Thanks to FidesNemo for the review. Hope everyone else is enjoying the story so far too.

Here's the next chapter – I'm hoping everything makes sense and you enjoy it!

*-MM-*

Questions

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It had been two days.

It had been two more days without a sign of him. Yes, the Royal Guard had made slow progress of reaching the bottom of the ravine, of course they had. It was treacherous going.

But they hadn't found him.

I was sat in my chambers, in the same chair I sat in when Adalmund came to break the news to me. The irony was not lost on Adalmund, as I heard a knock on the door and a deep voice say "Excuse me, Your Highness."

"Come in," I answered, not getting up. I didn't fancy almost fainting again in Adalmund's presence.

"Your Higness, I bring news of the Royal Guard's search of the ravine. With regret I have to inform you that although we have reached the bottom and searched both directions, we cannot find the, erm, the.." Adalmund looked uncomfortable at these words, so I stopped him from needing to say them out loud.

"I understand, Adalmund, you have not found him," I sighed. I felt relieved, as I had spent the last three days preparing myself for the worst news, but at the same time I was a little angry. If Link was not in the ravine, and they could not find him in the Eastern Field of Hyrule, where was he?

"Adalmund, I still believe Sir Link is alive. As I have told you before, until we find his body, there will be no mourning of him," I spoke calmly.

"Your Highness, what else would you like us to do? We can search the whole kingdom if it pleases you, but as I have said previously, there was no scent of Sir Link at the Bridge of Eldin. We would not be able to follow any trails or leads," Adalmund countered my unwillingness to mourn Link without any form of proof.

"Adalmund, we will now have to involve Hyrule itself. We must issue a proclamation around Hyrule and all the outlying villages that Princess Zelda seeks an immediate audience with Sir Link, and that anyone with any information about him should contact the palace immediately..."

Adalmund tried to speak but I rose my hand to stop him.

"...We do not want to cause panic among the people, of course. I believe that most Hylians think that Sir Link is on another adventure anyway, having not seen him since he destroyed Ganondorf. This is the only way we can try and find him."

"If he is alive, Your Highness," Adalmund added.

I knew Adalmund was getting rather doubtful at the idea of Link being alive somewhere, but he was the head of the Royal Guard, he had to follow my orders. I didn't understand how he could be so willing to give up the search. Then a thought dawned on me. Was I the one holding onto Link's existence? Was I the one who was unwilling to believe the fact that Link was dead?

I shook my head. No-one could make me believe that Link was dead, and I for one was not ready to believe it myself.

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After another good night's sleep, where I had been dead to the world and had heard nothing of the noises coming from the bar, I got up and heard Telma whistling to herself downstairs. Badly, I grinned to myself. I listened for a moment longer and once I'd established that she was definitely alone, I went downstairs. I found Louise on the bar counter and gave her a little rub behind the ears. I did love that cat. I also found Telma busy cleaning the glasses behind the bar, from the previous night's service.

"Morning Link," she greeted me with the warm smile, as I stroked Louise, "sleep well?"

"Surprisingly, Telma, I did," I gave her a grin back, "despite the probable raucousness that probably went on here last night."

"Oh Link, my bar's not raucous, well not on a weeknight anyway," she gave me one of those famous winks again.

"Is there anything I can do to help, Telma?" I asked, knowing I couldn't do anything outside, so might as well make use of myself here.

"Well Link, you can start with the floor for me, sweep it and wash it. It gets darn sticky when all the beer gets spilt on it," Telma answered me, "and if it's ok with you I need to go out, I have other chores that need doing."

"Telma, that's fine with me, though how will I know it's you coming in the door, and not the postman?" I was worried about any cover being blown. I did not want to be found and recognised in Hyrule at the moment.

"Oh, you needn't worry about the postman, he's been and gone, and I'll lock up behind me. I'm the only one who has a key, so you don't need to worry about anyone coming in."

"Thanks for this Telma. I know it seems a bit silly, but I do not want to be found at the moment."

"Link, don't worry, I'm not going to go straight to the palace or anything to tell Princess Zelda you're here," she winked, " besides, I like the fact that I have you to do my cleaning for me, I don't want to get rid of that luxury anytime soon!"

I laughed and picked up the brush and started sweeping the floor. Telma picked up her bag and gave me a wink as she let herself out of the door. I heard her lock up again and sighed. Why was I so worried about being found? I thought about it as I swept the floor. Was I still angry at Zelda? A part of me was, the part that still ached for Midna. Midna! I was angry at her too. I swept harder, using it to try and dispel the anger. It didn't help. I finished sweeping and started with the mop.

Was the anger I had directed at Zelda really for Midna? But were Zelda's words the hurtful ones? She didn't know what I felt inside. I didn't know what I felt inside. The backwards and forwards motion of the mop kept singing 'Midna, Midna, Midna' in my head. My head was muddled, I couldn't think. Confusion and pain clouded everything. The mop fell, and so did I. Falling into strange waking dreams filled with monsters, the monsters of the past and the monster that sat on my heart, tearing it apart.

