Hey guys and girls! The next two weeks I will be travelling, so I'm not entirely sure how that will affect my updates… I suspect it will though, so please bear with me!
Until then, have fun!
Chapter 35
Link
Something moved against his right side, stirring him awake.
Oh! Hello…
Zelda's back was snuggled against his flank…her seemingly infinite mass of blonde hair spread across the floor, herself and him. The early sunrays poking through his window were reflecting on it, imbuing the whole small room in golden light. He looked at his bed, which had obviously been spurned at some point. He had to smile.
When they had finally returned inside after his mother's indescribable apple-pie, the question of Zelda's quarter for the night had naturally arisen. Link had, of course, immediately offered his room, saying that he could sleep in the living room couch. She had protested, as he should have expected… "I can't just eject you from your room, certainly not! I will sleep on the sofa!"
And then came his dear mother, interjecting like the busybody she is, with a to date unknown expression of amused disbelief on her face.
"You young people, dear Nayru! Are you children who can't control themselves? You can share a room without the whole house in danger of getting woken up, right? Farore's mercy, want to control the fate of the world but are afraid they can't control their own hormones!" she chuckled, leaving both of them severely embarrassed… which had naturally been her aim, devilish woman that she was. The only rescue had come from his father, who had simply, dryly asked "Could we back then?"
That had shut her up… for about three microseconds… which, in Meera-time was probably about 6 months.
In the end, both faces a deep crimson, they had agreed that, yes, they could share a room without succumbing to temptation. Still, Link had insisted on sleeping on the floor on a few piled up blankets, while she got the bed… it seemed his insistence had not reached all that far into the night though, he thought smilingly. He certainly wasn't complaining… he could hardly think of a better way to wake up than with this gently breathing dream snuggled against him.
Link raised his head slightly, so he could catch a glimpse of her face… there never was enough, he just had to see it!
…he didn't think he had ever seen her so peaceful…her face completely smooth, not the tiniest crease of worry anywhere, her mouth slightly open and just a miniscule spot of drool on her pillow. He grinned. Someone was apparently sleeping very soundly! It was such a cute sight, he almost wanted to draw it! Though, probably, she'd have something against a picture of herself, sleeping and drivelling.
She had been pretty tired in the end. He was sure that, all in all, she had enjoyed meeting his family, contrary to all her initial reservations. But it had doubtlessly been demanding, both physically, thanks to the kids, and mentally, thanks to dear mother. Zelda had pretty much fallen to a deep slumber as soon as she had lain down on his bed, they hadn't even had time to talk. He felt even more charmed and honoured that she, apparently dead tired, had made the effort to climb down to him, careful not to wake him up. His little angel… his cute dumpling…
…great, now he couldn't wait until she woke up, just to look in to her eyes, to hear her voice… the urge to gently caress her with kisses until she softly rose from her sound sleep was near irresistible. But, naturally, he didn't.
He lay his head back down on the pillow, acutely aware of her slow, steady breathing and of every point of his body where they touched. Meera had given her one of her old nighties, a simple white, long-ish one… soooo there was not much separating him from her perfect, porcelain skin…
No! None of that. At least not now… For now he simply wanted to enjoy her perfection, the feeling of togetherness, but not in that way… and without his manhood thinking it needed to wake up.
A strange feeling rose in his chest, even up to his throat… urgent, exciting, but not unpleasant… He remembered the talk with his father yesterday… the man to man one… He felt slightly embarrassed for how much pride he had felt after his old man had called it that… but to him, it had been a huge compliment, even if André hadn't strictly speaking meant it that way.
Link had been even more surprised when he had poured them both a small cup of apple wine. He had, naturally, been allowed a small sip of it every now and then, but never a whole cup, no matter how small! "Leave it, if you don't want to…" his father had said, as if just now remembering that he might be a bit uneasy with that amount. In some ways the man could be as wise as the greatest philosophers… in others, he always seemed a bit lost. "I think I'll just have a few sips. Thanks." Link had answered, a bit befuddled.
They had sat down on the sofas, clicked their cups, and were silent for a while. The royal protector bravely took a small sip of wine. He found that, slowly, he developed a certain liking for the fruity tart, yet also sweet taste, when a few years before he would still screw up his face. He was beginning to see how stuff like this could lead a man to ruining his body and mind, which only let his cautious respect for the stuff grow. He had seen people who had succumbed to alcohol, had seen their emaciated, shivering bodies or their flailing, screaming rages when drunk and had long since decided that he had no interest in such a fate. His father only ever had one cup a day, if at all, so he would certainly not go above that.
André was silent, the his face under his beard was working. Link knew that beginning a conversation was not one of his strengths, so he did it for him. "How are things around the smithy?"
His father nodded, relieved. "A lot to do. Had to roll back the commissions a bit, now that you're no longer helping. But it's no problem." he grumbled, taking another sip.
"Hmm. I'm sorry, but I cannot stay…" Link began, but his father cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"I don't expect you to. I taught you so you had something to fall back to, should your first plan fail. Seems that won't be necessary." he added with a tiny grin that made Link's chest involuntarily swell with pride. "But enough. I want to hear from you." he prompted and leaned back. Link smiled. His father didn't want to be told anything specific… he simply wanted to hear what his son had to say, what he wanted to share. So he began. His impressions of Hyrule city, how the tournament had gone, how Zelda had made him a knight-aspirant, training with the blademaster… a few times he had to say "This I cannot speak of yet", but his father didn't mind. He was an excellent listener, if you knew what to look for. A briefly raised eyebrow meant more than another person's loud exclamations of wonder.
Other than the stuff he wanted to discuss with Zelda present, he left very little out. He even, very briefly, described how his relationship with the princess had come to pass, which earned him a few amused grins from his old man. It felt right to tell him… if only to share how utterly improbable the whole story was.
