Hey guys and girls! Bit of a slower chapter after the last intense one, but I hope you like it nonetheless. With Chapter 30 I'd like to thank all of you for your kind words and your support for my story. Especially Orbital and the nameless guest(s) for their wonderful reviews, as I can't thank them otherwise.
Also, thank you The Rambling Writer for listening to my own ramblings and for your advice!
Chapter 30
Link
Link was sitting in the king's quarters in front of his bathroom, where Zelda was currently washing herself. Every muscle ached as if it had been set on fire but he did not relax for even an instant. He knew that at some point his mind would force him to look back and reappraise all that had happened, re-examine all the lives he had ended, but thankfully he was both too tired and still too alert to be anywhere but the present. He could hear Zelda's quiet splashing as she cleaned herself from inside; a welcome reminder that he had succeeded in his duty once more. He, for now, had only asked for a few wet towels and another tunic to be brought, which he was currently wearing. The rest of his body was still quite a bloody mess.
A respectful distance away, most likely due to the way he must look, sat Sally, the only other person he had allowed in here. She was nervously playing with the waistband of her morning gown and seemed too flustered to speak… which in itself seemed cause for alarm. Occasionally they heard hasty footsteps or barked commands from outside… the whole castle was in uproar. The entire royal guard was combing it from top to bottom for any more intruders and for the first time in decades the outer and inner castle were completely locked down to the rest of the city. The king had arrived a few minutes after the battle had ended and had, very reasonably, relocated them to his personal quarters for Zelda to recover, as her own chambers were positively reeking with blood. After that, thankfully, he had left to coordinate the search. Right now, Link did not trust himself to remain calm and collected, should the monarch try any of his idiocy, subtle or outright.
Link rolled his shoulders, trying to get the tensed up muscles to relent. From the way Sally started, he guessed that this had been his first movement in minutes. She looked at him, wide-eyed, afraid. He tried to smile reassuringly, but suspected that whatever happened on his face was a crooked grimace at best. Still, she relaxed again and sighed. "What do I say?" she mumbled, her eyes gazing at the floor.
He frowned, bemused. "What..." he croaked. His voice was raw from the ear-piercing scream that had escaped him when he had thought that all was lost. He cleared his throat and tried again. "What do you mean?"
"What do you say to someone who has just saved a relative and dear friend? Thank you? That seems so completely useless, as if spitting into a bonfire and expecting it to be enough to douse it…" she muttered, looking at him with sad, unsure eyes.
Link smiled at her, more genuine this time, thankfully. "Thank you is more than enough. The meaningful part is said without words anyway. What you can do is help that Zelda recovers as quickly as possible." he assured her.
She snorted softly. "I suspect you might be the better candidate for that…" she scoffed with a tiny sly grin. "Why as quick as possible? Do you have something planned?"
Link nodded. "We need to leave the city. We should probably have left days ago, but we were hesitant. We no longer have that luxury. If she stays, they'll get her sooner or later. And I don't think they'd hesitate to torch the whole city to do that." he explained grimly.
Sally swallowed heavily. "And do you know where you're going?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yes." Link simply said, his expression making it clear enough that no more information was forthcoming.
Sally nodded, understanding, but unhappy with it. "You take good care of her then, you hear? It would get dreadfully boring without someone to make fun of." she mumbled with sad humour.
Link just nodded his affirmation. Any other notion wouldn't even cross his mind.
They fell silent again, him resuming his tense vigil and Sally her nervous playing with various things in her reach. After another minute, she stood up and walked over to the bathroom door. "I can't just sit there, doing nothing, and leave her alone!" she grumbled and knocked.
"She wanted to be alone for a while…" he reminded her gently.
"And you believe her that?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow. She knocked again and called her cousin. "I'm coming in, whether you want to or not!"
The door opened, Link looked pointedly away, and it closed again. He used the time alone to draw his sword and, using one of his still damp towels, cleaned it of gore. He hadn't wanted to do that in front of Zelda's cousin, which, if he thought about it, was a bit foolish, because he probably still looked worse than the blade. When he was done, he reached over and did the same thing for her rapier. He scrutinized the weapon in the process… anything to keep his mind occupied. A beautiful weapon, fit for a princess, but certainly no mere objet d'art. Well crafted, well balanced and wicked sharp. The leather around the grip was a bit worn… not like his, naturally, but still! Quite a bit of practice had been done with this sword… and he was immensely thankful for it. Without that proficiency, he had no doubt that this attempt would have had a dramatically different outcome. Even though he could only have seen it for a split second in real-time, he remembered the scene in her sitting-room as if it was etched into his brain… Zelda standing poised and determined, ready to defend her unarmed ladies-in-waiting and holding her own despite being outnumbered, at least for a few precious seconds. That singular image filled him with endless, fiery pride in her. That, and the fact that he simply couldn't allow himself any such feelings any more, were responsible for him being free of doubt that she at least could handle any hardship on the road.
