Note: Hello everyone! This is more of a shorter chapter, but it's for the development of the two main characters. After all, what good is a love story if the two don't have good chemistry? Gris's problematic views will be shown here, but rest assured, she learns better later down the line. This is mainly to show the prejudices that exist in Hyrule, as well as why they are wrong.

With that said, thank you, and I hope you enjoy it!

An Afternoon in Castle Town

"All right," Gris said, her confidence brought back up thanks to Link's assurance he'd help her. "He could be at one of the stands," she told Link. "Search around. Remember, he's wearing green, like you."

Link nodded and began scouring the area, noticing the various displays selling various products, as well as food.

"Oh, if I may," Navi spoke up, gaining Gris's attention. "I've heard about it a few times since we've arrived, but what is 'Princess Day'?" the fairy questioned.

"Princess Day?" Gris tilted her head. "Oh," she shrugged. "It's nothing really special. It's just the Princess's birthday."

"Well, isn't that important in itself?" Navi asked. "After all, the Princess is an important person."

"Well, it's a little more than just a birthday celebration," Gris clarified. "It's a holiday, yes, but it isn't something that's celebrated every year," she said. "This one is just the ninth one they've held since the Princess was the first one born in a hundred years."

Navi was flabbergasted. "A hundred years?!"

"Oh, you don't know?" Gris asked. "Then again, you are from the forest, so of course, you wouldn't know," she realized. "It's a little strange, and I don't get it myself," she confessed. "But, while there's a King and a Queen," she then paused. "Or, sometimes, in this case, just a King," Perhaps she was thinking too deeply into it, but Navi swore she saw the girl's expression grow solemn. "There's very rarely ever a Princess of Hyrule."

"Why's that?" Navi questioned. Even if Hylian children were probably born different than the Kokiri, the Great Deku Tree sowed just as many girls as he did boys.

"No one knows," Gris told the fairy. "But ever since the Kingdom of Hyrule was established, there has only been a daughter of the Royal Family once every century," she explained. "And, as long as she's alive, the day she was born is celebrated as a holiday for everyone."

Navi smiled. "Sounds like fun," she replied. True, there were the Great Harvests of the Kokiri, when the most coveted crops were ready to be eaten. The children tolerated vegetables (even if they preferred them to be pickled), but when the fruit grew ripe, it was a momentous occasion. Even the fairies got a chance to eat the grown produce. Looking back, it was funny that she had missed Link every time she had gone. "But you don't seem that thrilled about it."

"Oh no, it's fun," Gris told the fairy. "People dress up, there are plays put on, games, food, everything is like a huge party."

"Then why do you seem disappointed?"

"Well, it's great and all," the girl then looked down at the ground. "But it doesn't matter because the King won't even let his daughter out of the Castle."

Before Navi could question what the girl meant, she then noticed something different about their little trio. Specifically, that one of them was missing.

While he had taken the apricot (traded, not stolen) to fill his stomach, the various sights and scents drew Link's attention, as well as stirred his curiosity as to what each of the goods around him tasted like. Link's sense of smell caught scents familiar to him, such as that of fresh fruit and vegetables, yet there were others that he had never experienced before. Scents from items and cooked foods that he had never seen before. One stand, in particular, drew him, his blue eyes taking in the baked goods before him. He knew not what they were, but they appeared to be fluffy and slightly brownish gold. Warmth radiated off of them, and, compared to the produce, had a very particular, almost overpowering smell to them, as if they were covered in a liquid stronger than any used for pickling.

It was all new and strange to him, and he was curious, but he also remembered what happened when he tried to trade out an apricot for an apple. And Gris looked horrified when he ate the orange fruit too. Why? It was just a raw apricot. It wasn't as if he were going to swallow the pit!

"Huh?" a man dressed in an apron and oil-soaked clothes looked over to see a boy in green peering at his wares. "Who are you?"

"There you are!" Link turned to see Gris and Navi coming towards him, the blonde girl frustrated with the boy. "Look, you're supposed to help me, so that means I need you to stick around!"

