AN: Here we are again, then. Chapter three. I have to say, I actually have no idea how long this story's going to be anymore. I have no picture of the ending yet, which could prove to be an issue. Well, we'll just have to wait and see I guess? Now, gosh, so many people followed this again this week! I'm a little surprised. Thank you all so much, as well as all of you who favourited and read it. Big thanks to NoSignalBlueScreen, silverheartlugia2000, ThePredicate, meladi1, Twilight16, Blaaargy and The Reader for your reviews! As always they really mean a lot.
To Twilight16: You're very welcome, I've settled into a rhythm so updates should stay regular!
ToBlaaargy: Haha, wolf puns :p You're very welcome, as I can't PM you this will have to do! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and now the wait is over, enjoy!
To The Reader: Thank you for more lovely words, I'm so happy you're enjoying this story. I hope the "big reveal" or however it happens doesn't disappoint. You know, I hadn't really thought about the spirits all that much, which I guess just emphasises your point, doesn't it?
And now, thank you all, on with the chapter. Enjoy!
Three:
She was sat in the throne room. It was full of people, both civilians and soldiers alike. They were all watching her with expectant faces full of warmth, full of trust. When she rose to her feet they clapped, some even cheered. The soldiers saluted, their expressions soft beneath their visors.
They were all so happy.
There was silence for a heartbeat, maybe two as they waited for her to speak. But instead of speaking she smiled, watching the confusion seep into their faces as they registered the icy touch the expression held, the cruelty she could feel twisting her countenance.
She laughed when their happiness seeped away, replaced by fear as she summoned her sword from nowhere, flicking it as she called upon her magic. It pooled in her free palm, bright, hot sparks that could kill in an instant.
And kill they did, when she let it loose. It rained down on them, bubbled up beneath their feet. Her people screamed, they begged.
She laughed.
But it was not her laughing. It was the evil that consumed her, controlled her. It moved her limbs without her say so, made her laugh against her will. It was painted across her skin in terrible green lines. Powerful. Irresistible. When she tried to scream it was laughter that left her, wild and cruel as her citizens cowered before her, as her soldiers rushed to apprehend her. She cut them down without hesitation, staining her skin a red that would never wash off no matter how hard she tried.
She screamed again, and this time it was not a laugh but terrible shriek that left her, catching in her throat, suffocating her. It built until it rang in her ears, as the blood seeped across the stones and a soft, deadly voice whispered in her ear that she should have fought harder, that she could have prevented this.
It was all her fault.
Zelda opened her eyes.
Sucking in a shaking breath she stared up at the canopy above her bed for a moment before covering her eyes with a hand. Her fingers trembled where they rested against her eyes, which were damp with salt water. She could feel her clothes sticking to her skin slightly; when she sat up she felt sweat trickling between her shoulder blades.
Another nightmare. Just another nightmare.
Taking another breath Zelda lowered her hand, meaning to reassure herself that there was, in fact, no blood staining her skin, but as she made to look something else caught her eye. There was a dark shape curled up beside her bed, and when she turned her head to look she found a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. In all honesty she had been expecting to find him gone upon awakening yet here he was, lying at her bedside like some still, silent guard.
'Link…' The sigh left Zelda's lips before she could catch it, his ears flicking slightly as they caught the sound. He was lying curled up, legs tucked beneath him, the white of the gauze Zelda had used to cover his injury standing out in sharp contrast to the darker fur of his back. He sat up slightly when she spoke, tilting his head as if in a silent question.
'I am fine,' she said, smoothing her hair gently with a hand that was still trembling. 'It was just a dream.'
Clasping her shaking hands to her chest she listened to her heart pounding as it made her skin it feel as though it were jumping with the force of each beat. Taking a few steadying breaths she shut her eyes, only to open them a moment later as the lingering images from her nightmare painted themselves across the backs of her eyelids. So much blood. So much suffering. All at her hands.
Bowing her head Zelda clenched her jaw, digging her nails into the backs of her hands as she tried to calm herself. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare. It was not real, nor would it ever be. Ganondorf was slain, the evil would not return.
