I am so, so, so, SO sorry for the wait, but to make up for it, this chapter is relatively long in content, and the fluff has been increased (because it's the end, sillies!) What made this ending so frustrating was how I had planned it out ended up being a pain in the ass to write down, so there were about seven other endings I had come up with before this one. So, without further ado, chapter eight! (And when I meant relatively long, I meant that you should grab a bag of popcorn while you read this…it's REALLY long.)
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"Zelda, remind me where we're going again…?" Link asked curiously from behind Zelda as she led him down a vast corridor of the castle. The princess giggled as she turned left down a shorter hallway. Link nearly missed the action, so he had to double back and jog a few steps to catch up with her. "Zelda…" Link half whined when he didn't receive an answer.
"Relax, Link! We're just going to the wardrobe room to find you a shirt for the ball (your pants could use some replacing, too, you know)." She giggled again, absolutely elated with the fact that there was indeed a way that they could be together. The thought made her stomach tickle with the fluttering of butterflies. Upon reaching the end of the hallway, they came across a rather rustic looking door made of warped wood. Zelda sighed at the vague thought that this was a more forgotten area of the castle to basically all but Link and herself.
With a soft "umph" under her breath, she pushed the door open, disregarding its rusted and misused hinges and their sharp creaks. She motioned for Link to follow her inside before she turned and walked over to the other end of the room, where an old and dusty wooden wardrobe sat bathed in the sunlight streaming from the window, dulled from the layer of dust that had collected on the glass. Link inspected the room intently, though other than the wardrobe that Zelda was shuffling through, there was nothing more to look at other than the walls. Nonetheless, Link's gaze returned to Zelda as she turned with a few articles of clothing draped over her forearm. "Here, try these on." She extended her arm for him to take the clothes. He blinked incredulously at her a moment.
"…HERE?!? More importantly…NOW?!?" The poor and confused hero said, his eyes widening in shock. Zelda rolled her eyes at her friend before dumping the clothes playfully in his arms.
"Yes here, silly. I'm going out in the hall, so just come out when you're done!" With a soft laugh under her breath, the princess walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Link shifted his eyes from the door to the clothes she had handed him. A simple, yet proper long sleeved shirt and a pair of pants lie folded sloppily in his arms, along with a pair of black dyed leather shoes. The shirt, a beautifully dark burgundy, was made of a soft, yet light fabric. The silver buttons that ran up the middle its front stood out rather well against the darkness of the shirt's color. The pants were a rich black, and apparently made of the same fabric as the shirt. He shrugged off his tunic and slipped the shirt on over his head. Once he managed to slide his arms through the sleeves, he reached over and grabbed the pants. After kicking off his boots and changing into the black pants and shoes, he looked down at himself, pleased with the results of Zelda's findings. He turned and opened the door, grunting a bit as the rusty hinges gave some resistance as they had before. Upon hearing the door open, Zelda turned and faced Link with a friendly smile, which was soon replaced with a look of shock as she seemed to remember how well built his body was. Her face suddenly felt unbelievably hot, and she was pretty sure that it wasn't from humidity (perhaps humility, but not humidity). The shirt and pants displayed his frame rather well, yet somehow seemed to make his chivalry more emphasized.
"May I be so bold as to inquire the opinion of milady?" Link bowed grandly, sweeping his left arm its full length from his body as he did so. Zelda giggled from behind a dainty hand before swirling her finger to silently ask him to do a spin for her to inspect his entire frame. He stood and did as she had silently requested, grinning from ear to ear when her blush only darkened. "Milady is pleased with the results, I presume?"
"Oh, do be quiet, Link before I have you go to the ball in a gown." His mouth snapped shut with an audible 'click' of teeth, emphasizing that he fully comprehended her threat. She giggled again, not bothering to cover her mouth with her hand this time. "Honestly though, you look dashing in that, Link." She admitted, lifting her hand to a lock of hair that had managed to fall in front of her face, but froze as Link tucked the tress of hair behind her ear with such a tenderness that she found her knees suddenly buckling under her weight. "Link, what…was that for…?" He shrugged, feigning indifference despite the streak of blush that ran across the sun kissed canvas of his face.
"I'm not quite sure what possessed me to do it, Zelda. I just…wanted to while I still could…my apologies." He muttered quietly, as though he feared if his voice was too loud that the moment would be shattered.
"Don't be sorry…" She whispered in the same manner, as if they shared a common fear at that moment. The sudden blare of trumpets outside, however, seemed intent on realizing that fear, as the loud and shrill calls echoed throughout the halls of Hyrule Castle. The two teens walked over to one of the dusty windows, peering through the glass to attempt to see the source of the loud sounds. Far below the floor they were in, four trumpeters on as many noble steeds continued to blare their horns high into the skies from the castle grounds below, behind them a stallion even blacker than night carried a rather young, albeit dashing bluish black haired male in rich scarlet robes. Before the small band of horseback men stood Zelda's father, accompanied by Impa and his closest vizier. As the trumpets ceased their ringing calls, the dashing young man perched atop the black horse dismounted swiftly and began making his way toward the King of Hyrule, his steps echoing with authority and pride with each stride of his long masculine legs. The trumpeters, still mounted on their horses, parted for the young man as he stopped before the king. The two men made eye contact for a few moments, the man's striking navy blue eyes staring gently into the King's darker ones before the scarlet cloaked man knelt at the king's feet.
