"Ahhh, King Lowell! It is simply a pleasure to see you, as always," King
Harkinian welcomed one of his guests.
"Same to you, of course!" King Lowell greeted. "Where, may I ask, is your charming daughter-the Princess Zelda? I mean, we have been waiting so long to see her!"
"She should be around here somewhere...oh, there she is."
Hyrule's beloved Princess, Zelda, had been in a small corner surrounded by fancily dressed men. They were all offering her champagne, jewelery and other nice things which she declined as politely as she could.
"Zelda?"
"Yes, father?" she cried, as her father called to her.
"Please come over here," he said. "We have a visitor who wishes to see you."
"All right!" In a flash, the Hylian princess ducked under all of the unwanted suitors and rushed to her father.
"Princess Zelda, it is charming to see you again," King Lowell stated, bowing and kissing the back of her fingers.
"The pleasure is all mine, King..." she looked at her father over the other king's shoulder, who mouthed it to her. "Lowell...?" Her father nodded and she smiled, as King Lowell rose.
"King Lowell comes to us from the land of Altea," King Harkinian beamed. "He happens to also be the father of a quite dashing son and heir, Prince Marth."
Lowell laughed. "You may call my son dashing, but I must say he can get on one's nerves sometimes." They all laughed. "Ah, there he is!"
It was all Zelda could do to keep her jaw from dropping. A young and exquisitely handsome man was walking towards them. She smiled.
"This is my son, Prince Marth of Altea," King Lowell introduced. "May I say that we have been planning for you two to meet years ago...however most unfortunately, we were unable to."
Zelda curtsied as elegantly as she could manage. "I am enchanted, Prince Marth."
Marth followed his father's actions, bowing and kissing her hand. Their eyes were locked. "I am the one who is enchanted, princess. May I say that I have long heard of your beauty--but all the compliments fall short of the reality."
Blushing scarlet, Zelda smiled.
Marth extended his arm. "May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked, as the orchestra began to play a waltz.
Beaming, Zelda accepted his arm, and the two of them walked over to the dance floor.
The two kings smiled and shook hands. "Those two are a beautiful couple," said Hyrule's king. "I simply can't wait until they become married!"
"Betrothed since birth," King Lowell sighed. "And they haven't met for nineteen years. Haven't even seen each other since they were one. I say, when is the Gannondorf going to leave all you Hyrulians alone, hm?"
"I don't know," King Harkinian answered. "But we must be grateful that Zelda was never captured. She always escaped down that tunnel her mother made before she died...Oh, my poor wife. Never did get to telling her about Zelda being betrothed to your son. She was always the type that people should marry for love, and not...profit. Fortunately, Zelda seems to be quite fascinated by Marth...I hope the Queen's not disappointed."
"Well, not here to talk about that Harkinian," Lowell finally stuttered, after a long pause. "Come now, I had my manservant Luigi come along, and he'll be serving drinks soon."
"Princess, you are an astounding dancer," Marth complimented, twirling her. "I wish that I could have met you sooner!"
You must realize that neither of them knew of their betrothal.
"Thank you," Zelda said. "It is the same with myself. And may I say that you are an exquiste dancer youself!"
"You may," Marth joked, making the princess smile.
While this elegant ball was going on, there was a group of peasants outside the palace window watching it. They were all sitting on a log by the largest window. By name, there was Roy, Mario, Conner, Link, and Brian.
"Why...why do we have to be peasants?" Brian muttered. "If only my father had been richer... a duke, maybe..."
"You're dreaming Brian," Mario mumbled. "The chance of one of us being a high and mighty prince are lower than a dog's droppings. Ha. More likely angels'd come flyin' out of yer arse than you'd be in that ball."
"He's right," Conner garbled. "Oh, what I would give to spend just one day in that life! Just think of it! You'd never have to lift a finger."
"You'd have dozens of servants," Roy said dreamily.
"You'd have servants working for your servants!" Link laughed. "Ah yes. Just one day in paradise. If only we could-" He stopped abruptly, and his eyes popped out of his head.
"Umm...hello?" Mario said, waving his hand in front of Link's face. Link's mouth dropped.
"What's he looking at?" Brian chuckled. "Caviar?"
Roy carefully traced Link's gaze. Then his jaw dropped as well. "I don't believe it!!"
"What is it?" Mario asked.
"Look! A goddess came to the ball!"
"What? Which one?!" Conner asked incredulously, shoving Brian out of the way to get a better view."
"It looks like...Nayru," Roy decided. He pointed. "There, look."
Brian studied the so-called goddess and burst into laughter. "That's not a goddess!"
"Who is it, then?" Link asked, transfixed.
"That's the Princess Zelda," Brian snickered.
Link's mouth dropped lower and his eyes bugged out even more (if that was possible). "THAT'S ZELDA?!" he yelled, almost loud enough for the people at the ball to hear.
Conner clasped a hand over Link's mouth and shoved him off the log. "Ya idiot, shut up! Do you want those people to hear us?! You'll blow our cover, and then we'll never be allowed in this place again!"
"What're you talking about?" Brian asked. "We're not even supposed to be here! We're peasants!"