Somehow, he would have to let her know how much he admired her for her courage, without it seeming like hollow or even tasteless praise…
He looked back towards his sword, leaning beside him, then at his still tingling left palm. What in the name of all that was holy had he done? That moment when he had thought everything lost, the moment when time had seemed to stop in its tracks, he had felt such an influx of pulsating, devastating power… pure energy, invigorating, empowering… terrifying…
He remembered seeing the corpses of the three assassins that had remained when it had all started… not much had been left… he hadn't wanted to inspect them, but… how could you look away from something like that? Not only had his one, furious swing cut them in half… all three of them! ...but most of their body, especially the area around the wound, had been severely burned! And not only that! The stone wall surrounding the staircase, as well as the wooden banister to the other side had a deep gash in them… not only was it impossible to slice ten centimetres into solid rock with a blade, he wouldn't even have been able to reach it from where he had stood! The staircase was wide… if he stood in the middle and extended both of his hands, one with his sword, he still wouldn't reach either of the sides! Yet both had been cut so cleanly… Up until now, the strange time dilation had been at least somewhat explicable. People in extreme stress exhibit unbelievable strength and speed, that is nothing new. And even though his own demonstration was, admittedly, hadn't strained what was possible but outright broken it, it was still a comprehensible phenomenon.
This, for the lack of a better term, magic that he had wrought upon his enemies, was not. It was as if he had extended his blade by about a metre and, in the case of the three victims of this miracle, had made it glow with heat. He did dimly remember a sudden bluish shine coming from his sword… but by that time his vision had narrowed only on saving Zelda and not much else.
What he did remember clearly is this power that had coursed through his arm. He could still feel its remnants tingling, almost burning on his palm… and the back of his hand for some reason. He scratched at it absentmindedly. It had felt so… familiar… trusted, even… as if it had always been near, just out of sight, but its presence still subliminally noticeable.
The images of the eight cut, broken, burned bodies flashed through his mind…
No! he yelled at himself. This was not the time for this! Your duty up there is to get Zelda to safety as soon as possible! And nothing fucking else!
Thankfully the door opened behind him, giving him a lifeline to hoist himself out of this ichorous pool of dark thoughts. He stood up and turned around, hoping that Zelda was okay… as much as could be expected.
To his surprise, and relief, she already wore her almost soldierly outfit. Perfect for the road…
She looked at him, glanced up and down over his body and fixated on his probably still smeared face. "I had hoped you'd also have washed already…" she said with a slightly disappointed smile.
Link raised his eyebrow, bemused. "No… not before you and certainly not while you're in there, leaving you unprotected." he croaked, his voice raw again.
"Then, unfortunately, all I can give you right now is this…" she sighed, kissed her right index-finger and tapped him lightly on the nose. "…until then." She smiled at him… and while it, unsurprisingly, had several undertones of nervousness and sorrow, it was still genuine and warm.
Link wanted nothing more than "…until then.", but also didn't want to make her dirty again… he felt soiled enough as it was, no need to spread it to this very picture of purity… "Let me just sort myself out real quick." he mumbled and stepped around them into the king's bath.
"A rather dodgy way to put this, but alright…" Saria muttered. Both semi-grown-ups ignored her.
He did what he could, as fast as he could. He disrobed, more or less dumped a bucket of water over his head and scrubbed as if his skin had personally insulted him. The king actually had a silvered-glass mirror in here which at least gave him the relieving knowledge that no gore had gotten caught in his hair. When all the sanity in your world threatens to crumble to dust around you, it's the little things that provide comfort.
After a couple of minutes he emerged again, clothed of course, feeling immeasurably better.
"Did you leave any skin on? You are practically glowing red!" Zelda teased when she saw him. She stood on tip-toes to plant a little kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her gratefully. While it didn't dispel his tiredness, her little attentions were a tremendous boost to morale.
Her face turned earnest. "What are we doing?" she asked, grim but determined, her eyes clear and strong.
Link couldn't help but smile proudly. And here he had feared that she might be distraught, maybe even too shaken to leave right now, needing a few days in accustomed surroundings to adjust… He scolded himself for his subconscious patronising. He probably could learn a thing or twelve about determination from this girl… Sure, she was consciously being brave while inside she must be in turmoil… but that did not, by any means, diminish the fact that you needed character made of steel not to yield to despair after suffering through yet another assassination attempt in so short a time.
It was a bit foolish, but he felt pride swell in his chest that he may travel with her. But then again… he was her idiot, wasn't he?
Since she looked at him questioningly, wondering why he was just staring at her instead of answering, he yanked his thoughts back to the matter at hand.
"Judging by the way you decided to dress, I suspect you already know. We need to leave the capital. Ideally yesterday. We are fighting an uphill battle here. They know precisely where you are and neither walls nor soldiers nor any decency stop them. And since we don't have any information on them, we can never retaliate. For now, the only option to avoid further attacks is to hide you; not behind castle walls, but by going into the wild. You need to disappear." he explained.
Zelda nodded curtly, signalling that she had come to the same conclusion. "I expect my father wishes to see me as soon as possible?" she asked, including a sizeable portion of resentfulness into the question.
"And me." Link nodded. "We indulge him. I know not what he has to say, whether he sees reason now or is even more obdurate and, frankly, I do not care. While we speak to him, I have a task for you, Sally." he announced, turning to the smaller girl who raised an expectant eyebrow.
