The Ambivalent Hero: Book II

by ZeldaRubix

The story of Link and Zelda continues in book II. Will Link be redeemed? Will Zelda succumb to her vices? Find out in the concluding story of book I. This was originally uploaded in 2013. It will be re-edited later.

23. Chapter 23

Inspiration: A friend sticks closer than a brother.

Shout Outs: Kimuria and Lolurian.

Author's Note: This one is for the Zelbourne lovers out there lol.

Word Count: 15,530

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Chapter 23

Later that Morning: Zelda's POV

When I left the throne room, I was immediately greeted by the same line of people I saw before. They all looked upset, they all looked ready to spar, and I was willing to bet most of them were the authors of those letters sent to me this morning. I sighed, hoping they and I could have some form of civility in this matter. However, I knew I was the one on the losing side of this situation, when even a little child was glaring at me in a disapproving manner. I knew if children had it out for me there really was no helping me in this circumstance.

At seeing all of them clustered in a group, Master Bastion's cautionary words quickly came to the fore. If the people were all this upset, I may have needed to take his advice and increase the presence of the guard in town. If there were this many people angry about Link's arrest, it was no wonder some of the guards were overwhelmed with their duties. I needed to set this matter straight. However, before any of them could approach me like an ambush, my guards cleared the hall and ushered everyone to the main auditorium outside in the garden. I was going to speak with them in the safest way possible. This was not going to turn into a circus. I stood back and waited until everyone was cleared out and situated in the outside lobby. When the hall was completely empty, I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer to Farore.

Please, I just want to say the right words, I begged.

With that, I walked outside and stood at the podium several yards above the grassy lawns. The people were now nestled as a group with the same stern expressions on their faces. I had to somehow reach their hearts if I could. They had to understand that I wasn't this villain they were making me out to be. This was a judiciary matter, and unfortunately the hero got caught up on the other side of it.

I cleared my throat briefly, and then finally addressed the crowds:

"Greetings my fellow Hylians," I started, "it has been a long and arduous night. I'm sure by now you've all been made aware of what's going on with the hero known as Link. At this time he is in imprisoned, but he is unharmed and safe. It was with a heavy heart that I made the decision to have him incarcerated, but imprisonment was necessary for the defiance he showed set before this throne. Treason cannot, and will not, be tolerated on any level. However, to make sure we had the proper root cause analysis, I have instituted an independent investigation on the matter to make sure that with which was found was true."

I paused for a moment to see how my words were being received. So far, I was only met with discontent. No one seemed to care what my reasons were in having Link arrested, they already had it fixed in their heads that I committed a great injustice to them; the great cardinal sin. Even still, I couldn't stop now.

Keep going, I urged myself.

"I know many of you don't understand why I made the choice I made," I went on, "and I hope to give you more clarity in the future. However, please understand, that my dedication is to all of you, and that I work tirelessly to ensure your safety."

There were a few audible groans and scoffs after I uttered that.

I paused again for another moment. Nothing I was saying seemed to be resonating with anyone, not even the nobles. They all appeared indifferent or angry. It was then I decided to cut this short before the crowd saw fit to lose control again.

"That is all I will say on this matter," I began my conclusion, "and as an added safety measure I am increasing the presence of the guard in town due to some recent reports I received on some looting. If some of you choose to treat your fellow man disrespectfully, this is the unfortunate result of such actions. I am also mandating that anyone who harasses the guards due to this command be arrested on site. Hyrule will not turn into a harem."

Some of the citizens looked at me stunned, others with outright apathy. It was dead quiet after that, and I saw that many didn't appreciate the authority in my voice. However, I was aware that this was an unpopular message, but such was life.

I had no choice.

It had to be done.

"Thank you all for your listening ears," I said with a hint of finality, "and remember, the law rules in Hyrule."

Afterwards, I was met with an eerie, but perceptive silence. No applause, no recognition with fanfare, just silence. I waited for a few moments to see if there was going to be a prolonged or delayed reaction. There was none. I then took several steps back, turned, and headed back into the castle, wishing I had a more positive message to declare. However, there was nothing more I could do now. All I had was hope. And I hoped the people would hear me and give me a second chance.

I then headed back to the throne room.

This was turning out to be a terrible day.

~SSS~

One Week Later, Hyrule Dungeon: Link's POV

The past seven days turned into a haze of habit once the initial disbelief left me: I stayed in my cell, after which I was escorted to the prisoners' yard for breakfast, and then I was given options to either bathe, or join in some other menial activity. If I chose to decline, I had to go back to the detention lodge, which was fine with me because I preferred being alone. Associating with Hyrule's worst was not my idea of a wholesome activity. It was like this every day: I'd get up, I'd get escorted, I'd go back to the cell. I'd get up, I'd get escorted, I'd go back to the cell. I'd get up, I'd get escorted, I'd go back to the cell. It was a huge departure from the freedom I was once used to. However, I had to make the best of it.

The cell I occupied was a twelve feet by twelve feet lodging carved out of limestone, with a small hay cot in the corner overlain with a soiled cotton covering. I didn't have to imagine how many men laid on that covering diseased with who knows what. So, I took my chances sleeping on the floor with my back propped against the wall and my knees clutched to my chest. It took a little getting used to, but when I did my adventuring in the past, I often had to sleep in awkward positions for safety's sake. It was nothing new. I'll admit though, there were times when I contemplated sleeping on that cot when the stone from the wall was starting to grate against my back. However, after having looked at that soiled mess again, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I would rather deal with the dank moss growing on the wall, than that organic stew growing on that covering.

In the corner next to the bars was a small basin and a make shift hole in the ground for toileting. Neither offered any privacy, but I didn't expect it to. They were both simply necessities, and the smell coming from such 'amenities' was unlike any I could describe. It was like a mixture of death, sewage, and mildew all encompassed in this sweat ridden air. Some of the temples I visited had similar smells, so it wasn't too much of a discomfort. But even still, because of such deplorable conditions, it was actually a treat to visit the prison yard to get some sunlight and fresh air. This was a far cry from the life I was living only a few days ago. I still at times didn't believe this was happening to me. I felt like I was going to somehow wake up from this reality to the old one I once had. However, that was all just wishful thinking.

To make matters worse, my nightmares returned in full effect. But, to be honest, they actually never left me. However, now that I was in the perfect stimulated environment for them, they seemed to come to me more often. I dreamed about the things and people I've killed. I even dreamed that Ganondorf came back only to drag me down to hell with him. Through all this, I was careful in controlling my screaming and signs of distress, often reducing my sounds to low moans and whimpers so as not to alert anyone. I didn't want the other prisoners to know I suffering like this. It would be too easy to single me out as a target, and I was already singled out enough. However, there were some things I had done that I would never be able to forget: killing strange creatures, looking over my shoulder for constant danger, traveling in remote claustrophobic like places- there was no getting any of that completely out of my head. Being in Ordon, and around my friends helped to quell my discomforts, but it never made them go away. I needed a miracle from Farore herself to make the visions of terror go away. In any such case, I was dealing with it, and given my current circumstances, that was the best I could do.

When I initially arrived, many of the other inmates were surprised to see me there. Why wouldn't they be? At first, they weren't sure if I was the real deal or not, but when the confirmation was made that inmate 375309 was the Hero of Twilight, the prisoners were both stunned and amazed. I was given solitary confinement, probably as a protection, but when I walked about the prison yard I was anything but alone. I noticed I had a small entourage of men who followed me from a distance daily. One of the men, who looked no older than me, seemed to be the leader of the pack. This group saw it necessary to bother me from afar and throw taunts my way. They often called me the queen's fallen 'golden boy' and other such trivial names of the like. I ignored them for the most part, already knowing how much I blew a once grand opportunity. I didn't have much of a reply to their taunts, because they were more right than they knew. But even still, I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that fact.

I sighed and narrowed my eyes slightly.

Queen Zelda... I let my mind trail, not having much of an after thought to her name.

What could I possibly say about her now?