A soft whine from Link made her lift her head, looking to him. He was stood now, chest pressed against the side of the bed, watching her with his serious eyes, ears flattened slightly. As she forced another reassuring smile onto her face Zelda's eyes drifted again to the gauze along his side. He had been a model patient, lying as still as he could as she had cleaned and dressed the wound. With all the dried blood it had looked even worse than it was, but it had been undeniably infected, the skin around it warm, enflamed. Zelda had every intention of keeping a close eye on him in case said infection caused a fever or grew any worse, which made her even more thankful that he had not left while she slept. She might have actually hunted him down had he done so.
'Do not worry,' Zelda said with a slight sigh, softening her smile until it did not hurt quite as much. 'All is well.' He huffed softly, obviously sceptical, but lay back down without protest.
She was exceptionally glad he seemed to be in a steadier state of mind than when they had met a week ago, though she did still have to wonder what exactly had driven him to such extremes in the first place. Perhaps he would be able to tell her himself some time, but as it was she could only speculate for the moment.
'Thank you for staying,' Zelda said quietly, drawing his eyes back onto her. She was not sure if she meant for staying with her or for simply not leaving, but nonetheless she felt she should thank him. He did not have to be there, but there he was. She could not express how grateful she was for it.
After a moment Zelda shook herself. This was no time for her to be dwelling on nightmares, on mere dreams. Taking a deep breath she slipped from her bed, stepping daintily around Link as she began getting ready for another day of running Hyrule. It took a little longer than usual as she had to rouse an apparently dozing wolf and then shoo him out of her chambers for privacy, but before long she was sat before her mirror, brushing her hair as she tried her hardest to focus on that and only that. While she had been imprisoned within her chambers she dismissed her handmaiden in the hopes that she would be protecting the young woman, and had since fallen out of the habit of allowing others to take care of her.
Smoothing her hair gently Zelda stared at her reflection, at the carefully concealed shadows beneath her eyes, the unhealthy pallor of her skin. This was no good. How was she supposed to take care of a country if she could not even take care of herself?
Shaking her head at herself she rose once more, smoothing her skirts swiftly before moving to the door. Opening it slowly she peered out cautiously, anxious that when she looked Link would be nowhere to be seen. It was a little painful but she simply did not trust him to stay, despite his continued presence during the night. Her worry was for nought, however, as he was sat not far from the door, tail thumping softly as he stared up at the high window he had stolen in through several times before under Midna's guidance. He looked round at the sound of the door opening, regarding her steadily for a moment before turning away again.
'I do not wish to confine you,' Zelda said softly as she slipped from the room, standing beside him. 'But I must ask you to stay out of sight, so as not to cause any more panic.' Her voice turned a little wry against her will as she spoke, despite her efforts to contain it. 'And please, Link, stay within the castle and its grounds.'
He looked at her after a moment, gaze serious, before he nodded slightly. Smiling as best she could Zelda wasted no more time and departed, walking swiftly as she tried to keep her heavy thoughts from consuming her. The nightmare weighed on her mind, refusing to be pushed out completely, but she kept it contained as carefully as possible. There were more important things to be focusing on than the lingering remnants of a slain evil. Like the council she had to hold, or the audiences she needed to grant. She was supposed to be meeting with the respective heads of the Gerudo and the Zora as well, in order to discuss the progress they were making towards recovering from Ganondorf's brief but destructive rule.
Focusing as well as she was able Zelda powered through the anxiety the dream had left, allowing herself to become completely immersed in her work, her duties. At first the time seemed to drag but as the day wore on it began to pick up, the minutes ticking by before she felt the desire to count them.
It was as she bid the council farewell, seeing them from the great hall as graciously as she could, when for the second time in as many days a great commotion rose up nearby. Locating its source was easy; a small knot of clamouring servants slowly growing larger as it attracted more curious onlookers. Moving swiftly closer Zelda identified the one who had started the hubbub, as he was standing near the centre of the mass, a look of fear plastered on his almost grey face.
'What has happened?' Zelda asked, raising her voice so that it cut through the noise. All eyes turned on to her, their owners clearing a path so that she could reach the terrified man.
'Your- your Highness,' he stammered, looking as if his legs could give out at any moment.
'What is wrong?' Zelda asked, more quietly this time as she kept her tone calm. Hopefully she would be able to soothe his undoubtedly frayed nerves.
'I- I was going to clean your chambers, your Highness and then- and then-' He broke off with a soft noise of fear, eyes wide. Zelda did not need any further explanation, as it was now quite clear as to what exactly he had found in her chambers, but she pressed on anyway.
