Chapter 24: A Thought
Link and Zelda both looked to each other then back to Sabbah.
"What?" they said in unison.
"Lake is on fire. Like I say" came the irritated reply.
Zelda walked up the collapsed rubble. It had formed a natural slope up to the island. Link followed after her.
The scene was unreal. The island itself remained as it had when they first breached it. But in the dark skies, torrents of flame rolled across the surface of the entire lake. Clouds of acrid smoke rose from patches of water as the algae on the surface was destroyed.
The entire valley was lit by bright orange light. Link stood dumbfounded.
The scene of the lake would have been tranquil normally. They both stood, wordlessly watching over the lake for a while as the sun rose, safe but wondering how something like this could have happened.
"I never once thought I'd see a lake of fire in my life…" he said quietly.
"Nor did I. Not the most surprising thing I have seen, but certainly one of the more notable" Zelda replied.
Link smirked. Any other person walking by could probably start a religion if they gathered enough people to a burning lake. For him and Zelda though, they had fought a giant horrific spider creature buried in the peak of a mountain. Link had also fought through more unusual things in his earlier days. He recalled the fight he had with Zant and how he had shifted reality itself in a bid to confuse him.
Then he recalled Midna once more. An inter-dimensional woman cursed with the form of an imp who was also a princess that wore nothing but a strange helmet.
"What is it?" Zelda asked, hearing Link laugh to himself.
"Nothing important. I was just thinking about how strange some of our experiences would be if you just summarised them. For instance, we killed a giant spider creature that lived inside a mountain whose diet was thousands of goats whilst guarding a piece of a golden triangle"
Zelda blinked and looked in to the distance. A smile broke out on her face too, eliciting a quiet laugh. Her eyes remained on the horizon, the smile lingering but her expression softening
"Sometimes I wonder what others would make of our stories. Heroes, maybe. Or fools, chasing after something..."
They both stood watching a while longer, entranced by the fires. Eventually, Zelda started moving back.
"We should check on the others," she said after a pause, her gaze lingering on the distant flames. "We've been gone too long."
Link nodded, breaking his trance. "Let's go." Together, they turned from the burning lake and made their way back down.
Both Link and Zelda checked if the others were alright. After which, Zelda asked Sabbah about what had happened, knowing she spoke bluntly and honestly.
Sabbah and the soldiers all detailed the battle as it had unfolded.
The Zora had attacked in vast numbers, but they all attacked the same way, with trident thrusts and uncoordinated movements. They had been relentless but that had made it easier to trip them or disarm them.
Commander Williams had taken Zelda's orders to heart and had everyone attempt non-lethal attacks. Though the fighting was relentless, some twenty Zora had been killed, whilst the Hylian soldiers had lost twelve and the Gerudo women had suffered a single loss.
The Zora had gradually become even less coordinated as the battle wore on. They began to drift apart or change their targets with the effect becoming worse over time. The soldiers had been knocking the Zora unconscious after learning that their chins were weak to blunt attacks.
The battle itself had lasted for around two hours by Sabbah's estimate. Then, without warning, all of the attacking Zora fell to the floor and were twitching. Link recalled sinking the Master sword in to the brain of the Kraken. It must have happened then. He looked over his shoulder, just to be safe.
"...then Williams tell us to help wounded. Those who were not? Given crates of rope. They restrain the Zora" Sabbah explained. "After, we worry about you both, so I took men to find you."
She exhaled. Recounting all of the details had taken some effort. No matter how capable of a warrior she was, Link knew she would be worn out after such a long battle.
"Twenty Zora...twelve of our own and one of the Gerudo too…" Zelda said quietly. Her eyes grew listless for a moment and her lips pursed.
Link felt a familiar tightness in his chest. One death would have been too much. Now more families on all sides would be in mourning. Still, life was for the living. They had to try and make things better whilst they could.
Zelda confirmed the details with the soldiers who had volunteered to come and find them both.
"I will address everyone in due time. For now though, I wish to thank all of you for what you have done today. You have my gratitude, and I will see to it that you will have paid leave when we return to Castle Town" she explained. There wasn't much enthusiasm from her.
The soldiers were all exhausted too, but that was enough to bring wide smiles to their faces
"Fire doesn't burn forever. As far as I know anyway. Did any of you see what happened to make the lake catch fire?" Link asked, hoping to find out how long they would have to wait on the island.
One of the soldiers piped up. "I saw something. Soon after the Zora fell, the surface of the lake...well it started to look shinier. It also smelled of oil, right before it all ignited anyway. Gave half of us a heart attack" he explained. "No idea where it came from though"
"Thanks. Princess? We should probably figure out how to organise all of this since we're going to be here for a while. The Zora, the soldiers, what to do next and so on" Link suggested.
Zelda, to his surprise, didn't say anything but walked up the rubble path alone. Her strides were louder somehow.
Link looked on, confused. He looked to Sabbah, her own eyebrows raised as much as the other soldiers were. Sabbah shrugged and sat down, drinking from a canteen.
