I bet ya didn't think it'd take this long for chapter 2, eh? Well lucky for you guys, this one's about twice as long!

Good news: finally figured out the plot. ...Actually this chapter took a long time because I was trying to find that old BBC miniseries for Arabian Nights that came out in 2000. Saw it in middle school and I watch it every time I see it on TV, but these days I can't find it anywhere. Was kinda hoping to watch it as a reference but the summary on Wikipedia'll do. From there I'll be splicing in other fairy tales and legends, which brings me to my next point:

If you've got a story you'd like Zelda to include, let me know in the comments section! I'd love to know what kinds of tales my readers would like to see in this fic.

What in the world was she thinking?

Running headfirst into the enemy stronghold with nothing but a cloak to disguise her and only half a plan to rely on was just asking for trouble. What did she think she was going to do, challenge him to a duel? Navigate a veritable fortress she'd never set foot in and orchestrate a flawless prison break all on her own? Demand him to stop in the name of the King? It was madness; she was seriously out of her mind at this point. If only she'd listened to her Father when he told her to leave the mystery of Vaati to the armed forces and kingdom mages she might would be sitting in her room at this very moment, warm and curled up on her bed with a good book and a mug of tea lovingly brewed by Impa.

Instead she's frozen solid in fear with a madman literally breathing down her neck. For sure, he'll rip the cloak off in a moment, see that she's just an ordinary girl, and, if she's lucky, turn her to stone. If she's even less lucky, he'll realize she's the princess and hold her hostage until her father either pays him a devastatingly large sum of gold or outright gives him the throne. Worst case scenario was torture, and she really didn't want to think about what kind of horrors a megalomaniacal wind mage could inflict upon a defenseless human girl. If it weren't for the ward against outside magic, she might've had a fighting chance.

Now... now, she's completely at his mercy. And he has none.

"Well?" he speaks again, "I suppose you must be shaking with fright at this point, but you've had ample time to compose yourself while I was giving orders to my horde of monsters. And I warn you, I am not a patient man, so it would do you well to obey and come to me."

He begins to step forward, pacing so deftly and gracefully she wouldn't have even noticed the sound of his footfalls if she hadn't been so terrified.

"Though I must say, I am impressed. Most of the other women have either fainted or attempted to jump from the palace at this point. Which, you should know, will not work. Let's get this over with quickly, shall we? All I need to do is take a quick peek into those eyes of yours, and—"

When he curls a chilling hand around her wrist, she springs into action. Luckily, being raised a princess came with the privilege of knowing that someday she may very well find herself in these exact situations, and how to escape from them. The weakest point is where the thumb meets the index finger, she remembers, and with a mighty twist of her arm and a yank, she is free. The momentum from her break-away is channeled into swinging a swift kick below his belt, the pointed tip of her boot adding some much appreciated extra damage. Grasping both arms to her chest, and before she can even fully register what she is doing, she is tearing through the hallway as fast as her legs can carry her. Behind her she hears a gasp of sharp pain and surprise that sounds so scandalized that she can't help but crack a smirk as she takes a sharp turn down a hallway. It's a dirty move, and not princess-like at all, but her father did always tell her that if a man tried to drag her off somewhere she should take every cheap shot she could get.

The castle is impossibly large, so much so that she has no idea where she's going or where to hide. She's banking on the hope that Vaati hasn't explored the entire place either. At the very least, she can try and think of a new plan while she's running. It's not much, but it's something.

"You will not get away so easily, girl!" she hears from far away.

Ignoring the enraged snarl, she continues her flight, pouring all of her strength into putting as much distance between them as possible. She settles on an algorithm for which turns to take and which ones not to take. The fact that Vaati hasn't caught up to her yet can only mean that transforming into that horrible eye form depletes a significant portion of his magical strength, and since he's been using it so much recently, he must be at his limit. This forces him to chase her on foot, something he probably never does, especially since he's spent the last few hundred years trapped in stasis. She thanks the Goddesses for luck and pointed shoes, as uncomfortable as they may be.

