The rape scene honestly felt unnecessary and unrealistic; even if there's no magic in this world, shouldn't Zelda, someone who's fought and survived in battle, be able to at the very least fight him off long enough to call for her guards? It's a shame, brcusse the rest of this fic is already so good that this unnecessary rape scene feels like a cheap way to push Zelda closer to Ike.

Wow. I feel awful for Zelda in this moment but I also think her hubby just signed his death warrant. Seriously. You can tell she's messed up my dude and you're going to do that and what exactly? Keep your head? Oh no. Not happening.
You definitely didn't need to agonize over this, you've done it yet again and now have me waiting impatiently to find out what happens next! Is Ike going to find out? Is Julius showing his true self? Is she really going to take that from him? I need answers!

First off, I would like to say that I am very thankful that you use the term 'trigger warning' in the proper context and how it should be used. After wading through other garbage sites on the internet that throw it around like candy, it is very refreshing to see it given proper respect. Thank you.

On to the story, while it is short compared to your other sections, you pack as much as you can. I can see how this would give you worries and if I am to be completely honest, I was afraid this would be like another creative writing group I was at where sexual assault/rape was overdone to the point where it was just a check mark to fill on a box of tropes. Your scene, while not graphic, conveys all of the emotion needed. I can see why and to a certain extent understand why Julius did it with Zelda, though understanding and accepting are two very different things. Zelda deserves many things in life, though rape is certainly not one of them.

I will say that I am surprised that Julius was the one to do it, I honestly thought that Ike and Zelda would pull a "Jamie and Cersie at the foot of their dead son" hate sex before this. I am wondering if Julius is actually this spineless or he is an actor who showed a glimmer of his true face in this chapter. I doubt I will see an answer one way or the other, because Damocles' dagger is now hanging over his head and it is going to fall sooner rather than later.

My only concern is, besides calling Zelda a heroine in a story where I really don't think that there are any heroes/villains just mortals with shades of grey, that as you mentioned this is a turning point in her life. I would not expect one to go through this without any change, but I am afraid that this will be used as an excuse to justify actions that are in no way related to this. As a way to make her into a sad puppy who knows nothing but pain as a way to convince herself and others that she is not becoming a monster before she crosses the moral event horizon (again). That is my only fear for the rest of the story, perhaps unfounded and borrowing trouble, but I really hope it doesn't use this event as a cop out to explain future actions.

Besides that, this gamble was a payoff and with flawless SPaG as per the norm with you, I found it a good read. Not a fun read, given the content, but a good read.

Oh this story! I'm so happy you updated! I also have to apologize for being late to review. My email hasn't been getting any updates from here and all of a sudden I was drowning in 200 unread emails. Yikes.
Anyway! I'm loving this update. Any Ike and Zelda interaction makes me squeal and this had me raising an eyebrow! I love that she's so distrusting of him, and on the surface his intentions seem so noblen. But it's this Ike and this Zelda and it's never what it is at surface value.
His bruise! Maybe when it fades he'll earn another one? Hmm... ha!
I love this because it keeps me on my toes. I'm never one hundred percent sure what's going to happen and that makes it so good! I know you can't rush art, but please update soon!

Another month, another review. I have to say, I am finding these chapters to be more… gratifying for the want of a better term, not that they have not been in the past. By reading the stories and watching the shows, as well as spending a whole history lecture on the namesake of your title, I can see things better knowing the inspirations behind them.

I think your imagery was at the strongest it has been in this chapter. I liked everything from the description of blue wine to the overall atmosphere of the world that made it far easier to be invested in. The characters that you described in this chapter fit the scene perfectly. Lucia, Link, and the two other main characters are center focus and their talks are very real. I see the shades of other characters you have drawn the central players in, and I really enjoy seeing these different hues and depths you have added. While the drunk speech at the end is easy to follow and appreciate, using a descriptor or saying that the words were slurred together would make it clear to a reader who thinks that it is a spelling error in a chapter devoid of any.

Again, I keep finding myself drawn to my familiar criticism of using modern idioms/words such as deforestation and tree hugger, both of which are relatively speaking new sayings. They worked well in the context, but were still hard to just look over. Make use of druids or shamans to have a good comparison. Also, I think ‘F*ck’ by itself is too general and not impactful enough for someone one like Zelda to use. ‘Oh f*ck me’ sounds more self-centered and like her.

