Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to The Legend of Zelda. All rights are reserved by Nintendo. I only own the plot and MCs.
Yuletide
The days pass. The temperature chills. Rivers and streams freeze over, and snow blankets the ground. The skies are more cloudy than clear, and shadows lengthen with each passing day. The trees have discarded their crowns of leaves for crowns of snow and ice, but the evergreens wear both. Birds have migrated south, and the animals hide away in their dens with only the hardiest staying out in the cold. Firewood fills every shed to the ceiling, and from every window comes the fragrant smells of figgy pudding, minced meat pie, and buttered beer.
Though winter has arrived, it doesn't stop people from going about their business, and now they're busier than ever. Everyone comes and goes from one place to another. They're constantly in a hurry to finish one thing and move on to another. Every vendor has a lineup, and every guild works around the clock. Neighbours help neighbours shovel snow away from their houses and share supplies, be it food or furs.
And then there are the trees. The trees! The evergreen trees! How splendid they look laden with snow and bedighted with flaming candles, with the grandest one standing tall and proud in the town centre.
Even now, Zelda finds herself in the presence of this very tree, standing in awe of its beauty and splendour. Never before has she seen an evergreen decorated for the yuletide, for there are no evergreens on the old castle grounds to decorate. The light of the candles has her transfixed as she watches the flames dance in the chilly breeze. It isn't long though until her reverie is inevitably broken by someone calling out her name. This someone happens to be Linka. The two young women have gone into town that day to do some gift shopping for the family. Zelda is mostly finished and had been taking a break while waiting for Linka to finish with some "important business" as she had called it.
"Are you going to tell me what this 'important business' of yours was?" Zelda links her arm with her friend's.
Linka shakes her head, grinning like a giddy schoolgirl. "No. Not going to tell you."
Zelda moves her arm so it wrapes around Linka and smiles back at her. "Ahhhh, come on. Why not?"
Linka shrugs off Zelda's arm. "Because it's a surprise." She winks coyly.
"Please." Zelda whines.
Linka laughs, shaking her head. "Sorry, not telling. You'll have to wait to find out with everyone else."
Zelda pouts. "Whatever. Hurry up, I still need to buy a gift for Aryll."
Picking up the bags at her feet, she strides down the street with Linka by her side.
"So, what does Aryll like?" Zelda asks while glancing at the vendors set up in town.
"Aryll's not too picky. You could give her anything and she'd like it because it came from you," Linka assures Zelda. "However, if you really want to please her, then I recommend buying her something cute."
"Cute... Hmm... What have you gotten her?"
Linka's optimistic smile falls flat. "Nothing yet."
"Then we'll buy her something together."
Walking down through the market, leaving tracks in the fresh snow, they take their time to examine every item on display in the hopes of finding the perfect gift for Aryll. They see beautiful, brightly hued clothes on display, fine jewelry that Linka is convinced is being overpriced, paintings and other art pieces, dolls and other toys, and still much more. Yet nothing they see they deem "cute" enough for Aryll.
The two are about to give up for that day when they see something unlike anything else being sold. It wasn't anything fancy or exotic or overall impressive, but it was cute. Too cute.
Giving each other knowing smiles they hastily make their way over to the stand, their hands already in their wallets.
Fire burns in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the room. There Zelda is, curled up on the floor with her cloak wrapped around her and a book by her side.
A breeze slips in under the shutters, bringing the biting December chill with it. It spreads throughout the room, chasing away the fire's warmth momentarily before it is smothered by the heat. A constant ebb-and-flow battle.
Zelda pulls her cloak tighter as the chill passes through her, and subconsciously she leans closer to the flames.
Even here there is no shelter from winter. Not entirely anyways.
Returning to her book she becomes engrossed in the tale again and almost misses the soft, whispery steps of felt shoes approaching her. A familiar presence sits before her, one as gentle as a summer breeze. Zelda smiles, not needing to look up to know who it is.