Wondering if she was alright, he followed after her up the ramp. On the surface, she stood with an arm crooked against her hip, her fist tightened in to a ball. She rubbed her sunken head with the other.
"Zelda? Are you alright?" Link asked carefully.
"No" came her sharp reply.
Link felt worried. He wasn't sure if he had said something to upset her or if there was something else going on. He didn't like how his stomach felt like it was twisting in tension again. He wanted to get to the bottom of what was upsetting her, deal with any issues before they became worse.
"What did I do?" he asked earnestly.
Zelda turned on the spot. Her eyes were narrow, all kindness and patience gone from her.
"Nothing. You just suggested even more work for me to do"
"What?" he replied, at a loss. "You mean when I said we needed to talk about what to do next?"
"I have to now mediate with Prince Ralis about why Hylian soldiers, and myself, killed some fifty or a hundred Zora"
She was an inch from shouting.
"Then, I have to prepare letters of condolence to some thirty Hylian families."
She raised her hands to her head, as if to support it
"Then the state funeral, I will need to prepare a speech that assures each family their loved ones died as heroes"
Now she was shouting.
"After that, our relationship with the Gerudo? We've barely broken bread with them and now they are dying as well!?"
She started pacing back and forth. Link was worried now. He hadn't meant to upset her at all.
"Then having to…"
"Zelda, wait!" he interjected, drawing a furious look from her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to add more work on to you. I just wanted to try and help."
She narrowed her eyes again.
"Help?! You wanted to help me by suggesting even more to do? Good intentions are just that, Link. Nothing practical." she said lividly. "If you really wanted to help, then go and tell the soldiers families that we are all very sorry their loved ones are dead and it won't happen again."
Something snapped inside him as his own voice started rising. He felt like he had to defend himself.
"I didn't want anyone dead today! Of course I didn't. This is what happens to soldiers sometimes!" he retorted.
"And this is fine? We should just accept that people dying is part of their job?" she snapped back
"No! I didn't…"
Zelda cut him off.
"No matter the reasons, you are not the one who has to preside over their combined funerals and apologise to their lovers, mothers and children!"
"Zelda! I…" he tried to interject again
"Just how many broken families have you had to see? How many people have you had to apologise to, instead wishing you could get on your knees and beg for their forgiveness?"
"None, but…" he tried to respond.
"Exactly! None! I am the one who does that, for every single soldier!" she snapped
Link's heart flared with anger. He shouted straight back to her.
"Enough! For the love of the goddesses, enough! Who on this world said that you had to do any of that?" he snapped back. Seizing the initiative, he pressed on.
"You're your own worst enemy. Thinking that you have to take on everything yourself because you're princess. You know what amazing and magical power comes with a position like that? Delegation!" he shouted back at her, looking her in the eyes.
"But no, instead of trusting anyone to help you, you'd rather do it yourself because it 'what a princess should do'. Stop being such a damn martyr! Look at what it's doing to you!"
Zelda almost snarled in response.
"How dare you?! You think I take on these responsibilities because I feel I have to? I do it because inflicting that on someone else wouldn't make it better. It'd make two people feel exactly as miserable!" she countered, seething.
"So what? Just carry on alone then? A problem shared is a problem halved. For someone who owns the Triforce of wisdom, I would have thought you'd know that. But no, better to keep suffering alone, right?" he shot back.
"And for the owner of the Triforce of courage, you pick the wrong fights. You know nothing of what being royalty actually means. Keep your useless opinion to yourself"
Link was furious. After all he was doing to try and help, she had a counter for everything and wouldn't even listen. The fire still burning on the lake may as well have been in him.
"This is how you act to the people who try their hardest to help you?! Go fuck yourself"
The second the words left his mouth, he felt a torrent of regret inside him. His heart, full of fury no more than a second ago, was still now. He stood there, horrified at himself.
The world around him unfocused as realisation kicked in. How could he have said something so horrible to her, after everything she had done for him, no more than an hour ago.
She stood there, all of her anger gone too. Now, her shoulders slumped as shock set on her. She stood breathlessly, her mouth open and her eyes wide. She trembled for a split second.
Link felt like vile. How could he have been so brutal to her, he wondered. He had no idea he could be like that to her. He couldn't summon the courage to open his mouth.
"I…" he stammered, unable to form more words. He didn't feel worthy of speaking.
He couldn't leave things like this. The combination of feeling like he needed to say something, but feeling like he didn't deserve to, left him with the most profound sense of helplessness he had ever felt.
"I...don't…" he stammered again, unable to summon the courage.
She couldn't bear to hear him any more. She turned around and walked behind a tree to get herself some privacy, hiding from the world.
With no idea of what to do with himself, he walked slowly back down the ramp. The soldiers faces were tense. Sabbah, for the first time Link could recall, looked mortified. Link realised they had heard every single word that he and Zelda had said. They were only a short distance away after all.
He felt nothing for them. He had overheard arguments before and felt awkward, but now he just needed to sit down.
To his relief, nobody spoke or asked him anything as he sat in the darkest corner he could.
