**STORY REWRITE IN PROCESS**
Note: part of the beginning for this WIP story is being rewritten to reflect some changes I'm making for the sake of flow/character development. I will be replacing chapters as I'm able. Progress will be slow, but I'm confident this will be for the betterment of the story overall. Thank you for your understanding! - MickeyTaco
Surely life couldn't be much better than this. Faesule had to marvel at how the Goddess Hylia had chosen to bless him. The twenty-seven year old, redheaded half-Gerudo had everything he could want, and then some.
He hummed as he threw a bale of hay over his shoulder and carried it to the stalls. The Hyrule Stable System was continuing as it had for countless years, and would indefinitely. His family had worked in it for three generations now, and Fae was proud to call it his heritage.
Six years had passed since Calamity Ganon was defeated by Link, and Princess Zelda was freed from the stasis where she had been holding the monster at bay. A year later, the restoration plans for the castle and the surrounding town were finally put into motion, and Fae was proud to be a part of it.
After a short time of building the castle town and showing his prowess with horses, Zelda had promoted and officially assigned him to oversee the castle town stables, with the plans to transition him to overseeing the royal stables. At least, that was the hope once they were finally completed.
But life had other plans, and just a couple of short months after being offered the position, Fae had approached the princess with a special request. Now, here he was, back working rotations through different outposts in the stable system, but content in the knowledge that his reputation wasn't going to sully what people expected from royalty and those around Castle Town.
"Oy! You're moving slower than normal. Midsummer blues shouldn't be hitting already… except maybe on your shirt. What's on your mind?" Beedle greeted, grinning as he shrugged off his backpack and set up his booth in front of the Tabantha stables.
"Not much. Ain't nothing's really changed in the last few years, for better or worse."
"Rumors still flying and people being jerks?" Beedle asked conversationally.
Fae chuckled and shook his head. "Some things never change. You'd think after a few years, people would find better things to do than stop and stare at the source of gossip. On the bright side, curiosity means I sometimes get company for a night so they've got something to share with their friends. But enough of that. Anything new from beyond the stable walls?" He glanced back over his shoulder while he worked on laying down the clean hay into the feeding troughs.
"Haha! Good question. Lots of rumors circulating about how progress in Tarrey Town has slowed because Hylians aren't keen on moving so far away from other 'civilized areas.' But Hudson's convinced it's only temporary." The merchant shrugged. "I can't really say. Stables are more my forte."
"So I've noticed. Still don't quite get how you can be present at so many basically simultaneously." Fae shook his head again at Beedle. "Someday, you'll tell me your secrets."
Beedle threw back his head and laughed. "Sorry to say but the day those secrets are spilled will be the day I cease loving beetles."
Fae chuckled and focused on his task. After more than a few years interacting with the merchant, he still had no more ideas about how he operated than when he first met him. Nor could he have told anyone about what age the man was. He supposed it would be one of those things that remained a mystery.
He whistled while he finished with the stalls and went back out to grab a new bale of hay to throw in the edge of the smaller pasture trough. His beloved mare, Elvyr, had fallen prey to the massive black stallion grazing nearby. He had to shake his head at the timing of it. But then again, it was the start of summer, and after she dropped foal back in Central Hyrule, eventually he'd be back to riding her. Isolation in the pasture closest to the stables was now the only way he could keep an eye on the horny bastard of a horse.
Fae did have to smile to himself when he remembered the day that his 'little sister' and her boyfriend had come to him with the steed in tow.
"Fae-fae! Can you spare a moment for us?"
Fae grinned and turned to face them. "Hey Azzy! Cam– Whoa! What do you have here?"
The younger brunet stood behind him with his hand on the lead rope for one of the largest stallions Fae had ever seen. The black horse was towering head and shoulders above Cami, even taller than the redheaded Gerudo himself. The stallion restlessly shifted his weight and shook his head, fighting to get the bridle off his head while Azzy giggled at his antics.
"This guy? I caught him out on the Nima Plains about a month ago. Azzy and I have been working our asses off to tame him, and she said he's finally ready to bring you. Thought you'd appreciate having a horse to ride when you can't have your mare." Cami handed off the bridle and pushed his glasses up his nose. "So, happy birthday. We got a stud horse for a charming stud."
Fae burst out laughing, earning himself a sidestep and frustrated whinny from the stallion. "Oop. Sorry, big guy. C'mon. Let's get you into the prep corral til we figure out if you'll behave in with the main herd."
"He was in with a handful of mares when we found him, so chances are high that he'll do well." Cami followed a few paces behind Fae, steering clear of the horse's rear. "He put up quite a fight, but seeing him now? He was hella worth it."
"I'll say. I'm hard-pressed to think of another stallion I've seen that's larger or more handsome. Damn. You found a fantastic horse. I can't wait to see how he rides. You said you've been working on him for the last month?"
"Oh, yeah. Every day. Can't give him a break or the bastard will revert back to his wild ways and try to throw me. Azzy had to heal a couple of broken bones." Cami sheepishly admitted. "But, he's doing a lot better than he was, and I think he's getting to be reasonable. Don't think he's ever gonna be truly 'tame' though. It's not in his personality."
"Hah! Remind you of anyone?" Fae teased, earning a withering look from the younger man. "C'mon. You know it's true. Oh, before I forget: what have you been calling him?"
"Well…" Azzy started. "I've been using–"
"Butthead. Jackass. Asshole. Bastard. Whatever epithet works when he's throwing my ass into the dirt." Cami interrupted.
"Cam."
"Sorry."
Azzy sighed and started again. "I've been calling him 'Midnight' but I don't think it's quite right. You also don't want to be whistling for 'Bastard' when you need to call him. It's fine as a nickname, but I recommend something more… traditional for the majority of the time," she helpfully pointed out.
