"—I spoke with Purah about the Shrine of Resurrection we discovered earlier. As we speculated, this particular shrine is, in fact, a medical facility with the power to heal. It also has a long-term stasis function that can be activated and maintained until healing is complete. In the war against the Calamity ten thousand years ago, were the injuries so great as to necessitate such a facility?
"If so, I will remain uneasy until we have made all adjustments necessary to restore it to fill the working order. I can only pray that even if Calamity Ganon returns, our battle will not require the Shrine of Ressurection's power—"
A sudden knock caused the princess's hand to jolt. Pausing her quill, she twisted in her chair to see her appointed knight standing in the doorway. He looked just as he did every day, wearing the blue tunic she had created for him, with most of his hair tied back into a ponytail, and of course, the legendary purple-winged sword that rested on his backside. At one time, the sight of his sword caused her heart to stop beating as guilt and inadequacy consumed her. It was as if she were looking at the embodiment of her continuous failures to fulfill her task, while the sword had made it easy for her owner to fulfill his. Now though, all she could manage to look at was his serene blue eyes and the small smile he gave her every time he came to greet her. It was a smile she could now easily return.
"Hey there," Link said casually, leaning his shoulder against the stone brick frame of the entrance to her study. "Already studying?"
"Just filling in my journal with thoughts regarding our trip to the shrine we discovered by the Temple of Time," the princess said cheerfully as she laid down her quill, fully relaxed once she realized who it was paying her a visit. "May I ask what I owe the pleasure, Sir Knight? It's quite surprising to see you barging into my room so early."
"Barging? That's a pretty strong word," Link asked, crossing his arms. "I didn't barge in, I'll have you know. The guards let me in."
"Under what authority?" the princess asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Mine, obviously," Link said, puffing out his chest slightly behind his crossed arms. "Being your appointed knight comes with a few perks beyond that of simply being Second-in-Command of the Royal Guard. I thought someone as smart as you would be able to put that together."
"Why, I never!" Zelda said, placing a hand on her chest. "You dare use such wording with me, your princess? I could have you thrown in the dungeons you know."
"Sure, go right ahead," Link said, shrugging as he straightened himself. "Good luck finding another knight who can use this sword though."
"I'm sure we'll manage," Zelda retorted, crossing her legs as she stared down her knight. "I doubt someone as reckless as you would be able to do much in a war anyhow."
"Now you have me convinced," Link said, closing his eyes and nodding. "You really can't be the princess if you're still doubting my skill with a sword."
"And if I'm not the princess, then who might I be?" the princess asked curiously.
"If I had to take a guess... Just Zelda," he answered. Unable to hold it in any longer, Princess Zelda burst into laughter.
"Link! You're such a fool," she said through her giggles. "Last time I checked, the princess of Hyrule was still Zelda."
"To me, the princess of Hyrule and Zelda are two different people," he replied gently, dropping the sarcastic tone he had been using. "To be completely honest, I think I prefer Zelda."
"I–I..." Zelda stammered.
She felt her cheeks burn at these words. It was often now she found herself blushing at much of what he said, and if she were completely honest with herself, it was more than just his words that made her react as such. When he was close, sometimes her heart would race for no reason at all, and when he was absent, she would long for his presence. Recently, she even caught herself searching him out, wishing to tell him something she discovered or simply wanting to be by his side. Whether he was her knight appointed by her father, or the wielder of the sword that sealed the darkness, it didn't matter. All she saw was Link, and she wanted to be around him, precisely because he viewed her as the same. It wasn't as though she didn't know what these reactions were though.
She knew what these feelings meant, but she also knew it was a losing battle. It was a feeling she'd have to face in the future, but maybe— just maybe— she could put it off until after the Calamity, for these emotions were what primarily kept her going in her daily life.
"Zelda?" Link suddenly asked, snapping the princess out of her trance. "Is everything alright?"
"W–what? Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, realizing she had been staring at him. "My apologies! Yes, yes, I'm fine. Your words struck me is all."
"In a good or bad way?" Link asked carefully, striking another giggle from Zelda.
"A good way," she said with a smile. "A very good way."
Returning her smile with a gentle one of his own, Link nodded.
"Good."
"Now come on, tell me the truth," Zelda said as Link walked closer to her desk. "How did you manage to get in here without being summoned this time? It's very entertaining to hear how clever you are in order to gain access to my private quarters without raising any eyebrows."
"It was easy this time," Link said, now leaning his lower back against her considerably cluttered study desk. "I just told them you summoned me."
"And they believed you?" Zelda asked. "Just like that?"
"Don't you think it'd be strange if they hadn't accepted you simply summoned me?" Link asked. "Sure, maybe they didn't see a summoning, but at this point, with all the excuses I've given, it's probably easy to believe they've missed something."
"Well that's quite boring," Zelda said, turning to face her desk again. "I expected a bit more flamboyant; something worth allowing you to stay, since it is highly unprofessional of you to simply allow yourself in. Honestly, it could be considered heinous—"
"I mean, if you want me to stop, I certainly will," Link said. "If it makes you uncomfortable—"
"Oh stop it," Zelda said sternly. "You know very well it doesn't."
"R–right. My apologies," Link said. The princess could've sworn his cheeks had reddened slightly, but before she could get a good look, he had already looked away and back at the studies entrance, staring at the bridge that connected the tower the study was into the main bedroom in the main castle walls. "So, what's the plan for today, Your Highness?"
"Actually, I wanted to go and inspect the progress Robbie has made with the guardians," she said, flipping through the pages in her journal to previous entries. "I've heard we've really started to get them under control, and I want to see what their true capabilities are. Will you be escorting me?"
"Would you like me to escort you?" Link asked. Zelda smirked.
"Did I honestly have a choice in the matter?" she asked. "It's not like you've ever given me a choice before."
"Hey, it's not like I appointed myself as your personal knight," Link said.
