The next day, a far better day weather-wise, Link and Zelda waited around near the doors to the garden for their basket lunch. Tragically for her, Addie was the one to bring it to them. Zelda took the basket with a murmur of thanks, and Link gasped as the girl was turning. "Her!" he cried.
Addie stopped cold and turned slowly around. Zelda raised her eyebrows, looking the girl over. "Alright then. Come with us."
Addie, terrified, followed them outside to their usual spot in the gardens, silently serving out their lunch.
"I understand that you might have seen something compromising the other night," Zelda spoke softly, spreading some soft cheese over a croissant.
Addie looked at Link, then back to the princess. "Yes, Your Highness. I… might have seen… something."
"I don't think you did," Zelda replied. "I think you just had a little too much that night, and maybe had a silly dream about winning that bet." She took a drink of tea that Addie poured for her. "Does that sound right to you?" She looked up at Addie.
Addie took in a deep breath and nodded once, slowly. "Yes, Your Highness."
Zelda turned back to her lunch, waving one hand. "Dismissed."
Addie, in a state of cold fear, turned and headed back inside. Link stared at Zelda. "You're… quite ruthless. I think she was about to cry."
Zelda set down her teacup in its saucer. "Link, if we have any hope to continue keeping this a secret, we have to head off little problems like these. That requires dealing with it harshly, especially as the princess and their future queen. Understand?"
"Yeah, I get it." Link bit into a slice of bread smeared with butter, thinking. "There's a bet?"
-
Late night, most of the chores done for the day, and the staff sat around in the kitchens, enjoying the last of the opened barrel's contents and talking amongst themselves. Delia was laughing with others about how it wasn't long until the princess and her guard were found in a compromising position.
"I mean just two days ago, Addie-" here she pointed to the new girl, sitting across from her and clinging to her mug, "she saw Master Tolrose leaving the princess' rooms the night of the ball."
"Oh did you?" asked another girl with a gasp.
Addie looked at Delia and then down at her drink. "No, no, I made it up to impress you." She took a long drink. Delia was stunned, and the girls rolled their eyes, getting up and walking to the men's table to join in their card games. Delia leaned over, her eyes flashing mutinously.
"You told me you saw them!"
"I also told you that was in confidence!" Addie slapped her mug down hard on the table. "Honestly, Delia, did you not hear me say that or something?" She shook her head and stood up, walking away and heading to her shared room. She didn't want to look at her anymore. Addie set her chin as she walked. She might be ruining her chances at the pot, for certainly Delia would tell Mellie that she'd lied, and Addie would be figured for a liar from then on, not to be trusted if she claimed she caught the pair, but now she was angry, and vowed silently to help Zelda and Link sneak off whenever she could somewhere private, even if they didn't ask, and spoil anyone else's chances of getting that money.
-
The next morning, as Zelda was getting ready to face the day, Addie delivered a note to her rooms. "His Majesty wishes to let you know that you shall both be heading out today, to Archduke Golliet's estate."
Zelda remembered the name, but had trouble placing why. "He has… a son. Of course." She nodded. "Marcus Golliet. It seems Father's getting a bit impatient." She applied her own lash stain, Addie still standing there. "Go see that Master Tolrose is dressed to head out with us."
"Yes, Your Highness." Addie bowed and rushed away to get Link ready.
She got him there quickly, a cream, loose blouse, dark red vest under a matching jacket, and khaki breeches with dark brown boots. Quickly, they rushed into the carriage, and Link nearly sat on Zelda. "Ah! Am I late?" he asked, embarrassed as he sat next to her. The seat across from theirs was the king's, and only he could sit in it, no matter what.
"No, no, I barely just got in here myself." Zelda smoothed her dress, a lighter pink one this time, over a pale yellow skirt with elbow sleeves that ended in a short box pleated ruffle. "Father shouldn't be much longer."
Addie gently shut the door to the carriage, skittering off with a smile to herself. She would happily play matchmaker any way she could.
They sat there, alone in the carriage, very uncomfortable. "So um, I confess I've no idea where we're going," Link muttered.
Zelda raised her eyebrows. "She didn't tell you?"
"No."
"We're going to see Archduke Golliet."
"Who's he?"
"He owns a duchy in the western estates. I like him. He's a rather amicable man. He keeps a good connection with the Gorons for us."
