Hi everybody! For once my update wasn't so late! Woot! And these are review replies for people who have reviewed to me because sometimes I forget to reply and sometimes I do and it's not fair that I hadn't so here it is!

And these people deserve some appreciation.

Louiii: I'm glad you liked the conversation. It was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend of mine, only it involved less crazy people. I like Pell. There won't be much building on the relationship on this chapter, but there'll definitely be some developing in the next chapter. Thanks for your support!

Suethe: I'm glad you really liked it. I had to mix in some Hyrule element into the conversation, which really worked. I found my glasses! They were in the common room. TT Reviewing is good. Please do so. XD. Thanks!

Grogert331: Thank you for your sympathy! I found them!

Herooftimes: Yeah, the whole Princess thing is definitely not a happy ending. It might be in the end, but just not now. It has to get worse. Poor Lynda XP. Yeah... I never really thought about Lynda's shadow's gender. I'm guessing it's female. I bet Navi and Lynda stressed out real bad that Ganondorf knew about her gender... ahaha. Hm, this could very well be a good idea for a sequal... mind if I use it?

Thank you, carry on.

The Past haunts

"Presenting their Royal Majesties, Princess Zelda and Princess Lynda!"

Lynda squirmed one last time in her dress before the door opened up on them both. Sheik watched them from his corner, keeping to the shadows.

Zelda wore a pink gown sprinkled with sand-like amber and rhinestones, an intricate pattern of small butterflies and five-petal flowers fanning down from the bodice. A large circlet hugged her head, diamonds and pink rubies encircled in gold gracing her forehead.

Lynda's modest dress was a mixture of lemon and lime, leaves and vines in rich green snaking up from the hem of her dress to crawl up to her bodice, speckled with the occasional amber and emerald. Her circlet was a simple chain of gold with silver hued pearls, tapping her forehead like iced raindrops.

She was beautiful, Sheik realised. But somehow, he couldn't care.

Finally they reached the throne. They bowed to their King, their father, before sitting in their thrones, Zelda sitting in her Mother's, Lynda sitting on what used to be Zelda's seat. She pretended to get comfortable, when she was just shuffling nervously.

"Lords and Ladies of Hyrule," the King roared, "I welcome you to celebrate my younger daughter's return, my elder daughter's achievements towards peace, and together their birthdays this day. Now, before we begin, I would like to invite our guests of the West to join our celebrations."

Guests of the West? Lynda wondered, did they mean Calatians, or…?

The giant doors opened again, and olive skinned men in copper breastplates and helms and leather armour marched in, jewelled pikes held high, stamping on Lynda's disappointment with their bare feet.

But then they parted to allow in other people, again olive skinned, wearing shoes with curled toes, loose trousers the hue of sunsets, shirts that hugged their lithe forms, simply drowning in specks of jewels and pretty stones, and from gold helmets fashioned after leevers—in effect making them look like crowns—spilled hair that reminded Lynda of everything between fire, flowers, and crimson sunsets. She recognised them. Knew them.

She squealed.

Completely oblivious to the scandalised looks of horror, the younger Princess bounded from her throne to run to the guests, laughing. Half way there, she tripped on her cursed dress. The guards of the Western Queen rushed forward and grabbed her. Lynda breathlessly looked at the face of her capturers, and squealed again. "Neesha! Sarai!"

The white crowd looked upon the scene with gaping mouths as the other guards rushed the younger Princess, whooping, laughing, hugging and calling each other by name. The Queen herself stood absolutely still, her arms crossed over her generous chest and leaning more on her left leg. Sheik snorted in amusement.

"How ya been kid?"

"Can't believe you remember all our names, kid!"

"Of course I remember! What dfo you think I am: an ungrateful lout?" Lynda huffed before finally noticing that the Queen herself had not joined the reunion. The Princess cocked a devious eyebrow. "And uh… who're you again?"

"Oh thank Din, so I wasn't the only one who didn't recall a Hylian in our midst."

Lynda stepped up and was about to kneel, but remembering her dress she just made a low bow. "I'm sorry I didn't visit you these years like I promised, Nabooru. I…"

"Had some problems. Yeah, Saria said something about them." She rolled her eyes and gestured as if to wave it off, "You have my Royal forgiveness."

