Yeah, I took a while with this chapter but with the Holidays and all, I've been a little busy. Two important notes at the bottom so please read!

Chapter 27

Arranged Marriage

Futher north than any Hylian had ever traveled, past waving plains of Holodrum and Perilous peaks of Labrynna, was a vast expanse known as Catelicia. The remote kingdom was nothing more than a tundra, in which a few hundred people resided at the very heart. It was an unforgiving land, that only truly saw the sun a few days out of the year, and only felt the warmth of summer time for a few measly weeks.

However, despite most peoples' suffering, one person in the kingdom seemed to thrive. The daughter of a well-to-do merchant-turned nobleman. She was short, and womanly, with lively eyes the shade of the stars in the sky and silken black hair that cascaded down to her shoulders in soft ringlets. She was strong, and kind and good willed, and got along with almost everyone.

The number of people who didn't get along with her was very small. One, to be exact, and it came from the most unexpected of places. Her own mother.

To her father, she was the greatest of gifts, a blessing bestowed upon him by the gods. But to her mother, she was merely a hassle. "If only you'd been a boy, then you'd be worth something" or "When I got married, I distinctly remember saying I didn't want children." Were as common in her household as "How was your day, dear?" in most others. The first few times had stung. But she'd grown immune to the venom her mother could sling.

Across the frozen wasteland, a black shape raced, swiftly plowing through the winter snow and ice. It was a massive black horse, a stallion, surely larger even than the tundra bears that hunted upon the frigid plain. Atop it's back, dwarfed by the beast she rode, was none other than the merchant's daughter. Riding was her favorite pastime, frowned upon, just like every breath she seemed to take, by her mother, but her favorite nonetheless.

Onward toward her city she rode, carefree and free as an eagle, she only held to the stallion with a single hand tangled in his mane, she chose to ride bareback most often. She often found herself with a deep connection to her beast, to the point where saddles would only hold them back. When the giant beast's hooves first met the cobbles, the sound was startling to those around them, announcing her arrival better than any drummer could ever dream.

Any foreigner would have been awed by her presence, a commanding elegance permeated from her and her horse, immediately setting an impression of power.

Her role as Princess seemed justified at moments like those.

"Excellent, Sho," she whispered in the stallion's ear when she stopped him at the palace entrance. Her home was the largest in the kingdom, with brightly colored walls and pointed spires that seemed to claw at the sky above and reflected the sun's light on the rare occasion of it's shinning. "Absolutely stunning run, boy."

A dirt-caked stable boy took the stallion from her as soon as she dismounted, quickly tying a rope about his neck and leading him into the warmth of the stables.

"Make sure to cool him down before you stable him!" she called. "I don't want him stove-up in the morning!"

"Will do, M'lady."

"Thank you, Dom!"

She entered the palace, kicking off her boots and padding barefoot on the slick marble. It was cold to the touch, but didn't bother her in the least. Just as she reached a curved staircase, a voice called out to her.

"Princess," the voice said behind her. "The queen wants to speak with you."

She looked down at her riding clothes. They were covered in dirt and black horse hairs, cultivating a heavy aroma of damp horse.

"I highly doubt she'd want to see me like this."

"Princess, now."

"Fine, fine, but it's on your head if she erupts like last time."

She turned, and made an exaggerated gesture of disinterest before setting of in the direction of her mother's chambers. The Queen's parlor was on the first floor, taking up an entire wing of the palace, filled to the brim with satin loveseats and laced coffee tables, all dyed a jarringly feminine shade of pink.

If you asked her, it was the most ungodly room she'd ever seen in her life. She was more for function, instead of form. Art didn't mean much to her.

Just as she had expected, her mother was seated on one of the dozen overstuffed sofas, dressed in red velvet from head-to-toe, primly holding a china tea cup in one hand, sipping at the aromatic drink. The minute she arrived, her mother's face assumed a look of complete disgust, the kind of face a person would make when they came across rotting garbage.

"Gods Gea, when will you stop acting like a boy and start dressing like a lady?"

She smirked.

"Didn't you want a boy?" She sneered.

"Hmph! Well, you're going to have to stop soon, whether you like it or not, what with the wedding and all."

"Huh? What wedding?"

"That's why I called you. The wedding between you and the prince of Ikana."

