Disclaimer: I don’t want to get in whatever trouble people can get into when using other people’s characters so - The Legend of Zelda, Link, Zelda, Ganon, Hyrule and other related characters and settings belong to to that wonderous console company, Nintendo. No infringement intended.

Juliet A. Singleton (Scullys@bigfoot.com) & Kirsty Singleton (arcadionseye@btopenworld.com)

Chapter 10

 

 

Link sat dejectedly on a fallen tree trunk, staring into the pool of water that lay before it. Zelda had done nothing but mope all day, and every time he had even tried to console her, she had pushed him away. He would have understood if this had been a dear friend that his wife had lost. But Kaibre Lainge? She had known him for maybe less than a month. You could become friends with someone in a month, but Zelda's reaction seemed misplaced. He reached down with one hand to break up his reflection in the water, then sat straight, looking ahead. It was so quiet here now, he thought. The peace reminded him somewhat of his time locked underneath the town of Gardarika. Of course he had been suffering then. Now, he was just confused. Had something gone on between Kaibre and Zelda? Something that he hadn't been told about? He shook his head. Zelda would never, ever betray him. He knew that. At least, he thought he did. He supposed this wasn't the time to be worrying about Zelda's faithfulness, not when Mara and Robert were planning something. Link let out a sigh...but what could they be up to? The stealthy crunching of dead leaves and fallen twigs suddenly broke Link from his thoughts, and he turned.

"Fayzie..." he murmured with a sigh of relief.

"I wasn't sure if it was you..." Link smiled, and patted the log beside him.

"Take a seat. Best in the house," he joked dryly. Fayzie smiled, and gently took a seat next to him. She clasped her hands together, and looked straight before her, not saying a word. "What are you doing out here?" asked Link finally, glad for the company, even if she seemed reluctant to talk. Fayzie turned her deep brown eyes on him for a second, before looking away once more.

"I couldn't sleep." Link sighed once more.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. I just...I suppose it'll take a while getting used to..."

"What? Being away from Catalia?"

"Yes. Yes...that and..."

"And?"

"Well...I married young, Link. And it just...it feels like a part of me is missing. I feel wrong." Link smiled softly at his friend.

"I can understand that..." he said in a low voice.

"It's stupid. Aden never loved me. And I never loved him. Not really."

"How long were you married for?"

"We got married when I was 16."

"12 years? I never knew..."

"How...how long have you and Zelda been married?" Link let out a sigh.

"We've been married for seven years." More silence.

"When I married him...well he wasn't always as you saw him Link."

"I knew him once too, remember. I thought he and I were friends."

"He was sweet. A little blunt sometimes, but he was a nice man. When we married, I thought I was in love with him. I'd never felt love before - I didn't know the difference really. But that was never the reason we married."

"To carry on the Kokiri? Is that why?"

"What else could there be? I don't regret it. Not after my son..."Link took Fayzie's hand in his own.

"Of course not..." he murmured, thinking of his own children. But what if he and Kylara...? Would the child that they could have had been the saviour of this world? Could Ewan be its destroyer? He suddenly broke from his thoughts when he realised Fayzie was looking at him, an unsure gaze in her deep brown eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Link dropped her hand, leaning back slightly, running one hand over his mouth.

"Oh...it's probably nothing." Fayzie stared at him, and raised an eyebrow.

"Probably?"

"When did Aden change?" Fayzie immediately looked away at the question, as if she couldn't bear to look Link in the eye. Link leaned closer to her. "I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it..." Fayzie looked at him, he could see tears shining in her eyes. She looked away again, bowing her head.

"It was...it was when Kylara started saying things about Fate. And you. Everyone loved her, Link. The tribe, the people of Gardarika. Anyone who ever met her. She was always so happy Link, she made others feel happy too. She helped everyone when she could, it didn't matter what the task was. But I could tell...I could tell there was always something in her that wasn't as happy as she liked us to think. It was like she was trying to hide it...or forget it. Then one day she told all of us, the tribe, that you and her were meant to be. She said that it had come to her in a vision - a small child had approached her, clad in green, and told her that her and Link were meant to be. Hayden volunteered to look for you, accompanied by that evil man, Trenon. But we never heard from him again...not until you brought his body back." Fayzie stopped, Link noticed she was shaking a little, her voice wavering. He took her hand once more and held it in his.