"Ideally I want to leave before the sun is up. In order to do that, I need you to prepare stuff for Zelda while we see the king. In case he is obstinate, I want to be ready before he can do anything rash. I asked Ric to cover rations, but other travel baggage… spare clothing, raincoat, soap, a blanket… if you could get a hold of a few medical supplies it would be great…" he said, hoping she would get the picture. Thankfully, Saria was a smart colluder. She showed a crooked grin. "So essentially, you go have a nice quiet chit-chat with uncle while I do all the work for you to elope behind his back? Count me in!" she cooed, only her nod displaying that she understood the seriousness of the situation. Wouldn't be Sally without a sarcastic remark…
Zelda pulled her cousin close and gave her a peck on the temple. "Thank you…" she whispered, dangerously close to tears.
"'s alright… I was sick of you anyway… always stealing the good men away and leaving nothing for me…" Saria mumbled, apparently finding the floor of particular interest all of a sudden.
Link hated to interrupt this, but he had to. "Whatever happens, we will meet you in the dark nook between the stables and the stablemaster's quarters between the third and fourth bell of morning." he instructed.
"Wonderful. And don't feel like you need to rush. The smell will surely keep me company." she grumbled.
He gave her a tiny, amused smile, which she received with a slight reddening of her ears.
"Are we going to take horses?" Zelda asked.
Link rubbed his tired eyes, thinking it through yet another time before answering. "No. My experience with riding is very limited… the only horse worth anything in Ord was Sir Russel's old mare, and apart from sitting on her a couple of times when I was younger, I am completely green. Besides, getting two horses saddled in the dead of night would attract attention and it's in our best interest to avoid that." he concluded. He'd certainly like to take a couple of the fascinating and ridiculously useful beasts, in large part because he had always wanted to learn to ride properly, but in their current situation it was just too conspicuous. "Well, no point in waiting…" he spoke carefully, looking at Zelda expectantly. She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Right. Let us get this over with."
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King Tiberian of Hyrule
"What in Din's blazing hellfire do you mean by 'We have to let them go?'" Alistair asked him, rasping loudly. Few people would have dared raising their voice at him, but the blademaster had never much cared about court etiquette. Yet another reason why he valued his council…
"I mean that as I said it, old friend. Both of them have a destiny to fulfil, it seems… and, to my shame, we have proven to be unable to protect my daughter."
The blademaster's jaw tensed and his look became dark. "I take full responsibility for these failings, sire. Demote me to her personal guard, if you will, but I will ensure her safety."
It was obvious that the man was extremely angry with himself. He had trained the royal guard, he had devised the guard detail and he had lost another four of his men where the assassins had gained entry to the castle. Indeed it was his responsibility… but the king suspected that regular methods had lost their efficacy against this foe long ago.
"I know how you feel… do you think I like the notion of my daughter setting out into the wilderness because I am incapable of providing safety?" he asked calmly.
"Of course not, damn it! But how…"
"It needs to be done. I'm ashamed that it required two extremely close calls to finally open my eyes to this… Twice this boy has saved her against impossible odds…" he trailed off, thinking about how ludicrous it all was.
Alistair stepped to the king's desk and planted his hands firmly on it so he could lean close and glare angrily. "If you knew what needed to be done, why didn't you?" he grated.
"Because I didn't want to admit that with all my power, I am unable to save my little girl…" the king said sadly.
"Then you fool are just as responsible as I am." the knight affirmed with a disgusted look.
The monarch shook his head softly. "No, my friend… infinitely more so…"
The blademaster gazed at him as if he wanted to throw a punch. He knew that he had fatherly feelings for Zelda, as he had spent a lot of time with her over the years, especially after her mother died. He remembered how this grizzled warrior had carried her as a three year old on his shoulders for an entire inspection of the guard. She had been delighted and had always saluted in perfect synch with her 'pony'. The other soldiers had had their mettle tested that day, forbidden from laughing…
In the end he sighed heavily and seemed to slump. "I agree that she can not stay here, with a heavy heart. But sending her with the boy, alone…"
The king frowned earnestly. "You believe he will not be sufficient? Or do you think he will do something untoward?" he asked, his voice tense.
Alistair looked back up and glared rebukingly. "Neither! I think I've got to know the lad and he's about as straight as they come. Honest and diligent. And I believe we are beyond doubting his abilities, as mysterious as they might be… But for fuck's sake, Tiberian! He is a boy! He is fifteen! Younger than my son! The only blade most of the lads going to the border ever get to bloody is their shaving razor! This poor devil has had to kill more than ten people, for pity's sake! Do you think this is easy?! The first time I had to take a life was when I was eighteen and believe me, I remember his face to this day. You can not ask this of him! Or her!" he wheezed furiously.
The king buried his face in his hands. "I know. But I do not have to. I know my daughter will do what she thinks she must, and I have a feeling that he is no different." He uttered, tiredness clear in his voice.
"So we let two children set out into mortal peril while we old bastards sit around with our thumbs up our arses?"
Despite everything, the absurdity and Alistair's perfect rundown of it made him grin, albeit sadly. "I believe so…"
They heard a knock on the door and shortly after, it opened.
