The night was young. The moon's brilliant glow lit a path for Zelda to walk. She stumbled over small rocks, yet, she did not care. She could not contain her excitement.

The day had gone by ever so slowly. She was itching for it to go as quickly as possible. She signed papers, met with townsfolk, and practiced her magic. All of them were now boring to her. The only exciting thing was this moment, tonight in the gardens, alone with her knight.

Zelda almost squealed. She could hardly ready herself.

As she entered the flowery garden of Hyrule's royal grounds, she spotted him. His bright blonde hair. He was bent over, smelling lavender that grew in patches. Zelda halted her movements, watching as he closed his eyes with a smile.

A fish jumped out of the pond behind him. He flinched, turning around, almost falling over.

Zelda rushed over to him, grabbing onto his hand. Thankfully, she was able to pull him up before he sat on the purple lavender. The knight looked at her with his enticing blue eyes. Almost immediately, a bright, toothy smile emerged.

"Hello," Zelda said softly.

"You came," the knight chuckled gently, and his smile looked as if it would stay formed on his lips forever.

Zelda nodded her head. "Yes, I did."

"I'm glad," the knight said quietly.

Zelda looked at the grass beneath them, swaying in the light breeze. "Congratulations on becoming a knight." Is that all you can say? Come on, Zelda! Think of something! Don't be weak! "From what I saw, you looked really strong."

"You watched me fight?" The knight asked, and he let out a laugh.

Zelda could feel her face grow hot. "Eh, yes, I did, but only for a short while!"

"The Princess of Hyrule is stumbling over her words," the knight smirked. He took Zelda's hands in his. "It is nice to formally meet you, your highness."

Zelda blushed. "It is nice to finally meet you, too..." she trailed off, tilting her head slightly. "Hey, so, you know my name."

"Why, of course I do," he said. "Zelda." Her name in the tone of his voice sounded like smooth velvet. Zelda shuddered, getting chills up and down her spine.

"But I have yet to learn yours. What if I am searching for you, and cannot find you because your name is unknown to me?" Zelda took her hands from his, crossing her arms across her chest.

The knight closed his eyes. "Oh, so you were searching for me today."

Zelda's eyes widened. "No I wasn't! I was looking someone else, alright?"

The knight chuckled. "Link."

Zelda looked up at him. "Huh?"

"Link," he repeated. "My name is Link."

Zelda nodded her head slowly. "Link..." she said. "What a lovely name."

The knight, Link, unraveled Zelda's arms from around her. He took her hands back in his. "Why, thank you, your highness."

Zelda scoffed. "Oh, please. You can call me Zelda. No need for formalities."

Link nodded. "Right. Zelda."

And now the goosebumps are back, Zelda thought, wanting to hear Link say her name again.

"Gosh, I have no idea what to say," Link smiled. "I didn't actually expect you to come. Aren't you super busy all of the time?"

Zelda groaned. She pulled Link over to a bench near the bright purple lavender and the small blue pond. "Don't even get me started."

Link snorted. "Being a princess sure is hard, huh?"

Zelda punched Link in the arm. "Hey! Being a princess is pretty difficult, I'll have you know."

"Oh yeah?" Link challenged. "Like what? I'd love to hear this."

"Every single day, hundreds of townspeople come to tell me their problems and ask for solutions," Zelda began her rant. "Sometimes, I have no idea what to say! But it's still my job to find a way to deal with it!"

Link nodded. "It probably gets hectic."

"It does!" Zelda gasped. "Oh, and all of the paperwork. There's so much of it. I couldn't even begin to explain what some of those papers are asking me to do. Sometimes I don't even read over the fine print. I just sign it."

"Smart," Link chuckled.

"And my father is nuts! Constantly going on about the royal rules. Proper attire, how to act, what to do, who to talk to. It's all a bore!" Zelda paused. "He even brought in another suitor for me today."

Link's face grew red. "Suitor?"

Zelda sighed. "I turn eighteen in just a few days. I'll be forced to marry soon, if I don't make a decision." Zelda threw her fists down on her legs. "It's ridiculous! He brings in all of these men and they aren't even my type! They all just want the throne, nothing more and nothing less. They don't want to marry me. They want my kingdom."

Link looked at the pond sadly. "That's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear that."

Zelda laughed softly, sadly. "I'm sorry. I'm going off about my problems to someone I just met."

"It's okay," Link smiled, turning his attention back to Zelda. "I feel like, for some reason, I've known you for a while, so I understand."

"You do?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Zelda stared at him for a moment, wondering what to say. "I sort of feel the same way... It's really odd, don't you think?" Her soft laughter made Link smile.

A loud thump could be heard outside of the gardens. "Zelda! Get over here, now!"

Zelda's heart almost stopped beating. "Who is it?" She looked at Link, pushing him off of the bench and into a hedge.

"Revali! If you don't come here, I'll fly over this gate and catch you!"

Zelda heard a grunt from the hedges. She ignored this, and cupped her hands over her mouth. "I'm just sitting down, Revali. Why don't you come and join me?"

Suddenly, Revali was flying over Zelda's head. "Should I?"

Zelda pat the spot beside her. "Yes, you should."

Revali landed, and instead of sitting next to Zelda, he stood in front of her with his wings crossed over his feathery chest. "Your father requested for me to retrieve you."

"What am I, some lost dog?" Zelda groaned. "I can sit in the gardens alone, if I want to."

"Alone?" Revali wondered. "Alone, in one of the most beautiful places at the castle. Yes, alone. Surely."

Zelda grew angry with the Rito Champion. "Revali, tell my father I am well alone. I will be back in the castle soon."

