Zelda moved through the halls with Seres in tow, looking for something to do. After a week of trying to convince Daltus and Niko to do something other than waiting around, she'd given up all hope that there was anything she could do from within the walls of the wretchedly large, exuberant building.
That didn't mean that she had let time pass her by, however.
Zelda had asked Seres to keep her ears open for anything that might be even remotely interesting or useful. Again and again, Seres had proven herself to both Zelda and Link. She'd begun passing on any relevant gossip and secrets, and she had sent word to the man she'd mentioned that Zelda meet, though he was on a return journey from another trip, and wouldn't arrive back in the city for some time. The woman who'd taken the message said she would let him know that the Princess wanted a meeting the moment of his return.
Seres passed on any news from the outside too, like how Saria Town had, as expected, been decimated and was essentially a bare husk of what it had been when Zelda and Link were there. Ganondorf's army had razed it to the ground, and anyone left inside had met the same fate.
She also knew Daltus' soldiers did nothing, on his orders.
She, on the other hand, hadn't been able to stand by.
She'd sent Link to recruit Finn for her. She'd occasionally seen him and Link hanging around whenever he wasn't with her, so she felt bad sending Link's only friend away, but she needed someone trustworthy, and Daltus' people weren't. She had Finn run several rescue missions to bring any injured citizens to safety. She'd given him one of the fine jewels from Niko's collection to exchange for rupees to pay physicians to look at the wounded, and she'd stolen a good portion of the kitchen resources (with the permission of everyone but Daltus and Niko) to distribute to the refugees.
It was all she could do.
When Finn had returned the night earlier, saying that there were no more survivors left to rescue, but that the recuperation efforts were working very well, Zelda at least felt that she had done something.
Zelda ducked into a corner and pulled Seres with her, wincing in pain and gripping her waist where her bodice dug into her. "I swear, these things are getting tighter. I think Daltus altered my measurements with the seamstress and is having them made to smaller specifications to slowly kill me, or at least to make me extremely uncomfortable," Zelda laughed, though she didn't actually think it was funny. In fact, she very much believed it was a real possibility as opposed to a joke. "Can you please loosen it for me?"
"Right here, Princess?"
"Yes, just do it. Breathing hurts. That's probably a bad sign." Zelda had layers; her bodice was over a long shift, which was covered by her real dress, so it wasn't as if she'd be indecent.
And, as if the gods and goddesses enjoyed a good laugh, someone did come by.
Link.
"Seres?" he asked, only seeing her back hunched in a hallway. And then as he rounded that hall, he saw Zelda with half a dress pulled down her shoulders so Seres could reach the laces.
"Gods," he muttered, quickly taking up the place behind Seres, his back to them as he watched the hallway. "You're right in the middle of a corridor."
Zelda just chuckled, glancing over her shoulder to see him shuffling. "When there is an issue, you fix it immediately so it doesn't get worse."
"An issue?"
She didn't really feel like explaining. "Yes, Link, I'm having an issue. I think it was either an extremely unfortunate mistake, or it was Daltus having a laugh. Goddess, I'm going to have a bruise after this. Seres? Can you check the measurements later?"
"Of course," Seres said. As she looked it over, she realized that it did look smaller than usual.
Zelda took a deep breath and tried to take her mind off of the sharp pain where it had dug into her, feeling relief as Seres adjusted it. "Just got a report though that Finn is back."
"I saw him. He actually was sent to give me a message," he said, letting out a deep sigh. "I was coming to tell you I have to go to the barracks today. Daltus' request. You'll need another guard."
Zelda glanced behind her at both of them. Link wasn't looking, but her eyes met Seres', a mutual look of suspicion over the request passing between them.
"Daltus requested you? Why?"
Link shrugged. "Didn't say. Seres? Any idea?"
The girl finished re-lacing Zelda's dress and then turned. "No, Master Link."
"Great," he muttered, glancing at Zelda again.
She made a face as she fixed her dress. "Don't let him put you in tight armor. He might be trying to suffocate you."
"His presence suffocates me. And not in a good way like yours does."