Telma found me slumped on the floor, the mop discarded and the floor only half washed.

"So much for an extra pair of hands," she smiled sadly to herself. She lifted me up and propped me against the bar, and then splashed water over my face. This is where I found myself when I came to again.

"Link, I thought I asked you to wash the floor, not fall asleep on it!" My eyes were cloudy as I looked up at her.

"Sorry," I all but mumbled, still groggy.

"Don't worry about it, you sit there and come back to reality while I finish this off." Telma picked up the mop and finished the floor. I watched her, eyes refocusing and embarrassed as I realised how little of the floor I had washed. I felt useless, Telma was offering me help and I couldn't even do anything to help her in return.

"All done," Telma exclaimed and put the mop away before pulling up a chair in front of me. My thoughts were racing again. As I'd watched Telma, as well as feeling embarrassed, I also felt that I was going to have to tell her more. After finding me in a state on the Bridge of Eldin, and arriving home to find me in another state, I knew she was now going to ask me more pressing and personal questions. I was mentally preparing myself for this when she spoke.

"So, Link. What the hell is wrong with you? I can't keep picking you up and dragging you everywhere every time you decide to jump of bridges and collapse." She said all this with a grin, but it seemed more strained than usual, more like she was trying to be light-hearted, when in fact, she was really worried about me.

"Oh, and by the way, Princess Zelda wants a word with you."

"What?" I shot to my feet, suddenly angry at her. She had gone to the castle...

"No, wait a minute Link. Sit down. You're jumping to conclusions. She is not here." I sat back down again.

"So how do you know she wants to talk to me?" I asked, confused, but I sat back down against the bar. I knew she was good at reading minds, but surely that only came from looking at people first. Surely she couldn't read Zelda's mind, all the way in the castle?

"Princess Zelda has released a proclamation, stating that she would like an 'immediate audience' with you," Telma handed me a leaflet. "The news is going round Hyrule and all the surrounding villages," she finished.

I looked at the leaflet. It was strange to see the title of 'Sir Link' used, I was never happy with it...

But why had she released this? Did she want to speak to me that badly? I knew one thing; I wasn't ready to talk to her.

"Telma, I can't go and see her. Not yet anyway."

"Link, why ever not? The Princess only releases these things when they are urgent, I really think you should...."

"Telma," I said tersely, "Zelda hurt me. Until I am ready to talk to her again, I will not be answering this, this thing," I scrunched the leaflet up and threw it to the floor.

"How did she hurt you, Link?" Telma asked tentatively. I knew this was coming.

"It's a personal matter, Telma. I really don't want to talk about it." I put my head in my hands, trying to block out any more of Telma's questions. It didn't work, I knew she would have more.

"So, Zelda hurt you and it's personal," Telma muttered to herself, mulling over ideas in her head out loud. I was not prepared for what she said next.

"Link, I'm sorry for asking, but do you love Princess Zelda?"

The words stabbed me. I let go of my head and stared at Telma, incredulously. She stared back, not averting her gaze from me. She was staring back at me, as if trying to force an answer from me.

"Telma," I said, slowly, carefully controlling my voice and the anger in my heart, "That has nothing to do with why I do not want to go and see the princess. I do not love Princess Zelda."

Telma continued to stare at me, then suddenly dropped her gaze to the floor. "I win," I thought to myself.

"Link," Telma spoke to the floor, "Link, you may not love the princess, but I am sure the problem you have is something to do with love, I sense it. I am also sure that you must go and see the princess as soon as possible. But now, you must go upstairs. It is nearly 5 and I must open the bar. I will make gentle enquires with the guards that frequent the bar about this," she picked up the leaflet I had scrunched up, "and I will let you know of anything I find out. But now, upstairs with you." She looked up at me at this point, with a faint smile, that last sentence used to try and lift the tension.

But I was still angry at her. How dare she ask me such personal questions, and get it so wrong.

But also so right. She knew my pain was caused by love. Or the lack of it, I thought to myself grimly.

I picked myself up off the floor and headed upstairs. Telma did not watch me climb them, instead heading over to the bar door to unlock.

I knew I wouldn't sleep, but I settled down in a comfortable position to listen to the voices downstairs. I knew that tonight I could possibly get some answers about Zelda's proclamations. I heard Telma's voice, she was talking to a man and she was laughing. but the laugh wasn't as hearty as usual. I remembered her eyes when I said I wasn't in love with Zelda, I remembered her voice when she said that she thought the problem was to do with love. Was my hurt upsetting her? This thought chilled me.

"Midna, what have you done to me?"

And there's chapter 6!

R&R when you have time - I always look forward to hearing from new and current readers about what you think!