Link watched as she sipped her wine, the red dampening her lips before she rubbed them together as she placed the glass down on the desk that separated them. Link glanced at the desk with slight indignation.

"I apologize Link, for my absence," Zelda said.

"Absence? I believe the word you are looking for is 'avoidance'." Link retorted, his jaw tight and expression unwavering.

Zelda did not flinch as he expected, instead she seemed far away, a lost look that left him feeling hollow. He clenched his fist, his heart hammering in silent sorrow, his mind screaming until he allowed himself to speak.

"Look at me."

She blinked and looked, and Link struggled to read her expression. He needed to know. He needed answers, and he would accept the consequences.

"What was his name?" He asked and swallowed.

Her eyes, sapphires, widened for a moment before she glanced down. She bit her lip, her nail scraping at the armrest of her chair. She looked back at him, her eyes sparkling with her secret.

"Rhaedrin."

Link bit the inside of his cheek, struggling to keep his heart from pounding, hoping she could not see the blood leaving his face. Hearing his name brought no relief.

"His ghost still haunts you," Link said.

Zelda leaned forward, her hands on the desk, fingers interlinked, "You've known for years, yet you never asked about him, not even his name. Why now?"

Link sighed, glanced at the stone floor then back at her, "I hoped I could make you forget. I hoped he would fade away the more I lavished you, the more I showed you how much I cared. But your absence proved to me that that isn't possible."

Her eyes shimmered, fixed on his as her lips formed a line as her throat worked. "So why now?"

Link retreated from her gaze and stared at his hands in his lap instead, "Because now I need to know. Who was he that ruined you for all other men?"

Zelda tilted her head to the side, her expression quizzical, "That's quite an assumption wouldn't you agree?"

Link sucked in a breath, irritated at her avoidance of his question, "Ruined you for me then."

"Dramatics don't suit you Link. You think too little of yourself."

"Zelda," He snapped, harsher than he intended. He sighed, and struggled to keep the quiver from his tone, "Please."

She stared into his eyes, intently so, almost as if pleading so that he would understand. She looked fragile then, and Link felt the pang of guilt for demanding it of her to reveal her heart to him. But didn't he give his own heart to her as well? She owed him that much.

"You want to know the terrible truth?" Her voice was soft yet her words were hitched and broken. She looked as if her resolve would crack and shatter, and Link was not prepared for anything of such nature, not from her.

"It was my fault entirely. When the twilight came he fought bravely for me. On my command he fought, and I surrendered and he died anyway." Zelda paused and looked away. She sniffed and swallowed, her eyes glazed with forming tears returned to stare at Link. "It has been years, so many, and I hardly remember what he looked like."

Link had no words, his heart breaking as she spoke with such sincerity, such melancholy.

"All I know," she went on, "is that he was the only thing that I ever really wanted. And when he died, not even my own kingdom could save me from his ghost."

Link gritted his teeth but the words still escaped. "Not even me?" The words were feeble, pitiful, and the knife was coming.

Her lips parted, but he could not hear her, refused to, so he spoke again before she could, louder with more urgency, a plea to prevent the knife, "Long have I been in love with you, Zelda. But was there ever a chance, a moment? Even now, is there any possibility?"

Her gaze, blue and glistening, did not leave his. Link braised for the bite of the knife.

"No," Zelda replied, her voice heavy, grave.

Link scoffed and shook his head, unable to look at her. He stood to his feet, the chair scraping angrily across the floor, his teeth bared, his eyes stinging. He went to leave, his hand clasping the door handle.

"Link."

His paused, his heart leaping with sudden foolish hope. He looked at her, her beauty even in sadness unmarred.

"I'm sorry it took me this long to figure that out," she said softly.

Link swore then his heart stopped beating then, even as tears left tracks on his cheeks.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?"

Zelda was silent, and he left her quarters, unable to look back.