Hello everyone!
Thank you to Leina16, TheWelcomeStranger, Inheritance1990, Crosswarrior5159, Amativ Amiv Ul, and Omnis Law for following and/or adding this story on their favorite's list.
Response to Reviews:
TheDragonKnights: LOL, I know right! This guy needs to be taken down! XD Thank you!
StraightedgeWingZero: Oh my goodness I love the way you phrased that!
Lunitari: Oh wow really! I'm sorry to hear that, I've never had Influenza myself, I had pneumonia when I was younger but that's just a little bit different. I thought the symptoms would work best with the story, but in Hyrule it is just a little bit different given the medieval era and I needed to switch it up a bit. And man do I wish Fletcher could've caught it. Thanks for your support!
TheWelcomeStranger: Thanks for your suggestion! It was actually really tempting - I thought to change my plan - but I have something else in mind for the crazy prince. I hope you enjoy :)
KHLostEmpress: Haha don't worry! I was thinking the exact same thing ;) Thank you!
Justisya-nyan27: Aw she will very soon :) Thank you!
Sage: I'm actually laughing right now XD Fletcher really deserves a good whacking!
As promised, Chapter 11 is here before scheduled timing. I just wanted to say all of your support from the last chapter was just so amazing, it just made all of this writing all the more worth it. Your reviews had me cackling at inappropiate lengths of time - I don't like Prince Fletcher either - and all of your suggestions had me go back and edit once again. Thank you guys so much!
Now without further ado, chapter 11!
There would be no more running away for him. That night, he turned to the one place that brought him comfort in the stone fortress, the one place where he could let out the strangled feeling that he'd grown accustomed to.
The pounding of his fists against the leather dummy and the tired grunts composed a symphony of unfettered rage in the lonely training yards. No one should be bothered, he thought: it was too late in night for anyone to hear him take out his resentment on the innocent dummy.
"Link?" Well, he was wrong after all. "Where've you been?" It was the commander calling out from behind him – he could tell by the deep tenor of his voice – and the knight pivoted to face him, leaning on the dummy for support.
"What did you think? You could just leave your responsibilities behind? We're training an army for goddesses' sake! You don't leave my side for anything!" As he jogged to approach him, he quieted his lecture. "What happened to you, lad? You look horrible!"
Link shook his head tiredly. "I'm really sorry for leaving. It won't happen again."
"You bet it won't!" he started off again, his hand fisted in front of him he shouted. "Your responsibilities are here now and you can't leave without telling me first!"
Link nodded, standing up straight and rubbing his sore knuckles absentmindedly. "I'm sorry."
"Now what's going on with you?" he asked with a frustrated sigh, his fists resting on his sides. "Why'd you leave?"
"I…I needed to see Rusl."
"Rusl? How's the old man doing?"
Link shook his head again, looking off into the distance. "He's okay, I guess."
"That doesn't sound too right, boy? What is it?"
"It's just…" He was too tired to explain this story again. Things between him and Rusl were okay now, but what happened still bothered him and it wasn't easy to repeat it so many times.
"You didn't know about your dad, did you?" the old man finished.
"What!" the younger knight asked, looking at him in surprise.
"Daphnes, right? You think I'm too daft to realize you're his son, boy? You're his spitting image!" Link stood staring at his superior, and the commander hurried to explain himself. "I knew he had a son, I just didn't realize earlier that that baby was the same one Rusl took away all that long ago."
Link was too dumbfounded to respond. What could he possibly say to his chief finding out about his secret past? "It wasn't right for me to blabber on that night," he continued, "but I just wanna let you know that I'm here if you need me. I know how important a dad can be and I ain't yours, but if you ever need anything, you can ask me."
Link gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before nodding slowly. "Thank you, Commander."
"Nah, don't mention it," he dismissed with a wave, and then put a hand on his shoulder. "And why are you out here? Getting some last-minute practice?"
"Not exactly," Link mumbled. "I ran into a prince…and it didn't end well."
"Ha! When do they ever?" The commander pulled on his shoulder, signaling for him to walk alongside him and leave the courtyard. "Those snooty nobles, they don't really take a liking to us. It's best to steer clear of them."
"I just wanted to see the queen," he explained.
"Ah, you heard? Turns out it's pretty bad. I heard she's sleepin' half the time. Poor girl." Link's face crumpled in worry and the commander took notice. Though he was hardly one to sugarcoat the truth, perhaps he could help the hero out. "Your best chance at checking up on the queen is late at night; those nobles are up at dawn and won't leave until sunset. If I were you, I'd run along now and see if the maids'll let you in," he said, taking a glance at the darkening winter sky.
Link frowned; did he really want to go back now? What if the prince was still there?
"Sorry, I can't help you other than that. I won't step foot 'round them folks for nothin'."
The hero swallowed, stopping in his step before shaking his head. "No, thank you, Commander. I'll just…I'll try. See you tomorrow?"
"Ha," the commander chuckled. "You say that like you still got a choice."
The prince, luckily, wasn't there when Link slipped by the queen's chambers. Lady Irene swept him inside the room before anyone saw and said she'd give him a moment alone with the sleeping queen and though Link denied her request, the swarm of maids stayed behind in the sitting room, sending him a range of expressions as they brushed by.
