"Wh...where are we?"
I shot a half
glare at the blond-haired boy. I did not understand why lord Ganondorf
wanted me to fetch the whimpering teen. He told us that he could make
or break our attempt to invade the castle, but looking at this boy
close up made me wonder if our lord was even in his right mind.
"Follow me," I ordered before leading him down a tunnel to our right. The green-clad teen followed me uncertainly, his eyes shifting back and forth as though he expected someone to jump out of the shadows and attack. If only...
Our footsteps echoed monotonously off the cavern walls, mixing with the sounds of dripping water. Torches flicker hungrily on either side of the path. A keese cries out somewhere in the dark, and I smirk the boy flinches in surprise.
Five long minutes pass before we finally enter the main room. Lord Ganondorf waits for us on a mound of stone in the center of the room, the torches on either side of him casting shadows across his face.
I bowed down on one knee. "Lord Ganondorf, I have brought the one you requested."
"Lord Ganondorf, I have brought the one you requested," my guide mutters. I snapped to attention, the name 'ganondorf' striking a chord. I know this man...if only I could remember!
"Excellent work, Luciane." The large man standing before us took a step closer, his features becoming visible in the torchlight. He wore thick plates of black armour on his muscular frame. Crimson eyes stared down into mine. His bushy, blood-red eyebrows were furrowed in indecision, as though he were milling my fate over in his mind. He was mostly bald, a crown of large, extravagant jewels hiding the lack of hair on his forehead. The hair he did have was the same color of his eyes. A dark sneer formed on his lips as he watched me.
"Welcome Link. Tell me, what do you think of my new home?" he asked, though I swear I could hear an undertone of unleashed fury in his voice.
"Pardon me...but, who are you all...?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady. This seemed to confuse the man before me. The wrath in his eyes turned to puzzlement, the sneer dissipating as quickly as it had appeared.
"Tell me, boy...do you not know who I am?" he asked slowly, watching me closely. I stared at him for awhile, trying so hard to drag the memories of this man out of the shadows in my mind...They wouldn't come.
"No, I don't..."
Was that amusement I saw in his eyes? I heard murmurs and whispers amongst the shadows, as though I had said something that was completely unsuspected.
Suddenly the man was standing right in front of me, his huge frame looming over mine. A large hand grabbed my chin and forced me to look up into his vengeful eyes. "Strange...how is it possible you don't remember?" I wasn't certain that he was asking me, but I answered anyway.
"There was some kind of accident...that's what the people at the palace said...I can't remember anything that happened before it..." I stammered. Those blood-red eyes stared into mine, searching for something. He then roughly let me go and took a step back.
"He speaks the truth. He really doesn't remember me," Ganondorf announced to the hidden crowd around us. Snickers and laughs erupted from the shadows; Ganondorf himself even enjoyed a quiet chuckle before silencing the crowd with a single cough.
"So those treacherous people tried to turn you against me, did they?" He shook his head, his eyes now seeming to pity me. Confusion welled inside me. What was he saying?
"Sir...what do you mean?" I asked, confused.
"Why Link, you're one of us! You always have been!" Ganondorf claimed, sounding shocked. His face, which had seemed so hateful before, now seemed filled with concern.
"I was...?"
"Of course you were! You see, we were ambushed some time back. We were all separated. When you didn't come back to the old base we assumed you had been killed." He paced back and forth, staring at the floor. "But then we heard you were at the castle in Hyrule and thought that perhaps you had turned traitorous to save your own skin. But this...this is terrible!" he exclaimed. "What did they tell you? What thoughts did they pollute your mind with?"
"They...they never mentioned any group...any attack..." I stammered. Ganondorf seemed upset by this.
"What did they say about your life before?"
"Well...nothing, sir..." I said slowly, biting my lip. It was the truth, as none of them offered any information about my past even when I had asked them.
"They denied your past from you?" Ganondorf asked, sounding shocked.
"Yes, sir."
"The nerve!" he declared, before he continued to pace. "Did they tell you what happened to you?"
"No."
"Did you ask them?"
"Yes..." Everything started to make sense. Those people had lied to me. They had deceived me; it was the only plausible explanation.
Ganondorf gazed at me, a serious look planted on his face. "We will help you Link, as you are a part of us. You are part of our family. Will you rejoin us and claim revenge on those who took advantage of you?"
"I would be honored to," I said firmly, my eyes narrowing. 'How could I have let myself be deceived by them?' I wondered, infuriated.
Ganondorf grinned. "Welcome back, boy."
"Any word?" I asked tiredly. Impa shook her head.
"No, Zelda. The guards have looked everywhere, he's nowhere to be found."
"Ugh...where could he be..?" I murmured, resting my forehead on my hands. "He couldn't have gone that far...all the horses are here, and he had to have been stuck in town overnight...goddesses, what do we do?" My attendant sighed deeply.
"I do not know, Princess."
"What news on Ganondorf...?" I asked, dreading the answer. Without Link here, we were in even more trouble than before.
"Still no word. He and his band have simply vanished. I would not be surprised if he was in hiding close by, planning an attack. We must prepare for when that happens, Zelda."
"I know, I know..." I said with a sigh. "Call the guards back. Prepare them for battle." Impa bowed.
"Yes, your majesty." After Impa left, I stood and gazed out the window at the star-streaked sky.
"Goddesses, protect my brother..." I whispered softly.
T.B.C.
Yes you read right. In this fic, Link and Zelda are siblings. Deal with it, it's been my theory for many years and I'm not changing it now.
Anyway, now that that has been taken care of, woo hoo I updated again. This has GOT to be a miracle or something. Probably my best and longest chapter in awhile...thanks to those who reviewed before. I think I finally know where I'm going with this, or at least I have a general idea.
I may go back and fix some eye-sore mistakes in earlier chapters fairly soon.
As for Luciane, I don't know if he'll play any major role or not. Haven't decided yet.
Until we meet under the stars' light again, farewell and good luck.
LinkSage