Chapter 7 – Undesired Revelations
While Nate went into the bathroom to clean up a bit, Link quickly left the room. In truth, he needed a nice long shower as well, especially going into the presence of a prince, but there was something more important than petty hygiene that he needed to take care of. Surely his cover would be blown unless Ralis was informed. The prince wouldn't like it, Link was sure, but it had to be done.
He walked briskly through the hallway back into the dining and found Ralis sitting at the grand table's head, with the places set on each side of him. Ralis beamed at him as he found his way to Ralis' opposite side, so that Link would see when Nate entered the room.
The dining room truly was, in every sense of the term, majestic. It was carved into the inside of a mountain, and the walls gave off a dull blue glow. That being said, it was very difficult to find such a section of wall. The walls were adorned aplenty with bright blue tapestries, decorative statues of past Zora kings and queens, and other extravagancies of great value. The main attraction, constituting almost the entire back wall, was a light blue tapestry embroidered with a single, large, dark blue trident, which Link took to be the symbol of the Zora race.
The dinner table was just as elegant, if not then more so, than many of the statues in the room. It was of light blue color, lighter in color than anything else in the room. That, combined with the numerous eccentric "icicles" that hung from the side, gave the table an icy effect. The table itself could easily hold as many as thirty people, but just two chairs were filled at the moment, with a third vacant but ready to be filled.
"So, what brings the Hero of Hyrule to my humble kingdom?" Ralis asked happily, a look of genuine interest plastered on his face, as Link took his spot at the table.
Against his best wishes, Link ignored the question. He instead said grimly in an undertone, "Ralis, Nate must not know who I am."
Ralis' genuine smile suddenly morphed into a slight frown. "W-what?" He asked, with quite a bit of confusion in his voice. "What do you mean?"
"Long story, but Nate does not know anything about me." Link muttered under his breath. "And it has to stay that way."
"But…" Ralis said slowly. "What does that mean?"
"He knows me by Link." Link replied. "He does not know I am the Link."
"You mean…" Ralis said quietly. "You never told him that you are the Hero? That you saved Hyrule from certain doom not even five months ago? Link, why wouldn't you tell him?"
"Shh!" Link said in a hushed whisper when Ralis' voice started to rise. He took a cautious glance down the hallway that led to the room Nate was in, and after he concluded Nate was nowhere to be seen, he continued quietly, "Ralis, you have no idea what it's like for me anymore. I've been completely rejected by everyone in this kingdom; hell, look at your guards! They don't trust me one bit, nor does just about everyone else I can think of. Please Ralis, spare me Nate."
Ralis frowned. "Alright, but this is the wrong way to go about it. You gotta tell him sometime."
"Yeah, I-"
But Link stopped short at that moment for Nate had just emerged from the hallway and sat himself opposite Link, on Ralis' left. His hair was still dripping wet and by all accounts, he seemed a bit rushed.
"Sorry I'm late guys." Nate said hurriedly as he took his spot across from Link. "If I had known that you wanted to start this early, I wouldn't have taken so long."
"Oh no we don't mind, Link and I were just enjoying the pleasant chat that had been denied between us for the past several months." Ralis said with a smile. He cleared his throat and looked between them. "Well, now that we are all here, we can begin!" He exclaimed. "So, Link, what brings you here?"
"Oh, the usual, you know me, Ralis." Link replied with a light smile. "Just, this time, as you can see, I have a little bit of company."
"Yes, yes, I see that." Ralis said enthusiastically. "So Nate, how did the two of you come to meet each other anyway? The wanderer's lifestyle is often a lonely one, which is why I am quite surprised to see Link come here with company."
Nate beamed. "Coincidence, I suppose. Pleasant coincidence."
"Yep," Link added. "I was just leaving Castle Town and happened to run into Nate while I was deciding where to go next. We took it in stride and, well, here we are. Boy, but when I first saw him, though, I wasn't too sure."
"I thought he was about to cleave my head off when we first met." Nate said with a grin.
