Chapter 4

The song incorporated in this chapter is called Inside by Vertical Horizon.

We're all lost,
we're all found,
we're all the same,
just one heart,
beats in us,
we're different names,
just one heart,
oh different names.

Oh me, inside you,
cause I wanna be,
inside you,
inside you.

Take this hand,
lift me up,
into your sky,
oh, hold me here,
it's just you and me,
cause you make me fly,
oh you make me fly.

Oh me, inside you,
cause I wanna be,
inside you,
inside you.

we're all lost,
we're all found,
we're all the same...

Oh me, inside you,
cause I wanna be,
inside you,
inside you,
hold me, inside you,
cause I wanna be,
inside you.

Zelda descended the stairs as she was tying her hair back into a low ponytail, short strands in her many layers of hair framing her fair face. She had overheard her father telling Link about the catastrophe with the two princes and sending the boy to eat. She wasn't in the mood to be yelled at and scolded so she was going to sneak into the dining hall and suggest that she and Link go to Lon Lon Ranch or something.

She moved across the floor towards the door and nearly reached it when a familiar voice rang out from behind her and she paused mid step, cursing under her breath.

"Zelda Harkanian what on earth were you thinking?" Her father's voice echoed off of the high ceiling and caused her to flinch. She turned around slowly and saw him standing a few feet away with his arms folded over his chest.

"If I am so bold," she said through her teeth, "is it not my decision as to who I marry?" Had he been very angry then Zelda would have simply kept her mouth shut.

"It is but do you know what will happen if on your eighteenth birthday you still have not chosen? Then the decision will be mine to make." He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I want you to be happy." She narrowed her eyes at his words.

"Happy? Then take my tiara and let me marry for love." She shook her father's hands off and strode into the dining hall before he could continue the banter. She didn't feel like arguing with him that afternoon.

Link was inside, fiddling with an arrow. He was gently pricking his finger with the arrowhead while whistling the Song of Time off tune. Had he been playing on an ocarina it would have been beautiful.

Zelda plastered an imposter smile onto her face and hummed along with his whistling though he stopped immediately after hearing her. He seemed to be wearing a face that asked how it went. She sat down beside him and covered his hand with hers.

"Why haven't you eaten?" She asked warmly, eyeing his untouched plate. Everything he had been brought looked very appetizing. Steam rose from the pile of fluffy eggs and from the decent portion of steak. A small heap of potatoes was smack dab in the center of both.

"I was waiting for you." Then he asked the question his face had been asking. "How did it go with your father?"

Before she could give an answer, the kitchen doors swung open and Zelda jumped, ripping her hand from Link's. He looked at her sideways and chuckled at her reaction. From underneath the table she kicked his leg. He grimaced, picking up his fork and stabbing his steak in retaliation.

"Here's a plate for you Princess." The maid said, setting another plate in front of her.

"Thank you." She watched until the older woman left before turning her attention to Link, who was full on laughing at her now.

"You should have seen your face. You were all like…" He made a melodramatically done face with bulging eyes and an open mouth. The pose didn't last long before he continued to laugh.

"I doubt I looked that hideous." She retorted, picking at her eggs. She caught Link's hurt face and smiled smugly. He reached out and speared her steak, dragging the meat back over to his own plate. The juices dripped onto the tablecloth.

"Hey!" She snapped, stabbing it with her own fork. Both of them struggled to keep it, tearing the steak down the middle. She took her small chunk and put it back on her plate while he looked triumphant.

"Ha! I have won." He smiled like a little boy before chewing at one end of the other half of Zelda's steak. She raised an eyebrow and moved her hand over, snatching up the mess of potatoes in her fist. His eyes widened and he set down his fork, eyeing her warily.

"You…you wouldn't."

"Oh wouldn't I?" She asked daringly, making him flinch when she pretended to launch the fistful at him. She giggled and got to her feet while he got to his, holding his hands out to protect himself.

