Fandom: Super Smash Bros
Main ship: Zelda x Ike

Enjoy
<><><>

The sound of morning doves flooded the room, purrs soft enough to lull you back to sleep again. The sun shone lightly through slits in the curtains that covered the windows. Footsteps scurried around, lightly, in order to not immediately awake the sleeping princess.

"Princess Zelda," whispered one of the maids as the others opened the curtains. The doors to the balcony were opened, allowing a cool breeze to flow into the room. "The King of Archanea and his escort should arrive soon, it's time to wake up."

The lady hummed in her sleep, raising her arms above her head as she felt the sun's rays hit her eyelids. She slowly opened them, her crystal clear blue eyes sparkling. As she rose from the bed, she brushed away her long, chestnut colored waves of hair with the back of her hand, then allowed the maids to take care of the rest.

"First, we will ready you," said a maid as she guided Zelda to the bathroom. "Then, we will meet with Princess Peach, and from there, the two of you shall go to the throne room and await the guests with His and Her Majesty."

Zelda nodded and followed along. Truly, she was far too sleepy still to process anything, but after a nice, warm bath, she felt more in her spirits. The dress she chose for today was simple, a long, olive green dress with a v-neckline and long lace sleeves that drooped off her shoulders. The bodice was decorated with flowers, and a bright red ribbon tied around her waist, from which the skirt of the dress flowed out. For her hair, she chose to keep it simple, only tying back a portion of it into a braid while leaving the rest down.

Just as a tiara was placed on her head, a maid rushed in to the room. Sweat rolled down her brow as she gasped out, "Princess, please help us! Her Highness refuses to wake up, no matter how many times we try! You're the only one that can wake her, please, we beg for your help."

Zelda smiled reassuringly and waved her hand. "Please, do not fret. I will head there as soon as I am ready, but do try to wake her in the meantime."

"Yes, of course, thank you, Princess!" The maid grinned and quickly left the room. Zelda looked out the window and sighed. The sun was already a quarter of the way up into the sky, and the guests were supposed to arrive just before noon. Knowing Peach, she'll take hours to get ready, not just one to two hours, but far more. She was very nitpicky about clothes, makeup, hairstyles, crowns. While Zelda also cared about her appearance, she didn't spend hours contemplating which dress would match with the weather, not like Peach would.

"We are going to be awfully late, aren't we?" Zelda smiled sadly. Once the maids finished helping her put her shoes on, she walked out of her room and over to Peach's, which thankfully wasn't too far away considering they both slept in the West Wing of the castle.

She saw Peach sleeping on her bed with worried maids surrounding her. She was hugging her pillow and her mouth was wide open, drool dripping from her lips. Her hair was quite the mess, too, her golden curls going in all sorts of directions.

Zelda quietly walked up to the bed, leaning down and gently placing her hand on Peach's. "Peach, it's time to wake up." The blonde woman groaned in her sleep and turned her head away. Zelda wasn't a woman that got mad often, however, she hated being tardy. She grabbed a chunk of Peach's hair and harshly pulled it, earning a scream from the previously sleeping girl.

"What the hell?!" Peach whined, trying to grab Zelda's hand.

"Get up, you lazy bum. We're going to be late," Zelda said, slightly pulling it again.

"Okay, okay! Let go!" Peach screamed, and Zelda did as she said, but thanks to the force of the pull, Peach ended up flopping back on her pillow. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing the back of her head. She glared at Zelda, and she glared back. "You and your damn tight schedules. Have you ever heard of being fashionably late?"

"Link is waiting outside," Zelda said.

At that, Peach jumped up from her bed and rushed to the bathroom without another word. Zelda had lied, sure, but it was an effective lie, so she didn't think much of it. She knew Peach had been crushing on him for years, even if she was too stubborn to admit it, so she figured using him a sort of spark of motivation wouldn't be so bad.

