Hey I'm back with another story! The Hero and I wasn't as popular as I was hoping it would be, so if you fellow readers and fans of this story could go check it out and see if you like it, it would make me super happy! I just wish to know how my writing was in that one. Anyways on with the story!
Disclaimer: LoZ is not mine!
Summary: I blinked and then looked up at Link. He had a hand over his mouth trying desperately not to laugh. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks. "I meant to do that." I mumbled standing up and rubbing my now sore butt.
I clenched the sword tightly in my hand, the metal warmed from the sweat of battle. I slightly widened my stance and calmed my breathing.
"You're going too easy on me." I said tightening my grip. He gave a boyish grin and just twirled his sword. "Well then come at me, your highness." He mocked. I felt a vein pop in my forehead. I thrust forward at him, but he quickly jumped away and skillfully knocked my sword from my hands, causing it to fly in the air. He rolled over quickly and caught it with his right hand.
"Checkmate." He said pointing the two tips of the blades at me. I crossed my arms and sighed. "It's all your fault that I lost." I said. He raised an eyebrow and stood up tall, sheathing his sword. He gently handed me my rapier and then placed his shield back in its resting place.
"Why is that?" He questioned taking his cap off of his head wiping away some sweat and brushing his blonde bangs away. I looked away from him before the blood rushed to my cheeks
"You get me so flustered! You know I despise it when you call me by my title." I stated. He gave a chuckle and nodded.
"I know, that's why I said it. You can't let your anger get to you when you're in a battle. You need to keep your mind clear and your emotions in check. You can't let what others say effect you, otherwise you'll be dead before you can even strike." His voice suddenly dropped into a serious tone. I sighed and nodded.
"Yes, I know you've told me so many times before. It just frustrates me that I'm not as good as you. I want to be the best so I can be there for my kingdom instead of surrendering again." I mumbled, sheathing my rapier.
"Hey, Zelda, stop it. You knew that what you were doing was the best for everyone. You couldn't do very much with the position that Zant had put you in. Now stop putting yourself down about it." I looked up at the General of the Hyrule Army. He stood tall, confident in his words. His eyes shining brightly with courage and tenderness. This man saved my kingdom. He went out of his way, out of his village and from his home, to come save me and everyone in Hyrule. Yet I still did not know how to repay him. He always said he didn't need any money for he had found plenty on his journey. So I gave him the best thing I could think of. The position of General of the Army. All of the knights and soldiers were very upset about my decision, not really able to trust the young man. But after Link had proven himself worthy by showing his skills on the field, everyone respected him and his opinion. Even I did. Hence why I asked him to train me. Granted, I had been trained before and knew how to fight just fine; but that obviously wasn't enough when Zant attacked. I wanted to become stronger, and even more independent. At first Link was very hesitant to train me and at the time, we had only known each other for a month. He was still rather uncomfortable being around me. He didn't know how to act, he was very shy and barely spoke a word to me unless absolutely necessary. I was a little offended at first, but then I understood why. He came from such a small village on the outskirts of Hyrule. He was raised differently than most people in Hyrule. He never had any correlation with royalty. Yet, he was very respectable, and very proper in the way he held himself in front of me when we first met. Well, after the fact of Ganon. But that was nearly five months ago. It was now the month of June, the season of summer, and he has become quite comfortable with me. He expresses himself now, he will say what is on his mind and is always cheerful. It's strange to see such a transition, from being so quiet, to being loud and talkative. He had a lovely personality and had a big warm heart. Maybe that is why I had started to develop feelings for him. Maybe that is why my heart starts to beat faster every time he looks at me, or touches me by accident.
"Zelda? Woohoo?" I blinked and looked over at Link who was now standing right in front of me waving his gloved hand in front of my eyes. I jumped back in surprise.
"What were you thinking about? You were really out of it." He asked. I shrugged, I tended to become less and less proper the more I hung out with Link.
"Just about Midna." I said, but I quickly regretted it. Links eyes suddenly dulled and his lips turned to a frown. "Oh." He said. He was in love with her. It was painfully obvious. Every time I thought of it, my heart wrenched with jealousy. But I knew better than to ever act upon that.
"I'm terribly sorry, I did not mean to bring the mood down, it's just whenever twilight comes upon us it reminds me of her. It's a bit nostalgic." I said looking up at the darkening sky. He nodded. He suddenly turned around, drawing his sword. I furrowed my eyebrows, but then I finally heard what he did. The sound of horse hooves.
"Who goes there?" Link called. The horse came to a stop and a knight jumped down.
"Sir Link! I've come with a letter. It's from Ordon, addressed from Ilia." He said bowing and holding out a small envelope. Link sheathed his sword and took the letter in his hand.
"Thank you, you're dismissed." With that the knight hopped back onto his horse and galloped off. I walked over to Link and glanced at the envelope.
"Is everything alright?" I questioned. He looked up at me after having read the letter. "I'm needed back home. Apparently they are having a hard time with the crops this year and need an extra hand. Also, the festival is coming up in a couple of months and they need help with preparation for that." He said tucking the letter into the pouch on his belt.
"When will you be back?" I questioned. No, I didn't want him to leave yet. His presence has made my life so much brighter, having him leave would bring back my dull life as a princess.
"I'm hoping in about a month. I promise I'll be back Zelda, and if anything happens, your knights are properly trained." He said placing a hand on my shoulder. He quickly retracted it though as if realizing what he had done.
"My apologies!" He said quickly taking a step back. And there it was. Every time Link got too close to me or subconsciously did something that was considered out of line, he locked up and become the old shy and quiet Link. I sighed.
"No need to apologize Link. We are close friends now. You do not need to be cautious around me anymore." I said with a small smile. He gave a curt nod, but still stood his distance. He turned and started to dig around his pockets and then pulled out a charm. He brought it to his lips and a beautiful tune came out of the ends.
"Watch out, she won't stop for anyone but me." He said. I raised an eyebrow in question, but then I heard horse hooves pounding against the grass. I turned and spotted Link's mare running straight at me, her mane flowing in the wind and practically glowing in the twilight. I stepped aside before I got trampled.
"Whoa girl." Link held up his hands and she slowed down to a simple trot before she settled in front of her master. Link raised his hand and petted her neck.
"That's a good girl." He said. He once again dug in his pockets, only to pull out a few carrots this time. Epona happily chewed away at the tasty treat and neighed happily, shaking her mane. I laughed at the horse.
"That's right you haven't seen Epona since the fight huh?" Link said gently grasping her reins. I shook my head. Link may have been in the castle for five months, but I never usually went to the stables, and whenever I did, Epona was gone. Link said that she never liked being cooped up and loved to roam. So he liked to sneak her out every once and awhile.
"She doesn't take kindly to strangers, but she let you ride her during that battle." He said placing his hand on her nose and smiling.
"You're my stubborn horse." He said with a happy laugh. It was like watching a child with his best friend. I suppose Link didn't have many friends growing up. He had told me once that he had had Epona ever since she was a foal, and he was a boy.
"Do you think she'll let me pet her?" I questioned slowly reaching out my hand. Link shrugged.
"You should be ok, just go slowly. She reacts badly when you move to quickly because then she thinks you're threatening." He said. I nodded and brought my hand up closer so that she could see where it was. I slowly reached up to her nose and gently touched my finger to her snout. She snorted and whipped her tail back and forth.
"She likes you." He said. I looked over at him in surprise. "How do you know?" I questioned. He laughed and pointed at her tail.
"She sways her tail back and forth and her back leg digs into the ground." He said. I looked and sure enough her hoof was kicking into the ground gently. I moved my hand up her snout and to her neck and gently stroked her.
