Zelda awoke that morning with the sun on her face. She thought she
had heard rain during the night, but, she discovered as she stood by the
window, the skies were clear now. In fact, the lights of the rainbow were
shining. Where had she heard that before?
"The lights of the rainbow shone on their wedding day, and they lived happily ever after."
It was a classic fairy tale ending. Zelda drew a breath of fresh air, and smiled. She had never felt so wonderful as she did today. Everything, at last, was right. She had even seen Harlan and Ayara out for a moonlit stroll through the garden the previous night, and this reassured her very much about the future of Calatia.
And she, of course, would have her very own Link, for all the rest of time..
He had learned to run a nation very well, and seemed eager to start the task. And Zelda would always be there to guide him. Always. She liked the sound of that word. The princess laughed for pure joy and went off in search of breakfast.
After that was finished, the day's festivities began, at least for the four royals; the townspeople had been celebrating all through the night with music and dancing, and were still at it now. The castle tailor had finished all of the wedding clothes. Zelda's own dress was lavender, and made of lace but not too lacy, if you understand. The design was very basic, but that was really what served to make it as fabulous as it was.
The guest list was incredibly extensive. Fortunately, the Great Hall was the biggest space in all of Hyrule. (Actually, it got rather cold in there, but anyone hardly ever went in alone, and with several hundred people it tended to feel warmer.) There were all the usual courtiers, several foreign dukes or duchesses, the mayor of Clock Town from Termina and his wife, and also the princesses, prince, and Link's own personal friends. The hero was very happy to see that Malon was there, and even more happy to see that she had brought someone with her, some boy about their age. Her face, however, was soon lost in the sea of people.
It was 11:55. At 12:00 exactly, the weddings would start. Link and Zelda met in the hallway above the doors. "I remember the last time I was here," Link reflected thoughtfully.
Zelda remembered, and chuckled. "So do I."
"Come a long way since then," he said.
"Yeah. Now you can find your own place to sit."
This brought a laugh out of Link. Right at that moment, for the second time in Link's life, the tall golden doors were thrown open, and what felt like several thousand pairs of eyes were all trained to the back of the room. "Wow.." Link couldn't help it.
"Come on, that's us!" For the second time in her life, Zelda slipped a graceful hand under Link's arm and they started off down the tall stairs. Together.
They arrived at the far side of the carpet, where the priest was waiting. For the priest's part, he was the official priest of the Temple of Time, but he was rarely actually in it. When he was, all he ever really did was sit and pray. He considered it far too holy even for himself, and instead spent his time in his own tower studying to make himself perhaps wise enough to be worthy.
He opened an ancient leather-bound tome to a page that had been marked with a ribbon, and began to read in the language of ancient Hylia. (Actually, the language wasn't read; it was sung, but in this case it means the same thing.) At the very end, he closed the book and said the simple words: "Marriage is forever." He went to unfold the scarlet cape.
Link could not believe that this was happening. Not a month ago he had been wandering, wondering what he was going to do with the rest of his life, and now here he was, standing at the end of this long red carpet with the princess by his side, about to be crowned King of Hyrule. Not only that, but he loved the princess that was beside him, and she truly loved him too. It was almost too good to be true.
In fact, it was.
"Wait; stop," said Impa's voice from behind them. The princess and the hero turned, and she was racing up the red carpet. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm terribly sorry, but-"
"Is something the matter, Lady Sage?" the priest asked. He had returned with the cape by now.
"Yes..I fear there is some terrible news. Please come with me," she said, gesturing Link and Zelda after her. "Hold Harlan and Ayara's wedding, too, until we can be sure." And with that she started off back in the way she had come, and Link and Zelda had no choice but to follow.
"Impa? What's going on?" Zelda asked as they ran down the hall.
"It concerns the Triforce," Impa replied. "They've found a way to be rid of it, but-" She did not finish the sentence, because they had arrived in the room that they were looking for.
It was a conference room. At a low table in the center, there sat several castle historians, Rauru, and the King. (Zelda had been wondering why her father had not been in the Great Hall.) "Come, sit," the King said. His eyes were filled with so much sadness. Link and Zelda slowly slid into two seats.
One of the historians began. "Of course, you will recall that the thing plaguing Hyrule is a Triforce, a fourth one gone unheard of for a very long time, and the damage it is causing.well, we simply cannot have it."
There were nods.
