They were extremely joyous! And they belonged to Impa and Meryl.
Smiling from ear to ear, Meryl wiped away a tear.
"I'm so happy for them! It's such a relief knowing the heir to Hyrule cares for her people!"
"An awful lot!" Impa laughed. Then she stopped. "Oh no, wait...this is very bad. I completely forgot."
"Forgot what?"
Making sure no one else was listening, Impa leaned closer to her friend. "Listen Meryl--I'm going to let you in on a secret. You must promise me not to tell anyone, ESPECIALLY Zelda or Link."
"All right! I love secrets!"
"Well, I'm not so sure you'll love this one. You know Prince Marth, don't you?"
"How could I not?! He almost killed my father!"
"Well...he and Princess Zelda have been betrothed since birth."
Meryl's eyes widened. "What?!"
Impa nodded solemnly. "The poor princess. She doesn't even know about it herself. Her heart's going to be smashed into a million pieces. She's going to die a miserable, poor woman, and I'll bet her father won't even give a da-"
"Impa? What are you doing over here?"
Meryl and Impa quickly turned around. They had been squatting next to a window which was partially covered by a palm. The two of them were facing King Harkinian and Marth.
"Uh...we were just...admiring that beautiful...dogwood over there."
King Harkinian wasn't fooled. "All right Impa, what're you hiding?"
"Nothing, sire."
The King roughly shoved her and Meryl aside. His eyes practically popped out of his head when he looked outside the window. Unfortunately, Link and Zelda were still passionately kissing. By this point, the princess had backed up against a tree, with Link still tight in her grasp.
"I think you'd better take a look at this!" King Harkinian bellowed at Prince Marth.
Marth did so, and immediately his face turned deep red. "That peasant is going to be sorry he was ever born!" He turned and ran out of the castle, motioning for a few guards to follow him. King Harkinian walked away to Lowell.
"Oh no," Meryl whispered.
Impa sighed. "He's gonna get it now."
Outside, Zelda pushed away from Link. "I hear footsteps!"
"Not a good sign," Link whispered. Instantly, they moved away from each other.
"There you are, you peasant grime!" Marth yelled, coming up to them. He stepped towards the princess. "Zelda, are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Marth, what are you talking about?!" Zelda cried, shoving away from him. "He didn't do anything!"
"What exactly are you doing?" Link asked.
Marth swiveled towards him. "You shut up! I thought you'd learned your lesson about talking back to a prince! Oh yes, and that reminds me-- you're under arrest."
Zelda stared in silent horror as two burly guards grabbed Link's arms. "What was my crime?!" he shouted.
"Let me put it nice and simple for you. First of all, you tried to murder me. Then, you tried to kidnap the princess tonight!"
"That's not true!" Zelda shouted, finally finding her voice. "Link's innocent, he didn't do anything!"
"And now I see that you threatened her to speak in your favor if you got caught! Throw him into the dungeons, guards!"
Not putting up much of a struggle, Link was dragged away. Zelda stood up and faced Marth.
"What in Din's name do you think you're doing?!"
"My duty."
With tearful eyes, Zelda slapped Marth sharply across the face. Before he had a chance to react, she ran off into the darkness.
Zelda didn't stop running until she reached the south tower steps. She stopped for a breath, then ran all the way up to her room. Sobbing uncontrollably, the princess threw herself onto her bed.
Now Zelda knew why she had missed Link so terribly for those last two weeks. She loved him. And now he was in jail, and he was she felt that it was partially her fault. But there was really nothing to do about it.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Go away!" Zelda cried.
The door slowly opened. "Princess, it's me, Impa." She closed the entrance behind her.
Still crying, Zelda turned to face her nursemaid. Impa sat down on the bed next to her, and put her arms around the princess.
"It's all right, sweet heart. It's okay."
"No, it's not!" Zelda sobbed, breathing heavily and choking on her tears. "Everything's awful!"
"Not your relationship with Link," Impa pointed out innocently. Zelda wailed even harder, burying her face deeper into Impa's shoulder. "Oh, for goodness sakes, Zelda! Calm down!" The princess did not calm down. Impa sighed with annoyance. "Must we go back to this? Take three deep breaths. Come on."
"Impa, that never works!"
"Will you just try it?"
Reluctantly, Zelda breathed in three times. It always worked. "I hate it when you're right."
