Author's note:

As my readers are aware, my romance stories center on the adult side of Link and Zelda's relationship. I contemplated whether or not I should submit this last story here, titled "A hero's honor," since this one delves into much more "detail" than the other fanfics I have posted. I finally decided to "go for it," since I know there are readers out there who are hungry for more adult Link/Zelda romance stories.
I love to think of Link as the perfect hero, whisking his lady away in his arms and making her feel on top of the world.
In this last story, he comes home after being away from her for two weeks at battle. Their reunion is rather, shall I say, very heated.
Link also has to face some very unpleasant facts of life as a warrior of Hyrule, and it nearly breaks him…
Our ever faithful villain Ganondorf has plotted yet again to get his hands on that pesky Triforce, and will stop at nothing, including destroying Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, Kokiri Forest, and anywhere else he decides needs destroying, in order to get it.
After a very sensuous liaison in an unlikely place, Link and Zelda discover they are going to have a child.
As the story unfolds, the tension mounts as Ganondorf closes in with his evil band of Moblins, hunting Link and Zelda down until the last possible moment.
He is not aware she is carrying Link's child, the next heir to the throne of Hyrule.
In preparing this story, I let my imagination go and found myself centering in on a few scenes from "Gone with the Wind."
The very ending is based on words from a Celtic song that I love, called "Dunlavy's Castle" by a group called Clandestine.
It's a very eclectic mix, and I certainly hope you enjoy it. But remember…you have been warned. This story sizzles! Read at your own risk! J

Rating: R (Strong sexual content)

 
The Hylian sunset welcomed the weary Knights of Hyrule as they rode over the top of the hill in Gerudo Valley separating them from the rest of their kingdom.
Four of their men had been slain today in battle against the evil Moblins, and were being brought home to be buried with heroes' honor.
Out of their water supply, and the taste of dust in their mouths, smiles and restrained cheers broke out among them as Link drew Epona up over the hill and pulled her reins, slowing down.
Holding up his hand, he turned around and spoke to his men, his voice breaking up.
"Gentlemen…across that hill lies our home. We must give thanks for being sent back here safely…and to remember our fellow warriors who died for us today. Let us not ever forget the price they have paid for our freedoms."
He removed his helmet, bowed his head and his army followed suit.
Memories of the past few events suddenly flooded him. The knight that died in his arms just a little while ago was one of his best friends. They'd trained together, fought together, and now he was dead, never to serve alongside him again. The other three were newcomers to Hyrule, but just as brave as the ones who'd served with him since he married Zelda. Link felt a hot salty tear fall to his lips.
After a few moments of silence, he raised his head.
"Now to home we shall ride!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
He could see the tops of the towers of his home in the distance.
What a welcome sight it was.
Raising his sword, and Epona up on her hind legs, the Knights of Hyrule charged toward the drawbridge.
The men were anxious to return to their families, but for four of those families, the bad news would pierce through them as swift as a flying Light Arrow.
Link had the overwhelming task, as the leader of these men, to send a page to each home, delivering the horrible news.
He thought of Zelda, and could not wait to get home to her, to be welcomed in her loving arms.


Inside her bedroom at Hyrule Castle, unaware that he was riding home, Zelda was busy dusting the bookshelf she had ordered brought down from the castle attic. Link loved to read from her father's huge collection of books, and she was going to surprise him with a collection she'd removed from the downstairs library for his very own. Now he wouldn't have to leave her side to read anymore.
They could enjoy the firelight together, with him reading in bed next to her, while she mended his tunics, worked on her quilts, or read along with him.
Besides, the beautifully carved monster of a bookcase filled an empty space against the wall that had been left bare for far too long.
She had climbed up a tall ladder to reach the top shelves to begin dusting. The books were in place, all they needed was Link here to read them.
She sighed deeply as she thought of him, hoping he would return soon.
They'd only been married a short time when he'd been called away to the Desert Colossus with his men to fight an angry army of Moblins that had threatened to invade the Spirit Temple.
Suspicious that it might have been Ganondorf's doing, Link was determined to thwart any evil that could jeopardize the peace in Hyrule.
This was what he had been born to do, to keep his country and his princess safe.
But he had been gone for about two weeks, and the only thing keeping Zelda from going insane from missing him so much was this task she'd set upon herself.
With her blond hair pulled up into a ponytail, and wearing a shift that barely covered the tops of her legs since the weather had been unseasonably hot, she kept dusting, trying to reach every crevice, determined to keep herself busy. Neither she nor Link believed in idle minds.
She wiped the sweat from her brow with her arm as she continued working.
It didn't matter what she was wearing in here in her bedroom, behind that closed door. She wasn't expecting anybody.


Riding into the castle grounds, Link dismounted Epona, and his servants led her to the stable to properly care for her after this long journey.
Just before he entered the side door, his eye caught beautiful blooming red and white carnations in the garden nearby.
Reaching down to pick some for Zelda before he went inside, he arranged them in a little bouquet and held them behind his back as he entered the castle.
He ran up the stairs, two at a time, eagerly anticipating her welcoming arms around him.
When he arrived at the bedroom door, he almost knocked, but decided against it.
Grasping the doorknob, he quietly turned it and poked his head inside.
When he saw the bookcase filled with the books, a brilliant smile flashed across his face as he ran his fingers through his blond hair, so glad to be home.
"That devil of a woman," he thought to himself. "What a surprise."
Then he saw her reach up with the feather duster, completely unaware she was being watched.
He caught a peek of her femininity as she reached way up high to get to the top, top shelf.
This took away all of the weariness, fatigue and helplessness he'd felt riding home.
His temperature rose. She had no idea what a vixen she was.
Then the ladder swerved a little underneath her. She gasped and grabbed the shelf for leverage, looking down.
Link's face turned to horror as he dropped the flowers and tiptoed behind the ladder quietly, his arms ready to catch his beautiful wife, but he still didn't want to give away his presence.
She regained her footing and continued dusting, unaware he was right underneath her.
Link grabbed the end of the ladder, holding it steady, and looked up.
By now he could see much more of her than he saw before.
Grinning and rubbing his chin, he waited to see what she would do next. Would she climb down now, or keep dusting?
She tried to reach up to the cherub's face carved into the very top, and when she did, she suddenly held her finger to her nose, breathing in…
But it was too late.
She sneezed, and the force of it caused her to topple backwards. She shrieked in fear, and Link held out his waiting arms…
The unmistakable horror on her face turned to happy surprise as she felt his strong arms breaking her fall, cradling her next to him.


"You gave me quite a scare…milady. You should be more careful. You never know who could come wandering in here and see you like this."
He eyed her body in his arms, giving her a look that melted her very soul.
His voice and arms around her were the best thing to happen to her all day.
"Link! You're home!" she cried out excitedly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hello, my darling," he whispered as he nuzzled against her nose, then leaned in to kiss her.
"I've missed you so much," she whispered.
"Not nearly as much as I've missed you," Link replied softly in her ear.
He then gazed up at the bookshelf.
"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yes, it's wonderful! Where did you find it?"
"From the attic upstairs. I decided we needed it in here. Now you have your very own collection of books. I want you close to me when you read."
He turned around with her still in his arms and carried her toward the bed.
"It's beautiful, Zelda. However, I'm not interested in reading right at the moment," he
said, his voice full of seductive overtones.
His eyes were penetrating right through to her very soul, making her tremble in his arms. He'd looked at her like this in the Temple of Time, when she revealed herself to him as Sheik, and he'd never stopped since.
"Oh, Link, look at me, I'm a mess"…she said, suddenly embarrassed.
He said nothing, but removed the feather duster from her hand, tossing it to the floor.
She reached back to loosen her ponytail. Smiling in anticipation, she let her long blond hair free to tumble down her shoulders, shaking it behind her.
Link carefully placed her on the bed using his knees, then lay down above her, his face full of hungry passion.
"I am looking at you, and you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I want to show you how much I missed you," he said in a low voice, taking her hand and kissing it.
She wound her arms around his neck, and he lowered his mouth onto hers.
His passionate kiss stole her away from the present and into their private world, the one they loved to visit quite frequently.
He didn't care that she was covered with dust, or that she'd been sweating.
"Oh, Link," she murmured. "I'm so glad you're home"…
His hands, moving underneath the shift, caressed her bare skin.
"You're so soft and warm," he whispered. "Like a dream. So beautiful"…
She unlaced the top of his tunic, then her hands drifted down to his belt, unbuckling it with passionate urgency, all the while looking at him with wide eyes.
"Link…I love you"…
Pulling his belt away, and releasing his sword from his body with a thud as it hit the floor, he lifted the shift away from her and hungrily took her breasts in his mouth, one at a time, caressing their aching peaks with his tongue.
Arching her back, Zelda grasped the sides of his head and began to moan to him in her sweet voice.
This was what he had missed the most.
"Yes, milady"…he whispered.
Feeling his arousal growing quickly, Link took off his chain mail and the rest of his clothing, freeing his hardened masculinity from further confinement.
Then he ripped away her remaining undergarments, grabbed her legs and firmly held them by the ankles around his shoulders, and rose up on his knees.
"Now I've got you right where I want you…your Highness," he murmured in a wicked tone, kissing her calves, his tongue flickering against her skin, traveling up to her thighs...


Zelda loved it when he ravaged her like this, watching his handsome facial expressions as he was becoming lost in her. It had been a long time since she'd seen him in all his naked glory, his rippled golden muscular chest, arms and thighs, firm buttocks, and his well-defined manhood that was now ready for her…
Dying to touch him, she started to rise up from the bed.
Then she felt his hands tighten around her ankles, his teeth grazing against her thigh. She flinched and let out a sensual hiss as he smiled at her.
"Careful," she whispered. "I might have to put one of my magic spells on you, you naught boy"…
"Then punish me, please"…he whispered back in a passionate frenzy, lowering his body over her, his sultry blue eyes burning right through her.
She traced his shoulders slowly with her hands as they wound around his neck, relishing the thought of what was about to happen.
"Tell me…does this make me a naughty boy?" he asked, easing himself into her slowly, closing his teeth over her right shoulder. He made a noise against it as he realized just how ready for him she was.
She gasped and grabbed his backside, her head slowly arching back.
"Oh, yes"…
"Then…does this make me a naughty boy too?" he asked again, withdrawing from her a little, his mouth closing over her left breast, then easing into her again.
"Oh…Link"…she purred.
He laughed sensually against her as he began to move his body faster, his very skilled movements making his wife turn to putty underneath him.
Eagerly anticipating the loud noises that came from her sweet mouth when they made love, he wanted her to be especially vocal when she reached that ecstatic peak he was about to give her.
He knew how to move just right when he was inside her, and all Zelda knew was the paradise she was about to enter with her husband.
"Oh milord, you are wicked, take me now"… she begged him, her breathing sensual and ragged, raising her legs around his waist, enabling him to penetrate her even deeper.
"Take me now"…
Link clenched his teeth.


"I love it when you call me that," he groaned in her ear, thrusting faster and deeper.
Looking him deep in the eyes, she then commanded to him in Hylian what she wanted him to do to her, and the boldness of it and the way she said it was all it took for him to lose control.
He'd never heard her say that to him before.
"Oh, god"…
Then he plunged his entire being into her with a delicious fierceness that sent her body into immediate orbit, as she commanded.
She grabbed him fiercely by the backside, wanting more of him, her body shuddering with intense pleasure. She could smell the scent of the battlefield on him, feel his callous fingers against her silken skin.
"Yes! Oh yes, milord!"
Link raised his head and growled from deep within his soul like a wild animal as he filled her completely with his essence. He felt her contracting around him as she let go, her sweet voice crying out to him.
Their bodies rocked fiercely against one another for what seemed like an eternity.


Spent and exhausted, and with one final growl from his chest, Link brought his lips down to hers and kissed her tenderly as his body still quivered slightly from this intense storm that had just flooded him.
Her body was still twitching from these delicious feelings that had left her helpless in her husband's arms.
How wonderful it was to be married to this man, to have him do this to her.
Swallowing hard and trying to get his breathing back to normal, Link looked down at his sensuous wife, and a slow grin spread across his face.
"You bring out the wild animal in me"… he whispered as he took her face in his strong hands, hungrily kissing her neck…her chin...
"Such an evil temptress, I hope I didn't…hurt you"…
"Oh, on the contrary," she murmured, enjoying their passionate afterglow, running her fingers through his beautiful blond hair.
"That was more wonderful than you can imagine, Link. I love it when you do that to me"…
Laughing, he covered her mouth with deep, deep kisses, still moaning a little against her.
"I shall have to go away more often," he whispered.


Withdrawing from her, he settled beside her and pulled her close to his naked body.
Regaining his senses, he looked at her with utter astonishment.
"You..are..a..wild woman," he whispered, reaching behind her and spanking her firmly on the rear.
Taken by surprise, she let out a surprised shriek.
"Naughty girl. You should know better than to say those things to me. I didn't know you knew that kind of language," he said, grinning at her from ear to ear.
"Well you're the one that has made me this way," she teased.
"I was a proper princess before I married you."
"And now I've ruined you, what a terrible shame," he said mischievously as he took her in his arms and kissed her.