'And then?' She prompted gently, smiling reassuringly. 'Do not be afraid. Tell me what happened.'
'The beast- the beast!' Shaking his head the servant stared at her with his frightened eyes. 'The beast from yesterday- it was there!' He put his hands to his eyes, and as he did Zelda noticed the red staining one of his palms.
'Are you hurt?' She asked, something painful twisting in her chest. 'Did the beast hurt you?' Just what had happened to Link in the months he had been gone?
'Oh- oh no, I fell,' the servant replied shakily. 'I fell when I was trying to get away.' Catching a relieved sigh before it could escape her Zelda nodded, smiling again.
'Thank you,' she said softly, stepping back slightly. 'Do not fear, it will be taken care of.' Ignoring the soft protests that fell from the mouths of several of those gathered around Zelda gathered up her skirts and strode without hesitation in the direction of her chambers. She had a little time to spare before her next meeting, but hopefully she would be able to sort out this mess by then.
As she walked Zelda could not help but chastise herself silently. Why had she not foreseen something like this happening? Of course there were people who would enter her chambers while she was away. How could she have made such a grievous error?
Shaking her head with a frustrated noise Zelda quickened her pace slightly, feet slapping softly against the stone floors as she went. She did not get far before several soldiers alerted to the issue surrounded her, trying to convince her to stay put and not worry about the beast that had stolen into her bedroom as they would deal with it. Dissuading them was impossible so she instead resorted to ordering them to let her come, though for the sake of their pride let them form a protective ring around her and lead the way.
Surrounded by the clatter of armour Zelda reached her chambers quickly, ducking nimbly between her soldiers so that she was the one to open the door, ignoring the loud protests that blared out around her.
Link was there, of course he was, and he froze as the door opened, hackles up, teeth bared. He appeared to have been pacing restlessly but he turned to face her immediately, a loud growl rumbling in his throat. The sound stopped as he saw her, his ears pricking up slightly, but returned as his eyes bypassed her to land on the soldiers.
Finding herself, oddly, somewhat frustrated at being put in such a situation again Zelda spared no words for either her soldiers or Link, simply entering the room and approaching him. She had tried the submissive approach last time, which while it had returned him to his senses had done little else, so this time she would try the dominant approach. This could not go on. Link could not go on like this. She was sure he had his reasons for it, for retreating into himself in such a way, but how could it possibly help if it just resulted in him hurting another innocent person?
At the very least if this went wrong then it would be she that got hurt, not another soldier.
Drawing in a steadying breath Zelda approached Link, who drew his lips back a little more in response, but she stayed strong, standing tall above him as she met his fierce gaze head on.
'Calm yourself,' she said firmly, almost wincing at the edge of coldness that entered her voice. 'What are you doing?' His ears flicked once before he backed up a step, the growling slowly petering out. Zelda followed, closing the gap between them. In return he backed away until he could back away no further, ears flat, tail between his legs. After a moment he bowed his head, refusing to meet her eye and she knelt before him with a soft, sad sigh.
'Are you yourself again?' She asked softly, hearing the soldiers murmuring concernedly behind her. 'What happened?' With a soft whine Link sank a little lower, a very picture of apologetic sorrow. Sighing again Zelda turned to her soldiers, rising to her feet once more. 'Do not panic,' she said, half-heartedly holding out a hand as if to shield Link from view. 'This is not a wild beast.' Not that he was in any way a tame beast, either, but he had not hurt anyone since entering the castle so it was at least somewhat believable. Luckily none of the soldiers gathered at the door had been with her during her visit to Ordon. Nevertheless they took a little, a lot, of convincing, but eventually they conceded to her and left, though they seemed in no way content.
It was to be expected, of course.
'Link, this cannot continue,' Zelda said once they were alone, turning to him with a frown. He was sat now, head still bowed, but he looked up as she spoke. 'Why must you put yourself through this?' He glanced at her only briefly before looking away again. Stifling a sigh she took his face between her hands, forcing him to look at her. If only he could talk. If only he could help her understand.
'Link…' Taking a deep breath Zelda shut her eyes for a moment, pained to know there was very little she could do. 'Would you not consider returning to your original form?' She was fairly sure it was a long shot, but she could at least ask. 'The Master Sword is still in my possession, and-' Link tugged his muzzle out of her grip, cutting her off as he looked away with a soft growl of displeasure. For a moment she left her hands hanging outstretched before folding them in her lap, watching him seriously.
