She Bears A Triforce

A/N Fist and foremost, thanks to the one person who has enough nerve to reveiw. *HUGS* You and people like you are my muse! To the other 185 people who didn't review: YOU ALL SUCK! *ahen* Now that I've sufficiently woken you all up, shall we get on with the story?


Chapter 3


“Okay, your turn.” Aurea said over her bowl of potato soup.

“How old are you?” Link asked, knowing the risks. He bit down on a sizable chunk of meatloaf while he waited the entire two seconds before her answer. They were both enjoying having dinner together in the kitchen, even though Aurea had insisted he would get in her way, and he insisted he wouldn’t. Link had spent the afternoon in the market, bargaining with a merchant he did business with. Considering where the young man normally lived, and his fine skills, he was more than sufficient at hunting and trapping. The skins and pelts he sold to the merchant brought in plenty of rupees for him to live one, especially since most of his income came from finding a few rupees where his fallen prey usually lay. And when he got back and the scents of tempting foods tied a bow around his nose, he felt less inclined to dine near the regular thickheads tonight. So here he was, eating another excellent meal and engaging in a game he’d never heard of anywhere. But as odd as it was, Link had to admit it was fun in its way; which was to say, it was fun because Aurea blushed and looked annoyed every now and then from his less than gentlemanly questions.

“It’s improper to ask a lady her age; you know it.” She could not have put on a better façade of being prim and proper.

“Since when were you a lady?” he smirked over the edge of his cup of wine.

“Hey watch it wise-guy. I cooked your dinner remember?”

“After I paid for it.” Link retorted.

“That doesn’t keep me from doctoring it.” She said with a wicked grin. At this, Link’s face went pale and serious and he looked suspiciously down at his food. Aurea burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding!” It was hard not to laugh at the look on his face. “And anyway I’m still young enough that I don’t care what people think of my age.”

“Well then?” He still looked a bit ashen-faced, earning another giggle from her.

“I’m nineteen, going on twenty.” She said easily, taking another bite of her soup. Link’s pale blue glass eyes stared at her, his mouth hanging open, a lump of hot mashed potato sitting patiently on his fork just in front of his mouth.

“You’re kidding.” His voice sounded quite amazed at the idea.

“I know, I seem older.” She said with a wry kind of smile now.

“Um, well no, it’s just …” his voiced trailed off once he’d found himself unable to straighten out his words. If he tried to speak now, he’d most likely end up with a bowl of hot potato soup over his head. However, the young woman across from him chose to laugh, thank the goddesses.

“It’s funny, but I hear that from everyone.” She said, deeply amused. “Once when I was sixteen, this guy thought I was twenty-four.” Link’s arched expression sent Aurea into another fit of muffled laughter.

“So, what happened?” He asked once he’d recovered from the shock.

“He took off like a bat outta hell knowing he was hitting on a minor!” she nearly choked on her own laughter. And link could clearly see a tear forming at the corner of one of her eyes from such mirth. Once she managed to control herself, she took a drink of her water, and heaved a contented sigh. “My turn.” She had to think for a moment, so Link just took another long sip of his wine. “Do you have a girlfriend?” Link snorted into his cup, before glancing up at her, looking more than a little like a grinning fiend.

“I…No, I never really have.” He was about to say he ‘used to have a girlfriend.’ But if he was being honest with himself, he and the Princess had never really been more than very close friends. The question had stung a bit, but he was determined not to let Aurea know that. “My turn.” His lips curved to where he looked a tad too sinister for him. “Are you a virgin?”

