Through Hell or High Water

by Della Ithilien

Zelda lived a normal life in Hyrule when she is told to move to live with her wealthy father, the Governor of Windfall Island. But when pirates intercept her ship on the crossing, she starts to question everything she believes. And Zelda is sure the Goddess hates her when she realizes that pirates are far more complex than the simple monsters she'd been told stories about.

2. Chapter 2

Much to Zelda's surprise, The Epona was very much like The Wanderlust.

Day in and day out, Zelda and Paya stayed out of the way of the crew while they worked to keep the ship sailing smoothly ignored almost entirely from the moment they were settled on board.

Zelda watched the riggers climb up the precariously high ropes, she watched the navigator and the helmsman work the wheel. She watched everything. The only difference between this crew and the crew of The Wanderlust was the lack of decorum that these people seemed to have.

Now, Zelda had been raised in polite society, where gentlemen were courteous, and women were respectable. But she noticed that this was distinctly not the case aboard this ship. Men and women alike cursed as if they were paid by the word.

They went about their day in distinctly fewer clothes, some days with their shirts tied around their heads to prevent the sun from beating down on them. Some days, they were covered, but in their own personal ensembles. Never in a uniform, as the Hylian Navy men wore.

There were scantily dressed woman, though it was not as she'd heard tales of back home—these were not ladies of the night. They were simply warm from the work, and cared little that they bared their shoulders, or wore wraps that bound their chests for support with nothing else over it. While Zelda hadn't imagined that the female crew was out there wearing a corset like she herself wore, she never thought she'd visually see confirmation. She averted her eyes from the majority of the crew on most days anyway and tried to attune her ears to the waves rather than to the shouts and voices from the crew.

And it made her sick.

Literally.

Like when she'd been aboard The Wanderlust, Zelda's place had quickly become as far out of the way, and close to the rails as possible. The constant sway was something that she figured she'd never get used to at this point. The roll as waves hit the ship made things worse. Her eyes were crossed from the constant motion, and her head did little else but spin. Her head rested down on the wood, and her eyes drifted shut, utterly weak from it all.

Which is why, at first, she thought the voice she heard was simply in her head.

"Oh, Mipha was right. You do look fucking horrible."

No, Zelda's brain said hastily. You'd never think such foul language on your own!

Her eyes slowly opened, blinded by the brightness in the sky, and then was gradually darkened by a figure in front of her. His voice was familiar, and though it had been days since she'd heard it, it wasn't a voice she would have been quick to forget.

"Mr. Woods?" she asked, trying to clear her vision.

And sure enough, the man who'd taken her off The Wanderlust was kneeling before her, watching her with his piercing blue eyes. Like Captain Urbosa's, kohl surrounded them, making them pop even more. Now that he was in front of her, she could see just how long his blond hair was, though the majority of it was kept away from his face by a bandana over the top of his head. His skin was tanned from the days outside, and there was a fine sheen of sweat and sea spray that had him glistening in the beams of the sun. Unlike some of the others, he actually wore a shirt with a scandalously low neckline, though it was one of light linen that she could practically see through.

It's how she saw his arms were covered in tattoos, tattoos that spread from his chest to his knuckles.

His lips were chapped raw, and she was momentarily distracted by one of the long scars that can along the entirety of his jaw, over his lip, and up to his cheek. And while his appearance was marred, it was his personality that was everything they'd described of pirates back home: frightening with a wretched thirst for violence and destruction, and a foul mouth dirty enough to shock the Goddess's greatest nemesis, Demise.

He looked dangerous, littered in scars as he was. He looked wild; long hair and tattoos that covered his arms, even his neck, piercings in several holes on his long, pointy ears, and rings that took up almost every finger. She half expected claws, as she'd been led to believe pirates had, but his nails were so short they were barely visible. And to her utter surprise, he looked almost soft; his intense eyes weren't as sharp or cold as they had been the other day. But besides that, he was every bit the opposite of every Hylian she'd ever encountered, and just as frightening as she remembered.

"Mipha said you've not been eating or sleeping?" His voice snapped her out it. "You're making this worse for yourself, you know."

"How does Miss Mipha know that I haven't been sleeping?"

