#ch.48

Link looked at the woman again, trying his best to look aloof, "Do we know each other?"

The woman snickered, "Well, I sure know you, Hero."

Link gave the woman a glare and decided that it was not worth it.

"Ignoring me?"

"Yup."

The woman cleared her throat and balanced herself on the ball of her feet, she gave a step to be next to Link and lowered her head a little. "Well, we could always-"

"Loran!"

Link turned his head, Robert was jogging to them with a murderous face, "Shoo!"

The woman huffed and retreated, "I haven't done anything."

Robert reached them and pushed Loran on the chest, "Yeah, sure. Get away, move."

Loran gave a couple of steps back, making sure to lock eyes with Link and wink at him.

"You're early," Robert said, trying his best to block Loran out of the way.

"Yeah, wanted to come here as fast as I could."

"Laudable," added Loran.

Robert turned his head and glared, "Zip it."

Loran picked on Link's curiosity, "The Hero doesn't even know who I am, at least let me do the honors."

"Fuck no. You're free to go, come on, chop chop."

Loran rolled his eyes and raised her shoulders. She then rummaged through her clothes and tossed a bag to Robert.

Robert catched the bag and immediately knew what it was, "What's this?"

"Don't really need it, I'm giving it back."

"It's your payment."

Link recognized the bag he had given Robert before leaving to Ordon.

Loran tilted his head, "Being on the good side of the Hero is enough, though if you would grant me a match that would be great."

Robert opened his mouth, but Link was faster, "Whenever yout want."

Loran showed her teeth in a dangerous smile, "What a lad." She then looked at Robert and patted the man on his arm before leaving.

Robert pouted and sighed with strength, "Oh, Hylia."

"Who's that?"

"You asked me to look for an instructor to your group. Loran is a huge pain in the ass, but she's good."

Link tried to control the snort that left his mouth.

"Yeah, real funny."

Link tilted his head but Robert could see his smile from behind.

"Yeah, I am well aware of the irony in here, all right?"

Link shook his head and walked to the group of people parrying in the distance, "They never practiced outside of working hours."

"Yeah, well, Loran's scary."

Link pushed on the window with an ease he was starting to feel comfortable with.

"Link."

Link didn't fight the smile that took over his face. Zelda's voice was filled with glee and she was wiggling the toes of her feet in anticipation, "Guess what?"

He gave this moment to her, really, "What?" Feigned ignorance, tight cheeks, her hand in his and her hair glowing under the candle light.

"You are ready to court me from tomorrow onwards."

Zelda squeezed Link's hand and giggled to herself. Link was too mesmerized to do anything but look at her.  

"This is gonna sound horrible, but there's light in my future."

Link snorted, "That does sound horrible."

Zelda rested her cheek on her knee, "What are you gonna do, Link?"

Link looked up a second, "Well, first on my list is take you away once a day, hopefully, gotta step myself up," Zelda kept on wiggling her feet, "Then, hopefully, get to dance with you at Telma's-"

"They won't let me go to Telma's."

"Which is why we're going at night, silly," Link then kept on adding, "and well, I'm gonna ask you a lot of things about where do you want to go and what do you want to do, and-"

Zelda circled Link's torso with her arms and rested her head on his neck.

"Zelda?"

"You're being funny," Zelda whispered. Who cared what others said. This meant too much.

Link relaxed his body, "Am I now?"

"Yeah, all of this is."

William knocked on Her Highness' door and waited, when her voice gave the go he strolled inside, thinned lips in place.

Zelda frowned, "What?"

"The Zoras are coming."

Zelda snorted, "Yeah, good one."

"I mean it, they heard the Gorons had come, so..."

Zelda sagged her shoulders, "Really?"

William opened his arms in surrender.

Zelda closed her eyes for a second. She had always had a soft spot for the Zoras, swift and deadly, soft-looking but with sharp tongues, and their Queen had been always...

William tried his best to soften the news, "Also," but Zelda's wide eyes were enough to let him know, "Queen Rutela has died."

"What?" All decorum out the window, "Excuse me?" Emotions should be under control.

"I was told that Queen Rutela was killed under Zant's invasion," Zelda was too sad to think about what this would mean to her credibility, "and that they were hoping for you to be as good a friend to her son, Prince Ralis."

Zelda tried to form words but only air left her lips.

"The Council received the news with mixed feelings, too."

"Of course I will help the Prince."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"See to it that everything is ready for them."