Disclaimer: Zelda, Link, Impa, Malon, Saria, and Talon aren't mine. Everyone else is.

Malon: Wee!! The next chapter! Am I in it?

Zelda: Of course not, farm girl! But I am, right?

zeldaiskool: You'll both have to find out, along with our readers. On with the show!


For Zelda, the next week flew by. She called in everyone from caterers to decorators to musicians. Her first party as true crown princess had to perfect.

By the time that the day of her ball arrived, she was ready. Everything was in place, including her beautiful dress made by Simri. The only thing that made her nervous was the guest list since her father was the one deciding who was on it. For this reason, she decided to go ask if she could see it.

"Father, oh father!" Zelda called as she walked down the hall to her father's study. "Father, may I see the guest list for my ball?" she asked as she opened the door. Her father, Anton, looked up from the document he was reading.

"Of course, dear." He put the document down and searched through his papers. "I know its here-ah! Found it." He handed the paper to Zelda and picked up his document again.

"Thank-you, father!" Zelda reached across her father's desk and gave him a hug then walked out of his study. Quickly she searched the list for people she knew. Most of them she didn't. "Let's see…Elise McCabardi…haven't seen her since finishing school…Zedaya di Lusour…wonder where her twin sister is…Goray Allistor…his sister was a few years ahead of me in finishing school…Madan Manalin…daddy's best friend? And his son Riengulf. Wonder if he's as good looking as his father…Malon Lon, and her dad Talon?!! What are they doing at my party? I can't imagine that she has a good dress any way…."

Impa happened to be coming down the hall, and saw Zelda reading the list. "So you finally decided to read the list? Do you see anyone you know?"

"Malon and Talon Lon? Why do they get to come to my party?" Impa laughed when she saw Zelda's face.

"You don't know why they should come? Oh, Zelda. Because they are the top milk producers in Hyrule, they obviously have some money. I'm sure that both of them have something nice hiding in their closets."

Zelda 'hmphed'. "Possibly. If they come in their farm clothes, I want them thrown out immediately!" Impa again laughed.

"I'm sure they won't do that. No one comes to a Hyrulian ball dressed like that, even in their worst state of mind."

"Well, whatever. I need to go get ready for the ball. Here." Zelda held the paper out to Impa and started for her room. Impa just shook her head and went to return the paper to Anton.

Later, as the time for the ball drew near, Zelda was putting the finishing touches on her hair and make-up. The glitter in her done up hair was shimmering wonderfully and so was her eye shadow, which also had glitter in it. Her dress matched perfectly to her eye shadow and also her jewels, which were sapphires and barins, similar to diamonds, but much more precious. Impa appeared and told her that she must come down because guests were arriving and she must greet them.

"Alright, I'm coming." Zelda touched her hair, then her jewels, and finally rose to follow Impa to the ballroom.

The first to arrive was Malon and Talon. Zelda was surprised, because as Impa had said, they were dressed the part of the richest and best milk producers in Hyrule. She quickly went over to greet them. "Talon, Malon, so nice to see you here tonight!" Malon had on a dark blue satin dress, which was covered in glitter and perfectly matched her eyes. Talon had on a green shirt, a blue doublet, and a yellow over coat.

"Of course, Zelda!" Malon said. "I wouldn't miss the chance to meet the cutest and richest guys in Hyrule. Have you heard from Link lately?"

"Yes, actually. I'll have to tell you once I greet everyone. Be sure to get Impa to find me because everyone will be swarming me, I'm sure."

"Okay!" Malon walked straight to the band and started talking with the cute violinist. Zelda turned as the di Lusour's walked in. "Good evening, King and Queen di Lusour. And hello, Zedaya. Where is Kerakio?"

"Oh, she's on the search for a husband. I don't know where she is exactly."

"To bad she couldn't have just come here. There will be plenty of young men, I'm sure."

Zedaya nodded as she agreed with Zelda. "Well, have a nice night, Princess Hyrule."

(a/n: it is customary in the Hyrulian world for other royalty to call the crown prince/princess of a land by their land's name...at least in my story!)

Zelda greeted a few more people she didn't know, when Madan and Riengulf Manalin walked in.

"Good evening, Lord Manalin. And who is this?" Zelda saw now that Madan's son was as handsome as his father had been at his age.

"Good evening, Zelda. This is my son Riengulf." Riengulf immediately was struck by Zelda's beauty, which left him speech-less…for a second.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zelda." He bowed, and thought 'I'll have to catch her later.'

"And you as well, Riengulf." 'I hope he'll come talk to me later.' Zelda watched him walk away for a few moments and was surprised when her father tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled, and greeted her next guest as if nothing had happened.

Anton smiled to himself. 'Inviting Madan was a wonderful idea…thank you Impa.'

Across the room, Impa had watched Zelda's gaze as it followed Riengulf. She had the same thoughts as Anton and applauded herself. 'She'll forget Link in no time with Riengulf. Such a nice boy, especially with the intelligence he has.'

Zelda had soon greeted all of her guests, including her friend Elise McCabardi, whom she would converse with later, perhaps tomorrow since all guests were spending the night. Now she made her way toward the front of the room, along with her father, to make a speech that would begin the dancing.

"If I may have everyone's attention please?" She waited until things had quieted down, then began to speak. "First, I would like to thank everyone for coming to my first ball as crown Princess of Hyrule." She again stopped as the crowd broke into applause. "Next, I would like to thank my father for giving me the honor of planning everything, except for the guest list." She gave him a mock look of disapproval, and the crowd started to laugh. "Apparently he didn't trust me enough for that one." Anton chuckled. "Finally, it is time to start what everyone came for, the dancing!" Automatically, the band began playing, and many people found a partner to dance with. Those who didn't gravitated to the food table. Riengulf was making his way toward Zelda, but when he got there Anton said, "Sorry Riengulf, but her first dance was reserved to me. You can surely be next."

Riengulf nodded and made his way to some of his friends who didn't have partners yet. Zelda watched him and thought that his friends were nearly as cute as he was. Anton caught her and laughed. "You see boys you like already, dear daughter?"

Zelda looked at him and tried to cover herself. "Oh father, I'm allowed to look, aren't I?"

"Of course. It's what this ball is all about. And you happen to have found a very good one right away."

"Riengulf? You're only saying that because Madan is your best friend and Riengulf is his son."

"That might be." Anton was still happy at the way they looked at each other, and could only be happier if they were meant to be together.

The dance soon ended, and Anton took Zelda over to Riengulf. "I believe this is your dance, young man." Riengulf's friends were not surprised at the fact that the King of Hyrule would trust his daughter to Riengulf already, because they knew of his chivalric manner with women.

Riengulf took Zelda out to the floor and began dancing.


zeldaiskool: Well, there's my attempt a cliff hanger.

Malon: Yay! I was in the chappy!

Zelda: Yeah, I guess so. And that blue dress suited you well.

Malon: Why, thank you Princess! But I liked that Riengulf guy. Are you two gonna go out?

Zelda: I don't know! Ask zeldaiskool, not me!

zeldaiskool: Again, you'll have to find out along with our readers. Oh, and readers; look for my drawings of Malon and Zelda in their dresses and the hunky Riengulf on under my penname that's the same as here! Review, review, review!