As he talked and André listened, he felt a sudden wistful nostalgia… back when he had still been an only child, there had been those wonderful nights when he and his father had just taken a walk. Most of the time, tiny Link had sat on his shoulders, back then the highest place imaginable. They had just wandered around Ord, or the surrounding fields for what seemed like an eternity. They would always end up lying somewhere in a field, gazing at the stars. He would talk, his father would listen. They were always topics he couldn't bring up with his mother… it was always man-talk. They were always complex questions for a child… about life, stars, justice, fear and courage… or why girls were so weird… André's answers had always been simple, understandable for his child's mind, but filled with wisdom. Link could probably still recall most of them verbatim, so much had they shaped him. Those had been the most magical nights of his life… at least until recently…
This talk they had now was very reminiscent of that. His father said little, but what he said made him feel encouraged. He took another little sip, reaching about the middle of the cup and decided to leave it at that. The taste was intriguing, but he didn't want to be even slightly tipsy, not with that difficult discussion looming so close.
They were silent for another minute, until Ria's shrill, gleeful squeal pierced the quiet. They both looked out the window and saw Zelda, trying to move with both children inseparably attached to her. It was a delight to watch them play catch, yelling and giggling without pause.
That hadn't taken long, Link thought with a smirk. The two little monsters seemed to already have taken her into their hearts. Or course, he wasn't surprised. He looked at her, elegantly weaving between the two children, her golden hair dancing with the motion, her face happy and flush with joy and life. Goddess, he could watch her for hours…
"Do you love her?" his father suddenly asked. Link's head whipped around, his expression taken aback. The man's face was kind, smiling… there was no malice, no patronising and no trifle there… just sincerity. Link, still startled, felt his heart quicken as his brain tried to come to an answer. He… didn't know… he felt so much, so, so many different things! Was one of them love? True love? What separated true love from the regular kind? How does one know?
"I have my answer…" André said, his face practically beaming. Now Link was just utterly confused. He hadn't even said anything!
"You didn't have to. Your face spoke plenty." the man said, reading his mind.
"But…" Link suddenly felt distraught… shouldn't the answer have come instantly? "…I… hesitated… " he stammered, unable to even continue, so overloaded was his mind.
His father nodded. "You did. But not because you lack anything, my boy…" he calmed, reaching across the table to put his hand on his son's head. A rare touch nowadays, and therefore even more meaningful. "If you had answered right away, I would have worried that it were more of a shallow infatuation, no thought put into it. Love is not the first thing that should come to mind, but the last… it is the goal… the victory over all doubt. This does not happen over days. Or weeks. Your thinking hesitation proves, to me at least, that this is no superficial, childish fawning, but much more."
That, of course, had just given him more food for thought. He certainly hoped that he hadn't seemed too distant or distracted yesterday… but it had been worth it.
The longer he had thought about it, and especially now that he had slept over it and lay next to her, he found that his father had had a point. He looked at her again, smiling, even though he only saw the back of her head. There was so much he felt… affection was only one… elation that she was with him, amusement at all her moments of great humour, awe before her enrapturing intellect, fascination at her kindness, wonder at her perfect beauty, anticipation about the next time she would touch him, desire for her graceful body… fear that she might not feel the same, horror at the thought of losing her, anger that people wanted to do her harm… all that, reserved for just one hylian being. Too many emotions to even fathom! He did not have the answer, not yet. He didn't think he was still at the beginning of the road towards that goal, but he certainly still had a long way to go. What he did know, was that he absolutely wanted to walk this road and that he would enjoy every step.
Suddenly he felt all snuggle-y and mushy… he just wanted to take her into his arms. 'Damn it all! There you are, trying so hard to become a man amongst men, and along comes this girl and turns you into a softy!' Link thought to himself, with a chuckle full of self-irony. He should probably get up before his muscles turn to goo…
As if she had read his mind, she suddenly turned to her other side, wrapped her arm over his chest and snuggled her head on his shoulder.
Eeeeerrrmm… or, you know, I could stay? That's also fine…
Zelda gave a soft sigh. He suddenly became acutely aware of her suddenly nude knees against his and her hot breath against his chest. Oh dear… so much for not getting excited… You know? One second you're busy with deep, meaningful thoughts about love and the infinite layers of hylian emotion and suddenly, whooooop, a certain body-part can just hijack all brain-power. How is that fair? Now, all he could think of was the heat off that firm, supple body that made his senses go wild.
Alright, calm down, mister! She's sleeping, you're at home and there are kids and your parents barely 2 metres away. None of this is appropriate!
Slowly but surely, everything quieted down again, the sudden flood of excitement abated.
…was that, too, a part of all this? He had these bouts of almost incontrollable lust… for which he felt ashamed, but… judging by the near-happening by the pond, hadn't she also demonstrated something similar? So… was the purely carnal desire includable in this vague, complicated, disaster-prone construct called love? Or was that a by-product? Or a conduit? It might as well be a stress test, for all the pointless excitement his body had to endure at least… three times a day… okay, more like eleven.
Did girls have that too? Sudden flashes of arousal that needed to be quelled? Did… Zelda have those? If yes, she certainly hid them better… but he hoped that she did, because that at least meant that she might understand if she ever caught him like that… which got increasingly likely the closer they got!
Zelda stirred slightly, pulling him back from his trip into the dangerous country of philosophy. He raised his head, though from this angle he could only see the top of her head. She stirred again, the hand she had slung over his chest grabbed the fabric of his night-shirt, with a considerable bit of his flesh still in it. Link twitched, but didn't make a sound. It wasn't the most pleasant experience, but she was obviously just waking up and didn't know she had gripped a fistful of him. The hand relaxed, then searched, obviously still half asleep trying to figure out what the weird stuff was it had just held. Zelda raised her head and looked right into his smile. There was this little adorable moment when her pupils in their crystal blue sea widened in a scare, as she realized that she had just pinched him quite vigorously. But he just smiled, and the shrunk back just as quick.
"Hey." he said with a playful smirk, nodding his chin slightly towards her.
