To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 49 – Assault

Clatter!

Zelda's eyes shot open, wide awake at the sound. This wasn't like Link's soft groans in the middle of the night. This was something louder. Noisier.

Link must have heard it as well, for his eyes soon fluttered open. "Hmm, Zelda?" he mumbled.

"Quiet," she whispered before placing a single finger to his lips. "Something approaches from the chamber's entrance."

Zelda rose to her feet and Link tried to sit up, although it proved difficult for even the tiniest of movements made his wound flare up with pain. But he clenched his teeth and pushed through until he could look upon the entrance of the room. There, he saw a single red eye glaring at them.

"ReDead," he murmured before cursing.

"And it's seen us," Zelda deduced. "It's already lumbering over." She then frowned before grabbing the lantern and lighting it. If they had already been found, there was no point in staying in darkness. She then drew her rapier. "Stay here, I'll take care of it."

"Wait!" Link reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. "Don't go alone. Here, I'll back you up."

The Princess just glared at him with a look of disbelief. "Oh no you won't. Link, you can barely stand!"

"Watch me," he muttered through his teeth. He then winced as he tried to rise to his feet, but it was a slow, delicate, and painful process. And watching this simply frustrated Zelda to no end.

"Sit down," she commanded abruptly. She then proceeded to do one of the roughest things that a Princess had likely ever done. She forcefully pushed Link flat onto his back. Admittedly, she was a bit stunned by her own actions, as was Link, but she had no time to process this or argue with him. The approaching ReDead was already far closer than she would have liked. "Forgive me. This will take but a moment."

Link frowned and went to protest some more, but she was already gone. She rushed towards the mummified monstrosity, her thin blade ready to slice through air and foe alike. The ReDead just glared at her before raising its own greatsword overhead.

Fortunately, the fight that followed was brief. Unlike the ReDeads of the night before, this one was slow and witless. Zelda had no trouble evading its large swipes and she promptly tore it to shreds. By the time the creature thought to scream, Zelda had already cut open its jaw. From here all it took was one quick stab to the skull to bring the ReDead down for good. Its corpse now rested among the remains of its brethren and a plethora of charred Stalfos bones.

Zelda took a deep breath and sheathed her blade. She then slowly made her way back to Link, who was still frowning and looking displeased.

"I could have helped, you know," he mumbled before looking away.

The Princess merely sighed. "Must you always insist on doing everything yourself?"

"I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden, you're a Hero."

"Exactly!" Link said, suddenly placing a hand to his chest. "I should be protecting others. Not being saved by them."

Again, Zelda sighed. She soon turned to him with a soft look. "Link, you did a wonderful job of selflessly protecting me last night. Now is it really so bad if I am allowed to return the favor?"

Link frowned before looking away. "I just don't want you to get hurt for my sake. You're far more important than I am."

The Hero honestly should've known better than to make this comment, and he quickly regretted it, for he realized that in doing so he had only summoned the full intensity of Zelda's wrath.

"Do not say that," she seethed. "My life is no more precious than anyone else's, and I will not tolerate anyone who believes such things. No, not even you, Hero."

Link just gulped, suddenly feeling ashamed. "I'm sorry, Zelda. I didn't mean to make it sound like you're superior to everyone else…"

"It's fine," she said with a curt shake of her head. "Just…please do not make such comments again. It's heartbreaking to hear. Especially from you."

Link frowned once more. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Silence fell between them after that. Neither one of them knew quite what to say after their argument. However, Zelda's eyes soon fell on Link's bandages, and she realized that there were more pressing matters at hand.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she kneeled next to him. "Any better?"

"Well, it still hurts like hell," Link admitted. "But the sleep helped. I don't feel lightheaded anymore."

"Thank goodness," Zelda breathed, and she even allowed herself a smile. "Why don't we wait a bit, and then perhaps we can try to-"

Thud, thud, thud.

Link and Zelda both froze. There was another sound coming from the entrance to the chamber. It sounded like the footsteps of multiple people. Zelda quickly jumped up and drew her blade once more, fearing the worst. What was it now? An army of Stalfos having come to claim their lives?

Thankfully, it was nothing of the sort. The Princess watched as several figures wandered out of the shadows and into the light of the lantern. Zelda recognized them immediately.

