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ow a full-fledged knight within the Hyrulian guard, Link's life took a turn for the interesting. No longer was he playing games all day with his old Kokiri friends, but he was training with the remainder of the guard, honing the swordplay he had lost from his very first adventure, gaining the military tactics of war, and trying his hand at leadership of the others. Though Link was merely seventeen, quite the average age of one of the guard and quite young for those with their knighthood, Link was the natural of leading, much to everyone's surprise. Atop of that, Link had a caring and friendliness to him other guards didn't. That isn't to say that he wasn't forced to yell at others upon occasion, but he only did so when it was absolutely necessary, thus insipiring great trust between him and his subservients.

Being a knight had certain advantages. They were advantages that, for the most part, Link really did not care about; to Link they seemed unneeded luxuries that he was not used to and definitely did not obsess himself over. However, there indeed was a single privilege Link did enjoy. Knights, being the protectors of the Royal Family, were given residence within the walls of Hyrule Castle. The blessing of this was actually a mixed blessing; the privacy Link had with his life was virtually gone, and just being within the castle forced Link to adapt to a new style of manner and behavior. Link gradually got used to both of these in time as he continued to become more serious and mindful of the future. But in Link's eye, surviving such things was well worth his patience, for what he truly adored about being within the castle was his proximity to a friend just as strong as Saria... Zelda.

Link ventured to visit Zelda quite frequently. While much of their time was spent upon training and studying respectively, they began to make quite a bit of time for one another. As they talked, the many months when Link visited infrequently, the months when Link was with Saria much of the time, melted away, and it was almost as if they had been good friends throughout. Unlike their youthful days, however, their freedom to wander across Hyrule together had diminished significantly; after all, they now were one of the leading Knights and the soon future Queen of the land. But what freedoms they could enjoy, they enjoyed together. They would spend an hour or two within the courtyard in which they first met, idly remembering the memories from many years ago. They would do actual work together as well with Link feebly trying to assist Zelda finish up small bits of work in the Hyrulian library. They would spend moonlit evenings in the castle garden beneath a lattice gazebo, staring up at the stars. Indeed, from all of their time together, Link became quite the good-natured joke among the Knights that Link would be marrying Zelda one day; Link could only return a quiet blush.

As Destiny might have it, the casual jokes of Knights soon became rumor for the Gossip stones. Though Link and Zelda were merely friends, it became the talk of Hyrule Castle Town and Kakariko both that such a ceremony would indeed happen upon Zelda's twentieth birthday, the day by tradition when she would be married to the person of her choosing. Despite the eager rumors, Link and Zelda struggled to keep their strong friendship in the status quo, not moving forwards nor moving backwards. It was quite a difficult time for them, and to quell the rumors, Link and Zelda would force themselves to not be seen together for long periods of time, hoping fervently that truth would combat the falsehood and win victoriously.

Both Link and Zelda would sit by the windows to their rooms, separated by distance, wishing to the goddesses they could be together. It was this separation, however, that drove them to discover a different truth, one that they had both been blind to. Looking back throughout the years of their friendship, both Link and Zelda had sometimes felt something more for each other than what they thought. It had always been there between them. It was something unexplainable for them, and as such, they both chose to pass it off as if it were nothing, letting the feeling within them continue to grow in mystery in the shadows. Even still, during their temporary separation, the full impact of the meaning of this desire for each other was still shaky and not completely known. One thing was for sure, however. To both it was clear to them that the rumors of the public should not keep them apart.

Upon that night, when this discovery was realized to both the friends, betraying their earlier agreement, Link began towards Zelda's room, and Zelda did likewise towards Link's. Both initially imagined themselves betraying their friendship to do so, but their feelings changed when both saw each other halfway between their rooms in the middle of the night. The torchlight in the hall danced across the reflective eyes of both Link and Zelda, and it was this moment when everything that was buried deep within their subconscious flooded into their mind. Link realized his true passion and devotion to Zelda; Zelda realized her true desire and loyalty to Link. Words were not spoken between them, for indeed they were not needed. Both saw in each other what they had only now been able to see, and their eyes began to water in almost joyful tears. They embraced each other tightly in the middle of the hall, this contact different from the ones they'd shared in the past during their times of difficulty and their times of joy. They looked into each other's eyes, and then they too, upon closing them for that brief moment, shared their first kiss together as something more.

Following this, Link and Zelda found no rhyme nor reason to hide what they were for each other from the rest of the world. Now that what was between them matched the rumors about them, they decided to let the public talk and ignore the concerns they previously had about them. As their relationship progressed, they began to become much more interested in the ordinary activities of one another. Zelda would occasionally watch Link instruct newer members of the guard techniques, and would sometimes be coerced into receiving a few tips herself on the training field. Link spent much more of his time within the library, and Zelda would teach him everything from diplomacy to Hyrulian history. Truly, the meeting of their hearts led way to the meeting of their minds.

