Author's Notes:

Literally years after, I finally manage to publish something.

It took literally years to get my life somewhat together enough so I could post something I had been trying to write in literally years...

No details here. It's too much and too emotional and I don't plan to look back on it anytime soon...

Can't even say sorry for the delay cause it's just too few, too late...

Hope the chapter is long enough...

"Where is she?"

Thea stared at the guard with a somewhat amused expression. Some men had no manners "We have a wide variety of women available, if you're looking for a specific courtesan, I'd-"

"Stop wasting our time, whore" claimed another guard

Thea grinned slightly "As I was saying, if you want a courtesan, you need to be more specific"

A blade found its way close to the skin on her neck as the men's patience wore dangerously thin "Stop fucking around"

"Really, do you know nothing of common manners?" Asked Agitha as she looked at the fine job done in her nails "Killing us won't help you"

"Tell us where she is or you both die"

Both women raised a very fine eyebrow at this "Really?" Thea spoke.

"And after you kill us what will you do? Go about a murdering spree all over the place looking for some random girl and hoping you don't kill her by accident?" Finished Agitha, turning her interest to her beautiful blonde hair.

"WHERE IS SHE!?" The guard holding the blade demanded. They were all clearly losing their patience, but their empty threats fell apart as he couldn't bring himself to slice through Thea's neck as he so strongly promised.

"Where is who?" Asked Agitha a little stronger, to emphasize that they had yet to tell them who was this girl these guards were so strongly looking for.

Of course, Thea and Agitha were not stupid. They had found out Zelda had been 'hiding' in the Palace with them and they would definitely slaughter the place after finding her and this was something they were going to prevent at all costs.

They didn't have an idea of where or who Zelda could be at this point, but that wasn't what they were truly after. They were not leaving empty-handed, and that was overly understood. Thea and Agitha just wanted to stir the situation up, to alter and upset them. If they wanted to leave with a woman, they would leave with the woman Thea and Agitha wanted them to.

The guard bit the bait almost too predictably "Alright, we tried. You're coming with us"

It was too simple; almost painfully so, which made both girls realize that they had not been there for Zelda at all.

Oh.

thea turned to Agitha, whose smile could have fooled anyone. It faltered for a second, and it was something so small that no one would have noticed it anyways. Thea's own smile faltered too. It was due time.

"Let's get this over with" said Thea, as she began walking out the door.

"Not so fast. The dog comes too" stated a guard calmly.

Agitha and Thea looked at each other, and laughed slightly "Dog?"

"You get him out here now or I kill the lot of you right NOW" demanded the chief. Thea barely shrugged. Empty threats don't scare her.

"He's not here. And you can look around if you wish"

The man wasted no time pointing half of his men to search the Palace for Link and Thea knew they wouldn't find him. Link was just the class to smell trouble anywhere, even if his judgement was being… clouded at the moment. She laughed internally.

As the men walked to every direction available, Thea and Agitha were shoved out of the Palace, each being held by men as if they had already been convicted. This didn't last long before Agitha shoved her expensive high hell into one of her captor's shoe. The entire party stopped to a screeching halt as soon as they heard the man's cry.

Agitha immediately felt a blade on her neck and she noticed the many displeased faces of the other men surrounding her "Kill her then. What was the point in coming here and looking for your poor, defenseless princess if you're gonna kill the only two people you suspect know about her?" said Thea with an air of clear annoyance.

"We can go willingly without your dirty hands groping all over, or I can shove my other heel on someone else's eye next time" smiled Agitha.

"Move" said the chief, as soon as he could get these two damned women into the Castle, the better.

"Why are we running?" Asked Zelda as she tried desperately to catch her breath, Link was pulling her arm as if they were being chased by wolves themselves. When he finally decided to stop they were already far from the Palace. But before Zelda could register if Link had even answered her or not, she took a look at her very recognizable surroundings "Why… Are we here?"

Zelda had barely had time to dress or even put anything on before Link made them both leap out the window. He wasn't exactly that better dressed either, but something told Zelda this wasn't his first time dressing in a matter of seconds. They had been running in a manner Zelda thought was blindly between buildings at night until he finally stopped without an explanation as to what was going on.

Although Zelda now wanted an entirely different explanation. She wanted to know not why they had suddenly sprinted out of the Palace as physically possible as the average Hylian could muster, but why were they at her castle.

She looked up at Link, who had his eyes set in the entrance, waiting for something to happen.

"Link" she tried again, but Link didn't budge. Before she decided to try a bit more frustrated a third time, she saw several carriages arriving to the entrance. It was only for a second, but the two women that Zelda had seen inside one of the carriages was unmistakable. But why had her father summoned Thea and Agitha to the castle?

Zelda gasped inwardly. Did he know? Had he finally found out?

Zelda could feel Link growing tense, she could tell he wanted nothing more than to bash through the door and get them, but something was holding him in place. He gripped her hand a bit tight, not taking his eyes away from the castle entrance.

"We… Need to get inside", he said, his voice unsure. Almost as if he was afraid.

Zelda had her own fears to think about as well "But… if we go inside-"

"I know…" Said Link defeatedly. There were many emotions running through him right now, most of which Zelda couldn't place. He wasn't just afraid to lose her, he was afraid to lose Thea and Agitha. He was probably even afraid to die… Was there something else?

Zelda pulled his hand to hers "Link… I don't want to leave you"

"If you don't go back they will kill Thea and Agitha" he reason, sounding more and more defeated "I can't allow that…"

He gripped her hand tighter, as if he were about to lose her at that very moment. She gripped his hand back and stared at him with hope "It will be alright"

And once again, he lied "Yeah"

"I will only ask this once" the King stated, a grim aura around him as he eyed the two women before him.

