Chapter 52: Breaking Curfew

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It was with a reeling mind and an aching body that Link climbed through the castle back up to his bedroom late at night, when the castle was all but asleep. Yawning widely, he gingerly peeled his Champion's tunic and undershirt off, grimacing at the stench of sweat. Folding them on his nightstand as a reminder to have them washed, he pulled off his boots and stockings as well, setting them down in front of his wardrobe before turning eagerly towards his bed.

He crawled into his blankets and flipped onto his back, instantly giving a startled yelp and lurching upright upon feeling something poke his back. The General's warnings about traps left in his room, presumably by Janin, echoed in his ears as he felt carefully around the mattress, all but blind in the darkness. His fingers closed around something rectangular and flat, with an open flap that had pricked his back. A… a letter?

And beneath it, a round leather bag with a harsh, acrid scent – deku powder.

He hurried closer to the small window in his room, letting light from the waxing moon illuminate the small envelope. He pulled out the small piece of parchment inside, squinting to read in the dim, pale lighting.

\-==/\==-/

The firetenders open the door at precisely midnight.

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There was no signature, but Link was certain it had come from Impa – who else would have a bag of deku powder? And who else would know its application as implied by the note? Is she talking about the servants tending to the fire in Zelda's room? I haven't seen her in so long… Does she know what happened today? Is she upset that I told her father before I told her? Is she alright?

He licked his lips nervously, finding his mouth suddenly dry. Should I try and get in, using the concealment spell? If it doesn't work – if I mess it up…

He remembered the King's threat with a grimace.

And yet he found himself walking to his wardrobe and pulling out a clean undershirt and debating whether or not stockings would help or hinder him if he chose to creep outside. If, he reminded himself, even as he pulled the stockings on. If.

Midnight was still a ways off. How much so, he didn't know; he lost track of nearly all time down in that Hinox cell. I might have missed it, he thought bitterly, fastening the pouch of deku powder to his belt. In which case I'll be sitting outside my own door until dawn. Not a very good idea, with more of Impa's training tomorrow. His bruises twinged in agreement.

He eased his door open, peering out down the empty hall lit only by a few torches. The nearest two illuminated the guards standing just outside Zelda's door, mercifully looking straight ahead, not at him. Link drizzled deku powder to the ground, felt the shadows and drew them close about him as quickly as he could; the sizzling sound was masked by the low murmuring of the torches. Heart racing, Link inched closer to the guards, waiting to see if the spell had worked, if they could see him or not. One of them turned towards him, sniffing, and he froze, but the man soon turned away with a slight shrug and a low sigh.

He must have smelled the deku powder, Link thought, swallowing thickly. He waited – a moment, a minute, or in between; time did not exist with his heart pounding so hard and fast against his ribs. It was far easier to break the rules out in the wilderness with no one else to know than it was in the bowels of the King's stronghold, with two guards only feet for him, shielded only by a spell that would break the instant he did anything that would compromise his stealth. Even something as simple as a hiccup would give him away, Impa had warned.

He stood still, leaning lightly against the wall, resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest. It was nothing but a waiting game now; the spell would hold until either he accidentally broke it or he released the shadows intentionally. And if I just don't move, there's no reason the spell should break accidentally. So now I just sit still and wait for something to happen, or not.

It was remarkably similar to the long nights he'd spent guarding the Princess in the past, except that he was no longer the only guard. His mind drifted with the small tendrils of smoke wafting from the torches and he wondered if perhaps that was Impa's purpose in sending him the note and the deku powder. Zelda had mentioned Impa's guards before, hadn't she? Guards that remained out of sight – perhaps concealed by shadows. His spine tingled as the thought occurred to him that even now there could be Sheikah guards lurking in the shadows near Zelda's door, that perhaps the two guards he could see would not be the only witnesses to any slip-ups he made. Impa herself could be waiting and watching somewhere nearby.

His insides squeezed with worry – if that was truly the case, then she had likely seen him step out of his room before casting the concealment spell.

Wait, no – it doesn't work if there's anyone watching you when you cast the spell. And the spell worked, so no one must have seen me cast it. He bit his lip anxiously. Or she just looked away, knowing what I'd be doing. This was a horrible idea – I shouldn't have gone through with it.

He heard a distant door creak shut and his heart jumped; listening closely he caught the light sound of soft footsteps on stone, steadily drawing closer. The firetenders?

His pulse accelerated and he slid closer to the guards, trusting in the shadows' grip as he crept further into the light of the torches. Two maids wearing charcoal-smudged aprons approached down the hall, nodding respectfully at the guards; Link fell into step behind them, his throat entirely dry, as the guards opened the doors for them and they headed inside.

