After the body was hauled away in the back of a cart, Ganondorf decided even that was too risky. The cart driver was instructed to toss the whole bag at once into the river, and he was paid an extra sum to mention it to no one. And once the burden was completely gone, he knew he could relax and enjoy the calm in his nerves, finally.
Though it was late, he went to go see Sila. His dear wife was asleep, curled up on her side towards him. He crept down next to her bed and reached out hesitantly with one hand, lightly touching his thumb to the crease between her eyebrows.
Her breath hitched, and her eyes shot open. In a second, her hand had gone to her thigh and pulled a smart little knife from the sheath, holding it to his neck.
It took her another second to recognize her husband.
"Oh—oh—oh my darling, I am so sorry." She immediately replaced the knife. "You startled me, was all."
He touched his neck and looked at his fingers, but there was no blood. She was careful, at least. "It is my fault. I shouldn't have snuck in on you." He lifted himself and sat down on the edge of the bed, and Sila slowly sat up. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm… alright." She put her hands on his shoulders. "Just a little sore."
"I'm sorry." He put his arms around her and kissed her. "I'm not… used to it."
"To what?" She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling.
"To being close to someone." He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. "There aren't many that…"
Sila shifted so that she was sitting up better, wanting to look into his face. She went on full alert. Any of this information could be useful.
"I'm sure you've noticed that… I have control issues. I get angry. If it frightens you, I apologize. I can't always…"
She kissed him. "It's alright. Really. It must be difficult when… because you've been so long without anyone. Someone to listen to what you have to say." She smiled. "I'm right here."
He nodded, looking at her. "Perhaps when you are healed, we can… I don't want to hurt you anymore."
"It was an accident," she assured him. "It happens." She hugged him again. He wrapped his arms around her.
"What are you doing to me?" he asked softly in her ear.
"I don't know what you mean."
"You are changing me."
She tensed, anticipating anger, but his grip on her remained loose and comfortable.
"I don't know how, or why," he whispered fiercely.
"Maybe it's for the better," she suggested politely.
"I don't LIKE it!" he snapped, his breathing harsh. "But you are doing something to me, what is it? What is it, you desert WITCH?"
He pushed her back and grabbed her by the wrists, giving her a quick shake. She winced. "You're hurting me," she muttered, her voice going flat. He still gripped her, looking into her face, and she narrowed her eyes, looking up at him with anger. "Let. Me. Go."
They stared at each other. Even though her skin would be bruised all to hell in the morning, Sila kept a level gaze with him. Finally, he dropped her hands, but they continued to stare at each other.
"Please go now."
He looked at her wrists, the skin already going a deep purple. He reached to touch her hands, as if to apologize, and she slapped his hands away sharply. "Get out, now."
Ganondorf stood, and he left. He was in his rooms and stopped as he stared at his bed. Had he just been cowed by his wife? Rebuked like a spoiled child? No longer was he angry; he was mystified.
/
Zelda looked over her letter to Linna several times. It was short, succinct.
Dear Linna,
I saw the flyers. You can take them down; I assure you I am alive and well. You have no reason to look for me. I will return home when I can. For now,
and here she paused. She wanted to give Linna some indication that it was actually from her; so that she wouldn't believe it was a false letter. But what? She drummed her fingers nervously on the little table.
For now, tell everyone not to worry. I am safe. Please, water my gladiolus.
It was the easiest thing she could think of; Zelda's favorite flowers were the gladiolus, and as such there was always a little square of their farmland set aside for them.
She folded the letter over neatly, and, after a few minutes of hesitation, she headed to Link's room.
She knocked, but there was no response. She tried not to listen too carefully, but she could hear a woman crying out in pleasure, and a faint thumping. She rolled her eyes.
It took a little while, but eventually the sounds stopped, and she could hear quiet laughter. Zelda stepped away from the door. Maybe she should come back at another time. She didn't realize how sharply it stung, and as she thought about Alejandro, she ran her fingers over her baby bump. Never again. Never again.
Fresh tears sprung to her eyes and she slowly slumped down onto the floor, and she let herself cry a little bit.
