3

A Bedtime Story to Remember

"I'm so happy to have you here in the castle Link.", said the Queen.

The two were walking down the halls of Hyrule's castle. She had offered to guide him to his new room that sunny afternoon, and Link did not object. It was nice to see her once and a while when she wasn't busy.

It had been a long week before he arrived. Packing, getting ready, moving Saria's things to the tree house he had finally given her. Now, at the end of the week, he was ready to settle into his new home.

"It's an honor to be here.", replied Link, walking alongside her, down the well lit corridor.

"So well mannered.", she chirped. "There should be more men like you."

"Err… thanks?", he said, somewhat embarrassed.

She laughed lightly, seeing his discomfort. "Anyway, everyone welcomes you with their honest sincerity. It's nice to have someone like you around."

It's also nice to be here, Link thought. Never in his life did he imagine that he would be living in a place grand as this. It was truly a privilege.

"Here it is.", said the Queen, pointing to a door to the side of her.

She pulled out a ring of keys from her pocket, finding the right one, unlocking the door.

"Hope you like it."

Link walked in the fairly large room, which was at least three times the size of his tree house. It was well furnished with the top of the line cedar furniture, that was amazingly crafted with such care. It had to be imported.

The room was also connected to a large bathroom to the side and a balcony to the front, which had a wonderful view of the town.

"Is it satisfactory?", the Queen asked, poking her head in the doorway.

"Is it satisfactory?", he repeated with a wide smile. "It's the best I could ever dream of, your highness."

She walked in the room, relieved that he liked it. "Now Link, you know better than to call me of royal status. I am Lilly."

To her utmost surprise, Link, who was so excited, hugged her, beaming form ear to ear. She smiled, patting his back as if he were a child.

"Thank you.", he said, releasing her. "I can't believe I got this opportunity."

"You are perfect for the job.", she pointed. "I'm surprised my husband hadn't appointed you sooner."

Link just smiled in reply.

"Well.", said Lilly, after a moment of silence. "I guess I will leave you to yourself. Your things will be up shortly. You start working on Monday and weekends are free for you to use however you please. Do make yourself at home here."

"Thank you Lilly.", he said, sitting down on the bed.

Lilly cracked a smile, one that made Link feel at home.

She had been like a mother figure to him. She was always so caring and watchful of him, as a mother would be. It felt nice to have something like that.

Lilly was in her forties. Her long blonde hair, streaked with gray, reached down to her hips. Her crystalline eyes were so soft, so loving. Her skin was tanned from age, but had not one wrinkle on her face. She was a kind woman, who looked after everyone around her.

Though she might be old, she still had much life in her.

Link was happy to have met her.

As she was about to walk out of the room to leave him be, he remembered something.

"Oh, wait a second.", he called.

She stopped, turning to him once again. "Yes?", she asked.

"Why is it that you needed a guard for Leila?", he inquired.

Lilly coked her head to the side, wondering why he would ask. "Well,", she started. "A royal must have protection of some sort. You know, can't have ransoms and such."

Link picked up a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Is that all?", he asked suspiciously. "Leila had told me of some kind of scare."

She looked surprised, and slightly agitated, upon hearing this. "She has told you?", asked the Queen.

"Only that there was some kind of reason than just being a royal.", said Link. "What happened that you so carefully tried to keep quiet from Hyrule that no one found out?"

"Oh.", she said, waving it passively. "It was nothing."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Now, I know you better than that Lilly.", he said.

"It is just-"

To the Queen's relief, a bell rang within the main quarters of the castle, indicating it was time to ready themselves for supper.

"Oh,", she said, her nervous expression instantly gone. "I must be taking my leave. Forgive me Link. See you downstairs."

"Hey Link?", Leila asked, lying back in the grass of the castle's well manicured lawn.

"Yeah?", he said, looking down at her.

Dinner had passed and the sun was setting. Soon it would be time for Leila to retire to her room and sleep for the night. She had requested to her father that her and Link visit the gardens before bedtime.

"Tell me a story.", she said, looking into the sky. "Tell me your story."

He sighed, resting his head in his shoulders. "It would be a very long story.", he warned. "Too long to tell at this time of day."

"Please?", she whined, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "It would make me happy."

He laughed at how much she resembled her sister, and decided to tell her. It wouldn't be too long I guess, he thought.

"Fine.", he agreed. "Only because it will make you happy."

"Yay!", she cheered, turning on her side to hear his tale.

"One, dark, stormy night.", Link started. "A young man, who lived in a village deep in the woods was about to fall asleep when he heard someone enter his house. When he looked up, he saw a young woman. The most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life."

Leila smiled at the thought.

"With golden hair, and sparkling eyes?", she asked.

"Yes,", answered Link, imagining Zelda's face. "With golden hair and sparkling eyes. But at the time, she was scared and out of breath. The young man looked at her curiously. When she had finally caught her breath, she managed to ask for help, and with that, she fainted, falling to the floor, only to be caught in the arms of the young man.

"The man was scared, wondering what had happened to her. So he placed her on his bed and went to go get help from his friend. The two waited patiently until the maiden awakened.

