A/N: Okay, new plan of action: upload chapters whenever I actually finish them instead of making a schedule. Because I rolled this one out much faster than usual. But eh. Hope you liked the lemon, because I got no feedback on the last chapter. And that's always a great sign ;D Hehe. But in all seriousness, it's a huge step out of my comfort zone, so I feel you. Anyway, more drama awaits, so read on! Or don't. That's cool, too. But... I'd appreciate it if you'd review and tell me what you think! :D Enjoy! ^.^
Chapter 7
Link trudged down the castle corridor, too tired to function as he dragged his hand along the wall. Silently, he wished that he had slept in later rather than getting out of bed in the first place...
He yawned, turning the corner and ending up crossing through the foyer, towards the kitchen. There, he found Impa rummaging through the cupboards. Link walked up to the counter, leaning on it sleepily and halfheartedly pushing his bangs out of his eyes.
"Have you started the coffee pot, yet?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
She barely glanced his way. "Yeah, it's on already..."
There was a long, awkward silence as she dug through the cupboards, pulling out a few spices and setting them on the counter.
"...So why didn't you just stay in bed?"
He frowned. "Because I have to be awake when Zelda wakes up. If I'm not, then she'll go straight back to work and I won't ever be able to pull her away. So I was going to go out to Castle Town with her for the day. I thought that maybe I could show her how well her citizens were doing... it could change her thoughts about the whole situation."
The woman shrugged. "I... suppose, it could..."
There was another long silence as she took the coffee off of the stove, grabbing a couple of mugs from the cupboard.
Noticing the silence, Link spoke up.
"Something up, Impa?"
She poured the coffee into the two mugs, knitting her brow. "Why exactly do you think so?"
He shrugged as she set the mugs down on the counter across from him. "I don't know," he replied, "you're just... quiet, today. What's wrong?"
Impa gazed at him coldly, not blinking. She slid the mug across the counter towards him forcefully. "I just hope you used protection."
His draw dropped open as the mug slid past him, falling off the counter and crashing onto the floor with a loud shattering sound.
"Y-You what?!"
"Don't play dumb with me, young man," she retorted, glowering at him. "You know what you did."
"H-How did you...?!"
"Any girl with a voice as high-pitched as Zelda's is easy to hear, even if they aren't being particularly noisy," she remarked. Impa picked up her mug, rolling her eyes. "That's not to say that she wasn't being particularly noisy, though... I'm not cleaning that up, by the way."
"I told her to be quiet..." he muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Oh dear," a voice interjected from the doorway. They both glanced over to find Zelda standing there, gazing down at the broken coffee mug. "What happened?"
"You're boyfriend's a klutz, partially," Impa answered, looking over at him as he quietly crossed towards the broom. "Not to mention the fact that I just dropped some news on him."
"What is it?" Zelda asked, frowning.
"Well, it certainly isn't breaking news, but you two aren't as discreet as you think you are."
The young queen felt her blood run cold. "...Y-You..."
"Are you surprised?" she scoffed, leaning against the counter as Link swept up the mess.
"I-Impa..."
"Did you use protection?" she asked sternly, narrowing her eyes.
Zelda's entire face turned a deep crimson, and she gazed down at the floor. "Y-Yes," she managed, "yes, we did..."
"Good," Impa replied, nodding curtly. "You do understand that I ask these things for your own benefit, don't you?"
"Yes, I know... th-thank you, Impa..."
"You're welcome. Now, about today- Zelda, I'll take care of the paperwork that I can take care of. Link was right; you are to take a break from your duties and visit your citizens in Castle Town."
Zelda frowned. "Impa," she started, "I have quite a few things to take care of, and I couldn't possibly afford to-"
"Your people care about you a great deal," she told her sternly, "and I'm certain that they'd like to wish you a happy birthday. Now that you are of legal age, you have more power over the decisions made for your kingdom, and they want answers. You want to be a people-pleaser? Go talk to your denizens."
The queen considered this for a moment. "I... suppose that you're right. I should make sure that they're all feeling alright..."
"Perfect," Impa stated firmly, a small smirk forming on her lips. "You'd best get ready, then."
...
"It's such a beautiful day..." Zelda sighed, the sun beaming down on them both as they strolled through the market.
Link nodded, rubbing his face. "Mmhm. Better relish it; the snow's coming soon..."
