Disclaimer: Me no own Zelda.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I am ever grateful. (bows graciously) Syran is the name I have given to the equivalent of Satan in Hyrule.

Chapter 2

The sound of Evan's spoon landing with a clatter into his half-empty soup bowl made Link flinch.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN-" the elder knight began loudly, paused when several people glanced puzzledly over at him, then leaned forward and started again in a lower voice, "What do you mean you didn't sleep with her? You didn't do anything?"

Link shook his head, his eyes staring intently at his steak dinner in his plate. "No."

"Nothing?"

"No," Link repeated firmly, clutching his fork tightly in his left hand. He raised blazing blue eyes up at the brunette.

"Did you see how young she was? I….couldn't have anyway…" Link trailed off while picking absently at his meat.

Evan sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his brown locks. "Well if you weren't gonna do it you shoulda told me Link…I wouldn't have minded a second girl…" he said.

Link shot him a glare. "She was way too young for you!" the blond hissed back.

Evan glared back, and then the two of them continued eating in silence in the nearly vacant mess hall. It was an uncomfortable silence; especially since Link had more to say but he had basically left no more room for discussion with his last comment.

After multiple sighs, Evan dropped his silverware into his bowl and slammed his hands onto the table. "What is it Link?" he growled, tired of hearing Link's moans.

Link absent-mindedly raked his fork along the surface of his meat before finally opening his mouth. "I've been thinking…" he began, and his elder immediately rolled his eyes.

"That girl -her name was Ruby- she didn't seem like the other harlots," he blushed at the word, "She seemed…different…"

Evan rapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. "Oh? How so?" he inquired.

Link stared thoughtfully down at his plate. "Her eyes…they weren't empty like the other girls' were… They were full of sadness…like…well, I dunno…" He glanced up at his companion whom was looking at him funny.

Evan smirked. "You're so naïve, Link…but that's what I like about you!" the older man began, punching the blond in the arm from across the table. His expression suddenly turned grim and his voice became solemn.

"Don't worry about her Link, it's a waste of time. All harlots sell their souls to Syran; that's just common knowledge. That is the path that has been set for them now and there's nothing we can do about it."

Link's eyes widened, then he looked away. "She doesn't belong there…" he muttered dejectedly.

Evan reached across the table again, this time to pat Link on the shoulder. "Don't worry about her ok? In a few days time you'll forget all about this," the brunette said. He placed his silverware into his empty soup bowl and stood up. "I'll see you later Link, I've got a bit of work to do."

Link watched him go, scorning the very thought of just simply forgetting about Ruby. Those eyes would be forever imprinted into his memory.

---

Like a zombie, Link slumped thoughtlessly down the cold grey halls of the castle. His mind was elsewhere: on what to do with the rest of his vacation, when would be the next time he could leave the castle to visit Malon, wanted to forget about her, like Evan had told him he would; he really did. But he couldn't stop his mind from wandering to that night, that shameful stormy night. Of course he hadn't committed a shameful act per se, but he considered even stepping foot in such a foul place was dishonorable in itself.

He rounded a corner, his eyes practically closed and his head downcast, when he rammed right into someone who had been coming around the corner at the same time. The other person stumbled backwards, and upon instinct, Link reached out and grabbed his or her arm before he or she could fall to the floor.

"Ack!" was the rather feminine sounding voice that was elicited from the figure. Link blinked in surprise as his eyes finally focused on the lovely young face of the Princess of Hyrule.

"Z-Zelda!" Link exclaimed, feeling his face grow warm with embarrassment. "S-sorry about that…I wasn't watching where I was going," he apologized clumsily, bending down to pick up several of the papers she had dropped.

The tomboyish princess placed a hand on her hip and tutted softly. "And you are protecting my country," she said, shaking her head in a mockingly disappointed way. Link scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.

She smiled and tapped him on the side of his elbow with her knuckles. "When are you going to be back on duty?" she asked.

"Day after tomorrow," Link replied, tiredly running a gloved hand through his golden locks.

She frowned a little, but still maintained her cheery mood. "So soon? You knights are so overworked! I mean look at you! You're practically a zombie!" she laughed, giving him a playful shove. Link, too tired and not all too caring of being shoved anyway, took a step back to steady himself.

Zelda tilted her lovely blonde head to the side and eyed him up and down. "I think I might ask my father to give you more time off," she said.

Link immediately shook his head. "No! Princess, that's alright. I…don't want to be treated differently from the other knights," he replied quickly.

The Hyrulean Princess placed her hands on her hips. "You saved our country from an evil wizard and became a great hero and you don't want to be treated differently?" she asked in incredulity.

Link smiled halfheartedly. "It may sound silly to you or to anyone else, but that's how I want things. I don't particularly want to stand out…even more so than I already do…"

He looked thoughtfully down at the princess, whom was about a head shorter than him. He grasped her white gloved hand in his own. "I'll be fine, ok? Don't worry about me. I'll be in tip-top shape by the time my vacation is over," he said, managing a small smile.

Zelda smiled back and squeezed his hand. "Alright. But you take it easy, ok?"

Link nodded and maneuvered around her to continue on his way. "I will Princess."

---

He had wasted the entire day away, much to his chagrin. The sun was already setting and darkness had settled into his room. He was much too comfortable on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, to light a candle, nor did he really need the illumination anyway.

Although Link had been most content in his bed and inactive for quite some time, he still hadn't managed to fall asleep; not that he hadn't tried. Whenever he closed his eyes, he was met with large crimson red orbs, as if someone with red eyes were lying just above him. The intensity of the emotion he felt in those eyes made him shiver in empathy.

"So sad…" were the words that escaped Link's lips involuntarily. They were uttered so low that even if someone had been lying beside him, they would not have heard him speak. Still, the embarrassment crept to Link's face and he twisted this way and that, as if physically trying to remove the thoughts of her from his mind.

The blond hero shut his eyes tightly then rolled over and pressed his face into his pillow. He gripped the pillow's soft cover tightly into his fists then brought the edges of the pillow up to cover his ears. After lying like this for several minutes, he lifted his head up and gasped for air.

"Damnit!" he cursed frustratedly, throwing his pillow to the side. "The only way I can get rid of these thoughts is to confront them," he said to himself. He turned to glance out the window as the crescent moon illuminated the sky.

Link sighed and began searching for his boots.

---

Sawwy for the wait! I felt kinda uninspired for a while to write this, and I kinda still do, but I still have ideas and stuff, up to a point. Next chapter is gonna have a bit of sexual content in it. Not so much that is illegal on the site but some lol. Expect to see more soon D

-LunaRyuu