Zelda ran up to the castle's eastern wall. Huffing tired breaths, she
knocked three times on the window hidden by cattail. It opened, and an arm
pulled her through.
"I've been waiting for you!" Impa scolded, grabbing the flour. "Geez, what took you so long?"
"I just got a little side-tracked, that's all."
Impa sighed. "Tell me it wasn't Link."
"Well it was partly Link," Zelda responded honestly. "But I also ran into Meryl--and my father and Marth."
Impa turned around. "Your Father? Meryl? I smell something not good coming up. What happened?"
"Oh, Meryl, her father and Link got beat up by Marth. That's all."
"They what??"
Zelda sighed, and handed Impa three eggs. "Well Meryl's father asked Prince Marth for seven rupees--you know Meryl's birthday is in a few days. You must understand, he had no idea who Marth was. So of course, air-headed Marth got really angry and attacked him. Then, Link asked why he beat up the old guy (having missed out on the action), and so Marth punished him as well. Finally, Meryl walked in on the scene and apparently blew up at Marth and started yelling at him."
"So then he slapped her with his glove," Impa guessed. The princess nodded. "Yep, sounds like something Marth would do."
"Doesn't it?" Zelda sighed. "That arrogant snob is the last man I'd ever want to live with."
Impa turned her back and frowned. King Harkinian had informed her of the engagment. Once they were married, Zelda would no longer need Impa's services. Unless of course, Marth wanted her to stay--and I'm sure you can guess what the chances are of that happening.
About twenty minutes later, Zelda was in the middle of eating lunch. As could be expected, the two kings and Marth were with her.
"I really do hate to bring this up during lunch," said King Harkinian. "But Zelda, why did you dishonor Prince Marth and myself so today?"
Zelda looked up at her father. "Simply because I thought that what Marth was doing was unjust."
"Those peasants were outspoken and needed punishment," Marth defended himself.
"That's not what I mean," Zelda lied. "But it's like what I said before. One should not come to another country and expect to be able to take control of it. Hyrule is not your kingdom, Marth, and I felt only like I was doing my duty to protect it."
King Harkinian and King Lowell exchanged glances. "V-Very well then," Harkinian stated. "Forgive me if I made you feel accused, daughter."
"No need to ask for an apology," Zelda said, even though she felt that there was. "I just wanted to speak about how I felt."
"I'm glad you did," Marth commented. "Now I can feel guiltless, and I know that I have not displeased you."
You wanna bet? Zelda thought sourly.
Link sat in his den, sharpening a dagger. It was true that a (peasant) tournament was coming up, and he needed to prepare for it. He'd been spending a surprisingly large amount of time with the princess for the past few days. Not that it bothered him at all, but he felt that he really needed to practice for it.
Many times, people told him that he shouldn't bother with practice. He was the best swordsman among the peasants, and had barely any competition whatsoever. King Harkinian had been right to choose him to rescue Princess Zelda (or so thought the townspeople).
Sighing, Link walked outside to his backyard. He took a daisy from a flower bed growing by his house. Using a pin, he attatched a petal to the trunk of a tree. Link took sixty paces back. Concentrating hard, he threw the dagger at the petal--and it hit.
Smiling to himself, Link went to retrieve the dagger. He replaced the petal with another one, and ducked back inside. The warrior came back with a bow and some arrows. Aiming perfectly again, he shot his arrow. Another bullseye (what a surprise there).
He lowered his bow and sat down. Perhaps his neighbors were right. Link didn't really need practice--he was already great. Or maybe he was just lying to himself to get rest. Rest was all he really wanted.
Sighing again, Link walked back inside to his room.
Zelda skipped up the staircase to her room. Impa was dragging along behind, heaving huge breaths and trying desperately to keep up.
"If you please, Princess," Impa huffed. "May we slow down, or at least rest a moment?"
"Oh Impa, you're so slow," Zelda complained, stopping. She waited for her nursemaid to catch up.
"In case you didn't notice, I've been walking at a reasonably normal speed," Impa defended. "It is you that have been bouncing on air."
Zelda sighed, and smiled, walking into her bedroom. "I know, I'm sorry. I just feel so happy remembering something that happened today!"
"So I guessed," Impa said between breaths. She collapsed onto Zelda's bed. "What's the occasion?"
"Impa, you've got to promise never to tell my father or anyone else what I'm about to tell you," Zelda whispered.
Immediately, Impa sat up. "What?" She loved secrets.
Zelda laughed. "I feel like I'm betraying myself for telling you this, but if I don't tell someone I think I'll burst!"
"What is it? Tell me!" Impa started bouncing a little on the bed.
"I kissed Link today!"
"YOU WHAT?!" Impa yelled.
"I kissed his shoulder," Zelda confessed, smiling helplessly at Impa's shock. "It was wounded you see, and I only felt that I should. Especially considering the fact that my horse was part of the cause of it's injury."
Impa looked her in the eyes and started laughing. "I never thought you'd get the nerve! But your secret's safe with me, princess."
Sighing with relief, Zelda lay back on her bed. "Thanks Impa, I knew I could trust you. Oh, if only I knew how he took it!"
"What, didn't you ask?" Impa inquired, standing up and looking utterly puzzled.
"Oh, of course not!" Zelda answered. "You don't just ask people things like that, you'll sound like an idiot. Besides, I left right after I did it."
"That's funny," Impa decided. "But I'll trouble you no longer. Good night, princess."
"Good-night, Impa."
Smiling, Impa shut the door. Frowning, she tromped back down the stairs. She knew Zelda was about to have her heart broken. It was obvious to Impa that the princess was beginning to fall in love--with a peasant.
As she rounded the corner, Impa's frown became even worse. The nursemaid knew that Zelda was betrothed to the Prince Marth, and she'd have no hope of ever getting together with Link. And after the May festivity, Zelda would probably never see him again.