The minutes tick by, and with each one she feels her strength draining. Running won't work forever. So the real question is, what can she do to persuade him from attacking her? What can she offer him that would enable her to stay conscious and functioning in order to find the kidnapped victims? Evasion won't work. He'll find her at some point and drag her out of hiding no matter where she goes, and even if he didn't, she'd die of starvation eventually. She's too weak to fight him even at her full power. And if she lets it slip that she's the Princess, it'll be a disaster no matter what he does with her from there. So her only option now is trickery and deception. But how could she even do that? What would she even say to make him think a regular, ordinary girl could be an asset to him?

Zelda's thoughts are so engrossing, and her fatigue becoming so prominent, that as she rounds the next corner her feet fall out of rhythm. It's a fatal mistake and she knows it. As her legs tangle she feels her body falling, almost floating to the ground. But time speeds up again as she slams into the marble floor, the force of the collision knocking the wind out of her. There is a faint, but audible snap as something breaks, and a glittering necklace once secured around her neck goes skating across the hallway.

'No!' she despairs, laboring to fill her lungs again. 'The royal amulet! If I don't have that, my magic will be even weaker than it already is! How will I get out of here then?!'

The existence of an accessory that enhanced magical ability was a well-guarded secret of the Hyrule royal family. The art of crafting such items had been lost long ago, and despite the efforts of many scholars and blacksmiths that strove to resurrect it, so far the process still remained lost to this day. As far as Hyrule knew, the amulet was the last of its kind. In order for it to not fall into the wrong hands, it was always safeguarded by the Queen of Hyrule herself. This also served as a protective measure for the Queen, as attempts on her life were not unheard of, and an amulet was inconspicuous enough that it could be worn every day without being noticed. Since the royal family always produced one daughter with the power of light, it was a precise system to ensure that the amulet never left the hands of the royal family.

Most importantly, it was a memento of Zelda's mother, which she has now lost.

'Where did it go?!' she panics.

There are various suits of armor and decorative tables, small cabinets, and other various artistic sculptures spread throughout the hallways of the castle, and unfortunately for Zelda they're all perfect structures to lose jewelry behind. Her eyes frantically scan the floor, darting this way and that, hoping to catch that tell-tale glint of stone—

And as her eyes raise to the center of the hallway she sees a very purple, very angry figure stalking towards her from the other end. His hair is tussled, hat askew, and his face is about as red as the strange pants he's wearing. It would almost be comical if it weren't for the murderous look on his face.

"You!" he pointed, "You shall dearly pay for that little stunt!"

And although she knows escape isn't the wise choice, as it will only make him angrier, allowing the risk of him finding the amulet is even less wise. So she musters up her strength and turns again, darting back the way she came. As she runs, she searches for any kind of possible landmark she could use to identify this area of the palace in the future. That is, if she'll even have the chance to come back here.

"Damn you, girl! When I catch you there shall be hell to pay, do you hear me?!"

Just when she starts to wonder how much longer they can go on like this, she swings around yet another corner and right into a dead end. A large, ornate window framed by luxurious red curtains with golden braided fringe provides an almost dizzying view of the endless, glittering night sky surrounding the fortress. It's like there's no up or down; like nothing else in the realm existed except for this cursed palace. She heaves in a few breaths, finally feeling just how hard her heart is pounding against her chest, when an almost equally winded Vaati makes his appearance, a hand grasping at the wall for support as he stumbles into the hall.

"By the gods, sit still or I swear I shall—" he pauses to gasp in another breath, "I shall have your head even if you're the Princess herself!"

'This is the end,' she realizes as he steps closer and closer to her.

Paralyzed with fear, all she can think to do is brace herself for the worst. If he's going to kill her for wasting his time and making such a fool of him, she'll at least die bravely and with honor. Nonetheless, traitorous tears prickle at the corners of her eyes.

'Daddy... Impa... Link. I wish I could've seen you one last time. I should never have come here. I'm sorry.'

"You should know, I'm usually a perfect gentleman despite my less than stellar reputation," he lectures, still breathing hard, "But you've done a number of vile things to test my already thin patience, and I find myself having less and less goodwill towards you as a member of the fairer sex!"

