A/N: All right! Here's were the action really starts rollin' people! Finally, we're gettin' to a good part (sorta anyway)

Eh, part of me likes that this is finally gettin to the good part of the story and the other part totally hates this chap. Ugh, you'll see what I mean. Secondly, I know this chap is still too short so I'm really sorry, I just don't know what I could add to it! Anyway, once again I hope you guys enjoy and will R&R and come back next week. Also, forgive my stupid attempt at humor toward the middle of this chap; these dumb ideas just refuse to leave me alone until I write them down!

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything except my ocs and the plot.

A Knight like No Other

Chapter 3

Nearly a month had passed since Link's arrival at the castle and he was slowly, ever so slowly, becoming accustomed to speaking freely with the princess. Although he still became uncomfortable discussing certain things, Zelda was glad that they were becoming closer friends. Link, aside from Impa, was the only one she felt she could truly be herself around. She freely confided in him and, given time, he did the same with her.

One day, Zelda was walking through the castle when she spotted Link standing absentmindedly in the middle of one of the corridors. He was studying a sheet of paper held in one hand and didn't seem to notice the servants bustling hither and yon around him, casting odd looks in his direction as they went.

"Something wrong Link?" Zelda asked, coming up to him.

"No," he replied, turning to face her. "Just looking at a letter I got from a friend of mine. He lives over in Kakariko. ...Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you, if I left for a few hours today do you think I'd be missed?" he added with a smile. Though he'd lived there for a while now, many of the nobles living in or visiting the castle still looked upon "the farm hand" with scorn. Link, however, never let it bother him. Or at least if it did, he hid it well "Oh that reminds me," Zelda said, "Sir Erin wanted to see you after lunch,"

Link rolled his eyes with a chuckle. Erin was head of the Knights of Hyrule and, after the recent attack by Ganondorf, he demanded nothing less then perfection from his men. "There's always something wrong with me isn't there?" Link asked with mock indignation. Zelda giggled and Link's smile grew at this. "He wanted you for archery practice," the princess answered, "but don't worry, I'll take care of him."

"Thanks. Then I guess I'll go see him after lunch."

So, later that day, Link set out on Epona toward Kakariko Village.

Arriving, he stopped to greet the village shaman and his daughter and raised a hand in greeting to the gorons around the village, who returned the gesture. A small explosion and a shout of anger told him that Barnes was in his shop "experimenting" again and he couldn't help but laugh. He then headed for a good-sized house not far away, leaving Epona to happily wade in the village spring. He knocked on the familiar door and it soon swung open.

"Link!" a boy about Link's age with short blond hair exclaimed with a grin. "What're you doin' here?"

Link grinned back. "Nothin' special. Just thought I'd come say hey. Boy Sheik, you should hear all the stuff that's happened to me lately."

"Like what? Those goats get away from you, farm boy?" Sheik teased.

Link smirked. "That's Sir Link to you," he said, giving his friend a slight shove. "I'll have you know I'm a knight now."

Upon seeing Sheik's shocked expression and his mouth fall open slightly, Link nearly burst out laughing.

"Seriously?" Sheik managed to ask at last.

"Yep, n' that's not even half of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I left out quite a lot in the letters I've sent you lately."

So, Sheik led Link into his house and Link told his friend the long story of his recent adventures. "...So, that's about it," Link finished at last. "I've lived at the castle for about a month now."

"Lucky you," Sheik said with a grin. "What's it like?"

"Eh, I could live without all the looks some people give me, and it's definitely more hectic then the forest, but other then that it's great."

"What's the princess like?" Sheik asked suddenly after a short pause.

Link flushed slightly, but managed to keep his composure. "Well, what most everyone says about her is true, but, let's just say, the things they say don't do her justice," he said with a slight smile. "She's kind and brave and just..."

"Beautiful?" Sheik finished, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Link was silent, his face turning a light shade of crimson.

Sheik immediately started to laugh. "I knew it! You like her don't you?"

Link groaned. "Not you too,' he said sarcastically. However, there was no hiding the now even brighter crimson shade of his face.

