Taming the Tiger Chapter 9
I decided to rewrite this because I was not happy with the first version. This version has less suck and more smut! The beginning is the same, but I added a lot to the middle and changed some stuff around in the confrontation between Zelda and Ganondorf.
Something was banging on the door. His eyes flew open. Someone was banging on the hidden door to the study. He quickly untangled himself from Zelda who was already struggling to get to her feet. He grabbed her hand and tugged her back down to her knees.
"Oww," she hissed in the darkness.
He looked overhead into the skylight and still saw stars. The thumping continued, louder and more frantic. He looked around himself for a makeshift weapon. "Stay down," he ordered as he saw her starting to stand again.
"Why?"
"Because we don't know who it is. If they break down that door they might see you. I thought you said no one knew about this place." He started rummaging quietly through the blankets and pillows. "Summon a knife like you did earlier. I can't find anything here to fight with."
"I can only do that for myself. The moment I give it to you it will turn to smoke." She turned away from him and began to crawl towards the place where she had discarded her dress.
He let out a curse as he watched her disappear around a bookcase. He growled wordlessly to himself and continued searching. He looked up and noticed one of the heavy candlesticks sitting on a shelf. It wasn't much, but he supposed it was better than nothing. He reached up for the candlestick but then stopped. He suddenly remembered that he needed no weapon. His Triforce pulsed to life inside of him at the surge of emotions. All the power and force that he needed was right at his fingertips. He let out a deep breath to calm himself.
The Queen returned clothed in her costume from the ball. She dropped into a crouch as soon as she saw him. The pounding started again. They could hear a muffled voice outside the door. They exchanged a glance as something strange filled the room. The pressure increased. Magic was being performed nearby, and it was strong.
"I'm going to go answer the door," she said in a shaky voice.
"No," he gripped her hand to keep her from leaving. "Let's leave out one of the other doors."
She shook her head. "If they keep up that much noise they'll alert the whole castle to us. I can't risk it."
He sighed and thought of arguing with her but knew he would not be able to dissuade her. "Fine," he relented, "but be careful. And carry a knife with you. Hide it."
"Already done," she said as he watched her slip a knife into a pocket lining her skirts.
They nodded silently to each other before she got up, fixed her hair, and walked over to the source of the noise. Ganondorf waited between the two bookshelves, his muscles coiled like springs beneath his skin. The magic had built up so much he could taste it. Its flavor was both foreign and familiar to him at the same time. He breathed and waited.
The pounding stopped as he heard the door creak open. He readied himself, his lips already forming the words to a defensive spell. He strained his ears as he waited for the unknown person to speak.
"Your Majesty," a sickeningly familiar voice said, "is everything alright?"
"Of course," she answered calmly. "I am fine. How did you find this place?"
There was a pause before the voice answered, "I felt something, some strange energy or fluctuation. I'm not quite sure what to call it. I just followed it, and it led me here." The words were relieved and bewildered at the same time. He sounded as if he had run the entire way.
"Well, I can assure you that I am perfectly safe. Thank you for checking on me. I would appreciate it though if you kept your knowledge of this room secret. I come here to think sometimes, and after tonight, I felt the need to gather my thoughts." He could almost see that serene and sympathetic expression gracing her features.
"Of course, of course," he murmured, "I just thought it might have something to do with him. I was afraid he might have done something to you. Where is he? I have not seen him since that night." His voice had grown stronger, overcoming his initial fear and desperation.
Ganondorf smirked to himself. It was too perfect an opportunity to miss. After all, there was still that small issue of the sword being plunged into his side.
"Oh, he's-" Zelda started.
"I'm right here," he called out. He stood and strutted around the bookshelves.
The two Hylians turned to stare at him. Zelda's face lost all color and expression. She was now only a tight-lipped, pale mask. The Hero's mouth hung open as he appeared to try and process the fact that his nemesis was standing naked in front of him with his queen in the same room. His eyes flicked from Ganondorf to Zelda and back again.
"What's the matter, boy? You act as if you've never seen a naked man before. I always did suspect you were an eunuch."
Link ignored the insult and turned his eyes to Zelda again. "What I felt . . . ," he started and then stopped. "Milady, what happened here?"
Ganondorf could see Zelda trying to think up a proper answer as she shot him a withering glance that made him smile wider. "Really? You can't tell? We can give you a demonstration if you like."
"I was not asking you," Link hissed as his hand went to the sword at his hip. Ganondorf felt the pressure in the room spike again. So that's what it had been. He could tell from the hilt that it was the Master Sword. He suppressed a shudder and backed away half a step.
"Careful now," the Gerudo responded, "I have my own piece back now. You'll find that killing me won't be as easy as it was last time."