She turned her head, though the motion made her queasy. Paya shifted uncomfortably under her stare. "Well, I had to get your tea from somewhere last night, and Mipha helped me find it."

"So Miss Mipha is a rat. Lovely."

"It's my job to know about the people on board," Mr. Woods said, comfortably leaning against the railing.

Lovely, she thought. His job apparently entailed being in others' business, murdering entire crews on other boats, and kidnapping.

"Great. Soon a pirate crew will know far more about me than I'd ever care to admit to such wretched thieves."

Woods was unaffected. "If it makes you feel any better, I also like tea. So now you know just as much about me as I know about you."

Zelda glared at him, but her body was too weak from her constant illness and lack of sleep that for now, glaring was all she could do.

He took her silence as an opportunity. "I see you're still upset about the… manner that you were brought aboard."

Scoffing, Zelda managed to make a disgusted face. "You threatened to kill my lady's maid and I. Yes, I am still 'upset,' Mr. Woods."

"You can call me Link."

"I can also call you Mr. Woods."

He smirked again rather than responding, that crooked smile of his that would have had her charmed if he was anyone but a filthy pirate and her captor at sea. But that same smile did little but aggravate her, and made her wish he'd said something, anything at all in its place.

Paya sat up a little straighter in the silence and looked apprehensively out to sea. "Would we truly have been killed by your crew? Or was that a ruse to get us aboard?"

Link didn't hesitate. "We would have done whatever was necessary to get Miss Nohansen aboard. And we still will to keep her here."

Paya gasped and turned her whole body away.

Zelda, however, was still too sick to move, so she shot Link a disgusted look and reached out a comforting hand to Paya. "Was that your version of an apology? It happened to be, without doubt, the worst I've ever heard, if it was."

"And I worked so long and hard on it," he said with a bemused snort.

"Your sincerity is apparent. I expect nothing less from someone like you."

Link turned towards her, lazy and almost bored in his stance.

Zelda felt the weight of his eyes on her, and the pressure of them forced her attention to him. "What?"

"What do you expect of me, Miss Nohansen?"

"I expect to be returned home."

Link turned around so he could lean back against the rail, making himself comfortable. His head lolled towards her, like he was lounging on a summer's day.

She scoffed. He had no intention of answering her. Again. "How far are we, then? From Windfall? How long?"

"Do you intend to ask me these questions until we arrive? I don't control the tides."

Zelda rolled her eyes and pushed stray hairs behind her ear once again.

Link, Zelda, and Paya were all silent for some time. Zelda watched Link carefully but was surprised when he simply closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the breeze caress his face and play with loose strands of hair.

He let out a deep breath before turning back to Zelda, his eyes darting over her. "Come with me, and let me help you with that nausea."

She leaned back over the railing, pushing back the hair that had begun to stick to her clammy skin as waves of sickness washed over her again.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Mr. Woods? That I'd go anywhere with you? A murderer."

He was unaffected. "Take your maid to Mipha then, I don't care. But believe it or not, Miss Nohansen, I don't want any harm to befall you. It's not in anyone's best interests."

"Then let us go. Please." Zelda pinched her lips and made a face. The word hurt to even say.

Woods pointed out to sea where an endless horizon of blue swallowed the world. "You want us to let you go now? Really?"

"Mr. Woods, I don't find your attempt at humor amusing in the slightest."

"Forgive me. I'll attempt to do better in the future."

Zelda scoffed and glanced at Paya before turning back to the intruding presence. "Do you know what I expect of you, Mr. Woods? I expect you to one day hang for your crimes against me, Hyrule, and the Goddess."

Link let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's an awful lot to answer for. Do you even know my crimes?"

"Piracy," she answered quickly. Too quickly.

"Well, obviously," he chuckled.

"That's the only one that matters."

"Worse than murder?"

Zelda didn't bother answering that. It was implied, of course, that High Seas Piracy included murder. Zelda swung her hair over her neck and turned, determined to ignore him this time. But when he didn't leave, she turned to glare at him, throwing every piece of pent-up rage into that one look.

His lips tipped up, and he bowed his head to Zelda and Paya before heading back down the steps as he disappeared toward the lower deck.

