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“Vengeance”VengeanceBy : Alexandra SpearsIt had been four years. Four years since Vassard’s humiliation. Luckily for him King Harkinian had released him back to his own country of Hasuma–with the condition that he never, ever show his face in Hyrule again. Vassard was extremely lucky to be a prince with parents who were willing to bargain. Punishment for attempted rape of the Princess of Hyrule was life behind bars–and if he actually had raped her, and had been a commoner, the sentence would have been death. But, since he was heir to the throne of a neighboring country, he had been permanently banned. It was still bad enough. He could never get near Zelda now. It seriously irked him that she–a girl he desperately wanted to be with–had married that commoner, that adventurer Link, claiming that they loved each other. His parents kept trying to tell him to let it lie, that there were other princesses around, but they didn’t understand. He was surprised that his father was actually angry with him. “Vassard–what has gotten into you, boy?” he had snapped. “There is no honor at all in forcing a woman! She’s made her choice. Besides, Link has saved Hyrule from Ganon. That’s the next best thing to royalty.” Vassard sat on
his white horse near Hasuma’s border, contemplating that angry speech.
He
didn’t understand, Vassard thought. Zelda was in love with him, she
just didn’t realize it. Didn’t they understand, he had to make her see?
On top of it all, word had gotten around Hasuma about Vassard’s attack
on Zelda. There was talk of skipping over Vassard and making his kid brother
King of Hasuma. His parents seemed to agree with it.
Link was in a tower room, practicing his fighting. Ganon had long since been defeated but you never knew who might try something. Besides, he liked keeping his body in prime condition for his wife of four years, Princess Zelda. Thinking about Zelda made him work out even harder. He heard the door opening, and he stood there, sword in hand, panting a little. In came two little children, a boy and a girl, both with light brown hair. The boy had brown eyes, the girl green. Link smiled at them. These were his and Zelda’s two children--three-year-old Prince Zefram and two-year-old Princess Deanna. “And what are you two doing here?” Link asked the two giggling children. “Isn’t it time for your nap?” “No nap! No nap!” protested Deanna. “We hide,” added Zefram. “Something tells me your mother is looking for you,” said Link, amused. These two were something else altogether. Zefram hated baths and Deanna hated wearing clothes. In fact, all she was wearing was her diaper. And they both hated being put down for a nap when they wanted to play. “Hide us,” Zefram insisted. “Oh, no, you’re not going to pull that,” said Link. “You two are very cranky in the evening if you don’t get a nap.” He took their hands. “Downstairs, you guys.” “No no no no!” Deanna cried. The door opened again and Zelda came into the room. “There they are,” she smiled. “These two little monsters wanted me to hide them from you,” Link smirked. “This is a crock!” Zefram protested. Zelda looked at Link, who shrugged. “Come on, help me put them down for a nap,” she said. “And they both need baths.” “No bath!” Zefram yelped. “Too bad,” said
Link as he lifted his son into his arms, while Zelda picked up their daughter.
“Both of you are getting baths and going to bed for a nap.”
Link and Zelda were a little damp from giving their children a bath, courtesy of Zefram, so they decided to take a shower together. “You know, Zelda, bathing’s a lot more fun when you have someone to do it with,” smirked Link. “Don’t make me wash your mouth out with this soap,” teased Zelda as she loomed over him, a bar of soap in her hand. “Well excuuuuuuuuuse me, Princess!” Link chortled. “You’re gonna get it now,” Zelda giggled. “What’re you gonna do to me?” Link asked, grabbing her shoulders. “Find out,” she
whispered in his ear seductively. Less than an hour later, as they were
in bed making love, they had no idea they were being watched.
Through the window
he saw a couple upon a bed. They were covered with blankets but it was
still obvious what they were doing. It was Zelda–and Link.
Link kissed the
top of Zelda’s blonde head as she lay in his arms. “Kids’ll be waking up
soon,” Link muttered. He kissed her again, then threw back the blankets
and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Zelda sat up, the blanket
just covering her chest, and watched as Link got dressed. She smiled.