"When she finally opened her eyes, she found that the two were watching her. They greeted her and offered her to stay in her time of need. She graciously accepted.

"The next day, horns sounded throughout the village. The village people were scared, but the most terrified one of all was the young woman. Quickly she took the man by the arm to hide in his house. When a guard came up to the door, saying he was looking for a Princess, holding up a portrait, the young man noticed the resemblance of the woman he just met, but for her sake, he lied and told him that he had not seen her. "

"Oh no.", Leila blurted. "Did he get caught lying?"

"No.", said Link with a grin. "When the coast was clear, the woman emerged from her hiding place thanking him deeply. The young man demanded an explanation. She explained that she was a Princess and had ran away in spite of an evil Prince. Then, she asked him for a favor. A very big favor.

"She had asked him to take her away. Travel to a far away land so she could give up her duty as Princess and live a free life without responsibilities. The man thought carefully, and decided to comply to her request, despite the great risk he faced. So, that night, they snuck into the castle, to retrieve clothes and such, almost getting caught in the process. "

Leila giggled. Link grinned.

"The next day they were off to Termina, and when they got there, they took residence in a little inn inside of town, meeting many new people. But there was one person that the young man was not quiet fond of."

"Who was that?", Leila asked.

"The mysterious hooded man. He wasn't trustworthy, and the young man knew that very well. There was something strange about him.

"Months went by and the young man and the Princess began to fall in love. The became very close and decided to marry."

Leila gave an excited gasp.

"When the two were married, they went to the enchanted forest to spend their wedding night. It was the most magical of nights for the both of them. That night they promised that they would stay with each other forever.

"The next day the reception was held and it was a huge event. All of their new friends attended the celebration, even the hooded man.

"Later that night, the Princess went to rest by the bar, while her new husband went for the bathroom. One his way, he was knocked out, not to wake for the rest of the night, only to be discovered later on.

" When all guards were down, the hooded man lead the Princess outside to tell her something. The Princess went willingly, not expecting what was to happen next."

"What, What?", Leila urged.

"When the coast was clear, the hooded man revealed himself as the evil Prince, disguised the whole time just to trick her."

"No!", Leila cried, hiding her eyes.

"The Prince took her back to her country, keeping her in the dark dungeons of the castle.", said Link.

"Where were the King and Queen?", she asked.

Link looked down gravely at her and said, "They didn't even know. The Prince had been doing it behind their back all along. So he lied and told them she was dead."

"Go on.", said the little girl.

"Well, when the young man woke up to find his bride had been kidnapped, he set off to save her. He traveled far to get back, and when he finally made it to the woods, he was captured by the Prince's minions and thrown into the dungeon with the Princess. "

Link's voice had changed throughout the story. At first, it had been excited, and now, it was starting to get softer and softer, as if it were hard to tell. And that it was. But he went on anyway.

"Oh, it must have been terrible.", Leila exclaimed.

"It was.", Link agreed. "But all that mattered was that they were together."

"How did they escape?", Leila asked.

"Well, back in the other country, they had made some close friends. Two of them, snuck into the castle, and when the Prince was not expecting it, they knocked him out. The group made a run for it, after leaving the Princess to reunite with her father.

"As for the friends and her husband, she asked them to wait outside for her, and when the time was right, she would present them to her father, and things would be right again.

"But that isn't the way it worked out. When they had gotten outside, the Prince was waiting for them. Somehow, he had revived himself, and was now threatening them. And so he waited, for the Princess and the King to emerge."

Link became quiet for the moment. Wondering if he should push himself to go on about the disturbing memories. He did.

"A battle had begun. Between the good and the bad. The Knights fought off the Prince's troops and were about to win. The young man had chased down the Prince, stabbing him until he fell to the ground. The last words the Prince said were: 'you will regret this'.

"But the young man thought nothing of it, reuniting with his love once again, holding her in his arms. And then, something terrible happened."

Link closed his eyes, picturing the moment.

… "Zelda?', he asked, trying to see what was wrong.

Zelda lifted a shaky hand to her side, finding something pointy sticking out from it. Something that certainly wasn't supposed to be there.

Link watched in horror, seeing blood trickle down from a wound just below her chest. And arrow was protruding out from it.

"Goddesses", he breathed….

He opened his eyes again, glassy, but not producing any tears.

"She had been shot. Shot by an arrow.", he went on. " Shot by the Prince with his last breath. The beautiful Princess fell into the arms of her husband, wanting to spend her last few moments with only him.

She spoke softly. Spoke words to comfort him. Tell him that everything was going to be alright."

Link swallowed hard, taking a deep breath, ready to finish the ending.

"She sang to him. Making the best of what was to come. With that, the Princess slipped away, leaving the young man alone on the cold battlefield. All was lost."

Link looked up from where he had averted his eyes from Leila. She was now crying. Tears rolled down her face, while she wiped them away, only to be replaced by new ones.

"That is a very sad story.", she breathed.

Link wiped away her tears, whispering. "Yes, it is. But she's an angel now. She's watching over the man."

Leila nodded. "I guess that's good."

"Yeah."

"It's not fair.", Leila declared sadly.

