13Author's note: Wow does it feel weird to be doing something like this! So if anyone's curious, I actually used to write a crap ton of fics up on here and had a LOT of Zelda fanfiction. In fact, it was STILL getting reviews before I cleared a majority of my old stuff out a couple months back. This is my first time writing lengthy fanfiction since middle school, sooo it's kind of weird for me. Especially using two characters I'm not familiar with writing - I've written Vaati before but I've never been comfortable doing so and Hilda's new so pft. To be completely honest, I'm not too sure what direction this story's going to take. I really have like none of this planned out. All I have is a goal in mind - to show why VaatixHilda is a good couple or at least an interesting one. I'm not sure if they're going to be romantic, if they're going to be a healthy and stable relationship- I don't know anything. I'm really just writing this this very vague idea in mind. So if anything seems off or strange to you - that's probably cause I had no idea what I was writing at the time. I've tried looking it over a bit and brushing some stuff up but still meh. Hilda tends to kinda contradict herself a bit in this chapter and I'm not sure if she still does after fixing some things but she DID five minutes ago. Also, thanks a ton for the encouraging reviews I got and I hope to continue to see you guys send in some feedback! Here's to the start of a new story. Thanks everyone.
Visions of better times
Kingdoms and lilac wine
Why did God fail to improve us?
It took a lot of convincing to get Hilda to let him into the castle.
And by convincing, she meant threats.
She didn't know how serious he was about them or if he'd actually go through with any, but Hilda wasn't going to risk her kingdom's safety because she didn't believe him. Better safe than sorry.
The walk back was dead silent, her soldiers leading the way. Her men were out of formation and slouched, exhausted. She knew Vaati saw how untrained they were, that he had figured out that they were all just hired men from the nearest village. Anyone with eyes could tell that Lorule didn't have actual knights or guards. He could destroy her and her nation right here without breaking into a sweat. It wouldn't take any effort on his end, but something held him back. Was he serious about this marriage? Was he just toying with her? Did he really think a wedding was necessary to take the throne? All he had to do was kill her and restore the kingdom to its former glory and her people would fall at his feet thanking him.
Her people didn't know loyalty anymore. Loyalty was worth nothing in a country filled with criminals and monsters. Loyalty got you killed. No one would care if she lived or died - all they wanted was for the world to stop coming apart. They'd worship Vaati if he did what she failed to do countless times before in the past.
Maybe she really was being selfish. Maybe she should just let him kill her.
It took them an hour to make it back to the castle. Her shoes were filthy, covered in dirt and swamp. The bottom of her dress was ruined and she felt like she was coated in filth. Even the hired men were stained. Of course, the Great Wind Mage Vaati didn't have a spot on him even though he was wearing sandals and they had cut right through the bog.
Awkwardly, the guardsmen came to a stop in front of the palace, unsure if they were supposed to pretend they were real soldiers or if they were free to go home to their families where they would impatiently wait for their checks to arrive. Hilda forgot that she'd be alone with Vaati - that there were only a small handful of servants left in the castle. For a moment, Hilda thought about keeping the men in the castle. If she had more to pay them with, Hilda was sure she would have told them to stay.
Briefly, the Princess of Lorule looked towards the arrogant sorcerer to see that he wasn't even paying attention, examining his nails. Did he really have to be so painfully cliche? He wouldn't be able to lay a hand on her - not yet at least. Vaati was the type of man who spoke too much when he had the hero in his grasp. There was nothing to fear here. He was just a little boy playing bad guy - a fairytale character, one of the boogeymen from a story her father would read to her every night. Vaati wouldn't kill her until he got what he wanted and what he wanted was a wedding. There was no danger, just the illusion of it.
With a wave of her hand, the guards went their own way and Hilda walked past Vaati and towards the large doors. She held her head high to show him that she wasn't afraid of him. Hilda was the one in control, not Vaati.
"You don't have any security?" Vaati asked as he followed her. "No wonder your kingdom's in such shambles. You're practically asking me to take over."
