Hey everyone! The last two chapters were put up on here before I'd read any reviews so I'll acknowledge those that reviewed here very quickly.
PsychoSpiff01, Xzero, zeldaisthebest, Master of Reality, art1st4786, Clan Destiny, Unknown, One and M.M : Thank you for the good reviews.
Dragoonknight1, and Steeple333: Extra thanks to you two cause you reviewed twice! Go you good things!
It's 6 am. That's why the thanks are short. They'll be better next time. I promise.
Oh. And this is for Xzero bows Now on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. Have a cry.
Dinner at the palace was rather uneventful. It was in the great hall. The King sat on a table at the end of the room opposite the door. Zelda sat on his left, Impa next to Zelda, Sheik next to Impa and Link next to Sheik. The General sat on the kings right, with various knights next to him.
(Various knights, General, King, Zelda, Impa, Sheik, Link.)
There were two long tables stretching the length of the room. This is where the guards and various other people that worked in the castle had their meals. Link was supposed to eat down at one of those tables, but the king had invited him to eat up on the higher table. For Link, eating on the floor with the dogs would have been fine. He was used to sitting on the ground, or a rock, or a tree that had fallen down, whatever he could find. And the meal, well, Link wasn't exactly used to eating large amounts of food at one sitting. He was used to eating fish, or some other form of hunted animal, with a few nuts or berrys. And even then it was usually not fully cooked. The food that sat infront of him, (Plates of meat, and various vegetables.) was a feast. And yet, it seemed a waste. Though most of this food would be eaten, there would be a lot left over. And this happened every night. Link looked at his goblet. He knew without looking that it had wine in it. Link wasn't used to wine. When he was on a mission he drank water. When he returned from a mission he sat at one of the lower tables with the other guards (he's still a guard, he just dosn't work in the castle.) and drank mead or beer.
He hadn't touched his wine yet and had barely eaten anything. Which didn't go unnoticed by Sheik.
"What's wrong, Link? You ok?" Sheik asked, nearly yelling over the noise in the hall. Link smiled.
"I'm fine. I'm just not used to so much food. When i'm out on a mission-"
"Which is most of the time." muttered Sheik. Link gave him a look.
"-As I was saying. When i'm out on a mission I barely eat anything."
"That would explain why you're so scrawny." said Sheik.
"Look who's talking." retorted Link. Shiek gave a mock gasp.
"Are you saying i'm skinny?!?" Link nodded enthusiastically. Sheik scowled.
"Ok. I now know why you havn't eaten much. But why havn't you had anything to drink?"
"I don't know if you realise this, Sheik, but this is my first time up on the higher table." Sheik looked at him expectantly.
"Go on." Link sighed.
"They don't drink wine on the lower tables. We drink beer or mead. And I drink water all of the other time."
"So you've never had wine before."
"No."
"Never. In your whole life."
"No." Sheik grinned.
"There's a first time for everything. Just try it. You might like it." Link looked into his goblet.
"Fine. I'll try it. But unless I buy it afterwards i'm never gonna have it again."
Link raised his goblet to his mouth and took a sip.
"Not bad. But I find that I like beer better." he said, lowering his goblet. Sheik smiled.
"You want some now? We can get a maid to bring some up for you?" Sheik asked.
"No. I'm ok. Besides. I'm fairly sure that tommorrow night I won't be exiting this room completely sober."
"True. Just don't do anything stupid." Sheik said, smiling.
"Stupid? What could I possibly do that you, of all people, would consider stupid?" Sheiks smile turned evil. He lent over and whispered into Links ear.
"You do realise how close your room is to Zeldas don't you?" Links eyes widdened in realisation.
"Sheik!" He punched Sheiks arm.
"Ow!" Sheik rubbed his arm. Then he smirked. "You know, I don't think Zelda locks her door."
Link punched Sheiks arm again, in the same place.
"Ow! Are you trying to give me a dead arm? Seriously." Sheik scowled and held his arm.
Link was smiling. It was his dopey smile, one he had used on Sheik countless times so he would stop getting angry. Sheik couldn't help but smile back.
"Damn. You've gotten a lot stronger." Sheik said. Link shrugged.
"A year or so in the field will do that to ya." He replied.
The two smiled and went back to their food. Yet they couldn't help but notice Impa looking in their direction every now and then.
Link and Sheik walked back to their rooms. Sheiks room was a door up from Zeldas. And Links room was a door down from Zeldas.
"It's like our rooms are guarding Zeldas." Sheik laughed. Link laughed to. Then he burped. The hall was quiet for a moment, then both boys started laughing again. They were laughing so much that they passed Links room and nearly passed Sheiks.
"Oh! This is where I get off. See ya tomorrow, Link." Sheik said.
"Night." Link said and he walked along the wall.
As he walked back towards his room, Zelda was walking along towards her own room. Zelda spotted Link and smiled.
"Goodnight Link." Zelda said. Link smiled back at her and bowed.
"Goodnight Princess." Zeldas smile widdened.
"You can just call me Zelda, Link." She said. Link nearly bowed a second time, but Zelda stopped him. "You don't have to bow either."
Link straightened up. "Anything else?" he asked, jokingly.
"No that's it."
"Then Goodnight Zelda." Link said.
Zelda continued walking to her room.
Link walked into his own room and closed the door.