Lynda grinned shamelessly. "And you have my Royal Thanks."

Nabooru threw her head back and laughed. By then her guards and her ladies were back in position, and she finally addressed the King. "You have a delightful daughter, King Jerold. I believe this is the best welcome we Gerudo have gotten from your Court since our alliance. We thank you."

Nabooru outstretched her hands and bowed, and King Jerold gave a disgruntled huff.

Sheik was surprised when Zelda asked for him. He had expected the call earlier, if not a little later.

Hoping he hadn't done anything to blow his cover, Sheik stepped into Zelda's personal study. It was a simple room with only a small adjoining library, which held books mostly on history. Zelda sat at the ornate table, where several ink pots, papers, and quills were neatly assembled. He closed the door without her asking him to.

"Good morning Sheik," she greeted, and Sheik gave a curt bow of the head. He was masked again, and wearing a purple tunic.

"Yes, Princess?"

"I was hoping you could tell me why Mage Farrand fell ill soon after the procession from casting too much magic, despite him not performing any spells at that time."

Ah. So she had noticed that.

"I also would like to know why some of the Lords that frequently visit have hazy memories about certain times of the day, say, just as soon as they enter their room for the night, or just before or after they have a conference with my father."

Damn.

"And perhaps, you could assist me in figuring out why other Lords are reluctant to go against the Sheikah, despite their great influence and dislike toward your people?"

Damn, damn, damn.

Sheik shrugged. "Haven't a clue, your Highness."

Zelda glared dangerously. "I would also like to enquire upon the amount of magic released at Lynda's assassination attempt. The power cast was greater than the best Mage in the entire castle by a mile. And I also do not appreciate my father being manipulated magically, no matter how good the cause."

Sheik looked levelly at her, and he said quietly, almost innocently mocking, "My, that's problematic. Have you gotten a confession from the Magician?"

Zelda's tone grew sharp and icy. "I have allowed you to do what you pleased, Sheik, because ultimately that was what I wanted also. It saved me time and energy, it let me study what I needed to learn in order to rule this country fairly, and it benefited us both. But the servants are starting to notice that you are stepping out of your shadows, Sheik. My father is being doubted for his choices towards you; Kings do not usually elevate ranks of courtesans."

Sheik twitched visibly and glared. "You just had to remind me, didn't you."

"I am only warning you of the danger you have put yourself in."

"I can easily get out of it, thank you."

"Not when even the sages are suspicious of you, Sheik."

"Alright, first," he growled, massaging his forehead irritably, "Do me a favour and stop repeating that accursed name. Second, your subtlety astounds me. If you really believe that I'm a threat to you and your precious little underlings, you're going to need proof. But what do you have? Hm… let me see… nothing."

Zelda didn't miss his smug undertone.

"And what's more, Princess, perhaps it's time for me to leave my shadows, as you so poetically put it. Because, you know what? You can't stop me."

Zelda gave him a steely gaze before nodding his dismissal. "You will be stopped, Sheik, if the need arises."

"So long then, Princess," he spat, before closing the door behind him.

Sheik walked to his room, promptly slammed the door, cast quite a crude shielding charm before savagely giving the wall a right hook.

It made his knuckles crack and throb and bleed.

He didn't need this. He didn't need Zelda on top of him with all of the sages in tow. Not when he was so damn close to his goal. Not when he was having so much trouble controlling his damned emotions.

Sheik began to knock his head into the wall repeatedly.

Stupid, the word rang in his head with every knock. Stupid, for being so open, stupid, for letting his heart thaw, stupid, to let that smile tug at him, stupid, for wanting more, stupid, letting himself think that for one, tiny, stupid moment she had actually wanted his stupid company and only his. No only that, he'd been totally stupidly stupid and bragged about his power. To the stupid Seventh Sage, no less. He might as well have just stupidly confessed he had some serious tricks up his stupid sleeve.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Goddesses, he would give anything to be back in that mindless state, where he didn't simply care about anything. About what he did, how he did it, who he hurt, who he manipulated, just not care as long as he got what he wanted no matter what the cost.