"Your Majesty, King of Hyrule, I come with my men under the invitation sent by your hand, so that I may have a chance at asking for Princess Zelda's. I, Denkomaru, Prince of Terabithia, have come to accept the invitation." The man, Denkomaru, rose to his feet and bowed grandly before the king. The king nodded his head to the young male before turning to his vizier and mumbling something inaudible to him.
"The lands of Hyrule, as well as its castle, welcome you, Prince Denkomaru of Terabithia. You are the first to arrive of the suitors seeking the same hand as you are, but your stay is welcomed all the same. My vizier will gladly show you to your room." With a nod of thanks, the prince stood and followed the vizier as his men on horseback turned and began their journey back to their homeland.
(A/n: I know Terabithia is a made up place in the movie 'Bridge to Terabithia,' and Denkomaru is Issun's sword in 'Okami' but I liked the sound of the title "Denkomaru of Terabithia…" I'm weird like that. Forgive an authoress for her lack of originality.)
"…A suitor…" Zelda muttered, as if trying the word on her tongue. Her stomach churned at the thought of having to greet him in the grand hall at this very moment when she was perfectly content to stay here with Link, but she knew there was no other option unless she fancied disgracing all of Hyrule to one of its strongest and closest allies, a thought that was anything but pleasing. So, casting one fleeting look at Link, she was about to go, but froze when Link made no move to follow. "Link, we have to go and greet him in the grand hall." His clouded gaze was torn from the window to peer at Zelda curiously.
"Zelda, you're the one that has to go, right?"
"Yes, but you're my escort, silly. Now, come on before we miss them!" Link nodded and followed her after they gathered his old clothes in a safe place for keeping. Thankfully, they just managed to reach the floor above the grand hall and make their way down one of the two staircases just as Denkomaru and the king's vizier appeared in the entrance below. Zelda's pace slowed considerably as she sauntered down the steps with practiced grace and authority. Link slowed his pace as well, though his footfalls were a bit fumbled as he tried mimicking Zelda's. Denkomaru's navy blue eyes, which had been sweeping over Zelda's womanly body, jerked their gaze over to the less than confident hero beside her, raising a thin dark brow in amusement. "Prince Denkomaru of Terabithia," Zelda addressed the young man in a gentle voice as she held her head high and stiffened her back. Her smile sent the prince, as well as the hero beside her, into an almost dreamlike state for a moment before the prince cleared his head and bowed respectfully at the princess before him.
"Princess Zelda, please do call me Denkomaru; I tire of the alleged need of a title in my name." Denkomaru said as he straightened. The prince then paused a moment to gaze at Zelda's face fondly, as though he had never seen a more lovely face in all his years. "Milady, the painting of your face the king sent me did you no justice," the prince gingerly took Zelda's hand and kissed it tenderly. "Your radiance, your beauty, can neither be simply documented in the finest words of the most brilliant man, nor the most skilled stroke of the most talented artist's brush. Seeing such a woman with my own eyes is like seeing a goddess." Zelda's face flushed at his fine words, but she was not a woman so easily won over. She slid her hand from his hold politely, her smile never once faltering.
"Your flattery is charming, Denkomaru. However, do not use such words in hopes to sway me so easily," She said lightly, her smile widening slightly. "After all, you are the only suitor here at the moment, other than my escort, Link." She gestured at the hero beside her happily. The prince turned his gaze to the other male and regarded him a moment before voicing his thoughts.
"You wouldn't happen to be the same Link in the tales told of Hyrule even in Terabithia, would you?" Link's features flushed in flattery.
"That would in fact be me, sir." He replied quietly whilst shuffling his feet shyly. Denkomaru's eyes widened as he gazed over the hero, seemingly to drink in the sight of the confirmation of his suspicions.
"You are Link, the Hero of Time? You are the one who killed Ganondorf…?" The prince uttered incredulously. The hero bowed in respect to the prince.
"The very same, milord." Link replied kindly to Denkomaru's baffled question, vaguely wondering why it was so hard to believe. Denkomaru blinked a moment, as if to come up with a reply to the answer given to him.
"You…were never taught proper etiquette, were you? Pardon my saying, but you seemed like you were a stumbling fool, a new servant to Lady Zelda at best." Zelda gasped quietly in outrage at Denkomaru's outburst before her brows drew together in a frown. How dare someone say that to the very one that they owed their life to, royalty or not? The thought was despicable! A raging anger began to burn within her at this man's disrespect toward Link, her body tensing as her fist balling at her sides.
"How-!" Zelda was cut off by Link's gentle hand on her shoulder. She snapped her gaze to him, about to retort, but the soft, calm look on his face dulled the enraged fire of anger burning in her stomach enough so that she let him have his say so. Her frame relaxed, her fists unclenched, but the angry fire never left her soft blue eyes as she glared guardedly at Denkomaru. Link turned to the prince with the same gentleness in his striking blue gaze as when he had looked at Zelda.
"No, I have not been taught the ways of royal etiquette; there was never a need for it, considering I am but a commoner born and raised among the fields of Hyrule. Pardon the lack of sophisticated speech and mannerisms of royals, though I mean absolutely no disrespect." Link bowed again, emphasizing the meaning of his words. He straightened, clearing his throat before offering Zelda his arm charmingly. "My lady, I believe we should let the vizier show Prince Denkomaru to his room- you must greet the other coming suitors, mind you." Zelda smiled warmly at Link, accepting his arm with both hands as the vizier led a stunned Denkomaru of Terabithia up the stairs and toward the guest hall.
