Running To You
By: Lady.Zayriah

Hello everyone and welcome to my first attempt at a Zelda multi-chaptered fanfic. I surely hope I do not disappoint you. This is merely a little author's blurb at the moment, so if you would like to just start with the story scroll down and beginning at chapter one. For the rest, I shall give you a little bit of a background on the story.

Title: Running To You
Genre: General/Romance/Action/Angst/Just about everything else
Rating: T (most likely to be moved to M for future chapters)
Theme: Zelda Alternate Universe
Pairing: Link/Zelda
Summary: Zelda is the eighteen year old daughter of a royal family who still believes in arranged marriages. What the family does not know is how abusive this husband-to-be really is. Zelda runs away only to run into Link, an orphan boy that is her age, and quickly finds herself falling in love with him. The only problem... her arranged marriage and abusive husband to be tend to get in the way of her happiness. Can Link save her from her living nightmare?

General Note: I have this idea swimming around in my head and I figured I would give it a try to make a chaptered fanfic. Everything is modernized, so I am leaving the traditional Hyrule world behind for this one, but the same concept applies. Well, most likely just the fact that they do have some magical abilities. So it is not going to be like OOT in a modernized Hyrule setting. The characters are going to have other problems do worry about rather than the legends, but they still do exist of course in their textbooks and stuff. It is still Hyrule, only in modern times. I am open to any suggestions. I am starting university this year, so things may be a little hectic. I am hoping to post chapters every one to two weeks. Please be patient with me, I do plan on finishing this story. So please enjoy and read onwards!

Chapter One

"Father, what is the meaning of this?" eighteen year old Zelda Harkinian spoke harshly as she opened the large wooden oak doors of her father's sitting room. Her tan coloured hair wiped violently around her face and her blue eyes sparkled with anger as she stormed up to the green coloured chair her father was sitting in. "What is this?" she asked again, this time waving a white sheet of paper in her hand.

A man with greying hair and nicely groomed white beard turned his head to face the fuming teenager. "That, Zelda," he spoke in an elderly tone and pointed to the letter, "is a letter in which I have requested you to see me."

"I know what it is," Zelda answered back rudely and resisting the urge to throw the piece of paper in her father's face. "I am eighteen now, almost nineteen, I should not be getting letters from you requesting my presence. Do you not have the decency to approach me like a regular father would?"

Mr. Harkinian folded his large hands and placed them in his lap. He calmly looked at his daughter. "I am a very busy man, Zelda. As Prime Minister of this country I do not have time to partake in any regular fatherly activities," he said in monotone. "Now, will you be finishing your rant quickly? I have important matters to discuss with you before the Senator of the Gerudo province drops by for a visit."

"My rant?" Zelda questioned with her eyes wide. "What on earth has gotten into you, Father? And what of this business," she waved the letter angrily, "that you have picked out a suitor for me to wed? Like I have mentioned earlier, I am eighteen and I refuse to marry until I am ready."

Mr. Harkinian chuckled humourlessly at his daughter that now stood before him. "That is fine, Zelda. Marry when you are ready, but you will be marrying the man I choose for you," he mentioned bitterly, eyeing his daughter with dull green eyes.

"You are impossible, Father," replied Zelda, her facade beginning to break. "I shall be marrying whomever I choose. Not some dumb loaf handpicked by you. I know what kind of men you would choose for me and I for one do not think of it as at all pleasant being engaged to Mr. Dragmire's son."

"Mr. Dragmire's son?" chuckled the old man. "Zelda, whoever said it was Mr. Dragmire's son that you had to marry?"

"Nobody has told me anything, Father. You certainly have made it quite clear that you want me to marry his son. You admire them both so much and what better way to make yourself more known 

throughout the land than by having your only daughter marry a senator's boy," Zelda managed to say. "I have no idea what has gotten into you, Father. You were so kind before and actually thought about my well being before making a decision, but now, now you have changed so much since mother passed on."

Zelda's father felt the blood running through his veins go cold at the mention of his wife's passing. "How dare you bring that up," he spoke through clenched teeth.

"You know that it is true. If mother were alive she would not have let you auction me off like some stupid prize. I would be able to marry whomever I please," Zelda raised her voice, staring daggers towards her father.

