Zelink Short Stories - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Finding out you are with child is meant to be a precious moment filled with happy tears and hopes for the future and me being queen, it means I will be carrying on my line. But the child I conceived may not be the king's and rather the child of a royal guard. A high ranking officer I would never truly get to be with. I was forced into a loveless marriage by my father to a prince who only wanted power. He was eager to claim the throne after my father's sudden death. Too eager though I never had enough evidence to claim he had a hand in it. But I was stuck nonetheless with a man who only lusted for me and never truly loved me. The only one who did was my knight.
My knight knows the child may be his. My husband refused to sleep in the same bed with me, surely taking lovers of his own. I didn't see the problem lying with another man if he had women in his chambers on the nights he didn't want me. My knight, having access to all parts of the castle, would come to my chambers and make me feel loved in ways my husband refused to. And now as I near the birth of my child, I could be condemning him to death if the baby is his.
Blonde hair I could explain, my own mane being a bright yellow. But with my eyes green and my husband's brown, I wouldn't be able to reason if my child is born with blue eyes.
My labor has lasted hours with little to no progress being made. I have endured each painful wave with midwives at my side. They've made me walk, squat, sit in my tub, and rock on my hands and knees, trying everything they could but the baby just won't come. It was simply stuck.
"I can't do this anymore," I whimper, all the strength in my body having been used up. My husband was nowhere to be found, probably off with another mistress as we speak. But my knight was outside the door, keeping watch while listening to my wailing. He can't come in no matter how desperately I want him to. I know deep down that the baby is his. And I'm being punished for it.
"We're sorry Your Majesty," my head midwife says, an older and very experienced woman. She's been delivering babies since she was a young woman, helping the Royal family and other members of the court. Even she doesn't know how to get the baby to come.
"Isn't there something you can do?" The pains were unbearable, coming every thirty or so seconds and lasting even longer.
"May I feel your belly, Your Majesty?" I nod, unable to get any words out through the next pain. All I could do was grip my blanket until my knuckles turned white.
She places her hands low on my swollen belly and presses her fingers in gently, feeling the stubborn baby.
"I believe the little one is trying to come arse first," she says after a few moments of feeling. "It seems he flipped after I checked the first time."
"So it's not going to come out?" I wail. Babies were meant to come head down and it was in the beginning of my labor. I really am being punished.
"I can try to flip him but it won't be comfortable."
"Just do it!" It can't be worse than what I'm feeling right now.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She once again places her hands on my belly, her fingers digging in more this time to give her a grip on the child. She turns her arms and I feel the baby moving inside. The next pain drowns out any discomfort I'd feel from it.
She turns her hands one more time and it's almost like I feel a pop. She presses on my belly once more and smiles.
"Head down like he should be." The smallest flicker of relief burns in my chest.
"Thank you," I say breathlessly. "Thank you so much."
"Of course Your Majesty. Now let's get you up again."
As much as I wanted to lie here, I don't know better than my midwife. She helps me up and walks with me as I waddle around my large chambers. My belly is quite large, something my husband wasn't fond of. He said my weight gain wasn't feminine and I should eat less, essentially starving my body and unborn child. I refused of course, my baby being my only priority. He never loved me anyway and I didn't care if he liked my body or not. It's not his and there's another man who loves it despite my accentuated curves and stretched skin.
After walking and more uncomfortable squats, I feel a pressure between my legs and the undeniable urge to push. As exhausted as I am, I've been craving the relief of birth. I need to get it over with and see who the father is. If it's Link's like I think it is, I can only imagine the punishments. My husband would certainly order his execution and he could take my child away. I'd be the whore, a wife with no loyalty. It wouldn't matter that my husband takes mistresses almost every night. I wouldn't even doubt if he has already sired other children.
The next pain yanks me from my thoughts. I push even though I'm standing upright. I need this baby out.
"You need to get back in bed," my midwife says, trying to walk me back to my bed.
I shake my head. "I can't!" I push again, feeling a painful burning now. I'm going to have this baby right here standing up.
My midwives gather the supplies and kneel on the floor around me, prepared with blankets and warm water. One stays standing with me, letting me squeeze her hands.
