Chapter 4:

Link

"But your majesty," my father sneers, his face flushing.

"Lord," the king barks. "Do you think Link is incapable of the task?"

"Of course not sir, but Link was going to go observe the men with us. I don't think babysitting duty is really fit for the hero of time," my father says.

"I don't place my daughters' care lightly with anyone," the king sneers. He seems to be getting annoyed with explaining his reasoning to begin with, however I knew the real reason. I knew it was all Dream's doing. Somehow she had convinced the king that there was a need for me to stay, thus implementing our game. I can't help the satisfied smile from stretching across my face at the thought of her even pulling this off.

"I did not mean to offend your majesty," my father said with a demure bow. I scoff at the stiffness in his shoulders, knowing damn well the gesture was anything but forced. My fathers eyes shoot right to me and I can't help the straightening of my spine and wipe away the smug smile. Even to this day the man could send shivers through me with his icy stare.

"Link," the King calls.

"Majesty," I bow deep, meaning every respect I give.

"Do you think you're up to the task?" He cocks a graying brow.

"Of course Majesty," I say with a quick nod.

"Good. Lord Marato, let's get going," the King commands before he pivots and stalks from the room. I watch him go before my father lurches over me. He always had a way of making me feel small as he looked down his nose at me. I refuse to let him see the way he makes me feel.

"If you had something to do with this, I would suggest you correct it now," he growls.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I claim innocently, not letting my expression betray me, luckily I had plenty of practice lying to his face.

"I know you have something to do with this," he scoffs, his mouth twitched downward in annoyance.

"I'm just following orders," I remind him.

"Orders," my father scoffs. "If I figure out that this was all a ruse to stay here, so help me…"

"Lord Marato," I spot her leaning on the jam of the door, her long silken hair draping in long curls on the side of her face. My father's entire posture stiffens at her voice. She pushes off the doorway and practically glides across the stone floor. She comes beside me, throwing a lazy arm around my shoulder, my body heating in every place she touches me. "Aren't you going to be late for your little…field trip," she says with a cocky sort of grin.

I bite my lip in order to keep from smiling. I missed our games as much as missed her being this close to me.

"Lucious," The king bellows and my father straightens, tearing his glaring eyes away from us. Us. It felt so good to hear that again. The Hero of Time and the Irreverent Princess Thief. Quite a pair. My father throws another glare our direction to which Dream waves playfully. He tosses one more sneer before stalking after the king.

"I can't believe you did it," I say when he is finally out of earshot. She pulls back pacing in front of me with a smug sort of smile.

"I told you that you tend to underestimate me," she tilts her head, puffing out her bottom lip in an innocent pout that is anything but.

"How could I," I scoff, rolling my eyes. She playfully punches my shoulder laughing in a way that has my heart straining. I laugh too and it's jarring enough that I stop. I hadn't laughed in gods knows how long. Her own face falls as if she can see my own surprise, its enough to have the backs of my eyes burn. I hadn't realized how far down I had fallen into myself that I had forgotten how to laugh.

"Any who," she finally says, her own eyes dancing with emotion. "Shall we commence our game." She smiles in a way that bodes of trouble.

"Hide and Seek?"

"Hide and Seek," she parrots with a toothy grin. "Deals the same as last night. If I can loose you before nightfall you forget about this nonsensical overprotective act and never breathe a word of my extracurricular escapades."

"Finely put," I cut in. She shakes her head, rolling her eyes. "And if I win…"

"Yeah yeah," she chides, waving her hand dismissively as if that wasn't even an option. "If you win I will go about being the demure little princess."

"I doubt demure is even in your vocabulary," I scoff.

"Whatever. Is it a deal," she reaches her hand out to shake mine.

"Deal."

A grin splits across her face as her eyes dance with amusement. "Shall we commence." She gestures to the space ahead of me and I turn. That is my first and only mistake as I swivel back around she is already rounding the corner behind me. And thus our day of catch begins.

Six hours later Dream's lays slumped against the fainting couch in her room, arms crossed in a pout. After her first disappearing act she hadn't been successful enough to attempt another. She had a good ten minutes of being a step ahead before I tracked her to the old barn in the training grounds of the guards. She had been trying to give me the slip the rest of the day to no prevail and was now sulking because of it.

"Seem's I underestimated you," she growls. I can't help the prideful tilt of my chin as I narrow my eyes and smirk. She snorts and turns back towards the window as if contemplating the means of jumping out of it. I move myself, angling my body in front of it and tossing a, Don't even think about it, look towards her. She rolls her eyes as she notices the day turning gold outside. The sun is beginning to set which means our deal is practically over. I smile again when she notices.

"Looks like I'm winning," I flash another smirk that has her stiffening.

"Fine," she growls, slapping her hands on the sautee.

At that moment the door to her room opens and on instinct I reach for my blade. When a familiar set of blue eyes and tan skin round the door and fall on us I relax.

"There you are," Max sneers towards Dream. He comes forward placing his hands on his hips as if in a defiant mood. "I thought you said you would lose him in a heartbeat." He laughs playfully, his eyes dancing between us. "Seems you were wrong."

