I'm bedridden with a cold, so I figured I'd write up a new chapter. This one will hopefully be much longer than the other two. WordPad ALSO does not show me pages, which is partly why the last chapter was so short. It looked much longer on the program, but apparently wasn't. I now have Office, so I'm bouncing back and forth between the two.

\================================== \/==================================/

Chapter 2

With Eyes of Red and Blood of Blue

One slender finger tapped impatiently against the armrest of her chair as she stared down the man before her. He did not cower, but she could feel how nervous he was, despite how much concern she could see in his eyes. Those blue eyes quickly darted to the floor when he noticed she caught him staring. The action made him resemble a puppy that had just been yelled at, even if she had said nothing to warrant the response. Her lips pursed and her tapping finger, the only sound in the room, stopped. Now she felt bad. It hadn't been his fault-the second part, anyway-yet she was staring him down as if she was angry at him-which she wasn't. It had been an accident on his part and a loss of control on hers that had lead to this and she was not sure how to explain it as she had promised him she would. Her own eyes fell upon his hand, wrapped in bandages, reeking of blood and ointment.

Earlier that morning...

Link slowed his horse down as they approached the castle. The guard who had fetched him was only a few paces behind on his own horse. Epona calmly crossed the bridge, eager to have been out riding again like they used too, though she could sense her rider's unrest. Her nose flared as she breathed heavily from her earlier speed. The run had warmed her from the frosty air. At the guard's constant comments about how much "danger the queen might still be in" and how she "hasn't been eating anything for days" had really messed with the hero. He couldn't even sleep when they had to make camp. Too many bad thoughts would pop up, so by the moment the first light peaked over the horizon, Link had been packed and ready to go. Because who needed sleep?

The gates raised as the men at their post recognized the hero and one of their own. It was still a bit early to raise it, given nocturnal monsters were still on the prowl during the wee hours of the morning, but they would not deny Hyrule's hero from entrance. Link's companion waved them away when the men wished to try and talk by saying urgent business at the castle, please make way!" The Hyrulean was grateful for this as he was always bad at turning people down. Slipping away, or avoiding them entirely was more his strong suit. Epona moved quickly and carefully through streets of Castle Town. Only a few people were about this early. Shop owners were getting ready while stall owners were setting out their produce or other goods. Luckily they were too busy to pay him any mind. it had been a while since he was here, and with more luck, they wouldn't even recognize him unless he wanted them too.

The castle stood as glorious as ever. Many parts of the castle had been remodeled and Link had yet to see most of the finished work or explore the new rooms. The two followed the pathway to the castle where someone waved them down. It was Shad. They came to a stop near him and dismounted. The scholar hurried down the remodeled stairs.

"Take Sir Link's horse to the royal stables and make sure the stable-hand know to take good care of her," came Shad's first words. "Bring his things to his room after."

The guard saluted, "Understood!"

Link arched a brow. He had a room? As much as he wanted to inquire upon this, there were more urgent things to deal with. "Where is her Ma-" Shad cut him off.

"In a minute." The interruption caught Link off guard. Wasn't the queen in danger? Shouldn't he at least be allowed to check up on her!? Shad grabbed his arm and dragged him into the castle. "I have a lot to explain before you can see her. Assuming she'll let you." The blond pursed his lips but Shad continued to lead him through the castle, thankfully no longer by the arm.

Security had been beefed up, he noted. Every hall had two to three guards. Some would stand at the ends of the halls, looking down one hallway before looking at the other. The rest would pace about, occasionally looking out the window as if expecting some invading force to appear in the distance, or to see someone running about the rooftops... That had been one way of getting from one end of the castle to the next. He wondered if Zelda had ever told anyone of such a...path.

A door was opened and Link was led into the library, a grand place full of books of every sort and size. Books, old and new, were scattered across one of the larger tables where several candles had been melted down to their base, spilling wax over the edge of their holders before drying and dying out. Shad lit a few of the sticks still standing and waved Link over. Uncomfortable, Link moved in, expecting to have pages and books shoved at him. Thankfully it didn't happen.

"Okay, I know you have questions, but for now, let me at fill you in on everything that has happened so far before I tell you the reasons for my concern." Because the queen being attacked was apparently not the main concern? Link bit his tongue and said nothing. Shad took a deep breath and began his telling of the events thus far...

"A week an a half ago, a noble from a far land had come to visit the queen; a common occurrence since her coronation. His name is Gustave Bellemare, a rather handsome and charismatic man, though a bit too friendly with people in my opinion. Still, people seemed to get along with him. He and the queen also seemed to get along quite well, to the point that...well..." Shad looked off to the side and Link held his breath, not liking the hesitance the other man was showing. "As I said, he was a bit too friendly...and bold."

"Bold?" Link blurted out, not hiding the change in his voice. "What do you mean by bold?"

Shad adjusted his glasses. "He was-in short-trying to court the queen. Doing so much as to visit her in her room."

A sharp pain hit him square in the chest, forcing the man to look away. "She...she let him?"

"Act friendly or visit her in her room?"

Link wiped his head back, "Would it matter!?"