The sitting room held plenty of wooden bookshelves and violet flowers in porcelain vases. There was an array of velvet sofas and a vanity table that sat in the corner of her room with a plush stool before it, and a long mirror stood in the opposite corner. Link glanced at his tired reflection as he passed by, his form shifting between shadow and light.
A carpet blanketed the floor was the color of red wine and soft underneath his feet, like the touch of a cloud up beside the City in the Sky. The walls were draped with textiles that had the Hylian Triforce embedded into them and a portrait of a young girl - he guessed it must be Zelda - sitting before the king and the queen. In the painting, her chestnut hair was short, plump cheeks were rosy, aegean eyes wide, and her nose was cute and small. The king, standing strong and proud, had his hands on her thin shoulders.
Feeling slightly awkward under the maids' intent gazes, the hero didn't waste any more time looking around and slipped through the wooden doors. His eyes set upon the canopy bed where the queen laid. Her hands were folded above the blanket, skin flushed and glowing with perspiration. Her chestnut hair was undone from its braid, sprawled against the pillow where it was away from her face and off her neck. The orange of twilight streamed through the balcony window, the black voile drapes pulled to the side, eerily irradiating the room.
Her bed was large, enough to fit Epona even, and was a canopy like his but with finer patterns of vines and flowers etched into the dark wood. The velvet comforter was violet in color and stood out strikingly against the red embroidery, but the blanket spread on top of her restless body was ratty and old, which made him wonder why she - who must have so many rupees at hand - would keep it. But even so, it was very thick in its fabric, which he hoped did well to her freezing skin.
Before a sofa and two seats, twigs and tinder blazed in a hearth, lighting the room with warmth and light. Link approached the queen warily, his inspection travelling up to her chest and examining the short and shallow breaths causing it to raise and fall so gently, almost imperceptible to his trained eye. Her small, chapped lips parted as the warm air seeped through, but her body seemed so still it was frightening, even to him.
He crouched beside the head of the bed, watching the queen vigilantly. Her weak movements made him shiver in his boots, and that said a lot comparing to what he'd seen and done.
He was quiet for a long time, his fierce blue eyes directed only to her.
Link felt at odds with himself, unsure of what he should be doing. There weren't many times he'd ever had to deal with illnesses like this, Ilia being the only one in Ordon who seemed to truly understand how to treat them. He, on the other hand, was more of a monster slaying hero rather than a physician.
Perhaps that was why it made him so uneasy around the queen when she was ill. He knew how it felt to be sick while growing up, sure, but his immune system was stronger than others, so he always felt better in two short days. Being exposed to someone so deathly ill was terrifying to him, not excluding the fact that that someone was a person who he'd grown close to and cared about.
The hero brushed his bare fingers across the queen's face, feeling her soft skin begin to warm up beneath his cold, calloused touch. It was a wonder how this woman possessed the Triforce of Wisdom when she didn't understand the consequences of her own actions. Had she been in any other state, he would've said 'I told you so.'
But what if the prince was right? What if this was his fault? He did keep Zelda out late into the cold winter night for his own selfish desires, and it struck him to believe as he stared upon her that she could fall so horribly ill because of him. He'd do anything, anything, if it meant she'd be up on her feet again.
Her eyes fluttered open, strained as the action was, and her eyebrows furrowed as her dilated pupils focused on him.
"Link?" her feeble voice whispered.
He retracted his hand, blushing stupidly at his improper behavior and looking off to the side. "Yeah, it's me."
She didn't say anything after that, closing her eyes slowly, and Link assumed she'd fallen asleep after a few moments. He stood up to leave her to rest, brushing his hands against the ratty cotton blanket before turning away.
"I…I'm sorry," she said so quietly that Link wondered if he imagined it. He turned to face her again and her eyes squinted open at the sound of his shuffling.
"Don't be," he replied after a moment. "I just wanted you to be okay."
Her head bobbed against her pillow as she traced her tongue along her chapped lips. "I-I know," she said shakily and Link's eyes softened at the sound of such weakness coming from the strong monarch he once knew. "Thanks."
He shook his head, smiling softly despite how sad he felt for her, and kneeled at her side again. "You're going to be okay, Your Highness," he reassured, more so for himself than for Zelda.
Her only response came in small crooked smile and shallow breathing.
"Do you need anything?"
The queen hummed for a minute in thought, then muttered, "Cold."
"You're cold?" he asked worriedly, tugging on her blanket in haste.
She shook her head tiredly, and then all but threw a small towel at him.
His dark eyes stared at the cloth in confusion for a moment before they widened in understanding, then examined the chambers for the bathroom, finding a door left slightly ajar.
The bathroom was large as well, everything laminated with dark marble and kept neat and tidy. He stepped in quickly and wet the towel in the basin, wringing the soft fabric so that it didn't soak and drip on the tiles.
He came back to the chambers and sat beside her on the bed, shifting uncomfortably for a moment. Then, reaching out, he brushed the cold fabric across her glowing skin, wiping away the sweat. Her chest heaved as she took deep breaths. His movements were slow and steady, and with each touch her smile appeared less painful as her skin dampened under the cloth, refreshing her from the heat of her fever. The night was silent, motes and dust dancing like tiny fairies around them under the ginger glow of the twilight.
