"Now, your majesty, you promised to tell us where you had gone off to."
I stared at them both for a few minutes, worrying my lower lip, trying to think of a way to accurately portray what had happened. "Well…" I looked back to Link, and he stepped forward, further into the light. It stunned me to realize how haggard the journey had also rendered him; or perhaps it was just the fact that we were both so much older now. "I can't adequately explain what happened to us, as I hardly understand it myself." I looked back and forth, the men nodding. "Well… do you know the legend of the Master Sword?"
"That he who wields it will be the Legendary Hero, that it will lead the destined ones to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce," my guard answered. Link chose this moment to pull the Master Sword from his sheath and lay it on the table. The men stared with wide eyes. He looked round at them, looking stern and handsome. "This is the Master Sword. We have been to the Sacred Realm. Time is suspended there. It does not flow the same as it does in Hyrule. We were there for five years, and we have spoken with the Goddesses." I studied the grain of the table. "That is where we were." Cautiously, the old guard picked up the Master Sword and studied it. "Impeccable," he muttered. "It is as if the Goddesses themselves forged it."
"They very well may have," Link replied. I could feel him standing close behind me, and it gave me pinpricks on the back of my neck. The guard handed back the sword, Link immediately resheathing it without further comment. "Tell me, why are the buildings, my home- the entire country a right mess?"
"It's all Ganondorf's influence," the old farmer spoke up. "Something evil hovers about him; it's poisoning our country. Can't hardly grow no crops because of it; all th' animals are malnourished an' sick. The Zora have been having ill luck still; their princess is still safe from the ich, but there's very few of them left. There's less'n a hundred, from what we've heard." I stared, my mouth agape. "They used to number in the thousands," I whispered in shock. The farmer nodded. "Used to, your majesty."
I closed my eyes. I couldn't take this anymore. "Something has to be done," I whispered, shaking my head. The guard nodded. "We're with you every step of the way, your majesty." I sniffed and wiped tears from my eyes. "I know, I know." With a sigh, my former elite stood up. "We will be honored to offer you shelter and clothes. Do not worry; this is more of an interrogation room, hence the pungent odors. You won't be staying in here."
"Thank you," I murmured, standing and holding my guard's hands with both of my own, then the old farmer's. "Truly. We… I don't know how we would have lasted."
The men led us out of the small building, leading us back into the center of the broken town. A few battered women and dirty children stood out now, their clothes smudged with dirt and dust, tattered but no holes- those that would have been were mended neatly. They stared at both Link and myself as we trudged along the dusty path. I lowered my head, feeling guilty. I could not stand to look at these people that I had let down so horribly in the times when they needed me most.
We were led to a wide building. Inside it was rather empty, but clean. Cots were stacked everywhere, along with blankets, some with holes, and defeated pillows that could hardly support themselves. I was grateful just for people who were good and kind, opening their homes to us. I could feel a gnawing in my stomach again. The rabbit really hadn't been enough. But I was already taking space from these people I'd left behind, and I was not going to demand nourishment as well. I settled in on a cot, curling up with my knees to my chest. Link sat down on the one next to mine, looking around the wide space. "And you've been surviving here like this?" I asked an old lady softly, as she was approaching with clean blankets and pillows. She nodded, smoothing her hair back with her hands after I retrieved the things from her.
"It's the best we have, your majesty. We took what we could from our homes."
"No, no, I'm not… I'm not ungrateful, please believe me on that." I looked up at her with wide eyes. "I am just… I'm ashamed that I could not be here to protect you." The old woman nodded, her stance and eyes softening. "I did not run away willingly. I was taken." She sat down on the cot next to me and hugged me, as if she were my own mother. "There there now. No one's blamin' you." I didn't believe her. I was certain they did. All of them. Why wouldn't they blame me, when I'd abandoned them to be tortured? The woman left, and I laid down on my back on the cot, pulling the blanket up over my body and staring at the ceiling. The pillow barely cupped my head. Link rustled in the blankets on his own cot, folding his arms over his chest and staring at the ceiling as well. I hadn't realized how long we'd been talking with the two men. Or maybe our sense of time was just warped. Link rustled some more, and I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. He'd rolled on his side, facing me, and his green outer tunic was off. "Your majesty," he asked softly. I turned my head toward him.
"Yes?"
"It's not your fault." I looked away, staring resolutely at the ceiling and blinking rapidly. He sighed. "Look at me." I glanced over at him. Link was frowning a little. "I mean it. It's not your fault." I turned away again and sniffed. "These people hate me. I abandoned them." I just wanted to be alone; to close my eyes and think to myself.
