4.

A few months had passed since their last argument, and Dark Link had managed to convince Ruto that he wasn't the purest form of evil for not liking the actual Link, who she was still inexplicably infatuated with.

"I thought you'd be reading," Dark Link murmured as he came into the Princess' room. Obviously, these surprise visits inside her private room annoyed Ruto very much, but at least she had gotten used to it.

The Princess of the Zoras rolled her eyes, "I'm not always reading Restoree by Anne McCaffrey, you know. I have other interests."

This shocked the shadow like being very much. "You do?" he asked.

"Yes! Like..." she started as she tried to think of other things she liked to do. While she was thinking, her face twitched wildly, and her hands clenched tightly. She started staring past Dark Link as if he wasn't even there. He turned to see what she was looking at, and smirked. On a shelf next to the door was the very book that she had been trying to claim she wasn't obsessed with.

Ruto glared. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." He carried on smiling.

She, unsatisfied, accused him, "You were thinking it."

"Actually, I was wondering when you were going to give me that book back. After all, you did technically steal it from me."

The Zora Princess turned an odd shade of red – a shade that it was previously thought impossible for fish to turn. It was clear she was so embarrassed that she would agree to marry Dark Link to get rid of the guilt. Or so he reasoned.

"What? Did you call me a common thief? I'll have you executed for such insolences! GUARDS!" she fumed with anger.

"Oh great..." Dark Link muttered and slipped into the shadows where he could not be seen by the guards.

The guards ran in, stumbling over themselves, and looked around frantically to try and deduce what it was she wanted. "What is is, miss?" one of them asked hesitantly. "Is there something not to your liking?"

"Nothing!" she shouted quickly as her sight fell upon the most horrifying prospect ever. Dark Link was actually holding a sword to her book. If he wasn't careful, the sword could damage it, and she'd never be able to read it again; it would kill her if something so terrible happened. "Nothing at all! You're free to go! In fact, if I find out you're still guarding outside, I'll have you all beheaded!" The guards, surprised and agitated, turned away and left in a hurry.

"That's better," Dark Link whispered in fury. He had clearly lost his mind. "Now, we're going to get married. Understood?"

"Hah! How could I even think of getting married to a scoundrel like you? Somebody who could threaten to destroy a Princess' favourite book? And not just any old princess, mind you, but me, Princess Ruto! The most beautiful, intelligent, popular person in the whole of Hyrule! Indeed, if you weren't still holding your sword to that book, I'd call the guards back and have you executed myself. Indeed, you'd be a sorry man. WAIT! Why are you still holding your sword to the book?"

"Because, Princess, if you don't marry me, I will destroy it. Now, Princess Ruto, will you..." He paused suddenly, building up the courage. He knew he would always regret this, but he managed to choke out the words anyway, "marry me?" It had to be done.

Princess Ruto stayed silent.

"It's only because..." He paused a second time, but then resumed with noticeable distaste, "I love you."

"You do?" she squealed in delight. "I told you so, Prince Otur!"

Dark Link blinked and looked around. "Who's Prince Otur?"

"Uh... My brother," she explained slowly, as if she was talking to a child.

"But you don't have a brother. And I can't help but notice that 'Otur' is 'Ruto' backwards."

"Well, since you love me, I'll reveal my most embarrassing secret. He is imaginary!"

A single tear trickled out of Dark Link's eye because he needed to laugh so much. "Y-you mean, you had a debate with your imaginary brother whether I loved you or not?" He looked away to conceal his face.

"Yes... Are you all right?" she asked once she had noticed him turn away. A few moments passed without a response so she walked over to him, before halting. "Hold on, you're sword is still on my book," the Princess said. His sword hand was, in fact, trembling dangerously at first, but he managed to keep control of himself.

Dark Link nodded slowly, "You haven't agreed to marry me, yet."

Again, Ruto looked as if she was going to stay silent, but just as Dark Link was about to speak, she opened her mouth. "Yes, I will marry you," she agreed at last. Apparently she had forgotten about him holding a sword to her book. Quite how she could forget that in such a short time, he'd never know.

Her new fiancé sheathed his sword and smiled softly at her. "I must go now, but I'll be back soon." With that he disappeared back into the shadows. Back at the Water Temple, Dark Link burst into uncontrollable laughter, that could heard throughout the watery palace. Though the time spent with Ruto was enough to drive any person mad, at least he would be plenty amused.

A/N There's the fourth chapter, if you didn't realise. I'm not too happy with it, but on the plus side, I have the fifth chapter basically written in my head and just need to transfer it to the computer. You should expect that soon. Review, yah?

Crazymark.