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Princess Zelda awoke not knowing where the first half of the morning had gone. Had it all been a dream? Had she really asked Link to marry her? Thankfully, she had, he had said "yes," and now it was done with. It had taken her so long to build up the courage to ask him that when the moment came, she had almost decided to give up and ask him later. But after a nighttime's worth of thought and consideration, she knew it was for the best. Link was going to become her husband eventually, simple as that. Why should she wait any longer? If they were legally joined, then they could have a life together, which she so desperately wanted.

She did not want an elaborate ceremony. Quite the contrary, Zelda wanted it be a secret wedding, a wedding only she, Link, and the priest who performed it to know about. But where would they go afterwards? They would have to find a home, somewhere secluded and private, where they could live together as husband and wife. She wanted their own private paradise, a place where they could do whatever they pleased, and where people wouldn't notice the strange couple that seemed not to age. In this place, there would be no guards, no conceited figures of royalty, no being waited on hand and foot. It would just be them, together, without any of the restrictions or obligations the world imposed on them.

She did not plan to tell her father the news, because he would tell everyone he knew. She would not even tell Impa, or the Sages, because everyone knew that the probability of a secret being released was equal to the square of the number of people who knew it. There would be no major ceremony, no wedding shower, no getting driven away in horse drawn carriage afterwards. People would learn that she and Link were married at some point, but her marriage was going to be private. Zelda wanted to have the "wedding" very soon, perhaps even today. She did not think Link would object to a secret wedding, in fact, she knew that was what he wanted.

What they were planning was, simply, elopement. Perhaps she had read too many books on the subject, but Zelda always saw romance in secretly marrying and then running away from it all. Zelda would never tell anyone, but she despised being a princess. It had its luxuries and glamor, but they provided little comfort on lonely nights. She had endured being taught to act "like a lady," visiting royalty she hardly knew being introduced to her to see if they were "suitable husbands," and being told to "mind her manners" whenever she spoke her mind. If only it were possible to be wealthy without having to look down upon anyone else as a lower form of life. At least her father seemed to have changed over the last few months; he seemed kinder and less harsh somehow, almost as if he were trying to make up for his poor fatherhood. But nothing could make up for the seventeen years where he had not been there for her, always too busy with his daily political duties to comfort her when she was sad or celebrate a victory over one of life's little obstacles. Her father would never allow her to see anyone she wanted to, only those whom he wanted her to see. Zelda's resent had worsened as she grew into adolescence. She had no outlet for her womanly desires, save for the obsequious toadies her father sent her to see, to which she paid no attention. No, her father would not see her wedding, even if he knew of it.

Her door swung open and Link, Zelda guessed she could call him her fiancé, stepped inside. In his hand, he held a bundle of roses, a rare find throughout the Kingdom. "For me?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"A woman was selling them in Castle Town, and I'd thought I'd buy some for you," he explained, handing them over.

"They're beautiful, Link," she said, placing them in an empty flower jar. Link could be so sweet sometimes; nobody had ever bought or sent her flowers before. "Where were you?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd look around Castle Town a bit this morning. Not much is happening since the snow fell."

Zelda rewarded Link's gift of affection with a brief kiss. "Have you told anyone?"

"No, I didn't want anyone to know we were, uh, "engaged."

"Link, I know a priest in the Fifth Temple of Farore who can have us secretly married. I.I don't want a large ceremony."

Link smiled, and she knew he agreed. "I found somewhere for us to go afterwards, princess."

"And where is that, my love?"

"I can't tell you yet. It shall be revealed to you at the proper time."

Now she was going to spend the whole day wondering what he had planned. She wasn't too sure what they would do for their "honeymoon", but she certainly had some ideas.

"Zelda, I know you want this to be in secret, but you are not eighteen yet. You need parental consent for the marriage contract be legitimate."

Zelda knew he was right, but she was a princess, and she could get away with bending the law a little. There was no way she would ever tell her father they were going to marry. He would ruin everything, turning their wedding in a royal wedding, which was a massive; extremely elaborate ceremony attended by all the lords and nobles. Zelda had seen such a wedding as a child, and at that age, she vowed never to have her wedding in such a wastefully public and extravagant way.

"Don't worry about that, Link. I have planned everything for the ceremony tonight."

Link stepped back. "Tonight? Isn't that rather sudden?"

"Where you waiting for something, Link?"

Link had to admit he hadn't. "No, I, uh, wasn't," he said with a sigh. "I'm just rather, apprehensive, about this."

