… … … … … … … … … … … …
Title: Dawn's Early Light
Chapter 7: Sehnsucht*
Author: Sailor Song
… … … … … … … … … … … …
SEHNSUCHT (noun): the inconsolable longing in the heart for we know not what
… … …
The next morning she awoke to arms wrapped around her torso, a pair of legs tangled between her own, and warm breath tickling her neck. There was something else too; something hard pressing up against her lower region. Perhaps out of grogginess or pure naivety, she moved her hand down to see what it was, and found her hand wrapped around Link's undergarment clad shaft.
At her touch, he groaned and opened his eyes rapidly. His expression shifted from confusion to bemusement as he gave a little grin. "Good morning. Did you not get enough last night?"
She let out a small noise and rapidly pulled her hand away. Realizing that may have been a rejection, she looked sheepishly at him to apologize, but saw him chuckling. Nevertheless, she didn't want any more misunderstandings between them. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to see what was poking me, and-"
He pressed his mouth onto her own, pulling her against him. Only pulling his lips away, the rest of them remained locked together as he spoke in a deep voice, "You don't know how many times I wanted to wake up with you like this."
"What? Me grabbing hold of your…" she began to ask innocently, but he cut her off by kissing her again.
"Maybe in my most erotic of dreams," he said huskily. "I just meant the two of us laying in each other's arms. Just… this, us. No servants rushing us around, no one sick, injured, or near death."
"Speaking of," she began, "how are you feeling."
"I don't think I could fight a horde of Moblins just yet; however-" He stopped speaking and in one swift motion, rolled her onto her back and straddled her waist, holding himself up with his arms, his face only inches from hers, he continued, "I'm strong enough for other activities."
"Oh? What kind of activities?" she asked playfully.
He grunted and dropped his head down to her neck, and suddenly the sensitive, delicate skin was assaulted by his mouth - kissing, licking, sucking. She let out a strangled shriek as she became overwhelmed by the sensations, which only caused him to chuckle and continue on.
Before anything could go any farther, they could hear the front door open and a woman called out, "Link, I brought you and your young lady some breakfast."
"Shit," he whispered and rolled off of her, but he must have misjudged how much room there was and fell off the bed, landing on the floor with a hard thud.
Zelda peeked over the side of the bed and saw him covering his face with his arm. She couldn't tell if he was in pain or laughing, but the creaking floor meant they would not be alone for long. Grabbing the blanket, she slid to the floor next to him and covered them both up.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't know," she giggled. She could feel her cheeks burning.
"If you two just wanted to sleep on the floor, I could have offered you a much nicer room," the elderly woman said from the doorway. "Finish what you are doing, wash up and eat, and come see me in my home. We have some things to discuss - most especially your future, Princess Zelda."
In shock, she stared at Link, who could only shrug. "I didn't tell her."
They heard the door shut, and soon after, the smell of warm bread wafted into the room. There was a rumbling sound and feeling, but neither of them could be sure whose stomach it was that had growled. Sensing their morning interlude was at an end, they both carefully rose to their feet and grabbed the clothes they had thrown on the empty bed the night before. Eating quickly, they walked out in the direction of the home of the small, old woman.
Once inside the home of the tiny woman, they were directed to the table in the center of the room, really, the only piece of furniture in the room. A million questions were racing through Zelda's head as she sat on one of the cushions, waiting for their hostess to emerge from the adjoining room.
"Link, can you come in here please and give an old woman a hand?"
They looked at one another, and he could only shrug. He stood and kissed the top of her head before walking through the doorway, leaving her alone in the room.
She stretched and watched one of the cats wander in, sniff in her direction, and walk off searching for the lady of the house.
"Zelda…"
She looked to the doorway where Link had disappeared, but the voice that called out to her wasn't coming from that direction.
"Zelda…"
It was coming from the empty center of the table.
Reaching out a hand, she found it wasn't actually empty at all for as soon as her hand made contact with a wooden object, there was a swirl of magical light and a treasure chest appeared.