For the first time, he wasn't scared around the princess – no, queen - of light. Without the golden crown on top of her head and with her intense eyes closed in pleasure, he wasn't intimidated. It almost felt like they were just two people: a man and a woman, a doctor and a patient, a practiced touch on top of warm skin. It felt like, for the first time, Link saw Zelda as a person, vulnerable and afraid just like he was.
It was then that the hero finally realized Ilia was right: he liked the queen. For what reason, he didn't know. Maybe, now that he saw her as just a regular person, he allowed himself to look past any boundaries she or the others put between them. It was the way she was stubborn in anything she set her mind to, even if it had her working late into the night instead of resting.
Or maybe that was her selflessness. That same selflessness that brought Midna back to full health when she was ailing, or that gave him the pictograph of his parents when he was hurting, or that would make her risk her own life for her country.
It wasn't quite the shock he expected, almost as if these feelings had been there, building up within him all this time. Still, as he looked upon her, he felt a blush ride up his neck and set his cheeks ablaze. He only wished harder that she'd feel better now; maybe he could handle things differently from now on. Maybe he would even fight for her.
And maybe, just maybe, she'd feel the same way.
"Your Highness?"
She murmured something incoherent in response, eyes fluttering open again.
"I'm going to make sure you're okay."
And for weeks, that was precisely what he did. Before and after his regular second-in-command duties, he'd slip into the queen's bedchambers, fetching vessels of fresh cold water, potions from Doctor Borville's office in the town and anything else the maids asked from him, all while avoiding the princes and dukes.
The days slipped by in a hectic haze and yet the queen's state never improved. It worried the entire castle and town since many of them knew the severity of the illness that plagued their monarch. Link, on the other hand, believed in her senselessly and did everything in his power to help.
But when his anxiety got the better of him, swordplay was a way for him to release all of that negative energy and put it into good use, so that chilly morning in the training yards, he trained alongside the knights, going hand to hand with one of his smaller students.
"Look for openings in your enemy's defense," he reminded just as they clashed once again, Link pressing his blade hard against the squire's. His opponent was thin and scrawny, but Link noted that he was quick and wanted him to use that to his advantage. The younger man trembled under Link's intensive stare but nodded in understanding.
The hero pushed back, pausing, and then slid forward, jabbing his sword to his opponent's chest in hopes that the squire would see his opportunity to slice at his side. Instead, he dodged his blade and it took him a minute to see his opening, his eyes widening at the prospect and swinging his sword at the last minute. Link met his blade immediately and shook his head. "Faster," he chided, and the squire grunted as the hero pushed him backwards again.
Link's sword spun in his hand as he waited for his opponent to slip into ready position, idly hopping in the spot to keep his pulse running.
The younger man slid forward, grasping tightly onto his sword as he sliced it at Link. Their blades collided in a series of sparks, and though the squire expected him to throw him off balance again, the hero slowly pressed his own sword to the right so that the squire's arm was bent uncomfortably and an opening were revealed at the left side of Link's waist. The metal screeched throughout the arena before the younger man retracted his own blade, thrusting it at Link's side. He stumbled backwards at the contact, a little more so to emphasize his hit rather than the impact presented, and the squire beamed. The hero grinned broadly and nodded happily. "Good job, Thaddeus. Remember to always keep an eye for an opening."
They sheathed their swords and shook hands as the squire scampered along, retelling his feat – with a little exaggeration, of course - to his friends.
"You're doing great, boy," the commander said as he slapped his arm, and Link smiled at his chief and friend.
"Thanks, Eagus."
"You can go take a break if you want. I can handle a little while alone."
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking around the throng of bustling knights.
"Yeah, these guys listen to me, no problem. You run along for now."
The hero grinned at the commander and stripped off his weaponry before racing through the halls of the castle to the queen's chambers. There weren't many times Link would go to her room during the day: somewhat because it was far from the training yards and he never had enough time to get there, or out of fear of running into another stately and obnoxious man. But many days had passed since the coronation ball and there was a chance all of the noblemen had gone home – or at least were preparing to.
Once the knight approached the room, he heard the voice of a familiar doctor and sobs coming from within. He knocked on the large doors and the sounds got closer until a maid opened it.
"I must apologize, but now –" she stopped upon seeing Link standing there, worried, eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, Sir Link, is it?" she asked tiredly.
"Link!" an angry voice came from within and the older man stormed past the maid. "You have done this! I'll have you banished to the ends of the earth, do you hear me?" Chancellor Cole shouted, fists clenched at his side and face red in fury.
"What? What happened! Is she okay?" Link said, avoiding the councilor's accusations and sidestepping to peer into the chambers, but Cole grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him backwards.
"No! She is not okay, you insolent-"
"Stop!" Irene shouted, coming from within the room. Her eyes were swollen and rimmed, as if she were one of the people he heard sobbing. "Chancellor, please, why are you shouting at the hero?"