"...good point. But we'll be in HUGE trouble if we get caught!"
Link hesitated. "Not true," he finally huffed.
Mario, Conner, and Brian turned their heads to him sharply. "What?!" they asked in perfect unison.
Link took a deep breath. "It's...it's a really long story."
"C'mon, you can tell us!" Brian urged. "I mean, it's not like we have anything else to do while these people are having a ball."
"Ha ha," said Mario, rolling his eyes.
"Just tell us, Link," Roy said, interested. "I'm curious."
Link took another deep breath. "Well...you guys know about all of Gannondorf's raids, right?" They nodded. "And...Princess Zelda has been safe each time, right?" They nodded again. "Well...King Harkinian told me about a dream that he once had. A vision, he called it. And-"
"Woah, hold on a second!" Conner interrupted. "Are you trying to tell us that King Harkinian, the King of Hyrule spoke to you?!"
Link grunted. "Yes. But if you don't believe me, perhaps it would be better if I didn't continue my explanation."
"Okay, okay," Brian sighed. "We believe you. Go on."
"He said that in the dream, he...he had a vision-if you could call it one-that Zelda was kidnapped by Gannondorf, the Gerudo king. And then he said that a man brought her back to him...but the man was one that he didn't recognize."
"And it was you, right?" Mario asked. Link nodded seriously. "So how did he find you?"
"Oh, I'm supposing that he poked around town, and he probably had the princess' nursemaid help him. Her name's Impa, or something. Then, one day, he found me. He explained the situation, and said I'm to be prepared to fight in any conditions. I guess the ole King thinks his dreams are prophecies from the goddesses."
"Woah," said Brian after a long pause. "That's unbelievable!!"
"Yeah, well it didn't happen so fast," Link said. "There was a lot more to it than what I said. But those are really just unecessary details."
"So...does the princess know who you are?" Conner asked hopefully
"Of course not!" Link snapped. "I'm a peasant, and according to the king, she's not supposed to know I exist until she needs me."
"Well, your chances seem a little slim. Looks like she's already got her knight in shining armor," Mario remarked, frowing at Marth.
Suddenly, there was a huge eruption.
"What the Goddesses was that?!" Link cried, jumping off the log. His friends followed suit.
"It came from the other side of the palace!" Roy shouted. He pointed at the southern tower. Purple and black smoke was billowing from it.
"What in Hyrule could've happened?!" Brian gasped.
The five of them heard screams and shouts from the inside. There was an evil laugh...a laugh that anyone could recognize on a foggy day.
"Oh no!" Link yelled. "It's Gannondorf!"
"Same to you, of course!" King Lowell greeted. "Where, may I ask, is your charming daughter-the Princess Zelda? I mean, we have been waiting so long to see her!"
"She should be around here somewhere...oh, there she is."
Hyrule's beloved Princess, Zelda, had been in a small corner surrounded by fancily dressed men. They were all offering her champagne, jewelery and other nice things which she declined as politely as she could.
"Zelda?"
"Yes, father?" she cried, as her father called to her.
"Please come over here," he said. "We have a visitor who wishes to see you."
"All right!" In a flash, the Hylian princess ducked under all of the unwanted suitors and rushed to her father.
"Princess Zelda, it is charming to see you again," King Lowell stated, bowing and kissing the back of her fingers.
"The pleasure is all mine, King..." she looked at her father over the other king's shoulder, who mouthed it to her. "Lowell...?" Her father nodded and she smiled, as King Lowell rose.
"King Lowell comes to us from the land of Altea," King Harkinian beamed. "He happens to also be the father of a quite dashing son and heir, Prince Marth."
Lowell laughed. "You may call my son dashing, but I must say he can get on one's nerves sometimes." They all laughed. "Ah, there he is!"
It was all Zelda could do to keep her jaw from dropping. A young and exquisitely handsome man was walking towards them. She smiled.
"This is my son, Prince Marth of Altea," King Lowell introduced. "May I say that we have been planning for you two to meet years ago...however most unfortunately, we were unable to."
Zelda curtsied as elegantly as she could manage. "I am enchanted, Prince Marth."
Marth followed his father's actions, bowing and kissing her hand. Their eyes were locked. "I am the one who is enchanted, princess. May I say that I have long heard of your beauty--but all the compliments fall short of the reality."
Blushing scarlet, Zelda smiled.
Marth extended his arm. "May I have this dance, Princess?" he asked, as the orchestra began to play a waltz.
Beaming, Zelda accepted his arm, and the two of them walked over to the dance floor.
The two kings smiled and shook hands. "Those two are a beautiful couple," said Hyrule's king. "I simply can't wait until they become married!"
"Betrothed since birth," King Lowell sighed. "And they haven't met for nineteen years. Haven't even seen each other since they were one. I say, when is the Gannondorf going to leave all you Hyrulians alone, hm?"
"I don't know," King Harkinian answered. "But we must be grateful that Zelda was never captured. She always escaped down that tunnel her mother made before she died...Oh, my poor wife. Never did get to telling her about Zelda being betrothed to your son. She was always the type that people should marry for love, and not...profit. Fortunately, Zelda seems to be quite fascinated by Marth...I hope the Queen's not disappointed."
