By LauraCeleste
I hope that those of you who've written to voice your appreciation for the story will find this chapter as fun and
exciting as I do. I'm not completely satisfied with chapter 1 and 3, and I wish I could go back and rewrite them,
but I am really happy with everything in this chapter, and with what will come next! Please see the endnote for
more of my babbling about some plot things I've rearranged, but nothing that makes an impact, really. Ok, no
more chatter; on with the story!
The rocky, hilly terrain of north Hyrule tumbled past the carriage window, a sprawling endless vista lightly powdered with a night's snowfall. Zelda leaned nearer, watching the landscape rumble by. The land seemed so inhospitable, so harsh that nothing could possibly grow...and yet she knew that from that miracle soil sprang lichens, mosses, and fungus that enterprising scientists were using to create miraculous new medicines and cures. Therefore, a land once shrouded with poverty found new wealth, and many of the northerners became rich farming the precious growths on their land.
"Oszkar's father earned his fortune from farming, did he not?" Zelda asked offhandedly, turning from the window to look expectantly upon her twin cousins.
"By the sweat of his brow, at first," Elise answered, "until his income was enough that he could hire several hands and turn his land into a rather prosperous plantation."
"He capitalized on what was given to him," Zelda admitted. "We Hylians are becoming a rather enterprising society."
It was true; experimentation and innovation were the new way of life in Hyrule. People grew restless and therefore looked beyond the realm of the known for knowledge. Hylian academies had never seen such attendance, filled to capacity with ambitious young men (and the occasional woman) studying History and Law, Mathematics and Sciences. Great new minds were born each day, each a future new innovator. People were discovering new technologies and inventing new devices.
People such as Elise's beau, Oszkar Cadwallen.
"Oszkar is very much his father's son, you'll see," Elise admitted. "He's always tinkering with one thing or another, hoping to create something out of nothing. There are all manners of wonderful devices tucked away in his workshop waiting to be finished."
"I should like to see them!"
"Oh, you shall see such things as you should not believe!" Elise admitted with infectious enthusiasm, wringing her mittened hands. Her giddiness made the princess smile, for she could clearly see how fond the usually reticent Elise was of her beau, and how very happy she was to be on her way to see him once again. She had been thus since early that morning, when the three girls had left Ellefson Manor for a visit with Oszkar's family. As the journey was not a short one, his family had invited them to spend several days there.
"Well, you'll not wait too much longer. We've no longer than a half-hour left, surely," Elinor speculated, patting her sister's arm. "And just look how red your cheeks have become! If only you could see!" Beneath her winter hood, Elise's face was flushed with excitement. She smiled at Elinor's good-natured teasing, but made no move to hide her reddened cheeks as her sister giggled endlessly. "Well, you may have your Oszkar, but I look forward to seeing Daisy, again. She's a sweet little dear," Elinor continued.
"Daisy?" Zelda exclaimed, intrigued at the mention of an unfamiliar name.
"Daisy is Oszkar's younger sister, three years our junior. She's very amiable, the gentlest girl of all my acquaintance...." Elise began.
"...But she isn't able to leave Wyndloch Manor very often. Such a pity," Elinor finished, sighing.
"Why is that?"
Elinor smiled sadly. "The same fever that took Oszkar's mother so many years ago left Daisy sightless in her infancy, before medicines were available to treat it. But she makes up for her eyes with her ears; the child can hear better than a jackrabbit."
"I've never met a blind person before, or at least, not so intimately," Zelda exclaimed, still amazed at the news.
"Oh, whatever you do, just don't think of Daisy as blind!" Elinor warned. "She can make do as well as anyone, I think. Wait til you meet her. If you hadn't known beforehand, I'm sure it would take a few moments for you to understand. She's as intelligent as her brother, and no less kind."
"Then she must be very kind indeed," Zelda said, smiling warmly to Elise.
"Oszkar dotes on her very much," Elise admitted, softly. "As his father is so often away on business and his mother has been gone these past thirteen years, he has raised her. He is several years her senior, you know."
"She is but fourteen. Oszkar is twenty-four," Elinor informed.
"It is odd, that she should be ten years his junior!"
