"By Din, would I hate to be you right now," Link said from the seat of his own horse. Our squadron had just crested the hill that gave us a view of Castle Town and the looming towers of Hyrule Castle within.
With the element of surprise (and Link) on their side combined with the fact that all of the Gerudo were concentrated in one area, the small group of Hylian soldiers had managed to secure Rivenport with relative ease. Watching Link in action only made me more certain of the gap in combat prowess between us. Before the attack, I had begun to think that maybe I forced him to try a bit during our matches. After watching the way he easily disarmed and defeated his opponents, his body more a force of nature than a young man holding a blade, it became obvious that I had been fooling myself.
Upon entry, the Gerudo leading the attack on Rivenport immediately recognized who he was from the sword in his left hand. She snarled and began her attack without any words. Her golden scimitar and circular shield looked formidable, and she flourished them with nearly impossible speed and strength, but she was no match for Link. His combination of finesse, technique, and strength overwhelmed her within seconds, resulting in her scimitar being cast aside and her shield arm rendered useless. The sight of their fearless leader so easily defeated had practically been enough to win the battle on its own.
After the battle was won, most of the soldiers stayed at Rivenport to secure it until reinforcements could arrive. Unfortunately, Link had been specifically tasked with bringing me back, so he and I along with a few other soldiers departed after patching up our wounds and eating some quick rations, although my injuries were easily the worst of the group. I was more fatigued than ever before, each muscle complaining at even the smallest of tasks, the wounds all over my body stinging as I moved. Upon inspection, I found that there were too many shallow cuts and stabs to count.
At his comment, I shot Link a frustrated glance. None of the soldiers who had come to Rivenport had outwardly commented on my actions, but their judgmental looks said enough. Only Link seemed devoid of anger.
"Alright I'm sorry, maybe now isn't the best time," he said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "For the record though, I'm on your side. I mean, I can't really approve of you running off by yourself, and I wouldn't suggest you do it again, but at the end of the day I'm glad you did it."
"Really?" I said, surprised by his approval. "Why would you be glad?"
"Well, if you hadn't charged off like that, the King wouldn't have agreed to let us go after you," he said. "Obviously you couldn't have done it on your own, but because of you Rivenport was saved." I was grateful for his words, but admittedly it did little to cheer me up. I knew what he was saying was some sort of true, but I still felt like ultimately I had failed. Other people had to risk their lives because of my rash decisions.
"You certainly have a positive way of looking at things," I said. "You really don't care that I disobeyed orders though?"
"Don't forget Link, I'm not a solider either," he said. "I grew up in the small town of Ordon. I didn't have any formal military training or anything. I'm not really a "follow the chain of command" kind of guy."
"I guess that makes sense," I said. As I eyed Link, I could tell what he had said was true as well. I had never really taken the time to analyze it, but practically everything about his demeanor was different from the average soldier's. Of course, he didn't wear the standard uniform, but it went beyond that. Most soldiers had short, practical haircuts and a demeanor to match it. They were stoic, strictly business. They fell into line, followed routines and protocols. No one ever thought of doing anything even remotely outside of the box. Link, on the other hand, was casual in all of his interactions. He even treated Princess Zelda, literal royalty, like an old pal most of the time. In combat there was no thought of keeping any sort of formation. He simply launched himself into the fray and handled it with or without help. He was less of a solider and more of a warrior.
"You don't exactly fit the mold of a typical solider," I said.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," he said with a smile. I then found my eyes drifting to the purple hilt of the sword strapped to Link's back. The excursion at Rivenport had been my first time seeing it, and ever since I'd felt drawn to it.
"So, I've been meaning to ask," I started. "That sword… Is it the real deal? Is that really the Master Sword?"
"Ah, so you have heard of it," he said, the small smile on his face widening. "I was beginning to wonder if people where you're from even knew about it."
"Well yeah, everyone's heard about the Master Sword: the Sword of Evil's Bane. The only weapon capable of striking down all of Hyrule's greatest threats," I said. "Of course, where I'm from, all of that was just a part of a bunch of fairy tales. So that really is it?"
"Sure is," Link said, reaching one hand around to pat the pommel fondly. "It had… been asleep for quite some time. Thankfully, she woke up just in time." Part of me wanted to ask what he meant by "woke up" but I decided to leave that discussion for another time.
"So, how did you find it? Or "claim it," or whatever?"
Link's eyes shifted towards the other soldiers in our party uneasily before replying, "I'll give you the details some other time. After all, I'm not really the only part of that story."
"Fair enough," I replied. The two of us looked up at the drawbridge that led into Castle Town now that it was just a short walk away.
