I saw a question in a review from destinyschild02. She asked where Zelda's wrist blades came from and if they were magic. I apologize if that was confusing. Those blades were the ones she put on when she was about to leave the castle. They are not magic. They're based on Ezio's wrist blades in Assassin's Creed.

Chapter 4

The ride to Astari took much longer than expected, with Link and Zelda catching sight of the city on the morning of the seventh day of their journey. It was enormous, being home to more than five hundred thousand people.

The city itself was moderately advanced. Many of the buildings had been built out of steel, and reached up as high as Hyrule Castle. What Zelda had said about their laws had been correct, though. They had been forced to surrender their weapons at the gates, where they would be kept until they left. Link had simply slammed the Master Sword down into the ground right in the middle of the path and laughed hysterically at the gate guards' attempts to move it.

"I still can't believe you did that." Zelda said as they walked through Astari's streets, wandering aimlessly in the hopes of finding a place to stay overnight.

"The sword thing?" Link asked, grinning. He had left the sword where he had put it, insisting that the guards were simply weaklings. It would remain there until he pulled it from the ground, blocking any large wagons from entering or exiting the city through that gate.

"Yes." Zelda replied, the traces of a grin edging up the corners of her mouth. "We're not supposed to be attracting attention to ourselves."

"We're not. Currently, attention is being attracted to a sword that seems to be stuck so firmly in the ground that no man can get it out."

"Well…still." She could argue with that statement easily, but it wasn't worth the effort. "Anyways, we need a game plan for tomorrow. Or are we just going to head out to that enemy camp and hope for the best?"

"I thought that was the plan all along." Link replied ruefully. "That's what I always did before."

"Yes, but you do remember that we have to remain somewhat stealthy? We can't just waltz in and start lighting voodoo priests on fire in the middle of their ceremonies. You were used to dealing with Ganondorf, whose minions always seemed to know where you were. You didn't need a plan. This is different, though."

"We didn't exactly plan that last incident out." Link commented, silencing Zelda for a few moments. She was beginning to get frustrated with his carefree attitude towards this subject.

"Link, we're going to be killing people." She said finally, keeping her voice calm. "You can't make light of that. You act like this is easy."

"You're mistaking me making light of that as not caring." He said. "Believe me, I care when I kill people. But at some point, you have to remove yourself from the act and stop thinking about it. Otherwise you'll end up like those war veterans who can hardly walk out of their houses without screaming at the air around them. Hell, I'm bad enough as it is."

"So this is your way of coping?" Zelda asked, feeling slightly guilty for accusing him.

"You could say that. I guess I just try not to think about the people I've killed. That's the best way."

"Interesting. I've known many veterans who tried the same thing but-"

"Is that who I think it is?" A voice cut through their conversation. Zelda's blood ran cold, thinking that her cover had been blown. Link reached for his sword on instinct, his hand flailing around until he remembered where it was.

"It's Link!"

"Damn it all." Link muttered, turning around to see who had recognized him. Zelda followed suit, relieved that she wasn't the target.

Before them was an imposing man, standing an inch taller than Link. He had long blonde hair, and sported a slender but obviously muscular body, looking about thirty years of age. He had fair skin and bright blue eyes that hinted at a vast amount of cunning intelligence. He was wearing padded, lightly armored clothing, which was usually used to throw off an opponent's perception of how fast the wearer would be in battle. Like everyone in the city, he carried no visible weapons.

"You've made a mistake." Link grunted, turning around.

"No, you're definitely Link." The man said, jumping in front of him. "I would recognize you anywhere."

Link glanced around, seeing that people were beginning to stare. Fortunately, he didn't have name recognition in the eastern portion of Hyrule due to having saved the country before the merge.

Making a snap decision, he grabbed the collar of the man's shirt and dragged him into a nearby alley. Zelda's eyes widened in shock, but she followed quickly.

"What the hell do you want?" Link asked, shoving the man back into a wall. "And is it so important that you have to scream about it in the middle of the street? I seriously doubt it."

The man didn't seem fazed at all.

"My name is Nicholas Render." He said, reaching out his hand. Link peered at it tentatively, thrown off by the man's civility. Tentatively, he shook it.

