Hungry fingers searched the flesh of her back and Mahila shivered from the unfamiliar sensation. Lips continued to kiss her neck as she caught her breath and sweat gathered upon her brow from the heat of the moment. She felt Link's other hand upon her thick braid and he took hold of it as if to anchor her closer while he continued to pepper her neck with feathery kisses. Their entire alluring session had only begun a few minutes ago, but the heat stirring in her body was making it difficult for Mahila to keep track of the time. She had never felt this way before, the way her body trembled at the man's kisses, how her breath kept catching in her throat or how her body unintentionally leaned more upon his.
The way he was making her feel hadn't been a part of the plan.
His hand upon her hair gently coaxed her to face him once more and Link planted a passionate and generous kiss on her lips. Mahila kissed back, eyes closed, and she slid her hand from his bare pectoral to the nape of his neck. She both felt and heard the male moan deeply in his throat as she felt his fingers smooth her skin beneath her top. His fevered kisses and seductive hands kept her close to him, so that Mahila was halfway lying on top of him. She had managed to keep her legs on the sofa, in case she needed the leverage. The way he was holding her really gave the Gerudo an idea to just how strong he really was and also how hard his toned muscles could become when he gently gripped her. Thus far his hands had not strayed to anywhere but her back, face, and arms and to this Mahila was surprised.
Men were supposed to be such savage, greedy creatures while women were the passionate, sensitive ones. The Gerudo were tightly knit and pleasure found from the body was encouraged to be explored from a young age. It wasn't unusual for two Gerudo to develop special relationships and bond in which the exploration of their bodies was an aspect of those relationships. To the Gerudo, there were nothing wrong with experiencing what they perceived as being completely natural, finding strength in embracing the exploration of personal pleasure, as long as it was kept to private quarters and did not interfere with training or study. Most of these relationships came to a natural end once a vai began to seek voe in order to bear children, but it wasn't unusual for two Gerudo to retain this bond for many years even through child rearing. Mahila once had such a relationship when she had been younger, but not since her tribe had returned to the desert, so she knew what the arousal her body was telling her. It was also customary for Gerudo within these special relationships to prepare their bodies for a voe with the aid of smooth, phallic shaped tools the Gerudo called "priaps," or more commonly known as dildos. Gerudo utilized priaps not only for pleasure but also to prepare their bodies for the entrance of a voe, so that a Gerudo's first claim would not be painful. Gerudo regarded pain quite seriously and to be hurt by a voe's sword would rouse embarrassment and shame upon a Gerudo so they took their sexual practice seriously.
Any train of thought that might have momentarily distracted her crashed and burned when Link suddenly sucked her lower lip between his, causing a surprise and breathy moan to escape from her throat. Pulling away from him only for him to follow to continue his kiss, the Gerudo trembled and a wave of heat crashed against her senses. Link kissed so much differently than how Mahila had been kissed before by her fellow Gerudo.
This was getting a bit out of hand.
Breaking the kiss completely, Mahila gathered her wits, leaned back, and opened her eyes to look down at the man. He lay there with his lips were slightly parted, his eyes barely open, and his breath was hot upon her skin. No more did he resemble the frightening creature that had fought against five Gerudo who held him down, nor did he retain the warrior trait he was known for. In that moment, with his features darkened by the shadows of the candles and eyes narrowed from the heat of their tryst, he looked mysterious and intoxicated. A moment later he seemed to register that she had pulled away and slowly he shifted his dreamlike gaze upon her face. Moving his hand from her hair to her cheek, Mahila watched as he blinked as if to try and clear his fog-thick head, but his blinking ended with the closure of his eyes.
"Zel…"
The sound came from under his breath in such a breathless whisper that Mahila wasn't completely sure if he had spoken anything at all. Creasing her brows with confusion, Mahila felt his hand fall off the side and watched his head roll back against the back of the sofa. Remaining where she was for a moment longer, one hand upon the man's torso, she regarded his unconscious state under his breathing evened out with slumber before taking a deep breath. Shaking her head to rid herself of the lingering heat in her senses, Mahila stood and calmly went over to the bed to retrieve its blanket. Returning to the sleeping Hylian, she gently draped the material over his body.
Without another glance at him, she gathered up the tray she had brought in with her, blew out the candles, and exited the room. The door shut behind her with a slight click and Mahila caught sight of the figure standing on the other side of the dimly lit hall, leaning against a wall. Even in the shadows Mahila instantly knew who the Gerudo was.
"Sav'orr, Vama," she greeted with a slight bow of her head in respect for her chief, switching from Hylian to her own language.
"Sav'orr, vehvi," Nabila returned as she stepped out form the shadows. The chief's expression was hard and serious and it was clear that for some time she'd been on edge. "Tell me what occurred with the voe," Nabile continued in Gerudo. "You were in there too long and it was much too quiet".
Mahila took a breath and glanced at the door, "I understand your concerns, Vama, and your plan was sound. As for taking too long, the drug took longer to take full effect than we anticipated. The way the voe reacted during the poison extraction… was-was terrifying, and-"
"And I am so proud of you for agreeing to going through with this possibly dangerous mission," Nabila interjected.
"It was my duty," Mahila replied, a smile on her lips at her mother's praise, "but it was all unnecessary".
"Nothing is unnecessary if it means the safety of the tribe," Nabila pointed out before she picked up a piece of fruit from her daughter's tray and popped it into her mouth.
"I know, which is why when you suggested that we drug Valqo to test if any wickedness remained in him I knew that I needed to do my part as future chief".
"So it went well?" Nabila asked, slowly chewing.
"Yes…." Mahila trailed, a blush blooming in her cheeks as she tried to retain her serious expression. "As you expected, it did not take long for the herbs to take effect with his blood loss. His senses waned as did his shields and soon truth was spilling from his lips. When I was sure that he was fully induced, I, umm… I tried as you said, to seduce him. It worked…"
Mahila hesitated, trying to find the words, and feeling the full gaze of her mother whose expression remained ever-unchanging. "Go on," Nabila gently pushed, seemingly unfazed by the content of the conversation.
"Yes, well I got close to him, spoke words of heat, and he was willing. I remembered your instructions, to plant seeds of desire into his head and to make sure that he was fully under the control of the drug in case I would need to fight him off. He tried no such thing. Even when the truths of his sexual history spilled passed his lips, he did not pursue me. Rather, he waited until I made the first move before he kissed me. When he did so, I felt no violence or malice behind his intentions, so hints of darkness as you said there could be".
"It is very true, vehvi, that voe are at their most wicked when they have a vai alone, especially a young and innocent one". Nabila mulled over her daughter's words for a moment before she nodded. "Then what happened? Why did it take you so long to exit? Did you claim him?"
"No, Vama, no…." Mahila's words came too quick and she saw her mother smile ever so knowingly. Blushing hard, Mahila creased her brow and raised her chin, "I did no such thing, but it was his strength that kept me. The drug should have made him sleep much sooner than it did, even in his weakened condition. This voe is very strong, much more than you anticipated, though his kisses and touch do not suggest this. They were… tender yet hungry, as if he had starved himself of affection".
