Hello all! Guess what? Today is my birthday, so I decided to post a one-shot.
Please enjoy!
A Dance to Remember
Lights of every color danced across the ceiling, mimicking the movements of the people below. Music streamed through the air, light as wind but instilling a fire in the souls of the people in attendance. Dressed in all their finery, the nobles of Hyrule danced across the ballroom floor, weaving in and out of formation as a group, all hearts beating in time to the music. The women wore glittering dresses, and the mens' tuxes gave them a mysterious air. Everyone wore a mask, hiding their identity from even their closest friends. Tonight, everyone was equal, and everyone was cloaked in magic and mystery.
Princess Zelda caught her breath at the sight of the masquerade ball held in her honor. It was her birthday, and her greatest wish was to not be princess for a day. She grinned in childish delight; no one would know who she was. It was fantastic.
To not be found out, Zelda had taken extra care to hide her identity. She had changed her height by wearing heels (which she had never done before), and put on a brown wig to cover her blonde locks. She also went for a more downplayed dress. It was a sleeveless lavender dress with ruffles all across the front. If inspected closely, small sparkles could be seen, which caught the light as she moved and made the material seem like gossamer. Her hair was done in braids wrapped around her head, and her mask was also purple with small inexpensive jewels arranged in an elliptical pattern.
She stood by a wall, happy just to watch people dance and to have them walk past her without any acknowledgment. She was just one of the crowd, and she was more than happy to be that way, even if it was just for one night. She definitely wouldn't give up being a princess, that had its own perks, but it was nice to get away now and then.
To Zelda, it seemed that even when people are shrouded in mystery, their souls call to each other. She realized this as she watched one of her guests dance with another woman. He was tall, and slightly built, his shaggy blonde hair pulled back with a silver ribbon. His suit accented his figure, and Zelda couldn't help herself from letting her eyes wander every time he turned his back to her.
He was a fabulous dancer, he led his partner with ease, and Zelda could only barely tell that his partner had very little dance experience. It was her posture that gave her away, but that was it, the man led her that well. Zelda wanted nothing more than to dance with him. She wanted to know what it was like, because she was often told she was a great dancer as well by her other partners. She had a feeling she would be swept off her feet, both literally and figuratively.
The song soon ended, and in the lapse of sound in between songs, it seemed as if the room was holding their breath. Zelda decided to move, she pushed herself off the wall and walked towards the man. He was bowing to his partner, who curtsied letting her overabundant curls cover her face, hiding that she was breathless. The man stood, his back to Zelda, so lightly she tapped his shoulder. He turned around and saw her, a playful air suddenly surrounding Zelda, like the mist of some lady's perfume.
"Good evening, sir. Care to dance?" she said, trying to hide her voice. The man grinned and bowed to her, while she curtsied. They moved together, him placing his right around her lower back, her placing her left hand on his shoulder, and both joining hands and holding them up. The song started; it was a beautiful and haunting melody that was called the Song of Storms. The dance for it was fast paced and elegant, and Zelda wondered if she'd be able to do it, since it was a few birthdays ago that she danced it last.
The man didn't let her reflect long however, because immediately he led her to the right, the first steps of the dance, and before Zelda knew it, she was doing the entire dance without a mistake and with ease. The other people around her watched the pair with wondering eyes as they flew across the dance floor like raindrops falling to earth. The two moved in perfect harmony, their steps and heartbeats in sync. Zelda barely had enough time to breathe let alone think, so the two danced away.
Even the man was clearly enjoying himself, he was smiling the entire time and now and then he would laugh, which would in turn make Zelda laugh. Zelda's head was fuzzy, the dance feeling like a strange euphoria. The two were pressed together, so close she could kiss him. He had an intoxicating scent, one that smelled like adventure: Pine trees and horse stables. A strange mix, but one that Zelda found to be incredibly alluring.
The last notes of the song could be heard, and Zelda knew it was time for the finale. The man spun her around a few times, on the last one he let go of her back but held tightly to her hand, so that they separated and stood in a line next to each other. On the last two notes he pulled her in, spinning her again so that she landed in the crook of his arm closest to her, and then wrapped his other arm around her. Her back was to him, so she had to lift her head to look into his eyes. They were a clear blue, lighter than the sky, and prettier than any crystal. The two were out of breath, so for awhile after the song ended, they just stared at each other.
Finally, Zelda spoke, "Wow…"
Not the best start to a conversation, Zelda knew, but the euphoria from the dance still wasn't gone, and Zelda couldn't think straight. She had never had such a good dance partner before!
The man chuckled, "At a loss for words, hm?"
Zelda nodded her head slightly, "You were fantastic. I've never danced with someone so good before. Tell me, who was your instructor?"
"That is a secret. This is a masquerade ball, a place where everyone hides in mystery. Why try to get rid of all the fun by telling you my instructor's name?"
Zelda raised her eyebrows, "Hm? Since when did saying who taught you how to dance become the key to your identity?"
The man smiled coyly, his eyes lighting up with boyish delight. This man seemed more like a child with each passing second.
"Because I taught myself how to dance. I am my dance instructor."
Zelda finally removed herself from his arms to face him, "That is amazing! You taught yourself, and you became this good? Truly amazing!"
The man bowed, "You give me too much credit, Princess."
Zelda frowned, "No fair, how did you know?"
The man looked at her, "I figured it out just now, Princess. You carry yourself in such a royal way that you couldn't be anybody else."
"Well, fine. For the rest of the night, however, do not call me Princess. Call me Zelda."
"Alright, Zelda."
Zelda looked at him expectantly, crossing her arms while she waited.
"What?" the man asked.
"Aren't you going to tell me your name? You know mine, but I have no idea who you are." Zelda said, slightly annoyed.
"Alright, I guess it's fair to tell you. My name is Link. I'm an up-and-coming knight in your army."
Zelda smiled again, "Well, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Link. Shall we dance again?"
She held out her hand for Link to take and lead her to the dance floor, he smiled and took it. For the rest of the night, the two danced. They became the stars of the ballroom, with everyone ever now and then clearing the dance floor just to let the two of them dance. Link didn't dance with anyone else, and neither did Zelda. Why should they? It seemed as if the goddesses had made them for each other. No other dance partner would ever amount to Link, and Zelda wouldn't have it any other way.
Was he her Romeo? Was she his Juliet? Zelda hoped not, because she didn't want a three-day tragedy, she wanted a lifetime of happiness. Somewhere, deep in her soul she knew he could provide that. Her left hand burned, letting her know that the Triforce of Wisdom agreed. She had to admit it, she was in love. And something in his eyes, the clearness of them perhaps, told her that her feelings were reciprocated.
The fact that you just read this one-shot has made me incredibly happy, everyone on this sight is just so awesome
I'm not even joking. So thank you for dealing with me for another year, haha.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!