Ahhhhhh! I'm so sorry! FINALLY! My first update since like the summer! Happy holidays to you! =] Please don't hate me. I finally found time to update. It's not my best work, though. I'm just finally breaking through the writer's block, so I'll get better as I write more. It's a little shoter too, but I'm hoping that your love for the story makes it worthwhile. I've appreciated all the checkups on me to make sure that I haven't died and I can assure you I am alive and kicking.

Senior year is going nice. I'm having a lot of fun being the head of the school. Ha. I just have to get my accpetances from colleges done and stuff. Bear with the sporadic updating for a bit.

You can skip the disclaimer if you want to, I know how excited you probably are: I don't own the Legend of Zelda or anyting associated with it. Just my own thoughts.


The ball was beginning to wane into the lighter hours of the night, seeing now that the sky was glowing a brighter purple. However, the sunrise wasn't for a few more hours. People had gradually been coming up to Princess Zelda and bidding her a goodnight for the evening.

"It'll all be over soon," Zelda sighed beside Link as another group bowed and thanked her for the wonderful party.

He squeezed her shoulders. "I know."

Since it was getting close to the end of the night, Malon and Ralis were off on their own now by where the musicians still continued to play. Zelda couldn't make out what their lips were saying, but it appeared to her that Ralis was holding both of Malon's hands very tightly. The very sight made her grin from ear to ear. It was about time that Malon found someone that she could be with, even if he wasn't one of her kind.

Link could tell that Zelda was getting a little tired from all of the guests approaching her and thanking her. Her face was in a frown now, her blue eyes scanning the room for sights of another group coming up. He thought that perhaps a quick escape would make her feel a little bit better, since the night was ebbing away. This meant that her mind would be filled with worries about her upcoming wedding, a thought that he even didn't want to think about. He was going to have to distract her enough for the both of them.

"Zelda, would you like to go outside for a few moments?" he suggested.

She looked up him, her head moving a little slowly. He could see how exhausted she was becoming. "That would be nice, Link."

He offered her his arm and she took it gladly. Then they began to walk out of the ballroom, not many eyes on them anymore. The groups had dwindled and those who remained to see the night through stood in circles with their drinks, laughing quietly among themselves. The only eyes that saw were—of course—Ganondorf.

'Now's the time,' he told himself with a smirk. He was going to have to get to the bottom of the most important mystery of his life. By damn he was going to find out tonight. So he looked around the room in a quick glance before he hurried after Zelda and Link into the gardens.

The odd light from the sky cast a beautiful aura onto the gardens. The fountains were one of a few instruments playing for the two as they walked along a cobblestone path. A few last fireflies looking for love flashed by, and a mockingbird called its song in the distance. Overall, it was even more beautiful than that first night, Link thought, when he had sneaked out into Zelda's garden. Besides, now he was in love with the same girl.

They stopped beside a large bush sculpture, another path ahead of where Zelda and Malon had been a few hours ago. Zelda sat on the edge of a nearby fountain and smoothed her dress down; she was trying to rid it of the wrinkles that dancing had brought on.

"Did you like your party?" Link asked, sitting beside her.

"I did," she nodded. "I just wish I could've made the night go on just a little bit longer, that's all."

"Why?" He was going to play dumb, so as not to bring down any of the good spirits she may or may not have right now.

"The wedding, silly," she whispered, playing with her fingers.

Ganondorf was on the other side of the bush, his ear becoming slightly itchy from the bush being so close. He was trying to be as silent as possible so as not to draw Link and Zelda's attention away from their conversation. He was determined to find out just exactly what was going on in their strange little relationship.

"I'm just…well I'm worried about the whole thing. What's going to happen to you once I get married?" Her eyes looked up at him. They were wide and desperate.

"If Ganondorf is all right with it, I could go with you," he suggested. "You'd have to make me work a little more though." He smirked playfully.

She giggled. Ganondorf scowled. How could a measly servant boy make her laugh and all she did was frown in presence? Where was the fairness in that?

"I make you work," she argued with a smile. "Just not as much as a normal princess would make her servants."

"When you're queen, you're going to spoil your servants plenty," Link mused, reaching into her lap to squeeze her hand. He was now hoping to take her mind off of what was now bothering her. He didn't want her to be constantly worrying about such a thing now. It was her birthday.

"Thank you," she said. She bit her lip, trying to hide her smile. Link saw it anyway, and he loved her for it.

"So, tell me about Malon and Ralis," he said, grinning.

Ganondorf nearly swore aloud. If they were in love, they should be talking about their undying affection, not about the ranch girl and that Zora boy! He bared his teeth at nothing in particular and had to choke back his anger in exchange for more patience.

Zelda's lips spread wider now and her eyes gleamed up at the servant boy. "Oh she's smitten. The way he acted like she was the only one in the room was just breathtaking. She absolutely wasn't immune to his charms."

Link reached out and traced the shape her lips with his fingertips. "He's not the only one," he murmured.

