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Xxx 21 xxX

I sat before my vanity, staring at my reflection as I ran a brush through my long, golden locks. In my mind I reviewed every possibility, every hiccup that could foil my plan. I tried to anticipate what Ashton would say or do, but I could hardly be certain. He was unpredictable, more so than the prince I once knew.

Satisfied with my appearance, I set my brush aside and, with a quiet wave of sadness, slowly removed my wedding ring. I placed it in a small box and stored it inside an enchanted compartment, one visible only to Link, Impa, and myself. I kept a few precious items there, including the Ocarina of Time.

After a final spray of perfume, I rose to my feet and pulled on my robe, tying it shut over my nightgown. Meeting Ashton in my nightclothes brought unsettling thoughts indeed, but I could not deny the advantage of pandering to his lecherous side. If I presented myself in a way that would please him, he would see it as a step toward my ultimate surrender.

...Or so I hoped.

I had no intention of seducing him. Even if I could stomach a convincing act, it would surely rouse Ashton's suspicions. I sought only to enter his chamber—without his guards.

Quietly I moved through my drawing room and opened one of the heavy entrance doors. Much to my satisfaction, the guards jumped to attention, their spears raised in defense. I had not used magic against them since Ashton's arrival, but they feared me nonetheless.

"I have a message for your king," I addressed them calmly, wearing a somber expression. "Tell him I seek a private audience… and that I am willing to discuss the details of our marriage."

The guards stood there, staring stupidly.

"I wish to send the message now…" I added, glancing from one guard to the other.

They looked at each other, then back to me. "Wait here," one instructed his comrade, casting me a suspicious look.

Wordlessly I closed the door and took a seat to wait. After what seemed an eternity, a sharp knock finally broke the tension.

"Enter," I called, rising to my feet and crossing my arms.

To my dismay, Captain Felix entered the room.

"Well, I daresay I never expected you to cave so soon," he said with a smirk. "Some of us have been casting lots, you see, and I'm quite sure I'll have a debt to pay by morning…"

I suppressed a flare of anger, well aware that men like Felix engaged in such crude games.

"But never mind my losses—Lord Ashton is the true winner tonight. He has accepted your offer and summoned you to his chamber. You will come as you are," he added, looking me up and down. I glared at him but went without another word.

Two new guards stood in the corridor, waiting to escort me to Ashton's chamber in the northern wing.

"You will follow us," Felix said, motioning for me to walk behind two guards. The remaining two fell in step behind me while Felix led our small parade.

Few people roamed the castle so late at night, but those who did paused to stare. I made an unusual sight after all, dressed in my nightclothes and surrounded by guards. I kept my eyes fixed upon Felix's back, careful to give no indication of tension or deceit.

As we neared Ashton's chamber, I felt a strange sensation grow stronger with every step. Cold and heavy, it weighed upon my chest and pressed against my mind. Although I struggled to resist it, my calm, confident stride never wavered as the guards led me inside Ashton's chamber. Secretly I summoned my magic, releasing it as my fingers brushed the doorway. Such a brief touch took deeper concentration as I willed the magic to spread along the walls and encase the room within an invisible, soundproof barrier.

Ashton sat in my father's old armchair beside a roaring fire, fingering a glass of red wine.

"Zelda, dearest," he greeted me, raising a brow as he took in my appearance. "This is an unexpected pleasure…" His gaze shifted to the guards. "That will be all, Felix. Zelda and I shall discuss this matter in private."

"As you wish, my Lord." Felix gave another bow and gestured for the guards to leave. I inhaled slowly, releasing it as the door closed behind them.

"Come," Ashton said, gesturing to a nearby chair with a smile, "have a seat."

I did as he asked, secretly glad to sit down. I felt slightly drained and unsteady, which unnerved me.

It must be the staff. It's aura filled the room like an intangible mist, thickening the air with its heavy, unnatural energy.

Ashton appeared unfazed, however, as he reached for his wine bottle.

"Care for a glass?" he asked me.

I politely declined, watching as he refilled his own.

