Hello all again! (bursts into tears) I'm so sorry I haven't updated lately…I've been so busy…anyway…here's your new extra long chapter! I made it longer to compensate! Oh, come on…you know you can't resist the puppy-dog look… (gives all reviewers the eyes) Okay…how about a cookie? Anything, just forgive me!

Chapter 6

(Anger or Guilt?)

Zelda wandered the ship, eventually finding the galley. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the inevitable. She swung open the door slowly; the cheers and yelling of drunken men filled the air. She tucked a long strand of her silky blonde hair behind her ears and stepped down into the darkness.

Her eyes scanned the room; it was filled with the low-life scum, every nook and cranny. She wrinkled her nose, and gulped. The horrid stench of alcohol swept over her. She cleared her head, and spotted the captain, his head hung down, in a corner alone.

Link knew she had come. He had smelled her among all the other scents. She must have been well-treated wherever she had come from. The merchant must have been richer than he thought to treat his daughter to such perfumes. Most of the sweet scents were replaced with the smell of seawater, but his keen nose caught the few that were still noticeable. Now he would just wait. He crossed one foot in front of the other on the table in front of him, and leaned back.

Zelda made her way past all the pirates warily. She was pleased to see Sheik watching her from a table, a friendly smile on his face. She noticed a few other pirates staring at her with greedy, hungry looks in their eyes, and not for the fish…She quickened her pace a little, arriving in front of Link, and placed the platter in front of him silently.

Link raised his hat up with a finger, and took his feet off the other side of the table. He stared at the sorry-looking lump that once resembled a fish. "What is this?" he asked. He didn't know why, but he actually found it a little amusing. Perhaps she wasn't going to be as much trouble as he thought.

Zelda stuttered a little. "It's your dinner." she gulped a little. "It's a fish. I cooked it with a special blend of spices." It was true…she had used every single spice available at least once. Including the terms, "Cinnamon, Basil, Salt, Sugar"…all she knew was she had eaten things that had contained these words, and that they had turned out wonderful.

Link raised an eyebrow at the lump of food. He slowly grabbed a knife, and cut a slice off. He raised it to his lips, and bit into it, chewing for a moment thoughtfully.

Zelda sighed thankfully, and turned away, sitting in a seat close by. She closed her eyes, and began to thank every memory she had for being there. At least they had served her well. Or so she thought.

At that moment, she heard a loud choking sound, and turned to see the captain spitting out the fish. He whirled around towards her with his eyes slit together angrily.

"You call this food?" He threw the plate at her. Luckily he was still recovering from the shock of the dinner tasting so horrible and he missed. It did, however, shatter on the wall next to her, sending shards of glass careening everywhere.

She cowered against the glass shards flying past her. One piece cut her cheek slightly, causing a small streak of red to appear and blood to dribble down her hand once she placed it tightly against the wound. "I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her. No one had ever acted so harshly around her before, and she was frightened. She hung her head, both of her hands on the floor. She was down on her knees, picking up the glass shards.

Link's sides heaved in anger for a few moments. He stared at the girl in front of him. "I would like to know why you found it so pleasurable to try and kill me with your repulsive cooking." He stated in a hateful matter.

Zelda looked at the floor, a tear falling down her cheek. It wasn't because of the cut, either. She was hurt emotionally. No one had yelled at her like that before. He didn't even care about her. Why was she here? She wasn't going to give him to pleasure of seeing her cry. She wouldn't allow it.

Link sneered, and kicked her a bit in the side. "Get up," he ordered her. "Look at me in the eyes, and answer!" He noticed the entire galley was silent. You could have heard a pin drop, and no one would have said anything.

Zelda pushed herself to her feet, quickly wiping away any sign of tears. She knew it was a feeble attempt; they had now smudged her makeup, and had also caused red marks on her cheeks. She stared at him in sadness. "I'm sorry," she plainly stated, her voice straining to remain un-cracked. "I tried." She looked away quickly.