"I never knew he was alive. I never knew any of you were," confessed Link, his forehead deeply furrowed.

"We all thought you were dead Link..."

"I know. When I saw Hayden again...I knew I should have never left Catalia. But I didn't know what else to do. I was only 12."

"That's when things began to change. The way they treated you Link. It wasn't right. And the things they said about you when they heard of Hayden's death...none of them ever cared for him anyway!" murmured Fayzie. "But mostly it was because you refused to marry Kylara that they began to hate you. At first I agreed. I had married Aden for the line after all...but I soon heard you were already engaged, and in love. Why should you have married Kylara?" Link shook his head.

"I've never loved anyone like I loved Zelda. I don't think I could ever love anyone else the way I have her," confided Link. Fayzie smiled sadly.

"You're so lucky to have found someone you love so much..." she commented. Link nodded. Their eyes met, the wind softly whispering through the trees.

"Sometimes I wonder if she feels the same way," said Link quietly. Fayzie frowned.

"Of course she does." Fayzie smiled at him as she spoke, "How could she not?"

"Sometimes I just wonder if I'm good enough for her though...I mean I'm nothing more than a peasant, and she a princess!"

"You shouldn't talk like that Link. You are the most noble man I have ever known! Just because your father was not a King, it doesn't make you any less of a person." As she spoke, Link found himself leaning closer to her, catching the beautiful scent of her on the wind.

"Aden was a fool not to realise how special you are," breathed Link.

"I'm no special than any other," said Fayzie shyly, looking back to the ground. Link placed one hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him again.

"You are kind, intelligent...beautiful. Even after everything you've been through, you still haven't got a bad bone in your body," murmured Link. His eyes ran over her delicate facial features, her beautiful eyes, her tiny nose, her high cheek bones, but he was a little unsure at the words pouring from his mouth. He meant them...but he felt something...attraction.

"I've suffered nothing. Look at you, with all your quests and adventures! You've saved Hyrule so many times, but you are still the same boy I knew all those years ago. You aren't arrogant, your pride doesn't show...you don't judge others, even though they might deserve it..." Fayzie was amazed as she spoke, her heart beating faster than it had been a second ago. She bit her lip...was it just her that was feeling so... drawn? "I think I should go," she finally said, not wanting to risk spending another moment with the handsome hero. Link kept a hold of her hand.

"Please. Don't." She gazed into his earnest eyes, and looked down at his hand on hers. "Fayzie..." She closed her eyes, unable to think of anything but the man sat before her.

"Link...I really think I should go," she said, trying to stand. Link stood with her.

"Is it just me?"

"What do you mean?" Link took her hand, and pressed it against his chest, over his heart. It was beating... rapidly. Her eyes were drawn to his, and he reached out, placing the palm of his hand against her breast. He felt the pounding of her heart. He looked from his hand to her eyes, then stepped forward, taking her face with both of his hands, and pressing his lips against hers. "Link, no..." she murmured, but unable to stop him. She had only ever been kissed by one man, and that had been Aden. He had never kissed her like Link did that moment. It was so sweet, so gentle...her eyes slid shut as she tried to forget everything...like that Link was a married man, to the Queen of Hyrule no less. But she couldn't. She raised her hands, placing them on Link's chest, but Link reached down and took one hand in his own, gripping it tightly. Link pushed the kiss further, clasping her chin with his free hand, and this time Fayzie gave in. When they finally parted, both of them were quite breathless. Link locked eyes with Fayzie, and gently caressed the side of her face with his hand. For a moment they just gazed into one another's eyes, but Fayzie was the first to speak.

