I know you all have been waiting on pins and needles for the next chapter.

Link was trembling so badly by the time he reached the spacious study that he could barely walk. Ralph immediately offered him a chair.

He had thought it would help. He had thought if he could just see her he would feel better, but the sight of Zelda sitting in a heap was almost more than he could bear. If he'd been able to go to her, he might have been all right, but as it was, he felt as helpless as she must feel all the time.

Tears gathered in his eyes. He might have cried earlier in the day, but he'd been too chocked. Now he wanted to sob like a child, much the way he'd done when Zelda wrote and said she'd found someone new. At last he looked up to see his hosts watching him. Had only a few moments passed? They looked kind, and he felt free to speak.

"My mother commented to me several time and Blossom had stopped writing her. It was the same for Ruto's correspondence with Aryll. I never once suspected that Zelda's letter might not be true."

"She wrote to you?" Malon asked. "You knew?"
"No, I don't think she did write. She must have had someone else."

"But you did know about the blindness?" Ralph asked.

Link shook his head. He knew hew as making very little sense. "A letter came to me saying she'd met someone else and that she never wanted to hear from me or see me again."

Ralph and Malon both nodded. It was sad that Zelda hadn't told him the truth, but neither one of them was surprised. Malon thought about how closely Sari's handwriting resembled Zelda's it was not hard to figure out."

"How did it happen?"

"She fell from a ladder in the back room of the store. She landed flat on her back. The doctor said it was the blow to the back of the head that did the damage."

"And she'll never see again?"

"Never," Ralph told him quietly. They both watched as Link was overcome. He put his face in his hands and cried.

"Is she in pain now?" Link managed, tears still streaming down his face.

"No," Ralph assured him. "They said she might have headaches beyond the first few weeks, and that would have been a good sign because it might mean that things were only damaged and not ruptured, but her lack of pain means that it's permanent."

Link nodded. He was feeling more in control now, and a thousand questions raced through his mind. Before he could utter one of them, however, Ralph had some of his own.

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Link, but may I ask what brings you to Hyrule?"

Link used his handkerchief and took a deep breath. "I've been hired to teach here at the school."

Ralph nodded. "Congratulations. I know it's what you've wanted for a long time."

"Yes." Link agreed with him but did not sound overjoyed.

"You're here rather early for school, Link. Is there a reason for that?"

"I just wanted to get settled in." He sounded almost apologetic.

"So you're not actually working until this fall?"

"That's correct."

Ralph shot a glance at his wife, but she was looking at Link. He knew he was taking a chance and prayed that she would not be upset.

"Zelda didn't retire until right before you came, Link so Malon and I haven't even had a chance to talk about this, but I wonder if I could hire you for the summer and even into the school year."

Both other occupants of the room stared at him, and Ralph tried to tell Malon with his eyes to trust him.

"Hire me to do what?"

"Teach Zelda."

Malon came to her feet, and Ralph stood as well.

"It's all right, Malon," he said gently.

"No, it's not, Ralph," Malon told him, completely forgetting Link's presence. "We can't do this to her. She was in love with him, and she won't be able to stand it. She'll be humiliated, having him here but not having his love anymore."

Link interrupted with a statement that completely snagged Malon's attention. She stared at him in wonder, but saw the truth in his eyes.

She had to ask him, "What do you intend to do about it?"

"For starters," he replied, "I'll take up Ralph's offer to teach your sister."

He turned back to Ralph.

"When do you want me to start?"

"As soon as you can come."

Link's eyes searched the room but didn't really focus. "They didn't reach you this in school," he nearly murmured to himself. "I mean, they assume all your students will have vision, but I think I can work this out. Can you give me a week?"

"Yes. In fact, just do what you can and get back to me. I see now that I shouldn't have surprised Malon. In a week, you'll know if you can do it, and Malon and I will either be in one accord on this or we'll forget the whole thing."

"All right."

"I hope you know that it's not you, Link," Malon said, finding her voice.

"I know, Malon," he replied kindly.

"She's just been though so much and I know how upset she'll be if Ralph suggests this."

"It won't be any part for me either," he said quietly.

Malon had to admit that she hadn't thought of his feelings.

"We'll app pray about this," Ralph said, "and see if we can come to an agreement."

"What if Zelda says no," Link wanted to know.

Ralph shook his head. "If Malon and I decide this is the best for her, she won't be given a choice."

Link stared at him. "The Zelda I know wouldn't put up with that."

Ralph shook his head a bit sadly. "She's not the same girl, Link- that might be the first thing you should know. And I'm not promising this will be easy. More than likely she'll fight you every step of the way."

"But you would want me to maintain control, just like in a classroom."

"Yes."

"No." Husband and wife said the words in unison and then looked at each other.

"If he isn't firm enough with her, Malon, she'll never respond."

"I can't see her crushed, Ralph. No matter what, I can't see her crushed." Tears had come to her eyes, and Ralph reached for her hand. H knew it upset her to have Link see them.

"I wouldn't do that, Malon," Link said without heat. "I'm not that kind of teacher. I mean, there's going to be an adjustment time, that's given, but I have no plans to humiliate any of my students, and that includes Zelda. However, I know very well what she's capable of and how intelligent she is, so my standard will be high."

Malon suddenly felt more tired than she'd ever been in her life, and it must have shown on her face because Lin made a move to leave. He bade Malon goodbye, and Ralph saw him to the door. Ralph returned to put the lights out in the study and found Malon sitting trancelike in a chair. He assumed she'd have gone up the back stairway to their room. She looked utterly drained.