"Link, how did you control your temper with such disgracing words thrown at you? I would have exploded by now!" Zelda asked softly, leaning against him as she rested her head on his shoulder. He blushed at her actions but did nothing to move away from her.
"Engaging in a fight would only serve to disgrace Hyrule as well as its royalty. Starting a fight would do nothing less but end up in us belittling ourselves, Zelda." He replied calmly as he tilted his head down so that the side of his head was resting atop hers. Her smile softened at the contact as her grip tightened on his arm just noticeably so. "Besides, I would rather not fall victim to your wrath if I damaged these clothes in the very same week as the ball." He added as an afterthought jokingly. Zelda laughed as she tapped his shoulder playfully.
"Good to know that you understand me so well without me saying a word." She retorted with a wry smile. The hero merely grinned and shrugged.
"Um…d'you think I can go get my old clothes back on? I just don't trust myself with these on; I feel like I'll mess 'em up." Link admitted, looking down at the new outfit bashfully. Zelda laughed under her breath but walked with him back to the old wardrobe room nonetheless, both quietly reveling in the fact that their hands seemed to suddenly intertwine between them as they walked.
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As Link and Zelda made their way back to the grand hall to greet two more suitors, Link dressed back into his usual hero attire, they found out the hard way that these suitors were categorized in one of two groups: the well defined and mature gentlemen type, and…
"Oi, pleas'r t'meet yeh, Lady Zelda!"
"Yes, a pleas'r 'ndeed, m'lady!"
… the unbelievably boorish and stupid ones.
Smiling despite the unbelievably improper grammar (particularly for a royal), Zelda bowed grandly before the newcomer princes. Both males might have looked around her age, that is, if they hadn't been so overly fat and unmannerly. Black greasy hair matted their sweaty foreheads as their dark beady eyes, hazy from apparent intoxication, roamed lustfully over Zelda's body. The princess's smile faltered considerably as she noticed their rather unruly behavior.
"Pardon my asking, good men, but are you…by any chance…fond of drink…?" Zelda asked politely, though just by judging the strong alcoholic odor of their breath from this distance, she already had a pretty good answer to that in her mind. One of the symmetrical pair of men replied, in a rather thick voice, "Heh…'was fond o' it not five minute' ago. 'Doubt much's changed since then, m'lady." The two men laughed heartily at their own joke, if it was even to be considered one by sober minded standards. By now Link's smile had long since vanished, and had been so since he noticed the lustful stares of the intoxicated royals before them, and with a quick glance toward Zelda, her smile was nearly spent as well.
"…I see…and what are your names, my good men…?" She said, the effort to make herself sound gentle and polite straining on her vocal chords.
"Ah, where're our manners, eh? I be jolly ol' George of MacBane," One of the men slurred, jabbing a pudgy finger at himself proudly before clapping the identical man beside him on the back. "An' this brute be Gregory of MacBane, m' twin brother." Again, the twins chuckled deeply at their own drunken jokes that seemed none too humorous to anyone else in the hall. Zelda cleared her throat.
"Well, it was wonderful to meet the both of you, but we must prepare for the ball. My father's vizier will show you to your rooms. Goodnight…gentlemen." The princess managed to grit out somewhat politely before the two drunken brothers staggered after the vizier down the corridor across the room. No sooner than they had disappeared around the corner did Zelda release a rather loud sigh before letting her head droop. "…How many suitors are there left…?" She moaned as her fingers began to massage her temples lightly. Link paused for a moment and counted down their allied lands that the King had sent invitations to.
"Well, the suitors from Terabithia and MacBane have already shown up, and the invitations to Medora, Shigatsu, and Grendaline were responded to saying that they couldn't make it due to complications, so this is it, fortunately." With every suitor that entered Hyrule's kingdom, Link knew that his precious Zelda would drift further and further away from his arms and into those of the foreign men. But he would not grow bitter over it; it would mean that Zelda could finally start the family that she had always wanted, be the mother that she had oft dreamt of being when she was younger, and could succeed her father when the time came and become Queen of Hyrule. She would be happy, in the long run, to be able to watch over her people as she could only observe her father doing until this point, and his own happiness took a back seat to hers, in his eyes.
"Thank the goddesses," she replied wearily as she nearly failed to suppress a yawn. Stealing a glance at the princess beside him, Link couldn't help but feel sorry for not being able to help Zelda through some of the stress of being a noble.
"Look at it this way- the ball will be in about six days, so this won't drag on for much longer," he said in an attempt to cheer Zelda up at least a little. She made a noise that might have been a soft laugh under her breath.
"At least you have a sense of lightheartedness throughout all of this. I'm glad that that's a constant around here," the princess replied quietly while wringing her hands nervously. Sensing her nervousness, Link acted on impulse and gently caught her in a comforting embrace. He wasn't entirely sure what prompted him to do such a thing, and he was well aware that it would have to end sometime soon, but…it just…it felt so damn wonderful…
He cringed when Zelda stiffened in his arms a moment, but his worries were quelled as she returned the embrace happily. "Thank you, Link. I guess I sort of needed this…" Zelda whispered, mentally shocking herself at the words that had just escaped her lips. When had she ever been known to be so sentimental around Link…? Even she could not recall the last time they had an embrace this affectionate; moments like this were oh too few in their opinion. "Listen, Link…" her voice, already soft and gentle, trailed off as she tightened her hold on his frame as she spoke. "I'm…I'm sorry for making you go through all of this with me. I know that it can get stressful greeting suitors all day, and I just wanted to apologize for their unruly behavior…all of them, they were brutes, even Denkomaru was disrespectful toward you, and you didn't deserve that. Not from them, and not from anyone else," as she spoke, she noticed Link had held her much closer and one of his hands had begun to stroke her long hair tenderly, though whether his actions were out of comfort to himself, understanding of her words, or affection, she wasn't quite sure.