But all in all, more than worth the wait. Please keep it coming!

An update from you made me happy dance like you wouldn't believe!
I love how she rips into her husband, and how he holds his own ground against her. I'd like to warn him not to irk her, but I can't. I feel like he might regret pissing her off. And her mother in law! Woman watch out and don't treat Zelda like a normal woman. She is most definitely not!
Amazing chapter, welcome back, and please update as soon as you can!

Well, what better way to break in the New Year than with a review of one of my favorite stories? It has been about a year since you updated, but I can’t complain too much with this amount of quality you put into your story and I also go on long hiatuses between updates.

Your opening between Julius and Zelda waking up and getting ready for the day was an interesting idea, and without it seeming like an exposition overload, it seems like two people genuinely having a conversation about how their marriage was a deal and that neither one knows the other. I am getting some memories from the Baratheon and Lannister marriage in Game of Thrones, where Cersei asks if their hate for each other is the only think keeping their marriage together though it a much more lighthearted tone than this. You make me understand the positon of both characters, Julius is well out of his comfort space and no one is raising a finger to help him, while Zelda is counting the days she has to endure this. Very nice character development.

Then we have the garden, which was a nice scene because when snow falls for most people they stay inside where it may be dreary but at least there is a roof over the heads and a fire in the hearth. Your approach to social issues through the feudal perspective was well done and by and large fit the attitude one would expect with the time. One thing I don’t appreciate with other fictions is that they try to use modern perspectives and interpret the events of the world through that. Here, with the Twilis, it is simple and basic, but it is fitting of the world you have created. Nicely done on that part
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Your spelling and grammar are on spot as usual. My only critique is the appearance of modern sayings and idioms in the chapter. “Bursting your bubble” and “fish out of water” during the bedroom scene broke up my pacing for a little bit. I would maybe alter them to fit more in the world, like “a zora in the desert” or “tear a hole in your glider”. Just my only suggestion, you are doing a remarkable job with this story.

Please don’t keep me waiting as long for the next chapter.

Okay so last chapter ended on a nice note that had me screaming finally! And this chapter definitely didn't disappoint as a follow up. It's natural that she's not even wanting to acknowledge the tryst (nice word usage by the way!) and she's kinda letting him get out so she doesn't have to deal with all that happening again (wink wink). I do love that her husband, the poor naive little dude that he is, is just sorta avoiding her for now. He seems to get her which is far better than what she could be dealing with (let's be honest though if she was forced into something she'd kill him and bathe in his blood because it would rejuvenate her skin).
I love the background details mixed in with the scene at the theater. You get a peek at a time when she wasn't so cold, when she had dreams... Humanizes her a bit. And of course some Ike drama because he's just so wonderfully there constantly. I hope they bring up what happened soon, just because I'd love that dramatic outburst from her.
Overall awesome chapter and I can't wait for the next one!
(Sorry this review is a little late, crazy life stuff happening)

A very peculiar chapter you have here. We have two evening scenes as well as one theater, a personal favorite of mine..

I have to say that the flashback to her encounter with Ike does seem very fitting, considering he wants her dead just as much as I do. She still tries to hurt him and even when he doesn't leave a mark on her, all she thinks about is his fingers around her neck. Granted I want that but it was very good charictarization.

Again, my main criticism is Zelda going into low tongue insults. Bullshit just really seemed like out of the blue for the situation when no could had been used in the place. Just things like that stop my flow and it takes a while to get used to the story again.

Still awesome work!

Instead of trying to rewrite the fangirl squeal I made when reading the last part of this chapter, I'll calmly type out my review. Ahem.
I love how her new mother in law is just awful, her sister in law a cowardly meek little thing, and then you have this amazingly unstable Zelda who made her husband drink himself to sleep the night before. And Ike's jab made me laugh because he's just such a wonderful dick to everyone but it's so deserved since they all look down their noses at him.
There's more building with the drama over the studies, and I can't wait to see where that goes because it spells interesting to say the least.
Okay
Have I been composed long enough?
FINALLY! Yes! Yes! YES! Talk about a Christmas present! Now you know I'm dying for an update more than ever!

