LoZ: The Reflection Behind the Door :Chapter 1: (Patreon)

The day has arrived! A while back I posted a picture teasing a big collaboration between myself and Undertaker33, and today we're sharing the very first chapter of the project!

I'll be posting the WIP's of the artwork for the upcoming chapters like with my other pieces, and if you'd like to see previews for the upcoming chapters you should check out Undertaker33's new patreon: www.patreon.com/Undertaker33

Written by: Undertaker33

Artwork by: Better-With-Salt

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Princess Zelda was awoken by a chill spilling over her right hand. She rubbed at it absently beneath the covers, drowsily in a state of bare comprehension, hoping the itching would cease.

Instead, it resounded, creeping into a cascade that caused her to perk her eyes open and, suddenly, fling her bedsheet free with a scream. Light poured out from the emblem of the Triforce, illuminating the dark room into brilliant day, though Zelda was forced to watch with panic as a deep purple twisted round the golden triangle, infecting it and pulling the room into a swirling darkness.

The door to Zelda’s room burst open, though she paid it no mind. She’d begun harshly muttering words of power into her clenched right hand. The corruption was spreading through the Triforce of Wisdom, twisting it into darkness. Zelda’s words directed her will and she opened her mind to the power of the Triforce, baring her teeth and readying herself to battle the mind of the foul sorcerer who dare to strike at her.

Instead, when she opened herself, she found the gloom of darkness instantly melting away. She could feel the sorcerer’s mind, and in doing so felt their immense fear and desperation while their power was swiftly being drained away.

The magician must have felt Zelda’s presence, must have felt her overbearing will, as it was able to utter a single plea before fading away into nothingness. “Beware the door.”

Princess Zelda opened her eyes. She was surrounded by a phalanx of her elite royal guard, though none dare ready their weapon in her royal chambers without a ready and apparent threat. Instead, they held their shields before them, hands clasped around the hilts of their swords or spears, prepared to draw at a moment’s notice. Inside of the phalanx, an old woman with tanned skin and long purple hair stood hunched before the princess. Her attendant, Impa.

“What has transpired?” the sage woman asked.

Zelda reached down to her hand. She traced her fingers over the muted glow, as even now the Triforce was returning to its natural demeanor. She looked up to her surroundings once more. The only thing that lit the room now was the light of the moon, and the gleam of steel. Her eyes fell again to the symbol, and she shook her head. “I… I do not know.”

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With the guard dismissed, Zelda sat in her room quietly whilst Impa doused her hand in a pot of warm water. “A cold sensation would imply corruption,” she said. “Something that isn’t supposed to be there, infecting your will.”

“Yes,” Zelda said patiently, “I know.” She rocked back on her heels. “Yet there was no malice in it. It simply broke as I came, leaving its cryptic warning.”

Impa removed the princess’s hand, drying it with a towel. She shook her head. “I do not like this. You have enforced the goddesses’ will, your duty is complete. The evil was reborn and vanquished once more. You are supposed to be able to live the rest of your life as you see fit.”

Zelda flexed her hand. “Ganon has fallen before and will return again. It has been nigh ten years, could he rise so soon?”

Impa shook her head. “No, the demon king sleeps. The reincarnation could take hundreds of years. Likely waiting for your own, Goddess. This is something different.”

“Please, do not call me Goddess,” Zelda protested. “I do not deserve the title. Even now, I lack the wisdom to see who has acted here.”

The princess turned and looked out the window, facing the dawns twilight. The sun would soon crest over the nearby forest, but she could still faintly make out the silver glow of the moon. It shone brightly, and larger than she had expected it to be.

A prickling sensation coursed up Zelda’s arm, and her hair stood up on the back of her neck. Her connection to the Triforce gave Zelda extensive power, but it was the legend of the goddess that allowed her to use and to hone it. Despite hardly seeing twenty summers, she had wisdom far beyond her age, and her aptitude for magic had been honed more expertly than the craft of a surgeon.

So, when she felt the chill rise up her spine, Zelda believed in the wisdom of the Triforce, and in the feeling of her gut. “Where is the Hero of Hyrule?”

There was hesitation in Impa’s voice. “I do not know, princess. After Ganon’s defeat…”

Zelda kicked herself inwardly. What sort of Goddess of Wisdom loses their champion? “Find him,” she instructed. “Find him and send him to me at once. There is a foul chill in the air, even as night becomes day.”

