Disclaimer: I don’t want to get in whatever trouble people can get into when using other people’s characters so - The Legend of Zelda, Link, Zelda, Ganon, Hyrule and other related characters and settings belong to to that wonderous console company, Nintendo. No infringement intended.

Juliet A. Singleton (juliet@northcastle.co.uk) & Kirsty Singleton (arcadionseye@btopenworld.com)

Chapter 6

     Leigh kneeled down before the throne of Lord British, her head bowed.

"You required my presence my lord," she murmured, her voice loud. Lord British nodded, a small smile playing across his lips.

"Yes, I have a job for thee Avatar," he replied, rising from his throne and placing one hand on her lowered head.

"Anything my lord," she obliged.

"I require thee to travel to the shores of Hyrule, and retrieve a small trinket left there," began British, beginning to circle Leigh. She looked at him, meeting his gaze.

"Yes, sire?" she asked.

"A sword, crafted from the strongest substance in the Demiari. It is hidden somewhere, the recesses of North Castle, home to the royalty of Hyrule," continued British. Leigh waited as British appeared to think.

"Take the sword and return it to me, but I warn thee, do not use it, not for anything. It is vital that its blade doth not feel the warmth or smell the sweetness of another's blood," said British gravely. Leigh nodded and stood.

"I shall travel there straight away my lord," she said.

"Very good Avatar. There doth be a boat docked in the port of this city, take it, and retrieve the Black Sword!" demanded British. Leigh bowed and nodded.

"It shall be so my lord," she said. British nodded.

"Then thou shouldst be on thy way, Avatar," he acknowledged. She turned and strode from the room, leaving behind British, who smiled contentedly, before again seating himself on his magnificent throne of gold.

***

"This boat, it is the only one in the harbour?" asked Leigh, walking along the boat.

"Yes milady, and it is for sale! 600 gold pieces!" said the man for about the sixth time. Leigh turned at him, a thin line across her face.

"And I have indeed been instructed by Lord British to take it to Hyrule," she said slowly.

"Well it's the first I've heard about it," said the shipwright. Leigh hopped aboard, but the shipwright followed her. "Who are you anyway?" he asked. Leigh turned to him, unfurling the sail.

"I am the Avatar," she responded simply. The man grinned slightly.

"Of course you are. Lord British said next time he saw the Avatar, they would be slaughtered on the spot!" exclaimed the shipwright.

"Please sir, leave this boat," she asked politely.

"No. 1200 gold pieces!" demanded the man.

"You said 600," said Leigh.

"I changed my mind," declared the shipwright.

"I need not pay thee sir," said Leigh, drawing her sword. The shipwright drew his own sword, laughing. Leigh knocked it from his hand before he could even move. He stopped laughing. She stood forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, plunging her sword into his heart. He let out a gasp, and fell to his knees, but Leigh's strength kept him upright. She pulled her sword from his heart and slipped it into her belt. She then dragged him across the deck and threw him overboard, a resounding splash following the man's departure. She smiled and walked over to the anchor winch, beginning to turn it with ease. A small smile crossed her lips, she was going to enjoy her visit back to Hyrule.

***

Brianna nervously walked down the corridor of the Gerudo palace, following two Gerudo guards, sent by Molasar himself. They did not glance back at her, nor did she wish them to. She felt slightly self-conscious, and confused. She was wearing the dress that Molasar had provided for her, but beautiful as it was, it made her feel out of place, and a fake. She could never wear such items of clothing without feeling a little uncomfortable. Soon, at the end of the seemingly forever stretching passage, the two female guards stopped, and spoke quietly to one Gerudo who guarded a massive door that ended the passage. The curtain that hung over the door was drawn back, and Brianna was led through.

"Brianna!" called Molasar happily as he saw her enter. He walked over to her, glancing at the guards, his eyes instructing that the two were to be left alone. He took both of the princess' small, petite hands in his own. He gave her a restrained kiss on each cheek and smiled at her. Just seeing that smile melted every doubt that had crept upon Brianna in the last couple of days, and she flashed him a smile of radiance. "You look beautiful," he murmured, surveying her outfit. Brianna looked down at herself, suddenly remembering it. Their eyes met. Molasar looked particularly dashing, his dark red hair brushed back from his forehead, a loose fitting white shirt and trousers covering his obvious muscular physique.

