Finally, Prince Sidon came to check on her.
"You are most welcome to stay the night," he said toward her. He looked toward Link. "How is she doing?"
"I feel like a used sponge being wringed out by a man dying of thirst," Princess Zelda answered him none too politely. "Every worthy piece of water extracted from me before I am discarded to die in the desert."
Prince Sidon looked at her oddly, almost like Link sometimes did. "You aren't quite what I envisioned. Your way with words is . . . a little stunning."
Well, she wasn't feeling the royal Princess role right now. Hmph.
Prince Sidon moved beside her, giving her warning those are probably not words she should use though.
Why not? What would they do to her, kill her over words? They wanted her kingdom, and they wanted royalty back in Hyrule for future protection. Oh. Link's presence seemed to stir up the most emotion within her. All of her royal graces tended to be put on hold as she acted more humane. More personal.
Prince Sidon led her away to the hotel, where he would pay for her to sleep tonight. Link followed.
Zelda lied on the bed but didn't close her eyes. Link stayed near.
"If you would like?" Prince Sidon offered. "I will try and talk them into giving more than a week," he said to Zelda. "It is a very big responsibility to find someone so big within one week."
"Oh yes, please? If you feel inclined to do so, it could really help," Zelda said graciously. "Thank you, Prince Sidon." It was nice to see someone on the other team still on her side. If she ended up with him, maybe she could live long enough to find a real cure. Eventually her body relaxed in bed. Resigned herself to the day and she was able to sleep.
After all, Link was there too, and no matter how much she didn't like it.
It was always easy to sleep around him.
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To The Leaders
"One week is truly not long enough," Prince Sidon fought for Zelda's side. "She won't be able to even know by that time if she can truly stand to be married to someone."
"She escapes death for a short time," Bluto pointed out. "That's a blessing right there. Don't push this, Boy."
A little rude. Prince Sidon looked at his father. "Deciding with the heart in a week is ridiculous. She'll have nothing to do except think in the perspective of who would make the best king."
"Like those articles, those Whose Who Should Rule Hyrule?" Rija asked. "A good point. Prince Sidon draws a fair point."
Thank goodness, it looks like he did it. "Time to find the right person is essential," Prince Sidon continued. "Hyrule will have a better king."
"No," Kaneli corrected him. "It's just like you said, she would pick it like Whose Who Should Rule Hyrule."
"That is how we will play it," King Dorephan corrected his son. "Hyrule itself will decide the King."
What?! "No, I didn't mean-"
But the damage was already done.
——————————————
Link guarded Zelda's bed nearby. This wasn't how he envisioned getting his sacred duty back. It would only partly protect her. Once there was a new King of Hyrule to watch over her, that was the end of the trail unless the new king wanted her to have a private guard. He watched Prince Sidon approach. She was sleeping. What did he want?
"I talked to the leaders of all kingdoms." He didn't look happy after saying that. "I need to wake up Princess Zelda. It had a negative effect I wasn't planning on."
That wasn't good. Link moved closer to her bed and found himself lying his hand on her head as he stared at Prince Sidon. He didn't notice until he took the action. Princess Zelda didn't seem surprised as she woke up.
"Prince Sidon, greetings again," Zelda said to him from the side of the bed. She stood up. "May I help you?"
"I tried to help," Prince Sidon said again. "It backfired. You are no longer in control of who you will marry."
What?
"Hyrule itself will be."
————————————
Hyrule Castle, One Week Later
The leaders were all there along with over a hundred Hylians that made the journey out there from various places. There were ten chosen people there, awaiting Zelda. One of them to marry, and she still didn't know which one.
Neither did Link. The choices were nothing amazing. He felt comfortable with none of them running Hyrule.
The simple living area at the front of the castle had been cleaned out and up for the occasion. People lent chairs for others to sit on or brought their own, the ground was littered with different colors of carpeting, a mix to try and resemble the huge carpets for the royal weddings of the past. The priest was even there already, he was the one Link had found to marry Rhondson in Tarry town. Even the vocal voice of Rito was added for at the end of the ceremony.
Zelda kept her feelings bottled, but she wasn't feeling too well. It was obvious. He had little he could do for her. One step closer towards her end. Link had been hoping just like her that something would help. A goddess would interfere. Calamity Ganon was the hugest threat Hyrule had ever faced, and he had finally been taken down.
But a simple amount, a should be non-consequential amount in her heart could not be cured. Link had dreams where he tried to steal her away and move past Hyrule. Past the Goron mountains and only ended up crossing the ocean back to Faron, where all of Hyrule was there, yelling monster.
When she was married, to one of these men, he would be sent away. Told to leave.
What then? A hundred years to help save the one who held back Ganon, only to be dismissed for them to, what? What would the new king be like? Would they be caring or evil? If he left, the new king might hurt her. Chain her up. Abuse her and treat her like a monster. His hands tensed at the thought.
No. He had to stay positive. Maybe the leaders were right, the people of Hyrule may see something he didn't. Maybe.
He moved closer to Zelda, and gave her something to eat.
She looked at it and mustered a smile back at Link. "You didn't have to fix me a sweet, Link."
Sweets were expensive to make and didn't offer much benefits. But they tasted good. He stretched his hands out to give her the pie he made.
She managed to smile a little bigger. "Thank you, Link." She stared out at the crowd. "Sorry. I'm not as happy as the average bride should be."
Of course not. She had no choice in who she was marrying, or who it would even be. He watched her start to take bites of the pie.
"You have the left side, I'll take the right, Link."
Link started to eat the pie with her.
"You're about to get married, and you are eating pie?" Prince Sidon questioned as he came over to look at her. He smirked. "You are a mighty fine one indeed! I don't know any royalty that would act that way."
That's because Sidon didn't know her like Link. Okay, memories aside, he remembered her enough to understand that side of her. She was polite and calm when she had to put on an act for others. When she wasn't acting, she was her true self. Happy, explorative, blunt, and charming. She had ways of saying and doing things that became endearing.
Right now, it should be a time to be polite and calm and royal. It was her wedding day. It was also not her decision, and a part of Zelda knew she was stirring herself one step closer to an ending. An ending Link couldn't even save her from.
Maybe if she cut her hair and dyed it a strange color. Hair didn't dye though. Even certain outfits couldn't dye. If she lived far away, up in the mountains? Stay in the cold forever. Stay in the isolated beach regions, while trying to stay away from isolated monstrous creatures. Live next to the Great Fairy's den in the storms of Gerudo.
No. All wishful thinking, Hyrule would find it's lost princess somehow, or she'd be in an area of too much danger.
"Did you mix cherry in this too? This is very good," she said. She took a piece from the far side and shoved it at Prince Sidon. "Want a bite? Link made it."
Prince Sidon just smiled at her. "I can see why Mipha got along with you. You will have to set your pie down when you get married."
"I have to set it down when I change," Zelda half agreed, "but there shouldn't be a problem eating it as I get married. Unless?" She looked at Link. "No, that shouldn't be a problem. Link can be on the left side just fine and eat, it shouldn't ruin the ceremony."
Prince Sidon started to laugh.
Link didn't. She was serious.
And he'd be happy to share the other half with her. It was something to enjoy on that terrible day. Probably the last day he'd be her official guard before dismissal.