Pacing anxiously on the upper deck, watching the ferry moor itself agonizingly slowly at its final destination, Dark set sights on Hyrule's capital for the first time in years.
It was strange to be back. Especially after a silent, non-official vow he'd made to himself never to go back. Yet things were different now. He was different.
The ferry shuddered up to the dock, sighing to a stop. Dark stood right by the edge, relieved to see four Hylian soldiers standing on the bank in anticipation of their arrival. They'd brought a wide, closed carriage with them to transport Silas comfortably to the healers at the castle.
Standing aside so the healers who'd accompanied the soldiers could do their job, Dark let his attention linger on the castle turrets, the waving blue banners. Without Ganondorf's successful coup marring the history books—erased from history, in fact—Hyrule had continued on almost as before. There was still tension here and there, as there always would be. But it was peaceful.
As they were loaded into the carriage and hustled through Castle Town, Dark peered out the window to see how the citizens fared. On the surface, it was almost stagnant. With less to disrupt their lives, the populace kept living comfortable, pleasant lives as they always did. Underneath, Dark could spot the small changes. Growing up in a Castle Town orphanage, he'd experienced the shadier side of the city.
It lifted his heart somewhat to see no children lurking on street corners in dirty clothes and mistrust in their eyes. For there to be a mixture of peoples from all over Hyrule blending easily in the central marketplace. The streets were livelier, cleaner. Safer.
Maybe there were changes happening after all.
When they arrived at Hyrule Castle, he barely took in the majesty and beauty of it. He was too concerned with seeing Silas to a healer's room. Once a healer checked him over and assured Dark that the field medicine they'd administered had worked, she gave Silas a sleeping draught and ushered Dark out of the room.
Relenting, he headed for the stairs, intending to take a walk outside in the fresh air. As he rounded the corner of the staircase, he barely missed colliding with a woman in full leather armour.
She looked up in surprise, recognition lighting her face. "Dark!" she exclaimed. "I heard you might be visiting us. How are you?"
She clapped him on the shoulder, her leather gloves, reinforced with metal, landing harder than she intended. "Oh, sorry."
"It's fine. How are you, Lillian?"
Dark had only met the royal guard captain a few times, years ago. But her warm reception made him think at least some in the castle would find him a friendly face.
Lillian brushed a few stray pieces of auburn hair from her cheek. "I'm on my way to the north courtyard for a training session. Want to come along?"
"I don't have any armour," he said. "And they confiscated Deraphine from me while I'm on castle grounds."
Lillian, smirking, tugged a set of keys from her belt loop. "I can get you whatever you need. Follow me."
With a chuckle, Dark followed the captain downstairs and through the north wing of the castle. It was less opulent here, as the corridors were mainly used by servants and guards. As they entered the armoury, Lillian chatted about the army and life at the castle. She returned his sword to him and lent him a set of black leather armour, similar to hers.
"You can keep that set," she told him, turning her back so he could change. "It's been worn only once but it's nice and lightweight. Perfect for you if you're planning on wearing it every day."
Dark shrugged into the chest piece, admiring the craftsmanship. It fit him like a glove but allowed him fluid and free movement. He wasn't sure what Lillian meant by her comment, though.
"Why would I need to wear it all the time?" he asked. "I work on a farm—not exactly a need for it."
Lillian shot him another smirk. "I've a mind to convince you to join our ranks. If you're staying in Hyrule, it would be a great job for you, and I already know you're up for it."
Not wanting to shoot her down flat, he just said, "I'll think about it."
She tsked. "Come on. Maybe you can help me buck up some of our recruits. They've been getting their asses kicked up and down the barracks."
Dark raised an eyebrow. "By who?"
Lillian smiled wryly, shaking her head. "There's an ambassador from Labrynna visiting for a few weeks. She saw some of my guys training in the yard and came down to watch. Then she pointed out everything they were doing wrong and asked me to lend her a weapon."
