Seven

   “Madame Anju!”, the secretary was a little agitated. “Madame Anju. Good that you are here. I already feared that you would be out the whole day long.”

   “That much I don’t neglect my duties, Lori. You know that pure chaos reigns before the Carnival. And as I also have to manage the bookings of the Stockpot – what’s the matter?”

   “You are being awaited. I was so scared. But she told me that I need not to be afraid. She just did not want to be recognised. I have asked her into your reception room. She has been waiting there for quite a while now. But I think she can wait, as she did not complain yet.”

   “Who?”

   “She did not say. Just, that she would like to talk to the Mayor’s wife.”

   “Fine. Thank you, Lori. I will look for her. Anything else? Post perhaps?”

   “No. Fortunately not.”

   “Alright.”

 

   Wondering, Anju went to the door of her reception room and opened it carefully. At first there was nobody to be seen, so she entered and closed the door again. As her look fell on the fireplace, she got a slight shock. There stood a tall figure, covered in a very dark grey hooded cloak. Because of the light that was falling through the windows, Anju saw that the cloak was partly decorated with black embroidery. She recognised the triangle of the Trinity and the Eye of the Sheikah.

 

   “It is to my pleasure that Thou had found the time for listening to me.”

 

   Her face was masked to the nose and the hood was pulled down so far that Anju couldn’t even spot her eyes. In addition, she had lowered her head a bit.

 

   “Who are Thou?“, she politely took over her venerable way of talking.

   “I know that it is quite spontaneous, but I come with a message from the Royal Family of Hyrule. To be precise, from the only left.”, the envoy raised her head and Anju got to see her bloodred eyes. “Princess Zelda sends me with a message. It would be an honour for her to attend this year’s Carnival.”

   “Actually?”, Anju slapped her hands on the mouth, but lowered them right after. “I would feel – no. Entire Termina would feel honoured to welcome her.”

   “I never awaited anything different, nevertheless it is wonderful to hear. She however, has a request.”

   “Yes?”

   “She wishes to keep the attention on her person as low as possible. As she assumes that none of Termina’s inhabitants had ever got to see her, it might not be that difficult. She wishes to celebrate as an ordinary citizen. I know her much enough to tell that she will bring one of her most beautiful dresses for the Carnival itself, but she wants to stand as little as possible in the centre of attention. Also she does not ask much for an accommodation. As she will travel in company, she would like to have the plainest room with two beds in your Inn. Is this to your abilities?”

   “Of course. Now that we extended, there are still two rooms free. I have spared the shabbiest room. It is a twin room.”

   “Good. I will deliver that it is booked for her.”

   “When will she come?”

   “The day after tomorrow, at sunrise, from the Ancient Ways .”

   “Oh dear! This is really spontaneous. She is lucky. This year the whole town is fully booked except these two rooms. There had never been so many guests before. It is a magical year, do Thou know? The seven is a meaningful number. And as seven years have past since Termina was saved from the worst disaster of all times, this year’s Carnival is celebrated extraordinarily big.”

   “Good. Then it would be an ease for her to mingle with the mass.”

   “Does she have a mask? At emergency we would have a Mask Salesman. Though – ”

   “Not needed. She owns a mask that she will wear for the festival. She only wishes for a simple room and that as few people as possible find out about her participation.”

   “Fine.”, Anju took a breath. “That is arrangeable.”

   “I thank Thou in the name of the Princess. I wish a wonderful day and a succeeding festival.”

 

   Without another word, the envoy walked past Anju and left her slightly confused. It took a while until Anju composed herself. Then she ran directly to the Inn.

 

   “What is it?”, Lori startled. “What did she want?”

   “Nothing. Just – a room for two.”, said Anju hasty.

   “Is there one?”

   “If my mother hasn’t given it away it in the meantime, yes.”

 

   Anju grinned desperate and left the Town Hall as fast as she could. She nearly fell on the stairs. A little more careful she opened the front door of the Inn. If there were guests at the reception, she wasn’t supposed to give the impression of being stressed at all. Her mother stood behind the counter and on the opposite an obviously married couple.

 

   “You have a big luck. The last twin room is not that wonderfully prepared and we would have to tidy – ”

    “No!”, yelled Anju hysterically.

   “What?”

