To Travel Through Time
Chapter Three
A/N: Shonen Ai! Finally! Well, if you don't like attempted boy/boy kissing, please don't read this chapter, or the rest of the story. There will be a lot of it, along with other things. No bad, R-NC17 stuff, if you know what I mean, unless I tell you.
There are some suggestive scenes here, so be careful.
Disclaimer: Zelda- not mine. Story/new characters- mine. Easy enough, hm? ^_^
~*~
The room was silent; it was as if every person in the room knew of the Hero's inner turmoil. Link knelt on the dais, his eyes glued on the boy before him. His fingers itched for his blade, although he knew he could never bring himself to use it, even if he did have it. The Gerudian prince appeared to be no more than seven or eight years old. When they said he was a child before, they weren't kidding.
As Link stared, keen red eyes locked with his. Link gazed back. He remembered them. The thought made his stomach churn. He'd never been this close to the Gerudo for so long, especially unarmed.
"This is the Hylian you wished me to see, Sister?" the boy said at last, in Hylian, regarding Link curiously. Someone stirred to Link's side.
"Yes, Mandrag," the distant voice from before remarked. Link was certain it was Nabooru, but for some odd reason, he couldn't turn his head to look. He and the Gerudian boy were locked in a silent, unintentional staring contest.
"Why is he so important?" Ganondorf inquired, somewhat haughtily. "It is nothing but another Hylian whore."
Link growled, faintly at that comment. He was about to speak up, but was stopped by a heavy blow to the back of his head. Ayana snarled at him in warning, before grabbing his collar, forcing his head up. The movement put his rival in direct view again. But, the look on his face surprised the Hero. It was one of complete astonishment.
"Ayana, " Nabooru admonished, stepping into Link's line of vision. She appeared to be the same age as in his time. She was, however, decked more lusciously than he remembered.
The woman stepped between the Hero and the Gerudian boy. "You know I do not want such acts to take place here. The Hylian has a right to speak in this conclave, I've told you that."
"You have to keep them in line, especially this one," Ayana remarked. "He never keeps his tongue."
Nabooru only glared at her over the Hero's head. "I will have you dismissed if you keep this up."
Ayana's voice became very subdued as she spoke, "As you wish, Mistress." She let Link go, unexpectedly, causing him to fall to his knees on the dais. The fall knocking most of the air out of the startled Hero, it took Link a moment to gather himself before looking up again. Nabooru still stood between him and the Gerudian prince.
"That was unnecessary, Ayana," she scolded, before gazing down at him. "You probably wish to know why you're here, correct?"
Link nodded, cautious.
"Well, it is because of a prophecy."
The Hero remained silent, gazing upwards. He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Ganondorf had inched around from behind Nabooru and was watching the scene with great scrutiny.
Nabooru glanced to the side also, but said nothing. She continued with her story. "Although you presumably think it foolish, we Gerudos do have prophecies, and we pay close attention to them. There is one, however, that you might be interested in. It states that if a Hylian, of the pure breed, happens to appear at the Fortress during the first ten years of a King's time, that there shall be glorious triumph in the later years, as long as the golden one stays. So, as you can see, those who believe take great joy in your arrival."
Link caught the meaning of the last sentence. "You do not believe, then?"
Nabooru didn't reply. She only shifted her eyes to the windows. "As you can probably imagine, you will be staying here for some time. My people want to finally have an admirable reign," her gaze turned back to him. "Although I believe that it has already started, you shall be kept here in order to pacify."
Link got the picture. "So you're saying that I'm to be kept here as a talisman?"
Nabooru remained silent. Nevertheless, that serenity gave the Hero the answer. After some time, she did speak. "I will have Ayana take you to your chamber-"
"Hold on a minute," Link remarked, his gaze bending towards the young prince. "I am only supposed to bring you good luck by being here? There is no interaction?" Link had an inkling that that wasn't true. He could tell that by the way a shade seemed to fall over the woman's features, as she followed his eyes.
Ganondorf, not liking being stared at, stepped backwards a bit, looking very uncomfortable.
