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The Timeless Shadow

"True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country." -Kurt Vonnegut

Chapter 03: By Your Side

A lone figure was seen walking around in a solitary room. The young female, with a long and flowing dress, gave some light in the umbra of the room. The way she walked around searching for something, seemed elegant as if she had been taught the ways of a lady. It came out natural in her; some could say it was a ritual she was trying to perfect.

After a few minutes of looking for another book to read she stopped. Moving over to a chair in the middle of the room, she dropped her body, making a soft thud on the way. The chair was armless and seemingly uncomfortable but her exhaustion controlled her body. It had been weeks since she found herself locked in this predicament. She even tried to leave, but found herself stuck in place permanently, not being capable of freeing herself.

The memory of the day she tried to leave kept lingering in her mind. That striking and mysterious terror that had swept her of her feet, literally, had her partially frozen in time. The cold around her grew intense and stationary. She was fancying that she could keep going but something had decided to stop her dead in her tracks. It was a group of wolfos, she had crossed the limit in wish she was protected by the unknown force in the area. Not that she could truly leave as she had predicted not so long ago.

When she had gotten near the cave, not only monsters started to come out; but her terror decided to take over her. The darkness she saw on the cave had stunned her. She was glued to the spot and wondered where she was going to run to now. The wolfos had started circling around her and barging their long canines at her. However, she was too stiff to move, thanks to fear that had frozen her to the bone. Her green eyes spoke of it for her and it became a real dead end, one she wouldn't escape unlike the one that had brought her to that place.

Suddenly it became water like clear; she could go to the cave and finally be freed of this curse. Her eyes grew fearless for a moment, embracing the power of the unknown in the carbon color walls of the cave. In her eyes the bigger than human wolfos had transformed in to small dogs. But the mere mirage had stopped as soon as it came. The biggest of the wolfos, who easily towered two feet over her, ran over to her defenseless body. This time unlike the other times, she crossed her arms protectively over her face demonstrating the fear she felt.

She had waited for the impact with her eyes clenched shut, but it never came. She had heard a grunt in front of her and it scarred her who could be dumb enough to jump against such an opposing foe. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed the figure in green standing in front of her. She grew relieved but her eyes widened when she finally noticed the huge animal biting down to the arm of the male that was protecting her.

He had pushed the animal off him with little effort and somehow after noticing fully of his presence the pack of wolfos ran away in to the cave. The female who insisted on being called Lilia, watched silently the tall man, standing less than a feet from her. She was still scared but calmed down greatly by his presence; it was something he usually brought to her. He simply looked over at her and smiled, she couldn't tell if it was genuine or if it was a way of masking his temper, yet his eyes demonstrated the worry his lips tried to hide.

"Don't do that again..." His smiled had changed to a stern look, but it failed fast noticing the slumped shoulders of the girl.

"Sorry!" She whispered as a tear began to fall down her cheek, and then many more that followed suit. "I'm so sorry!" She repeated once more as she felt the water leaving from her eyes leave cold stains on her cheeks.

"Uh…" He had lost himself. 'Stop, no, no, no don't cry now!' He screamed in his head, his mind going back to when he had made Malon cry. "Calm down." He said to her as he took hold of her shoulders. "Don't cry Lily." He said thinking that a nickname would calm her down. "Damn it! This is why I hate working with teenagers." He murmured.

"Wha?" She asked as she looked up at him, the tears stopping their flow.

"Uh?" He asked confused at her change of thought, but then he remembered his own curse and thoughts. "Did I said that out loud?"

He looked at her and then nodded. 'At least she didn't scream at me, not that I should care for her screaming at me. She should be happy that I saved her.' He thought a bit arrogantly but then stopped once more on his thoughts when he saw her holding back a small laugh.

Pushing herself forward and ignoring the man before her she started to stroll back to the mansion in which her family had lived once before. Already forgetting the quest she had pinned herself to do. He on the other hand followed her, not close but keeping a safe distance from the strange girl, all of it because he had no idea how she took his thought on teenagers. However, his steps unlike his counterpart were shallow and careful. It was easy to tell she was having trouble in with walking on the foot deep snow.