"I don't mind the snow," she replied, smiling warmly as she gazed up at the sky. "I think that winter is a beautiful season..."
"Oh," he started, "so you WOULDN'T mind if I buried your face in snow...?"
She grinned. "Is that a threat?"
He shrugged innocently. "I dunno... whatever happens happens..."
"Link!" Zelda laughed, playfully nudging him on the arm.
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. They both came to a stop as they were approached by a young girl with blonde pigtails, carrying a large woven basket.
"Hello, Link," she greeted him firmly, barely noticing the young queen.
"Hey, Agitha," he replied, smiling and nodding politely. "How are you?"
She shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. But I couldn't help but remember that you owe me some money for that dragonfly double you sold me..."
"Oh," he replied, his face deflating slightly. He reached into the pocket on his belt, digging through the pouch and pulling out a red rupee. "Right. Here you go."
"Thank you!" she answered cheerfully, smiling as she took the money from him and dropped it into her basket. "I'm glad that's taken care of!"
She turned towards Zelda, finally noticing her.
The young woman smiled kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Agitha."
The girl giggled, curtsying. "I'm glad to meet you too, Your Majesty. You see," she pointed to the butterfly ornament in her hair, "I'm a royal, too; I am Agitha, Princess of the Bug Kingdom!"
The queen smiled, shaking her hand. "I'm glad to hear it."
The girl smiled for a moment before clearing her throat and nodding. "I must return to the Bug Kingdom. It was wonderful meeting you, though; we should have a tea party, sometime!"
She waved goodbye, trotting off towards the southern wing of Castle Town.
Zelda turned towards Link, grinning. "She's a sweet girl."
He chuckled. "Strange, but definitely sweet."
They carried on towards western Castle Town, nodding politely to those who greeted them.
"So..." Zelda started in a lower register, biting her lip, "about last night..."
His eyes widened slightly. "It wasn't a mistake, was it? I know you were tired, but I thought that you really wanted to-"
"N-No, no," she interrupted, shaking her head vigorously. "I did want to. That's not what I mean. I was talking about... what you said, a little while before you fell asleep."
"Oh..." he replied, racking his brain. "I'm a little foggy on what happened right before I fell asleep. I didn't make a fool of myself, did I? Because I'm no stranger to that."
She laughed breathily. "No, of course not. It's just... you said that you-"
Zelda was interrupted when they heard a commotion from inside the STAR Game tent just beside them. They both looked at each other, nodding curtly as they crossed over to the tent. Zelda lead Link inside, biting her cheek as she looked around the large place.
A young man dressed in green with a clock around his neck was kneeling on the floor inside the large center of the room, and he poked his head up, quickly running over. His jaw dropped when he noticed Zelda, and he quickly fell to one knee, bowing his head.
"Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, looking up at her. "It's an honor to have you here! And-"
He looked over at Link, a scowl instantly taking over his facial expression.
"Oh," he muttered, standing up and crossing his arms. "It's you. Didn't think you'd come back here..."
"Hey, Purlo," Link responded dully, crossing his arms, as well. "I see you haven't gone out of business, yet. Shocking, really."
Zelda furrowed her brow, glancing back at Link. Purlo shook his head, wiping the grimace from his face. He swiftly grabbed onto Zelda's arm.
"You truly are as stunning as they say you are, if not even more so," he complimented her, pecking her on the hand. "It truly is a pleasure to meet such a beauty as you, Queen Zelda."
Link gave him a look of utter disdain, dramatically rolling his eyes. "As charming and dreamy as that is, Purlo," he started, his voice full of disgust, "she's not interested."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why, obviously if this fine lady has decided to visit this tent, then she has some interest in my business."
"It's adorable that you consider yourself a businessman, but we're only here because of all of the noise that you were making a couple of minutes ago."
"Link," Zelda finally spoke up, turning to him with a sharp gaze, "I think you're being a bit unfair..."
"He's a scam artist, Zelda!" he exclaimed, glaring at Purlo. "He only has a grudge against me because I beat his stupid game three times."
The man flashed him a cocky smile. "Oh, but after this remodeling, you'll never be able to finish this game again! I'm making yet another version of the STAR Game! You won't beat it this time!"
