Past
Zelda sat in front of me as we raced towards home on Epona. I could feel the tenseness in her body as I wrapped my free arm tighter about her. She responded to my touch, leaning back against me and resting her head on my shoulder. We rode in silence the entire way to the castle. No one met us at the stables. Zelda slid off the saddle, but paused before she dashed into the castle. As her eyes met mine, I could see the hurt and confusion she was feeling. I grabbed her hands and held them in mine.
"Go see him. I'll be up as soon as I get Epona settled."
She nodded, leaning over to kiss my cheek before hurrying away. I could see tears in her eyes that I knew she wanted to cry, but didn't to show she was strong. As I brought the saddle down and threw it on a nearby rack, one of the stable boys came running up.
"Prince Link.. we didn't expect to see you until next week."
I looked down at him quizzically for a moment. Maybe the councilors had decided to delay releasing news of the King's illness as not to cause a panic.
"Something came up." I handed him Epona's tack as I led her to her stall. "Guay, put her bridle away for me, will you?"
The boy smiled for a moment, then rushed off eager to complete his task. I smiled to myself. With his eager attitude, he would make an excellent squire in a year or two. Lost in thought, I barely heard Impa as I strode through the great hall on my way to the King's room.
"Link! Shouldn't you be at the lake? Where is Zelda."? And at my puzzled glance. "Don't tell me she has gotten rid of you already."
I looked at her in surprise. "We left as soon as we got the message."
"Message?"
Now that was strange. Even if the castle staff had not been informed of the King's condition, Impa would have been.
"Link, what is going on?" Impa becoming alarmed at my lengthy silence broke into my thoughts once more.
"This morning we received a message from a palace guard saying Zelda's father was extremely ill and not expected to live."
"I've had no such information. In fact I just left the King moments ago, he is in his room, signing treaty documents."
My mined whirled as I processed this new information, but one continually pushed itself to the surface, refusing to be ignored. Zelda... danger... Zelda. "Zelda. we have to find her now. Somebody wants her back here, and I don't know why."
'I'll alert the guards. I will meet you in the King's chambers."
Nodding, I dashed off to my intended destination. I paused long enough to notice a strange light emanating from a room ahead of me. It got stronger as I walked cautiously towards it. I had never seen this room before. It was completely bare except for a basin sitting on a small table in the center. A silvery light shown from whatever was inside, bathing the room in a pale, eerie glow. I reached out my hand to touch the liquid substance, but soon realized my mistake as the world around me went black.
Present
"Link, please sit down here and eat with me. It is no fun having a one person picnic."
Link looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight around and playing with his sword hilt before sighing and complying with the Princess' request. They sat in silence, Link uncomfortable with the informality, Zelda saddened at the loss of their old comradeship. Unable to bear the quiet any longer, Zelda at last spoke.
"I'm sorry." A quiet whisper issued from her lips in a mournful tone.
Link looked at her in surprise. "Princess, do not apologize to me. You have done nothing wrong."
She stood up, angrily brushing bits of dirt and grass from her skirt. "Then why are you so cold and distant to me?"
"Princess, you are royalty. I am a common guard. I apologize if I have offended you, but there can not be friendship between us." He stood, eyes level with hers, and his pained face made Zelda wince.
"Link, you are not a common guard. You are my friend. And anyone who says otherwise is mistaken."
He gave a small ironic smirk. "The King would strongly disagree, madam."
All at once she understood. She threw herself in his arms, hugging him fiercely and whispering against his shoulder. "Though he thinks differently, the King may not decide the matters of my heart." Though she made the statement in hopes of relieving some of his tenseness, he seemed to pull further from her. She withdrew, her arms at her sides, unsure of what to say next.
"So you love this Prince of Lyrian?" He broke into the uneasy silence.
She looked up at him in surprise, tears returning at the reminder of her future fate. "Love. I've never even met him. My brother thinks only of strengthening treaties. I'm nothing to him but a pawn to play in some political game."
"But you said...."
"Matters of my heart and matters of my actions are two separate things, I'm afraid. If they were not, I would be free to openly declare my love to someone I have secretly loved for a long time."