"Oh, Goddesses be praised," she whispered. "Kanora!"

Sure enough, the Gerudo Chief stepped forward with a bright smile on her lips. She was accompanied by a handful of powerful Gerudo warriors.

"Ah, Princess!" she exclaimed. "Thank the Goddesses we've found you. We've been searching since dawn. Is everything all right?"

Zelda promptly sheathed her sword and beckoned the Gerudo to come closer. So great was her relief that she almost had half a mind to hug the Chief, but she refrained. "I'm fine, but there's been trouble. It's Link."

"Our wonderful little Link?" Kanora replied. "What's happened? Oh…Oh my!"

As Zelda stood aside, the Chief soon laid eyes upon the wounded Hero. It only took her a moment to process the situation.

"He was stabbed in the chest," Zelda explained quietly. "I did the best I could to patch him up, but I fear that he still needs proper medical attention. Please, is there anything you can do?"

Kanora smiled. "Worry not, Princess. We have brought bandages and medicines with us in case we encountered the worst. Pretty clever of us, no? Now here, let us inspect the wound. Oh, and we'll need to fetch a stretcher so we can carry him out."

"A stretcher?" Link interjected. "I don't need anything like that. I can walk out of here on my own just fine."

"Shhh," Kanora hushed him as she kneeled by his side. "Don't be silly, my dear little Link. You are in no condition to move around. Now please lie still and let us look at you."

The rest of the Gerudo soon kneeled next to Link as well while Zelda watched from the sideline. She was so grateful to have them here. Finally, Link would receive the proper treatment that he desperately needed.

"So what happened here?" Kanora asked as she and the others set to work. "We were worried sick when you didn't return last night."

Zelda nodded before briefly explaining. "We tracked the source of darkness to this room and managed to destroy it. After that, we fought a horde of enemies, but a ReDead caught me unawares. Link ran to my rescue and took the attack in place of myself. I did my best to treat him, but we were forced to spend the night here."

"I see," Kanora said solemnly. "I'm sorry that this had to happen. And to think that you only encountered such troubles because you were doing us a favor."

"Don't fret over it," Zelda told her. "We both knew the risks and were prepared to face them. And we only experienced trouble at the end due to my own carelessness."

Kanora nodded at her words. "I'm just relieved to know that you're both still alive. Although…" Here the Chief paused, looking a bit amused. She was in the middle of admiring Link's bandages. "I must say, Princess, you certainly did a piss poor job of this."

Zelda blinked, feeling both taken aback by the playful comment as well as guilty for not being able to do better. "I…I did the best I could with what I had on hand," she replied nervously.

"What is this fabric anyway?" Kanora asked as she began peeling it back. "It almost looks like…" She paused before blinking a bit. A look of realization washed over her features. "Oh, goodness me. You actually stripped down in front of him?"

Zelda nearly sputtered in response. "I…I did no such thing! What are you even implying!?"

Naturally, Kanora just smirked, as if she was rather amused by the whole thing. She soon glanced up. "Oh my…Are you feeling all right, Princess? Your cheeks are as red as the Hero's bloodstains."

For the second time in the last 24 hours, Zelda felt like grabbing a fistful of Kanora's red hair and yanking on it.

The Gerudo successfully applied some medicine and fresh, real bandages to the Hero's wound. Once they had finished, they had two of their number go to collect a stretcher from their camp. They only had to wait a short while before they returned. Once they did, they loaded Link into it (despite his protests) and promptly carried him outside.

When they safely arrived at the desert plains, Zelda finally allowed herself to relax. It was still early morning and the sun was shining on the golden fields of sand. It was quite a sight to behold after having spent an entire evening confined in darkness.

Kanora explained that they had waited until dawn for the Hero and Princess to return. However, when no one came back, she insisted on leading a search party into the depths of the dungeon to find them. Fortunately, it was not too difficult of a task, for the Gerudo had an excellent hunter among their number and she was easily able to follow Link and Zelda's tracks all the way to the chamber where they resided. They had encountered a few monsters along the way, but other than that, it had been a seamless and successful rescue.

