***ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**
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In Sotto Voce
By The Wolfess
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Chapter 8
Impa and Zelda approached the castle gate at a full gallop. It was only early afternoon, but they found the gate closed and barred. Zelda had put on the cloak again, knowing it would be awkward to show up in full Sheikah garb, and they pulled their horses up short right at the gate. "Hey!" Impa shouted, her voice full of command as it boomed into the air and echoed off the walls. "Open the gate for the Princess of Hyrule!"
A helmeted head poked out of one of the crenels. The soldier blinked for a moment, and then he jumped as he realized who was speaking. "Captain Impa!" said the solider, holding his hand over his eyes. "Sorry, but no can do until we get word from his Majesty. King's orders."
Zelda pulled the hood back. Luckily, she had taken off the head wraps when she put the cloak on, and her tears from earlier had washed most of the red color away. From this distance, he wouldn't be able to see the slight tint still left over. "Open the gates, soldier, on order of the Princess of Hyrule."
"Your Highness? It really is you?" He laughed and his head disappeared. Soon, they heard the clanking of chains and the gate lowered over the moat. Impa and Zelda passed inside. The gate rose almost immediately behind them, and a few soldiers poked their heads out to watch them pass.
Zelda frowned. "Their behavior is unusual," the princess said.
Impa nodded her agreement. "Something must be going on. Let's get you changed and in the throne room as soon as possible." They dropped the horses off by the stables and Impa took Zelda through the hidden servant's passageway to get back to their room. Impa helped Zelda flush the rest of the eye coloring away and change back into her green corset from earlier. It was a little rumpled from being in the satchel, but it would be passable. They hurried out of the room and were heading toward the corridor when they turned a corner and ran straight into Link.
"Hey, woah!" Impa reached out a hand and steadied the young blond. He had been running full tilt and stumbled backward when he ran into Impa. "Link, what's the hurry?"
Link was breathing hard. "I was coming to get you before anyone else did," he panted. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then looked around. "Can we go somewhere?"
Zelda nodded. "Follow me," she said. The princess led them through a couple corridors and then pushed aside a statue. There was a doorway behind it that led to a circular room with a small window for light. They went inside and the princess closed it behind them. Impa gave her a funny look. Not even she had known about this hiding spot, and that was strange. Didn't Elder Kishla know about all the hiding spots? "The Zeldas have passed the secret of this place from princess to princess," she explained. "In a notebook. But that is not what is important now. Link, what is going on?"
Link looked from one woman to the other. "Princess Ruto has been thrown in the dungeon."
"WHAT?!"
"NO!"
Link nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so."
"What happened?" Zelda asked.
"Ruto can be a pain, but she has done nothing to be thrown in the dungeon," Impa said.
Link sighed. "Unfortunately, she has. At least, they say that she has. Look, I wasn't there but this is what the soldiers are saying in the barracks. They say Ruto attacked the king."
Zelda's brow furrowed. "No," she said again, shaking her head. "That can't be."
Link shrugged. "The story I got is that the king was having lunch and invited Ruto and Princess Zelda to join him. Only, Zelda wasn't here and only Ruto went. Something happened in there, no one knows what because there were no guards, and suddenly the guards outside heard a struggle and the king started shouting for help. When they got inside the room, Ruto was using water magic and the king was locked in a globe of water up to his neck. It was about to cover his face when the guards knocked her out."
Impa and Zelda were looking more and more confused. None of this sounded like the Ruto they knew. Link continued his story. "They took her to the tower cell at first, the nice one reserved for highly ranked prisoners, you know? But then when they couldn't find you or the princess anywhere, they assumed that you were in league with her and started a search. They took Ruto down to the dungeons, and now that you're back they're going to come for you. I asked that gate guard to tell me the moment you came back, if you came back, so I could come find you first. He owed me one, so here I am."
Impa and Zelda looked at each other and then back to Link. "This does not sound like the Ruto we know at all," Impa said, frowning. She had her naginata in hand, and she twirled it around as she thought.