Her eyes slowly rose to meet his, and he read in them her longing and desire. His face inched closer to hers, and their lips met in a feather- like whisper. A sound of hooves broke them quickly apart, Link to a ready stance and Zelda toying with an apple.
"Princess, your brother the King requests an audience with you at the palace immediately." The King's messenger yelled shrilly, ending any conversation Link and Zelda could have shared over their kiss.
Back at the castle, Link wandered aimlessly as he wished that he could take Zelda's place facing the lecture he was sure Taryn was giving her at the very moment. Zelda's brother could be a cruel man, his words stinging like arrows. A room off to one side of the hallway began to glow a silverish tint, and a sense of foreboding tickled up Link's spine. His hand on his sword, he went to investigate, but only found a basin filled with a silver liquid. Reaching out a hand to investigate, his form rippled, and then disappeared as his hand touched the surface.
Past
I had raced the entire way to my father's room, expecting to find a sick bedridden man instead a fully recovered King signing documents of state. At my gasp of surprise, he turned around. "Zelda! What are you doing back already?"
I was too shocked to speak, which led to him misinterpreting the expression on my face.
"Where's Link? What's happened?"
"We received a message saying you were incredibly ill. We cam back as soon as we heard."
He got up and gave me a hug. "Oh, Zelda. I'm sorry that your honeymoon was interrupted, but I am fine, not so much as a sniffle here."
Before I had time to ponder what this meant Impa burst through the door.
"Zelda!" She said, the second person to be shocked at seeing me today.
"We received a ." But I was interrupted before I could finish.
"I know. I met Link in the stables and he told me. And I'm glad to see you are safe."
"Safe from what?"
"Somebody needs you back at the castle, and is willing to use deceit to get you here."
I thought about this for a moment. "It makes sense, but why would someone need me at the castle to hurt me. I am the most well guarded person in Hyrule at the castle." I gave a little laugh. "Outside too, with Link about." A feeling swept over me, much like my prophetic dreams, that my husband was no longer in this world to protect me. "Impa, where is Link?"
She looked around the room for the first time, as if realizing he wasn't there. "He was headed directly here, he should have beat me."
I rushed out of the room, worry over Link's absence increasing with every step. Backtracking the route he would have taken to the King's chambers, I eventually came across his hat lying in the middle of the corridor. Picking it up, I glanced into the nearest room to see a strange man bent over a basin. Behind me, Impa drew her sword, which alerted the man to our presence.
"Princess Zelda, I presume." He said, with a short mocking bow.
"Where is Link?" I asked, gritting my teeth and hissing the words.
He gave me a cynical laugh. "Don't worry, he is fine."
"That is not what I asked."
"Princess, I admire your directness, among other things. A rare quality. Your husband is trapped, you might say, in void between times."
"Release him."
He laughed again. "You and I both know I can not do that." And with a wave and a strange incantation, he was gone.
Present
Zelda let out a silent scream of frustration as she shut the door behind her. She had just spent the last two hours listening to her brother's definition of how royalty should act, which did not involve being friendly with commoners, meaning Link. Taryn especially emphasized that she keep her distance from Link. She was an engaged woman now, and her future husband would not take kindly to her over familiarity with a guard. Zelda had once again pleaded with him to let her choose her own husband, but he had refused, saying that she must act in Hyrule's best interests.
Slowly walking back to her room, she began to smile at the thought of times that had been more enjoyably spent earlier that day. Walls that had been built up between Link and her over the past year had fallen. Sighing, she wished again that the messenger had not interrupted them, and that they had time to discuss the kiss they had shared. Rounding the corner, she saw the strange minister Ahenous standing over a silvery basin in the middle of the room. She was about to leave without alerting him to her presence, when she noticed a small object lying on the floor. It was a necklace made of stone that she had given Link years ago. The stone had been lying in the moment, and she had fished it out and spent hours boring a hole to fit a leather strap though it. The fact that he still had it after all this time touched her heart, yet worried her since his neck was currently missing. Boldly stepping into the room, she confronted Ahenous.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ahh, Princess. I am just taking care of a little unfinished business." He watched her with his beady little eyes as she gracefully stooped down to pick up the necklace on the floor. "I let him leave that for you."
"Where is he?"
"Farther than you can imagine, Princess." A silvery ripple passed through his body as he gradually passed out of view.
Zelda sat in front of me as we raced towards home on Epona. I could feel the tenseness in her body as I wrapped my free arm tighter about her. She responded to my touch, leaning back against me and resting her head on my shoulder. We rode in silence the entire way to the castle. No one met us at the stables. Zelda slid off the saddle, but paused before she dashed into the castle. As her eyes met mine, I could see the hurt and confusion she was feeling. I grabbed her hands and held them in mine.
"Go see him. I'll be up as soon as I get Epona settled."
She nodded, leaning over to kiss my cheek before hurrying away. I could see tears in her eyes that I knew she wanted to cry, but didn't to show she was strong. As I brought the saddle down and threw it on a nearby rack, one of the stable boys came running up.
"Prince Link.. we didn't expect to see you until next week."
I looked down at him quizzically for a moment. Maybe the councilors had decided to delay releasing news of the King's illness as not to cause a panic.
"Something came up." I handed him Epona's tack as I led her to her stall. "Guay, put her bridle away for me, will you?"
The boy smiled for a moment, then rushed off eager to complete his task. I smiled to myself. With his eager attitude, he would make an excellent squire in a year or two. Lost in thought, I barely heard Impa as I strode through the great hall on my way to the King's room.
"Link! Shouldn't you be at the lake? Where is Zelda."? And at my puzzled glance. "Don't tell me she has gotten rid of you already."
I looked at her in surprise. "We left as soon as we got the message."
"Message?"
Now that was strange. Even if the castle staff had not been informed of the King's condition, Impa would have been.
"Link, what is going on?" Impa becoming alarmed at my lengthy silence broke into my thoughts once more.
"This morning we received a message from a palace guard saying Zelda's father was extremely ill and not expected to live."
"I've had no such information. In fact I just left the King moments ago, he is in his room, signing treaty documents."
My mined whirled as I processed this new information, but one continually pushed itself to the surface, refusing to be ignored. Zelda... danger... Zelda. "Zelda. we have to find her now. Somebody wants her back here, and I don't know why."
'I'll alert the guards. I will meet you in the King's chambers."
Nodding, I dashed off to my intended destination. I paused long enough to notice a strange light emanating from a room ahead of me. It got stronger as I walked cautiously towards it. I had never seen this room before. It was completely bare except for a basin sitting on a small table in the center. A silvery light shown from whatever was inside, bathing the room in a pale, eerie glow. I reached out my hand to touch the liquid substance, but soon realized my mistake as the world around me went black.
Present
"Link, please sit down here and eat with me. It is no fun having a one person picnic."
Link looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight around and playing with his sword hilt before sighing and complying with the Princess' request. They sat in silence, Link uncomfortable with the informality, Zelda saddened at the loss of their old comradeship. Unable to bear the quiet any longer, Zelda at last spoke.
"I'm sorry." A quiet whisper issued from her lips in a mournful tone.
Link looked at her in surprise. "Princess, do not apologize to me. You have done nothing wrong."
She stood up, angrily brushing bits of dirt and grass from her skirt. "Then why are you so cold and distant to me?"
"Princess, you are royalty. I am a common guard. I apologize if I have offended you, but there can not be friendship between us." He stood, eyes level with hers, and his pained face made Zelda wince.
"Link, you are not a common guard. You are my friend. And anyone who says otherwise is mistaken."
He gave a small ironic smirk. "The King would strongly disagree, madam."
All at once she understood. She threw herself in his arms, hugging him fiercely and whispering against his shoulder. "Though he thinks differently, the King may not decide the matters of my heart." Though she made the statement in hopes of relieving some of his tenseness, he seemed to pull further from her. She withdrew, her arms at her sides, unsure of what to say next.
"So you love this Prince of Lyrian?" He broke into the uneasy silence.
She looked up at him in surprise, tears returning at the reminder of her future fate. "Love. I've never even met him. My brother thinks only of strengthening treaties. I'm nothing to him but a pawn to play in some political game."
"But you said...."
"Matters of my heart and matters of my actions are two separate things, I'm afraid. If they were not, I would be free to openly declare my love to someone I have secretly loved for a long time."
