Zelda felt a queer sense of nervousness wash over her as she stood atop the podium with her father and husband to be. She had thought for an instant, that she had seen Link out in the crowd, but the man she had seen looked about 20 pounds lighter than the Link she remembered, and his clothing was too dirty and unkempt to possible be Link. Her senses were playing tricks on her today. Earlier she thought she had heard a wolf howl beyond the Castle Walls. But of course, that was impossible. There had been no wolves since the Twilight Days.

Her father was coughing into his handkerchief with loud rasping breaths. Wiping spittle off of his great beard as he held himself up on stage with a cane. Zelda's husband-to-be was smiling with his ghastly white teeth. Zelda only stood quietly in between both men as she surveyed the crowd cautiously. The beating in the crowd had been enough for her to stomach in one day. Even though it was empty, she still felt as if she were about to throw up on her silk gown and embarrass her father. Something about the Dranavirs left a peculiar taste in her mouth.

The royal family and their honored guests had now all finally tottered into the castle's man hall. A band had begun to play in the northeast corner. They were playing a happy and fast little jig. The violin players and the cellists were bouncing merrily about as they played fast and strong. The tune seemed strangely out of place and alien. Besides a band, there was many other accommodations that had been set up for the royal banquet. A large food table stood near the west end, steaming and smelling delicious as sin. There was baked apple pies, butter crusted salmon, sweet lemon cakes, broiled pigeon pies, Yeto Soup, Lon Lon Ice Cream, grilled cuccos, lemon roasted goats, and much more. Zelda's stomach turned as she walked past the long rectangular tables. Even though it smelled scrumptious, she still didn't feel quite hungry. She had vaguely noticed that Adrians gloved hand had gripped her own quite forcefully. She was wincing a little, the leather of his black gloves squeezed tightly around her own white silk gloves.

Ahead of her, Zelda's father and soon-to-be-father-in-law were talking in hushed voices about marriage arrangements.

"Best to do it sooner. The commoners will be more likely to aide our cause in such circumstances." Zelda heard Lord Adravan whispering to her father. She knew not much about him so far, but what she did know was that she did not like him. He reminded her of a snake, the way his tongue spat quickly in and out of his thin slimy mouth. He had been her naught yet an hour and already he was advising her father nearly every time she heard him open up his mouth.

"And what cause would that be again?" the King spoke gruffly. "I quite doubt that they will want to see their country bleed again. We are still hurting from the last war." The king coughed a loud racking cough and spit a large green glob of phlegm into his handkerchief. Lord Adravan pretended not to notice. "The Days of Twilight have left this once flourishing country nearly barren. I don't know if my people can afford to rally to another cause at such point."

"All the more reason to wed the young couple sooner." Lord Adravan lowered his voice. "If you have seen what I have in the crystals, you would know that there is much gold to be had. It's ripe for the taking."

"Then why can't you do it yourself!" the King chuffed. "I have agreed to marry Zelda to your son. I do not recall you saying that my army was required as well." he prickled.

Lord Adravan bowed lowly. His oily black hair concealing half his face, his eyes glinting wetly. "As the king says." he said slowly, smiling to himself as if he had some great sort of secret. "I have also seen in the crystal that you will have a most powerful grandson..." he paused. "That is...of course...as long as the marriage continues on the path I have seen it on." His thin lips pulled into a gruesome smirk.

The king wasn't an idiot. He knew exactly what the Lord was getting at. "Fine." he whispered gruffly. "Have your master of coin in my office tomorrow and we will talk about the wedding plans. Discuss...but not set in stone." the king said carefully. Zelda felt her stomach do a double knot. Her lord suitor's hands encircling her own fingers even tighter now it seemed. He was pretending not to pay attention to his father and hers conversation but she could tell that he was just as engrossed as she was. Some part of her told her that he had already known that this was going to happen, an unsettling feeling. It made her feel like the Dranvavirs were up to something that was no good. After all...how peculiar was it, that as soon as her father had become gravely sick, that they just seemed to pop up out of nowhere?

The party continued at an agonizingly slow pace. The king, who had felt suddenly very ill, had returned to his bedchambers to rest and ponder the proposition that Lord Adravan had made. Zelda was now uncomfortably aware that she was alone with the Dranavirs. Any time that she had escaped to talk to a party guest, Adrian was right beside her, standing a bit too close for her liking. She could feel his long straight nose blowing hot breath on the top of her head. Sometimes she could feel the hard hilt of his sword pressing uncomfortably against the small of her back.

