Chapter 8
She Made a Friend

Maron looked down the empty streets. She'd only looked away for a second and her new friends were gone.
Her papa warned her to stay away from them, but being so desperate for friends, she let herself be tricked.

It was their idea to skip out on the lessons, and now they'd up and left her all alone.
And being new to the city, Maron didn't know her way about yet.

Although she was scared to be alone, she was more so afraid of getting in trouble by the city guard.
The law says that children under the age of fifteen must attend lessons. Not only for education but to keep them under watch during the busiest part of the workday
Because of this, Maron was too scared to ask anyone in the streets for help. And so, she hid back in the narrower roads, hiding in the dark like a stray dog.

An hour must have passed before one of the backstreet doors opened.
Someone was taking out an old empty box to stack on top of the one Maron was hiding behind.
"Hey, Who are you?"

Maron got the fright of her life, screamed, and ran away.

"Hey! Come back here!" The man called, but Maron was already running, not even realising that the man had no interest to give chase.

Her escape attempts brought her just one corner away from the city gate, meaning she was just a long stretch of road from the market, and from familiar ground. But it was crowded, not just with citizens, but guards too.
Not wanting to get caught or get in trouble, she tried to keep out of sight. But as she tried to back away, she got hit by a substantial weight colliding against her.
As the two fell to the ground, Maron scraped her arm. Not the worst injury she'd ever gotten but enough to make her begin crying.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" The girl who ran into Maron tried to hold her still and keep her hushed so they won't get found. "Here, do you like tarts? I just bought one."

Maron's attention was quickly diverted from her stinging arm and brought to the strawberry topped baked good in front of her.

"I'll give you half if you stop crying, deal?"

Maron looked the girl over for a moment. Her hair was like gold and tied into a ponytail much as Maron had, but she had it tucked down the back of her coat.
Her clothes struck Maron as a similar class as everyone back at the farm. However, although Maron's gown was too big for her and will be for at least another three years. This girl's attire was well fitted. If she is another farm girl, she must be from a very well-to-do community.

The well-to-do girl pulled out a sharp dagger and quickly sliced the tart in one clean motion.
After being betrayed by her last set of 'friends', Maron was sceptical about this stranger. However, trust issues became a concern for another day as soon as an explosion of flavour filled her mouth.

"That good, huh?" The girl asked as she took careful considerate bites from her own. "yeah, this is delicious."

Maron felt like she'd never again taste something like that before, but couldn't' slow herself to properly savour it, and before she knew it, her half was gone.
She watched the other girl enjoy hers' with only the sweet memory to tide her over until it was eaten.

"So, what's your name?"

"Maron Koopa." She answered shyly. "What about you?"

The girl stared out into space for a moment before answering. "it's Namé… And sorry again for running into you."

Maron shook her head, having already forgiven the girl.
"So, are you from a farm?"

"No, I live in the city."

"oh," Maron let out a deflated sigh. She hopped the two could be friends. "Oh! Do you take Sage Rauru's lessons at the temple?" Even if they don't live close enough to be friends, seeing each other at the temple could work out.

"Um," Namé looked over her shoulder. "I do see him at the temple sometimes, but he sees me at home."

"so, you're a Lord's daughter?"

"Exactly." Namé nodded as she hopped to her feet. With her hands behind her back, she began walking with a casual twirl in her step. "It was nice meeting you, Maron. But I should be getting home before I'm missed."

"but…" Maron looked at the ground again. She wanted to speak up, but felt shy to ask this of a noble girl.

Namé was already marching away when she heard Maron's quiet voice speak out. Looking back, she didn't need to be told how lonely the girl looked. It was quite pathetic, actually.
"Now that I think about it, you're a farm girl, aren't you?" Namé asked as she waltzed back up, identifying clues about Maron's appearance. "I noticed your fingers were a bit dirty, but you didn't seem to mind so I didn't bring it up. There's also a little straw in your hair…"

Maron blushed as the long yellow blade of dry grass was pulled from her ponytail.

"The only reason you're in town is that you've got lessons with Sage Rauru… But, you're hiding back here, why?"

Maron broke down in tears again.
Namé only meant to show off a little, and get answers to her curiosity, not cause the girl to cry.

"these four kids from the temple told me to follow them, but they left me behind!" Maron sobbed as tears ran down her cheeks. "They said I could be their friend!"

"Don't you have friends on your farm?"

Maron shook her head as she told Namé that she's the only little girl there. The only kid for that matter.

"Okay… Then, how about I be your friend?"

