Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda
A.N: This chapter has been a nightmare to write. I'm still not entirely happy with it but I doubt I'll ever get it perfect so here we are. I just hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 2 – The need to know
Link was baffled, befuddled and fifty other varieties of confused.
"C. , what Crime?!" he spluttered incredulously and tried to jump to his feet. It was then that he felt something constrict round his chest and arms and for once it wasn't his blasted doublet. Looking down he found himself bound to the chair by golden glowing ropes wrapped around his torso and arms.
After a brief but futile struggle he turned his sights to his captor. Princess Zelda had risen from her chair and now stood leaning over the desk, propped up by her arms, the tell-tale glow of the tri-force shining through the fabric of one of her white gloves. Her eyes were blazed with a multitude of emotions, that should have been easy for Link to read and yet he had his misgivings, as the main emotion he'd expect, namely anger was notably missing. Instead the two dominating emotions seemed to be frustration and… triumph?!
Link's mind worked overtime to find answers, both to his princess's irrational and uncharacteristic behaviour as well as his apparent crime. After a few seconds frantic mental scrambling he had an idea that spilled forth from his lips before he had time to think.
"it's not about those bloody pots, is it?!" he winced at the utter vulgarity of the statement. He never swore, especially not in her presence!
"Watch your tongue, Link, you are speaking to…" Zelda snapped, before the pressure valve in her furrowed brow was momentarily alleviated as her eyebrows suddenly shot up in surprise and confusion "… Pots, what pots?"
Well now he'd certainly put his foot in it! There was no going back now. Time to confess. "During the twilight invasion, I smashed pots, hundreds of them!" Unfortunately, this did little to clear up the matter as Zelda remained just as baffled, however her steadily descending brows were an indication that his window for clarification was rapidly closing.
"At the time, being a poor goatherder, I had little currency and even in a time of crisis people still demand it, so if I was to complete my mission I'd have to find some. I found that many pots had Rupees or other useful items stashed away that I couldn't reach, so I smashed them. Some were in temples, some were in villages and some were even in the castle!" He concluded, before realising the potential implication and hastily adding "I only used the rupees I had to aid in my adventures and once it was over I donated the remainder to various charitable activities in aid of the rebuilding process." Link was actually surprised and proud of himself for such a succinct answer. Clearly attending all those council sessions with Zelda weren't as pointless as he'd thought.
While Link had been impressed with his answer, Zelda remained thoroughly unsatisfied, the storm cloud above her head reaching new heights and her brows practically fusing together. "I don't give a damn about some crusty old pots, Link!" she cried in agitation, shocking Link with her own vulgarity, before adding in a low, almost conspiratorial, whisper "although, that can certainly be added to the evidence of your kleptomania."
"My kleptomania?!" He exclaimed in horror.
"Yes Link, you…" Zelda began only for Link to cut her off with another sudden idea.
"Is this about my fishing in Lake Hylia, I know it's not technically…"
"No, NO, NO!" Zelda yelled in exasperation, her pressure gauge now at breaking point.
"Then I don't know what…"
"Cease your feigned ignorance, Link, I am tired of it!" Zelda exploded, leaning right over the table almost to his eye level, a movement with an unintended side effect. A side effect to which Zelda, in her passion and frustration, was seemingly oblivious, but to which Link, with all his willpower was battling desperately to ignore for the sake of her dignity. Mercifully Zelda relinquished her unintended torture after several seconds, almost panting from the explosion of raw unbridled emotion that Link suspected had been building for some time, though he knew not why.
The situation had suddenly become so surreal that Link began to seriously wonder whether this was all a bizarre dream. He would have pinched himself, had he not been bound. All he could bring himself to do was gawk in stunned silence at his Princess's sudden mania.
Link's expression seemed to break Zelda from the euphoric release of her emotional firework display, bringing her back to reality with a crash. The princess, who had mere moments earlier erupted like death mountain on a bad day, was suddenly sheepish. She broke her gaze from Link's, instead looking down and fumbling awkwardly with her dress, trying to straighten out non-existent creases. She slumped back into her chair, with a sigh and tried to regain her composure. Link continued his stunned silence and the only sound left was the crackling of the fire. Stillness filled the room, the only signs of life being the dancing flame.
After what felt like an age, Zelda picked up her glass of wine and took a comforting sip before meeting link's eyes once more. "Link" she addressed, all harshness dissipating from her to be replaced with an earnest compassionate plea "I summoned you to deal with a matter most serious. It has hung over us for many months, far too long…" Link, while appreciative of her more considerate approach, was no less baffled but let her continue, hoping this mystery would clear itself.