He had been like that, and it had been so easy, so, so, easy…

He hated it. He hated feeling so weak, so stupid, so, so… he was sick of being a puppet to the Royal family. The King had taken his freedom, the Queen had taken his body, Zelda had taken his identity, and now… Lynda was taking something he had been sure he had lost to death.

He refused to give it to her.

The other day Ruto had visited, and after that Darunia had come along, and those two days had been the best spent since Lynda had come to the castle. Since the Kokiri could not come to the balls, and the Sheikah were still not on completely friendly terms, there was no friend that could come but was uninvited.

Lynda had walked around aimlessly when she noticed a girl with auburn hair, looking as lost as herself. Blue eyes widened when they saw each other.

"Malon…!"

"Um… uh…"

"Malon!"

The farm girl had found herself with an armful of tearful Lynda begging forgiveness.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Lynda asked again, reminding herself to gather the damn skirts before running to catch up to her friend, lest she wanted to trip up.

The red eye he didn't hide looked bored. "What makes you think that?"

"Because I asked Zelda and she said she had nothing to do with it. And she didn't know Malon. You did, but she didn't. So it had to be you… right?"

"And what if it was, Princess?" Sheik muttered, hoping to get the conversation over and done with before he was tempted to do something unpleasant to her in ways of seeking revenge. And then he noticed that shadowed corridor…

An involuntary shiver crossed his spine.

"I wanted to thank you." She said, grasping his hand. He jolted. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed, hoping his hands weren't shaking. What was wrong? He had never been this… this nauseous for years. He thought again of the ball and the implications it held, if he were to return to his old post, if Zelda really intended to go through with her threat…

The feeling returned.

"I'm surprised you're willing to have physical contact, that's all," he smoothly lied, hoping to get his old posture back. Lynda hastily let his hand go as if burnt.

"I guess I'm getting used to it, after everything… you've helped."

"I have?"

She chuckled bashfully. "I wouldn't've come this far without your help. That is, if you really did invite Nabooru and Ruto and Darunia and Malon…"

Sheik tried to deny it, but he found himself realising that he could use her trust as a means of escape if he ever needed it, that he could use this friendship as a back up… after all, she was the Princess and the Hero of Time to boot; her loyalty would be very useful, especially because she was so naïve… besides, she was just a pawn to him, right? "I did."

Delight lit her face with sunshine, making his chest twinge. "Thank you, Sheik. Thank you so, so much." She said earnestly, what seemed like relief seeping into her expression before regret crept in, "I… I have to get going, now… um… see you at the ball?"

Sheik held back the urge to sound cynical, "I highly doubt it, Princess."

"No surprise guests?"

Sheik scoffed. "You have Zelda."

"She likes to talk to people twice her age. I don't like to talk at all, if necessary," she joked half-heartedly before taking a turn that would take her to the large doors, looking back one last time before turning another corner.

Sheik took the other bend to get away as quickly as possible.

The guests couldn't help but keep turning to look at the strange Princess in question, as she shied away to a tapestry wall, leaving the pleasantries to her more absorbed sister. She was wearing gold and silver daisies fixed with a blue satin ribbon in her hair, a silver blue gown that had been a gift from the Zoras, adorned only with pale crystal shards. A copper choker decked with carvings and intricately shaped marble hugged her neck, the gift of the Gerudo. She was also wearing a simple belt of gold, complete with an elegant sword in a silver and purple sheath; the gift from the Gorons.

But still nervous with crowds she stayed at the edge of the ball room, watching the dancers as if they were butterflies.

"Good evening, your Highness."

She jolted. A man perhaps her age, slightly older, was bowing to her. When he rose Lynda saw that his face was freckled, his hair brown as the earth, accompanied with eyes as deep green as her old home. He wore a simple tunic of red and brown made of Gerudo silk, an eagle brooch of gold and all manner of jewels decked on his chest. He had a general softness that reminded her of the Kokiri.

Lynda bowed. "Hello."

He smiled. "I see you're the princess everybody's been talking about."

