BrokenFestivals
Rated:: PG-13
Summary:: A princess is becoming broken and she is in need of a bodyguard. When a certain ex-assassin comes and aids her in her quest, will love cross between them or will betrayal tear them apart? {Malink}
----
"A new day...a day to forget about last night's problems..." the Princess murmured, smiling to herself. She stretched out her arms, yawned and rolled herself out of bed.
----
The sound of waves crashing against the side of the wood was heard as a man dressed in dark robes gazed at the small empire they were nearing. He had purple eyes and black bangs stuck out from under his dark hood. His fingers, which were dressed in rings, slid across the side of the boat with ease, his lips firm.
"I will come and raid their empire and take the Princess back to my kingdom...Perhaps, then, I will take her to be my wife. After all, many say her beauty outmatches many."
"Sir!"
The man cast a cool gaze at the other man who had interrupted him. "What is it, Lantis?"
"We will reach the kingdom at night fall, Raven."
The man called Raven nodded, "Be gone."
Lantis bowed stiffly and rushed off to avoid anymore trouble with his leader.
"Yes," He whispered. "She will be mine."
----
Malon sighed contently as she sat under the cherry tree, the cherry blossom petals raining down on her like a waterfall. It cascaded off of her shoulders and to the floor. She was wearing a beautiful cerulean gown, giving her body a most ethereal glow. Her hair was brought into a high bun, tied together with a small butterfly pin which matched her dress. The gown went to her elbows before puffing out with semi-transparent sleeves. Her azure eyes traveled over the flowers and a hand helped support her weight on the makeshift bench. She had slipped out of the house, alone. Link would find her soon enough, though. Anyone who didn't know her who had fallen upon her path at that moment would have thought that she truly was what she portrayed:
Tranquil.
That's what Link thought at first glance, anyway. He found himself drawn out into the garden while on his search for the Princess. And there she was, sitting peacefully on the bench, singing to a beautiful song, the pink petals raining down on her in bucketfuls.
"I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons," She exhaled slightly. "Finally content with a past I regret. I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness...For once I'm at peace with myself."
The bodyguard crept closer to her, straining to hear her soft voice.
"I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long. I'm moving---"
SNAP.
Malon quickly turned to see who it was and there was a cursing Link behind her, muttering incoherent words at the twig he had snapped under his boot. Malon groaned. He had heard her sing. She hated having people hear her sing. Call her selfish, but it was a talent she enjoyed having herself entertain herself with. The Princess hated sharing it. The girl turned away, causing him to step towards her, a little hesitant.
"I heard you singing..." He began softly, sitting down next to her.
She answered with nothing but silence.
"Look, Malon, your singing is nothing to be ashamed of...it's beautiful and very unique. You have a very good style that sets you apart from everyone else."
She felt touched at his words, but her warmed heart turned ice cold. "Can't you understand that I don't care if my singing is good or bad?"
There was a pregnant pause and she sighed in a frustrated manner.
"I hate singing for people. You can call me conceited and self-centered, but this secret talent of mine is for me alone. Not for my dead mother, my father, my cousins, my friends, Zelda, you..." A harsh sigh was heard. "I just don't want to hear it, Link."
His eyes softened slightly and from the noise his armor was making, Malon assumed that he was shrugging. "Well, Malon, we better get going. We're supposed to be at the temple by nightfall. Today is the festival, remember?"
She nodded, barely listening. "Whatever."
"See you at the entrance of the palace in two hours."
----
Those two hours soon came and everyone was at the entrance of the palace, all prepared to head towards the temple in the village. Today was a day of celebration, a celebration of when Malon's ancestors regained this land, taking out their enemies while doing so. They had beat their dictators and every year, on the 23rd of March, they would come to the temple to worship and celebrate.
The royal family came to the temple to grace the peasants with their presence and the sages prepared them rooms so that they might sleep over in the temple, to avoid any kidnappers at night.
As they were making their way to the temple, many would stop and stare at the princess who sat poised on her horse, giving the villagers cold/expressionless glances.
"Ugh, I hate them staring at me." She muttered to herself.
