Chapter 6

It is such a shame that the two anonymous reviewers didn't leave emails! I really appreciated both of your reviews! And to the other reviewers – I emailed you guys.

The invitations for Zelda's eighteenth birthday were very intricate with gold lettering written upon cream colored parchment, charred at the edges for effect. They were sent out immediately and by the time the day finally arrived, Zelda and Link were both in a frenzy.

Zelda still had not chosen a suitor and that meant that her father was now able to decide. When he would make this announcement she didn't know but she knew that he wouldn't want to put it off for very long. She was quite sure that any day now he would tell the people who his daughter would wed and set the date and everything. Just thinking about it saddened her. She didn't want to marry anyone besides Link. And he didn't want to see her marry another man.

Upon Zelda's request, the people of the market place were all invited to attend the ball celebrating her birthday. That meant that Link would be attending. Also on the guest list were many past suitors and other royal families of different lands. The party would be very important.

At sunset she slowly started to get ready for that evening. She had always thought when she was a little girl that this night would be special. That she would look like a fairy tale princess and she would have a handsome man at her side. Instead she felt sick to her stomach with the prospect of being presented to everyone, including the princes. How they would scrutinize her and size her up. She didn't deserve that. No one did.

The dress that she would wear had been being made by the seamstresses for over three weeks now. It was such a work of art that it had taken five of them over that period of time to accomplish it. Zelda saw that it was a very beautiful dress but couldn't feel excited to wear it. She hoped it looked positively ugly on her.

She slipped out of her underclothes and pulled on her corset. She had only worn it once before in her life and decided to wear it that night because her father expected her to. She didn't want to anger him and so she laced it up with minor difficulty before carefully slipping into her dress. It fit snugly and without any trouble and so she turned and looked into the mirror. Her heart broke.

Out of all the women in the world, Zelda quickly skyrocketed at that moment to the number one position. The corset had extenuated her hour glass figure. Her breasts were pushed upward and were smashed together, appearing to be a cup larger than they actually were.

Her dress, made of white colored duchesse satin, outlined every curve in all of the right places. Crystals were sewn into the fabric around the neckline and down the empire line in front. The over skirt split at the front to reveal a second skirt beneath the first of the same pure color. The off the shoulder sleeves split on the elbow and fell back.

She should have been ecstatic to look so stunning but instead she wished she were dressed in a torn dress and caked in mud. Anything to hide her and discourage men from thinking of her as a vision of beauty.

Upon her feet she wore very uncomfortable high heels with complicated straps that teased and tortured her for many a minute. Once they were on and strapped up she went to her vanity and brushed through her hair which played off her dress nicely. It was as if she were an angel with her golden hair and white dress.

She proceeded to pull her hair up and twist it about, clipping it with many bobby pins designed with pearls and crystals. A few tendrils fell away and curled like corkscrews alongside her pale skin but the look was sophisticated anyways.

With a bit of perfume and a bit of blush brushed over her cheeks and cleavage she was ready to face the world waiting for her in the throne room. Her father had told her that Garin would escort her into the room and that he would be waiting for her in the foyer. She had not been brave enough to deny him.

She gracefully came down the stairs and spotted Garin waiting for her by the railing. He wore the same silver chest plate but paired it with a pair of silver leggings and a red cape over his back. His boots were free of any smudges or dirt, completely spotless. He flashed her a smile.

"You look gorgeous." He told her, taking her hand. His lips touched her knuckles and she shivered slightly when she felt how cold they were. Like frosty window panes after it had snowed outside.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly and allowed him to link her arm through his. She didn't particularly like the way he eyed her as if she were a trophy. But she kept her lips closed and merely waited as the guards opened the doors leading into the throne room.

Everyone seemed to turn their attention all at once to the doors as they opened. Zelda could hear her and Garin's names echoing off of the ceiling. She felt completely stupid as the people stared at the couple. All of Hyrule seemed to be thinking the same thing – what an angel.

"My dear you look as lovely as your mother." The king told Zelda as he met the two. She ripped her arm from Garin's and embraced her father.

"I doubt that." She had seen many portraits of her mother and the woman was a Goddess. She had the thickest, blondest hair you had ever seen in your entire life. It surrounded her face and fell down past her chest in curls. Unlike Zelda, her mother had had true blue eyes. Not one speck of green could be found. Just blue.

