Hello, and welcome to chapter two! When I started thinking about this chapter, I had some general ideas about it, but as I went along I decided on the direction that I want to take with it, which you will see towards the end. At first it was just going to be Zelda trying to escape being caught in an arranged marriage, but now it's a much more serious matter, which is why I changed the story's summary. And because of the direction I chose, I may need to eventually up the rating to M as well.
But enough about that. On with the story!
Thank you to my reviewers- Ericketiting, inuchick22, Sakurelle (one of my most faithful, thanks so much!), and IcyFlames15.
Zelda awoke in her bed to find four very concerned people surrounding her- Impa, Link, King Harkinian, and Prince Carden. They breathed a collective sigh of relief upon seeing that she seemed to have suffered no ill effects from her fainting spell.
"What happened?" she mumbled.
"You fainted from the heat," Impa answered. "It appears that you were dehydrated."
"Do you remember feeling ill?" the king asked.
Only after you told me I was promised to a stranger, Zelda thought. "I was feeling a little warm, but other than that, no."
"How do you feel now?" Link questioned.
"I feel alright, just thirsty."
Impa dismissed the three men so that she could finish tending to the princess. Link, the last to exit the room, stopped at the door and turned around, giving a longing look to Zelda which both she and Impa easily observed.
"Impa, can I ask you a question?" the princess said, her heart aching for Link.
"Of course," the kindly woman answered, handing Zelda a goblet of water.
Zelda sipped at the water as she thought about how to phrase her inquiry. "Do you think I should marry Prince Carden?"
"That decision is between your father and his. It is not mine to make."
"But if you had the choice..."
"Well, in all fairness, neither of us really know him well enough to make judgment. But he sure seems a strange case from what I have noticed so far, I must say."
"How come?"
"Well, when you fainted earlier, he simply stood there awkwardly as I tended to you, while your father and Link calmed the crowd. Perhaps he was frightened, but your father had to command him to help carry you back to the castle."
Zelda sighed and leaned back against the pillows. "How could my father betroth me to that... that boy? Why can I not choose whom I wish to marry?"
"It is the royal tradition, Princess. It happened to your mother, your grandmothers, and most likely every generation previous to them. We both know how the king feels about tradition."
"Yes, but you also know how I feel about tradition. Particularly in this case, as I have already found someone perfectly suitable to rule with me when the time comes."
"And who might that be?" Impa asked, already knowing the answer.
"Link."
"But Princess, he is not of noble birth."
"That is just a small detail."
"No, I'm afraid not. It is quite significant, enough to prevent him from marrying into the family."
"But why can't I marry for love, just like a normal young woman?"
"Because, you are not a 'normal young woman,'" Impa reminded Zelda, half-smiling.
"Well, I care not. I love Link, he loves me, and that is what matters. Besides, when my father knows the real reason for my fainting spell, he will have no choice but to recognize Link as my future husband."
Impa sighed, knowing that the king's temper and Zelda's stubbornness did not mix well. I hope so, for the sake of you and the future of this kingdom, she thought, helping Zelda out of the bed and into appropriate clothes for going to visit the king.
The king angrily slammed his fist on the table. "I will not have my daughter marrying a commoner!" he bellowed, his face burning with rage.
"But Father, Link will soon be a knight! Please, Father, I love him, and he loves me!"
"Love, love, love! All this ludicrous talk of love. Let me tell you something, young lady. Love between royalty and peasants simply cannot exist. That is why the fathers of our kingdom decreed that royalty can only marry royalty, to prevent commoners from getting their greedy hands on what rightfully belongs to us!"
"How dare you speak of Link like that! You who named him as my protector, and announced just mere hours ago that he is to be knighted!"
Zelda watched in horror as her father arose from the table and made his way towards her. "Don't you dare talk to me in that manner! I know what is best for you! You are never to question my judgment again!" he yelled, raising a hand to slap her for her insolence. She cowered back, instinctively raising her arms to shield her face.
Seeing his daughter tremble in fear caused the king to put his hand down. "Please, my daughter, do not fear me. I am only looking out for what I know is best for you."
"No, you are looking out for what is best for you!" Zelda retorted, hot tears stinging her eyes.
"Listen, I want you to be happy, but I have an entire kingdom to think about," he said in a softer voice, sitting back at the table. "We need this marriage to ally ourselves with Calatia and guarantee further protection from Ganon and his minions."
"But Link destroyed Ganon, remember? And why Calatia, of all places? Link says that-"
"Enough of this foolish talk about Link!" the king growled, his anger returning. "I command you, speak no more of him in this way! From now on he is to be only a knight to you. Once he is knighted, I will be assigning you a new protector. Go now to your fiancé. Get to know him, for you will be married to him in three months. The sooner you come to know him, the sooner you will forget about that silly 'love' that you claim to share with Link."
"You're wrong, Father! I can never forget what I share with Link, for the love we share is genuine! He already has something of mine that no one else will ever have, not even that awful prince! And I am going to marry Link whether I have your blessings or not!" Zelda screamed at the top of her lungs, moving towards the door
"Do you mean to say that you have lost your purity to a peasant?" the king shouted right back. "In that case, he is to be immediately dismissed from his position amongst the true protectors of our family and of the kingdom! You are never to have contact with him again!"
"You cannot stop me from being with him!" Zelda proclaimed. "You want to know the real reason that I fainted earlier, besides the heat? Because I'm carrying his child!" With that, Zelda turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
As she ran to her room, Zelda happened upon Quinlan, who was patrolling the halls.
"Oh, I'm so glad I found you. Please, you must fetch Link for me. Tell him to come to my room immediately, through the usual way. I must speak to him right away."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Quinlan answered, bowing to her before hurrying off to find Link.
Link was sitting on his bed, thinking about losing Zelda to a stranger, when Quinlan burst into the room, breathless. "The princess wants to see you right away. She says to come to her the usual way."
"Thanks, Quinlan," Link said, jumping up from the bed and shaking his friend's hand before making his way outside. He stealthily went to the castle and scaled the wall up to Zelda's bedroom window.
"What is it my love?" he asked after he and Zelda shared a heated kiss.
"Please, stay with me tonight. My father knows, and I fear to be without you."
"It was risky enough before you were engaged. If I were to be caught with you now, I could go to the gallows for it."
"Please, Link, don't deny me," Zelda implored him with her sapphire eyes, making him go weak in the knees.
King Harkinian called to order the commanding officers to give them very specific instructions.
"Search everywhere for Link. When you find him, arrest him and bring him back here immediately for his trial."
"But, sir," one of the commanders objected. "What are his charges?"
"High treason."
The commanders murmured in surprise. "What did he do?" one of them asked.
"He engaged in forced relations with my daughter."
Down the hall and up one floor, Link and Zelda spent what they worried would be their last night together, loving each other with the utmost passion.
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