Wordlessly, Impa exited the room. Zelda continued to stare upon the moon until it disappeared beneath the canopy of the wood, searching her mind. Eventually, she decided that she would need to investigate this feeling of foul magic for herself.

Zelda undressed from her nightgown, finding a long and flowing dress that came to her ankles. Over it, she placed her pink Hylian tunic, and buckled her golden bracelets over her wrists. Finally, she secured her cape over her shoulders with her golden shoulder pauldrons and affixed her royal circlet with its ruby jewel around her head, pulling free her bangs so they may fall over and frame the piece.

She stopped by the door to retrieve her dark belt, affixing it round her waist and completing her tunic and dress. She breathed out contently, checking herself over, and then opened the door.

What lie upon the other side was not the white and glimmering hallway that she had expected. Instead, a small yet warm looking area had somehow replaced her passageway, with a wooden floor and colorful jars on decorative shelves. Zelda’s eyes widened, and she recognized that there was a wizened old woman standing behind a counter, before the door closed shut behind the princess with a pleasant-sounding jingle.

Zelda’s head whipped round, looking over her shoulder. The ornate door to her bedroom had vanished, instead replaced by a quaint green door with a large glass pane with Hylian script written upon the outside. Through the glass, it took her a moment to recognize the fountain of the town center. Her mouth parted and her eyes were wide with surprise.

‘The door,’ she remembered as she gaped at the lively yet simple wood. ‘Beware the door.’

“Oh, my. Good morning, Princess,” said the old woman. Zelda turned and regarded her more closely and felt her fingers twinge with power. Something had happened, some twisting magic, yet she could sense nothing except for her own will inside or around the shop.

The woman was ancient, deep purple hair and sunbaked skin that sagged around her eyes. She wore a light green dress with yellow stripes beneath a garnet apron, and a ribbon round her head to hold her hair back.

She spoke again, rising from a small bow. “I shouldn’t have thought I’d ever see you coming into my shop. Would you like to try a sample, maybe? I can offer you a discount, at the very least.”

Zelda’s eyes fluttered. She released her will and sensed her surroundings. Magic was at hand, it must be. Yet, as Zelda cast her authority outwards, all she could sense was the magic of the Triforce. The power of Will surrounded Zelda, fresh and heated. No magic had acted upon her, it had come from herself.

Hidden fire died upon her fingers. She looked around the area before speaking, and it took her some time to realize what she was looking at. “This is a candy store?” she asked, still uncomfortable.

The woman chuckled. “That’s what it says on the door, ‘Ianua’s candy shop.’ I’m Ianua, and it is a pleasure to finally have you stop by.” She bowed her head again. Zelda could see the obvious strain the action placed upon her ancient body and felt a slight bout of pity.

Her mind worked furiously while her body and mouth bought her an extra few moments. “The pleasure is mine,” she curtseyed, taking her dress and holding it up to expose her ankles while she bent. “I must admit I hadn’t planned the visit. I feel that, with all the time I’ve spent in training, even coming here would get me in trouble.”

Ianua winked. “No woman plans on visiting the candy shop, but all girls end up with sweets on the mind. Maybe it was just your time?”

Zelda couldn’t help but notice the connection as her tummy grumbled, looking closer at all the foods. “Thinking with your gut, hmm?” she asked herself.

“What was that?” the woman intoned.

“Nothing,” Zelda waved it off. She further came into the shop. She hadn’t meant to cast any magic, yet it hung in the air as thick as tallow. Perhaps she’d unconsciously done so, roused from her sleep and already put off upon the day. Regardless of her gut, she had duties to preform, and was intent upon reaching the library to search though the history books.

Still, as Zelda examined the shop, the more she felt at ease. A couple of dozen containers were stacked high with sweets, with pleasant packaging that inspired thoughts of innocent times. She noticed, too, the back wall, which held shelves with wrapped boxes that looked to be more luxurious than the treats in the jars. Above the shelves hung a dimly colored design which Zelda could hardly make out in the early morning sun.

She paused, thinking her next moves over. She should be on her way, yet she was drawn to the juvenile idea of some treatment. Besides, it wouldn’t due for the princess to go wandering into a shop without purchasing anything… plus, she could use something to snack upon while she read.