"Hmm. I was thinking of Destrier. Means 'warhorse', and he's certainly big enough to be ridden into the legendary battles of old." Fae eyed the stallion and gave a slight nod. "Yeah, that'll fit, if the attitude he's showing is any indication."
The horse's snort and stamping his hoof brought the redhead back out of his memories. He glanced at the stallion and rolled his eyes. Destrier was clearly restless and did not like being confined. "Tough shit, jackass. Should've thought of that before you impregnated my mare. If you hadn't, you might be in a bigger pasture in Central Hyrule with more room to kick up your heels like the cantankerous stud you are."
"He's handsome. Is he yours?"
A female voice caught his attention and he turned away from the stallion to face the newcomer, and Goddess, he was glad that he did. He was joined by a young woman with long, blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, with the exception of a braid framing the right side of her face. Silver eyes sparkled and danced with laughter when Fae scowled at the horse pawing at the ground. She wore a dark red dress with gold trim, and boots up to her knees.
"Unfortunately. Gift from the girl who's a little sister to me, and her boyfriend. But this asshole decided to breed the mare I've raised since she was a foal, so he's kinda on my shit list." Fae scowled at Destrier who blew out his breath and faced his ass towards the two people by the fence. The redhead turned again to the blonde and had to stop himself from staring. "Sorry. I swear to Hylia I've got better manners than he does. I'm Faesule, from Akkala. Call me Fae."
"Embyr, from here in Tabantha. Pleased to meet you." She stuck her hand out towards him to shake only for him to awkwardly laugh.
"Probably better to wait on shaking hands. Mine are covered in hay and horse shit." He held them up to show her the less-than-clean digits. "Pleasure to meet you regardless."
"Likewise. What brings you all the way out here from Akkala?" She asked curiously.
He stole a glance at her when she leaned against the fence, watching as he broke up the bale of feed in the trough so it'd be easier for the stallion to graze off of. "Work. As you could probably tell, I work in the stable system, and they needed some extra help for awhile. So, here I am."
"Do you like it? Going all over with the stables?"
"Absolutely. I've gotten to see every region of Hyrule over the years, and meet all kinds of people. It's been really cool to see the diversity! And it gives me a chance to see lovely ladies like yourself." Fae shot her a wink to see what her reaction would be.
The blonde giggled and shook her head. "That was smooth. Are you always this flirtatious with women you just meet?"
"Only the blondes. And not just the women either. Whoever happens to catch my eye and has a friendly nature, really." He smirked at her. "And you definitely have. What brings you over to the stable if you're a local?"
"Oh, I needed a potion ingredient that Beedle sells cheaper than the other market here. Keeps me from spending half the morning hunting for a couple of restless crickets too."
Fae waited for Embyr to step back from the gate before he let himself out. "Potions, huh? You like tinkering with different brews?"
"I make and sell potions to earn enough to sustain myself. It's a lot of fun, and it's useful for the people too. Besides, it gives me a chance to be outdoors and explore the area around here," she brightly replied. "Do you need any potions?"
He laughed. "When do I not? If there's no other healers around, potions are my best friend. I've broken countless bones, not to mention getting this." He gestured to the right forearm where she could see the lightning scars disappearing into the sleeve going up to his shoulder. "I'd be lost without 'em."
"Is that so?" Embyr's eyes danced with silent amusement and she visibly tried to hide a laugh behind her hand. "I'll have to keep that in mind, seeing as how my name is Embyr. "
Fae's mouth dropped open and then he too had to laugh. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"
"Just a little. But it was pretty cute." She gestured for him to follow her. "C'mon. I can show you some of the ones I've got with me. I was planning on setting up beside Beedle for a while after I make up more of the stamina potions."
"Stamina, huh? That's not something I need much help with," Fae admitted with a smirk. "I like to think that I can handle whatever comes with enough stamina to do the job."
"What are– Oh." A deep blush crept over her face when she realized what he was referencing. "Well, uh, cough, I'll keep that in mind. So, maybe you'll need healing potions for when your stallion gets out of control?"
"Those would be good. I don't need anything for heat or cold resistance, fortunately. I'd say shock resistance, but that's a moot point," Fae laughed as he followed her back to the cooking pot. "I naturally have it now."
"You got struck by lightning, didn't you? You have the scars," Em observed.
"I did. What happened can be summarized as this: I was a dumbass, and I paid for it."
"And the long story?" She gestured for him to take a seat opposite to her by the dying fire.
Fae knelt to stoke the flames while she rummaged in her bag for her ingredients. "Well, it was out in Faron. Like I said, I work in the stable system, so they send me anywhere. It was starting to rain, and this big, black jackass of a stallion had gotten out and didn't want to come back to the stables when the storm got really bad. So guess who had to go track the bastard down near Lake Floria?"
"I think I know where this is going," Em observed. "But hold that thought. I've gotta catch up with Beedle first. He's holding the bugs for me."
"Trade him a rhino beetle and he'll love you forever."
"Oh, I know. I also know that there's more than one way to his heart. And I think the rice balls and seafood paella I've got planned for dinner will help too." Em winked at him. "Thanks for getting the fire going strong again. I'll be back in a minute."
He chuckled and blew on the flames to bring them roading back to life. He poked at it for a moment before he noticed the wood shifting unnaturally. Then the shaking began. Fae shifted to his knees, out of reach of the flames. A strange smell filled the air, drawing his attention to his surroundings. He gazed at the skies with mouth agape as purple billowing smoke erupted from the direction of Hyrule Castle. And while he watched, in the distance, the stone castle and all that surrounded it lifted up to levitate menacingly several stories above the ground.
Oh no… Not again.