LINK POV
Minutes after Carla send her video to the General, an alarm started sounding. All the screens displayed a message ¨ALL SWORD EMPLOYEES PRESENT MUST REMAIN IN THE BUILDING¨ Zelda begins to panic but Link put his hands on her shoulders.
"Breathe" he commands his Princess.
Zelda closes her eyes and says "I though you said this was a good idea, now they are coming for you"
"Nobody is coming for anyone" Carla blurts out "William must have passed on my message to the higher ups. They must want to discuss with us" Carla says with a wicked smile.
Sounds like it, I should inform Vincent about this… though he may already know. I will still text him just in case.
Link turns to the Princess "I believe we are going to talk about the music program. This may take a while… you should leave"
"I… ok, how do I do that"
WHAT? NO FIGHT? She really got scared, didn't she?
"Go out to the parking and approach the car that got us here. That will alert a guard or the driver, you tell them you arrived with Kid, and need someone to deliver you back to Edna"
"Got it, I will be waiting for you" she smiles, takes her shoes off and turns running fast towards Zidane, basically ramming him to the floor.
Robert approaches laughing "That was unfair, he was distracted talking to Skull"
"He wants to be a SWORD agent, doesn't he? He must always expect the unexpected" Zelda says sitting on top of Zid.
I… can't argue with that logic.
"Besides… he owed me this" Zelda says with malice as she starts lifting herself from on top of the Pirate, Zid groans and just stayed hugging the floor like a squished roach.
Oh yeah, Zid kind of deserved that. So… my Princess can be childish and vengeful, note taken.
"He owed you this?" Robert asks and looks at Zid irate "What the fuck did you do to her" he growls.
Link chuckles "He rammed her to the floor once we got here, and started to tie her up"
Li soon begins to relax hearing Kid's playful tone narrating the event. If Link was there then the Pirate was not attacking, he was just playing rough. Li then glances at Zelda's wrist noticing that she does have rope marks, but her skin does not look scraped by it. His brother was rough indeed, but not completely uncivil with his sister.
Rolling his eyes "But it's only Zid, the underfeed, fragile monkey boy… what if you break him?" Li says hinting that he is just mocking his bro.
"Impossible, if Australia didn't break him nothing will. Besides… he actually feels sturdier" Zelda smiles and hugs Robert good bye.
The Princess turns to Zid who was already seating on the floor and blows him a kiss, the Pirate angrily catches it and rubs it on his armpit. Zelda laughs "I still love you" she says as she is putting her shoes back, then leaves the room.
Zid stands up frowning and meanly yells "WHO THE FUCK DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?"
"A Princess" Link quickly adds whispering.
"I hate her"
Kid shakes his head "No, you don't. You hate how weak she managed to make you feel right now… and how you still feel proud of her for it."
Zid's angry scowl starts subsiding, replaced by a smile. "I guess you are right… how are you so good at this? emotions I mean"
"Because I actually know what hate is and how it feels like… Besides I know you" he snorts "of course you don't hate her"
BUT I DO
Robert clears his throat "Guys… maybe we should start picking all this up?" Link and Zid nod and the three of them start picking up the instruments.
George glances at Li with doubt plastered on his face "Why? They are clearly coming to talk and negotiate about the music program… it may not disappear. So why bother moving everything? It would be better if we wait until after the discussion"
Zid smiles before answering "Because I promised I would, I don't want them thinking I am a simple thief that can't keep his word. I want to be appointed a SWORD agent… being considered a liar is not the way."
I… the Pirate and the Engineer where only a few days with me. Yet they have completely assimilated perks of my character. Like not lying.
*Just in case you still had doubts about them being you*
Skull looks at the three of them and shakes his head. "Fuck Kid, when did you replicated?"
The 3 brothers looked at each other and started laughing like maniacs. Carla begins to stand from the corner she was at, and stomps hard on the floor to draw attention to herself.
"If you are going to pick up the instruments START NOW, Zalatoris will get here in 5 minutes approx."
All the Heroes start to unplug the instruments and pick them up.
ZELDA POV
"So, I just keep mixing this?"
"Yes dear, until the eggs mix perfectly with the sugar" Edna answers.
