Time Cannot Erase Chapter 16

Hope you’re doing fine out there without me
Cuz I’m not doing so good without you
The things I thought you’d never know about me
Were the things I guess you always understood
So how could I have been so blind for all these years
I guess I only see the truth through all this fear
Of living without you

Everything I have in this world
All that I’ll ever be
It could all fall down around me
Just as long as I have you right here by me
~3 Doors Down “Here By Me”

Chapter 16
Aritia

As the gateway closed the last sliver of light slowly faded and Zelda and Marth were left standing in almost complete darkness. Marth’s embrace was unrelenting. Zelda barely noticed the faint sound of footsteps behind her.

Her shock was wearing off now, and her thoughts becoming clearer. She put her hands on Marth’s shoulders, trying to push him away.

She could hear the footsteps dangerously close now, but Marth seemed unaware. It wasn’t until the unmistakable sound of an arrow being fitted to a bowstring and being tightly pulled back resounded through the silence that Marth seemed to awake. In the blink of an eye he released Zelda and had unsheathed his sword.

Relieved to be set free, Zelda turned from Marth only to find herself face to face with a large, powerful looking man with an arrow pointed inches from her flushed face.

“What do we have here?” he spoke out grimly through the darkness.

“A couple of love-birds out for a stroll?” a second voice came, ringing with sarcasm, this time from a bowman who had set his mark upon Marth.

Marth looked at them both and instantly relaxed, sheathing his weapon with a sigh of relief.

“Rayburn, Dexton,” Marth smiled. “It is good to see you.”

“Shut your mouth,” the one closest to Marth barked. “You’ve got a lot of guts, wandering around down here with your little girlfriend, Akanean scum!”

It was as though someone lit a fire beneath Marth and he exploded. With more power than Zelda had ever seen Marth took a step towards them man and spoke in a commanding voice, “Akanean scum, indeed! You, Dexton, would do well to watch your tongue when speaking to your Prince. Lower your weapon, now, unless you would rather answer to my blade!”

Through the darkness Zelda could barely see the man’s face, but she saw him take a step back as his bow and arrow fell limply to the ground.

“Dexton!” Rayburn exclaimed in disgust, pulling his bowstring ever tighter.

“Drop it, Rayburn,” Dexton replied in a flat voice.

“What?”

“Drop it!”

Marth turned and looked at Rayburn who immediately dropped his weapon as well.

“Prince Marth!?” Rayburn spoke in barely a whisper.

In spite of herself, Zelda found the way Marth was standing now, so straight and tall, made her feel safe and secure to be beside him. Slowly he unsheathed his sword once more, brandishing his Falchion blade as a mark of his true identity.

“Sire!?” Dexton replied in ecstasy now. “You’re alive…” a faint smile crossed his astonished face.

“Very much so,” Marth replied lightly.

“Where… how…” Dexton stammered.

“Tell me of the new developments,” Marth commanded, direct as always. “Is Hardin still contained behind his borders?”

“No, Sire,” he replied. “They broke through only days after you vanished, but we are still holding strong. They are still far from the castle. We have been keeping a close watch for any sign of his troupes, that’s why we thought you must be from-

“The castle has not been breached?” Marth cut in.

“No, Sire,” Rayburn shook his head. “General Alan has assured us that-“

“General Alan?” Marth interrupted once more, a slight growl in his voice. “I was under the impression that I am General over this army.”

“Oh,” Dexton looked instantly sheepish. “General Alan- uh, well, Captain Alan took your position yesterday. It was finally decided that you weren’t coming back, that you had… died…” he trailed off lamely.

“Well, seeing that I am alive, we shall have to remedy this,” Marth was obviously displeased at this news. “Open the gate,” his voice was sharp and hard now.

“Yes, Your Highness!” the two soldiers exclaimed almost frantically. Marth turned to Zelda and grabbed her arm.

“Come with us,” he said simply, all warmth gone from his eyes. He set off, and Zelda followed behind him. They tramped through the trees, following a small path that seemed to wind alongside an enormously tall stone wall. As they rounded the bend Zelda realized Marth had taken her to the wall just outside his castle. For protection, probably, she thought. Marth hadn’t known what he would find when he returned home.