"Ah, is he your friend?" the vendor questioned the blonde girl.

"Well, kinda," Gris answered. "But he keeps wandering off when I need him to stay put!"

"And not heeding his appointed fairy's advice," Navi added.

Link was feeling very ganged up at the moment. "Well, perhaps he's just curious about what's here," the vendor suggested, trying to get the two others off the boy's back. "I've just friend these, so they're fresh!"

Upon hearing this, Gris found her eyes unconsciously drawn to the items available on the man's stand. Indeed, there was quite an array of fried food before them, both those that were sweet and savory to either meaty or cheesy. None of them were unfamiliar to the young girl, but, due to her diet, she couldn't indulge in such food often. Needless to say, it didn't take long for her to remember she hadn't eaten breakfast today. And before she could try and deny it, she heard a painful growl emanate from her abdomen.

"Um," she was stuck on what to do. It was clear that she was hungry, and the boy in green was eyeing the purse she carried with her. Ultimately, she decided to give in. But she'd only be buying one thing, and that was it! "What do you have?"

A Few Moments Later

She would buy just one thing. Yeah, that was a lie. In her arms rested baked and fried goods, the oil and lard coating the golden, crispy surface getting on her fingers. Link had more in his hands, yet she was the one that had to pay for it all. "You had better appreciate this!" she told the boy. "Nearly half of my purse is empty now!" she was exaggerating, but she did have to pay a good amount of rupees for everything bought. "Here," Gris said, looking at a rug laid out underneath a stairwell on the side of a nearby building. "That looks like a good place to sit. Come on."

Both Gris and Link, along with the fluttering Navi, made their way to the small rug and sat down, setting the collection of baked and fried goods. "Wow," the fairy said in awe. "What are they?" she asked Gris.

"Yeah," Link added. "What are they?"

"What?" Gris asked. "You wanted them, but you don't even know what they are?" she said, then she stopped and thought for a moment. "Oh, right. You're from the forest," she remembered. "Well," she began, pointing to a small pastry that could fit in the palm of either child's hand, for they were made to be consumed by a singular person. "First of all, that's a pie," she said. "Although, I don't know what kind it is. You didn't give me the chance to explain before you handed it to me to pay for it."

Link presented an apologetic smile, yet his attention went back to the pie. Just what was a pie? And just what was inside it? Well, only one way to find out. Giving a small shrug, Link bit into the pastry and found his teeth tearing through a strange, crusty, almost dry-tasting texture, yet his tongue was unprepared for what was inside. Gris had explained to him that pies could be filled with anything from different fruit to various types of meat, although, Link had no idea what meat was.

And what he tasted wasn't like any fruit he had eaten before. The texture was fatty and somewhat chewy, and, unlike the crops he had seen in both the Kokiri Forest and here, the filling in this pie wasn't either crisp or firm. Nevertheless, its flavor was another story entirely. Immediately, while he didn't know why, Link's mind was filled with images of sitting by a lit fire, whether with Saria or by himself in the Lost Woods. The filling smelt almost as if it had been roasted similar to how yams were roasted when they were ready for harvest in the Forest.

It felt very different, and yet familiar. And while he didn't entirely understand it, he found he liked the flavor, as unusual as it was.

"Ooh, lucky!" Gris said, frowning. "You got yourself a pork pie!"

"Pork..." Link looked at the food he had just bitten into. "Pie?"

"Yeah, pork," Gris said. "It's a type of meat."

"Oh yeah, meat!" Link said, proud that he recalled what she had said. But then, he remembered. "What's meat?"

You can't be for real. Gris thought. She kept it to herself, however. "Well," then, she found she didn't have a good explanation herself. "You know how trees give fruit, and vegetables grow out of the ground?" she asked. If she put it in a way he could understand, he would get it. Link nodded in response. "Well, meat is kind of like that with animals."

The meat came from animals? How so? Link inspected the small pie, the pastry not as warm as the others he and Gris had bought. Scratch that, Gris bought everything, and Link just chose what he thought looked good.

