Zelda's dress had seemed more or less fine in the confinement of her bedroom, Link loved it even. But now that they were about to go to a public ball in it, he suddenly had reservations about the shimmering gown. It hugged her curves well, but he hadn't noticed which ones in particular until he caught a guard ogling her very briefly. Link's eyes caught the guard's and he quickly looked away, but it was enough of a raised flag in his mind.
He took her to the side before heading into the room and took a second overview of the dress outside of the eyes of the guards.
"I haven't noticed until now," Link looked at the Sanctum door where the guests were waiting to see the princess. "But your breasts…they're a bit…"
"Trying to escape my dress?" Zelda raised a brow and briefly looked down. It cupped her breasts and seemed to almost lift them.
Three months ago, that would have meant nothing. She never had very much in that area but since she'd gotten pregnant? There was definitely something to look at now.
He nods. "What was going through the seamstress' mind? It's a gorgeous dress," he quickly catches himself. "But by the goddesses… it looks ready to give…"
"Well, it better not, you tied it yourself," she whispered, shooting him a secretive glance. "I blame you." Her eyes shifted down and then away as fast as it came.
Please do. He was entirely at fault for her large breasts and he would do it again in a heartbeat.
"I just hope I don't need to protect you too much from handsy men," he commented closer to her ear. "I've already noticed a few unsavoury glances." He looked away and back at her, unwittingly at her very accentuated cleavage jumping into his face. "And something tells me they will be relentless tonight."
Her breasts were not the only victims of the dress. Her waist had visually lost some of its curve. Her stomach was by no means round, but he worried that any of the more predatory ladies would note that she was gaining in areas of interest.
She must know that they're standing very close when she came even closer and touched the sash across his chest. "Well, I trust you know how to protect what's yours." She shoots a secretive wink before leaving him and heading towards the door. She looked at him expectantly and held her hand out for him to join her to be announced in.
...
When the large doors opened, revealing the two to the large, overly crowded ballroom, Link took his words back immediately.
This was a terrible idea.
His hands felt as if he'd dipped them in the sink before walking in, his collar was suddenly tight and he wondered if he was sweating a bit too much.
What if they found out about the baby? Zelda's breasts were really obvious—no thanks to the seamstress—and he worried about the glamour magic covering her new bond mark. Purah was reliable, but in terms of magic? Yikes.
Zelda's hand was in his elbow, holding onto him softly as the crowd bowed to the Princess. She looked like the pinnacle of grace, years of mastering a perfect, almost floating walk had her light on her feet. Her gown flowed around her, sleeves long, shoulders bare and her dress incredibly low-cut with jewels draping across her shoulders and tying to the necklace he'd gifted her for her birthday.
That seamstress was going to get it from him personally for making her boobs the attention-grabber.
He wasn't used to feeling nervous, and here he was, trying not to focus too hard on the boulder forming in his stomach. That was coming from Zelda via the bond and he was acutely aware of it by the way she was starting to smell of fear next to him.
Holding that kind of appearance was something Link would always admire in Zelda. The ability to smile and wave and pretend everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. She still didn't know how to properly mask her the way she felt with her scenting, it was the biggest reason he, Purah and Impa lathered her so much in the damn cream.
It was a skill most learned in their teen years where everyone was going through those awkward stages of puberty, which only conflicted with Zelda's late presentation and now pregnancy. She was still trying to learn the basics of that skill.
He escorted her to sit next to her father, King Rhoam, who was similarly dressed in some of his best clothes, his crown freshly polished and glimmering in the bright lights of the room.
She sat on the throne adjacent to her father's. "Please stand nearby." She squeezed his hand briefly and he understood.
"Yes, Princess." He let go of her hand and stood off a few paces away, but close enough should she need something. Briefly through his peripherals, he could see the crinkling of Rhoam's eyes as he eyes his daughter up and down.
Rhoam didn't like what he saw, but he said nothing, instead faking a smile and turning back to the crowd.
It was hard for Link to look anywhere else, the seamstress really was a devilish woman.
At first glance, her dress was gorgeous, it was blue, almost strapless if not for the sparkly chains that held it up across her chest. There's no way the other women hadn't noticed it. If he thought it was too obvious, then they would pick up on it before he could even think about it.
He just hoped the cream did its job and Purah's glamour would hold properly or else everyone is going to find out very quickly that they'd bonded.
The King stepped up to the dais and began his speech, but Link wasn't listening to a single word he was saying. His eyes were on the crowd who were watching them.
Link barely caught the words he was saying, but he could hear "Sacred powers", "my daughter," and then excitement from the crowd of nobles. As much as he wanted to show his displeasure for the decision, he kept a cold expression. He didn't think Rhoam would jump to telling everyone that she was getting breakthroughs in her power.
That… That wasn't something Link would have done.
He glanced at Zelda through his peripherals and could see her tensing up in her throne. He could feel the stress settling into his stomach. Was it his or hers, he really couldn't tell this time.
