Cece could be a real overbearance at times. The portrait of egoism satisfied to the degree that the mere mention of her often summoned her to the site of mutterance. She was so happy to be existing in a time clearly wanting for her gifts of thread and pattern, especially in the relative hustle and bustle of Hateno village. Day in and out, it was the same old harvest across each field, the same children emulating the flamboyant construction baron Bolson, the same obstinate scrutiny towards outsiders and insiders alike from the oh-so zealous Thadd at the portal into village limits, with pitchfork aimed at the business end of whomever had crossed his sightline. Cece demanded variety. She desired creative friction. Something to startle her goods into existence and radishes just weren't doing it.
But her older sister Sophie had no such compunctions. Sophie was happy just to mind the store.
From her corner.
Some people didn't understand Sophie's predilections, especially the corner. And that was okay. Sophie didn't mind. She was comfortable there.
Sophie liked being able to meet people on their way out, asking them about their purchases. Offering selling opportunities to travelers overloaded with luminous stones or monster bits. She was glad to be helpful. For a long time, it seemed like Sophie had no aims or abilities. Some in the village were concerned by this possibility. But then her dad had taken that fall that made his back funnier than before. He was Seldon by the way; he sometimes comes by when it rains. But after that, Cece was still "preparing for glory" with her designs and thread and little bits of rock she was using instead of real gems. Sophie didn't have anything to lose by minding the shop. She already helped out with stocking on occasion, so it really was no trouble.
She liked being alone. She liked being with customers, just not all the time. She liked being able to take her time making the displays look all right on the displays, sometimes lighting an extra lamp to let the threads shine just a bit more for goodness' sake. It made her feel fuzzy inside.
Sophie loved her sister. She had to. She was family. And while Cece was blessed with talents for showmanship and design, and eager to show it off, Sophie was quietly satisfied with helping Hateno by running the store.
Among the residents of Hateno, two stood out to Sophie on her gatherings and goings and greetings. The two most recent additions, one a strapping near-mute adventurer with shaggy hair, and the other a very pretty lady with long hair like shafts of pure sunlight. Sophie knew of the former from many months of coming and going as Link, though she learned of his name much later on. Not big on speaking, that one. She could relate. Speaking was a big ask some days. Some days the voice box gets all quiet and makes the day just a crumble tougher than you wake up hoping for.
The new lady was pretty, some days near stunning. Sophie didn't think of people in terms of looks based on attractiveness. See, Sophie was someone who got to liking people based on who they are and how they interact with others. People can look nice and act the exact opposite. Sophie had learned this early and set herself to be just nice and kind and positive wherever she could manage, inside her corner, at the Ventest Clothing Boutique. But back to the lady. She was a rarity. Someone who looked like sunshine and practically radiated it most days. Like she washed her hair with golden apples. Sophie could tell this even if this new lady sometimes grew just as quiet and measured as Sophie did on those days.
It was unexpected. Sophie was used to being unique, singular even. She was the quiet one who wasn't Manny, obviously. She was the one who when asked a direct question took a moment to adjust her posture to make her spine climb like the hill that gets you to Retsam Forest. It made the fuzz easier to navigate to her thinking. This new lady made her feel like, like if the moon had a second moon friend that only occasionally made an appearance in the night sky. Sophie was happy to be able to provide what the buyers needed. This new girl provided something for her, kinship. Kinship without the prerequisite blood relations that proper kin entails.
One night, Sophie was there, in her corner, thinking about a new thread count for the next batch of Hylian tunics. She would have to mention this to Cece, when Cece could be talked to. It was a slow night, like almost all of them were. She would spend the idle hours of the late night rereading her favorite book of legends from the shelf in her corner. She loved the ones about the knight of old and his princess that he served. So many different stories about them compiled from seemingly different authors with distinct styles. Some about ships at sea, some especially dark and running low on hope, one involving four heroes with one princess between them all. Sophie liked that one, because of all the friends the princess would have as a result of her heroic companions. Princesses in tales were so often lonely and without good friends to Sophie's dismay.
It had been a little over a month since Thadd had noticed the angry clouds had dispersed from around the ruined castle past the Dueling Peaks. Still, no one besides Joute and merchants made their way out. Hateno was not known for its producing of wanton explorers. Sophie certainly wasn't among them. She was happy enough with her books about derring-do and magic spells of old and faeries. Sophie secretly hoped to meet a faerie one day, but her lack of wanderlust was more than likely crippling to that tiny daydream.
The door opened and Link was there, with his golden lady friend. She was looking a tad glum, Sophie could tell, even from behind. The lady was looking at the wearable wares with interest. But it was an interest Sophie recognized. She was trying to distract herself with activity. Sophie knew not to take it personally. People have internal lives. Their minds all at their own speeds, with their own tagalong faeries and goblins, equal in potency some days. Sophie put on her small smile, the one that wouldn't overwhelm. She waited while they perused. She set the book of legends back on the high shelving, the tales of the four swordsmen would be waiting patiently.
