To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 55 – Another Suitor

Caius burst out laughing, hardly able to contain his hearty chuckle in the slightest. His head fell back while his majestic voice struggled to form words. "He pulled the tablecloth away? And this was after serenading you with a song? Oh this is too rich, ah ha ha ha!"

Zelda scowled from her place next to his bed. "It was hardly a laughing matter at the time. I'm not sure that I've ever felt so embarrassed before."

The King shook his head, trying but ultimately failing to cease his laughter. Because of this, he had trouble catching his breath, and his chuckling soon dissolved into an awful cough as it so often did. He painfully wheezed over and over again.

Zelda could only wince before placing a sympathetic hand on his back. "See? I knew that I shouldn't have told you. It makes you far too excited for your health to handle."

But Caius shook his head once more and quickly brought his hacking under control. "No, no, if anything, this has made my day. Thank you for sharing this with me. Oh, the lengths that young men will go to for love."

Zelda blushed a bit as she closed her eyes. She had just been telling her father how her dinner with Prince Ralph had concluded, with everything falling apart in a simple matter of minutes. After the disaster with the tablecloth, Zelda had apologized and politely explained that she didn't think that a courtship would work out between them. She felt a bit bad about letting him down like this, and she expected that he might be a little upset, but she knew it had to be done. There was just no way that she could be with someone as flippant, rash, and sporadic as him.

However, to her surprise, Ralph didn't seem bothered by her rejection at all. In fact, he just lightly chuckled and said that if he was being completely honest, he found Zelda to be a bit of a bore. He had no qualms about parting ways with her after their dinner had been ruined.

She might have had half a mind to be offended if she wasn't so relieved.

Caius snickered some more, still rather amused by the whole thing. "Well, at least the encounter ended on good terms. I too feel bad for the Prince, but if the courtship truly wasn't meant to be, then it's best for the two of you to part ways."

"Ahem," Fost spoke up from the other side of the bed. He and Minister Enzo were in attendance once again, partly for the sake of hearing what had transpired with Prince Ralph, but also for the sake of deciding what must be done next. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but this hardly seems like a laughing matter. The Princess has failed to make a connection with her most promising suitor, and now she must begin the search anew."

Zelda frowned. "Prince Ralph really wasn't all that promising, Fost. He was honestly just a big goof at his core."

"He was still a Prince," Fost stressed. "And that is not a title that should be so easily discarded."

"Believe me. In the face of his actions and personality, his title was all but irrelevant."

"Why, of all the discourteous things to say-"

"Enough," Enzo said, cutting his fellow Minister off. "I think we can all understand that the Princess and Prince Ralph did not get along very well, and if that is the case, then I agree with His Majesty that the Prince's departure was for the best. The Princess gave him a fair chance, and it simply didn't work out. There's no need to dwell on it further."

Zelda softly smiled at the older gentleman. Enzo had a daughter of his own, so he tended to understand and sympathize with the Princess no matter what situation she found herself in. She had always appreciated that about him.

"What we should be focusing on," Enzo continued, "is what to do next. Now that Prince Ralph has taken his leave, we should begin considering other suitors."

"Must we?" Zelda sighed. "This single encounter alone has already left me feeling quite drained."

Fost gave her a stern look. "Now, Princess, you know how important this duty is to both the Council and your Kingdom."

Zelda shrugged, choosing to toy with the old Minister. "I can always marry later in life. Surely I'll have more time to look for a suitor then. Perhaps when I'm eighty?"

Fost's expression turned grave, as if he were actually taking her seriously. "Please do not jest about this, Your Highness…"

"Fost is right, Zelda," Caius chimed in. "You agreed to spend some time searching for a suitor, and you are expected to take this seriously."

"I know," she said with another sigh. She understood that she couldn't put this off forever. This was her duty, after all. Gathering her resolve, she prepared for the discussion ahead of her. "Very well. When it comes to finding another suitor, I'm open to suggestions."

The men nodded, grateful to have her compliance.

"Perhaps we could write to some of our other neighboring Kingdoms?" Fost suggested. "We could see if there are any other young nobles interested in courting our fair Princess."

