Thanks for reading. Here's Chapter 2, hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2
Zelda gasped out in horror. She whirled around to Lady Nabu who was sitting up staring at the unconscious Link. "Mistress, may I please care for him?"
Confused, Nabu couldn't help but stare blankly for a moment at the frantic young waif. Sensing the confusion, Zelda spoke again, "Mistress, while I am his caretaker, my lady is his owner and I must be given permission to heal and care for him accordingly."
Nabu blinked and then gestured for the young woman to proceed. Zelda dashed past the still stunned Aveil and knelt down beside his prone figure. With a grunt she rolled the larger man onto his back, checked his pulse, then began examining his head where the guard struck him.
"Is he alright?" Nabu finally asked while Zelda continued examining him. She didn't speak for a moment until she finished and let out a relieved sigh.
"Forgive me my mistress," Zelda apologized, remaining kneeled by the unconscious man's side, "Since you called for the fight to cease, I stopped playing the music. The sudden change caused him to be confused and his defenses were dropped as he listened for further instructions. I apologize for this failure and will take any punishment you deem necessary," the young woman kowtowed, practically kissing the floor at this point.
At this point, confusion and disbelief permeated throughout the whole room as everyone looked to Lady Nabu, who looked completely at a loss herself. She slowly sat back in her seat while looking at the still bowing woman. Eventually she patted the air reassuringly before speaking.
"No punishment is necessary, however I believe a better explanation is warranted for this situation."
"Yes Mistress," Zelda answered before rising and sitting back onto her heels, "I am at your disposal for any questions to the best of my abilities."
Nabu covered her mouth with her fist in thought before proceeding with her questions.
"Why did Aveil's strike to his head cause him to lose consciousness? Does he respond only to your music?"
"Yes Mistress, the music I play is what guides Link. You wished for him to fight and win and so I played the music associated with that directive. When you called for an immediate end for the fight prior to him winning, the sudden lack of direction towards his goal left him confused and unprepared for any further attacks."
"I still wouldn't have expected him to fall unconscious from that alone though…"
"If I may, Mistress, he may be slightly fatigued from the journey since he has missed his normal meal time."
"Well he certainly couldn't have been that weak from a missed breakfast," Nabu protested.
"I understand Mistress, I will have him adjusted to lengthier breaks in food. It is only an additional day so it won't take long for him to adjust."
Nabu paused and furrowed her eyebrows, "Wait, additional day?" She asked confusedly.
"Yes Mistress."
"What do you mean 'additional day'? When did he last eat?" Nabu asked.
"4 days ago, Mistress."
Even Aveil's jaw dropped at that information. No one spoke for a moment and Nabu stared at the young woman as if she'd sprung a second head.
"He eats every 3 days?" Nabu asked hesitantly at this point.
"Yes Mistress, but do not worry Mistress! He will soon be trained to eat every 4 days and will maintain adequate performance in his duties," Zelda answered without a hint of sarcasm or humor.
"By the Goddesses why is he fed every 3 days?" Nabu exclaimed.
"Previous owners did not want to spend additional money for unnecessary meals Mistress," Zelda easily replied as if nothing was wrong. At this point, Link stirred without a groan and while he adjusted himself, he did not rise from the ground.
"May he be allowed to sit up Mistress?" Zelda asked while everyone stared.
"Oh! Of course…" Nabu answered lamely. Zelda reached out and tapped Link's knee twice and the man slowly rose to a sitting position.
"Is...is he hurt?" Nabu asked cautiously.
"Only if you allow it Mistress," Zelda answered.
"That's not how it works!" Aveil yelled incredulously, "You can't just not feel pain! Either you feel it or you don't!"
Zelda flinched away from Aveil's outburst and bowed low again, basically kow-towing.
"F-forgive me my lady," she hastily spoke, "I only meant that Link will show no outward expression of pain unless given express permission to do so."
"Uh…" Nabu faltered completely at this point, "By all means of course he's allowed to express pain when he feels it."
