Chapter 10
Although Link immediately returned to Lon Lon Ranch during his search, Wade remained elusive, which was distressing as Link hadn't the faintest idea of where else to look. He considered lodging at the ranch for the night to await him there, but he was unable to bring himself to dwell any longer than needed. He did not feel ready to encounter Malon, but he simultaneously thought it odd that she was nowhere to be found, especially as nightfall began cloaking Hyrule. Even Talon didn't have any notion as to where she might be located, which was not unusual, but after their grim parting he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Where is she? He momentarily wondered, before thoughts of Zelda displaced his concern.
It took all of his strength to suppress the dismay and grief which threatened to surface at the realization that his relationship with Zelda, while real to him, had been nothing more than an illusion to her. He knew he would have to address this, yet he didn't feel he could do so now lest it render him apathetic to the danger he sensed looming. With this in mind, he considered returning to the castle to see if Zelda felt prepared to grant him another audience on the basis of the mystery behind her enchantment. However, it did not take long for the years of their friendship to gently remind him that she would require more time. It wouldn't do him any good to further distress her, so he resolved to wait until morning, hoping she would at least be willing to see him then. Returning to Hyrule, he secured a room for himself at the castle town inn, determining he would depart first thing in the morning.
Sleep was the furthest thing from Zelda's mind as she reclined on her bed, gazing up at the silhouettes of the canopy above her. While her indignation- the product of her profound disappointment in herself which she projected at Link- had long since subsided, now she found herself overcome with a foreboding that eventually drew forth her remorse. She regretted the severity with which she responded to Link, who had been just as much a victim of the enchantment as her. Perhaps even more so because his affection for her was genuine.
While there were occasions in her early adolescence when she entertained the idea of a relationship forming between them, the wisdom granted to her by the Triforce allowed her a glimpse into what such a future would hold. A romance would only yield heartache as their roles, though similar, led them toward different destinies. Link, as the Hero of Time, would not be content to live as the prince consort, which after her father passed, would place demands on him that would pose a hindrance to the adventurous and heroic destiny he was called to. She likewise needed someone who would be present to rule Hyrule alongside her. This realization transformed her budding attraction into a cherished friendship, which sated the subtle flirtations that had previously been present in their interactions. The only thing the Triforce of Wisdom had not shown her was that Link's affection for her had not so easily quelled.
And why didn't it? She wondered, feeling her foreboding grow by the second as another notion occurred to her. Why didn't the Triforce dispel the enchantment I was under?
Her Triforce granted her a divine wisdom and discernment far distinguished from any in Hyrule, yet it allowed her to become besieged by an illusion? It just didn't make sense. It was then that Zelda surmised that something far more sinister was at play, and instantly she wished that she hadn't dismissed Link so tempestuously and that she had heeded whatever concerns he was about to share. She spent the remainder of the night chastising herself for her impulsiveness and mentally imploring Link to return.
Despite attempting to sleep, the night proved restless, and he arose once he heard the hustle and bustle of the merchants beginning to setup shop. Reaching for his belt, he strapped it around his tunic before securing his weaponry to his back. As he stepped outside, he was greeted by an overcast day with nimbus clouds that enshrouded Hyrule, a portrayal of his inner turmoil. The qualms he had about visiting Zelda so soon after their dispute returned with a renewed fury, but he discarded them, reminding himself that the purpose of his visit was for her safety and to determine the motive of Wade or whomever else was behind the enchantment. Only as he stood before her, received privately in her chambers as he was yesterday, he found himself at a loss for words. Thankfully Zelda spoke, dispersing the awkward silence that otherwise would have governed their interaction.
"Link, please forgive me for yesterday," she remorsefully relayed as she closed the distance between them.
She drew him into an embrace that initially relieved him as she did not appear to harbor any resentment. Yet being so close to her stirred his love, and their hug, though full of the devotion of a friendship that withstood the test of time itself, lacked the amorous temperament they shared just days prior. He involuntarily tensed, and upon noticing this, she quickly released him and uneasily stepped back.
"Sorry," she muttered, her demeanor shifting from her usual poise to a disquietude he had never observed on her before.