Lynda wondered what he meant by that and remembered that she was supposed to curtsy. She slapped a hand to her forehead and muttered, "…Damn it."

He laughed good-naturedly, waving it off. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Garth Polnuc; my father's a High Merchant of South Calatia. He sometimes works with the Gerudo."

"Pleasure," she said, extending her hand just like Mistress Sarren had told her to. But then she realised her hands were gloved, and nobody would want to kiss cloth would they, so she should probably turn it into a handshake but would that be ladylike? Her hand wavered between the positions while she made intelligent noises, wishing she could sink through the floor.

Garth caught her hand with an understanding smile. "You're Princess Lynda, no?"

"I'm Lynda, yes, but I don't think I qualify much as being a Princess."

"Care to dance?" he suddenly asked, extending a hand to her.

She suddenly looked panicked. "I shouldn't. You don't understand I can hardly walk in these shoes I'll, I think I might sever your toes or something in these, I'm so, so bad…"

Garth laughed, and insisted. Shyly Lynda took his hand, muttering that he was going to regret it. He accepted it as a challenge, making her chuckle.

They caught many eyes as they spun into the crowd of dancers, blue dress shimmering, silver sword gleaming. True to her words Lynda danced a little clumsily, but carefully placed feet and quick reflexes proved effective in not stepping on Garth's toes.

The couple talked of Calatian trade, of the Kokiri, of the Gorons, and the Zora, after song after song until their feet hurt. They talked over hobbies, over sword-fighting, and Lynda was pleased that he wasn't discriminating over gender when it came to that topic.

"You know," he said as they returned to the outer edge of the ballroom, holding goblets of drink (Lynda had asked for honeyed water instead of wine) "What I don't understand most about this country is the Gerudo."

"Oh?" Lynda asked, looking surprised.

"Think about it though." Garth said, sounding argumentative, "They have a King once every One Hundred years, yet they threw him off the throne into his fourteenth year of rule. Why?"

"Simple: he was bad."

"You said you were a messenger for him a couple of minutes ago,"

"I was tricked into it." She said irritably, "I'd reverse the favour if I could, trust me."

"That bad?"

"Take over Hyrule bad. Now Nabooru, she is a Queen."

He nodded interestedly. "But how is it possible that no male is born in those One Hundred years? I find that so puzzling…"

"Again, simple: Magic. Everywhere has a magic of its own, like, the Forest where I came from has a knack for making people lose themselves, and keep Kokiri young. The Zora's fountain, its magic has to do with life and purity, or how else would the water stay clean all the way to Lake Hylia? I don't know much about Death Mountain's magic, but I think it's the rocks. You know how Goron's only eat rocks? The thing is, they can't eat any rock. I think the magic has to do with that, and its mountain core. It's… I was rambling. Sorry."

"No, no need!" he exclaimed, "I was enjoying the talk, you know."

Lynda chuckled nervously, hot and bothered under his intent gaze, "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that's what's going on. But don't take it all for truth, because I'm not entirely sure."

"I see." He nodded, a satisfied grin on his face, "But even so, I admire you for your knowledge; I haven't had a good conversation with anybody for ages."

"Oh shut it." She grumbled with a smile, shuffling her feet.

"And so, Princess Lynda, I would like to ask you something: Do you think you could tell me what this Gerudo silk is made out of? It's another thing that's been puzzling me."

She paused. "Um… have you ever heard of Like-likes?"

"No, I haven't."

"They're creatures that eat people whole. If you're lucky they spit you out, but you end up leaving behind equipment like spare tunics, provisions, shields…"

"You're telling me this because…?"

She grinned. "You're wearing its skin."

When Sheik entered the Lesser Library, things seemed somehow… staged. Perhaps it was the way the other Advisors were sitting around the table, keeping their heads down to hide their small smiles of victory. Or the way the King pointedly looked at him as if he were something that needed addressing, like a problem… a calm looking Zelda unnerved him somehow this day. And why was Impa suddenly involved in all this?

Sheik discreetly made sure the blades strapped to his wrists were easily accessible.

"Sheik."

