The next day Link went back to Castletown after he finished his chores at the ranch and immediately steered himself towards Telma's bar. He was something of a regular patron to that place, and he could often be found enjoying a pint of ale after a hard day's work. Today he sat himself at the counter, unable to contain his excitement at having bested the princess the day before, and yet Link was annoyed that he could not boast of it, knowing how quickly secrets could spread. Link was not normally a boastful person, but he saw no harm in allowing himself this little bit of indulgence.

The bar was filled with people at this hour, and he wondered how many of them were talking of the princess's defeat. There was some Hylians soliders seated at the table as well, and they appeared to be staring at him.

I'll bet Zelda's desperately wondering who it was who beat her. Well she's not going to find out.

"Well you're looking rather cheerful today, Link," said Telma, instantly knowing what it was he wanted to drink and pouring it for him.

"I'm...I'm just in a good mood, that's all."

Telma gave him a strange look, as if she were suspicious of something. "I take it you heard what happened yesterday?"

"Oh? What?" he said, trying to sound as if he knew nothing.

"Someone beat the princess in of those silly little fights she was having. I wouldn't have expected that, given that most of the people she fought were soldiers and we both know what cowardly wretches they are!"

"Hey!" cried on the soldiers. "I resent that remark!"

"Yeah! We're just as brave as any warrior!"

Telma crossed her arms. "Oh be quiet! You'd both probably soil yourselves at the sight of a skulltula!"

"Hmph! I could have beaten Zelda any day. I just didn't want to humiliate her by beating her so badly, that's all!"

"Yes!" said the other man. "I could have beaten two of her! With one arm behind my back. And only fighting with a rusty carving knife!"

They ignored the soldier's boastings and continued to talk between themselves. "So who beat the princess?" Link asked, still feigning ignorance.

"I don't know, the silly sot ran off before she could find out! I don't know why he even fought her if he wasn't going to stay and marry her."

Link laughed and took a sip of his drink. "So I guess the princess is going to have find another man to marry, won't she?"

"Oh, you don't know the princess! Once she sets her mind to something it's impossible to dissuade her!" she said with a chuckle, before her expression turned utterly serious. "I heard that Princess Zelda knew all along who fought her, and she's got men about looking for him right now."

Link twitched, and a knot formed in his stomach. "W...what?"

"Some men were here the other night looking for him. They told me...that he's a young man...a very handsome one at that according the princess...with blue eyes and light brown hair." Telma then leaned in close, staring at him with a knowing glance. "They also said he's usually clad in a green tunic. You wouldn't have happened to... see...anyone like that, would you, Link?"

"Er...no! Of course not!"

He slammed his drink down on the counter and stood up, hastily stumbling towards the exit, muttering curses all the way. His mind racing, he mounted Epona and sped away, a million thoughts running through his head.

How did she find out? How?

Gods, what have I done? They'll be men after me now!

What...what I am going to do?

Link glanced back as Castletown disappeared behind him, expecting to see men coming after him. Still cursing to himself, he rode back to Ordon, his mirth and pride utterly destroyed.

What have I got myself into? His mind went over all the horrible things that might happen to him now. The princess's men would come for him and drag him off, and then what would happen? Would they throw him in the dungeon? Make him marry the princess? It was all he could think about as he walked into his house, and then there was a yet more terrifying realization.

Zelda knows where I live. There could be men on their way here right now!

He paced back and forth, desperately trying to figure a way out of this. Why did I have to fight her? How stupid could I have been? Of course Zelda would know I was the only one who could beat her!
"You stupid, stupid person," he muttered to himself.

You could have just ignored it, but no, you had to go fight her like an idiot!

With even his home no longer safe, Link came up with a few ideas. He could flee into the woods, but he wouldn't be able to stay there long without any food or shelter. There was Kakariko Village, but no doubt word had spread there of him, too.

A knocking on the door jarred him from his thoughts. Thinking for a second that it was one of the princess' men, he opened it slowly until he saw that it was Ilia.