Impa smiled a little, then frowned again. "I have to admit it, princess. I've never seen you cry like this since your mother died. What could have possibly made you this upset?"
Silent tears were still streaming down Zelda's face, but she was able to answer without choking. "M-Marth put Link under arrest!"
"Now why should he do that?"
"He said Link tried to kill him; you know, when they did the mortal combat thing. And then he said that Link tried to kidnap me!"
"Well, where would he get that from?" Impa asked. "I mean, it's not like you were doing anything with Link to suggest that, were you?" Zelda blinked and stared at Impa. The nursemaid sighed. "Okay, okay. I saw you two outside. Meryl and I were kind of spying on you."
"Thanks," Zelda sniffed sarcastically. "But I just couldn't help myself! Oh Impa, I love Link so much! And now I feel that I'm the one that landed him in jail! What can I do?"
"Don't blame yourself," Impa comforted. "I'll help you bail him out."
"I'm not allowed to bail anyone out!" Zelda cried. "My father says it's not fair, because I have so much money!!"
"Okayyy, bailing--bad idea."
"Please Impa, I just want to get some sleep."
"I understand, princess. Good-night."
"Good-night." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Impa, why didn't you tell me immediately?!"
"Because I was doing what I felt was right, sire."
King Harkinian, Marth, and Impa were all in the study. The king was asking her questions as to why she didn't inform them sooner about Link's "crime against the crown."
"What was right?!" Marth yelled in disbelief.
"Yes, majesty." Impa turned towards him. "I went to Zelda earlier this evening. She told me that she was merely giving Link the just reward he deserved for winning the tournament two weeks ago."
"He didn't deserve a prize!" Marth screeched.
"Actually, he kind of did," King Harknian said. "He did win the thing fair and square."
"Zelda is a very fair person," Impa sighed, trying not to laugh. "What more can I say?"
"You can get out of this room, you hired hand!"
Bowing slightly, Impa exited the study. Immediately, she ran west to Lake Hylia.
"Come on, come on," she whispered to herself frantically.
Impa was searching for a plant called Forty Winks Cattail. If you were to grind it all up, it would resemble flour. If someone were to eat it, they would instantly fall asleep.
Eventually, Impa found what she was looking for. She picked two clumps of them, and rushed back to the kitchens
"I'm so happy for them! It's such a relief knowing the heir to Hyrule cares for her people!"
"An awful lot!" Impa laughed. Then she stopped. "Oh no, wait...this is very bad. I completely forgot."
"Forgot what?"
Making sure no one else was listening, Impa leaned closer to her friend. "Listen Meryl--I'm going to let you in on a secret. You must promise me not to tell anyone, ESPECIALLY Zelda or Link."
"All right! I love secrets!"
"Well, I'm not so sure you'll love this one. You know Prince Marth, don't you?"
"How could I not?! He almost killed my father!"
"Well...he and Princess Zelda have been betrothed since birth."
Meryl's eyes widened. "What?!"
Impa nodded solemnly. "The poor princess. She doesn't even know about it herself. Her heart's going to be smashed into a million pieces. She's going to die a miserable, poor woman, and I'll bet her father won't even give a da-"
"Impa? What are you doing over here?"
Meryl and Impa quickly turned around. They had been squatting next to a window which was partially covered by a palm. The two of them were facing King Harkinian and Marth.
"Uh...we were just...admiring that beautiful...dogwood over there."
King Harkinian wasn't fooled. "All right Impa, what're you hiding?"
"Nothing, sire."
The King roughly shoved her and Meryl aside. His eyes practically popped out of his head when he looked outside the window. Unfortunately, Link and Zelda were still passionately kissing. By this point, the princess had backed up against a tree, with Link still tight in her grasp.
"I think you'd better take a look at this!" King Harkinian bellowed at Prince Marth.
Marth did so, and immediately his face turned deep red. "That peasant is going to be sorry he was ever born!" He turned and ran out of the castle, motioning for a few guards to follow him. King Harkinian walked away to Lowell.
"Oh no," Meryl whispered.
Impa sighed. "He's gonna get it now."
Outside, Zelda pushed away from Link. "I hear footsteps!"
"Not a good sign," Link whispered. Instantly, they moved away from each other.
"There you are, you peasant grime!" Marth yelled, coming up to them. He stepped towards the princess. "Zelda, are you all right? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"Marth, what are you talking about?!" Zelda cried, shoving away from him. "He didn't do anything!"
