Noble by Nature

Chapter 37

Zelda felt awful.
     As soon as they arrived at the castle she found an excuse to leave Link and get back to business.
     She was still furious, but deep down she knew she was mostly angry at herself. She was in no mood to admit that, though.
     At the moment it was easier to take it out on him.
     So when they had gotten close to the castle and they were spotted by a scouting Rito, she was grateful to have him help them. He went to call a friend, and before long they were flown across the moat, straight to the docks.
     Link probably would have wanted to swim back, but she was determined to keep some distance between them.
     Besides, as they flew over the water she noticed dark shadows under the surface, where Lizalfos were passing by. There were Octoroks too, their green plumages sticking out above the surface.
     There were decidedly more monsters than there had been before, and she was grateful they didn't have to swim through that.
     She had left Link behind as soon as possible and found Sidon and Riju instead, walking down the road towards Castle Town.
     They had greeted her excitedly, inviting her to come along and fill them in on the way.

Now they were leaning against the ramparts of the outer walls, looking out over Hyrule Field.
     It was a clear day, and the sun was slowly setting on the horizon, casting a golden light over them.
     After her own story, Sidon and Riju had told her about the happenings at the castle the last two days.
     It hadn't been a very long update.
     Little skirmishes had been happening all around the castle, but no real attack had been launched by either side.
     They did tell her that the monsters had increased their presence in the moat, which she had seen with her own eyes. They had also put an even closer perimeter around the walls.
     At the moment the Rito were the only ones still able to pass their lines, and only in certain places. There were many Wizzrobes dancing through the air, and monsters with bows shooting at anything that dared approach them. The Octoroks that had started showing up were a real problem as well. They had a frighteningly accurate aim, so it didn't take long for the Rito to refuse going anywhere near those creatures.
     The more the princess had heard, the deeper her frown had become.
     They were really starting to get locked in, and there was nothing she could think of to do about it.
     Her brain didn't seem to work either way. She was too preoccupied by everything that had happened in Korok Forest.
     Eventually she had just stood there, staring at the masses of monsters gathered on the field, sitting around their campfires and cackling in their weird language.
     Sidon and Riju had been talking quietly beside her, but she paid them no mind. Not until the Gerudo Chief said her name and gently grabbed her arm, turning her and motioning with her head to go back.
     Zelda offered her a weak smile and followed them, not really paying attention to where they were going.
     She would have to find a way to break through this siege.
     Somehow she felt like Ganondorf would sit it out, patiently waiting for them to become weakened and annoyed.
     A part of her was grateful for that, because it offered her more time to find a way to defeat him. Obviously her Sealing Power alone wouldn't do it.
     A bitter resentment made her stomach churn, but she tried to push it back down.
     There was no way she could do what the Deku Tree had said, that was one thing she was absolutely certain of.
     All hope now seemed to rest on Link and the Master Sword, like it had too many times before.

It had gone cold. Too cold really, but Zelda just hugged herself tight and stubbornly stayed where she was.
     Far off she could see specks of light of countless little campfires, and if she tried really hard she could almost forget that those were monsters trying to get to them.
     From this distance all seemed peaceful. Even the faint sound of shouts and clashing weapons was a strangely relaxing background noise.
     Little fights kept breaking out all along the walls, sometimes not for hours, sometimes with two or three assaults at once.
     In the beginning Zelda had been tight as a cord, too worried about what was happening out there to loosen up her clenched muscles. But eventually she had realized how insignificant these attacks truly were.
     They were meant to keep them on their toes. To tire them out and frustrate them, and maybe take a few lives here and there. The monsters never truly wished to breach the walls.
     Zelda had tried to get some sleep, but it was useless.
     Link hadn't shown his face again, apparently having chosen to spend the night somewhere else.
     It stung to know he was avoiding her now, but she knew it was her own fault. Part of her didn't even want him there. But the bigger part missed his strength and his strong, warm arms around her.
     Especially now, as she was standing there on the bridge to her study, she couldn't help but think of him, half expecting him to show up through the door like he had done so many times before.
     But no one came.
     Zelda kept staring out into the night until she was so cold she couldn't stop shivering.
     She returned inside to lie in bed, only to stare at the ceiling, unable to quiet her mind. It was a familiar scene, but somehow the knowledge that Link was actually somewhere in the castle made it even worse.
     When he had been far away she could at least pretend everything would get better once he was back.
     Now even that small hope had been squashed, and it was all her own fault.
     She had pushed him away.