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  of the deal, no matter how much pain it would bring both her hero and her own heart.

  Throughout her silent dread, the Queen of Shadow's question, "do you love him?", constantly replayed itself over and over again in Zelda's mind. Did she love Link? Did

  she merely admire him for who he was and what he had done? Or were her feelings for him something greater, especially in light of the time they had spent together?

  There was no question that the queen held affections for the hero, but just how deep did they run? She tried to reason with herself that certainly she couldn't love him so

  soon—after all, they had only been in each other's company for a few days. Love did not happen that fast, which meant that it would be easy enough for her to break her

  ties with him. Both of them would certainly grieve over the loss of what could have been, but they would both be able to move on in the end, even if they moved on

  without each other.

  But if that was so, then why did she still feel so wrong?

  The queen bit her lip anxiously as she looked down at the mark of the Triforce again. The hero was very close by now, most likely at the foot of the tower she was

  imprisoned within. Verona had left the door unlocked and the rest of the castle unguarded for this very purpose, but her careful watch over Zelda had kept her from

  escaping, even though she had tried. But indeed, there was nowhere to go and nothing to do now except for wait in silent anguish until Link arrived, so that she could

  throw away his heart to save her kingdom.

  Upon hearing the chamber door begin to creak open, the queen quickly turned away from it, pulling her dark hood tighter against her as she stared out the window,

  forcing herself to be as reserved and stoic as possible. Any sign of weakness or emotion now would certainly tip the hero off, which was the last thing that Verona needed

  to see if this was ever going to work.

  Link stopped short and hesitated as he quietly stepped into the cold, empty chamber, the very same one that he had first met Zelda in during the Twilight Invasion. The

  first thing he noticed was the queen of course, standing near the darkened window with her black robe concealing her form. The hero couldn't help but frown upon

  realizing how sad and solemn her silhouette looked as her back was turned to him, and though he wanted to run to her and embrace her immediately, he refrained,

  deciding to go slow with what he wanted to tell her.

  "Zelda?"

  The queen's heart twisted even more upon hearing him say her name in such a gentle way, her soul wishing that she could turn to him with a warm, loving smile, but

  knowing that she had a task to do that forbid her from showing such care. So instead, Zelda slowly turned to face him, her expression empty and unreadable as she

  looked upon him, knowing that he was so handsome and benevolent, but thanks to the Queen of Shadows, she was not allowed to even let him know that. "Hello, Link,"

  she greeted rather dryly, still upholding her well- known manners as not to appear suspect.

  The hero didn't really take notice of her rather stiff manner as he stepped closer to her, a relieved smile on his face as he saw that she was unharmed. "It's so good to see

  you," he said kindly, something that made the queen melt even more on the inside. "Verona hasn't hurt you, has she?"

  "Remember, if you tell him anything of what we've discussed here, it will all be over."

  Verona's warning rung loud and clear in Zelda's mind, filling her with even more fear. She wanted nothing more than to tell Link of all of the Queen of Shadows' dark

  threats, as well as her plans to steal his very spirit away from him, but she was forbidden. And so instead, she decided to be as vague as possibly. "No," she said, her tone

  still stoic and calm. "I am well. What about yourself?"

  "I'm fine," the hero said, halt tempted to inform her of his powers, though he knew there would be time for that once they were out of Verona's range. After all, there

  was no point to letting the enemy know of such a potential advantage if she wasn't already aware of it.

  The queen simply nodded, her expression still unyielding as she tried to stall the inevitable for as long as possible by striking up idle conversation. "Where is Midna?" she

  asked, but she was quickly answered by the Twilight Princess's light giggle coming from the hero's shadow.

  "Right here!" Midna proclaimed with a grin as she rose out of the shadows to glide beside Link. "Glad to see my witch of a cousin didn't cause you too much trouble,

  Zelda."

  Zelda frowned, knowing that Verona was the cause of all her troubles, but she said not a word about it. "Indeed," she said, her tone formal. "Is there… any particular

  reason that you have come, Link?"

  The hero raised an eyebrow in confusion upon hearing this question, thinking the answer to be obvious. "We came to rescue you, of course," he said, finally catching on

  that the queen didn't seem to be as elated to see him as he was to see her. "That way the three of us can stop Verona and save Hyrule together. Now come on," he said,

  taking her by the hand, which startled her just the slightest bit. "We need to get out of here before she can stop us."

  "Link, wait," Zelda said, quickly pulling her hand away from his. "That won't be necessary."

  Link and Midna exchanged a wondering glance at this, knowing that the whole reason why they had come this far was to liberate her. "What do you mean?" the hero

  asked with a frown.

  "I have the situation quite under control," the queen said vaguely, hoping that she could simply send him off without having to hurt him too much. "Your assistance in this

  matter will not be needed. You may take your leave."

  "What?" the Twilight Princess asked, completely dumbfounded.

  "You… you mean… you don't want my help?" Link asked quietly, the slightest bit offended upon hearing this considering she had pleaded for his aid and presence but a

  week ago.

