Link rolled out of the way and raised his head with a snap, the enemy's sword fell with strenght and Link grunted.
The soldier who was fighting with Link opened his eyes like saucers and couldn't bit down the glee that raised to his face.
Link felt a fire in his stomach and growled back, wiping the soldier's surprised grin and succesfully parrying the sword away. Link then brought his sword back and left it at the man's nape.
The soldier raised his hands, "And here I'd thought I'd gotten you for once."
A respectful bow after, Link excused himself from the next practice and went to drink water.
Robert was next to the water spot, shit-eating grin in place, "You're really out of it today, you know?"
Robert had been trying to make Link spit out the name of the person who had been with him yesterday night, but Link remained quiet and only graced Robert with deadly glares. It wasn't like Robert didn't have a clue, but he needed conffirmation. A nod would suffice. "Because I respect you I won't repeat Leela's name," there had to be a point where Link would just get tired of it, "but we both know you've become pretty popular these last days."
Link gulped down the water and motioned for Robert to follow him, "If you have time to talk I'm sure you have time to practice your excuse of a parry."
Robert winced, "Ouch, man." Link walked with heavy steps, looking intently at everyone around then and pointing out mistakes.
"You're awfully serious and you only get like that when someone close is involved," Link swinged his sword and the sound would have shut up a lesser man, "and there are few people who are close to you in Castle Town, fewer who are actively under scrutiny, so," Link turned and bowed. "It's not like it will kill you, Link."
Link's sword fell heavy and Robert spent the entire match doing his best to avoid a strike.
To Link's dismay - but not to his surprise - Zelda's room was high up in a tower. Put strategically in a corner of the castle, in between two nearby towers to give support. Where guards were put to patrol every our and where stationary guards spent their days lazing around. Link couldn't help but glare at two guards who were playing with their feet on the ground. When one of the guards felt the need to raise his head, worried that someone was looking at then, the flowers moving along with the wind was the only thing out of the ordinary.
Robert could see Link from the moment he entered the dining room, "You still have a mean glare on your face."
Link was mulling over how he was getting up that tower without being suspicious. He noticed Robert's winces every time he stretched his arms "How are your arms?"
"Oh, funny," Robert shook his head in admonition, then he leaned forward, "Maybe it was Mina? She's way serious for my liking, but you-" Link took Robert's piece of meat from his plate with a swift motion, "Hey!"
"Have you not a clue on the things you can ask a person and the things you shouldn't?"
Robert emphazised, "Your attitude just makes me want to know more."
"You suck," Link gobbled down the rest of his food, "I'm done."
Link was walking away and Robert pondered whether he could do without his meal. Maybe before, when his meals were lavishing and he could walk into the kitchen at whatever hour to eat, but now his meals came at times and his training left him tired and if he wanted to have a chance to at least make Link stumble over his feet his soul would have to live without the gossip. Robert let his head hang, "Look what I've become."
Link was out of the door and Robert had people sitting next to him the next moment.
Link still hadn't drawn a picture of Zelda. He had thought it weird for him to do so, if someone found out what would Link tell them? It was one thing to draw things to Her Highness, it was another thing entirely to draw Her Highness. And now Link was itching to do so.
Link was wondering whether it was sad to be so willing for another person. He had never thought much about it. Granted, at first it had been to prevent the end of the world that he had gone far and beyond for people. Now it was for Zelda. For him to some extent?
Was it weird?
Link grabbed the hookshot and left his room.
Whatever it was, Link felt it was the right thing to do.
Robert lived in the barracks with the other soldiers. He had been thrown to live in the same way he had been taught to scorn at all his life. Oddly enough, it had been easy for him. Weird, sure, but not the disgrace his childhood friends and him had thought it would be.
Link lived in a room inside the Castle. He was a guest of honor of Her Highness and it wouldn't do to have Link living with the common soldiers. Also, Link was at the level of a fucking monster so it served to give him an air of unattainability that Robert was sure Princess Zelda had had no intention of giving.
It worked for Robert to be, to whoever spent time with them, Link's most friend-like acquaintance. Ashei didn't count since she only appeared to either give Link some words or to smack Robert on the head. Telma, arguably the best candidate to be called Link's friends, was so obviously out of the game since no one - unless they were following Link - knew her outside her bar.
Robert nodded to the guards and went inside the Castle. It had taken Link's spoken permission, and the assurance that Robert would behave himself and would never stray from the most direct way to Link's room, but Robert could go and come without trouble. A headache, Link had lamented, since he had thought it to be used only in emergencies and Robert considered an emergency being invited to Telma's.
Not that he had been invited today - though Robert would use that excuse immediatly if pressed for a reason - but Robert could feel a tingle under his skin, something that made him fight back a smile.
Robert knocked Link's room without too much force, if he were to awake Link it would be in a nice and calm way. No sound came from behind the door.
Another knock, "Link?"
Robert's hair was standing on end, "Linky?" he tried, awaiting Link's shuffling feet from behind the door followed by his glare, "Linky?" Link would ask, eyebrow raised and mouth made into a line.
But nothing happened.
And Robert had to use his heavy weapons. What good would it do to come here and try things if they were inconclusive? "For science," Robert whispered, trying to give himself some sort of reassurance.
Robert gulped down his nervousness, tensed his muscles preparing himself to run, and then closed his eyes, "Linky, it's your best friend Robrob." Robert could feel Link's disbelief, his astonishment, they way he would squint his eyes and let his mouth go slack, "Excuse me?" Link would say.
Robert was half crouched awaiting the opening of the door, maybe just Link throwing a pillow to the door and asking for Robert's ridiculous ass to leave.
But nothing happened.