So, hoped that you liked the last chapter. Just a few quick things. I'm still looking for artists for Legend of Zelda Freedom's Cry. Those who have already shown interest, please e-mail me again. Additionally, expect some new things a I am going to be co-writing a fic with a couple of authors.
Zelda now sat in the shade, burning with humiliation. Link had shamed her verbally and then had taunted her when her feeble attempts at physical violence failed. His new nickname for her also chaffed as it was assigned in a very non-endearing manner. She had promised her father that she would tame him and that he would fall in line but whenever she tried, Link always shot out in a new direction, defiant and unpredictable.
Yet, there was also something else bothering the young woman. After she had fallen down and began her futile attempt to attack he had pinned her down. For those brief moments, Zelda couldn't help but notice how close they were to each other and how handsome Link looked, backlit by the sun. Memories of her fluttering heart still plagued Zelda and left her quite uncertain as what to do. Was it possible that after all her annoyance and apparent hatred of the boy that she was falling in love with him? It wasn't possible, she insisted. And even if it did, there was no way they could end up together, it would disgrace her father to have his only daughter marry a colonial bumpkin like Link. She had to get such thoughts off her mind, in other words she had to focus on other men who might make respectable husbands. The problem was that now, for once in her carefully ordered life, she had no idea what her future would hold for her as Link kept throwing her off at every turn. Sighing in frustration she brushed off her dress and stood up, only to find the dashing young Lieutenant from the ball the other night upon his horse and smiling at her.
"Tis a fine day Lady Harkinian, is it not?" he noted with a smile.
"Yes it is Lieutenant," she replied conscious of the Lieutenant addressing her as a Lady and Link's description of her moments earlier.
"May I ask where you are going, perhaps I might be of service and take you there," he suggested.
Now, Zelda held no more attraction for this man than she had the night of the ball but she felt that she needed something to get her mind off of Link.
"I have just finished taking my walk and I am heading home. I would greatly appreciate your aid Lieutenant," she mustered her most dazzling smile.
"Well then, you shall ride with me," the Lieutenant said in a manner more befitting an order but still phrased politely as to be a suggestion.
The Lieutenant took Zelda's outstretched hand into his own and pulled her onto his horse so that she could ride sidesaddle in front of him.
"Comfortable?" he inquired as he wrapped his left arm around her slender waist tightly and held the reins in his right.
"Quite," Zelda replied with another forced smile. As the two rode off at a gentle canter, Zelda couldn't help but wonder what it would be like for Link to be in the place of the Lieutenant. She again pushed such thoughts from her mind and chided herself for letting her mind wonder.
"Are you all right, you've turned quite a shade of red," the Lieutenant asked with concern.
"Oh, yes I am fine. It must be the afternoon heat, that's all," Zelda replied dismissively, trying to force the blood away from her cheeks to end her blush.
"There is to be another ball in two weeks. Would you honor me by attending it with me, Lady Harkinian?" the soldier asked.
As much as she hated the idea of going to another ball and being fawned over by men whom she had no interest in, it was a good way to distract her mind from Link, her mind said.
"It would be my pleasure," Zelda gently replied, masking her reluctance.
"Excellent! I shall see you there then. In fact invite your father and your friend," the Lieutenant said grateful that this beautiful young woman had agreed to go with him to the ball.
Soon enough the two reached the front of the large Harkinian residence. Getting off first, the Lieutenant helped Zelda get off the horse in a chivalric manner befitting an officer of His Britannic Majesty's Army.
"Thank you for the ride Lieutenant," Zelda murmured before getting ready to go.
However, before Zelda could begin walking to the door, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder spin her back around to face the Lieutenant. Then before she could protest, she felt his lips press to hers. She felt the Lieutenant slowly probing her mouth with his. Subconsciously she began to respond tentatively at first and then with more feeling, eventually feeling her arms snake up to wrap around the man's neck as Zelda felt her mind drift somewhere else. Seconds later, the Lieutenant pulled away with a beaming smile before he mounted his horse with a final farewell and then galloped off back to the soldiers' encampment.
Little did Zelda know that there was someone else watching her. From his window up on the second story of the vast Harkinian mansion, Link saw everything that had taken place. He had returned to the house earlier and was writing things down of interest that he had heard as he passed by the encampments on his walk earlier at his desk which was near the window. As time passed, he felt his mind wonder a bit and just gazed out the window for a period of time. However what caught his eye the most was the horse that slowly cantered up to the house with both the Lieutenant from the other night and Zelda on it. He watched attentively as the handsome man in the red uniform helped Zelda down and then leaned in to kiss her. Link also witnessed how Zelda responded in kind with apparent gusto, using her arms to wrap around the Lieutenant's neck to deepen the kiss. As he witnessed this apparent act of affection between the two, Link's subconsciously tightened his grip on the quill that he was holding until it very nearly snapped in two. His gaze on the two intensified as the Lieutenant slowly pulled away and mounted his horse.
As the Lieutenant rode away, Zelda couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. Looking up at the house, she saw that her thoughts were correct as she met the piercing gaze of Link looking down at her from his second story window. Looking at him, she suddenly felt a deep sense of shame for having kissed the Lieutenant. This only added to her already existent internal emotional storm concerning her feelings about Link. Why should she feel shame, the man was an officer in the army, the epitome of a gentleman and Link was but a colonial whom she had no attachment to she insisted to herself.