"She's beautiful." I said admiring her silver like mane. "Thank you. I try to make sure she is well taken care of. But she is very independent and will do a lot of things on her own. But she is very obedient with me. The only other person she can tolerate is Ilia." He said. I nodded. Link stepped over to Epona's side and lifted his foot into the saddle and then hoisted himself over her back and onto the saddle.
"I'm must be heading off to gather my things and then start my journey to Ordon. I want to get there as soon as possible. Will you be alright without me Princess?" He questioned. It was weird, whenever he talked about business, he got serious and very proper in his speech.
"I shall be fine Sir Link. Please have a safe journey and return to the castle when you can." I replied. He gave me a small smile and then dug into Epona's sides, causing her to take off, kicking the dust up behind her. I watched Link ride away and towards the barracks. I sighed.
"Farewell Link."
That was now four months ago. It was October, the month of fall and Link had yet to return back to his duties. About five days after he left, I got a letter from him stating that he had successfully made it to Ordon and everyone was doing well. But I hadn't heard from him since. I figured that he was busy helping everyone. And since it was the first time he had visited Ordon since the Ganon incident, I'm sure everyone is trying to spend as much time with him as possible. But I couldn't help but feel uneasy about why it was taking him so long to return, and not even send a single letter about his wellbeing. I glanced in the mirror one last time before grasping my silk bag full of bread and cheese, a few red potions and a flask of water. I had decided that I would be sneaking off to Ordon to see if Link was well. I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head and swiftly walked down the quiet and dark hallways from my corridor.
"Have you talked to the princess about her engagement?" A voice echoed off of the walls. I quickly hid and held my breath, my heart beating a mile a minute. That sounded like Brad.
"No, I figured she would be able to figure that out herself. She is nineteen Brad. She is very responsible and you know that she has been showing her maturity in the process of rebuilding Hyrule. She will be fine without a husband by her side." I smiled and nodded my head. Auru, he was the newest member of my council and he was such a kind hearted man. He truly knew how I felt and was always on my side. Brad, on the other hand, wanted to see me fail and make a slip up so he could call me out on it. I waited until their voices disappeared and then continued to the picture on the wall. I slid it to the side and climbed in the hole. Back when I was a little girl, my mom showed me all of the hidden chambers and passageways. She had told me that when she was little, she discovered them all and hated to be cooped up in the castle all the time. Whenever I didn't have a lesson she would show me a new passage. The one that I took led to the stables. Once I was outside, I searched for my black stallion Midnight. He neighed loudly at the sight of me and pawed at the ground kicking up hay and dust. I smiled and made my way over to him and reached out for his snout.
"Hey Midnight, it's been so long hasn't it?" I pressed my forehead to his and looked into his eyes.
"Keep me safe boy. I know I can trust you." I picked up the saddle that was hanging on the wall next to him and geared him up. Once that was all done we were quickly out of the stables and clear of the castle walls. I took in a deep breath of the cool night air and shouted into the night throwing my arms in the air.
"I'm free!" I yelled digging my ankles into Midnights sides causing him to go faster. The wind stinging in my eyes and my hair whipping around every which way was refreshing. I guided the reins towards Faron woods. It would take about 4 hours to reach the village. What was I going to say to him once I reached the village? Hey Link, I was worried so I rode out here just to see how you were. Yeah that didn't sound desperate at all. Maybe I could say I had business with the Mayor. What was his name? Rin? Row? Oh wait it was Bo. I looked at my surroundings as we zipped by the tree lines of Faron woods. I spotted a man sitting by a fire and slowed Midnight to a trot.
"Excuse me, Ordon village is not far from here yes?" I questioned. He looked up and raised an eyebrow. "You aren't from around here are you lady? Yeah just take a right over there and follow the path. You'll pass Ordona Lake. If you need to be rejuvenated, stop there because the spirit of Ordona resides there." He said. I nodded.
"Thank you very much sir. Have a wonderful morning." I said. It was about 7 in the morning when I reached Ordona Lake, which was fifteen minutes from that man. I hopped down from Midnight and led him into the water. He nearly sighed in appreciation for the cool water on his aching legs. He wasn't used to taking such long trips.
"You've done really well boy thank you." I said with a small smile. I pulled out a carrot and gave it to him. Unfortunately that was the only one I had. I figured Link would have hay since he lived on a farm, right? I lifted up my skirts and stepped into the water. Relief immediately shot up my legs and through my entire body. All the weariness disappeared almost automatically. Wow these lakes worked wonders. Thank you Ordona. I took off my riding gloves and scooped them into the water and splashed it all over my face. I stepped out of the lake and sat on the grass and started to dig through my bag. I pulled out a piece of bread and some cheese and nibbled on it. I heard Midnight neigh from where he was and I turned around grasping the dagger I had hidden in my belt.
"Whose there?" I questioned. Two children popped out from behind the bush looking very sheepish.
"We apologize miss, we were curious as to why someone from Castletown was all the way out here." The blonde one said. I raised an eyebrow.
"How did you know I was from Castletown?" I questioned. The brunette gestured to my horse. "That saddle, it's really fancy, and your clothing is really nice." He said. I blushed.
"Well thank you. Are you two from Ordon?" I questioned. They looked at each other and shrugged. "Yes we are, are you looking for Link?" the blonde asked. Goodness this kid was intuitive.
"Um, I just so happen to be looking for Bo, the mayor of the town." I said. "Well follow us, we will take you to him." With that we started our way further into the forest. I held onto Midnights reigns. She didn't try to resist me since she was so tired.
"I'm Colin, and this is Talo." The blonde said gesturing at the taller kid next to him. I smiled and gave a little giggle.
"I'm Zelda. Nice to meet you two." I said. They both suddenly stopped in their tracks and looked up at me in surprise. I raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mean that you're THE Princess Zelda?" Talo said with wide eyes. Oh no, I should have used a fake name. I sighed and nodded my head. "Yes, but please don't tell anyone else, it's a special secret." I said with a small smile. They both nodded and then bowed.
"Of course your majesty." They said. I laughed loudly and shook my head. "You two don't need to treat me with such kindness. I may be royalty but I'm here on unofficial business. Treat me like you would anyone else." They both looked over at each other and shrugged.
"Ok Zelda. The rumors were true though." Colin said. I raised an eyebrow. "And what would those rumors be?" I questioned. He blushed and kicked at the ground.
"That you're very beautiful." He said with a shy smile. I blushed and gave him my brightest smile "Thank you Colin." We had reached an opening, a little sign read 'Ordon village' I looked up at the tree that was next to us and it housed a cute little hut at the top with a ladder leading up to it. I looked at the sign next to it and it read 'Link's house.' Of course he would live in a tree. I laughed a little and then spotted the chestnut mare that was eating the grass in his yard, if that's what you would call it.
"Epona!" I exclaimed walking over to her. She brought her head up and gazed at me and gave a loud neigh and whipped her tail back and forth. I reached for her muzzle and gentle petted her.
"Wow! Epona likes you! You must be really special to Link then." Colin said. I raised an eyebrow and looked down at the little kid that stood a couple of feet away from me.
"Why do you say that? I thought that she didn't like any people other than Link?" I asked. Colin shook his head. "That's what Link says, but in reality, she cooperates for people that mean a lot to Link. For some reason, she can sense when he really cares about someone, and when he doesn't. He loves everyone in the village, so she can tolerate being around us, but she doesn't let any of us touch her. Ilia is the only one who can touch her other than Link. We always thought that those two were an item and that's why." Talo explained. I felt my heart twinge. Is it true that he already had a lover?