"Let's hold off on that for now," Caius said with a shake of his head. "We're not that desperate yet. We could just as easily start looking for suitors within our own Kingdom's borders."

"That's true," Enzo agreed. "We certainly have a fine selection of men within Castle Town's walls. Tell me, Princess, are you familiar with Minister Edmund's son? He seems like a fine young lad."

To everyone's surprise, Zelda's expression soured. "I've already courted him once before. He lost interest in me, claiming that he didn't care for someone who 'always had her nose buried in books'." She paused, crossing her arms and turning said nose up. "Not that I minded though. I thought he was a bit of a bore as well."

"Well, are there any former suitors that you have gotten along with?" Fost asked, trying to follow Enzo's line of thought. "What about that one Knight? Sir Charles, I believe?"

Again, Zelda flashed mild annoyance at the mention of the name. "Arrogant as all get out. He couldn't stand the thought of courting a woman who was more skilled with the bow than he was."

Fost sighed, clearly not amused with her temper. "Now, Princess, you should try not to be so picky when it comes to courting your suitors."

"Picky!?" Zelda exclaimed. "They're the ones who ended the courtship with me, not the other way around!"

"You don't seem to mind though," Caius noted, appearing thoughtful. "Almost as if you are relieved to have had your relationships sullied."

"Can I be faulted?" Zelda asked with great exasperation. "I will not share my love with someone who can't even tolerate my presence."

"And you are wise to think this way," her father assured her. "But you ought to be careful not to let your presence be overly intimidating. Your suitors will be expecting a Princess who is kind and fair in all things."

"And I am. Even when it came to Prince Ralph, I was very polite and accommodating…up to a point, of course."

Caius simply chuckled, a smirk of pride appearing on his face. "Yes, my dear, I know you always carry yourself well."

Zelda smiled back. She could tell that her father was trying to be stern with her, but he was still very much on her side. He truly only wanted the best for her, and he trusted her enough to go about finding it.

"If I may," Enzo spoke up, directing the conversation back on track. "There is another name that I would like to offer for consideration."

"Go on," Caius offered.

"By chance, I happened to mention our search for suitors to the wise teacher, Auru, and he believed that he might know someone who would get along well with Her Highness. However, I'm afraid that there is a slight issue. The young man in question has no status to his name. He is merely an ordinary citizen of Castle Town."

The room was silent for a moment but Caius eventually laughed. "That is hardly an issue worthy of concern. Status is not something that is inherited, but attained after all. There will always be time for the young man to rise through the ranks as long as he proves himself capable." He then paused before turning to his daughter. "But I suppose that my opinion isn't the most important here. What do you think, Zelda?"

The Princess simply grinned. She too, thought little of status in comparison to what truly mattered: character. She naturally recalled how Link had once been nothing more than a simple goat herder, and yet he had still gone on to save his entire Kingdom and become a well-renowned Hero. And if that wasn't the most inspiring tale to ever be told, then what was?

"I agree wholeheartedly," she said with a smile. "I will gladly meet with this man, so long as he is kind and has his wits about him."

Enzo chuckled at this. "I assure you, he does. And Auru claimed that you two would share some common interests which might help you get along with each other. Apparently, this man is a scholar who enjoys researching history and architecture, and he is very well-learned for his age. Tell me, Princess, does this appeal to you?"

"It does indeed," she answered with a smile. It wasn't often that she found someone her own age that was equally fascinated by history and culture. This man truly sounded as if he could be a good match for her, and she was certainly curious to learn more. "Pray tell, what is this young man's name?"

"I believe you have already met him once before," Enzo clarified with a small smile of his own. "His name is Shad, and he was once a member of the Resistance."

Zelda blinked, rather surprised by this revelation. Shad, the timid, glasses-wearing bookworm that tagged along with the Resistance during the Twilight Invasion? It was true that she had met him once before, when she had insisted on thanking the members of the Resistance for their service during those trying times. And she had contacted him a few times since then, even inviting him to join the Roundtable on one occasion before he turned it down so he could focus on his research. Because of this, Zelda honestly didn't know him very well, but what she did know seemed to match Enzo's description of him.

