Just as happiness had reached its peak, that very moment when the Hero slid that diamond ring upon the Princess's finger, just when they had forgotten completely of the heartache that had plagued them and succumbed solely to the love that lye within their hearts, the great evil that had silently been crawling its way through the Door of Time had grown ever more powerful. Still the Princess swore to wear the ring for eternity, pledging her love to the Hero who had saved her life so many times before. Even if only as a token to remember him by when their time was done, she would never remove it. This she silently vowed that night under the stars.
“Epona! Tut-tut! Here girl!” He clapped his hands and yelled to his horse as he lowered the ocarina from his lips, walking slowly in the sand and catching Zelda's eye with a slight smile. It was early, and they both seemed to be in a much better mood than the previous day, though they both knew the other was secretly hurting worse then ever, as it was their final day together.
Zelda picked her long white glove off the ground from the night before, shaking it off and then glancing down at her bare hand. She stared at the golden ring in awe for a moment; it was crafted so intricately and fitted with the largest and most sparkling diamond she had ever seen. She rotated her hand, allowing it to catch whatever sunlight was making its way through the clouds. “You'd better take good care of that,” She heard him say jokingly, startling her.
“I will,” She replied simply as Epona galloped towards them. “I'll never take it off; I promise I'll never love anyone aside from you. I'll never allow my lips to touch another human being's…and, as far as I'm concerned, I am already your bride.”
He smiled at her words, looking a bit surprised at her answer, but then nodding, “I second that, I'll never so much as glance at another. You are the fire in my soul. You are what drives me to keep going. In fact, if it weren't for you, I'd be as cowardly as…well, I don't know what.”
The princess giggled, “I don't know about that…” but it quickly faded as she simply held her glove for a moment.
She felt Link lye his hand upon the one she had been staring at. “It's all right, you should hide it. We don't want anyone becoming suspicious of you because you're wearing a ring. ” He then took the glove from her, gently beginning to slide it back onto her fingers.
“I feel so terrible…” She turned her head from it, blanching at the sight. “To cover up something so beautiful…so meaningful…”
“Don't feel that way… I told you, it's all right…” He finished sliding the glove over her arm, taking her hand and leading her to Epona. “You need to learn not to worry so much, salient.”
She simply looked at the ground as Link spoke again, “So…you'd trust me as the king of your country, would you…” He smiled, helping her onto the horse. Zelda couldn't tell if he was trying to be cheery or if the night before had really struck him so positively that he could remain in this good of mood even knowing the situation.
“Of course,” She said as he got on behind her, slipping an arm around her with one hand and taking Epona's reins with the other. “You're intelligent enough to get the job done, you're probably the most respected man in the entire country, and frankly, I love you and I know you'd never let me down.”
“As long as I'd have my incisive wife by my side, I might be able to do it. But without you to help me out, I'd fall apart in five minutes. You have to remember I'm just some kid from the forest, speaking in front of millions of people and living in a castle's not exactly what you'd call normal for people like me.”
“Don't sell yourself short, you could do an incredible job of running the country, and you wouldn't need me at all.”
“You think so?”
“I know so…”
“I love you, Zelda.” He spoke the words out of nowhere at her statement, “and rest assured, if we weren't riding this horse, I'd be kissing you.” He seemed pleased at her smile to that statement. “So, I suppose we are bound for Hyrule Castle, then, Honey?” He played with the word, both of them beaming as he did so.
“Yes, I suppose so…” She bit her lip. “You know,” she colored for a moment, looking down at the horse's mane, “it would be so wonderful if we could actually wed…and maybe even start a family…”
He shrugged, “Why are you embarrassed about that? That's nothing to be ashamed over…I agree wholeheartedly.” A silence fell over them at that point.
They could hear the masked pain in the other's voice as they spoke, knowing in both their hearts that they wished only to be together forever, making Zelda almost wish she had never brought it up. “Hey,” Link smiled slightly after a moment, “If we had a child, what do you think we should name it?”
“Oh…I don't know…I haven't really thought about it.”
“Well, Tetra is a very beautiful name for a girl. What about that?”