"Oh? So was it my father who told you to find ways into my room?" Zelda asked. When Link didn't answer, she giggled. "Come. Let me change into my boots and we can head to the grounds."
With a nod, Link held his hand down, helping the princess out of the chair and allowing her to walk ahead before following her out onto the bridge. As they began their trek toward her bedroom, the sudden echo of gears and stomps caused the princess's ears to perk up. Hurrying to the edge of the bridge, she peered over to look down at the courtyard below. Crawling around the grass was one of the mechanical beasts, following the orders of its Sheikah guides, who were taking notes on their progress. Watching from above, Zelda smiled.
"Incredible," she remarked. "We're at a point now where we can actually control them. At the current rate, we'll soon know all we need to understand about the guardians and the Divine Beasts."
Confidently, Zelda turned to her knight with a confident gleam in her eye.
"Should Ganon ever show herself again, we'll be well positioned to defend ourselves."
She stared into Link's eyes, who gave her a simple smile in return. The two were so entranced with each other's gazes that neither heard their visitor step onto the bridge.
"What are you doing out here, Zelda?"
The deep, rumbling voice made Zelda's heart stop. Suddenly, all the confidence she had been excreting had completely vanished as she quickly turned to see her father walking toward them, his heavy boots echoing with each step he took. His dark brown and gold accented robe that wrapped around his large body billowed at his ankles, while his perfectly white beard and mustache under his large nose matched his under-robes perfectly. Immediately, the knight that had been so gently smiling at her had become stone-faced, the persona of pure silence returning as he knelt before the King of Hyrule, who came to a stop only a few feet away from his daughter, joined by two guards at each side.
As King Rhoam stared down at his daughter with his tired, but stern eyes Zelda felt her heartbeat quicken, as if realizing only now that her father had asked her a question.
"I–I..." Zelda began nervously, but using what little confidence she retained, she balled her hands into fists. "I was assessing the results of the experiments with the guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the—"
"I know that," Rhoam said quietly, but sternly. His heavy tone vibrated through Zelda's body, right to her core. "They are essential to Hyrule's future, and our research demands we keep a close eye on them. However, as the princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom."
At these words, the confidence Zelda had managed to scrape together began to vanish, Lowering her head, she looked down at the stone she stood on.
"Let me ask you once more," the king continued. "When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?"
"I'm doing everything I can," Zelda answered, trying to maintain her composure. Digging her nails into her palms, she continued. "I–I'll have you know I just recently returned from the Spring of Courage, where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddess—"
"—and now you are here wasting your time," the king finished for her. "You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training. You must be single–minded in unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away."
"I–I already am... Don't you see? There's nothing more I can do!" Zelda said loudly, throwing caution to the wind that brushed past them on the bridge. Releasing the tension in her fist, she raised a hand to her chest. "My hope is... My hope is that you... That you'll allow me to contribute here in whatever way I can—"
"No more excuses, Zelda!"
The weight of his words would've brought the princess to her knees hadn't she known it would've made things worse.
"Stop running away from your duty," Rhoam continued. "As the king, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on, and command you to focus on your training."
Zelda's heart broke, and it was clear Rhoam could see it in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stepped to the side of the bridge and peered down at the guardians she had been watching.
"Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you?" he asked quietly. "They are out there at this moment, whispering amongst themselves that you are an heir to a throne of nothing... nothing but failure."
Lowering her hands, Zelda lowered her head again, forced to listen to her father's words.
"It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong," he said, before turning to her with a stern gaze. "Do you understand?"
After a brief pause, Zelda closed her eyes and uttered a weak answer.
"Yes. I understand."
With that, the king turned and disappeared from the bridge with his two guards, leaving the princess alone with her knight.
* * * * *
Even with the snowfall still heavy outside the inn's window, it had been a very peaceful night. In fact, the soft pattering of snow against the glass made for a wonderful ambiance to drift off into a deep slumber. Unfortunately, that slumber didn't last as long as Jules personally would have liked. It felt as though she was being woken up the moment she had disappeared into her dreams; she had been yanked out, with her ambiance tainted by the sound of rustling. She tossed and turned in her sheets, yet her ears kept pricking at the sliding of fabric and footsteps until finally, she pushed herself up with a yawn. Rubbing her uncovered blue eye, she looked around to see Zelda walking around the room, stopping only to pull sheets off the empty beds in order to replace them with fresh ones. Hearing her yawn, the golden-haired employee paused and looked over.
"Good morning, you two," she said simply before finishing the bed she was working on. "Or should I say noon? It's late, you know."
Confused, Jules groggily looked around before noticing Celessa in the next bed over, also pushing herself up. Blinking a few times in an attempt to clear the sleep from her eyes, she glanced up at the window, frosted over with the sill covered in snow. Even with the obscurity and the dark clouds still looming over, she could tell it was far past early morning.
"Is it already that late?" Celessa yawned, pushing her messy bangs out of her eyes.
"It is," Zelda answered, pushing the used sheets she had taken off into a large bin she was carrying around. "You'll be lucky if Prima makes you any breakfast. She may make you wait for lunch, unless you choose to cook for yourselves."
"I didn't mean to sleep in today..." Celessa groaned. "Princess, can't you ask Prima to make something to eat? She'll listen to you if you ask."
"I've already done that for you before," Zelda replied, heading towards the staircase with her basket now full. "I can't keep asking, otherwise I'll be the one she gets mad at, and I work here. It's your fault for sleeping in, so I believe it's only fair that you ask."
"I'd ask for you if I were the one working here, Princess," Celessa said. "Show some sympathy!"
"I showed some the first few times you've slept in," the employee replied, stopping at the top of the stairs. "You'll have to learn at some point to get up on your own, and that may just require you to feel a few consequences to do so."
"You're starting to sound like Prima now," Celessa complained. "That's a little unjust of you, seeing as you always have Link ready to make your food at home."
