The day before the wedding, Malon decided to go to the castle and speak to Princess Zelda about the way Link had been acting. Zelda and Link had always been good friends, although they spoke less frequently now because Link had been so busy with Malon, planning the wedding.

She awoke early while Link still snoozed in bed, and she washed and dressed herself. She made breakfast of milk and eggs, and called her father and Ingo in from the fields to eat with her. Then, after she finished eating, she set off. Epona had become more and more of Link's horse over the years, so Malon left her there in her stall in case Link needed her that day, and she took another horse instead.

The journey to Hyrule Castle didn't take long, only about forty-five minutes. Malon left her horse just outside of Hyrule Castle Town, patting her in thanks for the ride. Then she made her way through town, stopping in a few shops along the way. She took her time, for she was nervous about seeing the princess, for the two had never been particularly close. She feared that Zelda would think it strange that Malon dropped by so unexpectedly.

So she greeted and waved to people she was friendly with, feeling a bit shy, since she very rarely ever went into town anymore. Her father or Ingo usually made the deliveries nowadays. When the townfolk began retreating inside their houses or the taverns, she knew it was lunchtime, and she finally decided to make her way to the castle.

As she approached the castle, she was again struck by its enormity and its beauty. It all made her a bit nervous. But she reminded herself that Zelda had never been one to get caught up in her status, and she had always been kind to Malon, even congratulating her about her engagement and clasping her hand. Zelda was a genuine girl, and Malon liked that about her. She had no real reason to be nervous.

The castle guards let her through, and one winked at her, which made her blush. One guard escorted her to the castle door, and Impa, Zelda's Sheikah attendant, greeted them there.

"Oh, Malon!" Impa said. "It's so nice to see you.What can we do for you here?" she asked, nodding at the guard to dismiss him.

Malon smiled a little. The Sheikah woman was so tall, and her crimson eyes would have been menacing if it weren't for her kind manner. "If Princess Zelda is available and not busy at the moment, I'd like to speak to her, if possible," Malon replied.

"Of course. Is everything alright?" Impa asked.

Malon nodded. "Yes, thank you. I appreciate your asking."

Impa touched Malon's shoulder almost sympathetically, and she walked up the grand castle stairs to call Princess Zelda. Malon shook her head and half-smiled. Impa was a Sheikah; she could tell something was wrong despite Malon's feeble attempt to cover it up. Impa had powers no one else did, but Malon wasn't frightened by it.

A few moments later, Zelda descended down the stairs, slowly at first, but she sped up when she saw Malon at the foot of the stairs, looking anxious and a little lost. "Malon!" she said happily, embracing her. "It's so lovely to see you! You look lovely," she complimented, and she smiled so warmly that Malon had to smile back.

"Thank you, it's nice to see you as well," Malon said.

"Come, let's sit and have some tea," Zelda replied, "and we'll talk."

Zelda led Malom to a small, cozy room in a corner of the castle, with lots of armchairs and couches. As they walked, Malon couldn't help but notice again how lovely Zelda was. Her hair was golden blonde, it fell softly over her shoulders. She had high cheekbones and icy, pale blue eyes, and her figure was petite and slender. She wore, of course, an elegant dress of a lavender color, but it was simple in its elegance. She wore a gold circlet around her head as symbol of her rank. Malon almost sighed with envy. If she were as beautiful as Zelda, Link would never look elsewhere.

They sat in two of the armchairs near the fireplace, but since it was so warm out, no fire was burning. Impa served them tea not only with milk, but with honey and sugar, two luxuries Malon didn't have at home, and she was extra appreciate to Impa because of this.

The two women sipped their tea, and then Zelda set down her mug. "Now, tell me what's bothering you. Is everything okay with Link?"

Malon sighed and set down her cup. "Truthfully, I don't know. Our wedding is tomorrow, and I'm having such doubts. Link never even comes to see me at home another, unless he needs a place to sleep and is too far from home. He's always out and doing things he never tells me about. I never have any idea what he does with his days. He's so...cold lately. He turns away from me, and we barely speak." Malon exhaled. "Do you know what's going on?"

Zelda closed her eyes and sighed. "I think I may know, but I'm not sure if telling you would be wise of me. I'm afraid Link has many secrets, some even I don't know."

"Please, Zelda," Malon begged. "I must know if he's okay. I love him."

The princess was quiet. She stared off, her expression serious and thoughtful. "I know you love him, Malon. That's why telling you is so difficult."

Malon's heart was beating fast. "Please," she said softly.

After a moment, Zelda took a deep breath. "Well," she began, "it happened like this."