"What?! Me?!"

"You're eighteen, Gea. It's time you got married and settled down, and gave up on these childish pastimes of yours."

Gea could only stand and stare. Her mouth hung open, she tried to speak, but no words would come out.-

"M-mother-!" she finally gasped. The blood had drained from her face, and she felt as if she was going to faint. "I don't want to get married! I don't even know him!"

"You're marrying the prince and that's the end of this discussion. The dowry has already been paid, and the treaty signed. You don't get much of a choice."

"That's not fair!"

"Welcome to life, my dear. Life isn't fair."

"Father won't let this happen. He'll listen to me!"

Her mother only smirked and took a sip of her tea.

"I wouldn't count on that, dear. This was his idea, after all…"

The morning sun was insufferably bright in this wretched kingdom. It came every day, and had the audacity to shine so brightly and so warm. The heat was overbearing, even though it was only April. She had already made up her mind.

She hated Ikana.

Even in the shelter of Ikana Castle, the sun still taunted her from each and every window as she was marched, more like a prisoner than a princess, toward the throne room. Her stomach was in knots.

The doors opened with a squeaking of rusty hinges, and she was practically shoved inside. The floor was made of slick marble, off of which the sunlight reflected from the windows and nearly blinded her dark-adjusted eyes. It was several hundred feet ahead of her that her fate sat, on an ornate silver throne.

He was tall, and muscular, with dark, wavy hair and a well-sculpted face, and under different circumstances, he would have been halfway attractive. But that was not to be.

She hated the way he was sitting on that damn throne, thick hands grasping either armrest, one leg crossed. She hated the pompous tilt to his head as she stepped closer. She hated the hungry look in his eyes, as if she was nothing more than a cheep thrill.

She hated him. And she wanted nothing to do with him.

An older woman was seated on a smaller, more demure throne beside him, a bit portly around the middle, her graying hair tied into a reserved bun behind her head, and around her fat neck a string of saltwater pearls sat, a few sizes too small.

"Gea, I presume?" She said to her. She could only nod in return. She feared that if her mouth were to open, she wouldn't be able to control what came out of it.

"May I introduce you to your soon-to-be husband," the older woman rose, and made an extravagant gesture toward the man on the throne. "My son. Prince of Ikana, Igos Du Ikana…"

"So, pardon my asking, but WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" Gea said, having to scream just to be heard over the collapsing cave and the thundering of frantic hooves. Remus was too focused on steering his mount through the narrow, winding passages to even register that she had spoken, and Kan's gray mare was several yards ahead, far out of earshot. She was left with no answer, and didn't prod much harder to receive one.

She was more concerned with survival.

As if to utter a silent prayer, she reached up with one hand to her collarbone, where an amber jewel was strung. But fingers grasped at empty air, and looking frantically down, she could see, even in the desolate darkness, that there was no amulet there.

"Remus," she gasped, grabbing the collar of his coat and yanking on it to gain his attention. "Remus we have to stop!"

"What?! Have you lost your mind?!"

"I have to go back!"

"You'll be crushed!"

"I'll only take a minute!" She flung herself from the horse's back, turning midair to land facing the crumbling, caving cavern. And into the darkness she raced.

A quick glance over his shoulder and he found that Remus' horse was nowhere in sight. It wouldn't have bothered him, to be honest, if the unruly sod was crushed. What did bother him was that Kan would be devastated. They hadn't seen each other in many years, but he held his tattered, bygone friendship with the man in high regard.

"Kan," he hissed, still awkwardly clinging to the mare's rump. "Remus isn't behind us."

Mere seconds after the words left his lips did the mare let loose a squeal, dragging her hooves against the hard rock in an attempt to stop herself.

Kan was looking over his shoulder now.

"What?! Where?" He yelped, turning the mare as fast as he could to send her barreling toward the crumbling rock and stone. The mare complied with uncertainty, ears tipped back toward her rider, willing him to turn tail and run again. She didn't want to go back. But her rider urged her ever onward, and she wouldn't refuse. Despite her being an ornery beast by nature, she was doggedly loyal to Kan.

It was almost a hundred yards behind that they found Remus and his horse, racing in the same direction as they, yelling, "Gea! Come back! We're too close!"

"Remus! Watch out!"