Zelda put her hands on his shoulders, trying to assuage his anxiety. "Don't be, my love. Everything will be fine."

Link slipped his arms around her lithe waist, pulling her to his body. She moved her hands from shoulders to around his chest, hugging him tightly. Tonight they would be joined together, by matrimony and the glorious power of the Triforce. Afterwards, he was going to take her away to his secret place, where they would finally be able to consummate their passions. Wherever he took her, she was not going to spend their first night together in Hyrule Castle. If they lived in a perfect world, they would marry and run away from this place, never returning to the castle. Impa and her father would wake up one morning and discover that they had disappeared, and they would never find them.

But what of Link's knighthood? The Royal Knights were actually independent of the Royal Family, and were not required to reside within the castle walls. But if Link went off to fight somewhere, Zelda wanted to be there with him. She would not remain at home while her husband rode off into danger all alone. If they were to die, they would die together.

While she could have spent hours pondering the future, now was not the time. Link quietly lifted her chin up with his hand, fixing his eyes on hers. His eyes were such a pleasing shade of deep blue, expressing such kindness and love. Almost a month before, those eyes were so sad and hopeless, his soul crying out in the darkness for someone to help. Now she knew he was happy, having regained the desire to live. To think she had almost lost him, that would have broken her fragile heart in two. Releasing a small tear of happiness, Zelda kissed him, locked tightly in his arms. Soon they would leave this place, this cold, unhappy place that held such painful memories for her. As her lips caressed his, suddenly there was no Hyrule Castle, no King, no Prince Henoch, and no royal duties. It was just them, alone in their universe. One could never completely cast off the shackles of reality, it did no good to keep one's head in the clouds all the time, but at least things could change. They were going to live they way they planned, and no one was going to tell them otherwise.

That night, they set their plan in motion. Link furtively went to castle stables and chose a black horse as their mount, because a black stallion was harder to see at night. Since the night air was cold, Zelda found a thick, wooly overcoat in her closet and quietly left her room, taking whatever possessions she cared to bring, mostly things Link had given her. It was close to midnight; her father, Impa, and everyone else in Hyrule Castle were fast asleep, with the exception of the guards. They might have found it odd that the princess was out of bed so late at night, but it was not their duty to question the motives of the Royal Family. Still, she didn't want to be too obvious, so she slipped into the courtyard and located the small drainage port in the wall. This was where Link had sneaked into the castle seven years before, she thought it was fitting that it was how she would sneak out. The opening was cramped, but no one could accuse Zelda of not being limber.

Now outside the castle, she ran into the small forest that lay in front of the castle. With a little trepidation and fear at being caught, she ran to the front gates. Two guards stood beyond it, facing away from her. Link was sitting atop his horse, standing off to one side of the path that snaked up to the castle gates. Being as quiet as she could, she briskly walked over to him. Link smiled, and helped her onto the horse without a word. Now there came the part of getting past the guards. The grounds in front of Hyrule Castle were designed to funnel visitors through one guarded entrance to prevent any unwanted visitors from sneaking onto the premises. Link, however, had timed their escape to coincidence with the shift change of the guards. At exactly midnight, the two guards left their post to return to the castle, leaving a short period where the gate was unguarded. Confident they were out of the guards' sight, Link rid his horse to the gates, which were locked. Quietly calling upon her powers, Zelda pushed the gate open, breaking its lock with a sharp "ping" that seemed deafening in the quiet midnight air. As soon as the gate was open, Link pushed his horse into a gallop, and in less than half a minute, they reached Castle Town.

The Fifth Temple of Farore was small for a temple, certainly more humble and less grandiose than those that had come before. It architectural style was similar to that of the Temple of Time, with heavy stone arches and the symbol of the Triforce prominently displayed above the entrance. Behind the Temple stood the priests rectory, a small and humble abode typical of the goddesses servant. That servant was Father Tycho, a man Zelda knew from her childhood. Years ago, her father had taken her to this place of worship; until he became so fearful for her safety, he stopped taking her. Her memory of Father Tycho was one of a kind and understanding man, the kind of man she wished her father was. Perhaps he would remember her, if so, all the better.

His light was still on; Father Tycho was the kind of man who could somehow go to sleep late, wake up early, and still be in a good mood that morning. He lived alone, of course, since priests were forbidden to marry. She only hoped he would honor their secret, and tell no one what they had done. A priest lived a lonely life, and she knew that Father Tycho was a man of his word.

Link knocked lightly on his door, hoping they were not disturbing him. A few seconds later, the creaky wooden door opened, and there stood the priest of Farore. He was an aging man, with a wrinkled face and graying hair, but he was not the kind of man to grow weak in age.

