To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 31 – Ilia

When Zelda had first heard that Link had entered a relationship with Ilia, she pictured that the girl must be the very image of beauty itself; someone with such compelling looks and charm that Link wouldn't be able to resist pursuing, and someone that Zelda would never be able to compete with.

However, upon seeing her for the first time, Zelda was surprised to find that Ilia looked rather…plain.

Zelda felt a bit guilty, as she certainly didn't want to approach things from such a vain point of view. However, she couldn't help but feel that this girl's appearance was certainly nothing to write home about. Her dirty-blonde hair was short and messy, spilling in various directions and honestly looking somewhat unkempt. Her figure was slim, almost a little too slim in Zelda's honest opinion. The girl barely had any curves to her at all. Her manner of dress was also about as plain as it could possibly be, consisting of nothing more than a sleeveless top and amber leggings. There was hardly any style to be found there.

However, in spite of Ilia's lack of noteworthy attributes, there was one feature that did manage to catch the Princess's attention. It was her beautiful pair of eyes. As they innocently stared up at Zelda, they shone in a bright shade of green, not unlike the leaves of the lovely trees that surrounded them. It was such a deep, mesmerizing color…

"Ahem…"

Zelda just blinked, the girl's soft voice cutting through the air, as well as her thoughts. The Princess soon glanced down to find that she still had Ilia's hand firmly grasped in her own. Realizing that she had accidentally extended their handshake far past what would have been considered normal, Zelda immediately released her. She then safely brought her hand back to her side, all while looking a little embarrassed.

Before long, a message came to the front of her mind, sent straight from her own conscience. Stay focused, Zelda! You have duties to perform!

Zelda just released an inaudible sigh. Her conscience was right. She really needed to pull herself together…

Meanwhile, Ilia just stared up at Zelda, giving her a somewhat perplexed look. It appeared as if she found the Princess's behavior to be a bit odd as well, but she refrained from questioning it. Much like everyone else in her village, Ilia seemed to be a little nervous about her first meeting with royalty.

"Um, Link has told me a lot about you," she said, before producing a small smile.

Zelda just blinked. "He has?" She knew that the Hero had always been happy to talk about his home life whenever he was with her at the castle, but she never realized that he must have also been talking about the events at the castle whenever he returned home.

"Yes," Ilia said with a nod. "He's had nothing but wonderful things to say about you. Isn't that right, Link?"

Zelda soon turned to find the Hero standing beside her. Up until now, he had remained silent as Bo had gone around and personally introduced Zelda to each of the villagers. However, he now held a soft smile on his lips, and he nodded at Ilia's words.

"Of course, I'm always happy to compliment our lovely Princess."

Zelda immediately felt her cheeks turn red, all while her heart threatened to beat its way into a frenzy. To think that Link was complimenting Zelda behind her back! To think that he had just called her lovely! Oh, just hearing such kind comments was enough to make Zelda's heart flutter in her chest.

Still, the Princess did her best to conceal these troublesome feelings of glee. She simply insisted on keeping her composure. The last thing that she wanted to do was make a fool out of herself because of these silly emotions. Especially in front of all of these people!

"That's very kind of you, Link," Zelda replied, making sure to keep her voice calm and stable. "I never knew that you spoke so highly of me."

To her surprise, Link just ended up blushing as well, as if he was embarrassed about the whole thing. "Yes, well, it's all true, of course…" he mumbled.

Zelda just eyed the Hero for a moment, wishing to study him and discover the source of his sudden nervousness, but she soon relented. She was supposed to be having a conversation with Ilia, after all. It would be rather rude and improper for a Princess to ignore her for any longer than she already had.

"Link has told me a lot about you, as well," Zelda said, turning back to face the girl.

Ilia's beautiful green eyes soon lit up in excitement. "Oh, he has?"

Zelda withheld a frown. She didn't care to repeat any of this, but she supposed that she had no choice. "Of course. He's mentioned that you are very sweet and kind and always help take care of Epona for him."

Ilia just grinned before she sidled up next to Link. Zelda then watched in both surprise and horror as the girl reached out and grabbed the Hero's hand. A moment later, their fingers were intertwined together, and Ilia stared at Link with loving eyes before she drew close and rested her head against his shoulder.

"That's very sweet of you," she mused. "To know that you talk about me, even when we're so far apart."

Zelda just stared at the girl, feeling stunned. Alarm bells soon began going off in her head, and a small fire began to kindle in her eyes. She hated having to watch this. She hated seeing how affectionate this girl was with the man next to her.

A second later, the alarm bells were forcefully silenced in order to allow the more reasonable side of her mind to speak up. It just inwardly sighed as it began to chide her. You know, Zelda, jealousy really doesn't suit you…

Oh, shut up, the more irritable side of her mind shot back.