She looked out the window to the morning sky. It's been a while since she had last seen King Marth, the last time was about two years ago when he and his wife visited for Peach's 18th birthday. He was a good man, a little awkward, but kind. She wondered who his escort would be this time, last time it was a blue haired woman named Kris, and before her it was an elder man named Jagen, and before him someone different. It didn't really matter to her anyway, but it was always fun trying to guess which new person she would get the opportunity of meeting every time he came over.

***

"This place is fucking massive!"

"Ike, please, watch your language."

The two men were being guided through the grey castle walls, and one of them just so happened to be bad at holding back his words. The shorter of the two, Marth, sighed as his friend looked around without an ounce of hesitation. Truly, it was a beautiful castle, the architecture was impressive and the decorations were wonderful, however...

"You act like this is your first time seeing a castle," Marth whispered so those guiding the two couldn't hear them.

"Well, your castle is quite boring compared to this one," Ike said, his lapis colored eyes still wondering around the place.

Marth decided to ignore that comment. "I'm serious, Ike. I may be lenient on how you speak to me, but I'm not sure the Hylian Royal Family will."

"I mean they have two daughters, don't they?"

"Ike."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'll hold back my tongue if it makes you happy," Ike grinned. "But do tell, why am I here again? Couldn't you have gotten Abel or Cain to come with you?"

"I thought you could use more friends."

"Seriously?"

"No, obviously," Marth half lied. "I know you like to visit different lands, and I know you've never been to Hyrule, so I figured I'd bring you along so you could explore or fight other people or whatever it is you do."

"How considerate of you," Ike said sarcastically.

"Plus, I have a sort of game with the princesses. Every time I come here, I bring along a different escort, so you're also just a piece in my little game."

"The princesses? Why are you hanging out with people that are like twenty years younger than you?"

"Shut up, I'm only ten years older than them," Marth huffed. The way to the throne room was unsurprisingly long, the hallways in this castle seemed like a maze. No matter how many times he visited, Marth could never memorize the directions to anywhere within these walls. Ike, on the other hand, seemed to be absorbing each turn they made quite well, considering his face was quite serious, but to be fair, who knew what was going on in his head. "They are quite wonderful young girls, really. The eldest, Zelda, is just a couple months older than you. It's her twenty-first birthday soon, actually, that's the main reason we're here."

"Well aren't you a kind uncle, coming along to your niece's birthday party," Ike said.

"I could smack you right now," Marth glared. "Anyway, the two of them are often described as 'Hyrule's Flowers.' Zelda is elegant, wise beyond her years, and though she is reserved, she is kind to anyone and everyone regardless of status, she is the Aster of Hyrule. Peach, on the other hand, is bubbly and easily excited, she is the life of parties and quite the romantic too. She's the Peony of Hyrule."

"Right."

"You could at least pretend you're interested."

"I'm bad at lying."

"Like I said, pretend. But Ike, please do try to be, you know, nice to them. And to the King and Queen."

"Well obviously I'm not going to be rude to them. You're the only one that gets that privilege, my dear friend."

"Thanks."

Finally, they reached a set of tall wooden doors, intricately carved to include many symbols of Hyrule. Beyond it, a small set of stairs led up to the throne room, where four marble chairs sat. The two at the side were empty, while the ones between them were occupied by the King and Queen. His Majesty was a tall man, dressed in blue robes and a cape tied around his shoulders. His hair was nearly gray, with only small hints of brown, and his eyes were a clear blue. He was intimidating, that was for sure.

In contrast, Her Majesty was small and paunchy, her blue eyes and smile held a warmth in them that could brighten up your day instantly. Her hair was tied back into a braid, and she wore a puffy pink dress with a blue ribbon around her waist.

"Your Majesties," Marth said as he and Ike walked up to them. "It is an honor to see both of you again."

Her Majesty stood from her throne and rushed down the stairs, enveloping Marth in a big hug. "Oh Marth! It's been so long since we last saw you, I am overjoyed you were able to come this time. How's Caeda? I hear she's been ill recently, please send her my condolences."

