Chapter Two

Mysteries of Age

Zelda remembered the day Link spoke of. She placed a gloved hand on her shoulder as if to check for the long-healed wound. A smile graced her lips as Link looked down, knowing the young Hero had never forgiven himself for interrupting her training.

He stared at his boots, wondering once again how those who lived in the palace can stand his filth. He barely moved his eyes, comparing her pristine boots to his own mud-covered shoes, silently scoffing in disgust. So focused on his self-scrutiny, he didn't see Zelda shake her head.

A hand rested on his shoulder, causing him to jump. The unmistakable warmth sinking through his tunic meant it could only be Impa.

"Link, you're family. You're also a teenage boy intent on training harder than the army's General. No one, aside from yourself, cares that you are muddy."

Impa smiled softly as the boy blushed. Though fifteen, some considered him more of a child than adult. King Daphnes would often remind them being a teenager meant one was caught between childhood and adulthood. Unlike Zelda, Link had never perfected the ability to fully hide his emotions.

This fact never failed to amuse Zelda or the kingdom, for Link's face showed his emotions as clearly as words were printed on paper. As his embarrassments turned his face red, the she couldn't help but pat his head.

"You've made a mess again. Bad puppy." She giggled softly as he rolled his eyes and held his hands against his chest as a puppy would hold their front paws. The guards and servants had often called Link Zelda's shadow and puppy when they were young. The healers would sigh in relief when one of the children would run into the infirmary, since they always knew where the other was due to Link's shadowing.

Impa's smile grew as her Charge and pseudo-son continued their banter, momentarily untouched by the weight of the throne which rested on Zelda's shoulders. She shook her head, reluctant to call an end to their free time but knowing she must.

Zelda nodded, understanding without a word being said. She kissed Link on the cheek, turned on her heel and strode towards the weapons room. Her sad smile became a mischievous grin as she began to run, her boots hitting the stone floor with light steps. She grasped the door handle and turned it, spinning behind it with a dancer's grace.

The warmth of Impa's love and amusement bubbled in her chest as she moved around the room. The shadows moved in time with the flickering wall sconces, a gentle breeze created by her flowing dress causing the flames to move violently for the barest second. As her own silhouette stood before her, she reached above her to unclasp her headdress. The gold links jingled softly as she laid the item on the marble counter. Soft footsteps sounded behind her and the warmth in her chest seemed to hum at the nearness of another, the other.

When the heat of Impa's body soaked through her dress, she reached behind her. She felt calloused fingers slide up her arm and under the band which held her gloves in place. Without missing a breath, she pulled her arm forward, her glove sliding off with ease. When both gloves were removed, she laid them next to the headdress. As she moved her hair aside to unclasp her semi-decorative armor, she looked in the silver mirror.

Impa's red eyes met her gray-green ones and she smiled softly, a hint of a grin causing the corner of her mouth to twitch. She knew others would and did view their rituals as too intimate. Neither cared.

As her armor was eased from her shoulders, she took it gently from Impa's hands and also laid it on the counter. Although the Hyrulian banner would remain in place, the hip sheath and sword would be removed in time. Her fingers brushed Impa's and she giggled as Impa twitched from the static. So absorbed in unknotting the sheath, she failed to notice Impa's eyes narrow in speculation, just as she was unable to see the thin line her lips made.

As Impa watched Zelda, she took a few steps back. Knowing her Charge would be seventeen in six months, she wondered if now would be the best time for the discussion they needed to have. As she was the closest maternal figure in Zelda's life, she and the healer's knew the duty fell on her. With a silent sigh, she let her eyes drift over her Charge's body. As the young woman danced around the room, oblivious to her dilemma, she noticed the bodice of her dress strained across her chest. Where most would call it fitted, Impa knew it was tight. There was no other explanation for Zelda's sudden breathing troubles.

"Zelda…" She hesitated as the younger woman paused in her dancing to watch her, curious. "Is your dress snug?"