"Hm," Nabila said simply, glancing at the closed door, though Mahila could see that her mother was impressed. "He is strong indeed, this I knew from the moment I saw him. It is to be expected from the Hylian's favourite hero. If you were to claim him," Nabila turned to her daughter, "then I would approve. Any vehvi he gives to you would be strong I am sure, perhaps even our next king". Crossing her arms, the chief raised a brow in amusement. "Would it not be poetic if the Saviour of Hyrule, the slayer of our Cursed King, fathered our next? But, the choice is up to you, my vehvi".
Nabila turned back to her young and blushing daughter and she saw that the man had already left his mark upon her daughter: she could see it in Mahila's eyes. Nabila had known a number of men as she had spent all of her life outside of Hyrule, struggling to survive along with the rest of the tribe. As chief she had been expected to mingle with voe the most in order for trade goods and she had seen firsthand the greedy, violent brutes that they truly were. This Hylian, however, seemed to be different and now more than ever Nabila knew that bestowing him with Gerudo status had been a wise decision. If Mahila claimed him and carried his child, the tribe would be in full support.
"Valqo passed his test and I can rest easy now. Come, vehvi, you have made your tribe proud tonight by putting yourself in danger. Now, it is time for sleep". With that said, the chief of the Gerudo started to walk down the dark hall and her daughter followed, although Mahila's eyes lingered upon Link's door.
/
"Your Majesty, Lord Bohdan sent you this letter with this bouquet".
"Ah, yes, thank you. Set them on the table with the others, please".
Zelda barely glanced at her maidservant when she came in with the obviously huge vase full of spring flowers that she managed to set down with the other overly huge vases of flowers. The letter aforementioned was added to the growing pile and soon the maidservant left once again. The queen was left in the quiet of her study, except for when the calm was disturbed by the stifled laughter coming from her left.
"Sir Arvid, please…."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, it's just…"
"Just what?"
"It's the fifth day in a row that the Lord Bohdan has sent you gifts".
"And your point being?" Zelda inquired, raising her brow at her knight. She saw his contained amusement and it was infectious enough that a small smile pulled at her own lips.
"It just appears that Bohdan is really trying, is all".
Arvid, with his thick chestnut hair and trimmed goatee, gave her a smirk and Zelda couldn't help but release the sigh she'd been holding and sit back in her chair in exasperation. "Ever since Link left for the desert five days ago Bohdan has not left me alone".
"I know, Your Majesty".
"He requests that I dine with him nightly".
"He has, Your Majesty".
"And alas! Those endless strolls through the gardens that he insists that we take… so much trivial conversation".
"They are lengthy, Your Majesty".
Zelda looked aside at her knight and waved him off. "Enough with the 'Your Majesty', I hear enough of that from Bohdan".
"Exactly my point. The way he says it every time, you think he was addressing himself".
"Indeed…." Zelda stared at the stack of documents that she had been trying to work through when she wiped off her quill. "Arvid".
"Yes, my lady?"
"Would you escort me to the stables?"
"Of course".
Arvid smiled wider at the prospect of no longer being cooped up in the queen's study and bowed his head when his queen stood from her chair. They had been spending a lot of time the past five days since he'd become the queen's replacement Personal Guard with Sir Link being away. Usually the Personally Guard to the queen did not need to stay at her side to such an extent, but the Lord Bohdan made it quite clear that he thought that with Link being gone that it was his chance to gain some favour with the queen. In reality, it had little to do with Link but the fact that Bohdan could do so while Arvid was there, to rub his face in it so to speak. There was also some extent of fear by the Gefion heir that Arvid did have complete access to the queen while Link was away, so in the end Zelda had been bombarded by reminders that the Gefion lord sought her thoughts.
Today the queen donned a simple blue dress and her hair was neatly done in a tight braid down the length of her back. Taking a moment, Zelda removed her royal tiara and set it in its box and closed the lid. Looking over at her awaiting knight, Zelda came to his side and walked passed and he followed. Exiting her study, the queen led her knight by her guards on duty, who bowed their heads as she passed. The woman looked aside at her knight who came to her side with and offered arm and she took it. The pair walked in silence down the halls and corridors, arm in arm. They came to the grand staircase and in sync they descended, all they while guards bowed their heads to their queen when she came near. Rather than exit through the main doors, Zelda gestured for them to take the side door which was more direct to the stables and, more importantly, she'd avoid any possible confrontation with Bohdan.
The queen kept her head high and a small smile on her face the entire journey: her posture perfect, grace impeccable, and presence royal. Arvid kept his expression proper, his composure professional, and air knightly. It was not a strange sight for a queen to be escorted by her knight, so the pair was not given any second glances. In fact, it was more odd than the queen was never seen arm-in-arm with Link more than anything.
With another corner, the pair approached the corridor that led to the stables. Out of sight, Zelda released her grip on her knight's arm and took the lead; either one of them still had yet to say a word then entire way. Only their footsteps filled the air and were soon followed by the click and squeak of the door being opened. The day outside was cloudy but warm, though a hint of rain hung in the air. Taking in a deep breath, Zelda continued to lead until they made their way to the royal stables.
At their approach, grooms stopped their work and bowed to the queen, to which she offered a broader smile. Making her way to a corral, Zelda's smiled widened and she whistled softly. The lone black stallion in the corral looked up and whinnied, trotting over to his mistress to nuzzle her lovingly. Arvid watched from a few feet back, his royal blue cape shifting in the slight wind behind him, and he smiled as his queen held her mount's muzzle against her cheek.
"I missed you too," Zelda whispered to her steed, to which she received a soft snort. Since the ambush, Zelda hadn't been allowed to ride Arion aside from within the castle grounds as per the council's request. As queen, Zelda could go for a ride if she truly wanted but she had always been advised by her father to head the council's wishes, no matter how infuriating they might be.
Stroking her horse's nose, her cheek against his, Zelda closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She had always loved the smell of a horse, how earthy and fresh it was. Since Link's awakening after the attack, she'd been so cooped up in the castle these past few weeks and it had been extremely trying. How careful she'd been to hide her suitors' intentions while Link had been in the castle, not that he had noticed with how focused he'd been on recovering. There was so much as stake, so much to consider… Zelda felt that these days she had little time to herself.
Thankfully Arvid was proving to be an excellent Personal Guard and a great friend. He knew when to be near and when to give her space. In many ways, he was similar to Link, but he also retained a level of that annoying haughtiness he had as a child. It had been smoothed pretty well over the years and he more did so now to tease her. Over the past few days, Arvid had done a pretty good job with keeping his queen smiling and happy, telling her stories of his knighthood training days and them sharing memories of their childhoods. It was nice to talk to someone about life in the castle. True that she could talk to Link about nearly anything, but they still grew up in completely opposite environments; Arvid, at least, could relate about the stresses of a noble youthhood.
