"... so do not give in to sorrow, little Aryll," the storyteller concluded, "While it is sad that your brother is gone, I am sure that you will see him again someday."
"You mean..." the little hylian started, "...if I will be good, just like the prince, big brother will come back?"
The older girl smiled assuringly, "Yes, I am sure that the goddesses will lead your brother back home in good time."
"...Miss Farore?"
"Hm?"
"Is the story you just told true?"
"Aryll, what matters is not the truth of the story, but the lesson you learn from it" Farore explained, "but usually some important bits are often true; though you will have to find for yourself which are the true bits."
"Indeed, and it was a lovely story" another girl commented before sipping her tea.
"Thank you, Princess."
"Where have you heard this story?" The princess wanted to know.
"She heard it from the prince's fairy herself, your majesty." A red haired girl cut in.
The storyteller looked alarmed, "Din!"
"You have actually met the fairy in your story?" The princess asked in surprise.
"Not just the fairy, Princess Zelda." Din chose to ignore the looks Farore was giving her, "We met the fairy prince as well."
"You have?"
"Yes" Din confirmed, "Nayru can tell you all about it."
The elegant blue-haired girl sighed, "...we met him when we were near Lon Lon farm Princess... We had stayed a few days at Lon Lon farm before we came here. We stayed there to rest bit and buy some fresh food. While we stayed we befriended and entertained the owner of the farm and his three daughters, and when Farore exchanged stories with them, they mentioned the fairy prince to her. "
She took a sip from her teacup before continuing.
"A couple of days later our troupe was camping near the woods and I went for a short walk in the forest... After a while I sat down, took up my harp and played. But when I had ended my song and looked up I saw a little boy in green sitting in the grass before me, with a fairy atop his green cap, a squirrel perched on his shoulder, and a badger and a fawn sitting beside him! He smiled kindly at me as a stood up, then he held up his pan flute and his fairy said that they had really enjoyed my song and that he wanted to ask me if I could teach it to him so that he could play it to his mother. In return she said, he would teach me to play a fairy song."
"Not much later we heard Nayru play a duet with a flute-player." Din continued, "We wondered who he was and Ralph thought Nayru was in danger. So Ralph, Farore and I went to see Nayru, and Farore identified him as the fairy prince."
"What was the fairy prince like?" Little Aryll wanted to know.
"Oh, he was very kind, and gentle too." Din answered, "His fairy is a little bossy though."
"Did you also meet his mother the Great Fairy Queen?" Aryll asked excitedly.
"Yes, we did Aryll," Nayru responded, "The next day, the fairy prince appeared before us again, and his fairy said that the Great Fairy Queen wanted to meet us, so we followed him into the forest to her glade."
Din sighed and looked wistful, "...I will never forget his wild apple tea and berry-fruitcake..."
"What was she like?"
"She too was very kind, just like the prince, but much more regal." Nayru replied.
Just then a blonde girl who had looked pensive decided to speak "... what did he look like?"
"Huh?"
"The fairy prince, what did he look like?"
"Oh, he's hylian," Din replied in an offhand manner, "and he has blonde messy hair, though it makes him look good."
"...did he tell you his name?" The blonde continued.
"He didn't!" Farore cut in, "Or rather, he couldn't. He speaks through the gestures of his hands and the expression of his face, but some things simply cannot be said that way; which is why he is called the fairy prince."
The princess finished her tea before asking Nayru another question.
"Where have you met the fairy prince?"
"...Faron woods, your highness. He lives in the Faron woods."
"Where in the Faron woods?" the blonde asked.
"We do not know, Princess" Farore answered, "No paths lead to his home and he doesn't seem to need any either. It might be that only he or a fairy would know how to get to the Fairy Queen's glade."
For a while no one spoke...
"Oh my, how time flies! I think it is best if we all retire now, Impa?"
A fair-haired lady-knight stepped forward, "Yes, Princess?"
"Kindly call for one of our maids and have her escort our guests to our guestrooms."
"Yes, your highness."
The princess turned back to her guests, "I thank you again Din, Nayru and Farore and your troupe for coming all this way to Hyrule and for entertaining me and my people. And once more, your story was lovely, Miss Farore, we all enjoyed listening to it."
