So, part of this chapter is what started it all. That scene between Link and Zelda in the garden was one of the first ever wrote, and I've branched the entire story off of one scene. Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
~Alyssa
Et fractas cor sanguinat lacrimas.
….
A broken heart bleeds tears.
Then
The caress of her hand on my cheek awoke me.
She grinned as my eyes flickered open, her auburn hair looking ridiculous all rolled up with cloth so it would hold a curl more "attractive" than the corkscrews that they normally were.
"Good morning, sunshine!" She sang, pecking me once on the cheek in an attempt to rouse me.
I grumbled something unintelligible, rolling over and trying to take my blanket with me, but, much to my dismay, she was sitting on it, and the only thing I succeeded in was getting twisted up.
"Get up, lazy!" she commanded cheerfully, jumping off the bed and pulling my covers off, the cold air causing me to cringe. "Big day today!"
"Good morning to you, too," I yawned, grudgingly sitting up and rubbing at my eye with a hand. I stumbled into the washroom, splashing some of the blissfully cool water from the washbasin on my face.
I took a look in the mirror.
My bangs were plastered to my forehead and neck with sweat, and the dark shadows underneath my eyes had grown exponentially, so much so that I was tired just looking at them. Part of me wondered what nightmare troubled me during the night. The other part reminded me what day it was. I cringed again, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold.
Zelda's wedding day.
Kassia followed me in, and must have noticed my conflicted expression.
She turned me around, slipping her arms around my neck and pressing a kiss to my lips. "Promise me you won't get too taken by all the seductive charms of the busty, voluptuous women?" she asked playfully, probably trying to pull me out of my mood. "Because men flock to them. And I've been told that you are way out of my leauge."
I put a hand on her back, pulling her closer. "I might as well be blind." I assured her, a small smile coming over my face, leaning in to kiss her again.
You're only making it worse.
The chastising voice in the back of my mind caused me to jump, with good reason. Although I had reprimanded myself before, this voice was somehow clearer, more distinct, as if it was a completely different person whispering into my ear rather than a thought of my own. For a moment I stared over Kassia's shoulder, quite disturbed, until she laughed.
"Way to kill a mood." She said, leaning her head on my shoulder.
I smiled for her benefit, but I could tell it didn't quite reach my eyes. "You have to take those ridiculous curlers out of your hair anyway."
She removed her arms, sighing dramatically. "I do have to go get ready, don't I?"
"Well, only if you want to have a chance of being in my league. In the Nox leauge, curlers are frowned upon."
She turned on her heel, starting towards the door. "Fine then," she said snobbishly, waving an uncaring hand. "I'll bet Archer likes curlers."
"You did not just pull the I'll-just-go-date-your-brother card." I laughed, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall.
One eyebrow rose, a playful smirk coming over her face. "Maybe I did." She said, putting a hand on her hip. "I've always had a thing for brown eyes, anyway."
"Well, maybe I prefer blondes," I retorted, having in mind her older sister Hena—a girl five years my senior—but mentally wincing as a certain head of golden hair and violet eyes appeared in my head.
Her lips pursed. "Touché." She said, but did not relent, her pose not moving an inch.
We stared each other down for a moment, until finally I crossed the short distance between us and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Fine." I surrendered. "The curlers are cute, I love them, and I wish I had a set like them so I could do my hair up like yours all the time."
"Alright. I forgive you." She snickered, probably picturing the ridiculous sight of my hair curled like I was. "But I really have to go get ready."
"I'll take you to your room. I have to get Archer and Wolfe awake anyway."
She linked her fingers with mine, and I led her into the hallway, running my free hand through my hair.
I knocked twice on Wolfe's door across from mine, knowing that he was a light sleeper and that alone would rouse him, bracing myself for the battle with Archer—also known as the heaviest, loudest sleeper I've ever met, not to mention the fact that there was no guarantee that he was even alone.
When we reached his door, I let go of her hand, reaching for the doorknob—only to find that it was locked. I grimaced, thinking of the implications.
"Archer!" I called, banging on the door with my fist. "Put on some clothes and open the door. Kassia's with me, and after the last three times I've walked in on you and Farore knows who I've gained the good sense not to open the door and find you doing—"
The door flung open, and a very unimpressed, very tired Archer stood in the threshold. "Just because you can't get some," he grinned, leaning against the doorframe casually. "Doesn't mean you have to act all disgusted at the fact that I'm doing things with—"
"Okay, okay." I interrupted, my palms flying up in surrender. "I honestly don't want to know."
"I do," interjected Kassia smoothly, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Considering it was Ashei you were doing them with."
A lazy smile came over Archer's face at the mention of her older sister. "What can I say?" he said, unfazed. "I have a thing for blondes."
Kassia and I turned to each other at the same time.
Our eyes met.
Her lip twitched.
And I laughed, really, truly laughed, for the first time since I could remember.
And then I remembered what day it was.
ox(O)xo
The chapel wasn't like the Temple of Time.
It's much bigger, for one, and was made of grey stone rather than white marble. And there were flowers everywhere. And pews. And rather than a Triforce, some ridiculous cross in the center of the magnificent stained glass window just above the alter.
I didn't like it.
I mean, I thought this was a church, not a school for math.
It's not even symmetrical. One of the lines is longer than the others.
Stupid Noamatians.
I tried to keep my mind focused on the cross as I walked up the aisle to my seat, only half listening to the gushing Linden at my side. Someone had done up her mahogany hair in an intricate style, with two small braids pulling her hair away from her temples and tying together in the back, a white daisy pinned at the joining point, with the rest falling down her back in loose curls. Someone had also applied rouge and kohl, as well as a light shadow around her eyes to match her pale yellow dress. Although she looked very pretty, I was rather put out that she was wearing makeup at all.
She was only ten years old, for Nayru's sake!
But Agitha, Kassia's younger sister—who was only a year older—was sporting a similar look, and Colin didn't seem bothered.
And Baxter or Archer didn't say anything.
Maybe I was just overthinking it.
We took our seats with Kassia to my left and little Iza to my right, the youngest daughter of Colin at six years old. She was eagerly explaining something to Linden, using broad hand gestures to help her point, but without the annoyance over the stupid cross or Linden's makeup, I was too distracted to listen.
I was at Zelda's wedding.
And I wasn't the groom.
Oh, I would show her. I would marry Kassia and maybe she would get word, and her heart would break into a million pieces and get scattered to the wind, never to be seen again.
You would never hurt her like that.
For the second time today the scarily realistic voice entered my head, but I was too angry to jump.
No, I thought back. I can't. I forgot, she doesn't even remember who I am.
How ironic.
Suddenly, the dull roar of the crowd went silent, and the giant doors of the chapel creaked open.
And the ceremony began.
I paid no attention to the procession, a mindless parade of dignitaries and royals that I didn't care about. There was only one thing that was important, and she didn't come until the very end.
"Are you okay?" whispered Kassia, nudging me lightly with her elbow. The murder I was feeling in my chest must have been showing on my face.
"Just stuffy," I murmured back, reaching up and pulling my collar away from my neck for emphasis. It was half true. Goddess, the outfit that the girls had forced me into. It was almost comical how ridiculous it was, right down to the billowing hat with a feather longer than my arm pluming from the top.
But Baxter and Archer had been stuffed into the same thing, and they looked equally as uncomfortable, much to my pleasure.
A fanfare of trumpets sounded from behind me. The entire company stood, turning around in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of the bride.
And I saw her.
Her train was too long. It had to be at least twenty feet, spanning nearly half the length of the aisle, and supported by two little girls at the very end.
She must have hated it.
She never liked impractical things.
Once it was apparent that the veil was making it impossible to see her face, I decided it wasn't worth the torment of watching her. I turned around and faced front, instead glaring at the damn cross on the window.