"Hero?" he spat. "This man is no hero! He's the one that got Her Majesty ill and he'll be sentenced to death if she so much as skips a heartbeat!"
"What do you speak of? How could he have gotten her ill?" she asked frenziedly, sparing a glance at the hero.
"He was out frolicking with the queen the night of the ball! She was ill the next day, don't you see? She's never been good with illnesses, and this fool scampers along and endangers her life!"
Link's chest heaved at all his harsh words and all the commotion, and then pushed at them trying to get through the door but the chancellor shoved him back again. "Don't even try, you fool! Lady Irene, get him out of my sight! Have him go nowhere near the queen!"
"Chancellor, don't you think that is a little harsh? He has been hel-"
"Do you dare disobey my orders, woman? I said 'take him away' or I will have both your heads!"
Irene pursed her lips in frustration and grabbed the hero by his upper arm, pulling him away, albeit rather roughly.
"What's going on? What happened to the queen?"
She huffed, letting go of her grip on his arm forcibly. Then, glancing around the halls to makes sure no one saw, she began, "Dr. Borville says that there is nothing else we can do for Her Majesty and," she breathed heavily in her sadness, swallowing back tears before continuing, "she may not make it through these next few days."
"What?! But why…she was okay… We did everything!"
"I know," she replied more softly. "But…but she hasn't woken up in very long time and just this morning, she was barely breathing. That was the same thing that happened with-" She stopped suddenly and sunk her head.
"With who?" he encouraged.
After a long moment pause, she looked at him with tears brimming her puffy eyes. "With the king and queen," she finished and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "The Royal Family fell ill when Zelda was just a child. They had the same symptoms in their final hours… there was nothing we could have done. But the princess was only in a coma for a few days and when she awoke, her parents had already gone."
The thought, the terrible thought of something like that happen to Zelda, hit him harder than he expected. He couldn't even begin to imagine the horror and misery she'd been through when she was younger, and yet she was always so calm and collected as though she was okay.
She sniffled. "Zelda was stronger in her youth than the king and queen were…but now...now she isn't as strong as she once was."
Link swallowed and shook his head. "So what can we…how do we help? We can't just give up…!"
"There's nothing we can do, Sir Link. We've tried everything that Dr. Borville has ordered and with no results."
He bit his lip in thought, trying to concentrate. So if what the doctor has requested didn't work out, whom else could they turn to? Who else knew how to bring someone back to full health? Then, his eyes widened in realization. "The shaman…" he said softly.
"Who?" she asked, flabbergasted.
"Renado, he lives in Kakariko village. He'll know what to do," he reassured, hope swelling with a newfound goal. He remembered when Ilia and he brought Prince Ralis to Renado, and the shaman took only a few days to bring the Zora prince back to his old self. Link just knew that he'd do the same for Zelda if he asked.
Lady Irene seemed rather excited at the small sliver of hope, clasping her hands at her chest. "Then we must get someone to deliver the message," she said, marching into step.
"I can go," Link suggested quickly.
Lady Irene examined his figure jogging beside her. "Hyrule's army needs you, Sir Link, we can't have you travelling the kingdom. We can send one of the soldiers to Kakariko and bring the shaman back with a carriage in a day's time."
"I can get there faster," he insisted. "What good is an army if they don't have a queen?"
She paused in contemplation. He was right. Zelda mattered as much as her own children did to her, more than even her own kingdom, and Eagus would be fine sparing Link a day in honor of the queen. Her eyes softened upon him with admiration. "You're very brave, Sir Link. If you are willing to go for Queen Zelda, I will speak with Eagus and explain."
"I should too," he added quickly, remembering what happened last time.
"All right then, we should hurry."
Though Link mounted Epona in desperation many times since he became a knight, he did so now with a new goal set and his mind reeling. And of course, a carriage.
The wild winds of winter blew against their messy manes, but Link's eyes were focused on the raging mountains of Eldin on the horizon as they stomped closer to their destination. By afternoon, Epona had flown through the wooden gates and Link all but threw the door to the sanctuary open. The room was dark, lit only by the flickering candlelight that threatened to extinguish at his sudden entrance. Renado, who was praying on the floor before the stone statue, stood and spun to look at his intruder.
"Link, son, are you all right?"
He breathed out and shook his head. "The queen…she's sick."
He stepped closer cautiously as he remarked, "What horrible news you bring. What happened, Link? Will she be all right?"
"She's…she's got some illness and the doctor said she won't make it," he said quickly, forgetting how to explain himself. "I need you."
Renado looked upon him thoughtfully for a moment and nodded in understanding. "Come then, Link, we will get my daughter and head to the castle immediately. You can tell me more information once we get there."
Renado drifted across the room like a ghost, blowing each candle out in his wake, before they left the village with Luda and returned to the palace.
Once the shaman arrived, soldiers escorted him to the queen's chambers and Link followed after them, and as they approached the room, chancellors, nobles and maids who waited around anxiously crowded them. The shaman walked in with Lady Irene, who nodded to the hero in gratitude, and closed the door behind them. Link breathed heavily as he stared at the intricately detailed door shut before his eyes, turned and shoved through the throng of people.