"We still have the hat to discuss." Despite her earlier thoughts, Hilda glanced over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't about to stab her in the back - literally. He might not kill her but that didn't mean she could let her guard down. There was always a chance that he'd surprise her.
"You mean our wedding," Vaati's eyes landed on her. "There's no deal if there's no wedding."
The Princess ignored him, stopping before the throne. There was no doubt in her mind that Vaati was lying. Getting the cap couldn't be this easy. He wouldn't just give it to her after they were married. He didn't need her for political power, he was just having a little fun before he either ran away to Hyrule and left her kingdom further destroyed or murdered her so he could have the throne alone. He was evil, his prison was proof enough. If he got everything he wanted he'd end her. She had practically made a deal with the devil.
Maybe she should have listened to Ravio. Maybe there were easier ways to solve their problem - maybe they could have tried to travel to Hyrule and handle things like a proper diplomat. Looking back at Vaati, Hilda realized how late it was to go back on her decision. Vaati was strong and she was an idiot if she honestly thought she could defeat him by herself. The only right thing to do now was to pick up the shattered pieces and try to glue them back together.
"I want a month," Hilda said, turning to face him. "One month together. We'll work together to fix Lorule and if you can prove yourself to be worthy, I will marry you."
Vaati laughed, surprising her by how non-intimidating the action was. "Prove myself worthy?" he repeated in-between giggles. "Your Highness, you have no say if I'm worthy or not. This marriage must happen," his snickering came to a stop, "or else Lorule's doomed. I'm not going to waste a month of my life playing house with some foolish little girl. You have to get it through that thick head of yours that you're not in control of this situation. I'm not a tame dog and I won't play fetch for you."
Her index finger flew up to his face, just a few inches away from hitting his nose. "You will save my kingdom or we will put you back where you came from."
"You and what army?" The Mage asked, spreading his arms out. "Look around you. There's no one else in this castle except for us. You don't have any soldiers willing to lay their lives down for you, just hired men in costumes. You're no Zelda."
Her fury burned in the pit of her stomach. Ravio always told her to try and keep her composure, that her anger would control her if she didn't watch herself - but Ravio wasn't here to stop her temper. She rose her gloved hand to smack him but felt his fingers curl around her wrist. "Let go of me," Hilda commanded in a tight voice as her staff clattered to the ground.
His grip tightened and he pushed her back into the throne, forcing her to sit. Vaati brought his leg down onto her lap, digging his knee into her stomach painfully. She bit her lip to keep from making any noise, refusing to give him any satisfaction. She couldn't show any weakness in front of him.
"I'm done playing nice, Princess," he leaned down so their foreheads were touching, leering at her. "There is no us, there is no saving Lorule. You will marry me and I will fix this pathetic kingdom for my own benefit. Maybe if you play your cards right I'll even let you live."
Hilda forced herself to look into his burning eyes. Just moments ago he was so calm and docile. She was wrong - she had underestimated him. Vaati was dangerous - he was the worst kind of dangerous. He was unpredictable and wild. There was one thing she was right about, however. He loved to hear his own voice.
Lifting her hand up behind him, Hilda pointed out his flaw. "You talk too much." Her index finger touched the back of his neck, a warm glow of light washing over the room as the man fell backwards onto the ground, unconscious. Her shoulders fell and she felt a wave of exhaustion crash into her.
Tired, Hilda stood up on shaking legs and picked her staff off of the ground. Not only was the rod passed down generation to generation, but it also acted as a conductor for her powers. Without it, Hilda's magic was limited.
She banged the bottom of the wand on the floor, blue crackling sparks rolling out from underneath and gathering around Vaati as it lifted him off of the ground. She didn't have much time. No doubt Vaati would wake up in a half hour, but if she was careful she'd be able to get him into a cell and possibly grab his cap before then.
The monarch trailed behind Vaati, her feet dragging and leaving dirty footprints on the floor. No doubt the few castle caretakers would be furious when they saw the mess she'd left for them. The dungeon wasn't in the best shape. No one had been put down here in centuries - the crime rate had spiked and it had gotten to the point that they just didn't have the room to lock up all the evildoers in Lorule. Corruption ran the towns - it brought in rupees and kept the economy stable.