The small group stopped in front of a massive gate of what appeared to be iron. Dexton called to the gate keeper and, with much clamoring, the gate lowly begun to lower.

Marth took Zelda by the arm and led her through.

“Alan was once the head of Aritia’s armies,” Marth explained to her as they walked. It was as if, to him, the kiss had never happened. Zelda, however, was still shaking from it, barely able to look him in the eyes, “but he retired- said he was through with battle. Things got so desperate, though, that we needed him back. He had only recently accepted the position of Captain beneath me when I had to flee to Hyrule. He did it as a personal favor to me,” Marth went on.

Zelda was only half listening now, her mind was far from his words and had all but forgotten about his embrace, for now. She was too horrified to pay him full attention. Marth’s castle was ancient and showed signs of being the focal point of many wars. Unlike Hyrule castle with its gleaming walls and polished floors, Aritia castle was more fort than castle. The walls were hewn of rough, dark stones many feet thick. The floors were made of the same dull stone. There were no tapestries. There were no ornaments of any kind. There were barely any windows, but a cold draft seemed to blow down every corridor. Every hall was suffocatingly dark and lit only by a few scattered torches.

This, however, was just the beginning. The castle was filled with people: the poorest and most emaciated looking people Zelda had ever seen. They lined the walls, huddled in small groups, sleeping on the cold, hard floors. Zelda’s eyes welled with tears as she realized that most of them were women and children. The only men she could see, aside from a few soldiers, were extremely elderly and frail looking.

Zelda tried not to stare as they meandered through the halls, though each and every one of their eyes followed her. She felt utterly ashamed walking past them in her immaculate clothing. She wished now that she was not wearing her tiara or the jewels in her ears. The people of Aritia stared after her in awe, and Zelda felt only the desire to sink into the floor.

These were the refugees from the most recent attack on Aritia: the only survivors.

“This is all that’s left,” Marth spoke softly as they meandered through the gloomy corridor. “There are may be only a thousand of us left. There seem to be more here now than when I left… Have more of the people fled here?” Marth turned to Dexton now.

“Yes,” Dexton turned to him, still shocked that it really was Marth before him. “Everyone has.”

“What to you mean, everyone has,” Marth asked with great interest. “What of the outer settlements and strongholds?”

“All fallen, Sire,” Dexton replied ruefully.

“When?” Marth asked. “What has Hardin done in my absence?”

“Truthfully, he has not done nearly as much damage as we had feared he would. The day you fell… we thought you were dead. Hardin’s men celebrated as though you had died, though we had no proof you were dead, and they had even less… there was no body, so there was always hope.

“After a few days of battle his army broke over the borders and we were forced to retreat to warn the villagers up north and protect as many of the people as we could. We thought for sure he would try to make a clean sweep once he had broken through- move right in to take the castle.

“Instead, he did nothing. He set up strongholds and his army has been camped there for a month. Within the last week or so there have been scattered attacks on outlying villages and settlements. The people are terrified that this is the end. Those from plundered villages fled here. Those from villages that have yet to be attacked did not want to wait for their destruction. Nearly every one in Aritia has deserted their homes and come here for protection.

“I don’t know how long we can last in this condition, Sire. The castle is filling quickly and we are running low on supplies. Captain Alan,” Dexton made a point to stress the word ‘captain’, “is, as we speak, formulizing a battle plan. We cannot hold out here forever. We all would have thought Hardin would have made a move by now… but maybe it is our last chance to go on the offensive.”

“My sentiments exactly,” Marth had an oddly triumphant gleam in his eye. Zelda would have thought such tidings would have been very unwelcome, but Marth seemed almost pleased. “It appears I returned just in time… we must act now to avoid a massacre.”

“But they’re… they’re just children,” Zelda couldn’t help but gasp as she looked around.

“You think Hardin cares?” Marth replied. “He’d kill them all in an instant, along with you and me and anyone else who stands in his way.”

Zelda could vaguely remember seeing such tragedy once before, long ago. She had hoped never to see anything so heartbreaking again.