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Link
Five royal guards had waited outside the king's quarters to escort them. They immediately formed a close perimeter around Zelda and him, looking grim. "Some help you were, boys…" Link couldn't help thinking with a slight frown, but let himself be escorted nonetheless. He saw, between the tall men in bulky armour, in how much of an uproar the castle still was. It was probably shortly after two o'clock in the morning and everyone, servant, maid and guardsman, were bustling around with a haunted look on their faces. This would be a long and hectic day for everyone… even more hectic when word got out that the princess had vanished… He felt a bit sorry for the poor people at the castle who would no doubt have to scour it all over again before the day was out… but it couldn't be helped. Every second here was unsafe, every moment could spell doom for the girl walking at his side…
It was hard not to take her hand, walking so close beside her that their shoulders brushed lightly against each other with each step. He could sense her nervousness, which, he suspected, was ironically mostly about having to meet and lie to her father and not about leaving the place she grew up in to go into the unknown. How weird minds are…
They reached the entrance to the king's study. He noticed that the guards in front of his door had been tripled. 'Sure, protect yourself… like you only protected your own ego for the last weeks…" Link thought bitterly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Calm! Whatever you do, be polite. Snapping at him won't make anything easier! He swallowed as he gained sudden clarity of the situation. He might have to lie to his highest superior, the sovereign of his country… about stealing away his only daughter in the dead of night… What a lovely prospect…
Zelda furtively caressed his left palm with one finger, quickly but gently, and shot him a reassuring smile. He had to smile himself… of course she had felt his anxiety too… and even though her touch had lasted less than a second, it still was clear in meaning: 'Don't worry, everything will be alright!'
Link had to chuckle and, almost imperceptibly, shook his head. It was such a sweet and caring gesture, he just wanted to hug her. Who was looking out for whom again? Maybe they could share the load! He protected her from monsters and assassins and she protected him from politics… although that seemed like an unfair distribution… her work would be infinitely more dangerous…
The door was opened for them and they stepped through, into the lion's den. Only two people were here, the king and Sir Alistair. By the surprised way they both looked at them, they had been in the middle of a heated discussion. The monarch was behind his desk, the blademaster across and leaning over. Both were standing. They looked at each other one more time before parted.
Upon seeing the king's haunted, tired face, Link had a sudden thought… he leaned a tiny bit closer to Zelda. "You know… this might be the last time you see him in a long while…" he whispered. He could see her jaw muscles tense just a miniscule bit… He wasn't sure why he had said it… He didn't want to appear like he wanted to involve himself in their family dispute… but he also wanted to save her from doing something, or not doing something, she might come to regret.
Sir Alistair certainly showed no restraint. He quickly stepped over to them and embraced his princess tightly. With him, Zelda showed no inhibition and hugged him back. "My little flower… I wished I wasn't so old and useless…" he rasped softly. He looked over to Link and extended an arm to grasp his shoulder firmly. "Thank you, Link, for doing this old fool's job once again…"
It was an unfamiliar sight, seeing the blademaster so emotional… apparently he really did care for her much more than just as a guardian would. He nodded curtly, but sincerely. No thanks were needed, naturally, but he wouldn't embarrass himself by acting like it was nothing… or saying something mindless like 'my pleasure'.
The knight released the two of them and stepped to the side, giving unobstructed view of the king, who stood with the stiffness of someone who wasn't entirely sure how to approach the situation. Link looked to his side. Zelda too was standing like this… only with a lot more quiet fury in her posture.
"I…" the king began, but didn't get any farther.
"You wanted to say, you're sorry that your inaction almost got me killed again? You wanted to say what a self-centred bloody idiot you've been? You wanted to tell us that you will cease your petty, malicious games and let us be off?" she hissed in one single breath.
Link nearly took a step back, so scary was her ire. There goes diplomacy, he thought dryly.
The king stared at her for a few seconds. Then, without breaking eye-contact he said "Yes. To all three."
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "The problem is I can not trust you any more. I can not rely that this brief spell of good judgement lasts even until tomorrow!" "I do not want you to leave. Everything rational in me tells me that it would be wrong to simply allow you to go on this quest where so incalculably many things could go awry. But I also believe that I have been shown enough signs that my rationale is, on this account, sorely lacking. I do not know any more. To my shame, I can not help you any more. So I will not try to stop you any more." he assured, seeming sincere, at least to Link.
Zelda did not seem impressed. "Good. If I deem it safe, I will send periodic word of our wellbeing. Other than that, we might return once we have found the first location." she said matter-of-factly.
"I certainly hope you will…" her father muttered, looking positively dejected now.
Link chose this moment to interject. "Your majesty, if I may. It is likely that we return to the city as the other two places are still a mystery that needs to be uncovered. More research will be therefore be required. We would however need to keep our presence as secret as possible during any future stay, for I fear even more reckless attacks as soon as the enemy learns of our progress." he spoke, taking great care with his wording.
The king looked at him, with slight animosity at first, then his features softened. "I understand." he grumbled, then sighed. "You are a thoughtful young man… I may not like it, but I do begin to believe that you can keep my daughter safe…"
"If you had attempted to learn about his qualities instead of trying to deceive him, this would not come as such a surprise. Do you think I would go on such an undertaking with someone I didn't feel I could trust?" Zelda snapped, her posture still tense with barely veiled anger.
"No, but not only my judgement can err, child. And just as my feelings got in the way of clear thought, so can yours." he softly rebuked her.