The phone next to the chair Mr. Harkinian was sitting rang and interrupted his comeback. He glanced at the phone before picking it up. "Hello?" he spoke quietly. "Very well, send them in," he said and then hung up the telephone. Mr. Harkinian carefully closed his eyes and let out a small sigh. "Zelda dear, are you finished ripping me to shreds? My company has arrived and it is time for you to meet your fiancé," he spoke gently to her.

"No!" shouted Zelda. "I refuse to marry him! I have met him before. I know what he is like. Father, I will not go through with this," she started.

There was a knock on the wooden oak doors that had ever so gently closed after Zelda's loud arrival.

"I am sorry Zelda, but you do not have much of a choice in the matter," her father told her. "Come on in," he called to the wooden door.

Slowly and quietly the doors began to open. First to walk in was a dark toned man with deep orange-red hair. Zelda took notice of his cleanly shaven and groomed more red than orange beard. It was small and outlined his overall facial structure. "Prime Minister Rauru, good evening," spoke the middle aged man.

"Senator Ganondorf, good evening," replied Mr. Harkinian rising from his chair. He walked over to the tall man and offered a hand. Ganondorf took it gladly and shook it. "Such a pleasant evening you have decided to join us on. Come, let us sit down. You must be terribly tired from your journey here."

"Thank you, Sir," Ganondorf answered politely. "Yes the evening is fine and the journey went well. The nature of the Goddesses has decided to bless us with a few more weeks of fall before the new season begins."

"Alas, the new season shall not arrive for another month or so then," said Rauru, striking up conversation. "Please, come sit down next to the fireplace. The new season may not be here for a few more months, but the weather is getting colder at nightfall," he said, extending an arm towards the chair he was offering Mr. Dragmire.

"Thank you, Rauru, I will, but first," Ganondorf began, eyeing Zelda with much interest, "do not tell me that this gorgeous young lady here is your famous daughter, Zelda."

Zelda attempted to politely look away from Ganondorf, so as not to offend her father in his company's presence. Truthfully, she could not stand the man even though they had never met before. The stories about him and the way he and her father got along so well disturbed her.

A small smiled formed across the elderly man's beard. "Yes Ganondorf, I would like you to meet my daughter, Zelda. Zelda, this here is Senator Ganondorf Dragmire," spoke Rauru, doing all of the introductions.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Zelda. Your father has spoken a great deal about you towards me," Ganondorf took a hold of Zelda's right hand and brought it up to his lips.

Zelda fought the urge to gag and force the shiver in her to remain still as the man's cold lips touched her skin. "Charmed, I am sure," Zelda responded the best she could, gently trying to get her hand back. She watched as the man smiled and released her hand looking into her blue eyes with his orange ones.

Ganondorf took his seat first and then Mr. Harkinian. Zelda remained standing, she moved to behind her father's chair. She placed one of her hands on the green chair and felt the raised design made from golden thread underneath her fingers. She watched her father and his guest closely.

"I trust that you are aware of the reason I have called you to my home this evening, Dragmire," Rauru was the first to speak.

Ganondorf nodded his head. "That I am, my Lord. I am fully aware of the reason."

"That is great," smiled Rauru. "Is he here? Is he comfortable with everything?"

The senator laughed and smiled. "Why do you not ask him yourself?" he asked gently.

Zelda swallowed hard and turned around terrified as the large doors opened once more. A slimmer, much younger, and a less facial hair version of Ganondorf Dragmire walked into the brightly lit 

room. The young adolescent in blue robes acknowledged the presence of the two elders in the room. "Father," he nodded his head, "Prime Minister Rauru," he also made a nod for Zelda's father. The young man then turned to face Zelda. A sly smirk plastered itself upon his features as his calm, deep orange gaze bore into Zelda's nervous look.

"Prime Minister Rauru and Zelda, I would like you to meet my son Damien Dragmire," spoke Ganondorf, carefully getting out of his seat and pointing at his son.

Mr. Harkinian quickly let his seat and eagerly made his way over to Damien. He took his hand enthusiastically and shook it in greeting. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Damien. This here is my daughter, Zelda," he released Damien's hand and went to go grab Zelda by her arm.

"Father, what are you doing?" asked Zelda in complete shock as she was pushed in front of Damien. She looked back at her father and gave him an angry look as Damien made a slight bow in front of her.

Damien swiped his red bangs to the right side of his face as he lifted himself out of his bow and reached for Zelda's right hand. He grabbed it before Zelda could quickly pull it away. He squeezed it tightly, causing Zelda to wince, and brought it up to his lips. He gently kissed the back of her hand.