He curtly nodded and replied, "Your Majesty,"

The King stroked his beard thoughtfully as he scrutinized the teenager. "I have heard you have been getting straight onto your duties as an advisor, and for that I applaud you. You have proved yourself as an intelligent boy, despite your… upbringing."

The Advisors tittered. Sheik ground his teeth freely because his cowl hid the gesture.

"You have been very useful to us as a correspondent between ourselves and the Sheikah; the trust you hold amongst them and your diligence is to be commended. However…"

Sheik warily took an unnoticed step back as the King continued, "You seem to have taken to power too well. Your meddling in the Balls' guest lists were uncalled for; I have heard complaints of your behaviour in the training grounds, despite you having no need to be there. I have also heard you have been bringing in assistants…?"

Sheik really regretted encouraging Lynda's disguise, now, as the Advisors who knew of his past tittered again. The ignorant wise men were quickly filled in with murmurs of glee, and their eyes widened in shock and horror, a tinge of disgust mixed with fascination. The young man didn't react, however. He had overcome that obstacle years before.

The King smiled coldly as Sheik began to build up his energy for teleportation. Or fire. It depended mostly on the King's sentence. "Despite the trust harboured towards you by your race, we are disappointed to say that we cannot say the same we share that confidence."

With a 'click' that seemed too loud, the door behind him closed.

"Your fellows have kindly reminded me that you are not the only Sheikah in the castle, and the said Sheikah, compared to you, harbours a lot more experience and wisdom when it comes to the duties your race owes this castle. I have been advised that with your meddling and with your urges for isolation… you cannot be trusted."

That was the cue. Sheik gathered his magic and released it through his fist to the ground. Nothing happened. His heart rattled painfully in his chest at the pointless release of energy, wondering why had that happened, was something…?

Zelda. Sheik shifted his Sight and found himself surrounded in a cocoon of golden light, coming directly and strongly from the Princess. She was watching him carefully, feeding her spell of containment relentlessly, the threat from only a day before evident in her eyes.

"You are being demoted, Sheikah," the King prattled on smugly, "From Royal advisor, messenger, protector, guard…"

Frighteningly aware of the mages that advanced on him in a circle, Sheik concentrated on the back of his hand, willing his new power to flow through him, come on, do it…

Sheik shifted his Sight again, panicking internally now as the Mages pointed their hands towards him, mists of power growing on their fingertips. Through the Sight, Sheik saw that his newly acquired Mark was invisible. Why?! Why couldn't he See it? It should be blinding him with the energy he was feeding it what the wait a second it was Mist, a magic mask he could see the shimmering edges but nothing had the power to-

Impa!

Their eyes met, shocked rubies meeting cold blood. Her eyes were determined slits as she unravelled the wrappings from her right hand, revealing the spiralling scars of promises on her palm. The healthy looking freckles of the Markings of Faith.

Sheik couldn't believe it. Betrayed. Treachery by the woman he had thought of as family, the only one-

Magic flashed. Sheik braced himself. He hoped he had enough juice to give a good fight.

He did. He fought the magic that tore his muscles, made them turn to stone and crumble. He didn't feel the pain at his knees as they struck the floor because the rest of him was alight with fire, wishing but unwilling to curl on himself as the pain engulfed him and trapped his scream in his throat. Invisible knives slashed at his skin unsuccessfully for a while, blinding him in agony. But he dwindled, his resistance lessened, and the blindly carving knives began to leave their ugly marks. On his neck black burns bled into existence, tantalizingly slowly, spelling his doom. They clawed around his wrists just as slowly, raking across his scalding skin, shackling him. A collar of words finally etched its last letter onto his throat, sealing it with a symbol of a wolf. Sheik's nose bled from the resisting, and the Mages' brows were slicked with sweat.

Sheik glared with complete hatred towards the Sage, his aunt who had supported him over his imprisonment, the only one he had completely trusted through all these years…

Impa turned away in distaste and shame, avoiding the eyes that were genuinely heartbroken at her betrayal. Sheik moved onto Zelda, and she levelly held his stare, unrelenting and unashamed, and she mouthed the words 'I stopped you'.

Trapped. Again.

