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~ Relaxing in Luxury ~
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     Narrator: Ryo

     Princess Zelda and I walked down the red carpet-laden stairs and hallways in order to take me to my appointed room. I could tell she was still in shock by the past events, for I could see it in her ocean-blue eyes. But I could hardly blame her. This was very stressful for all of us. I could see that the most visible damage was the occasional injured soldier, but no one inside the castle walls seemed to have died during the dark one's march to the throne. There were archers in the turrets, I heard, that weren't so lucky. A guard even came to report the damages about the war that had taken place outside. Apparently, the enemy retreated. There were many dead outside the walls, many more badly injured, only a few with minor injuries. Lady Zelda looked as if she could have cried at the news, but she kept her head straight, only biting her lower lip for a minute before speaking. She issued that the families of the soldiers who perished be notified and a reef be prepared for them. The guard obeyed her as he ran off so it would be done. She continued to lead me on. I wanted to relieve her a little, but could I have done? Being just a wanderer, I thought even a hug would have been improper. I had dealt with royalty before and I began to learn some of their habits. Even so, Lady Zelda was beginning to show differences already. This both intrigued and relieved me.
     As she walked on, I couldn't take my eyes off her. The castle was extraordinary with its artworks upon the walls, carving in the stone around the doorways, statues and images in the pillars, but somehow I wasn't interested like I usually would be. I kept my gaze on her as if by magic... something about her just captured my every ounce of attention. They say staring is rude, so I'm glad she didn't notice me doing so. I couldn't help it, though! She was so beautiful! Her long straight, flowing blonde hair had such a glorious clean shine in it and it looked so soft I wanted to touch it. Standing next to her, I knew she had bathed very recently for it also smelled nice; a fragrance of rich, fresh strawberries about her. It was free to flow down until it reached the middle of her curved and well postured back. There, it was tied with a thick blue ribbon. It continued down in a single braid until it was tied again with a thin white ribbon just above her little rounded bottom, which I do admit appeared quite cute to me yet at the same time I feel sheepish for looking especially then of all times. In front she had no bangs, for they were pulled to the sides of her head. Some of her gorgeous hair hung in front of her ears and ended just past her fully shaped bust, tied with white ribbons. Her face was so beautiful, I could scarcely take my gaze away. Her skin looked to be soft, smooth and a little pale that showed she hadn't been in the sun often. Her cheeks were smooth and almost inviting for me to touch them, but I didn't dare for fear I might offend or scare her. Her eyes were deep blue and they sparkled uniquely. Such captivating eyes they were! They were mature, yet youthful like one who was young yet wise. They glistened in the light but appeared to have even their own light. The very depths of her soul I could see through such clear and innocent eyes. Her nose wasn't long at all. In fact, it was quite small and cute. She had a small mouth with beautifully full and regal lips. Her body was overall slender and thin, not ever giving the appearance of being under-fed. She certainly took great care of herself, I thought. She was beautifully developed as a mature woman, with lovely curvy figure. I could tell by where her dress's skirt began that she had long legs for her height, which certainly grabbed my attention. I admit, I have a thing for women with long legs. She had normal length arms and small, dainty hands. Her fingers were thin and delicate. Her overall height ended at my collar bone. I know I was tall, but she was very small as well, which seemed to exaggerate our heights even more when side by side. Somehow this made her more attractive to me. I believed that princes would fight over her hand in marriage.
     Her dress was magnificent. In two pieces, it was certainly a gorgeous thing to behold; second only to her own self. Her top was a luscious pink color, like that of a young rose, with a soft shine that gave a clean and well-kept appearance. Sleeveless and a neckline which let one see a very small portion of the top of her chest, it was very nicely complimenting to her figure. It hugged her slender sides and split just below her chest into an upside down V form. It remained open in front, but the back went low enough to cover her little bottom. The skirt of her dress was white and reached the floor. It was trimmed with gold and lined with ornate embroidery. Around her waist was a gold belt-like string of gold beads with golden fixtures and sapphires in the front. This fixture held up a blue apron with gold decorations and ended with green colors at the bottom. Her arms were covered by white gloves with embroidery like her dress. Her shoulders were covered with golden armor pieces that attached in front by a gold bird-shaped emblem above her chest.