"Ah." Link shuffled his feet, looking out the carriage at the castle. What was taking His Majesty so long? "Why are we seeing him today?"
"He has a son," Zelda said simply.
"Like, a recent son, or…?"
"No, our age."
Despite what he was just telling her the other day, now he was feeling conflicted. He sort of wanted her to stay alone forever, with him by her side, as appropriate as it could be for them.
They waited for ten or so minutes, sitting uncomfortably in the cramped little carriage.
"Is he a good man?"
"Who, the Archduke?"
"His son."
Zelda nodded. "He's… he's good. Very kind, very honest."
"Well then, I might like him too." Link nudged Zelda with his elbow and grinned. "Come on, don't look so gloomy 'bout it, eh? You gotta find a king."
"Will you stay, when I get married?" Zelda relaxed as they talked about it, feeling good.
"If I can. I'd like to stick around as a soldier. I like it." He leaned back, stretching his legs.
"Do you? I thought they ribbed you, all the time?"
"Well yeah but they rib everyone all the time. It's how it is down there."
They wanted to talk more, but the door opened and the king walked in, Link immediately forcing himself to stand and doing so, awkwardly. The king looked at Link in surprise; he had not, actually, been intending to bring him along. "Master Tolrose?" He eyed him in suspicion, glancing at Zelda.
"Hello, Your Majesty," he greeted, his eyes low. The king sat down, and Link slowly lowered himself.
"I was unaware you were to join us, Master Tolrose."
Link and Zelda looked at each other in alarm. "I apologize, Your Majesty, I thought I was gonna be… if not, I'm sorry, I'll uh, I'll—
"No, no, stay," the king replied, waving one hand.
It took an hour, and the whole time they traveled in awkward silence. The king studied Link. He'd seen him at dinners, but just seen. Now he was really looking, his eyes narrowed. But try as he might, he could not detect this mastermind killer, the deadly swordsman lurking inside of the awkward boy.
This made Link very uncomfortable. He sat as pressed into the corner and far from Zelda as was possible, staring out the window at their surroundings.
-
The Archduke's home looked very new. In fact, while he was one of the people Ganondorf had arrested for treason and put in his dungeon in one time, in the current one he'd been able to buy the last open splotch of land before the Goron's territory, and build a gorgeous house on it, soft pink walls and a red tiled roof to match the Death Mountain's colors. Once again, he was amazed by the massive home. The Archduke, an older man with graying hair dressed in dark green, his son, and his daughter were waiting outside for them. The guards helped Zelda out first, then the king, and then Link clambered out awkwardly.
They greeted each other, the Archduke introducing his son, Corbin, and his dau—
"My wife, Penelope."
The Archduchess was easily half the Archduke's age. She smiled kindly at all of them, her arm around her husband's possessively. Her hair was piled up high and blond, but her clothes were very tasteful, all in soft green. Link kissed her hand politely, and turned his attention to the son, Corbin. Corbin was dressed in red in sharp contrast to his parents. He had dark hair, like his father once might've. He smiled all around at them, shaking Link's hand after kissing the king's ring and Zelda's hand.
The Archduke turned to lead them on a tour of the home. Everything was all tile and stucco, flat stone floor (which surprised Link), and massive couches and chairs of leather. There was wooden furniture too, pale pine and stained red maple. Looking around it all made Link tempted to go for the retirement instead of being a soldier, so that he could build a beautiful home like this.
They convened in the main den for lunch, a little more elaborate than the ones Link had been having with Zelda. Salad starters, soup, and then seared steak sliced thin and layered over loose pasta, topped with diced tomatoes. The king chatted amicably with the Archduke and Archduchess, Corbin sitting across from Zelda and diagonally from Link.
"I hope," Corbin started, his voice low, "that perhaps I can entertain you two with a tour of our gardens out back. It borrows some of the natural flora of the area."
"That sounds lovely," Zelda returned. "Where did you live before here?"
"We had a little place in the north, actually, on the west coast. Really cold, but the ocean made it worth it; breathtaking views. I actually really miss it. It's too dry around here." He laughed a bit, and Zelda nodded.
She stirred her drink as she asked, "I actually have not been to the oceans in some time. I cannot possibly imagine how you must miss it having lived there for so long. Did you move because of your father's remarriage?"