"Remember the prophecy?" Zelda said, looking at Impa. "A shade in royal skin. Ruto is a royal. Perhaps it's NOT the Ruto that we thought we knew."
Impa nodded. "Volga's attack…now this…maybe he and Ruto are working together. They're both new in town."
"Who's Volga?" Link asked.
Impa frowned. "Volga is a problem," she said. "A big problem with an army behind him I think." She looked at the princess and then back at her friend. "Thanks for warning us, Link, but we need to go straight to the throne room. No matter the consequences, King Daphnes must be warned."
Link sighed. "Okay, but I'm coming with you. I can vouch for you if they try to take you, or something."
Impa shook her head. "It will not be necessary." But Link had that stubborn look on his face that Impa recognized, and she knew there would be no stopping him. "Fine, but you're still just a trainee. Stay out of the way, for your own good."
Zelda opened the statue just enough to peer out. Satisfied that no one was around, she opened it the rest of the way and closed it after Link and Impa exited. "Both of you stay behind me," she said as they were walking down the corridor toward the throne room. "If I am at the head of this and say it was my idea to leave, then I can avert his anger."
The moment the guards on either side of the throne room doors saw the princess approaching, Link and Impa flanking her, they scurried to open the doors before she reached them. Zelda was so focused she didn't even acknowledge that they were there as she strode past them, her heals clicking on the tiled floors. Once the three were inside, the guards closed the great doors behind them.
"Father," Zelda said, her voice harsh as it rung through the great hall. "I hear news that troubles me."
The king was sitting on his throne looking tired and angry. His body was slumped over, as if the weight of it was exhausting, and his face was in his palm with his elbow on the arm of the throne. At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up. The first expression on his face was surprise, and then relief, and then anger. It was like watching a geyser about to blow. "Where have you BEEN?" his voice got louder with each word. Impa and Link cringed a little, but Zelda stood as solid and impassive as stone. "I have been worried sick! First the attempt on my life, then I find out you are gone too? You are all I have Zelda—all this country has! You cannot go running off like this! What if she had attacked you instead? What then, Zelda!"
"Impa would have protected me, father," Zelda said, her voice even and calm. "That is why you appointed her. I was perfectly safe."
"How do I know that Impa didn't take you herself, against your will?" the king growled, his eyes narrowing at the Sheikah. It was as if he had completely, and conveniently, forgotten that he had told her to do just that.
"You are making up fantasies that are not true, father," Zelda said, sounding tired. "It is time to move past this. There are much more important matters than my safety in this moment—such as Princess Ruto." King Daphnes sighed, suddenly looking a lot older and grayer than he was. Zelda continued, seemingly oblivious to his reluctance. "Father, she is royalty. If you keep Princess Ruto in the dungeon, our alliance with King Zora will be at stake. We cannot afford to lose an ally while we're on the brink of war. Really, father, I am shocked you have not already thought of this."
"She attacked me," King Daphnes said, "and at the time there was suspicion that she had taken you. I needed her somewhere more secure than the tower."
"Well I am safe, as you can see, and now we need to talk to her. This must be a misunderstanding. The Ruto I have come to know would never attack you."
The king shook his head. "No, there will be no talking to her. She stays in the dungeon, and that is final."
"But father," Zelda pleaded. "This is not a risk we can afford, especially now that we have an army on the way."
King Daphnes sat up in his chair. "An army? What do you mean? I have no reports of this army."
"There was an attack on Grand Master Rauru in town today," Princess Zelda said. "The attacker was a powerful fire-wielder named Volga, called the Dragon Knight. He left Master Rauru for dead. Luckily, Impa and I happened upon him and were able to save his life. Master Rauru informed us that on his way out, Volga said that Rauru would be the first casualty of many before the end of the night."
The King stood up, his face growing stern. "If what you say is true, it is more important now than ever that we keep Princess Ruto under tight guard. It is no coincidence that her attack on my person and this Volga's attack took place on the same day. General Iroh!" His voice boomed in the chamber.
The man in question emerged from the great doors and bowed. "Yes, your Grace?"
