For Jessica, who deserves every word of praise. Enjoy!
Link didn't think there could be this much light in a time of darkness.
The party was ramshackle, but it was enough for the trainees, laughing and joking as they downed bottles of Chateau Romani that kept finding their way to the table, dancing with their sweethearts while a few guys played the fiddle by the sides of the courtyard. Torches had been hastily stuck up on the walls, casting wild shadows as the figures twisted and twirled across the cobblestones, giving the area a hasty, carefree atmosphere. Here anything could happen. Here you could dance with a girl and sneak a kiss out of her, where you didn't have to worry about fighting the Bokoblins tomorrow. A perfect second that lasted all night, when your heart beat hard against your chest and you wanted to dance.
But that was before he saw her.
Link had gone over to the tables to take a bottle from the eager trainees passing them out. They looked a little tipsy as he wandered over, catcalling at the female trainees and the girlfriends. A few whistles split the air above the fiddle's twang when a particularly good-looking girl would swing by. Link took his bottle and was well clear of them, dodging stray boots and keeping his toes away from clumsy dancers.
By some twist of fate – or maybe the goddesses were particularly favoring him – he walked over and saw her, leaning against the wall with a twinkle in her eyes, the dancers fluttering across her vision.
Link was rooted to the spot, all breath sucked out of him, the bottle trembling in his hands. Who was this girl? The goddess Hylia?
No, that would be an insult to the girl standing before him. She was ethereal.
The first thing he noticed were her eyes, sparkling in the torchlight, an ocean of shifting blues he could drown in, bright and intelligent but even more stunning. The blue of sapphires, the jewels in the Princess' crown. Every time she glanced another way a wave swept over her irises, ever-changing and ever-mysterious. He could barely tear his eyes away from them to observe the rest of her.
Her hair was a brilliant red, gracing her collarbones and bringing out her eyes even more, the flames of the torches dazzling across the scarlet strands, a pale comparison to her tresses. And her ears – her ears were just like his.
Never had he met a girl with ears like his.
His feet were moving before he could even think about it, and in seconds he was at her side, standing there awkwardly with a bottle of Chateau Romani on his hand and the dumbest look on his face. Turning her face to him, the girl gave him a small smile. If she noticed the beet-red blush that painted his cheeks she chose to ignore it.
Link's fingers loosened and the Chateau Romani crashed into the stone, shattering loudly. A few dancing pairs glanced their way with concern and if possible Link blushed even more, diving to the ground and scooping up the shards of glass in his hands. When he glanced up he saw the girl kneeling beside him, carefully taking the glass and placing in in her palm. She noticed him staring and laughed, a light, bubbly sound that matched the carefree mood of the party.
"Sorry about that!" Link gasped, and the girl laughed again.
"Don't worry about it!" She replied, and her accent made her even more intriguing. "I'm Jessica, by the way. And you're Link?"
"What gave it away?" He asked, and Jessica smiled shyly.
"Nothing, only that you're one of the most famous trainees? Word is out that Princess Zelda even has her eye on you." She smiled again, and Link could see the laughter shining in her eyes. Stay cool.
Link tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Nah, what does a princess want with some lame trainees? Um, no offense." He glanced down at her trainee uniform, a mirror image of his own. Besides, who cares about a princess when you can talk to this girl?
"None taken." She stood and extended a hand to help him up, which to took.
"Why aren't you dancing?" Link wondered aloud as they watched the couples dancing to a fast tune.
Jessica shook her head, causing her red hair to flare like fire. "Guess it's not really my thing."
With a smile Link turned to her and held out him arm. "Or maybe you're just looking for the right partner. If you want to, of course."
Goddesses above, let her say yes!
Dipping her head, she nodded and took his arm in hers. Quickly tossing the shards of glass onto a nearby table, he whirled around and grinned at her. Link led her to the middle of the dance floor, where the fast song was just ending and replaced by a slow, mournful one. He placed a hand on her waist and took her hand. Jessica rested her hand on his shoulder and followed carefully as he led her across the dance floor, dodging a few of the rowdier trainees and spinning her out occasionally, her hair flying out around her face like a shining halo. A few of the other guys cast Jessica admiring glances as she and Link worked their way around the floor, but her eyes were fixed on Link's as they swayed. For someone who said dancing 'wasn't her thing,' Jessica was exceptionally good at it, and Link was determined to not step on her toes. Then again, nothing could ruin this night.
"You worried about tomorrow?" She asked, and Link forced himself to remain confident.
"Yeah, I think everyone is. We haven't even been training for fights like this. This party is a goodbye party, too." The battle for Hyrule Field would begin the next morning, and everyone was trying to get the most out of their night.
Jessica's expression clouded, but it brightened in an instant. "Anything you wanted to do on your last night?"
Link stared down into her eyes, where he could now see flecks of gold around the irises, gleaming like molten metal. "I can't think of a better way to be spending it."
They danced and danced and never tired, not even when the torchlight dimmed and the couples began to trickle out of the courtyard, bidding their sweethearts adieu. At last the fiddlers lowered their instruments and Link released Jessica's hands, staring into her eyes, twin planets of shifting color.
"I might never see you again." The words slipped out of him, and Jessica placed her hand on his shoulder again, like they were still dancing.
"Of course you will. Meet me here tomorrow, okay? We'll get them to play a song for us." She gestured to the musicians, who were walking out of the courtyard.
"Tomorrow." Link whispered. "Until then." Carefully he tilted his head and brushed a kiss against Jessica's cheek, then stepped away.
"Until then!" She called back, beaming, and Link's heart tore at the thought of leaving her. Think of tomorrow. "They'll be playing our song."
As Link left the courtyard he closed his eyes, the image of the girl tattooed across his vision. The girl with laughter in her eyes and fire in her hair.
And he left his heart in her hands.