… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
Title: Dawn's Early Light
Chapter 2: Discomfit *
Author: Sailor Song
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …
DISCOMFIT (verb): make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed
… … …
"There she is, my sweet baby sister. Are you not the picture of radiance?"
Zelda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before looking over to see her brother spread out on her settee. Baby sister? He wasn't even a year older than her.
"Who let you in here?"
Daltus shrugged. "What guard would dare stop the prince from seeing his sister on her wedding day?"
Link would have. Not wanting to prompt him into staying and talking more, and oh, how he loved to hear himself talk, she ignored him and turned back to the mirror as the dressmaker continued on with the finishing touches.
"With Father incapacitated as it were, it seems I will be the one privileged with the task of giving you away."
Again, she stayed silent. A lifetime of knowing how to deal with him meant a lifetime of silence. It was only when he was gone for his royal tour, when their father had taken ill and she had taken on the role of regent, that she began to feel herself breaking free from the prison she had been locked in all of her life. And then Zant came. And then the Twilight. And now marriage, her new gilded cage.
"You know, I had almost secured a match for you. Of course, every king and prince I met wanted nothing to do with you, but there was an earl - old, missing teeth and hair, you know the sort - who was coming around to the idea. I was rather enjoying the idea of you miserable in a loveless marriage, but you seem to have found your own version of hell all by yourself. An ignorant upstart of a farm boy…" his sentence was cut off by a sudden and uproarious fit of laughter.
His cheerfulness was certainly a change in his mood, though a disconcerting one. Daltus had been clearly pissed throughout all of the proceedings, having lost the throne when the council voted in favor of honoring the late queen's decree. He had been a terror to be around, but that wasn't anything new. Avoiding him was a game she had gotten very good at playing, until now anyway.
Thinking about it, she wasn't sure what caused Link to suddenly produce the centuries old decree almost two weeks ago, and even more astonishing was how he managed to have it in the first place. Since then, she hadn't been permitted to see him to ask; instead, she had been bombarded by wedding plans - not that anyone asked her what she wanted, only people telling her what the citizens expect of a royal wedding. Now she was being stitched into a dress she didn't choose while her brother chided her about a groom she didn't choose… it was too much.
"I'd like you to leave," she said with all of the calm she could muster.
"Oh no no no, dear sister," he said rising from the chair and walking over to her. The seamstress moved away quickly to press herself against the wall, leaving Zelda entirely exposed in her restrictive dress. "Do you think I'd leave you alone so you could run to him? You think I would allow you to warn him and let you ruin tonight's big surprise?"
She couldn't help herself. "Surprise? What are you going to do?"
He let out a laugh. "That's the point of a surprise, Zelda," he said matter-of-factly. "Now, where are your bloody servants? I'm hungry."
She did not get a moment alone, and once she was sewn into her wedding dress, moving was hardly an option. Sitting was barely an option. Eating, despite the large amount of food Daltus ordered, was also not an option for her, at least according to him.
"Wouldn't want my sister's stomach to bulge in that form-fitting dress. What would people think?"
"Why does it matter?" she asked tiredly.
"You ask why?" He rose from the feast and began walking over. "Even though I couldn't get back into Hyrule during the invasion, I still received intel of what was happening. The people say you and father were trapped in the castle, but he is still in no position to reveal what went on here. That leaves only your word to defend your honor."
"The usurper… Zant never touched me."
"I'm not talking about him," he said as he leaned in so close that she could smell the rank of his breath. She was frozen as the hot air tickled her neck. "What was *he* like? You know I've always been fascinated by the Gerudo King, studied all about his previous appearances in the kingdom. He vowed revenge on the previous Queen Zelda, for her role in having him banished… did he take it out on you?"
"No," she replied, quickly and simply.
"Oh, sister." He pulled away and looked at her, enjoying how uncomfortable he was making her. "You aren't sure, are you?"
She couldn't answer this time. From the time her soul was united with Midna, her body was not her own. While she was Ganondorf's puppet, she could remember nothing, not even the feeling of the attacks Link later said he was forced to volley back at her. He told her how the first time he took a direct hit rather than return fire and it felt like a hundred Twilit Bloats attacking him all at once. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but it didn't sound pleasant. And according to him, her possessed body had been struck three times, meaning Ganondorf took the blow, not her. If she hadn't felt all that, what else hadn't she felt? What else might he have done?
Her lack of response seemed to cause her brother great pleasure. With a deep chuckle, he said, "Oh, I cannot wait for a moment of today's fun."
