Chapter Four

"A Special Day for Zelda"

Link saw a big, stone wall in the horizon. It got torches on its sides and wood bridge on the center. It was the Hyrule castle entrance.

First you had to pass the cheering market and then you could enter to the field where Hyrule castle was (only with permission, of course). Link never dared to forget it.

"I didn't forget this" said Link happily "I've missed so much this ancient castle"

Impa said nothing, but she drew a smile on her face.

"I must give the invitation to a guard?" asked Link.

"Yes Link" she answered "Well, I think here's where we must separate us"

"Separate us? Why?" Link was surprised.

"I got to help Zelda with some matters, so if you don't care…" Impa gave a spectacular jump on the air, and she reached a window of the wall "I see you in Zelda's party"

Link looked her, open-mouth; although she was an old woman, her movements were so fast.

"Impa, why didn't you use the bridge for entering?" asked Link showing the bridge "It would be easier, don't you think?"

Impa laugh. "We Sheikahs hate the easy entrances. We prefer a little bit of action"

Impa said goodbye to Link with the hand and she entered to the window.

"Man, the Sheikahs has bizarre customs" said Link with pity "It's better to be a Hylian"

He walked toward the bridge and he entered. He found himself with the market, the happy and cheering market he had visit eight years ago.

Link didn't stop for contemplating the market, so he accelerated and he went to the road that leaded in front of the castle.

"There it is" he ran in where the entrance was, but he was stopped by a guard.

"Name" he asked in a lower voice, with a long parchment and an owl feather on his hands.

"Link" he answered quickly.

"Link…mmm…let me see… oh yes Link. You can enter."

Link made a little bow, and he (at last) entered to the royal Hyrule castle.

It was enormous place; it was elegant and decorated with beautiful paintings. He followed a long corridor, which leaded him to the royal hall. It was of a silvery color, with red long curtains and with a silver throne on a wall; there were so many statues representing the goddess and the Triforce.

But in the center, a big, Hero of time statue was stand in a stone block with Hylian letters that said:

"The Guardian of Hyrule

The Hero of Time"

He was amazed by its size.

"The royalty is incredible" he admitted.

He saw so many people entering the great hall: knights, royal people, princes, and a lot servants. But he got exited when he saw the Gorons and the Zoras entering into the royal hall (I think this was a very important party) and then Link listened some soft music coming out from the outside.

"How I'd like to live in the royalty" he sighed, looking at a boy, who looked to be a prince.

"Are you sure you want that?" questioned a voice behind him "Maybe you'd not like it"

Link turned around swift and he saw a Goron that was familiar to him.

"Darunia" he said surprised.

"Where have you been brother?" the strong Goron gave him a broke-bone hug "You really grew up"

"It's wonderful to see you Darunia" said Link rubbing his arms.

Darunia stared at him for a while, and then Link asked him:

"What? Do I have somethin' stuck on my face?"

Darunia denied with his head.

"No brother is just that… I remembered something"

"Oh right, right" Link spun around for seeing the castle country yard "Some problem with your people?"

Darunia gave Link a soft smile.

"No Link, everything is peace on my city" he put one hand on Link's shoulder "And about that man-to-man talk, I still want it"

Link looked at him.

"You haven't forgotten it eh?"

Darunia gave one step in front of Link and he peered at him.

"You know, I want to know 'bout how much you've matured and you know, tell it me like the man you already are"

Link laughed

"Are you really seriously?"

"Of course I am, that ain't bad" he frowned "Did ya think I was laying you?"

Link didn't see him at the eyes, but he knew Darunia love him like his own son, that wasn't a trouble; because Link never met his parents, so he could accept Darunia as his father (without caring his races differences, the important was the familiar love).

"Link, are you still with me?" he heard Darunia said.

"What? Er… yes Darunia"

"Good, because you got so many things to tell your brother" he started to raise his voice "We both are brothers and… oh, hi Ruto"

Link froze at the moment he heard the name "Ruto"

"Hello Darunia, nice night, isn't it?" she said looking at the stars.

"I guess it is" he answered in a lower voice "havin' fun?"