Hilda moved into the cell after Vaati floated safely onto the ground, kneeling down beside him. The bars were still sturdy but a thin crack ran up one of the walls. There was a terrible smell that burned her nose but she couldn't place where it was coming from or what it was to begin with. She wanted nothing more than to rush back to her chambers and to slip into a warm bath but she had work to do first.
Vaati wore no cap on top of his head nor was there anything in his pockets. She tried to sense its magic but it was impossible to tell if what she was getting was Vaati's overwhelming power or the Wishing Cap's.
Frustrated, Hilda stood back up, locking the cell behind her. What if he didn't have the Wishing Cap? What if he was bluffing and couldn't save Lorule? If that was the truth then… why would he want to marry her? He said he didn't want to rule a dying kingdom, he had to have some idea of how to fix her land or else… he'd just up and leave like he said, right?
No, he had to have the cap. It was probably just hidden very well. She couldn't accept the fact that Vaati might be lying, that she might have already failed her people and doomed them all. Hilda couldn't mess something up this badly.
It was at this time that Hilda desperately wished she had a council to discuss this matter with - that Ravio was here to talk to. She wasn't good with planning. Hilda wasn't able to keep a level head during times of crisis. Her emotions got the best of her - whether that be her anger or her fear. This entire plan had been impulsive. She had assumed things would go one of three ways - either they'd take Vaati down without any issues and get the cap, he'd cooperate, or he'd destroy all of them. She hadn't thought ahead. There was no fourth option where Vaati forced her into some strange marriage for fun.
She'd have to adapt to his game. There was no other way she'd get through this - no way her people would survive. If she was really good, she might be able to manipulate him into giving her the cap before their wedding. Hilda took in a deep breath. That was right. The war wasn't over yet. She still had a chance to turn things around. She just had to keep calm and stay positive. Play pretend - let him think he had the upperhand and that she wasn't a threat, that he'd already won.
Vaati wouldn't get the throne without a fight.
Hilda would get her wish or die trying.
Author's Note: So that's the second chapter! I had a crap ton of issues with it cause - again - I have no clue where I'm going with this. I mean there's SOME stuff but meh. I actually had to ask my friend some stuff when it came to the Hilda and Vaati scene in the throne room. My main issue with this chapter was 'would Vaati really hurt her?' In all honesty, I REALLY didn't have an answer for that. I mean, we don't really see Vaati lay a hand on Zelda other than in Minish Cap. Why's that? In the end my friend helped me decide that he would - and the simple answer is because he really doesn't need her. She's just a trophy. He can take over the nation without her just as he thinks he can in Minish Cap. As for FS, he's pretty nuts anyway so~.
SwordspiritFi9: AHhhHHHhHh IIIIII like both of them a LOT. I think Zelda has a WONDERFUL character, but in ALBW we really don't get to see who she is so I can agree that in that game she really doesn't have too much of a personality. She spent a majority of the game as a painting so I guess you can say she's a TWO DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER. B) ...Anyway, no, I love Hilda though. I understand that some people don't perceive her as an easily angered woman - it's totally fine not to and it's SO possible that she's nothing like she is in ALBW when she's not put under so much stress and desperate to save everyone - but personally I like the idea of her being a woman with a quick temper. Especially cause it's going to be fun to see her interact with Vaati.
Fan: Well it's not marked as complete for a reason. ;D
Sapphiet: I wouldn't say PERFECT. They're probably actually terrible for each other. I'm still not sure how well this'll work out. I KIND OF MAINLY ONLY LIKE THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE POWER SHIP. God they'd be such a great power duo like holy frick they'd rule Lorule with an iron fist and it'd be badass and probably super professional and aaaaah let's see if that's how it turns out here~!
Run away away: ;D Already messaged you.
BFDreaming: So am I.
Btw I promise the actual chapter will get longer as time goes on.