She feels her stomach plummet as one hand clamps on her shoulder and roughly spins her to him, while the other curls a vice grip around her hood and pulls it down.

"Now stop trashing about like a cornered mouse and let me see your damned—!"

A deep, tranquil color like the summer sea with a tinge of green in them stares back at him in dismay. A color he didn't know eyes could be. An infuriatingly mesmerizing color. Immediately he can tell that in the sunlight they would shine like turquoise. His breath hitches in spite of himself.

"...eyes," he finishes lamely.

Radiant hair pulls up to frame her delicate face; a waterfall spilling over her shoulder, glowing as orange as the rising sun, not a single strand of it out of place. He hopes that in her state of fear she doesn't notice the stammer. She's unnerved him enough times in one night for a lifetime and he'd very much rather not add to the list. But it's a shame, he thinks, that such divine looks are wasted on such a vulgar, violent girl.

She draws back suddenly, but with the utmost calm, and turns away.

"Now you've seen my eyes. Do I have what you seek?"

A stab of embarrassment pierces him for the umpteenth time that night and he suppresses the urge to curse. Of course, if she'd just did as he said and stayed still he wouldn't have been so flummoxed at seeing her face that he even forgot what he was looking for. If she hadn't worn him out with that wild chase this whole ordeal would've been over with by now! All of this was the damned girl's fault!

He flounders for a moment before lifting his chin arrogantly, "You will look at me when you speak to me, girl! I will not be disrespected in my palace!"

She turns to face him again, her frame shaking but her face set in stone. Well, she has guts at the very least. He'll give her a few points for that. But he won't be distracted by her appearance again. This time, he focuses his second sight, mentally prying at the unseen layer that exists around each person's aura. Magic propensity; some have it, some do not, and in varying degrees. He's not sure how much has changed since he last roamed the earth, but he knows instinctively that some humans—Hylians, especially—possess magical prowess. Those who have a significant strength for it make a decent living as mages in the armed forces, or with traveling mercenaries to protect non-magical humans. However, many of those who do possess the gift of magic hold only a weak spark. And oftentimes, those with a decent innate potential are never detected, as the art of sensing another's magic is only known to advanced mages. Commoners that lead simple lives often never accidentally trigger their abilities, and as such, their talents go to waste.

The girl in front of him is likely such a type. He can sense magic in her—light magic, if he's not mistaken— but the force of it is nothing special. He wonders if she even knows she has such a gift. It is plain to him, however, that she does not have the level of power he is looking for. When he first awoke from his seemingly endless slumber, he was almost frightened to realize he had only the slightest recollection of who and where he was. But he recalls, in the recesses of his mind, that he wanted power. That to reign over the kingdom of Hyrule was his greatest aspiration, and that mysterious women with awe-inspiring magical aptitude had been his obstacle. He vowed at that moment to do away with them, to have revenge on the sages that had sealed him in the past. The girl in front of him may not be one of those sages, but if she has magic in her, there's a slight possibility that she knows of it. And if she does know of her gift, then she would also know who enlightened her of its existence. And if he can find that person, that more powerful mage than she, then perhaps that can point him in the direction of a sage.

"I will be generous and answer your question," he begins. "You see, my dear, I've been searching for magic. But not just any magic that a regular citizen could wield. Not even magic that the most powerful court mages in Hyrule castle can command. What I'm looking for is the most powerful magic in the land, next to mine of course. Unfortunately for you, you do not have it, and so ultimately you are useless to me."

She swallows hard, and he takes a step closer, arms clasped behind his back.

"But it'd be such a waste to spend all this time chasing after you only to get nothing. So I think there is one small thing you can offer me in return for all the trouble you've caused."

His lips curl into a devious smirk, "Would you happen to know what that is? Come now, don't be shy. I think you already do."

Alarms are blaring in her head at this point. So many words of advice from her father and Impa about scummy men that liked to corner women and force them into things go flying through her head at once. She's a second away from giving him yet another kick when he opens his mouth.

"Your magic. It's quite weak, but it is there. Now tell me—and don't lie, because I will know if you do— were you aware of that fact?"

