Chapter 2 - The Saddened Heart

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Chapter 2: The Saddened Heart

Several months later...



All was quiet as the crowd stood watching from afar from where Link crouched himself on the ground burying his head in his arms. Black enveloped all the bodies that were there, all tainted with the grief that was exposed that gray day. It began to rain, but no one moved. First one, then two... sooner or later a myriad of tears fell from the sky. No one moved... but one. The princess Zelda, who stepped forward, eyes filled with sadness as she watched Link cry before her. She could distinctly hear his voice murmuring; it contained a shakiness to it and it broke as if the strain was too much.



"You were there when mother died..." Link began, "Now who will stand by me now that you are gone? Who will stand by me so that I may find..." His voice broke once again as he stroked his hand along the stone wall of the tomb before him, "Happiness...?"



Zelda wanted to cry for him, but she couldn't... something held her back, and she knew not what that feeling was. Suddenly a hand pressed on her shoulder and she turned back to find Patrick staring at her with a look of concern and remorse in his eyes. Zelda turned her head away toward Link once again, her golden hair, now wet, sweeping through the air and fluttering her eyes from the rain which dotted her fair, milk-white skin.



Link's head now leaned against the wall and he once again buried his face into his arms. His sun-golden hair now drenched and tangled while his fair and rather white skin slippery from the falling rain. No one knew exactly how long he sat there crying. The only thing they knew at that moment was that his little sister meant everything to him.



~~~

Six years later...



"What's wrong, Princess?" Zelda heard a voice say.



Zelda carried her small pocket book, trying to cheer herself up, but watching Link from above on the balcony in the courtyard sitting under the tree kept her from smiling, not even for a second did melencholy relinquish her. She darted her head back toward where the voice came from and found Patrick there. She turned toward Link again to still find him under the tree. He had just returned from one of his many treks, which he believed could help him forget everything that happened, but every time he came back, he was the same. She let out a heavy sigh, a sigh of remorse and pity for Link as well as for herself.



"I don't know why I can't stop looking at him." She said suddenly, "Maybe I'm trying to look at him as much as possible before he leaves again."



"Perhaps your pity for him?"



"Perhaps..." Zelda said.



"He's taken up the sword to slay those people without justice in Hyrule, Princess... he's no longer a servant of the castle, he is a wanderer, a man with a hollow heart. He is only a servant to his desires." Patrick started, "You can do nothing for him, Princess.



"He's a poor man, his sister was sick for a year and suddenly left him. There's no other answer he can find."



Zelda turned toward Patrick, tears near to her eyes but once again they were held back. She placed the small book in her pocket and stood to her feet, "I know he has chosen that path... for his sister... I know that..." She started, "I knew that, but..."



Zelda went from the balcony and started toward the door, leaving Patrick behind staring in bewilderment in suddenly leaving him behind. She opened the door slowly and looked forward before turning her head to the side so at least she could see Patrick in her prefrial vision, "I want to help him..." She finally said, "Help him escape his grief."



Patrick was confused from the look in her eyes, was that what she truly wanted to say? It seemed that Zelda was held back from saying what she really wanted to say, or was she denying it? He left the room as well, finding no interest in there any longer.



Meanwhile, Zelda had indeed made it to the courtyard where Link remained. His arm was placed on his knee while his head was down in a mourning fashion. His thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps of the young maiden, Zelda and he lifted his head and eyed her. It was only a glance before he once again lowered his head toward the ground. He could hear her walk closer to him and Link could feel her warmth from her body, even though she wasn't touching him, when she sat down next to him.



"What do you wish for, Princess?" He said.



Zelda didn't expect him to speak to her so abruptly and it left her in a small state of shock, not only how quickly he spoke, but his sorrowful tone, it was as if he wanted to speak so he can get it over with. She gathered her senses again and stuttered for a moment, finding an answer, but was forced to say,



"When are you leaving again?"



"Soon."



But when?"



"Soon." He only replied.



"Link... I..."



"Princess..." Link interrupted her, "You are a friend to me... but there is nothing you can do, nothing you can say... that can 'heal' me if that's what you call it."



He rose to his feet and went inside, leaving Zelda alone under the tall and towering tree. She looked afar into the vast courtyard and saw the tomb Link's sister lay in. The red roses around it were still blossoming and the drops of dew dripped from the ground. Zelda lifted her gaze from the tomb and lifted it to the sky where she could see the sky dyed red from the dying red sun. Must it be like this?



As Link walked in, he came across Patrick, who stood in his path as if not letting him go any further. He had stopped and looked Patrick strait in the eyes. A feeling of distrust passed through him and they stared with uncomfortable glances before one of them spoke in a low tone.



"What did you say to her?" Patrick said.



"I'll leave soon..." Link replied.



"Good choice, twerp." He said, "She belongs to me anyway."



As Link walked away, he was interrupted once again, "Oh, and if you don't mind, if your not leaving tomorrow I wish to test my dueling skills against you. It would be good for you to get some sunshine."



His agreement was silence. At that moment, Link didn't seem to care. Zelda was only his friend, not his love. But without realizing it when Patrick said, "she belongs to me anyway", there was a feeling that tugged at his heart- jealousy. However, he only brushed the feeling aside and away from his saddened heart.

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