"Does it?" Shad inquired. Link blushed and looked away again with a scowl. As the hero said no more, the scholar continued. "I don't believe the queen to be loose, if that is what you are worrying about, Link. They were social visits from what I could tell. This man had spent some time here at the castle, but during that time, the princess had begun to act...giddy...and forgetful of some of her duties such as council meetings and turning in important documents. It was very unlike her, but as she seemed happy for the first time in a long while, nobody said anything about it. Not until she suddenly fainted." He watched Link tense at this, not that he wasn't already tense. "The royal doctor said it was anemia and told her to remain in bed for a few days, eat a lot of food, and drink a lot of water. Two days later came the attack. Someone broke into her Majesty's royal chambers at night and attempted to take her life. With all the ruckus, it's a surprise the guards outside her room took so long to respond. The perpetrator ended up escaping out the balcony just as the guards showed up. After the attack, Gustave left Castle Town in a hurry, heading in the direction of the western port. We were about to send men after him, believing him to be the attacker, but her Majesty stopped us. For what reason, I have only speculations"

"Since then, the queen has refused to speak on the matter and has spent most of her time locked away in her room. She has hardly eaten any foods and has been a bit short-tempered with anyone dumb enough to pursue and audience with her. Not even the doctor has been allowed to come check on her. I have once or twice, however, walked into the library in the middle of the night to find her snooping through the archives. She'd make a sudden exit once she realized I was there." At this, Shad flipped open one of the books and began turning page after page, looking for something he had forgotten to mark. "I've checked all the shelves I've seen her at and have managed to find several books of interest...though the contents are...incomplete in terms of what I seek, but it is enough. I think I know what is wrong with her...but I need proof before we attempt to even..." The older man paused and looked up with an unreadable expression before an apologetic smile appeared. "I'm sorry, Link, but...I will have to have you confirm a few things for me. Symptoms, if you will. ...And you might not like it." The hero arched a brow.

'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'

Link wasn't exactly sure what he had gotten himself into, but Shad seemed sure of himself despite his ridiculous. That the queen was... Link shook his head to clear the thought away and focused on tidying himself up. After speaking with Shad, the scholar had told him to eat, rest up, and take a bath...because in his delicate words, Link "smelled like a horse." And as it turned the hero really did have a private room in the castle. It was the one he had used during his stay after the invasion. Link had just assumed it was a guest room he was put into back then, but Zelda had decided it was his to have should he ever visit. It wasn't as fancy as some of the other rooms, but it was more spacious than his whole tree house and had everything he would need-in a bedroom. There was even a place to store his weapons and armor. Even better? An attached bathroom. It had been one of the main reasons he had chosen it in the first place. The first day he stayed at the castle, Link made the mistake of using a room without one and had to use the public bath used by the soldiers. This wouldn't have been a problem if all the soldiers didn't all try to bathe with him at the same time for a chance to talk with him about his adventures. Things became too personal, and he had to make a hasty retreat.

The blond groaned at the memory and plopped back down onto the bed, a damp towel still around his neck. His hair was only half dry, making it cling to his skin and pillow. At least he smelled of floral soap instead of horse. Link didn't want to think about what he smelled like when he and Zelda fought Ganondorf. Probably horse and dog, but she never said anything about it then, so Link wasn't sure if smelling like he had been rolling in flowers was going to change her opinion of him. He raised up his left hand to look at the mark that had remained since he was brought into the twilight stricken Hyrule. The Triforce of Courage. That was what he had-supposedly. Right now he felt anything but courageous at what he was about to do. Another groan escaped him and he rolled onto his side.

He glanced at the window, noting the darkening sky. It was now or never.

'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'...'

For the past ten minutes, Link stood outside the queen's door. The guards who had been doing their duty to make sure no assassins tried to bust through the door had gone on break at his dismissal. She would be safe with the hero, that they knew. He however, had yet to enter or even announce his presence to the single occupant inside. It was as though the door was some impenetrable, impending barrier, which if crossed, would lead to pain, and death, and more pain. Dungeons were less scary than this! Between Shad's ridiculous plan and his own problematic feelings, this was a pitfall.

Something within the room fell and shattered, breaking the man from his thoughts and worries. Link suddenly barged into the room, hand on the hilt of his sword and ready to use it on any and all intruders. The sudden bang from the door startled the person before him who yelped and fell to the floor with a hand over their heart. ...Oh sweet Goddesses! Link's face and ears lit right up, skipping the pink and going straight for a deep crimson. He quickly directed his gaze upward, mentally etching what he had seen into the deepest parts of his mind.

"M-my apologies, your Majesty!"

"AH!" Zelda yipped out in turn trying to cover what the towel had not.

The queen quickly got up off the floor and grabbed at the bath robe on her bed. Her face was almost as red as his as she wrapped the robe over the small towel around her body. The knot was tied hard and strong. The room was dimly lit with a small fire, but it had been enough to make out everything. There was a long moment of silence as the two tried to process what had happened. Link finally lowered his gaze not that she was somewhat dressed. He swallowed at the new memory but dreaded what would be following. What if she had him killed for walking in on her like that? Well, barging in. And he...he..