Corbin frowned in confusion. "Excuse me?"
Zelda gestured with her chin to the Archduchess. "Your… stepmother, right?"
Corbin laughed nervously. "She's my mother!"
Link narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "Her?"
Corbin laughed again. "Yes, yes, I swear to you, she's my own mother!"
Zelda shook her head. "I'm impressed with her youthfulness, I shall have to ask her for her secrets."
Corbin smiled at the princess. "I doubt you'd need them."
Link narrowed his eyes again. So—it was that kind of visit. Big surprise.
-
After lunch, they did go out to the gardens. At first, the Archduke had been reluctant, looking at Zelda and Corbin, but the king waved them on. "Master Tolrose will be going with them, I am not worried."
Link was offended, and wondered if it would make a difference if he had not come. The king, he figured, put more faith in the honesty and virtue of someone with a lofty title than someone his daughter believed in. He had no idea that the king had been searching for the records of giving Link's imaginary father a viscounty, and his inability to find it was expanding his suspicion of the deadly young man.
But all three of them toured the gardens anyway, Zelda walking alongside Corbin, and Link not far behind. Corbin, to his credit, was trying to include Link, stepping back now and again to tell him about the imported hundred-year old yucca, or the cacti that only bloomed once every five years. All three wandered around aimlessly.
"So, Master Tolrose," Corbin started. He was a little off-put by Link's silence and protective demeanor of the princess, but he was trying. "Where does your family hail from?"
"My… father owns a viscounty," Link mumbled. He hadn't repeated the story much in the past few days, and had almost put it out of his mind. "Near the.. north coast."
"Oh!" Corbin brightened. Something they could talk about together! "We actually moved down from the north coast. Whereabouts are you from up there?"
"A… uh, very far north, pretty cold up there, but on the coast." He looked at Zelda, but she couldn't remember the story too well either.
"Did you know um…" Corbin tapped his chin. "Did you know Marquess Dillone?"
"Uhh, no, we just got the viscounty a year ago."
"Ah, alright. What made you come back down this way?"
Link looked at Zelda, a little longer this time. "Money. Find a job, something to occupy my time."
Corbin nodded. "Understandable enough, ey?" He grinned and slapped Link on the back, and for a second Link could see himself wheeling, grabbing Corbin by the arm and throwing him into the ground, all nerves. "Tell me, do you like to play cards?"
-
They'd gone back inside, where Corbin got a pack of playing cards and a round of wine for all, the king and his parents still meandering the castle and discussing… whatever they'd came here to discuss. Probably ensuring the Gorons were happy or that their son would happily marry Zelda.
"You play Haymaker?" Corbin asked as he shuffled the cards. Link couldn't help but grin a bit; it was the game he had played so well at the ball.
"I have a passing familiarity," he said with a shrug. Zelda looked back and forth between the two men and rolled her eyes. Well, at least they weren't dueling or something truly deadly.
Link checked his cards, sighing through his nose. He had a good hand. Corbin gestured to Zelda. "Ladies first."
Zelda smiled sweetly and laid down a Duke of Round. Corbin gestured to Link. He laid down his worst card, the Duchess of Round. The whole time, his eyes were on Corbin, looking for his tell. Corbin shifted his weight, going from leaned back to forward. He thought it an easy victory. With a sigh, he laid down a good card, the Emperor of Cross. Corbin picked up all the cards and began to reshuffle. Now he started, laying down the Emperor again, alongside the Duchess of Cross. In response, Zelda laid down a Queen of Cross. Link retorted with a double whammy; the Duke and Duchess of Coin. He grinned and picked up the cards.
The concept of Haymaker was to collect as many of the other player's cards as possible, using them to build upon combinations of more successful defeating 'pairs' or 'triplets', building levels of stronger cards. Round was the lowest, then Cross, then Coin, then Star. A successful triplet would be a Duke, King, and Emperor of Round, but all three could be wiped out by one Emperor of Coin. Pairs were only admissible if they were 'mated' cards, and a Duke and Duchess of Coin could take out an Emperor of Star, as they were doubled. But if it was mismatched, like Corbin's Emperor and Duchess, the cards went to the one with the higher suit. The rarest hand to deal, though, was a full strike. Six cards it took; the Emperor and Empress, King and Queen, and Duke and Duchess. Preferably of Star.