"I see then." I said. I gazed into Epona's eyes and she just blinked at me. I grasped Midnights reigns tighter in my hands.
"Why don't we put your horse over here? This is usually where Link ties up Epona when he's not in town." Colin said. I nodded and did as the little child said.
"So where is Link? I haven't seen him in a long while." I asked as we started to walk into the village. "Last I heard he was with the Mayor, but he could now be at the ranch. It's almost impossible to keep track of him anymore because he is all over the place helping everyone." Talo said kicking a stone to the side. I nodded. We finally reached the village. My nose was instantly hit with the sweet smell of pumpkin and a hint of hay and cheese. There were little houses and huts scattered about and a beautiful lake to the side that turned into a tiny creak. There were cuccos fluttering around and clucking at the ground and a few frogs hopping in and out of the water.
"Oh this is so lovely!" I said. The two children smiled and bowed. "Welcome to Ordon village your highness." They said in almost perfect unison. I laughed a curtsied. "Thank you fine gentlemen, now if you would please escort me to the mayor of this fine village that would be delightful." I said giving them my best etiquette grammar. As we started down the path, a few people popped their heads out of their windows or doors and started to mumble to each other. Colin just waved at them while Talo whistled a tune.
"That big house over there is Bo's house. He has a daughter named Ilia, we mentioned her before." Colin said pointing at the tallest pinkish purple roof. I nodded and continued forward. As we were crossing the bridge, the door opened to the house and a young man walked out. I then realized that it was the man I was looking for.
"Well lad, thanks for the help, hopefully she will be ok." A deep voice said, and finally a bigger man came out behind Link. That must have been Bo.
"You're welcome Bo, I hope Ilia feels better. That fruit should definitely help and have her on her feet again in no time." He stated with a smile.
"Where did you get that?" He questioned closing the door behind him. Link pulled his cap from his belt and slapped it back onto his messy head of hair.
"The castle, Princess Zelda gave some to me after what happened to help heal me, and she insisted I take some just in case." He stated with a laugh. Bo then looked our way.
"Ah Talo, Colin, who is this lovely young lady?" He questioned. Link turned his body and looked straight at me, his eyes widening in surprise. I blushed and picked up my skirts and curtsied.
"Good day Mayor Bo. I come on behalf of Princess Zelda." I stated. Link raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes showing confusion. "Hello miss! What is your name?" He questioned stepping down from his porch and standing in front of me. I stood up straight and nodded my head.
"Sheik." I said. Where did that come from? Link finally walked over and stood next to the mayor. "Welcome to Ordon village Sheik, my name is Link, I'm the ranch handler of this village." He said with a bow. I blushed.
"Ah yes, Link! I've heard much about your great adventures. The soldiers talk much about you being the best General they have ever had." I said. This was so strange, I was talking about him as if I had never met him.
"Well my dear Sheik, you happened to come on the night of our harvest festival. Is it alright if we discuss your troubles at dinner tonight at the festival? I have much to get done with getting ready." He stated.
"That sounds lovely. Is there a place that I could stay? I don't believe I will be able to ride back to Hyrule castle in the night all by my lonesome." I said.
"Well our good man Link here has a spare bedroom in his house. But if that is not to your liking, I'm sure he wouldn't mind escorting you." Bo said. I shook my head. "Nonsense, he needs to stay in his village to enjoy festival. I couldn't ever ask of him to do that for me." I said looking at Link. I could see a million questions in his eyes.
"I would be delighted to lend my room to you Sheik." He said. With that, we started to walk back to his house. Colin was talking to Talo about the festival, while Link and I were silent. I could tell he was dying to find out what I was doing here and why I was acting like I wasn't the princess.
"Hey guys, why don't you go help your mother's with the food for tonight. I have to talk to Sheik about some very important stuff." Link said once we reached the exit of the village.
"Ok, see you later Zelda!" Colin said running away. I shook my head. "So you told them huh?" Link said. I sighed and shook my head.
"They kind of figured it out themselves." I said. Link stopped at the ladder leading up to his house and looked at my horse.
"I'm guessing he is yours, either that or I'm going crazy and Epona changed colors." He gave a light chuckle. I nodded giving him a small smile.
"Ladies first." He said. I nodded and grasped the spindle and started my way up. I waited for Link, and then he opened the door. It was very clean, a nice warm fire was burning in the fire place and some stew was cooking. It smelled delicious.
"So what in the world are you doing here? And why are you going by Sheik?" He asked taking off his cap and unstrapping his belts. He placed his sword and shield onto the mounts on the wall and took off his gauntlets.
"Well I was worried about you. I hadn't heard from you in so long after you said you would be back in a months-time." I said with a blush painting my cheeks. After I said it out-loud, it sounded absolutely ridiculous. I avoided looking at him and stared at the ground.
"That is very kind of you princess, but I assure you I'm fine. I apologize for not sending a letter sooner. I've been so busy with the village. Everyone started to fall ill and I was helping them get better and was doing work everywhere. I knew I was going to worry you, but not so much that you would need to come out here." He said with a small laugh. I felt my stomach twist into knots. This was so embarrassing.
"I'm sorry if I had burdened you, but everyone at the castle was wondering of your return, all of your soldiers are anticipating when you'll be back so that they can get training hard again. It isn't just me that was worried." I finally looked up into his sharp blue eyes. I saw amusement and understanding.
"You are never a burden Zelda. Well you can stay for the festival, but in the morning we should probably head back to the palace." He said. I nodded and sat down in a chair at the table.
"This is a very lovely home you have here Link. Everyone is so lively and happy. I'm glad that my people are happy, even if they are so far away from my ruling." I said taking off my riding gloves and placing them neatly on the table. Link walked over to his little fireplace and started to stir the stew.
"I'm glad you think so. They were a huge mess only a month ago." He said. I felt my heart wrench in guilt.
"That's my fault, I shouldn't have taken you from your home and have you become the General of my army." I said with a frown. He shook his head and sat down on the other side of the table.
"That is not true at all. I chose to join your army, I chose to leave. You didn't make me, or force me, to do anything. Don't blame yourself for what happened. I'm honored to be with you at the castle and I wouldn't trade it for anything. This village would have had to learn how to take care of itself without me eventually. I wasn't ever planning on staying here forever." He said. I nodded.
"If you say so." I whispered. We were silent, the only sound was the crackling fire and the stew boiling. "Well dinner won't be ready for another hour, do you want to get some practice in? I was going to show you a few new moves." He said standing up. I stood up as well and looked down at my dress.
"I don't have the proper clothing, I only brought a few dresses, not my tunic." I said. He shrugged.
"You can wear one of mine, I have a blue one and a red one." He said walking over to a ladder and climbing up it. I heard him rustle through a chest and then he threw a blue tunic down, it landing on my head. He looked down and started to laugh.
"Haha, I'm sorry your highness." He said with a chuckle. I sighed and pulled it from my head and laughed lightly. "It's quite alright Link, do you have a belt I could use?" I questioned. He started to dig again and then pulled out a black belt. He jumped down and grabbed his belts and gloves and put them back on. He grasped his sword and sheathed it and placed it in its holster on his back.