"Speaking of the other parts of that story, you may want to start thinking about what you're going to say when you get back," Link said.
"What, you don't think I can just wing it?" I joked, but in truth I had a pit in my stomach that left me wanting to vomit.
"I mean, you could… just don't expect me to write your eulogy," he said.
"It's that bad huh?"
"Probably, but then I guess there's really only one way to find out," Link replied as the perimeter guards saw us approaching and began to lower the drawbridge.
Nearly an hour later, I trudged out of the throne room feeling that the scope of my exhaustion had drifted from the strictly physical into the emotional now as well. I tried to begin apologizing for the aspects of my disobedience that I actually felt bad about at the start of the meeting, but I was almost immediately interrupted. Each of the major generals and advisors of the King decided to take the time to individually berate me for my "foolish," "selfish," and "damn near treasonous" acts. I had felt legitimately bad for the first few minutes, but after a while I lost the energy to care. More than anything I just felt like a toddler being put in time out. I was no longer going to be allowed to sit in on war room meetings, and I was going to have to go back to eating the gruel and stale bread that they served recruits three times a day. It was annoying, but all in a all I couldn't really complain. No matter what had happened, it didn't change the fact that I was being sent to the front in about a week.
Zelda had been noticeably missing from the meeting, but I decided not to dwell on that fact for too long. I wasn't too eager to start up our next conversation seeing how our last one had ended.
Only King Cepheus seemed somewhat sympathetic towards me, but even he couldn't approve the actions that had put so many lives at stake. His statement was, thankfully, short and to the point. I delivered some obligatory apologies before finally exiting the throne room and making my way towards my quarters. The sun had just started to set, meaning I'd been up for nearly 48 hours. I was beyond tired at that point, and all I could think about was curling up in my bed and going to sleep.
As I was traversing the halls, a handmaiden approached me and said in a hushed tone "Princess Zelda is awaiting your presence in the library." She then walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving me stunned and stationary in the hallway. It took nearly all of my physical restraint not to audibly groan. In truth, the prospect of seeing Zelda at that moment filled my stomach with a sense of dread. She had a right to be angry, and moreover she was the only person who I actually felt I had wronged in some way although I wasn't really sure how.
I took my time traversing the halls, stopping a little more than necessary to appreciate some opulent artwork, but in the end it took just a few short minutes to reach the door to the library. I cracked the door open slightly, sticking my head in and rapping my knuckles on the dark wood gently.
Upon hearing the noise, a mid-stride Princess Zelda immediately snapped her head towards my location. She looked like she had been pacing. Despite the late hour, she was still in her regal attire as if she was about to attend a meeting of sorts. It made her look far more intimidating.
Our eyes met, but I could scarcely hold her gaze for longer than a second. Her expression was stern, her eyes were cold, and her brow was furrowed.
"Come in and shut the door behind you," she ordered, and I promptly obeyed. I took a moment to scan the room for any other servants or guards, but it seemed we were alone.
"Alright, Princess before you—"
"Not another word Link Forrester," Zelda said as she closed the distance between us in few brisk strides. I nearly winced at the sound of her heels clacking against the stone floor. She stopped no more than twelve inches from my face, making it very hard to avert her steely gaze.
"Before you try to lie or get ahead of the story, allow me to tell you that I have already been fully informed on the particulars of the situation," she said, her words formal but her voice all fury. "I know very well just how close to death you came. I know that you are covered in too many cuts and bruises to count. I know every little detail of your mission that you've revealed to anyone thus far, and most importantly I know that you were about to lay down your own life before the rest of the soldiers arrived."
Even with Zelda standing a few inches shorter than me, I felt as if I was being bared down upon. I focused most of my energy on not meeting her gaze for more than a half a second.
"Tell me, did you even once consider what might have happened if you had died?" She asked, although I got the feeling she didn't want me to reply just yet. The answer, by the way, was not really. I spent most of my mental energy trying to avoid thinking about that particular outcome.
"What would we have done if you had gotten yourself killed?" she asked again, the emotion beginning to overpower her composure. "We would be back to square one: fighting a war that we know we have no chance of winning! Countless lives would be lost, Ganondorf would claim the Triforce, plunging the entire world into chaos, and worst of all…" Finally, I worked up the courage to look Zelda in the eyes, and when I did I was surprised to see them bloodshot, with dark circles underneath, and tears threatening to fall down her fair cheeks.