"Hello?" he greeted, not recognizing her. She had not seen this man since she was a young child, in the days when she believed the goddesses could actually hear her prayers. Zelda knew now that the goddesses had long since left their world, leaving only the Triforce.

"Hello father," she replied, lifting off the hood of her jacket.

Tycho's eyes lit up, and a smile crept up his wrinkled lips. "Princess Zelda?"

"Yes," she answered feebly. She was growing more anxious their moment of union drew closer.

"Come in, come in!" Father Tycho stood aside, admitting them into his rectory. "It has been so long since I've seen you! You've become so beautiful since you were a child.and who is the handsome young man?" he asked, looking at Link.

Zelda looked back at Link, who blushed faintly at his compliment. "Father, this is Sir Link. We.we're engaged."

"That's wonderful, princess! But, why have you come here? I thought your father didn't let you come here anymore."

Now it was time to tell him the news. "I, we, want you to marry us," she said nervously.

Even the Father was surprised at this. "So soon? When do you have the ceremony planned for?"

"Father," Link interjected, "we are.marrying sub rosa. We came here to ask you perform the ceremony for us alone."

"That is a very unusual request, young man. Are you eloping?" he asked innocently.

Zelda smiled bashfully, knowing that elopement was something usually reserved for romance novels. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"You are the princess, milady, and I cannot refuse your request. But, would you please stay a while? So few people come to see me anymore."

"Of course, father. It has been a while since I talked with a priest."

Father Tycho sat down in chair sitting in front of a burning fireplace. "I remember when you were a child, princess. Your father would come to my temple every week with you holding his hand. Throughout the sermon, you would always listen to my every word while all the other boys just slept. But you always seemed to be such an unhappy child."

Zelda lowered her head, as if her memories were somehow shameful. "I.I didn't have a very happy childhood."

"When I asked your father why his daughter seemed so sad, he wouldn't tell me. But, I am sure you do not wish to dwell on unhappy memories, princess. I am happy that you are getting married, and I hope you will bring your children to my temple."

Zelda looked over at Link. "Father.we.we don't intend to have children," she admitted. It was only half of the truth, but she did not want tell him the other half.

Tycho frowned. "Good gracious, children are a blessing, and you do not want them?"

"No, we prefer to be alone," Link answered, saving Zelda from doing so.

"A strange couple you are! Are you certain that you do not want a ceremony? The wedded women I know speak of their weddings with such fond memories; you may regret your decision later in life."

"I believe that the marriage is more important than the marriage ceremony, Father. Link and I.we want out marriage to private."

Father Tycho stood up. "If you'll come with me, I will perform the ritual."

Without a word, the Father led them out of the back door, and into the Temple of Farore. Like the outside, the interior was similar in design to the Temple of Time, only in place of the Door of Time was the altar, and the chamber was lined with pews for Father Tycho's congregation. The Temple seemed much larger than its external dimensions suggested, with an elegantly constructed roof that seemed to rise into heaven. However, in the darkness of the night, the Temple of Farore took on an almost sinister appearance with only the pale moonlight streaming in through the stained glass windows. It was somehow eerily beautiful and appropriate for their wedding.

Compared the other cultures, the Hylian wedding ritual was relatively simple. It differed depending on the priest who performed it, often leading to couples choosing "creative" ways to get married. At the very minimum, a couple promised their eternal love and faithfulness to each other, and after a brief recitation, the priest declared them husband and wife. Many couples chose to recite vows they had written for one another, but to Zelda, that was unnecessary, even redundant. Link didn't have to tell her that he would always love her, because she already knew.

She felt her heart beat faster as their moment of union drew closer. Every girl dreamed of her wedding and the man she would marry, but Zelda had glumly accepted that she would never marry being confined to the castle. She had been wrong, and was glad for it. The last time she had been seventeen, she had been running from Ganondorf's dark forces, but now she going to marry the man who had saved her from a fate worse than death. Zelda was not going into battle, but she felt almost as nervous. She told herself that all she had to say was "I do," and then she and Link could run away to do whatever their hearts desired. Impa and her father would look through the castle for her, but she would be gone forever. Zelda felt a pang of guilt for abandoning her father and protector, but she was beginning life anew and they would just have to accept that. Although Hyrule Castle held many painful memories, it had been her home, and one always felt pain when leaving the place they had grown up. She hoped her father would understand, and not try to find her.