"She was a surprise to the family, really," Elise sadly continued. "The family had not intended to have another child, and Mrs. Cadwallen was sickly all throughout the pregnancy. She never regained her strength after the birth, and when the fever spread so rapidly, she could not fend it off. Neither could poor Daisy, being but an infant. Oszkar and his father were spared, thank the trinity."
"So terribly sad," Zelda frowned, gazing out the window again. "But she is fortunate to have such a governor of sorts." Then, leaning nearer to the twins, she whispered, "Tell me more about Oszkar."
"Oszkar is...he's just...." Elise began, but could not finish. She chuckled.
"He is simply lovely," Elinor finished for her. "The sort of man all we young ladies clamber for." She paused for a moment to peer out the window, then clasped her hands together happily. "But you shall see for yourself soon enough, for we are closer than I thought! Look, there is the lake!"
Sure enough, sun-sparkling water lay beyond the window, and proudly standing nearby was Wyndloch Manor, the Cadwallen family's home.
"And there's Oszkar! See, 'Lise, he waits for us!" Elise was already waving, rather thrilled. Zelda saw Oszkar raise his hand in greeting, and noted a shorter figure beside him waving also. Her cousins' glee was infectious; she found herself unable to keep a purely candid smile from spreading on her lips. The carriage soon drew to a stop before the entrance of Wyndloch manor, and the carriage's door was opened in great haste.
"Daisy heard you far before I did, my dears! Welcome, welcome!" Oszkar exclaimed, offering a leather-gloved hand. "Which of you ladies will be first?"
"Take Elinor, she's been antsy since we left home!" Elise quipped, beaming brightly. He returned her smile warmly, and Zelda was touched at his obvious affection for her cousin.
He took Elinor's mittened hand and helped her from the carriage, then took Elise's and guided her down as Elinor went to greet the petite, fair-haired Daisy. He quickly lifted her hand to his lips before releasing it and motioning for Zelda.
"Your turn, highness!" Oszkar bowed. "Welcome to my family's estate; your visit is a great compliment to us."
"Please, just Zelda! Or cousin," she smiled teasingly, accepting his offered hand and carefully stepping down. "I'm glad to finally see the place Elise speaks of so dearly; It's lovely!"
And it was. The three-floored home with columns sat proudly overlooking a large curvaceous pond (which Elinor had called a lake.) A dock was built out into the water, whose surface was unfrozen despite the chill. It was a fine representation of a family's wealth, yet spoke of a modesty that was uncommon among such noble families; Zelda knew this to be true. She was very impressed.
"My father will be upset that he could not be here to greet you. Business has taken him north into Archtyl, and he won't be back for another day, good weather willing," Oszkar explained, as Elinor linked arms with Daisy and led her nearer.
"And you must be Daisy!" Zelda exclaimed warmly. The girl shyly curtsied, keeping her eyes cast low.
"Good afternoon, your highness. May I call you Zelda, as my brother might?"
"Most certainly!" Zelda exclaimed, fascinated as Daisy's eyes focused in the direction of her voice.
"When my brother told me you were coming to visit, I was quite excited! I was sure I would not get to meet you, unless perchance you came to visit our very home! Yet here you are, and so I have been proven wrong!"
"Here I am!" Zelda smiled at Elinor, who returned the grin with her usual cheer. It was refreshing to see Elinor's happiness return, since she simply had not been herself since the first ball.
"I'm sure the five of us will have such fun tonight!" Elinor chimed, clasping her hands together.
"Yes, well...there's no fun to be had that we can't have indoors. It's far too warm inside to exchange all our pleasantries in the snow! Come, ladies," Oszkar held one arm out for Elise and the other for Zelda. Both took hold, and the five strode inside.
In the days that followed his voyage into town and subsequent rush of emotions, Link felt wholly unable to do anything productive. He would pick up a new book only to put it down again, gather his gear to try fishing but turn around halfway, and set out for a relaxing horseback ride but would stay out hardly long enough to give the poor horse some exercise. His head was full of old memories of his childhood with Cymry and Rogen, soon followed by thoughts of his father and mother, whose faces he had not seen in at least ten years. The reunion had opened doors to memories he had forgotten, and nothing he did immersed him deep enough to erase them again. He was endlessly fidgety and frustrated, having no clue what to do with himself, and so wandered the halls in search of something new to do. The king finally set him to work fetching books again, hoping it could curb his ennui. Link considered it a period of solemn reflection; the King was determined to call it something else.
