Chapter 2
Link studied himself in the mirror. Was that really him? The golden hair, cerulean eyes, and lean yet slim frame were all the same, but the clothes were not. Instead of his typical green tunic, he wore a navy blue one, all trimmed in a pure gold. He wasn't wearing a hat either, and he felt that he had nothing to hide behind. The only article of clothing he wore that was from his usual attire was a pair of black boots, polished to a shine.
A tiny smile spread across his lips. Yep. He was ready.
Something was missing, though, and he knew what it was. His sword. He carried it with him everywhere, in fear that he might need it one way or another. But it was the princess's birthday. What evil could possibly be there?
So he slid his prized Master Sword under his bed for safekeeping, and then set out on the quick walk to Hyrule Castle. Seeing as he lived in Hyrule Castle Town, the journey wouldn't be long. He locked the door behind him.
On his way to the castle, he spotted a Gossip Stone and hit it to get the time. He was late, and he scolded himself for not taking his horse, Epona. iBetter late than never,/i he decided as he approached the palace doors. He would only be a few minutes late anyway.
The sun was setting behind Hyrule Castle, and it was beautiful, even to Link, who had seen the castle at dusk a hundred times. It was gorgeous, and it reminded him of all the wonderful things to come to him in the next month or so. His life was starting, and he wanted to hold onto this forever.
For the first time in recent memory, no Hylian guards were outside around the palace. Most of the time, they were scattered everywhere, protecting the castle, because commoners had a tendency to sneak in from time to time. Link was an expert at sneaking past them all, the gullible fools. Tonight he enjoyed his freedom while it lasted, because the soldiers would definitely be back tomorrow.
Zelda's attendant since childhood, Impa, was answering the door each time a guest arrived. The Sheikah woman recognized Link, of course, and smiled at him. She was tall, taller than Link in fact, with sharp features and ruby- colored eyes. Link remembered how intimidated by her he was when he first met her all those years ago, when he was just an eleven-year-old kid. Now he was twenty-two. An adult.
"So good to see you, Link," Impa said. "You know where the ballroom is, I expect...?"
Link nodded. "Yes, thank you Impa. Have a good night. Won't you be joining us?"
Impa shook her head almost sadly. "No, I'm to stay here and make sure no funny business goes on," she explained.
"Oh." Link nodded once. "All right. I'll see you later, then."
She nodded. "Yes. Have a good evening, Link."
Normally, Link and Impa would have good conversations about anything, they had grown close over the years. But tonight there was a bit of strain on their relationship, and Link could pinpoint why. His plan, of course. It would get in the way, and soon Zelda would have no need for Impa anymore. Then what would the Sheikah woman do? Link considered this for a moment, and then told himself there was no need to worry, everything would be figured out in the end.
He approached the ballrom and saw that it was filled with people of every size and race. There were a few Zoras about; Link recognized the princess, Ruto. Some Gorons were there as well, laughing and dancing gaily. Darunia and his son stood by the others of their kind, watching and occasionally chuckling along with them. Even Nabooru, the highest ranked Gerudo, had come, and too stood alone in a corner, surveying the crowd. But where was Zelda?
Link wandered aimlessly for awhile, greeting the people he knew. He kept tugging at his tunic anxiously.
He had a reason to be nervous. After so many years of waiting, finally Zelda would be his wife. That is, if she said yes. It was hard sometimes, being two years older than she. He had been ready to marry at age eighteen, but then Zelda had been barely sixteen, much too young to wed. So he had waited four years, and now she was surely ready. They had grown close, and were best friends as well as lovers.
No one really knew if Zelda and Link were a couple. Hyrule's residents weren't big gossipers usually, but since Zelda was the princess and Link was Hero of Time, they were talked about more than others. Link didn't care what they said, and whenever he was asked about it, he did his best to change the subject. What happened between he and Zelda was between he and Zelda. But tonight, all that would change, and all of Hyrule would know what the rumors were true.
They had been secretly seeing each other for three years now, and Link was amazed at how well they kept the secret. Zelda, being a princess, was supposed to be completely honest with her subjects, and she hadn't been for several years now. Link would be relieved to finally silence gossipers. It would certainly take stress away from his life.
Then he saw her.
She was radiantly beautiful, even more so tonight than any other day, which made sense because it was her birthday. Her gown wasn't poofy like most of the ones she wore for special occasion; it was sleek, complimenting her petite slender figure, the color of the sky, and it glittered in the light. Her long blonde locks were curled and pulled up into an elaborate fashion.