"Yeah," Ralis said with a laugh. "You'd be a fool to try to cross Link here; his combat skills are scary good."
"I've seen, I know." Nate said with a frown, causing the three of them to burst out into laughter.
The three calmed down just in time for the chefs to bring out the food. Plates upon plates of food were placed onto the table. And though they were different, they all shared a common theme. Every last one of the dishes contained at least some fish on it.
Never before had Link known what a Zora eats, nor did he ever really try to figure it out. Now that he found it out, he thought it quite strange that a fish-man would eat fish. He soon simply shrugged it off and reached for a plate that had been laid down on the table. Not the Reekfish plate, which was the closest, but for a Hylian Bass. Link was normally open-minded when it came to foods, but Reekfish was one food he didn't have a mind to try.
The bass, just a plain fillet with a few seasonings on top, was grilled to perfection. Never before had Link had such a tasteful bass, disregarding the fact that he rarely did have bass. Though, to be perfectly honest, Link had expected this. It was hard not to have such high expectations, seeing as the head chefs were making fish, and they themselves were fish-people.
Nevertheless, it took Link maybe ten minutes to gulp down an entire bass, save the bones. In fact, had it not been for the bones, one may have thought that it was a clean plate. If you held it up to your face, you would be able to see your reflection, it was so spotless.
Nate and Ralis finished up their dinners not long thereafter, both equally concerned about their food and not about any table conversation. After a quick fifteen minutes after the table had been set, the chefs were back to take the dirty dishes away.
"So, Ralis." Link said as he used a napkin to clean his hands. "I've got a question for you. Have you gotten a letter from the princess lately?"
Ralis frowned slightly. "No, I haven't heard from Zelda not for months. Why, should I have?"
"Well, you'll be getting one soon, I suspect." Link replied. "I was just there, and some big news just erupted from the center of the kingdom."
"What happened?" Ralis replied quizzically.
"Yeah, what news, Link?" Nate added, with an equally confused expression.
Link smirked lightly. "I don't want to ruin the surprise for you." He said quietly. "It can't be long now, I doubt Nate and I could have been much faster than the Royal Messenger."
"Gee, sounds urgent." Ralis said with a frown. "Is it bad?"
"It's…" Link paused. "It's unsettling to say the least. And please, for my sake, don't believe every word that is said. But I'll let you be the judge when you get the news yourself. Anyway, forget I mentioned it. That dinner was excellent, Ralis, I wish I could eat like that every day."
Ralis continued to stare at Link quizzically for a moment longer before he said with a grin, "Well, like I always say, you're welcome anytime."
"Yeah, wow, that was great, Ralis." Nate said as he placed his used napkin back down on the table. "I haven't eaten like that in a long time."
"How does it compare, Nate?" Link asked. "Nate used to be a cook, you know, Ralis. So how does it compare, could you cook like this?"
"Well," Nate said slowly. "To be perfectly honest, I never cooked fish before. I usually did cakes and stuff. But even with that aside, I doubt I could cook anything like this, I am so out of practice. My life as a cook ended a long time ago, and so did all my talents."
Link frowned. "Well, in your prime, I bet you could cook like this. Anyway, Ralis-"
Link was getting ready to announce his departure to the bedroom for the night but at that moment, the doors to the dining room from the throne room opened. A young, thin boy who Link instantly recognized to be a Royal Messenger entered the room and shut the door behind him. His clothing, pure white with dashes of pure gold here and there, was instantly recognizable to Link.
The little messenger ran up to Ralis where he sat at the dining table. "Sire?" The boy said quietly in a trembling voice. "I've got a letter for you."
The young man reached towards his bag, which was strapped at his shoulder and dangled to his waist, and reached in. It took him a moment of searching to find the letter, and when he finally found it, he gave it to Ralis.
"Thank you, kind sir." Ralis said imperially, taking the letter from the messenger's hand. The messenger bowed ever so slightly before leaving the room quietly.