Zelda was sitting at a desk in one corner of the room, illuminated by a lantern; she turned as the two maids entered the room. "Good evening, Isa, Rima," she greeted them, covering her mouth with a hand as she yawned widely. "How are you?"

"Tired, Princess," the stouter of the two responded with a rueful smile. "As are you, I'm sure."

"I'll be up a while yet," Zelda shrugged, shuffling the papers on her desk. "As will you, I'm sure."

The younger maid chuckled as she dropped a log onto the fire and prodded the embers beneath it, stoking up fresh flames that caught the new log. The stouter maid nodded her approval.

"Do you at least like the nighttime?" Zelda asked, although she had turned her attention back to her notes.

"Well, the stars are the best part, and we don't get too see much of those," the stout maid sighed. "It's just soot and smoke for us. Come along, Rima. Farewell, Princess."

The two maids curtsied and headed for the door. Link had remained in the doorway; he gave a start as the maids began heading in his direction and as quickly and quietly as he could he tiptoed sideways out of their direct path. They knocked on the door, and the guards from the other side opened them; without another word they left the room, and the doors closed. Link released a breath he hadn't consciously held, feeling his shoulders relax.

He waited a moment, then opened his mouth to call out to Zelda –

… and remembered that he was invisible, and if he startled her she might scream, and someone would come investigate, and at that point he wouldn't be able to hide himself –

"Link?"

He yelped, nearly jumping out of his skin, and at once he felt the shadows flee from around him. Zelda, across the room, whirled around with a start, her eyes flying wide as saucers.

"So you did come!" she exclaimed in an excited whisper, beckoning him closer. "Here, come a little further from the door – I don't know how well these walls block out sound, but I'd rather not risk it."

Link scratched the back of his neck, feeling his pulse slowing back to normal. "How did you know?" he asked quietly, joining her near the fire.

"Impa, my father's Sheikah advisor," she explained. "You remember how she posted her own guards on me while you were… erm, recovering? They're still assigned to me at night, when you're resting, and tonight one of them delivered a message from her explaining that you might find a way in tonight. You've been working with her, haven't you? She seemed to think this would be a suitable assessment of how much you've learned so far. I… I did ask her not to. I wanted to see you again, of course, but… this seemed a bit… extreme."

Link raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching with the ghost of a grin. "Funny. She told me specifically that I wasn't supposed to use what I learned from her for things like this."

"Perhaps she was testing your self-control, then," Zelda mused, her eyes narrowed as she regarded him scoldingly. "A test I'd say you've failed. But I'm glad you did – I really wanted to talk to you."

He smiled at her, feeling his cheeks begin to burn self-consciously. "So did I," he admitted, but he couldn't bite back a wince. This is a breach of etiquette if there ever was one, he thought guiltily. Would this be enough of a reason for the King to… to follow through on his threat?

Zelda seemed to notice his uneasiness, concern furrowing her brow as she scrutinized him with narrowed eyes. "You won't stay long, of course," she assured him. "And we'll keep our voices down. And there's no one else coming in here - I've seen to that. There are guards outside of both of the other doors - both Impa's and the General's men. They won't let anyone get through - not other knights, and not assassins. We're safe." She sat down in one of the lavish chairs by the fire and beckoned for him to join her, offering a gentle, comforting smile.

He nodded, breathing out a low sigh through his nostrils. "So… so what do you want to talk about?" he asked quietly, gingerly sitting down in the chair opposite her. It was surprisingly comfortable, and at once he began to feel the pull of sleep on his eyelids.

Zelda didn't answer directly, avoiding his gaze and staring into the flames. "I think you know, Link."

He couldn't read her tone of voice - was she angry? Disappointed? Or… was she just sad? "Are you…" He swallowed thickly. "Are you upset with me?"

Her eyes flew wide. "With you? No, no, of course not!" She pressed her lips together, tears glistening in her eyes. "It's just… I care about you, Link. You know that. And to hear how horribly…" Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head miserably. "It's disgusting," she whispered. "He had your parents killed, and then he had you watch…" A tear dripped down her cheek. "And… knowing how that's still something that torments you, years later, and that it's all because of him…" She propped an elbow up on the armrest and let her head fall to her hand, her shoulders slumping.

Link watched her carefully, wishing the chairs were just a little closer together. He didn't know what to think or feel - guilt, since she was feeling this way because of him? But that didn't make sense - it wasn't his fault Janin was so cruel. He pushed the feeling away and let understanding fill his heart instead; he knew well the pain and shock and grief of Janin's actions.

"What's done is done," he murmured, looking into the dancing flames. "And… what's gone is gone. Janin will - will never be able to make up for what he's done, and it doesn't seem like he wants to, anyway." He laughed bitterly, remembering with a scowl the Captain's insistence that he'd done the right thing. His stomach turned sour. "As it is… well, he's leaving. I'll never have to see him again. Maybe I can forget the whole thing."

