Past

A dizzying sensation passed though me for the second time that day as I fought to stay upright. I forced the waves to pass as I met my father's and Impa's terror-struck looks. "Impa, alert the 8th and 9th cavalry division. Order them to search the Kingdom for any sign of that man or any trace of Link's whereabouts." As she left the room at a run, I turned to my father. "I will alert the guards to pull double duty until further notice." I kissed his cheek hurriedly before turning to my task.

"Zelda.. Wait." I paused. "What does this mean?"

I looked down at my hand, the one with the triforce. "Link is still alive. somewhere. And there is only one reason to kidnap him." I gave a long ragged sigh. "Trust me father, Hyrule is about to face and invasion." I added under my breath. "And our hero is not here to stop it."



Present

A bag flew over the low, ivy covered wall, shortly followed by a lithe, silent figure. The hood of the cloak hid any distinguishing features as the shadowy figure snuck pas the few guards near the stable entrance. Breathing a sigh of relief, the figure picked up the bag, but stopped when it encountered the last pair of feet the person expected.

"Princess, I hope you have a well thought of explanation for sneaking around at night dressed like that." She gestured to the un-feminine riding pants and cloak Zelda wore.

Zelda was about to respond, but instead pulled Impa into an alcove and motioned her to be silent. The pair watched, hidden as two guards passed by, laughing over a shared joke. As soon as they were out of hearing distance, Zelda stood back up. "Please, Impa. Please don't tell Taryn." She pleaded with her friend and nursemaid.

"Only if you tell me what is going on."

Zelda bit her lip, thinking for a second if she could trust Impa. "Link is gone. Ahenous has something to do with it. I am going to Lyrian to find him."

Impa, stunned for a moment, recovered quickly. "I'll send for the guards immediately. We'll find him Princess."

"No, Taryn would never spare anyone to go searching for Link." Tears of frustration began to escape from her eyes, although she tried to hold them back. "He will probably be relieved that his problem has been solved with so little effort.

Impa searched her mind for another solution to the problem, knowing Zelda was more than correct in her assessment of her brother's character and ideals. "Then we will hire mercenaries on our own, I know of some trustworthy men in town who know and respect Link, surely they would aid us."

"And in the meantime I will be shipped off to marry that prince, fulfilling Ahenous' wishes and helping him to complete whatever plan he has."

"Princess.. Zelda. you can not simply run off like this."

"I must, Impa. I love him. If anything should happen to him." She began to walk away, unwilling to hear any more arguments.

"Have you told him this?"

"No." Zelda stopped and hung her head, new tears flowing. "I have not had the chance."

Impa put her hand under the younger woman's chin, forcing her gaze up. "Tell him as soon as we find him. That boy has loved you since the first day he saw you. I'd like to see him happy for once, instead of moping around this place."

"What do you mean we?"

Impa smiled for the first time during the exchange and gestured to her nearby pack. "I knew you were planning to run away. I was going to follow you. But I think I will join you instead."

Zelda spontaneously hugged her old nursemaid, now turned comrade-in-arms. "Thank you, Impa." She whispered.



Past

A month and a half has passed, with no sign of the whereabouts of my missing husband or the stranger. Many people at the castle believe that he is never coming back. Daily business at the castle has gone on much like it has for many, many years. The business of running a kingdom cannot stop because of one man's disappearance, as much as I might like it to so that I can focus solely on finding Link. Currently I found myself with Impa trying to budget the food stores for the next two months. I had reached the grain supply when the numbers of the page I was looking at began to swirl, and world began to sway ever so slightly.

"Zelda. Zelda. are you alright?" Impa's voice broke through and I brought myself to focus onto it.

"Just a little dizzy today." I put the papers away from me and rubbed my forehead. "I just can not seem to concentrate on this right now."

She gave me a glance of concern and helped me to my feet. "Why don't I go get us some tea and we will take a break."

I smiled my thankfulness and set my books and papers aside while she left for the kitchen.

Five minutes later we sat curled up in the library, the hot beverage doing much to revive me.

"I just can not believe it has been so long, Impa. No ransom asked, no insane demands, no signs of invasion. Why?"

Impa put the teacup down as I began to sob, as I had not done since Link disappeared. "Shhh, Zelda.. " She whispered, holding me close. "You can grieve. It does not mean that you have given up hope."

We sat there in silence, and I listened to the rain that had begun to fall outside. The clouds and turned the sky to an angry gray, reminding me that summer had passed and winter had begun to make its presence known through the early fall storms.