Neighboring Lands

Can you pass the Salt? No, Wrong Salt ma'am

Awkward, that was the only thought being bounced around by the two brain cells Damian and I shared. We sat at the grand dining room table, the table a dark shiny wood, a large chandelier hanging above the table illuminating the space in artificial white light. The chairs we sat in modeled the table yet had a dark leather cushions on the seat and the backrest of them. If the Grilled Ox and Fruit Salad weren't bad enough to create a sour mood; the stagnant and thick air between the princess and myself was sure to spoil anything laid on the table for us.

I shifted in my seat at the opposite head of the table, then the king, Revali two seats down from me and to my right, and Mipha the same distance, but to my left. Next to her sat Daruk, and next to him sat Urbosa. Next to Revali sat Princess Zelda and then Link next to her; four seats down from them sat the King at the head of the table; a goblet of wine in one hand, and his fork in the other as he chowed down. The champions and Zelda gazed down at their food in thinly veiled disgust, as I picked at the fruits within my bowl, sliding them under my veil in order to eat them.

"I see you had the kitchen prepare your favorite, your highness," I spoke levelly, keeping my internal panic of having to consume this monstrosity. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Link viciously dug into his food, humming softly at the taste and looking very satisfied. I looked at Link with as much distress, as I had the meal.

King Porlamorus let out a hardy laugh as he watched Link enjoy himself, "I had to share this masterpiece with our guests and allow you to have its perfection one last time before you depart to bring glory to my name."

"I see, but perhaps our guests might be allergic to OX," I turn my head to look at each of them, a silent assurance that they can back out of this if they want. "Perhaps we should have made sure before it was made?"

"Nonsense!" he hollered while glaring at me, slamming his goblet onto the table, "they will eat this and enjoy it! It is my favorite, therefore there is nothing that could surpass this meal; nor should they miss it."

I say a silent apology in my head to them, yet nibble on my food, begrudgingly. I glance over at Zelda as she pushes the concoction within her bowl around, not at all wanting to eat what was before her; the smell is enough to cause our stomachs to turn. "How have you all enjoyed our time in our palace?"

Daruk sprang into action right away, recounting his time in the garden, "I have never seen the type of plants you have here! They seem so strange; one of the gardeners told me about the growing process and what they need in order to thrive. It sounds like these are plants we could never grow in Hyrule."

I nod slowly, "I see, I have never been to Hyrule, so I would not know what the key differences are between our flora."

"Your knights need to train harder with weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, but they rely too heavily on their magical abilities," Urbosa speaks out, without care. My head snaps over to look at her, my eyes wide being my veil.

"Hold your tongue when speaking about my military," Porlamorus growls, while directing his attention to her.

"I am merely stating a fact, the fact being that your kingdom lacks in defenses when their mafic should fail them. I showed them some moves from the Gerudo, and they seemed pleased to learn the knowledge I possess."

"You should not meddle in affairs that do not concern you, Gerudo."

Zelda quickly jumps to soothe the situation, "I enjoyed all the knowledge within your library," her eyes snapped to me for a second before returning to the king. "The way you use rune magic to create hot water, electricity, and even water purification; is amazing. Hyrule would definitely benefit from that knowledge if your kingdom ever was willing to share the creative process with us."