"Luckily for me, I enjoy a challenge," the Hylian growled as his lips skinned back to bare his teeth in a feral grin. The fingers of his left hand tightened their grip on the sword, and the symbol of the Triforce flared to life on the back of his hand.
The former king felt the magic flooding his veins as he started to silently prepare a spell. The magic was mounting in the room so thickly it was like staring through a heat haze.
"If the both of you don't stop this, I'll personally flay you myself." Zelda's words cut through the air like a shard of ice. Her piercing eyes found Ganondorf's and then Link's.
The bigger man let out a sigh of frustration but relaxed his shoulders and allowed the spell to dissipate. The Hylian reluctantly loosened his grip on his blade and took a step back from both of the other two Triforce carriers.
"Thank you," she said as she bowed her head, though the words sounded forced. "Link, I will speak with you in the corridor. Ganondorf please put on some pants."
Several tense minutes passed while Zelda spoke with Link, and he searched for his clothing. He found his trousers crumpled up in a corner and slipped them on as quietly as possible, straining to hear what was being said. He could pick up no specific words, only the murmur of their voice, and for once, he wished he had those ridiculous pointed ears the Hylians were "blessed" with.
Zelda turned the corner, shaking her head and let out a sigh.
"Well?"
"Well," she said sharply, "I miraculously managed to convince him not to kill you.
"I believe you meant to say," Ganondorf corrected, "that you miraculously kept him from attempting to kill me and thus leading me to killing him."
The Queen muttered irritably and began to look around the room thoughtfully. "I suppose I should be going," she said reluctantly.
He looked up to the small skylight again and saw that the stars were still out. "Why? It's still dark."
She frowned. "Yes, but soon it will be dawn, and it will look suspicious if I am caught in these same clothes by my maids in the morning. No, I think it would be best if I leave now."
"Then do what you must," he said, but his tone implied he was not happy with her decision even if he did see the reasoning behind it.
She reached out a slender hand towards him and trailed her fingers from his shoulder to his elbow. "You know that I do not want to leave you, don't you?" She looked up hesitantly into his eyes, clearly embarrassed by what she was saying.
He sighed, the exhilaration of a few moments ago draining from his muscles. He eyed the stone walls around him nervously as if they might come tumbling down on his head. "I know. I know." He placed his hand at the small of her back and rubbed in a slow circle.
After several slow minutes, she moved away from his touch and towards the door. She spared one last glance at him over her shoulder before she left silently.
Ganondorf sank back down into a crouch amidst the heap of blankets and pillows that still smelled faintly of sex. He looked up into the skylight at the dark night and realized that he very badly wanted to see all the constellations stretched out before him. He sighed and stretched out his body to try and get back to sleep. It took a long time.
The Queen returned the next night by the secret door. She carried a basket on one arm, and he could smell sharp cheese and fresh bread. "I come bearing gifts," she whispered underneath the hood of her cloak as she lifted her arm to display her goods.
"It would not happen to be filled with supplies for an evil spell to warp me into that hideous creature again, would it?" he asked as he approached her cautiously.
She smiled quickly, a white flashing of teeth splitting her face, and shook her head. "No, I am afraid not. Just food if that is alright." She knelt down and spread out a blanket she'd brought. Slowly, she laid out the food before them and went about slicing them both portions of bread, cheese, and apples. Then out came two plain pewter goblets and a bottle of dark red wine. She poured a generous amount into each goblet and handed one to him.
He took it gratefully and took a sip. The flavor was rich and dark with a hint of spice to it that he could not recall tasting recently. "Where is this from?" he asked as he peered into his cup.
"From the Desert," she said innocently as she picked up a slice of cheese and nibbled on it.
He stilled with the cup goblet half way to his mouth. Carefully, he set it down again and fixed his eyes on her. "How did you come by a vintage from the Desert, Zelda?"
"It was a gift," she answered evasively, becoming more intent on her particular piece of cheese.
"From who and why?" He drew his red brows together and leaned forward on an elbow.
"I suppose you wouldn't believe me if I told you that it was something left over from the gifts you sent me for my birthday when I reached my majority?"
"No," he answered firmly. "I remember the gifts I gave you for your birthday, and I distinctly remember picking them out to be as distasteful as possible."
"Oh yes," she said thoughtfully as she looked up to the ceiling, "I remember you sent me a bullbos to serve as a new mount. It was a hideous creature and ill tempered. Reminds me of you now that I come to think of it."
"Hmm," he murmured as he picked up the goblet and turned it between his large fingers, "if I am hideous and ill tempered what does that say about you considering your most recent associations with me?"
