Oracle of Hylia - you're right, link is not going to be happy (':
aubreylovesthegames - AFHDGHFGH i apologize in advance for this chapter,, things are nOT turning out the way link was hoping
Bizzy - thank you so much for this comment ! i actually wrote this awhile ago (most of my newer stories have proper capitalization) so it makes me cringe a little bit, so i'm glad to hear you think it's well written. you might actually see link's pov in a few chapters, so you'll get to see what happened behind the scenes while zelda was kidnapped !
minor gore warning ahead!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀the surrounding yiga roughly directed him to the pair of chains sitting idly on the wall behind them. they continued to bark orders and threats that zelda could hardly make out, but soon enough link had begrudgingly succumbed to the cuffs; facing zelda head-on.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀she had temporarily forgotten about her own precarious position, all too absorbed with link's own. how was he going to escape, and (hopefully) save her, now? they were both at the mercy of the yiga. she had no idea what fate the malicious clan had in store for them; yet she still understood that they were hellbent on making link pay in any gruesome way possible. they'd do unspeakable things to him, much worse than what they had done to her— she was sure of that.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀while nothing had severely harmed link as of yet, the gory mental images of yiga soldiers scourging and tormenting him in a variety of sadistic ways somehow made her more nauseous than her own firsthand experiences.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀behind her, a lanky yet formidable figure seemed to manifest from the shadows. his footsteps carried no sound, and neither did the unsheathing of his weapon.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀zelda remained blissfully unaware of the new vitriolic presence, until a blurry flash of burgundy leather and metal shot out before her. the yiga's blade had made contact against the vulnerable skin of her throat, and maintained a steady pressure against her larynx. while her skin was still intact for the time being, it was a clear warning; one misstep and she'd suffer the consequences.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀zelda commanded herself to try and stay calm. she resisted the urge to swallow, keeping her breathing minimal in fear that any movement would shift the tapered edge. as subtly as she could possibly manage, zelda strained her eyes to the right. she was met with the side profile of her assailant— a towering yiga who stood out from the others. his posture curled in on himself, giving an almost reptilian-like illusion. she could tell he was taller than the footsoldiers, even most blademasters. he radiated power, cunning,,, and danger.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀zelda felt herself begin to tremble, her fatigued body responding to yet another dose of panic-induced adrenaline as it took note of the life threatening situation.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀her captor opened his mouth to speak, and his booming voice immediately caught the attention of all.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"hero," he began, his voice borderline gleeful. he repositioned the blade, pressing it against the convergence of her lower jaw and throat— forcing her to lift her head and chin in submission. "i hope you enjoy this wonderful sight. how does it feel knowing you failed?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀zelda could barely see link's expression from this angle. she could feel herself beginning to panic, already anticipating what would happen next. her heart was beating wildly. the blood was rushing to her ears. she could feel tears to well, and desperately blinked them away.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"i wonder how you'll cope once your beloved zelda is gone. a shame, truly. while i would love to say i hate the prospect of interrupting such a pure, young love— you have incited and brought forth our anger from the very beginning; i shall enjoy this very much."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀zelda pointedly ignored the yiga's nonsensical taunting about their 'love'. he was toying with them and their emotions. trying to get inside their heads. this all had to be a bluff.
they wouldn't truly endanger her life… right?
..
wrong.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀everything happened so quickly from that point— less than a minute after the yiga had uttered those words, she felt his grip on the hilt tense, before bursting into action.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀he swiftly retracted the blade, slicing the weapon horizontally across her throat. the blood spurt forward at such a velocity, it took even zelda off-guard. her mouth fell open in belated shock, horror painting her features as crimson bloomed from the parting in her throat.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀the feeling hadn't arrived as a sudden onslaught of pain, like the torture she had experienced prior had been. instead, the first sensation that came to her was the eerily tepid liquid that began to spill from her fatal injury, streaming down towards the juncture of her collarbone. her eyes fell to the floor beneath her, staring at the thick droplets of blood that were beginning to dot the ground. she was numb with shock, unable to overthink. all she knew was that there was no foreseeable solution to this. this would be her last venture, and most likely link's as well. she was going to die here; tied up and half-naked, bleeding out with her companion, and the yiga, as her audience.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀she lifted her head, terror apparent in her wide, teary eyes. the cascades of blood stained the squalid remains of her nightgown. there was too much. it began to coat the entirety of her chest, refreshing itself with a new wave each time her heart beat.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀dizzily, zelda sought link out in her last moments of consciousness. she focused on him as her vision began to darken and blur. her lips moved soundlessly, trying to plead for help without the words to do so. she let out a guttural cry, the tears trickling down her cheeks. she didn't want to die. she was scared.
so scared.