He managed to get Zelda back to her room unspotted just before dawn, miraculously.
And an unpleasant surprise on his part was the bloody bite mark Zelda had left on him again . He joked with her that there was no need to re-Mark him and she had only apologised profusely. She didn't seem to want to accept that it didn't hurt, but rather shoved some healing balm into his hands after she'd gotten back to her room.
But by the Goddesses, was it ever nice to sleep with her in his arms. He almost wanted everyone to know they were together, to wake up together, to get ready for the day together but alas, that time would come one day, but now wasn't that time.
He got ready for the day, throwing on the stuffy Guard uniform and made his way to his office where he was greeted by the damn papers.
There was also an order from the council stating that he was going to be forced into a three day suspension from work due to recent inappropriate actions in order to learn his lesson.
Link laughed. He laughed hard.
The memory from the night before flashed in his mind. Goddesses, he was so obvious in the way he'd scented her in public. There was no way he would have done that completely sober, but he was nonetheless proud of himself. No alpha who was present at that party was going to be bothering them from now on.
Maybe he did his job a little bit too well.
But then again, a three-day suspension was surprisingly very lenient for essentially using a hook-up tactic on the princess in public .
The thing that made him laugh until his sides hurt was the fact that the entire council had to get together to discuss this. He could only imagine the eleven members talking about the way he'd slipped that necklace around her neck for so long, it was probably ridiculous.
"And why are you laughing this morning?" Link tried to take a deep breath from his wheezing to look up at Barnabus, who looked at him in confusion.
Link started laughing, this time no sound followed, but he lifted a three with his hands.
"Three what?" His best friend entered and took a look at the page written by the Council. "A three-day suspension?! For the bullshit from last night!?" He was baffled and ran a hand through his hair, knocking the beret off his head.
" Only three days" Link wheezes quietly.
"It was terrible to watch!"
"Terrible because you couldn't get any?"
"Terrible because of the comments I heard this morning!" the other captain started laughing quietly, almost crying. "Goddesses, the filth I heard come out of a High Priestess this morning."
While he didn't specifically say what the comment was, it did apparently include an in-depth conversation about if it was still sinful to have premarital sex if the man in question was goddess-sent, and the surprising answer to that was no, it wasn't sinful .
Link jokingly committed that specific conversation to memory in the event that Zelda would inevitably worry about pre-marital sex affecting her relationship with the goddess, able to be backed by the ever-so-wise, High Priestess Makime.
Then came Arn with the news that King Rhoam had walked face first into a pillar after hearing two maids converse about their desires following the same events had Link and Barnabus hitting the floor in tears.
He was amazed that he'd only gotten three days and not a month-long suspension.
Being seated in General Lance's office wasn't the best thing after being told about a three-day suspension. Link was lucky to never have to talk with the man, but today was a whole different situation. The man, barely older than he was, was studying him very closely and holding a suspicious letter in his hand. It had something to do with the ball from yesterday, but Link wasn't told what when he arrived at first.
"Would you care to explain this letter, Sir Link?"
The general held a sealed letter in his hands, one that had the inscription 'Chief Pawn' written over the front. He had never seen the thing until this point, nor did he know what that name even meant.
"I've never seen such a letter."
Lance flipped it over and gave it a light hearted chuckle. "I'd hope not, we found it late last night on a dead body."
Link gulped. Last night, as in after he left with the Princess, and on a dead body?!
"Actually, I think it'd be in your best interest to know that the Yiga paid us a visit last night, though they were unsuccessful in entering the castle thanks to your efforts. Very commendable."
He could feel the 'but' coming. He didn't know the Yiga had shown up, but at least they hadn't been successful in infiltrating the castle… as far as he knew anyway..
"Two knights lost their lives last night. And this was found by the third knight with them, the man apparently claimed it was for you." The general looked the letter over. "Why they've begun calling you this, I'm not quite sure."
"I wouldn't know either, sir." Link reached to grab the outstretched letter, only for it to be pulled just out of reach by the general, watching him closely.
"It's quite the contradiction to refer to you as such. A chief is the leader, one everyone relies on, but a pawn as well? Really? It's the weakest piece of the board, one to use and dispose of at the Chief's discretion. It's an interesting choice of moniker."
Link wasn't quite sure what to think of the General right now. It sounded like he wanted to say more by the way he looked at the lonesome piece on the table, but he didn't continue on the thought, it seemed.
He looked around the room and spotted a chess board in the corner, pieces scattered across the board as if there was an ongoing game. He wondered who was playing chess with Lance before he showed up.
"Of course, I also remembered the pawn is also the shortest piece on the board so maybe they've gotten themselves a sense of humour and they're just calling you captain shortie."
