Oh WOW, sorry for the late chapter! Enjoy!

Beautiful Blades

Chapter 35: Royal Masks

How does one simply describe Lord Ghirahim? It's not a topic that people casually approach. Despite being a lord hailing from the northern parts of Hyrule, his name is whispered in hushed, uncomfortable tones throughout many lands. This is not saying that he is famous with everyone, but between the royal people of the court it is not news to them that he is infamous in the darkest corners of society. And perhaps even beyond.

Perhaps it was his reputation that kept his name alive. Despite being of noble blood (or at least so he claims), he did not often appear for social gatherings. And yet his fame did not entirely fade. Flirtatious, flamboyant, cocky, with subtle clues of his dangerous personality that occasionally slipped out through his speech…

Or perhaps it was the ridiculous outfits he insisted upon wearing to such a high class event. After getting over his initial shock into running into him, Dark then found himself marveling in the horrific fashion choices of this man. Dark wasn't entirely sure how to describe it…. A white leotard with a red cape? Would that be correct? He truly was confused…. And uncomfortable.

It didn't help this feeling either when Ghirahim suddenly took his hand. It felt like it was supposed to be tenderly but the way he gripped Dark's hand felt as if the man… was claiming him.

Urg.

Dark tried to pull back but Ghirahim's grip was like iron. As he failed to make an escape, Ghirahim quickly sized him up before letting out a low, amused chuckle. "This is positively embarrassing, but it seems that I am unfamiliar with you, young… girl. It's true I have been absent as of late from the court but I was sure I was caught up with all the latest news. I wonder what I shall call you." He said this last sentence in a song-like voice, as one would sound when trying to pick the name of their newest pet.

On the plus side of this unfortunate turn of events, Dark could see out of the corner of his eye that Ralph had not recognized nor took any interest in him, and had moved on into the crowd. But this lord's words were exactly the ones Dark did not wish to hear. He did not want anyone to be questioning him about his origins, especially here. The guards, sure, a bit frightening but they would be likely to believe anything Dark told them. Maybe even the servants, while experts spies to their lords they weren't completely familiar with all the inner workings of the royal universe.

This was, however, a noble, someone who knew the ins and outs of the said universe, and so lying would be a much more dangerous event. Dark wanted to make a scene to get away, but that would be a poor choice, considering he wanted to keep a low profile at this party. All he needed to do was find Link, why did he have to run into this creepy man?! He was trapped, and he had a sinking feeling that unless he gave this man answers, he wasn't about to go anywhere.

Despite having come to this conclusion, when Dark tried to give him his fake backstory all that came out was nonsense. "Urg…. Uh…." Dark gurgled out, his shock still in more control of his body than he was.

That answer seemed to flatter Ghirahim, as he allowed his free hand to flip his hair again. "There is no need to be shy, your highness," he told Dark. As the music suddenly changed, Ghirahim grinned and pulled Dark to the dance floor. Within moments, Dark found one hand in Ghirahim's and the other on his arm.

Dark had never felt so dead inside in his life at the thought of being courted by this disturbing man. Ghirahim either couldn't read expressions or was choosing to ignore it, because despite the look of absolute horror that was on his face Ghirahim did not take the hint and let him go.

"We simply must talk," he told Dark, "I'm sure you are delight to converse with, my lady." The way he said 'my lady' sent shivers down Dark's spine. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was like Ghirahim was mocking him by saying that.

"I must say, if I didn't know any better, I would have looked right by you," Ghirahim said, now barely audible. "I've been so miserable these past few years, but it seems like finally, something fun has popped up. I feel positively giggly!"

Now Dark was very confused. What was the crazy man babbling about? He pulled as far back as he could, unable to hide his look of disgust, even behind the veil. He was seriously creeped out now, and something wasn't right with this man. He wasn't about to get an answer to any of this, though, when someone came to his rescue.

