Lost in Time- A Zelink Story

Chapter Five

I wake up the next morning, and it takes me a minute to remember where I am. There are birds singing, and the grey of the early morning sky hangs drearily above my head. A warm hand is clasped in mine. The memories come rushing back.

Quietly, I ease my hand out of Link's grasp and stand up, trying to keep myself from panicking. The lanterns have burned out, and Link sleeps soundly on the blanket, looking peaceful and happy. What have I done?

I glance towards the edge of the field we are in, and see that the horses are still there, tied to a tree and looking very unhappy. Before I can think about what I'm doing, which seems to have become a theme for me, I pick my way through the grass to my grey mare, who snorts irritably when she sees me coming. My boots crush a few twigs, which snap loudly in the early morning, and I pray to Hylia that they don't wake Link. Whispering a quick "sorry" I climb unsteadily onto her back and gallop towards the castle as fast as I can, not looking back.

When I arrive at the stables, I hand over the irritable mare's reins to a very confused stable boy, and walk quickly into the castle. As I'm making my way to my rooms, I stop. I can't go there. That's exactly where Link will go. I stand in the middle of the carpeted hallway for a few minutes, thoughts racing through my head. Mainly: what have I done?

Finally, I remember that the grand, beautiful library exists, and that I'm technically supposed to be there anyway, doing research. Changing course, I dash for the doors, wanting to hide from what I've done. When I enter the large room, I see Mineru, still at the table we studied at yesterday, asleep on a pile of papers. Her books are scattered around her, and there are seven drawings of small, teardrop shaped stones with intricate carvings taped haphazardly to a chalkboard. Exhaling, I stand at the entryway, unsure what to do.

"Zelda, is that you?" Mineru asks sleepily, blinking in the dim morning light.

"Sorry,'' I say, " I didn't mean to wake you. I was just... I was up early, and I didn't know where else to go."

She's quiet for a bit while I sit down gingerly across from her, trying to calm myself down. I pull a book from the stack, fully prepared to drown my emotions in studies, but she stops me, gently pushing the book back down onto the table.

"Did something happen?" she asks softly.

"No," I say, much too quickly.

"Let me rephrase that," she says in a lower voice, "what happened?"

"I- nothing. Just... it doesn't matter, really."

"Then it should be fine for you to tell me, shouldn't it," she murmurs, concern on her face.

"It's stupid," I start, but give in at her stern look, "Link... he kissed me."

"Did you not... want him to?" she asks, looking surprised as I hide my face in my hands.

"No, no, I did. I kissed him, too."

"Then what exactly is the problem?"

"I don't know I- we can't date, that's the problem," I say, panicking more as I voice my fears, "we can never, and I can't lose him as a friend. And I don't know. And I think he's probably going to hate me now, because I left."

"And why can you two never date?" Mineru asks, confused.

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"Because, a princess can't marry a knight. She has to do what's best for all of Hyrule. I can't date him because we would inevitably break up, and I can't do that."

Mineru is silent for a while, watching me fidget with the pages of a large book, before she says quietly, "I won't pry, or try to change your mind, but what makes you think that Link wouldn't be good for all of Hyrule?"