Link was a very creative and dashing lover, always leaving Zelda breathless after each exquisite interlude. They had been virgins when they married months ago, not knowing very much at all about sex, but now they coupled like tigers in incessant heat, with no holds barred. They read books together that they'd found hidden away, giggling under the covers of their bed until the wee hours of the morning.
Their first night together had been a bit awkward, but for some reason all the awkwardness lifted away immediately afterward. Link was very patient, he loved taking his time with her, and had acquired quite a sexual prowess in this short time. In bed with her he had become a god. She never dreamed that sex could be so wonderful. She wondered if her parents ever enjoyed the same bliss she and Link were sharing now.
Settling back into his arms, they eyed their "new" bookshelf together from the bed.
Tracing his tan, muscular chest with her fingers, she rolled and lay across him, stroking his hair.
"Do you like the bookcase in here?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," Link said. "It looks great. Now I can read whenever I want to and I don't have to keep going downstairs to get my favorite books. Thank you so much."
He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her forehead.
"You're quite welcome," she said sweetly.
He looked deep into her eyes, his expression more serious.
"I'm so glad I got in here in time to catch you from falling off that ladder, or else you might have broken your neck, sweetheart."
Thinking about what might have happened had he not been here to catch her, she suddenly shuddered.
"I'm glad too," she whispered.
Resting her chin on her fist, her gaze wandered away from him, off into space.
"What's the matter?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"I was so worried about you, Link. I didn't know what else to do with my time while you were away. I'm so glad you've come back to me unharmed."
Link sighed, then waited a few moments before he told her what happened.
"Well, we did have some casualties. I won't lie to you, Zelda. We lost about four men today. They've been returned so they can be buried properly. I had to send word to their families, which was a very hard thing for me to do."
Tears formed in her eyes.
"Oh, Link"…
"But we were victorious, Zelda. I don't think those moblins will be coming back to the desert now."
"And"…he said as he moved his face up to kiss her, "I am home, safe and sound, in your arms. I'm not going anywhere."
He didn't want to think about this unpleasantness now.
Rolling away from her just enough to pull the covers of the bed down, he held them back so she could snuggle up to him.
Zelda felt so blessed, to not only be married to the most wonderful man in the world, but that he was alive. She would not want to be the wife of one of the warriors who'd died on that battlefield.
"Let's fall asleep for a little while," he said, pulling her close. "I just want to be in your arms, and not think about anything else."
He kissed her neck and stroked her hair.
"I love you, Link," she whispered, reaching up over her shoulder and clutching his hand.
"I love you too, Zelda," he responded, leaning his head against hers.
Then they drifted off into a deep slumber, dreaming of each other.


The next morning, Zelda and Link personally went to visit the families of the men killed in that battle. She had freshly baked bread ready for them, and let the wives of each of them cry on her shoulder and listened intently as they let out their truest feelings of deep sorrow.
She pledged to each woman that no matter what, they could depend on her for her unwavering support in the hard days to come.
She knew they would have a difficult road ahead of them.


Their funerals were all held the next day, each casket adorned with the crest of Hyrule as they were brought through the town market in horse-drawn carriages.
The entire kingdom had come to pay their respects, bowing their heads as the entourage made its way through the main cobblestone thoroughfare.
These were their fallen heroes, the ones they would never forget.
A single drumbeat rang throughout, it being the only noise, except for the stifled cries of the dead warriors' widows.
It was a very sad day.
Zelda clutched Link's hand tightly as she watched each one go by, knowing all too well that one of them could have been him.
Thinking about the joyous homecoming they'd just shared, tears flooded her eyes.
It just didn't seem fair.
Why had life been so cruel to these poor women?
What had they done to deserve the loss of their husbands?
Link looked over at his wife, and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.
She leaned on his shoulder, and his arm draped around her as he bowed his head.
She felt him shaking.
When she looked at him, she could see tears streaming down his cheeks.
This had affected all of Hyrule like nothing else ever had, save for the death of Zelda's parents.


The four men were buried in the Graveyard behind Kakariko Village. Even though most of it had been reserved for the Royal Family, Zelda donated four plots to these families, because they had very little money. She couldn't stand for them not to be able to receive the burials they deserved.
She would not take no for an answer.
It was a silent and somber pilgrimage to the Graveyard. No words were spoken amongst the hundreds of people making their way through Kakariko Village.
Funeral wreaths hung from each door, and the bells of the village tolled for these men, whose battle cries had been suddenly silenced before their time.
Zelda watched the widows' as they clutched their children's hands, holding their heads high behind each of the men's coffins as they were being brought to the graveyard to their final resting places.
So unfair.


"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Rauru said loudly, reading from the Scriptures.
He reached into the earth, and grabbing a handful of soil, released it through his fingers.
He did that with each one, and the families followed him.
Link and Zelda took their turns also, the sight of the coffins being lowered into the ground almost too much to bear as they too, dropped handfuls of dirt onto them.
Then four long bells were rung from the belltower in the village, each one breaking a cold, dark silence that was the final goodbye.
When the families had finished expressing their sympathies to everyone who had come to pay their respects, and the crowds were dissipating, Zelda's eyes searched for Link.
He had disappeared from her side while they were comforting their friends.
Looking all around her, she could not spot him anywhere.
Until she looked to the back of the graveyard.
He was alone. She saw him walk in front of each freshly dug grave, drawing the Master Sword to his chest and collapsing to his knees.
He was saying his goodbyes in his way.
Link's way.


She decided not to approach him, but walked to the sign just outside the entrance, and waited.
She would wait as long as necessary for him.
Looking up into the clouds and wrapping her shawl around her tighter, she closed her eyes and remembered the first time she saw Link, in the castle courtyard, the day she asked him to help her save Hyrule from Ganondorf's evil hand. How innocent he had been then, so full of adventure.
He was ready to take on that daunting task. Now he was a man, and had seen death staring him right in the face. He had been forced to realize just how mortal he was.


She felt a hand on her shoulder, breaking her trance. It was Malon.
"Zelda, are you okay?" she asked.
Zelda placed her hand on Malon's and sighed.
"I'm waiting for Link," she said. "He's still back there. I wanted to give him some time to be alone."
Malon turned her head toward the graveyard.
"I could tell this hit him hard," she said.
"Yes, yes it did. One of them died in his arms, you know."
Malon's eyes filled with pain.
"Oh, Zelda"…
Zelda bit her lip. "Malon, I hope that never happens to me. I don't know what I would do if Link were taken from me. He is my life."
Malon pulled Zelda close to her and held her in her arms.
"I hope that doesn't happen either. He loves you so much."
The two women walked arm in arm toward the center of the village, with no clear destination.
Sheathing his sword at his hip, Link walked away from the four men's graves, wiping his eyes, vowing never to forget their heroic deeds as long as he lived.
When he reached the village, he saw his wife and Malon far away in the distance.
He watched them together, talking, comforting one another.
It was good that Zelda had her. She'd had so few female friends, save for Princess Ruto and Impa.
Then somebody approached him from behind, someone he'd not seen or talked to in quite a while.
"Link."
Startled by the voice, he turned around.
It was Mido.
Link couldn't quite figure out what he was doing here.
He eyed him strangely, then resolved to his grief again.
"Hi, Mido," he said with a long face, putting his hands on his hips.
Mido wasn't quite sure what to say to comfort him, so he just spit it out.
"Link, I'm truly sorry about all of this. I know they were your friends."
His voice truly held a note of regret to it.
But what could he possibly know about friendship?
Maybe he was finally feeling bad about everything he'd done to Link when they lived in the forest.
Link sighed heavily and kicked the ground with the toe of his boot, not wanting to start anything. It wasn't worth it now.
"Yes. Yes they were," he said, his eyes wandering up to the sky above.
Link held out his hand. He felt a drop of water fall against it, then another.
It started to rain.
Just the thing that needed to happen on a day like this.
His memories floated back to the day he'd visited the Shadow Temple, and how eerie it was.
He looked back behind him to the graveyard where his friends and comrades were buried, and a huge lump filled his throat.
Seeing that Link wasn't really in the mood for talking, Mido started to walk away, thinking maybe he'd offered his condolences at an inopportune time.
"Mido, wait"…Link said. He didn't mean to ignore him.
"Yes, Link?" the tiny Kokiri asked.
"I appreciate your support. It means a lot. It really does."
Mido smiled.
"Thanks."
Link smiled back and held out his hand.
At that moment, it seemed as if they had finally made their peace with one another.
Mido reached up with his hand and felt Link's strong hand close around his in a quiet handshake, then pulled away.
"See ya around, Mido," Link said, lifting his index and middle finger to his forehead, in a friendly salute.
"Sure, Link. See ya around," Mido replied, then he stuffed his hands in his pockets and hurried back to the forest.
Link ran ahead, trying to catch up with his wife and Malon before they got too far away.


After a few weeks, things began to return to normal in Hyrule.
Zelda still continued to make weekly visits to the grieving families, however.
Sometimes Link went with her, sometimes he was out in the field training with his men.
His mood had improved, however, and he was slowly becoming the same old Link again, which pleased Zelda very much.


Link had not told Zelda everything that had happened that day in the Desert Colossus.
Ganondorf had been behind the attack on the Spirit Temple, as he'd suspected, and thought his fierce Moblins would easily take down Link's army of knights should they be discovered.
But Link had proved Ganondorf wrong yet again, that The Knights of Hyrule were a fierce enemy to contend with.
But Ganondorf had supplied the Moblins with a fierce new weapon, one that struck horror in the hearts of Link and his men that day in the battlefield.
Cannons.
These deadly weapons could fire a ball the size of Link's fist and kill more than one man at a time.
For a Moblin it wasn't that big of a deal.
But for Link's army, it had meant certain death for four of his bravest knights.
Just as they were about to charge up a sandhill, Link heard the sudden BOOM! of the cannon, then the whistling sound as the cannonball flew past him, only to hit the man beside him, knocking him straight into the air.
Link had pulled him down behind the sandhill for safety, and could see that his legs were missing.
He grabbed Link, screaming in awful pain.
"Help me! Help me!"
Link didn't know what to do, only to hold him, telling him it would be okay, even though he knew the man was dying.
He winced when the cannon struck closer, leaning over the dying knight.
When he looked down at his comrade, the glaze of death fell over his eyes, his screaming stopped, replaced by sudden silence.
His arm fell to his side.
Death came swiftly to him.
Link burst into tears as the sounds of battle drew him in closer.
Angry, he looked up at the sky and drew his sword.
"Ganondorf, I'll get you for this!"
And he ran swiftly up that sandhill, prepared to fight, prepared to die for his country, for his princess.
But he didn't die.
Not that day.
They were victorious in spite of all the odds against them.
Link had taught his men well.


As he now stood near the gates of Lake Hylia, Link focused his anger and his grief against the opponent before him, a Poe.
This Poe was merely a "training" Poe, one that threw flames as targets for Link to bat back with his sword.
Poes were considered unlikeable characters in Hyrule, and so they made their money day-to-day serving as training devices for the young squires and knights.
Link liked them because they were capable of throwing more than one target at him at once. Made it more challenging.
Parrying the colored flames, Link did quite well, until he brought his sword up, and holding it in front, swirled around, keeping the blade steady, and he felt a hot sting on his rear.
He'd missed one of the targets, and the Poe laughed.
"Come on Link, you can do better than that," it taunted.
Link clenched his teeth, then spit on the ground. He'd miscalculated, but he would make certain it wouldn't happen again.
"Come on, give it to me," he said in an even, deliberate tone, crouching down, raising up his sword.
Hurling back, the Poe unleashed another swirl of flames at him, and swinging the Master Sword, Link bat left, right, down, up, over.
The he crouched and swirled the blade, charging up enough magic in it to knock the Poe back.
"Heeahhh!" Link yelled.
The Poe's eyes blinked, and it was stunned momentarily.
When it regained itself, it shook its head.
"Nice job," it said.
"Thanks," Link said, wiping his chin.
"You want to go another round?" it asked.
Sighing and looking at the sun rising low in the sky, he shook his head, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"No, I don't think so," he said as he lowered his blade.
"I need to get back to the castle. Zelda is expecting me soon."
He reached into his pocket and took out twenty rupees and handed it to the Poe.
"Here you go, thanks for the round."
"Hey, wait a minute," it said, crossing its eyes and pointing a twig-like finger at him.
"You owe me more than that. I just beat you a minute ago."
Link rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Okay, okay," he said, handing the Poe another five rupees.
The Poe took the money and put it in his pocket.
"Tomorrow, same time?" it asked.
"Yeah," Link replied.


The Poe turned and hovered away, holding its lantern, disappearing behind a tree.
Link placed the Master Sword in its sheath on his back, dusted off his tunic, then mounted Epona and rode back to Hyrule Castle.


Malon had been calling on Zelda more often now since the funeral, and the two were becoming increasingly closer as time passed.
She had confided in Zelda that she was a little lonely, and hoped soon that she would find the right man in her life.
That early evening by the moat, next to the hidden entrance to the courtyard, Malon told Zelda that she'd noticed one of Link's men looking at her in a different way than usual.
"He didn't…make you feel uncomfortable, did he?" Zelda asked. "Because if he did, Link would take care of that for you."
"Oh, no," Malon said, blushing. "I rather liked it. He is very nice, Zelda. It's just that it isn't proper for a woman to seek out a man. He should come to her first, don't you think?"
"Oh, yes, most definitely," Zelda replied. "If a man didn't approach a woman first, and had his eye on her, then she would have to ask herself how honorable his intentions would be. If you don't mind me asking, who is he?"
"Well," she began, looking around her, "Do you promise you won't tell anybody?" she whispered.
"Of course," Zelda said, marking across her chest. "Cross my heart."
Malon leaned into her ear and spoke the name of the man she'd had her eye on for months.
Zelda held her head back in laughter, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Oh, Malon, he is a fine fellow. Our families have been friends for years. Would you like me to have a word with him?"
"Oh, no, Zelda, I couldn't ask you to do that. It wouldn't be right."
"Well maybe something will happen soon. If you change your mind, let me know, ok? I think he would be just grand for you."
They were sitting on the edge of the moat, looking at their reflections, when they heard the trot of a horse behind them.
It was Link.
Zelda stood up and smiled at her husband, looking as handsome as ever atop Epona.
He smiled back at her as he rode closer to the two women.
"Hello, miladies," he said, tipping his head.
"Good evening, Link," Malon said.
She watched the way Link and Zelda looked at one another, and was in complete awe of the strength of their love. She hoped that one day a man would look at her in the way Link looked at his princess.
She saw this as her cue to leave, and she cleared her throat. Neither Link nor Zelda noticed.
"Zelda, I better get back to the ranch. My father will be looking for me to feed the horses soon."
Zelda broke her gaze at Link, took Malon's hand and kissed her cheek.
"Be careful going home, Malon."
"I will," she replied.
"Do you need an escort home?" Link asked.
"No, Link, my horse is right over there," Malon replied.
"Okay, but let me know if you need my assistance."
Link watched over his shoulder as she mounted her horse.
Malon turned to wave goodbye to them as she rode away.
The sun had passed behind the castle now, and the skies were turning a deep pink.


Dismounting his horse, Link led Epona over to where Zelda stood by the water.
"It's been very hot today," he said. "That sun was beating down on me pretty hard out by the lake. I decided to come back early."
"Yes, it has been very hot," Zelda agreed. "I wonder why the weather has been acting this way, it just seems funny."
He tied Epona to the nearby tree and bent down on his knees, leaning over the edge of the moat.
"So what were you and Malon talking about?" he quizzed, reaching down into the water and splashing his face.
"Oh, nothing. Just girl talk," Zelda murmured, lowering her gaze and looking away.
"Oh?" he asked.
"I know about that girl talk," he teased.
Zelda placed her hand against his back, leaned over into his ear and whispered what Malon had told her.
"I promised her I wouldn't tell anybody, but maybe you could drop him a hint or two."
Link chuckled.
"As a matter of fact," he said, splashing his face again, "He has mentioned on occasion that he wants to call on her, but wasn't sure if she would be open to the idea. I'll have to tell him…subtly."
He saw Zelda wipe her brow with her arm out of the corner of his eye. He had an idea.
When he stood up he slung some of the water from his hands on her.
He let out a wicked laugh as she jerked back, her hands up, her eyes shut.
Surprised, she then smiled and put her hands on her hips and eyed him for a moment.
Then she sauntered to where he stood, and placing her hands on his shoulders, she decided to tease him back.
"Hmph!" she said, pushing Link into the waist-deep water.
Startled, he reached for her skirts before she could move away and tugged at them, pulling her into the water with him.
"Come here!" he shouted "Ha ha!"
She shrieked loudly as the cold water hit her skin. It did feel quite refreshing.
"Link!"
Link ran his hand through his wet-slicked hair and shook water on her again.
"Why, you"…she said as she splashed him, giggling.
He splashed back, and they played in the water like that for awhile, each one trying to outdo the other.
"Does this remind you of when we were children?" he asked.
"Yes!" she replied, pointing her finger at him and backing away. "Only that time you had pushed me in here, Link. I will never forget that."
When he looked at her wet body he could see her nipples rising through her dress.
She certainly wasn't a child anymore.
He walked to her in long strides through the water, his eyes smoldering with a sudden burning desire.
"Oh, so you're getting me back now?" he asked in a soft velvety tone, reaching out for her hand and pulling her close to him.
His laughter began to subside.
As the sun's rays deepened in the sky, darkening the east walls of the castle, Zelda's knees went weak as she felt her husband's deep blue eyes undressing her.
He moved in closer…closer…backing her against the wall.
Then he slowly leaned his hand up against it and curled his other hand around her tiny waist, pulling her against him, and his lips fell to her neck, caressing it in a hungry kiss.
Zelda leaned her head back, her eyes closed.
"I'll…I'll always find a way to get you back, Link," she whispered, unable to move, unable to do anything except let her body submit to him.
"Oh, I'm sure you will…milady," he whispered against her throat. His slow deliberate kisses were drawing her into that enchanted world once again.
"Kiss me," he whispered.
She sighed against him as his mouth found hers, dominating her lips, pressing against them fervently with his own.
This was the first time since the funeral that he'd made any type of sexual advance on her. Now she knew he had truly returned to her, in every form.
She felt both of his strong hands tightening on her hips as his tongue parted her mouth, and he moved his body closer, taking complete control of her.
Her hands wound around the nape of his neck, feeling the warmth from the desert sun there.
She returned his kisses and moaned against him, knowing full well what would come next…
Link felt his passion growing, and by the way Zelda was reacting, he knew neither one of them would be able to make it upstairs.
He took her hand and pulled her toward the edge, walking up the steps, and continued to lead her away from the moat's shallow water.
Looking around to make sure nobody was watching them, he then opened the door to the little storage room nearby, one of the castle's many pantries.
He remembered this spot from his childhood, when he'd woken Malon's father up with that Cucco.
Now he was going to create a new memory as an adult.
He led her inside and closed the door, and turned the lock behind him.
He took off his boots, then grasping the nape of her neck, he pulled her to him, swiftly covering her mouth with his again.
"Zelda...I want you…it's been so long"…
His other hand closed around her wet breast as his thumb ran over her nipple.
Deep masculine groans were coming from him as Zelda arched her neck back and grasped his shoulders, catching her breath.
"Link"…
Looking around him for something soft, he found a blanket on top of a box and quickly spread it out on the ground, not taking his mouth away from hers.
"Lay down," he commanded, quickly lowering her body onto the blanket.
"Oh Link, we shouldn't be in here," Zelda whispered, but it was quickly replaced by soft cries as he took her breasts in his mouth, one by one, his tongue flickering over her aroused peaks through her wet clothes.
He tugged the dress away from her shoulder, exposing her bosom completely.
"Zelda, darling, I cannot wait," he whispered. "My body aches for you"…
As his lips were exploring her breasts, he reached around behind her with both of his strong hands to undo the rest of her dress, arching her back upward, and when his eyes met hers, he happened to notice something near her head.
It was a box marked "Honey."
His eyes widened and he smiled as he pulled his mouth away, reaching across her for it.
Cracking it open with one thrust of his strong arm against the box beside it, he took out one of the jars.


"Mmmm…interesting," he said.
"What are you going to do with that, Link?" Zelda asked, her voice full of innocence, removing her dress and her undergarments.
He twisted open the jar, and dipped his finger into it, tasting the sweet honey.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Mmm"…
He laughed and raised his eyebrows.
"What?" she asked again, knowing full well his mind was turning with another sensuous idea.
He flashed a brilliant white smile at her.
Leaning back and unbuckling his belt slowly, knowing she loved to watch him do that, he then removed his tunic, exposing his muscular chest. Zelda couldn't stop herself from reaching up and feeling him and exploring him with her soft mouth. She reached down and loosened his hose, helping him to wiggle free from them.


He rose up on his knees, took her face in his hands, and kissed her long and deep, forcing her lips open with his tongue. Then he dipped his fingers into the jar, and spread a generous amount on her breasts.
She flinched as she felt the sticky honey being applied to her body, and her mouth dropped open.
"Link….what are you doing?" she said with a giggle.
"Lay back, " he commanded, giving her that deep look again with his eyes.
When he had her in the position he wanted, he kept his eyes deeply focused on her as he lowered his face onto her body, taking in all of its sweetness as his tongue lapped up the honey from her soft skin.
"Mmm"…he groaned. "This is heaven, Zelda"…
Her body arched and she closed her eyes, letting him take her away.
Link groaned as he licked and sucked the sweetness away from her skin.
He took his time, relishing every single morsel of her.
Zelda reached down for his hand, and took his fingers into her mouth one by one, licking the honey from them, sucking on them, closing her eyes.
"You're right, Link, this is heaven"…she murmured. "Absolute heaven"…
As her tongue rolled around his fingers, Link breathed in deep and groaned as he watched her very skilled mouth take them in and out, sucking all the honey away. He thought of her mouth in other places on his body, and it made his erection grow even more.


His other hand glided down between her legs, and when she felt it there, her eyes flew open. He carefully parted her folds and caressed in between them, his touch melting her, commanding her body...


He could feel her arousal moistening under his touch, as she moved her hips in answer to his caresses.
"Link"…
He pulled away from her, his tongue flickering down, down…
"Now relax, and let me please you, darling," he whispered as he reached into the jar and coated her center with the sweet concoction, then set it aside.
Moving apart her thighs, and looking deep into her eyes, he said wickedly, "Let me satisfy you completely and fully. Be as loud as you want. Be selfish. There's absolutely nobody around to hear you."


His voice drifted away, and Zelda closed her eyes…
When she felt his gentle caressing tongue moving like butter across her center, she took in a deep breath and her heartbeat quickened.
"Oh, Link"…
It only encouraged him. Placing his hands on either side of his mouth, he began to stimulate her in new ways she never dreamed possible.
She ran her fingers slowly down the part of his hair, and taking him by it, gently guided him in the direction she wanted him to go.
He let her take control, show him what to do, and how to do it.
When he did something she liked, her response was vocal, just as he wanted.
She was never afraid to let him know what she liked, as she trusted him completely.
He etched her reactions into his memory so he would always remember where to go, what to do, just how fast or slow to go with her…
Her wetness increased, and when it mixed with the honey, Link couldn't control himself.
"Deah quam ah se"…he whispered passionately in Hylian.
He covered her whole center with his mouth and tongue, groaning louder.
He lapped at her hungrily, unable to get enough.
Not even thinking, he slipped a finger inside her, and she shook her head from side to side in ecstasy. She'd never known such pleasure existed.
Her breathing became more and more ragged as she glided her fingers through his beautiful hair.
"Link… Link…I'm getting so close"…she whispered. "Don't stop"…
He answered her with deep groans, enjoying making her twist and writhe underneath his touch, and beg him for more.
Thinking he would be a little bit daring, he began pressing up with his finger, massaging her in a circular motion, slow at first, then faster and faster, darting his tongue across her center at the same time.
He had no idea what this was about to do to her. To them.


Deep waves of passion began to build in Zelda's body, deeper than she'd ever felt before. Link had kissed her in her secret place before, but never, ever had he done this. The wonderful feelings he was giving her were shooting up, up, throughout her whole body. Her eyes grew wider, as the first surge of ecstatic waves were moving in rapidly…closing in over her…
"Link…yes, my love"….
Her breathing grew heavier, her voice speaking to him in that sweet tone he loved. It was like music to his ears.
Zelda suddenly felt another wave right behind that one…
"Come here," she begged. "Hurry"…
He entered her quickly, before she could stop. When he felt her pulsating loins around him, his eyes widened in complete surprise, as her body took complete control of his,
sending him immediately into an earth-shattering orbit.
He tightly grasped her to him, his mouth over hers in a passionate frenzy, moaning against her lips, and they both surrendered to one another, emitting deep cries of passion from the depths of their souls.


What he had just given her caused them both to experience something very magical, something wonderful and rare, that neither one of them knew was possible, nor would ever forget.


Two guards, walking outside the castle, could hear their lustful cries of ecstasy, and they stopped suddenly, frozen.
One looked at the other, and raised his eyebrows, motioning toward the pantry with his thumb.
"Are they doing in there what I think they're doing?" he whispered, his eyes wide.
Coughing against his fist, trying to maintain his composure, the other one replied, "Yes. I believe they are. When they come out you'd better act like you didn't hear anything."
"Okay," the first one said.
Their eyes met for a moment.
The second one shook his head and whispered, in awe of what he was hearing behind that faraway closed door.
"Sir Link is a very lucky man. A very lucky man indeed."
They continued pacing by the gate, in utter disbelief of the goings on between the fierce leader of the Knights of Hyrule and his supposedly demure princess.
 
The two lovers completely collapsed in each other's arms, exhausted and gasping for air, their bodies beading with sweat, unaware of anything else around them.
Link's head fell against Zelda's chest, holding her tightly to him. He had never experienced anything with her so intense, and they'd had some pretty intense interludes during their few months of marriage.
He felt her body shaking underneath him and when he raised his head, he could see tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Oh, darling, what's the matter?" he asked, wiping her tears with his finger and caressing her face with the back of his hand. "Did I hurt you?"
She burst into tears.
"Oh no, Link. I love you, I love you so very much"…
She wound her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.
He suddenly realized he hadn't hurt her. He'd just given her something very beautiful.
"I've never felt you do that before. That took my breath away," he said, still panting.
"What you did…it was wonderful, I never knew a woman could feel like that," she said, crying in his arms.
"Neither did I," he said. "That was…so awesome."
Emotion began to overtake him too as he felt a tear go down his cheek.
"Link, I wouldn't be surprised if"…she started to say, then blushed.
"If what?" he asked, pulling away and looking down at her.
"If…we just made a baby," she whispered shyly.
He looked at her with content surprise.
"Was I that"…
"Oh, yes, Link. I could feel it, there was no doubt," she answered, touching his nose.
He smiled and wore a look of manly pride on his face.
"Well…after an experience like this, it would be absolutely wonderful, wouldn't it?" he asked her in a voice that was so calm and soothing to her.
"I'd like very much for us to have a baby," he said. "The sooner, the better."
"Me too," she whispered. "I'd love nothing more than to give you a child, Link."