'Very well,' she said quietly. 'I apologise, it is not my place to interfere.' She rose slowly, smoothing her skirts as she thought. 'If that is what you desire, then so be it.' Turning away she crossed the room to the locked cabinet in the corner of the room slowly, reaching for the key that hung around her neck, resting beneath her clothes. Untucking it carefully she stared at it for a moment as it nestled in her palm before unlocking the cabinet and pulling the Master Sword free. She clasped it tightly as she shut the door, replacing the key beneath her clothes.
Aware that she was most likely overstepping her boundaries Zelda turned, hugging the sword to her chest as she moved back towards Link, who had been watching her carefully. He seemed to cringe away as she drew close so she halted a few metres from him, forcing herself to remain composed despite the sudden anxiety in her chest.
'I cannot, and will not, force you do to anything you do not wish to,' she said slowly, her words sounding oddly forced. 'However I will offer you all possible options I have to give.' Moving away from him she set the Master Sword carefully on her bed in plain sight before turning back to him. He was still watching her, but at the sword's retreat appeared to have relaxed somewhat. Just what exactly was he so afraid of?
'Link, you are free to leave whenever you wish,' Zelda continued after pausing as pain twisted in her chest at the sight of him seemingly so afraid. 'I will not stop you. You are also free to stay for however long you desire, though I cannot make you. You can choose to do either in whichever form you see fit, so I will be leaving the Master Sword here in order that you might be able to make the choice for yourself.' She paused, taking a deep breath to help her swallow down the words she desperately wanted to say.
That she wished he would talk to her, wished he would help her to understand why this was happening, how the situation had reached the point it was currently at.
But she swallowed down the words, as they were selfish and intrusive. It was his choice, his alone. Who was she to ask any more of him when he had already done so much? So she would simply give him all the options and quietly pray that somehow they would lead to something better than what was currently there. She just wanted to help him.
'Now, I must leave again,' Zelda said after a moment, smiling a little sadly at him. 'With any luck there will not any more panic.' Once he had bowed his head slightly in acquiescence she left, shutting the door quietly and pacing swiftly back down to the ground floor of the castle, where a crowd of people was awaiting her. Dealing with the Link situation had taken longer than anticipated, so she hoped she was not running too late. She tried to reassure herself that it was better late than never, though she could not help but feel as if she had failed somehow. Not only was she apparently completely unable to help Link but she was also coming late to appointments. This was no good. No good at all.
As it turned out she was not as late as she had feared, though she was delayed further as she had to rectify the situation with Link first. It took time but she managed to calm those who were fearful, as well as convince several that the beast found in her chambers was not, in fact, dangerous. Hopefully word would spread through the castle grapevine and Link would be left alone.
Several of her appointments ended up being delayed, in the end, spreading out over the next week or so and the following days passed quietly enough. Link's continued presence in the castle caused no new panics, though perhaps it was simply because he maintained a very low profile, and they quickly settled into a kind of routine. Zelda watched over his wound diligently, ensuring it was clean and free from infection, while he watched over her during the night. Whenever nightmares shook her awake he would be there at her bedside, always watchful, always awake. She began to wonder if he slept at all, that if it was perhaps this that caused his apparently shaky grip on the reality that surrounded him.
Even so, as his injury continued to heal well, almost surprisingly well, Zelda began to worry that she would awake one day to find him gone. She tried to console herself with the knowledge that Link was not the sort to use people in such a way, but the concerns remained. He was not himself lately, so perhaps it was in fact the case. After all she had practically forced him to stay, even using said injury as an excuse.
Yet despite all her doubts he stayed, remaining carefully hidden from the eyes of anyone but Zelda. They grew closer as the days turned to weeks, until some of the distance narrowed and Zelda felt almost comfortable stroking him as a sign of comfort, and he let her do so readily. It would never feel completely comfortable, as she was always aware that he was a young man beneath the wolfish exterior, but as it was he appeared fine with it. Sometimes when she awoke from particularly unpleasant nightmares she would even find him curled up beside her atop the bed as opposed to beside it, his warm weight comforting in ways she could not quite put words to.