Out of nowhere but pretty much expected by him, the female a few steps ahead fell, got her leg trampled on the snow. An uncalculated step was the power of reason to her fall. She grumped lightly but as soon as she fell she felt two strong hands helping her up, she relaxed lightly knowing who the person was. He was right by her after all, protecting her, even from her own errors. She cursed inwardly at her stupidity but her eyes caught the glimpse of the bitten arm. A few holes layered around it but in a strange way out of the normal, where teeth were once sunken in was sign no blood.

"Your arm." It wasn't a full sentence but the statement made the male stop and glance at his own injured arm. "Let me see, please... Link." The name sounded a little foreign coming from the female but was also pleasant to the ears of the Hero of Time, him thinking that at least she wasn't mad at him.

"It's ok, I learned long ago that this body of mine can't bleed or feel pain." He had looked away staring over to the lake that in the distance resembled a pond. "It's been fifty years." He said resembling an aged man. "…not that I am needed around anymore." He said sadly, thinking of the news of Zelda's marriage.

"There must be a way to break this curse!" At her sudden outburst he stepped back, his eyes taking her in from afar. "It isn't right; it made me loose my mother. I'm its next victim; please! We need to do something." Her words were indeed true; yet she couldn't take controls of her fears and once more tears ran freely from her eyes.

"Oh Din…" He whispered as he thought of a way to handle such a big child. "Look Lilia let's go inside. I think the cold is making you more harm than good." He said trying to help her but failing miserably in his quest. 'I should have taken those courses to deal with human emotions, oh Zelda! Why didn't I didn't listen to you!' He thought as he began to push the female towards the mansion. "Come on soldier, keep going." He told her as used to tell his own soldiers.

Growing back to the present, the pale female looked to the pile of books in a corner. That entire search seemed inutile after everything that was written she had already learned from the bedtimes stories her mom used to tell her. She had searched them all with the help of the man who she had grown to like due to his awkward moments with feelings. 'He's funny.' She thought as she began to giggle at his serious and uncomfortable moments with feelings. 'I wonder if he'll ever learn.'

Their difference became more insignificant over the weeks in which they both had become closer. She had never been so close to a male in her life, he made her smile and laugh like no other. He was always serious and quiet when near her, yet there was always a mean comment that would begin a quarrel between the two of them. It usually began early in the morning when she would see him in this room, she would blush at his appearance, the first time she saw him when he was shirtless. Usually she would blush and quickly say good morning, soon after disappear into the library.

Being the curious teenager she was, she had searched the whole mansion. Some areas of it in which she was either too weak to open the doors or too scared to move forward. Searching her favorite room in the huge house wasn't so bad once she repressed the memories of her mother. Inside that room she found her mothers clothes and jewelry, which now fit her perfectly. On one of her searches she had come upon her mother's napkin, it was small and pink with yellow dots, one of the items around the house that hadn't weathered out.

'Maybe it was waiting for me all along...' She thought as she looked out to the lake, her eyes searching for a green dot.

Holding again the pink tissue on her hand and close to her heart she started to doze off, in the chair she had fallen on top, in to a much welcomed sleep. The chair was uncomfortable but her mind and body didn't mind, she just simply felt at ease. Her slumber had just begun but she didn't wake up when the door opened. She also hadn't awoken when someone was carrying her out of the room; she simply cuddled closer to the heat falling faster into deeper grounds of sleep.

Link starred at her pale face, her peaceful and angel like features made him forget of his curse. Heat warmed him and suddenly he felt very much alive. After the weeks had passed he had grown real fond of the female, barely leaving her alone and always watching out for her. But he knowingly felt himself falling; unbeknownst to the female he began to grow a feeling of likeness for the young girl. He would never call his feelings out, he felt truly embarrassed by the fact of falling again, and much less for someone who by age could be his granddaughter.

He laid her down on the room he had known to be from the old owner of the house. 'Her mother was truly beautiful; she looks a lot like her. Sad thing, that woman didn't deserve to die. Lilia... of all the people around here... why you? You took the place your family tried to protect you from. Is it really meant for you to be next?' He thought, he was silently caressing her face, sometimes he would get a reaction and in his heart he would feel something abnormal.

