II
His heart quickened in his chest, a thin film of sweat forming on his palms. The narrow corridor was a shield against the light, and the burdensome cold and eerie silence sent chills up his spine. His clothing was insufficient, and as he looked to his sheathe, he realized that it was free of any weapon. Blinking, he sank against the iron bars of a cell. Where was he?
It definitely wasn't North Castle, and if it was, it would have to be the dungeons-he'd never been down under in the dungeons before. As he was subdued by his ideas, something dark, something thick crawled up his leg.
He swallowed hard, blinked as the beast slowly ascended up his body, like a dark tape that prevented him from moving any of his muscles to escape. He opened his mouth to scream, though the words were silenced within his chest from the burdensome fear. It covered his face and he couldn't breathe.
Zelda. Where was Zelda? He could only concentrate on his lovely Princess, wondering if this beast would give her the same fateful undoing.
Link awoke with a shudder from his bedroom, quickly leaning over to light the candle at his bedside. The soft glow of the candlelight calmed him slightly, although he was still just as shaken up. Biting his lip, he mumbled and rubbed at his eyes. Things were starting to get really crazy.
He hadn't had two nightmares in a row for years-and even then, that had been when Gannondorf was using his power to gain complete control of Hyrule. Still, Gannon was gone, long sealed away in the Evil Realm-Rauru had promised that he would surely remain there, at least for the span of Link's and Zelda's lifetime, anyway. There had been many petty enemies of Hyrule, unsightly, gruesome, cunning little things that thought they could have the same potential as that ill-fated man of the deserts. None of them so far had been able to ignite such realistic, horrible dreams. He arose from his bed and listened to the sound of something rocking into the area.
"What the Hell?" he mumbled aloud, quickly moving to his window. Peering outside, he could see an elaborate carriage far below in the courtyard. A peculiar-although handsome-man emerged from it, suavely brushing his dark hair back, swooping the right side of his cape over his shoulder to appear all the more appealing and elegant. There was a commotion for some time within the lower levels of the Castle before Zelda and her father emerged to greet the stranger. As the gentleman sank to a knee and kissed Zelda's hand, a twang of jealousy arose within him. He huffed.
"What a bastard."
Still, he couldn't help his brewing curiosity. He could detect that this stranger had a foreign accent, perhaps overseas somewhere-maybe Calatia, even the Navean Islands to the far southwest. In only a few moments, Link was able to pick up a good deal of information about his new subject of spying. This was Adrien Tariesk, Prince of the Navean Kingdom. His father was ailing, and preparing to die, Link assumed by the words that the fellow spoke, though he showed no great effort in appearing to be saddened by his father's impending departure.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Tariesk," Zelda had said, a smile crossed upon her pallid, soft lips. Basked in the moonlight, she more beautiful than ever. Link chewed on his lip in his jealousy, sighing heavily as his fiancée slipped an arm casually about Adrien's shoulder and ushered him inside. Link turned away from his window, huffing.
"Well, I'd like to see someone like me show up in the dead middle of the night. Ah, that's right-you have to have a fan base of snobs and elegant people to allow such things!"
He was tempted to punch the walls, but somehow, he managed to refrain. And an hour or so later when a knock came on his bedroom door, he somehow kept from becoming enraged. Upon request, he changed into the silk tunic presented to him and carried himself down to the Throne Room to greet his royal rival. As usual, he was less than eager; although for Zelda's sake, he managed to find the heart to appear at least half-sincere about his greetings.
"Ah!" the foreigner exclaimed upon sight of Hyrule's hero. "If it isn't Link of-excuse me, is it the Kokiri Forest? Yes, yes, a land of mystical energy, indeed."
"Fairies," Zelda corrected. Adrien seemed agitated at being justified, but he merely nodded and smiled.
"And you must be Adrien Tariesk."
"It's a pleasure to meet you.'
A cold, limp hand wrapped around Link's in a rough handshake, bringing an amused smirk to Link's lips. Princes and Princesses weren't made for fighting, especially with swords and bows. That was why Zelda had picked him-or at least one of the reasons. He was strong and sturdy, and Zelda had always longed to have his protection. Then again, Zelda was very skilled with the art of magic. Link wasn't.