"Well, bite it," Gris urged him, puzzled as to just why the boy waited. Then, to her surprise, he tore the small, handheld pie in half and handed it to the blonde girl. "Huh? What are you doing?" Link pushed it closer to her. She then understood. "You want me to have some?"

He nodded. Although, he found himself beginning to wonder if he should've offered her one of the other items they bought. Or rather, she bought. And she, thanks to him and his hungry eyes, bought a lot. Better yet, was she still a little irritated at him for wanting so much? It was just he had never seen food like this before, he didn't even know what meat was, let alone that such a thing existed before now.

"Well, if you insist," Gris said before taking the half of pork pie from Link. "Don't mind if I do." She took a bite out of the pastry, and Link saw her face immediately shift into one of satisfaction. "Mmmm," she hummed, reveling in the taste. "One of my favorites," she then swallowed the bite, and then looked at Link. "Well? Try it!" she urged. "Trust me, you'll like it."

Link then turned to Navi, who was sitting atop his right shoulder. He tore off a tiny bit from his half and handed it to her as if to ask if she wanted some. "Oh, me?" she asked. "I suppose I could," she said, taking the small piece. Although it was large enough to fit in both of her tiny hands. "I'm not sure I can finish the whole thing."

Without anything else holding him back, Link took a bite out of the pasty, his tongue instantly assaulted with a taste that was both foreign and inviting. The outer crust of the small pie wasn't overly warm, it was quite cold in comparison to the other items purchased, yet it was flaky and somewhat fatty. It tasted somewhat salty and rich, but when came to the filling inside, Link was taken aback. This was what meat was? The meat, or, what Gris had called pork, tasted of pepper and spices, but they were unlike those used for pickling the Kokiri crops. There was also a thick layer of what seemed like flavored jelly surrounding the pocket of meat inside the pie, the flavor strong and adding to the overall pastry.

Surprisingly enough, Navi had finished her piece as well, although she felt quite stuffed from that small amount.

"Pork pies are great, right?" Gris said. Link nodded in agreement. He still didn't know what meat was, let alone how animals produced it, but he liked it! "They're thought to be a food more for the working class," the girl mused. "At least, that's what Ms. Meg said. But I don't care, it's one of my favorites."

Link tilted his head. "Ms. Meg?"

"Oh, she's my-" Gris began, but stopped herself. She had nearly let it slip again. "She's the Princess's teacher," the blonde girl explained. "Well, one of them."

She had more than one? True, Link supposed she could, yet, from his own experience, the Great Deku Tree taught him and the other Kokiri all by himself. Why would the Princess need multiple teachers?

"Well, Ms. Meg teaches the Princess history," Gris clarified to the boy and fairy. "Ms. Joelle teaches her language, Ms. Beth is her music teacher, and Ms. Amy helps her with painting."

"Sounds like a lot of learning," Navi observed.

"Oh, trust me, it is," Gris said. "And it can be so boring too."

Navi quirked a brow. "You know, you know an awful lot for just someone who's just a friend of the Princess."

Gris tried to not show it, but her blood ran cold. No, she couldn't be found out, not just yet.

Then, she heard Link speak in her favor. "Maybe...they're her teachers...too?"

Gris thought about this statement for a moment. Yes, she could work with that. "Yeah, that's right," she said. "They teach all the kids in the Castle. I'm just one of their students," she explained. Even if, aside from her, there were no other children. No one her age resided in the Castle. "Still," she muttered under her breath. "It'd help if they didn't hold the Princess to such a high standard."

Link looked at the other food with them, and then took another item and tore it in half, presenting the other to Gris.

"Hm?" the girl was confused. "What?"

Link averted his eyes for a moment, wondering if he had just made things awkward. Then, for what reason, he was unsure, yet he couldn't help but speak his mind. "You...look like a lonely person."

Gris was surprised upon hearing this. Unsure how to respond, she found herself growing defensive. "How can you tell?" she asked. "You don't know anything about me."

