It felt like an eternity how long he held her, how long she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. An eternity… that's how long he wanted it to be, never to end. In all honesty, Zelda only remained there for a few minutes at most before Link heard her sigh and slowly she drew back from him. She kept her eyes downcast and Link dutifully removed his hands from her back, though he had to fight the urge to linger. Out of respect he turned his eyes aside when she retrieved a handkerchief from a hidden pocket within her dress to wipe her face and better compose herself. The knight felt tense and his heart was hammering so much so that he felt dizzy a bit… though that might also be because of how sweet Zelda's hair had smelt. His hands weren't necessarily trembling from the experience but from how tightly his fingers had curled into fists upon his legs.
Who knew that comforting his queen would have such an affect on him?
When she did turn back to glance up at him, Link managed a faint smile and loosened the grip of his hands. Zelda's eyes were dry and her makeup was not marred in the slightest, but she looked tired, so tired. He hadn't seen it before that moment but the stress that Zelda had been carrying with her for weeks shined now in her tired eyes. Sadness filled Link's expression, which roused a small smile from his friend.
"I'm sorry," she muttered in the sweetest whisper he'd ever heard; it made his chest hurt to hear her apologize.
"Zelda, please, no… there is nothing to apologize for".
"Yes, there is…" she muttered softly again, breaking eye contact.
"I… understand, you're upset because you're um… the betrothal and all and-"
"That is not why I am upset, my dear Link".
Zelda's tone stirred up Link's confusion and upon seeing it in his face, it managed to coax another smile from her as she sighed in slight exasperation. She took up his hand and gently pulled at his fingers, not so much out of affection, but more to occupy herself as she spoke.
"Of course finding out that I am betrothed is… hard for me to fathom, but it's not completely unheard of. Having been born into royalty, there are specific obligations expected of me... marriage being one of them". Pausing to wet her lips, it was clear that Zelda was choosing her words carefully and she spoke deliberately, careful not to rouse up anymore tears. "It's just… frustrating and a bit humiliating that I was caught off guard like this".
"Caught off guard? You mean by the Noruidians?"
"Yes, or well... " Zelda let her head fall back, her eyes closed and Link gave her a moment to collect her thoughts together. Clearly she was still upset and he knew how difficult it could be to make sense when your words don't want to come out right. "The fact that I didn't read these letters sooner... that is what I mean by being caught off guard. It makes myself and Hyrule look terrible and appearances are everything. However, while I admit that not knowing about the betrothal is my fault, there may be some liberty with which we can work with. For if the Noruidians had made attempts over the years to communicate with us, certainly while my father was still alive, any of those correspondences would have been filed away in the archives. Unfortunately, as you know, the archives were nearly completely burnt by Ganondorf's onslaught, meaning those correspondences have been lost".
"Right… and of course, the archivists…"
"Were all killed," Zelda finished solemnly. "So the only evidence of the betrothal is from these letters and whatever Prince Vahlymor brought with him. The situation still puts me in a precarious position. While of course my Councillors will ask for proof, I cannot appear weak nor can I admit that I had no knowledge of the betrothal".
"Why is that?" asked Link, his expression twisted with hard confusion.
"My dear Link… relations between kingdoms are all about appearances, reputation, and respect. If I claim that I had no knowledge of this betrothal, the Noruidians could take it as an insult and that could spell ill-will for the future. Hyrule cannot afford upsetting another kingdom at the moment, we simply do not have the resources to do so".
Nodding slowly, Link could understand what Zelda was saying and he was also beginning to comprehend just how unpredictable this situation was for his queen. He looked at her now and he saw how tired she was. He also noted the intense thoughtfulness in her gaze as he could see that she was already planning the next step and the task seemed to be helping her calm down.
"While the Noruidians are here, we will all just have to tread carefully," she finished evenly and retrieved her handkerchief once more.
Having dabbed her eyes, Zelda was looking much more composed and Link could see from the way she stared at the fireplace that she had calmed back down and was returning to her collected self. Link shifted a bit, his hands still upon his knees, and he wavered whether or not he should ask the question that was awkwardly sitting upon his tongue. After another moment and when it seemed that Zelda wasn't about to say anything more, the knight couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Are you going to marry him?"
His tone was calm and cool, though lower than his usual volume. When Zelda looked over at him, Link's expression was as indifferent as he could manage though his eyes were narrowed ever so slightly.
Zelda didn't respond immediately and she took a moment to search his face before straightening her posture and folding her hands neatly on her lap. "You mean the prince. There… is much to consider", she said finally, her tone even as well. "He certainly makes for a suitable candidate but there will be much that I will have to contemplate and discuss with the rest of the Councillors before any sort of decision can be made".
"That's not exactly an answer to my question," Link said before he could stop himself and even Zelda looked back over at him in surprise.
Arching her brow ever so slightly, Zelda continued slowly, "Link, even if Prince Vahlymor and I are betrothed, I am still the Queen of Hyrule and I have final say. If I do not wish to marry him, then that is all I would have to say on the matter. However, as I said, there is much to consider with being a candidate for my hand-"
"So there are more candidates, is that it?"
Link's words were heavy and curt. His earlier anger rising back to the surface now that Zelda was not longer crying. His memory recalled why exactly he had been so angry upon first chasing after Zelda to her quarters.
He watched Zelda's eyes widen ever so slightly before she began to say, "What do you-"
"Zelda," Link cut her off, his own eyes narrowing. "I know that there are other suitors, don't play dumb with me. You're better than that".
The queen's mouth frowned a bit before she looked aside. For a moment Link thought she was going to continue to deny it until she spoke. "How long have you known?"
"Since before I left for the desert," he replied through clenched teeth, finally hearing her admit what he had suspected, what Bohdan had told him… what she failed to tell him for who knows how long. As he waited for her to respond, Link's anger matured in his chest and his heart thundered in his ears. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched, while his hands had returned to being tight fists upon his legs; his entire body was tense with anger and the sense of betrayal. He managed to maintain a cool expression, however, but he felt his eyes blazing with emotions.
Zelda probably saw through his mask for she stood and walked a couple feet away to give him some space. Her back was slightly towards him and she gently gripped her arms.
"You have every right to be angry with me, Link," she said softly, a touch of sorrow in her words.