Nicholas continued. "I grew up in Hyrule and moved out here last year. I was in Castle Town when Zant's forces took it. You saved my life!"

"That's great, Nicholas. But right now, I'm on some important business. Is there something I can help you with?" Link asked.

"Yes, actually!" He exclaimed, becoming visibly excited. "I've been training with the sword since I was ten years old, and I consider myself the most skilled swordsman in all of Hyrule. However, there is one duel I've never had the chance to participate in."

Link scoffed. "You consider yourself the most skilled swordsman in Hyrule? Forgive me if I don't take your word on it. The best swordsman in Hyrule wouldn't have to tell others about it."

Again, Nicholas wasn't fazed by Link's attitude.

"I simply wish to duel you." He said. "Because I've not had an actual challenge in years, and I haven't lost a duel in even longer."

Link simply stared at Nicholas for a few seconds, completely at a loss for words. He wasn't used to dealing with blatant arrogance.

The princess of the country doesn't even think this highly of herself. He thought to himself before answering.

"If you haven't noticed, weapons aren't allowed in the city. Furthermore, I won't entertain the wishes of a self-important braggart. Go get a life."

He turned to leave, but Nicholas put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I have a life. I was sent here last year by Princess Zelda as the new captain of the guard, so that I could help retrain Astari's soldiers."

Link shot Zelda an icy glare, who cringed inwardly. She hadn't met this man before she signed him off to Astari. Her war council had given their recommendation, and she had simply trusted their judgment.

"The weapons issue in the city won't be a problem." Nicholas continued. "I can make an exception to that law for you so that we can duel."

"No thanks." Link grunted, shaking Nicholas's arm off of his shoulder and walking towards the alley's exit.

"You know, I could have you arrested for assaulting a city guard."

Link stopped again and closed his eyes. He let out a belabored breath, and then turned around.

"So you're blackmailing me now?" He asked, maintaining a deathly calm that made Zelda want to cower in fear.

"You could say that." Nicholas replied smugly. "You may bring your weapons into the city, per my orders. Tomorrow at noon, we will have a duel in the central square. I suggest that you show up. I can promise that you will regret it if you don't."

Nicholas brushed past Link and stopped to stare at Zelda. He squinted slightly, and then walked past her as well.

A few moments passed before Link turned around to look at Zelda again. There was no accusation in his eyes, contrary to what she had been expecting.

"You know I have to let him win." He said.

"Why's that?" Zelda asked.

"If he loses, he'll send me to jail. The sentence for assaulting the captain of a city's guard is ten years in prison."

"I can just pardon you the minute I get back." Zelda replied.

"After you complete our mission and travel back home alone? No, that's not going to happen and you know it."

Zelda shook her head and sighed. "Let's just go get a room in an inn and figure it out from there."

…

"I could always just fire him before the duel." Zelda thought out loud, but Link waved the idea away as he tucked his sword underneath the bed.

"That would blow your cover. We have bigger things at stake here than my honor."

"Well he's getting fired either way." She grumbled, unhappy that Link had decided to purposely lose. It was, unfortunately, necessary. Though Zelda didn't like the decision, she was impressed that he could cast aside his personal feelings so that their mission wouldn't be compromised.

"I can't believe that this kind of thing is going on without the governor finding out. Isn't there a law preventing people from dueling in public squares?" Link asked. "It seems barbaric. It's like he's doing it for a show rather than for fun."

"Well, technically there's not." Zelda replied, lying back on her soft bed. "It just sort of died off over time. This is new territory, though. Things are different here. Some people have even called the other cities lawless, although really what it boils down to is lax enforcement of existing laws."

"You're aware of this, and yet you're allowing it to go on?"

Zelda sat up quickly, glaring at Link.

"I don't need you telling me how to run my country. If I needed your opinion on that, I would have asked."

"Whoa there." He said, holding his hands up in front of him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Zelda laid back down and took a few deep breaths to calm herself, knowing that she was overreacting.