Lady Antwood, a renowned dressmaker in Castle Town, was now chatting happily with Zelda about her new suitor. "Such a handsome man, " she preened, "you must have been so pleased when you saw him step out of that carriage. Who was it..." Lady Antwood was slurring her words a bit, the goblet in her hand growing emptier and emptier, "who was it...that had to marry Igor the Ugly? Was it your mother's 2nd cousin or your fathers? I can't remember. Beast of a man!" she laughed heartily. Zelda smiled meekly and could only think to nod.

"You are too kind my lady." Adrian bowed theactrically and planted a kiss on Lady Antwood's hand. She blushed furiously and giggled like a little girl. "But I believe it is I who am the lucky one. I have heard of Zelda's beauty since I was just a boy still in his studies.

You mean you have heard of my lands riches and my father's power since you were a boy. Zelda thought, but instead she thanked him with a curtsey and feigned another smile so hard that it made her cheeks hurt.

Lady Antwood looked at Zelda lovingly, clearly entranced by Adrian's oily charm. "I would be so pleased if you would allow me to make your wedding gown. Free of charge of course, it would mean more than gold to me to see a royal family sporting one of my own creations."

"That would please us greatly, I'm sure." Adrian lopped his arm tightly around Zelda's waist, pulling her closely into his chest. He smelled of smoke, wine, and a tinge of something that smelled oddly like blood. Zelda tried to breathe from her mouth. "May I refill your cup? Mine has gone dry as well. Zelda? How about you? It's your party after all, shouldn't you be seen celebrating?" His eye glinted in such a way that she did not like.

"Oh yes! Very true!" Lady Antwood beamed as she handed over her empty goblet. "Get us both one. A little bit of wine never hurt anyone Zelda."

"Just a small glass please. I still have a lot of talking to do tonight and would like my wits about me." A little wine might be nice actually. Take some of my nerves away...

Lady Antwood watched with hungry eyes as Adrian sauntered away. "Such a handsome handsome lad..." she whispered, almost to herself.

When Adrian came back Zelda took her glass gratefully as she watched Lady Antwood drink deeply. Now flushed red in the face, Lady Antwood, who insisted that they all call her Tilla now, was throwing herself into deep conversation about Hyrule trading policies and complaining loudly about the prices of silks being higher than ever. Adrian looked very bored but was humoring her all the same.

"If you'll excuse me." Zelda, now seeing an opportunity to get some alone time, snuck back into the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him trying to follow her but Lady Antwood was following him closely and kept throwing question after question after him.

Zelda took a drink from her goblet and felt the hot liquid warm the inside of her belly. The Dranavirs may not have been the most pleasant people to talk to, but their mulled wine was rich in flavor and very potent compared to the white vintages Hyrule had to offer. It didn't take Zelda very long at all to start feeling light headed and giddy in spite of the fact that she was still miserable about the whole wedding affair. When her goblet was empty, she had almost forgotten about it entirely. The wine was VERY strong. Zelda laughed out loud and felt as if she had drank liquid confidence.

With her now new attitude, she found it very easy to enjoy herself. She conversated with nearly anyone who would listen. She even managed to work up a little appetite and enjoyed some of the Dranavir's firecracker boar. A dish that was rich in hot spices and burned the tongue but tasted awfully delicious. The juices from the meat ran down her mouth as she sucked at the bone and licked her fingers. One of her maids came over hurriedly and cleaned her face. Chiding her for not acting like a lady in front of her guests.

Their food and wine is not so bad. Perhaps the Dranavirs are not as awful as I had once thought. In fact, nearly everyone who is here tonight has said nothing but good things about them. Maybe I was wrong...

Zelda felt a twinge of guilt. She had not been the most gracious host. In fact she had been quite rude and cold. Though under the guilt a little voice inside of her was saying "Beware...beware..."

The music began to change to a more slow and quiet pace. The party was starting to wind down. The food tables were being cleaned up and desserts were now being brought out. Zelda was too full to even think about dessert. It seemed like the rest of the party felt the same way. Instead of heading to the dessert table, people were now beginning to move to the center of the hall as they grabbed partners to dance with.

Happily, she watched as silks twirled and bobbed up and down. Men's coat tails swished back and forth and they moved in time with the music. Zelda liked to watch the girls as they tittered next to the walls, their faces widened in glee whenever a handsome single young man would come and ask them for a dance. For some reason she thought of Link when she looked at their smiling faces. She kept having this feeling that he was there watching her. She had wanted to go and look for him but every time she had, she was pulled into conversation or made to try someone's appetizer. In the end she had given up. If he had been here, he would have made himself known and came to her. She was almost positive of that.

"More wine?" Zelda jumped at the unexpected voice behind her. Adrian now looked a little disheveled, his neat black hair was lightly tousled and he had removed his long heavy cloak. He looked a little bit softer and Zelda could almost see the handsomeness in his face.

"Well..." she paused, trying to think of a reason to send him away. She could not. "Just a little more won't hurt."