Sheik stood tiredly, his legs bucking under his suddenly heavy body. He levelly looked upon betrayer, jailer, and arbitrator and let the rage seep into every fibre of his being, fusing it into his essence, numbing his mind, freezing his heart, encasing his soul with lead…

He stood straight. He regarded the whole room. His face was blank for a second, and everybody knew it because his cowl had shifted through the ordeal.

He smiled. "Ni aigh, Ruyelte. Ni aigh."

Everybody—including those who didn't understand the words—simultaneously shivered.

Perhaps two or three weeks after the Princess met Lord Garth, Ian Mayne, her morning guard, was asked a question that took him aback.

"Have you seen Sheik lately?"

Lynda was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor, dressed in her green tunic and scarf, holding the two gifted swords in her arms as she waited for the said Sheikah. They were at her door, Ian doing his duty in watching over the Princess, although usually she'd be looked after by the men at the training grounds at that time.

She should've been gone twenty minutes ago.

"It's just that," she continued, fiddling with a hole she should've fixed in her leggings, "I haven't seen him for a while. He's really good at fighting, and I've been getting better at controlling myself around jibes and I was so sure I could beat him today…"

Ian searched for any other reason she might wish to see him, but her face was innocent and true. He sighed. "I have no idea where he is, Miss Lynda. To be honest, I have no idea why he is even in the Castle."

She frowned. "Why don't you like him? Why doesn't anybody like him? He's a great guy once you know him."

Ian snorted. "That man holds dark secrets, my Lady. You don't want to go near him."

Her frown deepened a hint. "So what, everybody has secrets."

Ian didn't like upsetting the Princess. Not because he worried about the consequences—Lynda never tattled—but he really liked this girl. It was like having a grandchild again, only he had an amount of respect for her wide opinion.

"Miss Lynda, what I meant to say is that you are right; he is not well-liked in this castle. Sometimes for his origins, sometimes for old quarrels, sometimes just for the sake of not accepting him. I… I am merely wary of him. There is something odd in the way he moved through the ranks, my lady. Always the right circumstances and the right recommendations… I do not know how he is here, I do not know where he works, and I do not know why he seems to think that he is superior…"

Lynda was on her feet, insulted. "He doesn't think he's superior!"

Ian lowered his head in a humble bow. "I was stating an impression, Miss Lynda. I honestly don't know him enough to state it as fact or lie."

"He… He's a good guy he really is, he's not some psychopath… he just looks that way because of his scarf, and his fringe, he, he told me that he wore it to protect himself and I thought it was ridiculous but that's the way he is, I mean, I… I'm going to train."

She picked up her swords that had clattered to the floor, one naked, one sheathed. She looked shaken.

"Don't forget to disguise yourself, your Highness," Ian called before sighing sadly, shaking his head at the retreating form of the Princess.

At the training grounds, it was, "Where's Sheik?"

She ventured into the kitchens, still disguised, "Where's Sheik?"

She caught Impa after breakfast, "Where's Sheik?"

The answers were either 'I don't know' or 'Who are you talking about?'

Feeling lonely, she got dressed into one of her stupid skirts and tried looking for Zelda after breakfast.

She found Garth instead.

"Hello, Lynda. The King's invited us guests to go hunting. Care to join?"

Lynda smiled sadly and shook her head. "I don't like hunting much. I did it only when I really desperately needed to, when I was in the forest."

"But you do know how to hunt though, right?"

"Yeah, a little…"

"You like horse-riding?"

Lynda grinned. "As long as it isn't side-saddle, I'm all for it."

"Well, why not come along?" he persisted, extending his hand out to her, "I'm sure you won't get much of a chance to ride for a while, after all."

"…Okay," she said, placing her hand in his, deciding to forget about Sheik. He was a jerk anyway, not meeting up with her for two whole weeks when he promised to teach her bare-handed fighting, when he'd assured her that he had plenty of time for her, when she had been so sure that they were becoming real good friends…

Forget him, he's a jerk.

And all too soon it was time to dismount, and Lynda nor Ember, the horse she'd chosen to ride, didn't want that. Namely because they had had the most boring experience of their lives. Lynda hadn't bothered to talk with the fiancés and sisters and wives and so on of the hunters, and Ember hadn't gotten a chance to really work her hooves mainly because she hadn't been allowed to be part of the hunt.