She eventually reached the small crowd at the end of the aisle, and her groom lifted the veil, smiling broadly at something he saw on her face as he lead her to the alter to stand before the priest.
The priest smiled, looking from left to right. "We are gathered here today not just to witness the binding of these two individuals, but two kingdoms as well. With the marriage of Prince Lucien and Princess Zelda, Noamas and Hyrule will be bound with the unbreakable force of something stronger than any alliance. Love."
With his words, I felt my breakfast rising in my throat. I shouldn't have come. I should have known I couldn't handle this.
"If any being in this holy temple could possibly oppose such unequivocal and indisputable love in the binding of these two souls, please speak now, and forever hold your peace."
"I do."
A gasp reverberates around the chapel as I stand, thrusting aside the people in the crowd as I storm up the aisle, falling on one knee as I take her porcelain gloved hand in mine.
"Zelda," I whisper. "I can't just sit by and watch you get married. You belong in my arms, no where else. Be mine, like I've been yours since the moment I laid eyes on you. I've waited ten years to say this, and I'll be damned if I wait any longer. I love you, Zelda. I love you with my entire being, I love you more than I've ever loved anything. Remember me, Zelda, and run away with me."
She falls to her knees beside me, a sob escaping her as she takes my face in her hands, kissing me with a passion I'd never experienced before, but could very well get used to.
"Link," she laughs, pulling me close as if she had no intention of ever letting me go. "I love you, too."
I pull her to her feet, throwing open the doors of the chapel and pulling her into the sunlight, racing away with that ridiculous train billowing out behind her…
Silence.
I bit down on my lip so hard I almost drew blood.
The priest smiled.
"The step which you are about to take is the most important into which Hylians can come. It is a union of two people founded upon mutual respect, affection, and duty. Your lives will change, your responsibilities will increase, but your joy will be multiplied if you are sincere and earnest with your pledge to one another."
"Will you, Prince Lucien of Noamas, have this woman to be your wedded wife, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her, for so long as ye both shall live?"
The bastard grinned a breathtaking smile, his eyes full of adoration as he stared down at Zelda. "I will," he declared, his voice proud and booming through the echoing hall of the Temple.
"And will you, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, have this man to be your wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"
"I will," She said, an equally large smile on her face, though her eyes were stoic and cold.
"Take hands and repeat after me,"
They did as they were told, looking to the priest expectantly.
"I, Lucien, take you, Zelda, to be my wedded wife," said the priest in an even voice. "To have and to hold, for better or for worse, to love and to cherish, in Power, Wisdom, and Courage, from this day forward."
He repeated him, his voice not wavering once as he gazed winningly over the crowd.
The priest turned to Zelda.
"I, Zelda, take you, Lucien, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, to love and to cherish, in Power, Wisdom, and Courage, from this day forward."
"I, Zelda…" she began, taking a deep breath, her smile wavering…
"I…I can't." She says suddenly. Ripping her hands from Lucien's grasp, she turns to her audience. "I don't love this man. I never have. There is only one man I have ever loved, and he's sitting right there." She declares, her face suddenly defiant. "Link!
I love you!"
I stand, running down the long aisle and grabbing her in my arms, breathing in the scent of her, kissing her with fervor, my heart exploding from my chest…
"…take you Lucien, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, to love and to cherish, in Power, Wisdom and Courage, from this day forward."
My nails dug into my palms.
The rings were handed on a velvet pillow by a little girl, her ebony locks pulled back and pinned with flowers. She beamed as she curtsied, being careful not to drop her precious cargo.
"With this ring, I thee wed." said Zelda quietly as she slid the golden band on his finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed." echoed Lucien, taking the ring and pushing it into place.
"Let these rings be given and received as a token of your affection, sincerity and fidelity to one another." The priest said, turning to address the crowd.
"In as much as the Prince and Princess have consented together in wedlock and have witnessed the same before this company, and pledged their vows for each other, by the authority vested in me by the Sacred Three," He took this time to touch his forehead and both his shoulders respectively, then touching the interlocked hands of Zelda and Lucien. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
He swept her in a magnificent kiss, bending her over so her hair touched the floor, where I could not see her face.
The crowd cheered.
One thing ran through my mind, over and over, a sacred mantra that I repeated like a lifeline as they walked slowly back down the aisle, arms interlinked, a single unit bonded together for eternity:
I will not cry for her.
I will not cry for her.
I Will. Not. Cry. For. Her.
But I did.
ox(O)xo
As Kassia's family was a part of the nobility, they had an invitation to the spectacular ball that was to follow the wedding—the first night of three in a row.
We were ushered from the ceremony through the courtyard of celebrating citizens, both Noamatian and Hyrulian alike, into that of the famous Kingsgate Castle, where we were herded into the no-less-famous ballroom of Kingsgate Castle.
And boy, did it live up to expectation. But I wasn't paying attention to any of it.
As soon as I could, I mumbled an excuse to Kassia, leaving the overcrowded room and choosing a path at random.
I wandered through the endless hallways until I felt the cool air of the night wafting through the corridors. I followed it until the wall to my left turned into several arches that lead to a beautifully decorated outdoor courtyard.
And to my surprise—but somehow not at all—there she was.
She had changed into a much more practical dress, this one pale blue, with no train. She stood with her back to me, looking into the gurgling pond that sat in the center, still not aware of my presence—or perhaps just ignoring it.
But I would not be ignored. I was with her, alone, for the first time in nearly a decade. I craved to hear her voice, to see her eyes, to hear her laugh, to kiss her, to beg her to be mine—
"Congratulations, highness." I said through my teeth, trying to keep my voice pleasant. "Might I implore why you're here and not enjoying the festivities?"
She waited a moment before turning around, her face perfectly blank as she faced me.
"I have my reasons." She said quietly, biting down on her perfect lower lip as she toyed with the ring on her finger. "And they are not of your concern."
"You will be the queen of this place in a few years' time," I reminded her. "Your reasoning for everything will be the entire country's concern."
"You speak out of term." She said sharply. "Might I ask who you are?"
"Sir Nox Amex of Casperlight, milady." I said, taking off the ridiculous hat that Zenith insisted I wear and bowing low, using the name I would take if I were to marry Kassia.
Oh, was it a blessing that Baxter had a friend who happened to be in the King of Noamas's inner circle. If I married Kassia, I would practically be her equal. As a consort from Hyrule, she was not as well respected as an actual princess.
"A pleasure."
Although I could not see her expression, her tone was ice. I was not below her, and she knew it.
However this did not excite me. The one thing I had always wished for, to be her equal, was in my grasp. But I had to marry someone else to attain it. Not that it would have mattered. She's already married. And she didn't remember me, anyway.
"Indeed." I said, scowling darkly as I rose.
"You look rather unpleasant." She noted.
Unpleasant? Unpleasant? I just watched you get married, you fool! I loved you, you blasted idiot! I needed you, you disgustingly beautiful wench! And you have the gall to call me unpleasant?
You're married! I've been courting someone for the last eight months! What has time done to us? If you hadn't sent me back and time and ruined everything, none of this would have happened! We could have been happy! That could have been us! This was all your fault! I hate you!
Before I could even realize what was happening, I closed the space between us, and my hand was flying towards her, my palm colliding with her face.
A part of me ached when the sharp smack filled the air, the voice crying out in protest at my actions. Why would you do that? He demanded. You love her!
But I didn't! I hated her. Love was the last thing on my mind, but my mouth still opened with astonishment at the audacity of my actions.
I just slapped the Princess of Hyrule.
I was so dead.
"Who are you, princess?" I said, my voice rising into a shout, turning away from her and pacing back and forth. "What have you become? The Zelda I knew, she would have never stood for being used to secure goddess damned relations with a kingdom!"
