Author's note: I do not own Hylia, Hyrule, Dragmire, Link etc, or any variation thereof. They belong to Nintendo. The story itself is mine. Short chapter, have fun. ~Trixie.
City of Hylia, Mayor's Office
Sarah sat slumped in her chair, twirling it about absently as she tapped her pen irritably on the arm. It was now Wednesday, and she had spent half a week brooding over O'Dragmire's rejection of her proposal. She had spent the last several nights trying to think of ways to make her deal more appealing, but she could not. She had seen it in his eyes; the pride, determination and stubbornness. Those eyes. They had haunted her since their meeting, both alluring and repelling her. She didn't know why it bothered her so. She jangled her bracelets absently as she let out a frustrated sigh.
She swung around and straightened up. It did her little good to obsess over her small loss. Whether she had Mr. O'Dragmire's consent or not, her proposal was still on the agenda of this evening's city council meeting. Despite her failure, her father had insisted she go ahead and present the proposal to the city. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind and turned to finish her notes for the evening meeting. She finished them quickly, and stared at the wall. The eyes continued to burn into her. Sarah thought she might be going crazy. They seemed vaguely familiar, though she had met him just once. He terrified her, though she could almost blame that on his size and gruff demeanor. Sarah jangled the bracelets and started working on a paper for class.
That Evening
Sarah stood cool and calm in front of the crowded city council room. She had been born for this. Her father had been mayor for as long as she could remember. Sarah had grown up attending meetings and ceremonies. She had a clear voice as she took the podium and began explaining the proposition the gathered crowd. She couldn't help but notice the bright shock of red haired listeners scattered throughout the crowd. She was distracted by them, often glancing at them as she answered questions about the proposed changes. As she left the podium to a round of applause the red haired group left silently, seemingly choreographed. Despite their obvious hair, no one seemed to notice them move.
"Thanks once again," Sarah said with a smile as she bid farewell to a council member. Her proposal had been generally well received and she stayed late to discuss details with interested people. It was already late when she finally had a chance to speak with her father.
"You did very well today," the mayor beamed. 'I am proud of you."
"Thanks," Sarah replied with a smile. She stifled a yawn.
"You've been working on this too hard," he commented in a fatherly manner. "Why don't you go home and rest?" Sarah nodded sleepily.
"I'm still concerned about cooperation from Mr. O'Dragmire," she confessed, stifling another yawn.
"From what you told me, you are not likely to get it," Mayor Hyrule reminded her. "You need to be very appealing to get his consent. He is Irish through and through."
"Irish through and through," Sarah repeated, her mind suddenly coming alive with a new approach to her problem.
"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked with caution, recognizing the devious tone of voice in his daughter. "What are you thinking?"
"I thought of something I need to check on," Sarah replied, her mouth curled in a grin.
"I know that look on your face," the mayor sternly remarked. "You get that look every time you think of something sneaky."
"I haven't thought of anything that isn't legal, Daddy," Sarah assured him.
"I've been a politician long enough to know that doesn't mean anything."
Hotel Gerudo
"C'mon Da!" Natalie cried as she widened the gap between them on the trail. It was early Saturday morning, but Natalie had begged her father to run the trails around the hotel with her before she was scheduled to take the front desk over from the night proctor. O'Dragmire had stayed several paces behind her the entire time. They had been running over four miles when the Hotel Gerudo finally came into view. O'Dragmire let out a challenging cry as he picked up speed and overtook his daughter. Natalie however, had youth and practice to her advantage and let out her own scream as she pumped her legs and pulled into the lead as they ended in the side gardens. Natalie had a victorious grin as she breathed heavy, wiping the sweat off her face.
"Why is it," O'Dragmire panted, catching up to his child, "that I cannae get you out of bed if you have the morning off, but you drag me out of bed when I finally have a chance to sleep in?" Natalie smiled as she began to stretch while O'Dragmire sat on a bench and tried to catch his breath.
"I wanted to see if you could keep up with me now that I'm on the track team," Natalie explained, still grinning wildly.
"Natalie," chided O'Dragmire, "I could never keep up with you. You have too much energy and your da is getting old."
"You do pretty good," Natalie assured him. "Am I getting better?" she asked hopefully. She may have been an ornery teenager but she still worshiped her father and sought his approval.
"Your grammar is still horrible," O'Dragmire shot reprovingly. "It should be, 'you do well.'" Natalie rolled her eyes.
"At least your mind works well in your old age," Natalie quipped.
"I'll show you old age," O'Dragmire grinned maliciously before shooting off the bench to subdue Natalie in a headlock. Natalie struggled and kicked, to no avail. She whined that he was hurting despite her peals of laughter. O'Dragmire finally loosened his grip and let Natalie skip away out of his arm's reach.
