She lay face down on the cold marble in a pool of hot blood. A dreamy lassitude filled her, leaving no room for the pain that had lit fire to her body before. She felt a light touch on her back; a shudder raced along her spine. A dry voice laughed softly, echoing against the palace walls. "It's over, Your Highness," he said, trailing his fingers along her skin. "Yield to me. To us."
She bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood, and fought the urge to tremble. Summoning her strength, she whispered, "No," watching the trace of fog that formed on the ground from her breath.
"No?" the voice repeated, amused. His hand's pressure increased and she let out a gasp of pain. "Would you abandon your people for the sake of foolish pride?"
She took a ragged breath and grated out, "We will not yield to you. Ever."
"Eternity is a long time, Princess, one which you have no concept of. But I can help you to understand." The magic trickled through his fingers onto her skin, burning and pricking wherever it touched. She gasped and tried to move away, but he held her down. Tears of rage and humiliation pricked at her eyes. The once proud ruler of her kingdom, reduced to watching her people die before her, helpless and without hope as this man tormented her. Fury grew inside her, hotter than the searing press of his magic. She gathered what strength she had left within her, and prayed to whatever god would listen to one so thoroughly abandoned.
"I will not yield!" The words burst from her mouth, and she felt a power escape her. It swelled, enveloping her in a shroud of burning light, and she felt a surge of triumph. Her death would be on her terms. She had not surrendered. The light seared through her mind like a flash of fire, and she welcomed the darkness that grew from within and stole her from conscious thought and pain.
------------------------------------------------
Link stretched his arms over his head and leaned back, face tilted up to feel the full force of the summer sun. Bees droned nearby, courting red, white, and yellow roses nodding in the gentle breeze. Letting out a yawn, he lay back in the lush, short-cropped grass. Far off he could hear the changing of the Guard; soon the noise faded and he felt another yawn rise up, his eyes drifting closed. Something flat hit him lightly on the face. He let out a yelp and sat up, looking for his assailant. Princess Zelda of Hyrule, second in line to the throne, stared down at him, one eyebrow arched in wry amusement. "There's the sheet music you wanted," she said, sitting down beside him. She twisted her long, strawberry blonde hair back from her face and smoothed out her skirt with a sigh.
"Thanks," he said, picking up the scattered sheets of parchment. "I hope I have better luck with this piece. I keep going flat on the third chord of the Kakariko folk song you gave me last time."
"Maybe if you played something more than that ancient ocarina, you could hold a note or two."
"My uncle gave me that ocarina, as you well know, and it works just fine."
"I suppose," she said, one hand picking at a blade of grass.
Link watched her preoccupied movements. He rolled up the sheet music and tapped her knee with it. "What's the matter?"
"Hm? Oh, nothing."
"Liar."
Zelda's mouth tightened. "Who are you to-"
"Don't pull rank on me," he said, "we've know each other too long, and it hasn't worked yet."
"Idiot." She drew her knees up to her chest, long fingers twisting the fine linen of her skirt.
"It'll be all right."
She turned to him with a tight smile. "Now who's the liar?"
Link let out a sigh. He had more than an idea of what was bothering her. Almost a year ago the Queen had passed away from an illness that had wasted her body, a slow and lingering death that still haunted the castle and its inhabitants. Ever since the loss of his wife, King Daphnes had abandoned his duties as ruler of Hyrule. Prince Gustaf, heir to the monarchy, was doing his best to take up the slack left by his father, but he was not the shrewd politician his father was. Many neighboring kingdoms sensed the weakening of Hyrule's foundations and were circling the walls, clawing at the ever-growing chinks. Link always thought Zelda would have made a better ruler. He knew of no one sharper in wit or mind. She tried to help her brother, but the Prince often rejected her aid, not wanting to rely on someone else and appear weak. He wondered if the Prince also recognized that she was better suited, and pushed her away for that reason. He couldn't be sure; while Zelda condescended to make friends with commoners, the Prince worried too much about his status and image.
"What about that new guy, I heard he's helping the Prince out."
Zelda's mouth tightened into a thin line. "Gustaf seems to value his opinion."
"You don't?"
"I don't know, I haven't been around him much to make a fair assessment. I'm not sure I wish to change that."
He gave her a quizzical look, and she said, "I don't know, it's just a feeling. Maybe I'm upset that he'd rather listen to a stranger than me."
"I heard he's a wizard."