The queen and I did have a very complicated relationship, and it was made all the more sensational by the gossip mavens of Hyrule. I wasn't going to pretend I didn't take advantage of that sensationalism at times. However, the people always found a way to make something out of nothing. Even in these prison yards the mystique of that relationship seeped into the everyday talk. Some men spoke about it aloud nearby hoping to get a reaction out of me. Others just asked me straight up if any of what was said was true. They wanted to know, and I quote, if I "fucked the shit out of the queen of Hyrule". I never answered, and it only angered them more. However, even though the prisoners liked to make snide remarks, they were also aware that they had an invisible boundary to keep. That boundary was to make sure they never invaded my personal space. They could say whatever they wanted, I didn't care, just as long as they knew not to come near me with it. Most of these men were here for petty crimes, with the heaviest being stealing wagons and such. No one wanted to start a fight with the hero who once vanquished Ganondorf.

No one.

They were all aware of what I was capable of.

I groaned a little from the ever present discontent I felt regarding that situation. But still, there were others in the prison yard who approached me with respect. They didn't join in with the vocal minority who saw fit to ridicule me because of my previous standings in life. Rather, some of the men spoke to me openly about how much they appreciated the work I did in lowering the taxes for the poor and creating better business opportunities for the country in general. There were even a couple of men who were brothers that told me their younger sister was able to keep their businesses afloat because the tax rate was now lower. I was initially surprised at the adulation, but it did make me grin. I was happy that I could give the less fortunate in Hyrule a helping hand if they needed it. These men also made sure that I wasn't unnecessarily bothered as well. In fact, there seemed to be more grateful men in prison than the ridiculers. In any such case, I just wanted to do my time so I could move on with my life. I was done being bitter about it. However, the ubiquitous question in my mind was, what was going to happen to me after the thirty days? Was the queen really thinking about having me banished? Was her anger against me that great?

I just stared at the stone ceiling when those questions arose.

Maybe it is, I thought.

I wasn't going to pretend I was some innocent bystander in all this, I was aware in what I had done. I had defied the queen for my own personal gain, I knew that. But even with that being the case, I just couldn't see how Zelda could side step all of my other accomplishments in lieu of this. Had my proposal to Dragon Roost meant nothing? Didn't it save her millions of rupees where compensation was concerned? What about the new found happiness of the people? Was the welfare of the citizens not worth taking into consideration? Was exposing the corruption in her court not an all important thing? Did she not understand the gravity of what Vincent and Morgana were trying to do? What was going through her head that the only thing she could see was my apparent misgivings towards her? There was a bigger picture here. There was so much more at stake than the queen's disgruntled feelings for me. Why the hell couldn't Zelda see that?

I focused my eyes on the embossing.

"Jealousy," I mumbled to myself, "it's that goddamned jealousy."

So, I wasn't being completely honest, maybe my bitterness wasn't totally gone, and I knew now more than ever I wanted to find Midna. I knew I could never love a woman who turned so callous and cold at the drop of a hat. The queen wouldn't even let me explain my position, and she knew that bogus law she had written was to spite me. What did she think was going to come of it? Was I suddenly supposed to have a revelation of love and go back to her with open arms? After this? After trying to keep me away from someone I held so dear? Was she insane? The only thing this made me more aware of was how much I loved and cherished my precious Midna. I knew I could never be with her the way I wanted to given my situation with Ilia, but one day I was going to find her and tell her how much I loved her. I would find her like the great hero of the past told me to, and never let her go... even if it was in my dreams.

Never.

I closed my eyes at the thought of the twilight queen.

Midna... I pondered.

I could still envision her beautiful amber eyes staring at me when she first regained her true body. She was so lovely... so perfect... standing there looking all regal and majestic in her revealing black gown, but still keeping her playful flirtatious manner. Yes, she was right... she was so beautiful I had no words left. I wanted to tell her right then and there that I was in love with her, but I didn't understand why I didn't. I had the opportunity and the motive. I should have just come out and said it. What harm could it have done? The worse thing she could have said was that she didn't feel the same way, and that would have been the end of it. However, because of that brief onset of cowardice on my part, I was now experiencing the worst kind of contemplation possible: the 'what if' contemplation. 'What if I done this?' 'What if I had done that?' 'What if... I told her I loved her?' 'What if... she told me she loved me?' 'What if... she hadn't broken the mirror?' 'What if?' 'What if?' 'What if?'

It was maddening really, because I had no answers.

I sighed and tried not to ponder too deeply on the matter. I just needed to get through the next three weeks and see if those 'what if's' had any merit. Moping around wasn't going to change anything. However, I was aware of one thing, I knew if the punishment was banishment after this three week stent there was nothing stopping me from searching the ends of the earth to find that mirror to see Midna again. If I was to forever be cast away from Hyrule, what difference would it make anyway? It wasn't like I could be threatened with anything else, and no one was going to keep me from the woman I loved.

No one.

Not even a jealous meddling queen.

I paused for a moment and thought about that phrase again.

A jealous meddling queen... I pondered.

It was a little unsettling.

Did I really have the right to say that about Zelda? Have I really become so jaded with my own circumstances that I chose to put all the blame on her when I was just as much a party to all this? Was that even fair?

I took in another deep sigh and already knew the answers to those questions.

Of course it's not fair... I thought, she doesn't deserve that.

The truth of the matter was, I used the queen. I used her for her friendship and power to get to the objectives I desired. I was obsessed with showing her I was capable of being a great leader, and lost a little of my integrity along the way. I had more pleasure being able to wield Zelda's name in passing to a stranger to garner respect, than actually having to spend quality time with her when I had the opportunities, and that was shameful. Zelda was the queen... the queen, and I had treated her disrespectfully on many occasions. Even when I kissed her, I treated her like she was a brothel girl at times. Manhandling her, being too aggressive with her soft supple mouth. I acted as though she were nothing more than a senseless woman, and I had done exactly what Auru had warned me not to do, and that was play with her heart. So, I could sit here and blame her all I wanted, but at the end of the day, I knew what I had done. I knew I was wrong. I was even willing to sleep with her to get what I wanted. Sure, I could chock it up to my thinking I was in love with her at the time, but really, all it was was my selfishness. What man didn't want to boast a little about having been with the magnificent queen of Hyrule? She was still the most beautiful woman in the country, and my current circumstances didn't take away from that fact.

I begrudgingly admitted this, but there was still a part of me that had an inkling for Zelda.

I couldn't help it, I would always care for her, even if just a little.

Hylia help me with my fickle heart, I begged, adding more confusion to my thinking.

My guilt made me ponder over the other things I had taken from her as well.

I had taken her confidentiality for granted. She told me secret things, private things that she never revealed to anybody. She showed me the passage that led to her room if an emergency came up and I needed to talk to her immediately. She even told me special things about her family. I remember well when Zelda confided in me about her father. She often spoke about him so admiringly. I could tell he meant a great deal to her. She told me how he was a kind soul, but also slipped that he had an unexplained anger towards his own father at times. She never divulged what it was, but I didn't think she even knew to be quite honest. She often said she wished she had asked. She also told me that she was aware that he wasn't always faithful to her mother. She stated she didn't find out some of his infidelities until after he was dead, but that still didn't change the fact in how she saw him. I knew that bit of information to be true given the real identity of Lady Mystere in the Red Lantern District. Zelda had no idea she had a long lost sister out there somewhere. However, even still, getting back to the matter at hand, what right did I have to know such things about her father? What right did I have to know such intimate things about her family? None at all. She had shared her private life knowingly and freely with me, and that was because she loved me.

My guilt deepened at the thought of that.

Zelda loved me...

I didn't share half of what she shared with me, I thought, she really trusted me...

I had taken her kindness for granted as well. How many times had Zelda forgiven me for my foolishness? How many? Too many for me to count. There was the bar fight, which was easily explainable, but unnecessary. Then there was they way I spoke to her on a regular basis. I was always out of turn, always addressing her in an impatient manner because I felt I had the right to. And of course there was the scandal related to the Red Lantern District. For what it was worth, I was grateful I wasn't in jail before now due to that whole debacle regarding Morgana. I was already treading on thin ice before that, and I had openly lied to her then too. The fact that I was even accused of sexual misconduct with a noble was grounds for a peasant like me to be thrown into prison... yet, the queen spared me.

