Hello, pretty awesome people! How are you? Much better now that I've updated? That makes me happy! Here is your next chapter. Gonna celebrate again tonight. Enjoy the update.
Zelda pulled Midna over to the bed and the Twili princess felt her heart speed up, not ready to claim her princess just yet. To her relief, Zelda laid her down and then snuggled next to her.
"It is wonderful to finally be able to do this with you." Zelda purred, laying her head on Midna's shoulder.
Midna stroked her hair with a goofy grin. "I can finally feel you in my arms."
Zelda giggled happily and stood again, looking out over the sky. "Come with me." She whispered, holding her hand out to the blue-skinned princess. Midna took her hand immediately and Zelda led her out onto the balcony. "Look." Zelda told her, pointing to the horizon.
Midna's eyes widened when she saw the sun beginning to peek over the hills. Breath catching, she watched as it rose higher. She had seen sunrises with Link when they were traveling together, but that had been through the weakened eyes of an imp. In her true form she had never been able to see one until now and the absolute beauty astonished her; the colors were the same as in the Twilight Realm, but they brightened as the sun became higher in the sky.
Zelda watched the wonder light up the Twili's visage, seeing the awe cover her features. The Hyrulian was worried that the sunlight would hurt Midna as it had when she had been in her imp form, but apparently, that wasn't necessary. The Twili reached her hand out and felt the sunlight on her skin, gasping at the absolute warmth it encompassed.
"That's… amazing." Midna breathed, staring at the large bright red-orange sphere as it continued to move.
"It would be nice to have the Twilight people be able to see the sun every once in a while." Zelda suggested calmly.
"It would." Midna agreed. "My people would be able to merge with yours. Our kingdoms…" She paused, remembering what had happened to their kingdoms the last time a portal had been opened between the two realms.
"Could become one." Zelda finished firmly, knowing of Midna's fear of a Twili or Hyrulian taking over both realms. "Just like you and I have."
Midna grinned at her with joy and leaned down, pressing her lips to those of the Hyrulian princess. Zelda gasped in shock and pulled back briefly, touching her lips. Midna felt hurt and worry flash in her before Zelda moved back and returned the kiss, grinning.
"You've stolen my first kiss, it seems." She beamed.
"So I have." Midna replied easily. "Will I be put in prison for such a theft?"
"I do not think the owner will mind." Zelda laughed, turning to move back into her room. "I must go inform my Chief Advisor that I will not be leaving my room for the day."
"Why must you tell him?" Midna inquired in confusion.
"So that he does not get worried when I do not show up for meals." Zelda replied, opening the door. "I will be back soon."
Moving through the corridors of the castle, Zelda spotted Delak just going into the dining hall.
"Advisor Delak?" she called.
"Ah!" Delak turned to her with a grin and a bow. "Princess Zelda. How are you this morning?"
"I am well." She dipped her head to him. "Advisor, do you mind if I stay in my room for the day?"
Delak raised an eyebrow. "Does this have something to do with your hasty leave from dinner last night?"
"Yes." Zelda replied. "The princes were just being a bit too… overwhelming. I wish to be alone for a while to get my thoughts together and make certain my choice is the right one."
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will send up a servant with your breakfast, lunch and dinner, shall I?"
"That would be wonderful of you. Thank you." Zelda turned on her heel and made her way back up the stairs. Unbeknownst to either of them, two pairs of curious blue eyes had been watching from two different locations in the hall. When the eyes met, one pair narrowed and turned away, followed by a flash of red that also quickly disappeared. The other pair closed and shook, turning in the opposite direction.
Midna waited patiently for Zelda to return to the chambers and she surveyed the room as she did so. What a nice place. She thought to herself as she eyed the elegant furnishings. Perhaps I should get my room redone; it is nothing compared to this.
The door opening brought her out of her thoughts and the Twili looked up to see her love walking through the doorway. Waiting for Zelda to close the door, Midna jumped off the bed and bounded to her, scooping her up bridal style and carrying her back to the bed.
"I don't plan to let you leave this bed for the rest of the day." The redhead growled, laying them both down. Zelda felt heat pool in her stomach, but she repressed her urges.
"I don't want to leave your arms for the rest of the day." She murmured, laying her head on Midna's chest, blushing as she realized that it was bare. Midna noticed the blush and grinned, feeling her nipple harden against the younger woman's cheek. Zelda shifted slightly, but Midna wrapped her up and kept her in place, running her fingers through the Hyrulian's brown locks happily.
