Author's note: Sorry it took so long, had some schoolwork to do... plus a writer's block. So here's the chapter, hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4: Can't Stop Thinking of You
Zelda would not open her door, not even if the one knocking on it called out to her. All she did was just stair at the ceiling with her covers over her feminine body. Nor did she bother to look around for she would have seen shadows, the one thing that scared her the most. Zelda had been like that for the past morning hours, doubting and wishing someone were there to protect her.
One of the servants had once again knocked on the door with a little more desperation since the last few times. Zelda did nothing, but could not stop her from entering the room when she heard the lock on the door click and the wooden door creaked open. She then heard the rustling of her dress coming closer to her.
"Milady... you mustn't stay in bed all day." The sound of her dress had gone off into a slight distance when she walked toward the window and pulled back the drapes.
As if she didn't hear, Zelda did not reply. The servant sighed deeply and walked over to Zelda, who had only just slightly twitched her pale hand. The servant nearly stopped dead when she spotted a bit of red color on the covers and hesitantly placed her hands on the edge of the covers and pulled them back, revealing a deep red cut going through Zelda's white nightgown and into her fair skin.
"Milady?!" The servant gasped, placing both of her hands over her mouth in shock.
Zelda had felt no pain when the wound was inflicted on her, she didn't even think she had even gotten wounded. Nor did she know that she was hurt until the servant had gasped horrendously. However, Zelda didn't do anything, not a scream nor a change in her facial expression. The servant's hands trembled as she reached for Zelda's wound and her voice shook as she let out sounds of worry and deep concern.
"Milady, I'll call for a doctor right away!"
As Zelda heard the servant's footsteps scurry off to the distance, a single tear left her eye. Why wasn't Link there to protect her? The wound was but a minor thing in physical pain, however, it caused a penetrating amount of damage to her spirit. There was no physical wound on ones' body that could surpass the pain a spiritual wound could cause. Zelda was in such a state, lying in her bed with her spirit weakened.
The doctor had quickly come to her and tended to her wounds with extremely gentle care, all the while she had her strait face. Her physician insisted she go to the royal dining room to get some breakfast, after she had a change of clothes and while the servants changed her sheets. However, her muscles were too weak after experiencing such a traumatizing event so she had to be escorted. Not once did she see Link, not even at the breakfast table.
Her little brother was there, however, but he was no different then her. Zared, as usual, was the timid little soul that he was. Zelda picked at her food, barely eating anything, the portions she took were the quantity of what a low class peasant family would eat daily. When her eyes searched the room, she at last met with Zared and found that he was nearly crying. Zelda knew not why, nor did she bother to ask for she thought she knew.
"Sis..." Zared started.
Zelda looked up from her barely touched plate of food and looked at Zared for a short while before her gaze descended again and not replying.
"I... saw..." Zared started, hesitating.
"Hm?" Zelda urged him.
Zared couldn't continue, instead he lowered his head once more and weakly rested his wrists on the table barely grasping the silver fork in hand. Zelda continued to look at him, and found tears quickly dropping to the milk-white table cloth, as its silk began to be drenched in Zared's sorrow and fear... but why? That was the question Zelda had on the back of her mind, nagging and tugging at her thoughts.
She had slowly and weakly traipsed back to her room, still with her eyes a bit red and her muscles weak and frail. Zelda gently placed her hand on the golden doorknob and began to turn it slowly before opening the creaking door, as it shook slightly at its hinges. She stepped into her room slowly and left the door open behind her. When Zelda looked around the room, it still bore the shadows it had that morning. However, she noticed the door to her wardrobe was opened.
Zelda solemnly sighed and walked toward it to close it, weakly, but gracefully taking her individual steps. As she approached her wardrobe, a suspenseful feeling grew within her... as if it was a chill going down her spine just as Zared had explained. She slowly turned to face the wardrobe, her eyes widened and placed her hands over her mouth before screaming at the top of her lungs. A dead man was in her wardrobe, eyes wide as if frightened from seeing something before his demise. A waterfall of blood was going down his face and down his torso and onto the ground.
Link had heard her scream from his room, but he sat on his bed, remaining still. His long bangs covered his eyes, and only a tear could be seen streaming down his cheek. He gritted his teeth, and began to speak.
"Why did you do that?" He asked.
"I just had to kill somebody... It fuels my life... I must have blood to sustain my strength." The shadow said to Link, who had just crept out of the darkness, "And besides, she had ran away from me by the time I had gotten her."
Link clenched his fists, how he longed to strike the shadow with all his strength, but he was always held back. Instead, he loosened his fist and drifted it to his side, where Zelda's quilt lay. He had picked it up and held it to his chest in replacement of holding Zelda herself in his arms. The presence of the shadow had faded when Zelda had ran to Link's room.
