I woke up and realized just how inadequate my stretches yesterday had been. My shoulders and back ached as if I'd been dragging two stones the size of my head around on our travels. My stomach snarled and growled its displeasure louder than I'd ever heard, and I felt as dirty and foul as the pigs I'd seen once at a festival. Technically, I'd been wearing all the same clothes for years, and it felt like it. Link was still awake when I rose. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked as if he wished to sleep. I could not blame him. "Tomorrow, I will keep watch." I assured him. He shook his head. "I would not be a very good Regent Protector if I did not do so, my lady." I sighed and stood up, tightening my cloak around my body. Link heaped dirt over the fire pit to help smother the embers, standing up and removing his sheath. "Here, my lady." I put the sheath on and he slid his old sword into it, sticking the Master Sword into his belt. It seemed to glow gold in the early morning sun, and I stared at it as if hypnotized for a few minutes, until Link grabbed my shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. "Let's continue, my lady." I nodded, a bit embarrassed. We crept back out of the woods towards the ruins of the castle. In the daylight, it looked even worse, as the destruction was far more visible. There was a perpetual smoky haze in the air, and I looked toward Death Mountain, shocked to see it belching a column of black ash, looking as if it wanted to erupt. Link looked where I did and shook his head.

"It's that temple. Wherever he built one, it's corrupting the goodness of the earth."

"It's terrible," I murmured sadly. Link nodded his agreement, and we trudged up to the castle. He whistled, and the owl from last night swooped down from the flock overhead, hooting softly in his ear. Link nodded and the bird took off from his arm, flapping out over the castle remains and hovering in one spot. "Alright. My horse is in there; having her will make our travels much easier."

"You're going in there?!" I replied in panic.

Link looked at me strangely. "Of course."

"But Link, it's dangerous, you might get killed!"

"I'll survive, your majesty. I promise." He smiled at me and we crossed the splintered draw bridge back into the market place. "If you wish, you can stay by the fountain; I shouldn't be long."

"I wouldn't feel too comfortable with that, to be honest." I replied quietly. The last thing I wanted now was to be alone. Link nodded. "Ah… how comfortable do you feel with that sword?" "Not very." He nodded and reached under his shield, revealing a quiver of arrows and a bow I hadn't noticed before. "I presume you know archery." I smiled. "Yes."

"Alright then. Stay behind me, and keep an arrow notched, but leave the string loose." I nodded eagerly, shrugging the quiver on and holding the bow comfortably. I kept close to him as we practically crept our way to the castle gates. He sighed in frustration when we saw the distant guards, licking his lips and stroking the pommel of the Master Sword. "You're a good shot, right?" I set my jaw. "Yes."

"Okay." He hunched down, stroking his chin and thinking. "Alright. I want you to fire an arrow past them and through the gate, so that it distracts them. Once they start looking around, I'm going to run up and charge them with my sword. Now, there's two of them, so I'll need you to help by staying back and firing arrows at weak spots. Back of the knee and leg would be best. When they're down, come forward and stay close to me." I nodded. "Well, my lady. Fire away." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I stood and pulled the string taut, focusing on the thin iron bars, firing the arrow between the helms of the two guards. They hardly seemed to notice. "Bloody…" Link shook his head. "Give me the next arrow." I handed it to him, and he pulled out a flash bomb, frowning. "Do you need to tie that to the arrow?" I guessed. He nodded. I crouched down and tore off the bottom tattered strip of my skirt, handing it to him. He hesitated, stroking the material with his thumb before tying the bomb to the next arrow and handing it to me. "Fire away."

I held my breath as I shot the arrow. Unfortunately, this strike was terrible. It hit one of the guards in the shoulder, going off with a loud bang! and a flash of light. They stood dazed for a few minutes, rubbing at their eyes, before they looked up and spied us both. Link pulled the Master Sword from his belt. "Get behind me, your majesty!" I pulled out my own weapon, brandishing it as the guards charged us in heavy, clanking armor, wielding huge swords. Link pushed me back with his arm, and I fell over, landing hard as a sword narrowly missed slicing my head off. I yelped and rolled away as the guard swung downward, intending to cleave me in two, I suppose. Link engaged the other guard, knocking him back defensively. He kept glancing back to me though. I forced myself to get up with a growl, raising the sword above my head to deflect the next blow. It came down with far more force than I anticipated, and I was knocked to the ground again. Link wheeled around and struck the guard in the back of the helmet with the flat of his blade, giving a battle cry of anger.

The guard instantly forgot me and refocused his anger on Link. I forced myself on my feet again, stepping back and instantly firing an arrow. It hit the guard on his plated shoulder, but he ignored me to bear down on Link. A holler of pain that could only be Link's voice; the guards never said a word. I fired another arrow, sinking it into the back of a guard's thigh. Now he hollered and reached back to free the offending object. I wasted no time and fired an arrow at his hands. It wasn't the greatest idea. The arrow only flicked off the iron plate over his knuckles. He looked up at me, and I could see angry glowing eyes under the armor.