Well, as uncomfortable as it was to read parts of it (and that is a compliment), this chapter really shows off your talent as a writer. This chapter is short, though it doesn't dilly dally shrilly shally around to various plot points that have little to do with the overarching story, it gets right to the meat.

After reading this, you make me despise/hate/look forward to reading Zelda's obituary with great glee even more then I previously thought possible. Though I do wonder why Ike hasn't just upped and left after so long, and after all of the shite he had to put up with. Seriously, I doubt the black hand would lift a finger in complaint if he wanted it so badly. It perplexes me, but I find some comfort that it wasn't just so he could get some easy lays and maybe 'make the four' with queen cersei- I mean Zelda. I really hope this is the closest the two get to an actual relationship, angry sex for angry people. Ike could do a lot better, though zel killed some of the competition, literally.

Not any errors that stick out to me, though keep the look out for them. Though maybe if I had to nitpick, it seems that sometimes Zelda goes into slang or low speak one time while the rest of the time she is proper with the language. Can't really point it out in this chapter, maybe the piss off comment to really stretch it. Seemed a little plebeian in that moment.

Well, twenty six chapters in and finally the 'promised pairing' ain't going to be a fairy tale, and what good stories are fairy tales? You have created a gloomy atmosphere that genuinely gets me down when I read it. I don't think there have been more then three who have done that, and I can't do that because I cannot write something that makes me a gloomy mess for a while. Even though I can see quite a bit of your references from other works, this is your finest story that is uniquely its own that takes ideas and add your own spirit to it. This is what fiction should be like, fan or not. The chaotic uncertainty of reality tempered with the fantastic, the very flawed characters that we just love to hate yet cannot help but see some of us in them. All of this is shown in your work along with many more admirable traits. You never cease to amaze me, you talented writer who doesn't get the praise she deserves.

Keep up the good work and I will be at the next update with anticipation.

The wedding! Bum bum buuuum! I love that Link was in it again, it was good to see him doing well. I love their back and forth in the carriage, and the the whole chapter is honestly fantastic. Especially, and I know you're going to know this, IKE AND ZELDA INTERACTION YAAAAAY! He's such an ass and she's a bitch right back... I love it. This whole chapter gets a thumbs up in my opinion. Write more soon!

So, the wedding has come and gone. One last tree to see before I look at the forest as a whole, if you would. I have to say that this chapter has some of your better writings in it. The physical reactions to various elements of the day, conversation, and what I think is the sign of a potential affair... Very solid work.

I think my favorite part besides the zinger was the fact that you wrote the atmosphere perfectly. This is more of a funeral then a wedding, and things are going to go down hill fast. I am seeing little threads from your previous chapter begin to coil together to create something strong and dangerous. Like a crescendo slowly building and building, this chapter makes it clear without being too heavy handed as other writers would have. Damn fine work!

Well, this was a great chapter and I hope to see how the next one plays out as well as the one after that.

I love this chapter. She's prepping for the wedding, there's murder, intrigue, some Ike interaction... And once more you paint the world so well it's incredible. Her dress sounds amazing and I love her attention to all of her lands with it. I have to say I wasn't sure exactly what happened with the scene where Ike apparently drank the wrong wine. I felt like maybe the transition was off or something like that... It's possible I didn't read it right I suppose but I had to reread it to figure out what happened. Overall awesome chapter and I can't wait for the next one.

Well, it is always good to see another chapter from you and I am always happy to help you in this story. I figured it seemed appropriate because Zelda's world revolves around two things: Blood of her foes and drinking wine. Part of me thinks the vineyards stay in business only to slate her thirst given how much she drinks.

The wedding dress does look amazing, and something that I could see here wear. Though I do wonder if having a white dress would be appropriate given our modern connotations to the cloth worn at weddings. But it is still good for her.

The other scenes are perfect, showing the various dynamics of life and how slowly there seems to be other powers at work and concerns that Zelda may have more to concern with than some 'cultured barbarian' she is forced to babysit in an agreement. I'm especially impressed with how you described the dissection, having been in one of those situations it does bring some... less then pleasant images back to the forefront of the mind. Last time I went on an anatomy field trip.

Not noticing any SPaG errors, but that is the norm with what I expect from you. All in all, another great chapter that I can clearly see building up to something rather than just being a snapshot of daily life in the grimdark Hyrule. Hope to see more from you soon!