For a moment neither of them spoke, both glancing down and feigning interest in the decorative tiles beneath them, the focal point of the otherwise unremarkable room. It was when he noticed the bold engraving of the Triforce emblem on the tile on which he stood that he was reminded of his concerns. Casting aside his turmoil, he divulged everything to her, concluding with his attempts to locate Wade. Zelda stayed silent awhile, absentmindedly gazing out of the nearby window overlooking the courtyard as she absorbed the magnitude of this revelation. Shaking her head, she turned to face him, her sapphire eyes reflecting the resolute fervor he knew all too well from the time in their lives when Ganondorf's evil threatened Hyrule.
"Link, we have to find him!" she spoke with an urgency that effectively concealed any apprehension she may have felt.
As they plotted their next course of action, a sudden commotion at the door distracted them, revealing that they were not alone.
Reeve accompanied Wade to the castle, his brother promising that their plans were ready to come to fruition. He still didn't know exactly what Wade was plotting, but if his adaptations to his brother's potion achieved the effect he desired, he felt confident it would foil any attempt to thwart their original goal. At least, that was the hope. He didn't have a fallback plan otherwise aside from the dagger he concealed in his cloak, but that would only be utilized as a last, desperate measure.
They approached the princess' chambers where they were instructed by a handmaiden to wait until she was prepared to receive them. Wade waited until her footsteps faded before discreetly removing a vial from his cloak, containing the potion the brothers brewed prior to journeying to the castle. Hastily removing the cork, Wade proceeded to hurl the potion at the guards stationed at the doorway, managing to disable them before they could utter any sound to give the brothers' presence away. Turning to behold his brother, Wade grinned broadly as he revealed a second potion, the final element of their plan from his pocket.
"Are you ready for our lives to change, dear brother?" Wade asked in a tone that did not give any indication of an impending betrayal.
Yet Reeve sensed there was more looming beneath the surface of his brother's pleasantries. Gripping the dagger which he brought to his side to avoid drawing attention to it, he nodded and whispered, "Let's go."
Wade cracked the door slightly, and after the brothers noted the location of the princess and swordsman, pushed it fully open. The creak of the door drew the attention of the princess who started speaking before she fully acknowledged them.
"I explicitly instructed you not-" she paused, obviously realizing that she wasn't addressing her guards or castle staff. What she said next stunned him beyond anything he could have imagined. "Percival?"
Unbeknownst to his brother, Wade concocted a love potion prior to the royal costume ball that he discreetly slipped into the princess' drink after creating a diversion to redirect the attention of the royal guards and attendants surrounding her. While the commotion was occurring, Wade surreptitiously adorned the attire he pilfered from one of the visiting nobles the day prior, and reintroduced himself to the princess as Percival. It was not a foolproof plan by any means as so much easily could have gone awry, yet it executed flawlessly nonetheless. The potion was so potent it took effect the moment she laid eyes on him, and their engagement was announced shortly thereafter. Reeve was unaware of this because Wade ensured his brother was confined to bed with the illness he afflicted him with.
As Wade studied the potion recipe book and poured over the disclaimer which cautioned enchanting an individual to more than one person, he knew he could ensure that the princess' love for him would be permanent. If those that the princess were enchanted by were present before her, her affection would permanently default to the one she was initially enchanted with. In this case, Wade. His delight at seeing her demeanor soften toward him was distilled as Reeve suddenly subdued him, forcefully pressing him against the stone wall. He withdrew a dagger which he brought to Wade's neck, stopping just short of his jugular.
"You're Percival, her fiancé?" he demanded, his shock rapidly transforming to fury. "Answer me!"
"Ex-fiancé now," Wade corrected before his gaze shifted to the princess, "but we will remedy that now, won't we, dear?"
All eyes, including Reeve's, regarded Princess Zelda as she emerged from behind the swordsman and approached the brothers. Seizing upon Reeve's distraction, Wade freed himself from his hold and strolled toward the princess who lovingly embraced him. Both the swordsman and Reeve were initially immobilized by their shock, and it was Reeve's that abated first. His brown eyes alit with a frenzy Wade had never beheld on him before as his brother sprinted toward him, brandishing his dagger. Reeve's impulsive response was not a surprise to Wade, who witnessed all of these events with the help of both the intelligence and foresight potion he conjured. These were potions of a dangerous nature as the recipes required the utmost precision; mistakes yielding a grisly if not fatal outcome. Thus, the brothers initially agreed not to dabble in such recipes, yet Wade knew his ambitions required it.