The time passed in utter silence. Sabbah took the initiative and went up to see Zelda. Link couldn't hear anything. Even if he could, they would probably be speaking in the Gerudo tongue.
The soldiers didn't speak at all, or even look at him. He knew they would want to be out of here as soon as possible. Silence continued as Sabbah remained with Zelda. Some time later, Sabbah returned.
"Fire is out. We swim back to shore" she said plainly, before disappearing again.
The soldiers practically ran up the slope. Link took a deep breath. He couldn't avoid Zelda, or any of the others. So he stood up and made his way to the shore.
By the time he got there, he was alone as everyone had already jumped in to the lake and started swimming back to the shore.
The lake had blackened algae scattered over its surface. Though the shore was some distance away, he could make out the bodies of the Zora all lined up neatly as the figures of soldiers moved from one to the other.
He looked in to the water. In his mind saw the wall of Zora trying to kill him once more, as his stomach twisted in to anxiety again.
He took a moment to steel himself, taking deep and laboured breaths. He kept telling himself he would be fine, though he felt like he was lying to himself.
Ignoring his fears, he ran and dove in to the water. He still had the Zora armour on, making the temperature bearable and it was easier to swim with it at least.
As the water surrounded him, his body tensed as he swam. He looked over each shoulder with each stroke, ensuring that nothing was coming from behind him.
The water smelled horrible. The combination of charcoal and algae mixed and made him want to retch as he broke though clusters of burned remains. As soon as he reached the shore, he relaxed a little more. He didn't look back at the lake once as he pressed on, hoping to find Karlsman, the Gerudo or even Commander Williams.
As he walked, he got a better view of the scene. The entire shoreline was torn with muddy footprints and battle damage. Pools of blood were scattered around and drying. Rows upon rows of Zora lay on the floor, their hands and feet tied with rope. Soldiers moved up and down the rows trying to catalogue how many there were.
They did not look furious any more, just blank and empty. The growths Link had seen on them had since fallen off. He overheard some soldiers as he walked back to the camp on the cliff.
"What are those...things? Looks like a small cabbage" one said.
"Of course you'd think something was food, you greedy bastard" remarked another
"Oh yeah, I forgot dry rations were a better meal. Would you like some water with your stale bread, live large?" he replied as the two laughed.
Link didn't feel much like smiling. But he was curious enough to perk his ears up as he walked.
"Well those doctors...Villesna and the other one? They reckon they're something called 'receptors'. Something to do with how the parasites in their heads talk to one another. Or something." the other one shrugged.
Link left the two alone, he walked back up the slope to the camp.
He passed a pile of bodies, laid out with sheets covering them. The battle dead. It looked as if they were all being taken to the state funeral Zelda had shouted about.
Looking on, he felt worse. He was thinking about how she would have to bear the sorrow of so many people. He still wished she could learn to hand off jobs to other people. But he didn't envy anyone who did it.
Several mourners, Gerudo and Hylian alike stood together, weeping for their fallen friends or holding one another. Nobody would judge them here.
Link carried on up the hill, eventually reaching the entrance. Zelda and the other soldiers had since wandered in to the camp and gone their separate ways. Soldiers passing him greeted him enthusiastically as they ran about with their duties. He managed a forced smile for them, giving half hearted responses as he went by.
The camp was a flurry of activity. Soldiers carrying crates here and there, Gerudo flitting about and some senior army staff in discussion. None of those mattered, he would probably find out what they were doing later. He wanted to see Prince Ralis. Of all people, what happened with him next would be vital, if he was even alive after his surgery.
He made his way to the tent where the doctors had been. Weaving between people, he tried to reorient himself and recall where it had been. With so many people around him, claustrophobia was setting in, making his stomach tense again. He stepped to the side in to a small gap and try to relax.
Several people looked over, wondering what he was doing but they moved on quickly enough.
As he collected himself, Zelda walked right past him in a deep discussion with someone. She didn't notice him, but he noticed how focused she looked. Trying to tackle her work as quickly as possible, he thought. It felt strange having her be so close again after they had shouted at each other. It felt even stranger to not go with her.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, he made his way to the two doctors. A moment later, he opened the flap.
The two doctors stood over Prince Ralis, who was laid out on a table. Zelda stood next to them. She looked to Link and back to Ralis in a second.
He should have expected something like that. It didn't sting any less though. He had tokeep his composure here, he told himself.
"Hello again. How did the surgery fare for him?" Link asked to the room.
Zelda looked to the doctors as they shared a look to each other.
"We did it!" beamed Dr Villesna.
"It wasn't as hard as we were thinking. All we had to do was open the skull and then shine a bright light on to the parasite. It disintegrated as the other one had. We have kept him medically sedated for the time being" Dr Wenbream explained.
"Wouldn't want him waking up to that kind of pain, especially with the conflict happening."
Link felt a small pang of relief. Having Prince Ralis alive would make things easier, so he hoped anyway.
"Do you need me to heal him?" Zelda asked flatly.
Link noted how much she had changed in an hour. Her soft voice was colder now and much more pointed. The doctors didn't seem to mind at least.
"Yes please, your majesty" Dr Villesna said with a slight bow.