The three girls bowed and left the room after thanking the princess for her hospitality and wishing her a good night.
...
"...please bring back my big brother Link, my sister and I miss him very much. And I promise to be good." Having finished her goodnight prayer, Aryll climbed into her bed and the blonde girl from before covered her with a blanket.
"Good night sister."
"Good night Aryll."
"Are you not going to bed yet?"
"Just a bit later," the blonde girl responded, "I'm going to speak a bit more with the princess."
"...don't take too long, okay?"
"I will..."
...
Knock. Knock.
"Yes, come in."
The blonde girl from before stepped in.
"Um... Princess Zelda? There is something I wanted to talk with you about..."
"Yes Linkle?"
"About that fairy prince..."
"I know Linkle..." The princess nodded understandingly, "It might be Link."
Linkle shifted uncomfortably, "...but if he's Link and he is alive and well... why hasn't he come back?"
"That puzzles me as well..."
"The fairy prince might be someone else after all..." Impa said, "But I doubt it; it is too much of a coincidence that both of them were bitten at the neck. In fact, I am willing to bet that no one but Link having such a bitemark. If the goddesses themselves had not watched over Link that bite would have claimed his life."
"...then... has he forgotten about Aryll and me...?"
"That cannot be." The princess was firm in her reply, "He is your twin and you know more than anyone what a loving brother he was to Aryll and you."
"Then why...?"
"The only explanation I can think of is that he believes that he cannot come back anymore..." Impa offered, and the princess sighed sadly, "...after all... he was held accountable for that unfortunate incident with that wolfos..."
"If only I had listened to him..."
"It wasn't your fault, Linkle, it was mine..." The princess cut in, "I never should have asked you two to help me sneak out of the castle... at the very least, we shouldn't have ventured so deep into the forest, like Link said..."
For a moment the two girls remembered and regretted that faithful day two years ago.
"...Princess?"
"Yes?"
"...do you think it's true that Link can't speak anymore...?"
The princess frowned at the question, "I pray not..."
"But I fear it is so." Her guardian stated, "People who have meant Link before he disappeared claim that he had acted very strangely; they say that he had grunted or snarled at them like an animal, made faces at them and motioned strangely with his hands. And he kept showing off his bitemark. Farore's story mentioned that people had thought the fairy prince to be dumb, and the people of Hyrule had thought that Link had lost his mind."
The princess took a moment to think. "I have never heard of someone losing his voice from an animal bite, but I do not find it hard to believe either. And a sudden muteness would explain everything: Why he did not explain himself when he was not to blame and why he had behaved that way towards people; Farore's story emphasized that the fairy prince had tried to make people understand that he couldn't speak, but the people simply didn't; that could have very well been Link's predicament, if he suddenly found himself mute after that wolfos' bite!"
"It's all Grandpa's fault!" Linkle grumbled! "If only that dumb old man hadn't thrown such a tantrum and had just listened to me...!"
"I too cannot agree with what your Grandfather did!" Princess Zelda agreed.
"True, master-at-arms or not, how he treated Link was unacceptable..." Impa shook her head disapprovingly.
"How could he even think that Link would put me or Princess Zelda or anyone in danger?!" Linkle cried angrily!
"Indeed! Link has always been a kind and good friend to me. I wouldn't even be here if Link hadn't drawn off the wolfos!"
"And yet, the foolish old knight disowned and chased away his own grandson..." Impa continued, "All because he thought that Link was not as not as knightly or noble as his grandfather had wanted him to be... So when Link was found in the forest, in the jaws of a wolfos, the hurt and unconscious princess beside him, the old man immediately assumed that his unworthy grandson was to blame and banished him to preserve the family's knightly honor..."
Linkle snorted, "As if our ancestors would not approve of Link! They'd be proud of him!"
"I certainly think so." Princess Zelda stated, "Link is nor even a squire and yet he did not hesitate to protect me from that wolfos!"
