A/N: Hey there everyone! This is just a quick one-shot in between my updates. I know it's been a long time, but I've had writer's block like you wouldn't believe. Anyways, here we go! Enjoy and review please.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, or Nintendo. If I did, I would have played Twilight Princess by now.
Until Death
"He's a lovely man; strong, determined, and we are to be married on the morrow. He is very much like you, Link. I simply do not see why you are so hostile toward the prince." Princess Zelda sighed heavily, her blue gaze searching the tanned face of the hero opposite her.
"It irritates me greatly that you compare me to a conniving, rude, snappish, frilly of a prince that refuses to even acknowledge my existence, or even the existence of servants. You wound me Zelda. I hadn't realized that I was so awful to have around!" frowned Link.
"Link, I was speaking of only his good qualities that remind me of you, you big silly ass! You are my best friend. I cannot even begin to wonder what I would do without your presence by my side. Nothing will come between us, I-" she trailed off, being rudely interupted.
"Princess Zelda!" bellowed a male voice.
Link's lean body stiffened at the sight of Prince Zavarin of Cordana. The young royal angrily stomped through the royal gardens, snagging his navy blue cloak on the wild rose bushes. His grey eyes filled with fury, at the sight of the Hyrulian princess accompanied by her hero.
"What in Hyrule are you doing with that commoner? He is not worth the air you breathe in, let alone the time of day you waste with him!" Zavarin snarled.
"You will not speak to Her Majesty in such a manor" Link growled. He was about to roughly escort the prince from the garden, when suddenly a small, delicate hand cupped over his mouth prevented him. The seven-foot-two hylian calmed immediately at the touch of the love of his life. He stepped back only a few paces, as the Princess of Destiny divided the duo to become a mediator. Sighing, she began softly.
"Link, Zavarin. This has got to stop effective now. On the morrow we are to be wed, and I do not wish to lose my dearest friend and confidante. I wish for our countries to be united in peace, but compromises must be made in the meantime. For now, the both of you must apologize." Zelda declared.
A brief mumbling of apologies was exchanged, as well as the proverbial hand squeeze. Link nearly broke Zavarin's hand, only inflicting a glimpse of the pain he was capable of. The princess left, to attend to her duties in the throne room, painfully aware of the ever-growing tension between the two males.
Zavarin shivered as Link leaned to his level and murmured hostile intentions: "If you so much as lay a single finger on her, harming her in any way, goddesses help you. I will break every bone in your pathetic body and leave you to die an agonizingly slow death in Gerudo Desert."
The next day...
The royal wedding was astonishing; the Temple of Time was decorated by the finest artists in the lands of Hyrule and Cordona. Lilies of the rarest species wafted their enchanting scent throught the temple, as if weaving a spell of timelessness for the couple. As the vows were made, Zavarin's gaze wandered along the delicate curvatures of the bride's petite form. The princess could not help but notice the hungry gaze devouring her form. Shivering slightly, she prayed that she could at least make it through the reception without vomiting from the penetrating stare.
At the reception, Zelda immediately found her way to Link's familiar presence, despite the protests of her husband. As the orchestra struck up the first melody for the bride and groom, Zavarin tore her away from her hero to the dance floor.
"You look absolutely ravishing, my love" Zavarin purred.
"Thank you husband. You are looking well yourself."
"I only hope that your dress has few layers, making my job later tonight much less difficult." He growled sensually in her pointed ear. She made a grotesque face over his shoulder, eyes pleading for Link to step in and rescue her. With great difficulty, she pried herself loose from Zavarin as the song faded from existence. Instantly, she was enveloped by two powerful arms.
"Happy wedding" Link murmured gently. He could feel her petite form push into his warmth. Zelda layed her heart on his broad chest, listening intently to the steady thrum of the warrior's heart.
"Your heart beats so strongly."
"It beats only for you. If something were to happen to you, it would beat no longer" he replied quietly.
"I love you Link. Zavarin cannot stop that."
"And I you, my princess. Just remember that I'll always be here as your protector. If you need anything, just call and I will come to you" Link vowed.
Three months later...
The newlyweds had many problems. Zavaring would pressure the Zelda into spending time with him, despite her obvious discomfort. She would enrage him by wittling the hours away in the company of "commoners" and "wretches", as he deemed them. Yet, primary in the mind of Zavarin was the fact that they had yet to consummate the marriage. Suspicion grew in his mind that the princess was allowing a man other than her husband into her bed. On every occasion that he would attempt to initiate sexual relations, Zelda was either too tired, or simply not ready yet. Finally, his patience was worn out.
"This is all Link's fault! If you did not spend so much time around him, we would be a more unified couple. I do not want him around the castle any more!" Zavarin screamed at Zelda. "If I ever catch you in his company again, I will make you rue the cursed day you were born!"
With that said, Zavarin slammed the lithe princess into her chamber wall. He struck her across the face twice, leaving ugly purple welts on her normally porcelein cheeks. Satisfied, the evil prince left Zelda to collapse on the floor, in tears.
Link wandered up the stairs, curious to know what the thump was he heard from the library. Strangely, it had come from Zelda's chambers. He knocked softly, hoping that she had not hurt herself in an accident.
"Come in Link" he heard her call.
"How did you know it was me?" he inquired, slowly making his way into the room.
"There is only one person in Hyrule who's knock sounds like an oaken club on my door" she replied softly. Link chuckled gently, although to Zelda, the sound was a soothing rumble that banished her fears.
"I was just coming to see what the thumping was-Zelda!" Link gasped, eyes widening at the purple bruises adorning her beautiful features. His long pointed ears pricked forward to catch the low sob forming within her throat. Heart melting in empathy, Link softly pulled her against him, into a gentle embrace.
