A/N: Warning I suck at writing rhymes and poetry. I know so I'm sorry.

4.5.2013 – chapter edit

Undisclosed Desires

Chapter 10

We go up and we go down

Round and around and around

Two to the left and then one to the right

Round and around and around

Then it's down down down down down

Hope you brought some string cause when it rings

Everything goes round and around and around

Over and over the song repeated itself in her head. Made all the more disturbing because it was children's voices that were singing and the song sounded vaguely familiar. Faces swirled all around her, some she recognized and some she didn't. And through it all was the pain. Like something was electrifying her nerves slowly and purposefully while crushing her head.

And then there were the eyes. Familiar white eyes that were full of hatred and searching for her. She could hear screams but they weren't hers, but she felt she knew the person and her heart ached for them and she reached out mentally to try and ease their pain.

No! Came the cry and she felt herself shoved forcefully back. It's you Zelda, came the voice so faint that it barely registered as a whisper in her mind. It's you they want my Queen.

Kiterey, she whispered back. Please tell me how to help you!

Just hang on a little longer Zelda. It'll be over soon.

Kiterey!And then the pain increased and this time the screams she heard were her own. Flashes of a place deep underground, the smell of dank earth, men laughing, and an unknown ritual all consumed her vision. Kiterey who was so excited to be masquerading as her suddenly collapsing from pain whose screams mingled with her own.

"Kiterey!" She screamed in desperation but those eyes couldn't see her and whatever they belonged to couldn't hear her either. "Kiterey!" She screamed again. She didn't know how she knew but she could feel Kiterey's life slipping and she struggled against the pain that was crippling her and reached out for Kiterey again.

The pain intensified and Zelda cried out in agony and couldn't stop the sobs or the tears that poured from her but she held on. And then almost as quickly as it had come, the pain stopped and all she was left with her the aftershocks that ran thru her.

Oh Zelda. Kiterey's familiar voice scolded her and she felt her familiar arms encircle her. You try too hard to protect those whose mission it is to protect you.

"Kiterey," she whispered hoarsely, unwilling to say aloud what she knew in her heart.

They killed me thinking I was you, Kiterey said and she held her comfortingly. That's why you felt the pain. You put so much of your magic into the spell that it linked us.

"I'm sorry," Zelda cried as she held onto her friend. "I never would have left if I had known it would endanger you! I'm so sorry Kiterey!"

I'm glad it was me! Kiterey said fiercely and she made Zelda look at her. She looked like herself here with her beautiful silver hair and red eyes that in life had always had a mischievous light in them. I… We all live to protect you Zelda. You're more than a simple member of the Shiekah Clan, you're our greatest treasure. She said softly.

There isn't a one of us who wouldn't die to protect you. You were born into two worlds but you never favored one over the other. How could we not love you back as fiercely as you love us? She laughed and smoothed Zelda's hair back affectionately. There aren't many countries who can lay claim to a Queen who would sacrifice her very soul to save her people.

"How do you-"

It's interesting what you get to learn when you die and you're linked to someone. Kiterey mused. Bad girl for not telling us everything though.

"I-"

I know, she interrupted again. I'm glad you have Link with you. He can protect you openly while we watch your backs. She looked off into the distance then and Zelda finally noticed that the world around her had changed into a meadow that looked similar to the one she had spoken to the Princess of Destiny in. It's almost time for me to go.

"Isn't there any way to reverse what was done?"

Kiterey looked at her and her red eyes held a warning in them. Never try and reverse death Zelda. Don't let this drag you into forbidden arts. They've put my body into a type of suspended animation but whatever they did targeted my spirit to expel it from my body. She shivered then as if remembering the pain. I could feel whatever it was trying to entrap me but you called me away from its grasp.She smiled and squeezed Zelda's hand lightly. See? You did save me! The most important part of a person that can be saved too!

"I promise."

Good. Be careful from here on out Zelda. Whoever did this, and if I had to guess I would say the old Council had a hand in it, will relax for a little while so use every moment to your advantage.

"I will," she said softly and wiped away the tears that were from heartache rather than physical pain.