"Don't think that all is forgiven, Sir Link," Cole called out from behind him, waiting alongside the door and shaking his head. "You are still solely responsible for what happens to the queen."
Link rolled his eyes and pivoted towards the chancellor. "I'll gladly take whatever punishment you give me if something happens to her."
The tall prince he'd met the other day approached them both at the sound of Link's noble words and scoffed.
"I thought I told you to return to your pathetic village," he remarked stupidly.
"You did, but I brought a doctor to help heal the queen," Link replied hotly.
The prince, it almost seemed, was at a loss of words. Anything sarcastic or offensive he had at his disposal would've sounded insensitive to all the chancellors and maids that stood witness. "Well, good then," he settled to say, "for as soon as she is returned to good health, I will have my chance to ask her hand in marriage. You see, the chancellors here think I would make the finest match with Her Majesty." Chancellor Cole, though he kept quiet, was the only man who appeared to be disapproving.
The knight felt his blood rush with jealously: Zelda marrying this prince? He was rude, stupid and selfish, and maybe Link wasn't perfect, but he would treat her with respect if he ever had the chance.
"Do you understand what that means?" the prince asked, approaching him carefully and creepily. "That was rhetorical, Link, I don't actually expect that you would." He leaned down then, hands on his legs as he looked at the hero as if he were a child. "It means I will be your king and you will have to respect my wishes."
Link's hands clenched at his side as he fumed. "You will never be my king."
The prince obviously appeared embarrassed at the knights' denial but only so much as scoffed. "You see, Link, you truly don't have a choice. If the queen chooses me - and she will - you would have to obey your king or else you would be banished and would never see your lovely queen again. It's no matter however, as by then, you'll hardly see her anyways, as she will always be with me, respecting me as you should."
"Don't speak about her that way," the knight said through gritted teeth.
"I can speak of her anyway that I wish, fool," he started quietly, leaning in even closer so that the hero only could hear his words. "And that's because I have power and you don't."
The word snapped something in Link and he shoved the prince backwards so that he stumbled and hit the ground. The hero was just as ready to pounce on Fletcher while everyone in the crowd, chancellors and maids alike, silenced and stared at the hero in astonishment. However, two of the chancellors grabbed him by the arms and restrained him just before things could get out of control.
"Fool!" the prince screeched, as they dragged Link down the halls. "You'll pay for this!"
The chancellors instructed the guards to take the hero away, with only Cole staying behind to lead them to the destination as Link struggled against their tough grasps. He knew it was against some law or another to even touch a prince, but he saved Hyrule – and though he never expected any special treatment – he wondered how they could be so quick and cruel without a second thought.
The soldiers heaved the hero down many murky halls and spiraling staircases until the air got cold and he could no longer see past the circle of light around the torch. He could hear only the sounds of distressed moans and tired cries, and he could feel his skin crawl at such sounds. The clatter of the metal door rang through the hall as one of the soldiers opened it up and walked the hero to it. Link, confused and angry, pushed them away but the guard kicked him inside and shackled him against the wall before he could make another move.
"That's all, men," Cole dismissed, and then turned to the hero on the ground.
"Why am I down here? Because I pushed him?" Link asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"Yes, but after I revealed your little tryst early today, you were already considered a threat to Her Majesty. All you needed to do was make one wrong step."
"I'm not a threat, I fought for Hyrule. Don't you see that?"
"You have no proof," the advisor bit and Link clenched his fists. "Don't worry, you will not be here for long. We just need to keep you subdued for the time being, and then the chancellors will have a court meeting to decide what we're going to do with you."
"You can't just-"
"To the contrary, Sir Link. Since you have become a knight, you've dismissed your duties, you've distracted Her Majesty of hers as well – not to mention have her fall ill – and now you have assaulted a prince. Do you understand how this will affect the kingdoms? Prince Fletcher is soon to become King of Holodrum and if Hyrule's citizens do so much as to offend him while he is a guest in our castle, we would lose of a powerful ally – or worse."
"You were there! You heard what he said about the queen."
The chancellor hesitated for a quick moment, hiding it by sticking his pointy nose into the air. "It doesn't matter. You don't have leave to touch a prince. You seem to have forgotten your place already and hopefully this cell will do wonders to remind you. Until you've calmed down, you're to stay here while we decide what to do with you."
Link pulled at his shackles, glaring at the councilor as he stepped out of his line of sight. The torchlights gleamed a far distance away before fading out and he was left to sit in the dark alone for a long time.
She sighed as she blinked awake and realized: it wasn't as painful to blink. Her skin was no longer burning and her muscles were relaxed, but she felt a cold fluid settled on her skin and her blanket was nowhere to be found. Soft humming could be heard from one end of the dark bedroom until she coughed, though fortunately, that too wasn't as agonizing as she could remember.
"How do you feel, Your Majesty?" a faint voice called as a tall tanned man with long locks approached her. She frowned in confusion.
"Better," she answered shakily, trying to push herself onto her shoulders. "Who-"
He set a patient hand on her shoulder as he interrupted. "Do not overwork yourself, Your Majesty, you've just awoken." Zelda settled back into her bed as she continued to scrutinize the strange man.
