"Silas? Silas?! Silas?! Where are you?!" screeched an infuriated nineteen-year-old Princess Lilliana, her blue eyes blazing with anger and frusertation. For the past half hour she had been searching everywhere for her younger brother, Prince Silas. She had looked in his room, the library, the ballroom, and finally in the stables. But there was no sign of Silas.

Lilliana stomped a dainty foot and flipped back her long dark blond hair in disgust. "That irresponsible boy! Wait until I tell father!" she snapped to no one in particular, succeeding in startling the horses. But even in her current state of rage, Princess Lilliana was beautiful. Besides having long blond hair and big blue eyes, she had a perfectly shaped mouth like her mother and a straight nose like her father. Her figure was the curvy shape that all girls Lilly's age wanted. She was the perfect picture of a princess.

Her high-heeled shoes smacking loudly on the ground, Lilliana stormed back into the castle and found her way into the throne room where her father and mother, King Link and Queen Zelda, sat on their thrones engaged in lively conversation. Hearing his daughter's footsteps, Link glanced up at her and smiled.

Link, though middle-aged, was still the same handsome man he was when he was the Hero of Time, with his dark blond hair not having a grey streak in sight and his body still the youthful-looking slightly muscular physique. "Why, hello, sweetheart," Link said cheerfully. Zelda smiled at her daughter by way of greeting. Zelda still had an ageless look on her beautiful face, free of wrinkles. Her shimmering golden hair was still radiant and her blue eyes were as bright as ever.

Lilliana stood in front of her parents with her hands on her hips. Seeing the annoyed look on her face, her parents laughed. It was somehow amusing when Lilliana got angry. Maybe it was because it seemed to happen so often.

"Well, what's the matter?" Link asked finally, although he knew the answer - the same thing as it always was. Lilly's brother.

"Silas isn't here," Lilliana huffed. The king and queen exchanged knowing looks.

Zelda cocked her head although she looked unworried. It was not uncommon for Silas to preform these little disappearances. "Did you check the stables?" Zelda wanted to know.

Lilliana let out a frusterated sigh."I looked everywhere for him! I swear, that boy is going to get himself into serious trouble." Glancing at her father, she added, "And just when you said you had an important announcement to make at dinner, father." Lilly recalled how that morning Link had said he was going to suprise everyone with an important announcement at dinner. Lilly had not forgotten, but it was no surprise that Silas, irresponsible as he was, had forgotten this information.

But Link waved a hand as if this was not important. "Oh, I'm sure he'll be back soon. He's probably out at Kakariko Village again."

Prince Silas was beginning to visit the village more and more lately, but Lilliana could never understand why he liked going there so much. At her father's comment she crossed her arms over her chest and looked away slightly. "I don't see why Silas is wasting his time mingling with those peasants," she spat.

"Hey, hey! I was a mere peasant myself once!" Link said in defense. He was remembering, of course, when he was living in Kokiri Forest in a tree house. That was before he had married the royal Princess Zelda.

"That's different," Lilliana insisted, although of course it wasn't. But Link shrugged it off.

Zelda sighed. "I really don't think that you have anything to worry about, dear," she reassured her daughter.

"But how could he forget that father had an important announcement to make at dinner?" Lilliana protested.

Link shrugged again. "He's human," Link pointed out. "He needs some time to himself sometimes. But all right, we'll give him an hour more, and if he's not back by then, you can take the carriage and go after him."
* * *
Seventeen-year-old Silas stood at the entrance of Kakariko Village. Finally, I can get some peace and quiet without my crazy sister breathing down my neck! he thought with a smile. With his worn brown cloak, black trousers, green tunic and black boots, one could never tell that he was the Prince of Hyrule.

The truth was, he didn't hate his sister. True, as they grew up they became so different from each other and they grew apart, but Silas really did love his sister. She just got on his nerves sometimes. A lot of the time. But it wasn't just because of his sister that he came to the village. He liked being alone. He liked watching what people were like outside of the castle. He could have gone to the castle town, but he liked the people better in Kakariko Village. They weren't as rich, but they were interesting and less snobby. And it was fun to watch what they could do without all of the money in the world. He liked them.

Silas walked towards the center of town, smiling respectfully towards the ladies. They blushed, having been noticed by such a handsome young man. And Siilas certainly was handsome, with his light blond hair and pale blue eyes.

