Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Welcome Home, Princess

“ May I ask…Do you really remember me? ”

Link took a brief moment to look at the Princess who he hadn't seen in 100 years, remembering the last time he saw her was just before falling lifeless in her arms. She smiled at him, looking hopeful in her eyes as she waited for his answer. He thought about what the Deku Tree had told him, “ She has a smile like the sun.” Now that he could see it again for himself, he understands what the Deku Tree had meant. Not wanting to keep her waiting any longer, he nodded softly to affirm that he did. Zelda’s smile grew and she let out a sigh of relief, “There’s much to do now that Ganon is destroyed. But for now…” She awkwardly tugged at the sides of her dress “I would really like to change.” 

–

The two of them rode together on Link’s horse away from Hyrule fields and searched for a place to rest after their victorious battle against the Calamity. Link had thought of stopping at the closest stable, but decided against subjecting the princess to an inn where there was no privacy. Kakariko Village would surely welcome them with hospitality and accommodations, but perhaps would invite attention that Zelda was not quite ready to receive. After much internal debate, Link settled on riding towards Hateno where he knew a safe place the princess could rest, eat, and acquire comfortable clothes until she was ready to journey elsewhere. 

While Link was preoccupied with his thoughts, the princess took note of everything they passed by. So much had changed from the Hyrule she once knew. Memories of when the Calamity struck and so many lives were lost came flooding back to her. Her hold around Link’s chest tensed with sadness as she remembered running away while others were dying due to her failures. She only snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the comfort of Link’s hand over hers, giving her a supportive squeeze as if to tell her everything is okay now. She returned his gesture by resting her head against his back, showing him that she was relaxed by his comfort. 100 years was a small price to pay for her to have him by her side again. Link brought his horse to a slow trot then to a walking pace as they entered Hateno Village. He took caution to steer away from the main entryway and took an adjacent path toward the wooden bridge leading to his destination. After crossing the bridge, Link dismounted from the horse first then assisted Zelda. While he led the horse to the individual stall to rest, Zelda looked at the house they had just arrived at. She had been to Hateno Village before, but never noticed a house like this in this spot. Actually, it was newly constructed! When she approached the front door, she noticed a sign that read “Link’s House.” 

“Link! This is your house?” She asked with a hint of curiosity. Link leaves some apples for his steed then makes his way over to her, nodding in confirmation. “It was the best place I could think of to settle for the night.” Hearing his voice again gave her small butterflies in her chest. She felt relief as well, that she would have some time to recoup before traveling around Hyrule. Link opened the door and stepped inside to find the light switch. Zelda followed in after him, giving the space a look over. Although there was not much furnishing or decor, it felt cozy and simple. It very much reflected Link’s character. There was a small dining table set for two to which Zelda found herself wondering if he’s had other guests join him here. The walls behind it were lined with weapon mounts where he had proudly displayed the Champions’ signature instruments. Up the stairs was a lofted bedroom with a desk, a small chest of drawers, a nightstand, and bed. Link sets down a satchel he took off the saddle of his horse where he usually carries a few things such as various foods to snack on during travels and some other tidbits of the sort. He notices her fidgeting with the skirt of her dress as she looks around. “I’m going to the shop close by to get some food, there is also a clothing store I can get something for you to change into.” Zelda looked over at him and nodded, “Thank you, Link. I would appreciate it very much. Your home is quite cozy, although it could definitely use a bit of a feminine touch!” She laughed a bit in a playful way to which Link gave a soft smile. “I’ll be back in 10 minutes.” He turns to open the door stopping midway of his exit to look at her over his shoulder, “Welcome home Princess.” He and Zelda shared a brief moment where she looked happy to the point of tearing up, and he looked relieved that he had not failed to bring her back. Then, he headed out the door, closing it behind him. 

–

While he was out, Zelda looked more closely around the house. She went over to the Champion weapons and carefully traced over the details of each one, fondly remembering their owners. She finds it endearing that Link has them displayed here and wonders how much of them he remembers. She makes her way up the stairs to inspect the loft. Naturally as a scholar she is curious to see what her personal knight chooses to keep in his home, but she won’t do too much snooping. Yet. Her eyes fall on the picture he has hanging above the small dresser and gasps slightly. “ Where did he find this ” she thought to herself. There hung the only portrait to exist of Zelda, Link, and the four champions. She remembers that day and how reluctant she was to stand there and pretend to look happy. Purah was so insistent on testing her new real life image capturing device and thought it would make for a moment in history to remember. She’s so happy that Purah was right and that it made it into Link’s possesion. She carefully put her fingertips to the picture and closed her eyes, praying that their souls can now be at peace.  

–

Link had returned with some local ingredients to make dinner for the two of them as well as some clothing choices for Zelda to wear that is currently being worn by the young ladies of the village. While they may not be fitting for a Princess, he thought they would be clean and comfortable. To his surprise, he entered the house with no sign of Zelda. He set the food down on the table before going up to the loft where he saw her gold necklace and wrist cuffs on the desk, her dress hanging over the chair. Feeling slightly flustered at the thought of the princess –

No . He shook his head and stayed focused. The more he looked around he saw that there was evidence of one of his tunics missing as well as a towel that was hanging on a hook. Ah, she was in the bathroom. Of course. It’s only natural to want to bathe after 100 years in a muddied dress. He set the clothes he bought for her on top of the dresser and decided to change as well before starting dinner for them. 

Link had prepped all his ingredients and stepped outside to the campfire where he had a cooking pot heating up. He began cooking a recipe he had picked up from one of the stables nearby that included some vegetables grown here in Hateno. As usual, he hums to himself as he keeps an eye on the cooking progress of the dish. “Mmm something smells delicious!” He looked over and saw Zelda approaching him. Lucky for him, it is normal to be silent so Zelda can’t tell that cat’s got his tongue upon seeing her dressed in his tunic. She was wearing his long blue lobster shirt he acquired in Lurelin Village as a dress. She had her hair wrapped up in the towel and her cheeks were flushed from enjoying the hot water. He remembers caring for the princess of course, and he had heard stories of her feelings for him. What he didn’t realize is how comfortable she would feel with him to be wearing his clothes so casually. He surely doesn’t mind at all, she wears it better than him anyway he thought. Zelda becomes aware that he is staring at her and sort of tugs at the bottom of the tunic. “Oh… I’m sorry I should have asked. Is this okay? I found the bath house and just couldn’t resist.” She suddenly feels embarrassed that maybe she crossed a line, but he only shakes his head and averts his eyes to his cooking pot to avoid adding awkward tension. He takes a spoonful from the cooking pot and offers her a taste to which she happily obliges. After taking a sip from the spoon she lights up and lets out a satisfied mmmmm “You always were the best cook! How I’ve missed the taste of Hyrule’s dishes.” 

The two spend the next couple of hours enjoying dinner together. Zelda finds it amusing how Link lights up in a boyish way over food as he always has. Such a glutton she used to think, but even herself ate her fill. They sat by the campfire enjoying its warmth and each other's company. Zelda was able to get him to open up a bit more and converse about the things he remembered of their time together before the Calamity. He showed her the pictures he took with the Sheikah slate of the locations where he recalled certain memories. Deliberately avoiding the discussion of certain negative ones, she asked him to describe the events that took place to better understand the state of his memory. She points to the picture he took in Gerudo Desert near Kaara Kaara Bazaar, to which he suddenly seems apprehensive to elaborate on. “I know what this one is about…” She clicked on the image to enlarge it on the slate, “this is actually a special memory for me, although I was very frightened.” She glances up at him, not seeing a change in his expression. “My whole view of you changed that day. I knew…I knew that no matter what I could trust you. I knew you would always protect me. And that… I regretted being so hard on you. The look you had in your eyes when faced with the Yiga –” 

“We have different perceptions of that memory” Surprised by his cut off, she pauses to listen to him continue. “I overheard 2 Yiga’s in disguise talking about how they had been tracking you for days while you were surveying the desert. I heard what their true intentions were for you.” His eyes fixated on the crackling fire not wanting to divulge into further details. Zelda finds that the silence following his words spoke volumes. He must have been frantically searching for her while she was actively avoiding him. After a brief moment, she puts a hand on his just as he did to comfort her before and uses her other hand to meet his eyes with hers. “I know that the oath you took to be my appointed knight is well past its time. You are certainly free from that duty. Though… I hope that you will continue to be by my side to help me restore Hyrule to its former glory. Maybe even…better than before.” Link’s eyes soften but still hold the signature mystery as he absorbs the princess’ words. He internally chastises himself for putting a doubt in her that he would do anything else. “Always.”  

As the fire dies down over the next half hour, Zelda dozed off watching its flames turn into soft embers. Her towel had slipped off causing her hair to fall down still damp. Link carefully picks her up taking caution not to disrupt her sleep and takes her inside the house. He makes his way up the stairs placing her in the bed and covering her with the blanket. He reaches for a spare blanket and pillow that he kept under the bed to take with him downstairs where he will be sleeping. As he turns towards the stairs he hears Zelda’s voice in a sleepy tone say, “Goodnight Link” 

“Goodnight, Princess Zelda.”

End Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: The Surprise

The sun rose much brighter on Hyrule today, waking its princess with a warm kiss of its rays shining through the window. She sits up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stretching her arms up. Glancing beside her, she noticed that the wilted yellow flower that filled the small vase on the nightstand was replaced with a Silent Princess. A neatly folded note was tucked under the vase to which she reached for and gently opened to read its contents. 

Good morning Princess, I hope you slept well. I have a surprise for you outside and breakfast for you on the table. I’ve ridden up to the ancient tech lab up the hill to return the Sheikah slate to Purah, it seemed to have stopped working at some point overnight. I’ll be back to greet you soon. 

 - Link

A surprise? Zelda wonders what he could possibly have waiting for her. Whatever it is he must have had to get up quite early to have everything done before the sun showed up. Apparently, facing an ancient Calamity does not seem to slow him down in the slightest. Zelda indulges in the comfort of the bed for a few moments then pulls the comforter back and steps out. She notices that her gold jewelry from yesterday is placed orderly on the dresser and her white prayer dress is clean, hanging to dry on a small hook against the wall. He really is a busy body, her knight. Knowing she’s alone in the house, she slips off the blue lobster tunic she was wearing to sleep and neatly folds it up the way he had it. She’s quite fond of it and looks forward to wearing it to sleep again. She leaves it folded on top of the bed after readjusting the sheets. She looks through the options of the clothes Link had brought for her from the Hateno shop and settles on a forest green tunic with a sand colored sash around the waist, brown fitted trousers, and tan riding boots. Looking herself over and making a few adjustments, she then proceeds to fix a braided headband and comb through her hair until she has her signature style. 

After enjoying the breakfast left for her by Link, she makes her way outside to see what the surprise he had waiting for her could be. Once there, she looks around when the sound of a horse whinny startles her. She makes her way around the corner of the horse stall where Link had left his horse last night and sees that his steed is not there. Instead, a gorgeous white mare with a beautiful blonde mane and tail stood enjoying a bale of hay. The horse is adorned with a purple saddle ornate with the Hyrulean crest. Her mane has small braids to mirror Zelda’s signature style. Absolutely starstruck by the sight of such a rare horse, Zelda approaches her slowly and with caution  “Oh my word, you are absolutely gorgeous! Just where did he ever find you, pray tell!” The horse seems very accepting of the princess getting closer to her, and even bows her head in anticipation that Zelda will pet her on the bridge of her face. Zelda happily obliges to the mare’s request and is rewarded with a happy neigh and the swish of her tail. 

The sound of Link’s own horse trotting across the bridge catches Zelda’s attention and she waits anxiously by her horse for him to approach. She is so over the moon that she is fighting the urge to release the excitement by hugging him so as not to startle her stoic and reserved knight. Ironically, much like approaching a horse she thought, she needed to remain calm. The moment Link dismounts his horse and walks over to her to greet her is when her emotions betray her and all commitment to remain calm breaks. “Oh Link!” Zelda clasps her hands together with his and squeezes with what can only be described as the force of cute aggression, “This horse is absolutely beautiful! I cannot believe a white palace horse still exists! She’s just like the one I used to have and seems just as sweet. Where, just where in Hylia’s name did you find her?” Link, taken aback by the princess’ hold on his hands, looks at her with a nervous smile. Her eyes were beaming at him waiting for his answer and he felt his cheeks getting a bit warm. He composed himself before answering, “I came across her near Sanidin Park Ruins on Safula Hill. She was very gentle to tame and we bonded instantly. I have had the stables take care of her so that I could bring her to you. I’m…not sure why, but the name Stella came to mind when they asked me to register a name for her.” 

Zelda’s eyes widened and her expression flashes from startled to a sad smile. Link, worried that he has offended her with his lack of memory, tilts his head with concern. “Princess?” 

Zelda retreats her hands to play with the ends of her hair in a brief moment of silence and looks at him, “That’s my mother’s name.” There is a tension filled silence for a brief moment, though it felt painfully long. Link looks at her feeling a pang of guilt for hitting a sensitive subject, even if it was unintentional. Breaking the silence, Zelda takes a deep breath and claps her hands to her cheeks “Forgive me, I didn't mean to put a damper on the moment. It’s just that I…” Zelda pauses then shakes her head “This is truly a wonderful gesture Link, thank you.” She smiles at him, reassuring that she is genuine in her gratitude and also looking for a way to change the subject. “Where shall we go? I would love to see how this little one and I will get along in our travels.” Link, obliging to her unspoken request, hands her an apple from his satchel to offer to her horse “Wherever you’d like to Princess.” Zelda holds the apple in front of Stella to which she sniffs and ever so gently eats it from her hand, nudging Zelda in appreciation with her head. After giving Stella some gentle pets, she mounts her and takes the reins in her hands. Link does so as well to his horse, ensuring he is ready to keep up with her. 

“I’d like to visit an old friend”

–

 Kakariko Village, much like everywhere else across Hyrule, was abuzz with the events of the previous day. A great rumbling came from Hyrule Castle and not long after that the sky was stained a purplish red. A gargantuan boar shaped beast made of malice was seen from the different regions. Some people thought they had seen bursts of light wounding the beast until suddenly, a vast wave of intense divine light had swallowed it whole. The shrines and towers retreated into the ground overnight, and the guardians had all fallen silent as statues. While most civilians are still at a loss as to what happened, leaders of the regions such as Lady Impa knew that it could only mean one thing. Link was successful, and the princess had returned. 

“Lady Impa! They are here!” The two Sheikah men who stand at the foot of Impa’s temple, Dorian and Cado, came bursting through the door, startling Impa and Paya to drop their tea cups. Paya’s cheeks flushed at the thought of being in the presence of the Princess of legend who faced the Calamity alone for 100 years…but truthfully her heart was pounding knowing Link would be here too. 

“Well don’t just stand there, escort them to my temple! Paya, we’re going to need more tea!

…and new cups!”

“R-right away, Grandmother!” Countless thoughts filled Paya’s head as she anxiously hurried to make more tea. She always wondered if Link was in love with the princess. A part of her always said she would support the pairing if it were true…but it was easier to believe that when the princess was not around to confirm or deny the nature of their relationship. Now that she is here, what if it is all true? Would she see them together holding hands? Would she finally see Link smiling, directed towards someone else? What if - what if they share a ki-

“Paya! For Hylia’s sake the kettle is whistling!”

“O-oh right! S-sorry!”

–

Cado and Dorian make haste to greet Link and Zelda at the gate of Kakariko Village. They hold the utmost respect for Link when they greet him with the title “Master Link.” Upon seeing Zelda, they both kneel to one knee and bow their heads greeting her as “Your Highness.”

Zelda insists that they rise “Please…there is no need for such formalities. Is Impa able to see us at this time?”

“Of course Princess, she is eagerly awaiting your arrival at her temple. As well as yours, Master Link. We will escort you both there.” 

Cado and Dorian grab the reins of their two horses and guide them slowly down the path towards Impa’s temple. To Zelda’s surprise, all of the villagers are standing along the pathway with starstruck expressions and gleaming eyes as they all look upon her. Slowly, one by one, they kneel to both knees and bow their heads, extending their arms out in front of them showing their unwavering loyalty to Hyrule’s princess. Zelda feels overcome with a mix of feelings. She was not expecting anyone other than a few people who were alive 100 years ago to remember her or know of her at all. Yet here is an entire village that has stayed faithful to the prophecy of her return and looks to her as their monarch. She is also feeling quite embarrassed, still holding the weight of the damage the calamity had cost her kingdom because of her. 

As they approach Impa’s temple, the two dismount their horses and follow Cado up the stairs. Zelda briefly looks over at Link feeling a bit anxious to see her friend again, to which Link gives her a reassuring expression. Cado slides the doors open revealing Impa and Paya standing  in the center of the room. Paya meets her eyes with Link feeling her face grow warm with admiration. Saving Hyrule from an ancient Calamity has only made him more handsome, she thought. She immediately falls her eyes on Zelda and feels her heart drop into her stomach at the sight of her divine beauty. She nervously bows her head and feels a pang of defeat. Impa, however, meets her eyes with Link and Zelda beaming with a proud smile. There is a brief pause as Zelda takes a moment to take in Impa’s aged appearance and tears fill her eyes as she smiles upon her old friend. Impa breaks the silence by tapping her walking cane on the floor, “Well done you two. It is so lovely to see you again, Your Highness.”

End Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Tension

“Oh Impa, I can’t believe it’s really you! I’m so glad to see that you are doing well!” Zelda embraced her long time friend with caution as to not rattle her old bones too much. 

“Well there was no way I was going anywhere until we met again, didn’t I say that we would all those years ago?” Impa returns her hug with the one free arm she has, and they both become teary eyed with joy. As Zelda pulls away from their hug, she glances over towards Paya. Impa follows her gaze and smiles, “Your Highness, this is my granddaughter Paya.” Paya lifts her head from her bow and smiles nervously towards Zelda, “I-it’s an honor to meet you Princess Zelda. Grandmother has told me many stories of your bravery. I hope to have half of your wisdom and leadership when I become Chief.” 

“The honor is mine, Paya. I must say…you are the spitting image of your grandmother in her youth! I could have easily mistaken you for her.” 

Paya nods in agreement, “I have seen paintings of her at my age and I would agree with you, Princess.”

Impa pats Paya proudly on the back, “A blessing to have inherited my looks isn’t it? I must say I’m rather impressed by your reaction to meeting our Princess, Paya. You should have seen the flustered mess she was when she met our Master Link for the first time. Why she could hardly look him in the eye-” 

“G-grandmother please!!! There is no need to discuss such events!” Paya’s face flushed red with embarrassment and she felt like she could fry an egg with the rising heat of her cheeks. She dared to glance over at Link who was tilting his head in bewilderment. 

Curse his perfectly parted golden hair and mysterious eyes! He must think I’m such a clutz! I must maintain my composure…

“Oh alright then, let us sit down with some tea. I’m sure there is much to discuss about the next steps for Hyrule’s road to recovery.” 

Zelda and Link take their seats on the floor cushions surrounding the center table of the room side by side. On the other side, Impa sits across from Zelda and Paya’s floor cushion is beside her across from Link. Paya composes herself to bring a tray of tea cups, a teapot, and other sweeteners and finger foods to the table. Out of respect for the princess, she pours and serves Zelda her cup first to which Zelda smiles and thanks her. As Zelda carefully blows a soft wisp of air over her cup to cool down her first sip, she can’t help but note the very…subtle touch Paya shares with Link as she hands him his tea cup. It’s so subtle that neither Impa nor Link seem to notice, but Zelda knows that touch. She’s used that touch before. She’s used it with Link as well. The very slight way her fingers grazed his so delicately as she placed the tea cup in his hands. The way her eyes fluttered from their hands up to his face in the moment it happened to see if he would react in any particular way. The tint of pink blush that colored her cheeks as he thanked her for the tea. 

It bothered her.

“Your Highness?” Impa’s voice grasped Zelda’s attention from her brewing thoughts. “Is there something wrong with the tea?”

“O-oh no! It was just a bit hot but it is excellent, thank you.” She takes a sip of her tea in a very proper, regal manner, smiling ever so poised. “I advise everyone to take caution when handling their cups. So as not to burn our fingers.”

–

*100 years earlier*

“Link! I don’t believe it! I actually caught one! Come take a look!” Zelda holds her two hands cupped together out towards Link, who leans a bit closer to see what she’s holding. “This is a rare species of frog that, under the proper circumstances, could enhance one’s physical endurance and energy! Wouldn’t that be exciting? Someone like you, especially, would be the perfect candidate to test it!” Link looks at her with a slight concern for his own stomach already knowing where she’s going with this. “Go on! Try it!” Zelda holds her hands containing the frog out closer in front of Link’s face much to his reluctance to be anywhere near it. He loved food and hardly backed down from a challenge…but this? Eating a raw frog? The princess surely must be toying with him. Link put his hands up in front of him and leaned back in a polite decline of her offer to which the princess continued to lean forward in persistence. “Oh come now Link surely this would be no challenge for you! It could make fighting monsters much easier!” 