I heard Link sigh again, and shift to roll over and sleep. But I couldn't. I laid awake, staring off into space, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. A thought cropped up in my head; wasn't I sick of crying about my country all the time? Wouldn't I rather do something about it? Of course I would; but I didn't know what to do. I sat up and looked around. We were the only ones in the room at the moment; everyone else was probably eating or doing whatever they usually did during the day. I climbed off the cot, wobbling, looking down at my attire. It was so hot- sweat was constantly soaking the back of my dress. I frowned and picked at the ragged bottom. I'd loved this dress; designed it to my own specifications, picked the material and beads and everything. And here I was, tearing it to bits. My former life was reflected in the dress. I was peeling it away, revealing the stifled woman underneath.
I didn't actually start to tear it up, though. What else would I wear? Instead, I tore off a thin swatch and used it to tie my hair up in a messy bun. Already, I felt better. The sweat evaporated off my neck as I fanned it rapidly with my hands, my eyes closed. I sighed when all was done, and looked at Link, surprised that he was sleeping. Then again; he'd had it much harder than me. He'd been having to do everything for me; getting the horse, building the fires, finding the food, keeping watch all night, leading me around; everything I'd needed, he'd done. And I'd never bothered, not once, to thank him for staying by my side. It was no longer in the realm of him playing as my regent protector. Was it part of his sense of duty to the goddesses? I had to walk around; to be up off my feet. Outside of the building, I could hear hushed voices, and I couldn't quite understand what they were saying. Instead of listening in, I continued walking around in circles, staring down at my muddy, dusty boots. They used to be such nice things, leather lined with wool to keep my feet warm. Now they smelled awful, the wool was yellowed from my sweat, and the seams were coming apart. I couldn't believe how much my feet had seemed to grow in four years. I sat back down on the cot I was granted. Link was sleeping soundly, hugging the pillow tight to his face. I noticed that under his eyes were dark bruises; from only a few nights of staying up and making sure I was safe? I sighed and laid back down on the cot, closing my eyes. Perhaps it was best if we both rested for now.
I woke up because someone's hand was over my mouth, their arm tight across my hips. I squeaked and thrashed desperately against their grip, only for a low voice to hiss in my ear, "Be still, your majesty!" I relaxed, breathing harshly with my panic against Link's rough hand. Outside, I could hear a voice that made my blood run cold. Ganondorf's form was silhouetted against the windows, a fire raging to outline him. "Well?!" he commanded. His voice boomed through the desolate town. "You said you had the queen, where is she? Bring her out here!" We'd been betrayed.
Link held me captive in a corner of the large room where we'd been sleeping, behind a stack of boxes to keep us out of sight. He looked around behind him, but there was no way for us to run out. "Stay here," he whispered in my ear, pulling away and heading to the opposite corner. I curled up and watched him. If Ganondorf caught us, he'd kill us both. I felt my blood run cold. He no longer cared about gaining the pieces of the triforce; he just wanted to hold Hyrule in his grasp.
I forced myself to look away from the man outside, looking around for Link. He was swearing quietly; there really wasn't another way out besides the main entrance. I could hear Ganondorf shouting again at the timid people. "If you won't find her, I will!" He headed away from our building and deeper into the city. Link headed back over to me and then past to the wall, opposite from where he'd been, testing his fingers on the window before giving it a push. It creaked at the same time as a boom of thunder. We took it as a sign that the goddesses were helping us, and Link pushed the window open further, wriggling out through it on his stomach and pulling me after him. My wide hoop skirt got stuck on the pane, and he gritted his teeth, climbing back in and reaching up my dress to pull it off. I managed to wriggle my hips out of it, climbing down face-first into the dusty ground next to the building. Link followed me out and helped me up, and we ran behind the buildings. Behind us, we heard Ganondorf roaring at the displaced villagers, but we couldn't understand him. We got to the tunnel quickly and ran, making our escape.
Link stayed right behind me. I could heard him panting, and his hand was on my back. It was much easier to move now without my cumbersome hoop skirts. We were walking through the heat of the tunnel, and it seemed stronger than I remembered. There was a booming roar echoing through the tunnel, and I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. Link pushed on my back, and I stumbled, trying to hurry on my way with hushed apologies. "Just keep going," he ordered. I could see a gleam on the walls of the tunnel. Link had the Master Sword unsheathed, lighting our way. We kept running. When we broke free of the cave, Link took the lead. He grabbed my hand and we stumbled down the trail as quickly as possible. "I can't believe this happened," he muttered darkly. I realized that he wasn't angry; he was hurt. He was stunned that people who would have connected with him the best had given us away. And I didn't know what to say to make it better.
When we got to the decimated remains of Kakariko, we broke into a run. Link pulled me by the hand, running much faster than I could. His horse was missing; stolen again, we could assume. But he whistled for her, and she came running. We stopped long enough for both of us to climb up, and then we were off again, the horse doing the running for us.