This time Zelda allowed herself to shiver as Damien's cold lips lingered a little too long on the back of her hand. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, Zelda dear," she heard Damien say through a smirk as he released her hand.

"Charmed," Zelda spoke forcibly under stares from her father and Mr. Dragmire.

"Well, now that the introductions are done, shall we get down to business, Rauru?" smiled Mr. Dragmire.

Zelda looked on unbelievably as she noted that compared to Ganondorf's smile and Damien's smirk, there was no difference. "Business? What business are you talking about?" Zelda spoke, interrupting her father's acknowledgement at Ganondorf's words.

"Does she not know, Rauru?" questioned Mr. Dragmire, surprised at Zelda's tone in her question.

"No. Of course she knows. Zelda is just being stubborn at the moment. My apologies, Dragmire," Rauru told him, speaking as if Zelda was not even in the room.

"Father, how could you? I am not being stubborn. I am defending myself," retorted Zelda folding her arms across her pink t-shirt. She ignored the stares of the three men in the room with her.

"Defending yourself from what, dearest Zelda?" Damien spoke up, walking beside her. Zelda watched as the smirk stayed on his face. "Come on now, Zelda, what our fathers are trying to do, I think, is a wonderful thing," he said with a smile. Zelda gasped as she suddenly felt herself being pulled against Damien. He had wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close. "A wedding between us two is a perfect idea. Think of how great it will be for this country. It will give both of our fathers a great deal of supporters and then they can have their jobs for a long period of time. And soon, once the people see our alliance the supporters shall turn to us and I can become Prime Minister."

Zelda fiercely pulled herself out of Damien's tight grasp. "I cannot believe you all!" she exclaimed. "This marriage is only so you all can keep your jobs and so that you, Mr. Dragmire, can instate your son!"

"Zelda," Rauru approached his daughter. "You shall not speak to us in that tone," he said, "and of course it sounds awful when you say it like that. This marriage is to take place so that everyone may be happy."

"Yes, please Zelda, calm down. We only want you two to be happy," said Ganondorf calmly, scratching his beard subconsciously.

"You are all liars!" shouted Zelda. "How can you say that this is all about happiness for everyone? I am not happy. I do not want this. I do not want to marry a man like Damien. I know who he is, what he is truly like. Father, you have to believe me," she begged only looking at her father.

"I am shocked and appalled, Zelda," mentioned Rauru. "How can you be so critical about a man you have never even met before?"

"Perhaps they have met before, Rauru. Would you care to explain, Zelda?" asked Ganondorf, with an inquiring look.

Her eyes were glued to the dark red carpet. Zelda had a sudden interest in the floor.

"Well Zelda," she heard her father say as his foot began to tap the floor. "There is no time for games Zelda. Have you met Damien before?" he asked impatiently.

"Yes," Zelda muttered darkly, raising her eyes from the floor. "We have met before. Damien and I... we..."

"We go to the same school," Damien was quick enough to finish for her, flashing her a narrow gaze.

Zelda noticed and shook her head. "Damien is a fourth year student. This is my freshmen year," she said. "I have seen him around the campus."

"Oh, so you go to Hyrule University then, Damien?" asked Rauru in a surprised tone.

"That is correct, Sir. I am currently studying politics so that I may better knowledge myself with this country's great history. After all, I do hope to be running it one day."

"That is, even if the people have your vote," Zelda spat.

Damien shot his head and glared at Zelda dangerously. Zelda gulped and took a step back from the man four years older than her.

"Zelda," Mr. Harkinian exclaimed. "How could you say something like that?" he asked her. "That was very, very rude."

Zelda looked away from the three men's stares. "Why are you getting upset with me, Father? The least you could do is support me. I am not okay with this idea. I refuse to have an arranged marriage, especially to a man that I cannot love."

"You can learn to love, Zelda. It is not that hard," her father spoke gently. "Give Damien a chance to show how much he cares for you."

Zelda gasped. "Father, Damien does not care for anyone except for himself. You do not know him like I do," she mentioned, turning around to face him. Her face was beginning to flush with frustration.

"You are in your first year, Zelda. How can you know so much about Damien after only going to the same school with him for a little over a month?" questioned Mr. Harkinian.