He didn't know whether it was realizing that she had snuggled so close in her sleep or something else entirely, but her cheeks and nose went deep red. She buried her face in his shoulder slightly so only the straight bridge of her nose and her striking eyes were still visible. Her long, luxurious eyelashes seemed to flutter slightly and, even without seeing her lips, he could see that she was smiling coyly. "Hey…" she whispered back, muffled, because it went straight into his clothes.
If he were to die now, looking into those two breathtaking, smiling, blue eyes, it would be a worthy death. How could they sparkle like that? It was as if you looked at the sun through a blue diamond… And he thought he felt snuggly and mushy before…
"Any particular reason you're hiding, sunshine?" he asked, grinning.
She just silently shook her head, her gaze into his eyes and her smile unbroken.
"And do you realize that you are being irresistibly cute?"
She buried her face a tiny bit deeper and, judging by her eyes, her smile became even more coquettish. Then she shook her head once more, rubbing her beautiful nose against his shoulder. Oh dear goddess, what was she doing to him?
"You are playing a dangerous game, dumpling…" he mumbled, his voice a bit raspy. "Is this some sort of revenge for the times in front of your chambers back in the castle?"
He could feel her giggling slightly. "Possibly…" she purred.
"You…" he growled amusedly and, using the hand she was partly lying on, he extended a finger to tickle her, just over the ribs.
She twitched up and gave a high squeak, then immediately slapped her hand in front of her mouth.
"Such noises! Tut tut! What should my parents think of us?" he sighed dramatically and shook his head at her. And, at the precise moment she lowered her hand to give him a retort, his finger found the same spot. To his immense delight, she squealed again, even louder this time, and once more her hand covered her mouth. Her startled eyes looked around, obviously hoping that no-one had heard.
He couldn't resist, she was just too adorable. Using both hands, he embraced and pulled her closer to him, to which she offered only minimal resistance in the form of a surprised sound. As soon as she was in range he kissed her fiercely and, only a moment later, she melted in his arms and responded in kind. With her hot form lying half on top of him, it didn't take long for his own body to react. He felt her breath quicken and her heart hammering against his chest. Her hands broke free of his embrace and snaked to the back of his neck, which she used to pull herself even closer, even firmer into their heated, fiery kiss. He grabbed her just under her armpits, not roughly, but certainly no longer tenderly either. Part of his brain told him that both his thumbs were resting against something soft and fleshy, which could only be Zelda's breasts… and they felt very, very close, as if she didn't wear a bra under the nighty. Almost involuntarily, he let his left thumb explore, just a tiny bit, wanted to feel a little bit more of that smooth, round, incredibly appealing globe. He fully expected her to jolt back and give him a scandalised look, but… she did nothing of the sort. On the contrary, her fire blazed even stronger, her nibbling and probing got even hungrier! Once again he could hear the tiny squeaks from her throat whenever she exhaled, and they drove him wild. Nayru, he had started this! And now he needed to stop it, before they both lost their senses… Hating everything, most of all himself and his blasted, pain-inducing discretion, he shifted his hands from their breathtakingly fascinating spot on her body further up, cupped her jaw and cheeks and, going against every instinct in his body, softly pushed.
She made a noise of disappointed dislike in her throat. He could feel her resistance, pulling even stronger to go against him. She didn't want to stop. Good goddess, neither did he… He would give everything to be anywhere else right now… but they weren't.
Please… please stop… or there will be no stopping me…
He pushed again, gently. Please…
Her arms relaxed and the kiss was broken. For at least 10 seconds they remained, panting heavily, their noses still touching, eyes closed.
"Do you… have any idea… what you're doing to me right now?!" she gasped, exasperation clearly in her wildly erotic voice. Hearing that tone from her, and suddenly realizing just how much she wanted him, combined with his manhood straining against the fabric of his pants nearly brought him to his climax. His breath caught in his throat for a second, before the moment passed with an intense shiver down his spine. He needed a few more before he could answer. "Believe me… I think I very much do…" he wheezed.
She gave a tiny snort, rested her forehead against his and nodded, their noses rubbing against each other. They lay there for many minutes, unmoving apart from their rapid breaths, her hands still holding his neck, his still on her face, waiting for the flames that consumed their bodies to recede.
"I am beginning to develop a hatred for cold baths…" Link muttered. Zelda laughed, still a bit breathless, and nodded again.
"Maybe we can just sit in your mother's ice-chest for a few days…" she suggested. They both giggled, which helped restore a shred of normality. Finally, after an all too short eternity, Zelda released him, planted a tentative kiss on his forehead, another on his nose and a third, tiny one on his lips before drawing away and sitting next to him.
Link's first instinct was to sit up too, or she would immediately see his manhood bulging his pants. Quickly he did the manoeuvre known to probably all men where he fixed it in the waistband so it wouldn't show. He looked over his shoulder, knowing that that couldn't have been subtle at all. Zelda, bless her, looked away though, either coincidentally or deliberately, he couldn't say. So, in an attempt to be equally noble, he averted his gaze too and didn't notice that her nighty had slipped way past her knees.
He didn't think he had ever seen such a full breakfast table. Normally they had meat only once, maybe twice a week, but his mother had served a few slices of blood sausage, a sizeable chunk of corned beef and had even fried a little bacon. Not to mention butter, salt, an aromatic hard cheese and six boiled eggs! And, of course, her incomparable bread… Link felt almost bad, knowing how early she must have risen to conjure all this on the table… his stomach, though, had no such qualms and grumbled in full approval.
"I hear you are in accord?" his mother called from the kitchen.
"Do you think it'll be enough?" he asked with laughing sarcasm as he rounded the corner to greet her in person.
"Well, I… since I don't know when you'll return, I thought…" she trailed off and looked at him with a heart-wrenchingly wistful smile. Never… not once had he seen his mother afraid. Now that he looked at her, he could see the dark rings under her eyes, showing that she probably hadn't slept a second. Even her hands were shaking ever so slightly… His insides twisted painfully, seeing her like that, understanding how much fear she must feel because of him. Guilt, that ever unwelcome and often misplaced sensation, welled up nastily as he looked upon her sad eyes. He knew it was stupid, unwarranted… and he knew she was the last person to try to make him feel that way… but still, that unpleasant, but persistent pin-prick of guilt pierced his thoughts.