"I won't ever leave you, Zelda." Midna cooed to her softly.
Zelda lifted her head, big blues shining happily. "Promise me?" Midna stood, making Zelda look up at her with frightened confusion.
"Come with me for a moment." Midna held out her hand and guided the apprehensive young woman through the portal. Zelda glanced around at the room they exited the portal into. It was somewhat gloomy, but it fit Midna perfectly with the darkened shades of colors. Turning as Midna moved over to the bedside table, Zelda watched her remove something from one of the drawers.
Midna felt nervousness pool in her stomach and she fought to remain calm and confident on the outside as she turned to her princess. Seeing Zelda looking at her curiously, she nodded and took a soft breath. Approaching the other girl, the ginger-haired princess held out a ring. Zelda took it gently and examined it. It was in the shape of a skull, cut from pearl from the looks of it. Within the places reserved for the skull's eyeholes and nosehole, there was an inset of onyx jewels, making the black stand out against the stark white.
"This ring used to belong to my grandmother. I'm giving it to you as a promise never to leave you, no matter what happens, understood?" Red eyes searched blue as Zelda looked up.
"I understand." The Hyrulian princess whispered, slipping the ring onto her finger and modeling it for the older girl. Midna grinned and led Zelda back to Hyrule. The pair laid back on the bed, Zelda yawning after being up all night looking for a spell. Midna cuckled and stroked her princess' hair, noticing that it calmed Zelda quickly if she did this.
"Sleep, love. You've had a long night. And don't worry, I'll be here when you wake."
Zelda nodded and laid her head on Midna's chest. "I love you too, Midna." She murmured as she drifted into slumber, a soft giggle bubbling up from her chest before dying quickly. Midna shook her head at her love's silliness before laying back into the soft pillows and slipping into slumber as well.
The servants assigned for bringing in the princess' food were baffled when they found their ruler cuddled up in her bed with a strange and obviously foreign woman with blue skin and scarce clothing. Moving rfom the room as they set the food down on the bedside table, the two girls glanced at each other and shrugged, deciding that it was none of their business what their monarch did in the privacy of her own quarters.
Dawn awoke the pair of princess' the next morning and Zelda stretched languidly, feeling well-rested for the first time in quite a while. Glancing down, she found herself wrapped in Midna's arms as the Twili slept. Even while asleep, Midna's features looked fierce and strong and it made Zelda's heart swell to know that she had chosen someone so set on keeping her safe and simply loving her.
Midna felt something warm on her face and a bright light shone through her eyelids. Who is holding a candle to my face? She silently grumbled, her eyelids twitching before opening completely. Finding that there was no candle near her face, the blue-skinned princess sat up, glancing around in confusion. There was a bright light coming from outside and she craned her neck, seeing the sun peeking at her from over the hills.
It was about then that she realized where she was and she grinned, turning to see Zelda sliding from the bed and stretching more fully. Red eyes roamed the petite form appreciatively. Every beautiful curve presented itself to the Twili through the Hyrulian's thin but opaque nightdress. Zelda turned and noticed Midna's gaze, giving the older woman a smile as she fully turned around and climbed back onto the bed, connecting their lips in a good morning kiss.
Midna licked across the soft lips and Zelda slowly parted them in a sigh, letting the warrior's tongue investigate her mouth. They stayed that way for a few moments before Midna pulled back; she sighed as she realized that she had to return to her kingdom; a kingdom of warriors with a missing princess was never a pretty sight to behold.
"I must go back, Zelda." She murmured to her love.
Zelda looked up at her with big blue eyes and the Hyrulian princess felt her heart tug. "W-will I still see you tonight?"
"Do you wish for me to come after the ceremony?" Midna asked.
Zelda shook her head fervently. "No. I… I want to introduce you… as my betrothed."
Midna felt her heart leap into her throat and she grinned. "As you wish, my princess."
"Simply give me a signal to tell me you are coming and I will come to meet you here. I will see you soon, my warrior."
As Midna stepped through the portal, Zelda turned to her bedroom, feeling as if it was much bigger than it truly was now that Midna was no longer with her. Moving down the stairs to the dining hall, she seated herself at the head of the table and reached for a biscuit, chewing it slowly.
