It wasn't long until the murder of the King was found and the murderer as well. Link is outta the castle, but his troubles are just beginning.
Chapter 3: The Thrill of Murder
Malon's POV
It was late night, and I was standing in the horse stable of my daddy's ranch, stroking the mane of one of the many horses. The night was tranquil and quiet as I sleepily walked out and walked towards our house to go to bed. But I heard the suddenly neighing of a scared horse. I looked towards the barn, but the sound wasn't from any of the horses in it. It was from... Epona!
There I saw her, galloping wildly towards the ranch. She seemed spooked, and she had a mangled body lying atop her. I rushed towards her and was able to calm her so that she would stop. I looked at the person she carried and backed away with a gasp.
"L-Link..." I said, with shock in my voice. It was him, the Fairy Boy from the forest. He had several large wounds on him, and his blood was flowing uncontrollable from them. I quiet reached for a nearby towel and tore it to shreds. I pressed them against the wounds until the bleeding stopped. After, I struggled to hold him over my shoulder. I tried to walk him to my house, but his weight brought us both to the ground. I called for daddy and Mr. Ingo to help and they both helped me take him into my bedroom.
I treated his wounds and wrapped him in bandages. Dad made the suggestion of telling the Princess what happened, but I told him it would be best to wait until the morning. I didn't want her to worry so late in the night. Besides, even wounds like he had could be taken care off. Another thing I noticed was that there was an arrow pierced in his chest and it had the Royal Family Insignia on it. Perhaps it was some sort of rebellion at the castle, but I was more focused on Link.
It wasn't long until he regained his consciousness. He looked up at me with his shining green eyes, and muttered something I could hear just barely. "Z-Zelda..." He must have thought I was Princess Zelda. I gently shook my head.
"No..." He slowly opened his eyes completely and stared at me.
"Malon...?" He moaned out weakly as he tried to get up. I quickly and slowly pushed him back on the bed.
"Don't try to get up." I warned him. He was in no shape to move. "When I found you, you were bleeding so much... and it felt like your ribs were broken... and..." He looked at his body. How the bandages were wrapped around him. I began to stammer. "I'm sorry! Are the bandages too tight? Not tight enough? If you want I can change them! Unless you don't need them changed! But than I guess you wouldn't be..." I slowly stopped and blushed. I have never stammered so much in my life.
"It's okay..." He said silently. I was relieved that he didn't seem to notice the way I was speaking earlier. But my face soon turned bright crimson when he lifted the blanket he was under and looked down. He was blushing slightly too. "Where are my..."
"I-I-I... I had to take them off!" I was speaking so quickly, I didn't even know what I was saying. "You had so much blood on you tunic and...and... I couldn't let you rest in blood soaked clothes! I'm sorry! I should have asked first! I mean... I should have let you do it yourself! But you were too weak... and..." I quickly turned around so he wouldn't see me. "I didn't peek... I swear..." What I meant was, 'I didn't MEAN to peek.'
I could hear him chuckling. At least he wasn't as quiet as he was before. "It's okay... You were trying to help me. And I appreciate it. I might have died if it wasn't for you."
I smiled. "No problem, Link. But..." I turned to face him again, my crimson gone. "What happened to you?" I probably shouldn't have asked. It was his business and none of mine. But I wanted to know. I was curious...and concerned...
Link seemed distance. Like he was in deep thought. "I...I can't remember..."
"You can't?" I said in a serious tone.
"No..." He looked towards the window. "I think... I think I might have been attacked while riding Epona. I might come back to me shortly."
"Take as long as you need." I said with a nod. "You're always welcome here. Stay for as long as you want."
"I...don't want to be a bother."
"Link... You're not a bother..." I meant every word. I would have stayed longer, but I could hear daddy calling for me.
"Malon!" He shouted. "Could you come down here?"
"Yes, dad!" I shouted back as I headed for the door. Before I walked out a said to Link in a gentle voice. "Get some sleep..." I walked out and quietly closed the door. I walked down the stairs to where daddy and Mr. Ingo were waiting. But I immediately wanted to storm back upstairs when I saw HIM...
"Greetings my dear, Malon..." He said in a smooth and suave voice. It was the Head Rancher from the Luna Ranch, Duane. The one, and only man, I despised.
"Hello, Duane." I said rather coldly. I didn't like him or his ranch. "I see you've taken the time to travel from Triet to visit our little ranch."
