Through Bars
He was leaning against he bars, watching her with those eyes- that expression that said you were nothing compared to the horrors he had seen before.
That alone made him-in theory at least-seem immortal. Never before had she been more conquered by one look. Zant had taken her kingdom with an army, Gannondorf her existence with his unholy power; but this man took her confidence, her morals, her very understanding of life and her role as princess and crushed it with one long hard glare.
This both confused and angered the princess to a degree that some small-still innocent-part of her understood to be both ridiculous and arrogant, but her blue-blooded pride was not to be ignored. The whole business with Zant had made her realize that almost nothing was more important then keeping stability in Hyrule. The only thing she felt was more important was making sure it was under her name-the name of the royal family.
The people of Hyrule already regarded him as a hero (and with good reason, for the princess had acknowledged him as such) but she would be damned if her kingdom would begin to disregard her ancient bloodline and her divine right to rule in favor of a common-blooded, Ordon-born, goat-herding, boy, with no attachment to the royal family.
The Princess knew Hyrule loved the Hero more then they did her.
So to stave off any more embarrassment and to regain control over her country the princess made the only logical decision. Barely two weeks after the dust had settled over the final battlefield, and the Mirror had shattered the princess sought to complete what was sure to become a legend someday.
She sent word to Link in Ordon that she had chosen him to be her husband and King of Hyrule.
He knew full and well what the consequences for defying a princess of Hyrule were- he had been warned, threatened, hunted and finally jailed for not complying with her wishes. Still he did not revere her as a commoner should, he did not adore her as the rest of her subjects did.
The hem of her pink gown was soiled, her silk slippers caked in the mud and slime that coated the dungeon's cracked floor. She felt filthy-it went deeper then a physical feeling. She blamed him-how was not important. She stood tall in front of his cell, as cold and unmovable as a statue. She dared him to cross her.
He gladly accepted.
"Do you fear loosing control so much that you would resort to this princess?" Link asked calmly, a taunt in his voice.
"This is necessary."
"This is ridiculous." Link countered. "I wasn't aware refusing a marital engagement was a crime equal to murder or piracy."
Zelda took a deep breath and collected herself. For a subtle man he could be infuriating.
"That is hardly the point."
The dark blue eyes were skeptical and condescending but his tone was polite. "Then what is" he asked.
"I won't be defied!" Zelda exclaimed, looking her statuesque calm. She fought to make her voice level. "I lost my kingdom once and I will not see it happen again."
"I don't want your kingdom princess."
Zelda's frail temper burst, how dare he be so contemptuous with her? "But you should want me!" she shrieked, a guard near the exit started in alarm. "You should want to obey me! You should want to love me like a Hero should!"
"I never asked for this princess." Link said simply, his eyes wide and honest. Zelda was furious now, why didn't he understand?
"You needn't! Its in your blood! You are a descendent of the Great Hero! He loved his princess-my ancestor- without being asked! Why are you denying what has already been preordained?" At the mention of love, a bear flicker of anger shadowed his face.
"I don't love you Zelda. I am loyal to you because you are a strong leader for these people-but you neither want nor deserve the love you are asking for!"
"How dare you presume I am lowering myself to ask for your love you impetuous boy! I'm not begging for your attention like some village girl! How dare you presume to know what I want or deserve? After all we have been through-against such hardship I have regained my throne-it was fated just like the princess of old! She began the Golden Era with The Hero of Time by her side because he was fated to love her! How is this any diff-"
"No princess." Link growled, Zelda gave an affronted huff at being interrupted. "Love cannot be fated and it cannot be demanded through messengers and threats and the bars of a jail cell!"
"Nor can it mend a shattered mirror."