"That's because you made it virtually unbeatable without the Clawshots," he retorted, snorting. "That's how you thieve people out of their money!"
"Oh, give me a break," Purlo groaned, waving at him dismissively. "You got lucky, Big Shot. You're all about luck and no skill..." He chuckled, smoothly walking back over to the queen. "That's how he managed to win over a lady as dazzling as you..."
Zelda knitted her brow, looking back at Link.
The hero scoffed, turning on his heel. "You're just bad news, Purlo. Come on, Zel, we're out of he-"
Suddenly, a familiar face popped into the tent, followed by a couple more. Link raised his eyebrows.
"Link?" Ilia asked, furrowing her brow. "I wasn't expecting you to be here; I was going to come visit you in just a few minutes..."
"You know this guy?" Purlo asked, putting his hands on his hips.
"THIS is the guy you're with?!" Ashei barked, having just entered the tent with Shad behind her.
"Yes," she answered, passing Zelda and standing beside him. "This is Purlo, owner of the STAR Game. Purlo, that's Link, Ashei, and Sha-"
"Yeah, I know who they are," he groaned, taking a step back. "They're all nuts, if you ask me."
Shad frowned. "What did I do...?"
"You!" Ashei growled, stomping towards Purlo. "You're still running this game, you cheat?! I thought I told you to call it off!"
Zelda bit her lip, utterly confused.
"Wait," Link broke in, putting his hands up. "Ilia, how do you know Purlo?"
The Ordonian girl took a deep breath, folding her arms. "Well... I was going to wait to tell you, but... he and I are... seeing each other."
"Isn't he a little old for you?" Ashei asked, still glaring at Purlo.
"You're, like, three years older than Shad!"
"That's the least of the issue, here," Link spoke up, stepping forward and grabbing onto Zelda's hand. "Ilia, why are you dating this guy?"
"Purlo is a gentleman," she answered coldly, grabbing onto his arm. "And he's very smart, actually."
"-Smart and able to con people out of their rupees are two different things..." Shad muttered, pushing up his glasses.
"Hey!" Purlo shouted. "Shut it, four-eyes!"
Ashei's eyes darkened as she clenched her fists at her sides, and Link and Zelda both took a step back.
"You back off!" Ashei snapped, leaning forward until her face was just inches from his.
He rolled his eyes. "What, you have feelings for him? Or are you just trying to act like you actually have a heart?"
"I'd sooner make you swallow your teeth than ever show you that I have a heart!" she growled, shoving him against the grate of the wall. "You don't deserve to see that side of anyone!"
He opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted when she delivered to him a swift kick in the groin. Shad and Link both winced as Purlo doubled over, groaning loudly as Ashei stormed towards the tent entrance.
"Y-You little-!"
"I'm surprised that hurt," she yelled at the top of her lungs, exiting the tent, "because you need to GROW A PAIR!"
Ilia rested her hand on Purlo's shoulder, frowning as he remained slumped over on the ground.
Conflicted, Zelda glanced between Purlo and the exit with a furrowed brow, her mouth agape. She let go of Link's hand, bolting after Ashei and leaving the four of them alone in the tent.
Ilia helped Purlo to his feet, his eyes still watering as she pecked him on the cheek, dashing off after Zelda and Ashei with a scowl.
Link glanced over at Shad, who remained still. The scholar crossed his arms, clearing his throat. "Best to leave Ash alone for now..."
The hero nodded understandingly.
Purlo exhaled deeply, still gritting his teeth. "Ugh..." he muttered, his eyes shut tightly, "that girl's got a leg like a cannon..."
"Or maybe you just have a weak pair of chops," Shad murmured, crossing his arms.
Purlo glowered at him, leaning up against the wall. "I don't get what you all have against me," he snorted, shaking his head. "All I'm doing is making a living, and you treat me like some sort of criminal..."
"That's because you're a cheat," Link started, stepping towards him. "And...you need to leave Ilia alone."
He rolled his eyes, stepping past Link and adjusting the clock around his neck. "What, do you like Ilia, too? Is one hot girlfriend not enough for you, or what?"
"I've been friends with Ilia since we were both just kids," he spoke up, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him around. "You just met her, and speaking as her friend, Ilia deserves a lot better."
"What?" he asked, giving a fake laugh. "Like you?"
"No," he answered stoically, his eyes sharp. "Like anyone but you."