"I will need you to tell me when that happens… I have never done muffins before"
Edna stares at the Princess surprised "YOU HAVE NOT? What are they teaching girls these days?"
"Not this" the Princess continues to mix using the wire whisk.
"it's a shame… cooking was supposed to be a woman's job, but most girls today burn the water" Edna laughs shamelessly. "This is why I can't let go of your boy and the others that I frequently host here… a man's place is not the kitchen" she sighs.
"It saddens me watching them work all day, come back tired and filthy, and they still have to cook for themselves. I try to leave them a dish with dinner as often as I can" Edna adds cheerful.
"So… you don't have females here ever?" Zelda asks.
"I do, from time to time. But I don't cook for them"
"Why? Maybe they don't know how to cook like me"
Edna rolls her eyes "Well, if they really don't know, me cooking for them is not going to teach them anything. Besides, they always manage to have some guy buy them things or invite them dinner"
Maybe Edna is right on this... the attitude from the girls that have come here sounds is really bad. Like these girls are using their beauty to coerce young males into buying them things, low key prostituting themselves in other words. THIS SOUNDS HORRIBLE, no wonder she prefers her boys.
Zelda was about to speak again but Edna hushes her "Don't, I am not changing my mind about this…" sighs "you know, I am aware all 13 of them work in the same place, and that what they do is not legal at all"
Damn, how?
"Did they tell you that?"
Edna stares at Zelda and rolls her eyes "Girl, I am old, I know a lot of things, and I notice many others. Like the fact that you both slept together on the bed"
Zelda opens her eyes wide in fear and her knees and ankles start to give in forcing her to grab on the table for support. Edna starts laughing.
"Oh my gosh, you look like a fawn caught on the car's headlights. I know you didn't do anything improper… or did you?" Edna asks raising an eyebrow in fake suspicion.
"Of course not, ma'am. That was just a sleeping arrangement we have… I can't sleep alone. NOTHING improper is ever going to happen between us. He HATES ME"
Edna stares at the Princess for a few seconds and smiles "So?"
Zelda's face morphs from shock, to surprise, and finally to disbelief. "What do you mean with SO?"
Edna starts laughing hard at that "Gosh… what are they teaching you girls now a days?" Edna raises her eyebrow in realization "I think nobody told you, so I am going to tell you right now… the opposite of love IS NOT HATE"
Is not? What a preposterous conception.
"Can´t… what is the opposite then?"
"INDIFERENCE"
The Princess starts shaking her head negating the idea, she opens her mouth to speak but the landlady hushes her and elaborates more on it
"You must have seen shows where love is this sweet fuzzy feeling, and the other person feels it too, they live happy ever after and bablah" sighs "that is the modern conception of love, something that makes us feel good all the time. THAT IS IMPOSIBLE"
Zelda walks away a little and pulls two chairs for them to sit on. She then stares at the lady and asks.
"What is the distinction between hate and indifference?"
"HATE… you can't hate someone unless you felt attacked or betrayed by him or her. Meaning you can only hate someone you previously care for or loved" she smiles at the Princess "INDIFERENCE is the lack of concern, the lack of feeling anything for the other person involved" sighs "The difference between the two concepts is that one is the projection of a very strong and unpleasant emotion, while the other is complete emotional detachment"
"But… wouldn't that be better than actually feeling hate?" Zelda genuinely asks.
"NO, emotions are malleable. Hate can turn into affection, friendship, even love… and then hate again" Edna laughs a little "But if there is no emotio then there is nothing"
"Hate again?" Zelda asks puzzled
Sighs "My husband… ours was an arranged marriage. I didn't love him when he put a ring on my finger, and he kind of hated me" she smiles at the memory "Most of the time we were yelling at each other for something… but he was always there for me. When I got sick, when I was scared, when I was hungry… even when I spontaneously aborted and lost my ability to get pregnant again. My dear Albert would always make sure that I was healthy, well feed, and every night he whispered in my ear ¨good night¨ when he thought I was already sleep. It didn't matter how pissed I had made him throughout the day; he would wish me good night and kiss my forehead"
Edna smiles with a teary face "Our love was not the romantic love sold to us by the TV, but that level of care, despite everything I put him through… He just loved to hate me, and I enjoyed every fucking second of it" she broke crying.