  "It is not that I do not want it," Zelda said eloquently, already hating the first signs of pain in his voice. "I do not need it. I am able to handle the situation myself."

  "You're gonna try and go up against Verona by yourself?" Midna asked in disbelief. "Good luck with that! She's a lot more powerful than you think! She's not just some

  insane pushover like Zant was. She's crafty, clever, and incredibly dangerous. That's why we need to work together to take her down!"

  "I will ravage this kingdom until it is nothing but a shadow-shrouded wasteland."

  Zelda knew all too well just how dangerous of a foe Verona was, and she knew that alone she was would not be able to defeat her. She needed Link and Midna's aid, but

  she had to reject it so that her people might live to see another day. "No," the queen said succinctly, keeping her mask of indifference and apathy on skillfully.

  "But we-" the Twilight Princess began to protest, before she was quickly cut off.

  "I said no," Zelda said firmly, finalizing her horrendous choice to go through with Verona's gambit in her mind, as much as she didn't want to. "I am the queen of this land.

  It is my responsibility to protect it from invaders and my responsibility alone."

  Midna glared harshly at the queen, her hands clenching into frustrated fists, but before she could begin to rant, Link quickly cut her off. "Midna, can you let me and Zelda

  talk in private for a minute?" he asked calmly, wanting to get to the bottom of Zelda's refusal.

  The Twilight Princess let out an aggravated glare, but complied, saying nothing more to the queen as she gave her a cold look before slipping back into the hero's shadow.

  Zelda began to feel her heart pound against her chest as Link stepped a bit closer to her, coming to stand only a few feet beside her in front of the window as they faced

  each other. "Zelda, what's wron
g?" he asked with a concerned frown.

  "When he comes to you, I want you to be cold. I want you to be untouchable and heartless."

  "Nothing is wrong," the queen said, hiding her growing nervousness well. "I simply wish to solve my kingdom's problems on my own this time. Is that so difficult to

  understand?"

  The hero stared deeply into her eyes and it was at that moment at she realized that his eyes were no longer the dark, striking shade of blue that they had once been, but

  rather dull silver, no doubt a sign of the piece of his spirit Verona had already taken. She wished with all her heart she could warn him, even give him a sign that his life was

  in grave danger, but she was bound by her devotion to her kingdom to remain silent on the matter. "I think you should go, Link," she said coldly, turning her glance away

  from him to the darkness outside. "Your presence is no longer needed here."

  Link glanced down a bit anxiously, knowing that even if she didn't want his help, he simply couldn't leave without telling her, or rather, showing her how he felt. "Zelda…" he

  said, his tone low and inviting as he gave her a small smile, one that made her almost melt entirely upon seeing it. He slowly took her hand and held onto it gently, both of

  their Triforce pieces glowing in harmony with each other as their eyes met again. "I… I know this is a bad time for this sort of thing, but… I just wanted you to know that

  I…" he hesitated as he met her expectant, almost uncaring gaze, a sudden burst of fear overtaking him as a short, sweeping gale filled the room, one that neither of them

  really noticed because of the sudden tension and passion building up between them. However, in that one moment of doubt and intimidation, the hero blundered in what

  he said next, only hinting at his feelings for her instead of telling her the full extent of them. "I really care about you," he said, mentally scolding himself for not being direct.

  "And… and I'd do anything for you, anything at all…"

  "You might have already figured this out, your highness, but your hero is quite smitten with you…"

  "Oh," Zelda forced herself to say dryly and simply, even though she could not stop the rush of warmth that filled her cheeks at hearing him confess such a thing so

  honestly and openly. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest however when he slowly and tenderly placed a hand under her chin, guiding her gaze up to his as he began to

  lean in closer to her, entirely caught up in the moment and nothing else.

  Both of them were breathing in quivering breaths as their faces gravitated in closer together, and for a brief moment, the queen allowed it, forgetting about the bargain

  she had made as she let her heart take over, making her realize that this was what she truly wanted after all. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and yet,

  right before their lips met in a moment of utter bliss, her clarity returned to her and she was reminded that she had to throw it all away. With insistent movements, she

  lightly placed her fingertips against the hero's awaiting lips and pushed him away, watching with hidden despair as he drew back in confusion.

  "Zelda?" Link asked, his voice almost a timid whisper as he held onto her hand until she finally ripped it away, averting his distraught gaze.

  "Show him no affection whatsoever, make him believe that you care nothing for him at all."

  "Leave, Link," Zelda said with authority, though the slightest hint of pain in her voice could still be heard. "Please."

  The hero frowned and shook his head, trying to take her hands once again, but this time she kept them out of his reach by slipping them into the folds of her robe.

  "Zelda… why are you acting like this?" he asked, knowing that she was so different from the queen he had spent all those jovial days with.

  "Link, please," the queen insisted firmly, though she already knew that he would not relent.

  "Zelda, I don't understand," Link said, trying to reign in his growing emotions before they revealed themselves through his powers. "Why don't you want me around

  anymore?"

