As the carriage passed the town gates, a group approached – two men and three girls. One man was short and plump, the other tall and slender. The girls all had auburn hair and blue eyes, though one was about half the age of the other two. Suspicious played on all of their faces.
The plump man was the first to speak as he absent-mindedly played with his moustache. "What's a Gerudo caravan doing here?" His tone was stern and demanding. He didn't trust the man at the reigns.
Zelda didn't blame him. "We're no caravan," she said, peeking her head out of the front. Recognition lit up the eyes of the Lon villagers. "We're visitors."
The princess hopped out of the front and was met by eager hugs and pats on the back. Only the thin man hung back, watching quietly.
"Well, I'll be!' The leader of the group – the chubby man – took Zelda by the shoulders and held her at arm's length, taking in the sight of her. "We'd thought you dead, princess!"
He released Zelda in time for the three redheads to hug her, cling to her, and plant kisses of relief against her cheeks. They cried her name and Zelda felt her cheeks grow wet. Even after she'd changed so much, her friends recognized her. Of course they did.
The slender man never hugged her or even patted her on the back. He didn't cling to her, just to himself, with his arms folded over his chest. One of the older redheads – Malon – went over to him and snagged his hand out of his crossed arms. She spoke eagerly to him, but was met mostly with disinterest.
Zelda watched the two for a moment before seeing a glimmer of silver on both their hands. "You married Ingo?" she asked with mild surprise.
Malon nodded eagerly. "I did just a few months ago," she replied. "Meanwhile Cremia here is still pining for Kafei. She's thinking about starting up a ranch in Termina just so she can see him more." She gave her sister a playful elbow nudge.
Cremia's face flushed scarlet and she stammered "N-no, I'm not!"
The youngest sister – Romani – giggled cheerfully. "And Grog has a crush on Cremia!"
The group stared at the young girl with wide eyes. A hush fell over them. Shock.
She looked around anxiously. "Was Romani not meant to know that?"
Ganondorf ignored the idle chatter and made his way over to Zelda with Agitha trailing behind him. "Unlike you, we were awake the whole trip. We're going to eat and get some sleep if you need us."
"Alright. I'll try to join you shortly."
Romani came forward and took the Gerudo king and princess of insects by their hands. "It's almost Romani's bedtime too, but she can show you an inn where you can get something yummy to eat first."
Zelda watched the three disappear into a lit cottage a few paces away. Part of her thought she ought to join them, but another told her to stay and catch up with old friends.
The sisters decided before Zelda could. They gently pushed her into a small barn. Zelda remembered it well. When her parents used to come here for horse riding lessons and commoner company, the twins and Zelda would hide in the barn and play. It was one of the only times in Zelda's childhood where she felt almost normal, almost like she was free.
They gathered on an old wooden bench. It creaked under their combined weight, but didn't wobble or break. The villager elder, Talon, always was good at building things that would last, or at least hold up his own weight.
"Well?" Cremia said eagerly. "Tell us!"
"Tell you what?"
"Where you've been these last three years, of course! We thought for sure that the new king did you in until Impa came by."
"Impa?" They had her attention now. But why were they allowed to see Impa and she wasn't? Was she still alive? "When did she come by?"
"Last time was a few months ago. Every half a year before that, maybe?" Malon thought carefully, then nodded. Certainty. So it was just a few months ago. Zelda had been hiding with the Kokiri at the time.
"Did she ask of me?" Zelda asked.
"She did, but drop the Hylian."
"Beg pardon?" But then Zelda heard her own voice and her cheeks reddened. She should have been using Common more often. That's what citizens used. Zelda wasn't exactly a citizen, but Sheik was. Sheik was also a commoner. That meant she had to speak Common to be convincing.
"But tell us your story first. Then we'll tell you ours."
Zelda told them everything – how they fled on her eighteenth birthday, how she lost Impa, the pain, the fear, the desperation. And then, she told them how things finally got better. She told them about Ganondorf and his customs and lullabies, of the witch mothers and the hopeful prophecy, and even Agitha's smile, laugh, and love of bugs.
The twins leaned forward eagerly to watch Zelda's face and hand motions. Every word, every truth, they heard with anticipation. They wanted to know and Zelda wanted to tell them. She wanted to to get it all off her chest finally. And she did. And Cremia and Malon drank it all in.
"And now I'm here," Zelda finished lamely.
The sisters opened their mouths to speak. Zelda had fulfilled her bit of the promise. Now it was their turn. It was time to hear about Impa.