Zelda slowly emerged from her sleep as daylight leisurely made its way into the room, warming her skin. She laid motionless for a while, too comfortable to even open her eyes. The sheets were soft against her skin, and her cheek rested against a hard, warm surface. She sighed in bliss, nuzzling up against whatever it was that lied next to her. She let her palm run against the smooth surface before opening her eyes, coming face to face with two golden orbs staring at her intensely. She yelped in surprise and quickly scrambled away, not realizing the edge of the bed was dangerously close. Before she could fall, however, a large hand came to rest on the small of her back, bringing her back against Ganondorf's chest.
"Careful now, princess," he rumbled with a grin. "I would hate to see you fall and hurt yourself."
She reddened when her bare breasts made contact with the searing skin of his torso, warmth spreading through her entire body as her chest started to tingle.
"I… suppose so," she answered, regaining her composure.
"And how is my dear princess today?" He purred against her ear, voice seductive as his hand left her back to make its way lower.
"Just fine, thank you," she answered coldly, slapping his hand away swiftly.
She rolled onto her back, hiding exposed breasts with the silken sheets. His grin widened.
"Don't you think being shy at this point is a bit useless?" He asked as she sat, propping himself up on one arm.
She ignored his remark, still hiding herself from his greedy eyes. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, bending to lift her nightdress from the ground where she had thrown it.
"Leaving already?" He asked in a mocking tone. "The sun just rose."
"That was actually my goal," she said, slipping her nightgown over her head.
"Why is that?" He asked, sitting fully.
She stood and wrapped herself in her cloak before walking toward the door. Putting her hand on the handle, she faced him before talking, her eyes once more burning with hate. When she spoke, her voice was dripping with poison:
"I don't want anyone to know I betrayed my people."
Back in her chambers, Zelda sighed, both in relief and exhaustion. As glad as she was to finally be away from Ganondorf, she couldn't help the delightful shiver that ran up her spine when she recalled the delightful feelings he had made her experience but a few hours ago. Shaking her head, she made her way to her bathroom. With a wave of her hand, the tub magically filled with hot, steaming, soapy water, and she let her cloak and nightdress slip to the ground. The Dark Lord's scent still lingered on her skin, and she was eager to wash it off. As she stepped in the tub, she realized she didn't feel it had been wrong for her to do such a thing. She should have; it was true she had married Ganondorf, but had never intended to give herself to him, promising to resist him as long as she could fight him, for her people's sake, and her own. She had let lust take over and had broken her promise, but, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to regret it, despite what she had told Ganondorf. Doing what her heart had told her instead of listening to her brain had been truly… liberating, in a sense.
She forced these thoughts to leave her mind as she submerged herself completely. Water filled her ears and nose, making her blind, deaf and mute, her mind going blank as she held her breath. The water seemed to wash everything away: her sins, her mistakes and her weaknesses. But she knew that, once she stepped out of the tub, they would all come back, assaulting her once more, even fiercer than before. She pushed upward and sat back up, coughing and spluttering. As soon as she could hear and see again, the thoughts assailed her mind once more. She could lie. Nobody knew. Nobody had seen her. But she honestly doubted Ganondorf would keep it a secret very long though. And now…
And now she was stained, tainted by the Dark Lord himself. She gasped as she realized the real consequences of her acts. Which man would have her now? She had planned on starting her life anew when Ganondorf's reign came to an end – She had no doubt it would. She had always knew that she would marry another royal for the sake of her kingdom, bear heirs to Hyrule's throne, and be a loyal, obedient wife. And now, what she had believed and had prepared for all her life was crumbling before her eyes… Because of what? Because of a fleeting feeling that she could have resisted.
But there was no going back now, was there?
As he strapped his sword to his hip, Ganondorf smirked malevolently. Spying on the princess' thoughts never failed to entertain him. He cackled maniacally when he felt a jolt of panic shoot through her like a flaming arrow.
"That's right, princess," he whispered for himself. "Even if this boy in green kills me, I'll still manage to take everything from you."
With a dark chuckle, he left his quarters. In the hallway, his grin widened as he saw Zelda's maid hurrying toward the princess' chambers.
"Enia!" He called, his dark voice booming through the empty hallway.
The small woman jumped, almost dropping the tray she was carrying. After steadying her stance, she slowly turned around to face the Dark King who reached her in a few strides.
"Yes … Master?" She asked, hesitating a second before blurting out the word.
"Princess Zelda has requested your presence, I assume?" Ganondorf questioned, looming over the servant.
"She did not Master," Enia answered. "But it's time for her breakfast."
"Bring her this, then," the Dark Lord said as a small pouch appeared in his hand. "Her limbs may be sore due to some… private affairs."
As he dropped the pouch on the maid's tray, he could see her brows furrow in confusion. He turned around and started to walk away. He barely held back a dark chuckle when he heard her gasp in understanding.
Zelda was just stepping out of her bath when she heard the door open and slam close.
"Who is this?" She called out imperiously, hastily wrapping herself in a towel.
"It's just me, princess," a familiar voice answered.
The princess' brows furrowed upon hearing her maid's tone. As soon as she stepped out of her bathing chambers, her maid ran to her, locking the princess into a hug and ignoring the water that soaked the front of her dress.
"Enia, wha – " Zelda started.
"Please tell me it's not true!" The maid shrieked, eyes squeezed shut, still hugging the other tightly. "Please tell me he lied!"
The princess felt her breath hitch in her throat. He couldn't… not so soon…
"What happened, Enia?" She asked, preventing her voice from shaking. "Who told you what?"
The maid looked up at her, locking eyes with the princess.
"Ganondorf, princess!" She answered. "He said that you… you…"
She lowered her gaze, not daring to finish her sentence. Zelda gritted her teeth.
"What did he say?" She asked icily.
"He said that you gave yourself to him," the other breathed as fast as she could. "I know it's not true and I'm – "
"It's true, Enia," Zelda snapped.
The maid froze before slowly looking up at her. Zelda's face softened. She could lie to anyone. But not to Enia. She had been a friend, a mother and a sister whenever the princess had needed her most, and she just couldn't hide such a thing from her, even if it meant losing her.
"It's true," the princess repeated softly.
After a few seconds of silence, she grabbed her maid's shoulders. Still recovering from the initial shock, Enia didn't react, only gaping in disbelief.
"You must not tell anyone, you hear me?" Zelda snarled, tightening her grip as she spoke. "Anyone!"
The maid slowly nodded and Zelda, realizing what she was doing, released her.
"You can go now," the princess said quietly.
Enia nodded again, mechanically pointing to the tray filled with food she had brought. Zelda's gaze settled on the food, noticing an odd, small bag next to the bread.
"What is this?" She asked, picking the pouch up.
Enia, who was walking toward the door, turned around, stubbornly staring at the floor, barely sparing a glance at the bag.
"It's from Master Ganondorf," she said. "He said it would help soothe your sore limbs."
With that said, she turned away and exited the princess' chambers, slamming the door behind her back. After her maid's departure, Zelda stared at the small pouch for a few seconds before throwing it in the fire. She didn't need him.
It was probably poison, anyway.