Blind

Chapter Sixteen

Link released the tight grip he had on his sword, running faster as he could begin to hear the screams fading from the courtyard. A crowd had come to see what the commotion was, but a ring of soldiers didn't allow them any closer to the four figures in the ring. When Link broke through the screams had been reduced to sobs, Lelyre being held back by one of the three soldiers in the middle. His beautiful golden harp was being smashed into more pieces, Captain Lhun now stomping his booted feet against the already fragmented instrument. The third soldier who wasn't holding Lelyre was standing beside the captain, begging him to stop while being pushed back by the destructive male.

"Attention!" Link bellowed as he pushed to the front of the crowd, the majority of the soldiers falling into line as well as the two closest to the captain. Lelyre crumpled to the ground, his sobbing renewed as he crawled closer to his destroyed harp. The captain stomped down on the wood and strings, Lelyre crying out in agony as he watched helplessly. "I said, attention!" The rest of the soldiers standing about reluctantly raised their heads, resuming a blank expression and placing their arms at their sides. Lhun raised his head defiantly at Link, balling his hands into fists as Link advanced onto him. "You are out of order," Link shouted as he came almost nose-to-nose with Lhun, firmly planting his feet and resting his hands on his hips. Tanis came up at Link's right, glaring at Lhun as he snorted at the sight of the Termina royal. "How dare you attack an unarmed and helpless civilian?"

"I know who he is," Lhun sneered, looking over his shoulder at the weeping Hylian just behind him. "It took me some time, but I finally figured it all out," jade green eyes turned to Sheik, who was being led by Lady Alhara. "I simply knew you would never take... that into your rooms as your lover," Lhun spat as Sheik came to Tanis' side, the prince wrapping an arm around Sheik's shoulders protectively. Link was about to step forward when Tanis took a firm grip on his elbow, later on which Link would thank him for. "I knew someone had to have told you what transpired..." A dark look at Lelyre, straightening his stance before turning back to look at Link. "When I saw him today, sitting beneath the willows and playing that childs toy, I knew who it was. He's the only one who will talk to both of you; he's the only person that thing has a use for."

"Brother, please," the one soldier who had pleaded to the captain to stop came forward, but Lhun gave him a glare that silenced him immediately. The slight interruption afforded Link a chance to step forward, his sky blue eyes staring at jade green ones.

"Captain, you've already over-stepped a line, and now you're wearing down my patience. I will have you restrained if I must," Link threatened as Lhun narrowed his eyes at him.

"And for what? Because of a lie?" Lhun snapped as he threw Sheik a venomous look. "You don't love him."

"That will be enough," Zelda came between the two men, gloved hands pressing them back with gentle pressure. She knew Link was coming close to losing his control, not wanting her friend to beat the pulp out of the captain. "You're a shameful example of a soldier, captain. You two," Zelda motioned a pair of soldiers nearby, "Take him to his room and guard the door. You," another pair of soldiers, "Take that one and do the same,"pointing to the one soldier who had restrained Lelyre. "Do the same." The captain crossed his arms across his chest, staring past Zelda in defiance. The muscular Hylian didn't budge one inch as the pair of guards took his arms, trying to pull their superior away from the spectacle. Zelda stepped forward, fisting the captain's shirt in her hand while saying "Do not defy me, captain. You are ruining what little of a military career you once strived for."

Lelyre, who had been kneeling in the ground and carefully gathering his harp, glanced up with bottle green eyes and spied the look in jade green. The soldier knew he was being watched so he glanced down with an evil smirk gracing his lips. Before anyone realized what was happening, Link was trying to pry Lelyre away from Lhun, who was howling on the ground and clutching at a spot just below his knee.

"He bit me!" the captain screamed as Lelyre was held close to Link.

"Oh, would you imagine that," Sheik was monotone, leaning against Tanis.

"Don't talk to me," Lhun sneered as he was hauled to his feet by his pair of guards. Sheik pulled away from Tanis, taking a few long stides towards Lhun, closing the gap between them. Grabbing a hold of Lhun's shirt, Sheikripped off his blind-fold and cast it down to the ground before pulling Lhun's face close.

"I used to think that people like you were the ones who defined who I was. To appease you, I thought that I had to cover up who I truly was," Sheik growled as he looked up, not knowing if there was a height difference between them or not. "No more, because I remember who I once was. I am Sheik," the Termina male gave Lhun a shove before staggering back a step, allowing Tanis to wrap an arm around him. His wallking stick wasn't to be located, forgotten in the banquet hall in all of their haste. Zelda dismissed the captain with a wave of her hand, the guards taking their assigned soldier to carry out their orders. As a few of the other soldiers began to follow, Link barked orders to them that they should be back at the practice fields. The third soldier who had tried to stop the captain pleaded to Link, wishing to go with the first two instead of to the practice fields. Link narrowed his blue eyes, meeting a pair of jade green eyes before turning his back on the soldier. ith the slumping of slender shoulders, the young Hylian turned around and went at a fast jog to catch up to the retreating soldiers.

"I expect the both of you," Zelda turned her scrutinizing look from Link to Sheik, "In exactly ten minutes, so be prepared to tell me everything."