"Well, it's too bad, Big Shot," Purlo replied condescendingly, patting him on the arm. "Ilia likes me, and there's not much you can do for it..."
"What do you want with her, anyway?" he asked bitterly, his eyes dark.
He gave the young hero an odd sort of look. "Are you asking me why I like to date girls, or...?"
"Guys like you don't look for long-term relationships. Just leave Ilia alone, alright? She doesn't need her heart broken by some phony like you..."
"Buzz off," he grunted, pushing past Link and heading towards the exit. Before he could leave, Shad grabbed him by the arm.
Link gazed over at Shad, surprised by his unusual boldness.
"Link is right," the scholar added firmly, letting go of his arm. "Ilia's a nice girl. She's too innocent for you..."
Purlo scoffed, ignoring them both and exiting the tent. Link and Shad looked at each other before quickly following after him.
They followed him towards the center of Castle Town, where he met up with the three girls. Ilia argued with Ashei as Zelda tried, to no avail, to stop them. They arrived just in time for Shad to pull Ashei away from Ilia as she grabbed her by the collar of the shirt.
"Ash, stop it!" Shad spoke up firmly, grabbing her by the arm.
Purlo stepped beside Ilia, glaring over at them. "What's the matter with you?"
"She has no right to hurt you like that!" Ilia barked, glancing between him and Ashei.
"No right?" Ashei laughed coldly, narrowing her eyes. "Oh, please! He scams people out of all of their money, he ruins people's lives- I have EVERY right!"
"Hey, back off!" Purlo snapped, marching towards Ashei.
She leaned into his face, and he went to push her away, only to be swiftly interrupted when Shad gripped onto his arm, forcefully shoving him away from her.
"Leave her alone, Purlo," he growled, stepping in front of Ashei.
He laughed, clenching his fists at his sides. "Stepping in for your girl? Gentlemanly." He pulled his fist back, but never got the chance to swing.
Quickly, Zelda grabbed him by the shoulder, whipping Purlo around to face her.
"Don't you dare touch him!" she barked, leaning into Purlo's face with a powerful glare. She poked him in the chest, backing him up away from Shad. "Unless you'd like to tell your story to the guards, I suggest that you don't even CONSIDER laying a finger on anyone! Am I clear?!"
Purlo flinched at her words, cowering. "Y-Your Majesty," he muttered, laughing nervously, "let's not do anything rash... I just lost my head for a moment there. Listen; let's all head out for lunch, alright? " He grabbed onto her hand, carefully lowering it away from him. "Wh-What do you say?"
"I think it sounds great," Ilia chimed in supportively, crossing her arms.
Zelda relaxed slightly, though she still kept her guard up. "I don't see why not," she murmured, looking into his eyes impassively. "I'm certain that you can afford to pay for the six of us..."
He clenched his fists for a moment, closing his eyes in aggravation. Purlo shook his head, gritting his teeth. "Certainly YOU could afford to pay for it as well, My Queen..."
"Sure," she replied, "but I don't con people out of their money, do I? Not to mention the fact that you certainly owe everyone an apology..."
His face deflated as she walked off, leading the group towards Telma's Bar. Seeing that Ilia was already following Zelda, Purlo trailed behind, walking beside Link.
"I see why you like the queen so much," he muttered, gazing at her as she walked off. "That mettle in her... it's unbelievably attractive. Why'd she think to sleep with a guy like you?"
Link narrowed his eyes, knowing that he was trying to get on his nerves.
"Keep walking, Buddy," he replied, picking up his pace and leaving Purlo behind.
...
The group sat in silence as they all stared at each other, barely touching their food.
Ilia tapped her nails against the table, clearing her throat as she leaned back in her seat.
"...So how did you two meet?" Ashei asked warily, pointing at Purlo and Ilia with her fork.
He shrugged, pulling his hood down and revealing his short, dark brown hair. "Nothing special. We just kind of... bumped into each other in the Castle Town market. Hit it off... started dating a while after that. Simple, really. I should ask the same about you and your geek."
She narrowed her eyes, leaning onto the table. "That's not an official thing, as it is, so..."
"So what, are you just friends with benefits, or something?"
Shad choked on his drink as Ashei narrowed her eyes, her mouth agape. "Listen here, douche-!"