There were other things of course as well, like having the unlimited access to her library, her taking the time out of her busy schedule to tutor me when she could have easily assigned that duty to someone else, and her taking a real interest in some of the things I spoke about. She even laughed at my dumb jokes, and they were pretty terrible. I even told her the one my grandmother made famous in Ordon about tekkites eating raw meat. That joke was awful, and Zelda enjoyed every second of my telling it. So no, I wasn't exactly justified in putting all my anger towards her. I knew who Zelda was at her core, and she was more than a 'meddlesome queen'. Zelda was a loving, genuine, kind person at heart. I knew that. I had no real cause for complaint until recently, and that was because of my own doing. So I knew I was the one to drive her to such actions. I really left her no choice.

Zelda... I thought.

Finally, I had taken her loneliness for granted. I couldn't imagine having to wield such power and doing it with no one there to guide me. Zelda was alone, no one was more aware of that fact than me. I probably understood her loneliness better than anybody given that I was also an orphan and bore the burden of the Triforce like her. I knew she desired and needed real friends, and I wanted to be that for her. So, when I offered her my friendship she seemed genuinely surprised and grateful at my gesture. Not just a haphazard run-of-the-mill thank you, she seemed to really embrace me being her friend. I could tell she took a great deal of effort in making me comfortable when I came to see her. Zelda had her chef create some of my favorite meals when we were alone. Sometimes we would talk all night about nothing and anything because she didn't want me to leave. She often came alive when she discussed alchemy and the biological sciences. She was so savvy, but so incredibly unaware of how she shined when she spoke. She was so kind and wonderful.

So wonderful...

There were times I just wanted to hug her and take all her loneliness away. I wanted to protect her from those who wanted to take advantage of her. However, due to my own selfish motives, I unwittingly turned out to be one of those people she needed protection from. I used her and took her for granted. But even through all that, it was easy to be her friend. She could make any and everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world. That was a gift. I knew that because I felt like the greatest man in the world when I walked around the ball with her on my arm. She could magnify anything with her grace and dignity. She trusted me, she let her guard down with me, she let me into that special place in her heart, and I failed her.

I failed her...

That was the reality of this situation.

Not the other way around.

So no, Zelda wasn't a 'meddlesome' queen. She was a Hylian with feelings like any other woman.

I begrudgingly had to admit that too.

I looked around the small room and shook my head at my recourse.

"Unbelievable," I muttered to myself, "I'm such a damn fool."

In the present, I was sitting on the ground staring at the ceiling, waiting for the day to pass like I did pretty much everyday for the past week. I was allotted no visitors, but I was able to receive letters. I received dozens of correspondence daily. However at the end of the day those letters were taken away and incinerated. Many of the letters were from the citizens expressing their displeasure in the queen's decision to have me jailed, and though I thanked them for their loyalty, they still didn't know the whole story. I even received some letters from some maidens saying they would marry me despite how 'tarnished' my reputation now was. I did have to grin at that, as it seemed there were more 'Ilias' in the word than I thought. For the most part, I was okay, and doing well. I still had my health and I was grateful my stay was only temporary. However, it was then I heard an abrupt bang on my cell.

I looked up and saw that it was a guard trying to get my attention.

"Hey," he called to me, "I have another letter for you."

I wasn't surprised.

I had already received seven that morning.

"Do you know who it's from?" I asked.

The guard shook his head.

"It isn't marked," he replied, "do you want me to open it before I give it to you?"

I grinned, forgetting that I garnered some loyalty from some of the soldiers as well. Many of them appreciated the wage hike I negotiated for them when I worked for the queen.

"That's alright," I replied, "it's probably another anonymous note from a citizen. I'll open it."

The guard wasn't so sure, but decided not to argue me on the subject. I got up and went to the bars to receive the letter. It was standardized the way he said, there was no name. Curious to see who it was from, I tore open the stationery, and scanned through the contents. However, I suddenly felt my eyes widen in disbelief at what I read.

"What in Hylia's dear name...?" I whispered to myself.

It said:

Greetings Former Hero,

How are you fairing? Is the cell to your liking? Are you being treated with the

respect you feel you deserve? Better yet, how did the search for the mirror go?

Did you find your beloved Midna? Are you near your objective to make it

to the Twilight Realm? I wish I could see your face right now as you read this,

it's probably priceless.

Well, let me move on to the true point of this message, I'm sure you know who

this is and why I'm reaching out to you. I just wanted to thank you for diverting

the attention of her majesty to you, while my sister and I can move freely to find

Hyrule's true master. I know this may seem very unorthodox, but I had to send a

message of appreciation to the man who had done so much to help me. I'll try to make a

good word for you in the new history we are creating. I might even credit you for being

the man who helped the Interlopers free Master Vaati.

Oh, by the way, if you're wondering how her majesty found out about your little

escapade, look no further than the author of this message. I worked painstakingly

hard to make sure she received some information right before you figured out what was going

on. However, I digress, I do hope when you get out you find your precious Midna. I

hope you find her and never let her go... does that sound familiar? Anyway, I would

like to thank you again, and remember I couldn't have met my objectives without you.

You really are a hero. May the winds lead you to better fortunes.

~A True Noble~

At the letter's end I felt numb for a second, and then it was replaced with an intense anger I couldn't even begin to describe. It coursed through my veins and left my knuckles brimming white.

Vincent... my mind trailed.

"That son of a bitch," I muttered to myself.

With me being in prison the only thing I could count on was my friends making sure they held true to their resolve in capturing this vile bastard. There was nothing I could do in my current state. Not only was he taunting me from behind these bars, he was outright making threats and confirmations of his looking for another access point to resurrecting Vaati. I had to get this letter to her majesty immediately.

She cannot turn this away, I thought.

I immediately went back up to the bars and flagged the guard who had given me the correspondence down. He looked at me in alarm and came right away.

"What's the matter Master Link?" he asked.

I didn't waste time.

"This letter must get to her majesty," I said urgently, "there's a threat to the kingdom."

Expecting him to take the letter with no reservations, I was met with open cynicism.

"A threat to the kingdom?" he repeated.

I nodded impatiently.

"Yes," I replied, "you have to hurry."

He looked from the letter to me again and hesitated.

"I'm sorry I can't do that," he replied finally, "I have strict orders not take anything from you to give to anyone."

I looked at him like he was mad.

"Did you not hear what I said?" I demanded. "This is bigger than some rule! I just told you the country's in danger."

The guard shook his head.

"I'm sorry Master Link I can't," he said with more conviction. "Unfortunately, that's the reason why you're here young master," he divulged, "you have to learn to exercise some restraint."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"You have-" I tried.

"I'm afraid I can no longer speak to you on this matter," he interrupted with a nod, "I have to get back to making my rounds, good day to you."

With that, the guard left my company and I was dumbfounded. I stared after him in complete and utter disbelief. I then closed my eyes and hoped this wasn't really happening right now. Was I really not going to be able to do anything on this? Was I really just stuck here in the hopes the others would do what needed to be done? I looked down at the letter and shook my head. It seemed like I really had no choice, and now my current circumstances were plaguing me.

How am I going to get this to her majesty? I wondered. How?

What was I going to do?

Seriously, what in the world was I going to do?

~SSS~

Midnight, the Queen's Chamber: Zelda's POV

It was safe to that I wasn't sleeping very much these days. I could hardly close my eyes without them shooting back open again from stress and tension I felt. It had only been a week since Link was incarcerated, but it felt like an eternity. That saying 'there was no rest for the wicked' was more true than not. I certainly felt like a sinner who had gotten caught up in her sins, and my conscience was quaking at me. I was dressed in my nightgown, sitting in my bed, praying for some clarity on my current situation. It seemed that even my advisers were a little standoffish towards me now regarding my decision about Link. They didn't say anything outright, but their body language more than made up for it.

Shad had always appeared stoic when it came to matters of law, giving his opinion without prejudice or recourse. However, that was until recently when I had that tribunal with Link. He seemed more focused on staying loyal to his friend, than giving me the kind of expertise I needed. I couldn't blame him. Shad had known Link far longer than he knew me. He didn't know my true character, and this current situation was not making me any new bedfellows. And now, with the citizens so discontented, I needed to proceed with caution. There was very little I could do to ease their minds. Nothing I said would right he wrongs that they felt were bestowed upon him. That was apparent with how they reacted to my speech a little while ago. What was I going to do? How was I going to fix this?

