A.N: Thanks again for the feedback with particular shoutouts to: Bladeofthebookworms, Umiorsea and the one who calls themselves Random Reader. Thanks for the support.
This has been by far the most challenging chapter so far (I know I say that after almost every chapter but I really mean it this time.) I just hope there aren't too many errors as it's real pain to proofread such long writing when you have eyesight issues!
I just hope you enjoy it and please continue to give feedback, whether you like it or have any ideas how to improve it.
Chapter 6 – The battle of Brains vs Bluster
Link squinted against the glare of the sun, as its' rays poured through the open door, illuminating the gloom of his house.
Zelda glided out the door onto the ledge, without a second thought, poise perfectly straight, head held high, gloved hands tucked together daintily in front of her. She was the picture of dignity, regality and self-confidence. Link just prayed it wasn't over-confidence, and pondered whether the Princess ever actually used her legs to travel or whether she just magically floated everywhere. Her grace seemed supernatural.
After a moment's nervous hesitation, he followed her out onto what had become Zelda's podium for her grand speech and possible battlements for the coming siege.
There was indeed a formidable sized crowd congregated and Epona had shuffled into the corner off to the right of the ledge, clearly unsettled.
He scanned the battlefield, trying to discern combatants from the spectators and supporters. It would seem that most of the village was in attendance, with the notable exception of Ilia and the children, who he failed to locate within the crowd. Most of them bore expressions of confusion, bemusement or mild annoyance. None, however, showed any hostility towards either of them, seeming to only be seeking some explanation for the current situation. He just hoped Zelda was right and that they wouldn't simply jump to conclusions and believe whatever Ilia might have told them.
His village friends were unfortunately relegated to the back of the crowd behind several rows of soldiers, with faces that ranged from "Am I even awake yet?" to "why do I even bother" to "I've just swallowed a bag of lemons!" Quite frankly, he had no idea how they'd react when the inevitable battle kicked off.
Then at the head of congregation stood Lord Halshaw and what Link guessed must have been his officers/cronies. The Lord reeked of alcohol and from his bleary eyes Link guessed it wasn't just fatigue he was suffering from. It would seem Zelda was right about that handicap she spoke of. Despite this, or indeed because of it, he wore a thin veil of concern and annoyance beneath which lurked barely concealed triumph. Was it the delusions of alcohol that made him so confident or did he have an ace up his sleeve? It would seem they may be about to find out. He opened his mouth to speak…
Zelda beat him to it "Citizens of Ordon, Loyal soldiers of the 31st regiment." Zelda addressed in her most refined and authoritative tone. "I stand before you as princess to offer you my sincerest apologies." Link blinked. This was a strange definition of attack. Still he just stood, listened and tried to look imposing.
"I can surmise from your expressions of confusion, frustration and anger that my unexplained disappearance has led to much undue disruption and distress. That was certainly not my intention. My intention last night had been to meet with Link, the Hero of Hyrule…" Link heard a snort of derision from Lord Halshaw "to discuss several matters concerning the defence of the realm in the wake of the recent turmoil of the Twilight invasion, an event that changed us all irrevocably. Given his remarkable skills and displays of selfless duty, I wished to propose an arrangement…" Link was baffled what arrangement she was referring to when he caught a whisper from among the soldiers that made him bristle "Yeah an arrangement to show him new sheath for his sword!"
Zelda was either unaware of the comment or decided to ignore it as she continued, unfaltering "to continue to serve in a more official capacity and to receive the recognition and respect befitting of his achievements." There was a smattering of cheers from among the villagers and surprisingly even some among the soldiers at that announcement. Link, while unsure of the implications of such an announcement, was never the less grateful to her for not revealing the real subject of their conversation. He even felt a swell of pride at her reverence of his adventures and was actually glad when the villagers showed their support, for once able to suppress the negative voice in his head telling him he deserved nothing.
One person was, however, decidedly displeased with the whole proceeding. Lord Halshaw seemed to be fighting to suppress an ugly sneer, but in doing so, gave the look of a man desperately holding back a sneeze, his perfectly manicured moustache twitching from the exertion. Clearly frustrated at Zelda's early foothold in the conversation, he took her pause, to wait for the crowd to calm, as his opportunity to make his opening gambit.