"Well, he is my partner," Zelda said, something that made Jules's heart slightly drop. "To be fair, he makes me food without me having to ask. You know how he is when it comes to food; he'll be sure to have a bowl ready for you, and three for himself. It's inevitable that I'll eat. Now, I suggest you rise before Prima is the one to come up here. There's a lot to do today."
With that, Zelda disappeared down the staircase. Celessa gave a heavy sigh before falling back onto her pillow.
"The princess has failed me," she said, "but she's right. I've become far too relaxed here at the inn. I haven't stayed in town like this in a good while."
"Do you plan to leave soon?" Jules asked, pushing the sheets off of herself.
"Not while the princess is here!" Celessa exclaimed. "But, I can't stay here forever. I still want to complete my pilgrimage of where she had gone to pray in the past, even if she's walking among us again."
"I commend you for being able to travel so much," Jules chuckled. "I always end up staying in one place for a while. Even waking up late like this is normal for me. If anything, I've been getting up earlier than usual these past few weeks."
"All to go see Link," Celessa said, pushing herself back up. "Jules... You do understand that Link and Zelda truly are together, right?"
"Yeah, I do," Jules answered. "I see the looks Zelda gives me. Do you think I'm trying to steal him away too?"
"No, I don't. I'm simply wondering if you're okay," Celessa said carefully, "and if you'll be okay later on."
"I'm fine," Jules replied after only a moment's hesitation. "Thanks for worrying but, I really am."
Celessa kept her eyes on her for a while, before slightly shrugging.
"If that's your answer, then so be it," she said, pushing the sheets off of her body just as Jules had done. "Well, we might as well go beg for breakfast before Prima puts us to work."
"You can't blame her," Jules said as she bent down to grab her shoes. "Link's birthday is tomorrow. The place needs to be ready, especially if we're going to convince Link to stay for the night and loosen up for a change."
"It feels as though we're attempting the impossible," Celesa said, pushing herself to her feet. "To think, he's always been such a fun and laid-back guy. It's hard to see him the way he's been recently."
"Yeah... it is," Jules answered.
With a sympathetic smile, Celessa held out a hand and helped Jules to her feet before they traveled down the staircase. There, they found Prima standing in her usual spot behind the counter, supposedly going through the check-in booklet that usually sat on the countertop. Hearing their footsteps, Prima glanced over disapprovingly before blowing air through her nostrils.
"Look at who's finally awake," she said, returning her eyes to her booklet as the two stopped in front of the counter. "There's leftover food in the cooking pot in the dining hall. Eat quickly, we have a lot to do before tomorrow. You-"
She pointed at Jules, who simply blinked in response.
"You're helping today too," she said. "This was your idea, so stick around and help out the entire day, all right?"
"Yeah, I can do that," Jules answered. "I actually planned to do that today anyway."
"Good, now go eat so you two can get to work. Go," Prima shooed away.
"Looks like Prima is really in the zone, and we're her extra employees for the day," Celessa groaned, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm sure Zelda will appreciate the help."
"Maybe..." Jules mumbled as they entered the dining hall.
As the two women disappeared from the lobby, Prima glanced up and sighed.
"Things just keep getting stranger around here," she mumbled before noticing the front doors open. After realizing who was coming in, she raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of things getting stranger, hello again, Manny."
"H-hey there, Prima..." the large Hylian said as he awkwardly stopped in front of the main desk.
"Have you come to help out again?" she asked as she closed the check-in booklet.
"Y-yeah, I have," Manny answered, averting his eyes before clearing his throat. "Only if, you know... you need it."
"Well, at this point I'll take any help," Prima responded. "Why though?"
"W-why?" Manny repeated, to which the clerk folded her arms. "J-just because I want to."
"Yeah, that's what you said a few days ago, along with Jules when she put in a good word for you," Prima said, "but why do you really?"
"I..." Manny stuttered. "I... just want to help out, honestly. Look, I-I know I kinda annoyed you with the cricket thing and I'm... sorry. I am interested in you, but I guess I realized that I also don't really know you, and that you don't really know me either. I figured maybe I should actually try and get to know you before anything else– if— if, anything else..."
"Really now?" Prima asked skeptically. "Did you come up with that yourself?"
"Yes, actually, I–" Manny began before stopping himself. After seemingly biting the inside of his mouth, he continued. "N-no. I had a bit of help. From Jules... and technically Link, if I had listened to the advice he gave me a few weeks ago."
Prima now raised both of her eyebrows, prompting Manny to explain even more.
"H-he didn't tell me to grab more crickets! He... he actually kinda scolded me for not just talking to you beforehand," he explained. "He was a jerk about it, but... I mean, we can all see something is going on with him, and yet he still tried to help me. So... doing this much by helping out isn't so bad."
"Did Jules help you see that too?" Prima asked.
"Y-yeah..."
The clerk continued to stare at the large Hylian before dropping her hands to her waist.
"The windows keep getting covered up thanks to how heavy the snowfall is," she said. "If you could go around and clean them off then, that would be great."
"Y-yeah! Yeah, I can do that," Manny said.
"Let me show you how to do it without breaking the glass," Prima said, coming around from behind the counter.
With a goofy smile, Manny quickly followed behind her as they headed off upstairs, where the hardest of the windows sat waiting to be cleaned off. As they disappeared, the purple-haired guest who had been watching them continued leaning against the doorframe of the dining hall, where she had only had a quick bite to eat before overhearing their voices. Though her slight grin gave off the impression of happiness, the longing in her eyes told another story.
"She's changed, you know," a voice suddenly said. Jules glanced over her shoulder to see a silver-haired traveler coming up from behind her.
"Prima?" Jules asked as Teli stopped next to her. He nodded.
"She absolutely refused to help a few months back," he said. "But here she is now, practically demanding help from everyone."
