Inspiration: Glory, the scene where Denzel Washington gets whipped.

Shout Outs: 11Ilyad thanks for reading.

Word Count: 4,528

Chapter 25

Approximately An Hour Later, Hyrule Dungeon: Link's POV

I was awakened suddenly by a slew of loud garbled chatter from outside my cell. It wasn't exactly hard to do because I didn't sleep very much, and with the design of these jail compartments, I slept very lightly. I wasn't certain what was going on, but there was definitely a buzz in the air that wasn't here a little while ago. It all started in the last hour, but really began making waves throughout the prison within the last twenty minutes. All of the prison guards were congregating together for some reason, and were acting on edge as if something big had just happened. I got up immediately to try to infer what was going on. From the bits and pieces of conversation I could hear, there was some news from the outside walls about a man trying to break in and enter the castle, but I wasn't sure why yet. There was also talk of a possible robbery of the queen, but that seemed too far fetched to be true. With the amount of security surrounding the queen, I doubted very much anyone was going to get close to her, her three generals were keen to that. However, whatever the case may have been, it was making all the other prisoners restless. Initially, I thought the restlessness was due to the guards daily harassment of an inmate they singled out. Soon though, I got a little more clarification on what was really going on. Again, I could only hear small parts of the conversations happening around me, but the real story sounded like the man that was caught was attempting to break someone out of the prison. There were even whispers that someone set the whole thing up from the inside, which was insane to me. How was that even possible with all these soldiers hounding around everywhere?

I wasn't sure who would be foolish enough to attempt something like that at a time like this, given that tensions in the city were at an all time high, but whoever the person was, they were seriously going to regret it. Prison escapes rarely worked, and they were often prompted by poor planning and desperation. It was just best for the person to serve the time they were allotted, repay their debt to society, and then move on with their life afterwards. Attempts at foolish heroics, coupled with bad planning, only made for a disaster. I learned that the hard way by thinking much in the same fashion the first week I was here. I too, at one time, was planning a prison break, but then quickly became aware of the futility of that notion when I realized the only reason I escaped the dungeon in the first place was because Midna was with me. Her Twili powers were the only reason for our saving grace. Also too, there was the added complication of the queen ordering extra security to allay such a threat. So, if I did get out, there was a strong possibility I would get caught again trying to get away. After all that reasoning, I learned to accept my current circumstances and leave the bitterness alone. There was no point to it. What was going to be was going to be.

That was life.

Nothing was going to change that.

Nothing.

However, even still, I did want some more clarity on what was truly going on. I waved from the bars, hoping the one of the guards who was more my ally than my foe was standing watch tonight. I looked out and saw that one of them was, but he was preoccupied at the moment. He seemed to be embroiled in some heated conversation with another soldier. The man he was talking to was dressed in cavalry gear and was holding a couple of scrolls under his right arm. The cavalry guard, along with two other soldiers with him, were demanding to be let through, saying they were here on the queen's business. I found that bit of information interesting.

The queen's business... I thought with a hint of cynicism, something about that sounds off.

The conversation looked like it was taking a turn for the worst. However, the dungeon guard was not budging, saying the documents the other soldier possessed did not have the queen's official seal on them, and that he couldn't grant him or his men access to the dungeon until they did. The cavalry men were getting increasingly irritated, stating the queen sent them there personally, and that they didn't need her seal. I was a little taken aback at hearing that. The head soldier's words sounded all well and good, but protocols were protocols. The dungeon guard was insistent, saying he got direct orders from her majesty's steward himself, saying that all requisitions had to have the queen's seal of approval in order to be obeyed, otherwise it was just an arbitrary order. That made plenty of sense, because then any personnel could claim to be coming in the queen's name claiming her majesty's business and seriously abuse her authority. That was the whole point of making sure orders designated by her were signed with her seal. The cavalry soldiers then got heated at the one guard's resolve and were beyond belligerent to his request at this point. Instead of minding his words, the men took matters into their own hands. They confiscated the dungeon guard's keys by force, then pushed past him into the crypt and made their way to their preemptive objective anyway. I wasn't going to lie, I was mildly stunned at the altercation. Why were these soldiers so gung ho about this order and so reluctant to show its merits? Something rotten was going on here, but I wish I could say I was surprised. I wasn't surprised at all. Unfortunately, there were bad apples in every bunch, even soldiers of Hyrule, and this bunch looked rotten to the core. However, I was about to be thrown for a loop again. Much to my surprise, when the men came storming into the vault, they headed straight to my cell.