Clearing his throat, as though he had a Chu lodged in it, he plastered on a look of worry and spoke. "Your highness, with all due respect, we are not here for praise of this… "Hero", however deserving, but for an explanation as to your highness's, some might say, questionable actions last night, which lead to panic this morning. Actions, which are particularly troubling in the wake of a claim made not long ago by a distraught young lady, that your highness engaged in more than cordial relations with this Link fellow…"
Lord Halshaw was about to continue when he picked up a titter of laughter from the princess, to which he seemed somewhat taken aback and surprised by her display. Link shared his surprise as he certainly couldn't see the funny side of such an accusation. After a second's consternation, the Lord regained his composure and inquired with slight annoyance. "Your Highness, this is a most serious claim, surely this situation doesn't bring you amusement?"
Zelda's reply was quick and sharp "No, Lord Halshaw. I laughed because I have never known you to refer to a young woman so respectfully, or to shy away from naming the pleasures of the flesh, even in court. You have certainly never demonstrated any inclination towards either in the past."
Halshaw's Moustache was twitching again as he tried to find a fitting response. Link had been amazed at how Halshaw's initial assault had been so articulate given the Lord's condition, however, he was now beginning to suspect that he'd been preparing his adjusted opening salvo since Zelda had started. It would seem that, now that he had no preparation time, the effects of last nights brewing and stewing on his faculties came more into focus, even as the man himself struggled to do so.
After a moment's silence, apart from a couple of sniggers from amongst the ranks of the soldier, He clearly decided that the best response was to simply dismiss it and move on. "never the less…" the Lord huffed trying to regain control and momentum "that does not change the facts of this matter or it's severity your highness. This young lady…"
"By this young lady, you are referring to Ilia are you not?" Zelda asked innocently.
The Lord blinked stupidly, like he'd just been slapped with a fish. "Who?" he replied, baffled.
"Mayor Bo's daughter." Zelda graciously clarified.
There was another moment's pause as Link watched the Lords eyes cross in concentration, reminiscent of a Bublin suffering from a bout of acute indigestion. "Oh, ah, yes, her!" he fumbled, still not entirely sure.
Link was fast approaching the conclusion that what he and the crowd were about to witness would not be a battle of equal wits but a massacre, as Zelda toyed with her totally outmatched and underprepared opponent. He almost felt sorry for the Lord… almost!
"Anyway, as I was saying, this young lady, came back to the village, having gone to ask errr… Link for assistance in locating your highness, in a state of high distress, making the claim that your highness and Link had slept together. Now I am not a man who would ever question Your highnesses virtue, however the circa… circo… err circumstances might lead some less loyal, less trusting people to take this claim as fact, and if such news was to spread… well… it would be a disaster, both for your reputation, and your hero's." He may have stumbled throughout however it was clear the fool thought he was on to a winning argument as he was barely able to hide his glee behind his feigned cloying concern.
"and what circumstances are you referring to? I would be more than happy to clear up any misunderstandings." Zelda responded courteously, displaying no signs of even acknowledging the implied threat.
The Lords confidence seemed to be helping with his clarity of mind and speech as he answered "Well, your highness, you left your conference with the village community late at night, a time most would consider sleeping, and headed off, without informing anyone of your intention, to Links house, where he just happened to still be awake as well. Some suspicious individuals might think that you arranged this late-night rendezvous beforehand. You then, rather than return to the safety, security and high comfort of your bed, surrounded by your loyal legions, decided to stay overnight with a man, who despite his "claimed" achievements, lives in a tree. One might think that he would have to possess other "qualities" to persuade a royal princess to stay."
Halfway through his speech, the vile Lord had turned his gaze to Link, his comments clearly an attempt to goad him into some sort of response. Link fully realised this but never the less struggled to keep a calm composure. At his final line and the mention of "qualities" Lord Halshaw had made a subtle but lewd gesture, with his hands tucked in front of him, using a finger and thumb to make a circle and then moving one finger from the other hand in and out suggestively.
What bothered Link more than the insults and insinuations though was that, with the way Lord Halshaw put it, he seemed to have a fairly solid case for his accusations against them. It looked like the balance of power had suddenly and dramatically switched.