After they rested in each other's arms for awhile, they dressed in their still wet clothes and put everything back the way it was.
"I might have to keep this handy," Link said, tossing the jar of honey up in the air and catching it. "Who knows when we might need it again?"
He winked at her then he felt a hard slap on his rear.
"Oh, Link, you're terrible!" Zelda said, grinning.
He smiled back at her, raising his eyebrows.
Gathering up the rest of their possessions, they headed out the door.
It was late, and the moon was high above Hyrule.
Zelda shivered.
"Are you cold?" Link asked, putting his arms around her.
"Yes," she said. "I can't wait to get into bed by the fire."
They approached the guards and they nodded to the couple as they walked past.
Neither one of them said a word to Link and Zelda.
When they entered the castle, Zelda blushed.
"Oh, Link, I bet they heard us," she said.
He laughed. "Well, if they did I'm sure they didn't mind. In fact, I'll just bet they wished they were going home right now to their wives."
They snickered as they went up the stairs to bed.


One morning a few weeks later, Zelda went to Lon Lon Ranch to get some milk for her and Link. She had the staff to do that for her, but today was such a pleasant day, she decided to ride out there herself. In fact, she thought she would get enough to last the castle for a couple of days.


Link had gone out again with Epona, and so she took a different horse this time. The air felt so pleasant against her face as she rode out into Hyrule Field with the morning sun above her. The dew was still fresh on the grass, and the building clouds in the distance gave her hope that maybe today they would have some rain.


She could see the open barn door as she rode her horse up the hill to the ranch, but she couldn't see Malon around anywhere.
There was a strange horse tied to the post nearby.
She decided to dismount and go inside to look for her friend. Her father was out, obviously, delivering milk somewhere.


"Good morning, Malon!" she yelled, looking around, cautiously entering the barn, wrapping her shawl around her.
No answer.
"Malon, where are you?" she yelled again.
Then she heard muffled laughter.
Male and female laughter.
What was going on in here?
That laugh sounded familiar.
Then it dawned on her.
Ian McCloud.
He'd been here to visit her, and…
"Zelda! Good morning!" Malon exclaimed, sitting up on top of the haybale, covered with hay.
Ian slowly raised up too, and when they both saw their princess standing there, they were quite embarrassed.
Zelda smiled at them.
"Well, Sir Ian, it looks like you're…up and around today," she teased.
"Milady, I"—
"Shh," Zelda whispered, her finger to her lips. "Don't worry, we're all adults, I shan't say a word. Your secret is safe with me."
She winked at Malon.
Ian began gathering up his things, still quite embarrassed, his cheeks flushing.
He was so cute.
Zelda could hear them whispering sweet nothings to one another, so she stepped outside to give them a little privacy.
After a few moments, Ian emerged, looking a little calmer now.
"Forgive me, milady."
"Hush, all is well, but you'd best go before her father catches you here."
She giggled.
Ian smiled back. Suddenly, he wasn't embarrassed anymore. Knowing how much Link and Zelda loved one another, he figured they'd probably had their share of romantic trysts before they tied the knot, although he wasn't quite sure.
Malon came out of the stable, handing Ian his belt and sword.
"Milord, you won't want to forget these," she said in a soft whisper.
"Aye," he replied in a soft voice, his green eyes capturing her in an intimate glance as he took them from her and fastened them around his waist.
"My love, I shall return to you very soon," he said.
"Please," she begged him.
He took her hand in his and kissed it.
"Milady," he whispered.
Then he nodded to Zelda and climbed upon his horse and waved goodbye as he rode away into the morning light.


The two women looked at each other and burst into hysterical laughter.
"I'm so sorry for intruding, Malon, I should have recognized Ian's horse out here"—
"Oh that's ok, Zelda, he was about to leave anyway."
The two began to walk to the corral.
Zelda had to satisfy her curiosity about this budding romance.
"So, Malon," she whispered, leaning over to her ear and taking her arm, "Was he here all night?"
Malon blushed.
"Well"…
"It's okay, you can tell me."
"Well…my father fell asleep straight after dinner, and Ian came out to see me. We walked out here enjoying the moonlight and fresh air, brushing the horses, and"…
"And?"
"He kissed me. Out of the clear blue, it took me by complete surprise."
"So then what?" Zelda asked.
"Well, we came into the barn, and"…
"Malon, you didn't"…
"Zelda, he was a complete gentleman. I told him I was saving myself for marriage, and he didn't insist on anything one bit. I won't say we didn't…do other things"…
She blushed again as she saw Zelda smiling at her.
"Oh, Malon. Ian is a fine handsome fellow. You should be careful, though. Things can get mighty heated. I know."
She smiled wickedly.
"Zelda, you and Link have the kind of love I want to have with Ian. He is so right for me. Do you want to know what he asked me?"
"Yes."
"Well, he asked me if I would be happy living the life of a knight's wife."
"He did?"
"Yes."
"Well, then I'd say that he's certainly thinking of asking you to marry him. As long as I've known him, he's never been that way around any other girl."


The two walked a little farther out into the pasture, and Zelda glanced back over at Malon.
"I guess I should tell you why I came out here today. It was to get some milk. It looks to be a lovely day, and I didn't want to waste it."
"I have a lovely idea," Malon replied. "Why don't we make a picnic lunch and take it to the lake and watch the birds?" Malon asked. "It would be a lovely way to spend the day. Let me finish my chores and we'll go see what we can make for our lunch."
"That sounds like a grand idea," Zelda said.
Then she suddenly grabbed her stomach. It was spinning violently.
Malon could see that Zelda's face had turned as white as a sheet.
"Zelda, are you alright?" she asked.
Zelda rubbed her stomach for a moment, then the funny feeling went away.
"No, I think I'm fine, must be the ride out here. I haven't been on a horse for awhile, so it must be that."
She felt fine for the rest of the day, and the two women enjoyed their picnic lunch at Lake Hylia, talking about nothing in particular, just glad that the weather was pleasant.
Malon did confide more in Zelda, and told her how happy she was for her and Link, that they were together, and were so much in love.
Zelda knew that Link and Malon had been childhood sweethearts, and was pleased to hear that Malon did not bear any grudges against her.
Malon knew as soon as Link laid his eyes upon the mysterious beautiful princess, that it would be his destiny to marry her and protect her. It was what the goddesses had chosen him to do.
At the time Link broke off their relationship, seven years ago, at first she was upset, but when she grew up and realized that Zelda was a kind and loving woman she wanted nothing more than for her and Link to be happy.
Besides, Link wasn't the kind of guy that could just take care of a ranch. He had to take care of a whole country's defense system. He needed to be married to Zelda, so it would place him in a position of high power.


Late that afternoon, and into the night, it started to rain, and gave Hyrule the badly-needed soaking it had been waiting for for so long.


It even rained into the next morning, and the sound of the rain and thunder outside was music to Zelda's ears as she snuggled closer to Link to enjoy sleeping in, as they so rarely had the chance to do. She felt him stir in his sleep and curl his arm around her. The bed felt so warm and wonderful. She didn't ever want to get out of it.
But a few minutes later she began to feel funny again, just like she did yesterday at Lon Lon Ranch.
She awoke, and removed Link's arm from around her, trying not to disturb him.
Putting on her robe, she headed toward the washroom, feeling her stomach heaving.
Then it stopped.
She reached for some water by the washbasin. Drinking it, she stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself for a moment, and when the nausea subsided, she turned around to get back into bed. When she was almost there, she ran back just in time when her stomach lost control, and she got very sick.
Heaving violently, the sound of it woke Link up.
"Darling, what's the matter?" he asked, getting out of bed and rushing to her side, pulling her hair back.
"Are you alright?"
She looked up at him, then felt another wave take over.
He patted her back then got some more water for her.
After her stomach finally calmed down, she grabbed the water and gulped it down.
"Oh, Link, my mouth feels terrible," she said as he got some more water and flushed it out.
"I need some of those sweet herbs."
Link grinned at her from ear to ear.
When she saw that in the mirror, she froze, crinkling her eyebrows, halfway through with her glass.
"What are you smiling for?" she asked.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"I think you may be pregnant," he whispered, his arms encircling her and his hand caressing her abdomen. "You may have been right about that night down in the pantry."
She froze.
The sound of what he just said was absolutely wonderful, but the way she felt certainly wasn't.
"Oh, Link," she said, "I know I said I wanted a baby, but I never dreamed it would make me so violently sick. I sure hope it goes away soon. Motherhood can't be so cruel, can it?"
"Well," he said, "One of my men spoke of this to me. His wife was sick for a few weeks, but then it went away. I know it may be unpleasant for awhile, and I don't wish to make light of it, Zelda. I truly don't. But I will be here for you, don't you worry. If there is anything you need, night or day, you just tell me, and I'll get it for you. You aren't going to suffer, not as long as I can help it. If you truly are pregnant, I will wait on you hand and foot."
"And what if I'm not?" she asked. "Will you still wait on me?" she asked jokingly, gulping down more water.
Link laughed and held her close.
"That's my Zelda, always quick with a comeback."
They crawled back into bed and enjoyed a few more moments of slumber and peace before they started their day.


When Zelda realized she'd missed one of her monthly cycles, she knew it had to be true.
That little interlude in the pantry was going to give her and Link what they had been wanting ever since the day they married. A baby.


The good news made Link a very happy man. They made a royal announcement from the balcony at the castle. This was a wonderful thing to happen in Hyrule, especially since the recent deaths of the four knights. They celebrated into the wee hours of the morning, with minstrels, a bountiful feast, and the good wishes of the citizens of Hyrule. It put everyone into a good mood again.


But Ganondorf was having other ideas.
When his moblins had been defeated at the Spirit Temple, he recoiled, but only to reload his weapons. Angrier than ever before, he vowed to strike back against Link with such a brutal force that it would make their battle at the Desert Colossus look like a picnic.
He would not hold back his evil hand now.
He would have Princess Zelda and her entire kingdom running in fear. It would only be a matter of time.


 
As the months passed, Zelda began to grow bigger, and Link continued to wait on her just like he promised on that morning she'd gotten so sick. He read to his baby every night through her womb, using his gentle voice, and took great care to make sure his wife didn't overdo herself. Zelda knew he would make a wonderful father, because he'd made such a wonderful husband. He wouldn't let her near a horse, or climb any ladders to do any kind of housework. She had that glow about her, and Link could never tire of watching her, especially when she got out of bed and stretched her back and rubbed her stomach. For some reason that was so cute to him. With Zelda's growing stomach, this undoubtedly led to a bolder appetite. Link fulfilled her every strange craving, from loads of ice cream and fancy breads to mushrooms, which she'd never been that fond of.
One of her strangest cravings came to her one night just as they were about to fall asleep.
Link was reading when he heard Zelda's stomach growling very loudly.
When it happened once or twice, he merely snickered.
But when it continued, he closed his book and laid it in his lap.
"Okay Zelda," he said, looking over at her. "What are you hungry for now?" he teased.
She laid her quilting down and shrugged her shoulders, looking at him with impish eyes.
"You're not going to believe this," she said, "But I want…beets."
He looked at her strangely, quite amused.
"Beets? You hate beets!"
They started laughing.
"I know, I know."
"Well," Link said, as he pulled the covers back to go down to the kitchen. "If it's beets you want, then it's beets you shall have."
As he made the circle around the bed and approached the door, he leaned down and kissed the top of her forehead.
"Can I have some cottage cheese too?" she asked.
He touched her nose, shaking his head.
"Sure."
Completely unable to understand the cravings of a pregnant woman, Link went downstairs to get his wife what she wanted.
As he dipped the spoon into the cottage cheese to cover the beets, he snickered and mumbled to himself.
"That baby is going to have eaten every possible thing in this kingdom there is before he's even born."