"Miss," Paya said, scooting closer. "Don't even bother indulging him in conversation. It's what he wants."

"To what end?" Zelda asked, pushing her damp hair from her face again. It was relentless in its persistence to cling to her. "Does it even matter?"

"Just don't. Keep your honor and I'll keep mine… no matter the cost. This won't change us, Miss. Don't let him try to deceive you."

Zelda's eyes snapped up at the sound of a snort. Urbosa was standing nearby, clearly eavesdropping. She'd barely interacted with Zelda, despite the fact that they were sharing her Captain's quarters at night. Two hanging hammocks in the corner of the room that swayed with the ship for Zelda and Paya, while Urbosa, somehow so attuned to the sea, had an actual bed.

Urbosa leaned over a barrel. "That man is the one you want on your side, Miss Nohansen. I'd suggest keeping us both happy."

"I'd rather die," Zelda muttered.

"What about your friend?"

Zelda hesitated. Obviously, she didn't want any harm to come to Paya.

"Here."

Zelda jerked her head up and saw that Link had returned. With a quick glance at the sun—which was her attempt to see if time had passed, as if she could tell this on her own without a sundial—she examined his outstretched hand. He was holding bread.

"Don't feed her, Link," Urbosa laughed. "She wants to die."

Link didn't lower his hand. "Mipha just gave this to me. Eat it. Despite what you might believe, eating will help settle your stomach. And sleep. You're in the Captain's Quarters. Best seats aboard. Surely you can sleep."

"Oh no, that one is awake all night," Urbosa said, gesturing to Zelda with a laugh. "Her eyes catch the moonlight, and I can see her staring at me sometimes like a cat. Very unnerving."

Wearily, Zelda took the bread from Link, but her arms thudded down into her lap. "I cannot sleep. Not while I'm surrounded by pirates. Murderers, thieves, and whatever else you might be; I certainly don't feel comfortable closing my eyes around any of you."

"The other one can sleep," Urbosa said, nodding her head at Paya. "She clearly doesn't care."

Link made himself comfortable on the deck, sitting beside Zelda's feet and leaning his head back, like he was grateful for a rest. "I know you doubt our honor, Miss Nohansen, which is fair. We did steal you away. But if you believe us to be nothing more than money-hoarding brigands, trust in that. You're worth more alive, and healthy, and unscathed than anything. Your father will pay more for your safe return knowing that you're untouched, unharmed, and untainted by our evil ways. So, rest assured: no one here will be touching you. I'll see to that myself."

"That's not something you can promise for Paya though, is it? She's in an incredibly unsafe place." She tore a piece of the bread and gently nibbled on it, suddenly incredibly aware of how hungry she was, but determined to remain the civilized of the three of them. So she handed Paya a piece, needing to even the odds against Link and Urbosa. "And surely, you cannot speak for this entire crew, Mr. Woods. Surely there are those who do not agree with you."

Link chuckled and turned his head to her. "Actually, I can speak for the entire crew."

"If you're not Captain, what is your role aboard this boat that gives you oh-so-much authority to speak for them all?" She took another bite.

"Boat," he scoffed, as if that had been the most insulting thing she'd ever said. He looked at Urbosa in disbelief before turning back to Zelda. "I'm her quartermaster. The crew is my responsibility and my priority. Their needs, their disputes, their pay. And as their pay involves you…" he stopped and made a face. "So you'll want to eat that whole thing."

Starving. She was ravenously starving. But his words struck a nerve, and she set the bread back down on her lap, determined not to take another bite in his presence. "I am not one of your crew, Mr. Woods, so kindly refrain from ordering me to do anything."

"Last I checked, you're not in any position to be making demands."

Zelda leaned forward and dropped the loaf of bread into his hands, though she lamented its loss deeply. "Then you may take your food back, and I will gladly wither away in this spot, thus lowering your ransom price to nothing. I am not interested in being your hostage, nor am I particularly inclined to cause my father embarrassment or shame for being so easily controlled by some brigands."

He pried a piece of the bread off for himself and another for Urbosa before holding it up to Zelda again. "I must have been at sea for longer than I thought. Here I was thinking you to be one of those rich, sheltered fools raised to be obedient to the letter of the Goddess' every whim. I'm glad I've been misled. I do enjoy a good sparring match." He set the loaf firmly into her hands. "I'd recommend eating this slowly, and then retiring for the night. You'll get your sea legs yet."