The black mare that his son was astride tossed her head back a moment too late. A moment too late to see. Remus never saw it coming either. From above a stalactite shuddered and broke free from the earthen ceiling, dragging large hunks of rock with it as it fell. Noticing, she threw her hooves into the air, tossing Remus like a rag doll.

The rocks fell. The mare screamed.

Gea came back into sight just as the mare crumpled to the ground beneath the weight of the rocks. Time seemed almost to stand still for that awful moment. Remus could only stare blindly onward, obeying like a sleepy child when Kan grabbed him and yanked him out of the way of another falling rock.

It seemed, though, that luck had finally given them its favor. The rumbling slowly ceased, and after the last of the rocks that had been jiggled loose from the walls and ceiling had tumbled to the ground, the cavern finally stopped crumbling. Remus waited not a second longer, and Link could only watch with a strange cocktail of emotions in the pit of his stomach as the man desperately grabbed rock after rock, throwing them aside in his frantic attempt to unearth his beloved mount. On one hand, he hadn't the least amount of sympathy for Remus

Link dismounted Kan's horse slowly, knowing what was to come. Kan wasn't far behind him.

Bit by bit, the horse's body was uncovered, thick black coat still coated with dust and rubble. A leg here, and neck there, and when the final rock was tossed away, Remus could only shudder.

The mare wasn't dead. Not yet. What she was, was very, very injured.

A mere brush of a hand against her side and he could feel that her ribcage had been shattered. One back leg was pointed in an awkward direction, half bent beneath her. Her breath was shallow, and gasping as she lifted her head slowly.

"San," he heard Remus whisper to the mare. "It's okay."

The mare grunted softly with every move she made, with every touch he gave. Her body must have been in anguish.

"Dad, the cave's stopped crumbling, we should stop here for the night. Let San heal."

Kan had a bittersweet look on his face as well. He and Link both knew already what fate would become of the beast. Remus was in denial. Neither was going to tell him the truth though. Better to let him come to accept it on his own…

There was no camp to set up. Their belongings, the few scraps of blankets and food they'd brought with them, had been lost in the caves. There was no wood to light a fire with. No water to drink. No light to work by. Only lonely blackness and bitter temperatures. The only one who wasn't huddled with the group was Link. He didn't feel comfortable with them. It wasn't that they'd excluded him. No one had told him to stay away. He just didn't want to be around them. They didn't understand him.

They never had.

And they never would.

"Gea," he heard Remus whisper through the stale air. "I've always been curious. Where are you from? You haven't told me."

There was a considerable span of silence, in which every sound could be heard quite clearly, breath, gently shifting rocks, dripping of water from above. It was a full five minutes later she finally responded.

"I haven't told you because I come from nowhere."

"Everyone comes from somewhere." Kan piped in.

"Where I come from is nowhere to you."

"Try me."

"I can tell you all about it in three words."

"Shoot."

"Cold. Dark. Depressing."

"You mean like here?"

"In a way."

"Doesn't sound like a fun place to grow up." Remus mused.

"That's why I had to grow up fast…"

Okay, there you go, did I shock anyone?! Kind of a weird chapter, but its a chapter, right?

So, note #1. Reasons for absence: Lately, I've been depressed. I don't mean "ho hum, i'm bored, what should I do" kind of depressed, I mean, like borderline clinically, "i'm freaking sad, what's the point? I don't feel like this, I don't feel like any of this, why should I try" kind of depressed. Seriously, i'm not lying. I'm trying my best to muddle through and update frequently, but it's been hard. (i'm not trying to garner pity, though. Just telling everyone a bit about why I've been so quiet.)

Note #2. Reader Survey: I'm trying to get a feel for what my strengths (and, as much as I cringe at it, weaknesses) are, so if anyone capable could participate, i'd appreciate it!

Who's your favorite good guy (or gal?)

Who's your favorite villain? (thus far, they haven't all been released yet)

Who's your least favorite good guy? Why?

Who's your least favorite villain?

What's your favorite chapter? Why?

Least favorite?

If you aren't in my (very small) circle of friends, what attracted you to the story? And why are you reading? For romance? Fluff? Angst? Hoping everyone kicks it? Hoping that at sometime I'll write a lemon (in which case you'll be very disappointed and should leave right now)