"It's fine." She muttered after a few awkward moments. "Yes, I know that all of this is going on, but Hyrule's soldiers are stretched thin. I can't just force these people to agree with Hyrule's laws, either. They have to have time to see that I'm not just a power hungry monarch trying to limit their rights."

Link didn't respond, unsure of how to keep any conversation going after the princess had snapped at him.

"Look." Zelda said finally. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that people always doubt everything I do. I don't want that bleeding into my personal life, too. We're friends, not political rivals. Please trust that I'm doing everything I can about the new part of the country. It's just so hard to do everything all the time."

"You're right. I shouldn't question you, though." Link replied, shaking his head and sitting down on his own bed across the room. "Even ignoring the fact that you're royalty, I have no idea what it's like to run a country. Even the thought of being the mayor of Ordon was too much for me."

"You don't even know what I would give to trade with you." She said. "I think that despite that fact that I was attacked and almost killed by a raging Celt, this trip has been wonderful simply because it got me out of the castle."

"It's probably been just as good for me." Link commented. "I needed out of Ordon. That place is driving me crazy."

"Ilia?"

"No, not just her." He said, shaking his head. "It's just the place. The lifestyle. Everything about it makes me hate living there, despite how great some of the people are. Normally, I like to have some privacy. You don't seem to get that in a small town."

"You don't get privacy as the princess of Hyrule, either." Zelda said. "I think that's a universal problem."

"Good point. What would be your ideal job anyways?" Link asked curiously.

Zelda frowned, unsure of the answer. As much as she wanted to leave the castle and never have to deal with politics again, she didn't know what she would do if ever given the chance.

"Probably a soldier or a farmer." She answered eventually.

"A soldier?"

"Yes, a soldier."

"Why's that?"

"Well." Zelda started. "They get to travel, and the vast majority simply listen to orders and carry them out without having to put deep thought into it. Also, all of them know that they're doing something wonderful for Hyrule, whether they're in combat or not. I like the idea of discipline like that."

"And yet, you would also like to be a farmer. Farmers have self-discipline, but not necessarily discipline imposed on them by others." Link commented.

"I guess so. But a farmer's success often goes hand in hand with how much effort he puts into his fields. And, like a soldier, he knows that he is doing something wonderful for Hyrule."

"I wouldn't say that." Link said, sighing. "Maybe it's just me, though. Farming is boring, and I don't feel like I'm doing anything good for Hyrule with it. That's why I jumped at the chance to get away."

"Then why did you refuse my offers to commission you?"

"Because being a soldier would be just as bad." He said with a shrug. "I wouldn't be able to handle fighting as a part of a group. I'm sure you noticed that I'm a lone wolf in a very real sense."

"Well then what would your ideal job be?" Zelda asked.

"An adventurer."

"That's pretty basic. Where would you want to adventure?"

"I don't know, and it wouldn't really matter." Link said. "I wouldn't mind going north and traveling to the ocean. As far as I know, that whole area hasn't been mapped by a Hylian."

"You're right, nobody has ever mapped that area, but that's because nobody has ever come back from there alive." Zelda replied. She had personally sent a group of adventurers to the north with a commission to map the entirety of the area. None of them had returned by the end date of the commission, and were yet to show up at all.

"It's just a dream of mine. It's never going to happen." Link said, standing up and walking over to the window. He peeked out the blinds and sighed. "It's dark out. Let's get some sleep and get this duel over with. We need to be on the road to the east by the end of tomorrow."

Zelda nodded and rolled over in her bed as he blew out the candle, but then sat up.

"Why don't we just leave now? We won't have to worry about the duel at all." She asked, wondering why the thought hadn't occurred to her in the first place.

Link was silent for a few moments, but eventually responded.

"This Nicholas has no honor. The fact that he blackmailed me into this is proof of that. However, I will not go down to his level. I'm better than that."

"He's forcing you to duel him, and also making sure that you will lose." Zelda said. "Why should we be honorable when he isn't? He doesn't deserve that."

"And that's exactly why we're better than he is. He wouldn't show up, but we will. And besides, he's got guards outside the inn watching. If we try to leave, we'll be intercepted." Link said.

"Did you see them out there?" Zelda asked.