"It wasn't the ranch I wanted to see..." He gave me his smoothest smile. Sure, any other girl would have been charmed, but I knew that he was scum. "It was you, my beauty of Hyrule." He pulled out from behind his back a bouquet of beautiful roses. "For you."
"I took the roses with disgust. "Did you grow these yourself?" I decided to bring up the true nature of his ranch. "Got bored killing innocent cows for meat?"
Dad was shocked. "Now, now Malon. Don't be so rude..." Duane assured both my father and Ingo that his cattle were used for milking and nothing more. For a while I believed it too, but when I saw that man trying to sell beef at the Bazaar of Hyrule Castle, I found out it was a lie.
"Malon, don't believe the rumors." He smiled again. I wanted to slap that smile clear off his face. "You know my cows are all well taken care of."
"You mean over-fed and turned to meat." I threw the roses in his face and walked outside, not wanting to see him anymore.
I couldn't stand him, I didn't like him, and he made me sick. Hard to believe I once wanted to marry him... I remembered how much fun the Luna Ranch used to be when I was ten. Cows and horses everywhere. Pig and cuccos ran around wide fields. His father really took care of the ranch. I even like Duane so much, that when he gave me a promise ring that we would wed when we got older, I gladly accepted.
Then his father died just last year and Duane, being 19, was to take care of the ranch. He decided that it would be worth more money to sell the cows and other animals and turn them into food. I couldn't stand him anymore. I still kept the ring on my finger though. It was too tight to pull off, otherwise I would throw it into Lake Hylia and watch it sink to the bottom. I wish I could marry a man who was smart and charming. A man strong, yet gentle. A man who would treat me right and give me his unconditional love. A man I could give my love for all eternity. A man like...
Link! I completely forgot about him for a while. He must be hungry. I ran to the barn to get him some milk and some fruits and vegetables. Although it wouldn't be compared to any meal he's eaten in the castle, I'm going to make him the best meal I can.
Link's POV
"Dinner's ready!" Malon said cheerfully as she walked in the room with a tray full of food. "I didn't know what you like, so I brought all I could." She was so kind. Taking care of me like this. But... I felt terrible. I was lying to her by saying I forgot what had happened to me. I remembered everything all too clearly.
I looked at the food and was eager to start eating. "It all looks good." I said with enthusiasm. "I don't know where to start!"
She walked up to the bed and pulled up a chair next to me. She picked up a strawberry and was about to put it in my mouth. "You don't have to do that." I said while sitting up. "No need to trouble yourself."
"It's no trouble." She insisted. "You should just lay back and relax. Give your body a rest." I did as she told me and laid back down. She gently put the strawberry in my mouth and waited for me to chew and swallow it. She continued feeding me until very little food was left.
"You should eat too." I said after eating another piece of fruit.
"No. I'm not hungry." She shook her head and put another piece of food in my mouth. "This is all for you anyway." She gently rubbed my hair and smiled. I would have stopped her, but I was enjoying it too much. She abruptly stopped when the door slammed open and strange man staggered into the room. By his clothes, I could tell he worked on a ranch. She turned towards him with an angry look on her face.
"Hey, Malon honey!" He said in a rude, obnoxious voice. "Wondered where you were hidin'."
"Duane!" She shouted at him. I didn't blame her. "Do you have the decency to knock before entering a room?"
"I'm sorry, honey." He slurred. "But I wanna see your pretty face before I turn in for the night."
I could smell his breath all the way from the door. Malon obviously could smell it too. "Have you been drinking, Duane?" She said with disgust.
"A little..." He slurred again. "But I was wonderin' if you had some extra blankets for me? I'm ready for bed? Care to join me?" I couldn't believe that smug pig said that to Malon.
"I'll pass." She said calmly. "I'll go get your blankets." She started to head for the door. But she when passed the drunkard, he gave Malon a quick slap in her rear. She gasped and slapped him back... right in the face! "If your ever touch me with your damned hands again, I break both of them and your legs!."
She stormed out angrily. I was angry too. How dare he touch Malon? That bastard had no right. If I could get up, I'd... No... I better not. I don't want another murder. It's bad enough I killed Zelda's father...
The drunk rubbed the side of his face she slapped him and smiled. "Feisty little girl, she is." He looked at the tray of food Malon prepared for me and took an apple. He chewed it noisily while still talking. "She wants me so bad... Don't be alarmed if you hear her moaning from inside my room." He laughed smugly. I was more furious than ever. "She must be a banshee in the sack... But around here? She must be begging for it by now." How dare he thing of her like that? Is that how he saw her? Sex starved? I wanted more than ever to hurt, nay, kill him!