"I just know. You have to believe me, Father. Please trust me, nothing good is going to come from this arranged marriage," pleaded Zelda, with a sad look in her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Ganondorf. I have no idea what has gotten into my daughter. She is being completely selfish this evening. I promise you she will be more respectful later on," mentioned Rauru apologetically.

"Oh, that is not a problem, Rauru," spoke Ganondorf quietly. "I am sure she is just nervous. She just needs to get used to the idea of getting married soon. I am sure Damien is not too offended, are you Damien?" he turned to face his son.

Damien shook his head. "No, not at all, Father. I think that it is best for her to get comfortable with the idea first. I can understand as to why she may feel very uncomfortable right now," he spoke with sympathy, fixing the fancy dress robe he was wearing.

"You speak to one another as if I am not in the room," Zelda cried, wiping away the strands of brown hair that tickled her face.

"Zelda, you are acting like a child at the moment. So for now, we are going to ignore you and your act until you have calmed down and have come back to your senses," her father answered her, without much interest or feeling behind his words.

Zelda's expression turned into a look of heart break. "I am your daughter and this is how you treat me? We are in the twenty-first century. I am not having an arranged marriage. These sorts of things happened five hundred years ago or more," Zelda tried to speak with some reason to the men in the room. "Why can I not pick my own husband?"

"Zelda, Damien is your husband-to-be and that is how it is going to stay," mentioned her father. "Now, if you are not going to reason with us for now and only argue, perhaps you and Damien should leave so that Mr. Dragmire and I may talk. Is that all right with you, Ganondorf?" Rauru turned politely towards the muscular man.

Ganondorf smiled and nodded. "I am fine with it if Damien is fine with it. Perhaps he could take Zelda for a walk around the estate. They could get to know each other a little better. Then possibly the idea of marriage will not seem so bad to your daughter," he suggested, eying his son and once again subconsciously rubbing his beard.

Prime Minister Rauru's eyes lit up. "Yes," he said enthusiastically, "that sounds like a wonderful idea. That could be just the thing to calm Zelda's nerves. Does that sound like fun, Zelda?" he faced Zelda with a smile.

She stared blankly at her father. "No, no it does not sound like fun," Zelda answered back at him, shaking her head.

Mr. Harkinian let out a sigh. "Zelda, please just give it a try. Your mother and I, we got together because of an arranged marriage and look at how happy we were," he said to her. "Arranged marriages run in the family. You are holding up the family tradition."

"To hell with family traditions, Father! Sometimes it is best to leave traditions in the past and this is one of them that needs to stay there. Mr. Dragmire and Damien, it was a pleasure meeting you," Zelda forced the words out of her mouth. Without giving them a proper goodbye, Zelda turned on her heel and headed quickly out of the room.

"Oh my," Mr. Harkinian sighed, sinking into his armchair. "Whatever shall I do with that girl?" he questioned himself.

Ganondorf went to sit in front of Rauru once more. "Sir, let Damien go after her," Ganondorf suggested. "Like you have mentioned, we have some business to take care of so Damien can try to relax your daughter. He can be very persuasive with women. Zelda just needs some encouragement about the wedding," he smirked glancing at his son.

"Yes, Mr. Harkinian, please let me see your daughter. I shall talk with her for a little bit," Damien spoke with the same smirk as his father.

"Very well then," said the Prime Minister, "she should not have gotten too far. Her room is the on the second floor, to the left and the last door on the left."

Damien smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much, Sir. I shall do my best to make you both proud," he said as he extended his arm.

"It was great meeting you, Damien. Good luck with my daughter," spoke Rauru, shaking Damien's hand as a gesture of goodbye.

Ganondorf nodded, giving his son the signal to leave. Damien gave a slight bow and exited the room, closely following Zelda's path. "Do not worry, Sir," Ganondorf said, breaking the small moment of silence, "as I have said earlier, Damien can be very persuasive with women."

"Well, I hope he can knock some sense into her."

Mr. Dragmire let out a smile that made his orange eyes glow. "Not to worry, Rauru, I am sure that is exactly what he will be doing."

The vast hall ways of the estate were dimly lit as Zelda walked by them. There was an echo from the heeled shoes she was wearing as they tapped on the hardwood flooring. She stopped in front of her room, the last door on the east side of the mansion. Zelda tried to restrain herself from sniffling as she rid her face of any tears that leaked from her eyes. "Stupid Father," she muttered with a choked up voice. "How can he not see this whole issue as wrong and improper?" She sniffled beyond her control. "This is not fair. He does not even treat me like his daughter anymore." Zelda grabbed the cool, gold matted, metal door handle. She was suddenly jerked away and her head made contact with the wall opposite of her room. She had been too concerned with her own thoughts to notice that someone had been following her. She let out an involuntary groan of pain.