"Link!" Zelda scoffed, a hesitant glance in Seres' direction. But the girl kept a concealed smile, her eyes trained on the floor.
"Sorry," he grimaced, but it didn't matter. Seres already knew. Link awkwardly nodded a farewell in Zelda's general direction before continuing on his way.
He hurried down the steps out the side door of the house and went one small street down to the barracks, watching everyone's eyes turn to him suspiciously as they always did when he paid a visit. A simple guard with his own room in the house rather than sharing the uncomfortable bunks of the barracks? It didn't sit well with everyone. He didn't care. He'd spent ten years in those beds and at those tables. He'd paid his dues.
Ignoring the whispers, he turned into the courtyard and watched different groups run sparring drills for the Prince and Niko beside him. Link watched the exercises with interest. They were decent, but they weren't nearly advanced enough to be going up against Ganondorf's soldiers and his demonic army of overzealous creatures. Of course, he couldn't expect to see anything intense from people who had joined only after the Princess' call for aid. The once farmers, shopkeepers, tailors, millers... they were learning, and that was enough for now.
It was only when their drills were done that Daltus even noticed him and waved him over. "Master Link," he cooed sarcastically, displeased to call him anything other than 'soldier.' "My cousin, the Princess Zelda of Hyrule-" Link rolled his eyes, as if he didn't know who Daltus was talking about, "- is the greatest treasure we have. Yet, you've been guarding her solo for some time now. I took it upon myself to have someone look into your past."
"I'm not surprised that you would have," Link forced out, hands in his pockets.
"Indeed. Walk with me," Daltus said, though he didn't wait to see if Link was even following. "Did you know your father is a traitor?"
Link scoffed. "A traitor to the living? He's long dead."
Daltus shook his head. "Not according to my reports."
"I'd believe my eyes and the fact that I helped bury his corpse over your reports, Prince Daltus."
"Alistair Rackham?"
That caused Link to laugh. "Step-father. I think he killed my mother, so he doesn't have my sympathy. Kill him if he's a traitor."
Daltus cleared his throat. Not the answers he'd been expecting. "Well, your very relation to him puts you under suspicion."
"Suspect me all you want, Sire. I have nothing to hide. I'm loyal to Princess Zelda and the Royal Family of Hyrule."
"Well," Daltus said, stopping. "I did suspect you, so I dug deeper. People around you die often, don't they soldier? I saw some of your reports that had been sent over."
Link's mouth tightened into a line, and he waited. Daltus was reading a note in his hand.
"Let me see here, you were friends with another traitor, a one Kayne Reed."
Link flexed his hand, the memory sending fresh pain into the scar on his palm. "Yes, and I paid the price for that misplaced friendship."
"He's alive, you know."
Link felt his foot tapping against the ground. "I had hoped he wasn't."
"And you were trained in Hyrule's Western Garrison, correct? Some of my people had heard of you when I asked."
Link waited. Obviously, Daltus knew the answer to that question.
"Well," he continued when he realized Link wasn't planning on talking. "Your specialty?"
"Open field combat."
"Hardly guard material."
"Hardly," Link agreed levelly.
"Yet, my cousin refuses to trade you in for a specialized guard. She gives you privileged treatment, and she won't send you to the front lines where you'll be most useful. Why?"
"I don't speak for her," Link said, though he wasn't sure how much longer he could contain the annoyance in his tone. "Is this why you wanted to see me?"
"No, actually, it isn't." Daltus led Link on to the other side of the courtyard. "If you're to protect my baby cousin on my watch, I need to see what you're capable of. We're going to war, and you claim to specialize in open field combat, so demonstrate some for me."
Link nodded, unsure what else he could do as an answer. It's not like the exercise itself bothered him, but he wasn't thrilled that he had to prove himself to Daltus. Besides, it was a strange request after being around for over a week, and it wasn't as if he hadn't already read his reports. Very little of it made sense.