Oh you motherfucker.
Link let out the driest laugh he could muster.
"How about you take a look at the letter? I've yet to open it or read it, but I'd love to know its contents."
Link took the page with hesitation and popped the seal off with ease.
To: The Chief Pawn
Your weakness is known and Her weakness has shown.
You do not know when the work will begin, but know that the scythes have been well-oiled, and the hands that guide them are ready for the harvest. Our Eye is keen and can see the moment approaching. We will miss not even the smallest sprouts, even between the tallest stalks.
Hopefully your own crops grow well, for all our efforts are needed to prepare. Individually we don't stand a chance. Learning to work as one has been a struggle, but creating our work is worth it, and winning our game is all the smiles we need.
After all, we always have the last laughs.
He couldn't make sense out of it at first. Crops? Scythes? He knew it was a threat, that much was obvious, but he had a hard time discerning it at first.
What did they mean by his weakness was known? He made sure to hide any of his weak points well, so that line confused him until he got to really think about the line Her weakness has shown. Zelda was showing a weakness? How was she showing weakness? They knew about her powers, what else were they referring to?
"You said the Yiga sent this?"
"They did, may I ask why?"
Link cursed himself for not being better at reading between the lines, metaphors rarely stuck well with him and he was only confused. He didn't know what they meant by crops, all he knew was that they were once again trying to kill him and Zelda and they thought it was a game. "I… I'm trying to figure out the metaphors…" he hid his face behind the page as he went over it again.
Why did they include Zelda, a weakness and crops together?! Link just wished they'd stick to their usual "we're trying to kill you, stop surviving" messages. Life was so much simpler before the Yiga decided to become poets.
He was ever so grateful that military reports were straight forward. 'Monster camps at location A', 'Lynel spotted at location B', 'Guard A from squad three was found stuck in a tree with Guard B and Guard C, please do something'. That was straightforward, no flowery metaphors or literary devices to be spotted for miles.
But for some goddess-forsaken reason, the Yiga were picking up poetry now.
"Would you like me to take a look?"
Before Link could answer or do anything, Lance plucked the page from his fingers and began reading it.
He sat quietly in his chair as Lance read through the letter with a casualness that he wished he had.
"Link, I'll ask you this once and I want the truth from you," Lance asked without taking his eyes off the page. "There wouldn't happen to have anything that has popped up since you last mated the Princess, right?"
What did sex have to do with crops? Many things had happened since he'd been with her, but he couldn't figure out the connection between crops, scythes and a baby. Well, the scythes and baby he did, he imagined the Yiga might not like the idea of the Princess having one, considering their avid hatred of the Goddess and her bloodline.
He didn't want to say anything, why would he want one of the King's closest advisors knowing the princess was pregnant? No thank you.
"There have been a few developments romantically." He tried to explain without giving anything away.
"It wouldn't have anything to do with the line 'hopefully your own crops grow well' would it?" Lance moved the page over and shot him a questioning look.
My own crops growing well? Why would you ask me about my own crops growing well after sleeping with Zelda… it was then that it hit him in the face that the letter was actually referring to something so much bigger than that.
His heart stopped for a moment and his ribs clenched his lungs tightly.
The Yiga knew about the baby. They somehow knew about the baby. They knew he was sleeping with the Princess, and they knew about the baby. It suddenly made sense with the 'weakness showing' line. Her symptoms had just begun showing no less than two weeks before, likely longer if he hadn't noticed them until he got back.
Not them, anyone but them. Now that that information was out in the open for them, Link didn't know who they'd target anymore. Him as the Hero? Zelda as the Princess and the baby?
He felt nausea settle in his stomach, alongside a cold sweat covering him from head-to-toe. He was sure it might be showing through his uniform, but didn't dare try to bring attention to his nerves.
He suddenly remembered that he was sitting across from Lance, and he had yet to answer the question.
"It does not have anything to do with that line."
"I think you may be the worst liar in this entire castle."
He knows. He definitely knows. It was as if the world began spinning at that moment. He couldn't hide her pregnancy from anyone any longer, not if he wanted to keep her safe.
For the next few hours, Link was forced to regale General Lance with every detail, forbidden from leaving his office otherwise.
First, Lance had asked for all the spicy details, which Link had vehemently refused to share, citing a barely-veiled threat and an obvious glare. Lance had, of course, relented but had asked for the rest of the details, which Link reluctantly gave.
After all, Link did vividly remember Lance being the one who had set him up with Zelda three months prior during his cycle, so it wasn't like he didn't know they were actively involved together.
