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Chapter Three

Tears

Zelda and Link walked through the palace gardens. Over the last few days, Zelda had begun to let go of the bitterness in her heart, and it had not gone unnoticed by the Palace staff. It had, however, completely escaped her father.

Zelda herself was happier every time Link came to visit her, which was almost everyday. She didn't know how, but her love for him had survived through the two years he was gone.

Zelda stopped at one of the rose bushes. To many other people, it looked like a scared, pink child amongst the angry red blossoms, but it was Zelda's favourite. Link had brought it to the castle when they were children, and they had planted it here. Every time she passed it, she would stop and smell the blooms, sometimes picking one and even wearing it in her hair. She did so just then.

Link stopped a few paces away, admiring Zelda's profile. She was more beautiful than he remembered. She turned to him, and caught him staring at her. Her face went pink, but Link's turned a few different shades of red. Zelda giggled.

"Link," Zelda laughed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were staring at me!" Link's eyes were as wide as saucers, but he got an evil grin on his face. This was his chance to tell her.

"Well, you obviously know very little, don't you?" Link gasped, realising that he had just insulted the Princess. Zelda's face grew angry.

"What?" She growled, lowly and dangerously.

"I'm sorry!" Link cowered. She didn't even need the soldiers to punish him. All she needed was her magic. It was lucky for Link that a messenger had come to summon the angry Princess to the Throne Room on Royal Business.

"I'll take care of this, and then I'll come back for you!" Zelda threatened over her shoulder, but her tone was one of amusement. Link smirked at her back, then turned to leave the castle.

THRONE ROOM

"You did what?" Zelda shreiked at the top of her lungs. Her father had surley gone mad.

"Zelda, please!" Her father tried to reason, "It would be a strong alliance. The Terminians would strongly agree with me, that you marry the widowed Mayor. All I need is your approval. Please? For the good of the country?"

"No!" Zelda yelled, scaring even her father's elite Royal Guards. And they were hard to intimidate.

"Zelda," her father sighed, getting impatient, "I've put up with this attitude long enough. You are too old to be unwed. And your being a Princess has had some eyebrows raised at my ethics reguarding women. To be honest, your upbringing has been nothing but an experiment. I am afraid that it has proven to be a total failure. Women cannot be allowed to have the choice. From this point on, you will do as I bid you. You will wed Mayor Dotour, and that is final."

"I shall not!" Zelda screamed in her fury. The flower fell out of her hair, and onto the floor.

"You shall," The King growled, "Or you shall forfeit your claim to the throne." Zelda stared at her father. If Zelda didn't take the crown, then her fifteen year old sister would have no choice but to take it. Zelda didn't think that it would be such a good idea to let her sister rule. Zelda was backed into a corner.

"Why would you subject us to this?" Zelda asked her father, her eyes watering, "I have no wish to wed for politics. Freida is not capable of ruling. It would put too much stress on us. Do you want to rip your family apart?"

"You will do as I bid you." Her father repeated. Zelda ran from the Throne room, trampling the delicate rose, and trying unsucessfully to hide her tears. She did not think of where she was going, and ran headlong into her sister, Princess Freida.

"Zel?" Freida asked, catching herself before she hit the ground, "Zel, what happened?"

"Free... Would you hate me if I made a decision that forced you onto the Throne?" Zelda hiccuped. Freida looked at her like she was crazy.

"Why would you do that?" She asked, looking her in the face.

"Never mind the details! Would you or wouldn't you?" Zelda said, getting frustrated.

"I woudn't hate you! Now tell me why you are asking me such things!" And so Zelda began to tell her younger sister of all that had been discussed in the Throne Room with their father.

Sorry it's kinda rushed! I just wanted get it up asap! It would have been up yesterday if my stupid computer hadn't kicked me off the net! Damn Dial-Up connection! Damn you to hell!

Review, please!