"I am the shaman of Kakariko Village, and I've come when I heard that you fell ill. My name is Renado." She sighed a little tiredly, tempering her gaze and making an effort to smile politely. "Would it be all right if I brought Lady Irene in here? She's been very worried for you."
Zelda bobbed her head slightly and he disappeared behind her bedroom doors. Soft murmuring could be heard from the crack into the door before she heard a loud cry. Her muddled mind spun a little in confusion before the portly woman slipped into the room breathlessly.
"My Zelda!" she exclaimed, slapping her hand over her mouth in glee as her eyes crinkled. "Thank the goddesses, dear Zelda, you had me so frightened." She approached the side of her bed and clasped her hands in her own.
The queen's eyes felt tired, wanting to be as eager as her nursemaid, but found she still couldn't do as much as smile.
"We were so worried for you, we…we almost lost hope," her ramblings went on and on, and Zelda tried to take in all of her words.
"Of course you would fall ill, you have so much light in you, Zelda. Oh my dear, you are my light. I don't know what I'd do without you."
The nursemaid embraced her, sobbing into her shoulder, while Zelda tried to pat her comfortingly. Renado stepped back into the room, upon hearing all the commotion, and set a firm hand on the nursemaids back. She turned to him and flew onto him in another embrace. "Thank you!" she shouted ecstatically. "Thank you so much."
The shaman pat her shoulder as he pulled her away, almost embarrassed.
"We must let the queen sleep, she's not had proper rest in a long while," he reminded, and though Zelda felt sorry to have to leave her nursemaid crying, she was too exhausted to argue.
Prince Fletcher wouldn't take his promise to make the hero regret his decision lightly. He stormed through the palace, sapphire cape draping behind him, until he reached the courtyards. As he approached the gardens, the man with fiery hair that he searched for came into sight, seemingly searching the dry stems for buds. Percival gazed up, however, as the other prince confronted him.
"Fletcher," he greeted seriously. "What news do you bring of the queen?"
"She's in a precarious state," he answered hurriedly, not in the mood for idle chitchat. "The hero, or so he calls himself, has brought another doctor of the sorts to aid her."
"Ah, how I hope she is okay," Percival replied sadly with a shake of his head.
"Yes, yes, likewise. I wish to speak in peace, if you don't mind." Fletcher nodded his head towards the guards, and the redhead thought pensively before turning cautiously towards his men and waving them away.
"What is it?"
"I fear that the hero threatens either of our chances of marrying the queen. For many times, he's told me in secrecy that he doesn't take well to any suitor who is after Her Majesty, and he would impale us if we do so much as to ask for her hand," he lied effortlessly. "Just now, he was sent to the dungeon for assaulting me earlier today."
Percival, as cowardly as he was, held his throat in fear. "You cannot be serious."
"I am. You may ask around if you don't believe me." The redheaded man, however, seemed to not need any more convincing. "It is an urgent desire of mine to keep him at bay while we stay in Hyrule. I wouldn't want him getting upset and having our heads."
Percival nodded anxiously. "So what is it that you expect me to do?"
"The chancellors are holding a court meeting to discuss the punishment of the hero and I ask that you tell them that he also threatened you. This way, the chancellors will not take lightly to this situation as I'm afraid they might given his title."
The redhead frowned and put his hands at his waist. "Why would I need to do something like this if he is already found guilty?"
"It would help to even the balance; they haven't seen him when he has threatened me."
"Where were your guards at these encounters?" he questioned cleverly.
"I'd already sent them away at his request," the tall prince answered, a hand resting on his hip. "I thought to admire the hero once the queen had told me how splendid he truly was, though it turns out that he's not to be kept at such high esteem as she thought."
Percival thought pensively, biting his lip as he paced nervously, while Fletcher stood still, awaiting his answer.
"I don't think I can do this. This would ruin my reputation if they were to find out that I lied."
"Would you rather your sister's reputation be at stake?" he retorted viciously and Percival turned to glare at him.
"So this is all a ruse then? You're trying to get me to lie for your sake so that no one may stand in your way as you ask for the queen's hand. Why you conniv-"
Fletcher's hand slapped over Percival's mouth as he shook in his grasp.
"You will do as I say or I swear to the goddesses, I will reveal what happened at your father's hunting trip last year, do you understand?"
The redhead glared viciously for a long moment before nodding in reluctance, and the dark-haired man released his grasp easily. "Good then, it seems that we have a deal."
"You are foul, Fletcher. This isn't right."
"You have a choice," the tall prince said calmly, stroking the buds Percival had been admiring earlier. Then, he clamped his fist over it. "But just remember what's at stake." He turned then, his cape rustling behind him and the petals tumbling off the branch.
The next day, the commander knocked on the door angrily and impatiently, and after a moment, Lady Irene stood in its place.
"The queen isn't taking any… Oh, hello Commander. What can I do for you?"
"Where is he!" he boomed angrily. There would be no more soft spot for the hero, now the commander was really getting upset. He was missing yet another day of training when he specifically demanded that Link would be back the next day after bringing the shaman or whoever from Kakariko.
"Where is who? Sir Link, you mean?"
"Yes, Link! He hasn't showed up to work, again. You were with him when you came to speak with me, so you should know where he is."