Stay safe my friend. My Queen. Kiterey said as she hugged her tightly for what they both knew would be the last time. I would head to Old Kakariko to see the Elders after you finish here. And make sure you kick those old geezers' asses!

"Please don't go Kiterey," Zelda begged when she felt her presence fade. She saw Kiterey say something but she could no longer hear the other woman and when she reached for her, her hand just passed thru her. "Kiterey!" She sobbed. "Please don't go." But there was no answer and she was alone and she gave in to the sorrow that wracked her body with tears.

"Link," she whispered. "Help me," she sobbed although she knew there was no way for him to hear her. But it still did not stop her from wishing for him.

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To say that Link was worried would have been the biggest understatement of the world. He had barely managed to get Zelda to Renado's home unseen when Zelda took a turn for the worse. Thankfully Luda had been out of the house when he did otherwise there would be one more person who really knew who she was. Due to the secrecy of keeping Zelda's identity hidden Renado had him carry her to the area under his house. Which was a blessing because the screams that tore out of her throat would have sent every villager running to them.

"By Eldin's light," Renado breathed as he watched the young Queen helplessly as she cried out from the pain. "Look at her skin!" Painful looking welts were appearing all over her body as she thrashed from the pain.

"Can you help her?" Link bit out as he struggled to keep her from harming herself without hurting her in the process.

"Not with this," Renado shook his head regretfully. "It's very possible that she's experiencing some form of mental fight or pain that is causing a physical manifestation of that pain on her actual body."

Words. It was just words that the older man was blathering to him and the only part that Link cared about was that there was nothing he or the Shaman could do to stop the pain. Some of his frustration must have showed itself because Renado took a few steps away from the pair.

"I will prepare something that will ease her welts once she returns to us," Renado said and hurried back upstairs.

"Kiterey!" Zelda screamed and her hand shot out as though she were actually trying to grab the woman. "Kiterey!" She cried again and the desperation in her voice tugged painfully at Link's own heart. She was crying and twisting frantically in his arms and he gathered her as close to his own body as he could.

"Please come back," he begged her. "Come back from wherever you are so I can help you." She cried out again in pain and he resented himself for his inability to help her.

How long they stayed like that he didn't know. What could have been minutes felt like hours to Link and his own tears mingled with hers. The welts on her body looked so painful that he was sure he was hurting her but whenever he eased up his grip on her she would start pulling on her hair or scratching at her skin.

And then her screams stopped and she was just trembling in his arms and crying. Every now and then she would whisper something that he couldn't quite make out and he rocked her gently trying to comfort her.

"Please wake up," he said hoarsely.

"Kiterey!" She cried again. "Please don't go," she sobbed and Link knew something had to happen to the Sheikah woman they had left at the castle.

"Link," she whispered his name. "Help me."

"I'm here," he told her and linked their two Triforce marked hands together. "Come back to me Zelda," he said as he cradled her in his arms. "I need you to come back to me. If you don't then your demon horse is going to make my life hell and Selene will never forgive me for not taking care of you properly."

"I'm your Champion Zelda," he reminded her. "That doesn't exist without you, you know?" He kissed her hair gently but there was no reaction from her to any of his words. "You haven't left me a path that I can take to follow you," he told her gruffly and closed his eyes from the pain in his own heart. "Come back to where I can reach you."

"Goddesses please," he prayed. "If you have any favor for us at all please help her."

Slowly a gentle golden light filled the space around them and Link stared at his and Zelda's joined hands in shock.

Dearest Link, a voice that reverberated through his entire being said to him. It was a voice that was old and young at the same time. Beautiful and terrifying all rolled into one. We have not forsaken you or Our beloved Zelda. We will help her find the path back to you.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter until Link had to turn his face away from it and it's gentle warmth enveloped them both like a warm embrace.

"Link?" Zelda's familiar and longed for voice whispered and his eyes snapped open and found the light gone and Zelda staring at him. He quickly glanced at her exposed arms and was relieved to find that the welts gone. "Link," she said again and her voice trembled from the effort. "Kiterey, she's dead."

"I'm sorry Zelda," he whispered and wished he could take away the pain he saw in her eyes.

"They meant to kill me. It should have been me."