"This structure has now been properly cleansed," Zelda told the Chief as they walked side-by-side down the long set of stairs. "There's a few monsters that remain, but once you clear them out, they shall never make a return."

"You have my utmost thanks, Princess," Kanora said with a bow of her head. "I swear, your kindness will not soon be forgotten."

Zelda mirrored the motion. "And neither will yours. I'm not sure what we would have done if you hadn't come to search for us."

"Oh, I simply had to!" Kanora exclaimed. "We are friends, are we not? Not to mention, your short Minister friend was quite concerned for you. He also would not stop hinting that the King would take all of our heads should something happen to you."

Zelda couldn't help but smile a bit. "Please ignore him. His words are more menacing than his actions."

"Aye, that's what I'd like to believe, but he has quite the feisty temper, that one," Kanora mused. "And besides, I wouldn't say we're in the clear just yet. I can't imagine that he'll be all too pleased to see the sight of you."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked.

"My dear Princess," Kanora replied softly. "You have not looked in the mirror lately, have you? Not that I blame you, considering the circumstances, but still…"

It was here that Zelda paused and glanced down at herself. Sure enough, she was a wreck. Her once beautiful dress was now covered in dried blood and gray smudges and was even torn in a few places. Her bare arms looked much the same, coated in marks of red and black without the protection from her pristine white gloves. And while Zelda could not see it, she imagined her head and face were in a similar situation. Her hair felt like a tangled, disorderly mess that was threatening to break free of its braid, and all she had to do was drag a finger across her cheek to find that her face was just as filthy as the rest of her.

Zelda soon sighed before flashing a shy smile. "I suppose I don't carry the proper image of a Princess anymore."

"Nonsense," Kanora said with a wave of her hand. "You look like an absolute doll."

"I never really wanted to be a doll," Zelda admitted.

Kanora just laughed. "And yet you are a warrior as well. You should be proud, keeping your man safe through the night."

Zelda's friendly expression immediately dissolved into a pout. "Kanora…"

The Chief just released a girlish giggle.

It was around this point that their party arrived back at the Gerudo's camp, and as one might expect, a great crowd started to form. Many of the women were clamoring to see what had become of the Hero and the Princess. Mostly the former.

"The mighty Hero!" they gasped as they looked upon him in the stretcher.

"He…He has been slain!?"

"And where is his tunic? Not that I mind his bare chest, of course…"

"Oh, pipe down, you gossipers!" Kanora quickly declared. "Can't you see he's fine? He just took a small wound to the chest."

The crowd visibly relaxed a bit, although there were still some who seemed concerned for his wellbeing. They just wanted to know that the savior of their people was all right. However, their concern for the Hero was soon dwarfed by the concern of another. Specifically, one short and elderly Minister.

"Oh, let me through, let me through!" Fost shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "How's the Princess? Is she alive?"

It was here that he finally stopped and spotted her. He gawked as his eyes absorbed her in all her disheveled glory. He ended up being silent for so long, that Zelda just gave a sheepish wave back to him.

"My word…" he finally spoke in a horrified whisper. "The Princess…Our Princess…Just look what she's been reduced to. Oh, Your Highness, what did those savage women do to you in the time that you were away?"

"Savage women?" Kanora repeated with a perplexed look.

Zelda just smiled, providing her full attention to the worried Minister. "Relax Fost, I am fine. It's nothing that a warm bath and a change of clothes won't fix."

"You speak too lightly!" he insisted, his features suddenly flaring to life. "Why, just look at the blood and the filth. I imagine that you've been traumatized for life. I know that I certainly have!"

"That's because you're a worrywart," Zelda said plainly. "Trust me, if anyone needs your concern and care right now, it would be Link."

"Oh, bother him," the Minister said flippantly. "You are my greatest concern. I promise to never leave your side again, Princess."

Zelda just rolled her eyes. "On the contrary, I very well think you shall."

Fost looked like he wanted to argue back, but to everyone's surprise, Link suddenly chimed in from his stretcher. "Don't worry, Minister. I'm okay."

Stunned silence, followed by a raucous laughter from the crowd. Link couldn't help but grin, proud that he had managed to make such a dry joke out of Fost's blatant disregard for him. And of course, the Gerudo simply loved it.

