Shimmying along the branch, Links fingers hook into the crooks and knots of the tree. Out on the very end, a cucco is perched, staring him dead in the eyes as if taunting him. Gritting his teeth, the prince bites back a growl as he slips and his face meets the bark hard. Trying to push himself back up, his hands slip once again. Quickly wrapping his legs around the branch, Links falls and hangs upside down from the tree, hands dangling down towards the ground. Craning his neck, the green clad prince aims his most venomous glare towards the bird, insults spewing from his mouth as he tries to reach back up onto the branch. Making a a noise akin to laughing, the cucco hops closer, its beady eyes peering over at Link as he continues his tirade, and his attempts to scramble back up onto the branch. Just as he feels as though he has righted himself, the prince's legs give out, and grasping at anything, Link grabs the bird and the two go careening to the ground.

A loud noise echoes through the garden. Guards turn to see the young prince come stomping through, his golden hair full of sticks and mud, the boy looking as if he just went twenty rounds.

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"Link whipped around to the guard that had spoken with a red hot anger in his eyes.

"No, in fact I will not be until every cucco in this land is THROTTLED," and with that the prince continued his hot march to the fairy garden, the sounds of the guards snickers echoing behind him.

Pushing open the heavy ornate door, Link strode over and took a knelt position beside his mother as she spoke quietly with her fairy Neta. Watching the fairies fly around chasing one another always helped to calm Link, ever since he was small. When he would become sad or overwhelmed, coming and playing with the fairies always helped to put his mind at ease. A loud high pitched hello echoed through the garden and a bright blue blur tackled Link to the ground. Laughing, Link sat back up nuzzling his beloved Navi before ushering her to play with the others as his mother lightly tapped his shoulder.

"What are you doing in here Link? I thought a hero such as yourself should never be seen playing with airy fairies?" Link brightened as he peered at his mother's teasing expression, the bell laughter of the fairies ringing his ears.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Link tried to sit straighter, "Mother you know that's not fair to keep bringing that up. I was only 5!"Queen Saria smirked down at her son as she rose, the prince following suit.

"I remember quite clearly my son, your feathers are merely too easily ruffled."

"Speaking of feathers I want cuccos banned!" The queen spun back to look at Link.

"You can't possibly be serious,"

"I definitely am mother," Link crossed his arms and glared straight at his mother.

"Are you sure this not just you taking your feelings out on anything that crosses your path my son?" Link cursed his mother and her impeccable sense of detecting exactly what was always wrong with him.

He followed his mother through the stone and glass garden hallways in silence before he gained the courage to speak up.

"I received a letter from Princess Zelda the other day mother," Saria raised an eyebrow as she gazed down at her son.

"And?"

"It seems that she shares my sentiment in this idiotic scheme of yours and the King of Hyrule,"

"Come now Link, I feel you are not giving the idea a chance. You like Princess Zelda do you not?"Link rubbed his hand across his face and up into his hair.

"Yes mother, I do like Zelda as a friend, nothing more. I certainly do not want to be married to my best friend!"

"I still think you are not seeing the benefits," The queen shared a knowing look with her son, his face brightening as she turned and continued down the hallway.

"M-Mother!" Link spluttered, stumbling to keep up with his mother, "I do not like Zelda that way! Trust me please." The queen gave an unbelieving hum.

"We shall see in the next week shouldn't we my son?" Link narrowed his eyes at his mother as she disappeared into her room with a cheerful goodbye. Link was sure that his mother was losing her mind. Yes, it was true that maybe at one point he may have liked Zelda in that way, but it was not the case now. Adjusting his long green cap, the prince shoved his hands into his tunic pockets, and trudged back to his room.

In a week he will have to spend two weeks 'courting' his best friend in what is to be the worst idea their parents had ever concocted. It's not like they are doing it to combine the lands; Faron and Hyrule have been so closely intertwined with friendship for so many millennia, that many forget that they are in fact two different kingdoms. And with Zelda and him being as close as they are, it's not like that will change any time soon.

}-{

A sharp slap woke Link from his slumber where he had fallen face first into his suitcase. Looking up with a glare, he spied his sister darted out of the room giggling. Repressing the urge to go racing after her, Link shook the last dregs of sleep from his brain and finished packing his clothes, a chore Link had insisted he do himself ever since his cap had been left behind once on a month long trip.

Sighing, Link dragged his luggage nosily through the halls, to where his mother was standing speaking with Mido, the royal advisor who would be looking after the kingdom while his mother was away. Pulling a face and rude gesture at Mido from behind his mothers back, and seeing the asshole advisors eye twitch, helped to settle Links nerves. Nothing quite made Link happy as fast as annoying Mido did. The guards quickly packed the luggage and soon Link and his mother were waving to his sister and her nurse from their transport.

Anxiety gnawed at Links inside as they finally began their long trip to Hyrule. Twisting the end of his cap between his fingers, he looked at the quickly passing forest to try to calm his nerves before they reached Hyrule castle. He had never been this nervous before travelling to meet the princess, yet with what they are being forced to do, his stomach is churning like rough seas.

"You worry too much," Link whipped his head around to glare at his mother.

"I worry just the right amount thank you very much,"

"Oh please you practically grew up with the Hyrule royal family. You two used to run around as small children playing 'Legendary Hero'. My son, you two still write to each other at least once a week," Link planted his chin in the palm of his hand and watched as the forest began to melt away into the expansive Hyrule Field that spanned across the entire Kingdom of Hyrule.

"But mother that was before you and the King decided that it was a brilliant idea to have us marry each other when Zelda turns eighteen! I'm only fourteen Mother!" Saria sighed and she tucked her short green hair behind her ear before leaning toward her son.

"I understand that you feel that it is a silly idea, but in the circumstances of the surrounding kingdoms, the Hyrulean King and I felt that it would be best for the two of you to be betrothed to each other. Would you rather be betrothed to Princess Ruto of the Zora?" The queen smiled as she saw a shiver run up the spine of the green clad boy. Yet she continued,

"It is not uncommon my son. Your cousin, Lord Ravio, is bethrothed to Princess Hilda and you don't hear him complaining,"

"That because he's too much of a wuss," Link muttered beneath his breath, earning himself a tight look from his mother.

"Just think it over properly Link"

}-{

The sound of wood clacking woke Link from his slumber as the carriage pulled its way across the gate bridge and into Castle Town. Groaning internally the prince peered out at the townspeople going about their lives, many smiling and waving happily at them as they passed. The nerves returned stronger than ever as the carriage pulled past the Temple of Time and made its way up to the castle. Sinking into his seat, Link slid down till it was impossible to spy him from the outside. Shoving his beloved green hat onto his head, the prince rolled and pressed his face into the seat, trying to block the situation from his mind.

A heavy jolt, accompanied with a light cuff of a hand to the back of his head indicated that they had arrived. A loud voice announced his mother and himself to the procession that already had full knowledge of who exactly was in the carriage. Sitting straight, his mother pulled his clothes back into place, positioning his beloved cap so that his crown was now visible, annoying the prince who would rather hide the gaudy symbol beneath the green fabric. The door opened, and with a stern look from his mother, Link stepped out to meet Princess Zelda once again.