"It's not your fault," he said sternly before she could go any further. "Kiterey would not want you blaming yourself for her death. The best thing we can do for her is see that her killer is brought to justice."

She went quiet then and her eyes went to their still linked hands. "I heard you calling for me," she said finally. "I'm sorry that I couldn't find the way back on my own."

"It only matters that you're back," he told her and kissed the hand he held before pressing it against his face. "Just…don't do that again please. Don't go where I can't follow," he added. "Cry, rant, hit me if you want but don't go where I can't help you."

"I'm sorry," she said and wrapped her arms around him and hid her face against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms more securely around her and tucked her head under his chin when he felt her tears against his skin. He would get the details later, for right now the only thing he cared about was the woman in his arms. Everything else would be handled later.

Later turned out to be hours and it was Renado who woke Link from the emotionally wrecked slumber he and Zelda had fallen into.

"I brought some pallets for you two to sleep on," Renado said and nodded to where two beds had been made up. "I've also brought some soup and bread for you since I don't think you'll be able to make it back to the inn unnoticed."

"Thank you Renado," Link said gratefully and shifted Zelda so that he could stand with her and placed her gently on one of the pallets.

"Her wounds are gone," Renado noted and he looked at Link curiously.

"I don't know," Link answered honestly. He didn't know how the goddesses had done it and wasn't about to try and explain what happened. "I think she must have felt one of her friends die and that was what caused the welts."

"It's possible," Renado mused thoughtfully. "It is commonly believed that the Princess of Destiny was gifted with many powers. There is no reason to disbelieve that her descendents would not have inherited some of those gifts."

"Renado," he said slowly and turned his full attention to the older man. "There's only one group that I can think of that would wish Zelda dead. We came here for a reason to see you and I need your advice even more now."

"Of course Link," Renado said agreeably. "I will do all I can to help you."

"I believe the best people to help you Link are the one who initially helped you along your quest to save Hyrule." Renado said after listening to Link's story about what had brought them to Kakariko.

"You mean Shad, Ashei, and Auru?"

"I do," Renado confirmed. "All of them are loyal to Hyrule and would seek to help our young Queen with her goal for a golden age. Were I not needed here I would also be tempted to join you."

"You would be welcome," Link told him with a grin.

"Perhaps," Renado returned and glanced at the queen Link had held so protectively. "We got off to a rocky start."

"Zelda doesn't hold grudges," Link said. "She understands things better than most people."

"Of that I have no doubt," agreed the older man but he was watching Link with a curious look on his face. "I think I will leave you two to rest and will see you in the morning."

"Thank you again Renado."

"It is nothing between friends," he said with a faint smile before leaving the two of them alone again.

"Zelda?" He said and gently shook her shoulder to wake her. "Are you hungry?"

Her eyes snapped open and he could tell that she wasn't really there with him but still in whatever dream she'd woken from. "Zelda?" He asked again and this time her eyes focused on him.

"I'm sorry Link," she said in a subdued tone. "What was it you asked?"

"Are you hungry?" He repeated and frowned when she shook her head. "It's pretty good," he tried to tempt her but she just shook her head again.

"Okay," he said agreeably and was about to get up to put the food up but her hand gripped his before he could stand.

"Please stay," she asked when he looked at her questioningly.

"I'll be right back," he promised and quickly got up and put the food away before moving his pallet next to hers so that it made one big pallet and settled under the covers with her and gently pulled her into his arms again.

"Can you talk about it?" He asked after they had lain there a few minutes. Slowly she told him what happened and once she started it was like she couldn't stop herself from speaking. Words and tears poured out of her until finally she had no more of either.

"I wish I had half of your strength," he said once she'd calmed down again.

"I'm not strong at all," she denied. "I can't even stand to be alone right now without feeling like a scared child."

"That doesn't make you weak," he said and rubbed her back soothingly. "I don't know if I could even function after something like that and yet you were able to tell me what happened. And as for you not wanting to be by yourself… Zelda you were born into a Clan of the noisiest, bossiest, most hands on people I've ever met and you're royalty. When have you ever gotten the chance to be alone?" He teased her gently although he was serious. She was very open and affectionate with those close to her although she was reserved with people she didn't know and who weren't part of the Clan.