"Yes. They're making themselves obnoxiously obvious."

"That's wonderful." She grumbled, rolling back over.

"Goodnight, Zelda."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Nicholas called out to the gathered crowd. "Today I bring you quite a spectacle. I found Link of Ordon wandering the streets of Astari yesterday. In Hyrule, he is considered a hero, as well as quite the swordsman. Many of you have never heard of him, so let me tell you all a tale."

"A few years ago, darkness shrouded Hyrule. The lord of twilight and the King of Evil combined their power to try combining the twilight with the world of light, which would have caused a massive cataclysm, destroying the world as we know it."

"The princess failed to stop the threat as her castle fell to the overwhelming forces of darkness. She was trapped in a tower as the twilight slowly spread across Hyrule, turning those it touched into spirits, unable to do anything to help their country."

"When all hope was lost, a young man from the little farming village of Ordon traveled through the twilight, striking down hordes of enemies. Alone, with nothing but his wits and a sword, he traveled to the temples of Hyrule, destroying the sources of the King of Evil's power wherever he faced it."

"In the same fashion, he broke through the barrier of twilight, struck down the lord of twilight, and made short work of the King of Evil soon after. This man before you saved not only Hyrule, but the entire world."

"And so he is here before me today. Many consider him the best swordsman in all of Hyrule, but I aim to prove that wrong. So tell me, people of Astari. Are you ready to see the duel of a lifetime?"

The crowd cheered. More were gathering every minute, and Nicholas was obviously buying time for more people to show up. He was also talking up Link's ability so that his own victory would seem even more pronounced. He would likely do everything he could to make the fight seem as difficult as possible before he inevitably won.

"Can we just get this going?" Link asked. He was standing ten feet away from Nicholas on a raised platform. It was circular, much like the one Bo had trained him to wrestle on, except that it was much larger. People had gathered around it, peering out from the nearby balconies, sitting in makeshift bleachers, or just standing in the street. They were all leaving work simply to watch the duel.

"In due time, my friend." Nicholas exclaimed, chuckling. "We must give the people of Astari enough time to get here to watch this spectacle."

"You and I both know that this isn't going to be a legitimate fight." Link returned, rolling his eyes.

"I would be sorely disappointed if you threw your life away like that."

"Wait, what do you mean by 'threw my life away?'" Link asked, frowning. "Surely you don't think that this is going to be a duel to the death…"

"My friend, you should have read up on the laws before you agreed to this. All duels inside Astari's walls are to the death." Nicholas replied, laughing smugly. "I certainly hope you're prepared for this."

"This is bullshit. I'm leaving." Link said, sheathing his sword and turning around to where Zelda was anxiously waiting. Although they couldn't hear what was being said, the people in the crowd hushed slightly.

"Bad idea."

"Why's that?" Link asked over his shoulder.

"There are at least two hundred armed guards waiting for you to run. You will die. Your wife, or whoever that woman is, won't make it very far, either."

Link slowly turned around. The crowd had grown almost entirely silent by this time.

"Nicholas, you can threaten me all you want." He said, glaring at the captain. "But you never threaten her. If I lose this duel and you so much as lay a finger on her, I swear on Farore's name that I will come back from the grave and pull you apart limb-by-limb."

"That's a lofty vow." Nicholas responded, still laughing. "Master Link, you seem to think that I'm terrified of you. I suppose that most people would be. I, however, am certain of my ability to defeat you, and have yet to see any of those I've killed come back from the grave."

"Don't let him get into your head, Link." Zelda called from the edge of the ring.

"Shut your mouth, wench!" Nicholas yelled at her. Zelda merely glared at him, but otherwise showed no emotion. Link, on the other hand, drew his sword.

"Draw your weapon, Nicholas." He said, his voice deathly calm. "It's time."

The captain looked around and, seeming satisfied with the gathered crowd, drew his blade from his hip.

"In Astari, we gently clash blades before taking ten paces away from each other. We then turn around and the duel starts. After that, we fight to the death. There are no rules beyond that point besides that you must use a sword."