On an instinct, he walked over and, feeling a bit awkward, locked her in his arms. She instantly clasped him in a crushing embrace, showing him that this, at least, had been the right thing to do. "My big little boy…" she whispered as she gently stroked his back. "I wanted you to go out, see the city, be successful as I knew you would be, have fun, enjoy life away from boring old Ord… And now you have to save the world… huh! What has the world ever done to deserve that?"
Link hugged her tighter. "I will return, mom…" It has been a while since he had called her that… he had just grown out of that at some point, but… it seemed appropriate now. "I'll return, so don't throw your parties yet…"
"Oh, you dumb, daft donkey! Don't make jokes like that!" she scolded. "Goddess, just look at me… having to be consoled by my son, who has all this on his shoulders! Disgraceful, isn't it?" He remembered yesterday, when Zelda and he had explained everything to the best of their abilities… and his parent's had understood to the best of theirs. It had not been an easy discussion… absurdity and the fear of not being believed aside, how do you tell your mother and father that you have to go into unknown territory, brave unknown dangers and defeat unknown evil? The easy answer was: you don't. But that wasn't the right answer. They had amazed him by, more or less, believing him instantly. Having princess Zelda among his luggage, together with the king's document allowing him a lot of requisition-power, had certainly helped, but… it was still remarkable.
The really painful thing had been explaining that, regrettably, they couldn't help. Apart from a bed for the night and a few trinkets, they were powerless. That look in his father's eyes, that desperate impotence, even with all his strength… Link knew that would haunt him for a while… He knew they both would probably have dropped everything to make sure he was safe, but, of course, they had to stay for the children. …he had to imagine his mother, armed to the teeth, striking fear into the hearts of evil as one furious little ball of spikes… he chuckled.
"What's funny?" she asked, her slight motherly threat back in her voice already.
"The sheer absurdity of all this…" he answered, half truthfully. "Don't worry. We'll take good care of each other."
"You better!" she snarled, drew a little back to smile warmly at him. "I believe you have found a truly wonderful girl, my love. And if that is the only good thing to come from this ghastliness, it is a great, marvellous thing indeed. With all my heart, I wish you two as many joyful hours on your journey as a hylian can stomach." she said, her voice heavy with emotion. He just stood there, not knowing what to say to such a profoundly cordial blessing.
"Now, go, before this useless old baggage gets all teary-eyed and embarrasses her poor son even more. Go get your father and the kids and your darling and tell them to come have breakfast!" And with that she gently pushed him out the kitchen with a last, loving smile.
The kids were still half asleep, but, in accordance with Andrésson tradition, the prospect of food woke them up instantly. His father was probably out getting milk, but would return within minutes. Zelda, his 'darling', was most likely still busy washing… or cooling off. Link had drawn her a bath, which, in non-royal language, meant he had poured a number of buckets of well water into a wooden tub. He himself had just dumped one over his head, washed, then rinsed the soap off, once she had been out of eyesight. Still, knowing her, she was probably hungry too, so he needn't bother getting her.
About 5 minutes later, prophet Link's predictions had all come true. The entire family was enjoying the rich meal. He always had to chuckle at seeing his little brother devour seemingly more than his own volume and his sister, usually miming the fine lady, throwing all pretence over board and wolfing with the best of them. And, still, he loved Zelda's appetite. He didn't know what he would do with one of those girls who were stiltedly 'happy' with just a few bites, then got grumpy when others around them didn't act out a great famine.
Once all the delicacies had found a new home in their stomachs, the children already wanted to be off to play, tugging at Zelda's clothes, prompting her to follow. Obviously powerless before their puppy-stares, she allowed herself to be pulled away, to a fate, maybe not worse, but certainly more strenuous than death.
Mother giggled softly. "You two better return quickly, because you know these two will ask me about when she'll be back every. Single. Day." she said.
"What are your plans?" his father asked calmly.
"I mean to leave before noon. Since we have no inkling about how great our haste should be, we can't stay longer… no matter how much we want to." he began, the regret in his own voice worrying him slightly. "I absolutely must speak to Mart before I leave. Not only do I have to borrow arrows from him, which will delight him as always, no doubt, but I also just need to… tell him. Zelda will have to write a letter, which we must ask you to post to Runga Strongback, a Goron in Hyrule city. I want you to remember that name. If, goddess forbid, the situation here should become too threatening, or you are worried about safety for any reason whatsoever, find Runga, tell him who you are and ask for the blademaster's protection. That should sort everything out decently enough. But… what I just told you is very delicate information that you should not share. I'd probably already get deeply into trouble for revealing this contact to you, but I don't care. You can trust the blademaster and I know he will help."
"You don't have to look out for us too, dear…" his mother said, meaning it kindly.
"Yes I do!" he retorted, a little harsher than he had meant. "Who, if not me?"
"And we thank you for it." André spoke calmly. "It was not a rejection of your words. What your mother meant is, you should not worry overly about us four during your travels, where other thoughts need take priority. Rest assured that we will be safe. More so now that we have a contact in the city."
Link thought about it for a few seconds and nodded. His father was right, he could not constantly dwell on hopes and doubts concerning their safety. It would interfere with his concentration sooner or later, and he couldn't allow that. Not on a mission this critical… "I understand." he said finally. "Sorry for snapping at you."
"Oh, come now! I'm not that delicate. I can hardly imagine the pressure on you right now, love. If barking at me relieves some of it, go ahead!" she chuckled and raised her chin in a challenging way. Link had to laugh a bit, but didn't fall for the obvious death trap of motherly support.
"Do what you want to do, and don't feel rushed. We'll be here all day…" his father said. '… ready for goodbyes' Link finished his sentence in his mind, and felt a sharp sting of sorrow.
"And if you change your mind and want to stay another night… huhhh, maybe we can make an exception…" Meera sighed dramatically, smiling warmly.