Link had noticed her tears and her cheek bleeding. He could have sworn, for just a moment, that something, no matter how tiny and quiet, stirred his heart a little. Then, just like that, it was gone. He simply took it as a strange occurrence, and shook his head. He took a deep breath, and raised his lip, sneering at her. "Stop behaving like a child. Get up and go. I don't want to see you again." He sat back down. "Now go, before I lose my temper." He sat down, and the chatting of the pirates resumed, although it was noticeably quieter.

Zelda did not need to be dismissed twice. She hated the man. So much so, she couldn't wait to be separated from him. She ran from the room, running until she came to a stop on the deck. She inhaled the night sea air, and let the tears flow freely. "Who is this man?" she stammered.

Garian watched the girl from behind a post. Now was the time to act. She was alone…and no one else was here. That is, until he saw someone approaching. He cursed under his breath, and made his way to the galley. It must be that nosy Sheik. Someday, the first mate wasn't going to be there, and then…he would be ready.

Zelda held her cheek. It stung badly. She heard the foot steps and stifled her tears. "Oh, Sheik." She spoke out loud. She knew it was him. He was the only one who even cared about her on this miserable confinement. "Why is the captain like that?" she hung over the barrel in front of her, looking out to sea.

There was silence, and then Sheik came up closer to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, leaning beside her. Zelda cleared her throat.

"Yes. Of course. It's just a little cut." She took her hand away, revealing the gash.

Sheik tore off a piece of his clothing, and handed it to her. "Here, put pressure on it. It will stop bleeding." He nodded. "I see you caught a bit of the captain's temper, didn't you?" He smiled a bit, trying to change the mood of depression and misery that hung over the girl.

"Yes. I suppose so. Tell me, Sheik, why is he so angry and hateful? It was an accident. I didn't mean for the fish to turn out so badly. Why is he so mean?" she asked.

Sheik had a far away look in his eyes for a moment, and then sighed deeply. "Let's just say he hasn't had the easiest life." He nodded in thought. "You should go to sleep. It's getting late. The captain has agreed to give you a place to sleep." He paused, and seemed embarrassed.

Zelda cocked her head a little, holding the cloth to her cheek tightly. "What is it? Where am I to sleep?" she asked.

Sheik turned to her, and spoke softly. "The captain has…requested your presence to sleep with him tonight…" he whispered. "It will be alright. The captain is not going to hurt you." He was trying to make her calm and reassured, although he was puzzled. The captain had let very few people into his cabin before. Only he out of the entire crew had seen it, and only once or twice.

Zelda didn't know what to think. He wanted her…to sleep with him? Her heart began to skip beats. "You can tell him…" she stated. "That I would rather sleep with the sharks," she stated hatefully.

Suddenly, a voice echoed out from behind her. "That can be arranged."

Both of them turned around, almost simultaneously. The captain was standing there, watching them. He had a very strange look on his face for a moment. It was as if he was sad, and angry at the same time.

Zelda immediately stepped forward in bitterness about the dinner. "I don't care what you do with me. I won't sleep with you." She was firm on this. She would not be wavered.

Link blinked calmly. "Yes. You will. Otherwise, you can sleep with the men of the crew. And they won't let you have a bed either…" he frowned. "Or would you prefer that?"

Zelda was shocked. She had never heard of sleeping with someone without a bed. What kind of twisted monsters were they? She gulped, and realized she had been beaten for the time being. She relinquished her argument, and nodded in defeat. "Very well, I will sleep with you." Tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Sheik was about to comfort her, when a loud yell from the captain brought him back to his senses. "Sheik! Go to bed. Tomorrow is a new beginning, and I want my pirates rested." Sheik saluted smartly, and hastily made his way down to the bottom deck. He only hoped Zelda would be alright.

Link paused for a moment. She was crying…why? He shook his head. Emotional females. He turned around, and spoke in a dominant fashion. "Follow me." He began heading towards his cabin. He swung open the door, and walked inside.

Zelda gasped as she entered. She had never seen anything so richly decorated before. She had to wonder though…why was he sleeping with her if he said he didn't want to see her again? She gazed around the captain's quarters.