"Where is he?" the king asked Lord Norland, glancing at him from the corner of his eye. Dressed in his best and his crown freshly polished, he looked positively regal, like a proper ruler of Hyrule. As his guests enjoyed the evening in honor of the three goddesses, he sat in his throne, surveying the scene with a distant look. It lacked any enjoyment and any hint of remorse for ordering the execution of a young man for the next day. While many find his attitude towards such social events and his demeanor to be off-putting and unsuitable for a king of Hyrule, his extreme poker face is perhaps what gave him the potential to be a great king. It was truly terrifying what secrets could lie behind those emotionless eyes; he gave nothing away.

Norland was watching him closely, his hands hidden in his sleeves as he interlocked them in front of him. He was the only one the king was even remotely close to now, and he knew the potential was there, but after his behavior over the past ten years it was unlikely anyone would acknowledge him as such. Not that Norland cared too much about this; he had more important things to worry about.

Such as that boy. The king was a very good liar. The princess and that loyal knight believed that they were the only ones who knew of him, but Norland knew. He knew very well about that boy's plight, and that his days were numbered. He spent day after day with the king; it is impossible for him not to know. Keeping the secret from that pesky assistant of his (annoying woman but useful, that Victoria), he was confident that he was the only other person aware of whom the boy truly was. And day after day he watched that boy act as the princess, watching him as the king commanded… watching for any signs of betrayal or deviance.

The boy was good, he never strayed from his role.

That is, until that… other boy came, the one locked in that old dungeon now. When that boy came, Link suddenly became strange, though Norland could never place what it could possibly be. Norland had remembered the conversation the king had with him not long after he had talked with that greasy guard from Labrynna. "With the boy's time almost up, I thought a personal guard would be the next best thing to protect my daughter," the king had said, rubbing his chin. "Besides… it will be a good opportunity to study Labrynna's military. We can never be… too careful."

Of course it was ridiculous to have a stranger act as a personal guard to the country's princess. Everyone knew that, and everyone was led to believe that the king was silly or sick in the head. Norland knew better. The king liked opportunities. He liked to study everything. And he loved his country to a point of paranoia and unmorally-sound decisions (if anything, at least the decisions he made were with Hyrule's and Zelda's best interests in mind). He did plan on other ways to protect his daughter… but he had never been serious with that dark-haired boy at any point of time.

So when it was brought to his attention that the boy had broken major laws, the king was livid. He never cared about Link's personal safety, but he cared greatly about the respect people should have for his decrees. That Dark lad had done something worse than hurt the 'princess' in the eyes of the king. For someone who had been given special access to the 'Princess Zelda,' he should have respected the role. Instead, he acted like a selfish boy, and a threat to their kingdom's security (or at least as the king saw it).

Now he sat in a dungeon, and Norland worried about the conversation they were going to have to have with Queen of Labrynna. Hell, anyone of power from Labrynna was going to be stressful to talk to. From his height Norland could see that already there was a member of the Labrynna royal court that was had been a last minute arrival. Norland let out an internal sigh as he wondered what brought Ralph all the way here.

"Norland," the king voice snapped the balding advisor out of his thoughts. Remembering that he was asked a question, Norland brought his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, my king, but I guess she has not come down yet," he finally answered.

"… If she takes too long, send Pipit up to retrieve her," the king ordered, his eyes back on his guests. "The princess must be present."

"Of course," Norland replied, giving a small bow of his head. As he did he heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't need to turn to know who it was. That quick step, the click of ridiculous shoes against the marble floor… it could only be Victoria.

And he was right. Within moments of hearing her she appeared next to him, holding two glasses in her hands filled with wine. "Here is your drink, darling," she cooed, handing one of them over. Frowning at her habit for calling everyone 'darling,' he took the glass. Upon doing so he then grabbed her elbow and took her to the side, away from the king. When they were away from earshot from him, Victoria let out a huge sigh as she held her cheek with one hand.

"That poor, poor Dark… All alone in that scary dungeon," she said quietly. "I know he broke the law but surely there is something we can do to help, right?"

"You know there isn't. He broke the law, and had waived his rights to immunity. It is only just that he is punished," Norland told her, pursing his lips together. "And since you won't drop the subject, I want you to stay away from the king. Don't pester him with your jibber-jabber."