"It's alright, Zelda; nothing anyone says is going to change who I am or how I act, and it's nothing for me to get bitter over or dwell on, but I thank you for saying that," the hero murmured somewhere near the crown of her head. Zelda quietly stepped out of his arms just as a warm smile began to spread across her face. With a quiet laugh under her breath, she found herself bringing a dainty hand up to hide the growing blush on her cheeks. Link scratched the back of his neck shyly.
"Oh!" Link raised an eyebrow at Zelda's sudden outburst. "I almost forgot; I noticed when we were walking down the stairs the other day, when Denkomaru first arrived, that you were kind of stumbling as you came down…" her voice trailed off when she saw his hardly visible flinch, as though he had just been whipped. "There's nothing wrong with that, Link. I was actually going to see if…well, if you wanted me to help you learn the proper way to walk down the stairs. You know, for the ball and everything," she knew that she was babbling nonsense at this point, and was rather grateful when Link nodded his thanks at her offer. With a smile and not another word, she took his hand and led him back up the stairs, stopping at the top of the staircase. "Okay, at the ball, we'll have to walk down the steps together, so we need to move at the same time. I'll have to hold your arm like this," she wrapped her own arms around his right one as she pressed her side to his. "Good, now when we walk down the stairs, we have to keep at a slow pace. Not at a crawl, but a much slower walk than normal. We'll practice this a few times until you get the hang of it," he could only nod and step in time with her down the stairs. It took a little while, but after about the second try, he was perfectly in sync with the princess at his side. "That was excellent, Link!" She said happily after a few more good runs on the practice. With a faint laugh, she gave him a warm hug in congrats. When she released him, he scratched the back of his neck shyly in an attempt to keep his mind off of the blush streaking his face.
"Well, it's getting kinda late, so I guess we should get to bed, huh?" He muttered stupidly, unable to manage any other words on his own, or rather, none of the words he would've liked to say at the moment.
"I suppose you're right. Come on, I'll show you where the other suitors are sleeping." Finding his hand and lacing his fingers with hers, she guided him down the same corridor that Gregory, George, and Denkomaru were led down earlier that day. She stopped at the first door on the right and peeked into the room to see if any of the other suitors were occupying the space. Finding no one, she opened the door half way. "Here we are," she said in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb the other suitors in the other rooms. "Goodnight, Link," Suddenly feeling bolder than usual, the princess reached up and softly kissed the hero's cheek before walking swiftly back toward her room. His eyes widened as he gingerly touched the cheek she had kissed, as if to relish the feel of the lips of such an angel touching his mortal body. He walked into his room, not really taking in the space around him, still in a daze from such a small show of affection. He turned, about to shut the door, but stopped as he smiled softly before whispering a quiet "Goodnight…Zelda," to no one in particular before clicking the door shut quietly.
In the days that followed, Link hardly saw much of Zelda, much to his dismay. She was either talking with the other suitors, or off with Impa to be fitted for the gown that she was to wear at the ball that was fast approaching. About five days after the suitors arrived at the castle, and a mere day away from the ball, Zelda was again whisked away by Impa to do some finishing touches on her dress, leaving Link with the three foreign men. Thankfully, Gregory and George were sober for the time being, so at least now the hero could see how they acted when their thoughts weren't clouded by alcohol.
"I tell you, George," Gregory said as the four men sat at a table in the dining hall of the castle. "Once Lady Zelda sees me in my finest robes at the ball tomorrow, there's no way that she'll be able to turn me down." He boasted as he thumped his chest proudly. His twin brother rolled his eyes at the remark before adding one of his own. "She'll have quite a hard time noticing you when she takes just one look at me, brother." George retorted, gesturing grandly to himself with a flabby arm, earning a snicker from Gregory. Denkomaru groaned as he rested his forehead in his hand before gingerly massaging his temples.
"I don't know which is worse- the fact that they're drunkards, or the fact that they're boastful drunkards the equivalence to a commoner- oh-" suddenly realizing that Link, whom was sitting across the table from him, was in fact a commoner himself, he started to correct himself. "I'm terribly sorry, I mean, I-" thankfully, Link raised a hand to save the prince from further babbling.
"It's alright. I understand what you mean. They are boorish men, I'll agree." Link commented softly so as not to be heard by their topic of conversation. Thankfully, the conceited brothers were far too interested in impressing themselves to worry about what either of the two men had to say. "It seems that it doesn't matter whether they are drunk or not; they still act like selfish wild beasts." Link noted to himself, shaking his head in disproval. Denkomaru rose his glass of water in a toast.