"I suppose that would make me a great tamer of beasts," she said with a smile, "and I do have to admit that you rather remind me more of a tiger than a bullbos anyways."
"What did you ever do with the animal?"
"Oh, we killed it and ate it."
"Was it good?"
"Delicious."
He chuckled before his eyes flitted down to wine in his hand. "Back to the original matter, where did you get this?" He held his cup out in front of her.
"It was a gift from Nabooru," she said sheepishly.
"Why would that harpy be giving you gifts, dearest?" He asked sharply, fixing his golden eyes on her again. She was keeping something from him yet again, something he had every right to know about.
"Because she is the new leader of the Gerudo and has decided to treat with us. We are currently in negotiations on working out a peace treaty, darling," she shot back, her eyes meeting his brazenly. She picked up her chalice and took one long deep drink.
"Pah," he snorted in disgust. "She always was my loudest critic. The weakling never could stomach war or bloodshed. Of course, she'd crumble."
"I don't know of anyone who truly enjoys war. I don't think even you did. Your people were at the end of their strength. It was the only logical and responsible route to take."
He raised an eyebrow as he considered arguing with her on that point but decided against it. It would do no good. She was right in some ways. He did not particularly enjoy war, but he also knew that Nabooru had always been something of a pacifist by Gerudo standards. He idly wondered who Zelda had bribed and assassinated to have Nabooru put in that position. He doubted she could have taken the role of leader on her own. Still, that was a subject best left alone. "So how are things going in court? Has Filepus left yet?"
"No," she replied quietly as she reached for a slice of bread.
Ganondorf picked up a slice of apple and chewed it slowly, using the time to study her and think. She said nothing either, seeming content to sip her wine and watch the shadows on the wall. Finally, he swallowed and cleared his throat. "What are you going to do about that?"
She sighed and set down her goblet and slice of bread. She ran her long fingers through her hair. "Let us not speak of that," she whispered, leaning forward and closing the distance between them. Her face hovered inches in front of his. He could smell the spiced wine on her breath, and see the strands of gold and silver illuminated in her hair by the candle light.
"What did you wish to speak of?" he breathed as he set his own glass down in anticipation for what was to come.
"I was rather hoping we would not need to talk at all," she sighed before she leaned in and kissed him.
He returned it eagerly as he felt her lips against his and her tongue running along his bottom lip as she pulled away momentarily. Without thinking, his hands reached out for her, one of them tangling in her golden hair, and the other pulling her into his lap. A muffled cry escaped her lips as he settled her between his legs. She quickly adjusted herself to the new situation and turned around so that she was facing him with her legs wrapped around his waist. Her arms wound around his back with her nails digging into his shoulder blades. His hand moved from her hip to her upper body where he began to undo the stays of her bodice. His large fingers fumbled with the small strings.
"Damn," he growled as he freed his other hand from her hair to work on her top.
"Shh," she hissed as she placed one finger to his lips to silence him. She shook her head as he looked solemnly at her and then watched her slip out of it herself. He knew she was trying to distract him from the subject they had been discussing, and he found that he didn't mind so much when she began to kiss his neck.
He held her by her hips as he stood up and carried her to the heap of blankets and pillows that served as his bed. He could feel her thighs squeezing him as she held on with her arms draped across his shoulders. Gently, he laid her down and knelt in front of her much as he had the night before. She sat up, and her hands reached up and began to quickly strip him of his clothing with none of her ritualistic patience from the time before. Her hands wandered over his bare chest and shoulders and then to his back, her eyes following them the entire time. He closed his eyes and sank into the sensation of her soft palms against his dark scarred skin. Sometimes her hands would stop at certain spots where a particularly large scar was. She would stare at it for a moment, brush her thumb over it, and then move on. He could tell from that burning look in her eyes that she wanted to ask the story behind every one of them, but that would take all night and the next day. Then her fingers wandered to the newest in his side where the Master Sword had run him through. Her purple eyes grew unreadable as she lightly drew her fingers across it. She shook her head regretfully and finally settled them on his shoulders.
He pressed his face against the side of her neck and blew a hot breath out and on to her shoulder. She gave a pleased, wordless murmur and started to slip out of her skirts. They frothed around her ankles as he helped her free herself from them. Then they were carelessly tossed into a corner. He was merely glad that she had worn one of her simpler outfits.
