"Yo, in here!" Link turns to the direction of the voice. The last carpenter was a real pain to find, this place was a maze. Once he told Link his name, the carpenter told Link he overheard the guards about a secret fortress across the way. The guy's eyes went wide. "Ooo, watch out!"
Link took no time dodging her attacks, she was good, but Link was better. The swordswoman was getting frustrated, she kept missing. But she was impressed. Hmm. Their numbers were low, and they needed more members.
"Argh!" She takes off after Link knocked her on her ass.
"Thanks kid." The carpenter was frightened. He and his fellow carpenters were scheduled to be executed in the morning, the geruldos didn't want any outsiders knowing about their secrets. "These women are scary!" No wonder they lived in solitude. "For freeing me, I'll tell you a secret. I overheard a guard talking. In order to cross the desert, you need a eye to see the truth, as well as a pair of mystical boots. Don't ask me what that means, I'm just a worker. I'm heading back, luckily they won't go where the bridge is, they are too busy watching the desert gates. See ya!" The guy takes off.
"Hmph. I'm impressed." The Geruldo Thief was smiling at Link. "This place is tightly guarded, no one has been able to break in so easily." All her life she heard men were worthless, but maybe she was too quick to judge. "Names Amira, I'm in charge of this fortress while our leader, Nabooru is away. Say, if you managed to sneak past all the guards without being caught, then you must have good thieving skills." Amira takes something out of her pocket. "Here, it's a membership to our clan. You need this to enter any of our training grounds, or the Desert Fortress. You are free to come and go as you please from now on. I got to go, I have to get things ready for our glorious leader, the Great Ganondorf."
Once she walked away, Link heads out the front door. Sure enough, the guard standing by the entrance nods at him. Other than a few distrusting looks, no one stopped him from exploring the place. Spying a inn, Navi asked about rates.
"A talking fairy? Now I seen everything." The clerk opens the inn's book. "Been a long time since we had outsiders. I was getting afraid I was going to lose my shirt, so to speak." She writes down both their names. "Okay, you're now checked in, breakfast is included, but you have to pay for lunch and supper." Once Link paid for a few nights, she thanked Link. "Look, I'm not racist. Most of us aren't. Just we are under strict orders not to let in outsiders. I don't know why, the Hylians are good people, my dad was from the city. Ever since Ganondorf..." She looks around nervously. She lowers her voice to a whisper and leans close to Link's ear. "Keep this to yourself, but I heard he kidnapped the princess and murdered the King. What's happening here, it will be exactly like things were a long time ago." She hurriedly straightened herself up when she saw someone walk in. "Here's your key, third room to your left. Don't have to worry about your stuff, we have a code of honor around here. Have a good sleep."
Once they were in the room, Navi leaves the room to give Link some privacy. She flies downstairs to explore the inn. Hearing the Princess' name, she flies behind a ceiling beam to spy.
"Seven years huh? May the Princess rest in peace."
"Things fell apart since the King's death."
"So? The Great Ganondorf is in charge now! Our time is finally here! No more squatting out here!" A third voice says joining in. "The new kid, whatja think?"
"He's cute."
"Cute? He's HOT!" The three women giggle. "Been a long time since we had men around here, doesn't Nabooru know that we have needs too?"
"SHHH! Don't let Amira hear you!" The inn clerk giggles. "You know how she sees men."
"Her mom poisoned her mind too much, most guys I met are nothing like her deadbeat father." Navi peeks down at a woman wearing a white outfit wearing a huge quiver on her back. "I sure hope he comes to the archery range, I want to see his skills at work."
"I rather see him doing our trails. So far NO ONE has ever beaten it." Another woman in white says. Navi recognized her as the guard standing by a locked gate by the inn.
"Except Alyva."
"Alyva. I hadn't heard that name in years." She was a legend among the Geruldos. She was the only one that was rumoured to meet the Goddess of the Desert Colossus back in the day.
"She was a outsider didn't you know?"
"She was either a Sheikah or a Hylian. Those men, they are Hylian aren't they?" Naming those carpenters.
"Obviously. They aren't Sheikah that's for sure. Shame that they all died." The one with the quiver says. "Why did Amira let them go?"
"They aren't worth it. Anyways, I doubt any of them would be useful to us."
"I don't know, the one called Ichiro is pretty cute."
"Does he like women at all?" They suspected they liked the company of men more.
"He kept checking out my ass. His brothers didn't even look."