The burning passes as the head is born. I gasp for breath, gathering my strength in the few seconds of calm.
"One more push!"
I cry out, pushing as hard as I can. I feel one shoulder, then the next and after that, the body. My midwives fall silent, the only sound in the room being my baby's first cry.
"What is it?" I ask, trying to turn around to see. "Is it a boy?"
My head midwife looks up from the screaming child. "It's a girl." Now my husband will be displeased even if she's his. He wanted a son.
"I want to hold her."
"Just one moment, Your Majesty." She cuts the cord and wraps her in a warm blanket before standing and I take my baby.
After one look, I understand their stunned silence. She's a replica of her father. The Royal Guard. She has his nose, his lips, the shape of his eyes. My husband will know she's not his blood the second he looks at her. He'll have Link hanged. He'll take her away from me. He'll lock me up in my room, only letting me out when necessary. I can't let that happen.
I deliver the afterbirth and my midwives clean up the blood and fluids. They stay silent. I feel horrible for putting them in such a situation. They could be punished for not telling my husband.
"I'll let His Majesty know," one of the younger midwives pipes up after mopping fluid from the floor.
"Not yet!" I say quickly. "I'm too tired for visitors at the moment and I'd actually like some alone time." They agree even though they know that's not the true reason for delaying news of the birth.
After they leave, I lay my baby on my bed and painfully walk to my large doors, trailing drops of blood behind me. Assuming the guards haven't changed, Link should be just outside.
I creak the door open and peek out, clearing my throat to get his attention when I see him. He looks around the halls before slipping into my room unnoticed.
I burst into tears. "She's yours!" I cover my mouth, trying to stifle my sobs. I don't know what to do now!
"It's a girl?"
"Yes!" I place my hand on my now empty belly, the pit of sorrow growing deeper each second.
He walks me back to bed without giving away his own emotions. He must be feeling as lost and scared as me. He's the father of a baby that shouldn't exist. We got reckless with our trysts, not being able to stay away on days that weren't safe. Now we were going to suffer the consequences.
He looks down at the small baby wrapped in a blanket. She's awake, staring back at us with bright blue eyes.
"I don't know what to do!" I sob. "He's going to know!"
"I'm sorry," he mutters, still staring at our child. He's not apologizing to me. He's apologizing to her. She's going to grow up a bastard without her real parents.
"What do we do?"
"I don't-" He doesn't get to finish. The doors to my chambers bang open and my furious husband strides in. It's too late now!
"What are you doing here?" he spits.
"I needed him to help me with something," I squeak, knowing my excuse isn't going to hold.
"Why didn't you tell me you had it? I saw your midwives leave. I made it clear I was to be told immediately!" I'm used to the scolding but Link tenses up. He flexes his fingers at his sides. The one person he can't protect me from is my husband.
"I was exhausted-"
"Keep your excuses to yourself!" He strides forward, my heart sinking deeper with each step. He's about to see.
He pulls back the blanket back and stares dumbfounded at the child he didn't make.
"You filthy whore," he scoffs. "I knew something wasn't right." He looks at us with murder in his eyes. "I knew you were fucking him!" He raises his hand to slap me and Link catches his wrist.
"Don't. Touch her," he growls.
"Link, don't-"
My husband yanks his hand free, amusement playing across his face. "It's quite alright. He's already going to hang. As for this bastard-"
I grab my baby and hold her close to my chest. "You can't take her! She's mine!" I won't let him take them both from me!
"But she's not mine!" Link steps in front when he tries to get closer to me. He's still trying to protect me. It's useless.
"Step aside," my husband hisses.
"You'll have to drag me away."
"That can be arranged. Guards!"
"No!" I shriek, grabbing Link's arm. "It was my fault! Don't punish him!" Guards rush into my room and my husband steps to the side to let them arrest my love.
"Arrest him," he says with a wave of his hand. "He's to be hanged for adultery."
Link kisses me hard just before the guards seize him. "It's going to be okay!" he calls to me as they drag him away. None of it is okay! He's the one person who loves me!
"NO!" I scream, our baby crying in my arms. "Don't leave me!"
