Hello everybody. I am so sorry for the very long wait. But life has kept me busy and a lack of motivation to write (I am dyslexic after all) made me not do what I wanted to do. I am trying to do better next year. I promise that I know where I want this story to go. I have images in my head and so many ideas. It's just hard for me to put them into words. So, I try.

This first chapter is the first real introduction chapter of a few characters we will meet along the way. As well as a chapter of making a few things clear before the real plot begins. The next chapter won't be so different to this, that I can tell. Though the plot will be thickening a bit in the next chapter.

On my YouTube page, Mlp fan Celine, I have uploaded a small, original song called "The Spark", which always plays whenever something romantic happens between Zelda and Link. I let the music speak for itself. Trust me, while it might sound simple, there is a deeper meaning behind it which you will hear in a future song (which is already finished instrumental wise). They are linked.

But without further ado, let's start chapter one shall we?

Pages: 5 ½

Words: 3296

Tension filled the room as opponent stared down opponent. One, regal and calm as ever. The other, loud, unfriendly, and drunk as it is. The room stinks of alcohol. Just the other day, the nobles were celebrating their 40 yearlong council membership. The smell, plus the untidiness of the room, showed it clearly. They persisted to uphold this meeting, and, for some reason, she agreed.

Link could never understand that. If it would have been him, he would have declined this meeting until all the nobles were sober. Then again, lord Caleb would be just like this when not drunk. Link never liked that guy to begin with. The moment he entered the castle for a meeting with the princess, he got bossed around by lord Caleb like he was a servant. All because of his peasant birth right. Caleb stinks. Just like this room.

To think the day started beautifully. He woke up, got down to the kitchen to get something to eat, took a walk in the gardens, went to the barracks to help train the new recruits, made his way to the royal wing, and met the princess for her daily morning report of how the new recruits are doing. A routine he made the moment he got his job as General, which was the highest-ranking position you could get in the army.

His journey to that position wasn't an easy one. Especially because of people like lord Caleb. Many nobles gave him frowns the moment he entered the castle. What is a peasant doing in a place like this, and why does he get the privilege to speak with her royal highness? They didn't say these questions out loud, but they were written on almost all their faces. Some looked just confused, and with others, he had a hard time reading them.

While many were not pleased with him being there, others were curious. They heard stories from not only the people in castle town, but from her royal highness herself, how a young man, clad in green, went bravely into the twilight and, in the end, slayed the evil plague who ruled this land. Because of these stories, those who were curious wanted to see him in action. How strong is this man, clad in green, really, and why was the princess so fond of this boy?

Pretty quick it was clear for them. The stories weren't lying. This boy fought through fight after fight against the different soldiers in the barracks, getting the attention from not only the other soldiers, but from some nobles as well. He flew through the ranks. Promotion after promotion, op to 4 months ago, when he got the position of general. A feat not many accomplished.

To say people like Caleb were enraged. How could a peasant get such a title in such short time? Apparently, having the title of "Hero of Twilight" isn't enough in their eyes. "To get the title of general, you have to be of noble blood, not someone who got the attention of her royal highness. Especially someone who got in to the royal guards 4 years ago" is something lord Caleb said directly into the princess's face. To say that Link was shocked to hear a noble speak like this to the princess was an understatement. He looked at her, while she looked at Caleb, with an intense stare that didn't break. Until he saw a light twitch of her lips, trying to hold of a smirk.

It was barely noticeable. Only those who really paid attention to her face could see it, which he did. Pretty fast he learned that the princess could hide her emotions well. There was a reason why she got called "ice princess". If you got to know her and/or she liked you and saw you as her friend, she wasn't shy to show her feelings. Those emotions are restricted to a minimum in public but shown freely in private. He called it her having "3 personas".

Her first persona being the "mask". Here, she hides any form of emotions. It's the persona he saw a lot doing the twilight invasion. He remembers her stoic expression the moment she revealed herself to him. No traces of anything. But he knew that she was trying to hold of her pain and suffering. It's also the persona she uses on people she dislikes, to not show them her concern, worry and/or fear. The expression she used on Lord Caleb after his snarky remark on why Link shouldn't get the position of general. The expression that almost cracked with her second persona.

The "veil". This expression is almost like the "mask". The difference here is, that small pieces of emotions are shown. Small smiles, eye twinkles, lip twitches, slightly raised eyebrows. They are barely noticeable, but they are there. It's with the "veil" he gets greeted with a lot of the time.

Lastly, there is her third persona. The one he likes to call "True self". As this name implies, it's here Zelda shows her emotions full on out. Laughing, crying, frowns, surprise, big full-on smiles. Just Zelda being her normal self. The one persona he didn't get to see a lot of before. Thinking about it...she did show her emotions more and more to him. He wasn't sure why exactly, but she started to be more...how does he say it...bold? He always tells himself that it's his heart playing tricks on him. Though he didn't miss her small gestures and wordings of flirtations. It must be all in his mind.

Neither less to say, Zelda knew what she was doing. After all he got the position of general. She always had her ways on how to word things and use them against others. Of course, other nobles helped out too, as they were impressed with his skills and didn't want to be on his bad side. Lord Caleb though...he was-

"I am not going to do that just yet, Lord Caleb. You know my answer already". Her majestic, calm voice broke the silence of the room...and the silence of his thoughts. Oh no, what did he miss? It's not like him to just simply get distracted so much by his own thoughts. Focus Link, focus. Your voice might be needed in certain matters. What good is a general if he can't voice his opinions and give answers to certain topics?

"Your majesty, I am not having this conversation again. The people of Hyrule are fine. Your bloodline, though, won't be if you don't start finding a Suitor. We need an heir if something happens to you", Lord Caleb's voice roared through the room. His drunk state not helping.

Ahh yes. Now he was on board again. The most talked topic between Zelda and her council. Mostly between her and Lord Caleb. An heir to seize all worries. How pitiful. Zelda got crowned queen almost 3 in a half years ago and has managed everything alright so far. The people loved and respected her. She took care of them before thinking about herself and nobody has even wanted to hurt her, as her reign is named as the most wholesome reign Hyrule has ever had the privilege of having. But the council, Lord Caleb, and a few others especially, think it's for the best for her to start courting. Of course, all they want of it is for a man to rule again. Link knows them all too well. They don't want a woman with power over them.

Though in some regards, he does agree with them. Zelda hasn't shown any interest in finding a man, and with no man, she won't have an heir. As queen, there are always things to be warry of. There could always be some form of danger lurking nearby, and Link knows for a fact that one's live can be over pretty quickly. Being a fighter himself, he doesn't want to think about the things that, say, an assassin could do to his precious queen.

He doesn't want to see her getting hurt at all, come to think of it. Just like he doesn't really want to see someone near her regarding a love life. While he agreed with her needing an heir someday, in a way, he is glad that she has not found a husband just yet. He accepted his feelings for her only a few months after starting his position in the royal guard. He tried to deny it many times but gave up lying to himself when she told him, with her true self, how she misses her parents, letting her cry on his shoulder with his arms around her.

It was in the royal gardens. Better said in her little, small maze, which is located in the middle of the gardens. In the middle behind a statue was her secret hideout. One lonely tree, a small fountain and one bench found in the middle of said hideout. The birds being the only witnesses of what happened that day. She accepted the hug without hesitation and cried tears, which she probably holds on to for many years, for over an hour.

When she was done, she smiled thankfully at him, looking him directly into his eyes. "Thank you...I needed that", she said before silence consumed them for a few minutes. Doing that silence, Link couldn't help but stare into her eyes as well, noticing the details in them, the pain, the loneliness, but also happiness. At the corner of his eyes, he noticed a small, but noticeable blush appeared. Was his mind playing tricks again? But before he could really think about that, the princess spoke one final line before going back to the castle: "You might not know, but I really appreciate your comfort, my dear friend".

After that meeting, he couldn't stop but think about her words. She appreciates his comfort, with other words, his presence, and on top of that, trusted him so much so, that she was not afraid to show him how hurtful she really was. What started as a small crush become so much more. He knew from then on that he wanted to be there for her and to do anything he can to help her in certain problems. Of course, protecting her as well.

A small cough caught his attention. Looking at the source of said cough, he gulped. Shot, when did he get so distracted again and for how long? He felt a small sweat drop appear on his forehead, which started to roll down. The stares of the council did not help in the slightest. Especially lord Caleb, who looked at him with an annoyed eye, tutting and looking away when their stares met.

Another small cough. His eyes travelled to its source. A slightly lifted eyebrow and a very small head tilt to the right indicated that he, indeed, missed something. Panic filled his already fast beating heart as he tried to recollect the conversation, he must have missed but couldn't recall. Beating even faster when he noticed a small lip twitch on his queen's lip, who was trying to hold in a smile but failing miserably.

Finally, she decided to give him mercy by standing up. "Whatever it was that you were thinking about, I am sorry to interrupt it. I was asking if you could accompany me to my quarters. When you did not answer, I became slightly worried, only to realise that your mind was elsewhere. Care to share"? He stared into her eyes while listening to her melodic voice. Shaking his head slightly, he gave a small cough into his fist to recollect himself.

"Sorry, your majesty and no, nothing for you to worry about. I was just thinking about personal matters. And yes, I'll accompany you, if that is what her majesty wishes". He cringed slightly when he let slip his country slang a bit. "Definitely not formal Link" he thought to himself. Looking up, he saw the mad faces of the lords, especially lord Caleb looked very displeased. But looking at his princess, he relaxed. While the attention was on him, she let her guard fall and gave out a very small smile, which he very slightly returned. Better not let the lords know.

Elegantly as ever, Zelda nodded to the lords and whished them a good day. Grabbing her papers, she left her spot, nodded to him, and led the way. He followed a few paces behind her, and both fell into an equal rhythm. They didn't look or speak to each other while walking down the long hallway. Even after they turned the corner to the left, in the direction of Zelda's quarters, they stayed quiet. Apparently, Zelda didn't like that as she stopped with a slight head turn over her left shoulder to look at him.