Aurea choked on her water so badly that she was coughing for a few minutes. “Went down the wrong tube.” She wheezed slightly. Link wisely kept his mouth shut, fearing that if he didn’t, he’d pull all the muscles in his stomach from laughing. But as things currently stood, he might’ve cracked a few ribs anyway. “Well first you have to understand,” Link picked up his for and put another bite of meatloaf in his mouth. “Where I’m from, most women my age gave up virginity somewhere in the previous four or five years.” Link choked hard and found himself unable to breath. In a second Aura was beside him and her hand THWACKed his back so hard that the blockage came flying out, sailed through the air and nailed the bartender squarely in the eye just as he was walking in the swinging door. With the half-chewed lump of beef in his eye, he stumbled over backwards and out again, the door swinging neatly shut. Doing her best not to die of laughter, because the situation was actually kind of serious, Aurea handed Link her glass of water and went out to see if her employer were still alive. Link took one sip of the water and made a face. So he switched back to his win instead, only to find that there was only really one good gulp left. Aurea meanwhile was waving a hand in front of the bartender’s face, having cleared off the offending bit of Link’s dinner. “Hello?” she said a few times trying to get a response, while checking for a pulse with her other hand. Presently the man’s eyes blinked balefully and he sat up. “You okay?” she asked him, sounding far more general than concerned.

“I’m fine, quit fussing woman.” He said gruffly, since a few of the men were staring at them. He then received a sharp smack to the side of his head.

“I have a name; Use it.” She said in a cold biting voice. And with that, she stood, turned on her heal, and went back into the kitchen. Link was sitting there, now with a bottle of wine open, taking gulps out of that rather than pouring any out into his cup. Aurea noticed there was also a plate of grapes beside him; a few of the tangled stems were devoid of fruit. “Are you just trying to get smashed?” she asked sitting in her place across from him again.

“You didn’t answer my question.” He said and though he was still sitting up straight, he already seemed a little inebriated to Aurea. She sighed and shook her head, feeling it wouldn’t kill her to tell him the truth.

“Well I told you most women my age aren’t virgins anymore.” She gave a pause for dramatic effect, and Link’s somewhat hazed eyes looked expectant. “But I’m not most women.” She finished with a satisfied smile.

“So,” He lifted the open bottle to his lips again. “You’re still, I mean, you’ve never-?”

“No, I’ve never slept with a man; Jeez!” she said, exasperated that he was making her say what was more or less common knowledge. At least from her point of view it should have been common knowledge. Link propped an arm on the table resting his chin in that hand, and gazed shamelessly at her.

And finally, Aurea was discomposed enough to ask, “What?”

“You’re just really pretty.” He said, still giving her that same look.

Aurea blinked. “Now I know you’re drunk.” She said, and he laughed at that. “I’m gonna go sing in a few minutes.” She said, and her expression was gentler now. “Wanna come watch?”

“Yeah...” Link said getting to his feet more steadily than she’d have guessed him capable right now. Maybe he really wasn’t drunk? Or else he was just a sober sort of drunk, who knows? They went out together and separated at the stairs. Link went to find a place to sit while she dashed up the steps and disappeared. He briefly wondered why she went up there, but didn’t have much time to ponder on it before something else literally grabbed his attention. One of the local harlots had taken the opportunity to use his lap as a seat for her rather bony behind. Link winced slightly with the feeling of his thighbones being dented.

“Hi there hottie.” She giggled in his ear, and the sickeningly sweet smell of too much perfume nearly made him gag. “Feelin’ lonely?” She said not really giving room for an answer as she walked her fingers up his chest. “I know I am.” She purred.

“I’m a loner.” Link said uninterested, using his hands to lean her away by the shoulders, hoping she’d get the message.

“Oh c’mon.” She whined, wrapping one arm snake-like around his neck and picking up the wine-bottle with the other. The little painted hussy dragged her tongue around over the opening, watching her prey the whole time and finally moving her thumb over the opening. Link’s face now looked more annoyed and excited.

“Look, would you just…” But he trailed off at the uproar of male hooting and hollering. Looking around, Link quickly found what the noise was all about. There was Aurea sitting on the end of the piano, presently with her back to the audience. It was hard to see what she was wearing in this like, but whatever it was, it looked rather dark, maybe black, and made of something that cast a dull shine, like velvet.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Came the bartender’s voice. “Miss Sazonia in an act, of desperation.” The music had already started while he was speaking and for the moment, the audience was quiet, waiting for the silvery feminine tones.

“My sister and I had an act that couldn’t flop.” She turned slowly to peek over one shoulder at the audience. “My sister and I were headed straight for the top.” Now she faced them fully and the long legs, bare from the knees to the ankles could be seen, sitting poised and exposed from the part in the cloak or whatever it was that she was wearing. “My sister and I earned a bow, a week at least.” She winked playfully. “Oh yeah, But my sister is now unfortunately deceased.” A low ripple of laughter came with the jokingly light tones of the piano. “I know it’s sad of course, but a fact, is still a fact.” Anyone could pick up on the theatrically pained expression on her fair face, so naturally that got a few laughs too.

Link was finding it difficult to watch because the one whore was still in his lap, edging this way and that trying to get him aroused, and preferably to notice her, not the singing kitchen girl. “And now all that remains, of a perfect, double, act.” A rap of the piano keys punctuated each of the last few words and then she had slid gracefully to the wood floor again. “Watch this!” This part was not sung but rather spoken with great enthusiasm and her audience was more than willing to let themselves be drawn in. “Now you have to imagine it with two people!” She said placing her arms just so, so that the covering she wore slid easily off. “It’s swell with two people!” She was revealed to be wearing the very oddest kind of dress anyone in Hyrule had ever seen. It was mostly of blues and whites, with a very short navy-blue skirt with a thin grayish belt. But coming down past that was a large ruffle of fabric that seemed to be attached to the left side of the top, or shirt, or whatever it was. The stuff covering her upper body looked as though it somehow closed in the front, because they had all seen that the back was solid fabric. The base color of this was a richer, more royal blue with some odd white ruffles over the front and lower edges that almost looked like flowers of some kind. And for some odd reason she was also wearing some read ribbon that laced up to her upper arms, but was obscured by the ruffled sections of blue that covered her arms from elbow to wrist, ending in very open cuffs with a little dip to them. Perhaps strangest of all were the golden-tan color of the boots she wore making the rest of the outfit appear exceptionally rich. “First I’d…” the music played without her voice and she did a silly little dance for a few seconds. “Then she’d…” her voice had been lowered for that part, and she did another little snippet of a different dance while the music went on. “Then we’d” One move, then the other while both sets of music seemed to mesh and work together. She faced them looking innocently helpless, hands raised in the universal confused position. “But I can’t do it alone. Then she’d…” Again though with different music and movements the pattern started. “Then I’d...”

Link was losing the feeling in his feet and it was staring to creep up his legs. “Then we’d…” Aurea did some impressive twirling, given her outfit looked a bit difficult to move in. “But I can’t do it alone.” Link was just about ready to tell the hussy to bug off, but he was interrupted by Aurea’s voice again. “She’d say, ‘What’s your sister like?’ I’d say, ‘Men.’” There came laugh from the audience, the exception being the woman who wouldn’t get a clue and leave the young blond man alone. “She’d say, ‘You’re the cat’s meow,’ and we’d wow the crowd again, when she’d go…” again the pattern of music and some intricate dancing. “I’d go…”

Link had the opportunity and took it, firmly standing the woman up and facing her away from himself. “We’d go…” The shameless hooker looked about ready to either scratch his beautiful eyes out, or burst out saying, ‘Well, I never!’ “Then those ding-dong-daddies started to roar.” Aurea stepped easily up onto an empty chair, all eyes, lustful or angry, were on her. “Whistled stomped, stamped on the floor.” She stomped her foot for dramatic emphasis as she now rose to a tabletop. “Yelling, screaming begging for more.” Any who were watching with an artistic eye, which was no one present, would’ve said she had the acting for this down pat. “And we said, ‘Okay boy’s, keep your socks up, cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.’” The star-in-the-making shook her hips and did some rather impressive footwork on the table, which shook a bit under the pressure of rapid taps. Striking a pose for a second, she then let it collapse into an easy sitting position with one knee up to her chest. “But I simply cannot do it alone!”

There were whistles and some people tossed rupees, but when she spoke next the audience wondered if she was finished. “So what do you think?” They roared for more. “C’mon, you can say.” They cheered even louder. “I know you’re right, the first part’s shit. But the second par, the second part is really nifty!” She slid off the table and easily snatched an empty chair, dragging it behind her back to her little performing area. “Okay,’ Aurea took another deep breath, jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “She’d go…” Stepping one leg towards the front from over the back of the chair, she did another high kick, then a midair turn that let her end up doing the splits over the seat. Leaning back to look at the audience upside-down. “I’d go…” Scissoring the legs closed, she stepped up and off the chair, spun around fast with another higher kick, Her hands back on the chair, she gave a quick bow and, “We’d go!” There was more of that tapping sort of dance.

Link was too busy watching and occasionally whistling with the rest to notice the momentary absence of his bottle of wine. The tricky acrobatics the singing chef was performing were more than enough of a diversion. And over all the whooping and hollering the young blond hylian certainly wouldn’t hear the clink of glass on wood as it was set back down next to him.

“And then those two-bit-Jonnys did it a brow, to cheer La Pas and fraction it down. They nearly tore the balcony down. And then we’d say, ‘Okay boys, we’re goin’ home, but before we go, here’s a few more parting shots.’ And this, this we did in perfect unison!” Nobody but the performer understood the significance of tapping her fingers to her forehead, chest, then either shoulder all right on beat. Still smiling that brilliant smile, she did some kind of move that looked like flat out running, while staying in the same spot. Her slender hands pointed at the ceiling then floor, and she did the same thing in reverse effect.

Sipping his wine again, Link started to think that maybe, just maybe, he’d hat a bit too much to dink tonight. This was unusual for him, since he was no lightweight were alcohol was concerned, but hey, there’s a first time for everything. It was getting rather difficult to see Aurea clearly now, but he could see the bright blues and whites, even if they were a bit blurry.

“Now ya see me going through it, ya may think there’s nothing to it. But I simply cannot do it, alone!” and just like that, the song and danced ended on a flourish of arms, and fabric. The pianist played an overture while Aurea took a bow and the patrons threw more rupees at her feet. “Thank you all you’re too kind.” They laughed a little. “Not that I mind in the least right?” That made them all laugh hard and order more drinks. After quickly sweeping up the money she’d been tipped, the performer dashed upstairs to change again.

Link started to stand up, and then hastily sat down again. There was now no doubt in his soggy mind that he’d had way too much liquor. Taking as deep a breath as he could, he bent his head forward and let his free hand catch it, feeling a dull throbbing in his temples.

“Headache honey?” Asked a voice as oily as the hair of the person to which both belonged. Looking up his somewhat smeared vision; he had to blink several times before he could clearly make out a face. Link felt about ready to lose his dinner. Standing next to him, or rather sitting on the edge of his table, was that same whore that refused to leave him alone in the first placed. But this time she was grinning oddly, in a way that meant no good, and playing with his bangs. Link’s eyes felt puffy and heavy within his own head, and he could feel something like sleep tugging at him; or maybe that was just the bitch playing around with his hair? It was difficult to tell at this point.

“Link?” Wait that was a different voice wasn’t it? He knew whom that voice belonged to. Name, what was the name? He could feel his head being lifted up by a pair of soft, pleasantly warm hands. “Whoa, what happened to you?”
Now he remembered the name… maybe. “Aurea?” There were those pretty green eyes, the lightly flushed skin, the long brown-and-gold hair held back by the white bandana. She blinked, looking a bit scared, but maybe that was just the light. All of a sudden Link’s arms were around her waist and he pulled her down into his lap.

