Chapter Eight: Royal Visit

…

Ban ban ban!

Two days later, Link woke to someone pounding on the front door. His immediate response was to snort since he was having a dream about smelling different types of flowers in the process of investigating which one stole a packaged cuckoo roast and, unable to distinguish his next suspect from his bedsheet, tried to take in a heavy breath. He started coughing and had to lean over the side of his bed so he did not spit on his pillow.

Ban ban ban!

"Mara…" he croaked. He had to cough again to clear his throat. "Mara?"

Kkkkling! Kkkkling!

"Coming!" Mara called from the kitchen.

"I'm gonna kick his ass…" Link grumbled as he listened to Mara cross the entryway underneath him.

The door opened with a squeal. "Oh," Mara uttered. "Good morning, Officer March."

"Oh, for f—tell him I'm putting spikes on the door!" Link hollered.

"Link?" Mara called from the entryway. "I think you'd better get down here. There's something you should see."

"Is it Catskill with an apology cake?" Link asked.

"Liiiink?"

Link heaved a sigh. "Okay, I'll be right down," he said as he sat up.

"Make yourself presentable," Mara said. "He isn't alone."

"Is it DS Navi?"

"No."

Link frowned at the bare wall/ceiling across from his bedroom loft. Mara had only told him to make himself presentable a few times in his life, mostly to do with the first day of school. He only possessed a handful of each clothing item, having grown so fast that Mara barely had time to take him shopping for more that would fit. However, since he and Mara had done their laundry only yesterday, most of those clothes were clean and neatly stored in a chest that Mara had salvaged from his parents' home a long time ago.

He rose from the bed and rounded it to the chest at the foot. He used the outside of his right foot to kick the side of the chest. The latch had broken a long time ago, so the chest simply opened with a creak of protest from its old hinges, the springs automatically forcing the lid up. Link pulled a pair of grey serge trousers and a fresh pair of socks out of the chest and immediately pulled them on. Then he grabbed his green tunic from atop the short wall that prevented him from falling from the loft. After he put it on and teased some of his hair out of his eyes, he took the ladder down to the ground floor.

Mara still held the front door open, and March was standing directly outside. Mara was beaming, prompting a confused look from Link. However, Link decided to ask, "What's goin' on, March?"

"You got a visitor from Hyrulia," was the reply.

March then stepped out of the way, and Link moved closer to the door to look outside. A rich-looking coach, painted royal blue with gilt accents and shields bearing the Triforce-over-bird crest of the Hyrule Royal Family sat in the road directly in front of the house.

It made sense; Princess Zelda was standing at the foot of the coach.

Having known Joth for a long time, Link did not need to guess the brunette's identity. She wore a purple bodice over a white gown, the gown trimmed in faint purple and sporting a lace-like pattern up either side. A strip of an apron hung from the bodice, its surface adorned by the crest of the Royal Family as well some intricate designs in gold thread. She wore puffy sleeves that were just barely attached to the gown and gloves that covered her arms as far as the elbow. Her long, brown hair had been brushed back save a few wisps of bangs peering out from under a chain-like golden tiara bearing a triangular sapphire in the center.

"Woof," Link uttered, surprised by the sight of one of the members of the Royal Family standing in front of his home.

Mara reached forward and thumped the back of his head, causing him to flinch and take in a pained hiss of a breath. "That's rude, Link," she scolded in a light tone as he rubbed his head and glared at her over one shoulder. "You don't say that to girls." March used a hand to cover his smile.

"Ow, Mara…" Link groaned.

"C'mon, Link," March said. "She's come all the way from Hyrulia."

Link heaved a sigh and tried to form his face into a neutral look. It was not particularly easy since Link was secretly wanting to jump up and down in victory. This was better than he had been expecting. Of course, what he had been expecting for the past two days was a polite letter from DS Navi's patron inviting him to the city. Or a letter from DS Navi herself telling him that he had been an irritating little smart-aleck whom she hoped she would never have to deal with again. Perhaps a small part of his brain considered the idea that Princess Zelda would be interested in meeting him, although, until now, he had to admit that it was little more than a fantasy. A larger one would have been the King of Hyrule himself coming for a visit.

Easy, Link, he thought to himself. One Royal at a time.

Link descended (almost knocking March off the stairs) and stopped at the bottom of the steps. He slapped his hands against his thighs and bowed deeply to the princess. "This subject of the Kingdom is honored by Your Royal Highness's presence," he said in a stilted, rehearsed tone. "I bid welcome and long life to the Kingdom." Princess Zelda raised an eyebrow at him and looked up at Mara.

"That's a lot of fancy words, Link," March grunted as he stepped off the side of the stairs.

"Read a book, March," Link said under his breath.

The princess allowed herself half of a grin before saying, "While we appreciate the kind greeting, Mister Fieldview, you should know that your use of an archaism is only appropriate if I were to step into your home."

"Okay, so the book lied," Link said aloud.

"Such language would impress my parents, Mister Fieldview," Zelda continued. "I, on the other hand, have come on very little ceremony. So, I would ask that you rise so that I might address you face-to-face."

Link did as he was told only to immediately flinch backward upon realizing that she was standing closer to him, close enough that she could have smacked his head if he had not risen. "Whoop," he uttered. The proximity was startling enough, but being so close reminded him that she was about the same age as him, and this caused his cheeks to flush.

"Do not be surprised," she told him. "My visit is mostly one of curiosity. While I had expected the Ordon Sheriff to cooperate with the City Watch, I had not anticipated that a simple citizen would also be called upon for investigation."

Link straightened up. "Beg your pardon, Your Royal Highness, but I am not a simple citizen."

Princess Zelda crossed her arms and gave him an incredulous grin. "Perhaps 'simple' is inaccurate in this instance," she conceded. "Intelligent, to be certain. And… vexingly confident, I imagine."