Their footsteps echoed loudly as they walked down the corridors. Heads continued to rise up and turn in their direction as they passed. Astonished gazes and excited whisperings followed them as they walked.

She was glad when they finally reached a heavily barricaded door with one soldier standing guard before it.

“The General will see no one tonight, Dexton,” the guard said stiffly. “I have strict orders to-“

“I think he’ll make an exception in my case,” Marth stepped out into clear view.

The soldier nearly dropped his spear when he saw Marth standing before him. “Your Highness!” he gasped.

“I wish to see the Captain,” Marth spoke calmly, but power resonated in his voice.

The soldier bowed and opened the door quickly. “Thank you, men,” Marth turned to Dexton and Rayburn, “but you may return to your posts now.”

“Yes, Sire,” they bowed in unison and retreated. With that, Marth ushered Zelda into the chamber. It was a small room similar to the rest of the castle save the tattered tapestry that hung over the window to keep the wind out. Two men were sitting huddled at a small, round table in the far corner, pouring over a pile of maps. Two torches lit the walls and a candlestick sat flickering on the table between the two of them.

“That will never work, he will be expecting us to do exactly that!” the larger of the two, a muscular bald man, pounded his fist on the table.

“The simplest solution is often the best one, my good Michelan,” the smaller of the two, a handsome faced man with flowing blonde hair and steely eyes, replied.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Marth spoke out. The two men seemed to jump out of their skins, but once they saw who had spoken they looked truly terrified. However, the blonde man’s worry and shock melted almost instantly.

“I should have known they could not kill you,” he said with a crooked grin.

“You know me better than that, Alan,” Marth replied with a face as cold as ice.

“It has been over a month,” Alan spoke calmly. “We had no choice but to assume the worst and try to pick up the pieces.”

“I understand that, and I assume this means that you are prepared to step down immediately.” Marth’s gaze was penetrating and unwavering.

Alan’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “I am pleased that you are safe, Your Highness, but with all due respect, I am not sure that is in the best interest of our people-“ he cut off. Marth’s face had suddenly grown murderous.

“I am the Prince of this Kingdom, Alan. I am the one who decides what is in my people’s best interest. I am General over this army, and you are a Captain and a Captain only. While I am grateful for your service in my absence, you will remember that you are here by my request. You may retake your former position and assume your rightful duties or you may be discharged. It is your choice. Now, what is your decision?” The change in him was so drastic from the Marth she knew that Zelda could barely believe this was the same man she knew from Hyrule.

War did this: battle did this, and she was well aware of it. It didn’t bother her in the slightest. Marth was a warrior, and she could see that clearly now. If anything she felt more secure at his side now than she ever had before.

Alan hesitated only for an instant. “Of course,” he said, “of course I will resume my post.”

The larger man, Michelan, looked down at his companion with a dazed expression, but Alan did not return his gaze.

“Thank you,” Marth spoke sincerely. “Now, I have had some rudimentary descriptions of what has happened, but I wish to be updated on every detail of what has happened since the siege on my company the day I disappeared.”

“Yes, Sire,” Alan replied.

“How did you do it?” Michelan burst out. “How did you survive? I was there! I saw them knock you from your horse. I saw them fall on you like a swarm of hornets. I watched as they- they stabbed you. When we finally drove them off the only trace of you we could find was a pool of blood. At the best we assumed that they had taken you captive, but we had no hope you could have survived that wound,” he dissolved into awed silence.

“That is a tale for another time,” Marth replied, his countenance slightly lighter now. “Now, please, Alan, I need a full update, and Michelan, if you would, please fetch Elice. I need to see her- to let her know I’m all right.”

“Elice isn’t here,” Michelan replied in dismay.

“What?” Marth exclaimed. “Where is she.”

“Elice is gone,” Alan replied dryly. “She and a few of your other companions set off a few days ago to search for you- again,” a note of annoyance had crept into his voice.

Marth’s gaze had become suddenly heavy and grim. “Elice,” he whispered.

“She never did accept that you were gone,” Michelan said, patting Marth on the shoulder. “She’s dead set on finding you.”

“Then I have to find her,” Marth replied.