Link scoffed out a breath that turned into a dry laugh as he also stood, fists at his side. "That's an understatement! I had to learn that you were going to get married to some suitor from Lord-fucking-Bohdan of all people! I didn't believe-, no, I didn't want to believe the prick and I didn't. But even as I followed you here, do you know what I heard? I heard Councillor Wharha say to Arvid something about 'Don't let any of the other suitors know about this' or something like that". Link paused his tirade to numbly laugh before he continued, "I realize as I'm saying this now but that's probably what Arvid meant when I asked him to take my place as your Personal Guard, that he was unsure to do so because he was your suitor. Goddesses, am I seriously the last person to know all about this? And I am supposed to be your Personal Guard, Zelda! Do you understand how ridiculous that sounds? How can I be your guard when I don't know what's going on? This seems like a big enough deal that I should have been, I don't know, one of the first to know!"
Zelda turned around as he went on, her face torn between surprise and guilt at his accusing tone, but Link wasn't done yet. Approaching his queen, Link came within a foot of her but she didn't back away from him or his anger. She maintained eye contact with him and took his angry words head-on.
"And the worse thing of all? I sat right beside you and asked you what that bastard Bohdan had wanted and you... You lied right to my face. You could have told me right then and there, or even, I don't know, before that probably because I have a feeling that this whole thing has been going on for a while. But you didn't, Zelda, you told me that there was nothing to worry about and to carry on my merry way". Link's lips quivered and his brows turned upward with distress and when he continued, his voice was quieter and more ragged with desperation as he searched her eyes, "How long, Zelda? How long have I been kept in the dark? Before or after the arrow? Tell me".
Link trembled as he spoke, not wanting to believe what he was saying, what he was accusing his friend of doing and he didn't realize that his entire body shook with contained emotions. Zelda remained unfazed by his anger and calmly seemed to accept it, knowing that it was her fault and that her knight had every right to feel angry.
Taking a breath, Zelda began to say, "I didn't tell you earlier because I wanted you to focus on healing-"
"Bullshit". Link crossed his arms and walked a couple steps away, his anger flaring back up once more. With his back towards her, Link's expression reflected the intense hurt he felt upon hearing Zelda admit that she hadn't told him seemingly for his own benefit. Had he been ignorant of the situation for weeks? Was he really that unobservant? There was a voice at the back of his head that realized that his anger did feel different now that the Gerudo had extracted the poison from his body, but he didn't dwell on that thought for long before words angry began to spill out from his lips.
"Any reasons why you didn't tell me were motivated by pure selfishness and you know it-!"
"Link, that is enough!"
The man turned his head at his queen's sudden outburst and surprise cracked through his anger when he saw the disapproving expression on his monarch's face. Zelda held her hand upon her chin, one of her brows was arched, and while she still appeared calm but her voice was stern, "You forget to whom you are speaking, my knight. Do try to contain yourself better".
A frown appeared on his lips and he wanted to say more but instead he obediently fell to a knee, bowed his head and settled an arm upon his knee in submission.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I spoke out of turn".
His words came automatically and dryly, though they aided his expression to return to its knightly, indifferent mask which smothered over his hot and rampant emotions. With his eyes upon the carpeted floor, he did not see Zelda approach but he heard her footfalls. The hem of her dress came into view as she came to stand over him.
"Arise," she said softly, her voice holding no anger.
Without hesitation Link rose like the well-trained knight he was. Settling his hands behind his back, he looked forward somewhere passed Zelda's crowned head, his expression undaunted and unchanging. His heart still beat furiously, his blood felt hot, and his mind was filled with chaos but his appearance revealed none of this. He had yelled at the Queen of Hyrule who, friend of his or not, could punish him accordingly without hesitation and rightly so. He had allowed his emotions to get the better of him and was acting like a child, not a knight. Knights didn't question their monarchs for withholding information from them, for that was their royal choice and right. The hurt that he felt was his own to bear and he should do so without complaint, that was what his training had taught him to so.
It was just because Zelda was his friend and she had lied to him that he hurt as bad as he did.
Soft, gloved fingers came to his cheek and Link's eyes finally lowered to meet his queen's. His indifferent resolve instantly began to waver. Within Zelda's beautiful blue eyes he saw no anger or disapproval, just guilt, sadness and the mistiness of possible tears.
The thought of Zelda crying again cracked Link's mask, his hands behind his back gripped one another nervously, and he began to stammer. He was softly hushed by Zelda, who dropped her hand from his cheek to rest upon his chest, directly over his frantically beating heart.
"There is nothing more for you to say, Link, and nothing for you to apologize for. I did lie to you. I chose not to tell you about the suitors and I kept trying to tell myself that I did so because I did not wish to cause you anymore stress or pain". Biting her lower lip, Zelda paused for a moment as she took a deep breath but she did not take her eyes from Link's face and he did not look away from hers. "I am the Queen of Hyrule and have always known that one day I would wed. I have never admitted to anyone before just how much I have always dreaded when I would marry, even as a child. While other little girls daydreamed about their grand weddings, I was busy studying Hyrule's history, learning of the bloodline of the Goddess within me, and wanting to ride my horse. As queen, however, marriage is inevitable. And speaking of bloodlines, there must be one first, for there cannot be a monarchy with a sole ruler. I have until the Midsummer Solstice Night's Ball to announce my engagement to the suitor of my choosing. There are four potential suitable candidates from the Noble Families. Now, however, with the arrival of Prince Vahlymor there is now five men for me to choose from and one will become my husband. There is no escaping that truth".
The queen lowered her head and stared at Link's chest, expression sad and slightly defeated. The anger within him died and fizzled out into nothing as he watched Zelda's shoulders drop. Wetting his lips, Link desperately tried to form words to reply to her when he was stopped by Zelda's soft words reached his ears and he felt his heart melt.
"Can you forgive me for being afraid, Link? Perhaps not as your queen, but as your friend who made a mistake? I was too afraid to tell you that I was going to be married because… because telling you meant it was real… I didn't want it to be real, not yet, not now… I just wish that things could be different".
The last of her words were barely a whisper and Link struggled to hear them all but he did. They were the same words she had said when she was crying but now he understood what they meant. His eyes grew wide and his mask was completely broken as guilt, sympathy, and anguish of wanting to hold her once more contorted his face and narrowed his eyes. Taking a steadying breath, Link fought to get a hold on himself as he moved his hands from behind his back to gently raise his hand to lift up Zelda's chin for her to look at him. When her eyes met his, bright with forming tears, Link smiled reassuringly at her before speaking softly.
"If ever you are afraid again, and even when you're not, I will remain by your side to fight for you. I swear it, until I can no longer lift my sword or stand on my feet and until my last breath escapes me. I will stand by your side so that you have no reason to be afraid".