“Like what you see, Princess?” he asked. “Of course I do--my hero,” Zelda replied. “I’ll go get the kids,” he said as he fit his cap on his head. He went over and gave Zelda a lingering kiss on her lips. “I think it’s almost time for dinner,” said Zelda. “How can you tell?” “I hear your stomach growling,” she said. “I could set my clock to your stomach, Link!” Link snickered as he left the room and headed down the tower stairs. The children’s nursery was directly beneath their parents’ room. He thought he heard running around as he opened the door. Apparently Zefram had helped his sister out of her crib and now they were engaged in a pillow fight. “Okay, you guys, time out!” he called. The two mischievous toddlers stood there and smiled innocently at their father. Deanna had taken her sleepers off. “Time for you little rugrats to get dressed, it’s almost dinner time,” said Link. “And that means you, Deanna,” he said, looking at his little daughter. Link got his son dressed first, as Zefram didn’t put up a fight. Next he got out a dress for Deanna. “Daddy, Deanna no like dressed,” Zefram reminded him. “Well, your mother doesn’t like it when she goes around with no clothes,” Link replied as he tried to hold Deanna still. “And it’s really no way for a princess of Hyrule to be,” he added. Ugh. Now he was sounding all prissy and proper--but still, he agreed with it. “No no no no!” Deanna said as her father pulled the dress over her head and tied the sash around her waist. “Tell you what, you can take it off at bedtime,” said Link. Deanna stuck her
lower lip out. Link gave her her favorite rag doll. “Come on, Zefram, Deanna,”
he said.
“I have some disturbing news,” King Harkinian said as he sat down at the head of the table. “What is it, Daddy?” Zelda asked. “I think someone may be spying on us,” Harkinian said. “One of the guards saw a spyglass dropping down from a tree not too far from here. He looked to see if someone was there, but he saw no one. But he did recover a white cape and a clasp. And the clasp had the crest of the kingdom of Hasuma.” Zelda shuddered. Link looked across the table at his wife. All he could think of was just over four years ago, when she’d been attacked by that Prince Vassard. Was she afraid that he’d come back? “You okay, honey?” he asked. “What? Oh, yes, yes, I’m fine, Link,” she replied. “Everything will be fine, m’dear,” Harkinian said, patting his daughter’s hand. “The guards will be keeping a closer watch over the castle. They’ll be watching for Vassard.” Zelda was silent throughout the meal and she barely listened as her father spoke. Link watched her, worried about her. After dinner, Zelda went into the den and sat down by the fire. The helpless feelings from that incident four years ago came rushing back to her. All this time she’d managed to suppress them, but they would be held back no longer. Even on her wedding night the feelings hadn’t disturbed her, especially since Link had been so gentle and patient and loving with her. Perhaps it was because she knew that he’d always protect her. Zelda put her head in her hands and started to cry. She felt so vulnerable right now, with the suppressed feelings emerging. “Zelda?” She looked up, saw Link standing in front of her. He knelt down between her knees and rested his arms on her lap. “Are you all right, sweetheart? Tell me what’s wrong.” Link had grown up a bit in the four years they’d been married. He was a good listener, she’d found. “I’m so afraid, Link...afraid he’ll come back and finish what he started.” “Over my dead
body he will,” Link declared. He reached up and wiped the tears from her
eyes. “You know I’ll protect you, Zelda. I love you.”
She wrapped her
arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I love you too,
Link.”
Over the next few days Vassard continued to watch from afar for any opportunity to get Zelda to come back to Hasuma with him. It struck him that his cape and clasp had been found when he realized that security around the castle had been tightened. He’d also seen some of the guards poking around in the forest. “Blast, this could ruin everything,” he muttered as he hurriedly packed his belongings into his knapsack. If he was caught in Hyrule, there was nothing his parents or anyone could do. They had made the deal with Harkinian that they would keep him out of Hyrule. But if he were caught in Hyrule ever again, it would mean life imprisonment, and his parents wouldn’t lift a finger to help get him out. No doubt the guards
would be hunting for him. Vassard had an idea. It would mean getting dirty--but
he was pretty desperate.
Link and Zelda were sitting together in the grass next to the drawbridge with their children one afternoon, about a week after they’d heard that Vassard might be back in Hyrule. Zelda felt safer here, with the guards and with Link. “Zefram, Deanna, don’t go so far away,” said Zelda. “That’s far enough.” “Your Highness?” Zelda looked up, saw a guard. “Yes?” she asked. “I think your troubles with that Prince Vassard are over, Your Highness,” the guard said. “We believe that he’s dead. We found bloody clothes deep in the forest--he might have been attacked by a forest creature.” “Did you find a body?” asked Link. “No,” the guard admitted. “Zelda, I think we should keep security up until they find him dead or alive,” Link suggested. Zelda nodded. “I agree.” “Yes, Your Highness,” said the guard. He walked off to resume his post. “I have a feeling
he’s playing cat and mouse,” said Link. “I’m beginning to wonder if he
isn’t obsessed.” Zelda clung to her husband and he put his arm around her.
She had a feeling that things had only begun.
