AN: Ok, my deepest apologies for how long this took to post, as well as how short it is. Hopefully enough happens to pacify you all. I'll try to be much more prompt with the next installment -. If all goes well, there will be only two more chapters. Don't worry, the really fluffy moments are in the next one, and the ones that make the story M rated are in the last -. Thank you all for your reviews and support, they really mean a lot to me. I wasn't expecting to get many after the last post, but I was surprised by the amount I received. Hope you all enjoy woohoo!
The mass army of soldiers was an unexpected sight to the two Hylian warriors. Even with the fastest horses Rael had to offer, it should have taken them at least another day to reach where the army was advancing. The messenger rode ahead of them, talking to a man standing near the head of the party.
The King stared dumbstruck at all the men gearing up for war. Some sat in tents, putting on their vestments; others polished or sharpened their weapons.
"How could I not have known about this…?" He trailed off, unbelieving. Link decided duty overrode propriety, knowing he had to tell the king about his war general's schemes. He made eye contact with Sheik, who still seemed slightly in shock, and understandably so. He sighed.
"Amicus is betraying you. I don't know why he's doing it, but he tried to launch the attack without your knowledge." The king's bewildered gaze switched to Link.
"Amicus? Are you certain?" Link nodded resolutely. There was no concrete evidence, but he knew in his gut it was true, and he had learned to listen to what it told him over the past few years.
The king shook his head, as if unable to take in so much new information, and let out a sigh that only one with an entire country resting on his shoulders could muster. He raised his head as they heard approaching footsteps, and he looked up to see who appeared to be the head of the regiment heading towards them.
"Is it true you want us to recall our forces sir?" He asked; the incredulous tone in his voice poorly masked. It was obvious the orders seemed absurd to him. The king nodded, looking the man in the eyes with all the authority of the king of Rael, and the man withdrew slightly.
"Yes, all troops are to be withdrawn. I was not even aware that these troops had been deployed in the first place. We must pull back while we still can, before we start an unnecessary war with Hyrule." The soldiers eyes shifted to the Hylian warriors, undoubtedly suspecting some type of brainwashing, but upon see the look of absolute authority on the kings face, he simply nodded, and walked back to the front line. He began to call out orders to pack up, which the soldiers grudgingly obeyed. Obviously they had been anticipating a glorious battle.
Link surveyed the troops as they broke camp, some were giving him poorly disguised angry looks, others were simply grumbling amongst themselves. As his eyes scanned over the sea of red, a movement in his peripheral vision caught his eye. His head snapped in the direction they had come from, and his pulse quickened as he saw the dark line advancing over the horizon.
"We have company." Sheik and the king snapped their heads in the direction Link was looking, and the king gasped slightly as Amicus rode into view, clad in more finely-crafted armor and riding what appeared to be a rather weary horse. He must have ridden the beast ragged in order to catch up to them.
Following him were a few dozen soldiers. He probably would have brought more had the supply of horses not been so small. Amicus rode forward, barely sparing Link and Sheik a glance as he looked over the crowd of soldiers.
"Brothers! Our king has been manipulated by the magic these foreigners possess. He is being controlled by them right now, why else would be call you all away on the eve of battle?" The majority of the soldiers nodded in agreement, bloodlust beginning to seep into some of their eyes.
"We must overpower them, and save his majesty!" The crowd cheered, turning to the small party of three just outside the encampment. Amicus smiled, his red eyes glinting.
"Attack!" The masses of soldiers, whether prepared for battle or no, charged towards the three men. Link and Sheik tried to brace for the attack as best they could, knowing they couldn't run away given the current situation. Dropping from the horse while the Hylian's were distracted, the king walked calmly towards the advancing men. He breathed in a deep gulp of air, and called out so everyone in the crowd could hear him before the sound was swallowed up by the desert,
"STOP!" Though unsure of themselves, the soldiers slowed their movements. Disobeying a direct order from the king could be considered treason, and none of the men knew how to react to what appeared to be a brainwashed king.
"I am fine, it is you who is being deceived. Amicus, recall those men right now or face the consequences." Amicus looked livid, and he had a desperate spark in his eyes that Link greatly distrusted.
"Sir, you aren't in your proper frame of mind, if we don't attack Hyrule now, we may never get another chance." The king's brows furrowed.