I miss you already. The brunette mentally sighed.
I think my heart broke. Midna replied, rubbing her chest as she entered her room. But we will be seeing each other tonight, won't we?
Of course. And then we won't have to separate again. Zelda grinned at the prospect and Midna chuckled heading to get her own breakfast.
Moving into the dining hall, she found a meal already prepared for her and she grinned, sitting down to eat. Chewing at one of the assorted meats, pork if she wasn't mistaken, Midna thought about the night to come and realized that she had no idea how proper royalty within Hyrule's realm acted. Filling a platter with food, she headed back to her bedroom. Setting the dish down on her bedside table, she moved to the pile of books she'd brought to read from the castle library. From the very bottom of the pile, she pulled Hyrulian Lands: the Nature of the Elves from the depths and lay on her bed to read it, waiting for anything to happen during the day.
…
Heading back to her bedroom, Zelda busied herself with reading from the same book she had first used to take her mind off Midna: Guide to the Mysterious Twilight Realm. Laying on her bed for the rest of the day, Zelda read through the book to learn as much as she could about Twili customs. One passage in particular stood out to her in the chapter about courting.
The Twili are a possessive people and are not open to ideas of sharing their lover with anyone. The Twili will battle for their loved one until their last breath to avoid losing them and the more aggressive the Twili is, the more often they come out victorious in the battle for their beloved's heart. Battles over someone's heart were usually bloody and vicious resulting in either one or both opponents being hospitalized or dead.
This stems from the insecurity within the Twili people. Being a proud warrior race, they have no doubts in their fighting skills, which means that simple things such as romance and comedy shake the ground beneath their feet. Unsure of what type of flower or gift to give their loved one, the Twili will become emotional if even one thing is done incorrectly and this could lead to an array of emotions that become unpredictable as time goes on. So the person receiving the affection would have it in their best interest to make certain that any criticism is light and playful so as to make it seem like a small thing rather than something to get upset about.
A knock at her door startled the young princess and Zelda glanced out the window, noting that the sky was fairly dark now. She quickly sat up, calling, "You may enter."
The servant girls grinned at her happily as they went about their routine. Zelda made no fuss as she was led to the bath and she cleaned herself quickly, jubilation at being able to see Midna soon causing her to move faster than she normally would. Returning to her room, Zelda felt her nose wrinkle at the garments on the bed.
The servant girls had pulled out the very pink dress that Zelda had refused to wear the day before. Deciding that she would burn the dress once the ceremonies were over with, Zelda let them fit the dress and it's matching corset over her body before stepping into the silver boots picked for her. White gloves were slipped onto her arms and her hair was braided into her more comfortable style.
Zelda smiled to the servants and shooed them on their way as she looked to the mirror and examined Midna's skull ring. Holding it close to her heart, the princess practically bounced down the stairs to the ballroom. The doors were opened as trumpets announced her arrival and Zelda was immediately swept up into the celebration. Prince Ontarius held out his hand for the first dance and Zelda eagerly complied, feeling in the mood to party as she waited for her beloved to call out to her.
Zelda danced around the hall, listening patiently to the princes as they tried one last time to win over her heart. She inwardly giggled as she thought of Midna's arrival. She should be arriving soon. I simply have to wait for her signal to come and retrieve her from my room.
"Hello, your majesty."
Zelda's breath caught as she turned to see Inuri clad in something different than what she had been wearing since her arrival. Up until that point it had been natural comfortable clothing, dresses or suits. However, now Inuri stood in a form-fitting tank top with fishnet gauntlets adorning her arms and stockings of the same material on her legs. A bright red skirt flowed around her thighs, just barely reaching their midpoint as it swirled when she walked. Her hands were sporting fingerless black gloves and a pair of two inch heeled, red boots with black strings and silver buckles covered her feet. Just like the other royalty within the room, her hair was adorned with her crown; it was a beautiful beaded piece that wrapped around her free-flowing hair and the bright red jewel that matched her hair hung right between her eyes.
"P-princess Inuri, how are you?" The Hyrulian princess inquired.
"I am well, Your Highness. May I have this dance?" the redhead held out her hand with a smirk. Ah, this is the outfit that always makes them see reason. She will be realizing that I am a better choice any moment.
"Of course." Zelda took her hand and let the older princess lead her into a dance.