"Link...I..." words spilt from her mouth, but she couldn't grasp the right ones, her cheeks were wet with newly shed tears, but everything in her heart told her to kiss him again.

Fayette hummed to herself happily as she walked the grounds of the hold. It was nearing dusk, and she had arranged to meet her handsome new suitor in a secluded glade not far from one of the many paths that wound through the woods that surrounded the hold. She knew where the spot was roughly, but to be on the safe side she decided it would be best if she set off a little earlier, just in case she did wander onto the wrong path. Just as she entered the trees, she noted that the first of the night's stars where beginning to twinkle in the pink sky, yet the moon was still loath to show its speckled face. Watching her step, Fayette hitched up the skirts on her dress and gingerly avoided a deep puddle. She could hardly believe the last few days - events had passed which she had not even dreamt about. Kendar was a man unlike any other, and she knew that in no shallow way, she was already in love with him. He was not nobility - she knew that. But when she saw him, and heard him speak, she forgot entirely that he was no more important than any other man in Hyrule - except to her. She smiled shyly to herself as she remembered the kiss they had shared the day before- and his proposal. It was the kiss she remembered more than anything though - it had been unlike anything she had shared with Raymundo, yet it had still been as comforting and loving as any embrace she had shared with her late husband. As she walked along with her thoughts, she found herself walking along an unfamiliar path. She halted and looked around, sighing in relief as she realised she had simply taken a wrong turn not far back. She was about to retrace her steps when she heard low voices, and she turned, alert and listening. She cautiously followed the direction of the voices, along a short trail, until she came to one of the island's many secluded glades. In the fading light, she caught sight of two figures, caught up in a passionate embrace. Fayette's heart quickened, and she stepped back, looking behind her. She knew she should leave now, but something stopped her. Curiosity. She took a breath and stepped closer to the scene, just to see the two pull apart. She could see them clearly now - the girl had her back to Fayette- but her long, dark, curly hair gave her away. The man whom she had been in a clinch with was the one who surprised Fayette the most- it was none other than Link. Nervously licking her lips, Fayette tried to get closer - they were talking now in low voices, then Link reached up, touching the girl on the cheek - the lingering touch of an intimate lover. Fayette continued to watch the two, they had fallen silent now. And then the girl, Fayzie she was called, stepped forward and kissed Link again. Fayette took a breath and turned, unable to watch any longer. Time was when she would have waited to see the outcome, but she decided against it. She quickly walked back onto the main path, and retraced her steps back to the original route.

Link stood back, looking as shocked as Fayzie felt.

"We can't do this Link. I can't do this," stated Fayzie, her voice wavering. "I'm sorry Link..." she added in a murmur. He looked at her.

"Don't apologise. It should be me doing that ...I'm sorry." Fayzie tried to smile.

"We had perhaps best forget this," she suggested. Link looked at her, his face etched with lines of sadness.

Fayzie swallowed, then began to step away. Link reached out, and took her by the wrist. He didn't want her to leave. He and Fayzie were just friends...he knew that. Or at least thought he had. So why was he feeling so attracted to her? He couldn't remember the last time he and Zelda had shared such a moment. But he loved Zelda. Dearly. His heart was still beating as if he had been running. Too fast. Fayzie's eyes wandered to Link's hand, which was clasped around her pale wrist.

"Link, you are married." Her eyes did not meet his as she spoke, and the words that she uttered seemed to her nothing but a painful reminder as to why she must deny her feelings. He could hear the ache in her voice though, and he did not doubt it would also show in her eyes. He reached up with his spare hand and caressed her cheek, and her eyes now turned to his.

"This can go nowhere Link." What made it harder was that she knew she was right. Yet she still didn't want him to let her go.