Link just hoped that no one would ask for a demonstration. God, the excuses he'd have to come up with.
Maybe he could just say that she shouldn't be using her powers when there isn't danger? She's unpracticed, wouldn't it be dangerous? Her powers will only show when there's danger present? Yes, that could work. Maybe he can say they saw a Lynel on their return and Zelda's powers appeared out of nowhere.
Oh, he might get in trouble for taking the Crown Heir anywhere near a Lynel… Maybe he shouldn't say that one…
He looked for Impa and Purah in the room and spotted them to the side. The two sisters were watching them impatiently from their spot.
Were they expecting disaster to hit? They had uncertainty written clearly across their faces and Purah was unsubtly chewing on her nails.
Fantastic. Just… great. This was going to be a long night.
...
The King's speech lasted six minutes and twenty three seconds—Link counted—until they were able to leave the dais and dance.
And as per tradition, he and Zelda opened the celebration by being the first pair on the floor.
The crowd parted to allow the pair through to the centre of the room. Link could feel most of the eyes on them, but most were on Zelda. He just prayed that she wouldn't let it get to her.
They took their place in the middle and waited for the first sounds of the piano and violins before falling into their rehearsed steps.
Link's eyes were focused entirely on Zelda, his ears ignoring the murmurs and words from the crowd. It was working, his nerves were slowly disintegrating.
He could feel his pulse slow down from its thundering beats moments before as he led Zelda into the overly formal dance. He could feel the swaying of her thick skirts against his leg as he stepped forward, her synced step back, their slow turns.
"See? Everything is fine. You're a fine dancer." Zelda winked his way, trying to build his confidence. "Just relax your shoulders," she advised, squeezing his hand.
Faintly smiling, he did as he was told, attempting to relax his shoulders to look less stiff. He wasn't exactly a dancer, by any means. This was an entirely different kind of footwork from swordplay, and a rather dull stiff one too. The only thing he had to remember was to not step on the Princess' toes or any of his dance partners'.
He did feel guilty for Zelda, her hand was clasped in his sweaty one and he wasn't the most social person. Dancing was a social activity after all, but he felt as if he was more like a machine at the moment.
He felt her hand squeeze his once more. Looking up from where his eyes had drifted away, he found sparkles in her eyes, happiness etched into her lips and face.
Maybe this isn't so bad… Link smiled faintly, but genuinely for what he wondered was probably the first time that night. "This is… ok." Zelda's smile went ear-to-ear after hearing his words.
"See? It isn't so bad, now twirl me." He did so immediately, smoothly bringing his arm up and twirling her, with her hands coming back to rest on his shoulder gracefully, her hair flowing out around her just as her skirts had.
While he wasn't focusing on the crowd itself, he could hear faint claps and happy chatting, so he continued dancing around her, feeling less tension in his limbs. He could see Zelda's approval in her eyes as the music reached its final chorus.
In no time at all, it was finally over and they left to go mingle.
...
The first person she found was Lady Urbosa, dressed in a festive blue.
With one last check, Link excused himself to grab them drinks while she talked with the Gerudo Chief.
They fell into easy conversation, forgoing most casual pleasantries and basic questions Zelda might ask to any of the nobility.
It was nice being able to leave the strictness behind with a friend. They could talk about topics deemed less proper.
Like how Link was almost being manhandled by other court alphas at this very moment.
"My, it seems your knight is ever-so popular again," Urbosa humorously commented
Zelda smiled and bit the inside of her lip. "It seems he's stolen one of my suitors," she laughed quietly.
Link—poor Link—was being accosted by her old suitor, Lord Anton–whom they unaffectionately nicknamed the anti-botanist. She wasn't sure what had changed since her birthday, but the man had seemingly lost interest in her and his attention shifted to Link.
"I had no idea Hyrulean men were so open about same-designation attraction," Urbosa commented, planting a hand on her hip and following Link and Lord Anton with an amused gleam in her emerald eyes.
They watched as Link seemed to fidget and look for an opening to escape, but her ex-suitor seemed determined to talk with him.
Maybe Lord Anton thought the fidgeting was nerves.
Link lost the flute of champagne from his hands rather smoothly, Lord Anton smiling and slipping it out of his hands and onto a nearby servants' silver platter.
"Is this what it looks like from the outside?" Zelda asked, getting a feeling her bonded was about to get pulled into a dance.
"It's quite similar, yes."
They both snickered as he was unceremoniously pulled to the dancefloor and roped into the next dance, all while his eyes scanned the crowd for them.
"Enjoy sweaty hands, my lord," Zelda snickered behind her hand.
He seemed to give up on getting himself out of the situation all while Lord Anton seemed like he'd struck gold.
The last time Zelda's seen such glee was years ago when her cousin was first a debutante and a Baron thought he had a chance with the daughter of a Duke.
"Oh look, he got twirled!" Urbosa pointed stealthily as Link was spun with the coldest expression they've seen on him in a while. Because Link was so much smaller than most of the alphas around him, he was almost always defaulted to the women's position in dance, meaning he almost never led.
