesn't remember Genny. She is acting like that laguz child doesn't even exist."

"Surely, it's some form of a joke. Albeit, not a very good one…perhaps she is trying her hand at comedy."

"I don't know…" Lucia placed a hand over her eyes and shook her head. "I'm concerned about her. Did she say anything to you?"

"She did make a claim that she saw a man yesterday. He…donned purple clothing and black overalls, but Kieran and I did not see a soul."

"A man in black overalls…" Lucia looked around. "I'll take a look around. Keep an eye on Sam, alright? If anyone strange approaches her…her safety is top priority."

"Understood." Bastian nodded his head and Lucia closed her eyes, stood up on her tip toes and puckered her lips together to kiss her husband, but he was much too tall for her.

"Bastian…" She opened one eye and he smirked.

"Yes?"

"Can you…I need a little…" She returned to her natural position and pouted. "You're not going to make me beg, are you?"

"Perhaps." He replied and she gently slapped his cheek.

"You're horrible." She laughed and he lowered his head slightly so she had to get back on her tip toes to kiss him. "I've always liked doing that."

"And I have as well." Bastian smiled. "Now go find Princess Samantha. I'll look around the castle for anything suspicious." Lucia started walking towards the back door while Bastian headed for the front. Out back, Samantha was admiring Romeo and Juliet's riding abilities on horseback.

"Why aren't you on a horse?" Lucia asked. "There's plenty to choose from."

"I don't mind watching. Romeo and Juliet are having a blast. I must applaud your efforts in teaching her."

"Actually, it was my king, Geoffrey, who taught them." Lucia smiled at the children. "They also had a good babysitter." She nudged Samantha's arm.

"Please…all I did was keep them entertained until bed, read them a story, and then eat a bunch of food while watching something on Netflix."

"Ooh, really? Anything interesting?" Lucia smiled while Samantha laughed.

"Sam! Look!" Romeo called out and got the horse to jump over a small patch of grass before safely landing on the ground

"Romeo, be safe." Samantha called back out.

"Sam…I want to ask you about something…regarding someone you might have seen."

"What do you mean?"

"Bastian told me you saw some guy with purple clothes and black overalls…where did you see him?"

"By the front of the fort. There was a small indention on the side and he hopped out. There was some… something that got all over me. I felt nauseous and that's when I lost track of him."

"Did you know him?"

"I had never seen him before in my life…I'm sorry, am I in trouble?" Samantha questioned. Lucia placed a hand on her shoulder and weakly smiled.

"Sam…you're forgetting Genny."

"Lucia, I love you…you're a wonderful person, and I enjoy spending time here in Crimea…er…Fort Alpea." Samantha began. "But I wish you would stop bringing up this Genny person. Is that the name of a newborn child in Hyrule or something?" Samantha gasped with excitement and grabbed her hands. "Are you pregnant?! Or is Elincia pregnant?! Genny is such a good name."

"No, we…no one is pregnant. I'm just curious what has happened." Lucia's eyes narrowed. "Yesterday, you asked if you could have access to the library. You wanted all the information of Phoenicis and Kilvas…and now, you're acting like you don't know why you're here. How did you even get here?" Lucia interrogated the Hylian princess.

"Lucia…if you don't want me here-"

"Sam…" Lucia's expression quickly changed to concern and sadness. "I just want to help you. It's not like you to simply claim something is very important and then forget about it completely."

"Lucia, I-" Samantha fell to her knees and groaned while holding her head with her hands.

"Sam? What's wrong?"

"My head…ah…it…it hurts…" Lucia looked around frantically for anyone that could help her.

"Sam, stay here. I'll be right back." Lucia sprinted back into the fort to get something. Samantha felt like her head was in a vise. Her skull felt like it would crush from the pressure; she'd do anything to get rid of this pain. She returned with a bowl and a damp towel.

"Sam, deep breaths and try not to move." Lucia instructed the young woman. She placed the towel on her forehead and checked held her hand. "Deep breaths, Sam." Samantha complied with Lucia's orders as she winced in pain. Lucia looked up and saw a Pegasus knight flying high above.

"Marcia!" Lucia called out and the woman landed her horse in the stable area. She ran over towards where Lucia was helping Samantha.

"Lucia, wha-" She paused as she stared at Samantha. "What happened?"

"I don't know. Just…" Samantha slowly opened her eyes and looked at the two women.

"Lucia? Marcia? Wha…what's going on?" Samantha questioned.

"Sam! Are you alright?" Lucia questioned the princess.

"I…yes…I just…" She lightly groaned. "My head hurts…"

"Another headache…" Lucia shook her head while Samantha quickly recovered.

"I'll be fine." She sat up and the towel fell off her head.

"Last time you forgot Genny…" Lucia rubbed her chin. "Sam, can you give me your whole title and some basic information?"

"My what?" Samantha narrowed her eyes.

"You know, like…your full name, title, parents…that stuff." She laughed nervously.