Zelda half-chuckled out a smile and closed her eyes. A couple of tears fell down her cheeks and her knight gently wiped them away with the hand that had been upon her chin. Just as it seemed that he was going to take back his hand, Zelda reached up with her hand from his chest and wrapped her fingers around his. Link's breath caught in his throat and his eyes softened as she watched his queen open hers, their gaze locking.
He hadn't realized until then just how… close they were standing to one another.
He had been so focused on her and being in the moment that it hadn't registered to Link that they stood nearly chest-to-chest with one another. In fact the entire world outside of the room in which they stood seemed to have disappeared and it was just them. Only Zelda mattered to him, nothing else. Link's entire attention was on the beautiful woman who looked up at him with such a soft expression, her eyes were all that he could see; the sweet scent of her perfume and hair filled his senses, the softness of her gloved-fingers holding his, the shape and shade of her lips, that he… he…
"Did you sleep at all last night, Link?"
Zelda's whispered question broke the daze that Link had fallen into and stiffly he straightened his posture away from her, having not realized that he had begun to lean towards his queen, that he had wanted to, had almost…
"Wh-what?" he replied, blinking and looking away just as Zelda smiled and released his hand. The knight's heart sunk and he closed his eyes and began to mentally beat himself up. Fuck...
"Sleep, did you get any last night?" Zelda repeated casually, herself turning away and walking towards the settee to collect her mother's letters. With her back turned from her knight, the Hyrulean Queen was able to hide the furious blush in her cheeks, the panic in her eyes, and she tried to control her fluttering heart. She knew very well what had almost occurred, how she had watched Link's expression become heavy, how he had begun to lean closer towards her and how she had almost allowed him to.
Link dryly chuckled and cleared his throat, making a scene of adjusting his sword, as he answered, "There was no sleep for me last night. I was too busy playing escort to get any."
"As I suspected, then you really ought to go and rest," she replied, having gathered the letters and retrieved their original envelope to carefully replace them within. Neither of them were really looking at the other, as neither wished to show the other the heat in both of their faces or let on how fast their hearts were beating.
"Oh I'm fine, if anyone could use some rest it's yourself. You're the one who looks tired-"
"Don't worry about me," Zelda replied, waving him off and smiling gently, looking out the window. "I foresee a very long discussion with my Councillors as soon as you leave me but I want you well rested for the feast later. I want you there and looking fit, so I don't need to worry about looking over and seeing you asleep against the wall".
Link laughed at that and finally he looked over at her and Zelda over at him. Their eyes locked and a moment extended between them, one of silent understanding that what had just occurred never had happened and probably never would be discussed by either of them.
A knight wasn't supposed to nearly kiss his queen, just as a queen weren't supposed to nearly accept a kiss from her knight.
Still understanding aside, both would never admit that in the other's eyes they each saw longing. Over the years as they grew closer, there always seemed to have been so many things unsaid between them, hidden words waiting in the silences between their conversations. Their almost-kiss was now one of those things too, something that would not be addressed or discussed.
"Rest well, Link," Zelda finally said, breaking the silence and offering him a smile.
"Yeah, thanks. I'll see you at dinner," he replied with a smile of his own and a nod before turning to leave. Just as his hand reached the door handle Zelda called out to him and Link turned back towards her to see her eyes wide with shock and embarrassment.
"Oh, Link! I completely forgot to ask about your shoulder with all that's been going on! Did the Gerudo help you at all? How are you feeling?"
Link simply blinked at her for a moment, taken aback by the sudden change of atmosphere and subject, before he genuinely laughed and rolled his eyes. His shoulder and especially the Gerudo were definitely the last things he wanted on his mind after having nearly kissed the Queen of Hyrule.
"I'm fine and I promise we'll talk about it later. Don't worry about me, Zelda," he replied casually, though he was feeling anything but. At that moment he really needed to escape that room and come to terms with what had occurred and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about his time spent with the Gerudo.
Zelda stared after him, her expression torn between concern and wanting to say something more, before she nodded and said, "Fine. Later we shall talk".
Giving his queen one last smile and a nod, Link turned to leave. Upon opening the door he was met with the many faces of the Councillors, all lined up outside along the walls impatiently waiting to gain an audience with their queen. All of their eyes fell upon Link when the door opened but he paid them no mind at all. Walking past them without so much as a glance at any of them, rude or not, the hero walked down the hall down towards him room while behind him came the sudden shuffling and voices of the Councillors as they all hastily filed into Zelda's personal study.
Barely registering his journey back to his quarters, Link blinked when he found himself in his room with all of his belongings from his trip already neatly put away, with a fire burning in the fireplace, and the sheets of his bed looking fresh and neatly made. Robotically the man undressed, letting his sword, shield, hat, packs and tunic carelessly fall to the floor until he was able to pull off his shirt and boots. When he was only dressed in his pants, Link sat upon his bed with a sigh and laid back with a groan. Lazily he looked over at his shoulder and began to work at removing the bandage around his injury. The wound looked healthy and the scabbing covering the area looked unfazed from his journey to Hyrule, meaning that soon enough light pink scar tissue would be the only thing left to remind him of being shot.
Tossing the bandage aside onto the floor, the man sighed and idly scratched his bare chest. Sleep seemed impossible to him, his mind was abuzz with too many things, but the one image that he couldn't get out of his head was of Zelda looking up at him, her body so close to his, her hand holding his, and how her lips had been slightly parted as he had leaned forward. Thinking about it now, it actually scared Link wth how badly he had wanted to kiss Zelda and how easy it had almost been too.
"Oh Nayru, help me," he whispered, calling out the Goddess of Wisdom's name under his breath, for what he had almost done had not been wise at all.
Grabbing a pillow to plop over his eyes, Link eventually succumbed to exhausted sleep brought on by his feelings of sheer foolishness and regret.
/
The knight's dreams were confusing and fragmented, blurred together by stress and exhaustion. Nothing made sense, scenes were confusing and distorted, and unknown faces appeared from the chaos that would stare at him with empty expressions. By the time a maid came to wake Link to make sure he had enough time to get ready before dinner, he woke up groggy and his head felt hazy from all of the dreams. After waving off the maid, who quickly hurried from the famed hero's room, probably blushing with having caught him sleepy and shirtless, Link slowly sat up.
Blearily he blinked into the space before him, yawning and wiping his eyes, while the last dream's image of something dark faded from his mind. Weird dreams… they made for a sleepless rest.
