Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed! It really means a lot. I know this story isn't a masterpiece or some great work of prose, but it's a joy to write and I'm just glad that I can entertain even a small batch of people out in the world.
I apologize for something in previous chapters. I hadn't noticed that, for some reason, all of Link's direct thoughts weren't italicized anymore so it may have become confusing when I switched from past to present tense. It's been fixed!
Also, genre has been changed because it is now officially in other territory.
Warning: Gore. Blood. Language.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.
Chapter 7 – The Wind and the Sword
It had been two weeks since the whole debacle with the King. I heard nothing from Zelda and I honestly didn't expect to. She was also distancing herself from walking the training grounds, it seemed, and much to my relief.
Most of the leaves on the trees had already fallen, making the world look as barren as my soul felt. I kicked a small pile of leaves with a tad bit of anger on the cobblestone path. It was the end of one of my shifts in Castle Town and I found myself walking by the Temple of Time.
I had never been a very religious person, but lately I had been turning to anything and everything to make me feel better for ruining someone else's life. I gently pushed open the doors to the temple and slipped inside.
The temple was dim, with only a few candles burning along the walls. It was late in the afternoon and the sun wasn't quite high enough anymore to shine through the high temple windows. It was mostly empty, save for an elderly couple kneeling in silent prayer at the altar. Not wanting to bother them, I slipped into a seat at the back, letting out a sigh of exasperation to finally sit after my six-hour standing session.
I closed my eyes as my brain tried to think of something, anything, to say to the goddesses. Do I thank them for finally distancing Zelda from such a dangerous friendship with me? Or do I plead for the reason why my life had turned so completely upside down?
Wow, here I go again, being selfish. There I was moping about my petty feelings when there was a princess out there being forced to marry a horrible man. The announcement was sent out in the form of elegant flyers to Castle Town and the various towns of Hyrule. The King was finally getting what he wished and Zelda was getting an end to a respectable life.
I grew angry again and punched the back of the seat in front of me. It echoed rather loudly off the stone walls, causing the elderly couple to glance around for the source of the noise. My heart beat fast, embarrassed that I had interrupted their prayer. Curses!
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew across my face. I turned my head around to see who had just entered the temple, but the doors were sealed shut. What the…?
A sharp pain suddenly flashed across my temples. My eyesight faded to a dark green. I grabbed my head in my hands, trying to massage the searing pain. Goddesses, it hurt so bad I couldn't even think.
"Take the sword."
My eyes flashed open, eyesight regained. I whipped my head around to see who had spoken, but no one was there. Not even the old couple. I was completely alone in the Temple of Time. Wait – how did those two leave so quickly? They were ancient!
"Great, I'm going mad," I thought, still a little panicked. I stood up shakily, ready to rid myself of the sudden eeriness that washed over this place. It was then that my eyes glanced up to the altar and what lay just beyond.
The Master Sword.
Everyone, especially young orphaned soldier boys, grew up hearing the stories of the sword. It was said that the sword lay dormant in its pedestal, waiting for the hero of the age to lift it and defeat whatever evil lay upon the land. When Fenn and I were young, we would take visits every once in a while to the Temple of Time. We would gather around the sword with several of the other orphaned boys and hear one of our teachers tell stories of old. Of heroes and princesses, demons and evil kings. I always felt so entranced by it.
Once, during one of those trips, Fenn laughed upon hearing the sword would only move for the Hero. He quickly jumped up, standing not much taller than the sword itself, and tugged at it with all his might. The other boys, including me, laughed with a riot at how he struggled.
I knew now that it was those stories of valor that inspired so many of us to become the best soldiers we could be. We all wanted to be like the heroes of lore: to protect and serve Hyrule no matter the cost.
It was surely my mind playing tricks on me, telling me to take the sword. Is my mind telling me to take it and murder a certain Duke if he dared lay a harmful hand on Zelda? Well, that was ridiculous, anyway. I certainly wasn't a hero. Lost in thought, I hadn't even realized I had walked all the way up to the pedestal, but there I was. My heart beat rapidly as I felt my hand reach out gently, having never touched the sword itself. As my fingertips brushed against the dark blue hilt, I felt something akin to a large static shock. I quickly whipped my hand back, eyes a little wide.