"Interesting. What do you think it was that made her change so much?" Jules asked curiously, mimicking Prima's eyebrow raise from earlier.
"Well, you can thank the dashing merchant standing right next to you," Teli said, cupping his chin with a smile. "But, most of that change probably came thanks to who she chose to help her."
"Zelda..." Jules mumbled.
"That's the one," Teli said cheerfully.
"She really is in the hearts of many," she said slowly. "I just hope she can help the heart most important to her."
"You're talking about Link, aren't you?" he asked. "He'll be fine. I know Zelda's having a hard time with him right now, but it'll click, just like an ancient part. Give it time, you'll see. Hey, maybe she needs a little bit of help, just like Prima did."
"That's what tomorrow is for," Jules said with a frown, to which Teli laughed.
"Well, if this doesn't work, then something else will," he claimed. "No one can stay down with a literal princess like Zelda around them."
"Yeah... right," Jules quietly. With a smile, Teli patted her on the back before leaving the doorway toward the front doors. "Where are you going?"
"Off to clean those damn stables," he said, rolling up his sleeves. "She's gonna make me do it anyway, so might as well finish before she can ask."
With that, he disappeared through the doors, leaving Jules to slightly chuckle in the middle of the dining hall doorway.
"Hey, Jules," Celessa suddenly called out from the inside, to which Jules fully turned around to give her attention. "I finished eating. Let's get a head start on the cleaning for today before Prima can say anything."
"It sounds like everyone has the same kind of thinking today," Jules mumbled before heading back into the hall. "All right. You start with dishes and I'll clean the tables off."
With a basket of newly washed sheets in her hands, Zelda trudged through the snow back towards the inn. Quickly losing energy thanks to the snow's thickness, she soon came to a stop, needing to take a moment to catch her breath.
This is how it is every winter? She wondered as she collected herself. If it weren't for the Calamity— actually, even with the Calamity looming over our heads, my life was still comparably easy back then.
Taking a deep breath in preparation, she continued through the village before finally reaching the stone staircase of the inn. With a heave, she pulled her foot out of the snow and placed it on the first step, but instead of continuing up, she couldn't help but look back at the foggy snowfall behind her. She glanced around at the parts of the village she could make out, allowing her thoughts to wander.
What are you doing, I wonder? She thought to herself Are you home? Out in the village? Or, maybe—
"Excuse me," a voice suddenly said. With a slight jump, Zelda turned and glanced up the staircase, where an older man was trying to move past her.
"O-oh! My apologies," she said, removing her foot from the staircase and taking a step back to allow the man past her basket. "It's a surprise to see you out here this early, Joute. You tended to your horse yesterday, so where are you off to today?"
"I'm leaving," Joute answered, stopping at the base of the staircase. "I just checked out."
"Leaving?" Zelda repeated. "Why so suddenly? Don't you want to celebrate Link's birthday with us?"
"There's a storm coming," Joute said, sniffing the air. "My horsey told me so."
"A storm?" Zelda asked. "Isn't the storm already here? You'd be best staying here—"
"No, it could be anything. I'm leaving," Joute said simply before heading to the stables, where Teli was begrudgingly guiding the teal horse out of the stalls in order to clean inside.
"O-okay..." Zelda replied, still thoroughly confused before heading up the stairs and through the doors of the inn, only to be even more confused to see Jules cleaning the countertop of the front desk. "Jules?"
"Hello, Zelda," Jules said with a smile as she continued her task. "Why do you sound so confused? You're the one who woke me up a little bit ago."
"T-that's true, but..." the employee mumbled. "I just thought–"
"You thought I'd be with Link?" Jules asked.
"Yes, actually," Zelda replied. The two stood silently in the room before Jules slightly shrugged.
"Well, I'm here," she said, "just helping out with the workload, along with Manny and Celessa. Teli too, but he's outside. Prima just went upstairs."
"Manny is here again?" Zelda asked as casually as she could, heading towards the dining hall with the weight of her basket starting to make her fingers sore. Jules nodded.
"Just to help out," she said as Zelda passed by.
"He's trying really hard to get Prima's attention, isn't he?" she commented, to which Jules again shrugged.
"Maybe he just wants to help," she replied in turn. "Not everyone does things for people just to gain favorability."
All Zelda did was hum in response as she went into the room. After hanging the wet sheets next to the furnace fire— unable to be dried outside thanks to the snowfall— her work continued through the day as usual. With Jules helping, along with Celessa and Manny's increasing cleaning skills thanks to Prima's coaching, the extra workload felt normal and even easier than usual at times. It hadn't felt like much time had passed before Zelda recognized the windows beginning to darken.
"All right, everyone," Prima's voice echoed throughout the inn. "Let's call that a day! Come on to the lobby now!"
With a groan from some, footsteps echoed through the inn from above and below before everyone appeared in front of Prima in the lobby. While Zelda and the two regular travelers seemed perfectly fine after busy work, Jules and Manny both seemed tired, with the latter looking absolutely exhausted. Celessa giggled.
"Why do you look so tired, Jules?" she asked. "I get Manny, but you've traveled, yes? You should have more energy than that."
"There's a reason it took so long for me to get here..." Jules sighed before pointing a thumb at the large man next to her. "Honestly, though, you should be more worried about him."
"I'm fine. This is nothing for me," Manny huffed, though everyone looked down at his slightly shaking legs.
"Regardless of how hard it was for some, I need to thank you all for helping," Prima said, placing her hands on her hips. "You made our work a lot easier, meaning tomorrow should go just as planned. So, as thanks, I'll cook dinner for everyone here. Free of charge."
There was a slight cheer amongst the small group. As everyone began heading to the dining hall, Prima looked over at Zelda, who remained in place.
"Are you going to head home?" she asked. "I'm sure Link will probably have food ready for you, right?"
