Sorry for the wait! And I apologize if this chapter seems rushed, but I was hurrying to get to the really important things...Anyway, I hope you like it!
My head ached, pounding in the same unsteady tempo as my heartbeat was, although I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was from passing out earlier? Had I hit my head when I fell? At least my memory couldn't possibly be more damaged than it already was.
The sound of faint footsteps crawled towards my senses, making me shudder. A chill swept over me, as fingers gently brushed across my forehead. I wasn't sure whose they belonged to, but it somehow calmed me down.
Tentatively opening my eyes, I was unexpectedly welcomed by another's. I blinked in confusion and Roy immediately retracted his hand. My cheeks flushed, seeing as he was standing over me. I awkwardly arose from the bed, pushing him and scrambling away.
I looked around the room; the bed I had previously been laying on rested against a wall painted a cream color. A circular carpet of a dark vermillion decorated the floor. There was a wardrobe next to the bed, with the shelves neatly tucked in. On the other side of the bed was a smooth, wooden desk, littered with random scraps of paper. A swirling staircase connected the two floors, and I hurried down the steps. On this floor, was a generic looking kitchen, with a sink, cabinets, and shelves. A table stood proudly among a rectangular carpet of cerulean.
After finding an empty chair at the table, I quickly sat down, avoiding Roy's gaze as he perched himself on the bottom step of the stairs.
"Um...you're kind of hot." I jerked my head up, a scarlet hue painted on my cheeks.
"Excuse me?" He smirked, rolling his eyes.
"No, temperature wise. Though..." He trailed off, a sarcastic laugh escaping his lips. I shook my head, ignoring his last comment and asked,
"Where's Link?"
"Probably sulking somewhere. But don't worry, I didn't beat him up too badly." I frowned, folding my arms. "...I was kidding, kind of...Anyway, he said something about taking care of a horse."
Roy's feet glided across the wooden floor, shadows being cast amongst the room from the many-lit lanterns placed throughout. He took a seat on the other side of the table so that we were facing each other, his stare never leaving me.
"What? Is there something wrong?" Our eyes briefly connected, but he looked down at the table, masking his face from my curiosities.
"No..."
"Roy?" He looked up. "So...you're really not going to tell me anything? This can't just be because Link lost." I could tell that he instantly understood what I was talking about.
"Well, if you're so eager to know...To put it simply, I work for your father..." He was hesitant about the last few words, but I didn't care at the moment.
Was he joking? That's it? That's all he had to say?
"And you couldn't have just said that from the beginning?" I howled.
"Well, how would that be entertaining? It's much more fun to make you work for it." He smiled, content with my irritancy, but his eyes were glazed, his true thoughts lingering on a broader topic.
"You're ridiculous! Do you want to elaborate on that? And what do you do exactly?"
"No. I don't, actually. You'll know; trust me, just not yet. Not now, it's not the right time." Geez, he was infuriating! Why leave something that important out? Really, why was he playing me like this? Was this really all a game to him?
"You're...such a—" I stumbled for words, some which seemed far too harsh and unnecessary. But there was a faint knock on the door. Roy sighed, getting up and striding reluctantly towards the door, before pulling it open. Link stepped inside, looking around and then coming towards me.
"Link," His face grew pale, hearing the venom in my words. He cleared his throat, taking a fearful step backwards.
"Don't worry, she's not mad at you." Link's eyes narrowed, capturing Roy in a look of resentment. I noticed that scratches sliced his tunic in various places, and his left arm was bandaged in a thin, white wrapping, where a laceration was in the process of being mended. A light, purple bruise was also imprinted on his cheek. Meanwhile, Roy seemed perfectly untouched.
Roy flashed me a warning look, knowing what I would say next.
"Shouldn't you be leaving, Link? After all, you do have matters to attend to." Link bared his teeth in a hiss.
"Shouldn't you quit hounding an innocent girl? I'm sure you have other tea parties to attend to," Link sneered, taking a threatening step towards him, although he knew that in a real fight, he wouldn't stand a chance.
I abruptly stood up from the table, approaching them at a quick pace.
"Where is it you're running off to, Link? Does this have something to do with Roy?" His face twitched.
"Yes, and apparently, I can't tell you."
"Oh? And why not?" I challenged.
"Link, time's running out. Hyrule won't wait to fall just because you choose to waste your own time. You need to go, now," Roy's voice gleamed in urgency.
"Go where?" I was shouting this time, but neither one ever gave a reply.
Link walked out through the western gate of Hyrule, with Roy and I trailing behind. A beautiful brown mare with a silky white mane waited for him in front of the bridge, casually chewing on some grass. Link turned around suddenly, and I nearly bumped into him.
"Zelda...I guess this is goodbye for now, until I return, at least. Be careful, alright?" He discreetly looked in Roy's direction. I nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry about me! Take care of yourself. I'll be fine." I smiled, though inside, I was worried about Link leaving. For one, I didn't want harm to come to him. Secondly, with him gone, nothing would stand in the way of getting to me. And that included whatever treachery Roy was hiding up his sleeve.