"We have reason to believe that an army is approaching. Send out our scouts—we need to know where they are, how many they are, who leads them, and when they will be here. Also, get our own men ready." He glanced down at Impa, standing at Zelda's right hand, and then back at the general. "Take Captain Impa with you."
Zelda'a brow furrowed. "What? No. Father, she stays with me! It has always been this way."
King Daphnes frowned. "Compose yourself," he said. "I have reason to suspect her, and I will not have her by your side—and my own—when the battle starts."
"Father, you are being ridiculous," Zelda said. She was trying to compose herself, but it was obvious that she was distressed. "Impa did nothing to cause your suspicion, she has been with me."
"This young man beside you, the trainee," King Daphnes said. "Do you trust him?"
Zelda blinked. She glanced at Link, who was standing on her left. "Link? Yes, but—"
"Fine," the king cut her off. "He will guard you while your precious Captain is on the battlefield." He turned his gaze on Impa, and the Sheikah thought she saw a funny look in his eyes. It passed so quickly, though, she couldn't be sure what it was. "Impa, you will ready yourself at once. I want you on the front lines."
Zelda's mouth fell open. She felt like her heart was going to stop beating. "No," she said, her voice meek. "Father, no! The front line? How could you?"
King Daphnes smiled a bit. "If the Sheikah is worthy of protecting you, then she will live," he said. The princess's eyes widened, tears welling up in their cerulean depths. The king waved his hand. "Remove them from my presence," he said, "and convene my war council. We have precious little time to prepare."
Two guards grabbed Zelda's arms and started dragging her toward the door. "Don't touch her," Impa growled. She grabbed the one nearest to her and tore him off, shoving him away from the princess. He clattered to the floor. The other released Zelda before the Sheikah could touch him. Impa placed her hand on the small of Zelda's back. "Come on, Princess," she said, her voice soft.
They left the throne room together, and none of them spoke until they were away. "What do we do?" Link said, looking from the princess to the Sheikah and back. They were standing just outside Zelda's room. "You guys have a plan, right?"
"Not out here," Impa said. She opened the door to Zelda's room, and they went inside. Once the door was closed, Zelda shook her head and raised her hand to cover her mouth. She looked like she was going to be sick. Impa just crossed over to her area of the room and started rummaging through her modest wardrobe in silence.
"So," Link said, looking from one to the other. "What's the plan?"
"There isn't anything we can do," Impa said. "It's the way Hyrulian warfare works. The king and the princess will be in the Castle Keep surrounded by the strongest in the army. Zelda's personal guard is supposed to be right there, at her side. If King Daphnes expects to see you at her side instead of me, then that is how it must be."
Link swallowed. "But…but surely we can put you nearby, right? Just in case?"
Again, Impa shook her head. "The head of the military was right there listening. General Iroh will make sure I am where the king wants me."
"Oh goddesses," Zelda breathed, the sound half a sob. "This cannot be happening."
Link looked desperate. "W-well," he stammered, searching for something, anything to give the princess hope. "Okay, you're on the front lines. What's so bad about that? You'll be leading the charge. They'll never get past you, so there's no chance for Princess Zelda to come even close to harm. There's nothing to worry about."
Zelda shook her head again. "You do not understand," she said, a tear escaping her eye and rolling down her cheek. "It is not for my own safety that I fear." She raised her eyes to look at Impa's face. She wanted to take the Sheikah by the hand and hold her close, as they had at Rauru's cottage, to keep her safe. "In basic strategy," she explained to Link while still looking at Impa, "it is known that the soldiers sent to the front lines are very likely to die. That is why it is our custom to take volunteers to go to the front line. So when a monarch or general sends someone to the front line specifically, it is known that they are sending them to die."
Link's eyes widened. "No," he said. He looked between them again, as if searching for answers. "No. I don't understand, King Daphnes, why would he…."
Zelda shook her head, staring to calm herself down. "I do not know why," she said, "but the reason does not change the reality of the situation. My father is sending Impa to die."
Link balled his hands into fists. "This can't happen. We can't allow it. Princess!" he spun to face Zelda, determination of his features. "Send me, princess! Keep Impa with you and send me! I volunteer."
