Hi guys! so I had this story rolling around in my head for a few days now. I know this fiction is a little different and not a pairing that everyone supports, but i found I like the opposites attract kinda romances. I hope you all like it, i hope to keep both of my stories going at the same time, but I may tend to favour one over the other at times. Chapter releases will be slow whilst the new year comes around, I have exams and all my deadlines. (I'm already procrastinating enough by doing this). Anyways, let me know what you think, I want to keep this work shorter If I can, so lets see if i can manage that. Caio xx

Chapter 1 - Not Quite Yet

Zelda stared at the evening sky and drank deeply from her wine cup, enjoying the fruity flavour as it spread across her tongue. She had left Hyrule a week ago, to attend her friend's wedding in the neighbouring kingdom. Her father had insisted she make the trip alone, with only a party of other noble women and her ladies in waiting to accompany her. Both Zelda and her parents had agreed that at as she would nearly be sixteen, she was old enough to start representing Hyrule, at least in friendly courts, on her own. The trip had been long and rough, and the festivities were dragging on. They had started two weeks ago, and it felt like the end was nowhere in sight. Even her mother had begun to send letters asking when she would return home.

The exhausting hubbub had eventually peeked during one of the numerous engagement parties, and Zelda was forced to seek solitude on one of the abandoned, colonnaded balconies that lined the great hall. It was a surprisingly beautiful spit, with a lattice roof covered in fully grown ivy, and a breath-taking view of the city it was a good place to find some peace and quiet.

This momentary reverie of silence, however, was interrupted when her friend, Princess Crissinda had decided to follow her, also keen to escape tedium of etiquette and propriety that was expected at such functions.

"How long do you think we can hide out here?" Crissinda asked, leaning against the stone balustrade, her back to the night sky.

Crissinda was the princess of Holodrum, and had turned eighteen a few months ago. Since doing so, however, she had been fully transformed into a young woman for her imminent marriage. Her gown this evening was a sleek ivory dress finely detailed with gold embroidery and glittering topaz gemstones. A lacy, golden cape hung from her shoulders, beautifully complimenting her long, dark curly hair and light brown skin. This was finished off with no shortage of matching gold jewellery and a delicate golden diadem.

Zelda had never envied her friends looks, they were so different at that she never compared herself, but this evening, even she could understand why so many women were jealous of Crissinda's looks. She shone like one of the golden goddesses of legend.

Zelda fidgeted with her own tiara, the cool touch of the metal relaxing her a little. "I would have been fine hiding here for hours" Zelda joked, sarcasm coating her every word. "But now that you're out here, I'd wager we'll be found in a matter of minutes."

Crissinda opened her mouth and fanned her face, a theatrical gesture of false shock. "Why Zelda, are you accusing me of lacking subtlety?". Zelda snorted.

"Possibly.." she let a sly smile roll across her face as she glanced over her friend. "I'm also pointing out that it's impossible for you to hide from your own engagement party". Zelda giggled as Crissida rolled her eyes and fluttered her hands, attempting to wave away her mockery.

"Honestly, I think they can do without me! This has to be like thoe fourth one this week! You know you're only a couple years younger than me Zel, it won't be too long till you're hiding from your future fiancée". Crissinda tried her best to sound chipper, but she couldn't keep the small edge of resentment from her words. Zelda knew her frustration was well founded, and couldn't help but feel sympathy for her friend.

Crissinda wasn't in line for the throne like Zelda was, she had two older brothers that had claimed that honour for her. Her fiancée, therefore, had been arranged by her parents not as a love match, but as a way of cementing alliances for the eldest sons rule, and a stable future for their daughter. The man they had chosen, had actually been a Hyrulian nobleman, to many peoples surprise. But he had recently taken up residence in Holodrum, after acquiring a new estate here, so the match was deemed acceptable enough. It also didn't hurt that he was a very rich duke, who had influence in multiple kingdoms.

Zelda vaguely knew the duke who was to be her dear friends husband. He was at least twenty years older than both of them, and had once acted as an advisor to her father for many years. She knew such gaps in age were common in arranged marriages like these, but she couldn't help but feel sympathy for her friends situation. Zelda found herself hoping her own husband would be closer to her age than Crissinda's was. It seemed awfully disarming to be so separated by age.

Crissinda tapped her arm, gently pulling Zelda out of her reverie.

"Will you stop frowning so much? You're making me nervous". Crissinda smiled as though she had made a joke, but Zelda saw that it didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you happy?" She reached out to though her friends hand, letting the heat from Crissinda's skin warm her own. Her friend patted her hand gently, her smile becoming solemn, but resolute.

"I am certain I will be. It is true, he is not exactly what I hoped, but he is kind, and well off. He will offer me, and any future children, safety and security we would not have if I were to marry another royal."

"Really?" Zelda was surprised by her friends words. She had just assumed that Crissida would have wanted her children to be raised in the castle, or even to have married a prince of some kind.

"Oh yes! He may be a Duke, but if we have children they will have no claim to the throne, and that makes them much safer." Crissinda smiled affectionately at Zelda, patting her hair as though she were infinitely older and wiser than she was. "If my children have no claim to the throne, my brothers will not see them as a threat. They will survive, and be brought up away from the soul crippling politics found inside of palace walls. Surely you can appreciate this?"

