A Pirate's Life For Me; Zelink, Pirate AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

Chapter Ten; Payment

"This is more than enough. My thanks, milady," the old man said as he gave her a bow. His thin fingers gripped around the large sack of coins with difficulty. It cost a lot of gold to persuade a 'noble' school to lie to royalty.

It took everything in her not to correct him to say 'captain' when he called her milady. "Did my parents contact you about me?" she inquired.

"They did indeed, and I assured them you were busy and doing well. I said that you would see them when summer ended."

"My thanks," she said as she turned away from him.

"Milady, if I could... "

Tetra turned back and glared. "What."

"N-nothing. Good day."

She smiled and turned away. "Good day," she echoed. "I'll be waiting for my carriage to arrive."

--

She sat back in her seat and let out a frustrated sigh. Tetra had made her choice, but as they got closer and closer to their destination the more she regretted it. She couldn't believe she had chosen to go back! There was no changing her mind now, though, and she did think that she'd made the right choice for her people. She had to help Hyrule. She shifted in discomfort as her corset pressed against her wounds.

"Tetra-"

Tetra sighed. "It's time we reverted to my real name Impa... unfortunately..."

Impa nodded in understanding."... I'm so sorry you are having second thoughts about your choice. But I for one think you made the right one."

"I know that," she snapped. "But... that doesn't mean I'll just roll over and accept it."

Impa smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to," she said with a sigh. "And now we need to work on your manners."

She grumbled and tried to slump her shoulders, but the corset only pressed harder on her injury, which prompted her to let out a growl of annoyance. "I know my manners; I just choose not to use them," she said as she leaned back.

"I know that, but sometimes you need a little... practice."

She sighed and then straightened up as tall as she could, at the same time she lifted her chin towards the roof of the carriage. "I know how to address people properly. I know how to hold myself," she said as she threw her shoulders back in a regal gesture of feigned superiority. "I know how to speak to the nobles," she smiled her stunning fake smile that looked like she was genuinely bursting with joy. "A princess does not forget what she has been taught."

---

As Tetra stepped down from her carriage there was a scream of joy from the steps of the castle courtyard.

"Zelda!!!!" She heard before an eight-year-old girl slammed into her.

Stifling the cry of pain as the little girl who's speed could rival that of the velocity of a cannonball slammed into her stomach, and she knelt and hugged her little sister. "It's so great to see you, Leena!" she said and kissed the girl on the cheek.

"You've been gone for soooo long. Mommy and daddy want to see you right away. The scholars said you refused to see their mail because you were too busy with studies," she said, talking as though reading off of a list.

"Studying the sea and trade lines is difficult," she replied in her defense, even though that wasn't the real reason she hadn't replied to any of her mail.

"... Whatever," she said and hugged her sister by the legs.

Tetra smiled. "Alright, let's go see our parents," she said, even though her insides were fighting a dangerous battle as her fight or flight instincts kicked in. The stupid, completely unnecessary reflex that it was. She closed her eyes and then let out a breath, her worries flowing out in her exhalation.

If she went into the lion's den now, she could never leave the same person. She gritted her teeth and straightened her back even though it hurt her stomach like lemon juice in a cat scratch, and then she followed her bounding sister into the castle.

She had begun chatting about everything she was learning. Sewing, dancing, riding; everything that she had hated as a child... Yet Leena loved it all. She was the true Princess... Not Tetra.

She smiled and nodded and tried to follow what her exuberant little lookalike was blabbering, but it all started to blend together. They reached the grand doors and she nodded her death sentence to the guards.

They pounded their pikes into the ground and called out her name. Her title, her curse.

"Princess Zelda has returned to the castle!"

The doors opened like a foretelling of doom. She stared down the long hall before laying eyes on her parents... the King and the Queen of Hyrule.

"My daughter," a deep, booming voice resounded across the marble room. "Zelda, you have returned."

Tetra... Zelda, walked down the hall holding Leena's hand. "Father," she said simply as she reached the bottom of the steps leading up to the thrones.

"Zelda, is that all you have to say to us?" her mother asked.

Zelda smiled, both to please her mother, and because she was happy to see her. But that's where the truth stopped. "Apologies, mother, I am merely tired after the journey," she said, her voice jovial. She always was good at lying with her tone... not that that was a good thing.

"You certainly have tanned."

She smiled again. No kidding, I'm practically a Gerudo now. "I spent a lot of my time outdoors; as usual. The wind and the sky fueled my studies all summer," her lips cracked into a wistful smile, and then she dipped her head to her parents. "Thank you for allowing me to return there once more." Otherwise you would have had a missing princess who would never have come back.

"I am glad you enjoyed your stay," the King replied. "But now we have another thing to discuss."

Zelda swayed slightly from the haze of pain she had been keeping back, but caught herself and straightened again. They have to do this now? "Yes, father?" she asked with respect.

"I don't know if Olvar gave you the letter or not-"

"He did not," she informed softly. She knew they would be disapproving of interruption, but she wanted them to get to the point. The ex-pirate felt like she was about to faint, and wanted nothing more than to disappear into her rooms to adapt to the situation on her own.

"Well, while you were studying, Faron, the Hylian colony that declared independence a few decades back, has stirred up trouble. The royal family insists that they were not involved. To keep this short," the King folded his arms. "To avoid further bloodshed they wish to unite our kingdoms through marriage."

So... Just like Link said. But did they have to bring it up the moment I got back? Zelda pressed her lips together. "And?"

"We know that you have forever been against marrying, but-" Her mother started.

"...will it benefit our kingdom..." she asked; the words dropping from her lips like a fish into the water.

This interruption was met with silence.

"Will it benefit... our kingdom?" she asked again, raising her question and gaze to her father.

"It will," he replied.

Zelda took a breath and then glanced at her mother. I came back for a reason. "Then I will... meet him," she said as she raised her chin.

"Your time away has changed you, my daughter."

Zelda smiled gracefully. "That it has." ...More than you will ever know.

Her father stood up from his throne and walked down the steps. He stopped in front of her with his hands held out. "Look at you. You've grown."

"I have."

"It is good to have you back with us," he said as he pulled her into his gentle embrace.

Zelda didn't respond with her voice this time as she found herself suddenly, astonishingly, filled with emotions she hadn't felt for a long time. A single tear threatened to fall and she wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you..."