Zelda stared at him with hunger in her purple eyes as she knelt in front him. The air grew thick with unspoken things that seemed to be threatening to burst through their paper-thin peace like water through a dam. He could have ruined this moment so easily by speaking. Instead, he took one of her hands in his as he reclined back against a wall and pulled her towards him. She followed wordlessly and straddled his hips, poising herself above him. Her hands found his shoulders as he took hold of her hips to support her. Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, and he felt pleasure race through his blood at the contact. Her lips parted in a sigh of appreciation as she went up and came back down again. Her movements were painfully slowed and controlled as if she was trying to draw everything that she could from each moment. He squeezed her hips, and she sped up her rhythm, but it was still slower than he would have liked. Nonetheless, he did not speak, knowing that she wanted the night to go on as long as she could make it. Sex had never made time stop, but it seemed like it could sometimes.
Slowly, they continued as she rose and fell above him with his hands remaining at her hips. He lifted her up and brought her back down. She swiveled her hips in a way that made his breath catch in his throat and smirked at him wickedly through the strands of her golden hair. She kissed him quickly and pressed her forehead to his as they continued to move together. Her hands fell away from his shoulders as her arms looped around his neck. Her hips rocked against him as her breath blew heavily in his ear.
He raised his hips unexpectedly as she lowered herself again. She moaned quietly at the action and lifted her brow away from his. The agonizingly slow rhythm that she had maintained was broken. She increased the speed and intensity of her motions. Her back arched as she writhed on top of him and her eyes looked up into the skylight. He knew that she was nearing her limits. When she looked back down at him her eyes were full of want that sent a thrill racing through his body. He straightened his back and circled one arm around her hips and the other around the middle of her back. He drew her close to him until her breasts and stomach brushed his chest, and he could hear every time she drew another gasping breath. Her movements faltered and grew erratic as need drove her. He growled in response when a moan escaped her lips followed by his name. He could feel his control slipping as she sighed and moaned softly against his neck. His blood ran hot in his veins, and the ecstasy swept away his conscious thoughts as he allowed himself to be lost to her. His hips bucked, and her nails dug into the flesh of his back. Vaguely he thought that she might have drawn blood, but it only added to the intensity of the moment. He tightened the embrace until she was pressed fully against him and her sweat mingled with his. The passion peaked and ripped a wordless growl from him as he spent himself inside of her.
She slumped against him and rested her head on his shoulder. Thoughtlessly, his fingers stroked her back, feeling the skin slick with sweat. He leaned back slowly against the wall and loosened his hold on her. He could feel the muscles in her thighs relax as the rest of her body went slack. They stayed like that for several minutes as the only sound that filled room was that of their breathing.
She untangled herself from his arms and slipped off of his lap and onto the floor where she decided to lie on her side. He grunted and lied down on his back, allowing her to scoot over to him and press her cheek to his chest.
"Getting old, are you?" she teased.
"We are all getting older," he answered solemnly as his eyes fixed on the smattering of stars he could see overhead.
She looked up at him in alarm at the serious tone in his voice. "You're right," she replied as she ran a finger down the middle of his chest to his navel, "which is why we should spend our time wisely."
He nodded unconsciously, barely registering her skin on his.
"How will you spend the rest of yours?"
His golden eyes flicked down to her again. "I do not know," he said hesitantly, sensing the dangerous waters they were returning to.
"You know," she said slyly from under the curtain of her hair as she propped herself up on an elbow, "you could stay with me."
"And do what? Be your pet?" he said as lightly as he could manage.
She flashed him a sharp smile. "Yes, and you would be the best kept pet in the entire kingdom. I would buy a gold collar for you studded in rubies and garnets." Her hand reached up to encircle his neck in a demonstration.
He grabbed it out of the air before she could touch him. Her eyes widened at the action. He kept her wrist in his hand for a moment as he contemplated what to say to her. Finally, he kissed her knuckles and said, "Let's go to sleep."
She looked as if she wanted to protest but only settled back down beside him. He waited until her movements stilled and her breathing grew steady and even before he let his thoughts slow and his eyes closed. He knew he wouldn't sleep well that night, and he was right.
A rattling noise woke him up, and he found Zelda fully dressed and pouring herself a cup of tea. The steam from the pot wafted over to him and made his nose wrinkle in disgust. "That smells terrible," he remarked as he watched her calmly take a sip.
"It does taste terrible," she observed as she cradled the cup in her hands.
"Then why are you drinking it?" he asked curiously. He sat up and took a slice of bread in hand from last night's interrupted dinner.
"You really want to know?" she inquired, staring at him with raised brows over the rim of her cup.
"Yes," he said short-temperedly, the lack of sleep making him irritable.
She shrugged. "Fine. It's a tea to prevent pregnancy. Impa gave me the recipe a few years ago when I reached my age of adulthood."
"Wouldn't want any half-blood bastards running about now would we?"