"Hush!" my husband barks. He raises his hand again, slapping me now that Link can't stop him. I hardly feel it. The pain on my heart is too deep to feel anything else.
"DON'T HURT HER!" Link yells, fighting against the guards now. They punch him in the stomach, making him double over in pain. I clutch our baby tighter, the chasm in my heart swallowing me whole.
I sink to the floor when they take him away. He's going to die and there's nothing I can do about it. It's all my fault. I loved him first, I told him I wanted him. I undressed him first, desperate to know what it was like when it was done out of love. Now he's going to die because of my foolishness.
"Stop your crying," my husband says with disgust. "You humiliate me and yet you cry on the floor like a child."
"You took him away from me!" I shout. "I love him!"
"I am your husband and your king! You'll say no such things in front of me!"
"You don't love me! You never have!"
"And now I never will."
I hear the key turn in the lock after he leaves. He didn't take her away but he took away her father and my love. She's all I have now. And I'll love her with all my broken heart.
Six years later
"What did Papa look like?" Marin asks as I brush her long, honey-blonde hair.
"Well," I start, dragging the brush down. "He had your nose and your eyes. His hair was the same color as yours and he smiles through you." My heart aches as I answer the question she asks so often. "But he was also tall and strong. He was a noble swordsman, the best in the kingdom." He was the only man who loved me.
"What happened to him?" The grief is the same as if it happened yesterday.
"He passed away, little bird." I won't tell her he was murdered. Maybe when she's older and can handle the heartbreak but not now.
"I wish he didn't."
"Me too."
I finish getting her ready for bed. Most days, we stay locked away in my chambers. My husband claimed I fell ill after giving birth, both me and the child were too sickly to come out. In truth, she was a rambunctious girl, climbing up the bed posts and vanity at every opportunity. She wanted to be wild and free. But we were stuck in a prison, my heartless husband our captor. Still, it was just us and I told her everything about her real father. She knew every detail, so much so she would cry over the father she never got to meet. It breaks my heart to see her tears but I wouldn't allow her to grow up thinking she was the king's daughter. No, she was the knight's princess.
I take her hand as she hops from the chair she was standing on, her nightgown so long it nearly touches the floor. My husband never made the effort to ensure she had what she needed. I hemmed the dresses that didn't quite fit and it seems I missed this one.
She climbs onto the massive bed we share. Once she was big enough to sleep in a bed, I took her to sleep in mine. I wanted her to be close at all times, the fear of her being taken away was constant. I couldn't sleep if she wasn't hugged close to my body, something that's gotten more difficult as she's grown. She kicks like a wild girl in her sleep, dreaming about when she'll finally get to play outside. But she'll never get to. My husband has forbidden her from going anywhere she might be seen. He doesn't want his wife's sin on display.
She snuggles close to me like she does every night and I stroke her nose with my little finger.
"I love you my little bird," I whisper.
"I love you too Mama." Her eyes close despite her attempts at keeping them open. "I love Papa too."
"And he loved you."
My exhaustion from playing with her all day takes over. We did lessons first and then played all sorts of games she made up in her bright little mind. How I love it all but she does tire me.
She's still in my arms when I wake, her pink lips parted slightly. I love how peaceful she looks while sleeping.
It's still dark and I can't think of why I woke up. Then I feel a cool breeze on my neck. I didn't leave the balcony doors open, did I? She'll catch a cold.
I slowly take my arms away from her, gently so as to not wake my little princess. She simply rolls onto her back and smacks her pink lips a little. She's even more precious in her sleep.
I turn to my other side and freeze at the sight of the tall, hooded figure standing in my room. He's mid-step and freezes as well. He's not wearing any uniform I've seen of guards in the castle. He looks like an assassin with his dark clothes and weapon straps across his chest and a sword on his hip. One my husband would send to rid him of his wife and her bastard child.
I prop myself up on my arms, shielding my little girl.
"Who are you?" I demand in a rushed whisper.
I flinch when he raises his hands, thinking he's going for a weapon but instead, he pushes his hood back. I'd know him no matter how dark it was. It's my Link.