Her eyes got even narrower and Link feared she might actually explode. He felt mostly apprehension at the king's last comment. How much did he know? Surely not everything, or he would probably hang somewhere in the dungeons by his thumbs. Then again… this outcome wasn't all that surprising, really, now was it? Still, that did not mean that it was at all welcome in her father's eyes…
Thankfully she remained silent… defiance in this very delicate matter might lead to even more complications…
The monarch sighed once again and slumped slightly. "Let us not quarrel, not now that we're soon to be separated. I am defeated and must let you go." he spoke silently, sounding incredibly sorrowful. He turned around to seat himself behind his desk again. "I would much rather try to make things right. I suggest a departure in three days… enough time to make preparations, would you not say?"
Link could feel Zelda was about to reprimand him again, probably tell him that he had no business deciding when they were to leave, but he furtively touched her hand with his finger, conveying a sense of urgency. "That will certainly be enough for everything to be arranged, sire. We must travel light in any case."
He could feel her gaze on him, but he was sure she understood that this deception was a necessary evil. It left a bad aftertaste in his mouth nonetheless. He felt like scum… unless the king was more devious than he could imagine, he had no doubt that he truly did want to try and mend the divide between him and his daughter. What father wouldn't? And Link would basically have to steal her away before he could, denying him this closure. If such a conniving course of action was the best possible solution, these were dark times indeed…
The aging lord sat back down heavily. "Good. Then only one more matter needs to be discussed. You will, I expect, be occasionally visiting towns and villages, correct?"
Link nodded curtly. "Aye, your majesty. We will attempt to always have provisions, as it will increase our speed. Hunting or foraging during our travel would slow us down considerably." he explained, while keeping it as vague as possible.
"Then you will be provided with ample funds, naturally. There is however the matter that you might run out. Or that it is stolen… For that reason, I do suggest that you, Zelda, take your signet ring with you. If all else fails, you can requisition supplies from guards or garrisons." he suggested.
Zelda, her arms still folded, thought it through. In the end she nodded slowly. "This would, however, be an absolute emergency procedure, as it would undermine all secrecy. Soldiers talk like washerwomen. It would not take long until the enemy can pinpoint our location once again." she put her thoughts into words.
"Do you have an alternative?" her father asked, curious.
"I do. Make Link a full knight. That way he has the authority to commandeer food, shelter and medical supplies, should the need arise. And a knight doing so will lead to substantially fewer rumours than if I am forced to reveal myself in this fashion." she suggested.
Link's head whipped around to stare at her, taken aback. That certainly was not something he had expected… She stared straight ahead with a neutral expression, clearly wanting to seem like this was simply a cold and calculating consideration. Maybe it was that… but somehow Link didn't think so…
The king hesitated. He scratched his beard while looking back and forth between his daughter and him. "You have a point, certainly. But a knight at fifteen?" he asked, more to himself than anybody else.
"There is precedent. Two cases, in fact." Zelda stated coolly. "Both of them noble's sons that got their honours mostly as a boon, or as part of an agreement. I understand your indecision, of course. You would have to do the same without any bolstering political scheme, but with mere accomplishment behind it. Infinitely more questionable!" she said, her sarcasm scathing enough that Link was surprised her father's hair didn't erupt in flame.
"Will you relent already… please, Zelda. And no. I will not knight him, not before his 16th year, as is standard. Before you protest, I will however give him a letter of reference, granting him the authority to do what you have just outlined." he decided, snatching a fresh piece of paper and uncorking his inkwell.
"Fair enough. It will suffice." Zelda sighed, but with a slight smile for this small victory.
"Sir Alistair, I believe the young man's badge of knighthood is already finished…" the king muttered while writing.
The blademaster grinned slyly. "I took the liberty of bringing it with me. I suspected this might be as good a time as any to award him with it." he rasped, producing a shiny silver trinket in the form of a shield, crossed diagonally by a sword, fixed to a sturdy looking steel chain. The smiling knight stepped close and without much fuss threw it over Link's head. Before he could react, his teacher then poked it with his thumb so hard it made him bend over slightly. You always have to be ready with the blademaster…
"Congratulations, lad." Sir Alistair cackled with a wide grin and extended his hand. "You've certainly earned a little toy for your troubles!"
Link straightened himself again and, now grinning like a fool, took his hand.
After their handshake, and after the now official aspirant had massaged some life back into his palm, he looked at the thing. On the blade crossing the shield was his name engraved. 'Link Andrésson, Knight A.' it read. It was just a toy, as his mentor had said, but still… it was an irrefutable proof of his accomplishments and therefore made his chest swell with pride, even though he felt like a dolt for it. Naturally, the king's insignia that would be stamped on it was still missing. It would come at the same time the 'A' would be cut through with a chisel, signifying the graduation from aspirant to a full knight with all honours. He wanted to be one, at some point… that boyish desire still held some fascination… but he wasn't much troubled that they wouldn't make him one right here and now. Other things were so much more important at the moment…
The king finished the document, signed it and, after melting a blot of wax, put his seal on it with his ring. "With this and your badge you should be able to enlist the help of any countryman of Hyrule. In theory at least… many, especially in the periphery, might be sceptical, as they have never laid eyes upon my regalia. The commander of any of my garrisons will know that it is genuine, however." he warned.
Link stepped forward and took the valuable paper in his hand with a bow. "Thank you, your majesty. I will endeavour to never having to use it, purely as safety precaution. But it is relieving to have this option nonetheless…" he said politely.