"Did...Did you see it?" Came her sudden accusation as she turned to look at him.

Link's face reddened even more and he quickly looked away, "N-no!"

Her mouth fell open at this and she narrowed her eyes, "You did!"

"N-No!" Came the same response in the same town. He still refused to look at her. He didn't want her to see how red his cheeks were or how hot under the collar he felt. Even his ears burned.

He only turned back when she had become quiet for a while. A slender arm was wrapped under her chest while the other, crossed partly over that, hid her mouth behind her hand. Her gaze pointed to the fireplace and nothing else. A cherry red filled her cheeks, matching the tips of her own pointed ears. His eyes focused on hers. Steel blue, just as he remembered them. Her face, though red, held a paleness to it that reminded him of when her body had been posessed. The memory was unpleasant though easily put asside at the task at hand. He scanned her body and even with the robe and towel, could tell she had lost quite a bit of weight since he had seen her last. Her wrists just looked so fragile His gaze moved back up to her face, to where her lips hid behind her hand. Zelda rarely wore makeup, from what he knew at least. At most she would wear lipstick or occassionally her handmaid would put eyeshadow on her. It was a wide difference from most noble ladies Link had met. Even Ilia wore makeup now and then. Moreso since their engagement. But Zelda's lips were bare, darker than her skin with the slightest pink in them. They were smaller than Ilia's as well, but could easily show the smallest expressions. Right now he couldn't see if she was frowning, grimacing, or smiling. As the queen lowered her hand, Link focused on her eyes again, not wanting to be caught looking any lower than her nose right then.

"I was unaware of your visit..."

"It was sudden."

"Will you be staying long?"

"Probably."

"...You will be back in time for your wedding, I hope?"

Link choked on spit. "Y-you...you knew?"

Now he could clearly her smile, though it did not reach her eyes. "Yes. Do you think I, Hyrule's Queen, would not know what the hero has been up too? I have been thinking for some time...wondering if perhapse my invitation was simply lost in the mail or if it exists at all."

Link bit his tongue this time, unable to keep his eyes on her any longer. He didn't want to say it. That she wasn't invited. It was not because he did not want ot see her or that she wasn't in some way special enough to him to warant such a response. But of everyone who would be coming, of everyone he knew, he didn't want to hear her congradulate him. For him to know she was there...in the crowd. So when Ilia and he made the invitations, Link had secretly taken the Queen's invite. In the letters he had addressed personaly, to those who he knew, he made sure to add a secret note of "please don't tell her Majesty." Apparently someone didn't keep their mouths shut and she had found out.

When the hero did not respond to her, she continued. "I am not upset." He looked up at her, surprised. Zelda folded her hands. "You are an individual. You have your own wishes and privacies you need not share with everyone, myself included. I was just...giving you a hard time. Payment for barging into my private chambers like that."

Again his face heated up but he ignored it this time. "About that..."

"The reason you are here is because of what happened with the attack and my odd behavior," she finished. Link cleared his throat and nodded. "I am aware of people's worry and I can assure you that all is well and you needent worry either. Unless there is something elese you wish to discuss, you may leave. It is late, and I'm sure you need rest."

Crap! He hadn't finished Shad's plan yet! He couldn't leave so soon. And she hardly soothed his worry. "Actually..." he started, looking around for something to keep him there longer. His eyes fell upon the broken glass in the middle of the floor. It must have come from a cup because of the water that darkened the carpet. Link stepped forward without asking to be let in. His peripherals told him Zelda had stiffened a bit but remained far away as before. He slowly began picking up the pieces with one hand and depositing them into the other. "I was hoping to convince you to take better care of yourself. I can tell you've lost weight. Shad is worried you might faint again, or worse. And hen there's your recl-"

"I said I'm fine!" She snapped, making the younger male flinch. His fist closed tightly around the glass and he hissed loudly. Zelda sucked in her breath, realizing what she had done. Of course, it wasn't really her fault. Link fisted the glass intentionally. That was why he had grabbed only the larger shards so as not to get any embedded under his skin. "I'm sorry, I... You're...you're bleeding!"

"It's fine," he said gently. "I've had much worse." Link continued picking up the shards as though the blood that slowly pooled in his other hand weren't real. "I'll take care of the glass for-" The air was suddenly knocked out of him with such a force that he toppled backwards, dropping the glass shards. Something gripped his injured hand and a strange sensation spread over the area. We and warm it brushed against his hand. Link looked up to find Zelda straddling him. Her expression showed eagerness, her chest rose and fell quickly in excitement, and her lips sucked hungrily at his wounds. The show was was far more captivating than it should have been. But more than that, he found her eyes to be the hardest to look away from. The normal calm, steel blue irises had become a hungry red, piercing through the dim room. She looked to be in a euphoria, blissful at the taste of blood and completely unaware of her actions.

"Zelda," he called softly. She blinked and looked down at him and his now clean but still bleeding hand. He could see the panic in her eyes now.

"Ah...I...I-I can explain..."