"I'll be waiting outside, I'll get your horse ready, and that way we will have some privacy." He said. I nodded. Once the door closed, I took off my riding cloak and started to untie my corset. I folded it gently and placed it on the table and started to untie my dress and once it was loose, it pooled down at my ankles. I was now in my underwear and slip. I slipped the tunic over my head, the ends of it reaching below my knees and the sleeves going down to my elbows. I took the black belt and tightened it as tight as it would go around my waist, the fabric of the tunic sagging around it. I kept my black riding boots on and then tied my hair up into a ponytail. I picked up my many skirts and folded them and placed them on the table. I grasped the sword that was on the table and headed outside. Link was waiting right next to my horse, he was petting Midnight and feeding him a few carrots.
"I'm ready." I said once I was right behind him. He turned and gave me a smile, but then started to chuckle after glancing at my appearance.
"Geez that thing practically drowns you." He said. I sighed and held up my arms. "Is it that bad?" I questioned. He shook his head quickly. "Oh no, you look rather cute. Oh wait I mean uh, sorry your highness." He mumbled, he cheeks a bright red. I giggled.
"Its fine Link, you don't have to be formal with me, you should know that by now." I said. He held out his hand. I took it and let him help me onto my horse. Once I was settled, he swung his leg over Epona and adjusted a few things.
"Are you ready Zelda?" He questioned grasping the reigns in his hands. I nodded. "Lead the way sir Link." I said. He raised an eyebrow but continued on anyways. I followed him out of Ordon woods and into Hyrule field. He led us to a secluded area that was surrounded by trees so no bublins would bother us. Link hopped down from Epona and petted her mane and gave her a carrot. I mimicked his movement and dismounted Midnight. I drew my sword and weighed it in my hand. It was a lot heavier than my rapier, but it would do.
"Is that sword to your liking?" He questioned drawing his own sword. I looked at the hilt.
"Link, why do you have the master sword?" I questioned, examining the purple handle and green ribbon tied around it leading down to a yellow diamond right in the middle of the blade. The tri-force was engraved in the blade and gleamed in the sun.
"Oh, this is a replica. I really liked that sword, and I wanted to try making a sword at my own hand. It came out pretty nice and I'm very happy with it. The difference between them is that the blade is shorter and the color is a little off. Anyways, I would be able to tell the difference by just holding them. The master sword is so light and easy to use. I tried to make mine like that, but I couldn't thin out the blade anymore otherwise it would break." He said. I nodded and examined my sword.
"What about this one?" I questioned. He smiled. "Well that was the present we were going to present to you before the whole twilight fiasco happened, I keep it as a reminder of what I went through." He said. I looked at the hilt of the blade in awe. Link held this same blade in his hand whilst fighting the twilight, so many enemies killed by this sword and so many lives saved.
"Are you sure it's ok if I use this Link?" I questioned. He nodded. "Well of course, it was supposed to be yours anyways! Why don't you take it with you actually? I don't need it anymore since I made my own sword." I looked up at him in surprise. "Are you sure? I don't want to take anything from you." I said, admiring the gleam of the blade in the bright sunlight. It had recently been cleaned and the wooden handle had been polished.
"I'm positive. Ok why don't we get started? I was thinking about teaching you the spin attack, it's really difficult at first but once you get the hand of it, it's really easy and very effective." He said grasping his sword tightly. I vaguely remember him doing the attack many times on Ganondorf. His attacks were always so precise, I never saw him stumble over his feet, or his sword ever lose any strength.
"Someone once told me that a sword doesn't wield any strength unless the one who holds it has courage. I took those words to heart and that's what drove me to continue in my quest to save the children." He said softly. He stood still, his feet together.
"The trick to this move is keeping one foot glued to the ground. Since I'm left handed, I usually keep my right foot still. Your other foot will follow the movement of your sword, helping you move your body in a circle. The foot that stays in one place is the one that will actually be moving your body. It's almost like you're a ballerina." He said with a chuckle. I however didn't laugh. I was so entranced by his instructions. He held his sword straight out in front of him.
"Next is the actually movement. You want to bend your knees a little right before you release your spin to give yourself a good push. This will give your spin more momentum. Once your form is ready, you swing your sword around you while moving your foot and there you have it." He said.
"May I have a demonstration?" I questioned. He nodded and started to slowly follow the directions that he had just given out, once his form was perfect, he quickly swung his sword and he spun a full circle, the grass around him blowing in the direction he went. I clapped slowly.
"Ok it's your turn my lady." He said. I grasped my sword tightly and nodded. I stood exactly how he showed me, except opposite position since I was right handed and he was left handed.
"Ok, now spin!" He said. I swung my arm as hard as I could around me. My foot ended up not moving and wobbled and fell down, dust flying up around me. I blinked and then looked up at Link. He had a hand over his mouth trying desperately not to laugh. I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks. "I meant to do that." I mumbled standing up and rubbing my now sore butt. That was so embarrassing, why couldn't I do things in front of him properly?
"Its fine, it takes a while to get the hang of it! Just try one more time." He said. I took a deep breath and stepped into the proper form. Link suddenly stepped right next to me and grasped my hand.
"Excuse me your highness." He mumbled correcting my form. He gently moved my leg with his foot. "Ok now, swing your sword and move around." He said gently into my ear. I shivered and followed his instructions. He held onto my right arm as he helped guide me around in a circle. I moved a little in a circle, but I forgot to move my right leg around so my two legs were twisted and I ended up falling again. I grasped for Link's arm but I ended up just pulling him down with me. I looked into his deep blue eyes, my cheeks growing red. Link stared right back at me in shock. His legs were tangled in mine and his hands on either side of my head. I could feel his quick breath on my lips.
"I'm so sorry your highness." He said quickly standing up. I sat up and he offered his hand to me and hoisted me up. I dusted myself off and looked over at the hero. He had taken many steps away from me, his cheeks still pink with embarrassment.
"Link, it's ok. You didn't mean to. No one saw us." I said reaching out to touch his shoulder. He flinched when my fingers gently touched his tunic.
"I know princess, it's just I'm so terrible at acting like a gentleman around you. They should throw me in the dungeon with how inappropriate I act around you." He stated crossing his arms. I started to laugh loudly. "You think so? Oh Link, you're fine with the way you act around me! You make me feel like a normal person. Whenever I'm with you, I don't feel like the monarch of Hyrule. I feel like a normal girl, the one who I've had locked up ever since my parents passed. You've brought happiness back into my life, and because of that, my kingdom is so much better off. My council is very pleased with my change in attitude. I was known as the ice queen." I said sadly. "But you changed all of that. Without you, I don't know where I would be right now." I said with a gentle smile. His cheeks turned a little brighter.
"I will admit, when I first started my quest, I was doing everything to save the children. I could have cared less about the kingdom. I hadn't ever been considered a part of Hyrule since Ordon was at the edge of the kingdom. But after you helped Midna, after I saw what an amazing woman you were and how willing you were to do whatever it took to save your kingdom, I knew that was what I wanted to do. Something I needed to do. I realized that it was my destiny, and I wouldn't have asked for anything to be different. I wouldn't be the man I am today without you either Zelda. I've always believed everything happens for a reason. Whether it's the goddesses that make our path, or us that form our own. You gave up your kingdom because it was what you needed to do. It was the only way that we could save Hyrule, because I wouldn't have ever been awoken if you hadn't of surrendered. The tri-force of Courage would still be dormant in my body, on my hand. Because of my quest, I grew stronger, and smarter and not to mention I finally got to meet the most beautiful woman in Hyrule." He said with a bright smile. I blushed.
"Thank you Link. I suppose we both needed each other. We should be thanking the goddesses for endowing us with their powers. Without that, we would have never crossed paths." He smiled and nodded. He glanced at his left hand, the tri-force glowing gently.
"It always glows whenever I'm around you." He said holding his hand up and showing me. I looked at my right hand and nodded.