"Your moping around contributes none to the mood of my castle, Link. Perhaps you need to spend some time out of doors, or take up a new hobby. Painting is a nice activity; I'll have someone bring up the necessary supplies."
"What good would it do me?" Link mumbled back, watching over the King's shoulder as he penned an agreement. The strangely-accented, flowery script was in a foreign language Link could not read, but he enjoyed watching the monarch scribe the impossibly complex lettering.
"None, but it would certainly help me greatly," the king replied with dismay. "I tire of seeing you wandering aimlessly about. Hylian Policy, book 10, please." He looked up from his work as Link scurried up his library ladder and tugged a fat book loose, then carried it back to him and lay it before him on the desk with great flourish.
"Well, I'm sorry that my moping, as you call it, spreads such gloom."
"I meant no such thing. But, at the least, you could tell me what has caused such a change in your demeanor as of late."
Link answered with a grunt. "Sudden understanding of the way things are and the way they'll always be."
"Well now. That's rather vague." The king continued to write, dipping his quill in his inkwell occasionally. Link started, but could not bring himself to explain. "I hear you ventured into town a few nights ago...." he prompted further.
"I went to visit some old friends," Link said defensively, "and I had a bit of a run-in with an old acquaintance. Nothing to be concerned about."
"A run-in, eh?" The king's lips curved upward into a sly smile. "What sort of run-in?"
"You needn't worry, it ended without violence," Link said indignantly.
"Physical or verbal?"
"Pardon?"
The king removed his spectacles and turned to face Link. "Was your altercation physical or verbal? Was anyone injured?"
"Goodness, no." Link dropped in a nearby velvet armchair and fingered the fancy collar on his shirt. "It was only a war of words, useless words from a jealous man."
"I'm sorry to hear it." The king returned to his work, leaving Link in silence again, and feeling guilty.
"If you must know, an old acquaintance found it a prime opportunity to debase my station in life."
"How so? And volume 12 this time. But leave 10 here, I'll need it."
Link went to retrieve the volume. "Well," he grunted, scaling the ladder, "I believe he called me a royal plaything, for one. And expressed a general misunderstanding of my presence here, which prompted a rebuttal, and well, it went downhill from there."
"Royal plaything? How clever," the king chuckled as Link returned with the book. "But how do you perceive your station in life?"
"I would say I'm one of the luckiest young men in the kingdom," Link smiled honestly, returning to his seat.
"That you are, m'boy. But how exactly did they perceive it?"
Link was silent for a long moment, concentrating on the steady scratching of the king's quill on his parchment and the shrewd half-smile on his lips.
"They believed me to be an even luckier young man," he finally said.
"You've perfected the art of being cryptic, m'boy. Now you must work on full disclosure. How so?" was the king's humor-tinged response.
"It seems that...well, Rogen at least. Rogen, the one who confronted me, he thought that... he misinterpreted my situation with your daughter."
Link thought he saw a pleased smile replace the shrewd one, but it was quickly hidden.
"And how would you describe your situation with my daughter, Link?" The king's words were innocently delivered, but the sly tone told Link that they were not so.
"Am I being interrogated, your majesty?" He chuckled.
"Not in the slightest. It is merely the continuation of your own answer. For how can I know what one might misinterpret when I do not know how the situation is to be interpreted?"
Link pursed his lips. "I would say that we are close, as you well know. Some may consider it a particularly intimate friendship. But if you're worried about...."
"Just friendship, then?" The king removed his spectacles and sat back in his chair to better pin Link with his skeptical eye. Link sat speechless, completely dumbfounded, while his majesty enjoyed his discomfort. He decided to press further. "I believed there was a certain kind of love between the two of you. Was I...am I mistaken?"
"Sir...." Link stammered, feeling exposed.
"'Tis a simple question, requiring a simple answer." The king seemed solemn but his eyes twinkled teasingly, as if they were already privy to the information and were impatient for the revealing. Link's anguished mind tumbled over excuses and rebuttals, fearful that his well-intentioned but misguided letter had not burned completely in the fireplace. He shuddered to think that it might have been found.