Eventually the man registered that he had an important dinner to attend and that thought helped his mind wake up and get his butt off of his bed. He made short work of bathing and tidying himself up, shaving the stubble from his chin and ridding himself of any desert sand lost in his dirty blonde hair. Once washed he quickly dried and proceeded to dress, decided to wear his Magic Armour for the occasion. Originally when Link gained the armour, it had the annoying habit and drawing power from Rupees he might have had on his person in order to grant him magical resistance that was even better than his green Hero's Clothes. However, after he became a Hyrulean Knight, his brothers the Gorons gifted him with a ruby that once set within the ornate armour granted the attire with perpetual power, though at a lesser extent. Now Link chose to wear the armour only during more grandiose occasions where he was required to look a bit more fancy as the Queen's Personal Guard. The Magic Armour did the trick, seeing as it did rival some of Zelda's own wardrobe choices when it came to opulence.
To this day Link has refused to reveal how exactly he came in possession of the priceless armour, preferring not the tell such a long tale.
Link called upon a manservant to aid him in donning the armour simply because there were just some clasps he couldn't reach. Once upon a time he had Midna's help to reach the spots he couldn't but now he had to call on others to help. Realistically Link knew that it was a squire's duty to help him with such tasks, not a servant, but the knight had made it clear on several occasion that he did not want to take on any squires. He argued it was because he was too busy guarding the queen but secretly it was because he feared getting close to anymore children after what had happened to his Ordonian friends.
Setting his ornate hat upon his head, his hair tied back in a low ponytail, Link glanced at himself in the mirror. His manservant fixed his draping, crimson cape from his shoulders, the newest addition to the armour to signify Link's stature as a knight. Peeking up above his right shoulder was the purple hilt of the Master Sword and Link chose to exclude his shield when it came to these type of occasions as it was too bulky. After taking one final look at himself, Link sighed and took his leave to await Zelda outside her room so he could accompany her.
When Zelda emerged, she had changed from her earlier dress to a gorgeous and regal, dark purple dinner gown. Her hair was elaborately done up with jewelled combs, her crown, and there were long curls that hung down either side of her face. For an instant, Link could only stare at her, his breath caught in his throat. She was accompanied by her handmaidens and her Councillors were keeping close, talking in hushed tones and expressions were serious. Zelda herself looked refreshed from the last time Link saw her, with fresh makeup to match her attire. It was then that he recalled what had happened between them only a few hours before. Instantly his face went red and he downturned his eyes. Eventually Zelda caught sight of him and ushered him over, completely in calm-queen mode to give him nothing more than a small smile before she returned to conversing with Councillor Yrota.
Right, there was duties to complete, appearances to upkeep, and focuses to maintain. Link simply took a deep breath and settled into complete knight mode: calm, collected, indifferent, diligent and seen but not heard.
Link had been in attendance to several official dinners before so he knew the protocols. Zelda entertained her guests while the table was served course after course and the hours were filled with conversations of politics, agendas, and numerous other causal topics. Link never participated in any of such talks unless any questions were directly addressed to him and usually they revolved around his heroic exploits or his ambassadorial duties with the Gerudo. Aside from those situations, the knight stood behind Zelda's chair near the wall, hands behind his back, waiting on his queen and keeping her safe. Entertaining royalty wasn't anything new for the Hyrulean queen as she has hosted King Ralis of the Zora several times over the years.
However, hosting a royal dignitary from another kingdom was a first for the entire castle in more than two decades so Link could see the difference in the ambiance. Hyrule was doing her best to impress the Noruidians, that was for sure. The royal dining hall had been cleaned from top to bottom twice over to the point that everything was shining and every surface was polished. The servants wore their best, the food and numerous dishes were worthy of their own portraits, beautiful music was being played by musicians from one of the corners and Zelda never missed a beat with her guests. Link couldn't see her face but he heard every word she spoke, saw every time she reached for her cup or a utensil, and he cherished ever laugh she made. Tonight, at least, the Noruidians had the honour of dining with only Zelda, marking the occasion as being more private than a grand occasion. All the same, Zelda obviously had commanded that the castle staff put their best forward for their guests. As much as Link kept his focus on his liege, he maintained a healthy amount of attention upon the Noruidian prince, Zelda's guest of honour.
Prince Vahlymor really had cleaned up for the occasion, no longer the handsome renegade he resembled when Link had met him in the desert but now was…. well, a handsome prince. His dark hair was washed and combed, his facial hair trimmed and manicured, his clothes were foreign in appearance but notably regal, and he held himself with the same air of confidence, charisma and learned intelligence that Zelda had herself.
Link expected the conversation to turn towards marriage early and he dreaded it with every new course that came, knowing he'd have to just stand there and endure it. Alas… the topic never came. The Noruidians spoke extensively of their kingdom, answering Zelda's gentle prompts and questions. They told of their traditions, how their kingdom was mostly situated along the rocky coast along the ocean and how fishing and mining were their main forms of economy. Vahlymor spoke of his father and of Noruidia's capital city, Hallan, which is where the kingdom's castle stood. Link's interest did perk up a bit when Vahlymor revealed that he hadn't actually lived in the castle for several years due to the past five-year war the kingdom had been engaged in. As a surprise to the Hyruleans but it was revealed that Prince Vahlymor actually was the acting commander of Noruidia's navy. Considering that the war had been with the ocean tribes, he's seen his fair share of battles and the kingdom's success was in large part due to his leadership.
In the end the prince even commented that it did feel a bit odd to be so far away from the sea, especially considering Hyrule was landlocked. He did reassure the queen that he was more than elated to be in Hyrule, however, for he had always wished to journey to the land from where, according to his countrymen, magic still exists and fantastical tales unfolded.
This arose the topic of interest that apparently magic in Noruidia was extremely rare and usually only thrived in tales for children. The tribes of the ocean are rumoured to be able to use magic, which aided in scaring curious children away from the water's edge, but Hyrule was known as the centre of magical lore. Link could tell that this cultural difference really seemed to peek Zelda's interest and also seemed to amuse her, though he understood why. He more than anyone else knew that when it came to magic users, Zelda was probably the most powerful Hylian in all of Hyrule. True that since the defeat of Ganondorf her magic has diminished by her own admission, she still exhibited quite the array of abilities but chose not to abuse them out of respect of the Goddesses for their gift as well as her own bloodline connecting herself to the Goddess Hylia.
