Viscen sighed, doing his best to ignore the chafing iron pauldrons strapped to his legs. He had been on the march for nearly twelve hours, escorting a supply wagon from Kakariko village back to the armories in Castle Town. His spear felt heavier than ever in his hands, and each step he took required a greater amount of effort than before.
Around him were fifteen other men, friends he had grown up with as children before Ganondorf became king. Men whom had joined the military, not out of loyalty to Ganondorf, but to provide for their families. They were as tired as he was, but for all the beatings they had endured under the usurper-king's reign, they bore themselves proudly. Viscen smiled at the moon, which glowed so brightly above them in the night sky.
"Come on, men! Is that the fastest you can walk?" Captain Zant, their escort leader, was nearly thirty yards ahead of the weary soldiers, mounted atop his black Gerudo stallion. The slim, pompous, and idealistic Zant was somewhat a joke amongst the company of men he led. Everyone knew that the Captain's dream was to become accepted as a member of the aristocracy through military service. Unlike the rest of them, who had families to feed, Zant had joined Ganondorf's army for personal gain.
"This shipment is expected before sunrise," Zant called to his weary men, watching them contemptuously from atop his horse. "If we delay in this task – or, Goddesses forbid, allow the shipment to fall into rebellious hands…"
"We'll make it, Captain," Viscen replied. "It's a quiet night. I think the "Hero" is taking a break."
Zant's pale face quivered, his eyes bulging slightly. "This is not a joking matter, soldier. He is no "Hero," but a rebellious traitor that must be flushed out like the scoundrel he is." Zant's voice rose wildly, as it always did when he began speaking with such fervor. "It will be a glorious day indeed when Hylia's body is hung on the gallows."
"Of course, Captain," Viscen said quietly, unwilling to put up with more of Zant's rhetoric. The supply column continued to snake through the abandoned streets of Castle Town, the soldiers guarding the wagon on food while Zant marched ahead of the group like a general in a parade.
The group of soldiers watched in exasperation as their captain led the group forward with his back ramrod straight and his newly brushed purple plume shivering in the night wind. Compared to their shoddy equipment, muddy boots, and dirty tunics, it was obvious to all that Zant was the leader of the troop of soldiers.
Which, naturally, made him a perfect target.
The rumble from the bomb's explosion was felt before Viscen actually heard any noise. Zant's figure, so proud and tall upon his horse only a moment ago, now tumbled unceremoniously from the saddle as a large explosion ripped its way across the empty street.
The group of soldiers halted instantly, the wagon's creaking wheels coming to a complete stop. Zant scrambled to his feet, uninjured, but obviously shaken. His face would have been completely white in fear if it hadn't been covered with soot and dirt.
"We're under attack! Defend yourselves!" Zant roared, attempting to salvage his pride by taking charge of the situation. He drew his sword, swinging it wildly, before staring around uncertainly in the dark.
"Where did the explosion come from?" he demanded, his voice sounding oddly tiny after the tremendous bomb blast.
Viscen shrugged. "In front of you, captain."
Zant swore. "Men, we are under attack! Secure that wagon!" The soldiers moved with almost lethargic speed, unwillingly moving into defensive positions around the cache of supplies.
"With haste!" Zant shouted, furiously watching his weary troops mill around like cattle. "It could be the traitor, Hylia! If we can catch him tonight…"
An arrow flew through the air, splitting Zant's crested plume in half. The guard captain jumped, eyes quivering in fear.
"Defend the supplies!" Zant bellowed, hastily mounting his horse and spurring it away. "Hold firmly, men! I will return with… with reinforcements! Hold, in the name of our glorious king!"
Viscen watched as Zant fled the scene atop his horse, still shouting wildly and raving like a mad man. The young guard shook his head, sighing wearily and removing his iron helmet.
"What a coward. That man isn't fit to be a soldier, much less a captain. You can come out now, Link."
As silent as a wraith, Link emerged from his hiding place on top of a nearby store roof. The young Hylia was grinning from ear to ear as he leapt down onto the street floor, still holding his longbow in one hand.
"I was hoping you got my message," Viscen said, as Link approached the wagonload of supplies and peered at it appreciatively. "Kafei can be forgetful sometimes."