Maron looked at the girl through her teary red eyes. She seemed to be a little older, at least by a few years.
And from an outsider's perspective, quite a bit more mature than the timid farmgirl.

"Listen. Tomorrow, look for me at the temple steps. We'll explore the town together so you won't get lost again." Namé gave Maron a smile.

"tomorrow?" Maron shook her head. "I only have lessons three days a week."

Namé rolled her eyes, rescheduling for the next time she's back in town.

"Maybe, you could come to my farm? Do you like horses?"

"Of course," Namé laughed. "We have twelve of…" Her eyes widened.

"Twelve!?"

"Heh, I'm only joking Maron… You're so gullible." Namé laughed off what she said, but promised that she'd be waiting for her at the temple next time she's in town.

"You promise!"

"Uh huh, just… Keep it between us. Don't tell Sage Rauru."

Before parting ways, Namé helped Maron find her way back to the market without her papa knowing she ever skipped lessons.

When the wagon finally rode away leaving the city behind, Maron saw her new friend waving from the city gates, filling the farm girl with an uncontrollable eagerness to return as soon as she could.

Next time she was in town, Maron sat patiently at the foot of the steps for her friend to show up. Even the rain didn't convince her to move and find shelter.
The cold made her shiver as rain soaked through her woollen gown and trickle down her legs and slowly filled her shoes.
After three hours of sitting alone, Maron's father finally came and got her.

"Why are you sitting out here?"
Maron didn't say anything as her father threw his coat around her and carried her back to the wagon to get out of the cold.

The trip home was a bleak one, feeling like she'd been lied to again by someone she put a just little faith in.
Maron had to miss a week of lessons trying to get over her illness from being out in the cold rain.

When she finally was well enough to go to the city again, she left her lessons and walked down the stairs ready to sit at her father's stall until it was time to go back home.

But this time, she found the blond girl sitting there watching the crowd go by.

Maron smiled at first, but kept back. Remembering what happened the week before, how long she waited. Catching that cold, being bedridden for a whole day. No matter how badly she wanted a friend, she wasn't ready to forgive Namé just yet.

"Miss Koopa," The sage called on his way to the temple. "I was glad to see you again. I trust you're feeling better?"

Maron glanced back at the steps, seeing them vacant yet again made her wonder if this Namé girl was actually just a ghost.
"I-I am, thank you." Maron bowed to him. "See you in three days."
The farm girl skipped down the stairs, looking around for Namé before entering the crowd.
It was among all those people that Namé reappeared.

"Hi!" She said, taking Maron's wrist. "Where have you been?"

Maron narrowed her eyes on her, pouting her lips out and taking great offence that Namé would be the one to ask her that.

"I've been looking for you." Namé continued.

Maron shook her head before bawling at the blond girl. "I was at the steps last week! I waited in the rain!"

Namé blinked before her eyes dipped down.
"oh… I'm sorry…" She pulled out another strawberry tart. "I'm not allowed to go out during the rain, if I'd known… I'd have come and told you... I didn't think you'd be there... I didn't think you'd want to be out in the rain any more than I would…"

Maron still felt angry, but she hadn't considered that Namé's parents got in the way of her coming, even though her own father wouldn't let her out during heavy rain either.

"Were you gone all this time because you got sick?"

Maron nodded, finding it harder and harder to decline the apology cake as its sweet smell filled her nostrils.

"If it's not raining, I will be here. I promise." Namé said, looking Maron in the eyes. "I don't have any friends neither, can I still be yours?" With a smirk, she raised the hand holding the cake. "This can be yours too."

Maron failed to hide her smile.

"I don't want to eat all your food."

"Uh, I bought two." Name admitted, holding up her second hand.

"Is your family really rich, or something?"

"Two cakes isn't a lot… is it? Is this a lot…" Namé got really self-conscious at that moment.

Despite their shaky reunion, the two spent time exploring the market and sitting by the fountain.

The two talked for a long while until Maron had to return to her father, who was pleasantly surprised to see Maron with a friend, but still upset over what happened.

"Nice to meet you," Namé said with a curtsey despite wearing trousers, not a dress. But despite the pleasantries she was giving at first, she started to hold back on the smiles as she noticed the stare she was getting.

"She waited out in the rain you know." Maron's father crossed his arms, looking down on the blond girl. "High born or not, that wasn't very decent of you."

"I, I said I'm sorry..." Namé gulped slightly, backing away from the large man.

"Father, please... we're friends again!" Maron pleaded.

Although he did not want to step on his daughter's toes, he was still a little distrustful of this girl who left his precious Maron behind to get sick.
"Don't make my daughter upset again, you hear?"