Link spoke verbally very little, but he was talented with his hands, which made the reveal that he spoke with sign all the more appropriate, at least to Sophie. He was all too aware of his companion's gloom that she did her best to hide behind a practiced brightness, but one that could be read as false to those with enough perception and insight. Sophie didn't mean to get all specific and focused on her customers, but when the day goes slow, the mind focuses on a couple of things and then it parses that information into a picture in Sophie's mental scrapbook for further reference. It made interactions easier, usually.
They were standing in front of a standard dress with apron piece. Link smiled and signed to the golden lady. She was wearing a Hylian tunic, stained dark blue, (by Sayge no doubt), and simple brown trousers.
"Link, I appreciate it, I really do, but I don't think tonight is the night for that."
Link flashed his hands a few more times. Sophie should make time to learn sign. She knew 'thank you' and 'hello' and 'love you', but only two of those were useful with Ventest customers. But she thought privately that it could prove useful. Sometimes accidents happened and deafness wasn't uncommon as you grew older. Sophie was convinced it was a good idea, at least.
The golden lady sighed. "I can never refuse you, sir knight." She took the dress off of the hanging rack and looked around.
Knight. Sophie heard it, clear as a waterfall on a sunny day. Sophie moved to the dressing corner, pulling back the curtain softly.
"Over here." She waved politely.
The golden lady saw Sophie but wasn't startled. Sophie relaxed; she disliked knowing that her quiet demeanor could be shocking. Sophie didn't want that. She preferred to be a stabilizing, calm presence in the world. The outside of Hyrule could be startling enough on a good day.
The golden lady passed Sophie, thanking her quietly. Sophie closed the curtain. She returned to her corner, preparing some receipt paper. Paperwork could be more fun, Sophie supposed, but it wasn't a terrific detraction from the calm day-to-day of the Ventest Boutique.
After a couple moments, the curtain pulled aside and there was the golden lady, in a light green dress, with an apron attachment. She adjusted her hair and wriggled the sleeves.
"Well, how does it look?" A drop of nervousness in her tone. Sophie didn't know where that came from. The golden lady looked stunning in the grassy tones, and the apron gave her a girl next door quality that she previously avoided.
Link smiled and touched the shoulders of the dress. Then, to Sophie's surprise, he touched his forehead to hers. Sophie turned away in case she was intruding on something personal.
But as she faced the wall and door, a noise came from the carpet behind her. It was feet. Moving feet. Bare feet and, Sophie twitched her ear, stocking feet on the carpet near the racks. Sophie turned.
Link and the golden lady were dancing. A slow and buoyant waltz, around the mannequins, like they were other dancers. The golden lady was apparently as shocked as Sophie, but soon broke into a grin, and then a gentle laugh. Sophie soon after also allowed herself to smile at this curious event happening at Ventest Clothing Boutique. Sophie would never have guessed to witness dancing, here of all places. But, oh, it was so charming, and captivating.
Link at one point tried to adjust the pace into that of a country folk step, but the golden lady wasn't having any of that. So, they settled the steps, stopping their momentum by Seldon's corner desk. They were panting, and smiling, and she was teary-eyed all of a sudden.
"Link. Thank you. You are incorrigible. But I would not have you any different." She kissed his cheek, turning away quickly for the dressing corner.
Sophie called out, "Miss, it's perfectly all right for you to wear it out of the store. No policy against it, and I'm what makes that what it is." She made sure to keep her smile small.
The golden lady looked to Sophie, still removing a scant tear from her eyelash. "Oh, well. As long as there's no issue, thank you. Sophie, was it?"
"Yes'm."
The golden lady smiled again, and Sophie felt like she had been kissed by the sun. She could not help her smile brightening in response. Sophie hoped it was welcome.
"Dear me, where are my manners? I've never introduced myself, have I? I am Zelda."
Zelda. A lovely name for a woman who could be so transfiguring in but a single moment in the quaint, little Hateno clothing and armor shoppe. Sophie added that to her mental scrapbook.
Link made his way to Sophie's corner, pulling his purse and paying her ten red rupees and one blue rupee. A solid tip on top of everything. Sophie was never tipped. But apparently she had done something right. And she could live with knowing that. Now if only she could figure what precisely that was.
As Zelda and Link made their way to the door, Zelda turned to Sophie and smiled again. It was like the most refreshing glass of lemonade but for the skin and soul. Sophie was no romantic, but she couldn't describe it any other way. They exited, leaving Sophie alone in the boutique once again.
It then occurred to Sophie, not long after they had departed, that within the stories she so often read, the princess was always named Zelda. And the hero, while not always named, often came with the name Link. She giggled to herself at this happy coincidence. She saved it in a little corner of her brain's scrapbook. A secret all her own that she could relish. She reached again for the scrappy tome of stories on the high shelving.