The conversation then evolved into the Noruidians inquiring of the events that befell Hyrule in recent years, specifically rumours of a dark magician usurping the throne and a giant, evil king being resurrected. Link found it amusing how tales and rumours could spread and grow the further away they travelled from Hyrule but he observed how calmly Zelda was in explaining the events of five years ago. She told of Zant and how Twilight had fallen over most of Hyrule and the tragedies that his Shadow Invasion had upon the kingdom. There was obvious remorse and sadness in her voice as she spoke but she continued even after the prince said that she need not explain.
There were some crucial details that Zelda didn't dwell on or even mention, specifically Link's transformation into a wolf or how Zelda herself had nearly died by transferring her essence into a dying Midna. The entire time she told Hyrule's story the Noruidians were completely silent, food forgotten, and Link watched how the prince's expression darkened with emotion. Zelda told of how Hyrule had to rebuild itself following the fall of Ganondorf and how prosperous the kingdom has been in the years since, though it was still a continuing process.
Only after Zelda had finished speaking was there a pause of silence before Vahlymor finally commented that given the strifes Hyrule has seen recently that it was more than understandable how there never came any response to the correspondences sent from Noruidia six years ago. Link's body tensed when the subject that had hung in the shadows was finally brought to the table but Zelda never missed a beat. She apologized and explained that if any disrespect had been felt by the prince himself or his father it was never her intention. She explained that with the castle's burning meant much had been lost, including a large portion of the archives, and as defensive as the kingdom has been there has been little contact with any foreign entities outside of their borders.
Prince Vahlymor himself explained that there was no need for apologies for he should have come to Hyrule years ago as was promised when Zelda had turned twenty years of age but he was unable to do so because of the war. The prince then continued to surprise Link when he explained that he was shocked to discover that Zelda remained unmarried, though he explained that he would have travelled to Hyrule regardless. Once again, he clarified that he had always dreamed of seeing Hyrule and even if there was no betrothal connecting them, he would still have come.
While Zelda explained that the prince's arrival so happened to correlate with her current courtship with a select number of suitors, Link couldn't help but turn his eyes down from the conversation. Only hours previous this exact topic had resulted in Zelda crying but here they all were calmly discussing it over dessert. Clearly the hours spent with her Councillors after Link had left her study had been used wisely and Zelda seemed as composed and collected as ever as she explained that the four suitors were from Hyrule's Seven Noble Families. They might have been talking about the weather, not royal matrimony, and the knight couldn't help his earlier sense of betrayal from bubbling up from being reminded once again that he was truly one of the last people to know of Zelda's suitors.
When asked when she intended to choose an intended, Zelda explained that her Councillors and herself had decided that during the Midsummer Solstice Night's Ball, which was about three months from then, she would announce whom she would marry. Silence enveloped the room once more and Link's gaze shifted from each of the Noruidians. None of them seemed perturbed by this but all did look at their prince, who looked quite thoughtfully at the table. When the prince did speak, he did so with a smile and his tone never shifted from casualness. He explained that he respected that inevitably it was the queen's choice whom she married and that she shouldn't worry about a betrothal that neither of them had even discussed before today. Before Zelda could respond, the shift in her shoulders revealed to Link her surprise at the prince's words, Vahlymor continued by saying that he and his fellows would gladly remain in Hyrule until the queen's wedding if she allowed it. He explained that perhaps if she wished she could view him as another of her suitors rather than a betrothed, then he would be fine with this. That way she needed bear any stress concerning his presence and she would be free to choose whom she thought most worthy.
Prince Vahlymor actually shrugged and settled back into his seat as he said he'd take no personal offence if he were not chosen and that his time spent in Hyrule would not be wasted. He wished to explore the kingdom and as an ambassador of his own kingdom, there still was his duty to reinstall better relations, trade routes, and communications between the kingdoms and to establish an alliance. To finish, the prince said to the queen that even if he did not marry her he hoped that they could at least be allies or better yet friends, for the sake of their kingdoms.
Zelda was speechless.
All of the careful planning she had discussed with her Councillors was rendered useless by the prince's calmly proposed resolution. The queen at least was able to mask her shock behind a serene smile but her knight, on the other hand, felt his jaw the floor from the news. No one was paying him any mind at the moment, which was good because his disbelief was probably comically written across his expression.
After a moment, Zelda replied that such a proposal was more than generous after Hyrule's neglect of corresponding with her neighbours. She accepted the prince's words and told him that she too hoped that they would become very good friends and as she already saw them as her friends as well as her guests. Finally she expressed her wishes to not keep them any longer seeing as they all must be quite tired after their travels now that they had appropriately feasted. As nonchalant as the entire conversation seemed to have been, Link noted that there was nearly an audible sigh of relief from around the room upon hearing that Zelda had accepted Vahl's alternate proposal to their brothel.
Zelda stood and the Noruidians followed suit before they bowed to the queen and began to file out of the room. Link finally moved and came to his queen's side, glancing at her but she did not look at him as she kept her eyes and smile on her departing guests.
Before he left, the prince turned on his heel when he saw Link and came to approach them.
"Sir Link! I nearly didn't recognize you without your green tunic on!"
"Yes well such occasions usually call for a bit more formality, Your Highness," Link replied calmly, giving the prince a slightly stiff bow of his head.
"Seeing as how magic is so rare in your kingdom, sir, Link's armour here is actual quite magical. In fact I believe you call it simply your Magic Armour, isn't that right, Link?"
The knight looked at his queen when she spoke to him, suddenly finding that both of the royals' attentions were on him and he felt his cheeks begin to burn. "It is," he said simply to Zelda but a slight shift in her brows made him quickly turn to the prince. "Yes, sir, this armour is in fact magical. The source of its magical protection is this ruby here". Link indicated to the great jewel in the centre of his breastplate, where originally there had been a blue gem but now had been replaced with the Goron's gift that would infinitely power the armour.
The prince's eyes notably widened and he stared at the ruby with genuine wonder but the closeness of the prince just made Link uncomfortable. The knight almost jumped when the prince suddenly laughed and stood back, crossing his arms, and smiling at the queen. "Well that settles it! With your permission, Your Majesty, I would be honoured to spar with the famed Hero of Hyrule tomorrow morning".
Zelda blinked and looked at her knight before she began, "Well I'm sure that Sir Link would love to but he's actually recovering-"
"I'll do it".
Zelda looked over at him, obvious surprise and understanding in her eyes as she tried to say, "Link, it is all right. You're still heal-"
"I said that I'll do it," Link insisted, looking at his queen with his typical determined expression.