"Good. I do not plan for us to ever begin a war with Hyrule. I don't know what possessed you to try to attack them in the first place."
That was when Amicus snapped.
"What about what they did to our people Your Majesty," he spat the title sarcastically; "they treated the Sheikah like slaves! They were forced to serve the royal family of Hyrule at the cost of their very own lives! Those of us whose parents were lucky enough to escape have not forgotten the wrongdoings committed there!" He fumed, sparks flying from his eyes. Those same cutting rubies turned on Sheik, who flinched back slightly as the intensity of the stare.
"And you! Fighting alongside a Hylian warrior, wearing the crest of Hyrule's royal family on your garb. Where is your sense of duty! Do you now know what they have done?" Sheik recoiled slightly.
"I've heard enough Amicus. Wars should never be waged on the basis of one man's personal vendettas. This young lad's sense of duty is not in question; he is a better Sheikah warrior than you could ever hope to be. Consider yourself permanently relieved of duty." He turned to the crowd, giving Amicus no more of his time.
"Pack up your-" The former war general let out an infuriated yell, charging at Sheik and jabbing up into the air with his saber. Sheik, still stunned from his words, was a little slower to react. Luckily for him, Link was ready, and blocked the swing that would have otherwise cleaved Sheik's shoulder. Still on the horse, Link kicked out at Amicus with his closest foot, the man reeling backwards as the toe of the boot connected with his jaw. The Hero of Time rarely fought dirty, but in this situation, he just wanted to get Sheik and the king clear of danger as soon as possible.
Recovering from the blow, Amicus rubbed his jaw, now charging at Link, who had by then dismounted. The Hero of Time expertly met the man blow for blow. As Amicus charged again, Link slammed his fist into the ground, the familiar sphere of Din's Fire surrounding him in a protective shell. Amicus roared in rage, thrown back by the sudden wave of heat. As he stumbled, Link took the opportunity to shove the butt of his sword into his stomach, throwing him off balance.
Amicus landed on the ground with the master sword at his throat, his weapon landing a few inches away. He looked up into Link's eyes; defeated. The king motioned for two men to take him away. As he was dragged off, Amicus spat in Link's face, little bits of sand clinging to the spittle as the wind blew it around. Link wiped off his cheek, his face clear of emotion as the previous war general was dragged away, screaming obscenities.
The king brought a hand up to his brow, rubbing his temples and heaving a great sigh. He turned to Sheik, looking suddenly tired.
"Forgive me; Amicus does not know what he is talking about." Sheik merely nodded. Neither the king nor Link was convinced that he wasn't affected. The king then turned to Link,
"I shall go with you to Hyrule; I'm assuming the Princess would wish to speak to me. I would like to get this all sorted out before rumors spread." Link nodded, getting back onto his horse. His eyes were on Sheik, judging his fellow warrior's expression. He had never seen Sheik so absorbed in his thoughts before, and knew he was thinking of the Sheikah. Link could only imagine what was going through the warriors head at that moment. The king barked out a few orders, placing a rather flustered-looking new general in charge before turning back around. And so Link set his eyes ahead of them, towards their destination of Hyrule.
Sheik's thoughts had been going a mile a minute, making the day-long ride back to Hyrule seem longer than it actually was. They would have made a camp to sleep for the night had they had the proper equipment, however, they traveled onward. It came as no surprise to Sheik, therefore, when the curtain of weariness he had been keeping at bay suddenly enfolded him as Hyrule castle came into view.
He felt tired, both from the physical strain from the trip, as well as the mental shock he had received. As they dismounted the horses, Sheik felt the slight resistance his muscles gave, and knew he would need to sleep soon. He just hoped Zelda didn't require their presence at the negotiations. As they entered the castle, the king walking between and a little behind them, he felt a steadying hand on his arm, and looked over to see Link smiling at him.
Sheik felt slightly dazed by the smile.
"Are you going to make it to the throne room Sheik?" Link joked.
Sheik smiled, knowing Link was trying to cheer him up. But all he could do was nod, knowing Link would see the smile beneath the cowl. Link kept his hand on Sheik's bicep until they reached the doors leading to the throne room, trying to lend a comforting hand. They entered to see princess Zelda sitting in the throne. She was leaned over, her head in her hands. As they approached, she looked up quickly.
"Link! Sheik!" Running from the throne, she embraced them both, apparently not caring that the king of Rael saw.
