Melted

The sting

William put Zelda up to date and sat on a nearby chair without saying anything.

Zelda started to read the pile of documents on her desk and she, too, remained silent.

When someone knocked on the door and called for a Council meeting without the Princess' presence, William dismissed the servant and turned before leaving, "Your Highness?"

Zelda raised her head and William cocked his head. He closed the door and walked to her desk, stood just in front of her, "Princess Zelda, Zelda, Zellie..."

Zelda straightened her back, "Yes?" she answered.

William sighed, "Are you happy with him?"

Zelda nodded, said "Yes," smiled, and William was happy to find a flicker of mischief behind her eyes, a flicker of a spark he had wanted to see for so long.

Before William left, Zelda stopped him, called, "Councilor William," and William turned with the poise of his position, "you will... as you've always said... you will do whatever's best for the Kingdom, will you not?"

William raised one corner of his lips, "As always, Your Highness."

⁂⁂⁂

Robert had just started to get bored, had just started looking to the sky in an attempt to free his mind, not get restless and all that bullshit the senior Knight he had hired to train Link's squad had been teaching them.

Robert had just started to see ducks and wolfs and flowers on the sky when Link appeared next to him.

"Woah, that was... quick?"

Link shrugged, "Not really, I told them what I wanted, they told me what they wanted, it was all good."

They started to walk and Robert side-glanced at Link, "So?"

Link looked to him with a small smile in place, "We are good, Robert."

Robert guffawed and shook his head, "Wow, this is so fucking crazy."

It's not as if Robert hadn't known there was something going on in Link's heart, it wasn't like he hadn't expected this outcome. But to see it, to have it in front of him- Crazy, completely uttterly crazy.

Robert raised his head to make a comment, maybe tease again Link. Who knew, something, when he could see from where they were the fluttering of skirts hiding in the next corner, and all of his hairs stood on end, "Uh."

Link was feeling oddly calm, he knew now he had done everything he could. Sure, the day after tomorrow he would have some more challenges, but they seemed like nothing. What could happen now?

Robert stopped walking and made a muffled sound.

Link turned in time to see him make a disgusted face, "Robert?"

"Yeah, you know what? Maybe we should go see, uh," Robert shrugged his shoulders as if it was obvious who he was talking about.

Link cocked his head and frowned, "Who?"

"Ashei," Robert spat, and Link could see in the way Robert's face scrunched the next second that he really did not want to do that.

Link huffed and was about to ask what was really going on, but Robert made the grossest sound and Link heard steps coming from behind.

And, oh, now Link understood.

"Sir Link," Leela curtsied, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

Link wanted to bolt, "Sure."

Link looked at Robert for help, Robert looked at Link with the most anguished expression and Link knew-

He had to do this alone.

"Yeah, so, I remembered I have something to do, so bye."

Robert opened his eyes wide, betrayal and hurt in his eyes, but also awe. Leela opened her mouth with hope but Link just waved his hand and power walked away from them.

Leela kept her smile on, looked at Robert.

And Robert waved his hands in surrender, "I did nothing."

"You scoundrel," Leela said under her breath.

"You have to understand that he is very much in love already-"

"With the Princess of Hyrule! As if the Council would think of letting them be together!"

"- and you have none of the qualities he likes in a woman."

Leela glared back, "And what do you know?"

Robert moved his head in disbelief, blinked slowly, "For starters, you're not the Princess."

"You're being silly."

"Leela, you are sneaky and too chatty, and believe me, he won't look your way."

Leela looked to the side, not wanting to hear Robert anymore, "Fine, I won't be his wife or whatever, but I'm getting into his circle of friends."

"Leela..."

Leela put up her finger asking for silence, "Robert, a dreamy guy calls for other dreamy guys to be near him."

Robert touched his chest, leveled himself a little with Leela, "Are you saying I'm a dreamy guy?" He tried his best to flutter his eyelashes with charm.

Leela blinked and made a face, "Hylia, no."

⁂⁂⁂

Link closed the door behind him and felt the tension leave his body. Finally, he had done all in his power to make the future he wanted. His last resort would be to kidnap Zelda for real now.

Ha.

Link sat on a chair and opened his sketchbook. Now everything felt too much out of his control. Everything he didn't want to feel. So he sat and sketched.

He sketched Zelda. And Epona. He sketched Zelda's crown. And the children. He sketched Zelda's dress. And Illia and her father. He sketched Zelda's eyes. And Uli and Rusl and Colin and Lilly.

Link sketched Zelda throwing a ball of fire to the sky. Orange showering her figure surrounded by darkness.

And then he sketched Midna.

Link sighed and looked at his drawing. She had been smaller, he was sure, he couldn't remember the exact pattern on her skin, nor how her eyes became to slits when smiling. He could hardly remember her real appearance.

Link walked to his chest, rummaged till he felt the shard of glass between his hands.

It would do nothing, he knew.

Mida would not talk back, would not tease back, would not be back.

But Link took off the cloth anyway, who cared. All he wanted was to feel like he was still sharing things with her, like they were still on adventure.

A calm, nice adventure, not one in which the world depended on them.

The shard shone against the las remnants of sunlight. Link sat on his bed, and the moment his bare skin touched the shiny surface of the shard. His hand threw the piece of the Mirror away from him, a bolt ran through his arm up to his head and all he could see was black.

Link shook his head in an attempt to clear his vision, his hand grabbed the side of his head while the other anchored him to the bed. He was still in Hyrule, he was still in the Castle. He was still...

Link groaned and remembered Robert saying he had been shocked by the shard. Link crouched next to the shining fragment.

Link had pressed the Mirror to Robert's skin the second after, so if Link touched it again...

Nothing happened.