"Yes, I am familiar with him," Zelda confirmed. "From what I recall, he was a polite and intelligent man, although a little reserved in nature."

"And what do you think?" Caius asked warmly. "Would you be interested in giving him a chance at courtship?"

Zelda hesitated to respond for a moment. Suddenly, thoughts of the Resistance flashed through her mind, and more specifically, the Hero they had supported through all of his trials. Even now, Link still lingered in her head. He still plagued her heart. She thought that she had resolved herself when she had agreed to meet with Prince Ralph, but now she suddenly found herself feeling the need to do so all over again.

But she was hardly surprised. She already knew that he was the poison that ailed her. He was the chain that kept her bound and unable to move on.

She hopelessly wondered, would she ever be free of her feelings for him?

"Zelda?" Caius asked again. Apparently, she had taken too long to respond.

"Oh, yes," she answered, forcing herself out of her daze. "I'd be happy to give Shad a chance at courtship. That is, assuming he is interested in me as well."

Enzo gave her a reassuring smile. "Auru seems close to the lad, so I'll have him reach out and see if Shad would be willing to attend a dinner with you."

"Thank you," Zelda said with a slight bow. And with that, she once again cast her fate into a frighteningly unknown future.

As expected, Shad had been stunned to receive the invitation. It wasn't often that someone was offered the opportunity to join the Princess for a private dinner, after all. And of course, it was even rarer to be offered an opportunity for courtship with Her Royal Highness!

But in the end, the scholar accepted, and Zelda supposed that's all she could have really asked for.

The two of them now sat on the same balcony where the Princess had shared a dinner with Prince Ralph. As before, a fancy table was set up and a delicious meal was served. The only difference was that this time, Zelda's company had the common sense not to scatter it all across the floor.

Zelda tried to hold back a smile, pushing such memories away as she turned her attention to the man across from her. She took a moment to look him over. Shad was rather short and lean in stature; definitely a far cry from some of the muscular Knights she had courted in years prior. Not that she thought any less of him for such a thing though. She felt that he had a kind face; one which featured short yet wavy brown hair and a pair of rounded spectacles over his gray eyes. He was rather handsome, if a bit nerdy as well. Although Zelda quickly found that she much preferred the term "studious". If he was a man who passionately loved reading and research, then why should he be criticized for it?

Nevertheless, Shad appeared a bit nervous to be seated here. He maintained a bright smile on his face, but his movements were timid and even shaky at times.

"Thank you for joining me here tonight," Zelda said, trying to be warm. "I hope my presence is not too intimidating."

Shad blinked before flashing a look of horror. "Oh, no!" he stammered with his soft yet formal voice. "It's an honor to be here with you. If anything, you'll have to forgive me for being a little shy."

"That's okay. I understand that meeting with royalty can be a little nerve-wracking for some." Zelda then paused. A palpable image of Link flashed in her mind before she quickly forced it away. As always, now wasn't the time for such things. "I…can be a little nervous when it comes to meeting strangers too."

Shad raised his eyebrows. "Really? Someone of your stature?"

"It happens to the best of us," she assured him.

He soon smiled. "Well, I will admit that knowing this does help me feel more at ease. It was just so astonishing, to be invited to the castle with the offer to court the Princess–er, that is, you."

Zelda flashed an amused smirk. "I can only imagine your shock." Especially for someone as timid as he.

"But I was flattered, of course," Shad assured her. "The opportunity to court royalty must be a dream sought out by many. Especially when it comes to someone as fair as yourself, Princess Zelda. I soon found myself wondering why a lowly, bumbling scholar such as I had been so fortunate."

"Please do not speak of yourself with such disregard," Zelda said kindly. "Auru simply mentioned that he thought the two of us might get along. That was all the reason I needed to send you an invitation."

To her surprise, Shad's face turned a bit red. He soon looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "Well, again, I'm certainly flattered. And I appreciate how kind you are, Princess." A nervous laugh escaped from his lips. "I guess I just don't understand what someone like you would ever see in someone like me."

