"Now, girls," Blossom gave instructions the next morning, "everyone is to come home right after school. We are invited to the Taggarts' for dinner."

"What did you say?" Zelda questioned her mother. She hadn't been attending her words.

"You should have been listening," was all Blossom would say. "Now, whether of not Malon and I are here, I want your chores done and no bickering,"

The girls all agreed respectfully and finished their breakfasts, but as Zelda, who had finally understood, was leaving the table, she mumbled under her breath, "At least Link won't be there."

"Why do you say that, dear?" her mother, whose hearing was keen, wished to know.

"He told me he was leaving town."

"He is. So is Mr. Taggart, but not until Tuesday. That's why we were asked over tonight." Blossom turned away then, missing her daughter's face. To look at her, one would have thought she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Indeed, something told Zelda it was going to be a very long day.

(&)

"A telegram?" Malon questioned the kind man. "For me?"

"Well, if our name is Malon Fontaine, then it's yours."

"Thank you," she said faintly and then turned to find her parents' and uncle's eyes on her.

"I received a telegram," she explained unnecessarily and then stood there.

"Are you going to read it?" her mother asked gently.

"Oh!" Malon started. "Yes." She unfolded the thin piece of paper and read the few short lines.

MALON STOP

AM LEAVING HYRULE BY STAGE STOP

SHOULD BE WITH YOU FRIDAY STOP

RALPH LANGLEY

"He's coming," she now whispered, her eyes flying to meet her mother's. "I never actually asked him; I just sort of hinted, but he's coming. Next Friday he'll be here. Oh, Mother, he's actually coming to Kakariko Village!"

Something clenched around Bipin's heart as he watched he wife move forward and hug his oldest daughter, his precious Moe. She's really going to leave. His heart faced the fact for the first time. She's really going to be married and go away. For an instant the pain of it threatened to rob him of breath, but he was swift to recover. Suddenly he know it was good and right and also realized that he'd come to this conclusion none too soon. Malon was now turning to him, the need for approval lingering in her eyes.

"You still feel it's all right, don't you, Father?"

Bipin held out his arms, and Malon welcomed his embrace, hugging him in return. He then held her at arm's length.

"It will take a very special man to be good enough for you my Moe, but I am looking forward to meeting our Ralph."

Malon, who couldn't have asked for more, beamed at him. Her heart felt like it was going to float from her chest. Your Ralph had been her father's words. Malon felt his acceptance in those words, and her heart knew a soothing rest.

(&)

Zelda held her body poker straight as she walked into the Taggart home that night, but there was no need. It had seemed to her she would be walking into enemy camp, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. and Mrs. Taggart were kind to a fault, and neither Link nor Aryll gave her any undue attention.

With the seven Fontaines joining them, the families were forced to sit at two different tables. The adults, along with Link and Malon, were at a makeshift table set up in the middle of the living room; Uli had decorated it with a white cloth and flowers. Aryll and rest of the Fontaine girls were around the kitchen table. There were no flowers, but the pale blue tablecloth was clean the pressed. The food was wonderful, and it wasn't long before Zelda felt herself relaxing. Indeed, Romani was telling a riotous story about something that had happened in the store, and she had her eating companions in stitches. Zelda nearly forgot all her previous fears.

"This certainly sounds like a lot of fun," Rusl Taggart commented when he came through at one point.

"Oh, Dad!" Aryll gasped. "You should hear this story."

Romani repeated it for her host's benefit, and during the telling of it, Link appeared. He laughed as hard as his father, but for Zelda the tenseness had returned. She watched Link's eyes rest on her for a moment and dropped her own. With his warm, blue eyes and sun-blond hair, all set off by a dark tan shirt and brown pants, she had to admit that he was handsome, but she still disliked him.

"I think we'll wait on dessert," Uli said as she came to the kitchen. "Aryll, will you please help me with the dishes?"

"I'll help to," Ruto offered.

"All right," Uli accepted with a smile. "Link, why don't you take Romani to the barn and show her the kittens."

"You should go too, Zelda," Blossom said as she came from the living room with her hands full of dishes. "Zelda is our animal lover," she added to her hostess.