"Don't be so sour," a voice said from above her. She looked up at an unfamiliar guard. The guard shrugged. "He belongs to all of us, and none of us. He does threesomes, if that's your sort of thing."
"What? … What? I'm crying over my dead husband, not… not the biggest slut in the kingdom."
The guard shrugged her shoulders, and casually opened the door to Link's rooms. "You have a visitor," she called to him. "Hey, Lissi."
She shut the door again, and looked at Zelda. "He'll be out shortly." Then, she turned and continued her patrol.
Zelda forced herself to her feet. It took a little time, but soon Link peeked out, stepping out of the room and shutting the door.
"What is it?"
"Here." She held out the letter and turned to walk away.
"Wait."
Zelda stopped and looked at him. "Anything else?"
"Why does it bother you so much?"
"What?"
"I've told you; we have reasons for doing this."
"Don't you worry? About pregnancy, about sicknesses, anything?"
He shrugged. "We know of different herbs that can be used to prevent pregnancy. And why does it bother you so much? What do you care about us?"
Zelda folded her arms. "I guess it's just the way I am. Won't someone get hurt? You say it's just… something done to relieve stress, but are you sure that's all it is to everyone?"
He sighed. "It's… I'm just a tool to them, essentially. It's not a big deal."
"You admitted as well that you love Sila. Aren't you more than a tool to her?"
"Even if I am, she's not coming home, for a long time." He fingered the edge of the letter. "You can go take this to the falconer."
"The what?"
He pointed. "If you go down the other way, and then head to the back of the fortress, there's a little room with a dozen desert hawks and things. Hira should be there; she's the falconer. You can send this letter that way."
He handed it back, and Zelda crumpled it slightly in her fingers. They looked at each other for a second, and she noted the lines around his eyes, his haggard face.
"Go on," he ordered, turning away from her and going back into his rooms.
Zelda hesitated, but there was nothing more to say, and he wouldn't have listened.
/
A month ticked by. In the desert, the heat was starting to settle in for summer, and the Gerudo were hauling in extra supplies, as much as they could afford. Zelda never got a response from Linna, so she assumed all was well. Link had watched the Hylians pack up and leave the mines. They were wise to finish before it got too hot.
Zelda's belly continued swelling, and she could feel the baby kicking vigorously, sometimes so sudden it woke her out of sleep. Her aim was improving all the time. Now, a guard wearing armor was to ride back and forth while holding the target, to challenger her further. It was this that was her latest hang up; she didn't want to hit the guard.
"Are you even going to be able to do it?" the guard shouted in anger at her.
"Of course I am!" Zelda yelled back.
The guard flung the target to the ground. "No! I don't think you will!" She climbed down from her horse. "You're not a soldier! You're just… just a little housewife!"
"So what if I am? What's the problem with that? I don't go around killing people!"
"Then what the hell are you doing here?" The guard stormed over to her.
"I don't know!" Zelda stopped. "I… I do know. My husband, he—
"Yeah, yeah, we know. Everyone knows." The guard shifted her weight, pulling the helmet off. "So are you going to do it when it comes down to it? The king won't stand still and ask it to be done."
"I know."
She looked down at Zelda's belly, and her aggression cooled. "How far along are you?"
"A while. I've only a few months to go." She rubbed her stomach. "Do you want to touch it?"
"Ah, yeah." The guard hesitated, then put her hand on Zelda's stomach.
"He kicks a lot," Zelda said when the girl's eyes went all wide with surprise.
"Oh, you know what it is?"
"Um…" Zelda frowned a little. "Yeah."
"How do you know?"
"Well…" But Zelda couldn't recall; she felt someone had told her, but she didn't know who or how.
"Oh! He kicked again!" The guard gasped in surprise, and burst into laughter, taking her hand back. "Oh wow… that's so weird. We don't get too many pregnancies around here."
"Do you want kids some day?" Zelda asked.
"Oh, well, maybe. But I'm not counting on it." The guard shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe when we move into the castle."
"The castle?" Zelda looked at her in surprise.