After a few more days Vassard saw that they were still hunting for him. “What do they want, proof that I’m dead?” he said to himself as he went back through the mountains. He decided to head back home for a while to cool his heels. If those guards found him he could kiss his freedom--and Zelda--good-bye. “Where have you been? King Harkinian has sent us a message telling us you were in Hyrule!” Vassard’s father demanded. “I have been adventuring.” “In Hyrule. They found your cape and clasp. And they found your bloodstained clothes. What are you trying to pull?” “Zelda’s just trying to frame me, Father,” said Vassard. “That’s the clasp I lost last time I was there.” “Vassard, the people don’t view you with respect. You are going to lose your title as Crown Prince if you keep this up. Your brother will ascend in place of you. As your father and as King of Hasuma I am ordering you to stay here in the castle until such time as I think you’re behaving more rationally.” Vassard merely turned on his heel and stalked up to his room. As he looked in his mirror, he had an idea. They would be looking for a handsome man with long blond hair. He realized that he couldn’t fit that description. Taking a knife, he began hacking off his long golden locks. He grabbed an old black outfit out of his closet and began ripping at it, then changed into it. He crept outside and found berries that were used to dye hair. He wandered off to the moat, where he squished the black berries in his gloved hands and rubbed the juice into his hair. He dunked his head in the water and combed his now-black hair--what there was left of it. He hated marring his looks like that but he was sure Zelda would understand that he did it for her. He swam across
the moat, forgetting the fact that he’d just combed his hair. It would
give him a bedraggled appearance--the complete opposite of what people
knew of Prince Vassard of Hasuma. From there he took his knapsack and disappeared
into the woods, headed for the mountains west of Hyrule.
“He’s alive, Zelda, we just got word,” said Link as he walked out into the courtyard, where Zelda was playing with their children. “He was trying to fake his death so he could sneak here. But his father told your father that he’s keeping Vassard confined to their castle.” “What makes anyone think Vassard will stay put there?” asked Zelda. “He sure didn’t obey my father’s command to stay out of Hyrule.” “I know. Your father won’t loosen security at all until Vassard is found or it’s confirmed that he’s locked up.” “I don’t know about you, Link, but I’m hot,” said Zelda. “I want to go change into my swimsuit and lie out here and watch the children. Watch them for me, my love?” “Sure,” said Link. Zelda went inside. Link took his son and daughter by the hands and led them across the drawbridge. “Want to go for a walk?” he asked. “In the woods!” said Zefram. “Just a short one, your mother will be right back,” said Link. “Deanna--keep that dress on!” They went a little ways into the forest. “Well, time to go back,” said Link. “Your mother may be waiting for us.” “Such nice children you have there,” said a low voice. Link turned. There stood a man with cropped black hair, wearing all black. “Thanks...this is my son Zefram and my daughter Deanna.” “Children of you and Zelda,” said the man. “Yeah...why?” asked Link. There was something odd about this guy. The man reached
behind his cloak and before Link could react he was struck on the side
of his head with a club. The two children screamed. “Daddy!”
Zelda came out in her pink swimsuit and sandals. “Your Highness! Your Highness!” called a guard as he ran up to her. “Something has happened to your husband!” “What’s going on?” she cried. A guard came up, carrying the two children. “Prince Zefram says a man hit his father and told him to give you a note.” Zelda took the paper from her son, who was shaking. Her
daughter was crying. “It’s all right,” she said, trying to calm them down. She
opened the paper. It read: “Oh no! Link!”
Zelda wailed. “Take the children to my father; he’ll watch them. Tell him
what’s going on--and show him that letter. I’m going to bring Link home.”