Revali swung over to the hedges, reaching his wing into the tight leaves. A gasp emitted, and Revali pulled out Link with it.

"You're not the first to conjure up a romantic rendezvous like this, princess," Revali smirked. He let go of Link, letting him fall to the ground. "Hide in the hedges, act like you are alone, then successfully meet with your lover. Child's play, Zelda."

Zelda threw her hands down at her sides. "He is not my lover! You will leave immediately!"

Revali bowed, frowning. "With pleasure. I will report back to your father accordingly."

Zelda clenched her fists. "Revali, please. My father will do things I don't want to partake in. I will leave here and go back to my room." Zelda closed her eyes. "Just, please. Don't tell."

Revali turned to Zelda. "Why not?"

"You know my father," Zelda looked at Revali, wanting to beg for sympathy. "Prince Philip is here, and if he finds out—"

"You'll be forced to marry that lug," Revali finished. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Next time you want a break, I'll cover for you. Say you're sick or something, I don't know," Zelda offered, clasping her hands together. "Come on, Revali."

Revali sighed. "Fine. Next time I'm tired, I'm taking a break and you will cover for me, got it?"

Zelda nodded her head quickly with a smile. "Got it."

Revali shook his head. "I better not get in trouble for this."

"You won't!" Zelda called as Revali flapped his wings and flew back to the castle.

Zelda and Link sat back down on the stone bench they sat upon before. A few minutes of silence passed before Link broke it. "I hate that guy."

Zelda almost snorted, covering her mouth with her hands. "You know him?"

Link closed his eyes, furrowing his brow. He dragged his hands down his face, annoyed. "Yeah. He squawks orders at us like we're nothing but trash."

Zelda nudged Link's arm. "That's Revali for you."

Link's smile returned. "Yeah."

The young princess gazed upward at the bright moon, casting a faint light on Hyrule. She looked at the stars dotting the jet-black sky. Her heartbeat began to quicken for some unknown reason. Her hands sat atop the stone bench she rested on. Her fingers curled into fists.

"What's it like?" Link asked, breaking the silence.

"What's what like?" Zelda looked down from the sky.

"Living up in that castle of yours. Must be pretty amazing, huh?"

Zelda frowned. "It's a prison. You can't do anything at all." She looked down at her palms, still clenched as fists. "I want to be able to make my own decisions. What to wear, who to be, how to act..."

"You should be allowed to be who you want to be," Link agreed, speaking Zelda's mind. "You should also be able to decide your future, not let someone else decide for you."

Zelda nodded with a grin. "Finally! Someone who understands!"

Link scoffed. "Are you kidding me? I know exactly how you feel. My father was once the leader of the Hylian Royal Guard. He ruled over all of the knights, giving orders and protecting the kingdom." Link looked down at his sword, sheathed in a protective band around his waist. "Of course, my mother wanted me to become the next leader in the Guard. So, I've been doing what I have to, to try and please my family."

Zelda tilted her head slowly. "You shouldn't have to please them."

"And you shouldn't have to be forced under your father's rule," Link sighed. "Gee, it seems like both of us have it pretty rough."

Zelda laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess so." She turned her head back to the sky, sighing. Her eyes widened as she stared into the endless beauty of the night.

Link's left hand made its way on top of Zelda's right hand. Slowly, their fingers began to intertwine, without Zelda even realizing it.

"I want to run away from the castle, just for one night," Zelda wondered aloud. "I want to see Hyrule in the dark, wandering about."

"Tomorrow night," Link smiled, turning toward Zelda. "Meet me here, again." He leaned in, placing a soft kiss against Zelda's cheek. She gasped quietly, turning to look at Link as he stood, holding out his hand. She took it without hesitation, and he pulled her to her feet.

"How will we?" Zelda asked. "My father won't permit me to even leave castle grounds without an escort."

"I'll be your escort." Link said this blatantly, as if he knew the King would say yes. Which, in Zelda's mind, she believed he wouldn't. "I'm a new knight. If I mention my father's name, I'm more than certain he would allow me to take you, I don't know, say, Kakariko Village?"

Zelda grinned, squeezing Link's hands. "Really?! I've never been to Kakariko! I've always wanted to visit!"

Link nodded his head. "Then it's settled. I'll visit the King in the morning."

Link's hands slowly slipped out of Zelda's as he began to walk away from the garden. He waved gently, smiling as Zelda waved back.

"Goodnight, Link," Zelda called quietly.

"Goodnight, Princess," Link called back, turning on his heels and walking off in the direction of the knights' barracks.

Zelda slowly fell to the soft earth, running her hands through the blades of grass. Each blade tickled her palms and fingers, causing her smile to grow even bigger than it was before.

The moon's dim light shone down on Zelda's petite body, a cool night wind blowing gently.

Then, quickly, the hedges began to rustle. Zelda sprang to her feet, holding her hands against her chest. The hedges continued to shake, and she began to fear the unknown. The unknown of what was in the sharp branches and leaves...

Link popped out, running his hands through his tangled blonde hair. "The sky. Look," he said, blatantly.

Zelda turned her head slowly, showing a sign of confusion. She let out a soft giggle before turning her eyes to the sky. Her smile faded, her mouth falling agape. "The meteor shower! I had forgotten!"

Link grinned. "Yeah. Me too."

The two stood, close, as Link moved in closer to the princess. He slid his hand in hers, as they both looked up at the meteors darting across the sky like young dancers performing. The spectacle was gracious and lit up all of Hyrule.

That night was a night Zelda would truly never forget.

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