If you haven't noticed by now, there is a cultural difference between Hyrule and Holodrum, and there will a cultural difference with any other region that is mentioned in the story.
Disclaimer: Only own OCs. Everything else is property of Nintendo. We do not want any lawyers here ever.
Onwards with the show!
The Mayor the Doctor and Odd Behaviour
The small village bustles with activity as peopled move from one place to the other as they go about their daily business. Among them walk Link, and Zelda follows him close behind as they weave their way through crowds of shoppers, venders, and children playing in the street.
Link leads Zelda to the mayor's office, for Zelda needs to register to officially join the village. This is something he had brought up to her yesterday evening when she was about to go to bed. He had stopped her at her door and told her about how she would need to see the mayor tomorrow.
He had also mentioned how his sisters were heading to the doctor's tomorrow for their physical, and if Zelda wanted to she could go join them after they visited the mayor.
Zelda had agreed to this arrangement. It was about time she had her own physical done anyways.
That is why they were currently walking through the crowded road towards a grand house in the east.
Zelda uses the time to study her guide. She doesn't know what to make of him. All she really knows about Link is that he is strong, a deadly fighter, and a hunter. Thus, she keeps distance between them, lest he try to do something to her.
When they arrive Link takes her to the receptionist where he states their business. The receptionist directs them to the mayors office where they find him pouring over several papers. He looks up upon their arrival and gives a tired - but not wholly disgruntled - sigh.
"Link," he greets in a friendly tone. "To what honour do I owe this visit from my favourite acting sheriff?"
"Acting sheriff?" Zelda questions Link.
He gives her a self-satisfied smile. "We have no real law enforcement, so we accept volunteers. I volunteer the most."
"It's gotten to the point where I might as well start paying him for a part time job," adds the mayor. "Anyways, back to business. What brings you here, and who's the dame?"
"The dame is named Zelda, and she is my reason for being here."
"A pleasure to meet you miss Zelda. I'm mayor Ruul," he says offering his hand.
Zelda shakes it slowly. She doesn't know what to think of Ruul, but she soon decides he isn't a threat. His short height and wide girth certainly doesn't make him look scary. Quite the opposite. And his round, puggy face only adds to his charm. She gives a small smile and the mayor returns the gesture.
"So, what can I do for the lass?"
Zelda is silent as she waits for Link to tell Ruul their business, but the pointed look he gives her makes it clear he wants her to speak for herself.
She takes a deep breath and clears her throat before speaking. "Well..you see sir, I am new here. I, uh...am from Hyrule and have come here to start over. Link has brought me here to get registered as a citizen of this village.
Mayor Ruul nods in understanding. He then opens a drawer in his desk and pulls out a form.
"Alright now. All you have to do is answer a few questions for me. First off, do you have any relatives in Holodrum?"
"No sir," answers Zelda.
The mayor writes her answer on the form. "Okay. Do you have any family in Hyrule?"
"...Yes," is her hesitant reply. "My father."
"I see," Ruul says to himself. "What is your marital status?"
"I am single."
"Hmmm... Any children?"
"No sir."
"What's your occupation?"
"I have none."
The mayor looks up at this. "None at all?"
"No."
He leans back in his chair with his fingers folded and eyes downcast. "Do you have any skills at all?" he finally asks.
Slowly Zelda replies after thinking for a moment of what skills are worth mentioning. "I can embroider, I can sew, and I can weave."
Mayor Ruul opens another drawer and pulls out a piece of paper on which he then writes something down before stamping it with his initials. He then hands it to Zelda.
"You will show this to the head seamstress of the seamstress guild. It is a recommendation for a position at the guild. The guild building is to the south. You can go anytime you wish except the weekend when they're closed."
Zelda looks between the paper in her hand and the mayor with wide eyes. "Thank you Mr. Ruul."
"Your welcome lass," he smiles back. "Now lets continue," he says returning to the form.
"Where do you plan on staying?"
"I will be staying with Link and his family," she says without hesitation, a bright smile on her face as she thinks about the family that has taken her in.
Ruul raises a brow as he fixes his eyes on Link. "Is that so?"
Link gives a carefree shrug.
Ruul smiles a knowing smile before returning his attention back to Zelda. "Alright miss, all you have to do now is sign your name here, and we'll be done."
Zelda receives the form, and with the quill provided to her signs her name in the finest - as well as neatest - handwriting the mayor has ever seen.
He admires it for a moment before stamping it and storing it away in a file.
"Before you go," he begins, and Zelda notices his tone was different, more serious and business like. "I would like to speak with you, Link, regarding your methods of justice."
Link gives an exasperated sigh. "This again Ruul?"
"I wouldn't have to if no one was killed, but this is the fifth time already."
Link opens his mouth to speak, but Ruul cuts him off. "You can explain whatever reasons you might have had while we debate privately."
"Can you please wait outside, Zelda?" Link asks as he sinks back into his chair with a defeated, tired look.
Zelda looks between the two men before quickly exiting the room, not wanting to be present for what she fears would be a heated argument.