"It's because our powers are resonating." There was another reason, but he didn't know. Link was never taught of the legend of the hero and the princess. Only the royal family knew the full story. There were many fairy tales and fables told of the legend, but most of them weren't fully true.
"Actually Link-"Well why don't we continue? I think if you give it a couple of more tries, you'll get it!" Maybe I shouldn't tell him, if he was so oblivious to it that meant it wasn't going to come true in this timeline.
After many hours of trying desperately to attempt the spin attack, I finally somewhat got it. Although my strike wasn't as strong and I still wobbled a little. Midnight and Epona were gently trotting next to each other as we made our way back to Ordon, the sun setting and casting an orange-yellowish glow on the forest.
"It's so beautiful here. The trees are so full of life and their colors are so vibrant." I said gently grasping a leaf in my hand as we passed a tree.
"I think that Faron woods is one of the most majestic places during the fall. It seems like a completely different place." Link stated plucking an acorn off of a tree and examining it. I sighed and listened to the noise of the forest, birds singing songs, starting to tuck in for the night, squirrels jumping from tree to tree, rustling the leaves up behind them. I felt something hit me in the arm. I frowned and looked over at Link. He was staring straight ahead, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Link, did you throw something at me?" I questioned. He looked at me in the corner of his eyes and gave a lazy 'hmmm'. I raised an eyebrow and looked at my surroundings. I saw another acorn hanging from a branch, waiting ever so patiently to be picked. I quickly jumped up and grasped it in my hand and plopped back down onto Midnight. I peeked over at Link to see that he was looking over at the lake of Ordona. I held the tiny acorn in between my thumb and pointer finger, and gave it a flick. It hit Link in the ear and he jumped and grasped his ear.
"Hey! What was that?" He questioned looking around. I giggled and grasped Midnight's reigns. "Go boy!" I said digging my heels into his sides. He neighed and started to gallop away from Link and Epona. I think I heard a strangled "Get back here!" I laughed and raised up my arms enjoying the cool fall breeze whipping at my face. The tips of my fingers were skimming the leaves of the trees as we went through the pass before we hit Ordon village. I was about to enter the village when Epona raced by, whipping by me and Midnight like we were child's play. Link pulled on the reign's as soon as they were in front of his hut and Epona pulled back, her front legs kicking into the air, her silver mane flowing in the wind. I stared in awe at how strong and confidant Link looked. As I approached them, Epona's hooves slammed back down onto the ground and Link pet her mane.
"Good girl." He said gently into her ear. She neighed loudly and whipped her tail back and forth. "That was amazing Link, she is so- so" It was probably the first time in my life that I was at a loss for words. He smiled.
"Yeah, I'm very lucky to have a horse like her. I wouldn't have been able to make it across Hyrule without her." He said jumping off of her back and feeding her a carrot. He then walked over to me and offered his hand.
"Thank you." I mumbled taking his hand and stepping down from Midnight. Link handed me a carrot.
"I'm sure he is hungry after all of that running. I'm going to check on the stew and pack it up. I'm sure you'll want to change." He said with a laugh. I nodded and split the carrot in half and fed it to my horse. He eagerly took the pieces and chewed happily. I petted his head and scratched his behind his ears.
"You did good boy. Some day we will be able to beat Epona." I said glancing at the chestnut colored mare. With that, I left the horses to graze the grass and heaved myself up the ladder. I opened the front door only to see Link taking his tunic off. I squealed and slammed the door shut screaming a loud 'sorry.' My cheeks felt as warm as the summer sun, and I'm sure they were probably red as a chu-chu. I heard the door open slowly behind me.
"Are you ok Zelda?" Link questioned. I could practically hear the laughter in his voice. I slowly turned around to see him fully dressed. He was now wearing a dark red tunic with his usual under wear and a matching cap. But the difference was his hands were bare and all of his gear was absent, and he had on nice black boots and a shiny black belt around his waist.
"I'm terribly sorry for walking in on you whilst you were changing." I said quietly. He laughed and shook his head.
"It's really my fault, I should have told you to wait a little longer while I got ready. Why don't you go ahead and get ready and I'll wait out here." He said gesturing to the door. I nodded and quickly made my way into his house. He shut the door and there was a gentle slam against the wood, I'm guessing he was leaning against the door.
"Ok Zelda, deep breath." I whispered grasping my bag and looking through the dresses that I had brought. I brought a rather nice dress, just in case. I suppose since I was going to a festival I should look nice. I quickly took off the tunic that Link gave me a folded it nicely and placed it on the table next to my riding dress. I pulled on my under wear and grabbed my dark purple corset. My heart stopped though when I realized that I couldn't tie it by myself. Oh dear, this was going to be awkward. I pulled on my small white petticoat and tied it up. After that, I dropped my light purple skirt over my head and let it drop to my waist, were it was caught by the small petticoat. I straightened it out until it touched the floor and then pulled on my wrist length gloves. I held onto my bosom so the corset wouldn't fall and I quickly walked over to the door.
"Link, I hate to ask, but I can't tie my corset on my own for it is on my back, would you please help me?" I questioned. I was met with a long silence. I was about to call his name again when the door slowly opened. I stepped back and watched as Link stepped back into his house. His cheeks were pink as he looked up at me.
"Thank you Link. I'm sorry to ask this of you." I said turning around. I felt his fingers brush against my skin when he grasped either string in his hands.
"It's ok Zelda, I did tell you I would do anything for you." He mumbled tightly pulling on the strings as he went down. "You know how to do this rather well." I said, gasping gently as he pulled harder.
"My mom wore these whenever she went to the kingdom, and dad wasn't around because he worked, so I had to learn how to do it." He said. I felt him tying a bow at the bottom, his fingers very close to my bottom. I blushed and quickly turned around once he finished.
"Thank you Link." I said. I looked into the mirror and pulled my hair from its ponytail and let it fell straight down my back. Normally I would braid it, but I liked how it looked more natural.
"You look beautiful." Link said randomly. I looked over at him, his eyes were looking straight into mine. I nodded. "Thank you very much." I said with a smile. He leant me his arm and I took it with my hand.
"Lead the way sir Link." I said. We quickly made our way into the village. My ears were met with lively music, violins fiddling away with many other instruments following. The food smelled delightful and more delicious than anything ever made in the palace. Children were running around and chasing each other, shouting out random words and chants. There were lights strung up everywhere that were lit with light based fairies and different types of bugs. Lanterns hung from the roofs of the houses and beautiful fall decorations littered the walls and doors of every hut.
"Oh it's so beautiful!" I exclaimed. There was a giant table in the middle of the village, and a stage right next to it with performers playing their hearts away. There was no dance floor, for as everyone just danced their hearts away where they stood.
"At the ranch they have games everywhere, we should go see them after the dinner." Link said, his eyes were lit up with excitement. The town was bustling with happiness and life, and this was probably the first time Link got to see it back on its feet since the attack. I glanced at the table that was littered with hundreds of plates of food that was untouched. Some people were already seated and chatting away, folding their napkins onto their laps and filling their goblets with water or wine. Link pulled out a chair for me and I sat down. He quickly sat down next to me. Being the princess of Hyrule, I got to eat three nice meals a day, every day. But I don't think I had ever seen so much food in one place for such a small village.
"What would you like to drink? We have water, wine, and Uli's special pumpkin juice." He said gesturing to three different jugs. I glanced at my table placing and saw that I had a goblet and then a regular glass.
"I'll have water and the pumpkin juice please." I stated. He stood up and grabbed the jugs and poured my drinks for me. He had water and wine for himself.