“What?” Alan cried. “You just got back, you can’t go running off into the forest with the same Akaneans that tried to kill you last time still on the loose. They have taken the northern border! There is nothing keeping them from marching strait here and taking the castle as well. It is a death wish to go out there!”

“I will not leave my sister out there with them!” Marth shot back. “Now, where did they go?”

Alan remained silent but Michelan seemed eager to help. “They set off to the north this morning, said they would search the woods where you were last seen, looking for any trace of you or your ‘captors’. She said they would follow the river. Hardin’s men have all but abandoned the woods since that battle. They remain mostly in their camps east of the woods a good ways… but he has scouts everywhere.”

“Thank you, Michelan,” Marth replied with a scathing look at Alan. “I will return with her before nightfall. Be prepared to give me a full report upon my arrival.”

“Yes, Sire,” Alan breathed the last word with a trace of contempt, but Marth had already turned to head toward the door. As he did so he came face to face with Zelda and looked most shocked to realize she was still there.

“I have to go and find-“

“I know,” Zelda interjected. “I’m coming with you.”

“I knew you would,” Marth smiled, and the two set off into the fading night once more.



For hours Marth and Zelda rode almost silently through the thick forest on steeds taken from Marth’s stable. Marth had insisted on taking no one but Zelda with him- not even a single guard. The Akaneans were still out there, and the fewer people who ventured into the woods the safer it would be, he said.

As the first shades of pink began to seep into the horizon of deep blue before them Marth told her that they were nearing the river which his friends, and his sister, had said they would be heading towards. As the sky continued to brighten Marth began to relax. Darkness was an advantage to the enemy, and with the rising of the sun their hopes of finding Marth’s missing company began to brighten as well.

As they grew nearer to the northern border Marth indicated that they should dismount and continue on foot. It would be much easier to move through the woods undetected than on horseback. He took the reins off the horses and gave them both a slight swat on the hindquarters. Both horses leapt into action, headed back exactly toward the castle. Being horses of war they had been trained to return home to the castle if loose, and he assured Zelda they would make it safely back.

The hours wore on as they tromped through the trees, and it took Zelda that long to find the courage to speak to Marth about the night before. She could still hardly believe what she had done. She had run away from Hyrule. She had left without a trace. She thought of her father and what he would do when they all realized she was gone.

She thought of Impa. She would be worried, but Zelda would find some way to contact her- to let her know she was safe.

She refused to think of Link. It hurt too badly to realize he wouldn’t care that she was gone.

Even so, the growing realization of the insanity of her impulse decision to go with Marth battled with her exhilaration at the adventure she had suddenly become a part of, and she couldn’t be sure who was winning.

Amidst it all, her mind continually wandered back to one moment: the moment Marth had kissed her.

“Marth,” she finally said quietly from behind him.

“Yes,” he replied without turning. He was anxiously inspecting a set of footprints in the dirt on the path before him.

“Aren’t you going to say anything about… about what happened last night?” If it had meant anything to him he wasn’t showing it.

“About what?” he asked, still checking the ground for signs of his comrades.

“You know,” she replied with a furrowed brow.

Suddenly Marth stopped. He stopped so abruptly that Zelda bumped into him as she continued to walk. In an instant he spun around. His hands clutched her shoulders and he backed her into a tree so that there was no escape.

“What do you want me to say?” He asked her, shaking his head so his long, dark hair fell down into his piercing eyes. “Do you want me to apologize? I have no regrets. I’m not sorry about what I did. Are you?” he asked sharply. “Are you sorry it happened? If so, why did you come with me? It was your choice, Zelda, and you chose to come with me, so you must feel something for me!” His eyes were now almost pleading with her.

“What more can I say? I believe I’ve been quite clear on where I stand.” His grip was unrelenting and his eyes never left hers.

Zelda found her voice. “Let me go,” her voice was strong and commanding, but her eyes were wide and her body was trembling.

“Such fear,” Marth sighed, putting a hand gently on her cheek. “I don’t want you to be afraid anymore. You must see it- now that you’ve seen my home- how much I need you, how much Aritia needs you. Think of the good you could do here!

“I don’t want to be alone anymore, not now that I’ve found you,” he continued to inch his face closer to hers, his voice growing lower. “We don’t have to be alone. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Zelda only trembled more and commanded more emphatically, “Let me go!”