Link shoved impatiently through the crowd, his heart pounding in his chest. "Excuse me, 'scuze me," he said repeatedly. His eyes never left Zelda. She didn't see him yet, and she looked a little lost and out of place.
At last he was where he should be: by her side. A wealth of warmth crept over him, a feeling of belonging and deep adoration. He always felt like this around Zelda, a natural high.
"Zelda," he breathed, only loud enough for her to hear.
She turned and saw him. A genuine smile spread across her face instantly. "Link," she stated. "You...you look wonderful."
"Me?" Link laughed that off and took both of her hands in his. "You. You look magnificent. I'm surprised these people aren't mistaking you for a goddess."
She laughed. "A goddess, huh?" She thought he was joking, but little did she know he was sincere. She glanced away from him for a second, then smirked and asked, "Which one?"
He chuckled and leaned in close to her, smelling her hair, the familair fragrance of jasmine and vanilla. "Which one do you think?"
Blushing, she looked at the floor and blinked a few times. "Nayru," she answered.
Link nodded. "Of course. You iare/i Nayru."
She shook her pretty head. "Am not." She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned playfully.
Smiling back at her, Link said, "Well, goddess or no goddess, will you dance with me?"
Zelda smiled and stepped closer to him. Link studied her curiously, eyes wide, and asked again, "Well, will you?"
Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a look and said, "What, did you think I would say no?"
With that being said, he took her hand in his and placed his free hand on her waist, and whisked her away onto the dance floor.
They danced the night away, and they were good at it too. Their motions were sweeping and flawless, even every motion of their fingers were perfect and effortless. Link couldn't help but notice all the other people standing around the room watching them, including Zelda's father, King Elion. But he forced the negative thoughts out of his mind and told himself to focus on his task, which was Zelda.
For nearly the whole time they danced, they didn't speak. To Link, words were not needed, they were so close together she could probably feel his love and passion for her. And if she did, she made no mention of it. On the other hand, they had been friends for so long they could practically read each other's minds.
Link was nervous. Proposing was a big step of jumping head first into his future, and that terrified him. He wanted to stay young with Zelda forever, and never have to worry about tomorrow. Not that he did anyway, but if she said no, not only would he be heartbroken, he would have no idea on what to do with his life after that. He had always counted on her saying yes, ever since he was a teenager, and even a child. It was just like that: somehow, he and Zelda would end up together. That was that.
Dinner was served after several hours, for which Link was relieved because his feet were starting to ache. Another sacrifice he made for Zelda: she loved to dance, and while he didn't despise it, it wasn't his favorite thing to do. Her eyes, the color of the ocean, were sparkling happily and her cheeks were flushed. He had never seen her look more stunning then she did at that moment.
The hours were flying by. Link was procrastinating. At some point during a slow waltz, when he and Zelda were dancing with her head resting on his shoulder, he took a deep breath and spoke to her for what felt like the first time that night. "Any plans for the next month or so?" he blurted.
She lifted her head and looked at him strangely. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Just asking. Any galas or whatever?"
"Galas?" She studied him oddly. "Not that I know of. The next month is actually looking rather boring. Again, why do you ask?"
Leaning close to her so that only she could hear, he said in her ear, "How about a wedding?"
She pulled away instantly, eyes wide with shock and full of blue fire. One of her hands was still laced into his. With his free hand Link reached into his pocket and retrieved the piece of jewelry he had decided to present to her with his proposal. It was inside a little black velvet box. Holding it out for her to see, he flipped the lid open. Inside was a huge diamond tainted with the palest pink. It had cost a fortune, but the look on her face was worth every rupee.
"Will you marry me?" he asked, a little louder then he had intended. Suddenly now the words were flowing easily.
It was then Link noticed the ballroom was completely silent. Every pair of eyes was on them.
Zelda was oblivious, though. She just stared at the ring, shaking in a mixture of joy and shock. After a minute she regained her senses, and let her feelings take over. She randomly leaned over and hugged him tight. When she was finished, she was beaming. "Of course I'll marry you," she responded at last.
Link grinned so gladly he worried his mouth might slither off his face. He took her hand in his, stroking her smooth skin, his other hand still clutching the diamond for dear life.
Every person in the crowd exchanged a look of some sort: surprise, or happiness, or something else. Link didn't know or care. What mattered was, ishe said yes./i
Before he knew what had happened, the audience was clapping and cheering so loudly, it was deafening. Link and Zelda didn't take their eyes off each other as he slid the ring onto her finger.
When he was done, Zelda's eyes filled with happy tears and she threw her arms around Link once again. Then they kissed, right there, in front of everybody.