Startled by the question, Zelda laid a hand to her chest. Trying to catch her breath, she realized the material was in fact a bit too tight. While the dress had several layers, including a thin layer of leather armor just above her underclothes, it should still be loose. She ran a finger over the ties in back, frowning. Turning her head, she pulled her hair to the side and saw the laces were not only near their ends, but that the hooks were also pulled taunt.

"I…I suppose it is," she admitted softly, unable to believe she had not noticed before. A soft, startled gasp escaped her as she leant forward to unlace her boots, the floor an unmistakable blur. Icy fingers ran down her spine and crept along her skin. She reached behind her, desperate to loosen the restrictive ties. Her numb fingers grasped the strings only to drop them.

Impa felt her heart squeeze in fear as she rushed around the benches to catch her Charge before she fell. She wrapped her arms around the silk-covered torso and gently lowered the gasping Hylian to the floor. As she laid Zelda's head to her shoulder, she looked down her back and noticed the corset was laced so tightly the panels were touching. She frowned and worked quickly on the knotted ties, knowing the maid who helped her dress would not be so foolish.

"Keta, these are….meka!" As the curse fell from her lips, she reached behind her. Dagger in hand, she carefully maneuvered her arm forward. The silver blade seemed to glow in the fire light as she slowly pressed it against the cords.

For a single moment, past overlaid present. The echo of a newborn's cries drifted through her mind as Zelda drew in a large, choking breath.

Her skin tingled and her body pulsed in time with her racing heart. Zelda drew more and more air into herself, unable to get enough of the life-giving substance. Her lungs burned as they expanded, no longer trapped by the prison called fashion. She put a hand over her heart in a vain attempt to still the beating. The shadows on the wall held her attention while her body adjusted to the extra oxygen. She watched the play of light and darkness, entranced by the story forming in her mind. Oblivious once more to Impa's thoughts, she was startled when she heard her name. Her eyes remained on the ceiling as she answered automatically. "Yes?"

Impa ran a hand through Zelda's long hair. "Are you feeling better?" she questioned softly. She touched her tongue to her dry lips, her brow furrowing as she continued to wonder if she had made the correct decision. As she slid the dagger into its sheath once more, she thought in the back of her mind how easy it was to cut the ties, and how vulnerable the act made her Charge.

Zelda nodded and hugged Impa tighter for a moment. As she felt their hearts beat in synchronize, she pulled away and looked the older woman in the eyes. When the Sheikah looked away, the Hylian frowned and touched her shoulder gently. "Impa, what is it?" Instinctively, she touched her chest to feel the bond. When the sickly heaviness of worry filled her stomach, she tried to catch her Guardian's eyes once more. Her breath caught in her throat at the chaos which filled her heart and mind. "Impa…please, talk to me." She hated the weakness she heard in her voice, the wavering which spoke of hidden tears.

"I'm sorry Zelda," Impa heard herself say. She stroked Zelda's hair once more, the repetitive motion calming her thoughts and bringing peace to her troubled heart. "I want to ask you something." She knew that despite her attempts to hide it, Zelda could feel her heart pounding a desperate beat. Her breath became unsteady as she forced herself to speak. "I think…I think we need to talk about something."

Zelda wove her fingers in Impa's and spoke softly. Whatever had upset her friend was important, and now was not the time for questions. "What did you want to talk about?" She watched Impa lick her lips again and blink quickly, her red eyes reflecting the fire in the scones. The princess instinctively stroked her thumb over her Guardian's knuckles, wanting to give her any comfort she could.

The Sheikah took a deep breath and met her Charge's eyes gray once more. She squeezed the hand holding her own and smiled softly. "I didn't mean to worry you," she admitted. "I…find it time for a discussion, one I'm sure you'd rather not have." Her smile became one of amusement as Zelda's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't understand. Why in all of Hyrule would I not want to speak with you?" Exasperation made her roll her eyes as she stood, pulling Impa with her. When the older woman began to laugh, Zelda's boot collided with the floor in a stomp. "What is so funny?!" she asked with the same annoyed tone, her physical age asserting itself for just a moment.