Without waiting, she moved to the back of the table and began to whisper her healing magics. The golden glow around her hand even seemed less vibrant.
As she moved her hand over his head, nobody dared to take a breath. She carefully weaved around his head for a moment. In almost an instant, the spell stopped.
"It is done. Can you wake him?" she asked
Dr Wenbream raised an eyebrow but didn't dare challenge the princess. Link didn't want to either.
"It would be ideal if he could rest more, but if your need is urgent then I can rouse him" Dr Villesna said.
"Do it"
Link wasn't sure whether to be impressed with her being more assertive or worried at how unlike herself she seemed.
Dr Villesna raised his eyebrow now too, but then injected something in to Prince Ralis' arm.
"This will take a few moments. Whilst we wait, please could I ask what happened? We've not been on the front line but…"
"Wait until Prince Ralis wakes. I do not want to explain it twice."
"...Yes, your majesty" replied Dr Villesna, taken aback.
He and Dr Wenbream looked to Link, wondering how the normally diplomatic Zelda had turned this cold. Link shook his head in response.
The four of them then sat in silence for a while. The two doctors sensed the tension in the room and busied themselves with tidying their equipment away and cleaning up. Link and Zelda however merely sat and waited, not saying a word to each other. He kept her in the periphery of his vision, but she barely moved a muscle the entire time they were there.
He imagined she must be mentally preparing what she would say to Ralis when he woke. He wondered if he should offer any input, deciding he would see how things went instead.
To his relief, Prince Ralis began to stir a moment later. Whatever drug the doctors had given him finally taking effect.
He slowly opened his eyes, blinking away his weariness. Slowly, he propped himself up.
He saw Dr Villesna first.
"Who...are you?" he said in a stupor.
"Prince Ralis, I am Dr Villesna. I serve the Hylian crown. Are you feeling alright?" he asked in his most professional voice.
"I feel…drained…" he managed to eke out. "Where are we?"
He gazed around the room. By Links estimate, the last thing Ralis might recall would have been being back in Zora's domain. It would likely have been confusing at best to find himself somewhere else.
"We are at Lake Hylia, Prince Ralis. Significant events have occurred these past few days." Zelda said as she stood up, moving over to face him.
"Princess...Zelda. It is good to see you again." He murmured with a gentle smile. "Is Link here too?" he asked innocently.
He stood and walked to his side. "I am your majesty. It's good to see you" He said, with an earnest smile. Poor Ralis had been under a lot of pressure as Zelda was. But he was younger too.
Ralis broke in to a wide smile seeing him and reached his hand up to Link. He grasped his hand in return, touched by the gesture. Both of them smiled to each other. In the corner of his vision, he could swear he saw the corner of Zelda's mouth flick in to a brief smile, only to disappear in the same instant.
"Please could I have a drink of water?" Ralis asked.
Dr Wenbream had a decanter prepared and poured him a cup. Dr Villesna sat him up and propped him on to a pillow.
He drank and in an instant looked refreshed. Water seemed to affect the Zora differently.
"Thank you both. Now, please will someone tell me what has been going on? The last thing I remember is falling asleep in my chambers. To learn I'm suddenly at Lake Hylia? It's confusing at best." he asked to the room
"Everyone, leave the room. I will speak to Prince Ralis myself" Zelda said.
Everyone turned to look at her, Link too. This was unusual at best. Before anyone could question her, Ralis spoke.
"I would like Link to be here too, princess." he asked politely, but firmly.
"Very well" Zelda replied flatly.
Link nodded to the two doctors who left the room without so much as a 'thank you' for their work from Zelda. Link put his hand on Dr Villesna's shoulder before they left.
"Things would likely have been a lot worse without you both. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart" he said to them sincerely.
Smiling widely, they both nodded to him and left. Link hadn't even turned around before Zelda started her explaining things. He moved to sit next to Ralis as the long explanation began.
Briefly, but with detail where it was needed, Zelda told the whole story. From when they noticed Rayla acting strange back in Zora's domain to the disappearance of all of them the next day. She also mentioned the strange film they had both seen on the river. She allowed a moment for Ralis to ask any questions, but he didn't. He seemed to want all of the information first. Link felt respect for him. He would make a wise ruler with an attitude like that.
Zelda continued, explaining that she and Link had returned to Castle Town to send out soldiers to find out where the Zora had gone, but that their instincts told them to go to Lake Hylia.
She paused again, letting the prince process what she was saying. He nodded silently after a moment. Link looked to Zelda this time but she was as plain as a stone. Whatever she was feeling at the minute, she didn't want to share.
She carried on, explaining their detour to Ordon Village to meet with the Zora. Thankfully, she didn't detail the horror Link had inflicted on Ghirahim or even his involvement. She mentioned that they had met the Gerudo 'through circumstance' and had negotiated a tenuous peace as they became travelling companions.
Ralis furrowed his brow at this and finally spoke a question.
"If you knew that my people were missing and were already en route, why take the detour at all?" he wondered.
This time, Link stepped in to explain.
"My apologies Prince Ralis. It is a long story. I promise that if you wish to hear it, then I will tell you all of it later. It was enough of a crisis that it compelled me to go there first. For now though, it would be best if we focused on what happened to the Zora. If that is alright of course?" he explained.
Ralis appreciated being told facts as much as Link did. He offered a small smile and a nod as he turned to listen to Zelda again. Link had noticed her expression soften a little, but only for a moment before she began again.
She continued the story, of them travelling in tow with the Gerudo to Lake Hylia. How they had joined the camp she had sent out ahead of time. She didn't take a breath of any pause as she described the first attack by the Zora, where a solider had been instantly killed with a trident.
She detailed the attack and how more Zora appeared from the Lake as the Hylians and Gerudo formed a defence.
Then, how the Zora appeared to lose all interest in the battle and returned in to the Lake.
Prince Ralis couldn't hide the horror from his features. Mouth agape, he blinked a few time as he tried to process the events.
"My people...attacked you?" he said quietly, unable to conceive why this would have happened. "Why? What on earth happened?"
Link spoke up, trying to take some of the burden.
"None of us knew at the time. We had barely enough time to react and organise a defence." he explained calmly. "By the time the first attack finished, we collected our dead and moved our camp to a more defensible position, the one we are in right now."
"It is as he says. However…" Zelda replied as she continued the story.
She explained how the two doctors had discovered the parasite in a fallen Zora and found how bright lights overwhelmed them and destroyed them. Then, how a second attack came after a day of labouring in moving the camp and building a wall to funnel any attackers.
Link explained how he and the doctors had built a flashbomb to overwhelm any Zora riddled with a parasite. Also, how after using it on the attackers, Link had found Prince Ralis among the stunned Zora.
Another pause came up. Ralis looked exactly as horrified as he first had. He couldn't think of anything to ask.
She continued, explaining everything. Eventually, she got to where she and Link both went to the lakebed temple. This time, Link would have to explain what happened, being the only one who knew what happened in the depths.
Taking a deep breath, he explained as best as he could. From donning his Zora armour, swimming down to the inky black depths with lights and then the lights fading.
Explaining it kept it at the forefront of his mind, making it impossible to not recall the faces of all the snarling Zora as a single bomb illuminated all of them at once.
"Oh no...Link…" Ralis said, believing every word he said. He knew exactly how horrifying what he saw would have been.
Zelda remained stoic. But she was staring in to space, as if either trying to forget it or being completely unable to. He didn't feel it would have been wise to press her about it now.
"It's alright Ralis." he said, then he thought for a moment. "Well, no it isn't actually. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it. But it's already done and over with. I'll just never go back there" he suggested with a shrug.
He finished his portion of the story, explaining how he had fought a kraken in a narrow tunnel. He also explained how he realised the giant paddles it was latched to were what powered the entire temple, so he knew he had to kill it. He left out everything afterwards, including how the Kraken had severed his arm and how he had wept after Zelda had healed him.
Zelda's shoulders slumped slightly, as did her head. She hadn't asked him what he had actually faced in the depths. Ralis didn't notice, but Link did.
No matter what horrors he had faced, it had been her who had cared for him and that was the other part he would never forget.
The whole story hadn't taken too long to explain, but going over the details was exhausting. Reliving each experience made him realise the scope of everything they had been through together. Then he had sworn at her in a moment of anger. How he wished he could manipulate the flow of time and relive that moment differently.
No such power existed though, he would have to find some way to close the gap he had made between them.
Ralis sat there, utterly dumbfounded. Both Link and Zelda said nothing, giving him time to process what had happened. Though he continued to remain quiet.
"Prince Ralis" Link said. The young Zora looked up to him. "I have no idea why any of this happened in the first place. Thankfully, the threat is over now. We can begin to heal. We felt we owed it to you, to explain everything that happened so you had a complete picture of what happened."
"I never expected anything as insane as this to happen in my life…" Ralis lamented.
"There are dead on both sides of this, your majesty. I regret that this happened." Zelda said flatly.
The lack of empathy from her was strange. Normally she would have been far more composed, especially in front of the young prince.
"Where are my people now?" he asked nervously.
"They have been restrained outside. They are no longer hostile, but we felt it necessary in case their parasites made them attack again." Zelda explained.
Ralis looked thoughtful for a moment.
"It sounds like you fought what we call a 'Deep One'" he said. "If memory serves, they are a large squid with a transparent body, to help it hunt prey in the deep oceans. They release swarms of parasites that when they latch on to their prey, makes them swim straight to it for...an easy meal."
He shuddered at the notion of his people willingly giving themselves as food to the Kraken.
"But why one would be in the Lakes depths… I have no idea…" he said quietly.
"Well, thankfully it's dead now. With any luck, those parasites will either die off or at least relinquish their control of the Zora." Link suggested optimistically.
"Yes, without the Deep One there to control them, they die off quite quickly." Ralis added. "From what I have been told about them, they begin to disintegrate after the master dies. Though what that feels like, I am unsure"
He looked concerned, the prospect of his people suffering more was weighing on him.
"I thank you both for what you have done. You have saved our entire race by the sound of it."Ralis said earnestly. "Though the deaths on both sides are a nightmare for those involved, it likely would have been far worse without your intervention."
"How will you address you people? They will likely want answers at least" Zelda asked bluntly.
Link turned to face her. No matter how she was feeling, being that blunt with the young prince was not her. He opened his mouth to try and counter, but Ralis was the first to speak.
"I don't think I should tell them the full details, it may cause mass panic. But I will be selective in what I tell them. That were forced against our will to harm Hylians and Gerudo, but both of you put a stop to it." he surmised.
Link felt proud of him. He hadn't missed a beat or let himself feel stung by Zelda's cold and focused manner. He had also, without knowing, stopped Link from intervening again. Possibly making things worse.
"You're a fine Prince, Ralis." Link said honestly as Ralis smiled. The grim reality of what had happened made it short lived.
"How are you feeling now? Do you need any food or more water?" he asked, hoping to get out of the room. Zelda's cold attitude was grating on him a little now.
"Yes please, for both."
"Then I'll be back in a minute" he replied, nodding to him.
He excused himself and went to find some food and drink for Ralis. As he walked, he tried to shake of the feeling of irritation. He didn't want to lash out at Zelda as he had earlier, but from a diplomatic point of view, her attitude would cause her more problems eventually.
Still, she wasn't being cruel or insulting at least. She had focused on the key issues and had managed to explain everything clearly. He supposed this was just her way of dealing with a lot of her work.
After asking around, he found a plate of cheese and vegetables from nearby officers who were eager to help. He found a decanter of fresh water too and helped himself. He loaded up a tray and walked back to the tent. He realised that all he would need now would be a fine suit and he could have been a butler.
Smiling a little, he changed his posture to be as dignified as possible and carried the tray on one hand. He took a strip of clean cloth and folded over his other arm, now held against his waist. He had no mirror, but he knew the illusion was complete.
Stepping back in to the tent, he held his head high and spoke in as polite a manner as he could.
"Your meal, your excellency" he said as he made every effort he could to sell the illusion.
Ralis smiled widely. Zelda's blank appearance even softened slightly. Link placed the tray beside him and stood straight.
"Shall there be anything else, sir?"
The act amused him, he was finding it difficult to not smile. Ralis too.
"No thank you...'Eustace'. You are relieved for the evening" he replied with the elegant sounding butler name.
Link rasped a little as he barely suppressed a laugh. The corner of Zelda's lips began to curve in to a smile, ever so slightly.
"Very good, sir" he said, bowing. Then he sat down.
The mood lightened finally. Though Zelda still didn't speak, it was a welcome relief considering everything they had discussed.
Ralis ate and drank quickly, the meal revitalising him. Zelda busied herself with some papers as Link checked over his equipment. He was still wearing the Zora armour. Out of the water, its fabric clinged to his body tightly as it insulated him. He was starting to get too warm, so he resolved to go and get changed after he had finished here.
As Ralis finished his meal, he looked to them both.
"Thank you once again. But now, we should probably discuss what to do about my people"
Refocused and refreshed, he and Zelda talked for a while about what they should do. Eventually, they decided on freeing several Zora whilst Ralis would be there with them, to help calm the Zora if they needed it.
He assured both Link and Zelda that on a parasites death, it induced lethargy in its victims. It looked as if it was a final act that would still make any affected creature easy to hunt.
Links fear of deep water grew further after hearing that.
Eventually, Ralis felt ready to face the Zora. Though he had been afflicted with a parasite, he still had control of his body. He, Link and Zelda all walked down towards the shore where there were some two hundred Zora all lined up. Link had explained there was a whole host of others in the depths.
Ralis had said they would be fine, Zora bodies wouldn't drown in water even if they were unconscious and that cold temperatures wouldn't harm them either.
Link took no comfort from that. They carried on towards the shore, walking on either side of the prince. He wondered how far Zelda was going to go to separate herself from him as time went on.
As they reached the shoreline, Ralis looked over all of the neatly lined up Zora. Some of them were beginning to recover. Hylian soldiers and some of the Gerudo were giving them water and food where they could. Apparently, Commander Williams had ordered food and fresh water barrels to be placed near them all. His foresight was paying off.
Before they reached the shore, a runner came to them from the main camp.
"Excuse me, Master Link?" he asked.
Everyone looked to him.
"Yes?"
"Commander Williams requests your presence immediately." he said quickly.
"Oh? Is something wrong?" he asked, feeling concerned.
"I don't know, sir. I was just asked to summon you."
Link let the surprise wash over him and looked between Zelda and Ralis. Zelda still remained stoic, to his frustration. Ralis managed to speak however.
"I do not mind Link. This will likely take some time as it is but I know what I must do" he said, eager to help.
"Alright. Send for me if either of you need me" he replied looking between them both once more, hoping to elicit some kind of response from her. He got nothing.
He waved to Ralis as he left. "Fare thee well, my lord"
Ralis smiled widely. "And you, Eustace!"
