A Hidden Kindness

2813 words

The sky was overrun with black clouds that cast Hyrule Field in a gray haze. A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder rolled over the land like a deep, rumbling laugh. Zelda watched from the throne room window as the unnatural storm rolled in.

The throne room door flung inward with a heavy gust of wind and the room was plunged into darkness. A large form loomed in the doorway. The only light came from the Triforce where it gleamed in the darkness from the figure’s hand. The figure’s golden eyes gleamed in triumph as the power of the Triforce plunged Hyrule into eternal darkness.

Zelda woke from the dream with a start. She breathed heavily as the adrenaline rush faded.

“Princess?” Link poked his head in the doorway. ’Princess Zelda? Are you alright?” he stepped inside and closed the door as he rubbed his eyes. “You were calling to me in my dream… I thought you might be in danger.”

“Oh… Link… I’m sorry, I had a terrible nightmare…” she ran her fingers through her hair and gave him a gentle smile. “I’m alright. I’ll be down in a little bit for breakfast,” she said. She dismissed him with a wave. Link hesitated, but bowed and left her.

~ VAATISPURPLEBUTTVAATISPURPLEBUTTVAATISPURPLEBUTT ~

Zelda sat down at the table, still trying to figure out what her dream could mean. Link was already there. He kept moving closer to Zelda as if his presence alone could banish her darker thoughts. They were joined shortly by Sheik, who sat down across from Zelda. He noticed his sister’s silence and set down his fork.

“What is troubling you, Zelda?” he asked.

“Oh… Just a bad dream…” she sighed.

“Dream?” Sheik asked. Kaikoura walked into the room, still in her pajamas, and sat down next to Sheik.

“We’re talking about dreams?” Kaikoura asked tiredly. “Last night in my dream, Link and Zelda swapped clothes and Rabia summoned up a demon and I worked at Hut Discount!” she said. Zelda giggled.

“You always have the funniest dreams,” she said. The mood at the table lightened considerably. A disgruntled looking Rabia joined them a few minutes later. “Oh, Rabia, did you not sleep well?”

“The bed was comfy - I just kept waking up from weird dreams,” Rabia plopped down next to Kaikoura and stifled a yawn.

“Another weird dream?” Zelda asked. “Hmm… I bet we’re all on edge from that visit from King Ganondorf” she said. The others agreed, and brushed it off. They chatted amicably as they ate, until finally their plates were clean.

“Alright, well, I have to go to Castle Town Market,” Rabia sighed and stood. “Sorry I can’t stick around and help decorate. I’ll see you all later at Zelda’s birthday party.” She waved and left while her friends called their goodbyes.

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Rabia hummed to herself as she browsed the selection in the shop. She wasn’t sure how much Dreamless Sleep potion she needed, so she picked up the medium sized bottle and headed towards the counter. She passed by a shelf of used books and stopped to browse. She didn’t need any books, but one still caught her eye. It was leather-bound and rather battered, with gold-edged pages. Rabia picked it up curiously, then shrugged and purchased it with the potion. She had just stepped outside when she bumped into a huge chest and nearly fell back on her butt.

“Ah! Sorry!” she said. She looked up at the person she bumped into and her eyes widened. “Oh… King Ganondorf…” she laughed nervously. “Sorry about that…” He was even more intimidating from this point of view.

“Hello, Rabia.” Ganondorf pulled her to her feet and dusted her off. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, um… yes, I’m fine,” she said. “I… I have to get going. Nice seeing you again.” Rabia bit her lip and started walking away.

“Rabia!” Ganondorf caught her arm and she tensed. “Will I be seeing you at Zelda’s birthday party tonight?” he asked.

“Y-Yes,” she stuttered. “I’ll be at her party. I really have to go…” She pulled her arm away and let out a breath when he let go of her.

“Wait,” he said. Rabia paused, tense and ready to run. “Why have I never met you before?” he asked. She blinked and all tension left her as she turned back to face him.

“I don’t understand. Why would we have met?” Rabia asked with a head tilt. Ganondorf blinked.

“Aren’t you…? Never mind,” he shook his head. “I will see you tonight,” he said. Rabia chewed her lip, then nodded and hurried off.

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Hours passed and Zelda’s birthday party drew nearer. The servants had finished decorating the ballroom and now the caterers and the musicians were setting up. Rabia adjusted the height of her music stand and placed the sheet music down in the correct order.

“Hey, Cecil? Do you have a tuner on you?” She turned to the blond guitarist behind her. He had his back to her as he plugged in some cables. He tossed a tuner behind his back in her general direction without looking up from what he was doing. Rabia attempted to catch it and got a hold of it before it hit the ground. “…Thanks,” she said. She adjusted the head joint of her flute and lifted the instrument to her lips to tune when a shadow loomed over her. “GAH!” She was met with a pair of amber eyes staring down at her. Cecil was too busy adjusting a cable on his amplifier to turn and see what Rabia had yelled about.

“A Powell 2100? Nice.” Rabia growled in annoyance.

“Hello again, King Ganondorf,” she muttered, avoiding eye contact. He smiled at her.