Brushing tears of laughter from her eyes, Impa gently grasped the front of Zelda's bodice and pulled it upwards. As her Charge began to blush profusely, the absurdity of the situation caused her to laugh even further. As Zelda clutched the purple bodice to her flushed body, Impa pulled a lace from her own leather under-armor. Although she shook with silent laughter, it didn't take long to lace the dress once more.

Though lacking in comparison to a fully laced bodice, the improvision held her dress in place while still allowing her to breathe. She smiled gratefully and began to thank her, only to huff in annoyance. "Imp-a," she whined, "It's not funny!"

Impa shook her head, crying from laughing so hard. It wasn't until she felt the annoyance buzzing around that her thoughts begin to change. The buzzing slowly became a fog of heavy pain. She wiped her eyes and took Zelda's hands, pressing them to her heart. Though the irony still amused her, the tears shining in the gray eyes of the other woman kept all laughter far from her mind. "Oh Zelda…I'm sorry. Please stop crying."

Strong arms wrapped around her and Zelda laid her head on Impa's shoulder. Sorrow filled her aching heart and she did nothing to stop the tears. As the salty liquid burned her cheeks, she felt her throat constrict with all the words she could not say. "I…I didn't mean…I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice as soft as the breeze outside the castle walls. Disappointment in herself consumed her thoughts as she cried silently.

Her heart broke at the desolation thrumming through her Charge's heart. Her soul grieved when she felt the bond become heavy with secrets. Respecting Zelda's privacy, she did not pry into the hidden thoughts, though she worried at what could cause distress. When Zelda spoke, Impa shook her head to make sure she heard correctly. She grasped Zelda's shoulders gently and pushed her away to look in her eyes.

"Zelda, why are you sorry?" she asked, worry voiding any other emotion from her words.

Zelda looked down, watching her hands as she twisted them together. "I…shouldn't have cried. It was stupid."

Wondering where the other woman had gotten such an idea, Impa shook her head once more. "No, I shouldn't have laughed. It was amusing that you, the holder of Wisdom, didn't understand immediately." She brushed a strand of hair behind Zelda's ear. "Sometimes I forget you're only sixteen, a young woman…one who can still be hurt by cruel words of a jealous person." She sighed softly and pressed her forehead to Zelda's. "Tell me keta, what did you think when I cut the ties?"

Brow furrowed and lips pursed, Zelda stared into Impa's eyes, unable to look away. She blinked slowly, needing a moment to compose herself. When she opened her eyes once more, she gasped silently at the sadness shining in the red eyes before her. "I-I…I felt relief. I could breathe again. Should I have felt something else?"

If it hadn't been for the hesitation, for the catch in her breath, Impa would have dismissed Zelda's tension as trying to calm her still flowing tears. As it was, she watched the other woman's eyes waver, heard her beg through the bond not to ask anything else. "Be honest with me, please. What are you keeping from me?"

Zelda pulled and turned away, staring at the wall once more as she tried desperately to block the older woman from her heart and mind, frantic to keep her privacy. "N-nothing of importance. I was just remembering when I was caught on the horse. I couldn't help but think how frightening it was when I was cut free."

She laid a hand on the cloth-covered shoulder before hugging the young woman. Deciding not to push, not to dig for those secrets, some part of Impa did wonder how Zelda could keep secrets from a bond such as theirs. "That was a frightening day. Was relief all you felt?"

Puzzled, Zelda turned and faced Impa once more. "Why are you asking me this? Why won't you ask what you want to know?" Annoyance and defiance crept into her voice as she struggled to contain her quick temper. "Am I too young, too stupid to be asked directly? Must I be lead like a child to the answer you want?"

With a sharp exhale of breath, Impa closed her eyes. She murmured a prayer of strength to the Goddesses. "You're sixteen now Zelda. Aside from me, you spend most of your time with Link. Most of the Guards who follow you are male." She opened her eyes once more and pressed her lips to Zelda's forehead. "I worry about you, worry if you're ready for the world…for having to deal with its challenges."