Pushing away from the sleeping form of a female, he backed to pick up the only book she had never thought of opening. He knew what he had to do, what he had to sacrifice thanks to that single book. Her mother's diary, it was old and fully written, but it held secrets greater than any other books he had seen on the manor. She described it all, the curse and how to break it. But he hadn't picked it up for that reason; he wanted to know more about that family and the army they had begun.

'The gods placed a curse on them due to their pagan beliefs and the danger they were to the hylians.' He thought angrily, clenching his fist at the thought of the fate of Hyrule if they had been successful in their raid.

The old and wrinkled Zelda staggered around the palace halls. She had a reunion to attend to, its importance being kept secret from her malicious and greedy son. That oldest son she had was trying his best efforts dethrone her, but she was still standing strong and capable, fully aware of his real intentions. The only problem that stood between the dethroning was the High Council. That group of men, whose most of them had a close age gap with the Queen's, most of them didn't agree on the plans forming underground.

A reunion had been called especially for the country's economy and welfare. After the death of the King the moral in the castle had gone down, he was indeed loved man. But it became worse when they had to break the news to the people. Not long after the news was told it spread like an epidemic. The people were sad and mad at the same time, a rumor that had begun spoke of murder.

"My Queen!" The usually quiet room became a roar of pleas.

"Stop! One at a time… uh? Where's Nick and Kain?" She asked softly as she noticed her younger children weren't in the room.

"Nick excused himself with the duty of a father and Kain sent a representative." The oldest and wisest of the men told Zelda, him being the leader of the council. "This young man here is Sir Mikav, a nobleman and second in command of Hyrule's army."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my queen. I hope that my services become of great aid to your needs." The man told her as he looked at her directly, his eyes holding down her own stare.

"Alright then, let's begin. The economy has been at a great downfall for us but any news on the murderer?" She said in a booming and echoing voice, the strength she held in it commanding even the bravest of men.

"We have our reserves on the identity of the murderer, the vial in the room was examined and it held the herbs to relieve your husband's disease. However, the doctor certified that due to his symptoms he had been poisoned." The leader of the council spoke, with each word he spoke of Zelda's face multiplied the pain she felt.

"But Prince Markus is on the move. He's already rounding the people he needs, there's little chance to counter his plans peacefully. Lamely if we don't find anything to stop him the dethroning will be inevitable." A young associate told the Queen with his most utter respect, but not holding back his loathe to the prince.

"What about our economic and the people?" The ruler asked, the talk of her son hurting her.

"The economy had been given a push thanks to the trading with Termina, Kakariko, the Zora's and in the old Hyrule plains Lon Lon Ranch has is no longer on the breach. The people here still seem to be stricken by the shock but the worst is over." A tall skinny middle aged man spoke.

"Good, any wars or enemy on the corner?" She had started to get bored; she knew things will get better sooner or later, but as she asked that her gaze was held once more by the man named Mikav.

"Last week the village in the far north reacted and had all of our soldiers pull back from their ranks." Mikav spoke, his gruff and grumpy tone told all that was planned didn't go well.

"What? But how? Everything should have gone by my husband planned it." Her eyes widened at the uncomfortable news.

"Yes, but problems grew when the governor's daughter disappeared. Some villagers' saw the men run after her in their attempts to retrieve her and bring her back safely. As you can see everything went out of our control right after it. A report from our men spoke of massive weapons held by giants and of projectiles ignited by fire." The man spoke as rage reflected on his eyes.

"Were there many causalities?" The grey headed woman spoke.

"Fifty-five were hurt because of the projectiles and eighteen of them died because of the wounds. The death rate of the battle has not been calculated, but official writing states of one that died by a wolf. Stupid animal made us loose one of our knights." He kept his rambling for once being proud he was one to talk.

"Alright, send the family the condolences of the throne."

After all his empty headed words, Zelda didn't spoke. She had turned to stare at the floor instead of the faces of the other men in the room. She couldn't believe her powers were still so vivid after the years. 'Link, you haven't changed. That girl Lilia, as my husband called her... is she really the one chosen? Would it mean that both of us would have never been meant? Please protect her; I already had my special person... its time you had yours, love her as you loved me.'