"A-actually, I'll stay here," Zelda said. "I don't mind eating here with everyone else. Besides, I don't get to have your cooking very often."
Prima raised an eyebrow, though after a second she simply shrugged and headed after the rest of the group, with Zelda following behind her. By the time she had reached the cooking pot, everyone had already taken their seats at the tables. Manny had put his head down in exhaustion while Teli, who had taken a seat next to him, yawned and pushed his silver hair back out of his eyes.
"Any chance we can get a few drinks along with this dinner?" Teli asked, to which Prima gave a glare in return.
"You already have a day of free drinks coming. Don't push your luck," she said, however, the merchant wagged his finger at her.
"That was for one day's stall cleaning," he clarified. "I've been cleaning them these past few days, all to help you and Zelda, and each one of those days was cleaning up after Joute's horse. I think it's fair to ask for a few more drinks, seeing as someone of my beauty was able to shine them up. Wouldn't you agree?"
"He has a point," Celessa chimed in, which earned her a glare as well.
"You just want your own drink. I said no drinks until tomorrow," Prima seethed. "I put a lot of extra work into making so much extra for the celebration tomorrow."
"It wouldn't hurt just to taste a few of them out, right?" Jules suddenly spoke up, leaning her cheek into her hand with a tiny grin as Zelda sat down next to her. "Just to make sure they came out okay."
"Are you doubting my brewing skills after all the drinks you all have had?" Prima asked.
"Of course not," Jules said cheerfully. The two stared at each other for a moment before the clerk grumbled.
"Fine."
Another small cheer came from the group, though it mostly consisted of Teli and Celessa. It wasn't long before drinks had been passed out and food was slowly making it to tables. Slowly Manny came back to life as he began eating, while Celessa and Teli chatted as they enjoyed their drinks. Soon, Jules's drink was given to her while Zelda slowly ate her food, washing it down with a tea that had been given to her.
"Good to see everyone having a good time," Jules said lazily as she watched the three others laugh while Prima looked on with a small grin of her own. "All except you, that is."
She looked over at the golden-haired girl sitting next to her, who for a moment didn't realize anyone was talking to her. Upon realization, she looked over at Jules with a perplexed look.
"You're quiet; unusually so," Jules said when she gained Zelda's attention. "What's up?"
"Nothing is up," Zelda said, bringing her cup closer to her chest. "I'm just thinking about tomorrow."
"Hm," Jules said simply before taking a drink from her mug. "It'll be fine."
"Excuse me?"
"Tomorrow. It'll be fine," Jules repeated casually. "There's nothing to worry about."
"That's quite surprising to hear coming from you," Zelda said, trying to match her lax voice. "You don't believe a Yiga will appear here during the event?"
"Sorry to ruin your expectations, Princess, but I'm not as weary as Link is," Jules said in the same tone. "This whole thing was my idea, after all. To be fair, I thought you'd be the one most looking forward to this, seeing as you want Link to relax as much as possible."
"I am looking forward to it! It's Link's birthday, so, of course, I would be," Zelda exclaimed. "It's just..."
"It's just...?" Jules repeated, yet Zelda averted her eyes. After a few moments, it dawned on her. "You're worried about me, aren't you?"
"I-I mean..." Zelda mumbled, causing Jules to slightly grin in disbelief.
"You are," she said more to herself than anything. After taking another gulp from her mug, she asked, "and what about me is making you so nervous?"
"Well, if you're going to blatantly ask," Zelda huffed. "I'm afraid after what happened last time we had a little event together."
"Last time? Last time as in our little contest back in Gerudo Town?" Jules asked. "You're talking about that?"
"Yes, I am," Zelda said. "Things got completely out of hand during that time, and there's clearly going to be a lot of drinking happening tomorrow. I just don't want something else like that to occur during Link's special day."
"This doesn't sound like it has much to do with Link, though," Jules said slowly. "This sounds more like it has to do with you not approving of me. I'm not a fool, Zelda. I'm sorry you don't like me being around Link because I believe him, but this is starting to get annoying."
"It's more than just you believing him," Zelda started sourly. "In fact—"
"Now hold on there, you two," a voice suddenly said from behind. Both turned to see Prima standing over them with her arms folded. "Are you two really going to start going at it the night before Link's special day?"
Both Zelda and Jules grew quiet, glancing over at each other before averting their eyes. Jules suddenly looked around, taking note of the silence that now echoed through the hall. Celessa and Teli had long stopped talking, carefully watching her and Zelda's conversation play out, while Manny had actually taken to swaying in his chair, with his cheeks red thanks to the number of drinks he had.
"W-wait... Why did everyone stop... stop talking?" he asked, trying to stay upright in his chair. Prima glanced over at him before slightly shaking her head.
"Look, I get that you two don't exactly see eye-to-eye, but tomorrow is about Link," she said. "For the time being, both of you want to see him at least crack a smile tomorrow, right?"
Reluctantly, both women nodded.
"Then put your issues aside for now," she continued. "We have the drinks we need to get the rest of the village happy and in a celebrating mood, everything is clean and pretty, and Zelda here has convinced Link to come. Everything's ready, so don't be another thing we need to fix before then, all right?"
At Prima's words, Jules took a deep breath. Prima was right. Though she was still frustrated, she looked over at Zelda to try and nonverbally reach an understanding, yet this quickly was pushed aside. Zelda wasn't looking at either of them, or anyone for that matter. She was looking at her knees, with reddened cheeks and irises filled with worry. Jules wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Zelda?" Prima asked carefully. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no, nothing's wrong..." Zelda mumbled. "I-it's just—"
"You haven't convinced Link yet, have you?"
It was Jules who had loudly said this as she stood up in her chair. At her tone, Zelda flinched.
"Why?" Jules asked. "Why haven't you?"
"The proper time hasn't come up yet," Zelda said simply.
"You live with him!" Jules said angrily, slamming her hand down on the table, making the dishes clatter against the surface. "How can you have not found the time? You just need to ask him!"