The dance lasted longer than they thought, but the image of Link glowering and stuck in small talk the entire time would never leave her memory.
And when he thought it was finally over, a different man sauntered over and asked for the next dance.
Zelda and Urbosa tried to stifle their laughter at the look of annoyance and hidden frustration. It seemed that whatever Link told the man, he simply wasn't taking a no for an answer.
Link was about to be pulled in for the next dance until a familiar face butt in and took him instead.
"Three men in one night, have I missed something?" Urbosa asked, baffled by the male attention Link was pulling. She waved her fan casually and watched as Link's entire demeanour changed from indignant to happier and relieved even. "Who might this one be? He's familiar."
Zelda looked over a nearby noble's shoulder to get a closer look. She recognised the darker hair and eyes. "Oh that's his friend! He's one of the Royal guard captains." Zelda answered with a smile. She could never remember this fellow's name but she did remember the fact that he was directly related to one of the councilmen.
"Well Link doesn't seem to mind being twirled by this one."
And he wasn't bothered one bit it seemed. He even put a bit more expression and flair into the dance instead of his cold robotic step-by-step. Suddenly, the thought of Link in a ballgown didn't seem too far from reality.
It was certainly a spectacle, the way the two men moved with such enthusiasm. It was odd in Zelda's eyes, he never moved like that, but as Urbosa had once told her, men are sometimes odd in their friendships, almost a mystery sometimes.
They quit the dance early in a fit of hidden giggles and whispers.
Having learned his lesson, Link kept his head down and moved quickly, avoiding anyone who seemed to walk in his direction until he finally made it back to Zelda and Urbosa.
"Well you seemed to be having a grand time out there," Urbosa teased the knight as he returned to their side.
He sent a momentary glare her way before shaking his head. "I just wanted to grab us a drink," he muttered dejectedly.
Not only had he failed spectacularly, but he'd been pulled into two dances and still didn't have the drinks.
"It's alright, I'll ask Impa to fetch me one.," She smiled and tried to comfort him the best she could.
Urbosa looked between the two and to a servant who walked by with a platter of drinks. "Why not simply take one?" She grabbed two flutes of champagne and offered them to the two.
She didn't miss the way the two shared a somewhat nervous glimpse. It was gone just as fast as it had appeared as the two each grabbed a flute and thanked her.
Link downed his quicker than was appropriate while Zelda simply lifted it to her lips so lightly, Urbosa could have sworn she hadn't actually drank any.
When Link finally met the surprised stare of the older woman, he awkwardly put the empty flute back on a passing platter. "I uh… need it more than she does," he said.
"I see that. Do try not to get drunk tonight, I know how low your tolerance is at times."
Link gasped dramatically. "My tolerance? Low? Never," he responded back.
"Goodness, Sir Link. Was that a joke?"
The glance he shot her told her not to push it, but Urbosa laughed nonetheless.
She counted the number of dances that had taken place and looked at the time on the grandfather clock. "Go dance you two, the night's nearly over." If she didn't shoo them now, they might not go out there for the rest of the night, considering she could see Link thinking about drinking the champagne in Zelda's hands.
She plucked the flute from Zelda's hands and sent the two towards the floor with a nod of her head.
The two kept sharing glances every so often, why not give them a little push?
...
They waited until the dance finished before leading out to the floor while other couples joined them around the dance area.
"Princess, I have a request," Link whispered to her, cautious of the packed ballroom and gossipy nobles around them.
"Go on, dearest knight," She coyly smiled and fanned herself.
He took her hand into his, still remaining professional in the way he held it before him, but it was the way his eyes took her in that had her smiling. "I'd like to dance with you, not as a knight but as your," his voice grew quieter but she knew what he wanted to say.
Lover. Bonded. Future husband. Hers.
Separated by a professional distance between them when they danced, he wanted to close that gap in front of everyone despite their secrecy. He wanted to show everyone he was happy to be hers.
"I don't expect anything less, Link." She let the fan hang from her wrist as she took his hand and let herself be led onto the dancefloor.
He started by pulling her close—closer than any of the other couples—and she gasped in a mocking way.
"Devious man," She teased as the music started. Their steps were close together, one mishap and they'd probably fall into each other, no doubt there, but he seemed to be confident in the way he kept her against him.
She couldn't stop thinking about their proximity
The other couples who danced had their hands in respectable places such as the shoulder or around that area, but not Link.
One hand held hers gently, but the other? It was practically near her spine, his arm was so far around her, he might as well be hugging her in public.
A huge social faux-pas, and she was allowing it in front of everyone.
"Link, they're staring." She glanced around the room as he led her around the couples.
He smiled. "Let them, they're just jealous they can't do this." He proceeded to pull her even closer than before to the point her breasts brushed up against his chest on certain turns. She didn't think it was possible to be closer but she was wrong.
What's another scandal on top of everything else? Maybe if they got lucky, it'd dispel the current rumour and the court would simply see it as him warding off her suitors.