He left the room and slammed the door shut. I clenched my fists as his idiotic words were still in my mind. The more I thought about them, the angrier I got. I was calm again when I heard Malon's gentle voice again.
"Link?" She walked in with a heavy blanket. "It's going to be cold tonight. You should have this." She slowly spread it over my body. "I'm sorry about Duane. He's just a useless prick who thinks he can charm me into marriage." It wasn't marriage he was trying to charm her into. He was trying to charm her into his bed. "He used to be so nice. Then he started killing his own livestock just to make money off meat." She loved animals. Anyone with eyes could see that. "He's so heartless. I..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bore you about my problems. You must be tired." She walked over to me and rubbed my head again. "Good night..." She put out the lamp and walked out silently. I laid there, but I wasn't tired. The only thing on my mind at that moment was to get rid of her problem...
I waited until it was everything was quiet. Malon, Ingo, and Talon should be asleep. I crept out of bed and walked towards the room Duane was sleeping in. I put my ear to the door to see if he was sleeping as well. But by the sounds of his springing mattress he was doing other things. Did Malon really go into his room? I open the door slightly and saw he was only. Malon wasn't with him, but he was thinking about her... too much...
"Well, Malon..." He said smugly while turning towards the door. He was surprised, but laughed anyway. "Sorry, friend. Thought it was Malon."
"Don't call me 'friend...'" I said coldly.
"Sorry. Didn't catch your name. Malon didn't bother to introduce you to me."
"I don't want you anywhere near Malon anymore..." I slowly closed the door as I walked in.
"My..." He smiled. "Protective, are we? Sorry I can't say I'll stop seeing her, since she'll be my bride soon."
"You delude yourself." That was the only thing I said to him.
"No. It's true." He began to explain to me a rather sick plan. "You see, this ranch ahs been goin' under for a while. So I wanna wait 'til she's broke and propose to her. It's a wait but I can stand it." He took a sip of a bottle of wine located near his bed. "She might be marrying me for money, but hey, long as she honor and obeys, love isn't needed. I'll buy the back her ranch and all her animals. More animals mean more money, right? Beef goes for a lot around here. I'll be richer, and have her hand in marriage. What a great plan, huh friend?"
"Bastard!" I shouted to him, but not loud enough to wake anyone else.
"Uh-oh. You're gonna tell Malon, huh? Well, I don't usually do this, but... "He scratched his chin as he thought about something. "How does a million rupees sound to keep this between us?" I said nothing. "No? Well, go head and tell her." He turned over to avoid seeing my anger. "She'll go broke eventually and come crawling to me. Heh! Saves me a trip comin' here, huh?"
"I'm not going to tell her." I walked over to him clenching my fist. "And even if she did go broke, she'd never marry you." I was now a mere inch away from his bed, ready to make him regret his words. "And you won't have the chance to propose!"
"Is that..." A glint of metal caught my eye as he turned back towards me. "SO!?" He stabbed a knife into my chest, fresh blood staining my already blood soaked tunic. I grunted in pain, but was still able to grab his neck and choke him. "Ahh..." He started to choke out more words that infuriated me. "I'm...a very power...ful...man...where I come...from..." I tightened my grip. "They'll...search for...me... and when...they find me... you'll be tried...and...executed... you're...making a...huge...mistake..."
All I could do is smile sinisterly. "I'm already set to be executed..." Those were the final words he'll ever hear. I gripped so hard on the bastard throat, that I broke his neck bone. I ended by twisting his head around with both hands and killed him instantly. He gave out a death moan and stopped moving. It was over...
I dragged his body out the house and tied it around his horse. I slapped the horse in the rear and sent him off. When I could see the horse disappear into the horizon, I walked back into the house like nothing happened. How could I? This was the second person I killed in cold blood. This was horrible, but to make matters worst, I enjoyed ending the miserable bastard's life. I realized that I got the same pleasure out of killing the king. What's wrong with me? Did I do this for fun, or for Malon? More importantly... what would she think, if she found out?
Gamerctm: Link kills again! But this time, to a bastard who really deserved it. What's gonna happen the next day? And how are things back at the castle? How is Zelda dealing with Link's absence? And how does Christopher plan to find Link? Find out on the next exciting chapter.