"Dinner should be served in about ten minutes." He said. I nodded and watched as the children ran to their seats and eagerly grabbed their utensils. Bo finally appeared and sat the end of the table.
"Families of Ordon!" He bellowed over the loud crowd. Everyone looked in his direction and quieted. "Thank you all for contributing to this lovely festival this year and thank you to some of our annual visitors for their help. Please, make haste and eat with all of your hearts and have a wonderful night!" He said. With that, multiple hands were reaching into the middle grabbing spoons and scooping up multiple different foods. Link quickly grabbed my plate and plopped a bunch of different things on their. I was about to protest and but he looked at me and shook his head.
"Trust me, you'll regret not getting this before it's gone." He said. After he had managed to put every dish onto my plate, he handed it back to me and worked on his own plate. I grabbed my fork and took a small bite of one of the casseroles. Flavor jumped all over my taste-buds.
"This is amazing!" I exclaimed. After having said that, I quickly shoveled food into my mouth, not having had a good meal since yesterday night. I then realized how improper my manners were and I sat up straight and grabbed my napkin and dabbed my lips. I glanced at Link and he was staring at me in amusement.
"You know you can eat however you wish, you aren't in the palace anymore. You don't have to act like a princess if you don't want to. I won't judge you at all." He said plopping a piece of bread in his mouth. I nodded and continued to eat with gusto, except a little more refined this time. This was the best food I had ever tasted, even my best cooks weren't able to make food this amazing. Once my plate was completely licked clean (not literally of course), a piece of pumpkin pie was placed neatly on there with a perfect dollop of whipped cream. I looked up at the person behind me.
"Hello Sheik, I heard you were here on behalf of the princess, please, eat as much as you like. This is our special pumpkin pie. Made from real pumpkins and the whipped cream was specially made from the cows on Lon Lon." This woman was very beautiful, short blonde hair and bright green eyes and a very kind motherly smile. (A/N: yes I know there is no Lon Lon, but I figured that it could be an extension off of Ordon, and that's what happened to Lon Lon after OoT).
"Thank you very much Ma'am." I said grabbing my fork and taking a bite of the pie. The spices of the mixture burst on my tongue with flavor. "Oh please call me Uli. Is it to your liking?" She said, I could barely hear her soft voice over the noise of the village chattering away, but I nodded, my mouth still full of pumpkin. Once I swallowed, I thanked her and continued to eat.
"Is everything good?" I heard Link ask. I turned to him and nodded with a big smile. "Yes this food is phenomenal. I wish I could give some of these recipes to my chef." I said. Link shifted a little bowl over to me.
"Did you try my soup?" He asked. I looked down at it, the smell wafting from it smelt delicious, but I was so full, but I didn't want to disappointed him, so I picked up my spoon and scooped up a little of the soup. I widened my eyes at how wonderful it tasted.
"Oh my goodness Link, this is amazing!" I exclaimed. I would have continued to eat it, but if I didn't stop my corset would pop for sure.
"Thank you, are you ready to go and dance? Or would you like to play some games?" He questioned. I looked around, seeing people scattered across the town.
"I want to just walk around for a little bit, I'm very full from dinner, so I should walk it off." I said. He nodded and stood up. He stepped aside to let me out and held his arm out for me. I grasped it with my hand and he started to lead me up the path to the woods.
"We can walk through the Lost woods. Don't worry, its lit up and decorated. They are called the Lost woods because it used to be a maze, but the forest changed and it is now a nice path through a forest and a small creek." He said. The entrance was lit with more fairies and golden bugs. There were a few lanterns lining the path so we could see where we stepped.
"LINK!" We both turned around. There was a young woman running towards us while waving her hand.
"Ilia! Shouldn't you be in bed?" Link questioned. I gazed at Ilia as she finally stopped in front of us. She had short dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes that shone with happiness and love. I felt envy run through my veins at how beautiful she was.
"That fruit that you gave me really worked! I feel one hundred percent better!" She exclaimed grasping onto his hand. "Thank you so much for helping me out Link. I wouldn't have been able to go to the festival if it wasn't for you!" She said with a big smile.
"Well you should really thank princess Zelda, she was the one who gave it to me." He said. I blushed and was about to say something but I remembered that I was disguising myself as Sheik.
"Well, if you ever see her when you go back to the palace, please give her my thanks. Oh who is this?" She questioned looking at me for the first time since she had arrived. I curtseyed and gave her a gentle smile.
"My name is Sheik, I came to this village on behalf of the princess." I said. Ilia's eyes lit up.
"Then could you give her my thanks!? I wish I could really meet her." She said, her face turning to a pout.
"I think you'll meet her sooner than you think." I stated with a sly smirk. Link gave out a cough. "Anyways, Ilia, what are you doing over here?" Link questioned. The young girl looked up at the hero, her eyes practically sparkling as she talked to him.
"I was hoping you'd dance with me." She said shyly. It then hit me. She was in love with Link. Of course, it was so obvious. They grew up together, how could she not have some sort of feelings for him?
"Oh, I'll have to give you a rain check on that, I was going to take a stroll through the forest with Sheik." He stated. The fact that he turned her down and wanted to stay with me made my heart soar.
"Ah I see. Well I'll hold you to that Mr. Avalon. See you guys later tonight!" With that she ran over to the food table.
"Sorry about that, she can be rather energetic. Shall we continue?" He questioned. I grasped his arm once again. "Lead the way Sir Link." We walked forward, the only noise coming from the forest and the nocturnal animals.
"I never knew that your last name was Avalon." I mentioned after we were silent for a good five minutes. He kept silent for a little bit before answering.
"I don't really tell people about my last name. I never found it important." He stated stiffly. "It's because it reminds you of your parent's, isn't it?" I questioned. He looked at me from the corner of his eye.
"You don't have the tri-force of wisdom for no reason huh?" He mumbled. I giggled and shook my head. "I never really considered myself that wise. I have knowledge on my side, but I'm so young, I feel that I have so much more to learn." I said gazing at my right hand, the golden triangle glowing through my glove.
"I would disagree. You've had to take care of your country for five straight years all by yourself without your parents. You've had to make decisions that some kings twice your senior could never make. I think you are wiser than you ever let yourself believe." He stated. I blushed.
"Link you flatter me so." I said quietly. He was about to say something but I beat him to it. "I never go by my last name either. Only few people know of my last name, for everyone else knew of my Father's last name. But when my parent's died, I took up my mother's maiden name." I said. He looked at me this time, giving me his full attention.
"What you expect me to tell you?" I questioned. He gave me a smile. "Well it is only fair my princess, you've heard of my last name." He said. I gave him a smirk.
"Well Sir Link, life is not fair, now is it?" With that, I continued to walk forward. "You surely are harsh Zelda." He said following me. I pushed a branch out of the way, but then stopped at the sight before me. There was a huge lake before me, glowing fungi lining the shore of the lake. Glowing butterflies were flying around the waterfall that fell against the high mountain of rock. There were bright white and blue flowers that were in full bloom.
"Oh my, this place is magical." I said. The air felt cool and fresh, drops of water splashed me in the face from the waterfall hitting the lake with such force.
"I found it awhile back during my journey. Midna accidently teleported me here into the forest and it took me awhile to find my way out because I had never been in this section before." He said. I had realized now that Link started to get more comfortable with talking about Midna. He still looked solemn, but it started to turn bittersweet.
"It's a completely different place during the day. All of the things you see here are nocturnal. The flowers, the mushrooms, the butterflies, even the bugs. But once the sun comes up, different flowers bloom and more lively animals come out. It truly is a magical place." He said. I sat down in the moist grass and patted the spot next to me.