Without any hesitation, I run straight into his arms. The feeling of his strong arms around me was something I've dreamed of, only now I could tell he was stronger, his muscles bigger than before. How was it that he's here in the first place?
"Where were you?" I whisper, my voice breaking with tears as I stare into the eyes I've longed to admire. "You died. He killed you."
He shakes his head and I wipe away the tears on his face. "I escaped. He didn't tell you?" Escaped? This whole time he was alive. He's alive!
"He told me he hanged you." He described it to me. He said his neck didn't snap and he strangled to death. He burned that image into my mind to forever punish me. "I thought I lost you."
"I wanted to come sooner but he increased the security and put me on the top of the most wanted list. I would've come so much sooner." His voice cracks and I wipe more of his tears away, not bothering with mine. Mine are happy. I haven't had a happy tear in a long time.
He pulls me in for a frantic, long awaited kiss. My hands slide behind his neck and I feel how long his hair has gotten. It's in a ponytail now when it had been short and shaggy the last time I saw him. His bangs and sideburns are still the same, a small detail I always found attractive. With my body pressed against him, I sink into the safe closeness I'd been missing. What has he been doing for six years?
"Mama?"
We break our kiss at the small sound. He needs to meet her.
"It's okay little bird," I reassure her, leaving Link's safe arms to beckon her out of bed. "Come here baby."
She slides off the bed on her stomach before walking over, clutching my hand with her small fingers. She frowns at her father before her eyes light up in the dark. He crouches down to her height, admiring his little girl.
"You're Papa," she says, confident in herself.
"That's right. And what's your name?"
"Marin." She grins and sways her little body. "I'm six!" she adds, proud of the numbers she was learning today.
"I know you are, baby." He pushes her long locks behind her ear and I feel my heart begin to mend.
She lets go of my hand and places both of hers on his face. She studies him, tugging gently on his messy hair and poking his cheeks. She giggles while both of her parents cry. She doesn't understand how much we were hurting.
"Can you pick me up?" she asks next.
"Of course I can." He pulls her close, hugging her before standing, her small arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He sways a little while holding her, her bare feet dangling. This is the first time he's ever held her.
He looks more serious when he turns to me. "Pack your things."
"We're leaving?"
"I'm not going to leave you here any longer." My knight rescuing his loves from their lonely tower.
"Does that mean I get to go outside?" Marin asks, her eyes wide with excitement.
"You've never been outside?" She shakes her head. She doesn't understand that it's not normal for little girls like her to be trapped inside. "I'm going to get you a house with a field you can run in and woods you can explore. How does that sound?" She grins and drops her head back on his shoulder.
"Where are we going?" I ask. That's a big promise, one he can't keep here.
"I've been working at the docks. One of the captains is leaving tomorrow for another kingdom. I paid him to take us without asking any questions but he won't wait for us." Upon hearing the urgency in his voice, I move as quietly as possible through my room to collect our things.
The couple dresses I wear are modest now, nothing like the old ones I wore years ago. My husband didn't waste expensive materials on me anymore and he never gave my daughter anything a village girl wouldn't wear. We'll look common enough. The last thing I grab is her stuffed bunny a maid snuck in for me after her first birthday. She can't live without it.
"I think I have everything," I say, tying off the bag.
He nods before talking to our daughter on his way to the balcony. "Can you listen to me for a second baby?"
"Mhm."
"You're going to have to be really quiet. Me and Mama are going to be quiet too and one of us will carry you. And it's okay if you want to go to sleep on the horse."
"We're going to ride a horse?" she says a little too loudly. I strain my ears, listening for any sign she was heard. Nothing. Still, I grow anxious about our impending escape.
"Yes but you have to be excited quietly. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes Papa."
"Good." He kisses her cheek and sets her down. "Can you carry her and hold on to me at the same time?" he asks me.
"I think so." I'll do anything to get out of here.
"Okay then we should-"
"Wait!" I scurry over to my bed and pull off the wedding band I was forced to wear. As far as I'm concerned, he's not my husband. I set the ring down on my pillow before returning to my loves. I'm leaving it all behind. All I need is them.