Zelda's expression softened. It seemed that Shad was nothing if not the height of humility, not unlike another someone she knew so well…

"You do not need to doubt yourself. From what I understand, you have a great interest in studying history, don't you? I too enjoy poring over ancient tomes and learning about the past."

Shad blinked before bringing his eyes back to her. "Y-You do?" She nodded. "I…I had no idea, but yes! I find history fascinating and I can't help but spend every moment of my free time studying it. The ancient civilizations of eras long past. The development of so many marvels: technology, medicine, law, and culture. And that's not to mention how many unsolved mysteries there are in the world! So many secrets lost to time. So many treasures of information for me to uncover through my studies."

Zelda smiled as she listened. Shad spoke of such things with a grand enthusiasm, as well as a brilliant smile. It was honestly incredible. Not only had his face lit up, but it seemed that his nerves had all but dissolved in the face of his passion. It was obvious that he cared a great deal about his research.

However, his nerves eventually caught up with him, and Shad paused before flashing a bashful smile. "Forgive me. Sometimes I can get a bit carried away."

But Zelda just shook her head. "No, please go on."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Of course. I find this topic just as fascinating as you do."

Shad could only smile back, grateful to realize that he had a like-minded companion before him. "In that case, would you be interested in hearing what I've been researching in recent years? I've already devoted so much time to it, I'm more than prepared to call it my life's work."

Zelda's eyes widened, looking impressed. "Do tell. That is, if you're allowed to share such a thing. I know that some scholars like to keep their studies close to the chest until they can officially publish their findings."

Shad just laughed. "It's no trouble. Trust me, the only people who truly care about this sort of thing are the hardcore bookworms like myself."

"Well, you may just have to include me in that," Zelda teased with a giggle. To her relief, Shad laughed back, happily accepting her joke.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of the sky beings known as the Oocca?"

Zelda nodded, her interest growing greater. "I have indeed. I believe Link mentioned that he encountered a number of them in an ancient city in the sky."

"Ah, I should've guessed," Shad said with a slight shake of his head. "He shared this with me as well. Nevertheless, I have been studying them for years, and my father studied them before me. He was an impressive scholar in his own right, and he spent countless hours trying to unfurl the mysteries of these ancient sky people. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years back, but he entrusted me with the journal containing all of his notes and I gladly picked up where he left off. We had always been so curious to learn more about the Oocca, a race that could very well trace its history back to the origins of Hyrule itself. So, I'm sure you could imagine my surprise when Link revealed that he had actually met them in their secret city!"

Zelda giggled at his reaction. "Yes, I was quite surprised when Link first mentioned that to me too."

Shad crossed his arms and shook his head. "I swear, that Hero wound up getting all of the scholarly luck without even realizing it. He found a way up to the city in the sky and met the Oocca with hardly any help from me. Why, he even found the sacred 'Dominion Rod' lying around in an old temple! Of course, I could only laugh once I realized all of this. It seems that the Goddesses favor the bold."

"I'm sure that you were a bigger help to Link than you know," Zelda assured him. "Whenever he mentioned his journey to the sky, he always insisted that it was your research that helped get him there."

Shad gave a humble nod. "Yes, and to think that it's his journey that would end up proving so useful to furthering my research. It was like we were two distinct forces helping each other along. I'm very grateful to have met him."

"Who isn't?" Zelda mused. She then paused and realized that she might be speaking a bit too highly of the Hero, considering that she was supposed to be solely focused on the man in front of her and no other. She went to clear her throat. "Ahem. So tell me, once Link returned from the sky, did you get the chance to visit yourself?"

Shad grinned. "Well, it was a terrifying venture, climbing into a cannon and all, but I forced myself to do it for the sake of my research. And oh, what a marvelous journey it was! To finally lay eyes upon a civilization lost to time. To speak to a people that knew very little of our world, even though it sits right beneath them at all times. I spent a few weeks there and learned a great many things. But perhaps the greatest thing I discovered was that there were still more answers yet to be found!"