Link pulled the strings of his cloak, untying it from his neck and tossing it to Zelda. Next, he took the Master Sword's sheath off of his back and dropped it to the ground. They would only hinder his movements if he left them on. Nicholas had done the same with his light armor, choosing instead to wear flexible, nonrestrictive clothing.

In a small way, he felt relieved that he wouldn't have to purposely lose.

He's left-handed. I'll have to adjust my fighting style. Link thought, taking in his opponent's stance.

"People of Astari, are you ready for this?" Nicholas called to the crowd. They broke the silence with a roar that shook even the platform underneath Link's feet.

"Well then, no more wasting time." Link said, stepping forward and holding out his blade. "Let's begin."

Nicholas touched his sword to Link's, and they both turned around. Each one took ten paces, and then turned back to face the other.

"May the best man win." Nicholas said, smirking.

"Good luck." Zelda said quietly, so that only Link could hear from where he stood.

He dropped his sword point to the ground, staring Nicholas in the eye. For a few moments they stood there, waiting on the other to make the first move. A minute passed, and then two. The crowd grew ever more restless as the tension built between the two swordsmen.

Finally, Nicholas grew impatient with waiting. He wanted to cut Link down, not stare at him. He lunged, trying to drive his sword into Link's left side.

Faster than anyone in the crowd could see, Link flipped the Master Sword around and locked hilts with Nicholas. He turned and threw his arm across himself, using the captain's momentum to throw him to the ground. His sword clattered across the ring.

The crowd cheered, thinking that the duel was about to be over already. They wanted blood and gore, but were going to be sorely disappointed for the moment.

Nicholas landed hard, but rolled back to his feet. For a brief moment, his eyes widened as he realized that he was unarmed. Link, however, put the tip of his sword back to the ground.

"Go pick up your blade, captain."

Nicholas leaped over to where his sword was lying on the ground. He turned and sprinted towards Link, this time feigning to the right before he tried again to hack off his unguarded left arm.

Link blocked the hit easily, and then whirled around to strike Nicholas in the face with the back of his hand. The hit sent the captain sprawling onto his back. He recovered quickly, jumping to his feet and striking out with a horizontal slice. The move had no effect as Link blocked it again.

This time, however, Nicholas kicked out at Link's shin, landing a glancing blow. Link grimaced, but held his ground as he deflected more blows. Finally, he took a step back.

Nicholas, seeing that he was forcing him back, pressed his advantage and pushed harder. Link backed up as far as he could, eventually finding himself pressed against the back rail.

Still, Nicholas drove harder, and Link was becoming ever more convinced that the man was as good as he had claimed.

I need to change my strategy. He thought as he was nearly knocked over the rail. The captain was fast and powerful. More so than anyone he had ever faced in his travels. Even Zant hadn't been this good with a blade.

Making a snap decision, Link kicked out at Nicholas's groin in the most unexpected move he could think of, landing a solid hit. The captain groaned in pain and leaped back, barely avoiding a jab of the Master Sword. Link didn't give him time to recuperate, however. He lunged and let loose a flurry of attacks, not wanting his opponent to have a chance to decide on a new plan of attack.

It was Nicholas's turn to be driven back. He tripped over the Master Sword's discarded sheath, giving Link an opportunity to drive his sword downwards. It sliced through the captain's thigh, but failed to do any kind of effective damage.

Nicholas dove to his left, trying to circumvent Link's onslaught. As he did so, Link managed to catch the captain on his right wrist, although the wound was even more minor than the blow to his leg. As Nicholas rolled, he kicked out again, this time knocking the Master Sword out of Link's hand. It rolled across the ring and slid into the crowd.

The people of the crowd gasped, but Link didn't waste any time thinking about the loss. He reached into his boot and pulled out the dagger he always hid there. By this time, those around where the sword had fallen were trying to pick it up and throw it back in the ring, but failing in their attempts to do so. The blade simply wouldn't budge.

Nicholas rose to his feet and saw the dagger in Link's hand. He threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"You barely touched me with your sword. What can you possibly hope to do with a dagger?"

Link simply narrowed his eyes at the captain.

"When most would speak, you remain silent." Nicholas sneered. "Is that because you have lost all hope?"