Link was silent and for a second Zelda fancied she could see the wolf in his lovely, ever-so bitter face. She knew it was cruel and she knew he hated her now but she wanted him to understand-this valiant, beautiful, unpretentious man-she wanted him to feel her pain. She wanted his golden heart to bleed for not loving her-for accusing her of not being sincere, and for rejecting her. No, it was true she did not love him, not the man before her, but she loved her country, her position and the idea of him. The idea of them together. A fairytale ending to what had been her darkest nightmare. Wasn't that enough like love?
"She's gone," the princess said coldly. "and she's not coming back. You forget Hero- you are a human, a creature of light, citizen of Hyrule and a commoner at that. She is the Twilight Princess. I have made you a substantial offer and you deny me for some naïve view of love. It is unrealistic, unattainable and you betray me as you cling to it."
He was no longer looking at her, a single tear traced his sharp cheekbone-glimmering in the torchlight-down his jaw, leaving a pale streak in the dust and grime that he had acquired from being jailed for nearly three days. Then wolf returned and his hands clenched the bars for a moment with a single-minded ferocity-knuckles white, arms shaking-
Then it was gone.
The hero dropped his arms, crossing them over his chest and stepped away from the cell door, turning his back towards the princess. If she had not known him, she might have though this was a surrender but she saw the tension that had left his hands appear in the set of his shoulders- his neck- the way he moved away from her then paced back. Then he looked up.
It was in his eyes as well.
And the princess understood why their enemies feared him.
The Hero was loyal to her during the Twilight war only because hers was the side his morals agreed with and hers was the side of peace. He was not going to watch a evil dictator turn Hyrule into a wasteland- killing innocent people- those he cared about. They were the bad guys so he defeated them-plain and simple. Now the war was over and peace was returned to the land for the time being; suddenly he had other priorities-other loyalties. And in this moment the princess realized that she was the bad guy; and suddenly her blue blooded ancestors and the hero of old didn't matter in a dark dungeon corridor, face to face with the most dangerous man in Hyrule.
"I betray no one." he said. "You forget I am not a knight of your army, I gave you back your throne princess and now I hold no duty to you until peace in Hyrule is disturbed." He paused and took a great shaking breath, as though stepping into a battle where he knew he would not emerge unscathed.
"You may rule my country Zelda, but she is my princess. I love her-not because I am fated to and not for my own gains. I may never see her again but I'd rather live life alone with that love then here living a lie with you." He was a man of few words, and he spat each of these out with scorn and carefully controlled anguish.
Zelda saw a man before her, a simple farm boy but with an extraordinary will and a broken heart. Strange-she had always viewed him as "The Hero", a tool of defense she wielded for her kingdom. She had never considered the man without the sword-without the blood on his hands. As a person.
"Leave."
"Pardon?"
"Leave I said!" Zelda whirled and called to the guard. Snatching the key from him, she jammed it in the lock of the Hero's cell and ripped the door open. He watched he with a wary curiosity-anger seemingly quelled. "Bordin call a wagon to meet you at the south gate!"
"Are you-"
"Go Link! I'll arrange for a wagon to take you back to Ordon, just get out of my sight!"
Link had his faults but stupidity was not among them. Countless dangers had taught him to take an escape when presented-he would leave this deadlock while circumstances were in his favor and return to quiet Ordon while he still could. He brushed wordlessly past the princess and the guards escorted him to the exit.
"Where are my things?" Link asked the stout man on his right.
"The armory." the man said-startled at being addressed directly. "Someone'll send a page."
Link chanced a glance back to the Princess-she was not watching them leave the dungeons-instead she was staring down at her hands- she held something wrapped in black cloth. It glinted red in the torchlight. Winking at him.
Midna winking.
Link's heart clenched- and he pushed everything out of his mind except relief at returning home.
I originally intended this to be a one-shot but if I get enough good reviews I'll continue it, it's just a charecter sketch so far. Yes, Zelda's immensly selfish and immature but she's a high born princess who's been through hell, she's use to getting things her way and is not happy that Link's putting up a fight.
If I do continue it'll focus more on Link and Midna.
Reviews make me a happy writer ;)