The terrible ordeal about this whole thing was that I had no one to talk to. I had no one to confide in when I needed it the most. My advisers were against me, the people were against me, and even my dear Lydia seemed to be against me. She didn't have very many words for me in passing, and that was completely out of her character, because she was very glib. As I sat here alone, contemplating my actions, I suddenly wished I hadn't pushed Elbourne away the way I did. He was now in the arms of another woman, and rightly so. I told him it was the right thing for him to do, and he needed someone who genuinely cared about him, not just someone who conveniently needed him to quell their loneliness. However, I wasn't going to lie, I did miss him, and right now I selfishly did need him to help quell my loneliness. I wanted him here more than ever, but... I wasn't going to call for him. I was already wrong in sending him that second letter after the first, knowing that my intentions weren't pure. I needed to let him go, and stop using him the way I once did. I had no problems pushing him away when Link was in my life, and it would be cruel for me to only call him back now because I had no one else.

I'm not going to do it, I thought determined, I'm not going to use or confuse him like that anymore.

Besides, there was a very good chance he had fallen in love with that woman now, and all my meddling would do was disrupt that. Adlez was her name or something. I remember her being quite pretty, and from the rumors from the court the two of them were seeing a great deal of each other every day. I couldn't mess up such a wonderful opportunity for him, it wouldn't be right. Elbourne had a right to be happy. He had a right to move on. I would probably hear news of wedding bells soon. For some reason the thought of that brought tears to my eyes.

Elbourne getting married... my mind trailed

I should have been happy for him, but I wasn't. I didn't want to be alone, and I knew him being married would solidify that forever. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but that was what I wanted to tell him when I sent him that letter. I wanted him to know I still needed him. I wanted him to come back to me the way he always did. I wanted my comfort zone back, and this other woman was threatening to take it away from me. My tears spilled over... they were tears for a lot of things really, but mostly guilt. I felt so guilty in not doing the right thing regarding the dragon prince and now Link. In my own way, I had ruined both their lives to some measure. Link was in prison, and Elbourne I had driven to the arms of another woman. I even squandered our friendship for my own selfishness, and there was very little I could do about it now. Both men were out of my reach, and to be quite honest, it was probably for the best. But sitting here in this commodious room, with only my walls as a comfort, I had to second guess that notion.

I laid back against my pillow and sighed.

I wiped my face and got my bearings together. There was no sense in crying, what was done was done. Per the usual nightly routine, I stared up at the mural of Hylia. She looked so beautiful and majestic. What would she have done if she were me? I really wished she were here right now to help me. The goddess had to know I needed some guidance. However, that was silly wishful thinking. Lying here feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to help me. I needed to rest. I needed to force some clarity into my head.

I can't think about all this now, I pondered, I'll think about it tomorrow.

With that, I forced my eyes closed and drifted off to a troublesome sleep.

~SSS~

The sea fairing town near the shoreline was an isolated ethereal looking place when my eyes opened suddenly. I was dressed in my night gown walking towards a shed several hundred yards away. The embankment had a far off hissing sound and a strange melody playing in the distance, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I continued towards the shed, until I was finally standing right in front of it. I didn't hesitate to open the door to see what was inside. It was almost like I was beckoned to do so.

When the abridging separated, I had to hold in a scream, as what was staring back at me from the other side was the rotting corpse of the dead hero. I took several incredulous steps back and tried to slam the door. However, the corpse suddenly pushed his right arm forward to keep the door from closing. I felt my eyes widen with shock, I then turned and tried to flee, running as fast as I could. But the corpse of the hero extended his arm without ever having to leave his tomb, and wrapped his festering decaying limb around my ankle. I fell to the ground immediately with a hard thud and was dragged back towards to door. The sand tossed up in my face as I was pulled away. A terror tore through my body like I never felt before.,

I felt my breath quicken as I got closer and closer. The hollowed out orbs that once made his eyes, narrowed at me as the proximity lessened between us. He even smiled at the sight of my fear.

"No!" I begged. "No please!"

He still didn't stop dragging me, in fact, my begging made him drag me faster. I turned on my belly hoping to grab onto something before getting pulled inside. There was nothing to grab on to except sand, more and more sand. My pulse throbbed in fright. Soon, I was back at the shed, and the corpse had me completely held captive. The hissing sound from the outside got louder, and soon I was face to face with my captor.

His lifeless face was blank.

"No one's going to save you now Zelda," he whispered, "you're going to have to answer for what you've done."

I shook my head in shock and tried to push back.

"No!" I screamed.

But there was nowhere left for me to run, and he immediately took out a sword from a weathered sheathe. I held in a shocked gasp, and it was the last breath I was ever going to take.

"No! Please!" I begged. "Don't do this!"

However, it was too late for that.

I screamed, and soon, everything went black.

~SSS~

Three Hours After Midnight

My eyes opened instantly and I took in a stunned breath. There was a cold sweat seeding my brow, and I had to sit up to overcome it. I placed my hand over my racing heart to try and calm it down, it worked for a moment. However, it was ready to accelerate all over again when I saw a hooded man sitting at my table in the middle of my room watching me. I nearly jumped from shock. My eyes widened, and I brought my sheets to my chest in fright.

Sweet Hylia! I thought.

"Who-who are you?" I whispered. "What do you want?"

The man didn't answer, and remained sedentary for the next moment before making his move. After a few seconds went by, he then got up, walked over to my side of the bed, and unhooded himself to reveal his identity. I was surprised to see that it was Elbourne, and I had no idea how long he was sitting there watching me. He was wearing a long cloak that covered his night clothes, which was basically a variation of a black ruffled shirt and some comfortable black cotton pants. His hair was falling in his face slightly, but it still looked un-perfectly perfect, and his hazel eyes shined liked rare jewels in the moonlight. I had never seen him look more beautiful with that serious expression on his handsome face, and for a moment he looked just like Link. I wasn't just stating that to state that, it was the truth.

Their resemblance was so uncanny, it was frightening.

"Elbourne," I gasped finally, "what are you doing here?"

He gave me a long once over before he answered.

"You looked like you could use an ally," he said rather simply.

There was so much more embroiled in his words.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"I mean I heard about what happened," he divulged finally.

My face crumpled a little bit at his revelation and I looked away. Tears filled my eyes immediately.

There was a brief silence between us.

"Are you going to scold me like everyone else?" I whispered after a few seconds.

Elbourne raised a brow and stared at my face.

"Do you want me to?" he replied.

My tears spilled over and I didn't answer right away. I shook my head no.

He grinned for a second and reached over to caress my cheek.

"That's what I thought," he said, then took a step back to take off his cloak. He then nodded towards the other side of the bed. "Scoot over, I'm getting in," he ordered suddenly.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking this was a very compromising situation for us, but then let my concerns fall to the wayside when I thought about how much I missed him. I was just pondering earlier in the night how much I wanted things to be the way they once were regarding our friendship. I finally threw discretion to the wind and did as he asked. Elbourne got in bed next to me and a few seconds later didn't hesitate to wrap me in his strong arms for a tight hug. I tried to keep it together for my pride's sake, but I quickly lost it after that, feeling much the way I did in the past. Him holding me like this reminded me so much of the times when Elbourne came to me when my parents first died. He would just stay and hold me all night while I cried. I grabbed onto him like I had done so many times in the past, and cried into his chest like a scared child. And while I did that, neither of us said anything for several minutes, he just listened to me sniffle and whimper. He squeezed me affectionately just then, and rested his chin on my head. Afterwards, he rubbed my back lovingly and waited for me to get myself together before he spoke.

"Are you alright?" he whispered finally.

I kept my face close to his chest and shook my head no.

"I've been better," I said honestly.

Elbourne raised a brow and laid back against the pillows with me still resting on him.

"Anything you want to unload?" he asked. "The least I can do it listen."

I wiped my eyes and sat up for a moment. I looked him over and didn't know what to say.

I was still surprised to see him here.