Link perked at this, but said nothing, deciding that his life was better than to tread in dangerous water, trying to compliment the princess. That girl did nothing but turn something good (such as a compliment) to something bad (such as an insult.). He would never understand her...
Before long all were at the temple, the council all at the entrance.
"Ah! Princess!" A girl cried.
Malon turned her attention on a green haired girl, who wore beautiful robes, the color an emerald green. It was somewhat like a kimono and small lines written in old language was on the hem of the robes. The girl's hair was matching her robes and there were also emerald eyes accompanying the theme of green.
"Saria!" She cried, opening her arms to give the smaller girl a tight embrace.
"It's been so long, eh?" Saria whispered, smiling.
Saria was about one of the only people that could embrace her so lovingly. The others consisted of the other female sages, close family members, and Zelda. Other than that, no one was allowed to touch her.
"So, how are your sage duties?" Malon asked, a beaming smile on her face.
"Oh, they're fine, Malon."
The Princess couldn't help but laugh at the cute look on her friend's face. Though the sage was almost two heads shorter than she, Saria still could be intimidating. A low cough was heard and the two turned to see a blue skinned girl, dazzling sapphire eyes giving the two a look of boredom. She was dressed in a blue robe which left the top buttons un-buttoned, allowing many to see her cleavage.
"Oh, hey, Ruto!" Saria chimed happily, giving her fellow comrade a sparkling smile.
Ruto smirked, "Hey, Saria. Hey, Malon."
"Hi, Ruto."
When they were younger, Ruto and Malon had always gotten into fights. It was always about something silly, like why the ground was called ground.
"So, how are you lovely two doing tonight?" Ruto asked, her smirk slightly widening.
Before they could answer politely, a laugh was heard behind them. The three turned to see a tanned woman with fiery red hair dressed in a top, rather similar to a tube top. She wore matching pants, which poofed out like Malon's gown sleeves near the ankles.
"Well, hello, Nabooru. Seems you didn't dress in your robes like Rauru wanted." Ruto frowned at this, gazing at the other sage with sudden distaste.
The other sage shrugged, "Who says that I have to follow his rules?"
There was a thick silence and Nabooru laughed.
"See? My point exactly. So, Malon...I hear you got a new bodyguard."
The other two sages' faces brightened at this and thousands of questions were tossed at Malon.
"Slow down, girls!" Malon cried, trying to process all the questions being thrown at her.
"Is he cute?" Ruto asked, batting her eyes flirtatiously.
Nabooru sighed at this. Malon and Saria, on the other hand, decided to ignore her action.
"Actually, he is kinda cute, but his idiocy totally ruins it. Lately, he's been rather sweet with me, but I think it's merely a facade, just so he can get something he wants. When I first met him, we landed on some really bad notes, but lately---"
"And who might this cute guy be?" A low voice asked.
The four turned to see who it was and Malon could have sworn she saw Ruto nearly swoon out of the corner of her eye. Nabooru choked on her saliva, causing Saria attempt to help the sage to stop coughing so violently. It was Link.
"Oh, hello, Link." Malon said, giving him a rather twisted and curt smile.
"Hello, Malon." He replied, giving her a cheeky smile. "So, who's this cute guy? Would it be me?"
Malon scoffed, "Yeah right...It's a guy I've recently met, alright?"
"And that would be me, right?"
The princess sighed, shaking her head. She turned away from him where she saw Saria patting Nabooru on the back lightly, Nabooru coughing, and Ruto having a nose bleed.
"Well, just came over to tell you that the festival's about to start."
The three sages suddenly whacked themselves with their hands. "Shoot! We better get going, Malon! It was nice meeting you, erm, sir!" They chimed in unison. In a blink of an eye, they were gone.
"Those your friends?"
She nodded.
"They're weird."
She smirked, "Not as weird as you."
----
Night soon came and all festivities were over. All the villagers had gone home and Malon was sitting in her room with Zelda brushing her hair.
"So, did you enjoy yourself tonight, Zelda?"
The lady-in-waiting nodded, "Yes, I did."
There was a tense silence and Malon sighed. "I wish we were home...I hate being stuck in this temple."
Zelda smiled, "I wish I was back at the palace, too."