A moment passed between them where no one said anything and Link could practically feel the prince's eyes glance between them and Zelda must have felt them too because she soon sighed and turned back to Vahl. "Well then it's decided. If you are willing, sir, then I will make the arrangements that you and Sir Link will spar before noon tomorrow".
"Excellent! I'm glad to hear it and…" Vahl paused to look at Link to smirk a bit before he said, "how about to make it a fairer fight, we do so without armour? Pure skill against skill! I'm sure you're accustomed in doing so I take it?"
"Of course," Link replied, recalling how for the entire last week he'd been training with the Gerudo shirtless so this should be no problem.
Zelda on the other hand looked wary at the thought of a foreign prince going head-to-head with Hyrule's best swordsmen without protection and Vahl caught onto this. He turned to the queen and gave her a pleasant smile. "You need fear not, my lady, but I assure you that no harm will come to your knight".
The queen chuckled lightly at this and Vahl laughed while Link just stood there, feeling quite awkward, and trying hard to maintain his indifferent expression.
Bidding the prince a good night, the queen called over one of her handmaidens and whispered something to them before they quickly hurried off. Link waited for Zelda to turn to him and when she did, her expression was impossible to read.
"Go and change. Meet me in my study within the hour. There is much to discuss," and with her commands given, the queen and her remaining handmaiden departed from the dining hall. Link watched them go, fighting the cringe when he recalled the queen's study, and he sighed before exiting the room himself.
/
"Extraordinary! There isn't any irritation or anything and the redness has completely faded. Amazing… Link, you must let me examine some of that ointment you said that you brought with you".
Renado gestured for the knight to move his arm again and Link did obediently, allowing the shaman a better angle of his shoulder. His white chemise was pulled down to his collarbone so that his left shoulder was completely bare and the healing scar from the arrow clearly visible. The light of the fire in the hearth and a number of candles were enough light for the shaman to examine the knight's shoulder and periodically he'd mutter something to his daughter, Leda, who'd write it down in a journal.
Zelda sat facing them all in her chair, drinking some tea, having changed from her extravagant dinner outfit to a more casual dress than she looked comfortable being in. Link sat on his stool, face turned away and expressionless, as he was poked and prodded. Apparently Zelda had sent her handmaiden to fetch the shaman, who had been in Castle Town, to give the Link a thorough examination to see for herself whether or not he could fight the prince. It was quite the surprise to everyone when he had first pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal that in fact his shoulder was healing beautifully, all traces of the poison gone.
"And are you sure you cannot share how the Gerudo women were able to achieve this?" Renado asked once more as he took a damp cloth to clean the area around the healing wound to rid it of traces of crusty plasma. Once cleaned, the shaman began to wrap the shoulder with clean gauze.
"As I said, I swore to the Nabila, their chief, and the elders that I wouldn't tell," Link said dryly, having already said the same thing three times already.
Renado just nodded, only glancing at the knight, before he stood and wiped his hands. "This I understand, secrets must be kept, but I wonder if ever I could have a chance to speak with these women and perhaps exchange such knowledge of healing. I am sure that there is so much myself and the tribe could learn from one another".
"Well the next time I'm there, I'll ask Nabila about it. I have some say in things so maybe they'll agree to some sort of meeting".
"I would be more than thankful for such an opportunity," the older man replied, bowing his head towards the knight before turning to their queen. "He is healing better than even I expected and it looks as though he should regain full mobility in his left arm. From what he's said, that his training with the Gerudo hasn't caused any issues with the healing tissue, then I say that he should be fine against the prince tomorrow. Still I do hope that you don't overdo it, Sir Link". The shaman turned to Link and the hero gave him a half smile before he nodded.
"I won't. I'm sure that the prince can't be any more skilled than the Gerudo," he replied lightheartedly, but with a tone of seriousness in his voice.
Zelda, who had been silent during the entire examination, lowered her tea and gave the shaman a smile and bowed her head. "I thank you for coming on such short notice. As always your help is most appreciated and speaking for all of Hyrule, thank you so much".
"It is my honour, Your Majesty," Renado replied humbly, before giving the queen a good look herself. "You really ought to get a good night's rest yourself, my dear. I'm afraid your weariness is beginning to show and I fear that it may soon begin to affect your health".
The queen chuckled and waved him off before setting her tea aside and coming to stand by him. Giving the healer a kiss on the cheek, she thanked him again and he said that he would attend the spar tomorrow to assess Link's movement. Link remained seated as Zelda followed the father and daughter to the door and the knight gave the man a wave of thanks before he and Leda left the room.
With the door closed once more, Link found himself once again alone with his queen but this time his shirt was pulled down so that half of his toned pectoral was showing. Hurriedly he began to adjust himself back to decency when Zelda looked over her shoulder at him.
"Stop".
The knight's fingers froze at his collar's strings and he looked up at his liege with confusion in his expression. Zelda slowly turned to stare at him and he saw that her expression was troubled. The man's eyebrows creased slightly and his breath caught when his friend began to walk towards him, his heart suddenly beginning to thunder in his chest. Their last encounter was too fresh, too recent, and he hadn't had enough time to bury it away in the many chests in his head. Zelda, on the other hand, seemed more or less unfazed by their private proximity as she came to sit next to him in the seat previously used by Renado. This meant, of course, that she was very close to Link and the knight felt his eyes widen as his cheeks burned when she continued to simply stare at him, her expression a mixture of thoughtfulness and seriousness.
What had he done now?
Leaning away slightly from her, Link opened his mouth to begin to question or protest or apologize or something when Zelda lifted her hand and reached for him. The man just froze as her soft fingers came to his neck and pulled on something. The tickle of a chain caused Link to blink back into reality and he looked down just as the Gerudo's symbol pendant was lifted from being hidden beneath his chemise; the gold and precious gems reflected the fire's light as Zelda slowly turned it with her fingers. The hero had totally forgotten that he was wearing the thing but apparently Zelda had noticed that he had been wearing some new jewelry. Holding the pendant between them, Link glanced from Zelda's hand to her face and he watched her study the symbol with calm consideration.
"I can explain," Link finally blurted out, the silence of the room terrorizing his sanity.
"Can you?" Zelda replied evenly, turning her gaze upwards to lock onto his.
With her being so close, the blush in Link's cheeks intensified and he wished he could sit further back. Zelda had yet to release the pendant and thus, kept him close and facing her.
"Yes?" Link said, his tone less than confidant.
