Attention readers: There is no way I'm proofreading this long-ass chapter, so I'm sorry in advance for any errors.
"No wedding is a wedding without a stag party," Jaggle decided that evening, dragging Link out into the village. Link's gut squirmed uncomfortably.
"Thanks, Jaggle, but I really don't-"
"Nonsense!"
All of the men in the village were dressed rather nicely and were situated in the middle of Ordon, a ways off from the soldiers' camp. Link blinked in confusion as he realized that the men had brought their wives.
"What is this supposed to be again?"
"Your stag party," Jaggle reminded him.
Link shook his head. "This isn't a stag party, there aren't any girls at a-"
He was brushed aside as three of the younger children dashed towards the creek, stripping down into swimming clothes and jumping in. Link frowned.
"Okay, this is definitely not a stag party. What are we doing here?"
"Just having a spot of fun, that's all."
"Boy, Link, you look dog tired," someone said, and Link turned around. Colin.
"I am tired," Link confirmed, with no other way of saying it. "I'm very tired."
"Maybe you'd feel better if you took a swim," said Beth, who had materialized beside them. Link just smirked.
"I hardly think-"
"Do it! Do it!" she cried suddenly. "See that ledge?" She pointed over toward a small ledge overlooking the creek. "Climb up there. Jump over to the roof of my house, and you can jump into the water from there!"
Link continued shaking his head as the villagers looked on. "This is all very nice of you, but I really think that I'd rather-"
"GO LINK! DO IT!" It was Talo who was cheering, now, having overheard the conversation. Beth was already pedaling him toward some vines crawling up the side of the ledge.
"Up you go!" she commanded.
With an overly dramatic sigh, Link kicked off his boots and stripped out of his tunic. Beth giggled, her face turning pink. Then Link hoisted himself onto the ledge, thinking of what an idiot he must have seemed, and hopped over to Sera's shop's rooftop. The water swirled down below and he realized that he hadn't done anything like this in months.
"Jump! Jump! Jump!" The villagers chanted rhythmically. For a second, Link felt very reluctant. What a stupid thing to do, he thought.
But then he pushed those thoughts aside and he kicked forward, the cheers of the Ordonians echoing in his mind as the roof disappeared from underneath him and he sailed through the air for a moment before taking the plunge.
Clouds fogged up the sky the next morning. Ashei hadn't stayed the night this time; Link registered a heavy disappointment in her absence.
Then he remembered what today was.
He got up quickly and combed a hand through his hair. Wedding. Wedding. Oh, gods. He flopped facedown onto the mattress and sighed.
Today was supposed to be a happy day. A day of celebration, Rusl had said. So why was he dreading it so much? He groaned into his pillow, scrunching up his face for a minute before releasing all of the tension in his body. Okay. Breathe. It's a good day.
It took a minute for Link to steady himself on his feet. Last night had been another of those unpleasant nights, where he stood awkwardly amongst his once-friends before retiring early. He'd broken his only oil lamp and used up all the firewood, and he'd spent the night alone in the dark. It had been cold, and he'd cocooned himself in the blankets with a scowl that'd stayed till morning.
In all honesty, he was still ashamed at yesterday's outbreak. It had been embarrassing, that was for sure. He'd torn apart the house, had shouted in Rusl's face, and had broken down in front of Ashei. He knew that Ashei held him in ridiculously high esteem; in spite of all of his blatant faults, Ashei deemed Link worthy of hero worship. Link knew that Ashei knew that it was wrong to do so, but she was just the type to push aside all rational thought in favor of a more glorious one. Ashei liked romance, she liked adventure, and she adored the prospect of fantasy. Courage—for her, there wasn't a doubt in the world that bravery took precedence over everything else. Prior to the arrival of Link, she'd traveled far and wide in search of a home, only to reach the bitter realization that she wasn't accepted anywhere. And then, having come to this conclusion, she decided that there was nothing left to do but give herself away.
So she had given all of herself away. She'd suited up in leather and armor, and with a bow in one hand and a sword in another she'd assumed the role of Hyrule's defendant. She'd been raised a knight by her father; this Link knew from the time he had spent with her. He knew that Ashei's father had always wanted a son, but the birth of a daughter and the subsequent disappearance of the mother had left him without one. He'd gone on to raise the girl as if she were a boy, forcing her to fulfill tasks that were beyond the physical capabilities of a girl. Pushed beyond her limit, Ashei had left the harsh world of her father behind, only to find an even harsher world on the other side. It was true; she hadn't belonged anywhere. She'd joined a number of cults and hunting gangs in her teenage years, the details of which she never had been willing to disclose. And then there had been the resistance; finally, a place where she fit in, simply for the fact that nobody fit in. They were a band of misfits that, under any other circumstances, never would have gotten along.
But the presence of turmoil in Hyrule had changed that; times of trouble had called for a hero—Link the hero—and Link the hero had called for exactly what the resistance offered. Link's quest had called for a scholarly, adventurous old man who knew of the desert. And lo and behold, there he was. And then, when the mirror quest had brought Link into the mountains, his quest had called for a girl with intimate knowledge of Snowpeak. And so the mountain girl, the female knight, had stepped forward in his aid. And when the quest had threatened to bring Link into the clouds, the book nerd who had adopted his father's work had made himself known.
Yes— the dark days had brought Link into contact with some of the most important people he would ever meet. It was no underestimation to suggest that his quest would have been a failure without him. After all, what sort of hero works alone?
Even if Link was the celebratory hero, he wasn't the only Hero of Light. No, there was a mass of heroes lined up behind him—Ashei, Shad, Midna, Telma, Rusl, Auru, even Zelda had all played pivotal roles in Link's quest. And yet he was the celebrated one, he was the boy who'd been given a gold star for his efforts while all the others were pushed aside. And in that way, Link had been given a reputation to maintain while all the others were able to go off on their own.
He didn't know why he kept thinking of them. He supposed that his past adventures were on his mind more than ever nowadays, probably because he'd spent so much time being congratulated on them. And the sulking—gods, the sulking. Happiness had never seemed more out of reach than in those days surrounding Ashei's party, and in the days in Ordon that followed. Link had lived without a purpose for far too long. And the sickness had found a nice nesting place right within him; it a sort of depression that clawed away at a pit somewhere in the depths of his mind, and he didn't know how to get rid of it. Even in times where he'd been happy, there'd been that little nagging voice to remind him that he really wasn't. No, he'd been unhappy for far too long. And there's nothing more sorrowful than going for weeks without so much as a little laughter.
A knock at the door salvaged him from his thoughts and he swung it open tiredly. He had to blink a few times to register who was standing at the other side.
"What—Uli?"
"Good morning, Link!" Uli declared cheerily, entering the house without even being invited in. Link stepped aside as she dragged a bag behind her.
"What are you—"
"It's your wedding day!" Uli reminded him gleefully.
"I know, but—"
"Well," she said with a chuckle, "we couldn't let you get married in that dusty old tunic! Rusl's lending you his wedding suit."
Link raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Well… tell him I said thanks."
Uli smiled and hummed to herself as she pulled a deep brown tunic out of the bag, laying it out across Link's bed with a white cotton shirt. The leggings followed, along with a belt with a heavy silver clasp.
"Why are you doing this?" Link finally asked. Uli smiled gently and caught his eye.
"It's the least we can do for you," she said. "You deserve this." She approached him and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. "Link, today is a wonderful day. Ilia is a sweet, beautiful girl, and neither of you could ask for a more perfect partner. The entire village is looking forward to your union; the mayor—well, I suppose he's not the mayor anymore, but—Bo has even offered for you to take over his home, and he will move into another house. In only a matter of years, you and Ilia will lead this village through a new generation! It really is such a beautiful thing for us, you must understand."
Link didn't have the heart to tell her that he didn't want to marry Ilia, that he didn't want to be the mayor, that he didn't want to stay in Ordon. So he just forced a smile.
"Thank you so much," he said. Uli wrapped her cool, soft hands around his own dirty, gruff ones.
"Like I said," she replied, "it's the least we can do."
…
Ilia's eyes opened as a small white bird landed on her windowsill. She smiled a little when she saw that it had been cranked open to let in the morning air. A little sheet of parchment had been left on her nightstand. It read, today's the day!
She sat up in bed and stretched her arms far over her head. With a small bout of alarm, it occurred to her that it had been her last night sleeping alone. Tonight, she would share Link's bed. The idea was something both nerve-wracking and magnificent; to think, Ilia, the farm-girl, falling asleep in Link the hero's arms after years of childhood friendship. She knew that the other villagers had been waiting for this moment from the very beginning. She smiled a little at the thought and stood up, wobbling a bit as her pale, bare feet tried to steady themselves against the wooden floorboards. Once she'd gained her balance, she crossed the room, her nightgown fluttering about her. She rested a hand on the banister of the staircase, listening for sound downstairs.
Yes; there were footsteps. A slight shuffling. Shad must have been awake—
Her heart gave a small pang. Shad. Her smile vanished as she realized that by tonight, she would belong to Link, and Shad would be out of the picture. From that moment on, everything would be strictly platonic. She was a little disappointed at the realization that there would be no more flirting with the city boy. She'd enjoyed toying with him, although, you had to admit—it wasn't all toying. She'd been very serious about some of it. And there had been that night not-so-long ago where she had been attacked, and he had taken such good care of her…
She stopped short halfway down the staircase, staring ahead blankly. The memories of a few nights ago all rushed back, and she recalled the feeling of Shad's bony arms wrapped gently around her, of his warm breath against the back of her neck, of the yawns and sighs and little shifts of weight from his side of the bed that had reminded Ilia that she was not alone. Link didn't make her feel like that; if anything, Link was moody and dramatic. Link was part of a bigger picture that Ilia often felt overwhelmed by. With Link, Ilia always felt like she was trying to keep up. Link was exhausting, whereas Shad was… well, comfortable.
Ilia shook her head free of these thoughts. There was to be no more thinking of Shad, that was for darn sure. She noticed that her face had gone warm and that her heartbeat had increased, and got frustrated with herself.