Minutes ticked by and Zelda remained where she was and Arion remained still. Both seemed to be on another level with one another, exchanging feelings on a different plane through feeling alone. Arvid did not disturb them nor move, but remained where he was and allowed his eyes and mind to wander. He'd very much enjoyed his time spent with his queen, more than he thought he would. He'd been so nervous and uneasy about being one of her suitors and then being chosen by Sir Link to take his place, but it had turned out quite well. A few times over the past couple of days, they two of them have stayed up late, sharing a bottle of wine and exchanging stories and gossip. From what Arvid had learned and gained, his queen was under an intense amount of stress when it came to this whole engagement thing.
Standing there watching her and her stallion, Arvid thought back to his first night in the castle when Zelda had plainly explained her situation on the matter. They had been in her study and sharing a pot of tea when the queen brought up the subject.
"Arvid, I feel that I must make it clear to you my feelings concerning your position as my current Personal Guard, my knight, and now a suitor eligible to become my Prince Consort".
Arvid, with his teacup to his lips, felt his cheeks instantly become red and he gently set his cup down. His expression hardened and his eyes downcast. He'd feared this conversation but he knew that it was necessary. "I have been meaning to discuss this with you, my lady, but I wasn't sure what time would be appropriate to do so".
"The present is always the best time to discuss topics that make us uncomfortable," the queen said gently, giving him a soft look.
Arvid glanced upwards to meet her eye and gave his queen a small smile. "Forgive me once more for nearly bringing up the subject before Sir Link. I had no knowledge that he was not to know".
"It's not that he isn't to know, it's just that he's had much to deal with in regards to his injury that I felt it not necessary to burden his worries further". Zelda turned towards the fire, her expression unchanging. "He will know once he returns in a week, that I can assure you".
Arvid simply gave his queen a nod in understanding before leaning forward in his chair, fingers interlocked. "So what is it that you wish to tell me, my lady?"
"Well, as a son of one of the noble families you know a fair deal already, but I wished to explain everything carefully so there is no misunderstandings". Turning to face her knight once again, perfectly seated on the edge of her sofa, hands neatly placed upon one another, Zelda looked like the queen she was and Arvid responded by sitting up straighter for the serious conversation.
"I have already heard complaints from other members of the noble families and council members of your placement as my guard. I had to assure them, as I am now with you, that us spending this time together does not dictate who I will choose you to marry". Taking a small moment to take a breath, Zelda collected her thoughts before she continued. "Courting does help play a role with whom I shall choose, but there is so much more than relations that I must consider. Marriage for any monarch means politics and that alone. It is rare when a member of the royal family is able to marry for love and even then, the marriage must be worth some political gain for various parties". Raising her chin, Zelda glanced at a portrait that hung on the wall of her parents before she continued, "Take the case of my father, our late King Arawn. He married my mother, the late Queen Adelheide the Queen Mother, out of love, but she came from a noble family so the union wasn't frowned upon. Now tell me, Sir Arvid, if you recall why the Hyrulean noble families have such a title".
Suddenly Arvid found himself under the gaze of the queen and he cleared his throat as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well, if my history lessons serve me well, it stems from the Hyrulean Civil War from one-hundred and fifty years ago, give or take a few years. The Seven Noble Families chose to support and remain loyal with the Royal Family and thus were given titles and properties to govern".
"And what are the properties?" Zelda inquired.
"That's easy enough. The richer the family, the wealthier the property, or rather region, they were given. The Gefion Family, for their extensive aid and patronage that they had shown during the war, were given the whole of Castle Town to oversee, which is why now they are the wealthiest of the noble families. Secondly comes my family, the Arianwens, and we were given the Eldin Province and Kakariko Village to govern, which is why I've spent so much time there in recent years to oversee its rebuilding". Arvid took a moment to see if Zelda had anything to say but she simply gestured for him to continue. "And let's see... Third ranking noble family is the Triveni, who govern the Ordona Province. The Erall Family oversees the Lanayru Province, specifically Lake Hylia, the Amberl Family have the Faron Province, and the Tellan Family governs the Peak Province where once there was that grand mansion which fell to ruin after that huge avalanche the shut the place down if I recall. I forget what it was used for, military or something".
"And what other the rest of Hyrule?" Zelda asked gently, a small smile on her lips.
"Well… Hyrule Field has always been under the ownership of the Royal Family. And the Great Desert fell under the rule of the Royal Family too, but I think they sort of always governed it in a way. This especially became true after the Gerudo were banished from it following the execution of Ganondorf just after the Civil War".
"Recall that his execution was a failure and that he too was banished like his fellow Gerudo, but to the Twilight Realm," Zelda corrected.
"Right, yeah, my mistake. And let's see… well, Death Mountain is under the rule of the Goron of course and Zora's Domain, well… that's a given". Arvid smiled and shrugged while continuing to think hard, hoping he hadn't missed anything.
"Well done, Arvid, I see that you've remembered your schooling".
"Well, as you said, being the heir to my family this stuff is constantly reminded to you," Arvid admitted.
"Indeed. And now tell me, why does this matter in regards to my engagement?"
Ah, so this is what Zelda had been waiting for. Arvid looked at his queen, his expression even, and in a neutral tone he answered, "Who you choose to become your Prince Consort also dictates which region the castle and Royal Family will profit most from. All of the Seven Royal Families pay fealty to you, the Queen, but marrying into one of the noble families means that you will earn more profit and favour from that province".
"Exactly," Zelda said with a small nod of approval, "so you can understand how serious I must take this engagement. It not only means the gain of resources for the kingdom but also I must take into account my family's relationships with the noble families with whom there is an eligible suitor for me".
"Right…" Arvid replied, looking aside as his mind raced. He already knew the gravity of the queen's predicament but know he felt that he was beginning to fully understand. His father and family had been overjoyed when they had found out that he had been chosen to become Sir Link's replacement and that he'd be spending so much time with the queen. However, Zelda was correct. Time spent and courtship played such a small part in her decision with who she would marry, let alone feelings like affection or love. In that moment, Arvid felt a pang of sympathy for his queen and for the stress she must be feeling.
"How you managed to hide this from Sir Link, is a mystery, Your Majesty," Arvid commented before he could consider the weight of his words. He flushed when Zelda looked at him with a question in her expression and he hurriedly tried to explain himself. "I just meant, I mean, the two of you are so close, as friends of course, and yet you refrained from sharing your thoughts on the matter with him, which I assume would help alleviate any worries you might have, and-"
"Arvid, it's fine. I understand what you meant". Zelda flashed his a gentle smile before picking up her cooler tea and took a sip. Staring into the amber-coloured water, she said softly, "There is much at stake. There remains a lot to be done with Hyrule's reconstruction and I have even more plans to expand, but that costs money and resources. The Gefion Family has the greatest wealth at that is without contest. Your family has wealth also, but also access to ore through your easy trade access with the Goron and Death Mountain. The Eralll Family, with young Everard as my suitor, have the richness of Lake Hylia at their disposal while the Tellan Family, though the mansion of Snowpeak has fallen into disuse, also have access to ore and have always had considerable sway in our military. Two of the five Councillors hail from he Tellan Family with esteemed military background, for example. All four families have been in regular contact with me since I agreed to an upcoming engagement, but yes, you are correct, it has been difficult to hide it from Link this past month".