"You do remember that you may walk beside me after we turned the corner, right"? Ah yes. Zelda always told him that she saw them as equal. But knowing formalities and that many in court did not like him, Link was always hesitant about letting his formalities go around Zelda. In return, she also knows this and did have some rules which he needed to follow: Around the court, they play the "knight and princess" card, but if alone, they can talk and go as equals. He often didn't do that in fear that someone would see. Zelda, on the other hand, always did try to get him to slip his formalities and open up around her. Sometimes, it was easier to relax around her, but today...

"Sorry princess. But what if someone sees us? We are, after all, still very close to the meeting room". He thought that she knew this. How dangerous it could be for him if he were caught talking with the princess like any normal commoner. Because if they would, lord Caleb would definitely get what he wanted: Get Link out of the precious position as general and away from the princess as far as possible. Link would be damned if he let Caleb get what he wanted.

His princess though, as smart as she was, didn't like his responds, if her scrunched up nose was anything to go by. Letting out a sigh and a small shake of her head, she continued walking. "You know, as well as I do, that the lords like to stay behind after a meeting, gossiping about either you or me. They won't walk out unless important events afterwards or on emergencies. Now, I asked you to accompany me to my quarters as my friend, so, would you please do the honours and walk beside me, or should I repeat my previous question"? Her voice sounded stern and at the same time sad. He couldn't quite put it into words, but what he could put into words was how often they had this discussion. And he knows how tiring it must make her. But his formalities always got the better of him. Though she didn't know how hard the fight between his mind and heart was every time he did become formal.

So he did what she asked of him and went beside her. He heard her let out a little sigh before they resumed walking. Looking at her, she seamed much more at ease with a light smile on her face and shoulders much more relax. He turned away when he felt her eyes moving towards him, trying to hide a small blush. Was it a small giggle that he heard coming from her direction? He probably misheard and imagined it. Why should she let out a giggle like that? Unless...

He didn't had time to think as they turned another corner, reaching the stairs and going up, were they then walk around another corner, stopping in front of big doors. Her quarters. Before he could think things through, he walked towards the doors and opened them op, blushing when he realised what he just did. Trying to find words to explain his actions, Link didn't notice the small blush that appeared on Zelda's face, as well as her facial expression being one of surprise, before turning to one of awe and happiness.

Her right hand went elegantly up towards her mouth, trying to hide a giggle. This got Link's attention back to her, his face now being one of a tomato. Clearing his throat, he tried to find his voice. "Sorry Zelda. I have no idea what came over me. Normally you open your doors. They are yours after all. And you can do things on your own as well. I just thought I'd be nice and char- I mean form- I mean a good friend". A small nervous laugh escaped him before he added with a sigh: "Sorry", while looking down at his feet.

A giggle, this time not being hidden, was heard from in front of him and shortly after, he felt one of her soft hands on his chin, lifting it back up so that they both could look eye to eye. "This is one of the many reasons why I like you, Link. No matter what, you will always think with your greatest intentions. Even then your thoughts are elsewhere, or if you're rambling" a small giggle, "Thank you for being you".

Silence. Not the tense one that the Lords would get in her presence, but one of calm and...something else. Link just couldn't pinpoint what exactly. But what he did know, was that there was a small sparkle in her eyes when she talked with him. Especially after she was done. He could feel butterflies in his stomach, and he tried with all the will power he had to look away. But with no success. He just couldn't.

"She is just so beautiful, no, magnificent. Even more so...wait...did I just imagine it or did her eyes flicker towards my lips"? Link's thought went viral. Was it a trick of the light? A wish of his heart and mind? But before he could further question it, she seemed to come out of a trance, and her face went completely red. Link found her even more beautiful like this.

"Thank you, Link". Her voice was soft as she avoided eye contact. "I...um...you may leave now..." she said shyly but added in an even more soft tune "if you want to", hoping that Link didn't hear. Clearing his throat another time this day, he looked up towards her face and gave a small smile. "Right. You have still a lot of preparations to do with the upcoming ball. I give you your space" he bowed and started to walk away but stopped then a specific thought came to mind. He turned around. "If you need me. Like with anything, I will be in the barracks. Just call me, alright" and gave her a small smile.

Zelda smiled back, now looking into his eyes again. "Ok", she nodded her head, giving a small smile in return. With that, Link made his way to the barracks, heart beating rapidly. His stupid smile, turning into a grin, not leaving his face. He, definitely, was in a good mood even though he had no idea what just happened back there.

And while he walks away, making the distance between them bigger, Zelda closed her doors, leaned against it with one of her hands against her chest, over the place where her heart was equally beating as fast. A confused expression on her face. Equally not knowing what had just happened. But deep down in her heart, she had a feeling of what happened. She didn't know if that was true, but a small, hopeful smile, formed unknowingly on her face.

The 3 personas that I used for Zelda are inspired by my favourite Zelink fanfiction on fanfiction net called "Something you Stole" by ChronicallyEclectic.