Chapter Seven
Zelda and Link saw each other often after the ball. Their love had grown deeper and stronger each time they met.
One day, Link ad Zelda met at Hylia Lake. They both wore their tunics over breeches and shirts with boots but they stripped off their tunics and boots for swimming. They both dived in, feeling the cool water cover their bodies. Zelda gasped for air when she reached the surface. She looked at the night colored lake. It was a beautiful day with hardly any clouds in the sky and the sun was high and beautiful.
After a while of day- dreaming, she realized that Link hadn't come up from the lake yet.
She spun around in the water frantically calling "Link! Link!" She felt something grab her from behind and spun around to see it was Link.
"Hah!" he said, "You should've seen the look on your face!" He laughed, holding his belly as if he had a cramp.
"Oh, you think so?" said Zelda in a mischievous whisper. Link was so distracted laughing that he didn't notice Zelda had pushed him under.
That wasn't funny Zelda he thought as he swam up to the surface. He was facing Zelda when he came up. She was laughing, imitating Link. He pulled her in close and kissed her a few times, pulling away each kiss. Zelda rested her head on his shoulder and he stroked her hair. Zelda pulled away and splashed Link.
"Catch me if you can!" she teased. Link followed after her and they played this until the end of the day.
When they got out, Zelda slipped on her tunic while she took off her wet clothes behind a bush. While she was doing that, Link was doing the same behind a tree. They came out and started walking with each other, lacing their fingers.
They departed when they got to the palace and Zelda went straight to her room. While she was undressing, she heard a knock on the door. She grabbed a silk, violet colored robe and placed it on while walking to the door. She opened it to Impa, who was wearing her normal, everyday clothes.
"Your father would like to meet you when you're ready," she said.
"Thank you," said Zelda shutting the door. Why would my father want to see me? Zelda asked herself as she walked back to her wardrobe. She cleared that thought from her mind and picked out an outfit suitable enough to see her father.
She chose a sleeve-less long, purple tunic with a gold shawl. She quickly tamed her damp, knotted hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail. She slipped on a pair of shoes and met her father in the den.
The den had hardwood floors with a giant carpet in the middle. On the walls were portraits of the Royal Family. On the wall to the left was a stone fireplace that had a low flame. Next to the fireplace was a desk with a chair. To the right were 2 windows above a velvet sofa and lounge chair. Her father sat on the chair and her mother sat on the sofa.
Zelda walked into the room looking from her father to her mother and back. The king stood up with a smile on his face. He wore a white shirt and breeches under a gold tunic with a green trim and brown boots. Zelda curtsied. Even though it was her father, she needed to show respect.
"Come. Sit by your mother. We need to talk," he said gesturing his hand to the sofa. Zelda did as she was told and sat next to her mother. She wore a red dress with elbow length sleeves. Her brown hair was pulled back into a low bun.
"What did you want to discuss?" Zelda asked her father, looking him straight into the eyes.
"You have come of age to be betrothed to a prince and marry," he said sitting down and folding his hands.
"What do you mean?"
"It's time we find you a husband Zelda. I think you are ready to be betrothed."
He looked at Zelda who had a look of disbelief on her face.
"But I don't want to marry a prince. What if I don't like him?" asked Zelda. The queen gazed at her, a warning look in her eyes. Zelda didn't look at her mother. "What if I love somebody else?" she asked.
"You don't though and that's why I have arranged a meeting for you and the prince tomorrow afternoon at tea time," her father said.
"What?!" exclaimed Zelda, "You can't do that! I have plans tomorrow! You can't—."
"Enough is enough!" boomed her father standing up. "I've arranged it whether you like it or not!"
"Well I'm not going and you can't make me!" screamed Zelda as she stood up and she stomped out of the room.
"You come back here right now! You can't do that!" her father yelled after her.
"Watch me!" The discussion was over. Zelda was so upset that she ran to the stables, jumped on Royal and galloped off to Link's house. I need to tell Link about this. Maybe he can get me out of this situation thought Zelda.
She got to Link's in a matter of minutes. She jumped off Royal and knocked on the door lightly. Link opened the door and said, "Zelda? What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you".
"It's a long story" she said, "Can I come in? I know this is unexpected but I need to talk to you".
"Sure."
Zelda walked into the kitchen and turned around to face Link, who had just shut the door. He wore his usual outfit and looked at Zelda. He could see the tears in her eyes.
"Oh Link!" Zelda said as she ran into Link's arms, rubbing her tear -covered face on his shirt.
"Shhshh," he whispered wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair. He pulled her away and asked, "What's wrong?" Zelda had to wait a while before she could answer. Link wiped away her tears with his hand.
"Oh Link! My father says he thinks I'm ready to marry and he wants me to meet a prince tomorrow and I don't want to meet this guy because I love you and I'm so confused," she said speaking rapidly.
"Hold on," said Link chuckling a little. "Start over and speak slower".
"My father wants me to meet a prince tomorrow who he wants me to marry and I don't want to do either," she said looking down at the floor so Link wouldn't see the tears starting in her eyes again. "I'm so confused" she whispered.
Link lifted up her chin so their eyes could meet. He held her close so she wouldn't see that he was also starting to form tears in his eyes. "I don't want to loose you," he whispered into her hair.
"I don't want to loose you either," said Zelda resting her head on his shoulder.
They stood there in silence until Link asked, "Would you like some tea to calm you down?"
"Sure" said Zelda as they sat down at the kitchen table. He poured himself and Zelda a cup of tea. They both sipped their tea in silence before any one spoke.
"Link?" asked Zelda. Link looked up from his tea and into her eyes. "I think I may have a plan but I'm not sure if it will work."
Link put his cup down and looked at Zelda with concern in his eyes.
"If you think about running away you know I will try and stop you. You could get hurt or killed. If that happened I could never forgive myself. So if you're planning on running away, I'm coming with you," he said.
Zelda smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now here's my plan."
Zelda and Link saw each other often after the ball. Their love had grown deeper and stronger each time they met.
One day, Link ad Zelda met at Hylia Lake. They both wore their tunics over breeches and shirts with boots but they stripped off their tunics and boots for swimming. They both dived in, feeling the cool water cover their bodies. Zelda gasped for air when she reached the surface. She looked at the night colored lake. It was a beautiful day with hardly any clouds in the sky and the sun was high and beautiful.
After a while of day- dreaming, she realized that Link hadn't come up from the lake yet.
She spun around in the water frantically calling "Link! Link!" She felt something grab her from behind and spun around to see it was Link.
"Hah!" he said, "You should've seen the look on your face!" He laughed, holding his belly as if he had a cramp.
"Oh, you think so?" said Zelda in a mischievous whisper. Link was so distracted laughing that he didn't notice Zelda had pushed him under.
That wasn't funny Zelda he thought as he swam up to the surface. He was facing Zelda when he came up. She was laughing, imitating Link. He pulled her in close and kissed her a few times, pulling away each kiss. Zelda rested her head on his shoulder and he stroked her hair. Zelda pulled away and splashed Link.
"Catch me if you can!" she teased. Link followed after her and they played this until the end of the day.
When they got out, Zelda slipped on her tunic while she took off her wet clothes behind a bush. While she was doing that, Link was doing the same behind a tree. They came out and started walking with each other, lacing their fingers.
They departed when they got to the palace and Zelda went straight to her room. While she was undressing, she heard a knock on the door. She grabbed a silk, violet colored robe and placed it on while walking to the door. She opened it to Impa, who was wearing her normal, everyday clothes.
"Your father would like to meet you when you're ready," she said.
"Thank you," said Zelda shutting the door. Why would my father want to see me? Zelda asked herself as she walked back to her wardrobe. She cleared that thought from her mind and picked out an outfit suitable enough to see her father.
