Chapter 11

Link-

Forgive me for the late response; things are certainly not going well here at Aldway. Tensions have risen and there have been minor conflicts between the people of Hyrule and Elred. I and the rest of the soldiers have managed to keep things local but I fear for the safety of Hyrule. Elred's ambassadors have made it clear that the King of Elred will not negotiate; he is determined to wage war on Hyrule.

His quest for power has no doubt blinded the man and he is willing to sacrifice a great deal of his soldiers to achieve it. I pray our King is doing well, so long as he is the threat can be evaded for a while, I pray the Princess is well, hope that you are taking good care of her, and I pray that your mind and heart are at ease.

Until next time

Your dear Friend,

Sir Arthur

As I read the letter over and over, I questioned whether I should tell him about the events that have unfolded. It had a few weeks since my conversation with Zelda, and the distance between us had grown. She avoided me whenever she could and the few times we had spoken since had been short and cold, on her part anyway. She kept things formal. Regardless of the distance, I continued to keep an eye on her; it was my duty after all.

She spent a great deal of her time with the lord; I hear that he has been helping her oversee the preparations for the Harvest Festival and the ball. The relationship between them is different now; they are formally courting each other which brings them one step closer to the altar…

I was beginning to question whether I had made the right decision. The distance that had grown between us was killing me, I couldn't bear not having her close, and it pained me a great deal to see how cold and lifeless she had become. I guess I really didn't' think about the consequences

I think the part I hated the most was seeing her so close to the lord, could she be falling for him?

I shook my hair with my hand feeling incredibly frustrated.

"What will you do when I choose someone else?"

Her words continued to echo in my mind, I thought it would be easy to let her go, after all I was doing it so that I could protect her, but as the days went by and the closer she seemed to get to Emmett, I realized that letting her go was going to be harder than I thought. The question remained; did I really want to let her go? Was I really prepared to see her in the arms of another for the rest of my life; in the arms of that Lord?

I didn't like the Lord, something about him made me feel uneasy, but perhaps that uneasiness I felt was jealousy. He had confronted me that night in the gardens and he had marked Zelda as his and his alone, he wanted to make sure I understood that. I paid very little attention to our one sided conversation, I was too preoccupied with Zelda, I had wanted to chase after her, I had wanted to take back everything I had said and tell her that I wished to be the one she chose as her husband. But I couldn't do that I needed to protect her with my own hands.

"Sir Link" a familiar voice caught my attention.

As I turned in that general direction I saw a very frantic Impa making her way to where I stood. I folded the letter and placed it the pocket of my uniform, giving her my full attention.

"Lady Impa, is something the matter." I asked a bit concerned.

"Sir Link something terrible has happened, the King he has collapsed" she said on the brink of tears.

His majesty has collapsed, that cannot be good, Hyrule wouldn't stand a chance without a monarch.

It was my personal opinion that many of the members of the council secretly wished for an invasion from Elred. Many of them had personal gains that would come from that. But that was my theory.

Hurriedly I followed Impa to the Kings private quarters.

Once we arrived a group of people were standing outside his door, many of them I could see were truly concerned for the well-being of the King, but others I thought were there to confirm the Kings declining health. Impa and I made our way through the crowd and entered his majesty's bedroom.

There in the center of the room, on the grand bed lay the King. He was pale and weak, the doctor was there looking over his majesty. And there next to his side was Zelda. She was holding her father's hand while gently caressing it. She was so tender and loving, I wanted to rush to her side and tell her that everything was going to be ok.

"Zelda" the king spoke softly

"Yes father I am here" she responded, she sounded like an angel

"Zelda you must take over for the time being, I need you to travel to the border between Hyrule and Wisteria, and there you will meet with their King. I need you to ask them to aid us in the war that is to come. Is Sir Link here" he continued, his voice barely audible

I walked over to his bedside and knelt next to Zelda as I looked at the weakened king.