"It would all be my fault," she sobbed out, the tears that had been building up finally bursting out and streaming down her face. Suddenly, I couldn't believe how selfish my thoughts had been over the past few hours. Hell, the past few days. I still believed that saving Rivenport was the right thing to do, but that was never really in question. It was a difficult spot for anyone to be in, trying to decide who's safety to prioritize, but it was a decision that had to be made and agreed upon. I had run off against the wishes of most of the council wanting to be a gallant hero, but I'd behaved more like a child. The rest of the council hadn't shot down my plan because they didn't want to save Rivenport, and Zelda hadn't tried to stop me from going alone because she wanted to abandon her people: they had tried to stop me because they were terrified of failing everyone in the kingdom.
This wasn't new information, some part of me had known all of that, but I let my jealousy and frustration keep me from caring about the difficult situation I would put everyone else in. And now Zelda was crying, all because she thought I was going to die. She had put so much faith in me to help her save her people, and I nearly betrayed that faith by going on a suicide mission that I only survived through the strength of others. I felt an overwhelming amount of guilt and anguish just seeing how distraught Zelda was, and knowing I had been the one to make her cry made it ten times worse.
"Zeld— Princess, I'm so sorry," I said. By now she had her hands covering her face as she cried, no longer able to contain her emotion. I raised a hand slightly, wanting to pull her into a hug and comfort her, but something kept me from doing so. I somehow felt as if it was inappropriate. I guess it had to do with her being royalty. I would have to make do comforting her with my words. "I just wanted to be the hero everyone expects me to be. I never meant to… I never meant to cause all of this. I never meant for other people to risk their lives for me, and I never meant to make you feel this way." She was still crying, although she seemed to be settling down just a bit.
"I should have listened to you, or maybe worked with you to try and find another way," I said. Zelda sniffled and wiped the tears from her face, finally bringing her gaze up to meet mine. Her bloodshot eyes were rimmed with tears, making the blue of her irises shine with a forlorn beauty. I hated how even now I couldn't keep my adoration of her at bay.
Wanting to begin the path to righting my wrong, I reached out and took her hand in mind. From there I lowered my head, dropped to one knee, and placed my other hand over my chest.
"I let petty feelings get the better of me," I said with determination. "I promise I will never do that again, Princess. I promise you that I'll become the hero that this kingdom needs me to be."
I waited for a beat, at first feeling proud of my own conviction. Then another moment of silence passed, and then another…and then another. By then my knee was starting to hurt and I felt a bit awkward. Zelda still hadn't said anything, and I began to worry that maybe she was still angry with me. Then I heard a hardly contained chortle. I shot my gaze up to see Zelda covering her mouth with her hand, her cheeks red and puffed out like she was holding in a laugh. I felt my cheeks go rosy with embarrassment.
"H-hey, I'm trying to be serious over here!" I said. "Isn't this the part where you commend my knightly behavior or something?" Finally Zelda gave in and released the giggle that she'd been containing.
"Oh Link, I'm so sorry," Zelda said in between laughs. "I truly didn't mean to laugh, I swear it! It's just that, I've never seen you behave so traditionally before."
"Well yeah, I'm making a real effort here."
"Oh I know, and I am sorry," she said although she was still laughing a bit. "You just always have this sort of casual demeanor that I assumed to be a vestige of the time period you come from. I never expected you to act like a real knight!"
"Wow, OK, ouch," I said, feeling just a little offended.
"Oh I didn't mean it like that," she said. "Go ahead, bow your head again, I'll humor you."
"No that's alright," I said, rising to my feet and letting go of her hand a bit more slowly than necessary. "I think you're right. It's not really me."
"Perhaps that's a trait that all Links share," she said jokingly. "The one from our time hardly behaves like a knight either."
"Yeah, I kind of got that impression," I said, shaking off the embarrassment from earlier.
"At any rate," Zelda went on with a smile, "you seem to have learned your lesson. I'll take you at your word Link Forrester."
"Thank you, Princess" I said, returning the smile. I then watched as it rapidly dropped and her expression returned to one of discipline.
"That does not mean that you are exempt from punishment, however," Zelda said and I resisted the urge to groan.
"They already switched my diet over to stale bread if it's any consolation," I said.
"I'm afraid that alone won't do," Zelda said before walking briskly passed me towards the door. On her way she scooped up a book from a nightstand and tucked it under her arm. "Come on, follow me."
"Where are we going?" I said as I jogged to catch up with her quick pace.
"The infirmary," she said curtly. "While I'd prefer you simply wait and let your wounds heal naturally, I'm afraid we don't really have the time to spare."
One short and silent walk through the castle later, Zelda and I arrived in a pristine white room. There were roughly ten cots set up, and tables filled with basic medical supplies next to each one. The room was well lit, and it looked much nicer than the infirmary I'd seen over by the barracks. The room was also completely empty.
