I know I've started this chapter exactly like the last. No time to fix – sorry.
"You seem tense, Zelda."
The princess' gaze rose from her lap to lock with Ganondorf's. A small grin had crept its way to his face, and his chin was resting in his palm in a mocking, relaxed gesture.
'I am as calm as one can be when sitting next to a mass murderer,' she thought scornfully, knowing full well he could hear her.
"And the father to your child," he said as a malicious spark lit up in his eyes.
"How could I forget?" she said out loud this time, a touch of dark humor in her voice.
He straightened in his chair, bringing his hand back down on the armrest. She knew what was coming now, and her hands balled into fists in her lap. Ominous shadows danced along the walls of the candle-lit room and rain crashed against the large windows as an uncomfortable silence fell upon the couple.
"I heard the most interesting thought cross your mind yesterday, dear," the Dark Lord finally said. "Care to elaborate?"
"I do not think this to be necessary," she said briskly as her gaze hardened.
"While it is indeed not," Ganondorf said silkily as he leaned forward, "I do believe I want to hear you say it."
His contemptuous smile turned almost sadistic as the princess paled slightly. However, she did not flinch when he ran his fingers up her arm before cupping her cheek.
'What a cruel little game,' Zelda thought bitterly. The Dark Lord chuckled darkly and tucked a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear, still waiting for her to speak.
"I – "
The words caught in her throat. Her own body didn't want to let her pronounce the fatidic phrase. She shifted uncomfortably under Ganondorf's fiery gaze before sucking in a shaky breath and willing her throat to let the words pass.
"I will… I will help you," she finally spat. "I will help you defeat the Hero."
The Dark King did not answer, simply running his fingers through her hair possessively before settling back into his seat with a smug, cruel smile.
The princess blinked and averted her eyes, but couldn't help the single tear that ran down her cheek and crashed on the back of her gloved hand.
With a quiet hiss, an arrow sliced through the air toward an unsuspecting target. A surprised squeal ringed out into the cold night air as the monstrous sentry clutched its chest and fell to the ground before even having time to understand what was happening. Heavy silence fell upon the small camp before the sound of shifting sand betrayed the presence of another living being. A tall form stood from its crouched position behind a pile of rubbles. Bow and arrow in hand, ready to shoot at the slightest hint of a hidden monster, blue eyes scanned the pitch-black night before muscles relaxed slightly.
'Here we are,' Link told himself, gaze lifting toward the sky.
The colossal, battered structure before him seemed ready to crumble at the slightest breeze, but the Hero knew it was centuries old. Cracks ran all the way from the base to the roof, and the rectangular threshold atop the stairs looked like a gaping chasm ready to swallow any that would dare step too close.
Link's survival instinct tugged at his mind, begging him to turn away and leave, yet Courage screamed for him to climb the derelict stairs and rush headfirst into the forbidding depths. The holy mark on the young man's hand glowed faintly as he slowly started to climb the stairs, unknowingly walking the same stones Ganondorf had but a few days ago. As he reached the top of the stairs, he didn't hesitate and entered the Arbiter's Ground, unaware of the thousand eyes watching him from the shadows. Wails and cries of alarm were heard all throughout the temple as Link took his first steps inside the former prison. It was time for redemption.
Zelda was jolted awake by the unfamiliar, uncomfortable feeling of stone against her delicate skin. Her eyes swung open, but she saw nothing, for everything was dark. The air was thick with dust and she coughed as she sat up, her crystal eyes scanning the pitch-black room for any sign of light. She sighed in relief when the flickering flame of a torch caught her eye, far ahead, like a beacon of hope in an endless night. As she stood, she instinctively placed a protective hand over her already swelling stomach and carefully started to walk toward the weak, distant gleam, rubbing her shoulders to try to fight off the chills that ran up her spine despite the warm air. A sudden, inhuman screech to her left made her jump, but she kept walking, squeezing her eyes shut and telling herself it was a dream, for it couldn't be anything else than that. A soft breeze periodically blew from ahead, carrying a foul, sickening stench that made her want to retch. Just as she thought she couldn't bear it anymore, she reached a vast, brazier-lit room and what she saw made her blood freeze in her veins.
A gigantic serpent slithered right under her feet, separated from her only by what seemed to be a thin glass floor. Its red eyes locked on her as soon as she entered the room, and its tongue darted out, as if already tasting the princess' flesh. The sound of scales rubbing against stones filled the place, so loud she feared her eardrums would burst. Zelda forced her eyes away from the horrifying reptile, scanning the room in a desperate attempt to ignore the colossal snake. Her icy blue gaze swept over the room in search of something, anything that would tell her where she was, for she knew by now that this was not a dream. It felt far too real to be one. No, this had to be a vision of some sort. As she stepped farter into the room, she heard a weak breathing sound. She had not heard it at first, but now she could clearly tell it came from a dark corner of the room. Something urged her forward and, before she could order her feet otherwise, she slowly stepped forward, however ready to turn away at the slightest sign of danger. Her foot suddenly found itself covered by a warm, sticky substance, and she knew what it was before even looking at it. She held back a disgusted scream as her guess was confirmed: blood. She squeezed her eyes shut and stepped forward again, trying to ignore the sickening feeling of blood oozing between her toes. However, her eyes swung open as a pained gasp rung out in the near-silent room, and she barely avoided stepping on the corpse of the lizard-like monster that lied before her, a sword sticking out of its skull. She could now see a shadowy silhouette sitting in the corner, and a terrible doubt took hold of her as she saw a small piece of the stranger's clothes. It was green, as green as the fields of grass in the middle of summer, but it was now stained with reddish stains of already drying blood. The stranger's breath became jerky as the princess saw him reach for something, and this time she couldn't help the scream that escaped her lips as he lit his lantern.
Link's blonde locks were flattened against his cheeks and forehead, soaked in blood and sweat. His face was as pale as a ghost and his eyes, squeezed shut, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his abdomen.
Blood soaked the Hero's sacred garments as Link clutched his stomach. Every breath he took made his fists clench and his teeth grit. His eyes suddenly swung open, and he let out a blood-curdling shout that pierced her head like a thousand needles. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, praying for this damned vision to end.
Link's scream still echoed in her head when she opened her eyes. She was back in her own chambers, her sheets twisted around her legs so tight she couldn't move. She managed to sit and buried her face in her hands as she shivered uncontrollably. She took a deep breath to calm herself as she ran her fingers over the slight curve of her stomach, and straightened in her bed, still trying to analyze what she had just seen. Part of her was distraught, sad, and sickened, yet she couldn't help but feel somehow relieved, even happy. If Link died, it could be years before another Hero arose, and she could stay with her daughter a little while longer…
She shook her head. Of course the Hero wouldn't die there. The Goddesses would never allow it.
'No,' she thought. 'They won't allow the Hero to die without facing Ganondorf. But they will let me and my people suffer until he is done with his errands… How cruel.'
She shook her head as her fists clenched. She had never doubted the Goddesses' mercy before, but now…
Maybe Ganondorf was right. Maybe the livings were nothing but pawns in the Goddesses' grand game of chess, with Hyrule as a game board, and the three bearers as the queens. Maybe these godly beings were nothing but legends to justify the Triforce's existence. Maybe the base of her very existence was a lie…
What was happening to her? Had Ganondorf not only corrupted her body, but her mind, too? She pushed her sheets aside and stood, making her way to her window. She stared at the grey skies as the rain melted the remnants of snow that still remained outside.
She didn't care anymore. The Hero had to die, and the game had to end.