December 23, 2008 :: 2 days to go!

Zelda cried in the darkness, pounding on Link's bedroom door, in the hopes of waking him up. She stopped her obnoxious knocking as soon as she heard shuffling and heard a small click. He opened the door groggily, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Zelda?" Link asked sleepily.

He was standing in front of her wearing only blue boxers, and her cheeks flushed a brilliant red. Thank the goddesses it's dark, she thought. She eyed his six-pack and the rest of his body, and she suddenly forgot why she was outside his room so late at night.

"What's wrong?" he questioned. He found himself being thrown at in a massive hug, and he managed to catch Zelda, pulling her inside his room. He shut the door and turned his lamp on, illuminating the room in a dark shade of orange. She sat on his bed, and he was quick to get beside her. "What happened to you?"

"Fa-Father," she choked back a sob. "He's f-forcing me into an arranged m-marriage...to a completely ev-evil man! He...he h-hurt me!"

Link kissed her head and held her to him protectively, waiting for her to go on.

"Link," she sobbed, taking in his warmth. She was so cold after having the man she was supposed to marry touch her in the horrible, perverted way he did. "It was awful...he...he..." Zelda placed a hand over her mouth, not wanting to tell Link of what she had just been through.

"Hush, hush, baby," Link whispered, stroking her hair slowly, and rocking her as if she were a child being soothed after a bad dream.

"Don't l-let me go..." Zelda sighed sadly, choking back sobs. "Don't make me g-go back to h-him...look what he did."

She lifted her head and exposed her neck. The flesh was raw and red. Then she held up her wrists, having been grabbed so tightly they could have easily been broken. Then she pulled down her nightdress so Link could see the bruises her 'fiance' had inflicted at the top of her chest. She closed her eyes when Link let out a tiny gasp, then wrapped her arms round herself as if it were cold. Link cuddled her tight, and held her wrists tenderly.

He gently pushed her back onto his bed and tucked the covers around her. She looked up at him with curious, adoring eyes. He smiled back down at her.

"Where are you going to sleep?" she found herself asking. Suddenly, her body felt heavy and the warmth overwhelmed her. Her eyes felt - and must have looked it too - like they weighed three kilos each.

"Who cares?" Link shrugged. "I'm going to stay up. Besides, it's late. You go to sleep now."

Zelda was fast asleep long before he'd finished his sentence.