"Link? Link! Please, please wake up!" I cried. I shook his him lightly, but he did not open his eyes, "Link! Don't do this to me; I'm not joking, wake up! You promised nothing would happen!" Tears fell from my eyes onto his immobile face, and I shook him harder, "Link, please!"
I did not even notice that the Twili were gathering around me, as I continued to plead for Link to wake up, hoping against all odds that he wasn't dead. A woman walked over to me, and crouched down. I did not look up, as she began to read in an ancient tongue, running her fingers from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. She did this several times, and her fingers began to glow with a brilliant light, encasing his body. I finally looked up and saw my caretaker, her eyes closed in concentration as she continued to read, the light getting stronger with each word she read. I felt a rush of affection for her, as I watched her heal him. I only hoped it wasn't too late. I looked back down at Link's face. His cuts seemed to be stitching themselves up, leaving clear skin behind, and his limbs began to reassemble themselves, the blood receding back into his body. My heart pounded with anxiety, as I prayed for his well-being.
My caretaker suddenly stopped reading, but the light surrounding his body did not recede. I realized with a jolt, that his body was warm again, and his breathing had returned; shallow, but he was breathing! I laughed with joy, and I planted a kiss on his forehead. His eyes were still closed. I turned to my caretaker, and I saw her eyeing me.
"Thank you," I said, "how can I ever repay you?" I felt that I owed her anything her heart desired for saving Link.
She did not respond at first, as she looked down at Link and back up at me again. Then finally, she said, "This is the one then, is it? The man who has claimed your heart? The Light-dweller?"
I looked back down at Link's peaceful face, his breathing getting stronger with each breath he took; I felt overjoyed as I responded, "Yes, this is him..."
She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled, "Child, I know what you can do to repay me. I only want to see you happy, and our world is in need of a new king and queen..." She gestured towards Link.
I blushed and looked away, "what makes you think he would want to commit himself to me?" I muttered. What was so special about me? Surely he wouldn't agree to it.
She smiled, "I can see even now what kind of bond you two have; it is unbreakable, your love runs deep, and I am most positive that you two will share a life together,"
I didn't respond, as I brushed a stray strand of hair off of his face. Was that the truth? I wondered.
Suddenly, his eyes began to flicker, and slowly he opened them. I laughed softly, as he opened them, so relieved that he was alive. I ran my hand through his hair, "you're alive," I whispered.
He chuckled, and held my hand, "I promised nothing would happen, didn't I?" He said.
I laughed, "You're much better at keeping promises than I am..."
He smiled, and he struggled for a moment to get up. I helped him to his feet, and we looked into each other's eyes, having eyes for nobody else in the crowd as they made their way closer. They were silent, as they observed the scene in front of them. They were all shocked that there was a Light-dweller in their realm, and many were wondering, I presumed, what had happened to Holimath.
Suddenly, a stout Twili man ran up to us, I looked, and with a twinge of fury, realized it was the Chancellor. He was panting angrily, as he looked from me to Link. I detached myself from Link, folded my arms, and glowered.
He seemed to be trying with difficulty to register everything that happened, and finally, he demanded, "Where is Holimath? Where is our king?"
"Dead," I replied promptly.
"DEAD?" He screeched. He looked from us, to the guards, and then suddenly shouted, "KILL THEM! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? HERE IS THE PRINCESS WHO COMMITTED TREACHERY, KILL HER AND THAT LIGHT-DWELLER!" The guards did not move. I brought myself closer to him, and he looked up; I could see a trace of fear behind his eyes.
My voice echoed impressively, as I said, "Chancellor Dwight, you have tried to have me killed, all for the crime of not marrying, and for the supposed crime of falling for a man of the Light. You tried to get me married to your son, Holimath," at this, many Twili cried out in shock, and began to mutter amongst themselves mutinously, "and this is by far, worse than the 'crime' I committed. The punishment is death, for you allowed our people to suffer under Holimath's new rule, and he was your son. No family member of the royal guard is allowed to assume a position of power, and this has been our laws ever since we were banished to this realm. You shall be hanged for your treachery to our people, and for the way our people were treated by your family. Guards, take him away, and make sure he does not escape!" I ordered, snapping my fingers.
The guards closed in, and he cried out, "mercy! Please, don't do this to me, I have been loyal my entire life to the royal family! You cannot do this!" He tried to fight off the guards, crying in desperation.
"Silence," I thundered, "You will be hanged in front of the entire court of law tonight, you have committed a crime against us and for this it is sure death."
"NO!" He cried, as the guards restrained him, dragging him off towards the dungeons where he would be executed. He fought the entire way, but later gave up, and his sobs echoed throughout the area. Many Twili broke into applause and began cheering to have finally been rid of him and his tyrant son.