The king gave the faintest nod and even graced him with a tiny smile… or it could have been a frown, it was hard to tell.
"I believe that is all for this night. I suggest you try to rest for a few hours, ere you start making preparations. My chambers are, naturally, at your disposal, Zelda."
She nodded slowly. Link couldn't tell whether her tired face was an act or genuine. Both was very possible…
"I will, of course, resume my guard duty until I am relieved, your highness." he assured, jumping at the handy excuse not to go to his own room.
"Admirable. Good night, then. Alistair, you too. I wish to be alone."
The two knights bowed, Zelda just turned on her heel and left. Outside the five guards had waited, as expected, and were ready to accompany them back. "I will see you back to the king's quarters, highness. I would like to have a word with you, if you permit it." the blademaster croaked.
"Certainly, Sir Alistair." she replied. Link had an inkling what this conversation would be about and judging by her expression, so did she. Maybe this trusted knight would have more success at convincing her to at least write a letter to her father, instead of just vanishing into thin air.
On the way, the new young knight pondered about his mentor. Having him as ally in their plans could prove immensely helpful… but it was a risk… what if he disagreed with their scheme and tried to stop them? What would predominate… his loyalty to his liege lord or his soft-spot for his daughter?
They reached the master-chambers and the five guards took defensive positions in front of it and, to Link's surprise, deliberately left a middle spot free. A spot for him to assume… a spot of leadership. He had to admit, their behaviour gave quite a bit of satisfaction. These were all hardened men… there were no green boys among the royal guard. These guys had had their metal tested. But apparently his repeated success had awarded him considerable respect, grudging or not. But he couldn't take his spot quite yet.
"Sir Alistair? I too wish for a quiet word, if I may." he exclaimed, having made up his mind. Both he and Zelda, right about to enter the chamber, looked a bit surprised. Then he nodded briskly, walked in and left the door open.
Once inside, both were giving him expectant gazes. Now he only had to find the right words to make his superior commit high treason… what could possibly be easier…
"Master, I… I am afraid I must ask you to for the promised assistance a little sooner than anticipated…" he began.
"Oh?" his mentor asked guardedly. Link caught the slightly aghast look on Zelda's beautiful face and tried to smile reassuringly at her. Her look clearly questioned whether he had just thrown caution to the wind or whether he had an actual plan. Truthfully, he still wasn't sure himself. The blademaster, from what he had heard and experienced, was a fiercely loyal man. But he also reminded him of himself… He judged the aging man as someone who wouldn't hesitate a second to inform the king of any mistakes he was making. This was the point at which to apply leverage… Or at least attempt to…
"The princess and I will not wait three more days. We can not. The risk is far too great. There is only one responsible moment to take this action. And that is now." he said, trying his utmost to appear as sincere as he felt.
Sir Alistair looked at him coolly for at least ten seconds and Link could feel himself starting to sweat under the intense glare. "You are asking me to assist you in going against the king's express orders." he rasped, more as statement than as question. His toneless voice gave little to no indication about his emotions; he could just as easily be amused as downright murderous.
Link swallowed, but drew himself to his full height and stared squarely into the man's grey eyes. "I do, Sir Alistair. I have no choice but to disobey in this matter. And I am willing to bear any and all consequences once Zelda is safe. But until then, I believe that taking the right measure is more important than blind submission." he stated clearly and earnestly.
"And if I refuse, boy? What then?" the blademaster barked and his glare intensified. There was no doubt now that he was angry. Possibly downright insulted.
"You are in accordance with this?" he snarled and his head whipped around to Zelda.
She was not to be cowed however. She walked over to Link and, to his shock, locked her fingers with his. She raised her chin defiantly. "I am. Wholeheartedly." she pronounced and squeezed his hand. Link squeezed back and had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep his eyes from getting wet, he was so moved.
The knight glared at them for another couple of seconds, then sighed and slumped. "Children…" he muttered.
"I can not remain here, uncle, not even for a day. More people will die because these attackers stop at nothing to get to me. I can not stay…" she repeated urgently.
"I have prepared rations for at least four days and Zelda's backpack is readied as we speak. This is no fool's errand, master." Link added.
"Your father will be heartbroken, child. He is hurting already, this will make it infinitely worse." he rasped almost gently, sadness in his eyes… but also understanding.
"That brings me no satisfaction, but it also can not deter me. He and he alone made the choice not to trust me. Now my trust too has withered under his disregard." she uttered harshly.
"Your assistance would enable us to take horses, Sir Alistair. And, I feel dirty for saying this, it would also allow us to take money with us." the young knight belaboured him.
The sword-master rubbed his tired eyes, clearly thinking. Both children of fate held their breath, waiting for his decision.
"I can't say that this isn't at least a little expected. But I had hoped that your arguments weren't as compelling… So you know where you're going and you know the way you are taking? You know how to survive in the wilderness, know how to treat wounds so they don't fester?" he croaked softly, his eyes still hidden in his hand.
"Yes." they both said unanimously. "If all else fails, we will pass closely to my hometown. Whatever we might have forgotten, we can acquire there." Link appended.
"In four days, then, I assume, judging by the rations you mentioned. They are from your companions who leave the capital soon, correct?" the aging man asked, his wit as sharp as his blade.
"Correct."
