Fields of Gold

This Moment in Time

Awake. Alone. Numb.

Soft blankets enveloped her skin as she lay still on her bed. Zelda stared blankly out of the tall, wide windows, looking but seeing nothing. She had been awake as the Twilight sky cycled from purple to brown, then back to purple. In this unnatural world, it could only mean that she had been up all night while Ganondorf slept next to her. The silent room had been filled with the sound of his steady breathing.

In and out. Relaxed. Untroubled.

A peaceful sleep enjoyed by her companion while she endured restless hours of tossing and turning, though she dared not disturb him. Zelda could hardly stand to turn over and see him lying there in her bed without a care in the world. Her stomach clenched when he made any movement. She did not want him to wake. She did not want to face him after what happened. But there he lay, as if he belonged, and she had willingly let him come. Now she wanted him out.

So when the sound of frantic knocking on her door stirred the sleeping giant, Zelda froze and pretended to be in a sound slumber. The weight of the bed shifted drastically as Ganondorf stood up and Zelda's tense body relaxed, relieved that he was not next to her anymore. Yet there was an emptiness that creeped into her heart as Ganondorf stomped across the room. Part of her wished for him to come back and nearly regretted not enjoying his presence more.

Snap! Zelda's door was yanked open with all the force of an angry man whose rest with his lover had been interrupted.

"What?" He growled at the poor offender. Zelda, still feigning sleep, imagined a cowering creature standing before the fuming King of Evil. Words whispered in a language that she could not understand passed between the two.

"What!" Ganondorf barked again, though this time it was not an irritated question. It was an exclamation. Zelda could hear disbelief in his voice. Something was wrong. Cautiously, Zelda allowed her eyes to open ever so slightly. In the flurry of activity that followed as Ganondorf frantically pulled on his discarded shirt and pieces of armor, Zelda watched and wondered what on earth happened. What news could the Twilight being have possibly brought that sent Ganondorf into such a frenzy? As curious as she might have been, Zelda refused to move an inch. Once fully dressed, Ganondorf turned around and Zelda squeezed her eyes shut even tighter than they had been before.

His footsteps moved closer to where she was lying. Zelda would have willed her lungs to stop breathing air in an effort to seem as lifeless as possible.He stopped right beside her. His presence was powerful, agitated, and overwhelming to her frayed nerves. She hear him sigh deeply, sadly, and Zelda wanted to embrace him as much as she wanted the bed to swallow her whole.

Lips softly kissed her cheeks and Zelda fought the urge to flinch. Warm breath lingered on her skin and he spoke gently into her ear.

"You're too old to play pretend, Zelda."

With that, Ganondorf turned around and Zelda listened intently to his retreating footsteps, her heart pounding madly inside her chest. Of course he would not be fooled by her play-acting. Ganondorf would see right through her weak attempt. He always could. Now it was obvious to him that she was trying to avoid him and the situation. His sad sigh revealed his feelings about her antics.

Yet as soon as the latch clicked on the door, Zelda shot up in the bed. Her body felt weak from the sudden release of the pent up tension she had been holding for hours on end. She took in a deep breath and let out an exhale that was somewhere between a laugh and cry. Whatever Ganondorf's feelings were at the moment, she could not care. She could not let herself care about them anymore. Having too much concern for his feelings was exactly what got her into this mess in the first place.