Hello everyone! Thanks for waiting, I've been a bit caught up with work and such. Well, this chapter was actually finished a few days ago, I just haven't been around to posting it yet. But here it is! YAY! Okay, well...news about "A Torn Destiny"...Chapter 16 is finished! BUT it's being edited right now. Now there's a warning on that chapter, it's going to be rated M due to a bit of violence and nudity. So kids, cover your eyes! But don't worry, I'll give a brief summary of Chapter 16 in the next chapter for those who wish not to read a rated M chapter. Okay...on with the reviews!
FanFictionFantom: You'll hafta read to find out! Thanx 4 ur review!
Gentle Clouds: Awe thanks! I will!
The Power Within: Thank you...it's good to know that some people can appreciate their lives (even as a guy!). Cool, you're a bit of a Link-Zelda fan! Yeah, I don't know any guys who are hardcore relationship fans. I like the adventures more, but I can't write adventures very well. I write romances a LOT better, but I should actually TRY to write an adventure one without the romance ;)... That would be quite interesting...hmmm...well see. Anyway, thanks a bunch!
Okay, now that they're taken care of, I'm gonna let ya'll enjoy the third chapter! Lucky you!
CHAPTER 3
The Great Escape
Colder than the freezing temperatures of ice did the winds blow to a near mist across the castle grounds. Very few soldiers took watch of the castle that night, which gave Zelda a better opportunity to make an escape. She looked at her servant with a cunning plan in mind, nothing that would put her in danger, but she would need to lie for Zelda, which wasn't ever acceptable to the Royal Family.
The servant, Fileen, quickly made her way out of the princess's chamber to go back to her's and retrieve a peasant gown for Zelda to disguise herself in. Fileen was quick and silent in her steps so that she would not disturb any of the soldiers on guard. As the servant entered her small chamber, she fumbled through her drawers and armoir in search of common clothing. Finally, she found an old nearly ragged dress with a lap apron that was smudged with several stains. She quickly folded it up in a tattered piece of material and headed back to Zelda's room.
Zelda waited patiently for Fileen to come back with a peasant outfit, but the longer she waited, the more scared she became of her own plan. What would happen if they tried to find her? Would Fileen be in danger? Technically, she wouldn't due to their plan that if she was asked about Zelda's whereabouts, she would simply reply that she didn't know, which was quite honest considering she wouldn't know where in Hyrule Market Zelda would be. Then a knock came to the door. Zelda immediately opened it and found Fileen holding a small bundle of cloth. She entered the chamber and helped Zelda out of her nightdress.
"I brought the most fitting attire I could find, Zelda," Fileen spoke quietly as if in secret, "And I also found an old wrap to use against the harsh coldness outside."
"Thank you," the princess said as she found herself in her undergarment slip, "Where is it?" The servant handed Zelda the small bundle and found the peasant attire wrinkled beneath it's own fabric. Fileen began helping the princess into the garments as quickly as possible. She tied the laces up her back and around each arm.
'Goodness! Even peasants wear such complexed clothing!' Zelda thought to herself. She adjusted her wrap around her shoulders to make it look like a cape.
Zelda hurried to the mirror and looked at it intesively. She wasn't completely satisfied with her look. Then she thought of something; her hair! The princess took out her fine accessories that held her hair together and then her hands shuffled through her scalp to make her blonde silky hair look messy and almost tattered. She looked back into the mirror with a satisfied smile on her face, even though it wasn't her prettiest look.
"You look quite the part," Fileen smiled also satisfied with Zelda's doing.
"Thank you again, Fileen," Zelda turned to her faithful servant, "Now I must ask you to never under any circumstances reveal our secret. But if they try to harm you, do not put your life in danger for me. Tell them, if they dare." Fileen nodded.
"Your secret is well protected," she replied. Zelda smiled as if thanking her again.
"Good, now go get rest," the princess ordered, "I leave within this hour." She embraced the servant with her last thanks. Fileen scurried out the chamber and back to her own.
Zelda waited nearly twenty minutes after Fileen left the chamber. The chamber door squeeked open with a peering eye barely seen in the slit of the door. No one was around, so the princess quietly stepped outside the door and locked it. She began pacing quietly through the corridors and down several secret passage ways so that no one would see her.
Everything was dead quiet throughout the castle grounds, which challenged Zelda's movements. She could hear the pounding beats of her heart as she whisked closer to the large gates that made the castle's entrance. There were two soldiers keeping the gate. One was asleep while the other shivered in his stance. Zelda snuck up the hill and over the stone that binded the gate. She made it passed the noll and over the stone without the soldier's notice. Then finally, she ran as quick as she could towards the path that led to Hyrule Market.
Princess Zelda hurried along the dirt road noticing the warm horizon to her left. The sun was rising and she wasn't even in the market yet! What a long journey! Zelda kept her energy, knowing that a bit of walking wasn't going to tire her out. She reached the entrance of Hyrule Market and looked at the two soldiers that guarded the entrance. They simply glanced at her and carried on their focus elsewhere. Her disguise worked!
The day was very well into the middle of morning, almost afternoon actually. However, time didn't matter much to Zelda, she was too excited to care. She made her way around the market and passed several vendors offering her goods and foods for various prices. Zelda smiled to see her people in their normal state as oppose to watching them bow to her in fear or in respect. It refreshed her senses.