"Alright I give." He said glumly, hanging his head. She nodded in satisfaction – until he grabbed her around the waist with both arms and dipped her backwards above the table. She gasped in surprise before smacking her potato filled hand into the side of his neck with a squish.

"Oh for the love of the Goddesses." He rolled his eyes but was smiling. He kissed her forehead while still dangling her effortlessly as if the two were dancing.

"Come here." She whispered, motioning with her finger. He did as he was told and she leaned up a little to kiss his neck, tasting what was left of the mess after she had brushed the potatoes from his skin. She licked her lips.

"Mmm. Potato-y." She moved her arms around his neck and he leaned in with half lidded eyes, about to kiss her when the sound of another door opening caused the couple to break apart. Unfortunately, Link accidentally dropped Zelda and she fell back onto the table.

"Zelda! Oh I'm so sorry!" Link quickly fixed his mistake and stood her upright, brushing off her dress with his gloved hands before asking if she was alright in a whisper while he picked a piece of egg from her hair.

"I'm fine." She assured him, rubbing his neck off brusquely. She then turned to see Garin entering, watching the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Did I come at a bad time?" His secretive eyes passed from Link to Zelda suspiciously.

"Uh…no! It was just well, I was being clumsy and tripped over Link and he was just helping me to clean the mess I made." She answered hastily, trying to look inconspicuous. She elbowed Link in the ribs and he nodded.

"Yes that's it." He agreed.

"Well why don't you let the maids take care of that. I decided to try and persuade you once more to take a walk with me." Garin flashed the two of them a white smile. From the looks of it he was trying to dazzle Zelda. Link looked at her anxiously but saw that she hadn't been swayed.

This guy seemed a bit off to Link. He didn't want him to be alone with Zelda at all, more so than any of the other suitors. It was as if he were trying to cast a spell.

"Well I'm sorry but Link and I were actually going to Lon Lon Ranch to ride for a bit. He takes me there almost every afternoon to practice." She knew without asking him that Link would be perfectly fine with these plans.

"Sounds wonderful. I'll go and change into my riding clothes." Garin turned to leave and Link caught Zelda's horrified expression.

"Wait a moment." Link took a step forward and Garin turned back to them.

"I actually planned putting off the riding until another day. I have much work to accomplish at my home and," he turned and tried to sound angry, "I asked you to complete that assignment a week ago."

She looked stupidly at him for a moment before he seemed to stress his eyes. She understood immediately. He was trying to get Garin to keep away from her. She wanted to kiss him for being so smart but instead looked ashamed and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry. I'll get that finished as soon as possible." She hung her head and sounded as somber as possible.

"Perhaps we will ride tomorrow then? Do you need my help for this…assignment?" Garin asked as the princess lifted her head.

"No I think I can manage. I will go and work on it immediately." She then left quickly, waiting by the stairs for Link to follow. She waited beside the door and once it opened she reached out and pulled him against her.

"Please let me see you tonight." She said in a shaky whisper.

"Zel-"

"Please Link. You know how I get when we're apart for even a few hours." She was practically begging like a dog now. Her eyes were big and sad, ready to shed a tear to make Link allow her to come.

"Alright." He said after awhile, leaning in closer towards her. He spoke in a hushed tone.

"I will be waiting for you in the market place after sunset. Be safe." He kissed her forehead once, cupping her cheek as he did so. He let the pressure of his lips last a few moments before brushing his nose against hers and pulling back.

"Until tonight." She murmured as she watched him leave. She then moved from her place in the shadows only to be scared to death when a hand grasped her shoulder rather roughly. She turned to see Garin standing behind her.

"G-Garin? You startled me." She half smiled just to lighten the sudden tension in the air. It was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife.

"I apologize Princess." He moved a bit closer for her liking and reached a hand out towards her face. She shrank back a bit with a look of confusion marred by insecurity and question.