Or it could make him throw up, he thought to himself. Link shook his head and continued to back away from the princess as she playfully continued to chase him with the frog. Her amusement with his refusal to comply was endearing to see given only a few days ago she was avoiding him all over Hyrule. The more distressed he seemed to be, the more Zelda’s smile and laughter seemed to grow. He found himself now putting more effort into avoiding her advances merely to reciprocate her playful behavior. He was so fixated on the radiance of her smile that he stumbled on a large rock and lost balance. Before she could stop herself, Zelda’s momentum in following after him had her collide into him, completely toppling over him as he fell backwards into the soft grass that covered Hyrule fields. The frog of course had escaped Zelda’s grasp and hopped away to freedom. 

Link lets out a soft grunt upon impact to the ground then in a natural reflex puts his hands out to support Zelda before she faceplants into his nose. Her hair falls to the side like golden curtains surrounding their faces and she locks eyes with him in sort of shock in the position she found herself in. Link’s hands were holding her by the upper arm-shoulder area and her face was hovering just but a couple inches above his. Her hands were on the ground on either side of him supporting her weight. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against hers. Neither of them break eye contact, rather, they study each other for a moment. Zelda notices that his eyes have little flakes of gold that reflect the sunlight, and he has very faint freckles on the bridge of his nose that aren’t noticeable unless you’re that close. For someone who spends a lot of time training, fighting monsters, and riding around on horses across Hyrule, he smelled so pleasing. The smell of the fresh, breathy air of the wild and a hint of metal from his sword. Link moves some of her hair to the side with the back of his hand and, though his expression never falters, thinks to himself how soft it feels. “Princess Zelda.” he softly spoke to her, surprisingly in a deeper tone than Zelda had imagined his voice to sound. Sonorous and resonant like that of a tenor. Zelda could feel a rush of warmth flood her cheeks, as this was the first time she heard his voice, and the first time her name came from his lips. 

“Yes?” She sounded nervous, but matched his soft tone. He seemed to stare at her for a moment as if he was waiting for her to figure out on her own what he was going to say. When she only stared back in bewilderment, he softened his expression and lightly tapped his hands on her shoulders.

“If you’re not hurt, I think we should get up now.”

Zelda’s eyes widened, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. “O-oh right! Of course!” She shot up so fast and began dusting herself off. Link sat up, finding it amusing how differently she’s behaving around him lately. Had this happened just a few days ago she would probably be scolding him. Feeling a little lightheaded, he rubs the back of his head where he had hit the ground. Zelda looks over at him noticing his discomfort, “Oh Link, are you hurt?” Link only shakes his head and then moves his hand down to rub his neck, “It’s nothing to worry about.” 

“As brave as you are, that does not make you immune to injury. Let me take a look to see if there’s signs of swelling.” Before giving him a chance to protest, Zelda kneels down by his side and uses one hand to slightly turn his head and the other to part his hair to look for any bumps from the impact. She glances at his face as she does so to see if he has any particular reaction to her fingers combing through his hair. While she sees nothing change on the surface level of his facial expression, on the inside Link finds it very soothing. She brings her hand down towards his neck and gently pushes a few spots across to feel for any swelling. “It seems you’re alright. But if you start to feel any discomfort, ice should do the trick.” She smiles at him before retreating her hand from where it was on his neck, slowly grazing one finger at a time away ever so subtly. Her and Link lock eyes for a brief moment. Zelda swears to herself that although his expression remains neutral, his eyes dilated when they looked at her. 

–

The discussion over tea had turned into one of what was to become next for Hyrule now that Zelda has returned. Impa and Zelda discussed many ideas of the first steps to take in rebuilding communities and infrastructure that would meet the current needs of the civilians. Impa also suggested that they send word to leaders and regions that their princess had returned and that there should be a celebration to reestablish her position as monarch. There was also a conversation about how there essentially has not been any form of military since the calamity had eradicated all of the knights. Link is the only remaining knight now, and perhaps it is best if he captained and trained a new regiment of soldiers. Impa suggests that Zelda openly announce his new rank at this celebration, so that they may draw some recruits. While Ganon may be defeated, the Yiga Clan and other monsters are still a threat and her kingdom must be well armed. As the evening draws near, Impa invites Link and Zelda to stay the night in her temple so that they do not travel in the dark. She asks Paya to prepare a room for them to stay, to which Paya seems a little quick to object. “Grandmother…do you not think perhaps two rooms are necessary? I know we only have one spare room, but I am happy to offer my room to the Princess and I could sleep elsewhere-”

“Nonsense Paya. Link’s place is by her Highness. It is of utmost importance for all of us to ensure her safety. Especially since not long ago a Yiga managed to get their hands on our family heirloom right from under us. There are two futons in the closet of that room to be used.”

Paya hesitates, glancing over at Link and Zelda to see if they will object. Realizing that both of them seem to agree with Impa, she bows her head in an apologetic way, “Of course, I will prepare them right away.” Paya makes her way to their spare bedroom and begins setting up their futons. She ensures to place them as far apart as the room allows and places a room partition made with parchment type material and bamboo between them for privacy. 

Link excuses himself to attend to the horses and retrieve some of their items that were attached to their saddles. Zelda and Impa exchange a brief conversation before Impa bids her a goodnight and retires to her bed chambers, reminding her that she is welcome to make herself feel at home. When Paya returns, she tells Zelda that  their room is ready for them and that there are fresh linens and towels for them to use. Paya offers her services to Zelda should she need anything, to which Zelda shows gratitude and kindly thanks her for her hospitality. Though the two young women share genuine pleasantries, there is a bit of an unspoken tension. Paya bids her goodnight and makes her way up to her room. She stops halfway up the stairs and looks over to her, “Princess…please extend my services to Master Link as well.” 

“Of course Lady Paya. We are both grateful for your kindness.”

With that, Paya goes to her chambers for the evening with plenty to write into her diary. 

–

After waiting some time in their room, Zelda finds it a bit odd that Link has not made his way back yet. Surely tending the horses would not have taken him this long. She does not want to settle before she knows he’s returned, so she takes it upon herself to step out to look for him. She exits the premises and scopes the area from atop of the stairs to see if she can spot him. Surely enough, he was just off to the side of Impa’s house where there was a small campfire. He seemed to be relaxing and enjoying some sort of snack. Zelda makes her way over to him, nodding politely to the villagers who bow in respect towards her. As she approaches him, she has a sudden realization that the previous conversation they had today between just the two of them was rather awkward. She wonders if perhaps he is avoiding her because of it. No, he wouldn’t. He takes his knighthood too seriously for that. 

“May I join you?” 

Link looked up to her and nods a yes, then turns to the baked apple in his hand and indulges into another bite. Interesting she thought to herself. The Link she knew before used to find baked apples too mushy for his liking. Perhaps more than just his memory has changed since he awoke from his 100 year sleep. Zelda takes a seat beside him and fidgets with her fingers feeling slightly nervous. “I…well… I feel like I owe you an apology. For earlier today.”

Link turns his head towards her and tilts it slight in confusion, “For what?”

“Well…I feel as though I shut down a bit when the…the topic of my mother came up. I did not mean to come off as though I was upset with you and I fear that maybe…you thought I was.” Her fingers progressively fidgetted more and more as she continued to talk. Then she started to tug at the ends of her hair, a habit that Link has noticed her to do whenever she is escalating in embarrassment or anxiety. “I was so excited to see such a beautiful horse that reminded me of the one I used to have and I thought of all these memories of when you would help me bond with her and I really am so grateful to you for the gesture and you went so out of your way and got up so early to bring her and then I ruined it by talking about my mother and I can’t help but feel like maybe you’re avoiding me because-” 

“Princess” Zelda felt Links hands on her shoulders when she stops herself and meets her eyes with his. They were serious, but also soft and looked at her with concern. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. It was my mistake, I did not remember such a sensitive detail.” 

Zelda felt herself slump her posture in guilt for his response. She did not want him to blame himself for not remembering something, especially when it wasn’t something she ever talked about for him to remember in the first place. “Link…” She puts her hands on his and brings them together in front of them, holding them in a desperate plea for forgiveness. “I don’t want you to feel that not remembering something is a mistake. Besides… you couldn’t possibly remember her because… I never talked about her. So please… do not endure blame.” 

There is a silence between them, Link holds his gaze with her not daring to move or pull away with Zelda in a vulnerable state. He usually remains silent and chooses to comfort her with small gestures, but something in his gut tells him that she is longing to talk about it. “I will always be here if you would like to talk about her. Even if you just want me to listen and not ask any questions.” He gives her hands a gentle squeeze when he sees tears start to build up in her eyes. 

“Thank you Link. I would like that. You are the best listener I’ve ever known, too.” She uses the sleeve of her tunic to gently blot the tears away from her eyes. “Perhaps we could… talk about it inside?” Link nods, smiling softly to reassure he is happy to do so. 

“One more thing-” he adds as he stands up, holding his hand out to her to assist her. Zelda takes his hand, curious as to what he’s going to say. Link pulls her up, a little closer to him than they were just sitting. Zelda can’t help but hold her breath, recalling the memory of when she was close enough to see his freckles.

 “I would never avoid you.”

–

Link and Zelda spend the next couple of hours in their room in conversation of Zelda’s mother. Link learns from her that the late queen had passed away suddenly and tragically when Zelda was but 6 years of age. She was so close with her as a child and shared an interest in learning about ancient sheikah technology. After her passing, her relationship with her father had changed and he was adamant that she stop researching ancient technology and focus more on her training with her sealed powers. Link remembers how the late King would scold her anytime he found her gazing upon the guardians or putting efforts into understanding the use of the sheikah slate. It was all making sense that what was a source of connection to her mother was also the source of grief for the King. 

Her mother also had an affinity for animals, particularly horses. She had often told Zelda that in the next life she would return as a horse and find her again. She recalls asking her mother what animal she would be in the next life, to which her mother responded with “a little bird that could fly high in the skies wherever she wanted.” She tells Link that she would often jump off of her bed pretending to fly like a little bird and land in a pile of pillows. 

The more Zelda is able to open up about her memories of her mother, the more calm and relaxed she becomes. Link notices a glowing aura of happiness coming from her and simply enjoys listening to her talk. He also started to realize why hearing that he named her horse, unintentionally, after her mother was such a sudden shock that would make her feel sad. 

At some point, Zelda circles back to the name of her horse and asks Link why he thinks that name came to him. Link rubs the back of his head, admitting that he is unsure himself. It was the first name that popped in his head, almost as if a little voice had whispered it to him. Zelda seemed satisfied with his answer.   

“I think…she wanted you to find her. So that we could meet again. I found it strange that a descendant of a palace horse is still around after all this time. Now it makes sense.” Zelda looks over at him, noticing that his eyes beg for sleep but still he is attentively listening. “This was very…healing. I’m glad that I was able to talk to someone about her again. Thank you, Link.” She places a hand on his arm as a gesture of gratitude to which he nods a “you’re welcome” towards her. Link can’t help but let a yawn escape, making Zelda yawn as well. They both look at each other and softly chuckle. They have been sitting on the futon closest to the door where Link is meant to sleep. Zelda had covered herself with the blanket he will be using. Now it smelled like the floral essence of her natural scent. 

“I suppose I’ve kept you awake long enough. We should get some rest.” As she stands, she unwraps the blanket from around her and places it next to Link. “I’ve really missed this you know… talking with you like this. Perhaps we could make time to do this more often?”

“Whenever you’d like to Princess.”

Zelda taps her fingers together and takes a deep breath like she was going to say something then stops herself. Link gives her a penetrating gaze in anticipation of what she wanted to say. Zelda puts her hands behind her back and shakes her head, “Perhaps a topic for another day. Goodnight Link.”

Link blinks in a slight disappointment then decides it’s best to let it go. For now.

“Goodnight Princess.”

Zelda makes her way past the room partition and settles into her futon. She had already dressed down into sleepwear when they had initially returned to the room before beginning their discussion. She listens for the anticipated sound of Link turning the light off to settle in bed as well, but hears him shuffling in movement. She looks over at the room partition and realizes she can see a faint silhouette of Link dressing down from his attire of the day. She could see him taking out his hair band, then reaching up behind his neck to grab the back of his tunic and pull it off over his head. He brought one hand up to his hair and roughly toussled through it to loosen the strands and briefly massage the area of his scalp where the hairband was tightened. He started to take the belts and straps that held his weapons and other gear on his person off and set them down on the floor next to the master sword that was propped against the wall next to his futon. Zelda felt her face get hot and couldn’t bare the sight of what was obviously next to take off and pulled her covers over her face in a sudden rush. While the idea of him being just on the other side practically in his underwear was more than the princess could fathom, to her surprise the lights had turned off. She hears the shuffling of Link getting under the blanket and adjusting to a comfortable position. There is a sound of him taking a deep breath and exhaling in a breathy sigh of relaxation. 

His blanket smelled nice.

End Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Sworn Duty

* 100 years earlier*

Link waited patiently outside the gates of Gerudo Town. He respects the customs of not allowing men - er - voes into their vicinity. Still, it is his sworn duty to stay with the princess at all times to keep her safe. He taps the tip of his boot into the ground, anxiously waiting for her to walk back out through the gates. It has been quite sometime that she’s been in the town, allegedly looking for a particular Gerudo who would give some insight into a relic she had found in the desert. The two soldiers outside the gate seem to be on high alert and uneasy with Link’s presence. It seemed he was only welcome when Urbosa was present, and currently she was aboard Vah Nabooris.

“You. Voe.”

Link shot his head up from staring at the sands up to the amazonian guard by the gate. 

“If you must linger while you wait for the Hylian vai, you can wait around the corner by the sand seal pit. Should she make her exit, we will escort her that way.”

He does not seem to care for that suggestion, he is already pushing the limits of what the King has commanded of him by not being with her. Still, he knows better than to challenge them and disregard their customs. He nods respectfully and makes his way towards the sand seal pit just on the far side of the towns border walls. Rather than turning the corner, he comes to a stop right at the end of the wall so that he can still keep the front entry gate in view for Zelda. He leans against the wall and maintains his gaze in that direction. His attention is pulled when he hears a rather suspicious conversation just around the corner of the wall he was leaning against. 

“Aw man, I’m so pissed those guys get to have all the fun while we just have to be decoys.”

Link turns his head, and intently listens. 

“Relax. It’s not like they’ll kill her right away. They’ll capture her first. Then we’ll all get a chance of action.”

“But Master Kohga said to eliminate her.”

“And she will be eliminated. Come on man, the royal family put our clan through hell for years! Almost all of our members want revenge and we intend to get it. I don’t know about you, but when I get my hands on that little bitch of a princess I’m going to do as I damn please until she’s begging for mer-” 

The master sword pierced through the back of his head and out through his mouth before he could finish his sentence. The Yiga in disguise transformed back into his real appearance, choking on his gushing blood when Link removes the sword from his throat. The other Yiga watched in horror as his comrade fell in a pool of blood to the ground, where he had the misfortune of witnessing Link glaring at him with a blood stained sword in his hand. He started to back away but not before Link had him pinned up against the wall in a death grip by the throat. The look in his eyes penetrate the Yiga members with a burning hot fury that let’s him know death awaits him. He trembles in fear as Link holds up the blade of evils bane against his throat, drenched in the other Yiga’s blood. He puts his shaking hands up, begging to be spared. Link’s expression is bestial with rage. Jaw clenched, teeth grinding, he tightens his grip around the Yiga’s throat and practically snarls when he speaks. “Where. Is. She.”

“S-She was followed not too far by Kaara Kaara Baazar. I swear that’s all I know! Please! I didn’t know about all the other stuff-” The Yiga finds himself dropped face first into the sand, next to his already deceased comrade. He profusely thanks Hylia and Link for sparing him. Link had already left and headed straight for Kaara Kaara Bazaar, running as fast as he could in a desperate desire of finding Zelda. The phrase “Almost all of our members want revenge… I’m going to do as I damn please” whipping around in his mind like a vicious cyclone. He’ll never allow them to touch her. Even if it means killing every single one of them. He will protect her. 

–

It had been a week since Zelda’s return and the destruction of Ganon. After visiting Kakariko Village, Link and Zelda had set off to visit all the regions that were home to the champions. Zelda wanted to personally thank their descendants for their aid in overcoming the Divine Beasts, as well as speak to the region leaders about plans to restore Hyrule to its glory. They started with Zora’s Domain, Zelda feeling quite strongly about providing Mipha’s father some closure about his daughter. He had declined her initial request for Mipha to pilot Vah Ruta, but after Mipha had declared her desire to play her role as a champion, the Zora King had her promise to return safely. The sinking feeling he must have had all these years weighs on her heart. 

They had stopped a few times in their travels to stay at stable inns where Zelda found it important to mingle and converse with the local civilians. Of course, they all took to her fondly as she had a natural talent for people skills. She was able to hear their stories and aid in their struggles. Her and Link continued to spend time talking to each other about memories of the past that they could remember. At her request, Link also shares some of his adventures since he awoke from the shrine of resurrection and how he slowly started to regain his strength. It had become a new ritual before retiring for sleep to spend this time together that the two looked forward to every day. 

When approaching Zora’s Domain, Link had brought their horses to a halt and dismounted from Epona. He reached into his bag on the saddle and pulled out his Zora armor. Zelda watched curiously as he put it on, dazzled by the way the scales glistened against the sunlight. While most of the fabric was blue, there were crimson red scales with a pearly shimmer stitched into it. She is surprised at how well the armor fits his frame, considering the Zora are very long torsoed. It seems tailored to fit him specifically. 

“Link? Where did you acquire this armor? I’ve never known the Zora to have armor fit for a Hylian.”

Link adjusted the protective plates around the shoulders, “It was given to me by King Dorephan. It enhances my swimming ability to be like the Zora.”

“Oh I see, that was very kind of him to have that made for you.” Zelda smiles as she admires the craftsmanship.

“Actually, he said Mipha had made it for me.”

“Mipha?” Zelda felt a knot forming in her throat. She pauses, recalling Zora customs where a female Zora would create armor for a potential mate as a symbol of love…and a marriage proposal. “She was...making you armor at the time…” Zelda looked over noticing that he only seemed to have the chest piece. The Zora princess was never able to finish. “I had no idea Mipha felt that way.”

Link tucked his champions tunic into the saddle bag and looks at the ground in a silence. After a brief moment he mounts Epona and gestures for Zelda to follow. 

As they approach the luminous bridge at the entrance of Zora’s Domain, they proceed forward on foot. The Zora have a much longer lifespan than that of a Hylian, so many of the adult Zora recognize Zelda. Upon seeing her, they are initially overcome with shock then bow their heads to her on one knee as she passes by. They are well aware by the now deactivated Ruta and surrounding guardians what had recently transpired. As they walk up to the center of the domain, they approach Mipha’s monument. Masterfully carved out of ice, it captures the Zora princess’ beauty and elegance well. Zelda looks up at her statues’ eyes, suddenly remembering that on that fateful day, Mipha was about to tell Zelda how she channels her healing powers. She wonders what she was going to say, and if it would have changed the course of events that followed. A pang of guilt creeps into her chest thinking about how alone and scared she must have felt trapped inside Vah Ruta with that…thing. 

She was waiting for us to help her…I took too long. 

She looks over to Link who is fixated on Mipha’s statue as well. His eyes seemed to glaze over, a distant look of despair in them. His hands close into soft fists. Zelda can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking, what he’s feeling, or what he remembers of her. She wonders if he blames her for not being able to help Mipha or any of the champions. Does he resent her for not unleashing her power until it was too late? Does he - does he grieve the life he could have had with Mipha had she survived? She’s never seen him look so…sad. 

“LINK! Is that you down there!”

Both Link and Zelda’s attention averts to the level above them. Just infront of the entrance to the throne room, stands the Zora Prince Sidon waving and flashing his famous toothy grin. He jumps down from the above balcony and lands with a poised finesse. He charges over to Link and takes his small Hylian hand in his large shark like grasp, shaking it with a vigorous motion of excitement.

“My dear friend Link! It is so very wonderful to see you once again here in Zora’s Domain! I knew from the moment we saw Vah Ruta unleash a powerful laser beam towards Hyrule Castle then suddenly deactivate that it had to be true! You defeated the Calamity Ganon! Indeed! My faith in you never waivered! You are truly Hyrule’s Hero!” 

Link’s whole body shakes as Sidon rapidly increases the motion in which he shakes his hand the more he continues to praise him. To Zelda, it’s quite amusing how such a courageous and skilled knight can easily be so jostled about by this giant Zora. Link’s expression is that of a nervous smile, happy to see his friend yet partially fearing that his arm may be accidentally ripped off. Sidon pulls Link into a very friendly embrace, rustling his hair in sort of a big brother way. Zelda puts her hands over her mouth to hide her cheeky grin in seeing such a sight. Link is always so serious, sometimes in their private moments he relaxes into a softer demeanor. But right now, Link’s cheeks are tinted pink, and he has the most adoring boyish grin. He even lets out a soft laugh as he tries to swat Sidon away and reposition his hair. 

Zelda finds herself staring at him in awe, as if she has unlocked a new sight of Link that she has never before experienced. He looks so adorable! Like a young lad just playing with his best friend. He is very capable of showing his happiness after all he’s been through, and she feels so happy that she is able to witness him this way. His smile and laugh are enough fill her stomach with butterflies. She is determined to evoke the same emotions from him herself. 

“Link you must tell me! Have you yet returned Princess Zelda from her ensealment?”