Yes, Zelda hated to admit it, but she was upset. She was jealous. She was frustrated. The last thing she wanted to see was the Hero resting in Ilia's embrace like that. Zelda would have rather cried out in protest, denying the couple their happy moment than have to witness it any longer. She knew that she was being unreasonable. She knew that she was being selfish. But she didn't care. She wished that Ilia was completely out of the picture, and that things could go back to the way they used to be, before Zelda had ever even learned of her existence.

However, Zelda's jealousy and anger immediately withered away, only to be replaced by a cold, lonely sadness. For as she stood there, watching the happy couple, she soon saw Link turn to Ilia and return her loving gaze with one of his own.

"Of course," he told Ilia. "I'm always happy to tell the world about you."

Zelda just froze, her eyes going wide. That sweet, loving look on the Hero's face was enough to break her heart. To know that what Ilia felt for him was not a one-way street. To see with her own eyes that Link truly loved her just as much as she loved him. It was earth-shattering, to say the least.

But Zelda forced herself to stay strong. She clenched her fists a bit as she endured the sight before her. She knew that this sort of thing was to be expected. She knew that Link loved this woman. She honestly had no right to be surprised or upset by it, let alone depressed. Besides, hadn't she suffered enough already? Zelda once again reminded herself that it would simply be best if she just steeled her heart and moved on.

That is, if these blasted feelings for him will ever go away, she thought with a defeated sigh.

Around this point, Mayor Bo spoke up again, finally pulling Zelda's attention away from the couple. "I believe that should be the last of the introductions. Now, would you allow me a moment to discuss your accommodations with us?"

Zelda just breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to him, grateful to discuss anything other than the couple in front of her. "Yes, of course. What did you have in mind?"

Bo produced a meager smile. "Well, as I'm sure you can see, we don't exactly have a lot of housing to go around here. Because of this, I was told that all of your guards and servants would be content to simply camp outside."

Zelda nodded. "Yes, that is correct."

"Very good," Bo replied. "In that case, we only needed to prepare accommodations for our three most esteemed guests. Yourself, Link, and the good Minister Fost."

Zelda just gave him a small smile. "Oh, I hope you didn't go to any trouble. I'm sure that I'll be perfectly capable of resting anywhere here."

Bo just shook his head. "Nonsense, Princess. It's no trouble at all. We've already made all of the necessary preparations. Link has decided to simply stay in his own house, of course, but as for you and the Minister, we have made sure to provide a warm home to welcome each of you."

It was at this moment that Rusl emerged from the crowd of villagers, slowly approaching Fost with a kind smile. "Minister Fost, if you would be so inclined, my wife and I would be happy to welcome you into our home for the duration of your stay."

Fost's face soon lit up, the old Minister clearly pleased to have such a polite offer extended to him. "Why, that sounds heavenly, good Sir Rusl. I would be delighted to accept your invitation."

Rusl smiled some more before leading Fost away, over towards a house that rested on the top of a hill. Before long, Uli and the children began to follow them as well.

Bo then turned to Zelda with a grin. "As for you, Princess, I'd like to invite you to stay in my very own home."

Zelda just blinked in surprise, not having expected such personal accommodations from the Mayor himself, but she was happy to accept them all the same. "That is very kind of you, Mayor. I'd be honored to join you."

"Wonderful," he replied. "Why don't you go ahead and grab your things from the wagon, and then I'll show you the way to my house. The rest of the villagers will be happy to assist your guards in settling in."

Zelda nodded before doing as she was told, fetching some of her luggage from the wagon. A guard politely offered to carry her things for her, but she declined. She was more than capable of hauling her own belongings around. She then followed the Mayor to his home towards the back of the village.

Naturally, Ilia ended up following along behind them as well. Being the daughter of Bo, this place must have been her home too. Zelda just hid a frown as she looked away from the girl. She had been hoping to be free of her presence for a while, but it seemed that she wasn't so fortunate.

Before long, the three of them entered the Mayor's house, and Zelda ended up marveling at what she saw inside. For a home constructed entirely out of wood, it was rather magnificent. The place was fully furnished, with old rustic carpets and furniture filling the main den. Numerous paintings and decorations lined the walls. It felt like a home that was full of tradition. Lastly, there was a staircase off to the side which curved upwards to a second floor.

Bo soon pointed at said stairs with a smile. "You'll be staying up there, Princess. We've prepared Ilia's bed for you. I hope it's to your liking."

Zelda just blinked. Ilia's bed? They offered me her own bed? Immediately, she went to protest.

"Oh, that is completely unnecessary," she stammered, waving her hands a bit. "I couldn't possibly impose like that."