True, Link thought. He didn't. But, perhaps he was just speaking from personal bias, but he sensed that she was putting up a front. "No," he said. "But...right now," he told her, working out his words. He wanted her to make sure she heard him right. "You looked...sad."

Sad? Did she look sad? Gris was caught unawares by the boy's words, unsure of what to do or how to respond. What would he know about her? He didn't know anything about this place, let alone anything else until she told him. He was from those forbidden woods, he was completely cut off from the world outside. How could he understand her feelings?

Gris was brought out of her thoughts, the halved food still being presented to her. She stared at it for a few moments, her sky-blue eyes turning to look at Link, then the food, then back to Link again. "Do...you...want a friend?" Link asked her.

Again, Gris was left speechless. This boy was reading her like a book, and she wasn't sure whether or not she liked it. He was silent as if waiting for a reply to his question. "I..." she stammered. "I...guess so?"

"Well," Link said, then grew quiet for a moment. "If...you want...I could...be your...friend."

Silence fell in between the two children again, Gris's eyes wide, trying to process what she had just heard. Then, at long last, she answered. "...sure," she said. "Ok. I...guess we can be." truthfully, she was unsure of what to say. Things were getting awkward, and, while she didn't entirely understand why, the way Link was looking at her made her cheeks grow warm.

They grew even warmer when she saw Link smile upon hearing her response.

She needed a distraction. "Oh, you know what this is?" she asked, taking the piece of food from Link. Perfect. "It's a lot sweeter than the pork pie."

The food in question was a small lump of fried dough that was cooked in fat until it turned a golden brown and grew crisp. Then, she saw the center of the pastry that Link had torn in half. "Ah, I knew it!" she said. "It's got jelly! It's a kraphen!"

"Kraphen?" Link asked.

"Yeah, it's good!" Gris told him. "It's a filled-up donut."

"Donut?" Navi asked, flying over to take a bite out of Link's half. She dipped her finger into the torn red center and tasted the sweet jelly. "Tastes like raspberry."

"Oh, that's nothing compared to the fritters!" Gris said, presenting a fried slice of apple with a hole carved in the middle. "You like apples, right?"

Apples? Link sniffed and found that the tart sweetness of Apple permeated the fried piece of fruit. Tearing it in half, he found the apple inside was far softer than those he was used to, not to mention it had an added kick to the flavor, a small bit of spice to the sweetness. Nevertheless, different as it was, he found it delicious.

"Oh, and you've got to try the pretzel with mustard. It's amazing," Gris said. "Ooh! Try the crepe too!"

The girl continued to dig into the bought items along with the boy, both children (and fairy) sharing this moment. They were just sharing a meal, and they barely knew each other. But still, Gris thought, it felt…nice.

Then, the girl's eyes widened in horror. "Curses!" she hissed. "What am I doing? We can't stay here! We've still got to look for the Hero!" She then felt a tug on the hem of her dress. "Hey!" Gris swatted Link's hand away. "You don't grab a lady there! What's wrong with…" she paused when she saw a pickled radish being offered to her. "You?" She took the small sliced radish, Link having gotten out the jar Saria had given him. "You want me to have this?"

Link nodded. She had offered him a lot of her food, so he only thought it fair she had some of his. And it was Saria's pickled crops! Everyone loved whatever she grew!

"Is it raw?" Gris asked, unsure of what to do with the slice. It smelt like a pickled vegetable, but it still didn't look cooked. "Is it safe?"

Why wouldn't it be safe? Link was unsure of what she meant.

After looking at it for a moment, Gris, albeit hesitantly, took a bite out of the radish, the crop far crunchier than the baked and fried pastries. "Hm…" she hummed. "Not bad," she then looked at Link. "Mind if I have another?"

"Who is this girl?" the old woman to the left questioned, gazing at the rippling image of the two children in the cauldron's water. So far, that owl hadn't found the flying spy watching from within the town's walls.

"I'm uncertain," the other crone to the right answered. "But she may be of interest, if not just because she's trying to find the Hero." she then paused and gave the water in the pot a small stir, using a bone as a ladle.