Then she kept walking. Link—that was who she was going to marry. She was going to marry him because she loved him (she really did love him), and because she could take care of him when he was sad, and because they were going to save their home village. And then Link would become mayor, and Ilia would become the mayor's wife, and it would all be as the townsfolk had foretold during their childhood. Just like Ilia had always dreamed as a young girl.
She stopped at the bottom of the staircase. She had been wrong to suspect that it had been Shad in the kitchen. To her surprise, Pergie, Sera, and Beth were all seated at the kitchen table. Their faces lit up when Ilia emerged.
"There she is!" intoned Sera, getting to her feet and shuffling up to Ilia. "The beautiful bride!" She placed her hands on Ilia's shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. "Oh, aren't you just precious!" Ilia blushed as Sera drew away and Pergie approached her, scrutinizing her.
"Oh, I think that she'll fit just fine."
Ilia frowned. "Fit into what?"
"Your mother's old wedding dress!" she answered. Ilia's jaw dropped.
"My mother's…"
"Yes, yes! It's in the cellar, your father is fetching it!" Sera explained.
"It's real pretty," Beth said from her spot at the kitchen table. Ilia just glanced around.
"Oh. Um… where's Link?" Ilia now asked.
"Don't be silly!" Pergie scoffed. "The groom can't see the bride before the wedding! It's bad luck!"
"I think that's just a—"
The trap door on the floor opened suddenly and Bo emerged with a long, white gown in his arms. He seemed almost solemn; no doubt the dress brought back memories of his late wife. He kicked the door shut behind him and handed the dress to Pergie, who hung it up from a peg on the wall. All of the women, including Ilia, stood back to admire it.
"Wow…"
"Told you it was pretty," Beth supplied as Ilia's breath hitched in her throat. The dress was white and layered, and Ilia couldn't help but admire its elegant design; she almost thought it resembled a swan in the way that it was so graceful.
"The wedding will be later tonight," Bo now explained. "Since I'm the mayor until tomorrow morning, I'll be helping you and Link to make your vows. Rusl and Jaggle are setting up the site for the wedding, so I s'pose…" He had lost the ability to talk. He was starting to tear up when he smiled. "My, but you look like your ma. You'll make a beautiful bride, Ilia." And then he shook his head and disappeared outside. Sera clasped her hands together in excitement.
"Well!" she said. "Let's get you all dolled up!"
"If only that Ashei girl would show up like she said she was going to—"
"Wait, what?" Ilia cut in.
"That Ashei girl. You know, Link's friend… the pretty one. She said she wanted to help you get ready, but I don't know where she's gone."
Ilia could merely blink. And then she turned away and smiled just the smallest bit.
…
"A little to the left… no, to the right… no, definitely left—" Bo directed as Jaggle and Rusl wobbled back and forth with a giant floral wedding arch in tow.
"Oh, not this again!" protested Jaggle, dropping his end of the wedding arch into the grass with a thump.
"Well I guess that solves the problem of where Link's getting married," Rusl decided.
"More like it solves the problem of where Ilia's getting married," Jaggle mumbled under his breath.
"Oy!" called Talo from off to the side. Jaggle looked up.
"What?"
"Where should we put these chairs?" asked Talo. He and Colin were dragging two wooden chairs each, and Malo was dragging one.
"Wherever you want—" Jaggle began irritably, but Rusl interrupted him.
"Facing the arch," he explained, pointing toward an empty spot on the grass. "Just leave room in the middle for an aisle, and then fetch some more. We'll need at least thirty if we want to seat all of the villagers and most of the soldiers."
"Boy, it's been years since we last put on a wedding," Jaggle noted, striding over to Rusl's side and wiping his hands on his shirt. Rusl smiled.
"The last wedding we put on was my wedding," Rusl said, and then his face grew solemn. "My best man was Link's father…"
"Listen, I know you get all wishy-washy about Link because you were friends with his dad," Jaggle began, "but that doesn't mean you need to baby the kid all the time! After today he'll be mayor."
Rusl's face darkened as he recalled Link's outburst from the day prior. "I can't help it, Jaggle. I worry about him."
"That's just like the lot of you to worry about him. He's the hero, for cryin' out loud!" Jaggle threw his hands out to the side in emphasis. Rusl recalled Link's words from yesterday.
"Everyone still expects me to protect them. Even Ilia and Shad think that I'm in control," he had said. And he had been so, so right.
…
Typical, Shad thought upon waking up, for a sad day to look sad.
Ilia was still asleep upstairs and the mayor was still asleep in his bed, so Shad got up from his cot and dressed slowly. He'd always been slow to rise, especially since it had been almost a month before Link and Ashei had roused him with a proper shouting-fest.
When he was finished dressing, he donned his glasses, grasped his cane, and walked outside.
It was one of those days where the entire sky was gray but there weren't actually any clouds. It was just bleak. The men were setting up a wedding scene out in front of the mayor's house; everything was beautiful, with white flowers to go with the gray sky. Shad limped past, giving a faint hello to Rusl before continuing on. On his way through the village he passed Pergie, Sera, and Beth, who were running in the direction of Ilia's house.
"Oh, hello, Shad!" Sera greeted. Shad gave a weak smile and a good morning to each of them.
