Disclaimer: I do not own Zelda.

gulp Um…I don't think I have a valid excuse, other than schoolwork, laziness, procrastination, and writer's block. So, I'll leave the list at that and start the chapter.

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Chapter 13: A Magical Ride

Zelda sprawled out on the variety of cushions on her bed, unconcerned with the fact that her position was far from proper for a princess. She had changed into a simple dress for the evening dinner, a light turquoise, form-fitting gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline. She had wrapped her longest strands of white pearls several times over her neck so it gathered in pretty loops across her chest. She played with the end of her long braid, blowing several golden wisps of hair out of her face. Even though the meal had finished an hour ago, she had no intention of changing just yet. Something in her heart tingled, as if something unexpected was going to happen and she anticipated it without knowing why.

The young princess shifted so that she lay along the middle of her bed with her head hanging upside-down over the edge. From there, she had a clear view of her balcony – at least, as clear a view as she could have had upside-down from behind her translucent curtains. The sky was dark, and she was sure she could make out the twinkle of several stars. Zelda narrowed her eyes. Maybe she was imagining it, but there was something else out there.

Zelda turned over and squinted through her curtains at her balcony. As she watched, two hands appeared on the rail, followed by a shadowed body. Zelda held her breath as the figure straightened up. He was tall, wearing a tunic, cap, and boots. She sighed in annoyance as she realized who it was. Why in the Goddesses' name had he climbed all the way up here?

"Zelda? Zelda, are you here? Sorry for invading into your balcony, but I have something to ask you." With a roll of her violet eyes, Zelda reluctantly got up off her bed and peeked outside her curtains. As expected, she saw the image of her suitor greet her. He was wearing his brown tunic and a cap under which he had tucked his hair, as he normally did. Zelda tilted her head to the side. In the night, under the light of the moon that illuminated his face, there was something oddly familiar about the suitor.

"Good evening, Mido, what is it you wanted to say?" The young man leaned up against the balcony side and gazed upon her.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything, because I wanted to take you out for a ride tonight." Zelda blinked several times.

"Riding…horseback?"

"Yes."

"Generally, I don't ride at night."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. I was talking to King this afternoon, and he told me that you enjoy horseback riding very much. He told me to tell you that he was certain that you would join me." Zelda remembered her bet with the talking boat and frowned. It was part of the bargain.

"I suppose I shall." Zelda stepped out from behind the curtains and approached her suitor. He smiled and looked over the edge of the balcony before turning back to her. Her lips curled into a small smile.

"Ready?" he asked.

"People must enjoy doing this," she said. "And I'm just here pretending I'm enjoying it."

"What do you mean?" Zelda rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"No, you meant to say something," Link persisted. "What's wrong?" He lightly touched the princess's shoulder, but she shrugged it off and stepped towards the edge of the balcony, staring into the sky.

"You know, every single suitor who comes here has nothing on his mind except himself. You all act as if you know me after one meal, as if I am just another woman who is eagerly awaiting her marriage. And after I get married, I'll be a content wife and raise heaps of kids and be a model queen. Well, I'm not a trophy of any sort and I'm not a wall decoration either. No one seems to care about me or what I feel in this whole matter."

"I care about you," Link said. Zelda whirled around, the familiar words echoing in her head. Link stepped towards her. As she lifted her eyes to meet his, a painful vision seared through her mind. Deep blue eyes. A sincere smile. A warm, gentle embrace. And an end as quickly as the start, the bright spears and battle paint of the Gerudo women. She would never see Link again. And yet, this suitor, this "Mido", was so much like him.

The four words played repeatedly in Zelda's mind. They sounded exactly as Link had told her only a few days before, back in the forest…when he was still alive, she thought. Why was she suddenly remembering him, staring at this young man? Was it because the voice was kind, sincere, and familiar? Was it because those eyes, intently gazing upon hers, reminded her so much of the other man she loved? Or was it because something told her that "Mido" did not only remind her of Link, he was Link. But that was impossible.

Impossible, Impossible, Impossible! Suddenly the rush of sadness that plagued her ever since Link's execution converted into anger. She pushed the suitor away, stalking back to her room.

"You are lying!" she shouted back. "Go…jump off the balcony or something!"