"I drink to that statement," the prince as he lifted the rim of the glass to his lips. He took a liberal amount of water from the cup, about to swallow the cool liquid when Zelda walked through one of the doors adjacent from the table the suitors sat at. The princess smiled warmly, a smile that was returned fully by every man seated before her, despite the fact that Denkomaru still hadn't swallowed the rather large mouthful of water that now made his cheeks bulge. Seeing his ridiculously blown up face, Zelda was thrown into a small fit of giggles as she took a seat across from Link, next to Denkomaru. Thankfully, Link discreetly motioned to the prince that he still hadn't swallowed his mouthful of water, to which he quickly took care of the dilemma. "So, princess, Link and I were just discussing the ball tomorrow evening, I believe, weren't we?" Lady Luck seemed to suddenly decide to be benevolent to Denkomaru, as Link easily picked up on the little white lie that was thrown down as a cover.
"Yes, I believe we were. You were about to tell me how you felt about the Hyrulian orchestra, am I correct?" Link was not one to lie, especially not to or in front of Zelda, but it was either that or risk disgracing Denkomaru to Zelda. Sure, it might have made her respect the prince less, and ultimately have her possibly turn down the only suitor that came even close to deserving her, but that was an all-time low that Link knew he could never sink to. He was not about to deny Zelda her chance at happiness just because he was selfish and wanted to be the suitor she chose willingly. After all, he had no land, no wealth, no royal blood to hold any chance against these princes, be they foreign or not. Such thoughts plagued the hero throughout the day as he thankfully got to spend it with Zelda, almost entirely to themselves through sunset.
"So, tell me, which suitor do you think would be best…well…suited for me?" Zelda asked casually as they walked through the gardens surrounding the castle just when the last traces of twilight were scattered on the horizon. Link felt his heart drop into his stomach. He had known full well that she would eventually ask someone that dreaded question, though, honestly, did it have to be him rather than someone like Impa that had more…experience in this field?
"Well, ah," 'me Zelda, I'm your best choice, or…I would be if I was a prince…or even just a knight, but alas…' "Denkomaru seems to be the most well rounded of the three princes that have shown up," 'Despite the fact that he has no respect for you, the way that he stares lustfully at you when you don't look. But I see it, Zelda.' "But that's not really saying much, if you look at Gregory and George and the way that they act even when they're sober. But it is ultimately your choice in the end, Zelda." Link choked on his words as he tried swallowing the lump in his throat that he swore was large enough to be his heart. For a full minute the princess at his side said nothing, merely regarding his facial expressions, and the emotions that danced frantically through his eyes. Now he vaguely wondered if she would find out that he loved her. It wouldn't be too difficult to do, especially not for such an incredible woman as she was.
"I see," she muttered just loud enough to shatter the unbearable silence between the two. "But you excluded yourself, Link. What about you?" The lump in his throat rose higher, high enough to block his voice from escaping. What about him? It wasn't as if he was a suitor; it wasn't as if he could lay claim to her heart in any way, so what about him?
"Zelda, you know full well that it doesn't matter what-"
"It does matter, Link. Don't you understand that? I want to know how you feel about this, too. You are, after all, my escort, so I must consult you on the matter of my marriage." She knew that she was withholding the real reason that she wanted to know his opinion on himself, but she needed to know if he harbored any affection for her beyond friendship. So, she then added in a much more stern voice, "and so I ask you again, Link of Hyrule, what about you?"
Link's thoughts were a jumble of shock, wonder, and frustration. Although he had a chance to prove to Zelda that he was worth her love, no matter how much he would say otherwise, it would only be a mere jumble of words that could not change his status to make anything between them possible, if there was anything there to begin with. So, with one final swallow to rid his throat of that troublesome lump, he stumbled desperately for a reason she should chose him. "Well…I-I can't just sit here and lie anymore, Zelda. I have seen the way that even Denkomaru looks at you, each one of those suitors' eyes filled to the brim with lust and desire for your body. It's not that I don't find you beautiful, but there are more qualities to you than your appearance," to say that Zelda was touched with his honesty was an understatement, but she merely nodded for him to continue. He obliged willingly, "They belittle you as a woman, I hear them talk amongst themselves, the way that they would make all the decisions in both Hyrule and their own home region and exclude you from it. I know how much you love Hyrule, and how much you care for its people, and I can't stand the thought of you not being a part of their welfare and I'm sure neither would anyone in Hyrule. Those men…those…beasts are merely looking for a trophy wife, a queen for nothing but display, and you deserve much more than that, and as for me, I…I am your best friend, Zelda. I know more about you, your life, who you really are than any of those brutes in the castle! If I were a suitor, if I were in the place of one of those men in there, I would have taken the opportunity to show you, Zelda, that I care very deeply for you…that I, a mere commoner, have fallen for my future queen…hopelessly," at this point, he had lost count of the words that flowed from his lips as they tumbled out of control. All of the frustration he had harbored within himself was finally being released, and although his chest felt lighter, it tightened at the thought that now that he had basically defaced every one of her suitors, Zelda's dreams were likely all but shattered, as was their friendship and the way that it once was, and he had just laid his heart before her in the open, something he had never done in any situation before in his life. "I'll…I'll just be leaving for bed now," he muttered in shame of his earlier words. "Goodnight, Zelda." She smiled warmly at him.
