How To Be a Prince

Sworn Lovers

Since Kogam left, there were only two hours left. Link knew from the broken grandfather clock that stood opposite his cell. It was worn down, almost crumbling to the floor, but it still told the time. It still stood for a purpose despite the negligence and suffering it had endured.

Link wondered if he would finally be at peace, in a world of his own. A place where he could be carefree and do whatever he pleased whenever he pleased. Then he realised that he could never be at peace as long as Zelda has to suffer.

"We could've made our own world." he sombrely whispered, "A place where worrying doesn't exist. A place where you can be who ever you want. A place where we could be together..."

*******

Zelda peeked around the corner of a corridor that lead to the dungeon. Guarding the dungeon door was a guard, slumped on his chair, asleep. Zelda tiptoed to the guard, and quickly scanned him for the cell keys. The guard began to stir in his sleep, making Zelda panic, which caused her to quickly inch the dungeon door open, and slide in.

The dungeon door was kept unlocked. There was no need to lock it. No one would be crazy enough to enter, and nobody would stay long enough to get out.

It took a while for Zelda's eyes to adjust to the gloomy darkness. there was only source of light was a single streak of the rising sun, which shone though the tiny window and pierced the darkness. The smell of decay flooded through Zelda's nostrils, making her wrinkle her nose.

Zelda squinted her eyes as she saw a lone figure slumped against the wall of a cell. She had to do a double-take, for she couldn't believe that somebody would ever be kept down here.

"Link!"

Zelda ran over to his cell, and cupped his face in her hands though the bars. Tears streaked down her face as she kissed him. She drew back and looked at him, before kissing him again. She couldn't speak, so her tears spoke for her.

Link looked slightly more at ease now. Seeing Zelda cleared a way some of his worry. Some of it, not all of it.

"Zelda, you're ok!" He said weakly.

Zelda nodded slightly before weeping in her hands.

"Its all my fault!" she cried.

Link caressed her face, gently hushing her.

"No, its not..." He said softly, "Meeting you, falling in love with you, marrying you, were all the best things that ever happened to me, and I would die a thousand times to do it again."

Zelda kissed Link, pressing his face against her own, holding onto him for dear life, despite the bars that separated them.

Zelda didn't notice the change in Link's features for a while, until now. His face was as pale as a ghost, his skin clinging on his bones by a thread, his eyes losing their blue glow. Zelda wanted to curse. How could this happen to such a brilliant man, how could he be reduced to this state?

The dungeon wasn't cold, but it had an air to it which sent shivers down Zelda's spine. There were various torture devices pushed against, or hung upon, the wall, and she wondered if Link had the misfortune of testing them out.

"You shouldn't have tried to save me." She said, "If you go down, I go down with you."

Link sternly shook his head, and held her hand in his.

"No, I want you to live," He replied, "I want you to go on to be an amazing Queen, to live a life that I couldn't. I want you to change everyone's lives, and give them all something we couldn't have. Make the future a better place, for everyone."

"what's the use of that future if I can't be with you?" she cried.

Link wanted to give her a big hug, to reassure her that everything was going to be alright, but the bars restricted him, as well as his lack in strength.

"Zelda," He whispered, "I love you more than anything. Never forget that."

She could sense him slowly fading away. By the time Death was at the door, Zelda was sure that Link would embrace him with open arms, and a grateful smile.

"I love you more than words can describe." she whispered.

She clutched his hand with her shaky ones.

"You showed me a life I never knew, and I am in debt you ." Said Zelda, "You showed me what love meant."

Link chuckled weakly. His eyes were melancholy, taking the sight of Zelda for as long as he could.

"Link, what if I-"

Zelda was cut off by the sound of the dungeon door opening. Zelda looked at Link, panicked, who signalled to her to hide behind some crates, then slip out when the guard wasn't looking. Zelda nodded, and brushed her hand against his, before scurrying away.

The guards heavy boots echoed though the dungeon, as he clomped his way over to Link's cell, a tray with stale bread and water in his hands. He stood to a halt outside Link's cell, who did his best to pretend that he didn't know the guard was there.

"Food for you, traitor." Said the guard in a low voice.

"I don't get why you're bringing me food!" Snapped Link, "I've only got just over an hour to live!"

Zelda quickly slipped out of the dungeon, unnoticed by the guard.

The guard carelessly shrugged, and he threw the tray though a gap in the bars, and stomped away.

Zelda hurried through the hallways, too disorientated to be aware of her surrounding. She had to save Link, she just had to, no matter what it took.

I'm so sorry I took so long, work has been piling up, so finding time to write has been a little hard, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless.