|~Part Two~|
[Link]
Zelda was going to kill him.
"We're going to have to make this fast," Link raised his sword as several moblins charged him. "I can't keep a beautiful princess waiting."
The monsters continued their approach, not seeming to care that each second Link wasted here, his chances of getting scolded by Zelda increased.
"Ugh, you never can reason with moblins." Link took out the first monster with one decisive strike while raising his shield to block another's attack.
Link jumped back to give himself more room to maneuver. There were still three moblins he had to deal with. Monsters such as these had started springing up everywhere after the war had begun three years ago. Link was sure that they had something to do with the Triforce of Power awakening in Ganondorf. It was too much of a coincidence not to be a coincidence.
One brave moblin struck at Link and was quickly put out of his misery, but not before he ripped a chunk out of Link's green tunic.
"Oh no," Link assessed the damage to his attire. "Now Zelda's really going to kill me."
Zelda had just fixed his outfit and warned him not to ruin it again. It was his hero's outfit, after all. He couldn't travel around Hyrule, saving and helping people in his underwear. It was undistinguished—or at least that's what Zelda said.
Link made quick work of the last mobilns and then finally continued on his way. The sun was already setting, and there was no avoiding the inevitable—he was going to be late.
******
Link walked into The Wild Horse Inn and Tavern out of breath. Inside, a few groups of weary travelers sat at tables, either talking amongst themselves or quietly eating their food. A few locals sat at the bar, and one or two appeared to have already drunk one too many drinks.
Link sat at his usual table, fiddling with his outfit's belt. He had changed into his civilian clothes since his typical green tunic and hat drew too much attention. Link's adventures around Hyrule were quickly building him an honorable reputation while also painting a target on his back. Link finally fixed his belt and sighed; sometimes, tightening a belt was harder than fighting monsters.
A bowl of steaming, delicious stew and a spoon were slammed down on the table in front of him.
"You're late."
Link looked up at Zelda, trying to maintain a face of innocence. Over the past three years, her beauty had grown from a childhood sweetness to womanhood elegance. With her big, green eyes glaring at him and her dainty hands on her hips, Link couldn't help but snicker. It was comical to see her angry. It was like being scolded by an adorable kitten.
"I was saving Hyrule," Link said, drawing the stew closer to him to cover his grin—plus, he was starving.
Zelda huffed. "Would it kill you to say sorry?"
He ate a spoonful and smiled. The soup was delectable!
"Link?"
He blinked a few times, returning to reality. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry."
"For?"
"Um. . ." Link looked at her guiltily. "What am I sorry for again?"
"How about for making me needlessly worry!" Zelda rubbed her temples, trying to keep her temper in check. "I was worried that something had happened to you. For all I knew, you could've been dead in a ditch somewhere."
"Okay, I'm sorry."
Zelda raised her eyebrow.
Link took her hand. "I am genuinely sorry for making you worry, but I'm fine."
"What if one of these times you don't come back? I'd never know what happened to you." She bit her lip and batted her lashes. "But—"
"Don't try those doe eyes on me." Link crossed his arms. "You can't come."
Zelda huffed. "Why not? You know I can handle myself. I can be so much more than a tavern girl."
Link rubbed his forehead. They had had this conversation countless times. After traveling around Hyrule and a couple of close calls with Ganondorf's army, they ended up in Hateno Village. It was perfect. Not too big to be noticed by the enemy, but not too small that two newcomers would be odd. Link had built him and Zelda a small cottage on the edge of town, and then the pair of them had started to fight back. After all, he was the Hero of Time, and Zelda was Hyrule's princess. They had both felt they couldn't sit by and watch Ganondorf slowly take over all of Hyrule, so their escapades had begun. They started small, clearing the woods of monsters or helping old ladies walk safely back home, but they had grown more daring over the years.
Eventually, Link stopped taking Zelda with him. Not because she couldn't handle it, her skills with a sword were astounding, and she knew excellent first aid, but because he could no longer guarantee her safety. Zelda had gotten seriously hurt after a nasty run-in with a hinox a year ago, and after that, Link had refused to let her come. It was simply too dangerous, and he couldn't risk her getting hurt, or worse, Ganondorf finding her.
Even after all these years, he could still sense the Triforce of Power, and he was sure the connection went both ways. Zelda's Triforce still hadn't awakened—thank Hylia—so she was in the clear. There was no way for Ganondorf to track her. However, Link wasn't as lucky.
Sometimes he felt like someone was watching him, but no one was there when he turned around. Deep down, Link knew that it was Ganondorf trying to use the pull of the Triforces to locate Link, but he never said it out loud. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his loving, kind, and goofy brother was now his sworn enemy. But he also knew that the Triforce of Power had corrupted Ganondorf, and nothing would fill his lust for power until he possessed the whole Triforce. Which Link assumed would mean both his and Zelda's deaths.
Link had figured it out, though. If he kept moving and kept busy, the connection between the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage weakened, making him harder to find. So ever since Zelda's injury, Link had traveled by himself all over Hyrule, trying to stall Ganondorf however possible and hoping that maybe he'd somehow find a way to save his brother.
Link knew that Zelda hated how often he was gone, but she had never complained, and Link returned as often as he could. She often expressed that she felt useless just wasting her days working at the Wild Horse Inn and Tavern, but she was wrong. Zelda had made strong connections with the underground market, which Link often used to get supplies. This way, she was safe, and Link didn't have to watch out for both of their backs on quests.
"We'll talk about this later," Link finally said. "When we're back at the cottage."
"Really?" Zelda's eyes shone with hope. "I'm almost off my shift, and then we can go. Here, I'll go see if I can find you something else to eat before we go."
Link watched her go, guilt forming in his stomach right next to the yummy stew. He should've just told her no instead of getting her hopes up, but he hadn't wanted to get into an argument.
Link had finished his meal by the time Zelda had returned. She was grinning, holding something behind her back.
"Tada!" With a flourish, Zelda showed Link the slice of delicious-looking cake she'd been hiding behind her back. "Look what I found."
Link looked at her, surprised. "I thought that the Gerudo army had raided the last shipment of sugar cane from Kakariko Village?"
"Well, I had just enough sugar saved for cooking this, and I figured you deserved a treat after 'saving Hyrule,' as you put it."
"I couldn't agree more!" Link laughed and grabbed the cake from her. He flashed her his signature dashing grin. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"
Zelda's face flushed. "You could stand to mention it more. But hurry up and eat. I have some important news to tell you."
Link took a bite of the cake, the sugary sweetness exploding against his tongue. The light and fluffy cake paired perfectly with the acidity from the fruit embedded in the frosting. Link smiled. The cake tasted heavenly.
"Excuse. . . excuse me, pretty miss." One of the drunks from the bar said, staggering toward Zelda.
"Looks like I have to go earn my pay," Zelda said. "I'll be right back."
Link nodded, still savoring his cake.
"How can I help you, sir?" Zelda asked the drunk man.
"What's your name?" The man slightly swayed where he stood.
"Hilda." Zelda's fake name rolled off her tongue as smoothly as if she'd been given it when she was born. She'd had to choose a fake name since the name Zelda was only used in the royal family.
"Hillllda." The man repeated. "You're awfully pretty, aren't yah?"
Link's eyes darted away from his cake to eye the drunk man talking with Zelda. He had greasy, brown hair, a big nose, and crooked teeth. Link curled his lip, slightly disgusted.
Zelda smiled tightly at the man. "What can I help you with, sir."
"How old are yah, Hilllllda?" The man hiccuped.
"That's none of your business."
"Oh, playing hard to get. . ." The man bopped Zelda's nose. "Come on, my name is R-Ralph, but you can call me anything you'd like."
Link's grip on his fork tightened, his cake suddenly tasting of dirt.
Zelda took a step back from the man. "If I can't help you, sir, I'd ask you to return to your seat."
"Okay, okay, okay." The man's speech was becoming more and more slurred. "Do you have any more free beds?"
"I'm afraid we're all booked for the evening. But a few other inns down the road may have open beds."
"What about your bed?" Ralph grabbed Zelda by her waist, drawing her to him as if to kiss her.
Link's chair screeched as he stood. It took him a few seconds to cross to Ralph and even less time to punch him in his disgusting face.
"Keep your hands off of her," Link growled, positioning himself between Ralph and Zelda. "Do you have any chivalry or respect or any human decency at all?!"
"Link, calm down." Zelda grabbed his elbow. "He isn't worth it."
Link pulled away from her. He couldn't calm down. The image of Ralph manhandling Zelda kept replaying over and over again in his mind; it made his blood boil.
"What the. . ." Ralph rubbed his face. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"You know perfectly well what that was for." Link grabbed Ralph by his shirt collar, almost gagging at the stench of alcohol. "Do I need to hit you again so you'll remember?"
"You think you're so much better than the rest of us, don't yah?" Ralph glared at Link. "Calling yourself a gentleman or whatnot, but you're just like me."
"I'm not anything like you."
"Are you so sure?" Ralph leaned closer to Link. His breath smelled wretched. "If you're so chivalrous, then why do you leave for weeks on end and leave Hilda, your pretty friend here, all by herself? Huh? Answer me that."
"I don't have to explain myself to you." Link let go of Ralph and turned away. Zelda was right; he wasn't worth it.
"Oh, you're a coward now too!" Ralph chuckled and pointed at Zelda. "You know, Hilda needs a strong, reliable man in her life—not some weak coward like you." He gestured for Zelda to come over to him. "Come here, sweetheart. I'll show you how a man should properly treat a woman."
That was it. Link swiveled around and felt the familiar weight of the Master Sword as it appeared in his hands. The Triforce symbol prickled on his left hand, the power it granted him coursing through his veins.
"No!" Zelda cried. "Stop it. Stop it, right now!"
Link ignored her and brandished the sword at Ralph, who was crouched on the ground. "Now, who's the cowered?"
"I'm s-sorry." Ralph sobbed, big crocodile tears slipping down his face. "I didn't know I was insulting the Hero of Hyrule. . . please, sir, don't kill me. The girl is all yours."
"I am not some prize to be won!" Zelda spat at Ralph, and for a moment, Link thought that she might give him a black eye too.
"You tell him!" Link said, letting his sword fall to his side.
"And you!" Zelda turned her fierce glare to Link. "Don't even get me started on you! How could you be such an utter fool?"
"Well, excuse me, princess." Link glared back at her. "I'm sorry for defending you and your honor."
"First off, I could have handled the situation myself—"
"Oh, yeah, 'cause you were doing such a great job before I stepped in."
"I work at a tavern!" Zelda threw her hands up in expiration. "Do you not think this has happened before?"
Link paused, the full weight of her words sinking in. He'd thought he'd been mad before, but now he was furious. The thought of multiple men touching Zelda like that made him want to punch the nearest breathing thing—excluding Zelda, of course.
"Well, you never brought it up!" Link fumed.
"Because I knew you'd get all angry."
"You're right!" Link clenched his sword. "I am angry. I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"And I can't believe you just blew your cover!" Zelda yelled, gesturing to the tavern.
Link gulped and looked around. Most of the tavern had cleared at the beginning of the fight, but a few travelers and locals remained. They all sat in awe, staring at the glowing Triforce on the back of Link's hand. There would be no going back now. Everyone here now knew that he was the Hero of Time—or the Hero of Hyrule as he was becoming nicknamed. His cover was blown, meaning he'd also blown Zelda's.
"Oh no. . ." Link stepped back and willed the master sword to disappear. It did, and his hand stopped glowing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't—"
"Thinking?" Zelda finished. "Yeah, I already figured that out."
"What should we do?"
"You need to go home." Zelda looked around the room. "I'll see if I can't fix things here."
"Zel—"
"Let's not entirely blow my cover, okay?" Zelda interjected, whispering so no one else could hear. "Maybe I can patch things up."
Link nodded.
"Okay, everyone!" Zelda called, making a few of the inhabitants of the tavern jump. "No one here leaves. I need to have a word with you all." Zelda pushed Link towards to door. "But you can go. Now, preferably."
Link nodded and exited the tavern, Zelda slamming the door behind him. Link drug his feet all the way home. He eventually reached the tiny, quaint cottage he and Zelda called home.
Inside, Link sat down on a chair next to the fireplace. He was in big trouble, and he knew it. How could he not be? He had just risked his and Zelda's disguises by letting a drunken man's taunts and jeers get under his skin.
Link groaned and ran his hand down his face. He shouldn't have gotten so angry, but the words Ralph had said often raced through Link's mind.
Was Link doing the right thing by leaving Zelda behind? All he wanted to do was keep her safe, but she might not be safe here anymore. Link knew that Zelda would be happier by his side, but was that happiness worth the risk of her dying? He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Link had so many confusing and complicated feelings surrounding Zelda that his head hurt, and his heart felt weird if he thought about them for too long.
"Link?!" The front door burst open, and Zelda stormed in. "We need to talk."
Her eyes had a mad gleam, and her nose was adorably crinkled in anger. Link gulped.
Zelda was going to kill him.