"Daddy!" Zelda burst through the entrance to the Throne Room, Link following close behind her. The King looked up from his mound of papers and smiled. "Zelda!" He stood up and strolled over to her, paying no attention to how out of breath the two were. "Daddy, Link and I saw-"
He grabbed her hand and lead her away from the hero, ignoring her words. Link outstretched his arm towards her for a second but pulled it back in fear that someone would notice. "Yes yes yes. Now, we have important business to attend to. More suitors have arrived..."
The King gently forced his daughter into her throne before taking his place in his. Zelda crossed her arms and slightly pouted. "I told you, I hate all those men!" "Oh come now dearest, that's why more have come!"
Link tried his hardest to control the redness in his face. He hated that Zelda was being forced to marry some stuck-up prince. By Hyrulian Law, the princess must be married by a certain deadline - and the deadline was the end of this week. They both tried not to think about it and hoped they would find a way out. Zelda always reassured Link that there was no chance of her falling for anyone else, and he believed her. But, he still didn't like anything having to do with her being forced to marry someone else.
Impa put her hand on his shoulder. "Calm." She whispered to him before leading him to stand beside the Princess' throne. Impa, being the sage of Shadow and remembering everything that happened, knew well about their relationship. She knew how they felt about each other, and often calmed Link down whenever the King talked about Zelda's engagment.
Zelda groaned as he forced her into her seat beside him. "But daddy I don't-" "I don't care, Zelda. You are going to choose a suitor this week!" Link bit back the urge to shout at the King. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped. "What? This week? I thought-"
"This week is the deadline, Zelda! Since you have refused all the suitors so far, we will have more than ever brought in from all around the land!" Her and Link glanced at each other. "But...what if I don't choose any?" She crossed her arms and pouted, causing the king to shake his head.
"You must choose one, if you don't I will choose one for you." Zelda's mouth dropped and she stared at her father. "But Daddy!" "No, that is how it must be!" She brought her hands to her face and let a single tear fall off her cheek.
Link quietly set his hand on her throne arm, and Zelda put her hand on top of his. He looked her in the eyes. At first his expression was comforting, but then it changed to his have-you-forgotten-the-problem-at-hand? look. Zelda let out a small gasp. She turned her head to her father and opened her mouth to speak.
Just then the doors were thrown open, revealing the three gerudo women from outside Castle Town. The king stood up from his throne and glared at them. "Gerudos! How dare you-" "We just want to talk, your highness."
A few guards held up their spears. The king held his hand up and looked down at them. "It's alright."
He thought for a moment before sitting down again and gesturing for them to continue. The head gerudo spoke first. "Your highness, as you know we are a tribe of only women." The king nodded and she dismounted her horse and bowed. "We have discovered a man born of us, and by our law, we have made him our King. We present, Lord Ganondorf!" They moved their horses aside and allowed Ganondorf and on a black horse to enter the room.
Link and Zelda silently glared at him, Ganondorf took notice but turned his attention to the King. "Your majesty." He dismounted his horse and walked up to him. "I have a propsition for you." His eye brows slowly moving up and down. The King looked Ganondorf over before settling on the fact that he was a gerudo. "Yes?"
Ganondorf glanced at the Hero of Time. "I have heard rumors that your daughter, Princess Zelda, has not yet chosen a suitor. And since the deadline is the end of this week, if she does not choose, you will choose one for her." "Yes."
Zelda shot him a death glare. "It came to my attenion that your kingdom and our tribe have had some troubles in the past. And I had the idea of joining our two cultures together." "And how do you propose to do that?" He smirked. "We can in fact, solve both our problems. And here's how..."
"What better way to join two cultures than to marry both their leaders? What if I...marry the Princess?" Zelda and Link both gasped. The King put his hand to his chin. "Hmm...not a bad idea." Zelda wrapped her arms around her father's arm. "Daddy no!" The King swept her off of him and smiled at Ganondorf. "You've got yourself a deal." "No!"
The King held his hand infront of Zelda, hushing her. "You two shall be wed in two days! A day before the deadline!" Ganondorf smiled at Zelda, all the while Link gripping his sword tightly. The king stood and walked towards the door. "Everyone! Let us leave the new couple alone." Guards and Gerudos alike glanced at each other before following the king. Impa shot Ganondorf an eye twitch while passing by him.
He shut the doors after everyone was out, not even realizing Link still standing next to the throne.
Link jumped infront of Zelda and drew his sword. Ganondorf responded by chuckling and walking up to them. They both tensed when he stood directly infront of them. "Oh calm down, kid. I'm not rearing to fight...yet." Ganondorf put his hands behind his back and smirked.
Link didn't shealth his sword. He continued glaring at him.
Zelda repositioned herself in Link's arms, he held his sword out infront of them. "What do you want, Ganondorf?" Zelda 's eyes were filled with fear as she whispered loud enough for him to hear. "And how did you escape the Evil Realm?" Link held her closer to him. "And why are you marrying Zelda?" He practically shouted at the Evil King.
Ganondorf's expression turned blank as he stared down the Hero of Time. "I will have this Kingdom, one way or another." His gaze shifted to Zelda. "And you will be the key to my plan, Princess." He outstretched his hand to her, causing her to flinch.
A crooked smile appeared on his face. "Go along with my plan, and I won't kill you after I become King." Link's hands shook with anger as he gently pushed Zelda back behind him. He took a step towards Ganondorf and held his sword up. "If you so much as touch her..."
He put his hand out and shoved Link backwards. "You kids have no idea what you're getting into." Zelda pushed past Link and stood directly infront of Ganondorf. "We've defeated you before, we shall do it again!" Ganondorf turned and walked away. "We will see..."
He closed the doors behind him, leaving the two alone. Zelda couldn't bare it anymore, she broke down to her knees crying. Link knelt next to her and hugged her. "Don't worry...I'll protect you." She snuggled into his chest and breathed heavily.
Link opened his eyes and glared at the door Ganondorf had just left out of. "I'll never let what happened seven years ago happen again...never."
Woot, second chapter done. ;) Until next chapter!