Captured
As predicted, Merari had stirred up loads of trouble.
Merari had been in a fury when he discovered that Zelda had already married Link behind his back. Instead of admitting defeat with dignity, he brought the issue before the mayor and before a judge. He had the whole village in an uproar.
They called forth Father Brun to present the marriage certificate. With the presence of a legal document, the court ruled in Zelda and Link's favour. But this did not curb Merari's rage. Link's family and Holly were brought in as witnesses. Even their testimony had not been enough for Merari.
He had demanded that Zelda undergo a physical examination to determine that she indeed is no longer a maiden. Only then would he be satisfied.
The young couple had been less than pleased to follow through with his demands. In the end, they had little choice.
They had Zelda examined by not just one, but three different doctors, and they all come to the same conclusion. Not only is Zelda no longer a maiden, she is also pregnant!
They would have preferred learning this joyous news under different circumstances. However, with this final piece of evidence Merari had had no choice but to step down. That is how their first week back in Holodrum ended.
It's still dark when she stirs awake from slumber. She shivers from the draft above her head and wiggles into the blankets.
A hand gently caresses her face. She turns and looks into the warm eyes of her husband.
Zelda places her own hand on top of his to hold it in place and then leans into his touch. He pulls his hand away, much to her distress. Her distress dissipates when he wraps his arm around her and pulls her tight against his side and clasps their left hands together.
Looking down at their entwined hands, she admires the rings on their fingers. On Link's finger is the ring that had belonged to Zelda's mother. She found it before the wedding while going through her old belongings and coming across the old pouch Impa had given her for her departure. She doesn't know if it's customary for wives to give rings to their husbands. She wanted to anyways. Link had been thoroughly surprised but accepted her gift with a cherishing smile, promising to take care of it and to never remove it.
"Morning, my love," he whispers to her.
She snuggles closer to him. "Good morning, Link."
"How are you feeling?"
"Wonderful," she murmurs. She closes her eyes and simply enjoys the moment for what it is. When she opens her eyes again, Link has a distant look on his face. He is gazing at nothing and, at the same time, something.
"What are you thinking about?" she asks him.
"I was thinking," he begins, releasing his hand from hers and brings it down slowly. "About you." His hand rests on her belly. "And our baby."
She leans in as if to kiss him and bumps noses with him.
"Why only one baby? For all you know we could be having a litter."
A low chuckle resonates from him, and he playfully nips her nose.
She squeals, at the mercy of his tickling.
They fool around a bit more before deciding it is time to get ready.
"What are you doing today?" Link asks her as they put their clothes on.
"I have a shift at the guild. Afterwards, I'll be helping Aryll and Linka shop for supplies at the market. Who knows, maybe I'll even find something for the baby."
"Or babies."
They both smile.
"What about you?" she asks in kind. "Will you be hunting outlaws? Or perhaps hunting some prey for your family?" She playfully pounces on him from behind.
He turns in her hold and looks at her with laughter in his eyes. "No, no. Today I'll be helping Gramps at his forge." Wrapping his arms around her, he presses his forehead against hers. "If you need me for anything, you can find me there."
Pulling apart, they finish getting dressed before leaving their room hand in hand.
Zelda's shift at the guild had been relatively uneventful. She supposes that's a good thing. No surprises or distractions. Everything goes by smoothly, and she is able to end her shift early.
Now she is helping Linka and Aryll shop at the market. Walking down the street, she passes a small booth that catches her attention. Rather, it is the items on sale that catch her attention.
On display are a bunch of oddities and trinkets, and standing on the forefront is a book, a purple dyed, leather book. Etchings of the finest details run along the spine and cover—a microcosm of valleys and trenches—and printed in gold-leaf is the title: A Composition of Hylian Folk Songs and Lullabies.
Zelda's hand instinctively rests on her belly. She takes it as a message. A message from her children.
Children? Where did that come from? I know I mentioned having a litter, but I meant it as a joke!
Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she pays for the book. Her heart tells her the hefty price will be worth it.
It's only now that she realises the others have moved on ahead of her. With the book in hand, she twists her other palm in her skirts and weaves through the throngs. She doesn't get far before a sight freezes her in her tracks.
Just a stone's throw away from her is a group of Hylian soldiers. They are questioning people, and one of them is holding a piece of parchment.
Oh no, Zelda mentally whispers, as if her own thoughts were loud enough for others to hear. Are they searching for me again?
She scans the crowds fervently for Linka and Aryll, only to realise in horror that the soldiers are between her and them.
I need to get out of here! Before she can act, one of the soldiers looks directly at her.
Time stands still.
The soldier's eyes grow wide. He then gets the attention of his comrades and points straight at her. That simple reaction causes her heart to leap into her throat.
It's too late now. If I try to flee, it will make a scene.
By now, the soldiers have reached her. Their captain gives a polite bow, and his men follow suit.
"Your Highness," the captain greets her in a low voice. "I suppose you know why we're here."
"You've come to take me back to Hyrule," she states plainly.
"Yes. I'd prefer settling things quickly and quietly and would appreciate your full cooperation."
The captain's level of stoicism and lack of mannerism leads Zelda to believe he is more used to barking orders at the common riff-raff and less so at speaking to royalty.
The idea of creating a scene tempts her. To foil their plans here and now. She takes a better look at the soldiers and notices they are all armed; each one carries on him a spear and a sidearm. The captain, even his hand on his sword. Making a scene no longer seems like a suitable plan.
"Do you have a warrant?" she inquires.
"I do," the captain replies while pulling a piece of parchment from the pouch on his belt. "And I'd rather not use it."
Zelda doesn't even need to read the warrant to verify it, for stamped in red wax is the king's seal. It decides her fate.
She bows her head before her father's authority. "Very well then. I'll cooperate."
The captain signals his men, and they encircle her. On his mark, they march off, and one of them jostles Zelda forward with the haft of his spear. Zelda hears a cry behind her and glances back to find Aryll reaching out to her—held back by Linka—with tears streaming down her face. All the princess can do is offer her little sister a smile. She straightens her back, standing tall with all the perfect posture and grace of a noble woman. If they're taking her back, she can at least look more like a woman with some measure of authority over her circumstances, and less like a common criminal.
By now, everyone at the market is watching the soldiers. Said soldiers are closed in enough that no one can get a clear look at the person they are escorting, and for that Zelda is grateful.
She isn't surprised to find a boat waiting for them at the docks. There is even another guard waiting for them. They help her into the boat and set off from shore. In the distance, at the entrance to the harbour, she can see a ship, at full mast and anchored. They had been ready for her. They knew she would be here.
She takes one last look at the shores of Holodrum, drifting ever further away. She clutches her chest as her heart contracts. All she thinks about is her family waiting for her and how they will react when they hear the news. When half a league spans between her and the shore, that's when she catches sight of something racing for the shore. It is a man, and she can tell he's running as if his life depended on it. She knows who it is. Link. Aryll and Linka must have told him what happened, and now he is desperately trying to save her, to rescue her, to help her, like he always has been. But it's too late. The span between them is too great and growing wider.
She knows in her heart he's calling out to her, but his voice is lost on the wind. Pulling her arms around herself, she notices that she still has the book with her. The one she had bought for their children.
Clutching it tightly against her stomach, she finally let sobs wrack her body.
I hope you enjoyed this drama chapter, and the double upload. We are so close to the end. Only two chapters left! Thank you all for being patient and sticking through to the end. May this story be finished before the year ends. Read, review, and stay tuned for more. Ciao!