Until he went to undo his belt with his sword so he could grab one of the training swords instead. Daltus clicked his tongue and shook his head, stopping him before he could unclasp his belt, eyeing the sharp blade at his hip with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Real weapons? You want us to use real weapons in a training yard skirmish?" Link scoffed, unable to hide his disgust over his blatant disregard for safety policies of his own soldiers. Most of them were new and shouldn't be let near a real sword for at least another week. The ones they trained with were identical to real weapons, but the edges were blunt to prevent accidental injuries. "The commander won't let that fly."
"We'll see," Daltus said, heading over to the woman dressed slightly different from the others to signify her rank. Link watched her face sour, but her head nod hesitantly before Daltus moved over to the sidelines with a satisfied smirk on his face.
Link felt the hair on the back of his neck raise and turned to spot a crowd gathering on the second floor balcony, the easiest place to watch the barracks' training yard from the mansion, which was close enough that no one needed to leave. And, in that crowd, he saw Zelda and Seres.
Her chin tilted up in a silent question. What's going on?
He glanced behind him and placed his hand on his sword, tapping his fingers against the hilt. Understanding flashed across her face, but then, she really understood and ducked back into the house.
Link groaned as he turned around, hearing several pairs of footsteps in the grass.
Daltus clapped his hands. "Prove to your Prince that you can defend this land and her people, soldiers."
"No allies for me?" Link called with an easy smile that guarded his annoyed expression as two soldiers stepped in front of him, swords ready, though their faced betrayed the same uneasiness he felt, but also practically screamed out that they were among the new recruits, eager to prove themselves, but too afraid to look courageous. This is how people die, Link thought to himself, already spotting several problems in their stances.
And as the thought hit him, his eyes made a quick sweep of the nearest roofs, checking for any archers who might be lurking if this was a trap.
"No, you alone protect the Princess, so alone you stand."
"Fair enough," he muttered. "Not quite a battlefield though."
"It is now. Fight!"
Before Daltus even said a word Link could see that these were soldiers who had been here less than a week. Their feet were positioned wrong, their grips on their swords too tight. It made him cringe, and he swung his sword around in his loose grip as they tried to size him up, hoping they might get messages he was trying to send: one, their grip on their weapons was too tight, and two, he was more experienced than they were. They didn't get any of it, charging at him with novice abandon when Daltus called for it to begin. Link wondered if he should at least give them a chance to try to prove themselves.
He didn't.
Besides, it was a safety hazard having them both out with real weapons so untrained.
He stood his ground as both soldiers ran at him, and he casually and slowly moved to the side, tripping one and grabbing the sword in the process. For the other, it took little more than an easy parry to loosen the man's grip on the sword he clung to so desperately and land it in Link's hands.
Handing back their swords, Link pointed out their mistakes. "Looser grip," he muttered so Daltus couldn't hear. And he helped the other up: "Work on your feet." The two thanked him and shuffled off to the side in their embarrassment where about twenty other new recruits from the city sat huddled together. Then, turning back to Daltus, Link shrugged. "Did they tell you I've had my job for a decade?"
"Just a warm up," Daltus said, snapping his fingers at three rougher men. From the way they carried themselves, Link could tell only one was a seasoned soldier, and the other two were just large, muscular men, maybe a blacksmith or someone else who had the upper body strength of a boulder, but they both lacked any finesse to actually be trained soldiers. Daltus looked at them and gestured to Link.
Link found himself momentarily distracted as Zelda emerged, walking around the long courtyard to reach her cousin. But there was a sword in his face the next moment, and he remembered real swords didn't allow for distractions.
Zelda glanced at Link's fight. She could see that there was a great deal of restraint to his swings. She'd seen him fight for real, and he was far more aggressive in his movements than this. Lifting the skirt of her dress slightly so she could move faster without tripping, she hurried to pass Niko, but he moved into her way.
"Princess, let the Prince do this. These soldiers are untrained, but even they don't see him as a fighter. He needs to be looked at with more respect or fear if the people are to follow."
"Move," she practically growled at him, uncaring about Daltus or his respect when he was making Link and the others use actual, sharp, dangerous weapons.
Niko bowed his head. No matter what, he was still her subject.
She continued on and stopped just short of the Prince. "Daltus, what is this?"