Lillian led Dark from the armory to the courtyard, where the sounds of sparring and cheering could be heard. A large group of soldiers, dressed in their lighter training clothes and armour, were gathered around the wooden ring, watching a match.
"If I could I'd recruit her," Lillian added, nodding at the ring, where an unfortunate soldier went flying off with a cry, disqualified from the match. He landed with an oof in the dirt, but stood up and brushed himself off, unharmed.
Another match was already starting. The crowd's cheers crescendoed as the latest challenger took his place and secured his helmet over his head.
"She must be quite something," Dark remarked, peering around the crush of soldiers to try and get a glimpse.
On the platform, the young Hylian soldier readied himself and began to circle his opponent. His sparring partner shifted, her back coming into Dark's view. Curly hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied back. She wore brown pants and a green tunic and no armour aside from leather gloves and boots still dusted from the road. In her hands she gripped one of the guardsmen's swords.
As she circled the ring, her posture was relaxed but alert. Assured in her skill. As she moved, Dark could now see her face. Her eyes were breathtaking. He literally felt his breath notch in his throat.
The left was dark as a moonless night, shimmering like onyx. Her right was the colour of cold fire—a pale, luminous blue.
Before Dark could recover from the sight, she'd attacked. So swiftly he tried to replay the moment in his mind to see it properly. She lunged, swept under the soldier's guard and struck his midsection with the pommel of her sword, tripping his legs from beneath him with one foot at the same time.
Winded and unbalanced, the soldier tried to pinwheel forward to protect himself. But the woman was now behind him and gave him a firm push that sent him sprawling to the platform.
"She might have more of a challenge facing you," Lillian suggested with a grin. "You're some of the best Hyrule has to offer."
Dark shrugged a hand through his hair. "I'm not certain of that," he deflected. "I'm not Link—"
"I won't make you," Lillian said. "I was just teasing. Well, not about you being some of our best. But it'd be a real treat for my trainees to see the two of you in action."
"She's faster than Link is," Dark said with a tinge of awe. His brother had always had the advantage of speed over him in their own duels. The lightning quick movements of the Labrynnan ambassador left him shocked. "I wonder who taught her."
Watching the match, Dark tried to discern the woman's style of fighting. It escaped him; he'd either never seen it or it was a blend of other fighting styles. Perhaps both.
Lillian cheered and applauded with the rest as the woman won the next match. And the next. Dark unconsciously shifted, trying to catch every action, each movement as she whirled around the ring.
Her long hair came free as she disarmed her last opponent. Standing over the downed soldier, she let her sword hand relax and lifted the other to push the hair aside. She raised her head, panting slightly, a smile on her face. Her gaze clashed with Dark's, her mismatched eyes freezing the space where he stood.
A smile curled Dark's mouth, and he quickly turned it into a polite nod as he applauded her latest victory. Her shoulders dropped with her breath; her eyes stayed locked on his. For a second, the cheers of the crowd, the sparring ring, the courtyard dissolved. Her hand slowly dropped; a stubborn curl bounced back into her face.
She had a lovely face. A high, proud forehead and dark brows framing those intriguing eyes. The strong cheekbones and chin of a warrior, but lips permanently curved in wickedness; they taunted him, challenged him.
He blinked, and the connection was broken. She was leaning down, helping her partner to his feet. The noise of the audience came rushing back. Somehow, the earth had tilted forward a few degrees. Now Dark was the one feeling off balance.
"Well done, Lady Talen!" Lillian's voice was suddenly booming.
The woman was stepping down from the platform, smiling as she walked towards the Hylian guard captain.
"I certainly hope my guys have learned a thing or two," she added.
"They are well trained," the woman replied graciously. "But there is always more to learn."
Lillian turned to Dark with a grin, and he knew she would try to rope him into something. "May I introduce Dark, one of our finest Hylian swordsmen."
Lady Talen turned those hypnotizing eyes on him. "Are you a soldier?" she asked. Her attention trailed over him slowly and deliberately, and he resisted the urge to draw her attention somewhere else. "You don't really have the look of one."