Happily enjoying her late night snack, Zelda licked the spoon dry as she laid the bowl on the table, settling back into bed.
"Thank you, Link. Now I can go to sleep."
He had removed all his clothing, and pulled her to his shoulder and caressed her hair.
He loved to sleep in the nude next to her.
"Your hair always smells so good, Zelda, and you look so rosy and beautiful. I think pregnancy agrees with you."
"Well, it's what they call "the glow of motherhood," she said, tracing his chest.
He laughed, his body shaking.
"Well, I bet you won't say that when it's time for that baby to get here."
She giggled.
"Oh, I don't want to think about that right now," she whispered, closing her eyes.
Then she gasped.
"What is it?" Link asked.
She sat up a little, a smile on her face.
"Oh, Link, feel, he's kicking," she said excitedly.
His eyes grew wide. "Really?" he asked.
"Wait a minute," she said. "There. Give me your hand."
She quickly placed his hand on the spot where she felt the kick.
Link was speechless. His son…or daughter…was actually kicking his hand!
"Did you feel it?" she asked.
"Yes, oh that's so wonderful"…he whispered.
"Guess he doesn't like the beets," she said, giggling.
"Guess not," Link replied, his face cracking a smile.
They waited a few more moments, and nothing else happened.
Figuring the baby had gone back to sleep, Zelda snuggled against Link's shoulder, sleep calling to both of them.
Just as she was about to roll over on her side, she felt Link's hand on her arm.
He lowered his lips to her ear and kissed it.
"I love you, Zelda," he whispered, caressing her stomach. "I love you."
Zelda then felt his lips lower onto hers very softly, and he cradled her in his arms against the pillow.
She felt her hands winding around his neck, answering him, and their kiss began to grow deeper, more passionate.
When she looked down, she could see that he wasn't sleepy now.
She giggled.
"Oh milord," she whispered, "you're quite awake now. Look."
Surprised and a little embarrassed at seeing what had happened, he covered it with the sheet and laughed.
"I'm so sorry, you're in no condition for us to be doing that. It could be really dangerous for the baby."
Smiling, she raised up on her elbow and her hand pulled away the sheet, looking into his eyes.
Letting her fingers wander down his hard chest, then down between his legs, she took him in her hand and began to move his growing erection in a sensuous rhythm as she leaned forward and kissed him, parting his lips open with her soft tongue.
He responded sweetly to her, and cradled her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs.
She knew what pleased him, and she would not let his needs go unfulfilled.
"My darling, when I see you like this, it makes me want you," she whispered. "Where there's a will, there's a way. I'll be careful."
He leaned back into the pillow and breathed in deep, looking up at her with his big blue eyes.
"You are the most wonderful creature in the world, you don't have to do that. I never want you to feel obligated"—
But before he could finish what he was saying, Zelda had lowered her lips on to his aching member, skillfully caressing it with her tongue while holding him gently, determined to please him.
He closed his mouth and clenched his jaw.
"Mmmm"….
She took him in her mouth, going down, then up…then down again.
When she looked at him she could see the unbridled passion in his handsome face.
He moved her hair to the side, so appreciative of this act of love she was giving him.
"Oh, sweetheart," he whispered. "You are so good"…
Feeling herself growing excited that she was pleasing him, she removed her undergarments as she continued just a little longer, then moved quickly to straddle him, one leg on either side.
"We should be careful," Link said with growing concern. "Are you sure?"
Zelda hushed his lips with her finger.
"Shhh"…she whispered. "I want to feel you inside me, Link."
She took his hands, and shaking her hair back behind her head, moved them underneath the baby-doll nightgown he'd given her, and placed them on her swollen breasts.
He knew to be gentle with them, so he let her show him what to do.
She reached behind her, and gently positioned herself right over his manhood, and took it inside her slowly, making sure that she was comfortable. Then she settled down completely on him, and began to move her body slowly.
"There," she said sweetly. "Is that good?"
Even though they could not couple like they did before she was pregnant, the beautiful sight of the woman about to have his baby making love to him like this was taking his breath away.
"Go slow"… he said, "Don't hurt yourself, yes, that's good"…
She began to moan a little as she moved forward, lifting her nightgown away, and let him take her nipples in his mouth, rolling them underneath his tongue.
"Oh, Link"…she moaned, her head back.
Even though Link wanted her to be in control, he suddenly felt himself moving his hands to her hips, slowly thrusting his body upward, and they both had to slow down.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, biting his lip. "It's just that…you feel so wonderful"…
"It's okay," she answered, smiling. "You feel wonderful too"…
She leaned down to kiss him, then started again. She didn't want the waves to be too forceful, but the way Link was moving inside of her, very controlled and slow now, it began a chain reaction she couldn't stop.
He reached up to kiss her nipples again, and it was all over.
Her body began to rock faster, and she grasped the pillows on either side of her.
"Oh, Link, now"…she whispered to him in a sweet cry.
He groaned, taking her breast fully in his mouth, one hand around her ribcage, the other around the back of her neck.
"Yes, darling, that's it"…
The orgasm shook her body, starting from one end and moving swiftly to the other. She let the delicious feelings overwhelm her for as long as possible.
Link couldn't control himself any longer. This woman completely rocked his world.
"Now...now…oh yes"…
He grabbed her by the shoulders and thrust into her as deep as he could without hurting her. Zelda continued to move with him, watching his adorable passion-filled face, letting him fulfill himself completely before she leaned forward and collapsed in his arms.


He held her close to him, and she was still moving with him inside her.
His body began to relax, and then he looked up at her with loving eyes.
"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" he asked, his hand over her womb.
She nodded her head.
"I think so."
Settling back into his arms, he reached for her undergarments and nightgown and helped her put them back on so she wouldn't be cold.
"Come here," he whispered.
"You are so good to me. That was so wonderful"…
His voice was trailing away. Sleep was definitely calling to him now. He kissed her cheek as she wrapped herself around him.
"I love you, Link," she whispered.
When he didn't answer, she looked at him again. He was out cold.
She smiled.
"Oh, Link," she said, sighing against his chest.


Zelda had only a very short time left before the baby would arrive. Over the next few weeks, a nursery was made ready, and final preparations were in place for the arrival of the next heir to the throne of Hyrule. Link and Zelda decided that if they had a boy, they would name him Syrus, and if it were to be a girl, she would be called Sofia.
Nothing could have been more perfect for the young couple.
That's when Ganondorf attacked in full force.


Link and Zelda were asleep when they were wrenched awake by a pounding at their door.
Link flew out of bed and threw the door open, trying to figure out who would do such a thing.
"What the"…he said, still half-asleep, rubbing his eyes.
It was one of his squires.
'Sir, the Moblins have attacked again, this time they're at The Forest Temple!
They've slashed and burned everything!"
Zelda sat up in the bed.
"What's the matter, Link?" she asked, pulling the sheet around her.
Link shut the door behind him, not wanting her to hear.
"How many are there?" he asked the squire.
"About ten or fifteen, I'm not sure."
The forest. The Kokiri children! Saria!
He had to act fast.
"Go wake up everybody, and meet me outside at once!" Link ordered.
He went back into the bedroom to tell his wife the terrible news.
When he opened the door, his face turned white as he saw her standing by the window, clutching the open doors, her eyes filled with sadness.
She knew that her kingdom had been threatened, and that Link would have to leave her side again.
He came up behind her and cradled her in his arms, his arms encircling her stomach.
"You heard?"
She nodded her head.
"I'm sorry, my love," he whispered, kissing her shoulder. "I have to go. The Kokiri need me."
Her hand brushed against his cheek as she turned around.
"I shall help you get ready," she whispered.
Zelda helped him with his chain mail and tunic, and when she reached around his body to slide the breastplate onto him, he raised his arms and smiled.
This was the new tunic she'd made for him. He would wear it proudly today.
She smoothed down the fabric, and felt his breath against her cheek.
"I love you," he said.
Grabbing his sword and sheathing it, he took her hands in his and kissed them.
"I will return," he said. "But you must stay here. Promise me you won't leave."
She held her head down. She knew he was right.
"Okay," she whispered.
Link wanted nothing more than to stay here with her. She was due to have their child at any moment, and to be ripped away from her like this was almost too much.
He leaned down and kissed her womb.
There was nothing more he could say.
He pulled away from her, and when he started to walk toward the door, he heard her sweet voice.
"I love you, Link."
His eyes met hers, and everything they could possibly say to one another was spoken in that one glance.
Then he closed the door behind him.
Zelda knew what he had to face. She knew Ganondorf had come for him again, and this time he would show no mercy.
There was nothing she could do to stop it. But Link would fight to keep him from finding the Triforce. Of that much she was certain.


Mounting his horse and riding away to the forest, Link suddenly had a terrible sinking feeling in his stomach as he and his men cleared the drawbridge.
The black cloud of smoke that rose above the Kokiri forest suddenly reminded him of the black cloud that hung over Death Mountain when he'd visited the Fire Temple.
But this was worse. Much worse.
He could smell the burning wood in the air.
They took off at a lightning pace, riding faster than the wind.
He wasn't sure what he would find beyond that dark entrance to his former homeland, and he swallowed hard as they neared the bridge…


All of the Kokiri homes had been burned to the ground, including his tree house.
But where were the children?
Link ordered his men to search everywhere for them.
They searched every hole, every secret hiding place Link knew.
But they were nowhere to be found.


Then Link remembered the Lost Woods.
Dismounting his horse and climbing up the vines, he went into the dark forest, looking, searching…
Then he heard faint cries coming from the Sacred Meadow.
Using his sword to slash through the smoldering vines, he came across the entire group of Kokiri children, with Saria beside them, huddling in some bushes, fear in their eyes as they thought he was….


"Oh, Link, you've saved us!" they all cried when they realized who he was, rushing to him with open arms, soot on their faces, their cheeks stained with tears.
He was overcome with joy and he felt tears falling down his own cheeks.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect your homes," he said, sorrow filling the deep chasms of his heart.
"That's not your fault, Link," Saria said. "We're alive, and that's what matters."
But where would they go now?


"Come with me," he said, taking Saria's hand, and continued to slash his way through the vines until they reached the place he'd uncovered as a little boy, the secret entrance to Goron City.
He knew this passageway that would take them to safety.
The sound of the Goron's drumbeats filled their ears as they entered the tunnel.
Link knew they would be taken care of once they reached the other side.
There was no time for them to talk.
"Go," Link said. "You must hurry! I shall come to Goron's City for you later!"
Saria followed behind them, and took one last look at Link.
"You really are the Hero of Time, the lord of all of Hyrule," she said.


They were like brother and sister, those two. Saria was very grateful for what Link had just done. She would have to find a way to make it up to him somehow.


When he returned to Kokiri forest, he took a moment to walk to the place he'd once called home.
Staring at the charred remains, his memories flashed back to the day the Deku Tree contacted him through Navi, his guardian fairy, and the adventures that lay before him as the Hero of Time. He remembered his childhood innocence, and somehow this burned tree before him symbolized everything surrounding that. Now it was gone, as well as those carefree days.
The twig in his hand suddenly snapped, the sound of it startling even him. In his anger he'd broken it.
Then he noticed something on the ground.
Uncovering the little mound of dirt with his foot, then bending down to get a better look, he suddenly realized what it was.
His fairy ocarina.
He'd left it here long ago for the children.
It was burned almost beyond recognition, but he stuffed it into his pocket anyway.
If there were one memento he could salvage from this horror, it would be that.
It was what had helped bring he and Zelda together.


Suddenly his reason for being on this earth took on a whole new meaning.
He wanted to leave a kingdom for his son, or daughter, to rule. Ganondorf was obviously searching through the temples for any clues to lead him back to the Triforce, and there was no way, no way in hell, that he would get it.
Link angrily walked to Epona and mounted her.
Rounding up his men, they fled the charred forest, determined to take Ganondorf and his minions down, wherever they'd gone.


When they exited the forest and reached the outskirts of Hyrule Field, the knights' horses rose up in horror as they were confronted by a fierce wall of flame coming at them from the direction of Lon Lon Ranch.
The Moblins had set fire to the ranch!
Malon! Her family!


Link quickly looked around for a way to escape the searing heat.
Since there had been no rain, the dry grass only served as fuel for this raging hell headed right for them.
"Come on!" Link ordered, kicking Epona into a quick gallop and riding to the left. He would approach the ranch from the southeast.
Luckily the fire had not reached here yet.
He'd seen what had happened in the forest, would the ranch suffer the same fate?
And would Malon and her father have been able to escape in time? Had they even had time to react?
All of these questions raged through Link's mind as he beared down on his horse, urging her to go faster.
They rode to the back of the ranch, and Link dismounted Epona, quickly running up the hill leading to the ranch.
Fighting back the thick smoke filling his lungs, he frantically began searching for Malon and her father.
He could hear the horses and cows in the stable trying to get out, but he had no time to free them.


He searched the stable, calling to Malon, but there was no answer.
He then ran across the way to her home, then up the stairs, hoping against all hope she would be there.
Her bed was empty.
They were gone.
"Sir! Are they here?" one of his men called out to him.
"No," Link said.
"Damn you, Ganondorf!" he screamed, clenching his fist.
Then he heard female cries from a faraway distance.
"What was that?"
His eyes grew wide as he made his way back to the entrance through the smoke.
The female cries got louder.


Squinting his eyes, he could make out the form of a huge Moblin, and he was carrying Malon over his shoulder.
But where had she been?
She kicked and screamed, begging him to put her down.
Link thought about reaching for his Longshot, but then realized they were too far away now for it to do any good.


He had to get back to the castle and get Zelda away from here.
He knew she would not be happy with where he would have to send her, but he had no choice.
If Ganondorf was willing to kidnap Malon, what would he do to Zelda? Their baby?
He and his men quickly mounted their horses and rode back to Hyrule Castle.


Zelda held her belly and waddled back over to the bedroom window and opened the doors again.
Her face went awash with horror when she saw the flames engulfing Lon Lon Ranch, and spreading uncontrollably across Hyrule Field.
The wall of flame was headed straight for the castle!


