Impossible Love

Sorry for the delay!

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Introduction
The Boy

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There was a dull, throbbing pain in the back of her head. Zelda moaned and strained to open her eyes. Where was she? Her vision was blurry at first, so she blinked a few times to see clearly.

She was currently laying on a bed in a strange room; it was not as soft as her own bed, but it was still comfortable. The room was small, with beige walls. There was a small shelf next to the bed, with a window above it. It was still raining outside. There was a closet on the other side of the room, and a door was next to it.

A woman appeared in the doorway. "Oh, you're awake!" she exclaimed happily. It was an older woman with white-blonde hair, pulled back into a messy bun with loose strands framing her face. "Are you alright?" she asked, walking up to the bedside.

"I'm fine," Zelda said. "What happened?"

The woman smiled, kneeling next to the bed. "Well, I'm not sure! You'll have to ask my son. All I know is that he burst in, carrying you, and said that you'd hit your head. What were you doing outside in a downpour like this?"

Zelda hesitated, and tried to avoid the question. "I only remember falling," she stated. "I don't recall anything after that." She was about to sit up, when she blushed and realized that she was clad in only her underwear! She hugged the light green blanket to her body in embarrassment.

The woman noticed and laughed. "Oh, I couldn't have you stay in those wet clothes, you know. You were soaked to the bone!" She produced an orange dress. "You can change into this, dear. It's not as fancy as that green dress you were wearing, but at least it's dry. I'm sad to say that your other dress was ruined; it didn't seem to handle the wet very well." Zelda took the new garment gratefully. "Well," the woman continued, standing up. "When you finish changing, come on downstairs if you feel up to it." She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

Zelda got out of bed and slipped the orange dress on. It had long sleeves and a V-shaped neckline, revealing her collarbone. The bottom of the skirt flowed outward and stopped at her knees. It was a little big for her, but it was comfortable enough. Zelda looked around to find a mirror to check her appearance in; she was shocked when she found none! She looked around the room more carefully; the colors and items inside were very boyish. Was she in a boy's room? Zelda felt her face get hot as she thought about the possibility she had been in a boy's bed in her underwear!

She quickly shook these thoughts out of her mind as she walked to the door. She stepped out of the room and found herself in a tiny hallway. The floor was made of wood, and it was cold under her bare feet. The hallway itself had three doorways, including the one she had just walked out of. Peeking into the other two rooms, Zelda saw they were all bedrooms. She wondered where the living and bathing rooms were located. She looked at the floor and saw that her black shoes were close by. They were pretty dry, so she slipped them onto her feet.

At the end of the hallway was a staircase. She walked onto it, holding the banister as she descended (her knees ached, probably from when she landed on the cobblestone street). Reaching the bottom, she looked around. It looked like she was in a tavern. The floor was bare, with tables and chairs scattered about. Adjacent to the stairway was a long counter; it looked like a bar. There was a doorway behind it, and a person walked through it.

It was a boy, maybe only one or two years older than Zelda. His skin was tanned, no doubt from working in the sun; Zelda's own skin looked pearly white in comparison. The boy's hair was blonde, a lighter shade than Zelda's own honey-colored locks. His eyes were a brilliant blue, and they were currently looking at her in surprise.

"Oh, girl!" he said, walking towards her. "You're awake! Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Zelda said, smiling at him.

"Are you sure? That was a pretty hard fall you took."

"Oh," said Zelda. "Are you the boy that found me? Thank-you for taking care of me."

The boy smiled and blushed. "You're welcome. But you don't need to curtsey to me."

Zelda blushed as well. She didn't realize she had curtsied! It was just a habit that Madame Loraine had instilled in her.

"My name is Link, by the way," the boy said.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm..." Zelda hesitated. She certainly couldn't tell him that she was the princess! What would she say her name was?

Link noticed her pause. "Are you alright?" he asked. "The fall didn't cause you to forget your name, did it?" He reached a hand up to feel her forehead.

Zelda blushed at the feel of his hand. "No, no," she murmured, shaking her head. "I'm just...I'm hungry, that's all."

Link nodded. "Oh, of course," he said. "I'm sorry, sit down, I'll get you a bowl of soup!" Before she had a chance to respond, Link had already disappeared in the doorway behind the bar.