"I love him." Zelda croaked, her voice hoarse from shock, clutching her cheek with a gloved hand—and thankfully ignoring the fact that I just assaulted her, and the fact that I just said that I knew her. "How dare you question that!"
Look what you're doing! You're tearing her apart!
"The Hell you do!" I snapped, pointedly thinking daggers at my other self, still refusing to acknowledge him. "Love and duty isn't the same thing."
Stop it!
I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood, pivoting to face her, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to lower my voice.
"You've only seen him three times in your life before six months ago. You could never love someone so cruel!"
Her eyes narrowed into slits. "You will not tell me who I love. Lucien is a good man. He will do well for my country. I have my reasons, and you will not question them." She said icily. "I do not understand why you are so persistent to belittle my marriage to Lucien. It is not as though things can be changed. We have been joined in the eyes of the Goddesses, and nothing I can do will amend that. I've made my promises."
"Don't talk to me about promises." I spat. "You have no right to talk about promises."
"I also do not understand most of what you are talking about." She said, her voice slightly wavering. "I apologize if at any point I have done something to offend you to deserve such bitterness, but I do not recall seeing you before."
She was not the Zelda I knew.
…Why doesn't she remember?
Because, I thought back, the simplicity of it crushing me, she wanted to forget.
As soon as the thought came to me, something inside me snapped. Memories from this life, from my last, of Saria and Linden, Archer and Malon, Baxter and Garrett and Mido and Anju and the Forest Temple and the raid at Kakiriko and Castle Town and fighting Ganondorf and dying but then not dying but being sent back in time and Zelda loves me but she doesn't but somewhere in my head someone's insisting that she does and after one moment the whole world suddenly changed because I couldn't remember who I was anymore.
The battle between Link and Nox raged in my head as Link finally saw Zelda for who she was in this world, his uncomprehending, disbelieving questions filling my mind threatening to suffocate me.
Why did you leave me? Why don't you love me? Why did you send me back? Why did you put me in this world, this awful, horrible world where you aren't yourself and the Moblins attack Kakiriko and wolfos kill little girls and people don't marry each other for love? No. This isn't right. You should know that this isn't right! Why are you doing this? Why is this happening?
My thoughts grew even more hysteric as I desperately tried to subdue him, but he was just going so fast and yelling at her and I couldn't stop because I want him to yell at her because she's done so much wrong but at the same time I need to stop but I can't stop him. He's too strong. I couldn't tell which thoughts were mine and which ones were his.
This isn't fair. This isn't right. I don't deserve this it isn't supposed to be like this and I can't even fathom why this is happening you're getting married you said you would never marry him you said you were going to marry me but I hate you I don't want to marry you you broke all your promises I don't even know who you are anymore and why are you just standing there looking at me like that?
I don't understand.
The weak voice of Link was crushed by the knowledge that I had given up, that Zelda no longer belonged to him, that she was gone from him forever, and my pain was somehow doubled. Suddenly he took up arms, agreeing with me, screaming that she had to pay for what she'd done.
"Never mind." I said lowly, turning to leave her behind in the courtyard.
"The world is going to burn, Princess." I promised, my voice hard as steel. "And if you try and stop me, I swear to all three Goddesses I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."
She reached her hand out as if trying to grab me, a conflicted look on her face, but I turned harshly away from her touch. "Yourself included." I growled, my voice low and perfectly sincere and undeniably deadly.
And the voice was pleased.
I love stud Archer. He's hilarious to write and now that he's eighteen I can to so many terrible, unspeakable things in my own canon—which hell, I guess is actually canon. Shh, I won't put it in the story. You won't have to read it. I swear…that is, unless you'd like to.
And yep, four sisters of Kassia are Hena, Ashei, (Kassia fits in here) Agitha, and Iza, in age order. Sound familiar?
Also, Link with curly hair. I'm dying to see it.
Leave a word, will you? :)