"Well, yeah. Sila is going to need ladies-in-waiting and nurses for the child. Link is probably going to send a bunch of us in to do so."
"Oh, good." For a second, Zelda had thought that Link was planning a takeover once she…
The guard picked up the target again, and went to put it back. "I'm gonna head in. You should, too. It's starting to get hot."
/
In Hyrule, it was a little cooler. Sila had gone out into the gardens to see how they were growing, even though she'd been told everything was just starting to bud and nothing would be blooming. She was wrapped in a long coat against the chill.
"And here the foxgloves will be coming in. Near those are the delphiniums, nasturtiums are a little ways down…" One of the royal gardeners was explaining the strange plants to her, and Sila peered closely at each one, trying to memorize their names.
"Will they smell nice?" she asked.
"Oh yes, Your Majesty. The gardens are filled with only the most beautiful and fragrant flowers, to please you."
"When will they bloom?"
"In a few months yet, when it is warmer. I suspect the little prince will be born by that time."
Sila nodded. "Very good. Um… which ones can survive a hotter climate?"
"Ah… well, here are the hardier plants."
"I would like to send some to my home, as a greeting. We don't have many such plants in the desert. Mostly cactus."
"Unfortunately, those don't grow too well up here," the gardener said with a little smile. "Otherwise I would've planted one for you."
She smiled. "I would have been honored. The cactus is a good plant. It makes me think of my people. We survive even in the harshest of times."
The gardener nodded. "Yes. It's a tough plant. Sometimes, even beautiful when it blooms." He looked at her, then away, embarrassed. Sila laughed, as it seemed the gardener was coming on to her, if accidentally. She looked deeper into the gardens, hypnotized by the tidy rows of brown and green.
"Go on," she directed, following him into the hedges to explore the rest of the garden.
/
Ganondorf had been trying very, very hard. The old woman had done alright in abating his bloodlust, and the warming weather also gave him an excuse to leave the castle. He wasn't exactly ignoring his wife, but he wanted space and fresh air, places to calm his head. Sila had been cool towards him since that night, and he did not come to seek her out, claiming he wanted her to get her rest.
The sale of the Gerudo copper had gone well. Termina had bought most of it, and now he was able to siphon the money into his summer home, into the nursery, and a little into rebuilding some of the buildings and roads of Hyrule.
The ore wasn't worth much before refinement. His accountants had weighed it carefully and calculated the payout for the purchase of it as ore, before sending the money off to Gerudo as per their agreement. Once that was done, it was processed, and the gleaming metal, clean and pure, was then sold to neighboring countries at the high price of processed copper, netting a far wider profit for Hyrule.
The glass was a little trickier; only small amounts of the sand could actually be used to melt down into glass for bottles and windows, leaving the majority of it useless. It was returned to the desert, and Ganondorf only paid the country for the portions of sand that could be used.
As such, Link was disappointed when he realized the deal may be far worse for them that he had thought, but he said nothing to anyone else. At least now they could afford more water and food, by a certain margin. And once Sila overtook the castle, he would renegotiate the peace treaty to be more beneficial.
Ganondorf did not do much hunting anymore, either. Instead, he sent parties of some of his noble 'friends' to do so, claiming he had too much work, too much to focus on. Sila grew frustrated, as she knew Link was waiting for an opportunity. In the middle of the month, Link had sent her two doves as a pregnancy gift. When she tied a little note to one bird's leg thanking him, and sent it from the window, it came back in a few hours with a new note that was simply the letter L. So, she understood, this would be how she got hold of him quickly.
She kissed the little slip of paper and tucked it into her jewelry box for safekeeping. Now and again, missing him swept over her in a wave. She forced it to pass, her face grim with determination. When it proved too difficult and her longing for him was sharp and painful, she gave up and went to Ganondorf's rooms, knocking lightly.
"Come in," he called out. He looked up with a nod when he saw it was her. "How are you feeling today?"
"I am well," she replied in a calm tone. "How are you?"
He shrugged. "I am doing quite good. What do you need?"
