Link's POV
"So it's gonna be pretty fancy, huh?" I say to Zelda while I check the minifridge for snacks but all I can find is more champagne. Does this limousine not have any food?
"Penn's family is quite successful," she answers while checking her hair in the reflection of the car window. "I assume only individuals of high social standing have been invited to their masquerade ball."
"And you're sure it's cool I'm tagging along?" I ask. "I don't wanna be the odd one out or get the boot or something."
"The invitation specifies 'plus one,' and since Father couldn't make it, I'm delighted to bring you with me."
"Wasn't your dad the one pushing you to go in the first place?"
"It was both Father and Penn who pushed the idea."
"You think anyone would notice if we dipped?" I half-joke. "It's not too late to turn around."
"We're almost there," she proves me wrong. "And yes, Father would notice. He requested a photo of me at the ball."
"It's just..." I check the mini fridge one last time. "You know how I feel about parties."
She gives me a reassuring smile, her hand resting casually on my thigh. "I know, and I apologize for dragging you into this. I just didn't want to go solo. Plus, you'll practically be incognito. Nobody will recognize the famous Link Miyamoto underneath this mask."
I sigh. "Fine." Her smile does soothe me a bit. She looks stunning tonight. From her make up to her hair. The dress, my suit, plus the limo... feels like we're about to hit the red carpet. "Ever been to their place?" I ask.
"No. But I assume their house is comparable in size to mine," she says right as the car comes to a stop. I scoot closer to the window to see what's going on outside. There are a bunch of other cars in front of us, each worth more than my college tuition. They're all heading toward a massive golden gate, and for a second I question if I made it to heaven. Maybe Karusa ended me that one day we fought at the cliffs and everything up until now has just been purgatory. But nope, just the entrance to Penn's property I guess.
Our driver talks to the person at the gate who checks if our names are on the guest list. A few seconds later, we're back on the move, slowly driving up the hill.
I press my cheek against the window to get a better look at the house. Zelda was wrong. This mansion is not similar in size to hers. It's way bigger!
It's ridiculous how big this house is and how many fancy cars and people are trying to get to it. Giant pillars, grand entrance, and a fountain in the size of my house in Japan. I can hear music and laughter, and before I can process everything that's happening, the chauffeur opens the door, and the music and laughter get louder. I didn't even notice that the car stopped, I've been so focused on the house.
"Thank you, Limeback," Zelda says as we crawl out of the limo. I still can't take my eyes off the house. Everything is decorated with Halloween stuff too, like a professional haunted house. Just fancier. I wouldn't even question it if Dracula and Frankenstein's monster showed up as honored guests.
The limo drives off and Zelda grabs my arm, taking the lead. We head up the polished marmour steps. It takes a good minute to pass through the entrance, that's how big it is, and the living room is like something out of a movie. At least I think this is the living room. It's hard to tell. Looks more like a ball room with its designer furniture, three giant gold chandeliers, and–oh shoot, is that a buffet?! Jackpot!
I drag her towards the food as if it was the first island in sight after years at sea. The food looks amazing, I don't even know where to start.
While I stuff my mouth with the best salami I've ever had, Zelda looks at the people who are dancing and chatting. Or maybe she's looking at the jazz band. Or the colorful dresses. Or the giant painting of some lady. Or the life-sized ice sculpture. Hard to tell what she's looking at with her mask on.
"You okay?" I ask, mouth full with food.
Her head turns slightly to meet my eyes. She looks completely unaffected by all of this. She smiles. "I'm doing well."
Suddenly two men address her from the side. "Zelda, dear," the older man says, "Is that you?"
She smiles up at him."Hello Penn, yes it's me," she nods, then greets the other guy, "Good evening, Ramses."
"How could you tell it was me?"
"Your glasses gave it away," she giggles.
"Oh," he quickly takes them off and slips them into the pocket of his suit. I wonder if I should introduce myself or if I should just pretend to be a random guest who just so happens to stand very close to Zelda.
"I'm glad you made it!" The old guy cheers, kissing her cheeks left and right. It probably would've thrown me off if he did that to me, but Zelda handles it smooth, as if it's her natural habitat. I guess it kinda is.
"Thank you for the invitation," Zelda continues to smile at them. "It's great to see you two again."
"It's good to see you too," the man replies. Penn was his name?
"Have you hung the artwork yet?" the younger guy asks.
"I have not. I will soon," she tells them.
"You must show us a picture once you've hung it," Penn says and pulls out his phone. "Which reminds me... Your Father wanted me to take a photo of you and my son."
Why does that sound so fishy...
"Oh," Zelda nods hesitantly and agrees politely. "Okay."
Penn backs up to get their full bodies into the shot. I stay with the food and watch Penn's son's hands closely. His arm wraps around her back and holds her by the waste. She looks a bit shy, unsure what to do with her hands.
