The Legend of Zelda: Prince of the Sea

Chapter Twelve: Guilt

Link tenderly embraced Zelda as she cried into his tunic, his cheek upon her lovely hair.

It felt like an eternity how long he held her and how long she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. An eternity... that's how long he wanted it to be, never to end. In all honesty, Zelda only remained there for a few minutes at most before Link heard her sigh and slowly she drew back from him. She kept her eyes downcast and Link dutifully removed his hands from her back, though he had to fight the urge to linger. Out of respect he turned his eyes aside when she retrieved a handkerchief from a hidden pocket within her dress to wipe her face and better compose herself. The knight felt tense and his heart was hammering so much so that he felt dizzy a bit... though that might also be because of how sweet Zelda's hair had smelt. His hands weren't necessarily trembling from the experience but from how tightly his fingers had curled into fists upon his legs.

Who knew that comforting his queen would have such an affect on him?

When she did turn back to glance up at him, Link managed a faint smile and loosened the grip of his hands. Zelda's eyes were dry and her makeup was not marred in the slightest, but she looked tired, so tired. He hadn't seen it before that moment but the stress that Zelda had been carrying with her for weeks shined now in her tired eyes. Sadness filled Link's expression, which roused a small smile from his friend.

"I'm sorry," she muttered in the sweetest whisper he'd ever heard; it made his chest hurt to hear her apologize.

"Zelda, please, no... there is nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, there is..." she muttered softly again, breaking eye contact.

"I... understand, you're upset because you're um... the betrothal and all and-"

"That is not why I am upset, my dear Link."

Zelda's tone stirred up Link's confusion and upon seeing it in his face, it managed to coax another smile from her as she sighed in slight exasperation. She took up his hand and gently pulled at his fingers, not so much out of affection, but more to occupy herself as she spoke.

"Of course finding out that I am betrothed is... hard for me to fathom, but it's not completely unheard of. Having been born into royalty, there are specific obligations expected of me... marriage being one of them." Pausing to wet her lips, it was clear that Zelda was choosing her words carefully and she spoke deliberately, careful not to rouse up anymore tears. "It's just... frustrating and a bit humiliating that I was caught off guard like this."

"Caught off guard? You mean by the Noruidians?"

"Yes, or well... " Zelda let her head fall back, her eyes closed and Link gave her a moment to collect her thoughts together. Clearly she was still upset and he knew how difficult it could be to make sense when your words don't want to come out right. "The fact that I didn't read these letters sooner... that is what I mean by being caught off guard. It makes myself and Hyrule look terrible and appearances are everything. However, while I admit that not knowing about the betrothal is my fault, there may be some liberty with which we can work with. For if the Noruidians had made attempts over the years to communicate with us, certainly while my father was still alive, any of those correspondences would have been filed away in the archives. Unfortunately, as you know, the archives were nearly completely burnt by Ganondorf's onslaught, meaning those correspondences have been lost."

"Right... and of course, the archivists..."

"Were all killed," Zelda finished solemnly. "So the only evidence of the betrothal is from these letters and whatever Prince Vahlymor brought with him. The situation still puts me in a precarious position. While of course my Councillors will ask for proof, I cannot appear weak nor can I admit that I had no knowledge of the betrothal."