Blood Moon: A Story Before the Calamity

Chapter 15

     Zelda woke in her bed. A stream of golden sunlight was caressing her face, making her feel safe and warm. She was still in the blissful place between sleep and wakefulness when the events of last night flooded the peace and she sat up sharply, breathing quick and panicked. 

     Hyliadamnt!

     The noble, whoever it was that saved her, and how she ended up back in her room. She brought her hands up to her chest, as if to protect her privacy against an invisible enemy, and tried to remember everything she could about last night. Tattered pieces of sentences and blurs of colors came back, but no specific faces, no clear words.

     Suddenly a name came back, a name that made colour creep up to her cheeks.

     Of course. Of course it was Link who saved me. 

     When will I ever stop owing him?

     She thought for a moment, weighting different options, then decided she wouldn't run from what happened any more. She would pluck up her courage and go talk to Link. 

     His door was closed. Zelda took a deep breath and softly knocked. Link opened it quietly and before Zelda could say anything, he put a slender finger to his lips. He glanced at the window and Zelda followed his gaze.

      A tiny, fluffy bird was hopping on the windowsill, shaking its sun-bathed wings and pecking at the small pile of seeds Link had obviously provided. It was looking slightly agitated from the noise at the door, but Link walked over and kneeled down, very gently stroking the spine of the little animal. Somehow, incredibly, the bird relaxed, fluffing its feathers with great dignity and continued exploring the windowsill, squeaking and twittering. 

     This was the first time Zelda had ever seen Link smile. Although it was tiny, hardly noticeable, it made him look younger, more natural, like a seventeen year old boy rather than a knight with the entire kingdom on his shoulders. It lit up his face, shone through his mask of emotionless silence like a mini sun wrapped in cloth.

     "Princess? Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?"

     Zelda started, torn away from the scene of peace to a subject of pain.

     "..." How to begin? Luckily, Link spared her the awkwardness of searching for words.

     "Last night." It wasn't a question. Link's bluntness took Zelda by surprise.

     "So it was you."

     "Yes."

     "How did you find me?" Zelda's heart started pounding. Link had seen her completely vulnerable, in a moment of weakness. Did she mind that it was Link specifically? Well...

     "I was on watch nearby. I heard you scream and thought the worst. In fact, what was happening to you was worse than worst."

     Zelda looked down. Link went back to the bird, who was now hopping on his palm.

     "I hate these balls!" Zelda burst out, unable to keep in her anger any more. "I hate how these nobles care only for the throne and my beauty! I hate wearing dresses that show too much skin for comfort! I hate how my father want me to find one of these snooty, selfish, disgusting men who are so privileged they probably never had to walk more than ten steps in their lives! I hate how they think they deserve everything handed to them as a birthright! Their pure-blood makes them unbearable! But, of course, it's my responsibility to marry, isn't it? Just like my praying! And look how much I progressed over that!"

     Link was quiet for a while. The bird in his palm was settling down, closing its beady black eyes in relaxation, basking in the pool of sun flowing in from the window, thrown wide open.