"I know." He said those words but still he did not step back. Still he did not let her go. He wanted so much to take her in his arms, and reassure her that things were going to be okay. But he knew he couldn't promise that. Not now. He knew if he kissed Fayzie again, then this meeting would be more than just a kiss. But this time, it was Fayzie who kissed him. She stepped forward, closer to him, and pressed her lips against his. It was a kiss laced with inexperience, and it was then that Link realised that Aden must have been the only man that Fayzie had ever been intimate with. His hands slid down her arms, and he broke away from her kiss, laying his lips on her forehead, neck and shoulders. Then their lips met again. This time the kiss was more passionate, and Link could feel himself losing himself in the moment. He gripped Fayzie's hands, their fingers entwining together, but she still broke away from the kiss, unable to forget who Link was. Link still held her hands in his, and he watched her intently.

"Link, we should stop this," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Do you want me to?" Their eyes met, Link's searching Fayzie's for an answer. He knew she didn't want him to. So he kissed her again. This time the kiss was more urgent, and a thought crossed Link's mind that perhaps this was just lust. Fayzie was a woman of unassuming natural beauty, Link knew that, and while Zelda was equally beautiful, she was very aware of that fact. There was something about Fayzie's kind nature, her naivety and her innocence that he found so compelling, and it was then that he knew he had to stop. He broke away from the kiss - realising that it was wrong, despite it not seeming so. Fayzie fixed her sad gaze upon Link, and saw the remorse in his eyes. She hadn't wanted him to stop, but something in her was glad that he had. She placed one hand on his cheek, and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Fayzie closed her eyes as he spoke.

"What for?" she asked.

"For everything." Fayzie stepped back, breaking the embrace.

"Don't be." She turned and left, tears shining in her eyes, leaving Link alone in the glade once more. He watched her go, and cursed himself. What had he been thinking? He and Fayzie were friends...Zelda was his wife. So why had he felt so drawn to Fayzie? He knew loved Zelda. Dearly. What about Fayzie? If she had come to him all those years ago instead of Kylara...would things have been different? Did he love her too?

 

Tiffany let out a startled gasp as she was jolted awake from her sleep.

"Oh..." She blinked, then slowly got to her feet, surveying her surroundings. "Oh..." A breeze was upon her back, a slight chill caressed her diminutive form. She quickly wrapped her arms about herself and blinked. She was out in the open. In the open. The sky above her was dark, but she could see the stars. She was free. Just as she felt her face tugging into an ecstatic smile, another thought struck her. Felicity. She gazed around, the breeze becoming colder. She took a step forward, preparing to take off for flight, when she realised something. As she hopped into the air, her wings did not function. "What...?" She tried to look back at herself, twisting her neck slightly. Her wings were still there, but they had lost their translucent shine. Tiffany closed her eyes for a moment...before murmuring a short incantation underneath her breath.

"Light..." she whispered, before opening her eyes and staring at her outstretched hands. No magical orb had appeared before her palms...nothing. Tiffany was not the most adept at spells, but she knew she was better than this. She closed her eyes again, stretching her fingers before her.

"Light!" This time she uttered the word louder. Then she opened her eyes. Nothing. She looked around again. She didn't even know where she was. How had she even come to be here? That was the question now on her lips. She stumbled through the darkness, blades of grass brushing past her, until she came to a tree. She rested her hand against its rough bark, and let out a sigh. Perhaps she was just tired...too tired to even fly. That had never happened to her before. She hoped that was all it was. A yawn suddenly escaped her lips, causing her to believe her thoughts even more. The ground was damp and muddy, but she settled between the roots of the tree, and tried to get some rest.

"I thought you weren't going to come!" Fayette smiled as she saw Kendar when she entered the clearing. He jogged over to her, looking handsome in his blue tunic and white shirt.

"As if I would pass up the chance to spend time with you, good sir," murmured Fayette coyly, smiling at the warrior. Kendar gave her a crooked smile, then took her hand, with a bow, and pressed it to his lips.

"Well, I must tell you I'm honoured that you would choose to grace me with your presence once more," admitted Kendar, still smiling.

"I'm glad you invited me out here," replied Fayette, completely honest in her words.