"Well," he sighed. "I guess I'll cut right to the point. The only way to rid Hyrule of this abomination is." He took a deep breath. "Link must go back in time, replace the Master Sword, and thus close the Door of Time before Ganondorf could touch the Triforce in the first place."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Link said.
"But," Rauru cut in, "none of the things that happened will have ever taken place. Link, you'll be a simple forest boy again, Zelda, you'll be a normal princess.and all the people of Hyrule will be able to live free of the memory of their seven years of sadness. We will not even remember this council."
"Oh, no, no, there must be some other way.." Zelda said, her voice failing and her eyes shining with held-back tears.
The King sighed. "You must understand how completely barbaric we feel about all this. But, it is the only way.." He regained composure, as much as he could. "There is a spell. We will do it in the Temple of Time tomorrow. But.the one to cast it must be Zelda."
The princess had no reply. It wasn't that she was speechless; it was just that nothing came.
"There is nothing else to say," the historian said. "You may go."
Everyone arose slowly and made their ways to the door. The King put a reassuring hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Take heart," he said kindly. "By this time tomorrow, you won't remember."
The princess attempted to smile.
Needless to say, Ayara and Harlan were more than a little surprised when their wedding was suddenly cancelled, but after everything was explained, they were nothing but sympathy. A delegation came to take Ayara back to Bespar, since all wedding plans were called off until further notice. There were a great many discussions between the rulers of the three involved countries.
That night, Link and Zelda met by starlight in the garden. For a while, very little was actually said; they simply stood in each other's arms for a long time. Finally, they sat down on a bench and spoke.
"This is crazy," Link said. "I-we-come all this way for nothing?"
"It is maddening," Zelda agreed. She paused. "I'll never forget you. I don't care what my father said. Love is stronger than time."
"I hope so," he said, "because-no matter what might happen-I would rather have lived these past short weeks with you than all of eternity alone.."
She looked up at the stars. "Your constellation will be there," she said. "Even if the astronomers don't think it's anything, it will still be you to me."
"I'll give you something to remember me by," Link said, thinking fast. He dug in his pocket, and his hand closed on Din's Fire. "Take this," he said, handing it to her. "I have no longer a use for it. But you might need it someday."
Zelda took it. "Thank you," she said, and put it in her own pocket, and there were no more words that night.
"The lights of the rainbow shone on their wedding day, and they lived happily ever after."
It was a classic fairy tale ending. Zelda drew a breath of fresh air, and smiled. She had never felt so wonderful as she did today. Everything, at last, was right. She had even seen Harlan and Ayara out for a moonlit stroll through the garden the previous night, and this reassured her very much about the future of Calatia.
And she, of course, would have her very own Link, for all the rest of time..
He had learned to run a nation very well, and seemed eager to start the task. And Zelda would always be there to guide him. Always. She liked the sound of that word. The princess laughed for pure joy and went off in search of breakfast.
After that was finished, the day's festivities began, at least for the four royals; the townspeople had been celebrating all through the night with music and dancing, and were still at it now. The castle tailor had finished all of the wedding clothes. Zelda's own dress was lavender, and made of lace but not too lacy, if you understand. The design was very basic, but that was really what served to make it as fabulous as it was.
The guest list was incredibly extensive. Fortunately, the Great Hall was the biggest space in all of Hyrule. (Actually, it got rather cold in there, but anyone hardly ever went in alone, and with several hundred people it tended to feel warmer.) There were all the usual courtiers, several foreign dukes or duchesses, the mayor of Clock Town from Termina and his wife, and also the princesses, prince, and Link's own personal friends. The hero was very happy to see that Malon was there, and even more happy to see that she had brought someone with her, some boy about their age. Her face, however, was soon lost in the sea of people.
It was 11:55. At 12:00 exactly, the weddings would start. Link and Zelda met in the hallway above the doors. "I remember the last time I was here," Link reflected thoughtfully.
Zelda remembered, and chuckled. "So do I."
"Come a long way since then," he said.
"Yeah. Now you can find your own place to sit."
This brought a laugh out of Link. Right at that moment, for the second time in Link's life, the tall golden doors were thrown open, and what felt like several thousand pairs of eyes were all trained to the back of the room. "Wow.." Link couldn't help it.
"Come on, that's us!" For the second time in her life, Zelda slipped a graceful hand under Link's arm and they started off down the tall stairs. Together.