Zelda nodded. “I agree…”
“And for a boy…I don't know why, but I like Evan. I just like the sound of it.”
“Yes, it sounds very…gentle. I like it too. But…Link, it surprises me a bit that you've already thought of names for your children.” She looked at him curiously, “You didn't just pull those off the top of your head, did you?”
Link blushed, “No, I've thought of them before. I've kind of wondered what it would be like to be a father.” He glanced at her to see her reaction, “And of course, there's only one person I'd ever want as their mother.”
Zelda reddened, turning her head away from him. She had seen something in his eye that sent a shiver of nerves through her.
“So…” She said, attempting to change the subject, “how did you afford that ring, anyway?”
“Oh,” He shrugged once more, “how else was I supposed to use all of that reward money I received from everywhere?”
“You spent all of that?”
He nodded, whispering closely to her ear, “Your heart is worth more to me than life itself; I cannot put a monetary value upon it. I love you, and I'd do anything to prove that. Besides, your hand in marriage is the only thing I ever really wanted. What good would that money do me if I had nothing to acquire with it?”
“Really?” She was near tears. If what he was saying was true, and the pure honesty in his voice told her it was, than the goddesses were denying him his only real desire. Even after he'd saved this world…
“Indubitably. I told you before; you are the fire in my heart.”
“Link…”
They realized suddenly that they were already nearing Hyrule Castle.
“Look, source-of-immense-ardor-in-my-heart, we're nearly there! I can't believe how fast time flew!” He looked into the distance at the castle forming before them.
“I can't believe it either! Hey…what did you call me?” She turned to him for a moment, a smile forming on her face once more.
“Ardor, source-of-immense-ardor-in-my-heart, means passion, love, that sort of thing. I figured you knew.” He smiled back at her with a wink.
“I know, I just meant that since you're stringing words together and calling me entire phrases now, have you run out of synonyms for the numerous things you seem to call me?”
“Oh, no,” He shook his head, “of course not. I just thought I'd try something different, venerated.” His smile broadened as he said the last word, making his point.
“You're a walking thesaurus…” She sighed as she said it, “at least I fell in love with someone intelligent…”
“Thank you, but you're underestimating your own intellect; I'd never be in love with someone who wasn't of equal or greater intelligence than I, and, last time I checked, I still couldn't breathe when I saw you.” He spoke with a grin on his face as he halted Epona in a secluded place a ways from the entrance to Castle Town so as to not be seen.
“I do love you,” was all she could come up with as a reply.
“I know,” they both dismounted. “So I'll see you tonight then, my bride?” He took her hand, taking special care to loom over the finger upon which he had placed the ring.
“Y…yes…” She looked into his eyes. The smile faded from his face as well, and they shared a rare look of sorrow, pain, and longing. Link stayed holding her hand for what seemed like hours, neither of them wanting to let go.
Footsteps suddenly sounded, breaking their gaze. The soldier looked at her nervously for a moment, Zelda then nodding, signaling to him that she understood that he needed to go. He then quickly mounted the silent and well-used to this type of situation Epona, making a stealthy escape.
“Zelda, is that you? How was that little vacation of yours?” The voice sounded stern and commanding.
“Impa?” Zelda silently gulped as the old woman in a skin tight blue jumpsuit appeared in front of her. She was fit, overprotective, and not to mention extremely skilled in martial arts. “I told you and Father that I was going away for a few days…”
The woman thought for a moment, her legs spread apart and her hands on her hips, “Be that as it may, I have a strange feeling about this whole thing. Please don't tell me you've been doing something stupid…”
“Oh, no,” She searched her mind for something to say, a bit frightened by the accuracy of Impa's predictions. “I just needed to get away from things at the castle for awhile; I've been a bit stressed, lately.”
“Whatever you say, young lady,” She squinted, her already wrinkled face becoming even more so as she did, and her white hair that was tied tightly in a bun seemed to blow ever so slightly in the breeze. “Let's get back to the castle.”
Zelda simply nodded, looking at the ground and beginning to follow her, thinking it best not to argue with the adamant old woman.
Back to Part 6 | Continue to Part 8