She stopped herself in the doorframe and deeply inhaled and exhaled and she lifted her head to Link with her misty eyes. It wasn't until then when she realized it was like an instant reaction that she relied on Link when she was lost in the shadows of fright. Zelda closed her eyes, still heavily breathing as Link stared at her with confusion. He couldn't take his eyes off her as his grip around the quilt loosened.
However, his fear began to take him over when he saw the shadow moving behind Zelda and prepared to attack. Link's eyes shot open and his mouth gapped open. When he had thought the dark figure was going to attack her, he rose to his feet and went toward Zelda. She had felt him take her hand and grip it very tightly. Her eyes opened to see him swinging her around him and into the room and taking hold of the doorknob and closing the door, leaving the two of them alone. Her hair flew behind her and her eyes fluttered as they held the expression of surprise.
It seemed Zelda had stopped breathing when he at last turned toward her and flew his arms around her and brought her in as close as possible. Sudden cold droplets of water fell from Link's eyes and fell onto the top of Zelda's head as he gripped her hair and stroked it gently. Zelda could hear his soft weeps as he began to whisper her name. Tears of joy began to stream down her cheeks, but she had failed to smile, for she was too much in surprise. No words needed to be said at that moment between them, as Link caressed her in his arms, warming her body with the familiar embrace Zelda had almost long forgotten.
The castle was hectic from that moment on throughout the day, and the people of the castle began to have more fear growing within their hearts. After Link had taken Zelda into his arms, she had not seen him for the rest of the hours, but that did not make her seize to think about him. That moment, a light of hope was illuminated within her that he may once again be the sweet and gentle man that protected her always. A bit of his true self was shown that day, and she never failed to realize that as she retired to her bed for the night.
Zelda's sleep was restless, as she awoke countless times and tried to go back to sleep, but whenever she did, she would always wake up. After giving up on it, she rose from her bed and rubbed her eyes. They had widened when she saw Link there, sitting on the edge of her bed looking down at the stone floor. Zelda gently lifted her voice to get his attention.
"Why are you here?"
"I don't feel safe." He quickly, but quietly said, still looking down at the floor.
Zelda sighed and shifted herself so she would be sitting next to him, her hand then fell to his, but Link had moved his hand away from hers. Confusion began to fill Zelda's mind.
"There are other rooms to feel safe in... Or is it that you fear for me?"
In the dark, she found Link slowly nodding his head.
"Why?" She asked.
Link slowly moved his head so he would face hers, she was shocked to find that his eyes reflected the moonlight barely creeping passed the crack with a bit of tears in his eyes. Deep concern could be seen within his piercing gaze, and longing as well. Zelda could sense it in his voice, that he missed her when he spoke with a soft whisper.
"I fear for you... because I fear for you..." Link began raising his voice only but a little, "You are as if the foundation of my heart... it you are to perish, I will perish... and if you live on... I will live on..." His voice was shaking and trembling as he continued, "I can't stop thinking of you... Zelda..."
"Then why won't you hold my hand... for as long as we live?"
Link knew what she wanted. He knew that she loved him like no other, and her words meant she wanted to marry him. Link grew rather frustrated and he looked away from her.
"I am bound by fear... bound by sorrow... and I have never found the one thing that could release me..."
Zelda looked away from him as well, tears nearly streaming down her cheeks. She felt foolish, thinking that he could come back to her, and here he was... rejecting her once more. Or so she thought, for she felt his hand go over hers and clench it tightly once more. Zelda quickly turned her head toward him once more and saw in his eyes that he was more serious than ever.
"...Until now..." Link said taking her other hand, "So yes... I will hold your hand... as long as we live..."
Zelda's bottom jaw shook as tears continued to trickle down her crème face and as he drew closer to her, now taking her completely in his embrace. Then and there, she felt his lips caressing hers. Zelda now felt the true warmth she had longed for these past weeks. She brushed her finger tips on his cheek as her lips rubbed against his, feeling their leathery texture. When he said "we" she knew at that moment his sincerity. He had come back to her... Eventually, she had fallen asleep on his shoulder, no longer being restless in her sleep. His kiss put her to sweet dreams.
Author's note: So what did you think? It probably has two more chapters to go before it's complete. PLEASE REVIEW. (Kind of a "The Village" thing going on in this story...)
Special thanks:
LadyAkki45: Well, I'd say I'm more influenced from M. Night Shyamalan, but I have read one chapter of LaAriella's "Fallen Into Shadow." I don't really know the author that well, (but a VERY, VERY, VERY good author. Far surpasses me when it comes to writing!) shrugs I dunno... not many people are reading this story, the thought of discontinuing this one is nagging me, one half tells me to do it, and the other half doesn't. Anyway, thanks for the review!
Gigglegirl13: That's part of the mystery, it's only been scratched at the surface once this chapter's been read. Well, I guess here's your fluff. Thanks for being one of the few people who reviews this story! (Yup, the shadow is Dark Link obviously, but I probably won't mention it until the last chapter.) Thanks for the review!