A/N: I can't believe how long it took me to write and post this chapter D: I am ASHAMED of myself and feel thoroughly selfish. I really admire the authors who manage to get a chapter out a week, I really do. They are such amazing people D: I apologize deeply from the recesses of my heart! Also, I know this Zelda seems a lot more smarter than her Minish cap version, but this is one of the MC verison's descendants, okay? She's more like the one from four swords, but less helpless

:3 Poetic license, okay? I know y'all prefer a stronger Zelda too ;D

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Chapter Three: Falling Short.

Zelda's skin was icy cold, having only the protection of her thin cotton dress to protect her from the cold temperature of the atmosphere. Her fingers were numb, despite her flushed face. She hugged her knees closer to her chest, inhaling deeply, so as to draw herself into a calmer state. Once again she wiped the back of her hand against her lips, all the while Vaati's touch still lingering inauspiciously. He had released triumphantly, and in a sudden rush of anger, Zelda had backhanded him across the face, resulting in her current location: seemingly, Vaati's dungeons.

They were not the classical filthy, grey, stone dungeons. In fact, they were quite pleasant, if one liked to be surrounded by an unending drop to the ground. Vaati had seen it fit to place her where she could the least damage: suspended on a circular marble slab that was pensile in mid-air. The slab was surrounded by a broad gap, which formed a blue ring around it. Zelda could see various cloud forms, and while they had kept her entertained for the first few minutes she soon got tired of trying to guess whether hey were cumulus clouds or cumulonimbus ones. The vast gap ended by white, marble columns surrounding her. Through one of the arches between the columns she could see a long white corridor stretch off far beyond her reach.

Zelda thought mutinous thoughts as she glared at the expanse below her. She thought, with her own brand of gallows' humour, that it would be just her good fortune if caste town had to be situated below her. Home would only be one quick step away. As quickly as this thought had flashed through her mind, Zelda pushed it away. Not even a day had gone by and she was already contemplating suicide? No, she must be strong like the way she had trained to be.

She idly thought about how her tutors had disciplined in the ways of collective thinking and tactics. Her tutors had often tested her by trying to rankle her and, more often than not, had failed to do so. She remembered the meditative exercises she had been taught, ways of breathing and various mantras, all so that she would strive on, in the face of anger or danger. Zelda took on a meditative

position in the centre of the circle, legs crossed, the backs of both hands pressed against each other, while she let her thumbs lay softly against each other. Expanding her diaphragm to breathe deeply, she let her mind go blank, before she laid everything that happened in the correct order.

Behind her eyelids Zelda saw images of the past events flow before her eyes; her arrival, the shattering of the sword, the teleportation to the palace in the sky, the kiss-

A prominent crease appeared on Zelda's brow as she tried to concentrate on something else. Although she hadn't been flustered at the time, the memory of it brought a flush to her face. She had never indulged in something so personal as a kiss, besides the ones she received on her knuckles from newly made acquaintances, or the ones her father used to give her on her forehead so many years ago. She remembered Vaati's osculation in detail: slightly moist lips moving on their own, trying to tempt a response from her...the memory of it still made her shudder in disgust, at the action and at his audacity.

She felt her stomach heave in hunger, having not eaten anything since the night before. The stomach acid tried to scale the walls of her belly, making her want to retch. Zelda gave up trying to meditate; it was impossible to concentrate. She allowed herself to rest her body against the cold, hard marble, and as the back of her head made contact with the marmoreal, she heard a voice ring out,"Behaving better now? Or do you still want some more time out?"

Zelda struggled to rein in her temper. She sat up straight, with her back stiffly facing him. She refused to play his game.

"Still in a bad mood?" he called out.

Biting her lower lip, Zelda tried not to retaliate with a sharp reply.

Silence hung over them like a stiff blanket, before Vaati shrugged and said, "Ah, well, and here I was going to invite you to dinner."

Zelda tried not to react to his last remark, she really did, but it was useless. Her head had turned a fraction of an inch towards him, and with his sharp red gaze he did not miss it. "Someone's hungry," he chuckled.

Thankfully her stomach had not rumbled as soon as he said that, thus diverting from the usual cliché sounds when one is starving. Zelda decided that since he was offering her a meal, he was worthy of her time and turned to face him. He cocked an eyebrow sarcastically and in good humour, as if he had forgotten all about his rage before, when she had struck him. "Stay still," he ordered.