"If I agree to do this, you have to do something for me." Lucia look at Marcia, who only shrugged her shoulders.

"…sure."

"I would like some world famous Crimean green tea. Two sugar, extra lemon…please." Samantha requested.

"As you wish." Lucia curtseyed for her.

"Very well." Samantha cleared her throat. "My name is Samantha Grace Aran. Firstborn to the throne of Hyrule. My parents are Queen Zelda Grace Hyrule and Samus Aran."

"Siblings?"

"Three. Virginia Lynn Hyrule, Alexander Daphnes Aran, and Jackson Mathias Hyrule."

"I guess it all checks-"

"Wait a minute." Marcia remarked. "Didn't she marry that one guy…Marcus, right? She even took his last name…"

"You're right…" Lucia whispered with realization. "Did she forget her husband?"

"Lucia? The tea?" Samantha insisted. Lucia bowed her head and walked inside to gather the ingredients for the tea she promised.

"Marcia…" She motioned with her head to follow her. "Sam, could you-"

"My name is Samantha, Lucia." The Hylian princess corrected her. Lucia pressed her lips together and hesitated for a minute.

"Right. My apologies…Samantha. Could you keep an eye on Romeo and Juliet out there?" Samantha nodded and turned to watch the children. Lucia walked inside and headed towards the kitchen.

"Something's on your mind." Marcia commented while they walked. "You have that look in your eyes…there's something bothering you."

"Yesterday, Samantha completely forgot about Genny. This laguz girl she was watching over. She said it was her most important priority to get her home…and she forgot her just like that." She snapped her fingers just as they approached the kitchen.

"Lady Lucia!" One of the cooks exclaimed as she poked her head inside. "What can I get for you?"

"I need a pot of the finest Crimean green tea, three cups, a small bowl of sugar, a bottle of honey, and some lemon slices."

"Coming right up." The chef began to grab tea leaves and filling a pot with water.

"Lucia…" Marcia called out from a chair she was sitting in. Lucia sat next to her ally. "So Samantha forgot this girl…" Marcia stated; hoping that she'd continue.

"Right…" Lucia picked up right where she left off. "Today, it seems that she forgot her marital status…which means there must be more things she's forgetting. I'm convinced something happened to her and it's causing her mind to black out."

"So, do we tell Elincia?"

"We need solid evidence. She won't believe it unless it's something important like her parents or her home." Lucia looked at the kitchen as the cook brought out a large tray with everything Lucia requested. He set them down and quietly walked away. Lucia began pouring the tea into the cups. "Two spoonfuls of sugar, right?" She asked the princess and she nodded. Lucia then grabbed a lemon and squeezed the slice into the tea.

"I'm looking forward to this." Samantha licked her lips with anticipation. Lucia finished her tea, placed it on a small plate, and handed it to her. She took a sip and gave a satisfactory sigh.

"Perfect. Just like how I remember it."

"Hm…" Lucia mumbled as she took a sip of her tea. "Marcia?"

"Um…sure, but…what about Romeo and Juliet? Aren't you concerned-"

"I've taught them well. They don't need anyone watching them." Lucia glanced at her cup and Marcia took it. She added some sugar, honey, and lemon before taking a sip.

"Excellent." Marcia smiled. "Best tea in all the worlds."

"Lady Samantha?" The trio looked up and saw William standing nearby.

"Hello, my lord William." Samantha smiled from ear to ear. Marcia and Lucia looked at one another with shock and disbelief;

"Did she really say that?" Lucia whispered.

"I…I think so." Marcia whispered back.

"I…um…th-thank you…" William's face turned light red. "Any…anyway…I was informed that you wanted to practice with me."

"Practi…" Samantha's cheeks turn light pink. "I…I see…in that case, yes. I accept."

"Very well. I have assembled the necessary materials we need to-"

"Just promise me one thing…"

"Of course." She quickly approached him and pressed her lips against his.

"Be gentle. I've…I've never done this before."

"What?!" Lucia exclaimed. "Sam…er, Samantha! What are you doing? William, what are you doing?"

"I…it-it's not what it looks like!" he blurted. "I was told Lady Samantha wanted to have a duel with me."

"A duel?" Samantha stood back. "No, no, no. A princess mustn't duel. A princess should never wield weapons."

"Since when?" Marcia questioned. "Princess, you've always enjoyed a fight. You can't be serious."

"I most certainly am. And as for what I want…I was under the belief that you and I should wed."

"WHAT?!" All three of them exclaimed at once.

"I…Lady Samantha…as…as flattering as that idea may be, you are a married woman."

"I am not married, my lord."

"You bear a ring on your finger." She looked at her hand and then back at William.

"This is a mere promise ring." William shook his head in disbelief. Before he could respond, Lucia stood up.

"Lady Samantha, perhaps you should return to your quarters. Your request must past through the queen." Samantha's expression was that of sudden realization.

"You're right. Please forgive me, my lord. I acted on impulse…I let my feelings for you get the better of me. Please forgive me!" She blurted out.