Link whistled, noting the supplies that the soldiers had been transporting: stocks of food, and several sets of armor and swords. "Well, I'm glad he remembered tonight. This is a fair amount."
"How should we distribute it?" Viscen asked.
"Just leave it all here," Link replied. "I'm sure the bomb blast will have woken a few people up. Besides, if Ganondorf's men catch you handing out these items to the citizenry…"
"I understand," Viscen said, signaling to the rest of the troops. "Alright, let's call it a night."
"Thanks, all of you," Link said sincerely to each passing soldier. A few of them grunted in acknowledgement, or even smiled. Several of them stopped to shake his hand. Viscen was the last man to leave, embracing Link warmly.
"You see, most of the average soldiers are good people. They've got no love for Ganondorf, but until now, they've had no way to resist him."
"Well, I'm glad they are now," Link said. "I need them more than ever."
Viscen glanced once more at the wagonload of supplies, abandoned so enticingly in the middle of Castle Town. "You really think we can make this work, Link?"
The young knight smiled. "These people still have some fighting spirit left in them. You and your men have shown that, tonight."
"Rebellious spirit, at least," Viscen snorted, noticing a few citizens peeking out from their doors to investigate the source of the commotion. "But I trust you, Link. You've given the people something we haven't had in a long time."
"What's that, Viscen?"
"Faith."
Link's spirits were soaring high as he left Viscen, watching from the shadows as a crowd of jubilant citizens surrounded the abandoned convoy and began stripping it of the supplies and material that otherwise would have been used to support Ganondorf's reign. The young knight smiled to himself, before turning away and continuing his duties.
If anything, nightly events like this made him convinced that his fight was worth it. That he was making some impact on Hyrule. The citizens were ready for their freedom, and even the soldiers in Ganondorf's army were beginning to embrace the seeds of rebellion. All they needed was one final spark to set everything in motion. To put Ganondorf down for good.
And then, once Ganondorf had been deposed, what would happen? Zelda would become queen, of course: she was much better suited for the role than she would give herself credit for. But what would he become? Just another faceless member of the aristocracy? No, Link couldn't be a part of them, not anymore. But he couldn't stand the thought of wasting away in Zelda's court as some honor guard, watching her rule the country and eventually marrying some foppish prince from Termina.
Link shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He would handle everything later – there was no point in worrying about the future when there was still so much to do to undermine Ganondorf's reign.
The young knight landed on top of the roof of a small house, perching like a hawk as he surveyed Castle Town for any signs of trouble. His raids were having noticeable effects on the morale of Ganondorf's soldiers: they never patrolled the streets anymore, preferring to stay holed up in their barracks. For the past few days now, Link had had nothing to do but prey on isolated convoys carrying supplies.
He sighed, disappointed with the inactivity of Castle Town. The sun would rise in a few hours – perhaps he could give himself a break, just once, and retire early?
As he stood up from his crouching position, he felt an odd prick in his arm – a sudden spasm of pain, like a bee sting. Curiously, he looked down at his left arm… and found a tiny dart that had pierced his skin.
Link tore out the dart before it could sink in even more, but he could already feel the poison from the dart beginning to flow in his blood. His left arm felt heavy, almost like stone, and Link prayed that he had removed the dart fast enough to have prevented most of the toxins from saturating his blood.
But for now, he had even bigger concerns. A poisoned dart, such exotic weaponry, only heralded one thing.
A Gerudo.
Link drew his sword, foregoing his shield as his left arm was now completely numb and unresponsive. His opponent, a lithe, muscled woman garbed in traditional Gerudo apparel and sporting twin scimitars, dropped in front of him, only feet away.
"So… you're Hylia?" she said, her voice veiled with contempt. "I expected more from someone who has been causing King Ganondorf so much trouble."
"Fight me before you judge me," Link replied, lunging at her with his sword. The Gerudo easily dodged the blow, dancing around him like a sinuous serpent.
"Such slow reflexes," she mocked, her azure eyes flashing. "The poison getting to you?"
Link ducked beneath her sword strike, using his left arm as a club to slug her in the stomach. The Gerudo nimbly flipped away, landing with almost impossible ease on an overhanging ledge.
"I'm done playing with you," she said, dangerously. "Sisters! Take him in!"