Hmm, I wonder what oddities I'll run into today, Silas thought to himself. Whether one of the carpenters had slacked off and was getting yelled at by his boss or someone's dinner had gotten burnt or the cuccos had gotten loose again, there was always something interesting happening in Kakariko Village.

"Aiiiya! YAAAI! Hieeeya!" a voice shouted from somewhere as if reading his thoughts. Silas smiled. It looked like he was about to run into one of those interesting things! Silas ran towards the sound and he soon realised that it was coming from the cucco pen. Silas had just reached it when he stumbled back and gasped.

"YAAAAI! YAA! HIEEEYA!"

The voice belonged to a girl...a beautiful girl. She had short auburn hair half covered with a red bandana, and she was clad in tight red trousers and an equally tight red sleeveless tunic, and tall black boots. She was slashing the air with twin daggers as if fighting an invisible opponent. She did an impressive flip and landed gracefully on her feet before preforming a final swing of her daggers and sheathing them.

Silas immediately began clapping his hands. He had never seen such amazing swordmanship, especially from a girl. In fact, he had never even seen a girl with a weapon. But even the men that he had seen who fought with swords weren't as talented as this girl.

Hearing Silas, the girl turned to look at him. He smiled at her. She returned the smile. "Hi there!" she greeted in a friendly way with a wave of her hand.

"H-h-hello," Silas stammered, still entranced by what he had just seen. The girl was not only amazing with daggers, she had a nice smile - so mischievous, so cute. He stood there in surprised silence as the girl picked up a bucketfull of cucco feed, gently scattering it in front of the cuccos to eat.

Finally the girl looked at him again, but her hands on her hips, cocked her head and smirked. "Well, are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna talk?"

Such straightforwardness! Silas had to laugh. All of the ladies that he knew were just like Lilliana - dainty, and they never spoke until they were spoken too.

“I..I’m sorry. It’s just that…what you just did. That was amazing! I don’t even think the Knights of Hyrule have as much skill as you do!” Silas blurted out.

The girl smiled a bit shyly. Silas loved it when she smiled. “Well, when there’s only women in your family…you have to learn such skill.”

“Oh?”

“Yep, It’s just me and Mama, Papa died when I was real little.” The girl paused, thinking hard. She shook her head. "Since then, Mama taught me how to fight. It comes in handy when thieves try to raid our home.”

Silas smiled. “I bet.” It seemed so amazing that this girl knew so much about fighting when she was obviously self-taught. And she seemed so dedicated to it as well! She obviously enjoyed doing it. She was so determined to protect her family. Then Silas realised that this girl's mother was probably Anju, since they lived in the same house and the girl had said she lived alone with her mother. And Silas had seen Anju was the cuccos quite often before. This girl even looked a bit like Anju - they had the same body shape and hair although this girl's was a bit shorter.

There was another awkward pause.

“What’s your name?” Silas asked finally.

The girl smiled again. “Oh, Ashilia…but please call me Ashi.”

Silas nodded. Ashilia. It was a beautiful name. She is so beautiful. No noblewoman could ever match her beauty, Silas realised, thinking of all of the princesses that had visited the castle on special occasions. They had all been dressed up with their hair done and Silas had thought they were all beautiful, but that was before he had seen Ashi. Now he realised that even without a pretty dress a woman who had a such a face as hers could be as beautiful as any rich noblewoman - even more so.

He is so handsome, he cant be from town...yet, he looks so familiar somehow... Ashi wondered. Maybe he was from Hyrule Castle Town and she had seen him on her shopping trips there? Ashi nodded back to him. “What about you? What’s your name? Where are you from?”

Silas paused for a minute. Then he responded, “Me? Oh, My name is-“

Clomp, clomp, clomp, came the sound of horse hooves. Ashi and Silas looked up to see a carriage coming toward them. To their surprised it stopped right in front of them. A middle-aged knight and a furious Princess Lilliana got out of the carriage. Lilliana glared at Silas, then looked over at Ashi and gave her a sour look before looking angrily back at Silas.

“Silas! What are you doing here, messing about? Don’t you remember that we have to have dinner with Father back in the Castle?! He has a special announcement he wants to make!” she snapped.

Ashi’s eyes widened in surprise.

The knight nodded. “Yes, Master Silas please come, I shall escort you back to the castle,” he added.