Apparently it hadn't been that heated after all. Zelda had waited just outside the mayor's office the whole time and only once did she hear raised voices. When Link walks out his face is neutral but his eyes look even more tired than before.
Now they are walking down the road again, only this time in the opposite direction as Link leads Zelda to the doctor's office. As always, Zelda walks behind Link, even though he is moving at a pace which her shorter legs can keep up with.
They soon arrive at a small brick building with a wooden sign posted above the door reading Physician. Linka and Aryll are already there waiting patiently for them. Link states that he has to go, saying he has work to do, but he promises to be back when their appointment ends.
The girls enter the office with Zelda following last. They are greeted with the scent of medicine and the sight of various containers, sealed and filled with substances of dubious origin.
They are greeted by the doctor who - to Zelda's surprise - is a woman.
"Welcome Aryll. Welcome Linkle," she greets the two sisters. "You are right on time. We can begin with your physicals immediat-" She stops herself as she notices Zelda standing off to the side.
"Oh, hello there. I'm sorry for not noticing you," she apologizes. "What is your name sweety?"
"Zelda."
The doctor smiles. "Pleased to meet you Miss Zelda. Are you also here for a physical?"
"I am," Zelda replies timidly.
"In that case, all of you, follow me." She leads her patients to the other side where there is a table and a bed set up. There is also a curtain, which she pulls shut around them.
"Alright, I want you all to strip, and then we will begin with your weight."
Linka and Aryll comply without question, but Zelda is hesitant. No one except for her former handmaids have ever seen her naked. She feels self-conscious. After a moment, she forces herself to remove her dress and under-tunic as well as her shoes. When done, she instinctively covers her chest and crosses her legs. She looks at her new friends and a feeling of embarrassment overcomes her.
Her skinny frame feels lacklustre in comparison to their lean muscles and delicate curves. The only thing Zelda finds impressive about her body is the number of ribs she can count.
"Excellent, excellent," says the doctor. "Alright, we will start with Linkle. Please step on the scale, dear."
It is then Zelda notices the large scale in the corner. It looks like a scale used by merchants for weighing prices, except larger. One side is weighed down by heavy stones while the over is empty for this is where, she realizes, the patient would stand.
Linka steps on the scale, and the plate with the stones raises. The doctor adds stones until the plates are evened out.
"Nine stones," she states. "Excellent. The same as before. A perfectly healthy weight." She then directs Linka step off and for Aryll to come up.
"If I'm correct, this is your first physical, right?" she asks Aryll.
"Yes," Aryll replies nervously.
The doctor notices her hesitation and gives Aryll a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, dear. You have nothing to worry about." She helps Aryll step onto the raised scale. When she does, it barely budges an inch. One stone is needed to be removed for the weight to balance out.
"Eight stones. A little on the light side but still healthy." She helps Aryll step down before calling Zelda up.
The moment she gets a good look of Zelda her expression changes to a more serious one. There's genuine concern in her eyes, and when she helps Zelda onto the scale, her grip is delicate and light as if she's afraid Zelda will break with a simple touch.
Like with Aryll, an entire stone needs to be removed for the scale to balance out.
"Oh dear," the doctor says. She gives Zelda a sympathetic smile, one that does little to reassure Zelda about her results.
"Seven stones. My dear child you are severely underweight. You should be weighing at least more than eight stones."
As Zelda steps off the scale she feels a whirlwind of emotions overtake her. The most distinguished being her embarrassment with the results.
The physical continues, and for every single measurement, Zelda receives the lowest number - except for height.
After examining their lady parts - the only other examination where Zelda receives a positive remark - the physical comes to a close, and the girls are allowed to redress. The doctor then gives her final advice.
"Linkle and Aryll, your current measurements are good, and both of your uteri are perfect for having babies, but you are on the light side. When you return I am expecting you to have gained more weight." She then addresses them individually. "Linkle, I want you to have gained a whole stone by when you return next year. Aryll, I want you to gain half a stone for next time."
The girls nod to show they understand.
The doctor then faces Zelda with a sad smile. "Zelda dear, you are a normal height for your age, and you have no complications with your vagina and uterus. You could start having babies now if it wasn't for your weight. Your current weight brings into question your overall health. Since you are so underweight I want you to return next month, and if you haven't gained any weight in that time, I will be assigning you a special diet."
Zelda silently agrees to this arrangement, relieved that the ordeal is over.
True to his word, Link is waiting outside for them. He pays the doctor the bill before escorting his sisters and Zelda home. As before, Zelda walks behind Link and the others.
As they pass through the village, Zelda notices how friendly everyone is to Link and his sisters, always greeting them with a smile and a wave. A polite "good day" here and a jolly "hello" there.
It becomes clear to her that Link's family is considered highly respectable among the people who obviously view them in a positive light. She can only wonder what could have earned his family this reputation.
The rest of the day is uneventful. Zelda accomplishes some weaving and helps a little with cleaning the house, but she tires out easily and has to take a nap before dinner. When it is dinner time, she eats in silence and only speaks when asked about her appointments with the mayor and the doctor. She eats as much as she can, remembering the doctor's advice about needing to gain weight. She easily becomes full, so she forces herself to eat a little more, only stopping when she starts to feel ill.