"I have a tendency to never lose hope." Link replied, trying to distract the captain as a desperate plan formed in his mind. He would only have one shot at this, and Nicholas would be expecting it. It was his only chance, though. He couldn't possibly fight a man this skilled while armed with only a dagger.

"Come at me, Nicholas." Link taunted. "If you're as good as you say you are, then prove it to the masses. Strike me down where I stand."

"As you wish."

Nicholas sprinted forward and drove his sword out in front of himself. The stab would be impossible to block with such a short blade, so Link dove to his left. The tip of the captain's blade cut into his tunic, just barely nicking his shoulder.

Link wheeled around and planted his right foot. He drew his hand back and threw the dagger as hard as he possibly could at the captain, who was still reeling from having missed his target.

The blade found its mark, hitting Nicholas in the center of his back. The captain staggered and dropped to one knee momentarily, giving Link a chance to begin sprinting towards him. Before he could reach him, however, Nicholas stood up and turned around.

"You really thought that it would be a good idea to throw a knife at me?" He asked, grinning maniacally as he reached around and pulled the blade from his back. "You only hit my ribs. I must admit I'm disappointed that it had to end this easily for me. I thought that the one who saved Hyrule would be much better suited to face me in combat."

"It's not over yet, Nicholas." Link said, shaking his head. A glance over to where his sword lay showed that the people around it hadn't given up trying to toss it back to him.

The captain gripped Link's bloody dagger in his right hand and advanced slowly.

"Why is it that you want to kill me anyways?" Link asked, staring the man down as he approached. "What did I ever do to you?"

Nicholas stopped momentarily, but advanced forward again as he answered.

"Because you were better than me. Because it was you who got the glory and not me."

"And I deserve to die for something that was beyond my control?"

"Shut up and die like a man."

Link shook his head and took a few steps back, desperately trying to stall for time so that he could formulate a plan to get out of the situation. The prospects looked grim. He was completely unarmed and facing a very skilled, ruthless opponent. He couldn't even run, because he would never make it out of the city alive. Zelda certainly wouldn't

"Goddesses help me." He muttered as he backed into the wooden beams placed around the dueling ring. Nicholas was still advancing slowly, savoring the moment.

Link glanced over to where Zelda had been standing at the start of the match. Now that he was beginning to accept the high probability of dying, he wanted to see her again.

Zelda had disappeared, however. Link looked around frantically for her, but couldn't find her anywhere.

"Zelda?" He called out tentatively, forgetting about the cover that they were supposed to be maintaining. It didn't matter now. If he was going to die, he wanted his friend to be the last person he saw.

Nicholas stopped his advance again, puzzled. He seemed afraid momentarily, but shook his head and continued on. He was only ten meters away.

"Right here!"

Link scowled at Nicholas, resentful of the man for tricking him into this duel. In all of his short life, he had never thought that it would end like this. He had had much less of a chance against Zant and Ganondorf, and yet this arrogant, pigheaded wretch had been able to best him in a matter of minutes. Link had never been one to lose hope, but he knew he was out of options.

"Damn it, Link! Behind you!"

His consciousness didn't register Zelda's voice as he breathed a silent prayer to Farore. Only five meters separated the two swordsmen, with Nicholas advancing slowly for dramatic effect.

He certainly likes to put on a show. Link thought.

"Link, it's Zelda! Open your hands!"

Zelda's name kicked Link's cognitive function back into gear, and he opened his hands. In his left, he felt a sword hilt, and quickly recognized the feel of the Master Sword. Because he was turned slightly, Nicholas couldn't see the sword, and was still advancing slowly with little regard for his own safety.

He thought that he had already won the duel. It would be his last mistake.

Link let the captain advance the last few meters, going so far as to allow him to hold his blade up to his neck. The crowd fell completely silent.

"So this is how it ends, doesn't it?" Link asked. "I never thought it would be like this."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do this." Nicholas replied, touching the tip of his sword up to Link's throat.

"Well then do it."

Nicholas tossed Link's dagger behind himself and planted his feet. Slowly, deliberately, he drew his sword back.

