A Murderer's Son: A Zelink Story

Chapter 11

Taking a deep and steady breath, I put one foot forward, advancing carefully into the throne room.

My father had been made aware of my return in the three or four minutes since we'd been spotted outside the castle. In fact, by this point, the entire building knew that I had come home, that I was wearing inappropriate clothing (Anything other than a dress), and that I hadn't come alone.

That I was with a boy.

My father's back was turned to me. Surrounding him were the four champions, who must have rushed to the castle when I first went missing. My father was talking, his tone of voice vexxed and flustered. And once he heard my footsteps, he immediately turned around to face me.

His face displayed a certain mix of anger and relief, as though he were about to burst into tears but he kept his lips tight and his eyebrows clustered. "Where have you been?" He muttered.

"Father, I'm so sorry," I began, my eyes darting round the room to the four champions. Urbosa was riddled with relief and overwhelming curiosity as to why I looked the way that I did. She had a hand held up to her forehead in sudden repose. Revali, next to her, tipped his head back with his hands on his hips, sighing exhasparatingly deeply. Daruk was cringing at me, subtly shaking his head, warning me to be wise with my choice of words. Clearly, my father was stressed beyond belief. Mipha's gaze immediately skipped past mine, her eyes catching on Link who was behind me, to my left, his hands held behind his back by two guards. 

My father crossed his arms, looking down at the floor, a chuckle tugging on his chest. "Do you know..." He began muttering. "How much stress you've caused everyone?"

"I-" My words stumbled, my cheeks growing flustered. "I know, I just-"

"Was it him?" My father interrupted, beckoning towards Link. "Did he have anything to do with this?!"

The guards that held Link's hands kicked the back of his knees, sending them buckling and causing him to fall onto his knees. They pulled his hair, tugging his head back as he groaned in pain.

"You stop that!" I ordered them, but my wrist was immediately taken by another guard, just as I began to advance towards Link. "Let me go!" I protested, before Urbosa's voice rang out with clarity, as it always did.

"Enough." She spoke, stepping forward and raising a hand. Link's hair was let go of, as was my wrist. "No one here will gain a worthy answer unless we approach one another calmly."

"But-" I stuttered, before she crossed her arms, driving her message home.

"Calmly."

So, the entire room relaxed a little. Link was let go of, allowing for him to stand up properly. My father turned away for a moment, gathering his obvious anger. I found it funny that he immediately accused me, instead of asking if I was alright. 

"Okay," Urbosa said. "Now, Zelda. Tell us what happened."

I was about to tell them all, tell them everything. Tell them how I was taken, how I was simply given to a son like I was nothing but an object, how the bruises on my wrists were from the roughness of the rope- but I couldn't.

Because they would surely take Link away if I told them that.

They would have no reason to, but they would. They would blame his blood, find the hideout, arrest them all. Which might be grand, apart from him. I didn't want to lose him. It wasn't worth it.

"I-" My voice cracked, my hands fidgeting. So many eyes on me, so much anticipation. What was I to say? "I ran away, father. I'm sorry. I was feeling trapped. So I just did it. And once I was out, I snuck onto a horse and carriage, one that was carrying hay." Well, that part was technically true, I thought. "And I promised myself I would stay awake, but I didn't, and woke up in the desert. In a...village, of sorts. Where Link," I looked back at him, taking note of his face, subtly washed with shock and bewilderment. "Kindly offered to take me home."