She approached him, stepping in behind his desk and carefully settling on one leg. "My husband?" she asked quietly.
"Sila…" he muttered, as she took his hand, kissing the fingers. "You know we shouldn't. You are getting too close to laying in."
She tried to guide his hand under her skirts. "Please, my love."
"I don't want to injure you again. And I have books that need balancing."
"There are more ways to—
"NOT. Now." He cleared his throat. "Not right now. I have to tend to work. Control yourself, for Din's sake."
Sila bristled. "I am quite in control, sir."
"Can't you go learn embroidery or something? Is this all you do, complain and fuck?"
Oh great, he was in a mood. That meant a hunt very soon.
"Do you have to insult me so? Perhaps I could do more if you would talk to me. If you would tell me what you are working on so that I can learn to rule as effectively as you do."
"And why would you need to do that?" He watched her very closely.
"So that, if need be, I can help you. I can take some of the burden of ruling a kingdom off your shoulders. We are in this together. You need to remember that."
Ganondorf hesitated, looking at her. "I've been ruling this kingdom alone for a long time…" he started.
"Yes, through war and peace. It's very admirable. But Hyrule is growing. Its economy is improving, more people are coming to town… you're going to need help. That's what I want to do. I just want to help you make this country better." She kissed the palm of his hand, stroking it lovingly. Inside she felt sickened. "Please."
Finally, he relented. "Alright then. Here." He turned her around in his lap, looping one arm around her waist and starting to read out loud from their accounting book. Sila looked at everything, her eyes wide and non-blinking. Very valuable information was before her, very valuable indeed.
She settled in against Ganondorf's chest. Under his shirt, she could feel the key pressing into her arm. She hoped the little chunk of putty she'd hidden in the bed frame was still there.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, Ganondorf was pleased that Sila had wanted to learn. At first he'd assumed she was there to spy, then that she was too dim to be of much use besides creating heirs, then that she was using some sort of strange, desert curse on him. Now, he wondered only if he was being foolish and paranoid. He put his head to her shoulder, kissing it gently. Sila smiled a little to herself and set her pen down once the column she was checking had been totaled up.
"Now," she said, taking his free hand. "It's time for me to teach you."
/
Zelda was walking around the grounds of the fortress. She'd woken up with her child kicking sharply, and muttering curses, she decided to stand up, in the hope that it would calm them both back to sleep. The moon was a thin crescent, and the sand still carried the warmth of the sun. It wasn't altogether unpleasant. She halted, wary, when she saw another figure doing similar. Oh, she realized, it was Link.
He looked restless as well, and he was idly kicking at the sand, his hands on his hips. Slowly, she approached him.
"Hey."
He looked up in surprise; apparently he hadn't seen her. "Oh. Good evening."
"Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Couldn't sleep," he replied curtly.
She nodded. "Sounds like my story."
Far across the desert, they heard the mournful sound of a wild dog howling.
"I've been having strange dreams," Link said suddenly. "Not sure… what they are. I never remember them when I wake. But… I know they're important."
Zelda felt a chill from more than the desert cold, but she said nothing.
"I want this over with soon. Before Sila has her child."
"I want it done, too. I want to go home."
"How is your archery?"
She tucked some hair behind one ear. "It's passable."
"I'm rethinking sending you to the castle."
"Oh?" She fiddled with her wedding ring.
"You're too far along. I think you would be more noticeable in your condition. It might not be safe to use you as a spy."
"Then what if Sila doesn't know when he goes on a hunt? We need some sort of spy presence in the castle."
He took a deep breath.
"I am thinking I will invite him to hunt with me."
"You'll lure him out?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Link looked out towards the desert, then back to her. "Which woods are it with wild boar?"
"The west."
"I can take him there."
"Is that your plan?" Zelda gripped his shoulder. "You keep changing it on me. I'm never sure what you want done, and you're not keeping me in the loop."
Link looked at her for a while. "Well."
"Why do you keep changing your mind? Tell me, right now, what is going to happen. And we will do exactly that."