"Won't you ruin your dress sitting on the ground like that?" He said taking the seat next to me. I shook my head. "I don't care, this is one of my cheaper dresses. Anyways, I'll surely get new dresses soon." I said. He looked at me.
"Do you ever get tired of being royal?" He asked. I looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. His cheeks turned red and he shook his hands in front of him frantically. "I'm sorry! That was really random." He mumbled. I giggled. "It's quite alright. It's just no one has ever asked that before." I said. He smiled sheepishly, his blush brightening. It was cute how he could be very confident and respectful, and then with one word he turns into a flustered teenage boy.
"To answer your question, yes, I get tired of being royal all the time. I wish I could have been a normal girl who got to grow up in a village, surrounded by friends and family instead of maidens and my council members. But then I think, Nayru gave me her wisdom for a reason. I was placed as the princess because she knew I would be the best for the part. And then I remember, I love my kingdom no matter how hectic my life gets, because in the end, it was what the goddesses wanted me to do." I said.
"Very well said." He said. I looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, what about you? Do you get sick of being the hero of Hyrule?" I questioned. He nodded.
"All the time. But like you said, I was given Farore's courage for a reason. I was meant to meet you and to save your kingdom. And the fact that I was successful gives me with such fulfillment." He said. We gazed at each other, his smile was contagious because I found myself smiling back at him.
"Link, there is something I've been meaning to tell you. It's about the legend of the Hero and the Princess." I said. He raised his eyebrow.
"Ok, does something else happen to the kingdom? Does something happen to you? Or me?" He asked urgently. I shook my head.
"It's nothing bad, but it has to do with both of us." I said. He stared at me, telling me that I had his full attention.
"The Hero falls-Link what's wrong?" I questioned. He held up his hand to silence me and he stood up slowly, drawing a dagger from his boot. I watched the woods in anticipation, my heart racing in fear.
"PRINCESS!" I heard someone yell. I suddenly stood up. That sounded like- "PRINCESS YOU'RE ALIVE!" It was him. It was Brad, one of the men from my council. There were at least ten men behind him, swords raised.
"Link, Hero of the lands, stand still for you are under arrest for capturing our princess!" Brad yelled pointed his finger at Link. I looked up at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?! He didn't capture me!" I shouted, but my words only fell on deaf ears. One of the knights hopped off of his horse and roughly shoved Link to the ground.
"No stop it!" I yelled running over to the knight trying to shove him off of the hero. Brad came over and grasped my shoulder.
"It's for the best princess. This scoundrel will be locked up for what he has done." He said glaring at the red clad man who was now locked in chains. He glared angrily at Brad.
"Why in the world would I capture the princess you dolt?! My job is to protect her!" I gasped at Link's bold words. Brad only glared right back at him and they started to spit insults at each other. I had completely forgotten that the two never got along. Brad always said that Link was too good to be true and he couldn't be trusted, and Link said the same thing. I cleared my throat and stepped forward.
"I demand you stop all of this nonsense right now!" I said strictly in the loudest and sternest voice I could. Everyone looked over at me in surprise.
"This is ridiculous Brad! Let go of Sir Link right now knight! He did nothing wrong. I left the castle on my own accord! Now stop blaming him right on the spot or I will have you kicked out of the palace and working in the stables Brad." I said. The knight quickly undid the chains and helped Link stand up. But as soon as he came back up, Brad spit in his face. Before I could yell at him, Link suddenly punched him in the face. My eyes widened in shock.
"Sir Link!" I said loudly. He must have realized what he had done and quickly retracted his fist. Brad wiped his nose, which was now bleeding, and stood up, wobbling around.
"See Zelda I told you this man was nothing but a stupid little stable boy that's no more significant than the dirt on your shoes." He spit out some blood and glared at the blonde. I looked at the knight next to me and I suddenly drew his sword and then held it up to Brad's neck.
"Don't you dare disrespect me Sir Brad, you shall always address me as your highness or princess. I never allowed you to ever speak of my name. Link is a splendid soldier, and he saved Hyrule from darkness, now I suggest you respect him or so help me goddesses I will have you out on the streets with nothing but the clothes on your back." I said giving him my strictest look I could muster. He gulped and nodded. He got down onto his knee and bowed.
"My deepest apologies your majesty. I don't know what I was thinking." He mumbled. I sighed and withdrew the sword and handed it back to the startled knight.
"I think you owe an apology to Link, especially for man-handling him for no good reason." I said gesturing to Link who was still staring at me in complete awe.
"Sir Link, I am so very sorry for the way I treated you. It will never happen again." He stated bowing his head. Link sighed.
"It's quite alright Sir Brad." I nodded in contentment. "Good, now that we are all acting like adults, Sir Brad, you will be on suspension until further notice, you are to take your things from the palace and go back home. You will be summoned when needed, but for now, do not expect anything." I said. He looked ready to burst into tears. I had to try my hardest to keep a straight face and not smile. I had been wanting to yell at him for so long now, but he never stepped out of line enough for it to happen.
"Yes your majesty." He said solemnly. With that I dismissed the knights. "Commander, how many of you did Sir Brad bring?" I questioned looking at the knight who was still on his horse.
"Only a few more who are still in the village. They started to panic when we asked them where the princess and Link were." He said. I sighed and shook my head.
"This is just a huge mess." I mumbled. I turned to Link. "We should probably go to the village and try to calm everyone down Link." I said. He nodded and he ran ahead, not bothering to wait for me, knowing that I had some things to do.
"Brad, stand now." I said looking at the sad and pathetic man before me. He did as I said and didn't dare make eye contact with me. "I'm sorry for being so harsh on you Brad, but you were so out of line, you're lucky I don't kick you out of the council. But you know as well as everyone that I don't like doing that to anyone, not even the people that hate me." I said. He flinched at those words.
"You will leave Link and I alone, one more slip up like this and I will not hesitate to throw you out. Auru will be keeping an eye on you from now on, and you are not allowed to make any big decisions by yourself anymore. Now go back to the palace this instant, commander please take your knights with you and protect Brad. Link and I will follow close behind." I said. He nodded. "Would you like a ride back to the village your highness?" He questioned. I shook my head.
"I shall use my teleportation, please continue forward." I said. They galloped away. I focused in on my magical power and released it from within and pushed it out around my body. I focused on a location and chanted out a quick spell before disappearing. I couldn't breathe for a couple of seconds until I finally landed somewhere. I opened my eyes and saw that I was at the entrance of the Lost woods. I ran forward and saw Link trying to talk to the people but they were constantly asking questions wondering what was going on.
"Link is that really the princess you were with? Why is she here? Did we do something wrong to upset her?" Question after question was shot at him and all he could do was stare at them in bewilderment not quite sure how to answer. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around.
"Let me take care of this." I said. He smiled gratefully and took a step back. "People of Ordon, it is I, Princess Zelda. It is true that I lied to you about my identity, but I did that to protect myself and all of you from danger. I'm sorry that my troops disrupted your lovely festival. I shall repay you with all that I can for the trouble. Please, continue on with your festivities and have a night filled with merry. Link and I shall be leaving for the palace shortly, so I suggest you say your good-byes now." I stated. Everyone stared at me in astonishment. I heard people murmuring about how surprised that they didn't notice who I was in the first place.
"As the mayor of Ordon, I thank you for your visit your majesty. We are all blessed to have you in our presence." Bo said with a bow, everyone followed suit.