"And where are you off to?" asked Pergie. Shad shrugged.
"I think I'll visit the forest spring," he answered.
"Oh," Pergie answered, apparently thinking it strange. "Well, we're off to help Ilia prepare for her big day. I imagine you'll be staying for the wedding!"
Shad mumbled something in agreement and carried on walking. Well, limping. He was halted on his way past the soldiers' encampment.
"Hey, bookworm!" a soldier called. "Why the long face?"
"Sad your girl's getting married?" another asked. They laughed and high-fived, and Shad, with a roll of the eyes, carried on in his slow tread. He walked up the path, past Link's house, and entered the forest by himself.
For the first few seconds in the forest, he was uneasy. Shad was a scholar, after all, and not the type of scholar who went out and did field research. He was the stay-put type that much preferred exploring books. Wildlife was just plain uncomfortable.
His mind was put at ease when he entered the spring to find that he was no longer alone. For there, sitting on the white sand with her legs crossed and her chin in her palms, was Ashei.
"Oh. Hello," he said. After a second of silence, he nodded. "You're right. I'll leave—"
"Don't leave," Ashei interrupted, not turning around. "Come sit with me."
Shad obliged, and they sat for a minute in companionable silence. After awhile, he spoke up.
"You're sad," he pointed out.
"Yeah."
"Jealous?"
"A bit."
"Understandable."
"Don't act like you don't feel the same," Ashei then said, smirking a little and looking down. She was quiet after that. Shad thought about it for a second, and then he shook his head.
"You're wrong. It's not the same, because while Link is yours and that's why you don't want to give him up, Ilia was never mine to begin with."
Ashei glanced up. "You really think that?"
"I do."
She scrutinized him for a minute, brow drawn. And then she flopped onto her back and stared up at the sky. After a second, Shad mimicked the action.
"What a drear day, yeah?" she mused. "I hate days like this."
Shad sighed. After a few more minutes of silence, Ashei stood up.
"Well, I have to go help Ilia get ready," she said. Shad raised an eyebrow.
"You're going to—"
"I have to talk to her," Ashei said. "You know, explain some things about Link she might want to know before she marries him."
Now Shad was very confused. "What sort of things?"
Ashei smirked. "Now that's the kind of stupid question that will lead you into a lot of awkward situations."
"Wait—what—"
But she was gone.
With a sigh, Shad wasted a few more minutes in the spring before beginning the trot back. He ran into Uli on his way past Link's house.
"Oh—Shad!" Uli greeted. "How wonderful to see you. Link's just beginning to get ready for the ceremony, and he's been looking for you. He has to ask you a question."
Shad's brow furrowed. "And that is?"
"Well, why don't you ask him that yourself?" she suggested with a gentle smile before drawing away and leaving him alone. With a sigh, Shad obliged, climbing the ladder to Link's house in spite of his bad leg and knocking. A soft come in echoed from inside, and Shad let himself through the door.
He'd never actually been in Link's house before, and he allowed himself a look around. Link wasn't really one for decoration; if anything, his house was a jumbled mix of hodgepodge. Shad decided that he quite liked it and took a few steps further, halting when he caught sight of Link.
He was dressed formally in a brown tunic, just buckling a silver belt. All that was left was a loose cravat that apparently had been too complicated for Link's mind to process. He was standing in front of a mirror, and when he caught sight of Shad in the reflection, he smiled. Shad noted with some shock that the smile was genuine.
"Shad," he said with a grin. "Glad you could stop by."
Shad shifted his weight and frowned. "Well, don't you look handsome," he said, and he wasn't sure whether he meant to say it mockingly or with contempt. Link obviously sensed that Shad was torn about something, but he didn't comment on it. He merely faced the mirror and tugged at the cravat angrily.
"Shad," he repeated. "Come and help me slay this scarf thing. It's awful."
Shad stepped forward, smirking for the first time. He spun Link around and helped to adjust it around his neck. "It's called a cravat. Try not to use it as bib."
Link chuckled. "Yes, Mother."
Shad's hands stalled and he frowned. "Uli said you wanted to ask me something." He glanced up at Link, finished adjusting the "scarf-thing," and stepped back.
"Yeah, I did," Link affirmed. He faced his reflection again, admired the latest addition to his outfit, and then caught Shad's eye in the mirror. "I was hoping you'd be my best man."
Shad was startled. "Me?"
"Did I stutter?"
He blinked a few times. "Well—I mean, yes, I'll do it—what about Rusl?"
Link merely shrugged. "These past few months have been very difficult for me. You know that. But I know you've been trying very hard to help me. It's been very… meaningful."
Shad thought about it for a moment. Of course he would be Link's best man—it would be rude to refuse. But there was a part of him that was upset that Link could stand here and look tall and handsome and be engaged to Ilia and still be unhappy. Because if Shad was tall, handsome, or engaged to Ilia, he'd be all sorts of happy. And to be a combination of all of those things? Why, he'd be euphoric.
But it was the least he could do. If not for Link, then for Ilia.
Ilia…
"Shad?" Link repeated, a concerned expression usurping his features. "Are you all right?"
