Here I am guys! I have an hour before work and I've managed to get another chapter up, next day! I'm getting back into it now that I have the weekend to keep me busy. Thanks for all the support/reviews. I appreicate it to no end! :) Really
Do I really need to say the disclaimer? Cause I don't own anything that doesn't come from my own imagination.
"Zelda…" Impa whispered, poking her head into Zelda's room the next morning. It wasn't early, but yet, it wasn't late at the same time. Of course, the princess always preferred sleeping in to waking up early. There was something to waking up during the day when the sun was shining through her curtains and hearing the birds that was so peaceful.
"Hmm?" she groaned, rolling over and peeking one eye open.
"Your mother wants to see you in her quarters," Impa explained flatly. Zelda didn't miss the hint of warning in the woman's tone.
The girl shot up out of her bed, wide-eyed and fully awake. Her mother never called her to her wing of the castle unless she had something important to say. What the hell could she want that would require Zelda to come over and visit her this early in the day? She didn't want to know…
"All right, Impa," she said, nodding. "Thank you. You can tell her I'll be right there."
Impa smiled and told her she would before closing the door again. Zelda pushed her covers aside and stood up. Since she was going to see her mother, dressing up would be a must. So she went to her large closet and picked out her favorite 'princess' dress, white bottom with a pink top and white gloves. Of course now, she had to put her golden headband on as she fixed her hair so it fell in even waves along her back.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed. 'You can do this. It's just your mom. She just wants to talk… But what about?'
When she was sure she looked all right, Zelda left the bedroom and stepped out into the purple-carpeted hall. Taking her time, she picked up her dress and started to walk down the corridors toward the southern wing where her parents' room lay (along with the Master Sword).
The door to her parents' room was cracked slightly when she arrived before it. The girl raised her fist and gently knocked. It was only half a second later when her mother replied. "You may come in, love."
Zelda pushed the door in and peered in to see her mother standing in front of the large bay window that overlooked the entire castle grounds, making the stables and fences and gardens all so simple to see. Her mom turned to face her and smiled slightly. The queen of Hyrule looked exactly like she did, sharing the same body structure, hair color and eye color. The only difference was the fact that Zelda had inherited her father's more free-spirited personality that transcended with her mother's looks.
"Mother," Zelda said, bowing her head slightly. The queen nodded.
"I hear from Lord Ganondorf that you seem to like your new servant boy very much," her mother said.
"Oh, well…yes, he's very nice…" Zelda tried to fit the flush that she could feel threatening to take over her face.
Her mother nodded and looked out the window again. "I saw you two yesterday in the arena with that wild horse. I saw that the boy managed to tame her with that ocarina you gave him…"
"Mom, I—," Zelda began to say but the queen held her hand up to silence her teenage daughter. Her face wasn't mad, but it was pensive.
"He can use the Ocarina of Time, can't he?" she asked.
"He used it like he was an expert," Zelda responded with a quick head nod.
"This is something indeed," she whispered, biting her lip. "No man has ever managed to use the ocarina since the era of the Hero. I wonder why that boy can use it so naturally."
"It may all just be a myth, Mom," her daughter murmured. "After all, Link is just a poor boy from the village…"
"A myth it may be, but somehow I doubt that. Every fifty years it says that the next hero is born to fight the new evil that is threatening to overtake the lands. How old is this Link?"
"I-I don't know, actually. I never thought to ask, but I can only assume the same age as I, if not a year or two older…"
"It's been sixty-eight years since the last hero," the queen said after a long moment of silence. "And this boy can use the Ocarina of Time. This must mean something, Zelda."
"What?" her brow furrowed. "That Link is the Hero of Time? Mother, really, how can you think things like that? He's just an ordinary boy who just happened to have a skill with the ocarina."
Her mother shook her head. "If you want to think that, love, then by all means, don't let me stop you. But you should know, I have been watching you with him and you seem to have formed a bond with him."
"Bond? Yes, we're becoming friends. He's such a sweet boy."
Her mother's eyes twinkled. "I see something more there. And you should know that you must not fall for that boy. You are promised to marry Ganondorf on your eighteenth birthday in two months."
"What are you talking about? On my birthday? You expect me to marry that man in two months? How can you suggest such a thing!?"
"Hush," her mother said calmly. "You don't understand, Zelda, your marriage to Lord Ganondorf will form the most powerful alliance that this side of the world has ever seen. Hyrule will be nearly invincible when you two finally marry!"
"I don't really care, though," Zelda said simply, truthfully. "I don't need all that power to be happy. I just want to end up with someone that I'll make happy and will make me happy in return."
