Twenty-one Questions: A Zelink story

Chapter two

"Happy birthday!" Apollo swept me into a warm hug and kissed me. 

"God, I don't even care that it's my birthday. I'm just so excited to finally marry you!" I linked my arm with his and we bagan walking down the hallway to the ground floor of the castle. 

Apollo was eighteen, only a couple months older than I was. He was a knight of the royal guard, and he was good at it, too. He had striking black hair and hazel eyes, his face delicately painted with freckles on his tanned skin. We had been together since we were fifteen, and pretty much the whole of hyrule knew of our relationship. It was perfect, too, since I was going to marry him; there were no complications. No false feelings, no forced rules, nothing. 

It was the only part of my life that felt stable, to be honest.

"Have you tried on your dress yet?" He asked me nodding to the guards as we walked past.

"Yes, a couple times. I think I may be more inlove with the dress than I am with you."

"Oh, Lord. It must be a nice dress."

Just then, Link walked by us.

"Gross." He murmured.

"You're meant to take a knee in front of the Princess, Link." I called after him.

I heard him mock me in a high-pitched voice and scoffed at his immaturity. 

"You two are still bickering?" Apollo said.

"Ugh, I hate him. He's wildly annoying."

He chuckled at me. "Right."

"I think he may be my least favourite person in the world."

"Musn't be pleasent."

"I doubt he cares."

"Well, don't let him ruin your special day. What do you say we take the horses out?"

I beamed then, feeling my eyes widen with pleasure. "Yes! You know me so well."

"Okay, I'll go get them ready. You go wait in the drawing room."

I kissed him once more and began advancing down the hall to the drawing room.

The doors were positively satisfying to open, and the room itself was beyond gorgeous. 

The white furniture was all lined with gold, the mirror on the wall adorned in a similar gold wooden frame.

I ran my fingers along the spines of the books in the bookshelf before planting myself on one of the sofas and beginning to read. 

The silence felt like melted sugar. I could've closed my eyes right then and there and fallen into the most luscious sleep in my life.

But, of course, I didn't. 

Because today was a national holiday, and it meant that all the knights in training were also off work today. So, my silence was broken by the one person I hated most.

At first, when he walked in and began inspecting the books, it was silence. But then I looked up from my book, noticed who it was and groaned under my breath.

"Happy birthday." He said.

"What's it to you?"

"Just being polite." He sat down at a desk on the other side of the room and began writing a letter.

The scratching of the pen began to feel as if it was actually scratching my skin, making my ears shiver with displeasure. 

"Do you have to write like that?" I burst out.

"What? Like what? I'm not doing anything." 

"Just be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate."

"Right. Okay. Why aren't you downstairs actually, I don't know, talking to all the people who are bringing you gifts? Maybe even talking to your dad?"

"Because I will do that later when I'm more awake."

"That's a bit selfish, don't you think?" He added, not once looking up from his letter.

"No, it's not, actually." I said. "Look, I know you think you're all high and mighty because you're some important knight with some flashy title, but it doesn't give you the right to talk to a royal like she's some dumb little sister."

"I'm a master, actually."

"And boy, do you let everybody know."

Link then stood up, sliding the letter into an envelope. "Try carrying the sword that seals the darkness, then get back to me." He winked at me, tossing the letter into my lap, walking out of the room. "Tell them to post it to twenty-seven Castle town, thanks." He called out from behind him before shutting the doors.

I scoffed once more and threw the letter into the fireplace. Who did he think he was, using me like that? Did he not know how quickly I could get him fired?

After another ten minutes or so, Apollo walked into the room, a bright grin on his face. "The horses are all ready."

"And then, do you know what he did?" I added, watching the patience drain from Apollo's eyes as his eyebrows raised in fake interest. "He throws the letter at me, telling me to post it. It's like, does he not know who I am?"

"Wow. That's the third time you've brought up Link."

I ran my fingers through my horse's mane. "Sorry. It's just so infuriating."

"It's okay. But, I'm afraid there's not much the castle can do. He's a master, and that makes him pretty damn important. It'd take a lot for him to get fired."

"Don't I have the power to do that, though?" 

"You could put in a complaint, but I doubt it'd get very far. If you talked to your father, however-"

"No. Absolutely not. It's alright. He can stay, I suppose."

Apollo paused, then sighed. "You really dislike your father that much?" 

"I haven't talked to him in three years. Ever since-"

"Right. Ever since we got together."

I shrugged, upset.

"Don't be sad, Princess." Apollo took my hand in his. "Just remember where we'll be a week today."

I smiled at him, matching his happiness. "Yeah. You're right."

He put an arm round my shoulder as we rode the horses side by side. I rested my head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too."