The lord didn't stop there though, taking full advantage of his newly gained control to initiate his second strike. Turning back to the princess, barely able to hide a smirk he continued "Now I understand, many a young impressionable woman has been taken advantage of by charming, smooth-talking rogues and indeed that such ideas seem to have a particular romantic appeal to ladies of the genit… I mean, gentry. I'd be more than willing to accept that while this man, Link, may not outwardly possess any attractive qualities that I could see a woman of royalty being lured by, he may have, never the less, manipulated and wooed you. For that I would not hold you in any less regard than I do now and I think no-one would deny that you were just a victim of a callous Casanova and your regrettable feminine sensibilities…"
The Lord may have grown in confidence over his position however he seemed completely oblivious to the growing ire of many of the villagers behind him. He didn't notice the gasps of shock and indignation from the women of the village at his mention of "regrettable female sensibilities". If the Lord kept this up he could end up with every female from here to Kakariko village out for his blood. The one lady seemingly unaffected by his thinly veiled derogatory diatribe was the very person it was directed at. Princess Zelda simply watched placidly and if Link could ready anything from the profile of her face, he could swear she was restraining a smile. Was this all part of the plan? Let the Lord dig his own grave.
Halshaw persevered producing more verbal slime with the same sickly false sympathy, as Link fought to suppress growl, gritting his teeth. "I'm sure that with some discussion with the fine peas… people of Ordon that we would be able to come to an accord, where we can put this unfortunate incident behind us and it need never be brought up again, saving potential damage to your reputation and preventing distress and distrust being bred among your loyal subjects." Unable to hold back any longer, a triumphant smirk broke out on the Lords face as he offered his final ultimatum. "All that I would ask of you, your highness, is that you end this unsavoury association with this man, Link and that you, in future, run all further associations, be they personal or professional, past your loyal advisers and council members so as to avoid any further unwise relations."
Lord Halshaw finished his speech with an almost theatrical flourish, receiving applause from his cronies. The rest of the crowd was deadly silent, seemingly waiting for the Princesses response. Link was just praying she would make it soon before his rage boiled over and he beat that two faced, smug blaggard of a noble to within an inch of his sorry life. The slimy presumptuous scumbag had repeatedly insulted both him and Zelda based on a lie and yet attempted to play the compassionate mediator.
Fortunately, Zelda's returning volley did not take long to appear. "Is that all you have to say, Lord Halshaw?" she asked passively showing no signs of being phased by his assault. The Lords smirk faltered slightly, clearly somewhat perturbed by his attacks lack of visible results, but did not fade entirely. "yes, I do not believe I could advise you any better as to the unavoidable conclusions of the incident, and my position on the matter. I trust that you, in all your wisdom, will take my advice to heart."
"Really Lord Halshaw?!" Zelda said in mock surprise. "well then, allow me to provide the relevant missing context to last night's events and the state of the current situation so that you, in all your nobility, can make the correct choice to preserve your status among my most "loyal" of advisers and indeed your own reputation." Her diction was refined and steady but her tone was acerbic.
"Firstly, you seem to be advising under the false assumption that I did not deign to inform anyone of my decision to visit Link, and that I proceeded directly to speak with him rather than return to the camp. Not only did I return to the camp but I also apprised all four of the camps denizens, not asleep or trying to do so, namely you and your compatriots, of my intentions." She remained steady and regal despite the lines not so subtle accusations.
The Lords eyes widen, along with his officers as they shared looks of mutual shock and confusion. "What, I don't remember this!" he exclaimed in dismay, before his expression switched to one of suspicion. "when was this?" he demanded, his eyes narrowed, his arms crossed. The soldiers meanwhile, many who had looked only vaguely interested and were clearly more annoyed at having wasted their morning searching for the princess than some court scandal, suddenly began to perk up.
"Around midnight when you decided to partake in your nightly tradition of consuming almost the entire regiments ale supplement for the day by yourselves. I believe I interrupted you just when you'd broken into a rendition of that song "I laid a merry maid to churn some butter, she needed and pleaded when down in the gutter"…" Halshaw's mouth fell open in horror and he was rendered temporarily speechless as Zelda continued "Now sheltered as I am as a princess, I don't know what the song means but I'm sure there are some gallant, attentive souls within the regiment who could enlighten me." She said with an air of obviously feigned naivety, clutching one hand dramatically to her heart. A wave of restrained sniggering rippled through the soldiers ranks, while some of the villagers couldn't resist a wry smile.
