Chapter 13 - The Love of a Madman

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Chapter 11: The Love of a Madman


The moon was getting lower and lower as the minutes that seemed as hours slowly crawled by. The impostor Patrick could see Zelda eyeing the entrance to the hall anxiously, her gaze fixed upon the darkness. He sneered and ran his fingers back through his hair and chuckled as he crossed his legs and leaned his other elbow on the arm of the chair he sat in.

"You are so helpless... such a dramatic girl..."

Zelda didn't reply to him, only continued staring. She knew if Link didn't come... Hyrule will surely fall to whereas if he does... there would still be a chance. Her heart pounded underneath her chest as she waited, her tied wrists resting on her lap. Patrick sighed and grew rather impatient with her.

"Why do you want him to come? In fact, what makes you think he'll come?"

"He loves me," She started, "unlike you... you are different than him... you want me without giving up anything you previously had. Link, on the other hand, has suffered without complaint."

Patrick narrowed his eyes at Zelda, rushed over to her, and took her by the neck, "Shut up! You should not be speaking to your husband-to-be in that way." Patrick shook her, "He has driven my life crazy! Knowing that you have been in his arms, covered his lips with yours, and tended to his heart. What of me? I have taken lives... taken things to get where I am now! Have you considered what I went through?" He breathed heavily from speaking loudly, "That is why he needs to be punished..."

Patrick threw Zelda to the ground as she gasped for air. She coughed for a brief moment and after taking in heavy breaths, looked up at Patrick, to find something more than desperation and desire in his eyes... insanity. Lines were visible under his eyes as he gritted his teeth with anger. Suddenly, a creaking from the other end of the room was heard, and the faint thuds of footsteps were heard after the groaning sound of the door occurred. Zelda's eyes grew wide for a moment, and her face became as a light. There was Link, stepping from the shadows and onto the middle of the floor.

"Link!" Zelda gasped as she lunged forward toward him.

Patrick hastily drew his sheath and quickly put it in front of Zelda, and locked his gaze on Link, "I will not give this girl to you!" He projected his voice to reach Link, "I'm giving you one last chance to turn back..."

However, all Link did was look at Zelda, smile softly and say, "Stay there, Zelda... it'll be okay."

Zelda was surprised at the calmness of his voice, but she did not know that seeing her there alive relieved Link greatly. He was protecting her.

"Very well, then..." Patrick said drawing his sword and throwing the sheath on the ground so hard, that the sound of its collision with the floor startled Zelda as it echoed throughout the hall.

Both stepped to the side, so one was on either side of Zelda and after Link slowly drew his sword from its sheath, the blade whispering as it was withdrawn, and a light shimmering down its shining steel, there was a long silence after the sound had deafened into the emptiness of the room. Though nothing was said, the moment was intense. The suspense grew and grew as the two wielders of swords kept their gazes locked on each other. Link's bangs fell in front of his eyes as they shimmered in the moonlight and a sneer formed on Patrick's lips. Zelda's red lips were parted, and a single drop of sweat had formed on her brow, then slid down the side of her cheek and to the bottom of her chin, where it hung for a moment. Once it had at last grew too heavy, it fell and dispersed on the top of her hand. Once the individual droplets spread apart, Patrick charged forward with unthinkable speed, far surpassing his performance before in the last battle.

However, Link immediately raised his sword to meet Patrick's and jumped to the side to parry. However, Patrick had just barely read his move in advance and swung his sword to the side to meet Link's sword once again. The two ran sideways, swords scraping against each other and sparks flying in the air. Link eventually took the offensive and threw Patrick to his side against the wall with such force, there was a deep rumble and some fragments dropped from the wall. Link had jumped backward and lifted his sword to the side as a finishing stance. Zelda widened her eyes at his power, still feeling the rumble in her body.

His sword is much more precise than before... it shows no hesitation... and his eyes...

Zelda looked closely at Link as he straightened his knees and looked back at Patrick with stunning blue eyes.

...They are much different than before... I wonder if Link found the answer he was looking for?

Zelda smiled at the thought, but it soon vanished from her face when she saw Patrick dart from the cloud of dust and charge at Link with his sword, ready to thrust it into his body and impale him. However, Link quickly reacted and stepped to the side, but he felt a stinging pain in his side. As Patrick continued to move forward, Link looked at his side and saw blood pouring down his waist. His distraction was broken when Patrick came swinging around once again. The two continued to violently tear at each other, jumping, striking, parrying, blocking... only a minute of the battle had passed, but it had seemed much longer. Link had taken the bottom of the hilt of his sword and drove it into Patrick's stomach just after dodging one of his attacks. Patrick had let out a groan when the wind was pushed out of his lungs and he went on the ground holding onto his side. Just as Link was about to strike him down, Patrick grabbed a couple of glass shards from a nearby shattered window and threw them at Link, and scrambled to his feet. Luckily Link had covered his face with his arm, but the pain came nonetheless. Blood trickled down, as he proceeded to block another one of Patrick's attacks.

However, the unexpected came for Link, and Patrick had come behind him and just as he was about to bring his sword backwards into Link's neck, he had brought up his own sword to block the blade with the hilt. However, both were shaking as the clattering of metal was heard. Link's eyes were wide, and his teeth were gritted as he tried to hold off Patrick's lethal attack.

"Do you think you can reject your punishment? Such a foolish coward!!" Patrick had bashed his head on the back of Link's head, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Link had dropped his sword when he found that a dizzy sensation came over him. Before he had time to recover, Patrick had taken his foot and kicked him in the side, causing the wind to blow out of his lungs.

"You came in between us! You drove my life crazy! Stepped all over it, like it was nothing! And now I've been intoxicated with insanity, and I yearn for her touch, but at the same time knowing you have taken her in your arms!"

Patrick had grabbed Link's bangs and pulled them backward, lifting him off the ground as blood poured out of Link's mouth and Patrick proceeded to drive his fist into Link's stomach, still pulling on his bangs. Link could hear the shrieks coming from Zelda as Patrick screamed his own words and tears suddenly came to his eyes as his voice was choked with sobs.

"Scream, suffer!!! Know the pain I've gone through!!! Know my longing for her!!"

He threw Link on the ground and took up his own sword as Link turned over to reach his own. Just as Patrick was going to strike, Link had dashed to the side out of Patrick's range. He breathed heavily and coughed, staining his hand in blood before softly speaking.

"I knew you had a longing for Zelda... however, your love is different than mine." Link started as he gradually lifted his sword from balancing himself with it, "I long for her to be happy, and in return she healed me. I know my life is shared now... both she and I have exchanged things for each other... and I love her... the answer to how my life should be lead, is by Zelda's smile."

Zelda's heart fluttered as if the strings of her heart were being plucked and played as if it was a harp. Her eyes widened and her eyes shimmered in the glittering moonlight as a hand drifted toward her lips and whispered Link's name.

"What is this 'exchanging' nonsense you speak of?!" Patrick said gripping tighter onto the hilt of his sword and his veins becoming nearly visible under his skin, his eyes had now been completely consumed by insanity, it seemed no life was in them now, "What of me? What have I to give? There is nothing... NOTHING!!" At last the tears came to his eyes, but they had dried up when he began to walk toward Zelda, "My love is an empty shell, you say... fine then... however... you must still receive your punishment... I will send you to a living hell."

Patrick's gaze turned toward Zelda, carrying gleaming hatred, "I will kill her... then myself so I can join you, leaving you all alone in the world... with a hollow and cold heart of ice... a soulless body... the only thing that will keep you living is an empty memory long lost."

He was next to Zelda now, staring down at her with his sword above his head. Terror filled her eyes as her mind told her to break free from the ropes, or perhaps run, but her body refused... her legs were frozen and numb and her hands trembled. The blade shimmered but a little before Patrick sent it down. Just then Zelda had heard a cry coming from Link and in an instant a flash brighter than usual filled her eyes and Link was now in front of her. She could see his legs trembling as his sword was outward, as if he had just struck something.

Patrick was now on the ground, blood pouring from his wounds and motionless. His blade lay beside him, covered in the blood of his enemy, and the blade broken in two, but still sharp. Link had turned around toward Zelda with a worried glance, dropped his sword and slowly reached out toward her hands and slowly began to break the rope with a dagger he kept in his belt.

"Forgive me for handling you in these bloody hands, Zelda..."

He had broken the rope, making sure that he would not harm her gentle and delicate hands. Just then he stood up and turned toward Patrick and slowly began to walk toward him, carrying no sword. He heard Patrick suddenly exhale deeply and from then on, began to breath heavily. However, no surprise came to Link's face as he saw Patrick slowly get up, legs trembling.

"Why... didn't you finish me there...? You used the flat side of your blade on purpose..."

Zelda looked toward Link's sword, and found that little blood was on it, not nearly enough to be evident that Link had inflicted a fatal wound. A cold silence filled the air for a moment, and Link dropped to his knees and hands fell to the ground.

"I couldn't kill you... knowing that you have suffered as I have... however, I cannot have you kill Zelda, but if blood must be shed tonight, please I will take her place."

Patrick snickered and slowly stumbled toward Link, holding onto his broken sword and breathing heavily, barely getting out his words, "So... you've finally made your decision..." Patrick had raised his sword above his head and looked down on Link.

At that moment, a cold breeze blew, and Patrick's eyes widened as he felt a chill run down his spine. There was Zelda, in front of him now, embracing Link, who lay his head against the side of her face, his soft hair brushing her cheek. A cold tear ran down her face, and touched Link's scarred skin. His eyes widened slightly and he longed to wipe away that tear, but his hand was frozen and stiff. Patrick had dropped to his knees as well, as if kneeling to this power before him. A true love between a man and woman... a complete selflessness.

"Why...?" He managed to say, "Is this to be my fate... to never truly love and be loved...? Now that I see you before me... Zelda... you choose him?" Patrick looked at his blade and saw his reflection, and what he saw was a man rotten to the core.

He raised the broken blade to his chest and impaled himself before falling backward to the cold ground. Link looked up to find him there and rose to his feet, still clinging onto Zelda. He looked down on Patrick as he saw his eyes slowly drift away.

"I find that I cannot compete with this power before me... this is the only answer I can find." Patrick said before coughing, "So... this is the love of a madman... the love of the Assassin Lord, Roy..."

Then and there, he let out his last and long breath and his chest stilled and died there, a slight smirk on his face.
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