Zelda held his gaze a moment longer, her eyes narrower ever so slightly, before she sighed and let the pendant fall back against his chest. Link watched her get up and she returned to her chair to take her tea back up. Lifting the cup to her lips, the queen eyed him and in her unassuming voice said simply, "Go on".
The hero puffed out his cheeks and set his hands on his knees, giving her a slight incredulous, helpless look. Blinking and turning away, Link creased his brow and frowned, deciding what exactly he should or even could say. He had swore an oath to the Gerudo, had sworn on the name of a goddess, and being the Hero Chosen by the Gods he knew that with such an oath he had no right to break. He tapped his fingers and weighed his loyalties and true conflict was tearing away at his heart.
"This pendant," he began, gripping the gold with his left hand as he chose his words wisely, "means... that in the eyes of the Gerudo I'm one of them".
"You're one of them?"
"Yes, in everything but gender, really, I'm their equal now. That's why I've begun to train with them and they've begun to teach me all of their traditions and cultural aspects". Suddenly, Mahila's face flashed in Link's mind and his face went crimson red and he looked down at the floor, tongue frozen with embarrassment.
Zelda watched the struggle in her knight's expression and she slowly set down her tea and neatly folded her hands. "Link, look at me", she spoke softly, offering him a small smile.
The hero looked over at her, stress in his face, and he swallowed hard. "I can't tell you everything that happened, Zelda. I swore I wouldn't".
"You swore to whom?" Zelda prompted calmly, her soft expression not helping his fast heartbeat at all.
"I swore a divine oath, an oath to the Goddess of the Sand". Swallowing hard, Link frowned at her before saying, "Please don't ask me to break such an oath, Zelda. Only you could". The knight meant every word because in his mind and his heart, his oaths to Hyrule and to Zelda were stronger than his oath to the Gerudo and if Zelda really wanted to know every detail of what had occurred between him and the elders, he would tell her.
His queen knew this. She stared at him for a long moment before she finally nodded. "I understand and I am proud of you for your loyalty. Truthfully, I am indebted to the Gerudo for allowing my knight to return to me with his health restored. The next time you return to them, do extend my gratitude and inform them that they may have whatever they require. I'm just relieved to see that you're all right, Link. How it happened is not important to me".
Her words physically surprised him and it clearly showed. Zelda arched a brow at him and gave him a sleepy smile. Link blinked at her when she she sat back into her seat and sighed. The hero saw then what Renado had seen with a mere glance: Zelda was exhausted. Without hesitation Link stood and offered a hand to her, the concern he felt overpowering his own insecurities and struggles. "Renado was right, Zelda, you need to sleep".
The queen looked up at him for a moment before she took his hand and stood, taking a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you're right. Walk me to my room, please?"
Giving her a nod, Link instinctively offered his queen his arm and she took him and he noted how she seemed to lean on him more than usual. Glancing at her with concern, the hero said nothing as they exited the study and walked down the hall towards Zelda's chambers. Guards stood at the door, there was always a pair on duty, and they saluted their queen in-sync with their fists to their chest when she came into view. Zelda gave them a smile and they opened the doors for the approaching pair.
The queen's bedroom was a grand, circular room with the focus being the large, canopy bed on one side of the room. There was also a grand fireplace nestled between two great wall-to-floor windows that looked down into the castle's private gardens. There were two hidden doors in the walls that lead to the queen's dressing room and bathroom respectively, but there were also a third secret door that only Zelda and Link knew of. The door was meant only for emergencies and it lead to a secret tunnel system if ever the queen had to escape in a hurry. There were other pieces of furniture in the room, including a table, chairs, a couple of sofas, a grand desk and an ornate vanity. There was already a fire in the fireplace and a grand and very beautiful chandelier hung from the ceiling, which was lit by glowing crystals called Luminous Stones, held the room in a tranquil light. Link ignored all these aspects as he lowered his arm, settled his hands behind his back, and stopped just inside the doors while Zelda entered the room properly.
Over her shoulder Zelda called for the doors to be closed, which they were immediately. While this was nothing out of the norm, for Link had been in the queen's bedroom alone with her many times before, as he was her Personal Guard after all, it all felt different this time. Probably because he was only dressed in a chemise, pants and boots, it was quite late, and there was the awkwardness from their almost-kiss still weighed heavy on the knight's conscious.
Link watched Zelda go over to her chaise lounge and gracefully sat down upon it, her sigh filling the room. Her knight didn't move but looked on in concern at how tired his liege appeared.
"I admit that I didn't sleep well while you were away, Link", Zelda said staring at the fire before turning to him and gesturing for him to come closer.
"Why?" Link asked, stepping forward obediently until he was about five feet away from her.
"I was… worried about you, worried and guilty from hiding so much from you". Tucking a hair behind her ear, Zelda looked aside and sadness crept into her features. "Ever since you left for the desert I've been having nightmares... or rather nightmare. It's really just the same one".
"What sort of nightmare?" The concern was thick in Link's tone and he casually crossed his arms, transforming from knight to friend.
Knitting her fingers together, Zelda hesitated before answering and frowned. Link gave her time to think and he could tell from her stressed expression that recalling the nightmare wasn't pleasant; this only concerned him even more.
"It's always the same. I find myself in a great room that's devoid of colour and it almost resembles a tomb, cold and made of stone. There's no light save for in the distance and when I walk towards it I find… I find you, laying there, motionless, on a stone table. At first I go and try and wake you but that's when I realize…."
Zelda paused and bit her lip, emotion beginning to seep into her voice and the hero came to sit on a chair next to her, silently urging her on at her own pace. Taking a breath, Zelda regained control and continued calmly. "I see that you're dead, Link. Your entire person is devoid of colour save for the blood that has soaked through your tunic and has spilled onto the table. The source of the blood is a black sword that has been impaled through your gut. I can't do anything to help and when I reach for you, the scene changes and I find myself on an island of some sort. The sky is dark and there's a great storm in the distance and I am all alone. I look all around and see no one and when I call there comes no sound. Then I notice that what I thought was the dark sky reveals itself to be a massive wall of blackness and no matter how fast I run from it, I cannot escape it from crashing down on me. I'm swallowed, I'm drowning and I find myself floating in complete darkness".
With an emotionless face, Zelda slowed turned towards Link before she continued, her tone even. "Out of the dark silence I begin to hear a voice, a dark laugh, and from behind me a pair of hands suddenly grab me, gripping my throat and covering my mouth so I can't scream. The laugh explodes right beside my ear and I turn to look. Right before I wake the last thing I always see are a pair of red eyes".