Link looks at Sidon with a bit of an eyebrow raise, then clears his throat and looks over to Zelda. Sidon follows his gaze to her who was standing merely a few feet to the side of them. He had last seen her when he was but a boy so his memory of her was that she was blonde and wore her royal blue travel attire. She is currently wearing more casual riding attire fitting of the common folk, but after a few seconds he recognizes her facial features and signature golden hair. His eyes widen and his mouth agape in pure awe. He releases Link and bends down to one knee, putting his right hand over his heart. 

“Your Highness, forgive me. It is an honor to be in your presence once again. Thank you, for protecting Hyrule for all these years. Zora’s domain is forever grateful for your sacrifice.”

Zelda smiles softly, a bit of solemn in her eyes feeling undeserving of his high praises. “You’ve grown up so much Sidon. I have no doubt your sister smiles proudly upon you. Have you yet mastered swimming up these large waterfalls?”

Sidon meets her eyes with a bit of shock, but upon remembering how Mipha would assist him in swimming up the waterfalls, he smiles his ever cheerful smile.

“Quite so, Princess!” 

–

After a brief reunion with Sidon, he escorts Link and Zelda to the throne room at her request to see King Dorephan. The Zora King, though ever mourning the loss of his daughter, expresses gratitude towards Link and Zelda for their fight to destroy Ganon. Zelda expresses her condolences and regrets being unable to save Mipha and the champions from their demise. She humbly asks for forgiveness for recruiting Mipha to pilot the Divine Beast against his initial decline. 

“My daughter chose her own path that day, and nothing I said as her father or as the king was going to change her mind. She was determined to protect what was most precious to her.” The king looks over to Link, looking for traces of his daughter in the crimson scales that shimmer from his armor. “It pains me to know she never was able to finish making the rest of the armor for you, Link. However, I know it brings her spirit peace that she was able to help you after all this time through the abilities it grants you, and the grace of her healing abilities. Continue to wear it proudly for her, and for the Zora. Perhaps had things turned out differently …” Dorephan pauses mid sentence, contemplating if what he is about to say would be too painful. Link stares at him intently with an unwavering stoic expression. Sidon notes his father’s implications and steps forward.

 “Perhaps it is best we not dwell on what could have been, and look towards what can become of Hyrule’s future. Your Highness, please do not hesitate to call upon the Zora for anyway we can aid your plans of restoration.”

Zelda clutches her tunic at the chest before nodding respectfully, “I will not let the sacrifices of those who risked their lives be in vain. I will do everything in my power to honor their lives with a safer Hyrule for us all. I believe that with Link as well, there is no threat we cannot overcome.” 

King Dorephan seems satisfied with her resolve, and shows gratitude for her sympathy. 

Not long after, Zelda and Link take their leave from the throne room. Dorephan watches them closely as they depart. Zelda has a slight slump in her posture carrying the weight of constant grief and guilt. Without exchanging any words between them, Link puts his hand on her shoulder as a gesture of comfort. She looks up at him and smiles softly, their eyes lingering in each others gaze for just a moment longer than most people would. 

“I know what you were going to say father. Perhaps had things turned out differently, Link would be wed to Mipha. He would be the Prince consort of the Zora, my brother by law, and another son to you.” Sidon looks from the two of them up to his father, who had finally allowed himself to shed a tear that he was holding back. 

“You were right, my son. It is best not to dwell on what could have been. Mipha died with unwavering love in her heart. It is clear now that her beloved’s heart is already spoken for.” 

–

After paying respects to the King, Zelda decides to lift her spirits by conversing with the Zora around the domain. She is delighted to know they have faith in her efforts to restore Hyrule, and she also picks up stories of Link helping some folks with their troubles. His courage to slay the Lynel that terrorized Ploymus Mountain and collect its shock arrows, ridding Ralis Pond of the giant Hinox, helping a washed away Zora find her way back to her husband, aiding Prince Sidon in taming Vah Ruta all have caused the Zora to love and respect Link. They trust in him and welcome him fondly to their establishments. Zelda finds herself wrestling with the idea of how well he would have thrived here as a resident. As a prince. As Mipha’s husband. She shakes such thoughts from her mind and continues to engage with regal poise in conversation, attempting to focus on all the good Link has done for the Zora. 

As evening draws near, Sidon insists on their stay in the domain for the night. He ensures them that the night guards of the bridge will keep watch of their horses who wait at the entryway. He has also requested that Seabed Inn remain free of additional occupants for the night so that the princess may have better privacy. Seeing Link and Zelda satisfied with their accommodations, he bids them goodnight. Majority of the domain closes for the night and the Zora, with the exception of some night guards, retreat under the water. Link, as usual, takes a final inspection of the perimeter to ensure there is nothing of suspicion. He knows better than to assume any place is truly safe, especially with Zelda in his presence. When he is satisfied that all is secure, he begins to step out to allow Zelda a chance to prepare for bed. Unable to hold her tongue any longer, Zelda stops him before he can open the drapes that cover the inn's walls.  

“Link, wait.”

Link pauses and turns to look at her. 

“I…I would like to talk to you first. If that’s okay.”

He looks at her with a bit of a surprised expression, almost as if he thinks he is expecting to hear something that could be bad news. Zelda scoots over to make room for him to sit next to her to which he takes to her signal and does so. He can sense her nervousness from the way her shoulders tense and her eyebrows slightly furrowed in distress. He waits patiently as she collects herself to continue speaking. He notes that she keeps taking glances towards his armor. 

“Did you know..? About Mipha’s feelings?” She avoided eye contact at first, but then brought her eyes to his eyes that are quite luminous in the glow of the domain's lighting. Link blinks, feeling a bit thrown off by the sudden forwardness of her question. Zelda holds strong in her eye contact with him, showing her seriousness of wanting an answer. Link studies the intensity of her gaze and concludes that this is what had been bothering her since he put on the armor. He puts his hand on the back of his neck and awkwardly rubs it for comfort. 

“I don’t remember if I knew before.” He lets out a sigh and drops his hand. This really was an uncomfortable topic of conversation. He’s tried to wrap his head around what the nature of his relationship with Mipha used to be but could not remember anything beyond the moments where she would heal his wounds. “It was just as much of a surprise to me.”

Zelda adjusts herself so that her body is facing him, “Earlier today when we were looking at her statue…you seemed…” she stops herself from saying he looked sad. Because of course he should be sad. She is also sad. Everyone is sad. But she needed to know why someone who usually remains neutral suddenly showed his grief so openly. She looks down at the armor yet again, “You continue to wear it even if you are not in need of its abilities to swim. The Zora people…the way they speak of you… it feels as if you are regarded in the way they regard Sidon.”

“I wear it in the domain as a sign of respect.” Link can see that Zelda adjusts herself in her seat in an anxious response. While he doesn’t usually pick up on subtle cues, he knows Zelda well enough to understand her concerns. “Wearing the armor does not make me a prince of the Zora. It was never given to me by Mipha herself.”

“Would you have accepted it from her…had things turned out differently?”

Link’s stare towards Zelda intensifies just as the silence that follows from him. Zelda fears she struck a nerve and went too far. She watches as his demeanor changes into a somber one and averts his eyes from her to stare at the flooring. Her heart feels like it could pound out of her chest at any minute. The tension in the silence between them feels so heavy. He takes a deep breath through his nose and exhales in what seems like frustration to her. 

“No. It wouldn’t have been fair to her.”

“Why do you say that?”

Link looks back at her with an offended expression. “I’m a knight, not a prince. I have a sworn duty to protect the throne, not sit on one. My place is by you.”

Zelda feels her chest tighten from his response. Is she keeping him from pursuing a different path for himself? The idea that he rejects any title other than knighthood leaves a sting in her heart as well. 

“...Would you ever marry?”

His eyebrows raise slightly, once again caught off guard by her forwardness. He’s never really thought about these kinds of things. Not that he’s really had the chance to. He always maintained focus on what the present required of him and never thought of himself having something like marriage in his future. The more she stares at him, the more he feels there is something more to her question. After what felt like an eternity of silence, he stands up preparing to make his exit. “It’s quite late princess, we should get rest.” He breaks eye contact first and makes his leave of the inn in a bit of a huff. The conversation was overwhelming for the silent knight. Zelda’s eyes follow him in a bewildered gaze. His answer still left a mystery of his true feelings towards Mipha, and has now raised many other questions for Zelda to ponder. 

After an hour, he returns to find Zelda still in her riding attire asleep in her bed. He gets the sinking feeling that this conversation is far from over. 

End Chapter 4

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Weakness 

To Link’s surprise, Zelda has not pursued further discussion about the previous night’s topic of marriage, Mipha’s feelings for Link, or any other thoughts that plagued her from their visit to Zora’s Domain. He made it appoint to dress in the Champion’s tunic as well, hoping to remove the armor as a reason to bring it up. Upon greeting each other the next morning, Zelda was in a much more uplifted spirit. She was poised and proper in her demeanor and regarded him warmly as though last night’s tension filled conversation did not happen. She was playful yet diplomatic in her conversations with him, choosing to focus on where they would be traveling next. They mapped out the path to the next regions they would visit and set a plan to stock up on supplies for their travels. Link chose not to question the sudden change in her mood, but remained ever prepared for the chance it may come back around. He had spent the majority of the night thinking about his response to her and trying to understand why she was so adamant on asking him about marrying Mipha. He chalked it up to thinking she feared he would abandon his post as her knight. Regardless if he reciprocated Mipha’s feelings or not, he knew for sure he would never leave Zelda unprotected. After everything that happened, he knows she is only truly safe with him. 

The two of them gather their supplies and say their farewells to Sidon and the King. Days go by as they travel to the Eldin region next to pay their respects to the Gorons. Truthfully, Link waited for the conversation to come up again so that he may ease Zelda’s mind, but she still had not mentioned it. She would talk about her blossoming bond with Stella, the many ideas she had about restoring the castle, how important it was for her to share the history of the calamity in a school she wanted to build, and other casual topics. It almost felt as though their relationship had regressed slightly to a more formal princess - knight one rather than that of two friends. Though he never shows it on the outside, he finds himself feeling a bit disappointed. 

–

“We’ve been watching them for days, we’re not getting anywhere. The guy never misses a step or has a hair out of place. Just so freaking perfect.”

“Quit your yapping. I don’t care who he is or what goddess given abilities he has, everyone has a weakness. At some point he has to slip up and we’ll catch him off guard.”

“It didn’t work in Kakariko Village, it didn’t work in Zora’s Domain, it didn’t work at any of the stables, no matter where we follow them, he is always next to the little princess. Like jeez doesn’t the guy ever use the restroom or something?”

The Yiga blademaster grunts in annoyance. Yes, it was quite bothersome how thorough Link has been in guarding the princess. History has proven that no Yiga, be it a blademaster, a footsoldier, or even Master Kohga himself seems to be a match for the little hero. He even managed to defeat a malice incarnate of hatred such as Ganon. 

“No matter. The time for his downfall will come, and we will use the princess as a sacrifice to resurrect Master Kohga as planned. So keep observing until his guard is down. Even heroes get tired and reckless.” 

The foot soldier cocks his head to the side, watching Link and Zelda dismount their horses at Foothill Stable. They note that Zelda has a tendency to wander towards things that peak her interest, never showing a sign of concern that Link won’t be near. Every time she does this he is quick to fall into step next to her regardless of what he was doing. Even as he was leaving their horses with the stable keeper, he notices her start to walk towards Cephla Lake and immediately catches up to her. He takes caution and looks around at their surroundings causing the Yiga soldiers to scoff at his ever alertness. He thinks to himself how grating it must be to have to follow her around to every little whim she conjures up, much like a service dog. 

Zelda seemed to have spotted something of interest. They observe her chasing around some sort of lizard, likely the fireproof ones native to Eldin. When she has trouble catching it, she seems to recruit Link to try his hand at it. His attention seems to change from their surroundings to now focusing on this lizard. How idiotic they think to themselves. They are acting like it’s a golden banana or something. Zelda and Link attempt to trap it by approaching it from opposite ends so that no matter where it scurried to, one of them would be able to catch it. The lizard was too fast, for the second they thought they had it in the perfect spot, Zelda took a leap of confidence forward in an attempt to grasp it only for it to have evaded her again. Before Link could act to stop it, Zelda had face planted into him from the momentum of her forward plunge. 

That’s when he saw it. The answer had been in their faces the whole time. The blademaster squints as he observes, the gears starting to turn in his brain. Link’s whole body language relaxes the moment she makes contact with him. He is quick to do whatever she asks, follow wherever she goes. Perhaps the knight is not made of stone after all. 

“Come soldier, we have much to prepare for.”

“Wait what? What do you mean?”

“The key to the hero’s downfall is the princess herself. We must return to the hideout and begin planning for our next move.”

The blademaster disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only a banana peel. The footsoldier takes another glance at Link and Zelda, watching him help her stand up. There is a clear tenderness to him when she takes his hand and he pulls her up.

“I still don’t get it.” In the same puff of smoke, he vanishes as well. 

–

2 weeks later

Zelda and Link had traveled all throughout Hyrule visiting the four main regions. Zelda paid respects for the fallen champions and vowed to restore Hyrule to a better home for all who inhabit it. She is able to bond with the descendants who aided Link in defeating the Divine Beasts and share ideas to improve Hyrule’s infrastructure. Their last region to visit had been Gerudo Desert with Chief Riju. Though Link was prepared and dressed in a vai costume to enter Gerudo Town, Riju had granted him a prestigious honor to enter their town as a Voe in honor of his title as “Hyrule’s Hero” and Zelda’s appointed knight. Though she was given resistance by her counsel to allow Link to stay the night, Zelda spared her the trouble and decided they would make their leave and stay elsewhere. Against Riju’s protest due to the unforgiving conditions of the desert at night, Zelda insisted that she and Link must not be separated. Respecting their wishes, Riju ensures that they will have a plan to better accommodate their future visits.

Before making their leave, Link and Zelda change into their snowquill wear to prepare for the drop in temperature that was approaching with nightfall. Link had also prepared elixirs to keep them warm that should last them to the nearest stable in Gerudo Canyon. Link ensures their safety as they travel through the desert, warding off remaining electric lizalfos, chuchus, bokoblins, and keese they encounter. He also knows the whereabouts of the molduga and steers them clear of those locations. They are unfortunate enough to encounter a sudden sandstorm that clouds their vision of a straight path. The sand is cold and sharp as it whips into Zelda’s face and she struggles to keep pace with Link. He remains unwavered, grabbing her by the wrist and keeping her close to his body as he pushes them forward through the storm. 

It takes almost an hour for them to clear through the sandstorm and finally see the entry to the canyon. Their elixirs had worn off at some point, leaving Zelda’s exposed face skin feeling frozen. Her lungs feel caked with sand and her throat hurts from coughing. As they finally approach the Gerudo Canyon Stable, Zelda starts to feel faint and collapses. The intensity of the sandstorm and brutality of the cold had overwhelmed her, for she was not used to braving such conditions as Link was. Link supports her from hitting the ground and lifts her up into his arms. He carries her inside the stable and rests her on the nearest bed, thankful that no other occupants seemed to be there. It was…empty. No sign of the stable keep either. Ignoring the vacancy for now, Link hurriedly began pulling the blankets over her to seal in heat. He’s cursing himself for not thinking of the possibility the sandstorm would delay their travel and has no more warming elixirs to give her. With no sight of anyone else around, it would be too risky to leave her unattended to start a fire. He looks at the princess, trembling and wheezing from her sand encrusted lungs, and decides the best thing to do in the moment is to ensure she gets enough heat. Without another thought, he removes his snowquill tunic that was ice to the touch and had sand layered in the feathers. Grabbing another blanket nearby, he climbs into the bed fixing the two blankets on top of both of them. He turns to his side and brings Zelda close to his chest so that the heat from his body transfers to her. One of his hands supports her on her back while the other holds the back of her head, bringing her face against his chest. 

So cold… He thinks as her nose buries into his sternum. He rests his chin on top of her head and tries to focus on his breathing to distract from the sting of the cold against him. 

Eventually, her coughing fits become more spaced out and less aggressive. Her temperature regulates to match his. Feeling relieved that she is now safe, he is able to drift into a light sleep. 

–

As the sun begins to rise the next morning, the freezing temperatures become a more pleasant cool feeling. It’s not long before the sweltering heat will take over, but the double blanket and snowquill Zelda still wore is starting to feel a little warm. She slowly starts to wake, gently fluttering her eyes open. Her vision takes but a second to adjust and realize where she is. Just in front of her, inches from her own face, is Link’s. 

Link?! W-why is he - w-why are we - 

Her thoughts immediately flood to the last thing she remembers of last night. 

The sandstorm… that’s right. I remember feeling faint and cold. Link…he must have tried to keep me warm like this. 

She can’t help but stare at him, studying his sleeping expression. He still looks serious, in a way, like whatever he’s dreaming about must be important. His lips are slightly parted from where he is breathing since his nose must have been stuffy from the cold. She focuses on the way his hair falls, slightly dusting over his eyelids. Listening to the steady pattern of his breathing and watching as his body slightly rises and falls gives her a sense of calmness. The morning grows warmer by the minute, yet she does not want to move or pull away. His arms were still holding her close to him, and she could feel the faint scar lines on his chest. Most prominently…the one that sealed his demise 100 years ago. 

I’ve never seen him so…vulnerable. Would he go to these lengths to protect another person, I wonder… 

Link, I waited a century to see you again. I waited so long to tell you…that you are the reason I unlocked my sacred power. I was scared to lose you, I wanted to protect you. I - I wanted you to save yourself and forget about me. But you fought until your last breath…you always stayed by my side. You always protected me. Even now…for you to be here…embracing me like this…does that mean…it’s possible that you feel how I feel?

Link starts to stir as the rising heat becomes uncomfortable, and he opens his eyes where the first thing he sees are Zelda’s green eyes gazing upon him lost in thought.

Right, the princess was cold. I was supposed to wake up first so that I wouldn’t startle her. I better move. 

Link begins to sit up and push the blankets off of them, avoiding eye contact with her. He turns moving his legs off the side of the bed to get up when he feels Zelda’s hand on his back. 

“Link”

He turns to look at her over his shoulder, she’s starting to sweat but she has that look on her face that tells him something of a higher priority is plaguing her mind. He thinks she might be upset with him for sharing a bed together. 

“I’m sorry, Princess. My priority was to keep you warm.”

“What? Oh…no that’s not…that’s not what I was going to say.”

“It’s not?” Link turns his body more to face her, noticing that she is growing flushed in her cheeks and her breathing is becoming heavier. He mistakes this for her responding to the rising heat of the desert.

“No, I understand why you made the decision and I am grateful.” She drops her gaze from him, starting to feel a bit dizzy. It’s so hot, and getting hotter from her flustering emotions. “Actually…I was very comfortable. Something like a warm loving embrace made me feel safe.” She looks up at him, desperately looking for a sign in his expression that he is reciprocating what she is feeling. “It was the best I have slept in a long time.”

Link stares at her in silence. He was not expecting this reaction. But there was no time to soak in what she was saying. All he could focus on was how hot she must feel. Does she not realize she is in clothes meant for freezing temperatures and the desert is approaching triple digit temperatures? 

“Princess, we need to change for the rising heat. You’ll become dehydrated wearing that.” He senses her disappointment in his response. In an attempt to rectify his deflection of the conversation, he puts the back of his hand to her forehead to show his concern. “Once you cool down, you’ll have my full attention.” He softens his voice a bit and continues, “It was the best I slept in a long time as well. I’ll wait for you outside.” 

Satisfied with his repair attempt, she nods in content and watches as he grabs his saddle bag and makes his way outside. It is only after he is gone that she notices…

The entire stable is empty. It feels a bit eerie.

She begins to take the snowquill coat and pants off and dresses down to her undergarments. Upon searching in her bag, she finds knee length trousers and a lightweight traveling tunic that is much more suited for the heat. As she dresses herself, she gives herself a bit of a pep talk knowing that just outside the stable her conversation with Link awaits. 

“Alright Zelda, you’ve waited a long time for a chance like this. You must tell Link how you feel. There are no more obstacles like Calamity Ganon or impending threats to stop you from sharing your feelings.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Princess.” 

Zelda gasps but is immediately silenced by a large hand clutching her mouth. A cold vicious sickle presses just enough to not cut her against her neck. She freezes in fear, knowing all too well that she is in the presence of Yiga. 

“Make a single sound or movement, and you die. But don’t worry -” With widened eyes, she watches as a second Yiga soldier steps in front of her and knicks her hand with their blade. She winces trying not to make a sound and feels a gush of blood drip down. The Yiga soldier smears her bloodied hand on a talisman paper and with a poof of smoke he transforms into an exact clone of herself, as if she is looking into a mirror. Her heart races faster and faster and tears began to well up in her eyes. 

Her imposter looks at her sinisterly and continues in the tone of her own voice, “I will be sure to win the heart of your little hero, right before I rip it from his chest.”

–

Link takes his champion's tunic and Hylian trousers out of his saddle bag and begins to change into them. He looks around feeling a bit disturbed at the vacancy of the stable. Where is the stable keep? Where are Epona and Stella? It was filled with travelers and stable boys when they had left their horses here before entering the desert and now they are just…gone. He begins to whistle a horse call for Epona, but there is no response. He changes the tune slightly to call for Stella, and still nothing but the echo of his whistle is heard. 

Odd. Something’s not right. We need to leave.