To her surprise, Bo just laughed. "Impose? Why, you could never."

Ilia soon flashed a smile as well. "It's okay, Princess. I'm happy to let you have it for a few days."

Zelda just eyed her warily. Link had told her that Ilia was kind at heart, but now she was finally starting to experience it firsthand. "But…if I take your bed, then where will you sleep?"

"I'll set up a cot down here," Ilia assured her. "It's no trouble. Really."

Zelda just nervously bit her lip. For some reason, the thought of taking Ilia's bed filled her with an odd sense of anxiety. Maybe it was because she would now be a lot deeper in her enemy's territory than she had originally anticipated…

She's not your enemy, Zelda's conscience suddenly reminded her with an imaginary roll of its eyes. Link isn't yours, remember?

Zelda just bit her lip even harder. Yes, she remembered, but she really did not care to be reminded of that fact every second of the day, even by her own conscience.

"Well, if you insist, then I suppose I have no choice but to accept," Zelda finally replied. She then respectfully bowed her head to the girl. "Thank you."

Ilia just gave the Princess a bright smile. "You're welcome!"

Zelda soon hid another frown as she felt the jealousy and contempt grow ever stronger within her. She hated seeing how nice Ilia was being to her, and she especially hated the thought of having a favor bestowed upon her. All it did was give credence to the argument that there was truly nothing wrong with Ilia. She was basically as perfect as Link had claimed, and even worse, Zelda knew that she honestly had no right to hate her for it.

It frustrated the Princess to no end…

It was around this point that Ilia walked over to the stairs, and gestured up to the second floor. "Come on," she told Zelda. "I'll show you around and help you get settled in."

Zelda just blinked in surprise again. Now the girl was offering her yet another favor! Zelda soon turned to Bo, as if hoping that he might say something, but he just gave her a warm and encouraging smile. There was no hope. Zelda had to stay with Ilia.

"Very well," she agreed, slowly approaching the stairs while hauling her luggage up with her.

Zelda followed Ilia up to the second floor, which revealed a room that was smaller than the den below, but it appeared to be just as cozy. A bed sat off to the side, just beneath a window. There were a few other pieces of furniture as well, including a desk, a chair, and a bookcase. However, the thing that surprised Zelda the most was how many photographs were hanging around the walls. In them, Zelda could spot the familiar faces of the villagers of Ordon. Naturally, some contained Ilia, some contained Bo, and some even contained Link.

Even more surprising though, was how many pictures there were of horses. There were dozens of them, each one containing different shots and angles of horses doing various activities, from running to grazing to even sleeping. Zelda just eyed them in awe. It was honestly an impressive collection.

"I take it you like horses?" she asked as she continued to glance around. She even ended up spotting a picture of Epona.

"Oh, yes," Ilia said, sweetly smiling as she gazed at the pictures as well. "I think that they're just such majestic creatures."

For the first time, Zelda actually felt her jealousy slowly fade away as she found herself agreeing with this girl. She too had always found that horses had a certain beauty to them. A certain grace and majesty.

"I couldn't help but notice your horse when you rode into the village," Ilia continued. "She looked like a beautiful mare."

Zelda smiled a bit. "Thank you. Her name is Reina, and she is my faithful companion. Especially when it comes to long trips such as this one."

Ilia soon crossed her arms, suddenly looking a little nervous. "Um…Princess? By any chance, would you mind showing her to me later? I'd love to meet her, if that's all right."

Zelda just smiled some more, feeling a bit of sympathy for the girl. How could she possibly say no? She could tell that this would mean a lot to her. "Of course. I'll gladly introduce the two of you when we get the chance."

Ilia produced a bright smile, her green eyes flashing. "Oh, thank you, Princess!"

Zelda just smirked a bit. She wasn't sure how it had happened, but the two of them suddenly seemed to be getting along. In spite of the contempt that was still boiling deep in the recesses of her heart, Zelda honestly felt like she might be able to look past all of her personal issues and potentially become friends with this girl. After all, maybe Zelda was just being too hard on her. Maybe Ilia wasn't as bad as she had initially thought.

"Oh, anyways," Ilia said, suddenly glancing around the room again. "This is where you'll be staying. The bed is comfy enough, and you'll have plenty of privacy if you need it."

Zelda gave her a grateful smile. "That is very kind. Thank you." She soon carried her luggage over to the bed, where she carefully set it down. She then began organizing it a bit, making sure that she hadn't left anything behind at the wagon. Once she was satisfied, she turned back around, only to find Ilia eyeing her.

Zelda just paused, eyeing her back. "Er…yes?"

Ilia smiled before looking away, suddenly appearing a little nervous again. "So…when Link goes to the castle, you and he spend a lot of time together, right?"