Silence followed Zelda's words save for the gentle crackling of the fireplace. Link's expression had turned hard during his queen's tale and he held his hands together tightly, tapping his thumb against the other. The pair hold each other's gazes for a long moment before Link shook his head and tightened the hard line of his mouth.
"Goddesses, Zelda… and this all started the night after I left?"
Zelda merely nodded and waited for him to continue, wanting to hear to hear his thoughts and she took note how he looked especially troubled from hearing of what should be nothing more than a simple nightmare. Clearly he also thought it more, just as she did.
"Have you told anyone else about this?" Link asked, his tone having changed slightly, shifting from concern to seriousness.
"Only Imala and she was worried enough to ask Renado for a sleeping draft, which is why he's been in town the past few days. She didn't tell him why, just that I was having trouble sleeping".
"Did it help?"
"Not really. I tried it one night and I found that it more difficult to wake up, which scared me even more".
"Hm". Link ran a hand through his hair until he came to his ponytail, which he undid with a tug and his shoulder length hair spilled out. Redoing his hair, the Hylian was weighing whether or not to tell Zelda what he was thinking but he didn't want to worry her more. In the midst of tightening his hair band, Link paused and realized that he was considering exactly what Zelda had done to him: to withhold information for the sake of the other. Looking up at his queen, he saw her patiently waiting for him to answer and silently admiring his hair routine. Guilt began to seep into his eyes and he had to turn away from her lovely gaze.
Finishing his hair, the man swept his bangs from his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Zelda… there are some things I need to tell you but I can't tell you everything. Please understand".
"I understand," she replied, giving him a smile.
Shadowing her smile with a small one of his own, Link began. "When I was shot with that arrow, the poison that covered it was actually cursed with dark magic. When I fell unconscious it was because my soul had become trapped in a shadow world known as the Dark Realm. It's a place of shadows where all colour is forbidden and it's meant to be a place for suffering, for eternity. I only escaped because…." Link paused to wet his lips, eyes turned down, before he proceeded, "the Hero of Time appeared riding a great red bird. A Loftwing I think he called it? I don't know, it's all hazy now. I think… I think he was only able to find me because of... because of you. I can't remember exactly what he said because before I knew it I was waking up in the infirmary. Zelda," he said, looking up at her, eyes serious and expression hard, "while I was in the Dark Realm I had completely forgotten who I was, my name and everything. I was hunted while I was in there by these… dark-wolf beasts that transformed into shadow versions of me. They were…." the man shivered and his brows creased from the memory, "they were terrible, let's just leave it at that. I didn't tell you any of this because… well even after I woke up I realized that I was different. It seemed like I was angry all the time and it was only worse when I wasn't wearing the Master Sword. I knew that whatever darkness I had been trapped in I had somehow become tainted with, that it had followed me from the Dark Realm".
Reaching up to grip his healing shoulder, the hero steadied himself with a breath and continued. "It was the poison, it was still in my blood. The Gerudo were able to extract it and- as much as I want to tell you about that, I can't. I swore I wouldn't just as I swore not the reveal the significance of the poison or how it was made. I'm not even sure if what I've told you already is pushing it too far or not... oh well". Rubbing the back of his neck, Link looked over into the fire and frowned, recalling what had happened when the poison from his shoulder was burned, how from the dark smoke there had been a malicious laugh. "I fear… that your dreams sound a lot like the Dark Realm, Zelda, and the thought of you experiencing that place even in a dream frightens me. I don't even pretend to know what it could mean but I think it'd be best if I return to the Gerudo as soon as you allow me so I can ask the elders. They might have more insight in this stuff than I do. I also think that you should have Imala or your handmaidens stay here with you, maybe they're presence will help you sleep".
"If you think that seeking out the Gerudo might help set your mind at ease, then you may leave tomorrow if you wish".
Link looked up at his queen and blinked when he saw the compassion and warmth in her expression, it made him suck in a quick breath to calm himself. "I don't wish to worry you anymore," he answered quietly, before putting on a forced smile as he rotated his shoulder. "I mean, I'm not hurt anymore and I'm sure that your nightmares were just because of much you like to fuss over me". The man half-expected his friend to playfully swat at him or something but Zelda remained where she was with the same tender expression; his fake smile soon dissolved and expression returned to being serious.
"I don't think I should leave you here alone, Zelda". His admission came quietly but his tone held the full weight of truth. Even so, his queen chuckled slightly and sighed.
"Oh my dear, sweet Link. You say that I worry? As I've told you many times before but I do also have a castle full of soldiers and guardsmen to defend me, including other knights-"
"But they're not me".
The Hylian woman looked up at him and smiled. "No they're not, but you have a duty not only to the Queen of Hyrule but to all of Hyrule. You can't stay by my side forever".
"But I promised that I would," Link persisted, his heart beginning to hammer inside his chest.
"I know," she replied, taking up his hands and gently separating them so that she held them both. "I know that you don't trust Prince Vahlymor but I don't want you to neglect your other duties because you're too busy glaring at the man. And, yes… I know that you were, don't try to argue it, but I usually can read people pretty well, another gift from the Goddess Hylia I believe, and I can tell that the prince has spoken nothing but the truth. He's… he's a good man".
Link's brows narrowed and he focused on her hands holding his even as he tightened his fingers around hers. She allowed him to hold her hands, both looking at their holding hands and neither spoke for a long moment. They had gotten so close ever since Link had become injured, physically closer, then they ever had in the past five years since Link had come to pursue his knighthood. Perhaps… Perhaps it was because of how afraid Zelda had been with having nearly lost him, with having to experience him die right before her eyes, that she needed to touch him more now to make sure that he was still there. Link, on the other hand, knew that he shouldn't be this close to his queen, that he ought to respect her space and that he did have an obligation to maintain, but her hands were so soft… The hero had begun to stroke the side of one of Zelda's hands and wetted his lips, when the queen slowly took back her hands.
Her eyes gazed aside at the fire and she said softly, "I want you to return to the desert tomorrow after your spar session with the prince".
"For how long?" Link replied lowly, closing his eyes as his heart sank with regret.
"Three days at most".
The knight nodded to his queen, "As you wish," and stood and turned to leave. When his hand came to grip the doorknob, the man turned over his shoulder to look at his queen's outline cast from the firelight and saw that she still was looking into the flames.
"Sweet dreams, Zelda," he said before he left and closed the door.
Zelda gave no reply but only turned to look after him when the door was closed. Unbeknownst to the queen but behind her staring out from the flames were a pair of red eyes… watching her.
