Forbidden flame: A Zelink story

Chapter 18

Echoes were the first thing that I heard.

Bustling noises, muffled voices, scrambled footsteps. All I saw was black still.

I began to pick up on my heartbeat, seemingly echoing along with the rest. 

Then I sunk back into sleep.

A panicked voice stuck out from the crowd, along with quick, heavy footsteps. "Is she here? Where is she?"

I felt vibrations all through my feeble body as the voice ran towards me, their arms cradling me. "Zelda?" He asked, beginning to shake me gently. "Zelda, please, please wake up!" The voice trembled, on the brink of tears. "Please, Zelda, you have to come back now."

I slowly forced my eyes open, though my vision was blurry and double. I could make out shapes and colours over me that resembled Link's features, as I reached out an unfocused hand towards him.

Link sighed with relief. "She's awake," He told the nurses, turning his head towards them before returning back to me. "Zelda, can you hear me?"

I nodded my head slowly. I began closing my eyes again, tipping my head back before Link caught it. "No, you musn't. Stay awake for me. Please?"

"What happened?" I whispered, far too weak to talk properly.

"You had a heart attack." Link's voice was hoarse with worry for me. "To put it plainly, you died for a couple minutes. They had to rush you here to bring you back to life. Then they let me in, once you had rested enough to awake once more."

"Bring me back..." I groaned in pain. "I was only out for a minute."

"More like nine, princess. We were worried you weren't going to make it." One of the nurses added.

"Nine..." My brain was still catching up. My vision only just became clear at that moment. "Link..." I furrowed my eyebrows for a moment, closing my eyes. I then gasped, sitting up before being forced back down by many people. "Link!" I grasped his shirt, kicking my legs in resistance. "Link..." I began to sob as he cradled my face. "Link, they're going to-"

"I know. I know they are." His eyes displayed hidden sadness, but he was concealing it for me. "I know, Princess. That's why I came here. I leave for the execution in a couple minutes."

"We have to get out." I whispered, trying to rise from bed again, but to no avail.

"No, Princess." He shook his head in a surprisingly tranquil manner. Why was he not stressed, scared at all? "There's nothing we can do. It's okay."

"Link, please, don't make me sound crazy!" I tipped my head back, wailing. I was so tired. I was so scared. I was on the verge of fainting once again.

"I'm sorry. I knew I never should've gone so far. I knew it was wrong." He held my arms, trying to calm me down. "But it's alright." his voice began to break, revealing his fear. "It'll be alright, I'm sure it will be." 

I watched him as his whole body twitched in fear, his face screwed up as tears ran down his cheeks. 

The doors burst open as two guards stormed in towards the foor of my bed. Link looked up at them with a defeated expression. His whole body was trembling with terror. "I'm so sorry, Princess." He shook his head and rose from beside my bed, walking out of the ward as I wailed and wailed after him.

"LINK, COME BACK!" I shrieked after him through my sobs. "LINK, PLEASE! DON'T GO, PLEASE!"

The nurses tried to hold me down once more, but I resisted and kicked and didn't stop.

No matter how much I screamed and wailed and shrieked after him, though, the doors did not open.

Link was gone, and I didn't even get to say goodbye.

But I wasn't going to give up to my father so easily.