She was about to call out for Link - discovering magical treasure chests was his thing after all - but this was hers, or at least, it was meant to be hers. She knew it. She wasn't sure how she knew it, but whatever was inside, it was for her to see.
Slowly, she lifted the lid and a blinding glow burst from inside. As it faded, she looked in to find what at first glance appeared to be nothing more than scraps of paper. She grabbed the first, finding it to be nothing more than a child's drawing of a young boy dressed in green.
She shuffled through and grabbed one of the papers at random, broke the seal and was instantly drawn in.
Oh no. Great goddesses, what have I done? What did I say to him? His face looked so despondent. He asked if we could spend the rest of our lives together. With me?! At first, I thought he was joking. I am the Princess of Hyrule. The blood of the goddess Hylia is said to flow through my veins, and he is nothing more than a soldier. What right does he have to ask for my hand in marriage?
Sometimes he acts as though he knows so much more: almost as though we share some past history that I have now forgotten. I will not deny my attraction to him, but Father still harbors anger towards him for revealing Ganondorf's planned treachery. Even though his information turned out to be correct, that the castle was about to be invaded by the Gerudo, Father had been so enthralled by the man, he hated having learned the truth and being forced to imprison him.
So you see, I had no option but to deny his proposal outright. Impa always says it is better to rip off the bandage quickly and get it over with. Anything else would be cruel.
He said he would be leaving and asked me to come with him. I told him I couldn't and neither could he, reminding him that he swore allegiance to fight as a knight of Hyrule. He only gave a mirthless laugh and said, "I've already fought for this land once. I'm tired."
Perhaps I'm just tired too. A night of sleep for both of us would be best. Everything may look different in the early light of dawn, and if so, I will entreat Father to consider changing the laws about whom I can and cannot marry.
Zelda stood and looked inside the chest. There were many, many more loose papers like the one she had just read, but there was no obvious order to be discerned. Deciding she would need to pull them all out to try to sort them into their correct order, she did just that until her hand gripped something smooth and hard. As she pulled it out, it seemed to be a looking glass of some sort, but it was strange. Around its handle, tied with a ribbon, was a small parchment. She opened it up and read the short statement:
Princess,
A wedding gift for you. May the Lens of Truth reveal what is hidden and help you see through what is fake.
L-
She read the short note a couple of times, trying in vain to make out the scribbled name. Looking back at it, she turned it over and tried to figure out exactly what it was supposed to do. Holding it up to her eyes, she looked around the room, but could see nothing of interest was revealed, though she could feel something in her draining as she used the object. Feeling strange, she put it down and stared at the chest.
"Oh, good," the elderly woman said as she reentered the room. "I see you found the box."
"What is all of this?" she asked, feeling Link's presence suddenly beside her, his close proximity almost a silent reminder that they were guests. "Why do you have it? It should be in the castle."
"It was entrusted to the founder of this village," the woman said patiently. "She swore an oath to Queen Zelda to keep it safe until it was needed, and when she died, the duty was passed on to me."
"But that was hundreds of years ago. You would have to be…" Zelda stopped, staring at the elderly woman who was nodding her head in confirmation. "Who… who are you?"
"Impaz," the woman answered. "I am the last full-blooded member of my tribe who remains within the borders of Hyrule Kingdom."
"A Sheikah. You're a Sheikah, aren't you?"
"I am, Princess."
"I thought the race had all died out."
"No, highness. We have simply gone into hiding."
"Why? Your people swore an oath to protect the royal family. Where were you when my father became ill? When the Twilight invaded?"
"Zelda," she heard Link caution beside her, but the old woman raised her hand to silence him.
"It is fine, Link," Impa said. "My people were all sent into hiding. After the Gerudo were banished, it was not long before other races were targeted, causing them to flee or go into hiding and cut ties with the kingdom. All throughout the invasion, I was here because of a royal order, I can't leave this place until a certain person arrives... No matter what terrible fate is visited upon it."
"Who gave you that order?"
"The woman who left this chest for you," she replied. "The previous Queen Zelda."