A window was installed in the middle of the cabin, letting moonbeams shine in. There was a large chest to keep clothes in. It was carved out of a fresh wood. She could still smell it. A large bed was in the corner of the room. It had long, lacey curtains. The sheets were of the finest silks and satins. There was animal fur draped around the top of the bed, in case one got cold. She felt, for one fleeting moment, like she was home. There was a large desk beside the chest, and a chair accompanied it. The room was quite large.

She had never seen anything quite so lovely. She looked down at herself. She felt very out of place. She still had on the clothes she was wearing when Sheik had rescued her. She casually pretended to stretch, and gave her clothes a quick whiff. She swallowed. Her clothes smelled absolutely horrid. The captain didn't seem to notice that she was even there. Zelda recognized something, and it made a tear slide down her cheek.

The drapery that covered the windows had been on her ship. Her father had been taking it to the near town of Lorthen. She pursed her lips, and pushed the thought down, before it awoke more fond memories.

Link turned to the girl. She had to wear something other than that. She would freeze otherwise. That dress probably covered almost nothing. He began to look for something, rummaging in random places, and feeling his pockets.

Zelda sighed in misery. There was nothing she would be able to do. She began to finger her buttons on the back of her dress in nervousness. She couldn't help but begin to shake a little in fear. "Please…" she stuttered. "Be gentle with me. I've never done this before." She led the tears begin to slide down her cheeks.

Link picked out a key from his pocket, and fitted it in the lock for the chest. When he heard what she had said, he stood up. "What are you babbling about?" He stared at the sniffling girl in front of him.

Zelda looked up in exasperation. Why did he have to make everything so difficult? "I have never slept with a man before!" she blurted out in a very embarrassed tone. There. She had said it. She mentally kicked herself. Now she had revealed that she was a virgin.

Link's eyes widened. He looked at her in a confused state. "What are you talking about?" he asked. He had no idea why she had said that.

Zelda was now equally confused. "But…Sheik told me you had wanted to sleep with me…" she stated softly.

Link turned away. So that was why she was so uncomfortable. A smile grew on his lips, and he quickly dismissed it. It was just so funny. "I meant to sleep with me in my quarters. Not to sleep with me in the same bed." He almost, mind you almost, laughed out loud. "I'm letting you sleep there." He pointed to another bed, which was almost hidden. It wasn't a glamorous bed, nor was it dull either. It was just perfect for guests.

Zelda gasped, turned beet red and felt ashamed. "I'm sorry. I…" she shut her mouth for fear of making a bigger fool of herself.

Link muttered something, and turned the key in the chest, gingerly handling something. It was a silk nightgown. He handed it to her, and turned around, rummaging through drawers.

Zelda looked at the nightgown. But she hadn't seen any women aboard besides her…why did he have this? She shook it off, and walked to the most secluded part of the cabin she could find, slipping it over her head. It was so comfortable, it seemed like it was used before that. That made her a bit suspicious. She began to sniff it. It smelled so wonderful. She smiled a bit, but just for a moment. She came out from behind her hiding place, and carried her clothes beside her.

Link glanced up from what he was doing. His heart stopped for a split second. She looked just like…his eyes reflected untold sadness and desperation. He gulped, pushing all the feelings and emotion down and blinked quite a few times. His eyes began to water. He took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "Now you don't smell like rotting seaweed," he stated.

Zelda frowned. "I did not…" she stopped herself. He was being kind in a way, giving her the clothes and a place to sleep for the night. "Thank you," she said softly.

Link did not expect her to say this. He tried to think up a reply. "Forget it." He sat down on his bed, beginning to play with the ring on his finger just like he always did.

Zelda noticed, and after sitting down, asked him in a small voice, "What is the ring for?" She cocked her head a little.

Link stopped. "None of your business!" he spat angrily. "And be careful with that nightgown! Don't you dare get anything on it or tear it!" He sounded like he was ready to kill something.

Zelda rested her head on the pillow, and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Goodnight," she stated.

Link paused for a minute. "Wait." Zelda looked up. "What's your name?" he asked.

Zelda smiled a bit to herself. "My name is Zelda. And…you?" she asked hesitantly.