"Hey," Zelda interrupted them sternly, trying her best to keep the peace. "Let's not make things worse, alright?"
"Then tell this moron to mind his own business!" she replied, rubbing her temples.
"Oh, like you know anything about minding your own business!" Ilia retorted, shaking her head. "You've invaded Link and Zelda's privacy multiple times!"
"I was just joking!" Ashei answered, obviously fed up. "There's a line to be crossed, and I know that. Your boyfriend obviously doesn't!"
"So you're NOT friends with benefits?"
"NO!"
"That's all I asked."
"It's none of your business, anyway!"
"I just like to be in the loop, you know."
"I SHOULD UPPERCUT YOU OUT OF THE LOOP, BUSYBODY!"
"Just ignore it, Ash," Shad muttered under his breath, exasperated.
Purlo smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Cute nickname."
Ashei rolled her eyes, stabbing her food with her fork. "Step off, Jester."
Purlo opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Link.
"Are you sure you want to know about Shad and Ashei so that you're in the loop?" he asked nonchalantly, picking at his food. "Because it seems more like you want to know if Ashei is available."
Ilia glanced over at Purlo with stoic eyes as he choked on his words, stumbling.
"Don't be stupid," Purlo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm with Ilia; you know that... why would I be interested in a girl who kicked me in the groin? That's a bit twisted, don't you think?"
"No more twisted than your arm, right now," he replied, shrugging as he took a bite of food.
"Funny," he snorted, forcing a laugh.
They all fell silent as Telma casually strolled over, holding a pitcher of water. She pursed her lips, walking over to Link and Zelda and refilling their glasses, first.
Telma leaned in close between the two as Ashei and Purlo rambled on.
"What's the matter with Ash, now?" she asked cautiously, glancing between Zelda and Link. "Is it this new young man's fault?"
The hero frowned, resting his hand on the table. "Purlo runs the STAR Game," he whispered, looking over to them. "Apparently, Ashei doesn't really take a liking to crooks..."
Telma raised an eyebrow. "Hm. I think she mentioned him a while back. Figured it was her drunken stupor getting the best of her... guess he's a real guy. What do you think of him?"
Zelda rubbed the back of her neck as Link rolled his eyes, taking a drink of water. "Same as Ashei... doesn't help that he's dating Ilia."
Telma gasped, obviously intrigued by the gossip. "Not sweet little Ilia..." She shook her head, patting Link on the shoulder and clearing her throat. "You and I, we've gotta keep an eye on him. Deal?"
"Deal," he nodded, keeping his gaze on Purlo and leaning back in his chair.
Telma walked off towards the counter as Zelda exhaled through her nose, rubbing her forehead. She certainly hadn't expected to get involved in this during a simple day in town...
But she might as well be able to form her own opinion.
"So, Purlo," Zelda spoke up, sitting up tall. "Are you from Castle Town?"
He raised his eyebrows, clearing his throat. "Uh..." he stumbled over his words, not having expected to be asked any questions, "no, I moved here a few months back..."
She folded her hands together. "Did you have any reason for moving to Hyrule?"
He stifled a laugh. "Should I feel pressured, being asked that by the queen? Is this some sort of survey?"
She shook her head, her eyes having hardened. "No... I'm just curious. You seem confident in your business, after all..."
Purlo shrugged. "Castle Town has a fairly decent economy... not to mention the fact that the prices when I moved here were ridiculously high. I figured if I could get business anywhere, it'd be here."
"I overheard you saying you'd make a killing off this town," Link spoke up matter-of-factly.
"I never said anything of the sort!" he retorted defensively, crossing his arms. "(How did he know that I...)"
"And you're allergic to dogs, right?"
"How could you possibly-?!"
Zelda gently tapped his foot with hers beneath the table, urging him to stop. Link gave a half smirk, glancing over at her.
"You'll give him a heart-attack," she murmured.
"I could live with that."
"Don't."
"As delicious as this food is," Link spoke up louder, setting his fork down, "I'm absolutely stuffed."
Ashei looked over at Telma. "Purlo has the check, just so you know..."
"Sure thing," the woman nodded cheerfully, already prepared for their departure. She walked over to Purlo, casually setting the check down in front of him.
He grimaced. "But... but Link was the only one who even ate! Why should I pay for all of this...?"