Okay, this is getting too freaky. Wind is blowing from nowhere, I'm hearing voices in my head… swords are giving me jolts like I'm touching the princess! I soon found myself heading out of the large doors and back into the cool autumn air.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't crushed when I heard that Zelda was getting married. I felt like I was stampeded by a hundred King Dodongos, breath failing to enter or leave my body all the same. Of course I had let her down, probably even pushed her father to hasten his suitor decision with how incompetent I came across. It sucked that I had failed her as a friend.
It sucked more that I had been falling in love with her.
The opening of my bedroom door jolted me back to reality. Fenn entered the room, a little noisily for how quick-to-annoy I felt.
"Skipping dinner again, Link?" He looked up at me on my bunk, his eyes full of concern.
Excuse me, Fenn, if I feel a little down-trodden at the unfortunate circumstances of my life at the moment. But yes, food sounded completely unappetizing. Instead of saying any of this, I grunted and rolled over on my side.
"How about instead of wallowing in self-pity, you come out with me and Mari tonight? I'm sure there are plenty of young, pretty, available women who would love to-"
I growled in annoyance, cutting him off. I honestly felt more like an animal than a man.
Boy, how the tables had turned.
Of course I had revealed to Fenn that Prince Ravio was basically told to go shove it by the King, but he still wasn't aware that Zelda knew I was a lowly soldier. At this point, it didn't even matter if he knew, but I felt like avoiding conversation pertaining to the Princess of Hyrule at all costs.
"Link, I know you're upset, but you had to imagine something like this would happen at some point. Now, come on, you need to forget about it all. Go have fun for a change." He was right, but I really wasn't going to admit it to him. "Besides, I owe you big for getting me and Mari back together." He smiled wide, making me almost want to strangle the joy right out of him. "I'll buy?"
He said it as a question but I knew he meant it as an invitation.
I sighed. I had no reason to keep moping in bed. I didn't feel like going out and meeting women, as he had so graciously suggested, but some time with friends might be good. Even if it meant I would be a third-wheel.
As Fenn and I wandered the evening streets of Castle Town, a chill flew up my spine at the sight of the Temple of Time. Fenn noticed I had fallen behind a bit. "Link? You okay?" I shook off the feeling and hurried to meet back up with him.
The tavern was packed with soldiers, men, and women alike. Fenn spotted Mari and subsequently ran off to greet her. So much for sticking with me, buddy. I simply looked around for an empty spot at the bar and plopped myself down.
There were several empty seats at the bar, as many of the patrons were dancing and mingling with their drinks. The bartender happily came over to me and asked what my order was. I ordered the largest glass of ale available.
I hadn't had anything to drink in a while, and my first few sips already had me feeling warm inside. My mind began to drift between the depressing and the just plain weird. I drained the glass and ordered another. It's going to be a long night.
The seat to my right was suddenly filled, and I felt myself looking out of the corner of my eye at my new neighbor. It was a blonde young woman. Despite Fenn's suggestions, I wasn't doing anything stupid that night. No matter how much he teased me for having a "thing" for blondes.
A sudden spark of warmth travelled up my hand. The woman had grabbed my hand. Uh, what? My head jolted up to ask her what she was doing and I froze.
Her hair wasn't styled in any way and she had next to no makeup on. The dress she wore was brown and a little ratty. No necklaces, no earrings, no tiaras.
"Z-zelda?" I managed as quietly as I could. It didn't matter that she wasn't as fancied up as I had seen her so many times before. She was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. She simply stood, squeezing my hand, and dragged me out of the back door of the tavern.
"But I didn't pay!" I whispered harshly as I tripped over my own feet.
"I took care of it," she replied, not looking back at me. What was in her voice? Anger? Disappointment? Desperation?
In one of the back alleys of Hyrule's Castle Town, I sat on a wooden crate next to the Princess of Hyrule. The only lights in the alley came from the windows of the surrounding buildings but my eyes were slowing adjusting so I could see my companion better.