Ralis took one look at the envelope and grinned ear to ear. "Hey, Link, I think I got the letter!" He flashed the letter's addresser as proof.
Link looked and, sure enough, it seemed to be the letter that Link was expecting Ralis to receive. It was not what was written on the front, but rather how it was written, that gave away its cover. The name, "Prince Ralis", was written in exquisite cursive handwriting, one of Zelda's distinguishing characteristics.
"Well, go ahead." Link said sheepishly. "Read it."
Ralis slipped the parchment, which was festooned with periodic painted roses, out of the cover of the envelope.
"Dearest Prince Ralis," Ralis, to Link's horror, read aloud. "It is in my sincerest regret to inform you that, in my inability to abide by the long-standing traditions of the marvelous nation of Hyrule, I have done wrong by you and the entirety of my loyal citizens. You, as a prince yourself, know of the governing of a worldly kingdom as well as I, I am sure, if not better. But you are many times the monarch than I am. Please do not hate me as much as I hate myself as I tell you that, in nine months' time, Hyrule will have a new prince…"
Link, mouth agape to match Ralis' expression, was stunned. Zelda, in writing this letter, had effectively made her sin seem ten times worse.
Link knew that Ralis hadn't finished reading, Zelda tended to ramble in her letters, but just that short exert alone had shed enough light on the severity of the situation, a severity of which Link hadn't even considered.
Ralis quickly finished reading the letter, thankfully not out loud this time, while Link collected his thoughts. When Ralis finished, he put the letter down on the table and, clearly moved by the princess' writing, asked, "Did you?"
"Did I what?" Link asked, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Is it your son she's carrying?" He asked, curious, and perhaps a bit angry?
"N-no!" Link stammered. "I told you, don't believe everything you are told!"
"Alright, I believe you." Ralis said, which relieved Link greatly. "But one question, though, why is she telling me that it was you?"
"Well, er… It is kinda a long story, but basically, I'm taking the fall for her."
Though, with that letter, she may well have stabbed herself in the back…
"You alright there, Nate?" Ralis asked, looking over at the red-haired man.
"Yeah, Nate, you've been awfully quiet over there." Link added. To both questions, Nate simply stared back blankly, unresponsively.
Somewhere inside Nate, a spark had been lit.
Later on that night, after Nate had awaken from his dream-like coma state, which turned out to just be a "thinking session" (as he called it), Link and Nate finally went back to their rooms. They had countless conversations with Ralis, which did eventually did sway from the whole conversation regarding Zelda, after dinner. But it was beginning to get late, and Link never did like to go to bed at too late an hour, even when under the protection of walls.
Link immediately jumped under the warmth of his sheets, but Nate did not. Instead, he sat on the edge of his bed and looked at his feet.
"Are you alright, Nate?"
Nate nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm just thinking, that's all."
"Aw, come on, you gave me that crap at dinner." Link smirked. "Are you going to tell me what about, or should I just save my breath and go to sleep now?"
"Well, I don't know why you would save breath, but…" Nate grinned slightly. "Yeah, I'd probably just go to bed now. Sorry, it's nothing against you, it is just that this is…personal."
"Oh, no, don't apologize, it's alright. I understand." Link snuggled into his sheets and closed his eyes. "Don't stay up too late. I think we are going to have a lot of fun the next couple of days."
It was one of the hardest things she had ever done, degrading him like that. Not only once, but twice! Zelda looked herself in the mirror on her mantle, expecting to see herself, but in reality, seeing nothing. Nothing but a fade outline, thin and grotesque, of the one once known as a glorious princess. Here she stood, the real Zelda, hidden somewhere in the shadow of the ideal princess.
She had actually surprised herself, while writing that hypocritical piece of literature. As painful as it was, she did not feel regret throughout the writing of it. And the four reprints after that. Five copies, one for Ordon, one for Kakariko, one for Death Mountain, one for Zora's Domain, and one for the Castle Town Address, which was scheduled for tomorrow. She felt remorse, but not regret.