This close though? Goddess they might as well have screamed it to every noble that they were sleeping together.
The more he led her around the dance circle, the more her mind wandered.
Beneath her fingers, his coat was taut against his shoulders and biceps. The more she tried to push away the thoughts, the stronger they stayed. Before she could even realise it, she was mentally undressing him and wishing they were anywhere else.
Maybe imagining him shirtless and looming over her in bed wasn't the best idea at the moment.
As if reading her mind, he somehow pulled her even closer and shot her one of the hungriest glances she's ever seen out of him.
"Maybe after this, we can excuse ourselves early," he whispered next to her ear.
YES. She happily let herself be a slave to her own desires. Their proximity only served to stoke the rapidly building heat between her legs.
She wanted to grab his collar and tug him into her, she suddenly craved his touch on her skin. It invaded her mind immediately, the desire to throw herself at him, the need to have his lips on her throat and his hands in her dress.
It wouldn't be bad to leave the ball now. They could do like they did on her birthday and leave early. The idea of Link whisking her away from the ball to her room where he would hike up her skirt and take her in the dress was so tempting.
She could already feel it, the way he would bend her over and take her from behind, shove her face down into the sheets, knot her and fill her up just right to make sure she'd feel it the next morning.
She felt a strong pinch in her hand pulled her from her day dream and she looked up at Link, who seemed a bit concerned. "Zelda you're in public," he reminded her very quietly, his eyes darting around them anxiously. "Control yourself."
She immediately released the grip her hands had suddenly taken on his jacket and took a breath. She'd been gripping his jacket and clenching it in her hand so tightly, she was sure he knew exactly what was on her mind. She was pressed against him, midway from actually throwing herself into his arms.
It was like a bucket of ice water was thrown over her. Her eyes darted around them and she was immediately relieved that no one had been paying them too much attention. She forced herself to take a step back with an awkward cough.
"I-I think I need to get out of here for a bit." She whispered quietly.
He snorted quietly. "I think so too. I think we need to reapply that cream again."
She gulped nervously at the thought that anyone might be able to know that she was one dirty thought away from jumping Link in the middle of the ball. "Probably for the best." She nodded and focused on finishing the dance in a semi-dignified manner.
As short lived as their sudden happiness Was, it was whisked away just as quickly as it had manifested.
...
It wasn't the sudden gasps in the crowd, nor was it the screams at the other end of the room that pulled his attention first. It was the sudden shouts coming from Impa and the sight of her hand pointing to the ceiling. From Link's angle, he could clearly see Impa's hand stretch out upward, causing Link to look up.
Unsheathing the sword was instant, three metal clangs echoing through the room as he shoved the Princess behind him.
"You're kidding me," he muttered quietly. Way to kill anything that was happening tonight…
His eyes were glued to the man who watched him attentively, somehow hanging from a panel above them. The upside-down eye of the Sheikah and the bright reds of the Yiga stood out against the gold and stone of the castle.
"Fast…" Link heard the man as he put his hand back to his side from its extended position. The man had thrown three kunai and Link had only barely deflected the blades from hitting Zelda dead-on.
Shuffling erupted around the room, guards coming to surround the Princess from all sides, likewise to the King at the moment as the other stray guards pushed the crowds back to safety.
Link took note of the two blades sitting on the Yiga's belt, noticing that he carried more weapons than the average Yiga blademaster.
"Search the perimeter for more!"
"Protect the King!"
"Protect the Princess!"
He heard many shouts around the room, orders being barked left and right although his focus was solely on the woman behind him and the man on the ceiling.
He quickly took a step back as the man leapt from the ceiling, landing with confidence. Link readied his sword as the man stood up.
He was huge, Link realised. Burly and ridiculously tall, there was no way this one was a regular footman.
Next to him, a cloud of red smoke materialised and a much… smaller man with an identical mask but much closer to his own height materialised out of thin air. A protruding belly and a loud obnoxious voice resounded clearly through the hall.
"You've got some nerve… Ignoring us like you have!"
He was less intimidating, but Link was sure he was hardly going to be easy foe either. Yiga, after all, were proficient in assassination and magic, being big wasn't necessary in such a field.
Ignoring you…? He was confused, but kept his blade ready.
"Master Kohga, they don't know where the hideout is." The burly man knelt down and mumbled. The stumpier one of the two looked up, probably shocked, Link imagined.
"Really?!" The man threw a pose, finger pointed straight at Link's face. "No matter! I am the one," He stuck his hands together and pointed to the sky. "The only!" he then struck another pose, as if readying himself for defence.
"Master Kohga!"
The room stayed quiet for a short moment, a flurry of laughs erupting through the room as dozens of red smoke clouds appeared.
The crowd soon split, the King, flanked with royal guards around him approached. "What is your purpose here, Master Kohga of the Yiga? You are not welcome here."
Master Kohga gasped loudly, a hand coming to sit dramatically on his chest. "Not welcome? Not welcome?" His volume increased. "I come bearing fantastic news for you and this is how you treat me?"