Zelda just blinked. "Sometimes."

Ilia smiled a bit more. "Which means that you and he end up talking a lot, right?"

"Yes," Zelda said, slowly nodding. What exactly was she getting at?

Before long, Ilia's cheeks turned a little pink. "So…can I ask you a question then?"

Zelda could only raise her eyebrows, still not sure what was going on. "Go ahead."

"You mentioned that Link has told you a lot about me," Ilia reminded her, all while smiling at the floor. "Tell me, what are some of the other things that he's said about me?"

Upon hearing this, Zelda's expression immediately soured. The jealousy within her heart quickly flared back to life, as if it had never dulled to begin with. To think that the two of them had been doing so well up until now. That they might've even become friends. Of course, leave it to this clueless girl to ruin it with her incessant, annoying questions such as this one!

"What do you wish to know?" Zelda asked, trying her best to hide the hint of irritation that was naturally creeping up in her tone.

"Oh, anything!" Ilia insisted. "Anything he's mentioned, anything at all!"

Zelda scowled a bit. She hated how this girl acted all "buddy-buddy" with her. So what if Zelda had started softening up to her just a few moments ago? It didn't mean that the two of them were friends, and it certainly didn't mean that Zelda wanted to answer this question for her!

Nevertheless, Zelda paused and took a deep breath, trying to quell the raging inferno that was her heart. She insisted on concealing any and all signs of contempt, locking them up deep inside with the rest of her tumultuous feelings. The expected disposition of a Princess was to be noble and civil at all times, and so she was.

"Well, let me see," Zelda said slowly, trying to think back. She hated having to recall any moments where Link was expressing his love for Ilia, and yet here she was, trying her best to piece together her memories of such horrid events. "I suppose this should go without saying, but he mentioned that you and he are in a relationship."

Ilia brightly grinned. "That's right. You can basically just call me his girlfriend."

I wish to do no such thing! Zelda's mind retorted with a huff. On the outside, however, she kept her composure, hardly even reacting to such words.

"What else?" Ilia pressed her.

Zelda just sighed. "Let's see. He mentioned that you have some medical expertise, I believe."

Ilia smiled bashfully. "A little bit. I really only know the basics, but I'd love to learn more someday."

Zelda absentmindedly nodded. That seemed to track with what Link had told her. "I must say, it's a very impressive skillset to have."

"Thank you," Ilia said with a nod. She then stared intently at Zelda, as if searching for deeper answers. "Did Link say anything…more?"

Zelda just blinked. "More?"

"Yeah, you know, like the stuff you told me earlier," Ilia explained. "Like how he said I was kind and sweet. I want to know if he said anything else like that!"

Zelda nearly bit her tongue. This was the exact sort of thing that she was trying to avoid recalling, and yet Ilia would just not stop pushing for it. She truly hated this experience, especially the fact that Ilia was smiling and blushing like a young schoolgirl. The last thing that Zelda wanted to do was continue to entertain this side of her!

Nevertheless, the Princess released a defeated sigh and did what was asked of her. "Of course. He mentioned that you were thoughtful and responsible and caring. You know, things of that nature," she soon trailed off.

To her surprise, Ilia just squealed a bit as she brought her hands together. She seemed incredibly happy to have heard such heartfelt compliments showered upon her.

"He said all of that, and in front of a Princess no less! Oh, what a sweetheart he is," she finished before blushing and swooning a bit.

Zelda practically had to stop herself from baring her imagined fangs at this girl. She already knew how sweet all of it sounded, and she hated it. It was bad enough having to hear it from Link! It was a hundred times worse coming from Ilia!

Zelda honestly wasn't sure how much more she could take of this. Her jealousy and contempt were steadily reaching new heights, all while she felt like she was slowly losing her mind. Fortunately, a gruff voice soon called up from below, saving the Princess from having to endure this conversation for any longer.

"Are you about finished settling in, Princess?" Bo asked politely. "There's someone here to see you."

Zelda blinked a bit, wondering who he was referring to. Although, in this moment, she honestly didn't care who it was. She was just glad for any excuse to be done with this conversation. "Yes, I'll be right down," she called back.

Zelda then turned to find Ilia slowly composing herself. Her expression and posture began looking more civilized, although she still held a small blush on her cheeks. "Um…Excuse me, Princess. I should probably head back down as well." She then did her best to respectfully bow before descending the stairs and disappearing from sight.

As soon as she was gone, Zelda just released a long, frustrated, pent-up breath from deep within her lungs. She hadn't even known Ilia for a full hour yet, and she was already sick of her.

How in the world was she going to survive her stay here?

So much drama. So much jealousy. So much heartbreak for poor Zelda.

What a fun time I am having lol.