Impa placed her hand on Link's shoulder. "She can't, Link," she said. "It must be me." She looked at Zelda now, her eyes sad and tender. "It'll be okay, Zelda. I will have my naginata with me. You saw me fight Volga today, they won't even touch me."
Zelda balled her hands into fists, starting to look angry now. "That was one foe, and only in practice," she growled. She pushed off the door and started pacing in the room. "They will have monsters with them, Impa, I have seen it! The song in the shadows is silenced… the prophecy… goddesses. I did not know what it meant! How could I have not seen that you were the song…."
Impa turned to Link. "Will you let us have a moment?" she whispered. "Go see about what the scouts find and report back to me. I doubt that it will be long before they are close." Link nodded and left the room.
Impa locked the door behind him and turned back to the pacing princess. She sat on the edge of Zelda's bed and watched. "There has to be something," Zelda thought out loud. "Perhaps we can just defy him. I will keep you close by anyway, my father's orders be damned. He cannot send you to die, not without trial and just cause, and not when I—when I care so deeply for you."
"Yes, he can," Impa said. "He is the king and technically this isn't a death sentence."
Zelda rounded on Impa. "Yes it is!" she shouted, but her anger wasn't directed at the Sheikah. Just as suddenly as the anger came, it faded, leaving sorrow in its wake. "It might as well be a death sentence. Please, Impa, do not go. Stay here. If they throw you in the dungeon, I will get you out. At least you will be alive."
Impa shook her head and stood up. "I can't, Zelda," she said. She crossed the room to the princess and placed her hands on Zelda's upper arms. She rubbed the princess's soft skin under her hands. "I am an honorable warrior. I cannot run from a fight."
Tears welled up in Zelda's eyes again. "But you will die, Impa. The prophecy says so. Please, for me?"
The Sheikah shook her head and put on a forced smile. "Come on, have more faith in me. You wound my pride."
"Curse your damnable pride," Zelda said, but she laughed despite herself.
"There's that smile," Impa said. "Now, I think that we will have a couple hours at least until we need to line up. What do you want to do with our time?"
Zelda sighed and stepped into Impa, wrapping her arms around the Sheikah. Impa held the princess in return. They both closed their eyes and stood wrapped in each other's arms. There wasn't enough time to ask why it was happening or to be worried about the ramifications of her feelings anymore, Zelda thought, not when Impa was going to die anyway. If these would be their last moments together, then the princess wanted to remember them.
Zelda let go of Impa and took her hand. She pulled her over to the closet and turned around, pulling her hair to the side. Impa knew this to mean that she wanted the Sheikah to unlace her corset again, so she did so. Once it was off, Impa stepped outside to wait.
It wasn't long before Zelda emerged, dressed in just her nightgown. Impa furrowed her brow. "Zelda, what are you doing?" she asked. The princess didn't respond, though. She just circled around and started picking at Impa's armor. It wasn't long before she had the straps undone and stripped the pieces of metal off, dropping them on the floor. Impa swallowed, her breathing shallow and her heart beating fast as the princess unhooked the straps that held Impa's breastplate in place and dropped that to the ground as well.
Zelda hooked her fingers under one arm of Impa's blue suit and slid it off her shoulder. The fabric flopped around the Sheikah's waist and hung there. The princess bit her lip and turned Impa around, her eyes raking up and down her body without a hint of shyness. They lingered on Impa's toned abs, and Zelda reached out and trailed a single finger from the top of her abs down to her navel.
Impa reached out and grabbed Zelda's hand, gentle but firm. "Please," she whispered, her expression pained. "You…you don't know…what this does to me. Please stop."
Zelda shifted her hand in Impa's grip, lacing her fingers with the Sheikah's. Without saying a word, she led them over to the large bed and sat down. She pulled Impa down beside her, and then held the Sheikah's hand in both of her own as they sat in silence. "I do know," Zelda finally said. "I just did not have the concepts to understand it or the words to explain it until I read Ruto's book. Even then, I knew how you felt, but I did not see the same feelings in myself. I did not want to see them. I was so afraid of what it might mean…but today, in the courtyard, when I felt your spirit inside me…I knew, in that moment, exactly how you feel. And I feel the same way."
