Chapter 4: Pain
"Cain."
"Oh good, you can see my imaginary inmate too." The princess had spoken the name without warning, and Dark wasn't sure why.
"No, no, I was addressing you. I shan't call you 'Dark Link' forever; you require a name of your own. Thus, I dub thee Cain." Zelda grinned almost in a mischievous way and continued, "What say you? I believe the name is quite fitting to your appearance."
He mused momentarily then responded, "I don't absolutely abhor it, so I might as well accept it. It also rhymes with 'pain', which I am known to inflict."
"Hurrah! I am overjoyed that you accept this name, dear friend!" Zelda ignored his comment on his life before this imprisonment, as if he was never a tool of evil in her eyes.
Her smile was a star in the distant, unreachable sky. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hate it. It was too beautiful to loathe.
After a bit of silence, Zelda inquired of him slowly, "Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Perhaps just for a mere day, have what they have and live their life?" Her blue eyes stared into his dark ones; those vortexes of color implored an answer. This must have been something that was on her mind quite a lot.
"Not really. I have always been me, and I cannot fathom being anyone else or living any other life than my own." Cain paused and gave the princess a quizzical look. "Why do you wish for another life? You have servants at your beckon-call, a loving family, a grandiose castle with more than enough belongings to call your own… I can't see why you would be unhappy. You have no reason to be. If ever I had the urge to be jealous of someone else's life, it would be of yours."
Zelda seemed keenly interested in the lower hem of her pristine dress that grazed the tips of her feet. "I suppose I do not have much of a reason superficially. But there is some yearning within to have a simpler life, just as my people have. Of course, I am grateful for everything that I've been given and the wonderful family I was born into, but yet I wish for a day when I can roam free, do as I please." Their eyes met once more. "My day is planned for me before I even open my eyes to the dawn, a day filled with lessons, meetings, and work. I am only allowed to visit you because my mother – by her grace – allows the activity, and I must do so by taking time out of my night when I should be sleeping. I envy you, my dear friend. You were free to roam, free to do as you wanted." She sighed, turning away.
In a flash, he was fuming. How dare she! To think he had thought her to be intelligent.
"You insolent child!" Dark stood and rattled his chains and shackles, his pent anger aroused with unprefaced intensity. "Do you hear that, Your Highness? That is the sound of bondage. I was imprisoned in the Water Temple for years, until I was finally set free by the King of Evil whom you call Ganondorf. My days of roaming were few, and I was always running from YOUR soldiers. Do you envy a life of fear, a life of suffering, a life alone? I nearly went insane in that watery hell, but I'VE never wished for any other life. If you truly believe me to be free, then LET ME GO!" He could not hold back his shout of rage, and its sound echoed in the close quarters of the dungeon.
Zelda's eyes spilled over with hurt as she covered her mouth with her hands. "Please forgive me, I…"
Her words trailed off as she sniffed and erected herself, composed once again before he had a chance to blink. She took a deep breath. "I am deeply sorry for your experiences, and I wish I could do something about them. But I put you here in hopes that you would change your evil ways. It seems that is unlikely to happen. I do not have the final word concerning your release, and I will not release you either way. I will be taking my leave now."
"Of course, Your Royal Majesty, whatever you please. Go, enjoy your luxurious life. It most likely doesn't live up to your standards, but it's enough to survive on I'm sure!" Dark gushed sarcasm like a fountain through his diction, watching her walk away as dignified as she knew how. He knew she was still crying, but he had no capacity to care anymore.
o.o.o.o.o
A perplexed Harold made the wise decision not to ask why Zelda was crying when she exited the dungeon. She dismissed him as she escorted herself back to her chambers in her most collected manner.
Zelda threw herself down on the well-kept four-poster bed with silken sheets and allowed herself to breathe. What she had expected to hear by telling him those things, she did not know, but it was not that unfortunate display of wrath. Why must she hurt herself this way? Why must she see him nigh on religiously when he so cutting, so crude, so hateful… even dangerous to her wellbeing at the wrong times? Why must she go to him and find some enjoyment in the conversations when he did not seem to?
Perhaps, the answer did not need to be found. Perhaps she should just wipe her tears and go to sleep, only to appear before him again tomorrow to ponder the same questions all over again.
AN: Another chapter for you to chew on hehehe xD What do you think of our dear shadow's new name? Do you think it suits him? I don't even remember how I came up with it, it just popped up in my head like a voice from heaven, "YOU SHALL NAME HIM CAIN" and I was like "WOW THAT IS A GREAT NAME GOD"
That was a lame joke, I'm sorry that it exists.
Carry on, have a wonderful day and stay tuned for more~