"Do you agree that this boy is not the one?" her sister asked, the old woman concealed in darkness putting her hands on her hips. "After all, what sort of Hero is a child?"

"Those chosen by the Gods can come from anywhere," the other woman said. "And they can be any age."

"Then what should we do? Should we strike at him again?"

With one last stir, the other woman tossed in a few more ingredients. "For now, let us see," the image of the two children swirled on the water's surface, the entirety of Castle Town becoming a whirlpool of color. "Even if he may be an enemy of our dear King, he could perhaps serve so use to us," she then smiled. "After all, Hyrule's king has already provided us with an invitation to his homeland."

Given that there was no sign of a man in green in the marketplace, Gris decided to search through the allies of Castle Town behind the shops in the square. Still, despite the fact that she was on a search, she found herself conversing more with Link than she initially thought she would. "Thanks for the radishes," she said, she and Link having exchanged a few of the pickled slices of vegetable. "It was surprisingly good."

Link smiled. "I-I…" he began. "I'm…g-glad…"

"Hey, if it's too much, don't force yourself," Gris told him. True, she didn't understand why he sometimes had trouble speaking, yet she didn't wish to cause him any discomfort. Even if the radish was good (for something that wasn't cooked), she found her mind wandering elsewhere. "Even if I was the one that bought everything," she eyed Link, the boy wincing somewhat. "I did enjoy it. Thanks for sharing."

Link was surprised by her answer. "Y-Yeah! Sure!" he nodded, smiling. He then took out his mask and put it on.

"Eep!" Gris squeaked, but then she calmed herself. "Oh, heh. Yeah, you got me," she nervously giggled. She then looked at her own mask. "Still, I wonder why he gave me this."

"What is it?" Navi questioned. "Didn't that man call it a Keaton-something or other?"

"Yeah, a Keaton," Gris confirmed. "But they're nowhere in Hyrule."

"And also," Navi asked again. "Link here may not realize it, but we need a layout of the land."

Link gasped, offended. Of course he knew that too! He was…just going to ask that after he finished eating was all.

"You want to know about Hyrule?" Gris questioned. Link nodded along with Navi. "Well, it's not an overly big country, and it's somewhat surrounded by several others," she explained. "And it's in the center of a massive trade route, so whenever someone wants to make a profit, they usually stop by here along the way."

"Like what we saw in the square?" Navi questioned.

"Exactly," Gris confirmed. "Everyone comes to sell things here, and they sell nearly everything," she said. "Local crops, jewelry from Labrynna, minerals from Holodrum, there are even some products such as potatoes from Koridai and barley from Gamelon."

Link tilted his head. "K-Koridai?" he asked. "Gamelon?"

"They're islands that Hyrule claimed as territories not long after its founding," Gris explained. "Technically, Gamelon is a duchy under Duke Onkland while Koridai has more of a local government. Although, personally, I think Onkland is just a suck-up to the King," she said. She felt quite proud of herself. Contrary to what Ms. Meg believed, she DID pay attention during her geography lessons. "We Hylians rule the land, yet there are also other people that live here."

Really? Like who, Link wondered.

Seemingly reading his mind, Gris answered his question. The boy didn't speak much, but it was pretty easy to read his expression. "Well, there's the Gorons who live in Death Mountain," the girl relayed to him. "They're called the 'rock people' because they're said to have the skin of stone and no blade can pierce their hide. Father," she stopped herself. "I mean, the King learned that when he was still just a Prince."

The King fought against these rock people? They sounded fearsome, Link thought. He hoped to never have to encounter one.

"And then there are the Zoras," Gris continued. "They live in the river and ocean, but you have to cross the mountains to reach it," she clarified. "They control the waterways and Lake Hylia, but as long as they respect the rules set up by the King, the Hylians have no problem with them."

"Why?" Link questioned.

