ZeLink: Au Revoir

Fourteen - Silent Princess

They arrived in a back alley. Groose stopped Zelda the instant he heard someone talking.
"Shh.. Zelda, don't take another step." He whispered.

Zelda looked at him worried. "Is Link okay?" She questioned without paying attenttion to what Groose justs said five seconds ago.

"Quiet!" Groose 'whispered'. They heard loud yelling coming from deeper the alley. It was hard to recognize any words, plus they were in German, so it was useless for Zelda to even bother to listen.

"Du törichter verräter!" They heard a mighty voice shout angrily.

Groose sighed. "You foolish traitor, he said."

Zelda remained quiet. With her eyes grey from sadness she tried to seek for any signs of Link.

"Glaubst du wirklich, dass wir nicht wissen, was du getan hast?!" The same voice continued yelling.

Groose swallowed loudly and then clenched his fists. "Do you really think we do not know what you've done." He kept translating for Zelda who looked even more frightened.

"Du verdienen zu sterben!" He yelled.

Groose gasped and grabbed Zelda's hand.
Then everything fell silent, and it remained like that for couple of minutes. Then they heard a what seemed like a gun being loaded. Then for a moment everything became silent again.

But then, the gun was triggered. They heard a loud shot being fired. Then they saw a huge man leave the alley, gladly to the opposite direction from them.

Zelda's eyes widened. She tore her hand from Groose's strong grip and left rushing to the direction of the gunshot as fast as she possibly could.

"Zelda, no!" Groose yelled. "Don't go!"

Zelda didn't listen. She saw the man in the distance holding a gun. She arrived in a square where for her horror she saw Link, fallen, leaning against a wall, with a hole in his rib where blood oozed to the ground to the pool where he was sitting in.

She gasped and ran to him. "Link? Link!" She yelled. "Please.. Can you hear me?!" She sat next to him tears falling off her eyes.

Link raised his face slightly. "Z-Zelda.."

"Oh thank god.." She cried. "Please get up, we need to get out of here!" She grabbed Link's shoulder and tried to help him up.

"No.. Zelda.." Link smiled, seemingly in pain, he grabbed her hand and lowered it. "I can't go anymore."

"What?! No! I'll get you away from here! Groose, please come help me!" She yelled to Groose who carefully walked into the square.

"Oh god.. Link.." He rushed over to him terrified.

"I'm thankful you brought Zelda.. Even though she does not deserve to see me like this." Link greeted him with a very slight smile.

Zelda was shocked how calm Link was. "Link?! Please.. We.. We need to go.." She cried even louder than before.

"Zelda, my dear, please listen.." Link sighed. He grabbed her hand again and held it with all of his might. "I.. I deserved this.. I had been slacking off from my duties... But please know.. That I did it for you.."

Zelda's tears mixed with the blood that was roaming in the ground. "Why... And who.. Who did this to you..?!" The tune of her voice raised.

Link sighed. "The one I spoke to you in my letter, Ganondorf. He knew it all along, what I was doing, he wanted to.. Take me out by his own."

Anger started to replace Zelda's sadness. She collapsed on Link's lap.

"Please don't cry, my Princess." Link comforted her.

"How could I not!?" Zelda yelled as her shirt started to get wet from all the tears she had shed.

Link smiled. "Because you're strong, so incredibly strong.. You have always been, and you will always be."

Zelda looked up at Link who tried to cover up his moaning from pain. "Just g-get up and come home with me! I know you'd be fine! I... I need you!" She shouted ignoring the fact that her tears filled her mouth.

"My dear Princess.. I love you more than anything or anyone in this world, and you know that.. I also know that you'll be a great, loving mother to our children... I can sense it.. You are an strong and independent woman who can do anything.. You deserve only the best.." Link kissed Zelda's forehead gently. Then he sighed. "Groose.. The men are coming back soon.. To.." He then looked at Zelda who had lost all of her hopes and dreams, her heart had sunk into her shoes and at that moment Link realized just how much this woman is worth. She was one of her kind. "..Please take Zelda away from here and make sure she'll be alright, nothing else matters at this point!"

"You matter! You are coming with me!" Zelda insisted crying.

Link grabbed Zelda's chin and raised her head just a bit so he could kiss her for the last time. As their lips touched for the one last time they both felt just how much they loved each other.

As their lips sepreated Link gazed at Zelda's blue eyes. "I have always been the one who comes to wake you up when you slept late, so I'm going to ask you a favor sleepyhead... When all of this is over, will you come and wake me up?" He asked smiling.

Zelda didn't even think about the meaning of these words at this point. She cried, cried to the point where her eyes had turned completely red.

"Princess, always remember that even if I am gone, I'm still the father of our children and forever yours.." He ran his hand through her hair. "And you.. You're still my Zelda."

Groose then helped the shaking Zelda up and lifted her up. He saluted at Link. "Danke." He said respectfully.
Then they heard footsteps coming from around the corner. Groose left running carrying the crying Zelda.

"I shall never forget the time when we were togehter in our dreams..." Link smiled to her for the last time and waved her goodbye.

"N-no!" Zelda could get the words out of her mouth. "I.. I Love you so much.." She whispered as she covered her mouth up.

Then they heard three gunshots and everything fell silent. Birds left flying from the top of the buildings that surrounded the square.

He was gone.