I felt my eyes widen when they all stood outside the door.

What in Hylia's dear name is going on here? I wondered in minor disbelief.

I looked on shocked as did the others in the background watching.

"What in the world...?" one of the inmates said loudly.

The cavalry men ignored the man and continued with their objective, me. When they prompted to search for the key to my cell, I didn't hesitate to demand what was going on. I felt a sudden rush of panic course through my veins. This was insane.

I looked at all three men and tried to remain civil.

"What are you doing?" I tried to inquire calmly. "What is this all about?"

None of the men answered, but it seemed the mastermind behind this entire coup was the young blonde soldier in the middle. He was carrying a whip in his holster along with the two scrolls.

"Open the door," he told one of his men, continuing to ignore me.

The soldier obeyed without hesitation. However, before they could proceed, they were then approached by several more dungeon guards who seemed offended the cavalry men were there. Their disgruntlement was more related to a disrespect of their territory than doing what was right. The only real exception to all of them was the one initial soldier who demanded things to be done in an official manner. He was the only one who seemed to care about doing things by the book.

"You can't just barge in our dungeon and do whatever the hell you want!" he insisted. "There are protocols, rules that-"

The blonde cavalry soldier shushed him with the wave of his hand.

"If any of you men interfere in the queen's business again, I'll be sure to let her majesty know you were aiding in the escape of a would be fugitive," he interrupted, "do you want that?"

I looked at him stunned, because I realized now what this was about. These idiots thought I was the one planning the rumored break out.

"Aiding in the escape?" I repeated. "I didn't plan an escape! You have no-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the blonde soldier raised his fist and punched me right in the face, square across my jaw. It was completely unexpected, so I had no way of bracing myself. I slammed against the wall and slumped to the ground from the impact. Everyone, including his own men, looked on astonished. There was a tense silence after that, but then it was quickly followed up by the another guard trying to reason with these unreasonable men.

"You can't do this!" he said, realizing the illegal nature of this premise. "This is against the law!"

The blonde soldier narrowed his eyes and turned to the man questioning him. He then threw one of the scrolls he was holding at him and prompted him to read it.

"Quite the contrary," he said calmly, "this is the law. Section two of article six states that any attempts at escape from a dungeon results in forty strokes less one, with the fortieth stroke being the death stroke, that's why we stop at thirty nine."

When I heard that I felt my blood run cold.

I looked at him in disbelief.

Forty strokes less one... I thought, I'm going to be whipped?

This was getting more and more surreal, but in a very bad way.

This couldn't be happening right now.

This just couldn't.

"I have done nothing-" I tried, but before I could finish the eager soldier interrupted me.

"Shut up!" he snapped. "You'll soon get what's coming to you! You should have just served your time instead of thinking you're above everyone else!"

I felt my gut drop for a second, but I stood up anyway. I wasn't going to just lie there and wait for this to happen. I wanted an explanation to this nonsense. Had the queen really ordered this? Was she that discontent with me? There was no way there was any evidence pointing to my hand in any such plan. If there was, it was a complete fabrication.

The dungeon guard the blonde soldier first addressed was reluctant at first, but he then unrolled the scroll thrown to him and read its contents. From the somber look on his face, I could tell it was bad news for me.

He was quiet for a long time before he replied.