"Thank you… both of you." Link mumbled, feeling dangerously close to tears all of a sudden. Mother reached over with a compassionate face and caressed his head consolingly, which, of course, made it all worse. Link's face contorted in a hopeless attempt to stop the tears, while the first, soft sobs wracked travelled through his body. Damn it! He had sworn himself that he would be strong, that he wouldn't give them additional food for worry… that he wouldn't fall into despair. And now this…
"Sshhhh… it's alright, Link…" his mother whispered while moving closer, wrapping his arm around him and continuing her caresses.
What is alright?! I'm no hero! I don't want to be a hero! I'm fucking fifteen! A couple of months ago my biggest concern was waking up in time to train! I never fucking asked for this! Everyone's at risk because I'm no fucking protector! I'm a child! Look at me, crying like a babe!
The sobs raked through him and he was powerless to stop them. He felt so ashamed, bawling in front of his parents like this, in front of his father especially. So much for having a man-talk… what must he be thinking of him now? Did he believe him a wimp? A craven? "I'm sorry…" he silently wept. "I'm sorry…"
"You have nothing to be sorry about, dear." His mother cooed.
Link felt a large, heavy hand gently touch his back. "Listen, my son. I know what you are thinking right now, because every man thinks it at some point… and most, if not all, for lesser reasons. You are not a failure. You are not weak. When all mindless bravado is spent, every man wants to cry. I was at the border, 25 years ago, drafted as a blacksmith's apprentice with 16. My situation was nowhere near as dangerous, yet for the first two weeks I bawled like an infant for mommy, for my friends, even for my comfortable bed at home, when no-one could see. You have every right to feel the way you do. You are forced to a path not of your choosing. A path of danger and uncertainty. Only an idiot incapable of thought would not feel despair at some point. The question anyone has to ask himself is: what will I do with my despair? Give in to it and run? Or see it as just another hurdle to overcome so I can emerge stronger?"
Link had listened very carefully, even though the sobs would still not relent. He didn't think he had ever heard his father talk so much… from any other person these words might have had only mediocre effect, but from him… from this man who seemed so unshakable, they meant something.
"Just let it all out, my love." his mother reassured. "No-one could contain this forever. All this had to break out of you at some point. It's good that it came now, when we can help you. Let it out… I promise it'll feel better afterwards."
He had to laugh softly, interrupted by silent crying.
"Do not be ashamed, my son." André rumbled softly, patting his back a bit awkwardly. "You will do very well. I have no doubt about that. You have won the tournament, you have protected the princess twice when no-one else could and you have a very personal interest in her well-being. To use your words: Who, if not you?"
Link thought about it for a second, then nodded. True enough… who, if not me? Slowly, the bawling ebbed and the sobs became less fierce. A few minutes passed before he could wipe away the tears from his cheeks and be certain that no more were coming. His mother, as usual, had been right. He did feel a lot better. Lighter, more at ease… The weight that had unconsciously built on his heart over the last week had fallen off. He felt like he could breathe more freely…
"All better?" she asked cautiously.
He smiled at her lopsidedly and nodded.
"My baby…" she whispered and wrapped him in another crushing embrace, holding his head toward her chest. "Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are feeling hopeless. Being grown up does not mean that you have to deal with everything all alone. It means knowing when to overcome useless pride and ask for assistance." she explained, and it made sense to him. Why else would grown ups choose to live in groups? In villages? In partnerships?
"Your duty, among other things, will be to make your charge feel safe. That is your profession as a knight and as a man. But, whenever you feel like the ground has fallen out from underneath you, it will be her obligation to comfort you, to build you back up. Giving and taking, the eternal flow of a working relationship." she shared her wisdom.
"The goddesses know, your mother had to do it often enough with me…" his father chuckled. Link laughed. That was so unimaginable, this stoic mountain in need of comfort, but he was sure that his father wouldn't swindle, just to make him feel better.
"Thanks… I do feel better." he muttered, almost feeling abuzz from relief.
"Then go! Do what you have to. I know that's like telling a river to stop flowing, but don't think about it any more. Go! And, I think, you might want to save Zelda from the two monsters."
After a little bit of dawdling, making sure that his eyes were dry again, Link walked outside. He felt SO much better… he also still felt like buffoon and a bit of a crybaby, but now at least he could laugh about himself. He was amazed at how much pressure could build up inside a person, without that person even really noticing… until something, even an innocent little word, suddenly cracked everything open and a flood of emotion pours forth. It must have been like that when Zelda had erupted at him without warning, about her father's oppression back in Hyrule…
Speaking of whom… it seemed he came just in time to save the princess once again, and from the fiercest enemy yet! Two tiny little Bokoblins had latched onto her, one on her back, the other around her thighs, both squealing in malicious glee. Link nonchalantly sauntered closer, especially once Zelda had seen him.
"Could it be that you require assistance?" he asked her innocently while she looked like she might fall any second.
"Noooo, none whatsoeeeeeever help me!" she hissed, as if trying to hide her plea from the kids, who naturally loved that they had so 'defeated' their enemy.
"Well, if you're sure…" he answered, pretending not to have heard the 'hidden message'. "I will walk over to Marten, my other best friend. I'll have to pretend to want a talk while I steal arrows from him."
"Sounds like something you would do to your friends…" she grumbled while Ria tried to climb even further up to sit on her head.
"Would you like to come with me?" he asked, for no particular reason, other than that it was the polite thing to do. She thought about it for a second while attempting, and failing, to dislodge the boy from her back. "Hmmm… no. I'd just get in the way. Besides, I need to write that thrice damned letter." she said while shaking her head, much to Ria's delight. Link was just relieved that she remembered… he didn't want to be the one who reminded her of that unpleasant topic, even though he would have. "Right. I won't be long. Mart, blessedly, doesn't talk much, as opposed to Ricco, who never shuts up ever." he scoffed.
Zelda giggled. "Huh! A date between Sally and him is probably just them both speed-talking at each other. At the same time…"
"Sounds quite plausible. Will you be alright with the letter? Do you need moral support?" he asked, not quite sure whether that was a stupid thing to ask, or just the right thing. Or both.