Link fully expected a verbal smackdown, but was rather surprised at how excited the General was when he kept saying things like "Oh how romantic!" and "Did you know Rito Village is a honeymoon destination?" which Link had replied with "Funny, Revali's presence certainly made it all the more romantic" with the utmost sarcasm he could muster.
To encourage Link to share most of the details, the general had even ordered a passing maid to bring them coffee as if it was a tea party and Link ended up staying in his office for two and a half hours.
"If you intend to keep secrecy on this matter, I think it'd be best to tell one of your friends," He advised as he set up a chessboard between them, the letter forgotten and pushed aside after they'd discussed it.
"Secrecy isn't secrecy if you tell everyone."
"That is true, but if you wish to ensure Her Highness and that baby's safety, you should tell someone else, we can increase security in ways neither of you will notice."
"Who would I even tell?"
Lance thought for a moment as he pulled out a small box of chess pieces. "You could tell Arn, I'm sure he can keep it a secret. He is a father after all."
"He'll tell my father," Link pointed out as he took a long drink of his cup. If his father found out via letter, Link wasn't sure he'd get to live long enough to actually meet the baby.
"Well, I only suggested him because he's the only one who will remotely understand your worries. Randall and Barnabus are not in these positions, they won't see it in the same way Arn will."
"That's true."
"Besides, while he does know your father, Arn has three kids of his own and two grandchildren. I feel he would likely be your best ally in the castle, even if you're not as close."
"Arn is… too close to the King."
"It doesn't seem in his nature to put you at such a risk. I don't know his relationship to your own father, but I'm sure he could be convinced to keep it under lock and key."
With Link agreeing that he would think about it, Lance smiled and dropped the topic of Link's romantic life in favour of his favourite game.
Once the pieces were set up, Link was offered the first move as the white pieces as a courtesy move since he was the so-called guest for the afternoon. Link had to repeat himself that he hadn't played in over a decade since he was ten years old, and he barely remembered the rules.
"You can't move a pawn diagonally like that."
"Your bishop cannot jump over another piece, try again."
"Did you really just try to move a pawn backwards ?"
"I've told you four times already, your rook cannot jump any of your pieces, doesn't matter the direction."
It took a while before Link had properly refreshed himself on the rules, but almost an hour later, he was steadily playing a proper game against General Lance while making pleasant conversation.
But it was mostly the general leading the conversation in the way he wanted, rather than the other way. "Link, are you the kind to read in your spare time?"
"I wouldn't say it's a hobby of mine…" Link stated plainly. While he did have that bookshelf in his room with a wide variety of books, it was more of a random assortment of books he enjoyed that he decided to keep as decorations. Listening to Zelda read on the other hand…
Lance moved a pawn forward. "So that rumour I heard about your sudden interest in law isn't true then?"
Link's hand froze above his rook. He knows Zelda and I were looking into that. "Not really interested in that, sorry." He tried to push aside. "Too much memorising and papers for me to enjoy it."
"That's too bad." Lance clicked his tongue as Link moved the rook and took the opposing bishop. "Look at you, taking my bishop." the man leant forward and thought for a moment. "You said you weren't good."
"The rules are simple when you actually explain them." Link shot a glare at the general, who'd just thrown him straight into the game without refreshing him on the rules. So far, Link still had most of his stronger pieces, while the General still had most of his pawns but had somehow lost his two bishops, the two knights and a rook.
Link had lost a single bishop, three of his pawns and a rook, but seemed to be holding his ground steadily on the offence.
"We often use this game to gauge the intelligence of a player," Lance stated as if it was an unimportant comment as he pushed a pawn forward to capture another.
"You don't say, and how am I doing in your little test?"
"Who said I'm testing you?"
"Why else would I be in your office for almost four hours?" Link wasn't asking him. He wasn't that dumb, he knew exactly what the General was doing since he'd come in. The cryptic messages and the letter only solidified that in his mind. The General never sullied his hands with mundane matters, so why take an interest in him now? "Why don't you just tell me what you want me to do?"
"You're smarter than you look."
"Most people say that." It still hurts to hear though…
"You made me think you were nothing but a meathead."
"Good." The game was forgotten between the two. "So why not tell me now that we've established that I'm anything but that?"
"I owe you that much at least." The game was shifted to the side, with Lance digging into one of the drawers of his desk before dropping a book atop the hardwood desk.
Link inhaled sharply. The First edition of Bond Laws of Hyrule's Divine Line was sitting in front of him.
"This is for you." Lance smiled and pushed the copy towards the knight.
"Why?" Link wasn't about to accept the surprise gift horse without looking into it, not when it was perfectly presented to him on a silver platter.
"This is what you were looking for, yes?"
"Why are you giving this to me?"
"I'm trying to help a friend with his search."
"I didn't realise we were friends."