Link had gotten so good at Haymaker that his personal record against one other person was six rounds. He'd gotten both the Empress and the Emperor of Star, and the poor drunk bastard that challenged him had no hope for a win, but kept laying down bigger and bigger combinations of cards that Link swept up easily.
They played in near silence for an hour, slapping down cards after cards. Link had been so focused on trying to find Corbin's tells that he didn't notice until he was down to two cards, his sad little Duke and Duchess of Coin. He looked across at Corbin, realizing he only had one card; surely victory was his!
Link laid down his pair, Corbin laid down his one; King of Cross. Zelda, in silence, laid down a pair; Emperor and Empress of Star, then a second pair, King and Queen of Star, then a third…
She grinned triumphantly as she swept the cards in, neatly piling them up into a stack until they were orderly. She took the last drink of her wine and nodded at both of them. "Let us make sure our parents are not getting into too much mischief, yes?" Link and Corbin looked at each other, realizing with shame how competitive they had been acting over a silly card game. "Boys," she sighed.
-
The king, the Archduke, and the Archduchess had actually done little but discuss general affairs; the borders were safe, and the Archduke had it from Darunia himself that Death Mountain was a calmed beast, the Dodongos that had been plaguing them had actually been beaten back several years ago. "By a young man named Link, I think they said, very young, only ten or so."
The king laughed. "These children are only getting more deadly! A good sign for our military. I shall have to find this fellow and shake his hand!"
Zelda, Link, and Corbin entered just after this point. The Archduke nodded and greeted them in. "We were just telling His Majesty about the young boy who allegedly defeated the Dodongo overpopulation some years back."
Zelda and Link glanced at each other, and Corbin laughed. "That's a good story! One of my favorites."
The king looked towards his daughter. "How were the gardens?"
"They were quite beautiful," Zelda immediately spoke up, folding her hands together. "I was quite impressed, I did not think that there could be such beautiful things near the mountain."
"I hope that soon we will have more beautiful things here," Corbin hinted.
Zelda turned to him and smiled, but it was her baring-the-teeth smile. He wasn't a bad person, just a little overeager to win the princess with flattery. It annoyed her.
Archduke Golliet invited everyone outside, while dinner was prepared, to a patio at the side of the manor. The garden continued even here, but there was a wide patio with a table and comfortable chairs. They settled themselves around the table, and were brought drinks to tide them over before dinner. Link was silent, looking around at everyone. Even with a few months of living at the court, he was on uneven ground. Zelda looked over at him, winking once. He smiled to himself, sitting back and drinking the offered wine. He was feeling good.
-
After dinner, the king was feeling pretty good. He had the most to drink, and watched down the table, past Link elaborating some story to the spellbound Archduchess, and Corbin talking amicably with Zelda.
"You think they're a good pair?" the Archduke asked him in a low tone.
"I think they have great potential, yes," the king replied. "But of course, that's truly up to her. I want her to be happy as well."
The Archduke sipped his wine. "Penelope and I, we were arranged by her parents."
The king looked at the Archduchess, leaning into Link's story.
"She disliked me at first, claimed I was too old, not good enough. But she learned, overtime, that I was good for her."
The king looked, one final time, at the Archduchess and then Corbin. Blond, dark hair, and the Archduke's light blond hair streaked with grey.
"I bet she did," he finally spoke with a smile, sipping his wine.
The Archduchess nodded, agape like a girl as Link was finishing his story. "So I took my sword, and crouched down low right, and snap! I brought it right into the evil bugger's eye, bringin' her down an' finishin' her off."
"My goodness!" Penelope gasped. "You're so courageous! That reminds me of the story the funny little mountain people told us about a little boy who defeated the lizard king." She paused to take a sip of wine. "I wonder if you know of him at all? I think you two would be very good friends!"
Link smiled uneasily at her, looking away.
Over on Zelda's side of things, it was nearly as awkward.
"I think that you are a wonderful person, Your Highness," Corbin was saying. "You're beautiful, you're intelligent… I would be honored to be your king someday, you know?"
Zelda tilted her head. "Well thank you, Corbin. I am flattered you feel that way. But of course there are many such eligible bachelors all over Hyrule. However, I'll keep you in mind."