"Because you have the check, honey," she added firmly, waving dismissively and walking off towards the back room.
Purlo glared down at the table for a moment before quickly standing up. Before he could run off, Ashei grabbed him by the arm, forcefully sitting him back down at the table.
"I don't think so, Pal. Bring out that wallet."
He grumbled to himself as Ashei managed a small grin, sitting back in her seat.
...
The group finally left Telma's Bar, and had just exited back into the alleyway before the front door.
"You do realize that you just attempted to dine and dash in front of the QUEEN, right?" Ashei asked, rolling her eyes.
Purlo bit his cheek. "I-I mean," he stuttered, "I wasn't... And anyway, I forgot who I was sitting with, alright? Zelda just kind of... blends in with everyone. It's like... hanging out with any regular person, and not necessarily the queen."
"There's one thing we can actually agree on," she muttered, starting up the steps leading back to South Castle Town. "I'd say we should all go back to the castle, but Impa'd probably beat you senseless if she knew who you were..."
"Impa?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as the rest of the group went on.
"She's Zelda's..." Ashei paused. "...Something. Anyway, I have some errands to run. Anyone who'd like to join me is welcome."
Zelda trailed behind the group as they walked out of the alley. Before she could get up the stairs, Purlo grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her around and waiting for the group to disappear behind the wall. She held her breath as he turned to her, pressing his hand up against the wall beside her.
"I did mean it when I said that you're not like most royals," he told her in a low voice, leaning in to speak with her. "You're actually real... someone that I can actually talk to."
She gave a half-smile. "Well... thank you. I appreciate it..."
Perhaps she'd misjudged him...
"And listen," he muttered, leaning in closer, "I picked up on the vibes you were throwing at lunch."
Zelda cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what; you were absolutely flirting with me."
Or perhaps she had judged him fairly.
"What?" she asked, knitting her brow.
"I've gotta say," he added, laughing, "flirting with another guy in front of your boyfriend is a pretty bold move. But I like that. I don't think he figured it out, though, so we should be fine..."
"I-I was just making small talk," she tried to clarify, speaking in a slower tone.
"Right. I'll admit it; I'm not a huge fan of your boyfriend. When I heard the news you two were dating, I was in shock. A pretty girl like you shouldn't go out with a guy who's always getting his hands dirty." Purlo grabbed onto one of her hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. He leaned in closer, and she nearly broke a sweat at his next words. "A beautiful girl deserves a charismatic, experienced guy, who actually knows what he's doing..."
Before he could bring himself any closer, Zelda pulled away from him, putting her hands up. "Look," she laughed nervously, "don't get the wrong idea. You're a handsome young man, and all, but..."
He grinned. "But what?"
"-But Link is my boyfriend," Zelda retorted, shaking her head. "I'm not interested in you. I love Link, and only Link... A-And Ilia is your girlfriend! How could you treat her like this?!"
"It's alright," he muttered, taking a few steps forward, "keep your voice down; she doesn't have to know about this... neither does Link; what, do you want to meet up somewhere more private, or...?"
"Back off, Pig!" she scoffed, taking another step back.
"I just-!"
"I told you that I'm not interested! You should thank the Goddesses that a sweet girl like Ilia even CONSIDERED dating an oaf like you!"
He grit his teeth. "Why are you giving me mixed messages? I thought that you wanted to-"
"I don't even know you!"
He rolled his eyes. "Well, you barely knew your boyfriend, either..."
Her eyes were practically lit on fire.
"You have no business comparing yourself to Link!" she barked, leaning into his face. "He's twice the man you'll ever be, you cheat! At least he's capable of making an honest living!"
"Come on," he practically begged her, leaning in, as well. "Just stop worrying about him..."
"Hey!" a voice interrupted from the top of the steps.
Purlo's blood ran cold as he heard footsteps from behind him, and his shoulder was grabbed by a strong hand. When he was turned around, he found himself staring into Link's livid eyes.
"...How much of that did you hear?"
"I heard enough of it, pervert!" he growled, shoving him up against the wall. "You'd better leave her alone!"
"Or what?"
"If I'm feeling forgiving, maybe I'll just slam your face against this brick wall. But that's no guarantee."
"Easy," he chuckled nervously, putting a hand to his head for protection. "You wouldn't do that in front of your girl, would you?"