Link studied himself in the mirror. Was that really him? The golden hair, cerulean eyes, and lean yet slim frame were all the same, but the clothes were not. Instead of his typical green tunic, he wore a navy blue one, all trimmed in a pure gold. He wasn't wearing a hat either, and he felt that he had nothing to hide behind. The only article of clothing he wore that was from his usual attire was a pair of black boots, polished to a shine.
A tiny smile spread across his lips. Yep. He was ready.
Something was missing, though, and he knew what it was. His sword. He carried it with him everywhere, in fear that he might need it one way or another. But it was the princess's birthday. What evil could possibly be there?
So he slid his prized Master Sword under his bed for safekeeping, and then set out on the quick walk to Hyrule Castle. Seeing as he lived in Hyrule Castle Town, the journey wouldn't be long. He locked the door behind him.
On his way to the castle, he spotted a Gossip Stone and hit it to get the time. He was late, and he scolded himself for not taking his horse, Epona. iBetter late than never,/i he decided as he approached the palace doors. He would only be a few minutes late anyway.
The sun was setting behind Hyrule Castle, and it was beautiful, even to Link, who had seen the castle at dusk a hundred times. It was gorgeous, and it reminded him of all the wonderful things to come to him in the next month or so. His life was starting, and he wanted to hold onto this forever.
For the first time in recent memory, no Hylian guards were outside around the palace. Most of the time, they were scattered everywhere, protecting the castle, because commoners had a tendency to sneak in from time to time. Link was an expert at sneaking past them all, the gullible fools. Tonight he enjoyed his freedom while it lasted, because the soldiers would definitely be back tomorrow.
Zelda's attendant since childhood, Impa, was answering the door each time a guest arrived. The Sheikah woman recognized Link, of course, and smiled at him. She was tall, taller than Link in fact, with sharp features and ruby- colored eyes. Link remembered how intimidated by her he was when he first met her all those years ago, when he was just an eleven-year-old kid. Now he was twenty-two. An adult.
"So good to see you, Link," Impa said. "You know where the ballroom is, I expect...?"
Link nodded. "Yes, thank you Impa. Have a good night. Won't you be joining us?"
Impa shook her head almost sadly. "No, I'm to stay here and make sure no funny business goes on," she explained.
"Oh." Link nodded once. "All right. I'll see you later, then."
She nodded. "Yes. Have a good evening, Link."
Normally, Link and Impa would have good conversations about anything, they had grown close over the years. But tonight there was a bit of strain on their relationship, and Link could pinpoint why. His plan, of course. It would get in the way, and soon Zelda would have no need for Impa anymore. Then what would the Sheikah woman do? Link considered this for a moment, and then told himself there was no need to worry, everything would be figured out in the end.
He approached the ballrom and saw that it was filled with people of every size and race. There were a few Zoras about; Link recognized the princess, Ruto. Some Gorons were there as well, laughing and dancing gaily. Darunia and his son stood by the others of their kind, watching and occasionally chuckling along with them. Even Nabooru, the highest ranked Gerudo, had come, and too stood alone in a corner, surveying the crowd. But where was Zelda?
Link wandered aimlessly for awhile, greeting the people he knew. He kept tugging at his tunic anxiously.
He had a reason to be nervous. After so many years of waiting, finally Zelda would be his wife. That is, if she said yes. It was hard sometimes, being two years older than she. He had been ready to marry at age eighteen, but then Zelda had been barely sixteen, much too young to wed. So he had waited four years, and now she was surely ready. They had grown close, and were best friends as well as lovers.
No one really knew if Zelda and Link were a couple. Hyrule's residents weren't big gossipers usually, but since Zelda was the princess and Link was Hero of Time, they were talked about more than others. Link didn't care what they said, and whenever he was asked about it, he did his best to change the subject. What happened between he and Zelda was between he and Zelda. But tonight, all that would change, and all of Hyrule would know what the rumors were true.
They had been secretly seeing each other for three years now, and Link was amazed at how well they kept the secret. Zelda, being a princess, was supposed to be completely honest with her subjects, and she hadn't been for several years now. Link would be relieved to finally silence gossipers. It would certainly take stress away from his life.
Then he saw her.
She was radiantly beautiful, even more so tonight than any other day, which made sense because it was her birthday. Her gown wasn't poofy like most of the ones she wore for special occasion; it was sleek, complimenting her petite slender figure, the color of the sky, and it glittered in the light. Her long blonde locks were curled and pulled up into an elaborate fashion.