"No," Nabooru remarked briskly, noting the effect Link had on the prince. "None whatsoever." She was lying, Link could see, although she was very good at it. It was if she wanted him to stay as far form the royalty as possible. She seemed very apprehensive about him even looking at Ganondorf. Link could only imagine how she'd act if the two interacted on a regular basis.
In a way, he was pleased that she'd decided to keep them apart. He didn't want to have to spend time with the Gerudian boy. Yet, at the same time, something was stirring in the darkest recesses of his mind, making him want to spend time with the youngster. He didn't know what it was, but he did know that it was starting to become bothersome.
For the first time since he'd been dragged in, Link actually studied Ganondorf. To the Hero's immense astonishment, he realized that the boy he was looking at was not in the least the same as the man he knew. He was actually quite small, for his age, and very thin. He had the trademark tawny complexion and a full head of red hair, which was cropped at his shoulders. He also had a palpable innocence about him that stuck Link as odd. 'Who would've thought…'
The boy noticed Link's inquisitive eyes and fidgeted uncomfortably, looking away. He glanced back, shyly, after a moment, and, noticing that his gaze was still on him, looked away again. Link almost laughed.
'So,' he thought, 'the great King of Evil was once a shy little boy, hm?'
*
The room was alive with action as Ayana pushed Link through the door, closing it behind him. He appeared to be in some sort of bath, where all the other men were bathing in a large pool. Some scantly clad Gerudo maids sat at the side, helping them wash. The men seemed to be in complete ecstasy, which made the Hero sick. There was so much flirting and even some coitus that Link turned away, ignoring the bathing water. He had no wish to share it with those whores, both the male and the females.
They'd been there for nearly a week, and still there wasn't an auction. Link started to grow impatient. He was sick of watching as the men were pampered, and was very tired of such open copulation. The Hero was starting to hope for the auction increasingly more.
"I thought you'd never get here," Nanthal's voice called from behind him. Link spun around and saw the older man sitting in a corner, under a window, by himself. He motioned him over and Link obeyed. "How has life been, hm?"
Link shrugged, happy to find someone who was behaving themselves. "I can't say much. I do have my own room, though, but I am constantly visited by Sarea-"
"Your mate," Nanthal interjected, smirking.
Link sighed, heavily. "Yes, my mate."
"Do you know this profound language yet? I would think that they would teach their Oriole," the name was spoken with evident sarcasm, but Link chose to ignore it.
"They have. For the last few days, Sarea has been teaching me."
That was true. And the lessons were quite peculiar. Link found out that Sarea knew the Hylian language perfectly, but chose not to speak it. Therefore, instead of verbal lessons, almost all of it was done on paper. She would write down the Gerudian word, say it aloud, then she would write the Hylian word beside it. Link would then have to repeat it, then copy the word in ink. They did this for hours at a time, and the Hero was getting quite good at it.
Nanthal nodded after Link explained. "Quite an interesting way to go about it," Nanthal smiled, wistfully, "I used to be a teacher, you know."
Link nodded, as the man continued. "Who would have thought everything would have ended like this, hm? To think, I've been through the death of my father, and the death of my first wife, and now here I am, thinking my worst thing in my life is being a prisoner in a race of females."
As Nanthal spoke, Link realized something. In his time, all these men would most likely be dead or imprisoned. They would have already been through the auction, also. The very thought was dumbfounding. Who would have ever been able to contemplate such an extreme as time travel?
"Well?"
Link started, focusing back on Nanthal, who regarded him curiously.
"Well?" he repeated.
"I'm sorry, I was listening," Link confessed.
"Well, I was saying," Nanthal replied, good-naturedly, "actually asking, what about you? Can you tell me about yourself?"
Link shook his head, slowly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Link opened his mouth to speak, but shut it immediately. He couldn't say anything. Who knew what would happen if he told anyone? He could mess up the whole fabric of time if he wasn't careful. Yet another burden on his weary shoulders. "Let me just say, I've worked with the sword for some time."
"Mercenary?"
"Sort of…"
Nanthal shook his head. "I can see that's all I'm going to get from you. Maybe we can finish this later, hm?"
"Perhaps."
The two fell silent. In order to block out the other activity, Link glanced out the window they sat beside. Outside, in what appeared to be a courtyard, he saw someone he didn't expect to see.