The blademaster gave another heavy sigh and looked at both of them, his eyes now red from the rubbing. "Whatever happened to children who just foolishly eloped? At least then I would have adequate reason to stop you. …I do not like this, but damn me for a fool, I find that I trust your judgement. The judgement of two fifteen year-olds over my liege lord, fuck me. Beg your pardon, princess…" he quickly excused, looking genuinely startled at his outburst in front of her.
Zelda gave a short giggle. "You are excused… just this once." And she let go of Link's hand to hug the knight… fiercely, lovingly… Link could see by her quavering lip that she was fighting her tears.
"Not so quick! I will help you under three conditions. One, you have to write him a letter, at least, child. I know he has hurt you, Zelda… but you should be above petty retaliation like this." he rasped gently. In his arms, Zelda swallowed, but nodded.
"Two, you will stop at… Ord, I believe, you're from right? You will stop there and send confirmation that you are doing well. Or not, depending. Whatever letters you send, the addressee will be "Runga Strongback", a Goron and dear friend of mine. All my secret correspondence goes through him. You can be sure that whatever you write will pass through his hands directly to me. Is that clear?"
Link nodded. This did sound like a good system. As they had no way of knowing who, or even how many were working for the agents of the Threat, sending letters directly to the castle would have been a bad idea. With such a front, they had a quite strong layer of security. "And third?"
"Third, I demand that you return to Hyrule city once this first location has been found. You can not deny Tiberian to look upon his daughter after weeks of danger and, potentially, no news of her wellbeing. Before you protest, there is no need to visit the castle for this. It would not be the first time that the king has met with people furtively in the lower city. It would also give both of us opportunity to exchange information that can not be easily shared through letters. State of affairs with the attacks on the Gerudo, safety on the road, other dangers that you might want to avoid… such a meeting would be in your interest as well." The blademaster explicated in a way that made sense to both of them.
"Are we agreed?" he grumbled.
Link tried to catch Zelda's gaze. This was her decision more than his. They exchanged a long look, then both nodded as one. "We are." he affirmed.
"Wonderful." the knight wheezed sourly. "Time to commit treason then…"
-spacer-
Zelda
Sir Alistair had made good on his word, as she knew he would. She had feared for a moment that he would get enraged at their disobedience, she had to admit… but in the end she had known that he saw the reason for it. He had already handed her a pouch with 500 rupees, all that he could requisition from the treasury without giving any reason. It was a lot for Zelda, as weird as that was… she had never held so much money. Probably Link hadn't either, but for her, paying was still a fresh concept, as silly as that was.
The two of them had surreptitiously gathered their belongings. She her sword, her signet ring and lithe silver necklace with a pendant shaped like the Triforce, which had belonged to her mother. She had debated with herself if she should bring the last item… in the end she couldn't part with it, even though she felt a bit like a child, clinging so to something of her mother's.
Link had gathered nearly all his meagre belongings in his backpack. Seeing that all he owned could be carried on his back made her strangely sad… it was a wonder to her that they understood each other so well, thinking about how different their worlds were… Then again, they simply made them grow closer, didn't they? In all this terror and despair, this at least was an encouraging thought…
They had been escorted of the castle by the blademaster, after he had disbanded the five royal guardsman that were supposed to keep watch. Zelda had no idea how they would have gotten rid of them if they hadn't enlisted his help.
They had separated now, as Sir Alistair prepared the outer gate for them to be let through. He had already sent word to the stables, so the horses should be saddled and ready by now. Before they could mount, however, they had to meet with Sally.
She already waited in the designated nook. She looked about as happy as could be expected.
"Finally! I was beginning to worry dear uncle had thrown you into the dungeons for your insolence!" she twittered with a distinctly sour undertone.
"Don't start with him. Writing a letter explaining my sudden disappearance was hard enough… did you get everything, Sally?" Zelda asked, starting to feel really tired. The prospect of riding quite a distance away from the city before they could relax was not a very pleasant one.
"Sure, you know how much I love going through your stuff. I packed all your favourite undergarments, even the one with the little pink hearts…" she sang, slowly and with relish opening the backpack as if to show its contents.
Zelda quickly slapped her hand down on it and glowered at her cousin. "At least there's one thing that eases my departure: You, creature, staying here!" she growled, and felt her ears grow uncomfortably warm. Link politely looked the other way, at least…
"Blanket, clothes, toilet things, a few ribbons to get your annoying hair under control… I think I got everything…" Saria said ponderously.
"Thank you!" Zelda grumbled, giving her little cousin a peck on the forehead. "We did involve uncle Alistair, by the way. We will be sending him the occasional letter. You know, in case you are even remotely interested."
Sally shrugged, but her air of nonchalance wasn't quite convincing any more. "I will make time in my busy schedule. To be perfectly honest, I'm still debating whether to just follow you…" she mumbled.
Zelda sighed with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy and went to say something. Sally raised her hands placatingly. "I know… you want some alone time and I would get in the way. Having to see the two of you constantly would probably drive me insane anyway…"
That reminded her of something. Link was standing a few steps away, furtively checking on her pack. To check that everything was where it should be, she hoped, and not to catch a glimpse of undergarments…
She walked over with a sly grin. "By the way…" she purred, stood on her tip-toes and planted a sweet, long kiss on his lips. Her legs still seemed to turn to hot air, along with her brain, whenever she did that. When she broke away, she was happy to see his delightfully befuddled expression. "Congratulations, my knight." she whispered with a loving smile that seemed to finish him off. He turned a bright crimson which could even be seen clearly in candlelight.