"The Hero is quite funny, yes?"

"He put that old fool right in his place."

"The timing was marvelous."

While Fost furrowed his brow and cast a disappointed frown at his critics, Zelda caught Link's eyes and flashed him a grateful smile. The Hero had known exactly what he was doing; coming to her rescue with that comment of his. And she truly appreciated his kindness.

"Enough, enough!" Kanora soon said, waving her hands with a bright grin. "We'll have plenty of time for laughs and merriment later. For now, let's get our guests cleaned up and fed! Why, it is nearly the lunch hour, and I'm certain that they are famished. Go and make ready the food!"

The Gerudo quickly dispersed, ready to fulfill their Chief's every instruction. It was here that Kanora turned to Zelda and scanned her up and down again.

"Princess, I'd be happy to show you to our baths so that you can wash up, but I'm afraid that dress of yours is beyond any use. Tell me, would like to borrow one of our own outfits?"

Zelda frowned, taken aback by this. She immediately inspected Kanora's clothing in return, and couldn't help but notice how revealing it was. Between the exposed shoulders, arms, legs, and stomach, there was hardly anything left to be concealed. Zelda just gave the woman a skeptical look before shaking her head.

"I think I'll decline. I've brought plenty of spare outfits to change into."

"Are you sure?" Kanora pressed her. "The Hero might find you quite fetching in one of our garments."

"I said I'm good," Zelda replied sharply. But the damage had already been done, for her cheeks had turned quite hot, and it wasn't because of the blazing sun overhead.

Kanora just laughed in amusement as she always did. "Suit yourself."

The Princess cleaned up, fixed her hair, and donned a new dress just like her old one. She smiled as she looked at her reflection. She was once again the image of royalty that everyone expected her to be, and it felt so good to remove those stains from her skin. The last thing she wanted from the night before was any keepsakes.

Link was similarly allowed to wash up, but he had a fair bit of trouble when the time came. Many of the younger Gerudo women clambered around his bed, each with washcloths in hand, offering to wipe him clean. He just awkwardly refused, claiming that he was more than capable of handling it himself. He then had to dismiss another crowd of women that wanted to personally spoon-feed him his lunch. He soon began to wonder, what was it about being injured that made everyone think he was incapable of taking care of himself?

Things settled down in the afternoon. The Gerudo wanted to provide their guests with a more relaxing experience after the troubles of the night before. They spent the afternoon telling stories of the Gerudo in days long past. They performed ancient dances and rituals and shared much of their customs with their guests. Link and Zelda simply enjoyed the display, thankful for the chance to unwind for a bit.

Eventually, the sun glowed red as afternoon turned to evening. The Gerudo provided another lovely meal with no trouble at all, and after quite a bit of chatting and dining, Link decided to retire early for the night. His wound was still aching and he figured it would be best to get some rest for now.

Nevertheless, he still insisted on walking back to his tent, despite everyone's protest. Kanora even offered to call for the stretcher, but Link refused. He claimed that he was capable of doing this on his own. With several sharp breaths, he managed to start limping away.

Zelda and Kanora just gave each other a look of doubt before following after him. They couldn't allow the Hero to wander off alone like that. They needed to make sure that he was actually okay. Which, fortunately, he was. He still hissed with every shaky step, but he courageously carried on at his own pace. Eventually, he arrived back at his tent and set himself safely down on the bed.

"Bravo, my lovely Link, bravo," Kanora said with a playful applause.

"That was rather impressive," Zelda agreed. "I hope you didn't strain anything though. Are you sure you're all right?"

Link released a deep breath and smiled. "I'm okay. Just a little sore and winded, but it felt good to move on my own, at least."

"Yes, you always insist on doing everything alone," Zelda said, recalling their conversation from earlier that morning.

"Not true," he argued back. "I let you join me in the Arbiter's Grounds, didn't I?"

"A decision that I'm sure you have come to regret."

"Oh, come on, Zelda. Stop saying stuff like that. We helped each other out, didn't we? We made a good team and we were stronger together than if either of us had been alone."

"Hmm?" Kanora cut in, looking positively pleased. "What's this about teamwork? Care to share exactly what the two of you were doing in the dungeon last night? I've only heard the short summary."

Zelda just frowned. She was far from willing to play along with any of Kanora's prodding at this point. "That's a tale best saved for another time. Link still needs his rest."

Kanora pouted as if she was a child. "I say, sometimes you can be quite the wet blanket, Princess."

Zelda rolled her eyes. She was almost certain that Telma had said something similar to her before.

"But alas, I do not wish to rob the wonderful Hero of his recovery," Kanora admitted with a sigh. "Sleep well, my dear little Link. I'll have someone posted outside your tent later. Just holler if you need anything and she will assist you."

"Thank you, Chief," Link replied warmly. Although, perhaps he had been a little too warm, for Kanora nearly swooned at these words. She then took her exaggerated yet graceful leave.

Zelda sighed and shook her head. "That woman never fails to amaze."

"No, she doesn't," Link said with a small laugh.

Zelda smiled a bit in return. "Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Yes. My wound is still sore, but I know that sleep will help."

Zelda stood there for a while, still hesitant to leave, but she soon accepted that she couldn't stay there all night. She rubbed his shoulder a bit. "Very well. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See you tomorrow," he agreed.

The Princess gave him one last smile before exiting the tent.

Now that he was alone, Link kicked off his boots and removed his tunic, allowing his bandaged chest to breathe a bit. He then carefully lowered himself to his back, trying his best not to agitate his wound. When his head met the pillow, he sighed in contentment. It had felt so rewarding to walk all the way here on his own, but now he was simply happy to be still for a while. He didn't even bother covering himself with a blanket. The air in the desert was warm enough without it.

He closed his eyes and lay there for a while, feeling completely at peace. This trip had certainly had its share of difficulties, but he supposed that it was worth it as long as he had moments as tranquil as this.

And so it was, until he suddenly heard footsteps by his door.

Link opened his eyes and frowned a bit. He glanced at the tent's flap and spotted a figure just outside.

"Zelda?" he asked, slowly sitting up again.

However, to his surprise, a young Gerudo woman walked in, looking bright eyed and giddy. Link just eyed her back in surprise. By his guess, she seemed to be about his age.

"Oh, er…hello," he greeted her awkwardly. "Were you the one who was sent to guard my tent?"

The girl smiled and shook her head, her red locks twirling through the air. "Oh, no, dear Hero. I simply wanted to visit you. That is, if you will have me."

"Oh, um, sure," Link said with a shrug. He then watched her for a bit, wondering why she had shown up out of the blue like this. "I, uh, don't believe we've met before, have we?"

"No, mighty Hero," the Gerudo said with another shake of her head. "Please, my name is Leena. And it is an incredible honor."

"Hi Leena," Link greeted her politely. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"Would it be all right if I stepped closer?"

Link tilted his head a bit, wondering if that was all she wanted. "Um…sure, that's fine."

Leena beamed as she strode forward. She kept her hands together and close to her chest, kneading them as if she was nervous, or perhaps eager. And as Link continued to eye her, he couldn't help but notice that she was eyeing him just as much in return.

"You have a marvelous figure, Hero," she said bluntly.

"Th-Thanks…" Link said slowly. He then inwardly cursed, wishing that he had his blanket to hide behind. Not that he minded showing off his bare chest, but there was something uncomfortable about the way that Leena was looking at him. She almost had the look of a hungry wolf eyeing its prey. Link would know.

"Hero, can I share something with you?" Leena continued.

"Okay…" he replied uncertainly. Even now, he wasn't quite sure who this girl was or what she wanted.

Leena just continued rubbing her fingers against each other with a nervous energy. "For the Gerudo people, it is considered a great honor to be able to bear a daughter. And of course, it is an even greater honor to bear a son."

Link nodded a bit. "Of course. Kanora explained this to me earlier."

Leena smiled. "But perhaps the greatest honor of all would be to bear the child of the mighty Hero, don't you agree?"

Link began to nod without even thinking. "Yea–Wait, what?"

Leena smiled some more while her eyes sparkled in admiration. "I mean it wholeheartedly. To birth your child would be the greatest gift that someone in our Tribe could ever receive."

Link just blinked, and more than once. "Um…" he began awkwardly. "I…I'm not sure that I follow…"

"Hero, would you do me the honor of blessing me with a child?"

