Princess (Zelink)

Princess

Link dismounted his horse Epona and took short and tired strides home. He shut the door behind him and slid off his boots. His dirtied sword was put into his closet, and he gulped down a glass of water before scurrying upstairs to his bed. He collapsed on the very spot.

     "Link." His eyebrows twitched. He sat up and jumped at the sight of the Princess Zelda. The one who deemed him worthy of being her friend. His deep voice echoed about the room, "Princess? What are you..."
     Her sophisticated eyes glimmered in the moonlight and she spoke, her low but calming voice in a mere whisper, "Link, I came to talk to you. Is that okay?"
     "Most certainly." He quickly bowed his head and slid down his ladders with unsettling ease and grabbed a tin teapot and teacups. He gracefully balanced the cups on his head, and filled the teapot up with hot water. He sat her down, and exhaled a breath as he sat himself. "What is it, Princess? Is everything okay? Are you allowed to be here?"
     He detected a feint smile on her lips. She took a sip from her cup and said, "I snuck out. I simply need help, dear Link. I'm to marry someone. But he is... Quite a narcissist. He could ramble on about himself for years, and quite frankly, you're much more the handsome man."
     He smiled at her. His blonde tresses bouncing as he tilted his head. "I appreciate the compliment, Princess."
     She looked at him amusedly, "You needn't call me that anymore, Link. Please call me Zelda."
     He looked shocked, "Nonsense. I'm a commoner. You're a princess preparing to be a queen. If I was caught using such a term, I'd be thrown out of the town. Besides, a 'Princess' is what you are. And I've been calling you that since I was six." Though I would love to call you Zelda.
     She nodded, somewhat disappointedly, and said, "Continuing, I don't want to marry someone like him."
     Link stared at her almond coloured hair. Her dark, neat, and gorgeous tresses that rustled quietly in the cool breeze. He looked at her perfect face. Her eyes that showed wisdom, power, and grace all at once. Her pretty nose, fair complexion and skin. He looked at her arms. How wonderfully-shaped and strong, to her slender and long fingers... She was a Goddess from heaven to him.
     "Link? Are you sick? I'm sorry, have I chosen the wrong time to disrupt your sleep?" A look of calm apprehension grazed her features, and he blinked.
     "Ah, don't worry, Princess. I'm just thinking of someone pretty." He rested his chin on his hand and stared at her.
     She hummed and noticed how he changed over the last year. He gained more muscle, and his blonde tresses were a bit shorter. He grew up, and somehow his facial features became sharper. He exchanged his earrings with the ones she bought him last year, and his blue eyes of courage, strength, and brilliance shone. He wasn't wearing the tunic he saved her in. Rather, a normal, white, wrinkled shirt and black pants. She shook her head to release the thoughts. "What should I do, Link? I'm pretty sure I love someone else, too."
     He froze. Of course, asking her would be looked down upon. And it's none of his business.... So why does it feel like it is? "So you love someone, Princess?"
     She gave him a blank stare, "Yes."
His heart wrung with an unfamiliar pain. He bitterly hid it. His face creased with sorrow. It shouldn't hurt this much. Don't be selfish, now. She's a princess.
Her index finger lightly tapped his calloused hand. He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed, sapphire eyes filled with pain. "So you haven't figured it out yet."
He felt a paroxysm of hope. "Pardon me, Princess?"
The same feint smile was on her lips and she slightly tilted her head at him. "Have you considered the man I love to be you?"
He was completely flummoxed by the question. "I-I've dreamed of it."
She got out of her seat and dusted off her elegant, pristine nightgown. He hesitated, then said, "I'm sure... That the man you love... loves you two millions times more."
Zelda looked at him. Her face was kind and confident. "I won't doubt that. And it's  quite interesting not seeing you in a green tunic."
     He chuckled, "May I ask why that matters, my Princess?"
     "You're a handsome man, Link. That's why it matters." He coughed up his tea, and covered his mouth with his arm, "You're going to be the death of me..."
     As she approached his front door, he asked, "Are you going to marry that narcissistic Megalomaniac?"
     She shook her head. "No." She reached out her hand to him, "I'm going to marry the man I love."
     He took it eagerly and drew her to his broad chest. "I accept. I love you also, Princess. More than the Goddesses that brought you to me. More than anyone in this world. And definitely more than that man does."
     Her fingers dug into his shirt, "You're still so polite and kind to me... You're a wolf, are you not?"
     Link kissed her forehead, "I'm a lone wolf who found his everything."
     "You mustn't irritate any of the men that work for me, Link. I know you're quite possessive," She said quietly.
     "And if I do?"
     "I won't talk to you for a day." She smiled when he twitched.
     "That's pure torture... Don't do that to me, Zelda." His deep voice sounded appealing to her in a whine.
     "Thank you for finally calling me Zelda."
     He nuzzled her head with his nose, "I've been yearning to do so for a while."
     "Now, let us go to the castle."
     And with Epona, they started a new life.
~Fin