She smiled, slightly pained by the ever fidgeting additional weight on her back. "No, I'll be fine. I already know what I'll write. Brainless pleasantries with complete lack of information, so he'll feel right at home! It might even be cathartic!" she chuckled. Link was happy to see her like that while discussing this delicate topic. Apparently the few days away from the castle had contributed to healing this particular wound. "But thanks for asking." she added and stretched her head upwards as much as she could. He still got the invitation and gave her a short, but still passionate kiss on the lips.
"Eeeeeeeeww!" Ria squealed, clearly enraptured and acting disgusted.
Link scowled at her, then making a nauseated face himself. "Eeeeeeeew, a girl!" he squeaked right back, mimicking her voice quite well. Then he looked back at Zelda, made a shocked expression and jumped back. "Eeeeew!" he yelled and histrionically wiped his lips and tongue. "That's so naaaasty!" he squeaked, still with a high voice, while both children giggled so hard they nearly fell off. Zelda, too, laughed, thank the goddess. "You better run, or I'll give you another! Mmmmm" she threatened, then puckered her lips.
Link was torn between keeping up the act and, well, doing the only thing reasonable. He wasn't torn for long. "I think I can take a little nasty in my life!" he said and gave her another one. Both of them had to giggle. They separated after a few seconds, but just by a few centimetres. "Ew." Both said in unison and laughed.
The way to Marten's home wasn't long, especially if you just walked across the fields. Link could already hear the rhythmic sound of filing wood. Mart worked hard; he would be an excellent bowyer one day. His father, a good but strict and nearly humourless man, already let him craft entire bows all by himself and they usually turned out well. Luckily, when Link approached, his friend was just stepping out of the workshop. "Brother!" Link emulated Ricco's deeper, more rumbly voice. Mart whipped around and was confused for a second when no-one of Goron proportions was visible. Then he smiled. "Did they throw you out of the city it up already? Are you a fugitive now?" was his greeting.
Link laughed, mostly because of how close to the truth that actually was. "Absolutely! And by talking to you, you are officially my accomplice and will face similar punishment." he replied.
"Hah! Isn't excitement, even devious, preferable over crushing boredom?" he asked, apparently having taken up philosophy now that Ricco isn't there to do it.
Link remembered that sort of thinking… a few weeks ago the 'soul-crushing boredom' had been his biggest problem and he had itched for action… Now, life had definitely brought that into perspective…
"So, why's Ric not with you? Is he in the castle dungeon already for public annoyance?" Mart asked as they grabbed each other's forearm in greeting.
"I didn't travel with Ric on the way back. He should arrive today though…" Link said, and was met with a confused expression. "Do you have a little time? It's a complicated story."
"Errrm…" he erm-ed, looking back to the workshop, thinking. "Sure. Father's off buying wood anyway. I have an hour…"
And Link explained away, as best as he could. Since he had to tell the entire story yesterday already, he could more or less present it in one coherent stream of words. Mart listened, his brow furrowed. As fast and twitchy as he was, he was not quick to trust, much less than big, boisterous Ricco. When all had been told, he was silent for a minute, no doubt attempting to establish order in his thoughts. "So you are telling me that you travelled here, on horseback, with the princess of this country?" he slowly asked, obviously torn between believing his friend and his natural suspicion. Link had to chuckle. Of all the things he had spoken of, the enigmatic Threat, assassins, dragons… that was the part Mart couldn't fathom? "Well, I could always introduce you… watching you fall into a hapless stammer in front of her might be fun!"
"The strange thing is, I… believe you?" he said, looking as if that realization actually pained him. "I mean, you're crazy, but what else is new? Still… I remember the princess' face pretty well and this whole story is SO out there… I want confirmation!" he demanded dramatically.
Link made a confirmatory shrug. "Fair enough! But! For that grave insult of not instantly taking my words for truth, by his majesty the king's will, I demand arrows!" he pronounced grandly. Mart looked at him with a rather tired expression and slowly shook his head. "Now why did I expect that?"
She could be seen from afar, eye-catching as she was. She was sitting on the exact same spot as they had yesterday, and was clearly busy writing. Amazingly she had managed to shake the two little monsters off, at least for now.
"Oh man…" Mart breathed as he walked beside him. Link couldn't begrudge him that reaction… he felt it too, every time he saw her.
"Okay, I'll introduce you, but don't call her 'princess' or 'your majesty'." he warned.
"Why? Because you're incognito?" Mart asked.
"That, but mostly because she doesn't… want to be…" Link explained softly.
"Hm. Does she have a choice? In the long run, I mean?" his friend asked, sensibly.
"No, not really… but she has now and she's taking it."
Marten grunted in understanding.
Zelda looked up, either because she had heard them, or because she really could feel his presence, he still wasn't sure. She smiled expectantly at the two of them.
"Oh man…"
Link had to giggle. "Are you getting along all right, Zelda?" he asked her, glancing at the mostly empty piece of paper in her hand.
"At a crawl… as usual, being vindictive is harder in practice than in thought." she sighed, placed the paper under the inkwell and stood up.
"Zelda, may I introduce Marten, the third and final part of Ord's little army of chaos. Mart, this is the dumpling." he said cheekily, earning himself a little cute glower from her.
Marten, already getting a bit pink in the face, took a flourishing bow. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance… and my sincerest condolences for having to travel with our trio's greatest clod!" he oozed obviously exaggerated charm.
"Indeed, it is a great test to my patience, Sir Marten. If only you had trained him with greater diligence, I might not be in this debacle." she shot back without skipping a beat. Poor Mart was clearly nonplussed by her quick wit, as his reply took a while to be formulated. "Err… it is not due to a lack of training, I assure you. Rather a lack of learning, I fear."
"Oh well. I shall continue the instruction where you left off. He seems to be learning rather quick with me as master, is that not so?" she asked sweetly and looked at Link, who had his finger demonstratively up his nose. "Whaaa?" he groaned dully.