Ah, she really brought an air of joy wherever she went. Marth smiled, "She's was a little ill before I left, but I will definitely tell her you wish her well."

"I see, I see, thank you," the Queen smiled. She noticed Ike awkwardly standing beside them, and she gasped. "Oh my, excuse my rudeness. Is this your escort today, Marth?"

"Yes, this is Ike, he is a close friend of mine."

"It's an honor, Your Majesty," Ike bowed. She observed him. He was quite the handsome man, really. He had a Roman-shaped nose, wide eyes, broad shoulders and a broad chest, a slim waist, and wide hips. The suit he wore suit him nicely, it was a burgundy color, and there was a scarf wrapped around his waist.

"What do you do, Sir Ike?" The Queen said.

"I am a mercenary, I am accompanying King Marth today at his request. Well, more like at his nagging," Ike said. The Queen laughed, covering her lips while Marth shot him a dirty look. Oh she liked him. He seemed reserved, but unafraid to speak his mind. Peach already had someone she liked, her other daughter, on the other hand...

"Peach, for the love of the goddess, slow down!"

"Weren't you the one saying we should hurry? Why are you telling me to slow down now?!"

"Because we've been running all the way from the West Wing!"

"You need to go outside more often."

They heard the King sigh. "Well, there's the two late birds."

"I was wondering why it was rather quiet here," Marth chuckled. The marble doors opened, and in came the flowers of the land.

Odd. Ike could've sworn he saw his heart hop out of his chest once he laid his eyes on the brunette woman. And now it walked up to her and was clinging onto the skirt of her dress.

He felt his cheeks burn a brighter red as her eyes met his. Oh gods she was so beautiful. The way her lips heart-shaped lips tilted up into a gentle smile, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, it made Ike feel like he should bow down and worship her. Was he in love or something? He had never been in love before, much less with a woman he had just met. They hadn't even properly met actually, he had just seen her. He must still be a little delirious from the trip here from Archanea, surely that was it.

She parted her lips, about to speak, and Ike could not wait to hear her voice, but the King's booming voice interrupted her. "Zelda." She flinched. So that's her name, Ike thought. "Peach." The blonde flinched. "Might I know the reason as to why the both of you are so late?"

The two looked at each other, slightly ashamed. Then Peach sighed and hunched her shoulders a bit. "It was my fault, I woke up late and took too long getting ready."

"Peach, I've told you to work on that habit of yours," the Queen said. Peach pouted, but nodded. She then turned her attention to Marth, who had been looking at the two princesses, amused.

"Marth!" She cheered. Marth's smile cracked with fear as Peach ran up to him, arms opened wide for a hug. Marth was not kidding when he said she was a lot more... excited than a normal person would be. Out of the corner of his eye, Ike noticed Zelda turn towards him, and his heart immediately started to beat faster. As she walked up to him, he noticed that she was quite tall, but not nearly as tall as him. The way she walked was quiet and elegant, she carried herself with an air of grace that would make anyone follow her lead. It certainly made him want to follow her anywhere and everywhere.

The closer she got to him, the more nervous he felt. He tried to sneakily wipe away the sweat on his brow as he turned to her. She parted her lips, her sweet, melodic voice pouring out like a cascade washing over him. "You must be Marth's escort, correct?" She courtesied. "My name is Zelda, it is a pleasure to meet you..."

Oh, that was his cue to introduce himself. He cleared his throat and bowed down a lot further than he was probably supposed to. "I am Ike, of the Greil Mercenaries. Um, it's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

"A mercenary?" She said. She was so cute. "I've never met a mercenary before, would you mind telling me more about your line of work?"