"I was wondering when I might see you again, I've been lonely these past few days," said Brianna, holding onto Molasar's strong, warm hands. He frowned a little.

"Did Leniarala not keep you company? I would've attended to you, but I had business to deal with it. A few things have happened whilst I was in Hyrule," said Molasar, kissing Brianna's hands.

"Oh, she did, but, I wanted to be with you," said Brianna, stepping closer to the handsome prince, and resting against his chest. He dropped her hands and wrapped his arms around her.

"And I so dearly wanted to be with you Brianna, and now I am. You can have no idea how happy you make me, just for us to be like this," said Molasar, softly touching the top of her head with his lips.

"I thought I might miss Hyrule, but I have barely missed it at all. But I will admit to missing my friends, and my family," murmured Brianna, her hands on Molasar's chest.

"You will make friends here, I can assure you. And when the time is right, we shall tell your parents about us," promised Molasar. He stepped back, and walked towards his balcony. Brianna followed him. "I must introduce you to the city Brianna, you understand don't you? The people here will simply adore you," said Molasar, looking down from the balcony into the bustling streets.

"Oh, I don't quite know if I'm ready..." faltered Brianna. Molasar turned, a kindly smile upon his face.

"Of course you are. Come now, I will introduce you to my people, to your people," said Molasar, grasping her hand comfortingly.

"What if they dislike me, for being an outsider?" asked Brianna.

"They will not. We are not like that in Nera-Lyrle-Ru," said Molasar, his face suddenly turning grim for a second. It lasted only that long however, and he quickly gave her a confident smile. He pushed aside a red curtain, which led to another chamber. "This way," he said.

"There it is, Nera-Lyrle-Ru," said Rillar as the three reached the crest of a lush green hill that stood proud above the jungle. Aden shaded his eyes.

"Impressive," he murmured, admiring the way the sun flashed off the buildings, creating a golden aura that seemed to surround the city.

"It's not far now," said Rillar, folding her arms. Timothy nodded, taking a swig of water from his canteen.

"If he has laid a finger upon her..." he growled under his breath. Rillar watched his determined face with fascination. It was clear he had strong feelings about this girl, perhaps even stronger than he himself realised.

"Brianna knows how to handle herself, she won't do anything she doesn't want to," assured Aden. Timothy grunted.

"Let's go," he said, his voice low. Rillar and Aden followed him as he tramped firmly down the hill.

"We will have to be careful now, the Gerudo will lurk nearby, and they don't take kindly to strangers, although some of them will have no qualms in welcoming male specimens such as you two," said Rillar with a thoughtful smile. Aden grinned.

"I like the sound of that," he commented.

"Of course, who knows the orders they are following now they are under the rule of Molasar. It could be to kill any male or even stranger on sight," said Rillar. Aden took a deep breath.

"That doesn't sound so good," he admitted. Rillar arched one eyebrow and smiled. Timothy remained silent, striding ahead, his trusty broadsword slapping gently off his thigh.

Suddenly, to her left, Rillar heard a rustling in the leaves. She drew her sharp, curved sword, and pulled on Aden's sleeve, to stop him from walking any further.

"Timothy!" she hissed. The handsome fighter stopped and turned, looking in Rillar's direction. He saw her drawn weapon and nodded, holding his sword before him, and cocking his ears, surveying his surroundings carefully. Aden ripped his own sword from its sheath, the hiss of metal echoing throughout the jungle. They all walked carefully forward, listening and watching for anything unusual. Then, at all sides, they heard an enormous rustling, and as they looked about themselves, they found themselves to be surrounded by a team of Gerudo warriors, all armed with bows.

"Throw down your weapons!" called one of the Gerudo, her voice loud and clear. Rillar turned to face her.

"What reason do you have for asking us to do so?" asked Rillar.

"You are trespassing on the land of our King. It is forbidden. We must take you to him upon sight, alive...or dead," said the Gerudo calmly. Aden's sword fell to the earth. Timothy shot him a half-hearted glance, then he saw Rillar slowly placing her own weapon down upon the ground. He sighed and did the same, raising his hands, as his two friends had done. Three Gerudo came forward, but there were others, with their arrows still trained upon the three. They were all grabbed roughly by the neck and shoulder, and thrown to the ground, before their hands were mercilessly tied with thick rope. "Get up!" demanded the apparent leader of the group, once her women had done their jobs. Without the aid of their hands, the three struggled to their knees before being able to stand. The woman walked up to Rillar and looked at her.