   “It – “, she panted, „It is not to be had anymore!”

   “But in here it says nothing – ”

   “It was booked just moments ago!”

   “How?”

   “It happened so to say – on the street. Actually in my reception room, but it’s booked. I just wanted to note it down.”

   “Who actually doesn’t come directly to the Inn for booking?”

   “There are such people.”, Anju smirked.

   “But I have put these two down halfway – ”

   “Cross them out!”, moaned Anju. „I am sorry for you two. But it is extremely important that this room – ”

   “Who by all means booked?“, urged Anidja. „The Princess of Hyrule, or what?”

 

   Anju’s heart sank into her stomach. There was no way she could know already. No. This was just an idiom, for sure.

 

   “N-n-no.”, she stuttered nevertheless. “It is just booked, yes? For the two of you – we have a guest room in the Town Hall. You can move in there. It is kept free for emergencies.”

   “Why don’t you put your reservation into this guest room? Then I can spare myself the mess in the register.”

   “No. That doesn’t work. It would be far too classy. Um – of course you will pay the same price as for the room here. My reservation wishes for the simplest accommodation possible and as we haven’t the means to renovate the named twin room because of the conversion last year, it is extremely shabby, to be honest. I’m so ashamed every time I have to give it out. But as it is exactly what my reservation wishes, it would be ideal.”

 

   The couple exchanged a few looks and nodded at each other.

 

   “Fine.”, said the man. “We take the guest room in the Town Hall if it doesn’t cause you inconveniences.”, Anju felt a stone falling from her anyway already deep sunken heart.

   “I deeply thank. You have saved my day.”

   “Not at all.”, meant the women shrugging. “It wasn’t that difficult.”

   “And?”, was Anju pressed again. “What name shall I write down next to that untidiness?”, she already had expected this question.

   “Ledaz.”, it burst out of her.

   “Hm. With Z?”, she raised an eyebrow.

   “Yes. I know – it’s a strange name. But I’m sure, she hadn’t chosen it.”

   “She?”

   “Yes. She comes probably with her friend. But I haven’t asked for that. She just wanted a very simple twin room for the day after tomorrow, as she comes in company. Maybe it’s her husband – or brother – sister – niece – cousin – her child – what do I know.”

   “Fine. So, day after tomorrow. Hm. Somehow – ”

   “What?”

   “The letters – ”

   “Yes. That – she said that too. If you change their position, you’ll get the name of the Princess of Hyrule. Somehow she even seemed to be proud of it a bit too, according to her statement, to always be teased because of it. Um – shall I show you your room already? I see, you have your luggage with you.”, both nodded rather casually. “Fine. I wanted to discuss something with my husband anyway.”

 

   Anju led the couple up to the Mayor’s residence, that had also been extended upwards during the last years, as Anju and Kafei had two little children by now and had needed a room for themselves as well. At this occasion they had added two classier guest rooms, in which they could put additional beds if necessary. She showed them all they needed to know, handed over the key for one of the rooms and the front door and went back to the ground floor, to Kafei’s office. When she opened the door, she didn’t believe her eyes. He sat, mind you, on his desk and juggled with several little flames.

 

   “For Heaven’s sake, Kafei!”

 

   He got a fright though, but could catch the flames in the last moment before they could cause any damage, jumped off the desk and let the fire vanish. Lori had left her post interested, but didn’t see anymore, where Kafei had sat and what he had done.

 

   “What – ?”, she asked curious.

   “Oh nothing. I just married a child. The fact that he’d been a child twice, has apparently lasting effects on his habits.”, sighed Anju, stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. “I thought you have such a lot to do?”

   “I have. And if you finally learnt to knock, you would’t need to worry that I burn down the place. You know exactly that I best come to solutions, when I distract myself.”, snorted Kafei and, dangling his arms, went behind his desk for sitting down, where he buried his face in his hands for a moment. “It is so – I currently have a little logistical problem. Lulu wants to take her children with her as always. But they are a bit older by now though and they on their hand, want to have their whole circle of friends with them. I can understand them, only, the Milkbar is no kindergarten and I don’t want it to turn into such. Besides, she told me that the rest of the band would prefer the children to be accommodated somewhere else as well, though they like the little ones. I mean, how her own children are, we know it. Also she has assured me that the others are very well-behaved. But they are children and you know quite well by now too, that children want to run around. Especially when there is something to be celebrated.”