"Well, the thing is," the girl explained. "The different peoples of Hyrule, they've never really liked each other," she said. "Since the founding of the Kingdom, at least as it was told to me, the tribes have been in discord since the Triforce was sealed within the Sacred Realm. Ever since then, people have been fighting with each other, and the Civil War that happened was the peak of it all."

Indeed, Link had heard from Ingo that the field outside of Castle Town was a place where much destruction had occurred.

"But, honestly, I think that everyone is better off minding their own business," Gris said. "Then no one would have to deal with each other."

"Why?" Link asked.

"Why? Well," Gris pondered this for a moment. Truthfully, she had never thought about why before, she was simply going off what the adults around her had said. Still, from what she had learned in her studies, it seemed that whenever the people met, disaster always followed. "Well, the Gorons are big and lumbering. Something their size must be clumsy," she said. "And the Zoras are said to look weird, like a mix between a fish and person. I think anything that looks like that would be weird," she continued. "But the worst of all would probably be the Gerudo."

"The Gerudo?" Link questioned. That sounded like a funny name.

"There's nothing funny about them," Gris told him, growing serious. "They're dangerous and deadly. They come from the desert, but they're said to sneak around to other areas at night."

"Why?" Navi questioned.

"Because they're thieves," Gris answered. "All of them. They try to put on the facade that they want peace with the King, but that's all a lie," she clenched her fists, appearing to grow angry. "And their King is the worst of all. He's the one that got the King to even agrees to see him in the first place!"

Link remained quiet for a moment. This issue seemed to really work the girl up. "Why…don't they choose another King?" Link questioned.

"The Gerudo? They can't," Gris told him. "I don't know why, but it's sort of a similar issue with the Princess. The Gerudo are made up solely of women. Women with skin as dark as bronze, and hair as red as fire," she then bit her lip. "And if their King's eyes are anything to go by, there's always a dark intent," she continued. "But they can't choose another King, because he's the only one that can be their King. Like how the Hylian Princess is born every century, so is the King of the Gerudo. This single man is said to lead their people to an era of prosperity. The only problem is that the Princess thinks it involves them trying to take over."

Link and Navi looked at each other, trying to absorb what they were hearing. "They sound like an unsavory group." the fairy noted.

Then the boy remembered the other girl he had seen. Malon, right? Her hair was bright red, yet her skin was light-colored, and her eyes didn't appear malicious. Maybe she wasn't a Gerudo? But her hair was as red as a blazing fire.

"Oh, they are," Gris nodded. "They're said to be cursed people," she then gestured to her ears. "They were said to have been cut off from the Gods long ago, so they no longer have the ability to hear them." Although, for as long as she had lived, the girl had never heard the Gods either. But, according to the adults in her life, that was what she had heard.

"Then, what of the Kokiri?" Navi asked, noticing Link was beginning to look worried.

"Oh, the Kokiri are fine!" Gris said, realizing what she was saying might've given Link the wrong impression. "They're said to be magical."

Link raised a brow. Magical?

"Yeah, they live forever as children, they can play all they want, they don't have to worry about school, or studies, or playing music right," she went on, listing off various activities that Hylian children apparently had to do. "Overall, they get to just be children."

Well, that wasn't entirely true, Link thought. They still had to cultivate their own food, but they didn't have to do all of this work that revolved around this thing called 'school.'

"And they've got wish-granting fairies as friends." Gris finished.

"Wish-granting?" Navi asked. Link looked at her as if to hear her answer. "Sorry to say, I never heard anything about that."

Link appeared a little disappointed. Even if he didn't want to overthink about it, he initially believed that Navi came to him due to his wish on the "seed."

"Well, they say that fairies are always signs of good luck," the blonde girl said. "And they're said to be the best friends a child can have. If a fairy comes to you, you're guaranteed to find happiness later in life."

"Well, what would give me some happiness is having this boy listen to me every once in a while," Navi answered. Link folded his arms and scowled. "I believe he's hard of hearing sometimes."

"Hey!" Link protested. But then he thought about something Gris had said involving her ears. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Gris's ears looked like his. He had to ask. "D-Do the….Kokiri?"