"Hello mother." she greets. Though she doesn't see it, she can feel the warmth radiating from Arlette's smile.
"Hello, Zelda dearest."
Zelda finally looks away from her book in time to see Arlette set a tray down beside them laden with oat cakes and a special drink of buttered beer.
"I thought you might like some hot buttered beer to heat you up. There's also some cakes if you want."
A small growl rumbles from Zelda's stomach, betraying her hunger for she hasn't eaten anything since before she went out with Linka. This earns a small chuckle from both of them, even as Zelda stuffs a whole cake into her mouth.
Another unbidden draft seeps into the house momentarily stealing their heat. The two women shiver simultaneously, and Zelda rubs her arms vigorously to vainly retain some warmth. Arlette moves closer to Zelda and wraps their cloaks around the two of them like blankets.
"It's going to be a cold night," Arlette states.
"Will the animals be all right?" Zelda asks while wearily looking the general direction in which she knows the barn is.
"Don't worry. Link and Aryll went out and gave them extra blankets earlier. They should be fine." She leans in and kisses Zelda on her brow. "Now finish your meal, and then go to bed. We'll have a lot to do come tomorrow morning."
So they finish their cakes and beer in silence. Afterwards, Zelda trudges up to her room. She's out before her head even meets her pillow.
She wakes up during in the night. The wind howls outside her window, hammering at the shutters that are only held shut by a small rusty latch. The mountain of extra blankets that have been piled on top of her do keep her warm, but try as she might, she cannot fall back asleep.
With nothing better to do, she chooses to go check on the animals and hopes they might be keeping warm, too. Slipping on her new fur lined boots and wrapping, not just her cloak, but three blankets around her, she scurries out into the night, locking the door behind her to keep the wind from blowing it open.
Outside, the weather bombards the small woman this way and that. The deep snow rises above her knees and soaks through her clothes. But the greatest foe is the wind. His mighty breath jostles Zelda around and bites through her clothes, chilling the princess to the bone. Each howling blow tugs at the ends of her cloak and blankets, threatening to tear them free, and the blowing snow smothers everything in white.
It's at times like this where Zelda wishes she were back at the castle instead of there. Still, she pushes on and with great difficulty eventually makes it to the barn, half soaked and half frozen.
Inside is a peculiar sight. A bright fire rests in the middle of the earthen floor, casting shadows on the walls while its light gives an overall welcoming vibe to counteract the harsh environment outside. The light reveals all the animals asleep in their stalls with blankets covering them, keeping them warm.
The fire also gives away its maker. There, in of the family cow's stall, stands Link. He is staring proudly at the cow. A goofy grin adorns his face and there's a twinkle in his eyes that has been absent for a while. She watches as he lays another fuzzy wool blanket over the cow's week-old calf, which sleeps at it's mother's feet. All the while, Link grins like a fool, but then his eyes lock with Zelda's and his smile falters.
"...Link." Zelda murmurs and forces what she hopes is a friendly smile onto her face. "I wasn't expecting you here."
"I can say the same for you," he replies before shooting her his own, more reassuring smile. When the silence that follows becomes awkward he adds, "Here, here. Do make yourself at home."
She unclasps her cloak tossing it into his outstretched hands before letting the blankets fall to the dirt in an undignified manner. So, she does as Link says, removing her wet clothes and laying them by the fire with only her smock left on to retain some form of modesty.
"What brings you here?" Link asks a moment later as he joins her.
"Couldn't sleep. Decided to come check on the animals," she replies hurriedly. "You?"
"Same thing."
The awkward silence returns, so they take turns staring at the fire and at the shadows.
After a while, Link must have grown tired of the silence, for he gives a deep sigh before saying, "Zelda... I know this is coming too late—far, far, too late—but I would like to say I am sorry, Zelda." And he looks at her, holding her gaze. His eyes plead, beg, and his voice cracks with emotion. "I am so, so, sorry for not being a better friend."
Chocking on tears, his gaze falls back to the fire.