“See anything you like? We’ve got plenty of choices, from chocolates truffles to sour sandals,” Ianua offered.

Zelda looked up from the jars. “Sour… sandals?”

The woman grinned a yellow toothed smile. “Aye, they’re useful for walking and for eating.”

“How… revolutionary,” Zelda grimaced. “I think I’ll just have a few chocolates, please. Some assorted ones, perhaps?”

“Terrific, just terrific!” Ianua said. She turned and picked a rather cumbersome looking package off of the wall, wrapped in deep maroon paper with the golden and black insignia of the Triforce upon it. She handed it to Zelda before wobbling to the register. “Let’s see, that’ll be… well, for you, why don’t you have that one for free?”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Zelda said. She reached down to her waist. “I have plenty of…” Her hand skated along her belt, and she was suddenly reminded that she had no rupees on her. Indeed, she had grown so accustomed to leaving her purse with her escorting guard, she did not even know whereupon in the castle that it was.

“I’ll have it no other way,” Ianua smiled kindly. “It’s the least I can do for Princess Zelda. First customer of the day, and she comes into my shop. It’s an honor of itself,” she nodded.

Zelda bit her lip. “Well… thank you,” she gestured with the box. “I promise though, next time when I come here, I want to pay full price. To atone for your generosity.”

Ianua bowed once more. “I’ll be blessed to have you find my chocolates worth returning for. I hope you come back soon.”

Zelda curtsied once more before proceeding to the door of the shop. “Thank you, again!” she called with a wave before exiting the shop.

She stood out front of the shop for a moment, looking around the front of it. Some of the slower owners were still just opening up shops, but there were a few patrons trickling into the area. Zelda considered the front of Ianua’s.

The door of the shop was as simple outside as it had been in. A large bronze handle, a simple pane of glass. The name of the store was stamped upon the glass in a colorful lettering, matching that of the sign which swung in the wind. It looked much like the rest of the buildings in the square, with white and brown siding and a slanted tiled roof, but was set apart from all but the flower shop by a small garden of flowers set nearby a simple steel table and set of chairs.

She grimaced. She’d better things to worry about than the door of a candy store.

Zelda turned back to the town square, scanning the area. Next door to Ianua’s, she spotted a baker filling his racks with bread, bagels, and pies. The smell of the freshly baked goods was heavenly, overwriting the other nearby scents, yet Zelda couldn’t help but feel a tad uncomfortable. The smells of the market were not something she usually had the grace to appreciate, and every sensation reminded her of the awkward circumstances.

Turning away from the bakers, Zelda walked along the path which lead around the town’s central fountain in a large circle. She tried to remember the way back to the palace from here. She couldn’t remember the names of the roads, but she felt sure that there were seven roads which directly led into the town center. She was devising the quickest way to return when she realized that more than one pair of eyes now beheld her in their sight. There were too many people she didn’t know, too many strangers she couldn’t trust. She felt her back straightening, her nose tilting upwards, falling into the etiquette she had pressed upon her since she was a girl, a frosty demeanor with an impatient expression.

Her attention was shortly directed to the sound of irons hitting against the pavement in steady rhythm. She turned to behold a young patrolman entering into the lot, and saw the man’s eyes instantly go to her before becoming the size of dinner plates.

“Princess Zelda!” He breathed. “I-I mean, Princess, umm…” the guard fumbled for a moment, obviously having forgotten the royal salute. He thumped his chest thrice, cleared his throat, and then raised his other arm in a peace sign.

Zelda felt her frost melting to his display. “Not quite, I’m afraid, dear guardsman.”

The youthful man stood straight upward, set at attention. “My deepest apologies, Princess. Please reprimand me.”

Her face tugged upwards into a half-smile. “Later, perhaps. You may search your memory and try again shortly, as I’m in need of an escort to the library.”

The guard blinked. “Your personal library, ma’am? Or the public one.”

Zelda mulled it over. She turned and looked to her castle, estimating it could take as long as an hour walk till she arrived. She looked down at herself. If only she could muster the magic to teleport herself there as she had somehow done to here. Still, at least now she’d a guardsman with her. “No, the public one,” she said after a moment. “It seems I was meant to come down this way today.”

