Ganondorf had me moved from my room to his, as my bed was a nightmare of blood. All of my things came with me, except for what was hidden in the floorboards. He had a hot bath prepared in a massive, claw-footed tub. I stripped naked when I was alone in the room and sank into the water, watching it turn pink as I scrubbed away the blood. Not much longer; mere hours were all that stood between myself and freedom. It made my palms itch with excitement.

I soaked in the tub for as long as I dared, letting my eyes close and drifting aimlessly. My stomach ached, and I was still vomiting at the least bad smell as my body adjusted. Ganondorf was hardly able to look at me, and I suspected he was determined to find out what I'd done to myself, even though the doctor had tried to explain to him that "sometimes these things happen". His uncharacteristic attempt at sweetness had left with the loss. I was served food in bed, and I picked at it, eating little. But worst of all, I was bored again, hopelessly so. The boredom was worse, because I was waiting impatiently for night to fall, and a signal to come. I forced myself out of bed, wrapped in a nightgown and my trusty robe, and I paced the castle aimlessly, feeling like a ghost of my former self.

I headed one last time to the open balcony, looking up at the darkening sky. The first few stars were appearing in the sky. The lone howl of a wolf broke the dead silence of the castle, and I stopped where I was.

Was it time?

I waited, gripping part of the ruined balcony railing and biting my lower lip. Another wolf howl, closer this time, and then a third, raising the hairs on my arms. A guard stepped out onto the balcony behind me. "Ganondorf requests that you come inside. Something is going on." I followed him in reluctantly, the guard locking and latching the doors. Ganondorf looked at me suspiciously, and I had to bite the inside of my cheeks to keep from smiling. He walked towards me briskly, grabbing me by the arm and half-dragging me to his room. "Keep her safe," he ordered the guards that followed us. "Guard this door. Let no one but myself through." The guards nodded, and I stared as the doors slammed closed.

"No!" I cried out loud, running to the doors and tugging on the latched handles. "Damn." However, Ganondorf had a window in his room. I ran and pulled on it, but it was latched tight. "Bloody hell!" I cursed loudly. No luck. Frantically, I explored the room, trying to find a weapon or a key. I did manage to find a sharp dagger hidden between the mattress and box spring, and I cut a hole into my nightgown for it to rest in, with the handle pressed against my side. Good. I pulled it out again and pushed against the wooden frame of the window. When it refused to give, I took the dagger by the handle and, using my nightgown to cover my hand to protect it, I carefully broke away the panes of glass.

When that was done, I tested the wooden frame that bisected the window into four panes of glass, pushing on it with my weight. It did not budge much, and I started chopping at the wood with the dagger. Outside, I could hear horses thundering around and neighing in bewilderment, their riders shouting instructions. The knights were onto the coming army. In the distance, again and again, I heard wolf howls. I looked up, where a hawk circled over my tower. It screamed, and the sound was beautiful. An owl flew to the broken window not long after, a note tied to its ankle. It looked rather irritated at the conception that it was a messenger bird. I took the note, careful of its massive talons, and unrolled it.

Zelda,

Stay where you are! We will distract the knights with a diversion before we ambush. Everyone is here to fight for you.

I folded the note in half and tucked it into my robe pocket. It gave me hope, as the wolf howls got closer to the castle. I closed my eyes, wishing for a sign, to know how close they were. An explosion from the front of the castle made it shudder. I opened my eyes wide and gasped. They were here!

I tried the door to the bedroom, noting with anger that it was indeed still locked tight. "Let me out!" I shouted, pounding on the tough wood with my fists. I looked around, noting the hinges of the door, and grabbing the desk chair to make myself taller, I pulled them out, and then grabbed the doors by their handles to pull them free. The doors creaked open and swung uneasily on their narrow balance, and I had to run out of the way as they slammed to the ground. The guards turned and looked at me in surprise, but I was already barreling my way through the open door way and running to the main hall of the castle. The guards were chasing me, but I didn't care. Ganondorf stood near his throne, holding a sword with a black pommel. He glanced at me and shouted in anger as I ran past, heading for the doors. There was no one else blocking the entrance, and I ran for it, even with the stitch in my side and three men chasing me.

I shoved open the doors with my shoulder and both hands, stumbling out into the world. Wolves howled and fought viciously with Ganondorf's hounds. Riders on horseback battled with the few knights that still had their steeds, and they were greatly outnumbered. I held my little dagger close and waded into the fray with my heavy nightgown, keeping a look out in case of danger. Ganondorf stayed up on the steps behind me, staring at the war that was raging. A guard ran into me, his armor clattering. He reared with surprise when he saw it was me, and before he had a chance to grab me, I ran deeper into the fight.

"Link!" I screamed, looking around. I couldn't tell where he was; even Zora were fighting as valiantly as they could, and the Gorons swung their muscular arms, knocking knights off their horses and bellowing in fury. I was shocked to see how few there were; how viciously had the Dodongos devoured their kin? The head Goron, Darunia, bellowed and punched a knight in the chest before storming on to the next opponent, and behind him, I barely caught sight of Link. "Link!" I screamed again, as loud as I could. I ran to where I'd seen him, stumbling over the ground and some of the slain. Link was still there, atop his horse and armed with a shield now, his face and clothes spattered with blood. His hair was wild around his face, and he shouted loudly, waving his sword in the air. "Bring it on, ye foolish, stupid pack o' braying hounds! Come 'ere an' get your slaughter! Meet your death by my hand!"

"Link!" I screamed again.

He turned and looked at me in surprise. "Zelda!" he shouted back, and I ran to him. He helped me climb up on the horse, and I hugged him tightly. "I missed you, I missed you so bloody much," I cried, gasping. Link kissed me quickly, hugging me tight around the waist.

"Get down!" he shouted as a knight thundered towards us. I hopped down quickly, flexing my leg in a painful way and ducking as he dueled the knight. I backed away, turning and fleeing as quickly as I could. The battle was mostly over. It hadn't lasted very long. The slain lay all over, their blood and their armor gleaming in the light of the stars. A few were of our side; a wolf here, an old knight there, even a few Zora. I looked back to the stairs of the castle, where Ganondorf still stood, waiting patiently with his sword in hand. Link rode his horse toward the stairs, watching Ganondorf patiently.

Ganondorf bared his teeth. "Can you hold your own against a man, boy?"

"I believe I can," Link replied coolly, jumping down off his horse. He whipped the Master Sword, cutting the air in one fast movement. Ganondorf laughed. "So, you're going to steal my wife, boy?" Link faltered and snorted. "You're bluffing." Ganondorf pointed at me, and I tucked my hands behind me. "Show him!" I shuddered, and held my hands out. Link walked over and took my hands with his, looking at the rings. "Zelda..."

I looked up at him, ashamed. "He forced me to marry him." Link touched the palm of my right hand, before he gently pulled the rings off my thumbs, and grinned at me. I smiled back, kissing him. "We can win this," I whispered against his mouth.

"I know," he replied quietly. I had to step away; if I didn't, I would just keep kissing him and not stop.

Link turned away and glowered at Ganondorf, throwing the wedding rings to the ground. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, his hands resting atop the pommel of his sword and the tip balanced on the ground. The air was thick with silence, as if the world held its breath. Link raised his sword, crouching low to the ground and holding the point of his blade steady, towards the ground. He stepped slowly up the stairs, his eyes narrowed. Ganondorf stepped back, gripping the handle of his sword and twirling it until the point was in the air. He gripped the handle with both hands, raising it above his head and aiming at Link.

Link flipped the sword in a circle, making the air hum. Ganondorf chuckled raggedly, waiting.

Link charged.