“So, you’re a musician?” he questioned. Rabia went on with polishing and adjusting her instrument in silence. “Is that all silver, or are the keys silver plated?” She tilted her head to the side.

“Are you planning on stealing my flute?” she asked suspiciously. He paused before laughing. Rabia jumped and leaned toward Cecil, trying to get his attention.

“Did you steal it?” he asked. Rabia frowned.

“It was a graduation gift,” she said. She turned back to Cecil. “What are we playing first?”

“Liebermann’s Sonata for Flute and Guitar,” Cecil responded, without looking up. Rabia sighed.

“Right. I’m going to go find the bathroom. Excuse me.” She stood, grabbed her flute, and walked out. She knew she was being followed by the time she rounded the second corridor. She sighed in aggravation and wheeled around to face him. “What?! What do you want?!” He looked down at her, unfazed by her yelling.

“Who are your parents?” he asked. She blinked.

“My father is Saul and my mother is Petra. Was that it?”

“Adopted, I assume?”

“…No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. He shook his head.

“Have you ever noticed that you’re a little, you know… different than everyone else in Castle Town?” He pointed to her ears. “For one, your ears are short and round,” he pointed at his own ears, “Like mine.”

“And that’s relevant because…?”

“You realize that means you aren’t a Hylian, correct?”

“I don’t have time for this,” she growled, her eyes flashing. “Don’t you have a-a… harem to run?” She turned and stormed off, leaving him far behind. This time he did not follow.

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While Zelda was up in her bedroom getting ready, Kaikoura and Sheik were watching over things in the ballroom before the party started. They were currently supervising Cecil, who was trying to use his hairspray too close to the torches.

“Dad, you’re going to set the place on fire!” Kaikoura whispered. “Get away from the torches and go to the bathroom, or something!” She tried to shoo him out.

“Don’t be silly, Kaiky! The party is about to start. Now… Where is Rabia?” he asked, but the redhead was nowhere to be found. Zelda was just descending the stairs when Rabia rounded the corner.

“Rabia?” Zelda picked up her skirts and ran after her angry friend. “Rabia, what’s wrong? What happened?!” Zelda followed her into the ballroom. “I’ve never seen you this angry.”

“Ask King Ganondorf,” she snapped, heading over to her seat among the musicians. Zelda froze.

“What do you mean, ’ask King Ganondorf?’” she stuttered. “What happened?” But she got no answer, as the first guest had arrived and the musicians started to play. Zelda put on a pleasant face to greet her subjects. King Ganondorf was among the last to enter. Zelda cleared her throat uncomfortably, but kept her pleasant smile despite her suspicions.

“King Ganondorf… I wasn’t aware that you would be coming,” Zelda said. He bowed his head to her.

“I came to wish the Princess a wonderful eighteenth birthday,” he responded. “It looks as if everyone in Hyrule is here to celebrate your coming of age.”

“Yes.” Zelda smiled tightly. “They have. Now… what did you do to anger my friend so much?” He tilted his head to the side.

“I’m sorry, which friend did I upset?” he asked. Zelda rolled her eyes.

“The angry flutist,” she gestured to Rabia. “What did you do?” Ganondorf hesitated, then shrugged.

“I didn’t realize I offended her. I was only having a conversation with her about her flute.” Before she could respond, he had already walked off. She glared after him, and was immediately joined by Sheik and Kaikoura.

“What was that about?” Kaikoura asked between sips of her drink.

“He’s up to something,” Zelda said thoughtfully. She turned to Sheik. “Where’s Link? I need him to keep an eye on Ganondorf.”

“Link is guarding the doors. He saw Ganondorf come in and said he would be in soon,” Sheik answered. Zelda nodded uneasily.

“Alright… will you two keep an eye on him too?” Sheik nodded and Kaikoura groaned.

“Can’t we have the guards watch him? We never get to relax at these parties,” she sighed. Zelda ignored her and walked gracefully away to converse with other guests. Kaikoura grumbled and followed Sheik to a secluded spot closer to Ganondorf, who was conversing with another guest. They couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the man he was talking to seemed impressed. They kept an eye on him and were soon joined by Link.

“What’s going on? Did Zelda tell you guys anything?” Link asked. He frowned when he saw Ganondorf offer to dance with Zelda. “Look at him, he has to be up to something…” His frown deepened when she accepted. “I’ll be over there if you need me,” he whispered loudly to Sheik. Sheik nodded and Link made his way closer to Zelda and Ganondorf. Kaikoura sighed.

“I’m bored. Let’s go do something fun,” she said to Sheik. Sheik blinked at her.

“Zelda said to keep an eye on Ganondorf,” he stated.

“Link’s got it covered. Come on,” she followed him out of the ballroom, checking out his ass. Sheik noticed, but said nothing.

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“Thank you for the dance, Princess.” Ganondorf kissed her hand. Zelda nodded at him civilly, then hurried off to mingle with her subjects. “I know you’re there, Link,” Ganondorf said to a statue that had steadily been moving closer to him and Zelda. Link hesitated before showing himself. He stared the other man down for a moment. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you need to say?”

