Crimson Ashes: A Tory in this context is a supporter of the British. Lol, do not worry about it; there are many a class I have been half-asleep in. I don't know about the Sheik/Zelda one-sided romance thing, I'm not too good at the fanfic yet so I don't want to make it too complicated, but when I get better I will definitely write one. Yay, I'm on another person's favorites list, so happy!
Terachi Kaishaku: lol, I had to give him something. Sheik will play an important role, but I don't want to give away too much so I'll leave it at that.
HeroofTime861: Thank you very much.
Tymaporer: Well heres the next chapter, hope you like it.
oOoDancingQueenoOo: Lol i have updated!
Steeple333: I'm glad you like the historical fiction. Its something I've always wanted to try in the Zelda universe.
Disclaimer: I'm going to take a few seconds and emphasize that no matter how much I wish it the Legend of Zelda does not belong to me. That includes all the characters: Link, Zelda, Sheik, and the rest. Not mine.
Link sat in one of the armchairs in the room provided for him. In his hand he clutched a necklace while tears barely restrained, gathered in his eyes. He had slept poorly last night as he had so many things on his mind. His encounter with Zelda when he arrived back at the house the previous evening brought back memories of his parents. For much of the night he sat in the chair, reliving some of the worst moments of his life.
Flashback
A little boy of about three or so was running around in a field with a woman chasing after him. The woman was wearing the dress of a common maiden but she was one of the most beautiful women in the land.
"Link come back here!" she shouted, her dress billowing up as she ran.
The boy merely laughed and continued to run.
"Fine then, I won't read you a story tonight!" she called out trying a new stratagem to recover her playful son.
Suddenly the little boy stopped his movement fearful of losing that night's story and ran back towards the woman to see if what she said was true.
"Mommy! Please don't take away my story tonight. I'm sorry!" The little boy wailed as he ran into the skirts of his mother and clung to her looking up with pleading eyes.
"Oh, alright." The mother said relenting with a smile.
"Now, lets go home and give you a bath." She said taking the young boy by his hand a leading him back to the small house in the town that was in the distance.
"Do I have to?" the boy whined.
The mother looked at her son with a face of mock solemnity and the boy gave in. Soon enough the two arrived at the house where the boy's father was sitting in his chair.
"Daddy! Mommy is making me take a bath. Can you please, please, please, tell her I don't need one." The little boy said upon seeing his father, hoping to escape from his dreaded bath.
The father smiled affectionately at his child and opened his mouth to speak. "Well if you don't want to then you don't have to."
Just then, the mother looked to the father with a stern reproachful look, which prompted the father to speak once more. "Never mind that son; it would be best to listen to your mother about this."
The mother smiled sweetly and ushered the little boy to his room telling him that she would soon be with him. After Link had left the room, the mother turned to the father.
"You spoil him too much." She scolded playfully.
"What's wrong with that?" he inquired.
"You don't spoil me." She said sticking out her lower lip as if to cry. The two laughed and the husband leaned down to kiss his wife. All of a sudden, the thunder of hoofs and voices were heard outside.
Link was waiting in his room for his mother to come in and administer the bath. What was taking her so long he thought to himself. If he didn't finish the bath then his mother might tell him that it would be too late for a story. A few minutes later the boy heard voices coming from the other room where his parents were. That was funny Link thought to himself, usually company did not come over at this time. His curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to go out and see who was there. Nothing in the world could have prepared him for what he would see. At and near the doorway stood four or five men with pistols and knives. Nearest to him, Link saw his father clutching a musket in his hands while his mother stood by his father.
"What's this?" the leader of the group cackled.
"It's a little boy!" laughed another.
"Azalia, you must get Link out of here!" The father ordered.
"Ohhh look, the brave man is going to protect his family, how touching." The third member of the bandits said while brandishing his long knife.
"Go! I will hold them back. Go before it is too late!" the father shouted.
The mother nodded and spoke to her husband once more of her love for him before turning around and collecting a startled Link in her arms. She then ran out of the backdoor of the house. The last thing she saw of her beloved was him wielding the musket as a club while the bandits swarmed over him, their knives stabbing.
Outside the mother was greeted with a terrible sight as she saw houses and other buildings crackling in flames. Screams of terrified inhabitants pierced the night as they ran about pursued by bandits. The mother clutched her son close to her chest and ran as she never had before. Unfortunately for her, her beauty proved to be her curse as several bandits noticed her fleeing.
"Look at her!" one of them who was evidently drunk shouted.
"Hey, where are you going, come back!" roared another.
Soon enough, several bandits were chasing after the young mother and her son.
"Mommy, what's going on?" Link asked his mother, terrified.
"Shhh, it'll be alright, I promise." She said trying to reassure her child. The mother decided to run for the nearby wheat field, hoping that the tall stalks would provide her some sanctuary for her and her son. Unfortunately, the pursuing bandits having sensed that they were losing their prey brought up their pistols and fired at the fleeing woman. The first several shots missed, but then one shot hit the mother in the leg. She cried out in pain as she felt a fire spreading throughout her body. However somehow she managed to keep going, thinking only of her son. After a few dozen more yards however, she collapsed, not having the strength to go further. At this time young Link knelt down next to his mother.
"Mommy are you alright?" he asked concernedly.
"Yes dear, mommy is just fine, she needs to rest." She said trying to comfort her child.
"Your leg, its bleeding!" the boy shouted out in alarm.