After a few minutes, Link hears a faint sound of distress and of something like boxes falling from inside the stable. He immediately whips himself around to look, feeling a sudden sense of danger knowing Zelda was in there by herself. Without hesitation he bolts his way back towards the stable, hand on the hilt of the master sword ready to draw it if needed. Just as he approaches the entryway, he sees Zelda step out from the doorway and looks over to him. 

“Ah, there you are Link! I am all ready for our travels.”

Link comes to an abrupt stop with a perplexed expression. “What was that sound?”

“What sound?” 

“It sounded like something fell over, and like you got hurt.”

“Oh, no that was nothing! Just stumbled a bit while hoisting these boots on is all. Nothing you or your sword need to worry about.” She puts her hands on the upper part of his arm that is flexed from reaching for the sword behind him. “To tell you the truth, being in there alone…especially without you …is quite unsettling. It would make me feel much safer if we got out of here quickly.”

Link looks from her to the stable door, still feeling slightly uneasy. When “Zelda” puts a hand up to his cheek and makes him look back at her, he releases his hand from the sword and nods in compliance with her request. 

“The horses are missing, we’ll be on foot for a while.”

“I’m sure we’ll find them soon. And if we’re stuck in the canyon another night, I know as long as I’m with you I’ll be safe.” She softens her voice and lowers her eyelids to a more sultry expression. “And warm.”

Just on the other side of the stable door, the real Princess Zelda was forced to listen to their conversation. She pleaded in her head for Link to realize the ruse and come find her. As she hears their footsteps start to fade from walking further away from the door, tears roll down her cheeks. The next thing she knows, she appears in an imprisoning cell in the depths of the Yiga Hideout. 

Alone without her knight. Cold without his embrace. 

End Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Deception

*100 years earlier*

“Link, you seem to be quite skilled in taming your horse. Might I ask for your help with Pegasus? Lately she has been quite defiant.” Zelda crosses her arms in a bit of frustration. “She’s a wild spirit at heart, she would rather roam free than stay the course when riding.”

Link expresses a thin smile, thinking to himself of the irony she is missing. The princess is just like her own horse, wanting to roam free than stay the course. He approaches Pegasus from the side view and offers the back of his hand towards her nose. She gives his hand a sniff then shows acceptance for him to pet her on the nose. He shows Zelda how he gently strokes her neck and shoulder with an open hand using a rhythmic motion, making soothing sounds in a gentle tone of voice. Zelda watches in amazement as Pegasus receives Link so calmly and shows signs of happiness. 

“It helps if you take the time to soothe and bond with your mount, so they know how you truly feel.”

“Amazing…she is quite taken with you.” She wouldn’t say it, but watching him bond with Pegasus reminds her of the way her mother used to care for her horse. “You truly have an affinity for them.”

“Sharing treats with them also helps.” 

“Oh, I can do that! The royal stable keep has said that Pegasus enjoys fruit. Let’s see here…oh there are banana crates just over there! Do you think she would enjoy some?”

“Worth a try, she might show interest if she sees you like it.”

Zelda starts to peel the banana to open up to the fruit inside. She holds up the fruit nervously to her horse hoping Pegasus will comply. The horse sniffs the banana with hesitation, gently nips at it, then takes the whole banana peel and all in satisfaction. Zelda takes a breath of relief and gently strokes her horse just as Link had done.

“Truthfully… I don’t like bananas. Actually I loathe them. When I was a young girl I ate so many bananas one day and unfortunately had come down with a terrible stomach bug. I had thrown up every bit of banana to the point where some of it came out of my nose and I couldn’t stop smelling banana vomit for days! Even now just smelling it is off putting.” She scrunches her nose in disgust, but smiles a bit through her discomfort. “But if it makes Pegasus happy I would gladly put up with it. I want her to know my feelings for her are far greater than my distaste for the fruit.” 

After a few moments, Pegasus gives a whooping cough and liquified banana and mucus start to expel from her nostrils. It seems as though Zelda and her horse now share another similar quality, they can’t keep down bananas.

Zelda covered her mouth and immediately bolted to the bushes nearby, Link faithfully running after her with a healing elixir. 

–

Link knew that some monsters still resided in the canyon, but he was sure that he cleared most of them in their initial entry a few days ago. Why are there randomly placed bokoblin camps and lizalfos in every direction? Oddly enough, every little path Zelda seems to wander towards has a new enemy lurking. Almost as if she just has the worst luck in the world to keep turning the wrong corner. He can’t help but feel like something is off. She also seems to be very fixated on the master sword all of a sudden, complimenting its success in striking down monsters as if it is the first time she is watching him wield it.

Upon defeating a small cluster of electric keese, he turns to the princess and sheaths his sword in its scabbard. 

“Princess, I think it’s best if I lead the rest of the way.” 

“Oh you’re probably right. I do seem to be causing a bit of trouble for us don’t I? Not that any of these creatures stand a chance against you with your sword. I will stay close behind you.” 

‘Zelda’ waits for Link to turn to begin walking forward before following behind. She stares at the master sword strapped to his back thinking carefully of how to get him to remove it again. None of these monster traps have even slowed him down in the slightest, he’s clearly only gotten stronger. 

Curse this golden boy - we’re almost in the location for the Yiga clan to attack. If I don’t get that sword away from him we don’t stand a chance. Time to pull out the big guns. All those times you snuck into Gerudo Town to take that love match class is about to pay off. 

Suddenly the Zelda imposter lets out a whiny moan and rubs her tummy. “Oh I feel sooooo famished from this heat and run-ins with monster camps. Perhaps we could find a nice shady spot to stop and rest for a bit? And you know…we still haven’t finished our discussion from earlier have we? Don’t think I’ve forgotten, hero.” 

Link stops abruptly and looks over his shoulder at her. “I haven’t forgotten, either. It looks like a decent spot just up ahead where we can stop for a bit.”

“Perfect! You must be starving from fighting all those things, too. I’ve got just the perfect thing for you. I snagged it from those swine fellows while they were distracted. Ta-da!” She pulls out some rare steak meat from her satchel smiling devilishly. Link is definitely thrown off not only by her expression but at the idea that she was helping herself to a boko’s lunch supply when he wasn’t looking. 

Very odd. 

‘Zelda’ notes his confusion and changes her expression to a more cutesy, sheepish look. “Oh…sorry that was probably unlady-like of me wasn’t it? I just thought I would cook it for you to keep up your strength. Oh Hylia, I feel so embarrassed all of a sudden! F-forget I said anything!” She covers her cheek with a hand and looks at the ground hoping he will fold to her vulnerability. 

Link shakes his head and puts his hands up in front of him in a bit of a nervous defense. “I appreciate your gesture, princess. I was just a bit surprised. Let’s get into the shade.”

Zelda looks up at him and smiles following him to the shaded area to rest and eat. 

Worked just like a charm. The fool is so enamored by this little princess I’ll bet he’ll hand me the sword just by asking for it. 

As Link prepares a small campfire for them to cook the steak, he notices Zelda looking at random rocks and other such debris on the ground. After a few moments she puts the back of her hand dramatically against her forehead. 

“Oh goddesses, if only I had something sharp to cut this steak up into pieces with. The meat is so thick it would have to be so sharp to get a clean cut.” She looks over to Link and then clasps her hands together. “That’s it! Surely a sword would be more than adequate to cut through it! It would be just like butter! You don’t mind, do you, Link?”

Link seems to nod in agreement, leading the imposter Zelda to grin with a feeling of victory. When he reaches behind him, instead of grabbing the hilt of the master sword as she expected, he instead reaches to a more discreet slot behind his shield and bow where a Gerudo scimitar was sheathed. He extends it out with the handle facing towards her, to which she begrudgingly takes trying to hide her irritation. 

“Ah…this should work I suppose.” She used a swift slice to cut the meat and then stabbed the blade into the ground. There was no realistic way of faking that the scimitar would not be efficient to cut the meat, so she began to rummage for other ingredients that would entice him to draw the master sword. She pulls out a hydromelon that is known to have quite a thick and sturdy exterior to break through. 

“With all this heat I’m SO glad to have found this delicious, hydrating fruit. Though it is quite tough to open, I don’t think the same blade will be enough to cut through it. Perhaps a stronger blade would work.”

Link puts his hand to his chin in a brief pause to think, then reaches once more behind his back for another weapon. Once again the Zelda imposter grins, giddy with anticipation as he reaches near the master sword. Yet once again, the Zelda imposter grimaces in annoyance when instead he pulls out a Savage Lynel Sword. 

Are you freaking kidding me!? How many weapons does the guy fit back there? He's like 5 feet tall and weighs 100 lbs!

“Oh my, you have quite a collection of swords on you! I can’t imagine why you would need anything else when you have such a legendary sword.” 

“I’m a bit of a collector.”

“Yes…I see that. Well in any case I’m sure this will work just fine.” She snatches the blade from him taking a frustrated huff of breath as she swings it up in the air and slams it down onto the hydromelon splitting it in two pieces. 

Link seems quite impressed with her strength and continues to feed burning materials to the fire. Next she rummages through the bag and aggressively searches for something else harder and denser than a hydromelon that would beg for the sheer power of the master sword. Is there no food worthy of such power? Try as she might, no matter what she tries to pull out, Link only offers her weapon after weapon without once reaching for the master sword. At one point she found herself sawing through a hearty durian with a Lynel bow and couldn’t even fathom the next ridiculous thing to come up with. She noticed Link had already got a pot going (which she had no idea where he got it from but decided he also pulled it from his never ending back pocket of endless weapons) and was using ingredients she spent all this time cutting and opening to make something. 

Exhausted from her efforts, she slumps down on the ground to rest. 

This guy is a maniac. Where on earth does he keep all this crap! Honestly at this point he just has a hoarding problem…bit of a collector my ass. He’s never going to hand over that cursed sword and I’m running out of time. Ugh…I need some strength after all that hacking and sawing. Especially after all those damn Lynel weapons. How many Lynels did he rob these from anyway? On top of that he thought it was a normal idea to give these kinds of weapons to a princess! What a menace.

  Link looks over to her once the food is going and can’t help but slightly chuckle to himself as he stores yet another weapon back into his inventory. He wonders to himself where the princess gained all this mighty strength. 

The Yiga-Zelda reached into the satchel for one final ingredient. To Link’s surprise, he sees that she pulled out a bunch of bananas. A couple seem to have already been pulled from the bunch. 

“Ah, it’s a good thing I ate some mighty bananas earlier. They really boosted my strength for all that work I just did! I definitely need more to restore my strength.” She rapidly begins to peel the bananas, holding one in each hand as she alternates taking bites of each one. She has the biggest smile on her face and moans with pleasure as she finishes them both. She lets out a satisfactory sigh, “Mmmmm those really just hit the spot! Now then - Since we’re waiting for all that to cook, I thought we could continue our conversation from earlier. Perhaps even resume the position we were in as well? Why don’t you remove your sword and shield so that we may be more… comfortable. ” She looks over at Link who was staring intensely at her, as if his mind was working through a sequence of thoughts.

“Link? Are you okay? You seem tense.” She moves closer to him and puts a hand on his arm.

Link studies her carefully, looking at every detail of her face wondering to himself why he’s suddenly alert and bothered. Usually he is not bothered by her touch, rather he finds it comforting. He can’t help but think there is something suddenly off putting about her. 

“Whatever it is you can tell me. I am the princess after all. Your princess you are sworn to.” Her hand slides up his arm to his shoulder, her fingers starting to dance their way closer to the master sword's hilt. 

Link’s muscles tense and his brain immediately goes to the overwhelming smell of bananas. 

Bananas… Zelda just…ate bananas? 

Horse…Pegasus…nauseous…bananas..

BANANAS

Without any further hesitation, Link shoves the imposter Zelda away from him and draws the master sword in a rush of fury. His eyes fill with glaring rage as he holds the blade to the imposter's neck. 

“Link!? What are you doing?!”

“Cut the charade, you are no princess of mine. ” His voice snarls as the increasing realization that Zelda has been taken from under him for hours floods his mind. 

“Now tell me” He presses the tip of the master sword into the imposter's neck, causing a thin stream of blood to run out. “Where. Is. She.”

End Chapter 6

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Bird in a Cage

Somewhere deep in the hideout of the Yiga Clan, Zelda is held captive in a confined little imprisoning cell. It’s cold, which leads her to believe they are below the surface of the desert. She sits against the back wall holding her knees close to her chest resting her forehead on top. Her head is spinning from the nauseating smell of bananas, both fresh and rotting peels that consume the air. This is quite literally her personal hell. The yiga's words, “I will be sure to win the heart of your little hero, right before I rip it from his chest” continuously loop in her mind. 

Link… I pray that you realize the truth soon. I can’t bear the idea of someone parading around as me in order to harm you. Hylia knows what they must be saying in order to manipulate you. Or worse…they could be doing something that would make you hate or mistrust me. I hope you are safe. Please I beg of you… you must find me. I don’t want to lose you again.

Tears begin to stream from her eyes and roll down her cheeks the more she is consumed with thoughts of her predicament. Even if she attempted escape, it would not bode well for her. She is being kept under close watch by a very high profile Yiga member. He is quite tall, extremely bulky in terms of muscle volume, and wields very large mystical dual swords on his back. She’s never seen any other Yiga in possession of those instruments, and knows only someone like Link would be able to oppose an enemy of that caliber. When blademasters entered their room to report news, she had picked up on them referring to him as “General Sooga.”

“Hush your cries in there, little bird.” Sooga’s voice was deep and ominous, a low timbre that echoed in the walls of her cage.

Zelda gasps and looks up, clenching her fingers to her knees. She grits her teeth and glares at him through the bars, “Do not call me that.”

“Or what? What could a frail little bird do from her cage to someone like me? Don’t forget your place princess. Without your little knight, you have no power.”

“He will come for me… make no mistake.”

“We shall see. If he is not already dead by ‘your’ hands that is.”

Zelda bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from snapping back with a spiteful remark. “What do you want with me anyway? Why keep me here at all… why take the chance that your plan will fail?”

Sooga doesn’t seem to take her bait at first. He knows she is fishing for information, although her efforts are pointless since there is nothing she can do about it. Zelda ponders for a moment, looking down at her hand where they had cut her previously.

“You need my blood don’t you? You’re going to continue this facade with my appearance.”

“Our plans are of no concern to you. Once our goal is achieved you will no longer be of use to me. After that, I don’t care what happens to you. With your knight vanquished the rest of the clan can do as they please. Now be silent, unless you’d like them to start sooner than later.”

It takes everything in her to hold her tongue, she must refrain from agitating him and making things worse. She knows she can put her trust in Link. He will come, and she needs to hold fast until then. Hours go by and she is feeling faint from hunger, although anything she ate would just immediately come back up from her nausea. She lays on her side facing the back wall of her cell, trying to comfort herself by thinking of memories of her and Link. She thinks about earlier that morning, when she awoke to the sight of his face inches from hers. She closes her eyes and tries to imagine him lying next to her in his warm embrace, the way he smelled like the earthy and slightly sweet scent of the desert, and the feeling of his soft breath sending a tingling sensation through her. She thinks about how they never continued their conversation. How she wanted so badly to tell him the truth of her feelings. How she wanted to tell him that she would like to share more restful nights with him. 

What if he is having a misleading conversation with her imposter?

What if her lies convince him?

What if he is letting his guard down to her?

What if he is holding her?

What if he - 

Suddenly, a whistle is heard. The sound of a Yiga alerting the entire clan that there is an intruder in the hideout. A rippling sound of poofs echoes as Yiga soldiers flock to their location. The chaotic sounds of swords clashing, the dull thumps of arrows making impact on their targets, grunts and moans of pain from the Yiga ring throughout all the rooms of the hideout. Zelda quickly gets up on her feet and clings to the bars of her cage, eyes anchored onto the door of the room. 

Link, you found me!

– 

* A few hours prior*

The Zelda imposter clenches her teeth and winces from the sharp pain of the master sword to her throat. She locks eye contact with Link’s penetrating, venomous glare and smirks. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, hero? Perhaps I’ll tell you, if you live long enough that is. Yiga Clan! Assemble!”

A medley of taunting and wicked laughs echoes in Link's ears as a hoard of Yiga soldiers and blademasters appear, filling the canyon and surrounding him. While his eyes are averted, the Yiga-Zelda poofs away from Link’s hold and appears in line with his comrades still wearing the princess’ face to further provoke him. Link tightens his grip on the master sword and braces the Hylian shield for protection. There must be at least fifty of them. The last time he faced a large quantity of foes he had the aid of the champion’s abilities. Since the defeat of Ganon, those abilities have faded from him. There is no protection from Daruk, no gale from Revali, no lightning fury from Urbosa… and no grace from Mipha. Regardless, defeat is not allowed. 

Zelda is waiting for him. 

The attacks are quick and come without a moment to think, but Link is no stranger to their movements. They utilize the element of surprise with smoke and mirrors as they poof in front, behind, to the side, and above him. Their downfall is that they are predictable, and Link knows the pattern. Poof, strike, retreat, poof, strike, retreat. He shield parries the blademaster’s direct attacks with the strength of Daruk. Once they have lost their balance he moves swiftly, dancing like Urbosa to strike where there is an opening. He stays agile and alert, backflipping away after an attack to scout the remaining Yiga. He switches gears by equipping his bow, drawing three arrows at a time. He hears Revali’s grating voice in his mind.

“Child’s play, you can do better than that.” 

No time to entertain that pompous bird, he must move quickly. He fires one set of arrows after another ensuring to not only hit this target square on, but launching bomb arrows into the air as well so that when they fall, they finish the job. A strategy that Revali himself was infamous for in combat. Link dodges the attacks of the remaining Yiga with the agility and finesse that mirrored the way Mipha maneuvered in water, until he is able to land a finishing blow on them. As the final Yiga soldier collapses to the ground, gagging in his own blood, Link surveys the area for Zelda’s imposter. He notices one of the fallen Yiga groaning and attempting to get up has a talisman paper with the name “Zelda” and dried blood splattered across it stuck to his chest. He approaches the imposter and pulls him up by the collar of his Yiga suit. Where his eyes are normally calm, still waters - they are now filled with raging ocean waves in a storm. He plucks the talisman paper with Zelda’s name off of his uniform and clutches it in his hand. 

“Where. Is. She.”

–

Once Link had entered the Yiga Hideout, there was nothing on his mind but finding the quickest way to Zelda. Her imposter said she would be kept in the deepest chamber of the hideout, so he knew he would be faced with the entire clan as a barrier. He refuses to waste time combating them all, so he ensures to equip shock and ice arrows. He contemplated sneaking in as he did once before, but time was of the essence. He bulldozed his way into the hideout immediately firing arrows to every Yiga in sight. Once the rest of the clan was alerted, he was forced to draw the master sword to strike through those who appeared before him. 

He stayed with the same strategy he used against the hoard in the canyon and continued to knock them out one by one. In the midst of the chaos, he notices one of the footsoldiers retreat to warn “The General” of his presence in the hideout. Link follows him as he makes his way through a jungle of Yiga, striking them down as if they were a thick barricade of vines blocking his path. 

The Yiga footsoldier makes his way through the intricate tunneling of the hideout and finally arrives at the chamber where Zelda is being held. He bursts through the door in a huff, “General Sooga! It’s him! He’s entered the hideou- Aaggghhh!” A shock arrow pierces through his back and out through the front of his chest, stunning him with a painful wave of electricity. As he collapses to the ground, Link is behind him in the doorway holding his bow with more arrows drawn ready to be fired. 

Link enters the room and his eyes widen in distraught. Sooga is standing behind Zelda, dual swords crossed at her neck, waiting for his arrival. 

“We finally meet, Hero of Hyrule.”

End Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Courage and Wisdom

Link feels his blood begin to boil. The sight of Zelda in Sooga’s clutches with his swords pressed against her makes his hold on his bow tighten. She looks pale, exhausted, and petrified with fear. Her eyes are locked with his, desperate to reach out to him for safety. Link clenches his jaw and aims his arrow on Sooga’s head. 

“Careful now, hero.” He shifts so that his head is just behind Zelda’s, tilting one of his swords upwards towards the under part of her chin, causing her to gasp in a panic. “One wrong move and she’s done for.”

Link immediately lowers his bow at the sound of her gasp. His heart begins to beat faster and faster, feeling uneasy and nervous of what move to make next. He’s never seen this Yiga before, and he gets the eerie feeling he’s much more intelligent than any others he’s faced. Including Master Kohga. Link knows he must be wise and strategic, learn what he can without putting the princess at risk. Be calm. Patient. Wait for an opportunity.  

Sooga sense’s Link’s sudden shift from offensive to submissive. He knows that Link is a formidable opponent, and will not underestimate him. He still needs to be disarmed if he’s going to successfully escape with Zelda.

“A wise choice. I see my fellow Yiga brothers were unable to fool you. How bothersome. I will have to bring an end to you myself. Unfortunately, I cannot simply hand over your princess to you. She is needed in order to return Master Kohga from his demise that you are responsible for. So it is only fair that we trade. I shall take her from you, like you took him from us.” 

Link’s eyes squint slightly, thinking to himself how he never even put much effort in his battle with Master Kohga. The fool conjured up a giant death ball and dropped it on himself, falling down the chasm. Regardless, he remains silent and refuses to provoke Sooga while Zelda is still in his hold. 