"What exactly are you doing?" Link asked.
Marth swiveled towards him. "You shut up! I thought you'd learned your lesson about talking back to a prince! Oh yes, and that reminds me-- you're under arrest."
Zelda stared in silent horror as two burly guards grabbed Link's arms. "What was my crime?!" he shouted.
"Let me put it nice and simple for you. First of all, you tried to murder me. Then, you tried to kidnap the princess tonight!"
"That's not true!" Zelda shouted, finally finding her voice. "Link's innocent, he didn't do anything!"
"And now I see that you threatened her to speak in your favor if you got caught! Throw him into the dungeons, guards!"
Not putting up much of a struggle, Link was dragged away. Zelda stood up and faced Marth.
"What in Din's name do you think you're doing?!"
"My duty."
With tearful eyes, Zelda slapped Marth sharply across the face. Before he had a chance to react, she ran off into the darkness.
Zelda didn't stop running until she reached the south tower steps. She stopped for a breath, then ran all the way up to her room. Sobbing uncontrollably, the princess threw herself onto her bed.
Now Zelda knew why she had missed Link so terribly for those last two weeks. She loved him. And now he was in jail, and he was she felt that it was partially her fault. But there was really nothing to do about it.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Go away!" Zelda cried.
The door slowly opened. "Princess, it's me, Impa." She closed the entrance behind her.
Still crying, Zelda turned to face her nursemaid. Impa sat down on the bed next to her, and put her arms around the princess.
"It's all right, sweet heart. It's okay."
"No, it's not!" Zelda sobbed, breathing heavily and choking on her tears. "Everything's awful!"
"Not your relationship with Link," Impa pointed out innocently. Zelda wailed even harder, burying her face deeper into Impa's shoulder. "Oh, for goodness sakes, Zelda! Calm down!" The princess did not calm down. Impa sighed with annoyance. "Must we go back to this? Take three deep breaths. Come on."
"Impa, that never works!"
"Will you just try it?"
Reluctantly, Zelda breathed in three times. It always worked. "I hate it when you're right."
Impa smiled a little, then frowned again. "I have to admit it, princess. I've never seen you cry like this since your mother died. What could have possibly made you this upset?"
Silent tears were still streaming down Zelda's face, but she was able to answer without choking. "M-Marth put Link under arrest!"
"Now why should he do that?"
"He said Link tried to kill him; you know, when they did the mortal combat thing. And then he said that Link tried to kidnap me!"
"Well, where would he get that from?" Impa asked. "I mean, it's not like you were doing anything with Link to suggest that, were you?" Zelda blinked and stared at Impa. The nursemaid sighed. "Okay, okay. I saw you two outside. Meryl and I were kind of spying on you."
"Thanks," Zelda sniffed sarcastically. "But I just couldn't help myself! Oh Impa, I love Link so much! And now I feel that I'm the one that landed him in jail! What can I do?"
"Don't blame yourself," Impa comforted. "I'll help you bail him out."
"I'm not allowed to bail anyone out!" Zelda cried. "My father says it's not fair, because I have so much money!!"
"Okayyy, bailing--bad idea."
"Please Impa, I just want to get some sleep."
"I understand, princess. Good-night."
"Good-night." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Impa, why didn't you tell me immediately?!"
"Because I was doing what I felt was right, sire."
King Harkinian, Marth, and Impa were all in the study. The king was asking her questions as to why she didn't inform them sooner about Link's "crime against the crown."
"What was right?!" Marth yelled in disbelief.
"Yes, majesty." Impa turned towards him. "I went to Zelda earlier this evening. She told me that she was merely giving Link the just reward he deserved for winning the tournament two weeks ago."
"He didn't deserve a prize!" Marth screeched.
"Actually, he kind of did," King Harknian said. "He did win the thing fair and square."
"Zelda is a very fair person," Impa sighed, trying not to laugh. "What more can I say?"
"You can get out of this room, you hired hand!"
Bowing slightly, Impa exited the study. Immediately, she ran west to Lake Hylia.
"Come on, come on," she whispered to herself frantically.
Impa was searching for a plant called Forty Winks Cattail. If you were to grind it all up, it would resemble flour. If someone were to eat it, they would instantly fall asleep.
Eventually, Impa found what she was looking for. She picked two clumps of them, and rushed back to the kitchens