This time, Link's mouth opened and closed a few times. No one had ever asked him for something even remotely along these lines before. He could hardly believe that this was happening. "Leena, um, I don't really think that-"

Fwoosh! The sound of fabric flying through the air. In an instant, the Gerudo's top was discarded, and her chest was exposed. Link's eyes went wide and his cheeks turned scarlet from sheer embarrassment. He did his best to look at any corner of the tent that wasn't her.

"Wh-What are you doing?" he said, nearly choking the words out.

"Does my figure please you, Hero?" she asked in a surprisingly seductive voice.

Link gulped. "I…I really would prefer that you put your clothes back on…"

"But they will get in the way, no?" Fwoosh! This time, her skirt was discarded. The Gerudo was now completely nude, happily showing off all of her curves.

Link's face burned red hot. How could this situation have spiraled out of control so quickly!?

"L-Look, Leena. You seem like a nice girl and all, b-but I can't…We can't…C-Could you please put your clothes back on?"

"Shh," she shushed him, and even drew close enough to place a finger to his lips. "This will take but a moment, my dear Hero. and I promise to make it pleasurable for you. You will not be left wanting."

"This is insane!" Link cried. "I'm not doing this. Look, you need to go-"

Link tried to rise up but unfortunately the shameless seducer was already upon him. She crawled into bed, placing her nude figure overtop of his body. Thank the Goddesses that the Hero still had his pants on, but that hardly mattered for this situation was still extremely uncomfortable. Link soon found himself growing angry.

"Leena, I'm serious, get off," he growled. He then went to shove her away, but as soon as he did, she responded by clinging tightly to him. And of course, by pure coincidence, her hand fell hard on his bandages.

Link winced as a terrible pain shot through his chest, effectively paralyzing him. He gasped for his voice, and somehow found it.

"Ouch, Leena, my wound!"

Leena blinked a bit, but soon smirked. "Oh, don't worry, Hero. I will be very gentle with you. We'll start lightly, with some kissing. And then once you're comfortable, we can get a little more serious, yes?"

Link just screamed.

Zelda and Kanora were strolling through the sea of tents, making their way back to the center of camp. And as always, the Gerudo Chief was more than happy to keep running her mouth.

"I do hope that our brave little Link won't be too lonely tonight. After all, he no longer has the comfort of your presence like he did the night before."

Zelda abruptly paused and turned to Kanora with a look of utter shock. If she didn't know any better, it almost sounded like Kanora knew the exact details of the previous night. When Link had cried out for Ilia in his sleep, but it had been Zelda's touch which soothed him back to tranquility.

"Oh my," Kanora said, looking equally surprised. "I didn't expect to hit the mark quite so closely. But I'm happy to know that your love shines through all your denial."

Zelda promptly shut her jaw and glared at the Gerudo while her face turned red once again. Of course she hadn't been privy to the details. She had just been fishing for a reaction, and boy, had Zelda given her one to marvel at.

"It is not what you think," Zelda mumbled.

Kanora's expression quickly flashed from amused to sympathetic. "Oh, no worries, dear. I'm only teasing a little. It's what we Gerudo are best at, you know."

"Between you and Telma, that's what I've gathered."

"Oh, I am not nearly as bad as she!" Kanora exclaimed, as if offended. "She'll spill all your secrets in a second. But do not worry, Princess. I will lock your secret deep within my heart."

Zelda just frowned, growing all the more weary as this discussion dragged on. "What secret, exactly?"

Kanora playfully grinned. "Why, I've already sworn not to say! Forgive me, but I must not speak of it anymore."

Zelda gave the Chief a long, hard stare before sighing and rubbing her temple. "Kanora, can I share something with you?"

"Of course, dear."

"I've only known you for a day and a half now, but it already feels like you're prone to giving me the worst headaches of my life."

To Zelda's surprise, Kanora just chuckled at this. "Oh, now that is rather funny."

"What is?"

"The Gerudo Chief before me used to say the exact same thing!"

Zelda couldn't help it. This time, she gave in and produced a smile. For all of her quirks and petulance, Kanora could be a rather fun person at times. She sighed again, but this time in delight. "Well, I'll say this, Kanora. If there's one thing that I appreciate about you, it's that you wear your heart on your sleeve."