"Such artless wishes, my daughter. You have a mighty heart, I cannot deny that. But, honey, you have to marry Ganondorf. Marrying for love is nearly impossible for a princess such as yourself."
Zelda frowned and looked away. She didn't want to marry him. She hated that stinking man; she hated his gold eyes, his red hair, his muscles, everything. There was no way that she could spend the rest of her life with him!
"I know that that's not want you want to hear, my darling, but it's the way that things must go. I am sorry."
"But you and Daddy didn't marry for power! You two loved each other!" she protested angrily.
"Your father and I did love each other, yes. That was pure luck that we fell in love before we even knew that we were betrothed. Our families had planned our engagement since birth, but we had never learned of it. I believe they wanted us to naturally love one another."
"But don't you want the same for me? Don't you want me to find someone that I love just as dearly as you and Daddy?" she pleaded.
"As much as I do wish that, Zelda, this conversation is over. You will marry Ganondorf in two months, during the midsummer and there will be no more protests. You can like this Link boy as much as your heart desires, but will only hurt you more when the wedding comes."
Zelda let out a roar of frustration and ran her hands down her face in agitation. "I can't believe you!" she screamed. And she turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door shut.
"She ridiculous!" Zelda hissed as she stomped away, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "How can she suggest something like that? Marry Ganondorf my rear end! I refuse to wed someone like him!"
She blindly walked down the halls, mumbling and cursing to herself when she walked into something hard. Her eyes looked up and through the fogginess she saw Link looking down at her.
"Impa told me that you had gone to see your mother," he murmured gently. "What happened?"
Zelda shook her head and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his broad chest. Link, unsure of what was going on, lightly wrapped his own arms around her, holding her to his body. He could hear the girl sobbing into his tunic, staining the fabric with salt water, but he wasn't too concerned. He was just worried about her.
"What did your mother say to you?" he whispered in her ear. "Do you want to tell me?"
Zelda nodded her forehead against his chest and slowly picked her head up. His large dark blue eyes were soft and patient, waiting for her to respond to his question. "She told me that I have to marry Ganondorf in two months and that's the end of it. She doesn't care about my happiness, my well being. All she cares for is this stupid alliance that will from when we marry!"
Link nodded and shut his eyes. "I'm sorry."
"No, don't be," she said, her tone kind. "It's not your fault at all. I just…I just don't want to be tied to him forever, Link. I can't stand him."
Link brushed her cheek softly. "I know."
Zelda pulled out of his embrace and smiled. "Let's go and do something to take my mind off of all of this, shall we? I need to have some fun."
The boy grinned and nodded. "Sounds good, p-Zelda."
"You almost called me 'princess', didn't you?" Zelda said, raising an eyebrow. Link could still see the tears caked on to her eyelashes but her light blue eyes were shifting to pure amusement.
"I did," he agreed. "But I didn't."
"You better be careful, Link," Zelda teased. "Something just might have to be done if don't start following my command."
"What? You couldn't punish me," he challenged. Though he was joking, Zelda could hear the apprehension his tone. It made her smirk.
"Oh? Let's see about that! Link, as your punishment, I order you to…to…"
Link chuckled softly. "Can you not think of anything, princess?"
"See!" she shrieked. "There you go again! Don't start that!"
He rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair. "Sure. I told you I'd work on it, but it's hard when you've spent the past year addressing as everyone as 'mister' or 'sir' or 'misses' or 'ma'am'."
"Oh God, please don't call me ma'am! It'll make me feel old! Oh and speaking of which, Link, I don't believe you've ever told me your age."
"Oh," Link said. "Well, I'm eighteen, I believe. Only a few months into my eighteenth year, though."
Zelda remembered that her mother had said that it's been sixty-eight years since the last Hero of Time had lived. Every fifty years the reincarnation is born, and Link is eighteen, making that sixty-eight. That was absurd, however. Anyone could use the Ocarina of Time! She was pretty sure that Impa used it to make her fall asleep as a child. And Link couldn't be the Hero of Time. It just didn't make any sense. And besides, there was no great evil that needed to be exterminated. The only evil here was Ganondorf's hand in marriage.
So she inwardly giggled and pushed the Hero of Time thoughts out of her mind.
Chapter 10! I've finally gone into the double digits, yeah! It's getting more complicated for poor Zelda now that she's really going to marry Ganondorf. That is, if she doesn't fall in love with Linky first. But I'm a hopeless romantic and a sucker for happy endings, so of course that'll happen! I have a party tonight but I'll work on chapter 11 and hopefully get it up for all you guys tomorrow! xoThanks againxo