He rose to his feet and grinned as he walked away. It wasn't until Link was back on the deck, back to whatever it was that he did all day, and Urbosa had returned her attention elsewhere, that Zelda finally took another bite.

And later that night, Zelda did try to sleep. The hammocks mostly made for an easier time than sleeping on the ground. Except when the boat and the hammock occasionally went out of sync, thanks to Zelda's thrashing.

Which, of course, led Zelda to feel nauseous.

She stumbled out of the hammock and went onto the deck so she could get over the rails in time. Coughs pulled at her throat, and her stomach churned, but nothing came out. There was little more in her stomach than a few pieces of bread, and none of it came up, for which she was immensely thankful. Her body didn't lack for trying though, as she jolted forward, thinking she was due for more nausea, but was simply her body responding without any reaction.

It wasn't until she felt the cool sea breeze and night chill that she remembered she was in little more than her shift with every member of the nightly skeleton crew staring at her.

Zelda managed to stagger back into Urbosa's room and close the door, but Urbosa had already woken up at the banging Zelda had caused. Though Paya slept straight through.

Urbosa's green eyes narrowed. "Little Bird, you're not pregnant, are you?"

"What?" Zelda asked, gasping in true shock and horror. "Goddess, no!"

Urbosa simply shrugged. "You're sick all the time. And if you pregnant, I need to know. It's for your safety as well as mine when I deliver you to your father."

"Do you think that I am some loose woman? I am not!"

Urbosa closed her eyes. "It's alright if you are. Loose women have far more fun. And you'll find far worse in this world than a woman having a bit of fun."

"I am ill. There is also nothing wrong with being unable to become accustomed to the rocking of this ship. And I'll thank you not to imply I am anything other than a respectable woman ever again."

"You think you are ill, but you are not. You're determined to be sick, Little Bird. Your mind is playing with you. You refuse to relax. You refuse to eat. You refuse to sleep. Now, your mind wants you to be miserable, just like your body does. It knows that if you allow yourself to feel comfortable and just look around, you'll see that we've done nothing but take care of you since you came aboard. And then you'd realize we aren't the monsters you've been told stories of. All of that scares you far more than you believe, so you're making yourself sick to hide from the inevitable truth you'll realize eventually."

"And what truth is that?"

"That monsters and men look the same. And it's far more difficult to tell them apart than the stories lead you to believe."

---

Zelda sat in her usual place on deck the next morning, listening to a light tune coming from somewhere at the front of the ship, soft and melodic that wouldn't disturb anyone with a fuss, but gave those working something to listen to.

She could see crew pulling at rope lines, and one of the navigators was at the ship's wheel. How they knew where to go in the vastness of the sea was beyond her, but she gathered it took years of practice and trust to be one such crew member. And she'd heard stories back home of the most talented members of a crew being conscripted into forced service aboard a pirate ship. Perhaps this was the case of their navigator?

"How do you think they remember their way, Paya?" Zelda asked, barely turning her face.

But she didn't need to see Paya to know that the girl was scowling. "Why would you want to know such a trivial fact? They likely stole maps and learned from there."

"Yes, but he has no map. If I were to get a map and unfurl it, could you tell me where we are? Because I'll bet he could."

"I could not, Miss. That's not the job I was trained to do."

"Oh, Paya. You're no fun. We have a journey ahead of us still; you could at least indulge in something to pass the time, even something as trivial as wondering where they learned these trades."

"Captain Urbosa gave me a book. I'm perfectly satisfied using this journey to read it. And you should find a task less… consuming, as well."

"Speaking of consuming," Zelda muttered, grabbing her skirts and standing. Paya followed suit, close on Zelda's heels as they headed below deck to the crew mess. There were some of the crew mulling about, some working on some task Zelda couldn't discern, and some who simply appeared to be having a long chat.