“No,” Marth replied calmly, “because that’s not what you want.”

“How do you know what I want?”

“I know that you don’t want to be alone anymore, either. I know that if you really wanted me to let you go you would make me. I mean, my head would be on fire by now or something.” He gave a short laugh.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Marth,” she threatened unconvincingly.

“I don’t want to hurt you either. I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anything hurt you- I promise you that.”

Marth ran a hand through her hair and Zelda slowly closed her eyes.

“Let me go, Marth, please,” she begged, though more quietly than before. She had stopped struggling against his grasp. She knew he was right, if she truly wanted to she could be free from him in and instant.

“No,” he replied and he leaned in closer. “Why are you so afraid? What would be so horrible about falling in love?”

“Nothing,” she whispered back, “and everything.”

“I’ll make you forget him.”

His mouth met hers and he kissed her with an intensity far exceeding the previous night. For a moment Zelda stood frozen in his arms with her back against the tree, as his lips caressed hers. She tried halfheartedly to push him away, but her efforts died quickly. She barely noticed her own hands moving up to grasp his arms. She didn’t fight him as he put his hand behind her neck and held her against him. Soon her lips were moving with his, growing hungrier by the second. Her hands tightened around his arms and she pulled him closer, trusting herself to his care.

She couldn’t remember why she had resisted or the reason for her fear. She could barely remember her own name. He pulled her closer against his body and the last vestiges of her doubt faded. Zelda let go completely and surrendered herself to his strong, inexorable embrace.

*****

“They should be around here somewhere,” the two had finally resumed their search and Marth was a few paces ahead of Zelda. “Wait, I think I hear something,” he ended abruptly, grabbing Zelda by the arm. He put a finger to his lips, signaling silence.

He stared intently into the nearby trees. Zelda listened and, through the trees to their left, she could hear some distant voices. “Wait here,” he whispered to Zelda. “Stay near the very edge of the tree line. If anything happens-“

“I’m not leaving you. You can’t go in there alone,” Zelda protested. “What if it’s-“

“I don’t want you to go in there until I’m sure it’s safe. This is the forest I was attacked in, and if they’re hiding in there… I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“But-“

“If it is the Akaneans, I will come back immediately and we will take sanctuary. If it is my friends I will return with them. Just stay here and keep a look out. I will be right back. If anything happens-“

“I will be ready,” she smiled, a thrill shooting up her back as she grasped the sword he had given her. A sense of recklessness had overtaken her as the night had passed to morning. She longed for adventure once more. She feared no danger now.

“I know you will,” Marth smiled at her, squeezing her hand. He turned and vanished into the trees, and Zelda stood, waiting.

Marth made his way warily. He was almost certain this would be his friends, but he could not be too careful. Hardin’s men could very well be hiding out in the forest. Nothing was certain anymore.

The voices continued to grow louder and louder. He could now hear a few distinct male voices and a female voice as well. Instantly his tension vanished. He knew that voice: he would know it anywhere.

He continued cautiously, but now with a smile. He could hear them clearly now.

“Everyone up. Let’s go,” the young woman’s voice sounded. ”We have a lot of ground to cover before nightfall.”

“Princess,” a man’s voice cut in nervously. “We’ve been discussing this and, well, we’re afraid it’s been too long.”

“What do you mean?” she questioned with a distinct edge to her voice.

“We don’t mean any disrespect, Princess, but we don’t think this search will yield any favorable results.”

“You all feel this way?” she demanded.

The clearing fell silent for a long moment before anyone dared speak again.

“Your Highness, let us say that he survived the initial attack, let us say they captured him- then what? If they have the Prince he is either dead or they will kill him at any time. If they didn’t capture him…” the man hesitated, “he is dead already.”

“Why are you here then?” the female voice roared. “Why did you follow me out here if you think there’s no hope?”

“Because we can’t have you wandering around out here all alone with Akaneans on the loose,” a sharper voice cut in.

“Don’t do me any favors, Roy,” she replied scathingly.