Shad shook his head. "Of course I am. I'm very—I mean—congratulations, Link." And with that, he spun around. "Now," he said, fully aware that he was beginning to tear up in shameful jealousy, "what else can I do to help you get ready?"
…
"Why, bless your heart," said Pergie in wonder. "You look so beautiful…"
"Fetch a mirror! Fetch a mirror!" cried Sera in excitement, and Beth fled the room. She returned seconds later with a full length mirror and propped it up against the wall.
"Oh, my," Ilia said, again at a loss for words. The dress fit her perfectly, accentuating all of the curves in her slim frame. It draped around her feet, the cool white fabric rustling against her bare legs. They'd powdered her face just the slightest bit, and her hair had been combed out, falling around her face in a gentle, feathery fashion. Beth had crafted a wreath of flowers that she now placed around the girl's head, and the bouquet rested on the vanity off to the side.
The door opened from downstairs and the sound of footsteps pounding up the staircase followed. Ashei materialized at the top of the steps.
"Oh," she said, her face falling. "You're all ready."
"Nope!" said Beth, running forward with a gossamer object in her grip. "Here's the veil!" She shoved it into Ashei's arms. "You can put it on her."
Ashei frowned. "Wait—"
"We'll leave you to it, then!" said Pergie happily, and she, Sera, and Beth left in a hurry.
Ilia watched them go in confusion. "Why are they so…?"
"They think we're going to start fighting and they don't want to have to witness it."
Ilia frowned. "Why on earth do they think that?"
Ashei raised an eyebrow. "Why do you think?"
"Because I ate the last apple?" Ilia offered weakly, and Ashei didn't answer. She merely took the veil and walked behind Ilia, pinning it to the back of the flower wreath.
"You look pretty," Ilia said quietly. Ashei was dressed in a dark red dress, leggings, and sandals. It was remarkably girly when compared to her usual tunic-and-boots standard.
Ashei smiled a little. "…Thanks. I guess. I've never really…" She paused. "I've never been called pretty before."
"Everyone else thinks you're pretty," Ilia said. Ashei shrugged.
"For some reason, I doubt that."
"No, they… they really do," Ilia finished, and Ashei stepped back, the veil having been fastened on. Then she reached for the bouquet on the nightstand and handed it over to Ilia.
"Listen, Ilia… I was hoping I could have a word with you."
Oh.
Of course.
The shtick.
Ilia should have been expecting it; everyone knew that Link had been interested in Ashei, and everyone also knew that Ashei wasn't interested in him back. But Link was still pretty much Ashei's territory; no doubt she wanted to secure her position before handing him over.
"We need to talk about Link."
"I knew this was coming," Ilia said quickly.
"Down to business, then," Ashei said, sitting down on the bed and looking up at Ilia. "You know that he's sick."
Ilia paused, twirling the bouquet between her fingers. "Yes. I know that."
"Then you know the responsibility you're taking on."
Ilia and Ashei locked eyes, and Ilia stuttered in response, "I can take care of him, Ashei. I know you don't think I can, but I promise I will."
"And you know that he drinks a lot," Ashei continued, not bothering to respond to Ilia's protests. "And you know that he has nightmares, and you know that he's still in love with a girl named Midna, and you know that he gets violent when he's depressed, and you know that he talks in his sleep—"
"Ashei, stop—"
"I'm just letting you know how he hurts," Ashei said quickly. She stood up and Ilia took a few steps back.
"I'm not afraid of him, Ashei," she argued. "I'm not going to let go of him just because he's sick."
"I was at his house yesterday and he got so angry he trashed the whole room," Ashei continued. "He kicked over a bookcase and shattered an oil lamp—that's what he does when he's mad, he gets hung over and then he takes it out on people—"
"Stop it, Ashei! Just stop it!" Ilia cried, her fists clenched. "You're not going to talk me out of this! I don't care what you say, I don't care what anyone says, I am strong enough to stand by Link, whether or not you think I am! And I will stand by him for as long as he needs me, because that's what marriage is about. When I say I Do, I mean it, Ashei! I mean it!"
They stared at each other for a long moment. Ilia expected retaliation—something harsh, something cold.
And then Ashei's face split into an expression of relief. "Good," she said, not smiling, but no longer scowling. If anything, her countenance was solemn and reserved. "Good. I was just making sure."
Ilia raised her eyebrows. "You—what?"
"I'm ensuring that you're up to the task, yeah?" Ashei explained. "Ensuring that you're not going to bail out on him once you start getting scared."
"I won't get scared," Ilia insisted. Ashei's face softened.
"I know you won't. Ilia—" she stared at the floorboards— "Ilia, I know you and I have had our differences. And I know that you know that I didn't want you there because… well, because Telma was just inviting you because she wanted Link to marry you. And, well, I didn't want him marrying you because I didn't want to give him up. I didn't want to hand him over."
Ilia's lips parted into an o. "Ashei—"
"But I'm doing it now," Ashei continued quickly, an uncomfortable lump forming in her throat. "I'm doing it now because I understand that the situation is out of my control. Link's world doesn't revolve around me, even if mine revolves around him—" she stopped short, clamping her jaw shut. "I'm sorry. Listen, that's all I had to say. See you later, yeah? You look great."