Zelda splutters for a moment, somewhere between confusion and overwhelming relief. The sorcerer raises and eyebrow at her, waiting for an answer. In a heartbeat she knows that she needs to appear as ignorant and common as possible. If he suspects any kind of privileged upbringing that a noble or Princess would have, he'll pounce, and the tides could turn in his favor permanently. So using her Goddess-given gift of wisdom, she makes the most logical choice. She lies through her teeth anyway.

"Wai— wha—... I, I have magic?!" she gasps, her frenzied state of mind providing the perfect effect. It's hardly even acting, something she was always quite good at.

He scrunches his face up. "Hmmm... You don't know anything, do you?"

She shakes her head, a flawless imitation of bewilderment.

"I... I... no. I had no idea."

He curses lowly under his breath. Back to square one, and he's squandered yet another day on a dead end pursuit.

"Is that why you took me?" Zelda prods, the curiosity of an ignorant girl being a more than adequate cover for some investigating. "You thought I had magic? But... if you can't see if a person has magic without looking into their eyes, how do you decide whether or not a person might? I mean, that's why you took me, right? So why did you think I might have magic?"

If she can figure out what kind of behavior inspires Vaati to take new victims, she can find a way to send the message back to the castle. From there, it would just be a matter of educating the public on how not to draw attention to themselves until they can take Vaati down.

He points an almost accusing finger at her.

"I took you because you were acting suspicious! Taking a route through the monster-infested forest, away from the main road that travelers are safe on, in the dead of night by yourself, wearing a hood to cover your face. Does that not sound like the conduct of one trying to avoid capture?! Why were you sneaking about like a thief in the night?"

"That's... I..." she stammered, cycling through a million different excuses.

"It means that you are either running from one who would do you harm, or you are a criminal!"

"If being with Raphael makes me a criminal, then so be it!" she blurts.

The flush on her face is easily mistaken as the passion of a young girl in love, but just below the surface Zelda can clearly see the precarious precipice she balances on. If a lie isn't believable because it's too outrageous, then the whole charade will fall apart. It's an incredibly dangerous move.

Vaati visibly flinches, utterly lost for words, until he slowly begins laughing. His chuckles become full-blown cackles, and he leans to grasp the wall again.

"You," he laughs incredulously, "You mean to tell me that you stole into the night, braving monsters and thieves, all for a boy?! Oh, I forgot how entertaining you humans can be!"

"R-Raphael is not just a boy! I love him!" she says, more strongly this time. "And no matter what our parents say, we're going to be together!"

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, "A charming sentiment, but it shall not be."

Her shoulders tense, and she debates on whether she should continue to argue her case to buy time or let the egotistical man run his mouth some more and give her new material to work with.

"After all, I can't simply let you leave after all you've seen."

Which was her plan all along, really, but hearing the sorcerer say it outright makes her sick with apprehension. The window to tricking him out of turning her to stone or worse, killing her, is essentially the size of a needle's eye. She must strike now, and it must be decisive.

"So you're... going to kill me," she says shakily.

"Oh I could, make no mistake, but I won't. I prefer to not get my hands dirty unless absolutely necessary, you see. And I seriously doubt you could stop me from taking all of Hyrule. No, I shall turn you to stone instead."

"Why are you after Hyrule?!" she demands, "Is it money you want? Power? Glory?"

He grins, "Who says I should only aspire to one?"

"Well... because," she starts hesitantly, "Because if you're too greedy, why... You'll end up just like Kasim."

There is a silence.

"...Kasim?"

"Yes, Kasim."

Another silence.

"And just who is this Kasim? Why should I care?"

It's her cue to look as astonished as possible, even a little affronted.

"You don't know who Kasim is?!"

He sneers, "If I did, would I ask?!"

"It's just... I mean, everyone knows about what happened to Kasim. Even the little children."

Vaati draws his shoulders back and scowls. "Are you toying with me, girl? I tire of this back and forth. If you've something to say, then spit it out!"

