Paper Love | Zelink Medieval

Who Promised to Love Her Forever (6)

Wellllllllllllllll, this is the last chapter of Paper Love minus the epilogue ;-; I actually managed to write something short, lol...

Honestly, I think that this is one of my favorite works ever... along with Fighters :)))) it's... yeah, they both hold super special places in my heart for some reason...

This is dedicated to WizLiz0 for just... lollllll, you know why, crazy.

I've been cast in a musical so I'm... yeah, my time is being zapped. But I'd love to work on my other stuff... My drafts give me a heart attack every time I see how much I've started and not completed, lol.

Pls support ;-;

~Zel

Update! There will be no epilogue to this story... I tried writing it... But like... It just wasn't comin', and I decided that this story was best left alone, lest I mess it up :)))

Always,

Zel

Published as of 01/11/18 (not really, but like...)

Edited as of

~~~

Holding back her gasping sobs, Zelda just isn't sure what she is anymore. Who she is without that awful man controlling her and degrading her at every turn. She closes her eyes slowly, her long lashes brushing her cheeks as she feels a deep pain in her chest. Shifting Ganondorf's body in her arms, she gazes down at his closed eyes, taking in his peaceful expression, not at all like the sneer he typically wore.

There's a gaping hole in his chest where Link's pitchfork pierced it, and his body is completely limp in her arms. There are no words to describe how she's feeling right now, and she brushes the red hair away from his forehead.

On one hand, she knows she's been delivered from a terrible future, something that would have stripped her of her identity and left her void of herself. But on the other hand... she misses him. Somehow, deep within her soul, she knows that, even if he was awful to her, by his death, he's taken a piece of her heart with him.

It kills her, knowing that she gave up a piece of herself for a wretch so unworthy of her love like Ganondorf.

She feels a hand on her back, and she jumps slightly in fear, all her muscles relaxing once she realizes that it's just her father.

"Zelda, release him," her father commands, nodding at Link to assist the Princess in rising from her knees. Then, he kicks at Ganondorf's form before muttering to himself. "We'll have him disposed of at the soonest possible moment. And I'll never allow a man like that near you ever again, my daughter. I love you too much to do that to you... Even if I don't always show it sometimes." In a brief show of vulnerability, the king engulfs his daughter in a tight embrace, and she marvels inwardly at this rare display of affection. "Now, you two should clean up."

With those words, Zelda finds herself dismissed from the king's presence, even though she's almost reluctant to leave. She wants to make sure her father is safe... But she also wants to escape the suffocating feeling that appears to be choking the very life out of her.

Almost shyly, Link offers his arm to her, looking around the castle in awe. For a moment, Zelda is quite confused at his obvious wonder at all the grandeur before realizing that this is quite likely the first time he's ever been within the castle walls. Link's hands are rather dirty, and Zelda's feet are bare with the exception of her bandages.

Finally, they arrive in front of her quarters, speaking softly to each other in low tones, carefully tiptoeing around the incident that just occurred.

Suddenly, Zelda turns to look at him, unable to take this hesitation in addressing the obvious issue, "Link, how did you end up in the castle in the first place?"

Shaking his head as though clearing it, Link responds simply, "A servant girl came running into the stables, yelling something about Lord Ganondorf and the king. She was quite distressed and led me to the throne room."

"Well, I'm certainly glad you listened to her," Zelda admits slowly. "I don't know what would have become of me and my father had you not arrived. We owe you our lives."

Link examines the dirt beneath his fingernails while avoiding eye contact with the Princess for a few moments, "You don't owe me anything, your Highness... Just simply being in your lovely presence is enough for me."

"You're too kind, Link," Zelda says before her heart pangs with sadness. She realizes that that's exactly what Ganondorf had said to her when she first met him... "I'd never really be able to believe you, you know..."

"After that fool of a man, I understand why you say that," Link replies honestly. He turns to her, taking her soft hands in his own, hardened and calloused from his work. "Princess, is there any chance that you would bless me with your presence sometime eventually?"

Her words are stolen from her mind, and she looks downward, knowing that Link is so much different from Ganondorf... But somehow, her mind cannot separate the two of them. He's a man, and so was Ganondorf... What makes them different from each other? "I..." she stutters for a few moments...

His concerned blue eyes search hers worriedly. "Did I overstep my bounds, Princess?" he questions quietly before he takes a step back, still holding her hands.

With a small upturn of her lips, she shakes her head, "No, Link... You didn't..." With a careful step forward, she brings their bodies closer together while timidly lifting her chin to look up at him better. "You said exactly what I was hoping to hear."

"If I didn't..." his voice trails off for a few moments before his hand comes up to cup her cheek slowly, "then maybe somehow... this could be okay..."

There are no butterflies for Zelda... Instead... She has an intense aching happiness in her heart as she leans into his tender touch. Everything within her is telling her to back away - that he'll be exactly like Ganondorf... But a small piece of her just wants to trust him and longs for his touch. "Link, I feel like I'm paper..."

"Paper?" he questions, stroking her soft skin while brushing his thumb along her cheek.

She looks downward, "Yes, Link... Paper. Ganondorf... He... I'm paper... Torn up, ripped up, and ruined."

Silence envelops the two of them for what feels like an eternity before Link speaks again, "You feel... as though you're so ruined that no other man could ever give you what you feel you initially deserved..."

She exhales shakily before repeating a sarcastic, "Initially..."

"Zelda, it's not true..." he whispers down at her, tracing a finger down her delicate jawline. "You deserve the very best, and it's no fault of yours that you received a fool like that Lord Ganondorf..."

Her lips part as she conjures up one last ounce of bravery, "Then... Why don't you show me that I'm worth more than paper?"

It appears as though his very breath is taken away by her bold words, yet he somehow manages to come up with a response, "I... Zelda... I'd love to..."