Zelda frowned. She knew, intimately, the pressures of being royalty had on a child. She had never been allowed to step even a toe out of line, and she often led a very sheltered life because of it. She had never even considered how having contestants to the throne might affect things. She was an only child, and couldn't begin to imagine the rivalry a sibling might produce when it came to inheriting the throne. She suddenly found a well of worry for her friend begin to rise. "But surely your brothers wouldn't harm your children? Even if they had a claim? They are family!"

Crissinda shrugged nonchalantly. "I am certain they would, if they felt the need too. There is a reason we have no male cousins left alive.". She tossed a loose curl behind ear, and smiled down at Zelda as though this were a casual conversation to be having. "These are important things to consider as a princess. We have a duty to our kingdom, but also to our liniage."

Zelda couldn't quite believe her ears. She had never considered these elements of court. She was supposed to start her lessons on politics when she turned sixteen in the new year, but now it all seemed so daunting to her. She wasn't sure if she was cut out for such a ruthless world, where family could betray you at the slightest turn. Unable to speak, she merely shook her head and stared back out at the night sky. Suddenly the air seemed much cooler than it had before, and the bright lights of the city below them looked dimmer than they had before.

"I didn't mean to worry you Zel. I'm sure it all just seems scary because you're so young. It could be a lot worse." Crissinda stepped forwards, a cheeky glint back in her eyes. She reached her fingers out, threatening to tickle Zelda where she stood. "I could be marrying a one eyed pirate," she dove for Zelda's side, tickling her fingers against her ribs. "Or a braggard bastard, or worse yet a king of thieves!". Zelda let out a small burst laughter, swatting at her friends hands.

"I don't think either of us needs to worry about that ridiculous." She laughed dryly, easily pushing the older girls hands away from her ribs.

"Well obviously" Said Crissinda, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, "But it would be a funny thing to see." She pulled a pose against the balustrade, imitating the exotic dancers they had both seen in town squares and festivals. "What do you reckon Zel? Could I make it as a pirate queen instead of a noble?" Crissinda fluttered her lashes, and began wiggling her hips, looking more like a squirming fish than an elegant royal. Zelda couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"You wouldn't last five minutes on a pirate ship with those moves. They'd throw you overboard at the sight of you!". She mocked her friends attempts, her worry fading with every poorly executed dance moved performed. The pair spent the next five minutes relentlessly laughing at each other and trying to re-create dances they had once seen at the acrobatic shows from distant lands. It turned out neither of them were any good. Crissinda blamed her restrictive undergarments for her failure, and Zelda blamed her lack of practice.

"Not all of us have such liquid bones! Those dancers must be made of chu-chu jelly!" Crissinda complained as she failed another high kick.

They continued in this fashion until Crissinda's mother, the queen regent, found them in the middle of one of the more risqué dance moves. The queen had promptly and thoroughly chewed them out for acting like 'wild hooligans', and demanded they return to the party with strict instructions to not do or say anything unless told otherwise. Crissinda had accepted this scolding like a hole in the head and had immediately started arguing with her mother. This swiftly turned into a shouting match, that Zelda was caught painfully in the middle of.

It was this point in the evening that Zelda learnt exactly four new things. Number one was, that if two royal women start shouting at each other at an engagement party, the entire guest list will swamp the area faster than you would have ever thought possible. Numbers two and three were some very colourful and inventive profanities, and number four, was that Crissinda's new husband was just as adept at ending his fiancées arguments, as she was at starting them.

The man casually swept out of the crowd, catching both yelling women by the arm as he did so, only to quickly whisper something in both of their ears, and declare the disagreement resolved. He even shot Zelda an exasperated eyeroll, before shepherding both women back inside, silencing their protests before they had even launched off the end of their tongues.

It wasn't long before Zelda was, once again, left alone on the balcony, watching her friend through the windows of the great hall. The glass blocked out all sound, but Zelda watched as the Duke had easily smoothed over the tension, by producing a gift for Crissinda from the inside pocket of his jacket. From What Zelda could see it was an elaborate golden necklace, set with moonstones, that glimmered under the light and matched beautifully with her outfit. It was so beautiful that both women forgot their argument in order to appreciate the glimmering offering of peace..

Crissinda smiled widely as she accepted the gift and put it on, showing it off to the new crowd of women that surrounded her. They were a mix of noblemen's daughters and foreign dignitaries, all attempting to gain favour with the princess. Even if her children would have no claim the throne, it was clear Crissinda would have a very influential and rich husband, and her friendship was now a precious commodity to be gained amongst the elite.

Zelda fleetingly wondered if she should head in and join the party. She was certain there would be people waiting to speak to her too, but somehow, she couldn't convince her feet to make their way back inside. Instead they walked her to the back towards the edge of the balcony, where the columns held up the ceiling, and the view of the city was best. She knew one day her own engagement party would be underway, and she'd have plenty of time to socialise then. For now, she wanted to stay outside a little longer. Let the warm summer wind blow through her hair, enjoy the taste of her wine, and watch the stars move slowly overhead.

"Yes" she said quietly to herself. "I am not ready to be engaged yet".