"She could put you in prison for harassment!" he snapped, his eyes sharp like a beast.
Purlo furrowed his brow in thought. "Your eyes..." he muttered, reminded of something. "They're..."
"Link," Zelda spoke up sternly, walking to his side, "let him go."
"You can't let him get away with that, Zelda!"
"It was a misunderstanding," she insisted, shaking her head. "There is no just reason for me to throw him in prison, no matter how unbelievably rude his actions were."
"Zelda!" Link growled, clenching his fists. "You can't just let him treat you like that!"
"I'm not," she replied, her voice steady.
"You're letting him off easy! You're a queen; he can't talk to you like that!"
"I won't imprison someone for acting rudely, Link. I cannot allow bias to interfere with my politics..."
He grit his teeth, frustrated. "If you don't throw him in jail, then I'm gonna have to beat him to a pulp."
"You'll be doing no such thing," the young woman scolded him, folding her arms. "I trust that he won't speak to me in that manner again. If he does, then I am liable to charge him with harassment. But I'm an adult, Link, and I won't tattle on a hormone-filled young man because he does something that upsets me one time. Doing that would cause me to stoop to the level of some of the other royals whom I've met, and I've already promised myself to try my best to be a better leader than they are."
Link narrowed his eyes, glancing in disbelief between Purlo and Zelda. "You've got to be kidding me," he huffed out, his eyes aflame. "This... no, Zelda! I don't care what your responsibilities are; I'm sick of you letting people get away with treating you like this!"
She kept her gaze locked on his. "Listen, Link-"
"No!" he barked, stepping towards her. "I'm not budging this time, Zelda! He's a bad person, and he treated you horribly! How could you leave him be?! You always let people walk all over you because you think that what you've done for them doesn't amount to what they had to go through during the Invasion! But that's... th-that's ridiculous, Zelda! You want them to respect you? Why don't you take charge for once and show them that you matter?! Farore's sake- don't just let it happen, Zelda!"
A silence fell over them like a blanket as Purlo quickly glanced over at Zelda. Her gaze turned as cold as ice as she took a step back from them both. He saw her eyes flit up to the alley behind him, and he looked over his shoulder, where Shad, Ashei, and Ilia stood, spectating.
The queen clenched her jaw, not daring to look at Link as she quickly strode past him, not speaking as she left them all in silence.
Link exhaled through his nose, rubbing his forehead as he heard footsteps from behind him. He gazed down at the ground as the footsteps carried over towards Purlo until they came to a stop. After a short silence, Link looked up just in time to see Ashei's fist connecting with Purlo's face, and he fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Ilia gasped, running past Shad and kneeling down to Purlo. Link stormed away from them, sighing deeply as he felt his heart sink with guilt.
"Is everything alright?" Shad asked, frowning as he turned to face Link.
The hero weaved his fingers through his bangs, shaking his head. "I...I-I don't know... I tried to do the right thing, but..."
The scholar lowered his gaze. "I'm sure you know that I'm not one to know the first thing about relationship counseling..."
"No... but you're a lot smarter than I am."
Shad frowned. "...You did what you had to, I believe. You're right, after all; she's too compassionate for her own good... If something only affects her and not her people, then she doesn't care to even discuss it. I'm afraid that she sometimes doesn't know where to draw the line."
Link looked up to the sky, where a few dark clouds had begun to surround. He shut his eyes. "I should go back to the castle. I was too hard on her..."
"Perhaps she requires a bit of space," Shad suggested, swallowing hard.
Link nodded, exhaling. "Yeah..." He started towards the town. "Maybe you're right. Thanks, Shad..."
With that, Link carried on to the castle, not bothering to talk to the guards as he went in.
...
Hours and hours went by as Link poured over the books in the castle library. They were mind-numbingly boring, mostly; it seemed that the Royal Family only carried interest in thick, tedious courses on the history of the kingdom. Occasionally he would come across a volume of books detailing the steel used in combat in past battles fought for Hyrule, which interested him more than anything. Still, he only stayed there until he finally could take no more of it, and he ended up grabbing his sword and sheath and heading out to the courtyard.
The rain drizzled down outside as he fought some imaginary battle against one of the military training dummies. Occasionally his hand would cramp up and he would switch to his right hand.