"Aha!" Sheik exclaimed. "So I'm not the only one who thinks so, huh? So, who agrees with me?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Matt," he said begrudgingly. "He's a squire back at the castle, but just for the record, you're both nuts. She's just my friend."

"Sure..." Sheik drawled in return.

XxX

"So, why don't you tell her?" Sheik persisted later that day.

Link, who had his back to his friend, sighed. ""I still don't know why I invited you to stay here. I'm surprised the king agreed to it."

Sheik simply grinned. "Changing the subject," he said waggling a finger at Link's back.

Sheik was sitting cross-legged on a spare bed that had been placed in Link's room. Now he got to his feet, an evil look in his eyes. "Well..." he said slowly, "If you won't tell her... Maybe I will."

With that, he darted for the open door, but, with reflexes like lighting, Link blocked his path. He sighed once more, standing in the doorway. Raising an eyebrow he asked, "Remind me again why I consider you my friend?"

Sheik turned, disregarding Link's question. "Fine," he said, still grinning slyly. "But, you know what happens now."

"Oh no, don't you dare..."

"Tell her, tell her, tell her," Sheik began chanting incessantly.

"Man, shut up!" Link yelled over his friend's continued chanting. He quickly slammed the door so no one would hear. "The last time you did that we were like six!"

"So?" Sheik paused to say, but quickly picked up where he'd left off.

"Ahhh! Okay, fine. I'll try to talk to her tomorrow." Link surrendered at last. "Now will you just be quiet?"

Sheik immediately snapped his mouth closed, but then added, "Okay. Just remember. I'm holdin' you to what you said."

Link flopped onto his own bed facing the wall. "That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered.

Nevertheless, the next morning after breakfast, Link found himself standing before a door that led out into the castle courtyard. The door stood open, but Link was frozen in place, rigid as a post. After a moment, Sheik, who stood behind him, gave him a push and Link staggered out into the open, his friend slamming the door shut behind him. Unfortunately for the hero, this slam was heard by the princess, who stood at the fountain in the courtyard's center. She turned to face him and smiled brightly. "Oh, good morning Link."

He unconsciously put a hand to the back of his neck. "Uh, good morning pr- er... Zelda."

A look of annoyance crossed her face for a split second. He knew she hated when he stuttered around her as well as when he called her princess instead of Zelda, but usually she remained calm despite these things. Was something wrong? he wondered for a moment. She quickly went back to smiling, however. But, that made him do something else she didn't like. He began intently studying the ground at his feet.

"Um... Zelda, I wanted to-"

"Why do you do that?" the princess interrupted, trying and only partially succeeding at keeping her tone in check.

"Do... what?"

"I thought you'd finally gotten past that, but now you're doing it again. Stuttering whenever you're around me and not looking me in the eye and..." she cut her sentence short as she realized she was quickly losing her usually solid grip on her emotions.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to..."

"Do you hate me?" she demanded in an almost childish tone.

Link stood frozen for a minute as if letting her words sink in. What?

"Zelda..." he said slowly, "I could never hate you."

"Then why do you act like this?"

"I don't... I mean... It's just hard to explain..."

"Why?" she nearly yelled.

He flinched, almost taking a half-step back.

"You see? It's like you're afraid of me." she said, struggling to calm dowm.

"Zelda, I..."

"Just forget it," she said, turning her back to him. "I have to go." She started to walk away.

He gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zelda, wait. I just..."

Suddenly she whirled to face him again. For just that split second Link thought he could see unshed tears glittering in her emerald eyes.

"Just leave me alone!" she practically screamed. And with that, she slapped him squarely across the face.

And that's why part of me hates this chap. I make Zelda seem like a total jerk... But that was the only way I could come up with to put everything into position for the sequel so please don't kill me! And yes, I plan to make a sequel. But anyway, I'll explain why Zelda acted all freaky in a future chap; also, I know Link's probably OOC when he's talkin' to Sheik, but I figured he had to act different then usual since he's around his best friend. Lastly, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW AND NO FLAMES!

-Archer