"Da, you stink," Natalie giggled as she maneuvered to keep out of her father's grasp.
"You do nae smell flower-like yourself," he teased back, faking a lunge to make Natalie stumble. "Go take a shower so you can relieve your auntie," he commanded. Natalie flashed a wide grin on her flushed face and trotted off to the hotel. O'Dragmire settled down on the stone bench to enjoy the morning. Natalie took long showers so O'Dragmire had some free time. He rarely had time to himself, especially in the quiet morning hours. He gazed upon the land he had built with his wife, and raised his daughter on. When he first moved here from Ireland he thought he would never come to love the place, but this was now most certainly home.
"I wish you could see how the place has grown," he whispered into the wind. "The hotel has grown so much you wouldnae recognize it. Natalie is almost a grown woman, but I expect you would always recognize your daughter. She has your attitude and smile. She is very mature for her age, but sometimes she reminds me that she is still just seventeen. We get by, but I miss you a ghrá mo chroí."
Natalie was doodling lazily at the front desk. It was a slow day. Tomorrow they were to shut the hotel down for a full month for much needed renovations and repairs. The only thing Natalie had to do was check out the last of the guests and answer the phones. She checked her watch for the hundredth time before noticing movement from the ornate front doors. The lady from the city walked in. She marched confidently up to the counter.
"I'd like to speak with Mr. O'Dragmire, please," she stated curtly before Natalie had a chance to give a falsely pleasant greeting.
"Da is off this morning," Natalie replied just as icily. "We are going to be closing the hotel down for the next month. Didnae he already tell you no to your proposal?" Sarah gave a frustrated pout.
"There have been some new issues to arise and it is imperative that I discuss them with him," insisted Sarah. "I had no idea you were shutting the hotel down, but it is in his best interest to speak with me, especially if he is going to be even harder to reach the next several weeks." Natalie rolled her eyes but picked up the phone.
"Da?" Natalie whispered into the phone. "Yeah, it's me. That lady from Hylia is here again. I do nae know, she says it's important. I think she's up to something, Da. Okay, I'll tell her.
"He'll be down in few minutes."
"That will be fine, thank you," Sarah replied primly. They stood in awkward silence for a while. Sarah had time to notice how eerily still the resort was.
"Excuse me, miss?" Natalie asked tentatively.
"Hyrule," Sarah prompted.
"Miss Hyrule," Natalie restarted. "Did Link come with you by any chance?"
"Who?" Sarah clarified. "Oh, Fitzdeku. No, my car is back from the shop so I drove myself.
"Oh," replied Natalie, looking clearly disappointed. Another long pause.
"Why are you closing the hotel down?" Sarah finally asked out of curiosity.
"We update the décor every few years to keep things fresh for our regular guests," a gruff voice answered from behind, causing Sarah to jump. Natalie gave her father a queer look, as if he gave an odd answer. She watched him fidget nervously with the long sleeves of his suit jacket and shrugged. "This way," O'Dragmire directed Sarah, leading her back to his office.
Sarah suppressed a smile as O'Dragmire let out a low oath as he picked up Natalie's forgotten school bag and hauled it under his desk. She had a suspicion that the teen had a pile of articles hidden under the large oak desk. She felt uncomfortable as she sat on the couch, aware that the large man was studying her closely with his intense eyes.
"Well, what do you want now?" He asked cautiously, as if he knew her reply could not be good.
"Did you ever have a chance to read over the proposal?" Sarah asked neutrally, losing her nerve under O'Dragmire's stare.
"I didnae read it," he replied levelly, mistrust still evident in his tone. Sarah bit her lip, trying to find the lines she had been practicing for the occasion. She didn't want to appear conniving, but suddenly she forgot her carefully chosen wording. "Miss Hyrule, I have a daughter. You have thought of something sneaky. You might as well speak your piece." Sarah blinked a few time at his bluntness.
"Mr. O'Dragmire," Sarah began plainly, taking a deep breath. "You are an Irishman, correct."
"Aye."
"You are an Irishman even though you have been living here for several decades."
"Aye, one does nae give up his heritage simply because of geographical relocation."
"I understand," Sarah added tensely. "You are obviously proud of your Irish culture."
"Miss Hyrule," he replied, frustrated impatience creeping into his voice, "I would appreciate it if you would get to the point."
"You never filed for citizenship," Sarah blurted out. O'Dragmire's breath caught as he finally realized what she was getting at.
"No," he whispered, staring at his clasped hands.
"Therefore you are not eligible to vote in the up coming election that includes the land acquisition proposal," Sarah whispered back, suddenly feeling less victorious than she had previously. Indeed, a sense of impending dread washed over her.