Vaati keeled down close to the edge of the marble platform with columns, before he cupped his hands, and blew gently. In the space between his mouth and his hands thick, heavy clouds formed, before they flowed forwards and created a pathway between the circular platform and the one Vaati was kneeling on. Zelda looked dubiously at the path; she would not put it past him to not have made the clouds dense enough to walk on, so that she would plummet to her death. Sensing her hesitance, he stepped onto the cloud lane and extended his hand mockingly. Incensed, Zelda stepped defiantly onto the path and strolled past him regally towards the marble corridor she had taken note of before.

Vaati's mouth twitched upwards as he suppressed a gleeful smile. "I wouldn't go further if I were you," he called out.

Zelda, paying no heed to his words, strode on She could see an open doorway and made haste towards it, before stopping short in front of it. She looked back over her shoulder and saw Vaati sneer in disappointment. He sighed dramatically, before strolling towards her and said ," Wise move, princess. Guess I'll have to wait some other time to watch you humiliate yourself." He extended his hand, palm forwards, towards the open doorway, and as soon as his hand was parallel with the door frame, a wall of dense, purple light stretched from all sides of the doorway. He pointed to fingers at the light, and brushed it with his fingertips, before the shining wall dispersed.

He grabbed Zelda's wrist once it was over, and tugged her down a draughty corridor, before making a few more sharp turns. Zelda felt his enclosed hand to be slightly ghost like. His form was not completely solid, yet dense enough to lug her around. She inwardly grimaced at her lack of physical strength, before he paused in front of a marble archway which was shrouded in curtains. He pulled them apart and shoved Zelda inside. "Take a bath," he ordered. "I refuse to dine with someone who stinks." He left without another word, satisfied enough that he need not turn around to see Zelda's indignant glare.

***

Zelda reined in her temper sufficiently enough to stop herself furiously stomp her way into the baths. She shoved apart several more layers of curtains before she arrived in a dressing room. She peered through a spacious archway and saw a vast, octagonal, marble pool sunk into the floor, filled with steaming water. Several gold amphorae surrounded the pool, gushing diaphanous water into it. The scent of jasmine beckoned from the incandescent depths, luring the princess ever closer. The pool looked out to a wonderful view of the sky, from all sides but one. She looked back towards the changing rooms, hoping to find towels and a set of fresh clothes. After finding both, she removed her flimsy cotton dress. She felt her body break out into goosebumps as chilled air came into contact with bare skin. Quickly grabbing a towel, she scurried over to the side of the pool, placed the towel a bit further away from the edge, and slipped in.

The water was just the right side of hot, almost scalding yet not quite there. It tingled pleasantly against and Zelda allowed a day's worth of tension to seep away with the rest of the dirt. She allowed herself a few minutes to relax and ease out the knots between her shoulders before she set to work on thoroughly cleaning herself. She usually washed every morning, but in her haste to the seal she had forgone her usual bath, and could not but help curl her nose in irritation at the fact that Vaati had been right.

She found various scented soaps and shampoos next to an amphora: jasmine, honeysuckle, water-lily, apple blossom, citrus, cinnamon and various other smells. She smelled each one, trying to find a pleasant yet not over-powering combination. At the castle, Zelda was always presented with strong soaps and perfumes, that always irritated her to no extent and gave her a headache. They were strong, long-lasting soaps, so that she'd always smell as if she'd come straight from a perfumery.

Zelda found a delightful combination of jasmine and honeysuckle and then proceeded to scrub her skin until it shone pink. Her hair also received the same brutal treatment and Zelda was thoroughly refreshed as she pulled herself up from the pool. Her hand rushed out for the towel, quickly wrapping it around herself and racing for the dressing room, where she would be more sheltered from the air currents. Zelda dried herself off quickly, eager to get dressed. She found undergarments sitting on top of the pile of clothes she had discovered earlier, and recoiled in abhorrence when she quickly realized that Vaati hadchosen her undergarments. Zelda imagined his eyes not needing to stare at her trying to imagine her underwear, because he would already know.

Her nose scrunched up once again, and decided that forgoing the underwear would only make matters worse. She pulled them on quickly and indifferently, as if it was not her who was dressing. Next she found a corset, and without another thought, discarded it to the side. Corsets were for standing on ceremony and Zelda was not here to impress anyone, least of all her captor. She then came to a plain, white, cotton slip, and pulled it over her. A pair of beige leggings were also lying on the pile, and she pulled them on, comforted by their velvety feel. Zelda reached the last article of clothing and her hands paused so that her eyes could take in the details of the dress. It was woollen, beautifully knitted with soft wools of purple, jade and cream colours. It came down to her ankles, the hem dancing with designs and patterns. It had a slit on both sides and Zelda was glad that Vaati had not decided to conveniently forget to add leggings. The sleeves were long and wide and the dress was decorated with various yarn leaves and flowers, crawling up from all sides.

