Written in Blood

XIX . Under the queen's command

My eyes feel heavy when I open them, and for a second I don't remember where I am. Light is filtering down through the rafters and the roof above, and that's when I notice the smell of hay.

It coats the place, which explains why my back feels like it's on pins and needles.

Everything about yesterday comes back to me as I start to sit up, the pain bringing me to speed. There was a battle yesterday. I got hurt. I'm kicked out of the military. And maybe, possibly, hopefully not, something is off with the Gorons.

"You're still in here farm boy?"

Huh? My mind is slow and heavy and I'm pretty sure I'm still half-asleep. The light seems extra bright and I takes longer than it should to focus on the annoyed face in front of me.

"Good to see you too, princess."

Her annoyed face just intensifies, with narrowed eyes and a scowl. I swear... she frowns too much. It's also astounding how I've been awake for only a few minutes and I've already visibly irritated someone today. It's a gift from the goddesses themselves, obviously.

Zelda still looks exhausted, even more, which is almost annoying. Fine. It's really annoying. She's the one who slept on an actual bed last night, I had a pile of hay. Is she even trying to sleep? I have no idea. Why do I care?

"By the way... what are you doing here exactly?"

After not seeing her for awhile, all this contact with her has been more than a little strange. It's weird.

"Oh, well I talked to the general last night about your removal from the army."

I perk up immediately at that, sitting up with the hay sticking to my shirt.

Zelda sighs, her annoyed expression disappears, replaced with a serious one.

"Even though I asked him to give you a second chance, he denied my request. So, I've decided-"

"Are you going to let me leave?" I blurt out, I know she told me no last night, but maybe she thought about it some more. Maybe she realized how psychotic and unreasonable she was being in demanding I stay here. I had somewhat of a purpose to stay before, my place as a soldier, but I've been kicked out. There's nothing holding me here, except I suppose my girlfriend. And still... I could always visit her if I lived back in the woods.

The irritated face returns, and she already looked exhausted by life itself.

"No. I already told you my answer." Her voice drops to almost a growl, with a predatory glint in her eye. Geez... why does she do this? It's unnerving, and I'm starting to think we really will destroy each other. Zelda would start it though, even though I'm harmless. For the most part. Actually, I don't know. But she isn't as innocent in my eyes. Not only did she turn back the clock, erasing everything I had fought to achieve. I had built myself into a hero, and she had reduced me to a nobody not-kokiri boy again. And there's more than that.

"Then what are you going to do with me? There's no purpose keeping me here." I retort, my anger sweeps through my words.

It's just so frustrating... it's like Zelda thinks she owns me, like I'm obligated to follow her every command. I know she may be a queen now, but I should have a right to my life of isolation. I'm done being her pawn. That's what landed me in this mess with her in the first place. I had put trust in her and her plan to stop Ganondorf and where did that get me? Down a hole with doom hanging over my head. It may not have directly been her fault, but she'd turned me back into nothing. I'd fought for her. That's the most infuriating part about it. He must've loved her very much, he wanted to help her and he would've done anything. He went into volcanoes and through deserts for her. And at the end of it all... at the end of that two act battle, she reset it all. I'm never forgiving her that.