"Well, not here to talk about that Harkinian," Lowell finally stuttered, after a long pause. "Come now, I had my manservant Luigi come along, and he'll be serving drinks soon."
"Princess, you are an astounding dancer," Marth complimented, twirling her. "I wish that I could have met you sooner!"
You must realize that neither of them knew of their betrothal.
"Thank you," Zelda said. "It is the same with myself. And may I say that you are an exquiste dancer youself!"
"You may," Marth joked, making the princess smile.
While this elegant ball was going on, there was a group of peasants outside the palace window watching it. They were all sitting on a log by the largest window. By name, there was Roy, Mario, Conner, Link, and Brian.
"Why...why do we have to be peasants?" Brian muttered. "If only my father had been richer... a duke, maybe..."
"You're dreaming Brian," Mario mumbled. "The chance of one of us being a high and mighty prince are lower than a dog's droppings. Ha. More likely angels'd come flyin' out of yer arse than you'd be in that ball."
"He's right," Conner garbled. "Oh, what I would give to spend just one day in that life! Just think of it! You'd never have to lift a finger."
"You'd have dozens of servants," Roy said dreamily.
"You'd have servants working for your servants!" Link laughed. "Ah yes. Just one day in paradise. If only we could-" He stopped abruptly, and his eyes popped out of his head.
"Umm...hello?" Mario said, waving his hand in front of Link's face. Link's mouth dropped.
"What's he looking at?" Brian chuckled. "Caviar?"
Roy carefully traced Link's gaze. Then his jaw dropped as well. "I don't believe it!!"
"What is it?" Mario asked.
"Look! A goddess came to the ball!"
"What? Which one?!" Conner asked incredulously, shoving Brian out of the way to get a better view."
"It looks like...Nayru," Roy decided. He pointed. "There, look."
Brian studied the so-called goddess and burst into laughter. "That's not a goddess!"
"Who is it, then?" Link asked, transfixed.
"That's the Princess Zelda," Brian snickered.
Link's mouth dropped lower and his eyes bugged out even more (if that was possible). "THAT'S ZELDA?!" he yelled, almost loud enough for the people at the ball to hear.
Conner clasped a hand over Link's mouth and shoved him off the log. "Ya idiot, shut up! Do you want those people to hear us?! You'll blow our cover, and then we'll never be allowed in this place again!"
"What're you talking about?" Brian asked. "We're not even supposed to be here! We're peasants!"
"...good point. But we'll be in HUGE trouble if we get caught!"
Link hesitated. "Not true," he finally huffed.
Mario, Conner, and Brian turned their heads to him sharply. "What?!" they asked in perfect unison.
Link took a deep breath. "It's...it's a really long story."
"C'mon, you can tell us!" Brian urged. "I mean, it's not like we have anything else to do while these people are having a ball."
"Ha ha," said Mario, rolling his eyes.
"Just tell us, Link," Roy said, interested. "I'm curious."
Link took another deep breath. "Well...you guys know about all of Gannondorf's raids, right?" They nodded. "And...Princess Zelda has been safe each time, right?" They nodded again. "Well...King Harkinian told me about a dream that he once had. A vision, he called it. And-"
"Woah, hold on a second!" Conner interrupted. "Are you trying to tell us that King Harkinian, the King of Hyrule spoke to you?!"
Link grunted. "Yes. But if you don't believe me, perhaps it would be better if I didn't continue my explanation."
"Okay, okay," Brian sighed. "We believe you. Go on."
"He said that in the dream, he...he had a vision-if you could call it one-that Zelda was kidnapped by Gannondorf, the Gerudo king. And then he said that a man brought her back to him...but the man was one that he didn't recognize."
"And it was you, right?" Mario asked. Link nodded seriously. "So how did he find you?"
"Oh, I'm supposing that he poked around town, and he probably had the princess' nursemaid help him. Her name's Impa, or something. Then, one day, he found me. He explained the situation, and said I'm to be prepared to fight in any conditions. I guess the ole King thinks his dreams are prophecies from the goddesses."
"Woah," said Brian after a long pause. "That's unbelievable!!"
"Yeah, well it didn't happen so fast," Link said. "There was a lot more to it than what I said. But those are really just unecessary details."
"So...does the princess know who you are?" Conner asked hopefully
"Of course not!" Link snapped. "I'm a peasant, and according to the king, she's not supposed to know I exist until she needs me."
"Well, your chances seem a little slim. Looks like she's already got her knight in shining armor," Mario remarked, frowing at Marth.
Suddenly, there was a huge eruption.
"What the Goddesses was that?!" Link cried, jumping off the log. His friends followed suit.
"It came from the other side of the palace!" Roy shouted. He pointed at the southern tower. Purple and black smoke was billowing from it.
"What in Hyrule could've happened?!" Brian gasped.
The five of them heard screams and shouts from the inside. There was an evil laugh...a laugh that anyone could recognize on a foggy day.
"Oh no!" Link yelled. "It's Gannondorf!"