Link sighed. Another mood change, go figure. He pitied her. He knew deep inside, she was missing something he knew he could give her.

"Very well. It was nice meeting you, maybe I shall see you in the morning." Link bowed slightly and swung his legs over the balcony. Zelda, having just reached her curtains, turned to see him disappear off the ledge. She had told him to jump off in a figurative sense; she didn't think he'd actually do it!

"Wait!" she cried out in alarm, rushing back. Immediately, Link's head bobbed up from behind the edge of the balcony rail. Zelda stopped, her heart skipping a beat. She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"How…you…what…?" This was making no sense to her. Link sensed her confusion and tapped Epona's side, leading her a little higher into the air to float beside the balcony. Zelda's eyes widened in delight as she cautiously stepped forward.

"This is Epona," Link said.

"She is one of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen." Zelda reached out her hand and stroked mare's nose. Epona, relishing the compliment, whinnied and allowed the princess to run her hands over her coat. Link smiled down at Zelda, realizing that she didn't seem so angry and confrontational anymore. Maybe he still had a chance?

"Would you like to ride?" he asked, holding out his hand. Epona instinctively floated closer to the floor of the balcony. Zelda stared hesitantly at the suitor's outstretched hand and then up at him with a frown. His smile withdrew a little.

"I'm not taking a liberty am I?" Zelda gaped, her heart stopping and restarting at twice the original beat. That voice, those words…it couldn't just be a coincidence. Just then, as she looked at his face in the moonlight once more, it dawned her that it wasn't a coincidence. It was real. All those hesitations and doubts she had before had just been her reluctance to admit it because of what Ganondorf had told her. But since when had she trusted him? She smiled genuinely for the first time in days, placing her hand in Link's.

"Even if it is, I'll let you take it this time," she said, and Link pulled her up in front of him with a grin. He lightly nudged his horse's side and she started off at a light trot through the sky.

Zelda laughed. She had taken many horseback rides throughout her gardens and around the lake, but never in midair. The wind rushed through her hair, claiming the free stands from her braid and whipping them back onto her face. She reached for the turquoise ribbon at the end of the braid and pulled it free, letting it fall down to the earth below as Epona traveled higher and higher. She watched in amusement as it draped itself across King's nose down at the lake. She could faintly see him look around and then up at the sky, and she waved at him. By now she was too far away to see his shocked expression.

"Having fun?" Link asked.

"Completely!" Zelda relaxed against Link's chest, feeling the familiar warmth flood through her body and up to her face, where it painted her cheeks in a light blush. But right now, she didn't care. Link wrapped his arms around her waist and let his cheek brush the top of her head, sending shivers down her spine. If she could have seen his face, she would have noticed that he wore the same, drowsy, content smile that she did.

The two of them didn't even notice how fast the time had gone until Epona slowly descended. She had brought them to the edge of a giant lake that sparkled in the moonlight. Zelda noted the trees that surrounded the perimeter; this was Lake Hylia. When Epona's hooves finally touched the ground, Link leaped off the horse and helped Zelda dismount. Hand in hand, they walked around the edge of the cool water as the horse followed behind them. Neither spoke. Finally, Zelda gave Link a sideways glance. She had to make sure it was him.

"Are you really Mido?" she asked. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. He was surprised at her question, but he knew he had to lie. He couldn't risk letting her know he was not a real prince.

"Of course, I'm from Termina." Zelda nodded and went back to looking out over the lake. Link dismissed the thought that she had discovered him from his mind and returned to enjoying the warmth of her hand and shoulder against his. A little later, she turned to him again.

"It's really sad you know, that Navi can't be with us."

"I know. But she had to stay back and make sure tha-oh no!" Zelda's eyes glittered with triumph as she snatched his cap away from him, revealing the rest of his chin-length blonde hair. Now, he definitely looked like Link, no doubt.

"I knew it! You aren't Mido! You are Link from the forest!" Link froze, his mind racing with different lies he could use to cover up the situation. The goddesses had helped him come up with emergency plans.

"Zelda, I can exp-,"

"No! Why did you lie to me?" Even though her voice held anger, her expression betrayed her true happiness. The man she loved was still alive! Link sighed as if in defeat.

"Oh fine. Here's the truth. My name is Link. But I really am a prince, from Termina." Zelda crossed her arms. "Sometimes, to get away from the troubles at home, I live in the forest for a couple of weeks. The Kokiri have been told to tell any traveler that I am a simple forest boy that has been living there my entire life. Honest!" Zelda raised her eyebrow at him. "Seriously. You just happened to find me when I was relaxing."

"Then why do you have all those strange customs?"

"They really are Terminian customs."

"No they aren't."

"Yes they are." Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"Fine. Whatever." They stared at each other for a few moments. Finally Zelda threw her arms around Link's shoulders and buried her face in his chest.

"Zelda." Link wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against the top of hers.

"They told me you were dead, when the women took you. I really thought you were! And now that you're here…Link! I know you are the only one in this world that cares about me, and I care about you too. I want to be with you…" Zelda brought her arms down to where they pressed against Link's chest. She looked up at him, her eyelids feeling suddenly heavy and her forehead up against Link's.

"I want to be with you too…" Link said, his warm breath brushing over her lips. She smiled and closed the distance between them, eagerly kissing him. Link returned the kiss. He had never done anything like it before, but now, everything seemed to come naturally. They parted for a breath, and Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck and he let his lips trail down her neck as she giggled. She turned her head and kissed his cheek, and a brief pause followed as he turned his head and looked at her before he pressed his lips to hers once more.

Link let his tongue lightly brush across her lips and they parted. Just as he was about to take her, his horse suddenly neighed. With a slightly annoyed expression, he turned to look at Epona. If the horse could have conveyed human expression, she would have looked quite embarrassed. She stood, her head turned slightly to the side and one leg behind the other. He and Zelda laughed before sharing one last kiss. Then, reluctantly, they returned to the horse hand in hand.

The return to the castle, to both of their disappointment, was swift. It felt as if they had just mounted before Link found himself helping Zelda off of his horse. Epona lowered down so that Link was level with Zelda as she leaned over the side of the balcony. She gave him a lazy, content smile.

"So…maybe we'll do this again?" he asked.

"Definitely." Zelda leaned forward and kissed him once more. Then, with a small wave, she turned and walked back to her room. Link looked after her until she disappeared behind the curtains.

"Yes!!!" he cried in a small voice, throwing his arms up in the air as Epona trotted down to the ground. He checked the side of the belt where his Ocarina was, pressing his hand to it and thanking the Goddesses in his mind.

"Thanks Epona, I couldn't have done it without you either." The horse neighed and finally reached the ground. Link didn't dismount immediately. Instead, he leaned back on his horse and looked at the stars, letting a satisfied sigh escape him. The world just seemed ten shades more perfect to him.

Suddenly, Epona snorted in alarm and reared. Link wasn't holding on, and he tumbled off the horse and onto the ground with a grunt. He opened his eyes and suddenly saw many pairs of boots rushing around him. In a panic, he turned and saw shadowy figures throw ropes around the neck of his thrashing horse. He tried to get up to rescue her, but a rough pair of hands rolled him around and pinned his hands behind his back.

With a cry, he kicked out and threw his attacker to the ground. Many others followed. With a sick feeling in his stomach, he recognized them as the same Gerudo women that had captured him in the forest. He fought back desperately, but there were too many of them. Before long, they had forced him to his knees and bound him hand and foot. A little distance away, he saw his horse being tied to a tree, a challenge as she was kicking and neighing wildly.

"Epona!" Link shouted, but that only reminded the Gerudo to gag him. Link was shoved face first into the ground. He shook his head and looked up to see a looming figure, a still contrast to the Gerudo women running and shouting around him. This figure was a tall man that he recognized as Royal Advisor Ganondorf.

"Sorry," the man hissed. "You were getting to be…troublesome. Toss him in the lake!" Link mumbled and struggled in vain, but the Gerudo took him and ran all the way to the large body of water. The entire way, Link twisted and tried to ease off his bonds, but he wasn't successful. In the end, he was taken to the very edge of a cliff that overlooked the lake and tossed in. With no way to swim with his bound hands, he slowly sunk to the bottom, struggling all the way.

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Okay, I updated. I know it's been nearly four months, but second semesters are always harder than the first, and I had many huge projects that came one right after another. Review!