"So," he said, placing the bottle aside and settling back in his chair, "you've finally come to your senses."

"I wish to discuss the terms of our marriage, If that's what you mean."

Ashton gave a small, amused grin. "And what makes you think you're in a position to negotiate?" His smile widened with feigned pleasantry, but I could see he was enjoying himself.

The staff must be in his bedroom, I observed, taking care not to glance over his shoulder. Finding it should be simple enough… Subduing him will be another matter…

"I believe a compromise could benefit us both," I said quietly.

"Do you now…?" Ashton raised his glass to his lips, eyeing me over its rim. "All right, I'll play along. Name your terms."

I drew a quiet breath, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. "I will attend all council meetings and hold equal weight in all administrative or judicial decisions."

"Granted."

I blinked, having expected his immediate rejection. I suspected some form of deceit, but it hardly mattered. I hadn't come for a sincere discussion.

"I will have command over both Hylian and Vandelian soldiers."

"And why would you need command of my soldiers?"

"I tire of them treating me like a prisoner."

"You behavior has made you a prisoner, and thus my soldiers must treat you like one. We could have a far more pleasant arrangement if you would simply cooperate."

I strained not to roll my eyes. "Will I have command over them or not?"

"As long as no harm or hindrance comes to me, yes," he replied lightly, taking another sip of wine.

I regarded him coldly, aware of the duplicity behind his words. "I wish to keep my current chamber."

"Of course. But you will visit my bed until you give me an heir. A son."

I cast him an icy look, sickened by the mere idea. "There will be nothing between us until I have properly grieved my husband. I demand nine more months of public mourning."

Ashton gave a sharp, cynical laugh. "That matter has already been closed. You will marry me within the next month, or you renounce your crown."

"And if I were to renounce it? What then?"

He gave me a slow smile. "Then you will truly be my prisoner."

I scoffed. "It would seem I'm a prisoner no matter what I choose."

"Then consider it this way," Ashton said, adopting a lighter tone. "As my wife, you will keep all the luxuries of a queen and retain some level of authority. As my prisoner, you will wither in my dungeon until you agree to my terms—only my terms. There would be no compromise for you."

I forced a smile, trying to appear unfazed. "Have you forgotten your dwindling reputation, Ashton? That protest you witnessed today is only the beginning. If you hope to avoid an uprising, you will need me at your side, not in your dungeon. I suggest you lighten your terms," I added, holding his emerald gaze, "because I feel quite ready to refuse them."

He studied me with a hard expression, all pleasantries gone from his face.

"There was once a time," he murmured, "when you could hardly wait to be my bride."

I gave a sharp, empty laugh of my own. "I fell for the man you pretended to be, yes, but that ended when I saw what you really are."

"And what is that?"

I gave him a cynical look. "Selfish, arrogant, overbearing... I thought I could change you, but it seems you're incapable of change."

"And yet here you are," Ashton sneered, narrowing his eyes, "in the palm of my hand. If either of us is going to change, it's you."

"You honestly believe you can reclaim everything you lost all those years ago?" I bit back. "The public doesn't support you—nor do the noble families in hiding, waiting for their chance to remove you.

"And I am no longer the blushing, naive princess you so easily deceived. I gave myself to a man far greater than you, and you can never change that. If you do manage to have relations with me—and you won't—it wouldn't be some twisted victory for you. It would simply remind me how pathetic you are compared to him."

Ashton lunged forward with a growl, snatching me by the arms.

"You will regret those words," he hissed, pulling me up off the sofa and shoving me toward the bedroom. I struggled against his painful grip, feigning my resistance.

Just a little farther...

"What you think hardly matters," he growled, shoving me toward the bed. "You are here for my pleasure, my satisfaction!"

I stumbled and caught myself on a bedpost, overwhelmed by the aura's intensity. My hand shot out as Ashton came toward me, and a gust of magic forced him back against the far wall, pinning him there with invisible restraints.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he roared, struggling to free himself.

A rush of vertigo swept through me, and again I clutched the bedpost while the room tilted sideways.