"You wear the clothing of a native, yet you are truly Gerudo. Tell me your name," demanded the woman. Rillar glared at her, the gaze apparent with hatred.

"I will not tell you of my name, unless you release me of these bonds," said Rillar sharply. The Gerudo woman drew a sharp knife from her belt, holding it before Rillar.

"That, I can not do. But I could easily undo your throat if you do not loosen your tongue and tell me your name," she threatened. Rillar lifted her chin, a defiant glow in her eyes.

"Then do so. You will get nothing out of me," she said. The woman glared back at her. She smiled calmly and lifted the knife to Rillar's throat.

"I will happily oblige," she said in a cool voice. Timothy stepped forward, before the Gerudo.

"Wait," he said quickly, glancing sideways at Rillar. She looked back at him, but her expression gave away nothing. The Gerudo captain looked at Timothy with interest, looking him up and down approvingly.

"Oh, do you want to tell us her name?" she asked. Timothy looked at Rillar again, but her gaze was looking away, into the jungle.

"Well, no. But I wouldn't want to see her harmed. My name is Timothy Westley, and this is my friend Aden Owen. We came looking for this city, and she said she would guide us. Her name is Balayna," said Timothy.

"Balayna?" asked the woman, glancing at Rillar suspiciously. Rillar glanced at Timothy and then to the woman.

"Yes. My mother, Hadriana settled out of the Gerudo city before I was born. I have no idea even to the meaning of my name," said Rillar. Timothy had to admit she was convincing.

"Do you not know that it is forbidden to lead any man to the city of the Gerudo, under any conditions?" she asked Rillar.

"The impression that I got from my mother was that the Gerudo enjoyed male company," said Rillar lightly. The woman frowned.

"I shall bring you before our King, he shall decide what to do with you. As for you two," she began, looking at Timothy and Aden. "We can surely find some use of you," she said, giving Timothy a smile. He gave her a slightly flustered smile back, then looked to the ground. "Blindfold them. We do not wish them to know how to enter the city," she suddenly ordered, and the three were blindfolded, and led back into the humid jungle.

Molasar led Brianna out onto a huge balcony, that branched off from the throne room, and over looked the city. There was a huge crowd gathered there, all cheering and singing. Molasar gave Brianna a quick smile of reassurance, then stood in the centre of the balcony, looking down over his subjects.

"Gerudo! Hear your King!" he roared, his voice deep and commanding. The singing stopped, and everyone who surrounded the palace fell to their knees, their faces pressed to the ground. He turned to Brianna, and pulled her gently out onto the balcony. She stood nervously, looking down upon all the bowing men and woman. She noticed there were a lot more women than there were men. The men were also noticeably not Gerudo. "I have been gone, but now I am returned, with the prize you have all been waiting for!" continued Molasar, his voice loud and clear. Brianna stared at him for a minute. Prize? "I have found the perfect women to be my bride, and to be your Queen!" he announced. Brianna's heart stopped. Wife? Queen? This was the first she had heard of it. Well, she knew that wasn't strictly true. He had asked her to marry him in the boat as they crossed the water between their countries, but she hadn't really taken him seriously. "All bow down to Brianna Alina Medila Grâtia-Illustrísquídam, Princess of Hyrule, and soon to be the Queen of this city!" commanded Molasar. They all stood and bowed again, an uncomfortable murmur slipping through the crowd.

"Uh, Molasar," began Brianna, meaning to protest. He didn't seem to hear her, or at least he chose to ignore her.

"The race of the Gerudo is entering a new age, a better age, and you shall all agree, and enjoy it!" called Molasar. Suddenly a voice arose from the crowd.

"But she is foreign!" cried the voice. Molasar's amicable expression was struck from his face, and he frowned down upon the speaker. He whispered something to a nearby Gerudo guard, who quickly left.

"Do not make such foolish and blinded comments! She is a real princess, whose heart and mind is as fair as any, and she is no foreigner in matters of the crown!" said Molasar, his voice loud and clear. Brianna crept up to him, and he turned and smiled radiantly at her. "See, there is nothing to feel worried about," he said, his voice a whisper.