Ruto approached to Link.

"Not so much" she admitted "I've been sitting in there, talking with a dull prince. He commented me that he wanted to court Zelda, but I'm think he won't do it; talking about his attitude"

"Yes, I think the same" he said with a smile on his face "So you came here to talk with Link?"

"Yes of course" she said quickly "Just if I'm not disturbing you"

"No, please. Said that she's disturbing us, please; don't leave me with her" Link begged Darunia in his mind.

"No you're not disturbing us; you can talk with him if you want"

Link saw how Ruto drawn a light smirk on her face.

"Thank you Darunia, you are so cute" she said in a giggling.

Darunia said good-bye with his hand and he spun around, walking way.

Both of them were quiet alone, the only sound that could be heard was the whistles of the wind.

"Let's talk about something" Ruto said taking Link's hand in a strong way "Sit down in here"

Link sat down in a white bench, without taking his eyes away from Ruto. She sat down beside him too, looking at him with dreamer eyes.

"Link, tell me, what did you do all this years?" she asked.

Link sighed and (although he didn't want to do it, but he have to) he told Ruto about his adventures; Termina and the refuge of swordsmen.

"You're a brave man" she said excited "Yes, you are my man"

"Can we go to the royal hall? I want to drink some wine" insisted Link with a fake calm.

Ruto denied with the finger.

"I still want to know one more thing" she was getting closer to Link.

"D'ye? And what it is?" answered Link, looking the way of how to escape.

The Zora princess frowned.

"Did you like a girl?" (Looks like she could kill any girl that want Link as a boyfriend)

"That If I liked a girl?" repeated Link.

Ruto nodded.

Link remembered his adventures, when he was eleven, in Termina there was no pretty girl; but when he was fourteen there was pretty, tall, rebel; with gold hair and blue eyes girl and with a strong, fine legs… man, she was beautiful.

"Link, answer me" he heard Ruto said.

"What? Er… no Ruto" he said quickly.

"That's what I though" sighed Ruto with relief "You cannot change me for another one!"

"Aye, aye, how nice… can we go now to the royal hall?" Link was losing patience.

"Tell me Link, do I look pretty?" she asked shyly "I really don't like this dress so much but, it has class"

"Er… of course Ruto, you look so…" he was looking the perfect word "lovely" "Yes I knew it" she said happily.

Link saw her; Ruto looked a long way from lovely in his opinion.

She was closer to him and then he felted something wet, sliding over his leg.

"Ruto…could you please take off your hand from my leg?"

"Sorry" she giggled.

"Excuse me, do I'm disturbing you?" a guard asked them, and Link was crying of happiness.

"Thanks goddess, somebody saved me!" he was saying on his mind.

"No you aren't" said Ruto with pity.

"Well, I just want to tell you that the princess is coming soon"

Link drawn a smile on his face and he ran inside the royal hall, leaving Ruto and the guard behind.

Ruto was really insane, crazy of love; she got to admit it.

When he was already in the royal hall, a crowd of people was in front of the stairs. Suddenly, a band of trumpets started to play with bigness.

"We are glad to present you…" one of the guards was giving a presentation "…In her birthday number seventeenth, to Zelda… princess of Hyrule"

Every one from the crowd clapped at the moment, Link was excited; at last he could see Zelda.

The orchestra started to play a Royal melody.

Have you ever listened the march "Pomp and Circumstance"? Well, it was very similar.

From the nowhere, a pink-dressed girl appeared. She was golden haired, blue eyes like the sky, thin, tall… attractive. Yes, she was the princess of all Hyrule, Zelda.

The princess smiled to everyone, but when she saw Link, she showed him her teeth. Link felted a light shake on his stomach, and he didn't believe that it could be the nerves of happiness.

Behind the princess, appeared the king of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule.

"Long live to the king!!" bellowed a man "Long live to the princess!!"

Everyone of the crowd clapped as a crazy, after that they started to sing a familiar song:

"Happy birthday to you" they sang "Happy birthday to you" Zelda went toward a long table "Happy birthday princess Zelda, Happy birthday to you!!"