"What business would I have romancing the princess?" Link shakily answered, instantly aware of a cold sweat. "And with her in the North husband-hunting? No, our friendship is just that. It would be foolish of me to feel anything more. Foolish!"
The words served more to convince himself than to convince the king. And so he laughed at his situation and at his impassioned words, forcing a false smile. The king continued to gaze in his direction but his eyes focused beyond, to the window. He did not seem amused, but rather confused, or perhaps displeased.
"Not so foolish as you might think," the king murmured thoughtfully, swiftly dipping his quill into his inkwell and returning to his writing.
Light from candle-lined chandeliers made the parlor at Wyndloch Manor glow with warm intimacy. Apart from simply being an elegant sitting room, a piano and various other instruments in the corner kept the place ready for an impromptu serenade. Music seemed to be a passion in the Cadwallen home, both the playing and the making. As the warm candle flames danced on the walls and ceiling, Oszkar and Elise were nestled rather comfortably together on the piano's bench, picking out tunes and laughing gaily. The others took tea and chatted nearby.
Zelda could not repress the envy she felt at their closeness, and it served only to remind her of how much she missed her own close friend. She could not keep her thoughts from drifting briefly to home, but she quickly returned them to the present once she heard Daisy's voice.
"Do tell me about your life at the castle, Zelda. How much more grand is it than our home?" Daisy expertly guided her teacup to her lips and sipped it, then leaned forward expectedly.
"Oh, it's larger to be sure, but not so cozy as this place," Zelda mused, examining the delicately carved woodwork and family heirlooms displayed proudly atop shelves and in cabinets. "I like these manors, very much. One lump, yes," she motioned to the servant-girl, who dropped one lump of sugar into her tea and carefully handed it to her. Zelda smiled warmly in thanks.
"Are there many people around, all the time? Do you ever have a moment's solitude, or must you always contend with courtiers?"
"Not so many courtiers! I usually do my best to stay away from the bustle of high court, as I don't care for the fawning attention. I often keep to the gardens or library."
"Do you much enjoy reading?" Daisy's voice held a sad wistfulness. "Oszkar often reads to me, but I have never seen the pages."
"I adore reading," Zelda admitted, "especially together, with a dear friend. It is a pleasure to share a story with someone very dear, as you with your brother."
Daisy's face held a strange expression; perhaps curiosity. "You speak very warmly about this friend," she spoke haltingly, "or rather, your voice seems...what I mean to say is...."
"Tell us about this friend, cousin. You've not mentioned her," Elinor finished.
Zelda did her best to remain unaffected. "Him, actually...." She took a deep breath and hesitated, unsure of a proper description. "He's a... well, my father initially took him in to be a sort of bodyguard for me after he helped me escape an attempted kidnapping many years ago. He was my dearest friend as a child, and is no less dear to me today."
"How very sweet," Elinor said simply.
Daisy closed her eyes. "He is very dear to you, I can tell. You read together often?"
Zelda's cheeks burned, and she wished for all the world that she could change the subject. "Yes. I taught him to read, and after that, we...."
"...You taught him to read?" Elinor asked incredulously. Much to her dismay, Zelda noticed that she now not only had Daisy's and Elinor's attention, but Elise's and Oszkar's as well.
"We used to sit together in the library and study my old readers by firelight. Those are very fond memories of mine." She remembered her dream from a week ago and was silent.
"This is he who sends you the letters?" Elise verified. Zelda smiled and nodded.
"We have so rarely been apart these last ten years," she offered in explanation.
"Beg pardon, but I'm rather confused, cousin," Elinor said emphatically, staring into her tea. "You seem so...well, this young man seems very dear to you, and yet you are seeing Aurick." She looked up and pinned Zelda with an accusatory glare. "Why?"
Zelda recoiled suddenly at her cousin's sudden change of mood. Seeing Aurick? Was that the consensus among her friends? She grew flustered. "But I'm not...Aurick and I, we're not...."
Daisy's eyes flew open and she patted around for Elinor's hand. "Aurick? Aurick Salbatore?" she asked in a voice Zelda could only interpret as horrified. Elinor nodded and squeezed her hand.