"If it's so easy then, why don't you have a go and ask?" Zelda said, standing from her own chair. Her sharp emerald eyes met Jules's unusually fierce blue ones. "You seem to have a much easier time talking with him these days, so why must you need me to do it for you?"
"Because I'm not you!"
An uneasy silence swept throughout the hall, allowing only the soft patter of snow against the window to reach everyone's ears. No one moved nor looked away, with all eyes locked on the two women staring each other down. Balling her hand into a fist, Jules took a shaky breath.
"This isn't about you, Zelda," she said stiffly. "This is about Link. If I could get him here on my own, I would. Not because I want to be in his eyes, but because he needs help. I thought if anyone understood that, it would be you."
"That's enough," Prima spoke up before Zelda could retort. "We aren't going to ruin the mood anymore before tomorrow. If you've finished your food and drinks, head to bed. If not, finish and then do so."
Jules looked Prima in the eye before quickly giving in, sitting back down at the table and taking her mug in hand. She replaced her cheek on the palm of her hand, looking away from Zelda. The clerk then matched Zelda's gaze, which lasted slightly longer than Jules before giving in. With a quick bow, she headed for the furnace, where the sheets she had placed in front of them hours beforehand were now dried and patiently waiting to be put away. Before she could pick them up, though, Prima, who had followed behind her, took them into her own hands.
"I'll put them away," she said simply. "I'll walk you to the door, just to make sure you get down the steps all right. It is dark and snowy out there."
After another gaze into Prima's amber eyes, Zelda simply nodded before heading out of the dining hall, with Prima following right behind her. As the two women disappeared through the doorway, Jules sighed and rested her arms on the table before pressing her face into them.
"Wha... What's wrong, Jules?" Manny asked drunkenly, still swaying in his chair as he continued attempting to process what had transpired before him. "E-Everyone is talking about Link... Link this, Link that... If he's causing issues then I'll... I'll... Um–"
"It's okay, Manny," Jules said from inside the folds of her arms. "It's fine."
"H-huh?" Manny blinked. "Bu— but... I saw...?"
"Hey, Teli," Celessa suddenly whispered. "Can you... you know?"
Stealthily, she pointed over at the large drunken Hylian, to which Teli quickly nodded in understanding. He quickly downed his drink before pushing himself up to his feet.
"Hey, there. Come on my large, freckled friend," he said, walking over to Manny's end of the table. "Let's get you to a bed upstairs."
"B-But... But, um... I didn't buy a bed," Manny stumbled out as Teli helped him to his feet.
"I'll cover it for you," Teli said, Manny's large arm over his shoulders. "From one dashing person to another."
"I-I'm... dashing?" Manny asked as the two walked away.
"Of course, you are, friend," Teli answered. "Of course, you are."
Celessa watched as the merchant guided the drunk Hylian out the room.
"Never would have guessed Manny to be such a lightweight," she mumbled before turning back to Jules. "Hey, Jules—"
"Please, Celessa," came Jules's muffled voice from the depths of her arms. "I really don't want to hear it."
"Jules—"
"No, Celessa," Jules said, lifting her head with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to hear anything else about how I'm supposed to just stop seeing my friend because he's with someone, or about how great and amazing Zelda is. I don't want to hear it anymore... At least, not tonight."
Frowning, Jules brought her mug to her lips and took a big gulp of her drink before setting it back on the table. Placing her chin in her palm, she looked out at the flurry of snow beyond the window. The two sat in silence, with Celessa following Jules' actions, taking a drink from her cup, though a much smaller one.
"I admire the princess," she spoke up suddenly. Jules blew air through her nose and closed her eyes, yet this didn't stop Celessa from speaking. "She saved us alongside Link from the Calamity. She's a hard worker, kind, and really tries to put herself out there, even when she's a hundred years past her time."
"I still can't believe she's over a hundred years old," Jules mumbled. "I thought she was just crazy when she told me that back in Gerudo Town..."
"After learning about her, I couldn't help but look up to her," Celessa continued, causing Jules to lower her head from her chin and bring her fingers to the bridge of her nose. "She's really given me something to live up to, and I owe a lot of who I've become today to her. I was ecstatic when I got to finally meet her— something I never dreamed would happen— and now that I know her as well as I do... Well..."
You've said this before plenty of times, Jules thought as Celessa took a breath. I know how much you adore her—
"I've learned she is one stubborn woman."
This made Jules look up from her fingers, something that made Celessa laugh.
"Weren't expecting that from me, were you?" she asked. "I love and adore the princess, and she's done a lot for us. That, however, doesn't make her perfect. She's hard-headed, takes on more than she can realistically handle, assumes she knows best until she begs for help after realizing she doesn't, and can even be selfish. I— and everyone else around here— can see that."
Jules furrowed her brow and looked out the window again.
"It's true, Jules. We do," Celessa insisted, "because despite being a princess with some amazing powers... she's still just a Hylian like the rest of us."
"I've met people much more flexible than her," Jules mumbled, taking a sip from her mug. Celessa blew air through her nose.
"You must not talk to Link much when you're hanging out if you can say that," Celessa said. "But, I guess I can somewhat see what you mean. He's... very strict and loose at the same time depending on the situation."
"At least he has a loose side," Jules argued quietly.
"And so does Zelda," Celessa said. She paused and looked around the room. She bit her lip, supposedly contemplating something. She tapped her fingers against her mug before sighing. "Jules... ugh, I probably shouldn't tell you this because it's personal, but... I think you need to know a bit about Zelda's past—"
"I know about her past, Celessa," Jules groaned, yet Celessa shook her head.
"No, not that past," she said. "I think you should know something else; the reason why Zelda acts the way she does at times."
At this, Jules met Celessa's eyes once more. With a deep breath, Celessa continued.