“Once I have found a new hiding place for her, I will be back to give you a proper battle and end your life. Until then, I can’t have you following after us with that cursed sword. Hand it over.”

Zelda’s eyes widen and she holds up her arm, reaching towards Link. “Link, no! I’ll be okay, he can’t hurt me if he needs me.” 

“I told you to be silent, little bird or I’ll slice you right on your-”

The thud of the sheathed master sword hitting the ground in front of Sooga’s feet interrupts him from completing his sentence. Link is glaring at him with a raging storm in his eyes, making a mental note to ensure he pays for threatening the princess in front of him. Zelda looks from the sword on the ground up to Link in horror. He’s now disarmed from his strongest weapon, and faced with an extremely strong opponent. She’s unable to do anything to help him, her sacred powers have long since faded after sealing Ganon away. If it wasn’t for her being so powerless, so afraid, Link wouldn’t have to worry about her and could fight against him. She thinks it’s her fault that he has to give up the master sword. It’s her fault they are now both in danger. 

Sooga extends one of the swords out towards Link, with the other one still on Zelda. He inches them forward slowly and lowers them both to allow him to pick up the sword. He slings the strap of the sword's scabbard over his right shoulder with the hilt facing behind him. He sheathes one of his own swords and uses the now free hand to hurl Zelda over his shoulder. Zelda cries out for Link but is cut off by Sooga poofing them out of the room. Link immediately runs out through the doorway, determined to find them and catch him off guard. While he may be a bigger, stronger Yiga, he couldn’t have teleported very far while carrying another person. If what Zelda said was true, Sooga would not be able to fight him without having to let go of his hold on her. Sooga said it himself, he won’t fight until Zelda is placed somewhere else. All he has to do is track them down, and wait for the moment he lets her go to strike. Master sword or not, this ends now. 

I know you’re waiting Princess. I’m coming. 

–

* 100 years earlier*

“I doubt this will let up anytime soon…” Zelda looks up from under the tree that shields her from the downpour of the rain. It looks like a big curtain of water streaming over the area. She looks over to Link who is taking the chance to get in practice with his sword. He’s not one for rest it seems, he likes to remain alert and active. She comments on his path to knighthood mirroring his father’s and praises his commitment to training to fulfil his goal as admirable. She pauses and asks him if he would have chosen a different path if knighthood had been pushed onto him rather than it being a choice of his own. Link comes to a stop in his practice and lowers the sword to his side, turning to look back at her. She looks melancholily at the ground, waiting to hear a response from him. When moments go by with no answer, she sighs and looks up at him. He only looks upon her with the same mysterious expression he always does. She used to think he was looking down at her, now she feels his eyes are filled with pity. 

“Forget I asked. You should return to what you were doing. It looks like we’ll be here for quite awhile.”

Link starts to turn to resume his training, then looks back towards her with a slightly more optimistic glint in his eyes. “Do you want to try?”

Zelda stares at him with a bewildered expression. “Try what?”

Link extends the sword out by facing the hilt towards her. She looks behind her and to the side as if she thinks he must be talking to someone else. 

“You’re asking me to try using the master sword? A legendary blade that has chosen you to wield her?”

“I’m sure she won’t mind.” Link smiles softly, though there’s a hint of playfulness to it. It piques the curiosity of the princess. “Just for a little bit, you can see what a different path would be like.” 

Zelda squints slightly in disbelief as she looks from Link to the sword in his hand. She can’t help it, as a scholar she’s naturally curious. Truthfully, she would like to get a taste of being in someone else’s shoes. The corners of her lips pull up into a small smile, though she’s trying to keep from looking overly excited. She stands up and walks over to him, hovering her hands in a nervous way over the handle. “So…how does one hold a sword properly?”

“The key is to be confident. Once it’s in your hand, it becomes an extension of you. For being your first time, I suggest both hands to support the weight.” He places the hilt in her hands and helps her arrange them in the proper hold, putting her dominant hand up higher with her thumb pointed towards the blade and the opposite hand below with the thumb pointed towards the point. “How does that feel?”

“It does feel a bit heavier than I expected it to, but I think I’ve got a good handle on it this way. Now what do I do?” 

Link carefully and patiently guides her through basic stances and positions to hold the sword and maneuver it without accidentally hurting herself, or him for that matter. They practice slowly going through the motions of guiding the sword to land on a desired spot in front of her. Zelda feels adrenaline building in her system, and for just a moment she feels a sense of achievement when Link compliments her ability to learn quickly. 

“Alright, now that you’ve got a general idea of this motion. You’re faced with your first enemy.” Zelda looks at him nervously as he adjusts her to face the trunk of the tree they are under. He points to a protruding node on the bark. “Just there, is his weak point. It won’t completely defeat him, but it will cause just enough injury to create a better opening. Up to the task?”

Zelda moves her gaze from him and sets it on the target before her. She adjusts her stance, walking herself through everything they just practiced to ensure accuracy. She pauses for a moment trying to imagine herself that day she was chased by Yiga in the desert. She would never be able to do this in real life, she thinks to herself. Link makes this look so easy. He never takes this long to conjure up an attack. He just… does it. 

Link senses Zelda becoming more nervous the longer she pauses. “A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.” He stands behind her and puts his hand over her dominant one, giving her an encouraging squeeze letting her know he’s there to help her. He aligns his stance with hers and speaks firmly, “Have courage, Princess.”

Zelda takes his words as encouragement, taking a deep breath in and swinging the sword back to build a charging momentum with his guidance. Link lets go and removes himself just before she swings the sword before her and makes impact on the tree, stabbing right through the node she was aiming for. They both look from the tree to each other, Link beaming with pride and Zelda shocked by her success. 

He pulls the sword from the trunk with a cheeky grin, “At least we know you don’t need me to protect you from this tree.” He sheathes the sword on his back and puts his hand on top of her head. Her cheeks become warm and tinted with pink from his touch. 

“Well done, Princess.”

–

As predicted by Link, Sooga didn’t teleport very far from the imprisoning chamber they were just in. Though there was no telling which of the several hidden tunnels nearby he had moved to. Zelda flailed in an attempt to escape his grasp but he only tightened his squeeze and continued to hasten through the tunnels. Her state of panic began to rise, she knew Link was desperately trying to locate them. There must be something she can do to help. She looks down and notices that the master sword is swinging against Sooga’s side as he moves. If she tries hard enough, she could possibly reach it and successfully pull it from its scabbard. 

Then what, Zelda? You are in no way a match for this bestial opponent. 

But perhaps she didn’t need to be a match for him. She notices that he has a bit of a wobble to his run, such as someone of older age. Perhaps he is older, which would explain the lack of energy to teleport more frequently or further in distance. She recalls the day Link taught her to hold the sword and aim for a target, and she hears his voice in her head. “ Just there, is his weak point. It won’t completely defeat him, but it will cause just enough injury to create a better opening.” An opening! That’s all she needs. If she can find a weak point and strike him, it could be her only chance for escape and buy more time for Link to find her. 

She reaches her arm out as far as she can towards the sword, doing her best to keep Sooga from noticing. She struggles to get a grip on it as it keeps swinging from his movement. After a few failed attempts at grasping it, she was able to catch it in her hand the moment Sooga had turned a corner and caused the sword to swing upward in her direction. She slowly pulls the handle upwards towards her and lets the natural swing of the scabbard unsheathe the rest of the sword. She holds it firmly with both hands and searches for a focal point on his upper thigh to strike. There is a black line just above the leg guard that she decides to aim for. This is certainly much harder than the tree who didn’t move at all, and especially when she had Link to guide her. 

This is your only chance. If you mess this up…you’ll be in more danger.

She stares at the sword in her hands, nervous that she’ll miss. Suddenly, the sound of Link’s voice enters her mind.

“Have courage, Princess.”

The next thing she knows, she is filled with an overflow of adrenaline and channels it into her strike on Sooga. Everything happens so fast she doesn’t have time to stop and process. Sooga yells out in a booming pain that echoes in the entire hideout, even Link can hear from where he is and immediately comes running to their direction. He collapses to the ground, dropping Zelda and the weapons with him. Zelda grunts in pain but rises to her feet as quickly as she can, grabbing the master sword before Sooga has a chance to recover. She runs as fast as her legs can take her, starting to feel dizzy. She barely makes it down the hall before she hears the thuds of Sooga standing back up and running after her. The clinking sounds of his swords growing louder and louder as he gets closer. He’s bleeding and definitely moving slower, but she is also starting to lose energy and is close to collapsing. She hasn’t eaten all day. She’s nauseated from the inescapable presence of bananas. She’s lightheaded from running while carrying the sword. She curses herself once her body gives out on her and she falls to the ground, clinging the sword to her. She sees Sooga charging towards her in a rage, and she knows she’s about to come in contact with his wrath. She shuts her eyes closed and yells out for Link as loud as she can. 

Just like always, he’s there right on time. The clash of Sooga’s swords against his shield alerts her to open her eyes. He stands in front of her, countering Sooga’s attack with a shield parry. Sooga stumbles backwards and falls to one knee, grunting as he catches his breath. Link keeps his shield up in front of him, reaching for the master sword from Zelda. She places it in his hand and begins to weep from the flustering emotions. Finally, she was safe with him again. 

Link tightens his grip on his sword once more and assumes a new stance, shifting from defensive to attack.

 “Well done, Princess. I’ll take it from here.” 

End Chapter 8

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Power

Sooga reaches into a pouch strapped to the side of his leg and pulls out a mighty elixir in a small glass vile. He pops the cork off with his massive thumb and slips it under his mask to drink it. Zelda and Link watch as the injury to his thigh scabs over for the bleeding to stop, and Sooga rises to his feet with a boost of strength. 

“I expected no less from the knight who defeated Calamity Ganon. I suppose destiny is at work, then. The future is fickle.” He draws his dual blades and crosses them in front of him. “Come at me with all your power, hero. Only death will end this battle.”

Link wastes no further time and charges forward towards Sooga with all his might where they clash swords. Sooga’s brute force in slicing his blades would be enough to make anything cut like butter, but Link is fast and leaps and flips out of their path. Both of them are simultaneously on the offense and defense with each charge towards the other. Link judges that the elixir Sooga took may only enhance his strength for a few minutes, so he only needs to keep this up until then. 

He’s strong but he’s slow - keep him moving. Exhaust him. He can’t land a blow if he can’t keep up. Wait for the right opportunity. 

As she watches their battle unfold before her, Zelda is in complete awe of Link’s skills. Time and time again he is faced with adversity and never wavers. It is no wonder they attempted to use her appearance to try and overcome him. It is them who are no match for him. Their swords clash over and over for several minutes until Sooga is able to push Link back with a powerful blockade from crossing his blades. As Link lands on his feet, he slides back a considerable distance from the force. Feeling the effects of the elixir beginning to diminish, Sooga summons Yiga symbols around him where a multitude of quick, sharp wind attacks fly towards him. Link uses his shield to protect himself from the blows, feeling that they are already less forceful. Then, in an instant he senses that Sooga had poofed from where he was. Sooga suddenly appears just above him with his swords pointed down to strike right through him. A grave mistake on his part to try and surprise Link, for his true power comes from his unique ability of manipulating his attack time for a brief moment in the perfect opportunity. 

Now!

Just before Sooga could make an impact with him, Link leaps to the side and enters a pocket of space for a flurry rush. The master sword flashes a brilliant glow, increasing its power. In the blink of an eye, Link slashes countless attacks onto Sooga, aiming for the previous injury left by Zelda that is now the most vulnerable area. He gives a finishing blow by twisting the sword slightly in his hand and unleashing a bright, sacred beam that launches Sooga several meters back where he crashes through the wall. He now finds himself in the same area with a giant chasm opening where Link once faced against Master Kohga. 

Though Sooga is now weakened and undoubtedly fatigued from his efforts to match Link’s speed in combat, Link is not finished. He approaches Sooga and kicks his dual swords that lay on the ground away from his reach. Sooga clutches his leg in an attempt to stop the bleeding, although it is futile with how grave the wound is. The slash of the sword's beam left a branded mark seared into his chest, causing his breathing to sound like a heavy wheeze. He looks up at Link who is glaring down at him, no trace of mercy in his eyes. 

“Finish me…I’m ready to see my master again.” Sooga bows his head, bracing himself for death. 

Link holds his sword out towards Sooga and steadies himself to deliver a finishing blow. As he’s looking down at a disarmed and unable to stand opponent, he finds it difficult to follow through. Sooga is crippled and quite pitiful looking, his over a century old age coming through now that the effects of his elixir have completely worn off. Link feels the eyes of Zelda piercing through him from behind. He exhales through his nose in a bit of dissatisfaction and lowers the sword.

“No.”

The firmness of his voice causes Sooga to grunt in disdain. “Coward… finish what you started.”

Link’s eyelids lower in a haunting glare, “Your master fell down the chasm of his own doing. If you want to see him again, that’s your call. We’re done here.” He turns to exit the premises, sure that Sooga was unable to battle further. As Zelda comes into his line of sight, he sees the shock in her eyes at the same moment he hears the sound of Sooga teleporting. He instinctively whips back around in his direction with the sword in hand ready to defend and is shocked by what he sees. 

Sooga reappears just above the chasm opening, staring back towards Zelda and Link. “May your weakness be your downfall.” His body goes limp and he falls backwards down into the earth, the sound of his impact never heard. 

–

After several moments of silence, Link feels a hand on his shoulder from behind him. This time, it was warm, gentle, and familiar unlike earlier that day. He turns back towards her and meets her eyes that are glazed with relief and fatigue. They stare at each other for a brief moment before she allows herself to collapse into his chest, gripping his tunic in her fingers. Link feels his body relax, knowing that she was finally safe with him again. He puts his arms around her in a comforting, protective embrace. He gently strokes her hair when he feels her tears dampen his tunic. Her voice is soft and delicate, “I knew you would find me.”

She can sense him smiling ever so slightly in his response, “Let’s go home, Princess.” He takes her by the hand and leads them out of the hideout, ensuring to keep her close behind him in case any of the unconscious Yiga soldiers he plowed through earlier decide to challenge him again. None of them do, in fact, a few of them pretend to be knocked out as the two exit. It takes her a moment on their way out to realize that his hand is holding hers directly . He usually holds her by the wrist, just as he did 100 years ago while running away from the hoards of Guardians. This time she would not trip, she would not fall, she would not let go. By the squeeze he gives her hand, she concludes that he will not let go either. 

The two of them eventually make their way back to Gerudo Canyon Stable where everything had transpired. This time, they noticed that the stable keep and a couple stable boys had returned as well as Epona and Stella. It is revealed that someone, presumably the Yiga Clan, had startled the horses into running off from the stables to which all of the stable workers chased desperately after them to bring them back. They told a fascinating tale of how they braved the frigid temperatures and outsmarted bokoblins to ensure the safety of the horses, much to Link and Zelda’s amusement. Lucky for Zelda, that also meant that there was warm food and refreshments readily available to finally indulge in…and none of them included bananas. 

As she enjoyed her meal, she noticed that Link is very attentive towards her. He ensures that she eats as much as she needs to, gets plenty of water to hydrate, and stays by her side as if he’s worried that so much as blinking will cause her to disappear again. She doesn’t mind at all, actually, she relishes the fact that he stays close and she is no longer sitting alone in a cell. They talk about how everything happened from each other’s perspective. She notes the way he tenses as she describes the moment the Yiga had snuck up on her, and forced her to listen to him talk to her imposter. She finds it very humorous that the dead give away of the Yiga imposter was that they ate a bunch of bananas. Although, she did not care for the physical advances that were made towards him in her image. Once the conversation had caught up to the moment he had found her with Sooga, they both went quiet for a moment. She listens to the crackling of the campfire they are sitting close to, thinking how it’s nowhere near as warm as Link’s embrace from last night. She holds her own arms as a chilly breeze hits her from behind, the evening is drawing close and it is getting colder. Link reaches for his black riding cloak and drapes it over her shoulders. She grips the sides of the cloak and looks up at him, “Link..?”

He meets his eyes with hers and tilts his head slightly in response. 

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you all day. Actually… what I’ve been wanting to tell you all these years. I feel that after what happened today, I really just need to come out and say it.”

He nods, giving her confirmation that he is listening with all his attention. 

Zelda takes a deep breath and composes herself, there is a bit of a pause before she locks her eyes with his and begins to speak, “I have been thinking… about our conversation in Zora’s Domain. I asked you about Mipha and we talked about what the armor she made for you could have meant had things turned out differently. And then…I was reflecting on the fateful day that Calamity Ganon had made its appearance. Mipha was about to tell me what she thinks about when she is channeling her healing powers…in hopes that the same strategy might help me awaken my sacred power. I realized after it happened what she was going to tell me.” 

She pauses again, studying his face for a reaction. He remains unwavered in his expression, but listening very intently and absorbing every word. Nothing was going to pull his attention or cause him to deflect the conversation this time around, so she continues. “It was you, Link. She was talking about you. It’s clear that day she decided to pilot Ruta was because of her desire to protect what was most precious to her, just as her father said…was you. The whole time I was training… I prayed and prayed to the Goddess to give me the strength to unleash the power that would seal Ganon away. How blind I was…I thought the Goddess was deaf to my devotion. But she had already answered my prayers because she sent me you to be by my side. I ran away from everything back then…but when you were in danger of being struck by the Guardians, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I wanted to protect you even if it cost me my life. Suddenly…my power awakened. You were…and still are the source of my power. You are the reason I held Ganon at bay for 100 years. You are the reason I had strength to try and get away from that Yiga and faith that you would find me. You are what is most precious to me.” 

She could feel herself smiling as she finally breathed life into the words that she has been thinking about for a long time. Link is staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes with an expression frozen in shock. She’s not sure what reaction she was expecting, but being speechless is typical for him. She fidgets with the lining of the cloak, wishing he would respond somehow. “I understand if this is a bit overwhelming to hear. You don’t need say anything- “

“Princess” 

Zelda tenses in anticipation upon hearing his voice. She mentally prepares herself to accept whatever response he will say. He leans in closer to her, gazing upon her with a more softened expression. Their faces are merely a couple inches from each other, his hand had found hers and gently overlapped his fingers. She could feel warmth rising in her face and found herself studying his faint nose freckles before bringing her eyes back up to his.  

Had the stable boys not decided to sit down by the campfire and begin chatting about stepping in horse droppings, perhaps Zelda would have discovered what her knight was going to say. Instead, they uncomfortably sat through another peculiar story of tending to horses. Though he pretended to be listening, he never removed his hand from hers. He thinks to himself about Sooga’s final words, May your weakness be your downfall. He glances down to Zelda, who had fallen asleep against him at some point while he had trailed off in his thoughts. Once the stable boys had retired back inside and the fire was starting to die, Link carries Zelda inside and places her on a bed. He pulls the covers over her, and brushes some hair out of her face. 

You are all my power, Princess. You’ll never lose me again. 

End Chapter 9 

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Home

The following morning, Zelda and Link prepare to finally leave the canyon and bring their travels to a temporary hiatus. Link ensures their horses are greeted with their favorite treats to make up for the events of the previous day, while Zelda shops for materials for their journey from Beedle’s personal pop up stand. They are both in good spirits, eager to get going and be out of the hustle and bustle of the stable’s commotion… where workers would not interrupt their conversation. As they pack their saddle bags, they can’t help but sneak little glances towards one another. Though they don’t say anything out loud, the soft smile from Link and Zelda’s faintly blushed cheeks speaks volumes. He secures his belongings onto Epona then assists Zelda with hers. Once they have all that they need, they mount their horses and gallop down the path that leads them out of the canyon. 

After reaching the exit near the Great Plateau, they bring their horses to a walking pace as a break. Zelda takes a deep breath of relief to finally put the Yiga situation behind her and be back in the fields of Hyrule. She gives Stella soothing strokes on the side of her mane and looks over to Link riding next to her. “So…where shall we go now?”

“Home.”

“Home…” She trails off a bit then looks in the distance towards Hyrule Castle. The castle she grew up in, where she spent time with her mother, where she spent hours and hours holed up in her room researching relics, her home all her life, was destroyed by Ganon. Link follows her gaze and looks back at her. He finds himself regretting saying “home” so vaguely, the princess lost the only home she’s ever known. It will take years to restore the castle to a livable condition for her, and though she is welcome to stay anywhere she wants to in the kingdom, there really is no place left for her to associate as hers. 

“I assume you mean your house in Hateno. That sounds lovely. It’s very cozy there, it will be nice to relax for a couple days before the big celebration. I know Impa must be working tirelessly to put it together. I want to make sure we are well rested for the occasion. Especially after yesterday, you know?” She looks over at him and smiles warmly, “I appreciate you opening your home to me.”

Link guides Epona to walk a bit closer to Stella, “It’s your home now, Princess.” 

“Really?” She looks at him with a shimmering glint in her eyes.

“After all, you’ve already claimed the bed and one of my tunics.” He smiles playfully towards her with a bit of a teasing tone in his voice, “Remember?”

Zelda’s face flushes as she makes a swatting motion with her hand, “T-that’s not- I didn’t mean to- You put me in the bed! And the tunic well… I-I wanted to change and-”

Link chuckles a bit, filling her heart with a million little butterflies. She’s not sure if he was in a particularly good mood, or if her confession to him the night before had any impact, but she was elated to see this new side to him. He may have just granted her a place of residence, but she knew he would be there with her as well. She eagerly awaits to arrive at their home. 