"You two may come from a long line of knights and royals guards but not one so far has protected a member of the royal family at such a young age..." Impa added, "He may yet be the bravest member of his family-"
"And he's GONE!" Linkle finished angrily!
An uncomfortable silence filled the room...
"I will go find him!"
Impa thought she heard wrong, "Excuse me?"
"I will go find him!" Linkle repeated, "I will go to Faron woods, find Link and bring him back!"
"Well said Linkle!" Princess Zelda beamed, "Let us prepare for our journey right now!"
"Now wait just a moment!" Impa roared, "Your highness... and you too Linkle! ...are under MY charge! I am responsible for your safety and well-being... and I will NOT let you two out of my eyesight again! You two are going nowhere without MY knowledge AND permission! NOT after what happened last time!"
She immediately regretted her outbreak; both the princess and Linkle sadly hung down their heads... She hadn't intended to make them feel guilty again.
"...I know that the two of you miss Link and that you want him back home; I too do so... but we do not know if this fairy prince truly is Link. And even if he is, we do not know where to find him. Yes, I know he's in Faron woods!" Impa quickly said before Linkle cut in! "But we do not know where in Faron woods! That forest goes on for miles! And Farore said tha no path leads to his home, and that only he or fairy might know where it is located! It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack! Just how are you planning to find him?!"
"We will inquire at Lon Lon farm."
Impa blinked. "You highness?"
"We will ask the people at Lon Lon farm" the princess said again, "Nayru mentioned that they too had met the fairy prince, and I am sure they can tell us how to find him. After all... fairy prince or not, surely he would not eat herbs and roots every meal, every day, all year round!"
The princess shuddered at the thought and Linkle grimaced.
"I am sure he'd want to eat some proper food once in a while... besides wha would he eat during winter? I am certain that at least once in a while the fairy prince visits Lon Lon farm!"
Impa was speechless; that was actually some very good reasoning!
"And if that fails then we will just walk a bit into the forest and start singing! Nayru said that the fairy prince came to her when she was playing her harp. Maybe if we too play some beautiful music or sing a lovely song he will come to us as well."
There were times were the princess' astounding intelligence was almost scary...
"...yes... yes, your plan seems sound Princess..."
"Then let us put it in to action!"
"No! You, Princess, will not! And neither will Linkle! Lately, the countryside has become unsafe; people have been attacked by robbers and strange beasts! I will send Elonzo instead; not only is he a most loyal knight, he is also one of the best swordsmen in Hyrule. And, Link has been like a little brother to him, so I am sure that he'd be more than willing to go find him."
Since the two girls didn't reply, Impa hoped that she had talked the girls out of leaving the castle...
Unbeknownst to her, the girls exchanged a few glances that suggested otherwise!
Unbeknownst to the three of them, someone had been eavesdropping and was determined to go as well!
...
"Really now Din, I can't believe you!" Farore fumed, "Why did you tell them so much?!"
"Indeed..." Nayru agreed, "We ended up revealing way too much about Link..."
"Maybe..." Din admitted, "But the princess had to know."
"Which is why I told them that story!" Farore persisted! "It let her know without revealing anything!"
"It didn't tell he anything!" Din retorted, "It was too vague!"
"It would have sufficed." Nayru argued, "The princess is smart; and she did make the connection to Link."
"How do you know?"
"She had asked Farore where she had heard the story..." Nayru replied, "That would have led her to Lon Lon farm, and there she would have practically found Link."
"...that may be true..." Din admitted, "But... She needed to know that the fairy prince was real and alive! ...And not just a fairy-tale from once-upon-a-time! Princess or not, she cannot act on a sweet, little story alone!"
Farore winched at that and Nayru sighed.
"...you may have a point there..." Nayru relented, "But we swore to the Great Fairy Queen that we would not speak of Link until he is old enough and ready to fulfill his role as the destined hero."
Din just folded her arms. "Oh, come on now, you two... you both feel it and know it just as I do!"
An uncomfortable silence filled the room...
"We don't have that time..."
Author's notes:
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Author's notes 2:
Sigh... so much about reverse psychology. What am I supposed to do now: if I ask people politely, they leave no reviews; if I tell them not to, they don't leave any either...
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