The loudest silence I had ever heard hung in the air. No one else was in the alley, save a stray cat. Until it hissed and chased something out of sight. Then we were alone.
"What are you doing here, Zelda?" I finally broke the silence. "Isn't your fiancé going to be looking for you?" I said the last part with unintended disdain. I cringed as I watched her look even further away from me.
"I… sometimes come to Castle Town to get away from the castle," she said quietly. "Remember I told you I was good at sneaking out?" She finally turned toward me, a very brief smile gracing her pale lips.
"Aren't you afraid of being recognized?"
She glanced down to her outfit and tugged at her hair. "Like this?"
"I was able to recognize you."
She turned away from me suddenly, her eyes lighting up a bit. "Well, others aren't quite as observant as you or I." She was obviously poking fun at how she knew who Prince Ravio really was. I smiled a little.
The reality of the situation suddenly hit me. "How did you know where I was? And," I took a nervous gulp, "what did you want to talk to me about?" I wasn't really in the mood to be yelled at for screwing up her life, but I was honestly relieved to just be in her presence again.
"I spotted you and your friend while I was walking down the street and followed you two." Well, that was obvious, Link, you idiot. "You… seem as if you would rather not want to talk to me," she said quickly, and with a twinge of pain in her voice.
My face twitched. "Zelda, I… You know I… Of course…" What are you trying to say? Spit it out! "Of course I want to talk to you. I just figured…" I trailed off as I stared at my feet. "I just figured you had no interest in talking to me ever again after what happened with your father."
I braced myself for either yelling or sobbing, but none came. All I got was an intense stare. I felt like I was sitting there naked; so exposed. I blushed at her gaze.
"Link, that wasn't your fault." Really? Because it sure seemed like I made a total ass out of myself. When I didn't say anything, she continued. "It's apparent that my father was going to pick the Duke of Labrynna anyway, no matter what I said. There wasn't really anything you or I could do."
I wasn't sure if I should be relieved. But for some reason I felt like crying. Me, a 20-year old man – a soldier nonetheless – was about to erupt in tears. Damn alcohol.
"I'm sorry for not talking to you earlier," she added, "but you can probably guess that I don't exactly have a way to write to you anymore. My father is monitoring every letter I send out now – making sure I'm still not talking to Prince Ravio, no less. And sending a letter directly to you seems a little dangerous."
I mean, I already figured as much. But in a way I was hoping she just hated me. It would make getting over her that much easier. "I understand." I didn't know what else to say.
She turned her gaze back towards me, her face turning serious. "Link, the real reason I wanted to talk to you was…Well…" She was getting nervous. Did she feel the same way I did? I stopped breathing. "Something isn't right with my father." Okay, not what I was hoping to hear, but still garnered my full attention.
"With your father?" I questioned, not entirely sure what she meant. "Is he sick?" He seemed fine when I had met him. But then again, he felt like a completely different person compared to the overprotective King I had encountered at the ball months ago.
Zelda suddenly stood up, flustered. "He's… He's just not right, okay?" I had never heard her speak so informal. "He listens to every damn thing the Duke of Labrynna says. And he's been slowly growing distant and weaker and I..." She was staring at the cobblestone of the alley, tears forming behind her now-wide blue eyes. "I'm sorry… that was very inappropriate of me," she almost whispered, a blush creeping onto her porcelain skin.
I wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her close. I wanted to feel that spark I felt every time she touched me. Pull it together, Link!
"Zelda… what can I do? I can't show up at the castle as Prince Ravio. And I certainly can't go as myself." I could tell that her mind was whirring with thoughts as she stared off down the alley.
"I… I don't know yet," she sighed. "The Duke is growing angrier and more restless every day. When I told him it would take at least a month or two to get our wedding preparations ready, he became enraged and he…." She paused slightly. "I mean, for some reason, it's like my father doesn't see it," she finally said, obviously changing course from what she originally wanted to tell me. "Link, I can sense that something very bad is going to happen." I tensed a bit, my thoughts wandering to my memories at the Temple of Time and the Master Sword. No. I shook it off. I concluded that I had been going crazy, which was all but unreasonable given the circumstances.