"I want to lure him into the woods. Alone. Then, when it's just us, I am going to face him, and challenge him. I want to cut him down, leave him bleeding. If need be, I want you to distract him, but nothing more. He isn't a safe man."
"No, there's something you're not telling me, and I want to know." Zelda got in his face. "You keep saying over and over, he's dangerous, he's bad for Hyrule. You tell me."
"He… he just can't be allowed to rule. It will end badly for Hyrule if he does."
"How do you know this?" she shouted. "You can't possibly know that for sure! This is all just what you think will happen!"
Link grew angry. "Because if I am king of Hyrule, the Gerudo won't die out!" he shouted back.
Zelda leaned away from him, and she folded her arms. "Well. Was that so hard?"
Link cursed, then leaned into her, talking quietly. "Gerudo is dying. The plants the girls are ingesting… soon they can't get pregnant at all, even when they stop taking it. And our casualties and the wars bankrupted most of the country. We're… all that's left."
"Then stop fucking them!" she whispered angrily. "Think with your other head!"
He glowered at her, but continued. "Sila is important, because she is the last one who is pregnant. She can still reproduce. And you…" he touched her stomach gently, and she stepped back from his grasp. "I want you to stay here, so that…"
"So that my baby will join up with the Gerudo. It's not going to happen. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I will be going with you to those woods, now."
He narrowed his eyes. "You have to. We know where you live."
"Oh, so now we come down to the threats." She put a hand to her thigh, on her dagger.
"Are you going to slay me? Do you not think my soldiers would come after you?"
"I can seek asylum at the castle."
"I'm sure they'll be accommodating. 'Help me, Your Majesty! I killed the desert king because he threatened me when I said I wasn't going to assassinate you!' Do you really think they'll be so kind? Sila herself would slip into your room and slit your throat as soon as she was able."
Zelda knew she was trapped, but she was angry as well, and she let her mouth fly. "You can just get one of your whores to do it, then."
He slapped her quickly, and just as quickly she withdrew her dagger and cut him across the palm. It was shallow, but a thin line of blood appeared across the skin.
"Bitch," he hissed. "Don't you call them that."
"True. Why call them that? You're the real slut. You'd probably fuck a sheep if it got too close."
"You're happy to go beg at the mercy of your own husband's killer! I'd rather fuck a sheep than beg like a dog to a murderer!"
"You don't have ANY proof that he's done it!"
"You don't have any proof to the contrary, but clearly you believed me so badly, you came running here as soon as you could! What, were you hoping to get a pity fuck from me?"
"What? That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Who knows what you're riddled with? Farore herself couldn't get me to even touch you!" Zelda winced and put a hand to her back. The strain and her pounding heart had her baby dancing painfully on her spine.
"You will do it, if I have to drag you out there myself."
"I will miss," she snarled. "Just to spite you."
"Then maybe I should kill you after I kill him."
"How do you know I won't shoot you instead?"
They glared at each other. Link's hand was clotting, and he looked down at it, flexing the fingers, then back to her. There was a dark grin on his face, and she stepped back, holding the dagger waist-high.
"You're a lot like her," he said.
"Who?"
"Sila. Angry, impulsive… she and I fought like this at first, too."
"Well, if you think I'm going to become your number one w.. woman, than you're in for disappointment."
"I know." He closed his hand tight again, and he calmed, his smirk fading. "I'm sorry." He slumped down onto the sands. "I'm terrible at this. I can barely hold this country together. I never should have been made their leader."
He seemed calm, but Zelda was wary. She took a little step back before settling on the sands.
"I didn't realize how much she helped until now. She's been gone so long."
Zelda nodded. "If you don't mind me asking… how were you made leader?"
Link sighed. "The usual way. I was selected to run this outpost. As you can tell… I'm at least half-Hylian," he said, tugging one ear. "He felt it would be easier to have me play ambassador from this outpost to Hyrule because of my looks."
"Who?" she asked.
"My captain."
"Where is he now?"
Link shrugged. "Not sure. He hasn't come to see us in ages. I think they might've forgotten us." He looked at her. "I'm… I'm not gonna kill you. I'm just frustrated, and on edge. I want this done."