Link blinked, trying to hold back his sorrow. "Bad things happen to the best of people."

The two became quiet.

Link noticed that the sun had now nearly set, indicating it was time to go inside. The sky glowed with pinks and purples. Leila's favorite colors.

Goddesses, he knew everything about this girl. She was a godsend.

This was the reason why he wanted Leila to be happy and safe. She was pure hearted and deserved so much.

He was her big brother in a way. There to protect her, be her best friend, and make sure nothing bad would ever happen. She looked up to him and he was going to be there for her.

It was just something he had to do.

"I think we should be getting you to sleep right about now.", said Link, sitting up.

"Okay.", she said sleepily. "Can you carry me?"

"Sure.", he said, picking up the little Princess in his arms and waking towards the castle.

He carefully climbed the steps, cautious not to drop her, walking down the hallway and into her room to place her in her bed.

"Goodnight Leila.", he said, kissing her gently on her forehead.

"Goodnight Link.", she whispered, snuggling into the covers. "Thank you for the story."

"Your welcome, Princess.", he said, waving to her, and stepping out of the room , to descend to his own for the night.

It was dark. Thunder clouds covered the skies. There was immense heat seeping from the ground in front of him.

Something that had once been a beautiful river, now flowed with red hot liquid, threatening to burn it's victims to a crisp, even from a distance.

He turned, looking for possible help. Maybe someone could stop this.

Then he heard it. An all too familiar voice calling out to him. But where? She seemed so close, but nowhere to be found.

He looked. Searched for her. Called for her. Begged her to show herself.

And out of nowhere, she appeared before him, smiling like the angel she was, happy to see him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, then looked him in the eyes.

She didn't speak. She never spoke. But he knew what she was trying to tell him. Like their minds were connected in some way.Leave. Leave before it's too late. Save yourself. Save her.

No. There had to be a way to stop this. He couldn't run like a coward. There must be some way. Some way to prevent what was going to happen.

He was about to object. Tell her she was wrong and make her say what had to be done.

But he didn't' have a chance. She screamed in horror, looking over his shoulder at something he didn't see.

He tuned sharply, wanting to know what had caused her to be so distraught. And when he saw what made her scream, he sucked in all his breath, fearing for the worst.

A little girl in a pink gown, with long blonde hair, stood along the edge of the cliff. Right below, a river of lava raged, hungry for a sacrifice. She was scared. Her neck turned his way, eyes pleading to him for a savior.

And then there was the man. The tall, cloaked figure, haunting the girl's every move, waiting for the precise moment to push her to her death. To her destiny.

Or perhaps she would slip herself. She was close enough to the edge to fall without help. Her toes just gripping the sides for balance, feeling the heat of the fiery current flowing with hate.

But to make sure that didn't happen, the man had a hand on her shoulder, keeping a careful watch so she wouldn't fall. At least, not on her own.

Feeling like all was lost, he, himself, did not move, afraid that if he did, the cloaked man would push her, opening a world of hatred, making thousands of innocents suffer the depths of hell. But only he, the man, and the woman beside him, knew that.

The tall man looked over his shoulder to him, hood over his head, shadowing his face. He could hear the man starting to laugh, lowering his hood to reveal himself. Marth.

Of course, this didn't surprise him. He knew who it was from the instant he saw the man.

The little girl was crying now, begging to the man that the she might be spared. But she knew well, from his past, that her wish would go unnoticed.

Link this is your chance, he thought. Save her. Keep her safe.Without another thought, he charged at Marth, hoping, in some way, that he was fast enough to make it.

NO!

The woman screamed inside his mind. It was a mistake. There was no hope.

He reached out his arms, praying he could get to her. Let her live.

If anyone deserved to live, it was her. She had done nothing to get into this.

And yet, she was the key. The one who was born for this very reason.

The man holding the girl grinned, and with a shove, the girl fell over the cliff, never to be seen again...

"NO!", Link yelled, jolting up in bed, covered with sweat, breathing heavily.

He clutched his chest, realizing it was just a dream, trying to get himself to calm down.

He leaned over the bed, taking his head in his hands.

All was quiet. It was the dead of night.

This dream. He knew it well. All too well for comfort.

What did this mean? What was this dream?

He racked his brain with questions that he could not answer.

Link wiped the sweat from his forehead, skin hot and sticky.

He had to see someone. Talk to someone. The one who knew his problems the most.

The one both he, and Zelda, had relied on and trusted.

But this. He couldn't figure it out. Why was this haunting his nights? He hadn't had this dream for a while now. Why was it all of a sudden turning up again?

One thing had crossed his mind while replaying the dream over again in his thoughts. One little girl. He didn't understand.

"Leila.", he breathed.

Kelenariel Khelekkir: thank you for being my grammar checker: ) you get a cookie for taking time out to help me. :D I go back and change things once you tell me what is wrong. Thanks! (hands you an extra large cookie)

Thanks for the reviews people. : )

Q: can we meet the queen

A: well here ya go. : )

Hey Kat: did you get the e-mail for the C2 yet? Well anyway, that's how you join. I'll tell you on Fp when you write a poem. : ) see ya!

this edit thing is so retarded!