Father Henoch placed a large, ancient-looking book onto the altar and opened it. "We are gathered before the goddesses today, to witness the joyous union between Sir Link and Her Royal Highness Princess Zelda of the House of Hyrule."

Link took her hands into his and smiled at her. They were so young, perhaps too young if they were normal Hylians, but age was irrelevant now, not when they would be together everlastingly. Her heart pounded and her hands become sweaty, for this was the most important event of her life. No longer would she be alone; no longer would she be adrift in the sea of life. Now Link was by her side, to make the cold sea a little warmer, the way she always wanted it to be.

"Do you, Sir Link, take Princess Zelda as your lawful wedded wife, and will love and cherish her and remain faithful until death separates you?"

"I do," he answered quietly. It all seemed to be happening so slowly.

"Do you, Princess Zelda, take Sir Link as your lawful wedded husband, and do you want, until death, to love him even in the darkest days?"

Until death. Those words seemed meaningless somehow. Did Zelda even believe in the soul and afterlife anymore? Nobody ever truly wanted to die, always believing that a part of oneself remained after death, but she believed that you only had one life, and you had to make the most of it. Would the Triforce have them live forever? Surely it would not, since life eternal was a torment more insufferable than death.

"I do," she said at last.

Not without a sense of humor, Father Tycho asked, "If there is anyone who believes these two should not marry, speak now."

Link and Zelda laughed lightly at this, but a small part of her mind feared that her father would burst through the door, having discovered her plan. But of course, that did not happen, because her father was fast asleep in Hyrule Castle, not suspecting his daughter would be gone the following morning.

Tycho quietly cleared his throat, as the wind picked up outside. "By the authority granted to me by the immortal goddesses and the sacred Triforce, I declare thee "husband and wife."

And that was it. Tycho closed the book, and Link gave her their first kiss as a married couple. Zelda had never felt such joy in her life until this moment, and the tears of happiness flowed freely down her face. At that moment, she ceased to be "Princess" Zelda, and was just "Zelda," wife to the Hero of Time. Everything they had worked and fought for had led up to this point, and all the pain of and anguish of their lives seemed to vanish like mist into the night. Now he would carry away to his secret place, where they start their new life.

Link broke the kiss and gazed into her tearful eyes. "I love you," he whispered.

After saying their thank-you's to Father Tycho and promising to visit him sometime, Link took his new wife to their horse. Zelda was still in a dreamlike state, still infused with the rush of their brief wedding. She would remember this instant until they day she and her husband withered away, and she prayed to the goddesses their marriage would last. Zelda did not want to think they might not make it, but there was always the possibility. Perhaps she would was being rash in giving up her old life just to be with Link, but she could not think of that now. She was too wrapped up in the raw emotion and passion to think clearly.

Outside, the air was bitterly cold, but she did not feel it. Link took her hand and helped her on, and in an instant, they were off, riding through the snowy landscape of Hyrule. Link was taking her into the forest, but he would still not reveal where he intended to take her. She simply held on to him while the scenery became a blur as Link sped his horse up, not wanting to subject her to too much of the cold weather. Zelda looked back only once, to see the faint outline of Hyrule Castle disappear into the midnight fog, and then closed her eyes, letting Link take her away.

Their journey took them deep inside the forest of Hyrule, to a place Zelda had never seen before. The path narrowed, in some places being almost too narrow to ride on horseback. The cold air blowing in her face was becoming very unpleasant, but Zelda tolerated it, in great anticipation on what Link had in store for her. Wherever it was, it was very far off the beaten path, which is just the way she wanted it.

Link made an abrupt left turn, taking her away from the trail. She had now lost all sense of direction; it was amazing how easily Link could navigate the forest maze, especially at night. Occasionally she could hear the hooting of an owl or the howl of a wolfos; she knew there were dangerous animals in the woods that came out at nighttime, but the couple was quite capable of defending themselves from any wildlife. The trees became denser and the snow fell harder, obscuring everything in front of them. But still Link rode on, guided by some inborn sense of direction.

Finally, they reached a clearing, and then through the falling snow she saw it. It was a house, sitting in the middle of the clearing. Behind it was a lake, slightly smaller than Lake Hylia, now frozen over, on which several piers had been built. A small stream ran off from the lake and under a bridge that led up the house's front entrance. The house itself was beautiful, possessing an outer covering of limestone, which camouflaged it quite well in the snowy landscape. It was about the same size as the average Hylian's home, maybe slightly larger. There was two stories, plus the attic, and a balcony overlooking the lake. Most importantly, there was chimney, indicating that the house possessed a fireplace.