"The very one. Zelda, if this friend is as dear to your heart as he sounds, why must you linger in Aurick's company?"
Daisy fidgeted, but said no more. Zelda, too, sat silent; shocked at her cousin's strange tone, and terribly confused at Daisy's sudden discomfort.
"I think we need some music," Oszkar said, breaking the uncomfortable tension. "Elise, would you play for us?"
"Only if Daisy sings with me," Elise challenged. "Daisy? Would you?"
Daisy excused herself and took her brother's seat at the piano. As the first few bars of the song began, and as Daisy's gentle soprano elevated the mood, Zelda closed her eyes and tried to chase away the confusion which clouded her mind, determined to enjoy the newness of her surroundings. She ached from her cousin's strange behavior and from her inability to articulate a response. As the notes grew in emotion so did she, until she was simply swelling with so many jumbled thoughts that she did not bother sorting through them. She blinked upwards, indignantly fighting back tears of frustration that seemed insistent on dampening her cheeks. Elinor's level stare kept her from losing herself, and though she avoided the gaze, she felt the girl was demanding answers.
Zelda would not give them.
The king was rather surprised that evening to hear a knock at the door to his study. He was not surprised, however, to see that it was Link, looking rather full of energy. It was a change from his demeanor in the afternoon.
"Your majesty! I'm glad to see you're still here," Link began breathlessly, striding resolutely insde and positioning himself before the king's desk.
"I was only catching up on some reading. What brings you here this late?" The king asked, removing his spectacles and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I, well," he began, then frowned. "Your majesty, may I request your blessing to leave the castle for a short time?" The words rambled forth haphazardly, and he fidgeted silently while he waited to see how they would be received.
The king looked up from his work and blinked, quite surprised. "You're more than welcome to take leave, Link, any time you wish. To where are you bound?"
"I've not been able to stop thinking of my family since my trip to the Castleton Inn. I haven't seen them or heard from them in forever, since I came to live here." Link breathed deeply. "I thought I might visit the old place, if it's no problem."
Silence. The king blinked twice, tapped on his chin with the feather of his quill, and opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he replaced the quill in its holder and sat back.
"You may visit your old homestead, Link, but you will find it vacant. Your parents have since moved south, near Ennisdel."
Link had never heard of Ennisdel. "To where?"
"Ennisdel. A full day's journey south by carriage, along the route to Bretingue."
Link could not hide his surprise. Bretingue was a prosperous trading town, on the border between Hyrule and Rouelin, its southernmost neighbor. The borders were not well defined, for Roulies were as common as Hylians in that region. So common, in fact, that the Hylian language had become acceptably intermingled with Roulish and everyone understood both. But when he left their care, neither his father nor mother spoke a word of Roulish.
The surprise was not enough to discourage him. "How far can I get per day on horseback, with proper provisions?"
"If you leave early tomorrow, you might make it to Avinguedon by nightfall, and can stay the night in a proper inn. I'll give you money for board and toll fares. Then from there, half a day to reach Hesper, where you'll cross the Solaine by ferry. After that, only a few hours' travel will bring you to Ennisdel. Here, let me write it down for you." The king pulled a sheet of parchment from a drawer and hurriedly sketched a map, writing town names where needed, then handed the parchment to him. He then pulled a key from his pocket, walked to the iron safebox in the corner, and opened its heavy door.
"Do you have your moneypurse with you?" The king asked, rifling around inside the safebox.
"I brought it, but there is nothing inside," Link admitted, handing him the velvet drawstring pouch.
"I'll rectify that." Coins jingled as they entered the pouch. It sounded like far more than he needed, but he said nothing. Once the king was finished, he handed back the now-heavy pouch and smiled.
"Goodness... your majesty, this is...will be more than enough, I think." Link weighed the pouch and returned it to the pocket of his trousers, then folded his arms awkwardly. "Thank you. I'm honored that you trust me so."
"Well, I gave my Zelda a similar amount when she left for Gennasea. And you're the closest thing I have to a son, so...." He awkwardly patted Link on the back, but his cheerful smile seemed to fade in and out of melancholy. He offered a gentlemanly handshake, and Link accepted it. "Have a safe trip, and please come back feeling better!"