"A test of strength, cousin."
"With real weapons? You can't possibly be that stupid, can you? This is how untrained recruits end up dead. Do you want that?"
The sound of clanking steel became less frequent as everyone's attentions began to turn, even the four fighters.
"You asked me to let the citizens join the barracks and train. Here is the result! They are training! If any of them die, it's only because they aren't soldiers. We're about to face evil in the flesh, and you want me to go easy on them? Your soldier should be a fair test to them." Daltus took a step towards her and lowered his voice. "And don't speak to me that way, baby cousin. We are equals still."
"Are we?" she asked, matching his step. "Because I don't think we are. I believe you are a sitting Prince, and I am an uncrowned Queen."
Daltus grabbed her arm, pulling her close with a force she didn't expect that had her gasping. "You are a still just a child!"
But his eyes didn't stay on hers for long. They drifted to the sword now at his throat, the challenging glare in the wielder's blue eyes, and then around him at the weapons that had all moved to be trained on Link, though he didn't lower his arm despite the danger he faced.
"Link," Zelda cautioned. She realized it.
But Link's gaze moved to Daltus' hand still tightly gripping Zelda's arm. One by one, Daltus loosened his fingers until her hand fell. Link lowered his sword, as did every soldier.
"Did I tell you to lower your weapons?" Daltus hissed directly to the three soldiers Link had been fighting.
"Daltus," Zelda whispered. "This makes you look like a madman, not a king."
"He threatened my life," he said coolly, still addressing the soldiers behind Link. "Injure him."
"No!" she tried, but she was too slow.
Link remained still, glaring at Daltus as he jutted forward, the only sign that he'd been hurt was a small twitch of his lip and the sting on his arm.
"Now, stand down, soldier," Daltus grinned as he moved into Link's space.
Link could feel Zelda against him where she'd placed herself between him and the soldiers' still-ready swords under the pretense that she was examining Link's bleeding arm. But he felt her heavy breathing, knowing that her position between him and them was far more deliberate than just checking on a surface wound.
Daltus was on Link's already thin nerves, and he didn't move, still staring defiantly at the Prince. "I'm not your subject, nor am I your soldier. I'm hers, and the Princess' is the only command I answer to."
Daltus' head swiveled to Zelda. "Well, cousin? I'm being threatened by your guard. Technically, that's punishable by death. Threatening a royal? What will you do?"
Zelda's eyes darted to Link's as his words sank in. Really sank in. Link watched as her expression changed, not bothering to hide his grin, wide with admiration.
Zelda turned her head slightly over her shoulder. "Drop your weapons." She closed her eyes in relief when she heard two plops, two of the three following her command, and her attention switched to Daltus. "You have your soldiers. Everyone else is my subject, and I am the one responsible for them. You can't condemn them to death, and my orders supersede yours. A part of me forgot who I am. Niko is my subject, not yours. His barracks are mine, not yours. And this kingdom? It's mine… not yours."
"You won't have a kingdom without my soldiers. I can walk at any time and take them with me."
"On what grounds?" she scoffed, "Your bruised ego? Your people will respect that, for sure. You can't take an army away from me like I'm a child being scolded and losing her favorite toy without a good reason. I'm not a child. I'm not your baby cousin. I'm the future Queen of Hyrule, and you will start showing me that respect. If you don't think you have to because I'm still just a princess, when I'm crowned, Auntie Teleria and Uncle Edmund will know exactly why I had to cut off trade with them. And they'll know exactly who to blame for that."
Daltus' eyes softened from their hard glare before widening ever so slightly. She was shorter than he was, and she was thinner with almost no muscle mass. Her blonde hair was straight and neatly pinned. She was in a gorgeous dress. But Daltus cowered away from her as realization crossed his features. He knew that they weren't equal, and until now, he'd been able to convince her that they were. That leverage was gone in an instant, though the arrogance behind it hadn't disappeared quite as quickly as his resolve.