Ilia watched Ashei as she drew away toward the staircase. "Ashei, wait!"
But she was already gone.
The door opened again downstairs and someone scampered upstairs. Pergie.
"Come along, Ilia, dear! The ceremony is beginning momentarily! Your father is waiting outside, almost in tears, the poor thing…"
Clutching her bouquet, Ilia followed Pergie down the wooden steps and out into the late afternoon air. The sky was clogged up with clouds, and the fire-red leaves were in sharp contrast with the white flowers surrounding the area where the ceremony was to be held.
It really was a beautiful little scene; a white wedding arch with white flowers woven in was at the end of a long aisle, and at either side of the aisle were every assortment of wooden chairs, probably supplied by the villagers themselves. The townspeople had all dressed in what was probably their very best, and they were chatting amongst themselves, waiting for the bride to arrive.
Ilia was observing the scene from her own front porch when she noticed that a line of soldiers was marching in her direction. She rolled her eyes and groaned as they split into ranks of two and then divided down the middle, turning to face inward and thus creating a column from her front porch to where the aisle began. She couldn't help but feel self-conscious in front of them, especially considering their inclination to the perverted. Her first step forward felt ghostlike, and suddenly she froze in place, realizing that she was being observed. She stepped back up onto the porch and scurried out of sight and around the corner, and it was there that she bumped very accidentally into Shad.
He hadn't noticed her approaching; hadn't even known she'd been close, which was probably why he was so startled when she literally collided with him. He turned—started to excuse himself—stopped dead.
Oh, gods. Oh gods, oh gods, was she beautiful. Pale eyes feathery hair elegant posture flushed cheeks nervous smile. Ilia, small, graceful, wonderful, joyful Ilia in a wedding dress, and quite the right wedding dress, too, because it fit her in all the right places and pooled around her feet and made her look so very ethereal, ethereal like a swan in moonlight. Ilia, white dress, porcelain skin, pale hair, pale like snow against those fiery red leaves that spread out like a fan and swirled down through crisp autumn air, Ilia, a beacon, shining right there in front of him. Ilia, oh gods, Ilia, and Shad's heart throbbed madly in his chest and his throat tightened up and Shad knew that he was very very very much in love.
"Y—you look… breathtaking… Ilia."
He could tell she was nervous; she rarely shook like that.
"Shad," she said quietly. She was toying with the bouquet ribbon almost obsessively, and her eyes dashed back and forth, finally anchoring on Shad, who was staring shamelessly. "Shad, I—"
She shook and shook, jaw opening, clamping shut, trying to find words, but they so eluded her that she had to give up completely. Tears rushed forth, balancing perilously on her lashes, threatening to fall, and she just stood there, overcome with emotion, and then she broke.
"Shad, I'm scared."
Ilia hadn't admitted it to anyone else; she had even shouted at Ashei, insisting that she wasn't frightened of what was to come. She had promised to devote herself to Link, had promised to devote her life to dramatic, traumatized Link. She had told herself that she would willingly sign herself over to the boy; she'd paid only a little thought to Shad, but now, as she stared the red-haired, love-struck boy right in the eyes, she knew just how difficult signing herself over to Link would be. Because there was already a part of her that had signed itself over to someone else, and that 'someone else' was standing right in front of her.
She fell forward and he accepted her into his arms wordlessly. She didn't weep; she didn't do anything. She just wrapped her arms around Shad and noticed how gentle he was.
"You're going to be okay," he promised. "You'll both be okay."
Ilia sighed. "Do you promise?"
Shad didn't answer. He didn't promise.
The embrace lasted several moments more, and Shad relished every second of it. He expected Ilia to end it first, but when she didn't seem to be pulling away, Shad ended the moment himself. He would have sworn he felt a thread snap when he pushed her away from him and they broke contact.
"Go on," he said. Ilia was shaking her head.
"Will you give me away?" she asked. Shad shook his head.
"I'm Link's best man; I have to stand at the head of the aisle with—"
"Please," she pleaded. "Please, just do this for me. Just this one thing, please—"
Without another word, Shad laced his arm through his and squeezed tightly. He could feel the vibration of her heart against his arm and was startled; good gods, she was nervous.
They turned the corner and Ilia's face went white. Shad squeezed again.
"Remain calm. I've got you."
They proceeded through the column of soldiers, coming to a halt at the beginning of the aisle. The mayor was standing at the head of the aisle with Link, who looked incredibly melancholy for somebody who was about to be married. He was casting his gaze into the crowd; after careful examination, Shad pinpointed exactly who Link was looking at, and it just so happened that she was staring straight back.
Ashei…
Shad glanced down at Ilia, who was also watching Link.
"He's going to miss her," Ilia whispered, and the words sounded very forced and strange, as if she'd just come to some extravagant epiphany.
"No," Shad argued weakly, "you two will be happy together." He wasn't sure whether he felt any better by saying that. "After all," he added, trying to back up an argument with himself, "I heard you two talking a few days ago, the morning of the Fall Festival."
Ilia frowned. "What?"