Link grunted and shouted, "Yah!" as he plunged his sword into his enemy's throat, wheeling and smacking at the leather ties of the other guard's plate. The guard forgot me again, and resumed his battle with the farm boy turned hero. I prepared another arrow, aiming low. Link was breathing hard, sweat turning his clothes dark in a V pattern down his chest. One arm was bleeding heavily, and he looked exhausted already. I put the bow and arrow away, unsheathing my sword and walking forward, my teeth gritted. I couldn't notice the pain of my muscles; anger and the instinct for survival were keeping my temper hot. Link glanced briefly at me, and the guard turned in response in time to see me almost throwing the sword forward in a swing. It met nicely with his helmet, producing a ringing sound that dazed the guard. Link stabbed through his unprotected side, pushing the blade in deep. The guard slumped to his knees and collapsed forward. Link drew his sword and wiped the foul, black ooze off on his shirt. He hissed in pain and clutched his injured arm only briefly, then hunched down and started probing the guard's belts and hips until he found what he wanted; an elaborate iron key.

We approached the gate together and he unlocked it, pushing it open. It swung noiselessly. In fact, after our loud skirmish, the castle was dead silent. It had always had a certain quiet when it was my home, but it was a peaceful, relaxed muting of noise. This was the silence of a battlefield after the victors had gone home. We walked in slowly, looking around. I knew people had been murdered under our feet, trying to escape. I only hoped they believed me dead and not that I'd run away. The path was surprisingly bare after that initial gate; but probably anyone who wanted in badly enough to beat the two guards was not going to have much trouble defeating more. And who would want to visit Ganon and the wreck of a castle anyway? Link studied the skies until he saw the owl he'd summoned. I knew where we were headed already; the stables. We had to scramble over hills of crumbled, burnt walls on our way. I studied the grounds morosely. The years of carefully cultivated trees and bushes were charred or dead. The grass was either yellow or gone, and everywhere there were bones, some small enough to… well, too small. Smaller than they should have been. I started to feel dizzy, and I realized I'd been holding my breath. I panted for air, Link slowing down. "Am I going too fast?" I shook my head, wheezing like an idiot. He hugged me around the shoulders.

The stables were in poor shape. There were gaping holes in the roof. The trough listed to one side, empty of water. One door hung open at an angle, broken off its hinge. I glanced now and again at the castle before we entered the stables, praying the Goddesses would block us from Ganon's sight. As soon as we entered, there was the sound of hooves thumping angrily against wood, and a high-pitched horse's scream of fury. "Calm down, Epona!" Link ordered. Sure enough, she did. In the dim light I could see her. Her eyes were wide and wild. Her form was thinner than it should have been, and scars were dashed across her neck and flank like a poor attempt at stripes. Link didn't say a word, but I could feel the fury radiating off him at how his horse had been treated. She calmed down when he got close, nuzzling his cheek and biting his uninjured shoulder. "I know girl, I know," he whispered to her. "We're here now." He opened the stall door and led her out, looking around for a bridle and a saddle, anything. There were none to be found. "Oh well," Link sighed in annoyance. "I guess we'll go bareback." I scrambled up as best I could onto the horse's back, Link pushing me up with his hands before he climbed up behind me. I struggled with sitting side saddle, and gave up to straddle the horse the way he did. Link nudged Epona's hips with his heels and she started running, bursting out of the stables and flying like the wind. I held on to her mane with my fingers, bouncing along on her back as we rode away from the castle. Link's arms were pressed against my sides, his hands clutching to Epona's neck to hold himself onto the horse. I could feel his chest against my back, warm and comforting. At least I had one person to keep me company, no matter what happened.

We kept running, out of the market, over the ruined bridge. Link glanced back now and again, checking to see if we were being followed, and thankfully, surprisingly, we weren't. He let his horse slow down to a gentle canter, and I looked around the wide field. It didn't look terribly bad, destruction wise. But there was still plenty of dead or dying grass, and wide patches of cracked dirt. I simply couldn't believe this was the same Hyrule. Link was silent as I studied the ruined lands. I could barely feel his breath at the back of my neck. "We're heading to my home, your majesty. It might… not be suitable for royalty, but it's a safe place." I nodded, not bothering to correct him about the royal honorifics he insisted on using. Part of me was a little disheartened he quit using 'my lady'. "How far is your house?" I asked softly, running my fingers carefully through the horse's mane. It was tangled beyond belief, as if they'd never bothered to brush her, which wouldn't have surprised me. I worked on knots to occupy my hands, licking my lips now and again.

"It's fairly far; we might have to stop somewhere for the night."

"Where could we stop? I feel unsafe as it is."