"...Guards!" Ashton's shouts broke through the ringing in my ears. "Guards!"

"They can't hear you," I told him, relieved to feel my dizziness fade. "I made sure of that."

He stared at me, too stunned to be enraged. "You... You planned this; didn't you?"

I turned away and closed my eyes, shutting out Ashton's stream of oaths. The staff's aura filled every crevice in the room, masking its source, and I struggled to see beyond the sickening haze...

There.

I opened my eyes, letting my gaze settle on my father's old wardrobe across the room. Hurriedly I opened it, my heart pounding as I scanned Ashton's belongings. My gaze traveled upward, and I noticed a long, ornate chest tucked into the corner of the top shelf. Stretching my toes as far they could go, I reached up and grabbed it with trembling hands...

Immediately I dropped it and staggered back, startled by a surge of countless hissing voices. The impact forced the chest open, exposing the staff encased in velvet. The voices dropped to more seductive whispers, urging me to take the staff and seize my heart's desire. Steeling myself against them, I bent down to retrieve the chest—

WHAM.

Something hard slammed against the back of my head, knocking me to the floor. The chest tumbled out of my grasp, and I saw Ashton's blurry figure snatch it before the room went black.

xxxxxxx

Ashton sat in his armchair before the fireplace, fingering his near-empty wine glass as he stared into the flames. His staff lay across his lap, humming with energy as he stroked its worn surface. He traced the familiar carvings with slow, loving fingers, reveling in the magic that flowed through him as naturally as his own blood.

Ordinarily Ashton sought a woman's attentions to ease his insomnia, but he had begun to prefer the solitude of his chamber—the eye of his storm, it seemed. There he could put away the ever present warnings of his Council and contemplate more pleasant things... There he could admire his staff without interruption. As he let its power flow through him, Ashton felt more than calm. He felt invincible.

And she had nearly jeopardized it. Destroyed it, even.

How gullible he had been, allowing her into his chambers—into his bedroom? Of course she had come with some ulterior motive, distracting him with naught but her silk gown and robe. She had taken advantage, using his lust to control him.

And yet she failed...

Only later, after Ashton had doused his fury in wine, did he realize Zelda's magic had failed her. His restraints had simply faded away, allowing him to knock her unconscious and recover the staff. His guards had dragged her down to the dungeons, and there she would remain until he released her.

Either she is weakening, or I have grown stronger...

The fire gave an abrupt shudder, as though a gust of wind had swept through it. Then it withered to a few small flames, darkening the room. Frowning, Ashton rose to kindle them—when a deep, familiar voice filled the air:

"So she's discovered your secret."

Ashton started and whirled around to find the necromancer watching him from the far side of the room,

"You… How did you—?" Ashton stammered, clutching the staff to his pounding heart. "How dare you intrude like this?"

"I've come to reclaim what is mine."

To Ashton's horror, the staff vanished from his grasp and reappeared in the necromancer's gloved hand.

"You would dare break our agreement?" he seethed.

The necromancer flashed a mocking smile, barely visible beneath his hood. "I promised you victory over Hyrule's military forces, and I delivered exactly that. I never agreed to lend you my power indefinitely."

Panicked, Ashton watched as the staff began to glow, emitting the same dark energy he himself had unleashed on the battlefield. Before he could react, the necromancer absorbed the energy and cast the staff aside, letting it clatter against the floor. Ashton rushed to retrieve it, stunned to feel no magical pulse beneath his fingers.

"You have deceived me," he hissed, glaring up toward the necromancer. "I will not accept this."

"Spare me your wrath, Vandelian," the necromancer said, waving a dismissive hand. "Your fight is not with me. In fact I am willing return this power to you... if you honor my terms."

Ashton slowly rose to his feet, still grasping the now ordinary staff. "And what are these terms?"

"I trust you recall the curse I meant to place upon the queen's husband?"

The king stared at him, aware of the panic creeping along the edges of his mind. "What do you mean you 'meant to?'"

"It would seem I underestimated him. He escaped before I could finish it."