"Don't start Max," she growls and I cross my arms smugly.

Max only laughs while surveying the window beyond. "Well you're going to be late if you don't get ready now."

Dream shoots up and on instinct I straighten too. "Shit." She says looking towards the setting sun. "I am supposed to meet with Zelda and the girls about the ball in like ten minutes." She looks down and winces at her outfit and then turns to me. "I need to change," she says and I shake my head.

"Not a chance," I say leaning back again. I know the sun is practically set but I don't trust that she won't try jumping out the window.

"You won okay, but if I am late than its on you and I will have her direct her wrath accordingly," she snaps. I don't move and when she can tell she is getting nowhere she huffs.

"Fine," she says reaching down her tunic to pull it over her head and I get a full view of her perfectly round breasts peaking out over the lacy black material of her undergarments. My eyes can't help themselves as they travel along the expanse of tan skin.

"Fuck Dream," I bark turning towards the window.

"What it's not like you haven't seen me naked before," she laughs. It was true, I had seen Dreamana naked before, but the breasts were new. I feel my face flush further as my body goes liquid just thinking of that expanse of skin behind me. My cock suddenly throbbing in my pants and I scold my body on even reacting.

I can hear the rustle of more clothes being shucked off and try not to peak over my shoulder.

"Oh I like those panties," Max says and I feel myself flush even further. I take deep breaths in and out focusing on anything besides the naked girl behind me being ogled by another male. I wait for her response but I doesn't come and then warning bells go off and I turn to find Max picking up a pair of discarded underwear beside the sautee when Dream can no longer be found.

"What," I growl as Max gives me an innocent smile that is practically a reflection of Dreams. I wonder if her bad behavior is rubbing off on him like it once did on me.

"Where," I demand and Max only shrugs.

"Sorry handsome," he says standing. "If it's any consolation I didn't think you would look away so quickly." My face flushes further. "I told her there was no way you would take your eyes off her if she stripped in front of you, but I guess I was wrong."

I can feel my insides clench, how did she know I would look away?

"Where did she go Max," I growl.

"Hell if I know," he shrugs but I don't believe him. "Good luck." He calls as he hurries from the room.

I turn to observe the sky and the almost set sun. I can't believe how everything went south so quickly. I launch into action, looking around the room into every nook and cranny she might be hiding but come up empty. I ran from the room calling for her and searching. I can feel my heart pounding. She had been planning this shit all day, waiting for my guard to be at its lowest and somehow had planned for Max to come at the exact moment. She had played me and I had fallen right into it. I had taken the bait.

I run into the courtyard just as the sun sets below the horizon and the finality of our deal sets in. My gut twists, how had I ever thought she would play fair. I suppose she did it in her own way, but to use her body against me.

A whistle sounded from above and as I looked up towards the rooftop of the castle I recognized the sheet of chestnut hair peeking over the railing. Dream gives me a little wave from our secret place and I sneer at her as I rush back into the castle and up towards the roof. A few minutes later as I burst through the door, she is leaning casually against the rail with a little satisfied smile that has me bursting at the seams with anger.

"You cheated," I bark as I advance on her. She doesn't even flinch as I come toe to toe with her. It's not as if I am surprised by it, Dream was never the person who backed down first, but I had seen enemies flinch away from me now for years and yet here she was all five foot five looking up at me as if she were looking down.

"Me," she says innocently. "I would never cheat."

"You used Max as a distraction," I growled.

"If I had known Max would be so distracting to you…" she wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

"That's not what I…" I can feel the pink creeping up my neck.

"Hey to each their own," she laughed, raising her hands in innocence.

"You cheated," I say through clenched teeth.

"I hadn't realized there were rules against using all means," she says with a smile. "Plus I didn't realize how repulsed by my body you would become," she says innocently but I can feel the loaded words there.

"I was being a gentleman," I say.

"Well it cost you," she says patting my shoulder in a, that a boy, way.

"I want a rematch," I say but she only laughs.

"Oh please," she says, sidestepping around me. "I would love to indulge your ego and all but I have places to be." She reaches the railing before I get a chance to wrap my head around it.

I lost.

She throws her legs over and I am there in an instant grabbing her back.

"No," I bark. "No more Dream."

"Sorry but…"

"I will tell your father," I snap and her face falls, eyebrows bunching.

"We had a deal," she hisses.

"I don't care," I say. "What you're doing is dangerous. You're putting yourself at unnecessary risk and I am tasked with keeping you safe."

"Going back on your word hm?" She hums her eyes saying more than her words. "Sounds familiar."

"What does that mean?" I growl.

"It means I am not at all surprised by the kind of man you've become, Link," she says, tilting her chin back. I can see the hurt in her eyes. "Judging by all your actions so far I don't know why I thought…" she laughs without any humor. Something hardens in her expression before she turns back to me. "The Link I knew died a long time ago."

My heart skips a beat. My whole body stiffening as she yanks from my grip and turns for the hatch door.

She didn't mean it.

"Dream," I call my voice breaking.

"Don't bother," she snaps before leaving me in our secret place.