Chapter 6

It was a few days before Laen was back on the streets, stealing again. But she wasn't herself, and she wasn't as good as she used to be at getting away with things. Several times she got caught, but was let off because it was her first offense (or so they thought). She knew she couldn't afford to keep getting caught, because it wouldn't be her first offense anymore.
On one particular day, Laen was stealing bread from a vendor. She used the usual cover up- while Janneh made a distraction, she slipped some bread into her robe where it couldn't be seen. The problem was that today, she chose the wrong loaf. It sent a pile of bread tumbling down around her. Standing in the middle of the fallen merchendise, with a loaf in her hand and everyone looking at her, she couldn't get away. She sighed and threw the loaf down in surrender.
A royal guard approached. Eyeing her, he said, "We've been getting a lot of first offense reports about you, kid. Are you going to keep doing this, or are we going to have to punish you?"
Laen blinked. She wasn't sure how to answer the question. Before she'd seen the blond man, she would have been able to make up a clever lie to escape guilt. She wouldn't have needed to, for she wouldn't have screwed up. But now things were different. All she could think to say was, "I'm sorry?"
The guard didn't buy it. He took her from in amongst the bread and tied her hands the way they tie criminals, and led her away from the market. As she went, she saw Janneh looking at her, with a sad and puzzled expression. That wasn't the Laen she knew. The Laen she knew escaped the law.
As they went to the castle, the guard talked to her. It was a different one from the one that had captured her (he'd gone back to his duties.), and this one wasn't as forgiving. He told her about all the things that were going to happen to her because of her crime.
"You'll go to the dungeon, you know. If there's one thing the queen hates, it's child criminals. She try to send you down the straight and narrow, but it's not gonna happen. Never works. You'll be in that dungeon for awhile, and it's not going to be pleasent." He smiled a sinister grin and added, "It's not real safe, either. You'll be lucky if anyone remembers to feed you, or let you out when you've served your time."
Laen was only half listening. She was busy thinking about the blond man. She could feel something as she came near the castle, something similar to when she came near him, but sort of... different. The castle was radiating the same strength he did, but it didn't make the memories come back. It didn't attack her mind.
"All right, get out here. Say, what's your name?"
Laen turned to him and said firmly, "I'm not telling."
The guard reached out a fist and slugged her, then demanded, "You gonna tell me your name, or am I gonna force it outta you?"
Laen reeled from the blow, then muttered the first name that came to her head, "I'm Janneh." He nodded, then led her into the castle.
Queen Zelda was having lunch with Crown Prince Chezdon in the royal parlour. When Laen entered, they both turned and looked. The queen smiled a very gentle smile, and Laen found herself wondering how she could have thought for all those years that the royals were cruel and greedy people.
"Hello, there. Who are you?" Zelda asked.
"I'm Janneh." Laen mumbled, but she knew the queen didn't beleive her. She felt something going inside her thoughts, then leaving.
"Your name isn't Janneh. It's Laen. I know these things." She smiled again, then said, "What brings you here?"
The guard answered, saying, "She's been caught stealing, 'Highness. Shall we throw her in the dungeon?"
Zelda shook her head and told the guard, "There's no need. The girl seems nice enough, and besides, we're in need of a little help around here. You are dismissed. But Laen, you stay. I'd like to talk to you." The guard gave a small bow and exited.
"Now," Zelda continued, "The princess, Rilla's her name, needs an attendant. The last one had a bit of difficulty... Rilla didn't like her. She's been sent to kitchen work. We're hard pressed to find good servants, you know. You're not a Sheikah, are you?"
"No, Your Highness."
"I thought not. Generally we like to have Sheikah servants, but Hylians are just as helpful. Say, your eye looks a little swollen. Are you alright?"
Laen knew there was no point in lying, so she said, "The guard hit me, Your Highness."
Zelda looked shocked. She turned to Chezdon and said, "Go have a word with him, will you?" The prince nodded and left. Zelda turned her attention back to Laen.
"Your Highness..." Laen stammered, "Is there a blond man here? As a servant?"
"We have many servants. I'm sure one of them is a blond man. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I met a blond man about a week ago. I could sort of... feel him. And I can feel him here, but it's different."