Zelda sat down on a stool by the bar and looked around the room again. But she didn't have much time to herself, for another person came out of the doorway. It was the older woman again. "Oh, you're up and around, that's good!" she exclaimed, holding a bowl of soup. She placed it in front of Zelda. It was a brothy soup with meat and various vegetables. The woman handed Zelda a spoon.

"Thank-you," she said. She must have slept through her regular lunchtime, because she was very hungry now. "How long was I unconscious?" Zelda asked, blowing a spoonful of the soup to cool it.

"Oh, let's see...Link brought you in at about lunchtime, so...I'd say a couple hours, or so." She shrugged and leaned over the bar as Zelda ate. "Well, do you feel up to telling your story?" When Zelda looked at her in confusion, she smiled and added, "I mean, the reason you were outside in the storm. What's your name?"

Zelda swallowed another spoonful. "Oh, I was..." She hesitated again. She mentally kicked herself for not coming up with a decent backstory. "I was just coming to buy produce," she said slowly. The ideas formed in her head as she spoke. "I work in the castle. I'm a cook, and we were running low on supplies, so I came to buy some more...ah, potatoes and the like." She nodded fervently. "That's it."

The woman nodded, believing the story. "I see." She sighed. "But why in the middle of a rainstorm, dear? If Link hadn't seen you fall, you might've been unconscious outside for a while!"

Zelda blushed. "Oh, well...I guess I just didn't think about that," she muttered. "Did you make this soup?" she asked, attempting to change the subject. "It's very good."

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"Do you think she's cute?"

Link felt his face get hot as he whipped around to view the speaker. It was his little sister, Aryll. 1 Her eyes shone up at him with delight, and her hair was messy and falling out of its pigtails.

"What do you care, Aryll?" Link asked. "Go away."

Aryll giggled. "Do you think she's pretty?" she repeated. This aggravated her brother, and he swatted a towel in her direction. "You do!" Aryll exclaimed. "Or else you wouldn't be here in the kitchen, you'd be out there with mom! You're embarrassed!" She shrieked in delight as her brother made to grab her. He missed and she retreated to another corner of the kitchen.

Link and his mother ran the town's Tavern, the latter doing most of the cooking. Aryll tried to help, but oftentimes only made a mess of things. The family of three lived on the second floor, and the tavern itself was on the ground level. It consisted of only the main room (where his mother and the blonde stranger were in currently) and the kitchen. The door to the kitchen was behind the bar, and the supply closet was underneath the stairway. Inside the kitchen, the icebox was on the right side of the door and the pantry was next to that. The stove and counters were on the opposite wall, with cupboards over them. A table was situated in the middle of the room, and that was where the family had their own meals.

Aryll was currently sitting in the back corner of the room, next to the stove. The backdoor leading outside was next to her. She made faces at Link. Finding the fun in that gone, she stood up and looked out the backdoor. The rain still hadn't let up, so she took to pouting.

Link, ignoring his sister's antics, was wondering if he should go back out to the main room. He had only come in here to fetch the mysterious girl some soup, but since his mother did that for him, he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to just go out there for no reason, but he wanted to find out more about the strange girl.

He sighed, finding his hesitation silly, and went to fill a glass with water. He checked the pot of soup on the stove, bubbling happily, then went to exit the kitchen.

"...but it wasn't very difficult," his mother was saying. When Link entered she turned to him and smiled. "Oh, there he is now!" She waved him over and kissed him on the forehead. "Ever since his father died, he's been helping me out so much."

Link blushed at his mother's actions as he set the glass down in front of the girl. "What are you talking about, Mom?"

His mother smiled and said, "Oh, I was just telling Zelda here a little bit about you." She winked.

"Zelda?" Link asked, looking to the golden haired girl. "Were you named after a member of the royal family?"

Zelda smiled and nodded. "Yes," she said simply. Truthfully, she was. After Zelda Madeleine Harkinian the first, of course, but Link and his mother knew none of this.

"Oh, she told me she was a royal cook!" the older woman bubbled. "Isn't that fascinating, Link?" The boy nodded. "Do you see the King and Queen often?" his mother asked.

Zelda shook her head sadly. "No, actually I don't." She sighed slightly; apparently this topic was unwelcome in Zelda's mind, so Link's mom changed the subject.

"Oh, do you have a husband?" she asked. Zelda shook her head. "Well, Link here doesn't have a wife!" She laughed merrily. "Have you two taken a fancy to each other yet?"