"What do you think?" Link asked.

"It's.it's beautiful." It wasn't just beautiful; it was perfect. She was certain that it would be more so in the summer time. "Whose is it?" she asked, thinking that Link could never have purchased or built this house by himself.

"It's mine now," he explained, "but it originally to my family, I mean, my parents," he told her as they dismounted and led the horse to the stables near the house, which, unfortunately, were not in the same condition as the house, but would suffice for the moment.

His parents? That could not be true, not when the building seemed to be in such pristine condition. There was no sign of decay or weathering, nothing that told her that this house had lay abandoned for seventeen years. Even the limestone exterior had not cracked or broken, and the metal rain troughs had not rusted.

"No," she protested, "it can't be."

Link smiled at her through the blowing snow. "My mother was a sorceress. My parents knew I would never be happy in the Kokiri Forest, so before her husband perished, they left this place to me. I just wish I had found it earlier."

"How did you find it?"

"One of the Royal Knights who had fought in the Unification War told me two days ago that he remembered where my father had lived. He said that it stuck in his mind, because he didn't live in the castle like most knights; he preferred to live in the forest to northeast with his wife. After that, I sought it out, and I was surprised to see it in such good condition. Come, let's go inside."

They crossed the small bridge over the frozen stream and up the stairs to the front porch. Link opened the door with a key from his pocket, and Zelda followed him inside. The inside was pleasantly warm, even without the fireplace. It was a welcome relief from the sometimes unbearably chilly Hyrule Castle, and the smell.it was that earthy, forest scent that always reminded her of her husband. The floor was hardwood oak, much more pleasing to the eye than cold stone of a castle. Like the exterior, the interior of the house was in almost perfect condition, as if it had just been built. Link said that his mother had been a sorceress, and Zelda certainly felt a magical aura about this place. It was the only explanation for how this building had been spared the ravages of time.

Zelda walked up to the second story, the stairs creaking slightly under the weight of her steps. The walls and rooms still held the possessions of Link's parents, since his mother had been murdered during the Unification War. She felt sad that Link's family had to die in such a tragic way, but was also happy that they had left this place to their only son. The inside was slightly dusty, but in all respects in terrific condition. On the second story was the master bedroom, and another smaller room across from it, presumably for their son. The master bedroom had two large windows, frosted up in the cold, and a door leading out onto the balcony. At the end of the hallway was the bathroom, with a bath large enough to hold two people. Smiling at this, Zelda returned to the ground floor, where Link was exploring the rest of the house. She stepped into the parlor, where the fireplace sat and a piano stood in the corner. On the opposite wall and on either side of the fireplace were large bookshelves, holding volumes of every subject. It was a truly elegant place, in some ways like the Hyrule Castle Library condensed into a single room.

Exploring the rest of the house, Zelda came across the kitchen and dining area, which were relatively small compared to the rest of house; Link's parents clearly didn't invite many guests over for dinner. She wondered if Link knew how to cook, because she surely didn't. Could this be there home? Certainly, it possessed more character and charm than Hyrule Castle ever had. Perhaps it was a little father away from civilization than she preferred, but that didn't bother her. It had been a labyrinth route to find this place, which meant it would take some time for her to learn how to find her way back if she traveled out of the forest. Still, for the first time since they had met, Zelda felt truly alone with Link, and it felt liberating somehow. Outside, the snowfall began to rage into a blizzard, and suddenly she felt rather tired. Perhaps she should be getting to bed? It was her first night in a new home and her first night as a married woman. She smiled at that.

Link descended into the basement, which was surprisingly less unpleasant than he had been expecting. Still, it was a small, dimly light chamber, not the most pleasing aspect of the house. There weren't many items of interest in the basement; save for some large casks of what was probably wine. As he wandered through, however, Link came across a large wooden chest. It was locked, but curiously, the key was close by on table. Interested, he unlocked the chest, expecting to find it empty. It was horribly dusty, and looked ancient, as if it had not been moved from this spot in decades. Lifting the heavy iron and wood lid open, Link looked inside.

The chest contained, among other thing, a stack of several leather bound books, a large leather bag, and several scrolls of parchment. Blowing the dust of one of the books, the title read "A Book Spells, Potions, and Charms." The rest of the books were similar, but Link did not have time to look through them. Perhaps Zelda might be interested in them, he thought.