"It... it does say that," he replied finally, "it's here in section two article six of the executive orders."

I expected him to go on, but then he got silent. I looked at him incredulously just then. That was all he was going to do in my defense? Nothing? What about their lack of evidence? What about their apparent side stepping of official protocols? What about doing things the right way? What the hell was wrong with these men? Why were they so damn afraid to do what was right? They needed to verify this order with the queen before any of this nonsense was to take place. They couldn't just let this happen. However, that was exactly what was about to happen. These men were about to let this happen. But even still, all hope wasn't lost for me yet, the guard who initially refused to let the cavalry men in wasn't going to just let them slide with their slick talk and impervious disregard for the law.

He stepped forward and made his displeasures known.

"I don't care what papers you have in your possession!" he stated upset. "You cannot do this without having an official seal from her majesty! You could very well be using her authority without her knowledge! You can't do this!"

He made a very good point and they all knew that.

I think he was getting under the soldier's skin, because the blonde then turned to him to face him.

"I just told you that we got explicit orders from her majesty herself!" he said annoyed. "If you're so prone to disbelief, why don't you ask her when you get the opportunity? Then she'll be angry with you that you delayed the queen's justice!"

There was something in the way he said that that sounded like a bluff, and because I was discerning enough to pick up on that, I assumed the others would be as well. However, apparently I was wrong, because when the cavalry soldier worded his threat the way he did, the dungeon guard didn't do anything in response but freeze. I was hoping he would have a reply, rebuttal, or something, but he was left without a word. The guard looked from him to me and wasn't sure what to do now, and with him rendered silent, the blonde instigator turned his attention back to me.

He seemed pleased that he was getting his way and went on.

He took a step forward and narrowed his eyes.

"We have evidence against you that you initiated a coup to plan your escape from this prison," he started quietly, "we stopped a man on Hyrule's south entrance from coming in to do this, and he stated himself that he was here to break you out."

The shock never left me.

None of this was possible.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

I was getting angry at these idiotic accusations.

"You're insane!" I said through gritted teeth. "I've done nothing of the kind. What you're speaking of is sheer and utter nonsense! I'm not even allowed visitors! How in the world am I going to coordinate an escape?"

The blonde soldier just smirked.

"That's a question you need to be asking yourself," he replied. "You have a lot of allies for some odd reason. You were given her majesty's trust and you betrayed it. She held you in such high regard and you've done nothing but bring the throne down. Given your track record for insubordination, I don't put anything past you... you're no hero, you're a damn traitor."

I looked at this man in complete disbelief. The disgust in his voice was apparent that he was a jealous fool with grandiose ambitions. His cliched sayings were trite and stupid at best. Any person who knew anything about me knew that I lived and breathed for Hyrule. I staked my life plenty of times protecting her. I wasn't going to let some 'want to be' purveyor of justice dictate to me that I was a traitor. He was a power hungry grandstander with a hero complex. All he cared about was his own upward mobility. He wasn't even willing to listen to my say. I had seen plenty of men like him before. His speech had nothing to do with the 'queen's justice', and everything to do with getting in the queen's good graces. He was only looking out for himself, otherwise he wouldn't be so quick to judge, and so defensive to produce.

This smug bastard, I couldn't help but think.

"You-" I tried.

"I've heard enough from you," he interrupted and turned to his men, "string him up."

I felt my eyes widen just then.

"Like hell you will! This is insane!" I said with a slight desperation. "You can't do this!"

I then looked to the only man who had tried to stick up for me. He was still at a loss for words.

My goddess man! I thought. Do something! Anything!

After that, the two other soldiers with the blonde came and wrestled with me until they had my arms shackled above my head and hanging from chain dangling from the ceiling. I wondered what those were for, and now I was about to find out in the worst way possible. One of the men tore off my shirt so that my back was bare and exposed, and I was praying to Hylia that this really wasn't happening to me. This couldn't have been happening to me.

I closed my eyes as sweat seeded my brow.