The dress was so different from the ones she was usually presented, so simple yet intricate in its simple layer. Zelda recalled the various dresses she had worn over the years: layers upon layers;, uselessly expanding her hips with wire frames; tight corsets that strangled every breathe from her; shoes that pinched her toes until they were numb with pain, and heels that caused her back to ache days later; pathetic ornaments and trinkets that adorned her neck, wrists or ears. The final effect from these things were beautiful, and yet the unvarnished dress she was currently holding was so much more beautiful. She tugged it on, unafraid of tearing its sturdy material, unlike the way she had to wear her other clothes: delicately and with finesse.

Zelda looked into a mirror opposite the bench she was dressing at, and found that she loved this dress more than any other she had ever worn. The trousers gave her a feel of freedom, as did the slits at the sides, and the lack of a corset allowed her freedom of movement. She glanced at her dishevelled, damp, curling hair and pulled a hand through it. It did not matter if it was a mess or not. She found a hair tie to pull it out of the way, and tied it into a low plait.

She pushed past the curtains once again, and found Vaati leaning against a column opposite her. "Finally," he said. "I thought in a sudden bout of stupidity you might have slipped and drowned."

Zelda scowled up at him before she noticed that his eyes were scanning her, and he smiled pleasantly as she moved backwards slightly in discomfort.

"Shall we go eat?"

***

They sat opposite each other at a round, wooden table, which was covered by a brightly coloured cloth. The burnt orange colour contrasted nicely with Vaati's purple tones, and Zelda had a sneaking suspicion that this was the only reason the table was covered. The table was bearing a big dish of curried lamb. The turmeric colouring of the stew was dotted with red strands of paprika. Vaati heaped a pile of steaming rice onto his plate, before adding the curry and various other things. He reached out a hand for a poppadom before adding some mango chutney to his plate. "Eat up, princess," he said, his eyes glinting with mocking humour.

Zelda did not allow herself to react to his subtle jibe, and piled her plate up with rice, curry and various foods from side dishes, such as cut up apples, eggs and bananas, along with a cold yoghurt sauce. She dipped her spoon into the curry and enjoyed the warmth the spicy tangs brought her. Vaati watched her from across the table, crunching almost silently on his poppadom. His visible eye was hooded and he was smirking. Zelda caught him watching her, and felt a growing sense of unease crawl up her spine. He would not have poisoned the food; Zelda knew his thinking well enough to be certain that if he would have killed her, he would have made it as dramatic and terrifying as possible. She wondered if he had an unpleasant surprise for after the meal, and kept that option open. She gulped down some water quietly, and set the cup back onto the table without making a single noise. The meal had been relatively quiet, apart from Vaati's beginning comment and the various clinks of cutlery against the tableware. She looked up from under her eyelashes to see that Vaati's plate was already half empty.

Zelda came to the conclusion that he was making her feel uncomfortable on purpose, just so that she would not be able to enjoy her meal. She set about ignoring him until her plate was empty, and she was wiping her mouth with a serviette. She had finished before him, having occupied herself on eating rather than staring at him. He finished off slowly, his eyes never once looking down to see the journey of his spoon from his mouth to his plate, and vice-versa. Once he was finished, he set his spoon down with a satisfied smile. "You wouldn't believe how much I've missed food." He closed his eyes contentedly.

"Frankly, I could not care less." Zelda's reply was short, sharp and vitriolic.

Vaati's eyes snapped open slowly and narrowed dangerously. "Now, now, princess, let's not repeat what happened before, hmm? I find it rather trying to deal with your childish temper tantrums. After all, I do wish to marry a mature woman."

Zelda felt herself go hot and then cold, all at one go. Her hands clenched into fists underneath the table, and she had to remind herself to calm down, lest he handicap her even further by obstructing her ability to do magic. She knew that if it came down to it, although she was very talented, he would beat her by sheer experience and ingenuity. She allowed her hands to break from their tensed shape into loose fists, before replying: "And I wish to marry someone who's honest with themselves and does not hide behind a weak veil of magic!"

Vaati's jaw set into a hard line, and Zelda could practically hear his teeth grind from sheer anger.

"Don't push it, my dear. I think your stay has been rather comfortable up to now. I could make your stay here more permanent than you would ever wish: carved into marble upon a pedestal."

His threat showed Zelda two things: that he was confident in his abilities, and that he hated people referring to his past form. Zelda knew a combination of the two factors would give her an upper hand if used correctly, or could have her frozen forever into granite. Her eyes narrowed and Vaati saw them gleam with cunning. "Empty threats, Vaati. You may threaten me with your undeserved powers, but in the same way if you use violence, it will only show your lack of wit, being unable to respond in any kind other than bluster." Zelda knew she had pushed it too far when he saw his usual purple pallor pale even further. His delicate hands that had been resting atop of the table contracted menacingly. Zelda could see his internal battle to prove her wrong and not give her the satisfaction of losing control. She saw his eyes darken to an evil red, before his mouth curved upwards into a cruel smile.

"Empty threats, princess?" He stood up, his violet cape spreading around him. Extending his hand, he ordered, "Come." He led her towards the throne room where the Four Swords' hilt was still suspended. He led her to the very edge of the marble platform, and from the manic gleam in his eye, Zelda began to inwardly panic. She had no doubt that he would not hesitate to throw her off and laugh psychotically as her hair would whip around her as she fell, and grin with malice as her body would hit the ground with a sickening crack.

Zelda tried to pull away from him, but he fastened onto her tightly, and she noticed he was even more dense than before. She felt no ghost like touches as she had before when he had tugged her towards the bathing area. He outstretched his hand, palm downwards, towards the clouds below, blocking all view of Hyrule. With one parting movement from Vaati, the clouds began rolling left and right, giving a clear view of the realm below. Zelda could clearly see Castle Town below them, the houses minuscule in appearance. They were so far off from the ground that she could not even see the tiny dots which would represent the people going about their business.

"See, Zelda?" he said, reverting back to her name. "Castle Town, as peaceful as it always is. Well, apart from the little fact that their princess is missing." He gave a short, humourless chuckle. "Fools, they never will learn from their mistakes." He turned towards her, his smile seeping with vindication. "Did you know, that I kidnapped not only one, but two of your ancestors? Previous princesses. I've always had a fondness for women with the name Zelda. Not only, but I also managed to thwart those maidens your previous ancestor set so much store by."

"Yet you were still sealed in the sword, despite your 'thwarting' of them."

Vaati ignored her, as if she had not spoken. "Your military was never up to standard. You always had to rely on a farm-boy to help you out of tight scrapes. Not this time, he won't come for you and neither will your precious maidens." His hand clamped down onto her wrist like a vice, and Zelda was scared that it might crack under the pressure he was exerting.

Sweat started to gather at the corner of his temple, giving his skin an unhealthy sheen. His breathing became deeper and Zelda knew that his time in the sword had effected him deeply, despite what he may let on. He was confusing her with previous princesses and began talking to her as though she was the former monarch. Zelda knew that this was no time to give a sharp reply, not when he was so close to the edge, literally and figuratively. Zelda could not care less for his mental state, yet if he snapped she knew that she would be his first target, the familiar face of so many centuries ago, taunting him with victory again and again.

Vaati's eyes began to sharpen and his breathing once again became even. His hold on her loosened, yet he had still not released her. "How much do you love your home, Zelda? How much do you love your father? And the villagers?" He turned his head towards her, tilted at an angle, scrutinizing her.

Zelda did not respond and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. She knew where he was going with these questions. Emotional blackmail.

"From your silence, I'm going to deduce that you love them very much. Now, tell me, how many tears would you cry if something were to happen to them all?" His face turned victorious as the only answer that greeted him was stony silence. He had trapped her like a rat in a corner, with no escape except to run into his waiting arms. He pulled her closer and placed his other hand on the small of her back and rubbed small circles, as if comforting her. He placed his mouth near her ear and whispered, "How much would you hate me if I murdered them? How much would you hate yourself for allowing it to happen?" Zelda felt his mouth tip upwards into a smile.

She pulled away from him silently, the solemn that graced her features answering all of his questions.

He looked gratified. "Believe me, Zelda. I'd do it, without a moment's thought." His hand that still held her wrist rubbed her knuckles and caressed her palm. She jerked it away, her eyes giving dark warnings, but Vaati was not worried. "You're a smart girl, I'm sure you won't sacrifice the lives of your people, just for your own selfish needs."

"You're a despicable man."

Vaati was not insulted. He felt triumphant that he had reduced the spirited princess to nothing more than empty words. "But I'm the man who fooled you and everyone else," he whispered.

Zelda shut her eyes to the world.

* * *

A/N : Is it just me, or do Zelda and Vaati seem less in character than the chapter before? I don't know, but this chapter was really hard to write and they weren't co-operating with me :/ The dialogue wouldn't come as free and flowing as last time, so I feel that this chapter is stilted. Please, tell me what you think, so that I'd be able to fix it ): I hope you enjoyed this chapter though :D Please Review!