At once, three other shadows dropped from nowhere into position around Link, completely surrounding him.
His mind involuntarily flashed back to the night of his first encounter with a Gerudo warrior, an encounter in which he barely emerged victorious. And now, he was up against four of them.
He took off running, barreling between the two closest Gerudo before they had a chance to react. His numb left arm was banging uselessly against his side, and his sword felt like a deadweight in his hand. Behind him, he heard the leader shouting orders as her three underlings rushed to catch him.
Link leapt across the rooftops, legs pumping furiously. Every now and then, he looked over his shoulders: the Gerudo warriors flitted in and out of the darkness like poes, and it was impossible for him to get an accurate bearing of their positions. Even if he couldn't see them, however, he felt their presence around him, like a malevolent spirit intent on hemming him inside a box.
A dart whizzed past his left ear, and Link cursed, leaping off the rooftops and rolling onto the dusty ground. Fantastic. Now, the Gerudo had a height advantage over him. His eyes darted around the empty town square for some cover he could use, and an idea sparked in his mind as he spotted a small hovel with an open doorway.
Link sprinted for the entrance, even as he heard several pairs of feet land on the ground behind him. Skidding into the hovel, he laid his back flat against the walls and drew his dagger, breathing hard. He could hear the sound of approaching feet, and he gripped the dagger in sweating hands.
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped, and Link's blood went cold. These Gerudo were smart – they weren't about to rush into a bottleneck blindly. He ducked, instinctively, a second before a pair of scimitars tore through the shoddy outer walls of the hovel and sliced the air where he had been a moment before.
Link rolled to his feet and covered the door, even as one of the Gerudo rushed inside. Down on his knees, Link thrust the dagger into her stomach, feeling a hot spray of blood coat his hand in crimson. The Gerudo screeched, teetering back outside of the door and clutching her wounded abdomen. Without hesitation, Link retreated to the back of the hovel. There was no exit, but he forced himself at the wall with all his strength. The entire wall literally collapsed as he stormed out of the hovel, desperately looking for a new path to escape.
He was in a narrow alleyway, and unfamiliar territory at that. His eyes darted wildly around himself, even as he heard the other three Gerudo coming for him.
Left, or right?
Or… up?
Link jumped on top of a wooden crate piled against the wall, using his good arm to haul himself up onto the rooftops. He could hear the Gerudo behind him, shouting, and he could imagine the rasp of their serrated scimitars as they closed in for the kill.
Where could he go? What could he do? A feeling of intense helplessness closed around Link. He had felled one of the Gerudo, by luck, but the other three were proving impossible to escape from. He couldn't return back to Kafei's manor without the Gerudo discovering his hideout – but with his useless left arm, he couldn't stand and fight them either.
Two of the Gerudo had leapt on top of the roof, and Link had no where to run to. They drew their dual blades, circling around him like prowling cats, and Link eyed them warily as he drew his sword with his remaining good arm.
Their leader had scrambled on top of the roof as well, her scarlet eyes burning. "Give up, Hylia. There is no way you'll escape us. Surrender, and Lord Ganondorf may be generous enough to give you a painless death."
It was over. They had him surrounded, and even if he wasn't wounded, Link doubted he could have fended three of them off at once.
"Alright," Link said, dropping his blade. The sword fell to the ground with an empty clatter, the steel blade shining in the moonlight. Link fell to his knees, head bowed. The Gerudo watched almost disbelievingly, hesitating to approach him.
Their leader came to her senses. "Tie him up, Sisters. Lord Ganondorf will be pleased."
As the two Gerudo approached, Link tore off the makeshift bandolier that he had strapped over his tunic to carry the bombs he had used in the ambush of Zant's convoy. He had used most of the bombs already, but two of the gunpowder-filled orbs remained.
"You know what these are?" Link asked, throwing the bombs to the ground so that they smashed and poured gunpowder all over the floor. He drew a match and sparked it, holding it threateningly over the smashed gunpowder.
The Gerudo hesitated, looking back at their leader for orders. Their leader seemed bemused, as if she was unfamiliar with the foreign weapons Kafei had supplied him.
"Gunpowder, from the Goron mines at Death Mountain," Link grinned. "I'll die before I surrender to Ganondorf."