“Yeah. Stay away from Princess Zelda,” Link said harshly. “I know you’re planning something. I’ve got my eyes on you.”

“I’m not here for Zelda,” Ganondorf said with a smirk. “Get lost, fool.” Link glared at him suspiciously, but went to find Zelda. Ganondorf made his way over to the band. Rabia was just stepping away from the platform for her break. “Hello, again,” he said. Rabia sighed, but didn’t seemed surprised.

“King Ganondorf,” she nodded her head civilly. Rabia walked over to the table and got herself some water. “Dresses are the worst invention of all time,” she muttered, glaring down at the garment she was wearing.

“You look nice,” he stated, looking her up and down. Rabia raised an eyebrow at him and sipped her drink. He smiled.

“Dance with me,” he said, offering a hand to her. Rabia stared at him.

“Excuse me?” He grabbed her hand anyway and pulled her onto the dance floor.

“Dance with me,” he said as he pulled her closer.

“Okay, one, I can’t fucking dance. Two, I’m the clumsiest person you’ll ever meet so this is a terrible idea. Three, I don’t like you, so let me go.” Ganondorf laughed.

“You’re dancing now and you haven’t tripped yet,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, well… I still don’t like you,” she grumbled. He smiled at her but said nothing and continued his way out onto the dancefloor. They danced for the next few songs before he let her go and she returned to the band. A fellow band member raised an eyebrow at her.

“Who was that?” she questioned with a smile. Rabia sighed.

“Just a guy,” she said. Her friend grinned.

“A hot guy. I think he digs you,” she giggled. Rabia rolled her eyes and picked up her flute.

“We’re working, remember?” The other girl wrinkled her nose, but dropped it.

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The party wrapped up around 2 am. A few people were still lingering, including King Ganondorf, but most of Zelda’s guests had left. The musicians finished the last song and started packing up, talking quietly amongst themselves. Rabia put her music stand on the stand rack, scooped up her music folder and grabbed her flute case.

“Goodnight, guys…” she yawned. “I’m sure I’ll see you all soon,” she said. Her bandmates said their goodbyes as she headed out of the hall to the foyer. The guards were politely escorting the remaining guests outside. Ganondorf approached her before she could head upstairs.

“How about a trail ride Thursday afternoon?” he said to her. “There’s this beautiful, secret spot in the valley I could take you to.”

“Um…” Rabia bit her lip and glanced around for Zelda, but she was nowhere to be found. “Sure…” Ganondorf grinned.

“Great. I’ll meet you here then,” he said with a nod.

“Oh. Okay,” she said. She started heading upstairs.

“Goodnight,” he called to her. Rabia paused and turned to look back at him.

“…Goodnight, King Ganondorf,” she bowed her head and went upstairs.

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Rabia entered her guest room, changed into pajamas, and crawled into bed. Zelda was allowing Rabia and Kaikoura to spend another night in the castle. Zelda’s party had ended late and they’d be attending Sheik’s the next day. Rabia swallowed a mouthful of Dreamless Sleep potion. She settled back into her pillows and flipped open her new book.

The thin, fragile pages rustled as she flipped through them. Everything was printed in Latin, even the notes scribbled into the margins. She flipped back to the first page to see if there was a name, but there was a short passage scribbled there instead.

“Ego invoco Gideon. Te animiae mea ligo,” she read aloud, her eyebrows scrunched together. Unable to decipher more than a few words of the Latin, she shrugged and closed the book, then went to sleep.

~ VAATISPURPLEBUTTVAATISPURPLEBUTTVAATISPURPLEBUTT ~

“Gideon, you know I love you, but I’m married now. To the King! I can’t betray him or my people.” A young Gerudo woman was conversing with an agitated Hylian man in a breathtaking garden. His eyes were narrowed and his dark hair disheveled as he ran his fingers through it again. “I’ll always remember our time together, but I can’t see you anymore.”

“Angelique…” he caught her hand as she turned away.

“No, Gideon.” Gideon watched silently as Angelique walked away.

__

Gideon was sitting at his desk, holding a letter in a clenched fist and tossing back whiskey with his other hand. Rabia glanced over his shoulder at the letter.

Gideon,
My time here is short. I have fallen ill and there’s nothing the healers can do. Know that I’ll always love you, no matter what.
Love,
Angelique

__

Gideon was kneeling before a shadow-spirit with his head bowed.

“You would trade your soul for her life?” the creature asked with a grin. “That’s quite a price for one girl.”

“She’s not just a girl,” Gideon answered.

“I accept your offer.” The creature clasped hands with Gideon. As it pulled away, so did a long silvery thread. The creature pocketed the thread with a smug smile. Gideon’s skin faded to an ashy gray and his sapphire eyes hardened to ice. “I hope she was worth it.”

__

Gideon raced through Hyrule Field and into the desert fortress on horseback. Angelique was back on her throne in full health, sitting beside her husband.

“I did this for you!” Gideon roared. Angelique smirked.

“Then you are a fool.”

__

Rabia woke in a cold sweat with Gideon’s enraged screams and an echoing whisper of “te possideo” in her ears.