"You have your own problems," I detracted slightly.

He didn't seemed bothered by that and shrugged.

"I'm fine for the moment," he said honestly.

I wiped my cheeks again and pursed my lips together.

"Why did you come?" I asked quietly.

Elbourne narrowed his eyes and studied my face for a few brief seconds.

"I told you, you looked like you could use an ally," he replied, then added, "and... I missed you."

I swallowed hard at hearing say that, but I was also very relieved.

"Oh," I said, "I've missed you too."

He then reached over and stroked my hair. He had a semi-concerned look on his face.

"Why are you crying?" he asked.

I didn't have a direct answer for that. My tears were for so many things.

I took in a deep sigh and shook my head for no particular reason.

"These past few weeks have been rough," I said as simply as possible.

Elbourne only nodded.

"So I've heard," he said.

I looked down at the bed just then.

There was another brief silence between us.

"I've heard you've been busy these days yourself," I added finally, breaking the quiet.

The subtlety of my remark was apparent. He paused to try and gauge where I was going with this, but then nodded slowly.

"I've had my ups and downs like the next man," he replied.

I stroked my hair behind my ears.

"I'm speaking about something else," I said quietly,"or someone else rather."

He raised a brow and gave my face a long once over.

"What are you speaking about?" he asked.

I kept my attention focused on one of my pillows, and started messing with a tassel. I didn't know how to start this conversation without just starting it directly. So, that was what I decided to do.

"Where's... where's your friend Adlez?" I divulged finally.

Elbourne was taken aback for a second at her name, and seemed surprised that I mentioned her so forthcomingly. He took in a deep breath and was silent for a moment.

"She's at home with her family," he said finally.

I expected him to go on, but he didn't, which told me he didn't want to talk about her.

I looked over at him.

"Is... everything alright between the two of you?" I asked anyway.

His eyes searched my face again.

"Everything's fine," he replied.

I nodded, but I knew that wasn't true.

"But won't she-" I tried.

He seemed a little upset now.

"Is this the conversation you want to have Zelda?" he interrupted. "Do you really want to do this right now?"

I looked at him surprised, but shouldn't have been. I figured Adlez would be a sensitive subject.

"I didn't mean anything by it," I said, "I just wanted to know if she would be okay with you coming to see me so late. It's past three in the morning."

He didn't flinch, but he looked like he was pondering my motives behind the inquiry.

"No Zelda," he replied, "no, Adlez wouldn't be okay with this. She wouldn't be happy knowing that I'm here with you, or anything of the like. To be quite frank, she's very jealous of you. Is that what you want to hear?"

I felt my eyes widen at his open response.

"But I-" I tried.

He groaned loudly.

"This is all you need to be made aware of, it's over between her and I," he interrupted again in a quiet manner, "please don't ask me anything else about it. That's not why I'm here."

I bit my lower lip and looked away again in guilt.

I didn't know what to say.

"Elbourne... I..." I trailed, "I never meant for you to give up on your relationship, especially since she was someone so special to you."

He looked away from me for a second and grunted with a hint of cynicism.

"Stop trying to pretend that you didn't want me to stop seeing her," he replied, shaking his head, "it's beneath you."

I looked at him surprised.

"But Elbourne, I meant what I said," I reassured, "I had heard the two of you were inseparable."

He cut his eyes to me again.

"Is that why you sent me that second letter?" he asked all of a sudden, seeing through me right away. "Because you respected my 'special' relationship with Adlez? Why don't you just admit you were jealous?"

I was slightly taken aback at the subtle venom in his voice. I closed my eyes, knowing I didn't have a proper answer to those questions... and he was right. I was jealous, I was very jealous of Adlez.

"I just..." I trailed again, "I just didn't want to lose your friendship."

Elbourne shook his head like that was a silly thing to say.

"How long have known each other Zelda?" he asked rhetorically. "Do you honestly think another woman would take me away from you?

I didn't reply.

He sighed sighed again and seemed indifferent about the whole matter now.

"You weren't going to lose my friendship," he reassured, "you're my queen, and I love you."

I felt my throat tighten at his unbridled honesty.

"But I was afraid," I whispered, and as if on cue, tears filled my eyes.

Elbourne saw that and sighed.

His handsome face softened immediately.

"Please don't cry," he said, "I hate it when you cry."

I hated to think this right now, but he sounded just like Link when he said that.

Just like him.

Please don't cry... I hate to see you cry... the hero's voice echoed through my head.

I wiped my eyes with a guilty trembling hand.

Link... I couldn't help but think.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to smile, "I've turned into such a baby these past few days. I've been crying incessantly."

His grinned and reached over to caress my cheek.

"You've just got a lot on your mind," he said, then added, "but our friendship shouldn't be one of them. You haven't lost me and you never will."

I looked over at him again just then with so much regret. He could have easily hated me for causing him so much pain.

"Elbourne..." I didn't know what else to say.

He looked lost in thought for a moment, but then reached over and took me back in his arms. I rested my head on his chest once more and held him tight. Just him being there made me feel so much better. We were silent again for the next few minutes. Elbourne was stroking my hair and comforting me the only way a dear friend could. I was enjoying our solace, but the dragon prince believed it provided enough relief to break the silence and ask me a question.

"So now will you tell me what's really bothering you?" he asked. "Not this perpetual nonsense regarding Adlez."

I sighed against the front of his shirt.

I didn't know where to start.

It was best just to begin at the beginning.

"I'm sure you heard the news," I said softly.

He nodded, but verbalized it anyway.

"You mean the bit about farm boy getting arrested for treason?" he said. "Yes, I've heard it."

I felt terrible with the way he said it.

I took in another deep sigh.

"Yes well," I went on, "there's more to it than that. I haven't been altogether truthful."

Elbourne looked at me with an offhanded gaze.

He was surprised by my revelation.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I thought he committed a serious crime or something."

I shook my head and avoided his eyes.

"He's committed no real treasonous act," I divulged, finding it hard to admit that, "I... I just..."

I found it hard to speak.

The dragon prince raised a brow waiting for me to go on.

I never did.

"You just... what?" he replied finally. "You aren't being very clear."

I was aware of that.

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"I know," I muttered unhappily.

Elbourne got quiet for a second. A thoughtful silence, where I knew he was contemplating what so many others were contemplating, why?

"I knew there was more to this than meets the eye," he said more to himself than to me, "I was just wondering, why would you arrest Linux if you loved the bloody bastard so much? That doesn't make sense."

I hesitated in answering him.

I still felt ashamed of myself.

Elbourne saw my continued hesitation and nudged me slightly on the shoulder.

"Why did you get so quiet?" he asked suddenly. "What aren't you telling me?"

I knew I was being silly, but I still didn't answer.

He was getting tired of my evasiveness.

"Why did you have him arrested Zelda?" he asked with a little more authority in his voice. "You being silent only makes what you did seem worse."

I buried my face even deeper into his chest.

I knew he was right.

It was time for me to come clean.

"If... if I tell you the truth will you promise not to judge me?" I asked.

The authority in his tone was replaced by complete surprise.

He was slightly thrown for a loop by my disclaimer.

"Is what you did that bad?" he asked, but then for some reason smirked. "Are you trying to tell me he may be innocent of a queen's vice?"

His words made me feel worse, but that was exactly the truth.

"In a way... yes," I said finally.

Elbourne scoffed slightly and chuckled in disbelief.

"Zelda you scandalous little temptress," he said, then sat up, "how can you live with yourself knowing that you put an innocent man in jail? You're starting to become like me."

I knew he was trying to make me laugh, but it wasn't working.

"Elbourne I feel terrible," I said quietly.

He pulled me away from his chest to look at him. There was a mischievous kind of excitement in his eyes. He fanned off my apologetic words in lieu of wanting to know more information.

"You are going to come clean in what you did face to face," he said, "there will be no hiding to make yourself feel better. Now what did you do?"

My eyes met his smiling expression, and my guilt was made all the more tantamount.

This man is so bloody morbid, I thought, how can he possibly find any of this funny?

However, he wasn't the guilty party here, I was, and he did have a point in making me come clean face to face.

I bit my lower lip and looked down.

"Do you remember the night of the Dragon Gala?" I asked, getting to the point.