It takes the entire day to ride back to Hateno Village, since they were diligent in giving Epona and Stella frequent breaks from riding so fast. Usually Link tends to them both upon arriving at their destination, but this time Zelda stays with him to help. They brush through their manes, offer them fruit, and take the time to praise them for their hard work before securing them to their individual stalls just outside the house. As night falls, they decide to walk down into the village together to grab ingredients for dinner. During their travels Link had picked up a variety of new recipes to try and had the craving for poultry pilaf shared with him by another traveler. Of course, Zelda wanted to see what was new in the local clothing boutique. Little does she know, Link and Impa had arranged for new sets of royal traveling attire to be made in Kakariko Village so that everywhere she goes it will be no question she is the Princess of Hyrule. Most importantly, she and her knight will match in the well known royal blue. While Zelda is occupied in the clothing dye store, Link hears a familiar voice from behind him. 

“Hiiiiiiiiiii~!”

That can only be…

He turns around to see Bolson strutting towards him with a dainty wave. “Well well, look who’s returned to the village. I trust your home is still living up to your expectations?” He takes Link’s usual silent nod as confirmation. “Glad to hear it~ Do let me know if there is anything I can do to improve something. I am always looking for a new project around here.”

Link puts his hand to his chin, pondering briefly about Zelda’s initial impression of the house where she playfully suggested a feminine touch was needed. “Actually, there are a few things.”

Bolson raises an eyebrow with an intrigued smile, “Do tell.”

Link gives a brief explanation of his intentions to make the house more suited to Zelda’s needs and style. Being that Hyrule Castle is crumbled from the destruction of the Calamity, it is important that she has a place to think of as her own rather than feeling she is always a guest to someone else. Bolson puts a hand to his cheek in admiration of Link’s gesture to the princess. 

“Ah, to be young and in love~ What a true act of passion. I of course would be happy to begin the renovations as soon as you’re ready. Though if I may be so nosey, where will you reside now?”

Link brushes off his slight embarrassment from his comment of love and tilts his head in confusion, “I would still be there. I think the Princess would expect me to as well.”

“Mmmmm~ a word of caution, Link. Hyrule has just only regained their princess. She is the only surviving member of the royal family and the future of the kingdom. Sharing living quarters with her will only invite gossip mongers to create rumors of her… honor. The house is a one bedroom space. Do you understand?”

 Bolson gathers by the perplexed expression on Link’s face that he in fact, does not understand. “Forgive me, I may have misjudged the situation. Worry not young Link, Bolson will ensure that you and her Highness are well looked after. And besides,” He puts an arm around Link and gestures to follow his gaze towards Zelda in the dye shop, whispering in a sing-song way so that only he can hear “What the people don’t know won’t hurt~” He pats Link on the back giving him a suggestive wink. 

Link suddenly looks flushed from connecting the dots, “That’s not-”

“I shall meet with you and her Highness to go over the new plans, whenever you’re ready. I bid you a very goodnight young Link! Ta-ta~!”

Link watches as Bolson struts off down the path on his way home, just in time for Zelda to make her way back over to him. She notices how flustered he looks and tilts her head in concern, “Link? Are you alright?”

He rubs the back of his head and looks off to the side, avoiding eye contact with her. “I’m fine, just… hungry.” 

“Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to make you wait so long. Come on, let us return home and get started on dinner!” 

–

While eating dinner, Link is quiet and reserved. While this is not out of character for him, Zelda was hopeful for more conversation. She elects to not think too much of his silence, it’s been a long day after all and he seems to be simply enjoying his meal. She ensures to compliment his cooking, earning her a small appreciative smile from him. Her thoughts go to the previous night, wondering what he was about to tell her before the stable boys sat down. 

Should I ask him to tell me what he was going to say? I mean…I’ve put my feelings out there so I hope he knows he can be honest with me as well. He made such a grand gesture by granting his home he had built for me to use as residence…surely one does not do that for simply anyone. Right? 

Her eyes look up when she sees that he stands up, taking their empty bowls to be washed and put away. It’s only now hitting her that he also hasn’t made much eye contact with her since they had walked back from the village. Had she done something to offend him? She stands up and walks over to help him dry the dishes after he’s rinsed them.

“Link, is something bothering you?”

He merely shakes his head and continues to focus on washing the cookware once the bowls are down. Zelda’s intuition disagrees. She puts her hand on the pot he’s holding to grab his attention towards her. “We spend quite a lot of time together. I can tell when your silence is abnormal. Have I done something?”

Link sets the pot down in the sink, keeping his eyes focused on it. “You did nothing wrong, Princess.” 

“Then what is it?”

Link pauses before taking a deep breath and then finally brings his eyes up to hers, “I have yet to answer your question.” 

Zelda blinks in a bit of surprise, “What question?”

“The one you asked me in Zora’s Domain. You asked me if I would ever marry.”

“O-oh…right. You don’t have to answer that… it was not my place to ask.”

“When a Princess asks a knight a question, she deserves an answer.” He dries his hands off with a towel and gestures for them to sit down. The two of them return to their seats at the table, Zelda anxiously rubbing her thumb with the other while she waits for Link to continue. She can see that he is taking a moment to gather what he wants to say, and the longer he takes the more her heart pounds with anticipation. 

“My priority is to keep you safe and help rebuild Hyrule. I don’t think that leaves much space for marriage with someone else.” He studies her face, seeing her eyes glaze over with a tint of disappointment. “However, I do not think it is entirely out of the question. If at any point Hyrule and its Princess are truly safe, then the possibility is there.” 

Zelda shifts a bit in her seat, feeling somewhat better knowing he keeps an open mind. “I see…I suppose I can empathize with that myself. Hyrule’s restoration is of utmost importance and we must do everything we can. It will be a long process that likely will take several years to see it come to fruition. Which means…personal affairs must take a backseat for the time being.” Her eyes widen when she realizes that Link is thinking the same thing she is. The two of them lock eyes with each other and they sit in silence for a brief moment, knowing they both understand the other. Zelda lowers her gaze to her hands in her lap, her shoulders slump a bit with sadness. “I… suppose that answers that then.”

The room falls silent again as they sit in the disheartening realization that they aren’t yet liberated of their duties of saving Hyrule. A prospect that they both are proud to endure, yet suddenly find themselves grieving a simpler life after all they have been through. After what seems like an eternity, Link breaks the silence first. 

“Princess?”

She looks up from her lap and tilts her head slightly, with a gentle voice she answers. “Yes?”

He moves his seat closer to hers, putting his hand on hers as he did the night before. “If you are worried that I would leave your side, know that I would never do that.” He smiles reassuringly, “You are also what is most precious to me.”

Zelda’s eyes lingered on his face, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she drank in his every feature with a look of pure adoration. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird's wings, a rapid, joyous rhythm that echoed throughout her body. She’s suddenly grateful that she got to hear him say those words in privacy rather than at the stable. 

As the two get ready to wind down for the night, Link stays downstairs while she goes up to the loft. She finds the blue lobster tunic folded on the bed right where she left it and changes into it. She takes a breathy sigh of relaxation feeling the comfort it brings her. She suspects that he will sleep downstairs just as he did on her first night back, though she finds herself wishing that Hateno would welcome some colder temperatures soon. 

Now that they are in the comfort and safety of their home, anything is possible. 

End Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Development

The next few days are spent leisurely in the village as Zelda becomes more acquainted with the residents. Her and Link also met with Bolson to discuss renovation plans to the house so that it better fits the needs of her living there. Although it is implied that they will use the common areas of the house together, Bolson also proposed separate, private quarters to be added for each of them for when they need some time for themselves. He drew up an additional shed in the back of the house where Link can keep weapon inventory and have for other personal use. For Zelda, he discussed with her a secret room hidden underground below a well where she could study and escape the demands of princess duties briefly. They both agree that these spaces will remain only for themselves, and the other will respectfully wait to greet the other when they are not in there to make cohabitating in a one bedroom space as smooth as possible. Before departing with him, Zelda also mentions her vision to build a school in the village. She finds it very important to contribute to the education of children, so that they grow up knowing the history of Hyrule. Bolson admires her resolve and agrees to make it his final project before he retires from life in Hateno and departs on a new journey. 

While Bolson and Karson get to work on the new plans, Link and Zelda travel up to the ancient tech lab to visit with Purah. Zelda is shocked to see her friend of a century ago not old and frail like Impa, but rather in the form of a child. It seems she is ever chaotically using herself as the test subject for experiments, causing herself to reverse her age more than she anticipated. Nonetheless, she remains the ever intelligent and highly regarded Sheikah scientist in all of Hyrule. They learn from Purah that all of the Sheikah technology that was put in place for the Calamity has since been dispelled from existence, their roles having been fulfilled. The Sheikah Slate that Link had returned to her is now kept in a display case but completely deactivated. It is a mystery what really happened or where they went, but she believes that it is a sign that the Calamity will no longer return. It is now her new mission to expand upon the ancient Sheikah technology and create devices that will allow for quick travel, photographing, and other useful mechanisms for researching escapades. Zelda’s eyes light up with curiosity at the thought of being able to contribute to research once again, and she looks over notes with Purah about her ideas. 

“Check it, Princess! This is going to be revolutionary to what we can do once it’s completed.” Purah points with her tiny, child-like finger to the page. “It’s in the pre-design stage right now, I will need Robbie’s assistance with some of the intricacies of developing the working mechanisms. Think of some of the features of the Sheikah Slate’s abilities to log adventure notes, view the map, take pictures, enable a sensor for a particular object, and capture photographs. This device will be able to do all of those things but whereas the Sheikah Slate was specifically designed to be utilized by the chosen hero, this device will be accessible to anyone who holds it! Once we establish points of travel, it will also be able to teleport you to any location making travel across Hyrule easy peasy lemon squeezy!” She throws her hands up in the air in an excited show of confidence, to which Zelda meets her with an astonished and impressed expression. 

“Amazing, Purah! I cannot wait until it is finished to try it for myself. It’s incredible the things we will be able to establish for Hyrule with technology like this. I am forever grateful for all of the efforts you and your colleagues contribute to these developments.” 

“I for one look forward to fast travel. Especially since my sister is so old these days, visiting each other is proving to be quite a challenge. Ah, speaking of Impa, I received a message from her just before you arrived in Hateno. She said she would like you and Link to visit her temple before the celebration. Something about clothes.” Purah fans herself with her hand and returns her attention to studying her notes, adjusting her gigantic goggles. 

“Oh, but the celebration is in two days. I suppose we should head there today.” Zelda seems a bit disappointed to have to leave the tech lab so soon, but she adjusts herself knowing that Impa has been hard at work preparing for the event. “Let us go then, Link.” She looks over to where Link was standing with Symin, looking over notes in a journal of his with a curious expression. Whatever they were discussing, Link was very interested in it. When he hears Zelda call for him, he averts his attention to her, gives Symin a bit of an apologetic dismissal, and joins her to leave the lab. Zelda nudges him playfully once they are outside, “What were you two talking about over there? You had the same look on your face that you get when you are trying a new recipe.”

Link only shrugged sheepishly, “It…may have been about food.”

The sound of her lighthearted laugh only furthers his embarrassment, “I should have known. Such a glutton!”

“Careful Princess, that kind of taunting will resort to banana pudding for dessert.”

Zelda gasps and claps her hands together in a praying position, “I take it back. Please… no bananas.”

He smiles playfully and nudges her back, “Alright fine, only because you said please.”

–

Paya’s Diary 

Entry 62 - Date XX-XX-XX

The day of the big festival in honor of Princess Zelda is just two days away. Grandmother and the rest of the village have been working tirelessly since the Princess and Link left Kakariko to prepare for it. I do believe this will be the biggest event I have ever known the village to have in my entire life. I hope visitors from other regions across Hyrule will come to appreciate our efforts. 

Grandmother told me that before departing, Link had requested new riding attire for the Princess to be made that would be more fitting for her. In the same spirit of consideration, she also had an order put in for something more formal for her to wear at the festival. It got me thinking…wouldn’t it be appropriate for the appointed knight of the reigning monarch to also have something befitting to wear for the occasion? I suggested this to Grandmother, and she was in agreement as well. She put in an order to have a Royal Guards uniform made just for him. According to her, this uniform was worn solely by the King’s own guardsmen. It only makes sense that he would wear it now, as the knight of the only remaining member of the royal family. I bet he will look very handsome… as he always does. Grandmother says I am to present him the uniform when they come to visit, as she will be assisting Princess Zelda with her gown. How am I to bear this task?! I can only hope that I will not make a fool of myself and do or say something utterly embarrassing! Everytime I am in his presence I can barely speak without stuttering over my words, or even look in his direction without my face getting hot. This is important, however, so it is imperative that I rehearse how I will present it to him in front of the Princess. 

Last thing, Grandmother also mentioned that traditional celebrations like this used to be held in the ballrooms of the castle. It was customary for the King and Queen to greet their subjects and share the first dance, inviting others to follow after. I wonder if such traditions are to resume now that the Princess is returned. Though there is no Prince or King…I wonder…will Link take the role of her dance partner? I wonder if he knows how to dance, or used to know and maybe doesn’t remember. I wonder if someone else will step up such as the Prince of the Zora. Either way…perhaps it would be wise to rehearse my own dancing skills as well. 

Just in case…

–

Link and Zelda arrive at Kakariko Village and can see all of the preparations for the festival in development. There are banners, streamers, lanterns, and booths being lined up where they will station food and other crafted goods for the guests. There are also representatives from each of the regions, Rito, Zora, Goron, and Gerudo that have set up their own stations to contribute to the activities and goods. The clothing shop is also bustling with business and the villagers collect their specially made outfits for the occasion. Zelda can’t help but poke her head in to see the beautiful designs of the kimonos and becomes filled with excitement at the thought of seeing people dressed up across the different cultures. Link seems to be more enthusiastic about the food that’s being prepared as they continue to make their way to Impa’s temple. 

Once inside, Impa and Paya greet them and invite them to take their seat at the center table for their usual cup of tea after journeying to the village. Paya once again serves Zelda her tea first, then Impa, then Link. Her face changes from a polite, proper expression to that of a shy and slightly flustered one when their hands briefly touch as she places his teacup in his hands. Impa catches Zelda staring at them from behind sipping her tea and decides to break the silence. 

“Thank you both for coming out here a bit earlier than expected. Before getting into the reason, how were your travels to the other regions?”

Zelda averts her attention to Impa and smiles politely while putting her cup on the saucer. “It went well overall, I think. I was happy to have met with the leaders of the different races and share in the stories of their people. Although…we were unfortunate to run into some threats with the Yiga clan once leaving Gerudo Town. It seems you were correct in the imperative need to rebuild our armed forces.”

Impa and Paya both show shock and concern in their reactions. “The Yiga are continuing to be active even after the Calamity has been eradicated? That must have been a terrible encounter, I’m glad to see you are both alright.” Paya said. 

“Yes…it was extremely awful and terrifying. Luckily…they were no match for Link. He put a stop to their plans and ensured my safety, as he always does.” She looks over to Link, smiling gratefully to which he returns with a soft smile of his own. 

Paya can feel the hurt in her heart, as the first smile she sees from Link is directed towards someone else. She thinks to herself how the last time they were here they seemed to have a more cordial, professional type of relationship. Now it looks like things have certainly developed since then, perhaps to a close friendship. 

“Well done Master Link. If you could manage to guide the future knights of Hyrule to fight as courageously as you do, then perhaps you may yet retire someday.” Impa grabs her walking cane and uses it to stand up. “Now then, the traveling attire you ordered for her Highness have been completed and are ready.”

“Traveling attire?” Zelda looks from Impa back to Link in a curious manner.

“Oh did he not yet tell you? He had requested new clothes for your travels. I agree that the Princess should be recognizable by the people in the signature blue of the royal family. I hope they are to your liking.” Impa reaches for a box with the same icon on the clothing shop store printed on the top and hands it to Zelda. 

Zelda places the box in her lap and lifts the lid up to reveal her classic cyan blue outfit with gold detailing, a short-sleeved quilted blouse, fitted pants, and sturdy leather boots. Her eyes dazzle with excitement and she flashes a beaming smile to Link and Impa. “Oh it’s perfect! Just like I used to wear all those years ago when I would venture out in the wild to conduct research. It’s like having a bit of a memory from a past time… I’m so grateful for the gesture. Thank you both for doing this for me.” While she acknowledges Impa’s part in the gift, she mostly directs eye contact with Link for thinking of the idea. Not that she would ever say it out loud, but she was a bit bored of the common apparel. Having her signature look back gives her a sense of reclaiming her position as the leader of Hyrule. 

“I’m glad to see you so pleased, your Highness, but that’s not the only surprise. You didn’t think after all these years I would forget to make sure you had something befitting to wear for the festival, did you?”

Zelda neatly tucks the clothes back into the box and puts the lid on top securely, “Of course not, you always have something up your sleeve.”

“Indeed I do. Paya also suggested that Master Link have an appropriate uniform as well. We need you both to try on your respective outfits in the case that adjustments need to be made.”

Link seems a bit surprised as he was certainly not expecting anything fancy for himself. Before he can protest, Paya chimes in. “Y-yes. I thought - er - we thought that it only made sense for you to dress as a royal guard. I believe that is customary for the reigning monarch’s guardsman.”

He pauses a moment remembering the hierarchy of knighthood and nods in agreement. He never thought of wearing anything other than his Champion’s tunic, but Zelda’s rise to the throne means an addition in title as well. He looks over to Zelda seeking her approval, to which she confirms with her smile and a gleeful nod. Impa gestures for Paya to stand with her and grab the two large gift boxes that are placed on a desk at the far end of the room. She then motions for Link and Zelda to follow them, “Now both of these have different pieces to put on. The Princess and I will go upstairs, Link and Paya will stay down here.” 

Link seems compliant with the directions given to them, though Zelda fidgets awkwardly with the ends of her hair. She tries not to show her apprehension, and even considers asking Paya to help her instead. She knows that Impa has always prided herself in helping her dress for special occasions, so it would be rude to do such a thing. She follows Impa up the stairs carrying the box for her, all the while glancing down at Paya giving Link his gift box with blushed cheeks. 

For a moment, the sight of Paya is replaced with an image of Mipha with the Zora armor in her hands. 

End Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: Jealous

100 years earlier

The castle was quiet this late at night, with only the faint sounds of metal greaves clinking as the guards made their rounds. A soft candlelight glow came from the Princess’ tower where she was deep into her stitch work. As leader of the appointed Champions, she was tasked by the King to make uniformed garments for each of them to wear proudly. While the four Champions that would be piloting the Divine Beasts required smaller pieces to wear like a scarf, sash, cape, and skirt to represent their status, the garb for the sword’s chosen one would require more time and detail. She would be crafting a tunic that could withstand the trenches of constant battle without weighing down its wearer. Something sturdy, yet light with a design that made it clear what his role as the chosen one was to all who see him. She decided to adorn the front of the tunic with the design of the sword on the chest, representing his devotion to protect Hyrule. She would also put in an order with the armorsmith to reinforce her design with protective leathers on the forearms, gloves, and utility belts where he could secure his sword safely while being able to maneuver freely. 

Zelda became lost in thought as she embroidered the design of the master sword into the tunic. Wondering how her soon to be appointed knight is taking in his new found responsibilities to defeat Calamity Ganon. Was he in shock, she wondered. Perhaps he is celebrating with his fellow knights and basking in the fame and glory of his new rise in rank. She really hadn’t the slightest clue what kind of personality he has, or if they would be compatible working alongside together. Not that it mattered, she had no choice to. She had her own role to play in this as well. 

As she finishes the last detail of her design, she places it flat on her work desk and smoothes out the folds to look it over. She finds herself realizing how…petite the tunic actually is. Did the guard captain really give her accurate measurements? She could wear this herself, really. She should know better than to make assumptions about the size of his frame and compare it to skill…after all Mipha is small in stature but fierce with a trident nonetheless. She places a hand on the tunic, brushing her fingers softly over the material as she says a silent prayer to the goddess for the protection of the chosen one. 

“ Goddess Hylia, hear my prayer. I, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, pray that you bless this tunic with your divine protection. The one who will wear it will face a great evil. For the sake of all of Hyrule, he must succeed in battle. Should he ever be in peril…please protect him.”

After her prayer, she sighs in a bit of frustration and retreats her hand quickly from the tunic. 

“I don’t know why I did that… She has yet to answer your prayers no matter how many times you have tried. I still bear no sacred power to protect anyone…” 

The princess felt a wave of exhaustion hit her and realized how long she had been working on the tunic. Tomorrow, she will present them to the five Champions in a prestigious ceremony and preparations for the return of the Ganon will begin. She only hopes that they will not be disappointed with her leading them without having awakened her sacred powers. She dresses in her nightgown, extinguishes her candles, and climbs into bed.

As soon as she had fallen asleep, the stitching of the master sword on the chosen one’s tunic shimmered with a golden, divine light. 

–

“Your Highness? Is the gown not to your liking?”