"That morning, you and Link were downstairs arguing, and I could hear you from upstairs. You were arguing over Ashei, and then he kissed you on the forehead and said you'd love each other in spite of Ashei's interference…" the words made less and less sense as Shad recounted the scene, and Ilia's bewildered expression only topped it off.
"But when we said that—Shad—Shad, oh, you must have misunderstood, we didn't mean it like that."
"Wait, a second, didn't you—" Shad stuttered, and then stopped as his eyes bugged out. "Oh," he said quietly. And then it clicked. Ilia and Link weren't in love at all.
He didn't have time to say anything else as the sound of Hanch's fiddle met their ears. The mass of villagers turned and they all faced Ilia; for a minute, they beamed, and then their faces were struck with confusion as they realized that Shad was at her side. For a moment, they glanced back and forth at one another, wondering why that strange scholar boy was leading Ilia down the aisle. But then they all realized how beautiful she looked, and how lovely she would look next to Link on the altar, and they didn't know anything about Link's quest or about how sick he was or about how scared Ilia was, and they certainly didn't know anything about a warrior girl or a scholarly boy that may or may not be getting in the way. All that they saw was what was on the surface, and they were shallow like that; they always had been shallow. Link had pointed it out early on; he had warned the others that his reputation would precede him, and here he was, marrying a girl he didn't love in the way that a husband ought to love his wife, because he had been right all along. His reputation did precede him. And the villagers didn't realize what they were doing to him.
They didn't realize that they were tearing him away from his life source, that was for sure. Because Ashei was his life source; with what other individual had Link ever felt so big, and yet so small? No two people in the world had ever been so overwhelmed by one another, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
The ascension to the end of the aisle was ghost-like, and as the sound of Hanch's fiddle ceased, Shad knew that it was time to let Ilia go.
He'd never actually realized how real this moment would be. He'd been putting it off in his head for the past twenty-four hours, almost brushing it aside as if it wouldn't actually happen. And yet here he was, handing over the girl of his dreams to the boy of everyone else's dreams, and it all felt very strange and numb. He stepped off to the side as Ilia's hand slipped into Link's, and the dream couple stood side-by-side before the village with erect shoulders and plastic smiles.
"We are gathered here today…" Bo began, reading from a book propped in front of him. Link and Ilia turned to each other underneath the arch, and Shad glanced nervously at Ashei. She was looking off to the side; perhaps she couldn't watch? Then he turned to the woman standing behind Ilia, Sera, who had proclaimed herself the maid of honor for no discernible reason.
"…To celebrate the union of hearts through blessed matrimony, both civil and holy in disposition," Bo continued. "The gods smile from above on this ceremonious day… um… yeah, I'm just gonna skip this next part…"
Ilia and Link shot each other odd looks, but Bo's abridged version of the ceremony was at least lighthearted enough to evoke a small smile from each of them.
"…Ah, here's the important stuff," Bo said, pointing to a section of the page before him. "As mayor of this town, it is my civil duty to join your—well, our—houses legally. Now, Link and Ilia, I ask you two to join hands. Sera, place your hand on Ilia's shoulder, and Shad, place your hand on Link's shoulder." The best man and maid of honor obliged, and then Bo squinted at the tiny print on the page before him as he began to recite:
"Today the houses of Ilia and Link of Ordon will be joined through the exchanging of vows. So, Link, I ask you: do you take Ilia as your cherished wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"
Link's expression remained blank as he answered, very steadily, "I do." (Ilia couldn't help but wonder what sort of tumult lay underneath the vague façade.)
Then Ilia's father turned to her. "Ilia," he said, choking up a bit, "I ask you: do you take Link as your cherished husband—"
Oh, gods…
"—to have and to hold—"
This is it this is it this is it…
"—from this day forward—"
Adrenaline rushed through her blood. Calm down, Ilia, she told herself.
"—for better—"
It's going to be okay.
"—for worse—"
Shad said so.
"—for richer—"
Shad promised so.
"—for poorer—"
And Shad's always right.
"—in sickness or in health—"
Should I shouldn't I should I shouldn't I—
"—to love and to cherish—"
I should I should I should I really should—
"—until death do you part?"
The word death shattered the image as she realized that this was it, this was Link, this was the rest of her life being handed to her on a silver platter. Link, a young man, Link, middle aged and tired, Link, old and gray, Link, a corpse. And she was suddenly uncomfortable— was she ready to accept that?
And then she remembered the village. She remembered the soldiers, and she remembered the danger they were in, and realized that this was the sacrifice the mayor's daughter was expected to make. This was the duty she owed to a group of people who revered her, and she knew that it had to be her and it had to be Link, because that was the way things were meant to be and NO! This was NOT the way things were meant to be! Oh, the turmoil—no, Link wasn't meant to be with her, Link couldn't spend the rest of his life in this hated village, no, Link needed to be free, Link needed to be with Ashei, Ashei was his lifeline—Ashei was his lifeline…
"I—"
Her words hitched in her throat as the rest of the village sat on pins and needles. Just say it, Ilia. Just do it.
No, don't. Don't sign your life away! Don't sign Link's life away!