Lady Irene frowned, a little upset at his tone and more so confused where the hero could've gone. "I'm afraid I don't know where he is. He brought the shaman here early yesterday morning and that was the last I heard of him. Maybe one of the maids will know…Wait here," she said as she scurried into the queen's sitting room and asked around, while the commander tapped his boot impatiently.
"Come then," Irene insisted as another maid and she stepped out of the room. "Lady Katherine, tell him what you saw."
"Well…" she started, a little intimidated by the furious captain, and twiddled her fingers with girlish anxiety. "Sir Link was…he got into an argument with a prince and he…well he pushed him and so two councilors escorted him somewhere. I apologize, but I don't know where."
The commander held his temples with two fingers while shaking his head. "Aye, those nobles will be the death o' me. Thanks ladies for your time. If you need me, I'll be dealing with some pompous, ignorant…" he trailed off as he disappeared down the hall, his pounding footsteps overriding his annoyed murmuring.
Three pounds- on the door was all it took for Chancellor Cole to swing it open.
"Who was the audacity to knock at my door?" Cole demanded angrily, facing the large man with the same rage. "Where is Fredrick?"
"You mean that scrawny kid who I just shooed away. He's not much o' a toughie, is he?"
"How dare you? That is my servant: you have no right to dismiss him!"
"And you have no right to 'dismiss' my second-in-command! Where is Link?"
The chancellor settled himself then, coming to understand the situation and allowing the commander inside his office. The larger man hobbled in, the office seemingly shrinking under his size and the chair quivering under his weight.
Cole sat himself elegantly on his chair, elbows on the table and hands folded. "You see, Sir Eagus, it has come to the councilors' notice that Sir Link hasn't been on his best behavior. He's been rejecting his obligations and has been disrespecting his superiors. You've noticed this as well, I've heard."
Eagus did notice that Link's been putting off his duties; in fact, that was why he was there in the first place. But there was no way he would side with a noble or seriously affect the hero's reputation. All he wanted was for his second-in-command to be where he needed to be and help him train the bungling knights. "Link's only missed three days of work from all this time he's been here – and for good reason. He brought a good doctor – a real doctor unlike that old crotchety guy you did – for the queen!"
The councilor heaved a heavy breath and shook his head. "Dr. Borville is the only doctor in Hyrule Castle Town, though, I digress, it was kind of Sir Link to bring the shaman into the palace. However, this doesn't dismiss his actions and he must be penalized for them properly. Have you come to realize the Sir Link assaulted Prince Fletcher of Holodrum earlier today?"
"You mean 'pushed'?" Eagus said a little blandly.
"Yes, I do. To touch – much less, assault – a prince is a criminal offense, and he must be penalized accordingly. Now he awaits our verdict in a cell in the dungeon."
"You put the boy in a dungeon?" Eagus fumed. "How could you?"
"As I've already stated, he's been disruptive to the castle's system. Not to mention that it was because of Sir Link's imprudent actions that the queen is sick in bed."
"Link! Hurt the queen? No way, that boy cares more about her than half the court!" Cole didn't seem pleased with this accusation, narrowing his gaze into a glare. "Look, I know Link and he wouldn't hurt anyone just for the hell of it. He's a good guy - a hero even - and if he hurt anyone, he had a good reason."
"I cannot excuse his actions just because he claims to be the savior of our land."
"Claims? That boy did it, I know, because I have proof."
The councilors eyebrows rose. "What proof do you speak of?"
"Haven't you seen that boys left hand? Those fancy triangles in the legend are birth-marked into it."
Cole contemplated for a moment before he frowned. "If what you speak is true, we may be able to consider your word. Later this week is the court meeting if you would chose to attend, as I am unable to do anything for Sir Link as of this moment."
Commander Eagus scowled bitterly: a whole week before his second-in-command was back to work, before he is out of that stinkin' cell? It wasn't fair, but there was nothing he could do for him now. Arguing with the councilman any more would only flame his anger and could risk his chance of fighting for Link in court. So the commander nodded before standing up and excusing himself with one last statement. "You gotta give that boy more credit, Chancellor."
After days of sleeping properly, Zelda finally awoke, healthy and fresh. The night had fallen with the snow, she noted, as she glanced at the sky beyond her voile drapes. The queen stretched out her muscles, that weren't as sore as they should've been, and rubbed her eyes awake before looking around her room. It was silent and eerie, empty as it usually was, with only a flame lit up in the hearth at the foot of her bed.
As she stared into the distant flames, she struggled to recollect what had happened – what got her sick. There she was, in her office, ill and yet still doing her work. She remembered spilling ink all over her papers. Her heart raced with this sudden realization:all of that information, all of that progress was gone because of her clumsiness. How could she ever get all that work replaced? Her head buzzed and she reluctantly shook it off: it wouldn't do any good to worry about something like that now, not after everything that'd happened.
Zelda pressed harder, searching for more answers. There was Lady Irene, who brought her the tea that she loved – the queen knew her nursemaid was okay now. But there was someone else.
There was Link.
