CHAPTER ONE

Two days before her wedding, Malon was afraid.

She had been engaged to Link for four months, and those four months had been bliss. She was thrilled, exhilarated. She walked on air. She smiled and she glowed and nothing could put her in a bad mood. Nothing could bring her down. She could work in the fields and muck out the stalls for hours and not feel the slightest shred of unhappiness. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

Her father and Ingo, of course, were happy and excited for her as well. They had all known Link for a long time, since he and Malon were children. They had seen him grow up, and they had watched him with as much as interest as they watched Malon. They knew how wonderful and kind he was. He saved countless races and countries without question and asked for no reward. He was the Hero of Time. He could do no wrong.

All the wedding details were planned. It was to take place in Hyrule Castle, in the courtyard, because Link insisted it was the most beautiful garden in Hyrule, and when Malon saw it she had to agree. The flowers were plentiful and bloomed in the brightest shades of pink, blue, and yellow. There were fountains and lush canopies. Malon instantly loved it there, and agreed it was the perfect place for her wedding.

She had picked out her dress as well. It was long and pure white, and made of the finest silk and trimmed in lace and tiny diamonds. The veil was long and was placed over Malon's face in a very beautiful, elegant fashion. Normally she wouldn't be able to afford such a dress, but Link had made quite a sum of money in his travels. And when she put on that dress, she felt like a princess, Link's princess.

Of course, the real princess was Zelda.

Malon knew that Zelda was Link's closest friend. They shared a special bond that no one truly understood. How did the beautiful little princess who was scarcely allowed to leave the castle become friends with the boy raised in the forest? Hardly anyone knew, and Malon was one of the few who did. She knew how Link had helped Zelda and the Sages save Hyrule from what would've been an age of evil, and had conquered evil beyond Malon's worst nightmares. It was all of this that made her anxious.

What if, she wondered, Link's friendship with Zelda was stronger than their love? What if they shared something infinitely deeper, no matter how platonic it was? Could people who had travelled across time together not be bonded somehow? These were the thoughts that flickered across Malon's mind that evening.

She'd had a crush on him since the day they met. It was a hot day in town, and Malon was eleven years old. She was waiting for her father to return from the castle after making his delivery. She had already been waiting an hour, and she had already walked through all the shops of interest. Children played in the streets and crowds gathered in the corners, and vendors shouted prices of various items, jewelry, pots, silverware. Malon checked her pockests. One green rupee and one blue. Not enough to buy anything. She sighed and sat down by the town central fountain, letting the water's spray cool her. She became so lost in thought that she jumped when a boy's voice asked her, "Do you know which way the castle is?"

Malon turned, and there was Link. His face was dirty and his foreheard was damp, but the first thing Malon noticed were his vibrant blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "Over that way," she said vaguely, pointing over her shoulder.

Trying she regain her composure, she shook her head a little. She then noticed the boy's strange green clothing. Incredulous, she exclaimed, "You're a fairy boy from the forest!" Her eyes lit up. "Oh, what's it like there? Is it beautiful as they say? But I heard the Kokiri would die if they left the forest! Are you going to die?"

Link patiently answered her questions as best he could, even though he himself didn't know all the answers. They introduced themselves, and with a wave, he departed in the direction of the castle. Malon sighed happily when he was out of earshot, her spirits lifted. She thought of him for the rest of day, smiling. However, when the sun set and the crowds were gone, reality set in and she realized her father still hadn't returned. Huffing, she marched in the direction of the castle. She didn't even wonder if Link was still there, or even what business he had there. Her mind was still young. All she cared about was finding her father and going home.

The castle looked huge and menacing to a small Malon and her modest eyes, and she suffered a moment of feeling inadequate. But then she quickly brushed the negative thoughts from her mind, straightened her dress, and kept walking. Almost as soon as she entered the pathway that led to the castle, she saw Link sitting there, rubbing his elbow. "The guards won't let me through," he explained. "They threw me out."