"I think... I think you need to hear about Zelda and her father."
* * * * *
The doors to the front of the inn opened as Prima and Zelda stepped out into the heavy snowfall. Closing the door behind her, Prima— who had placed the dried sheets on the front desk— gave Zelda a look.
"What was that?" she asked, to which her employee fumed.
"What was— why are you asking me?" Zelda argued. "Jules is the one that—"
"Jules was telling you everything would be fine tomorrow," Prima cut in. "You are the one who insinuated an argument. What is going on with you?"
"Nothing is going on with me!" Zelda insisted, yet Prima shook her head.
"Why haven't you asked Link to come tomorrow then?" she asked. "You must have a reason, otherwise you wouldn't have lost your temper—"
"Jules is the one that lost her temperament—"
"Only after you did, and for good reason," Prima said. "Why haven't you asked Link?"
"Because how am I supposed to?" Zelda asked, keeping eye contact as snowflakes fell between them. "Jules can talk to Link so much better than I can right now. How am I supposed to convince him if she supposedly can't?"
"Are you serious?" Prima asked, taking a step forward. Though Zelda didn't break eye contact, she did back up just a bit. "I had hoped you were just saying that because you were upset in there, but is that really the reason?"
"Yes, it is!" Zelda said. "It's infuriating! I used to be the person Link could go to about these things even before we were lovers, and now—"
"Zelda that is ridiculous," Prima cut in again. "You and Link are in a disagreement. Of course, he'll be able to talk to someone else better if they agree! This isn't a hundred years ago, when you two only had each other!"
"Well, I don't appreciate that!" Zelda argued. "He may not be my assigned knight anymore, but I am his lover—"
"And as Jules said, this isn't about you!" Prima said. Zelda closed her mouth and after a brief pause, the clerk continued. "You said you wanted to let Link rest, and to help him calm down; to take his mind off of everything he's been through. I would hope something as simple as jealousy hasn't obscured your goal."
"I'm not jealous, and it's not the only thing I'm worried about," Zelda said frankly. Prima just snorted.
"You could have fooled me," she scoffed. "Whatever it is messing with your judgment, take care of it and figure out how to get Link to this party tomorrow. We've worked too hard for him not to show because you couldn't bring yourself to ask him. I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, Prima turned and went back into the inn, leaving Zelda standing alone on the stone staircase. Frustrated, Zelda brushed the snow from the top of her head and made her way down the staircase and through the darkness of the snow-covered village. The thick snow crunched between her boots as walked, echoing down the road. She stared down at the pure, sparkling powder she walked through as Prima and Jules's words bounced inside her mind.
"I'm not jealous..." Zelda murmured under her breath. "I'm simply nervous about Link. He used to confide in me and now he barely does. For all I know, Jules could be egging him on to do something stupid, or already has and I don't know it... He already may have gone to Gerudo Town if what the statue said was true..." She paused and thought to herself. "The statue..."
She paused in her snow tracks just after turning at the fork in the road. She looked off the path and down near the slope of the hill, where it led off to the mountainside where she knew the horned statue sat. Pursing her lips, she looked back up at the path, leading through the display houses and towards the bridge. Furrowing her brow, she chose to step off the path and down towards the cliffside. Before long, she found herself standing in front of the horned demon. It looked just as it did before, and even through the darkness, Zelda could make out its droopy stone eyes. All that was different was the thick sheet of snow that sat on its hood and arched back.
"You know I'm here," Zelda said when the statue didn't say anything.
I do, yet there is nothing to be said, the statue responded eerily. I only speak with clients.
"Speak, and maybe one day I will be," Zelda proposed, yet the statue only cackled.
Do not take me for a fool, girl, the statue said. Do not think I'm oblivious to why you're here.
"Then let's make a deal," Zelda said in a cold tone. "You tell me what I want to know, or I'll be sure no one will hear your voice ever again."
Oh, quite the threat, goddess, the statue chuckled. Tell me, what is it you'd like to know?
"Is it true that Link left a few weeks ago?" Zelda asked. "Or at all in the past few weeks?"
Instead of an immediate answer, the statue simply cackled louder.
You are quite entertaining, girl, the statue said. To think, you can't even control your own hero. The true goddess could get anyone to do what she wished, with or without her power.
"Answer," Zelda demanded, "or I will tighten this seal."
Do it then, goddess. Show me the power that sealed me away so long ago, the statue provoked. When Zelda didn't do anything, it simply laughed again. You stupid girl. I can feel the power inside of you. You can barely control it, much less tighten a seal done by the true goddess herself. Begone with you. As entertaining as you are, there's nothing for you here, at least for now.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Zelda asked, her tone shaking with anger.
I can feel something else inside of you, another emotion, the statue said. One that's causing you to become misguided from your previous goals. I'm intrigued to see where it takes you, especially with how foolish you've become in your mortal form.
At this, Zelda turned and began walking through the snow back up the hill, unable to come up with anything more to say. It was a pointless discussion, one that only served to irritate her further. Even though she had climbed the hill and stepped back onto the path to her house, she could still hear the cackling of the stone in her head, along with the voices of Jules and Prima scolding her. They refused to disappear, even after she crossed the bridge and opened the door to her house to find Link sitting at the table with an empty bowl sitting in front of him.
"There you are," Link said, turning his attention to Zelda. She supposed he had been simply staring at the wall where the weapons of the champions hung. "You're back later than usual. I was starting to get worried."
"I'm perfectly fine," Zelda said, closing the door behind her before again brushing snow off the top of her head. "Prima offered dinner to those at the inn for helping her out today, so I stayed."
"Ah, so you already ate then?" Link asked as Zelda headed towards the staircase. She answered with a simple nod before heading up to the loft.