Don't show any weakness, I told myself determined, I'm not going to let these bastards win. They'll never get the best of me... never. I am Link.

With that in mind, I prayed silently and waited.

It was all I could do.

I was at the mercy of a madman now.

The soldier then went to read his miranda script.

"Link of Hyrule you are charged with the crime of conspiracy to commit treason... again," the blonde said mechanically from behind me, "as such, your punishment is forty strokes from a whip less one. Discipline like this is necessary, for you know as well as I do that the law rules in Hyrule."

If there was a saying I hated more than anything in the world it was that one. What the hell did that mean? 'The law rules in Hyrule'? Did it mean a queen could institute illegal laws to suit her whim? Did it mean soldiers could come in dungeons and grandstand a claim they had no evidence for? What the hell was the law? That saying didn't mean a heap of dragon shit to me. Right now, I didn't give a damn about the law. The law was not helping me and the law was protecting bastards the likes of Vincent Rue Morgue. I just wanted this to be over with, so that when I got out of here I established my own brand of justice. Vincent was going to pay for this, and if the queen had her hand in this, then my loyalty to her was going to be completely severed. There was no way this could be justified.

Give me strength Farore, I prayed.

The next few moments were tense as they were quiet with the eager one readying to do his 'duty'. I heard him taking off his armor and rolling up his sleeves. I just stared at the stone effacing in front of me and tried not to think about what was about to take place. I had to get my mind right. I had to force my thoughts into a positive place. I had definitely seen worse and dealt with worse.

It's just thirty nine strokes, I told myself, I've been in more complicated scrapes than this... it's just thirty nine strokes.

The soldier unchained his whip.

"Stand back," the instigator commanded the others.

At this point, most of the men left the cell as I could only hear the sound of singular footsteps.

I closed my eyes again and swallowed hard.

A positive place, I told myself again, think of Midna and you eventually seeing her in the Twilight Realm, Link. Think of her.

Yes.

That was a nice comforting thought.

My sweet, beautiful Midna.

"This is for the queen... traitor," the bastard bellowed.

I held my breath.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but nearly whipped them back open again when I heard the whiz of the whip sling through the air followed by a burning, coursing, pulsating sting across my back. It felt like these tiny little daggers were digging at my flesh. I nearly gasped from shock, but when I felt it again, and again, and again I let the gasp finally escape. I was finding it hard to breathe by the fifth slash.

Six...

Seven...

I opened my eyes and saw Midna's pretty face... she was smiling at me...

Eleven...

Twelve...

Thirteen...

She was wearing that dress that hugged her so beautifully and she was staring at me with those amber eyes... those beautiful amber eyes.

Nineteen...

Twenty...

Twenty-one...

"Am I so beautiful you have no words left?" her voice echoed through my mind just then.

Twenty-seven...

Twenty-eight...

Twenty-nine...

Yes Midna, you are so beautiful I have no words left...

I closed my eyes again as I felt the flesh tearing off my back now. The nerves were exposed, so each of these final stings were more excruciating than the last, and the worst thing about it now was the bastard had slowed down his beat. He wasn't allowing each old slash to be dulled with the new. He was methodical, waiting thirty seconds or so between these last ten. I wasn't going to lie, it hurt, it hurt badly. My head was hunched forward as I was finding it hard to breath through the pain.

Thirty-five...

I felt the bloody ooze and congealing factor of my welts. They stung and were bleeding profusely now. The blood from my wounds was running down my back, staining my pants, and bits and pieces of flesh were now decorating the limestone walls.

Thirty-six...

I was slowly becoming numb to certain aspects of the pain, but that last blow managed to tear into my shoulder blade. I wasn't going to lie, that hurt. The whip hit my bone and that was the first time I cried out in pain.

"Ahh!" I screamed in pain, wanting so much not to do that.

The soldier seemed pleased as he preempted the next two strikes without waiting.

Thirty-seven...