She struggled through it, not a single tear, but as soon as she gave them to her messengers, in passing the burden, she let her emotions run vapid.
It was, in this respect, that a knock on her shut door sounded through the room.
She immediately did what she could to cease her weeping and peered suspiciously at the door. She wasn't expecting anybody. Not wanting to have anybody see her in this dreadful state, she quickly tidied herself up and made it seem as if all was fine for the internally-wrought princess. She answered the door with as much dignity as she could muster.
A thin, middle-aged man clad only in red stood on the other side. "A letter for you, Your Majesty." The postman said.
Zelda took the letter uneasily, wondering if it was even possible for any of the provinces to have even received the letter, let alone respond to it.
The postman bowed and quickly left, without a word from Zelda.
Once again in isolation within her room, Zelda peered at the letter curiously. The handwriting was not recognizable to her, but somehow, it seemed familiar.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the letter. Without even taking a glance at the body of the letter, her eyes darted for the signature at the bottom.
It was from Aaron.
Link walked down to the dining room for breakfast bright and early the next morning, as did Ralis. The icy dining table from last night had since disappeared from the room. In its place was a large buffet table, surrounded by many circular, eating tables. The food wasn't much different from last night. The only exception was the lack of strong, evening spices on the fish.
After grabbing a dish and sitting next to Ralis at one of the tables, Link was about to ask him if he ever got sick of fish. But he quickly held that question on his tongue, for Ralis attacked the food with much the same enthusiasm as last night, while Link was forced to stare at his food and long for something different.
Nate did not come out until even Link had finished his food. He looked sluggish and unseeing, leading Link to believe that he did not heed his advice of going to bed early. He didn't even grab a plate for himself. He just simply sat down next to Link, yawned, and said, "Good morning."
"Late night?" Ralis asked, grinning.
"Yep." Nate replied simply, putting his elbow on the table and resting his head on that arm.
"Well, it's like I said last night." Link said, a little crestfallen. "We have a lot planned today. But, if you don't feel up to it…"
"No, no, I'm fine!" Nate hastily replied. "Just give me a minute."
"So, Ralis," Link stated, as he let Nate rest for a few minutes longer. "What exactly are we doing today?"
"I figured that we'd do a little bit of exploring. I thought I would show you a few fun spots around here."
"Sounds good." Link paused. Link wasn't sure if Ralis knew that Link already knew everything nook and cranny that Zora's Domain has to offer, but in case he didn't, Link played along. "Ready yet, Nate?"
Nate yawned audibly and replied, "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
The day was spent by the three friends exploring the beautiful lands surrounding the Zora's Domain. As it turned out, many of the fun spots Ralis had been talking about, Link had already been to on his adventure with Midna. Though, of course, he didn't tell Ralis this.
Of all the places Ralis had taken them, Link's favorite was the landing underneath the waterfall. During his adventures, he never realized the beauty that was to be found there. The shade in this wondrous alcove, combined with the refracting light in the waterfall created an eerie, cerebral effect. The refracted light perfectly lit up some of the shade, but didn't even touch most of it.
Ralis deliberately saved this part for last. The glaring light of a setting sun always created the greatest array of light.
"Awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Ralis said proudly.
In one word, that was how Link would describe it. The harmonious noise emitted from the waterfall, the cool temperature under the shade, the slightly palled hue of light in the waning hours of the day…
All in all, a perfect end to a great day.
Not long after that, the three were back up in the Zora's throne room. From there, they entered back into the dining room to find that dinner was there, waiting for them on a buffet table.
"You don't forget a thing, do you?" Link smirking, reaching for a plate of filleted bass. He was so hungry that he forgot that he had already had bass the past two meals.
Ralis grinned. "For that I thank you, Link. Had you not defeated Ganondorf and shown me the making of a true hero, I would not have taken after you."
As much as Link waved his arms frantically and mouthed for Ralis to stop talking, the sentence still came out.
And Nate hadn't missed a word of it.