"Come on, Romani," Link invited the younger girl. "Let's head to the barn."

"Aren't we going to take Zelda?"

Link's eyes showed his amusement as they swung to the older girl. "I'm sure she won't be interested."

Zelda's chin lifted to the challenge. "As a matter of fact, I would love to see the kittens."

A smile split Link's face. He never dreamed she would accompany them, but he didn't comment. A moment later he stepped aside so the Romani could lead the way. She threw a smile he way as she passed, but Zelda, who also walked in front of him, refused to look in his direction.

"Link's a terrible tease," Uli told her softly. "Zelda takes herself much too seriously."

(&)

"I love the smell of barns," Romani told Link enthusiastically. The Blue eyes that were so like her mother's smiled up at him.

"So do I," he agreed. "I think it must be the hay and horses."

The sky was growing dark, so the spacious barn was dim with the fading light. Link moved to a post below the hayloft and took down the lantern. The light flared in the shadowy barn as he sound of kittens crying could be heard from several feet away and would have led them with ease.

"Hey," Link spoke as he knelt in the straw, "where's Midna?"

"Oh," Romani breathed, and Zelda who had remained very quiet, bit her lip, her eyes alight with pleasure.

"Aren't they adorable, Zelda?"
"Oh, they are," the older girl agreed. Link thought he'd never heard her voice so sweet.

"Look, Zelda! A gray stripe. Your favorite." Romani gently lifted the kitten and placed it in her hands. Zelda let out a breathless laugh, unaware of the way Link's eyes studied her.

"She's so soft."
"This one too," Romani exclaimed as she cuddled a tiny red kitten close to her cheek.

The two remaining kittens found Link's lap, and he lazily stroked their tiny heads while watching the wonder of his guests. He'd never know so much physical beauty in one family. Bipin was a handsome man, and Blossom was down right beautiful. The girls where all lovely as well, but he wasn't completely convinced that all was as it should be. Things seemed to be in place with Mrs. Fontaine, Malon, Ruto, and even Romani, but the others were a mystery to him. His thoughts wee interrupted when a large calico cat sauntered into the stall and meowed loudly to her children.

"Here's Midna," Link commented.

The girls' kittens were no longer content in their arms, and the two from Link's lap were swiftly making their way toward supper. A minute later all four were eagerly lined up along their mother's side, and purrs of contentment rumbled throughout the stall. The three watched for a few minutes, and then Romani jumped up to explore the rest of the barn. Zelda rose al well, and Link followed slowly.

"How many horses, Tag?" Romani asked.

"Just three."
Romani skipped on ahead, and Link caught up with Zelda. She veered off to look in one of the stalls, and Link, acting instinctively, took her arm.

"Watch that pitchfork, Zelda. I must have forgotten to put it away."
Zelda jerked her arm from his touch and stepped away. Link was bending to put the fork against the wall when Zelda spoke in the voice he was accustomed to hearing.

"I'm surprised you didn't look forward to seeing my foot stabbed."

Link's head whipped around, but his face was in the shadows so Zelda couldn't see he shocked expression. He felt as though someone had thrown cold water over him; indeed, he nearly gasped. It was startlingly clear to him at that moment that his teasing had gone too far. He never dreamed she was taking him seriously. At least, his voice came softly, soberly, from the shadows.

"Contrary to what you obviously believe, Zelda, I'm not a monster." With that, Link turned to join Romani. Thin talked about the horses and then visited the kittens again before Link hung the lantern back in place and blew it out. He did so without thought until he heard a small gasp and voice of panic.

"Romani? Where are you Romani?"
"I'm right here. The door's this way."
"What's the matter?" Link asked but was ignored.

"I can't see!" Zelda finally cried, and Link, hearing that she was on the verge of panic, moved back to the lantern. It flared into life a moment later, and Link found Zelda gripping Romani's small arm frantically.

"It's okay now, Zelda. The light's on." Romani's soft voice floated through the barn, but it took a moment for Zelda to relax her hold. When the older girl found Link's eyes on her, her chin went into the air. Her look dared him to laugh, but she need not have worried. Link was not cold or aloof to Zelda, nor did he dare show any pity, but where she was concerned, all teasing was gone.