Link opened his arms in concession. "That's me," he told her with a grin.

This caused the princess to roll her eyes. "Detective Sergeant Navi made it quite clear who I was to be meeting," she said. She then turned and used one hand to indicate her coach. "Please join me so that we might talk in private."

March chuckled. "Sure you wanna be alone with this young man, Your Highness?" he asked.

"Mister Fieldview's charm underestimates my own appreciation of a situation," Zelda assured him as Link started walking past. "He also does not know where inside the coach my firearms are hidden." This caused Link to pause mid-step and turned his head to her in surprise. "There is little reason for that response, Mister Fieldview; it is common knowledge that the entirety of the Royal Family and staff are trained in marksmanship." March chuckled again.

"Link, you be nice," Mara called as Link climbed into the coach. "Don't make her shoot you."

"I know, Mara," Link called back before ducking inside.

Zelda told the driver standing next to the door, "At your discretion, Helmsworth."

"Yes, Your Highness," the elderly coach driver replied.

Zelda then climbed into the coach to find Link sitting on the forward-facing seat. She gave him a conceding nod in spite of her dislike of having a male no older than her take her preferred seat and sat on the rear-facing seat. She took her seat on the far left, one hand hinting at the compartment near the armrest. Helmsworth closed the door.

"Your driver's name is 'Helmsworth'?" Link asked.

"No," Zelda replied. "It is more of an inherited title. His real name is Fred Finch."

"Oh," Link said with a teasing grimace. "I can see why he'd use the name 'Helmsworth' then."

Zelda frowned at him. "Don't be mean. He's been a loyal staff member for years." The coach started forward, forcing her to adjust her position. "So. I understand that you intend to join the Watch, and that you are seeking a patron to pay you into the service."

"In spite of how irritated DS Navi was about it," Link said.

"Then I should inform you now that the Royal Family cannot patronize your entrance into the Watch."

Link nodded. "Oh, I know."

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you?"

"Patronizing someone into the Watch would be like putting a target on their back. If I get in on your rupees, I can expect the other trainees and provisional constables to treat me like dirt."

Zelda gave a nod and said, "Actually, I intended to mention that the Royal Family of Hyrule has never patronized a member of the Watch, and I have no intention of changing that precedent. However, your reason seems to be based on an assumption that has been observed in other areas. It is not without its own logic."

Link held out a hand to her and said, "Well, I'm glad I could make that clear."

"Instead, I would like to know of other desires of yours."

Link sat up a little straighter. "My desires?"

"Without your investigative skills, I understand that my missing property might have been destroyed before a suspect could be located. It seems fitting to offer some measure of reward. I only ask that you try not to be abusive of it. I cannot simply make you a noble overnight."

"Aaah," Link breathed as he looked up at the coach roof. "Well, that certainly narrows it down."

"The jewelry you recovered is not necessarily irreplaceable," she told him. "They are little more than trinkets gained over the years."

"And yet, you sent the Watch to investigate their disappearance," Link pointed out.

"Theft from the nobility warrants about as much response for merely a rupee's worth. The Royal Family would look too lenient if we did not respond in a similar manner."

Link looked her over quickly. Then he asked, "So, now that you've recovered all the jewelry, what happens to Kasill?"

"The young man who stole the jewelry? He will be prosecuted for a Crown felony."

"Even though you've only gone without it for, what? Three days?"

"That is how the law works. Should he plead guilty, I am sure the Crown prosecutor will offer some leniency."

"Leniency being about ten years with labor, right?"

Zelda nodded. "I believe that is the usual trend."

Link heaved a sigh. "You know that reward thing you offered me?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like you to drop the charges against Kasill."

It was Zelda's turn to sit up a little straighter. "Why? By DS Navi's verbal recollection, he has an extensive criminal history in addition to a degree of animosity towards you, Mister Fieldview."

"Kasill and his mom haven't been very well off in their lives," Link explained. "His mom is constantly ill. He doesn't have many chances to help her because he thinks the only thing he can do is steal."

"A choice he has made."

"Well, maybe this is the kinda scare he needs. Let him know that he's running out of chances by letting him go this time."

"Do you so easily believe that he will change his ways because of this?"

Link looked down at his lap. "In all honesty, no. But if I went by what I thought all the time, he might as well just serve his time and come home to find his mother dead."

"It is not a convincing argument, Mister Fieldview."

"Look, Your Highness, you got your jewelry back, and you got the guy who did it," Link said as he looked up at her again. "I get that calling the Watch on him makes you look good to the nobles. But don't you think that following through with his punishment looks like you're just bullying him? Even you admit that you sent them to save face. You said the jewelry doesn't mean that much to you. Does it need to go any further?"

Zelda appeared to think about his statement. Then she gave him a soft smile. "No," she told him. "No, it would appear that our image will be satisfied even should we stop at this point. Once I have returned to Hyrulia, I will withdraw the charges and have Mister Kasill returned home."

Link raised an eyebrow. "And that's it?" he asked.

"I would not be so lenient had I not pondered the situation myself," she explained. "Perhaps I needed another person to express my thoughts, my justifications. Someone not of the Royal household."

Link nodded his head and leaned back. "Aaah, I see. So, no credit to me, then?"

"Well, without your input, I was willing to turn a blind eye to the situation and allow the Crown prosecutors to handle it. A little more perspective on the issue does not hurt."

"So, I just spent my reward, then, huh?"

"You appear to me to be someone who knows what he wants and what he must do to obtain it. Do you have use for a reward?"

Link glanced out the window at a passing street sign. "Well, I can think of one other thing you can do for me."

"Yes?"

"Ask Helmsworth to make a left up ahead. I got a friend who would love to meet you."