Out on the balcony, Link has already tied a rope to the posts to carry us down. I look over the edge, nervous at the height. It's why I never tried to escape before. And where would we go? Most people outside of the castle had never seen me before so I wouldn't be recognized. But who would help a seemingly unmarried woman and her child?
"Just hold on tight," he reassures me and crouches down a little for us to get on his back. I'm glad our little girl is already a monkey. She holds on tight to me while I hold on to my knight.
He climbs over the edge and takes a hold of the rope, using his legs to drop us down. The wind whips through my hair and I hold on tighter to my loves. It'll be over soon. I'm running away with my knight, something I never thought I'd get to do. We'll start over with our little girl. It's going to be perfect.
We just have to get away first.
Link lowers us down using all his upper body strength. He grunts a little, his arms moving quickly as he grabs the rope and releases it, one hand over the other. The ground and my freedom get closer and closer.
"You're strong, Papa," Marin whispers once we're on the ground, our bare feet on the cold stone of the pathway. I forgot our slippers in my haste.
"Thank you but you need to be quiet, baby," he whispers back. She smiles with her finger pressed to her lips. She likes to play adventure and now we're going on a real one. I'm just grateful she doesn't know the true dangers of our escape.
I carry her on my back as Link leads us along the many paths around the castle. We avoid guards and stay in the dark. I don't bother to say goodbye to this place. It's been my prison ever since my mother died. It's cold and empty, full of nothing but heartbreak and drowned hopes. I'm moving towards my freedom. I'm more a mother than a queen. I can be a wife to someone who loves me. I hope my former husband stays bitter, trying to find his comfort in power. I almost feel bad that he's incapable of love. But it's the hell he deserves.
A strong, brown mare is waiting for us just outside the castle walls, tied to a tree and hidden behind thick bushes. She scrapes her hoof against the earth at the sight of her master and shakes her large head. Marin gasps excitedly and bounces on my back. She's always wanted to ride a horse.
I climb up first and Link lifts our daughter, handing her to me so she can sit in front. My love climbs up after so I'm sitting directly between his legs. He takes the reins as our daughter runs her fingers through the mares' thick mane, expressing her excitement quietly.
"Keep your heads down," Link whispers in my ear before clicking his tongue to urge his horse forward. This is the last part of our escape. All we have to do is get out of Castle Town and we'll be free. "Hold on tight." I wrap my arms tightly around my little princess. We're about to make a run for it.
Once we're on the main path, Link urges his horse into a full gallop, her hooves clattering on the stone. Then the yelling starts.
"Halt!" guards yell, approaching with their weapons drawn. Link only urges us faster, leaning forward and forcing me and Marin down.
"It's him!" He's a wanted man. He snuck in and rescued his loves right under their noses.
"Alert the king! He has the queen!" I'm a queen no longer. I want no part of this kingdom or the man ruling it. He wanted power, he can have it.
I feel the whoosh of an arrow as it whizzes by. I cover my baby with my body, shielding her from any harm. I feel her shake against me.
"It's okay baby," I say to her through the panic we've caused. "Papa knows what he's doing."
People have come out of their homes at the commotion, jumping out of the way as we barrel through the streets. Ahead of us, guards drag barriers out into the path to block us.
"Come on Epona," Link urges. "Come on girl." She speeds up, her head down as her strides widen. She's the fastest horse I've seen let alone ridden.
She charges at the barriers, the guards scattering when she doesn't slow down. I'm weightless when she launches over the obstacle, my body slamming back down when she lands.
"CLOSE THE GATES!"
The gates ahead of us begin to creep closed. It'll be over if we don't make it. The punishments will be much more severe this time. He won't underestimate Link again. He won't let me keep my little girl. He may kill me and she'll have no one. She'll be punished for something that wasn't her fault.
"Come on!" Link yells, urging his horse past her limits. More arrows fly by, narrowly missing us. I can't lose him again. I can't lose her. If I don't have them, I might as well be dead.
With one final push from his horse, we make it through the small gap and the gates slam shut behind us. I squeeze my baby tighter as relief washes over me. I kiss her hair, my tears falling onto her blonde locks. We'll get to show her what life is supposed to be.