Zelda shrugged, though of course she was still going to watch out for herself when this was over. "How's your hand?"
"It's healing. Good to know you're quick with a knife."
They sat on the warm sands in silence for a while, watching the stars.
"Can I trust you? That you won't try to kill me in my sleep?" she asked, looking at him sharply.
"Yes. You can trust me."
But she wasn't sure.
/
Ganondorf lay next to Sila, snoring gently. Finally, maybe she could get some work done.
He'd taken off the necklace and left it on the bedside table. It kept getting tangled in her hair or dangling in her face. Carefully, Sila moved, going still after each groan of the wood frame. When she was confident Ganondorf was not going to wake easily, she slipped her hand up underneath the bed, finding the little lump of clay and quickly working it in her hand to warm it up and make it pliable. Then, she grabbed the key and pressed it flat into the clay, before replacing it and tucking the putty back up under the bed. She could extract it later, hopefully.
Sila rolled back up onto the bed and snuggled up next to Ganondorf. He was muttering in his sleep, but she couldn't recognize the words.
/
The white-haired maid was stalking him through tall pillars, just outside of his field of vision. She was whispering words at him, words he couldn't quite hear. Now and again, tiny shooting stars would fly at him, hissing in the snow around his feet.
As he moved deeper into the woods, he felt a searing heat, despite the snow remaining unmelted.
"Who are you?" he called out, looking around, trying to catch sight of her. "Who do you work for?"
The heat was unbearable, and he was sweating under his clothes.
"If you confess, I will reward you handsomely."
The heat was inside him, burning him up from the inside out.
"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!" he roared, collapsing to his knees. Before him on the ground, he saw bare feet. He looked up and saw the maid's face, a pale oval with two blue eyes like chips of ice.
"JudgeJuryExecutionerrrr—" her voice rasped, both male and female at once whispering over each other, the words blending over top of each other. She lifted up a sword, almost as long as herself, and plunged it down through his head.
/
Ganondorf woke with a holler. He was soaked in sweat just as he had been in his dream, and a headache had cracked open behind his eyes. He gasped, sucking in air like he'd been holding his breath.
"Are you alright?" Sila sat up, looking at him with wide eyes. His shout had startled her.
"Yes… I'm… a nightmare." He rubbed his chest uncomfortably. Now that the covers were flung off, he was starting to cool down. Underneath it, he could feel the itch coming back. Just a twinge of it. Then it was gone.
Sila frowned. "Let me get you some water." She rolled quickly out of bed, dropping a little heavily on her feet before rushing to the pull cord. While he was still sitting in bed, bewildered, she slipped the putty in her hands into her pocket.
Maids came in and she ordered them about quickly, having them draw a cool bath for Ganondorf and bring in chilled water. Ganondorf was baffled by the flurry, and in his bewilderment and headache, he saw her. The pale-haired maid with dark blue eyes.
"No!" he shouted, and he grabbed her, slapping her twice and flinging her to the ground. The maid yelped in alarm and started to cry, staring at him in horror.
"I—I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—" she started to whimper. The women around him stopped, aghast.
Ganondorf looked at the girl again, and saw she wore a fabric covering over dark brown hair, and her eyes were brown.
He froze, and looked towards Sila, who looked at him in alarm.
"Get out," he muttered. "GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!"
He turned and grabbed the bedside dresser, tossing it aside with a roar. Sila opened the door to his bedroom and left quickly, the maids running out after her and leaving it open. Ganondorf stormed to the door and slammed it once they were gone, his chest heaving.
The dark-haired maid was sobbing, and she barely made it out of his rooms before she collapsed on the floor, curling up. Some of the other maids stopped to help her up, telling her it was okay, that everyone had gotten yelled at once or twice by the king, and she would be fine.
Sila dashed to her rooms and quickly scribbled a note, tying it to one of the dove's legs and sending it flying. She was confident he was going to hunt today, she was sure of it. Her heart was in her throat. In a few hours, her husband may be dead.
