Forbidden flame: A Zelink story

Chapter 16

"I can't believe he would try to hit his own daughter." Link muttered under his breath. I had never witnessed him in such a riled up state before. 

He was still gripping my wrist, dragging me away from my father. I swear they were going to be red after he let go, maybe dented from where his fingers had been.

"Link, stop. Please." I tried begging him to halt, but he wouldn't. "What made you think you could take on my father anyway? Do you even know how much trouble you're in?"

"I don't give a fuck. It's my job to keep you safe." 

"And who has the power to take that job away? You went up against the king, Link!"

"And? I know what I did."

"That's it, let me go!" I resisted, pulling my hand towards me and breaking free from Link's grasp. He stopped and faced me, trying to get my wrist back, but to no avail. I stormed up to him, placing a finger on his chest. "You don't control me. Got it?"

Link's face remained aggravated as he visibly tried to control his temper. "Listen, I-"

"No, you listen to me!" My voice was high in pitch now, straining on my anger at both my father and Link. "I don't need you to step in for me all the time, I don't need you to drag me through my own home, and God, I don't need you to always be there, lurking over me!"

"What?! Since when was I-" Link began to strain his voice, too.

"ENOUGH! YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER!" I stood back, watching the anger on his face only make itself more evident.

"I'm only trying to help you!" Link yelled. "That's my job! What do you-"

"What do you say to me?" I crossed my arms, my eyebrows heavily screwed up.

"Zelda, LISTEN TO ME! For once, just-"

"What do you say to me, Link? As my appointed knight?" I waited a few moments as Link breathed in and out heavily, his eyes flitting round the room as he shifted on his feet. 

"Yes, Princess." He murmured, not looking me in the eye.

"Good. Now don't you dare try to pull another stunt like this again, you hear me? Or do you want to get yourself killed?"

"No, Princess."

"That's what I thought." I began walking back the way we came from, before turning around upon hearing Link's footsteps. "And stop following me!"

I approached the throne room with caution, careful not to make myself seem too furious.

I walked in with my back straight and my chin up high. "Father, I want to-"

But to my surprise, my father was already on his feet, in the middle of the room. He approached me slowly, his face practically unreadable. I couldn't decipher between remorse or fury, but the two seemed to go hand in hand in his expression.

"That appointed knight of yours will be beheaded tonight." He snarled, his voice lingering just above a whisper, as he headed out of the throne room. 

I stood there, stunned into silence, my mouth open.

I could practically hear my heart slam against my ribcage as my eyes grew wider. 

Beheaded.

The words rang in my head.

I had tried to tell him, I really had. I felt uncontrolled tears roll down my cheeks as the screaming in my head grew louder, my thoughts were clouded. It felt impossible to decide what to do next.

How come my life had fallen apart in one morning?

But somebody was in the corner of my eye, and when I turned to look, Arabelle was standing, almost cowering, her eyes welling tears of their own. 

I connected the dots then, piecing the puzzle together.

"You." I managed to get out, still too shocked to function. 

So it wasn't the incident today that had caused this sudden outbreak, it was Arabelle. She had told on us and the exact wrong time.

"You?" I repeated, my face morphing into deeper and deeper anger.

"I-" Arabelle stuttered, beginning to sob. "I'm sorry, Princess, I couldn't keep it! I couldn't hold the secret!"

"You did this?!" I slumped onto the floor, my back sliding down the doorframe as the guards tried to help me up.

I clutched my chest as I felt my heart grow out of control, a painful pressure squeezing down on it as my arms and neck began throbbing in pain. 

I felt my breathing slip out of my control as I tried to force words out, the guards already calling for help. 

I could hear Arabelle's sobbing fading out as dark spots clouded my vision. 

And then all I saw was black.