Aurea went rigid from the sudden attack; it could really be called that. “Uh, Link?” She said uncertainly hoping nobody had heard him mention her real name.

“Mmm?” he mumbled incoherently as she struggled to her feet. “C’mere, sit down.” He pleaded through meshed words, tugging on her hand the way a little child would have done.

“I am sitting.” She said gruffly, folding her arms over her chest and crossing her legs to indicate she was firmly planted in her own chair now. “You feeling alright?” she asked, and noticed him hiccup as he leaned back in his own chair, grinning like an idiot.

“I’m fellin’ fine.” He slurred, and laughed a bit as his companion arched an eyebrow.

“Listen sweetie,” a rather edgy voice with an equally narrow body butted in, literally because she took a seat in the young man’s lap. “We’re really busy here so you can get your ass back to the kitchen now.” The hooker had that kind of painted smile that tells anyone watching that she knows perfectly well what she just said. Link meanwhile, was making faces, probably because the woman in his laps was grinding none too gently against a certain area.

Aurea was not the sort to take an insult in stride without giving some of it back. “Girl, you have tow options.” She held up two fingers to indicate this, while the other female was wrapping her arm none too loosely around the young man’s neck. “Either you get up and leave my buddy alone.” She put one finger down, so that she was now flipping the whore off. “Or I haul you skinny ass off him and kick you out. It’s you’re choice.” Aurea was so calm and placid as she spoke that those at nearby tables were staring shamelessly at the little drama. But the one they all recognized, as the singer/cook seemed totally immune to the spectators.

“You wouldn’t dare!” The hooker spat, standing up.

“Well since you got off my friend, I don’t have to.” Said Aurea smiling. And standing up too, she walked over to Link who was grinning again, and hiccupped from laughing a bit too hard. “Uh Link?” She said looking down at him, concerned for his health now. “What’s so funny?”

“I finally get your sense of humor, you goofy lil’ creature you.” With that and a loud CLUNK, he promptly fell face-forward onto the table. A few of those watching laughed and went back to their own company while others just smiled and shook their heads at the situation.

“Dummy.” She muttered as she checked for a pulse, which was thankfully there. Trying her best to figure this mess out, she hauled him by the arms across the floor and up the stairs; a dull thud-thud sounding as his boots repeatedly hit the steps. At last Room 3 was in front of her and she let him go to unlock and open the door. Link just seemed to lie there like a crash-test dummy, his head lolled over to one side. Tch! Funny how he’s kinda cute when he’s unconscious. She thought as she dragged him inside by his feet this time. She pulled off his boots and gloves since he’d already deposited his shield, sword and equipment earlier. Lugging him onto the bed was difficult, because it seemed his body wanted to slide off and fall to the floor, but she managed it, somehow. After tucking him in so that he lay of his side, Aurea decided to go back to the kitchen to find a bucket, just in case he needed it during the night. As she jobbed back up the steps, she paused, listening.

“Aww he really is adorable!“ Said a simpering voice she didn’t know.

“Yeah, hard to believe how young he is.” Said a second she did know; it was the whore she’d dealt with downstairs.

“Well let’s just get what we can and get outta hear.” Said a third voice, which sounded a bit scared. “What if his girlfriend comes back?”

“What if she does?” The second voice spoke again. “Bet I could beat her fat ass any day of the week!” she laughed raucously.

“Is that so?” All three of the intruders jumped and looked around to see the woman in question leaning casually against the doorframe. Apparently none of them had heard her tiptoe up to the room. The bucket she’d brought rested beside her feet on the floor, and went unnoticed anyway. The one who’d been hitting on Link down in the bar stood up from where she’d been sitting, on the edge of the bed, and practically stomped over to Aurea.

“Yes, it is.” She said, getting in her face, trying to be intimidating. Aurea was not moved in the slightest.