Zelda raised her eyebrows at this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as it turns out, the Oocca don't know much about their own history at all," he said with a small laugh. "None of them knew anything about the origins of their great city, or if their ancestors had once dwelled in Hyrule alongside our own. And while they recognized the importance of things like the Dominion Rod, the owl statues, and the great sky cannons, not a single one of them knew who had constructed them. I was honestly baffled! I truly believed that the Oocca would solve any remaining mysteries, but their surprising lack of knowledge only led to countless other questions. It was then that I realized that my research was far from finished. I would once again need to start studying the past if I wished to discern the truth, and thus I have continued."

"Wow," Zelda breathed, still feeling very impressed by both his story and passion. "It's amazing how dedicated you are to your work. I imagine that others might have given up in that situation. It seems like a mystery that may very well be unsolvable."

Shad produced an endearing smile. "Ah, but that's why I find it all so tempting. To fill in the gaps of history is a scholar's sworn duty. I simply can't resist the allure of finally knowing the truth, even if it takes decades of research. Besides, my father spent most of his life doing the same. I would dishonor his memory were I to stop now."

"That's very admirable of you," Zelda said with a small smile. "I imagine that pursuing such work keeps you quite busy then."

"Oh, yes. I'm always poring over old books I've read to make sure I haven't missed any important details. And of course, there's always a bit of traveling as well, whether it be to the city in the sky or to the various ruins where the owl statues reside." Shad then paused before appearing a little guilty. "I'm afraid you'll have to forgive me. It is for this reason that I refused the invitation to join the Hyrule United Roundtable all those months ago."

Zelda blinked, surprised by the sudden apology. "Oh, that's okay," she said with a small wave of her hand.

"I truly would've liked to join and aid in the recovery and betterment of my Kingdom," Shad continued. "But my research is just too important to me, and it can be so demanding. I feared that I just didn't have the time to pursue both."

"No, really, it's all right," Zelda assured him. "I understand that you were pursuing your own noble goals, and I respect that. Besides, the Roundtable is functioning just fine and is not necessarily in need of additional members. If anything, it sometimes feels as if we have acquired too many individuals," she finished with a laugh.

Shad smiled before laughing as well. "Yes, Ashei has mentioned much of the same. She often comments that there are too many people and not enough problem solvers. Although I believe she was exaggerating."

Zelda giggled some more. "And I can only assume that she considers herself a problem solver? In spite of how often she tends to be the contrary."

"You know her too well," Shad finished with a grin.

The two of them shared one final, heartfelt laugh. Zelda then leaned back in her seat and took a moment to admire Shad. This dinner was very pleasant, she thought. Shad was a polite and interesting young man, and she thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his research and the passion with which he pursued it. And of course, the chance to make jokes at Ashei's expense was always a delight.

At the very least, she was certainly enjoying herself more than she had in Prince Ralph's company.

"Thank you again for joining me tonight, Shad," Zelda said softly. "This really has been a wonderful time."

"Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine," Shad offered with a nervous laugh. "I'm truly honored to be here. Thank you for inviting me."

Zelda soon flashed her own look of nervousness. "I'm happy to hear that. Um…if you're interested, would you care to do this again sometime? I think I would enjoy being able to see more of each other. And of course, I'd love to have more discussions with you."

Shad blinked, his eyes going wide behind his spectacles. He seemed to be stunned that the Princess had taken such a genuine interest in him, but he didn't let it bother him for long. He soon gave an enthusiastic nod. "Of course, Princess. That sounds wonderful."

She merely smiled back, happy to have his acceptance. Already, she could feel a bond forming between them. One that was telling her to do away with unnecessary formalities.

"Please, call me Zelda."

Hmm…it seems that a new ship is sailing. Zelda and Shad. I wonder what Link will think about all of this, hehehe…

On a more serious note, I always felt that Zelda and Shad would get along well. I feel like their personalities are somewhat similar (not entirely, but somewhat), and they probably have similar interests/hobbies as well. What can I say? These two nerds just go well together I guess lol.

Next chapter, we'll get Link's reaction to the news. If you have any predictions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I'd love to hear them ;)