Hey guys! Thanks so much for checking out this story! I'm so grateful for everyone that has read the prologue and now this new chapter. You guys are amazing! I can't believe I wrote this in 2 days, but I did. :) Consider it my Christmas gift to you all for being amazing readers – assuming of course, you celebrate Christmas. (I do.) Anyways… On to the story!
"Prince Link!" I heard a servant call. I rolled my eyes and jumped off my bed. I brushed past a barrier of silken scarves that served as curtains dividing my room, and then walked in the direction of the call.
"Yeah?" I responded. My boots thumped on the wooden floor. I was very different from the Gerudo, now that I thought about it. I had always favored my boots over the traditional sandals or curled-toe, silk slippers that most Gerudo wore. My clothes were loose, close to what the Gerudo typically wore, as it was extremely hot here in the Desert. I felt a breeze sweep through the corridor I was standing in and reveled in its coolness.
"Your father and Lady Nabooru are waiting in the dining lounge for the arrival of both you and your guest," the servant, Aziz, stated.
"Ah, thanks, Aziz," I answered with a nod. "And where might my guest be?" I questioned. I doubted that the Princess would know where the dining lounge was.
"I believe she is still in her quarters, preparing herself for dinner," Aziz replied, pointing down the hall at the Princess's rooms. I had neglected to mention that the quarters the Princess would be residing in had multiple rooms.
"Thanks again, Aziz," I responded, beginning to make my way down the hall to the Princess's quarters. I had just arrived at her door when she stepped out. She wore a flowing, orange silk dress, along with a saddened expression, and I immediately felt bad. In fact, I felt awful. I had to get her back to Hyrule Castle, but my father wouldn't let me.
He wanted her to stay here, as a hostage – a hostage under my care. Since I had refused to issue her execution, my father instead charged me with the Hyrulean Princess. Wow – Lucky me… "Good morning," I stated, offering my arm.
She merely nodded in return, without taking my extended arm. Her blue eyes remained dull, lacking life and emotion. I wanted to change that. If I couldn't take her back to her Castle, the least I could do was make her stay here as enjoyable as possible. I could offer her books and a tour of the Fortress, as well as give her activities to keep her occupied during her time here.
We walked down to the dining lounge where my father and Nabooru were waiting. Nabooru took care of all the weapons in the Fortress, as well as directed all missions beyond the Fortress's perimeter. I guess you could say that she was my father's right-hand man – er, woman, although she didn't exactly agree with everything my father did. And, now that I thought about it, neither did I.
"Hey, Link," Nabooru called from her chair directly next to my father. I also neglected to mention that I was an especial favorite when it came to Nabs – Yes, I called her Nabs, but only when my father wasn't around.
"Hey, Nabooru," I responded openly, not caring whether or not I was "informal" to those of "lesser rank."
"I see you've brought your charge, huh, Link?" Nabooru questioned with a glance directed at the Princess.
I pulled out the chair for the Princess, and she seated herself. I then pulled out my own chair and sat down as well. The Princess kept her stony gaze directed ahead, without acknowledging anyone's presence. "I suppose so," I shrugged noncommittally. I definitely couldn't have the girl thinking that she was a burden I didn't want around or else she would never tell me about my parents.
"Link," my father growled, formally recognizing my presence for the first time since I had walked into the room. I could tell that he was still angered that I had allowed the Princess to live. My father hated disrespect, and he would do anything he had to to rid the Desert of it – even at the cost of someone's life.
"Yes, Father?" I responded, tilting my head in his direction.
"I will not tolerate any of that girl's insolence – And if I hear one more word, I will not hesitate to terminate her – Do you hear me?" my father, the King of all the Gerudo, stated. Whatever the situation in the Fortress, my father's words were final, and I would be a fool to contradict him – Which I wasn't going to – Because I was no fool.
"Yes, Father," I answered. I felt a twinge of guilt as I thought of those the Princess claimed to be my real parents. Was I being disloyal to them by still loving my "father?" Although I didn't agree with everything he said or did, he still had raised me my entire life – Didn't that count for something? Would I ever meet my own parents?
I glanced at the Princess, hoping to see her reaction toward my father's no-nonsense threat. She still had her eyes downcast, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. The servants began bringing in our dinner, and I kept an eye on the girl.
Dinner was awkward, to say the least. My father seemed to be very upset, in one of his more vengeful moods, and I avoided conversation with him, aside from answering with monosyllables, as was my habit when he was in this mood. Nabooru spoke with my father, updating him on things going on in the Fortress, to which my father only nodded, with the occasional grunt here and there.