Mipha, the ship's cook and—surprisingly to Zelda—surgeon, was preparing a meal for later in the day, humming a shanty to herself that Zelda found melodious and unusual in the most intriguing way. Mipha had one of those voices; she was soft and sweet, barely a whisper at times, even when fierce and commanding. Zelda knew many like her back home, and it gave her the distinct impression that Mipha had perhaps once been from Hyrule herself before joining a pirate crew.

But Zelda had only spoken to Mipha a few times, and it had always been just to get some food that she'd eventually return.

And though it was long past the bell that signaled the meal, Zelda cleared her throat, and Mipha spun around.

"I'm so glad to see you're up and doing better!" Mipha said after she examined Zelda quickly.

Zelda knew that this morning, her clammy forehead wasn't nearly as bad, and that her dizziness was simply from want of food, not the abhorrence of it.

"Yes, I am as well. Paya said you provided her with some extra food for me last night. Thank you for your help."

Polite. Zelda knew how to be polite. Mipha had, in fact, done very little beside feed her extra bits that had been left over from the meal. But Mipha seemed the most like Zelda and Paya. It was almost as if she could imagine that she came from a prestigious family and had been taken against her will. Mipha was easy to talk to, if only in the way that one feels companionship with a stranger one might have just met at a market stall while reaching for the same piece of fabric, conversation arising simply out of a singular shared interest.

And it was for that reason that Zelda found herself blurting out a question. "Forgive me if this is impertinent, but are you related to the navigator on this ship? You both look so alike."

"Miss Zelda!" Paya chastised, but Mipha simply giggled.

"Yes, that's Sidon. He's my little brother. Quite the navigator, isn't he? Perhaps it's a bit biased of me to say so, but he's quite talented! Very familiar with the sea, well-versed in cartography, familiar with weather patterns, and has a sense of direction was unmatched by anyone else on the crew. Don't tell him I said that. He blushes when I boast about him."

Mipha was a short girl whose fiery red hair was matched only by her brother. But unlike Sidon, who appeared to have a standard outward excitement level of a puppy meeting a stranger who was willing to pet it, Mipha was far more reserved. It didn't mean she didn't like to talk, though, and it seemed that in Zelda, Mipha had found a willing recipient of her conversation.

"Did you come aboard this ship together? You sound like you're from Hyrule."

Mipha grinned and glanced over Zelda's shoulder for a moment before taking a seat. "We were! And we did. Our extended family owned an apothecary on the outskirts of Market Town, and I worked there while Sidon was in the Naval Academy."

Despite Zelda's burning curiosity, she couldn't bring herself to drop her propriety far enough to ask how proper Hylians such as they were ended up aboard a pirate vessel. So instead, she asked the next best thing.

"We missed breakfast. Is there anything you can spare?"

And then, for some reason, Zelda's politeness had turned into her and Paya staying beside Mipha while they ate rather than returning above. It turned into Mipha cooking while she spoke about the meals she'd been serving the past few nights and how sick of that she was.

And that turned into a story about a crewmate who had fought with another over rations, which had turned into a story about how often there were fights about the meals, which had turned from a story into a conversation that Zelda willingly participated in, much to Paya's dismay as she sat behind them, disapprovingly.

Later that night, Paya had tried to talk Zelda out of spending any time with any of the crew, even Mipha, but Zelda found something in herself that had been suppressed at home. Something she longed to indulge.

Curiosity.

"You see there?" Mipha asked the next morning when Zelda and Paya had joined her again after the morning meal—though it was evident that Paya wanted no part in that conversation and was only there to watch Zelda. Mipha was pointing to one of the burly crew members who had a wild blonde beard who was mid-conversation with Link. Zelda nodded.

"That's Daruk, a carpenter. He deals a lot with repairs, maintenance, and building anything. He joined the crew with Link, so they're rather close. But Daruk's been training Yunobo, and Yunobo hasn't been doing very well. So, Daruk sent Yunobo up to fix one of the yardarms as practice, but when one of our crew went up to the rigging, oh, maybe a day or two later, it snapped from a poor fix job. Two others were injured. Naturally, Captain was furious and—"

"Two others?" Zelda asked, interrupting. "Who went up there in the first place? What happened to them?"

Mipha gave Zelda a patient look. "He didn't make it, Miss Zelda. A fall from that height? Never. And no, you didn't know him. One of the two who was injured can no longer walk, so he's on Outset now."

