A/N- I drew this picture of her dress for the ball ;)

The princess's seventeenth birthday was coming quickly. Since she had to go and train on her actual birthday, the king decided that they would hold a ball at the castle the weekend before.

Zelda was not thrilled about this; she wasn't exactly excited to have a whole lot of people around. She'd also have to present herself in a way that made her seem like the flawless, happy princess that she was supposed to be. But she wasn't even close, and that exhausted her.

So, she and Link were stuck in the castle while preparations were made. The princess had reached a high point of cheerfulness the night of their small trip to Eventide, and she was slowly coming back down again. Nevertheless, she was always content in Link's company, and there was nowhere that she'd rather be.

They would spend entire days together, waking up and eating breakfast with each other, taking walks, sneaking off, spending sunny afternoons in the study, and everything else they could possibly do. At this point, the knight and princess really were inseparable.

Unfortunately, Zelda's worries only grew every day. Her strange dreams had been more frequent and more bothersome. An uneasiness was gnawing at her each day, eating her from the inside out. Yet, she decided it was best for it to remain a secret. She was fooling herself; thinking that saying it would make it more real. This had all caused her to slowly retreat back into a state of pensiveness and detachment that caused others to worry.

Link was especially concerned with the well-being of the princess. He spent the majority of his time around her, and he had noticed a complete change. It often seemed as if she weren't fully there, that part of her was somewhere else. She made many unusual comments, and the strange moments were becoming much more frequent. He had perceived that she was particularly attached to the idea of running away and being free. However, she always assured him that she'd never do it. Her duty was to protect her people and the land she loved. She only wished that she did not have to be tied down by her fate.

He also looked forward to the day that her cage would be opened and she could fly again.

~

On the day of the ball, Zelda spent the greater part of her time getting herself ready (or being poked at and fixed up by a group of maids). She hardly even spoke to Link until the evening; only briefly at breakfast.

The two of them had become so attached that she was disheartened to be away from him for only part of a day. Link missed the princess and the happiness she brought him as well.

Nevertheless, the two of them had been very busy getting ready. Later that night, the four Champions along with much of Hyrule's nobility would be attending, which meant the hosts were to be on their best behavior.

For Zelda, this meant being given a bath, getting her hair done and her face made up, and having final adjustments made on a rather extravagant dress.

The day seemed to go on for an eternity, and both the princess and the knight grew extremely bored. Eventually, though, it was time for them to make an entrance. Outside of the ballroom, Zelda finally saw Link. Without warning or hesitation, she hurried over to him.

"Link!" He smiled, laying his eyes on her. "I can't tell you how bored I've been this whole day!" She laughed, but he continued to look at her.

The princess wore a green dress that made her look absolutely regal and breathtaking. He was taken aback; it was different that anything he'd seen before. The sleeves were long and loose and they covered all but her shoulders. The neckline was rather low, but there were decorative jewels to cover her chest. Around her waist, the fabric hugged her skin tightly, the crest of the royal family on this part. Her skirt was long and layered, covered in shimmering sparkles and gems. A circlet with deep blue gems crowned her head. He could not help but stare at the sight before him. Zelda had always been stunning, but she truly looked like she was the majestic princess that she was destined to be. Meanwhile, Link wore casual knight's clothes; a royal chest plate, shoulder plates, and a pair of Hylian trousers with boots. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail as usual, only having been styled for the occasion. He was dressed so that he would not take attention away from the princess, which did not seem like it would be a problem. Still, he was ruggedly handsome in a way unique to him. Zelda didn't see how she'd be able to take her eyes off of him.

"Are you ready?" She inquired, raising her eyebrows. Link nodded, focusing his eyes in front of him. "Remember... we should try to keep this a secret still. Only the woman at Lurelin truly knows, and I don't want my father to be angry, especially not at you." He acknowledged her words, and then reached for the ballroom door. He held it open as the princess drifted through, greeting her large audience. She curtsied gracefully and he followed suit, bowing hastily. As they descended down the grand staircase, Link felt himself growing nervous. There would be many eyes upon him that night, and if he were to misstep in any way, there would be consequences. The knight decided that it was best to keep as quiet as he could, that way no serious repercussions would befall him or the princess.

As they continued to lengthy promenade, she spoke softly to him.