"Well of course we are." There was a glint in the General's eyes that Link didn't particularly like, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
The last time Link had actually talked to Lance was when he set hime and Zelda up together three months before. They hadn't spoken once since, nor did they ever really talk otherwise apart from a courteous nod
Something told Link he shouldn't trust this gift so readily, that he definitely shouldn't be accepting this offer of friendship or whatever Lance was calling it.
Link looked at the book and back to the General, who smiled back at him, almost innocent-like.
A book on bond laws with the royal family… He could only think of three or four people who knew he was bonded, even less knew it was to Zelda, though he could admit that guessing it was to the princess wasn't hard, he'd only ever had sex with two people, one of them being her.
But how Lance could have found out he was bonded , he wanted to know. He didn't spill that specific detail, but somehow the other man knew.. And how he knew he was researching laws and regulations surrounding it specifically, he also wanted to know,
How closely am I being watched?
Following the day Barnabus had found out by accident, he'd been extremely careful on who got to see it, so was he watching him that day? Did someone else mention it to him? Was Lance betting on the fact he might bond to the princess during his heat?
He decided that the gift had to be accepted with a very cautious air, if he even took it.
It was well known in the castle that the General was intelligent, after all, he was twenty-eight years old, an unprecedented young age for such a mature position in the castle that was non-hereditary, and he was in that role since Link had joined the Royal guard six years before.
There had to be an unspoken agreement that was following the acceptance of that book, he realised. But what that agreement was, he didn't know.
The information from those books was missing for a reason, so why does he have it so readily? Why is he so open to just giving it to me like this?
He debated refusing the book, but stopped himself. It still had the information he was looking for, more than enough of it, and there was likely no other copy he'd be able to readily find if he didn't accept this one.
"Is that what we are? Friends?"
"We could be if you'd like." General Lance's nails thrummed against the book casually, reminding Link that the piece of information he needed was right there within his grasp.
Only if you accept it.
"I also have an accompanying booklet for this one," He smiled. "But only if you're serious in this little search."
There's a second one. It was an ominously calm way to bring it up, and Link didn't like it one bit.
Zelda hadn't felt a pit like that in her stomach in a long time. She had a hard time swallowing the ball in her throat, one that wasn't her own.
Why was her heart beating like this? Why did it feel like she was taking an ice bath?
She knew it was seeping through her bond with Link but by the goddesses, was it ever potent today. She couldn't focus, instead she only tried to bring her breathing to a stable level.
Link was worried about something and it was bad. She couldn't recall when exactly the last time she'd felt something so strong was, but she couldn't name a single time.
It was causing her stomach to refuse the desire for tea, and she put her cup down with a sigh.
"Are you alright, Princess?" Dame Caya asked her, sensing some distress.
"I'm fine." Zelda tried to brush it aside, only for her stomach to twist painfully, threatening to throw her breakfast back up.
"Would you like me to order some ginger-lemon tea?"
Zelda took a deep breath to push down the sickening feeling in her stomach. That did sound nice, surely it would help her relax. "If you could, that would be wonderful." Zelda let her head sit in her hand, closing her eyes.
The brunette bowed and made off with the order, finding a maid sitting near the door and giving the orders. The guard didn't make her way back immediately, standing a ways away from Zelda to give her some much needed space.
What are you doing, Link? She heard through the other guards that he'd accidentally earned himself a three-day suspension due to what he'd done the night before, and she thought it was reasonable though he didn't deserve it one bit. All he had done was help her with her issue as she'd asked and it worked wonderfully.
She wondered if she'd still see him around the castle for the next three days, or if he'd still be walking around off-duty instead.
He might just go to his place in CastleTown. She had briefly forgotten about his small home in Castle Town, the one he had briefly mentioned at the clinic.
She tried another sip of her black tea to see if her stomach ache would go away, but it didn't seem to work too well, rather it made it worse.
She felt her oesophagus contract, and she instinctively reached for the trash, but paused to see if it would go back down. She hadn't vomited in a few days and she was proud of herself for the fact she was trying to eat more and succeeding in keeping the food inside her rather than out.
False alarm, thank goodness.
Maybe today she would be able to enjoy the sun and the beautiful day. No clouds in sight, the breeze was kept to a minimum, and it had just rained the night before, meaning the humidity was lower than usual.
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a stronger push had her retching forward and into the trash.
She didn't hear her guard drop her spear against the wall and rush over to hold her long hair out of the way, nor did she hear the soothing words and the backrub but she appreciated it nonetheless.
She hated the false sense of hope her stomach gave her constantly. Why did it have to do that?
You troublesome baby, she looked at her stomach, flat as usual. You just love to cause me trouble, don't you?