Link watched as Zelda turned to face him as if she knew he was watching the whole time. Her sapphire eyes locked onto his as the two stood there silently. Seeing the young woman demonstrate her affection for that particular soldier made something in his blood boil. Searching his own brain for the reason, the only emotion that could have caused such a reaction was jealousy. But, why would he be jealous of the Lieutenant. Didn't Link only hours earlier conclude another fiery confrontation with Zelda? These thoughts confused Link to no end, continuing even after Zelda left his vision and entered the house.
Dinner that night was a subdued affair as Link and Zelda sat at opposing ends of the table avoiding the other's glance, until Zelda's father entered the dining room.
"Good evening daughter. How was your day?" the middle aged man queried as he tucked his napkin into his collar.
"Quite well father. I went out to take a walk this morning and afternoon and I met the same Lieutenant from the ball. He invited me to the next ball in a couple of weeks," Zelda spoke softly, feeling Link's gaze upon her and forcing herself not to meet his eyes.
Link sat silently throughout the affair lost in his own thoughts. Here he was a spy in an enemy city, living with the enemy themselves. Yet at the same time, he found himself dealing with feelings that he couldn't quite comprehend concerning the beautiful daughter of his enemy. Somehow the thought of another man taking Zelda to the ball angered him nearly as much as Zelda herself had earlier in the day.
"May I be excused," Link asked with tension underlying his voice.
Zelda's father looked up at the lad in surprise before nodding his assent as Link stood and pushed in his chair and left with a nod to the master of the household.
"What ails him? He seems a bit uneasy? Have you been instructing him as you promised Zelda?" her father inquired sternly.
"Yes, I have. I don't know what's wrong with him. Perhaps I will speak to him about it later tonight," Zelda replied, becoming desperate to know what was in Link's mind at the moment.
"See that you do Zelda for I will not have anyone contemplating further treason against the Crown in my household," he commented before placing another morsel of the roast lamb into his mouth.
Father and daughter sat eating in silence until the two finished and the elder bid the younger good night as he had some business papers to read before he retired for the night.
Zelda now stood and asked a servant to see if Link was in his room or not and having found out that he was went to the room only to find the door closed. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice.
Link opened the door, expecting to find a servant but was a bit surprised when he found Zelda there instead.
"Is there anything I can do for your Worshipfullness?" Link asked in a manner that begged to have him slapped.
"Can I come in," Zelda replied consciously controlling her temper and ignoring the insult.
"Well of course, princess. Why in fact I'll even be a gentleman for you and let you have the nice chair," Link commented through a smile that was so obviously false, sweeping his arm towards the padded chair near the fireplace.
Taking the seat, Zelda sat silent for a few brief moments.
"Well to what do I owe the honor of this visit? How is it that you've decided to grace my presence with yours that is so wise and radiant?" Link continued on in that vein.
"Stop that this instant," she ordered.
"Getting mad again are we. We don't want to have repeat this afternoon's incident will we?"
"That's not what I wanted to talk about," she insisted as she played with a wrinkle in her dress.
"Well what is it you want then?" Link asked none too rudely.
"My father and I were wondering if you were all right, as you were awfully silent at dinner tonight. I also want to know why you've been avoiding me this evening."
"Well you can tell your father that I am fine thank you very much. As for avoiding you, I don't really thing we have much to talk about do we?" Link concluded.
"Why must you be so obstinate? Can't you just understand that I'm trying to help you?" she stated exasperatedly now clenching that wrinkle that she was playing with before.
"You've got mighty funny definition of helping people if you consider attacking them helping them. Besides why do you care that I learn your 'lessons' anyways? Don't you know that we're supposed to be enemies. Why don't you just go socialize with your Lieutenant, it seemed you were mighty comfortable with him this afternoon," Link sneered.
"My personal affairs are none of your business Link!" Zelda exclaimed.
"Really, they didn't seem so private when you two were all over each other in the street. Besides weren't you the one who was complaining about the very same type of men earlier, yet there you were kissing that Lieutenant as if your life depended on it. Right woman of your word you are," Link derided.
"Everytime we talk you feel the need to insult me, why? Why can't you just speak to me like a normal person? You know if you did, we might even be able to become friends," she now remarked offering him an incentive that many men would kill for.
"Get it through that thick skull of yours, I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to be friends with you or anything of that sort," Link rebutted.
"You better watch your mouth. Apologize to me before I tell my father and he has you hung at first light tomorrow morning," she cried.
"In your dreams princess, I wouldn't apologize to you for anything in the world," Link turned his back to her.
"Well I'm not leaving until you do," Zelda retorted, stubborn and strong-willed as ever.
"That's fine with me. You'll be sitting there for a long time though cause I'm tired and I would like to get to bed. So if you don't mind, I bid you good night," Link dismissed himself.
"I'll wait here, I really will," Zelda called out to Link who was by now climbing under the covers.
"That's great," he stated lightly before blowing out the candle on the table next to him.
"I'm still here," she called out in the darkness now.
"That's great, just keep it down will you, I'm trying to get some sleep," Link acknowledged before rolling over.
Zelda resolved to stay there until the lad did apologize but it was not forthcoming. Eventually she felt sleep begin to tug at her eyebrows, threatening to send her into a slumber. Mustering up all the will power she could, she tried in vain to stay awake, but she was fighting a losing battle as she eventually fell asleep, curled up on the chair, shivering a bit as the night was quite chilly.
Again please review this chapter as I would love you forever for doing so.