Elbourne nodded and looked at me curiously at hearing that.

"Of course," he said, "I won the race of course. What about it?"

I ignored his second statement.

"Well," I went on, "Link told me some rather telling news that night."

This was getting more and more interesting to the dragon prince.

"What news?" he asked.

I took in a deep sigh and closed my eyes. When I opened them, Elbourne was looking at me in great anticipation. He seemed to be hanging on every word now.

"Stop stalling," he said to me, "what was it? What did he tell you?"

I then fidgeted with my fingers.

"He... he told me he was in love with another woman," I confessed.

I avoided his eyes, but I could tell from his reaction that Elbourne was stunned.

"He told you what?" he replied. "He's in love with someone else?"

I paused, but then nodded slowly.

"Yes," I said quietly.

He immediately started laughing again.

"That playboy bastard," he half joked, "I didn't even think he had it in him."

His glee in this was grating.

"You have to know you're not helping," I said dryly.

Elbourne laughed more.

"This is bloody hilarious my love, because I knew he wasn't a saint," he went on with the taunts, "how can he be when maidens left and right are offering him their chastity belts?"

I looked at him mortified.

"You're so cruel," I said, "how can you find any of this funny?"

He smirked at me.

"It's rather simple my love," he went on relentlessly, "and to be frank, this is just what you deserve. I told you he would hurt you, and I was right. You never assume what another person is feeling Zelda, never."

His words were blunt, but he was so right I couldn't disagree with him.

I had no reply.

"Now get to the part where you had him falsely arrested," he said, "how did you manage that?"

I sighed again, feeling ten times worse than I did before.

"The woman he loves lives in another realm," I continued without specification. "I instituted a decree to make it illegal to access that realm. However, Link defied me and went looking for her anyway, and that was why I had him arrested."

Elbourne was staring at me astonished, but then his face broke into another smile.

"You treacherous little snake you," he teased, "you sent a man to prison for loving another woman. Now that is cruel, but bravo Zelda darling, I knew you had it in you."

I closed my eyes and buried my face in my hands.

"Oh Elbourne I'm terrible!" I sobbed.

He fanned off my grief and laughed more.

"Quite the contrary my love, you're wonderful," he reassured mischievously. "It serves that ungrateful bastard right. Let him stay there until he rots. I didn't even care that he was imprisoned until how I heard it was affecting you. My only concern in all this is your well being, not his."

I shook my head.

"You're not helping!" I cried.

Elbourne continued to chuckle, but then he took me back in his arms and hugged me tight. It was kind of a sarcastic hug if that made sense.

"I'm only joking," he whispered, soothingly against my hair, "I think you're a deplorable human being for what you've done."

I buried my head in his shoulder, both loving and hating the fact that the dragon prince was here. Only Elbourne would find humor in this.

"I may have ruined his life," I said with a broken voice, "he has a right to love who he loves."

Elbourne nodded and rocked me back and forth.

"That is true, but you took that right away from him by being so divinely jealous," he said with a sigh, then added, "however, if you feel so terribly about the matter, why don't you just release him?"

That was the complicated part.

I had to make an example of his insubordination, but he wouldn't have been insubordinate if it wasn't for me.

"I will once his thirty days are up," I replied finally.

Elbourne stopped rocking me for a second and got quiet. He pulled me back to look at him in surprise.

"Once his thirty days are up?" he repeated.

I hesitated, but then nodded slowly.

He looked at me taken aback for some reason.

"You're going to keep him in prison for thirty days when you just admitted it was your doing?" he asked in minor disbelief.

I didn't know what to say to that.

"I have to make an example of him," I replied, trying to deflect, "the people need to know that treason shan't be dealt with lightly."

Elbourne was genuinely stunned at my words.

"Do they know why he's in prison?" he asked.

I was slow to answer.

Of course they didn't.

I shook my head.

"No," I whispered.

Elbourne gave me a long once over and shook his head.

He actually looked very disappointed.

"Zelda you have to know this is wrong," he said, surprisingly, "I hate that son of a bitch to be sure, but you can't punish a man for feeling what he feels. That's horribly vindictive and morally corrupt."

I looked at the dragon prince surprised.

When I had to be lectured on morals from Elbourne I knew there was something terrible about what I did.

It's like it's opposite day or something, I thought.

"You just said you cared about my well being more in this than his," I replied.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked me. "If you really believed that, then why are you in here crying? Why do you feel so guilty?"

He had a point.

Because I'm still in love with him, I didn't verbalize, that's why.

I pursed my lips together as my eyes refilled with tears. He was absolutely right and I had no rebuttal.

Elbourne saw that I was upset and sighed. He took me back in his arms and held me tight in another hug. The next few moments we didn't say anything and I had an opportunity to mill through the advice he had given me. Bastion, Shad, and now Elbourne were telling me how wrong I was in this matter. The people too had made their stance. I needed to free Link. I needed to let him go and do the right thing. I had no right to imprison him in the first place.

I sighed against Elbourne's chest.

Hylia help me for having such a treacherous heart, I thought, it's just like in that damned play.

The silence between the dragon prince and I continued, that was, until I saw Elbourne pull the covers back suddenly and ready himself to get out of bed. He stretched his arms and yawned loudly, it was then I reached over, grabbed his hand, and stopped him.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. "Where are you going?"

He looked over to the terrace.

"It's late," he replied, "I have to get back home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I squeezed his hand tight.

"Please don't leave," I begged, "I don't want you to go."

Elbourne took in a deep sigh and didn't answer right away. He looked me straight in the eyes and tried to reason with me.

"Zelda I'll call on you later in the morning," he said, "we'll have breakfast together and go for a horseback ride after that or something. It's just a few hours."

I shook my head no.

"I don't want you to leave," I went on.

Elbourne raised both eyebrows.

"Zelda-" he tried.

"Please, please, please Elbourne," I interrupted in a slightly broken voice, "I don't want to be alone."

He looked at me in concern regarding the subtle desperation in my tone. He had never seen me like this before, he was hesitant even then to agree, but eventually he slowly nodded his head.

"Alright, you win, I'll stay," he replied, and tried to make light of the situation, "you have to know you're irresistible in every form, even when you nag."

I grinned and watched as he pulled the covers back over himself. I immediately went to cuddle next to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I held him tight.

"Thank you," I whispered against his chest.

He sighed and nodded.

"Anything for you Zelda," he said in a sincere fashion.

I cuddled closer and closed my eyes. We were quiet again for a good while. I hoped he didn't think I was too much of a prude and fragile coward. I was certainly acting like it tonight. That was when I decided to break the silence. I wanted to know what he was thinking.

"Are you sleep yet?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Elbourne chuckled at my silly question.

"Not yet," he said, "but I was getting there until you interrupted me."

I sat up for a second to stare at his handsome face.

I ignored his joke.

"Do you... do you think I'm weak?" I asked all of a sudden.

Elbourne gave me an offhanded stare.

"Why are you asking me that?" he inquired.

I shrugged and looked away.

"I just feel so foolish," I replied.

He took my hand in his and squeezed it affectionately.

"You?" he replied. "Never."

I pursed my lips together just then.

"Even after my display just now?" I pressed, hoping he was being honest.

He studied my face for a moment and caressed my cheek.

"Everyone has a right to be vulnerable from time to time Zelda," he replied, "there's no crime in that. Remember when I came to you after the ball? I was a wreck. You never judged me, so I will never judge you."

I smiled at him.

"You're always so kind to me Elly," I said softly.

He shrugged then added.

"I just don't want to share in the same fate as Link if I cross you," he joked, "you're vicious."

It was a horrible joke, but my actions warranted a lot of disapproval, even bad jokes.

"Ha ha," I said dryly, "there's no need for sarcasm dragon prince."

He smirked.

"That's where you're wrong my love," he replied, "there's always a need for sarcasm."

His reply did make me laugh.

He always knew how to do that, make me laugh.

We were silent again and I gave him a long once over, thinking about how different he was with me compared to everyone else. Men hated him, women fawned over him; he was such an enigma. There were maidens who would kill to be in my place right now, just talking to him. And he doted on me like I was the center of the universe. It made me feel very special, but also very guilty as well. I kept thinking how he should be this way with that maiden Adlez. It was apparent he cared for her, and I hated the thought of him giving her up for me. It was bothering me so much I wanted to speak up on it again.