“Very good, ma’am,” the guard said. “If you’d please follow me.”

Zelda was lead over the cobblestones of the central area and down one of the seven main streets of the city. She realized, after a bit, that the library must be in a different district than she’d expected but didn’t tell this to the guard.

Along their way, Zelda was greeted by a number of citizens, most of them merrily going about their day. The sun had risen, now shining bright in the sky above. It was almost enough to cause the girl to forget the unpleasantness of the previous night.

They arrived to their destination, a large building made of quality stone. Pillars reached up to the second floor, with an arched door in the center beneath a dedicated carving of the Triforce glowing radiating like the sun, with the three golden goddesses near each edge. At the foot of the stairs, Zelda turned to her escort.

“Well? Have you remembered?” she asked.

He paused before softly admitting, “N-no ma’am.”

Zelda nodded. She approached the young guard and saw his languish go absolutely rigid. She took his right arm and raised it, putting his hand into a fist. “Like this.” Twice, she banged it upon his chest, then flattened his palm, and had him cover his chest. “Three times, and then you hold it,” she instructed. “One beat for each of the Golden Goddesses, and then a pledge to acknowledge them. They’d be quite upset if you didn’t pay them your respects.”

“Y-yes, ma’am. Thank you, ma’am, I won’t forget again,” he said.

Zelda smiled. “See that you don’t. Send for the castle, if you would. Let them know I’m attending to studies here, and would like a carriage to return to the castle around midday.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard said, before turning about and hurrying off towards the castle. Zelda finally loosed a charmed chuckle. It wasn’t often that she had the chance to interact with those outside of the refined castle dwellers, and there was a certain charm to the flawed conduct. She supposed it made her feel better, in turn, rather than trying to retain the legend of her own divinity through Goddess Hylia.

Zelda then regarded the doors to the library. They were a matching set of solid oak, painted white to match the nearby stone and with golden handles. Zelda rolled her eyes at herself. She was worrying herself too much. If she let this mannerism continue, every door would become the ‘door.’

She entered the library and quickly set to work, gathering multiple tomes about the history of Hyrule. She’d read many of them before, but she intended to pour over them now, searching for anything she could liken to the events of the night past, or the worries she’d felt come after.

At the last moment, Zelda decided to add another book to the pile. It promised to detail known forms of magic, and spells that users were known to invoke. She hoped to find something about her unintended transportation among the pages.

She had just sat down and made ready the first book when her belly rumbled, reminding her of her lack of a morning meal. She pouted down to herself, then turned to her package of chocolates. Hardly a winning breakfast, but it was all she had. With long pale fingers, Zelda snipped through the paper, carefully unwrapping it and placing it atop her book-covered table.

The interior of the package was an easy coated fabric, finery far greater than she had imagined of the little shop, with another bit of heavier paper covering the top. Zelda held the package upside down, judging by the Triforce emblem of the paper, and turned it about before removing the page to reveal multiple chocolate balls, small little bits no bigger than her thumb. She felt her lips tug back downwards. There were only 12 pieces of candy in the container. She scooped one up between her forefinger and her thumb, looking at it. “What’s the point in having candy for breakfast if there’s only so few pieces anyway?” she asked herself before popping the chocolate into her mouth.

The effect on Zelda’s mind was instantaneous. A burst of flavor electrified through her entire being, causing her to body to shiver from the pleasurable taste. Her mouth began to heavily salivate, her tongue twisting the ball around her mouth while bits of chocolate began to melt and drip into her throat.

“Ooooohhh,” she moaned with dainty luxury. Her fingers tightened into a small fist, flexing while the pure taste of the sugars and cocoa flowed into her mind, and down into her belly.

So enraptured with the taste, Zelda neglected to notice just how much her stomach seemed to be enjoying the treat. With each drop, Zelda’s toned body was visibly softening. Evidence of her time spent in training was vanishing from sight with each swallow overriding her muscles with a layer of soft, supple, flesh.

Her throat throbbed, and as sudden as it had come and overpowered them, the chocolate treat vanished from her taste buds while it dropped into her slightly smoother belly. Once it landed, her middle released a discernible quake. Zelda, thinking it was hunger, and indeed now feeling as if she was starving, missed the malleable press of her stomach reaching out a further inch.