This time, he laughed as he headed back up the hill to the camp. He trusted Ralis, and Zelda, enough to handle explaining things to the now recovering Zora.
He still felt conflicted. He knew they had been under the control of a parasite and a Kraken, so they couldn't help what they had been doing. But neither could he forget the brutal killings. He remembered seeing a mans heart and lungs burst out of his back in pieces, the patrols who had died around the lake or those who had been killed in the shield walls. Then, there was the crystal clear memory of being encircled by hundred of them underwater.
As he walked, he looked over his shoulder to reassure himself. He did his best to not let his mind run wild with anxiety.
Eventually, he arrived back at the commanders tent. He hadn't seen Williams since he had gotten back, but strangely he felt relieved that he wasn't near Zelda at the moment.
"Commander?" he asked aloud by the entrance to the tent.
"Enter"
Stepping inside, he found Williams as his neatly organised desk, writing stacks of papers. This time, he looked up and took a break from his work.
"Welcome back, Link. I need you to debrief me on what happened in the Lakebed Temple."
At least Williams blunt nature was tied to his role in the army, Link thought.
He sat on a chair in front of his desk and took breath as he organised his thoughts. He told him everything that had transpired.
Even at the mention of the Kraken, Williams made no reaction but wrote quickly in to a journal.
He even added the detail of his arm being severed and later reattached by Zelda.
He ended the account, not telling him about the argument he had with her.
It had taken him around five minutes to explain it all. He felt fatigued once again. Reliving the events as he detailed them. He let out a long breath at the end of it.
Williams finished scrawling notes in to his book, then snapped it shut. He looked to Link, as plain faced as Zelda.
"Well, Link...I'd say you have been through a flavour of hell yet undiscovered."
He stood and turned. He brought two glasses and a bottle of expensive Hylian whiskey to the table. Link's eyes lit up at the sight. Telma stocked this one in her bar. She charged ten rupees for a single measure of it, but it was worth every single one.
Williams poured a generous measure in to both glasses and slid one to Link.
"That's not cheap" Link remarked, unable to believe his luck.
"That's because the cheaper ones are pure crap by comparison." he replied plainly. He raised his glass to Link and drinking it slowly.
Link drank his too, and the flavours danced on his tongue. Each of them warm and welcoming. He felt a tingle shoot up his back as he swallowed. He knew Sabbah would love this one. He reminded himself to buy a bottle for her at some point.
"It's like liquid gold" he said with a satisfied sigh.
"I didn't figure you to be the kind of man who would enjoy whisky, you know."
"Oh? What did you imagine my choice would have been?" Link asked, curious.
Williams looked at him for a moment.
"I would have imagined Wine. The drink of romantics" he replied.
Link hadn't expected that. His eyes went wide with surprise.
"You...think I'm a romantic? I'd never have seen myself like that"
"Here's the thing. People don't normally realise what they are" he said as he took another sip. "But you? I see how much you enjoy the company of women over men." he finished with an impish smile. Small, but noticeable.
Link blushed immediately, feeling almost naked from his sharp assessment.
"Uh...well...sure?" he stammered, having no idea how to reply.
Williams laughed. It was deep and measured, oddly soothing despite Link's own embarrassment.
"Nothing wrong with it at all. You do keep interesting company after all" he said gently, taking another sip. "The Gerudo women in particular have all been fantastic. I cannot find words enough to say how highly I think of them."
Link raised an eyebrow mid drink.
"They all fought with the strength of five of my own men. They lack discipline but their expertise saved many lives in the engagement by the shore." he said fondly.
Link felt a surge of pride in them. He knew how valuable they were, but as friends, they were wonderful too.
Then, Williams turned sombre.
"So. Despite spending so much time amongst women, would you mind telling me why our princess is now an entirely different person?"
He knew he would likely have to answer for this at some point. He swallowed his drink. He couldn't escape, not after the commander had been so welcoming to him. Although it was possible that this was his plan all along, Link thought.
"Because I told her to go fuck herself" he said quietly.
Whiskey burst from Williams' nose and mouth as he choked on it, coughing hard. Link would have laughed at the sight, but urgently kept himself in check.
A minute passed as Williams slowly recovered. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his face and eyes, taking a sip of water to soothe his throat. Then, he remained quiet for a few very long minutes. He looked straight at Link for the entire time, making him uncomfortable.
"I would like an explanation" he said coldly, all of his previous warmth gone.
Link felt like a child standing before his father after being caught setting something on fire.
Still, there was no backing out of it now. He told him about the argument, without clouding it with his own thoughts. How it had started with Zelda leaving suddenly, him following her and how quickly it had spiralled out of control. Then, how he had sworn at her. Saying it out loud made him feel far worse than he thought he would.
"Hm. You are both idiots it seems." he replied sternly.
"Both of us? I kind of thought it was just me" Link added.
"Your points were absolutely valid, Link. She does take on far too much for her own good. Her mother was exactly the same. You, however, are the more stupid one of the two of you."
Having him stare straight in to his eyes made it sting even more. He knew he regretted what he had said. It didn't make it easier to hear though.