…
Zelda had excused herself for some air, but once outside, she had no idea where to go in this rundown old village so she began wandering without any destination in mind. In the castle, she was able to escape from time to time, sneaking out in disguise to walk around the market, looking at the sights and sounds of a city full of life. Here, there was nothing but a ghost town of empty, rundown buildings. Oh, and the cats. Lots and lots of cats.
"Zelda?"
She raised her head from her folded arms, and only caught a glimpse of Link as he looked into the bedroom before he quickly disappeared.
"Link." Her voice was soft, and she thought he hadn't heard her until he reappeared a few heartbeats later.
"I didn't see you down here," he said, walking over. "Why are you on the floor?"
She hadn't even realized she was. When she didn't answer, he sat beside her.
"Impaz insisted that I bring the chest to you. I hope you don't mind if I do it later."
"That's fine," she said. "You're still recovering."
"That, and I thought you could use a break from history lessons." There was a pause, and he gave a dry chuckle. "Queen Zelda. She keeps coming up again and again-"
"And again," Zelda joked, holding out the letter that had been in her hand when she walked out of the room. Sitting here, she had read through it a few times before pulling her knees to her chest and dropping her head in her arms. "Read this."
It had been on top, and after reading through it - multiple times - she realized it was likely the first thing she was supposed to read upon opening the chest. Although the late queen had written about many things, including the decree Link had produced that prompted their marriage, there was one thing that she couldn't stop thinking about.
"She had regrets," Zelda said as Link looked up from the letter. "Ones that we had to deal with."
"Hey," he said, setting down the letter and putting his arm around her. "We stopped Ganondorf, so I'd say we were able to put her unfinished business to rest."
"Yes, but… I don't want to have regrets." He didn't say anything, leaving her to fill the silence. "If I was still the princess of this land, or the queen now that my father… maybe I could do something great. I don't know what it means to be a commoner, let alone one on the run." They sat in silence again until Zelda asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"
"I was letting you vent," he said patiently. "But if you are looking for advice, I think you are looking at everything all wrong."
Not used to such straightforward honesty, she was taken aback. She had never been told she was wrong, at least, not in those words. "How so?"
"Well, it seems you think you've lost something," he said. "The way I see it, you've actually gained an advantage."
She gave a wry laugh. "Oh really. And what is that?"
"Freedom," he said seriously. "If you were still royalty, you would be stuck inside those stone walls, only venturing outside every, what, year or so? But now, now you have the chance to see the land and beyond. To gain knowledge and choose what your future is going to be. To be free."
"Freedom," she whispered. "Do you feel you lost your freedom when you married me?"
"Not at all," he replied. "If you remember, I was sneaking out at night and helping our citizens."
She smiled to herself while she thought about what he said. He was right. She was free now. Standing, she began pacing as ideas began racing through her head about what she could do with this newfound freedom. How she would be able to do good for her people, for they were still her people whether or not she knew she was still alive.
"You're right, Link. I want to help others, and not just Hylians. I want to help Naboo's people. Who knows how many other races are suffering? We know little of the Gorons and nothing of the Zoras." She was fired up now. "The Sheikah… if they are still out there, they should be able to return home. I wonder if there are others - oh, I hope there are."
He laughed and grabbed her hand as she walked by. "Whatever you desire, we can do it," he said.
Hearing him say she could have her freedoms and desires made her realize something. She dropped to her knees in front of him. "Link, I want you to come with me. No, wait, let me finish. I want you to join me, to help me. To be my companion and my lover, my partner and my friend, but I only want this if it's what you want." She took a deep breath and finished, "I want you to have your freedom to choose your future. Therefore, I set you free."
His expression changed from enthusiastic to hurt and everything in between as she talked, but when she stopped, he became quiet and his face unreadable. She wanted to tell him to say something, but that would directly contradict with her offering him his freedom.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat to speak. "How many times do I have to tell you that I love you?"
"I know, but this isn't what you signed up for when we were married."