Zelda took his hand and pulled. "Oh, fie!" she yelled while giggling with a disgusted expression. "Thank you for that elucidation, brave knight. You truly are a valiant addition to the force."
They all had a laugh at Link's expense, but he didn't mind. Weird as it was, he just felt fiercely proud that he could introduce this miraculous girl to his friends and family. Mart, as expected, was quite the gentleman. While not as exuberant as Ric, he at least was less in risk of profoundly embarrassing everyone around him. Sadly, Mart was a conscientious guy, so he kept his timeframe of one hour very accurately. But, at the very least, Zelda enchanted him so much that he completely forgot to have a whinge about the 20 arrows he left in Link's dubious care.
They remained outside to finish Zelda's bothersome letter. Progress was slow. On one hand due to joking about semi-hidden nastiness and allusions they could include, on the other because neither of them knew what to actually write. She clearly didn't want to be petty, even though she had many delightfully evil ideas. In the end, the resulting writ was about as dry and devoid of emotion as a tax declaration, which, Link found, was a pretty good message in itself.
They sat on their little wall and treated themselves to a pause after that demanding endeavour. The day was nice. The insufferable heat had been washed away by yesterday's showers, there was a cool breeze caressing their skin, the sky was blue with the occasional fluffy looking cloud drifting lazily by. There was peace in the air… apart from a sudden shrill cry from the other side of the house: "MOOOM! ANDRÉ THREW A SPIDER AT ME!"
Both flinched, then Link looked at Zelda and vice versa before they had to giggle at the incredibly sinister accusation. She sighed, looked down and, lost in thought, pulled out a blade of grass and played with it between her elegant fingers. He could clearly see that something bothered her, but he wanted to give her time to voice it when she was ready. It didn't take long before she sighed again. "I don't want to leave…" she mumbled, her tone desolate.
Now it was Link's turn to sigh. Neither did he… but what was there to do? He raised a tentative hand and stroked her back where her golden hair cascaded downwards. She kept looking at the blade of grass in her hands, and showed a sad smile. "It's funny… I don't feel like nearly enough time has passed to say that justifiably, but… even after just one day, I feel so… at home here." she spoke softly, thoughtfully. He continued his caresses, hoping they were of any help, and let her continue. "Everything here… the house, the apple trees, especially your family, who are all so wonderful… For this one day, I felt… normal. And welcome. It's so dreadful that I have to say that, but… I've truly never felt that before. Not this strongly, in any case…" She gave a tiny laugh and shook her head. Then she looked at him, her sorrowful smile made his heart go out to her. "And now I don't want to leave." she finished, the way she said it making it clear that she knew she had to, despite that.
"What can I do to help?" he asked, feeling powerless. Zelda's smile widened a little bit and became just a tad less sad. She cupped his cheek and pulled him towards her so she could give him a little peck on the cheek. "Thank you, you're sweet. But I'll get over it. It simply just now occurred to me how much I feel at home… and how comforting that is…"
Link gave a sympathetic grunt, embraced her shoulders and gently pulled her towards him. She rested her head on his shoulder and hummed.
Damn, what could he do? They both knew they had to leave, and soon. But he could understand her so much! Most of her life she was raised by governesses, teachers, maids… all people to whom she was 'the princess'… always with a safe distance. The only closeness had been Saria, but… never a mother's hug, never a father's proud pat on the back, only ever dozens of expectations and distance. To him, who had grown up surrounded by a close-knit family, this was a dreadful thought! And now she had gotten a taste of how other people lived. Simply, but closely, both in body and spirit. To her, this must be like an oasis of unconditional affection, when all she had known was a seemingly endless desert of impersonal, reserved coolness. No wonder she wanted to stay… What could he do?
…should he maybe…? Well, why not? He had been carrying around for far too long already…
"Maybe, err… there is something I can do to, well, at least ease parting a little bit…" he said and started fumbling around in his pocket. Goddess, he had been carrying it all this time, every moment, and had waited for the opportune moment. He felt a bit stupid.
He also felt a lot nervous! It was such a small, relatively cheap thing… Giving a girl like her a jewel would be like decorating the most beautiful rose with glitter… pointless and almost tasteless. But… if she liked it, about which he wasn't sure, it would help soothe her soul a bit.
Zelda had lifted her head and was watching curiously. He produced the tiny casket and, foolishly, half hid it in his hands. "I err… I bought this back in Hyrule. I thought I'd wait for the 'perfect moment', but now I think that that doesn't exist… I don't know if you'll like it… If you don't, that's fine, it was just a thought…" he babbled and tentatively opened it, feeling his face grow very hot. Good goddess, his hands were shaking as he held it so she could see, he was so nervous! His instincts told him that, like her choice of dresses, simple little jewels would suit her best, but… in these things, he had absolutely no confidence in himself.
'Oh dear Farore's mercy, please like it!' he thought and almost didn't dare to look at her face. Surprise, as she saw the tiny bauble, as she looked into his pleading eyes, then back to the proffered treasure. A tiny breath of a laugh, then a smile as her eyes started to shine. She took the earring in the shape of a flower, little larger than a thumb's nail and examined it while her grin ever grew. "It's beautiful!" she breathed and Link dared to again. "It's just one, unfortunately… the vendor only had this one…" he jabbered, his relief barely containable. She looked back at him, her face radiant and incredibly gorgeous. She almost jumped him, so suddenly was he in her embrace, her lips on his. Link was so flabbergasted for a second that he almost didn't hug her back. It was a simple kiss, but long and wonderfully sweet. She broke it after a blissful eternity and eyes it once again, turning it this way and that in the sunlight. "It's perfect! I love it!" she exulted and nimbly stuck it through her left earlobe. She brushed her hair to the other side and looked at him expectantly. "How do I look?" she asked, giggling in delight.