"I was so worried, you were gone so long." Link rolled his eyes toward Sheik.
"We were only gone for three days Zelda."
She pulled away, an arm still around each of their shoulders, and gave Link a suspicious look.
"So you mean to tell me nothing happened?"
Sheik knew that she had somehow already figured out they were captured, and so he opted to remain quiet. Link decided not to answer the question as well, both knowing that lying would be useless. He frowned as he noticed Zelda give Link that same questioning look she had before they had left. She sighed as Link gave her a small apologetic smile.
"Epona came back without you a while ago." Zelda explained. Link nodded; so that's how she figured it out.
He had wondered where Epona had run off to. He hadn't worried, knowing that she had escaped battles like that before. Sheik cleared his throat.
"Princess, the king of Rael is here to speak to you."
Zelda looked past him to the king, who was simply looking upon the scene with a warm smile on his face. She quickly let go of the two warriors, nodding her head to the other man in the room. The king nodded back to her, before his warm expression turned serious.
"I would like to apologize on behalf of my entire country. It seems my war general failed to consult me on a few of his battle strategies." Zelda nodded, gravely.
"I assume my warriors helped you take care of that matter?"
The king smiled again, looking to Link and Sheik in turn.
"Indeed they did. You have some fine soldiers at your disposal Zelda."
She beamed, as if he had complimented her directly. She seemed to finally notice how weary Sheik looked.
"Perhaps you two should go rest. You've had a long journey."
Sheik was about to protest, wanting to help with negotiations, when he felt a hand on his lower back. He felt Link begin to guide him towards the door, talking over his shoulder.
"Send someone to get us if you need anything your majesty."
She smiled slightly at the title as they left. As they exited, four guards slipped into the chamber to watch over the proceedings. Sheik turned to Link with a questioning glare. The Hero of Time simply smiled in return, making Sheik's insides explode in to tiny fluttering butterfly wings.
"Don't even try to pretend you aren't tired."
"I wasn't, but I wanted to be present at the negotiations." Link smiled at that, still guiding him down the hallways and up stairs.
"No you didn't, you just wanted to know more about the other Sheikah." Sheik's gaze snapped up to Link's face, only to see the hero smiling at him. He didn't even attempt to deny it, knowing Link would read him like an open book.
"They won't be discussing that for a while, and you need sleep." Sheik looked to the floor. He knew it was irrational, but he didn't want to sleep until he had learned everything he could about the other warriors. A new door had just opened up to him that he didn't even know existed, and he didn't want to miss his chance.
"I need to know…"Link looked up at the quiet statement, seeing the Sheikah's glossy eyes. The amount of emotion was shocking on the face of one with such a usually stoic disposition, and Link felt slightly awed by it. He knew what the Sheikah had been through; dozens of nights by a campfire on a life-threatening mission and only a single soul to talk to worked wonders to ease the Sheikah from his protective shell. Link had been told of his lonely childhood, the pain of never knowing a family, and the devastation of losing Impa, the one connection he had to his heritage and closest semblance of family.
It had amazed him how easily he could relate to Sheik, never knowing a family himself. The two warriors had bonded immediately, like two lost souls clinging onto anything they could. Neither had experienced family, and both had been thrust into battle with little experience and the weight of the world on their shoulders.
But Link couldn't even begin to fathom the things going through his close friend's mind at that moment. Sheik had been given a new opportunity to meet the family he never knew. True, they wouldn't be related by blood, but the clan would undoubtedly welcome one of their own with open arms.
Link's arm found it's way around Sheik's form, pulling the distracted man closer.
"I know, but you're about to keel over from exhaustion." Sheik reluctantly nodded, allowing himself to be steered towards his room. Link gently opened the door, smiling when Sheik almost ran into the doorframe from lack of attention. He sat Sheik down on the bed gently, tapping under his chin to make him look up.
"I'll come wake you if anything happens, but I doubt they will discuss the matter without you present. Get some rest until then." As Link began to leave, Sheik clung to his wrist. The Hero of Time looked down into soft ruby eyes questioningly.
"Stay with me for a while?" Link smiled in return, before sitting next to Sheik on the bed. He was pleasantly surprised when Sheik rested his head on his shoulder.
"Thank you." Link raised a questioning brow.
"For what?" Sheik shifted against him.