Ganondorf nearly fell over in shock. There was what he was looking for! However, Zelda said nothing in reply to his words and the older man thought it was safe to look over the bush at them, to see what they were doing. He was disappointed in that, though, for when he looked, Link and Zelda were sitting facing each other, but their faces were turned away, looking into the fountain. His teeth gritted together and he shrunk back down to only listen.

"I should go back in and say goodbye to Malon," Zelda mused. "I'd hate to have her leave and not bid her a farewell."

"If you think that's best," Link sighed, standing up. He offered her his hand and she took it, smoothing her dress again. The fact that her dress was much more fancy than the ones she typically wore was starting to get to her. Plus she couldn't wait to step out of these shoes; her feet were beginning to throb.

They walked back into the ballroom arm in arm. Ganondorf's eyes didn't miss that little detail, which suspected something more and more each minute. Something sure as hell was rotten in the state on Denmark. He waited a good few moments before he stood up and casually wandered back into the grand room to see that many more people had left since their departure. It was odd to see such a large room now only occupied by a few dozen bodies.

He saw Malon and Zelda standing off the side. Malon's red hair was mused—probably from dancing—and Zelda's eyes were growing more tired by the minute. Both girls appeared to be smiling and Malon reached out and gave the smaller girl a large hug before pulling away. Zelda touched her friend's cheek before saying something and Malon nodding fervently. Link was off in the distance, in what appeared to be a goodbye to the Ordon humans.

Zelda turned to see Link—once Malon had left with her father—to see Ilia squeezing his hand. Blind jealous filled her body, but she tried to push it away, saying that it was no big deal at all. Of course, some small part of her screamed for her to claw Ilia's eyes out. She told that part of her to shut up.

Finally, after about a dozen more good nights, the ballroom was empty with the exception of Zelda, her parents, Link and Ganondorf. The Queen and Ganondorf were talking very quietly about something, while the King, Zelda and Link were talking about the turnout of the birthday party.

"Did you like it, Zelda?" her father asked.

"I loved it, Daddy. Thank you so much." She reached up and kissed her father's cheek gently. "I couldn't have asked for a better night to spend on my birthday."

"I'm glad. A last hoorah while you're still here with us."

He didn't miss Link's eyes avert away from them for one long moment. The sight made something inside the king stir. Perhaps this was more harmful to them than he had originally thought. The way Link's eyes had never deviated from her for a moment made him see the depth of his feelings. Even Zelda had been very careful not to stay away him for any long period of time, and when she left her other companions, he was always the one she returned to. He sighed softly and put a hand on Link's shoulder.

"Thank you for accompanying my daughter, Link," he said with a gentle smile.

Link was flustered. The King of Hyrule had rarely ever spoken directly to him. It made his cheeks flush and he bowed his head. "She asked me to, sir. I was more than happy to oblige her wishes."

"Yes, but you still escorted her. You kept her safe." Sincerity burned in his voice, and it made Zelda's head tilt to one side in confusion. What was he trying to pull with this? Did he know about their feelings?

"It was not a problem, your majesty," Link said, finally looking up at him.

"I'm sure it wasn't," he laughed. "Here, Zelda, I believe Lord Ganondorf would like to say his good-byes to you before he departs back to his castle."

Zelda nodded and excused herself before going over to where her mother and her fiancée stood waiting for her. Ganondorf extended his arm and she took it—however reluctantly—and they walked toward the exit.

"It was lovely to see you having so much fun, my dear," Ganondorf said lightly as they exited the front of the castle, where his carriage waited for him to take him home. Zelda noted the size of the two large black horses, stomping their feet and snorting into the warm, midnight air.

"It was a nice evening," she agreed, unable to lie about that.

"I hope to see you again before our wedding," he said softly. He released her arm and turned her around so his hands were on her waist. Zelda did her best not to squirm away from his touch. It took all of her willpower.

"I'm sure you will," she replied with a forced smile.

"Yes." His eyes gleamed with something dangerous. "I will. I will, won't I?"

Zelda shivered, despite the humid air and Ganondorf released her all the way this time. His lips did kiss her forehead and she smiled her best, most charming smile for him. The princess only managed this by pretending that she was smiling at Link and not him.

"Thank you for coming my lord." She curtsied to him slightly. "Have a safe ride home."

"Thank you, princess. I'm sure I will." He bowed as well. "And take of yourself in the meantime. I can't have my beautiful bride getting herself into trouble before our wedding. I'd like you to be as perfect as possible."

Zelda's lips tried to turn up and failed. Ganondorf didn't really notice, for he had already turned away and was walking toward his way home. She watched as he went inside the black carriage and his footman shut the door for him. Then saw the large black horses' nostrils flare as the whip cracked. They galloped off in less than a second after that.

She didn't know what to say to that. Of course, she couldn't be sure that he knew anything about her and Link, for he had dropped not a hint of it. However, Ganondorf was all too known for sneaking around. It was possible that he was warning her. If that was the case, then she was going to try to disobey him in every way possible before her wedding. Where to start?