"Gustaf thinks so. I haven't seen him do any magic."
"Is Auru still giving you trouble over your own practice?"
"Yes," she said, leaning back and propping herself up with her hands. "Not that that's stopped me before." She grinned, a hint of the old Zelda blossoming in her face. "It's not like I avoid my regular studies with him, and I've only set fire to the castle once."
Link laughed. "And your clothes, mine, the curtains, Impa's hair-"
"All right, enough!" She tore off a handful of grass and tossed it at him. "Anyway, we should be focusing on you. It's not everyday one becomes an officer of the Hylian Guard. Have you got your commission yet?"
"No," he said, "they're giving them out tomorrow."
"Your uncle must be proud."
He smiled. "Yeah, I think so. I sent a letter to him a few days ago, so I should hear back from him soon."
Her happy expression faded a little. "I hope they keep you nearby."
Link ducked his head, not sure how to answer. He had no choice, he had to go wherever they posted him, but he didn't want to leave the closest friend he had ever made. When he was 13, his uncle had sent him to Castleton, Hyrule's capital, to earn a place in the Hylian Guard. His uncle was a retired soldier, had earned his way to the ranking of Major before he left the service to farm on the outskirts of the Kokiri Forest and take care of his orphaned nephew. His parents, his uncle had told him, had been killed during a raid on the small village of Ordan, lying south of Lake Hylia, when he was a baby. He had no memory of them, though his uncle told him stories about his sister and the blacksmith she had married to try to fill in the holes left behind.
While he loved his uncle deeply, living alone on the outskirts of a forest believed to be haunted by spirits and demons left Link with few opportunities to make friends. Used to being alone in the wild, he had arrived at the large capital city and found himself overwhelmed by the crush of people, the noises and smells, and the press of buildings above him. Thanks to a letter sent with him by his uncle, he was given a place in the Guard as a cadet, and had excelled in his training and duties. Despite his courage in fighting, he found it hard to speak to the other boys. They mistook his silence for arrogance and began to ignore or tease him. A year had passed, and Link had been wandering the castle grounds, looking for a place to avoid the loneliness he felt around the others, when he had heard someone playing a violin. The talent and beauty of the music drew him towards the player. He came to a wall covered with climbing roses and ivy; he could hear the music behind it, but couldn't see a way to the source. Feeling reckless and stubborn, he gritted his teeth and climbed the wall, ignoring the prick of the flowers' thorns. He made it to the top, lost his balance and slipped off the wall, falling with a thud in a bed of dahlias and lilies. The music stopped, and when his vision cleared he saw a young girl crouched beside him, eyes wide. "Are you all right?" she asked.
He nodded, still breathless from landing flat on his back. She helped him sit up, making noises at the scratches on his hands and face. "What possessed you to climb that thing?" she asked, her blue eyes searching his.
"Music," he got out, "wanted to see who was playing."
Her mouth opened slightly in surprise before she burst into laughter. "You could have gone through there," she said between giggles, pointing at an archway further down the wall that was partially obscured by the climbing vegetation.
Link felt his face flush red; he turned his head, trying to cover his embarrassment with a cough. "Uh, sorry about that, I didn't mean to disturb you so I guess I should go, and uh, sorry." He stood up slowly, using the wall for support.
"That's all right," she said, standing with him. "If your taste in music is a great as I think it is, then I find no fault with your visit. What is your name?"
"Link," he said.
"Link," she repeated. "Do you work in the gardens? I've never seen you before."
"No I, uh, am a cadet with the Guard."
"Oh? A bit far from the training grounds, aren't we?"
"Yes," he said, feeling the flush come back.
"Well that's all right," she said. "If I were around sweaty, noisy men all day, I'd want out as well."
Link let out a surprised snort of laughter; she grinned in response, her face lighting up. For the first time Link focused on her and not his discomfiture, and noticed that besides the fine quality of her dress, she was a very pretty girl, and not likely someone he was supposed to associate with without a guardian nearby. "Um-"
Before he could finish, she grabbed him by the hand and led him over to an aged willow standing in the middle of the garden. Under the branches a polished violin lay on the grass, surrounded by scattered sheets of music. Some of the music was unfinished, and he asked in surprise, "Are you composing?"
"Yes," she said, releasing his hand and picking up a sheet. "I'm not very good yet; my brother tells me I sound like a dying keese whenever I play for him; but I enjoy creating things."
Link studied the notes. He knew a little of note reading, but most of his knowledge consisted of listening to his uncle play his ceramic ocarina and trying to copy the music he heard.
He looked up and saw her watching him. "What do you think?" she asked.
"Uh, sorry," he said, handing the sheet back to her. "I don't know much about this. I learned mostly by ear."
"What instruments can you play?"
"The ocarina."
"Really? Impa tried to teach me that once, but I kept shrilling the notes and got frustrated with it."
"It's easy," Link said, "Much easier than playing the violin, I think."
"You'll have to teach me," she said with a smile. "And in return, I'll teach you how to read music. I've always wanted someone my age to practice with, or at least someone my age that I can stand."
He raised his eyebrows in question, and she shook her head. "There's a few others that learn with me, but they take it too seriously. I want this to be fun, not work."
"Is that all right?" he asked.
"What?"
"You teaching me," he said. "I, that is, wouldn't that be a problem for you?"
"No." Her mouth firmed, and every inch of her body radiated stubborn determination. "What I do during my free time is of no one else's concern."
"Besides mine and your father's," a new voice stated. They both turned in surprise; a tall, muscular woman with piercing red eyes and white hair stood a few feet in from the archway.
"Impa!" The girl grinned widely and ran up to the woman, throwing her arms around her. "When did you get back?"
"Just now," she said, returning the hug. "So I haven't had time to hear of all the new ways you've caused trouble."
"Come now, me?"
A wry smile turned up the corners of Impa's full mouth. She shifted her attention to Link. "Who's this?"
Zelda released her hold and said, "Impa, this is Link, a new friend. Link, this is Impa, my nursemaid."
Link choked back the small noise of disbelief he felt rise up. The woman before him looked more like a personal bodyguard than nursemaid. He had an easier time picturing her on the battlefield than dressing and watching over a young noblewoman. "Pleasure to meet you," he said, bowing slightly to cover up his doubt.
"Link, is it?" she said, head cocking slightly like an intrigued cat. "Are you a cadet?"
"Yes," he said, straightening in surprise.
"Mmm, I see." She turned to the girl and said, "You have your studies with Auru soon, don't be late."
"Yes ma'am," she said, firing off a salute.
Impa tapped the girl on the nose, and said to Link, "Your uncle is a good man, see that you continue to live up to his reputation." Before he could formulate a response, she said, "I have to report to your father."
"All right, see you in a little bit." The girl waved good-bye, and when Impa had left, she turned to Link and asked, "Who is your uncle?"
"Uh, he was a Major in the Guard before he left," Link said, trying to recover his mental footing.
"Oh? Was your father also in the Guard?" She clasped her hands together and smiled a little wryly. "Is your family dedicated so much to the service of Hyrule and her people?"
"No," he said. "My father was a blacksmith, kind of famous for his skill, too."
Her smile faded. "Was?"
"Yeah," Link said, ducking his head slightly. "He and my mother died when I was young."
"I'm sorry."
An awkward silence fell in the garden. The girl shifted, then burst out, "Oh yes!" startling Link. "Ah, sorry," she said, biting her lip and grinning. "I just realized I never did introduce myself. That was incredibly rude of me."
"No, that's all right, I did sort of drop in on you unexpectedly."
She laughed a little and dropped a curtsey. "A pleasure to meet your unexpected acquaintance, Link. My name is Zelda. I hope we can continue to be friends from now on."
It had taken him some time to get over the shock that the young noblewoman he had trespassed on was none other than the royal princess. She had ignored his stammering apologies and somehow got him to promise to visit again. After a few visits he had gotten over his reticence and embarrassment, and began to understand Zelda as a person and not a royal figurehead. It was thanks to her that he began to better understand the others he trained with, and develop friendships with them, but no other came close to the first he had ever made at the palace.
AN: Congrats on making it this far. I hope you enjoy reading this sucker. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm stealing characters and ideas throughout the entire canon of the Zelda games and using them as I wish. Hopefully the end result will be something that's as entertaining to you as it is to me, so far. Also, how's the length of this update? Too long, too short? I'm one known for destroying her eyeballs by staring at the screen for hours on end, so I tend to err on the side of long-windedness. The end of this 'chapter' could really go on, but I don't want to make you wade through ten pages at each sitting unless you really want to. I write for my own amusement, but I post to hopefully entertain the reader, so let me know what you prefer. Thanks for reading!