News? Link wondered what kind of news it was and who it was supposed to be directed at. He heavily doubted if this news was going to be fantastic but he did admit he was quite curious to hear.
"Master Kohga has come to congratulate the royal couple."
Royal couple? Link felt his blood run cold. Their relationship was far from public, and he gulped inaudibly. Congratulate? If he wasn't being watched by almost 100 people, he'd have jumped forward and lunged straight for the man's throat.
"Congratulations for what purpose? My daughter is not courting anyone at the moment." Link silently prayed for the King and everyone in the room to go deaf, or just to shut up.
"That's impossible!" The obnoxious man almost shouted. "Sooga! I think he lied to us!"
"No, the Seer did not lie. Not according to our intelligence." 'Sooga' confirmed their information. "Their hero and the Princess are indeed affiliated in such a manner."
Everyone's about to find out and I'm very much a dead man… Link kept his expression neutral, praying it wouldn't crack. He felt every man, woman and child's eyes on him at that very moment.
"I… think you are mistaken…" The King glanced back at Link briefly before turning back to the Yiga. "I would be most happy if you would tell us what these congratulations are truly for?"
Now it sounded as if the King was messing with Link on purpose, trying to pull every piece, every word of information he possibly could. Link could just tell that the King was slowly piecing everything together. He would vehemently deny if the Yiga mentioned anything; their joint activities that happened those weeks before, pregnancy, bonding, their current involvement passed curfew, none of it could come to light.
Just act confused. Master Kohga is already suspicious.
"Well why doesn't he just tell everyone? He's the one who did it!" The leader of the Yiga clan motioned to his direction.
Oh you're dead.
"What did I do?" he muttered, inflecting his voice just enough to sound confused.
Almost immediately, he felt the stare of both the Clan Leader and his acquaintance on him. He could tell they were studying his reaction, even if they were hidden behind their masks.
Just fake it… a few more seconds is all you need… he repeated to himself as the two approached his face to study him closely.
Just as Link felt his face start heating up from the glances of the entire room along with the two before him, they turned to each other as if to communicate telepathically, only to turn back to him for one more moment.
"I think he doesn't know," the leader muttered. "He really doesn't."
"Do not fall for their games," A smooth, yet diabolical voice resounded throughout the ballroom. "I am well aware of the golden connection binding them."
The man stepped out from behind the Yiga wearing the darkest purple robes, dark lines of exhaustion were etched into his face. But the thing that drew everyone's attention wasn't his unique garments, it was the glowing magenta orb in his hands and it smelled horrendous. It reminded him very much of the day he, Zelda, and Impa had gotten stuck in the Sealed Temple with the dozens of guardians trying to kill them.
"Link." He felt Zelda's hand come and press against his elbow. "Link, that's the man. He activated the guardians against us. He was at the temple."
"You're sure of this?"
"Not a single doubt."
Two long months had passed, but if she remained certain of this person, it was good enough for him. It was all he needed to know to level the sword at the mysterious intruder.
The stranger didn't seem phased by the sacred blade. At least the Yiga backed away and recalculated their moves, this man only smirked. He was confident against the Master Sword… Link knew immediately he had to watch him carefully; either the man was dumb to think he was stronger, or he legitimately was and he knew it.
"My, it would seem you've both been having a merry time," he smiled ominously. The orb floated in his hand rather than sit in it, and it glowed a dangerously magenta colour. "I see you care for the heir and your Queen."
He stood his guard despite the words that bounced around the air. He knew about the baby. He knew about the 'golden connection' which was probably just fancy talk for the bond.
This one… He couldn't be allowed to leave.
Link's grip tightened on the sword. "W-what did he say?" Zelda whispered in shock behind him.
He was vaguely aware of a ripple of confusion spreading through the nobility, ignoring the whispers in favour of staring down the stranger. The more he was allowed to speak, the worse the things he could reveal.
"Zelda," he whispered behind him. Damn the courtesy and the formalities right now. "Without leaving my side, can you locate Arn? My father? Impa?" he asked quietly without taking his eyes off the man before him.
He heard a whimper come from her lips. "I-I don't think so." He could feel her warmth come closer to his back. Just how surrounded were they?
"How many Yiga clansmen are around us?"
"A-a few." He could hear her trembling. She shouldn't be trembling. He didn't want to hear her trembling.
"Where?"
"F-four to the left," she gulped loudly, turning on her heel. "Five to the right, three behind."
Twelve around them, including the bastard in front of him with the mysterious orb. That was too many. He was hoping for less. He looked at the ground behind him, and he could see Zelda directly behind him.
"Move two steps to the left and one back." He instructed her quietly.
She didn't question his orders, simply doing so and giving him the space. He didn't want her moving too far out of reach, but there was only one way to clear a path to get her out.
He took a deep breath and focused on the man before him with the glowing orb. Visualising a focused strike, Link quickly lept backwards and watched his surroundings slow down as he'd done several times before in sparring and combat against monsters.