"Well, I still do not recall that." The Lord sneered still not entirely convinced.
"I informed you of my plan, at which point you endeavoured to dissuade me in your own inimitable drunken style, as well as express your opposition to your apology speech for yesterday's behaviour, which included various rather colourful terms to describe Ordon's citizens. Would you like me to quote some of them to jog your memory?"
Lord Halshaw went white. "No, no, no that… that wont be necessary, your highness." He spluttered frantically, suddenly aware of the growing hostility behind him.
"So, will you accept that not only was your first points of "advice" moot but that it means that you are, effectively, at least partly responsible for the panic and disruption that occurred this morning."
"You may not!" The Lord blurted indignantly, his voice rising, highlighting the squeaky iron gate that he must have swallowed at some point, before realising he may actually have to back up such an outburst in front of the royal princess. Wringing his hands nervously, he stammered "I, I, I, it, it, it… it strikes at the heart of the… it's a matter of…I was drunk." He finished pitifully.
"I see" came Zelda's curt response. "are you arguing then, Lord Halshaw, that when under the influence of alcohol, you do not consider yourself obliged to uphold your duties and responsibilities as a royal adviser or a member of the council? If that is the case then one has to wonder on what day of the year I should consider you worthy of such an honourable station, given your propensity to drink it as a whale drinks water. After all, there are no privileges without responsibilities. I know that concept is particularly hard to get across to a noble, but I forever live in hope."
"Of course that wasn't what I was suggesting, your Highness" The Lord drawled in an oily obsequious manner, wringing his hands so vigorously one might think they'd catch fire. "I perfectly understand the need for respon…responsibility and self-sacrifice as a part of my role as one of your humble, ever faithful advisers. I simply wished to make the point that surely, in the late evening, after a long hard day's selfless toil for the glory of Hyrule and her crown princess, that a noble man may deserve to indulge in little relaxing jovial repartee, without having to concern himself with the burdens of his many and weighty responsibilities. That isn't too much to ask, is it?" With his point made, smiling his most sickly ingratiating smile, Lord Halshaw seemed to be under the impression that he had wriggled his way out of immediate danger.
Zelda's reply showed just how wrong he was. "and what does a lady deserve?" she asked coolly.
"Your highness?"
"Does a lady not deserve to be able to rest, without being kept awake for hours on end by the sound of a bunch of burbling bulldogs, barking and belching incessantly into the early hours of the morning. Do the soldiers not deserve a rest, having travelled many miles, carrying not only the physical burdens of the camp but also the weight of the responsibility of the safety of the kingdom on their shoulders, which they do with dignity and discipline…" At this praise, Link noticed many among the regiment stood taller and straighter, as they spontaneously sprouted a sense of pride. Some of them seemed almost taken aback at being spoken of so highly, but never the less accepted their glowing appraisal.
"Now, your highness, don't you think you're rather overstating…" The Lord attempted to stem the tide but the princess was in full flow and it would seem that the crowd was all behind her.
"No, I do not believe I am! Indeed, your raucous revelling is what prompted me to bring my meeting with Link, which I had intended for later today, forward to last night…"
"but how could you guarantee he would still be awake, if you hadn't already arranged it?!" The Lord blurted as if he'd just struck gold.
"There was no guarantee." Zelda answered plainly, before elaborating "I had however been informed most kindly, by several among the village including Uli and Mayor Bo, that Link had a habit of partaking in late night vigils which could last into the early hours of the morning, particularly when the moon was out…"
"Sounds like the habits of a lunatic." The Lord muttered sourly under his breath, his brief elation thoroughly deflated. His moustache twitched sporadically, now joined by one of his eyelids.
"fortunately, Link was indeed awake and watching. So, it came to our meeting where we discussed…"
"And just what was it you discussed?! What was this arrangement you agreed to?!" Lord Halshaw snapped indignantly, fists clenched, his entire face flushing red, clearly approaching breaking point.
"We were unable to fully conclude our conversation as weariness took its toll, at which point he graciously invited me to stay…"
"AHA, so you admit…!"