Once upstairs, she immediately unbuttoned and pulled off the dress and boots she had worn to work, now drenched in melted snow. Bare to the frigid air, she folded the wet clothing and took the Sheikah Slate that was sitting on the desk into her hands. With a few taps and a flash of blue light, the dress vanished into its inventory. Once the dress was out of her hands, she continued to look through the slate's contents before a particular blue caught her eye. After taking a moment to contemplate, she tapped on the icon, and in another flash of light, the familiar bright blue tunic appeared in her arms. Placing the slate down on the desk, she threw the tunic over her head, allowing it to cover the curves in her body. Ignoring the frigid cold wood under her bare feet, she tiptoes over to the bed before plopping down onto the sheets back first.
You just need to ask him!
And as Jules said, this isn't about you!
Gently, she reached up to the collar of her tunic and gripped it, covering its white accents.
"I know it's for him, and of course I want him to get better," she said quietly, bringing a free arm up to cover her eyes. "But... is it so bad to want some attention, as well? Wasn't that the whole point of embarrassing myself with the maid outfit?"
As entertaining as you are, there's nothing for you here...
"I really am a fool for even trying, aren't I?" she asked.
Unfortunately, silence couldn't give an answer. She lay quietly, listening to the sound of the snow outside the window. Finally, after a deep breath, she pushed herself up and stood from the bed. Tiptoeing once more because of the cold, she made her way to the railing of the loft and looked down. Link remained in his chair, staring at the weapons on the wall. Even from up there, Zelda could make out the bags under his eyes, yet he still refused to get a decent night's sleep out of fear.
"Link..."
He turned in his chair and looked up at the loft, catching Zelda's eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Come upstairs..."
Link hesitated to answer. He stared up at her before averting his gaze.
"Not now, Zelda," he said.
"But–"
"Zelda, seriously," Link sighed. "I can't."
Silence filled the home, yet Zelda hadn't left the railing. He could feel her eyes on him, watching just as strongly as he stared at the shining weapons of old. Again, in a begging whisper, Zelda's voice called for him again.
"Please?"
Again, Link looked up into her pleading eyes, eventually squinting his eyes to get a better view of her body. It seemed to dawn on him what she was wearing as he made out the bright blue and white colors from the darkness above. As much as he wanted to, knowing it would affect his judgment, he couldn't look away.
"Link...?"
His name in her sweet tones echoed in his ear and through his body until it pierced his heart. Forcing himself to tear his eyes away, he looked back at the weapons before taking a deep breath. He took the empty bowl on the table into his hand and stood. He placed the dish on the counter before heading up the stairs, only stopping once he reached the last step. He looked over towards the bed where Zelda stood, barely visible in the darkness. The side of her body dimly gleamed with the little moonlight that escaped through the clouds, snow, and window glass, while her eyes were glowing even brighter than before.
Taking in the view for a moment, Link collected himself before stepping toward her, stopping only when their chests were almost touching. He looked down into her eyes, pleading for him to stay with her for once. Almost reluctantly, Zelda stepped back, sitting on the bed and bringing the sheets over her legs before scooting over near the wall. Slowly, Link climbed into the bed next to her. Immediately Zelda lay her head on the pillow, while Link scooted back to rest his back against the headboard.
"No," Zelda said, grabbing onto the tunic he hadn't changed out of. "Lay with me. Please."
Link looked down at her as she pinched his sleeve, slightly tugging in an attempt to pull him down. He hesitated. He could feel the tired stinging in his eyes. He knew if he went down, he wouldn't come back up. Someone had to watch, to make sure they were both safe. Even in this storm, he could be watching; waiting for the perfect time to strike. Despite everything in his mind telling him not to, his back began to slide against the wall as he sank deeper into the sheets. Finally, he was on his back, yet this didn't satisfy the one next to him. She reached over and grabbed his collar, guiding him onto his side so she could press her front against his, digging her face into his chest.
"Did you have a rough day?" Link asked quietly, confused at Zelda's somewhat aggressive advances.
This was different than the last time she tried this. This felt far more authentic; more desperate in a way. Zelda nodded at his question.
"It was rough today... and yesterday... and the day before..." she listed in a muffled tone. "I'm so tired. So... frustrated. I feel like I'm losing your trust to someone else. I feel like my bonds are breaking, the ones I just recently made. I... I'm scared for the future. There are things I have to do and yet... I don't know how to face them anymore..."
"Zelda..." Link said softly, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.
"It's not fair... None of it is fair..." Zelda continued. "I just want us to be happy. That's all I want. Why is that so hard to get? Why is it so bad to want?"
"I want the same thing–" Link said. Zelda gripped his collar tighter.
"Then why?" she said, beginning to slightly shake. "Why can't you talk to me anymore? Do you really not trust me enough? Why can you talk to Jules and not me? I know we disagree, but... But... Is it really that bad?"
It is, was all Link could think. I need to protect you. To protect myself so I can be with you. To protect the village so we can live that happy life... You just can't see what I'm fighting against.
He removed his hand from her arm, choosing to wrap it around her body to bring her close. He could feel his eyes starting to burn even more. His eye lids were growing heavier, becoming impossible to keep them open. The only thing that kept him awake was Zelda's voice once more.
"Come to the inn tomorrow," she said quietly. "Promise me you will."
"The inn?" Link asked. "Jules put you up to this, didn't she?"
"S-she asked you?" Zelda asked in a small voice.
"She did, and I refused," he answered. "Zelda, I can't afford to do something like that—"
"Yes, you can," Zelda insisted. "If there is a Yiga here, he won't attack in a storm like this. Please, Link... come to the inn. It's your birthday tomorrow. I want to celebrate it with you."
"Zelda—"
"I'm begging you..." she said in a soft voice. "If not for your own enjoyment... then do it for me. I'm begging..."
Unable to keep his eyes open any longer, the darkness consumed his vision, and just before it could take his consciousness as well, Link gave a final answer.
"Okay."
** Chapter 14 Illustrations by @ Lemmeurs (Instagram)**