In that moment, Arvid saw the fleeting sadness break through Zelda's expression and his entire demeanour softened. He also felt guilt for unintentionally aiding in her worries, his status as a suitor. She looked… lonely, that was the best word that Arvid could come up with and his desire to protect her as her knight intensified that day and thereafter.
It made the man happy to see his queen now as she took her time to enjoy the company of her horse. No letters for her to read, documents to sign or Bohdan's flowers to pretend to be impressed by, just her own thoughts and her stallion. This is what Arvid wished for his queen, to be happy and carefree, but during his time spent with the queen these past five days have more than proven to him that there was so much to being a royal than jewels and sitting on a throne.
Just then the rain began. Softly at first, Arvid looked up to see the looming, dark mass of a thundercloud drifting ever closer overhead and he came to his queen's side. "My lady, he said softly, putting his hands ever so slightly on her arms, "we should get you inside".
Being broken from her own spell, Zelda blinked at looked up at him in slight shock, as if she had forgotten he was even there, when the rain began to pour. Quickly Arvid ushered his queen back towards the door to the castle, though she cast one glance back at her whinnying stallion who was once again alone without his mistress or his mother. The rain was quickly developing into a downpour just as the pair of Hylians made it back to the door and Arvid quickly opened it for Zelda before entering the dim hallway himself. Shutting the door behind him against the sudden gales of the storm, both were soaked and dripping water on the floor. Arvid caught sight of his sodden monarch and he needed to avert his eyes. There was something about a wet woman that could make any man blush and he dared not to stare.
"Well, nothing like a little rain to make things interesting," Zelda said casually, a smile in her voice and she wiped her face of droplets.
"Yes, my lady, "Arvid replied, flashing her a smile, before saying, "we should get you to your room, quickly, lest you catch a chill".
He watched in his peripheral his queen nod and she started to walk forward. Without warning her shoe slipped on some water pooled from her dripping dress and she flailed to catch her balance as she teetered backward.
Acting on instinct, Arvid reached out to catch her and did so before she could fall by having her fall against him rather than the ground. His hands securely upon her shoulders, he waited for her to regain her balance before he asked, "Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
Finding her footing once again, Zelda looked over her shoulder up at him, an obvious blush in her cheeks at such clumsiness, before she said, "Yes, I'm fine Thank you Arvid".
Her knight searched her face for a moment longer before he nodded and removed his hands from steadying her. She was close enough that he could smell the scent of flowers from her hair, stimulated by the rainwater, and it was plain to see with their close proximity just how her wet dress clung to every curve in her figure. Clearing his throat, Arvid cast his gaze from her and set his hands behind his back, gaze forward and he waited for her to lead.
Zelda did turn away and resumed her way back down the corridor but couldn't ignore the heat in her cheeks. The last time she had such contact with a man was... The first thing that popped into her mind was when Link forcibly pushed her away so that she wouldn't come into contact with any poison immediately after he'd been shot with the arrow. Another scene came to mind, this time more clear; when her injured knight had caught her hand from leaving his bedside soon after had awakened from his unconsciousness. The hero's face appeared clearly in her mind, his skin pale, head bandaged, yet his pleading blue eyes had held such determination and intent upon her that she had never forgotten that expression, how much he had needed her to be with him. The queen bit gently on her tongue at these sudden thoughts of Hyrule's Saviour. She also was well aware with how close Arvid walked behind her and she found that her heart was pounding and she knew not why.
/
"That's enough. Rest now".
Link dropped his guard, relieved that they were done, for his arms were beginning to feel like whipped butter. Letting his head hang, sweat dripped from his nose and his bare torso shone with a thick layer of perspiration. The heat was relentless and they had been at these exercises since daybreak. The Gerudo he'd been facing lowered her scimitars and went to have some water: the woman didn't even look fazed! Mahila, who was on the sidelines and had been assessing every movement Link made, approached the exhausted Hylian and nodded.
"You are improving, Valqo. Your speed is better than it was a couple of days ago but you still need to move your feet more. Gerudo move like the shifting sands. Hylians move like trees it seems".
Link looked up at the woman, breathing heavily, before he straightened his posture and ran a hand over his face to wipe off the sweat. "Being a tree has served me well up until now," he commented, a grin in his lips. Shielding his eyes from the harsh sun's rays with one hand, the man stuck the tip of the Master Sword's blade onto the hardened sandstone of the roof of one of the fortress' dwellings.
Mahila gave him the ghost of a smile before rolling her eyes and turning her back to him. "Enough of this chat. Time for a break".
Link grinned wider and followed the younger woman to where an awning was set up as shade and beneath it upon a rug were huge pillows for sitting, a table holding bowls of fruits, and a couple large pitchers of either water or hydromelon juice. The Gerudo Link had been facing, Basira, was downing a tall glass of water before she gave a nod to Mahila before leaving for cooler temperatures underground.
Mahila took her place upon one of the pillows, but not before throwing a cloth at Link to wipe himself off. The man caught the material before it hit his face and proceeded to wipe himself down.
Mahila watched him intently as he did so before she commented, "Hylians are so odd. You sweat like animals and turn red so easily under the sun".
"How very observant of you," Link replied sarcastically, rubbing the cloth behind his neck. Going over to another table, the knight set the cloth on his shoulder so he could have two hands to slide his sword into its ornate sheath. Setting the sword back on the table, he returned to rubbing the back of his neck, which did have a bit of a tingle from the sunlight. The Gerudo fought with minimal clothing, only donning what they deemed as necessary, so it was expected of Link to follow suit. Currently he was dressed in pants worn by the Gerudo themselves, which were baggy and made for easy movement and he had continued to tie his long hair in a ponytail. Today he also wore a headband to spare his eyes from most of the sweat the formed on his brow. His torso was bare save for a spaulder that Mahila had given him, the only piece of armour she would allow him to wear. It was similar to the one he had been wearing for the last month and this one worked the same, to protect his injured shoulder.
The wound was doing so much better. The herbs that Mahila had dressed it with had closed the injury up and it hadn't bled since the night of his poison extraction six days ago. He still had it bandaged to stave off infection and Link hadn't completely earned back all of his movement in his left arm, but there was definite improvement. The spaulder aided in protecting his shoulder and the armour was also imbued with sapphires, which actually staved off a lot of the heat of the day. Link had learned a lot about the Gerudo over the past six days, so much that each night his head felt like it was going to spill over with all of the information he had to register.