Be amiable in how you approach this Zelda, I told myself.

"I know you said you didn't want to talk about this earlier," I began, breaking the silence, "but again, I am terribly sorry about your friend Adlez."

The small smile on Elbourne's face faded when I brought up her name again. He stared at the ceiling.

"Don't worry about that," he said quietly, "like I said, it's over."

I bit my lower lip, hating to hear that.

There was another brief silence between us.

"Did you love her?" I asked.

He then cut his eyes to me at the question.

"You're pretty hardheaded, aren't you?" he detracted. "I told you I didn't want to discuss this."

I wasn't going to change the subject.

I wanted to know.

"Did you?" I asked anyway.

Elbourne looked away again and rolled his eyes.

"What difference does it make?" he asked.

I felt guilty that he put it that way.

"It makes all the difference in the world to me," I replied, "and it should to you too, you should be honest with yourself about that."

The dragon prince took in a deep sigh and didn't answer right away. Finally, he nodded begrudgingly.

"Yeah," he whispered, "yeah, I did love her a little bit."

I felt terrible after he divulged that.

Neither of us said anything for awhile, Elbourne seemed lost in his thoughts anyway, that was, until I broke the silence.

"Did... did you make love with her?" I asked.

Elbourne sighed, but then gave me a very cross look.

"Really Zelda?" he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Is that a question?"

I shrugged.

"If I pried too much you don't have to tell me," I replied.

Elbourne went to staring back at the ceiling. He deflected slightly.

"What do you think?" he replied. "I'm the dragon prince Zelda. You know what my reputation is like."

I looked down and blushed at his frank talk.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

Elbourne continued staring at the ceiling, and didn't answer for a few moments.

"Don't be," he said, "it is what it is."

We were quiet again, and I laid back down to snuggle in close to my long time friend. We both were staring at nothing in particular, and the silence was soothing. I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat, when I suddenly had a little inkling and decided to repel the quiet again with something surprising.

I wonder... I thought.

"Can... I ask you something rather personal?" I inquired.

Elbourne turned his head slightly to look at me.

"You mean you haven't already?" he added sarcastically.

He had me there, but I ignored him and went on anyway. I buried my face into his night shirt like before.

"Tell me... tell me about the first woman you ever made love to," I whispered.

Elbourne didn't flinch, but I could tell by how quiet he got that he was surprised I asked him that question. It was a subject we never really talked about, and for the most part I never really wanted to know about. However, for some reason tonight, I wanted him to be an open book. What made the dragon prince the infamous dragon prince?

He didn't answer right away.

"Why?" he asked finally.

I shrugged and looked up at him.

"I just want to know," I said, "you have so much experience in that area."

He sighed and shook his head at the notion.

"Sex is sex," he said rather bluntly, "unless it's with someone you love it's just carnal pleasure."

I gave him an disingenuous stare just then.

"It may be carnal true," I challenged, "but you have to have some amazing stories in that regard, otherwise why do it so much?"

He saw my point and chuckled, but decided to be vague anyway.

"Well said, but there isn't much to tell," he said, "I was sixteen she was twenty-five, and she knew what she was doing, while I didn't. The first experience can either be good or bad. In my case, it was neither, it was just sex."

I rolled my eyes in how he glossed over that.

"You really didn't tell me anything at all," I said softly.

He shrugged.

"I'm not giving you dirty details," he said, "you don't want to know all that."

I raised a brow.

"Why do you make such a big deal out of telling me such things?" I asked. "After all, we are best friends, aren't we? Aren't we supposed to tell each other everything?"

Elbourne smirked at hearing that.

"I don't know who made that rule," he said, "but somethings a man should never tell a woman, and an experience with another woman is one of them. That's just plain idiotic."

I sat up just then and looked down at him.

"Why?" I asked.

He shifted his eyes over to me and gave me an obvious stare.

"Come on," was all he said, "you know why."

I shook my head.

"No I don't," I replied.

Elbourne raised his brows and sat up with me.

He sighed.

"You know that isn't true," he replied, "yes you do."

I shook my head again.

"Elaborate for me," I challenged.

Elbourne looked at me with open cynicism regarding my implied ignorance, but he decided to answer me anyway.

"Well, it can lead to awkwardness in a relationship," he replied, "you may not look at me the same way. I don't want that."

I blushed for some reason and looked away.

"I'm already aware of how promiscuous you are Elbourne," I replied, "what difference does it make if you decided to give me a little detail or not?"

He was quiet for a moment, and I was quite sure he didn't appreciate how I said that. I made it seem like all he ever did all the time was have sex, which wasn't true.

"Promiscuous or not, it makes all the difference to me," he replied, "and as it stands, I'm not going to tell you. I don't care how boorish you think I am. If you're so interested, why don't you sleep with me to find out? You seem to be very keen on the subject for some reason."

I was surprised at the subtle determination in his voice, and I had to respect him for it. I was being rather nosy for no apparent reason. I didn't need to know every detail, but I was acting as though I did, and that challenge at the end was a reminder of his willingness to show me if I truly wanted to know. Some things he wanted to keep private, others he didn't. It was his right, and there was nothing wrong with that. Why was I being so grating about the matter?

I looked him in the eyes just then and he looked right back, daring me to ask him that question once more. There was no need for the dare. I had learned my lesson, I wasn't going to ask him about it again. I looked away when his stare became too intense, and then panned my vision to his slightly opened night shirt and stared at his muscular chest. My goddess he was well built, with an extraordinary musculature. I didn't know why, but at the sight of him I suddenly felt the strangest inkling. I wasn't sure if it was sexual or pure provocation, but it was something. I even took it upon myself to reach over and stroke my forefinger over his rippling upper pectoral.

He is so beautiful, I couldn't help but admire.

I cleared my throat so he wouldn't catch me staring too long.

"I would never think of you as boorish," I said finally, "you're much too spontaneous for that."

He smirked at me, thinking I was being insincere.

"Really now?" he replied.

I simply nodded.

"Yes really," I went on, still avoiding his eyes.

Elbourne put his hands behind his head.

"You want to give me an example of my past spontaneity?" he asked.

I played with the tassel of my pillow once more.

"Certainly," I replied avoiding his eyes, "there's the example of our first kiss."

He looked at me surprised that I brought that up.

"Our first kiss?" he repeated.

I nodded and went on.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday. You kept telling me to close my eyes because you had something special to give me," I recollected, "and when I did, you kissed me, and rather passionately too for our first outing. I never expected it, and when you pulled away I was shocked, but not so shocked that I wanted you to-"

"-Kiss me again," he said in unison with me.

I looked at him with widened eyes for a moment. He just grinned at me.

I blushed and looked down after that.

"Exactly," I whispered, "that was also the first time you told me you thought I was the most beautiful woman in the world."

Elbourne was staring at me for a long time before saying, "I still believe that you know."

I blushed more and cleared my throat.

"That's very kind of you," I whispered.

"It's the truth," he said seriously.

There was a brief silence between us, but I soon dispelled it again.

"So yes, you are spontaneous," I replied, and stroked a lock of hair behind my ear, "in fact, I... I think you should showcase some of that spontaneity now."

He studied my face for a moment, at first unsure of what I was talking about. But when he caught the subtle nuance in my voice, he knew exactly what I meant. He reached up to caress my cheek.

"How?" he said softly anyway.

I felt my throat tighten a little at his tone, but I went on unnerved.

"Would you kiss me again like you did the first time?" I asked without looking at him. "Like when we were younger?"

~SKIP~

There was a brief silence between us, but then it was followed up Elbourne sitting up completely and stroking his hand over my hair. He lifted my chin so I could look at him. He grinned at me.

"Of course Zelda," he whispered and reached over to press his lips against mine.

