Chapter 10

(Recovered…)

After a few days of chasing and tracking, the members of the crew of the White Wolfos were exhausted. It was late at night, and everyone was asleep or wishing they were asleep. Saria was one of the few still awake because she was worried. She had noticed that Link was no longer hanging around people, but seemed to be far away. She argued with herself, and then with a final nod of her head, she decided to find him. She searched the bottom deck with no sign of him, and began to move up to the next level. By the time she had finished with the galley, Saria was getting very concerned. With a sudden jolt, the realization hit her. Of course…she rapped on the door of the captain's quarters, hoping she was right.

It took a few moments, but Saria heard Link's muffled voice from behind the door. "What do you want?"

Saria responded nervously. "Link…Link, let me in. It's Saria."

"I know who you are," his curt response reached her ears. "I didn't ask who you were. I asked what you wanted."

Saria paused for a moment. "I'm…Link, please let me in. I want to talk to you." The door slowly creaked open, and Saria stepped hesitantly inside the dim room. She glanced around as the door closed firmly behind her. She couldn't see anything, so she stood in the one spot. "Where are you, Link?" she asked, her voice growing softer.

"Lost…" came the reply, even quieter. Saria had to strain to hear it.

"Lost?" Her emerald eyes slowly began to adjust, and she noticed a figure sitting on a bed, so slowly she approached. "What do you mean?"

"Lost…I'm lost…" the voice repeated, now recognizable as Link's, though different somehow.

"Link, you're not making sen…" she trailed off before she could finish, her eyes catching sight of Link's table. On it lay plates, each one empty, but…not eaten. The food had been dumped into a bucket in the corner. Link…what? When did you last eat?" she asked.

"I don't remember…" Link replied, his voice sounding shaky.

Saria began to chide Link severely, and then she stopped. Her eyes had adjusted enough for her to see Link. He was heaving with muffled sobs, his face buried in something. "Link…Link, what's going on?...tell me, please!" she asked with concern. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

"Saria…I can't…I can't do it…" he managed to choke out. "I can't stay with Zelda…she's…she's a princess? I'm not a prince! If people knew my background…. I can't rule a country…how can I? I'm not a good husband, much less a prince!"

Saria noticed he held a lacy, yet old-looking nightgown. She recognized it immediately. "Your…mother's…" she trailed off for a moment. Then she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him firmly. "Link…Link! Get yourself together! You can do this! You have to! Zelda needs you!"

"I can't…look at me, Saria…I can't rule a country. I don't know how."

"Learn." She kept a hand on his shoulder, sitting beside him. "You can do this, Link. I know it. So you made a few mistakes in life…it's okay. I, myself, have made some…some large ones."

"Oh yeah?" Link replied, suddenly sounding more controlled. "Like what?"

Saria paused, forming the right words in her head before she dared to speak. "I let you go."

Link faced her with a shocked expression, his face looking almost as naive and innocent as she remembered. "Saria…"

"I can't tell you what to do, Link. All I can say is that I know you can do it, if you tried. If you believed in yourself. Sometimes…sometimes we only need faith." With that, Saria impulsively leaned forward and let her lips rest gently on his, releasing after a split second. So that was what she had been missing…so that…was what might have been. She swallowed, and got up to leave. "I'm sorry, Link. I really am."

For a few moments, Link found himself deep in thought. His heart was urging him to find Zelda…he loved her. But…was he really what was best for her?

Meanwhile, Zelda found herself thinking of Link at the same time. "Link…you are coming, aren't you?" she whispered, terrible fears echoing in her head. "Aren't you?"

Rashia noticed that Zelda looked a bit down. "Are you alright?" she asked, after noticing that Tetra was not anywhere near.

Zelda looked at the girl with tear-stained eyes, pleading with her. "Please…Rashia. Help me."

The first mate blinked, and shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do…" She began to talk, after noting Tetra was not nearby. "I suppose I could go against the captain's orders, but then that would be disobeying the code, wouldn't it!" she increased in volume.

"Don't tell me about the code!" Zelda also raised her voice. "I know the code! I'm not talking about doing what's against the rules, I am talking about doing what you know is right. Don't you have someone you love that you wish you could be with? Of course you don't…but surely you've loved someone, haven't you?" she asked, unsure if Rashia had ever actually had anyone she had cared for.

"You won't say such things against me!" Rashia harshly responded, her face scrunched in an angry glare. "I do so have someone I love!" she yelled, sounding almost like a teenage girl defending her crush.

Zelda paused, her mind working furiously. "Rashia has someone she loves? Who?" she wondered. "Tell me, Rashia, who?" she asked, her curiosity now perked.

"What? Me tell you?" she hissed, her dark eyes sparking dangerously. "Of course I'm not going to." She whirled on her heel and began to walk away, until the ship was violently shaken, and the crew all fell to the deck, shocked.

It only took a moment to see what had happened. Tetra's ship was under attack. Oh, but she was not going down that easily. "Hah!" she exclaimed, pointing her rapier at the affronting ship. "I knew it, Link! You're finally here!" She laughed haughtily. "Give me the ring, and no one gets hurt!" Then her cocky smile faded and her mouth fell open in disbelief.

"You're all under arrest, by order of the king of Windfall!" It was a group of soldiers from the king's regiment, quite experienced judging by their solemn faces and cocked guns. "Come quietly, and we may take mercy on you!"

