The Edge Of Darkness (Link x Dark)

Chapter 2: All Hail The Queen

"How long do we have to keep these smiles plastered on our faces?" Zelda, princess and soon-to-be Queen of Hyrule asked. Link gave her a sideways glance, trying not to laugh.

"You tell me, this is your ceremony!" He was standing on her left, wearing his brand new green tunic. It was what he considered to be a dress tunic, with gold trim on the edge of the sleeves and at the bottom hem. There was even a small Triforce embroidered on the back, directly underneath the collar. He had gotten it made special for the coronation, but figured he could wear it for any other fancy events he needed to attend in the future.

"Quiet down, children." Impa did not look amused, although she too was wearing a big smile for the growing crowd of people. Her duties as the Sage of Shadow did not normally permit her to go places aside from the Sacred Realm and the Shadow Temple, but Hylian law dictated that two people connected to the Royal Family had to be with Zelda during the coronation. Because of all the hardships Hyrule had faced, she and Link were the only ones who met that criteria.

However, both of them realized that they were there just as much to protect the princess as they were instruments of the coronation ceremony. Though Hyrule seemed relatively safe, many of Ganondorf's minions still roamed free. If anything could pull them out of hiding, it would be this. News of the coronation had flooded even the far corners of Hyrule - several members of the newly-formed Goron Council were in attendance, as was King Zora, carried in a makeshift throne by several of his loyal subjects. In fact, the only people he did not see in attendance were the Kokiri, who could of course not leave the forest, even for an occasion as monumental as this. He would serve as their representative, should one be needed.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Link looked towards the speaker, whom he recognized as the castle's scribe. The man's name was Cyrus, and he had worked for the castle for longer than Link had even been alive. He had two children and three grandchildren, who were the light of his life. Link had spent many long hours recounting his adventure to him, and last he heard, he was apparently in the process of commissioning artwork to go with the story. Link hoped there was no one out there who felt like drawing him. The last thing he wanted to do was pose for a painting.

"We are here today to honor Princess Zelda on her journey to become Queen of Hyrule! She has demonstrated wisdom beyond her years, courage in the face of danger, and more power than Hyrule has ever seen before. These are the attributes valued by our golden goddesses in the chosen protector of the Triforce." Cyrus produced a small box from behind him, and opened it to reveal the Triforce. It wasn't the real Triforce, of course - those pieces were still split amongst Zelda, Link, and Ganon, where they would remain until a safe way to reassemble the Triforce was discovered. This one was just an imitation - though a well-made one.

"Impa. Sage of Shadow. Protector of the Princess. Do you vouch for Zelda, to be pure of heart and mind, and to be the rightful leader of Hyrule?"

"I do." Impa turned to face the princess, and got down on one knee. Her expression was both stern and serene, a mix fitting for someone who had been expecting this moment for years. But most of all, her face showed pride for her leader and friend.

Cyrus nodded once, and shuffled over to Link. "Link. Hero of Time. Friend of the Princess. Do you vouch for Zelda, to be pure of heart and mind, and to be the rightful leader of Hyrule?"

"I do." Taking his cue from Impa, Link also got down on one knee. He looked up at Zelda, wondering what she thought of all this. Her fingers clutched the fabric of her dress like her life depended on it, the fine silk and cotton layers moving ever so slightly in response to her shaking hands. The crowd wouldn't be able to see her knuckles turning white, but Link could. He realized she probably had expected to have more time to learn how to be queen. Her mother had died when Zelda was very young, and her father had died in the initial struggle with Ganondorf, putting himself in harm's way to ensure her escape from the castle. Since then she had been raised by Impa, who was a guiding voice, but who could not hold a candle to the princess's parents when it came to kingly and queenly matters. And now she was not only expected to be a queen, but to be the queen of a broken land in desperate need of a good leader?