She didn't speak for several minutes. Zelda thought, letting Impa interpret her silence however she wished. "You think they…that they'll try something, don't you?" She stared unto the red eyes of the woman she'd come to trust more than anyone. "You're afraid one of them will hurt me."

"Yes," Impa whispered. Reluctant to admit the truth, she kept her voice low, wished she could keep her thoughts to herself yet knowing it was impossible. "I'm worried they will try something, even Link. I'm worried they will catch you unaware one day and do more than hurt you. I'm worried they will break your mind and heart while they take your body."

She took a shaky breath, aware of how husky her voice sounded.

"And this is why, from today on, Link will no longer join us in training. No one will, even the other Sheikah. I have taught you how to fight like a warrior." She swallowed deeply and turned to stare in the mirror, watching Zelda's pale reflection. "From now on, I will teach you how to fight like a woman and a warrior. If there ever comes a day I cannot be with you, cannot get to you in time…" Her voice trailed off as the weight of such thoughts took the air from her lungs.

Zelda laid a hand on her arm, squeezing it gently in comfort. "I'll be fine Impa." She looked at her armor. "I won't be using that in training, will I?"

Impa also looked down. "No. It's decoration. Since you're dress was too small, the armor I've had made should fit." She walked to a wood cabinet. Her fingers brushed the engraved symbol of the Royal Family before she pulled open the door and stepped to the side. Nearly identical to the armor Zelda had removed earlier, the gold shoulder pads and belt shined in the firelight. When she lifted it, she held out a hand for Zelda. "It's made of a harder metal, Goron forged, and laid over with gold." She handed the armor to Zelda for her to test its weight. "I will take your headdress and have a new one made. Although the one you currently have was your mother's, it is not suitable for you. Not only is it ill-fitting, it is too dangerous. The combs are nearly as sharp as your knives and the corners are fragile."

The princess laid the armor back in the cabinet and look at the gloves hanging from pins. "And the gloves?"

The Guardian touched them gently. "Skulltulasilk, threaded for Goron gold. Not impenetrable, but harder to cut than regular silk. Your new dresses will be made of the same, the bodice's double layered." She turned to Zelda once more, her expression one of fierce protectiveness. "For today you can fight in the under armor if you wish. Unlace the sword but bring it with you."

She circled Zelda, thinking. Without warning, her hand shot through the air.

She didn't think, only reacted. Zelda spun, one hand grabbing Impa's wrist and the other going to the dagger between her breasts. Impa pulled her close, grabbed the dagger and threw it across the room. She resisted the urge to cry out as arm was twisted so her wrist was between her shoulder blades. Her other arm was pinned to her side, useless. "Break my hold," she heard Impa whisper in her ear. As she lost feeling in her arm, Zelda drove the heel of her boot into Impa's Achilles' tendon and jumped. Using the Sheikah's weight, she moved behind her and flung the other woman to the ground while breaking her hold. Before she could run to the door which led to the training room, a hand wrapped around her ankle, tearing her dress. Panic filled her as she feel face first towards the stone floor. She twisted to land on her side and grabbed at her sword.

As the weapon slid from its sheath, Impa pushed off the ground and straddled her hips. She flung the sword across the room, pinning Zelda's hands above her head. She knew the rage on her face was scaring the woman under her, but she clung to the rage, the one thing which pushed her enough to make her continue. "Fight me," she growled.

The hoarse words fell on deaf ears as Zelda struggled in vain. As her head began to ache from pressing against the cold stone, she bucked her hips. "Get off!"

"I did not train you to lose your head, Princess! I trained you to fight and win, to fight and live another day! Now use your knowledge and fight me!" She choked on the dizzying emotions from the bond before pushing them away. Her heart pounded in her chest as Zelda clawed at her hands and drove her knees into her kidneys.