"Not a chance!" Tetra yelled back, burying the point a small dagger in the mast next to Zelda's bound hands. "Cut yourself free, you weakling! You either fight beside us for your life or die trying!" Before she could finish what she was saying, she was confronted by the captain of the guard. "All of you are condemned! Now put down your weapons!"

"Take us," Tetra snarled, as with the clash of steel the battle erupted, the women fighting against the men. At first, it seemed Tetra would win, for they easily outnumbered the small regiment of the king's men. Sakriss, who was one of the more seasoned fighters, soon had the men retreating back to their ship. The glint of victory shone in Tetra's eyes, until she saw them call in reinforcements that had been left behind on their deck. This time, the soldiers were not playing. There was a crack, and a cry of pain from Sakriss. Tetra abandoned her current opponent, rushing to her crewmate's side to assist. "Sakriss! Are you badly injured!"

The girl nodded, and squeezed her arm. "I think it's just a flesh wound!" she said through gritted teeth. Seeing one of their leaders badly injured, the other girls quickly lost heart for the fight, and lay down their swords one by one. They knew that the soldiers had won, for swords were no match against muskets. It was too late for regrets, yet Tetra hadn't given up.

"You hurt a member of my crew! That's against the law! You can't shoot unless you're shot at!" she hissed defiantly.

Zelda watched numbly as the crew was fastened into iron shackles, not feeling sad in the least. However, she was quite surprised when the soldier began to approach her. "Put down your weapon and come quietly!" he ordered. His fierce eyes narrowed at Zelda, who was dumbly holding the dagger Tetra had given her with a small fragment of rope still hanging from her wrist.

"What!" Zelda asked, her eyes widening in shock. She quickly realized what he must be thinking, and backed away before letting the dagger she held clatter to the deck. "No, you've got me confused! I'm no pirate!" she exclaimed, holding up her hands.

"Nice try girly, but I don't think so," he laughed mockingly. "I know, you're just an innocent bystander." He threw her down to her knees and began to fasten the handcuffs around her wrists.

Suddenly, a loud shout echoed through the air, halting the soldier in his tracks. "Stop! By order of the prince!" He took a hesitant step back as The White Wolfos entered the picture.

Out of the hazy mist, Link slowly strode to the center of the boat, and noticed immediately that Zelda was being threatened. His eyes flashed, and he whirled towards the man holding the chains. "If you so much as touch her, I'll stain the floor with your insides!" he snarled, a hand on his sword. "I order you to drop your weapons."

At first, the soldier merely smirked, not intimidated by Link in the least. "What authority do you have to order the king's navy?" he chortled, and with a jerk of his head turned back to Zelda.

"You idiot! He's the prince!" Kafei exclaimed, glaring at the soldier.

"Kafei?" One of the other soldiers stepped out from behind the leader, a joyous smile spreading across his face. "The prince?...do you mean…the princess has finally been found! And she's married!" he exclaimed, half asking, half demanding.

"Yes! And it's her! I mean, she's it!" Saria appeared on the other side of Link, pointing to Zelda. "Princess Zelda, the heiress to the throne of Hyrule!" she exclaimed, her face aglow. The soldier dropped the chains with a clatter, realizing with a jolt that he was outnumbered, and had made a huge mistake.

"Oh…" He fell to his knees, bowing. "Oh, my princess…my prince. Forgive me, how could I know?" Link and Zelda watched in amazement as if in a chain reaction the entire company fell to their knees one after another. "Hail Prince Link!" the men shouted. "Hail princess Zelda!" the women echoed.

Zelda turned with wide eyes towards Link. "Prince? Princess?" she whispered in confusion.

Link felt tears well in his eyes, and he gripped Zelda tightly, holding her as if she was the only thing left in the world. He shook his head and laughed in amazement. "We have got a lot to talk about…but first, Zelda…I thought I would never find you again…" he whispered, his eyes closed as he felt the overwhelming relief of being with her once more. "I love you so much."

Zelda was torn equally, if not more. She couldn't speak, but simply threw herself against Link, clutching at his tunic and digging into it, her body shaking with sobs. "Link…I…I thought…I thought you wouldn't come…" she cried, her voice cracking.

Link lifted her head, and wiped away her tears with his thumbs, leaning into her and connecting her lips with a deep, passionate kiss. "Never…" he said softly, breaking for only a moment. "Zelda…I will never, ever, lose you. You mean everything to me, and my destiny is by your side…whatever that means."

Zelda bit her lip and threw herself into Link's embrace once more. "Link…I love you…always. I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Link asked in a confused tone, tightly hugging his wife.

"I never meant to hurt you…I should have listened…you were right about him." She suddenly gasped, and pulled away from Link in a slight panic. "What happened to Ganondorf?"

"Oh, Zelda…don't worry so much. We won't be seeing Ganondorf for a long, long time…" Link placed a hand on Zelda's hair, stroking it gently. Then he pulled back in alarm as he felt her sway on her feet, noticing her sudden pallor. "Wait…we have to get you checked out! Smith!" he shouted, motioning towards Zelda. "Make sure she isn't hurt!" He glanced towards Tetra, who sat sulking in her chains, her head bowed. "Because if she is…" He stepped in front of his rival. "There's going to be hell to pay."