I was extremely thankful once dinner was over, and we were able to leave. I grabbed the Princess's arm and jerked her out of the dining lounge. We walked swiftly down the corridors, not caring whether or not the servants were watching.
"So, Princess," I began, glancing at the quiet girl beside me. "What do you like to do?" I asked, wanting to be cordial.
There was no response, though it wasn't a surprise. She merely kept her gaze straight ahead, not bothering to answer me. After several failed attempts at trying to get her to talk, I gave up. I would just have to give her some books or something. There was something holding her back from wanting to talk to me. I guess she had every right to not want to talk to me – I mean, I was the prince of the people that kidnapped her from her home. But, then again, I had saved her from my father's wrath and the death penalty.
"Good night," she stated; her voice broke the silence that had gripped the night air. The temperature had dropped drastically because, come on, we're in the Desert. She shivered slightly in her silk dress.
"You alright?" I questioned.
She nodded.
"Do you need anything?" I asked, wondering if I would ever hear her voice again anytime soon. She had barely spoken to me ever since her revelation of my true heritage, and that had been two days ago.
She shook her head, her blonde tresses bouncing somewhat.
"Alright – Then, good night," I answered, giving a small nod.
The Princess offered a nod in return, before entering her quarters and shutting the door behind her.
I sighed in relief. I hadn't made a complete fool of myself. I then thought about her. She was one brave girl and was definitely handling this whole situation better than I had anticipated. I guess I don't really know what I had been expecting – A spoiled princess that would throw a huge fit when my dad put her up for ransom? A girl that became my best friend from the start? A rebel that suddenly escaped from the Fortress? She wasn't any of those things, and I guess that's part of what made her so unique.
I walked back to my own room, pushing past the silk curtains that divided my bedroom in two. One half had my bed, and the other had pieces of furniture. That was the side I went to, heading straight to the crude wooden shelf that held all my books. It was a privilege to have this shelf and these books because we were in the Desert, and there aren't necessarily a ton of trees out here.
I picked several heavy volumes, editions to my collection given by Nabooru. I suspected that she had stolen them during a mission but didn't push the issue. I carried them with ease and made my way down the halls once more to the Princess's quarters. I did struggle, however, with knocking on the door.
I somehow managed to do so without dropping any of the books, and the door opened slightly, allowing a sliver of light to escape from the room. "Who is it?" a rather masculine voice asked.
I raised a brow, knowing that the Princess did not sound like that. "It's Link."
"What is it?" a more feminine voice asked, and the Princess peeked behind the door.
"Can I come in?" I questioned, now curious.
"Sure," she nodded uneasily. She stepped aside, allowing me to enter her quarters.
I did a quick once-over of the rooms – No one besides me and the Princess was there. Hm, fishy… I set the books down in a stack on the floor. The Princess merely nodded in acknowledgement to my actions and stood by the door.
"You waiting for something?" I asked, grinning slightly. I refused to budge from where I was standing.
"Can you leave – Please?" the Princess asked, motioning toward the door.
"Sure," I responded, sauntering out the room. The Princess watched me "leave" and shut the door behind her. I then pressed my ear against the door and listened in.
"I don't want to be here," she whimpered.
"I know – I'll get you out of here – I promise. Good thing Dad or Arvid haven't noticed you're gone, though, or else they'd flip," the masculine voice responded.
Dad? What was he talking about – He couldn't be – No… She couldn't have a sibling – Could she?
"I know; I'm going to try to blend in here and integrate into the community. It might actually be a good learning experience for me," the Princess replied.
"I'm just worried about you, Zel," the voice stated.
"I know – I'm worried about you with all your spying around – You're prone to get caught like that, you know," she answered.
"I'll be careful. Now – I have to go – We were almost caught by that Prince," the voice replied.
"OK, love you," the Princess whispered.
"Love you too, Sis," the voice responded. The room then went silent, aside from the sound of someone leaping from what I assumed to be the balcony.
I stepped away from the door and began to walk back to my room – That was weird… Really weird…
"Good morning," I stated, as the Princess's door opened wide, revealing the girl herself. She was dressed in a blue and green silk dress that went down to her ankles, and her hair was brought into a high ponytail. I, myself, wore my traditional Gerudo garments, accompanied with my non-traditional brown boots.
"Good morning," the Princess responded. So far, it had been a month since the incident in her room. She had been opening up to me slightly, going so far as to greet me in the morning and chat throughout the day.