"I can still file a motion to strike the hotel's land from the boundaries," O'Dragmire insisted, turning his glare to the young intern.
"Not directly," Sarah corrected. "Because you are not a citizen you may only petition to amend the boundaries, but it would require a three-fourths vote to submit the motion to the council."
"This is my land," O'Dragmire seethed darkly. "Why do your laws render me powerless to control my own land? I thought Hylia was the land of balance and justice."
"The laws are in place to ensure balance and justice," Sarah insisted defensively.
"Bullshit," O'Dragmire spat, causing Sarah to inwardly cringe. "I bought this land and built it up from nothing. I will nae be suddenly told what I may and may nae do, and have to bribe Hylia to run as usual."
"Mr. O'Dragmire," Sarah retorted, her temper flaring as well. "I have been trying to work with you to get your input on this. I am not trying to take your control away, but you have to understand you do not have the power to block the proceedings like you once thought. I want to make the proposal acceptable to you, but I need your cooperation to do so. If you want your input on this, that is your choice. This was very well received so it is likely it will be voted through whether you will or no." The two glared intently together for what felt like an eternity. A knock on the door interrupted their staring contest as Natalie popped her head in the door without waiting for a reply.
"The last guest checked out," she informed her father. She sensed the tense air of the room and looked at her father in concern.
"Thank you," he replied, trying to force a carefree smile. "Once they pull out of the parking lot go ahead and reconcile the till. We're fine." He added when she hesitated to leave. Natalie disappeared and the two looked at each other again, though the tension had diffused somewhat. Sarah rubbed her wrist under the bracelets she always wore. They continued to sit in a silent stalemate for another uncomfortable eon.
"You know," O'Dragmire commented dourly, sinking into the back of his chair. "If I wanted a foreigner telling me how to run my own land I would have stayed in Ireland."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"I'm from Northern Ireland," O'Dragmire explained wearily. "We are technically part of the British Commonwealth, although we are in Ireland." Sarah had a puzzled look. "Well, explain your proposal to me," he added, digging through a stack of papers on the floor to find the discarded packet.
"Are you willing to cooperate?" Sarah asked hopefully.
"No," O'Dragmire admitted with a defeated smile on his face. "I simply refuse to go into battle without knowing what my enemy is."
"Hylia is not your enemy," she replied, exhausted from his stubborn defiance.
"Is it nae?" O'Dragmire replied humorously, enjoying Sarah's exasperation. Sarah merely took a deep breath before turning her attention to the typed proposal.
"The first section explains the current boundaries and the proposed changes," Sarah lectured. "If you flip to the back I included a map to show exactly what is included in the proposal,"
It was several hours later when Sarah finally emerged from the small office to the empty and silent lobby. Sarah jangled her bracelets nervously as she crossed the empty lobby and exited the building. Both she and O'Dragmire had the same stubborn expressions, as if they were both prepared to do battle, and unsure of the outcome, but unwilling to show weakness. The parking lot was eerily void of cars and even the sky seemed ominous. A light drizzle began to fall as she threw her car into reverse and headed down the steep trail. O'Dragmire watched from the front window as the white car slowly left his parking lot. He was absolutely frustrated about the turn of events, but determined to get his way. He noticed the light rain and muttered a soft, "Thank God." Rain was scarce but much needed. He stepped outside and let the sudden downpour soak his work clothes. The usual dry conditions made the roads all the more treacherous when wet. He gave half a thought to the welfare of the Hylian woman, but decided her safety was her own business. It always seemed like it was either drought or flood here. O'Dragmire took a few minutes to calm down before returning to the lobby.
"It does nae look good, O'Dragmire," one of the employees referred to the rain outside in a heavy Irish brogue. She passed through the lobby, looking amusedly at her boss standing soaked in the lobby.
"Oh?" he replied absently, pulling off his sopping jacket and flinging it carelessly over a nearby chair.
"We are nae replacing the furniture, you know," she admonished with a slight smile. The usual formality of the hotel was quickly vanishing as the staff sensed the reprieve of visitors. O'Dragmire grumbled and removed the offending blazer and loosened his tie. A few more employees crept hopefully into the lobby, awaiting their boss's official word to sever the last cords of tension hovering over the hotel.
O'Dragmire looked at the sea of red hair waiting on his word. They had been good employees, and worked tirelessly to keep the place running smoothly with an air of splendor, even when funds were low. "The hotel is now closed," he called. An excited whoop rang out over the crowd, the noise attracting more flame haired workers to the lobby. The staff was accustomed to long hours, and a month long break was a rare treat, even if they would be busy doing repairs in the interim.