"Molasar, we really haven't talked about this..." said Brianna as patiently as she could allow herself.

"We can discuss this later, I have a city to attend!" said Molasar. He turned back to the waiting crowd.

"The ceremony of marriage will take place by mid-noon tomorrow friends. You are all invited!" called Molasar, gesturing to the crowd with one hand, wrapping the other around Brianna's waist. She looked at him in surprise.

"Marriage?!" she hissed, but amidst the mixed response of cheering and calling, he again appeared to not hear her.

He waved cheerfully to the crowd, then seemed to signal that they return to their daily tasks. Amid the crowd, Brianna swore she could see one member being dragged away by two or three guards. The busy citizens parted as she was dragged through. Before she could watch further, or even have a chance to comment, Molasar led her back inside the cool walls of the palace.

Once they were back inside, Brianna tore herself away from Molasar and stood watching him.

"What was all that about?" she asked.

"What? Isn't that what you wanted?" asked Molasar. His face was as earnest as his tone, and Brianna found it hard to find fault with him.

"But we've never in discussed it, we still hardly know each other," said Brianna, trying to reason with him. Molasar frowned a little, then took her hand.

"We can discuss this in my room, not here," he promised, leading her down the corridor. Brianna hung back a little.

"Is there somewhere else, I mean, you know..." began Brianna, a sudden feeling of shyness over-coming her. Molasar smiled at her.

"Well, there is really only our rooms where we can discuss private matters, that's all we need do," said Molasar kindly. He gave her a quick smile of reassurance, then continued down the corridor. Supposing she could do nothing else, Brianna quickly followed, catching up to him.

Molasar pushed aside the curtain that covered the door to his room, and led Brianna inside. He offered for her to seat herself at a small marble table that lay in the light that shone through a great window at the end of his room. He silently sat himself opposite her, and took one of her hands, and looking deeply into her eyes.

"What do you want to discuss?" he finally asked. Brianna cast her gaze to her hand, enveloped in his own hand.

"It's just, I barely, we barely know each other, and you could have asked me, before announcing that in front of all those people," said Brianna in a low voice. Molasar sighed and sat back, appearing to think for a minute. He sat back up, and took her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him in the eye.

"You came here with me, because you thought you loved me. And I wanted you to come because I know I love you. And I know I'll never love another the same, because Brianna, you are the first person I have ever lost my heart to," said Molasar sincerely. Brianna looked at him, saying nothing. Molasar sighed a little. "Forgive me for rushing you, but I know that you are the only woman I can ever love, so what is the point in waiting? Unless of course, you believe there is someone out there who you will love more than you ever could me. If that is the case, then perhaps I should take you back to your land right now," said Molasar, his gaze falling to the window.

"No it's not that...please, it's just, I do think I'm ready, I'm only fifteen, surely too young for marriage," stumbled Brianna. Molasar locked his gaze back on hers, taking her chin with one hand.

"I ascended to the throne when I was the mere age of ten years, and I thought I would never be ready. But now, look around you," said Molasar. He leaned over the table and engaged her in a soft kiss, softer than Brianna could have ever imagined. When he drew back, he drew something from his pocket, and slipped it onto Brianna's finger. She looked down at it, a carved beautiful ring, set with a stunning aqua-marine stone. She looked at Molasar, who smiled at her.

"The ring, on the inside, is inscribed with the Gerudo 'Mourier por oucontre', which in your language means 'Forever may our souls be entwined.' Marry me Brianna, I have been waiting my whole life for you, and I would willingly wait another three, just for you to say yes to my plea this moment," said Molasar. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the ring. Brianna felt an overwhelming wave of compassion, and what she thought to be love come over her. She lay one hand over his, and smiled.

"Oh, I don't know what to say," she murmured. Molasar leaned close to her.

"Say yes," he implored, for the second time.

"Then I will, of course I will," said Brianna. She smiled at the expression that over-came the young man's face.

"There has surely never been any man happier than I am at this instant," he murmured in a low voice. Without another word, he leaned closer to her, to deliver another kiss, and Brianna found that all those doubts and naggings that had entered her mind only minutes before were slowly easing themselves away.

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