"We…we will pretend this never happened." He glanced at the other two women to indicate that his mother wasn't to hear a word of this.

"Thank you, my lord. I look forward to hearing your answer." She skipped happily towards her room while the three of them were alone.

"Permission to speak freely, Aunt Lucia? Lady Marcia?" William requested. Both women looked at each other before nodding at him. "What the fuck is going on?" He whispered.

"We're trying to figure that out for ourselves." Lucia responded. "Yesterday, she forgot about Genny. And today…"

"She forgot her husband and her fighting abilities." William finished his aunt's sentence. "Before she married Marcus, Lady Samantha had a crush on me. She had to make a choice…Marcus or myself. She chose Marcus."

"Any regrets? You think she's living in some kind of alternate universe or something?" Marcia suggested.

"Unlikely." Lucia stated. "If that were the case, why introduce Genny? She wasn't involved in her life before…why erase her now? It must be some kind of memory erasing potion she drank or consumed or something. What happened yesterday?"

"She didn't do anything unusual yesterday. Although Great Uncle Renning stated she was to assist them with the buck. He also added that he and Kieran found her coughing and blinded by some kind of dust or something."

"Dust?" Lucia questioned. "She told me earlier there was this man…the two must be connected. Marcia, I want you to check the grounds. Report to me if you see anything suspicious."

"Aye captain." Marcia saluted Lucia and ran back to her horse.

"Are you plotting against Samantha?" Lucia turned to see Elincia with an angered expression on her face and her arms folded. "Honestly, Lucia…I never took you for the jealous type."

"Elincia-"

"Stop. I've had quite enough of your silly claims." She sat down and looked around for another cup.

"Mother, Aunt Lucia's claims are not silly. You missed the moment when Lady Samantha…" William gulped hard. "…kissed me." Elincia stared at her son with disbelief.

"Samantha…Princess of Hyrule…kissed you?" She slowly repeated his statement. He nodded without another word. She turned back towards Lucia. "That is quite unlike her. She has never betrayed her loyalty to her husband."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Lucia stated. "Something isn't right here. I've sent Marcia to search for anything suspicious."

"So, if I were to believe this…fallacy. If I were to believe that someone truly altered the princess of Hyrule's mind…what do we do?"

"We'd need everyone to know…where is Lord Renning and Kieran?" Lucia questioned.

"They've gone into town. I assume it's to buy me a gift. My birthday is in two days." Elincia hinted at the two of them.

"Don't worry. I already bought your gift. I bought it almost a year ago." Lucia smiled.

"With father's help, I forged your gift many months ago."

"Forged?" Lucia's eyebrows rose. "What did you make?"

"Wait and see." He smiled with pride.

"In the meantime, we should keep her here. Until we have answers, I don't feel safe letting her leave." Lucia spoke with worry. Elincia nodded.

"I agree. If her memory deteriorates any further, we should try and convince her that she works for us."

"Are you sure? That sounds like a terrible idea." Lucia bit her bottom lip. "If Zelda were to get wind of this-"

"That implies she'll come and visit. If she does, we'll kindly turn her away…"

"Zelda would not approve of us lying to her. And Samus…" Lucia gulped hard.

"I will take the fall. Lucia, please…promise me you'll stick with my plan." Though she hesitated, Lucia nodded.

"Your word is my command, my queen." Lucia took another sip of her tea.

"I have one more request."

"Whatever you need."

"Another cup will suffice." She pointed to the teacup in Lucia's hand. "If I knew you were having tea, I'd have been down here sooner."

"It's Crimean green tea…your favorite." Lucia walked over to the kitchen to acquire a cup for her best friend.

"Mother, I…" William hesitated for a moment.

"William, speak your mind."

"Lady Samantha was going to ask for permission to marry me."

"No." Elincia sternly told her son. "She is married to Marcus McCloud. You know this."

"But she-"

"William Griel Crimea! You are forbidden to wed Lady Samantha! Do you hear me?" Her voice boomed in a way that she had never spoken to another. William lowered his head in shame.

"Of course…forgive me, mother."

"Darling, I know you wish to find a bride…your time will come one day. But Samantha is still a part of the McCloud family. I know you will find love someday." William bowed his head and with that, he left his mother alone to tend to the horses. He passed Lucia on his way out the back.

"What was that all about?"

"William let his emotions get the better of him. He was asking for my blessing for marriage."

"He'll find someone. You didn't marry Geoffrey until after the second great war, if I'm correct."

"Right as always." Elincia made her own tea and took a sip. "Mmm…that's good tea."

Would you like me to bring Sam here? You can ask her anything or-"

No, that won't be necessary. Let's…keep our distance…and observe her." Elincia said as she drank her tea. "Let us keep this a secret for now." The two women sat in silence and finished their tea. "For now, I wish to see my darling nephew and beautiful niece." Lucia smiled and the two walked out to the back; hoping that Romeo and Juliet could brighten their spirits on this already cloudy day.