For all his threatening appearance and notoriety, Vaati was turning out to be quite easy to manipulate. Distracting him with a story; it's almost juvenile, really. Nothing screams "last ditch effort" more than attempting to stave off your death by spinning fairy tales, but strangely enough, Zelda thinks it just may work. From what she's seen of him so far, Vaati was proving to be an insatiably curious man with a desire to take anything he could get. It stood to reason that he wouldn't be able to bear someone only telling him part of something. He'd just have to know the whole thing or it'd eat him apart. And as long as she could keep weaving stories to keep him interested, she would be safe from death and petrification. This could work! It could truly work! She'd found her window!

The sorcerer's anger at being kept in the dark is palpable, but it's not the right mood for a story. Once his ire fades, his curiosity may as well. She needs to think of a hook; something to catch and keep his attention, a spark of curiosity that will last past the break of dawn.

"Of course, I'll tell you. Well, Kasim... he..." she makes a show of looking about the hall, then sighs, her once fidgeting hands dropped to her waist.

"What. is it. now." He grinds out.

"Well, this is hardly the right place to do this, don't you think? It would be best to be somewhere more relaxing. Somewhere we could sit," she says, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why does it matter where we are? Just tell me for gods' sake!" he fumes.

"No no no, it just won't do," she waves her hands, testing her limits. "Besides, you must also be tired from all this running around. And if I can't concentrate well, I won't be able to explain it correctly and then it'd all just be a waste. We need a more suitable atmosphere."

"Ridiculous!" he cries, "I should just turn you to stone and be done with you!"

She averts her eyes gloomily, fully intent on keeping up the mysterious act until the very end.

"Yes... I suppose even if you knew exactly what Kasim's mistake was, you would still make it someday yourself. It wouldn't do you any good to hear about it. And who could blame you? So many men throughout history have done the same thing, it's no wonder what happened to poor Kasim will just keep on happening."

There is a spluttering of noise as he tries to think of a retort, fists curling at his sides in frustration.

"Fine!" he booms. "Fine then, we shall find a parlor. And you will sit, and tell me about this blasted Kasim, and then that will be the end of you!"

Without a warning, he turns to march away, Zelda trailing anxiously behind him. She should be terrified, absolutely shaking life a leaf, she knows that. But for some reason, she can't control the thrill that runs up her spine. For the first time in her entire existence, she's run away from home, lied, and escaped death all in the same night. Somehow she feels like she could take on a million Vaatis right now. It's as if her life has suddenly unfolded into a fairy tale of its own. With every challenge, the stakes get higher. And with it, she learns just how much she's capable of.

'I think I can actually do this!' she smiles to herself.

"This had better be worth my time, girl, because you've already wasted enough of it!"

"I have a name, you know," she replies smartly.

"And why should I care what some filthy human's name is?"

She shrugs, "Alright, so I won't tell you then. It won't really matter when I'm just a statue and I can't say anything at all anymore."

His lips draw in to a thin line. She continues her languid pace behind him when his face turns over his shoulder to glare at her.

"I should know your name, so that I may continue to curse you and your wretched self for all eternity!"

"It's Zelina," she says dryly.

"Hmph," he flips his hair haughtily, "As for you, you may call me Lord Vaati and nothing else."

"Yes, Lord Vaati," she drawls.

"Just because I am allowing you a few extra moments of your fragile mortal life does not mean you have permission to be so impertinent!" he snaps.

They walk side by side through the ivory halls, him grumbling variations of "damn the day I had to meet such a girl..." "Zelina, what a silly name, just my luck..." and her biting her cheek to keep from bursting into laughter.

NEVER IN ALL MY YEARS DID I THINK I'D WRITE A NUT-SHOT INTO ANYTHING I WROTE. WHAT EVEN IS MY LIFE AT THIS POINT.

In case anyone was worrying, Vaati had absolutely no inappropriate intent towards Zelda when he was talking about repayment. He seriously was thinking only about the magic. Luckily for all of us, he's a Disney Villain type of baddie who's just chasing power and glory and whatnot. This story's not that dark, especially since this is a romance.

Also I could hear the Benny Hill music the entire time I was writing it, much more fun that way. Oh God, kids these days reading this might not even know what that is. I feel old.