Namé gulped, averting her eyes. She did however make her promise to be there for Maron when she says she would.

As weeks went on, Namé proved herself to be a reliable friend and companion around town that Maron grew to look forward to her time with her more and more.
Maron would hear about some of the boring chores that come with the perks of nobility and in turn, Namé grew fond of the farm girl and hearing her struggles on the farm really put her own pampered life in perspective.
Talks of visiting the other's home got bought up. Both were keen, but Namé found the idea quite impossible.

"Can I see your house?" "No." "Please?" "No." "Pleeeease?" "Noooooo!"

This same talk would come up at least once during their meets. Eventually, Namé was worn down and gave Maron a proposal.

"You come see me, same place as always. But!" She held up an authoritative finger. "You need to be spotless!"

Maron looked herself over. Her gown was faded, and a little dirty around the hem. Nothing a little scrub in the basin won't fix.

"Forget your clothes. I mean your face, your hands… Your nails, wash up before you show up."

Maron agreed before they split up that day, but when they were reunited a few days later, she wasn't quite up to the standards Namé was hoping for when she appeared.

"Well I'm already here so, let's do it." Namé sighed as she handed Maron a bag and led her further into the city than they usually go.

Maron soon found herself in the upper ring of the city. The houses were huge, well built, and people were dressed in colourful robes.
"Namé, why am I carrying your bag?"

"Because right now, you're my servant girl."

Maron frowned but followed her anyway.
Eventually, they came to a backstreet where there were no windows and no foot traffic.

"Okay, put these on…" Namé opened the bag, and pulled out a folded set of clothes that unrolled into a gorgeous dress for Maron and another for herself.

"I can have this?"

"To borrow, yes. Go on, I'll keep an eye out for you."

Maron was embarrassed to have to get undressed in the street. But she was only wearing a gown, boots and a necktie anyway. It didn't take long to strip off and figuring out the fancy dress wasn't too hard neither.
"Ready."

Namé came back and tidied the inelegant girl up a little before throwing her own dress over the tight, boyish clothes she already had on.
"How do I look?" Namé asked as she pulled her golden hair free from her collar.

Maron was dazzled by her radiant beauty.

"You, look like a princess!"

Namé blushed. "Huh… funny that…" Leading the way, she asked Maron to pick up the bag containing her farmer clothes.

"So, which of these is your house?" Maron asked as they made their way to the main street again.

"That one…" Namé pointed beyond the dozen guards blocking the way, aiming their sights on the towering castle on the hill. The one that housed the King of Hyrule, his host of personal guards, and of course, his young daughter.

"you what?" Maron couldn't finish her thought before one of the guards marched forward to inspect the approaching pair.

Upon recognising the blond girl, the guard took a knee, followed soon by the whole patrol.
"P, Princess Zelda! What are you doing outside the castle without an escort?"

Maron's jaw hung open with eyes fixed on the girl she'd known for weeks as if she were a stranger once again.

"This is my escort," Zelda said gesturing with a friendly smile to her friend. "Lady Koopa here is my guest for this afternoon. Would you please have someone take us to the gardens?"

As the guards led the girls away, Maron couldn't shake the feeling that the armed escort marked trouble, but she was assured every step of the way that she'd be fine.

The guards brought the two girls to a lush, neatly trimmed forest of flowers and shrubbery. The gentle breeze carried the strong fragrance of roses.
It was there in the flower beds that the guards left the two girls to their own vices. After the shock of where she was had faded a little, Zelda got an earful from the traumatised farmgirl.

"You're the Princess?!" "Shhhh!" "Why didn't you tell me?!" "Because of exactly this! I can't have the whole city knowing I'm wandering about alone!"

Maron was still struggling to correct all the wrong information about 'Namé'.
This whole time she'd been chatting with the future queen of Hyrule. The fiction made more sense than the truth.

"How can you be the princess?"

"I am sorry for lying to you… But in all honesty, meeting you was just a happy accident. I've escaped the castle lots of times and-"

"escaped?" Maron blinked, looking at her fearfully.

"Well, yes. I'm not allowed to leave. But I like exploring my city. I never meant to… what?"

Maron had been staring at her weird since they arrived in the gardens.
Zelda's face was the same, but her voice was so different.

"Why are you talking like that?" Maron demanded.

The princess rolled her eyes as her body slumped down slightly.
"I have to speak more, common when I'm in the city." Clearing her throat, Zelda put her Namé voice back on. "I'm still the same person," Zelda looked hurt when Maron recoiled from her hand. "Do you, not like me anymore, because I'm Zelda?"

