Chapter 5:

The Prince Arrives!

AN: So, btw, I have a new friend of mine! Their name is absterclaire, and they have a really good and decent sized fanfiction! Please check them out! Thank you! ( s/12792427/1/The-Springs-of-Hylia)

We're riding back to Hyrule Castle. Today is the day that her betrothed is finally coming over to visit. Laws say that she was able to put it off till now. Now he has come to see his future wife, and her time for being able to not marry him is up. We spent the night at the campsite, enjoying some last gasps of freedom before we go back. Now we're out of time. I look at Zelda. Her lips are pressed into a tight line. As soon as we get back she gets ushered to her room to get dressed and I retreat to mine to change. I leave the Hyrule Shield and instead just go with my Master Sword. I clip the Sheikah Slate onto my belt and change into my Champion's Tunic and my Hylian Trousers. I hear a knock on the door. I open it and see a servant.

"Master Link? Prince Karin is here. Princess Zelda has requested that you attend the ceremonial banquet." I nod and she departs. I sigh and do some last minute checks that I have everything. Hopefully this goes like I think it will. Prince Karim is known to be a blustering, foolish, somewhat retarded man. He has lots of money and power though, thanks to his father, who in the neighboring continent of Termina (Yes that's a MM reference uncultured swines… sigh. I'm sorry please forgive me!) is a king. I sigh and walk out. I get downstairs, standing in the corner. I look at Zelda when she catches my sweeping gaze, and nod. I walk forward once Karim arrives and fall on one knee.

"It is an honor, Your Majesty." I say. He nods and says, "No, it is an honor for me to meet you, Champion. I heard what you did for your kingdom. You should be proud." I simply nod and get up. I walk over to the corner as Karim walks towards Zelda.

"Ah… my beautiful Queen… how are you doing this fine day?" He inquires. Zelda says back calmly,

"Indeed, I am doing just fine this day, and I hope it is the same for you." Prince Karim grabs her hand and she leads him to the table. I sigh. Karim is a handsome man, but as I said before, his temper. I listen idly to their conversation, humming a small song to myself. Suddenly, after he is settled in, Prince Karim asks me something.

"Hey, uh… Link, was it? Ah, whatever. Anyways, would you mind sitting at the table with us?"

"Not at all, Your Grace." I reply. I walk towards the table and sit down, the Master Sword at my side, ever present.

"So Link, I know you are a great swordsman. I was wondering if you could help me out with something." He says. I notice that he said me and not us. Zelda is next to him, looking at me, tight-lipped. I can make out her faintly signing 'This is not going very well… Oh boy… We need to get him to leave off.' I look at her and shrug very faintly, then continue it exaggerated, like I'm responding to the Prince.

"Sure, what would you need?" I ask.

"Well, I was wondering if you would mind possibly training what will be the new Royal Guard." He asks me.

"No, of course not. I would be honored." I reply. He laughs and throws a arm around my shoulder.

"Good man, Link. Goo-" Suddenly, in the middle of his sentence, a boom comes from outside. The guards Karim brought with him look surprised, but I instantly get up and grab my sword.

"Stay here." I tell them both. "Guards! With me!" I yell. They run after me in a tight formation as I surge out the doors. I can faintly hear Karim and Zelda discussing whether to watch me fight, and I hear Karim say.

"I want to see what he's made of." I sigh and continue running. I reach outside and see what looks like a massive mob surging towards us. Their dressed in pure black, with various arrangements of weapons. I don't know what they are, but I run forward, hacking and slashing. Thrust, Thrust, Backhand, Pommel, Guard, Kick, Slash, I repeat in my mind. I knock a large assortment of them down with my Master Sword, then call upon the Champions. I send out a large blast of Urbosa's Fury, frying a lot of the monsters. I call on Daruk's Protection to shield me from the rain of arrows the Black Ones are sending back at our archers. I use Revali's Gale to soar upward and start flying through them. I get hit but Mipha's Grace instantly heals me. I smile, a cold one, and fly upward, controlling all the Champion's Powers and sending them into my Master Sword. I focus it right into the Sword's metal and plunge it straight downward into the ground. A erupting white light forms as the monsters, for that's what they are now that the cloaks have dissolved, and I stand in the middle of the clearing. Suddenly a figure rushes towards me. Some kind of dark warrior. He slashes and I backflip but he instantly follows up. He's very quick. I run forward, but he hits the middle of my blade away perfectly every time. I slash and we play a dance of death. Suddenly another presence is beside me.

"I've got your back!" As Prince Karim rushes forward, I yell

"Switch!" I hit the enemy's blade with a hard, focused strike and as it falls away, Karim is there, slashing with speed and grace the likes of I've never seen before. We fall into perfect synchronization as we continue our dance, and finally, we commit one final slash, and the monster doesn't know how to handle it. It's hold back both our strong blades with only one, and as it's pushing it back further and further, he dissolves then reappears behind Karim, slashing his back. I yell with rage.

"Grahhh! Begone Monster!" I yell and deliver a slash, but he dissolves and reappears behind me. Suddenly, Karim is up, stabbing the monster. It's so stunned that I have a chance to turn around, focus the light of my Sword, and stab the monster also. Another blinding white light appears, as I close my eyes and fall.

I wake up in my room, a note attached to my nightstand. I look at it, but as soon as I reach out to grab it, I groan. My injuries must not be fully healed. I grab it quickly and read it.

'Thanks for all your help Link. Unfortunately, I cannot marry Zelda. I have been called back to Termina for my father's death, and will marry over there. You are an amazing warrior, best of luck!

-Karim

'Wow Link, I… what…. We need to talk, OK? I'll come and check on you same time everyday. If you're reading this, just yell for a servant. They'll tell me.

-Love,

Zelda.

I look at the note. Karim, a brave warrior. Maybe I misjudged him. Anyways, I yell and Zelda herself comes running into my room. She slams the door shut, leaps onto my bed and hugs me. She holds me very close, as she's sobbing into my chest. I hug her back but start to ache, so I say,

"Ow… not healed fully." She makes an 'O' with her mouth and gets off, sitting on the edge of the bed. She then slaps me across the face.

"You idiot! How could you do that! You might have died! You should have left it to the archers! Karim had it! Arghhhh! I…" Her anger wears out as I hug her and say,

"I'm sorry… I had to do something. At least Karim left. Anyways, how long have I been out?" I say

"2 days, that's all. Nothing interesting happened, except now I have to look for a betrothed… but whatever. I just want to spend time with you right now. And you need to relax." I nod, and pull her close to me, under the blanket. She giggles and lies next to me, breathing silently. Eventually her breaths become even, and as she drifts off, I do too. What comes next for me… I'm not sure. But whatever it is, we'll face it together.

AN: So, just a quick note. Um, I've essentially taken a break from Timeless. My friends compuper crashed, and he lost all his data, including the next chapter. So yeah. Anyways, I promise to keep this up regularly. Please review! It means the world to me to hear your feedback! Anyways, signing out!

-YamiDarksteel, Chief Writer