Zelda reached over and trailed her hands down Impa's arms, peeling off the Sheikah's gauntlets in the process. Then her fingers continued back up Impa's bare sides, and finally to her abs again. "I have wanted to touch you for weeks now," she whispered. "Like this. Just you and me. I was too afraid, and it was so improper…but who cares what we do now? You will be dead in the morning—" her voice hitched, and the pain lying just underneath her actions surfaced. Tears slipped into her words and trembled I her eyes again. "You will be dead," Zelda repeated, "and all I will have is the memory of these last moments to carry me through the rest of my days. So, I—I want…"
Impa pulled Zelda into her arms and held her close. Skin pressed to skin, nightgown to wraps, the two women just sat and breathed together. Eventually Zelda's eyes started to drift closed, and Impa eased the princess down onto her bed. Settling down behind her, the Sheikah slid up behind the princess and spooned with her. Zelda turned around, though, and nestled herself into the Sheikah's chest instead. Impa draped her arm over Zelda's bare shoulders and rubbed slowly, up and down, as her own eyes drooped. Soon her hand stilled, and they were both asleep in one another's arms.
They were awoken by a knock on the door. "Impa, Zelda," it was Link's voice, muffled on the other side of the door. "There is no word from the scouts. They didn't return. The generals are assuming the worst. They want us to line up now."
Impa and Zelda sat up, blinking the sleep from their eyes. "We'll be right there," Impa called. "Just wait for us outside. It'll only be a moment."
"Okay," Link said.
Zelda frowned. "Our last moments together, and we spend them sleeping," she said. She laughed at the absurdity of it.
Impa took Zelda's hand on the bed between them. "Still," she whispered. "I enjoyed holding you."
The princess blushed, obviously not accustomed to that kind of intimacy. "This is the first time I have ever been attracted to anyone," Zelda whispered, "let alone touched someone…like this."
Impa nodded. She had thought as much. "Did you…enjoy it?" she asked. Her thumb was rubbing the back of Zelda's hand absently.
Zelda nodded. She scooted closer to Impa and leaned in, knowing the Sheikah would wrap her arms around her again. Impa obliged. "Very much," Zelda whispered. "I do not want it to end."
Impa rested her chin atop the princess's head. "I know," she said. "Neither do I. But it must…Link is waiting."
Zelda nodded. She pulled away, trying not to cry again. She wanted to be strong. There was still that small chance that Impa would live, after all, right? It would be okay. The princess stood up from the bed and crossed to where Impa's clothes lay scattered about the room. She picked up the breast plate and smiled. "Would you like some help getting dressed?" the princess grinned.
Impa laughed and stood up. "I am not the only woman who needs to get dressed, you know," she said, taking the piece or armor from Zelda's hands. "How about we both get dressed and meet here when we are done."
Zelda pouted. "Oh, fine, be that way," she said. She spun on her heal and stalked into her closet. The Sheikah sighed and shook her head, laughing a little. The princess was trying her hardest to lighten the mood and put on a brave face, so Impa would let her.
She got her clothes and armor on quickly. Her Sheikah Naginata was leaning by the door, so she left it there when she was done and walked toward the closet. "Zelda?" she called. "Do you need help?"
Zelda's battle dress laced up the front, so the princess had managed to successfully get it on, as well as her dark fingerless gloves and leggings. She was trying to hook the golden metal greaves into place over her shins, but she was having trouble. "Here, let me do it," Impa said. She kneeled at the princess's feet and took the armor from her.
Putting her hand on the back of Zelda's thigh, she lifted the leg and put the greave in place. Impa then shifted Zelda's leg until it was resting on her shoulder so that she could have both hands free to tie the straps in place. While she tied, the tips of her fingers trailing along the back of Zelda's thigh as she went from strap to strap, the princess watched her work. When the first leg was done, Impa did the same with the second. The princess's eyes never left her.
When Impa finished with Zelda's greaves and shoes, they both stood. She picked up the plates of armor that fastened about the princess's hips and walked over to her. The armor went behind Zelda and clipped to a short banner attached to the dress in the front. Impa was looking downward, adjusting the armor on Zelda's hips, when Zelda hooked her finger under Impa's chin and tilted her head up.
They were almost the same height, especially with the heels Zelda was wearing, so when Impa's head was raised they looked each other in the eye. Their noses almost touched, their breath mingling between them in the air. Impa licked her lips and blushed a little, her heart beating faster. "Zelda, I—" she started, but was cut off by Zelda's lips.
The kiss was clumsy and quick. The princess had never kissed anyone before. She had barely even seen anyone kissing, but she had read books. So she gave Impa a quick peck on the lips and then stepped back, blushing a bright shade of red and biting her lower lip. The Sheikah blinked. Once her brain registered what had just happened, she reached her hand up to touch her lips, and a smile spread on her face.
Without hesitation, Impa stepped forward and scooped Zelda into her arms. Her hands snaked around the princess's waist, and Zelda found herself placing her arms on either side of Impa's head. The Sheikah brushed her lips against Zelda's, ever so gently, and the princess's lips parted as Impa had hoped. Zelda leaned into her protector, her breath quickening as Impa's hands snaked up her back and pulled her closer.
Their lips pressed together. Impa led the kiss this time. It was slow and deep at first, explorative. When the Sheikah felt the princess's hands run down her back and up into her hair, though, it quickened. The kiss grew desperate, passionate. Both women knew that it might be their last, and that when it was over they would have to move on from this moment. They didn't want it to end.
Eventually, however, someone had to breathe. Panting, they pulled apart, and Impa leaned her forehead against Zelda's. Her hands were resting on the princess's hips while Zelda's fingers twirled the little wispy hairs that had escaped Impa's bun at the base of her neck. The princess's eyes were closed, and she was smiling.
"Zelda?"
"Hm?"
"I think I'm in love with you, Zelda."
The princess's eyes flashed open. She blinked a little as the confession sunk in. "You tell me that now?" she said, her expression unreadable. Impa didn't respond, confused by the princess's sudden change. Sorrow and anger were coming into Zelda's features, but she quickly banished the tears that wanted to form. She had done some quick makeup, and she needed to look good for the troops. "All this time we have been together, all you have done to keep me from finding out how you felt, and how I felt, and now…on the eve of a battle where you will most likely die…NOW you kiss me? Now you tell me that you are in love with me? WHY could you not have said this earlier and saved me the heartache of finding and losing love on the same day?"
The princess was keeping her volume as low as she could, but it did nothing to soften her tone. She spun away from Impa and put the rest of her armor on herself. Slipping her new rapier into a sheath on her hip, the princess started to walk toward the door, but Impa stopped her.
"Zelda, please," whispered the Sheikah, her voice breaking. "Don't end it this way. Please."
Tears did come to Zelda's eyes now. Her body was half turned to the Sheikah. She raised her hand and cupped Impa's chin, and the silver-haired woman was not sure whether her princess wanted to slap her or kiss her. Zelda chose to kiss her, and her lips crushed against Impa's with a kind of violence born of equal measures of frustration and attraction. When she pulled away, her expression was still angry, but Impa knew that they were okay. "I will not say it back," Zelda whispered. "If you make it out of this alive, maybe I will say it then. Take that as…motivation."
Impa nodded, tears in her eyes. "I will, Zelda," she said. She reached over and picked up her Sheikah Naginata from where it was leaning against the doorjamb. "I will live. You'll see. It's not so easy to kill me."
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Author's Notes: Revised chapter uploaded May 2022. Please find original author's comments below.
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Hello readers! Finally, the big kiss you have all been waiting for. I hope that it was well worth the wait! ;) The next chapter is a battle chapter, and promises to be surprising. I hope that you will all stick around for it.
Thank you for reading, and please, please, PLEASE review!s