Maron shook her head.
Namé was a rich girl, but struck Maron as someone she could be friends with.
But in these gardens, even the dirt looked polished. Maron felt like her every step would leave a footprint.
She just felt out of place. As though any one of the windows on the castle behind them could have watching eyes judging her every movement.

"My papa yelled at you..." This realisation turned Maron white in the face. "Is, he going to get arrested?"

"Of course not!" Zelda scoffed, finding her worries rather funny despite the implications. "I've had worse, trust me... Nothing bad is going to happen to you or our family."

Maron took a deep breath. Despite all that's happened, underneath that silk dress and royal esteem, was still her friend.

"Parden me, but might I have a word with the Princess?" Asked a deep womanly voice.

Both girls jumped at the sudden appearance of a tall muscular person with short silver hair.
The woman stood like a statue, staring down at the nervous girls, making Maron want to hide behind Zelda.
Even just at a glance, Maron sensed a darkness behind those cruel focused eyes as the woman talked down to Zelda.
Maron was in disbelief.
Her father scolding her was bad enough when he didn't know who she was, but this woman was very angry in how she spoke to Zelda.
Can she talk to the princess like this? Isn't that against the law?

But the way Zelda was avoiding eye contact like she was more ashamed than angry to be getting in trouble, it made Maron wonder.
"Is, she your muma?" It was the only thing that made even a little sense, but the woman wasn't dressed like royalty, but to be fair, neither was 'Namé' when they met.

"No." The woman said, giving the farmgirl a slight glare. "I assume you're Miss Koopa?"

Maron nodded, still very frightened of the woman until Zelda spoke up.
"This is my Nanny."

A vein popped in the woman's scrunch forehead.
"I am the personal Bodyguard to the princess of Hyrule!" She barked, pulling a tightly clutched fist from her crossed arms.

"Sorry, Royal Nanny." Zelda's giggles were cut short when the woman held her by the shoulder and pulled her in.

"We've been over this, you don't have a nanny anymore, I am your body-" She was silenced when the princess wrapped her arms around her neck. Despite her frustration, the woman's arm closed in around Zelda's back. "you're the worst person I've ever protected…"

Zelda smiled, hugging her bodyguard with everything she had before eventually letting go to properly introduce the two.
"Maron, this scary lady is Impa."

"That's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?" Impa sighed as she knelt before the nervous farmgirl.

Maron winced slightly as the intimidating woman placed her hands on her. But her fear was unwarranted, all Impa did was fix the girl's dress, tightening up the laces and tucking in a few bits that were hanging out.
"A lady should look the part." Impa gave her a smile as she helped straighten the girl's posture. "there, perfect."

"She looks like a real princess now!" Zelda cheered from behind.

"As if you'd know."

"Hey!" Zelda stomped her foot in protest of Impa's remark.

Maron was bewildered, but Zelda seemed very relaxed around this woman, and watching them together was a little funny after the fear was diluted.
A brat princess annoying her stern but loving bodyguard.

"Years of training, making myself sharp as a plate piercing arrowhead and tough as iron, all so I can serve the King of Hyrule, only to end up bouncing in place while a two-year-old princess falls asleep against my shoulder." Impa paid no mind to the series of thumps that crashed against her arm as she told Maron about Zelda's young years.
After all, there's no point in raising children if you don't get to embarrass them in front of their friends.

Impa permitted Zelda and Maron to keep playing in the garden, but she did give the princess another telling off for leaving castle grounds.
As grand as Hyrule is, every kingdom has a nasty side of people who'd find an unprotected princess as an easy target.

"In the future, Miss Koopa would be better coming to the castle than you going to town."

"So she's allowed to come here again?"

"If you both stay out of trouble, yes." Impa glanced at the bright faces on the two girls. She was glad to see Zelda making friends and she didn't sense any malicious intent in the timid farm girl. "However, I have a condition for you both…"

Firstly, Maron must keep their friendship a secret in order to keep them both safe from harm.
Second, Zelda was made to show Impa exactly how she kept escaping the castle so arrangements could be made to tighten the security and structure.

"Tunnels," Impa sighed as she looked over the exposed covering. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Just a few months, I promise!"

Maron knelt down, looking into the deep hole under the brick flooring at the very rear side of the gardens.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? They flood faster than you'd think."

"I never go when it's raining…" Zelda pretended not to notice the look Maron was giving her. "Oh! I know," Taking Maron's wrist, Zelda knew the best way to change the subject. "How would you like to see the stables?"

"Yes!" Maron followed after the princess to meet the twelve horses that was brought up at their first meeting.

Impa stayed behind to close over the manhole up before chasing after them.