"In separate beds, on separate floors, fully clothed…" Zelda fought on, still remarkably composed, considering what she was up against. The only outward signs Link could see of the Lords bombardments was her tensed shoulders and her heart, that Link could hear, was racing.
"… as to this arrangement, I had been considering giving him a knighthood…"
"WHAT!" Lord Halshaw exploded, unable to contain himself any longer. "Now princess, I am willing to believe that you somehow held the power to gain the aid of the goddesses in repairing Hyrule castle. I am also more than willing to believe your tales a great hero who delivered us from the tyranny of the twilight, but it absolutely was not this scrawny, shit stained goatherder! It was most certainly some noble, probably among the ranks of your current knights, who is far too humble and modest to use it to advance his position. Why, it could very well be my own son, who is considered by many to be the greatest knight in your entire army…"
"Says who?!" came a jeer from among the ranks. "Yeah, he's a tosser!" piped up another.
"SILENCE!" The incensed noble roared, rounding on them. "I will not have my family mocked like this, especially from peasants and the common soldier. I demand respect!" Whirling back to point accusingly at the princess he ranted "You have always had an issue with your fellow nobles, particularly with your farcical notion that it is just as much the common folk that make this kingdom great as it is our long-standing noble bloodlines. This idealised vision of the hoi polloi has clearly blinded you to the blatant falsehood of whatever cock-and-bull story this milk swilling, cowardly con artist has swindled you with! And now you consider elevating him to our level!"
"Lord Halshaw, I know Link to be the hero of twilight, because I assisted in guiding him on his quest and even fought alongside him in the final battle against the dark lord Ganondorf!" Zelda countered finally raising her voice in warning.
The Lord, fuelled by madness at this point howled with derisive laughter. "Please, princess, spare me your girlish fantasies of riding into battle with a dashing hero! We all know girls can't fight!"
His laughter was short lived as his expression turned from anger to fear at the princess's next line, calm yet laced with an undercurrent of menace. "Link, I require your bow and a quiver of arrows."
Startled by suddenly being addressed directly, having been transfixed on their, albeit one sided, battle of wits, Link shock himself from his daze only to gaze quizzically at the princess. Surely, she wasn't actually considering his pincushion idea? "your highness?" he asked bemused.
"I feel a little demonstration is in order." Came her cryptic response. He wasn't sure what she had planned but he never-the-less did as commanded and quickly fetched his bow and arrows from where he'd placed them by the door.
Taking his bow and giving him a nod of thanks, Zelda turned back to the crowd. "Citizens of Ordon, Soldiers of the 31st…" Zelda addressed the crowd, assured and authoritatively, adding sarcastically "loyal advisers" and casting a withering eye over Lord Halshaw. "It is undeniable that the twilight invasion affected us all. Each of you, I'm sure, experienced some trauma during those dark times. While it is true that it was so far reaching that you would struggle to find any in our great kingdom untouched by it, it is equally true that most know not how it came to pass or what brought it to an end."
Zelda took a breath and nocked an arrow, before continuing "I know each of you deserve the whole story, however I fear, if I endeavoured to tell it all we would still be here tomorrow, so…"
"Save your warbling and get to the point!" The Lord spat, regaining some of his nerve.
"the point…" Zelda drew back the bow string "I will tell you, who was behind it all…" She aimed straight at Lord Halshaw. He flinched. "and how he ended."
In a swift fluid motion, Zelda brought the bow up and to the right and loosed the arrow. The eyes of the crowd all followed its flight, straight and true, right into one of the targets hung from the surrounding trees, striking with a resounding thud.
Bullseye!
First there was a stunned silence. Then came the applause. Even Link, despite having witnessed her prowess in archery first hand, was astonished.
After the applause began to die down, Zelda continued "The ultimate perpetrator and mastermind of the twilight invasion was a malicious ancient being known as Ganondorf, a wielder of powerful dark magic and a formidable warrior. He usurped the throne of the twilight realm and then, using his dark power to corrupt its people, he manipulated them into taking over Hyrule." She nocked another arrow.
"Link, the chosen hero of the goddesses, fought against these forces for many months, travelling the length and breadth of the kingdom to find ways to diminish his power, with the help of some noble allies." Zelda drew back the bowstring and Lord Halshaw's next retort died on his lips.