"Then I suggest you choose your wording carefully" Agitha warned before he took the chance to continue "Or you will be met with the same answer as your guard"

"I will have you executed for treason to the crown" he deadpanned.

"Without ever knowing what happened to her? Such a shame…" Agitha countered, poison dripping sweetly from every word.

"I knew you had her… That disgusting brothel of yours should have been burned down years ago" he spit at them, "You do nothing but harbor filth"

"Same could be said about you" countered Thea, "Such hatred for Gerudo people and yet, you harbor the last pure-bred girl in your castle" she mocked, making the King seethe

"And as the princess's personal maid no less!" laughed Agitha.

"Enough!" A fist slammed audibly against the throne's armrest as the King visibly shook with anger and provocation.

"You will bring her back or I cut the Gerudo's neck" he stated simply. As if he were talking about superficial affairs.

Both Agitha and Thea stared at each other. They knew that there was no coming completely safe out of this; if they arranged to get the Gerudo girl back, they feared retaliation by the King, and if they gave Zelda back, they would have no leverage over the King.

Something would have to be sacrificed.

"We won't be safe anyways if we do" stated Thea "We are not here to be intimidated, we are here to make a deal" she finished, as calmly as the King had been a bit ago.

"Make the Gerudos an accepted race in the Kingdom. Give them rights as much as anyone else" Agitha began "We also want the purebred Gerudo revealed to the public as such"

"And to make sure our deal is honored, we will have written notification. You will announce this to the people and your daughter is to know of all this" Thea finished.

"And if you deny…" Agitha piped in, knowing the King had made an almost immediate move against these demands "You will never see your daughter again"

The King reclined back into his throne. The hall had grown deathly silent, every living thing had become still to the point where it was disturbing. The tension could be felt thick inside the lungs of each person, seeping into the bones and causing anxiety to grow. The slow clang of metal could be heard as some armed men gripped their weapons tighter, expecting any order to attack.

The King exhaled inaudibly, finally making his decision "You get what you want"

"We would like it now, then" said Agitha.

"You get me my daughter first" the King deadpanned.

"And have you execute us as soon as she is brought back?" Thea raised an eyebrow, "I thought you smarter than that"

Glaring, the Kind had one of his servants bring him writing paper and pen, where he proceeded to write down the decree. As he was finished he made a move to dismiss the paper onto the opposing women to read.

"Seems fair" Agitha declared, returning the paper to the servant "We will make sure you read word for word on your announcement-"

"You will get no such thing before I have proof my daughter is safe" the King interrupted. Thea raised a brow.

"You will still kill us if we accept now"

"Then I suppose you must make a choice" the King spat.

Thea turned to Agitha, her expression solemn and stone cold. Agitha returned it with a bit of fear. It was a very risky move, one that Agitha was adamant to make, but it had to be done. It was time.

"Bring her out" Agitha said softly.

As if on cue, Link emerged from one of the neighboring windows with Zelda firmly gripped by the hand. Immediately, all available weapons in the room were pointed at him and yet, he didn't budge. Not towards anyone or anything.

"Zelda…" The King's expression softened to shower both relief and fear towards his daughter for a brief moment, before all his previous rage focused on the man holding her hand. He only received an unwavering stare in return.

'Father…." Zelda whispered. Saying that Zelda was torn was an understatement. She had no idea why she was standing in a room with Thea, Agitha, her father and Link. She didn't know where to go, who to turn to or what consequences that would have. While she didn't know exactly what was going on, she had a terrible feeling that moving to any given direction would seal the fate of one or more of the people in this room and she didn't want that kind of responsibility.

The King was to make a commanding move to retrieve her daughter, before being stopped by Thea, "Not so fast" she warned, stopping his movements and making the situation in the room stiffen further "She stays, but we will leave before she is freed" she said carefully.

The seconds weighed so heavy after her words the entire world seemed to stop, unable to move further by the weight of the tension in the room, which crushed its otherwise unstoppable motion down to a screeching halt.

The King stared at Thea firmly "You are free to go"

The words resonated through the deafening quiet room, but there was no breath of relief released. Thea merely gave the slightest flick of her hand in the direction of the princess and immediately, she was let go.

Zelda still refused to move, focused only on the scene before her, as both her father and Thea refused to leave their eyes from each other. Thea then began to slowly walk away as well as Agitha.

"Not you"

Time still did not move, and all actions seemed to both slow down and quicken in an impossible movement. And Thea could feel it as her eyes widened. Had she seen it coming? Could she have stopped it? Did it matter anymore?

It was inevitable. It all was. But she was scared nonetheless… She had always been scared, even if she tried her best to accept it and hide it as much and as well as she could.

She didn't want to die.

The sound of the weapon was heard louder than the screams that were to follow. Louder than her thoughts and her fears. Louder than her own life.

It only took that same brief second for Agitha to realize what had happened. She could only register an indescribable rage as her face contorted into a demonic scowl, as eyes focused on one thing only.

Grabbing a knife hidden under her skirt she moved quickly. Perhaps, not as quickly as another man-turned-demon who sliced throats fast, desperately trying to save her, but she was quick anyways, and even though he saw her coming, it was too late.

As she sliced and hacked at the man responsible, she took a second to muse on how royal blood looks and smells no different than the lowest peasant on his streets.

Agitha closed her eyes. Nothing mattered anymore

I will still need plenty of time to finish... It has few chapters left, but it just isn't easy to write at the state that I'm in...

I didn't want to bring attention to this but I am not emotionally stable much either so, please have a bit more patience, even if it is for a couple more years.

Thank you