… … …
His words haunted her from the moment they were spoken in her room, to the long, arduous walk through the castle's corridors, on the carriage ride to the cathedral, all the way on the walk down the aisle. Her only joy, catching a glimpse of Link through the lace of her veil. Whether by his choice or the high council's orders, he was dressed in the green tunic of the Hero, though it had certainly been cleaned up and polished since she'd last seen him wearing on the field of battle against the Demon King. Despite the hundreds of people who had been invited into the cathedral to witness their union, his every glance and smile was directed at her. Though his recent actions had been confusing, it was a comfort to finally be near him again.
She hoped for a moment of privacy to warn him that her brother was up to something, but the only words they were permitted to speak to one another during the service were their marriage vows. Once it was over, there was a blur of commotion, and before she knew it, she found herself back at the castle, sitting at the wedding feast, but she was not given a chance to speak to Link between the constant parade of guests coming up to congratulate the future rulers of Hyrule. A quiet moment together was all she needed. Hopefully their first dance together would provide just that, and it wouldn't be hard to make that happen.
She raised a butter knife to her glass to try to signal the crowd, but another guest, her brother, had the same idea and beat her to it. "A toast! To my new brother and his bride. May you both find all the happiness you deserve," he said, raising his glass and taking a great drink. Mid-gulp he stopped, and said in a loud, jovial voice, "Who wants to see them get started now?"
A cheer erupted, and Zelda suddenly realized in horror what her brother was planning: an antiquated bedding ceremony. It wasn't enough that Link was about to learn the truth about her, but everyone would find out in the most embarrassing possible way. She turned to Link, she had to tell him now, but they were both pulled apart so suddenly that she didn't have the chance.
"Come with us, Your Highness," the lady's maids instructed as they led her by the arms.
"No, wait, I need to talk to Link," she said to them desperately.
The girls giggled. "You'll see him soon, my lady," one of them, a more serious one who had crimson hair replied as the rest pulled her into a large room with only a bed in the center.
"I don't understand," she said, looking around. "This isn't my room."
"Yes, my lady," the same girl replied. "But so many wanted to witness the… consummation of your marriage, that your brother had to make other accommodations for you."
This was an outrage. Everything was spiraling out of hand, and she could do nothing to stop it. First her hair was let down, then, her shoes were removed, and finally, stitch by stitch, her dress was pulled away, leaving her completely exposed until a thin, white nightgown was draped around her.
"Climb up into the bed, my lady. Your husband will be here soon."
Husband? Goddess, she was married. To Link. What had happened? Everything was such a blur, and she was about to… about to… that… with the man who had saved her land. Her people. Her life.
She was centered in the bed, with her hair and gown splayed out. All around her she was adored with flowers and other sweet smelling herbs. Everything seemed peaceful, serene, and then, there was a banging on the door and a large group of boisterous men entered the chamber carrying Link on their shoulders. In the lead was the last person she wanted near here, especially in this moment.
"There she is, Hero," Daltus shouted. "Your reward. Your prize. Now go and bed her well."
Link's face had been unreadable, and even now, exposed as he was wearing only a thin, white nightshirt that barely covered his manhood, he was stoic and unflappable as always.
As he climbed into the bed, the men began to cheer. Zelda watched in horror as more and more witnesses seemed to be entering the room, crowding around. Her shame would soon be known by nearly all the nobles, and both she and Link would be ruined.
"Hey," he said softly as he gently caressed her face. "It's just you and me in this room, and no one else. I had hoped things would be different. I'll make sure it's quick and painless as possible. Don't worry about anything else."
He was so sweet. She couldn't bear to let him go through with this, knowing what her brother was about to do. "Link," she whispered, reaching up and putting a hand on his cheek. "I understand what is going to happen, but-"
"Less talking!" one of the onlookers exclaimed.
"Yeah, get on with it!" another cried out, making a wild gesture that caused his tankard to slosh ale in their direction.
Link used his own body to shield her from the drink. As the crowd laughed, he gently took her hand into his own and brought it to his lips. "Are you ready?"
"It doesn't matter," she replied.
"It does, Princess," he said. "Zelda, I will never do anything to you without your consent. Give the word and I will leap off this bed and fight every last one of them to take you away from here."
She suddenly realized the danger she had put him in. If he tried to fight them, to defend her honor now when he was nearly naked and unarmed, there was a real possibility that she would become a widow on her wedding night. "No, Link, you don't have to do that." She pursed her lips together and looked into his blue eyes. "I'm ready."
He nodded, he leaned in to give her a kiss on the lips. He pulled back slightly and whispered, "I promise you, I will be as gentle as I possibly can."
"I…" A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over her as she fully realized she was barely dressed in a room full of men who were cheering for the loss of her innocence. "I don't know what to do."
"Think of it as an adventure we get to figure out together," he said before leaning back, positioning himself between her legs. She could feel his hand under her nightdress, running up her thigh. Her heart began to race and her breathing increased as she felt a tingling feeling all over. He looked to her, waiting for her approval to proceed, so she nodded.
"Get to fucking already, boy!" one of the guests said with a laugh, startling her into remembering they weren't alone. She tried to look away from them, but all she could see was the onlookers, most of them male, watching with earnest.
"Look at me, Zelda," she heard Link whisper as he reached out his other hand to grasp her own. "Ignore the rest, just focus on me."
She nodded again as he prepared her.
"Are you ready for me to… may I enter you now?" Link asked awkwardly. His cheeks flushed with color, making her suspect that this was his first time as well. It actually made her feel better, and with a nod and a gentle squeeze of his hand, she reassured him to proceed.
As he continued to prod her nether region, he pulled his other hand away from holding hers and moved it under his nightshirt. She could see him making a couple of quick back and forth motions before she felt him slide her nightdress up a little higher while he spread her legs apart.
"Here it comes, everyone," Daltus shouted, bringing a hush over the crowd that had gathered around. "What we've all come to see."
"Focus on me," he instructed as he positioned himself to press into her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "This will probably hurt."
He continued, there was no stopping this now. In a voice so low that only she could hear, he asked, "Are you in pain?"
"Pressure," she replied simply as she choked back a sob. "I only feel pressure, just, please let it end."
He did exactly as she requested, and after a few moments, she heard him let out a gasp before falling onto the bed beside her. A cheer rang out from the gathered onlookers, who drank deeply from their tankards. Their excitement made her feel more uncomfortable and embarrassed while Link only breathed heavily. Leave it Daltus to make things worse.
"And now, friends and relatives, it's time to inspect the marital bed sheets!"
Many of the witnesses laughed heartily, and one burly man put his hand on the prince. "Come now, Highness, we saw them. First times can be awkward, and this was as uncomfortable as it gets."
"Why leave it to question?" Daltus pressed. "If we are insisting on skipping the line of succession for some old provisional clause from a long-dead queen, should not all other Hylian customs be properly followed? Should we not confirm that the future ruler was not previously deflowered?"
Of course, she thought as she heard a few soft chuckles coming from the audience. This was his plan all along. This was why he had created such a humiliating scenario.
Link stirred. He looked in her direction and ran a thumb down her cheek, brushing away a tear she didn't know had spilled. "It'll be alright." He pulled his hand away and brushed back his hair before rising. She could see him wiping himself with the bedsheets before gently doing the same to her own tender area.
"We did all you asked," he told them calmly, though she could sense the annoyance in his voice. "My wife and I thank you for attending our wedding and your… enthusiastic encouragement here, but now, we wish to retire to our private chambers. If you will excuse us."
Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms, and began to carry her from the room. She put her arms around his neck, and when she looked back, she could see her brother's angry face as the crowd lifted up the sheets and cheered.
"Blood?" she whispered. But… that wasn't possible. She wasn't supposed to...
It wasn't until they were out of the room, far from the onlookers, that she broke down in tears. Link did not quiet her, only held her closer and continued to carry her up to her quarters, well, now, she supposed it was their quarters now. He carried her all the way to the bed, setting her down gently before walking away. She could hear him in the adjoining room, asking the chambermaid for something. Moments later he returned with a cup of tea.
"Drink this," he said.
She sat up and did as she was told. He helped her take a sip of the warm liquid that took little time to make its way into her stomach. He was so gentle, so sweet, but he, like her, had just been through the same horrific ordeal.
She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Link, I wanted to warn you..."
"Don't worry about it," he said quietly. "Finish your drink." She did as she was told and lost her nerve.
They sat in silence while she nursed the drink. The taste, it reminded her of something.
"Very good," he said, taking the empty cup from her and setting it on the stand beside her. "Can I get you anything else?"
"No," she replied. "Link, if you were wanting to… again... if you wanted more tonight..." Goddesses, why was she having trouble speaking? "It is still our wedding night, and I would understand if you wanted to-"
"I won't touch you again," he interrupted. "At least, not until you have asked me to." He pulled the covers up around her, and knelt down next to the bed. In a voice so low that only she would be able to hear, he continued, "This all happened so fast, Zelda. I had hopes that I would be able to share my life with you, but I wanted things to be much different. I wanted you to want to be with me too. So while every part of me yearns to take you up on your offer, I will wait until you feel the same way I do."
She didn't know what to say, and soon enough it didn't matter because her husband - Goddess, she was a wife now - her husband was already sound asleep beside her. After the events of the day, it didn't take long for her to succumb to her own exhaustion and fall into a deep slumber.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: On I am editing the content because the Mature rating does not allow for explicit content. If you want to read the full, unedited piece, you can find the story with the same name (title and author) on AO3. Any chapter that has been edited here will have an asterisks by the chapter title.