"So, where is this choice prince of yours, Princess?" Inuri asked, brushing a piece of hair behind Zelda's ear, much to the anger of the princes watching the pair.
"My choice should be arriving very soon, actually." Zelda replied smoothly, not letting any discomfort show from the gesture.
"Ah, and will I have a chance to meet him?"
"Of course. It is mandatory that the princess' choice have a formal introduction and then they are required to publicly ask for the princess' hand in marriage."
"And there's still no way to make you change your mind?" Inuri's blue eyes narrowed, wondering if Zelda would notice. The Hyrulian did notice, but she composed her features just as she had been taught since childhood.
"There's not one way. I am deeply attached to them and I don't believe I will ever be able to let them go now that we've met." Inuri sighed and nodded. "Well then, I will have to accept that you do not wish to be mine." Leaning forward, Inuri wrapped Zelda in a hug, much to the younger princess' surprise. Not wanting to seem rude, Zelda fought not to cringe as she returned the hug.
…
Midna returned to the portal with a grin and readied herself to send a message to Zelda, telling her that she was ready. Before she did so, however, she paused and a mischievous smile made its way onto her lips.
I think I'll surprise her instead. I mean, how hard could it possibly be to find a ballroom alight with celebration?
Midna stepped through the portal she and Zelda had created, moving from her princess' bedroom and down through the castle. Hearing the sounds of celebration, Midna went towards the ballroom and found a courting ceremony in full swing. Looking around, Midna spotted Zelda engaged in a dance with someone else. Midna cocked her head as she recognized the woman from how frequently Zelda had communicated with her.
What was her name? The Twili wondered, the name having slipped her memory.
As the blue-skinned princess watched, the other woman said something and Zelda smiled, nodding her head. Moving closer and trying to avoid all of the swaying bodies, Midna moved slowly toward Zelda and the other woman. Before she could reach the pair, the woman leaned forward and wrapped Zelda in a hug, pulling the princess close to her body. Midna froze as Zelda returned the hug and red eyes narrowed in anger. Turning tail, Midna stormed out of the ballroom and back to the portal, not at all happy with what she'd seen.
Stopping a passing servant, she ordered several goblets of vodka to be brought to her chambers. The servant—noticing the fury in his ruler's eyes—quickly jumped to comply, not wanting to anger her any further. Midna snarled as she prowled in circles around her
Within minutes, a platter of goblets was delivered to her room and Midna motioned for them to be placed on her bedside table. Grabbing one once the servant left, she downed the drink in one gulp, tossing the goblet toward the door as she grabbed another.
Midna paced her bedroom, taking gulps from her goblet as she did so, the burn doing nothing to soothe her temper. How dare she cuddle up to someone else even after we've finally found a way to be together. What could be so great about that woman? I could do much better than her, even if she is a warrior. I'm thrice the warrior she could ever be!
Throwing the goblet to the wall, Midna watched it dent and fall, red eyes glaring at it dispassionately. Suddenly, Midna's eyes widened as an idea came to her. Wait… what about that spell… where did I put it? Searching around her bedroom, the Twilight Princess spotted the book she had laid aside and she quickly flipped through it, finding the spell she had noticed while searching for a portal. Ah, this should do the trick. Let's see how Zelda and that bitch like me after I use this.
Reading through the materials needed and the incantation, Midna nodded to herself. Calling up a flame, Midna controlled it so that it did not rage out of the boundary she had made and the Twili princess nodded to herself.
Stripping from her current clothing, she moved over to her closet to get out the special outfit that she reserved just for rituals. It was a slightly shorter loincloth than her normal one, requiring her to wear no hood and leave her hair down to perform the ritual properly. When a Twili performs a rite, the magic used is primal and the Twili has the thereby be as free and uninhibited as possible.
Slowly beginning to chant out the incantation, Midna closed her eyes, twirling around the fire as she did so, striking pose after pose as she danced to a rhythm in her head. As she did this, within her head, the only thing containing her focus was Zelda. She will be mine and mine alone.
…
"I intend to see your choice tonight, Princess." Inuri grinned, pulling away from the hug. As she did, Zelda felt something prick her neck and her hand moved to the spot, pulling away a hairpin. "Oh, my apologies. One of my pins came loose. Have a good night, Princess."