Her remarked surprised him, seeing as he was wearing soldier's armour. "What do I have the look of then?" he asked, lifting a brow.
Her gaze returned to his face. The tiniest smile graced that sensual mouth.
"I've extended the invitation to join our ranks several times," Lillian cut in. "He's refused each time." She shot him a playfully annoyed look.
"I said I'd think about it."
"Which we both know is your polite way of refusing me."
"Far be it for me to purposely offend one of the best fighters here," Dark replied.
Lillian snorted and whacked him on the arm. "What a flatterer you are, Dark. You should save it for the court ladies—they'll appreciate it more."
"I doubt I'll be spending much time at court," he said. He didn't add that he had zero interest in attending court or flirting with the women of Hyrule's nobility.
"Not the case for me, unfortunately," Lady Talen said. "I'm sure most of my days will be spent at court, and I'd rather see more of your beautiful country."
"You came on the ferry didn't you?" Lillian asked. "I've never been on it—how was the journey?"
"Traveling by boat is not very fun but the scenery is incredible," the ambassador replied. "I was hoping to get the chance to explore more. Thank you, by the way for letting me be your guest here."
Lady Talen dipped into a formal bow. Lillian waved off her gratitude.
"No need for that with me, my lady! I'm just the guard captain, not of noble rank. With us, at least, you can relax. And it would be my pleasure to host you anytime you like. As a guest of the royal family, you can do as you please."
Lady Talen smiled. "Thank you. I think I'll need to clean up a bit before my meeting with her highness. I should head back to my room."
Lillian nodded and thumped a fist to her breastplate in salute. "Of course, my lady. Dark can take you back, if you like."
She glanced at Dark. "Oh, I don't need an escort…"
"It would be my pleasure," Dark said, surprising himself.
Lillian grinned and gave him a shove towards the castle. "See you soon!"
Left alone with the Labrynnan ambassador, Dark admonished himself for offering to escort the lady when he had no idea what sort of courtly etiquette was required in this situation. The woman herself seemed equally unsure.
Undaunted, she spun on her heel and started walking towards the castle with a confident stride. Dark walked at her side, hoping she knew the way back to her own rooms—as he didn't. He could wander the castle halls for days and still be lost.
She glanced at him again. "Aren't you supposed to offer me your arm or something?" Seeing the look on his face, she laughed. "Sorry, I'm not sure what the Hylian etiquette is. In Labrynna, only the queen needs an escort, but the guards walk behind her."
With the tension diffused, Dark admitted. "I'm not sure of the proper choice myself. I've spent little time at court, but after seeing you fight, I highly doubt you need any man to help you walk anywhere."
She shot him a look of amusement, those lips curving upwards at the corners.
"But if you like, Lady Talen, you can certainly have my arm." He bent his elbow with an exaggerated gesture.
She laughed again. The sound was husky and low. "Thank you, but I think I can manage. And it's just Lymira."
"Who taught you to fight, Lymira?"
At the sound of her name, she glanced up at him again. She was a tall woman, with an athletic build, highlighted by the form-fitting clothes.
"My mother and my aunts. And then myself after they passed. I come from the Talus region, and everyone there was trained to fight from a young age."
"I've heard some stories of the Talus warriors," Dark told her. "I didn't realize there were any of them left."
Lymira's smile was sad now. "You're looking at their last descendant."
Dark stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning to face her. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. He placed his palm over his heart, bent at the waist.
When he straightened, Lymira looked a little uncomfortable. "It's quite alright. And you're pronouncing 'Talus' wrong," she added with a smirk.
Dark felt his lips twitch. "In Hyrule, we pronounce our vowels differently. I noticed you have an accent."
"I'm not the one with an accent," she countered as they continued walking. "I've met Hylians before, but it's different from being immersed in your culture."
"You said you haven't had a chance to explore? When did you arrive?"
"Today. On the morning ferry."
Dark chuckled. "So did I, actually. I'm here from Ordon to visit my brother for a while."