Penn takes a few vertical shots, then a couple horizontal and from different angles.
I eat 4 cheese cubes and some grapes in the meantime, until Penn's son finally stops their little photoshoot. "I believe we've got enough photos now, Father."
"My apologies," the man cackles. "I got carried away."
"It's okay," Zelda smiles. "I'm sure my father will enjoy these photos."
With a casual smile, Penn leans closer to his son and shows him the pics. "These photos turned out wonderfully! You two make quite the charming pair."
Yikes. Should I say something?
Zelda looks in my direction and shakes her head at me as if she knew I was about to step in. I stay put, grabbing a chocolate-covered strawberry from the buffet as I watch her struggle to find a response.
Penn's son nods at his father but doesn't show much of a reaction. "Those photos did turn out nicely. Well done."
"Zelda is a remarkable young woman, isn't she?" Penn asks his son.
Unsure how to react, Zelda looks at me again with her cheeks super flushed.
"She is," the son nods, and both are looking at Zelda now as if they were judging an expensive wine.
"I've heard remarkable things about your achievements," Penn says to Zelda, then turns back to his son to tell him more. "She became a chess grandmaster, an environmentalist, and even a National Geographic Bee Champion, all before graduating high school. Not to mention, she was the valedictorian at her private school. Quite an impressive track record for someone so young."
"Indeed," the son nods.
This is kinda uncomfortable to watch but it's not like I can do much about it. It's up to Zelda to say something if she doesn't want me to step in.
"Son, where are our manners?" Penn nudges his son and then apologizes to Zelda, "Zelda, dear, in the midst of our delightful conversation, it occurred to me that we haven't extended the courtesy of offering you a drink. What will it be?"
She shakes her head, trying to look polite as she declines. "Thank you, but I don't think I'll be drinking tonight."
"How about a dance then?" The son asks her. He steps closer, offering his hand, "would you do me the honor of sharing a dance?"
Zelda hesitates and looks back at me for permission.
I shake my head, but Zelda doesn't have much of a choice. Both Penn and his son are putting pressure on her until she finally gives in and takes his hand.
Ramses' POV
I guide Zelda toward the center of the grand hall, where pairs of guests are dancing to the live music. Her mask conceals most of her face, yet I can see a subtle hint at discomfort in her eyes.
"I am so sorry," I say once we're out of my father's earshot. His gaze follows our every step. Proud and content, he raises his glass to us.
Zelda, maintaining her poise, responds, "What are you apologizing for?"
"It appears to me that our parents have been trying to set us up with each other."
Despite the lively ambiance surrounding us, I hear Zelda's sigh. "So I'm not crazy for noticing it too?"
"If you're crazy, then so am I." Taking her hand in mine while placing my other on her upper back, we begin to sway to the rhythm of the music. I assure her, "Initially, I thought your father was merely being courteous when he praised me at the auction, but it seems there is a deeper intention at play."
She nods in agreement. "They are doing The Parent Trap. But in reverse!"
"Yes," I chuckle, "And it's quite disconcerting."
"I am relieved that I am not the only one who thinks this whole thing is silly."
"At least your father exhibited a certain degree of subtlety in his approach, unlike mine who practically put you up for auction. I figured the only way to make him stop was to invite you to dance. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."
Zelda observes, "Your father does appear quite satisfied now," her lush green eyes return to mine, "but let's not give him any ideas."
"Don't worry, we don't have to take it any further. I just didn't want him to say 'You didn't even try' when I tell him that it didn't work out between us."
"So you are not interested then?" Zelda asks. "Just to be clear."
"Well... I wouldn't say I'm not interested," I admit, offering her a sincere smile. "You are a beautiful person of exceptional intellect. I would be honored to get to know you. However, in all honesty, my current pursuits demand my undivided attention. As you may recall, my aspirations involve making a positive impact on the world, and committing to a relationship could potentially limit my dedication to helping underserved communities. Or—if I continued working toward my goals unchanged—I would essentially be too busy to provide you with the attention and care you deserve. Either way, having a relationship while pursuing my goals would just be selfish of me, wouldn't you agree? I hope I'm not being rude by saying all this, I'd just much rather be honest with you than to lead you on."
"That's perfectly fine actually, because you see..." Zelda gives a subtle nod toward the buffet, "That gentleman over there is my boyfriend."
"You have a boyfriend?" I am surprised to say the least. And slightly embarrassed. "Perhaps a friendly heads-up before my impassioned rejection speech would have been nice, don't you think?"
She lets out an amused chuckle. "I'm sorry. I do understand where you're coming from though. And I completely respect your choice to focus on your goals."
"So..." I look back at my father, who is still watching us dance. "I assume our fathers don't know that you are in a committed relationship then?"
"Mine does," she scoffs annoyed. "I don't know about yours."
"Hold on a second... Your father knows about you and your boyfriend?"
She nods. "Which is why I don't understand why he would try to set us up."
