Lok: Oh gosh, I'm sorry y'all for the looooooooooooooooong absence. But the thing is, I actually have a reasonable explanation of my extended leave... I've been out of the country (the States) for the past year... In a country where the internet isn't exactly top priority. Let's just say I've been in the middle of nowhere for the past 11 months. ;; Anyways, I hope you'll notice (if you still read this fic) that my writing has improved a teensy bit since last year.. Anyways, enjoy! D Hopefully... You also might notice that it's not as retarded sounding as my previous chappies... They were pretty hectic and written basically on a whim. But I'll try to take this a bit more seriously this time around... And I'll probably re-write the earlier chapters... Just a warning, that's all. But I'm probably boring you guys. On with the story! Kicks Pikester
Pikester: Ouch! Lok says thank you for all your kind reviews (even though she didn't get off her lazy ass enough to write the next chapter until now) Gets kicked again Ow!
Lok; Don't forget the disclaimer.
Pikester: grumpily Lok doesn't own Zelda so screw you.
V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V
With Prince Charming
Ch. 3: Link the Stable Boy
It was a beautiful late summer afternoon in the land of Hyrule. Zelda was once again at the Royal ranch, re-confiding last night's nauseating events to her best friend.
"Oh, Goddess. You just have no idea," said the princess, her long, graceful figure leaning against the slowly decaying fence. "It was pretty much the worst night of my life!" Malon was beside her friend, nodding sympathetically.
"I'm sorry for you, girl," drawled she. "Can't imagine your pain at all!" All the same, there was a hint of sarcasm in the red-haired girl's tone. "But now, if you ex-cayuse me, I need to be puttin' the cows away from pasture before evenin'."
"Oh, fine." Zelda leaned back even further, sighing grumpily as she did so. "Leave me here. Some friend you are!" But Malon only smiled, leaving Zelda to her woes.
Once her friend left, Zelda fell onto the grass and drew into her 'sulking' posture. Oh, she knew she was acting like a child, but she didn't really care. All her life, Zelda had to act beyond her years; who was she to deny the occasional childish tantrum now that she was actually 'of age'? Giving herself up to her emotions, the princess dropped her head to her knees as tears filled her wide, innocent eyes.
"...Er, miss?" Said a voice from somewhere above her. Startled, Zelda quickly wiped her tears away and looked up at whoever had spoken. It was a boy, younger-or perhaps the same age- than she was. He had long, blonde hair fell nearly to his shoulders, and a lanky, taut stature. There was a bit of stubble on his chin, a rather delicate nose for a man, and the most beautiful pair of eyes that Zelda had ever seen on a man or woman. She noticed as well that he had the clothes of a servant, albeit a bit dirty from mud and other unmentionables- plus, he smelled of manure. The guy smiled at her; perhaps he thought her as a girl from town... It's not like she was wearing her royal robes of office or anything. "The ranch is closing up for visitors. I just thought you'd like to know." Zelda had to laugh. This guy had to be one of the biggest country bumpkins she had ever met. For a citizen of Hyrule not to know what the princess looked like!
"Thank you, but I live here," said Zelda, meaning of course the castle. She didn't mention what why she lived there, at least not just yet... It would be fun to hide her 'secret' from him a little while longer. "So you're the new stable hand helping Malon? What's your name?"
"Er..." The man seemed at a loss, then recovered. "Er, I guess you could call me Link."
"You guess?" The princess could not keep the tone of incredulousness from her voice.
"Well, I dunno. That's what I've been called ever since I was little, after me ma died. I was taken in by... kind people in the forest just south of here. I'm pretty sure that's not my real name, but I guess it's not that important, is it."
At the boy's statement, Zelda's eyebrows raised. The Kokiri forest? The same forest that was said to have fairies and elven people, with their great Tree Guardian, and this boy...
"You... You're not a Kokiri, are you?" She blurted out without thinking, and realized her mistake. For one thing, this Link was clearly of Hyrulean lineage. The Kokiri were said to be short in stature and childlike. This boy did seem a tad innocent, but he wasn't a munchkin. Link blinked.
"You know about the Kokiri?" He asked her, looking troubled. "Not many people know about them..."