And so it went on. They grew to understand one another, much better than they had already from their shared experiences. The Master Sword always remained in view somewhere in her room, should Link ever wish to return to his original form, but as Zelda grew more comfortable with his canine shape she found herself desiring such a thing less. She learnt to gather what answers she needed from him without words, though often it would be from his reaction to questions she asked, so words were not completely unnecessary.
When things changed she was in a meeting. Though she knew she should have been concentrating on her advisers' words still she let her gaze wander to the large windows of the room they were seated in, at first simply admiring the many glowing colours of the stained glass before noticing a dark shape beyond it. It stood quite still for a moment, but as her gaze fell on it it darted away, only to return a moment later. Frowning slightly Zelda tried to discern what it was while also appearing as if she were still listening to the adviser currently speaking.
After a moment she realised just what exactly the shape was, a startled gasp falling from her lips at the realisation. It was partly dismayed and partly exasperated, but luckily it was soft enough so as not to draw the attention of the others in the room.
Unable to simply leave to follow the shape Zelda endured the rest of the meeting in the agony of impatience, trying her hardest to focus on the others' words but quite unable to. As she rose to bid them farewell she realised she could not recall a single word of what had been said after she had been distracted. She would have to ask one of her advisers quietly sometime, preferably one of the ones she was closer to.
Smiling as best she could when feeling completely frustrated at their seeming leisurely pace as they milled about in the room, talking quietly amongst themselves, Zelda tried her best to remain civil. Once they had finally all left, their farewells still ringing in her ears, Zelda heaved a loud sigh of annoyance. Gathering up her skirts she cast a glance towards the window, watching as the silhouette appeared once more beyond the stained glass.
'Honestly…!' She muttered to herself as she strode from the room, dodging every person she saw in case they postponed her any longer in her quest to reach the other side of the window. Upon reaching it she paused, looking for the silhouette's owner, only to see them disappearing round the nearest corner.
'Are we children now?' Zelda asked herself as she half jogged after them, aware that she most likely looked very undignified and not at all as she should but unable to make herself care. It was not like they would be concerned with her if they saw her, anyway.
No, the wolf roaming around in broad daylight would doubtless distract them.
'Link- Link what are you doing?' She called as she followed him, watching his tail vanish around another corner. She managed to keep up for a few more turns before losing him and she paused upon realising this, not quite able to bring herself to be annoyed at him. It was not like she could blame him; he had been fairly cooped up for the past few weeks so it was only natural he would grow restless. She could only hope he would not be seen.
He had clearly been playing with her, but now that she had lost him all she could do was return to her chambers and await him there. Quickly assessing the day's schedule she realised she had no other pressing matters to attend to, which meant she could probably wait for him at her leisure.
The castle seemed calm as she wandered through the corridors flooded with late afternoon sun, which told her no one had seen a wolf running rampant anywhere nearby. That was reassuring, though she could not help but expect to hear someone start yelling any moment.
No chaos erupted on her way back to her chambers, however, so she used the time to decide what she was going to say to Link. Should she be stern with him, or forgiving? She felt like she should chastise him at least a little, as he had obviously not learnt his lesson in regards to being seen, but she knew her heart would not be in it. To be completely honest she found it quite amusing and a little endearing. After the weeks of seriousness she felt they both deserved to have a little light-hearted fun. If worst came to worst she could always smooth the situation out again. At this point it probably would not be so surprising to those working in the castle if a beast was discovered for a third time in as many weeks. They would probably assume someone was trying to tame it. Hopefully.
When she reached them at last she found one of the doors to her chamber ajar, the room beyond filled with the deep golden light that streamed in through the tall window.
'Honestly,' she began as she caught sight of the shadow stretched across the floor. He had returned before her, after all. 'What were you…?' Her words fell away into silence as she realised that the shadow was the wrong shape to the one she had come to expect. Lifting her eyes from the sunlight-stained rug she could not stop a soft gasp, staring unabashedly at the sight that had snuffed out her words.
Turning away from the window slightly Link gave a sheepish smile, his blue eyes glowing in the sunlight as he stood before her in his familiar, completely unfamiliar human form.
Link was human again.
Am I falling into a pattern? One chapter has a cliffhanger-esque ending and then the next has an ambiguous, final-sounding ending? I guess we'll see. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you next week!