A/N: I would like to title this chapter "The Return of Ruto," as she has returned to take what is rightfully hers (Link, you dawg!) =)

Chapter Fourteen

He had awoken the next morning by the loud clanging of his cell being opened.

At the sound, his eyes had involuntarily lifted abruptly, as he hastily sat up to see Lady Impa enter his cell without the accompaniment of guards, a large ring of keys and a rolled bundle of rope in her possession. Link could only stare at the woman with bewilderment in his expression, the blues of his eyes trembling as she bent her knees, taking hold of him in his sleep to bring him up.
Without a word, the Sheikan pushed him a bit aggressively against the cold, rough wall, pressing her knee into his leg, taking hold of his wrists and crossing them over each other, while taking the rope and tying him without care.

He grunted in slight aggravation as she pulled him once more, this time grasping at the back collar of his shirt, leading him away.

"Come with me, young man."

There was another layer of harshness to her voice, of a neutral, yet indelicate tone in her discord, that made him grow rather timid, as she single handedly led him away from the dungeons, her grip on him fierce, as if he were a monstrous criminal, and not the hero the king had grown to love.

Link did not know where she was taking him, and was too sheepish to inquire, nervous of her intentions. She had brought him out from the dark, clammy area of imprisonment, now leading him through the castle, until she at last ceased their strenuous walk into a room that he was rather familiar with.

Her political chambers.

The Sheikan legislature closed the large door after they had entered the quiet, ample room, locking it with a one of the keys on her large ring. The area was lavishly adorned with canvas paintings, even several abstract designs. The floors were polished to a point where it almost seemed that the ground was made of silver. At the center of her headquarters, there was a long, rectangular table, and there she had Link seated, pulling out a chair at the other end of the angle to sit beside him.

For several moments, which appeared endless, there was a stillness between them. Link felt especially uncomfortable, as his hands were tied behind his back, and he was seated inside a very important, political office where he presumed his fate to be decided at this encounter.

Slowly, the boy focused his attention on Impa, who sat with her elbows on the surface, her hands clasped together with motion to her fingers. The scowl on her face was stern, but not dirty or too rigid. She appeared more upset and grieved than she did angry. Yet, there was no question to the fact that she was disappointed in the boy.

Rather loudly, as if to vivaciously break the silence, Impa cleared her throat.

"I have brought you here today, Link, because I have had council with the king regarding your case, and his majesty wants this to be settled with as little public attention as possible. So here, I will lay out directly what he has instructed me to say to you, and I ask that you please remain silent as I do so."

Torpidly, he nodded, a slight sweat appearing at his forehead. At his small gesture, Impa repositioned herself on the chair, fixing her posture, find some means to somewhat delay addressing him. As she began to speak, she kept her gaze focused towards the table, a slight, nervous flutter to her lashes.

"It has come to my knowledge that the princess has placed you under arrest on account of violation, and she has presented evidence that she is with child, stating that it is yours. As the king is currently ill, he has placed the princess in charge of several affairs during his recovery in his bed chambers, but has not given her absolute control, refusing to allow her to directly sentence prisoners besides confinement in the dungeons."

Pausing for a moment, Impa sighed an exasperated breath, finding it difficult to further explain the situation to him. Carefully, she allowed her eyes to gander at his face, noticing the very apparent look of unease that had captured his visage.

"Thus, when the guards who arrested you informed me of this matter, I decided to have a brief council with the king, to see what he deemed as an appropriate ruling for this situation. He was shocked to learn of the princess's condition, which is not good as he is a sick man. Yet, as upset as he was, he was uncertain if the actual charge was rape, as violation in terms of the royal court is defined as a sexual encounter. It could be described as rape, molestation, or intercourse with an unmarried underage girl of the royal court."

A sudden chill crept down his spine. "I did not rape her."

Flinching at his disobedience of solitude, Impa sighed. "The king does not think so, either, which is somewhat fortunate for you, considering the offer he is giving you."

Link made sure he kept his mouth completely shut now, pressing his lips together so compactly it was rather painful. At Impa's slight pause, he felt the tempo of his heartbeat begin to increase, a flush taking over him.

"King Harkinian will allow you to wed the princess, in which you would become a Prince Consort."

From shock, his jaw dropped, yet nothing but air fled from it. With a concentrated sigh, Impa rubbed at her neck.

"Yet, because you would be a consort, because your blood is not royalty, after the king's death, you would remain a consort, as Zelda will be queen and the sole ruler of Hyrule. A blood heir must reign, and appointing you king would place you at a higher legal and royal position than Zelda, thus a Prince Consort you would remain, unless the lady would like to appoint you Duke of various lands if she pleased. Hyrule will remain without a king, unless Zelda produces a male heir.

