Alvar approached his house. It was on the quieter side of Castle Town, where there were no shops, just houses. Their house was not very large or obvious, as one might expect the house of the King's personal guard and the Queen's personal servant to live in. Instead it blended in perfectly and was very cosy, just the way the small family liked it. They did not want to stick out in the first place, as they were very humble and Alvar had a very dangerous job and was hated by many people for different reasons. So calling attention in general was not a great idea.

He looked up to see smoke coming from the chimney of the painted white house walls and several rock bricks lining the foundation. The house had a wooden roof, and a balcony overlooking the vast Hyrule field. There was a small stable big enough to fit two horses to the right side of the house. A black horse with a white star at the top of its forehead peeked its head out of one of the stalls. In the stall next to it was a chestnut colored horse that was covered in white splotches and was eating out of the hay feeder nailed to the side of the stable wall.

As Alvar came within 30 feet of his house he heard a scream come from the house, "Zarya!" he gasped. 

He grabbed his royal broadsword from its sheath and started to run toward his house but stopped in his tracks when he heard, " Link! Where are you?! I swear to Hylia if you pull this stupid spider trick one more time today you're making your own dinner!"

Alvar sighed in relief then started to quietly laugh to himself. He put his broadsword back in his sheath and continued to walk up to his house. He could hear softly Zarya scolding Link, and Link laughing.

He walked up to the entrance, opened the wooden door and stepped inside, appreciating the rush of cooler air. He looked around and saw Zarya sitting on the couch reading and Link sitting down next to her sharpening his wooden sparring sword. He closed the door and as soon as it clicked shut both Zarya and Link abruptly looked up. Zarya smiled brightly at him and Link jumped up. 

"Dad!" Link exclaimed as he stood up and ran toward him. He jumped into his father's arms.

"How are you doing little Link?" Alvar asked.

"Great Dad! I got to play with the other kids today, and since it was warm today, Mom let me go swimming with them at the Hylia River!"

"That sounds fun, did you give your mother any trouble today?" 

Link looked sheepish at his father's question, "Well, I mean, not really. " 

Zarya glanced at Link, "No trouble, only mischief," she stated, but she was still smiling. Alvar started to laugh.

"I could hear you scream a minute ago, and honestly wouldn't be surprised if all of Castle Town heard it too!" 

As Alvar continued to laugh, Link joined him, and Zarya's face turned a slight shade of red.

"They could not!" she protested, but soon joined them laughing as well,"It's not my fault that fake spider looks so real," she softly added.

"Where did he put it this time?" Alvar asked, still smiling.

"In the bookmarked page of my book," Zarya replied.

Alvar ruffled Link's messy light brown hair, "Very clever indeed." 

 Link looked up at his father who was considerably taller than he was and grinned, pleased to have avoided trouble for his antics. 

"Have you checked Shadow and Milkshake's water this afternoon?"

"No Dad," Link responded.

"Well you should go check their water."

 And with that Link marched out through the door and headed toward the small wooden stable next to their house. Alvar kicked off his white, royal guard boots in the middle of the room, but after getting a playful warning look from Zarya relocated them to where they rightfully belonged. Alvar placed his royal guard cap on the table and went to his room to change out of his royal guard uniform and into something more comfortable. He came out of his room in Hylian trousers and a plain, light red shirt. He sat down next to Zarya who had sat back down on the couch and continued reading. He watched her pretty, light brown eyes follow the words across the page.

When Alvar sat down she put her book down and looked at him. Her medium cut, light brown hair shined with the sunlight filtering through the window. She was always smiling unless given a reason not to. 

She laid her head on his shoulder, "I'm so tired, honestly I just want dinner and bed," she announced. Alvar smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Tiring week?" He asked.

"Yes." she replied.

Alvar smiled mischievously, "After those long 7 days, you must feel very week." 

Zarya looked at him, trying to appear as disappointed as possible, "You know, you're not as funny as you think you are," Zarya said, trying to suppress her giggle.

"Oh, you don't like my jokes? How punfortunate,"  he started to chuckle, and Zarya lightly punched him on the shoulder.

"What's for dinner?" he questioned after he had recovered from her punch.

"Ha, I have no clue! I was thinking something easy to make. Creamy Vegetable Soup?"

"Sounds good, I'll help you make it," Alvar stood up and offered his hand to Zarya, who looked at it and chuckled, but accepted it, and Alvar pulled her on to her feet, which wasn't hard since she was light. 

"You know , I never would have thought being the personal servant to the Queen would be so draining," he teased.

She playfully scowled, "You try it, and tell me what you think afterward. For the last time, it's harder than it seems."

Alvar smiled at her, "I think I would make a great personal servant to the Queen."

Zarya rolled her eyes, "I'll make sure to let her know." 

Alvar suddenly looked at her with a look of great concern, "Please don't ever tell her I ever said that." 

Zarya started laughing, "I jest, but don't tempt me." 

The two walked into the kitchen and started to prepare for dinner. Link soon walked through the door and saw them preparing vegetables.

"What's for dinner?" he asked.

"Creamy Vegetable Soup," his father replied.

 Link started to eye his father's royal cap lying on the table and then smiled. He slowly started to inch his way towards the table, trying to be as unsuspicious as possible. Although Zarya knew Link's habit of constantly taking his father's cap and his inching toward the table and mischievous look did not escape her eyes.

"Alvar?"

"Yes?"

"What's that one wise thing you sometimes say? Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it?"

Alvar looked at her confused, "I don't get it."

"You left your guards cap on the table again." 

"So? Oh wait...... Shoot!" 

It was too late. Link snatched it and ran out of the house. Zarya doubled over laughing watching her husband chase after Link outside, trying to get his cap back. Alvar caught Link fairly quickly since he was very fast, put his cap on his head and tossed a laughing Link over his shoulders and walked back to the entrance of his house.

"Hey dad? Could you please train with me until dinner?" Link begged, sure he was forgiven for his mischief.

"I would, but I already told your mother that I would help her make dinner. Someone needs to make sure she doesn't burn the house down," Alvar replied, then chuckled to himself.

Zarya smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears, "Alvar, you can train with him, I think I can manage to make soup by myself. And if I do burn something, I will call you back, it's not like I make dinner all the time or something. I'll call you two when it's ready," she then walked back inside and left Alvar and Link to practice.