Zelda returned her mind to reality when she heard Impa’s voice come through over her inner thoughts. She didn’t mean to seem distant, but she couldn’t help but think about the night she spent finishing the Champion’s tunic for Link. Now, he’s just downstairs removing that tunic to wear new attire. Though it wasn’t the new uniform that bothered her, rather, it was that Paya was presenting it to him. She looks into her own reflection’s eyes in the mirror, coming face to face with the reality of what she was feeling. Yes, the same feeling she felt in Zora’s Domain when she learned of the Zora armor from Mipha.  

She was jealous. 

“It is lovely, Impa. You have really outdone yourself with the design, I’m so grateful that you continue to consider my apparel after all these years.”

Impa senses the somber undertones in her voice, yet smiles warmly from her gratitude. “It is my pleasure to do so, Your Highness. I will always be here for you for anything.” She looks at Zelda in the mirror and tilts her head slightly, “Might there be anything you need to talk about perchance?”

Zelda blinks in a bit of surprise, then slumps her shoulders knowing it would be no use to play aloof around Impa. “It...is nothing. Truly. I suppose I was just lost in a memory.”

“I see. I understand that it will always be difficult to recall the past. You can always talk to me about it, as I am one of the handful of people that lived that era with you.” Impa pauses briefly before turning from the mirror to face her. “You also have Link as well. The boy doesn’t say much, but he cares for you more than anything.” She notes the faint smile that Zelda graces her lips at the mention of Link. There are a few moments of silence as they both admire the gown in the mirror, when Impa is the first to break it. “Would you like to descend downstairs and show them?” 

Zelda takes a moment more to ponder her answer. To Impa’s amusement, the princess straightens her posture, lifts her chin, and poises herself with the regal confidence a monarch should have. 

“Yes, I would like that.”

–

Link had dressed rather quickly into the royal guard uniform. He felt the need to be swift out of respect for Paya, who had her back turned to him allowing privacy while he changed. Little did he know the intense flush over her cheeks as her thoughts ran rampant of him undressed behind her. He did manage to notice her clap her hands against her cheeks and mutter a soft scolding to herself. After pulling the boots up and securing the cap on his head, he clears his throat to signal that he is finished. Paya straightens herself up and turns towards him, finding herself struck speechless. Her eyes look him over from top to bottom then back to top with a dazzled expression. When too many moments of her silence pass, Link finds himself feeling a bit self conscious. He tilts his head to the side in concern, “Paya?”

The sound of her name leaving his lips causes her to swoon and meet her gaze with his. “L-Link…you look so…so…” Oh how she wishes she could bring herself to be honest and say that he looks so handsome. She takes a small gulp and smiles bashfully, “You look so official. It seems that it fits you perfectly! Take a look in the mirror just over here.” She directs him to the body length mirror just behind where she is standing and moves herself to stand next to him. Link steps forward until he sees himself in the mirror, Paya feeling excited to see his initial reaction. At first he seems a bit surprised at the sight of himself dressed in such a proper and regal uniform. The ones he found as relics in Hyrule Castle were old and had wear and tear from the years buried in the rubble, but this was fresh and never before worn by a previous royal guard. The more he looks, Paya notices that his eyelids are slightly lower and he appears mournful. 

“Master Link…is something wrong?”

Link fully closes his eyes for a brief moment and inhales a deep breath through his nose to relax himself. He opens his eyes again once he exhales, “I remembered some of my comrades that were part of the Kingsguard.” 

“Oh I see… I can imagine that to be a painful memory. I apologize…”

He looks over to her, raising his eyebrow slightly in confusion, “There is nothing you need to apologize for.”

“I did not take your feelings for your comrades into consideration when I suggested this be made for you. I only thought-”

“No, it’s a good thing.”

“I-it is?” 

“I don’t have a lot of my memories from back then, but sometimes I come across things or places that help me remember. I was able to regain a memory because of this uniform you had made for me. For that, I’m thankful to you.” He expresses a thin but appreciative smile, to which he is met with a very smitten expression from Paya. 

The next few moments are spent ensuring that all of the pieces of the uniform fit well or if any part needed adjusting. Paya asks Link to try some light movement to see if he will be comfortable throughout the celebration. Though being Link, his instinct is to test how he will move with his sword if he needs to fight while wearing it. 

“Master Link? You really suspect that you will need to draw your sword during the festival?”

“It would be unwise to assume I wouldn’t have to, considering recent events.”

“Hmm..fair point. Though, if I may make a suggestion, perhaps you should see if you are comfortable with… other movements in it.”

Link comes to a stop and looks at her through the mirror. “What do you mean?”

“You know…” Paya taps the tip of her pointer fingers together feeling a bit embarrassed to explain. “You should see if you can comfortably dance in it.”

 “Dance?” Paya’s nod of confirmation only causes him to feel a bit awkward. “I’m expected to dance?”

“Well, of course! It is a celebration for you and the Princess. Grandmother says the King and Queen would always have the first dance at all royal celebrations in the castle. The Princess is now the only remaining royal member…and you are her knight.” Her smile seems to fade slightly, try as she may to not show her jealousy. 

Link rubs the back of his neck nervously, “I don’t think I know how to dance. At least, I don’t remember ever dancing in my life.”

“Do you recall ever attending a royal celebration in the castle back then?”

“Just the one.” He looks over to his Champion’s tunic laying on top of a table, thinking of the day the Champions were honored with their garbs from Zelda. “There was no dancing.”

“Well you can’t let the Princess dance alone, but you’re in luck! I myself have been practicing for the occasion and… would be h-happy to teach you a few s-steps.” Paya felt her throat starting to tighten at the idea of having a chance to dance with Link. A moment she has been dreaming about since the preparations for the festival began. 

Link ponders her offer briefly and decides to nod in acceptance. After all, he couldn’t fathom the idea of making a fool of himself or the Princess in front of all of Hyrule. “Alright then, I’m all yours.”

Paya’s heart could just beat right out of her chest the moment he says those words to her, but she has waited so eagerly for this that she composes herself quickly. “A-alright, so, you and the Princess will be presented by grandmother at the beginning of the ceremony before all the guests. She will give a brief speech of your triumph against Ganon and announce that her Highness will now reign as leader of all Hyrule.” She gestures for Link to kneel on one knee to which he complies. “Princess Zelda will then bestow your title as Hero of Hyrule and the honor of captaining the next generation of Hyrulean knights.” She raises her arm, signaling him to stand. Link does as he’s instructed, quite familiar with the process of being knighted. He remembers the day Zelda recited a prayer over him when he received his tunic from her, and the sense of despair in her voice. He remembers thinking how disappointed she must have felt upon seeing it was him that carried the responsibility of protecting her, and knew he would do whatever it took to ensure she would be safe. No matter what. 

Paya explains the rest of the formalities that Zelda will fulfil to establish her intentions for the restoration of Hyrule for all to hear. “Once she finishes, Kass will perform a ceremonial song signaling your dance with the Princess. It is customary that the male partner takes the lead, starting with offering your hand in request of hers.”

“Like this?” Link extends his hand out towards her, bringing his other arm properly behind his back. “May I have this dance?” He fixes his eyes on hers and holds her gaze, patiently awaiting her answer. Paya soaks in the sight of him as long as she can. The regal, gloved hand beckoning for her to accept is right in front of her. She needed only to reach out and place her hand in his, and they would start to dance. Her voice is soft and breathy when she responds, accepting his hand with hers. “Y-Yes…of course. I-I mean…yes just like that.” 

It turns out that Link naturally found the steps and rhythm of a common dance sequence, as if his body remembered what his mind hadn’t. Paya was grateful, as she became so enamored dancing with Link she forgot all about how she was supposed to be teaching him in the first place. She didn’t even realize there was no music playing with how well he was leading them. 

“Master Link, it seems you have danced before…and you’re quite skilled.”

“A surprise to you and I both.” 

Paya giggles and the two of them continue to dance in the small space of the room. It seems whatever part of him remembered how to dance pulled from a happy memory, as apparent by the growing smile on Link’s face. After a couple minutes of dancing through a sequence of steps, Link feels compelled to twirl her gracefully away from his body to which Paya naturally follows through. They lock eyes for a split moment before he twirls her back towards him until her chest is pressed against his. Paya gasps softly when he puts his hand on her back and gently dips her backwards. She could swear the room was white around them. That he could hear her heart beating like a booming bass drum. Then just as quickly as it happened, it was disrupted by an outside voice. 

“Are we interrupting something?”

Both Link and Paya avert their eyes up to where Impa’s voice had spoken from, where they see her hands crossed over each other on her cane and looking upon them with a bemused expression. Standing next to her is Zelda, with one hand over her chest clutching the material of her dress into a bunch in her fist. She stares at the two of them maintaining the pose of their dance with the same heartbroken look as the moment she learned of Mipha’s feelings for Link. He instinctively pulls away from Paya when he sees her expression. He wanted to reach out to her to comfort her, but Paya’s voice cut through the growing silence.

“O-oh not at all, grandmother.” She shuffles a bit in her stance, feeling saddened that their moment of closeness is over. “I-I was just teaching Link how to dance…s-so that he would be prepared for tomorrow. As it turns out, he was able to remember that he already knew how.” She clears her throat quickly in hopes to derail any further questioning. “Oh my, Princess! You look absolutely beautiful in your dress! The picture of a true leader.”

Zelda doesn’t respond for what feels like an eternity for everyone in the room. Truthfully, she hadn’t quite listened to what Paya or anyone else had said to her since the moment she laid her eyes on Link embracing her in the dance. All she could think about was holding back the urge to run out of the temple and ride off somewhere far and isolated with Stella. But no. That would not be becoming of someone in her position. She needed to push these feelings far back into her mind for now, and be the poised and proper princess she is expected to be. When she realizes they were all looking to her for some sort of response, she wears a polite smile with a softened look in her eyes. 

“I thank you both for your hard work and consideration for tomorrow’s celebrations. I adore my dress, and Link’s uniform is-” She dares herself to glance over at Link, avoiding eye contact with him. He most certainly notices. “...very fitting for his role.” She looks over to Impa, carefully putting her hand on her frail shoulder. “It is late now, and I still need to look over my notes for tomorrow. We should all retire and get some rest.”     

Impa merely nods, knowing full well now what has had the princess’ mind occupied lately. Though she also knows now is not the time to dive into those waters. “It is our pleasure, Your Highness. Would you like assistance dressing out of the gown?”

“No it is quite alright, I’ll be just fine. I’ll make sure both of our outfits are hung properly and ready for tomorrow. You’ve both done so much already.” Only Link and Impa know her well enough to hear the icy undertones of her last statement. Without further discussion, Zelda bids them goodnight and excuses herself to the guest room, Link following just after her. Once the door to their room closes, Link reaches for her hand in a request for her attention.

“Princess, please talk to me.”

End Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: First Dance

“There is… nothing to say, Link.” Zelda glances down at his hand holding hers and gently retracts it to wave her hand in a slightly dismissive manner. “I’m just feeling a bit tired and I have some things to look over before going to sleep.”

Link stares at her in disbelief, not buying her attempt to deflect talking through her feelings. “I have made you upset.” 

She sighs in a bit of frustration that he doesn’t seem like he’s going to let it go, but she keeps her tone of voice calm. “What makes you think you are the one that has upset me?”

“Because of the way you looked at me.”

At this point she meets her eyes with his and sees a very concerned expression on his face. It very much reads like he feels hurt from her reaction. She looks at him with guilt for making him feel like he did anything wrong because the fact is, he hadn’t. She holds her gaze with him as she struggles with the decision to tell him the truth of her feelings or spare him from a potential awkward situation. 

“ You can’t tell him the truth, Zelda. You already know where he stands. He sees you as the princess he must protect. He very well may think of you as a sister to keep safe. Telling him would complicate the boundaries of your relationship. 

…

No…that’s not true. That night after the Yiga incident…he was about to-”

“Is this about dancing with Paya?”

Zelda feels a sudden shutter run down her spine when her inner argument with herself is cut off by the sound of Link’s voice. He had just outright said the very thing she was avoiding. 

“Why…do you think that would upset me?”

“The reason is irrelevant, if it upsets you, then it is enough for me to know it will not happen again. Forgive me, Princess.” Link bows to her desperate for her forgiveness. Much like a subject would before their monarch. For some reason, this act of formality strikes a hidden nerve in Zelda. 

“Is that all I am to you?” The snap in her voice makes Link stand back up immediately in surprise. “Am I just the Princess that you take orders from and keep safe for the sake of Hyrule? For the sake of duty? Is your oath what keeps you from pursuing life in other ways you would otherwise prefer to enjoy?” The tone in her voice escalates with frustration and pain the more her words pour out. She knows the more she says the more she’ll regret it, but she can’t seem to stop. “Why did you tell me that I was most precious to you in Hateno the other night? What does that mean to you? Because when I said that you are what was most precious to me, I meant that!” Tears start to well up in her eyes and her throat starts to clench as she attempts to hold back from sobbing.

 Before she can continue, she feels herself suddenly pulled into a strong, tight embrace as Link wraps his arms around her. It was that moment where she lost control and began to cry into his shoulder, gripping the fabric on the chest of his uniform. Link holds her tight in a comforting way and says nothing for several moments, waiting for her to come to a calm. He takes the time to reflect on her outburst and realizes exactly how the situation must have looked to her at the moment. While the two of them have not quite confirmed the truth of their feelings outside of being precious to each other, there is an unspoken understanding. Now, he is realizing how he has unintentionally fragmented their relationship. As her cries de escalate into soft sniffles, Link pulls slightly away and caresses her face in his hands. He wipes some tears from her eyes with his thumbs and guides her to meet his eyes. 

“I meant what I said that night. You are the most precious thing to me. You want to know what I mean by that? It means that you are what I care about the most. It means that I would put my life on the line for you. It means that I want to spend my life by your side. It means that I see you as the most beautiful, kind, caring, strong-willed, stubborn, smart, fun, passionate, and special person I know.” He studies her face, her eyes continue to shed tears as she takes in what he says to her. Though this time, he can tell these tears are not from anger or pain, but from a sense of relief. He puts his forehead against hers, “It means my heart belongs to you, Zelda.”

That was it. The words she’s wanted to hear for so long. She feels her body relax in response to the soft, soothing tone of his voice as she replays his words in her head over and over. They stay in their embrace in a comfortable silence as if the tension between them has dispelled. 

“Link…you called me Zelda.” She can’t help but crack a smile and a quivered giggle. “I much prefer it that way.” 

“You know, so do I.” 

After some time, Zelda’s emotions have regulated to the point where she blots the remaining tears from her eyes and smiles at him feeling both elated and embarrassed. “I’m sorry for the way this night turned out. I mean - with how I reacted. I must admit I have been feeling a bit…jealous.”

“Is this also what troubled you in Zora’s Domain, and Mipha’s armor?”

Zelda plays with the end of her hair and shifts the way she stands, “Perhaps…” 

Link gives a nod acknowledging that he understands now. He understands why she persistently asked him about his feelings on marriage, on Mipha, and other personal questions. He sighs a bit with a small smile, feeling like a complete idiot that he missed it. She’s had feelings for him this whole time, and he made a big spiel about “protecting the throne, not sitting on one.” He feels like he could just throw himself off of Vah Medoh. 

“Well, you said you wanted to prepare some things for tomorrow. I have an idea of something we can do together.” He holds his hand out to her and a rare, genuine Link smile graces his face. Not his usual cordial, polite smile he shows for others. A true, radiant one. 

Zelda matches his smile and takes his hand blindly trusting whatever he has in mind. “What would that be, Hero?”

Link gasped sarcastically, “Is Hero all I am to you?”

She playfully scolds him, still smiling “Don’t use my quotes against me!”

He chuckles a bit then laces his fingers with hers, leading her out the door. It was already late in the evening and the majority of the villagers and visiting guests had retired to their beds for the night. Link had hoped that one guest in particular would still be awake, and luckily he was correct. He could hear the sound of the musical bard’s accordion in the distance just outside the village perimeter. He was sitting atop of the mountains behind Impa’s temple, peacefully playing a ballad from his repertoire of songs passed down by his mentor. Link brings Zelda to an open area between the goddess statue and the campfire. The moon was full and beaming bright, but you could still see the soft glow of the fireflies that gently bob in their flight by the trees. He keeps hold of the hand he led her with, and offers her the other. 

“I was informed that you and I would share the first dance tomorrow.” 

“I see…so that is why…” She feels a bit ashamed for how over the top she reacted now that she’s realized the context of the situation. “I’m sorry, Link. I suppose I owe Paya an apology as well.” 

“You don’t have to think about that right now. Just focus on me.” 

She smiles and accepts his hand, placing it on her waist as she places hers atop his shoulder. They begin to dance to the melody that Kass plays on this beautiful evening. The two of them never linger their eyes anywhere else but each other. Link finds himself more comfortable and relaxed dancing with Zelda than the way he felt with Paya. He feels strong, yet vulnerable with her. Like he could strike a meteor that threatened her yet fold to her every whim. Dancing together feels natural, as if they had danced before many times. He wrestles with the lost memory of where he ever learned to dance in the first place. Surely, his time in the past was spent on training as a knight, not taking dance lessons. Formal dancing like this was really more of a custom for royalty and noblemen, to which Link grew up as neither. As he tries to recall any memory that could explain it, he notices Zelda looking at him intently. Like she is waiting for him to realize it as well. As the song is coming to an end, he suddenly feels compelled to finish by twirling her away from him just as he did before with Paya. His eyes widen with realization as she spins back towards him and presses her chest against his. As he places a hand in the small of her back to support her dip backwards, it hits him. She searches his face in anticipation for what he remembers.

“It was you…we’ve…done this before.”

“Yes…we have.” 

Zelda places a hand on his cheek and Link brings her up slightly to be closer to his face. They’ve discussed this before. Both of them have important duties to fulfil before thinking about the luxuries of their personal affairs like relationships. But in this very moment, under the moonlight, surrounded by fireflies, the harmonious ending chord of Kass’ song ringing, neither of them cared. 

Their eyes lowered to each other's lips, and shared their first kiss. 

End Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Reminisce  

* 100 years earlier*

“Tomorrow…is my seventeenth birthday.” Zelda turns to face Link, her eyes reflecting the hope that she is desperately clinging to. Mount Lanayru standing majestically behind her in the distance. “So then I shall go… and make my way up the mountain.” 

Link gives her a reassuring nod to affirm his support for her. He feels a pang in his chest that she has had no success up to this point, and knows how it fills her with constant worry and disappointment in herself. If only there was something he could do to help, he would not hesitate to do so. Anything to see her succeed. Anything to see her smile. 

“That brings me to my next dilemma. I don’t know how far you will be able to come with me due to Lanayru’s decree of being seventeen years of age. Perhaps Urbosa…or Impa…” 

Link shakes his head, “I am seventeen, Princess. I will go with you.”

Zelda looks at him confused, “What? I’m fairly certain that we were both sixteen when we met…that would mean that you’ve had a birthday at some point since then.” 

Link sort of half smiles, “You are wise to conclude that, for a still sixteen year old.”

She shoots him a glare and places her fists on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a birthday? We’ve been together everyday and I missed it? When was this?”

He shrugs a bit, feeling as if he did not think it important enough considering the current circumstances of a looming threat. “Forgive me, Princess. Though, you haven’t exactly missed it. I turned seventeen today.” 

Zelda blinks in surprise and then sighs with relief that there was still a bit of the evening left. “Well I certainly would have liked to have known sooner. Happy Birthday, Link.” 

“Thank you, Princess.”

There is an awkward silence and Zelda slumps her shoulders in a bit of sadness. “Not a very great time for a considerably important age to turn, is it. Certainly no decorations, cake, or celebrations to be had in a time like this.” She walks over to the edge of the water fountain and sits, staring at her reflection in the water. “I wish we didn’t have to spend it this way.”

 Link never thought too much about his own birthday, but can tell that Zelda had a different vision for hers. He walks over to where she sat and joins her, wanting to lift her spirits as best as he can. “If things were different, how would you expect to celebrate turning seventeen?”

She looks up at him with curious eyes, pondering the answer to that question. “Well…I guess I’m not so sure. But I know how my father would choose to celebrate. Turning seventeen…marks the age of adulthood as you know. For a Princess, it marks the age where I would be old enough to rule as Queen.” She sighs softly, feeling a bit embarrassed to talk about this with Link. “Which means he would throw a grand celebration in the castle and invite eligible suitors across all the regions of Hyrule to present me to.” She can tell by his perplexed expression he doesn’t quite understand why that has anything to do with celebrating one’s birthday. “Meaning…I would be expected to find someone to court…and…marry.”

Link nearly falls into the fountain by the absurdity of such a ritual. How odd, he thinks, to be essentially auctioned off to strange men just because she is old enough to be Queen?

“I…forgive me, Princess. That sounds terrible.” 

Zelda laughs a bit under her breath, agreeing with him. “Doesn’t it? In some ways I can’t help but think maybe the current predicament is preferable. But in that scenario, I would spend my birthday endlessly dancing with suitors all night until a desirable match was made.” 

“How are you expected to find someone you want to marry based on a dance? With a stranger no less?”

“Formal dancing is quite an intimate thing, Link. My father said it is how he and my mother fell in love. Though I’m sure that is a rare occasion for royal marriages. Not that it matters really…I doubt that I will have the chance to dance with anyone at this point. If I don’t awaken this power…there very well may be no Hyrule left to be Queen of.”