Releasing the princess, he nudged her aside and removed the cork from the vial just in time. As Reeve attempted to subjugate him as before, Wade sidestepped, splashing the contents of the vial onto his brother's face as he did. Instantly, Reeve was consumed by a disorientation that caused him to unconsciously loosen his grip on his dagger, which clamored noisily on the ground. He collapsed in a heap, emitting a startled cry as he did. Satisfied that his brother was incapacitated by the illusions produced by the potion, Wade turned back to the princess whom the swordsman appeared to be desperately pleading with as he tightly gripped her shoulders. Chuckling, Wade approached, causing the swordsman to alarmingly shoot around and assume a defensive stance in front of the princess.
"Allow me to dispatch of the only one remaining who stands in the way of our love," he addressed the princess who favored him with a bewitching gaze.
Despite rapidly withdrawing his sword and positioning himself before Zelda as the brothers entered, Link's instinct to get her to safety was overruled by his curiosity at the brothers' interaction. It never occurred to him that Zelda was enchanted prior to the love potion that manufactured his courtship with her. Wade's brother appeared alarmed as well, evident in his bewildered gaze which seemed to render him speechless. It wasn't until the brothers began to violently scuffle when Link sobered and returned his attention to Zelda. Although her trepidation was evident, it wasn't until he met her eyes that he realized her concern had more to do with Wade's plight than her own. As if on cue, Wade approached the pair after disabling his brother, and Link was helpless to prevent Zelda from ardently embracing him.
"Zelda…" Link trailed until she acknowledged him.
Although she regarded him impassively with an expression befitting her royal subjects, the brief flicker in her eyes revealed he was an unwelcome distraction. Her demeanor unsettled him so much that, despite being aware of Wade speaking, he hadn't heard a word he said. His hostility only became evident when he observed him withdraw a bottle from his cloak.
"What have you done?" Link demanded, cautiously eyeing the bottle Wade held, the contents of which sloshed against the cork as he strode forward. He knew he was unlikely to receive a forthright reply to his query, but he hoped to divert Wade's attention long enough to formulate a plan. As if aware of Link's intentions, Wade softly chuckled, a smirk rising to his face as he clutched the potion.
"I see no value in explaining any of this to you when you will be mentally incapacitated in a matter of moments."
Before Link could muster a response, Wade hastily flung the vial toward him. Raising his shield with impressive reflexes, the vial shattered upon impact, releasing an ominous cloud of verdant green smoke which quickly enveloped him. Link instinctively shielded his face before keeling over as the smoke entered his nasal passages, reducing him to the floor with an uncontrollable cough. As he was starved for oxygen to the point he feared asphyxiation, the smoke suddenly dissipated and his coughs eased in intensity. His surroundings faded and he found himself gazing upon some ruins within a desolate environment. Scanning the premises, he thought he noticed an individual in the distance. From where he stood he could not identify any distinguishable features about her, but she felt somehow familiar. However, before he could approach this individual, his Triforce faintly glowed, drawing his attention. As he glanced perplexedly at the mark of courage engraved on his hand, it at once illuminated to a degree that it seared his vision, causing him to hastily shield his eyes.
In a flash, the castle hall materialized before him and he was once again in the presence of Zelda and Wade. They didn't appear to notice him, speaking so softly that Link struggled to decipher even a single word of their conversation. Realizing his sword and shield were strewn haphazardly just beyond his reach, he staggered to his feet before he thought better of it, and retrieved his weapons. His sudden movement drew the attention of Wade, whose eyes widened in astonishment.
"H-how…how did you break free of the illusion?" He stammered, clearly aghast. As if a sudden notion occurred to him, he collected himself in a satisfied smirk. "Well, no matter. I suppose you now have the answer to your question."
"What do you mean?" Link inquired before he could stop himself.
Although he desperately desired understanding, he couldn't help but feel that giving into his curiosity was playing right into Wade's hands. Risking a glance at Zelda, it was plain to see that she remained hopelessly enchanted as she was transfixed by Wade's very presence. It was the gaze of esteem and adoration she previously reserved for him, and he had to fight his anguish which would surely overwhelm him if he didn't act quickly to suppress it. Firmly gripping his sword, he directed his attention to Wade who bore a smug grin, obviously pleased that his vague statement piqued Link's interest.
"You know the one thing I never understood?" Wade asked in a rhetorical tone. "Why do we consume ourselves with the futile quest for peace when we know evil will always exist to challenge it? What you witnessed moments ago is a glimpse so far in the future that we do not have the power to prevent. I suppose, then, that the only thing left to do is to live in the moment, which is precisely what I intend to do. However, unlike most, I am ensuring that what time I have remaining will be lived in prosperity. You are fooling yourself if you think you can stop me."