"Goodnight, and thank you for your opinion. It matters more to me than you could ever know, Link, and…I feel the same way." He gave her a soft, albeit bittersweet smile before he walked toward the castle, glad that his feelings did not go unrequited but all the same knowing he was a commoner, and by no means, a prince. He was nearly at his destination, when a sudden tug on his hand made him stop to see what it was. Before he could pull away, Zelda reached up and kissed his cheek once more. "I forgot to give you that," she giggled, a triumphant smirk making its way across her face. Link raised an amused eyebrow as he watched her face light up in silent victory. 'She wants to play that game, eh? Well, I can do that, too.' He deftly raised a hand to run his calloused, albeit smooth fingers over her cheek bone, loving how her skin crawled pleasantly underneath his touch. Without another word, he pulled his hand away and walked inside toward his room, leaving Zelda to stand and gape after him, a radiant streak of red practically glowing on her cheeks.
The following morning, Link was the first of the men to get up. Sure, he might not be one of Zelda's suitors, but he still needed to prepare for the ball tonight. After all, he didn't want to be the one in commoner's clothes when he was Zelda's escort, and in front of foreign royals, no less! He quietly crept out of his room, quickly turning to hush the creaking of the door's hinges as it shut slowly. Once he heard the soft 'click' that indicated that the door had been shut, he made haste down the hall and to the stairs, mindful of the noise his footfalls gave off. Finally, after a few close-calls with some of the guards, and a missed turn here and there, the hero was creeping back into his room with the bundle of clothes and the pair of boots tucked securely in his arms. Once his door shut behind him and he had discarded his armload of articles of clothing, Link did a silent dance of victory in his mind as he neatly arranged his clothes and separated them by article.
Everything was set out for tonight; his clothes lay neatly upon his bed, his black boots sat at the end of his bed on the floor, and he had managed to procure a wooden comb for fixing his unruly hair when the time came to prepare for tonight. Sure, he might not be one of the men in the running for Zelda's heart, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least look like it.
His sharp hearing picked up the sleepy shuffling of the other suitors, indicating that everyone else in the castle must be stirring by now. With a quick glance toward the window at the position of the sun, his suspicions were correct. With an ecstatic smirk, he dressed in his usual hero's attire and practically floated down the hall, earning him groggily quizzical glances from the suitors he passed. Ah well, at least he would get to show those dolts what a real gentlemen was like and give an example of how someone like Zelda deserved to be treated. He would make damn sure that he put those men to shame, despite his being a commoner. Though, in all honesty, the only reason he was so anxious was that he couldn't wait to see Zelda; no one was to see her until the ball tonight. 'As if it really were her wedding day,' Link thought wryly as he sat at the table with the other men, chewing a bit of bread thoughtfully as he did so. After breakfast, the suitors were allowed to stay in their rooms to prepare for the ball that was fast approaching as the other members of the royal families from every allied kingdom, including Hyrule, were arriving. Sure, most of them did not send a suitor for Zelda to choose from, but it was still in their hands to make sure that the choosing of the bachelor went smoothly and to aid in the final details of the engagement after the selection was done.
Link could feel the dread setting in.
The ball was fast approaching; in a few mere hours, he would lose any connections with Zelda forever, and she might not mind so much anymore with the things he had said the previous night…his actions…
…now HE was the boorish one.
His earlier ecstatic mood was gradually being quelled with every word that he had recalled falling from his lips last night, the very lips that had shown such affection to Zelda. Any inkling of cheerfulness had been washed away with the wave of the enormity of his words. His heart was in the deepest pit of his stomach. Not only was Zelda being stolen from him, but they were being torn apart even when they didn't want to be, when they just admitted their feelings…oh, the frustration! The hero shook his head. No, he wasn't going to think like this; he was going to face Zelda, and treat her like a friend should treat other friends. He would have to simply content himself with that while he still had that much to hold on to.
Straightening visibly, Link picked up his clothes and kicking off his worn old boots before he changed into the outfit Zelda had found for him and replacing his boots with the black ones that matched it. He walked over to the mirror adjacent to the bed and looked himself over, pleased once again with the turn-out of his look…except for his hair, for which he reached for the wooden comb he had earlier managed to obtain. A few strokes of the utensil and he was fully content with his reflection. His hair had (for reasons unknown to him) seemed to let him comb it the way he wanted it to look- a stark difference from his usual wrestle with his thick and messy locks.
The orchestra music began to filter down the hall pleasantly just as Link set his comb down. He cursed mentally; he was supposed to be meeting Zelda at the door of her room to escort her entrance into the ball. After he tossed the comb onto his bed hurriedly, he burst through the door and walked briskly toward his destination.
By the time he reached Zelda's room, the wonderful sounds of several woodwind and brass instruments blended perfectly with the ongoing music of the strings instruments down in the grand hallway. The melody rang soothingly in his ears as he raised his fist to knock on the door. After knocking three times, he waited patiently for Zelda to answer. However, he was not ready for the sight that welcomed his very male eyes once the door slid open.
If her usual looks weren't enough to convince Link that Zelda was a goddess in human form, this night's particular form was surely taking care of that right now. Her two shortest pieces of golden hair, the ones usually draping over her shoulders, were carefully twisted and pulled to the back of her head to come together with the help of a powder blue ribbon that trailed down the length of the rest of her long flowing locks, adorned with small specks of glitter. Her porcelain white cheeks were tinted a natural rosy pink shade from modesty, and her cherry lips curled into a soft, inviting smile. Small diamond pendant earrings dangled from silver studs in her ears, and for once, the tiara so commonly seen on her forehead was nonexistent, allowing her to be seen for more than just her status as princess of Hyrule. A simple silver chain with a soft blue star pendant hung from her neck to symbolize her delicate nature. Her gown was made of a deep royal blue fabric that seemed to shimmer with her every move (or perhaps it was all just in his mind, Link thought to himself,) with a collar that dipped into a 'v' shape just enough to show the slightest bit of cleavage and long slender sleeves that showed off her well shaped arms. The skirt accented her hips astonishingly well as it flowed slightly away from her body clear to the floor.