Standing beside a black foal, was the Gerudian prince. He was holding the creature's reigns, and appeared to be talking to him. Nabooru stood close by, her arms folded over her breast.
The young stallion tossed his mane, appearing to motion in Link's direction. Ganondorf's eyes followed the motion. Red eyes touched blue briefly, then, almost immediately, the child looked away. Tugging on the reigns, he quickly led the young creature out of view. Nabrooru glanced up as he left, and quickly followed, not even bothering to see what upset him.
In the brief exchange, Link felt his heart leap up into his throat. Was it fear? He didn't think so. He'd felt fear before, many times. It had to be something else. But what?
"Wonder what that bastard's doing so close to the prisoners?" Nanthal's voice broke through the Hero's reverie. "I would think they'd keep their precious little king away for here, don't you?"
Link glanced over at the older man. "Why do you call him a bastard?" This question escaped his lips before he could stop it.
"Why shouldn't I? Aren't they all? And to think, genius, he's the reason we're here in the first place," Nanthal replied, caustically.
"Well, that's no reason to be insulting."
"Insulting? To a Gerudo?" the man snorted. "I was wrong, you can't be a mercenary. You're too kind-hearted. Anyone who feels compassion for these devils has to be an seraph."
"I think that attitude is what started this war," Link said softly, looking out the window again.
Nanthal stared at him, flabbergasted. "W-What did you just say?"
The Hero looked back at him. "Let me just say, I've seen plenty of hatred in my years. People do not start wars, hatred does."
*
"Auction's today," Ayana remarked, from the doorway. Both the teacher and the student turned to look at her, Sarea turning just because she spoke. Link, on the other hand, stared at her with evident surprise. The woman folded her arms, glaring at him. "You're looking at me as if I have two heads. Are you surprised?"
Link shook his head. "You just announce it so blandly-"
"Why should you care, Hylian? You're safe, as of now. Especially with Mistress Nabooru having some interest in you," Ayana snarled, heatedly.
Link held up a hand, as if to defend himself. "I did not mean to offend you-"
Sarea laid her hand on his arm, glancing over at her friend. She spoke sharply in the Gerudian dialect. Ayana waved, halfhearted, replying in the same language. Sarea growled, which made Ayana chuckle.
Link laughed, quietly. Those scenes were regulars. "When is it?" he interrupted the banter, quietly.
"Eh? Oh, the time. About noon," Ayana replied, indifferent.
"Noon? Isn't that-"
"That's right. It's nearly noon now."
Link jumped to his feet, and no one made a move to stop him. "Why did you wait so long to tell us?"
"I didn't think you'd care to go."
"Well I do!"
Ayana shrugged. "You have to ask Sarea, first."
Link sighed, remembering. It was just like having a mother, or at least what he'd heard about having a mother. "Sarea-" he began, sighing again.
"Go," Sarea replied, in her language. "Ayana will watch you."
Link nodded, sweeping up Sarea's cloak. "Let's go."
Ayana only shook her head. "I'm surprised you want to see your comrades sold."
"I don't," Link replied. "But I am curious."
"Ah," the woman remarked, leading the way outside.
*
He wished he hadn't gone. It was awful. All the men were tied to poles, completely unclothed, with the exception of a loincloth. Hordes of women clustered around them, poking and prying, trying to find the one they wanted to bid on. It was blistering hot outside, and all the men were sweating, suffering from the heat. Many were lamenting about their situation, while others tried to fight, only to be rewarded with a blow. There was a hefty woman who stalked behind the platform, holding a leather whip in her hand, occasionally smiting them across the back when they started to slump.
Link had a hard time looking away. He seemed to be mesmerized. It took nearly all his strength to finally do so. Not even in his wildness dreams could he have imagined this. Now he cursed himself for wishing the auction to happen soon. The pity was overwhelming.
"I thought you wouldn't like it," Ayana remarked, over the noise of the crowd. "Do you want to go inside?"
Link shook his head. "No."
Ayana smiled. "You're a brave boy. And I don't mind telling you that."
Link didn't respond. He only glanced around the crowd, not able to look at the site. He was half-expecting to see the young prince, as was his luck. And, not very surprisingly, he did. The boy sat not to far away, on a light-colored horse, instead of the black stallion from before.