She chose a sleeve-less long, purple tunic with a gold shawl. She quickly tamed her damp, knotted hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail. She slipped on a pair of shoes and met her father in the den.
The den had hardwood floors with a giant carpet in the middle. On the walls were portraits of the Royal Family. On the wall to the left was a stone fireplace that had a low flame. Next to the fireplace was a desk with a chair. To the right were 2 windows above a velvet sofa and lounge chair. Her father sat on the chair and her mother sat on the sofa.
Zelda walked into the room looking from her father to her mother and back. The king stood up with a smile on his face. He wore a white shirt and breeches under a gold tunic with a green trim and brown boots. Zelda curtsied. Even though it was her father, she needed to show respect.
"Come. Sit by your mother. We need to talk," he said gesturing his hand to the sofa. Zelda did as she was told and sat next to her mother. She wore a red dress with elbow length sleeves. Her brown hair was pulled back into a low bun.
"What did you want to discuss?" Zelda asked her father, looking him straight into the eyes.
"You have come of age to be betrothed to a prince and marry," he said sitting down and folding his hands.
"What do you mean?"
"It's time we find you a husband Zelda. I think you are ready to be betrothed."
He looked at Zelda who had a look of disbelief on her face.
"But I don't want to marry a prince. What if I don't like him?" asked Zelda. The queen gazed at her, a warning look in her eyes. Zelda didn't look at her mother. "What if I love somebody else?" she asked.
"You don't though and that's why I have arranged a meeting for you and the prince tomorrow afternoon at tea time," her father said.
"What?!" exclaimed Zelda, "You can't do that! I have plans tomorrow! You can't—."
"Enough is enough!" boomed her father standing up. "I've arranged it whether you like it or not!"
"Well I'm not going and you can't make me!" screamed Zelda as she stood up and she stomped out of the room.
"You come back here right now! You can't do that!" her father yelled after her.
"Watch me!" The discussion was over. Zelda was so upset that she ran to the stables, jumped on Royal and galloped off to Link's house. I need to tell Link about this. Maybe he can get me out of this situation thought Zelda.
She got to Link's in a matter of minutes. She jumped off Royal and knocked on the door lightly. Link opened the door and said, "Zelda? What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you".
"It's a long story" she said, "Can I come in? I know this is unexpected but I need to talk to you".
"Sure."
Zelda walked into the kitchen and turned around to face Link, who had just shut the door. He wore his usual outfit and looked at Zelda. He could see the tears in her eyes.
"Oh Link!" Zelda said as she ran into Link's arms, rubbing her tear -covered face on his shirt.
"Shhshh," he whispered wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair. He pulled her away and asked, "What's wrong?" Zelda had to wait a while before she could answer. Link wiped away her tears with his hand.
"Oh Link! My father says he thinks I'm ready to marry and he wants me to meet a prince tomorrow and I don't want to meet this guy because I love you and I'm so confused," she said speaking rapidly.
"Hold on," said Link chuckling a little. "Start over and speak slower".
"My father wants me to meet a prince tomorrow who he wants me to marry and I don't want to do either," she said looking down at the floor so Link wouldn't see the tears starting in her eyes again. "I'm so confused" she whispered.
Link lifted up her chin so their eyes could meet. He held her close so she wouldn't see that he was also starting to form tears in his eyes. "I don't want to loose you," he whispered into her hair.
"I don't want to loose you either," said Zelda resting her head on his shoulder.
They stood there in silence until Link asked, "Would you like some tea to calm you down?"
"Sure" said Zelda as they sat down at the kitchen table. He poured himself and Zelda a cup of tea. They both sipped their tea in silence before any one spoke.
"Link?" asked Zelda. Link looked up from his tea and into her eyes. "I think I may have a plan but I'm not sure if it will work."
Link put his cup down and looked at Zelda with concern in his eyes.
"If you think about running away you know I will try and stop you. You could get hurt or killed. If that happened I could never forgive myself. So if you're planning on running away, I'm coming with you," he said.
Zelda smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now here's my plan."