Link says nothing for a few moments, watching Zelda make swirls and ripples with her finger in the water. He looks over to the sun setting and realizes the day is coming to an end. He doesn’t know what will happen tomorrow on the mountain, but he knows that right now he has a chance to do something special for her. He extends a hand to her, causing her to avert her attention from the water to him. 

“What is it, Link?” Zelda feels her cheeks growing warm as she starts to realize what the implication of his hand means.

“I don’t know how to dance, but as my gift to you, I will dance with you for your birthday.” He smiles at her sincerely and warmly, much like a charming Prince would. 

Her eyes widen and her mouth opens to say something but is briefly left agape from feeling speechless. She can’t help but feel excitement rushing through her, as she accepts his hand and they stand together. Finally, he is rewarded with her radiant smile. “That is a perfectly acceptable gift. Then my gift to you on your birthday will be your first dance lesson.” 

He nods ready to accept instruction from her. “Lead the way, Princess.”

“Well actually, it is you that will lead the way. Once the lady you requested to dance with accepts your hand, you receive her permission to proceed with the dance.” 

“Alright then, how would I go about that?”

“Well…you would hold one hand with your partner’s like this…” She reaches for his hand nervously with one of hers placing them palm to palm. She wraps her thumb and fingers around the sides of his hand, guiding him to do the same with hers. She steals a quick glance to his face to see if had any reaction that would be uncomfortable. But there he stood, perfectly at ease and following orders like always. She then uses her free hand to reach for his other one, “and…you take this one and place it here.” His eyes follow where she guides the placement of his hand to her waist, suddenly very aware of what she meant about being intimate. She can sense his reservations by the way he keeps his fingers extended, preventing him from properly holding her waist. 

“Um…Link. It’s okay. Relax.” 

“I am relaxed.”

“No I mean, relax.” She molds his fingers to curve around her waist in a proper hold. He stiffens in reflex feeling like he is disrespecting her by holding her in such a way. Her eyes meet his as she places her free hand gently on his upper arm area near his shoulder and smiles warmly. “There now, not so bad is it?”

He furrows his brow a bit and frowns, “You would be expected to do this with several suitors?” 

“I suppose if I hope to be Queen someday…yes.”

Link doesn’t seem particularly pleased with that answer, but he knows better than to speak on royal customs. After all, it is not his place to argue. Merely follow orders. His hand ever so slightly squeezes hers as he brushes off the idea of such a thing. “What’s next?”

“We’ll do a common sequence. It can be simple, repetitive steps that travel around the dance floor. Those who wish to impress will certainly throw in some fancier moves as well.” 

“If I am dancing with the Princess for her birthday, I am most definitely wanting to impress.”

A pink tint grows upon her cheeks as she smiles bashfully. If he were the one she danced with at her birthday celebration, no other suitors could hold a candle to him. She wonders if he would even ask her to dance, or if he would remain on the sidelines. Ever dutifully doing his job as her protector. 

“Well then…pay close attention. The first steps go like this-”

The sun sets, night falls, and the two of them had completed rehearsing the dance sequence Zelda was teaching Link. She was very impressed with how quickly he caught on, without music to guide him no less. Perhaps some skills from swordfighting transfer well to formal dancing. Of course he still made a few mistakes here and there, but she was amused by his determination to get it perfect. Her melodious laughter only encouraged him, seeing her happy was his true intention. He was even able to master the more finessed moves such as the big finish of the twirl and backward dip. His previous hesitation to hold her closely now gone and his confidence more apparent. As Link pulls her up from her dip he smiles with satisfaction, ready to try for real.

The moonlight is bright and brilliant, shimmering on the water of the fountain. Fireflies shine their soft glow here and there around them. The perfect setting to run their dance all the way through. They reset to the beginning position and Link begins to lead their dance. Just a few times does he mouth the counts and glance at the ground to ensure he doesn’t step on her. Zelda follows him with ease, letting out light laughter from the joy she felt. Once it came for Link to spin Zelda, his expression became more focused, determined not to mess it up. As she spins back into him, she gasps slightly and holds her breath the moment she feels her chest against his. They are both fixated on each other's eyes, their eyelids partly lowered. They both know once he dips her backwards, their dance will end and they will return to the reality of the situation they face. He hesitates to do so, admittingly not wanting for the moment to come to an end. Not wanting to see Zelda loom over the possible outcomes of tomorrow. Not wanting to imagine that if they are successful and save Hyrule, it only means Zelda will be practically paraded for a room full of suitors. Even that he feels compelled to protect her from. 

There is a pause. Not because he forgot what to do next, but because he is absorbing the moment. Their eyes are still locked to each other. The silence grows, but it is comfortable. Finally, he dips her backwards gently while releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

Zelda feels a tingling sensation course through her chest, as if her heart is sending vibrations. Her hand acts as if it has a mind of its own and reaches up to caress his cheek. She curses Ganon. She curses Hylia. She curses the terrible fate that had to be their burdens to bear. If only tomorrow never had to come. 

They slowly release themselves from each other's hold, however reluctantly. 

“Happy Birthday… Link. And thank you…for my gift.” 

His voice is soft and melancholy, “Anything for you, Princess.” 

–

Zelda sits on her futon with her back against the wall, looking over a parchment of notes for tomorrow. She holds a writing quill in her hand to make edits here and there until she is satisfied with the final version. She looks down at her lap where Link’s head is resting, sound asleep. After they returned back inside, they changed out of their ceremony attire and into comfortable clothes for sleep. They spent another two hours reminiscing over their first dance together on the night of Link’s birthday a century ago. Neither of them would have ever imagined that that would be the last happy memory they shared together before everything went wrong.

After he had fallen asleep, she decided to briefly stay up to review her notes. Now that she’s done, she can’t help but tickle his nose with the feather of her pen, and giggle softly when he unconsciously wriggles his nose in response. She gently plays with the ends of his hair, then carefully moves her fingers to comb through it. She feels overwhelmed with happiness that she knows the truth of his feelings and he knows hers as well. Even if they aren’t able to necessarily move forward in a true relationship, she is content knowing that there could be a future for them together. 

For now, that was enough. 

End Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Festival (Part I)

Link woke up first the next morning to the sounds of hustle and bustle coming from outside as people began preparing for the day. Most notably, the smell of the amazing food being prepared fills the air causing Link’s stomach to feel ravenous with hunger. Strange , he thought to himself. Hunger is so heavy, and the aroma in the air beckons him to step out and indulge in breakfast. Yet, he does not move. Something more prominent keeps him under the covers. Something warm, comforting, and peaceful. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and shifts his head to the side where he is met with the sight of the Princess. His Princess. No. His Zelda. The rays of the morning sun that shine through the window cast an angelic glow around her golden hair. There they were, lying in bed together. Not anything like before when they shared a bed to survive the unforgiving temperatures of the desert. The moment they kissed the night before replays in his head, and he feels the strong urge to do it again. He brings a hand up to move some strands of hair out of her face, lingering to gently play with the ends. As he gazes upon her, he wrestles with how their relationship looks going forward. Though the words have not come from his own lips, he has no doubt in his mind how he feels. 

He is hopelessly, and irrevocably in love with Zelda. 

He wonders if he had already felt that way in the past, and maybe wasn’t able to come to terms with it due to the circumstances. Things may be better now that Ganon is defeated, but a part of him still feels hesitant. Could he really allow himself to act on his feelings towards her? Threats towards her safety still exist across Hyrule, and he cannot afford to let his guard down. And Hylia…he was surely vulnerable when they kissed. Sooga’s final words yet again plague his mind, “ May your weakness be your downfall.”

Link feels a small panic and retracts his hand from playing with her hair. 

“ I will never allow that to happen. Her safety comes before any feelings…from both of us.” 

Against his burning desire to stay in the bed longer, he cautiously gets up in such a way to not disturb Zelda. He changes into his famed Champions tunic with hylian trousers attire, and quietly leaves the room. 

–

It isn’t until about an hour later that Zelda wakes up to the soft knock on the door. She sort of extends her hand hoping to tap Link, expecting him to be next to her, but flutters her eyes open when she is met with empty space. Realizing he is gone, she sits up and stretches attempting to bring herself aware of suddenly being awake. 

“Your Highness? It’s Paya. May I enter?”

Zelda looks over at the door at the mention of Paya’s name. She feels a bit of embarrassment come over about her behavior towards her last night. She clears her throat softly, “Just a moment.” She slips out from under the covers and rises on her feet, her favorite blue lobster tunic of Link’s falling down to just below her buttocks. She smiles at the thought of their conversation last night.

“ Does this mean I’m never getting my island tunic back?”

“I’m afraid so. Besides, you didn’t ask for it back after the first time.”

“Fair point. It looks better on you.”

She could get used to a Link that compliments her more often. It didn’t even occur to her to change out of it, and she had already made it to the door and opened it to greet Paya. The Sheikah woman stood holding the gift box that contained Zelda’s custom traveling attire. 

“Good morning, Princess! I thought I might bring you-” Paya’s eyes widen and her face begins to flush. 

“Lady Paya? Is something wrong?”

“Y-Your Highness….y-you are…u-um…” Paya’s finger points towards Zelda’s bare legs, lacking pants. “I-is that…Master Link’s tunic?!” Her mind immediately went to think of the reasons why Zelda would be half dressed in only the shirt of a man. And not just any man, but Link himself! She covered her face with her hands and began to tremble with embarrassment. “F-forgive me, Princess! I should n-not have disturbed you before you were ready!”

Zelda merely stared in confusion for a moment before she had finally passed the sleep inertia she felt and realized what Paya was referring to. Her face now just as flushed as Paya’s and further flustered at the thought of anyone else in the house that could hear her.

“N-no!! It’s not what you think! Please, come inside the room!” Zelda pulled Paya into the room as quickly as she could and shut the door behind them. She would spend what felt like the most grueling five minutes frantically explaining the reason why she was wearing the tunic, and that truly nothing improper had taken place. 

At least…not entirely improper. Though Paya didn’t need to know about the bed sharing. 

“I see…I understand. A thousand apologies, Princess. It was disrespectful to jump to such….conclusions.”

“It is nothing to worry about, truly. I apologize for presenting myself in such a manner in the first place. I had not even realized I left my clothes in the other room. I appreciate you bringing them here.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” She bows her head and an awkward silence follows. Zelda decides to break it for her own sanity. 

“Paya…I believe I owe you an apology.” Before Paya could protest Zelda puts her hand up as if to signal that she has more to say. “I…behaved very poorly last night and I feel very ashamed. It was not becoming of me as a leader…and it was most certainly not fair to you or Impa. You both put so much consideration for Link and I with this festival and I did not reflect my gratitude towards you properly. From the bottom of my heart…I am truly sorry…and I hope that you will forgive me.”

Paya remained quiet, unsure of what to say. She did pick up the tension from Zelda but didn’t know to what extent it had come from. Now, hearing what she had to say made it much more obvious to her. She stares at her in Link’s tunic, and glances to the bed that was meant for Link. It was perfectly made with no sign of use. The way Link had pulled away from her the moment he laid eyes on Zelda wearing her gown. The way he faithfully followed her to their room. The way he reserves his most genuine and softest smiles for Zelda. It was a hard truth to swallow. 

She inhales a deep breath and looks back to Zelda with a smile laced with heartbreak, “You do not need to apologize, Your Highness. If anything…it is I who should apologize to you. I am sorry for the distress I have caused. And please know…I wholeheartedly support you both. Yours and Link’s happiness are well deserved after everything you’ve endured.”

Zelda smiles softly at her and feels guilty for the negative feelings she’s had toward her recently. Paya is a sweet girl who fell in love, and there was nothing wrong with that. “Thank you, Paya. I…really appreciate that we could have this talk. And…I would really love it if we could be great friends. Just as I became with your grandmother.” She extends her arm towards her and places her hand on Paya’s. 

Paya nods and places her other hand on top of Zelda’s in reciprocation. “I would love that as well, Princess.”

–

“Link! You must try the Gerudo rare meat skewers!”

“No, no you just gotta sink your chops into the Goron spicy rock roast!”

“Hylians don’t eat rocks you fool! A proper meal for the Hero would be Rito's creamy heart soup!”

“Master Link! Prince Sidon has said how much you enjoy grilled fish with Hylian rice! We have that over here at our stand.”

Link could swear this was what heaven felt like. Endless food coming his way to devour. He accepted it all, graciously. The tender meat, the warmth of the soup, the crispy skin of the fish, even the crunch of the rocks were just delectable. A small crowd had begun to gather as they watched in both horrifying shock and stunning awe as he indulged in meals of all cultures. 

“A true connoisseur, the Hero!”

“Guy’s got a legendary stomach.”

“He’s so tiny, where does he put it all?”

“Are his teeth okay?”

His audience clapped and cheered as he finished one meal after the next. After he’s had his fill, he sighs in satisfaction and pats his stomach. 

“Were you so hungry that you couldn’t wait for me?”

He turns to face the playful voice that approaches him. Suddenly remembering that his objective was to acquire breakfast for the two of them and return. He rubs the back of his head nervously.

“Sorry Zelda. I uh…got a bit carried away.”

She can’t help but smile and lightly giggle. “Well then, care to recommend something for me to try?” She lowers her voice to a whisper between them. “Just…no rocks.”

As she looks around she suddenly becomes very aware of all the eyes that fall upon her. Everyone was eyeing the new, lavish threads that made up her attire. They note the color, the same as Link’s tunic that has been established as that of the Hero’s a century ago. They whisper among themselves as they discuss her features. Her unique tone of blonde hair is said to rival the divine light of Hylia. Her emerald eyes and cream colored skin that no other maiden in Hyrule could hold a candle to. Yes, they thought to themselves, this is the beautiful Princess of legend. The very one who held Ganon in the castle for one hundred years, standing here in Kakariko Village among them. Their expressions are stunned, speechless, and captivated. Many had not met Hyrulean royalty in their lifetime, only had heard passed down stories of their era of ruling. It was like being in the presence of a goddess. 

Link notices Zelda’s growing apprehension and lightly squeezes her shoulder in support. “It’s alright. They’re going to love you.” 

She looks at him with a relieved smile, “Let’s hope so.”

Thank Hylia Link was correct. They made their rounds around the village, making small talk with the guests. Zelda’s charm and regal mannerisms had quickly won the adoration of those she interacted with. She seemed to be more than enjoying herself as she was offered different dishes to taste and tokens of different cultures as gestures of respect. Link for the most part remains quiet, only giving an occasional “thank you” or other small response when necessary. He admires the way she glows when she is happy. Her dazzling smile, just like the sun as the Great Deku Tree once mentioned. A smile that is near impossible to refuse. 

And yet…there is an underlying discomfort that Link can’t seem to shake. Subtle glances and body language from those in the distance rub him the wrong way. Perhaps not an evil presence, but still threatening. 

“Ah, Link. I had hoped to see you before the festivities this evening.”

Link looks over his shoulder to see the Rito bard approaching him, holding his accordion in his wings as always. It was none other than Kass himself. His signature blue plumage and the two white and red feathers along with a gold-white flower on his head were surely the most recognizable among the Rito. A large white scarf drapes over a brown tunic with red, white, and gold trim, and a green kerchief rests on his back. A belt secures scrolls of sheet music and journal entries. He looks upon Link with his ever whimsical smile to which Link returns with a silent nod, keeping half of his attention on Zelda. 

“By the by, I've something I must ask of you. I've a song that I need you to hear. I had hoped to run into you in Rito Village some time ago. Before I could find you, you had rushed to Hyrule Castle.” Kass smiles as he looks over to Zelda, still speaking with other civilians, and bows his head softly to Link. “I was glad to know you were successful in your mission. Might this be a good time to share some information with you?”

Link follows his gaze to Zelda, does a cursory scan of the surroundings, then looks back to Kass with a nod. “That’s fine.”

“Thank you ever so much.” The two of them step a short distance to the side, Link standing where Zelda remains in his view. “I wanted to talk to you about my teacher. My teacher was of the Sheikah tribe. He was the court poet for the Hyrulean royal family. At the time, there was a beautiful princess in the royal family, quite close to my teacher in age, apparently. Though he must have known it was doomed to be unrequited, my teacher fell in love with her…”

Link looked up to Kass with a bit of surprise in his eyes, knowing full well who he was talking about. 

“...But the princess herself only had eyes for her escort, her own knight attendant. My teacher was consumed with jealousy... He fumed that the knight was neither nobility nor royalty himself. And then the Calamity struck...My teacher believed a hero would appear to beat back the Calamity.”

Link’s eyelids lower in shame. It was one thing to be reminded of his failure to end it back then. It was a whole new feeling to know that there was someone who would have pursued Zelda had things gone differently. To be reminded of his place, that he was not noble or royal. Not suitable for a Princess. 

He exhales through his nose, his voice low and somber. “Kass…why are you telling me this?”

Kass smiles softly, yet melancholically at the hero. “After he fled the Calamity and returned to Kakariko Village, Impa had informed him of the Hero’s sacrifice to protect the princess. It was my teacher’s final request that I pass down the songs of the Hero for you to hear. All so that the princess might be saved…He poured that belief into a song. And that song is what I need you to hear. I have chosen to perform it for you and the Princess tonight. I hope it will answer your questions, and free you to follow your heart. So… appointed knight.” Kass pauses, waiting for Link to meet his eyes. “Will you accept this song from my departed teacher?”

Without missing a beat, Link answers. “Yes.”

Kass’ smile blooms with gratitude, “Thank you so much! I knew that you would. I was sure of it. My teacher would often speak of the princess’s beauty.” They both look over to Zelda, who just turned her attention over to where they were standing, smiling radiantly. “Now that I see her myself, I would love to craft a song worthy of her.” He glances at Link who probably stopped paying attention. For as far as Kass could see for himself, the Princess and the Hero truly only had eyes for each other. 

–

As the evening grew near, more and more guests had started to pour into the village. Among the new arrivals were the leaders of the different regions including the descendants of the Champions. The crowds hummed with activity as guests mingled with each other and engaged with the different booths for food and other crafted wares. All were waiting for Link and Zelda to appear and formally start the ceremony. 

Link finished the final adjustments of his royal guards uniform and stood in the living room of Impa’s temple. Impa and Paya were in Zelda’s room assisting her with her gown, hair, and makeup. He leans against a wall with his arms crossed and focuses his attention on the tip of his boot as he somewhat anxiously taps it into the floor. He can hear their faint voices and giggles coming from her room, which oddly made him feel somewhat nervous. He swore he also heard his name mentioned. That made him snap his head up towards the door with a flustered sensation. 

What were they saying about him? Why was he so… nervous? He’s not one to be so easily jostled, yet here he was, with the beat of his heart increasing in tempo. His pointer finger begins to tap against his arm to match. Hylia, why was the room so hot?  

He stands up straight at the immediate click of the door opening, composing himself at the sight of Impa and Paya walking out. They were both dressed in new, yet traditional, Sheikah kimonos for the occasion with ornate hair sticks and slightly bolder liner shaping their eyes. He says nothing, looking between the two with an anticipating look as if he is waiting on the edge of his seat. Impa and Paya merely share a withheld giggle and look from Link to the doorway. 

The sound of delicate heels clicking and the shuffling of fabric sweeping against the floor comes first. Then following, the sight of Zelda in her elegant ball gown comes into his view as she enters the room. Her hair shimmered with a glittery veil that was misted over it. Antique, yet polished, royal Hyrulean jewels adorned the braided headband she wears making it appear like a tiara. Her makeup was natural with some subtle enhancements of her features. Most notably, the neutral tints of her eyeshadow that brought out the emerald green color of her eyes pulled his attention. From there they made their way to her lips that were plump and glossy. He felt his throat knot and hands become slightly clammy. Thank god he was wearing thick gloves. A pin drop could be heard in the silence. Perhaps even if they listened hard enough, they could hear his heart racing in his chest. Yet the outside of him only showed an expression of pure adoration. Not anything like the kind the other civilians had shown her earlier in the day. This was without a doubt, head over heels, falling out of the sky and into the depths of the earth for her, pining look of adoration. 

Impa clears her throat and looks towards Paya, “Come Paya, let us greet the guests.” 

Paya smiles and looks between the two, “Yes of course, grandmother.”

The two ladies make their way out of the temple, leaving Link and Zelda alone. Neither of them flinched or even looked away from each other since the moment she stepped into the room. It is only when the door closes, Zelda releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding and opens her mouth to say something to break the silence. She stops when she sees Link making his way towards her, closing the gap between them. She feels goosebumps rapidly spreading across her skin even under her garments when he’s close. His eyes looked at her with fierce desire that was also gentle and warm. 

“Zelda…” He whispered with a breathy, lower voice. 

“Yes…Link?” Her voice quivered.

Link brings his hands up her neck, softly brushing his fingers against her skin until he is caressing the sides of her face. They both look from each other's eyes to their lips, closing their eyes as he pulls her in for a kiss. She leans in with his guidance, and allows herself to fully melt into their kiss. It’s deeper and longer than their first kiss the night before. He had taken a part of her bottom lip this time, telling her how desperately he had been thinking of kissing her again since then. She places her hands behind his neck and brings him closer to reciprocate the gesture. 

When he pulls away, there is a longing, nearly inaudible whimper from her that he is no longer there. He gently rubs her cheeks with his thumbs and smiles his rare, genuine, prince charming smile. 

“You look so beautiful.”

End Chapter 15