Thirty-eight...

I closed my eyes again and braced myself for the last stroke, hoping against all hope it would be soon, and strangely, I saw a visage of someone I was least expecting. I saw an image of Zelda appear in front of me out of nowhere, but not in the harsh manner our last meaning proceeded. She was looking at me with empathy... there was kindness in her eyes. She even leaned forward to caress my cheek. She pressed her forehead against mine.

"You know you're incorrigible, right?" she whispered in that sweet voice I loved so much.

Yes, loved.

It was so strange.

Why was I suddenly thinking about her? Why wasn't I thinking about Midna any longer? Zelda was the one doing this to me... right?

I would never truly know the answer to those questions.

Thirty-nine...

When that last stroke hit me, I past out cold.

I had no more strength left.

~SSS~

Hyrule Castle, Twenty Minutes Later: Shad's POV

I was suddenly awakened by a loud banging on my door. I was startled at this at first, thinking it was possibly the queen needing to speak with me immediately. However, that didn't prompt me from not getting out of bed either. As soon as the sound reverberated throughout my room more, I got up from my covers and headed to my chamber door. I didn't have a moment to collect myself when as soon as I opened the door a winded guard barged his way in without waiting for me to invite him. I was so stunned I didn't know what to make of any of this, but the fear in the young man's eyes seemed to elicit something extremely important. He was so bothered by what he had to tell me, he was shaking.

"Please forgive my imprudence sir," he apologized right away, "but this is a mater of urgency!"

He had my attention right away.

I didn't waste time on pleasantries.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired.

The guard took a moment to take in a deep breath. He must have ran all the way here from wherever he was stationed.

"I'm posted as one of the dungeon guards," he started after a few moments, "my rank is of no importance, but I had to come to you good sir because something terrible and I think possibly illegal has happened."

As soon as the word 'illegal' popped out of his mouth I was on full alert.

I had a terrible feeling about this.

"What do you mean?" I demanded suddenly.

The guard closed his eyes and took in another deep breath.

"A group of cavalry men, possibly scouters from the south region, came in the queen's name declaring that Link was the mastermind of some bizarre plan," he divulged.

I looked at him taken aback, having heard nothing about this.

If anything was going with Link from her majesty, it would have gone through me first.

"What?" I replied. "The queen has declared nothing."

The guard shook his head.

"I'm telling you sir, they all claimed to have come in the queen's name stating her business," he reiterated, "there's no seal on any of their requisitions, and what's worse is they have done something monstrous to the young master."

I felt my stomach churn a little at his words.

I waited for him to go on.

"Monstrous?" I repeated.

The young man swallowed hard and nodded.

"They've implemented forty strokes less one," he had a hard time saying the words.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Dear Hylia.

"What?" I demanded again. "Are they mad? Why didn't you or any of your men stop them?"

The disgruntled soldier was at a loss for words.

"I tried to," he replied in a weak voice, "but the men were so convincing, no one wanted to stop them if they were really there from her majesty."

This whole situation was unbelievable.

I almost lost my footing when I stepped back.

"If it was so convincing why did you feel the need to come see me?" I demanded rhetorically. "Sometimes you have to learn to trust your instincts and do what's right! An innocent man may have just been dealt a horrible wrong!"

The guard's throat tightened, probably having thought about everything I said already.

"That's why I'm here," he replied, "I knew something wasn't right."

I grunted, deciding now wasn't the time to scold the soldier for 'after the fact' notions. I needed to meet with the queen immediately.

"You're coming with me," I stated finally, "the queen must know about this right away. If she did have her hand in this, she needs to clarify it. If not... then Hylia help those presumptuous bastards for doing what they did. Her majesty is not going to be pleased, especially since she was going to free the young master in two days."

The guard nodded with no hesitations.

"I understand my lord," he replied.

I then walked past him and headed to the door.

"Come on," I said, "let's go, we haven't a moment to lose."