"Really? I didn't see you onboard. And I would have remembered," she teased. The mischievous curl of her mouth reached her eyes this time.
"I was in my cabin most of the time," he explained. "I was traveling with a friend and he was injured, so I was looking after him."
"Hmm. So you're an Ordonian who is not a soldier and has a good heart. How sweet."
Dark bit his lip to catch his smile. "Not a soldier, and not Ordonian. They don't have pointed ears. And it's not sweet, it's being a good friend to someone who has been beyond good to me."
Looking back at Lymira, he saw her eyes were studying his ears. Why that made a flush creep up his neck, he couldn't say. They'd arrived at Lymira's room, for she stopped outside a closed door.
"Hm," she said again. "Well, thank you for the escort…Lord—?"
"Just Dark."
"Thanks, Dark." She smiled, her gaze tracking over him again. "Hopefully, I'll see you around."
She opened the door and whipped inside, shutting it behind her, before he could reply. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, feeling his overheated skin, wishing he didn't recognize the sensation of the warm little ball taking up residence in his chest.
He liked her. He'd enjoyed spending these few minutes in Lady Lymira Talen's company. That hadn't happened in a long time.
Its return was both startling and alarming. For the past year, he'd distanced himself from romantic entanglements of any kind—and for good reason. Yet he knew himself well enough to now there was a draw there. To this woman in particular.
Exhaling loudly, Dark yanked his gaze from her closed door and turned down the hallway. Where he was, he had no idea. If he wandered one way for a while, he might find his way back to the infirmary so he could check on Silas.
Then he could focus on something else. Something other than entrancing mismatched eyes and a sinfully curving mouth.
Lymira sagged against the door at her back, her heart thumping obnoxiously in her ears.
On the other side of the door, she could hear Dark's sigh, then retreating footsteps. She let out a breath of relief. This was a complication that she did not need.
Did he have to be so disgustingly handsome?
And those eyes! Such a dark crimson, and so expressive. Every time she'd looked into them there'd been some new emotion under the surface, hinted at but never fully revealed. Dark was a guarded person, no doubt. He never allowed everything to show on his face.
Just like her.
Their short interaction was so unexpected it left her feeling off-kilter. She'd seen plenty of good-looking men before, but the second she'd looked up to see him watching her, an electric current of awareness had passed between them. Without asking, she knew he'd felt it as well.
Lymira toyed with the pendant around her neck, rubbing the blue gemstone between her fingertips. There was some kind of recognition there—perhaps the acknowledgement of a kindred spirit?
She shook her head roughly. Whatever it was, she needed to ignore it. Dark could be useful, but he could also be a huge and unwanted distraction from her goal.
Shaking herself again, Lymira resolved to put him from her mind and focus on what needed to be done. She was expecting a message from Queen Anvi by tonight, wanting a preliminary report. There wasn't anything to tell her yet. She wanted to hunt for the castle library, but her meeting with Princess Zelda would likely be soon. She should clean up a bit and change her clothes.
With one more firm shake of her head, Lymira headed for the attached dressing room.
~oOo~
Zelda refused to leave her father's bedside. The king lay in his chambers, sleeping now, his wounds bandaged by the royal physician. In sleep, his features were pale and pinched, but he breathed evenly.
She sat rigid in the chair, unable to take her eyes away. She still wore the same clothes, and had refused all offers to bathe and redress in her own rooms. There was nothing that would convince her to leave her father's side tonight.
In the time forgotten, she hadn't witnessed her father's death at Ganondorf's hands, yet her anxious mind found no trouble conjuring horrific images to fill in what her memory was lacking.
The attack at Zora's River was bringing on some sort of delayed response, she thought. Coming so close to losing her only remaining parent was traumatizing. It compounded on the loss and grief she'd already experienced once, taunted the joy she'd felt upon being reunited with him.
She turned, when someone knocked and the door opened again, ready to grouch at the physician or servant who'd no doubt returned to suggest once again that she eat, or rest. Instead, it was Link striding into the room, already discarding his coat and gloves, throwing them carelessly on the floor so he could catch her when she launched into his arms.