Silas nodded and reluctantly went into the carriage as Lilliana was screeching on and on about how he was irresponsible he was. After Lilliana and the knight got in after him, the carriage moved out of Ashi’s sights. Ashi shook her head, her mouth gaping open.

“Ashi, supper is ready, honey!” A red haired woman called from the house near the cucco pen.

Ashi nodded. “Be right there, Mama!” Ashi called out. The woman nodded and went back in the house. Ashi walked over to the front of the house and opened the door. Then she paused, looking after the carriage again as it disappeared out of the village.

That man..he..he’s Prince Silas of Hyrule?
* * *
“And just what were you doing with th-that peasant?!” Lilliana screeched in Silas’ ear.

Silas cringed. Geez, must she always be so loud? he couldn't help wondering.

“Well?!” Lilliana demanded when he didn't reply right away.

Silas sighed. “We were just talking. Is there treason for that?” Lilliana annoyed him so much sometimes. It seemed like the most trivial things upset her.

Lilliana crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head as she sighed. “Honestly, Silas…I do not see why you waste you time with those peasants. Especially peasants who can’t even afford a decent dress like that..that…girl!” Lilliana spat the word “girl” out as if it were poison.

Silas glared at her. He couldn't believe how shallow she was being. Just because someone wasn't as rich as she was was a reason not to talk to her? “Maybe she wears pants by choice. Ever thought of that?! Oh no, of course not. She’s a commoner, so she’s trash, right?” Silas said sarcastically.

Lilliana was taken back a bit by Silas’ outburst. “Are you trying to say that I’m an uncaring person when it comes to people of not our stature?” she demanded.

“Took the words right out of my mouth!” Silas shot back.

Lilliana sighed as if Silas was a young boy who didn't know any better than to do something that was against the rules. “Silas, you really shouldn’t waste your time with commoners. You have a responsibility as a Prince of Hyrule, you can’t spend all your days mingling with commoners.”

Silas turned his face to Lilliana’s. “Have it ever occurred to you that all of Hyrule consists of all people. Royalty, middle-class, …even peasants! You know maybe if you spent a day with the people of Kakariko Village, you will see that they are very nice people! There’s more to life than just status you know.”

Lilliana had a slight smirk on her face. “You seem rather defensive, dear Brother. Are you showing some self interest towards that boy/girl?” Lilliana hissed.

Silas’ sky blue eyes looked as if they had turned to ice in his glare. “Her name is Ashi! And so what if I do?!”

“She’s a commoner, you’re a noble. Those kinds of status just don’t mix. You should marry a noblewoman," Lilliana told him, as if this were obvious.

“How dare you tell me how to run my life! What if I don’t want to marry a noblewoman?” Silas wanted to know.

Lilliana dismissed his comment was a laugh. “Oh, come, come now, Sili. You really don’t think that when Father passes down the crown to you that a peasant will rule by your side?! Why the mere thought is ludicrous!” She laughed again, hautily.

“Father said that we could marry whoever we want! And maybe I want to marry a commoner!” Silas protested, and it was true. After all, their mother, who had once been a princess, had married their father, and he had been a commoner. There had never been any rules against doing so.

Lilliana sighed again. I have to admire his spirit…but it’s very unbecoming of a Prince. “Oh, Silas…I wish you would just drop this matter and face the facts. Royal and Common blood just do not mix.”

“I don’t care! I will marry whomever I wish! What about you, Lilly? Are you going to marry a prince?” he demanded.

Lilliana shrugged. “Why not?”

Silas shook his head in disbelief. “B-but…what if you don’t love him?!” Silas wanted to marry for love. He had never been in love before, but he didn't want to marry someone he didn't like. He knew for a fact that Lilliana had never been in love either. Being cooped up in the castle almost all of the time didn't give them the opportunity to meet very many people.

Lilliana sighed. “Sili, for an intelligent boy…you can be so naïve. We are royals we don’t have to get married for love. We have to follow tradition.”

“You can’t be serious! You would marry a man you despise just so you can carry on tradition!?”

“We are royalty…that’s part of life as a noble. To follow tradition.”

“Even if it’s against your heart, will, and desires?!”

Lilliana was silent. The carriage had stopped. They were back at the castle. Lilliana got out of the carriage and sighed as she turned to face Silas.

“We shall talk of this matter later, Silas. Right now we have to get ready for dinner. Father has an important announcement to make.”