"Sir Link I need you to protect my daughter, keep her safe and do what you can to make sure that this war is not lost. Please take her to Snowpeak there she will meet with the King, the Wisterian King is a noble man, he will aid us. Please" his voice was beginning to fade away as the medicine's the doctor administered began to take effect.

"Father!" Zelda shook his hand, tears were beginning to stream down her face, and without thinking I placed my hand on hers and gently squeezed. She looked at me, tears were falling uncontrollably down her cheeks, I simply squeezed her hand again and gave her a slight nod, reassuring her that I would be by her side. Giving me a gentle squeeze of her own Zelda turned her gaze back to the King.

"Father, I will do as you ask. I will make the trip to Snowpeak to the North and there I will meet with the Wisteria King and I swear that I will return with a formidable ally." Her voice was soft but I could hear the determination in her voice, she would be a wise Queen one day.

The King gave her a small smile, I could see the determination she had just shown him had made him very proud. The king then turned to me and without a single word I knew what he wanted to hear from me

"Your Majesty I swear I will keep the princess safe" I said giving him the same determination that Zelda had just shown. This was my duty and I will uphold my duty even if it cost me my life; I would gladly give my life for her, for the one I love. The king gave me a small nod and it was then that he finally drifted off to sleep.

The doctor soon made us leave the room; he said the medicines he had given the king would make him sleep for the rest of the day. He explained to us that the King was suffering from exhaustion and that due to the severity of it he would be bed ridden for a few weeks. Zelda would take over for the time being. I couldn't imagine how she must be feeling right now; she must be terrified; Zelda was still too young to take over, even temporarily. I am not sure that she could handle this responsibility, but only time would tell; I hate to think like this but this is a test for her, her abilities as a monarch will be put to the test.

As we left the Kings quarters Impa beckoned us to follow her.

As we followed behind Impa I couldn't help but to glance at Zelda, I wanted to know how she was feeling, I wanted to ask her if she was ok….I really wanted to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright, that I would be here to support her and protect her. But I couldn't do that, not now that she was avoiding me.

Was I really such a coward, that I couldn't ask her how she felt on the slim chance she might ignore me. Is that the kind of Knight I was.

"Zelda" I whispered, please turn.

To my delight Zelda turned her gaze towards me, her eyes were puffy and red, I could see where her tears had rolled down her face. Strands of her hair had stuck to her cheek, she looked like a small child in dire need of comfort; the last time I saw like this was when her mother, the Queen, passed.

"Are you ok" I asked

Before she could answer and before anyone could react Lord Emmett came from seemingly out of nowhere and pulled Zelda into his arms.

"Zelda I was just informed about his majesty, don't' worry my love I am here now." he said caressing her hair.

My hand remained on the hilt of my sword as I had instinctively reached for it.

"My love" he was flaunting her to me, I could have ripped him to shreds right then.

A crowd of spectators stopped to stare; the princess in the arms of a man in plain sight was scandalous, even if that man was formally courting the princess. He was tainting her image, I couldn't let that happen, the last thing she needed was a royal scandal.

Before I could act Zelda surprised us all by slapping the lord across his face. She turned towards the onlookers and before she said anything to them they began to walk away from the scene. I couldn't see her face, but Zelda's hands were clutched into tight fists; the skin around her knuckles was white. I could only assume that his actions had greatly upset her.

"Lord Emmett I appreciate your concern but I don't appreciate the spectacle you just displayed. We may be courting each other but that gives you no right to put your hands on me like that, especially in the presence of the nobility"

"Now if you will excuse me I have a trip to plan."

And just like that Zelda walked past a very stunned Impa. Although her reaction had surprised me, I was quite content with her reaction, a smile spread across my face and I couldn't' help but look at a very upset and very embarrassed Emmett. He looked up at me; eyes blazing with anger and frustration

I walked up to him a smile of victory present on my face.

"No matter how hard you try, she will never come to love you as she does me" I said with every bit of pride I could muster. Satisfied, I gave the Lord a broad smile and then walked right behind Zelda and entered the King's study.