Zelda nodded and then turned to Link and made a familiar three clicks. Link slowly shook his head from side to side and Zelda sighed before making the sounds a second time. This time, Link slowly raised a hand to the side of his head where Aveil punched him and then lowered it to touch the broken rib Zelda had identified previously. Zelda grimaced before nodding her head, to which Link simply lowered his hand and remained motionless with a blank expression.
Zelda bowed her head and spoke again, "Forgive me Mistress, I'm afraid that his head is damaged and a broken rib is beginning to cause him pain."
"A broken rib?" Nabu demanded, "Was I given damaged goods?" Nabu's mind began to race. She was promised that the two of them would be undamaged when they had been sold to her. She immediately began to figure out ways to extort the money and punishment from those who crossed her and lied during the purchase of the two young people.
"M-mistress, forgive me," Zelda faltered while speaking. Nabu barely withheld an eyeroll at the woman's hesitation and constant apologies.
"I'm afraid he sustained a broken rib when he was struck prior to the fight, Mistress. When Lady Aveil thought he was insulting you, my Mistress."
Lady Nabu rubbed at her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. She glared at the now guilty-looking guard captain out of the corner of her eye before sighing deeply.
"How serious is the wound?" she finally asked.
"The rib would take little over a month for it to heal on its own, but I am able to produce a potion that will heal it within a day if my Mistress is willing to provide the ingredients necessary," Zelda explained.
"Very well. Provide me a list of the ingredients you need and we'll give him the potion," Nabu decided. Zelda merely nodded her adherence to the command before a nearby assistant provided her with a parchment and quill. She quickly jotted down the ingredients then the assistant took the parchment and presented it to Nabu. She nodded slowly at the list before looking back at the blonde woman.
"These will be easy to acquire," she said while gently shaking the parchment in hand, "We should be able to get these to you within a day or two." She passed the note to her assistant who hurried from the room to obtain the needed ingredients.
Nabu focused her attention back onto the now fascinating man she purchased. He stayed in his sitting position and resumed starting out into nothing. Possibilities whirled through her mind as she complicated how she could best earn a profit from him. Certainly his prowess in the arenas remained undeniable, but she felt that was merely scratching the surface. Raids, assassinations, and even simple intimidation tactics against her competitors and enemies would be easily accomplished if she prepared him adequately for the tasks. Directing her attention back at the blonde woman still kneeling she asked,
"Is there any relevant information to his condition that I should be made aware of?"
Zelda looked down in thought for a moment before responding, "No Mistress, I believe he will simply need rest until we are able to make the potion and administer it. I fear that if my Lady desires any further demonstrations of his capabilities, his current injuries may inhibit his full capacity."
Nabu immediately waved her hand dismissively, "That will not be necessary at all. I am more than satisfied with his skill," she thought for a moment then inquired, "If I had not stopped the fight, would he have killed Aveil?"
Both Nabu and Aveil were surprised when Zelda shook her head and answered, "No Mistress, that was not your command. He would've either stabbed the ground near her head declaring a killing blow, or would've held the blade to her throat; again to symbolize a killing blow which in certain arena tournaments qualifies as a win. I did not think Mistress desired for Link to win against the Captain in a death match."
Nabu nodded her approval, "Good, so you do have some common sense, I will admit I was slightly concerned that was the case."
Zelda frowned slightly and seemed to muster up some courage before speaking again.
"If I may speak freely Mistress," Zelda paused until Nabu gestured for her to proceed, "I may be simple, but I am not stupid. I am fully aware that the conditions with which Link has been treated so far have been barbaric to say the least. However, I maintain the standards and rules that have been placed for his caretaking until his owner makes their own changes. Honestly, my Lady, you appear to be the most reasonable out of all his previous owners but I would not deign to presume your intentions or desires in regards to our services and treatment, Mistress."
Nabu raised an arched eyebrow at the young woman's words.
"You know," she mused, "For a supposedly 'simple' woman, your speech is quite refined."
Nabu kept the intrigue off her face as she watched the young woman's face turn stony and emotionless before she responded.
"Mistress, I was provided a small education by some owners in order to properly maintain Link's care and welfare in any manner. I have also been provided with numerous books to read whenever he does not need my immediate care and I have small moments of free time."
Nabu didn't entirely believe that, though she knew herself to be overly suspicious, but let the matter go. If it became a problem in the future she would broach this apparently touchy topic again, but it appeared the young woman was complacent and submissive in everything else.
"Very well, you will now be shown to your quarters as well as Link's. Is he fit to stand?"
Zelda turned back to the listless man and whistled a short note before softly knocking twice on the ground with her knuckles. Link nodded slightly and Zelda turned back to Nabu.
"Yes Mistress, he should be able to walk with no trouble to my Lady."
This time Nabu couldn't help but roll her eyes at Zelda's words.
"I meant if he is capable of doing so, otherwise we would have provided assistance to help him rest in his quarters."
Zelda didn't immediately reply, but at least had the decency to look slightly sheepish.
"You will be provided with food, drink, and simple comforts," Nabu continued, "For the moment, you will remain under supervision since trust to freely move around is earned, not given. Now, freely speaking, do you think you will need anything else?"
Zelda thought again for a few moments before responding, "Beyond my bag of things, I would ask permission to have an extra cot placed within Link's quarters."
"Ah yes. Your bag should already be delivered to your quarters, and I am quite curious, were Link's possessions lost on the trip here?"
Zelda slowly shook her head before quietly replying, "He has no possessions Mistress. They were never allowed to him."
Nabu couldn't help but sigh before speaking again, "Very well. I would like an explanation as to why Link needs an extra cot in his quarters before allowing it."
Zelda nodded in understanding, "Mistress, the cot is for me. While I am grateful and will use the quarters Mistress has provided for me, it will be easier in the beginning for me to stay with Link to help him adjust to the new environment and schedule that our Mistress wishes for us to follow."
Nabu nodded in understanding, "We will worry about a schedule and duties after you've recovered from the journey. You both will join me for the morning meal, but you will have food delivered to Link's quarters this evening."
Nabu waved to them in dismissal before Zelda and Link stood up. Zelda wordlessly reattached Link's collar around his neck and the two were led from the room by Aveil and 5 extra guards who seemed to keep a wary distance from the shuffling man while gripping their spears in both hands. Nabu rested her head in a hand in thought while considering all the possibilities and profits in the future.
Aveil led the procession into the inner courtyard. The fortress was vast and sat deep within high coastal bluffs on all sides. The only entrance to the complex was through the main sea gate that opened into the Great Bay area, though a secret passage through the bluffs was rumored to exist but none could (or would) confirm its existence. Entering from the sea you were led into an outer water courtyard for merchants and visiting dignitaries would be met by a more imposing and fortified gate and wall. Various docking areas for visiting ships as well as Nabu's own fleet were flanked on the sides of the inner cove. The highly fortified wall paramounts were manned and patrolled by the immense multitude of guards Nabu kept in her employ, along with the outer docks.
Within the gates sat a small docking area as well as the inner courtyard constructed entirely out of iron and granite. The guest quarters, kitchens, and gardens were kept within the West wing. The East wing was occupied with the various trades and merchandise Nabu controlled and traded for. Multiple products including weapons, armor, and fabric dyes were produced and stored there before being shipped off to various clients and cities both within and without the land of Termina.
The Northern Central building of the fortress contained Nabu's quarters, the audience hall, banquet hall, training hall, and barracks were located. Each section of the fortress was highly defensible and contained its own armory for any and all citizens living within the stronghold to be armed at any time. Without proper guidance one would easily become lost within and maps were not freely given to visitors or new employees.
Link and Zelda were from the sun-filled and scorching hot courtyard and into the West wing of the fortress. Aveil led them to the guest quarters located on the ground floor. Zelda was directed to go enter her room, but she only opened the door to confirm her bag of possessions was present before closing it and following Link into his room which sat opposite to her own. Aveil and another guard followed the pair into the room while the other four guards stationed themselves on both sides of the two chambers' doors.
Upon entering the room, Zelda was surprised by the accommodations. A modest but solid bed held a pleasantly stuffed mattress with a down-feather pillow and a couple warm looking blankets. The chambers were sparse but large enough to contain a small wooden table and two matching chairs and a wooden bathtub in the corner. There was even a small barred window covered by partially opened wooden shutters, allowing golden early evening sunshine to glow through.
"Send for a servant to bring an extra cot," Aveil ordered the guard, who saluted and left the room, closing the door behind her. Aveil sat and glared at the two young people while Zelda's wide eyes roved around the room in amazement. Aveil scowled momentarily at the emotionless man before turning her attention back to the blonde woman.
"What?" Aveil snapped, "Rooms not good enough for ya Princess?"
Zelda flinched at her barking tone and whirled about with a look of terror at the word 'Princess' before visibly calming herself and bowing to the captain.
"Forgive me my Lady," she spoke unassumingly, "Quite the opposite. Our previous owner kept us within his stables, I'm afraid we've never received such fine accommodations before."
Masking her surprise, Aveil glowered at the woman.
"Don't call me that," she growled, "You will call me either 'Aveil' or 'Captain'. I ain't some stuck-up pampered bitch that needs coddling."
"Very well my L—...uh, Captain," Zelda answered before bowing low to the towering woman.
"And enough of that bowing crap!" Aveil snapped again, "The only one you need to bow to is Lady Nabu."
Zelda immediately straightened and seemed at a loss, "Forgive me Captain, it will take me a little bit of time to assimilate but I will adjust appropriately."
"Oh for the Goddess' sake," Aveil groaned, "Quit apologizing for everything!"
Zelda opened her mouth to speak, paused and immediately shut it before taking a deep breath.
"Yes Captain," she said simply. Aveil grunted and let the matter go. Zelda then turned her attention to Link and through a series of finger snaps and tongue clicks, directed him to lay down onto the bed. The ragged man did so wordlessly while Zelda drew a chair from the nearby table to his bedside.
"A servant will be along momentarily with food," Aveil grumbled, and Zelda nodded her head in acknowledgement, but her gaze remained locked onto the prone man. Aveil continued glaring at the two while crossing her arms and leaning against a nearby wall. The silence stretched on in the room, though only Aveil felt awkward.
"So what's really his deal huh?" she huffed, unable to take the silence any more. Zelda looked up at the captain with a confused expression.
"I'm afraid I don't understand the question Captain," she spoke unsure.
"Like, does he really do nothing else unless he's told? How does that even work? Couldn't anyone just tell him what to do then?"
The blonde woman tilted her head slightly before answering, "While I suppose that is possible, most of his combat orders are given through my ocarina. He doesn't respond to any other instrument and his hearing is sharp enough for him to be able to tell the difference if any other ocarina were played. He only responds to this one. While it would be problematic if someone were to gain possession of this ocarina, its an uncommon instrument to play and few bother to master it as well as memorize the actual tunes and commands used to control him. We have never before encountered someone so desperate to take control of him in this manner."
"So people have tried to control him before?" Aveil asked.
"Yes Captain, some have tried. Usually those who opposed our previous masters, though since they did not bother to complete all the necessary requirements, no one has ever been successful."
Aveil mused over that information for a bit, while Zelda turned back to watching over Link.
"But," Aveil thought aloud, "What if someone happened to stumble across one of his commands? You know, just like started doing something random that just happened to be a command like this?" Aveil demonstrated by uncrossing her arms and started snapping the fingers on both of her hands rapidly.
Zelda's eyes grew wide in horror,
"No Captain don't! That's the command for Link to kill himself!"
"What?!" Aveil yelled in panic and frantically moved to stand over Link in an attempt to stop himself from committing suicide. Her arms waved wildly as she looked from Zelda to Link in terror. Zelda stared back at Aveil with wide eyes, but Link didn't seem to make any move at all. Aveil frowned in confusion when nothing happened and looked back to Zelda who was now biting her lower lip in a failed attempt at holding back a smile. Suddenly her composure broke and she burst out laughing. The laugh was melodic and beautiful as it filled the room, which only left Aveil speechless and baffled. Zelda continued to laugh as she held a hand to her chest and in an effort to calm down.
"Forgive me Captain," she finally spoke in between giggles, "There is no such order for Link to kill himself."
"WHAT?!" Aveil roared incredulously, which only sent Zelda into peals of laughter again, to the point of bringing tears to her eyes. Aveil couldn't do anything more than just stand by in shock. Zelda finally calmed down and wiped the laughing tears from her eyes.
"Again forgive me Captain," she spoke with a small grin on her face, "You have no idea how long I've waited to pull that prank on someone. You really must forgive me Captain, if I have angered you, please take your punishment out on me."
Zelda bowed her head to the captain in humility, but the small smile still danced across her lips. Aveil opened her mouth to yell at the girl, but then released her breath in a whoosh and then blushed in embarrassment before chuckling herself.
"Okay, I'll admit, that was a good one," Aveil shook her head and rested her fists on her hips. "So you do have some spunk huh?"
Zelda shrugged as her smirk grew into a grin.
"From what I could see, our Mistress is much more just and accommodating to those in her service. If I had made a joke like that with the previous master we had, I most likely would have been whipped for insolence," the smile faded from her lips.
Aveil's eyebrows drew down into a frown, "Were you punished often?" her eyes darting to the woman's back as if trying to see any whip lashes beneath her modest dress.
Zelda nodded, "Yes, but more often than not, Link was punished in my place," she whispered as her face grew haunted.
"I would be forced to watch as Link would take my whippings for me, which in turn gave me work as I had to heal him without any potions."
Grimacing, Aveil looked down to the mentioned man who stoically gazed towards the ceiling without any real focus.
"Why?" Aveil finally managed to ask.
"A number of reasons. Firstly, the masters would be worried I would be incapable of properly handling Link if I was infirm from punishments. But most of them also knew it would hurt me inside to have to be forced to watch."
Aveil said nothing but Zelda continued, though it almost seemed like she was talking more to herself,
"They knew how much I care for him, and used it against me to force my obedience at all times."
Aveil raised an eyebrow in surprise, "So there's a command for that?"
Zelda seemed confused for a moment before realization dawned on her and she blushed furiously.
"Oh no! I didn't mean that! We haven't been intimate yet," she spoke quickly.
"Yet?" Aveil parroted while raising an eyebrow. Now it was her turn to tease.
"I-I mean we haven't been intimate!" Zelda practically squeaked and her blush deepened further spreading from the tips of her long pointed ears to down her neck. "I-its just that he saved me," she explained.
A knock on the door cut off any further conversation and Aveil turned to see a pair of servants entering the room with two platters filled with various meats, cheeses, and fruits. One of the servants also carried a large pitcher of water to drink. They moved over to the table and placed the food along with plates, cups, and cutlery. They then bowed to the captain before exiting and closing the door behind them. Aveil gestured to mounds of food and nearly scoffed at the look of bewilderment on the other woman's face.
"Well go on," Aveil commented, "Food's not gonna eat itself."
Zelda whirled back to the captain with wide eyes, "You mean all that food is just for us two?"
Aveil frowned and looked back to the food.
"Well, it looks like there's three plates so I think I'll be dining with you as well."
"Ah yes," Zelda nodded in understanding before positioning herself demurely in the chair, "By all means Captain, we will wait and eat whatever you decide to leave for us."
Aveil couldn't help rolling her eyes, "You're not gonna get table scraps! I mean for us to eat all together stupid!" she barked out, causing Zelda to flinch and falter. She then bowed her head and opened her mouth but Aveil cut her off with a growl,
"I swear if you apologize one more time…" she left her words hanging in the air. Zelda's mouth closed with a snap before raising her head, meeting Aveil's eyes.
"Yes Captain. Thank you Captain," she said simply.
"You know, you can call me Aveil too," she threw the other woman a withering look before sitting at the table and piling food onto a plate. A slight smile touched one side of Zelda's lips but she said nothing and instead turned to Link who had yet to move from the bed. The blonde woman whistled and clicked her tongue, which caused the man to sit up and move to the edge of the bed closest to the table. Zelda grabbed a plate and piled it with various foods before walking it over and placing the plate in his hands resting in his lap. Zelda whistled softly after letting go of the plate and Link appeared to focus slightly onto the plate before proceeding to grab small portions and began eating. Zelda nodded in satisfaction and then moved her chair back to the table and helped herself to the food and drink. Aveil couldn't help but notice that the chain was long enough to hang between the two and Link continued eating unimpeded despite it swinging slightly between the two. Zelda paid the chain no heed either.