"Please rise, such formalities are not necessary. Link grew up here and he is a dear friend to me, so all of you I consider my friend." I said with a gentle smile. I made my way away from the crowd and towards Link's house. I started to climb the ladder, and I reached to open the door, but stopped when I heard two hushed voices beneath me.
"But Link you just got back." A woman said, it sounded very familiar. "No I didn't Ilia, I've been here for four months. I need to get back to my duties as the General of the Army. The princess needs me as well." Link stated. So he was talking with that girl.
"But we need you too. I need you." She said sadly. It was silent for a bit and then I realized that they were probably kissing. I felt my heart break into two pieces. They both gasped for air as they pulled away.
"Ilia." Link said quietly. "I know Link, I know that you don't feel the same way I do." Ilia said sadly. I felt my stomach twist in confusion and hope.
"I'm-"No don't say you're sorry. I just wanted you to know, but I think you always knew anyways. I don't want to get in the way with you and the princess. I see how you look at her." Ilia said, her voice wavering, she was probably crying. I know I would have been too at this point. There was some shuffling and she started to cry loudly.
"I care for you Ilia, at some point I did really love you, but going through everything I did changed me. And I met a lot of people along the way, and all of them are a huge part of my life now. My heart was broken at one point and that changed me." He said quietly.
"You fell in love with a woman? Is it the princess?" She questioned. He stayed quiet for a while. "You could say that." He mumbled. My stomach twisted again. He was talking about Midna, I knew by that distant sound he had in his voice. I grasped the handle and quickly went inside of his house. The fire in the fire place was turning to ashes, barely giving off any warmth or comfort anymore. I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered, a few tears escaping my eyes. I quickly wiped them away. Maybe the legend wouldn't come true this time? It was possible for things to change as time passed. I quickly grabbed my clothes and shoved them back into my bag. The door opened behind me and gently closed.
"Are you ready to go Zelda?" He questioned. The sound of his voice made me shiver more. I pulled on my cloak and wiped away the rest of my tears.
"Yeah, I have everything." I said quickly, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I turned around to look at him, his blonde hair was shining in the moonlight that poured into the room through the look-out window.
"Are you ok Zelda?" He asked taking a step towards me. The poor guy has had to deal with one crying girl tonight, I'm sure he didn't want another. I nodded. "Of course. Just a little tired. We should probably head out now." I said.
"Are you sure you want to leave so late? We could leave first thing in the morning." He suggested, but started to put on all of his gear anyways.
"The sooner we get back to the castle the better. I don't want to upset my council anymore. We might have to stop somewhere though." I said. He nodded and picked up his sword and shield.
"Shall we get going then?" He questioned. I nodded and followed him outside and to our horses. I jumped onto Midnight and adjusted all of my stuff. Once we were both settled, Link led the way with Epona and started towards the forest. I followed close behind. We were silent for a good hour and a half as we rode across part of Hyrule field. Link said that no one was currently in Kakiriko so we couldn't sleep at the hotel, so we would be sleeping under the stars.
"Zelda," Link called. I looked forward to see him staring back at me. I gestured for Midnight to quicken his pace so that we were side by side.
"What is it Link?" I questioned. He looked at me for a couple of seconds without saying anything. "Are you sure everything is alright? Your mood changed quite drastically after you left the festival." He said. I looked up at the stars and marveled at how they seemed to sparkle.
"I promise I'm fine. It's just I'm starting to realize that not everything that happened in our past lives will happen to us now." I said looking at him quickly to see if he got the hint, but he just looked confused.
"Nevermind. Are we almost to our stop?" I questioned. He nodded and stopped. "It's actually right here." We were on a little hill that was surrounded by trees and bushes, so if you went in the middle, you wouldn't be able to spot us. We quickly set up camp and relaxed around the fire. Link had brought some food along with him and handed me a sandwich.
"Zelda, I know you're lying to me." He said taking a bite of his sandwich. I nibbled at the edge and shrugged. "I'm not lying. I'm fine Link." I said quietly. He glared at me.
"No you aren't. I've been around you enough to know when something is up." He said quickly finishing his sandwich. He grabbed a satchel and started to munch on deku seeds.
"You were going to tell me something before your knights so rudely interrupted. Why don't you start by telling me that? I won't stop bugging you until you tell me." He said. I sighed and nodded.
"Fine, you win. Link, you've heard of the legends about our past lives correct?" I questioned. He slowly nodded. "I read up on some of it whenever you were in meetings." He said. "So you know that for thousands of years, a hero and a princess are given two pieces of the tri-force and are destined to save all of Hyrule. This cycle will continue forever as long as there is an evil force that attains the tri-force of power, and then wishes to attain ours and to rule the world. Our most current past lives were the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda." I said. He nodded.
"What are you getting at though? I know all of this. I actually met my previous life during my journey. He taught me all of the moves I know." He said casually. I looked at him wide eyed.
"Are you serious?! Did he look a lot like you? Did he ever tell you a lot of his past?" I questioned. He shook his head. "He refused to talk about his quest. And no he was a ghost skeleton in golden armor." He mumbled trying to remember back.
"Interesting. I heard of the rumors that the hero of time never moved on. His soul never left his body so he stayed linked to Hyrule and never fully disappeared with his time like Zelda and the rest did." I pondered on that, thinking about all of the new possibilities of our legends.
"Zelda, you can figure that out later, right now you have yet to explain to me why you've been acting weird." He said firmly. I could tell he was getting slightly irritated. I sighed.
"Well something that wasn't passed down through the generations was the relationship of the hero and the princess. Once the hero saved the princess and brought the evil at bay with the master sword, the two wed. The hero fell in love with the princess the moment he laid his eyes on her. And she who had always watched his journey from afar had fallen for him throughout." I said. He stared at me. Did he not get it?
"Did this happen to all of them?" He questioned. I nodded. He stared into the fire, not saying a word yet.
"Do you love me?" He finally asked. I gulped, my heart thudding in my chest. He looked over at me, waiting for my answer. I quickly stood up.
"I'm going to find some more fire wood." I said trying to get away as quickly as I could. But a strong hand grasped my arm, preventing me from moving any further. I was suddenly pulled back into his chest.
"You aren't running from me this time princess." He whispered into my ear. I felt my cheeks burn up. He slowly turned me around so I was facing him. He grasped my chin so I had to look into his bright blue eyes.
"Now, do you love me Zelda?" He asked with a small smile. "Yes." I whispered, but I knew he had heard me. He leaned down so his nose was gently rubbing mine, our lips centimeters apart. "Same." He said before kissing me gently on the lips. I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him closer to me. He hands rested on my hips, not moving any further. We pulled away and looked into each other's eyes.
"Why were you so scared to tell me?" He asked brushing my hair from my eyes. "I was scared you were in love with Midna." I stated truthfully. His eyes widened.
"Really? I never was, I might have felt something, but never love. Once she left, I knew nothing could happen anyways. But then I ended up staying with you at the castle and I started to love you, but I was always really scared to say or do anything because you're the princess. I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to hold your hand without getting thrown in the dungeon." He said. I gave him a smile and kissed him again.
"Are you sure you want to do this? You'll become King, and you won't be able to travel as much as you like to do." I said. He nodded without hesitating.
"I'll be a strange King, I won't lie, but I'm ready to learn and to try." He stated cupping my cheek with his hand.
"So long as I get to be with you, and I get to run around every once and awhile, I'll be fine." He said with a chuckle. "I can make an arrangement for that." I said before sealing our deal with one last kiss.
SWEET BABY JESUS ITS DONE! I've been working on this for like a month! I hope you all enjoy it! Review if you wish :D This is a one-shot, there is nothing left for this story!