Masked Twilight

Announcement

Link's POV

Midna and I switch turns driving. Finally, I'm sitting behind the wheel and get to pick the music.

"No, we have to keep it on the news," Midna interjects. She turns the station. "The princess has to make her announcement soon."

I huff. "Fine." Time pokes his head between us from the back seat and I sratch behind his ear.

Small stories are covered on the news, commercials cutting between. I slouch in my seat, wishing some country was on. Maybe Midna just didn't want to listen to my music.

"Why do you still have this book?" she breaks the silence between us. I glance over and see her thumbing through the pages. "It's old and missing half the front cover. Can't you take care of your things?"

"It was missing the cover when I found it," I explain. "And you should read it. It's funny."

She scoffs, but opens it to the table of contents and reads the titles. " 'I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-algebra Teacher'." She nods in approval, then her face twists in disgust. " 'Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants'? What is this?"

I chuckle. "He's a satyr. He doesn't need pants."

She rolls her eyes and tosses the book to the back. Time is so kind to put it in my bag.

Midna shushes me, though I'm not saying anything. "This is it," she says and turns up the volume.

"And now," the anchor introduces, "a few announcements from the palace."

There's a short pause as the microphones switch.

"Hello, people of Hyrule," Princess Zelda starts. Midna rolls her eyes beside me. "As you are well aware, major cities and highways have been attacked more frequently in the past few months. Groups of hostiles have increased their violence with no clear goal. The palace has been hard at work trying to put an end to these attacks, but the hostiles are unrelenting.

"It may look as though we are not doing enough to keep you, the people, safe, but this job is more stressful than you can imagine. And it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you, due to the overwhelming stress, my father, the king, had a heart attack." Her voice wavers when she says, "He did not make it."

The murmurs of the press are loud enough for the microphones to pick up.

"I have taken the role of Queen," Zelda continues. "My official coronation will be in two weeks, on the fifteenth of September. Following my father's footsteps will be difficult; he was a wise and noble king. With the wisdom he gave me during his life and the guidance of my advisors, I will protect this country. I will do everything in my power to put an end to the violence. Thank you. There will be no questions today."

The press still shout their questions at her. The noise is cut off when it switches back to the news anchor. I turn it off, uninterested in what they have to say.

"She finally did something right," Midna huffs.

"She just lost her father," I retort. "Can you give her some sympathy?"

"That would make it harder on her," she mumbles.

"I doubt that."

"It's true. When you're a princess and your parents die, all you hear for the next month is 'I'm sorry for your loss.' It becomes so infuriating - always being greeted with those words and knowing they don't truly mean it. After that, you're constantly compared to your parents. 'You're not as brave.' 'You're not as strong.' 'You're not as wise.' You're not, you're not, you are never enough. Eventually, you learn to ignore it and go about your day just barely holding the pieces together.

"The people who don't say anything are showing you mercy. They let you ignore the stabbing pain in your chest. They don't inflict another wound with false condolences. So not saying anything was the best thing I could do for the princess."

I don't say anything as I run her words over in my head. Midna glares out the window with her arms crossed, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

When I find the right words, I gently say, "I never realized it was so hard for you or Princess Zelda."

"Being royalty means pretending you're okay for most of your life. Well, it's not even our life. We're practically glorified slaves."

"I'm not pretending when I say I'm sorry. Thank you for your sacrifice." I look at her as I say it. She looks at me through the corner of her eye.

I lay my hand palm up on the space between us. She stares at it. When I don't think she's going to take it, she unlocks her arms and moves her hand closer. But Time sticks his nose between us and starts licking my hand. I roll my eyes and wipe the slobber off on my shorts.

Suddenly, Midna's hand closes around mine. I glance her way, but she's looking out the window. She doesn't say anything as she pulls my hand into her lap.

Time nudges my elbow and snorts. I don't think he likes sharing me with someone else.