"Link, thank the goddesses," she murmured, clutching him in a tight embrace.
Link wound his left hand into her hair and pressed her close. "We're safe. Impa told me what happened on my way here." He pushed gently on her shoulders so he could look at her. "Are you alright?"
She shrugged. "Some bruises. I'll be fine."
Link rubbed his thumbs over the underside of her wrists, flipping them over. He frowned at the marks left there.
"I'm really alright."
He searched her face, reading her in a way that was uniquely Link. She knew he would see the emotional turmoil she tried to mask.
"It can't have been easy seeing you father like that," he said, hitting the nail on the head. "It's okay to be afraid."
She shook her head. "I can't afford to show fear. To our enemies, fear is a weakness to exploit. And with my father in recovery—" she glanced back at the bed. "—I need to keep my composure. I need to find whoever was behind this attack."
Link lace their fingers together and squeezed. "You have no enemies here," he told her, pulling her close again. "I won't tell anyone if you need to let your feelings out," he added with a wry grin.
Zelda leaned into him, winding her arms around his waist and allowing herself a moment to just enjoy being in Link's embrace. All her life she'd been coached how to be the perfect princess, trained to be a good and effective queen. She'd long become accustomed to the realities of royal life, but since starting a relationship with Link, a part of her spirit had begun to rebel against it. She no longer wanted to accept the loneliness, the distance a queen had to maintain. With Link, she didn't want to be the future Queen Zelda V of Hyrule. She wanted to be just Zelda.
"I can stay here tonight," he suggested, fingers idly stroking her hair.
She shook her head. "No. It's best if you stay with Dark. I don't want to give any courtiers more reason to gossip about you."
He grimaced, then opened and closed his mouth. He sighed. "As you wish."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I know you and I don't care, but there's no reason to create more obstacles for us."
Link sighed again and set his chin against the crown of her head. "I know." A beat of silence passed before he said, "I have some things I need to tell you."
From his tone, she knew whatever news he had wasn't good.
"If you'd rather not talk about it now—"
"Tell me," she said.
Link took her hand and led her out of the king's bedchamber. Safe inside the sitting room, he relayed the details of the attack on the village in Faron. When he finished, she was speechless with shock.
"Stalfos?" she repeated, half-disbelieving. "So many, out in the open like that…"
Link nodded, his expression echoing her unease. Neither of them wanted to say it, but there was always the possibility the appearance of so many dark creatures was related to Ganondorf.
"When Kearns returns I'll have more information," Link said. "Hopefully it was an isolated incident."
Zelda resisted the urge to pace, to fidget in reaction. "I'll speak to Impa about it tomorrow," she finally said. "For now we need to focus on the attempt on my father's life."
"And your attempted kidnapping. You should increase your guard."
"I'm perfectly safe, Link."
"You were surrounded by soldiers at the river, you had your magic, and someone still nearly succeeded in capturing you."
Frustration and fear rose in his voice. Zelda leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sure Impa would agree with me," he grumbled.
"She would. I'll add more guards."
"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head. "Do you want to rest?"
She smiled. "Yes. I should, I know. I just didn't want to leave him yet."
Link stroked a hand down her back. "I understand."
"Come and see me tomorrow morning in my office. I have some meetings, but afterward we can talk with Impa."
Agreeing, Link broke their embrace and went to retrieve his coat and gloves from the floor. Zelda saw him out, assuring the guards posted at her father's door that everything was fine.
After Link left to meet up with Dark, Zelda returned to her own bedchamber, calling a maid to help draw her a bath.
While the maid busied herself at the tub, Zelda disrobed and laid out a clean dress to wear. She scrubbed her face at the basin, washing away the dirt and grime. She paused when she saw the marks on her wrists, the bruises purpling her skin.
Truth be told, she was frightened. Those old feelings of premonition were creeping back. And now these attacks, one after the other…was it a warning for her?
Zelda didn't know, and that scared her most of all.