"Oh, right... Well, I've just heard of stories in the kitchens where I work, you know... I just thought I asked, is all," Zelda said quickly. "You know how they are... Blabbing about the randomnest things sometimes." She privately filed the fact however, that, as a result of the boy's slip-up, there were apparently real Kokiri in the Southern Forests. Link didn't seem to believe her, but didn't question her further. "Well, anyways, thanks for letting me know." She stood up and brushed the clumps of dirt and grass off her worn overalls. "I should be uh, getting back to the Kitchens before I get whipped. Tell Malon I'll see her later, alright?" She hurried off without waiting for Link's response, eager to get away before her lie unraveled around her feet.
She was never any good at lying, anyways.
V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V
"You sent for me, princess?" A clean Malon stood at the princesses' doorway, waiting for Zelda's reply before entering.
"Yeah, come in, come in!" Zelda looked up from the book she was reading, and patted at a spot beside her. "Sit."
"Huh. I wanted to talk to you about something too, Zelda," Malon said, marching up to Zelda's bed and plopping down unceremoniously on the 'spot.' "My new stable boy was saying something about a kitchen girl who knew about Kokiri and junk. It wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" Zelda winced at her friend's tone. She knew it had been wrong, but...
"Well... Yeah, it was me. I just thought it was odd that he didn't know what I looked like.. I mean, you know. The Princess Zelda." She rushed on, before Malon had a chance to retaliate. "And, I just thought it would be fun to pretend to be someone else, you know? Especially with... him around nowadays. I just want to have a little fun, is all." At this, Malon's expression softened. She could never be mad at Zelda for long, and vice versa.
"I still don't think Ganondorf's all that bad, honey. He's quite a catch, if you ask me!" She said. Malon was about to say more about the subject when she saw the look on her friend's face and went back to the original topic. "Er... yeah. What's with all the Kokiri crap? You know it's just a myth... And what were you blabbing about that to him for?"
"He was the one who mentioned that he lived in the Kokiri Forest," retorted Zelda. "I just let it slip about the Kokiri, and he was the one who acted like they were real. I--" A knock at the open doorway cut her short.
"Excuse me princess, Malon. Sir Ganondorf has requested a meeting privately with the princess at the balcony area tonight, at 8 o' clock." With that, the servant left.
Zelda groaned audibly. "Malon, what time is it? Wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know."
"Er... well, you should go about now. I expect he's expectin' you now, babe." Malon said, feeling sorry for her friend once again. Zelda groaned again and slid off her bed to wear something a bit more appropriate than a slip.
"Meh.. Whatever. Wish me luck."
"All the luck you need, hon."
V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V
There he was, waiting for her at the spot he had promised, the moon giving his figure an eerie glow. Zelda frowned despite herself, but continued until she stood next to him.
"Sir Ganondork- I mean, Ganondorf. I have accepted your request. What is your need of my presence?" She said, careful not to look up at his face, lest her own betrayed her feelings.
"Blast it, skip the pleasantries, girl!" Snapped Ganondorf, the 'charm' obviously gone from the tone of his voice. "You know what I want, and I'll get it no matter what. And you will help me."
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir, but you have no right to talk to me like that," Zelda said coldly, now looking up at the Desert Prince with an equally distant gaze. Ganondorf was snarling, his fists clenching and unclenching in sync with his breathing. Zelda could smell something in his breath-- alcohol, she presumed.
"Now you listen to me," said Ganondorf, lowering his face to hers so that their noses almost touched. "Tomorrow, there will be other suitors, coming in from distant lands. But you will choose me." He grabbed her by the shoulders, and she could not get away from his grasp; it was simply too tight. "I want you girl. I want your money. Your kingdom. But most of all...Your body." He held her to himself even closer, as if to emphasize his last statement. "I will have you, and you will choose me, or else..."
Zelda knew better than to struggle further against him. "Or else what?"
He looked into her eyes, and she saw with a shudder that there was no light in his eyes- it was devoid of anything that looked alive.
"Consequences that you will regret," he said, and a chill ran down her spine.
He let her go, and she ran, too afraid to do anything else but lock herself up in her room.
V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V-V
Lok: Whoa, this chapter is considerably a different tone from the other chapters. 0.o;; Even I didn't expect it!
Pikester: drily What a surprise.
Lok: Shaddup. I suppose this was bound to be a slightly darker chapter.. Can't fit much humor into these events. ;; Sorry to all those readers who expected another 'humorous' chapter...But next chapter, I promise, will be more humorous. I swear it upon my mother's right pinky. )