Link had no words… it did fit perfectly. The aquamarine fit the colour of her eyes perfectly and silver looked excellently on her in general. He could just stare, shaking his head gently in disbelief at how utterly marvellous she looked. The longer he ogled, the pinker her cheeks became, which only made her cuter. "So beautiful…" he whispered, unable to find anything that even came close to an accurate description. Zelda giggled, a bit abashed, and brushed her hair behind her ear again. "It's the same flower the lady gave me back in the city, right?" she asked, her cheeks and nose now thoroughly red. Link just nodded, unable to look away or think straight, smiling like an idiot.
"I looked it up… it's called a Silent Princess…" she mumbled, melting under his loving gaze. He nodded and gave a slightly amused grunt.
"You're staring…" she whispered sheepishly, her grin both irresistibly shy and tantalizingly impish.
"I can't help it…" he breathed. They looked at each other for another moment, both enraptured in the other's eyes. Then they moved together as one, sharing another long, world-changing kiss. This time, though, it threatened to become much more passionate quickly. Zelda, pushing hungrily against him, placed her hand on his thigh, very close to… the centre, which made Link twitch involuntarily. Was that an accident? No… he doubted it. Din's fire, just a simple touch of her hand, on his thigh, through trousers, sent fire through his nerves. But…
Zelda broke their kiss once again and gave a little snort. "We are still technically on your parent's ground, correct?" she whispered.
He immediately understood what she meant and it sent sparks from his brain all the way down to his nether regions. "I'm afraid we are…" he answered, unable to fill his voice with as much regret as he felt.
"That is a damn shame…" she giggled and slowly, agonizingly, moved back. Completely flushed now, she looked even more… appetizing. In an attempt to distract herself, she removed the earring again to look upon it once more. Her smile widened again.
"I am so glad you like it… I was so nervous just now…" Link admitted, chuckling breathlessly.
"Aw…" she cooed, leaned over and put another little peck on his cheek. "There was no need. If it's from you… I would have liked it anyway." she promised, blushing a bit more. "But this jewel… Link, you really picked perfectly! Now I don't ever want to wear anything else!" she giggled and put it back in her ear.
"Thank you… truly… for everything!" she said and embraced him tightly.
"You're welcome… always." he mumbled into her ear and hugged her back. She squeezed him tightly… Both knew that their last words had not been about the gift, not really. To him, Zelda would eternally be welcome to anything he could give… his village, his house, his room… his life.
The time for goodbyes had come. Link's family stood assembled in front of the house, all showing sad, but hopeful smiles.
"Why'd you have to go already?" André Jr. asked Link, pouting.
"Because both Zelda and I have something very important to do and we can't wait…" he said earnestly, ruffling his little brother's hair. He pouted even more, clearly not satisfied with the answer. "But you'll be back, right?" he asked, looking at both him and her. Zelda bent down and embraced him tightly. "We will." she assured. "I promise!" Link added. Ria already had tears in her eyes, which didn't make it easier. He lifted her up and hugged her to him. Zelda wrapped her hands around them both.
"How long will you be away?" the girl asked, sniffling. "A few weeks…" he answered, hoping he was saying the truth. "Okay…" she mumbled, giving him a tiny peck on the cheek, a very rare sign of affection from his sister.
"Link." André Sr.'s deep voice asked. "Here." He proffered an about 25cm long knife in its leather sheath. Link let Ria down and took it from his hand, surprised. "It's been mine for many years… got it in the military. I want you to have it, now that you're going out into the world." his father rumbled. Link drew it carefully. A combat knife, double edged, simple but sharp enough to shave. An excellent thing to have as an emergency weapon, or just as tool. He had to laugh as he remembered Sir Alistair's often repeated words. "Can't have too many knives!" he voiced it, looking gratefully at his father. "Thank you."
The big man nodded, stoic as ever, but not even he could hide his sorrow before his son.
Meera, all the while was busy with Zelda. It seemed she had used most of the night to tailor on of her old outfits to fit the younger lady, who was very grateful. Link was very happy that his mother had locked her so quickly in her heart… and vice-versa, it seemed.
"You are always welcome here, dear. Please do make sure that you get my ungrateful son to visit on your way back!" she asked, chuckling.
"I will. Thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality. I would be delighted, if I could stay again!" Zelda answered, obviously glad that she could say these words genuinely, and not just as pleasantries.
"And longer, my dear! Maybe time will allow you two to stay a bit longer in the future." his mother offered, to which Zelda nodded smilingly.
Then Meera looked a bit unsure and seemed to um and err a lot. "Can I… well, I'm still not quite sure whether you want that or…" she muttered, but didn't get any further. Zelda, apparently understanding the idea behind the hesitation stepped forward and hugged the older woman, who laughed in relief and wrapped her in one of her crushing embraces. "Oh, my dear… you really are special…" she chuckled.
"And normal…" Link added with a wink towards his girlfriend.
"That is what makes her special…"
Once his mother was finally done with her, she looked at her son. "Now, you too, young man!" she commanded with a grin. She didn't have to wait for long… Link gladly accepted his mother's caress. Sometimes, feeling like a little boy just felt good.
"My dearest… take good care of both of you, hm? Whatever happens, your father and I are so proud of you, you can't even fathom…" she whispered, her voice cracking. He said nothing, just hummed in vague affirmation. She released him after a few seconds, looking like it had cost her all her strength to let him go. Link smiled at all of them, then turned around and, with Zelda's hand in his, went towards the already saddled horses. He glanced at her face and was glad that he wasn't the only one who had to fight back his tears.
They mounted, waved their goodbyes and gently kicked their horses into motion. Link looked at the position of the sun; just past noon.
"Promise me too that we'll return…" Zelda spoke to his right. He looked at her sad and slightly fearful face. He didn't feel much better, if he was honest. But nevertheless, he smiled at her warmly. Once again he noticed his earring adorning her left ear and felt an indescribable warmth at the sight. "I promise. We will return." he stated simply, surprised at how sure he felt. A small smile graced her lips again and she nodded. She absentmindedly fingered the bauble in her ear and her grin grew just a tad wider.
Link chuckled to himself. It seemed he had set himself quite a high standard concerning gifts for her… How would he ever be able to top that?