Fuzzy images of his parents and younger brother, who was barely five when Link had left to live at the castle ten years before, tumbled through his mind. Remien would be all of fifteen now. And living in the south, where the culture was different. His upbringing had doubtless been nothing like Link's. Would he even remember him? Excitement replaced all melancholy as Link headed for his room to gather his things.
He did not see the king's stunned and somewhat sad expression, which followed him out the door.
A knock at Zelda's guestroom door startled her from a light sleep. Blinking away drowsiness, she fumbled with her candle and flint and called that she would be up in a moment. Once she succeeded in lighting her candle, she made her way to the door and was surprised to find Daisy there, attired similarly, looking terribly embarrassed. She was at first surprised to see that Daisy did not carry a candle, but quickly understood that a blind girl would have no need of light to guide her path and smiled sheepishly.
"Your hi... Zelda, might I speak with you," she asked timidly, her eyes focusing in the direction of the door as it creaked wider. She was noticeably bothered. "It's not terribly...well, I suppose it is. It is very important. I'd like to speak to you confidentially, if I may."
Zelda rubbed her eyes wearily and allowed the girl into the room, then closed the door behind her. Before she could turn and help, Daisy felt her own way to an armchair and carefully sat down, unused to the guestroom's surroundings. Zelda chose a chair across from her.
"I hope that I did not wake you," she apologized. Zelda shook her head good-naturedly.
"And it was a good dream, too!" Zelda teased. "No, it is quite alright. Now, what would you say to me that has you so upset, Miss Daisy? What couldn't wait til the morning?"
Daisy took a deep breath and sat rigidly upright. "I have not ceased to worry since your mention of Mr. Salbatore tonight. Pray tell me, Zelda, what is your relationship with him? Are you truly unattached?" She spoke anxiously.
Zelda was honestly not surprised to hear the question. "Our relationship is merely that of friends! I am not seeing him in any sense. Where Elinor got that notion, I haven't the slightest...."
Daisy sighed in relief, clasping her shaking hands together. "...oh, I'm so glad. So glad indeed!"
"Why has it worried you so? Have you something against Mr. Salbatore? Please, Daisy, I'm a curious girl by nature, and I simply must know why some people seem so flustered each time that man's name is mentioned!"
Daisy bit her lip and sat for a long moment in silence. "Oh, Zelda, if only you knew what a reproachable character he is!" She finally moaned, shaking her head. "If only I could tell you...."
"Please, do tell! It seems that half of my acquaintance adores the man, and the other half shies away! You can put an end to the mystery." Zelda waited while Daisy seemed to mull over something, dueling with her conscience.
"Might I have permission to speak freely and openly to you without fear of reprisal?" Daisy asked earnestly, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.
"You may say anything you like," Zelda assured her, leaning forward.
"And may what I speak of be held in the strictest confidence?"
"Of course!" Zelda hoped what she had to say would explain Elinor's behavior, and Alazne's also.
Daisy took a deep breath. "I must have your strictest confidence, since what I am about to tell you could damage the reputations of several young women in Gennasea."
Zelda gasped, but said nothing.
"Since I was made aware of his existence, I have known nothing but bad to come of his connections. He is a gold-digger and a swindler, and leaves his ladies in fear of their lives."
"Can it be true? Can Aurick be so foul as this?"
"More so! He came to town a year ago, and since has made his way through at least four women! Two you know."
"I am all astonishment!" Zelda exclaimed in a whisper. "The two...."
"He was first with Alazne Melisande for a long while, though in secret, for she was but fifteen at the time, and he nearly eight years her senior. Then he transferred his affections to a rich young heiress named Hannah Ballard, leaving poor Alazne with nothing. I am privy to the knowledge that he threatened her life if she spoke of their affair. Then he left Hannah in the same fashion, and briefly left our country for Archtyl. He returned to Hyrule several months later and began wooing your cousin Elinor."
"But...that is only three," Zelda whispered. "Who was the fourth?"