"I pushed you away. After the harvest festival—just when things were feeling right again between us—I pushed you away. When reached out to me because you cared, I pushed you away. When you openly confessed you were...you are the Princess Griselda—which was a very brave thing of you to do, and I couldn't be prouder of you—I pushed you away. The others, they didn't care. They didn't see you any different. They didn't change their views. They still loved you, like... like I sh-should ha-have. Like I sh-should have!"
Zelda remains speechless. Never before has she seen Link break down like this. Never before has she seen any man break down like this or show any emotion to this extreme. Cautiously crawling toward Link, she pulls him up and embraces him, not minding how his tears soak her smock. He returns the hug equally and desperately.
"I.. I can n-never say s-sorry en-nough. You don't have to forgive me. I don't... I don't expect you to. …But if you can... please!"
There's a war within Zelda. She wants to hurt Link, but she also just wants him back, damn it!
"Why?" she asks. "Why did you leave me?"
Silence follows in which every second draws out into an hour. The crackling flames dance before them, but their warmth cannot thaw out the tension.
"I was...am ashamed. Afraid. There are things about me that I'm not proud of. I'm not who you think I am. I'm a monster."
"I know," she whispers, and he stiffens against her. "I know. I saw the monster the day you saved me. I have seen him time and time again ever since." She looks Link in the eye. "But you are so much more." Grasping his shoulder she continues, "You are a good man. No monster would have saved me. No monster would take care of these beautiful animals with such love. You are my friend, and I trust you. Your family loves you, and I love you."
A tear rolls down Link's face followed by the most childish smile Zelda has ever seen.
"Thank you Zelda. You're also my best friend, and I love you too."
They embrace one last time before falling asleep side by side next to the fire.
"One, two, three, four, five, and counting Aryll's makes …six. Hmm... that can't be right."
There are only a few days left till Yuletide, but instead of feeling joyous Zelda is sweating nervously and restraining her quick beating heart. She has been counting the gifts she bought for the family, but keeps coming up one gift short.
"Let's see. We have Helga and Hob's gift, Arlette and Lysander's gift, Sander's, Ravio's—for when he comes back home—Linka's, and finally there's Aryll's that me and Linka have to pick up later." Then her great mistake reveals itself.
"Link!" And she smacks herself on the forehead. "I've forgotten Link!"
All colour leaves her face. She throws on her boots, and from there, it's a race to the market. A race that results in her nearly running over several innocent bystanders. But it's all for naught. Every single booth and vendor is sold out. All shelves and crates are bare of the trinkets they had been displaying just days before.
Even now she can still recall all the wares that had been on sale. The fancy spices, the high quality garments, the musical instruments, house pets, and tools, and more. There had been a high quality bow that she knows would have been perfect for Link. Or perhaps she could have gotten him a new tunic, or a pair of well fitting boots to replace his worn out ones. Alas, nothing remains.
Disheartened, Zelda somberly heads back home, dragging her feet all the way. She keeps her head low and avoid all eye contact. It would appear in her resentment she had forgotten—or perhaps even chose not—to buy Link a gift. Now she'll have to explain why her friend has no gift.
And just when we have repaired our friendship. Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!
The wind picks up, and the cold seeps into her bones. Zelda pulls her cloak tighter around her and shivers. As if a candle was lit, something flickers in her mind. Not wasting another moment, she runs through the deep snow with due haste. When she gets home, she flings the door open, not bothering to close it to the cold before charging up the stairs and sitting at her loom.
At once she begins, guiding the thread with practiced ease.
Yuletide arrives.
Families walk through town to the centre where the evergreen is alight with candles blazing. Every persons arms are laden with wrapped parcels—gifts for friends and family alike. Zelda is no exception as she delicately navigates through the throng, balancing the precious burdens she has in her arms. It is sweet relief when she finally deposits her parcels at the tree where they easily blend in with the ever-growing pile of gifts.