After riding all night and well into the late morning, we make it to the busy docks. People here have never seen me before but that doesn't mean we don't get strange looks. A man dressed in dark clothes and a hood casting a shadow over his face, a thin woman worn from years of torment and a little girl with wide eyes, taking in everything she's never seen before. She hardly slept because she was so excited. She'll get to run barefoot through the grass soon enough and I'll join her.
We approach a large ship with men carrying supplies aboard. Link dismounts and walks in front with the reins, leading us towards the ramp. We get more strange looks, even scowls from the sailors. Marin doesn't notice. She's staring up the mast in awe.
"Hey!" a deep voice calls. "You never said anything about a horse. Get rid of it!"
"That's not happening," Link responds simply to the bearded man standing next to him. The captain I assume.
"I will not have a-" He's interrupted when Link drops a large sum of money into his hand. "She's welcome to stay." He shoves the money into his pocket and goes off to yell at some sailors.
My love helps me down after lifting his daughter off. She holds onto the hem of his dark tunic as she bounces on her toes.
"What kingdom are we going to?" I ask, taking in the Great Sea around me.
"Labrynna, my love." My smile widens into a grin. Labrynna is far. My husband, a former prince of Lorule, will never find us there. We'll get to live in peace, just the three of us.
"What's Labinna?"
He picks up our little girl. "It's where your fields and forests are."
"Are you going to stay with us?"
"Of course I am, baby." He leans in touching his forehead to hers. "I'll never leave you again, I promise."
"You can't break a promise, okay?"
"I would never break a promise," he smiles.
She hugs him tightly. "I wouldn't either." Her heart is mending like ours. She needed her father.
After changing into dresses more appropriate than our nightgowns, Link took her out onto the deck as we sailed the sea. He spun her around, making her shriek and giggle. He tossed her into the air, her hair blowing around her until he caught her again. She was a happy girl before and now her little heart is overflowing. What I would've traded to give her a better life. The last thing I expected was for Link to carry us towards it. All these years I thought he was gone. I relied on his daughter, what I thought was the last part of him. She was the only one keeping me going and now I have both of them. I'll never let them go.
I lean over the rail slightly to look at the deep blue water as the ship cuts through it. The wind whips through my long hair, blowing it across my face and I push it back, letting the sun shine on me for the first time in years. The air is fresh, full of seagull calls as they circle the sails. I've never felt so free. I'm free from my prison and my old life. I have a future to look forward to.
I stay by the railing until it's dark. As much as I wanted to catch up with my Link, our girl was meeting him for the first time. She deserved the day she spent with him and she deserves all the days that follow. She had to wait too long.
"I've never seen a woman on a ship before," an unfamiliar voice says, startling me as I was gazing over at the water looking for dolphins. The man speaking to me has stubble over his face and his clothes are stained with sweat. I take a small step away.
"No need to act shy," he says. "I was just curious about why you're here."
"I am merely seeking passage," I say, hoping it'll end the conversation.
He rests his elbow on the rail. "Running away from something?"
It feels as though he's looking right through me. "What makes you think I'm running away? Maybe I'm running towards something."
He shrugs. "Just a pretty girl like you usually has a husband by now. And seeing as you're unmarried..." He reaches for my left hand and just before I can pull it away, the flat of a sword is pressed onto the back of his hand. Following the sword to its owner, I find Link holding our sleepy daughter with a look of pure anger.
"If you so much as lay a finger on her," he growls. "I'll cut your hand off and shove it down your throat."
"Get him, Papa," Marin says before yawning.
"I wasn't doin noth-" the sailor tries to defend himself.
"I don't care what you were doing. Unless you want it to be your head, I suggest you never talk to her again." It seems his old knight habits have stuck with him. He would threaten people for looking at me the wrong way.
The sailor scurries away, muttering something about letting a crazy man aboard. Link resheaths his sword and holds his hand out for me to take, leading us down to the quarters.
We have one bed for the three of us to share. I don't mind; I want to be as close to them as possible.
Marin climbs in after me, curling up against my body. Link lays down after, struggling to fit his large body in the space left. He ends up pulling both of us on top of him. I don't mind sleeping like this. He never stayed for a full night all those years ago. We'd make love and he'd stay for an hour or so, kissing me and telling me how much he loved me. Then he'd slip out, leaving me anticipating the next night he'd come back. Now I get to have him all night.