"Please allow me to continue," Daisy offered meekly. Zelda simply nodded. "Aurick is from Archtyl, originally, and when he returned to his home country, he did so because his father, who had been ill for several years, had passed away. His mother has wasted and continues to waste all the wealth his father earned over the course of his lifetime, which explains why he seems to be preying on rich young ladies. Once a richer one comes available, he simply transfers his affections! But while in Archtyl he supposedly had some brief relations which fueled his flight back to Gennasea."
"Brief relations?"
"Zelda, it is terrible! No one is sure!" Daisy wrung her hands nervously.
"Sure of what?"
"That he had relations with some ladies of the night, while he was there! Common harlots!" Daisy was terribly embarassed to impart the fact, and Zelda was simply appalled. "He escaped to Gennasea when he learned that one of the ladies was found to be with child!"
Zelda audibly gasped, raising a shaky hand to her mouth. The wealth of private information to digest left Zelda speechless. Suddenly, in that short minute, she had learned everything! She was instantly ashamed of her friendship, ashamed that she had not paid more attention to her cousin's obvious hatred to the man. No wonder Elinor had acted so confrontational. All the resentment she had harbored since that evening left her, and was replaced with remorse. "Daisy, is this true? Can this be true? Can it?" She stammered, but knew that it had to be, for the girl's tone was sincere. "How do you know this? How did you learn all these horrible things?"
"Sometimes it is a blessing to be blind," she softly admitted. "I tend to overhear things clearer than most. I eavesdropped! I know that it was improper of me, but the voices were so earnest that I just had to listen!"
"But who! Who did you overhear?"
"Alazne and Elinor! It was shortly after she had broken off the... oh my! I forgot!" She put a pale hand to her forehead, then continued. "He actually proposed to her! To your cousin Elinor! She was going to elope with him! But they were almost caught by Lord Ellefson, and once the danger had passed, she decided that she would not go through with it!"
"Brave girl!" Zelda whispered passionately.
"But Zelda, he tried to defile her! He almost had his way with her, but she was able to escape him!"
"This man was once my friend!" Zelda said through gritted teeth. "How ashamed I am that I brought this man back into Elinor's life!"
"But how could you have known?"
"I did not pay attention to my cousin's and to Alazne's feelings! I thought only of myself! How reproachful!" Zelda buried her head in her hands. "Daisy, please tell me he was unable to harm her!"
"He disappeared after the incident, and was not seen until he appeared at the ball just recently," she admitted quietly. "I am so relieved that you now know the truth!"
"I know it, but I am no less guilty! What can I do?" Zelda implored, taking the girl's hand in hers. "What can I do to bring this man to justice?"
"Oh no, Zelda, no!" Daisy shrieked, pulling her hand away. "No! You mustn't say a word! Elinor and Alazne know that I know, but if Aurick were to find out that the two of them... oh, he would harm them, Zelda, and I couldn't bear for anything to happen to either of them! Please, Zelda!"
"But I can't do nothing!"
Daisy stood shakily and curtseyed. "I must return to my room. Please, Zelda, please keep in mind what I have told you, but do not say a thing to Aurick! I....I would not put it past him to try and harm you, as well!"
As the door softly shut, Zelda shook her hands nervously and sobbed helplessly. She remembered snatches of conversations from earlier; things Elinor had said, or things she had observed, which suddenly made perfect sense.
She longed to confide in someone, but knew that she could not. Her dearest confidant, the one to whom she could confess most secrets, was many miles away. His words to her before she had left, "I will not be there to catch you when you fall," echoed in her mind; it made the danger of her situation seem all the more serious. The one whom she had always relied on for protection, for comfort, for advice, was not there to help her this time.
Wiping tears from her face, she headed for her luggage, found her carefully packaged writing equipment, and set it out before her. After hastily pulling out a sheet of parchment, she dipped her quill in its reserve and began to write.
"Oh Link, I have never wanted for you so much as I do now! How I need your good sense...."
END NOTES:: I changed one small thing in this section which most people won't catch; the way Link ended up at the castle ten years ago. Instead of aiding in some sort of siege, as I said in chapter 2, he simply helped foil an attempted kidnapping of Zelda, which in the society I have created for Hyrule seems more appropriate and believable. When I get a mind to do it, I'll go back and change it in chapter 2.
I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading, and if you're able to leave a review, thank you for that as well!