The morning after he'd endured his poison extraction and had become a member of the Gerudo, things had been a bit fuzzy. He didn't remember of the night before aside from what happened when the poison had been taken out of his shoulder. He'd been told by Nabila that his blood loss had made his pretty weak and they'd given him an elixir to help him sleep. It must have worked because he'd had a very good sleep that night. Mahila actually had let him sleep in an hour longer that what the Gerudo usually awoke at but that had been the extent of her going easy on him. She'd been instructed by her mother to make sure that Link experienced Gerudo daily life and that he learn as much about their culture as he could handle. That meant that his days were regulated by a strict schedule. Mahila came to wake him each morning before dawn so that they could join the rest of the women to enjoy a quick morning meal. After that Mahila would lead Link to the surface where his training to learn Gerudo swordsmanship and techniques would begin until noon. On the first day the Hylian had tried to use a scimitar but after nearly chopping a Gerudo's leg off, it was decided that he remain with his Master Sword. Once the midday sun became too unbearable to train under, they would break for a meal before mingling with the other Gerudo so Link could observe and learn daily life. This included helping the women draw water from their secret underground wells, learning to weave tapestries and baskets, and other mundane tasks. However, it was discovered on the first day, much to Link's embarrassment, that male Hylians do sweat much more than the Gerudo. So after training under the burning sun for hours and working up a thick sweat, he didn't smell too nice after it all.
Mahila was the first to note that he stank and lead him to the lowest level that he'd been to in the fortress, which turned out to be the coveted oasis that ensured the Gerudo's survival in the harsh desert. When Link first had entered the unexpectedly large cavern he was amazed at the number of natural stone pools tiered in three or four different heights, all varying in size.
"These are the bathing pools," Mahila provided before shoving fresh garments and a towel into his arms. "Be quick and bathe, voe, and know that you should not come down here without me".
At first Link didn't understand what she meant but then looking at all of the empty bathing pools, he suddenly pictured dozens of naked bathing Gerudo and the man became very glad for the low light of the cavern. Mahila had left him after that, simply gesturing to where he could find oils and scrubs to clean himself with. Link was left all alone in the bowels of the Gerudo fortress to undress and slip into the warm waters of the natural spring-fed pools. So everyday, after sword training, Link was given private access to the pools to bathe so that the Gerudo women didn't frown at his "voe stench". After he was clean, he could carry on with learning the Gerudo's culture.
At the end of the day Link would spend time with Mahila and she'd teach him the Gerudo language, stories, their folklore and history. They had spent a lot of time together these past few days and Link couldn't help that for the first two Mahila had been very distant to him, cold even. He had no idea why but he figured it was because she didn't fully approve of him being a male, which he could understand. Eventually though, she seemed to warm up to him and now they could even joke amongst one another and Link felt comfortable with her to ask as many questions as he wanted. Mahila was a very good teacher he'd found out.
Tossing his cloth into a basket that would be taken away to be washed, Link finally collapsed onto his big pillow and couldn't help the sigh that seeped out of his breath. From being able to train minimally for the past month to going hard for several hours everyday for the past six, the hero's muscles were screaming. Thankfully soon he'd be going for his bath and the waters of the pools had natural properties that really helped loosen up muscles.
Reaching over to grab a glass of hydromelon juice, Link sunk in deeper into his pillow as he drank deeply. Mahila watched him the entire time and had to fight back the urge to smile when the man dribbled water all over his chest. She'd certainly become more comfortable with him these past few days, though it was still difficult to not think about the way he had kissed her…. or held her…. or how his chest felt under her fingertips….
"Mahila? Did you hear me?"
Link watched the woman snap out of whatever thought that had stolen her away and she looked at him with wide eyes that quickly turned into irritation. "What do you want?" she said harshly, but Link was getting used to Gerudo sternness.
"I asked if I am ever going to face you with the sword," Link repeated, his brow raised with amusement and curiosity.
"Oh," Mahila replied with a blink, before she scoffed and popped a piece of fruit into her mouth. "You are not skilled enough to face me," she said haughtily, a smirk in her lips. "Perhaps once you have healed I will face you, but until then I would have you beat within minutes".
"Now that is a challenge that I'd love to prove you wrong".
Link's grin shone with determination and it finally coaxed a half-smile from Mahila who waved him off, muttering something about "voe" under her breath. Chuckling lightly, Link focused on drinking some more and digging into the fruit provided. Training under the sun really worked up an appetite and it wasn't long before his thirst and hunger were sated. Mahila ate very little and seemed very caught up with her own thoughts, so Link chose to leave her be. Glancing at her, he could see that her expression seemed to be torn or that she was in indecision about something.
Leaving the woman to her thoughts, Link took another bite of his Voltfruit and stared up at the endless blue of the sky. He'd been really enjoying his time here in the desert, though a part of that could be attributed to the fact that his shoulder was better. At night when he was settling into bed and after Mahila had bade him goodnight, his thoughts usually drifted to the fact that for over a month there had been some sort of tangible darkness hiding deep inside him. Once he had managed to ask Nabila how he hadn't been more affected by it and she surmised that it was because he always had the Master Sword close. This would entail that the darkness had a sort of intelligence, that it knew to hide until he got angry, and that prospect disturbed Link. He was assured that the poison along with the darkness had been burned away, but the knight couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd missed something. It was odd but every time he would think about the poison hiding in his system or how at times the shadows around him seemed to darken, a small warning flag would appear at the back of his mind. Link didn't know why and he had no one to ask. Nabila had no answer but Link could tell that the Gerudo chief had much on her mind. In fact, since he'd been here Link had rarely seen the chief. When he had asked Mahila about it, she had only vaguely answered that her mother was busy with the elders. Link didn't know what that meant but there were many aspects to Gerudo culture that he was only learning about so he didn't press the matter.
"Let's go".
Link hadn't even noticed that he'd closed his eyes and he jumped a bit when Mahila's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts. Blinking, he saw that she was already standing and was looking at him with an impatient expression. Hands on her hips, the noonday sun directly above her head, she looked very much like their interpretation of the Goddess of the Sand and Link felt slightly intimidated.
"Ah, yeah, I'm coming," the man managed as he scrambled to his feet. Coming to stand next to her, Link was once again reminded that his height of 5'9" was no match to the natural stature of the Gerudo. Mahila wasn't the tallest in her tribe by far but she still had a solid four inches on him. He had to tilt his head up to meet his eye but he had to squint against the sun so he couldn't read her expression.
The woman didn't say another word. She only turned her back to him and started towards one of the hidden stairways that lead to the subterranean levels. Gerudo were at ground level, more or less unaffected by the heat, but once the pair descended out of the sun there were many more women bustling about in the midst of their daily chores. It was moments like these that Link was able to simply observe the women with their guards lowered. There were no children, unfortunately, at least none that Link had ever seen. The babies who had been born in recent years were kept from his sight, though Link understood this. While he had been accepted into the tribe, those babies were more precious than water, gems, or gold to the Gerudo. Having been banished completely diminished their numbers and from what he had learned from Mahila; she actually was one of the youngest Gerudo aside from the infants.