Saying that Link was stunned was like saying that Ganondorf was an evil man; it was far too general of an explanation to be understood completely and it does the emotion Link was feeling absolutely no justice. His heart had currently found that it had forgotten to produce a rhythmic heartbeat to keep our hero standing on two firm feet. Either that or it was the fact that his knees had suddenly deemed this an excellent time to disobey his mental begging to stop buckling. Somehow, just seeing her like that, his entire body's functioning system just seemed to skip and be so easily thrown out of control. How this woman affected him so was a mystery the hero wasn't so sure he would ever be able to solve.
"Link, we don't want to be late," he had to blink a few times before registering her soft voice through the dizzyingly light sensations he was beginning to feel from being this close to her. He straightened to his full height and nodded his head before silently offering her his arm. She took it with a smile on her face, a smile so contagious he didn't even realize he was returning it before it was too late.
Just as the two friends walked across to the top of the staircase that led into the grand hall, the music softened considerably so as to not divert attention from the lovely woman that Link was accompanying as she sauntered down the stairs, with him mirroring her movements almost perfectly, just as they had practiced. The eyes of everyone below them were trained on the princess and her escort as they made their descent, a soft roar of mutterings about her beauty and the man at her side were all jumbled into broken tidbits of sentences that no one was entirely sure they could finish beginning to ring throughout the space.
"Just look at the princess's dress-!"
"And just who is that man-"
"Is that boy a suitor-?"
"Lady Zelda looks astonishing on this-"
"Who is that dashing young man-?"
Link's head spun with so many jumbled voices ringing in his ears that he wasn't quite sure if he'd make it to the bottom of the stairs without his head hurting (and with a glance at Zelda, neither was she). But the goddesses must have blessed them that night, for they reached the marble floor without as much as a headache. The music started to crescendo just enough that the melodic sounds of the instruments bounced off of the marble walls of the hall soothingly, an indication to everyone to start ballroom dancing. Zelda turned her head upward toward Link, her smile never once faltering as she regarded him. In response, he grandly offered her his hand as he bowed.
"May I have this dance, Zelda?" With a lighthearted laugh, the princess took her escort's hand as he stood and pulled her to him. His hand remained entwined with hers at their shoulder length while his free arm wrapped around her waist. As they were swept into the flow of twirling skirts and sweeping couples across the hall, Zelda rested her head on Link's warm chest, not entirely sure that she could recall the last time she felt so happy and whole. Link's head dipped to rest atop hers as his arm unconsciously tightened just the slightest bit around her. The frenzy of the background scenery and those occupying it were suddenly lost to the two of them as they twirled around aimlessly and simply reveled in their closeness, but for how long, neither could really say. A sudden tap on Link's shoulder ended their wonderful dance as he turned to face Denkomaru.
"Would you allow me the honor to dance with the most beautiful woman in this entire hall, perhaps?" Ah, if only Denkomaru's chivalry was sincere, if only. As much as Zelda was against the thought of leaving Link's arms, she had no choice but to comply; after all, every suitor here was entitled to at least one dance with the available princess, no matter how pigheaded they were. So, with one last squeeze, the princess left Link's side and joined Denkomaru in a dance. The prince wasted no time in trying to close any distance between their bodies that he could, but it seemed that Zelda would have none of that, and kept at a three inch distance of him, to which Link couldn't help but feel some pride in knowing that she preferred his company over Denkomaru's. That dance didn't last long before either Gregory or George (they were both so alike in appearance, it was rather difficult to tell them apart) pulled her away from him and off to continue dancing in an unbelievably wild and thrashing sort of manner. The identical twin brother didn't wait too long after that to take his turn of a dance with Zelda much in the same manner as the first sibling had. Thankfully, Link had decided enough was enough and made up the excuse that Zelda was starting to feel dizzy (which wasn't entirely made up, given her last two dances) and led her away from both of the twins, to which she sincerely thanked him for between gasps of air.
"Oh goddesses, Link…" the dazed princess rested her head comfortably in the crook of his neck as her arms enveloped his broad shoulders, "I really do hope that they don't ask me for another dance…either one of them." Link wrapped an arm around her waist to offer a bit of comfort.
"Don't worry, Zelda; they'll have to get past me in order to dance with you. I am, after all, your escort," his smirk was merit enough for her to start laughing.