"Its fine Link, listen to me, you must keep running Link, it is the only way." She urged her son.
"What about you mommy? Aren't you coming with me?!" Link cried fearful at being left alone.
"Yes, I just need a moment to rest, but you must continue."
By now, the mother knew that it was a matter of time before it would be her turn to die, but she was now spending all of her remaining energy to urge her son to safety. Meanwhile, the shouts of the bandits grew nearer and the mother knew that her son must flee. From her neck, she rapidly unfastened her most prized necklace, the one that her husband had given to her on her wedding day, in order to give to Link so that he would always carry a part of her love with him.
"Link, take this." The mother said opening the small hand of her son and depositing her necklace there. "I want you to go to Aunt Saria's and Uncle Mido's, you know the way." She said now, her voice barely a whisper.
"But..but..but I want to stay with you." Link wailed.
"No, my son, you cannot, it is no longer safe here. Do as I say." She ordered, tears now coming freely to her eyes. The mother beckoned her son to her so that she might embrace him one last time before her death. For a few brief seconds she held her son close hoping that God would protect him and let him live another day.
"Go now Link, and always remember that I love you Link."
Terror was evident in Link's eyes yet he complied with the final wish of his mother and crept of into the stalks of wheat. Behind him, he heard the exultations of the bandits who had now evidently found his mother. His heart getting the better of him he snuck back so that he could see where these men were taking his mother. Within moments, they were back near the town where the remaining townspeople were being herded into the church by the bandits. Hiding, Link saw the men prod his mother towards the church house also. Then, when everyone was inside the bandits bolted the doors and brought up great flaming torches to set fire to the building. Link could only watch in horror as the church caught fire. Looking at the windows, he saw the form of his mother, writhing in agony as the flames began to engulf her slowly. Half an hour later all that remained of the church was a pile of ash. With tears in his eyes and a heavy heart, Link set out for his Aunt and Uncle's as his mother had told him to in her dying wish.
End Flashback
Link remembered that day of his life in every detail. Looking down at the necklace in his hand only reminded him of that final parting with his mother. The three small sapphires on his mother's necklace glittered in the sunlight, reminding of how his mother's eyes had sparkled when the two were out playing in the fields.
Oh, mother how I miss you and father so. Link thought to himself as he dangled the necklace from the fingers of his right hand allowing it to catch the sun.
It was then too that Link remembered what Sheik had told him, that he must obtain the good graces of the Harkinian family. Link knew that he would have to speak with Zelda once more in order to complete his mission. He was torn between the hurt that she had inflicted upon him and they duty that he knew he was honor bound to carry out.
Outside of the closed door to Link's room stood Zelda who was thinking to herself. Yes, she owed Link this apology for she had been remarkably cruel the last night. Ever since the events of last night Link locked himself in his room for which Zelda only blamed herself. Her callousness and lack of thought before her speech had caused a young man to re-experience what was obviously a painful moment in his life. Taking a deep breath, she produced a key to Link's room, unlocked the door and strode in. Link was taken by surprise at this unexpected visitor to his room and hastily tucked the necklace at which had been looking at so sadly into his pocket.
"You criticize me of having no manners yet here you are barging in on my privacy." Link muttered to himself so that Zelda might not hear him.
"What service can I be of to you?" he said through gritted teeth.
"I came here to apologize for what I said last night. I did not mean to cause you such anguish." Zelda said softly, her remorse sincere.
At that moment, Link felt like shouting at Zelda again, but instead bit down his anger and resentment and instead accepted her apology so that he might begin his mission to enter the graces of the Harkinian family.
"Would you perhaps do me the honor of having breakfast with me?" Zelda ventured.
After a brief moment's hesitation Link accepted the invitation to breakfast as he was hungry, and the two went down to breakfast.
The two sat down at opposite sides of a large table in the middle of a lavishly appointed dining hall. At Zelda's call, several servants brought in large steaming plates of food.
For a moment, Link forgot his anger as he was overwhelmed by the sight of the abundance of food before him.
"Are you hungry, please eat." Zelda said indicating with her hand several of the foods.
"After you." Link replied trying with all his mental might to pretend so that he might glean some vital information from Zelda at a later point in time.
"I see your manners have improved already." Zelda said with a beaming smile which Link despite his resolve found quite attractive.
Zelda scooped portions of food onto her plate and then indicated for Link to do the same. After several minutes had passed Zelda noticed that Link hadn't eaten that much.
"What's the matter? Is something wrong with the food." She asked with concern.
"No, its just that I was never used to having so much food in front of me at one meal Meals at home were relatively simple things." Link said his heart beginning to become overwhelmed with sadness again as he remembered how he and his mother would sit at the table talking endlessly.
Zelda could see that it would not be wise to continue moving down the present line of thought so she decided to change the subject.
"I was thinking about going on a ride today. Would you do me the pleasure of accompanying me." Zelda inquired of Link, hoping to draw his mind off whatever it was he was dwelling on and so that perhaps her father would feel that Link was on his way towards becoming a citizen of the Crown once more.
Link didn't really feel like doing anything that day, but his duty compelled him to accept. After several more minutes, Zelda announced that she would be right back after she had changed into suitable clothes and that she would meet him at the stables to which a servant would guide him.
Whew, another chapter!!! It was quite sad when I wrote the flashback scene. I hope you guys like it and find it interesting and stuff. Like always please review and stuff.