Before her father could argue, she moved past him and started to search for the only person she wanted to see. She knew he would be there even though they both hated things like this. She knew he would be there for her. He always was.

Suddenly her elbow was yanked behind one of the enormous pillars and she gasped. She instantly met the eyes of her one true love. He looked just as amazing as he always did. He had traded in his green tunic for one colored a deep red. His cap was missing but Zelda was happy to see that his locks were still messy. He wore his golden gauntlets over his fingerless gloves and the same white leggings.

His blue eyes ran very slowly over every curve of her body. He studied every detail as though he would never again see her. He still couldn't believe that she was his.

"I find it hard to breathe as I stand before you." He said truthfully, hardly taking a breath at all in her presence. He took one of her hands and placed it against his muscular chest while he cupped her fair cheek with the other.

"Zel no other woman could ever surpass your beauty. I can't even describe how incredible you look tonight. The Goddesses themselves couldn't compare, my love." He fingered a strand of her hair.

"This is only for you. I did this only for you." She whispered.

"If only." He murmured sadly, caressing her cheek. He then knew it was time for them to reappear and so he gently nudged her back out into the crowd. She turned back to look at him nervously.

"I'll be watching." He mouthed, crossing his heart with his finger. She nodded and returned to mingle with the other guests while he watched from a distance, only partially listening to the conversation he was involved in.

She saw couples dancing and knew with a solemn heart that soon she would be expected to do so as well. Memories flickered through her mind of one day she had danced with Link. Images of the two sitting by Lake Hylia flashed in front of her. She could see him wearing his normal clothes, locking his arms around her. She could see the smile cross her face as he playfully dipped her. They jumped into the water together. Surfaced for a kiss…

"Princess?" She snapped out of her thoughts to see Prince Kiel standing in front of her. He had been one of the first suitors to come to the kingdom. He flicked his black hair back.

"Would you like to dance?" His eyes seemed hopeful. She sighed but took his hand and knew her face was uninterested and dead.

"Sure." She answered simply while he led her to the floor. He placed his hands on her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. He was a very awkward dancer, not wanting to move from their spot very much. It wasn't before long that a tap was on her shoulder and she turned to see Prince Thatcher.

He was a clumsy dancer. He stepped on her feet a couple of times and counted his steps aloud, stumbling about and even bumping into a young woman. But he was soon replaced and then that prince was replaced and then another came and then another. Zelda was beginning to lose count.

Finally the one prince she really didn't want to dance with bravely asked her to dance. His red hair glinted underneath the chandelier above them. She nodded in response and assumed the same position she had been in most of the night.

Link pushed his way through the crowd that formed around the two, watching Garin like a hawk. He nearly snarled like an animal he was so angry. None of those idiot suitors knew how to treat her. They all deserved to be fed to Volvagia.

"You seem very tense Princess." Garin said with a chilly tone.

"How would you feel?" She challenged, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Being carted from man to man like a rag doll." He laughed at her response to his statement and leaned in, his breath surprisingly cold. It made her hair stand on end and she didn't like how close his mouth was to her neck.

"Isn't that what this is about?"

At that time the hero stepped in, taking his hand and covering Garin's face. He then pushed the prince backwards, sending him flying into another suitor. Well…that was what Link wanted to do. Instead he settled for moving in and tapping Zelda on the shoulder.

"I know this night is for love but," he glared at Garin, "would you mind sparing your mentor and friend a dance?"

Zelda let Link sweep her away from Garin. Link kept his arms protectively around the princess's tiny waist and tugged her extremely close. She restrained herself from laying her head on his inviting chest and merely wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up into his eyes and saw anger swirling in them.

"He makes me sick. This all makes me sick." She beat him to it. He nodded in agreement with a clenched jaw.

"Link, there is something I need to tell you. Can we-"

"Zelda, please will you share a dance with another prince? That is, after all, what they came for." King Harkanian said a bit harshly, glancing at the hungry princes'.

"Later." She said low enough for only Link to hear. She let go of him with a heavy heart and went to go and dance with another boyish prince who was waiting to look down her dress and touch her.

The evening dragged on and everyone seemed to be having fun. Dinner had been served and drinks had been poured. People were laughing and talking while Zelda and Link suffered. After that incident with her father, Zelda had not talked to Link anymore that night. He had kept an eye on her though.