Kanora blushed with joy. "Aw, you are far too kind, Princess."

"That's not necessarily a compliment, you know."

"Hmph, and you are far too cruel as well."

This time, Zelda laughed, but it was quickly cut short by a loud noise echoing in the distance. The Princess just paused, glancing around. "Kanora, did you just hear a scream?"

The Chief turned to glance at her. "I very well think I might have. But I doubt it's trouble. Some of our girls like to spar after dinner in order to stay in shape. It's possible that one of their number suffered an injury."

Zelda shook her head. "No, that doesn't seem right. It almost sounded like a man's voice…"

She suddenly blinked as the realization hit her.

"Link!"

Wasting no time, Zelda turned around and began running back towards the Hero's tent. Before long, another scream cried out into the air, and this time, she clearly recognized its source.

"Help! Zelda!"

Her heart sank with dread. Link really was crying out for help. She immediately picked up the pace, beelining for the tent. Within seconds, she reached it.

"Link, what's the matter-"

Zelda froze, and if it were possible for her jaw to hit the floor, it certainly would have. The sight before her was perhaps one of the most shocking that she had ever witnessed. A young Gerudo woman, naked and unashamed, lay atop of the Hero, who seemed to be squirming in an attempt to break free of her embrace.

"Wh-What the…" Zelda mumbled, feeling utterly speechless.

It didn't take long for Link to spot her, and he was quick to cry out again. "Zelda, please help!"

His call was like lightning, forcing Zelda out of her paralysis and into action. Her sapphire eyes twisted into a glare and she clenched teeth and fists alike. She could feel a fire bursting to life within her.

"What…What the hell is going on in here!?" she demanded.

Link went stiff, a bit surprised at the Princess's sudden temper, as well as her "improper" language. He had seen Zelda be upset before, but never quite like this. Similarly, Leena also froze, for she just now realized that she and her partner had company at the door. And of course, it wasn't long before Kanora arrived and stuck her head in the tent as well.

"What is with all the shouting in here-" She paused, taking it all in just as Zelda had. "Oh…Oh my…" was all she had to say.

"Oh, Pr-Princess, Chief," the nude girl greeted them awkwardly. "H-How unexpected…"

"Save it," Zelda seethed. "Tell us what's going on. Now."

"W-We were just-"

"She's trying to seduce me!" Link cried out. "Please stop her!"

That was all Zelda needed to hear. She felt the fire rage to life within her once more, and she was soon determined to cross to the other side of the tent and pull this scandalous woman off of Link by force. However, it seemed that Kanora was already on top of it, for she leapt the full length of the tent in under a second and seized Leena by the shoulders. She then gave the girl a swift tug, separating her from Link.

The Hero just breathed a sigh of relief, sinking back into his bed. Zelda was quickly by his side.

"Link, are you okay?"

"Yes. Fortunately, nothing happened…Thank the Goddesses…"

Zelda too felt her shoulders relax a bit, but she kept the fire alight in her heart as she shot the girl another icy glare. "What exactly is the meaning of this?" she demanded.

Leena looked like she was about to speak up, but Kanora just clamped a hand over her mouth while keeping another firmly locked to her shoulder.

"Let's just calm down for a minute, hmm?" the Chief suggested. "I promise, we'll get this all sorted out. Princess, why don't you stay by Link's side for now?"

"Gladly," she said, fiercely crossing her arms and standing between Link and his seductor.

Kanora sighed before turning her attention back to the naked girl in hand. "Leena, you and I shall step outside and talk for a minute. And for goodness' sake, girl, put your clothes back on! Were you raised in a barn?"

I think that Link might be one of the only people in the world who would tell a woman that she's "probably a nice girl" while she's trying to assault him lol.

Anyway, I hope it didn't feel like that situation went too far or anything. I tried to keep it lighthearted and make it clear that nothing bad was truly going to happen, but I understand that the subject matter is still inherently heavy and risqué. Apologies if this bothered anybody. The situation was only supposed to be silly, and nothing more.

As always, thanks for reading. Next time, we hit chapter 50!