  "Do whatever it takes, so long as you drive him away once and for all."

  "Because I do not need you," Zelda forced herself to say, even though she knew that couldn't have been any further from the truth. Her heart almost shattered upon

  seeing the look of sudden devastation on the hero's handsome face, but he was surprisingly quick to recover from it as he tried to reach her once more.

  "But I need you, Zelda," Link said, tenderly placing his hand against the side of her face. His touch was warm and soothing, and yet Zelda knew better than to savor it.

  "Because…" the hero felt his heart racing as a timid wind he could not control blew threw his hair. In theory, this should have been easy for him considering all of the great

  feats he had accomplished in the past, but this was a risk of an entirely different kind. "Because I… I love you…"

  Three words. That was all it took to shatter Zelda's heart entirely. He loved her. He loved her, and she could not love him back. It was the cruelest kind of torture the

  Queen of Shadows could have ever put her through.

  How she longed with every fiber of her being to return his statement, to let him know that she felt the same and list to him every reason why. How she desired to

  dissolve into his strong embrace, to let his lips at last meet hers and to move forward into the future unflinchingly with him always by her side. She wanted it all, she

  wanted him more than life itself. And yet, to choose him would mean to choose death for her people, and though she loved him, her love for all of those innocents was

  just the slightest bit deeper.

  "No," the queen said resolutely, completely throwing the hero off entirely.

  "W-what?" Link asked, hoping that he had simply misheard her.

  "Link, you do not love me," Zelda said coldly, hoping to convince him against his very emotions. "You barely even know me."

  "I know you enough," the hero insisted, desperate not to let her slip through his arms so quickly. "I know I'm rushing things, but I can't help it, Zelda. I've never felt this

  way about anyone before. When I'm with you… I feel like everything's right with the world. And… I don't ever want to lose that feeling…"

  The queen nearly broken down into tears upon hearing his sweet, honest words, knowing that by the sincerity of them alone, shattering his hopes and affections would

  bring them both immense amounts of agony.

  "It shouldn't be that hard for an experienced politician such as yourself to cast aside a mere backwoods peasant like him."

  "Link, you know as well as I do that we cannot be together," Zelda said with a small sigh. "I am the queen of Hyrule. And though you are my hero, things simply would not

  work out between us…"

  "You can't be serious," Link said, shaking his head as he began to steadily grow more upset. "Zelda, I thought… when you asked me to stay here with you… I thought it

  was because you… you felt the same way…"

  "I only asked for you to stay for your protection, and little else," the queen said, though she knew that was a blatant lie. "But now I realize that I can handle myself just

  fine on my own. And even so, it wouldn't last."

  "Why wouldn't it?" the hero asked, his tone the slightest bit bitter.

  Zelda hesitated, though she already knew the argument she was about to make was a weak one. "Because we are not even of the same social class, Link," she said,

  feigning aggravation in her tone. "I am the ruler of a kingdom, born of the pure blood of the royal family. You… you were brought up in an obscure farming village and you

  only found your claim to prominence on accident. Our kinds simply do not mix."

  "Zelda, those sort of things don't matter to me!" Link said, quickly forgetting about his powers as he began to grow more and
more desperate, the winds starting to swirl

  around them both even though they were indoors. This was the first time the queen herself noticed it, her eyes suddenly going wide as she wondered where such a gale

  could be coming from since the window was closed. "I love you because of who you are, not because of what you are. We can get past our class differences, I know we

  can. I… I just… I don't want to go on another day without you. Please, Zelda…. I love you…"

  The anguish in his voice as he practically begged to her for his innocent affections to be returned nearly made the queen give up her ruse entirely, but she stopped herself

  at the last moment. Her face was still a stony mask, but on the inside, she was withering just as much as he was.

  "But above all else, I want you to break his heart beyond repair…"

  "Link…" Zelda said, clenching her hidden fists tightly to keep her tears from bursting forth. "I… I cannot…"

  "Yes, you can!" the hero persisted, his tone a mix of irate and pained. "Just forget about all of the differences for a minute and think: how do you feel, Zelda? What do you

  want?"

  The queen was nearly to her limit by now, her soul crying out for relief from this torment that the Queen of Shadows was forcing her to go through. And, as if on cue, as

  Zelda glanced away from Link to the darkened corner of the room, she was able to make out the sole yellow and red eye glowing in the darkness as it stared at her

  critically, watching her every last move. "Link…" the queen said with a weary sigh, not even daring to tell him of Verona's presence. "You must go…"

  "No," Link said firmly, clearly staring to grow frustrated with her avoidance and frigid manner. A red glow started to form around his hand, but thankfully no fire came out

  from it quite yet. "I'm not leaving until you tell me how you feel about me. If you can stand there and honestly tell me that you don't feel the same way that I feel about

  you… then I'll go. And you won't have to worry about me ever coming back."

  Zelda found her voice caught in her throat for what seemed like ages upon hearing this demand. She knew that this was the moment of truth; either she would accept the