Time continued its steady course, and Link and Zelda weathered it all as time went by. Over 24 months into their relationship, Zelda's birthday approached quite soon, and with this a fateful decision ensued. Her twentieth birthday on the horizon, Zelda put herself through bits of grief as she pondered what do to. Her decision of who to marry was not to be taken lightly on any account, and even though she desired for Link to be the one of choice, reminders of her obligation to the land began to seep into her.

Looking for advice, Zelda sought out her attendant Impa. The kindly Sheikah invited Zelda in and smiled as Zelda explained what was troubling her mind. Impa could only smile as Zelda struggled with the task, obviously aware of everything Zelda was missing in her mind. Though Zelda had the Triforce of Wisdom, Impa was aware that Zelda's personal emotions were clouding her mind, causing her to be unsure of the steps she wanted to take. In the end, Impa strode over to the princess and placed her hands upon her shoulders. She smiled, and then very softly, she gave Zelda the assurance in just two words... "Choose him."

Relieved, Zelda almost ran off before thanking Impa for her wisely advice. She scampered off through the castle almost at a run, seeking her lover out. It didn't take her long to find him at all; Link was, as usual, out on the battlefield practicing with the guard. From above, Zelda called out to Link and asked him quite convincingly if she would be allowed to borrow him for a slight moment. Friendly, joking catcalls were of course sent back from the other onlookers, and Link, blushing quite hotly, agreed and quickly left the field.

Zelda and Link met each other within the castle, at which point Zelda nearly dragged him into the throne room, where the King of Hyrule sat royally. The King greeted them happily, hopes already drifting to his mind. He asked them how he could be of service, and Zelda smiled broadly. "Father, it's him," she said joyfully. Link, having no idea what was going on, gave Zelda quite a strange look, and then one back at the King. The King smirked and replied, "But Zelda, I see you haven't yet asked him."

Rather comically, Zelda turned to Link, having completely forgotten to have asked for his consent in her plan, blushing redly. Zelda reached for Link's hands and held them in hers as she knelt to the ground, her eyes gazing upwards into his. An unsure smile sat upon her face, and slight nervousness was in her tone. Finally, she spoke. "Link, I have chosen you to rule by my side. Would you give me the honor of being yours forevermore?" Link, in complete shock and in joyful amazement, knelt down beside her and fervently acquiesed. They shared a moment all to themselves, losing the world behind them. It was minutes later when the King had walked down to them and interrupted before Link and Zelda realized the world outside of them. The King rose Link up to him, and smiled. "It shall be so."

During the next month, preparations throughout Hyrule were happening. The preparations were not limited to just the Hylians, however. Zoras, Gorons, and Kokiri worked alongside the joyous Hylians in preparing for the event; even a handful of Gerudo were sent to help with the preparations, hoping to be returned to favor to the would-be new King of Hyrule. So that all of Hyrule could participate, the event would take place near the Great Deku Tree in the Lost Woods. Travellers from all lands closed their shops and put their personal lives on hold for several days to come, help, and attend the ceremony, which would be both a marriage and a rite of passage to the newly wedded couple.

On the day of the event, virtually everyone in all of Hyrule was present. The King of Hyrule accompanied Link, wearing a cape and royal garmets swirling with deep purples and blues, and they strode from the left towards the center platform, which had three thrones upon it, while Impa and Zelda, wearing a dress filled with lavender, approached from the right. Upon their metting at the platform, the King took the Book of Mudora, a sacred artifact to the Hylian people, and read several ancient passages from it. In the traditional format of marriage ceremonies, he took Link's right hand and Zelda's left hand and placed them together palm-to-palm. With a silk ribbon of gold and silver, he encircled the ribbon around their joined hands and tied it in a loose bow. "You now stand before the goddesses as one," the King intructed them. "May you always be together until the end of your days."

Link then drew a golden scepter from within his outer robe and held it up to the crowd. It shimmered with seven gemstones, six of them -- a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, an amethyst, a topaz, and a citrine -- around the sides, the final diamond resting upon the six on top. The King placed the scepter in the narrow space between the ribbon-tied palms of Link and Zelda, the pair holding it loosely between them. "And may you also rule over Hyrule well. May power flow from your throne, may wisdom guide your actions, and may courage be behind you to support them. Raise your scepter, my children. Raise it now as King and Queen."

Link and Zelda rose their scepter up between them, and cheers and applause from the onlooking crowd. Those that were unsure of it were now convinced. Hyrule was indeed entering a Second Golden Age. The reign of Link and Zelda would ensure it.