Disclaimer: See chapter 1 Chapter 4: Zelda's Birthday Ball The next month and a half passed in a blur. Soon it was only two days till the ball. Link was eating lunch with Zelda when the King approached him. "Link what will you be wearing to the ball? All I ever see you in is those three diferent colored tunics." he looked quite exited about the ball.

"That would probably be because I only own two goron tunics, two Zora tunics, and like ten Korki tunics. Plus three different types of boots, three sheilds one of which I can't use anymore, and my wepons. That is about it. that is all I really need. Well up till now."Link told the king a bit embarassed at being able to name everything he owned.

"Well then we must have the tailor measure you so you can have a new outfit. See the tailor after you finish eating."

The tailor was a kind looking older man and very energetic. "Ah the Hero of Time. We must have an extra special outfit for you. Lets see will you be carring your wepons to the ball?"

"Yes for safty perposes. Not much though. I need to clean my sheild and sword though. I will wear my Korki Boots as they are confortable and in good shape. If your curious the sheild is red outlining with a mirror in the center. Its my best looking sheild." Link replied standing patiently while the man measured him.

"I have just the thing." the tailor went straight to work. ************************************************************************** The next day no one was allowed to see the Princess until the ball. Even Link was banned from seeing her. The closest he was allowed to come while she was making her decision was about five feet from the door. He didn't leave that spot for most of the day. When the time came to get ready for the Ball he casually walked by her door toward his own room. No one noticed the letter he slipped under her door.

Zelda was getting ready for the ball debating which of the self-centered suitors would be least painful to marry. Then she saw the letter come under her door. She smilied knowing it had to be from Link as he was the only one likely to be allowed on the same floor. The advantage he had as her protector.

she unfoldeed the paper and read:

Zelda, First off, Happy Birthday. I can't give you your present as I am not allowed within five feet of your door. Heh heh. I probably will be lucky to give you this. Anyway I would like to have the first dance with you if you'll let me. I also wanted to tell you before all the major pressure is on, I will always be there for you no matter what happens. one last thing though as the next time I see you I will be talking to an engaged woman I want you to know that everything I do for you is out of love. Therefore I will never stop doing things to protect you. I love you very much and if you want you can consider me a suitor. If you don't I won't mind I will still consider myself your friend. Well I have to go get ready. Tommorow I will give you your birthday gift so until tonight. Love, Link

Zelda finished getting ready with a smile on her face. The letter cheered her up and someone actually remembered it was her birthday.She sighed. Time for the ball that will change my life.

Everyone was in the ballroom waiting for the princess to show up. the doors began to open and everyone craned their necks to see her. She came out in a beautiful gown that would be easy to dance in but appropriate for the guest of honor. What made her look even more beautiful was the genuine smile on her face.

She walked to the head table and sat next to her father. Her father leaned over and asked her if she had been able to decide on her suitor. She nodded and the banquet began. After they ate Zelda watched as her father stood up to get everyone's attentin. "My daughter has informed me she has chosen who she will marry. I have no idea who it is so I ask that all the men please stand and she shall share the first dance with her husband to be."

Zelda walked down the line of men to `pick' her suitor. She did not even look at the men she had spent time with in the last couple of months and headed straight to the end of the line. There she stood in front of a young man wearing a dark red longsleeved shirt and some black trosers over his neatly polished korki boots. His blond hair was combed unlike it usually was and his mirror shield gleamed over his newly sharpened Master Sword.

"Can I have this dance?" Zelda asked Link smiling. He smiled as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Zelda caught sight of her fathers open mouth and smiled at him. The music began and they danced. Link finally broke the silence.

"This isn't a dream is it? You really do mean it and are not just giving me the first dance because I asked for the first dance right?" Link asked quietly as they danced.

"It's real. I love you Link I was just afraid to say it."Zelda replied in his ear moving closer.

The song ended and they made their way to her father who still had his mouth open. "You know Your Highness that if you keep your jaw like that it is likely to fall off." Link joked.

King Harkinian closed his mouth then finally managed to get out "but you... not even a... how...why."he stopped realising he wasn't exactly making sense.

"Daddy, I love him and I want to marry him. Not any of these other men here."

This seemed to bring back the King's vocalcoards. "But he isn't even a suitor. Do you even know if he loves you back? How did this happen? Why him?"

