Welcome to chapter eight! Thank you for the reviews! I know there's a lot of fluff in this chapter and the one previous, but since this is a romance story, I had to sneak it in somewhere. :) But rest assured that there is still at least one more twist in store for the next chapter that will most likely continue into chapter ten, which should be the final installment. At any rate, on with the story, but first...

Reminder: Link and Zelda had switched bodies, but broke the spell and are now back in their own bodies.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda series, in whole or in part.

As the cock crew sometime later to signal the full arrival of dawn, Zelda rolled over, and her eyes met with Link's loving gaze.

"Do we have to get up?" she sighed, snuggling closer to him.

"Unfortunately, yes. You, my fair princess, need to return to your sleeping quarters before the servants arrive and discover that you went missing," Link answered, giving his beloved a soft kiss. "And before someone catches us and figures out what we did," he added, a sly smile lingering on his face as he thought over what had just transpired in his bed, still warm from the heated exchange.

"Okay, okay," Zelda grumbled, releasing herself from Link's arms and getting out of bed. He watched in awe as she slowly covered her lithe form in the silk dressing gown that she had so quickly shed less than an hour previous.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, reaching his arms out, pulling her close, and smothering her with kisses. She giggled before finally breaking away from him, and their lips met one last time before she slipped into the secret passage that led back to her room.

Later that morning...

Zelda and Link met with Impa for breakfast, finally having the opportunity to tell her that the spell had been broken. As the three sat down at a table in a private dining room, Impa raised her eyebrows upon seeing the looks grazing the countenances of the other two.

"Impa, we have wonderful news," Zelda said, happy to be speaking in her own voice again. "The spell has ended. We are back in our own bodies."

"That's wonderful, and just in time for Link to be knighted! However did you break the spell?"

Link and Zelda blushed as they exchanged knowing glances. "We just had to prove that we finally understood what it's like to live as each other," Link explained, purposely omitting details. He knew Impa would eventually realize what he and Zelda had done that morning, but that didn't mean that either of them had to tell her directly.

"You had better tell your father to dismiss the suitors," Impa spoke up, taking the other two by surprise.

"How did you know?" Zelda gulped.

"Ah, I have known you all your life, and yet you forget how easily I read you!" the kindly woman answered. "You are a young woman now, and Link is a young man, and I trust both of you are pleased with your decision, so I give you my blessings. But I am afraid that I cannot speak on behalf of your father. Word travels fast in this place, so I suggest you talk to him, Princess. No need to provide details, but you had best tell him that you have found a husband before he finds out through gossip that his daughter has been deflowered before her wedding, particularly by a commoner." With that, she turned to Link. "No offense, young man, but even your history with this family may not suffice to protect you from the king's wrath. Even if he comes to accept you as a son-in-law, he will not be quick to forget that you were lovers before you became husband and wife."

"She's right," Zelda squeaked out, her face crimson. "I had best tell him this morning, before the festival begins. In fact, I might as well do it right now. Excuse me."

The princess arose from the table, bid the other two farewell, and hurried out of the dining room to find her father. She found him in an adjacent dining room, eating breakfast alone as he read various documents.

"Father?"

"Oh, good morning, Zelda," King Harkinian answered, moving some papers aside and motioning for her to join him.

Zelda took a seat to her father's right. "I have something very important to share with you."

"Yes, my daughter?"

"I think you will be pleased to know that I have chosen a husband."

"Yes, that does please me, especially after the way the suitors reacted to you last night. And who is the lucky young gentleman?"

"Well, someone very close to the family, with whom we trust our lives," Zelda answered.

"Yes."

"And someone with whom I've fallen deeply in love, and loves me as I do him."

"Yes."

"And someone that I know loves this kingdom as much as I do, and will make a wonderful successor to the Hylian throne."

"On with it, Zelda. I can no longer bear the suspense."

"It's Link."

"Link?" the king repeated, pounding his fist on the table. Zelda backed away slightly, fearing the worst. She found herself quite shocked when he arose from the table and gave her a big hug. "Oh, my daughter, you have made me so happy!"

"I have?"

"Yes, of course you have. All those suitors you chased away were all wrong for you anyway. I wouldn't even trust any of them to clean the stables, much less marry my daughter and succeed the throne. But Link, he is a fine young man. He has proven his loyalty to the kingdom numerous times. And if you say he loves you, and you him, I have no reason to doubt that."

"So you are okay with me marrying outside the nobility?"

"If that is what you truly want. I know in the past I have forced you to uphold royal traditions, at the cost of your happiness. But no more. I only want the best for my daughter, and the best is the very man that has so often risked his life to rescue her in the face of any danger."

"Thank you so much, Father. I love you," Zelda exclaimed, kissing the king's cheek.

"I love you, too. Now, go on, and prepare for Link's knighting. I have some preparations to make myself, so that I may also present him as your future husband."

After Zelda left the room, the king summoned the servants and instructed them to replace that evening's meal with a royal banquet to celebrate the engagement of his daughter and Hyrule's greatest hero.

Thank you in advance for reviewing!