Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda Series or its characters. I also do not own "Beauty and the Beast", "Les Miserables", or any other musical or piece of music mentioned in this story. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Hello readers! Thank you for your continued support by reading this story. Leave a review and spread the word! In this chapter, a song called "E Piu ti Penso" from "Once Upon a Time in America" is mentioned. Should you be interested in searching up the song while reading, I suggest you reference the duet version by Andrea Bocelli and Ariana Grande. It is simply a beautiful piece of music! Enjoy chapter 43! ~Opal

Chapter 43: Stage Fright

Link's POV

I stayed late at their house that night. Curtis had already gone to bed but encouraged me to stay and spend time with Sally. I was very thankful. Sally and I were drinking hot tea and visiting on the couch, talking about small details about the wedding, like Amy being the flower girl and Malo being the ring bearer. Tilanya was slated to be her maid of honor, while I had Rusl as my best man. Sally set her cup down on the coffee table. "There's one more thing that I'd also like to do if possible." Sally said while fidgeting with her fingers.

I took a sip from my cup as well and looked lovingly at her. "What is it?"

"Would you be willing to sing a duet with me on our wedding day?" She looked at me with hopeful eyes.

"Absolutely. I'd love to!" I set down my teacup on the coffee table and leaned to kiss her on the cheek.

She happily welcomed it and then hugged me tightly. "Yay! I'm so excited!" She clasped her hands together. "I'll be right back." She walked into her bedroom and started looking for something. What, I wasn't sure. She came back out with a song book.

I laughed. "I take it you already know what piece we should sing?"

"I've known since I was 15!" She happily hugged the book tightly as she walked to me.

I was puzzled. "15?"

"That was when I resolved in my mind that I wanted to have a duet with my future husband." She replied. "It's been a dream of mine."

"Oh." I grinned, touched by the fact that I get to help her realize that dream. "I will sing with you anytime and anywhere." I blushed. "I think it's a rather romantic gesture for us to sing together at our wedding."

"I agree." She sat down next to me and kissed me on the lips, our mouths slightly opening and closing as the kiss became more passionate. We stopped kissing after a minute. "I'd do more, but I'd hate for my father to catch us." She reddened.

I rubbed noses with her and kissed her forehead, finally settling on pressing my forehead to hers. "Not to worry, sweetheart."

She beamed at me and then turned to flip through the pages of the songbook. "I got this songbook as a gift from my father on my fifteenth birthday." She said as she searched for the song. "Here it is!" She handed it to me. "It's an Italian song called 'E Piu Ti Penso.'" She explained. "It tells of lovers that struggle to be apart who determine that life wouldn't be worth living without the other."

"I love that." I said, kissing her hand.

She jumped up. "I'll be back!" She ran excitedly back into her room. She raced back with her music journal and flipped to an older entry. "Here's the actual translation of each line in the song." She handed it to me to read.

I read the words and was moved by how poetic it was. So unwavering and sentimental…so much like us and our relationship. "I love this song already!" I placed the songbook and her journal on the coffee table and brought her close to me, kissing her lips, then her cheeks, and then her nose.

"I'm glad you do!" She caressed my cheek. "I can't wait to practice with you."

"Tomorrow morning?" I looked at her. She laughed softly. "I'm serious. I want to perform this well."

"I know you will, Honey." She kissed me on the cheek.

I yawned loudly and looked at my communication orb. "Midnight…"

"Oh." She responded sadly.

I took her hands. "Can't I just take you home already?!" I huffed playfully.

She giggled. "Two months." She kissed me slowly as I kissed her back.

"Two of the longest months in my whole damn life!" I whispered.

"I know!" She whispered back. "I wish it was now, too."

I pulled her close to me as I leaned back on the couch, hugging her tightly and kissing her deeply, our faces flushed. I gently squeezed her rear end and she silently gasped. "I know that you know what I want to do." I sighed and whispered into her ear, "I've got to tell myself; two months, Link, two months."