"Twenty ruppees, sir!" The heavy set, bearded man almost shouted at a younger man, "And I will not lower them a ruppee more!" Obviously, the vendor of the Bazaar and the young man were barganing over a bundle of arrows. The younger man, however, was silent, but had a bordom look in his eyes. His silence was finally stirred when the vendor finally spoke.
"Very well," he grunted, "I lower them to fifteen, but only because you be a steady customer and you know how to shoot. But keep this secret, eh?"
"Of course," smiled the young man, "But what of the Deku nuts? Are they authentic or should I just make a days journey to the Kokiri Forest?"
"Which ones?" Asked the vendor, looking for the Deku nuts.
"Over th..." he trailed off when he looked to his left. There he saw a blonde peasant who captured his eyes. He was silent, which left he Bazaar vendor in confusion until he found what the young man was asking for.
"Ah, here they be!" he exclaimed, but it didn't stop the young man's gaze upon the fair peasant. "Boy, what you look at?" The vendor asked, but he didn't get an answer. Then he noticed that the young man was staring at a pretty girl, which gave him an idea.
"Link! Keep your gaze off the pretty thing!" The vendor shouted to embarass the young man named Link. Zelda looked up at the vendor's direction, but found a scared man quickly turning away from her sight. She smiled and walked passed him to another stand. Link looked up at the Bazaar vendor all red.
"Answer me and maybe next time you be not blushing," he winked, then Link turned back to Zelda.
"Who is she?" Link asked, almost amazed to see her.
"Haven't any idea," he replied, "Why you ask? You came to shop for weapons, not for pretty little girls."
"Pretty? She's the most beautiful lady I've ever seen," the young man corrected the vendor.
"Then why not speak to her?" The Bazaar vendor asked, "She just might have a voice, unlike you be!" The vendor nudged Link, which caused him to loose his balance.
"I'll speak to her when I'm ready, thank you," he muttered.
"How 'bout now?" The vendor questioned with a cunning look. Link didn't understand what he was saying until the vendor shouted, "Hello fair lady!" Link immediately ducked down behind one of the sitting crates, but the vendor didn't notice and kept shouting for Zelda, "Come and see a great common warrior! He be handsome and fierce and worthy enough for the princess herself and may be of your fancy!" His voice roared louder than the other vendors', which defintely caught Zelda's attention. She blushed slightly embarassed, but couldn't see what the vendor was trying to offer her, so she continued her way though the market.
Link peered up over the edge of the crate and saw that the blonde peasant was no longer looking at them. The Bazaar vendor chuckled at Link's embarassment.
"Just sell me the arrows and I'll be on my way," Link muttered with a little anger in his tone.
"Ah so be it!" Said the vendor, "Just havin' a bit of good ol' fun. No harm to you, Link. Heh, You have the courage to face beastly monsters, but not enough to face a pretty girl? Heh-heh, I had my share of fun!" Link handed the bearded man fifteen ruppees as the vendor gave him a bundle of arrows.
Link filled his quiver with the new set of arrows and picked up a small sack of powder; he tied it to his leather belt. Then he looked back up and saw several men talking about. It was obvious they were talking about Zelda as their eyes were fixated upon her with a bit of lust. Link, however, continued his way passed the vendors until he glanced back at Zelda and saw that the men were approaching her. They hovered around her like hungry dogs.
"Come now, missy," the taller of the men walked closely behind her as she tried rubbing them off, "We just want to show you around, get to know you better."
"Thank you," she said, "But I am quite content with myself, besides I..."
"We weren't asking you to come along," he interupted. Zelda grew a little more afraid of the five men. She found herself close by a vacant ally, which didn't help her fears much.
"My dear lady," cried out a man in the distance, it was Link rushing to Zelda's aid, "There you are, wife! I've been searching for you around the whole entire market!" Zelda's eyes widen, 'Did he just call her his wife!' She immediately caught on and played his facade with a lovely smile on her face.
"I've been around," she told him, "I suppose I married a blind man!" They laughed as they walked away from the men as quick as possible. Link and Zelda made their way through the crowds so that the men couldn't see them anymore.
"Thank you, kind sir," she said in relief, "You haven't the slightest idea how ghastly those men were behaving!" Link immediately noticed the fomality in her tone and the sense of knowledge in her voice. This peasant girl was educated, which was very rare in Hyrule, but it made him even fonder of her.
"Oh I could imagine," he sort of laughed at his words until it came to a moment of silence.
"Well, I must go now," she said, "Thank you, sir!" She hurried away from Link hoping he hadn't got a good look of her; she feared he would have recognized her as the princess.
Link was nearly cursing himself to not have asked her name, instead he was tranced in her presence, which probably made him looked like a dim-witted simplton. Now he was even more embarassed, but it wasn't until he heard someone laugh just several steps behind him. It was the Bazaar vendor.
"Now, if the monsters would do that, you be set as the greatest warrior in Hyrule!" The vendor laughed, but Link glared at him with annoyance. He continued his way through the market to find his last remaining items.
Hehehehe! I like adding bit of humor, the only problem is which character I want to pull it off. Well, I hope you liked this chapter! And don't you folks worry about Chapter 16 in "A Torn Destiny"...it's on its way! Thanks for reading! Q/C/C are welcomed!