Forbidden Romance

EDITED VERSION

Yes, I edited this chapter. My loverly reviewers were right, Zelda was way OOC in the first version. Hope this one is a little better and more believeable.

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Link's Story

He knew he was hurting Zelda with his continued ignorance of her. He knew she wanted to get married, for him to rule Hyrule with her. What a picture they would make. The Hero of Time and the last of the Hyrulian royalty ruling side by side. He just… Wasn't interested. The time of twilight still had too much sadness in it, too many fond memories to forget and move on.

She insisted he stay in the palace when he much would rather be living on his own, sorting out his feelings in the darkness of some secluded cave. As it was, he was having a hard time adjusting. Midna had made him all but nocturnal during the course of their journey. He slept all day and awoke just as the sun was setting, returning to his bed as the sun was just rising. It drove Zelda up the wall when she found him sleeping when the king requested an audience with him, or when there was a meeting she felt he just HAD to attend.

The first time her father had tried to order them to marry, it had taken all of his self-control to prevent taking his rage out on the servants. (Though he'd felt that an arrow between the shoulders of the more obnoxious ones would improve their appearance immeasurably.) As it was, he had taken Epona out of the stable with no explanation and ridden to Lake Hylia, and then paid to be transported to Gerudo Desert. No one ever thought to look for him in the Goddess-forsaken wasteland. A month or so later he returned, pleased to find that they had given up the search for him and the King wasn't currently interested in marrying Zelda to him.

During the time he was gone, he thought a lot. He covered the entrance of his cave and sat in the darkness, reminded of how much he missed the little imp who'd so often hid in his shadow. Sometimes he couldn't even bear to take wolf form, mourning the loss of the comforting weight upon his back as he dashed across the desert. He missed her so much that it felt as if his heart was bleeding in its pain.

He ran away every time the King ordered them to marry… But eventually he gave it up. He allowed himself to be wed to her, though there was no joy in his heart and his lips were cold when he was forced to kiss her. The nobility regarded the stoic face of their Hero and his cold demeanor with surprise- this was not the man they wanted for their king. As soon as he could he slipped away from the celebration and went to his second-favorite hiding place; a small deck-like surface on the castle's roof. No servant dared fetch him from the roof's lofty height. He smirked at their fear, lifting his head boldly to the wind and daring it to carry him away… To the shadowy twilight where his true love resided. The Sprits of Wind would never comply.

Zelda was nothing if not persistent in her efforts to garner his full attention. A mischievous comment or smile came almost every night when they went into their separate quarters. (He had simply refused to share a room after their wedding night, during which he'd sat on the windowsill and watched the moon travel across the sky.) Often she plain out asked him to join her. He always refused. Once she had insisted- he promptly had turned and stalked down the hallway. Upon reaching the deserted garden he had morphed to wolf form and dashed away, to the peaceful Lake Hylia. He spent the night by her shores.

His soul ached every evening at twilight, the place where a chunk was missing burning like the sun's last fire. He missed her more than he thought possible. He wondered if she missed him… If her soul ached the way his did. Was this the way it felt to be separated from your true love? He didn't know… But he certainly hoped so.

After that chance meeting that day at sunset, he had slipped down the hall to his quarters, doing his best to hide his smile. He wasn't at all prepared to meet an angry Zelda blocking his doorway. No, make that a furious Zelda.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" She asked with no emotion in her voice or face. When he started in surprise and did nothing to deny it, tears began to well up in her eyes. "I should have known." She said in a choked voice, and then turned to go back into her room. She suddenly paused and ripped the golden ring off of her hand, letting it fall to the floor. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with quiet venom.

"I hereby annul this marriage between us by my power as Hyrule's queen. Go and be with Midna. Do whatever you want. But upon the pain of death, never show your face in my presence again." She slammed the door behind her and left him in the darkness. A slow smile spread across his face and he reached into his tunic, feeling for the dark jewel he kept in the hidden pocket. He didn't notice the maids whispering around the corner, didn't hear their terrified gasps as his body converted to that of a wolf. He turned and ran down the hallway, smashing through a pane of glass and on to the castle roof. He leaped to the ground with a triumphant howl.

"I'm free!" His soul rejoiced. He didn't stop running until he reached Gerudo Desert, and there he collapsed into his cave. Zelda didn't have to worry about him returning. He was never going back… For his heart belonged to Midna. And wherever she was, that was where he would stay.

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A/N: I have made desisions about how this is going to go. This fic will be put on temporary hiatus until I get the first one or two chapters of my new story (Guardian Canine) up. Then, I shall continue. I already have an idea for the next chapter. :3 Re-read and review!