She cocked an eyebrow at him but let the anger in his tone slide for the time being. "I don't want bastards of any kind running about. It has ruined kings, much less queens." She tilted the cup back and drained the rest of its contents. Then she went about placing all of the things back in her basket and making sure her attire was properly in place in case someone happened to see her.
Ganondorf looked up at the sky and could just see the faint pink tinge of dawn. He could not tell how much sleep he'd gotten. It could not have been more than three hours.
When Zelda was done gathering everything up and making sure her clothes were free of wrinkles, the Queen departed with a promise of returning that night. Ganondorf watched her go with a mind heavy full of burdensome thoughts.
Zelda came by night the next few days. They spoke little beyond what was necessary. He did not ask how the situation with Filepus was unraveling though it worried at his mind, and she did not ask what his plans were though she could see that his chains were starting to wear at him. Mostly they spent their time lying tangled in blankets with her cheek pressed to his chest while he allowed his fingers to thoughtlessly run through her hair. They could both feel their time slipping through their fingers as surely as the stars wheeled over their heads every night.
One particular day his thoughts could not be turned away easily. They kept coming back to him like a dog to his master. He could kick them and curse them, but they always returned. The walls of stone grew thicker every day and the air staler. The words on the pages of the books he attempted to read no longer held meaning. He paced relentlessly much as he had when he was first captured. Sometimes he would unlock the small door after Zelda left in the mornings and wander through the rambling passages of the castle, but he was not a man meant to be kept in darkness and tunnels. He needed sun and wind and sky.
It was on this day that the only thing left to confine him was himself. He had the power and the means to escape now. He needed no assistance in the matter. He had everything he required in the Triforce of Power. That meant there was only one decision to make and one course of action to take
"It has to be done," he murmured to himself as he sat in a chair staring at a book he had been attempting to read for the past half hour. He sighed as the weight of what was to come settled on to his shoulders. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and hung his face in his hands.
When Zelda entered the room that night he was leaning against the wall with a book open in his big hands. He idly flipped the pages and then shut it. He looked up at her, and he must have given himself away in that one action because she hesitated in the doorway. Her eyes darted around the room as if looking for an escape route, and she swayed nervously in place. Tonight there would be no whispers, no fierce kisses or embraces, only a painful inevitability to be faced.
He set the book down on a nearby table and took up a goblet of wine he'd left waiting just for this moment to fortify his courage. He stared into its depths as he swirled it slowly in his hands. The color reflected back at him was a dark, rich red like blood. He took a sip before he turned to her again.
"How are things with Filepus going?" he asked in as casual a voice as he could manage.
"Must we discuss this now?" she asked in an annoyed manner, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes," he answered in a tone that left no room for argument.
He could see the tension building in her body as she prepared her answer. She still wasn't comfortable speaking about it he could tell, but there was no choice as this point. "He keeps sending messengers to speak with me. He is imploring me to reconsider my decision. I keep turning them away."
Ganondorf nodded as if he had expected that answer. "You know you won't be able to simply turn them away forever."
Her brows furrowed in mild anger. "Of course, I know that. I'm not a fool."
"I never said you were. What does the Council think of your decision to call off the engagement?" He took another taste of wine and let it sit on his tongue for a moment as he took the opportunity to study her. She was half cast in shadow and half in light. He wondered how much of this exact moment he could engrain into his memory.
"They are not pleased with my decision. They think I should reconsider, but I won't. I refuse to. I have every right to call off this ridiculous charade. You saw to that." Her lips twisted into a strained faint smile.
"Yes, I suppose I did. I must admit this whole scheme has turned out better than I thought it would." He drummed his fingers on the table beside him and stared hard at his dark knuckles.
They slipped into silence again. Her dress rustled as she took a step towards him and settled her gaze on his face. Three more steps and she was standing right in front him, peering defiantly up into his face. "Say it. Say what you've been wanting to say to me from the moment I entered the room."
He eyed her as he considered how best to word his answer. He could see her eyes so clearly from this angle. They were dark and deep as wells. They glittered in the light, and if it had been anyone else he would have suspected it was from unshed tears.
He turned his back to her and let his eyes rove over the bookcases. "I have come to a decision."
"And?" she questioned as she clasped her hands in front of her.
"I am leaving."
She blinked quickly for a heartbeat and nodded stiffly. She had known his answer before the words had come out of his mouth. "My offer still stands."
"It is tempting," he said, forcing himself to turn and face her. "Very, and if there was anyone I could do it for it would be you, but I cannot."
She was putting her walls up. He could tell from the slight bracing of her shoulders and the upward tilt of her chin. She was donning her armor against him. "There is nothing I can do to change your mind?" she asked matter-of-factly.
