Twenty-one Questions: A Zelink story

Chapter five

I was walking back to my room that evening after praying for Apollo's return. I knew my prayers wouldn't be answered, which felt so unfair to me; All I ever prayed for was happiness and love, and the one time I ask for anything different it never goes well.

I was ready to cry myself to sleep once more, craving his arms around me. I was furious and angry, and still in denial.

As I was pacing down the silent hallway, I heart voices coming from a room to my right. As I got closer, I recognised them to be the tailors'. I guessed it must've been Link's fitting session for the wedding and leaned a little closer to listen in on the conversation.

"Here. Does this fit?" One of the tailors asked.

"No." Link replied bluntly. 

"Okay, we'll need to get this one in a bigger size then." He replied.

Link scoffed in response. "I don't really care if it doesn't fit, to be honest. I don't want to get married at all."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have slept with the Princess?" The other tailor replied.

"I didn't!" Link groaned. "It's made up."

"Who would deny something like that?" The tailor chuckled. "If I were you, even if it weren't true, I'd claim that with all my heart. I mean, people are thinking you managed to get the Princess in bed. Don't you want that?" 

"I repulse her. Everybody knows this."

"So? Doesn't make her any less attractive."

"The thought of it makes me gag."

"Well, you're the one marrying her."

"I really, really wish I wasn't." 

I heard footsteps advance across the room as the tailor continued, "It's not very fair that you're forced to marry her, I suppose."

"Are you kidding? It's not fair at all. I'm fuming. I wish I could go up to the King and show him what I think. Do some damage."

"It's all so sudden, as well."

The voice returned to the centre of the room as I heard Link wince. "Agh, that's tight. Can we loosen that?"

The tailor didn't respond, but instead continued the conversation. "You've barely had time to process it."

"Thrown in at the deep end, weren't we?" Link murmured.

"Listen, it'll be fine. Hopefully that Apollo guy shows up before the ceremony and all can go as planned."

"Yeah, but people will still think that I had sex with the Princess."

"Just convince them you didn't, then. You're a master, remember? People will believe you; they trust your word."

"Don't think they do." I heard Link step down from the platform as I scurried away quickly before being caught.