Disclaimer: (shoots self.)

Hear hear for the big finale!


Zelda didn't hear the footsteps until they were mere feet away, and even then she needed his voice to notify her of Marth's presence. He'd always been light of foot, even catlike, and that had always been something she looked forward to on many occasions – the surprise that came whenever she was alone, of his hands on her shoulders to spin her around and kiss her before she even had time to react…

Those times had been so full of love, and it seemed unfathomable to her, to think that perhaps he hadn't really meant any of it.

"Zelda?"

The single word shot daggers through her, and the unmistakable concern in his voice made her cringe – it was impossible for something so pure and affectionate to be false. Whipping around on her heel, she was quick to smash the back of her hand against her eyes, wiping the tears from them.

"Oh… hi."

Marth came closer, but stopped when she looked away, obviously alarmed at the way her face contorted as she desperately tried to hide her sobs. Silently she thanked the Goddesses for the darkness of the night around them, which hid her swollen red eyes and didn't bring much attention to the watery trails down her face.

"Were you crying?" he asked quietly. Her heart skipping a beat, Zelda's body twitched involuntarily, and she couldn't put her heart into the lie.

"Of – of course not," she said lamely with a half-hiccup, half-laugh, but she couldn't have hoped Marth wouldn't see through it, and she felt him come up beside her.

"You don't have to do that," he said softly, "no one can be tough all the time… not even you."

Zelda loosed a harsh, humorless laugh and wiped another tear from her cheek. "Why not? I assume that's why you accepted me and all, because I wasn't whiny… because I never cried."

"…accepted?"

Now there was hurt on his face as well, and Zelda couldn't bring herself to look at him, to know that once again, she was complaining and he was just listening to her. She'd never seen Marth take crap from anyone – not Peach, not Fox, certainly not from Link – anyone but her. For once she wanted him to be angry with her, so that she wouldn't be the only whimpering coward in the relationship.

"I guess you really could have had anyone you wanted," Zelda continued bitterly, still not looking at him so she wouldn't have to see his expression, "God knows Peach would have loved it, or even Samus… I don't know, maybe I was convenient. But you're running out of reasons, aren't you? I won't be important for much longer, soon Hyrule's going to be just about as useless to you as a kid's allowance."

There was a terrible silence, and Zelda's every muscle was taut as she listened in despair for his reply. All the while she couldn't help thinking, should I just pack my bags now?

"What are you talking about?"

His tone was uncharacteristically harsh, and Zelda had to look up at him, just to see that he was, in fact, angry. But she was far from happy; in fact, if anything, it had been better when he had simply listened… it had always been other things that incensed him – people, events, whatever, but now it was her. She had made him angry, but worse than that, she knew that she'd hurt him somehow.

"It's nothing," she mumbled, "just my goddamn mother."

They stood in silence for a moment, and Zelda' heart dropped like a lead stone. She suddenly hated herself; she'd done the most despicable thing she could think of. She had told Marth that it was all her mother's fault, and while it had been Queen Harkinnian who'd planted the seeds in Zelda's head, she was the one who had escalated it into something much more serious.

A hand closed around her arm. "I won't tell you to give her a break, or to put yourself in her shoes," Marth told her firmly, "but what the hell makes you think I accepted you? Is your opinion of me really that low?"

Of course not, Zelda wanted to cry, but she knew what he was going to say. It made perfect sense to her – for a man like him to take in someone like her was a ridiculous idea, and she was stupid to have ever thought he had any affection for her… much less love her. She wanted to cry - something she hadn't done since she left home years ago - and then came something slightly more serious: a nearly suicidal intent; the overwhelming, burning desire to weep until she asphyxiated on her own tears.

"Zel, you know I never settle for second best," Marth continued adamantly, and Zelda's body convulsed with a choked sob. She knew that better than anybody, so why hadn't she seen it coming? Even with such a remarkable rank in the Smash Tournament, he hadn't been contented with his second-place finish.

And if he didn't settle for second-best in the Tournament, why should he settle for Zelda, when she was hardly worth his time?

Marth uttered a small, impatient noise, and Zelda was horrified at how he didn't seem to care that the unflappable Zelda was breaking down in front of him.

"Will you stop trying to predict what I'm going to say, and actually listen to me?"

Zelda swallowed and closed her eyes.

"Peach always had a thing for me, but I didn't start seeing her. Daisy was practically a stalker, but I didn't go out with her."

That was true enough. Contested only by Roy's boyish charm and Link, with a hero's stance unmatched even after his tarnished reputation had brought him down a notch, Marth was a desired consort - good-natured, handsome, and filthy rich - and had been hounded by Daisy as if she were a sheepdog, as well as gained flirtatious batted eyes from Peach when she thought Zelda wasn't looking.

Was this his way of telling Zelda that he could have any woman he wanted? It seemed impossible that his manner could be so indifferent, as if his love and devotion had dissolved as if it were never there... or perhaps he enjoyed it? Watching Zelda destroy herself silently listening to his quiet, cold tone...

