Hey all, here's chapter 7.

Chapter 7:
Link's Return

--

"Five years ago, you men came here the fattest most disgusting pigs I had ever seen. Now, you leave as 5 of the toughest Reserve soldiers I will ever see."

The guests cheered for the 5 grown up recruits.

"It has been my pleasure to have you here gentlemen, and it is now my pleasure to give you your orders."

General Kaurem pulled out 5 envelopes.

"First, Lt. Link Forrester. You have been assigned to Chief of Security at the wedding."

Link froze. The wedding? At the castle?

Memories came flooding back to him

"He can rot in the Barrens for all I care.
Kill the boy.
I was waiting for her to wake up to make sure she had recovered."

Link stepped forward and accepted his orders from Kaurem.

--

An hour later, Link stood in the bunk room, exchanging goodbyes with Porthos, Sheik and Athos. Zant had already left.

Sheik gave Link a hug. "I'm really going to miss you Link. You made these five years seem like nothing."

Link looked around at the bunk room one last time before going outside.

There was a black car waiting for him.

"Mr. Forrester?"

Link nodded. "Yeah?"

"I have been sent by King Rathos to bring you to the castle."

Link sat in the back seat and watched the Camp shrink into the distance until they rounded a corner, and it was lost behind a forest of trees.

"How is Zelda?" asked Link.

The driver shrugged. "Her majesty is fine. I would advise you to leave her alone though. She has been upset ever since you just left."

"But I didn't just leave. I was sent away."

"That isn't what King Rathos says. He says you told him to make everyone swear not to tell that you had left."

"So that's the story that he spun to everyone. That I just up and left," thought Link.

--

Link watched out the window as the towers of Hyrule castle grew clearer and clearer until he could see Zelda's bedroom window. She was sitting on the balcony watching the car come up the driveway.

Link got out of the car and shouted up to her.

She looked down at him and frowned, before turning and retreating into her room.

He frowned. Why was she treating him like this?

He walked through the halls, taking notice of all the changes.

Saria appeared in front of him.

"You're back. Why would you just do that? Zelda cried for a week after you just left. What? You were too busy stringing her along that you couldn't even say goodbye?"

Link put his hand over her mouth. "Listen Saria. I didn't just leave. Rathos ordered me out. But now I'm back as Chief of Security for the wedding, savvy?" And he removed his hand.

"Zelda won't be happy. Expect to be slapped a few times, and maybe even have your friends kicked"

And Saria disappeared.

Link continued on his way up to Zelda's room, pausing only to say hi to Malon and Romani, who promptly turned their backs on him.

He knocked on Zelda's door.

"Zelda? It's me, Link."

"Enter," was all the reply he got.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

"You look good Zelda."

She sneered. "I would prefer if you address me as Miss Harkinian, or Your highness, Mr. Forrester."

"Why so cold your highness?"

"Perhaps a man that I loved left me a note saying that he never loved me."

"What? I never—"

"I read the note that was on your bed. The one that was addressed to me."

She reached down her shirt, and pulled out a yellowing envelope.

"I kept this as a reminder to never go back to you. I kept it to tell me that you are a self-centered, conniving ass."

And she slapped him across the face.

Link's face stung, but he gave no indication that it fazed him.

She slapped him again on the other cheek, and again, he didn't say anything.

She kneed him in his best friends, and when he groaned and fell to the floor, she gave a satisfied smirk.

"Why…do you always have to be right Saria?"

--

Link spent most of his days arranging the security for the wedding, making sure to steer clear of Zelda and Ganon unless absolutely necessary.

One such day was when he needed to know where Impa was. Saria, Malon, and Romani weren't speaking to him, and the only other person that knew her by name was Zelda.

--

"Excuse me Miss Harkinian, I was wondering if you knew where Impa was?"

Zelda thought for a second, before replying: "I believe she is on the fourth floor, in her quarters."

Link bowed deeply. "Thank you your highness."

--

Link made his way up the stairs to the fourth floor.

He stopped. There were voices coming from the room he had just passed.

One of them was…Ganon!

"As soon as the wedding is over, kill the girl. I won't need a queen to rule this world. Kill the boy and you get a bonus."

The other man, whom Link took to be an assassin smiled.

"No problem," he growled.

All thoughts of why Zelda was so rude to him faded from his mind, and he rushed to find Impa.

--

He burst into Impa's chambers minutes later.

"Impa!? Impa!"

He pushed open her office door, and what he saw made him choke.

Impa was bound and gagged in her chair.

He ran to her side and pulled out the gag.

"Who did this?"

Impa groaned, "Who do you think?"

Link stood up and undid Impa's ties, whilst telling her about what he heard downstairs.

"We'll have to take extra precautions at the wedding. You should be on the lookout for an assassin, and I'll keep an eye on Ganon."

Impa nodded, and ran off to get a small group of soldiers together.

Link went looking for Saria.

--

"Saria, I Am Lost," he murmured.

Saria, as expected, appeared in front of him.

"I need to know exactly what Ganon has been doing since I left."

"Well, hello to you to, and how should I know?"

Link sniggered. "Oh, come on Saria, I think I've figured out by now that you're not Hylian. What are you, ghost? Bound to the castle for all eternity? Living in the walls? How is it you always find me right away?"

"I'm a guide. I live in the Sacred Realm, but I can manifest myself here. So I guide lost souls. Yes, I can see what the walls see, so I know more about this castle than anyone. Ganon is plotting to take over Hyrule. If he does, he'll be King of Termina, Hyrule, and the Forsaken. He'll have an army large enough to conquer anything else."

Link' small smiles faded, and he ran off to find Zelda.

--

"Zelda! Zelda, wait!"

He reached the car just as she was closing the door, and he opened it again.

"We need to talk."

She moved one seat over, and motioned for Link to get in.

"Drive," she said to the driver.

Link rolled up the soundproof glass between the driver and the passengers, and turned to Zelda.

"I know you have no reason to trust me, but you have to. If you marry Ganon, he will kill you."

"I know."

Link cocked his head to the side.

"I can talk to Saria too. Besides, he can't marry me, I turned 21 three days ago. I'm of legal age to take the throne."

Link sighed. That certainly put an end to some of his worries.

"But I appreciate you caring enough to tell me that. Thank you…Link."

The car stopped, and Link got out.

"I'll see you back at the castle for the wedding."

She nodded, and he closed the door.

As Link walked back up the long driveway, he wondered how Ganon was going to take this. What would his reaction be if Zelda ordered him out of the kingdom? He would be pissed off probably.

Link would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

--

Oh, the drama! Will Zelda ever accept that Link didn't write that letter? Will Ganon actually kill Zelda? Will the wedding cake turn out all right?

R&R and you might just find out.

PS: Kelly, I know you're the hater of this 'author'…don't be so childish…