"Outset?"

"Island. It's our main port. Some of our crew has family who lives there. Run by pirates, guarded by pirates; Hyrule hasn't been able to infiltrate us yet. It's where we're going now to wait for word from your father regarding our terms."

"We're not going to Windfall?"

"Not yet, Miss."

Zelda sighed, her body sagging in miserable acceptance. "Well, what happened then? To Mr. Daruk and Mr. Yunobo?"

"So," Mipha said, leaning forward. Her eyes flickered to Link in the distance, causing Zelda to follow her gaze. "Link is in charge of crew discipline, you see? With a disaster such as that, we thought for sure Yunobo was done for. But because of Link's friendship with Daruk, and his trust in his word, Daruk promised that such a mistake would never be made again. Link offered one more chance to Yunobo on his word."

Zelda watched Link laugh with Daruk, leaning against a beam as it seemed they were deep in conversation.

"You said Mr. Woods is in charge of discipline? What would have become of Mr. Yunobo?"

At that, Mipha's eyes darkened. "Yunobo is young, and Link would have likely kicked him off the crew and let everyone on the beach know of his incompetence. It would prevent him from finding another crew. But as I said, Daruk wanted Yunobo to have one more chance. So he took the punishment for himself, as the one responsible for Yunobo's education. Poor Link, you could see him in nearly as much pain as Daruk as his friend from that lashing."

"Pain? Sure, no one likes a good lashing, but…" Zelda stopped herself as her mouth dropped. "You don't mean a verbal lashing, do you?"

"No. More like a flogging, Miss."

"Goddess, that's barbaric," Zelda whispered, far more confused as she watched them laugh together. "And Mr. Daruk forgave him?"

Mipha stood up, and Zelda followed. "It's his job, Miss. It's like if I gave you food or healed your wound. That's my job. Link is a kind man. He's thoughtful, a bit brash and perhaps too carefree, but he knows when to put that all away for his job. The crew here makes no mistake of thinking they're free from repercussions just for being his friend. He's fair in that way. We look to him."

Zelda could never imagine being close to someone, someone like Paya, laughing and telling stories, and then needing to switch to being a harsh disciplinarian. She had to look away from him, afraid her face would betray her thoughts while she processed them. Because who other than a pirate could do such a thing?

And then she remembered her governess, Impa. She'd remembered the harsh tug on her wrist as she was dragged out into the streets at a young age to see that they'd set her sheets outside to dry for all to see that she'd once been a bed wetter. She remembered running to Impa when she'd found out her best friend was moving away, tears streaking down her face, and again, there was a stinging burn on her cheek as Impa's hand came down hard because adult ladies do not cry when the Goddess calls one to a new life. The Goddess' will came before all personal attachments, and like the Goddess, sacrifice was necessary.

And then Zelda remembered sitting by the fire, working on her embroidery with a smile as Impa told her she'd done a good job and that she was proud. And the crushing disappointment she felt when she'd messed it up, and Impa had sat beside her while they undid several hours' worth of work to fix it together. Or the way they'd held each other tight, separating from that familiarity for the last time with a mix of relief and apprehension coursing through Zelda as she finally let go.

It made Zelda sick to realize that she perhaps did understand complex relationships with those one lives and works with. She wanted to see nothing familiar, nothing humane about these pirates. But talking with Mipha reminded her of when she'd spend hours with her best friend, Mila, before she'd moved away. And Link could act like the gentlemen she knew back home when he wanted to. And though Urbosa was unlike any one person she knew at home, she could see humanity in her eyes.

Zelda had to remind herself that Mipha was a wanted woman, that she was not her friend, but a pirate. That Link had violence within him, violence that he didn't hesitate to draw upon when he needed it. That Urbosa was a captain of a pirate ship for a reason, elected by other thieves because she provided them with prizes for the taking at sea, prizes like Zelda herself.

As Mipha spoke though, she'd begun to pack some of her things and walked into the interior of the ship, a place Zelda had forbidden herself from wandering into alone. So with Mipha unaware that this was new territory for Zelda and Paya, she led them inside the depths of the ship, towards Daruk and Link, as she spoke.