It started off slow, the way a kiss always did, but I immediately closed my eyes and kissed him back. I already found myself lost where his fervent mouth and feathery tongue were concerned, and he had this impeccable sense of sensuality that was intoxicating. I didn't know how he did it, but every time we were alone like this he managed to amaze me with a subtle nuance of his sexuality. Like right now, he wasn't just kissing me, but somehow he managed to have my mouth opened and it was like he was doing these subtle ringlets with his tongue to the brim of my lips. It felt incredible. And he wasn't just holding me in his strong arms, but he was slowly pressing me backwards onto the mattress until he was completely on top of me with that amazing body of his. My large bosom flattened under the weight of his strong chest, and I had to brace myself when he voluntarily wrapped my legs around his waist. He pulled back for a second to stare into my eyes and stroked my bangs off my forehead.

He had such a loving look in his eyes.

"Is it anything like the first time?" he asked me.

I smiled, thinking about how accommodating he was being, and shook my head no.

"It's better," I whispered.

He smiled back at me, pleased with my answer, and kissed me again. He propped me up a little so he could run his hands up and down my back, but then I realized that the sweet gesture wasn't just for intimacy. He had somehow managed to furtively untie the back of my gown while he stroked his fingers through my hair. I felt my eyes widen when he was subtly pulling it off my shoulders. I was so suprised that I had to pull back, sleeve myself again, and give him an obvious stare, to which all he did was smirk. He studied my expression for a moment and his smirk widened to a smile.

"You're not the only person here with smoldering sexuality Zelda," he teased in a whispered.

I was puzzled at first in what he meant, until I realized he was going to turn the tables on me. He sat up for a second, took off the night shirt he was wearing, and threw it off the bed. I wasn't going to pretend I wasn't nervous with him pulling a move like that, however I wasn't going to complain either. Elbourne had an incredible body, and he made it all the more evident with the way he was flexing his pecks now in a showy manner.

I did have to giggle at his silliness.

"You're just every woman's perfect fantasy aren't you dragon prince?" I teased.

Elbourne shrugged in a cocky manner.

"Of course I am," he teased back, and ran his hands over my thighs, "do you know how lucky you are right now?"

That made me laugh.

"You really are a conceited charlatan, aren't you?" I whispered.

He nodded and came close.

"It comes with the territory," he whispered back.

I giggled again and he in turn looked at me in a very desirous way before he kissed me once more. He was more sexual and intense now, and I knew that was because his dragon was excited. He started kissing my neck, and my eyelids, and covering my face with his lips. He was so irresistible when he wanted to be. I opened my mouth to him when he beckoned for it and he kissed me harder, deeper. I was breathing so intensely now and running my fingers through his perfect hair. I felt insatiable for him, and he apparently did for me too, as he wouldn't let me separate from him for a moment to get air. I felt his hands run up my gown over my thighs again, and my goddess, my goddess, my goddess he started whispering my name in my ear.

"Ah Zelda, Zelda," he said, "my sweet beautiful Zelda."

Our breaths were in sync now and it only took him a few seconds to get my tongue back into his mouth. Sweet Nayru, it was so erotic, especially with the way he kept licking my neck and sucking on my earlobe. He knew exactly how to make me turn to jelly. He had better, he told me so. I loved every second of him loving on me. In fact, I wanted more from him and that was surprising considering he was generally the one to prompt the provocations forward. I just hoped he was willing to give it to me. He had to know how much I needed him right now. I reached down and started messing with the tassels of his pants to give him a clue that I wanted him to take them off. However, that was when he pulled back and looked at me surprised.

~DONE~

He stared down at me for just a moment.

"What are you doing?" he asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

I stared at him innocently and shrugged.

"I don't know what you mean," I replied.

Elbourne raised a brow and gave me a knowing stare.

"You know exactly what I mean," he said with a smirk.

I propped myself up and rested my weight on my elbows. I looked down at his pants again.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "I thought you would be pleased."

He sat up and studied me for a second. He didn't reply right away.

"You know as well as I that this isn't going to go that far," he said finally.

I looked at him surprised.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "It doesn't have to be that way."

He took in a deep breath and shook his head.

"It doesn't have to be but it is," he insisted.

There was a brief silence between us after that, and all we did was stare at each other during it. I was upset that Elbourne decided to get all moral on me now. That wasn't what I wanted or needed. I needed his dragon right now damn it.

He can't be serious, I thought.

"Why?" I asked finally.

He sighed, reached over and caressed my cheek. He shook his head.

"Because I know you," he replied, "I know how you think, that isn't what you want right now. You just need some intimacy."

I swallowed hard and looked away for a moment, I didn't want to hear this. I was getting upset.

"This is what I want right now," I insisted.

Elbourne gave me an obvious stare and hovered over me for a second to get my attention.

"No it isn't," he argued back.

I sat up and was only inches from his face just then. He looked even more handsome up close like this. I wanted to kiss him just then.

"Yes," I said defiantly, "it is."

His eyes studied me for a moment, and he didn't reply right away, but he was about to challenge my notion.

"Is that so?" he asked cynically. "Well then, if you are so ready to prove how much of a vixen you now are, why not show me? Why don't you undress for me if this is what you really want?"

I felt my eyes widen involuntarily.

"What?" I asked with a hint of nervousness.

He raised a brow and smirked.

He came a little closer.

"Take your clothes off Zelda," he whispered, "I want to feel those beautiful naked breasts against my skin, and everything else in between."

My cheeks turned crimson and I froze.

Elbourne just stared back.

There was another brief silence between us where he was waiting for me to call his bluff. However, I didn't move, I was hoping he would make this easier for me by undressing me himself. I looked away and laid back once again onto the mattress. Nervously, I reached down to the hem of my gown, however, nothing in me could make me pull it up. The dragon prince even looked hopeful for a second, but then grinned when he realized I wasn't going to do it.

"You can't do it, can you?" he asked me softly.

I avoided his eyes and stared at his chest.

I didn't reply.

"Zelda, how are you going to have sex with me if you're afraid of me seeing you naked?" he asked. "How much sense does that make?"

I looked at him defiantly just then.

"I was hoping you would undress me," I snapped, "you know I'm no expert at this, and I'm not afraid of you seeing me naked."

He didn't believe me.

"But that's just the thing isn't it?" he detracted. "You always rely on me to seduce you, it's never the other way around. Sometimes a man wants to feel like he's wanted by the woman he's with. I don't feel like you want me, and don't give me that nonsense about undressing you, I just tried that and you resisted."

I looked at him incredulously.

"That's not true! I do want you!" I insisted. "I do!"

Elbourne reached over and caressed my cheek again.

"Then prove it," he said simply, "take off your gown."

The color never left my cheeks and I didn't move. I avoided his eyes again and looked away nervously. Elbourne sighed and shook his head when he saw that. I was all talk and no action.

"You see," he said simply and then got up.

However, I thought he was going to leave and I took hold of him.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He grinned at me and kissed my forehead.

"Nowhere mother," he said sarcastically, "but I do think we need to stop this since it isn't going to be of any benefit to anybody."

I bit my lower lip and sighed, Elbourne probably thought I was so pathetic. But if he thought that, he didn't show it. He went to lay back down and yanked on my arm so I could fall on top of him. I rested my head against his bare chest. We were silent for the next few moments. Elbourne then turned his head slightly and kissed my forehead again.

"You're going to have to let go of your fear of me," he whispered against my hair all of a sudden.

I thought that was a strange thing to say.

I looked up into his face.

"I'm not afraid of you," I reassured.

Elbourne just grinned.

"You don't see it the way I do," he replied, "but every time we're alone like this you're scared witless of me. Sometimes you don't even like it when I touch you."

I gave him an offhanded looked and didn't reply. I never saw it that way before.

"Well..." I started wishing I knew what to say, "I apologize I never meant to make you feel this way."

He held me tighter just then.

"I know," he replied, "I just hope one day you free your mind of your worries, obviously that isn't tonight."

I sighed after he said that.

"Elbourne-" I tried.

"Shhh," he interrupted and put his forefinger to my lips, "don't think about it anymore tonight, just go to sleep."

I was going to say something in protest, but decided against it. Instead, I took my good friend's advice and closed my eyes. Elbourne closed his too, and held me tight. It was the first time in a week I was able to drift off to a pleasant sleep. I just hoped where Link was involved, I would do the right thing, and get many more.