It was actually quite sad. Link hoped that over time his presence would become more accepted and the Gerudo more comfortable with him because he'd like to see the children. He'd always loved children, he missed the kids back in Ordon, and it wasn't unusual for him to play with the children of Castle Town when he had an afternoon off. Still he was doing his duty as Zelda's ambassador, for all of his time spent in the fortress meant that relations between the Gerudo and the rest of Hyrule would slowly turn towards the better.
Continuing down the steps, this journey was a familiar one already to the Hylian and soon his nostrils were filled with the metallic steam of the bathing pools' cavern. There were two torches marking the entrance and few lamps strategically placed around the pools so that there was a moderate amount of light. For the most part, however, the pools were dark and only their steam was illuminated.
Link entered the cavern and went over to where he knew he could find fresh towels and he'd simply wear his current pants back to his room where he'd change into a fresh pair of trousers. He expected Mahila to turn and walk away immediately like she always did, but she lingered in the entranceway. Link didn't notice her standing there until he was already removing his spaulder.
He paused, the spaulder in his right hand, and he actually looked around in confusion before meeting her eye. "Is… there something you need or…?"
Mahila said nothing but continued to look at him and the light cast upon her face from the torches made it difficult to discern her expression. After a good moment, she turned her back to him and walked away, leaving the Hylian thoroughly confused.
"Okay…" he mumbled to himself, shaking his head and continued to undress.
Mahila confused him a lot and while he enjoyed her company as his teacher, he wasn't sure whether or not they were at friend level yet. It was almost like he was spending time with two different people who looked identical, because sometimes she could be quite pleasant to be around while at other times distant and cold. Link usually associated this with general Gerudo toughness but he did have his doubts that perhaps she just didn't like him that much. Not that he could blame her, he was after all a man, a Hylian, and even with his Gerudo status he'd always be an outsider to an extent.
Frowning in the dim light, Link untied his long hair and slipped off his trousers, tossing them onto a stone bench before setting his towels on the side of one of the pools. His naked body, hardened by numerous hours of training, tanned from the desert sun, and marred by scars of varying size from his status as a hero and knight glistened in the lantern light as steam dappled his skin with water droplets. Stepping into the warm, soothing waters of the pools, Link gingerly and stiffly lowered himself in, tensing at every complaint his aching muscles made, until he could finally sink to his chin and drift backward. When his head softly met the other ledge of the pool, the knight found a natural groove on which to sit on and made himself comfortable. His shoulder length hair floated around his head and the man sunk even lower so that the water was just under his nose. He didn't have long to relax but he could at least take a few minutes and allow for the tension in his body to unwind.
It was probably the mineral properties of the water but they really helped with aching muscles and healing cuts. Link's shoulder was looking better each and every day. He hoped that when he returned to the castle tomorrow, that he wouldn't need to wear a bandage anymore. He planned on leaving at dawn or soon after, so that he could reach the castle by midday. There would need to be a lot done and he hadn't even been able to check on Epona at all during the week, he hoped she was okay. When he did get to the castle there was so much he needed to go over with Zelda.
The thought of his queen brought her face to mind and Link slightly creased his brows. His eyes had grown accustomed to the cavern's light and he could see the shimmer of the light's reflection upon the surface of his pool. He'd been thinking a lot of Zelda as of late, more than usual, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Perhaps it was because he had doubted her trust right before he left and it was lingering guilt that kept her face close to his thoughts. Perhaps it was because it had been some time since he'd been away from the castle for this long… actually, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd been gone for a week. His life was completely centred around his duties as a knight and on Zelda herself.
Wherever she went, he went. Whatever she did, he was near. Whatever she said, he overheard. She was the adventure he'd been missing when he had returned to Ordon Village. All of the evil had been vanquished, peace had been restored, but she was the key to Hyrule's future and as the kingdom's hero and saviour, Link had dedicated his life to protecting that future, to protecting her.
Zelda was smart, beyond wise, honourable, courageous, respectful, studious, kind, patient, curious, funny, beautiful, soft-skinned, always smelt lovely, graceful when she walked, the way her body moved was like music, how silky her hair was, her smile….
Link's eyes snapped open and he shook his head in the dim light, though that did little to deter the bright blush that burned in his cheeks. He must've begun to drift off in the warm waters but that did not excuse the course his train of thought had begun to take. Such thoughts were inappropriate, disrespectful, improper, wrong.
"Wrong?" he mumbled under the water, causing bubbles to break the calmed surface. Creasing his brow, the man considered that word and why it confused him so. Thinking of his queen while he was alone in the bath was inappropriate, no doubt about that, so that made such thoughts wrong, but on the other hand, reflecting on Zelda and her beauty… that wasn't wrong. She was beautiful, she was brave, and wise and graceful and she was perfect in almost every way.
"Ugh…." Link groaned and leaned his head against the back of the pool's wall. Wiping a dripping hand over his face, the man mumbled to no one but himself, "What's wrong with me? That's the better question," before dropping his hand with a resounding splash throughout the cavern. What was up with this his head recently? He usually was so good at not thinking, at keeping quiet, having a level head, and generally maintaining control of himself.
"Too much sun," he mused dryly, frowning up into the dark shadows of the rocky ceiling. Sighing begrudgingly, the man finally convinced himself to start washing before he ran out of time completely. He hoped that he'd occupy himself enough that his mind would calm down. Retrieving the provided soaps and oils, the man made fast work of scrubbing himself with the elements that helped give the Gerudo their impossibly soft skin that resisted the sun. Rinsing himself off, the man heaved himself out from the pool and to save his dripping, naked body from catching any chill, he quickly wrapped himself up with towels and began to tackle drying his hair. Knowing that he was running short of time, he made haste in slipping on his Gerudo trousers and just as he was fixing the band around his waist he heard footsteps approaching the cavern's archway.
"You better be decent," Mahila's voice rang out before she came into the torches' light.
"Yeah, yeah," Link replied, struggling with slipping on his shoes while still towel-drying his head and shoulders. Looking up at the Gerudo, wet bangs before his eyes, he saw her with her hands upon her hips and the same expression she had earlier before his bath. Even now he couldn't quite describe what it looked like.
"Hurry up," she stated briskly, one of her eyebrows was raised ever so slightly.
Link knew better than to keep any Gerudo waiting. Finally getting on his sandals, he gathered up his wet towels and his spaulder and hurried over to her. Tossing the towels into a basket that was collected at the end of each day, he came to her side. Immediately she turned and led him towards the main stairwell. She told him to hurry as she proceeded to the main dining hall while he rushed to his room to properly change into another pair of trousers, his cotton shirt, and his usual boots. The day then proceeded as usual with Link observing and participating along with the daily lives of the Gerudo. It was all rather time consuming and soon Link found himself alone with Mahila in his room, going over Gerudo grammar and nouns.