Suddenly, cries of war were heard. Zelda stopped mid-stroke and got up immediately, sensing there was something really wrong. The door was open, so Malon rushed out before her lady-in-waiting could stop her. Nabooru, Ruto, Saria, a rather old man, a woman, and a large, tanned man were already at the scene. They were parrying blows tossed at them, using their magic.
"MALON! GET BACK IN HERE!" Zelda cried, reaching for her elbow.
Malon quickly shifted, avoiding Zelda's hand. "NO! I need to find out what's going on!"
Link, who suddenly appeared, wrapped his arm around her waist before tossing her back into the room she was previously in. "Zelda, keep her in there!"
"NO!" The princess shrieked. She leapt at him and clung like velcro. "I will not be caged like this! Let me fight!"
Her bodyguard merely glared at her before tossing her in with Zelda, slamming the door behind him with ease. A man leapt at him and he blocked with his shield, sending the man sprawling on the floor from the collision.
"Idiot..." He hissed.
Suddenly, it all quieted down when a man dressed in a dark cloak appeared on scene. A cold smirk was written on his lips and his dark, purple eyes gazed at Link with contempt.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Link."
The bodyguard shuddered, but regained his composure. "What do you want with this empire, Raven?"
He shrugged. "Just caught wind that my little brother found a job, working as the princess' bodyguard."
"What's it to you?"
Raven grinned rather evilly, but said nothing. Suddenly, a large THUMP was heard against and door and everyone turned their attention towards it. "What do we have here...?"
Link leapt in front of it, but was quickly shoved aside by his older brother's strong hand. He whipped the door open to see a cherry haired girl, glowering at him with quite a lot of dislike. Beside her was a blonde who was just as beautiful as the scarlet haired woman. Both were wearing nightgowns, extravagant by the designs. It was rather obvious, however, that the blonde was of lower status than the scarlet haired girl.
"What do you want?" The Princess hissed through clenched teeth, frowning at Raven.
"Are you the princess?"
"Are you?" she retorted.
Raven chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Get away from her," the blonde hissed. "I don't know what your true intentions are, but I have a feeling I know what it is!"
Without warning, Raven grabbed Zelda by the arm and made a vice-like grip around her torso and neck. "Princess, if you want your lady-in-waiting to live, come with me. Oh, and Link, I wouldn't do anything if you want to live."
Link cursed, but rushed towards him before being held back by ten or more men. The sages, too, were held back.
"So, what's your choice?"
"I'll come with you..." She sighed.
If Zelda wanted to come back alive, Malon would have to sacrifice herself. She stepped towards him and he quickly threw Zelda back into the room before taking hold on Malon.
"Good choice, my wife..." His husky voice made shivers run up her spine, but when he said "my wife", anger burst through her veins. How dare he make her his wife already!
Suddenly, her cherry red hair turned a rather dark maroon and her eyes turned a rather dangerous red. Her skin turned darker before it faded away, leaving the princess the way she was five minutes before.
No one saw her small transformation, not even she. Her world just went blank.
"Now that I have what I want, I will be leaving. It was wonderful talking with you all." With a quick snap of the fingers, he disappeared, along with all his men.
A/N:: Wow! This has got to be the longest chapter I've written! On Microsoft Word, it's about...8 pages! =D Anyway, due to the fact that Troy is coming out, this gave me the idea to twist the plot a little. I didn't originally intend this, but with inspiration from the movie, I decided to put it in. Sorry I took so long to update, too. I tried to drag it on as long as I could, but, er, I wasn't very successful. ;
Link of the Hylians -- Yeah, it was kinda pointless to me, too. ; But yes, I don't fear you because if you tried to attack me, I'd stop writing from the injuries! P
The Dark Eyed One -- Haha, thanks.
JoJo10 -- Yay! Glad you love their bickering! I swear, they're like little kindergarteners, fighting over why the sky is blue. ;
Kon Hoshi -- Glad you think it's funny! I'm not much of a humorous person, though, so it makes me feel good to know that people think some of my things are humorous. Thanks for the review!
Chel Bel -- See, I updated, so, er, you better be reading! P