But she was persistent. "You also know that his punishment is far too extreme," Victoria said, "He's only a boy. Perhaps we can get him released and put under my care…."

"No," Norland interrupted, then swept his hand towards the party, pointing at it. "Now go away. Enjoy the party or something."

He turned his back to her and return to his king's side as Victoria frowned deeply. She raised her hand to her mouth and bit the ends of her nails in irritation. "Drats…." When she didn't move right away, Norland saw her and gave her a serious expression. He pointed at her then pointed to the crowd, a not-so-subtle way to saw 'get your butt in there or so help me I'll fire you.'

Geez, the one time he's such a stickler, Victoria thought, deciding that she still wanted her job. Taking a small sip from her glass, she turned to face the party, too concerned with other things to actually enjoy it.

Things are getting difficult… I don't need difficult… she thought to herself, letting out a loud sigh as a couple danced past her. She knew she was supposed to be looking like she was having a wonderful time, but she wasn't at all. Things were being too… shaken up around here as of late for her comfort. Normally a little bit of chaos was no problem for her, but out of all the times for things to become hectic, now was a poor one.

As she looked across the crowd, she almost missed spotting the infamous, annoying Lord Ghirahim. Her eyes skimmed past him for only a moment, before she instantly snapped her head back around to stare at in him horror. What is that freak show doing here?! If he was here… well, that simply could not be good for her at all. Whoever the poor unfortunate soul he was dancing with must not be having a good time.

She gritted her teeth and handed her glass over to a passing servant. "Hold this, darling," she said with fierceness about her. The servant looked confused but did as he was told, and Victoria pushed her way into the crowd.

A few men without partners noticed her walk by and paused as they considered asking her to dance. She was dazzling, absolutely gorgeous… But then they saw the extreme look on her face and decided against it. It was clear to anyone that this woman was on a mission and not amused in any way.

Within moments of spotting him, Victoria was standing next to Ghirahim and Dark. When she suddenly appeared next to him, Dark looked up at her and nearly burst into tears of joy. Her timing could not have been more perfect; he so desperately wanted to get away from this man. This feeling was then followed by a sinking feeling in his gut. Oh shit, Victoria was here…. He really didn't want her to see him in a dress… and in the arms of this man. With that thought in his head he quickly lowered his face back down so she wouldn't recognize him.

Luckily for him, she was focused on Ghirahim. When Ghirahim saw her, that mischievous grin spread across his face, but he really didn't look that happy to see her. There was no sparkle in his eye, only murderous intent. "Hmmmm…. Look who we have here," he said to her. Although Victoria now had all his attention, he was still holding onto Dark strongly.

"Lord Ghirahim," Victoria responded, her hands on her hips. Dark had never heard such a tone of voice from her before. She always sounded cheerful with anyone she was with, even Norland. But now she sounded spiteful, only adding the 'lord' out of fake respectfulness. She clearly wasn't trying to hide her dislike for him at all. "I see you have crawled out of your pathetic excuse for a home. It's been a while."

"So uncivil," Ghirahim cooed, "I merely have presented my marvelous presence to this… party as proof of my undying loyalty to my… king."

The atmosphere was cold. Dark felt as if he really shouldn't be hearing any of this. He didn't know the history between these two, and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. With Ghirahim distracted, Dark tried to pull free from this dance, but he wasn't able to.

"Hmph, I know why you are really here," Victoria said, before pausing and glancing down at Dark. From her angle, she could only see a partial side of his face. She stared at him for a moment, before clearing her throat. "Go find a different dance partner."

"Don't be so pushy," Ghirahim mumbled, gripping Dark with even more strength. "This one is mine."

"I don't remember asking," Victoria said, placing her hand on Dark's shoulder and with one quick motion pulling them apart. The moment Dark no longer felt Ghirahim's slimy hands on his body he took off, vanishing into the crowd of people as quickly as possible so he couldn't be found.

