Coin-Operated
13.0
It's Cruel Times, That Keeps You so Far
Tracking down Shad the scholar, whom I'd spoken to, proved to be of little difficulty, although it was time consuming. We'd even wasted some of this time trying to find something in the library on our own, and we have absolutely nothing to show for it. Unfortunately, time is something Link and I don't actually have; the money Ruto's sent isn't going to last much longer, even with the additional funds Link has earned busking, meaning it will be time for us to move on. Even if I truly do want to leave him and get myself out of this craziness, it appears as though I am tied to him through a red string of fate; even if I leave, I will be shadowed. Besides, it's not like I have anything to go back to. I cannot return to my flat, I fear I will put Malon and her ranch in danger if I go there, and I absolutely have no family left to turn to for shelter.
In some small part of my mind, I have to wonder if this is what the rest of my life will consist of. The pointless wandering and drifting will have its toll on me and what's between Link and me. There is no settling down in a quiet town; Link will never age. I, however, will. I will grow old. My skin will gain wrinkles, and my vision will blur. My hair will lose its lovely sheen and color. No longer will I be blonde in the future. I will grey; maybe even gain a few white hairs. Or maybe my hair will do just that, whiten to where there is not a hint of color left. My hearing will go, and I'll have to constantly ask Link to speak up. He will be just as strong, young and virile as the day I met him, but my bones will grow weak with age. My joints will creak, and no amount of oil will ease them like my mechanical companion.
But what comes after me then? What is Link supposed to do? Forever young, ageless in a chaotic time. Will he find another like me? Someone to confide his histories and secrets in? Or will none of this be in our future? With the times as they are, I have no guarantees, and neither does Link. It's possible that I won't even get the chance to grow old, or I might even just grow old by myself, alone.
I have to remind myself, that it's what is in the present that currently matters. Actions must be taken if I want any sort of future, so when I finally come across Shad at the entrance of the Kakariko Library, I flag him down. He looks between me and Link, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose as he studies us. "Do you not remember me?" I ask hesitantly, but Shad shakes his head.
"No, no. I remember. We had a very enlightening conversation," he says before holding out his hand for Link to take and introducing himself. I suppose that our "conversation" could be considered enlightening, but considering my lack of actual input, it was more of a lecture, a monologue, from Shad's end of things. "Is there something I can do for you, Miss Zelda?" He fiddles with his collar with one hand, his eyes flicking from me to Link.
I glance at Link, but he remains stoic, doll-like. The absence of expression in him is more unsettling than if he were to just outright glare at and Shad and me. Turning back, I tell Shad, "We were actually hoping that since you seem to know a great deal about the end of the House of Harkinian, if you might have ever heard of the name Malladus?"
Shad doesn't answer right away, and instead takes his time mulling it over. His brow furrows, and his mouth tightens. "I believe that I have; the name sounds familiar enough, but I'm afraid I can't quite place it," he finally admits, "I'm sorry to say.
"Was there any particular event or person he may have been tied to?"
Knowing this is something that I can't exactly answer, I turn to Link, whose expression has not changed in the slightest. He glances at me and shrugs. "He would have been around for the last king of the House of Harkinian."
We decide to start from there, but not even with Shad's help, can we find anything. While Link and I help Shad track down books and search through them in the library, but eventually, Link gives up. He didn't have much hope in our search to begin with, so he wanders away from us. Every few minutes or so, I'll catch a glimpse of him as he paces through the stacks and rows of books. Occasionally, he picks up a book or two and flips through them, but nothing seems to hold much interest to him.
Link's total lack of input dampens my own hope in finding something. The amount of useless information I've sifted through is taking its toll on my eyes. Shad sighs next to me, and mentions, "Who knows? Maybe what you're looking for has been destroyed." So Shad and I eventually call it quits as well.
When we go to leave, Shad asks, "If I do end up finding something, how should I contact you?"
Link and I hesitate to answer at first. I shake my head. "We appreciate you taking the time to try and help us, but I guess this is where we part. We're drifters, and I don't think we'll be staying here much longer."
Shad nods at this. He pushes his spectacles up a little. "It's sad times right now, that's for sure," he says quietly. "Especially for people like you." He nods at us, and self-consciously I fiddle with one long ear. "You best be careful," he warns and holds out a hand for us to take. "Link. Miss Zelda. If we meet again, it will be a pleasure."
Link and I wander down the old streets of Kakariko. I groan and cover my face with my hands. "DON'T."
Link laughs a little. "I didn't say anything."
I grumble some choice words as we stop at a corner, but Link pulls me to him. The edge of the coin box on his chest digs a little into my cheek. "Look, it was worth a try."
"Everything just ends up being a dead end."
"Then maybe it just isn't the right time. Everything is for a reason, right?" he says, and he nudges me a little.
"Let's get a drink."
Link lets me pull away, and we cross the street. His arm still remains around me when he tells me, "Let's get you a drink."
"Let's get me a drink," I laugh.
"Or two."
"Or three!"
Link sighs. "I miss mead."
"Of all the things, mead?"
"Taste is a bit lost on me at this point," he chuckles. "There were always good times with mead though."
I tell him it wasn't just the mead, but he just laughs and shakes it off.
When we arrive at the bar, I get my drink and we hide away in a corner. Link continues to try and distract me from the day's adventures and asks me, "So, considering we're going to have to get a move on, where do you want to go now?"
"I don't even know."
"Well, just think about it, because we need to skip out in the next couple of days or so."
I agree. We spend the rest of the night joking around and talking about everything and nothing at all. Slowly, I just stop worrying about it all. About Malon. The carnies. My old flat. The squads. The bookburnings. Shad. Even Malladus and the great Zelda Harkinian.
When I'm stumbling to leave, it's Link who keeps me steady.
…
There were whispers in the corridors. They were nearly silent, but they were as deadly as ever. They gossiped, questioning the reasons, the motives. They wanted to know why, but the ever regal Zelda kept her head held high. She had since donned a new demeanor. The royal Zelda was not to be trifled with, and the rats of the nobility skittered from her purposeful feet. She was on a warpath, and nothing was to halt her plans. This was clear. If only her silk slippers could make stone shake like thunder.
Still they talked.
Why was it that she had fallen ill? She was always known for her good health, and should she ever fall ill, she was always too stubborn to stay put for long. Yet she was out of sight for weeks. Did you hear that the Sheikah tended to her? They're rarely ever seen, even on these castle grounds. And her favorite! Did you see? Did you see?! Around his neck, he's been wearing a scarf of purple cloth. Yes! It's true! Purple! Not red, not blue, but purple! Such arrogance.
Yet the Princess Zelda pays them no mind. She storms through her castle, ready for a fight. Her hair, unstyled and free, trails behind her in her quick pace. Color has returned to her cheeks. Her skin has paled. They praise her whitening skin. How horrid should it be for it to be tarnished by the sun again. It's despicable really. Here she thought she could do a man's job. They tsk in distaste, but then scatter when she so much as turns one eye to them.
Princess Zelda slams through heavy double doors without a thought. Blinding sunshine pools through the doors, and she goes out as a one man stampede. The castle gardens are just as meticulously maintained as they always have been. Flowers are beginning to lose their luster though with the approaching cold season.
When she finally finds him, he's snoozing in the shade under a willow, almost hidden from view by its long, green fingers. His hands are folded on his stomach, and his eyelids are closed. His tunic is almost he perfect disguise. She pushes the tree's curtain of foliage aside. "They won't shut up," she huffs, letting the greenery fall back in place, and then she flops down next to him. "I can't even hear myself think with the way they chatter about."
"You'll wrinkle your skirts."
"Oh hodgepodge," she spits without a care before adding, "It's ridiculous the things they focus on."
"Like the fairness of your skin?"
"They can't seem to stop whispering about the scarf I made you." Princess Zelda snorts. "What else am I to do when I'm bedridden?"
"It's purple."
The lady knight rolls her eyes. Her patience with Link's blatant and obvious statements is wearing thin, but he appears to be disinterested in everything around him. His eyes are still shut to world. "You don't have to wear it," she snaps, "if you don't like it. My feelings won't be hurt."
"No, I like it. You put a lot of work into it, too. It's just that it's purple."
"I was never going to wear that dress again anyway… not after the way I soiled it." Yes. It was ruined. Completely ruined. The scarf was only a small portion she cut from the front of her skirts, the back having been drenched with blood. She remembers walking towards her apartments, her ladies flocking behind her when the pain hit her. It struck through her abdomen and she doubled over, the trickle of blood leaking down her legs. The lady knight reaches over and fingers the fine, hardy damask embroidered with gold thread. She admits to him though, "I was worried that I might not finish it. That maybe I would never get well."
"You're made of tougher stuff than you think, milady."
The blonde lady heaves a sigh. She scoots closer to her companion and throws Link's arm from his stomach. He laughs at this. "Lady, what're you doing?" She curls up against him with her head resting over his heart. Though his laughter has stopped, the smile doesn't leave him, and Link opens his eyes. He brings his hand back up to run his fingers through her loose locks. His eyes rove every which way, taking in all the messy green strands of the willow.
They stay this way for a time, at ease under the willow until the princess asks, "Your heart still sounds the same. Does it even hurt?"
Link doesn't answer right away, but his eyes fixate on a spot straight ahead of him. "Yes and no," he finally tells her.
Princess Zelda gives a soft hum of acknowledgement and says, "I understand."
They stay this way until calls in the distance flit across the landscape for Her Highness. She quickly extracts herself from Link and rises from the ground. Pushing aside the long tresses of the willow, she emerges out into the world once again. Stoic, tall, proud, and most of all, royal.
She inclines her head slightly at the sight of the messenger, a young page. "What is it, boy?"
"A summons from His Majesty, milady. He wishes to speak to you in his private study."
"Did His Majesty say what for?"
"No, milady."
She considers the page for a minute, but then she nods her head. "Very well," she says curtly. "Thank you. Now be on your way, lad; I can walk alone."
The page gives her a nervous, sloppy bow and bounds off for the castle interior.
Princess Zelda gives one last look at the willow concealing the knight in green before marching off through the gardens toward the castle.
When she reaches her destination, the men standing guard in the hallway swing open the doors to the study to allow the princess through. She give them a curt nod as she glides by, her slippers silent and light. The doors clack shut behind her as she turns to face the King of Hyrule. A large man and well into his years, he stands over a large map spread out on a table. "Good morrow, Daughter. How are you faring?" he greets.
"I am well enough, Your Majesty," she says. Her voice is soft, light and quiet, but her words ring clearly through the impeccable study.
Books upon books line shelves along the walls. Books are stacked on the floor. A desk sits in a circular corner of the room where large windows let the sunlight in. There are even three globes and a telescope in the room. The table where the king stands is the focal point, but he stands straight and motions for the princess to follow as he takes from the table some papers. In another corner is an armchair and loveseat. The king settles into the armchair as his daughter seats herself daintily on the loveseat. She looks out the windows, waiting for him to speak.
Her father heaves a sigh, burdened with great weight. "My dear Zelda, I need you to consider this," he says, lifting the papers up in his hand. "This letter comes from Calatia. Considering that my last match for you has fallen through, this is a new contract for us to consider."
The princess needles her brow, and she casts the papers an inquisitive, suspicious glance before her eyes dart back to the king. She does not speak, does not even break her focus for a minute before she reaches over and snatches the papers from her father. Her eyes flit over the letter. She reads through the papers once, then twice and finally a third time before she lets them slap onto her lap. "They can't be serious," she mumbles.
"Oh, they quite are."
Princess Zelda huffs and rubs her temples. "Tell them that I refuse," she snaps, and she hands back the papers to her father.
"You got along quite well when you were children," he gently prods, his eyes reading a few passages here and there from the letter. "It would be a good match."
The unfaltering dark look on her face only makes him sigh again. "Zelda, my dear, I do not have much time left. I have no sons to entrust the throne to. You are all that I have."
"So you would let the throne fall into Calatian hands?"
"It would make a good alliance-"
At this, Princess Zelda rises in an instant. Her voice is firm and powerful when she says, "No."
The king cocks his head, but does not speak.
"Nothing good will come of it. Besides, the prince would be considered a heathen by the Hylian people. He does not share our faith; can you imagine the discord that would follow?"
"Do not speak in such insulting terms."
"I speak the truth," she bites back. "I will hear no more of this."
Bones weary with age, the king's joints crack as he rises as well. "And if an amicable agreement is not made, there will be other consequences."
"Would you rather fight a problem from the inside or the outside, Father?"
Princess Zelda doesn't wait for an answer, the stunned expression on his face satisfaction enough. She rises and leaves her father's study. The door slams behind her with a rattling force.
She is headstrong, there's no denying that. Calculating and intelligent as well. She stands alone in a yard, musket in hand. With quick, accurate fingers, she cleans it and preps it for the next shot. The princess loads the gun and takes aim at a far off target in the yard. A silence rolls over the yard as she tries to gauge her shot. One delicate finger slides over the trigger, and she pulls. Smoke erupts from the barrel and the shot blares through the air.
"Farore! What're you doing?"
The princess lowers the gun, and she turns to see Link approach, scowling and a pinky finger pulling at his ear. Her purple skirts twist with her movements. She cocks an eyebrow at him, mostly bemused by him than anything. Link still wears the purple scarf cut from her skirts and embroidered with the Hylian Royal Crest atop his green tunic.
He offers a quick greeting of "Morrow," and then Link nods at the musket in her hands. "Oi, what's this, Your Royal Highness?"
"The future," she levels. There's a glint in her eye of sheer determination.
Link takes the musket from her hands when she holds it out to him. He feels out its weight and looks it over as the Princess Zelda tells him, "It's not as accurate as I would hope it to be, but it shoots farther than a bow." Link hands it back to her and she starts the process of loading it once more. "Can you imagine all the things that will follow with this?
"We've been living in dark ages long enough. There's too much of the world left to be explored, too many things left undiscovered."
She passes the gun back to Link, who takes it with some hesitation. "And what in Din's name are you planning on doing with this contraption?"
At this, she shakes her head. "As of right now, nothing. The cost to produce is far too much to outfit an army at this point. Maybe one or two troops would be feasible. However, then there's training the men to use it, and loading it is a careful process," she lists. As she goes on, Link rolls his eyes. She frowns when she notices that he's quickly lost interest.
"Try it though," she tells him. "Take a shot at the target."
"What do I do?"
She walks him through the few simple steps, and Link raises the musket. He curses at the deafening sound when the gun fires. He squints out at the distance, and then tosses the musket back at the princess with a barking laugh. "I don't think I even came close."
She tries to hide her smirk from him, but Link sees the tugging of her lips. He elbows her a little, and she lets out a giggle. The two stare out at the target for a bit. The grey morning pools over the yard as Princess Zelda turns to her companion. "Will you fetch your uncle for me?" she asks him. "Send him to my apartments. I'll receive him in my study."
This shocks Link for a moment, but he quickly masks it. It only makes the princess raise her brow. "Are you sure?" he whispers.
"I need a favor," she tells him. "I'm sure that the members of your family will be more than willing to lap up this opportunity like the dogs they are."
Her eyes shift down to the musket in her hands. She holds it back out to him. "Do you want it? I assure you, it's as free of a gift as anything. No strings."
He chuckles a little, but Link shakes his head. "No thank you, milady. I wouldn't know what to do with it."
She shrugs. "I thought I'd at least offer."
Princess Zelda turns to leave him in the yard, but she stops in her tracks. Looking over her shoulder, her hair cascades down her back. Link raises his head to inquire. "Do me one other favor, will you?" Link nods. "The castle has too many ears." He blinks a few times, and then he nods in understanding. The lady knight cracks one last smile at him before leaving the yard behind.
She knows the castle like no other. Every twist, every turn, every shortcut. The princess is privy to all of its secrets. She slides in and out of corridors and slips gracefully into shadows away from prying eyes and ears.
When she enters her apartments, her ladies are quick to abandon their work. They rise to their feet with urgency and curtsey for her. "Your Highness" echoes through the room, but Princess Zelda doesn't even acknowledge their greetings. Instead, the moment she sets foot into the room, her voice overpowers her ladies. "Leave." And that's all it takes. The noblewomen quickly gather up any essential and file out of the princess' apartments.
In her bedroom, she sets the musket on top of her trunk, and then she makes her way into each of her rooms to ensure that she is alone. She paces around her rooms until Link opens the door to her apartments. His uncle steps in, and she nods to Link who turns and shuts the door behind him.
"Let's not waste time in formalities," she snaps as she spins on her heel.
Once in the study, she floats over to her desk to take a seat and motions for Link's uncle to follow. "Do you know why I've asked you here?"
"No, Your Highness."
"None at all?"
"No, Your Highness."
They stare at each other in a deadlock.
She breaks it: "That is such utter horse shit."
There's a slight twitch in the man's brow, but other than that, he offers her no other response. So they play the waiting game with each other. First for a minute, then two. Then even three. Link's uncle will not relent to the princess.
She leans back in her chair. "My father has foolishly chosen you of all people to represent us in Calatia." A wry smile stretches her face. "I just want to be assured that your ambitions in these proceedings match mine. Do you follow me now, Sir?"
"I do."
She cracks the knuckles on her right hand, her eyes drawn to it as she watches each finger bend under her thumb. "I need you to botch the negotiations."
"You're looking at a war, Your Highness."
"I'm well aware."
"You're looking at treason, Your Highness."
"Which is why I'll have your head if this gets out." She waves her hand. "I'm willing to make a deal, Sir. I will not have some God-fearing man on a throne blessed by the Golden Goddesses."
Link's uncle studies her for a spell. He takes in every quirk in her face, every tense and relaxed muscle. She won't even blink. "You truly think this about religion?"
"What better excuse?" she sneers.
"If you're willing to deal…"
Princess Zelda straightens again. "I'm ready and willing. I can do no more in my position. It's all up to you to make both ends of this deal work now, understand?"
"Yes, milady."
She smiles at him sweetly, but there's a hint of malice in her eyes as she looks at the nobleman sitting across from her.
"Good." Her voice rings out through the hotel room chilling and clear. Air rattles in my lungs as I awake from the dreams surrounded by darkness. I can barely make out the outlines of Link resting in the chair in the corner of the room. He must have brought me back. He's turned off by this point though, leaving me completely alone.
As I throw off the twisted sheets and quilt from me and rise from the bed. Deep within me, I can feel it. It burns in my core, and I can feel it. Her determination and personal ambition swells in a hearty fire in my chest. I place one palm on Link's forehead, my fingers tangling in his hair, and mumble my apology to him.
My feet carry me into the night. Step by step. I'm hardly aware of the world and lights flying by me as I run through town. Grass blades lick at my heels and ankles until I collapse at Eldin's spring. The hawk rises up from the water, flexing its wings in greeting, and I'm bathed in its golden light.
"Tell me what I need to do."
The hawk ruffles its feathers. "Then let's begin."
I AM SO LATE FOR WORK.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think! I wanted to give some more about Princess Zelda, so here it is. Thank you guys for all the messages and reviews; I really appreciate them, and it makes me glad that people are enjoying my work. Seriously, the amount of support I've gotten for this story and Zombie Cake has been amazing.
NOW I GOTTA SCRAM.
:O