"Escaped?" Ashton whispered, his clenched hands shaking with rage. "Are you telling me he's alive?"

"He is very much alive, and you will not interfere unless I say otherwise."

"Not interfere?" Ashton gave a breathy, high pitched laugh. "Do you take me for a damned fool? The entire kingdom will turn on me when they discover this! I'm sure he's building a bloody rebellion as we speak!"

"You have two options," the necromancer continued, ignoring Ashton's outburst. "You may waste time and resources hunting him and his allies, and, if you do manage to capture him, you will return him to me undamaged. Mark my words, if any harm comes to him without my consent, I will hold you personally responsible."

Ashton glared into the necromancer's hood, knowing his own life was at stake—not to mention his power. "And what, pray tell, is my other option?"

"You leave him to me. I may have failed to complete the curse, but it was hardly a fruitless endeavor. A fraction of the darkness has been sealed within him, and I sense it growing stronger. It's unprecedented, but I believe the curse will inevitably run its course, and the General will eventually destroy himself."

Ashton held the necromancer's gaze, his anger succumbing to intrigue. "Destroy himself?"

"The darkness will compromise his ability to control his own actions. He will become violent, dangerous—even his appearance will change. When I'm through with him, the people should have no trouble believing the lies you've told about him."

Ashton pondered his words with growing excitement. If the necromancer spoke the truth, then the greatest threat to his rule—the exposure of his lies—would be resolved. The peasant would single-handedly secure his control over Hyrule… Watching him destroy himself would be an added benefit.

"There's something I never quite understood..." he murmured, glancing at the necromancer. "Why choose him for your little experiment? Any other man would have been less trouble. Do you have some sort of... history with him?"

"That is none of your concern," the necromancer growled. "Do we have an agreement?"

Ashton sighed and turned toward the fireplace, feigning reluctance as he watched the dancing flames.

"I want to witness his death," he finally said. "I want to know, without a doubt, that he will never meddle in my affairs again."

He turned to see the necromancer flash a more devious smile beneath his hood.

"I have a better offer," he replied. "When the time comes for him to die, I'll let you finish him yourself."

Ashton considered this with a slow, satisfied smile, but it faded as another thought surfaced. "Suppose he chooses to reveal himself before this... darkness has taken its toll? I would have an uprising on my hands."

"He will not reveal himself unless you provoke him," the necromancer said. "He is aware of the darkness within him, and he seeks a way to reverse it. Until he finds one, he will remain anonymous."

"And if he finds a way?"

"He won't. But you would do well to keep the queen far away from him. She has the ability to undo everything I've accomplished—which would be disastrous for you as well."

"I assure you she is well under my control. Zelda is my prisoner and goes nowhere without my permission. She will learn nothing of that bastard's survival, not until I allow it."

The necromancer simply stared at him. "Clearly you have underestimated her."

Ashton scoffed. "Hardly."

"She's made a fool of you—likely more than once. That so-called widow has known about her husband for some time now."

Ashton froze. "That's impossible," he breathed.

"It would seem you have less control than you think. The two of them crossed paths weeks ago—in my dungeon, no less."

But Ashton had stopped listening, overcome with rage as it seared through his veins and jarred his every bone.

xxxxxxx

I woke to find myself lying on a cold, hard surface, surrounded by darkness and silence. A faint stench pricked my nose, and slowly I sat up, grimacing when my head throbbed with pain. A grimy residue lingered on my cheek, which I wiped on my sleeve with disgust. Then carefully I rose to my feet, holding my head with one hand and summoning a small flame with the other.

I stood in a tiny, windowless stone room, still dressed in my nightgown and robe. In the far corner sat a chamber pot, next to a thick metal door.

A high-security cell, I noted with dry amusement. Should I be flattered, Ashton?

With a flick of the wrist I cast my flame at the door, intending to burn through the lock. The fire merely struck the metal and flickered out, however, leaving a small, glowing mark. I lowered my hand with a heavy sigh. It's as I feared.

My magic was weakening. Again.