"Bird".
"Ah… vu… vuse?"
"No, it's vure. Are you even trying?" Mahila frowned at the man, who sighed and reached up to fix his ponytail.
"I'm sorry, it's just… I've been kind of distracted all day," he said, leaning back against the wall and adjusting his seat on the pillow. Mahila sat opposite from him and between them was a low table with a placement of tea for the both of them. "Maybe I'm just tired. Or, perhaps it's because I'm heading back in the morning. I don't know".
"Hm," Mahila said simply, lounging on her side and looking up at him with bored eyes. With one arm supporting her head, the other casually on her side. Her fingers tapped her hip impatiently and she furrowed her brow. Slowly she sat up and looked at him hard.
Link suddenly felt very uncomfortable under her intense stare and he became very much aware that he couldn't lean any further back because of the wall. "Yes?" he asked in an unsure tone, giving her a curious look.
The woman continued to stare at him for a full minute longer and the tension in the air became thicker. Link refused to say anything but his expression became more incredulous and confused, while Mahila's remained ever unchanging. Without any indication, Mahila finally settled back with her arms crossed as if she'd come to a decision.
Link couldn't take it anymore. "What the fuck is wrong?" he said in a louder voice than he had intended, but granted he was very confused and slightly unsettled.
Seemingly amused by his response, Mahila smiled and it took a moment for Link to realize that it was one of the first he'd ever seen her make. Gerudo were quite serious and while Link had seen their more tender side, Mahila hadn't completely showed that side of her to him yet.
Until now, it would seem.
"I have made a choice, Valqo".
"Have you now?" Link replied skeptically, not understanding at all where she was going with this.
"Yes, I have," she said with a nod, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.
After a moment of nothing, Link frowned and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Go on…" he pressed, his patience running thin.
Tapping her fingers upon her arm in a rhythmic motion, Mahila took a moment before finally saying, "If you accept me, I wish to claim you, voe".
Silence filled the room, an awkward silence. Mahila watched calmly the series of emotions that flashed on his face as registered what she had said. First she saw his confusion, then she saw his memory activate as he recalled what claiming meant. Then the repercussions of realizing what claiming meant settled in and this was clear by the bright blush in his cheeks. She then watched him began to stutter, reach up to run his hand through his hair nervously, turn away from her and fumble with words to respond with.
Seeing him struggle was more than amusing for Mahila, but she relented and began to explain. "Calm yourself before you faint," she said, which earned her a blushing scowl from him. "Let me explain," she continued, but not before taking a sip of her tea and prolonging the tension.
Link fought the urge to pout or scoff or run away but simply stared at the woman while his heart hammered. So many questions had suddenly filled his head but he was choosing to remain his silent self to allow for Mahila to explain. Still, this was crazy…
"You do recall what claiming means, do you not?" Mahila asked to cover her basics.
"Yes," Link replied through gritted teeth, the heat in his cheeks was intense.
"Then you understand what I am propositioning," she replied as casual as can be.
"Yes…" he said again, swallowing hard, before he was able to continue, "but what do you mean by me accepting… that?"
"Well when a Gerudo vai chooses a voe as her claim, the voe still has a say in the matter. If he declines then that is his choice. Bearing children is a two person agreement after all".
How is she being so calm and casual about this entire thing? She was acting like they were talking about the weather, not sex and procreating. Gripping the fabric of his pants intensely, Link's thoughts were racing faster than Epona in a full-tilt gallop and he had to take a deep breath to steady himself. This was really happening, wasn't it? They were actually having this conversation.
"Why me?" he blurted out, unable to contain himself.
Unfazed by his bluntness, Mahila simply shrugged and said, "If you were wondering, it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you are the first voe I have met. Really it's really quite simple: I am the next in line to be chief and Gerudo chiefs are supposed to be strong and excellent leaders. There is no doubt of your strength and you have already proven yourself to be a noble warrior. So, logically, any child begotten by you would be strong and that is an attractive attribute to any Gerudo, including myself". Mahila gave him a patient moment to digest her reasons and he seemed to be handling it better than she expected. Men, she had heard, were simple creatures when it came to difficult matters so she was utilizing her mother's advice and was trying to be patient and using small words.
"Huh," the man finally said, leaning back against the wall.
"If you are worried about your love for your woman beyond the desert, do consider that jealousy is not common for Gerudo. Most voe that Gerudo claim are already married to another with families and-"
"Wait, wait, what do you mean 'my love for my woman?'" Link interrupted, the heat in his cheeks burning ever stronger. "I don't- who are you talking about? I'm not in love with anyone".
This statement seemed to catch Mahila off guard and for the first time her casual demeanour broke a bit. That is until she smiled smugly and shook her head; she knew but she couldn't tell him that she knew. Her brows narrowed and she pointed her finger accusingly at him as she said, "It is not for me to say you who you love but at some point you will realize how many lies you are telling yourself. If you want the truth, you must ask your own heart, don't ask me". Her sudden burst of passion quickly simmered from her features and Mahila took a deep breath to calm herself.
Before Link could manage a retort she held up her hand and said, "Before you jump to conclusions, consider what I am truly offering. Since you have been accepted into our tribe, if I were to claim you that would mean that you could lay with me anytime you are here".
Well that shut Link up. Mahila was more than happy to continue explaining.
"And besides, your status as your queen's knight centres your attention to the Hylian fortress. Your life is there and you will always remain a simple visitor to our fortress, so if you were to give me a child you would not need to give it any mind at all".
"But how does that even make sense? I still would come here because I'm still the queen's ambassador," Link blurted out, trying to make sense of all of this. "I'd still see my… my-"
"It's simple, really. Claimed voe do not ever meet their children. The only voe who does would be our king," Mahila explained as if this was common knowledge.
"But I would still come here…." Link repeated, growing more anxious and irritated by the second. Did she seriously not see that her logic didn't add up?
Mahila looked at him, confused by his impatience, before she slapped her knee and shook her head. "Oh! I see what you mean. Yes, while you are the only voe who has ever been invited into our fortress aside from our kings, you would never know who your child was for many years until after they are born".
"Why not?" Link asked, his tone missing the hint of his embarrassment of the entire situation, because his brain was too focused on the prospect of having a child but not knowing them. That just didn't make sense to him. Every parent deserves to know their children and while he admitted that the Gerudo had their own unique culture concerning this with the omission of father figures, why wouldn't he know his child? Before this moment Link hadn't given a lot of thought about having his own children, but hearing that he wouldn't be allowed to know any child he'd have with a Gerudo just sounded wrong to his him. If he had a child with a Gerudo, that is…
Mahila seemed ignorant of his internal plight when she began to explain. "Gerudo daughters, when they are born, are raised by the entire tribe. Every vai is a vama, a mother, to the child and as a community we raise our children. The vehvi, or child, is not told which vai is her birth mother. The vai always knows which vehvi is truly hers but she is forbidden to reveal this".