She yelled at him to leave her office because…well…she couldn't remember why. The queen felt the familiar guilt rush back to her for yelling at him: was there ever a good enough reason for her to shout at someone who saved her kingdom?
Pushing herself upright, she placed one foot on the soft plush carpet and exhaled sharply. It'd been so long since she stood for herself, her legs ached and her head spun. Then, heaving herself onto her feet, she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor. From the next room, she heard shuffling and a muffled yell.
"Zelda!" Lady Irene shouted upon entering the bedroom and seeing the queen sprawled onto the floor yet again.
Zelda threw one hand up to stop her worrying as she used the other to sit upright.
"What are you doing? It's so late, you should be back in bed!"
"I've been sleeping for a long time," she denounced, feeling her throat sting from not speaking so long. "I need to find Link."
Irene knelt onto the floor beside her and brushed the messy hair out of her face. "Zelda, you aren't thinking straight. You cannot speak to him this late into the evening."
Her maid was right: what was she doing trying to find Link so late in the night? The queen shook her head and swallowed. "Perhaps you're right." She paused. "Is he okay?"
The nursemaid - jaded from waking up so suddenly – sat silent for a moment. "Well, he was helping us take care of you and just a few days ago, he brought a shaman from Kakariko Village to cure you and look, he did! What a good man he is. Last I heard he got into a fight Prince Fletcher, he pushed him or something…" she rambled on tiredly, before realizing her mistake at Zelda's widened eyes. "But I'm sure the chancellors dismissed it."
"The chancellors dismiss Link? That would never – Lady Irene, where did he go? We must find him!"
"Your Majesty, calm down. What's the matter?"
"Touching a prince is a criminal offense! He could go to prison for this! …Help me up," she demanded. "We need to find him."
"You can hardly stand, Your Majesty. I can't have you walking the halls this late."
"I will not rest until I am sure that Link is okay. Now, please, help me up."
Lady Irene eyes widened as she looked between the queen's eyes. She was serious and stubborn – that she already knew – but never before for the sake of one person. Stricken, she heaved the queen onto her feet and after a moment, she walked by her side, carrying her weight as the paced the room and the burning in her legs subsided.
Then, Zelda donned the black cloak in her closet and they escaped to the darkest depths of the castle.
His mind was hazy. How long had he been in the dungeon? Why did they leave him in here again? To wait for a proper punishment, was it? This one was horrible on its own. Not much oxygen reached this far into the ground, and all the air that he inhaled was cold and bitter. Since Chancellor Cole left him here - two, three, four? - days ago, he wasn't visited again.
Not until that night, that is. The wooden door up the dozen circling steps creaked open, a sudden light pouring in from the top of the stairs and lithe footsteps echoing in the quiet halls.
Then, a key slid into the door of his cell and the metal bars screeched as they slid against the cold concrete. He thought he was delusional as he saw – imagined – a figure cloaked in her robe creep into his cell.
"Link?"
Could it be? No, he was definitely delusional.
"Link!" the woman shouted, shaking him by the shoulders until he stirred.
"Who are you?"
She slipped the hood of her cloak off, revealing her messy chestnut hair and beautiful, but distressed, expression.
"You're okay!" the hero remarked with wide, dark eyes.
"All because of you, Link," she said as she kneeled by his side, using the key to undo the chains. Once he was released, he rubbed out the discomfort in his wrists. "Why is it that I always find you in shackles?" the queen asked quietly, eyes distant. The image of him in scruffy black fur and the tangy odor of sewers plagued her mind for a quick instant.
"Why do I always find you in a cloak?" he retorted, examining the queen vigilantly.
Seeing her in the cloak stirred something within him. How long had it been since that day? At the time, would he ever have thought to miss it? "What are you doing here? It's cold…you could get sick again."
Zelda shook her head with a worn expression of sadness, one usually so well hidden. "Link, I am so sorry. I've been so harsh to you, though you repay me with such kindness. You have saved my life yet again and I do not deserve it."
The hero frowned, cold determination glazing over his steel blue eyes. "I would save your life a thousand times, even if you didn't ask me to."
Ah, yes, now she remembered why she yelled at him. This innocent man, loving, kind and pure, cared for her.
How undeserving she was.
All she had ever done for him was make his life more difficult, more complicated. Wasn't it because of her foolish mistakes that he went on such a dangerous journey? Wasn't it her fault that he lost everything that he ever came to love? Was he not in this cell tonight, cold and tired, because of her?
Zelda, as wise and mighty as she was, could never do anything right when it came to him.
But how she could be cold and distant with him after all that he had done? Did he deserve to hurt more because of some stupid, old laws or her muddled theories on how to protect him? Look at where that got them. It wasn't fair for her to disregard him because he cared about her, and it was definitely not right to cast him aside like he wasn't her friend. She wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him; who was she to deny him anything?
The queen embraced him then, wrapping her arms around him tenderly and nuzzling into his shoulder as he sat stiff in shock. Had she been open with gestures and compassion previously, he would've felt more excited than worried. After a moment though, his strong arms enveloped her, keeping her warm and smelling a distant milky aroma.
"Thank you, Link," she said, voice muffled against his tunic.
He tightened his hold around her, fingering the ends of her loose locks.
"Thank you."