A new voice spoke, course and rough, “We should all keep our voices down. We’re very close to the river, and Hardin’s men could be anywhere. They’ve lingered on the boarders long enough. They will make a move any day now, and I still say he will make use of the river.”

“No. His tactics are those of brute strength, not subtlety. He will continue to mass troops along the borders until he has enough and then siege the castle,” the female voice rang out again, strong and unwavering. “Besides, I hope they do find me. Then they will lead me back to my brother. Maybe it will spur them into action! It’s only a matter of time before this all erupts and we make our last stand -“

“Come on, Elice, don’t be insane! I don’t know what everyone’s so worried about, anyway. He hasn’t done anything significant for weeks. I think he’s given up. There’s no way he can break through the castle, and he’s probably realized that and decided to cut his losses,” the first voice sounded once more, full of fire and arrogance.

“Roy, you are such an idiot,” the girl sighed.

“Our castle has stood for thousands of years, since the days of Anri,” another man spoke.

“That castle has withstood many more battles than you, Little Princess, and it will continue to stand. That fat old lump of a sorcerer can’t tear down those walls,” the young sounding male voice resounded.

“Don’t call me Little Princess, you obnoxious little twerp!”

“You still don’t like my pet name?” the fiery voice spoke again, now with a flirtatious lilt.

“Pet name?” the girl cried in outrage then she gave an exasperated sigh. “We don’t have time for this. Stop goofing around and let’s go!”

“Elice, seriously,” her companion spoke with a sudden, gentle tone of concern. “We’ve been looking for days… I don’t think we’re going to find him. You saw his wound... you saw the blood he left behind. There is no way-”

“Don’t say that, Roy. He isn’t gone. He’s out here somewhere, or they have him and we have to save him.”

“We’ve done everything we can,” the voice lowered with sadness.

“No, we haven’t. I’m not giving up!”

“Elice - ”

“We can’t give up hope. He didn’t give up on me. He came for me, so I can’t do anything less for him. He’s still out there-“

“We’ve searched everywhere and found no trace of him. You know I don’t want to admit it either, Elice… but we don’t have much of a choice.”

“We have no proof that he’s dead,” the girl shot back. “If they had killed him they would be lauding it over us, trying to demoralize the people. Instead they have retreated like the cowards they are!”

“Maybe they realize that we can’t sink any lower,” the young man replied with bitter regret, “especially now that Marth’s gone.”

“Gone?” Marth stepped out from behind he had been hiding behind. “I’m right here.”

Immediately every member of the group shot to their feet. Swords unsheathed and bows fitted with arrows, all pointing at Marth’s chest.

“Is this any way to greet your Prince?” Marth laughed.

The girl’s eyes were wide with shock. The entire group took a collective breath as they stared at Marth.

The girl clasped her hand to her mouth in shock. She looked as though she might crumble to the ground at any moment.

“Marth?” she whispered in disbelief.

“Marth!” the red haired one called Roy exclaimed in delight. “I can’t believe it – you’re alive!”

“I am,” Marth smiled as Roy bounded over and pulled him into a tight hug.

“You idiot,” Roy laughed as he slapped Marth on the back then punched him in the arm. “Where the heck have you been? I was – ” Roy cut off in embarrassment. “Elice was worried about you.” He pointed accusingly across the clearing.

Marth turned away from his friend and back to his sister and his eyes immediately softened. Elice had not moved since Marth’s arrival. She stood stone still, staring at him as though she were looking at a specter. He could see the depth of worry and sorrow in her countenance and he could not for one moment deny the pain he knew he must have put her through. Guilt welled up within him and nearly broke his heart to have to face her now.

“Elice…” he said softly, not knowing what else to say.

Roy stepped back as Marth’s sister started towards them. She had soft blue hair that perfectly matched her eyes, eyes that echoed Marth’s eyes of blue steel. Strength resided in them; though he could see right through it to the tenderhearted little girl he had always known.

“Marth?” she whispered, stretching out a hand and placing it on his cheek. “You’re alive…”

Without a word Marth swept her into a hug. Her head fell on his shoulder and she held him tightly as she simultaneously wept and laughed.

“You’re alive,” she cried through her tears of joy. “You’re alive!”