Of course, this meant he wasn't going to hear the rest of that conversation, but at this point he didn't care anymore. While he normally would love to overhear juicy drama like that to satisfy his unquenchable curiosity, his interest to save Link was much stronger.

Once he was sure he was clear of Ghirahim, Dark let out a deep breath. Thank goodness Victoria came when she did, but Dark's blood was still running cold at how… dangerous she sounded. Her normally friendly attitude had vanished in Ghirahim's presence. Dark supposed Victoria didn't like everyone she met, but wow she really hated that man. Perhaps when he was no longer a wanted criminal, he could ask her why.

Alright, let's find Link. He has to be here somewhere, Dark thought to himself as he stood up straight. Ready to truly start looking now, he spun on his heels to try to get a glimpse of him, but he couldn't see Link at all.

And so the search began. For nearly twenty minutes, Dark wandered around the dance floor. A few times, a blonde girl would dance by, tricking Dark into thinking that it was him. Each time, he would stop and prepare to call out to him, only for him to realize he was mistaken. He would let out a grunt of dissatisfaction before moving on, feeling the pressure of time not being on his side.

Where was he? Surely he was here, right? He had to be. 'Princess Zelda' usually came to these events, as her duty as royalty. From where he stood, Dark could see the king on his throne, with that creepy advisor next to him…. So where was Link? Dark assumed he was dancing in the crowd, but so far it looks like he was wrong.

Shit, shit, shit. Why?! Why wasn't he here?! Dark didn't have a back-up plan in case Link wasn't here!

Keeping in mind that this was a pretty heavily populated party, Dark spent the good part of the next hour seeking Link and miraculously dodging both Ralph and Ghirahim, although it seems that the latter has somehow vanished after his run-in with Victoria. A few other men tried to get Dark to be their dance partner but Dark managed to avoid doing so again (he was still shivering at the thought of being held to closely by Ghirahim).

Just when he felt like this was going to be a failure, he spotted him at last. Dark nearly stopped in his tracks as his heart began to relax a bit. Oh thank god…. He was really starting to panic. But it looks like the plan is finally starting to pan out.

Dark made sure that it really was Link, and his suspicions were confirmed when the 'girl' turned around. There he was, 'Princess Zelda.' Good, time to get him out of here. Smiling a little, Dark made his way to the person he thought was Link.

Unfortunately, what Dark didn't know was that Zelda had decided to sneak into the party (unannounced, she didn't want unwanted attention on herself), so when she felt someone suddenly and very rudely grab her arm, she had two thoughts that crossed her mind. One was to politely to tell them to refrain from touching her so freely, and the other was so snap their wrist off. Luckily she had a form of control, so she did kept to the former. She turned her head to speak to the rude guest, but was surprised to see that it was a young woman who had grabbed her.

Despite her training, her shock was given away by her expression, and Dark raised his free hand to his lips, pressing his forefinger against his lips. He didn't want 'Link' to make a lot of noise. "Don't panic," Dark said to her in hushed tones, so only she could hear. "It's Dark."

Zelda blinked a few times, trying to match a name to a face, but was thrown off by the…. attire. It took only a few embarrassing moments before it clicked in her brain, and her jaw nearly dropped. What the.. hell was Dark doing here? How did he get here? Why was he here? And why the dre- no, never mind that question.

"Sir Dark?" Zelda finally managed to ask. "What are you doing here?"

"There's no time, Link," Dark mumbled, pulling Zelda closer as he looked around for an escape route. "We need to go now. You are in danger."

That was when something happened that Dark did not expect. Suddenly, he felt the princess grab him and pull him extremely close so she could hiss dangerously into his ear. "How do you know… about Link?" Zelda asked in a murderous tone.

And it was this moment that marked Dark's first meeting with the real Princess Zelda face to face.

Thank you for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing…. And adding this to a community! Oh my goodness! I appreciate it extremely.

Normally I update on weekends but I took so long to update that I spiced up the schedule a bit.

(So yes, Dark has seen the real princess before, but never actually met her.)

Sorry for such late chapters (and a short one). Look forward to Chapter 36.

And…. The final part to The Painted Wall coming soon.