I held up my hands, and many stopped celebrating, looking at me in awe and admiration. "My people," I said, "none of this would have been possible had it not been for the Hero of Light," I gestured towards Link, and many of their eyes shifted from mine to his. He grinned sheepishly and looked down. Many Twili were nodding in approval, and some began to clap. I held up my hands again, "as you all know, I was sentenced to death by the Chancellor for falling in love with a man of the Light Realm..." I walked towards him and rested my hand upon his chest, "this is him, Link. I want to inform you all that this was the very same man who saved us from peril so long ago from Zant, who freed us from his evil deeds, who granted us freedom again!" Many broke into applause again, Link still refused to look up, blushing slightly as he surveyed his boots. "Link has saved us again, but this time, it was from Holimath, not Zant. It is he who has provided you all with safety once again, he is the sacred beast so often spoken about in our scriptures." The Twili gasped in unity, and appreciative whispers broke out through the crowd.
I sighed, "Yes, this is him... I also want to bring up another issue," I faced the throng of people, all of them looking at me expectantly. "I know that I was required to marry Holimath, that I am required to marry a man of this realm, in order to become queen... My heart yearns for Link, but I know it can never be."
At this, Link froze, and looked at me. I could not bring myself to look back, for I was experiencing the same heartbreak six months ago all over again. I began crying again, cursing my feelings for making me experience this. "Link will return to the Light, and I will assume my throne again, and-"
"Actually," Link suddenly piped up. I spun around and looked at him, as did many Twili. He was not looking at them, however, but at me. "I have something to say,"
What could he possibly say? I wondered. "Link, what are you doing?" I hissed.
He ignored this, still not taking his eyes off my face. "Midna, I'm not leaving you, you must be crazy to think that I would leave this realm and you behind. I lost you once, and I don't plan on losing you again."
He knelt suddenly, and held my hand in his. My heart raced, it couldn't be-!
The crowd was silent as they watched him. A faint blush was creeping up on my face, but Link remained serious, as he said, "Midna, my days without you were cold and bleak. I spent many sleepless nights without you, and I can't go through it again..." He let the words sink in before continuing, " Midna, will you please marry me?"
The crows began to cheer again, and stamp their feet. I took it that my people were happy with this arrangement. Grinning widely, I said, "Yes!"
His face broke into a brilliant smile, as he got up and kissed me. He twirled me around; my heart would surely explode from happiness! The Twili continued to cheer in celebration. We broke away from each other and faced the crowd. They did not cease the noise, as I called "the new king of Twilight, Link!" I raised our hands in the air, and they celebrated even louder.
"The first order from me is that taxes will be reduced, homes will be repaired, food will be put back onto your tables, and compensation will be offered!" Many began to cry tears of joy, and began to hug one another; the nightmare was over!
The women ran up to me, and began to usher me towards the castle, the men Link. "A wedding!" They cried happily, "a wedding in the courtyards today!" I felt as if I were walking on clouds, as we made our way towards the castle, and Link and the men headed in the opposite direction.
They pulled me through the halls and up towards the throne room, all gossiping and laughing as they discussed the events that would happen in mere hours.
"Oh he's gorgeous, you're so lucky Midna!" One said sighing.
"A new king!" Another said.
"We'll make you gorgeous, princess!" A woman assured me.
I was smiling the entire way, as they ushered me into my bed chamber and sat me down, all crooning over me. It was crazy, that just a week ago I was dreading getting married, that I was miserable beyond belief! And now, I could not wait to be joined in matrimony with the love of my life! I was incredibly eager, and I was counting down to the wedding. I could not stop myself from smiling, as they applied make-up, and combed my hair. A knock sounded on the door, and my caretaker entered, a smile playing around her lips as she surveyed me.
"My, what a difference it is to see you smiling at the thought of your wedding!" She said looking at me. She made her way over to me and grinned at her in the mirror.
"Oh I can't wait!" I squeaked. The maidens laughed at the sound of my voice. My caretaker ran her fingers through my hair.
"I just peeked in on him, and I must say you know how to pick them, my dear! He looks especially dashing in our traditional clothing!" She exclaimed.
I laughed, and I began to experience butterflies. I could not wait to see him, could not wait to be married! Suddenly, I saw in my mirror the same wedding gown that I had stuffed under my bed some time ago being carried into my room by the maidens. It looked dazzling, all smudges of dirt were removed and the creases were gone. Crazy, I thought, for I had despised this very same gown when I was going to marry Holimath! Now I couldn't wait to get fitted into it.
They slipped it onto me, and I examined my reflection in the mirror. I was glowing. They handed me my bouquet, and they began to clap in glee.