Her eyes slowly rose to meet his, and he read in them her longing and desire. His face inched closer to hers, and their lips met in a feather- like whisper. A sound of hooves broke them quickly apart, Link to a ready stance and Zelda toying with an apple.
"Princess, your brother the King requests an audience with you at the palace immediately." The King's messenger yelled shrilly, ending any conversation Link and Zelda could have shared over their kiss.
Back at the castle, Link wandered aimlessly as he wished that he could take Zelda's place facing the lecture he was sure Taryn was giving her at the very moment. Zelda's brother could be a cruel man, his words stinging like arrows. A room off to one side of the hallway began to glow a silverish tint, and a sense of foreboding tickled up Link's spine. His hand on his sword, he went to investigate, but only found a basin filled with a silver liquid. Reaching out a hand to investigate, his form rippled, and then disappeared as his hand touched the surface.
Past
I had raced the entire way to my father's room, expecting to find a sick bedridden man instead a fully recovered King signing documents of state. At my gasp of surprise, he turned around. "Zelda! What are you doing back already?"
I was too shocked to speak, which led to him misinterpreting the expression on my face.
"Where's Link? What's happened?"
"We received a message saying you were incredibly ill. We cam back as soon as we heard."
He got up and gave me a hug. "Oh, Zelda. I'm sorry that your honeymoon was interrupted, but I am fine, not so much as a sniffle here."
Before I had time to ponder what this meant Impa burst through the door.
"Zelda!" She said, the second person to be shocked at seeing me today.
"We received a ." But I was interrupted before I could finish.
"I know. I met Link in the stables and he told me. And I'm glad to see you are safe."
"Safe from what?"
"Somebody needs you back at the castle, and is willing to use deceit to get you here."
I thought about this for a moment. "It makes sense, but why would someone need me at the castle to hurt me. I am the most well guarded person in Hyrule at the castle." I gave a little laugh. "Outside too, with Link about." A feeling swept over me, much like my prophetic dreams, that my husband was no longer in this world to protect me. "Impa, where is Link?"
She looked around the room for the first time, as if realizing he wasn't there. "He was headed directly here, he should have beat me."
I rushed out of the room, worry over Link's absence increasing with every step. Backtracking the route he would have taken to the King's chambers, I eventually came across his hat lying in the middle of the corridor. Picking it up, I glanced into the nearest room to see a strange man bent over a basin. Behind me, Impa drew her sword, which alerted the man to our presence.
"Princess Zelda, I presume." He said, with a short mocking bow.
"Where is Link?" I asked, gritting my teeth and hissing the words.
He gave me a cynical laugh. "Don't worry, he is fine."
"That is not what I asked."
"Princess, I admire your directness, among other things. A rare quality. Your husband is trapped, you might say, in void between times."
"Release him."
He laughed again. "You and I both know I can not do that." And with a wave and a strange incantation, he was gone.
Present
Zelda let out a silent scream of frustration as she shut the door behind her. She had just spent the last two hours listening to her brother's definition of how royalty should act, which did not involve being friendly with commoners, meaning Link. Taryn especially emphasized that she keep her distance from Link. She was an engaged woman now, and her future husband would not take kindly to her over familiarity with a guard. Zelda had once again pleaded with him to let her choose her own husband, but he had refused, saying that she must act in Hyrule's best interests.
Slowly walking back to her room, she began to smile at the thought of times that had been more enjoyably spent earlier that day. Walls that had been built up between Link and her over the past year had fallen. Sighing, she wished again that the messenger had not interrupted them, and that they had time to discuss the kiss they had shared. Rounding the corner, she saw the strange minister Ahenous standing over a silvery basin in the middle of the room. She was about to leave without alerting him to her presence, when she noticed a small object lying on the floor. It was a necklace made of stone that she had given Link years ago. The stone had been lying in the moment, and she had fished it out and spent hours boring a hole to fit a leather strap though it. The fact that he still had it after all this time touched her heart, yet worried her since his neck was currently missing. Boldly stepping into the room, she confronted Ahenous.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ahh, Princess. I am just taking care of a little unfinished business." He watched her with his beady little eyes as she gracefully stooped down to pick up the necklace on the floor. "I let him leave that for you."
"Where is he?"
"Farther than you can imagine, Princess." A silvery ripple passed through his body as he gradually passed out of view.