   “An eight-bed room is still free. But as they are at least seven and Zoras – ”

   “Yes. I’ve also played with the thought of putting them into the Fairy Fountain or the Shooting Gallery, as all other Zora-friendly areas of the town are almost fuller than than legal. I really don’t know what’s so special about this year. We should have made a normal Carnival like every other year. But it is a magical year. There you should be able to offer something to people. You know what, I’ll really ask the Great Fairy. I just can’t mess up Trito’s business. He needs the customers and the guests want to amuse themselves.”

   “So this cleared itself up then.”, Anju smiled and sat down on his lap. “The reason why I wanted to see you – nobody shall find out.”

   “Attention, attention. The Mayor’s wife would like to make an important announcement.”

   “Kafei.”, warned Anju. “And yes, the message is important. But still nobody shall get wind of it. She wants it so.”

   “She?”

   “Just a few minutes ago, a Sheikah was in my office. She was here on behalf of Princess Zelda.”

   “What?”, Kafei sat up. “And she wanted to talk to you? Not me? Doesn’t she trust one of her kind?”

   “No idea. Anyway, the princess comes the day after tomorrow at sunrise from the Ancient Ways.”

   “A spontaneous decision?”

   “Apparently. She travels incognito and wants this to stay so, if possible. Also I should book the plainest room.”

   “Not that junk room.”, Kafei laughed.

   “You say it. I was lucky. My mother just wanted to give it to a married couple reluctantly. I could stop her at last attempt. Somehow a joke of hers nearly turned into a suspicion. But I think I could convince her. Normally she notices when I lie to her and also I notice when she catches me at doing so. But this time she believed me, though it was considerably hair-raising. I told her almost the truth. I only kept secret the decisive details. And unfortunately the only name that came into my mind was – ”, she squeezed her eyes.

   “Yes?”

   “Ledaz.”

   “Le- ”, Kafei laughed in disbelief. “Ledaz?”

   “Yes. She almost had me. But I – I tomato have told her, that the one who has booked, is also always teased for the fact that if you change the order of the letters – well.”

   “And she really bought that?”, chuckled Kafei.

   “Apparently.”, Anju sighed nodding. “I’ve bundled the named couple off into our smaller guest room. I offered them the same price. If I had given it to them for free, my mother would have become even more suspicious.”

   “Well then – I suggest, until the day after tomorrow we’ll be needing a relatively inconspicuous person, to guide Miss – Ledaz – ”, he giggled again, “To her room. Does she come alone?”

   “No. In company. Is this important?”

   “No. Was just a question. It doesn’t happen every day that someone uses the Ancient Ways. Not even now that I have let them be rebuilt.”

   “Yes. There’s something in it.”, sighed Anju and raised from her husband’s lap. “We get hardly any visitors from Hyrule. At least not officially.”

   “Believe me. Samu tells me when some kind of strangers suddenly march through Ikana. They’d all need to come over the swamp and this way is much more uncomfortable.”, it knocked. “Yes?”, Lori entered.

   “Post for you, Madame Anju.”

   “Hopefully not another reservation. We have only a big room left and I don’t want to expect anyone to share a room with strangers.”

   “No. At least – I do not hope it for you. The letter is from your sister.”

   “Oh now I’m eager to know, which excuses she’s got this time. It was a miracle that she kept her promise to hold my wedding.”, she murmured and went outside, Kafei following her. “Where – oh yes. You go to the Great Fairy.”

   “Exactly.”, Kafei smirked. “I hope, she doesn’t mind.”

   “Good luck.”

   “Thanks.”

 

   Kafei left the Town Hall with fast steps and made a beeline for the passage to the Northtown. But halfway through the district, he stopped.

 

   “Day after tomorrow?”, he whispered to himself in his mother tongue, narrowing his eyebrows considering. “At sunrise? From the Ancient Ways? Day af– ”, he faltered. “Day after tomorrow. Sunrise. Three days before the festival.”

 

   Probably it had no meaning, but someone like Zelda did nothing without thinking. With a barely noticeable smile on his lips, he continued his way on, sure to know a person for the welcome.

 

 

~o~0~O~0~o~