How found she is of this tree, for they never had a tree back at the castle. If allowed, she can stare at the candle laden branches and bask in their warm glow all day long. Imagine her surprise when her vision is blocked and she looses sight of that warm light.
"Guess who," whispers a soothing voice.
She giggles with delight. "Hmm... I don't know..." she replies in a playful tone. Tapping her chin with her finger, she pretends to ponder the question. "Is it Revali?"
There's a jolly laugh. "No."
"Merari!"
"Pfft. Not even close!"
"I know! It's you, Linka!"
"So close, and yet, so far."
"Hmm... Then I give up."
"You sure?"
She laughs. "Positive. I admit defeat."
With that, the hands are removed from her eyes, and she's spun around to come face-to-face with Link. Both grin like a couple of drunks and fail horribly at holding in their laughter. Hers becomes a yelp as he pulls her into a brief side-long hug. She barely is able to return it before he withdraws and ruffles her hair with his hand.
"Link! Stop! You're messing my hair!" She ducks under his arms, vainly fending him off with her own hands. It is for naught, as he soon has her back in his arms. She kicks and squirms, somehow managing to throw Link off balance and sends them both tumbling into the snow.
They look at each other, both covered in snow, and laugh some more. When they finally stop, Zelda asks, "So, what brings you over to the tree? You've already placed your gifts here."
"The family sent me to fetch you. The feast is starting any moment now."
Her eyebrows ride up at this. "What! It's that time already?"
Link chuckles at her anxiety. "You've been standing here, staring at the tree this whole time."
She blushes bright red. "What can I say? It's a magnificent tree."
Link responds with another hearty chuckle. "That is true, but dinner will be starting soon, so let's go join the others before someone else takes our seats. Come."
He offers his arm, which she accepts, and together they walk back to where the family is waiting for them at a food-laden table, whose seats are already half full.
It isn't long afterwards when the mayor calls up the friar to ask the goddesses for their blessing over the food and the people. After his thankful prayer, dinner is commences.
Though the people there aren't exactly wealthy, the food is surprisingly rich, even comparable to what was served back at the castle. Now, there are no fancy table pieces—except for a few candles— or extravagant spectacles. Everything here is for the simple purpose of enjoying a good meal. Boar heads, roasted goose stuffed and buttered, plum pudding saturated with brandy and set aflame, mincemeat pies that smelled of cloves and whiskey, gingerbread, hearty stews of rabbit; beef; and pork; fried fish sweetened with onions and lemon, shell fish, aged cheese spread on bread, ale— buttered or regular—,bean cake, fluffy acorn pancakes drizzled with honey, and elderflower cheesecake!
Heavens! Zelda thinks as she stares down at her already overflowing plate before looking back at the mountains of food that still remained untouched. Even if I ate only my fair share, I would need to get all my clothes refitted!
As she finishes her first plateful, she feels someone poking her side. Little Aryll looks at her expectantly, and when she has Zelda's attention, she leans in and asks, "Would you like some of this... red liquid, Zelda?"
She offers Zelda a bottle filled of a dark, blood-red liquid. The princess gives it a couscous sniff. A wave of spice hits the top of her throat, and she instantly knows what the drink is.
"Aryll, dear," she smiles. "This is hippocras—spiced wine."
The girl's eyes widen. "Wine!" She peers back into the bottle, trying to get a better look at the red elixir. "Wine?" Her child-like wonder turns into a skeptic frown as she examines it with the studious attention of a scholar. "Why is it spiced? Did it go bad? Is this wine subpar?"
The princess laughs at the accusation. "I don't think so. I smelled cinnamon."
"So?"
"If whoever made this could afford cinnamon, then they definitely could afford fine wine," she explains, giving a quick look to Merari's general direction.
"Oh, okay." Aryll glances back at the wine as if still not wholly convinced. She looks back at Zelda and asks, "Do you still want some?"
A big smile crosses the princess' face. "Of course I do, Aryll."