"Oh," Malon said, trying to think of a solution to his problem. "Goodness, I want to help, but I must find my dad before the Stalchildren come out." She smiled and shook her head. "Perhaps you can sneak in. I think it's been done before. Try when morning comes and everyone is busy. And if you see my dad, would you wake him for me? I'll just sleep here tonight."

So Link started making his way toward the castle, and Malon fell asleep just out of view from the guards. The sun had just risen when Talon showed up, apologizing repeatedly. Malon smiled and nodded and said it was alright. As they made their way back to the ranch, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, hoping for a last glimpse of the fairy boy in the funny green clothes.

The next day, shortly before dinner, Link showed up at the ranch to thank Malon for her help, much to her surprise and delight. They spent the late afternoon there together. She asked him more questions, and he answered as best he could. And she taught him the song her mother had sung to her when she was a baby, and he played it on his ocarina, and its melody was so sweet that Malon could've closed her eyes and fallen into sleep right there in the fields. She also introduced him to her pony, Epona, and they laughed and tried to ride and tame the wild little horse. After, they went inside for bread and fruit juice, and they laughed with Talon until nighttime, while Ingo pouted in his room. Link didn't go until nearly midnight.

"I may not see you for awhile," he said, a seriousness in his voice that made Malon afraid.

"Why?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

"Things are going to happen," Link said, a far off look in his eyes. "Things are going to change."

Malon hugged him and kissed him quickly on the cheek, and he was off into the dark. She didn't see him again for what felt like years.

Thinking over this now, Malon realized that even then, Link had secrets. He had befriended Princess Zelda and agreed to help her save Hyrule, yet all afternoon he made no mention of this to her. Perhaps he had been afraid, she thought. He was so young at the time. Or maybe he'd just needed to push his task from his mind for a little while, because he knew what lay ahead.

When she saw him again, Malon felt like a different person around him. Her face felt all hot and she kept touching her hair nervously. Link didn't seem to notice her behavior, and for this she was relieved. Talon and Ingo, however, saw how she was acting and exchanged knowing looks as they sat in their chairs and drank their milk.

As the years passed, Malon hoped she would outgrow her crush on Link, but her feelings remained no matter how hard she tried to rid herself of them. She tried everything. She would not see him for weeks and hoped that she would gradually forget about him. She would go into Hyrule Castle Town and meet boys there, hoping one of them would prove himself to be better than Link was, but it never happened. Eventually, she came to realize that no one could ever replace Link in her heart.

It wasn't until Malon was eighteen that Link started to share her feelings. One night, he showed up at the ranch, confessed his love for her, and kissed her. Malon's heart was delighted. It was random and unexpected, especially since they hadn't seen each other much lately, because Link was travelling so much, but nonetheless, she finally let herself fall completely in love with him.

She did suspect that something happened to Link to make him suddenly have feelings for her. Another love abandoned him, or something of the sort. When she questioned him about this, he shook his head. "I've loved you all along," he said, kissing her hand. Malon smiled. For a time, this was enough to reassure her. She felt as though she was living in a dream. And when he asked her to marry him, she felt her life's dream was about to come true.

But now she felt differently. Link had been acting peculiarly. He didn't speak to her, and he was never home. When he was, he seemed upset and angry. This didn't ease Malon's fears.

Hearing the door open and then close downstairs, Malon snapped back to reality. She jumped to her feet, stepped into her slippers, and hurried downstairs, tying her robe around her waist to cover her silky nightgown. The house was lit by a few candles, and Malon carried one as well. When she descended at the foot of the stairs, she saw that Link was just arriving home. He didn't see her yet, and she saw his expression in the dim candlelight: disgruntled, angry, exhausted. Malon's lips formed a frown. She felt concerned for her fiancee.

"Link dear, are you alright?" she asked, going to him and reaching out to touch his arm.

"Leave me alone," he snapped. "Go to bed. It's too late to be up and thinking. Thinking conscious thoughts."

Malon was stung by his cold words. "What do you mean?" she asked softly, pain in her voice.

Then he grabbed her by her robe, pulling her close to him, and she smelled ale on his breath. So that was where he'd been. The tavern in town.

"Goodnight, Malon," he said.

And he stomped upstairs to bed.