"Malon, if it's going to upset you this much, we'll drop the whole idea."

"I'm just so tired." She began to cry. "I can't even thin straight right now."

Ralph lifted her to her feet and then into his arms. He forgot about the lights and simply carried her up the stairs. Malon cried the whole time he was getting her ready for bed and even after her head lay on the pillow.

"Just go to sleep."

"But you'll be gone in the morning, and I won't be able to talk to you."
"I'll make some time," he promised her, really worried at how this had upset her. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you first," he told her, but she was already gone. Her breathing was a bit shuddery, but she was asleep. He told himself he would make things right in the morning.

But in the morning, Malon was of an entirely different mind. She woke up early and prayed for almost an hour. She then woke Ralph and told him her heart.

"I think Link should come."

"What changed your mind?"

"I wasn't really against it, Ralph. I just couldn't put any more thought to it last night."

"But what of your fears? They might have some validity."

"No, they don't; I know that now. Link would not hurt her, and if he wasn't firm with her, she'd have him waiting on her hand and foot. We've been asking God for weeks to show us a new direction, and I can't help but believe this is His answer." Malon lay in the crook of her husband's harm. "When should I tell her?"

"I'll tell her," Ralph said. "You can be there if you like. I'll probably wait until early next week, after I've talked to Link."

"All right. Is there some reason?" Malon rose to look into his face.

"To wait?"

"Yes."

"Only to make sure that Link understands what she's going to be like, and to make sure he still wants the job."

"Maybe she'll surprise us," Malon offered, but Ralph looked skeptical. His face made Malon doubt as well, and unfortunately, Ralph was correct.

(&)

"I know I missed a year," Zelda argued for the fifth time, "but it can't be all that important. What does it matter now if I know my '12 times' table or the capital of Outcast Island?" There was a bitter tone to her voice that Ralph chose to ignore.

"You need to gain more interest in the things around you, Zelda," he repeated. "This is one way to do it. I've even found you a teacher."

This gained Zelda's immediate attention. She sat very still, and a felling of dread flow over her. She was not going to be able to talk her way out of this if he had already talked to a teacher.

"Who is it?" she asked in a resigned voice.

Ralph glanced quickly at Malon before saying, "Link Taggart."

Zelda rose from the settee as though on strings, the color draining from her face.

"You're lying. Link is in Labrynna."

"He had been hired to teach school here in Hyrule, and I just spoke with him yesterday. He's willing to come every day and tutor you until school begins. After September he'll probably come evenings and weekends."

"No." Zelda said and the word softly and then with more strength. "No, I won't do it! You've had your way about everything. Well, you can forget this, Ralph Langley. I won't be taught by Link Taggart, and that's the end of it!"

Ralph had known she was going to be upset, but he hadn't been prepared for this furious, red-in-the-face reaction. She was not just beside herself; she was hysterical with panic.

"I want to go home," she now began. "I want to go to Kakariko Village. Malon," she screamed. "Malon, don't let him do this to me."

Ralph was on her in a moment, putting his arms gently around her and talking in a calm voice, but Zelda would have none of it. She cried and pushed against him, even lashing out with her feet and screaming Malon's name again and again.

Ralph forced her back onto the settee, and when he had practically pinned her to the seat, his words got through.

"It's all right, Zelda; it's all right. I know it's a shook, but it's going to be all right."

"Please don't make me, Ralph," she whimpered when she could barely move an inch. Ralph had to wall up his heart to make it. He knew this was best, but it was breaking his heart to see her so upset.

"It's going to be all right," he said with a catch in his voice. "You'll find out that he's still the same Link, and his coming will give you something to look forward to. I know he's going to be a very good teacher."

Zelda turned her face into his coat front and sobbed. "I can't stand the pity. I know he's just coming because he feels sorry for me. I can't stand it. I wrote and told him I was in love with someone else. Please don't' make me face Link."
"Shhh," he comforted. Looking over at his sobbing wife, he wished he could hold him both. He didn't regret this action for a moment, but he did hate to see his wife and sister-in-law in pain.

"Zelda." Malon surprised Ralph by speaking up. "I hate to see you this upset. Please don't cry."

The younger girl took a few great gulping breaths and worked hard to control herself.

"I just can't face him," she said so softly that they almost missed it. "He's going to know I lied, and after all we've been to each other, I just don't..." The words trailed off, but she no longer cried. He unseeing eyes started sightlessly ahead of her as if she hadn't a friend in the world.

Ralph broke the silence.

"I think you will find that Link is every inch a professional. Whatever there was in the past is just that, the past."

He let this sink in for a time.
"I'm not saying it's going to be easy, Zelda," Ralph continued in a very gently tone, "but then you've had to learn in the last ten months that your life will never be easy again. Now, you can decide how you want it. You can work with Link or fight him, but he will be here."

If Zelda had felt hopeless before, she now felt beyond despair. However, she did not feel helpless. For the first time since the accident, she told herself she was not going to ask for assistance or do anything that might make it look like she needed help. Link Taggart was not gong to come and find some pitiful, waning creature in need of special care. She would do all he asked for her and more. She would work so hard that he wouldn't even need to stay the whole year.

Exactly how she was gong to accomplish this she didn't know, but her mind was made up. She had told Link that she'd found someone new. It wasn't true, but it might as well have been: She was never going to let him know the she was still in love with him.

To be taught by someone that she loves, for most people that would make them happy for Zelda not so much. But the question is now how will Link do it?