The man seemed to know what he was doing, quickly throwing a hand up and summoning a see-through barrier around him.
Link instead struck down the Yiga clansmen to his left, ruthlessly striking around their drawn blade and into their stomach, and moved around the circle surrounding them. He took note that it seemed almost as if it lasted much longer than usual, but he did not question it.
He continued to strike them down until time returned to its state. The next Yiga before him parried his blow and the remaining live ones lept to action and moved to defend the man with the orb.
Link instantly retook his position in front of Zelda as numerous royal guards pulled through the crowd to circle them to keep the Yiga away.
"You've gained power, swordsman." the man ominously told him through the barrier of clansmen before him. "But are you a match against your fellow Champions?" He asked as the orb started levitation.
Link readied himself for an attack unsure of what the contraption would do as it began to glow. He was acutely aware of everyone's positions around the room, they were all eyes on the mystery man at the moment.
Two bright balls of purple magic shot out from the glass and shot out towards the champions, passing through the attacks of Princess Mipha and Lord Daruk and phasing through them and vanishing.
"What was that?" Zelda asked quietly behind him. He could feel her hand gripping his jacket nervously. "What did he do?"
Link looked around as did everyone else, until he heard guards struggling across the room.
It was brief, but Link saw it.
The small agile form of Princess Mipha attacking and dodging the counters of the royal guards. It was distorted by the magenta glow, its eyes bright red and releasing a terrible smoke with it. It seemed to land physical blows, but physical attacks passed right through her form as though they were attacking mist.
If that's Mipha, then there's a-
A scream echoed from the other side of the hall and it was much clearer. Daruk's lookalike towered above Hylians and the famed Boulder Breaker was also glowing the same way Mipha had.
"I do hope you'll enjoy my parting gift," A Yiga clansman put his hand on the man's shoulder and vanished away in that irritating cloud of smoke.
One by one, he began to see the clouds of smoke around the room. They were vanishing. They couldn't escape now, not after the chaos they'd just caused.
The Sheikah activated wards earlier… Link knew they wouldn't be able to get off the castle grounds using this ability.
They could vanish in smoke, but the wards would only let them leave if they physically crossed the thresholds where it was done.
They couldn't know where the boundaries was. They'd have to leave on foot.
The sword buzzed in his hands and the blue light emanated straight from the blade.
He trusted the guards and the other champions to take care of those monstrosities.
"The Yiga are still here, block the exits!" he shouts.
Impa quickly joins his and Zelda's side, shielding the princess behind her as the guards stay alert and dispersed around the room and in the exits.
Bringing up the sword and holding it level to the ground, he slowly turned to point it in various directions, testing for the glow of the blade. Pointing to the entrance, it glowed brightest, humming powerfully in his ears.
Immediately, he sheathed the sword and broke into a run, quickly followed by Urbosa behind him. As he passed the threshold, he was tossed a shield by a Royal guard while he dashed out of the crowded ballroom.
"Find the Yiga, detain or kill them if you find them. Do not pursue unless you know you can catch them," he muttered just loud enough for the Gerudo chief to hear him.
"Don't need to mention it twice," she muttered back, dashing down a separate hall towards the front of the castle.
He reached the courtyard in a matter of minutes, shield on his back and sword at the ready as he scanned the dark courtyard. The sword was still humming loudly in his ears, and he knew he was going in the right direction.
Unsheathing the sword once more, it doesn't take him long to locate two of the Yigas in the far end of the courtyard.
He repeated the process from the ballroom, flipping backwards and imagining himself dodging an attack. His surroundings slowed down and he made a run for the two Yiga footmen at the end of the courtyard, forcing the slowed time to extend itself as he had earlier.
The blood of the first Yiga was instantaneous, there were no punches pulled from Link.
Tonight was supposed to be stress-free, but they had really interrupted the ball, declared them joint together and announced a baby for the world to hear.
They were going to get the full force of the blade tonight for reasons that they were annoyances.
The second Yiga quickly falls afterwards as time returns to its regular flow around him, and he immediately catches an unfamiliar scent in the wind from above him. He barely has enough time to react as dual blades come crashing down from above.
Link stumbled back due to the weight on his blade and managed to push the much bigger man away, readying himself for a fight.
Sooga, he remembered. He was a pain in the ass. Link never fared well against dual-wielders and that was certainly true right now.
Blades clashed into blades repetitively, sparks flying in every direction.
He had to use his shield, parrying and slice at every possible occasion.
He was given no opportunity to dodge properly, his focus was in too many places at once.
Where's Lady Urbosa? He struggled to look around for the Gerudo Chief as the flurry of slashes came his way
"Your efforts will be futile, Hero," the man spoke through his mask as he sent a powerful attack his way, one that sent Link back into the ground despite using his shield to deflect.
He looked at Sooga, who was sheathing the two blade and taking a different stance.
Link remembered it being similar to a Blademaster's technique, one that caused a tremor in the ground.