"Well, then may the best woman win." When all three start talking about the people in Kakariko, Navi flew back to Link's room. After she knocked, loudly so Link could hear her, Link let her in.
"Link, mind if you open the book, I'm not sleepy at all." She flew on his shoulder.
Huh, I didn't expect that. I heard of Sworn Brothers, but other than the King of Hyrule, no Hylian ever got that honor. Good for him. Remind me to translate the Goron language, not many people understand it, except the Sheikah. Goddess I'm cold and hungry. Winter is on the way, even down here I can feel the winter air. Ugh. I have a new roommate, a Hylian Guard. When I asked why he was locked away, he said he was accused of stealing food from his captain. Food? Why? He said he felt sorry for us. I'm grateful for the sandwich he gave me, I been dining on raw rats and bugs to stay alive. He said he was only here for a night, he was just here to "scare him straight." Whatever, I'm just glad for the extra company, even for a night. Since the day or night, I don't even know anymore, will be dragging on, we traded stories. He was telling me stories about his friend, a aspiring actress.
"La, la, la, la, la. La, la, la, la, la."
Alyva watches the stage in envy. That should have her up there. Instead, she was just a seamstress.
"Look at her, she can't even sing." Alyva scoffed.
"No she can't." Joan agreed. They flinched at the screech. "But her father is the owner of the company. Whatever his princess wants, she gets." The song was about the lost princess of the desert. "The geruldo would be insulted at their legend getting butchered."
"The princess, who was she?"
"I don't know. All I know the geruldos worship her as a goddess." Most Hylians refused to accept the geruldo's faith, called them heathens. Alyva had a more open mind, she considered herself agnostic. "Anyways, I better get her Royal Highness' costume ready, otherwise she'll scream at us again." Alyva gets up from the orchestra seating area. "I'll see you around."
"Ow! Watch it!" Genevieve snapped.
"Sorry My Lady." Alyva apologized. "I'm almost done with your costume."
"Better not screw up. Honestly. Good help is so hard to find. Stupid woman."
Alyva had to swallow a retort. Spoiled nobles like Genevieve were a rupee a dozen.
"There! All done."
Genevieve looked at herself and frowned.
"It looks crooked. Remember, this will be my debut on stage. Fix it!"
"Yes My Lady." Good thing she didn't hem the dress yet. "How's this?" Genevieve looked at herself critically.
"Better than the last girl I fired. She kept pinching me. Hmph. Opening is in a few weeks, make sure the costumes are ready on time."
"I promise My Lady." A few more weeks than she was outta here. She wanted to open her own dress shop. "There! You'll knock 'em dead on stage." She waited with bated breath. Genevieve looked in a mirror with a critical expression.
"Acceptable." She sniffed. "Make sure this is done on time, remember my father is in charge."
"As you wish, My Lady." Brat. She helps the actress undress. "Your costume will be ready in a few days." Once she left, Alyva gently and carefully puts the costume back inside the box. She was about to leave when she saw the stage. Hmm.
Joan came back to pick up something she left behind when she heard singing. Recognizing the voice, she stands and watches from the stage entrance.
The Princess was lost in her grief. Her lover, Prince Bevel was forever lost in the never ending desert, having lost his life trying to get his love who was waiting in her castle.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Alyva blushed when she heard applause. Her best friend Joan was applauding enthusiastically. "That was amazing!" Joan had tears in her eyes. "I totally felt her pain." Naming the Princess who was the main character in the play.
"Thanks." Alyva blushed. She fell in love with the play years ago, when her parents took her to the royal theatre when she was young. "I want just fooling around." She was shy about her singing, she took after her great aunt who was a classically trained opera singer.
"Why you didn't audition is beyond me." Joan was shaking her head.
"You know I can't. I need the money. Acting doesn't pay very much." Alyva dreamed about the stage her whole life, but bills needed to be paid. But still, when she stood on the stage, her real life persona faded away. No longer was she Alyva the seamstress, she became the Princess. She channelled her pain in losing her lover, and spent the rest of her life locked away in her castle, forever lost in her grief. She sighed as she looked down. She was dressed in Genevieve's costume. "I better get this off, otherwise I'll lose my job."
"You look great in it." Joan set sincerely.
"We are the same size, that's why she hired me." She hated taking it off, but it wasn't her costume. "I have to get going, I still have my other job to get to."
"Wench! I need a refill!"