Whether she was saying this just to be nice or because she was actually interested, he wanted to believe the latter. She did sound curious, but he couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. Either way, he didn't mind talking to her, even if they had only exchanged a few words. He liked it, actually. He began, "Well-" 

"Ike! The gift!" Marth shouted over Peach's nonsensical talking. Oh! The gift! He'd nearly forgotten! Zelda looked at Marth with confusion as Ike reached into a pouch that sat within the scarf wrapped around his waist. From it, he took out a leather-encased book with golden trimmings around it's spine. On the front cover, an intricate pattern of lines and circles and a title that read "Cursed Eye: The Magic of the Desert." It was a book filled with non-lethal magical spells and the history behind them. Truth be told, Ike just picked up the first thing he saw when he went gift shopping. Marth had told him to bring a gift that a studious person would like, and after spending years with the most studious guy he knows, he figured a book would be enough. Now he regretted having not put more thought into it.

He held the book out to her and cleared his throat. "Marth mentioned it was your birthday soon, he mentioned you liked reading so I got something that I thought seemed interesting. I'm sorry if it's not to your tastes-"

"This!" Zelda gasped. She took the book from his hands, lightly brushing her fingertips against his. That set off a fire within his heart, a fire that could only be extinguished if the blood pumping through it came and went faster. She held the book close the her chest and slightly leaned in closer to him, her eyes full of amazement. "I've been looking for this book everywhere but I've never been able to ship it to Hyrule! How did you get this?!"

Compared to the calm, elegant appearance she kept up earlier, she was quite spirited now. Judging by her eyes, she didn't get the opportunity to be excited often. They were open wide and they kept glancing at what was behind Ike, the King most likely, almost as if she were making sure she wasn't acting out of line. He couldn't help but smile, and he had to hold back the urge to pat her head and touch her cheek.

"It's a book from Hatari, a nation separated from mainland Tellius," he said. "Hatari doesn't interact with the mainland often, much less with nations outside of it. I bought the book while I was on there on a job, I saw it and figured seemed interesting enough. I'm glad to know you like it."

It seems like she didn't even realize the expression she had on her face, because once he said that last statement she stood up straight again and brushed some hair behind her ear, avoiding his eyes. "Y-yes, I like it very much, actually. Thank you, Sir Ike." The way his name flowed out of her lips so easily made him go crazy. He wanted to hear more of her voice, he wanted to hear her talk for hours and hours on end. He wanted to see her smile and laugh and get excited and talk about the things she liked. How can a person be this beautiful? He knew they had only just met, but he was more than certain that he was in love with her.

And it seemed like he wasn't the only one that realized it either. As the Queen made her way back to her throne, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her eldest daughter getting all shy and embarrassed at a gift. She had always thought Zelda took herself a little too seriously at times, being that she was the future heir to the throne of Hyrule. She also had the reputation of being the "responsible" one of the two sisters, and she took that job quite seriously. It was nice to see her act her age, for once.

As for the Ike fellow, the Queen wasn't sure about him yet. Sure he seemed like a kind man, and it was obvious he was crushing on her, but was he really the one for Zelda? "What do you think?" She asked the King as she took a seat beside him.

"He is a commoner," the King said. He had also been observing the two.

"Oh please!" The Queen smacked his arm, making him flinch. "What era are we in? The fifteen hundreds? You know that's not what I meant. What do you think of the boy?"

The King ran his hand through his long, white beard. He looked quite wise as he said, "No idea."

"You have always been a horrible romantic," The Queen groaned as she rolled her eyes. "I don't think you've ever even bought me flowers."

"I have!" The King protested. After seeing the smirk on his wife's face, he cleared his throat and leaned back on his throne. "As long as he doesn't hurt my daughter, he and I will not have any problems."

"Isn't that what every parent wants?" The Queen said. She looked back at Ike and Zelda. It seemed he was talking about his homeland and the different races that came from it, and Zelda was listening quite attentively. She smiled and sighed, leaning her head on her hand. "Young love, how cute. Do get the executioner ready, just in case."

"I never thought I'd hear those words coming from your mouth."

"I am a mother first, queen second. If my child is hurt, of course I will comfort them, but I will also use my authority to make sure those who caused my child pain pay the price. Possibly with their lives."

"You are one scary woman."

The Queen giggled. "I know."