"Everything. You always know exactly what to do to make me feel better." The Sheikah sighed into Link's neck. Link smiled softly.
"Well, that's what family is for isn't it?" Sheik looked up at the statement, shock registering on his features.
"Family?"
Link just smiled. The Sheikah probably couldn't grasp the concept of non-related family. He looked so cute with that bewildered expression on his face. Link nodded, wrapping his arm around Sheik's waist, pulling him closer.
"Yup. Whether you like it or not, Zelda and I will always be your family."
Sheik's head rose from it's original position on the Hero of Time's shoulder, still giving him a confused look, and Link had to fight the urge not to laugh.
"Sheik, just because we aren't related by blood doesn't mean that we aren't family. Family is measured by the love shown to each other." At this, his hand reached up to stroke through the meager amount of hair showing through the Sheikah's cowl.
" Zelda loves you very much…" Sheik began to lean into the hand that was now stroking his face.
"And I love you...very much" Sheik's eyes snapped open, and widened as he noticed how close their faces had drawn together.
Link's left arm was around his waist, holding them together, and his right was still placed on Sheik's face, the backs of his fingers stroking his cheekbones. Link's mind registered what he was doing, and he saw the look of realization on his face reflected in Sheik's wide red eyes. What was he doing?! He had just told Sheik they were family and now he was coming on to him?! What kind of mixed signals were those?! Family didn't flirt with each other but…well some did but…ew! Wrong turn of thought!
Link quickly tried to backtrack, thinking of a way out of this position. Sheik's searching eyes were still gazing into his, realization gradually dawning in them. Link dropped his hand, pulling away slightly.
"So you know since we're family and all do you want me to tell you a bedtime story or something?" Sheik playfully punched Link's arm, causing him to unwrap it from around his waist. Sheik's eyes gained a mischievous gleam, and he climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chest.
"Sure, what story are you going to tell me?"
Link balked. He hadn't actually expected Sheik to play along. He didn't know any good bedtime stories, let alone how to even tell one well.
"Uh sure…which one did you want to hear?" Sheik raised an eyebrow at him.
"What, you offered to tell me a story and you didn't even have one in mind?" Link scratched his head, thinking Sheik was enjoying watching him squirm a little too much.
"Yeah basically." Sheik rested his head on his arms, scrutinizing the Hero of Time still sitting on the edge of the bed. Link wondered how uncomfortable it had to be to sleep in all that Sheikah garb, despite how sexy it looked on him.
"Well then, you can just tell me what you and Zelda know about that I don't." Link's eyes flew open, looking over to Sheik's mischievous ones. He had planned that whole thing out! Link would never understand how the Sheikah was so good at that.
"Uh...what?" He flinched internally, knowing playing dumb would never work on Sheik. He honestly couldn't think of a way out of this one.
"You and Zelda have been sending each other strange glances for days now. I want to know what they're about and why I can't know about it." The Sheikah said bluntly. Link knew he was cornered. His mind briefly wondered why he was even hesitating to tell Sheik in the first place. What was stopping him? He already tried once before. He got his answer when he looked into the Sheikah's questioning yet exhausted eyes. They had just retuned home from a grueling journey, in which Sheik had discovered a life-changing piece of information, and Sheik was fighting just to stay awake.
He could only think of a handful of less romantic situations.
He sighed, knowing he had to give Sheik a pacifying answer, while telling him absolutely nothing at the same time.
"There's nothing we would keep from you Sheik. I do plan on telling you soon." Sheik's brow lifted, the playfulness from before now gone.
"How soon?" The slightly hurt look on Sheik's face caused a pang of quilt to sear through him. Link reached for his hand, seeking the familiar feeling of weather-beaten wrapping on his skin.
" As soon as I muster us the courage to tell you." He hoped the gentle smile on his face was reassuring. Though he doubted it by the look of worry on Sheik's face.
"Is it bad news? Is everything alright?" Link chuckled, his calloused thumb rubbing circles on Sheik's hand.
"I hope it's good news. You just have to trust that I'll tell you when I'm ready to ok? Don't over think it." Sheik nodded, still obviously curious, but pacified for the moment. Link felt his frame sag in relief.
"Now try to get some sleep, I'll wake you if anything interesting happens." The Hero of Time almost didn't even notice when he leaned over and kissed Sheik on the only exposed part of his forehead he could find, his lips lingering for a moment. He quickly stood up from the bed, and walked from the room, Sheik's shocked expression going unnoticed as the door swung shut.
