Zelda was about to walk into the dining room the next morning, when
Impa grabbed her arm.
"Ow--Impa, what is it?"
"I put Forty Winks Cattail in your father's and Prince Marth's food this morning. You know what that plant does, right?"
"Makes who ever eats it fall asleep for a whole day, doesn't it?"
"Yes. So you might find the time to go visit a certain someone down in the dungeons..."
"Oh yes, you're right! Thank you so much, Impa!"
"Only doing my job," Impa laughed. "Making sure you're happy."
Smiling broadly, Zelda rushed into the dining room. "Goood morning, father!" she exclaimed.
"Good morning, Zelda," he said, slightly confused at why she was so brilliantly happy. Suddenly, his face plopped down onto his plate.
"That's strange," Marth remarked, taking his fork out of his mouth. "What was-" His head abruptly fell down onto the table as well.
"Ooh, yes, it worked!" Zelda squealed. She rushed out of the room. Moving quickly, the princess descended the eastern steps. She came to a stop at a door.
Not quite sure of what to do, Zelda knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" came a gruff voice from behind it.
"Me, Princess Zelda.
"I'm sorry, princess--your father won't allow me to let you inside. And don't try arguing, it's pointless." He slammed the door shut loudly.
Zelda stared at the door with annoyance. She started walking in place, eventually making her footsteps sound softer. She knocked again.
"Who's there?" came the voice.
The princess cleared her throat, speaking as deeply as she could. "It is I, King Harknian. Let me in." Her voice cracked a bit, but convincing enough for an impersonation of her father.
The door opened, and the guard's eyes widened. But before he could say/do anything, Zelda kicked him in the gut. He doubled over, and she grabbed his sword. She hit his helmet with the hilt, and he collapsed to the ground.
Zelda quickly ran down the stairway. She ran into a group of guards. Apparently, her father hadn't spoken to them--they bowed and waited for her to speak to them.
"If you please gentlemen," she said. "Could one of you take me to the cell where...Link, the Kokiri boy, is being kept?"
"Follow me, princess."
A guard motioned for her to follow him down a passageway. They stopped at a large wooden door. Neither of them moved. Crickets chirped.
"Um...could...I go...in, please?"
"Certainly, princess."
The guard unlocked the door for her, and closed it quickly once she was inside.
Link, who had been sitting on a wooden bench, looked up. Zelda ran to him and into his arms.
"Oh Link, I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I'm so sorry; I feel so guilty!"
"Don't apologize," Link whispered, stroking her hair. "It isn't your fault at all. It's..."
"I know," Zelda sputtered. "It really is Marth's fault. I can't believe his nerve! He was the one that challenged you to mortal combat, and then you were wrongly accused of kidnapping me!"
"It's all right princess. I'll get out of here at some point. Besides, I think that you're getting a little too choked up about me."
"No I'm not!" Zelda sniffed. "Link, you have no idea how empty my days have been for the past few weeks. And until last night, I wasn't sure why I felt that way. B-but now, I...I do."
"It's been the same way for me too. Only...I think I knew all along why my days have been miserable."
Zelda looked up at him with tearful eyes. She slowly slid her hand behind his neck, and pulled his face closer to her own. Link was already way ahead of her.
He kissed her mouth softly. Gently at first, but then became less tense. Gradually, Zelda slid down on the bench, into something of a lying position, pulling Link's shirt collar down with her. She caressed the back of his neck and shoulder blades, pressing her lips against his harder.
The two elves jumped apart when there was a knock at the door.
"By your father's order, visitors are only permitted ten minutes," came a voice from behind it. "You're time's nearly up, princess."
"All right."
Zelda sat up, shaking her head. She looked up at Link. The princess knew how difficult leaving him here would be. "Link, before I go, I just want you to know t-that I...uh..." Crying softly, Zelda threw her arms around him again. "I love you, Link! Oh Goddesses, so much!"
Link sighed. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that. I've been wondering for a long time what you felt."
"Well, you know now."
Another knock was heard. "Time's up, princess."
Zelda glanced back up at Link. "Kiss me."