His parents would all but disown him if his arrogance and ego were the only things keeping their kingdom from making money. And Hyrule, though it was currently a fair mess, was a self-sustaining kingdom. They had everything they needed, and cutting trade would hurt their economy a bit, but it would not be the biggest issue. Daltus knew that. Teleria and Edmund knew that. Nohansen and Llyan knew that. Now, Zelda knew it too.
"Link," Zelda said, lightly grabbing his arm but glaring at Daltus. "Let's go get that taken care of."
Link kept his eyes on Daltus as well, though he nodded. "As you wish."
She led him away, keeping a steeled expression until they ducked inside a doorway, Seres on her heels. Then, without ceremony, she lowered herself to the ground and let out a long breath and covered her mouth. Despite that, Link could see the smile in her eyes, and the laugh on her face.
"That was impressive," Seres said. "He's never been put in his place so forcefully."
"Oh Goddess Hylia, that felt so good," she chuckled giddily. But her wide eyes betrayed that she wasn't entirely living on cloud nine. "He's going to invade Hyrule the day his parents die," Zelda muttered, though her nervous laughter was still bubbling. "He's going to stab me in my sleep or poison my food."
Link offered her his hand, wriggling his fingers at her. "Well, we know how to handle the stabbing in your sleep thing, and honestly, I've been looking for an excuse to eat some of that food you have. We get less interesting concoctions after your meal."
"You're not going to taste my food for poison, Link," Zelda chastised, but she took his hand and he pulled her to her feet. "Though your other idea is a good one."
He smirked, staring at her with that look that Zelda often felt herself melting under. But for once she was grateful he didn't follow it up with a sly comment, despite being able to see one on the tip of his tongue. She was far too on edge to worry about prying ears.
Link's eyes softened immeasurably as he watched her. "I'm going to go find Finn. I think he can be helpful. Another guard never hurt."
"I can go," Seres offered.
Link cleared his throat. "I'll just be a minute. Go ahead. We'll find you."
"We're going to head back to my room. Meet there."
He nodded and let out the breath he'd been holding as he longingly watched Zelda walk away. He needed the walk to clear his head as he was swarmed by everything all at once.
With every blink, he could see Daltus grabbing her hand, his knuckles white with pent-up rage. He could see the brief, uncontrolled look of fear on her face just a moment before she'd managed to control it. She was better at controlling her emotions than he was. He'd nearly killed a Prince. If Daltus hadn't let go…
There was only one person he'd go that far for. Only one person he'd be that stupid for.
Taking a knife for her had been the first wakeup call he'd had. In the aftermath, he'd been glad that he'd been stabbed, because at least it hadn't been her. He'd been relieved that he'd been given the fairy, not because it healed him, but because she didn't have to be the one to endure the pain he'd felt as the beast flew around inside him. And now, he realized he didn't regret holding a sword to Daltus' throat… not if it meant that she wouldn't have to deal with that man ever again.
He knew she was more than capable of handling herself against Daltus, and even against the verbal war Ganondorf had waged with her. It was one of the many things he loved about her. But it didn't stop the ache he felt to keep her safe, and to keep her happy, even if he had to die to do it.
Along the way, despite having every reason to fight against it, the one thing in the world that could never be, ended up happening. He hadn't fought it, thinking his logical brain might have done a little more to help him out. But it had succumbed just like the rest of him.
Before her, he'd seen his life ending on a battlefield in a few years, forgotten in an unmarked grave where no one would ever find him again.
He'd never let anyone deep enough into his heart for fear he'd lose them, or hurt them with his inevitable death. His friends and his family only managed to scratch the surface, but he'd accidently let one person in. When she smiled, he smiled, if only because he knew she was happy. She'd dug in deep, and he didn't know how to react to that. There was only one person that made him think that there might be a reason to try to imagine what his life might look like, not his death.
He was dying of thirst, and she was the water he couldn't figure out how to back away from.
But a soldier who isn't even worthy of the title 'Sir' in front of his name could never dream of anything even remotely serious with the future Queen of Hyrule, which made his revelations turn bittersweet in his mind.
He was madly in love with Zelda.
A/N: Halfway through! And thank you again for the comments! I see them, I just have these chapters ready to go, so I usually forget to respond!