“You better get your STANKY BREATH OUTTA MY FACE!” The non-hylian roared. It was clear that this was an unexpected reaction, because the woman in front of her looked surprised and stepped back a few paces. But she regained herself and looked huffy again.

“Well I don’t feel like leaving.” She said in a falsely sulky tone. And sat back down on the bed.

“Tough shit.” Aurea bit out. “Now get outta my room!” Since the whore would not move from her place on the bed, Aurea felt it was no occasion for subtlety. She gripped the woman by the wrists and yanked her to her feet. Twisting one arm behind the woman’s back, so she couldn’t retaliate, the young cook propelled her unceremoniously from the room. Turning about, she saw the other two, who looked closer to her own age, maybe even a bit younger, staring at her with fright. “You tow sisters move it.” Aurea snapped and they scampered to the door. “Out-out-out!” She added as an extra incentive. Picking up the bucket, she heaved an exasperated sigh and shut the door. She sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the metal bucket on the floor jut to the side of and below Link’s head. For now though, he seemed to be sleeping peacefully, even if his face was a bit flushed. Her hand drifted to his cheek, and she noticed how warm he felt. But it was not enough to make her suppose he might be sick; it wasn’t quite that bad. Aurea sighed heavily. She would have liked to call it a night too, but she still had work to do down in the kitchen. So standing up, and making sure the door was properly locked as she went out, she trudged back down the worn wooden steps and into the kitchen for the next few hours.


It was much later now. Aurea and Link had bother been asleep for several hours. They were sharing the same bed mostly because Link could not be moved again in his present state.
Also, Aurea reasoned with herself, He’s not going to do anything anyway, knocked out as he was.
But now something had woken her up, which of course was a mistake, since she took getting enough sleep very seriously. In the dim moonlight that peeked between the curtains, she could both see and feel a set of strong arms practically crushing her against and equally powerful chest: at least, that’s what she thought it was in her state of half-sleep. Something else was streaming warm and wet against her forehead, and she tried to edge back and look up to see what it was. But eh more she tried to get space between her and the young hylian male, the more tightly he held onto her. She would’ve been glad to give him a nice knock in the head again, but something reached her ears just then; ragged, uneven breathing, shudders that went all the way through his chest and arms alike.

Is he crying? Aurea wondered with one hand fisted against his shoulder.

“Zelda,” he murmured quietly through another shuddering breath. Aurea was as frozen as a snow cone in Alaska. Again she tried to look up at him, but he just tightened his hold around her body. “I miss you…” he choked through his tears that still ran onto her forehead.

“Link,” Aurea whispered, hoarsely. “Are you awake?” There was no reply except for the continued weeping.
“I’m sorry,” he cried softly, and Aurea could feel the muscles in his chest and arms straining and clenching painfully beneath his clothes and skin. “I’m so sorry Zelda…” Unconsciously, or so it seemed, he nuzzled his face roughly against her own and she felt his lips press against her cheek. Too shocked to do much of anything, she just lay there listening. “I miss you so much…” He went on like that for what seemed like hours to Aurea, but in reality, it was probably more like a half-hour. Eventually, Link relaxed enough and rested peacefully again; but though Aurea’s body slept, her mind was still at work.

Okay, don’t jump to conclusions. She told herself firmly. For all you know this just means she doesn’t want to see him again. She’s probably alive and well. She heaved a mental sigh. If she’s okay, then why’s he crying like this? Link’s tears had soaked through the pillow, not to mention some of her hair. And before she let real sleep take her again, Aurea made up her mind. She’d talk to either Link or the Bartender about the Princess’s whereabouts. But she noted, as she drifted off, that it might be a better idea to ask the bartender since it was obviously a tender subject with Link.


Hope you all like this one, it took me longer than I really expected to write it. You know it's that time of the year with finals and stuff *Mumbles* Evil teachers. So yeah Review or I will send more of those F***ing annoying random ninjas to bug you to death until you to *Maniacle laughter and such.*