A fleeting smile arose on his face, before he turned back around, reaching his horse. He stroked her mane, and she let out a soft greeting to her master. He then hoisted himself onto her muscular back.
"Link, wait a second. Be very careful not to lose the object I gave you before. If you do, to put it gently, we'll be screwed." Ah, that was gentle Roy for you! Link nodded, urging his horse onward into a gallop, speeding off to an unknown destination.
What object had Roy spoken about? Was it a weapon? I looked over to Roy, who was smiling in content.
"So, princess, where to next? Actually, I have a place in mind." Oh, goddesses...I sure didn't want to go anywhere alone with him! Especially now that Link was gone.
"Yeah?" I turned away, gazing absentmindedly in the direction in which Link had gone. Roy swirled a piece of my golden hair with his finger.
"How would you like to meet the King of Hyrule tonight?" I think my heart had just skipped a beat, right then and there. I'd get to meet my father? I'd wanted to meet my family for years, yet I hadn't even known who they were. Now here I was, part of the Royal Family, and I was actually going to see the King!
I concealed my excitement, swatting his hand away while glaring at him in disbelief.
"What's with that face? I thought you of all people would like to meet the King. But I guess if for some reason, you have other plans..." I bit my lip. What if he was lying and this was a trick? He knew way too much about me to be harmless.
"Fine...I'll go with you," I surrendered.
"Good. I shall be your escort for the night." He winked at me, ambling off to head back into the city.
I sighed...What had I just agreed to?
A series of knocks paraded my front door, and I opened it with no hesitation.
"Ready?" Roy leaned casually against the doorframe, pulling me into the cool air. The sun was setting; colors of pink, purple, and orange dashing across the sky in an entangled embrace.
He grabbed my hand, navigating us through the eerie streets of Castle Town, lifeless as they had been in daylight. Now, an evil aura emanated from them as if invisible creatures lurked at every corner.
"You haven't said a word. Nervous?" Roy's voice severed the silence that restrained us, echoing off of the pavement.
"Not at all," I lied. He smirked, shaking his head.
"To think, after years of searching for you, you were right here all along, in the lion's den." He pushed open the doors that led out of central Castle Town and towards the palace, as we silently glided up the steps. Ornamented tapestries lined the walls, and I braced myself for what lied behind the next set of doors. Roy didn't wait another second to open them.
I gasped once we had entered. We were standing in the most magnificent courtyard I had ever witnessed, lit my numerous torches lining the walls. A tall, swirled, stone figure topped with the Triforce symbol, stood in the very middle of the space. Shrubs were cut in a variety of patterns, giving the courtyard an air of sheer elegance. The area extended around the circumference of the castle, doors leading to different parts of the garden, although we didn't venture through them.
"I haven't been here this whole time," I finally replied after catching my breath. We entered the door directly in front of us. About five lit chandeliers hung on the ceiling, each lowered to a different height. Other than that, the room was empty.
"Oh, yeah? And where have you been, might I ask?" He took us through another door. I decided not to keep track of how many we would go through; it was impossible to memorize the path we were taking.
"Why have you been seeking me this whole time, might I ask?" I mocked. It was his turn for silence.
We proceeded through a countless number of doors, up more staircases than I have ever seen before, and not once did we meet anyone else along the way. I didn't dare ask him about it though, for fear of the reply.
We'd had to climb many towers and rooftops, but the one we were now on was the grandest of all of them, and I guessed that this was our final destination. I ran ahead of him, away from the entrance we had just come from, and turned around. The massive peak of Hyrule Castle stood before me, and beneath the waning sun, I could see everything clearly. The massive tower stood alone, cascading through the sky. The rooftop tiles were a dark green, shimmering in mysterious patterns. Two flights of stairs led up to the tower, which seemed to beckon me closer.
"Are you ready?" Roy brushed my arm to get my attention. I nodded, anxiety flooding through me. He smiled in reassurance, though something in his eyes told me there was more to it than that. What would await us inside the next room?
I wasted no time in finding out, running up the steps as quickly as I could, Roy following behind.
The room was dimly lit, but I could faintly make out the figure of a man up ahead, standing in front of what looked like a throne. A giant, Triforce of stone hung atop the wall, with three statues of woman who I assumed to be representations of the goddesses, clinging to it.
Roy motioned for me to move forward. A long blue carpet flowed gracefully across the room. As I followed the trail of blue, I couldn't help but emit a gasp.
"Zelda, meet the King of Hyrule!" Roy's voice vibrated throughout the room.
No. Something was horribly wrong! This couldn't be happening! What poor timing for Link to leave! No wait, time had nothing to do with it. This had been planned.
Rooted in front of the throne, stood a tall, burly man in dark clothing, a cape of black rolling off of his back. His hair shined with an orange luminescence that seemed to pierce everything around it. Power radiated through him, and he turned around.
None other than the King of Evil himself stood before me, a wicked smile arising on his gruesome green face. His eyes shined in pride, finally claiming the prize he had been anticipating.
"Hello, Princess...I've been waiting for quite some time." A booming laugh rang through the room. "And now, here you are."
Please review! I hoped you liked this! :)