Make the sacrifice!
It's not worth it!
There's not another way!
There's always another way!
She clutched her head suddenly, wincing in pain. "STOP, STOP!" she cried, trying to shut up the voices in her head. She pivoted on her heel and the villagers gasped as she shouted, "No, I don't, I can't!" And then the tears burst free of the barrier and streamed down her face. The bouquet collapsed to the ground and Ilia turned to face Link, and then her father, and then the villagers—abhorred, all of them. Betrayed.
Rasire stood up suddenly, fuming. "What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded, and Ilia was shouting before she could stop.
"It's not fair, none of it is fair!" she insisted, gesturing around. "Do you really expect me to resign myself to this?!" she cried. "You expect me to just stick myself here and stay? You expect Link to stay?! You expect us to marry each other even though we aren't in love, even though there are other people?! It's not fair!"
"Of course it's not fair!" cried Rasire from the back of the crowd, and he strode suddenly forward. "It's politics!"
"Oh, shut it, Rasire!" Ashei yelled, having gotten to her feet after the initial bout of shock faded away. "It's not like you wanted them to go through with it, anyway!"
"Excuse me!" Rasire practically spat. He had his sword out before anyone could say another word and he marched up to the altar, leaning right up into Link's space. "You all insisted that we stall in our mission, insisted that we not replace your leader, insisted that we allow you to put on a wedding! Ha! Why, you're liars, all of you, liars! Oh, yes, what a show! Encore, encore!" He clapped his hands mockingly. "What will it be next? A protest? A revolt? What shall the Ordonians pull from their bag of tricks this time?"
The villagers could merely watch, caught in a paralysis of fear. Rasire beckoned his soldiers forward and they all drew their swords, forming a circle around the villagers.
"No more of this!" he cried. "No more of your games! NONE of you are to be trusted! From this day forth, this village will be under high-security scrutiny. We'll call in another legion if we have to; we'll have soldiers and spies boarding in your homes if that's what it comes to! You'll all be taken in for questioning—"
"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"
And then Link strode forward, his face bright red as he fumed with anger. Rasire started to protest and Link kicked him in the stomach so hard that he collapsed backward onto the grass. Link wrenched the sword from his opponent's grip and kept him pinned to the ground with it. When the others started to protest, Link stepped down—hard—on Rasire's arm, and it snapped with a sickening crack. Blood rushed from the wound and the soldiers gasped in shock. Link raised the sword threateningly.
"Nobody move!" he cried, and turned to Ashei. "Give me some backup here."
Ashei, naturally deft, caught the nearest soldier in a headlock and swiped his sword free, twirling it in her grasp as she took her position at Link's side. The soldiers began to close in as Rasire howled in pain from down below.
"What's got into you?" Ashei muttered.
"I'm a bachelor again," he replied, which only created more questions.
"Are you suggesting something?"
"Just raising a point," said Link with a smirk, and he moved forward suddenly, caught in a whirlwind of blades. Ashei scrambled in after him, taking a fighting stance as soldiers swarmed in from all sides. And then, without so much as a warning, Link unleashed a spin attack that took out five soldiers at once.
The villagers screamed and ran out in all different directions as Link and Ashei were caught in the heart of a full-fledged brawl. They swung and hacked and fought, and Link fought with a vigor that Ashei had never seen in him. A vigor that she thought had gone away long ago—only yesterday he'd sworn he couldn't raise a sword! So why had he changed? What had happened to evoke such a sudden transition in the once-hero?
It. Made. No. Sense.
The rush of battle continued as Link attacked every soldier he saw in a blind fury. Before long, the white flowers had been splattered with crimson, and it didn't end until four soldiers lay dead and the rest wounded at Link's feet. And he could only stand there, soaked in blood, sword in hand, panting for air as he gazed at his handiwork.
And then he threw the sword to the ground as if it were poison.
Ashei was similarly bloodstained, and she noticed a throbbing that had been hiding until now; looking down, she noticed a giant gash in her side. It was funny… it hadn't started to hurt until she'd noticed it…
"That's been bottled up for a long, long time," Link finally said amidst the groaning. And then he looked up. Saw Ashei. His eyes went wide as he saw the glaring wound—
And then her legs gave out as she lost consciousness.
Link's eyes widened and he rushed forward, gathering her body into his arms as the blood continued seeping from the gash in her side. The world blurred around him and all he could focus on was her; she was fading fast…
"HELP!" he cried, his voice cracking. "HELP, SOMEBODY HELP! SHE'S DYING!"
8,000 words later, the chapter is finished.
Sorry for the three-week hiatus. I've been battling some writer's block.
…Anyway, finally! We've been launched headfirst into the beginning of the end. We have seen a large contrast between Link's character at the end of this chapter and his character in the heart of last chapter. I received several comments from angry readers last time complaining that Link has gotten far too weak. My dear readers: you are correct. I did this intentionally. Obviously, our hero had to sink as low as he possibly could before he could begin to make his comeback. (And I'd like to think that the comeback has finally begun.)
Next chapter: Link is done taking Crevan's shit, and he's ready to let the world know.
Review and let me know your thoughts! :) Thanks.