"But why? That doesn't make sense, or well the communal child rearing does, but I mean…. You know who your mother is", Link replied, trying to find the flaws in Mahila's logic.
"I didn't say that the child never knows who their mother is," Mahila stated, an arch in her brow. "The main reason why our daughters are not told who their birth mothers are is so they can have normal childhoods. They all learn the same, are equals, and this is so that none are given special treatment if one of them is to be the next chief. There is no favouritism amongst the Gerudo".
"Okay… so when, or how, did you find out that Nabila is your mother?" Link asked for his curiosity was stimulated.
"She told me," Mahila said with a sigh; men were so dense. "As I said, girls are raised as equals, but there comes the age when they must be suited for individual roles: to become warriors, weavers, mothers, and so on. At the age of ten, a vai finds out who their mother is and then they can choose their own paths, except for future chiefs. I have no choice in my future, I know who I shall be, and so my training under my mother began and my childhood ended".
Link wet his lips and cast his eyes aside, thinking about all of this. This information was huge and he could tell that this was precious information closely guarded by the Gerudo. In a way he was honoured that Mahila was telling him all of this for it helped him better understand the desert tribeswomen. On the other hand, it still highlighted the main issue that plagued him and slowly he was able to form his next sentence. "So this means that my dau- I mean, any child fathered by me I would not know which one she is, until she is ten?"
That was a problem Link never thought he'd have to concern himself with. How did this happen? Not that long ago they were going over Gerudo verbs and Link was terrible at it, yet now they were more or less calmly discussing having children together. His thoughts were becoming even more frantic until Mahila spoke and it caused him to catch his breath.
"That is correct, but only if your child is a vai. If you were to give me the next king, then that is a different situation".
The knight's eyes widened at her words. He hadn't even thought about that and Mahila clearly saw that he hadn't.
"When our king is born, the child knows from the moment he opens his eyes that he is king. He is given every luxury and everyone's concern, for he is so precious to our tribe. The vai who is his mother acts as his personal guard and no one is allowed to come near him as an infant. As he gets older, his training as our king begins from the moment he can walk and speak. He knows who his close kin are: his mother, grandmother, sister, and so on. It is very important for later when our king begins to ensure his lineage and fathers children. Gerudo are very careful about our blood relations, especially now that our tribe has become so few". The woman sighed and for a moment Link saw legitimate sadness in her features. "I have never known a king and it has been so long since we have had one. Now that the Cursed King has been vanquished by you, every night we pray to the Goddess of the Sand that the next child born will be a voe".
Once again silence filled the room and the only thing that moved was the flickering flames of the few candles in their lanterns. Both of them seemed to be deep in thought and bit by bit Link's anxiety tapered off until his heart had settled back into a more normal rhythm. The knight faintly jumped when Mahila suddenly stood and collected their tray of tea. Their eyes met and the Gerudo actually gave him a soft smile.
"I do not expect you to give me an answer anytime soon, but I hope that you will think about it all. I'd imagine that with your titles of a knight and a hero, that having a family must not be high among your responsibilities. So, at least, think of my offer as an alternative". With that said she headed towards the door. Her hand upon the handle, Mahila turned back to him and in an even tone she added, "You might consider your position as your people's ambassador. If they were to hear that you have fathered a child to the Gerudo, would it not improve relations between our peoples? That even the Hero of Hyrule has accepted our tribe to the point that you would bestow us with a child? Think about it".
With that last carrot given for his mind to chew on, Mahila exited the room and left the knight with his thoughts.
Any prospect of sleep seemed impossible so Link robotically organized his items and donned his Hero's Clothes in preparation for his departure in the morning. His mind was a tangle of conflicting feelings and emotions. His entire week amongst the Gerudo felt like the distant past, a more innocent time when he didn't have children so heavily weighing upon his mind. He tried to consider Mahial's words from every angle. He admitted that her proposition for him to father a child whom he wouldn't have anything to do with did align with his fears of settling down. She was also correct, of course, that his duties centred around the kingdom, the castle, and on Zelda and he really didn't see the family life anytime in his near future.
Pausing in his adjustments of his greaves, Link narrowed his eyes when his queen's face filled his mind's eye. He hadn't really thought about her during his conversation with Mahila and a pang of guilt filled his gut because of it.
"Why though? Why should thinking of her make me feel bad?" he said aloud but there came no answer. "Heroes don't retire and settle for a mundane life," he mumbled to himself, recalling those exact thoughts when he had returned to Ordon. There had been a time when Link had wanted a family and to settle down. Now, however, thinking back to his recovery from the Dark Arrow taking it easy for a couple of weeks had nearly driven him insane from boredom. "I can't be a father," he admitted to himself and that thought made him sad. His own father had been stolen from Link, him and his mother, and realistically Link didn't know the first thing about fatherhood. "The best father figures I've had are Rusl and the Hero of Time". Sighing, the man felt the full weight of his adulthood and the complicated decisions that came with the age. "I guess she could be right, about it being good for relations between the Gerudo and the rest of Hyrule," he whispered, thinking of Mahila's last words. "I'd have to ask Zelda-"
The idea of discussing and possibly asking the queen of Hyrule if he could father a child with a seventeen-year old Gerudo woman suddenly smacked him in the face and Link felt sick from uneasiness. "This is ridiculous!" he shouted from exasperation and collapsed on his bed. "This is crazy…" he mumbled in a much softer tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. As a professional knight and ambassador, such matters he would need to discuss with his queen, but as Zelda's friend and… Well, that just made the subject matter more than a little awkward. "Am I actually considering this?" he wondered, blinking incredulously up at the ceiling. What if Zelda thought it a good idea? Then he'd be obligated to follow suit, but that would mean having sex with Mahila to get her pregnant.
"I need to get back to Hyrule," he said dryly, his mind suddenly very tired with the surprising amount of politics that came attached to the possibility of him sleeping with the Gerudo chief's daughter.
Collapsing onto his bed, his eyes lowering from his heavy thoughts, Link felt the tug of sleep and he felt grateful for the escape from his worries. A moment or so later, a loud, authoritative knock came upon his door and Link jumped in surprise, half drawing the Master Sword. Collecting himself, the knight sheathed his sword as he called out for whoever was disturbing him at such an hour to come in and he blinked in surprise when it was Nabila. A sinking feeling came to his stomach when he saw her serious expression. Was he in… trouble?
"Lady Nabila," he greeted, bowing his head slightly though he kept eye contact.
"Valqo, there is no time. I am glad to see that you are already packed for I need you to come with me. The sentries upon the walls have reported a possible sign of danger and it involves you as you are representative to the Hylian queen".
"What is it? What's wrong?" the man replied, already standing and ready for action.
"There are a number of riders approaching from the western mountains. They are not Hyruleans and are headed towards us, though I expect that they are actually headed towards the border of Lake Hylia and the rest of Hyrule. I can assume that you would be the best to handle these… strangers".