     I was too busy staring to realize that we were almost there. I snapped out of it when she stopped, which forced me to stop. The wooden door had the royal family crest carved right in it, making it feel official. She opened the door by turning the golden handle. The room that laid behind the door made my eyes widen greatly in surprise. The tiled stone floors and brick walls were slightly off-white in color but it was meant to be this color, not a sign of wear. Nothing showed a sign of wear. In fact, it appeared to me that the Castle itself was very new, despite its glorious and ancient styled construction. There were royal red, gold trimmed carpets on the floor for comfort and appeal. The bedding was grand, as it was composed of a red comforter and pillows. The bed frame was dark wood, a favorite of mine. In the corner was a dark wood wardrobe, apparently empty. On top of this wardrobe was a carving of an eagle. The eagle almost seemed to be alive and could fly out of the room any second, if it hadn't been made from wood. There was a small table near the head of the bed, holding a lamp and a small cup. I saw three chairs in the room, one near a desk at the spotless window and the other two near a corner, not being used at all. These dark wood chairs had a luscious red cushion on the seats for comfort. These are but a few things I could describe about this room. Personally, I was taken back by how gracious the Princess was being to me.
     "I hope it is alright for you, Master," she said to me in concern.
     "It is more than what I could ask for, Your Highness!" I replied thankfully, bowing in humility for I felt unworthy of such a generous offer. "It certainly beats a tavern or the fields any day!"
     "The fields...?" she asked, tilting her head a little. She seemed confused. "You've not any sort of home in Hyrule, Master Ryukenden?"
     "I do not, Your Majesty," I answered after shaking my head. "I am a wanderer; I haven't so much as a tent to call my house. But that is where the Goddesses have wanted me to be, so I don't complain."
     However, it didn't seem like I convinced her that all was well. She seemed saddened by what I said, almost as if she felt sorry for me. I walked calmly to the bed and began to smooth the duvet with my hands, just to feel it. Oh, how soft is was! I could see that the nickname "comforter" was certainly well placed. I turned myself and sat down on it. I felt myself suddenly getting sleepy. The lady had seen this in me and said she would leave me be as I rested. I nodded to her, secretly hoping she'd come back soon.
     "Boy, isn't this something?" Tael asked me with enthusiasm. "You get to sleep on a bed inside the Castle itself! And you got to meet the Princess! You're one lucky guy, Ryo."
     "Thank you, Tael. I do feel pretty special right now," I admitted. "But I can't really get comfortable until I take some of this stuff off me..."
     What I meant by that was I couldn't lay down until I got rid of the sword from my back. I removed my belts to remove the sword, sheath and all. However, I felt it made the waist of my tunic rather loose due to the belt being gone. So I took off the tunic as well. I figured that if I was going to sleep a little, I had better get comfortable. With that thought in mind, I also took off my forearm armor plates. At this point, they were only making me uncomfortable. I folded up the tunic and placed it on a chair. The sword, I laid against the wall. The belts and pouches, as well as the armor, were things I wasn't sure what I'd do with.
     "Oh, just put them on the chair, too," Tael urged.
     "But I'm not sure that's the best place," I debated. "I would hate to make this royal room quickly turn into a mess..."
     "The room isn't made of glass, Ryo. You can put things where you want. Just relax!" my friend replied to me. He fluttered to my face and continued, "You are a guest, after all. People don't expect guests to be so... formal. Especially all the time."