It had failed me numerous times since Link left for war. I had reviewed each incident over and over, searching for some explanation. Stress? Some physical or magical ailment I had yet to discover? Perhaps the staff had affected me somehow...?

What truly puzzled me was that my magic still felt as strong as ever. I could summon the power I needed, but my attempts to expel it were inconsistent—unstable, even. The barrier I used against Ashton should have lasted far longer than it had...

And I wouldn't be in this dilemma. I would have the staff, and the power to expose Ashton for the lying usurper he is.

My failure weighed upon my chest, slowing my steps as I anxiously paced the cell.

That was it... my one chance to help Link and the Resistance.

By now Ashton had likely moved the staff well beyond my grasp. Even if I managed to find it again, I could never obtain it. My magic was unreliable, and he would not fall prey to my deception again. Whatever trust he had placed in me was broken.

I paused a moment, remembering Ashton's rage as he forced me into his bedroom. Chills crept across my skin as I realized how dangerous the situation had been. The Ashton I knew would never reduce himself to such despicable, violent behavior. He was a lecher, but his pride, if nothing else, prevented him from taking a woman against her will. It was the only reason he had kept his hands off me since his arrival—he lusted not just for me, but for my ultimate surrender.

If not for the staff's unusually potent aura, I might have believed the past seven years had changed him. But I could not easily dismiss the evil imprinted upon that staff. I had felt it groping for my life force, struggling to feed on my energy even before I had touched it. Ashton exposed himself to that evil every day... It was only a matter of time before it destroyed him.

What will happen between then and now?

Slowly I sank to the floor, breathing a long, weary sigh. In my hands I cradled my tiny flame, drawing comfort from its warmth.

Years ago Ashton's predicament would have pushed me to help him, to try and save him from himself. Even after he abandoned his charming facade, even after my childish infatuation had died, I found I could still pity him. Having seen all sides of Ashton, I dared to believe I could make a better man of him—a man transformed by compassion and love. But Ashton proved incapable of change, and I lost the will to keep trying. How could I find love for him when my heart belonged to Link?

After our engagement was severed, I had tried to make my peace with him from afar, to practice forgiveness and free myself from contempt. But those intentions had burned away in the fires of war—a war he instigated in vengeance. After everything he had done, after all the suffering he had caused, contempt was all I had left for him...

My thoughts dissipated at the sound of hurried footsteps approaching my cell, followed by the rattling of keys, and warily I rose to my feet. Seconds later the door swung open, and torchlight flooded my cell, broken by Ashton's dark form.

"You lying bitch!"

In seconds he crossed the cell—and struck me hard across the face.

I gave a muted cry—mostly from shock—and clutched at the wall to regain my balance. My cheek throbbed and I tasted blood, but I met Ashton's furious gaze with a look of defiance.

"You've known all this time!" he shouted. "All your black gowns and religious nonsense—it was all a damn charade!"

My blood ran cold. He knows.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" I stammered.

"Don't you play ignorant with me," his vicious tone echoed about the cell. "I know he's alive, and I know you were with him."

Remembering our encounter with the necromancer, I forced a short, breathless laugh. "So your mysterious friend finally paid you a visit; did he? Face it, Ashton; you've lost. Soon Link will reveal himself, and your own lies will destroy everything you've gained."

Ashton gave a sharp laugh of his own. "You think you're so clever. I know about your peasant's little condition. He has the markings of black magic all over him, but that hardly compares to what lurks within him. Give it time, Zelda. Soon he will be everything I've said he is."

I stared at him, too stunned to form a response. I wanted to believe he was bluffing, but I knew so little about Link's ailment.

"You're bluffing," I said anyway, hoping to coax more information from him. "I was with him an entire night. He gave me no reason to believe your words."

Now you're the one who's bluffing.

Ashton narrowed his eyes, then turned away for the door. "She does not leave this cell for any reason until I personally release her," he ordered his guards. "Do you understand?"

They assured him they did, and Ashton cast me one more icy glare.

"You will remain here until I know he is truly dead," he hissed. "And then you will be mine."

The door clanged shut behind him, caging me in darkness once more.