"Be right there!" The pub was busy, the Hylian soldiers were off shift. She smiles at the soldier smiling at her, cute, but she didn't have time to date.
"More ale! Plus I have a order for boar tongue." She slaps the paper on the counter.
"You got it!" The owner/cook said cheerfully.
Yech. Alyva was exhausted. The pub stayed busy till closing, which wouldn't be unusual, but the rumors she heard about the King and Termina possibly going to war made everyone nervous. The pubs in the city were busy every night, the soldiers came to drink and party like it was their last night on Hyrule. She was glad she was home, her place may be a dump, but it was hers. Stripping off her waitress uniform, she boils some water for her bath.
"Ahhh." She loved her hot baths, although she wished she had servants to draw her bath for her like the nobles and the Royal Family. Oh well, she was better off here than the poor street urchins that were running about in the dark alleys, hopefully that homeless shelter was almost done.
"Bevel, my darling. Our Kingdoms will be forced to be in Peace Talks! Once we're married, no one shall go to war!" Alyva whispered the line, the last words the Princess spoken to her lover. What happened to him was lost to legend, all the play said that she spent her remaining days waiting for her lost prince in the old ruins. Alyva seen every play in Hyrule Castle Town, one of the benefits of working as a seamstress, she can see every play for free.
Once she got out of her bath, she went to put on her nightclothes. Once in bed, she picked up her sketch book. Clothing of every design was created by her, but unlike most seamstresses, she didn't just design beautiful dresses and clothing. There was designs of armor, not just for humans, but for Zoras and Gorons as well.
'Too bad I can't sell these.' Even if she had her dress shop, Gorons and especially Zoras will be hesitant to put on her clothing, both races preferred to be nude. Gorons she can see, their skin was tough, but also made them weak. What if they were forced to cross a river? Plus the Zoras. They were beautiful, however they were vulnerable to the sun. If their home was destroyed, than the rivers would be polluted. They would be sitting ducks. Putting down her book, she snuggles under her covers and goes to sleep.
Alyva and Joan grimace as Genevieve screeches another note. It would be one thing to be a bad singer, but her acting was atrocious.
"Doesn't her father see what he's doing? The King and Princess would be horrified." Joan whispered. The Royal Family showed up every opening night. Both flinch as the noble screamed that the stage was too dusty and demanded the stage be cleaned. "Poor Abraham." They watch as their fellow stagehand quickly leads his small team to sweep and mop the stage.
"I'm more worried that she'll ruin the play." Alyva whispered back. The more she read the play, the more obsessed she was with it. "We need more time." The play was opening in less than two weeks. "She still doesn't know her blocking, never mind her lines." She seen countless plays, but this one, it spoke directly to Alyva.
"Unless something happens to the cast." Joan closed her eyes. "Goddess Nayru please save us from Genevieve." She prayed.
Alyva tries not to laugh. Instead she scolds her friend.
"Nayru is the Goddess of Love and Protection. I doubt she will cast will ill to her children." She whispers. "Let's just do what we can do. They may be the stage, but it is us that is the heart." The actors may be the head, but the stage heads were the ones that could make or break a play. Wrong cues, bad sets, awful costumes, and goddess forbid, bad writing, can destroy the stage. "We still have two weeks. She may be a bad actress, but we can do everything else to sell the play." Genevieve wasn't the first bad actor she seen. She was so glad she knew her way around a needle. "Let's go downstairs, we still have some costumes to finish."
My new friend, he said the play was cancelled. Goddess Nayru, she must have been listening, every actor in the play got sick with bad colds.
"Achoo! Goddess. I must be getting sick." Joan turned her head away to sneeze. "Sorry."
"That's okay." Alyva just got over her own cold, the actors weren't the only ones to get sick. "I saw the doctor in town, he gave me a prescription." She takes out her medicine and downs it. "Go home. We're obviously not needed." The play was useless without the actors, everyone that had roles were sick with flu's. "Go home and rest, I'll stay behind and clean up."
Once Joan left, Alyva cleaned up. Once she put everything away, she takes a long look before she locks the door.
'This play needs to be said.' There was another play that was scheduled, it wasn't as demanding as this one. But she'll be damned if this play gets shelved for another year.
My friend fell asleep telling me this story. I will watch over him, he has no idea about the evils in this place. My love. Cecily. Please take care of our unborn child. Our daughter, she needs to be protected at all costs. Especially the Princess.