"after six months and many sacrifices, the final confrontation came." She Loosed another arrow into another target. Another bullseye!
It was then that Link noticed someone watching from behind a bush at the entrance to the village. It was Ilia, staring, seemingly spellbound by the princess's tale. Link found himself trying to decipher the many emotions that flashed across her face, Zelda's voice briefly fading into the background as he spied wonder, exhilaration and horror hang on her features.
The thud of another arrow finding it's mark brought Links attention back to the Zelda's words. "… so, with Link wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane and me possessing the arrows of the light spirits, we pursued Ganondorf on Links faithful mare, Epona…" At her mention Epona gave a hearty neigh.
"Together, we brought him down from his horse, and Link dismounted to finish him. It turns out, however, that the dark lord was far from defeated, and after using his magic to create a barrier, rendering me unable to assist Link, they engaged in a most ferocious duel before Link, the chosen hero, ran Ganondorf through with the Blade of Evil's Bane, finally ending his reign of terror, once and for all! With Ganondorf slain peace and light could return to the kingdom, all thanks to Link!" With her tale concluded, she loosed her fourth and final arrow with a theatrical flair and the crowd broken into enthusiastic applause and cheers for the hero and the princess.
Zelda waited for the applause to die down before making a final address to the audience "Link is a great hero, and like so many, he bares many burdens even after the story has finished. I ask that you respect that, along with the sacrifices of the many others who played their parts in helping rid this world of that tyranny. As such, it was distressing for me to see Link treated with such disrespect due to the ignorance of a member of my court, and the misunderstanding that arose from it. I am aware, also, that this disrespect has been extended to many of you and this court squabble has disrupted your necessary daily duties. For that, on behalf of the court, I apologise. I thank you all for your patience and your support during this incident, however I do not wish to keep you from your lives any longer. Go forth and may the goddesses bless you."
With that, there was a further round of applause before all the villagers bowed or curtsied and began to file off back towards the village. Link glanced off to the bush where Ilia had been hiding, only to find it empty. She had gone.
"Legate Grodmere" Zelda called.
"Yes, your highness?"
"I thank you and your men for their service. I intend for us to leave by late afternoon so please ensure all is prepared for our prompt departure."
"Yes, your highness!"
With that the legate barked some orders and the soldiers marched off in the same direction as the villagers. The princess let out a long weary sigh. It would seem the confrontation had taken quite a lot out of the young royal.
Link, meanwhile, was overcome with an enormous sense of relief. He hadn't felt so light in ages. The princess had saved him from a fate worse than Ganondorf… well not quite but it was certainly close. Zelda turned to him and gave him her small smile with a tinge of sadness. They locked eyes and each bowed just as they had, at their fateful reunion the day prior.
There were just four who had not joined the applause for the princess and the hero. Lord Halshaw, likely realising the battle was well and truly lost, was attempting to slink away quietly before he incurred any more damage to his reputation.
Unfortunately, the elation of the battle coming to an end hadn't led to a lapse of memory from the princess. "Where do you think you're going, Lord Halshaw?" She called imperiously.
"leaving you to your victory, your highness, I clearly misjudged the situation and I have paid the price." The Lord remarked, trying to hide his anger and despair behind an air of apathy.
"Really?! I was under the impression that you were running from a diplomatic incident for which you are entirely responsible and which you, therefor, are required to fix, by apologising to all those affected by it."
"Your highness, surely you can't be serious?" The beleaguered Lord wailed, seemingly aggrieved by the notion.
"Oh, I am deadly serious Lord Halshaw when I say that your position on the council is currently on very thin ice and will be for some time, until you have demonstrated to me that you are capable of being reliable and responsible." The princess stated coolly.
The crushed and cowed Lord shuddered. "What must I do, your highness?" he enquired despondently.
"You already know what is required, first you apologise to Link…"
"But, your highness…" Halshaw whined pathetically.
Zelda just gave him a look, a look that told him he would never wriggle out of it in a million years.
"Fine, I'm sorry"
"say it to HIM"
"I'm sorry Link"
"that's Sir Link, hero of Hyrule, chosen hero of the Goddesses to you!" Zelda dictated, though Link could see a twinkle in her eye. She was clearly enjoying this.