He nodded, understanding my concern. "I'm unsure, my lady. But I'll keep an eye out for you." I believed him. It was easy to do. He'd been there with me in the Sacred Realm, had been the one to bloody take me there. I trusted him unconditionally, as much as any of the animals that lived in the castle, and that was the scary thing. Epona slowed to a walk now, and I let it go. All that could be seen of my once-home were a few towering turrets, burned and battle-scarred up close, but still magnificent from a distance. I wanted to be there. I wanted to wake up from this horrific dream in my bed, being served hot porridge with a hard boiled egg and toast. I wanted to walk around the estate in my best clothes, stroking the roses in the maze gardens with my faithful lapdogs trailing behind. But most of all I wanted my father to be alive. I started to cry bitterly, very aware of Link's closeness and trying to sniffle and sob as quietly as possible. But he didn't miss a beat. "Zelda?" he asked. I let the informality slide as he hugged me from behind, his strong arms across my chest. I was pinned against him backwards, and it felt good to be held and comforted. "You can let go now," I muttered when I was finally calm. He released me without comment.

The eeriest thing was that we were encountering no one else in our travels. There'd always been someone on the roads; traveling Zora, families heading to or from market, the occasional scout. But as we were, there was absolutely no one. When my stomach started to snarl again, I tried to hide it. Link shook his head and brought his horse to a stop, climbing down and helping me to do the same. "I'm hungry as well," he admitted. He took up his bow and a few arrows, trudging off through the dead grass in search of prey. I followed him at first, until he waved his hand in my direction, focused straight ahead. "You'll scare him," was all he replied. I stopped and sat down where I was.

He moved slowly, with purpose. I hadn't gotten much of a chance to see Link moving in his natural element. He was always wrapped in uncomfortable, stiff clothes as my regent, stepping around clumsily in dance. I hadn't realized how at home he was in the wild, returning to it. He carefully raised the bow, an arrow already on it. To watch him now, slinking like a prowling wolf, I could understand the word 'sensual' quite clearly. I watched the strong muscles in his arms and thighs tense as he crouched low. His broad shoulders flexed with his movements, moving through the thin material like it was water. Even in the middle of the day, when it was terribly inappropriate, I was wondering how I could get him to move like that, all single-minded purpose and intent. I felt heat rise up in my face, and realized with disgust that I was breathing raggedly, as if I'd been running. Panting like a dog! Over a common farm boy! I wanted to slap myself for such idiocy, and at the same time as I did so, I heard the twang of the bowstring and a pained squeal.

Link bounded forward and crouched down in the grass, standing back up and turning around. He'd gotten a rabbit. It was sadly small, but it was better than tiny mushrooms. I shifted away, a little green as Link skinned and dressed the animal, burying the heart with a murmur of apology to the goddesses. "Can I borrow some more of your dress?" he asked softly, and I obliged. It was then I remembered how he got wounded during his fight with the guards. I tore off a few small strips from my skirt, offering them to him. As he tied the skin tight, stretched across four sticks, I tore off longer, thicker swaths of ribbon. "I… you got injured back there," I muttered. He looked at the gash in his arm, which had already mostly scabbed. "It's nothin', your majesty." I shook my head. "Let me try, okay?" With a sigh, he pulled off the ill-fitting garb. The loose, cottony shirt he wore underneath still fit adequately enough. I pushed open the sleeve and bandaged his arm with some clumsy care.

All this use of the material had made my skirts a little above ankle length; at least they'd be easier to walk in now. Link thanked me when I finished tying up his arm, shrugging his coat back on. He built up a small pile of grass and small branches, centered in one of the random bare patches of earth, and lit it with a flint and the Master Sword. Flames licked reluctantly to life, and he fed it carefully before laying the rabbit on top, using another stick to turn it occasionally and roast it slowly over the fire. We sat there in silence as he prepared the food. "So… where did you learn to hunt?" I finally asked. I wanted to ask him where he learned how to move like he did, so calculatingly, making me stop and stare until I didn't know what to do with myself. I'd never seen a prince move the way he did. "My father taught me. That's where I learned most of my little skills." He looked at me with a faint smile before turning back to the food. "You're so serious," I said without thinking. Link studied me with an impassive face. "Sorry about that. My mother always said the same thing." He stirred at the fire with a stick. "Why… did you agree to be my regent?" He continued to poke and prod at the wood, thinking.

"You might not like the answer."

"Try me."

"Well," he took a little breath. "You remember why I said I came, right?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"The drought wasn't the only reason we didn't have much money. My father had fallen ill, and my mother had to hire people to come in and help work the land."

"But she sent you to the castle to beg for mercy?"

Link wrinkled his nose. "In so many words, yes. She trusted that I would do so. And, I knew my father's illness would probably get worse, and then doctor bills would pile up, and the crop was failing. So…"

"It was strictly business." I finished. Link shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't say strictly, your majesty. But the offer of a monthly pension being sent to my family was… tempting." He pulled the rabbit off the fire and used a small dagger to cut meat off the bones, and alternating eating a piece and handing me one. "As was a taste of the good life, I'm sorry to say." I felt a little bubble of sadness well in my chest. Not for his family, but for my own stupid, selfish reasons that I had been hoping he'd tell me I had captured his heart with my beauty, the stupid predictable answer all regents gave in horrid half-rupee novels before they kissed their princesses for the first time. Not for me, at least.