Another treat vanished, another inch gained, another shot into her mouth with impressive speed. Zelda’s finery broke into lascivious decadence. She wanted nothing more than for another piece of chocolate, to coat her tongue in the delectable nectar provided by the goddesses and smother the treat until every warm drip pooled into her increasingly glutted body.

Zelda’s body grew softer. Slowly, surely, her thighs thickened along with her hips, and her waistline pushed further outwards. Her breasts, too, filled outwards, and were joined even by the girl’s arms as their firm tissue began to show evidence of jiggling fatness while she shoved the rest of the treats into her mouth and polished off the box.

When the last treat was devoured, Zelda’s hand thunked thrice off of the empty box before she realized that her supply had been diminished. She blinked, looking over the box, even picking it up to be sure she hadn’t dropped anything. “Oh, my,” she whispered to herself. She looked round and saw that there was nothing there.

It was then that Zelda remembered herself, and her eyes shot up to look around the library. She wiped at her lips with the back of her hand and found a small smudge of chocolate.

The girl lost herself once more, eyes glazing over while her tongue skated against the surface of her hand. She shivered, sending tiny ripples throughout her torso. Leaning back in her seat, the princess let out an extremely satisfied sigh while her brain hurriedly tried to catch up. Those chocolates were astounding, amazingly crafted by something that Zelda wanted to refuse belief was just simple baking. Yet, even as she thought this, her senses perked up, and found no trace of magical energy other than her own powerful will.

Zelda lounged in the chair for some time, breathing deeply. What in goddesses name was she doing? How could she lose her bearing like that?

Her attempts to reprimand herself into resuming her royal mannerisms bounced off without purchase, as she could not help the exhausted feeling of vigorous joy that steamed from her body. She was beyond satisfied, she was engorged with sweetened sugars, yet again she found her hand probing questioningly inside of the empty box. She frowned, then lifted the box to her face and peered inside.

Smooth round fabric bent inwards where her treats had laid. Obviously, there must have been some sort of mistake, perhaps a shortage of chocolates in the package? Zelda looked to a nearby window. The sun had hardly moved.

She turned her attention from the empty box to her stack of books. She rubbed at her nose before setting the box aside. She had work to do, studies to read. She opened the first book, Signs of the Triforce, and began to read. She held it in her lap, using one hand to turn pages with her other holding the spine.

As she read, her hunger faded, replaced by her want for knowledge. Whilst most of it was just review, Zelda was intent on finding something in the vast library that could help her make sense of the last night.

The first book gave little results, speaking of the purity of the Triforce and its representation with the royal family, as well as the meaning to the common man. She stopped reading when she got to a section about speculation of the Triforce affecting harvests, and turned her mind once more to food.

Goddesses, she was hungry. She berated herself for leaving the castle without having a proper breakfast. When she got back, she’d have to have a through lunch to atone for it… though perhaps she could stop at the candy shop once more on the way back. Just to pick up a few chocolates, a box or two really, to make good on her royal promise.

She stroked a hand through her long hair and found herself inspecting her dress. She sighed, realizing she was trying to distract herself, before becoming actively distracted by the effect of the deep breath. Her belt seemed a bit tighter than she had remembered it being. Indeed, her pink tunic spilled over its surface, and even obscured it from view when Zelda breathed in deeply.

Standing from her chair, Zelda slipped her finger to the clasp of her belt and undid it before moving to refasten it. Honestly, she must have hurried her way through her morning ritual if she had missed something as trivial as replacing her… belt…

Zelda turned down. She looked at herself more closely, pulling the belt to the third clasp, as she always did. She had to strain to do so, and the tightness caused her middle to bulge over the top of the leather. Her blue eyes narrowed in miscomprehension. She lowered the belt to the table and slid a hand over her middle.

Her eyes rose, unfocused while her hands felt the soft curve of her belly, and her cheeks began to burn ferociously. How had this happened? She was softened around the middle! Had she been slacking in her duties?

Yes, her mind immediately responded. It had been years since she’d done exercise more serious than what could be said was simple maintenance for her body and even then, she’d never been strong. Her power was in her will, and even now she could feel the potency of her magic focused in her core.