That's going to hurt. He threw himself off the ground using his blade and waited until the dusty glow was beneath him before jumping back at the moment of impact.
As time slowed down around him once more, he noticed a weird static feeling in his arms. As he raced towards Sooga, still frozen in place, it was out of his peripheral vision when he saw it.
His blade was coming down onto Sooga's dual katanas when he saw Lady Urbosa in the distance, hand high in the air.
No, I'm too close, it's going to catch me too.
He internally cursed when he started feeling the tingles around him, the hair on his body started to rise and the heat skyrocketed around him.
The swords made contact.
He screamed and everything went dark.
...
When he finally opens his eyes, Urbosa is leaning over him, worried and incredibly apologetic. His body is tenser than it's ever been and he struggled to regain control of his body, small currents of electricity clearly still flow through his system.
"My sincerest apologies." She apologised. Two guards come running into view from his peripherals, equally as worried if not more so than Urbosa. "Please believe me, I didn't mean to catch you in the blast."
He tries to speak but finds he requires a bit more effort. "I believe you." He mutters out as he tries to squeeze his fingers to regain control of some of his body.
It really was quite the shock, the sword had absorbed the lightning when it had come into contact with the katana and he'd essentially conducted the blast.
Where's Zelda? He forced his arms to lift him into a sitting position with a grunt. "Where's Princess Zelda?" He asked, still struggling a bit to get the words. He wondered what that might feel like through the bond.
The bond.
"Wait!" He tried to stand all of a sudden and found that the shock reverberated through his body immediately. "Is she ok?"
Goddess, she must've felt the shock. I'm so sorry Zelda. Guilt struck him immediately at the thought that she might have felt the blast through their bond.
"Her Royal Highness is in perfect condition!" One of the guards reassured him. "She collapsed in the ballroom shortly after you left and she's been taken to the infirmary by Captain Arn and another gentleman, Sir!"
Fainted!? She'd been having headaches, and he knew she was complaining but he hoped she didn't faint because of him. Who was the other gentleman? Was it his father? He was relieved to know Arn was there to protect Zelda, he always honoured his promises.
"There is something I should warn you about, Sir." The other guard spoke up hesitantly. "The noblemen… they're in uproar."
Fantastic.
"Go on," He took Urbosa's outstretched hand and slowly got to his feet. "What's going on?"
The guards looked between each other and back to Urbosa before glancing back his way. "It's about what was said earlier. We know you denied it earlier, but people are talking about the—erm… heir and the Queen business." the guard quieted his voice.
Oh no. They know. Everyone is going to know. He wanted more time to get used to the idea that she was pregnant, more time to adjust to the news and find a way to peacefully break the news, but since the news was out now, he couldn't do very much about it.
He kept quiet, instead glancing for his blade.
It sat next to him, untouched, and glowing an eerie silver-blue colour. Along the blade, he could see remnants of electricity, and he hesitated to touch it.
He stared for a moment, trying to decide if he was about to re-electrocute himself by grasping it again.
His better judgement told him not to, but a voice in his head reassured him.
He gulped and grabbed the blade hesitantly, expecting a shock, but found it vibrated with energy.
Just swing it, rang a familiar voice in his mind.
He heaved himself to his feet and held the blade before him. The guards and Urbosa watched quietly as he looked at it in confusion.
Swing it, the voice said again.
He took a breath and lifted it high, ignoring the small shocks in his body and he brought it down.
The sword threw a blast of lightning in the distance, discharging it powerfully towards a bush and accidentally lighting it on fire.
What the fuck? He didn't realise the blade could be used as a pseudo-lightning rod.
As he sheathed the blade, he found himself terribly off-balance and practically fell into Urbosa's outstretched arms.
Getting blasted by lightning was the last thing he wanted to repeat if this is what happened every time.
"You'll be sore for a while." She apologised again and held him up properly.
"Don't apologise, I was in the way." He muttered back.
"Link," she looked at him expectantly. "Can I know? Is it true?" Urbosa asked, hoisting him to his feet solidly.
"It's true," he bit out. There was no use lying now. It'd make him look worse if he lied now that the words were out. Like he was denying the child was his. The idea made his stomach churn.
"You best prepare yourself for a storm then," Urbosa warned him. She turned to the two guards. "Keep this between you until it becomes public knowledge."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Now let's help get the hero back to the castle." One of the guards gave his staff to the other guard and hurried to help by lifting Link's arm around his shoulder to help him.
By the time he returned to the castle, the council had regrouped along with clearly angry nobles—mostly single alpha men—and Link doesn't need to wonder why they're here.
Not a "thank you", not a single "are you alright?" Or anything else in sight. The noblemen were far too angry and simply jumped straight into the accusations.
"He is obviously after the throne!" A nobleman shouts indignantly towards Link. Link recognises the man as the Duke of Akkala, one of Rhoam's closer acquaintances. "The Princess has yet to present for longer than six months and she is already pregnant by this-this-"
"This what, Your Grace?" Lady Impa took a step forward to attempt to diffuse the tension.