Her face turned the hue of a red rose. "I can't wait either, Link!" She whispered and we kissed passionately again.

I could have stayed like that with her all night, but I knew I had to get going. We got up from the couch and hugged each other tightly. "Sleep well, beautiful." I murmured.

"Sleep well, handsome." She replied. We pecked on the lips and I left to go home.

I exhaled in dismay as I stepped inside my house and was welcomed with nothing but silence. I got undressed and laid in bed staring at the ceiling. My desire for her and to be married to her only grows the closer we get to that wonderful day. The day that we can finally be together without any inhibitions…it simply couldn't come fast enough. After an hour of struggling I finally fell asleep.

The next day we rehearsed our song for a couple of hours at the farmhouse. She played the piano accompaniment and sang her part. We combined our parts as we got more comfortable and it sounded so beautiful. After another half an hour we sat down to eat some lunch. I kept on studying the piece as I ate, seeing that it calls for a sweeping orchestral accompaniment. "Wow. This calls for a lot of instruments in the background. I'll bet it sounds magnificent!"

She nodded and closed her eyes dreamily. "It would be lovely to hear it." She took another bite of her food and didn't say another word about it. Since we are getting married at Eldinaire Village, we decided that we'd sing it acapella, which would still sound amazing, I'm sure…but I can tell that she would really like the accompaniment. I'll see if I can make that happen for her…

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, and soon a little over a month had passed since then. After many rehearsals, we were finally ready for the premiere of "Wicked" at the Hyrule House of the Arts. We stopped at Telma's Bar for dinner the night before the premiere and Sally was nothing short of nervous. She has always had a great voice, but lately she's started to think she isn't adequate for the part of "Elphaba". Telma saw her shaking as I tried to convince her otherwise. She set a glass down that she was drying with a heavy thud and came walking over to our table. "Sally, you are shaking in your boots! What's the matter, Hun?"

"I think I bit off more than I can chew taking the part of 'Elphaba.'" She shook her head. "I'm just not good enough."

I grabbed her hand and held it, rubbing the top with my thumb. I then looked at Telma. "I've been trying to tell her that she is doing a great job, even perfecting a belting technique for songs like 'Defying Gravity', but I just can't make her see what I see."

She rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed Sally's shoulders. I let go of her so Telma could grab her hands and lift her up from her seat. She looked her straight in the eye. "Don't forget I've known you for longer than you've known Link!" She placed her hands on her shoulders. "And EVERY time you get ready for a premiere you are like this!"

"I'm sorry, Telma…I–" Sally seemed ashamed of herself.

"Have some CONFIDENCE!" She shook Sally's shoulders gently and then used her hands to turn her around to face me. "Look at this man!" She spoke from behind Sally's ear. Sally looked at me shyly and I smiled sheepishly. Telma continued. "He loves you and knows that you're going to be an incredible 'Elphaba' tomorrow. He knows how good you are, you just have to see that for yourself!"

Telma let go of her and I stood up and hugged her tightly. "She's right, you know?" I said softly, kissing her on the cheek.

I stopped hugging her and she turned to us both. "Thank you both. I'm just so scared of messing up, but I will do my best!"

"You've got this, Hun!" Telma winked.

"Your 'Fiyero' will be by your side no matter what!" I squeezed her hand.

She smiled and we sat back down to finish dinner. I took her home later that night and then went home to sleep to get ready for tomorrow's festivities.

The next morning I woke up and got dressed, leaving my house around 8am to pick Sally up to take her to the theatre with me. On the day of the premiere, the Hyrule House of the Arts hosts a brunch for the cast and crew to celebrate opening night. An after party with refreshments is open to the cast and any audience members that want to mingle after the show as well. It was going to be a very busy, but fun day. I trotted to the village and welcomed the warm sunlight, thinking to myself; Today's May 4th…less than a month until I get to marry the woman of my dreams… My heart skipped a beat as I sighed happily and dismounted Epona, walking to the front door of the farmhouse and knocking. My love answered it groggily, looking like she had barely slept a wink. "Good morning…" She looked down at the ground. "I'm sure I look a mess. I could barely sleep last night…did you know you were marrying a troll, by the way?"

I chuckled lightly, holding her chin in my hand and moving her face up to mine. "You will always be beautiful to me." I kissed her slowly on the lips. "That being said, I'm a little worried about you. I'll bet you're tired." She yawned loudly, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them with a couple of blinks. "I'm taking you home after brunch to get some rest before we go back to the theatre. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"I'll be okay…" She looked at me with heavy eyes. "Really…" She stood in place and yawned again. I lifted her into my arms and carried her to Epona and then hoisted her up on the saddle as she swung her legs over to get on. I quickly got up and sat behind her so she could lay against me. We weren't even a mile from the village when she fell fast asleep as we trotted to Castle Town, her head tilted towards my left shoulder. The air was fresh and the sun was bright, flowers blooming all around the field. The bright azure skies were the perfect crescendo; it was a splendid sight. We arrived at the horse stables near the entrance and I tapped her cheek. "Hmmmm?" She hummed.

"We're here, Sleeping Beauty." I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

She looked up and smiled at me, still happily laying against my chest. She turned and nuzzled her face into my arm. "That was a nice nap!"

"Should I carry you, milady?" I smirked. She laughed at my remark. "Are you too sleepy to walk?

"Pfffft!" She teased. "I'm not that tired!" I dismounted Epona and extended out my hand to help her down. She turned so she was sitting side-saddle and smiled slyly. "Tally ho!" She jumped and I caught her in my arms. I spun her around as we beamed at each other. I then set her down and we got ready to head towards the theatre.

Suddenly I got a call on my communication orb. It was Jeremy. We stopped in our tracks and I answered the call. "Good morning!" I answered. "Are you two on your way from the Twilight Realm?"

"Change of plans, you guys." He sounded tremulous. "Midna's in labor. I need to stay at the castle and attend to my queen. I hope you understand."

My eyes widened, but I was delighted with the good news. "Of course we do!"

"Yes." Sally added. "Please give her my best wishes as you two bring your little one into the world."

"Thank you, and good luck to you both today, 'Elphaba' and 'Fiyero'. Break a leg!"

"Good luck to you both as well." I replied. With that he disconnected the call.

Sally smiled sweetly, like you would at a child. "We'll have to visit them when she's had the chance to recover. I've heard childbirth can be quite difficult."

"Yes." I looked down at the ground as we walked, thinking of her words. How the thought worried me; especially considering my mother. I hope Midna doesn't have any issues. I couldn't help but think of the future, and how deep down I was afraid of that same fate coming for my future wife. It absolutely terrified me.

She was confused by my sudden muteness. She took my hand and led us to the side of the street behind a large pillar. She crouched down a bit and tilted her head to face me, her small smile fading. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a gh–" She cut herself off and stood up, taking her hand and cradling my cheek as I looked up at her with sorrowful eyes. "Your mother…" She whispered. She wrapped her arms around me tight and I started to cry into her shoulder, letting it all out. She ran her fingers through my hair and rubbed my back. "I'm so sorry…"

I remembered our conversation from a month ago when I first told her that my mother died in childbirth.

She and I were walking hand-in-hand in Ordon Village and stopped in front of Rusl, Uli, and Colin's house. Colin had gone to do some sparring with Talo and Rusl was on a mission, so it was just Uli and Amy outside of the house. Amy ran around and played close to the front door while Uli sneezed and coughed hard. She was fighting a nasty cold. We waved to her and she waved back, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and blowing her nose. Sally turned to me. "I think I'm going to offer to watch Amy. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Let's help her out together."

She grinned at this. "Let's go talk to her."

We walked up and offered to help, and Uli gladly accepted. "Thank you so much, you two. I really appreciate it." She sneezed loudly into her sleeve. "Besides, it's good practice if you two ever decide to start a family."

We both blushed brilliantly at the thought. I nodded and Sally let out a soft and nervous giggle.

Uli turned to Amy. "Do you want to go play with Uncle Link and Miss Sally?"

Amy jumped up and down and ran to hug me. I patted her on the shoulder and she then ran Sally's direction, reaching out to her with her hand. "Hold my hand, Sally! Hold my hand!"

"Of course I will, Amy." She laughed, taking hold of the now 6-year-old's hand. We walked to Ordon Spring and she played near the water, taking a stick and drawing lines in the dirt. I watched them both from a couple of feet away as Sally crouched down close to the ground and was at eye-level with her. "What are you drawing?"

"A monster." She said matter-of-factly. "His name is Jerry."

Sally giggled and put her finger to her chin in thought. She looked at me and mouthed, 'be the monster'? I chuckled and nodded. Sally turned back to Amy, engrossed in her drawing. "Oh! I just realized something, Amy!"

"What's that?" She looked at her in wonder.

"I think Link might have turned into Jerry the Monster!"

She drew in a breath in surprise. "Oh no!" She shouted loudly while laughing.

I curled my fingers and held my hands up, stomping towards them. "Rawr! I am Jerry! Hear me roar!"

"Sally! We have to escape!" She yelled as she stood up and took Sally's hand.

"Yes!" Sally turned to her and they started jogging as I jogged after them. Sally had gotten a little ahead of Amy, so I pretended that she was going to get eaten by Jerry the Monster. Sally turned around. "Oh no, Amy! I'll save you!" She jogged over to her and picked her up, swirling her around in a circle. "Whoosh!" Sally said playfully.

"Yay!" Amy cheered as she hugged Sally's neck.

I hugged them both from behind. "I've got you now!"

"Oh no!" Sally shrieked. "Whatever will we do!?"

Amy smiled and poked me on the forehead. "Take this, foul beast!"

I rapidly shook my head side to side, making a funny lip-flapping sound. "I have transformed back to Link! The world is saved thanks to you, Amy!"

Sally set her down and she ran around us excitedly. "yahoo!" We whooped and hollered.

A couple of hours later we took Amy back to Uli's house and Sally and I went to my place to eat some dinner. We sat in silence at the table for a moment, and then Sally looked at me. "It was so much fun watching Amy with you today." She put her hand on top of mine.

"It was." I reddened, setting my fork down and laying my other hand on top of hers. "I…I-I think you'll make a great mother someday."

Her cheeks flushed. "You really think so?"

"Yes." I kissed her lightly on the lips and she looked away.

"You'll make a great father someday, too."

My mouth was agape. "I…um…"

She laughed and tucked her finger under my chin, pushing up to encourage me to close my mouth. "I would love to someday be the mother of your children, Link…" She looked away again, her face glowing.

"I…I…I uh…" I stammered and took a deep breath. I shyly looked down at my lap and whispered. "I'd like that, too."

"Then it's a plan?" She asked. I looked up and she winked. "For someday?"

I looked down again and nodded shyly. I heard her giggle slightly, but it didn't last long as she watched me deep in thought. While I'd love for us to have children together, I couldn't help but think of how childbirth killed my mom. I clenched my fists.

"Did I say something wrong?" She said apprehensively.

"No." I took a deep breath and looked at her. "I really would love that…it's just…that's how my mom died…giving birth to me."

Tears began to fall from her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Link. I didn't know that was how she passed." We embraced and she whispered in my ear. "I'm so sorry..." I hugged her tighter and we kissed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner; it's just a really difficult subject for me."

We embraced again.

End of Flashback

Sally held me close as I sobbed. "I don't want to risk losing you." I took a deep breath. "This all just hit too close to home for me…"

She slowly swayed us back and forth. "I'm not going anywhere without you." She whispered in my ear. "Never." She took her fingers and gently wiped under my eyes. I stopped her from swaying us and squeezed her tightly, kissing her lips tenderly. We had been in that spot for a good 15 minutes as she consoled me. I felt bad about it and tried to take her hand and walk forward, but she stopped me. "You take all the time that you need."

I hugged and kissed her again. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"You're welcome, Honey."

I smiled, wrapped my arms around her, and lifted her up slightly as I kissed her. She smiled back as I lowered her down and we came out of our embrace. "I'm ready." I said, holding her hand. We walked to the theatre and went inside.

We were the last ones to show up to the brunch. The stage was already set up for the opening scene tonight, so everyone was sitting in the seats of the theatre, a long buffet table set up in the back. We walked up and each grabbed a plate as we stood in line. The table was overflowing with fruits, meats and cheeses, an assortment of juices, boiled eggs, and mounds of pastries. We each grabbed some food and sat down in the seats to eat. I turned to the angel sitting to the left of me. "This all looks so good, but where is your mother's pie?!" I winked at her. "It's not a party without that pie!"

She laughed. "I can make some tonight after the show."

"I'm holding you to it, Missy!" I used my hand to move her face to mine and nuzzled noses. She grinned ear-to-ear.

Martha came up to us with her plate of food a minute later. "Mind if I sit to the left of you, Sally?" She asked gently.

"Not at all." Sally gleamed at her.

She sat down and engaged us both in conversation. "Are you ready for tonight, 'Elphaba' and 'Fiyero'?"

"Yes!" Sally squealed. "This has been a dream role of mine for a while!"

They both looked at me. "I'm excited too! A little nervous for my first role, but ready to support my 'Elphaba'." I winked at Sally, making her blush.

"You two really are the sweetest." Martha grinned, turning to face her plate again and taking a bite of her food. She then smirked. "I will be the greatest 'Glinda' the world has ever seen!"

I glanced and saw Nikolay in the distance, sitting by himself. "I am going to try to smooth things over with him." Sally and Martha nodded as I got up and moved his direction.

Sally's POV

"He's brave to try." Martha commented. "Nikolay is pretty rough around the edges."

I nodded. "How has rehearsing your interactions with him as 'Glinda' and 'Boq' been going?"

"He's very reserved, but he's slowly come out of his shell with me." She gazed at me. "He can still be inappropriately opinionated, though."

"Yes. I am all too familiar with that." I thought back to our rather unpleasant last interaction and how my dearest hero came to my aid. Link is way too good to me. I can't believe I get to be the lucky lady to marry this selfless and amazing man! My cheeks went pink as I daydreamed of our future together.

"Sally, earth to Sally?" Martha looked at me with a worried face. I looked back at her. "You okay?"

I blushed in embarrassment. "Yes. I got lost in thought."

"A blushing bride-to-be." She smiled, standing up. "My love!" She exclaimed upon seeing her boyfriend. "I'd better get going." She walked away from me.

I ate my last couple of bites in silence as I watched everyone. I looked at Link as he talked to Nikolay and saw them both laughing with each other. I'm glad it's going well. I took my plate and put it in the kitchen of the theatre to be washed and sat back down in my seat, appreciating the soft murmurs of people talking around me.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Sally Leowitz?" A woman called from behind me.

I stood at my seat and turned around. A woman in a long blue dress with long sleeves came up to me. I answered her. "Yes. I'm Sally."

She curtsied and I went to shake hands with her, but instead of shaking hands, she flinched slightly, looking confused. "You are Sir Link's betrothed, are you not?"

"I am." I replied coolly, feeling a little unsure about her reaction to my attempted handshake.

"My apologies." She bowed her head slightly. "I thought you would display more proper etiquette, considering that you're marrying a nobleman."

I was a little irritated at this point, but I tried to hide my displeasure from her. "I'm sorry if I am not what you were expecting as Link's future wife." I curtsied awkwardly, not used to such formalities.

She put her hand to her mouth and laughed softly. "Yes, well, I wanted to talk to you in private regarding your upcoming marriage." I looked at her with confusion. She tittered again. "Where are my manners? My name is Olivia. I am one of two advisors to the royal family of Hyrule."

"Oh!" I said with embarrassment, attempting to curtsy again. "It's…uh…a pleasure to meet you, Miss Olivia."

She laughed once more. "No need to curtsy." She gestured with her hand. "Please follow me."

I hesitated. "Shouldn't my future husband be part of this conversation?"

"He has already spoken to the king regarding what I am going to share with you." She said, holding out her hand again. "I only wish to speak to you in the back corner of the room where we can have some peace and quiet."

The King?! I thought to myself. It must be important, then! I accepted this and followed her. When we were out of earshot I spoke up. "What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

"Well, the king spoke to Sir Link four months ago and extended some offers to the two of you, all in congratulatory regard, of course. But Sir Link was…indecisive, to say the least."

"Indecisive?" I asked, wondering in my mind what the "offers" were.

"Sir Link's family has a long history of great warriors that have gallantly protected Hyrule from evil. When we heard of your upcoming nuptials, the king was most pleased."

"Well, that's good to hear." I responded.

"And so his royal highness invited Sir Link to the castle back in January to offer three things; a fine house constructed in Castle Town with two bedrooms and ample space for you and Sir Link to share, lifetime protection and monitoring from the royal guard, and the offer to hold your wedding at Hyrule Castle."

My hand flew to my mouth. I quickly drew it away and upturned my lips into a small smile. "That's very kind, but why all of the pomp and circumstance, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Did Sir Link inform you of any of this?" She looked quizzically at me.

"Well, no…" I said as I pondered why he hadn't mentioned it. "He said that he has been provided extra protection on his missions, but that was all that he divulged."

She scowled, apparently disappointed. "I see…" She made eye contact with me. "These gifts are being offered due to Sir Link being such an important asset to this country, and since you are his chosen bride, you now also hold the same reverence."

I was flattered, placing my hand to my heart. "Well, thank you…"

"Thank you for helping Sir Link find love and greater meaning in life."

"He has helped me find love and greater meaning, too. He is everything to me."

"Then surely you'll understand when I say that there is something we need from you since he is so important to us all."

I was puzzled. "From me?" I pointed at myself.

She nodded. "It is imperative that his bloodline continues."

I blushed madly at this. "I…"

"We expect you to have his son before your first wedding anniversary."

I didn't know if it was embarrassment, feeling enamored over the thought of having children with Link, still feeling very tired from the lack of sleep last night, the shock of such a high expectation bestowed upon my shoulders, or a combination of all of these things, but I completely lost it and fainted.

Link's POV

I heard a thud from across the theatre and gasps filled the room. I searched for Sally and didn't see her at her seat. I panicked and ran up to where a small crowd of people were gathering in a corner of the theatre behind all the seats. A woman was standing over her with her hand over her mouth as she just laid there. I broke my way through the crowd. "What happened to Sally?!" I hollered at the woman.

"I…" The woman hesitated.

"Never mind!" I shouted as I knelt by Sally and checked for vital signs. Good, her vital signs are normal, she's just passed out… I heaved a sigh of relief and caressed her cheek. Whatever happened made her as red as a ripened tomato…

"Sir Link, I can explain." The woman spoke. I looked at her and nodded. She continued. "You see, I am an advisor to the Hylian royal family."

I was shocked. "What did you say to her?!" I glared at her. The crowd clamored at my reaction, apparently surprised. "I…" I stammered, looking around at the crowd. "Please give us some space. I would like to continue this discussion in private." They all went to the other side of the room, whispering amongst one another.

"Sir Link." She said with a curtsy. "I simply told Miss Sally of her obligation to the country of Hyrule."

My mouth dropped. "You WHAT?!" I screamed, clenching my fists as I stood up.

"Sir Link, I believe you may be throwing this out of proportion." She replied. "It isn't our fault you didn't mention these important matt–"

I cut her off. "Enough!" I stared at her with rile. "I didn't want her to be burdened by such lofty expectations."