This time Ganondorf just might succeed in destroying everything.
Panicking, she tried to hurry across the room, when Link threw the bedroom door open, and Zelda fell into his outstretched arms.
"Link!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck.
Link tried to speak to her in a calm voice, but it was no use. He was scared.
"Zelda, the Moblins have taken Malon hostage and I have no idea where her father is."
She pulled back and looked at him, her face full of fear.
"Oh no, Link. We've got to do something!"
"Yes, I know," he replied, "but first I need you to do something for me."
"What is it?" she asked, touching his cheek.
"I need for you to go away with Impa to Caer Laeryn."
The sad look on her face made Link feel absolutely awful.
"No, Link, please," she pleaded. "I want to be with you."
He took her hands in his and bit his lip.
"Zelda, you know I would never demand anything like this from you if I didn't have real fear for your safety, and the safety of our child."
He placed his hands around her. She was very close to having this baby, and he would not risk losing either of them this day.
"Listen to me, Zelda. There is real danger for you if you stay here. By nightfall Ganondorf and those Moblins might very well be swarming this castle, and I cannot have you here. It's too much of a risk."
"But Link"…
"No, Zelda. I must make this decision right now. I'm sorry."
She knew he was right, but she did not want to be separated from him.
She pulled away, and walked towards the window and began to cry, clutching her baby.
He came behind her and tried to comfort her, but she moved away.
"Link…I don't want to go to Caer Laeryn. I hate that place. Please don't send me there."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Zelda, look at me," he said. "Look at me."
He placed his other hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him.
"I'd rather cut off my right arm than to send you there, but Ganondorf would never think twice about harming you or our baby once he gets here. Not twice. I know his mind, Zelda. All too well.
He'd never know to look for you at Caer Laeryn. It's too remote, and he doesn't know it exists. I will come for you in a few days, I promise. Please trust me. You always have before, haven't you?"
He pressed her hand to his lips.


She looked down at the ground, tears in her eyes. He was only doing what he was destined to do, to be her protector and to make sure she was safe. Then why was she so angry with him?
Link moved closer, and tilted her chin up to him.
"Zelda, kiss me."
He brought her lips to his and when they touched, she wound her arms around his neck.
She couldn't be angry with him when he kissed her like this. He loved her and cherished her above all else. He was her knight in shining armor.
"Link," she sobbed. "What if I never see you again?"
He pulled her even closer.
"You will, Zelda. I promise. By the goddesses, I promise it."
Someone then knocked on the door.
Link broke away from her and went to open it.
It was Impa. She had hurriedly packed a few things for her, Zelda and the baby. There was no time to grab anything except the barest essentials.
"She's coming," Link said.
Zelda walked toward him, nervously grasping the shift she was wearing, balling it up in her hands.
He faced her one last time.
"Do you remember when I told you I would always take the memory of you into battle with me, that nothing could ever harm me as long as our love remained true?"
She nodded her head.
"Link, you will be especially protected this day. I swear it."
He kissed her hand, then bowed to her.
"Milady, I shall return to you. You will not be left without a husband or a father for our child. Now you must go," he said. "Go now."
Impa was waiting.


A carriage had pulled up to the front of the castle, at Link's orders, ready to take Zelda and Impa away to Caer Laeryn.
Two squires were to accompany them on the journey, just in case.
Not wanting to reveal what they were up to, Link ordered that all of the castle's torches be extinguished and he used a candle to light their way down the huge spiral staircase.
When they were halfway down the staircase, they heard a loud BOOM! echoing across Hyrule Field.
Zelda's mouth dropped in horror and she turned to Link.
"What was that?" she asked.
Link swallowed hard. He'd hoped she and Impa would get away before this would start. Memories of the knight dying in his arms suddenly flooded him. He still didn't want to tell her that Ganondorf had given those Moblins this lethal weapon, but now he had no choice.
"Cannons," he said, clenched between his teeth.
Zelda's eyes widened in horror as she realized what this meant.
She stopped on the staircase, trying to push him away and go back up.
"No! Link! These are my people! You can't make me leave them! No!"
She was frightened beyond reason.
She threw her fists at him, screaming.
"Zelda," he begged, "You've got to calm down…please."
A servant opened the front door, and Impa hurriedly threw their bags into the back of the awaiting carriage.
Link carried her down the stairs, still flailing about and crying uncontrollably.
When they reached the doorway, sobbing and weak, Zelda finally stopped fighting Link, and collapsed against his shoulder, clutching the fabric of his tunic.


Impa gently took her shoulders, ready to take her away…
"Link…these are my people, please…don't let him hurt them. Save them. Please."
Her sobs quietened as she was losing her strength to fight.
"Come on, Zelda. We have to get out of here," Impa said in a calm voice, looking at Link with deep concern in her eyes.
Link held her hand as he felt her being peeled away from his body.
His own emotions began to overtake him.
BOOM!
Zelda pulled herself away from Impa and ran to Link's arms one last time, shrieking in fear.
"Liiiink!"
He clutched her tightly, kissing her tear-stained cheeks.
"Go…go…please"…he said softly.
If she didn't leave now, he knew he may not have the strength to put her in that carriage.


 
When Impa got Zelda into the carriage, the driver snapped his whip and hurried away quickly.
Zelda watched Link at the door until he was no longer in her sight.
Then she turned to Impa and sobbed, clutching her womb.
It would take them all night to reach the castle high up on the cliffs on the extreme outer edges of Hyrule, a place uninhabited for at least a hundred years.
Caer Laeryn.
Just the mere mention of it always sent shivers up Zelda's spine.
This was a home that belonged to her ancestors. Long ago, it had been a beautiful place, overlooking the endless Hylian sea, but was later turned into a prison, after Hyrule Castle was built. Many prisoners had died there in her dungeons, of unknown causes, and there were tales of ghosts haunting the dark passageways.
But in Link's mind, any place was safer than Hyrule Castle right now, after what he'd experienced in the Desert Colossus, the forest and Lon Lon Ranch.
He'd watched his men being blown apart by cannons, skewered under the impaling brutality of the Moblins' weapons, and tortured beyond human reason. There was no way he would let his wife and unborn child fall under that awful treatment.


Zelda fell asleep in the back of the carriage and had slept most of the way up the winding cliff road to the forbidding aged fortress.
Impa had never been out here before. It definitely was spooky. Even spookier than the Shadow Temple.
Something big and black suddenly flew past her ear.
"Driver, what was that?" she asked, startled.
The man who had driven them all the way up here had not said a word during the entire journey. He had simply pressed onward, following Link's strict orders to get them to safety as quickly as possible.
But he turned to face Impa now, and holding his cloak to his face, whispered a word to her that turned her blood cold.
"Bats."
Impa looked down at the sleeping Zelda and pulled the wool blanket up around her ears.


Could this awful place really be part of Hyrule? The howling wolves, the flying bats, and the cold chill in the air were so discomforting. But, Impa knew that Link was only trying to save Zelda and the baby from Ganondorf's evil hand, and the poor lad simply didn't know what else to do…


When they arrived at the front door to Caer Laeryn, the driver helped Impa get their bags and the sleeping Zelda upstairs. There were no beds left in the castle, only bedframes.
Impa had to make do with what little they'd brought with them, some blankets and pillows.
She laid the sleeping Princess upon them and prayed she would continue to rest comfortably and not wake until they heard some news from Link. Then she set about her task to try to find some food and get some rest herself.


Link, in the meantime, went back to Goron City to talk with the Gorons and the Kokiri children to let them know what was going on and to figure out a way to get everyone to safety.
Link figured Ganondorf wouldn't try to set fire to Death Mountain, since it was a huge volcano anyway. He told Saria where he'd had to send Zelda, and how it broke his heart to watch her so upset by all of this.


Ganondorf and his Moblins continued to burn and loot everything in their paths, frantically searching for the Triforce.
It wasn't in the Spirit Temple, or the Forest Temple, or hidden at Lon Lon Ranch.
Surveying the dead horses and cattle strewn about the former home of Malon and her father, Ganondorf rubbed his chin and laughed to himself, stopping to think of his accomplishments so far.
He'd burned down Link's childhood home and destroyed the Kokiri forest, looted the Spirit Temple and taken its treasures, and completely destroyed Hyrule Field, as well as Lon Lon Ranch. He had Malon as a hostage, but her father was nowhere to be found.
Probably dead, he figured.
He couldn't go to the water temple, not until he could figure out how to reach Princess Ruto and make her confess to him whether or not it was hidden there. Then he would have the pleasure of sending Link down to retrieve it for him, if indeed it was there.


He'd have to search the Shadow and Fire Temples next, but not before he took out his anger on Hyrule Castle.
Stepping on the charred boards of Malon's destroyed home, he found one of her childhood dolls and picked it up.
He handed it to one of his Moblins.
"Here," he said. "Take this to her, so she'll know her home is gone."
Then he laughed his evil laugh and ordered his cannons to fire against the walls of Hyrule Town.
Link had taken the Gorons, the Kokiri, and the citizens of Kakariko Village to the nearby grotto by the top of Death Mountain and hidden them there. He knew it would be cramped for them for awhile, but it was better than the alternative.
Now what would he be able to do about the citizens of Hyrule Town?
The Gerudo thieves were alright at their hideout. Ganondorf would most likely not go back there.
He'd have to figure out a way to get to the town, when suddenly…
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Sounds of cannonballs hitting the walls outside the castle town threw everyone into the grotto into a panic. Darunia, Link and his knights tried their best to keep everyone calm but it was almost impossible.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!


How glad Link was that Zelda wasn't witnessing this.
Zelda.
What if she was having his baby right at this very moment?
No, he couldn't think about that now.
Had to stay calm and stay focused on the task at hand.
Drawing his sword, he looked at each one of his knights and their squires.
They knew what he meant when he looked at them this way.
They each drew their swords in turn and left the grotto.
When they were outside, it had turned into night.
The cannonballs had suddenly stopped.
Link and his men made their way back down the mountain, taking care of the red tektites along the way.
Silence.


A man on horseback had approached Ganondorf with a note just as he was preparing to charge across Hyrule drawbridge.
Ganondorf waved his arms behind him to stop the firing.
Then a terrible grin spread across his face as he folded up the note and put it in his pocket.
"Thank you, good sir, you shall be rewarded handsomely for this," he said.
"Are you sure they are at Caer Laeryn?"
"Yes, sir. Took them there myself and dropped them off. Should still be there until she has that baby."
Ganondorf's eyes frowned suddenly and he spun around, his black cloak flapping in the gentle breeze.
"What did you say?" he roared.
"Yes, sir. Princess Zelda is with child. Very much so."
Ganondorf couldn't believe it. Zelda and Link about to have a baby? Another heir to the throne of Hyrule?
This was just swell. Well he would have to hurry. He had to reach her before Link had time to figure out where he'd gone. Link would no doubt have stayed here to protect his precious Hyrule. That would be his fatal mistake.


Waving his arms forward, Ganondorf led the Moblins toward the castle. Before he would set out to find Princess Zelda, he might as well search her home and seize whatever was there for the taking, and if he happened to find the Triforce, then it would be a real bonus. Then he would retreat and plan his next attack. On Caer Laeryn.


Once Link and his men had cleared the entrance to Kakariko Village on foot, they stared at Lon Lon Ranch in disbelief. It was completely burned to the ground. They could hear Ganondorf and the Moblins crossing the drawbridge into the Castle Town. Soon he would have a real panic on his hands. Link then felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his Ian.


"Sir," he said, drawing his sword, "That bastard isn't going to get away with this. We must charge them…now."
There was a fire burning in this young man's green eyes that Link had not seen before.
But he wanted him instead to do something else.
"Ian, I want you and your squire to go find Malon. You've done enough for me today, now go find the woman you love and rescue her. If something were to happen to her, I don't know what I would do. Please."


Ian didn't know what to say. He'd never heard Link give him an order like this. He lowered his sword a little toward the ground and slumped his shoulders.
"Yes, milord, I shall bring her back as soon as I find her. I shall take my squire with me."
He started to walk away, and Link grabbed his arm.
"Wait," he said, "Better take more than that. They'll no doubt be waiting for someone to come for her, mainly me. You must be prepared."
Ian nodded his head. "Yes, milord. I shall not fail you."
He brought his sword to his heart then to his lips.
"For Hyrule," Ian said.
"For Hyrule," Link replied, bringing his sword to his lips, those words hanging in the air.
Ian sent for his squire and three other men to search for Malon.


Link's eyes gazed out at Hyrule Field, in utter disbelief at what he was seeing before him.
Yesterday, all had been well in his princess's kingdom.
Now, it was a charred battlefield. Lon Lon ranch…destroyed. The forest…gone. The flowers Zelda so loved, also gone. The trees…scorched…the grass no longer holding the morning dew…why had he not had the power to stop Ganondorf this time? He felt like such a failure.


They heard the rumbling of the Moblins charging Hyrule Town. Rushing through the drawbridge, they were drawn into immediate battle. The townspeople were indeed in a frenzied panic as they tried to flee their homes, grabbing anything and everything they could to escape.


Ganondorf made it through the chaos, however, and proceeded to Hyrule Castle. Link was too far away to stop him. He had two choices: let Ganondorf loot his castle, and let it go at that, or try to charge him, and possibly lose his life. Those cannons were in too close a proximity should they charge. If Zelda were there, there would be no question what he would do, but since she wasn't, he had a duty to protect her people. It was the last thing he'd promised her as she left his arms.


So Link instead ordered that a blockade be set up, so that when Ganondorf came back down that hill, he would meet face-to-face with him, and they would finally settle this score.
They waited. And waited. And waited.
Ganondorf never came.
There was no sign of Moblins, of cannons, of any kind of attack anywhere.