"You can't be… arghh I'm Sorry Sir Link, hero of Hyrule, chosen hero of the Goddesses." Halshaw muttered through gritted teeth.
"what are you sorry for?" Zelda prompted almost gleefully.
"I'm sorry for not believing you were the hero of Hyrule" he said monotonously.
"And?"
"I'm sorry for disrespecting you."
"And?"
"I'm sorry for accusing you of ungentlemanly conduct towards our most illustrious highness"
"Very good, Lord Halshaw, Now all you need to do is prepare your official apology to the soldiers of the 31st and Ordon's Citizens, for which you should have a good template prepared from last night."
"Your highness?!"
"I expect it to be ready by the early afternoon to be given outside the mayors house. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your highness." The Lord hissed.
"Then you are dismissed."
The Lord and his cronies slumped off towards the village, muttering.
That just left Link and Zelda alone on the ledge. Silence hung between them for but a moment before Link, unsure of proper etiquette, extended a hand awkwardly. "Thank you, your highness" he said earnestly, hoping she would understand the full extent of what he was thanking her for. Zelda merely glanced at his hand, before her gaze drifted off towards the village. Link was beginning to think he'd done something wrong when her gaze came back to him and she broke into a wide smile and shook his hand. "you're quite welcome, hero. I have to admit. I had my doubts about whether you'd hold out against the Lord's goading but you performed admirably for one's first experience of courtly politics." She said with a mixture of mirth and relief.
"Well there were several times when he almost got me. I was almost hoping you'd use the bow on him." Link admitted ruefully.
"Oh, I could sense it just from your presence, and to be honest, that thought did cross my mind." Zelda held back a giggle.
Then silence descended again until the princess made a most uncharacteristically sheepish request. "Link, as I do not wish to go through the inconvenience of performing another illusion spell, would you mind assisting me to the ground with you clawshot?"
"Oh err, of course not princess" Link stammered, realising the implication. He scanned the tree canopy for a suitably sturdy branch. His plan, to avoid any awkward closeness, was simple. Attach the clawshot to the branch and then allow Zelda to take it and lower herself down. It wasn't like it was that hard to operate.
Link succeeded with the first part of the plan, making the perfect shot to the perfect branch. Unfortunately, Zelda clearly wasn't aware of his masterplan as she suddenly wrapped her arms firmly round his chest. The sensation of her pressed against him sent Link into a state of shock, causing him to pull hard on the trigger. Zelda suppressed a scream as, instead of gracefully swinging down from the ledge, she clung to Link for dear life as they rocketed upwards towards the canopy.
Link had just enough time to react before they took a rather up close and personal class of dendrology with an approaching trunk as he reversed the clawshot trigger and they descended down to the safety of solid ground, albeit in a less than classy manner.
It was only when they touched down that Link realised just how tightly Zelda was clinging or the fact that she'd buried her face in his neck and had her eyes squeezed shut. Her heart was pounding too.
After a few seconds with no response he patted her gently on the back as he softly spoke. "Zelda, we've landed. It's alright" he said comfortingly.
Zelda let go of him with a start, blushing with embarrassment. "I'm not a fan of heights" she whispered after a moment avoiding eye contact. "I wasn't either before I began my adventure" He admitted, hoping to dispel her nerves.
It seemed to work as after a few seconds her heartrate return to a more reasonable level and her blush faded away. It was almost disappointing as it was rather cute, he thought before catching himself. Where in Hyrule did that come from!?
Zelda, meanwhile, was busy straightening out her dress and failed to notice the blush growing on Links face. "So, Link, I'm guessing you have a herd that requires your watchful eye?" She enquired, making some final adjustments to her gloves.
"Actually, being goats, they're referred to as a tribe." He corrected, awkwardly trying to bring some order to his messy ashe brown locks. "I'm guessing, you have some princess duties to do?"
"Indeed I do, Indeed I do." Zelda confirmed casually.
Their eyes finally met again. "Zelda, are you really leaving again this afternoon?" Link asked unable to mask his disappointment.
"Yes" she sighed "regrettably, my responsibilities as princess demand that I return to the castle as soon as possible."
"I intend for us to meet again before I go." She said, turning to leave. "after all you still owe me an explanation regarding my necklace."
With that she glided away.
Link had just one thought in his head.
"uh oh!"