She decides to retire early for bed that night, too tired and full to do anything else. On her way up, she is stopped by Link.
"We need to talk," he states. The stern gaze he fixes on Zelda makes her shiver on reflex. Link must have noticed because he then asks if she is cold.
Zelda replies she isn't and tries to put on a brave face. Link doesn't look convinced, but doesn't push the subject.
He leads her up the rest of the stairs until they are outside her door. He places himself between the door and her so that she cannot make a retreat to her room.
"Why do you walk behind me?" he asks.
Zelda is taken aback. Out of all the things she thought he would say, this is the last she had expected from him.
"What?" is all Zelda can bring herself to say in response.
Link heavily sighs. "I'll ask again, why do you always walk behind me? I deliberately walked slower so that you could keep up, yet you were still a good four feet behind me for the entire day. Why?"
Looking closely, Zelda can make out the forlorn look in his eyes, and she hears the concern in his voice and deems it genuine. His overall features appear tired and worn out, and it surprises Zelda who can count on one hand how many people have ever shown this level of genuine concern for her. She starts to feel guilty for causing him unneeded stress.
"I am sorry," she whispers. "I didn't mean to worry you. It's just that... y-you frighten me."
"What about me frightens you?" he asks.
Zelda wrings her hands till they're white, unable to meet Link's gaze. "Well...you're intimidating. You are so tall and strong. You killed four men on your own and weren't harmed. When I brought it up yesterday, you casually brushed the whole ordeal off as if it were nothing. You're... You're dangerous!" Zelda exclaims. She turns her eyes onto Link's, no longer trying to hide her fear. "There is so much you could do to me, and I would be powerless to stop you."
Link doesn't look surprised by her exclamation. "You are right," he says softly. "I am dangerous. But so is my father and my grandfather. My uncle can be very dangerous. My cousin can be dangerous in his own way. Even my sisters are dangerous in a different sense of the word. Zelda, by agreeing to live in this house, you have surrounded yourself with dangers, but none of them mean any harm to you." He then takes her hands in his own. "Just because someone is dangerous, doesn't mean they will do you harm. You are wise to be weary, but you have no one to fear. I promise you are safe here."
He then brings her hands to his lips, kissing them tenderly. Zelda blushes, and she feels her knees weaken.
Link then moves aside and allows Zelda to enter her room. "May the goddesses be with you in your dreams," he blesses her. He is about to leave but stops himself to address her again. "One more thing Zelda." He then appears to hesitate for a moment, mischief in his eyes. "If for any reason you wake up in the middle of the night and you hear strange noises coming from outside, don't worry. It is only the wolves prowling about."
Zelda does look worried. "Are you sure? What about the animals?"
"They're fine," Link reassures her. "The doors are kept locked and the windows are too high up. They're safe."
Zelda doesn't look convinced, but she drops the subject. The two then bid each other good night, and Link leaves her room, closing the door behind him. Zelda then strips down to her chemise before crawling under her blankets. She then blows out the candle on her nightstand before falling asleep an instant later.
Zelda wakes up late in the night feeling parched. Rolling out of bed, she stumbles to her door and silently creaks it open. She slowly walks down the hall and creeps down the stairs as silently as she can, wincing whenever a stair creaks under her weight.
She eventually comes to the kitchen and takes out a mug which she proceeds to fill with water from a barrel kept in the corner. She sips it slowly, savouring the coolness of the water as it washes down her throat.
Then she hears it, a creak on the stairway. It was soft, but she had heard it. Someone is coming down. Not knowing if she would get in trouble for sneaking water, she ducks under the table and silently prays that whoever it is won't see her.
The heavy thud of boots echo through the night as the trespasser draws closer to the kitchen. They pass by, and though it is too dark to make out details, Zelda can tell by their height and build that it's a man.
Whoever it is, they are too tall and lean to be San, but not tall enough to be Hob. Which means it's either Lysander, Ravio, or Link.
He does a three-sixty degree check, making sure - Zelda realizes - that he isn't being followed. He then opens the door, and enough moonlight pours in so that Zelda can make out blond hair and she catches the metallic glint of an earring.
Zelda frowns. The blond hair rules out Ravio, but who has an earring? Why were they going outside, and what was with all the secrecy? They are deliberately trying not to be seen.
Zelda shrugs. There is nothing to be done about it now, but it strikes her as awfully strange.
Wiping her empty mug dry, she places it back in the cupboard before climbing back up the stairs. She crawls back under the covers before falling asleep to the sound of howling wolves.
Who was it sneaking in the dark? Why were they trying to be sneaky? What is the deal with the wolves? Keep reading to find out more.
Review Reply
Lightblade1121 - Glade you're enjoying the story so far. "Nice" to know you enjoyed the previous chapter.
Please feel free to leave a review and let me know your thoughts and opinions about the story so far. Be a critic if you'd like. Until next time.