"What are you doing?" She didn't hide the worry from her tone. He chuckled, almost darkly, before moving his fingers around a piece of hair and pulling loose a bit of food. He let it fall to the floor.

"Missed a spot." He simply said before letting go of her shoulder. He didn't even look back once as he walked away, heading out the castle doors the way Link had gone. She felt frozen to her place for many minutes before regaining herself.

She went to her room and made herself busy by collecting her things for that night. She gathered up the shawl she had purchased and folded her hairbrush and the bottle of perfume up inside of it. She then took a new dress from her dresser and balled it up, shoving the articles into a basket from underneath her bed.

With the basket in hand she made her way back down the stairs and headed for the kitchens. If she could be quick enough she could snag a bottle of wine and tuck it into her basket for that night. She was delighted to find that the kitchens were empty and selected a bottle. Just as she was looking over the label, she heard footsteps and threw it into the basket, kicking it beneath one of the counters before the doors opened.

She sighed of relief when she saw it was only a maid.

"Princess? What are you doing back here?" She asked with a joyful smile, walking along the other side of the counter.

"I was just…uh looking over the wine selection. Tonight seemed like a fine night for a glass with dinner but I've changed my mind." She could feel her cheeks heating up and began to babble.

"But that's all I was up to. I'm terribly sorry about the mess Link and I left. We were careless and I apologize. I know how hard it is to keep the castle clean and-"

"It's my job your Highness." She assured the stuttering woman. From the twinkle in her eyes, Zelda suspected that this maid knew something. But instead of interrogating her she simply nodded.

"Well I'll just be on my way." Zelda picked up her basket and quickly fled before the maid could question her as to what was inside of her basket. She didn't need that maid knowing anything else.

She circled the castle to beneath her window, hiding the basket in a huddle of bushes for that night. Once it was tucked inside safely she stepped back and with a sigh wished for the sun to set faster so that she could be united with her love.

Garin proved to be just as strange at dinner as he seemed every other time. His eyes never stopped glistening with that secret, that charm that he seemed to possess. And what was most bothersome was that it appeared to be that he knew he dazzled people. It made him smug and snotty. Zelda considered introducing him to Princess Luna.

After dinner she excused herself and went to her room to clean herself up a bit before it was time to go. The sun was slowly setting and soon she would be with her hero. That made her even more excited and jittery. She flittered around the room in a dither not knowing what to do first. Should she brush her hair? Should she put it up? Was her dress pretty enough?

She sat down on the edge of her bed and demanded that she calm herself down immediately. She refused to go and see Link breathing as heavily as she was and flushed bright red. But she just felt so happy about their little meetings. He made her feel so special and important. Not just because she was a princess…but because she was the woman he loved.

Zelda smoothed out her dress and ran her fingers through her long hair once before taking a deep breath and going to the window. Taking the bed sheets she kept in her closet, tied tightly together like a rope, she lowered it out the window and began the climb down.

She kept her feet pressed firmly against the castle wall and walked down it as she fisted the knotted sheets tightly in her hands. The end was tied to her bedpost and she was fairly confident that it would hold her weight. She had never had it rip before and had even had Link try it out once before. Nevertheless she was thankful when she reached the ground.

She left the makeshift rope hanging and dug out her basket, pausing only a moment to watch the guards at their posts. If it hadn't been for the fact that her father had taken the Ocarina of Time to guard, she could have used it to warp to the Temple of Time. Instead she had to sneak out.

When the guard closest to her had moved away she darted for the next safe spot with her dress hiked up to keep her from tripping. She reached another huddle of bushes and ducked behind them to wait for the next few guards to go to another post. During this time she caught her breath and kept an eye out for any other guards coming their way.

From that spot she reached the station and opened the door, closing it quietly behind her. With the basket handle between her teeth she climbed the ladder up to the top where the sky was beginning to darken. She reached the top and nearly collapsed onto the other side of the gate. She landed on one foot and one knee, the basket falling to the ground.