Link cut in. "Your Highness you even said yourself once that I only had your daughters best intrests at heart. This is true. I love your daughter. I haven't taken anything but food for survival for protecting your daughter all these years because if anything happened to her I would not be able to live with myself. if I were protecting her just for the money I would have left her alone with that piece of filth that tried to rape her. I didn't though and then not only did I care enough to follow and save her I cared enough to sit in her room all night to confort her. By the way I am a suitor as I asked her this afternoon. I have been the only one to wish her a happy birthday and tell her it doesn't matter to me who she weds as long as they treat her right and either way I would still be her friend. I have known her since I was ten. When I was saving the kingdom from Gannondorf it was for her. I fought Gannondorf because he captured her. Are you getting the point here? I love your daughter. I have for a while."

"Daddy if you think about it it makes perfect sense. Who better for the Princess of Hyrule than the Hero of Time? Who would make a better King the honest hardworking Hero of Time or someone else?" Zelda finished explaining to her father. Some of the other men had been eavesdropping.

"This boy is the Hero of time? And here I thought the Hero of Time was tough." one man said.

This caught Zelda's attention so she wirled around to face the man. "Are you mocking my future husband?"

"Are you marring him because you believe those foolish stories about the Hero who could travel through time and holds part of the Triforce?"the man shook his head. "Those are just fairy tales."

"For your information I hold part of the Triforce and he holds the other two parts. He also holds the power of the sages. And yes I believe the stories I was there in a glass prison but there all the same. You want proof. Link hold out your right hand."Zelda defended him.

Link did as he was told and when she held her own hand out next to his he saw once again the glow of the courage portion and was shocked to also see the power portion. On her hand the glow of the wisdom part shined brightly.

King Harkinian watched in amazement. "I knew you held one portion each but all three? How--?"

"When Link defeated Gannondorf and we locked him in the spritual relm the other portion of the triforce went to link. As he was the one with the master sword. Mine stayed with me therefore if we were to be married and become one the Triforce would become one again. hyrule would then be a prosperous nation as Link would be the one to touch it we already know he has a pure heart as he is the Hero of Time and has already passed all the tests." Zelda stated answering her father's unfinished question.

"I had decided to let you be married already but this just enforced it. Now everyone enjoy the ball." The king finally reminded everyone that it was a ball.

"Brother!!!" a voice boomed over the crowd. Link's eyes widened. Dudandria, the Goron leader. The big goron hurried over and tried to embrace Link but when Link moved he settled for a pat on the shoulder knocking Link to the ground. he quickly recovered.

"why weren't we invited to the party?" the Goron said gesturing to the other five sages.

"for once it wasn't my fault. Can't blame me this time." Link said.

"i was in charge of the invites but you must have slipped my mind i was a bit preoccupied that I would have to chose someone to marry today. Forgive me."Zelda spoke up. "Impa!"she exclaimed as she spotted her old protector. She ran and hugged her.

The King looked clueless as to who these people were.

Link stepped forward."Let me make introductions for the majority who don't know you. These are the sages that guard the kingdom. Raru who i thought lived in the sacred relm well anyway he is the sage of light, Saria sage of the forest, Duandria ruler of the Gorons and sage of fire, Roto Princess of the Zora and sage of water, Impa once nursemaid and protector to the Princess and sage of shadow, and last but not least, Nabooru leader of the Gerudo sage of the spirits. the sages and gardians of the sacred relm where the Triforce will return when it is returned to its complete state." Link finished avoiding Ruto's gaze.

Zelda watched in amazement as Ruto walked up to Link. She smacked him and then hugged him. He gave her a questioning glance.

"The smack was for breaking you're earlier promise and the hug was as congrats on finally telling Zelda how you feel." she paused and smacked him again. He glared at her. "For whatever stupid thing you do next." This made everyone laugh.

Zelda kissed him and then wispered "you have to tell me what the first one was for."

"Now lets dance." the king gestured to the floor and Zelda and Link led the way. The king chose to dance with Impa and caught up on what she had been doing for the last seven years.

"Basicly watching over these two. They cause alot of trouble you know." Impa told him.

Meanwhile Link wispered to Zelda that he may not have a ring for her but he would give her his most prized possestion for an engagement gift. He stopped dancing and unhooked his neclace that the tailor had tried to get him to take off. He had refused as that was his most prized possesion. He put the necklace on her neck and continued dancing.

Saria who was dancing with raru saw this and told raru "He must really love her. That necklace is all of he knows of his mother."

Raru smiled "Yes they will bring Hyrule to prosperity with their union."