Next came the leather bag. He removed the thin rope holding it closed, and gasped in surprise when he saw what was inside. It was rupees, pleny of them, of the highest denomination. Link had never seen so much money in one place before, and he eagerly opened the other leather sacks, which also contained nothing but rupees. There was too much to count, and he let out a small laugh of delight. Link knew Zelda was wealthy, but he had just stumbled upon his family's fortune. There was still more in the chest, however. Near the bottom was a small wooden box, which Link opened to discover delicate jewelry of gold and silver. It had tarnished slightly over the years, but it was still beautiful nonetheless. The money and valuables was certainly a pleasant surprise, but Link had yet to find the one thing he longed for. Link wanted to find a note, or letter, or even a diary belonging to his parents, anything that might help him understand them. He had so many unanswered questions. What were they like? How did they die? What did they want for their child? But, there was nothing, no matter where he looked. All he knew, then, was that his mother had died suddenly and unexpectedly while her father was away fighting, and had no time to do anything for her son but to leave her in the care of the Deku Tree. What had happened to her body? Had she even been given a proper burial and funeral rites? So many questions, questions that would never be answered.

Link wondered what his parents would think of him if they were alive. Would they feel sorrowful and sympathetic for his miserable childhood? Would they be surprised at whom he had chosen for a wife? When his father and mother were alive, Zelda would have been just an infant. Certainly, it would a great surprise for them to learn that their son had grown up to marry her. Their only son saved the kingdom and ran away with the Princess of Hyrule, quite an accomplishment.

He heard Zelda coming down the steps. Link silently prayed that she liked this place, he was sure she did, but deep down he wanted to spend his life with her in this house, and he wanted to be certain she was happy.

"What have you found now?" she asked.

"See for yourself," he said, handing her one of the rupee-filled bags.

Zelda took the leather sack, and Link saw her eyes go wide as she did. She reached in, and grabbed a handful of the golden rupees.

"Goddesses," she gasped. "You could choke a donkey on this!"

"There's more," Link pointed out, holding up the other sacks of rupees. He couldn't guess at exactly how much money had been in the chest, but from what he held in his hand, he could have purchased a horse, or a large boat on Lake Hylia. His father had been a knight, and perhaps a noble and valiant one at that, but there was no way a knight could ever attain this amount of money. How had he acquired it? That was just another unanswered question.

"So, what do you think?" he asked her for a second time.

Zelda put the sack of rupees aside and gave Link a firm hug. "Oh Link, it's perfect! But."

"But what?" Link asked fearfully.

"We have to purchase some clothes. I'm not wearing this dress every day!"

That wasn't unreasonable, he thought. But it was past midnight, at their elopement from Hyrule Castle had exhausted him. She would have to wait until tomorrow before they could go looking for new clothes, something that didn't seem particularly interesting, but was a necessity. He himself could not wear this tunic every day, and it wasn't the most comfortable article of clothing, either.

"We can do that tomorrow, Zelda." Link stopped short of calling her "princess" which had done previously without much thought. "I'm going to go to bed."

"Me too." Zelda followed him out of the basement and into the bedroom.

Link yawned. All of the married men had spoken to had told him that, on the night following their wedding, they had made passionate love to their new wife, consummating their marriage. Link wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet, and he didn't want Zelda to do anything she didn't want to. When it came to certain matters of love, Link had to admit he was a wide-eyed innocent.

The bed, like everything else in the house, was in near perfect condition, but nonetheless Link carefully examined it to make sure there were no bedbugs or the like. Looking outside through the partially frosted windows, Link could see that the blizzard was still in full force, and he was glad he wouldn't have to spend another night in Hyrule Castle. The bedroom had a fireplace, and the bedding looked thick and warm. The thought of lying under those warm sheets next to his wife on a cold night, all while the fireplace crackled and glowed; it seemed like paradise. He thought about how far he had come over this last month, from a lonely, wandering soul to the loving husband of the Princess of Hyrule. Truly, he had found redemption in her. Link had loved other women in the past, and he still bore the pain of their loss, because it seemed once someone gave a piece of their heart away, they never quite got it back. But, like so much, that was all in the past now. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, it was gone.

Sitting on the bed, Link removed his heavy Kokiri boots; he really had to find footwear that was more comfortable. Zelda didn't have it much better, wearing rather constrictive-looking suede slippers that were absolutely the worst thing to wear in the wintertime. She tossed them away and moved towards him.

"You didn't bring much from Hyrule Castle, did you?" She had brought no extra clothing, none of her considerable fortune, and very little of her jewelry. Link wondered what she would sleep in, since she hadn't even brought her nightdress.

"No, I didn't. I don't want to be reminded."