"No," he answered firmly. Part of him wanted to back out to stay with her if only for a little longer, but the more sensible part told him that it would all end the same way. He could not stay confined to this small space for the rest of his days.
Her lips twisted into a wry and self deprecating smile. "Yes, I suppose you would leave now that you've gotten everything that you wanted. After all, there is nothing left for you to gain by being here, is there?"
"What do you mean?" he rumbled, setting his cup of wine down.
"Now is not the time to play stupid with me," she said coldly. "You have the Triforce of Power, you've bedded me, and now you're choosing to leave. I think that is more than a mere coincidence. After all, I suppose you think you've conquered Hyrule in a way by having me slip between your sheets. Tell me, did you plan this entire thing or just make it up as you went along?"
"You flatter me too much by thinking I'm capable of orchestrating this whole thing," he drawled as he eyed her.
"So then you made it up as went you along," she observed icily.
He angrily shook his head. "You really think I'm capable of that? For the bearer of Wisdom, you are surprisingly blind. I thought you knew me better than that."
"So did I," she said quietly as she briefly looked down.
He let out a short bark of incredulous laughter to mask the knot of emotions twisting in his stomach that was threatening to rise into his throat and choke him. "Goddesses, woman, you are one of the most stubborn and pig headed creatures I have ever met, and that is truly an accomplishment."
"I could say the same for you, Ganondorf Dragmire."
He smiled bitterly at her. It was hard to believe that this frostbitten woman was the same one he had made love to the night before. It never ceased to amaze him at how quickly she could divorce herself from her emotions. "Believe me, Zelda, sex is not worth putting up with all this."
He watched in grim satisfaction as her jaw clenched and the color rose in her cheeks. As always though, those small signs quickly faded as she regained mastery of herself. He oddly realized that he would miss riling her up like this. "Hmph," she scoffed as she slowly shook her head. "That settles it I suppose. When will you be leaving?"
"I do not know yet."
"Then I believe we have nothing more to discuss," she said calmly. "I wish you well in your life wherever it is you choose to go." She bowed her head and started for the door.
"This is truly how you wish to depart from me?" He said as he took a step forward, keeping his hand from reaching out towards her instinctively. She made him furious, but he knew that neither one of them truly wanted things to end like this.
"What do you want of me?" She turned to him again with her head cocked to the side. "You have already told me that there is nothing I can do to make you change your mind so what else is there? Do you want me to beg? Do you want me to cry? I won't."
"I know are you far too prideful for that. I simply do not think that this is how you truly want things to end between us."
"Well, I am not the one deciding to end them. That was your decision now it is your burden to bear the consequences of it." She turned away from him then and made her way to the door. She opened it, stepped through, and shut it behind her without looking back.
He stood there and stared at the doorway that she had passed through. He waited for several heartbeats before he realized he was expecting her to come back through that door and make amends with him. He shook his head and let out a bitter chuckle at his own stupidity. She would not be coming back through that door. The pit in his stomach relaxed a bit as he realized the hardest part was over. He had told her, and it had all gone to hell just like he knew it would.
The Queen sat in her solar thinking on the events of the night before. Her eyes felt heavy and tired. She had not slept well that night. It had been the first in several where she had slept alone in her own bed, and she found it was not quite as comfortable as she remembered. She would never admit it to herself or anyone else, but she had been lonely and the lack of an arm circled around her shoulders felt foreign. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her upper arm as if expecting a set of invisible fingers to be there. She cursed quietly under her breath and her hand fell away. She let out a deep breath and tried to clear her head. It would no good to think on things that could not be changed. She had too much work ahead of her to spend her time daydreaming. She stood up from her chair and moved to the study area of the room. A desk and chair awaited her. She took a seat and started to attempt to get something accomplished.
Zelda sat at her desk staring at a stack of papers. Her eyes roved over the words without truly comprehending them. She picked up her quill, tapped it on the desk, and set it down. She had lost count of how many times she had done that. Her eyes flitted to the door of her solar as if she could bar it with her mind. She would have liked nothing more than to bar it to the guest she was expecting.
She sighed and covered her face with her hands. She had come to the conclusion that there was no point in putting him off any longer. The sooner she got it over with the sooner it would be done. Her mind was made up. She was not going to back down, and he needed to know that.
A knock came. She lifted her face and sat back her in chair. Her hands fussed with the skirts of her dress and adjusted the small crown sitting on her brow. Everything had to appear to be in order even if it was anything but. "King Filepus of Holodrum, Your Grace," a male voice called out from behind the door.
"Let him in," she ordered.
She blew out one last breath and made sure her shoulders and back were perfectly straight. The door creaked open, and he stepped in as easily as he always had. She nodded stiffly for him to take the seat across from hers.