When Link came to he found himself chained up in a dungeon somewhere. “Zefram...Deanna...Zelda...,” he moaned as he sat up. His wrists and his ankles were in chains. “Welcome to Parapa Palace, Lunk,” said a voice. Link looked up, saw that same man in black looking down at him. “Who are you?” “Prince Vassard, of course,” he replied. “My disguise worked! And your darling little wife--actually, she’s supposed to be my wife--is going to come here all alone or you’ll be killed. Actually when she comes here she gets to watch me kill you--and she’ll marry me! She does love me, you know, she just doesn’t know it yet.” “You are completely nuts!” Link screamed at him. “Get it through your head, you jerk! She loves ME, not you! I’m the one who sleeps with her. I’m the father of her children. I’m the one who treats her with love and respect! At least I never had to resort to trickery!” Vassard smacked Link across his face, giving him a bloody nose and cutting his lower lip on his teeth. He smiled, then gave Link a vicious right hook into the midsection, knocking the wind out of the young man. “I’ll have to get rid of your children too, such a shame, such bright, innocent little creatures,” he sighed. “We can’t have anyone from your line inheriting the throne of Hyrule. They need to be from my line.” “So help me if you lay a hand on my wife or my children--” Vassard merely laughed lightly. “Not a thing you can do while chained here, I’m afraid.” He held up Link’s sword. “Especially since you’re unarmed. Once Zelda arrives here, this sword will find a new sheath in the heart of its owner. Poetic justice, no?” “What makes you think Zelda will marry you?” demanded Link. “Because I’m perfect and you’re not,” said Vassard. “Have I got news for you--it’s actually the reason why she loves me and not you!” “She’s been corrupted,” Vassard stated simply. “I’ll have to undo that somehow, get her out of your influence. Kill you and kill your children. Yes, I can do that.” Link realized that there was no reasoning with this madman. Apparently his mind had snapped a long time ago. Link looked around. He recognized this. This was where he’d found a magic candle during his second adventure against Ganon. There was the slab where it had been. Vassard undid
the chains that held Link against the wall. “Onto that slab so I can make
my offering,” he said, smiling crazily.
Zelda mounted her white horse and sped off to the northeast, to the Parapa Desert. Fortunately there was nothing to attack her as she went through the cave and through the desert, as Ganon’s minions did not exist without Ganon. From the information she’d been able to gather from her distraught little boy, Link had been taken by surprise. He had to have been. Right now Zefram and Deanna were in the care of their grandfather. Poor children, having seen their father hurt like that! Zelda arrived
at Parapa Palace and dismounted her horse. Then she slowly entered the
old palace, looking for any signs of trouble. She took a boomerang from
her pouch and it enlarged in her hand. She tucked it in her belt so she
could whip it out on a second’s notice.
She opened another door--and there stood Vassard, all in black! Just as he looked up, she hurled her boomerang and smacked him in the head. “Let’s see how you like that!” she snapped. “Zelda!” gasped Link. Zelda grabbed her sword from the downed Vassard and freed her husband. “Oh, Link, are you all right? What did he do to you?” “Just hit me a couple of times--I’m okay,” he said as he sat up and took his sword from her. Vassard had only been stunned, and he staggered to his feet. “Zelda...why? Don’t you understand that you love me and I love you?” he asked, seeing that Link was free--and armed. “I told you before, I guess it doesn’t register with you,” said Zelda. Vassard drew out his own sword. “I guess it’s time to kill the both of you--if I can’t have you, Zelda, no one can,” he said. Link held his
sword in his hand, anticipating a fight. Sharp metallic clanging sounds
rang out as Link defended himself against Vassard’s murderous wrath. His
mind is gone, thought Link. He could tell--Vassard was irrational, unpredictable,
and just plain sloppy.
Zelda pulled out her bow. She was easily one of the best archers in Hyrule and she seldom if ever missed. Vassard raised his sword high, ready to strike Link and deliver a fatal blow, and that was when her arrow sailed through the air, knocking the sword out of Vassard’s hand. Link quickly stepped forward and stepped on the sword and shoved Vassard back viciously. Sheathing his sword and fueled on anger and adrenaline, Link grabbed Vassard by his ragged tunic and slammed him up against the wall. “Zelda--quick, give me a hand!” said Link. Zelda ran over and fastened Vassard’s wrists in the manacles, the same manacles that had held Link there just a while ago. “This is for what you did to me and to Link,” Zelda said as she slapped him as hard as she possibly could across his face. She also kicked him between the legs, getting him hard in the most delicate area with the toe of her boot, and Link sniggered. “We’ll leave him
here for your father’s guards,” said Link as he picked up Vassard’s sword.
“First of all let’s frisk him.” Link and Zelda relieved the madman of all
his weapons so the guards would have an easier time apprehending him. Then
they got out of the palace.
“Daddy! Daddy!” Zefram and Deanna ran into their parents’ room and hugged their father. “Ow--easy, I’m
still sore there,” he said. Zelda laughed as her children covered their
father’s face with kisses, glad that he was home safe.
The next day there was news about Prince Vassard. He had managed to escape the soldiers, but while he was headed south along the eastern coast, he had slipped when trying to jump the ledges and hit his head. As a result, he’d fallen into the water and drowned. By the time the soldiers caught up with him he was dead and they’d dragged his body out. “I feel bad that someone died,” said Zelda, “but at least we’re safe from him for good.” “That’s the way I look at it,” said Link. “His own
madness killed him.” |