She curtsied again. "My apologies for upsetting you, Sir Link. I will take my leave." She walked away as I knelt again by Sally. A minute later I heard the front door close.

I moved myself and picked her up slightly to rest her head on my lap instead of the hard ground. She's out cold…I stroked her face with my fingertips as she slept. I watched her and frowned. I was furious! I wanted to march to the castle and give the king and his council a piece of my mind! Not that it would help; they're obviously hell-bent on us having a son to "continue the legacy". I gently placed her head down as I moved to kneel on one knee, lifting her up into my arms. The cast members saw me move towards the door and gathered around me. "Is Sally okay?" Martha spoke, genuine concern in her voice.

"Yes." I turned to them all and smiled. "She's just really tired. Sorry for the commotion."

"Will she be alright for opening night tonight?" Nikolay inquired.

"She'll be ready for tonight." I grinned. "I'm going to take her back to the village to rest for a while."

"I'll help you." Nikolay offered. He followed me to the horse stables as I carried Sally. I handed Sally to his outstretched arms long enough to unhitch Epona and mount the saddle. I bent my torso and arms downward as he placed her back in my arms. I sat her in front of me and laid her head against my chest, and then grabbed the reins and faced him. "Be safe, and we'll see you two tonight." He smiled.

"Thank you for your help, Nikolay." I said. We nodded to each other and I rode away towards Ordon Village. I'll let her rest at our new home, I'd hate to give Curtis a reason to worry when she's just exhausted.

I rode into Ordon Village and came up to the new home built for us, complete with a small two-place horse stable. I had used my communication orb to inform Rusl of the incident and he was standing by the horse stables to help me get Sally inside. "Still out like a light, I see!" He reached out with his arms as I handed her to him so I could dismount and hitch up Epona. I thanked him and he handed her back to me. "I'm sure this was all quite a shock for her."

I nodded. "It didn't help that she was so nervous for opening night tonight and barely slept last night."

Rusl chuckled. "Oh geez!" He patted me on the shoulder. "I know you'll take good care of her, though. She'll feel better in no time!"

"Link!" Colin ran up to us, fear in his eyes. "Is Sally okay?!"

"Yeah." I looked sweetly at her and then at Colin. "She's just exhausted."

He heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that she's alright!"

Rusl placed his hand on Colin's shoulder. "Let's leave them be. Give them some privacy."

"Okay." Colin agreed. They walked away.

I walked up the porch and unlocked the door and carried her inside, shutting the door behind me. I smiled as I looked around at our plain living room and kitchen with a fireplace and a table with four chairs. By the fire was a couch and an area rug. Interspersed throughout the space were little touches from the both of us, such as Sally's piano near the couch and some dishes and utensils that used to belong to her mother, and some of my storage chests and equipment hanging on the walls. It was significantly larger than my treehouse, perfect for us. I am completely moved in, but she still isn't. I look forward to that changing soon. I established the bedroom to the right to be ours. I carried her there and laid her on my large bed, soon to be our large bed. I sighed at the thought, taking an extra blanket out of the closet and laying it on top of her. I kissed her on the forehead and turned away to let her rest. After taking a moment to admire her small collection of 3 childhood dolls and a teddy bear perched on top of a crate in the corner of the bedroom, I sat on the other side of the bed with a book. I laid down and started to read in the quiet, the only sound being her soft breathing next to me as she slept.

After around an hour I was interrupted from the book by the sound of her rolling over to her right side. She sighed, still fast asleep. I put the book down on my lap and reached over to my right to untie her hair ribbon, her yellow hair cascading down her shoulders and part way down her back. I laid the ribbon on the end table next to me and reached over to her once more to gently stroke her hair. I selfishly wanted to love on her and hold her, but I knew she desperately needed sleep. At least there's a kissing scene between 'Fiyero' and 'Elphaba' during the show, which is great.