He flicked the lit match upwards, diving back as he did so. The two Gerudo instinctively moved forward to gut him with their blades, as the leader dove backwards, sensing the danger. Almost in slow motion, Link watched the match spiral down to the glistening gunpowder, and as he hit the ground on his back, he curled up into a small ball.
He might die, but he was taking these Gerudo with him.
Even as the two Gerudo closed in on him, there was an explosive roar and a wave of heat. The two Gerudo shrieked as the concussive blast from the bombs sent them flying off the roof, and Link grit his teeth as he was bathed in heat and shrapnel. He felt bits of ceramic and glass embedding themselves into his back, and he roared like a primal beast as the scent of gunpowder and burning flesh overcame his senses.
As he slipped into unconsciousness, his vision blacking out, the only solace he had was that he had literally gone out with a bang.
The first thing Link felt was a pair of soft hands gently caressing his skin, fingertips oddly cool to the touch. The cold felt especially soothing on his skin, permeating his flesh and sinking deeply into his bones. He sighed in content, but the massage stopped at his sign of life.
"Link? Can you hear me?"
The voice sounded so far away, and had a dreamlike quality to it. Unable to pinpoint the exact location of the voice, Link simply groaned in response, hoping that it would suffice for an answer.
"Oh, Goddesses," the voice exclaimed, sounding – happy? Relieved? Link frowned, trying to open his eyes but finding he was unable to. He knew that voice, knew that touch, and he finally put a face to his disembodied savior.
"Z… Zelda?"
She sighed, and the familiar sound brought a smile to his lips. It was her, at least, which meant he was still alive, and out of Ganondorf's hands. How both had happened astounded Link, but he chalked it up to one of the Goddesses' miracles.
"Link? How… how are you?"
He could feel her face hovering closely over his, even if he still hadn't mustered the strength to raise his eyelids. Her hands were softly rubbing his chest, lathering his skin with cool lotion.
Link frowned, trying to remember what had happened. Vague memories of an explosion, a haze of red, and screams. Had his gambit paid off, after all? Were the Gerudo dead?
"Where are we?" Link managed to moan, trying to lift his head. Zelda guided his head back down onto the pillow, her golden locks falling over his face as she did so.
"Kafei's manor. Where else would we be?"
"What… how did you find me?"
Zelda paused in her application of cold lotion to his burn wounds. "I didn't find you. A few peasants discovered you three days ago and brought you back here, hiding you from Ganondorf's troops."
"Three… three days? I've been out that long?"
"You're lucky you're not dead," Zelda replied, firmly. "You almost were when they brought you here. I… I was afraid I wouldn't be able to save you. How… how were you wounded?"
"Bomb," Link replied shortly. "I had no choice, the Gerudo would have killed me anyways."
He heard her suck in her breath sharply. "The Gerudo were after you?"
"Four of 'em," Link affirmed. "I stabbed one… not sure if the bomb blast killed the other three. Probably, since I'm in your hands, rather than Ganondorf's dungeons."
He could feel Zelda shiver at the very thought of him being held as a captive of the usurper-king. He too, was glad that he had been found by allies, and that they had ignored the one million rupee bounty on his head. Hyrule still did have hope, after all.
"How bad are my wounds?" Link asked quietly. "If I've been out for three days…"
"Lots of burn wounds, as you can probably imagine," Zelda sighed. "Most of them will heal adequately, but there's a large patch on your back that will leave a permanent scar. Not to mention, you had a lot of stray bits of shrapnel embedded all over you."
Link whistled. "That's twice I owe you, Zelda."
"More than that," she replied. "I have to rub this lotion all over your burns every hour."
"Ah, you like it," Link said lazily. She paused, obviously embarrassed, and Link remembered his earlier promise to keep their relationship as friends.
"Right. Sorry," he said awkwardly.
"Don't worry about it," she said, and he could imagine her cheeks flushing prettily. Her nimble fingers danced over his wounds, soothing the pain, and he sighed deeply.
"Thanks, Zelda," he said, after a second. With a colossal amount of willpower, he forced open his eyes, which felt as if they were weighted down with lead. His vision was blurry, and he groaned as he tried to sit up in bed.