Once inside Zelda stood behind his majesty's desk, she was looking down both arms supporting her weight as she pressed them against the surface. Battling every urge to take her in my arms I gestured Impa, to go to her, she should be the one to comfort her right now. As she closed in on her however, Zelda looked up and motioned for her to stop. Impa following along stopped a few feet away and waited for her to speak.

"How long is the trip from Castletown to Snowpeak" she asked returning her gaze to the surface of her father's desk.

"Three days your highness" I answered

"Your highness the King of Wisteria was expecting the King in two days, his majesty was supposed to leave early this morning to Snowpeak." Impa included.

Zelda turned to face me, her gaze was cold, her eyes were still puffy and red from the tears she had shed earlier; her eyes however held a determination that I had never seen before. As a child I had always looked out for her because she always seemed so fragile. Now the woman standing before me, cold and distant was far from fragile. She emanated a sense of wisdom and courage, traits that a monarch should have.

"Sir Link how long before the carriage is ready to depart" she asked

"If you wish I could have it done by this evening, if we leave tonight I am positive we will reach Snowpeak Mountain in two days." I said

"But Princess it could be dangerous to travel at night" Impa stated

She was right; traveling during the night was dangerous. The darkness of the night made it difficult to see, and thieves usually took advantage of the cover the darkness provided them to attack. But what choice did we have, she was the princess and all I could do was obey her commands, If she commanded we leave at night then we would.

"We have no time Impa, the King of Wisteria is expecting us, and we cannot waste time. Sir Link please begin the preparations, we leave as soon as everything is ready" She commanded.

"Yes Princess" I bowed, before I left I took moment to look at her, she was staring right back at me. Giving her a reassuring nod I turned on my heels and left her alone with Impa.

The sun was setting to the west, it would be a cold night, so I made sure I packed an extra warm coat just in case. The mountains of Snowpeak were well known for its harsh temperatures, especially during this time of year. I looked over the map of Hyrule trying to determine which route would be the fastest and safest to through. We would have to cross Hyrule field that would at least take most of the night, where we would have to then cross the Zora's domain, which should only take a few hours but the real challenge would be crossing the mountain pass. During this time of the year the snow storms were harsh and dangerous to travel through, I would have liked to avoid that pass but Zelda had decided otherwise.

"Is everything ready" a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned a saw Zelda standing a little too close to me, her appearance immediately caused my face to heat up and I prayed that she wouldn't be able to see it. She was wearing a tight pair of black trousers that emphasized her womanly figure, she wore a navy blue jacket that hugged the curves of her torso, and her blond hair was pulled back and braided. She looked stunning even when not in her Princess dress.

"Yes Princess, everything is ready" I said taking a few steps back.

"Princess I.." I wanted to tell her that I was sorry about what happened; that I missed her.

"Now is not the time Sir Link, if everything is ready I would like to leave now" she interrupted before I could say anything, not wanting to push my luck I led her to the carriage where I helped her inside. I would talk to her later; she would have to listen to what I had to say. I closed the door and then mounted Epona, praying to the goddesses' for a safe trip I yelled out to the rest of soldiers and begun the long trip to Snowpeak.


-Zelda

I rested my head against the frame of the carriage, outside I could hear the horse's hoofs on the hard ground; we had been on the road for a few hours now. Since our departure from the castle I had yet to fall asleep, there were so many things running through my mind that sleep at this moment eluded me. I didn't feel tired, I felt lost and confused, frustrated and even a little angry at my present situation. I wish that Impa had come along, but she was needed at the castle, I couldn't trust anyone else to keep things in order while the King, my father, was in the condition he was in.

Everything was happening too fast, my father's sudden collapse, the war, my duty as princess, my relationship with Lord Emmett. I wish that I could just pause everything and think clearly without anyone or anything getting in the way. Lord Emmett had been beyond understanding these last few weeks; he said he would wait as long as it took for my heart to heal. I felt guilty because I wasn't too sure it would ever heal, and if it did I was sure it would continue to belong to Link. I shifted in my seat trying to get a little comfortable, I pulled my jacket tighter around my torso trying to get warm, I should have packed an extra coat, and I should have known the temperatures would drop as we traveled north.