I reflected on this morning and felt horribly for her. First she's running on nothing but steam this morning, and then she gets to be told by a public official that the country is reliant on her having a child with me…It's a lot to take in. I need to do something special for her. I got up and grabbed my boots and headed out the front door, locking it behind me to keep her safe and sound. I headed to Sera's Sundries and walked up to the counter. "Why, if it isn't the ex-bachelor-to-be!" She smiled, petting her cat that shares my name. "What can I do for you?"

"Sally's having a rough day today and I wanted to do something special for her." I told her, looking behind her on the shelves. "I know it isn't often that you do, but do you happen to have any fresh flowers I can purchase?"

She smiled. "You're in luck! I picked some in my garden early this morning." She went back to a small storage room in the back and came back out with a dozen red roses tied with a ribbon.

"Roses?" I grinned. "You've stepped up a level with what you stock!"

"I have a new rose bush that I've been tending to. This is from the very first bloom." She handed them to me. I noticed that the thorns had already been carefully trimmed off. "They are free of charge for your future wife."

I was flabbergasted, shaking my head as I gently placed the roses on the counter and reached for my wallet. "No, no, Sera. I have to pay you something."

She laughed. "I picked these for the vase on my dinner table this morning, thinking it would make a lovely centerpiece, but knowing they are going to Sally in a time of hardship gives them greater purpose." She pushed them to the edge of the counter. "Take them, they're the only free ones I'm giving."

I took them graciously and nodded. "Thank you, Sera. Have a good day."

"You too, and never forget to take good care of her!" She said as I was walking out the door.

"Trust me, I won't!" I looked back and flashed my teeth, walking out and shutting the door. I gently held the bouquet in my hand as I walked back to the house, smiling at Sera's remark. This isn't the first time I've given her flowers and it certainly won't be the last. I unlocked the door and stepped inside quietly. I peeked into the bedroom and saw that she was still fast asleep, so I grabbed a vase and filled it with some water, untying the ribbon holding the flowers and setting the roses inside the vase. I then tied the same ribbon around the neck of the vase and carried it into the bedroom, placing it softly on the end table next to her. I walked back into the living room and grabbed my field journal and carefully tore a page out, writing her a note and placing it next to the vase. I kissed her on the cheek and sat back down on the bed with my book.

An hour later and it was 1:30pm. If we were going to make it to the theatre in time to get ready for the show at 6:30, we really needed to head out of here by 2:30, 2:45pm at the very latest. I went into the kitchen to snack on some cheese and pork jerky from Curtis' farm.

Sally's POV

I woke up and at first didn't recognize where I was. I saw that I was in a bedroom and sat up, looking to my left to see my three dolls and teddy bear in the corner of the room. I'm at Link's new house…well, our future home. I remembered what happened before I passed out, putting my hand to my face. How embarrassing! I had no idea that the royal family and the council members were going to meddle in our lives this much! I felt much more rested and stretched, finally looking to my right to see a vase full of a dozen red roses and a note. I reddened and reached over for the note. It read:

My dearest Sally,

I am so sorry for what happened this morning. I never wanted you to feel burdened by society's expectations for us. Please know that this "requirement" that we have a son specifically is irrelevant to me; all that matters is that I get to spend my life with you. Whether we decide to have children or not, I'll be beyond happy regardless, because I get to be with the love of my life. I will always love and cherish you for as long as I live.

Your dearest hero

Link

My eyes welled up with tears. I'm the luckiest girl alive! I wiped a couple of tears from my face and looked to the bedroom door, which was shut. I got up and briefly smelled the roses and then walked up to the door. I opened it to see Link preparing something in the kitchen, so his back was turned. I snuck up on him and hugged him from behind. "Thank you…" I muffled into his back.

He rubbed my hands with his and turned around to face me. I wrapped my arms around his back as he leaned in and kissed me, wrapping his arms around me. "I love you."

"I love you." I returned before kissing him passionately.