"Princess…"

"Can't I ride a little more?"

"But Princess…"

"Please, captain," Lynda begged, hands clasped, knowing full well that this guard was not a captain, "I really think Ember and I are connecting. I'll be careful, I swear, and I've already asked two other guards to escort me, oh please, I heard so much about the gardens at this time of year…"

"Well… perhaps you can remain for another half hour. Do you believe these guards competent?"

"Yes, I really do, and thank you so, so much I won't ever forget this, your name is…?"

It went on like that for a while before Lynda nudged Ember, and the horse was eager to go. They met no guards there, just like Lynda wanted, and she mused on what Navi had argued so long ago, about women being underestimated.

"I'm really starting to think that being a girl's not that bad, you know, because there was no way that guy would've fallen for that trick if I wasn't," Lynda told Ember, and in answer she lunged into a gallop without being asked, whinnying in either fear or excitement.

Lynda grabbed on and gladly let the adrenaline rush her, laughing in exhilaration as the trees rushed past her, branches snagging her devilishly, the wind roaring in ruckus laughter in her ears, oh, how it felt good to be riding such speedy horse, how good it felt to be in the trees again… if only she had that reassuring weight of a bow at her back, not for hunting, but for plain fun, the Poes of the nightly fields throwing things at her for her to shoot, aiming at fruit in the trees, then at the leaves, then at their stalks and miss spectacularly…

Ember eventually stopped, nodding animatedly, nuzzling a puddle of water for a drink. Lynda followed her black-coated companion's example by dismounting and taking a tankard from one of the hooks on the saddle, a little appalled that she hadn't been the one that had packed the things.

There was a whisper, a flicker, and Lynda's eyes widened.

Ember shrieked and reared onto her hind legs, while Lynda gave a shout.

The stables were quiet when the girls entered it, and apparently nobody was around.

They were proven wrong when something rustled in the dark corner. Light flashed yellow and zoomed into the said corner, and there it found young Lord Polnuc with his hair ragged and full of hay, shirt half off, on top of a shirtless stable boy.

Lynda blinked. "Oh."

Garth and the unknown stable boy were hastily trying to untangle themselves from each other, scrabbling for clothes and purchase, protesting about intentions, that it wasn't what it looked like just let them explain…

Lynda couldn't help but snort at their panic.

Garth looked shocked, half way through pulling a jacket on inside out. "You're… you're not…?"

"I'm not what?" she asked back with a smile, shocking Garth more, "I'm a little surprised, but…" she shrugged. "You guys make a nice couple."

She grinned cheekily at their blushes. "I'm shocked you haven't introduced me yet Garth; here I was, thinking I was your best friend…" she wiped an imaginary tear away, smiling wickedly.

"I'm shocked that you're taking this so well," a small voice remarked, and the men looked around blindly for the culprit, fearing the worst.

"Oh, I haven't introduced you two either, huh," Lynda countered contemplatively, as the light from before flew over her head, blue as the sky, and did it have wings…?

"This is Navi," the Princess said, extending a hand to the light, smiling as if the sun had dawned in her eyes, "And she's my best friend from the forest."

"Spiritual guide at your service," She said in a manner worthy of a salute.

"Look, things are going way too fast now," Lynda chided nobody once she noticed the vacant look in the boys' eyes, "So how about you two get yourselves… um... fully dressed, I guess, and I'll see you in the Lesser Library with something to eat, okay? We've got lots to talk about. I'll just put Ember back…"

"Um… I'll do that miss…" the flustered stable boy said, two of the buttons on his shirt done up wrong. Lynda grinned, and the stable-boy didn't see any smugness or triumph for catching them; just a friendliness that came with promises of unbreakable loyalty.

"You know," she said, as she handed him the reins, "A friend of mine used to call me Fairy Boy…"

The Stable boy blushed and Lynda burst out laughing hysterically.

You cannot say that ntohing happened in this chapter. You just can't.

Please press my button and make me happy, because everbody needs happiness.