The two younger people turned crimson. "Mom!" Link complained. "What are you saying? That's...that's impolite! To Zelda."

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, but I want grandchildren now!" She poked her son in the ribs. "When will you settle down, eh?" She laughed again, but Link didn't seem to find it funny. Zelda giggled at this spectacle.

"I'm sure your son will find a girl soon, Mrs... " Zelda started.

"Oh, you can just call me Blessy. Do you really think Link here will find a wife soon?" The woman laughed once more and pinched her son's scarlet cheeks. "Oh, you know I'm only teasing, honey," she said with a smile. Link rolled his eyes but a smile played at the corners of his lips.

Zelda grinned watching them. But it made her think. When would she find herself a husband? She didn't meet any suitable men in the castle (not that Madame Loraine would condone a princess marrying a servant anyway), and she had never been in love. What was it like? She'd need a husband to be King when her parents died.

"My, look!" came Blessy's voice, interrupting Zelda's thoughts. Blessy pointed to the windows on the far side of the room. "Seems as if the rain's let up. That was a good shower, the air's been so dry lately. Oh, Zelda, have you finished your soup?" She looked at the younger girl's empty bowl and took it. "Would you like some more?" After a polite decline, Blessy took the bowl to the kitchen to be washed, leaving Link and Zelda alone.

"The sun's come out," Link said simply, walking around the counter and looking out the window. He turned to Zelda. "Are you feeling better? Or would you like to stay a bit longer?"

Zelda came to stand close beside him and looked out the window as well. "I suppose I've been out long enough," she said. She looked up at Link. Their close proximity caused the boy to blush, and he backed up a step. Zelda didn't notice. "It was very nice to meet you, Link."

"Aw, are you leaving?" came Blessy's voice from the kitchen doorway. She walked over to the two. "Well, I suppose you should get back to the castle. The other cooks might miss you," she said. She hugged Zelda. "Bye now. You can keep the dress, it's too small for me now."

Zelda blushed, forgetting she was still wearing the woman's orange dress. "Thank-you." She made her way to the doorway and gave a curtsey to the two standing by the window. "Bye!" And she was gone.

Link watched her as she passed by the window and walked up the street. Blessy noticed this and giggled. "Come, tell me your real feelings. Isn't she beautiful? Skin like a porcelain doll!"

Link's face turned red, but he looked away so his mother wouldn't see. "You should get back to the kitchen, Mom," he said. "Now that the rain's let up, we'll get some customers."

Blessy smiled and said no more, turning to go to the kitchen. But she suddenly stopped and turned around. "Oh, Link, you remember that the Summer Festival is next month, right? Who were you planning on asking to that?" she asked. The Summer Festival was a three-day event where the village celebrated the arrival of summer. There were parades and dances, and each day had a separate activity. On the 3rd night, it was custom for the young men to ask the ladies to the Stargazing Dance.

Link shrugged. "Malon, I suppose. She's had her heart set on it since last year."

Blessy nodded with a smile. "She's a pretty one too. I wonder if your kids will have her red hair, or your blonde?"

"Mom!" Link exclaimed, blushing madly.

Blessy laughed heartily. After a moment, her laughter subsided and her countenance soon grew serious again. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, though, sweetie. About the Summer Festival. You know, at your age, it's the time when..."

The front door swung open, and a familiar purple-haired man stepped in. "Hullo, Blessy," he said. "Might I get a bag of cakes? Anju is craving them."

"Yes, Kafei," Blessy said, sighing and apparently irritated at being interrupted. She turned and strode into the kitchen to fetch the dainties. Kafei turned and gave a nod of acknowledgement to Link, who nodded also.

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To Be Continued...

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Yay! I hope you're enjoying this so far The Summer Festival will be explained further in future chapters, so you don't need to understand it to much yet.

1 In the original version of this fic, Link had a younger brother named Lunar. I've changed it to his younger sister, Aryll, from Wind Waker. Why? Because I prefer real characters to made-up ones. Haha! I'm also going to include various other characters (such as Kafei, at the end of this chapter). There will be characters from a lot of different Zelda games. Blessy and Madame Loraine are the only original characters so far (besides the King and Queen, but they are kind of a given right? Princesses need parents... I don't know), but there will be a few more in later chapters.

Next Chapter: The Craving