She pouted, looking down at herself. Denial was not something that served one well. She was evidentially growing soft, and she needed to address it. Perhaps her metabolism was slowing, or perhaps she simply needed to train more, but Zelda believed that nobody could accept the responsibility of her lack of awareness other than herself. It made her feel even more frustrated.

“Goddess of wisdom,” she bemoaned bitterly, patting her stomach and feeling the clap of chubbiness beneath her dress. “That’s me…”

She plopped back into her seat, placing face in her cheeks in a frustrated pout. She had far too much going on right now to worry about the state of her royal figure.

Her tummy grumbled.

She grumbled her own frustrations.

Zelda leaned upon one of her hands, running her Triforce earring between her forefinger and her thumb. The problem at hand was significant, but she still didn’t know the context or the scope. All she had was the warning, some knowledge about harvesting times, and about fifteen pounds of extra fluff.

Yet the scope must be monstrous if someone was able to penetrate the most powerful magic, without malice, in order to leave a simple message. Unless several of the sages had grouped their magic together in order to leave Princess Zelda a false warning as some sort of flag… Maybe a metaphysical door? The door to one’s mind? The door to adulthood?

A pair of iron boots entered the library, causing quite the ruckus upon the tile flooring. Zelda swiftly stood and replaced her belt upon herself, going only to the second loop for the clasp. She pulled her tunic down more, before realizing that that simply made it appear tighter over her belly, and was tugging loose fabric back up when one of her royal guard came round the shelves.

“Your excellency,” he said with a bow without missing a beat at her off-guard appearance.

Zelda hesitated for a moment before striking the notion from her head and proceeding to fix herself. She tugged the tunic up from her tight belt, raising her dress to her calves but obscuring her plumper appearance. Then she turned to the guard. “Good afternoon, guardsman.”

He stood straight, looking past her. “Your carriage awaits to return you to the castle. Will you be needing these books?”

Zelda pushed in her seat. “Yes, I think I might,” she said.

The guard stepped forth and gathered the pile into his arms, and the smartly turned and marched forth, with Zelda following closely behind.

The guard opened the door and the pair made their way from the library to the cobbled street. Zelda’s carriage was made of dark wood carved with florid markings and beset with colored iron decoration. Panes of glass looked into the box, and she saw the movement of a figure from inside as they approached.

The door was opened by a gauntleted hand. The guardsman deposited the books into the compartment before going round to take up position with the driver, and Zelda entered the carriage.

“Good afternoon, Princess,” said the lightly armored occupant. Zelda was greeted by the Captain of her Guard, a man named Vesmas who rarely ever left the central guardhouse. He was an older gentleman, with ashen skin and close-cropped hair. He spoke now with a familiar smile, “You caused quite the stir, this morning.”

Zelda perked her lips, smoothing some ruffled upon her dress. “Yes, well, it isn’t often that a magical user is able to catch me unawares.”

He nodded his head. “I have no doubt that the interloper shall be sent for and obtained within a short time. But that is not what I am referring to.”

Zelda’s brow furrowed, and the carriage began to move. Slow steps tugged them along the paved street, though the usual pleasant sensation of travel continuously caused Zelda to contemplate the bounce of her body. “What do you mean, then?” she inquired.

Vesmas bowed his head. “Your disappearance was not missed, my lady. Your guard was in an utter state of panic this morning, scurrying about the castle like frightened mice, yet telling no one of their plight.” A glint of irritation was evident in his voice. “I doubt the populace noticed the lack of exterior guards at the castle door, or the heightened patrol rate on the nearby walls. I had begun to expect the worst.”

“You’d thought I’d been taken?” she asked.

He nodded before his grin returned. “I’d begun to prepare the towns guard to receive instruction when one of our freshly minted men came stumbling into the building claiming that he’d seen you with a box of chocolates and escorted you to the library.”

The man’s next words were interrupted by a heightened growl that rumbled forth from Zelda’s middle, audible over the clacking of the horseshoes outside. Vesmas was like stone, he did not look away from the princess’s face. Zelda, however, was like jelly. Her hand fell to her rumbling stomach and she worriedly looked down at herself. She was famished.

“Private Tartan informed of your request to return to the castle, but perhaps you’d prefer to stop for something upon the way back?” Vesmas suggested.

Zelda likely could have said no, returned to the castle without further conversation, and had a salad made for her by her attendants.

She just didn’t want to.