Link shoved impatiently through the crowd, his heart pounding in his chest. "Excuse me, 'scuze me," he said repeatedly. His eyes never left Zelda. She didn't see him yet, and she looked a little lost and out of place.
At last he was where he should be: by her side. A wealth of warmth crept over him, a feeling of belonging and deep adoration. He always felt like this around Zelda, a natural high.
"Zelda," he breathed, only loud enough for her to hear.
She turned and saw him. A genuine smile spread across her face instantly. "Link," she stated. "You...you look wonderful."
"Me?" Link laughed that off and took both of her hands in his. "You. You look magnificent. I'm surprised these people aren't mistaking you for a goddess."
She laughed. "A goddess, huh?" She thought he was joking, but little did she know he was sincere. She glanced away from him for a second, then smirked and asked, "Which one?"
He chuckled and leaned in close to her, smelling her hair, the familair fragrance of jasmine and vanilla. "Which one do you think?"
Blushing, she looked at the floor and blinked a few times. "Nayru," she answered.
Link nodded. "Of course. You iare/i Nayru."
She shook her pretty head. "Am not." She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned playfully.
Smiling back at her, Link said, "Well, goddess or no goddess, will you dance with me?"
Zelda smiled and stepped closer to him. Link studied her curiously, eyes wide, and asked again, "Well, will you?"
Cocking her head to the side, she gave him a look and said, "What, did you think I would say no?"
With that being said, he took her hand in his and placed his free hand on her waist, and whisked her away onto the dance floor.
They danced the night away, and they were good at it too. Their motions were sweeping and flawless, even every motion of their fingers were perfect and effortless. Link couldn't help but notice all the other people standing around the room watching them, including Zelda's father, King Elion. But he forced the negative thoughts out of his mind and told himself to focus on his task, which was Zelda.
For nearly the whole time they danced, they didn't speak. To Link, words were not needed, they were so close together she could probably feel his love and passion for her. And if she did, she made no mention of it. On the other hand, they had been friends for so long they could practically read each other's minds.
Link was nervous. Proposing was a big step of jumping head first into his future, and that terrified him. He wanted to stay young with Zelda forever, and never have to worry about tomorrow. Not that he did anyway, but if she said no, not only would he be heartbroken, he would have no idea on what to do with his life after that. He had always counted on her saying yes, ever since he was a teenager, and even a child. It was just like that: somehow, he and Zelda would end up together. That was that.
Dinner was served after several hours, for which Link was relieved because his feet were starting to ache. Another sacrifice he made for Zelda: she loved to dance, and while he didn't despise it, it wasn't his favorite thing to do. Her eyes, the color of the ocean, were sparkling happily and her cheeks were flushed. He had never seen her look more stunning then she did at that moment.
The hours were flying by. Link was procrastinating. At some point during a slow waltz, when he and Zelda were dancing with her head resting on his shoulder, he took a deep breath and spoke to her for what felt like the first time that night. "Any plans for the next month or so?" he blurted.
She lifted her head and looked at him strangely. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Just asking. Any galas or whatever?"
"Galas?" She studied him oddly. "Not that I know of. The next month is actually looking rather boring. Again, why do you ask?"
Leaning close to her so that only she could hear, he said in her ear, "How about a wedding?"
She pulled away instantly, eyes wide with shock and full of blue fire. One of her hands was still laced into his. With his free hand Link reached into his pocket and retrieved the piece of jewelry he had decided to present to her with his proposal. It was inside a little black velvet box. Holding it out for her to see, he flipped the lid open. Inside was a huge diamond tainted with the palest pink. It had cost a fortune, but the look on her face was worth every rupee.
"Will you marry me?" he asked, a little louder then he had intended. Suddenly now the words were flowing easily.
It was then Link noticed the ballroom was completely silent. Every pair of eyes was on them.
Zelda was oblivious, though. She just stared at the ring, shaking in a mixture of joy and shock. After a minute she regained her senses, and let her feelings take over. She randomly leaned over and hugged him tight. When she was finished, she was beaming. "Of course I'll marry you," she responded at last.
Link grinned so gladly he worried his mouth might slither off his face. He took her hand in his, stroking her smooth skin, his other hand still clutching the diamond for dear life.
Every person in the crowd exchanged a look of some sort: surprise, or happiness, or something else. Link didn't know or care. What mattered was, ishe said yes./i
Before he knew what had happened, the audience was clapping and cheering so loudly, it was deafening. Link and Zelda didn't take their eyes off each other as he slid the ring onto her finger.
When he was done, Zelda's eyes filled with happy tears and she threw her arms around Link once again. Then they kissed, right there, in front of everybody.