"I didn't bring it up sooner, because I hoped your nobility would bring you to do the honourable thing and confess to it. Alas you instead proceeded to torment me with it."
"torment you?!" Link exclaimed, aghast that the thought that some action he'd taken had caused Zelda such pain. That was of course, If Link had actually done whatever it was, however he was beginning to wonder whether foul play could be involved. Perhaps one of the council members had framed him for something in the hopes stripping him of his title. You could never tell with them.
"Link, you stole something most personal and precious to me, something that none other has ever even touched… something that once stolen you cannot return without breaking…"
While he may have been befuddled as to the nature of the object she was accusing him of stealing, the fact that she was accusing him of theft of all things was all the evidence he needed to know he must have been framed. Had she accused him of poor etiquette or traipsing mud through the castle halls she would have had a justifiable case and he would admit and accept his punishment. This however he had to fight, not only for himself but also his princess as, whatever this conspiracy was, it could put her in danger.
Zelda meanwhile continued her plea, unaware that Link's wasn't 100% with her speech. "I told you earlier that I could forgive you anything, should you have the heart to confess, and I meant it Link… Please just confess, put away your pride or whatever else it is that's holding you back so that we can finally move on… together." Zelda's look and words seemed sincere compassionate and, had Link not been wise to his own hopeless hearts attempts to deceive him, loving.
He almost wished he could confess, just in the hope of seeing her smile but he knew there was something far more serious afoot. He had to protect his princess and that required convincing her of his innocence and that he was being framed, for purposes unknown.
His princess waited expectantly in silence, her imploring impassioned gaze promising understanding and safety. Link met this with his most grave expression and gave her his most urgent appeal "Zelda, please, listen to me, I do not know why but clearly someone has framed me for this crime. I would never willingly steal from you or wish you torment. I lo… I… you mean too much to me." Link mentally kicked himself as he'd come dangerously close to blowing it, pausing briefly for breath. He was about to launch into telling her of the possible danger when Zelda, with an expression of despair and exasperation that she was trying to restrain, cut him off.
"Link, no one has framed you. I know it was you who took it because I witnessed it, in person, and you have been in possession of it ever since and indeed have used it for the express purpose of toying with me!" She cried out in annoyance, her tone reminding him of her failed attempts at teaching him some of the more complex aspects of Hyrule legal system, which she'd insisted he may need in the future. He couldn't see why.
Zelda however hadn't quite finished yet, adding indignantly "unless you are suggesting that you are not the person who I have met on an almost daily basis in some capacity since knighting you, or perhaps that the princess of Hyrule is delusional!" Despite her heated accusation it was clear that the main source of her ire was his lack of understanding, rather than the crime for which she was accusing him.
Link was stumped. They'd been arguing for what seemed like an age at yet he had still only possessed meagre scraps of information. He didn't even know what he'd apparently stolen. The princess seemed to be reluctant to say. Time to be direct.
"Zelda, what have I stolen?"
"I'm sorry?!" Zelda gasped, seemingly taken aback by his direct question.
He repeated "what have I stolen?"
"It's very personal, Link" Zelda snapped defensively.
"but I need to know."
"it is against a lady's dignity to say" Zelda dismissed, shifting uncomfortably before desperately and sincerely pleading that he must know "surely you must know, surely you recognised the signs, the hints. There's nothing more I can say. Your confession is the heart of the matter."
Then suddenly her entire demeanour shifted and the devious smirking temptress he'd met on the balcony earlier that evening reappeared. "I guess you leave me no choice but to prove your kleptomania. I mean, you practically admitted it with the pots" she purred teasingly.
Link suddenly found himself doing his best impression of a cross between a fish and a tomato, momentarily speechless. Eventually he regained his voice and tried state as calmly and coolly as possible "but I would never steal anything from you, princess, never"
"well that's a lie if ever there was one." Zelda scoffed, yet her playful tone did not dissipate. "You have taken plenty from me. I'm just generous enough not to punish you for it. Perhaps I should punish you later" she said, delivering the last line in a low sultry voice.
"I want proof" Link demanded, decidedly nervous, although he couldn't be sure whether it was more from the thought of being a criminal or the almost predatory way his princess seemed to be eyeing him. It certainly didn't help that she still had him bound.
"Oh, I'll give you proof Link, and I will have my confession." The princess cooed suggestively.
Link gulped.
"Let's started at the beginning shall we. Do you remember our first meeting in Ordon"