"I thought I was the one who was supposed to give advice?" She said with some of her old spirit.

"Next time," he promised. "I personally like being the reckless one rather than having to be wise and say things in such a way that everyone understands. I think I'm better at fighting."

"You're good at both," she told him with a faint smile. "I'm sorry for falling apart on you."

"It's what friends are for," he reminded her. "Although I'll try not to pass out and make you carry me. You're lighter than I am so I don't think it'd be a fair exchange." He joked and was pleased when she laughed quietly.

"I'm glad you're here," she told him.

I'm glad you're with me. He wanted to reply but wisely didn't. He understood that Zelda felt guilty about Kiterey's death, it was the same way he would have felt, but he was glad that it hadn't been her. That she was safe away from the castle and on the road with him.

"I'll always be here," he said seriously. You're precious to me. He almost said and he felt surprised at the depth of emotion he felt for her. What he had felt for Ilia so long ago was nothing compared to how he felt for Zelda. Maybe it was because they'd known each other in past lives but he felt more deeply connected to her than to anyone else in his life.

"Me too," Zelda promised and ducked her head to hide a tired yawn. "Link?" She asked and her voice was heavy from being nearly asleep.

"Yes?" He asked quietly when she didn't continue. He wasn't sure if she was awake still or had fallen back to sleep. But his only answer was the gentle sound of her breathing.

"Goodnight," he said softly and drifted off to sleep as well.

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When Link woke next it was to the sound of Renado's steady footsteps as he walked towards the sleeping pair. He and Zelda hadn't moved very much during the night he noticed. Zelda's head still rested next to his chest and somehow their hands had become linked and rested between them.

"Link," Renado called and Link could hear the heavy disapproval in his voice. There was a part of him that wanted to jump up immediately and apologize for whatever he'd done but there was another that felt like Renado was the intruder and was creating a situation out of nothing.

Carefully he extracted himself from Zelda's grip and walked over to the other man.

"What is it?" He asked, wide awake now that he was moving about.

"It's early morning and no one should take notice if you leave now."

"Good idea," Link said agreeably. "Thank you for allowing us to stay down here."

"Link… I did not shelter you so that you could be inappropriate with the Queen."

Hot anger coursed through him and he returned Renado's steely look with one of his own. Somewhere he was somewhat surprised to note that the man was no longer taller than him and that he himself must have grown some but even that was not enough to distract him.

"What makes you think we've done anything inappropriate?" He asked and his voice was hard.

"You can't just sleep with the Queen and have it be anything but inappropriate! You should give her the respect she deserves and refrain from touching a member of the royal family!" Renado scolded but his words only incensed Link more. All Renado was seeing was an infallible Queen instead of the flesh and blood woman who could also be hurt and want to be comforted. It made him angry but he knew very few people saw him as anything but a "hero" or for some a "goat herder" and that wasn't very likely to change any time soon and that Zelda was also stuck in what people perceived her to be.

"We're friends Renado," Link said and his voice also held disappointment for the Shaman as well. "You don't make your friends suffer alone because you 'respect' them. If Luda comes to you crying do you push her away?"

"Luda is a child and my daughter!"

"Would you push Ilia away then? Or Zelda herself if she came to you upset and crying?" Link asked. "Or do you tell all women that you don't wish to see them?" He questioned when he remembered the older man's refusal to see Telma.

"You don't have any idea of what you're talking about!" Renado snapped.

"I don't," Link agreed. "But you don't know anything about me and Zelda either," he added pointedly.

The two men eyed each other but both of them respected each other and neither wanted to be the one to say words that would end their friendship. Sometimes acceptance that others have different views was better than getting into a long argument about who and what was right.

"We'll be up in a minute." Link said and Renado nodded his acceptance and headed back upstairs to wait for the two.

"It feels like we've been by ourselves for so long that I've forgotten how others might see things as inappropriate." Zelda said and Link's gaze jerked over to her in surprise. She was still under the blankets but her eyes were clear and she started to get up.