His clothing was fashionable and elegant as always. He wore a dark blue velvet half-cape and a doublet of the same color. His brown beard was neatly trimmed to a point, and his eyes were as sharp as ever. He took the seat across from her and sat back with his typical ease. He offered her a simple and indulgent smile. She did not return it.
"How has your stay at the castle been?" She asked politely.
"Well enough given the current circumstances," he replied.
"Are all of your needs being seen to?"
"Of course, I would expect no less of your hospitality."
"Good," she said in a business-like manner, signaling that the small talk and pleasantries had worn out their welcome.
"Thank you for finally agreeing to see me," he said with another smile, this one not as benevolent as the first.
"Well, I thought I should at least allow you to speak your piece before you depart." She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs at the ankles like a proper lady.
"I see no reason for that assumption," said the King of Holodrum with a raised eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes because I can assure that you will come to see in the course of this discussion that in all good sense you would not allow me to depart," he said in a softer voice.
"I'm sure you think that, but I can just as confidently assure you that my mind is implacable on the manner that we are to speak of." She kept her eyes on his face in an attempt to read his mood. Even after all this time, his eyes still disturbed her. They were small and clear but not easy to decipher. Their shade of blue was pleasant, but if anything it made his gaze seem all the colder and more calculating.
"Zelda," he whispered as he sat forward in the chair.
"I think it would be best if we addressed each other by our respective titles, Your Majesty," she cut in frostily.
He sighed in frustrated disappointment but did not recline back in his chair. "As you will, Your Grace." He bowed his head in mock deference to her. "Still, we are equals, and we have shared a relationship of mutual respect and admiration."
"Yes, we did." She put as much emphasis on that last word as she could in civil conversation.
"I see no reason as to why that should change. I see no reason as to why we should change the status of our engagement."
This time she smiled at him, bitterly. "It seems you were more intoxicated that night than I originally thought. Has it somehow slipped your clever mind that you were caught with a young noblewoman the night of the ball? A ball that I threw in your honor might I add. There are witnesses to it. You can't deny it."
He shook his head sadly and slowly as his brows knitted together. "No, it has not. My behavior was shameful that night. I cannot nor would I deny it. However, I am a man of flesh and blood, and I make mistakes. I should think that a woman, a Queen, of your character should find it in her heart to forgive a man for his lapses. I promise you mine are few and far between."
She sighed and resisted the urge to press her fingers to her temples. She hated false flattery. "If I were any other woman I might, but being queen, I must remove myself from the tenderness that is typical of my gender. You will find that queens think far more like men than women." She tried to temper her words with a smile.
He nodded empathetically. "I am well aware of your position. I understand what it is like to have the pressures of your people weighing on you day after day. I myself have often had to put aside my own personal feelings for the good of my nation, which is all the more reason why I should think that you would not want to end our relationship."
"I am not quite sure I understand," she said somewhat incredulously.
"Your people see you as their example, their leader," he scooted to the edge of his seat with his eyes focused intensely on her. "As such, they must see that you are willing to forgive those who have wronged you. They must see that you set aside your own feelings for their good. They need a king, a strong king."
She frowned. "I am touched by your . . . concern for my country, but I am strong enough to rule on my own. Besides, you have your own nation to attend to. I'm sure you do not need the strain of governing another."
"It would be no great difficulty. I can guarantee that." His eyes glittered like blades with his barely contained greed. She was beginning to see the layout of his grand scheme. He did not merely want Hyrule. He wanted an empire.
"Still, your worries are unwarranted. I know my people best. I know what is in my country's best interest, and I do not think a marriage between us would be." She suppressed the urge to shift uncomfortably in her chair.
"And I'm sure like any good monarch you would be willing to do whatever it took to ensure those interests, wouldn't you?" He stood up and stared at her with a knowing look on his face.
"I would do what is in the best interest of my country with what means I have," she answered cautiously.
He rested his chin in his hand and cocked his head to the side. "Hmm, I wonder what means you do have at your disposal."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "The same as any other ruler given the circumstances." She could feel her heartbeat picking up.
"Would those entail poisoning and potions?" He began to pace slowly in front of her.
Her eyes followed him, her face never giving away the tide of panic she felt rising up within her. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said indifferently.
"Really?" He paused and walked over to the side of her chair.
She did not flinch away or move from her rigid position. She merely shifted her eyes and face towards him. It would not do to show fear. The moment he saw it he would take full advantage of it.
"I like my wine, Your Majesty, but I know my limits. I did not feel a thing until you refilled my cup. I do not think that is a coincidence." He smiled knowingly down at her as he lowered his face hers to study her reaction.