And the people from the Navean Kingdom were unusually talented with magic.
Link's heart fell as he pulled his hand back from the stranger's. Adrien's black eyes gleamed before he turned away, pacing to the Princess to again kiss her hand. What kind of game was the Prince trying to pull? Surely he had known that he and Zelda were engaged, yet he clearly showed a disrespect for that unity.
Though, what if Zelda wanted to be with Adrien? There was clearly no reason why she wouldn't want to be. He was likely a powerful Sorcerer, skilled with magic just as Zelda was. She was powerful as was-and how safe would she feel with someone who was in the exact same boat she was? She and Link surely had a lack of the same experiences. Yet this Prince seemed to be the ideal image of a husband-and Link could feel discouragement rising within him. Hopefully Zelda wouldn't be so open to the Prince's passes next time.
"Well, Link. We're very glad that you could join us. Zelda and I have already decided that tomorrow evening, we will visit Kakariko Village. My men and I intend to research Death Mountain-we feel perhaps we could find alluring cures to the known ailments, and we will post stake in the Village first."
'And I hope you fall in,' Link thought.
"What I meant to ask you, is, Link, would you be interested in accompanying us?"
"Of course." He answered snappily. He would be crazy to leave his beloved in the hands of a lustful, money-hungry Prince.
"Very well, then," Zelda said softly, arising from her Throne. "If you'll excuse us, Link, I'll be taking Mr. Tariesk to his suite for the night. My, he and his men have had an awfully long night." She shot Link a sweet smile, and Link was almost positive he could detect an arrogant smirk on Adrien's face. Zelda escorted him up the stairs and through the hallways. Link clenched his fists as King Harkinian approached.
"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that he seems a little.too open towards Zelda?"
Harkinian blinked. "What do you mean?"
"He seems a little too flirtatious, if you know what I mean. The way he looks at her, touches her."
Link could sense a fidget rising in the portly King. He swallowed hard at his question.
"Your Majesty, you didn't tell him that we're engaged, did you?"
He smiled weakly, and with his cheeks a bright red, he answered.
"No."
His heart quickened in his chest, a thin film of sweat forming on his palms. The narrow corridor was a shield against the light, and the burdensome cold and eerie silence sent chills up his spine. His clothing was insufficient, and as he looked to his sheathe, he realized that it was free of any weapon. Blinking, he sank against the iron bars of a cell. Where was he?
It definitely wasn't North Castle, and if it was, it would have to be the dungeons-he'd never been down under in the dungeons before. As he was subdued by his ideas, something dark, something thick crawled up his leg.
He swallowed hard, blinked as the beast slowly ascended up his body, like a dark tape that prevented him from moving any of his muscles to escape. He opened his mouth to scream, though the words were silenced within his chest from the burdensome fear. It covered his face and he couldn't breathe.
Zelda. Where was Zelda? He could only concentrate on his lovely Princess, wondering if this beast would give her the same fateful undoing.
Link awoke with a shudder from his bedroom, quickly leaning over to light the candle at his bedside. The soft glow of the candlelight calmed him slightly, although he was still just as shaken up. Biting his lip, he mumbled and rubbed at his eyes. Things were starting to get really crazy.
He hadn't had two nightmares in a row for years-and even then, that had been when Gannondorf was using his power to gain complete control of Hyrule. Still, Gannon was gone, long sealed away in the Evil Realm-Rauru had promised that he would surely remain there, at least for the span of Link's and Zelda's lifetime, anyway. There had been many petty enemies of Hyrule, unsightly, gruesome, cunning little things that thought they could have the same potential as that ill-fated man of the deserts. None of them so far had been able to ignite such realistic, horrible dreams. He arose from his bed and listened to the sound of something rocking into the area.
"What the Hell?" he mumbled aloud, quickly moving to his window. Peering outside, he could see an elaborate carriage far below in the courtyard. A peculiar-although handsome-man emerged from it, suavely brushing his dark hair back, swooping the right side of his cape over his shoulder to appear all the more appealing and elegant. There was a commotion for some time within the lower levels of the Castle before Zelda and her father emerged to greet the stranger. As the gentleman sank to a knee and kissed Zelda's hand, a twang of jealousy arose within him. He huffed.