"'All that the Goddesses have blessed us can be taken in an instant, but I will never waver in my devotion to you.' Those are the words I swore to you when we married. I meant them then, I mean them now and for all of the rest of my days. We'll do it together."
"Really?" she nearly shouted as she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel his arms embracing her and the warmth of his breath on her neck. It was comforting… no, that wasn't the word. It was... sensual. She pulled back and stared into his blue eyes. "I… I…" She wanted to say it; she LONGED to say it, but the timing didn't seem right.
He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and gave her a smile. She leaned in again and kissed him. It started as a gentle connection, but as it continued on, it molded into something more passionate. A sudden surprise occurred as she felt something pressing against her lips. She allowed it, his tongue, to enter and immediately enjoyed the sensation of the intrusion dancing in her mouth.
She allowed for the new sensation to continue until she had to pull away to draw breath. Panting, she looked at him and said, "I want more. Keep going."
"It would be my pleasure," he replied, before standing and helping her to her feet.
There was an instant where, as they looked at one another eye-to-eye, she feared the moment was gone. Desiring to recover the passion, she pressed her lips to his and with her own tongue, prodded his lips open. He welcomed her eagerly, and though his hands were resting on her waist, they did not move. She knew in an instant what he was doing. In the past, he had been the one taking the lead in their love-making. This time, it seemed she was the one taking the first steps. She was the one in control.
Placing her hands at the hem of his tunic, she pushed up the fabric while running her hands along his torso. It took him no prompting to raise his arms and assist her in removing the shirt. His hands returned to her waist, but this time, instead of remaining stationary, he mimicked her motions, pushing up her own tunic and undershirt together, over her brassier and then her head. "You lead. I'll follow," he whispered softly in her ear before kissing her neck in the sensitive spot that made her squirm a little.
Now that she knew the rules, she had to decide what was next. She placed one of her hands on his stomach, and his appeared on hers a second later. Moving slowly upwards, she touched his pectoral muscles. Remembering how it felt when he used his mouth on her breasts, she kissed his way down his chest until her lips found his nipple. She experimented with different sensations: sucking, licking, a little light biting, all the while pinching the other with her free hand. She couldn't be sure exactly which one had encouraged a moan to escape his lips, but she was happy to have been the one to cause it. She switched sides to give the other some equal attention before looking up to take in his placid countenance.
She waited nervously until his eyes finally opened, and he stared at her lovingly. "My turn." He moved his hands to the laces of her brassier and made short work of removing the undergarment. Once her breasts were freed, he kissed her lips before slowly making his way down her neck and her collarbone until coming to rest on her own chest. Each of his hands held and caressed her breasts lovingly, while his mouth focused on one, suckling on the sensitive nub. She gave a soft moan and her hands involuntarily flew to his head, her fingers running through his hair and pulling him closer to her. As she had done, he switched to her other breast to give it equal time and regard. She whimpered a little, needing more, and he seemed to know this intuitively as he stopped what he was doing and rose to kiss her mouth hungrily.
"What's next?" he asked her after they had separated. She smiled. The firm bulge pressing against her lower stomach was a pretty good indicator of what needed attention next.
She lightly brushed her fingertips down his torso, landing on the strings of his trousers, making quick work of undoing the ties. Her hands on his hips, she began to slide the fabric downward.
"Wait," he said before she could make another move. "Can we do the rest together?" She nodded, and he led her to the bed, pulling down her leggings and guiding her to the bed before sitting beside her and unlacing his boots. She copied him, pulling off one boot then the other before fully removing her leggings.
Both of them were now completely naked on a small bed in the middle of a nearly deserted town. She looked at him expectantly, curious to see what was coming next.
They moved together in raw and carnal passion. Zelda stopped holding herself back, including her voice as she permitted every wanton sound of arousal to escape her. "I'm com-" she began, but it ended in a scream as she reached her climax.
