VII
Zelda ate in silence as she sat alongside Adrien, though he seemed calmer than he had the past few days. He quietly joked amongst a few of the palace servants, and affectionately stroked her hand and cheek. It seemed everyone had forgotten about Link—even her father. They instead fixated upon Adrien and never mentioned Link, almost as if the Hylian Hero had floated away into their dreams. For Zelda, the thought of an affair was no longer amusing—the idea of being with a handsome man like Adrien frightened her instead.
"Zelda, it seems your people are already worshipping me as their future King. We are already becoming quite the couple."
"We are not yet a couple, mind you," she hissed. He smirked and pressed his lips to her ear.
"Princess, princess. We both know what is best for you! Most importantly, I think it will make you the happiest you've ever been."
"Happy with you? I could never be pleased," Zelda bit her lip and wrenched her shoulder free of his grasp. His cold eyes lingered along her before he glanced away, back to the King at the opposite end of the table.
"In one week, I seek to marry your daughter, Your Majesty. Do you approve of me?"
"Yes, certainly," Harkinian answered warmly. "I approve greatly of you, Adrien. Your father must be very proud of you."
"Indeed, he is."
"Daddy!" Zelda cried, moving to her father's side. "Daddy, I don't want to marry Adrien! I'm in love with Link. Daddy, please! Say something!"
"Zelda, we both know what is best for you. This will make you the happiest you've ever been."
Zelda clamped her eyes shut and backed away from her father, fleeing up the palace staircase as her tears fell freely. She fell against her bedroom door, forcing it open and stumbling to her bed to weep. Everyone had been acting differently since Adrien's arrival, almost as if his every word was as good as coming from the lips of the Goddesses. He followed into her room soon after her, lightly touching her shoulder.
"You're a wizard, aren't you, Adrien?"
"I am Adrien, my lady."
"I know you're a liar! No one else can see it, but I can! Link never meant to hurt me at all—did he, Adrien? You just wanted him out of the way!"
"Indeed. Yes, I greatly longed to have him out of the way. See, I am a magnificent wizard, a wonderful mage, a talented warlock—skills that boyfriend dearest obviously lacks. So, seeing as how badly I wanted you—I decided to push him out of the way. With what, you ask? Simple. I have within me the power to manipulate minds and to change memories, tweaking them to my advantage. It was just recently granted to me, mind you. One-by- one, I have taken the admiration of your people, from Kakariko Village to Gerudo Valley. If you get rid of me now, Princess, anarchy will surely follow you. If I am gone, your people will rebel. Your head will be on a silver platter."
"Daddy!" Zelda shrieked, brushing past him. The truth had been unveiled, and she sought to tell her father everything that had happened. Tears rushed down her eyes as Adrien gripped her shoulder, and Harkinian appeared at the door, forcing it open to look upon her.
"Daddy, I—"
"Your Majesty, Zelda has just confessed that what occurred at Kakariko Village was a suicide attempt."
Harkinian's eyes widened as he seized his daughter's wrist.
"Zelda! Is this true?"
"Most certainly it is, your Majesty. I suggest that she be kept in solitary confinement until she can find her head. The girl is quite obviously severely depressed and unable to make her own choices and decisions. Do you agree it is in her best interest?"
"Of course."
"And also," Adrien said with a smirk, "I demand the hanging of the Hylian Hero. Do you comply?"
A silence followed before Harkinian nodded.
Zelda ate in silence as she sat alongside Adrien, though he seemed calmer than he had the past few days. He quietly joked amongst a few of the palace servants, and affectionately stroked her hand and cheek. It seemed everyone had forgotten about Link—even her father. They instead fixated upon Adrien and never mentioned Link, almost as if the Hylian Hero had floated away into their dreams. For Zelda, the thought of an affair was no longer amusing—the idea of being with a handsome man like Adrien frightened her instead.
"Zelda, it seems your people are already worshipping me as their future King. We are already becoming quite the couple."
"We are not yet a couple, mind you," she hissed. He smirked and pressed his lips to her ear.
"Princess, princess. We both know what is best for you! Most importantly, I think it will make you the happiest you've ever been."
"Happy with you? I could never be pleased," Zelda bit her lip and wrenched her shoulder free of his grasp. His cold eyes lingered along her before he glanced away, back to the King at the opposite end of the table.
"In one week, I seek to marry your daughter, Your Majesty. Do you approve of me?"
"Yes, certainly," Harkinian answered warmly. "I approve greatly of you, Adrien. Your father must be very proud of you."
"Indeed, he is."
"Daddy!" Zelda cried, moving to her father's side. "Daddy, I don't want to marry Adrien! I'm in love with Link. Daddy, please! Say something!"
"Zelda, we both know what is best for you. This will make you the happiest you've ever been."
Zelda clamped her eyes shut and backed away from her father, fleeing up the palace staircase as her tears fell freely. She fell against her bedroom door, forcing it open and stumbling to her bed to weep. Everyone had been acting differently since Adrien's arrival, almost as if his every word was as good as coming from the lips of the Goddesses. He followed into her room soon after her, lightly touching her shoulder.
"You're a wizard, aren't you, Adrien?"
"I am Adrien, my lady."
"I know you're a liar! No one else can see it, but I can! Link never meant to hurt me at all—did he, Adrien? You just wanted him out of the way!"
"Indeed. Yes, I greatly longed to have him out of the way. See, I am a magnificent wizard, a wonderful mage, a talented warlock—skills that boyfriend dearest obviously lacks. So, seeing as how badly I wanted you—I decided to push him out of the way. With what, you ask? Simple. I have within me the power to manipulate minds and to change memories, tweaking them to my advantage. It was just recently granted to me, mind you. One-by- one, I have taken the admiration of your people, from Kakariko Village to Gerudo Valley. If you get rid of me now, Princess, anarchy will surely follow you. If I am gone, your people will rebel. Your head will be on a silver platter."
"Daddy!" Zelda shrieked, brushing past him. The truth had been unveiled, and she sought to tell her father everything that had happened. Tears rushed down her eyes as Adrien gripped her shoulder, and Harkinian appeared at the door, forcing it open to look upon her.
"Daddy, I—"
"Your Majesty, Zelda has just confessed that what occurred at Kakariko Village was a suicide attempt."
Harkinian's eyes widened as he seized his daughter's wrist.
"Zelda! Is this true?"
"Most certainly it is, your Majesty. I suggest that she be kept in solitary confinement until she can find her head. The girl is quite obviously severely depressed and unable to make her own choices and decisions. Do you agree it is in her best interest?"
"Of course."
"And also," Adrien said with a smirk, "I demand the hanging of the Hylian Hero. Do you comply?"
A silence followed before Harkinian nodded.