/
Zelda woke up with a jolt. She had left Link on the sands not long after their conversation tapered off, and she crawled back into her own bed to toss and turn for a few hours, until at dawn she fell asleep and dreamed of something she couldn't remember.
But now there was pounding on her room door.
"UP! NOW!" It was Veru shouting. Zelda forced herself out of bed and she waddled quickly to the door.
"What? What is it?"
"He's going on a hunt today. We just received word from Sila."
"Any idea where?"
"No, not yet. But get up. Get ready. Here." Veru tossed a bunch of cloth at Zelda, and she soon realized it was an outfit. "The colors will keep you camouflaged."
Zelda nodded. "I'll change immediately."
"Wait in the main hall when you are done," she commanded, before abruptly turning and leaving.
Zelda shook out the articles of clothing. The outfit was a loose brown skirt that hung to her ankles, with a long-sleeved tunic dress that fell to her knees, along with a pair of leather fingerless gloves to protect her palms from the bow string. Zelda tied her hair back once dressed and went quickly down to the hall to wait.
Link was there as well, dressed in a full set of black armor.
"Won't you be heavy and loud?" she asked him.
"I plan to go toe to toe with him," Link replied. "I want to wear armor."
"I assume this is the plan we're going with, then," Zelda said, recalling their late-night fight. She glanced at Link's hand, but it was covered in a black leather gauntlet.
"Yes," he answered her curtly.
Zelda's every nerve felt as tight as her bowstring, and her heart raced. Soon, very soon, she may have to kill a man.
/
Sila kept her ears tuned, her arms folded. She was waiting for the sound of the hounds and Ganondorf's heavy riding boots. He had to go out soon, didn't he?
But there was nothing, and after a few hours, she sent another quick note to Link.
/
Link looked up sharply as the dove flew in over their heads through one of the small windows, and it went around in a circle before coming down to land on his outstretched arm. He quickly removed the note and handed it to Zelda, and she opened it.
"Where do we have to go?" he demanded.
Zelda glanced at him. "It says 'false alarm'."
"What?" Link grabbed the note and looked at it himself, before crumpling and throwing it to the ground. "Din's breath," he cursed, then sent the dove off with a gentle toss of his arm.
Most of the guards around them groaned in frustration, and left the room. Tamri approached Link and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, all that tension leaves your nerves frazzled, doesn't it?" she asked, obviously hinting for something.
"Not right now," Link growled. Tamri pouted her lower lip, but she left to go find other pursuits.
Zelda rubbed her eyes. She would kill for a bath and a beer. Ha. "Well then. Since we're all woken up anyway, why don't you find me a reason to hate my king."
"Wait. Just a second ago you were ready to follow me to the woods to kill him. Now you want proof again? You're ridiculous." Link shook his head, clucking his tongue. "Fine. Let's go to my rooms."
They headed back upstairs, and Zelda settled in at the desk, her hands folded. Link started to shuffle through the papers, then the desk drawers, until he found what he needed.
"Here…" he handed a piece of paper to her, "is a transcript of a conversation overheard at one of the bars. Supposedly, the one talking is one of His Majesty's guards. Claims he's usually one of the ones to go hunting with His Majesty."
Zelda looked at it, then at him.
"We do more than just drink and sing at those taverns, you know," Link muttered.
Zelda looked back to the transcript, scanning the first several lines until she saw 'dark-haired man'. Then, she went back to the top, and started reading.
/
"What's wrong, handsome? If you just lost your girl, I can be an easy replacement." Tamri settled in next to the guard at the bar counter, who was clutching a pint and looking haunted. He barely glanced at the Gerudo woman.
"Oh. No. Nothing like that."
"Then what is it?" Tamri lightly touched his cheek, mentally going through a checklist. He fit the profile; he'd seen something horrible.
"I… I watched a man die. Two men. Two men die."
"Oh… that sounds awful. Were you in the war?"
"No." He took a drink. "No, this… this was recent."
"Were they related to you, sweetie?"
"No. Just… strange men. didn't know them."
"Then… what happened? Tell me, I can help you." She scooted up closer to him.
"Um… w… well I think… my boss murdered them."