"Thank you so much" she said aloud "I am so glad that you could share his moment with me"

She and her father sat down in their thrones.

The king spoke so:

"Let's have a banquet!"

Some servants started to bringing varnishes with turkeys, pork legs, roast meat, salads, and other kinds of food.

Link was sat down between a fat lady and a surly young noble man. There was no thing more disgusting than that.

"Come on honey, eat you soup" said the fat lady to the young man "If you don't eat, you will get sick"

Link saw how the young noble man rolled his eyes, and trying to simulate that he didn't hear anything.

"You are a bad boy, I'm going to tell to your mother" she was treating him like a five-year old child.

"Ma'am please, I am not a little boy" clarified the young man with a grave voice "Let me alone"

The fat lady shouted up without looking the noble young man, and then she watched at Link.

The hero of time was chopping a piece of meat with the left hand, and suddenly he crashed his elbow with the lady's.

"Sorry" he said simply, and he continued to eating. The fat lady stared at him.

"Are you a left-handed?"

Link nodded, chewing his food.

"I really don't know how they can do things with the left hand; it's horrible" she muttered, spinning around.

"Excuse, your name is Link?" a guard was beside Link.

"Aye" he answered.

"Princess Zelda wants to see you" the guard informed him "She is in the balcony"

"Thank you" thanked Link and he went toward the balcony.

Once he was in there, Zelda was standing there, looking at the stars.

"Long time has passed Zelda" Link said, making Zelda jump of scared.

Her blue-sky eyes peered at Link's and she ran for holding him.

"It's wonderful to see you Link…once again!"

"Yeah, I'm happy too" said Link with a smile.

"I got so many things to tell you. You don't know what happen a month ago"

Link stood attentive.

"What happened?"

Princess Zelda laughed.

"I'm going to show you" she spun around toward the trees "Come down please, I want you to know a friend of mine!"

Link expected to see a pretty fairy coming down from trees, but he surprised when he saw a young Sheikah.

"Link, this is Sheik. Remember him?" Zelda was taking Sheik's hand for bringing him near to Link; in change, Link couldn't believe it.

"Are you real Sheik?" he inquired "But how did you…how is this possible?"

Zelda winked, understanding Link's big surprise; and she told about how the wizard Aknot made her an exorcism and he got out Sheik from her body.

"…and he just didn't give any signals of life, not until that day" she finished.

Link was open-mouth.

"It's incredible Zelda, but…does he really exist?"

"Yes, he's flesh and bones" she answered.

Link saw Sheik, who was playing his harp on the floor.

"What about you Link? What you did all this years?" princess Zelda wanted to know.

Link looked at her and he (once again) told her the story of his adventures in Termina and that refuge called… "Something Calibur".

Once he finished, the princess said him:

"There's no doubt that you are the Hero of Time"

"It was my duty" he said, acclaiming himself.

They look each other some moments, and then Link commented:

"I receive your invitation this morning…but how did you know I was already in Kokiri Forest? I never said a word to anyone about my arrival"

The princess smiled in silence. "I'm the seventh Sage, remember that"

"Think you're right"

Zelda peered at him. "Want to dance? The orchestra is playing a waltz"

Link thought for a moment, and he nodded (although he never danced in his life before), they were together to the castle.

And well, the hero of time and the princess danced for hours, beautiful, royal melodies (Zelda was avoiding Link's bad steps). They saw the spectaculars fire works on the sky and they eat a piece of Zelda's cake.

When the dawn of the next day was near, Link said good-bye to Zelda:

"Well, see ya Zelda; I hope we can see us soon"

"Yes, I said the same. Wonderful to see you again" she turned to Sheik "Please Sheik, accompany Link to the exit.

The young Sheikah nodded and he took Link to the castle exit.

"I never thought you could be a real person" he said, but Sheik didn't put attention "Well, see ye Sheik"

Sheik said nothing and he saw Link going toward the south.

May be I should've written more things about the royal party, but my mind was in blank. I'll try to change this chapter.

See you next chapter!!