"Link... the ballroom will more than likely be teeming with..." she sighed "...possible suitors." He frowned. He supposed he had never thought about that, but the possibility made him anxious. "Do not worry, though. The only reason I will be dancing with them is because I must; I'm afraid it's courtesy... but I will find you as soon as I am able to."

"Fair enough." He stated calmly, but he was becoming quite flustered under the surface. If the princess was refusing to consider the affections of legitimate suitors, did this mean she truly had eyes for only him? He was flattered, but he had no idea that she had been so serious about him. He had never thought about a future with her. The two of them had never settled anywhere, and it seemed impossible to picture. Link had always figured that once their situation was more stable, the princess would focus on her royal duties and find someone who was befitting to be King of Hyrule. After all, he was only a knight. He could never fill the shoes of the royalty.

Just as they began to traverse the ballroom floor, Zelda was whisked away by a princely man. Link sighed, scanning the area. He spotted Mipha, the Zora Champion, and quickly made his way over to where she was standing. He had been friends with her for a long time, but it was different between them. He'd hardly seen her after he and Zelda became close. Link couldn't help but feel guilty for closing Mipha off. When she saw him, she smiled a bittersweet smile, a certain sadness in her eyes.

"Hello, Link!" She greeted him. "The royal staff has done wonderful work on this event, don't you agree?" Link nodded in agreement. "And the princess, well, she's breathtaking." The Zora said wistfully. He nodded again, Mipha's eyes on him. She looked down at her feet as he did so.

The two of them caught up for quite some time, Link sharing many stories from his recent adventures. She listened along with a smile on her face, but he could tell something had changed within her. He just didn't know what.

Meanwhile, the princess grew tired of the attention of the suitors. She wanted only Link's hands on her, dancing with her across the ballroom. When she finally caught a break, she was thankful to see Lady Urbosa close by. Zelda hurried over to the tall Gerudo. If she was conversing with one of the Champions, nobody would disturb her. The princess was also eager to speak with her.

"Lady Urbosa!" Zelda exclaimed, a wide smile on her face.

"My, my.. aren't you a sight.." The Gerudo said, chuckling. "So... did you tell your knight?" Zelda nodded eagerly, knowing that the champion could be trusted. "I take that it went well." Urbosa smirked.

"It's wonderful! He is wonderful, Urbosa!" The woman smiled, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I've seen the way you two look at each other." Zelda blushed. Was it really that obvious?

"Thank you for helping me along. I've been so happy with him. And I haven't been this elated in a very long time." She looked at the knight across the room. He looked up and met eyes with her. She grinned at him.

"Go to him." Urbosa nudged her. Zelda turned around, thanking the champion one last time before hurrying off to be with Link. The two of them met in the middle of the room.

"May I have this dance?" The princess questioned him, raising her eyebrows and giving him a sideways smile. Link nodded and took her hand. The two of them danced, the center of everybody's attention. All eyes were on the them, but they forgot about that for a moment. As the song drew to a close, she leaned into his ear and whispered.

"Take the exit on the opposite side of the room when nobody is watching. Meet me in the east courtyard in ten minutes." Link cocked his head to the side, confused. Zelda just laughed softly. Although the knight was skeptical, he agreed. He was craving some time alone with her, and the ball had grown to be boring.

The two of them parted, quickly looking for a way out of the ballroom. Link slipped away easily, but the princess had a more difficult time escaping. Eventually, Urbosa helped create a diversion that could get her away. As she turned back, the Gerudo gave her a wink and a knowing smile.

Zelda grabbed at her skirts and hurried off to the courtyard. Meanwhile, Link was already leaning against a pillar. He looked up as she drifted over to him, seemingly a ghost in the pale moonlight. She smiled sadly at him. When she was close, she took both of his hands. The look in her eyes made her unreadable, but Link was nervous. She seemed worried. He moved his hands to the small of her back, drawing her closer. The princess leaned her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

"I missed you today." She announced.

"Me too." He responded.

The two of them began to sway back and forth together under the moonlight. Neither of them spoke; it was enough for each to be right there.

There were so many things they wished they had known at the moment. It was their last dance together. It was their last happy moment. After that, things would be different.

And one of them would eventually lose the memory; it would drift away, far out of reach.

"Link, I'm terrified. I know that something terrible is coming." The knight felt a tug of worry like a hand squeezing his heart. When his words failed him, he pulled the princess closer.

The two of them wished that she was wrong, but they weren't that lucky.

A/N #2- haha here.