"Oh, oh, of… course," Corbin replied, nodding. Zelda took a long drink of her wine, averting her eyes.
-
Finally, as the sun was slowly setting and stars began dotting the purple sky, they took leave of their kind hosts. Corbin helped Zelda into the carriage, Link trying not to roll his eyes. Then the king, and finally Link, scrambling in next to Zelda. All waited at least ten minutes until finally, the king, shaking his head, spoke up. "Can't believe that's his first wife."
Zelda flung her hands up in the air. "Yes! I'm surprised! I honestly thought—
"Oh, I know, I though it…" added Link, laughing.
The king laughed, shaking his head. It was the first time Link got to see the king relaxed and calm.
The laughter subsided quickly in the carriage though, and Zelda picked at a loose bead on her dress. "Father…" she started.
The king looked up.
"I didn't really like Corbin." Her face was pained, as if she knew his reaction.
He sighed heavily and rubbed his face with his hands. "Zelda, honestly. He's the fifth one…"
"I know, I know, I know," she cried. "But… he's nice but he's trying too hard."
"Well of course he's trying too hard, he's trying to impress you!" the king replied, his voice kicking up in anger.
"I wish he wouldn't, I don't need to be impressed. I'm a fecking princess!"
"Watch your tongue!" he snarled, surprised. Zelda was not the type to use vulgar language.
Link wriggled, uncomfortable in this very private argument.
-
The rest of the carriage ride was dead silent. Zelda stepped out first, helped along by the guards. In the few seconds before he was escorted out, the king looked at Link. "Too bad she can't marry you, you're the only man she's actually liked so far."
Link raised his eyebrows in surprise as the king made his way out of the carriage.
"W… why can't she marry me, if she wants to?" he stuttered as he climbed out of the carriage, trying to catch up to his majesty. Zelda was a little ways ahead of them, at the doorway to the castle. "We've been through a great deal together, and I know her, a lot, like—
Had he said too much? The king looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Uhh…" Link stumbled, backpedaling rapidly. "That she and I, in the… in the few months I've been here, that…" Finally; it was the lamest thing he could think of. "She taught me how to dance, Your Majesty. Maybe not personally, you know, but… I learned for her. And, she trusts me, implicitly, she… we share something, I think."
Both of them had stopped walking halfway to the door. Zelda was staring at them, her palms growing hot in her gloves. Why had they stopped? What was Link saying? Why did her father look so surprised?
"Have you met my daughter before?" the king asked in a low voice.
Link swallowed. "No, Your Majesty." Another lie. "But, if I may ask you again, why couldn't the princess marry me? If, if she so wanted."
"Because you're just a poor soldier, really. Your father's selling the viscounty, which strips you of that title, and only distantly related to a Marchioness or… whatever." The king looked at him with what Link would have liked to believe was sympathy. "I no longer wish to discuss this with you, as it is none of your business, and if you say anything more about it, I'll start to suspect you harbor feelings for my daughter."
They trudged onward, Link folding his arms. Zelda looked back and forth between the two men when they got to her, but neither looked eager to tell her their conversation.
The king went to bed early, as was his habit. Link was heading to bed early, but Zelda sent a note urging him to meet her at the patio before the gardens, and Link sighed, heading out there.
Zelda rushed over when he came out, her face all stricken with worry. "What were you two saying to each other?" she spoke before he could even greet her.
Link shifted uncomfortably. "Um. He… he regrets that…" He studied his hands. "That I couldn't marry you."
Zelda was stunned, staring at him. "He said that."
"Yeah."
"Did he say why you couldn't?"
Link stepped back. "Girly, I…" He sighed. "Cus since…" he gestured along with his words, "my father is selling the viscounty, I lose that title. Not a noble, just a soldier. I suspect I'm only stayin' your guard cus it'd be too hard to find a replacement." He tried to chuckle, to make a laugh out of it.
Zelda stepped forward, taking Link's hands. "I can't replace you with anyone." She leaned forward and kissed him, holding him in place. Reluctantly, they broke their hold, Link gently pushing her back.
"So where did you learn to play Haymaker so well?" he asked in a low voice.
"You're not the only one who can take a few lessons," she replied with a smirk.
They kissed again, quickly, and snuck inside separately, Zelda first and Link lingering for a few minutes on the balcony to cool down.