"First your idiot, now your knight…" he mused softly, reciprocating a smile so full of affection that she felt her own cheeks flush. "What else might happen?" he questioned, his grin turning impish.
"Good Nayru's mercy and grace! Would you stop your incessant canoodling?! Don't you have weeks of doing that in front of you, you lucky bastards?!" Sally exclaimed, glaring at them, her hands on her hips. "I want to have at least four little nieces and nephews when you return, you hear me?!" she griped, but now there was clear sadness in her quavering voice.
Zelda sighed compassionately and, turning away from Link (whose crimson face instantly turned a deep red), locked Sally in her arms as tightly as she could. "I will miss you so much…" she breathed, swallowing and feeling tears in her eyes. Sally extended her arm, beckoning him to join their embrace. "You too, mister knight-guy. I want to hug you too, even if you don't deserve it." Saria muttered, looking so miserable that Zelda's heart threatened to break.
Link, after a slightly awkward pause, joined them and embraced them both. Sally, after a second, gave him an intense punch on the back. He barely even moved. "That's for taking her away, you arsehole. You bring her back, you hear? Or no freaking dragon will save you from me." she threatened, sobbing, burying her face in his chest.
Link pressed both of them a little tighter to him. "I will. I promise."
-spacer-
They were about to pass through the city gate, the last threshold between the place that, despite everything, was her home and the vast wilderness of the rest of the world. They walked, leading the horses by their reins. Even at night, horseback riding was prohibited for everyone inside Hyrule, except of course for soldiers and knights on duty. As they were incognito from now on, they naturally abided by that law to avoid unwanted attention. Sir Alistair had ensured their passage through the castle gate. Zelda wore a dark grey cloak, covering nearly everything that could be even remotely identifying a person. Normally the guards would have stopped her, of course… they would have stopped everyone at this heightened state of alarm. But with the blademaster's help…
They passed under the broad stone arch and Zelda felt her heart hammering in her chest. She kept her gaze fixed at Link, her protector, walking a few metres in front of her. Dear goddess… everything would change from this moment on. Everything she'd known, every comfort she was accustomed to… gone behind that gate now. An all new world, with all its boundless wonders and its innumerable dangers… the greatest one looming unknowable on the horizon. Her breath quickened, but she set her jaw, determined not to stop.
As if he had felt her anxiety, Link stopped and turned around. He smiled softly and extended his hand, both beckoning and reassuring. She took it, without hesitation, and together they stepped into the land beyond the walls.
"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.
Zelda shrugged, her feelings too turbulent to give a coherent answer. It was absurd, she thought. Right now I am not afraid still of the attempt on my life, but of an extended camping trip? How does that make sense? She knew that sooner or later her emotions that were now kept in check by her mind would come crashing down upon her at some point. The horror, the danger, the fear of dying, the bloodshed… Maid Anya's sacrifice… but, thankfully, her waking mind had chosen another, a more graspable topic to be concerned with that kept all that far away.
In the end, she whispered: "Anxious… exhilarated, terrified… you?" Her voice cracked, much to her embarrassment.
"Much of the same… but also encouraged." he muttered, seeming genuine and not just putting on a brave face. Thank the goddesses he also felt like this… She had known already, when he had barely been able to say a word to his friend Ricco, who diligently had done as asked. But it was nice to hear him confirm it… she didn't want to be the weak link, the bothersome appendage to his expertise…
They had passed through and were now on the bridge. Both Link and she looked to the east where the clouds was already aflame with the day's first rays of sunlight.
Light…
Something that had subliminally troubled her for the last few days chose this moment to appear in her conscious. Her hand still in his, thankfully, she asked something she could barely put into words.
"Link? Something has been bothering me… if all this… if we… are just copies or… resurgences of old souls… how can we be sure that this is… us? If all our actions, our thoughts and wants, even our looks… if they are all preordained, what then is defining us? Are we even…" she couldn't continue, but judging from his look, she didn't need to. He halted, looking very thoughtful for a second. Then he snorted softly and smiled. He looked at her with his beautiful, deep blue eyes that she could so easily succumb to.
"Close your eyes." he gently ordered and she did.
He raised her hand that was still interlocked with his and felt the back of his hand against her cheek. She breathed in deeply as a pleasant shiver spread through her body.
"Do you feel this?" she heard him ask. She nodded.
"This is you!" he said, with a wonderfully loving voice. "You can choose at any point to push my hand away…"
She felt her eyebrows furrow on their own at this dreadful thought. Almost imperceptibly, she shook her head.
"That is your decision, Zelda, no-one else's." he explained. "And this…"
She felt his soft, tender lips against hers and her heart skipped a beat in exultation. He nibbled gently on her lip before drawing away so only their noses still touched. "This is me. And this was my decision." he whispered.
Zelda opened her eyes again and looked at his. She felt a smile creep on her lips, a blissfully genuine one, possibly the most heartfelt smile she had ever experienced. 'Could it truly be this easy?' her mind asked.
…'Why not?' her soul answered.