Zelda walked briskly over to the first cot and ordered "sit." I followed her instructions without a word. We sat in silence for a few seconds, Zelda looking at me expectantly.
"Well, go ahead" Zelda said.
"Go ahead and what?" I said. "There's no doctor's here. It's too late at night." At that Zelda furrowed her brow.
"I'll have you know I have received complete medical training and have studied several styles of medical practice from all over Hyrule," Zelda said as she went about cleaning her hands in a nearby washbasin. "Now take off your shirt Link, I need to inspect your wounds."
I was so caught off guard by the prospect of being shirtless in front of Zelda that I defaulted to some sort of knee-jerk reaction.
"Stay in your lane," I said.
"Stay in my what?" Zelda asked with a perplexed look.
"Sorry. Future Hyrule phrase. Just kinda slipped out."
"Link stop being so odd. I know your wounds are serious and they need to be treated," Zelda said. "Come on, we haven't got all day." Finally I relented, pulling my tunic and white undershirt off of my body until I was dressed only in my brown pants. I was surprised by how much the simple act of taking off clothes hurt, and I'm sure I winced a few times. Zelda gasped a bit when she saw just how much of my torso was covered in bandages. Some of them were stained a bit red, in need of being changed.
"I don't have time to brew up any red potions," Zelda said as she got in close and surveyed my chest with doctoral levels of professionalism. "I'll have to make a salve and apply it directly to the wounds. You might be left with a few scars, but I suppose you'll have to live with it."
From there, Zelda opened up the book, flipped through a few pages, and then planted the book firmly on my lap.
"Read off the ingredients here," she said pointing to a spot on the page. I looked down at the yellowed pages of parchment and began to read off the list as Zelda collected reagents from a supply closet not too far away. It really was an odd collection of items. Hylian shrooms, dehydrated hearty radish, chu jelly, and half a dozen other things. Zelda collected them all up and began to grind away with a mortar and pestle, sometimes mixing implements and adding water. After a few minutes she had an odd, grainy greenish goo in a small bowl.
"Alright, this should fix you right up," Zelda said. "I'll have to apply it directly to your wounds though so we'll need to remove the bandages."
"Is this gonna sting?" I asked as Zelda began to deftly unwind the bandages around my midsection.
"There's a reason why I referred to this as punishment," she said without removing her eyes from the task at hand.
"I knew it," I said with a sigh. Soon all the bandages had been removed and thrown into a waste basket nearby. The sheer number of cuts and bruises on my body was more than I cared to look at.
"Let's start with your back," Zelda said. Still following her instructions, I laid down on my stomach, feeling a bit of pain from the pressure being put on my wounds. Zelda sat down on the bed and gathered up a bit of the goo on her finger tips. Without warning she began to apply the salve which solicited a quiet sizzling sound. The pain was like an amplified version of putting hydrogen peroxide on a scrape. I thankfully succeeded in not yelping.
"You weren't kidding," I said through labored breath.
"I rarely do," Zelda said. Over the next twenty minutes or so, we sat in silence as Zelda worked with medical precision and I tried in vain to get accustomed to the stinging that the salve induced. Every few minutes Zelda would order me to lift my arm tilt my head or roll over, and I would silently obey. It was odd, but felt somewhat therapeutic. At the very least I liked getting to spend alone time like this with her. Something about her presence just set my mind at ease.
After a while I could feel my fatigue finally catching up to me in spite of the pain. The cot was soft, and the pillow was softer. I yawned, blinking my eyelids slowly as they seemed to get heavier and heavier. I could feel myself drifting off to sleep, only to be slightly woken back up again by the stinging of a fresh application of goo. Somewhere along the way Zelda must've decided that the job was done and went about redressing my wounds. Just before I drifted off to sleep for good that night, I felt a soft hand grip mine and heard Zelda's voice just above a whisper.
"What you did was incredibly stupid, but thank you."
Author's Note: Oh man, it's actually been over a year since I updated this story. To those of you who have been consistently following this one, let me just say, from the bottom of my heart, my bad. Life is a wild ride and I found myself being very engrossed with my own writing that I'm doing for my undergrad work right now. It's been a step in the right direction for me, but it meant that projects like this one kind of fell to the wayside. That being said, I've always said that I WILL finish this story eventually. It will just take a while. I hope you enjoy this newest chapter. I feel eh about it. What else is new? Feel free to drop a review. That kind of stuff is always appreciated, no matter what you have to say. Stay cool kiddos, and remember to social distance! Peace, PWC