A look of disbeleif crossed Zelda's face, then she resumed a neutral face and told Laen, "No, I don't think the man you want is here. Anyway, your job will be to take care of Rilla. Follow her about, except when she asks you otherwise, and do as she asks you. She is princess, so don't refuse her anything. Your quarters will be with the other servants, and there will be a bell Rilla can ring when she needs you. Rabay is the head servant, she'll show you about. Rabay!"
The woman seemed to appear from nowhere. She had white hair and odd makeup, which threw Laen off for a moment, until she remembered that the royals liked to have Sheikah servants, so Rabay must be a Sheikah.
"Rabay, this is Rilla's new attandant. Take her to her quarters and give her some decent clothes, some food and a bath. Then introduce her to the princess."
"Yes, Your Highness." Rabay turned to leave the room, and Laen followed.
As soon as they had left the room, Rabay said, "You're lucky in one way, child. You don't have to live on the streets anymore, and that's a blessing."
"That's the first good thing ever to happen to me."
"Well, it's not all pleasent. You've landed one of the worst jobs in the castle, let me tell you." She took a sharp turn down a flight of stairs that clearly led to the servants' quarters. "No one's here this time of day, everyone's out doing their duties. Your bed will be here." She waved her hand in the direction of a sort bed to the left. It looked much more comfortable than Laen would have imagined a servant's bed would. She could only guess what the monarchs slept on.
"This is very nice for a servants' quarters."
"We may be servants, but we're not dirt. And we're royal servants. You also got lucky being a personal attendant, because we get the best resources. No come along, it's time for your bath."
"What were you saying about me getting the worst job?"
"Ah, yes. You see, this princess could birth puppies, I swear. I don't know where she got it from, because her parents are the nicest of people. Anyhow, she lives to make her attendants' lives miserable. She likes to take perfectly normal girls and break their will until they're feeble and dependant on her to give them things to do, a purpose in life. When she gets bored of these pitiful wrecks of people, she tells her parents she doesn't like them and they get a new job here, but their never the same. I've seen strong willed girls go to a bad end because they couldn't stand up to her, and it's horribly sad to see them break down. Their like broken dolls, they have no will of their own. Rilla is just plain cruel. Now don't let this leave this room, we could all be fired or even killed if it did, but no one likes the princess. It'll be a sad day in Hyrule when she takes the throne." Rabay gave a mournful sigh as she drew Laen's bath. "Get your dress off, girl, and I'll get you a nicer one, the servant's clothes. As I was saying, if anyone could break the princess's will before she broke theirs, everything would be so much nicer. But to this day, no one has."
"I will." Laen promised. It seemed easy enough. She had been hardened by the streets, and the hardest hard criminal couldn't take advantage of her. How could a prissy little princess? She stepped into the bath and began to wash.
"I wish I could beleive you child, but I've seen too many people fall victim to her. If you really want to, I'll give you a word of advice- she's stuck up about her looks, but she's extremely paranoid about them too. Her biggest fear is that when she reaches her teenage years, she'll get pimples taht will marr her perfect profile. She dotes over her appearance for hours each morning, and by the end of it she'll make head turn, but it's all makeup. Underneath, she looks like the bitch she is. If you can be more beautiful than her with less effort, it'll send her into a fit of rage. But it won't be your defiance, you see, just your natural appearance. And I dare say you're a good sight better looking than her. Some clothes that fit right, maybe a touch of makeup, though you don't really need it, and you'll be gorgeous next to her. Mind you, you've got to be modest, and when she asks you how you got yourself to look so good-"
"What if she doesn't ask me?"
"She will, trust me. When she does, you've got to act like you don't know how pretty you are. It'll be a double slap in the face to her if you've got good morals, too, because she hasn't. If you can be a good person, and good-looking, she'll hate you, but she won't be able to do anything. Above all, you must keep three things if you want to defeat her. Your appearence, your morals, your will. Face, heart, nerve. Are you done washing?"
"No, not quite. I haven't bathed in a long time, and I'm dirty."
"Right. Well, I'll be back with your dress in a moment." She got up and left.
Laen sat in the bathtub and thought. Face, heart, nerve. Face heart, nerve...

When she was dressed and clean (with a littel makeup on), Laen went to meet her new mistress, Princess Rilla. She heard the heir before she saw her.
"I DID NOT ASK FOR MY TOAST WITH BUTTER! WHAT PART OF 'JAM' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'll get a replacement immediatly!"
"You better, or you're fired!"
A servant hurried out of Rilla's quarters with a terrified expression on her face.