Link quickly made his way back to the throne room. He was exhausted himself, but he intended to keep his promise to Sheik. He would listen closely to see if anything about the Sheikah came up. As he entered the room, Zelda and the King of Rael were overlooking a map. Zelda glanced up at his approach, smiling at the knowledge of where he had been. Link smiled back, before looking down at the map on the table. Zelda's voice chimed in to explain what was going on.
"Tiberus was just explaining his predicament to us." Link's eyebrows shot up, realizing they hadn't even gathered the king's name in their haste. Zelda's slender finger pointed to a mountain pass on the map located just to the South of Rael.
"Apparently Rael is being attacked from this mountain pass, the descriptions given by the general in his initial report matched those of stalfos and lizardfos. From what I gather, the attack started just a few days before Amicus tried to launch an attack on Hyrule." Link looked to King Tiberus.
"That is where the Sheikah are fighting?" Tiberus nodded, and judging by the lack of surprise on Zelda's face, she had already been informed of the new turn of events.
"Our guess is that Amicus saw an opportunity to attack Hyrule while our other Sheikah were occupied. He is one of the only few among them who still harbor a grudge against Hyrule. The others would not have approved of the action, especially under the circumstances." Tiberus explained. Link nodded, making sure to remember everything to tell Sheik later. Zelda looked to Link, her expression serious.
"From what Tiberus tells me, the Sheikah reported back four days before you arrived. The fight was progressing slowly. The general estimated it would take only a few days to clear out the enemy army. However, he hadn't heard back from the general since." Link could only guess what this information meant. Zelda continued on.
"He believes the war is still going on, and has requested our help." Link looked over to Tiberus, who suddenly appeared very haggard to his eyes. The Hero of Time could only imagine what the King had been through the past few days. Tiberus attempted a smile.
"I have heard of you're great feats, how the Hero of Time single-handedly drove the evil from Hyrule." Link shifted uncomfortably at the King's admiring stare.
" I didn't do it single-handedly. Sheik was as responsible as I was."
Tiberus smiled fondly at him.
"Ah yes, the young Sheikah boy. You two make a fine pair." Link blushed at the words, secretly pleased. The red on his cheeks was caused more from the statements double-meaning than how the king had meant them.
"Would you please aid Rael in our time of need? I understand we hardly give you reason to trust us, but we have never found ourselves in a more desperate situation."
Link looked to Zelda. He was prepared to offer a hand, but only with her permission. She smiled, and turned to the King of Rael.
"Well then, we shall go to war."
Sheik sat in bed, eyes wide and unmoving. His forehead still burned pleasantly where Link's soft lips had touched his skin. In that instant, everything Link had done seemed to make sense, if he wasn't being completely egocentric. Sheik suddenly recalled all the times Link had touched him the past few days. On the hip, the bicep, the waist, but never the shoulder. The Hero of Time had also been staring into his eyes much more intensely, and rather often. The Sheikah had begun to wonder why he was beginning to feel so nervous around Link, and now he knew why: Link had been staring at him every chance he got.
And just a moment ago, when Link had held him, Sheik had glimpsed the look in his eyes. It was only for a moment, but in that look, Sheik saw all the longing he saw in his own eyes every time he looked into a mirror. The same longing he felt when he looked into Link's immaculate face.
And the secret Link was going to tell him…could it be? Could Link really love him?
Sheik looked to the door, where the man he so desperately loved had disappeared just moments before.
If he suspicions were correct, why hadn't Link told him just now?
The thought of Link loving him back was overwhelming, and his brain finally decided it had had enough shocks for one day.
With a happy sigh escaping his throat, Sheik fell asleep with thoughts of red and blue necklaces in his mind, butterflies in his stomach, and Link's name on his lips.
"We accept your offer of friendship and will aid you in any way we can. We simply need to draw up a binding treaty, and let the warriors rest for a night." Offered the princess.
The king smiled at Zelda.
"Very well then. We shall embark in the morning. As for a treaty, I find that marriage is a most binding agreement."
Zelda and The Hero of Time were shocked. Link looked to Zelda. Surely Tiberus wasn't asking for her hand in marriage? The King then turned to Link.
"As an offering of peace, as well as a token of thanks, I offer you my daughter's hand in marriage."