"Your boss? Like… your captain?"
"N… no."
Tamri leaned in, barely a whisper. "The king?"
Reluctantly, the guard nodded.
Tamri gasped sharply. Inside, she started listening very closely.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" She rubbed his arm affectionately.
"W… well. Um. It was a couple months back."
"Mm-hmm."
"W… we went out on the hunt. Sometimes the king likes to hunt wild game to uh… relieve stress. You know. He has a hard time… with the kingdom." He took another drink, then motioned for another beer.
"I can imagine," Tamri said sympathetically.
"Yeah. So. Uh. We went out to the south woods. We were after deer, I think. Anything we could find. We got separated from him, me and my teammate, and I got some pheasants and stuff, things like that. Bow hunting. So we went to catch up to the king in case… in case of trouble. But… we saw."
"What?" Tamri leaned in close, barely whispering. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brida sitting at a table, on the side closest to them, scribbling on paper.
"He didn't know the trees were a little sparse around him, or uh, he didn't care, I don't know. I watched him. He… he grabbed this old man and ran him through with his sword, then this young dark-haired man came running; I think they'd been tracking a deer or something, and he grabbed the guy, the young guy got grabbed by the hair, and he just… he cut him up. He cut his damn head off."
The knight was near tears. Tamri was inwardly annoyed; had he never seen combat? What a child.
"Oh Nayru's tears," she gasped in horror.
"And… and he tried to cover it up. He kicked some snow around and stuff, cus the hounds were coming. But… he drank the guy's blood, and…" The guard gritted his teeth, and when the bartender set his beer down, he took a long pull. "He drank the guy's blood. I was so horrified I… I lost it. The dogs were just going crazy and I was just getting sick and my partner said nothing, he just helped haul the bodies away and we covered them up and that was it. He told us it was a boar, but…"
The knight finished off his beer. "I didn't see any damn boar. Just him."
/
Zelda's hands went cold. Tears went to her eyes and she looked at Link.
"Is this true?" she asked in a harsh whisper.
"Yes, as far as I understand."
"How did… how did you get this?"
"We transcribed it right there at the bar. One girl talked to him and both listened."
"Is…" Zelda crumpled around her stomach. "Are you sure this is true? Every word of it? You didn't just make this up to… to keep me on your side?"
"Do you want me to see if we can hunt this man down? Drag him here? Because I will, if that's what it takes for you to believe this. Ganondorf is a violent murderer. He is dangerous. The longer he is left in office with this bloodlust, the sooner we may face another war so he can cover up his killings."
"I just… I just…" She covered her mouth with her hands, and Link ran to get a bowl of sand for her, running back quickly and holding it under her mouth. She managed to hold onto her stomach.
"If I find out… in any capacity that this is a lie… I swear on my husband and father's graves that I will come here and I will cut you open from chin to balls," she rasped, trembling.
"And I would let you, because it would mean that my own group had betrayed my deepest trust in them."
He stood and went to her, and wrapped his arms around her. The transcript had ripped her emotional wounds open all over again, and she sobbed into his chest.
Eventually, Zelda's crying subsided, and Link moved back behind his desk.
"H… how long have you had this?"
Link looked away. "A couple weeks."
"W… why did you wait so long to show me this? Why did you have… why did you hide this from me?" she cried.
"I didn't know how you would take it. And in your condition, I thought it would be too shocking. But when you started to question me again, I knew you had to see it."
He watched her. Zelda kept one hand constantly on her belly, as if her baby's kicks were reassuring.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked in a soft tone.
"No, I'm not okay!" she snapped.
"I mean… you're not going into contractions."
She sniffed and shook her head. "No. I don't think so."
"If you need to lay down for a bit…"
Zelda stood carefully, slowly. "I'll go lay down in my own rooms, thank you. I'd rather be alone."
Link nodded in understanding and looked away. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly.
"You've been saying that a lot, lately," she retorted.
He shrugged. "I've needed to."
Zelda braced herself on the back of the chair, thinking. "Invite him to go hunting. As soon as possible. I want this done."
Link nodded again. "I will."