"Linessa," Rabay asked, "Is she in one of her moods?"
Linessa nodded. "When isn't she, Rabay?"
Rabay pursed her lips, then led Laen into Rilla's room. The princess didn't look away from her mirror as she said, "Good time, I'll give you that, Linessa. But I'll bet you've still got the toast wrong." Turning to look at her visitors, she said, "What do you want, Rabay? It had better be important."
"Yes, Your Highness. Your new attendant has arrived."
Rilla's face lit up. She turned to Laen and said, "And who's this?"
Laen spoke up, "I'm Laen, your new servant."
The princess frowned, and said, "You may go, Rabay." Rabay bowed and left, grateful to be going.
"What can I do for you, princess?"
"For starters, you can not speak until you're spoken to. And you can call me 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Highness', not 'princess'. You are not on a first name basis with me, don't act like you are. And remember, I am the princess, you are my slave. I own you."
Laen frowned, but nodded.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing, it's just that I was under the impression that I am not a slave, but a hired servant. If I were a slave, I couldn't be fired, only sold."
"All right, so you're a servant. Don't get smart with me."
There was a moment of silence, then Rilla said, "Shouldn't you be saying something?"
"I didn't realize I had been spoken to. What should I be saying?"
"You should be apologizing for mouthing off to me."
"Oh... I didn't realize I had 'mouthed off', as you so tastefully put it."
"You're getting smart again."
"Oh... I'm sorry?"
"You catch on quick." Rilla's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Laen answered, unsure if that was what she should have said.
Rilla looked like she was going to explode. She drew back her fist and lashed out to hit Laen square in the face, but the servant was to quick for her. The street wise Laen moved with lightning reflexes and caught Rilla's fist before it made contact. The princess gave a short cry of surprise then said, "What are you doing?"
"You were going to hit me, You Highness. I was only defending myself." Laen knew Rilla didn't like that answer.
"Let go of my arm!" she cried. Laen obeyed, and Rilla snapped, "Who do you think you are, anyway? All dressed up like you're the princess! Do you think you're so beautiful, in such fine clothes and makeup?"
"I'm not wearing makeup, Your Highness. And as for the clothes, I'm wearing the standard servant uniform. I don't mean to look as though I beleive myself above you. You are the princess."
Still, Rilla did not seem pleased. All she said was, "I'm glad you know your place."

Dinner was uneventful in the royal quarters. Afterwards, in the servants quarters, dinner was very eventful. Everyone who entered the room cried something like, "Have you seen the princess? She looks mad enough to burst!" These comments were usually met by something to the effect of, "Oh, I know! It's that new servant, Laen! If anyone will make Rilla snap, it'll be her." Laen was the guest of honour at dinner, revered by everyone. All the servants were thrilled that someone had survived their first day uninjured. Every other attandant Rilla had ever had had come to dinner bruised by the princess. Laen was clearly tougher and stronger than anything the royal brat had yet faced. Later that night, as they went to sleep, Rabay spoke to Laen about it.
"Child, I daresay you might be the one. I didn't have faith anyone could break the princess, but you've got her hopping mad after one day! No one's ever done that! There's been a few that've tried her patience, but they all got punished for doing something wrong. You, girl, you're something special. You're getting her annoyed by following the rules! I don't want to put pressure on you, but we all think you could be the one to put that royal pain in her place."
Laen smiled and said, "Thanks. I don't know why everyone finds her so intimidating. And you were right, she is jealous of how I look!"
"I told you so. She's amazingly conceited, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is. This is so much fun, being the enemy of the princess! And even better is the fact that the queen and king think I'm just fabulous. I'm even thinking they might choose my side over their daughter's if there was ever a disagreement."
"Let's not go nuts. Remember, she is their daughter and she is the princess."
"I know, I know. But still, her parents don't like her, you know. I can tell. She drives them insane, and they can't stand her vanity. They like me, though."
Rabay shook her head, "Be that as it may, Laen, she's a princess. You'll never win if you don't remember that."
So Laen was left with her thoughts about Rilla, and her own place in the castle. Still, it didn't take long for her thoughts to turn back to Ophila and Janneh. She wondered how the were coping, if they were worried about her, if they were looking for her, what they thought of her. She wondered if they missed her, or if they were glad they had one less mouth to feed.
And she wondered why it was that no one had ever really loved her enough to come to her rescue.