"Do the Kokiri what? Have pointed ears?" Gris asked, Link nodding in response. "Hmm, honestly, I don't know," she confessed. "Up until now, you're the first Kokiri I've ever seen. But so far, judging from you, I think I like them."

Link's eyes widened. "You…like me?"

"Like you?" the pink-dressed girl pondered the boy's question.

She was silent for a few moments, making Link anxious. Did he say the wrong thing? Oh, no, he blew it. He blew it, he knew it!

"Well," she thought about it for a moment. "I…guess so," she said. "From what I've seen, you like to eat a lot," she giggled when she saw the boy's cheeks flush. "But I like you. And, if you're anything to go by, I like the Kokiri too."

She liked him? Sure, she said she liked the Kokiri, but she said she liked "him" first. Link didn't entirely understand why, but he felt a fluttering in his chest. And the longer he looked at Gris, he found himself studying her features. Her hair, her eyes, the way she was dressed, he began taking all of this in. And, as far as he could tell, he liked what he saw.

So far, he liked her too.

Gris was unprepared for the smile sent in her direction, as well as her reaction. The sight of the boy's lips curling in response to what she said filled her with a warmth she had never experienced. Frankly, she was unsure of how to react, thus, she tried to conceal her reddening face. "Yes, well, back to what we're trying to do," she said. "Now," she stopped for a second to think. "If I were a Hero of Hyrule, where would I go?"

Oh, right! They were supposed to be looking for the Hero! Link wondered too, but he found himself unable to produce anything. He turned to Navi to see if she had any advice.

"Ah! Of course!" Gris suddenly proclaimed. "Why didn't I think of it before?!"

"Think of what?" Navi asked.

Then, the girl grabbed Link by the wrist. "Come on! We've got to go! There's still one place we haven't looked!"

"And where would that be?" Navi questioned, flying as fast as she could to keep up with the now-running children.

"The temple!" Gris answered. "The temple on the east side of town!"

The three of them entered the square of Castle Town yet again, the sundial reading at a later time. Yet neither Gris nor Link noticed, the two rushing to their current destination. Or rather, Link was being dragged alone. The two continued on, and after a short time, they reached the stone steps that led up to a small garden-like area with fertile green grass and a few sparse flowers. There was a towering building of pure white before them, far larger than anything Link had ever seen. It perhaps rivaled even the height of the Great Deku Tree!

"This place," Gris told Link, looking at the entrance that was always open, welcoming any who wished to seek guidance and shelter within its walls. "The Temple of Time."

Note: Yes, Gris's prejudices are sort of showcased here, but she later learns that these views aren't ok.

As for the food presented, here's a brief history.

The pork pie is a pastry that has its origins in Great Britain and is a favorite of many in the country. It's made from pork shoulder, pork jelly (usually by boiling pig hooves), and a crust of lard or butter, and is said to be best served at room temperature or cold.

Krapfen is a German donut without a hole and jelly filling. Fruit preservation was difficult in the medieval period, yet methods such as drying and sealing them in honey could work. Although preserves such as jam had existed since the Roman Empire, so I thought I could sneak a jelly filling in and it not be too distracting.

Pretzels (probably one everyone knows) were first believed to have been made from scraps of dough in monasteries for monks. Given its origin, it's said the three holes represent the Holy Trinity of the Christian religion. Although, given that Hyrule has its religion, I made it the Three Goddesses instead. It's also commonly eaten with mustard, a condiment that goes back to Ancient Egypt. There are several types, especially German mustard.

Crepes were said to have been made by accident by a French housewife in the 13th century, and there's even a holiday named after them in France.

Fritters are cut-up food that was fried and topped with sugar. Given sugar was expensive during those times, it was considered a luxury food, yet I thought frying apples would be good enough.

Also, potatoes were domesticated in the South American Andes before they were shipped to Europe, as they didn't naturally grow there.

Again, sorry for the shorter chapter, but the next one will delve into Hyrule's mythology, as well as reference other Zelda games.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope to hear from you soon!