"Link, don't do that," she protested, trying to force him back down. He shrugged her off, gritting his teeth as he sat up in bed.
He blinked, allowing his vision to get in focus. She was looking at him anxiously.
"How are you?"
Link looked around himself, recognizing the place as their room in the Dotour manor. He looked down at himself: his chest was nearly white from all the lotion she had been applying, and his arms were sporting several deep scars.
"Zelda… am I naked?"
This time, he could see her blush visibly. "Of… of course not," she replied, somewhat indignantly. "Do you think I'm some sort of… of…"
"So I take it my wounds were mostly above the belt?" Link asked, smiling.
"Don't joke about that, Link," she said, still blushing madly. "Here, lay back down and I'll put some cooling lotion on your arm burns…"
"No, I'm fine," he said. "Really. What I want right now is some food. Do we have any of that?"
"Of course we do, but I really think…"
"Come on, Zelda. Just a little cheese to munch on? All this work you've done will go to naught if I starve to death."
She fixed him with a wry smile, before using a cloth to brush off the excess lotion on her fingertips. "Fine. I could use a little meal myself."
"Great!" Link said, as she stood up to get some food. "If Kafei's got any meat, I want some. And wine! A flask of wine, please!"
"What am I, your servant?" Zelda replied, before pausing.
"No, you're not my servant," Link said. "If anything, I am your servant… princess."
She turned her back on him without another word, heading out of the room and closing the door with a snap. Link flexed his arm, trying to test out his strength. He was in surprisingly good condition, after three days of Zelda's ministrations. His burn wounds were still painful, the agony somewhat dulled by the cold cream, but other than that, he had escaped the worst effects of the bomb blast.
Link waited patiently for Zelda to return, which took her several minutes. He could smell the scent of fresh food long before he could actually see her, and his stomach rumbled in hunger just as she entered the room. She giggled.
"We've done this before, I think."
"Yeah, well, I'm starving, so hurry up," he demanded, in a pouty tone of voice. She brought the tray of food to the bedside table, pulling a seat up for herself. Link greedily inhaled the scent of fresh cheese and meat.
"Where's Kafei?" he asked, tearing into a hunk of beef.
"Asleep. It's midnight," Zelda replied, taking a more dignified bite of her food.
Link watched her eat her food, a smile growing on his lips. "Why do you take such delicate nibbles out of your food?"
"Excuse me? Don't you have any manners?"
"Well," Link shrugged, "isn't it more efficient to take – big – bites…?" He demonstrated by ripping out another hunk of meat with his teeth. Zelda looked revolted.
"I'll forgive you this once, since you haven't eaten in three days," she said, taking another small bite from her food. Link rolled his eyes.
"It's called pragmatism, Zelda. That's why I don't go out and fight Ganondorf in my dress tunic."
"Now that's a different subject," she laughed, setting down her food and taking a sip of wine. "Table manners and battle dress are completely unrelated."
"Sure they are," Link said, grabbing his flask of wine, "but they've got the same principal behind them."
"Sorry, since when did the Goddesses appoint you as a Temple Sage?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Link didn't deign to respond, swilling the wine around in his mouth in what he believed was a refined manner. "Good vintage, this," he finally said, speaking in a mock-posh accent. "I'll have to commend Kafei on his selection of wine."
Zelda giggled, taking a deeper drink from her flask. "You never drink. Why'd you want me to get wine tonight?"
"To put us in a good mood," Link replied, "and to celebrate. I survived against four Gerudo warriors! That's got to be an achievement, right?"
He raised his glass to her, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Zelda smiled and clinked her own drink against his.
"To the downfall of Ganondorf!" Link declared, downing his glass in one gulp. "And long live the reign of Queen Zelda!"
"Don't say that," she replied, giggling, as she drank her own wine and began pouring more for both of them.
"Why not? You are the Crown Princess."
"Yes, but I need a king before I become queen," she replied, as both of them took deep swigs of wine. "Someone who knows how to run the country… who can sympathize with the problems of the average citizen but who can court the nobility."
"How about the Prince of Termina?" Link suggested.
Zelda looked scandalized. "He's an absolute fop!" she said, and both of them erupted into giggles.
"So, who are you thinking about?" Link asked, pouring himself a generous serving of wine.