"Looks pretty cold out there. How did you bear sleeping in that awful castle?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know, Link. I suppose I could ask you how you survived sleeping outside."

Link laughed, remembering those painfully cold nights. "Sometimes I slept on the summit of Death Mountain, where it was warm, but somehow I always ended up hurting myself climbing up."

"Sounds ghastly," Zelda replied sympathetically, beginning to remove her heavy dress.

"Oh, it was! Sometimes I would just curl up in a cave somewhere and pray I didn't freeze to death. It was a wonder I survived at all."

She removed her outer dress, which fell to the floor with a dull "clump." Link hadn't noticed it before, but when she was wearing only the thin dress underneath, he guessed that her waist at least an inch slimmer than her dress led him to believe. He could understand a figure of royalty having to look elegant and wealthy, but that dress of hers had to weigh at least several pounds! Perhaps being her loving husband, he could buy her something she found more comfortable, and that he found more pleasing to the eye. There was much more to Zelda than her looks, but she was extraordinarily beautiful, and Link thought she should wear something more befitting of someone beautiful.

He removed his tunic; it had served him well over these years, but perhaps it was time he dressed in something new. His sword, still bearing traces of blood from the battle with Prince Henoch, was resting by the dresser. Carrying it around constantly made for a sore back, so he planned to carry it only when necessary. In all probability, his days as a warrior were waning. If a new evil threatened Hyrule, he would pick up his sword and shield again in an instant, but now he just wanted to settle down.

Zelda gently embraced him, and then spoke his name rather seductive tone. Now they were truly alone, without the sounds of people outside or the King's vulgar after-dinner conversations to distract them. Suddenly, there was silence, with only the shrill sound of the wind outside. She fixed her gaze on him, and Link could almost see the twinkle in her eyes. How had the guards in the castle described her stare? Cold? Piercing? Perhaps the guards were right, and she only looked this way for him. But the guards had never seen her happy.

She moved her hands to the front of his chest, breaking his thoughts. She was wife now; there was no rhyme or reason for them to be nervous about showing love and affection. Her hands were cold, Link twitched slightly when they touched his skin, but he ignored it. His hands traced down her back to her hips as he held her close, feeling every curve and nuance of her body. Certainly, she was a goddess; not a woman as fair could ever have been born on earth, and she was his wife now. The courtship was over, long over, and now they were together. They could never have a child together, and maybe he felt just slightly guilty about that, but a child would mean less time for each other, wouldn't it? And to his long ears, there was nothing more infuriating than the sound of a crying child.

Suddenly, he felt a pang of need and desire. Zelda always managed to find ways of putting him into a romantic mood, all without being obvious or vulgar. His heart pounded in uncertain anticipation of what was about to happen, but his fears evaporated in the heat of his passions. Once again, he tasted her pale lips, lightly at first like he always did, then deeper as he held her firmly. Zelda had that perfect hourglass figure many women tried so hard to attain, some even going so far as to wear painfully constrictive corsets. But Zelda had never resorted to that, no, she had natural beauty in abundance. But beauty did not mean happiness, as she knew all too well.

She moved back slightly, her expression one of quite pleading. Link wondered what was wrong; what did she want? Perhaps she was tired, and simply wanted to go to sleep, so he took his hands off her. But she did not want to sleep yet, and Zelda kissed him again, this time pushing him against the wall. She had the passion in her eyes, a kind he hadn't seen in her before. Perhaps it was consequence of them being alone; in Hyrule Castle, there were always people nearby, someone to hear their conversation. Now, however, they no longer had to fear someone coming into the room and catching them in a passionate moment. She laughed, and then kissed him again, followed by a period of silence. What now? he asked himself.

"Link?" she asked quietly, still holding him in her arms.

"Yes?" he replied, unsure of what to expect.

"Make love to me," she whispered seductively.

It was the response he had been hoping for, and dreading. It wasn't an immoral or indecent request now that they were married, but that did little to calm his nervousness. Was this not their "honeymoon?" Was lovemaking not something usually done after marriage? Or was that just something he had been led to believe? Damn, he was so unsure of himself! He had fought monsters and demons that could have come from the depths of hell, but when it came to intimacy, he was as naïve as could be.

Zelda, as she always did, sensed his uneasiness. "Don't worry my love, I won't bite."