Dinner continued for some time still, until every plate and platter had been licked clean so that not even a single crumb remained. The villagers have either fallen asleep in their chairs or are leaning back in their chairs content, patting their overstuffed bellies. Then the mayor—with some assistance—climbs onto his seat and proclaims it be the time everyone has been waiting for. It is time to give out presents.
They go up in an organised fashion one family at a time. Everything from toys to clothes; jewellery to perfume; tools to furniture changes hands and received with a smile from all. Even so, Zelda squirms in her seat, nervous about how the family will accept her gifts. When it's time for their family to go up, the gesture for Zelda to go first, and she shakily hands out the parcels to each designated person, the colour drained from her face.
For Helga and Hob, she gives a new blanket that she had weaved herself. For Arlette and Lysander, matching green tunics. For Sander, a new whetstone to sharpen his tools. And Linka receives a lovely lavender dress for the spring.
Since Aryll's gift is from both Zelda and Linka, the two present it together. The younger girl examines it closely. It's rather large, has no wrapping paper, and there are holes in the side. Aryll tries peering inside, but it is too dark to see anything clearly. Attached is a piece of parchment on which a smooth flying hand had scrawled "Fragile. Do not shake!" Tearing open the top, she looks down and gasps, and that gasp quickly turns into a squeal of joy.
Inside, lying in a bed of blankets, is a sleeping little malamute puppy. She picks it up, keeping it wrapped in its blankets, and cuddles it. Tiny little whines emit from the puppy as it squirms in its bundle. Tears leak from her eyes as she looks at her sisters and mouths "Thank you," to them.
Now that left only Link. He tears through the paper only to stop abruptly when he sees what's inside. He holds up a cloak. An ordinary cloak. The pattern is plaid and the colours are regular red, green, black, and yellow. There are nobs in the fabric, and not everything is properly aligned. And it perfectly matches the cloak Zelda is wearing now. He gives her a broad smile which she returns. When he wraps the new cloak around himself, she releases her breath, feeling significantly lighter.
The others go up one at a time and hand out their gifts to each other. Zelda receives many new things, including a lot of clothes. But perhaps the two most meaningful come from Helga and Link. Removing the brown paper from Helga's gift reveals a colourful tapestry. Not just any tapestry; the same tapestry she had helped Helga with so long ago. But something is different. At the end of the story, where it depicts the family, there is now an effigy in the likeness of Zelda. She rushes at the old woman, and scoops her small form into a hug.
Then there is Link's gift to Zelda. It first appears the simplest of them all: a small rectangular box with no paper or any other wrapping covers it. No ribbon or decoration bedights it. But the moment he removes the lid, any doubts the princess may have had disappeared. Inside is a little statuette. No bigger than the length of her hand and carved from simple wood. It is the image of a woman with long hair, a pair of wings and a smile on her beautiful face. It is an idol of the goddess Hylia.
Her mouth moves, but no sound comes out. She delicately cradles the idol in her hands as if afraid to damage it. Link sits in front of her, and she meets his gaze, and finally one word gets out. "Why?"
The corners of his lips twitch upwards. "I know how they worship the goddess Hylia in Hyrule. I also know that we have no statues or shrines devoted to her here. I hope this will help your prayers reach her, and bring you some peace of mind.
She leans in, and pulls him into a hug. "Thank you," she cries.
He holds her tightly. "You're welcome, Zel."
The rest of the evening goes by without a hitch. Zelda sits back and enjoys herself as all the other families hand out their own presents.
But something different happens. Merari, who had finished handing out what gifts he had brought, strides over to where Zelda sits and presents her with a small box. She opens it without question and is present with a small silver ring set with diamonds. Then Merari takes her hand, a single question on his lips.
"Will you marry me Zelda?"
*Deep sigh* I am finally done. Here is a chapter that I had originally planned to post back in December of...last year. *Looks at current date* Oh, that is embarrassing. *grimace* I have accepted the reality that I am a slow writer, but this story is slowly getting done. Be patient, review, and stay tuned for the next chapter... Whenever that will be.