Her thoughts slowly faded into nothing as she remembered the nightmares a young Zelda used to have, nightmares caused by Ganondorf's evil presence. She remember the screams of soul-deep terror, the blood-curdling sounds which filled their quarters without fail ever night until the monster left the castle. It was those memories she used to fuel her rage. "Fight me Zelda. You are not helpless, you are a warrior. I worry for a reason. Hyrule is not a haven, it is a country. There are crimes in the city surround this castle, crimes which should never be thought of, yet alone committed…yet they are, every day. Fight!"

And fight she did. As her ankle hit Impa's spine, Zelda used her other leg to gain leverage. Her hips dug into Impa's thighs and she rolled them, so Impa was under her. She sprang to her feet and ran for the room, barely entering the training room before she was grabbed. As the hand wrapped around her neck, she blindly brought her fist down. Although the metal of Impa's armor shielded her arm, Zelda knew her attack met its mark when Impa let her go. She spun in a round-house kick.

Impa barely raised a hand in time to stop the boot from hitting her face. Stumbling from the force of the blow, she staggered back, relying on her fast reflexes to dodge Zelda's wrathful attack. Though it saddened her to know she had caused such terrified anger, she did not stop. She fought back and attempted to grab Zelda again and again, intent on making her point.

It took three hours before Impa could pin Zelda's once more. As they both grasped for breath, Zelda's rage continued to boil in her chest. While she peeled off the shredded gown and inspected her under armor for damage, she ignored Impa. She ran a hand over her head and ribs, assuring herself the throbbing was from bruises rather than broken bones. So consumed in her task, she didn't realize Impa was behind her until she felt the hand on her shoulder.

The sound of pure disgust, fear and rage which escaped Zelda did not surprise Impa.

What did surprise her, however, was the way Zelda shrugged off her hand before moving several steps forward so as not to be touched again.

She dropped the towel and set a flask of water on the ground beside the younger woman. "You did well today. I'm sorry if I hurt or scared you. There will not always be a warning Zelda, not always be time to understand what's going on." Nary another word passed her lips as she walked from the chamber. With Zelda's rage so high and the bond closed tightly in spite, she never heard or felt the whispered, "I know," from the woman she left standing in the room.

[-]

They didn't speak to each other, nor be near one another, until later that night. As Impa finished stoking the coals to keep the barrel of water warm, Zelda slipped into the room. Both were dressed in their usual wash gowns, although Zelda knew they both wore them out of habit and not modesty.

She sat by the fire and took the cloth offered to her. Without looking at the other woman, she dipped the cloth into the basin of hot soapy water, rung it, and began washing herself.

Others would find it odd for the heir of the throne to wash as a servant did, instead of in a large tub filled with scents, but she preferred the basin; a tub was exposed. After having Link walk in during her bath when she was twelve, and not looking at her for a month after, she had forgone the tub.

Only once had she taken to a tub since she was a child.

It was a night seared into her mind, despite all attempts to forget. Even as she denied the memory, she dug her nails into the cloth and roughly ran it over her skin.

Impa turned her head towards Zelda, listening to her sudden furious whispers. "Damned blood…will never leave…screams will always be heard…"

She knew the day Zelda spoke of, the battle which resulted in bloodied fields and mass graves. Though she had done her best, it had become obvious the young woman would never accept the truth.

Beheading, by Zelda's sword or any others, had saved the very people they'd fought against.

Souls were twisted and destroyed under Ganondirf's control, his evil a merciless absolute. The children's angry screams still echoed through her dreams.

She tried not to think about it.

For a long while, neither woman spoke. As Impa carefully rinsed the scentless soap from her hair, she watched Zelda.

Zelda kept her eyes on her bucket of water, refusing to acknowledge her. So consumed in her task, she barely heard Impa's voice. As the petal-soft words filled her ears, she clutched the rag all the tighter.

"I'm sorry," echoed through the room in a deafening whisper. Neither reacted for several minutes despite the tension growing between them.