Aveil watched the silent man as she gnawed on a roasted cucco leg. She glanced over to Zelda who ate delicately with poise and grace. Aveil realized her own table manners were poor but shrugged uncaringly and continued to eat. They ate mostly in science, with both newcomers eating repeated helpings and Aveil calling for a second pitcher of water when they drained the first one quickly. The cot Zelda had requested earlier was delivered by a servant during the meal as well.
After the meal was finished, Zelda took the plate from Link and then curiously unhooked the chain from its placement on her hip. She then proceeded to wrap it around one of the bed legs and hook it to itself, clearly chaining the man to the bed. Zelda straightened and turned back to Aveil, who was still sitting at the table.
"If it's alright Captain," she spoke softly, "I'd like to assist in helping Link sleep."
Aveil looked between the two of them and waved a hand as she leaned back in her chair.
"Go ahead," she said simply, "I'm going to keep watch to ensure neither of you two cause any issues for a while. When I feel assured, I will leave and come back in the morning to take you to meet with Lady Nabu again."
Zelda's expression looked almost pained as she hesitantly looked back to Link, who still sat on the edge of the bed unmoving.
"Well…" she trailed off, "You see, we have a bit of a ritual in order to help him sleep."
Aveil raised an eyebrow at the other woman, "What? You gonna relax him or something?" she asked suggestively.
Zelda's cheeks burned hotly, "N-no! Nothing like that!" she protested hotly, "Its just…"
She went silent for a minute, appearing to war with herself on how to proceed. She sighed before looking back to the captain.
"With so much pain and violence he has had to suffer through, he has on occasion suffered from night terrors," she explained. She then moved to sit next to the man on the bed before continuing, "Unbeknownst to our previous masters, I've helped him let out some of those emotions so he doesn't suffer as much during the night, since he has been punished for screaming in the night whenever a terror has taken him."
Zelda then looked directly at Aveil, with a piercing gaze that actually surprised the large woman.
"I would ask that you keep what you see to yourself. Obviously if you do tell our Mistress, there is nothing I can do nor will do except sincerely hope that Lady Nabu will not find offense or punish him."
Aveil could only nod mutely as Zelda released her from her piercing stare and turned to Link at her side. Aveil watched on curiously as the smaller woman wrapped a thin arm around Link's wide shoulders and pulled him to her, causing him to lean and rest his head on her shoulder. Zelda reached out with her other hand and gripped Link's hand in her own while beginning to slowly stroke and run her fingers through his wild mane of hair.
"Chu...chu...chu...chu…" she cooed softly while rocking ever so slightly from side to side. Link didn't resist and moved with her as she continued to coo softly and continued stroking his head and hair. At first nothing happened, but then Aveil was floored when the man curled within himself, tensed, and let out a high pitched whine that sounded more akin to a wounded animal. Even more flooring as Aveil watched, tears began pouring out of his eyes. The bright azure eyes darted around in a panic as tears cascaded down his bronzed cheeks and onto the floor. His darting eyes finally landed on Aveil, who froze and was held prisoner under that gaze. His eyes were completely focused again for the second time that day; but instead of being filled with rage, Aveil only saw an everlasting amount of sorrow and pain. Link's eyes held Aveil's as his free hand slowly rose and rested against his chest, right where she had punched him and broke his rib.
Shame filled Aveil as she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Link finally grimaced and closed his eyes, curling more into Zelda who simply continued to coo and rock softly. Soon the silent man's shoulders began to shake with silent sobs while he gripped Zelda's hand holding his own. Aveil's breath left her as heartache gripped her as she continued to watch the blonde woman comfort the silent man. Zelda's own tears fell but remained unheeded as she continued to comfort Link until he finally succumbed to sleep much later.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it, I'll be working to upload chapters regularly. I'll be uploading for as long as I enjoy the story.