Zelda stood up to hug her and softly said. "Maybe, that is what true love is… or something like that at least. Romantic love is beautiful to look at, but the one you and Alfred had… I mean, to trust that the other person will always be there with you through thick and thin… that sounds FABOLUS, kind of EPIC. You were… ARE so lucky Edna" The Princess started to cry with the lady and asked "Please… tell me he died knowing you DID love him"
Edna sniffs and wipes her eyes with her hands "Oh he did… I had told him many times through the marriage. He was the one who suffered troubles communicating his feelings"
Zelda pales at that, she wanted to know if he ever told her, but she felt it was not her business to ask. Edna smiled noticing "He never told me. Not that I needed to hear it, I felt it…"
ITS NOT FAIR. How could he have never…
The Princess then remembers a discussion with Li [We are NOT ALLOWED to have feelings, since they are an indication of weakness]
HOLY FUCK… to this extent? How can men cope with this? can this even be called living?
"I think I should go… thanks for everything Edna" Zelda hugged the lady and left. Edna smiled and turned to open a drawer to retrieve an old letter from it. She kissed it softly before opening it up to reread it out loud.
-------------------Letter-------------------------------------------
The house, and whatever possession I have is yours. Rent the property woman, make it an Inn. I don't want you to feel lonely, and you need a distraction. Snooping in other people's life and taking care of them suits you, because that is just who you are. Don't forget to eat your veggies every day or I will come back to haunt you. I love you; see you later.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Edna sobbed as she remembered how Alfred had tried to tell her something the day he died, but she didn't let him. she hushed him with a kiss and told him not to tire himself with that, that she already knew. He smiled and hugged her for hours till he passed.
Zelda slid down Edna's front door, she had stayed to breathe a little before going to her room, but then stayed once she heard Edna reading out loud. She needed to yell and weep, so she started biting on her hand really hard as she tried to slowly and soundlessly walk to her room.
The Princess entered her door, closed it and started to cry. Half an hour later she heard Link opening the door to enter. The Hero immediately felt something was off… so he entered with caution. Once he noticed his Princess crying on the floor, he dropped a plastic bag he was carrying by the side and approached Zelda.
"What happened?"
Zelda blows her nose and looked up at him "I know why Edna won't consider renting to women only"
"You mean her hate for modern girls, or Alfred?"
She stands up looking at the Hero "So, you knew…" sighs "you should leave her alone then. Stop your ferocious attempts to force her to shift the clientele. She wants to continue having you all as clients because you remind her of Alfred"
Link looks at her, leans back on a wall crossing his arms "Ferocious you say? you don't really know me, or any of the agents for that matter. If we really did ferocious… this whole block would have been sealed to the public a while ago." He straightens and rolls his head cracking the neck in the process "Edna is a beautiful lady that deserves love, care and respect. What we are doing are very meek attempts to tire her and force her to change her preferred clientele. And we won't stop doing it because we love her"
Zelda looks down at the floor and smiles "And she won't stop opening her house for all of you because she also loves you"
Link nods agreeing with her and smiles "We all know this is a battle to see who lasts the longest, and I am not willing to give up yet"
Zelda raises her head to look at Link and begins to grin remembering something. The Princess raises her palm and clears her throat before starting her impersonation of Edna "Next time, don't make me bend over to pick up blankets you had no intention of using. Or better yet, next time don't try to fool me. And always make sure to carry some protection if a girl is around… better safe than sorry" she giggles "that's what she said" Zelda says before bursting out laughing at Link's scowl.
"You told her"
"No, she figured it out by herself. She knows we are not sexually intimate, but she still wanted me to tell that you just to piss you off" Zelda says beaming.
Link groans loudly, slaps one of the walls, and walks towards the entrance where he left the plastic bag he was carrying. He picks it up and angrily throws it at Zelda before leaving.
So glad Ziel enjoys a little pain, because sweet fragile Edna is mercilessly giving him a mental beating.
Zelda is still giggling about all of it before gasping at what she found inside the plastic bag.