Impa never flinched as Zelda's wash basin flew across the room and smashed into the wall. As stone and water rained to the floor, she slowly raised her eyes to look at the teen. Her breath caught at the agony she saw, the pain which remained hidden from their bond. She touched her chest, unwilling to admit how much distance she had caused between them. She knew their relationship, their closeness had changed; she could see it in Zelda's eyes.

Her chest heaved as she attempted to keep her rage under control, as any good monarch would. Zelda stared in Impa's eyes, even with half the room's distance between them. Even as her vision blurred with tears, she could not look away.

"How-how could you?!" she growled as her tears fell.

A silent howl tore itself from her as she leapt to her feet and ran towards the kneeling woman. She fell to her knees and pounded her fists against Impa's unprotected arms and chest. As sob bubbled passed her rage as strong arms wrapped gently around her.

"I'm sorry Zelda, my keta, so very sorry," she said in that same soft tone. She pressed her cheek to Zelda's head, blinking back her own tears as she felt the young woman shake. She mourned the loss of youth, of the trust her Charge had for the world. She knew her acknowledgment of Zelda's physical maturity had taken more than a day's happiness from the princess; it had taken her comfort. Even as Zelda tried to keep the bond as closed as a chest in the Water Temple, the despair and confusion which filled her heart betrayed them both. She hugged the crying heiress tightly. "You will never know how sorry."

Another sob escaped her throat, the sound filled with grief and pain. "H-h-how do I l-look at them…after what…" Her throat closed for a moment at the images her mind conjured. "After what you sa-said?" She felt Impa's regret tighten her heart and whined. "Y-you really don't think-do you?"

Impa shook her head and closed her eyes. As the firelight shown through her closed lids, she sighed silently. "The men? No, I don't. Not Link, not the Guards, not the army. I wish I could tell you they won't…"

She struggled to form the words, her body tensing with the need to kill them all. Any threat to Zelda could not live.

With a ragged breath, she ran a hand down Zelda's back, trying to comfort her.

"They hate me," came the murmured statement after a comforting silence. Impa pulled back to lift Zelda's face.

"No one hates you Zelda."

Zelda shook her head and wiped her eyes. "The officers in the army…they hate me."

Impa pressed her lips together. "You outrank them; you are their Princess, the second in command. You train harder than any of them, as you've proven time and time again. They do not hate you, they resent the power you hold over them. They feel mocked by your strength, yet they could not be further from the truth.

"Don't take their anger to heart Zelda, it is directed at themselves, not you. They are Hylian, mostly men; I am a Sheikah, a Guardian. My fellow Guards are also Sheikah. Our bodies are naturally stronger and more agile. I have trained you to fight as a Sheikah warrior, not a Hylian Princess."

"Except this afternoon," Zelda whispered, lowering her eyes.

Impa swallows once more. "Except this afternoon. And this training will continue until I am sure you can defend yourself." She pressed her finger to Zelda's lips. "I know you can fight keta, we all know this. Yet you are still a woman. All beings, including the Goddesses and even the Sages, will hesitate if confronted with a…sexual attack. It's is nature. In an attempt to protect yourself, your body tenses and your mind becomes a place of silence. You cannot think, cannot fight for several moments. I am going to train you until I'm sure you can overcome this reaction. Do you understand?"

She hesitated before bowing her aching head. "I do." She leaned against Impa, accepting her comforting embrace. She cried no more tears, though she shook with tension and exhaustion.

The crackling fire was the only witness to Zelda's passage into adulthood, the only thing which filled the silent room as both woman let the waters of change wash over them without a word.

[-]

Weeks passed without further mention of Zelda's new training. When King Daphnes sought Impa's opinion for naming Link as one of Zelda's many suitors, she told him she would ask Zelda. Though she never asked, for she knew Zelda's answer without having to relay the question, she told the King Link would not make a good suitor; he was a brother to the princess, not a husband.

That same night, the bond cracked enough to merge her dreams with Zelda's. What she saw would haunt her for days to come.

[-]

[-]

AN: "Keta" means precious one, or child/person of my heart. It's a fictional word. So is "Meka".