"Did he do this to you?" Link growled, temper igniting.
"Yes" she paused, pushing away from him. "We must notify my father. He alone has the power to anull the marriage. Oh, Link! I never wanted to marry him, even from the first moment we met" she moaned.
"May I at least rough him up a little first? There are all sorts of things I can do that will make him rue the day he hurt you" he replied. Zelda smiled weakly through her tears; Link was always willing to harass snooty nobility and put them in their place. Her smile faded into terror as the gravity of the current situation hit her.
"If Zavarin finds you here he will kill me!" she cried.
"He'll have to get through me first" Link growled softly. The young male stood to his full height, and yawned. The hour was growing very late, and the princess was exhausted from her fright. Turning to him, she spoke timidly.
"Will you stay with me tonight? Just to make sure?" she questioned meekly.
"Of course, my love. I will be just outside your chamber door. Not a soul will enter of leave without my permission first."
Satisfied, Zelda wandered to her oaken dresser. She pulled a drawer open, to sift through assorted satin and silk nightgowns. Arriving at two of her favourites, Zelda asked Link's opinion.
"I like the blue better. It suits you better than lavender."
"Why thank you Link. Now it is time for you to protect me outside my room, because I must change my clothes."
"Oh. You mean that I do not get to watch over you continually as you get dressed? You're no fun princess" Link whined playfully.
"OUT!"
"Call me if you need anything, alright?"
"Goodnight Link."
"Goodnight."
The night passed without incident, and Zelda was avidly guarded by her protector. By morning, trouble was already brewing, because Prince Zavaring witnessed Link and Zelda walking with arms linked. Deep loathing welled up inside the prince, at the mere thought of common trash touching her fair skin that belonged to him alone. His temper spilled over, resulting in a screaming tirade at a passing castle maid. The maid retreated to the princess and hero for comfort, which was immediately given by the tender pair. Link charged her to set up a meeting with King Harkinian, to discuss an anullment of the royal marriage. She did as she was instructed, although a formal assembly with the King of Hyrule would not take place that day.
Seeing the princess alone on her way to the library, Zavarin seized her arm roughly, dragging her into her chambers upstairs. Sadly, the princess knew it would not be long before his temper manifested itself into physical blows against her person. Zelda silently prayed that Link would walk by her door soon to rescue her.
"What have I told you?" Zavarin raved. "You have completely disobeyed me. On top of that, you are fleeing to dear old daddy to dissolve our union! That is not going to work."
He punctuated each word with a rage-filled blow to the princess, missing her person few times. At last, the prince shoved her to the marble floor, and proceeded to rape her.
"The King cannot dissolve our marriage if it has been consummated. I will have you willingly or not!" screamed Zavarin.
Link and King Harkinian heard the anguished cries of Zelda from the foot of the staircase, as Zavarin beat her. Rage and bloodlust welled up from the depths of Link's soul, dominating his instincts as her pleas for help rang in his ears. Every muscle and sinew of his body pronounced itself on his form, making the seven-foot-two hylian seem larger than the Fierce Deity himself.
With a mighty bellow, the huge hylian rammed the great oaken door off the hinges, across the chambers of the princess. Zavarin ripped himself away from Zelda, completely enveloped in terror at the sight of Link. Dread wrapped its icy fingers around his heart as Link approached him like a lion stalking a helpless mouse.
"You want to hit someone?" he snarled. "What's wrong? Can't you hit anyone but a woman? You had better arm yourself, because I will not lower myself to your standards of killing an unarmed man." Link taunted.
Belittled thouroughly, Zavarin attempted to regain his lost composure. Taking a fighting stance, he grabbed a dagger from its hidden sheath.
"Unless you knock me unconscious on your first try, you had better pray that the guards intervene." Link rumbled.
Enraged, Zavarin struck Link with all his might, nearly breaking his hand in the process. To his utter surprise, the Hero of Time did not dodge; the blow to his jaw did not even cause him to sway. If Zavarin was afraid prior to the confrontation, his silken trousers were soaked now.
Growling savagely, the huge hylian picked Zavarin up bodily and hurled him over the head of the king, out the door. Squeezing past the monarch, Link proceeded to pick up the witless prince to complete his promise of breaking every bone in his body. All of a sudden, Zelda's small hands were around Link's biceps, preventing him from killing Zavarin. Link gazed at her questioningly.
"Killing him will not teach him anything. Let us exile him from Hyrule under pain of torture and death."
"Prince Zavarin, you have dishonored my entire country with your vile presence! You have no honor, and are not even worthy of the air you greedily take in to keep you alive. Henceforth, you are to be brutally escorted out of my kingdom to the boundaries of your homeland. My soldiers will take you to your father, where your true punishment will begin" stated Harkinian.
"Guards. Escort this filth from my sight, and see to it that the maids assist my daughter. Call for a doctor to examine her as well", ordered the king.
Taking Zelda into his arms, Harkinian whispered overdue apologies to his daughter. She wept softly, barely hearing his words of anullment for the marriage. What she did hear was the blessing of her relationship with her hero. She smiled gratefully at her father, knowing fully that she and Link no longer had to hide their affection for each other. Smiling, Harkinian released his daughter into the care of her protector.
"Take care of her Link. She means more to me than you will ever understand." With that said, the King of Hyrule excited the chamber.
Zelda was caught by mild surprise as the powerful arms of her hero enveloped her with the utmost gentleness. His warmth became hers, sheltering her from the horrid events that had taken place. It was in that moment she knew that he would never leave her. It was in the next moment, as his larger lips softly brushed her own that he would forever be hers. The princess of Hyrule finally had her dreams come true, as her hero swept her off her feet to take care of her until death did them part.