She raised her eyes to his and made sure not to look away. "I promise you on the blood of my father and his fathers before him I did nothing to your drink that night. I know nothing of those matters." What should she do? What should she do? Her mind raced from one strategy to another. She wasn't used to fighting these kinds of battles. She was used to Councilmen and nobles. Filepus was an entirely different creature altogether. She felt a pang as she wondered what advice Ganondorf would have given have her in this situation. She tried hard not to dwell on that particular sore point at the moment. She had other things to worry her.
He blinked slowly and trailed one finger down the side of her face. "Blood and oaths are not worth much I have found. Just because you yourself did not physically put something into my drink does not mean you did not have someone knowledgeable in those ways do it for you."
"I do not know what put that idea into your head," she breathed, "but what happened to you that night was not of my doing. I did not order for anything to be done. I have given you my answer. I will not marry you." She tried to make her words sound strong and defiant but she was not sure how well she succeeded. Her voice threatened to give out on her. For the first time in a very long time, Zelda Harkinarian was afraid. She thought wistfully on how she should have let Ganondorf kill him that night. She wanted nothing more than to see him die, and it would have particularly pleased her if the Gerudo could have been the one to do it.
"Your claims to truth are not proven, and your kingdom is weak. You are still recovering from a war. You need an ally not an enemy. I can be either." His hand had rested against the back of the chair close to her face.
Her eyes shifted between him and his hand. She thought of the daggers and needles she could call up. She could end him herself. It was tempting. He was threatening war. Either way, there would be war unless she submitted to him, and she could never do that. "I am not sure that there is a difference between the two when it comes to you," she said icily, feeling some reserves of courage flowing through her. She wouldn't kill him not here anyways. She would not have it be said that she had murdered an innocent man.
He smirked at her. "Enemy it is then." He stood up and placed his fists on his hips. His face was twisted into one of pity and delight. It almost seemed as if he would rather take her kingdom by war than by marriage. "You already fought one war. I do not think you or your country will survive another."
"We shall see," she said more confidently than she felt. "Now please get out." She nodded towards the door.
"Good day, Your Majesty," he said as he bowed to her once more and left the room with his promise of war hanging in the air.
Zelda felt the air rush out of her lungs. Her composure crumpled as she let her chin fall against her chest. Nails dug into the arm rests of her chair. A complex of emotions swept through her and left her weak and spent. She thought for sometime about the events that had just transpired. In the end, she could only come to one conclusion. She stood up, crossed the room on unsteady legs, and entered into the secret passageway hidden behind the bookshelf.
She ran the last few steps to the doorway and pressed her hands desperately against the wall. Her fingers found the frame of the door and worked their way down to the knob. She gave a small cry of joy as she fished the keys out of her pocket and slipped the correct one into the lock. The lock clicked, and she gently pushed the door open. She looked around and saw that everything was still in darkness. She lit the nearest candle with the tip of her finger. She blinked a few time as her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light. Moving across the small space, she lit a second.
"Ganondorf," she whispered into the darkness. There was no reply. Only silence and darkness greeted her when she peered around into the aisles made by the bookcases.
"Ganondorf," she repeated more strongly.
Her head moved from side to side as if she would find him hiding away in one of the bookshelves or in a corner of the small room. He couldn't have left by now. They had only spoken a day ago. Surely, he would have stayed on a few days longer to wait for her to come to her senses. Wouldn't he?
"Filepus has threatened war," she said into the air as if he might be making himself invisible to punish her. "I need your help. I need your advice," she continued in a softer voice until it faded into nothing.
She stepped around the chair he had sat in just the other night and into the space where they had slept together for those few nights. The blankets and pillows were still rumpled and strewn about like he had just slept in them.
She stared down at them still half in disbelief. A tear slid down her cheek, which she wiped away angrily. Her eyes blinked rapidly to prevent anymore from falling. "Queens do not cry," she whispered. "I will shed no tears for him." Even as she was cursing him inside of her head, she was slowly sinking to the floor. Her knees touched the soft surface of the blanket and her hands reached out towards the mound of pillows. Before she knew it, she was stretched out on her side and wrapping one of the blankets around her shoulders.
"No tears," she murmured as she drew her knees in close to her chest and turned the side of her face into a pillow.
Well, I hope you liked this chapter. I have to say that I am much more pleased with this version than the last. It is still not perfect by any means, but I do think it flows much more smoothly. Please let me know your thoughts on it. I always love feedback. Also, if you would like to know what songs kind of inspired this chapter there are two specific songs by Tori Amos. Her cover of "Nights in White Satin" (such a cheesy song but so good!) and her song "Bouncing Off of Clouds." Thanks for reading this or rereading this as the case may be, lol.