So where were they?
Link sent a squire up the hill to check it out.
What the squire saw horrified him. Not only was the castle looted, but Ganondorf was leaving…from the other side!
"Sir! You'd better come take a look at this!"
Link rushed up the hill, and his face grew as white as a sheet.
"Oh, no," he said, his voice trailing away.
"Dammit to hell!" he shouted, throwing his sword and shield down on the ground, and he punched the Spiritual Stone next to him in an angry rage.
He clenched his fists, then pointed in the direction of Caer Laeryn.
"He knows! How the hell he found out I don't know, but…he knows! We've got to get out there….now!"
He reached down, picked up his sword and shield, and held his bleeding hand as he made his way back down the hill.
"They're headed for Caer Laeryn. We ride out now!"


 
At Caer Laeryn, Zelda had finally awoken after her long sleep and Impa fed her hot soup as they huddled next to a warm fire.
Impa stroked Zelda's golden locks and watched over her, her eyes giving away that she was in another world.
"Zelda, are you alright?' Impa asked.
Zelda hadn't said a word since she'd left Link's arms at Hyrule Castle. She was obviously in deep shock, which wasn't good for the baby.
She curled her hand up around her face, and sighed.
"Link and I spent our first night together in front of a fire like this one," she finally whispered.
Impa couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Go on," she whispered, pouring some hot tea for the two of them.
"He was so romantic, so passionate. He always is. On the battlefield, he is a warrior of death, but in my arms, he is"…
she tilted her face up to look at her nursemaid.
"My knight in shining armor."
Their eyes locked for a moment.
"Impa, he's got to come for me, he's just got to. I can't bring this baby into this world without him."
Then she started to cry.
"Come here," Impa said, stretching out her arms.
Zelda rose up and let herself be comforted by this wise older woman.
Then they heard explosions in the distance.
Zelda quickly pulled away, the fear apparent in her beautiful eyes.
She held her hand up to her mouth and bit her lip, a telltale sign that she was very scared.
"What's that?" she asked.
She knew the answer to that question before she even made it to the tiny window.
Zelda could see Ganondorf and the Moblins marching toward Caer Laeryn with a vengeance, determined to come after her.
This would only mean one thing, that Ganondorf was still alive.
And what about her precious Link?
She sent for one of the squires immediately and hurriedly wrote something on a parchment.
When he arrived at her bedroom door, she handed him the rolled up parchment.
"I want to know where Link is. I want you to respond back to me as soon as you hear anything. If he's alive, knock twice. If all is lost, then knock three times. Go, you must hurry!"
The page bowed his head.
"Yes, milady," he replied.


She knew she would have no choice but to remain at Caer Laeryn until she knew Link was alright. Surely he was. Link could never be taken from her. He just couldn't!
If Ganondorf so much as entered this place, he would pay dearly.


Impa insisted on going to look for Link herself also, against Zelda's wishes. She decided to take the one horse available to her and rode fast and furious through the haunted backwoods of Caer Laeryn, to avoid detection from Ganondorf. She had to find Link, just in case the squire didn't.
It took her several hours, but when she saw the unmistakable blue tunics and silver breastplates of the Hylian army up on a hill just as she exited the forest, relief spread across her face.
She squinted her eyes.
Link was with only three of his men! Where were the rest of the Knights of Hyrule?
Kicking her horse into a quick gallop, she sped up the hill where Link and his men were.
"Link, the Moblins are approaching Caer Laeryn from the east side of the beach! I'm afraid they will make it to the castle before nightfall! You must hurry!"
"And you left Zelda alone?" he roared, his voice escalating into a panic as he drew his sword.
"No, there's a squire with her. She has sent a page to look for you. I'm afraid he will not make it back, Link. They'll be swarming the castle soon."
Link turned to one of his men.
"Go back to the others, and tell them to hurry!" he ordered.
"Yes, milord," he replied, taking off in a fast run.
Link turned back to Impa.
"Don't worry, my army is just behind us, they'll be fast approaching."
Looking at the gloomy castle and its hovering mist away in the distance, Link's heart sank as he feared he would not make it to Zelda in time before Ganondorf would reach her. Hyrule field had been left charred and unrecognizable, cannonball pockmarks against the drawbridges of Hyrule Town, the forest destroyed, his boyhood home…
But Kakariko Village had been spared, and most of the remaining citizens had been moved there to emergency shelter.
Hyrule Castle still stood, although it had been looted beyond recovery.
The Moblins had taken everything. Rupees, paintings, the crown jewels, all of their treasures, gone.
But the one treasure dearest to Link's heart had not been harmed. At least, not yet, he hoped.
He would not let Ganondorf or those Moblins so much as look at her.
"Come on, Impa," Link said. "We've got to hurry!"
They charged back down the hill and through the forest.


The Knights of Hyrule rode proudly, their swords slashing through the thick trees, the thundering hooves of the horses causing the bats to stir from their sleep and fly high above the trees, as they approached Caer Laeryn.


The Moblins were closing in, preparing their cannons to fire against the castle.
Unknown to Ganondorf, Link had requested the assistance of the Kokiri children and the Gorons in this final attempt to destroy Ganondorf once and for all.
They would send a clear message to the King of Evil: Hyrule will not be sacked. Not today…not ever.


Once they reached the top of the hill overlooking the beaches surrounding Caer Laeryn, Link motioned for everyone to take their positions. He could hear the pounding of the surf below, and feel the salty ocean air on his cheeks.
He bowed down, clutched his sword to his breast, and kissed it.
"For Hyrule," he whispered. "For Zelda."
When he stood up, he could now see Ganondorf and the Moblins in the distance, closing in.
Then he squinted his eyes. What was this before them?
Three huge Iron Knuckles.
They would have to defeat those before they could take care of the Moblins, unless the cannons got them first.
But there wasn't time to think. They had to attack now, before they gave away their position.
Looking all around him at the makeshift army he'd created, he held up his sword.
"Ready!" he shouted.
"Ready!" they answered back.
"Charge!"
Then with one huge fierce battle cry, the Knights of Hyrule charged down that hill, taking Ganondorf and his minions by complete surprise.
When Ganondorf saw them, he drew his sword and ordered an immediate attack.
The Iron Knuckles, having just a moment ago held their huge swinging blades close, now began to swing them violently, growling at the warriors charging them.


Two Moblins hurriedly loaded a cannon.
BOOM! BOOM!


Zelda shrieked in fear as she ran back to the window and saw the battle going on below her. But she could not see Link anywhere. Where was he?
The squire approached her.
"Come, milady, I must get you to a safe place."
When he touched her shoulder she whirled around and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Take your hands off me, I'm not going anywhere without Link!"
"But milady"—
"You heard me! I'm not moving from this spot! Only Link can make me leave!"
She gripped the two iron bars around the window, fervently searching for her beloved, her heart beating hard against her ribcage.


Link ordered a page to come to him. He handed him his handkerchief.
"Take this to Zelda. Let her know I'm alright."
"Yes, milord," the page answered and retreated up the hill.
Link heard the familiar growl of the Iron Knuckle right behind him.
Before he could get caught in its massive blade, he rolled out of the way, then activated "Nayru's Love" to protect himself. He was the only one who held this power, so he would have to defeat each of these Iron Knuckles himself. He couldn't risk losing any of his men.
The Iron Knuckle threw him a hard punch, knocking him back.

***



Ian McCloud searched all of Hyrule that wasn't burned, looking for Malon. He still hadn't found her. The one place he hadn't searched yet was Lake Hylia, so he headed out there, thinking that maybe, just maybe...


Once he passed the gates, he heard a woman's muffled voice.
Then he looked at the boulder near the scientist's lab. There she was, tied to it, bound and gagged. When she saw Ian, her eyes grew wide.
He ran to her side, frantically untying the ropes, removing the gag from her mouth.
"Oh, my darling Malon," he cried out to her as he held her to his breast.
Malon clutched him tightly, tears flooding her eyes.
"Oh, Ian, I thought I would not be found way out here. I feared I was left to die."
"I would have found you, my love, you'll not die as long as you are with me," he whispered, his hand caressing her cheek.
He wondered if she knew her home was gone.
"Ian, have you seen my father?" she asked.
He shook his head.
"Come on, we need to get out of here, can you walk ok?" he asked.
She tried to stand up, but her feet would not support her.
"Ian"—
She collapsed from the weakness in her body.
Ian gathered her up in his arms and carried her out the entrance to Lake Hylia, and to his horse. He would take her to Kakariko Village.
She knew her home was gone, and she was very worried about her father. She didn't know if he was dead…or alive.


***


Link suffered blow after blow from the Iron Knuckle, his magic meter depleting quickly.
He was able to strike back with his sword, but his magic could not hold off three of these massive awful creatures.


When the blue glow of Nayru's Love began to fade away, he knew he was in big trouble.
Then it was gone, and he was about to be struck down by the gigantic blade.
Suddenly the Iron Knuckle fell to the ground.
One of the huge massive boulders, launched by the Kokiri catapult, had crushed it. Link looked up at his friends in relief and by the look in his eyes Mido knew he was very grateful.


They readied another one, and Link moved out of they way.
Sailing through the air, it pummeled the final two, knocking them to the ground.
Link got up, and dusted off his tunic.
BOOM! BOOM!


Another round of cannons were being unleashed, this time much closer to the castle.
Darunia gave the order from the top of the hill, and the mighty Gorons rolled themselves up into balls, flinging themselves down the hill towards the enemy.
The Moblins, even though they were huge, moved slow and could not get out of the way in time before they were brought down by the massive rolling creatures.
One did not fall, however, and his spear caught the back of one of the Gorons and he flung it in the air angrily, its cries of pain boiling Darunia's blood. He watched in horror as the Moblin marched towards it, preparing to spear it completely through.
Darunia didn't even think. He rolled himself up into a massive ball and hurled down the mountain at the Moblin, knocking it down before it had a chance to finish the job.
Link and his knights rushed in with their swords, killing the fallen Moblins before they could stand back up.
Ganondorf, angry at this development, fled the scene and headed towards the castle. He might lose this battle, but he certainly wasn't going to lose the war.
"If it's the last thing I do, I will have Link and Zelda begging for my mercy," he cursed under his breath.
Link happened to catch a glimpse of Ganondorf as he walked up the hill, and he turned to his army.
"This is between he and I, stay close, but don't come inside unless it is absolutely necessary."
Then he took off to face his ultimate enemy. Impa had been standing close by, watching the battle, and joined Link at his side.
On the way up the hill, Link noticed a lifeless form on the ground. When he turned the body over and checked his pulse, he realized it was the page he'd sent to warn Zelda.
"Damn," he whispered.


Zelda felt an awful pain in her abdomen. She waited a few seconds, and then it happened again. She feared this may be it. Where was Impa? What was taking her so long to get back? And where was that damn page?
"Sir, good sir, help me to those blankets over there," she ordered, clutching her womb, her voice in more of a panic now than anger.
The squire did as she asked. She lay back, doing the breathing exercises Impa had taught her. The pain began to subside.
Then she heard footsteps on the concrete stairs leading up to the bedroom. They were heavy, and slow…as if the person walking wanted her to hear them.
They stopped just outside the door.
The knocks came loud and clear.
One…Two…Three.
It had to be the page, bringing her news of Link's death.
She screamed, startling the squire beside her.
"Liiink! No! No!"
She saw the doorknob turn slowly.
The shadowy figure suddenly took its grotesque form as the door opened.
Ganondorf.


His black cloak enveloped him in a veil of evil, his boots continuing to make a heavy sound as he walked in slow strides toward the Princess of Hyrule, balled up on the floor in tears.


The squire drew his sword. Ganondorf shot him an evil glance, then used his evil magic to pin him against the wall.
"You're not worth it," he hissed, suddenly imprisoning him in crystal.
Then he leaned over Zelda's body, towering over her.
"Well, well, well, I see you are about to bear the Hero of Time a child? That's all I need, another so-called "Hero of Time."
He drew his dagger and held the blade against Zelda's throat.
She gulped in fear, looking back at the angry yellow eyes staring her down, the pain building in her abdomen once again.
"You'd better tell me where the Triforce is, Zelda, or I swear to you you'll never see your precious Link again, and you'll be raising that baby of yours in my prison."
He laughed when he said that.
"What a sight that should be. Princess Zelda, in rags, raising her baby without a father, in… less than royal conditions."
Zelda mustered all her courage and swallowed hard.
She cried out as the pain overtook her, unable to tell him what she wanted to tell him.
This baby was coming, and it was going to come right now.
"Ganondorf…please"…she begged. "I'm in labor. Please"…
He did nothing but watch her.
"I think I shall let you lay there and beg for my mercy. Tell me where the Triforce is, and then I'll help you."
He pulled his dagger away from her throat, and fingered the blade, cocking his head from side to side, eyeing it as if it were a toy.
"Oh god!" Zelda screamed, her breathing getting heavier, holding her stomach. "Please help me!"
Link could hear her cries of pain echoing throughout the castle as he flung open the door, and he immediately dashed up the stairs. He knew Ganondorf was here. He could feel his presence. But he wanted to remain quiet and not give himself away. Impa was right behind him.


