A/N: This is the last Chapter of this little story. :) Its longer than the rest as you can see but its because I packed the last few ideas for this fic into it. I will probably come back later to flush it out and lengthen it as I love the story line. :)
I hope it ends to your liking and doesn't leave you confused. :)
Harkinian lay upon his bed. He had his eyes closed for he was near the threshold of sleep.
"Father?" Zelda voice came from beyond his bedroom and his green eyes fluttered open.
A smile worked its way over his wrinkled face of curly black hair and he chuckled. "Come in, my dear!" The door creaked and spilled torchlight across the King's bedroom which was lavish in golden decorations and silken tapestries. Harkinian could see his's twenty-two year old daughter's lithe frame come toward him and sighed. "You are beautiful, did you know that?" He spoke, softly and lovingly.
"I have been told so." Zelda smiled and pressed a kiss upon her Father's forhead. "I was told that I was to come see you, Father."
"You were." The old man coughed and was eased onto his pillow by a firm pale hand when seized into rising from bed. "I-" He cleared his throat."I wanted to know if you..." The King paused. "Well, I have forgotten my words." He chuckled.
Zelda shook her head. "It must not have been important than."
"No, no it was." His face appeared strained and almost looked angry. "I...I have no recollection at all!"
Zelda took her Father's hand and squeezed it. "It will come, do not force it, Father."
"Ah, well." Harkinian sighed and settled into his pillows. "I have heard rumors that Sir Link brought young Wolfgang to visit."
"Yes." Zelda nodded, her voicing lossing its calm. "He did."
"I take it you enjoyed the visit?"
The Princess frowned. "Father, you act as if it is a regular occurance."
"You did not answer my question."
Zelda sighed."It is because I was act unaware by it." She shifted. "It was unfortunatly an uncomfortable visitation."
"You seem to enjoy Sir Link's company. Does he spoil his child?" Harkinian asked, drifting back into sleep.
"He does not spoil Wolfgang and I enjoy Sir Link's company very much." Realzing her mistake, Zelda opened her mouth to correct her admission that she had feelings for the Knight however, she was cut off my the Regent's hand.
There was tension in the older man's voice and Zelda could tell that this slip was not to his complete liking. "I do not enjoy your affections for that man." Harkinian stated, firmly, then softened suddenly. "But you are not a dim girl. In fact, one could even say you may be gifted by Lady Nayru, and I am old." He coughed. "I will not be King forever and you need a strong man...a couragous man to support you."
"Father?"
"I am tired of trying to find you a husband." Harkinian chuckled. "You do it."
"I may pick?"
He coughed, hard, and Zelda held him so that he would not his his head on the headboard. "You cannot ascend the Throne without a King and I do not trust your sisters to it. Marry this Link, this man who you clearly admire and be through with it so that I may rest at night."
Zelda smiled. "You are allowing me to choose a Knight?"
"Oh no. Only this Link. He is the Hero of Time." The King was stern, again. "I do not want just some Knight as King. He has a formal title and has respect amoungst the People and soldiers." He glared at his daughter." This Knight, who you have mentioned, will not be permitted to take my place. Marry this Link or choose a Prince. That is your only options."
The Princess pressed a kiss to her Father's forhead. "As you wish Father." She slipped from his side and to the door where he stopped her.
"I am to sick to be at Court. Will you-"
"Of course, Father."
Lord Tristan entered the Court with a broad smile upon his face. "Your Highness!" He beamed. "I have taken your words from yesterday and listened to them carefully."
Zelda rose an eyebrow and in all her splendor appeared interested. "Speak then, Sir, and be mindful of how your tongue wags as you left me in a foul mood when we parted." Her back was straight and she was the very picture of Regal.
"We shall prepare a banquet!"
The Advisors and the rest of the Court placed their eyes upon the elderly man, whispers running through the crowd.
"A banquet?" Zelda glared, her violet eyes flaring with the familar red of a certain Sheikah. "I hope this is not about the stolen gold."
"Oh, no!" Tristian twirled and Zelda rose a golden brow at the man who seemed nearly intoxicated with this revelation. "For the People! We shall raise money for the homeless so that we may better their lives!"
The Court brimmed with angry, outrage, and excitment. Shouts overcame Lord Tristan's voice and soon flood the Princess' elven ears.
"Who do you think you are to give my money away?"
"I will not give away my gold for men who do not work!"
"We have earned our rupees, let them earn thier own!"
Zelda clutched at the golden arm of her father's throne and snarled in anger. "Silence!"
Instantly, her command was obeyed.