"You mean now that we're not in the castle and having to work from sunup to sundown?" Link teased. "With everyone watching every little thing you do…" Link trailed off as he remembered something that he'd wanted to ask about. "Zelda? Is there something incorrect that I'm doing at the castle?"

Zelda paused from folding up the pallets and looked at him curiously but with a confused look on her face. "No…?" She said slowly. "If you elaborate a bit I might be in a better position to answer."

"I'm always watched there!" He explained and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up just from the memories. "At first I thought it was because the men were trying to size me up but it's the women! No matter what I do they're always waiting for me to mess something up. At first I thought it was when I didn't clean up after training but even if I'm dressed up they still don't trust me."

And it was annoying having battle trained senses constantly going off because some noblewoman thinks I'm not good enough to be near her. He thought about adding but was thrown off when Zelda started to laugh. And not a quiet ladylike laugh but the kind of laughter that bubbles up and you can't control it.

"Zelda?" He asked but she shook her head and only laughed harder when he shot her a confused look. With a sigh he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms as he waited for her to calm down. He guessed this would qualify as one of Rusl's "women can be odd" moments. He was glad that she was feeling better but he was a little disgruntled that she was laughing at him.

Finally she calmed down enough to stop laughing and she wiped the tears off her face and regarded him with a grin. "I'm sorry Link," she apologized and stood up. "I hadn't realized that this was a problem."

"It's not your fault," he said reassuringly. "We're often working on different things so you couldn't have seen what it was I was doing that was wrong. But you can tell me now and I'll work on correcting the problem."

"Link," she said and her mouth fairly trembled from the effort of holding in her laughter. "I'm afraid it's not something that you can easily correct. Wait-"she held up a hand to stop his protests. "It's because it's with the women themselves," she continued and smiled at him fondly. "You're a very attractive man Link and that's why they're watching you."

Link shuffled from embarrassment as he considered her explanation. He had never thought of himself as attractive. Efficient? Yes. Hard working? Definitely. Loyal? Always. But attractive? Never.

"Are you sure?" He asked her doubtfully. Zelda wasn't often wrong in the time they'd known each other but everyone had their days.

"Without a doubt," she said reassuringly and reached up to pat his cheek encouragingly. "It's not a bad thing you know," she continued and her eyes were lit with that teasing glint he'd seen on more than one occasion. "Just don't let me catch you breaking hearts just because you realize you've got the majority of the women at the castle at your beck and call just because you're pretty."

"P-p-pretty?" He stuttered and felt vaguely offended. Pretty was for women, not for men that managed to help liberate a kingdom.

"Or handsome," she continued blithely as though she hadn't heard him. "Whichever you prefer."

He opened his mouth to say something but each time he did nothing came out and he finally shook his head and gave up. After all this wasn't a battle he was very likely to win and he was just glad to see that Zelda was acting more normal.

"I will concede to your greater knowledge of the female mind," he stated magnanimously as he took the opportunity to tease her back. "I think we've kept Renado waiting long enough."

"After you," Sheik said with a courtly bow and covered his face quickly. "You're the pretty one after all."

Link sighed and gave his companion a stern look but the red eyes were just as amused as the blue-gray ones had been. "I know how Selene must have felt," he said quietly and pulled himself up. A quiet chuckle was the only comeback Sheik made as he followed him up into Renado's home.

Link just hoped that the lighthearted mood would last and he wondered how Tarak and Selene were handling things at the castle and hoped that they were managing to hold things down until Zelda could return.

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A/N: This is just me rambling about this chapter lol. Well hmmm. I think Link and Zelda are just writing this and using me to type because this is not what I had planned at all. I think I like it though. I want Link and Zelda to develop into each other's most important person. You know that person you have to tell everything that's great and awful to before you tell anyone else? Another thing, I went back and forth on having them kiss and then it was no kiss and then back again (overthinking is not fun but I want their first kiss to be important). Obviously I decided that no kiss would be best and I think they're still circling around that subject. They both know that they like the other person but they're not ready to share those feelings with each other. It's a bit difficult to write just because it's hard to portray those feelings correctly. ANYWAY I'm done rambling and I need to start on Chapter 11 and see what it decides to write itself as lol.

Please leave a review! I love getting your feedback as much as you guys like new chapters lol.