Anyone would be able to guess how well that went.
After dark, Link finally decided to call it a day, despite how unproductive it turned out to be, and he headed back inside.
A warm, torchlit glow filled the hallways as he went into the kitchen, where he found Impa reading through a dusty old cookbook. He leaned on the counter, peeking over her shoulder.
"Anything interesting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She shrugged. "Only if you're fascinated by potatoes and cucco..."
Impa glanced up at him, frowning. "Your hair's drenched. You didn't track any mud in, did you?"
He shook his head. "I was only out in the courtyard. The sun just didn't want to come out today..."
"Wait..." Impa started, looking back up at him. "You were in the courtyard?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah." Link chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't break the dummy, again..."
A crease formed between her brows. "Zelda isn't with you?"
The grin quickly faded from his lips. "...N-No... I thought that she was up in her office..."
"I haven't seen her since this morning," Impa murmured, her expression blank.
His mouth went slightly agape. "I... where would she have...?"
"Was she acting any differently, the last time you saw her?" she asked, her tone full of concern.
He bit his lip. "We... I... Purlo, the STAR Game owner... he was hitting on her, so I tried to teach him a lesson... but she told me to leave it alone. And I just... I-I went off on her. I couldn't stand to watch her being treated like that. She didn't say anything... she just left. I thought that she was going back to the castle, but I never saw her..."
Impa buried her face into her hands. "Oh... where could she have gone?! It's not like her to run off without telling anybody..." She turned to Link. "Go ask the guards stationed outside if they've seen her anywhere. I'll ask around the castle..."
He nodded understandingly, wordlessly dashing out of the kitchen and through the foyer.
After he had exited the door, he turned to the guards of the castle for help.
"Have you seen Queen Zelda?" Link asked, trying not to panic.
They both shook their heads.
"Negative, Sir Link. Not since you left with her this morning..."
He bit his lip, nodding. "Thank you for your help, gentlemen."
Before he could leave, one of the guards stopped him.
"Would you like for us to call a search party for Her Majesty?"
Link exhaled through his nose. "Not just yet. Keep an eye out for her, though..."
He hurried off before they could answer...
...
After asking the guards around town if they'd seen Zelda, to no avail, Link began to grow desperate, and he hurried towards southeast Castle Town.
Hoping that he had gone to the right house, Link quickly rapped his knuckles against the door firmly, tapping his foot impatiently.
After a few seconds, a dressed-down Shad opened the door, looking surprised to see the young man.
"Link," he spoke up, clearing his throat as he ran his fingers through his own hair. "It's late, and the rain's pouring down..."
"It's important, Shad," he murmured, his eyes serious.
Understandingly, the scholar nodded, stepping out of the doorway. "Come in..."
Link briskly entered the house, walking into the main room where Ashei sat, curled up on the couch. She looked up at him, rubbing her eyes. "What're you doing here...?"
"Zelda's missing..." Link muttered, resting his forehead in his hands as he sat down beside Ashei.
She felt her arms drop to her sides. "What do you mean, she's missing?"
He laughed coldly. "I mean... I-I mean nobody's seen her for... hours. Last I saw her was when she stormed off. I thought that she'd just gone up to her office, like she always does, but..."
Shad gave him a blank stare, filled with disbelief. "You... asked the guards?"
He nodded. "All throughout town..."
"What about at the gates?" Ashei asked, sitting up taller.
Link sighed in frustration. "You think she could've left?"
"The Western Gate rarely has any guards stationed nearby," Shad chimed in, crossing his arms. "If she didn't want to be seen, then that would be the way to go..."
The young hero swore under his breath, burying his face into his hands. "Where... Wh-Where would she have gone?"
"Wherever you wouldn't expect to look for her..."
"Don't worry," Ashei spoke up, nodding curtly as she patted Link on the shoulder. "We can all split up and look for her... we'll just borrow a couple of horses from the castle and go and look for her. Just let us get dressed really quickly..."
Ashei nodded to Shad as she walked off towards the bedroom, and he scratched his head.
"It'll be okay..." he tried to assure him, nodding as he gazed at the floor. "We'll find her..."
Link looked at the wall in front of him, his blue eyes strained as he brushed his bangs out of his face. Weakly, he nodded, and Shad helped him up out of the chair.
It was going to be a dreary night.