"Really? It seems quite obvious to me."
"Please enlighten me."
"Well," I clear my throat, slightly unsure how to put this, "your Father must not regard your boyfriend as a suitable husband."
She doesn't look surprised by my words. "Even if he took the time to get to know my boyfriend well enough to judge his suitability, it still wouldn't give him the right to set me up with another guy. My choice of whom to date or marry is my own. After all, this is the 21st century."
"I concur. It's not my place to tell you this, but I recommend you let your father know that you are content with your current relationship. Otherwise, he may persist in his efforts to find a suitable match. I speak from experience."
Zelda asks me somewhat disturbed, "I take it I'm not the first girl whom your father has tried to pair you with?"
"You'd be correct," I respond with a regretful shake of my head. "My parents have been doing this for several years. And not just with me. My older brother, Leo, actually ended up marrying one of the girls my parents picked for him."
"But why go through the trouble?" She questions. "We are still young. Why does it concern them who we choose to date at this stage of our lives?"
"I can't speak for your father, but I know my parents value marriage more than anyone else. They fell in love at first sight and got married 3 months later. 27 years later and they're still so obsessed with each other that they regret not having married any sooner. They've told me over and over again that they wished they had met in their teenage years instead of their late twenties, so that they could have spent more time together. So I suppose helping us find our soulmates at a young age is their way of making up for the time they feel they lost by dating the wrong people. Ultimately, they just want us to have as much time with our one true love as life has to offer."
She ponders for a brief moment, then states softly, "If you put it that way, I suppose it's sweet of them to try to find the right partner for you. You might not know this, but my mother passed away when I was six, so I suppose my father mourns that lost time, too. Not the way your parents do, but... you know."
I offer her my condolences. "That's why I'm not upset at them. Despite having told them that I am content with life and too busy for a relationship, their intentions are good."
"Maybe, but I have already found the love of my life."
"Have you told him that?"
"Not in those words, no... But I shouldn't even have to spell it out for him. He should know that I'm happy with my choice. And if he disapproves, he shouldn't try to intervene. Maybe the type of love I've found isn't the one he envisioned for me, but it's the one that makes me happy, and that should be good enough for him."
I can't help but smile. She reminds me of a certain someone. "Then you should communicate that clearly to him," I suggest as the song comes to a slow end.
"And what will you say to your father?" She asks. "About us?"
"I will tell him: Zelda is a remarkable young lady, but she is a terrible dancer, and therefore it could never work out between us."
She playfully swats my arm, a smile finally appearing below her mask. "I am an excellent dancer!"
"And she also resolves to physical violence when she gets criticized," I jest. "So aggressive."
"I'm not," she quickly composes herself again. "Your perception is way off, young man."
"Okay, Miss Hyrule, what do you reckon I tell my father?"
Zelda's serious mien returns. She tells me clearly, "Just say that I've already found my soulmate. He should be rather pleased about that since he cares so much about true love."
"A very unfortunate and very fortunate turnout, he will say." As the music fades into the next song, I come to a gentle stop, feeling almost bittersweet about it all. "It has been an honor to dance with you, Zelda."
"The honor has been all mine," she responds. "And thank you for being so understanding about my relationship."
"Thank you for being understanding about mine. Even if it doesn't involve a significant other."
"It's genuinely noble of you to prioritize your plans for making a positive impact on the world, Ramses. If only your parents could see that love can extend beyond two lovers. Your affection just happens to be directed towards the entire planet. And to me, that seems like the purest form of love."
In the midst of the crowd, a rush of feelings floods over me. I'm grateful for her support in the choices I've made. Her words sooth any doubts I had about the path I'm on. But, hidden within that comfort, I feel a twinge of regret, acknowledging the road not taken. There is always that one poignant question of what could have been. But it really only becomes tragic when it becomes conscious. So, I push the thought away, staying respectful to her choice, as well as mine.
"Please enjoy the remainder of your evening," I say, creating a slight distance between us. "Both you and your partner."
The music plays on, but we don't. Our ways part here. She returns to the gentleman at the buffet, while I rejoin my father, who begins to query me as soon as I am back by his side.
"Isn't Zelda just delightful?" he says, handing me a glass of champagne. He sounds hopeful, and I hate to disappoint him.
Unable to take my eyes off of Zelda as she shares a sweet kiss with her partner, I respond, "She is a remarkable young lady, Father."
He fixes his eyes on me, oblivious to Zelda's embrace with her boyfriend, and eagerly anticipates details about our dance.
I meet his gaze and tell him tenderly, "But it could never work out between us."
His brows dip into disappointment. "Why not?"
"Because she has already found her soulmate."
"That's quite unfortunate," he sighs, reflecting on the situation. With a small nod of acknowledgement and a soft smile, he adds, "But good for her. I'm glad she found her other half at such a young age."
"She's lucky."
"That she is."