"I suppose you're right-" she stopped short, as did the orchestra. Zelda turned away from Link, who in turn retracted his arm from her waist as they both scanned the area for the cause of the sudden silence. The mass of flowing gowns and merrymaking halted immediately as the King of Hyrule stood from his seat before the entire hall. Kings and nobles from all of the other neighboring lands sat at his left and right, gazing at him expectantly. After a few moments of regarding the crowd, the king cleared his throat,
"I thank you all for joining us this evening, for on this joyous day we have gathered here for the coming of age of the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda Harkanian. My daughter, will you please step forth?" The crowd before the princess parted almost instantaneously to make a pathway for her. Link gave her a sad smile before stepping back with the rest of the crowd. Zelda smiled briefly before turning to the other royals before her with a solemn expression. As she walked toward them, her footfalls echoed with confidence and determination, so much so that her father could not help but to smile proudly at his daughter for a moment. As Zelda continued down to her destination, the crowd filled in the makeshift divide behind her until she stood alone before the line of nobles. "And now, I shall call upon the suitors one at a time to come forth," the king paused to clear his throat once again before continuing, "Denkomaru of Terabithia," the dashing young prince stepped forth from the audience a few feet behind Zelda. "Gregory of MacBane," Once of the fat princes squeezed through the faceless crowd members to join Denkomaru at his side. "And George of MacBane," the symmetrical sibling joined the other two princes. "And without further ado, Zelda, please tell us whom you have chosen among these fine men as your husband." The princess regarded her father a moment quietly before she centered her nerves and hardened her determination.
"You've forgotten one, father," Zelda's bold voice spoke out to shatter the silence. One of the royals from Terabithia stood and voiced his confusion, "but surely these are all of the suitors that have shown up, are they not…?" Zelda allowed herself a small smirk before sobering enough to call forth the forgotten suitor,
"You forgot to call forth Link of Hyrule."
After about two and a half seconds, the reality of what she just said clicked in his mind, and he stumbled shyly through the muttering crowd and joined the other three men in front of the crowd. He mentally thanked Zelda for finding an outfit that at least made him look like a royal. Unfortunately, none of the kings and nobles before him were fooled, "pardon, Princess Zelda, but he is not of noble stature, is he…?"
"No, he is not."
"Then does that not disqualify him from being a suitor…?" The same noble pressed. However, Zelda always did have a knack for working well under pressure.
"He is my escort," she replied evenly, almost guardedly.
"I still do not see how this makes him worthy." Zelda visibly stiffened at the man's words, mentally thinking that if Link, one man, could save everyone from the perils of evil, then he should be worthy of the highest royal stature of any land he so chose. But that was not what made him a suitor, unfortunately.
"Under the Code of Hyrulian Law, Article thirty-three, sub-section four, all escorts and/or protectors of any man or woman of royal stature is granted with a title, but no power, the equivalent of the person or people that he/she is assigned to until they are dismissed. Link falls under both of these categories. Therefore, he is, until I dismiss him, a Prince of Hyrule," the noble whipped his head at the king of Hyrule, expecting him to interject or correct this statement- surely there was not such a law in this land-! When he made no such movement, the noble reluctantly sat back down, not wanting to interfere with any regulations in an area not under his rule. The king could not help but beam at his daughter, despite his usually stoic nature when near others.
"Now that all of the suitors are present, it is time to choose one, Zelda," her father re-informed her gently. With a smile and a slight nod, the Princess of Hyrule turned to face the four suitors. She let her eyes wander across each man, their soft blue hue shimmering in the light of the chandelier above the hall before she suddenly spoke,
"Before I choose the man I am to wed, I must thank you all for crossing paths with me; I find myself blessed to have gotten the chance to meet every one of you, you all have found a fond place in my heart. Though I am not choosing three of you, I do wish to still be able to maintain good terms among us, and that our destinies remain connected in at least some small way." All four men nodded their heads eagerly with small smiles. The chokehold of pain that had clenched Link's heart tightened in his chest, and he had to fight off the urge to lower his head, but he could not help that his eyes found themselves downcast to the floor before him as Zelda continued, "there is, however, only one man among you that I have found to be the most captivating, charming, and protective gentleman, the one I would be honored to rule alongside in the future, to be able to share a bond with," and with those final words, she made her way over to her chosen suitor, watching him with deep, love-filled eyes. "And that man…would be you, O Link of Hyrule."
His eyes snapped up to her, wide and in awe. Out of the other men that she could have chosen, among the princes and the nobles, she chose the pauper of them. No, he corrected himself mentally; she had chosen her best friend. Her arms found their way around his shoulders and waist as she pressed herself close to him. "I had oft times tried to push away my feelings for you, Link, for the sake of Hyrule…but I couldn't control them, and before I could stop myself, I had fallen for my protector…deeply," ah, and how familiar those choice words had sounded, Zelda thought happily as she remembered his own confession just the night before. Link's muscles, tense from the shock, softened under her touch, as did his eyes.
"Zelda…" he returned her embrace wholly as he nuzzled his cheek against the side of her head. The king suddenly clapped his hands once and called in his booming voice, "I believe that my daughter has chosen!"
Had the new couple not been entirely lost in each other, they might have noticed the music beginning again, and everyone else staring to sweep across the dance floor as they danced merrily, picking up where they left off before they were interrupted. But the rest of the background life was lost to the two lovers as Link pressed his forehead comfortably against Zelda's. He rubbed his nose affectionately with hers with a smile so wide that its radiance rivaled that of the lighting in the entire castle, a smile that was happily returned by the princess in his arms. As they looked into each other's eyes, they each made a silent promise- to never leave their love's side, to always protect them and cherish them even after death. Though with a light laugh from both teens as they let the current of dancing couples sweep them away, they realized that they had been fulfilling that promise their entire lives.
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Again, please forgive me for the long wait! This ending was so hard to get down exactly the way that I wanted it! Gyaaa!
…Well, in any case, please review and tell me what you thought about it. I look forward to doing more Legend of Zelda work once I've finished other stories of mine in other areas of FanFiction. See you around!