"It is time!" My caretaker declared.
I grinned, happiness emanating from me as the maidens began to usher me towards the door. We made our way through the castle, and I stood in front of the door, waiting for the signal to come out. The women exited before me, assuming the position as my bridesmaids, dropping petals from where I stood onto the floor. The door opened and closed as each one of them made their way out. I could not spot Link from here, and this made me all the more nervous. I was jittery from excitement, as I waited for my turn to walk down the aisle. The music floated up to where I stood a much happier note than what was played when I was going to wed Holimath.
Finally, it was my turn, as I heard the violins begin to play in harmony. My legs felt as if they would not support me, and I began to panic. This was it, I thought, the finale! My breathing accelerated, as I took the first few steps towards my future. The door opened, and I kept my eyes downcast the entire time as I walked forwards. The crowd sighed as they saw me, and a smile began to play on my lips.
I continued to walk towards my soul mate, towards the altar where we would be married. The song came to an end as I reached the end of the aisle. I stood in front of Link, and the holy man began to read ancient scriptures again. Finally, I decided to look up, and I saw Link for the first time since walking out here. He was wearing our traditional clothing, only instead of it being black, it was a dark green. Runes were engraved onto his clothing, and a hood hung majestically from his head down to his feet. His outfit was similar in many ways to his Hero's clothes, only they too were a darker green, and instead of belts and buckles, it was the same belt I had stitched to my sarong. He reached for my hand and held it firmly, smiling serenely. His eyes were glazed over as he observed me. I felt hot all over my body.
"Princess, do you take Link to be yours? Do you take him to be your husband for life?" Asked the holy man. I began blinking rapidly to clear my vision. My pulse accelerated and I felt the eyes of every single Twili in the crowd upon me.
I looked up into Link's eyes, and he smiled lovingly at me.
"Yes, the gods are my witness," I said clearly.
"And do you, Link, take Midna as your wife? Do you promise to cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"
I looked into his eyes. I was never surer of anything in life, that this was where I belonged. In mere moments, I would be married to Link.
"As the gods are my witness, I do," His voice rang out clearly.
My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, as a wild happiness spread through me.
"Then I pronounce you bonded for life! May the gods bring you all the happiness in the world!" Declared the holy man. At this, my people cheered in exhilaration, and I threw my arms around my husband and kissed him. He responded enthusiastically, and the crows began to applaud.
We walked hand in hand towards the dance floor, and started our first customary dance as husband and wife. I laid my head on his shoulder, sighing serenely. What a turn my life had taken, from being miserable to sheer happiness all in a matter of weeks! Link kissed my head, as we continued to sway in tune to the music issuing from the music players. Slowly, the crowd thinned and joined us on the dance floor. Many seemed more in love with each other than the next; but I doubted their love could match ours.
We danced for a bit more, then the music stopped, and the crowd clapped. It was now time to dine, and the Twili did so happily, indulging themselves on whatever they could get their hands on. The moons hung gracefully in the sky, and the little squares drifted peacefully, finally mirroring my feelings.
"I love you," he said. I looked up and kissed him.
"Not as much as I do," I replied.
The wedding was almost over; all that remained was the flower toss. I stood in the front, and many giggling women stood behind me, waiting eagerly for me to toss my bouquet. I counted to three, and then threw it over my shoulder. I heard them start to scramble for it. I turned around and saw one of my maidens clutching the flowers, jumping up and down in joy. I smiled, I wished her to find love like I did.
The crowd soon thinned, and many made their way towards the exit, all chattering happily. I grabbed Link's hand, and the two of us ran towards the castle, laughing. I pulled him towards the master bedroom, and he froze at the sight of the extravagant sight. I knew he was not used to life in luxury, and I giggled at the sight of his face. I turned his face towards me.
"So, tell me, my king, does this suit to your liking?" I asked him.
With reflexes too fast for me to see, he swept me off my feet and kissed me. "It's not the room that is the most beautiful," he murmured.
I twirled a finger in his hair, smiling impishly. "We are now wedded; not I to Hamilton, not you to Ilia. You are mine and nobody else's".
He placed me on the bed and we were intertwined again. We were as one, never to be separated again.
"The thing I'm wondering though," he said in my ear, "is how I'm going to manage miniature Midnas running around?" He ran his finger over the curves of my body, and I blushed.
"That depends," I responded, "how will I handle little heroes in my castle?"
He grinned and unhooked my cape, and I removed his. "We'll just have to see," he said softly, "my little imp..."
I ran my hand over his chest, revelling in it all. He locked lips with me again hungrily, as we sank into the soft fabric of the bed.
We began our lives from that moment on.