I gently pulled the curtain aside trying to get a glimpse of where we were, not that I would know anyway, this was the first time I ventured this far outside the castle , it was sad really to think that I had never seen the land that I am supposed to rule. I bet the landscape was beautiful. It was futile really to even think I could see, it was pitch black outside, all I could see was the dim light the lantern attached to carriage emanated, and Link. I could see Link riding Epona but a few feet away from the carriage, his long white coat flew right behind him.

Pulling the curtains back I laid as best I could on the cushioned seats, I unbuttoned the top of my jacket and reached down pulling the chain that was now wrapped around my neck. As I took it out I admired the beautifully crafted ring that hung from it. The ring was silver in color; the sides of the ring were imprinted with the symbol of the Arlen family, and in the center, the most beautiful sapphire I had ever seen. It reminded me of his eyes.

It's funny actually the irony of Link's family name, Arlen. His family from what I remember had been a strong political entity, they were incredibly influential and they were only loyal to the crown.

That night in the gardens Link slipped his father's ring into my hand, the ring that is meant to be worn by him as the only living heir to the Arlen family name. When he gave it to me he enforced his loyalty to the crown and to me, and he stood by the meaning of his family name, which translates into oath or pledge.

As I stood there gazing at the ring I felt the heaviness of sleep dawning on me, I should at least get a few hours of sleep, kissing the ring I closed my eyelids and drifted off into a much needed sleep.

I woke up to the sound of water, the sound was soothing to my ears, had we reached Zora's domain?

As I got up from where I lay I noticed that a large white coat covered my body, I recall seeing the same white coat on Link the night before, the question is when did he lay it on me. I smiled at the gesture, how funny is it that the simplicity of his action caused a smile; I had not smiled in weeks, not truly anyways. I hadn't felt true happiness since Link and I spoke in the gardens, but nevertheless my feelings for him had not changed. I should thank him for looking after me; I could have gotten seriously sick. The temperature had dropped dramatically; it was colder here than it was in Castletown. Carefully folding the coat I opened the door of the carriage and almost immediately the soldiers turned and knelt on one knee, even Link.

"Good Morning your highness, I pray you slept well" he said

Link was wearing a different coat this time; it was a navy blue coat with white trimmings.

As I tried to step out of the carriage I felt a stinging pain crawl up my entire body as the frigidness of the air consumed me. Before I knew it Link was standing in front of me, his hand extended. Gently I placed my bare hand on his and stepped, carefully, out of the carriage.

"Thank you Sir Link for giving me your coat last night" I said through shattering teeth, I really wished I would have brought a warmer coat.

He took the coat from me and gingerly wrapped it around my shoulders, not wanting to argue against the warmness I wrapped myself even tighter in the comfort of the coat. It even smelled like him.

"You're Welcome Zelda" he whispered while giving me that soft and sincere smile that I loved.

I looked down not wanting to get caught up in the moment; after all I was still hurt and upset.

Clearing his throat Link let go of my hand which I hadn't realized lingered on his. "Princess we are but a few minutes from Zora's domain, I suggest we settle here for a few hours so that the horses can rest, we should be able to depart by mid-day" he said coldly, his smile was gone.

Was he upset with the way I had been acting around him? Perhaps I should ease up a bit, after all he was escorting me to Snowpeak.

"yes Captain, whatever you think is best" I said in the softest tone I could manage, I didn't want to be like this anymore, being away from his presence was beginning to turn me into bitter woman. I don't know how many times this week I acted in a most unpleasant manner towards people who really had no fault. I would try to understand his reasons and I would try to make the most of his company, especially for the next few days. Maybe we could start over, leave all the unhappy memories aside and create new ones, memories in which neither of us yearned for the other.

"Sir Link" I called out to him as he started walking away.

He turned and locked eyes with me, "Thank you" I smiled.

Giving me a slight nod he helped me back inside the carriage where we drove the rest of the way to the Zora's Palace.