Zelda looked up at him sadly, her eyes haunted with solemn empathy. "You don't just forget things like that, Link."

He met her gaze, feeling a chill strike his soul as his own eyes start to itch with tears. "I know," he whispered.

At the very least, he would have the scars on his back for the rest of his life. As for the scars on his mind…

"I warned you, runt." The dark hatred burning in dark eyes as Janin yanked him into the bars of his prison cell. The sickening sensation of having trust torn to shreds by cruel words and crueler deeds. Years of nightmares, nightmares that followed him into the waking world, nightmares honing him into Janin's ideal weapon. He made me watch. He wanted me to see.

A soft lingering touch on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He blinked; Zelda had risen from her chair and crossed the distance between them, rubbing his shoulder in a gentle show of support. He stiffened for a moment, surprised, before letting himself relax and lean against the back of her hand.

"I wish more could be done," Zelda whispered, her fingers tensing against his shoulder. "I wish there was more that I could do. As it is… I don't even have the power to leave my own room without permission and a heavy guard. Even when you return, I… I don't know how confident I can be that we'll stay together, or that my father won't have us watched, or… I don't know. So… I can't promise, though I wish I could, that I'll always be there for you."

Link got to his feet, taken aback by the note of despair in her voice. She wouldn't meet his gaze; concerned, he reached out a hesitant hand to her shoulder, and at once she wrapped her arms tightly around him and pressed her cheek firmly against his shoulder, as if afraid he would disappear. When next she spoke her voice was strong. "But… I can promise you my heart and soul. I… I don't know how much of a help that could be, but it's all I have. I will always be with you in spirit, if I can't in person."

She finally looked up, releasing her death grip on him to meet his eyes. His lips parted, a question on his tongue, a question he hesitated to ask. There had been very few people in his life that he truly felt a bond with, that seemed as close or, in Zelda's case, closer than family to him. And thus far two of the three had left him in one way or another. He had thought Janin cared for him - which couldn't have been farther from the truth. Choice really had cared, but she, too, had been taken from him, though he could still feel at times the comfort of her presence in spirit. I… I have to ask this.

He licked his lips and inhaled deeply, offering a mental prayer that she wouldn't take offense. "How… how can you be sure?" he whispered, his breath catching on the last word.

"It's… complicated," Zelda admitted quietly, lowering her eyes in deep contemplation as she chose her words. "It's… it's less of knowledge, more of… of a feeling. Ever since I saw… since I saw Choice in that vision, I've felt something… different… between us. Between you and I. A connection of sorts, like an invisible tether binding our souls. It's… not quite the same as the other feelings I hold for you, although it seems similar. I think it's because you're the hero bearing the Master Sword, and I'm… well, I carry the blood of the Goddess, and we're destined to face the Calamity as one. I don't believe the Goddesses will be removing this… connection… any time soon, so… I do feel confident that I will always be with you in some form or fashion." She looked up at him again and chuckled, scanning his expression. "I take it you weren't expecting an answer like that; it probably sounds mad."

Link gaped at her in astonishment, a strangled spurt of laughter escaping his throat at her words. "I - I don't, er, really know w-what I expected," he stammered, a strange sensation of lightness engulfing his sides, quickening his pulse, warming his heart with awe and admiration. He shook his head slowly, feeling a trickle of ice drip down his spine as he realized, for perhaps the first time, that he was holding a chosen vessel of the Goddesses in his arms.

Zelda's cheeks flushed and she dipped her head self-consciously, shyly meeting his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked quietly.

"Because you're doing it," he answered, hardly daring to raise his voice above a whisper. "You're unlocking your powers, bit by bit - first that vision, now this connection - and it's…" His voice trailed off and he frowned, avoiding her eyes, struggling to scan his mind for the word that would adequately describe his feelings. "Zelda, you… you're absolutely stunning."

A small, embarrassed smile tweaked Zelda's lips, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear bashfully. "Well… it's all been because of you," she told him, her voice matching his in softness. "Those things happened because you were… because you were hurting, or…"

Link shook his head. "They happened because of you - your love, your compassion," he said. "I had nothing to do with it." He chuckled bashfully. "I'm… I'm just the one lucky enough to be on the other end of that."

Zelda's smile widened, and as she gazed up at him he noted, with a surge of joyful relief through his blood, that hope gleamed in her eyes. Perhaps… perhaps she's beginning to see herself the way I see her.

"Well, then… I suppose we make a fine pair, don't we?" Zelda beamed, nestling against his chest.

Yes, Link thought, holding her close. Yes… I think we do.


Updated 7/8