Unable to say no, Link drew her close once more.
"Ow--Impa, what is it?"
"I put Forty Winks Cattail in your father's and Prince Marth's food this morning. You know what that plant does, right?"
"Makes who ever eats it fall asleep for a whole day, doesn't it?"
"Yes. So you might find the time to go visit a certain someone down in the dungeons..."
"Oh yes, you're right! Thank you so much, Impa!"
"Only doing my job," Impa laughed. "Making sure you're happy."
Smiling broadly, Zelda rushed into the dining room. "Goood morning, father!" she exclaimed.
"Good morning, Zelda," he said, slightly confused at why she was so brilliantly happy. Suddenly, his face plopped down onto his plate.
"That's strange," Marth remarked, taking his fork out of his mouth. "What was-" His head abruptly fell down onto the table as well.
"Ooh, yes, it worked!" Zelda squealed. She rushed out of the room. Moving quickly, the princess descended the eastern steps. She came to a stop at a door.
Not quite sure of what to do, Zelda knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" came a gruff voice from behind it.
"Me, Princess Zelda.
"I'm sorry, princess--your father won't allow me to let you inside. And don't try arguing, it's pointless." He slammed the door shut loudly.
Zelda stared at the door with annoyance. She started walking in place, eventually making her footsteps sound softer. She knocked again.
"Who's there?" came the voice.
The princess cleared her throat, speaking as deeply as she could. "It is I, King Harknian. Let me in." Her voice cracked a bit, but convincing enough for an impersonation of her father.
The door opened, and the guard's eyes widened. But before he could say/do anything, Zelda kicked him in the gut. He doubled over, and she grabbed his sword. She hit his helmet with the hilt, and he collapsed to the ground.
Zelda quickly ran down the stairway. She ran into a group of guards. Apparently, her father hadn't spoken to them--they bowed and waited for her to speak to them.
"If you please gentlemen," she said. "Could one of you take me to the cell where...Link, the Kokiri boy, is being kept?"
"Follow me, princess."
A guard motioned for her to follow him down a passageway. They stopped at a large wooden door. Neither of them moved. Crickets chirped.
"Um...could...I go...in, please?"
"Certainly, princess."
The guard unlocked the door for her, and closed it quickly once she was inside.
Link, who had been sitting on a wooden bench, looked up. Zelda ran to him and into his arms.
"Oh Link, I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I'm so sorry; I feel so guilty!"
"Don't apologize," Link whispered, stroking her hair. "It isn't your fault at all. It's..."
"I know," Zelda sputtered. "It really is Marth's fault. I can't believe his nerve! He was the one that challenged you to mortal combat, and then you were wrongly accused of kidnapping me!"
"It's all right princess. I'll get out of here at some point. Besides, I think that you're getting a little too choked up about me."
"No I'm not!" Zelda sniffed. "Link, you have no idea how empty my days have been for the past few weeks. And until last night, I wasn't sure why I felt that way. B-but now, I...I do."
"It's been the same way for me too. Only...I think I knew all along why my days have been miserable."
Zelda looked up at him with tearful eyes. She slowly slid her hand behind his neck, and pulled his face closer to her own. Link was already way ahead of her.
He kissed her mouth softly. Gently at first, but then became less tense. Gradually, Zelda slid down on the bench, into something of a lying position, pulling Link's shirt collar down with her. She caressed the back of his neck and shoulder blades, pressing her lips against his harder.
The two elves jumped apart when there was a knock at the door.
"By your father's order, visitors are only permitted ten minutes," came a voice from behind it. "You're time's nearly up, princess."
"All right."
Zelda sat up, shaking her head. She looked up at Link. The princess knew how difficult leaving him here would be. "Link, before I go, I just want you to know t-that I...uh..." Crying softly, Zelda threw her arms around him again. "I love you, Link! Oh Goddesses, so much!"
Link sighed. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that. I've been wondering for a long time what you felt."
"Well, you know now."
Another knock was heard. "Time's up, princess."
Zelda glanced back up at Link. "Kiss me."
Unable to say no, Link drew her close once more.