"This bastard! This conniving, usurping bastard!" he shouted angrily. "The moment Her Royal Highness showed her true nature, he swoops in and takes her for himself without a single hesitation! The motives of an unhonourable coward!"
The words made Link want to laugh. He wants to laugh loudly enough for the entire castle to hear. If only the Duke knew the events of that day and how Link had to struggle against Zelda for the first time in his life, the woman was so overtaken by lust that Link had been worried for himself.
Link wished he was faster than Zelda was.
If there's anyone who should be blamed for any of this, it's Rhoam and his inability to listen to his advisors. He wasn't going to say that out loud, there was far too much outrage in the room already to ignite that cartfull of gunpowder kegs.
"Is there anything else you wanted to add, Your Grace?" he asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Perhaps a sly fox? Opportunistic maybe?"
The Duke and some of the other nobles spluttered. "See how he doesn't deny these accusations? Our beloved Hero is but a Snake!"
First I'm a conniving, usurping bastard, then a coward and now I'm a snake? They need to make up their minds about who I am.
"You dare say such-" Impa takes a step forward, ready to unleash all of her many court frustrations until Link puts his hand on her shoulder.
"Lady Impa, let the Duke finish. I'd love to hear the rest." He turned to the Duke with the most polite smile he could muster at the moment. "Your Grace, why does it bother you so much who Princess Zelda spends her time with? Were you hoping to court her yourself?"
A few nobles looked at the Duke, who stuttered for a moment.
"I'm very well aware of the three ladies you are already courting despite having two wives already. Were you planning on adding Her Royal Highness to your list as well?"
"I think it would only be fair to allow the other alphas of the court a chance, wouldn't you say that is fair, Sir Link?" An earl he didn't recognise stepped forward, choosing diplomacy rather than direct insults. "I think this to be the best course of action to find the Princess the best suitor possible."
"Then why don't you ask Her Royal Highness what she thinks of this?" he asked him. "I recall a list of suitors slimming itself down substantially in my absence, and I have imposed myself nowhere my duty wouldn't allow, so what is stopping you from trying for her hand?"
"Sir Link, even you know when buying a horse, you don't talk to the horse, you talk to the seller!" An Earl stated nonchalantly, as if it was obvious.
I was wondering when that might come out… I owe Barns twenty rupees.
Link knew if he hadn't just been electrocuted, fought multiple battles and wasn't exhausted beyond measure, the Earl would be six feet under and unrecognisable beyond measure.
One of the other nobles interrupted before he could say anything. "Well there are official channels-"
"Yet you chose none of them, Earl Dominic. Please sit down and do not discuss a subject that does not relate to you," the Duke of Akkala claimed.
Link watched them continue to pester each other regarding who had actually gone through the proper channels and who claimed to have tried for her hand via attempting to manifest it by visualisation and positive self-affirmations.
Link got an idea.
"So, seeing as you all still want to attempt for the Princess' hand knowing she is pregnant, which one of you fine gentlemen would like to raise my child in my stead?" he asked, trying to keep a grin down.
The bafflement, shock and indignant looks almost broke him.
"How dare you-"
"Such insolence!"
He would have loved the entertainment of watching Zelda tear the poor men apart for even suggesting she take an abortive medicine, but he also didn't want to be responsible for instigating a bloodbath.
He pushed down the urge to belly-laugh and looked at the crowd of appalled men. "Well, seeing as that was a clear no, I wish you gentlemen good luck in courting Princess Zelda." Quiet snickering broke through at the last moment and Link decided that now would be the best time to take his leave from the 'meeting'.
On his way out, he didn't miss the way Arn was wheezing quietly in the corner of the room, well hidden by the King's imposing frame.
Other guards seemed to be trying to decide whether to laugh or be shocked at the reveal, but the best view was the nobles glaring at him in so many emotions, he couldn't name them all, but the collective affrontement would forever be ingrained in his memory.
Coming out of the council room, Link instructed one of the guards to help him get to the infirmary while Impa dealt with the remaining crisis the nobles has spun themselves into.
He needed to go check on Zelda immediately. Hearing that she had fainted after he left and that he'd been given a lifetime dose of Urbosa's fury, the two couldn't be a good mix.
He was barely out of the hall when he heard hurried tapping against the floor.
"Going to see the Princess?" He heard Purah ask from behind.
He nodded and continued down the hall quietly. "Nothing too bad happened?"
She shook her head. "A bit of a scuffle with those… imitations, but no one got hurt."
"Nothing touched the Princess?"
"Impa would rather die than let those bastards touch her."
"Thank her for me please."
They continued for a bit until they reached the hospital wing.
"Did you notice how they continued to badger you even after the 'horse and seller' thing but they never once looked at His Majesty?" Purah asked him quietly so as to not be heard by the people inside the room.
"I think Rhoam noticed too." Link looked at the guard helping him. "You heard none of this conversation, Sir Balar."
"What conversation, Sir?"