Walking back to the ballroom, Zelda listened to her shoes clinking against the marble flooring. Ganondorf wanted her perfect for their wedding…perfect. What did that mean? Not scratched up? Not…what? She was confused. Did he not want her getting into trouble? That was difficult. She was a spoiled princess living in a large castle. What kind of trouble was there to get into? Sneaking out after dark and going into the gardens? Big deal.

Impa was in the ballroom with her parents and Link when she arrived again. Impa gave her a greeting kiss and handed her something in her palm. She looked down and saw her Spiritual Stone necklace. Her smile was bright as she slipped off the other necklace and Impa placed this one in its usual spot. Zelda felt a bit more like herself again. If she could only get out of these shoes…

Suddenly she looked around the room, seeing how dirty it had gotten. The golden walls and snowy ceiling looked as though they had gained ten years in only ten hours. The snow painted everywhere was fading and almost all of the food was gone, picked apart by all of her guests. The musician area was probably the cleanest area in the entire room, but that really wasn't saying much. Everything looked so worn.

"Yes, we'll have the servants clean this up tomorrow," her mother said, following her gaze. "It's a bit of a mess, isn't it?"

Zelda laughed. "Just a little." Then she thought. "Did you have fun, mother?"

"I did," she responded. "It was so nice to see you having so much fun, darling. You and Malon have become so close. I had forgotten about it."

"She's a sweet girl," Zelda stressed. She didn't want her mother suddenly telling her that she couldn't associate with her. She adored Malon.

"Yes, she is," her dad chimed in. "Just lovely in that green dress of hers."

"Everyone looked nice," Impa said, throwing a careful arm around Link's shoulders. "It was a beautiful evening, your majesties. Thank you."

The King waved a hand at Impa. "Not at all, Impa. You put in a great deal of help as well. We must thank you too."

"It's late," Impa growled. "Link and Zelda should probably turn in for the night. I bet you're tired." Her eyes grew warm as she watched Zelda yawn very widely. Zelda blushed.

"A little," she admitted.

"Very well," the Queen said. "Get to sleep." She kissed her daughter's forehead and stroked her cheek. "We're so proud of you, Zelda. You must know that. No matter what, I love you."

"I love you too, Mom," Zelda said kindly. "I really do."

Her father hugged her and bid her goodnight as well as Link. Link nodded but kept his eyesight averted from everyone but Impa and Zelda. He was hoping they wouldn't see his hopeless affection for the princess in his eyes.

"Sleep tight!" Impa called out as Link and Zelda made their way back up the grand staircase to turn in for the evening. Once they were out of sight of the king and queen, Zelda rested her head on Link's shoulder lazily.

"What a night!" she sang.

Link moved so he could wrap both arms around her. "Tell me about it. I bet you can't wait to get to sleep."

"You can't either," Zelda teased. "You did a lot of dancing yourself."

They laughed and they walked with their arms around each other toward Zelda's bedroom door. Link halfway let her go so he could look down into her big cobalt blue eyes. She looked torn for some reason.

It hit Zelda then. What Ganondorf had meant by 'perfect'. It was weird how it had taken her so long to figure it out. How dumb could she possibly be? He suspected something was up with she and Link, and he was warning her not to go through with anything risky. She sighed heavily, her eyelids heavy. She had wanted to betray Ganondorf in any way possible, so this was a way to betray his stupid wishes.

She grabbed Link's face in her hands and brought it down to her level so she could kiss him deeply. Link's arms wrapped around her tightly, giving into the kiss with as much enthusiasm as she was. They kept it short, though, seeing as a servant could very well walk by and see them in each other's arms. It was a risk both were willing to take. But how much of a risk was Link willing to make?

Zelda swallowed hard and whispered the words that she thought she would've never spoken. "Spend the night, Link," she pleaded.

Link's eyes went wide in shock but he said nothing. His heart did all the talking for him as he kissed her again. Zelda frowned and kissed him harder, wanting an answer. After all, there was only one answer she wanted from him. Fortunately for her, she got her way.

The boy in her arms leaned into the kiss; his arms gripping her like she was his lifeline. Zelda smiled against him and moved her hand behind her, fumbling for her doorknob. Once she found it, she turned it as best she could and Link took the lead from there. He backed them up into the room and shut the door behind him, locking it tightly from the inside.


I'm keeping my word when I said that I wouldn't put a lemon in this, I promise. I'm definately not in the right frame of mind, anyway. I'm too tired. I didn't say that it wouldn't happen though...or I did. I don't know, if I did don't hate me. It's how I wanted the plot to turn. I've had the very beginning of the next chapter written since about chapter nine, actually. It may not mean I'll have it done soon, but sooner than than my LAST update. Goodness I was annoying myself with that.

I thank everyone of you for sticking with me through this. I know that it's a bumpy road and I hope that you'll be with me to see it through. I'm in it for the long haul! So here's to another chapter done and I'll see you guys later! Take care.