"The king is presenting you with this offer, as he does not wish for his daughter to be shamed with a bastard child, who would be ruled as illegitimate, and would thus not be next in line to rule Hyrule, even if Zelda were to never have another child. However..."

There, she stopped, her back leaning forward now, a look of unease in her expression. She could see the nervousness on the young man's face, the uncertainty in his eyes. There was an intimidating gleam in the red of her irises now, her face becoming very stiff. With an apparent rise of her chest, the woman exhaled deeply.

"However," she began once more, more carefully this time, "the king has put this ruling in the hands of the princess. If she does not agree to this wedlock, then you will be put on trial for violation. It will be a short, private matter, and the king will make sure you receive the punishment you deserve. Yet, if the queen agrees to the marriage, and you refuse..."

Trailing off, Impa made certain to glare at him fiercely into his eyes, capturing his attention precisely, staring at him so intently that it sent a mad tremor through his entire body. And the beating of his heart was violent within his chest, banging viciously.

"If you refuse, then the king will allow Princess Zelda to choose your punishment, whatever she deems acceptable. No matter what it may be."

At the solemnness of her words, Link gulped nervously.

"Is there anything you would like to say?"

A thick breath fled through his nostrils. "When...when will this be decided?"

"I will present this case before the princess now."

Link was particularly quiet as he carefully bowed before the princess.

Wriggling his confined wrists, an immense foreboding weight had been pressed upon him, while Impa stood before him respectably, her posture sturdy and poised, beginning to address Zelda.

The girl in question remained seated at her father's throne, garbed in a completely different dress now. It was not as lavish and exquisite as the one she had worn the previous day, as the skirt was flatter, without a large petticoat underneath. Yet, her lips were still painted a mature, dark red, rather than the deep, girlish magenta usually smeared on her mouth. Again, her hair was pulled up and away from her face, the crown atop her head somehow intimidating him.

Her fixation hadn't been towards Lady Impa, but the young, handsome prisoner behind her, who kneeled before her in respect and fear for his own mercy. Slowly, he had lifted his eyes from the ground, to meet her own, as she had been glaring towards him without emotion. Though, when their gazes locked, a sudden bout of something had come over her, causing her to hastily fumble with her lips before she could show any feeling or expression. Quickly, she focused her attention towards Impa, sitting properly at the throne, her back straight and elbows relaxed on the large armrests.

"Has my father, the King, reached a verdict?"

Through his stillness, Link flinched at the annunciation of Zelda's voice, how she painfully sounded so proper when he recalled her sticking a strawberry whole in her mouth when she had returned from Gerudo Valley. Now, she looked like a miniature queen, her hair decorated and pulled into so many buns it hurt for one to merely glance at.

Now Impa presented herself to the princess, holding before her a document signed by the King.

"My Lady, his majesty is offering this young man a proposal, which you may or may not agree towards."

Steadily, Zelda nodded. "Alright. Please explain."

"The king will allow this man to join you in marriage, so the child may be legitimate, and he would become a Prince Consort. If you deny his hand in marriage, then he shall be tried privately for your violation, and you should bare witness and testify on the account. Yet, if you do agree to the marriage, and he refuses, the king grants you, his daughter, permission to do with the prisoner as you please."

Then, there was a complete and utter silence.

Subtly, Link looked from Impa to the princess, and there he noticed the greatest distress claiming her features, as he could not only see it in her face, but her whole body. The was a quaver to her posture, a look of trepidation to her visage. It seemed that a sadness dwelled in her eyes, refusing to look at the boy in question, as she simply stared ahead at her adviser.

"I need...I need a moment to think...about this," she spoke gently, the familiar, vulnerable, girlish tone returning to her voice. "Please...take him back to his cell...so I may...make a decision."

There existed an ambiguity in her speech, as a major transition had occurred from her demanding tone, to the dubious one that now possessed her. As Impa began to lead the boy away, Zelda had forced herself to take one final glance his way, and when their stares met, a pang of heartache engulfed him.

He felt it now, her own misery. For, within her fiery, vicious appearance, there lied a sadness and grief he had vaguely been aware of. Even though their glance was short, Link was able to see the tremble in her eyes, the glitter of her pupil. Her eyes had always been the most expressive feature of her face, and even as she tried to conceal her emotions, he had always seemed to discover them there. And there he knew it was difficult for her to try to remain so bold and poised, ladylike and powering.

Inside, she felt as weak as him.