"I am so sorry dearest, Zelda."

Zelda used the wall for support as she helped herself to a much sturdier standing position. She turned and glared at the man with the all too familiar voice. "You," she gasped.

"Yes Zelda, it is I. Are you not happy to see me?"

"Damien, you cow, what are you doing up here? I should have security escort you out," Zelda spoke calmly, staring down Damien's orange eyes.

Her gaze, however, did not seem to faze Damien. He simply grinned at her. "My, you certainly are daddy's daring little princess," he smirked, revealing perfectly white teeth, almost too perfect. "You do not take anything from anybody, now do you, Zelda?" he asked, walking closer to her.

"No I do not, Damien, and you should know that I am perfectly able to defend myself," Zelda replied, her eyes watching Damien's every movement.

"Feisty," gasped Damien as he lunged for Zelda's wrists and pinned them to the purple painted wall. "I like my women feisty," he whispered darkly. His face began to get uncomfortably closer to Zelda's. "They make the experience all the more pleasurable, especially when I get to see them break," he said, his lips mere inches away from hers.

Zelda began to feel her pound against her ribcage. "Release me, Damien, or I shall call security," she spoke in a voice that was starting to lose its authority.

"Do not make me laugh, Zelda," he replied bitterly, "your security is nowhere in sight. Does their absence frighten you?"

Zelda watched as Damien put a pout on his face. She turned her head to the right of the hallway. No one was to be seen standing in the long corridor. "One call and someone will come running," she told him.

"Nobody will come running, Zelda dear," Damien mentioned in a cold tone. "Especially not after I silence you," his head inched closer towards hers.

She stomach fell and she let out a gasp, realizing his intentions. Zelda looked around quickly for a way to escape. She looked down at her legs. Zelda looked down and brought her knee up. Damien doubled over as her knee met his cloth covered region. "Stop calling me that," she told him with authority. Zelda smiled as she was instantly released from his grasp. She made a dash for her door. Damien growled as he reached for her hand and whipped her violently against the wall across from her room once more. Zelda let out a yelp as her head made contact with the drywall and quickly put her hands to the back over her head. She had lost her balance and fell to the floor. She opened her eyes and looked up fearfully.

Damien hunched himself over her, slight grabbing his groin in an attempt to ease the pain. "You little wench," he let out through a low wheeze. "I'll teach you how to respect your future husband," he stood up suddenly and pulled Zelda along with him. He smiled as she winced in pain when her back met the wall.

"Ah," she cried.

"Face it, Zelda dear," he smirked devilishly, "you and I are going to get married. From this moment on, I own you and what I say goes."

"To hell with you, you evil tyrant," she spat, trying to regain her ground.

Damien smiled as his grip on Zelda tightened. "There is no use in calling me such awful names, Sweet Cheeks, it will do you no good," he spoke darkly.

Zelda struggled in his grasp. "Just you wait until my father hears about this," she said loudly.

Damien let out a chuckle. "What is that old man going to do, Zelda? Last I recall, he just gave up his only beautiful, sexy daughter to me. You are mine now," he laughed lightly, slowly putting more pressure onto Zelda to cease her struggles.

"No, I will have none of this. Once Father finds out about this he will call off this entirely stupid marriage and release your father of his job and banish both of you power hungry fools out of this country forever!" Zelda exclaimed, still trying to free herself.

The orange eyes of Damien narrowed as he stared daggers at Zelda. "Stop talking nonsense towards me, you little bitch, and start treating me with respect," Damien exclaimed, raising his right hand and giving Zelda a backhand in the face. A ring on his finger scraped the right side of her cheek.

Zelda gasped and fell to her left side. Her brown hair laid messily all around her as it covered her face. She put a hand to her cheek and fearfully looked up at the man that just hit her. "You're a monster," she breathed through clenched teeth.

Damien knelt down next to her and smiled. "I am just getting started, Babe," he replied wickedly. "Like my father has said, I can be very persuasive with women," he smiled as he reached for a fistful of her brown locks and pulled her to her feet. "I shall teach you to like me soon enough, Zelda, just wait and see," Damien forced Zelda's head towards his in an unrelenting, sickening, and dark kiss.