"Second and third best, Zel," he said, and Zelda blinked in confusion, "I chose you, didn't I?"

Zelda's lips fell open slightly, her eyes widening, and then Marth smiled. "And if I'd just settled, if I'd just accepted you, I doubt I'd love you as much as I do."

Just as the blonde princess had just experienced the worst moment in her life, she was now experiencing the happiest, and in all honesty she could swear that the sun was rising in her chest and spilling its rays out of her eyes and mouth.

"You asshole!" she shrieked, sending her balled-up fist into Marth's shoulder, but she was laughing loudly and blissfully, as if she'd never laughed before. "All this time you were just making me squirm!"

"I think you need to have some more faith in us," the blue-haired prince told her, smiling, as she seethed. That wonderful feeling was still expanding in her heart as she put her arms around Marth's chest and laid her head against his chest, the tears flowing down her face suddenly jubilant.

"You can cry all you want," Marth said into her pointed ear, his voice muffled into her hair, "you're still the only joy in my life."

The words were music in Zelda's ears, and with one last gasp she resolved to be done with this childish crying. Looking up into his face, she was met by the kindest smile she had ever seen, and suddenly couldn't fathom being unhappy mere seconds ago.. She nodded, unable to speak, and they walked to sit side-by-side on the thick stone balcony, closer than she had ever sat with Link. The bond she felt was indescribable, as was the rapture and euphoria that enveloped her, and so she was content to merely sit there with her head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

It was only after a while that something began to nag at the back of her head; something that made her less angry than indignant. Unexpectedly, it came to the tip of her tongue to waver precariously, and before she could help herself, it fell out of her mouth.

"Do you think I'm… feminine?"

Marth stared down at her, and she felt suddenly foolish to have asked such a silly question.

"Sorry?"

"Just tell me," Zelda said, turning red and donning her best pout. She had yet to see Marth resist the power of either her pout or her puppy eyes, but she'd only bring out the puppy eyes when she needed heavy artillery.

"What brought this on?" Marth asked, and then suddenly he smirked. "Your mother again?"

"I know it was a bad excuse, but it was true, and actually it was my mother!"

The thought process behind the sentence was nonsensical and intermittent, and had gone apology-defense-insistence without much transition time. Ignoring the amused expression on Marth's face, Zelda resolved to bring out the puppy eyes if he didn't answer her.

"Do you think I'm feminine or not?" she repeated tenaciously.

"Well," he started, "as far as I can tell, you have breasts and divine legs and one hell of a figure – "

"Marth!"

She smacked him and prepared to assume the puppy eyes, but instead looked away exasperatedly, despairing of ever getting an answer – but maybe that was his answer. Maybe he wouldn't give her a serious response because he couldn't, because there really was none and Zelda was just as awkward and clumsy as her mother had told her she was.

And if that was the case, then was her mother right about everything she had told her daughter? Was she right about the wiles of politicians, and that all diplomats were merely manipulators and strategists –

"Zel," Marth said, closing his hand tightly around hers with an amused smirk, "I can see the gears turning in your head."

With this he put a finger below her chin and tilted her head up, and she fancied she could hear him telling her, remember what I said about trust?

But who was she to forecast his thoughts? She cast her eyes downward, but she could feel his eyes searching her face, and had a momentary flicker of hope. And when she looked up she was greeted with a smile that never failed to send pleasant shivers up and down her arms.

"You're beautiful," Marth told her quietly, "last time I checked, that's about as effeminate as you can get."

Pressing her leaking eyes into the prince's chest once again to weep silently into the tunic, Zelda was able to ignore the stares from inside the ballroom and the faint whispers. She was even able to put out of her mind the heartlessness of her mother and the bureaucratic coldness of her father… all because she was happy, so long as she loved the man beside her with all her heart, and he loved her in return.


The End. What a beautiful series of words.

Man... Zelda got a little suicidal back there fora second. Never thought she had it in her... although I did try to put a few moments of unrest in there, even if it did tear me apart inside. And, technically, Daisy is not a SSB/S, but I couldn't think of another less-empowered female character unless I put myself in which, frankly, would piss everyone off to the extreme.

razzkat - Unrealistic, yes. Fun, yes :-). Heh, "boyish charm", "hero's stance"... thought you might appreciate that :-) Link may have lost my respect a while ago, but I don't think he's completely a lost cause, especially with Twilight Princess coming... and as for Roy... kawai pyromaniac!

Nox - Well, I also premediated your trying to premeditate my response... which means that you shall now have premeditated my future response, which shall lead to a neverendingcycle of premeditation and screwed-up tenses! And apparently the 'advice' did nothing to rekindle So Below... ah, well, such is the vicious circle of life.

RedRose722 - Glad to know I made the story addictive enough! Although it is saddening to see the hit counter diminish slowly as the chapters go on XD.

And such ends the saga. Good night all, for I need to sleep.