The Princess and the Wolf

Chapter Five: A Strange Sadness

Of course Zelda wouldn't stoop low to blackmail, she found it  incredibly in moral. But she was still very agitated at Daltos. Zelda fumed at her desk in her personal study.

Of course she was happy that she wasn't far from her coronation, which she needed to start planning along with the council. But there was Lord Daltos. Zelda was sure he'd try to ruin her.

Zelda heard a loud knock at the door. "Come in", she called and Link entered the room and closed the door behind him. He pulled up a chair and placed so it was facing Zelda's desk.

"What's up?" Link asked cheerfully as he plopped down in his chair.

"The sky," Zelda looked up at Link and her mood lifted once again.

Link threw his head back in laughter, "You're a silly Princess, aren't you?"

"Soon I'll be a silly Queen," Zelda laughed. Promptly Link stopped laughing and looked at her wide eyed, "You're getting married?!"

Zelda smiled wider, "No. I convinced the council to let me become Queen as I am. The only advisor who opposed me was Lord Daltos. He argued with me after the meeting, it ended with me telling him I was blackmailing him with a wolf..."

"That's brilliant! When you say wolf you meant me, right,", ink chuckled and Zelda nodded.

"I'm worried about Daltos, though. He'll do anything to stop me," Zelda sighed.

"I'll keep an eye on him," Link assured her. "If I recall, on the way up here I ran into him. I said hi, but he just glared at me. Seems like a fun guy."

Zelda managed a little smile. "Hey," Link stood and took her hand. "Follow me, I want to take you some where."
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Link and Zelda made their way to the terrace of Hyrule Castle. Red banners with the Royal Family's crest were hung on the terrace and towers. The setting sun was disappearing in the west, as Link helped Zelda up on the terrace. The view was breath taking.

They sat in silence for a while until Link asked Zelda, "Have you ever felt a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

Zelda looked into Link's blue eyes, "I've never really thought about it, but now I know that Midna is on the other side of the "coin"... it really does make you think."

"Rusl, the man who raised me, asked me the same question before the Twilight came," Link explained. "Before everything changed, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I explored Hyrule with Midna, met new people, saw things I've never seen before...and most of all, I met you."

Zelda blushed, "I'm glad I met you, too."

"I always wanted to met you," Link smiled at her. "But I thought it would stay a dream, not reality."

"I never thought I'd met a hero who's not full of himself", Zelda playfully nudged him with her elbow. "Oww," Link joked, rubbing his arm. "Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Why can you turn into a wolf when I thought you were a cat person," Zelda smirked.

Link laughed, "I am a cat person, but I'm also a dog person. And I used to be a ranch hand. Let's just sat I'm an animal person."

"I've got it," Zelda nodded and smiled at Link. "What were the goats like?"

"Cute," Link awnsered.

Zelda didn't feel like prying a better awnser out of Link so she sat there with him in the silence, watching the sun disappear in the horizon.

"Zelda?"

She snapped back to reality and faced Link, "Yes?"

Link rubbed his gloved hands together, "How would you react if a man told you that he was in love with you?"

"Depends on the man," Zelda blushed.

"Hmmm..."

The sun was finally set and light snow started to fall from the sky. "Brrr," Link shivered. "It's getting dark out. We should probably head back inside."
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At midnight Link walked into Telma's Bar. It looked like no one was in there until Telma herself walked in from the other side of the bar.

"Link? What a suprise," Telma exclaimed. "How can I help you?"

Link plopped down in a chair at small table, "I don't know..."

"Is it about your girlfriend," Telma smirked.

Link put his head in his head and sighed, "Yes..."

"I KNEW IT!!" Telma squealed as she pulled up a chair and sat at the table Link was sitting at. "Well," Telma urged. "Tell me about it."

"I don't think she likes me the way I like her," Link sighed. "I think she only thinks of me as a very good friend. I'm friend-zoned, Telma! Friend-zoned!"

"Don't think that way!" Telma banged her fist on the table, startling Link. "If you think that way you'll never get out of what you call the friend-zone!"

Link stared at her dumbfounded, "Well, what should I do?"

Telma got up from her chair, "Give her more time and when you think you're ready, tell her how you feel."

"If I do that she'd probably think I was joking or she would try to kill me," Link fumed.

"What did I tell you," Telma asked him. "If you keep think that, you'll get nowhere!!"

Link got up from his chair and headed to the door, "Alright, I'll try it! But just keep in mind, I'm blaming you if it all goes haywire."

Telma smirked, "Oh, you'll be thanking me very soon, Link."

"We'll see about that," Link walked out into the cold, night air.