Wade's hand descended into his pocket, clutching what Link surmised was another potion. He wasn't certain of the authenticity of the vision he witnessed, nor what led to Wade adopting such a bleak outlook on life, but those were matters to ponder later. Now his only prerogative was to detain or dispatch of Wade so that he could determine how best to liberate Zelda from her illusion.
"I warn you, Wade, if you refuse to surrender I will not hold back."
Despite summoning all of his fervor as he relayed his warning, Wade merely chuckled condescendingly before withdrawing a potion.
"Sadly, I can't say I'm surprised." At Link's apparent puzzlement he added, "Such is the curse of glimpsing the future."
Wade's vague statement disconcerted him as he was helpless to prevent his mind from conjuring the possible meaning. Did Wade have some foresight of his actions at his disposal, and if so, how would he combat that? While he battled his shadow self, a formidable opponent who was proficient in all of Link's offensive and defensive maneuvers, he hadn't faced anyone with clairvoyant prowess. Yet, Wade appeared genuinely surprised that Link escaped the illusion, so perhaps he was bluffing. Knowing that pondering this much longer could introduce an immobilizing doubt, he assumed a defensive stance and approached Wade.
With a broad smirk, Wade forcefully shook the bottle before uncapping it, the carbonated contents of which emerged with a pressure that propelled the substance forward at Link. In anticipation, Link smoothly sidestepped, and utilizing a technique he practiced during his travels, struck Wade in the face with his shield. Staggering back, Wade instinctively reached up to compress the blood flow which now spilled from his nose. Seizing the moment, Link forcefully pushed Wade against the wall, pinning him there with his shield. He poised his sword so that any resistance on Wade's part would be met with impalement.
"W-why wasn't I able to foresee this?" Wade paused, wearing an astonishment that reflected Link's own. "Who are you?"
Link, likewise, didn't expect the battle to be so anticlimactic, but he didn't have time to reflect on that now. Zelda quickly ran to Wade's aid, standing alongside him.
"Link, stop!" she implored, her face etched in desperation. "If you care about me at all then you won't kill the man I love."
As her beseeching gaze held him captive, he considered his options. He could depart as she requested and return once he understood how to dispel her illusion, but who knew what plans Wade had for her and Hyrule in the meantime. Reasoning that leaving was too risky, and hearing the guards' attempts to breach the door, he knew he had little time remaining. The only course of action he could fathom was a notion that horrified him as he did not want to consider the effect it would have on Zelda if he were mistaken. But he did not see an alternative. He could not resign Zelda to remain captive in an illusion, even despite her insistence that she was content in it, just to spare her pain. Obviously realizing his intentions, she attempted to thwart him, but she lacked the agility and strength to stop his blade from sinking into Wade.
"No!" she shrieked as she beheld Wade whose gaze quickly became vacant as he slumped to the floor.
Intently studying Zelda, who momentarily appeared stunned by disbelief, he was dismayed once her shock abated and she slid to her knees. The sobs that followed gave way to the enormity of her grief and broke Link, who was rendered speechless as he absorbed his devestation at this turn of events. He thought that dispatching Wade would also shatter the illusion she was under, but he couldn't have been more mistaken. While he couldn't bring himself to look at her, her sobs were reminiscent of the weeping Cremia succumbed to- once she thought he was out of earshot- after her sister, Romani, was abducted by the ghosts in Termina. It was the uninhibited wailing of one void of hope.
Approaching her, he placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping she would derive some comfort from the gesture. As she tensed, he quickly removed his hand, staggering back as she arose to her feet and glowered at him with a gaze that was murderous. The moment Zelda rushed to the door to grant the guards entry, Link hastened to the window ledge and utilized his hookshot to latch onto the roof decking just in time. After fleeing the castle, he retrieved his ocarina from his pack, intending to consult Saria and attain some guidance from the sages.
A/N: Sorry for my delay in uploading this. In addition to some personal circumstances that were not conducive to writing, I experienced some of the worst writer's block almost akin to what I occasionally endured in college. Nevertheless, I want to thank Niki Bogwater for corresponding with me during this time and providing some encouragement.
As for the plot itself, all I can say is sometimes things get worse before they get better. This fic may require one more chapter than anticipated as I don't want to rush the conclusion. I will update soon, but not before I am satisfied with the quality of my work. In the meantime, your feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading!