Zelda's POV
Link and I are about to leave for school when I inform the maid to stay out of the guest bedroom for today. Though she seems confused, she obeys with a nod and resumes cleaning Father's office space. I tell Link to wait downstairs while I head back upstairs with some food for Malice.
I don't even knock before I enter the guest bedroom. I don't have the patience to respect her privacy right now, and by the looks of it, she doesn't seem to care much anyway. She's still laying on the floor, slumbering peacefully.
"Wake up," I tell her in a harsh tone. When she doesn't move, I walk up to her and nudge her with my foot. She doesn't move, so I nudge her again. Still no reaction. None at all.
Is she... alive?
Hesitantly, I nudge her one more time and she quickly slaps my foot with her hand and snaps at me, "Cut it out! I'm trying to sleep!"
Oh joy, she's alive. Though relieved, I roll my eyes and return to a serious stance.
"Get up, Malice," my foot pokes her again.
"Bro, stop kicking me."
"I'll kick harder if you don't get up right now."
She sits up hastily, glaring up at me with pure detest burning in her eyes. "Dude, what's up with you?" she asks annoyed. "Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?"
"Shut up," I retort sharply, not in the mood to treat her kindly out of pity. I kneel down to face her eye to eye. Not blinking, I snarl, "Care to explain that stunt you pulled last night?"
Malice, still half-asleep and clearly unfazed by my stern demeanor, yawns loudly and stretches before responding, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "No clue what you're talking about."
I take a deep breath to maintain my composure. "This isn't a joke, Malice. I took you in to help you, to support you through your withdrawal and recovery. And then you do that to Link? You crossed a line last night and you know it."
She leans back on her hands, giving me an exaggerated look of innocence. "Crossed a line? What are you talking about, Zelly?"
I narrow my eyes on her. "Don't play dumb, Malice. Link told me everything."
"Did he now?" She raises a smug brow. "Everything?"
"Yes. He told me how you tried to sleep with him, how you didn't respect his boundaries even after he asked you to stop."
Malice rolls her eyes dramatically, "Oh, come on. You're overreacting. It was just a little harmless fun."
"Harmless fun? Link felt uncomfortable, and that's not okay. I understand you're dealing with a lot right now and yesterday must have been tough for you, given your past experiences with guys, but you of all people should know better than this. You should know what it's like to be on the receiving end of sexual assault."
I notice her complacent smirk slowly fading away, a frown taking its place while her eyes avoid mine. "Look... I didn't mean anything by it. I was just messing around. You know me."
I shake my head, "I don't know you, Malice. You have your walls up, hiding behind sarcasm and arrogance. I thought we could look past the bullying and immature games, but if you keep on acting like this, nobody will ever make it past those walls. I want to trust you and give you a chance, but I won't let your behavior jeopardize the trust I've built with Link. You need to understand that your actions have consequences. If this happens again, you'll have to find somewhere else to stay."
She holds back the slightest reaction to my words. I can tell she's clearly not pleased with the outcome, but she's still not letting me in on her thoughts. "Fine, fine. I'll apologize to your precious Link. Happy now?"
"He's not looking for an apology," I say. "Especially if it's not sincere. I really just brought it up to tell you it was wrong and to warn you. I want to make it clear to you that you're not the only one on this planet who feels violated when touched without consent." I stand up, my point made, and leave the breakfast on the floor next to her. "It must be lonely in your castle walls."
"What would you know about it?" She mutters annoyed.
"More than you'd think. But eventually even I learned how to open up to people who care about me."
"Nobody cares about me," she says.
I leave her without a response. She knows I care. I have made that clear numerous times.
I walk out of the room without another word, but on my way downstairs, I can't help but wonder if my approach was too lenient or too harsh. One thing is clear: I won't let anyone, not even Malice, disrupt the fragile peace Link and I have worked so hard to achieve.
Link is waiting in the foyer, car keys in hand. I smile at him, wrap my arms around him, and give him a heartfelt kiss.
"Everything okay?" he asks, holding me with one hand, his keys in the other.
"Yes, I said what I had to say. I knew she wasn't going to show much of a reaction, but at least my words didn't completely miss her ears."
Link nods, then he takes my hand and gives it a small peck before he opens the door for me. "Ready?"
I smile and nod.
I take my car to school, Link rides his bike. We'd share my car if he was coming back home with me after class, but he won't be able to spend another night at my house. It's unfortunate, but we both understand that it might compromise Father's lawsuit. Link says he'll just stay at Kafei's for a few days until he figures something out.
...
When I get to school, I head to my first lecture while Link stays in the library to research some apartment listings online. His classes don't start for another two hours, so while I'm trying to focus on my lecture, he keeps sending me screenshots of rundown studio apartments in the bad parts of town. I open the messages app on my laptop and reply to his recent message:
*Absolutely not*
*Why?? It looks alright* he answers.
*IT'S THE GHETTO* I say.
He writes back, *But it's in my price range*
It's ridiculous that justice demands a fee for the right to live with dignity. In a fair and compassionate society, the well-being of people should be a birthright, not a luxury reserved for the privileged. A safe environment shouldn't cost $2500 a month...
My lecture is eighty minutes long, and right after that, I have another 80 minute lab. Once that's done, I get some lunch at the Starbucks on campus and head to my next class. Pik's class.
Pik teaches music education in the same building as the auditorium. The classroom is right above the stage where Impa and I used to watch him during lunch breaks.
I'm just on time before class starts. The room isn't particularly large, but it has an aura of sophistication and charm that immediately sets it apart from the lecture halls I'm used to. The natural light streams in through large, old windows that line one side of the room, and the wooden floors gleam with a polished sheen. I could imagine myself spending hours in this room just painting. And I don't even paint.
My eyes cling to the grand piano, shoved in one corner as if somebody left it there by accident. As though people, over time, just forgot that it was there.
I take my eyes away from the piano and aim them at Pik, our professor. He took out his piercings, and his natural brown hair is showing at the roots of his white strands. His sleeves are rolled up, exposing his tattoos and making him blend in with the other students. If he wasn't leaning against the professor's desk, the other students might have confused him for one of them.
Shortly before the lecture begins, the door opens one last time and a familiar face enters the room. As she walks in, her eyes scan the room for an open seat, and when she spots me, she smiles, waves, and claims the open seat next to me.
"Hello, Zelda, what a delightful surprise to see you in this class!" she says merrily.
I notice Pik briefly directing his gaze my way when he hears my name. His eyes don't dwell for long. Given my last-minute enrollment in his class, it's possible he hasn't had a chance to check the roster for my name.
I look back at the pretty girl next to me. "You took the words right out of my mouth," I say. "I'm happy we get to take another class together, Mipha."
"Me too," she grins. "This course marks the final elective I require for my master's degree."
"That's great. Have you decided where to pursue your doctorate? I heard you've been accepted to some pretty good schools."
She shakes her head. "I haven't made up my mind yet... I thought I did, but... I'm torn between two schools."
I take in her flushed cheeks and reserved posture. I'm curious whether her decision is influenced by Revali. Last year she might have chosen to transfer to Zora Medical, but now that she is dating Revali, transferring northeast would mean long distance for them.
This reminds me of the talk I had with Revali at the bar. Or almost had, if we hadn't been interrupted by Kiroh. Revali said he needed to talk to me about his relationship, said he made a mistake. He said 'You've been...' right before Kiroh bumped into me. I wonder what he was going to say.
I've been what?
I'd love to ask Mipha about it but Revali made it clear that he didn't want her to know about our conversation. Besides, I know better than to pry.
"How have your classes been so far?" I ask instead.
She smiles, "Good. Yours?"
"Good," I nod, mirroring her expression.
Suddenly, Pik's phone chimes, and after he turns off the alarm, he begins the lecture.
"Alright," he declares, addressing the class. "It's 2 o'clock, let's begin."
The whispers in the room fade into silence as Pik introduces himself.
"My name is Pike Curia and you've just stepped into the realm of Music Composition 2315. If you're even the tiniest bit interested in music or enjoy listening to it–and I know you do–then this class will be fun for you. I promise."
The students lean forward, their expressions filled with curiosity. Pik's charismatic introduction instantly pulls them in.
"Today we'll just go over the syllabus together. Easy peasy. I'll probably let you out early too, and then next week we'll start getting into the more exciting stuff. Like song writing."
Pik uses a small remote to turn on the projector, the syllabus appearing before us.
"One more thing before we get started." He pauses for a moment, a small smile settling on his lips. He calmly reveals, "I'm blind."
I take a look around the room to see the reactions of the other students. They're all staring at him, exchanging whispers.
"That makes so much sense now," one says.
"I literally had no idea," another one says.
"Wait, isn't he the guy who played at Telma's Bar?" someone else says.
I roll my eyes at them. He's blind, not deaf...
Mipha is the only one mature enough to remain silent. Though even she seems surprised about this. It's understandable. After all, he fooled an entire bar last week.
"To some it might come as a surprise, some might have already caught on to it," Pik chuckles lightly, "Not that I would have noticed if you did..." He shifts a little. "As you can imagine, this will affect the way our course is constructed, and since I'm still new to all of this too, please be patient with me as we navigate the course together."
Some fraternity guy in the back says, "We got your back, Prof."
Students nod in agreement. Another one speaks up, "Sorry to hear about your condition."
Pik smiles and returns a nod. "Let's get started then, shall we?"
We go over the syllabus together. Looks like there are no written exams in this course, however, the final consists of composing our own song.
It's a 3 hour class since we only meet once a week, but Pik concludes today's lecture 30 minutes early, having discussed all the formalities and given us a fun introduction to the course's content.
The students clear the room. Mipha packs up her books, gets up from her seat, and waits for me.
"Go ahead," I tell her. "I'll catch up with you."
"Okay," she says but doesn't move.
I look at her, confused as to why she isn't leaving. "What is it?"
"May just ask..." She pauses, looking worried and hesitant. Will she open up to me about Revali? I push my books into my bag and close the zipper. Then I look back at her. Mipha whispers, "How is Malice doing?"
I sneak a quick glance at Pik; he's not looking our way, but I suspect his ears can catch our whispered conversation.
"Much better," I say.
"And your injuries? Are you tending to them as I showed you?"
"Yes," I gently touch the bandage on my cheek. "All better! Thank you for all your help last week."
Mipha nods. "Just let me know if you need anything."
I give her a thankful nod. "You too, Mipha. I'm always here for you."
She gives me a hug and leaves the room. Now it's just me and Pik. He's turning off the projector and searching for the power button on the PC. I help him out, turning it off for him.
"Thanks," he says a bit more sheepishly than usual. I can tell he isn't fully comfortable with telling people about his condition yet. I wish I could tell him that there is no shame in asking for help and being impaired, though I fear it would come across the wrong way.
"Anytime," I say.
"So," his smile returns, bittersweet this time. "You actually joined my course."
"Looks like it," I say merrily, instantly regretting my choice of words. "I didn't mean 'looks', I mean..."
"It's okay, Zelda. Please don't walk on eggshells," he says to me in an understanding tone. "You don't have to avoid certain words around me. My feelings don't get hurt that easily."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, just letting you know I'm okay."
"I'm glad," I say with a smile and change the topic. "Were you surprised when you heard my name at the beginning of class?"
"Yes," he smiles. "I'm glad you signed up though. It's gonna be a lot of fun."
"I expect as much."
He leans back against his desk again, arms casually crossed. In perfect synchrony, we ask each other, "So, how are you?" And we both can't help but chuckle.
"I'm good," I answer first, asking him again, "What about you?"
"Doing great as always."
"How's teaching?"
"So far so good." He pushes his hair back, his eyes aimed at the floor. "I've been thinking a lot about Mía."
"She's doing better," I assure him. "She's back to her feisty, arrogant self."
"That's good to hear," he chuckles. "Does she know I was there when we found her?"
"No, I haven't told her. I wasn't sure how she'd react. Last time I saw you two together it didn't seem like you were on good terms."
He laughs a little abashedly, "Yeah, we're not exactly friends anymore."
Hesitantly I ask, "You said the two of you used to date, right?"
"Yeah... Back in high school. She's changed a lot since then."
"How so?" I ask.
"She used to be more alive... She used to love the arts and express a sense of curiosity about life. She used to be much nicer too."
"Really? I can't imagine her that way. What changed?"
Pik shrugs. "I think some drama with her foster family. I know she went through some shit at home but we were usually able to work through it. That is until she got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Suddenly she started pushing me away and experimented with drugs and..." He shakes his head, rejecting the thoughts. "You know the rest."
"I do?"
"Remember how I told you about my long distance relationship with a girl? How she broke it off, and how I followed her to HU?"
My jaw drops, "That was her?!"
"That was her," he confirms.
"And then you caught her with another guy!"
Lips pressed together, he nods somberly. I bet it was Ganon... "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that she gets better."
"She will," I say determined. "I mean... she really wants to. And I think she can, if she's ready to try."
Pik smiles. "Thanks for helping her get better. She may not express it easily, but deep down she is thankful for what you've done for her."
"Sure," I remark sarcastically. "Everybody has their own way of showing gratitude. Hers just so happens to be through knives and insults."
"About that..." Pik tilts his head, his eyes still lowered. "I heard Mipha mention some injuries. Are you okay? Did Mía hurt you?"
"I'm okay. Just a little cut on my cheek." I don't mention the stab wound on my leg. His eyes move to my face, but I doubt he can see my lie. It's better this way, I don't want him to worry about me.
We continue talking as we walk out of the classroom together. I try not to limp too much, unsure whether he could sense it.
To brighten the mood, I change the topic to his performance at the bar, praising his songs. Then I continue to praise his performance as a teacher. My words make him smile more and more. He seems really happy in general. Even though he is worried about Malice and has to deal with losing his sight, he still sees the bright side in things.
Full of excitement, he tells me that he's moving into an apartment soon. "Apparently being a professor at Hyrule University pays enough to finally afford my own place again," he tells me with the pure joy of a child. "So much better than having to live on campus."
I wish Link could be as fortunate. I wonder how his apartment search has been going.
"Why did you live on campus in the first place?" I ask. "You were a transfer student, right? So, unlike incoming Freshmen, you weren't required to live in the dorms."
"Student housing is cheaper than living off campus."
"But I thought you said you had your own apartment when you moved to California."
"Well, yes, I started off with my own apartment, but that was when my parents were still paying for my rent. When I moved here to get back with Mía, I started paying my own bills."
"How come? Were your parents not supportive of your relationship?"
"Quite the opposite, actually. My parents were excited when they found out I had found someone to love. That's all they ever wanted for me. They were genuinely proud of me for having a passionate relationship with something other than the arts. I couldn't break it to them when things ended with Mía. I decided to keep the whole mess to myself. I just know they'd be devastated if they found out I left my program and my dreams just to transfer to HU... All for a girl who didn't want me."
"So you haven't told them you moved here?"
"No, I haven't. I'm sure they'd be happy to know I'm here, and they do think of HU as a good school, but I didn't want them to worry about my love life. They were happy for once, and I wanted that happiness to last a little while longer. I love my parents to death but they can be overly dramatic when it comes to relationships, you know? And they are quite pushy too. My mom is super nosy, as if it was any of her business who I date. And my dad? Don't even get me started..."
"Tell me about it..."
"My parents aren't controlling though, they're just too excited when it comes to love. I mean, they redo their vows every year. Every single year, Zelda! And if that wasn't enough, they go on a honeymoon every year too. They probably love each other more than their own kids."
"That can't be true."
"It is, trust me. But that's not even what bugs me about it. They are incapable of comprehending that just because they found their soulmate that doesn't mean everyone else has to. Some people don't need all that picture-perfect love at first sight stuff. Like me. I just want to love whoever and whatever makes me happy. Men, women, neither, both, paintings, music, nature... why can't I just love, period.
Love and be happy, how hard can it be? Why does it have to be a romantic relationship? Why can't I love my friends and be happy with just that? My parents can't accept that a relationship doesn't have to be anything fancy or fairy-tale like. It's a relation-ship... The name implies that you relate to something. I related to the arts, that's the kind of relationship that brings me joy. Simple, genuine love. That's what I want."
"I completely understand, Pik. It's frustrating when people can't see that love can take many forms and that it's not limited to just romantic relationships. Your parents might have their own way of expressing love, but that doesn't mean it's the only valid way."
"Exactly. So I don't let their expectations define my path to happiness. It's quite ironic that their love has sort of created this gap between me and the family. I had to distance myself from them so they wouldn't find out I transferred to Hyrule. I told them I needed to focus on my studies and my relationship. We've hardly spoken since."
I frown, feeling sorry for Pik and his parents. "They must miss you. Have you considered telling them the truth?"
"Yes, at least a hundred times. I can't just pretend to have a serious relationship forever. Eventually they'll expect some kind of... Development in my life. You know? Like marriage or kids," he says with a hint of humor. "I'm planning on telling them soon. By the end of this year, preferably. I really just wanted to finish my Masters before breaking the news to them because I already know they'll act all crazy and dramatic when they find out I screwed up with Mía."
Pik takes a deep breath, sorting his thoughts.
"I'm sorry all this has happened to you."
He laughs it off, "It's quite alright. It made me more independent, which I enjoy."
I need some of his optimism.
"I'm glad you're planning on opening up to your parents this year. I'm sure they'll be supportive and understanding."
"We shall see."
When the hallway splits into two paths—one leading to a staircase and the other to a door—Pik comes to a stop.
"I'm going upstairs, I have office hours now if you want to continue talking."
"I have an appointment on the other side of campus," I say, gesturing at the door, "So I'm going the other way."
"I suppose I will see you next week then. Just call me if you need any help with Mía or if there's anything else you need."
"Thanks, Pik," I express my gratitude with a joyous nod. "And please let me know if you need any help moving into your new apartment."
"I'm not moving until October, but I will certainly take you up on that. Thank you for offering to help."
Pik heads up the stairs while I exit the building, making my way to the department of counseling for my first appointment with Doctor Deku.