"I'm here to drop off the pie I baked this morning. Doesn't it look lovely?"

She handed them pie, and he remembered what she had wanted the flour for the other day, but he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice much.

"Oh, yes...yes it is."

He set the pie on the table, and it was clear that Ilia suspected something was amiss. "Is something wrong, Link? You look like you just saw a ghost or something!"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong."

But Link knew her better than to think she would leave it at that. "Of course there isn't," she said sarcastically. "Please tell me."

He sighed, knowing that there was no keeping it from her. "Ilia, can you...keep a secret?"

She frowned. "I suppose. Look, just tell me what it is!"

"Ilia, I...I'm afraid I've gone and done something rather foolish. Very foolish."

Her face turned to a scowl, and she put her hands to her hips in the way she did whenever she was angry. "What, Link?"

Turning away from her, Link's mind raced as he tried to think of what way he could explain things that would upset her the least. "Ilia, I...well...you see...I've gotten myself...engaged...to a woman, not by my choice, of course! And...uh...she's got people out looking for me."

For a second she just stared, until her face began morphing through a multitude of expressions. "What? Engaged? To who?"

Link grimaced. "Does it matter?"

"Yes Link it bloody well does!" Her face turned red and her fists were clenched. "Who did you get engaged to?"

But he only hesitated, knowing how ridiculous his answer was. "The Princess of Hyrule."

"What?"

"I said I got engaged to the Princess of Hyrule! But unwittingly!" That was more lie than truth, for he knew full well that she was challenging potential suitors.

Ilia said nothing for a second, but Link could tell that her anger was seething. "Link...why...how..."

"Listen, Ilia, I can explain everything..."

"You can explain how you got engaged to the princess? I mean, how did you-" Just then she noticed that Link's sword was sitting on his table and she immediately pieced the events together.

"You fought her, didn't you? You went and fought the princess! Link, h...how could you do such a thing!" Ilia began pacing back and forth, fuming, and it was clear that she more furious than Link had ever seen her. "Do you have...any...idea what you just did? They'll drag you off the castle and...oh gods...Link! What were you thinking?"

"I...I guess I wasn't."

"Oh, I knew when that man came around talking about the princess and those fights you'd go running off and do something stupid! But this...this..."

"Ilia, I'm sorry, I...I just couldn't stand hearing about how she was a better fighter than I!"

"Fighter? Link, you...you herd goats! Damn Rusl for getting all those stupid ideas in your head! Now what are we going to do, Link?"

"Look, I'll just stay here until all this blows over! You don't have to panic."

"Link, you've just been betrothed the Princess of Hyrule! This isn't some serving wench at your little bar, this...this is the ruler of the kingdom! And now you're going to be married to her?"

"I'm not going to do that!" he snapped. "Everything will be fine, don't worry! If the princess can't find me she'll just give up and find someone else."

She gave a sigh of both anger and dismay. "Gods, Link, this is just like you..."

"Ilia, please, don't tell anyone about this!"

Walking towards the door, she said, "I won't, but of all the foolish things you could have done this was the worst!"

Ilia left with that, leaving him alone once more.

Link tossed and turned in bed that night, convinced that the princess's men would barge in in the middle of the night and take him away. His only thought now was just how foolish and stupid he had been, and he did nothing but reproach himself for his pride.

You could have just ignored all that boasting, and let someone who truly deserves to be Zelda's husband fight her. You could have just let it lie. But you went and fought her, for what? Damn you and your foolish pride!

And yet there was the nagging question of why the princess was even pursuing him. She knew it was he that had fought her, so why would she ever want to find him? Clearly Zelda would have no desire to marry a man like him; in his mind a princess only married someone of high status and birth, and certainly not some goat herder like him.

It was all too much to bear, and after almost two hours of worry and anxiety Link finally fell asleep, forgetting his horrible situation for one merciful night.