"Do you know what the People go through day by day?" She seetheed, her golden hair blew about in a sudden and angry gust of breeze, and her violet eyes grew dark. The Princess stood and the doors flew open while the wind whipped about wildly. "They plow your fields until their backs break and they plant your crops, raise your cattle and hogs then kill your livestock in order to cook the meat that you devour with teeth. Teeth that are rotten with teh disease of Wealth!" Hyrule's Beautiful Princess Zelda Marie bellowed. "Without them you would die!"
They collectively cowered and backed away from the waves of heat burning from the Princess' body...some might say they even saw flickers of flame sprouting from her finger tips.
"Those People are your gold." Zelda growled. "They are your life, be kind to them and they may protect you when you need it most."
Silence.
Zelda's goddess like beauty returned from a face that invoked fear. Her violet eyes shimmered with sudden tears of sorrow. "Lord Tristian, arrange it. I want this Banquet but I want it to be a ball, invite all of Hyrule, and have it set to be in Hyrule Field where all Men are equal."
The Lord beamed. "Of course." He turned on his heels and began a strong pace to the door when he was called, again. "Yes, Princess?"
"Send word to Sir Link that I wish to see him."
Link dashed up the stairs, two at a time, and took deep even breath to keep from passing out. He forgot how long it had since he ran this hard and only knew two occasions where he had to run up a long flight of stairs.
He grasped the handle of an ornate, white, door and twisted the knob. It opened with ease but was flung back to reveal the Princess' stunned face. He felt the full stinf of betrayal coursing through his veins when he saw her.
"Is it true?" He exclamied, striding in and taking the beauty by her pale arms.
Zelda opened her mouth, her violet eyes wide, and then shut it. "Link, what are you talking about?"
His eyes were dark with anger and hurt. "Is it true?" He spread each word out. "Have you accepted a suitor?"
"That idiot didn't tell you did he?"
Link felt his brain's sudden whiplash and his mouth hang open from his gasp of hair and from where he was about to speak.
"Link," Zelda smiled, pushed his jaw together, and pressed a kiss upon his lips. "I choose you."
"What?"
That same brillant smile falshed and she winked. "I choose you to be my husband." She giggled. "I told you that you had the face of a future king!"
"I thought you were flirting, I didn't mean you were serious." Link gapped then something went off in his mind and he grabbed Zelda's wrist as she turned away to finish putting on the last of her jewlery. She gasped when he jerked her back to him and pressed a hot kiss to her lips.
Zelda pulled away with a confused smile on her lips. "Okay. Thank you?"
"I never thought our plan would come to pass." Link mumured. "I thought you could never...be my wife...be Wolf's..."
"I didn't either, Link." She sighed and allowed Link to take the neckalace she had been trying to put on from her. He snapped the clasp and smiled when she turned to him. "For a while I thought that I was gong to have to watch our son grow up from my tower."
"You would not have been that far away." Link frowned.
"If I was to marry another, I would have." Zelda laid her head upon Link's shoulder and wrapped her pale arms about his tan neck. "I would have never been able to her him call me Mother...and by the Gods, Link, that's all I've wanted since he was born." Emotion over took her and she weeped into her Lover's neck. "He was such a beautiful baby... and it hurt me to give him up, even to you. He is my son, my child!"
Link lay his cheek on the top of her head and rubbed her back with one hand while the other remained about her waist. He whispered against her golden locks. "It hurt me as well... I did not want to raise him this long without you. Never this long... but it does not matter anymore, Zelda, he is ours...We may live together, all of us, finally."
"Bring me my son, Link, let me hold him. I want to tell him how much I love him."
Link smiled and let his eyes fall to the open entrance where a shadow had spilled in from the hall's torches. "You just did."
Zelda turned and found the face of her child. The boy dropped his blanket and dashed to the woman with such speed that when he lept into her arms it knocked her into Link's chest.
"Momma!" He weeped, tears streaming down his sun kissed cheeks. He had the bleach blonde hair of Zelda's mother, the curly hair and eyes of the King, his father's smile, and everything else was his mother's.
"I love you, sweetheart, and nothing will ever take you away. I love you so much." She whispered, collapsing to the ground with him enveloped in her arms.
Wolfgang pressed his face into his mother's breast and, as Link embraced the two people he loved most, said the four words that Zelda had waited five years to hear. "I love you, Mommy."
Final Word: I don't usually write Prolouges for my fanfics because I like to leave it up to the reader to decided what happened but I've kinda fallen in love with this story and it has inspired me to do so.
The story will probably be rated T *maybe* less, it just depends on my mood of the day. :)
Again, I thank everyone who has taken the time to read my fics. It means a LOT! :)
Leave your thoughts, critics, suggestions, and even what you hope to see in the Prolouge.
Much love,
Queaky