Zelda wriggled in his hold, only to be crushed against his body and have his cold lips crash over her forcibly. Zelda felt liquid run down her cheeks as Damien refused to let her go. He finally needed air and pulled away from the young lady. He licked his lips and shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes. "You're disgusting," Zelda gasped.

"Thank you, Zelda," spoke Damien with no emotion. "Do you honestly believe that your pitiful words mean anything to me?" Damien smirked as Zelda gave back no response. "Face it, Zelda, from now on, I am in charge here. What I say goes and you better start to understand that. Otherwise I have other ways of making you comply," he paused and placed a finger on his chin, looking up at the smooth surface of the ceiling. "On second thought, misbehave. I prefer this way of teaching you how to respect me, especially since you are powerless to stop me," the devilish smile returned to his features. He looked over her figure and began to pull at the shoulder of her t-shirt.

Zelda gasped and finally pushed Damien away from her.

"Very well then, Zelda," he spoke nonchalantly, "perhaps some other time, when I need to teach you a lesson." He looked down at the silver watch on his left hand. "Look at the time," he spoke casually. "Father is expecting me. Have yourself a good evening, Zelda. I shall see you tomorrow," he took a hold of her right hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. "Goodnight," he spoke to the silent woman.

Damien had fully released Zelda. She instantly slumped down onto the floor. Her strength to stand had left her. Her hand moved gently over the raw skin of the small flesh wound inflicted on her by Damien. "This cannot be happening," she told herself for the hundredth time that evening. She slowly got up and made her way to her room.

A low creek caused Zelda to open her sleepy eyes. A dim light filled her room as the door began to open. She squeezed her eyes shut removing the bright light from her sight. Zelda rolled over in her sheets and opened one eye to look at her alarm clock. She looked back to the doorway and noticed the silhouette of her father. "Father? What are you doing here?" she asked groggily, sitting up in bed and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "It is past one in the morning."

Rauru did not answer right away. Instead he walked over slowly and calmly to Zelda's bed. He sat himself on the edge of her comfortable sheets beside her. "You went to bed before I had a chance to say goodnight," he answered her quietly.

"So you have come to say it to me now?"

Rauru chuckled light heartedly. "Well, yes and no," he replied casually. "I have also come to apologize for all that happened earlier."

"You came to apologize for what happened earlier?"

"Yes, for imposing the sudden marriage proposal on you. Why? What else did you think I had to apologize for?" he asked. "Surely you have not forgotten about the entire ordeal already."

Zelda shook her negatively. "No, I suppose my brain was a little slow for having just woken up. I am sorry, Father," Zelda responded emotionlessly, trying to drown out the horrible memories of what happened that evening. Her father clearly had no idea as to what happened just outside of her bedroom on her way to bed.

Through the low light, which was now a lot dimmer since Zelda's eyes had adjusted, she noticed her father smile. "No need to worry, Darling. I am the one that come over here to apologize. I understand that this may all be happening to quickly for you, but I want you to know that I have done it because I love you. I am not getting any younger and I am going to need someone to take care of you once I am gone," he said to her.

Zelda sighed quietly, "Father."

"Zelda listen to me, please," he pleaded with her. "Just bare with me this one time. I promise that soon you will enjoy the idea of getting married to Damien."

A dry cough escaped Zelda's throat and she nearly choked.

"Is something the matter?"

"No," she said quickly, regaining her composure.

Rauru frowned. "Zelda, I know how much you hate this idea, but I want you to know that it is what is good for you. Your mother and I were arranged to marry. It runs in the family," he spoke gently, reaching out for his daughter's hand.

"Mother and you were in love, Father," Zelda answered with a small smile. "I do not love this man, nor will I ever love him," she looked down at her sheets, holding her father's hand.

Rauru let out a sigh, "Zelda, please just give it some thought, for me? Now I will let you get some rest. After all, you do have classes tomorrow. I wouldn't want you to fall behind in your sleep and then your studies."

Zelda let out a small smile as she looked at her father. "All right, Father. Goodnight," she said.

Her father bent over her and planted a kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight, my darling." Zelda watched sleepily as her father exited her room. A frown crossed her features reflecting on her father's words before she went back to sleep. "I am sorry Father, but you have no idea what sort of man Damien is like. I will not marry him," she spoke determinedly as her mind drifted off into dreamland once more before a new school day began.