When the captain had drawn his blade back entirely, Link struck. Despite the awkward left-handed slash, the Master Sword cleaved straight through Nicholas's right elbow.

A gasp ran through the crowd as the severed wrist and hand fell to the ground. Nicholas took a single look at the stump and fell unconscious, landing heavily on the ground. Silence fell across the town square again as the people registered what had just happened.

Link looked down at his broken opponent.

I should kill him. He thought to himself.

He mulled the idea over for the briefest of moments, but instead slammed his sword into the floor of the ring and leaned over his opponent. He ripped the man's shirt apart and used it as a tourniquet on what remained of Nicholas's arm in an attempt to slow the blood flow.

"He needs a doctor." Link called out to the crowd, earning hundreds of confused stares.

"Aren't you going to kill him?" One man asked after a few seconds.

Link turned to the man and rose back onto his feet.

"Why on earth would I kill him?"

"He…" The man stuttered for a moment, but finally found his words. "It's a duel to the death. If you don't kill him, then you lose."

"And here I thought that I would find some civility among the people of Astari." Link replied. "I forfeit the duel, then. I refuse to kill this man in cold blood. Now, is there a doctor here who can take care of him?"

"I can." A woman near the front of the ring said.

"Good." Link muttered, lifting the unconscious captain and setting him into the arms of the people around the doctor. "I wash my hands of him."

After retrieving the Master Sword's sheath, he dropped down to where Zelda was standing and sighed.

"Let's go."

Zelda didn't budge. She simply stared at Link in shock, just like the crowd of people around him.

"What?" He asked.

"I thought you were going to die." Zelda whispered, barely audible among the growing crowd noise.

"I'm fine." Link said. "We need to get back to the inn before my body starts dumping all this built-up adrenaline. You don't want me out in public when that happens."

Zelda nodded, although her face was wild with emotion. She quickly fell in step behind him as they pushed through the crowd. The people were beginning to disperse, muttering in discontent. They had come for blood, but had been disappointed.

The walk to the inn, although no more than a mile, seemed like an enormously long time to both Link and Zelda. By the time they stepped into their room, Link had begun to shake nearly uncontrollably.

He sank down on his knees next to his bed while Zelda shut the door quietly. For a moment, she stood in the doorway, unsure of how to handle the situation. Eventually she decided that simply being near him would be enough.

As Zelda sat down on the edge of Link's bed, he took a deep breath and looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was obviously trying very hard not to cry.

"How did you get the sword?" He asked. "I'm the only one who can pick it up, so how did you manage to do that?"

"I don't know." Zelda said, shaking her head. "I just grabbed it. It stuck to the ground for a second, like it was deciding whether or not to allow me to hold it. After that, it was as light as a feather."

"You saved my life." Link whispered.

"You know I would do anything for you." Zelda said honestly. "I owe you more than just my own life."

"Thank you." He choked out.

For a moment, Zelda debated whether or not it was wise to be in the same room when Link was upset. From her experience, men despised crying in front of others. Link seemed no different, having never shown any pain he was feeling to those around him.

"Would it be better if I left you alone for a while?" She asked.

"No. Please don't go." He said, looking up at her again. Through the tears in his eyes, Zelda could see a longing for something, although she didn't know exactly what for.

Zelda put her hand over Link's, hoping that it would be a small comfort to him.

"Why didn't you kill him?" She asked, hoping that it wasn't going to be a touchy subject. "He would have killed you, had the positions been reversed. He would have tried, at least."

"Because I like to think that I'm better than that." Link replied, gripping her hand. "I didn't want to kill him. I don't want to kill anyone. Before, I was fighting bloodthirsty monsters. These are human beings now. I can't just…end their lives simply because I can."

"Well, you spared Nicholas even though he didn't deserve it. You're turning out to be more of an honorable man every day."

Link didn't reply, instead choosing to look down at where his hands were clasped around Zelda's. For a few moments, they sat there in silence as he continued to fight back tears.

Finally, Zelda wrapped her arms around Link's shoulders and pulled him close. Like a small child, he sank into the embrace and broke down completely, letting all of his pain and guilt float away as he cried into her shoulder.