Zelda was just thinking up a reason to leave when she was tugged behind a pillar again. Thinking it was Link she allowed him to drag her behind it. She was shocked to see that it was Garin who had grabbed her.

"Garin? What are you-"

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He said suddenly, his speech husky and deep. His words slurred just a smidge. It was then that she could smell the heavy aroma of wine coming off of him.

"You're drunk." She spat, wrenching her arm from his grasp. He moved his arm around her and pulled her close, his mouth inches from her own.

"Make love to me. I want to be inside of you. I need you." He told her. She tried to pull away but he had trailed one icy finger down between her breasts. She touched the place and was about to slug him when he spun her around and pinned her to the pillar. He then roughly bit at her neck, kissing her bare skin.

She nearly screamed but instead fought back. Why not? Zelda ain't some wimp. She's a badass. She brought her knee slamming up into his manhood. She knew that he wouldn't be pissing correctly for a little while. He gasped for air and bent at the waist while she wiped at her neck.

Then there was Link, looking rather savage, as he whipped out his sword and thrust the tip of it into Garin's neck. It broke the skin but he wasn't hurt. Link kneeled down and grabbed the prince by the armor and growled in his face. Link's blue eyes were filled with rage and his eyebrows angrily furrowed over top of them.

"I will spill every ounce of your blood if you ever even dream of touching the princess again. Now get out of Hyrule and don't you ever dream of coming back here." He sheathed his sword just in time to see Zelda moving as if in a trance, back out into the room. He followed.

"The announcement I am about to make will change Hyrule. I have decided on the suitor that will marry my daughter. You have all seen him and gotten to know him tonight. Prince Garin of Alcott." The king's voice was then drowned out by applause and cheering.

"No." Zelda breathed, staring wide eyed at her father. She couldn't process a single thought for she was growing dizzy. Her eyes refused to focus as everything spun out of control. She needed to breathe but had forgotten how.

She was vaguely aware of Link's voice asking her if she was alright and telling her that she needed to sit down. His voice grew even more concerned as her vision tumbled a bit. Zelda realized she had nearly fallen. His arms were around her waist but not for long. She moved out of his hold and regained her lungs, breathing to restore her sight.

She fled from the room and up the stairs, her breathing heavy and labored. She seemed to lost and confused. Why was this her life? Was her father blind? She couldn't marry Garin. She couldn't be a princess. She was worthless.

"Zelda!" Link's voice called after her, still filled with worry. She ignored him and got into her bedroom, collapsing to the floor upon her knees. Her hands moved to the crown of her head, fingers tangling with her hair and ready to rip it from her scalp.

"I need to die. I need to die. I need to die." She mumbled, still gasping for air as though one lung had burst.

"Zelda, Zelda." Link grabbed her shoulders, now kneeling in front of her. He shook her and rattled her about to break her from this daze. He frantically shouted in her face.

"This. Isn't. My. Life." She said shakily.

"Zel look at me." Link took her face into his hands and forced her head up to look at him, his eyes boring into hers. He refused to let the people downstairs ruin her life. He loved her too much to let them do this to her. Destroy her.

"Listen to my voice. This is your life and I know it seems bad but I am here. I'm going to fix everything for you because I love you. I love you Zel." He kissed her forehead.

Strangled sobs escaped her throat and tears began to flood her eyes and she hated herself for it. She didn't want to cry about any of this but since she was having a breakdown at the moment, why not? Link held her in his arms and his concern for her bubbled over. He had never seen her this way before.

"I let this go on for too long." He whispered into her hair. She looked up at him with wide eyes while the tears still ripped through her. He caught her panicked expression and shook his head, pulling her closer.

"No not like that. I meant that I should have taken you away a long time ago. This is my fault that this is happening." He rocked her like a baby as he continued to cradle her.

"This isn't good for you at all. This isn't good for our baby either."

"Link," she whimpered, "there isn't a baby." He looked down at her and didn't hide the disappointment from his face.

"When?"

"This morning." She looked sad about it too. He placed another kiss on her forehead.

"We have the rest of our lives to have a baby Zel. I promise I have this worked out now and I'm going to get you out of here."

"What are we going to do?"