I still didn't know what I could do to help. "Is there anything I can do?" I know I sounded desperate but I didn't care. I wanted to help so bad, to figure out what was going on. To stop this wedding.
She smiled at me, but sadly. "Thank you, Link. I appreciate your willingness." She didn't really answer me, but I figured she didn't know what I could do yet either. Looking around a little nervously she added, "I should really be getting back now. Someone might have figured it out by now…"
"Figured what out?" She didn't respond, but quickly started to walk out of the alley way and back to the main street. I leapt after her. "Let me at least escort you back." She still didn't respond. "Please?" She looked at me curiously, as if she were contemplating something greatly. Was I intruding on her plans?
"Alright." I sighed in relief. I wasn't going to be a pansy anymore and let her walk out of my life again so easily.
She took my arm, her warmth emanating through me, as we walked the streets of Castle Town.
"Can I ask you something?" I blurted out after a long silence. She looked up at me and nodded slightly.
"Why did you still want to see me? Even after you knew I was a lying jerk?" I still had a hard time believing she just thought it was "cute" that I had lied to sneak into a royal party, that I had lied directly to so many people including her father…
"I…" she stopped in her tracks and looked away from me. Was she blushing? "It was just nice to have a friend for once in my life." Should I have been sad that she had only referred to me as a friend – again? Or should I have been sad that Zelda hadn't had any friends her whole life until I came along? Thank Farore the effect of the alcohol was waning. I would have surely started weeping otherwise.
We were at the exit that led to the castle by now and I felt her grip fade from my arm. I suddenly felt cold again.
"I've got to go, Link." Wasn't I leading her back to the castle? Was she going somewhere else?
"Where are you going?" I questioned, a little concerned that she was acting so mysterious.
"I'll see you later," was all she said before taking off into the night.
I stood there in my normal stupid state as she hurried off up the path that led to the castle. "Good night," I said to no one. Confused about so many things, I headed back to the soldiers' quarters. Fenn and Mari probably forgot I had even been there.
Two days later, near the practice field, I was hacking away at a post with my dull sword. Nailed to it were several flyers announcing Zelda's winter wedding. Good, a depressing time of year for a depressing day. I hope it snows.
I felt bitter that day. I hadn't seen Zelda again. She said "I'll see you later" but that could have just been a figure of speech. But didn't she want me to help get to the bottom of what was going on at the castle? She didn't exactly seem like it was something to take her sweet time about. Did she think I wasn't good enough to help? Was I just a friend to complain to? I swung my sword angrily at the flyers, the cares I gave if anyone saw me being precisely zero.
"Woah there, buddy." Fenn emerged into my left peripheral vision, his hands held up in mock defeat. "Take it easy."
I whipped my sword at the post in anger, finally giving up.
"Calming down a bit?" No. "Because I need to ask you something." Apparently he can't read minds. Which is good for him because –
"We've been friends for practically our whole lives, right?" His face got serious.
"Yes," I finally said.
"Do you…" he said as he stared at the ground, "Do you think I should wait until after Regas and Malon's wedding to ask Mari to marry me?"
Seriously? What the HELL. Was I the only one in Hyrule not getting married, for Din's sake? I know I had a really stupid look on my face because Fenn's eye twitched a bit when he looked at me. He honestly looked a little horrified.
Wow. There I go again. It probably took him all of the guts he had to ask me such a personal question and I go and smear my personal issues all over it. Despite what had been said on the contrary recently, I was officially the worst friend ever.
I didn't even get a chance to say anything before a blood-curdling scream erupted from the castle. Fenn and I both shot up. I instinctively picked up the dull blade in front of me. It wasn't my regular sword, but I could still hurt somebody with it. We gave each other a quick glance and rushed over to the main gate.
By the time we got there, we noticed the gates were closed. About twenty other soldiers were being prevented from approaching the castle, loudly protesting their inability to find out what was happening.
From the tower, the same guard who had greeted me when I saw the King – Stefan was it? – appeared.
"Men, please calm yourselves. I have it on good authority that there is nothing to be alarmed about."
A few men banged on the gate. "Nothing to be alarmed about? We heard a scream!"
"It sounded like Princess Zelda!"
"What good are we doing as soldiers if we don't find out?"
"Aren't we supposed to be the ones to protect the castle, not your authority?"
Stefan was growing nervous. He was wasting my time. I glanced around and found some vines that grew along the wall next to the gate. Stefan was too preoccupied at calming down the growing crowd that he wasn't going to notice me. I hopped on top of the wall, only to notice Fenn following me.
"What are you doing?" I hissed down at him.
"To hell if I'm letting you go alone!" he snarled back. I could see I wasn't going to win this.
"Fine! But hurry!" I reached my hand down to pull him up faster. Crouching on top of the wall, several other soldiers noticed but knew what we were doing. Suddenly, two of those same soldiers began shoving each other around, causing a commotion. They were giving us a diversion.
I glanced around the field and noticed that there were no soldiers in sight. What was going on?
Fenn and I crept along the top of the gate wall, sure that Stefan was preoccupied enough to be oblivious of our movements. Once we crossed the gate, we both hopped down and sprinted through the empty field. I glanced back and saw that several soldiers were climbing the gate now and a few more were following the path that Fenn and I had just taken. We weren't going to be alone.
Instead of taking the route to the grand hall, I took a right, as Zelda and I had done a few weeks before. I felt like we needed to get to the throne room. And fast.
In front of the throne room doors, I froze. There was no one. Anywhere. And it was very quiet. It was making me feel sick.
I threw myself into the door, which unlatched but barely moved. It's like there was something blocking the door. All I needed was to give Fenn a look before he joined me at the door. We both pushed, slowly moving aside whatever had been blocking the door. I stepped inside the room, just barely stepping on someone's… hand?
Bile rose in my throat. It wasn't a something that was blocking the door. It was a someone. Lots of someones. Fenn gasped as he followed me into the room.
There were bodies everywhere. Some were in piles, blood pooling around the bodies like the moat around the castle. Several tapestries had been ripped from the walls and now lay on the floor, burning. I heard a cough.
"Where are you?" I immediately shouted, frantic. "We're here to help!" Fenn began running around, trying to find who was still amazingly alive. I then spotted him. Slouching in his throne was the King of Hyrule.
"Your highness!" I yelled as I ran to him. I winced when I noticed the blood pouring from a wound on his stomach but propped him up so he could breathe easier. "Please, hold on. We're going to get help!" I whipped around. "Fenn!" He nodded to me, knowingly, and flew out the doors to see if any of the other soldiers had made it up to the castle or not. Knowing I needed to stop the bleeding, I ripped the hem of my tunic off and, as gently as I could, wrapped it tightly around the massive wound.
"Prince Ravio?" he said quietly, squinting at me with his tired eyes.
I wasn't going to correct him; that really wasn't necessary now. "Yes," I said with a nod. The piece of tunic I had wrapped around him was already soaked with blood.
"Find Zelda…" he breathed heavily. "Please… forgive me" he said as he closed his eyes.
"Your highness?" I squeezed his arm gently. He was still breathing. "Stay with me!" Just then, Fenn flew through the doors, three other soldiers tailing him. I turned back to the King. "Did the Duke of Labrynna do this?" He grunted slightly, but I couldn't tell if it was a yes or a no.
I was suddenly shoved aside by two of the soldiers who immediately lifted the King out of his throne and laid him on the ground. One of them must have been trained in first aid, as he whipped out some proper bandages from his bag. Good find, Fenn.
The King was still breathing, albeit harshly. "Is he going to be okay?" The third soldier had joined the other two in stabilizing and cleaning the wound. They didn't answer me.
I glanced around at the carnage. The King told me to find Zelda. Oh goddesses, please don't let her be in here.
Fenn, sensing my frenzy, joined me. There were so many bodies. The stench was overwhelming. I tried to hold my breath as long as I could and I certainly tried to restrain myself from breaking down and sobbing. "Zelda!" I yelled. Fenn and I lifted up bodies as the other three soldiers continued to help the King. Several other soldiers soon joined us in the room. One of them vomited.
As we continued to search, I realized I recognized some of the bodies. Sir Palen. Sir Logan. I gulped. Trevor. My heart froze. My mind rewound, trying to recall if I had seen Regas. Fenn gave me a glance as I whipped around, understanding what was going through my mind. He shook his head.
Hopefully he was safe. But…"Zelda," I whispered, my eyes on the verge of tears. Or maybe it was the god-awful stench that made my eyes water. Nonetheless, I nearly tripped over a body and glanced down. Of all the shocking things that had happened so far, this was the least one I was expecting.
At my feet laid a very dead Duke of Labrynna.
I knelt down to where he was crumpled on the floor, but something struck me as very odd. While everyone else had wounds and suffered enormous blood loss, he didn't seem to have even a single cut.
More soldiers began pouring into the hall, Erickson and Regas among them. I could see Regas dash across the hall to the body of a young knight. I remembered seeing him at the engagement party – he was going to Regas's best man. A loud wail erupted from a person I never thought I would ever see cry.
I was in a daze. Soon townspeople were pouring into the hall, wives screaming over the bodies of their husbands. I had to get out of there. Breaking into a sprint, I dashed out of the hall. I didn't stop when Fenn called after me. I was blind. Dark red faded into my vision as I felt myself running into walls, gates. I tripped and fell face-first into a bush. I began to sob.
Fenn quickly grabbed and shook me. "Pull it together, Link! We're no use as soldiers if we fall apart now." He was right. I was losing it when I needed to be calm and rational. But why did my mind have to blank again – just as it had in the Temple of Time? I was certain it was just my rage.
"Stefan." I suddenly said aloud. For some reason it dawned on me. He knew what was going on. He knew not to let anybody through the gates. I began to run again, this time Fenn at my side. As we approached the main gate, we could see how everyone was able to get through. The gate had been bent and then altogether broken. It laid in a heap next to the gate tower.
"Stefan!" I yelled, as more townspeople rushed by us, heading to the castle. I spotted a lone figure making his way towards Castle Town instead of away from it. When we caught up to him, I can only rationalize that I had gone insane. I grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground. As he lay whimpering, I sucker punched him in the face. And again.
"Prince Ravio?" he stumbled out in between punches. You got that right, bastard.
"Stop!" Fenn had finally caught up to me.
"WHERE IS ZELDA?" I screamed as blood began to pour from his nose. He didn't answer. The townspeople that continued to pass by barely even noticed, their concern for whatever happened at the castle to be far greater than some soldiers having a fist-fight.
Suddenly, Fenn pulled me off of Stefan. "Killing him isn't going to solve anything! Way too many people have died today." My hands were shaking, my knuckles covered in the blood from Stefan's face.
Stefan scrambled to get away from me, but I grabbed him again. Fenn reached out to pull me away once more but stopped once he realized I wasn't going to punch him anymore. I gripped his shirt collar, cutting off his air if ever so lightly. "Who paid you off?" I snarled.
He coughed slightly, indicating I was restricting his breathing. I loosened my grip a bit, if only it meant he could talk. "I don't know his name," he whispered hoarsely in my face.
"Then tell me what he looked like!" I had been so sure that it was the Duke of Labrynna. But there he was, dead in the throne room along with Hyrule Castle's guard.
"Tell me something, anything!" My voice had somehow switched from rage to desperation.
"The desert."
I was caught a little off guard, expecting him to not answer me again. He took advantage of this and ripped himself out of my grip and took off down the path into Castle Town. I lurched forward to go after him, but I felt Fenn grab my arm to hold me back.
"Let him go, Link." Why? So he can cause more death and destruction? "If he shows his face around here ever again, I promise I won't restrain you in the least."
I breathed heavily, trying to calm myself down. Apparently I had tried a little too hard. Seconds later, I blacked out.
Yowza. That's probably the goriest the story will get (hint: probably, I'm not sure). I know it's kind of taken a dark turn, but not all stories are puppies and rainbows. Next chapter won't be so depressing, I promise.
Until next time!
- KnT (brigette)