     I realized I had been a bit up-tight all day. Though at first I thought I couldn't help it, yet I really knew I could. I laid the belts and pouches on the same chair as the tunic and then I sat back down on the bed to remove my boots. I wiggled my toes a little on the carpet, quite content with the softness. I took off my bracers as well, as cast them aside on the same chair with their partner armor. Somehow, I felt I was still tense, even though the bed I was sitting on was making me sleepy. Why couldn't I just relax like Tael suggested? I didn't know. I laid back on the bed, letting the comforter's softness cushion me. I tried to think to myself, but I couldn't. My eyelids grew heavy and soon, I was fast asleep.
     When I awoke, there was another in the room. Not a maid, but Princess Zelda herself! There was a tray on the table next to the bed with a tall glass of milk on it. I was still dazed, however I couldn't help but notice that she was staring at me. Her face seemed a little redder than usual, too.
     "Your... Highness...?" I asked sleepily.
     "Hello again, Master Ryukenden," she greeted in a pleasant tone, but I could have sworn she jumped just a little, not having recognized my waking. "Did you sleep well?"
     "I certainly did," I answered, beginning to sit up. I took in a deep breath the stretch my lungs. After that nap, I felt compressed, yet refreshed. "This bed is the most comfortable thing I've slept on in months!"
     "I'll say so!" Tael cut in with a childish giggle in his voice. "He was only on there for about one minute and he was out like a lamp!"
     Zelda began to giggle at this. I do admit, it was funny how he worded it. I found myself chuckling about it. Princess Zelda looked at the tray on the table. She asked me, "Are you thirsty?"
     I answered with a nod and a sigh of relief in my tone, commenting, "If I may be completely honest, Your Grace, it has been a while since I've had something to eat or drink."
     "This milk is for you," she replied. "Please Master, drink; drink and be filled. Should you want more, I will get it for you."
     "Your Majesty, it's an honor you'd do this for me, but you don't have to serve me like this," I said, quite touched, while picking up the glass. I couldn't help but smile at her generosity. "I'm not a noble, nor even a knight. Just a simple wanderer. That's all."
     "And my savior. Had you not come to liberate me from that horrid man's grasp... I shudder at the thought of the alternative," she looked downwards as she placed her hand on top of her chest, looking truly frightened. But she returned her gaze to me and added, "I am in your debt, Master Ryuken. I want to serve you how I can while you're here. It is the least I can do." At these words, I was left in silence. I had no response for that. I wasn't the kind to be boastful of myself but I couldn't deny my deeds either. She looked into my eyes with her own rich blue ones and continued with a slightly childish smile, "But I am curious. I have not seen you before in Hyrule, yet you came when I needed you most. Where did you come from?"
     I tilted my head back while remembering the events that had happened to me over the span of the lat few days. I paused for a little while before I responded, "Well... That would depend on what you mean by that question, Your Majesty... Do you mean where did I come from before coming to the castle? Or what land do I hail from?"
     "If you would not mind, brave Master, I would like to know both," she answered shyly, placing her finger to her lip.
     "That's fine," I agreed with a smile before taking a few swallows of the cold milk. I could easily recognize the taste. It was the wonderfully fresh and tasty Lon Lon Milk. I closed my eyes as I savored its flavor. I found myself relaxing now. When I opened my eyes, I realized that I already drank more than half the cup and Zelda was smiling greatly.
     "You enjoyed that well," she observed with a little giggle.
     "I always feel stronger after drinking Lon Lon Milk," I smiled back. "I thank you very much for this. Mmm, now... What land I hail from, I can't say I know. I can't... erm... I can't remember anything very far back... at around 5 years back, it gets all blurry then black... So, I don't know where I grew up."
     Zelda looked surprised and confused. She tilted her head a little and seemed sympathetic for me. I didn't know why. Maybe she thought I was attacked and my memory was lost. At the time, I couldn't say that was a bad theory. I didn't want to keep her waiting, so I continued on, "As for how I got here, I ran over from Lake Hylia."
     "Lake Hylia? Were you fishing there?" she asked me.
     "Well... not exactly..." I answered. "Um... how about I start from the beginning?"