"I know. Believe me, I know." he said, hanging his head slightly. "What do I do now though? I'd like to try and apologise to her, but she's been guarded ever since."
More than anything, he wanted to be able to speak to her again. He missed her company far more than he had realised.
"You will give her space. You will not dare speak to her until such a time as she feels as if she can talk to you again." Williams voice didn't rise, but it carried barely contained anger. "Then, if you are so lucky, you shall get on both your knees and grovel to her for forgiveness."
Williams stared hard, justified fury in his eyes.
"Get out" he said, pointing to the tent flap.
Link didn't need telling twice. He nodded quietly, unable to summon the courage to say anything. He left the tent, Williams staring in disappointment at him the whole time.
Standing outside, he felt raw. He couldn't leave things like this. The knot in his stomach twisted again, urging him to do something. Anything.
He had to focus, apologise to her immediately. Williams had been brutally honest with him and it had struck him with an intensity he hadn't ever known.
Several hours passed as Link wandered around the camp, trying to find Zelda again, but he couldn't see her anywhere.
Ralis was tending to the recovering Zora with the help of the Hylian soldiers. The remaining Gerudo were helping around the camp, doing what they could.
Link missed eating any food, too frantic to try and find her. Dusk eventually settled over the camp as torches were lit and more and more Zora appeared around the camp. Ralis was close to seeing all of them fully recovered. He would likely speak to them all soon.
Link now felt frustration. How could she have disappeared from the camp, he wondered. It wasn't a huge place, even with all of the people here. He couldn't believe he had spent hours looking for her.
Finally, as dusk turned to night, he finally saw her. She was as stoic as she had been before. She stood in front of several guards who were tasked with being sentries to her tent.
Approaching her now wouldn't have been any good, so he waited at a corner. He just barely managed to overhear what she was saying.
"I want to be alone. Move the guard further from my tent and let nobody through. Not even the goddesses themselves." she said coldly. Her eyes were devoid of their normal life and energy.
The perplexed guards didn't challenge her as they all saluted and moved the guard further forward, setting out at regular intervals to cover the entire approach to her tent.
She had set her tent on the highest part of the Cliffside. There was already ample space between hers and the next nearest one. It stood alone and isolated.
Determination spurred him on, he couldn't leave things like this. She didn't deserve what he had said to her. He had to try his best and apologise.
He waited patiently, idly drinking from his canteen as he observed the guards. They surrounded the tent at a considerable distance. Even if he somehow made it past them, he would be easy to spot in the open space running up to her tent.
He needed a distraction for the guards. As he looked about, he saw even more Zora around, supported by Hylian troops as they led them to water, food and blankets. There looked to be around seven of them to a single soldier as the camp was a flurry of activity at night. Prince Ralis came with some, looking exhausted. They needed help.
The idea formed faster than Link had anticipated. It was time, he had to begin.
Walking up to one of the sentries, he caught their attention.
"Good evening, Link. What can I do for you?" the polite guard asked.
"Evening. Are you able to help with the Zora? Prince Ralis and our own troops are overwhelmed with trying to assist all of them." he explained as calmly as he could.
"Ah. No, I have sentry duty tonight sir" he explained apologetically.
"I know, but look at it this way. The night will be far longer if we don't pitch in. Also, there is no threat to the princess. If you were to be punished for this, I'll explain that helping out with the Zora was the right decision. Two or three of you would be exactly what is needed."
The polite guard looked conflicted. He looked down the slope and observed what was happening. Link had told the truth after all. Helping this many of the Zora would take a lot of work.
"Alright...I'm putting myself at risk here but you're right. Can't imagine you'd want to hurt her majesty"
"Exactly" Link said plainly.
The guard took a deep breath and then left his post. He went to take two other guards with him who were easily persuaded against boring sentry duty.
The three men left to help. Link couldn't quite believe his luck, even if he felt dirty about it.
The gap in the sentry wall was now wide enough for him to slip through. Looking around, he timed his chance perfectly. The other sentries were all facing the other way, determined to do their work. None even noticed the three others had left their perimeter. He pushed the thoughts of their punishment to the back of his mind as he drew closer to Zelda's tent.
Finally, this was it. He would do everything in his power to apologise to her and try to help her out of her frame of mind. Spurred on, he crept closer to the tent, taking advantage of the dim light and walking as quietly as he could. Even the crunch of a single blade of grass could have been enough to alert someone.
Finally, the tent came closer. He was a few feet from the entrance. A tangible sense of excitement washed over him.
Then, he heard something from her tent. He couldn't place what it was, so he quietly closed the gap a little more.
Then, he heard it clearly. Zelda was crying.
It was suppressed, pitiful and weak. But unrelenting. The slight high pitch of her muffled cries were barely audible, as if she was crying in to a pillow.
Her short intakes of breath were strained, her cries were desperate and unrestrained even if she tried to muffle them. As she took a shaking breath, her crying slowed. And he heard her clearly now.
"Link…" she cried softly. Wounded, broken and longing.
He stood stock still as the last shreds of his heart fell to ruin.