"I haven't really thought about it," she said, for a moment looking deeply concerned, before shrugging and breaking out into an infectious smile. "I mean, that's a bit far into the future, isn't it?"
"You'll have to think about it some day," Link replied. "Why not tonight?"
"Hmm." She poured herself another glass of wine. "I don't know many members of the aristocracy. Much less anyone I can trust."
"Kafei?"
"He's a nice man, but… no. A bit too aloof from politics, I think."
"Mayor Bo, of Ordon?"
"Link, he's married! And with a daughter! And he's about twice my age!"
"When it comes to a good king, you can't be choosy," Link shrugged. "But I agree, he's not your type. Too indecisive. What you need is a dependable, strong, compassionate man…"
"Kind of like you?" she suggested, wryly.
"Well… I won't deny I fit the bill quite nicely."
"I thought you had no interest in politics?"
"I don't. Nor do I care about running the country. But what I do care about," Link said, watching her closely, "is keeping you happy. If that means serving you as court jester, then I'll willingly do it."
"You're too sweet," Zelda murmured, pouring herself more wine. "Oh, we're almost out!" She giggled, her cheeks flushed red. "Want to finish off the bottle?"
"With pleasure," he said, throwing away his glass with a crash and taking the entire bottle from her hands.
"Oh, Link!" she laughed, as he tipped it into his mouth.
"See? I make you laugh!" he declared triumphantly. "I know what makes you tick, whether you admit it or not!"
"Yes, but I never know which way you'll make me tick," she replied, face contorted in spasms of laughter.
"But that's the fun part! Life wouldn't be interesting without those little surprises."
"Link, life is already interesting enough with you," she said. "First of all, I found out you're some secret vigilante that Ganondorf has a one million rupee bounty on… then, I'm the… the Crown Princess of Hyrule…"
She paused, looking suddenly frightened, as if awed by the mantle of responsibility that was destined to be placed on her head.
"This is ridiculous!" she said, laughing. "I can't believe I'm sitting here with you… drinking myself sick…"
"It doesn't help that I'm half naked," Link suggested helpfully.
"Link, I… it just wouldn't work. It couldn't."
"Why not?"
She looked down at her lap, holding her empty glass of wine loosely. Her eyebrows were furrowed, as if she was asking herself, why not?
"It'd be so… so strange. I mean, you're Aleron's son, and… to love you… and now I'm the Crown Princess…"
"You know what?" Link said, reaching over and cupping her chin in one hand. She looked up into his eyes, her beautiful face written in uncertainty and longing.
"I don't think that's strange at all."
He swooped in and kissed her, full in the mouth, his lips hungrily devouring any part of her fair flesh he could get. To his surprise, she responded eagerly, her hands roaming over his chest, the velvet of her lips cushioning his energetic kisses.
His head was on fire, his entire body was on fire, and all he could think about how crazy this was, how wonderful it was, and he kissed her everywhere he could – her lips, her face, the nape of her neck, he loved it all. And the way she responded – oh, Goddesses!
"I had no idea you were so energetic," he gasped, in between panting kisses. "How are you so good at this?"
"All those smutty romance novels I read," she murmured, her fingernails digging into the bare flesh of his back.
"I never knew you read romance!" he exclaimed, as he nibbled her ear tenderly.
"Ah… well, I guess now's a good time to get to know each other better," she whispered seductively, her lips brushing over the bare skin of his chest.
"Goddesses, Zelda," he groaned, taking her up into his arms and delighting in the feel of her warm, writhing body. "I – love – you – so – much!"
"You're not just saying that because you want to be king?"
"Zelda, I would love you even if you were a peasant," Link affirmed, claiming her lips once more.
"Well, in that case," she whispered, her eyes burning passionately, "I love you too."
"Sweet Goddesses, I think I really died and woke up in the Sacred Realm. Dear Farore!"
She giggled, lifting her head up and regarding him playfully. "Did you like that?"
His eyes grew wide, and his mouth hung open slackly, before forming into a wolfish grin. "Ouch, Zelda, my wounds are a bit tender. Can you be more gentle?"
Her reply to that was so un-princess-like that Link couldn't help but howl in amusement. And pleasure. Mostly the latter.