Link too was reaching his peak, but once she had finished, mid-groan, he muttered, "Shit!" and pulled out of her suddenly. She could feel the warm fluid spilling on her, and seeing that he was struggling to keep himself from dropping his weight on her, she quickly reached down with her free hand and stroked him through his climax. One final moan escaped his lips, and he used his last ounce of stamina to ensure that he collapsed on the bed beside her rather than on top of her.
The pair of them must have made quite a sight: naked, breathing heavily, and still connected by a clasped hand.
He sat up suddenly and repeated, "Shit," adding "I'm sorry" this time before looking around the room. Before she could even form a question, he had grabbed his undershorts, slipped them on, and stumbled a little out of the room. He was gone only a minute, coming back with a clean cloth and the bucket from the night before.
"This might be cold," he warned as he began wiping her sex. She jumped at the cool sensation making contact with the sensitive skin, which caused him to laugh and say, "I did tell you." He continued on, moving from her private region up to her stomach, so gentle.
"Did something…" she trailed off her question, not even sure what she was asking.
He gave a sigh as he finished. "I, uh, I made a split second decision without asking you first."
She sat up so suddenly and unexpectedly that his hand slipped back down to her private folds, causing him to erupt in apologies again.
"Stop. Link, what is happening?"
He dropped his head and set the cloth on the side of the bucket. Grasping both of her hands, cupping them within his own, he took a deep breath. "We haven't talked about children."
"Oh," she said, suddenly realizing why he would be so upset.
"I didn't mean to choose for you, but you had just spoken so excitedly of freedom and adventure, and having a baby would at the very least change some of our plans. I pulled out before I… released."
"You made the right call," she reassured. "I just wish…"
"Yes?" he prompted.
"...that you'd, you know, inside me."
"I nearly did," he replied. "But I don't have any of those herbs from back home." He stood and joined her in the bed, pulling her into his arms and covering them both with a blanket.
Safe in his arms, she said, "We should talk about the future. What we want, both of us, together."
"Okay," he said. "You start."
"We should wait," she said bluntly. "There's too much unknown right now other than we can't stay here, and even if we could, this is no place to raise a family." He let out a breath of air, and she could tell there was a sense of relief behind it. "What do you want, Link? This isn't my decision alone to make."
"It is," he replied. "It's your body, and-"
"Together," she interrupted.
He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze. "I would like to have kids someday. I don't remember my parents, and even though I had someone caring for me, I was never his family, not really. But that's when you want them, IF you want them."
"I watched you once, playing with kids in the castle town," she said. "You would be a good father to our children. I would like to see that someday." There was a moment of silence between the two of them as she tried to think of how to approach the other caveat in their planning.
"There's something else, isn't there?" he asked. "Is it the Ganondorf thing?"
"No," she replied. She'd forgotten about that. "If or when we do have a child, I would have to give birth in the castle grounds if we want to keep him or her in the line of succession."
"Is that in the cards for us?" he asked. "Reclaiming the throne?"
"I don't know," she whispered. "I keep thinking about how I want to help others, but all I know how to be is the princess of Hyrule."
"You are more than that," he said. "We can save everyone first and figure out our place in the world later."
…
It was unclear at what point she had fallen asleep in his arms, but she was startled awake by Link suddenly becoming very tense. She wasn't even sure what time it was, only that it was dark, as a loud noise erupted from outside.
"What is-"
"Get dressed," Link said, jumping up and pulling on his pants and tunic before he rushed out of the room.
After wrapping up in the blanket, she walked to the window to see Naboo had returned on foot and was speaking wildly with Link. He listened, but it was when he gave a start, a rare display of panic, she realized it was serious. She looked around, trying to locate her clothing that had been thrown about the room in the passion of their lovemaking session.
It took no time to quickly pull on her leggings, but the brassier took a little longer thanks to Link's eagerness in pulling it off. While she worked the laces back into place, she moved to the window to see if there had been any change outside. She was only there for a moment before she heard the voice that sent a terrifying chill down her spine.
"Hello, baby sister."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter has been edited here 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.
Also, I made a Twitter! Follow me SailorSong3. I appreciate the feedback, and I was hoping this would be a good way to interact with readers and other writers.