Link laughed, and it helped ease the tension and awkwardness. He was thankful to heaven for having such an understanding wife. With a combination of love and fear, he kissed and embraced her again, and then in a burst of passion, scooped her up in his arms and slowly carried her to the bed. Zelda laughed as he gently laid her down with a kiss, his fear finally starting to fade. Letting his heart take control of his body, he began to lift and slide down the shoulder bands of her thin gown. She smiled at him, showing desire and anxiety, but much more of the former. What came next was both very easy and extraordinarily difficult. Taking the fabric in his hands, Link closed his eyes and slid it off her, tossing it away somewhere. After he opened his eyes, he found it impossible not to gasp at what lay before him.

Link had never seen a woman nude before, except in sculpture. That was what Zelda looked like, a classical sculpture of a goddess. As he began to remove the last of his clothing, his eyes traced every curve of her body, confirming his suspicious that she was so much more beautiful underneath that heavy and unflattering dress she wore. Her smooth, pale skin seemed to shine in the moonlight, the only blemishes being the scars she bore from her encounters with Prince Henoch. His heart throbbing with passion, he ran his hands along the side of her hips, delighting in the feel of her silky skin. Now that they were both completely nude, he laid himself on top of her, saying nothing because nothing needed to be said. Her silky skin touched his all over, and at that moment, his passions flared, and there was no turning back. He slid his right hand around her, while his left hand wandered, moving from her shoulder to her breasts, and then down to her hips. Link then pulled the covers over them, as if he needed the warmth. He looked at her pretty face; her golden hair spread out on the pillow like wildfire. With a whispered "I love you," Link lovingly caressed her face, and kissed her as Zelda slipped her hands around his neck. Guided by a basic instinct and his own yearnings, he began to make love to her, satisfying the longing that hid so deep inside them. For the next little while, he swept her away in a torrent of lust and desire, pleasure and sensuality, abandoning all trace of rational thought.

When it was all over, Link lay beside her as they slept, both of them exhausted from their night of passion. They would sleep until late in the afternoon, both knowing that they would do this again on many nights to come.

Far away, in Hyrule Castle, the night was not so pleasant for the King. Throughout the night, he was tormented by nightmares. First, he saw his daughter, slain in her own bed, all the while the red-haired Gerudo king, Ganondorf stood over her body with a vicious smile on his face. Suddenly, the room was in flames, and when he looked at where his daughter had been, he saw that it was him on the bed, his throat cut, covering the white sheets with his blood.

When he awoke, he sat up slowly, recalling the terrible dream. The previous night, he had imbibed a very large quantity of liquor, and now he was being punished for it. In his head, a woodpecker hammered at his brain, and when he stood up, the splitting pain nearly brought him to his knees. His mouth was dry and sore, and the King didn't want to look in the mirror to see how horrible he must have looked. To think he had once been fought in the great Unification War, striking down enemies with his sword, making his opponents tremble with fear. Now he was reduced to this, a lonely monarch who drank too much, and a poor father to a resentful daughter who had found a man who had showed her more love and kindness in three short weeks than he had in his entire life. What a waste, he thought.

Lumbering out of his room, he saw that the door to his daughter's room was open. He looked in, she was not inside, and her bed was neatly made. Despite her royal upbringing, Zelda could be surprisingly sloppy, and almost never made her bed when she awoke, instead waiting for one of the maids to do so. Well, perhaps she had broken the habit, and was probably out somewhere with her lover. He couldn't blame them; there was so little for them to do inside the castle.

The King had to admit he was jealous of Link. He was young, attractive and brave, the kind of man the King had been in his youth. But the flow of time was always cruel, and the King's youth slowly withered away into middle age. The King knew it was futile to pine over lost youth, but it was the fact that Link had a female companion that bothered him. His only wife had perished long ago, and he had never remarried. He surrounded himself with noblemen and warriors, and although they swore allegiance to him, they could never be his friends. The King had nobody to keep him company; his only daughter was distant to the point of estrangement. He had been such a terrible father, never letting her be herself, acting paranoid about her safety, and causing her to become depressed and lonesome. She had tried to run away from the castle on several occasions, but never getting any further than the castle gates. He hadn't even asked her why she was so discontented; instead, he simply sent her to her room and forbade her from leaving. Some father indeed.

Impa turned the corner, looking bored as she always did. Zelda was growing up, and soon she wouldn't need her Sheikah protector anymore. When that day came, what would Impa do?

"Your Majesty," she asked, "have you seen Link or Zelda? They are not in their rooms."

The King shrugged. "They're probably out roaming the kingdom again."

Impa frowned at his response. "In this weather? It's bloody freezing out there!"

The King dismissed their absence, deciding that Link and Zelda would return later. He was blissfully unaware that he would never see his daughter again.