When he came back they were actually able to strike up a little bit of conversation. Zelda, now feeling VERY tipsy, was horrified that she was beginning to feel some sort of attraction to him. She couldn't help but notice how strong and calloused his hands were, he had an honest face when he wasn't sneering and acting like a prat. He was funny and said just the right things to make her blush.

It's the wine. Just the wine...

But the voice inside of her head was becoming quieter and quieter now.

The band began to play another slow song. One of Zelda's favorites. The melody was sweet and longing, she swayed back and forth as she listened to the melancholy sounds of the cello playing.

"Care to dance." Adrian almost whispered. He had been quiet for awhile, as if he had been pondering something. Zelda felt herself grow red in the face. She picked up her almost full goblet and drained the rest into her throat. For some reason the wine seemed to be even stronger this time, not as cloyingly sweet, but almost...bitter. Adrian grinned broadly at this and Zelda felt a slight stab of panic that she quickly brushed off as nerves. Her head swimming with all kinds of thoughts.

Quietly she stood up and tried to grab his hand. Her balance was off and she lurched forward into his chest. The room, slightly spinning.

"Easy." he steadied her. "We're almost there, I just need you here for a few more minutes." Letting her lean her body weight onto his, Adrian helped walk her out to the dance floor. She was confused by what he had meant but the urge to not throw up was so strong that she had no time to think about it.

The room began to blur, candle light twinkled in and out of her sight as she tried to follow Adrian to the dance floor. She barely noticed at first that they were going in the opposite direction towards the exit. She tried to say something but she was afraid if she opened her mouth that bile was going to shoot out. Her feet felt like lead and she needed Adrian to support her or else she felt as if she was going to fall. Just as they were leaving the main hall, she thought she had seen Link looking at them.

"I'm going to be sick." she finally managed to choke out. Feeling embarrassed that he had to see her this way. "I need to lay down."

"We will soon. Very soon." Adrian's voice alarmed her. His tone had completely changed from when they were in the main hall. It was gruff and dark and it was scaring her.

"Please my room." she managed to choke out.

"Is the princess okay?" Some of the party goers had dispersed into the adjoining rooms. A man with a monocle was beginning to come over and eyed both of them curiously.

"She has had much to drink. I'm taking her to her chambers." Adrian had to shift his weight to keep Zelda from falling over. She tried to ask the man for help but all she managed to do was fill her mouth with hot vomit. She swallowed quickly and closed her eyes tightly shut.

The man with the monocle looked disgusted by her state. "You best take her to one of the wait staff's chambers. They are closer by. Her father would be furious if he found out she was acting like this in front of his guests. Best do it quick, she looks as if she's going to be sick."

Zelda tried to scream at him with her eyes. "HELP ME! HELP ME!" She wanted to say. The man only stepped further away, afraid that she would soil his good suit. She suddenly felt weightless and noticed that Adrian had picked her up and was hurrying away from the crowd.

They walked from corridor to corridor until the hallways were completely empty. The sound from the party had faded into almost a dull murmur. The sound was weird and alien and felt hundreds of miles away. It was colder underneath the castle, darker, and smelling more like musk and dirt. Zelda vaguely remembered hearing the latch of a door open. She was suddenly dropped on what seemed to be a pile of straw. What was going on?

"Please. Send for one of my maids. I can't bear for you to see me like this." Zelda rolled over limply and struggled to keep her eyes open. She didn't want to pass out here, like this.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Adrian said coldly and she heard the latch of the door being shut. The light from the hall dimmed out and only a small flickering candle in the room gave them any light.

"But...but wh-"

"Sssshhhhhh..." she felt a rough hand grab the back of her gown. With one swift move he untied the back and slipped the gown off of her shoulders so it fell to her waist.

"What are you doing?" she tried to stand up but her legs felt like jelly. She clutched tightly at her corset which was now the only thing standing between her breasts and him.

He grabbed the nape of her neck tightly and shoved his mouth onto hers. His kiss was rough, the stubble from his chin scratching her delicate features. She tried to push him off of her but he was so strong and she felt so weak.

"What are you doing?" she tried to scream but all that came out was incoherent muffling. He had clasped his hand around her mouth. Fingers were digging into her cheeks.

"We need to make a prince." he said calmly as he began to take off clothes. "Don't worry. You should be asleep soon. You won't remember any of this."

To her horror Zelda realized that she was almost paralyzed. Her body felt as it had been made out of stone, it was so difficult to move and she was becoming more and more sleepy. She tried to kick him away from her but in her state she missed and slumped back against the wall exhausted.

I'm going to die. This is how I am going to die. She cried bitterly to herself. Too tired to even speak anymore.

She felt rough hands untie her corset and her world went black.