"I've been waiting for you!" Impa scolded, grabbing the flour. "Geez, what took you so long?"
"I just got a little side-tracked, that's all."
Impa sighed. "Tell me it wasn't Link."
"Well it was partly Link," Zelda responded honestly. "But I also ran into Meryl--and my father and Marth."
Impa turned around. "Your Father? Meryl? I smell something not good coming up. What happened?"
"Oh, Meryl, her father and Link got beat up by Marth. That's all."
"They what??"
Zelda sighed, and handed Impa three eggs. "Well Meryl's father asked Prince Marth for seven rupees--you know Meryl's birthday is in a few days. You must understand, he had no idea who Marth was. So of course, air-headed Marth got really angry and attacked him. Then, Link asked why he beat up the old guy (having missed out on the action), and so Marth punished him as well. Finally, Meryl walked in on the scene and apparently blew up at Marth and started yelling at him."
"So then he slapped her with his glove," Impa guessed. The princess nodded. "Yep, sounds like something Marth would do."
"Doesn't it?" Zelda sighed. "That arrogant snob is the last man I'd ever want to live with."
Impa turned her back and frowned. King Harkinian had informed her of the engagment. Once they were married, Zelda would no longer need Impa's services. Unless of course, Marth wanted her to stay--and I'm sure you can guess what the chances are of that happening.
About twenty minutes later, Zelda was in the middle of eating lunch. As could be expected, the two kings and Marth were with her.
"I really do hate to bring this up during lunch," said King Harkinian. "But Zelda, why did you dishonor Prince Marth and myself so today?"
Zelda looked up at her father. "Simply because I thought that what Marth was doing was unjust."
"Those peasants were outspoken and needed punishment," Marth defended himself.
"That's not what I mean," Zelda lied. "But it's like what I said before. One should not come to another country and expect to be able to take control of it. Hyrule is not your kingdom, Marth, and I felt only like I was doing my duty to protect it."
King Harkinian and King Lowell exchanged glances. "V-Very well then," Harkinian stated. "Forgive me if I made you feel accused, daughter."
"No need to ask for an apology," Zelda said, even though she felt that there was. "I just wanted to speak about how I felt."
"I'm glad you did," Marth commented. "Now I can feel guiltless, and I know that I have not displeased you."
You wanna bet? Zelda thought sourly.
Link sat in his den, sharpening a dagger. It was true that a (peasant) tournament was coming up, and he needed to prepare for it. He'd been spending a surprisingly large amount of time with the princess for the past few days. Not that it bothered him at all, but he felt that he really needed to practice for it.
Many times, people told him that he shouldn't bother with practice. He was the best swordsman among the peasants, and had barely any competition whatsoever. King Harkinian had been right to choose him to rescue Princess Zelda (or so thought the townspeople).
Sighing, Link walked outside to his backyard. He took a daisy from a flower bed growing by his house. Using a pin, he attatched a petal to the trunk of a tree. Link took sixty paces back. Concentrating hard, he threw the dagger at the petal--and it hit.
Smiling to himself, Link went to retrieve the dagger. He replaced the petal with another one, and ducked back inside. The warrior came back with a bow and some arrows. Aiming perfectly again, he shot his arrow. Another bullseye (what a surprise there).
He lowered his bow and sat down. Perhaps his neighbors were right. Link didn't really need practice--he was already great. Or maybe he was just lying to himself to get rest. Rest was all he really wanted.
Sighing again, Link walked back inside to his room.
Zelda skipped up the staircase to her room. Impa was dragging along behind, heaving huge breaths and trying desperately to keep up.
"If you please, Princess," Impa huffed. "May we slow down, or at least rest a moment?"
"Oh Impa, you're so slow," Zelda complained, stopping. She waited for her nursemaid to catch up.
"In case you didn't notice, I've been walking at a reasonably normal speed," Impa defended. "It is you that have been bouncing on air."
Zelda sighed, and smiled, walking into her bedroom. "I know, I'm sorry. I just feel so happy remembering something that happened today!"
"So I guessed," Impa said between breaths. She collapsed onto Zelda's bed. "What's the occasion?"
"Impa, you've got to promise never to tell my father or anyone else what I'm about to tell you," Zelda whispered.
Immediately, Impa sat up. "What?" She loved secrets.
Zelda laughed. "I feel like I'm betraying myself for telling you this, but if I don't tell someone I think I'll burst!"
"What is it? Tell me!" Impa started bouncing a little on the bed.
"I kissed Link today!"
"YOU WHAT?!" Impa yelled.
"I kissed his shoulder," Zelda confessed, smiling helplessly at Impa's shock. "It was wounded you see, and I only felt that I should. Especially considering the fact that my horse was part of the cause of it's injury."
Impa looked her in the eyes and started laughing. "I never thought you'd get the nerve! But your secret's safe with me, princess."
Sighing with relief, Zelda lay back on her bed. "Thanks Impa, I knew I could trust you. Oh, if only I knew how he took it!"
"What, didn't you ask?" Impa inquired, standing up and looking utterly puzzled.
"Oh, of course not!" Zelda answered. "You don't just ask people things like that, you'll sound like an idiot. Besides, I left right after I did it."
"That's funny," Impa decided. "But I'll trouble you no longer. Good night, princess."
"Good-night, Impa."
Smiling, Impa shut the door. Frowning, she tromped back down the stairs. She knew Zelda was about to have her heart broken. It was obvious to Impa that the princess was beginning to fall in love--with a peasant.
As she rounded the corner, Impa's frown became even worse. The nursemaid knew that Zelda was betrothed to the Prince Marth, and she'd have no hope of ever getting together with Link. And after the May festivity, Zelda would probably never see him again.