And, as predicted, Nabooru sat astride beside him, on a reddish beast. It was quite easy to see, even after such a short time, that the Second followed the prince everywhere. Everywhere he went, she was his shadow. The Hero could not fathom why, but she always was. It was as if she was afraid he'd break if not watched properly. It was quite intriguing, actually. But, now was not the time to contemplate the issue.
Link's eyes involuntarily settled on the boy, as the prince bent down to adjust something on the saddle. He didn't appear to be too pleased about being there either.
Although his eyes were focused on the Gerudian boy, Link noticed it before anyone else. The arrow. It was his instincts that told him to look towards the fortress. And there he saw the shadowy shape. It barely took him a second to realize that the shadow was aiming something into the crowd. Following the apparent course, Link sprang off.
"Get back here!" Ayana's voice screamed, as she took immediate chase.
Link didn't hear her. He barely had control of himself. Everything happened without him knowing. The quick sprint, the leap, all was a blur. Even the abrupt cry of the tackled victim was unheard.
Link finally realized what was going on when he slammed against the dusty ground. Automatically, he rolled over, protecting what he'd saved, just as the mysterious arrow hit the spot where they'd just been, ramming into the horse's shoulder. The animal reared, whickering loudly.
Chaos erupted as the crowd scattered. Many of the femme warrior quickly went in pursuit in the direction of the arrow, while others scouted around for more.
Link knelt, his breathing jagged. Slowly, he looked down at the person under him. The young boy lay, cringing, in the sand, as if expecting to be attacked again. After a moment, his eyes cracked open and he gazed up at the Hero.
"Wha- you?" he exclaimed.
Link nodded, still panting. "Aye, " he wheezed.
'Why?' his mind screamed, as he looked down upon the young boy. 'Why did I do that?' He could have easily just watched someone get rid of the prince for him. But then again, would the arrow really have done much? Ganondorf was alive in his time, wasn't he?
Shouts could be heard off in the distance; apparently, they'd caught the assassin. Still, Link didn't move. He remained bent over the boy, reluctant to rise.
Ganondorf looked at him, quizzically. "You can get off now-"
Link only nodded, slowly. "True…"he murmured, just as slowly, yet, instead of getting up. Not really knowing what he was doing, he leaned down, so that their lips were only inches apart. "I should…"
Link started as someone grabbed the back of his cloak, pulling him into the sitting position. Nabooru stared down at him. "Oriole?"
Link squinted up at her, the white, blinding light from the sun behind her hurting his eyes. "Yes-?" He was interrupted as she pushed him aside, kneeling beside Ganondorf, who sat up, looking a bit stunned.
"Are you all right?" she asked, hurriedly, ignoring the Hylian.
The boy nodded, giving Link an odd look over the Second's shoulder. "Aye."
"You're sure now? Nothing hurts?"
"Yes!" the boy, exclaimed, annoyed.
Nabooru sighed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. She looked back at Link. "That was you, who did that, wasn't it?" she queried, gruffly.
"Did what?"
"Knocked him from the saddle?"
Link glared at her. "If I hadn't, your prince would be suffering the same fate as the horse."
"I know that," she snapped, "and I'd like to thank you."
Link at first didn't think he'd heard her correctly. "What?" Then it clicked. "Your welcome."
The Second shook her head, as the others filed back to the panic-stricken men. "No, I want to reward you. Have Sarea bring you to the main hall this evening." After speaking thus, she stood, helping the prince to his feet. As Nabooru led the boy away, he looked back at Link, warily. Link only watched them leave, remaining settled where Nabooru had placed him.
"There you are!" Ayana cried, grabbing his arm. Link tore his eyes away, looking up at the virago. "It seems you're a hero. I wonder what Sarea will say," the woman remarked, yanking the Hero to his feet. "I think it's about time we leave, and allow the women to go back to the auction.
Link nodded, allowing Ayana to lead him away. As he disappeared into the lower levels, he thought back to the scenes moments before. Something was terribly wrong, and Link wanted to get to the bottom of it. Both the assassin and his raging hormones.