"Is it time to start tearing down the wallpaper, O'Dragmire?" Shannon, the head housekeeper, called. She had a great eye for design and had long since grown tired of the walls.
"No," O'Dragmire replied warmly. "Let us have a day of rest first. Lord knows we need it. Besides, I'm having our personal chef make a good Irish stew and brown bread for dinner. I thought we could have a céilí tonight before we start repairs." An excited whisper rippled through the crowd. The band of immigrants still held fast to their traditions, despite having to put them aside to cater to the usual guests. It was relieving to be able to forget they were near Hylia and just be Irish for a night.
"O'Dragmire!" Anna called in alarm as she tore down the stairs. The entire crowd hushed at once as O'Dragmire's commanding presence once again made itself apparent. He signaled Anna, who had a propensity of hanging out in the clock tower, to continue. "The bridge to Hylia is out. The rain flooded the river and washed it away."
"All of our later departures came the other way. They should be fine," he assured the suddenly worried crowd. Anna shook her short, shaggy hair.
"There was a little white car that turned left at the main road," she insisted. O'Dragmire knew very well the clock tower had a clear view for many miles, and Anna's eyes were sharp. "She was going fast but she wouldnae have made it in time."
O'Dragmire cursed aloud and his employees would have panicked except O'Dragmire's constitution would not have allowed it. Instead they stood at ready for his orders. O'Dragmire pointed out a few of his strongest workers and calmly commanded, "Come with me." They obeyed silently while the others remained at the watch. O'Dragmire stormed off to the side door to where the hotel's vehicles were kept. Natalie, who was just returning from the vault, encountered them along the way. The look of focused determination on her father's face alerted her to the seriousness of the situation.
"What is going on?" she demanded, nearly jogging to keep up with her father's long strides.
"Anna does nae think that fool from Hylia made it across the bridge before it washed out," he growled, stopping briefly to fumble through the key box for a set of car keys.
"I'll come with," Natalie offered hopefully, careless of possible danger in the way of teenagers.
"Absolutely nae," her father said with an air of finality, cutting off her protest with a swift gesture. Natalie stood pouting in the doorway as he left the sanctum and headed for the hotel's large black four-wheel drive. It may have been larger and more powerful than the hotel really needed, but O'Dragmire was, after all, a man. A man who had a penchant for large vehicles. The roar of the engine reverberated through the lobby as O'Dragmire tore off into the storm and his daughter sulked back to the lobby.
The pouring rain made it hard to see, but O'Dragmire knew the terrain well and was overconfident in the abilities of both himself and his vehicle. It seemed like an eternity before he stopped the car, and gazed awestruck at the sight of the flooded river tearing angrily through the landscape. It took Anna a brief moment before she spotted her quarry and tugged on her boss's sleeve, pointing out a white car overturned by the side rail, precariously close to the rapids. O'Dragmire gave Anna a disbelieving look which she returned with a mischievous smile. He hadn't asked her to come and didn't realize she had tagged along, yet here she was. He smiled back briefly, mystified at how the women in his life could simultaneously obey him, ignore him, be incredibly useful and get in the way.
O'Dragmire returned his focus to the crisis at hand. He trotted over to the white car, thankful the rain was letting up. He crouched by the driver's door and looked in. Sarah was still strapped in, but blood was covering the interior and she wasn't responding to his calls. They tried unsuccessfully to pry the door open, but eventually had to cut through Sarah's car straps and haul her out through the broken window. "Please do nae have a broken back," O'Dragmire prayed aloud as he twisted her awkwardly to avoid the jagged edges of the window. His companions managed to wrap Sarah in a blanket, still unable to guess the severity of her wounds, and get her hauled into the black vehicle. O'Dragmire was just turning the vehicle around when the river surged, dragging the white car with it as it dived over the cliff face. He watched in the rearview mirror as the river swelled to a greater width than he had ever seen. Wider than he thought the recent storm warranted. He almost thought he saw a vehicle on the other side of the ruined roadway, but a second glance reveled nothing.
O'Dragmire had a sudden impression that something was wrong. He turned around to check on the sleeping Hylian, but he was assured that she would most defiantly live. She looked like Mary did right after being kicked by a horse a few years back, just with more scrapes from the broken glass, and it really wasn't so much blood after all. It still felt wrong. He wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline of the near crisis, his timely arrival at the wrecked vehicle, the severity of the storm, the power of the river, the persistent girl now in his custody, or the vehicle he may or may not have seen. He anxiously tugged at the sleeves of his now ruined dress shirt while trying to shove out the feeling of something being off. O'Dragmire cautiously threw the four-wheel drive into gear and headed back home.