Power of the Triforce: Sequel to The Princess and Her Knight

XVI: Relax

Link stood in the bathroom of Hyrule castle, cursing and yelping with pain as he dug at his skin, trying to rip apart the figure forming on his arm with a knife. He cried out as he dug the knife deep into his flesh, blood dripping from his arm onto the floor. He clutched a cloth to his wound, his breath shaky.

"In 48 hours the poison will consume you" was all Link could think about. He looked at himself in the mirror, panting. Of all things to happen, he did not expect this. As he stared into the mirror, his eyes seemed to lose color. He shook his head violently and looked again. They resumed their normal shade. Certainly, he was losing his mind.

Link's mind was clouded with conflicting thoughts. Slowly, a viscous idea would ferment in his mind, attempting to slowly take Link captive. However, the hero would fight the thought, causing it to dissipate. Over and over again this happened... it drove him mad.

Link's sweat dripped from his face to the floor, mingling with the blood on the ground. Link fell back against the wall, his mind racing. This can't be happening, he thought. I should have known.

Link was no stranger to the sight of his own blood, but this particular scene made him nauseous. He sank over the counter.

He heard a faint voice.

"Don't give up, Link," the voice said softly. "Resist."

"Zelda?" Link gasped, standing up immediately. Surely it was her voice, he thought. His eyes flew all around the room, but she was not there.

"Resist," he repeated to himself quietly. Could he resist the poison? He wondered eagerly.

Link grasped the counter, intending to honor that wish just in case it was Zelda who spoke to him. He focused, breathed, began to fight the thoughts again...

Another voice.

"Master Link," a creepy voice said as someone opened the door behind him. Link jumped and drew his sword, whirring around to face the intruder. It was the old man.

"You!" Link snapped, reaching for the old man. He clutched the man's cloak and drug him inside, pinning his shoulders against the door.

"Please, let me go! I have not come to harm you, I swear it!" The old man pleaded with Link as he slowly released his grip.

"State your business," Link growled.

"Your arm, your highness," he responded, reaching a frail wrinkled hand to Link's wound.

"Don't touch me," Link said, swiping the man's hand away.

"Ah, so it is true. You have joined the Yiga clan."

"You know nothing," Link snarled.

"You have the emblem, I can see it."

Link looked down at his arm. The wound had begun to heal unbelievably quickly and he could make out the outline of the Yiga eye. His breath grew heavy.

"I cannot let you leave," Link said reluctantly, putting force against the door.

"Your Majesty," the old man cooed, "Do not fear that I should turn anyone against you. You did the right thing... You finally did something for yourself!"

"I didn't do this for myself," Link grunted, "I did it for my people!"

"Your people... No, Link, you made a choice that will benefit you. You will see. Why don't you relax a bit, Your Majesty, you seem tense."

"I will not listen to you," Link breathed out, "I don't even know who you are... Tell me your name... please."

"My name and who I am are two entirely different things," the man chuckled. 

"This... this is your fault!" Link panted, gripping his arm. "You sent me there, you put these ideas in my head!"

"Relax, Your Majesty," the man said, placing his hand on Link's shoulders. "Relax..."

Link involuntarily obeyed, his mind slowly giving in. He slowed his breathing and allowed his mind to take over. With his eyes closed, a grin slowly curled at his mouth.

"Good," the old man said quietly. 

Link opened his eyes which had lost their blue luster. The old man smiled at him before they heard a knock at the door. Link turned to the door, but when returned his gaze to the old man, he had vanished.

"Link?" A quiet voice came from outside the door. It was Evangeline. 

Link cracked the door, peering out. He didn't want her to notice the blood on the floor.

"I was wondering if that was you in there," she chuckled, her hand on her belly. "You had me worried when you did not return... come on, won't you step out of the bathroom Link?"

Link slipped around the door, clutching the cloth to his forearm.

"You look... different," she said calmly before noticing the blood-stained rag. "What happened?"

"I, uh, fell on my sword," Link responded. "It was quite the spectacle."

She laughed. Link watched her as she stood on her toes, whispering in his ear.

"I loved the flowers," she purred. "Won't you come to bed with me, darling?"

Link was not himself... His mind was clouded and his judgment was foreign. In a way unlike his own, he nodded and followed Evangeline through the hallway. She caressed his hand with her thumb as she lead him to their bed chambers. They entered the room and Evangeline locked the door behind them.