Thread for submitting all drabbles under the theme 'Peace/Quiet Time' .

Zelink Theme #19: Peace/Quiet Time
Title: A Peaceful Moment
Words: 102

Zelda exhaled through her mouth. “Listen.”

Link listened for a few seconds, then he looked confused. “I don’t hear anything.”

“That’s the beauty of it,” Zelda pointed out, smiling brightly. “There’s nothing but peace and quiet.”

It was true. Link and Zelda were in the castle courtyard, which had always been a very serene place.

Zelda was hardly aware of her actions as she laid her head on Link’s shoulder. He blushed, but didn’t say anything, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of the moment.

Besides, Link thought, Zelda looks pretty cute right now. He smiled slightly as he continued watching Zelda.

Theme: Peace/Quiet Time
Words: 764
Title: Wolf in the Garden

The High Chancellor was irritated. In exactly an hour and a half, the monthly meeting to discuss new laws was about to take place, and Her Royal Highness was nowhere to be found. He had tried looking in all her usual haunts from the kitchens to the niche
Just behind the piano in the great hall, and had found not a trace of her. To make matters worse, he had encountered a great filthy dog trying to sneak in through the kitchens and had shooed it away angrily before locking the door firmly to keep it outside where it belonged.

His eyes flicked to the elaborate gold clock ticking softly in the corner and swore softly under his breath. An hour to go. Where in the name of the Farore was that girl? Irritated and hot in his formal attire, the Chancellor suddenly recalled that he had not checked the castle courtyard. Immediately he hurried off through the blooming flowers and shrubbery, past the tall hedges and into the shade of the cool trees. He paused, hearing a soothing lyrical voice speaking softly to someone and he narrowed his eyes. The Princess should not be alone with anyone- especially if it were a young man! Drawing himself up to his full height and straightening his robes he stormed around the corner and stopped short at the sight that met his eyes.

A brown leather bound book was held in one hand, Princess Zelda’s sapphire eyes focused on the pages as she read aloud quietly to her companion. Curled up beside her, head resting dreamily in her lap with the young woman’s fingers stroking the thick black and gray fur was the same huge dog the Chancellor had shooed away. He unknowingly took a step forward and the beast’s head came up at once, bright blue eyes narrowing as its lip curled in a low growl. He realized at once that he had made a mistake- this wasn’t a dog. It was a wolf.

Zelda’s voice stopped and she blinked, looking up. “Oh, hello,” she greeted him levelly, tapping the creature on the head. “Behave,” she soothed softly, sounding amused. “Can I help you with something, Chancellor?”

“Er, Princess-”

She followed his shaking finger down to her furry companion and her amusement became even more pronounced. “Yes, he’s- well, he’s mine, I suppose. I heard you threw him out of the kitchens when he tried to come in?”

His face paled. “I didn’t realize, Your Highness.”

Zelda laughed softly, the sound like pure water falling over stones, setting her book down. “It’s all right. Just next time, don’t call him a mongrel. He’s sensitive about things like that.”

“I’ll try to remember, Your Highness.” He swallowed, still trying to avoid the wolf’s glaring stare. “Princess, did you forget about the meeting today?”

For a moment she looked puzzled, then her expression cleared. “Did you not remember? We moved the date to next week because the Goron Chieftain could not make it.”

The Chancellor did remember now. Flushing and feeling quite foolish he made his apologies and retreated hastily leaving the Princess to her lupine companion.

Zelda watched him go before the giggles escaped, doubling over as her arms slid around the wolf in her lap. “Oh dear,” she sighed merrily, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “I think you gave him quite the fright, Link.”

A soft rumbling bark akin to laughter met her ears as her mind heard his voice. “Serves him right after throwing me out like that! Mongrel indeed! He’s lucky I decided it wouldn’t be wise to take a bite out of him. And here I thought it would be better to visit you in this form so we could spend some time alone without all those old men bleating about what is proper and what is not.”

“The kitchen staff know to expect you; it was just bad luck that the Chancellor happened to be there or none of them would have been any the wiser.” She sighed softly, her finger moving gently down between his ears and Link gave a little huff of contentment. “Well, enough of that. We might as well enjoy our quiet time while we still can, hmm?”

A sliver of sapphire blue gazed up at her and his tail gave a slight wag before lifting his head to give her cheek a tender lick. “Might as well. Next thing we know that pompous mothball will be back with the guards to string me up.”

The Princess couldn’t help laughing again, and Link joined in.