Ganondorf's eyes met Zelda's again, filled with an evil patience.
"I'm waiting, your Highness. Tell me where the Triforce is, and I'll deliver that baby for you."
The pain was becoming unbearable. She felt something warm in her body, and looked down at her dress. Her water had broken.
"Please!" she grasped Ganondorf's arm.
She had no choice now but to tell him.
"The triforce is"…it's at"….she whispered between breaths.
Ganondorf held a hand to his ear.
"What was that, your Highness? I can't hear you."
She clutched her stomach and fell back, letting out a scream so violent it caused Impa to rush faster up the stairs, ahead of Link.
"Answer me, Zelda!"
Just as he prepared to strike her in the face, he heard the unsheathing of a sword behind him.
"Get away from her, Ganondorf. Now."


Ganondorf stopped his hand in midair and smiled. He knew that voice.
He turned around.
Link's eyes were filled with fiery anger as he stared down his evil opponent.
Impa ran to Zelda's side, picked her up and carried her out of the room through the other door.
She was in too much pain now to notice that her husband had returned, that he was not dead.
"What were you going to do, Ganondorf? Leave her there to possibly die? Link asked, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
Ganondorf flexed his hands through his leather gloves then smiled again at Link.
"Perhaps," he said. "It was all going to depend on whether or not she told me where the Triforce was, and she was just about to…until you showed up."
"Zelda is in labor, Ganondorf. And to let her lie there in pain and do nothing for her is something even the worst scoundrel on earth would never do."
Ganondorf laughed. "Ah, yes, blame it on me. Well, where were you, oh brave one? The Hero of Time wasn't anywhere near here a moment ago."
"Because I was having to take care of your minions, Ganondorf. Face it, most of your army is now dead, or dying as I speak. Surrender now, and maybe I will just cut off your arms and legs, and save your head for later, so you can feel the kind of pain you have caused Zelda."
Ganondorf drew his sword.
"I'll never surrender to you, Sir Link," he mocked. "To the death."
"Very well, then," Link replied as he raised his sword.
"To the death."


Impa wrapped as many cloths around Zelda that she could find, but she was losing a lot of blood, and barely able to push when she was told to.
Impa could see the baby's head now, and she would have it out in no time, if Zelda would just push.
"Come on, darling, push, please. You're almost there. Please."
Zelda, weak as a baby lamb by now, managed to rise herself up on her elbows, then mustered all her strength to make the final push so this baby could come into the world.
"Oh….God!"
Link could hear her through the walls and tried so hard to keep himself focused, his anger building inside of him.
"Liiink!" she cried out.
Link felt every string in his heart being pulled at the same time.
"If Zelda or that baby dies, I'm holding you solely responsible," he said in a low voice, thrusting forward, slicing his sword at Ganondorf.
Ganondorf parried him, moving quickly, his cloak billowing behind him as he moved.
"Why not?" he asked, catching Link's sword and pushing it away from his body.
"I get blamed for everything, I might as well take the blame for causing the death of the next heir to the throne of Hyrule. Tell me, Link"…
He pushed Link back to the floor, almost knocking his sword from his hand.
"What will there be left of Hyrule to rule now? You barely have a castle, there is no ranch, no Hyrule Field, and ah yes…no forest. Even your tree house is gone."
He laughed as Link stood up.
"Oh, do you wish to continue?" he asked, holding up his blade again.
"I figured you'd be pulling out a bottled fairy by now…fairy boy."
"I will fight you until you are dead," Link said. "I'm just getting started."


The Knights of Hyrule entered the castle, leaving strict orders to the Kokiri and the Gorons that they stay outside, so as not to cause any undue distractions.


Zelda's final push forced the baby into Impa's waiting arms. Pink, healthy, and with quite a set of lungs, the cries could be heard throughout the castle.
The Knights all looked at each other as they heard the joyful noise.
Link's emotions were running the gamut. Excitement, fear, sorrow and anger all at once.
He would have to fight this evil and get rid of it once and for all, even though part of him wanted to run away and be at his wife's side.


Zelda collapsed immediately on the thick padding of blankets, unconscious. She had lost so much blood that Impa feared she might not live. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow.
One of Link's men came into the room, and Impa handed him the baby so she could tend to Zelda.
She raised her up and rubbed her skin, trying to rejuvenate her.
"Come on, Zelda," she whispered. "Your baby's here, your husband's here, please"…


Ganondorf heard Link's men in the castle, and he got very angry, his yellow eyes growing meaner and meaner.
"What are they doing here?" he roared, thrusting his sword forward at Link.
Link parried his blows, each one growing stronger and stronger, faster and faster.
"You shall die…Hero of Time," he hissed. "Today."
"No, Ganondorf, I think it is you that shall die today."
Remembering his training sessions with the Poes, Link whirled around in the blink of an eye, drew his dagger from inside his belt, and thrust the point of the blade against Ganondorf's throat, causing him to gasp suddenly.
"Drop…your…sword," he ordered.
Looking around him, Ganondorf saw the Knights of Hyrule enter the room, surrounding he and Link. One wrong move and any of these men's blades would slice through him like butter.
The blade fell from his hand and hit the floor. He held his arms up in defeat.
"Kill him, Link! Run him through!" One of his men yelled.
"Off with his head!" Another one shouted.


Link was just about to do that, then realized there was something else he'd rather do first.
"No," Link said. "I want you to get down on your knees, Ganondorf."
Pursing his lips together, Ganondorf did as asked, and Link placed his foot against Ganondorf's chest and pushed him to the ground, on his back. Leaning forward, he dug his blade in a little more, drawing blood from the evil one's neck.
Ganondorf grimaced in pain.
"There's just one thing I want to see you do," he hissed.
"I want to see you kneel before Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule. I want to see you kneel to her and recognize her as your superior, something you never did for her father. Then and only then, shall I have the ultimate pleasure of killing you."


Impa, hearing that Link had Ganondorf on his knees, suddenly rushed into the room, her face filled with fear.
"Link! Come quickly!"
Link motioned for his men to surround Ganondorf.
"Stay with him," he ordered.
"Our pleasure," they replied, drawing their swords and holding them at Ganondorf's throat.


Link ran to his wife's side.
His eyes grew wide with horror when he saw how pale she was.
"Is she"…
"No, " Impa answered. "But I fear she may die. She has lost a lot of blood, Link."
Link fell to his knees, clutching her hands in his.
"Oh, my love," he whispered. "You mustn't leave me now. I need you more than ever. Wake up, my darling. I'm here now."
He saw something moving out of the corner of his eye and heard soft cooing.
"Would you like to hold your son?" Impa asked, bending down.
Link froze for a moment, then his eyes filled with wonder as she held the tiny life out to his arms.
She placed the little boy into them, and Link cradled him, almost as natural as a seasoned father.
Tears began to flow down the Hero of Time's cheeks as he looked into the tiny eyes of his son.
"My…son"…he cried. "My beautiful son. What a wonderful gift she had given me"…
"What will you name him?" Impa asked.
"Syrus," he said, his voice breaking up.
He looked over at Zelda, and moving on his knees, placed the baby on the blankets next to her.
"Zelda, look, sweetheart, we have a son"….
Then he started to cry uncontrollably.
One of Link's men came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.


When Link finally regained his composure, he ordered that Ganondorf be brought before Zelda immediately. If she was going to die, then he would see to it that he bowed to her before she slipped away.
He owed her this.


Ganondorf was brought in, having been placed in shackles.
He looked Link straight in the eyes, unwavering.
Link drew his sword and placed it at Ganondorf's heart.
"Walk over here," he said.
"Now…kneel," he ordered.
Ganondorf didn't move.
"Now!" Link shouted.
Ganondorf slowly bent down on one knee, then the other, cursing Link under his breath.
"Now, you take her hand and kiss her ring. Acknowledge her as your superior."
Link held the tip of his sword at Ganondorf's back.
Tears started forming in his eyes again.
"You do it until you love it!"
The King of Evil took Zelda's pale, limp hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the crest of Hyrule.
When he looked at her delicate features up close, he froze and stared at her, analyzing her completely.
"She does have beautiful lips, it's too bad she never used them on me"…
Link raised his arm and punched Ganondorf in the back with his elbow.
When Ganondorf's angry eyes met Link's again, Link showed him no mercy.
"You sick bastard!" he shouted. "Now you will die"—
and he raised his sword, thrusting it into Ganondorf's heart, and pushed it in as far as it would go.
Ganondorf coughed, his body collapsing underneath him, blood gushing everywhere.
Link looked into his eyes as he fell to the floor, and as he drew his last breath, Link bent over him and whispered into his ear.
"Now you can't hurt her anymore, you son of a bitch."


 
Malon found her father at Kakariko Village, having survived the siege at the ranch.
Luckily he'd fallen asleep outside the Skull Kid's house, and wasn't anywhere near when his home was set ablaze.
Ian made the decision right then and there to ask her to marry him. He was going to make sure she wasn't alone anymore. They would rebuild her ranch, and their lives…together.


***


It was decided to take Zelda back to Hyrule Castle immediately, where proper care could be administered to her and the baby.
Link figured out that the driver of the carriage had told Ganondorf where Zelda was.
He was nowhere to be found. Link ordered that he be searched for and brought to him for immediate punishment. The page Zelda had sent to Link was also unaccounted for. If he didn't resurface soon, Link feared he would be yet another casualty to add to the list.
Link rode back to Hyrule Castle in the carriage with Impa, Zelda and the baby, while his army went back on foot and horseback.


The journey back was extremely long. Zelda did not wake.
She was placed in their warm bed upon arrival at Hyrule Castle, and Link watched over her day and night. He took turns with Impa caring for his son. Luckily they had some fresh milk on hand, so he did not go hungry.
The bassinet was placed close to their bed, and Link would not leave their sides.
Days went by, and Zelda did not awake from her deep sleep.


Link had tried everything he knew to do. Malon and Ian had even come by to visit and to see the baby just before they went to be married. Link knew Zelda would understand their urgency, if she ever woke up. He certainly didn't want to give up hope, but he was coming closer to the conclusion that his wife would soon die.
Sighing and leaning over to kiss her forehead, he then walked to their bedroom window and looked out at Hyrule Field. He could see that her citizens were not going to be broken by this, that they would rebuild this land in spite of everything Ganondorf had done.
He was happy about that, but what did he have left to rebuild?
Then he glanced over at the tunic that lay across the dresser table, with the crest of Hyrule upon it. Why had he been chosen to be the Hero of Time? Why, if all he would feel now was emptiness? Death, it wasn't fair, it was so cruel…
Then he saw something inside the pocket of the tunic.
He walked toward it, and stuffed his hand down inside the pocket.
When he pulled it out, he couldn't believe what he was holding.
It was his fairy ocarina, and it was like new again.
What was it doing here?
Then he remembered everything he learned about all of those songs he played before on his quest, that they held magical powers.
Of course!


But could he remember the one song that always stood out in his mind, the most beautiful song in the world? It had been so long since he played it, but he would do his best. Hoping against all hope that she would return to him, he walked to the bed, stood over her, and lifted the fairy ocarina to his lips…
Death would not come for her today.


The sweet notes floated out of the instrument like a dream, cascading down…down...to Zelda's ears.


What was that she was hearing? Something…was it…music?
Her body felt like it was floating, so peaceful.
She could see visions of her mother, her father…
There was sunlight breaking through, but she still couldn't open her eyes.
No, wait.
She was in her body once again.
The music stopped.
"Zelda, open your eyes and wake up," a male voice said. "Please."
Who was that? She knew that voice. It was the sweetest voice in the world.
Her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, but she managed to flutter them a little.
Hazy. Blue.
Where was she? Her bedroom?
She moved her arm. She was in…her bed…not the cold damp floor of that awful Castle.
Her eyes opened slowly, and she could make out a figure over her.
She could hear an ocarina singing her childhood lullaby…Zelda's lullaby.
The haze lifted, and someone was standing over her…
Link!
She finally focused her eyes on him, and he was indeed playing his ocarina for her!
He wasn't dead!
"Link," she whispered hoarsely.
"Is that you?"
Link opened his eyes, and seeing that she had come back to him, dropped his ocarina on the bed, collapsed on his knees, and began to cry.
"Zelda!"
He took her in his arms and held her against his shoulder.
"I thought I'd lost you my darling…forever"…
It felt so good to hold her once again.
"Oh, Link, I thought Ganondorf had surely killed you"…she cried.
He pulled back, with a puzzled look on his face.
"Do you not remember anything?"
She shook her head.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter now," he said.
Zelda suddenly heard cooing next to her, and she felt her stomach.
Her eyes grew wide.
"Link, did I"—
A smile spread across Link's face.
"Yes, Zelda, we have a son. A son!"
Link leaned over the bassinet, took the tiny baby in his arms and held it out for her to see, knowing she did not have the strength to sit up.
"Isn't he the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?' he asked, his voice full of emotion.
She breathed in deep, overcome by the wonderful sight of the tiny life she and Link had created.
"Oh, Link, he's absolutely beautiful." She held her hand over her mouth as she too, started to cry.
Link lay next to her on the bed, cuddling their baby close to them.
"Remember what we said we would name him?" Link asked.
"Yes," Zelda replied. "Syrus. Someday he shall be King Syrus of Hyrule."


Zelda's strength returned to her over the next few months, and Hyrule was rebuilt to its former glory. There were still scars left from the siege, but nothing could ever break the spirit of the people and creatures of Hyrule.


As for Ian and Malon, they lived a quiet life on Lon Lon Ranch, and had a very large family. Ian was still a Knight of Hyrule, and remained so until he retired from duty.


Link and Zelda lived to have more children, and were blessed with a wonderful long life together.

 
THE END

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