They arrived at the far side of the carpet, where the priest was waiting. For the priest's part, he was the official priest of the Temple of Time, but he was rarely actually in it. When he was, all he ever really did was sit and pray. He considered it far too holy even for himself, and instead spent his time in his own tower studying to make himself perhaps wise enough to be worthy.
He opened an ancient leather-bound tome to a page that had been marked with a ribbon, and began to read in the language of ancient Hylia. (Actually, the language wasn't read; it was sung, but in this case it means the same thing.) At the very end, he closed the book and said the simple words: "Marriage is forever." He went to unfold the scarlet cape.
Link could not believe that this was happening. Not a month ago he had been wandering, wondering what he was going to do with the rest of his life, and now here he was, standing at the end of this long red carpet with the princess by his side, about to be crowned King of Hyrule. Not only that, but he loved the princess that was beside him, and she truly loved him too. It was almost too good to be true.
In fact, it was.
"Wait; stop," said Impa's voice from behind them. The princess and the hero turned, and she was racing up the red carpet. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm terribly sorry, but-"
"Is something the matter, Lady Sage?" the priest asked. He had returned with the cape by now.
"Yes..I fear there is some terrible news. Please come with me," she said, gesturing Link and Zelda after her. "Hold Harlan and Ayara's wedding, too, until we can be sure." And with that she started off back in the way she had come, and Link and Zelda had no choice but to follow.
"Impa? What's going on?" Zelda asked as they ran down the hall.
"It concerns the Triforce," Impa replied. "They've found a way to be rid of it, but-" She did not finish the sentence, because they had arrived in the room that they were looking for.
It was a conference room. At a low table in the center, there sat several castle historians, Rauru, and the King. (Zelda had been wondering why her father had not been in the Great Hall.) "Come, sit," the King said. His eyes were filled with so much sadness. Link and Zelda slowly slid into two seats.
One of the historians began. "Of course, you will recall that the thing plaguing Hyrule is a Triforce, a fourth one gone unheard of for a very long time, and the damage it is causing.well, we simply cannot have it."
There were nods.
"Well," he sighed. "I guess I'll cut right to the point. The only way to rid Hyrule of this abomination is." He took a deep breath. "Link must go back in time, replace the Master Sword, and thus close the Door of Time before Ganondorf could touch the Triforce in the first place."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Link said.
"But," Rauru cut in, "none of the things that happened will have ever taken place. Link, you'll be a simple forest boy again, Zelda, you'll be a normal princess.and all the people of Hyrule will be able to live free of the memory of their seven years of sadness. We will not even remember this council."
"Oh, no, no, there must be some other way.." Zelda said, her voice failing and her eyes shining with held-back tears.
The King sighed. "You must understand how completely barbaric we feel about all this. But, it is the only way.." He regained composure, as much as he could. "There is a spell. We will do it in the Temple of Time tomorrow. But.the one to cast it must be Zelda."
The princess had no reply. It wasn't that she was speechless; it was just that nothing came.
"There is nothing else to say," the historian said. "You may go."
Everyone arose slowly and made their ways to the door. The King put a reassuring hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Take heart," he said kindly. "By this time tomorrow, you won't remember."
The princess attempted to smile.
Needless to say, Ayara and Harlan were more than a little surprised when their wedding was suddenly cancelled, but after everything was explained, they were nothing but sympathy. A delegation came to take Ayara back to Bespar, since all wedding plans were called off until further notice. There were a great many discussions between the rulers of the three involved countries.
That night, Link and Zelda met by starlight in the garden. For a while, very little was actually said; they simply stood in each other's arms for a long time. Finally, they sat down on a bench and spoke.
"This is crazy," Link said. "I-we-come all this way for nothing?"
"It is maddening," Zelda agreed. She paused. "I'll never forget you. I don't care what my father said. Love is stronger than time."
"I hope so," he said, "because-no matter what might happen-I would rather have lived these past short weeks with you than all of eternity alone.."
She looked up at the stars. "Your constellation will be there," she said. "Even if the astronomers don't think it's anything, it will still be you to me."
"I'll give you something to remember me by," Link said, thinking fast. He dug in his pocket, and his hand closed on Din's Fire. "Take this," he said, handing it to her. "I have no longer a use for it. But you might need it someday."
Zelda took it. "Thank you," she said, and put it in her own pocket, and there were no more words that night.