Link and Daruk watched as they all moved further into the interior, stopping just in front of them.

"You're talking about us," Link said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, of course we are," Mipha said with a bright, unapologetic smile. "Miss Zelda's feeling quite better, and then we decided to have a good chat about the two people who are being roadblocks."

Zelda was grateful for poorly lit conditions that plagued the areas below deck because her face flushed almost immediately at the sight of Link's cursed smile. And damn the Goddess for making that man's smile something that set butterflies out loose into her stomach. If ever there was a test set for her by the Goddess, it was this: that her kidnapper, a man meant to be a monster, did not have rotting flesh from too much time at sea, nor was he missing his teeth, his arms, and his soul. And now that she wasn't leaning over the rails every moment of the day, she'd had the opportunity to realize that.

He was an attractive man, as appealing as any Hylian she'd ever fancied in passing. And it churned her stomach in a way that had nothing to do with seasickness.

"You're feeling better, Miss Nohansen?" Link asked, angling towards her with that smug smile. "Should I expect to see more or less of you on deck, then?"

Thankfully, Mipha stepped in before Zelda could respond. Her mind had gone devoid of any witty or cruel remarks in that moment.

"Oh, don't make fun of her, Link. You shouldn't have the time to see her at all if you're actually doing your job."

"Mipha!" he gasped, a playful look on his face as he dramatized his movements. "You wound me with such an accusation."

"What exactly do you do, Mr. Woods?" Zelda asked sharply once she'd moved past her hazy thoughts.

Link simply took a step toward her though he didn't respond or move. She stiffened in anticipation. He raised an eyebrow, almost as if telling her to wait.

"Link!" a voice called from behind not a moment later, and Link's smile grew smugger by the second. "We need more barrels. The last ones we got were shoddy and unfixable, and we've lost about a day's water thanks to one of them."

"Daruk?" Link asked, finally turning around.

"The boy is right. Rotted through, lucky they haven't broke before now."

Link nodded to both of them. "I'll make note of it. Thank you, Yunobo." And when he disappeared, Link turned back to Daruk. "And you didn't think to grab a few from The Wanderlust? Tell me sooner next time. We're fortunate we're nearly home."

"Of course, Link. I'll take a full inventory of anything we might need."

"Get him in line, Daruk, or I will. I can't have you doing double the work because he can't."

"Yes, Link. He's improving, I swear."

"I want to see results soon, or the next voyage will be his last."

"Yes, I understand."

Link nodded and turned back to Mipha and Zelda. "Excuse me. I need to go speak with Urbosa about a few things apparently." His eyes glistened as he looked directly at Zelda. "About you, specifically."

Zelda attempted to maintain her neutral expression. "It seems only fair, given that Miss Mipha and I were having a chat about you, Mr. Woods."

Link chuckled. "You are the only one who would call her pirate kidnappers and ransomers by proper titles. You can drop the formalities, Miss Nohansen."

"I'm not like you, Mr. Woods. I was raised to be proper at all times, not to be some loose-mouthed common woman with no manners."

"Gossiping with the cook, Miss Nohansen? You like us loose-mouthed commoners far more than you dare admit, even to yourself. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Mipha scoffed, "Did you just refer to me as 'the cook?'"

Link laughed again and shrugged. "You are, though."

"Very well, Quartermaster. Go enjoy your talk with Captain, Quartermaster."

"Mipha," he cooed in a sing-song voice. "You know my love for you knows no bounds."

"Away with you!" Mipha laughed, blushing. She turned to Zelda, expecting to see a smile, but was met by confusion instead. "Oh," Mipha added hastily while Link and Daruk stood there still, "He's not serious! I know in Hyrule, that's a bit taboo to say, but here it's common."

"Ah," Zelda managed, though it was hardly a sound.

Zelda stepped aside for him to pass, and her eye caught Paya's, who had been standing by the wall watching Zelda protectively the entire time. It was enough to strike a realization that Zelda should have been standing beside her, not Mipha. She should have been watching the conversation with the same horror on Paya's face. She should be whispering with her lady's maid, not with the cook.

And that didn't escape Paya's attention.

Link nodded to all three of them, though his eyes lingered on Zelda just a little bit longer. "Ladies," he said, walking away with a swagger in his gait that had Zelda's eyes following him as he made his way above deck.

And Zelda cursed the Goddess as he walked. Why would a benevolent god give a person feelings of physical attraction to one who kidnapped her? Why would such a god make a man so simultaneously frighteningly deadly, and yet confusingly kind? And why would such a god allow Urbosa to be right: she'd been told stories of monsters, but she was surrounded by nothing more than men.

It was only later, when Zelda had left Mipha to her work, that Paya dragged Zelda out into the sunlight to her spot out of the way of the working crew and held Zelda's hands tightly. Zelda could feel them shaking.

"Miss Zelda, I beg you not to keep speaking with them. You're not sick any longer. Let's find you a book in Captain Urbosa's library and ride out our journey in silence."

"Aren't you slightly curious? What are they doing with those ropes? Why are they washing the deck when we're at sea and it's already wet? How does one go from a citizen of the crown to a wanted outlaw? You don't want to know?"

"No! And neither should you, Miss. We learned what we need to learn back home. What brigands do with rope is certainly not something you should concern yourself with, nor is it a thought I hope ever crosses your mind again! I know you're inquisitive by nature, but you must learn to temper that into something that won't lead down a dangerous path."

"Shall I plan a party for them, then? I was taught how to do that."

"No, of course not! But perhaps you might spend some time thinking of what you will do for your father as thanks for the money he will have to pay. Or your fiancée. I'm sure you can think of him. A nice dinner, perhaps? A gathering to meet the locals?"

"How can one think of someone when they don't know a thing about them? Oh, his name is Lieutenant Rivan, that's so much to go off of. My father told me nothing but that he's a man of honor who has his respect. How does one daydream of honor, Paya?"

"Miss Zelda!" Paya gasped, surprised by her flippant tone. "You shouldn't be daydreaming about anyone, not even the Lieutenant, as I would assume he's not dreaming of you either. It's highly improper. You have enough to go on to know that you'll be happy, safe, and protected. You're fortunate in so many regards, and the Goddess asks us to sacrifice for her. This is your sacrifice as she sees it, Miss Zelda."

"Protected? We're on a ship surrounded by pirates! If Lieutenant Rivan or my father wanted me safe so badly, wouldn't they have come to fetch me themselves? At least one of them?"

"The Goddess wanted it to be this way, Miss. We just have to trust in Her plan for us, whatever it may be."

It was everything Zelda had been taught in all her years, by all who've instructed her. The Goddess laid out her path. She would be in a well-regarded family, as a daughter to the governor, she'd be listened to. As the wife to the Lieutenant, she'd be respected. She would never shame her family's name with scandal. She would never dishonor her father's hard-earned position. She'd behave, and the Goddess would reward her for her sacrifice.

Zelda had accepted that. She understood that.

But it wasn't something that came naturally to her. Her inability to stay quiet had earned her a mouthful of soap more times than she could count. And while she'd never cursed, speaking out of turn was a far worse crime in the eyes of a polite society, especially as someone in proper Central Hyrule.

"You're better off not getting too comfortable with them," Paya warned before leaning out over the rail.

So, Zelda joined her, fiddling with the lacy cuff of her sleeve as she stared at the horizon. The world tuned her out, and the Goddess was deaf to her pleas. Paya gave her no other options, and the pirates were everything she knew she needed to avoid.

And never before had Zelda been surrounded by so many people in a single place while feeling so utterly alone.

---

Responses to Reviews from Previous chapter: Queen Emily: YASSSSS URBOSA HAS SUCH CAPTAIN VIBES I'M HERE FOR IT! Oracle of Hylia: YESSS FINALLY! Guest 1: YES THIS IS THE PIRATE AU! I'm so pumped to finally get around to it! Guest 2: I now have an entire playlist of pirate music to get in the zone, and Pirates of the Caribbean is just blaring through my brain now! But WINDWAKER YASSSSSSSSS! (that's just my support for Windwaker there) AndrewPixelKnight: Thank you! Jojoker: YASSSSS LET'S GOOOOOO I'M HERE FOR THIS! CAPTAIN URBOSA AND PIRATE LINK FTW!