"How did you stay hidden for so long?" I whisper once I feel Marin's steady breathing, telling me she's already slipped into a deep sleep.
"They didn't know where to look. And nothing was going to keep me from seeing you again." I remember watching him be dragged from my room, an image I've replayed in my head a thousand times. I thought he was gone. I thought I was never going to see him again.
"I told her about you ever since the first day. I wanted her to know who you were. And she asked me about you everyday. She used to ask when you were going to come back-" My words catch in my throat. It was awful listening to my little girl begging for her father to come home. I had to tell her so many times he was gone, that she'd never get to meet him, he'd never kiss her cheek or toss her into the air. I told her she'd have to live without him and my heart cracked each time.
"She was about four the first time she asked. I had just given her a bath and I was describing your voice and she interrupted me, asking when you were going to come see her. I had to tell her you were gone." The tears come now. "She cried for hours. She didn't understand."
He rubs the small of my back, comforting me. "I'm so sorry. I tried to come sooner. I never wanted to leave you there but I had no choice. I had a bounty on my head and everyone was looking for me. I had to stay hidden and I almost got caught a few times."
"You did?" Had he been recaught, I never would've known. He would've died with me thinking he was already dead.
"I was only focused on getting back to you. I've done things I'm not proud of but I had to get back to you." He was trying that whole time. And I thought he was already in the ground.
"I missed you so much," I whimper.
"I missed you too." He kisses the top of my head. "And I love you."
"I love you."
After weeks at sea and days at an inn, Link bought us a home, one with land like he promised. There was a deep pond as well and it was all secluded, away from the eyes of everyone else. And it was ours.
I play with my new ring as we ride up the dusty, winding path through the trees. It was the first thing we did when we arrived in this kingdom. We didn't want to draw attention being an unmarried couple with a child and it's something we dreamed of. It was only a wedding with us and witnesses but it was perfect. As for my past husband, rumors had reached us that I was kidnapped by a crazy man who then delivered my head on the castle steps. They all thought I was dead and he had already remarried. I am finally free from him.
My little princess points out every bug, flower, and animal, eager to run and play once we get there. She's wearing her new dress that Link bought her. It fits perfectly and falls just above her ankles. He bought her pants and shirts as well so she could run wild and climb trees.
The house comes into view and I smile wide at it. It has plastered walls with dark wood supports and a crooked chimney. There's a small stable attached to the side, big enough for a couple horses and it has a well and the pond he told me about. It's perfect.
"There's cuccos!" Marin points out and sure enough, there are three white birds clucking and picking at the ground.
"You got cuccos?" I ask as our daughter babbles on about the farm animals.
"They came with the house."
"Oh they did, didn't they?" I don't care if that's true or not. They're making our princess happy and that's what matters.
He helps us down and Marin runs straight for the cuccos. She scoops one up and hugs it.
"I love you, cucco," she says and kisses the bird's small head. This is the life I wanted for her. She can play outside and hug as many cuccos as she wants.
"Come on baby," Link says. "I have something else to show you."
He opens the door for us, revealing the cozy interior. Specks of dust float in the air and sunlight pours in from the windows. There's an old table in the middle with a wooden rack hanging above it and a small kitchen off to the side. A narrow set of stairs sits next to the door, leading up to the bedrooms. It's perfect.
Link steps out into the room, pulling me along with him. "I know it needs some work, but I'll have it cleaned up in no time-"
"It's perfect," I interrupt him. "I love it."
His smile widens. "You do?"
I nod, leaning in closer. He kisses me softly and I fall deeper in love. He saved us from our prison and got us a home. It may be a little run down but we'll fill it with love.
"Mama!" my little bird yells. "There's a puppy!" She gasps. "There's a kitten!"
"Did they come with the house too?" I ask my loving husband.
"I might have gone out to get them." He kisses me again as our baby plays with her new pets.