While she regained her breath she made sure that everything was intact before wrapping the shawl around her shoulders and pulling it up over the back of her head like she had done before.

The market place was empty. Everyone had gone to their houses to rest for the day. There were no more couples, no more kids, and no more merchants trying to sell anything. There were only stray dogs that leapt about like frogs, yapping and yipping happily.

"Are you lost Miss?" A familiar voice asked from behind her. Zelda smiled at the sound of the deep, slightly husky, male voice. She slowly turned to see him but kept the look of happiness off her face.

"Just looking for someone." She said, looking past him. He nodded and held his chin in one hand.

"Hmm. And who might this be? Do I know this person?"

"I don't know. He's about," she placed a hand on the top of his head, "this tall. And he almost always wears the color green. Blonde hair. Ring a bell?"

He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Is he handsome?" At his words she made a disgusted face and stuck out her tongue.

"No! He's revolting and gross. Very ugly."

"I see." He raised his eyebrows and nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He then turned and began walking away from her.

"No, don't think I can help you."

"He has eyes like Lake Hylia." She called quietly after him. This caught his attention. He turned around and cocked his head.

"Interesting. Please continue." She slowly walked towards him and covered his chest with one hand, feeling his muscles.

"Great body. Must be from saving the world all the time. He certainly saved mine." He lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes, sparkling in the moonlight.

"Did he? Well I wouldn't see why he wouldn't. What man wouldn't want to save a beautiful woman like you?" He took the basket from her without looking away and kissed her as he took one of her hands into his.

"Oh Link." Her head fell against his chest and she inhaled the scent of his tunic. He rested his cheek against her soft hair and inhaled its scent.

"Let's get out of here." He whispered after awhile, tugging on her hand. He lead her back to his house.

Zelda walked over to the work bench and saw that the sheet covering Link's secret had been hidden. But there were many tools covering the surface.

"Make yourself," Link turned and could barely find his voice when he saw Zelda shove everything off of the bench and lean with her back against it, back arched, "at home."

He flew to her, mouth on hers and hands pushing her further onto the bench. He then pulled down the straps of her dress to expose her shoulders while his lips still kissed hers, gently slipping the dress down further. She moved one leg around his backside, pulling him even closer to her body.

He cupped her neck and moved his mouth downward, kissing her heated neck and collar bone while still moving down. He gnawed with his teeth at the drawstring in the middle of her breasts which were distracting him from the task at hand for they were rising and falling quite rapidly.

Eventually he had the dress down around her ankles and marveled at her for a moment. A sly smile crossed his face as he looked up at the innocent look on her face.

"What?"

"No underclothes?" He raised an eyebrow but wasn't complaining. She merely nodded and they both began to kiss each other again.

Zelda's hands did some work though too. As Link picked her up around the waist and moved her towards his small bed, she began to take off his clothes as well. He helped her as he sat her down while she still worked feverishly.

When he was naked as well they both rolled underneath the blankets, him on top of her. He rested gently over her, not even bothering with anymore foreplay as she begged him to come inside of her. They both needed each other desperately.

"Link." She moaned loudly, nails running across the skin of his back in a way that drove him completely mad. He thrusted inside of her at a fast pace and they were both panting, crying out and screaming each other's name.

Later they both were content and tired lying together. He had his head positioned between her breasts while both his arms were wrapped securely around her middle. One of her hands cupped his cheek while the other worked through his messy, after sex locks.

"Your heart is beating a mile a minute." He grinned up at her, his ear pressed tenderly against her breast bone.

"It always does when you're around." She admitted quietly, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

He suddenly moved up closer, pulling her head into his neck. He moved one arm from around her waist to hold her head in place, moving back and forth across her hair. She moved her arms around him too.

"I'm glad you came tonight Zel." He said lovingly as he placed kiss after kiss upon her sweaty forehead.

"I am too." She nuzzled into his neck further and fell asleep there.