"What a bastard."
Still, he couldn't help his brewing curiosity. He could detect that this stranger had a foreign accent, perhaps overseas somewhere-maybe Calatia, even the Navean Islands to the far southwest. In only a few moments, Link was able to pick up a good deal of information about his new subject of spying. This was Adrien Tariesk, Prince of the Navean Kingdom. His father was ailing, and preparing to die, Link assumed by the words that the fellow spoke, though he showed no great effort in appearing to be saddened by his father's impending departure.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Tariesk," Zelda had said, a smile crossed upon her pallid, soft lips. Basked in the moonlight, she more beautiful than ever. Link chewed on his lip in his jealousy, sighing heavily as his fiancée slipped an arm casually about Adrien's shoulder and ushered him inside. Link turned away from his window, huffing.
"Well, I'd like to see someone like me show up in the dead middle of the night. Ah, that's right-you have to have a fan base of snobs and elegant people to allow such things!"
He was tempted to punch the walls, but somehow, he managed to refrain. And an hour or so later when a knock came on his bedroom door, he somehow kept from becoming enraged. Upon request, he changed into the silk tunic presented to him and carried himself down to the Throne Room to greet his royal rival. As usual, he was less than eager; although for Zelda's sake, he managed to find the heart to appear at least half-sincere about his greetings.
"Ah!" the foreigner exclaimed upon sight of Hyrule's hero. "If it isn't Link of-excuse me, is it the Kokiri Forest? Yes, yes, a land of mystical energy, indeed."
"Fairies," Zelda corrected. Adrien seemed agitated at being justified, but he merely nodded and smiled.
"And you must be Adrien Tariesk."
"It's a pleasure to meet you.'
A cold, limp hand wrapped around Link's in a rough handshake, bringing an amused smirk to Link's lips. Princes and Princesses weren't made for fighting, especially with swords and bows. That was why Zelda had picked him-or at least one of the reasons. He was strong and sturdy, and Zelda had always longed to have his protection. Then again, Zelda was very skilled with the art of magic. Link wasn't.
And the people from the Navean Kingdom were unusually talented with magic.
Link's heart fell as he pulled his hand back from the stranger's. Adrien's black eyes gleamed before he turned away, pacing to the Princess to again kiss her hand. What kind of game was the Prince trying to pull? Surely he had known that he and Zelda were engaged, yet he clearly showed a disrespect for that unity.
Though, what if Zelda wanted to be with Adrien? There was clearly no reason why she wouldn't want to be. He was likely a powerful Sorcerer, skilled with magic just as Zelda was. She was powerful as was-and how safe would she feel with someone who was in the exact same boat she was? She and Link surely had a lack of the same experiences. Yet this Prince seemed to be the ideal image of a husband-and Link could feel discouragement rising within him. Hopefully Zelda wouldn't be so open to the Prince's passes next time.
"Well, Link. We're very glad that you could join us. Zelda and I have already decided that tomorrow evening, we will visit Kakariko Village. My men and I intend to research Death Mountain-we feel perhaps we could find alluring cures to the known ailments, and we will post stake in the Village first."
'And I hope you fall in,' Link thought.
"What I meant to ask you, is, Link, would you be interested in accompanying us?"
"Of course." He answered snappily. He would be crazy to leave his beloved in the hands of a lustful, money-hungry Prince.
"Very well, then," Zelda said softly, arising from her Throne. "If you'll excuse us, Link, I'll be taking Mr. Tariesk to his suite for the night. My, he and his men have had an awfully long night." She shot Link a sweet smile, and Link was almost positive he could detect an arrogant smirk on Adrien's face. Zelda escorted him up the stairs and through the hallways. Link clenched his fists as King Harkinian approached.
"Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that he seems a little.too open towards Zelda?"
Harkinian blinked. "What do you mean?"
"He seems a little too flirtatious, if you know what I mean. The way he looks at her, touches her."
Link could sense a fidget rising in the portly King. He swallowed hard at his question.
"Your Majesty, you didn't tell him that we're engaged, did you?"
He smiled weakly, and with his cheeks a bright red, he answered.
"No."