"And you as well, Princess Inuri." Zelda gave a short curtsey before being swept away by Prince Fin. She was beginning to get worried as she listened to him talk about the traditional games his kingdom held. Midna should have sent word that she would be back soon. Were the other princess' duties keeping her from returning? Had the portal only been temporary and Midna couldn't return? Zelda's heart twisted itself into a knot as she waited for her loved one to come back to her.
…
Midna could feel the spell beginning to take effect. There was a tingling throughout her entire body and she could feel it intensifying. Suddenly, a stinging pain rippled through her chest and abdomen. The ginger-haired princess hissed in pain as the stinging continued. As the stinging began fading, an excruciating burning sensation hit her pelvic area, covering her vaginal and pelvic area completely. Reaching down to her nether regions, Midna fell to her knees, growling to try distracting herself. The burn was gone within minutes, but a stretching and growing feeling replaced it seconds later. Her chest and stomach felt like they were growing as a duller burn encased her groin once more. Her arms and legs were stretching out and expanding themselves. Midna whimpered, knocked flat on her back by the onslaught of the sensations rushing through her. At last, when everything was gone, an ice cold settled over the Twili, causing her to shiver violently for no more than a moment.
Panting heavily, Midna sat up, groaning at the aches in her body. Patting all over herself to make certain that her body was still in one piece, she stared at her pelvis. Or, more specifically, the bulge in her loincloth where her pelvis was.
"What… is that?" she breathed, staring at the bulge and beginning to examine it. "Was the spell supposed to do that?" Deciding that it didn't matter, she stood, making her way to the portal in her bedroom. I'm coming, my princess. And you will know soon enough that you are mine alone.
…
As the night progressed, Zelda began feeling somewhat faint. Her head began buzzing and her vision was getting blurry. Fighting to keep standing with her normal posture, the Hyrulian princess made her way over to her Chief Advisor. Delak was speaking with a princess from another kingdom and he politely excused himself to speak to his ruler. Experienced eyes raked over the young woman's form and a worried line creased his brow.
"Your Highness… are you feeling alright?" Zelda's large blue eyes were only half-open and they seemed dazed.
"Yes, Advisor Delak, I am…" The princess let out a sigh and she nearly fainted into his arms. "Actually, I believe I may need to sleep for a bit. I'm not feeling well at all."
"And your choice of a prince?" Delak inquired, tenderly catching her before she could fall.
"I shall come to you at sunrise to give you my choice." Zelda breathed, standing upright once more.
Delak bowed his head briefly and smiled at her. "Understood, Your Highness. Would you like assistance getting back to your chamber?"
"No thank you. I think I can make it on my own." Zelda turned and used every ounce of her willpower to walk through the hallways of the castle.
Coming to the hallway hosting her bedroom, Zelda felt her strength leaving her and she stumbled into the wall, falling to her knees as her vision went dark. Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, Zelda turned to try and catch a glimpse of them, but as she turned, she only caught a glimpse of red before she passed out.
…
Midna stepped back through the portal, her new body moving flawlessly as she made her way out of Zelda's room and down the hall. She stopped when she heard someone speaking and cocked her head to listen. "Ah, Princess, you seem a bit tired. I see my sedative worked, albeit a bit too slowly for my liking. Let's get you to the clearing, yeah? Then home to Leganeles." There was a slight grunt as if something were being lifted before the sound of footsteps.
Curious, Midna followed the footsteps all the way to the front entrance. She peered around the corner and found a person carrying someone over their shoulder as a dark brown horse waited. As the unconscious person was hefted onto the horse, they dropped something from their hands, but the rider didn't seem to notice as they nudged the horse into a trot.
Midna moved forward and checked the ground, picking up the object that had been dropped and examining it. A growl built within her throat as she clutched it tightly in her hands: it was the skull ring she had given Zelda as a promise never to leave her.
Her eyes glowing a bright blood red, the Twilight princess began tracking the horse that had carried off her love. Using the skills her father had taught her before his demise in battle, Midna followed the hoof prints through the forest, led by the light of the three-quarters moon above. Moving swiftly through the trees, the blue-skinned princess placed a snarl upon her lips, thinking, Zelda is mine. I will get her back.
Ah, how I love it when cliffhangers like these happen. Anyway, shoot me a review. Chapter Eleven is gonna take me a while to pull off. By the way, if you see any places where it looks like I just broke off into something else and it doesn't connect at all, tell me and I'll fix it. I wrote this in pieces, so yeah.