I was pleased with the progress we had made, but I wanted to be more than just someone to talk to throughout her day. I wanted to be her friend – her confidant – someone she could rely on. I extended my arm to her, which she accepted gratefully.
"How was your sleep?" I asked, glancing at her from my peripherals.
"It was restful," the Princess responded. "And you?" she asked.
"Great – I was helping out a bit in the fields, so I was pretty tired," I chuckled.
"I was out like a light as well," the Princess laughed – I looked at her in shock. I had never heard her laugh before, and it was beautiful. It was light, silvery, and cheerful. It filled me with a joy I had never know before, and that confused me. "What?" she asked, noticing my expression.
"I've never heard you laugh before," I stated, still in awe of her joyful laugh.
"Really? I suppose I was never in the best of moods – I mean, I'm here as a hostage, not on vacation," she laughed again.
"I suppose you're right," I agreed.
"But I believe that I'm starting to fit in here more, what say you?"
"You are; you really are," I agreed once more. It was true. The Princess had become friends with many of the Gerudo women living within the Fortress. They loved her, and she loved them. I had watched her help the women with their work and chores. I had also seen her socializing with them as well as playing with the children.
She had become a friend to Nabooru in particular, I noticed. They seemed to get along well, and they both could use a friend – though I didn't tell them that. The Princess was beginning to integrate well into the community and our lifestyle.
My mind then drifted back to the conversation I had eavesdropped on outside the Princess's room. Did she have a brother? And if she did, how was he able to pass the surveillance outside? I knew Nabs kept many guards posted around the perimeter of the Fortress, saying that the safety of the civilians' is more important than anything else. She never messed around when it came to the safety of those inside the Fortress.
Then, if the Princess had a brother, was he trying to rescue her? Was he going to take her back to Hyrule Castle himself? Was my help unnecessary? I pondered that thought as we entered the dining lounge.
"Are you busy today?" I asked, before I could bite back my words.
The Princess looked slightly taken aback but answered me nonetheless. "No, I'm just going to help around the Fortress with various tasks; nothing major."
"Great – Can you fence?" I questioned. I was the fencing champ here at the Fortress, second to only my dad – or Ganondorf. This was going to take some getting used to. I was just slightly worried that I would slip and call Ganondorf by his name; then he would know something is up and would question me. I couldn't let him know that I knew that he had been lying to me all this time.
"Yes, though, frankly, I'm better at archery," the Princess replied, as I pulled out her chair for her. She then slid into her seat and turned to face me.
"Really? I'm better at fencing than archery," I stated. I was good at archery, but my fencing took the cake. I had never lost a match, besides Ganondorf, of course, but he didn't count.
"That's interesting; I practiced weaponry skills back at the Castle before – all of this happened," the Princess answered.
"Would you care to join me for a round of archery, then?" I asked.
A smile lit up the Princess's face, which then spread to mine. "Why of course, Prince Link. I would be honored."
We continued to talk, not noticing that neither my father nor Nabooru had arrived yet. "Prince Link," Aziz stated.
"Oh, yeah?" I responded, jerking my head to face Aziz.
"King Ganondorf and Lady Nabooru have gone to investigate disturbances near the perimeter of the Fortress; however there is no need for panic. Your breakfast will be served shortly, and your day will commence like normal," Aziz responded.
The Princess's expression changed quickly; it went from a joyful smile to an expression of panic. "Who is – causing – this disturbance?" she asked, furrowing her brow.
"Just a group of Zoras – I have no clue what they're doing in the Desert," Aziz added, muttering.
I chuckled a bit at that comment, and the Princess's expression relaxed greatly. "Thanks, Aziz."
"No problem, Prince Link; it's all a part of the job," Aziz cracked a rare smile.
"You're definitely appreciated, though, Aziz," I stated, grinning back. Aziz had been almost like a second – or third? – father to me, whenever Ganondorf was too busy to spend time with me.
"Thanks, Link. Now stop talking to me – I gotta get back to work," Aziz joked. He left the dining lounge and went down a corridor, going back to his duties around the Fortress.
Silence reigned for a few moments before I broke it awkwardly. "So – Where were we?"
Thanks for reading, everyone! If you feel so inclined, please drop a review below for this chapter, considering that this is six whole hours of my blood, sweat, and tears… :) It would totally make my day, and I would be so grateful for your support. Thanks again! See you next chapter! =D
Total Word Count (Not including Author's Notes):
2,745