"My lady." She jumped at the sudden words of her oldest council member. "Try not to sleep on us; age is not so positive on some."

"Oh sorry, thank you very much." She gave the men surrounding her, an apologetic smile.

"My Queen, this is all for now. Go rest. We shall summon your presence if needed." The old man got up helping the Queen he's known since young up to her feet.

"Queen Zelda, Queen Zelda!" The same young pager that had called her weeks ago came up to her. Not forgetting to bow he didn't waited to speak the message he had been sent with. "Your son, Prince Markus is requesting your presence this instant."

Looks off worry were immediately exchanged by the High Council. Those men had seen the repulsion that man had for his mother since he was small. Some of them wanted to hold her away, just so she can be protected from that beast of a son she has. The wisest of the all squeezed Zelda's shoulder apprehensively; he had known her since young and knew what she was already expecting from the Prince of Hyrule.

"Oh, where is he?" She knew what her son was planning, especially when he wanted her out of her comfort zone.

The young boy eyes brightened and he spoke: "Follow me." Already being eager to show his duty and compromise to the prince who had taken him in, as the son he could never have.

Zelda followed briskly, not looking back to where the group of men, she had shared nearly a life with, stood. She grew wearier, her son used to talk pest of this page boy and now he was using him for his evil deeds. She shook her head and didn't notice she had already gotten to the place where her son was awaiting her. Following the orders given the page boy didn't enter the room; he simply stood outside wishing he could know what would enroll in there.

"Oh welcome mother, please feel yourself at home... I've just been waiting so long to talk to you." The fake friendly tone of Markus had taken her back; the way he spoke was full of spite, that venom that run trough his veins.

"What do you truly want Markus?" She wasn't amused at all.

"You know what I want mother. Defect your position as Queen, it's really simple you just have to crown me King." He said, observing the ring he had taken from his father after his death.

"You know I can't do that, the people need me!" She moved closer to him, she suddenly got the feeling of spanking him till he converted.

"Oh please mother, why would the people need such an old hag in control?" He was indeed indirectly showing off the ring. "Don't you like dad's ring, too bad I had to kill him to get it, he was pretty amusing, I would say."

"You monster! How dare you even call yourself my son!" She was boiling mad, her powers coming of and rejuvenating the wrinkled skin.

"Stop being so great and full of virtue, it gets boring. Plus I just simply grew tired of waiting for him or you to die."

She looked away from her son, already knowing she could tell the people what he had done. But apparently he had planned it all, he was loved by the people and during the last few days he had gotten on their side. They would believe him more, this wasn't something she should have to think much but banishing him would be a great error. He had trapped her, she wasn't sure of what to do now.

"So mom, would you cooperate for my cause? I will obviously last longer in ruling so don't worry much about the people."

"Don't ever get so cocky son, it will be your downfall. But just tell me, how can you live with it?" She kept calling him son but only by title, she didn't show any feelings for the assassin of her husband.

"Mom, you're so funny! Dad was noting to me so don't bother much." His grinning was taken as evil and this time he stared at her dead in the eyes. "But now my dear mother, knowing you won't give the crown, I'll take it on my own. Guards!"

Zelda tried her best to move or run away, but they had always been there watching from the shadows. Those specially trained soldiers waiting the right moment for their leader to call them and give them the signal or simple order. The older Zelda grew tired fast and stopped struggling after a few minutes had passed. Markus on the other hand came closer to her and kissed her cheek for the first time since he was a child.

"My you used to be beautiful, where did that power went to now? Don't worry much mother I am just taking what is rightfully mine. Guards imprison her in her room." With a wave of his hands the knights had taken her out of his Quarters.

It wasn't as bad as she expected him to do but this was just the beginning. She had to find a way to leave everything she loved behind and not look back on it. The only person, who had been permitted to enter her room, ran in it the instant the word was spread to the castle. She in her young twenties, looked like a lady of power and wealth, but she had noting. She was simply living in this place as a handmaid to the Queen, not that she really needed to work. Her parents had left her long ago a house in the old Kariko village. Her vibrant red eyes shone with worry thinking mostly about her mistress health.

"Senia, let us go, you know the way." The old Zelda followed one of the last living Sheikah throughout the secret passage only they knew.