She took her kitten and puppy outside to play and they followed her around the yard, sniffing the cuccos and taking naps in the sun. She climbed the massive tree in the front of our house without help, jumping down into her father's arms when it was time for dinner. He cooked for us and our baby got the seconds she'd always ask for. She was fed at the castle but never full. Tonight, she ate until her belly poked out.
I gave her a bath, washing away the dirt on her feet knowing I'd be doing this again tomorrow night. Once she was dry and dressed, she walked herself to her new room and snuggled under the blankets while we kissed her head and told her we love her. She was asleep in seconds with her puppy and kitten curled up on top of her blanket.
Our room is next to hers and I change into my nightgown while he changes out of his work clothes. This is our first moment alone since he came to get us.
"Link." I turn around and find him already reaching out to pull me to him. He catches me in a passionate kiss and I tug at the hair on his neck. I stop only for a second to push up the shirt he just put on. I thought he was strong before but he was even more so now. He had grown out of any boyish characteristics and he even grew a little taller in our time apart. If it were possible, I'd say he was more handsome than before.
He gently pushes me down on our bed and holds himself up with one arm, his other hand resting at my waist. I finally regained the weight I'd lost after Marin was born. After she got a little older, I gave her most of my food to try to fill her hungry belly. My once plump cheeks had hollowed and my ribs were visible, my body starved for food and love. And now I have both and my body is healing along with my heart.
We break our kiss and he smiles a little, his blue eyes full of unconditional love. "Do you want to?" I nod. I couldn't keep my hands off him then and I certainly couldn't keep them off him now.
I pull up my nightgown while he unties his pants and adjusts them out of the way. I hug around his neck, tensing up a little when he pushes into me. It's been a long time and I've had a baby since then.
"Are you okay?" he asks, looking into my eyes again. "We can wait-"
I shake my head. "No, I want you. I've waited too long."
"I'll go slow." He kisses me again as he starts to move. We don't have to rush now in fear we'll get caught. I'm completely his now and he doesn't have to share me with that man who I was only a toy for. To Link, I'm his companion, his wife and mother of his child. He makes me feel more a queen than my crown did.
"I love you so much," he breathes. "I never wanted to leave you."
"It's okay." I push his hair out of his face. "We're all together now." He's apologized too many times for something that wasn't his fault. He was taken from us, forced to stay away but he came back.
I hug him back to me. "I love you Link."
He lays at my side after we make love and I cuddle up against him. It's strange not having Marin in my arms but she was excited about her big girl bed and I don't want to burden her with my heartbreak anymore. Everything is perfect now.
"Link?"
"Hm?"
"I was thinking..."
"What were you thinking, baby?"
"Well I know we only just got here today but I suppose I was wondering if...if you'd want to try for another baby."
He smiles. "Let's fill the house with babies," he jokes.
"So yes?"
"Obviously it's yes." He presses his forehead to mine. "And I'll be here the entire time. I'll take care of you and give you as many babies as your heart desires."
"I want twelve," I say matter of factly, continuing his joke of filling the house with babies.
"I'll do you one better. Thirteen."
"Where would we fit them?" I laugh.
"I'll build bunk beds that they'll share and a bigger table. They could play outside all day."
"Are you going to help me bathe thirteen dirty children?" I ask, still giggling over our house full of babies fantasy.
"Sure I will," he grins. "I'll toss them into the pond." I roll my eyes and kiss him. I'm sure he'll throw them into the pond anyway.
"How about we have four."
He kisses me. "How-about-four-more," he says in between kisses. I can hardly return his kisses through my laughter.
"Five babies?" I giggle, kissing him again. I think Marin would enjoy having siblings to play with.
"Mhm." He strokes my cheek and I notice a small flicker of sadness in his eyes. "I won't miss any of it this time." He wasn't there when she first showed me her smile. He didn't get to experience the joy when she first moved her chubby legs on her own. He didn't get to hear her turn her babbles into 'mama'. He missed it all.
And he wasn't there when she cried for him.
"We both missed you as much as you missed us. But we're together now, away from it all. Let's not dwell on the past and focus on our future."
"God I love you," he says before kissing me again, not breaking it this time. I kiss him back, letting all my pain melt away under his lips. I'll never have to be in pain again.