Link frowned. "You may address me as captain or sir." Zelda ignored the comment with frustration. She wouldn't be treated like a slave or something. Then, just before she drifted into sleep, she heard a quiet addition. "My name is Link."

"Link…" she muttered to herself, before falling asleep. One could not usually resist against the soft rocking of the ship, and the quiet creaking of the wood against the waves, and Zelda was no exception.

Link turned away from her, happy to be alone with his thoughts. She reminded him so much of her, he could barely stand it. For a moment, he could swear he was on the verge of madness. He sighed, and fingered the ring again. He could never take it off. It was his oath, and he kept his promises, no matter how long it had been. He opened the window, and inhaled deeply.

At least he was alone. But…loneliness…it can drive you mad. He would know. It had been a long time. He glanced at Zelda, who was sleeping peacefully. "Yes…" he muttered to himself. "A long, long time."

It was not long before Link also fell into a deep sleep. And for the first time since he could remember, he had no nightmares.

Wow! This took me a long time to write. But if that's what you want, then okay. Anyway, I don't know how my reviewers will like the sleep mistake, but I thought it was cute and funny, so I added it in. Okay, I will be moving soon. So I don't know when I'll update next. I will try to do it soon…and then, yes, I'll make the chapters longer if I can. Hope you all enjoyed it!

Revan297: No, you didn't creep me out…I am tied to my chair too, in a way. I hope you get free soon, and until then, I will be happy to give you lots to read!

Sapphirethewindwolf: Well, now you know what would happen. It seems Link got a little angry…(Link comes in) Link: Well who wouldn't? It had like, every spice in the world added to it! Me: Geez, Link. I'd like to see you do better. (Link runs away) Thanks for all your compliments!

Huanir: Hold on a second, you're confusing me. Lol. Well, thanks for your respect, and I hope I continue to be worthy.

Chipsdip: Thanks! I love my cliffys! Now you know how Link reacted…a little harshly. But you'll find out why he is so angry later…

Goldensungeek: No, you didn't give anything away. I will fix this…(puts out men in black memory thingy and flashes you) There…you didn't see anything. Thanks for all your encouragement!

Nonnahs: You are very right, my friend! And thanks a lot! I did have a great time! I Went to California for a visit to relatives.

Animedemonnayorin: Thank you…I'll try to go fast. It has whatever music you want in it! It's magical! (winks)

Moonbeams…(all of them): I am a little confused, but that's normal for me…so no biggie. Anyway, I am happy you seem to like my story so much, and I hope you enjoy it in the future.

Thehylian: I like this idea as well. I just might put that in later on. I think this is going to be a very long story. I will not reveal anything about the Sheik and Zelda comment, only that there may be a little fluffiness and such around chapters…(winks)

Krazieshadowninja: I'm glad you liked my fic about Black. And I don't know about the scales thing. I never wrote about it. I'll just leave that up to you to imagine.

Somesaytheworldwillend: Well, now you know. It ended up pretty badly. Like I said in the hylian's reader reply, I'm not commenting.

Fallenavalon: Okay, I tried to make it pretty long. Although all these replies get me tuckered out. Anyway, I thank you for your kind comments, and as for the ring…(looks around suspiciously…) you'll see. (gives you a basket of stuffed animals) Hope you like it, new reviewer!

Chenoweth: Lol, you must have been hyper when you wrote this review. I love the llama! I will give it to my friend! She loves them! It's so cool! Anyway, I would give you chocolate, but I don't think you need it, so…(gives you a gift basket of other candy) There you go…

Blondie91: Oh my goodness. I have never heard that compliment before. Well, thank you so much. I am so glad you enjoy it. I updated! How did you like this chapter?

Damarshmallow: I looked everywhere for the double o anywho, but I couldn't find it anywhere…where is it? (gets frustrated) Thanks for the compliment though, and I hope you continue to read. (gives you a basket of marshmallows)

Okay, I'm finally done with all the replies…lol. I am so happy to have so many people enjoying this fic. Hope you all continue to read and enjoy!