"I would have walked with you from the hold, but I wanted to do some things." As he spoke, Kendar stepped back to reveal the clearing. It was beautiful. A pool was situated in the middle, and it was midnight blue and still. By the pool there was a red and black check rug, set upon which was a picnic basket full of all kinds of foods. Blossom trees were all about them, and even in the light of dusk, the birds of the hold could still be heard chirping their familiar songs. Pink blossoms lay all about the clearing floor, which itself was covered in soft, green grass. The newly emerging moon could be seen in the reflection of the pool, and when Fayette arched her neck to the skies she could see the constellation of compassion - or at least that's how she knew it in Sosaria. Fayette took in the scene with amazed eyes, and she looked to Kendar, who smiled at her reaction.

"Oh, it's wonderful," she breathed, and Kendar took her hand, leading her to the rug. He helped her sit, and then offered her a goblet of deep red wine, which she took gratefully. He took his own glass and clinked it against hers in a toast.

"To you," he murmured. Fayette gazed at Kendar and merely nodded, at a loss for words. She looked away and took a sip of the wine, before she turned as she felt Kendar's hand rest on her shoulder.

"You seem quiet." Fayette nodded, still unable to speak. What had she done to deserve this man, she wondered? She set down the wine glass, and turned fully towards Kendar, his hand dropping from her shoulder. Then she leaned in close to him, using one hand to turn his face to hers, and she kissed him. She noticed that the warrior seemed almost taken aback at first, and she was worried she had been too bold. But within seconds he responded to her kiss, one of his hands finding her waist and settling there, the other caressing the side of her face gently. This time the kiss they shared was far from urgent, but it was gentle and sweet. When they parted, their eyes met, and Kendar smiled.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

"Yes..." murmured Fayette. Kendar laughed.

"And so modest," he commented with a grin. Fayette suddenly looked alarmed, and then let out a giggle.

"No. I mean...yes. To you." Kendar paused, looking a little confused.

"Yes...to me?" It was as if he dare not contemplate its meaning.

"Kendar. I will marry you. I want to. If you still want to, that is." Kendar broke out into a bright smile, and he kissed her again, although it was really no more than a peck on the cheek.

"I never dreamt that you would say yes," he confessed. Fayette smiled.

"I never dreamt that I would get the chance to yes to such a man as you." They kissed again, but when they drew apart, Kendar looked a little cautious.

"Are you sure? I am no prince, as you can see, and you - you are a princess!" Faye felt her heart slow as he spoke, cold realisation sinking within her. She leaned close to him, cupping his face with one hand.

"I am not a princess by birth, and I have little or no claim to the throne. Do you think I'm about to turn down the chance to spend my life with you because of status?"

"A lesser person might have done," said Kendar softly. He reached into the basket, and took something out, a small wooden box. He handed it to Fayette, and smiled.

"It was my mother's, and my grandmother's." Fayette looked down at the polished box and carefully opened it, her eyes resting on the object inside. It was an exquisite ring, more beautiful than anything she had ever owned, a band of gold inlaid with a fine strip of silver and studded with shining diamonds and sapphires. She took the ring between her forefinger and her thumb, and regarded it closely. Tiny runes were carved into the metal of the ring, and on the inside of the ring there were more runes - in a language that Fayette recognised. Her eyes met Kendar's.

"Sosarian?"

"I was born there," confirmed the warrior. Fayette looked back to the language and read the inscription aloud,

"A love that will live forever." Kendar smiled.

"My grandfather was a sentimental fool alright, but the two women who wore that ring were the happiest I ever knew." Fayette smiled, and looked at the ring again, it seemed to have an aura of some kind. Just holding it made her feel wonderful, invigorated. Kendar leaned forward and took the ring for her.

"Here," he said, grasping her hand, and slipping the ring onto her finger. Her smile widened as she looked at the ring on her finger, and then looked to Kendar.

"It's beautiful."

"A beautiful ring for a beautiful woman," said Kendar softly. He leaned close to her and kissed her again. Fayette lay back in bliss, all thoughts of anything else drifting away as Kendar touched her skin with his passionate lips.

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